The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

University of South Florida

Scouting for little libraries

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Krishna Chundi is interested in engineering.

The Land O’ Lakes High School senior got a taste of it during the community service project he completed in pursuit of becoming an Eagle Scout.

Krishna Chundi, a senior at Land O’ Lakes High, built four book boxes in about a year and then worked with the Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department to have them installed in parks across the county, including this one installed at the playground at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park in New Port Richey. The initiative was his community service project in his quest to become an Eagle Scout. (Mike Camunas)

The 18-year-old, who plans to attend the University of South Florida, spent a year building four book boxes. Then, he coordinated with the Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department to have them strategically placed in county parks in communities where a high population of children from low-income families could benefit from his project.

The little libraries provide a place where people can borrow and exchange books.

The project cost about $800, which Chundi raised, or which was donated.

“When I was little, I really had a great interest in reading, but luckily I had a library (the Land O’ Lakes Branch) real close to me,” Chundi said. “Not everyone has a library that close. … So these (boxes), they’re in good locations to provide kids, or anyone, with books they can borrow.”

Krishna Chundi was able to stock the book boxes with donated books through a book drive at Land O’ Lakes High.

To build the boxes, Chundi said he consulted one of the best places for do-it-yourself projects, YouTube. But he couldn’t find a video that offered step-by-step instructions, so he turned to his family and scout leaders for their help in figuring out the best way to complete the build.

And he had to make adjustments as the project progressed — just like an engineer would.

“We had to improvise as we went along,” Chundi said. “The box was easy, but working on and installing and problem-solving the door was difficult because we had to make adjustments to make the doors fit better and the right way.”

He also made an ingenious move to keep the elements from damaging the books by installing a magnet latch to keep the door tightly closed.

Throughout the build, Chundi coordinated with the Lowe’s in Lutz, which donated some supplies and gave him a “Scout discount.”

He also worked closely with Pasco’s parks department.

Parks and Recreation Manager Brian Taylor said once Chundi contacted the department, it identified sites that didn’t have book boxes, which are also known as little libraries.

The parks department agreed to paint and install the boxes.

One of the four book boxes built by Land O’ Lakes scout Krishna Chundi, who then worked to have the boxes placed in county parks, such as this one in Starkey Park in New Port Richey.

“He did 99% of the work,” Taylor said. “He’s a really great, upstanding kid, and he did a really great job for just a teenager. I mean, it takes work just to achieve Eagle Scout status, but (a project like this), it promotes all the different things such as education, sharing, reusing, repurposing — and they look nice!

“He did such a great job on something that is very popular no matter where they get placed.”

Chundi’s boxes were installed at Crews Lake Wilderness Park in Spring Hill and Little Lisa Park and W.H. “Jack” Mitchell Park, both in New Port Richey. The fourth box was installed by the playground in Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, also in New Port Richey. (See accompanying box for addresses)

Also, the box at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park is near the StoryWalk® the Parks Department opened in 2022.

“It’s a perfect spot by StoryWalk,” Taylor said. “We expect kids to take a book after leaving the trail.”

Chundi agreed: “I thought that was a really good place to put that box.”

The county also provided some books, but Chundi provided most of the books that were collected through a book drive at Land O’ Lakes High.

Land O’ Lakes High senior and local Boy Scout Krishna Chundi said it took him about a year to construct four book boxes that were then put into Pasco County parks. (Courtesy of Krishna Chundi)

“When we had the book drive at our school, and they didn’t know what to do with a lot of them, so I said give them to me for the boxes,” Chundi said. “I was able to put in a variety of books, with plenty for kids and young adults, even some cooking books in there, too.”

Chundi wants to get the word out, so people can take advantage of the new little libraries.

“Advertising these book boxes is crucial,” he added, “so I’m glad to get the word out, that way (everyone) gets the most use out of the boxes and (they) make a greater impact on the community.”

Book Boxes Built by Krishna Chundi
Details: Land O’ Lakes High senior and soon-to-be Eagle Scout Krishna Chundi built four book boxes to be installed in Pasco County parks.
Locations:

  • Starkey Wilderness Park, 1115 Wilderness Park Road, in New Port Richey
  • Crews Lake Park, 16739 Crews Lake Drive, in Spring Hill
  • Lake Lisa Park, 7021 Maplehurst Drive, in New Port Richey
  • W.H. “Jack” Mitchell Park, 4025 Little Road, in New Port Richey

Published April 19, 2023

Chalk Talk 02/22/2023

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(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

A sneak peek at Angeline Academy
The Pasco County School District offered an updated look at the Angeline Academy of Innovation, a new 6-12 magnet school that will come to the in-progress ‘town’ of Angeline in Northern Land O’Lakes. Angeline Academy is under construction on an 18.8-acre site, south of State Road 52, north of the Ridge Road extension and west of Sunlake Boulevard. The school will be situated in a community that will be home to H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco County 775-acre campus. In October 2022, JoAnne Glenn was named the school’s first principal. The new school will open in August for the 2023-2024 school year.

Reading Challenge
Pasco County Libraries offers a “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” Reading Challenge, for ages up to 5 years old. Parents can sign up children to log books before going into kindergarten, to encourage early reading and literacy. For information, visit PascoLibraries.org.

Robotic Rumble Rama
Pasco-Hernando State College will host the PHSC Bobcat Robotics Rumble Rama VRC Spin Up Tournament on Feb. 25 at 9 a.m., at its West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road in New Port Richey, Building R, Room 151. For more information, contact Wendy Villa, associate director, Division of Workforce Development, at 727-816-3244 or .

Visit a Storywalk
Pasco County Libraries offers a Storywalk at the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, 10500 Wilderness Park Blvd., in New Port Richey, in the playground area. Access is at the back, left Nature Trail Loop. Guests can read the story “The Very Last Leaf” by Stef Wade, featuring interactive prompts and fun facts. For information, visit PascoLibraries.org.

Community celebration
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) will host a free community celebration of the college’s 50th anniversary and Black History Month on Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the PHSC Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel; and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Instructional Performing Arts Center, 8657 Old Pasco Road, in Wesley Chapel. For information, call 727-847-2727, or email .

GTE Scholarships
GTE Financial will award $3,000 scholarships to a number of GTE student-members, to support education and reward young adults who are dedicated to academic pursuits and community involvement. The scholarship is for undergraduate degree-seeking students and trade school students only. High school seniors pursuing an undergraduate degree and current undergraduate students at both colleges and universities are eligible to apply. For information and to apply, visit GTEFinancial.org, and click on Education and then Student Scholarships.

College and Career Fair
Pasco County Schools will host its third annual virtual College and Career Fair on March 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., to assist families as they plan for college entrance and/or careers after high school. Topics for presentations include: ACT/SAT support; college admissions process; collegiate athletics; financial aid, Bright Futures, and scholarships; Naviance (college, career and life readiness resource); resources for students with disabilities; and more. For information or to register, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/oll/page/college-and-career-fair.

Scholarship application
The Law Firm of Farah & Farah will award an Empowering Greatness Scholarship. A scholarship committee will use a rubric to rank all completed applications. The top 10% of applicants will advance to a judges’ panel for review and final selections. Participants and winners will be notified of the results by May 1. The deadline to submit an application is March 3. For more information, visit FarahAndFarah.com, click on “About” and then “Scholarship.”

Republican Party scholarship
The Republican Party of Pasco will award a $1,000 scholarship to a high school senior. Student requirements are: 

  • Must be a registered (or preregistered) Republican
  • Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA
  • Be a current senior of any Pasco County high school (public, private, charter, vocational or home-school)
  • Must attend an accredited community college, university or vocational school in Florida

Applicants are required to write an essay and answer the question, “What is the importance of conservative values for young people in today’s world?” The deadline to apply is March 24. For information, visit PascoGOP.com/rpop-scholarship/.

Student achievements

  • Scott Abramson, Odessa: Dean’s List, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington
  • Chelsea Aquino, Odessa: graduate of The University of Tampa
  • Jaime Arredondo, Lutz: graduate of The University of Tampa
  • Jackie Figueredo, Lutz: Dean’s List, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne
  • Daniel Higgins, Odessa: Dean’s List, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinoi
  • Olivia Jablonski, Odessa: Dean’s List, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama
  • Natalia Kaminski, Wesley Chapel: Honor List, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla
  • Brady Lindauer, Land O’ Lakes: Dean’s List, Saint Mary’s University, Winona, Minnesota
  • Brycen Lowe, Lutz: Dean’s List, Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin
  • Max Martino, Lutz: Dean’s List, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne
  • Kelsey Mitchell, Odessa: graduate of The University of Tampa
  • Cassidy Mizzi, Lutz: graduate of The University of Tampa
  • Aaron Molloy, Lutz: graduate of The University of Tampa
  • Holly On, Odessa: graduate of The University of Tampa
  • Vasant Ramnarine, Lutz: Dean’s List, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne
  • Angelo Sardegna, Lutz: Dean’s List, Curry College, Milton, Massachusetts
  • Julie Stevens, Odessa: graduate of The University of Tampa
  • Laura Watford, Odessa: Dean’s List, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama

MOSI helping students
The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) now has a grab-and-go food service. The new “hot vending” concept is helping undergraduate business students at the University of South Florida, according to a news release.

The HUSTLE program is a college-oriented competition designed to educate the maximum number of students in business entrepreneurship through real world experiences, the release said.

It allows the students to apply their classroom knowledge, determination, and skill sets to operate a real business, all while having the chance to win one of two cash prizes totaling $100,000 to be shared with teammates.

The student team of  “Just Baked Smart Bistro” offers guests grab-and-go sandwich options, desserts and treats, with both breakfast and lunch options available daily. In addition, MOSI also is offering deli sandwiches, salads, sodas and snacks at its expanded MOSI Marketplace gift shop.

For more information on the competition and program, visit HustleUSF.com.

Striking up a really, really big band

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Consistency is not a minor key.

That’s especially true when it comes to the Land O’ Lakes High School Band.

Land O’ Lakes High Band member Max McGuill practices his tuba during a class in December. The Gators’ band, since being taken over by Johnathon Mulder six years ago, has more than doubled in size, from 60 to 124 members. Since Mulder took over, there’s been an emphasis on the passion of creating music together, and less focus on ratings and awards. (Mike Camunas)

In the six years that band director Johnathon Mulder has been leading the Gators, he has demonstrated consistency in leadership, direction, experience and, of course, the love of music.

“We’ve tried to put a big emphasis on recruiting — which is not really like it is in the sports world,” said Mulder, a former trumpet player from the Herd of Thunder, the University of South Florida’s marching band. “It’s more of just trying to get to the middle school and giving them the information about us and joining us when they come to this high school.

“But until I got here — with the last five to six band directors — there was constant turnover, where it was a new band director every two to three years. So consistency, that was a big thing for me when I came in — not to leave after two years.

“Because with any band program in the state, or even the country, ones that are large in size and very good, you see that they have a director or directors that have been there for an extended time.”

Mulder’s stay, and the consistency in leadership, have worked. Land O’ Lakes now has the second largest public high school band in Pasco County, only behind Mitchell High.

Land O’ Lakes High Director of Bands Johnathon Mulder directs the woodwind and brass sections of the Gators’ band during a practice session on campus in December. Since he took over the band six years ago, Mulder has changed the band’s culture, which has resulted in an uptick of participation from students, especially from incoming freshmen.

When Mulder took over, the band had about 60 members. Now, the Gators’ band has 124 members, which is a school record.

“When I came here, there was a lot of negativity within the band,” Mulder said. “A lot of students would make jokes about themselves — self-deprecating humor — but we wanted to stop that.

“The big thing with my philosophy in teaching is we will do well, we will go on stage and put on a great performance and a high-quality production. What’s important is that this class, like our dance and art and chorus classes and theater, is usually the safe space for those students. We wanted to create an atmosphere that this is a family, that we’re all working for each other, with each other and pushing ourselves and holding ourselves to high standards.”

That family atmosphere, and the “recruiting,” seems to be working, given the band’s size. Mulder and the band’s captains will visit the middle school band, like the one at Pine View Middle, which has close to 300 members. But the band also will have a Middle School Night.

For that, the Gators will go to a Pine View game and play and perform with those middle school band members. They’ll also invite them to a Gators’ football game, so they can watch the band perform during the game and its halftime performance.

“We do have a middle school band night, so we were there and played their tunes, our tunes — really jammed out with them and performed on the field with them,” senior trombone section leader Riley Palmer said. “And they came to our game and, obviously, I didn’t really pay attention to them in the stands because I was playing, but I think they liked it.

Riley Palmer, a senior, left, and Gracie Bagley, a junior, play their trombones during practice for Land O’ Lakes High’s band.

“I know, for me, I loved it because, just like them, I was in the stands on middle school night and it got me really excited to join when I came to Land O’ Lakes.”

Middle school night has been quite the recruiting tool, according to one of the band’s recruiters.

“We’re really involved with middle school night and just show them this is the high school band experience and they really love it,” said Kenzie Ringo, a senior, who plays the clarinet and is the band’s co-captain. “In the past, you’d get a really big freshman class and then they’d quit, but now everyone sticks around and you have seniors that have been in band all four years.

“We’re a lot like a family — we’re really close and love being around each other, and so that helps people stick around and that’s just very cool to see.”

As senior players who have enjoyed four full years under Mulder’s guidance, they believe his tenure has made all the difference.

“What makes our band stand out from other bands is that we’re not as serious as other bands,” Palmer said. “I’d like us to be a little more serious, but I also just like how chill we are, and that’s what he’s brought to this band.”

“He’s, obviously, our band director, but he’s the leader, right?” Ringo added. “He’s just a very easy person to talk to and down to earth with us. He doesn’t mind talking to any of us outside of band time. He’s just someone that you want to be friends with, even after you move on from high school.”

And after six years, the Gators band is finally on the same page of sheet music.

It’s important to have consistency in leadership and expectations, Mulder said.

“When you establish those expectations and have them year after year, you build a culture of success, and I think that absolutely shows now after six years.”

Published January 11, 2023

Damien Cardina, a junior, plays his euphonium during a practice session.
Brady Horn, a sophomore, plays the flute, as part of the 124-member Land O’ Lakes High School band — the largest band in the school’s history.
Nayshun Glover, a freshman, practices a drum routine.
Isabella Gomez, a sophomore, practices on her oboe.

TV crime drama may emerge from local novelist’s book

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Leonard Territo — a retired criminology professor and textbook author — really never expected to write a novel, or contemplated the idea of his book possibly being turned into a television crime series.

But now, an agent working for the former Saint Leo University and University of South Florida (USF) professor, is pitching the series in Los Angeles and Canada.

“They shotgun this stuff out, to see who’s interested,” said Territo, who lives in Land O’ Lakes.

“I would say right now that the LA project looks more promising than Canada. Since the LA people now have asked her (his representative) to write a pilot and an eight-week series, they’re probably more serious,” he said. So, she is going to develop it and submit it.

Leonard Territo, a retired criminology professor and a textbook author, is waiting to see if ‘Ivory Tower Cop,’ a novel he co-authored with George Kirkham, becomes the basis for a TV crime series. (Courtesy of Leonard Territo)

The series is based on a novel called “Ivory Tower Cop,” co-authored by Territo and George Kirkham, another widely known retired criminology professor.

If it gets developed, it will be called “Roth,” based on the book’s main character. That’s because the title “Ivory Tower Cop” was considered to be too long, Territo said.

“Ivory Tower Cop” is a suspense thriller inspired by the true story of Kirkham’s experience of leaving academia to work as a street cop.

It’s also loosely based on a serial rapist whose crimes created terror in Omaha, Nebraska, said Territo, who first learned about that case by reading a story published in a Tampa newspaper.

Territo and Kirkham, who became friends after meeting at a criminology conference, decided to join forces to write the novel.

They traveled to Nebraska to interview the investigators involved in the Omaha serial rapist case.

Territo said working with Kirkham was the perfect collaboration.

“He’s the creative writer and I’m the technician,” he said.

Territo provided the technical details of the crime scene, while Kirkham brought it to life.

“It was a perfect combination. I had skills that he didn’t; he had skills that I didn’t,” he said.

It took about 15 years from the time the idea came up for the novel, to its actual publication.

Territo said the reason it took so long to publish is because they didn’t have an agent. Ultimately, Territo reached out to someone he knew at Carolina Academic Press to work out a deal for publication, which occurred in 2009.

Obviously, considerable time has passed since then — which was long before the George Floyd incident.

To give the potential television series a more contemporary feel, Territo said, “we decided to tack on additional layers to Ivory Tower Cop, for the TV version, not for the book.”

The new material involves a retired police chief who comes from Chicago to work in Miami, and when he arrives there’s a scandal brewing involving a coverup of the death of a young black man who died as a result of excessive force.

This crime thriller involves the pairing up of a Berkely educated professor and a street-smart detective pursuing a brutal serial rapist.

While waiting to see what happens with the TV crime series, Territo is collaborating on a nonfiction work called “Ted Bundy: The Invisible Monster.”

The book is based on murders that Bundy committed in Tallahassee.

Territo was chief deputy in the sheriff’s office there, where Bundy was arrested.

The Land O’ Lakes man said he was involved in some of the strategizing in the early stages of the investigation.

Before he became a professor, Territo worked for the Tampa Police Department (TPD), holding various roles, include the investigation of rape and robbery cases.

That front line experience provides greater insight regarding the impact of crime, than is attainable from reviewing cases involving criminal behavior, Territo said.

“When you work with these victims — the survivors of felonious assaults or rape cases — it is very, very different than looking at that as simply a cold statistic on a paper, or reading a report.

“(With a report) You don’t see the emotion in their face. You don’t hear the trembling in their voice. You don’t see the injury. It’s a whole different dimension,” he said.

His shift from law enforcement to academia was financially motivated, he said.

He found out he could double his salary by leaving his job at TPD to go to work for St. Petersburg Junior College, and he didn’t hesitate.

While working at the junior college, he became an adjunct at USF, and then joined the USF faculty. After retiring from USF, he was bored and was encouraged by friends at Saint Leo University to join the faculty there.

“About six or seven years ago, I was working at Saint Leo, and I was doing a lot of stuff on sex trafficking and had written a number of books on sex trafficking, and was teaching a course on sex trafficking,” he said.

The university was contacted by someone at The Hilton Foundation that was seeking a Catholic University that had faculty members who had academic expertise in human trafficking because they wanted to develop classes for nuns in five African countries who were dealing with people who had been trafficked.

“I collaborated with the Vatican in Rome,” Territo said, regarding the project. He recalled talking to an Irish woman who impressed him because of her keen awareness of the horrible things that happen to people who are trafficked.

After the initial grant, the program was expanded to 17 African countries, Territo said, but he was no longer involved at that point.

Published December 07, 2022

Bully for USF Hockey

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It’s a sea of green. And gold.

It’s the fans for the University of South Florida (USF) Hockey team, as the team takes the ice at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel,

The USF Hockey Club, which has been playing since 1987, currently calls AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel home and features a full schedule, including a whole slate of home matches that fans can attend, free of charge. (Mike Camunas)

The fans, decked out in the school colors, are coming out in force to support the Bulls, a club team that plays a full season of games and competes in the College Hockey South Conference, and for the Cup, at the season’s end.

“We have the best fans in the league, by far,” said Alden Spratt, a freshman forward, who is majoring in Political Science.

“We get the best crowds, and it’s a lot more fun than anything I’ve played in up North,” added freshman forward Charlie Rongo, who hails from New Jersey.

“We love playing in front of a packed crowd,” agreed junior forward Zach Parker, a Wesley Chapel native, “and all we want to do is put on a show for them.”

So far, on Fridays and Saturday evenings, the Bulls (8-5-1) have been putting on a hockey show. A show that anyone — student or just hockey fan — can attend for free.

Charlie Rongo, a freshman forward on USF Hockey, sits in front of the net looking to deflect in a shot in a contest rival Central Florida on Nov. 5.

It was evident during a recent game that fans are coming out in force for the Bulls.

They played in front of a sold-out crowd against rival Central Florida on Nov. 5. Before the game, longtime USF women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez dropped the ceremonial puck.

“It’s a different type of hockey than what we’re used to — a fun and electric atmosphere,” Spratt, a Philadelphia native, said. “Up North, you play hockey, you try to get on a college team or go to the NHL (National Hockey League). It’s not as fun as this.”

The USF Hockey Team was founded in 1987 by two students — Eric Mattson and Chip McCarthy — who loved and missed hockey while attending USF, so they began looking into forming a hockey club. The team’s first season began in 1989, when the Bulls went 8-3.

Wesley Chapel native and Wiregrass Ranch High graduate Zach Parker stands on the bench during a game against rival Central Florida on Nov. 5. Parker is one of a handful of locals on the team and also works at Center Ice.

Since then, USF has appeared in 11 postseasons and has seen its fan base grow, which is especially impressive since Florida is always considered a “non-hockey state.”

“I blame the Tampa Bay Lightning for winning so much,” Rongo said, jokingly. “They made hockey fans out of everyone. I walk around campus, and everyone is wearing a hockey cap or sweatshirt, and I think our fans love seeing hockey, especially as a fun, college thing to do.

“I mean, we got a guy who brings a cone to every game and uses it as a megaphone!”

“Hockey is obviously a big (sport) up North,” Spratt added. “I came down here and expected (the big sport) to be baseball and football, and it is, to an extent, but the atmosphere here around hockey was not something I really expected.”

For Parker, the love of hockey in Florida is nothing new.

“I live five minutes from the rink,” said the 2017 Wiregrass Ranch graduate, who also works at Center Ice. “It would have been great to have it, like, 10 years ago, but people around here have loved hockey for a long time.

“I love Tampa, I love hockey, and it’s great to be able to stay home and do what I love.”

Rango loves playing hockey in Florida, too.

“You know, I played in Canada,” he said, “and there, I step outside, I’m frozen.  Down here, I play and then I step outside and I’m headed to the beach (laughs).”

While the crowds are lively and the games are exciting, in the end, the players know that they are not destined for the NHL spotlight. This is a recreational activity for them, a way to keep playing the sport they love, get some exercise and, as always, be hit with a shot of adrenaline playing in front of a raucous crowd.

USF Hockey, which plays its home games at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, usually has large, loud crowds, all of which came to see some hockey action, free of charge.

“For me,” Parker said, introspectively, “yeah, this is kind of it. I will finish out my senior year and go onto a career. Of course, I’ll always love hockey or try to find a way to play, but we play here, for USF, for the club, because we love it.

“We play for the love of the game.”

USF Hockey
When: Friday and Saturday evenings
Where: AdventHealth Center Ice, 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Wesley Chapel
Cost: Admission to games is free
Details: The University of South Florida (USF) Hockey Club has been playing since 1987 and competes in the College Hockey South Conference, which features several other teams, such as Florida, Florida State, Miami, Central Florida and the University of Tampa. The season concludes with a three-day conference championship tournament. The top eight teams from that advance to the 2023 CHS Tournament, held in West Chester, Pennsylvania in March.
Next game: Dec. 3 against the University of Tampa, 7 p.m.

Published November 16, 2022

Hale Road rezoning gets ‘no’ vote from divided planning board

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In the end, a majority of the Pasco County Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of  a rezoning requested for a 109-home subdivision in Land O’ Lakes.

The proposed site for the development is on the southwest and northwest corner of the Hale Road and Collier Parkway intersection, straddling Hale Road. It is approximately 5,700 feet east of U.S. 41, according to documents contained in the planning board’s Sept. 22 agenda packet.

The planning board voted 3-2 to recommend denial.

Opponents to a proposed rezoning on Hale Road want the request to be rejected. The sign also indicates a backlash against elected leaders, springing from dissatisfaction regarding Pasco County’s continued growth. (Mike Camunas)

That vote followed about four hours of testimony, with representatives for the applicant claiming the proposed single-family development is compatible with the sea of single-family developments surrounding it.

Opponents questioned the claim of compatibility, raised issues about Hale Road’s ability to handle the additional traffic, voiced concerns about potential environmental damage that could arise and cautioned against setting a precedent for increased development on similar properties on Hale Road.

In calling for denial, the planning board cited Hale Road’s substandard road conditions, incompatibility with surrounding development, and other issues.

County planners, however, had recommended approval of the request.

Next, the Pasco County Commission will consider the request. It has final jurisdiction on land use and zoning issues.

Cyndi Tarapani, of Tarapani Planning Strategies, represented KB Home, at the planning board’s meeting.

She told the planning board:  “We believe we made every reasonable effort to be a good neighbor.”

The future land use designation for the property allows up to six homes per acre, Tarapani noted. This proposal calls for 2.5 homes per acre.

The future land use designation would allow up to 214 homes. The applicant’s initial request was for 150, but that has since been reduced to 109, Tarapani said.

The developer also plans to use 50-foot lots on areas adjacent to neighboring subdivisions and plans to provide buffering, even though none is required, the professional planner added.

Plus, the developer will pay $281,600 to mitigate traffic impacts and will provide a left-turn lane into the property, she said.

But none of the developer’s changes appeased the opposition.

Opponents came ready for battle
An army of objectors — many wearing green shirts and some carrying signs — turned out to the public hearing.

The contingent included students from Land O’ Lakes High School who argued against the rezoning, based on research showing potential environmental threats.

Opponents repeatedly raised concerns about safety hazards on Hale Road, which the county deems a substandard road.

Mike Della-Penna, who lives nearby, said: “There haven’t been many improvements on Hale Road in the 32 years I’ve lived there and I don’t expect many to be happening.”

Others said the proposed density is contrary to existing lot sizes in nearby developments.

“You have an established pattern of development on Hale Road, and these lots don’t meet that standard,” said Lisa Moretti, who opposes the rezoning.

This sign urges rejection of a proposed rezoning on Hale Road, which would allow a subdivision of 109 houses on Hale Road. A portion of the proposed site is next to the Rosebud Continuum, at 22843 Hale Road. (Mike Camunas)

Moretti cited eight approved developments on Hale Road, which have larger lot sizes.

“The proposed development is 109 lots, over 2 ½ times as many as the largest approved development already there and over five times greater than the average approved development,” Moretti said.

“This (proposed) development is totally an aberration of compatibility,” Moretti said.

Dr. T.H. Culhane, another opponent, stepped up to the podium wearing a Patel College of Global Sustainability T-shirt.

“I request, respectfully, that you recommend denial for this land-grab application for this last tiny refuge of wildlife, this last sanctuary of sanity, in an increasingly sprawl-filled neighborhood,” said Culhane, a University of South Florida professor.

Culhane talked about working for six years at the Rosebud Continuum, at 22843 Hale Road. It’s a place that focuses on promoting sustainable living practices.

“I and my professional colleagues — graduate students — have conducted landscape research, habitat restoration and wildlife surveys.

“We’ve worked hard on invasive species removal and repatriation of Florida native plants and wildlife,” Culhane said.

“I scuba-dived Lake Rosebud to observe the alligators and fish, therein, and watched and delighted with the sandhill crane families and gopher tortoises that are all over making their nests, now that we’ve re-wilded the property.”

The Rosebud Continuum relies on the area’s existing character, he said.

“On the world stage, we know we can be far more innovative than the current Hale proposal,” said Culhane, who told the planning board he holds a master’s degree and PhD in urban planning from the University of California Los Angeles.

Michelle Dillard, a nearby resident, raised concerns about the potential runoff causing pollution of nearby lakes. Residents near King Lake already have spent thousands to improve the water quality in that lake, she said.

“We have to keep our lakes safe. We have to keep them alive,” Dillard said.

Speakers asked the planning board to protect the interest of current residents, rather than accommodating developers.

Brian Bishop — whose mother, Maryann Bishop, owns the property occupied by the Rosebud Continuum — said he’s concerned about adding traffic to Hale Road.

“I think we’ve already established that the situation on Hale Road is not a desirable one,” he said. “To me, this is a no-brainer.”

He asked the planning board to not allow KB Home “to make a bad situation worse.”

One resident invited the planning board members to come out to the area to watch traffic when school lets out. She said there’s one particular bicyclist, who has a large backpack on — that she’s seen nearly get hit on more than one occasion.

Russell Watrous, another rezoning opponent, voiced concerns about a potential precedent being set by approval of this request.

“There are four pieces of property on Hale Road, very similar to the one KB Home wants to develop right now,” he said. “We’re at a turning point in Land O’ Lakes, and you can see it. Almost every one of these feeder roads and back, secondary roads are being developed,” Watrous said.

Published September 28, 2022

Firestorm of controversy halts incinerators in Lutz

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Opponents — both residents and elected leaders alike — vowed to go to the wall to prevent a set of commercial incinerators from setting up operation in Lutz.

But in the end, they didn’t have to: The applicant retreated.

Louis Geraci LLLP has dropped the request for state permits to operate two Air Curtain Incinerators (ACIs), at 1225 Crystal Road.

That action came after the opposition’s full-scale attack.

But the story is more complicated than that.

Essentially, the applicant had been pressing on through the process to obtain a permit for the two ACIs, in what amounts to an administrative action at the local level.

The county’s Environmental Protection Commission (EPC)’s staff was handling the air permit application — under a contract with the state to perform such reviews.

Due to the nature of the request — and its “potential to generate smoke and dust from the burning,” the EPC declared the application one of “heightened public concern” and notified nearby property owners and registered neighborhood organizations of the request. The EPC staff also scheduled a virtual community meeting for Aug. 23.

When word of the request got out, opposition erupted.

More than 600 people registered to attend the virtual meeting and hundreds bombarded the Hillsborough County Commission, which also sits at the EPC board, urging them to kill the project.

The EPC board took up the issue at its Aug. 18 meeting, but before it began its discussion, it listened to 45 minutes of public testimony during its normal public comment period at the beginning of the meeting.

So many people signed up, the board limited each speaker to 2 minutes each, instead of the normal 3-minute limit.

Speakers cited potential health hazards for children playing outside, which is a normal course of affairs in Lutz.

They said residents of senior living facilities should be able to go outdoors to enjoy some fresh air.

They raised objections about potential negative impacts for people who have asthma or other respiratory ailments.

They said the operation would reduce their quality of life, damage their property values and pose a threat to the area’s wetlands and wildlife.

“I don’t understand why an application like this wasn’t immediately rejected,” said Bryan Flynn, a Lutz resident. “This application is considering allowing an amount of toxic materials to fall back down to earth in this well protection zone, and have the ash wash directly into wetlands and waters connected directly to the aquifer that we drink from.”

Lutz resident Jen Messer wanted to know: “Is it safe to have all of these extra dump trucks hauling waste through our community, where kids stand waiting on the street for buses every morning?”

Dr. James Costello, a professor at Moffit Cancer Center and a professor at the University of South Florida, who lives in Lutz, raised concerns about the emission of cancer-causing toxins.

State Sen. Janet Cruz, whose district includes Lutz, said neighbors were in the dark about the project until a few days before.

“They’ve (the applicants) been quietly clearing the land and preparing for this, and the residents had no idea. They’re flabbergasted. Once more residents see what’s happening, I think you’ll see an army of folks here,” she predicted.

After the morning’s public comment session ended, Commissioner Ken Hagan weighed in — excoriating the proposed incinerators.

“The notion of building and operating commercial incinerators on a permanent basis in a residential area is outrageous.

“By now, we’ve all received an avalanche of contacts. I think, over 400 emails; 1,500 individuals signed a petition from the greater Lutz community expressing opposition, frustration, disbelief and concerns about the possibility of having two massive fire pits operating in such a diverse and populated area.

“They are turning to us to protect them and their families.

“Candidly, I’ve represented this area for a long time. I cannot recall another issue in Lutz that has generated so much opposition. I think you probably have to go back to the ‘80s when the East-West road … was proposed to go through the Lutz community and there was a significant uproar about that,” Hagan said.

He made a motion to direct EPC staff to halt the process, and for the EPC board to voice the board’s objections to the secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, to the governor and to the Hillsborough County legislative delegation.

Hagan acknowledged the action could prompt legal action against the board, but he said some things are worth taking that risk.

His board colleagues unanimously agreed to kill the project, but debated the best way to achieve that.

Ultimately, the board voted unanimously to support Hagan’s motion.

Additionally, Commissioner Stacy White suggested asking county staff to prepare a county-initiated rezoning “based upon the health, safety and welfare concerns we’ve heard today” and to research whether that action could trigger a zoning in progress.

He made that motion to do that, which the board supported unanimously.

Now that the incinerators application has been dropped, it appears the publicly initiated rezoning won’t be necessary.

Board members did indicate that they want to discuss the rezoning process and how they can prevent similar situations in the future. The issue is expected to come up at the board’s Aug. 25 land use meeting.

Published August 24, 2022

Gearing up for the new school year

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As students in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area head off to school for the 2022-2023 academic year, those arriving at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation will be helping to usher in the new school’s traditions.

Kirkland Ranch, at 32555 Innovation Drive in Wesley Chapel, is a magnet school that will specialize in preparing students in career fields and technical trades such as automotive maintenance and repair, including diesel; biomedical sciences; building trades and construction technology; cybersecurity; digital media and multimedia design; engineering and robotics; welding; electricity; and, patient care technology.

Students at Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52, in St. Leo, will have an opportunity to learn in the school’s new robotics and artificial intelligence lab, on the first floor of Kirk Hall.

Dr. Monika Kiss explains some of the features of Saint Leo University’s new Robotics and AI Lab. (Courtesy of Chad Gonzalez/University of Saint Leo)

The lab is part of the university’s new School of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Data Science (CARDS), which brings together several popular areas of study and degree.

At Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, 33347 State Road 54, a new middle school building will help to accommodate students at the growing charter school.

Those are just a few changes that await, as a new academic year gets into full swing soon.

The first day of school for students is Aug. 10 in Pasco and Hillsborough public schools.

The beginning of the school year varies for private schools, Pasco-Hernando State College, Saint Leo University and the University of South Florida, as well as for home-schooled and online students.

Typically, the beginning of the school year means that families are doing some shopping, or taking advantage of school supply giveaways.

For those still needing to shop, the Florida Back-to-School sales tax holiday remains in effect through Aug. 7. In general, the tax holiday means no taxes are due on the retail sale of:

  • Clothing, footwear and some accessories (selling for $100 or less per item)
  • Certain school supplies(selling for $50 or less per item)
  • Learning aids (selling for $30 or less per item)
  • Personal computers and certain computer-related accessories for personal use (selling for $1,500 or less)

Public school students in Lutz and Odessa attend schools in either Hillsborough or Pasco, depending whether they live north or south of the county line. Some Hillsborough students also attend Hillsborough schools in New Tampa.

Students in Central Pasco attend schools in Odessa, Lutz and Land O’ Lakes, while those in East Pasco attend schools in Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Dade City, St. Leo and San Antonio.

There’s some overlap between communities, since the shapes of school zones vary and there are magnet schools that draw students from beyond traditional boundaries.

As the school year kicks in, the impact on area traffic will be noticeable, as students, teachers, cafeteria workers, assistant principals, principals and other staff members make their way to their respective campuses.

And before heading back, it’s a good idea for students and parents to do a little homework to find out more about what to expect in the coming school year.

School websites often offer a wealth of useful information about school rules and expectations, how to sign up for various activities, fees that are due, and so forth.

Be sure to check the Twitter and Facebook social media channels for individual schools and your school district, too, to see if there’s any current news that’s helpful to you.

For instance, those following the Pasco County Schools’ website would know that the federal government is ending free meals it had been providing for all because of COVID-19 relief funding.

Some students will qualify for free or reduced price meals. But here are this year’s charges for paid and reduced price meals.

Elementary: Breakfast: $1.60 paid, 0.30 reduced; lunch, $3 paid, 0.40 reduced

Middle: Breakfast: $1.75 paid, 0.30 reduced; lunch, $3 paid; 0.40 reduced

High: Breakfast: $1.75 paid,  0.30 reduced; lunch, $3.75 paid; 0.40 reduced.

As the new school year begins, both Pasco and Hillsborough public schools continue to work to fill staff vacancies.

The school boards in both districts also are urging voters to approve a tax increase that they say will help them to attract and retain quality staff.

In Pasco, the ballot question asks for a yes or no vote on whether to levy an additional tax, not to exceed 1 mil, beginning July 1, 2023 and ending no later than June 30, 2027.

The proceeds, according to the ballot question, will be used “for essential operating expenses to maintain salaries competitive with the market, attract and retain high-quality teachers, bus drivers and other non-administrative school support employees.”

In Hillsborough, the tax increase also would last four years, unless extended by voters, according to the district’s website.

At least 75% of the proceeds would go for increased compensation for teachers, counselors, media specialists , bus drivers and transportation assistants, classroom assistants, and other non-instructional support staff.

Hillsborough also would use proceeds to protect and expand art, music, physical education and workforce education.

Voters will decide the outcome of the ballot initiative, in their respective county, during the Aug. 23 Primary Election.

Published August 03, 2022

No rest for the wicket

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Like many recreational sport leagues, they just needed a place to play.

Unlike many recreational sport leagues, the demand unexpectedly bowled its way right onto the pitch.

The Tampa Falcons pick up a hit in a match against Tampa Shaheen during a weekend match at their pitch, located at Wesley Chapel District Park. The two teams are part of the Tampa Premier League, a cricket organization that hosts several matches and series throughout the year. (Mike Camunas)

“I was playing American College Cricket with USF’s (the University of South Florida’s cricket) Club Team, and we won two championships,” Wesley Chapel resident Nagesh Nayak said.

“When I graduated from USF, there was nowhere I could still play. When I was looking for a place to play, I drove by the empty land on Wesley Chapel District Park and proposed (playing there) to the county — (Parks and Recreation Manager) Brian Taylor and (Pasco County Commissioner) Mike Moore — and they said if you want to play, go ahead.

“So we built a pitch, and then (cricket), all of sudden, was in high demand. People kept coming out and it just kept spreading, so more people wanted in.

“It was like a gradual cult,” he said.

Back in 2016, after Nayak built the pitch at the district park, he started Tampa Premier League, which has cricket teams mostly locally, including places such as Wesley Chapel, Tampa and several near USF, but also as far as St. Petersburg.

Tampa Avengers bowler Gaurav Samant goes sideways with his delivery over the pitch to the St. Pete Shields during a cricket match at Wesley Chapel District Park.

Initially, there were eight teams.

But demand was so high, more teams were added. The league now has 21 teams.

“I don’t always remember names, but I remember faces,” Nayak said. “I think that everyone remembers everyone else out here. So, they just keep telling more and more people about where they can play cricket.

“Free agents are a big thing with us (at this league), especially someone moving to the area, who might not know anymore,” he said. “So, through the Facebook page and social media and messaging, we help get him on a team in the right area or one that might need him.”

Tampa Premier League founder and manager Nagesh Nayak

Nayak says about 80% of the league is USF students, however, there are several teams that come from varying workplaces that have formed a team. For instance, one team is made up of Citibank employees; another, of pediatricians and doctors from New Tampa.

The league hosts six games to 10 games per weekend, and each team is guaranteed per season, or series.

Each series can have a different champion, such as Nayak’s team, the Wesley Chapel Legends, which won the Titan Cup V T20 series in November. Another team — the Tampa Avengers — is looking to defend its Tampa Bay Summer 2021 Super 16 Bash by winning this summer’s Wesley Chapel Summer Blazing 16 series.

The Avengers are off to a good start, defeating the St. Pete Shields on June 18 at the district park.

Cricket is the main sport for India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, said Gaurav Samant, an Avengers all-arounder. He bowls (pitches), bats and plays the field.

“Each of those (countries) has some guys out here because it’s something we all share the love of to play. It’s incredible that so many of us love cricket this much.

“And also still great competition.”

Samant is a great bowler, but admits that “everyone wants to bat — everyone.”

“Bowling — people do it, but batting is what everyone looks at — (it’s) where you can entertain the audience,” he said.

Through all the entertainment, the real reason is obvious why all these players brave the heat and play matches throughout the year.

“This is for the love of the game,” Avengers’ coach Balaramraju Kalidindi said. “This is like a hangout for us. It’s pretty serious, but we still enjoy the game. It’s fun hanging out with friends.

“Cricket is one thing that brings us together.”

Tampa Premier League
Info: A cricket league that plays its games at Wesley Chapel District Park on the weekends. The league has varying series all year long and teams are consistently being added. To learn more about the league, visit tampa-cricket.com/TampaCricket.

The Basics of Cricket
During normal cricket play, 13 players and two umpires are on the field. Two of the players are batters and the rest are 11 members of the fielding team. The other nine players in the batting team are off the field in the pavilion.

The bowler, or pitcher, intends to hit the wicket (a set of three wooden stumps and two bails) at the end of the pitch — a 22-yard center part of the field — with the ball or, at least, to prevent the striker, or batter, from scoring runs. The striker, by using his bat, looks to defend his wicket and, if possible, hit the ball away from the pitch in order to score runs. Once the ball is put into play, the striker and the other batter, or non-striker, attempt to score runs by swapping places on the pitch. The fielding team then tries to prevent run scoring by “dismissing” the batters, so they are “out” and are said to have “lost their wicket.”

Means of dismissal include being bowled, when the bowled ball hits the stumps and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side either catching a hit ball before it touches the ground, or hitting a wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket to complete a run.

Published July 06, 2022

Tampa Avengers fine leg fielder Saurav Sharma makes a catch of a cricket ball during a match at Wesley Chapel District Park, securing an out.
St. Pete Shields’ Mohammad Raz connects with his cricket bat during a match hosted by Tampa Premier League at Wesley Chapel District Park.
Tampa Avengers bowler Aneel Mohammad delivers a ball over the pitch during a match at Wesley Chapel District Park.

 

Chalk Talk 05/11/2022

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Showering teachers with tokens of appreciation
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club has always prioritized education, and supports the local teachers and schools often. Club member Sabrina Scott, center, recently visited the Lutz K-8 School to deliver snacks and treats to PTA representatives, which were distributed to the teachers as small tokens of the club’s gratitude and in commemoration of Teacher Appreciation Week. Similar gifts of appreciation were delivered to the teachers at Connerton Elementary and Miles Elementary, as well. The woman’s club has supported these three schools for many years.

Eighth USF president named
Florida’s Board of Governors has confirmed Rhea Law as the University of South Florida’s (USF) eighth president. Law spent the past eight months serving as interim president, and is the first USF alum to fill the role, according to a University News post.

“Under her leadership, the university recently experienced the most transformational legislative session in USF history, with record-setting investments in operations on all three USF campuses. She also led the effort to complete USF’s new five-year strategic plan, created a collaborative working group to develop a more transparent budget model and has fostered greater communication and collaboration across campuses,” the post said.

Law also is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the USF Law Alumni Society, served as a member of the USF Research Foundation Board, and was named a 2018 Distinguished Alumna by the USF Alumni Association.

Planet Fitness offers pass
Planet Fitness will offer a High School Summer Pass program from May 16 through Aug. 31, for all high-schoolers ages 14 to 19.

Students will be able to work out at no cost, at any Planet Fitness location.

The fitness center aims to help teenagers stay physically and mentally fit over the summer, by providing a way to exercise for free while school is out.

The program, which used to be called the Teen Summer Challenge, first launched in 2019, and more than 900,000 teens signed up.

To encourage teens to take advantage of the program, all participants automatically will be entered into a sweepstakes awarding one person, in each state, with a $500 scholarship.

Additionally, one grand prize of a $5,000 scholarship will be awarded at the end of the summer.

The scholarships can be used for academic or athletic activities, or other programs.

Teens can preregister for the program online at PlanetFitness.com/summerpass.

Ukulele for home-schoolers
The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host a Ukulele Basics class for home-schoolers on May 17 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Participants can learn the basics during this hands-on workshop, presented by Candy Otte of the Tampa Bay Ukulele Society.

Ukuleles will be provided, but home-schoolers can reserve a ukulele to play at home later.

Masks are recommended, but not required.

Registration is a must, online at PascoLibraries.org.

College prep seminar
The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will present “Preparing for College: Academically, Socially and Financially,” on May 17 at 4:30 p.m.

High school and middle school students and families can attend, to learn about the importance of preparing early for college. Topics also will include how to gain acceptance and how to fund the college of your choice.

Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org.

Free summer program
The City of Zephyrhills will present the 2022 Free Summer Recreation Program from May 31 to July 7, Mondays through Thursdays, from 8 a.m. to noon, at Stewart Middle School, 38505 10th Ave., in Zephyrhills.

The program is limited to 120 students who have completed any grade in kindergarten through fifth grade, in 2021-2022.

For information and to register, visit www.ci.zephyrhills.fl.us/225/Summer-Recreation-Information.

Citizens of the Month
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce has named 13 students as Citizens of the Month, for March and April.

Students are chosen by the teachers and administrators of their individual schools for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community.

These students received recognition: Ivani Sharrock and Nicholas Dester, Academy of Spectrum Diversity; Jordan Reed, The Broach School; Parker Dixon and James Spivey, Chester Taylor Elementary; Evelean Grantham and Lazaro Martin, Heritage Academy; Gissel Garcia-Romero and Lacy Ferris, West Zephyrhills Elementary; Mackenzie Gavin and Nathaniel Fuller, Woodland Elementary; and Annalyse Guash and Brooke Lea, Zephyrhills High.

Student inductions
Rebecca Moore, of Odessa, and Alex Kiester, of Lutz, have been inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi at Florida Southern College.

Saint Leo awards degrees
Saint Leo University will host a doctoral hooding ceremony on May 13, for more than 40 students receiving degrees in business administration, criminal justice, and education.

Two in-person commencement ceremonies will take place on May 14, at which time degrees (doctoral, master, bachelor and associate) will be awarded to more than 1,200 students.

Kylie Culver will be honored as the Class of 2022 valedictorian, and will deliver the official “farewell.” Culver will graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in history, and minors in Spanish and world politics.

The salutatorian is David Pacheco, who will graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in computer science, information assurance.

For details on the times and ceremony locations on campus, visit SaintLeo.edu.

To access a livestream, visit the school’s website, where a link will be posted the day of.

Best high schools ranked
U.S. News & World Report has named the best high schools in the Tampa area, as well as national rankings, according to its website, USnews.com.

The top 10 high schools were ranked as follows:

  • Plant High, No. 1 in Tampa; No. 632 in National Rankings
  • Steinbrenner High, No. 2 Tampa; No. 742 National
  • Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High, No. 3 Tampa; No. 790 National
  • Newsome High, No. 4 Tampa; No. 903 National
  • Palm Harbor University High, No. 5 Tampa; No. 985 National
  • Osceola Fundamental High, No. 6 Tampa; No. 1,326 National
  • Robinson High, No. 7 Tampa; No. 1,351 National
  • St. Petersburg Collegiate High, No. 8 Tampa; No. 1,354 National
  • Sickles High, No. 9 Tampa; No. 1,367 National
  • Land O’ Lakes High, No. 10 Tampa; No. 1,380 National

Other area school rankings in Tampa included Wiregrass Ranch High, No. 12; Mitchell High, No. 14; and Sunlake High, No. 15.

Hillsborough Virtual School came in at No. 19 in the Tampa area.