The LAKER
ee r F
LAND O’ LAKES EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
False alarms could prompt hefty fines By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County is considering fines ranging from $50 to $500 to help reduce the volume of false alarm calls that waste deputies’ time. Figures collected by the sheriff’s office reveal that deputies responded to more than 17,000 alarm calls from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015. Most of the calls came from residential
No Fees Or Costs Unless You Win HOLLIDAY KARATINOS
J U LY 2 7 , 2 0 1 6
alarms. Of the alarm calls received, nearly 80 percent of total calls to homes and businesses were false alarms, the data showed. “Most were caused by systems not being maintained,” said Chase Daniels, sheriff’s spokesman. At a Pasco County Commission meeting on July 12, Daniels told commissioners that Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco agreed with a county initiative to craft an ordinance
that creates a registry for alarm systems and approve fines for excessive alarm calls. Commissioners directed the county’s legal staff to draw up such an ordinance for future consideration. Of the more than 17,000 calls recorded in 12 months, about 13,500 were false alarms. Daniels said one business had 187 alarm calls within 12 months. See ALARMS, page 15A
LAW FIRM, P.L.
Pasco grapples with marijuana dilemma
HelpingInjuredPeople.com Call Attorney
JIM HOLLIDAY 813-868-1887 “I Will Aggressively Fight To Protect Your Legal Rights”
By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Everyone on the political planet knows it is almost impossible for Republicans to win back the White House without winning Florida. It is the nation’s biggest swing state (29 Electoral College votes) and the most competitive.That status translates into some special opportunities: • Great seats on the convention floor: Florida delegates sat center-stage, right behind the New York delegation, offering a bird’s eye view of the speakers and terrific photo opportunities. It pays to be a big swing state and one of Trump’s two
Pasco County commissioners want to extend an existing moratorium on the growth, sales and distribution of cannabis until the end of the year. The delay would give the county’s legal staff time to craft an ordinance to ban those activities in the future. As a backup, the county would approve regulations to restrict those activities to industrially zoned locations, with conditions. The ordinance also would update police powers in making arrests for illegal possession of marijuana — which is derived from cannabis. A one-year ban on cannabis production activities is set to expire on Sept. 2. But, a Nov. 8 referendum on medical marijuana, if approved, could quickly change the regulatory landscape both statewide and at the local level. State law currently permits, in some instances, a non-euphoric form of marijuana, known as Charlotte’s web, for medical use by patients with epilepsy, seizure disorders or who are terminally ill. Only one organization is approved to dispense the product so far, with the first delivery of medical marijuana going to a resident of Hudson. The state referendum proposes to broaden when medical marijuana is allowed and open the door for new dispensaries. No dispensing sites have been approved in Pasco, but county officials said they have received inquiries about future retail sites within the county. At a July 19 workshop in New Port Richey, the county’s attorneys sought guidance from commissioners on how to tackle the evolving marijuana issue. They offered several options, including a total ban on dispensaries, which some counties are choosing to do. The ban also would establish regulations as a backup to legal challenges. “I call it a dry county kind of option,” said Kristi Sims, senior assistant county attorney, in outlining Pasco’s choices.“You can expect probably some litigation. It does carry with it the obligation to defend it, if it is challenged.” Another option would allow dispensaries in commercial areas and calls for regulating them like pain management clinics.
See RNC, page 15A
See MARIJUANA, page 15A
18920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 101 Lutz, FL (Corner of Sunlake & Dale Mabry)
Walk-Ins Welcome
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DR. SUSAN A. MACMANUS
A bird’s eye view of the convention hall during the 2016 Republican National Convention.
A focus on Florida at the 2016 RNC in Cleveland By Dr. Susan A. MacManus Special to The Laker/Lutz News
By now, the Republican National Convention is “old news”—but to the 99 Florida delegates and their alternates—it will never be forgotten.To them, the convention was serious business, but a lot of fun, too. Here is a brief snapshot of their four days together.
Your Local Real Estate & Property Management Experts
DennisRealty.com
LEAVING TAMPA: GOALS
From left, Steve Graves, Sandy Graves and Dr. Susan A. MacManus, chat during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Steve Graves was an alternate Florida delegate, and Sandy Graves was a delegate.
On the plane headed up to Cleveland, I asked some of the Tampa area delegates what they hoped would happen at the RNC. Leaving the convention as a united party topped their lists.They were well aware that a fractured party makes it difficult to win Florida, and that the presidential race in Florida is already projected to be very close (nothing new). They were hopeful that their nominee, Donald J.Trump, would project a more serious tone in his nationally televised acceptance speech to assure wavering Republicans and independents of his readiness to be president. Many also were anxious to learn more about Trump’s vice presidential pick—Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana—believing it would give them a good indication of the kind of governing team Trump would put in place, if elected. And, of course, they wanted to enjoy their time together in a city on the move — still high from the NBA Championship brought home by their beloved Cleveland Cavaliers. They knew attending breakfasts
DennisPM.com
FLORIDA DELEGATES GET SPECIAL TREATMENT
LK/LZ
Service the Way it Oughta Be!
and events together throughout the week would be an important step toward creating a strong well-organized statewide network of party activists. It is essential for conducting effective voter registration drives and Get-Out-The-Vote efforts.
$20 Off SERVICE REPAIR A/C, Plumbing or Electrical
LK/LZ
Must present coupon. LiMited tiMe offer.
$39.95
Crews busy building schools in Pasco County By B.C. Manion
A/C OR PLUMBING CHECK-UP
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Must present coupon. LiMited tiMe offer. #CFC1428982
#CAC1816647
#EC0001103
Air Conditioning • Plumbing • Electrical
CORNERSTONEPROS.COM
813-949-4445 There’s
no place
like
SPECIAL SECTION inside this week
Wiregrass Elementary School is set to open this fall in Wesley Chapel. Construction is well under way on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school. That campus is expected to open in 2017-2018. Construction also has started on a new elementary school that’s also expected to open in 2017-2018 in Bexley Ranch, off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes. Meanwhile, a major renovation project is planned for 2017-2018 at Land O’ Lakes High, on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes, said Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools. In addition to renovating the school, the project calls for adding a wing to increase the school’s capacity. The district is still considering various options for where Land O’ Lakes High School’s students will be housed during its major renovation. “Anytime you’re doing construction with students on campus, it gets more expensive.
COURTESY OF PASCO COUNTY SCHOOLS
This is what the new high school being built on Old Pasco Road is expected to look like, at completion.
The project takes longer,”Williams said.“It’s harder to do.” The school district continues to search for a high school site and an elementary site between Sunlake and Mitchell high schools, off of State Road 54. As the district prepares to open new schools next year, it will begin holding boundary committee meetings in the fall, followed by parent meetings, and then eventually the Pasco County School Board, to determine the boundaries for the new schools. The new high school is expected to affect the boundaries for Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and potentially Sunlake high schools,Williams said. The new middle school is expected to affect the boundaries for Weightman, John Long and potentially Rushe middle schools.
The new elementary in Bexley Ranch, is expected to affect the boundaries for Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools. Meanwhile, the district may also consider shifting the boundaries between Oakstead and Myrtle elementary schools, to provide additional relief to Oakstead and to help increase Myrtle’s enrollment, since it can accommodate more students,Williams said. While the district needs new schools to provide a place for students to learn, the practice of drawing boundaries for them always sparks controversy. Passions run high, as parents outline the various problems they envision if their child is reassigned to a new school, or — in some cases — is not. Sometimes the complaints are about academic opportunities, but often they involve daycare or the ability to be involved in school activities.