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JANUARY 13, 2016
New charter school to open in Lutz By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
If all goes smoothly, Sunlake Academy of Math and Science will open for the 20162017 school year. The eight-acre site for the school is on North Dale Mabry Highway, about a halfmile north of Exciting Idlewild Boulevard. Construction for the 40,000-square-foot, two-story charter will break ground sometime within the next month, and is expected to be completed over the summer. The charter, which will be tax-funded and tuition-free, is expected to pull students from within a 5-mile radius of the school’s location. Developed by Charter School Properties (CSP), Sunlake Academy will be large enough to eventually accommodate up to 1,150 students, from kindergarten through eighth grade. It will have a focus on STEM curriculum, which stands for science, tech-
an area for outdoor activities. In creating the school, Charter School Properties, which also developed Valrico Lake Advantage Academy, is working closely with Charter School Associates, the school’s Education Management Organization. “We’re pleased to be bringing the local community new educational opportunities with this state-of-the-art building and a proven, high-tech STEM curriculum,” Joseph Rauenhorst, president of Charter School Properties, said in a release. “Partnering with Charter School Associates and other leading COURTESY OF CHARTER SCHOOL PROPERTIES charter school operators, we focus on creatSunlake Academy will look similar to Valrico ing stimulating, nurturing environments Lake Advantage Academy. that maximize each child’s achievement and develop the skills needed to succeed nology, engineering and math. It also will today.” offer an interdisciplinary approach to learnThe company and its site engineer, Chris ing, in which lessons will emphasize the McNeal, are currently working through the interrelationships between various subjects. site permitting process with several The school’s features will include a li- Hillsborough County agencies and the brary and media center, science See CHARTER, page 11A laboratories, computer labs, art rooms and
Area events honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
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The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lives on each year as communities nationwide celebrate the birth of the civil rights leader with parades, community service days and reflections on his message of nonviolence. The official holiday honoring King will be Jan. 18. In Pasco County, celebrations will be take place throughout the week, including a first-time parade in Lacoochee on the official holiday. The parade came at the suggestion of the young people in the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, said Lorenzo Coffie, who is helping organize the parade and a scholarship breakfast for the MLK Program Committee. “We thought it was an exciting idea,” Coffie said. Area colleges and civic groups also are planning events. Pasco-Hernando State College will host the 31st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture Series on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21, on its various campuses around the county. The guest speaker will be Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of black popular culture in African-American Studies at Duke University in North Carolina and director of the Institute of Critical US Studies. The theme of Neal’s lectures will be “Hip Hop, Civil Rights and Social Media.” King’s legacy is in civil rights, but also social justice, and this year’s theme focuses on the synergy between the two, said Imani Asukile, director of Global & Multicultural Awareness at PHSC. Neal also brings expertise in social media and its cultural influences. His articles have been published in the Washington Post, Emerge Magazine and The Chicago Sun-Times. He is author of four books, including his most recent, “New Black Man: Rethinking Black Masculinity.” Neal has described himself as a black feminist male. At Saint Leo University, there will be a Spring Community Service Day on Jan. 18. Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy
FILE PHOTO
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his stirring ‘I Have a Dream’ speech during the 1963 March on Washington.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations ACTIVITIES AT PASCO-HERNANDO STATE COLLEGE WHO: Guest lecturer Mark Anthony Neal, professor of black popular culture in African-American Studies at Duke University WHAT: Lecture on “Hip Hop, Civil Rights and Social Media” WHEN: Jan. 20 at 10 a.m., in Room B-303, Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Road, Wesley Chapel and at 6 p.m. in Room A-240, East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road, Dade City. Neal also will speak on Jan. 21 at 9:45 a.m., via web telecast in B-104/105, North Campus, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Brooksville; at 9:45 a.m., in Performing Arts Center, West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road, New Port Richey, and at 7 p.m., in Room B105, Spring Hill Campus, 450 Beverly Court, Spring Hill.
Quince will be the guest speaker at noon in the Student Community Center boardroom, discussing King’s efforts to end childhood poverty. Quince became the first AfricanAmerican woman appointed to a state appeals court when she was selected to serve on the Second Court of Appeal in 1993. She was elected to the position three years later. Gov. Lawton Chiles and Gov.-elect Jeb
ACTIVITIES AT SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY WHAT: Speech by Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince WHERE: Student Community Center boardroom WHEN: Jan. 18 at noon WHAT: Children’s fair WHERE: On the green between the Student Activities Building and Kirk Hall. WHEN: Jan. 18, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saint Leo University is at 33701 State Road 52, four miles east of Interstate 75.
MLK PARADE IN LACOOCHEE WHEN: Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. WHERE: Starting in Lacoochee at Cummer Road and U.S. 301, ending at Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee. After the parade, there will be a MLK Commemorative Program at 11 a.m., at the boys and girls club, where the Rev. Deundrick Reed will be the keynote speaker. There will be refreshments at Stanley Park after the program.
Bush appointed her to the Florida Supreme Court in 1998. She served as chief justice from 2008 to 2010, making her the second African-American and third woman to hold the position. Following her talk, a free children’s fair will be on campus. There will be face paintSee EVENTS, page 11A
Festival seeks to become signature event By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is launching a new event aimed at giving people an annual music festival they can enjoy, while area businesses showcase their goods and services. The festival is a new take on the chamber’s annual business expo that has been held for two decades at the Land O’ Lakes Parks and Recreation Complex. The event, slated for March 11 and March 12, will be at the Fraternal Order of Police Pasco Lodge 29 property, just off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard (U.S. 41) and Hale Road in Land O’ Lakes. Organizers have lined up Taylor Hicks, winner of season five of American Idol, to be the headliner on March 11, the first night of the Spring Music Festival & Expo. Hicks’ appearance is deliberately timed to coincide with The Farewell Season of
American Idol. Hicks will perform after Solar Exposure, the opening act. The evening also will feature food trucks and beer/wine sales. No coolers or pets will be allowed. The second day will spotlight businesses and family fun. “This is super exciting. I can’t believe the energy and enthusiasm that’s already been generated,” said Elayne Bassinger, president of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. “The tickets have been selling (for the concert),” she said, noting that some Taylor Hicks fans will be traveling from out of state to attend the concert. The second day of the event will combine music, a business showcase and fun activities for kids, said David Gainer, co-chair COURTESY OF CENTRAL PASCO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE of the event. “It’s really going to be more of a festive, Taylor Hicks will be the headliner on March See FESTIVAL, page 11A
11 to kick off the first night of the new Spring Music Festival & Expo in Land O’ Lakes.