Lutz News-Lutz/Odessa-September 9, 2020

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Efforts aim to add voting options

By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

Election supervisors in Pasco and Hillsborough counties plan to expand opportunities to voters in the coming General Election, to make it easier for them to have their voices heard. Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley has announced plans to add more early voting sites for this year’s Presidential Election. The county also will extend the length of the early voting period, according to a news

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release from Corley’s office. The changes are being made “in anticipation of increased voter turnout and the inevitable potential for long lines and wait times due to social distancing and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)-recommended cleaning guidelines,” the release says. The early voting period in Pasco County is Oct. 18 through Oct. 31, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including weekends. The county also has increased the number of early voting sites. “A longer voting period and a total of 14

locations marks a new high for Pasco County,” the release from Corley’s office reports. “In partnership with Pasco County Administration, we have secured additional sites to include Veterans Memorial Park Gymnasium, J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex Gymnasium, Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex Gymnasium and Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus,” Corley says, in the release.“The response from Dan Biles, County Administrator, was without See VOTING, page 7A

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Zachary Mathes waits in line — getting ready to start a new year of learning.

Five-year-old Connor Mathes and his 3-year-old brother, Zachary, get ready for the first day of preschool at Xavier Elementary School in Appleton, Wisconsin.

A tradition, with some new twists Getting ready for the First Day of School typically means new back-to-school clothes, shoes and a backpack. This year — during the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic— it means a mask, too. Five-year-old Connor and 3-year-old Zachary Mathes, grandsons of Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, were among the millions of children across the country beginning the 2020-2021 school year. For a look at First Day of School photos from The Laker/Lutz News region, please turn to 1B.

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Boundary process beginning soon for Starkey K-8

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By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

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came apparent it would be longer. “You’ve got to make tough decisions in tough times, even if they’re uncomfortable decisions,” said Germann, who became the aquarium’s leader in 2017. He decided to announce that the aquarium would be shuttered until May 10. “I caught some flak, as a business leader, from a few folks, saying,‘“We don’t know it will be that long, you’re not providing hope’,” Germann said. But, he knew that he had the option of reopening within 48 hours, if conditions changed. He also wanted to come up with a re-

Construction of the new Starkey K-8 school is well underway, and Pasco County Schools has begun notifying families that may be affected by the boundary changes that will be required to assign students to the school. The school — part of a complex that includes a theater, library and cultural center — is scheduled to open in the 2021-2022 school year. Significant progress has been made on the construction. “I drove by Starkey K-8 the other day and it is just incredible how that building has come up out of the ground,” Superintendent Kurt Browning told Pasco County School Board members at their Sept. 1 meeting. “It is a phenomenal facility,” Browning said.“It’ll be a huge addition to the Starkey Ranch development, so we’re excited about that.” But, whenever a new school opens, the district must draw new boundaries — a process that can sometimes become controversial. Browning told board members that the district is preparing to begin the boundary process for Starkey K-8. “We’ll be communicating with potentially impacted families currently attending Odessa Elementary School, Longleaf Elementary School and River Ridge Middle School, regarding the timeline and the process,” Browning said.

See PANDEMIC, page 7A

See STARKEY, page 7A

FILE

Roger Germann, president and CEO of The Florida Aquarium, is enthused about the future of the downtown Tampa attraction, which offers visitors a chance to have fun, to learn and to contribute to its conservation efforts.

Taking the long view, during a pandemic By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

Like many businesses across the state, The Florida Aquarium was on a roll — before COVID-19 slammed the brakes on the economy, especially the tourism sector. “We had two years of just record attendance and record revenues, and we were growing,” Roger Germann, president and CEO of the nonprofit conservation organization, said, during a Zoom breakfast meeting with the North Tampa Bay Chamber. In mid-March, though, aquarium operations came to a halt. Initially, Germann thought the shutdown would be for two weeks, but it soon be-


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