The LAKER
ee r F
WESLEY CHAPEL/NEW TAMPA EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
Pasco Schools to open Aug. 24
By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County Schools has delayed the start of school for two weeks, but controversy continues over how the district should deliver instruction once the new school year begins. The Pasco County School Board on July 21 unanimously approved changes in the school calendar to delay opening day from the original date of Aug. 10 to the new date of Aug. 24.
No Fees Or Costs Unless You Win HOLLIDAY KARATINOS LAW FIRM, P.L.
J U LY 2 9 , 2 0 2 0
Board members also approved an Aug. 17 start date for employees, also a two-week delay from the originally planned Aug. 3. Pasco County School Superintendent Kurt Browning recommended the two-week delay in the midst of rising COVID-19 cases in Florida. Browning said the district plans to comply with the state directive that requires it to open all schools for five days a week, to provide a face-to-face learning option for students. It also will offer two online options.
Delaying the start date will require the district to make up for lost time, Browning said. His staff has developed a plan that adds 18 to 20 instructional minutes to each school day, and will forego early release days during the fall semester, he said. The board’s decision to delay reopening until Aug. 24, but to keep the brick-and-mortar option, came despite concerns raised by Don Peace, president of the United School See SCHOOLS, page 15A
HelpingInjuredPeople.com Call Attorney
JIM HOLLIDAY 813-868-1887 “I Will Aggressively Fight To Protect Your Legal Rights” 18920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 101 Lutz, FL (Corner of Sunlake & Dale Mabry)
Walk-Ins Welcome
ESSENTIAL BUSINESS WE’RE OPEN following COVID-19 precautions
DISINFECTION & FOGGING FREE AC
LK/LZ
COVID-19
Air Conditioning • Plumbing • Electrical
With $39.95 Tune-up, $190 value Must present coupon. Cannot be combined.
FREE SERVICE CALL
LK/LZ
One per visit. Exp. 8/31/20. While supplies last.
With Repair M-F 8AM-8PM Must present coupon. Cannot be combined. One per visit. Exp. 8/31/20.
2012-2019
CAC1816647 CFC1428982 EC0001103
Same-Day Service Free 2nd Opinion* Free Estimates** 24/7 Emergency **Free estimates for new A/C, water heater, water treatment, whole home generators, whole home repipe and electrical panel upgrade. *Free second opinion with written diagnosis from another company.
CORNERSTONEPROS.COM
813-990-0561
SAVE
COURTESY OF TAMPA BAY RAYS COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
2020 MLB season is here, and so are these locals
The 2020 MLB (Major League Baseball) season will be unlike any other it has experienced, thanks to COVID-19. The condensed 60-game schedule is believed to be the league’s shortest season since 1878. A handful of players (and a manager) with ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area look to take on prominent, even starring, roles with their respective MLB franchise this season. Above is Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, who grew up in Lutz, and played at Northside Little League and Gaither High School. Take a closer look at more locals to watch in Sports, on page 16A.
Is a new library coming to Wesley Chapel?
up to
30%
ON TOP BRAN NDS
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Shoppers also can pick up made-to-order meals and grab-and-go foods, such as handcrafted gourmet sandwiches and freshly baked pizza. They also can select from a curated collection of wines and imported cheeses. Another feature: Shoppers can enjoy a cup of locally roasted coffee, wine and beer on tap, or other selections, which they can drink while shopping, or when relaxing at the bar. The Odessa store expects to have about 130 employees, Brous said. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Brous said,“our stores continue to be busy. “We ask our customers to shop as they normally would, but not to stockpile, so that their friends, family and neighbors have the same opportunity. The grocery industry is resilient, and we just needed to be patient and allow the industry an opportunity to recover. “We are seeing better conditions in most categories; however, paper and cleaning
Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore recalls pedaling his bicycle to the local library when he was young, so he could get his hands on its books and magazines. It was an enjoyable part of his youth, the commissioner said, and he wants the county to expand that opportunity to more people by building a new library in Wesley Chapel. He mentioned the importance of laying the groundwork to help make that happen, during a recent discussion of the Pasco County budget for fiscal year 2021. Moore said he’s simply trying to move the idea forward by obtaining some money in the coming year’s budget to begin to identify what the project would cost. The county already has a site, next to Seven Oaks Elementary School, at 27633 Mystic Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. It has owned that land since 2004, he said. He said he understands the county’s current capital plan doesn’t have money for another new library. The county currently is part of a partnership that is creating a new library, district park and cultural center on the campus of the new Starkey Ranch K-8 School, which is expected to open in 2021. While the county doesn’t have the money to pursue a new library in Wesley Chapel now, Moore wants to work toward making something within the next few years.
See GROCERY, page 15A
See LIBRARY, page 15A
B.C. MANION
GreenWise Market just opened a location in Odessa. Shoppers can sip coffee or wine, as they peruse through the store’s broad array of specialty, natural and organic foods.
Consumers now have more grocery options in Pasco By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
14147 U.S. 98 BYP PA ASS, DA DADE CITY (JUST 30 MINUTES FROM WESLEEY CHAPEL)
352-567-003 30 We always save you money.
B GROWING PASCO KEEPS INSIDE, PAGE 1B
Grocery shoppers now have two more options in Pasco County, as GreenWise Market and Aldi have opened new stores. The 25,147-square-foot GreenWise Market, at the Preserve Marketplace Shopping Center, 2175 Sembler Drive, is GreenWise Market’s fourth location in Florida.The Preserve Marketplace is off State Road 54, in Odessa. “Our GreenWise Market is about exploration, community, enticing the palate, and a place for the foodie, as well the food connoisseur. We celebrate food, and have an extended offering of natural, organic and prepared foods,” said Maria Brous, director of communications for Publix, via email. The store offers specialty, natural and organic foods. Its personal care offerings include vitamins, nutritional supplements, natural soaps and shampoos, and more. Its meats have been raised with no antibiotics or added hormones, and it offers sustainably-sourced seafood.