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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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COURTESY OF ERIN MATHES
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.
Boundary process beginning soon for Starkey K-8
Local woman hopes to make faith-filled impact on national level
B
BACK TO SCHOOL INSIDE, PAGE 1B
By Joey Johnston
By B.C. Manion
Special to The Laker/Lutz News
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Zephyrhills resident Michele Bowman, raised in the Catholic Church, has always embraced faith as her life’s foundation. “Really, it has given me everything,’’ Bowman said. Now, she has a rare opportunity to give back. Bowman recently was elected as one of nine National Directors for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA), an organization that promotes spiritual growth, charitable giving, community service and sisterhood. In the CDA’s 117-year history, Bowman is the fourth National Director from Florida. Bowman, who worships at St. Joseph Catholic Church, has been active as a charter member of the 43-woman Court Mother Teresa in Zephyrhills.The chapter is one of CDA’s 1,150 local chapters. She has held several CDA positions on the state and local level, but said she’s looking forward to making connections on the national level. She’s beginning a two-year term. “It’s a big deal and quite an honor for Michele,’’ said Kathy Brady, a regent with Court Mother Teresa. “She will be able to give her opinion and be a liaison at the highest level of our organization. She will be hands-on with a lot of big issues, and it’s going to be a great experience.’’ Bowman grew up in North Tampa, where her home parish was St. Mary Catholic Church in the Lake Magdalene area. During her initial time as a Zephyrhills
resident, she attended Our Lady of the Rosary in Land O’ Lakes when it was a small church, then saw it grow exponentially as the area’s population increased. For nearly three decades, she has called St. Joseph home.When she first heard about the formation of Court Mother Teresa, she joined immediately. It became an important factor in her spiritual maturation. “It appealed to me to be around a group of Catholic women, to grow in faith, to be of service to the community,’’ said Bowman, who was elected by mail voting as part of the CDA’s 58th Biennial National Convention, which was scheduled for Dallas but held remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was a great way to meet people in my parish. I thought the faith-based emphasis, plus the service and social aspects, were really nice,” Bowman said. “But, it became more than I would have imagined. It has really extended my self-con-
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 FAITH, page 7A
See STARKEY, page 7A
COURTESY OF MICHELE BOWMAN
Zephyrhills resident Michele Bowman recently was elected as a National Director for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, becoming the fourth Floridian to reach that level in the organization’s 117-year history.