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DECEMBER 8, 2021
Pandemic affects mental health, too
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
The COVID-19 pandemic — with its associated lockdown, and even without it — has created mental health challenges that have played out in assorted ways, according to a panel of experts who addressed the topic in a Zoom session organized by the League of Women Voters Hillsborough County.
“I heard from parents of children who were maybe 6 years old, bedwetting, acting out aggression, not wanting to leave home,” said Natasha Pierre, executive director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Hillsborough. She said she was not prepared for the number of college students who reached out, who were dealing with work, parents having COVID, roommates having COVID, or
not having insurance. “I heard from a lot of veterans. Veterans, who because of the stillness, were having memories of combat,” she said. She heard from women who had experienced military sexual trauma or date rape. “Because of the stillness, once again, these memories are coming back,” she said, See MENTAL HEALTH, page 9A
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Crafts abound at Lutz Festival
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Barbara Karnay, of New Port Richey, waits for customers under the roof of the Nature Coast GFWC booth to buy her Christmas wreaths that were fashioned from clothespins. See more photos from the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, page 1B.
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Pasco schools want state to reconsider special ed rule By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
The Pasco County School Board and district officials are asking state officials to take another look at a state rule change they believe could have negative consequences on students with significant cognitive impairments. Changes in the state rule, which took effect this school year, impact the district’s ability to deliver a modified curriculum to teach students with severe cognitive impairments and to evaluate them using an alternate assessment. The rule change essentially eliminated the ability to use that approach for all severely cognitively impaired kindergartners, and severely restricted the option for all students who have an IQ of 68 or more. The problem, according to the Pasco County School Board and the district’s See SCHOOLS, page 9A
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PAGE 6A
Eighteen-month-old Monroe Wilkie rides atop of Justine Wilkie’s shoulders, as the mom and son, from Tampa, stroll through the arts and crafts show. They were there with Judy Nicolosi, of Lutz.
Michele Northrup, a former Lutz Guv’na, hawks her hot sauce. The Saucy Queen, of Lutz, gets an assist from Atlas Cortecero, as she lets the crowd know how saucy her sauce is.
Zephyrhills golf course to stay open By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
The Zephyrhills Municipal Golf Course will remain in play, after all — which is good news for area golfers who enjoy using it. The Zephyrhills City Council passed a first amendment to its lease agreement with Under Par Inc., to continue to serve as management operators of the 18-hole, par-68 course, at 39248 B Ave. The action came as part of the consent agenda during a regular meeting on Nov. 29 at Zephyrhills City Hall. The current lease agreement is set to expire in April 2022. The new agreement extends the lease for an additional 10 years, until April 30, 2032. While the initial term is 10 years, the city has the right to cancel the agreement after year five with 18 months’ notice. Per the lease, Under Par’s annual rent will be $62,000 to the city, and will continue to increase by the consumer-price index (CPI) every two years through April 2027. Beginning in May 2027, the annual lease will increase by 2% or the CPI each year on an annual basis — whichever figure is greater. Under Par also will be required to invest $40,000 for the paving of the golf course’s parking lot, within 18 months of the effective agreement. (Should the city cancel years six through 10, the city will pay a penalty of 50% of the remaining golf cart lease and a prorated share of Under Par’s $40,000 capital investment.) Meanwhile, the course will undergo a
FILE
The Zephyrhills Municipal Golf Course is designed to provide a public, low-cost alternative compared to other courses in the area. The 18-hole, par-68 course is known as a haven for snowbirds and beginners alike.
slight alteration under the updated lease, as the city secured state funding to construct an access road from Alston Avenue to the airport infield.This access road will be constructed along hole No. 2, along the fence line. The construction will reduce the
course’s total acreage by about 0.65 acres, officials say. Other considerations in the amended agreement include: • An option for two five-year renewals • No penalties for early termination during the renewal periods, with an 18-month notice • Both parties must agree to the renewal at least six months prior to expiration The city and Under Par have been partners for nearly two decades, as the lessee and lessor originally executed a lease agreement for the course back in September 2002. Questions had been swirling about the golf course’s future during the past year, as city leaders pondered the possible sale of the 65-acre property. The National Guard had been scouting the site, on the southwest quadrant of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, for possible use for a Florida Army National Guard Armory. But, the military organization turned its attention to a different location near the airport for an armory to house full-time Army officers during the week, plus hundreds of soldiers and service people visiting and training on weekends. State lawmakers approved $25 million in appropriations to the military organization, for future training grounds in Zephyrhills, during the past legislative session. The possible sale of the golf course roused area golfers and residents to rally around keeping the golf course, with several See GOLF, page 9A