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Addressing Pasco’s hunger issue
By Joey Johnston Special to The Laker/Lutz News
In society’s modern parlance, it’s called “food insecurity.’’ In simple terms, it’s hunger. And, it’s a big problem in Pasco County, particularly in the COVID-19 era. Christine Bright, Pasco Unit chair for the League of Women Voters, recently gathered officials from five nonprofit agencies for a panel discussion — “Hidden Hunger in Pasco.’’ Key statistical takeaways: • Pasco County’s poverty rate for children is about 25%, which is higher than the
statewide average of 20% • 45% of Pasco households fall under the “ALICE threshold’’ — which means Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. It reflects households that are barely making it, probably one crisis away from financial wipeout • Feeding Tampa Bay’s food requests have increased by 360% since the coronavirus pandemic began. Bright said the League of Women Voters, a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization, believes that its core mission is to educate and advocate about a community’s important issues.
“Hunger in our community is at the top of that list,’’ Bright said. There are ongoing solutions — even in these challenging, virus-driven times. Patti Templeton, executive director of One Community Now, which works to eradicate childhood hunger, said the agency has been implementing a “Pack-A-Sack’’ program for 37 elementary, middle and high schools in Pasco County. The program feeds approximately 1,600 children on weekends. “Children who struggle with hunger have a lower attention span, a greater absentee rate See HUNGER, page 7A
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COURTESY OF GREATER ZEPHYRHILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Newly sworn Zephyrhills Police officer Gabrielle Slater, right, stands alongside Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer.
FILE
A happy moment, in a tough year
New Zephyrhills Police officer sworn in Dade City approves modified CRA plan Pasco schools survey results help gauge ‘engagement’
Five-year-old Clint Chessher, of Zephyrhills, reacts with excitement as he sits on the spinning wheel of the ‘Hillbilly Village’ funhouse at the Pasco County Fair, in February. The little boy was at the fair with his dad, Dwayne, and some family friends. See more photos from the year 2020 on page 1B.
By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
The Zephyrhills Police Department has added a new member to its force — recently swearing in 21-year-old Gabriella Slater as a patrol officer. Slater was officially introduced to the East Pasco community and took an oath during a Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month. Slater — a recent graduate of the Pasco-Hernando State College law enforcement academy —brings a unique background to the city’s police department. She was born in Colorado and relocated to Florida as a youth through the foster care system. She was eventually adopted and raised by Zephyrhills residents Erv and Jan Slater, a former director of the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce from 2006 to 2008. Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer said of Slater and her family:“The Slaters provided her a loving home and a Christian upbringing. Officer Slater and her family have been active members of the Zephyrhills community for years. Her long-term community involvement is what inspired her to pursue a career.” Brewer also noted Slater “expressed her excitement for being a Zephyrhills police officer to give back to the community that has provided her so many opportunities throughout her lifetime.” The freshly minted officer was supported by a slew of family and friends in attendance at the meeting, who served up a heaping of claps, cheers and congratulations upon her acknowledgements. Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield also offered words of support to the rookie officer. “We know you’re going to do a wonderful job, and we’re very excited to add you on board,” said Whitfield. He added:“I think it means a lot to us to see our new police officers, and I think it gives them a little bit more of an indication that we’re behind them when they can come here, and we can all be here to cheer them on and have their families here. I just appreciate (Chief Brewer) doing that.”
The City of Dade City has finally gotten around to revising its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plan — a document which hadn’t been updated since its original formation back in 1998. The Dade City Commission in December unanimously approved a modified CRA plan — which looks to address conditions of blight in the core of the city and, according to the new 118-page document, “seeks to position the city for renewed economic success in the 21st century without compromising on the city’s character by leveraging existing physical, cultural and natural resources to encourage private sector investment.” Work to revise the original CRA plan began in late 2016, with the help of North Carolina-based consulting firm S&ME Inc. Though a modified plan was completed in 2018, the commission tabled approval until a new city manager was hired, which occurred in April 2019. Since then, the plan has further been updated to encompass the latest available socioeconomic demographic information, which revealed an even younger profile compared to just two years ago, officials say. Dade City’s 137-acre CRA district primarily encompasses its downtown corridor between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the U.S. 301/U.S. 98 bypass, stretching south from Coleman Avenue and north of Whitehouse Avenue. The five-year plan encompasses a wide range of background information on the city, plus community surveys, and various goals and objectives to focus on in the near future. The following four strategic goals for the CRA were established out of the new plan: • Increase awareness of Dade City and its amenities • Establish Dade City as a leisure, cultural and ecotourism hub • Improve quality of life for current and future residents, and visitors • Establish Dade City as an entrepreneurial destination for those seeking access and opportunity for new businesses
The plan also summarized various viewpoints on wants and needs within the CRA limits, based on a series of stakeholder interviews conducted by local officials and input collected from the city’s Resident Advisory Committee, Downtown Merchants Association and Dade City Chamber of Commerce, among other groups. Some of the outlined priorities and other thoughts from stakeholders include: Emphasize bricks and mortar • The CRA could benefit from a renewed focus on pedestrian improvements: increasing mid-block crossings, repairing sidewalks and alleyways • Focus on increasing trail connections and expanding infrastructure surrounding the Hardy Trail • Increase accessibility of downtown buildings through ADA improvements
Data is useful, but conversations are needed to get a more complete picture, the school district’s research director said. By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
• Attorney general opinions regarding use of agency funds for contracted services • Grant program criteria: project and applicant eligibility, performance criteria and measurement • High downtown rents
On the whole, this year’s Gallup Survey results in Pasco County Schools are slightly better than they were last year. But, when Dr. Peggy Jones — the school district’s director of the office of accountability, research and measurement — discussed the results, she focused on specific data points within the report. She detailed survey results at the Pasco County School Board meeting on Dec. 1. In discussing the survey, she explained why it’s important for the district to collect the information to help improve both student and employee engagement. “Why does Pasco County put money, time and effort into this process? “We care about this,” Jones said. When employees are engaged, “productivity increases. Customer services increases,” she explained. “Things that decrease. Absenteeism. Attrition.Theft,” Jones said. The district’s mission is to provide a world-class education, and that requires engagement by students and teachers, she continued. “At the center of engaged students are engaged teachers, so it’s important for us to also know how our teachers feel,” Jones said. The district has a vested interest in doing what it can to keep teachers engaged because 62% of teachers who are engaged are less likely to leave the district, Jones noted. “We are so in need of teachers and we
See PLAN, page 7A
See SURVEY, page 7A
GRANTS (PROPOSED NEW GRANTS TOPICS)
• Provide grants for ADA improvements • Provide residential painting grants • Rental subsidies program • Historic structure plaque grant
OPPORTUNITIES FOR DADE CITY
• Increase coordination with advertisement for events • Catering to cyclists with targeted businesses in downtown • CRA frontage on U.S. 301 to signal presence of downtown (gateway) • Expand CRA boundaries to include more residential and commercial areas • Moving the farmer’s market downtown • Proximity to Saint Leo, and ability to attract and retain millennials • Cultivating a relationship with local hospital system and Pasco-Hernando State College
THREATS TO DADE CITY