The LAKER
ee r F
EAST PASCO EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
No Fees Or Costs Unless You Win HOLLIDAY KARATINOS
M AY 2 6 , 2 0 2 1
Growth pressures on Old Pasco Road
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
The Pasco County Commission voted last week to continue a hearing on a rezoning request by Victorious Life Assembly of God Inc., for a 122-unit subdivision off Old Pasco Road, 250 feet south of Overpass Road. The application — which was accompa-
nied by a request to deviate from some of the county’s land development code — received pushback from county board members. Commissioner Mike Moore made a motion to continue the hearing until June 8, after technical problems made it impossible for commissioners to understand what the applicant’s representatives were saying — as they attempted to participate remotely.
Moore said he didn’t understand why the developer’s representatives were not present at the meeting, since in-person appearances are no longer prohibited due to concerns about COVID-19. “I think this item should be continued until we can have the applicant sitting right in front of us, so we can go back and forth See GROWTH, page 9A
LAW FIRM, PLLC HelpingInjuredPeople.com Call Attorney
JIM HOLLIDAY “I Will Aggressively Fight To Protect Your Legal Rights”
813-868-1887 OR
352-597-0009
We want yoou to join
COURTESY OF THE PASCO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
A riderless horse, with boots facing backward in the stirrups, is a traditional part of a ceremony held each year to remember law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. PSO volunteer Mary Findlay, the horse’s owner, walks on the horse’s left. In the forefront is Hernando County Deputy Tony Musto.
CL C LUB We have some great prom motional items to share with you — stickers, pens, fishing bobbers, old-ffashioned fans and even handy notebbooks — all you have to do is sign-uup for our readerSHIP d SHIP P club! l b! It’s It’ FREE! FR REE! We'll be sending newsletters to our club members filled with exclusive updates, fun prizes, behind-thescenes footage and so much more.
Sign up FREE at:
LakerLutzNews.com
A gun salute typically occurs during the solemn event.
Patriotism was on full display at the annual Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial ceremony on the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.
Memorial remembers Fallen Law Enforcement Officers The Laker/Lutz News Staff Report
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, along with several other area law enforcement agencies, on May 14 honored the life and sacrifice of law enforcement officers lost in the line of duty, as well as those who died of natural causes on the way to or from their jobs, during National Police Week. The event was held on the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, according to the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page. Fallen officers were honored throughout the day on the agency’s social media sites. The sheriff’s office was joined at the me-
morial event by Dade City Police, Zephyrhills Police, New Port Richey Police, the Florida Highway Patrol and Tarpon Springs Police. A number of community leaders and elected leaders were in attendance, including Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, State Sen. Danny Burgess and Pasco County NAACP President Clyde Carter, who offered the invocation for the event, according to the Facebook post. The event also featured significant traditions, including the appearance of a riderless horse and a gun salute. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis also recognized the sacrifices made by law enforcement offi-
cers by sharing information about those contributions in a news release. “According to Officer Down Memorial, there have been 124 police officers killed in the line of duty since January of this year,” Bilirakis said, in the release. “Tragically, two of them have been my constituents: Deputy Michael Magli of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and Master Patrol Officer Jesse Madsen of the Tampa Police Department. I went to the funeral services of these two heroes, and shared the anguish of their grieving families and colleagues.These fallen heroes leave behind a distinguished legacy of service and sacrifice that deserves to be honored,” Bilirakis added.
New gas station proposed in Social worker addresses Pasco County Pasco County rising youth mental illness eyeing vacation By B.C. Manion
By Kevin Weiss
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
A rezoning is being sought to allow a gas station at the southeast corner of the intersection at Overpass and Boyette roads, in Wesley Chapel. Creighton Companies LLC is the applicant for the request. The 4.9-acre site currently consists of 1.84 acres zoned as part of a masterplanned development and 3.06 acres zoned for agricultural uses. The rezoning request calls for a new master-planned zoning that would accommodate development of a 4,650-square-foot convenience store with 16 vehicle fueling positions and ancillary car wash, and 10,000 square feet of general commercial/retail.
As efforts continue to lessen stigma and discrimination regarding mental illness — the challenges have become even greater during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, there are ways to strengthen awareness and improve access to treatment and counseling for troubled youth and adults, according to Sativa Fisher, a social worker for the Hernando County School District. Fisher was a featured guest speaker during an April 27 virtual social services event hosted by Saint Leo University’s East Pasco Education Center. Her talk was part of a speaker series for students and prospective students interested in “helping careers.” Topics for the free online series were selected with the goal of having broad appeal to those interested in social work, education, criminal justice, psychology, and human services. Fisher’s presentation focused on her work, the prevalence of youth mental health issues and the function of social workers in the public school setting. The social worker emphasized just how “widely underestimated” mental illness is in the United States, particularly among teens and high school students. She cited these statistics and figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey: • 19% of students nationwide considered suicide • 16% of students nationwide made a suicide plan
See GAS, page 9A
There’s
no place
like
SPECIAL SECTION inside this week
rental rules
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
• 9% of students nationwide attempted suicide • Notable risk factors for suicide ideation include being a non-Hispanic, Black female who identifies as lesbian, gay or bisexual. Fisher also shared various findings from Mental Health America, the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit to address the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting overall mental health of all: • 9.2% of United States youth ages 12 to
Pasco County is looking to tweak its vacation rental rules, to make them more applicable to today’s times. The issue came up during the public comment portion of the Pasco County Commission’s May 18 meeting. Nancy Thrower, who lives in Hudson, asked the board to amend the county’s ordinance that governs vacation rentals. “I’m here today to request that you begin the process to amend the current Pasco County ordinance governing vacation rentals. “As you know, the current Pasco County vacation rental ordinance, enacted way back in 1999, restricts vacation rentals to 30 days or more, unless community owners file a petition with 51% owner support to change the minimum to six days instead,”Thrower said. “It would be to our whole county’s benefit to update this ordinance, as soon as possible, because right now, Pasco County is losing out on much-needed revenue. “It is out of reach financially for most families to take 30 days off, in a row, for summer vacation. “Pasco County businesses are also missing out on tourist revenue. “We all know that COVID-19 really stressed our economy. “The extra revenue generated from updating this ordinance would go a long way to helping local businesses continue getting
See YOUTH, page 9A
See VACATION, page 9A
COURTESY OF MARY MCCOY, SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY
Hernando County School District social worker Sativa Fisher