The Laker-East Pasco-August 5, 2020

Page 1

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

AU G U S T 5 , 2 0 2 0

Concerns raised about reopening

Union announces plan to seek injunction to block school opening By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

The United School Employees of Pasco is raising concerns about the prospect of offering brick-and-mortar instruction when

school begins, given current COVID-19 conditions. A post on the union’s Facebook page says that USEP “will seek injunction to prevent schools from opening for safety & health reasons.We do this to allow common sense to prevail and provide a virtual opening to this unprecedented school year.” Don Peace, the union’s president had

urged the Pasco County School Board and school district leaders at the board’s July 28 meeting for an online-only opening of school when classes begin on Aug. 24. “In light of the fact that Pasco’s COVID19 positivity rate is above 10% and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and See REOPENING, page 11A

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

Carrier Comfort System S NIGHT® RIFICAATTION SYSTEM TEM SES PHOOTO-IONIC OXIDAATTION TO EDUCE ODORS, AIR LUTANTS, VOC’S, VIRUSES VIRUSES. CONTACT FOR DETTAAILS. CONTACT S.

CHRISTINE HOLTZMAN

Wee Can W Install & Service Youur AC Unit Yo (No Suub-Contractors) Only OOur Employees

Give Us A Call For ALLL Yo Your Air-Conditioning Needs

The Laker/Lutz News scores four awards The Laker/Lutz News received four awards in the Florida Press Association’s 2020 Weekly Newspaper Contest, announced in a virtual awards ceremony on July 31. Christine Holtzman won second place for photo series in one issue, second place for sports photo and third place for a story entry in the Outdoor and Recreation category. The Laker/Lutz News competed in the contest’s largest circulation category (13,000 and above). This year’s competition received more than 1,400 entries — the most in five years. Twenty judges from across the nation picked the winners. Above, in a purple and pink parachute, Gerry Austin soars through the clouds with her tandem instructor, Paul Wolfe. These are a selection of photos from Christine’s winning entry.

FREE ESTIMA ATES SAME DAAY – NEXT DAAY – BY APPPOINTMENT

DISCOUNT AIR-CONDITIONING

352 567 6224 352-567-6224 10651 Hwy 301 S • Dade Citty, FL www.sonnysappliances.net • randym@sonnysdiscouuntappliances.com

We want yoou to join

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!

After their first skydiving adventure together, the trio hold hands in celebration, as they walk back to the staging area. From left: Alvin Davis, Gerry Austin and Betsy Strickland.

Zephyrhills sets tentative millage rate New property By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com

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

B

INSIDE, PAGE 1B

Gerry Austin jokes around with a group of her supporters in the waiting area of Sky Dive City.

Zephyrhills property owners won’t see an increase in their ad valorem tax rate for fiscal year 2020-2021. The Zephyrhills City Council on July 27 unanimously voted to set the tentative millage rate at 6.35 mills — a rate the municipality has maintained for several years. Public hearings on the proposed property tax rate have been scheduled for Sept. 14 and Sept. 28. Under state law, once a tentative millage rate has been set, the city cannot raise it before the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.The council does, however, have the option to reduce the rate before then. A mill represents $1 in tax for every $1,000 worth of a property’s taxable assessed value. In Zephyrhills, maintaining a rate of 6.35 mills would levy about $5.32 million in property taxes — a revenue increase of nearly $380,000 compared with last year. The figures are based on the total city’s property value of nearly $838 million, an increase of $63.8 million over last year. Of that increase, $28.7 million is attributable to new construction.

The city’s tentative budget is typically set by Aug. 1 each year. However, staff requested to delay the deadline until Aug. 7, because the city is awaiting various revenue estimates from the state. In other news, council members received an update on the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation’s outreach plans, in the midst of COVID-19. The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road, won’t open its doors until mid- or late September, but inroads are being made to grow the sport among local youth. The outreach will be done through the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation, a nonprofit that subsidizes tennis equipment, lessons and afterschool programs to underserved community youth, in partnership with the forthcoming tennis facility. Nick Walton, the foundation’s program director, explained that the foundation had partnered with West Zephyrhills Elementary School to offer an afterschool tennis program in the spring, but that the program had to be postponed until the fall because of the pandemic. In addition to partnering with individual schools, including West Zephyrhills See MILLAGE, page 11A

appraiser follows in father’s footsteps By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com

Mike Wells will be stepping into the role of county property appraiser come January — after serving for more than five years on the Pasco County Commission, representing District 4. The elected leader will be following a path his father took before him. Mike Wells Sr., served two terms on the County Commission and went to serve 20 years as the county’s property appraiser, before retiring in 2016. Before the current commissioner becomes property appraiser, he has some unfinished business, he told members of the East Pasco Networking Group during its July 14 virtual meeting. Although “very, very excited to get started” in his new elected office, he’s currently focused on pushing for a 3% raise for the county’s 2,500 or so employees. See APPRAISER, page 11A


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.