Two Sections, 44 Pages of Community News
Valrico
38 C E L E B R A T I N G
24
April 2018 Volume 15, Issue 4 Ph: 657-2418 1 6
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Residents Raise Money To Become Top Alliance Group Encourages Parents MADD Team In Officer’s Memory To Fight To Fund Public Education Valrico resident Larry Morrell was dedicated to fighting drunk drivers and despite the fact that the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy lost his battle with cancer last year, his mission to make the roads safer lives on. Morrell’s wife, Debbie, a teacher at FishHawk Creek
By Kate Quesada
By Kate Quesada
under-funding. Our children are worth the same as children in other states.” In addition to the already low per-child budget, the school district has been given what Eakins expects to amount to $35.8 million in additional Members of the Hillsborough Country group The Alliance for Public mandated expenses for Schools encourage residents to inform themselves on how to improve public education funding in the state. new school Last month, Hillsborough County resource officers, increased retirePublic School (HCPS) parents ment contributions and health care received messages from costs, among others. Superintendent Jeff Eakins letting “For months, we have been putthem know that the education budget ting cost-saving steps in place across approved by Governor Scott for our district and have saved millions 2018-19 included less funding for of dollars,” he said. “These steps will schools than they were expecting. A definitely help, but the amount of group of activists, led by FishHawk Continued On Page 5 resident Melissa Erickson, wants to help voters determine what to do about it. “We were expecting more funding for our students than what was approved,” said Eakins, in the message that went out to parents on March 22. “Especially since the state has billions of dollars available to fund both school security and classroom needs.” See Our Section On According to Eakins, the state Pages 31-38 budget includes an increase of just $0.47 cents per student in flexible NAVY WEEK........................................PG 3 funding for the HCPS district. A numHOA HOT TOPICS ...............................PG 6 ber that Erickson finds unforgivable considering that Florida children curPAINTING FROM THE HEART .............PG 8 rently receive approximately $4,000 POSITIVITY AT BHS ...........................PG 11 less funding, per child, per year than the national average. IRONMAN ........................................PG 15 “It’s a joke,” she said. “We are www.ospreyobserver.com facing 25 plus years of chronic
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event’s 11 year history with 600 walkers representing 52 teams. More than $97,000 was raised over all. MADD About Larry was the highest fundraising team and the walk was dedicated to Morrell due to his commitment to the group’s mission. “Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Morrell worked daily in the trenches educating the public, working with establishValrico resident Debbie Morrell honored her late husband, ments that sell alcoholic Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Morrell, by rais- beverages and on patrol ing more than $6,000 for Mother’s Against Drunk Driving. arresting drunk drivers,” Elementary School, recently raised more said Larry Coggins Jr., executive director than $6,000 when her team, MADD for MADD’s West Central Florida division. About Larry, participated in the Mother’s “His impact on our community and MADD Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Walk Like resulted in the creation of the Deputy MADD event in Tampa in his name. Larry Morrell MADD Law Enforcement “Those who knew Larry know that Officer of the Year award.” the best part of his career was dedicated “We will be able to continue our victo removing drunk drivers from our roads tim advocacy program for victims and and preventing underage drinking,“ said survivors of impart driving crashes and Debbie. “Larry’s passion for arresting will also be able to continue our monthly drunk drivers began after a drunk driver Victim Impact Panels that educate DUI killed his friend, John Paul and he supoffenders designed to prevent DUI recidiported MADD at every opportunity.” vism,” said Coggins. MADD, founded by a mother whose Debbie has pledged to continue supdaughter was killed by a drunk driver, is porting MADD in her husband’s name. the nation’s largest nonprofit working to “I will forever be proud of him and I protect families from drunk driving, will continue to keep his legacy alive and drugged driving and underage drinking. support all he stood for,” she said. The recent Walk Like MADD event, held For more information on MADD, visit in March at the University of South www.madd.org or call 935-2676. Florida, was the largest walk in the
Riverview High School senior Katherine Newcomb was recently named a Lightning Community Hero. She received a grant for $25,000 to help fund swim lessons for at-risk children through the BSAC, in addition to a $25,000 grant for her own education See article on page 10.
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