New Principals At Sand Pine, WRH Prep For 2013-14 School Year

By Matt Wiley

Sand Pine Elementary's new principal Scott Atkins
Sand Pine Elementary’s new principal Scott Atkins

With the 2013-14 school year set to begin in Pasco County on August 19, Sand Pine Elementary (SPE) and Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) will both have new principals.

At SPE in Meadow Pointe, Scott Atkins, a previous assistant principal at nearby Double Branch Elementary (also in Meadow Pointe), has taken over for former principal Todd Cluff.

โ€œIโ€™m really excited for the new school year,โ€ Atkins says. โ€œIโ€™ve only been in the building for two weeks (at our press time), but the staff is fantastic.โ€Continue reading

Toll Study Approved For Proposed Elevated Lanes Along S.R. 54/56 Corridor

By Matt Wiley

A study will soon be under way to determine how much funding could be generated using tolls for the potential future construction of elevated lanes above the S.R. 54/56 corridor (which we have reported about previously), stretching from U.S. 19 in New Port Richey to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel (see map).

During the July 9 Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meet- ing, commissioners unanimously approved the $218,785 study, which is being funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and carried out by the URS (United Research Services) Corp. The study is expected to take about eight months to complete.

โ€œThey (URS) are experts in toll facilities,โ€ says Richard Gehring, planning and development administrator for Pasco.

Elevated toll lanes could span the S.R. 54/56 corridor in the future. Bonded toll revenue could help fund the project. Photo: TBARTA
Elevated toll lanes could span the S.R. 54/56 corridor in the future. Bonded toll revenue could help fund the project. Photo: TBARTA

โ€œTheyโ€™re going to study what the toll (revenue) projections are going to be. How much revenue will the tolls produce? How long will it take (toll road usage) to ramp up? When you put a toll facility in place,ย people have to sort of learn how to use it. They donโ€™t initially want to pay to go from point A to B.โ€

Continue reading

Tucker Neuhaus Signs With MLBโ€ˆBrewers

By Gary Nager

Tucker โ€œTuckโ€โ€ˆNeuhaus
Tucker โ€œTuckโ€โ€ˆNeuhaus

Although Iโ€ˆdidnโ€™t yet have all the details at our press time, Iโ€ˆwas told that 17-year-old 2013 Wharton High grad Tucker โ€œTuckโ€โ€ˆNeuhaus had signed an offer with Major League Baseballโ€™s Milwaukee Brewers.

Continue reading

Editorial – Jakeโ€™s New Tampa Connections Come Up Big…Again

An editorial by Gary Nager
An editorial by Gary Nager

My younger son Jake turned 21 in April, which means both of my sons are now โ€œlegalโ€ and Iโ€™m just so proud of both of them.

Jared (now 24) is in ourโ€ˆhome state of New York for the summer, selling systems for Vivint Home Security, where he has been among the companyโ€™s top-rated rookie salespeople since he began working for Vivint in January.

Even though Jake isnโ€™t at the University of Florida (the school that gave Bachelorโ€™s degrees to both his brother and his dad), heโ€™s doing great at (sigh) Florida State University in Tallahassee, where he is planning to earn a degree in Psychology, with plans to pursue a doctoral degree in Sports Psychology.

Continue reading

Starbucks Stores Go Completely Smokeless

By Matt Wiley

The seemingly age-old combination of stimulants, coffee and cigarettes has parted ways at Starbucks Coffee Co. stores nationwide, as the coffee chain moves toward making its locations completely smoke-free, inside & out.

Continue reading