Pasco Hernando State College’s Porter Campus Turns 10! 

 The Porter Family’s Land Donation Celebrates A Decade Of Adding Skilled Workers To The Local Economy! 

Many of the people in this picture have been with the Porter Campus of Pasco Hernando State College since PHSC first opened back in January of 2014. Current Provost Dr. Davina Jones (second from left) hosted an outstanding 10th Anniversary Celebration for the Porter Campus on April 6. Holding the sign, front and center in this picture, is Sonia Rodriguez Thorn, who was the first Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Porter Campus under the campus’ first Provost Dr. Stanley Giannet. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

When Sonia Rodriguez Thorn first arrived in 2013 at the not-yet-open Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch of what was then called Pasco Hernando Community College (PHCC), her name was only Sonia Rodriguez, as she was not yet married. 

Sonia’s last name was still Rodriguez when the school’s Porter Campus opened in January 2014 as the fifth campus of the freshly renamed Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC) and she served as the first Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Porter Campus, and the right hand to the Porter Campus’ first Provost, Dr. Stanley Giannet. Sonia did get married in December of that year, so both she and the school had new names to start the Porter Campus’ second year. 

“It’s an honor to come back here, after 30 years of service and especially, opening this campus,” Sonia said when she was introduced by the current Provost of the Porter Campus Dr. Davina Jones, “when my first hire Mildred (Santiago Diaz) and I couldn’t even get into the building yet. Mildred (who is one of several employees introduced by Dr. Jones as having been at the Porter Campus for all ten years of its existence) and I and all of our new hires were housed in one room, with six tables and chairs, at the West Campus in New Port Richey until this building (at seven total stories, the tallest in Pasco County) opened.” 

She added, “I’ve been involved with this institution in one form or another since 1991 and it’s been a blessing and a privilege for me to serve not only the community and our stakeholders but also the institution that helped develop me both personally and professionally and I’m very honored by that. So, to come here today is really special for me, to see all that the Porter Campus has done for the Wesley Chapel community and Pasco County. Thank you so much!” 

“Sonia gave us her best,” said Dr. Jones, who introduced her to those in attendance on Apr. 6, prior to the festivities celebrating the Porter Campus’ tenth anniversary as a PHSC campus. 

“So, of course, we invited her back to be here for this event today.” 

Next, Dr. Jones mentioned that the three previous Porter Campus Provosts — Dr. Stanley Giannet, Dr. Bonnie Clark and Dr. Kevin O’Farrell — also were immortalized in the new PHSC “Hall of Fame” with a commemorative photo framed and displayed in the Provost’s conference room. 

“We are also going to send each of them a photo of this tribute,” Dr. Jones said. ‘We just think it’s important that the Porter Campus never forget the excellence and the greatness that led this place.” 

She also related a story she had heard about Dr. Giannet: “I heard that when he pulled up to this campus, he had a car full of beautiful art he brought with him and placed it all around the “A” Building and donated it. That is the mark of excellence that he brought to this campus…So, we want to continue to celebrate and honor all of our Provosts.” 

She also gave gifts to each member of the campus’ inaugural staff and, before concluding the introduction to the day, Dr. Jones received a surprise herself. She handed off the microphone to Ann Coppola, the associate director of the library at the Porter Campus, who mentioned that Dr. Jones also was an original member of the campus’ faculty, as a public speech communication professor. 

Current PHSC Porter Campus Provost Dr. Davina Jones (left) and Somia Rodriguez Thorn pose with the special shadow box presented to Dr. Jones by her staff. Dr. Jones was named by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in 2022 as someone who inspired the replacement of a statue of a Confederate general in the U.S. Capitol statuary hall with one of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. 

“Since then, your talent for diplomacy, your love of education and students and your strong work ethic has placed you as our campus leader and we could not be more fortunate to have you as Provost. You strive for excellence unapologetically, you advise personal accountability, you advocate for staff, faculty and students with pure intentions and most importantly, you do all of this with civility and kindness…Your core team has learned so much from you… and your leadership sets the tone for this campus.” 

To that end, Ann mentioned that, at the dedication ceremony of the statue honoring Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune at the U.S. Capitol in July 2022, a statue that replaced one of a Confederate general that stood at the Capitol since the Jim Crowe era, Dr. Jones’ contribution to making that statue a reality was mentioned by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor. 

“Dr. Jones served as a front-line partner, as Florida and our nation prepared to receive and embrace this historic statue in the Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Dr. Jones advocated for the statue of Dr. Bethune as a far superior representative of the values and diversity of the Sunshine State.” 

Ann added, “We curated this shadow box (photos above and right) to honor the work you did and still do for education. Thank you.” Dr. Jones was clearly moved by the impressive gift. 

After that, she posed for a group photo with all of the original, former and current faculty members on hand and told everyone in attendance about the Business Expo and free food out on the school’s promenade, the tours (including virtual simulations) of the campus’ renowned nursing department and “Bomba” Afro- Latin dance lesson (see photos on next page). 

Meanwhile, Wiregrass Ranch developer JD Porter, whose family trust donated the 65 acres upon which the Porter Campus sits, said that he was sad he wasn’t able to attend the festivities. 

“My family couldn’t be more proud of the Porter Campus and its students, faculty and staff,” Porter said afterwards. “I believe it is the most successful of the five PHSC campuses — and for good reason. It’s a great resource, and not just for the hospitals and medical offices throughout Wiregrass Ranch, but also the local business community. If you need to update your technical training for pretty much any type of business, we have this amazing local resource right here. PHSC has room to expand the Porter Campus and I am confident that will happen sooner than later.” 

If you attended the 10th Anniversary Celebration of PHSC’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch on Apr. 6, you got to check out (left) a “Bomba” Afro-Latin Dance Lesson, (middle left) tours of the PHSC Nursing Department and virtual simulation and a free business expo with a number of community-oriented businesses meeting with attendees.

Pasco Breaks Ground On Wesley Chapel Library at Seven Oaks

(Photos by Charmaine George)

“The mission of a library is one of connection,” said Pasco County Library System director Sean McGarvey at the groundbreaking event for the Wesley Chapel Library at Seven Oaks — to about 50 people in the audience — on Apr. 12. “We connect people to what is important…in four fundamental ways. We connect people to knowledge, to the culture of the community, to economic opportunity and, most importantly, we connect people to each other.”

McGarvey served as the Master of Ceremonies for the groundbreaking event to showcase the architectural renderings for the new library, which will begin construction within the next month or so on a vacant lot adjacent to Seven Oaks Elementary. The 14,000-sq.-ft., $11 million library, designed by Fleischman Garcia Architects, is being built by Bandes Construction and will have a number of unique features that will make it a “hub of the world,” according to McGarvey, who also introduced the groundbreaking event’s other speakers.

Pasco County Library System director Sean McGarvey

The first was Pasco County Board of Commissioners (BOC) chair Ron Oakley, whose District 1 includes part of Wesley Chapel.

Oakley said that when he first became a county commissioner eight years ago, he was told, “We need to save money in the county, so we need to cut out libraries. They’re not needed…everybody’s got a computer. But, I said, ‘I personally think everybody doesn’t have a computer and all of our citizens love libraries. It’s just amazing what is provided by our library system. The use of this library here in this community is going to be amazing.”

Before then introducing Commissioner Seth Weightman, whose District 2 includes all of Seven Oaks, McGarvey said, “I can not wait to see what the stories of the connections that this building will build for everybody else who will use it…from the kids at the school next door, to the citizens of Pasco County to the members of this community, to the business community at large. I can not wait to see what this building will create for the community.”

District 1 Commissioner Ron Oakley

Weightman then thanked retired Pasco Commissioner Mike Moore (Weightman’s Dist. 2 predecessor), “for allowing me to be here today and celebrating the work that you did over the course of your time to (make this library happen). What a fantastic community ‘add’ here to Seven Oaks. And, to the citizens of Seven Oaks, because of your community and your drive and your watchful eye, we’re proud to bring this to all the folks here in Wesley Chapel.

Weightman then introduced former Comm. Moore, “because this was his baby.”

Moore said, “This (library) was a long time in the making. Part of the Seven Oaks development agreement back then (in 2004) was this site, which was always supposed to be a library. The county commission was very, very supportive of this project when I was on the Board and what I’m most grateful for is that once I left, the next Board came

in and continued with the project. Sometimes, what we see in government, is that when people leave, sometimes projects don’t move forward and they stall, but they (the new BOC) saw the benefit of having this library.”

The former commissioner added, “This library is going to be a meeting place, a place where adults and kids alike will learn, a place where you’ll have gatherings…there will be social events, civic events…and classes for seniors, adults and children.”

Moore also thanked the team from Bandes Construction, “that is actually going to build this facility. Hopefully, it won’t take a year and a half, since materials are easier to get now….but thank you so much for all the support. And, we really are excited as a community that this is going to service not just Seven Oaks, but all of Wesley Chapel and Pasco County.”

Moore also thanked his former aide Andy Taylor, for his part in making the library happen.

District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman

McGarvey then called up all of the speakers, plus county administrator Mike Carballa, Taylor, the representatives on hand from not only Bandes Construction, but also from U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee and State Sen. Danny Burgess’ offices, as well as other Pasco Library System employees for the ceremonial tossing of the dirt.

After the ceremony, McGarvey told the Neighborhood News that actual construction of the Wesley Chapel Library at Seven Oaks would begin later this month and that the expected completion date for it was the end of 2025.

Paula Wahl, the business compliance & contracts manager for the Pasco Library System, said that among the new library’s unique features will be a separate construction project of a trail that will be artistically designed to look like you’re walking through the pages of a book. There also will be, “an outdoor ‘reading porch’ overlooking the walkway. We also will have a flexible space that will be able to host ‘maker activities.’ Where many of our other libraries have very specific makerspaces — woodshop, video production studio, cooking programs and so on — this library actually will have a special parking space for our mobile makerspace, similar to the van we have here today, specially outfitted to bring activities from each of those out into the community. All of those other library makerspaces have mobile activities that we can bring out into the community here.”

For more information, visit PascoLibraries.org.

Mobile Library
Former District 2 Commissioner Mike Moore

Frapwell Is Pasco’s Volunteer Of The Year; WRH Senior Wins Regeneron Award! 

The Pasco County School District recently named Gretchen Frapwell, whose kids attend Veterans Elementary, the District’s Adult Volunteer of the Year. 
(Photos: Pasco School District) 

Gretchen Frapwell, a volunteer at Veterans Elementary, has been named the Adult Volunteer of the Year by the Pasco County School District. 

According to a Facebook post released by the School District, “Gretchen is the definition of a volunteer. She has been volunteering at Veterans Elementary School for five years and has logged in 220 volunteer hours so far. With two children attending Veterans, she serves on the SAC committee and is a PTA member which supports (the school’s) 91 staff members and 675 students. The PTA recently provided recess equipment for each grade level. She is there for every school event, including book fairs, school carnivals, science nights and holiday shops. Gretchen has shown her creativity by planting a pumpkin patch in the courtyard for the teachers and students to utilize. It was a great idea for learning purposes, but also brought beauty to the school. We appreciate everything she does for Veterans Elementary to improve overall morale for the teachers and students.” 

Sharon Zurita, of the Veterans Elementary PTA, says that, “Gretchen in amazing. She’s everywhere and does so many things at our school. She’s not only willing to do things we ask, but also suggests things we can do to help the school.” 

Among those things, Gretchen says, was that she “Organized closets, planted gardens, ran a carnival last year…Trunk or Treat event, where we handed out actual ice cream, book fairs…anything and everything. My kids are only going to be this young for so long, so I show them, by taking time off from my job, how important their school is. I guarantee that once you (volunteer) for an hour, you’ll want to do more. The kids are just awesome.” 

Other Volunteer winners this year are Ann Birch, Gulfside Elementary (Senior Volunteer) and Avery Hoskins, Anclote High & Gulfside Elementary (Youth Volunteer). 

Congratulations, Meghna! 
Wiregrass Ranch High senior Meghna Manjith was named a Regeneron STS Scholar for her project, winning $4,000. 

Our sincere congratulations go out to Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) senior Meghna Manjith, who has been named a Scholar in the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) for 2024. She received a $2,000 award for herself and $2,000 for WRHS for her project, “Preventing Surgical Site Infections: Designing a Novel Post-Surgical Treatment Using Silver Nitrate & Ayurvedic Extracts in Combination with DNA Sequence Analysis.” Amazing! 

According to SocietyforScience.org, “Regeneron STS is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science research competition for high school students. Started in 1942 as the Westinghouse STS, Regeneron STS recognizes and empowers our nation’s most promising young scientists who are developing ideas that could solve society’s most urgent challenges.” 

Only 300 Scholars were selected from more than 2,000 entrants nationwide, with only 40 finalists selected for an opportunity to win the $250,000 top award, which was scheduled to be announced on Mar. 12. 

What an accomplishment, Meghna!

Here’s Another Chance To See Wesley Chapel Theater Group’s ‘Broadway Through The Decades’ 

“We Go Together” from “Grease. (Photos by Charmaine George)

A few short months ago, we told you about the Wesley Chapel Theater Group (WCTG)’s “Broadway Through the Decades” performance at TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant in The Grove. 

That performance attracted about 150 people and nobody who attended (including yours truly) went home disappointed. 

Well, the weekend we went to press with this issue (Mar. 9-10), WCTG was at it again with another “Broadway Through the Decades: Contemporary Era” show, with the performances this time being held at the Zephyrhills Lions Club. 

The Lions Club provided dinner on Saturday night and dessert for the Sunday matinee, so WCTG secretary Samantha Grahn, who also did the publicity for the show, said that the theater group had to provide a hard number of attendees to the Lions Club a couple of days before the two performances. 

The WCTG cast from “Broadway Through the Decades: Contemporary Era.” 

“That limited us to only about 130 people total for the two shows,” Samantha says. “But, we had a lot of wonderful singers performing and the audiences both days really seemed to enjoy the performances.” 

The “Contemporary Era” performances includes many current and recent past Broadway favorites, including the entire company singing “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast,” Danielle Warren’s “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” from “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Vette Berrian & the Company on “Day By Day” from “Godspell,” the entire company on “We Go Together” from “Grease” and favorites from “Rent,” “Pippin,” “Chicago,” “A Chorus Line,” “Sweeney Todd,” “42nd Street,” “Into the Woods,” “Les Miserables,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and many more. 

“A Little Priest” from “Sweeney Todd” performed by Krystian Kopycinski & Danielle Warren. 

“We’re now three years in with this group,” Grahn said afterwards. “And every performance we do is a fund raiser so we can afford to rent theaters for our future performances. We’re also writing some grants to try to get some more money to do more shows and we’d like to have them at the (Pasco School District’s) Instructional Performing Arts Center (IPAC) and other venues in Wesley Chapel.” She adds that the School District is looking into building a smaller “black box” theater for community performances. 

She adds that in the meantime, however, “We have a great relationship with the Zephyrhills Lions Club. They don’t charge us to rehearse there and the rent to do our shows there isn’t that expensive. We really owe them a big thank-you!” 

So, What’s Next? “Office Hours!” 

Grahn says that WCTG’s next show will be the comedy play “Office Hours,” written by Norm Foster, which also will be performed at the Zephyrhills Lions Club, this time without food service. 

There will be three performances of “Office Hours” — matinees on Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, and a Saturday (Apr. 21) evening performance. Also coming up April 4 at 7pm, the next performance of “Broadway Through the Decades” at TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar. 

“We also would love to have feedback from the Wesley Chapel community regarding what shows or types of shows they would want to see,” Grahn says. 

For tickets to see “Office Hours” or the April 4 encore of “Broadway Through The Decades” at TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar and more info about the Wesley Chapel Theater Group, visit WesleyChapelTheaterGroup.org or search “WesleyChapel TheaterGroup” on Facebook.  


Cheryl Abramson performing “On My Own” from “Les Miserables. 
Jonathan Hogsett performing “If I Can’t Love Her” from “Beauty & the Beast.”

“Be Our Guest” from “Beauty & the Beast.” 

Business Briefs — PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital Coming To Wiregrass 

The site plan for the PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Wiregrass Ranch. (All of these graphics were submitted to Pasco County)

Back in December, Wiregrass Ranch submitted plans for an a new east/west access road through parcel M3 (see map, bottom right), which was intended to help provide access to a proposed new PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital and future outparcels. This road will connect with Bruce B Downs (BBD) Blvd., at the directional median opening that aligns with Stockton Dr. on the other side of BBD. 

The location map for the PAM Rehab Hospital.

In the future ultimate build-out, it’s intended that this road might be punched through the wetland and connected directly as an extension to the existing Bella Corsa Blvd in Estancia at Wiregrass. This extension will serve two functions — 

1) to give residents direct vehicular and pedestrian access to the large commercial developments and reduce traffic on the main roads, and 2) to give residents an alternative way to access BBD. 

The plans for the Parcel M3 access road and future commercial.

The proposed PAM Health Rehab Hospital will be located immediately north of the Amberlin Apartments site (on the other side of the natural wetland pond) and, even though the plans don’t currently show it, it will be required to be cross connected to Amberlin and the small commercial retail outparcel to the south (M3 Outparcel B site) with a small road, which will allow this rehab hospital (and all of the future Wiregrass commercial) to have access to the signal at Eagleston Blvd. upon ultimate buildout. 

Plans for the small retail outparcel to the south show this future cross connection which also would include sidewalk access. This retail development (Outparcel B) will be a small multi-tenant plaza whose future tenants are currently unknown but could be a mix of retail and a small restaurant. 

In addition, construction plans for the Ace Medical Plaza (M3 Outparcel C) were just submitted to the county in February. This site is located immediately in front of Amberlin and will be a two-story, 15,000 sq.-ft. building occupying Outparcel C of the Wiregrass development, at the southeast corner of BBD and Eagleston Blvd.