Category Archives: Trinity in the News

Breaking News: New “656” Area Code Coming Soon

13 Jan
Posted on Author Jay @ Welcome to Trinity!
Ten-digit dialing begins for all local calls in the Tampa Bay area on Jan. 22 in connection with a new 656 area code, the Florida Public Service Commission announced Wednesday.

The new area code will be used in the same communities as the 813 area code, which is running out of numbers.

People with the longstanding 813 area code will be able to keep their numbers, while new customers or those adding services will be assigned the 656 area code as of Feb. 21.

The 813 region is centered on Tampa and includes surrounding communities such as Brandon, Land O’ Lakes, Oldsmar, Riverview, Thonotosassa, Town ‘n’ Country, Valrico and Zephyrhills.

With the addition of the new area code, the region isn’t expected to need another area code for 37 years.

Demand for new telephone numbers has grown across the state as the population and the use of cell phones and other technology has increased. Last week, the commission announced Palm Beach County will receive a 728 area code for new numbers as the 561 area code runs out.

The commission is expected Feb. 1 to take up a proposal to create an additional area code to relieve the 305 and 786 area codes in Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys.

Original Source: News Service of Florida

Reposted from: The Tampa Bay Times

Breaking News: New Little League in Starkey Ranch

14 Dec
Posted on Author Jay @ Welcome to Trinity!
Starkey Ranch Little League

A new Little League charter has been granted to the Starkey Little League organization which will be serving the Starkey Ranch, Asturia in the Odessa and Trinity, Florida area communities! This is a huge win for the local community as the closest Little League organization was quite a ways away from the community it serves. 

Check out the press release issued earlier today.

Visit Starkey Little League!

2021 Pasco Teacher of the Year: Ryan Bintz

6 Dec
Posted on Author Jay @ Welcome to Trinity!

We are so excited for our community to have someone like Ryan Bintz, teacher at Longleaf Elementary School be recognized as the 2021 Pasco County Schools Teacher of the Year!

Read the article below from the Tampa Bay Times. Author Jeffrey Solochek did an amazing job documenting what an awesome teacher Mr. Bintz is! 

‘He’s fantastic’: Pasco’s top teacher builds confidence through theater.

Teacher of the year Ryan Bintz says he was born to work with kids.
 

NEW PORT RICHEY — Ryan Bintz was walking a group of fifth graders back to their Longleaf Elementary School classroom when he got word to take them back to his theater portable.

The children cheered at the opportunity to return to the deskless classroom, where their teacher gets just as involved in their lessons as they do.

“He tries to make everything fun,” fifth grader Evan Lambert said of Bintz. “He’s very nice to everybody.”

And most definitely worthy of being named Pasco County’s 2022 teacher of the year, according to Evan, his classmates and just about everybody else you can ask on the campus tucked into the Longleaf subdivision of south-central Pasco.

Superintendent Kurt Browning led a group of dignitaries to the school just before Thanksgiving break to make the surprise announcement, which Bintz said brought him to tears.

“He’s fantastic,” said fifth grade teacher Mary Wainwright, who helps Bintz stage multiple live performances each year. “He brought theater to every grade level. That’s what we were missing.”

Principal Jennifer McCormack said Bintz, in his fourth year at the Florida Arts Model Achieve School, has been a “perfect fit” since his arrival. He has a strong rapport with the children, she said, blending arts, creativity, academics and more into a dynamic, welcoming atmosphere.

“You can tell,” McCormack said. “He builds confidence in kids like no other.”

It’s the kind of attention that Bintz, 47, said he needed as a youngster. He recalled being made fun of because of his interest in music and theater — something he loved because of the opportunities to “get out of yourself” and try new things.

He stuck with performing over the years, working on cruise ships and at theme parks and taking parts in shows, until he found it wouldn’t pay the bills. After returning from a cruise ship job, he took a substitute teaching position in Tampa to tide him over and discovered his true profession.

“It was my first time. I was very scared,” he shared. “A kindergartner looked at me and said, ‘I love you.’ It gave me a little fire, that this is what I was going to do.”

Students can sense his passion, whether playing acting games or writing short plays or covering dramatic concepts. Everyone participated in “Spaghetti,” a game that has students act out emotions while entering and exiting the stage, without declaring themselves too cool or shy or indifferent to take a turn.

“It’s always fun,” said fifth grader Brody Gibbs. “You have to step out of your fears.”

Fifth grader Bella LiVecchi said Bintz helped her shed her shyness since she first began taking his classes.

“I was so afraid, super afraid, to act out in front of people,” Bella recalled. “He taught me how to be myself.”

Now she’s claiming lead roles in school performances, as well as parts in plays that Bintz directs in the community.

Longleaf parent Elizabeth Pesce, who also works at the school, said Bintz did the same for her son Jacob.

“He had never performed before,” Pesce said of her son, who has a mild speech impediment. Bintz “brought out something in him that we had never seen before.”

Bintz, a single father of two, said he loves that he can have such a positive effect on children. He dedicates much of his planning and free time to helping the students rehearse for the many shows he organizes. Each grade level gets at least one, as evidenced by the many photos and programs that line his walls.

“It’s what I was born to do,” he said.

Bintz next competes for Florida teacher of the year. His students are convinced he can win it all.

“He teaches us really well,” fifth grader Lianna Phillips said. “I believe in him.”

News: 2022-2025 Pasco County Strategic Plan

20 Oct
Posted on Author Jay @ Welcome to Trinity!

The Government of Pasco County, Florida has released their 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. Below is the information they provided as part of the release of the strategic plan.

The Pasco Board of County Commissioners is pleased to share our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan! The plan, developed over the past 18 months with input from team members and external customers, will guide #PascoCounty
 
Government’s actions and activities over the next four years as we work toward becoming Florida’s Premier County.
 
Four focus areas frame the work we do. Each is supported by Strategic Goals, accomplished through comprehensive strategies, detailed action plans and targeted initiatives:
 
– CREATE a Thriving Community
– ENHANCE Quality of Life
– STIMULATE Economic Growth
– IMPROVE Organization Performance
 
You can read the full 2022-2025 Pasco County Strategic Plan below or feel free to click here to download.

Traffic Update: McMullen Booth Lane Closures Will Impact Traffic for 2-3 Weeks

3 Oct
Posted on Author Jay @ Welcome to Trinity!

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Starting Monday, Oct. 4, two lanes of southbound traffic along McMullen Booth Road just north of State Road 580 in Clearwater will close to traffic. The city of Clearwater’s contractor will begin the process of repairing the broken sewer pipe along the roadway, and the dual lane closure is anticipated to be in place for two to three weeks.

On Sunday, a 24-inch sewer main pipe broke 20 feet below the surface of the road, causing a hole to open up, which resulted in the closure of a single lane.

Beginning Monday at 9 a.m., two lanes will be closed. Drivers are encouraged to find alternate routes, if possible.

The city will provide an update later in the week once crews excavate and know more about the needed repairs.

News: Pasco County Schools To End mySchool Online

30 Mar
Posted on Author Jay @ Welcome to Trinity!

Parents/Guardians,

This email is an update on the school district’s status regarding COVID-19 and our plans for the future.

Based on recent trends and initial guidance from the state, we will not offer the mySchool Online option next school year. We expect the vast majority of our students to be back in the classroom for in-person learning, and for our employees to return to the classroom or office.

Below is a set of Frequently Asked Questions.

How did you reach this conclusion?

The number of positive COVID-19 cases involving our students or staff have decreased dramatically since the high marks of January. We have seen occasional spikes, yet the overall trends are clear and they are promising. We continue to monitor the numbers closely – both in our schools and in the community at large.

Recent vaccinations are another promising sign. Thanks to our partnership with the Health Department and the efforts of our own employees, we have been able to vaccinate thousands of our employees.

What learning options will be available next school year?

At the start of the pandemic, our school district offered three learning options for students: traditional in-person learning, mySchool Online, and Pasco eSchool. Going forward, we expect the vast majority of students to attend school in person.

Pasco eSchool will remain as an option. It has been a nationally recognized option for Pasco students for more than a decade, and we plan no changes to our successful Pasco eSchool.

mySchool Online will no longer be an option.

Why are you eliminating mySchool Online?

The mySchool Online option was created as a temporary option during the pandemic. The Florida Department of Education only authorized Florida school systems to offer mySchool Online type options for the 2020-2021 school year, and current indications are that such programs will not be authorized by the state for the 2021-2022 school year.

Also, despite our best efforts, our data show that many students who opted for mySchool Online are not succeeding academically and would benefit from a return to in-person learning. There is also a growing body of evidence regarding the mental health benefits of attending school in person with classmates.

Will masks be required in the fall?

No final decision has been made regarding masks. At this time, the county still has a mask order in place, and that could change in the coming months. However, at this time we cannot say with any certainty whether masks will be required or optional, or some other status.

What options are available for medically fragile children?

For a small number of students, Hospital/Homebound is a service to continue instruction at home or in the hospital. Hospital Homebound is not a school of choice and state criteria for eligibility must be met. It is for students who are medically diagnosed as too medically compromised to attend school. Additional information regarding Hospital/Homebound can be found at this link.

I have more questions. Where can I go for answers?

You can submit questions and comments via Let’s Talk. We have created a “Trending Topic” called Education Options for 21-22 in Let’s Talk.

News: Pasco Tax Collector Announces Office Closure Dates in November

11 Oct
Posted on Author Jay @ Welcome to Trinity!

Due to some important events and holidays in November, Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano announces the dates the five tax collector offices will be closed during the month of November. It is our intention to prevent customers from making unnecessary trips to the offices on these dates:

November 3, 2020 (Tuesday) – Election Day
November 11, 2020 (Wednesday) – Veterans Day
November 14, 2020 (Saturday) – State of Florida Computer System Upgrade
November 26, November 27 & November 28, 2020 (Thursday, Friday & Saturday) – Thanksgiving Holiday

We thank you for your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience these closures may cause.

Trinity In The News: Pasco’s residential and commercial boom continued as the decade ended

27 Dec
Posted on Author Jay @ Welcome to Trinity!

According to CT Bowen of the Tampa Bay Times, Trinity is going to be the home of a new Longhorn Steakhouse and an Olive Garden, all in The Villages at Mitchell Ranch! It’s great to see some new restaurants coming to our immediate area!

Source

If you wonder how the Pasco County economy did for the decade, look no further than the interchange of Interstate 75 and State Road 56, where Lutz, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel come together.

The area was mostly empty fields through the first half of the 2010s, even though there were plenty of drawings and plans for a retail hub that had been expected to blossom years earlier.

Look now.

Over the past four years, commerce replaced grazing cattle in what is known collectively as the Cypress Creek Town Center. To the south, the Tampa Premium Outlets mall started the commercial boom when it opened in 2015, and warehouse-sized retailers like Costco and At Home followed suit. On the north side of SR 56 came a bevy of food service establishments, a hote, and an Earth Fare grocery as one of the anchors to a strip center.

The construction dust continues with Aldi, Main Event Entertainment and a trio of Bloomin’ Brand restaurants among the projects underway as the year comes to a close.

All told, Pasco County issued 521 permits for new commercial construction in its 2019 fiscal year that ended Oct. 1.

The boom in Lutz/Wesley Chapel was duplicated in west Pasco with the opening of the Village at Mitchell Ranch bringing retailing to the former homestead of the Mitchell family at the corner of Little Road and State Road 54 in Trinity. Sprouts Farmers Market serves as one of the retail anchors, and the restaurants Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse recently filed preliminary plans with Pasco County to locate there.

But those restaurants grocers, and general merchandise stores wouldn’t be opening if they didn’t have customers to serve. The greatest measure of the nearby customer base is the proximity to house rooftops. In the 12-month period ending Oct. 1, Pasco County issued 4,005 construction permits for new single-family homes.

Lennar continued to be nearly omnipresent in Pasco County. Just after the year started, public records showed the home-building giant had acquired 1,443 acres in the Connerton development east of U.S. 41 to bookend its planned Angeline development. Angeline, formerly known as Project Arthur, is slated for the thousands of acres south of State Road 52 between the Suncoast Parkway and the CSX railroad tracks. The project, which includes a planned 800-acre business park, unveiled its first proposed occupant — an expansion of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

Industrial recruiters stayed busy throughout the year with multiple project announcements, including:

  • Phillips & Jordan, Inc., building a regional headquarters near San Antonio.
  • Fleda Pharmaceuticals Corp., a new pharmaceutical manufacturer, which said it would create 30 jobs at a site in Odessa.
  • JDR Investments, which purchased a vacant 67-acre site in Lacoochee from Columbia Grain and Ingredients Inc., with plans to turn it into a 25-acre precast concrete plant.
  • Colwell Avenue Properties, which will build a pair of three-story office buildings, each totaling 60,000 square feet, along State Road 54 in Lutz.
  • Encompass Health. a provider of patient rehabilitation, home health and hospice services, which is bringing its regional business office and 179 jobs to a planned 37,000-square-foot office and administrative building within the Bexley by Newland Communities on the north side of SR 54.
  • Rooker Properties LLC, which said it will purchase approximately 99 acres owned by Pasco County’s Utilities Department and use a $3.7 million county incentive to build at least 400,000 square feet of industrial and office space. The project will be the largest-ever industrial space built on speculation in Pasco County, Rooker said.

Those aren’t the only things coming to Pasco County. By the end of the fiscal year, more than 1 million tourists had visited the county. They spent an estimated $462.6 million during their stays on hotels, restaurants, shopping, entertainment and attractions, according to a visitor-tracking study by the Tallahassee firm Downs & St. Germain.

It estimated the tourism industry’s yearly economic impact to Pasco County at more than $652 million.

Events in Trinity: Taste of Trinity 10 – May 18th

15 May
Posted on Author Jay @ Welcome to Trinity!

The 10th Annual Taste of Trinity, the premier Food, Business Expo and Craft Show will be taking place on Saturday, May 18, 2019 from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm at Seven Springs Middle School located at 2441 Little Road in Trinity.

The Seven Springs Middle School Parent Teacher Organization is thrilled to host the biggest Food, Business, Craft expo in the Trinity, Florida area! Taste of Trinity is our largest fundraiser and proceeds directly benefit our school to enhance our learning environment.

They are so excited to be celebrating our 10th anniversary, and it will be packed with fabulous restaurants, bakeries, businesses, craft booths, as well as, performances by our students and community members, games and raffles. This is a not to be missed expo event!

The West Pasco Business Association (WPBA) is excited to partner with Seven Springs Middle School PTO for this great community event.