PASCO COUNTY
Bits and Pieces
Summer Camp,
July 7-25, 2025
Ages 4 - 10 years old
Cost $250/child/week*
Half Day: 9:00 - 12:00 PM
or 12:00 - 3:00 PM
Full Day: 9:00- 3:00
*Supply fee of $100 required at registration.
Blazing Stars Montessori School
12212 Fort King Road
Dade City, FL 33525
The East Pasco Networking Meeting will be Tuesday, July 15, 7:30A at IHOP in Dade City.
The regular meetings for EPNG are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month, @7:30 AM at IHOP, located at 13100 US-301, Dade City, Florida 33525.
EPNG GUEST SpeakerS 7/15/2025 Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Pasco County Clerk & Controller and Vicki Wiggins, MBA, CFRE President/CEO Greater East Pasco Chamber of Commerce
EPNG is a professional Networking Opportunity, meeting the 3rd Tuesday each month starting at
7:30 AM except in December, with three mixers in the evening during the year, starting at 6 PM, Future dates to TBA.©
Go Pasco revamps bus service. Pasco County Public Transportation
is enhancing routes and schedules to provide better service, improved connections and greater accessibility.
“We truly appreciate the input from our community, which played a vital role in shaping these improvements,” GoPasco Director Jannina Elkin said. “The feedback from surveys and public meetings has helped ensure these changes reflect the needs of our riders.”
Here’s what you can look forward to:
- Enhanced schedules across all routes.
- Improvements to Routes 14, 18, 21 and 30.
- Better service along Little Road:
- New Route 24 – Serving Little Road south of the West Pasco Government Center to SR 52, plus full service on Embassy Boulevard to Gulf View Square Mall
- Route 23 – Covering Little Road north of the West Pasco Government Center to the YMCA and Bryan Square community off Legend Pasture Road
- New Route 35 for Zephyrhills. Connecting the Zephyrhills Transfer Station with Eiland Boulevard, Dean Dairy Road, Chancey Road and Paul Buckman Highway.
- Route 31 expansion – Connecting Fort King Road, Clinton Avenue and service to Moore Mickens.
Visit GoPasco.com for more information about the route improvements and the GoPasco bus routes and schedule changes. ©
SOURCE: BAY NEWS 9
Go Pasco launches $20 student summer bus passes.
As summer gets in to full swing for Bay area students, Pasco County is launching a new program to help kids get around even if their parents are at work.
GOPASCO has launched its summertime “Haul Pass” for its bus service
The pass costs $20 and is good through Aug. 31, on any GoPasco bus route.
GoPasco Director Jannina Elkin said Pasco County has offered summer passes for years for students and added it’s not only to help kids stay active but also helps busy parents during the summer months.
“Right now we just made changes to our routes, so it’s better schedules, easier routes,” said Elkin. “They will be able to go on the busses and go wherever they need to go. Parents don’t have to take them anymore and be bringing them back and forth to their friends’ house or to the mall or library. They can just go to the closest bus stop.”
The Summertime Haul Pass can be purchased at any GoPasco Office, County Clerk Officer or public library. Students just need to show a valid school ID. College students are also welcome to use the Haul Pass. ©
Pasco County’s Tax Collector’s Office named Pasco Association for Challenged Kids (PACK) as June’s Charity-of-the-month.
For the past 28 years the Pasco Association for Challenged Kids (PACK) has served children with a wide range of physical and developmental disabilities. PACK was founded by the parents of a child with autism. They were concerned that the services provided by the public school system ended weeks before the summer programs geared towards kids with challenges started. Thus, the idea of the PACK Summer Camp was born.
“Our goal is to provide children with extreme disabilities in Paso County the opportunity to enjoy a safe and happy summer camp,” remarks Barry & Paula Cohen, Founders of PACK. “By providing highly trained and compassionate staff as well as a large facility, children can enjoy their time with us and flourish over the summer.”
“It is an honor to be affiliated with PACK for close to three decades,” comments Tax Collector Mike Fasano. “The families that started and have continued the operation of PACK for nearly 30 years have changed the lives of young people with a variety of disabilities. I encourage everyone who cares about young people with challenges to donate at any of our five offices, through the mail or online. Every dollar raised will help provide more services to more campers.”
During the weeks the children are not in school, special education teachers and classroom aides work for PACK to plan activities, arrange community visits and carry out a host of other activities for the summer campers. Your donation of any amount will help offset the cost of providing these important services to children in need, most who are unable to attend “mainstream” summer camps.
For more information about Pasco Association for Challenged Kids (PACK) please visit the website www.pascopack.org
For more information about the promotional and charitable giving programs at the tax collector’s office please contact Assistant Tax Collector Greg Giordano at 727-847-8179 or visit www.pascotaxes.com
Donations may be made online at https://www.govhub.com/fl-pasco/tc-gives/donate
Donations may also be mailed to: Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, P.O. Box 276, Dade City FL 33526-0276. ©
Zephyrhills Lions Club Back to School Supply Drive now through August 8th!
Help fill backpacks for students at our schools! Your donations will set these students off to a great start this school year!
Drop off your donations at the Zephyrhills Lions Club at 5827 Dean Dairy Road in Zephyrhills. Mon-Fri 11-6PM or at Bingo Tues 7 Frid evenings 2-9PM.
Info: 813.788.1441. ©
SOURCE: Spectrum News Staff
Florida
Free meals are being provided for students on summer break.
Students across the Bay area can get free meals during their summer break.
In Pasco County and throughout the state, Summer BreakSpot sites are serving up no-cost meals for kids and teens every weekday while school is out.
More than 3,000 locations across Florida, including churches, schools and libraries, will serve breakfast, lunch, snacks and more all summer long. Find a site near you by calling 2-1-1 or 850-617-7170 or visit
https://www.summerbreakspot.org/find-location ©
SOURCE: SUNCOAST NEWS
Three local nursing professionals earned top honors from the Florida Health Care Association
Jazzmyne Davis, a licensed practical nurse at Hillside Health and Rehabilitation Center in Zephyrhills, was named the 2025 Licensed Practical Nurse of the Year.
Gloria Bellamy, a certified nursing assistant at Community Convalescent Center in Plant City, was named the 2025 Certified Nursing Assistant of the Year.
Shana Myer, a registered nurse at Aspire at Ridge Haven in New Port Richey, was named the 2025 Registered Nurse of the Year. ©
The Vets Feeding Vets program is run by the Amvets Post 550 inZephyhills, spearheaded by Ernie Smith.
It is every Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 4717 Airport Rd. in Zephyrhills.
Veterans or their representatives are required to show their identification and other information one time to qualify for the food. Then they’ll be on a list that will allow them to come back each week.
The food is donated by local businesses and the community. The bags include meat, bread, and vegetables among other things. ©
