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Good Morning From Lutz,

We definitely have some heat on the horizon. Wednesday looks like it might stay dry, but this is Florida, so we all know how much a forecast is worth around here.

If the weather cooperates, there’s a nice market happening Wednesday night at Wiregrass, complete with a bubble party that should be a lot of fun for the kids. Give it a look if you’re looking for something to do midweek.

And just like that, summer vacation is officially over. School starts this week, and the routines are about to settle back in. If the thought of running on the school-work-repeat schedule until the holidays has you feeling a little trapped, check out the Dinner Club ;). Sometimes you just need an excuse to get out of the house and meet some new people.

-Mike

The results of the poll for a specific location were actually pretty evenly distributed. Dade City actually ended up with the most votes, with Wesley Chapel coming in second. Comments were anywhere from NPR to Brooksville/Spring Hill down to Carrollwood and Citrus Park (meant to include those).

Access local events in different ways:

Community Calendar
Event List w/Links
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Each newsletter includes the latest event information available at the time of publication.

Wednesday Night Market at The Shops at Wiregrass
The Shops at Wiregrass, Wesley Chapel
Wednesday, August 12 | 5:30 PM–9:30 PM

The Wednesday Night Market brings local vendors, shopping, food, and live music to The Shops at Wiregrass for an evening outdoors. This month’s market also features a free Bubble Party with Epic Foam Events of Tampa, adding plenty of bubble-filled fun for kids and families. Visitors can browse local businesses, grab dinner, enjoy the entertainment, and spend the evening strolling through the market.

Pasco Schools Make the Grade

Naturally, with school starting this week, we’ve got some good news to share. In our house, we sent the kids back yesterday, and Pasco families are up next with school starting Thursday.

Pasco County Schools earned an A district grade for 2026, improving from a B last year. Even better, every school in the district earned a C or higher, marking the first time since 2004 that Pasco had no D or F schools.

Help Put New Shoes on Pasco Kids

Here’s an easy way to help local students. Pasco County’s Two Good Soles drive is collecting new shoes and socks for Pasco County Schools students through Oct. 16.

They’re looking for children’s shoes in all sizes, adult shoes sizes 10–13 and socks in all sizes and neutral colors. Shoes should be closed-toe, with no flip-flops. Donations can be dropped off at Pasco County Government locations and participating county offices.

Zephyrhills’ New Italian Spot Is Impressing

Trattoria Napoli opened in Zephyrhills on July 23, and so far it looks like the public approves! The new neighborhood Italian restaurant comes from Chef Matthew Zappoli, a Culinary Institute of America graduate with 30 years of culinary experience.

The menu centers around wood-fired pizza, fresh handmade pasta, seafood and steaks, with pasta made in-house and pizza dough made from Zappoli’s own starter. You’ll find Trattoria Napoli at 5740 7th Street in Zephyrhills.

Pasco Parents Can Ditch Those Fees

Here’s one Pasco school change that could actually save families some money. The district has launched Pasco One, its own free app that replaces MySchoolBucks for adding money to student lunch accounts.

MySchoolBucks charged $3.50 per student, per deposit, which could add up quickly for families with multiple kids. Pasco One eliminates that transaction fee and is also designed to put school forms, activity sign-ups and payments together in one place.

Pasco Opens Back-to-School Bus Hotline

With Pasco students heading back Thursday, this is one number parents may want handy. The district’s extended transportation hotline is open through Aug. 19 to help families sort out bus stops, routes and pickup times.

The hotline is available 6:30a-10a and 2p-6p at 813-794-2500, 727-774-2500 or 352-524-2500. All three numbers connect to the same operation.

Students Get Real Banking Experience

This is a pretty cool opportunity for some local students. Angeline Academy of Innovation’s business and entrepreneurship teacher Chad Mallo helped create a paid summer internship with Achieva Credit Union, giving students a chance to put what they’re learning about financial literacy into practice.

The program is now in its second year, with students learning banking transactions, customer communication and other workplace skills. They also take an exam to earn a nationally recognized financial counselor certification.

Florida Property Tax Measure Needs Rewrite

Here’s one to keep an eye on before November. A judge has ordered the ballot wording for Amendment 3, a proposed change that would significantly increase Florida’s homestead property tax exemption, to be rewritten because the current language doesn’t comply with state law.

The proposal would raise the exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, excluding school district taxes. The amendment itself remains on track for the ballot, but the Attorney General was given 10 days to submit clearer wording.

Pasco County Animal Services Presents: Rolo

Rolo (A047578) is a 5-year old mixed breed who was found by a dumpster in Zephyrhills in May and brought to the safety of PCAS. Rolo is a little timid at first, but warms up to his person once he feels more familiar. Rolo is a sweet, playful, energetic boy who LOVES toys. He can often be found carrying a toy in his mouth while out on a walk. Rolo would thrive with a family who can give him plenty of snuggles and play time!

Pasco County Animal Services
19640 Dogpatch Lane
Land O Lakes, FL 34638
Wed - Thurs 12-5:00pm
Fri - Sat 12-6:00pm
Sun - 12-5pm
(813) 929-1212
MyPasco.net/PAS

A Huge Thank You to our wonderful local partners!

Events reminder:

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