B.C. Manion

A New Year’s Eve home fire sparks a community’s compassion

January 30, 2019 By B.C. Manion

A $10-a-plate pasta dinner benefit is planned this week to help a family who lost nearly all of their possessions when a New Year’s Eve fire raged through their Heritage Harbor home in Lutz.

The fundraiser also will include raffles, a 50/50 drawing and games — with 100 percent of the proceeds going to help Steve Dorsett, his wife, Maggi, and their children, 20-year-old Austin and 16-year-old Becca.

During a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Steve Dorsett recounted the course of events, on what began as a quiet New Year’s Eve — with the family at home, along with Becca’s two best friends, who were spending the night.

Residents of Heritage Harbor help the Dorsett family, in the aftermath of a destructive New Year’s Eve fire. Kelley McHale is wearing red and Cynthia Lamb is in black. A crew of helpers turned out in force on New Year’s morning. (Courtesy of Lisa Novorska)

The family had just returned that day from a trip to Fort Worth to see Steve’s mom, for Christmas.

“We were just hanging out in the backyard,” Steve said, noting he’d grilled chicken that evening and was just finishing his meal.

“I was going to walk back outside in the front, and just see if there was any fireworks,” he said, noting his son, Austin, who is autistic and nonverbal, loves fireworks.

As Steve was walking out front, he noticed smoke coming out of a door.

He thought: ‘What the heck is that.’

“I flipped the handle and pushed. The garage was already lit up,” he said.

When he saw that, he started yelling at everyone to get out of the house.

Becca and her two friends had just come down to grab a bite to eat, Steve said.

He thought everybody was out, including the family’s two goldendoodles, Lucky and Sophie.

But then, he said: “Maggi, she looked at me, and said: ‘Where’s Austin?’

“Oh, my God,” Steve said. “I went back in the house. I was just looking for anything that moved. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t see 10 feet in front of me. I couldn’t breathe. I was walking through the house. I had a flashlight. It didn’t help.”

Within a few minutes, though, he heard someone yelling from outside that they’d found Austin and he was OK.

“That’s when I came back out,” Steve said. “I collapsed when I got out. The EMT guys came and grabbed me. My arm was all burned.”

The fire broke out around 10:20 p.m. It was unrelenting.

At one point, its flames shot so high they could be seen for miles away, Steve said.

He knows that because a former neighbor, who now lives several miles away, took a photo of the blaze, not knowing whose house was on fire.

Firefighters weren’t the only ones who responded.

“The neighborhood was amazing. Absolutely amazing. We probably had 100 people (that night).

“Everybody came over. (Senior) Pastor Ken Whitten came over, from Idlewild (Baptist Church). “That’s the church that we go to.

“From the story I heard, he didn’t know what was going on, he just saw a bunch of fire trucks and figured ‘I’d better follow.’

“It was maybe a spirit-led thing,” Steve said.

Among the most treasured items lost in the fire was a display that honored Austin and Becca’s dedication ceremonies at Idlewild.

Nearly everything was destroyed by the flames, or smoke or water.

Firefighters were there until the early morning hours, making sure the fire was out.

Steve was up late, trying to report an insurance claim.

“I fell asleep at 4:30 or 5. I woke up about 8.

“I went and put my nasty clothes back on. I walked outside and there were at least 25 to 30 of our neighbors. They were out there, in gloves and boots, and wearing their masks,” he said.

They had trash bags and they were sorting through the rubble, to see what could be saved.

One neighbor secured Maggi’s jewelry.

There have been countless acts of generosity, Steve said. One friend loaned the family a truck. Another is taking care of their dogs.

This image of the garage offers a glimpse of the devastation. (Courtesy of Beth Gaddis)

Others have provided meals and comfort.

And now, their friends and the community are organizing the pasta dinner fundraiser.

The cause of the fire is not 100 percent certain, Steve said. He knows it wasn’t fireworks because there weren’t any nearby. The insurance company’s private inspector told Steve it was most likely an electrical fire in the attic.

Whatever the cause, the family carries on.

Becca, an avid softball player, is gearing up for a new season.

Austin continues to attend the exceptional education program at Steinbrenner High School.

Maggi is a nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North.

Steve, who is self-employed, is focusing on the family’s needs and making sure they can rebuild the house — right where it is.

“Heritage Harbor is unique and I use that term specifically because unique is supposed to mean ‘one of a kind.’

“As tragic as it is for us, it (the fire) has been a very positive thing in a lot of ways —not just bringing our neighbors back together, but also, old friends that we haven’t seen. People I don’t even know.

“It’s amazing,” Steve said.

Want to help?
What: $10-a-plate Pasta Dinner
Where: Heritage Harbor Club House, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway, in Lutz
When: Feb. 1, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Details: This fundraiser will benefit the Dorsett family, of Heritage Harbor, who lost nearly all of their possessions, including their home, two cars and the contents of their home from a New Year’s Eve fire.
Besides the food, there will be a 50/50 drawing, raffles and games.
All of the proceeds will go to the family.
RSVP by Jan. 30 at tinyurl.com/yajpjq2s.
Those who want to help, but can’t attend, can contribute online at GoFundMe.com/friends-lost-home-in-new-years-eve-fire.

Published January 30, 2019

Pasco supports legalizing hemp as a crop

January 30, 2019 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission has unanimously approved a resolution backing the legal cultivation of hemp in Florida.

The issue came up for discussion at the board’s Jan. 8 meeting, but was delayed for two weeks to give Commission Chairman Ron Oakley the chance to learn more about the issue.

When Commissioner Jack Mariano brought up the issue again, commissioners quickly approved it.

Board members had discussed the issue extensively during their Jan. 8 meeting, when Mariano encouraged his colleagues to support the resolution, noting that it will give farmers another crop option.

The passage of the U.S. Farm Bill changed everything, Mariano said. “It’s now going to allow local people to actually grow it and do something with it, as opposed to large corporations. This is like a monumental step forward.”

Hemp can be used to make CBD oils for people’s pain, rope, plastics and other materials, Mariano said.

“Farmers struggle, losing their orange groves – this just creates a huge market for Florida, itself.

“It puts the state in a great position,” Mariano said.

Unlike medical marijuana, which must be cultivated indoors, in controlled conditions, hemp can be grown outdoors, Mariano said.

“With all of this open farmland that we have, you can actually grow the hemp. Florida, especially in our area, we can actually get three crops year out of it. That could be a huge boon for us, to go stimulate agricultural, stimulate maybe some manufacturing,” Mariano said.

Joseph Heinzman, representing the Florida Sustainable Agriculture Coop, explained the difference between hemp and marijuana during the Jan. 8 discussion.

“Because they did go ahead and pass it at the federal level, several of Florida’s laws are going to have to change over the next six months to a year,” Heinzman said.

“As it stands right now, medical marijuana dispensaries are the only companies that can grow hemp in Florida. That’s causing, for lack of a better word, a monopoly at the moment.”

Heinzman’s organization is working to change state laws so farmers can grow hemp without the fear of it being considered marijuana.

He explained that hemp can be used for fiber and other products.

Commissioner Mike Wells spoke in favor of the shift.

“I was in Georgia a couple of weeks ago and they’ve got hemp farms there. I know the freeze kills it. We need it. It’s coming,” he said. “I think we need to lead this. It would be a cool thing for the east side of the county for those farmers who can’t have citrus anymore. They can harvest that.”

Commissioner Mike Moore noted that it’s possible today to go into retail stories to purchase clothing, handbags and other items made using hemp fibers.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey also talked about various uses of hemp, including for birdseed, bedding for animals, and the manufacture of oil-based paints, and creams, moisturizing agents, cooking and plastic.

“I don’t doubt that this going to get fixed by the Legislature,” Starkey said. “I think if our state waits a long time, it puts our state at a disadvantage.”

Published January 30, 2019

Commissioners spar over choosing rec center design firm

January 30, 2019 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission has selected Wannemacher Jensen Architects Inc., and Harvard Jolly Inc., as the top-ranked firms for design services for an indoor recreation center at the Wesley Chapel District Park.

It also authorized county staff to negotiate with Wannemacher Jensen, and if an agreement can’t be reach, to conduct negotiations with Harvard Jolly.

Commissioners approved the action on a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Mike Wells dissenting, and following a clash between commissioners over whether to proceed with the process, or reject all of the proposals and start over.

Wells advocated starting the process over.

“I don’t know if any of you have looked at it. I do have some concerns,” Wells said. Specifically, he questioned why there was such a large discrepancy in points awarded to various proposals, and the lack of written comments to explain those differences.

He made a motion to reject all proposals and to begin the process again “and that the evaluation process be more thoroughly documented.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano seconded Well’s motion.

But, Commissioner Mike Moore told his colleagues: “I’ve got citizens waiting for this project to happen in that area. We’ve worked hard on this. I want to hear from staff.”

Stacey Ziegler, the county’s purchasing director, told the board: “We followed the process that we’ve been following the last six months, since we updated our purchasing manual.

“There were no actual comments that were written down specific to the evaluation committee members, but, if you listen to the tape, they did have full discussion.

“We feel like we’ve done our due diligence and that our recommendation should stand,” Ziegler said.

Moore said starting over would delay the project for months.

“They’re already scheduling for these new leagues to be inside. We need this to happen on the timeline we told them it was going to happen,” Moore said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey asked: “Did we have anybody protest the selection?”

Ziegler responded: “No.”

Then Mariano weighed in about the county’s evaluation process, in general.

“I don’t like the way that these committees are set up. I’d like to have a commissioner sit on it,” Mariano said. “A local firm didn’t even make the top nine, and I think the competency was there.”

That’s why he supported Wells’ motion, Mariano added.

Commissioner Starkey rejected Mariano’s suggestion. “I 100 percent disagree with putting a commissioner on an evaluation like that. There’s a lot of political pressure,” she said, adding she’s aware of commissioners who have wound up in prison because of improprieties.

“There is a reason why our county attorney has strongly recommended that commissioners stay off those kinds of committees,” Starkey said.

Wells said this is only the second time he’s pulled this type of recommendation.

“I’m not trying to disrespect our team,” he said.

“What’s concerning to me is the point spread. The way this process works is that each individual person scores it and then they go to the meeting and they discuss it.

“Sometimes it is hard for me to understand how they scored it, when there are no notes,” Wells said.

He reiterated his call for starting over.

“I think this is the fairest way to do it,” Wells said.

Starkey disagreed: “I feel we have competent staff who pick competent companies based on the criteria that are in front of them.

“At the end of the day, I trust our staff, and I feel time is of the essence and we should move forward,” she said.

Moore asked what the county would gain by going through the process again.

“If it goes out for bid again, and they write their comments down, and it ends up in the exact same order, what do we get out of it?” Moore asked.

Mariano noted that Spring Engineering was the only local company and it didn’t make the top four.

“We’re trying to push local companies, local jobs,” Mariano said, adding perhaps there was some bias relating to some other work done by the company in the past.

County Administrator Dan Biles responded: “The evaluation committee can only evaluate the packet that is before them.”

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder told the board: “You clearly do have the right to reject all bids.”

But, he noted: “You’ve got a series of qualified folks. You’ve got a short list before you. “Rejecting all proposals. You may not get the same group of people proposing.”

Starkey warned her colleagues: “I think we open the door for trouble, if we’re going to throw this out, because there weren’t any notes.”

Moore urged commissioners to act on staff’s recommendation.

“This facility was supposed to be part of the park many, many years ago.

The basketball leagues play outdoors.

“For one thing, it’s very hot to play on cement. There’s no covering out there,” Moore said. Plus, “they get rained out, constantly.”

He also noted that there’s no place for boys and girls to play volleyball.

“They’re literally going to New Tampa to play volleyball. Or, they travel over to Land O’ Lakes,” Moore said.

“You’re looking at almost a 1,000 kids that are going to be put off a season,” Moore said.

When it appeared the board was heading for a vote, Mariano pulled his second. He said he didn’t want to delay the project.

But, Wells maintained his opposition. “It’s about picking the most qualified person. I don’t feel we did that,” he said.

Mariano also asked county staff to find out whether other counties have a commissioner on their evaluation committees.

Starkey retorted: “Start with Broward County, you’ll have to go to the prison to interview some of them.”

Published January 30, 2019

State grant supports Pasco business park

January 30, 2019 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County has announced the receipt of a $3 million state grant to support the development of the Overpass Business Park.

The business park is intended to promote economic development in Pasco County.

The county received a grant for $3,088,580 from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, according to a news release from the county.

The grant will support the creation of the Overpass Business Park project.

At its completion, the project will be home to 2.2 million square feet of industrial and office development, and will support between 4,000 and 5,000 jobs, the news release says.

“Overpass Business Park represents another realization of Pasco County’s ongoing commitment to strategic, robust economic growth, and we sincerely thank the State for its partnership in moving this critical initiative forward,” Pasco County Economic Growth Manager David Engel said, in the release.

The 100-acre, shovel-ready economic development site overlooks Interstate 75 and is 1.5 miles north of State Road 54. It is just south of the proposed new connection at Overpass Road and I-75.

The project design is in its final stages.

By 2022-2023, the site improvements will be completed and Overpass Business Park will be ready for development, the release says.

The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund was established in 2017 by Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature. It provides $85 million for improving public infrastructure and enhancing workforce training in Florida, the release says.

For more information about the Pasco County Office of Economic Growth, visit bit.ly/PascoEconomicGrowth.

To stay abreast of the Overpass Business Park Project progress, visit bit.ly/OverpassBusinessPark.

Published January 30, 2019

Business Digest 01/30/2019

January 30, 2019 By B.C. Manion

At the center of this photo are, from left, Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano, Wawa store manager Ana Karina Cespedes and Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, among store associates and community members, getting ready for the ribbon cutting for Wawa’s Odessa Store No. 5334. (Courtesy of Ron Riccio/WaWa)

Wawa opens in Odessa
A new Wawa location opened at 12048 State Road 54 in Odessa, with a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration on the morning of Jan. 24. It is the first Wawa store in Odessa.

Pasco County commissioners Jack Mariano and Kathryn Starkey attended the event, which featured giveaways and a hoagie-building competition between Pasco County Fire Rescue and the Pasco Sheriff Office with $1,000 donation made to charity of each team’s choosing.

Store officials also announced a commitment to support hunger relief efforts with a portion of the first week’s hoagie sales up to $1,000, to benefit Feeding Tampa Bay.

2019 Economic Forecast Luncheon
John B. Jung Jr., senior management director and head of BB& T Capital Markets, will talk about “The U.S. Economy — Facts are Stubborn Things” during the 2019 Economic Forecast Luncheon on Feb. 1 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Hyatt Place of Wesley Chapel, 26000 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz.

Registration is $40, with a $10 discount for Pasco County Staff. Advance registration is required no later than Jan. 31.

To register, go to PascoEDC.com and click on the Events tab.

Treasured Friends Gift Shop helps ‘Love One Another’
Treasured Friends Gift Shop, at 12329 U.S. 301 in Dade City, had a food drive at its store to benefit “Love One Another,” a charitable organization that provides a hot meal to those in need every Sunday, according to a news release from Lucy Avila.

“Love One Another” also receives food donations, pet food and clothing, to distribute to people in need, Avila said, in the release.

This is third time that Treasured Friends Gift Shop had a food drive to benefit “Love One Another.”

For more information about “Love One Another,” call Lucy Avila at (352) 424-4972.

Bay Brick Pavers opens showroom in Land O’ Lakes
Bay Brick Pavers has opened a custom patio paver showroom at 3940 Lake Padgett Drive in Land O’ Lakes, according to a news release. Unlike many warehouse-sized patio paver facilities, this showroom aims to gives customers a personal experience, in a scaled-down retail space. The showroom has an extensive inventory of paver samples on the facility’s floor, with displays of retaining walls and fire pits.

The showroom features a wide range of premium hardscaping products for outdoor spaces, including brick pavers, concrete pavers, clay pavers and thin pavers.

The showroom will serve customers in Land O Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Odessa and Tampa. To learn more, visit BayBrickPavers.com, email , or call (813) 850-2651.

East Pasco Networking Group
Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley will be the featured speaker at the Feb. 12 breakfast meeting of the East Pasco Networking Group. The meeting, which starts at 7:30 a.m., will be at IHOP, at 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City.

The cost for the luncheon meeting is $20 for members who RSVP by the Thursday before the meeting, and $25 for non-members and members at the door.

To contact the chamber, call (813) 909-2722.

WOW-Too (Wow of Trinity and Odessa)
WOW-Too started as Women of Wesley Chapel and was so popular that it expanded into Trinity and Odessa. The group meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., at the Holiday Inn Express Trinity, 2125 Corporate Center Drive in Trinity.

Connerton sale
The Tampa division of Lennar recently purchased the remaining undeveloped land in Connerton, according to a letter sent to Connerton residents from Lennar and Haymon Woods, the former owner.

Lennar will assume the role of master developer going forward, the letter states.

“With the new change in ownership, Lennar is collaborating with residents to hear what amenities you would like to have, that would maximize the community experience,” the letter states.

Residents also were invited to fill out a survey to let Lennar know their opinion regarding current amenities and what they think can be improved in the future.

Lennar also plans to have a family friendly event on Feb. 9, with food trucks, live music and a bounce house, the letter states. The event will provide an opportunity to “introduce the local Lennar team, meet residents, and discuss plans for the community and the amenities.”

Lennar is currently building in 97 communities throughout Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

Free business seminars
To find out about other free seminars and resources available through Pasco-Hernando Score, visit PascoHernando.score.org.

Who is your customer?
Learn how to identify your customer in this seminar, which is part of the Pasco Economic Development Council’s SMARTstate Entrepreneur Education Series. This session, called “Who is My Customer?” helps businesses identify the “right kind” of customers for their specific business model.

The free session will be on Feb. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Dade City Entrepreneur Center, 7838 Meridian Ave., Suite No. 309, in Dade City.

To register, go to the events calendar on the PascoEDC.com website.

For more information about the entrepreneur center, call (352) 437-4861.

Florida Medical Clinic foundation assists Thomas Promise
The Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring has awarded a $15,000 grant to The Thomas Promise Foundation, according to a news release from the grant award recipient.

“We are grateful for the support of the Foundation of Caring,” said Joe Simmons, executive director of the Thomas Promise Foundation.

Thomas Promise, based at 4542 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills, provides bags full of food, complete with six meals and snacks, to enable food insecure students from Pasco County schools to have food over the weekend. It helps more than 1,400 students at a total of 25 schools.

AdventHealth Dade City is getting a major makeover

January 23, 2019 By B.C. Manion

A hospital that has served Dade City for decades is undergoing a substantial renovation — which will give it a new look and allow it to expand the services that the health care facility offers.

The project carries a $22.2 million price tag, including $20 million provided by AdventHealth Dade City’s parent company and $2.2 million raised locally, according to Jason Newmyer, administrator/vice president for AdventHealth Dade City.

Jason Newmyer stands in the old lobby of AdventHealth Dade City. The hospital is getting a massive makeover, which will give it a fresh look and will enable it to expand its services. (B.C. Manion)

The hospital is at 13100 Fort King Road in Dade City.

The work, being done in four phases and expected to be completed by the end of this year, “is truly going to holistically change every aspect of this hospital,” the hospital administrator said.

The work ranges from new paint and flooring throughout the 100,000-square-foot facility, to new diagnostic equipment, to reopening two units in the hospital that were not operating when AdventHealth Dade City acquired it last April.

The new equipment includes a 128-slice CT scanner and a da Vinci surgical system.

The CT scanner will “do head and heart studies faster and more effective than anything we’ve ever had here at this hospital. And, as effective as anything that’s in the Tampa market,” Newmyer said.

“Strokes and heart attacks can be diagnosed here as fast and as accurate as any other facility — if not better,” he said.

The da Vinci surgical system allows physicians to perform minimally invasive surgeries robotically.

The hospital also plans to bring MRI equipment indoors, instead of having it outdoors in a truck, which is where it was when they acquired the hospital last year.

The changes are all in keeping with AdventHeath Dade City’s mission to be caretakers of health care in the community, Newmyer said.

The hospital’s staff realizes that patients want to feel cared for, want to feel safe, want to have their privacy protected and want to be able to trust that they are receiving a high quality of care, Newmyer said.

Comfort is important, too, he said.

“People now care about aesthetics and experience. We are very intentional about how we
redesign and build this space,” the hospital administrator said.

This is what the new interior of the lobby at AdventHealth Dade City will look like, once the renovation is completed. This view shows the interior, looking from the new chapel’s entry. (Courtesy of AdventHealth Dade City)

The upgrade involves taking advantage of the hospital’s existing capacity, Newmyer explained.

“When we purchased this hospital, two of the four units were dark — not being used,” he said.

One of those areas is being converted into a transitional care unit and the other will be used as a surgical unit.

The transitional care unit will enable the hospital to “take care of patients that are sicker and patients that have more physical needs, that need to be addressed from that post-acute care perspective in a way that this hospital and this community hasn’t been able to in the past,” Newmyer said.

The surgical unit will offer “a brand-new surgical experience for patients that come in here,” Newmyer added.

The pre-op unit will be vastly different, too. In the past, the area consisted of bays, separated by curtains. The new space will have individual rooms, which are larger than the previous bays — allowing privacy and the patient to have family wait there with them.

Other changes will be a new lobby, including a chapel, which will have a sliding door that resembles barn doors. That’s in keeping with Dade City’s agricultural roots, Newmyer said.

The cafeteria also is being overhauled. It will be larger, with indoor and outdoor seating, and will have a large table where families can sit together.

Besides having a fresh look and new equipment, the hospital expects to hire about three dozen new employees, Newmyer said, boosting its current staff of 300 by nearly 10 percent.

The hospital also is looking to bring on six more physicians this year, and is continuing to partner with local independent physicians, as well as large physician groups, he said.

The hospital is approved for 120 beds, but because two units have been turned off, it has only been using 60 beds.

Work is obviously underway at the hospital, with about half of its parking lot closed off.

Hospital operations continue, though, with people using different ways to get around the facility’s campus.

Efforts also are underway to secure the local contributions, Newmyer said, noting there will be naming opportunities for the operating room services, the chapel and the cafeteria.

The hospital welcomes community involvement — whether it be philanthropic support to friendship,” Newmyer said.

The hospital administrator invites anyone who would like to help, or even if they’d just like more information about the hospital’s renovation, to reach out to him.

Or, he said, you can just let him know that you’d like to visit for a cup of coffee and a tour.

He’s already given dozens.

Newmyer can be reached at

Published January 23, 2019

It’s not too late to protect yourself from the flu

January 23, 2019 By B.C. Manion

Ideally, the best time to get a flu shot is before flu season begins in October.

But, it’s still not too late to protect yourself before flu season hits its peak, which is typically closer to February, said Dr. Melissa Wahba, an emergency room physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, in Lutz.

Some people believe that getting a flu shot can cause them to get the flu, but that’s a misconception, said Dr. Melissa Wahba, an emergency department physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, in Lutz. (Courtesy of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North)

The most vulnerable populations are children under age 5, but especially under age 2; people over age 65; and, those with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and pregnant women, Wahba said.

Protection is important, to avoid potentially tragic consequences of being infected by the virus, she said.

“Influenza can certainly be a deadly virus and even if it is not life-threatening to yourself, contracting it likely means you’re going to pass it on to someone else, and it could be someone who falls into one of those high-risk categories,” she said.

She continued: “So, making a choice of whether or not to be vaccinated is not really just reflective of impact on yourself. It will impact those around you.

“That’s especially true if you are taking care of any of the patients in those high-risk populations.”

Plus, she added: “Health care personnel, day care workers, people who are working in dialysis units — anyone who is working with those more vulnerable populations — they have an even greater responsibility to make sure that they’re being vaccinated.”

There’s a common misconception that someone can get the flu by getting a flu shot.

“That is not true,” the emergency department doctor said. “Patients can have side effects from the flu vaccine, but they’re extremely mild. Most commonly, they might have redness, soreness, tenderness or some swelling at the site of the injection. Fewer might actually get a low-grade fever, a headache, or feel a little bit achy.”

Dr. Melissa Wahba, an emergency department physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, in Lutz, said it’s not too late to benefit from getting a flu shot. The peak of the season generally begins around February.

It’s also important to know that it takes two weeks from the time you get the shot for it to take its full effect.

“This year’s vaccine includes protection against Influenza A H1NI, Influenza A H3N2, and Influenza B, and certainly, we are by far seeing the most cases of H1NI,” the doctor said.

“The vaccine is targeted directly against that particular subtype of Influenza A. The vaccine itself seems to be right on par with what we’re seeing clinically,” Wahba said.

People sometimes say they have the flu, when they actually have a cold or a stomach virus, she said.

“Influenza is generally quite a bit worse than just a cold,” she said.

If you think you have the flu, it’s important to keep away from other people, she said.

In its early stages, a patient can go to urgent care, or use an App, to get medical attention.

When caught early enough, a doctor may be able to prescribe antiviral medication to help reduce the effects.

There are times, though, when patients need to go to the emergency department, the doctor said.

Adults should receive emergency care when:

The patient is having difficulty breathing, or experiencing rapid, shallow breathing
The patient isn’t able to drink
The patient is experiencing chest pain, abdominal pain, or confusion

Babies and small children should receive emergency care when:

A child cannot drink fluids; a baby cannot drink his or her bottle
There’s a decrease in a child’s wet diapers
There’s a decrease in tear production when a child is crying

She advises that patients pay close attention to their symptoms.

“Sometimes in the course of influenza, patients will have an improvement in their symptoms, and then they will actually get worsening of symptoms with fever and increased cough. Those patients should definitely come to the hospital. They could be developing one of the complications that we see with influenza,” Wahba said.

Even when the flu is not life-threatening, it still disrupts daily life, so the doctor recommends getting a flu shot to reduce the risk of becoming ill.

“Truthfully, as long as the virus is circulating, there is benefit to being immunized,” Wahba said.

“People who read this and go out and get vaccinated right away, will be protected before we hit peak season.”

Flu Symptoms
Influenza (also known as flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness and, at times, can lead to death. Flu is different from a cold. Flu usually comes on suddenly. People who are sick with flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

Fever* or feeling feverish/chills
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Fatigue (tiredness)

Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

*It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

Reducing the impact
Antiviral treatment, prescribed by a doctor, works best when started soon after flu illness begins. When treatment is started within two days of becoming sick with flu symptoms, antiviral drugs can lessen fever and symptoms, and shorten the time you are sick. They also may reduce the risk of complications, such as ear infections in children, respiratory complications requiring antibiotics, and hospitalization in adults.

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Help prevent the spread of flu

Get vaccinated
Wash your hands often, with soap and water (use an alcohol-based sanitizer if soap isn’t available)
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
If you get sick, stay home until you are fever-free for at least 24 hours (that is, your fever is gone for at least 24 hours without the assistance of a fever-reducing medication)

Source: The Florida Department of Health

Published January 23, 2019

Duke’s landscaping plan gains approval

January 23, 2019 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Planning Commission has approved a landscaping plan submitted by Duke Energy Florida LLC., in connection to an electrical substation in Wesley Chapel.

The planning board had previously approved the electric company’s request for an expansion to its electrical substation on a 20-acre parcel on the north side of Satinleaf Lane, about 650 feet west of Smith Road. However, that approval was contingent on Duke’s subsequent submission of a landscaping plan relating to the project for the planning board’s approval.

Residents of Meadow Pointe had sought additional landscaping to reduce the visual impacts from the expanded substation.

Drew Gilmore, a public engagement specialist for Duke Energy, outlined the company’s plan for buffering the substation from its neighbors’ views.

The plan he presented included more trees and a different assortment of plantings than initially proposed. The electric company also has agreed to add more trees in an area within the Meadow Pointe subdivision.

However, while Meadow Pointe residents wanted more landscaping, those living closest to the substation — in Satinleaf — told commissioners they didn’t want any additional landscaping between their properties and the substation.

Rather, they said, they prefer a view of open pastureland.

Planning commissioners voted to keep the additional landscaping, to buffer the substation from Meadow Pointe, and to eliminate the proposed landscaping between Satinleaf and the substation.

In other action, the board:

Approved a request from Tracy L. and Raul Rodriguez Jr./Keiro Academy, for a private school on 20.6 acres of land zoned for agricultural and residential use. The parcel is on the east side of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard, about one-half mile north of Darby Road.

According to the applicant’s information, “Our student population will primarily demonstrate anxiety, sadness, defiance and school refusal issues stemming from technology overuse. Our students simply need to reconnect with nature in a screen-free environment and to develop social and life skills to succeed. We intend to create a program exclusively for boys age (15 to 20) and seek to maintain a daily census of 32 students who will live on the property.

Recommended approval of a license for the sale of alcoholic beverages at Chipotle Mexican Grill, at the northwest corner of State Road 56 and Grand Cypress Drive, extending to Sierra Center Boulevard.

The Planning Commission is the county’s land planning agency. It has decision-making authority for special exception requests, which can be appealed to the Pasco County Commission.

All other planning commission decisions are recommendations to the Pasco County Commission, which has final authority on zoning and land use matters.

Published January 23, 2019

Project prompts school board to hire land use attorney

January 23, 2019 By B.C. Manion

Project Arthur, a major development that’s been submitted to Pasco County for its review, has prompted Pasco County Schools to approve the use of a land use attorney on an as-needed basis.

In seeking the approval, district documents describe Project Arthur as “a new and unique development, which is proposing to use charter schools as a way to mitigate for future student impacts.”

Having that expert resource available, the document notes “will be beneficial to the Planning Service department” and will “help to protect the interests of the school district.”

The Pasco County School Board voted unanimously to hire Alan Zimmet, a land use attorney with the law firm of Bryant Miller Olive, to assist the district in reviewing the Comprehensive Plan, Development Order, and other documents.

“The law firm’s services will be used on an “as-needed” basis over the course of this fiscal year,” according to the school board’s action.

Project Arthur is a proposed development on nearly 6,951 acres of land known as Bexley South and Bexley North.

The proposal calls for a 24 million-square-foot corporate business park, plus 11,495 residences and other supportive uses in an area east of the Suncoast Parkway, west of the CSX rail line and south of State Road 52.

The attorney will represent the district in negotiations and discussions with the owners of Project Arthur, which at this time include Lennar Homes and Metro Development — regarding the placement, construction, purchase and ownership of school facilities within the development.

In other action, the school board:

Approved a two-year extension, for the 2019 and 2020 calendar years, for these members of the Penny for Pasco Oversight Committee who wish to serve an additional term: Gary Evans, Hugh Townsend, Niko Tzoumas, George Iwan, Tom Massey and Paul McClintock
Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the National Cyber Partnership regarding the district’s collaboration in the establishment and development of the Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security, and Tactics (F1RST) program, which aims to develop leading edge research. The agreement has no binding impact on the district, but would be helpful in applications seeking grants, according to the board’s agenda materials.

Published January 23, 2019

Business Digest 01/23/2019

January 23, 2019 By B.C. Manion

Insurance firms form partnership
Chris Black Insurance, a Lutz-based independent insurance firm, has formed a partnership with Insurance Seguros of America Ricketts LLC, located in Wesley Chapel.

The merger became final in October.

Chris Black Insurance was founded in 2008 with the mission to provide customized insurance packages for their clients across the state of Florida.

Tina Ricketts founded Insurance Seguros of America Ricketts LLC, in 2011. Ricketts has developed a strong expertise in the transportation (trucking) insurance industry and will continue to serve her clients as a commercial risk advisor with Chris Black Insurance.

With expanded carrier access and compounded support resources, both firms are looking forward to the opportunity for growth in the transportation insurance segment throughout the southeastern United States.

“We’re extremely excited to have Tina join our team,” Chris Black, managing partner at Chris Black Insurance. “Tina has an excellent reputation in the community as a dedicated risk advisor, and has a passion for helping Spanish and English-speaking families and businesses protect what’s most important. Our broader array of insurance carrier partners will open new opportunities for existing and future clients while allowing us to continue providing best-in-class products and services.”

Insurance Seguros of America Ricketts will inherit the Chris Black Insurance name.

Lutz rents decreasing, but remain high
Zumper has just published its first Tampa Metro Report for 2019, which covers 17 cities in the metro area — highlighting the most/least expensive cities and cities with the fastest growing rents.

This month, Lutz ranked as the ninth-most expensive city to rent.

The price of one bedroom units fell 2.7 percent to $1,080, while two bedroom units decreased 3.3 percent to $1,170.

North Tampa Bay Chamber economic development
Cheryl Flood, executive director of the Florida State Fair Authority, will be the speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s economic development briefing on Jan. 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Hunter’s Green Country Club, 18101 Longwater Run Drive in Tampa.

The North Tampa Bay Chamber has economic development briefings on the fourth Thursday of each month. The charge is $25 for nonmembers; $20 for members at the door and $15 for members who prepare. For more information, call Grace Martin at (813) 994-8534.

Apartments at Wiregrass Ranch
A pre-application meeting was set between a representative for an applicant named Encore and Pasco County’s planning staff on Jan. 14, regarding a proposal for 300 walk-up apartments with at-grade parking and resident amenities in Wiregrass Ranch.

Saltgrass Steakhouse
Representatives for Saltgrass Steakhouse were scheduled for a pre-application meeting with Pasco County’s planning staff on Jan. 15. The proposal calls for a 8,133-square-foot restaurant on a 1.7-acre parcel at Cypress Creek Town Center, which is at State Road 56 and Interstate 75.

Saltgrass Steakhouse is an American restaurant concept with more 50 locations across the country, according to the company’s website. The company is based in Houston, and is owned by Landy’s Inc.

Central Pasco Chamber
Rena Romano will be the featured speaker at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce’s general membership meeting on Feb. 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Plantation Palms Golf Club, 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. Romano will talk about “Accountability and Leadership Skills to Succeed in Business.” The cost for the luncheon meeting is $20 for members who RSVP by the Thursday before the meeting, and $25 for non-members and members at the door. To contact the chamber, call (813) 909-2722.

SBA loans
Learn how to apply for a Small Business Administration loan during this free seminar on Feb. 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City. The seminar, offered by the Pasco-Hernando chapter of SCORE, also will cover various SBA assistance programs that are available.

Applying for a business loan
During this workshop, participants will have a chance to find out how to meet the individual loan requirements for their needs, which can range from business start-ups, to mature businesses, to purchase of existing businesses. Sources for loans ranging from $5,000 to $5 million will be covered, as well as business plans to accompany the applications. The free session, offered through the Pasco-Hernando chapter of SCORE, is set for Feb. 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It will be at the New River Branch Library, at 34042 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel.