The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Competing interests at Sunlake and Lutz Lake Fern

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James Scarola is deliberating the future of a parcel at the southwest corner of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard.

Applicants for a special use permit want to use a 7.4-acre parcel to become the new home of the Tampa Academy of Math and Science, a charter school specializing in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Ruth Gimpel Stables is next door to a proposed charter school in Lutz. Ruth Gimpel said the proposed school could destroy her livelihood. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Ruth Gimpel Stables is next door to a proposed charter school in Lutz. Ruth Gimpel said the proposed school could destroy her livelihood.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Ruth Gimpel, who owns a horse stable next door, wants Scarola to deny the request.

So do residents living west of the proposed school.

A number of organizations also have weighed in against the proposed school, including area homeowner associations, the Lutz Citizens Coalition, the Lutz Civic Association and the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Clubs.

Scarola, a land-use hearing officer for Hillsborough County, had a public hearing on the request on March 16. He has 15 working days from that public hearing to issue his ruling.

Scarola has the final word on the request, unless it is challenged to the county’s Appeals Board.

Representatives for the applicants — Charter Schools Properties Inc., and Charter Schools Associates Inc., contend that conditions required by Hillsborough County staff address the proposed project’s impacts.

The applicants scaled down their original request for more than 1,000 students, to a school that now would have no more than 870 kindergarteners through eighth-graders.

As it stands now, the school would be developed in two phases, with 670 students housed in a two-story classroom building with 33 classrooms in phase one. The second phase, which is contingent upon an additional traffic analysis, would serve 200 students, in 11 classrooms, in another two-story building.

Both classroom buildings would have a maximum height of 38 feet and would be situated near Sunlake Boulevard.

The applicants have agreed to spend about $500,000 for transportation improvements, said Michael Horner, a planner representing them.

Conditions for approval also call for substantially greater buffering requirements to protect adjacent properties than is required under the county’s code, Horner said.

Michael Raysor, a traffic engineer representing the applicant, said access to the site would be one driveway on Lutz Lake Fern Road, which would be right in/right out only; and two driveways on Sunlake Boulevard. One would be right in/right out only, and the other would be right out only.

The applicant has agreed to build new right turn lanes and a new U-turn lane in conjunction with the project.

Opponents have objected for months about the traffic the school would generate, as well as expressing concerns about potential flooding, fumes from vehicle exhausts and noise from outdoor activities.

Despite those objections, the proposed use has received a recommendation for approval from county staff and garnered no objections from the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission staff.

The school is an acceptable transitional use, according to Tom Hiznay, a county planner.

The site’s design, along with the conditions for approval, provides “sensitivity to surrounding uses,” Hiznay said.

Jay Bockisch, a traffic engineer, speaking on behalf of the opponents, said the proposed school would create the same traffic impacts as a regional mall, four Publix shopping centers, or the tallest office building in downtown Tampa.

“This is not a transitional land use. This is an intense traffic generator. We have safety concerns,” Bockisch said.

The traffic waiting to get into the school’s site will cause backups on Lutz Lake Fern Road, Sunlake Boulevard and North Dale Mabry Highway, he predicted.

The backups on North Dale Mabry Highway, he said, will pose a safety nightmare.

“This is an adverse impact not only to the local community, but to the motoring public along Dale Mabry Highway.”

But Raysor said, “There are multiple safeguards written into the conditions.”

Joseph Serio, who lives directly west of the proposed school site, is concerned about potential flooding. “Where are you going to put the water from the additional highway lanes?” Serio asked.

In rebuttal, an expert representing the applicant said drainage requirements must be met.

Gimpel, of Ruth Gimpel Stables Inc., urged Scarola to deny the request. The stable, at 18920 Sunlake Blvd., has produced 75 world champions and 63 reserve champions, as well as providing fun and learning experiences for riders.

The charter school would change that, Gimpel said.

“It’ll force me to sell my farm. It would destroy my livelihood.”

Published March 25,2015

Pasco-Hernando State College chooses new president

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Timothy Beard has been selected to become Pasco-Hernando State College’s fourth president.

The PHSC District Board of Trustees announced its choice at the conclusion of its presidential search, on March 18.

Timothy Beard has been selected to become the fourth president of Pasco-Hernando State College. In choosing Beard, the college’s board went with someone who already knows the college and is ready to build on its strengths (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
Timothy Beard has been selected to become the fourth president of Pasco-Hernando State College. In choosing Beard, the college’s board went with someone who already knows the college and is ready to build on its strengths
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Beard, vice president of student development and enrollment management at PHSC in New Port Richey, was among a field of four finalists. The other finalists worked at Klamath Community College in Klamath Falls, Oregon; West Virginia University at Parkersburg, Parkersburg, West Virginia; and, St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg.

They decided to promote Beard to replace Katherine Johnson, who is retiring on June 30.

Beard’s appointment becomes effective July 1, pending the successful outcome of contract negotiations.

“We are pleased to extend an offer for the presidential position to Dr. Beard,” Ed Blommel, PHSC District Board of Trustees and presidential search committee chair, said in a release. “As a senior administrator at PHSC for the past eight years, he is already familiar with the college and has an understanding of its strategic goals and mission.”

Beard is delighted to be stepping into the college’s leadership role.

“This is a surreal opportunity,” said Beard, who has worked for the college since 2007 and expects to build on the good work that has been accomplished there.

Before joining PHSC, Beard was vice president and dean of student affairs at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, and director of student affairs and enrollment management at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

He earned his doctoral degree in rehabilitation counseling, with a special emphasis in higher education administration, from Florida State University in Tallahassee. He also has a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from FSU.

Pasco-Hernando State College has more than 15,000 students and about 700 employees, including adjunct faculty.

Pasco-Hernando State College awards certificates, diplomas, associate degrees and baccalaureate degrees.

The college has campuses in Dade City, Wesley Chapel, New Port Richey, Spring Hill and Brooksville.

Beard said he plans to pursue an initiative that would enlist the help of faith communities and other organizations to help support students, through scholarships and in other ways.

He is looking forward to strengthening the ties between PHSC and the communities it serves.

“I really want to bring the community into the college and the college into the community,” Beard said.

Published March 25, 2015

This Girl Scout project could save lives

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When most people think of Girl Scouts, they tend to picture little girls selling cookies in front of the local store or singing in a camp sing-along.

It’s unlikely they envision a young woman working on a project to improve traffic safety.

But that’s exactly what Wesley Chapel High School student Samantha Politano is doing.

Wesley Chapel High student Samantha Politano is striving to attain a Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor awarded to a Girl Scout. Her project is to improve safety traffic conditions on Wells Road. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Wesley Chapel High student Samantha Politano is striving to attain a Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor awarded to a Girl Scout. Her project is to improve safety traffic conditions on Wells Road.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She’s launched a three-year project aimed at making life safer for the students who attend Wesley Chapel High School, Thomas Weightman Middle School and Wesley Chapel Elementary School.

She’s not only interested in making life safer for students. She wants to improve the conditions for all drivers — parents dropping off and picking up their kids, bus drivers making their rounds, and faculty members and students who drive to school.

In addition to making Wells Road safer, she’s also aiming to spread the message of safe driving habits.

She hopes her efforts will encourage drivers to buckle up and put away their cellphones, which will reduce their chance or being injured or having an accident.

She also thinks it would be neat to give Wells Road a second, honorary name — Wildcat Way — to pay tribute to the mascot for the elementary, middle and high schools.

Politano is tackling the traffic safety issue on a number of fronts and has enlisted the aid of Jeff Novotny, former president of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce.

Novotny is widely known in business circles around Wesley Chapel, but that’s not why Politano asked him. She wanted his help because he’s married to her third-grade teacher, Amanda, who teaches at Wesley Chapel Elementary.

“Mrs. Novotny was one of the most influential teachers, ever,” Politano said.

So, why would a teenager take on an issue like traffic safety?

In Politano’s case, it’s because she’s striving to attain a Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve.

The distinction is based on the completion of a project that focuses on making a difference.

Politano said her decision to work on traffic issues was partly inspired by a friend of hers who was injured when a car backed into her in the parking lot.

She said she also heard about a freshman who was struck by a vehicle on Wells Road.

It’s not hard to see that Wells Road has traffic issues during student arrival and departure times.

On one recent afternoon, parents arrived at least 20 minutes before school got out, parking their cars on the edges on both sides of Wells Road.

With cars flanking both sides of the road, passing traffic — including school buses — had to drive close to the middle of the road, and in some cases over the centerline.

Parents also pulled into a parking lot at Wesley Chapel High to wait for their children, reminiscent of the staging area of the cellphone parking lot at Tampa International Airport.

Politano plans to continue her efforts by talking to various advisory groups and elected officials, to draw attention to the problem. She also has been circulating a petition that people can sign on paper or electronically.

One possible solution, Novotny said, would be to have a continuous turn lane down Wells Road, which would give vehicles a place to wait, so other cars could get by.

“That (continuous turn lane) creates enough separation between the west and eastbound vehicles so that they’re not right on top of each other. It gives a little space for people to see what’s happening,” Novotny said.

Besides working on that issue, Politano has already addressed a site-distance problem at the intersection of Wells and Boyette roads.

There was overgrown vegetation near the intersection, making it difficult for drivers to see, she explained. She notified the county, and they responded swiftly to address the problem, she said.

“It was very quick. I was very surprised, pleasantly surprised,” Politano said.

The county already is planning another safety improvement, Novotny said. It is scheduled to install a traffic light at Boyette and Wells roads in 2016.

Besides making conditions safer on the road, Politano has encouraged safer driver behavior.

She used Wesley Chapel High School’s public address system to remind students of the importance of buckling up and not texting while driving.

She used a message that got the students’ attention. She told them it would cost $140 for a ticket, if they weren’t wearing a seat belt or were caught texting while driving.

Politano also did a study to see if her message had any effect.

Before she made the announcement, she counted the cars in the parking lot and observed how many drivers were wearing their seat belts. By her count, it was around 15 percent.

She did the same count after her announcement, and this time about 50 percent were buckled up.

She said she plans to do another observation, to see if her message stuck.

In another effort to raise awareness, she created a sign on a fence between the high school and elementary school.

“Buckle Up!” it exclaims.

Politano realizes she has ambitious goals, but noted she doesn’t have to achieve a three-lane road or modify other drivers’ behavior to qualify for the Girl Scout Gold Award. She merely has to make her best efforts and document them.

She said she’s grateful for Novotny’s help on the project.

“Mr. Novotny has helped immensely, immensely, immensely with this.”

Politano’s mom, Felicia, recalled when her daughter told her what she planned to do for her Gold Award project.

The teenager said: “I’m going to widen Wells Road.”

Her mom responded: “Why don’t you find something easier than that to do.”

While she doesn’t have to get the road widened, Politano does hope for that result.

“The community needs it,” Politano said.

Published March 18, 2015

Lutz Lake Fern Road gets a smoother feel

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Motorists driving over the portion of Lutz Lake Fern Road from North Dale Mabry to near Oscar Cooler Sports Complex, had the sensation of driving on a washboard.

But the section heading east from that point to U.S. 41, rolled over a new, smooth road.

Motorists driving along a 1.7-mile stretch of Lutz Lake Fern Road will have a smoother ride once a resurfacing project is completed. Hillsborough County officials expect the work to be finished by March 20, barring any weather issues. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Motorists driving along a 1.7-mile stretch of Lutz Lake Fern Road will have a smoother ride once a resurfacing project is completed. Hillsborough County officials expect the work to be finished by March 20, barring any weather issues.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

That’s because the road was open to through traffic over the weekend, before crews went back to work this week to finish the resurfacing project.

The road resurfacing project, about 1.7 miles long, is expected to be completed by March 20, weather permitting, according to Andrea Roshaven a spokeswoman for Hillsborough County.

The project is partially due to a recently completed $5.4 million public works project to connect the Manors of Crystal Lakes subdivision to the county’s water distribution system.

The water line project affected the eastbound travel lane of Lutz Lake Fern Road, requiring it to be refurbished.

The public works department provided an additional $283,000 to refurbish the westbound travel lanes.

The project involves milling and resurfacing.

Local traffic can enter the area, but other motorists are being detoured.

The Manors of Crystal Lakes project involved 4.5 miles of pipeline to create a looped system, giving Manors of Crystal Lakes’ residents a backup, in the event of any water line breaks or disruption.

The 12-inch water pipe was installed along U.S. 41 and Lutz Lake Fern Road. The new pipe also improved water flow, bringing it up to current standards for fire protection.

The biggest change for customers is that the county’s water system uses chloramines in the final disinfection stages instead of chlorine.

Customers should be aware that water that contains chloramines should not be used in home aquariums, fishponds or home kidney dialysis. Water used for those purposes should be treated or filtered to remove the chloramines.

Published March 18, 2015

The adventurous life of Seva Granin

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In the “Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” author James Thurber describes a meek and mild man who imagines himself as a wartime pilot, an emergency room surgeon and a devil-may-care killer.

While Walter Mitty only dreamed of living a life of adventure, Vsevolod “Seva” Granin, of Land O’ Lakes, actually has been living one.

Seva Granin, left, met up with his friend from college, Zach Lee, to climb to the top of Mt. Fuji. (Courtesy of Vesvolod 'Seva' Granin)
Seva Granin, left, met up with his friend from college, Zach Lee, to climb to the top of Mt. Fuji.
(Courtesy of Vesvolod ‘Seva’ Granin)

Granin graduated from Academy at the Lakes in Land O’ Lakes and later from Rollins College, in Winter Park.

He studied Chinese at both schools, studied abroad in China while enrolled at Rollins, and returned to China to work after graduation.

He’s back home now, after initially working for an American hotel chain in China and later for a Chinese subsidiary of a European logistics company.

Before returning to the United States, he also set off on a number of adventures including backpacking through Vietnam, trekking up Mt. Fuji and running in the Great Wall of China marathon before returning to Pasco County.

Granin, who is an avid photographer, blogger and artist, recorded his experiences through words and photographs in a blog.

“I see things artistically,” said Granin, whose mother is an artist.

In fact, some of the photographs he took in China recently were on exhibit at Hillsborough Community College. He has another exhibit scheduled from May 22 through June 19 at the Oglesby Gallery at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Granin was born in Moscow and spent his early years in Russia before moving with his family to Land O’ Lakes.

When he arrived here, he was 14 and barely spoke English.

“I was lucky with Academy at the Lakes,” the 26-year-old said. “It’s a small, private school. The teachers are very helpful. I learned quickly and a lot.”

Living in China, however, was an experience that took learning to an entirely new level.

Although he had a foundation in Chinese, he soon discovered how little he knew.

“Chinese is one of those languages it takes a lifetime to master, I think.”

He worked eight months for the hotel chain then networked his way into a job with the logistics company whose main customer is the largest online retailer in Russia.

“For them, we developed a list of over 500 factories in China,” said Granin, who worked with a buyers’ team from Russia.

He and his team handled the factory negotiations, contracts, logistics, the supply chain, getting through customs, documentation and getting goods to the warehouse.

It was challenging, but rewarding work.

“If you’re adaptable to other cultures — it really expands your world,” Granin said.

“If you’re willing to accept different cultures and go so far away from home, you can get amazing work opportunities,” Granin said. “It’s not going to be easy, but you will have that opportunity.”

Granin also took advantage of his time overseas to delve into a series of other adventures.

He did a backpack trip through Southeast Asia, visiting 11 countries in like two months. He also climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan and ran the Great Wall marathon in China.

The Great Wall marathon was grueling.

He describes that experience in blog entries.

In the beginning, he remembers taking his first steps and “raising my head up and seeing a few white doves flying a few meters over my head, from left to right. (It was a) simple, short and beautiful moment, but the crowd around me was picking up speed, and so was I. The marathon was on.”

Shortly after the race began, though, “I felt a sharp and intense cramp in my right calf. Ouch, that was sudden and painful.”

Around a quarter of the way into the race, he was slowed down and limping.

“What do you do? Do you stop? Do you quit? Do you stretch for as long as it takes?”

He stretched for a bit and even though his muscles did not relax, he decided to continue.

There were many places along the route that were difficult to navigate, but he kept going, describing his increasing pain.

“…the spaghetti legs with iron shackles were barely cooperating with the mind, the desert dry cotton mouth was making it hard to breathe and swallow.”

He wasn’t the only one struggling.

“People were stumbling, leaning on the (Great) Wall, sitting, laying down, crawling … Medics ran up to each person.”

But he pushed through the pain and finished the race.

Granin said he decided to return home because he missed his family, but now is applying to graduate school — waiting to see where he’ll start the next chapter in life.

If you would like to read more about Granin’s adventures, visit Vgranin.com.

Published March 18, 2015

She can’t beat the commute

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Melissa Huston used to spend 90 minutes each way, getting back and forth from work.

She lives in Lutz and was commuting to a job in St. Petersburg.

“It was debilitating, mentally,” Huston said. “There were days that were awful driving there.”

When Melissa Huston wants to get some work done, she steps into her home office to tackle assignments. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
When Melissa Huston wants to get some work done, she steps into her home office to tackle assignments.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She and her husband, Doug, have two children. Tyler attends McKitrick Elementary School and Brandon is in preschool.

Besides getting stuck in traffic, Huston had the additional stress of not being sure she’d be able to pick up her children from child care on time.

“You’re trying to get to your kids at night, and you’re watching the clock and you’re sitting in it (traffic) — and God forbid, there’s an accident and you’re panicking.

“I don’t miss any of that,” said Huston, who has been working at home for Dell, since July 2013.

Huston had worked for Home Shopping Network in St. Petersburg for many years and made the switch to a Tampa company, which announced that it was moving to St. Petersburg.

At the time, Tyler was getting ready to start kindergarten, and Huston decided she would look for a stay-at-home job.

“When they’re in preschool, they don’t have homework. They don’t have as many activities,” Huston said.

But she knew she wanted to be able to help with homework and attend school activities, and couldn’t think of a way to do that and still have a long commute.

So, she began looking for stay-at-home work opportunities.

She had heard about the scams involving work from home jobs.

“That was my big concern: Are they legitimate?” she said.

She had reason to worry.

The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers to be skeptical when checking out work-at-home opportunities. Many of them require an upfront investment, and many fail to live up to their claims.

As Huston was researching stay-at-home jobs, she came across a website called FlexJobs.com.

The company, which is a 100 percent, virtual remote company, was founded in 2007 in Boulder, Colorado, by Sara Sutton Fall, according to Kathy Gardner, the company’s PR Manager, who is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

FlexJobs.com essentially offers a subscription service to provide information about available jobs to job seekers. The fees are $14.95 a month, $29.95 for three months and $69.95 for 12 months.

The job seekers, who are the company’s clients, pay the fee to gain access to its postings and are guaranteed that the site is 100 percent free of scams and advertisements, Gardner said.

Huston said the service helped her find her job.

FlexJobs.com has helped more than 1 million people in their job searches, Gardner said. And, according to a recent analysis of its data, it turns out that Florida ranks fourth in the nation for recruitment by companies for telecommuters, Gardner added.

Huston said the site offers listings on all types of jobs, ranging from contract work to part-time to full-time salaried positions.

Before signing up for the service, Huston said, she had not thought to look for a telecommuting opportunity on Dell’s website.

Huston, whose background is in marketing analytics, has the kind of job that lends itself to working remotely.

“My job is all computer-based,” she said. “There is some face-to-face talking, but it’s predominantly data driven.”

She works with a team stationed around the globe.

“We have the ability to share our screens. Through our instant messaging tool, we can share our desktops, so, if I’m looking at this and I want to explain something with this spreadsheet, I can share it.

“We utilize that a lot to talk through things.

“It’s amazing what you can accomplish,” she said.

Still, since they don’t share the same physical space, the working relationships that occur naturally in an office have to be nurtured, she said.

“You have to make an effort to stay connected with your colleagues,” Huston said.

Working from home is not for everyone, she noted.

The key to working at home, she said, is to establish a schedule.

“It can’t just be work whenever you feel like it, because this is a regular job. You have to establish a good routine of when you start your day and when you end it, too,” she said.

While some people working at home might tend to slack off, others may be too intense.

It’s easy to work 80 hours or more because you’re literally always at the office, she said.

It’s important to find a balance and to maintain it, Huston said.

There’s a lot to be said for being able to check on a project or share information after normal working hours by popping into your home office and spending 5 minutes to take care of a task, Huston said.

Besides having a regular work routine, it’s important to have a separate space designated for your office, she said. It’s important to be able to close the door and focus on work.

“It’s a corporate job. It is a big company. There are demands,” she said.

Huston loves being able to eliminate the long commute and focus on her work and family.

She’s been able to be involved in some volunteer work at McKitrick Elementary and she’s nearby, if there’s ever an emergency, she said.

In fact, she added, “my youngest, actually, broke his leg at his pre-school, and I was there in 2 seconds because it was around the corner.”

Working at home is not for everyone, Huston said. But she added: “For the place that I’m at in my life, it’s a good fit.”

Working at home is not for everyone
Melissa Huston, a Lutz mom who works at home, offers this advice for people who work at home:

  • Be sure to establish a routine.
  • Set up a separate office space — you need to be able to close the door, to work uninterrupted.
  • Be aware that while you have more flexibility, you still must meet work demands.
  • Know that working at home is not a good idea if you’re not a good time manager.
  • Be prepared to make an extra effort to stay in the loop with your colleagues.

The FTC’s advice for avoiding work-at-home scams
Of course, when it comes to business opportunities, there’s no such thing as a sure thing.

Promises of a big income for work from home, especially when the “opportunity” involves an upfront fee or divulging your credit card information, should make you very suspicious, advises a consumer protection article on the Federal Trade Commission’s website.

It doesn’t matter where you saw the advertisement or heard about the offer, the FTC warns. Research the opportunity and be skeptical.

Here are some examples of work-at-home opportunities that often turn out to be scams:

  • Envelope stuffing: For a “small fee,” you can make lots of money stuffing envelopes at home, but it turns out that there’s no work and the only way you can earn any money is by persuading others to pursue the same envelope-stuffing opportunity.
  • Assembly or craft work: This promises that you can make money assembling crafts or other products at home. But first you have to invest money for equipment and supplies. Then, after you’ve spent lots of hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them, they reject your products because your work is “not up to standards.”
  • Rebate processing: The offer says you can earn money by helping to process rebates. Then it says the fee for training, certification or registration is nothing compared to what you’ll earn processing rebates from home. What you’ll receive are useless training materials and no rebates to process.
  • Online searches: This opportunity promises that you’ll ear $500 to $1,000 a week, or even up to $7,000 a month, by running Internet searches on prominent search engines and filling out forms. In this case, the scammers are not connected to well-known search engines. They’re trying to trick you into handing over credit or debit car information. If you pay even a tiny fee online, they can use your financial information to charge you recurring fees.
  • Medical billing: This offer promises a substantial income for full- or part-time work processing medical claims electronically — no experience needed. These opportunities often require a substantial investment for software, list of potential clients and technical support. But the software may not work, and the lists are often outdated. If you decide to pursue this type of opportunity, be sure to obtain a lengthy list of previous purchasers for references. Be wary if the list just has a couple of names on it, because they may be shills that have been hired to say good things.

Ask Questions

If you’re thinking about following up on a work-at-home offer, do your homework. Before pursuing a stay-at-home work opportunity, ask:

  • What tasks will I have to perform? Be sure you have a list of every step of the job.
  • Will I be paid a salary or paid on commission?
  • If the job involves purchasing some type of program, ask what is the basis for your claims about my likely earnings? What documents can you show me to prove your claims are true before I give you any money?
  • Who will pay me? When will I get my first paycheck?
  • What is the total cost of this work-at-home program, including supplies, equipment and membership fees? What will I get for my money?

Where to Complain

If you are unable to resolve a dispute with the company, you can file a complaint with:

  • The Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov/complaint
  • The Florida Attorney General’s Office
  • The Better Business Bureau
  • Local consumer protection offices

Published March 18, 2015

If you like politics, you may enjoy this speaker

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Walter E. Andrusyszyn, of the University of South Florida, is slated to speak about current political scene, both nationally and internationally on the evening of March 23 in Land O’ Lakes.

Andrusyszyn has worked inside the White House with all of administrations from President Ronald Reagan to President Barack Obama.

He served as the Director for Northern and Eastern European Affairs in the National Security Council, as Deputy Chief of Mission at NATO and Chief of Mission in Estonia. He was awarded the Secretary’s Award for Heroism in April1997, for his efforts to gain the release of an imprisoned American journalist held by Bosnian Serb authorities. And, in September 2001, he was named the Director of the Task Force on Terrorism in response to the Sept.11 attacks.

His talk will take place at the Republican Club of Central Pasco at Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

There will be a “soapbox” time before the meeting at 6:30 p.m. with light refreshments. The business meeting begins at 7 p.m.

All are welcome to attend.

For more information, call (813) 996-3011.

Telephone town hall on transportation

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Go Hillsborough, a public engagement initiative on transportation, will hold a telephone town hall meeting from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on March 19, according to a Hillsborough County news release.

This telephone town hall meeting is among the workshops being held  to give Hillsborough County residents an opportunity to voice their opinions on how the county’s transportation systems can be improved.

It also will give residents a chance to talk about how transportation issues impact their daily lives.

Local leaders and staff members will field questions from callers, as well as listening to their comments.

To participate, residents are encouraged to RSVP in advance of the call at go.hillsborough.org.

Residents may also dial in to the call directly by calling the toll free number: 1-877-229-8493 and entering the PIN 110301#.

Go Hillsborough is a collaboration of Hillsborough County, the cities of Plant City, Tampa and Temple Terrace, and Hillsborough Area Regional Transit.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel plans big expansion

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It’s not even three years old, and the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is already planning a significant expansion that will increase the number of patient rooms, operating rooms and emergency rooms.

Hospital officials announced the expansion in a news release on March 6.

The $78 million project, expected to begin construction this year, is responding to a demonstrated need.

This rendering shows what Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will look like after its $78 million expansion is completed. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel)
This rendering shows what Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will look like after its $78 million expansion is completed.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel)

“Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel was originally designed with the ability to grow with the needs of the community,” Dr. Robert Rosequist, chief medical officer of the hospital, said in a release.

“Since opening less than three years ago, the hospital has experienced extremely high volumes of patients seeking care,” he added.

The 200,000-square-foot hospital opened on Oct. 1, 2012.

At that time, it had 83 patient rooms, 18 emergency rooms, a catheterization lab and five operating rooms. It cost $161 million to acquire the land, and build the hospital and adjacent medical office building, according to hospital officials.

Denyse Bales-Chubb, president and CEO of the hospital, said “the community has overwhelmingly shown us both the need for the hospital, and their confidence and appreciation for the high quality care our staff delivers every day.”

“We are so blessed by their faith in us,” she said. The hospital knows it needs to grow “to meet both the current demands and future growth of the community,” Bales-Chubb added, in a release.

The expansion calls for three additional floors to the hospital’s center wing and an additional three-story wing that will connect the south and center wings.

Altogether, it involves 111,993 square feet of new construction and 10,834 square feet of renovation.

The expansion includes added additional emergency rooms, inpatient rooms, surgical suites and related surgical services, Heart Catheterization Lab, and recovery/observation rooms as well as shelled space for future growth.

Construction is expected to begin this summer, with the expansion opening at the end of 2016. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 5 at 10 a.m.

Maintaining the care and comfort of its patients during the construction is the hospital’s top priority, Tracy Clouser, marketing director said, via email.

It expects to be able to do that because the hospital was built with expansion in mind, Clouser said, noting the patient care areas have a sound muffling system to help reduce disturbance from noise, and there are no air handlers on the roof, to make expansion easier and less intrusive.

Since opening, the hospital has continued to add new programs and services, Clouser added.

“The addition will allow us more opportunities to do that. One example of this is in surgery. With additional operating rooms, we will be able to add additional physicians and expand the types of surgery we can perform,” she said.

Additionally, “the renovation will include moving the caesarean section operating room to the third floor, expanding areas like pre-admission testing, waiting rooms and sterile supply. It will also include an expansion of our central energy plant to support the larger facility,” Clouser said.

Services at the hospital include an emergency department, cardiac care, vascular surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, women’s services and gynecology, obstetrics, urology and nephrology, outpatient imaging, outpatient physical and occupational therapy, The Center for Women’s Health and a freestanding Health & Wellness Center.

The hospital’s Wellness Plaza also houses offices for primary care and specialty physicians.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is part of the Adventist Health System, a leading nonprofit health network that has 23 hospitals throughout the state.

For more information, visit FHWesleyChapel.org.

Charter school public hearing is finally here

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After months of delay, a public hearing on a proposed charter school at the southwest corner of Lutz Lake Fern and Sunlake Boulevard is slated for the evening of March 16.

The proposed Sunlake Academy has faced stiff opposition throughout the process from residents who live near the proposed school that would be built on a 7.4-acre site, as well as objections from area homeowner associations, the Lutz Citizens Coalition, the Lutz Civic Association and the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Clubs.

Pat and Joe Serio, who live next to the proposed Sunlake Academy, are adamantly opposed to the school, which they say would ruin the quiet enjoyment of their property. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Pat and Joe Serio, who live next to the proposed Sunlake Academy, are adamantly opposed to the school, which they say would ruin the quiet enjoyment of their property.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Since its initial application, Charter Schools Inc., has reduced the number of students who would attend the school. The applicant also has substantially increased its proposed buffering and agreed to transportation improvements.

As the application stands now, the school would allow up to 870 kindergarten through eighth grade students, over two phases.

Changes made by the applicant don’t satisfy Pat and Joe Serio, whose property abuts the proposed school.

“We are absolutely opposed,” Pat Serio said.

Joe Serio said that he objects not only to the proposed charter school, but also to the entire process being used to consider the request.

“I look at it, at the special application, as an end-run around the zoning regulations,” Joe Serio said.

The Hillsborough County Commission adopted the Lutz Community Plan and the North Dale Mabry Corridor Plan, he said. “Now, they’re just abandoning them. They’re making a mockery of the whole process. The citizens worked hard on that,” he said.

With special use applications, a land-use hearing officer makes the final decision on a request, instead of the Hillsborough County Commission.

“We feel that we’re Ground Zero here. It is literally our backyard,” she said.

“The traffic plan doesn’t take into consideration what’s going to happen once people begin to realize the Sunlake (Boulevard) is open to Route (State Road) 54 and start using it,” Joe Serio said.

Traffic is already backing up on Lutz Lake Fern Road, as people wait to turn left to get onto Sunlake Boulevard to head over to State Road 54, he said.

The couple is also concerned about potential flooding, fumes from car emissions and noise from children playing outdoors.

“The whole process seems very tilted toward developers,” Pat Serio said.

Mike White, president and founder of the Lutz Citizens Coalition, said the coalition remains opposed to the proposed school.

“It is not an appropriate transitional use,” White said. “It’s not transitional, due to the density,” he said.

Too many cars will be coming and going at peak hours, White said, adding a more appropriate use would be one which spreads the traffic throughout the business day.

Michael Horner, a professional planner representing the applicant, said in an email that his client has “worked diligently to address any and all concerns expressed by staff and the HOA/neighbors, including over a half-million dollars of roadway and other improvements, turn lanes, signal modifications, etc.”

Additionally, as a condition of approval, the applicant has agreed to spend close to $50,000 to extend a 6-foot wall across the entire western property boundary, according to Horner.

Significant setbacks and landscaping buffer are proposed as well — 10 times the buffer required by the county’s land development code, Horner added.

“Bottom line, this school is a very appropriate land use for this property,” Horner said, noting it is supported by the county’s long-range plan and land development code.

Sunlake Academy public hearing
March 16, 6 p.m.

Second floor board chambers at the Fred B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., in Tampa

Published March 11, 2015