Joe Potter

NEW PORT RICHEY – Pasco County commissioners agreed at their Nov. 10 meeting to spend up to $1,070,111.36 to have construction completed on what will be the East Pasco Senior Center. 

Ryman Construction of Florida Inc.began constructing the 7,334-square-foot building located at 13906 Fourth St. in Dade City while Community Aging & Retirement Services Inc. (CARES) owned it.

Pasco County obtained the 1.734-acre property free of charge from CARES, on Nov. 4.

The transfer of the partially constructed building and property from the nonprofit to the county was made because CARES had been experiencing financial difficulties for the past several months and lacked funds to complete construction of the building.

The agreement with Ryman’s allows them to resume construction of the building as soon as possible so the work could be completed in approximately 210 days.

This means the East Pasco Senior Center could possibly open in July 2025.

Pasco County received a $1.3 million grant from the Florida Department of Elder Affairs to cover the cost of completing construction of the building.

The county’s current senior center is located at 13853 15th St., in Dade City. It is 10 blocks from the new location. The services at the current senior center will be relocated to 13906 Fourth St. once that building is ready for occupancy, according to Brian Hoben, the county’s community services director.

In other business on Dec. 10, commissioners:

• Appointed board leadership for the upcoming year: Kathryn Starkey (chair), Jack Mariano (vice chair) and Seth Weightman (second vice chair).
• Approved the term sheet of an economic development agreement between Pasco County and a proposed project known as Legacy Wiregrass Ranch. Commissioners directed staff to draft a formal agreement. The proposed project will consist of apartments and townhomes, retail, hotel/conference and office uses supported by structured parking. Wiregrass is seeking public funding assistance for public infrastructure in the first phase of the project.  When completed, it will serve as a downtown for Wesley Chapel and provide amenities and services to area residents and businesses while serving as an economic growth driver for that area of the county.The developer is investing $84.5 million in public infrastructure. Wiregrass Ranch is requesting funding support via $50 million in property tax rebates paid over a maximum term of 30 years as a partial cost reimbursement for permitting, designing and constructing the public infrastructure. Wiregrass Ranch has agreed to reserve 1,225,000 square feet of office and 230,000 square feet of light industrial within the existing DRI in return for the property tax rebates.

• Approved the establishment of The Preserve at Legends Pointe Community Development District in an unincorporated area of Pasco County. The district, which consists of 107.4 acres, is generally located north of State Road 52, south of Hudson Avenue, east of Hicks Road and due west of Hays Road. It encompasses a portion of the Legends Pointe Phase 3 Master Planned Unit Development.
• Approved a substantial modification of the conditions of approval for part of the Wiregrass Master Planned Unit Development known as the Promenade Business Center. The Promenade Business Center covers roughly 77.08 acres of the entire 1,036.01-acre development area. The business center is located adjacent to Curley Road and bisected by Overpass Road. One of the adjustments includes the donation of a 2.142-acre site to Pasco County for the future construction of a library. 

ZEPHYRHILLS – Healing Hearts Cafe announced Dec. 3 on social media that it was going to be moving next month to the Yankeetown Community Church in Levy County.

The faith-based organization provides meals, showers and other services for people in need. 

“This move has come after much prayer and consideration of health concerns,” the nonprofit wrote in a Facebook post. “We are truly humbled by the outpouring of support we have had over the many years from our Zephyrhills community. Not a day goes by without some form of donation from many individuals and many businesses.”

Healing Hearts Cafe directed people to support Pastor Fran Stubbs and her organization, which will carry on its work beginning Jan. 1. Both organizations are neighbors. 

Stubbs founded the OAPN Network (Oasis Apostolic and Prophetic Network) in Zephyrhills. She also serves as senior pastor of Oasis Church Orlando at Zephyrhills.

Stubbs told the Zephyrhills City Council on Dec. 9 that continuing the work of Healing Hearts Cafe is a very huge undertaking, but she wants to expand the program.

“They did great work for the homeless community,” Stubbs said. “Our desire is to be able to expand for families and to have a resource center. One of the things that we’re missing here in Pasco County on this side are resources for our families.”

Stubbs wants to be able to offer programming for families in need, including those experiencing food insecurity. Her organization has a food pantry to help people in emergencies.

“We are here for our community,” Stubbs said. “We have already started with our feeding program, where we are partnering with several other organizations and collaborating with them.”

Stubbs wants to partner with Pasco Hernando State College to offer classes or training for families. She’d also like to partner with the City of Zephyrhills. 

“I think the real strength that Healing Hearts had was the daily support for those folks who are in transition and providing a place for them to do a load of laundry or wash up or do whatever they needed help in,”  Zephyrhills Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson said. “The council members here do care about all of our residents. But it’s not just the city – it’s not just the government’s responsibility. It really is a community collective.”

Want to get involved?

Pastor Fran Stubbs gave her office phone number out during the Dec. 9 city council meeting. Reach her Monday through Friday at 813-355-3066.

SHADY HILLS – Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said a deputy-involved shooting on Thanksgiving was the result of a person of interest coming out of his home with a shotgun. 

Nocco said the sheriff’s office had received multiple reports of the man swinging a sword Nov. 28 on Boland Avenue. 

“There was an individual who was out in the middle of the street with a sword, swinging it around, making weird gestures,” Nocco told media later that night. “There’s kids out there. So as you can imagine, the parents were extremely upset, very nervous.”

Nocco said neighbors told the sheriff’s office that the man went back inside the house and was blaring music and throwing things. 

Deputies went to the home to perform a welfare check. Nocco said deputies identified themselves and tried to get him to come out of the house. They went to the back of the property and saw the sword on the ground.

“They’re doing everything they can to get this individual to come out of the house so they can talk to them because they know there’s something not right with this individual tonight,” Nocco said. “Instead of just coming out of the house peacefully, he comes out of the house holding a shotgun.”

Deputies ordered him to lower the gun before firing. The man was taken to the hospital, where he was treated with non-life threatening injuries. 

Nocco said the man had a blood alcohol content of 0.307 – nearly four times the legal limit. 

For any deputy-involved shooting, the deputy is placed on paid administrative leave and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the incident.

Noccol said everyone, including deputies, just wanted to have a peaceful day on Thanksgiving, only for someone to cause fear in the neighborhood. 

“At the end of the day, he just didn’t listen to commands,” Nocco said. “Because of his actions, it dictated our actions “