The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kathy Steele

Home Depot offers jobs in spring hiring spree

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Home Depot is looking to fill 1,350 jobs in an estimated 30 stores across the Tampa Bay region, including in Pasco County.

The “Jobs in Bloom” hiring spree anticipates adding 80,000 jobs at stores and distribution centers nationwide. There are full-time, part-time and spring seasonal jobs available, according to a news release from the Atlanta-based Home Depot.

More than half of Home Depot’s seasonal hires move on to permanent positions, the release said.

The largest number of available jobs, at an estimate of 3,000, is in Chicago. Other targeted cities include Dallas, Philadelphia and Sacramento.

According to the Home Depot website, jobs are available at the Zephyrhills location, at 32715 Eiland Blvd.; and, in New Tampa, at 17601 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. In Hillsborough County, the Carrollwood store at 16121 N. Dale Mabry Highway also has job openings.

Home Depot has retooled its online application process.

Applications take about 15 minutes on any type of electronic device – computer or mobile, the news release states.

“We want everyone to have an easy and convenient experience with The Home Depot, whether they’re shopping with us or applying for a position,” Tim Crow, executive vice president of the company’s human resources department, said in the news release.

To personalize the application process, Home Depot also is highlighting job experiences of current employees in video and photo essays. These are available at the store’s digital content site, “Built from Scratch.”

Other links are available at the online Careers site and #HomeDepotHiring.

Nationwide, jobs are available at nearly 2,000 stores and 75 distribution centers. Jobs include customer service and sales, lot associates, freight and receiving, store support and cashiers. Job availability varies from store to store.

For information, visit Careers.homedepot.com/jobs-in-bloom/.

Published March 8, 2017

Business Digest 03/08/2017

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Clothing retailer opens
CONCEPT is a new local retailer at Tampa Premium Outlets, located off State Road 56, at the Interstate 75 interchange. The shop opened on March 3 across from Armani Outlet.

The 3,200-square-foot shop offers a variety of hip and trendy clothing, shoes and accessories for juniors.

For information, visit ConceptClothingStores.com.

New physicians
Florida Hospital Physician Group had a ribbon cutting March 1 at 18923 State Road 54 in Lutz.

The physicians group represents multiple specialties and has locations throughout West Central Florida, according to its website.

More than 170 providers in the coverage area render care in more than 25 medical specialties in 45 locations. Physicians in Tampa Bay provide care at locations in Carrollwood, North Pinellas, Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and now, Lutz.

For information, visit FHPhysicianGroup.com.

Grand opening
Architectural Signage and Printing had a grand opening March 2 at 6812 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The company has been in business in Tampa Bay since 1989. Retail and wholesale customers can request a range of signage, and related items, including awards, banners, brochures, business cards, embroidery and real estate signs.

Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For information, call (813) 996-6777, or visit SignsByAsap.com.

Business seminar
Pasco-Hernando SCORE will have a free business seminar offering “Financial Tips for Your Small Business” March 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at New River Branch Library, at 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel.

The seminar will offer tips on how to finance your business, plan for your financial success and take control of cash flow.

For information, email , or visit PascoHernando.score.org.

Joint mixer
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce will host a joint monthly mixer March 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Florida Hospital Center Ice, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

The event is free, and open to members and their guests.

For information, call (813) 994-8534, or email .

North Tampa chamber
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have a general meeting March 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Iavarone’s Steakhouse & Italian Grill, 3617 Humphrey St., in Tampa.

The guest speaker will be Barry Coziahr of Postcard Mania.

For early bird registration, RSVP online with credit card or to the chamber office at by 5 p.m., on March 7, at the discounted rate of $20 (whether you eat or not). After that date, the cost is $25 (whether you eat or not), payable at the door by cash, check or credit card.

For information, call the chamber office at (813) 563-0180, or visit NorthTampaChamber.com.

Ribbon cutting
Wok Chi restaurant will have a ribbon cutting at The Shops at Wiregrass March 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 28152 Paseo Drive, Suite 160, in Wesley Chapel.

For information, contact the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at (813) 994-8534 or .

Starting a business
Pasco-Hernando SCORE Chapter 439 will host a seminar on “How to Really Start Your Own Business” on March 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, at 2818 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The seminar will provide introductory information and key issues on how to start a business. There also will be information on insurance, local requirements and helpful sources for starting a business.

For more, call (727) 842-4638, email , or visit PascoHernando.score.org.

Central Pasco chamber
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly general meeting on March 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Harbor Terrace Restaurant, at 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway in Lutz.

Guest speaker will be O.T. “Ollie” Gagnon III, protective security advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Infrastructure Protection. He will discuss measures to protect buildings and venues.

Members and guests are welcome.

The cost is $20 for members if you RSVP by March 9, or $25 at the door for members and non-members.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 909-2722, or email .

Breakfast meeting
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet on March 14 at 7:30 a.m., at the Village Inn at 5214 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

The guest speaker will be historian and author Madonna Jervis Wise, who will discuss “Women’s History Month: A Look at Women Who Rocked!”

For information, contact Chairman Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491 or , or Vice Chairwoman Vicky Jones at (813) 431-1149 or .

Info center ribbon cutting
Avalon Park West will celebrate the opening of the master-planned community’s information center on March 15 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at 33613 State Road 56, in Wesley Chapel. A ribbon cutting will take place at 10:30 a.m.

Light refreshments and baked goods from Stonewall Artisan Bakery & Desserts will be served.

For information, contact The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at (813) 994-8534 or .

Stormwater fees could increase to fix flooding

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Pasco County residents could be asked to pay higher stormwater fees in 2018.

A divided Pasco County Commission approved a tentative increase of $38 a year on top of the current $57 stormwater fee, for a total annual payment of $95.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore tried to persuade the board to wait until June to take action on the issue.

By then, Moore hopes the county will have good news on its request for state funds to help pay for some of the county’s priority projects.

Moore also wants to see the county explore other options, including special assessment districts.

“I don’t see people lining up for increased fees,” Moore said.

Despite those arguments, the vote was 4 to 1, with Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells dissenting.

Moore reluctantly voted yes — after he was assured that the increase could be rolled back, or scrapped, if state funds arrive.

Three commissioners – Ron Oakley, Kathryn Starkey and Jack Mariano – argued that the county can’t keep putting off repairs and maintenance of infrastructure that should have been funded years ago.

County staff members estimate there is a backlog of 93 years of service and maintenance to clean and repair culverts.

There also is a list of more than 300 stormwater projects, in total, that are needed to address flooding. The cost for that work is estimated at $300 million.

“We’ve got to step up and make this decision,” Oakley said. “I believe flooding and stormwater issues are countywide. It’s all part of our working together.”

To delay action would be to do the same thing as previous commissions have done, Starkey said.

Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker said there was some urgency in deciding on a stormwater rate increase. The county’s department heads will begin piecing together the 2018 budget in March.

The Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office also needs to know if there’s a rate increase, in a timely manner for its trim notices to property owners.

Baker, who is retiring in July, also had an opinion on the rate increase.

“I have always been a proponent of funding a fix,” she said.

The additional revenues are expected to generate about $24 million for engineering and design of 10 priority capital projects, and for cleaning, replacing and maintenance of culverts and swales.

Southwest Florida Water Management District, known as Swiftmud, will contribute half of an estimated $38 million construction cost for the capital projects.

The fee increase was among several funding options presented to commissioners by county staff at the Feb. 21 meeting.

They opted to postpone decisions on two choices. One would be to establish a capital utility fund for stormwater projects and collect $77 annually from property owners. The fee collection would begin in 2019. That would be on top of the $95 fee, for a total of $172 a year.

Another would establish the special assessment districts that Moore, and also Wells, favor.

“When is enough, enough,” Wells asked. “I don’t think it’s fair for everyone to pay for what is really the west side.”

Tropical Storm Hermine in 2016 and torrential summer rains in 2015 caused extensive flooding to Pasco County homes. Much of the damage was in New Port Richey, Port Richey and Elfers, though some areas of central and east Pasco also saw flooding.

Starkey countered that the county’s property tax base suffers whenever properties, wherever their location, are devalued because of flooding damage.

Mariano agreed.

Although commissioners live in different districts, they are elected countywide, Mariano noted.

“You are hurting the rest of the county by not fixing those problems,” Mariano said.

Published March 1, 2017

Five candidates vie for Pasco administrator

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Five candidates, out of a potential list of 11, made the cutoff and will be brought to Pasco County to interview as the replacement for outgoing County Administrator Michele Baker.

Baker is scheduled to leave office in July.

She notified county commissioners last year that she planned to retire and would not seek to renew her contract.

A group tour of Pasco, an invitation-only meet-and-greet, and interviews at a county commission meeting are anticipated in mid-March for the candidate finalists.

County commissioners got a preview of 11 candidates at the Feb. 21 meeting in New Port Richey from Mark Morien, vice president of Chicago-based GovHR USA.

Commissioners received packets on each candidate, including resumes and comments from references, and candidate interviews. They voted to select five of the 11 candidates to interview.

GovHR USA received a total of 54 resumes, from 18 states. Gabriel Papadopoulos, manager of Pasco County’s elderly nutrition program, was the lone internal candidate to apply.

Although Papadopoulos wasn’t among the recommended candidates, Morien said he wanted to identify him “so you are aware of who your future leaders are.”

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano unexpectedly tossed in Kevin Guthrie’s name.

After a short pause, Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said, “It’s a little late.”

Pasco hired Guthrie in 2016 as emergency management director and, soon after, revamped his role to director of emergency services.

Guthrie didn’t apply for the county administrator’s job.

Of the five selected candidates, one is from Florida; the others are from Illinois, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.

The job advertised an annual salary of $220,000. Baker currently receives about $192,000.

The finalists are:

  • Daniel F. Biles, deputy county manager of Jefferson County, Alabama, located in Birmingham.

Biles has a military background and has family living in Florida.

He has 10 years of experience in engineering, including work on stormwater issues.

Morien said Biles recently received an 18 percent salary boost to $207,500 a year.

“It’s a reflection of his performance and desire of the county to keep him,” said Morien.

  • Mark A. Cunningham, assistant county administrator in Sarasota County.

Cunningham previously served as executive director of planning and development in Denton, Texas; and, as director of land development in Polk County.

Morien said references described him as a good problem solver and a glass-half-full person.

“You don’t have to keep reading,” said Starkey. “I really like this one.”

  • David M. Ross, the first county administrator of Rock Island County, Illinois, which formed its government in 2015.

Ross also is a former police officer.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore and Starkey chimed in during Morien’s presentation to say, “I like him.”

  • Theodore L. Voorhees, the former city manager of Fayetteville, North Carolina.

A majority of city council members asked for his resignation in April 2016.

Morien said Voorhees initially was recruited to bring change to Fayetteville. He is credited with bringing a minor league baseball team to the city.

However, an election scrambled the makeup of the council members, and resulted in tensions between Voorhees and the

new council.

Since 1980, Fayetteville has fired six city managers, Morien said.

  • Dale M. Walker, county manager of the Macon-Bibb County government, which consolidated in 2014.

He previously served as chief administrative officer of the City of Macon. He also worked for 30 years in Cadillac, Michigan, as its director of finance and deputy city manager.

Published March 1, 2017

Pasco OKs medical marijuana dispensaries

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The Pasco County Commission has approved medical marijuana dispensaries, on a limited scale, to open for business in the county.

Commissioners approved an ordinance on Feb. 21 that permits two medical marijuana dispensaries.

The permits will be issued only for a low-level form of the product, known as Charlotte’s web.

The permits also will be issued to two separate applicants, who will be able to open locations within the county’s industrial districts.

And, the ordinance stipulates that if the number of qualified patients exceeds 1,200, a third dispensary can be permitted.

Qualified patients must be state residents who are added to the “compassionate use registry” by a physician licensed to receive the low-level marijuana from a dispensary.

Florida voters, in 2014, approved a referendum to allow Charlotte’s web as a medical marijuana option. It can be provided to patients who suffer from seizures. In some cases, late-stage cancer patients also can qualify.

State health officials didn’t approve guidelines for the program until last year. The first recipient was a resident of Hudson.

Now, Pasco and other counties are in waiting mode, again.

Last year, voters approved a new referendum that covers a broader range of medical conditions and allows for stronger potencies.

Dispensary permits for this expanded program are on hold until Florida legislators and state health officials craft new regulations and guidelines.

Pasco’s ordinance on Charlotte’s web had the support of Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco However, Chase Daniels, assistant executive director of the sheriff’s office, said, “We continue to (watch) what the legislature is going to do with Amendment 2.”

To prepare for medical marijuana within the county, Pasco county commissioners, in December, approved the framework for where and how dispensaries can operate.

Besides being restricted to industrial districts, the county also request a one-mile separation between the medicinal shops.  Dispensaries also must be at least 1,000 feet from such facilities as schools, day care centers and drug treatment centers. Buffering and adequate setbacks are required between a dispensary and any residential property.

Applicants must show they are licensed by the state to operate a dispensary and must meet the county’s zoning conditions for permitting.

Published March 1, 2017

DQ Grill & Chill comes to Ballantrae Village Shoppes

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DQ Grill & Chill is nearly ready for its debut at Ballantrae Village Shoppes. By mid-March, franchise owner Carlos Saenz plans to host a grand opening.

Meanwhile, Saenz has had to watch hopeful customers slowly steer their vehicles into the drive-through lane on a daily basis.

It’s disappointing not to at least have a Blizzard or an ice cream cone to hand out, said Saenz.

But, he isn’t surprised at the response from people eager to try a new restaurant.

Franchise owner Carlos Saenz plans to open his DQ Grill & Chill at Ballantrae Village Shoppes by mid-March.
(Kathy Steele)

DQ Grill & Chill is located at 17826 Aprile Drive, off Ballantrae Boulevard and State Road 54.

More than 50,000 vehicles travel up and down the state road. Ballantrae Village Shoppes sits at the entrance to the master-planned community of Ballantrae, north of U.S. 41.

Further north, Bexley Ranch and Asturia are among new subdivisions populating the state highway. To the south, Long Lake Ranch homes are for sale. More retail and commercial are popping up where cows once grazed.

At Ballantrae Village, Circle K is nearly built. In addition to Dairy Queen, the approximately 17,000-square-foot shopping plaza will have T-Mobile, Taco Bell and Dunkin’ Donuts. Other parcels are available.

The activity up and down State Road 54 is a prime reason that Saenz, and his wife Pam, took a deep dive into a new venture – as fast-food restaurant owners.

“We think we’re in a great spot,” said Saenz. “Three years ago, this area was probably a five or six (on a scale of 10). I think we’re at a nine or 10, with the amount of homes and traffic.”

The Saenz’s live in the Oakstead subdivision with their 14-year-old daughter, Madison. Pam Saenz is a Pasco County teacher.

Carlos Saenz is stepping away from a long career in the insurance industry to open his first Dairy Queen. A second franchise in Hudson is possible.

When Saenz researched restaurant franchises, he zeroed in on Dairy Queen for a personal reason. He grew up in Puerto Rico, but as a middle school student moved to Kissimmee, Florida.

His first fast-food meal was at a Dairy Queen on U.S. 192. “It’s still there,” Saenz said.

He feels many others also feel nostalgic about a restaurant that began in 1940. Back then, it sold burgers, hot dogs, fries, Peanut Buster parfaits, Dilly bars and ice cream cones.

Dairy Queen celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2015. The company boasts of more than 1,560 DQ Grill & Chill restaurants in 46 states.

Saenz said Dairy Queen, in recent years, has kept its traditional menu items, but also modernized to keep up with the times. The DQ Grill & Chill concept started nearly two decades ago.

The old favorites are still there, but chicken strip baskets and sandwiches and honey-flavored barbecue have been added. DQ rotates some items in and out, including a recent Kansas-style pork sandwich on pretzel bread and a Philly cheesesteak.

Customers are now described as “fans.”

Dairy Queen supports community-based charitable events. Saenz said the company supports a national campaign to collect donations for the Miracle Children’s Network. However, money collected locally stays in the community, he said.

He anticipates sponsoring special “spirit night” events for area schools, with a portion of proceeds benefiting each school.

A grassy area near the outdoor patio could be gated off as a kind of dog park. Saenz said he expects foot traffic from nearby Ballantrae homes, and people will want to bring their pets.

“We’re going to be partners with the community and engaging with schools,” Saenz said.

Published March 1, 2017

Business Digest 03/01/2017

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Pulte virtual home tours
Pulte Homes invites prospective homebuyers to take virtual tours of its home designs at Starkey Ranch, according to a press release from Larry Vershel Communications.

Pulte sales consultant Angela Hobbs demonstrates the Virtual Realty Headsets that give potential homebuyers virtual tours of Pulte homes for sale at Starkey Ranch.
(Courtesy of Pulte Homes)

The virtual tours are in advance of model homes that are under construction. The master-planned community is adjacent to J.B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve, off State Road 54 and Heart Pine Avenue in Odessa.

Visitors to Pulte’s office at Starkey Ranch can sit comfortably in a chair and wear a Samsung preloaded headset to “walk” through decorated model homes, according to Sean Strickler, West Florida division president for Pulte Homes.

Pulte sales staff members introduced the headsets about a month ago. They attribute the headsets to a recent sale of Pulte’s two-story Valleybrook home, one of 15 floor plans offered at Starkey Ranch. The home is about 3,300 square feet and priced from about $364,000.

For information or to schedule a virtual tour, call (813) 391-7580, or visit Pulte.com/starkeyranch to register for VIP updates, including home site details and grand opening information.

Ashton Woods model homes
Two model homes from Ashton Woods will soon be ready for viewing at the master-planned community of Asturia, on State Road 54 near Suncoast Parkway.

The Lincoln model home is about 2,300 square feet, with three bedrooms and 2 ½ bathrooms. The two-story floor plan has a spacious kitchen, with a large center island, granite countertops and a walk-in pantry. The laundry room is on the second floor with the bedrooms. Sales price starts at about $371,000.

The Truman model home is about 1,900 square feet, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has a split floor plan, with a large master bedroom and walk-in closet. The kitchen features a center island, granite countertops, custom backsplash, pantry, 42-inch upper cabinets and black stainless steel appliances. The starting price is about $308,000.

Asturia has single-family homes and apartments, a resort-style pool, nature trails, parks, playgrounds and picnic areas. Base pricing for homes is from the mid-$200,000s.

For information, visit AshtonWoods.com.

Cuban-American restaurant opens
La Yuma will have a grand opening on March 2 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 16411 N. Florida Ave., in Lutz.

Dinner and drink specials, and live entertainment, are planned.

The casual, fine dining restaurant opened in January, serving lunch and dinner. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Tuesday through Thursday, and also on Sunday. On Friday and Saturday, hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The menu includes tapas, soups and salads, and favorite Cuban cuisine such as Picadillo Habanero, Ropa Vieja and Cuban sandwiches. A range of beers, Cuba libres and Pepe’s Homemade Sangria are among offerings from the bar.

A children’s menu offers fried shrimp, chicken fingers and burgers.

La Yuma is owned and operated by Lutz residents, Thania Diaz Clevenger, and her husband, Ashley Clevenger.

Chef Pepe Diaz (Tania’s father) is also the owner of El Meson de Pepe in Key West, which he started with his wife, Tania Diaz, more than 30 years ago.

To RSVP, call (813) 374-8514 or email .

For information, also contact the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce at .

Joint mixer
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce will host a joint monthly mixer on March 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Florida Hospital Center Ice, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

The event is free, and open to members and their guests.

For information, call (813) 994-8534, or email .

Remembering the legacy of Odell Mickens

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Odell Kingston Mickens’ legacy as a Dade City educator and civil rights activist endures more than three decades after his death in 1980.

When racism and Jim Crow laws denied blacks access to public education during the 1930s, Mickens expanded the outreach of education to black students in Pasco County.

When white school boards eventually included black schools into a separate, but underfunded system, Mickens continued to expand opportunities for black students, including the right in 1940 to receive high school diplomas.

Mickens championed the economic and civil rights of the black community until he died in 1980.

He was the first black elected to public office in Pasco County, winning two terms on the City Commission of Dade City.

“I find Odell Mickens to be just a giant,” said Imani Asukile, director of global and multicultural awareness, and special assistant to the president of Pasco-Hernando State College.

Asukile was guest speaker on Feb. 16 at the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village in Dade City.

The museum is sponsoring a series of lectures in conjunction with its Smithsonian exhibit, “The Way We Worked.”

Asukile also is author of “Black Americans of Hernando County, Florida.”

Asukile said he is not formally trained as a historian, but has a deep interest in history.

“Somewhere I just caught the bug,” he said. “One of my goals is to unearth stories about local African-Americans.”

Mickens is a particular favorite.

In his research, Asukile learned that Mickens was mentored by Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of the Bethune-Cookman University.

Bethune was internationally recognized as an educator, human rights activist and advisor to several United States presidents.

“She found him to be an outstanding student,” Asukile said.

Mickens was the descendent of Colbert and Nancy Mickens, former slaves from South Carolina.

Mickens’ paternal grandparents were later sold and sent to Marion County, where they raised seven children in the small hamlet of Flemington that Asukile described as “way back in the woods.”

Odell Mickens was born in 1904, the only child of Isaac Mickens and his wife, Anna. At a time when there were no public schools for blacks, they sent him to privately operated black academies.

“His parents invested in him to get an education,” Asukile said.

In 1933, at age 29, as a graduate of then Bethune-Cookman Junior College, Mickens became principal of Moore Academy, the first permanent school open to blacks in Pasco County. It was named for the Rev. Junias D. Moore, who served as its first principal.

Mickens’ wife, Christine, taught at Moore Academy and also coached the Panthers’ basketball team.

“This really turned out to be a wonderful and beautiful partnership,” said Asukile of the Mickens’ marriage.

Mickens oversaw the expansion of Moore Academy. Over the years the campus, in various locations, became Moore Elementary School and Mickens High School.

In 1940, Lillian Arnold, Mozell Thompson and Lila Thompson became the first blacks in Pasco to graduate and receive diplomas.

The school became Moore-Mickens Middle School in the early 1980s, and was later repurposed as an education center in 1987.

The Pasco County School Board closed the education center in 2015. A group of community activists are seeking to reopen the center, but have yet to finalize a plan with the school district.

But, Mickens’ contributions to the county extended beyond education.

He served on the building committee for the Dade City Civic Center which opened in 1963.

He also was a founder of the Negro Civic Association.

Association members lobbied city officials to open up land formerly used as a prisoner-of-war camp in World War II. The city platted the land and, over time, black residents bought lots and built homes in the Moore-Harper subdivision.

Mickens served on the board of the Pasco County Housing Authority; as assistant trustee for the Bethune-Cookman University; and, as president of the Bethune-Cookman National Alumni Association.

In 1980, he was named Citizen of the Year by the Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

Published February 22, 2017

 

 

 

Heroes for Hire playing the right tunes

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Being a boy band with a first release on iTunes is heady stuff.

But, Heroes for Hire is getting used to the attention, playing their brand of edgy, alternative rock at venues such as Skipper’s Smokehouse, New World Brewery and Buckets.

Louis Mittens, 15; Ben Hense, 13; Ryan Romero, 15; Corey Fox, 15; and, Josh Morin, 14, came together as a band at Jim Chambers Music Box.

Heroes for Hire celebrated their first iTunes release with a performance at the Orpheum in Ybor City.
(Courtesy of Marlene Fox Photography)

Chambers is the maestro who orchestrates and fine tunes young musicians at his “school of rock” in Carrollwood. He puts bands together with that right mix of personal chemistry and musical chops.

“In six weeks, they’re expected to play a show,” Chambers said.

Heroes for Hire started playing gigs more than a year ago.

On Feb. 4, the band had a release party for its first iTunes’ song, “The Wanted One,” at The Orpheum in Ybor City.

Romero is the group’s songwriter. He also came up with the band’s name which salutes the military.

“You think of soldiers. They’re always heroes,” said Romero.

He started writing songs in seventh grade. “I like emotional topics that have a moral meaning, that are inspirational.”

Some band members knew one another before coming to “the box,” but mostly they’ve become fast friends because of the music. They attend Blake High School, Buchanan Middle School and Gaither High School, and live in Carrollwood and Lutz.

Fox’s mother started him on bass guitar when he was age 10.

“I was super into it,” he said, adding that a long career in music “would be a dream.”

Chambers knows how those dreams can sometimes happen.

He is a former music executive who earned Grammy awards with Maroon 5 and Loudon Wainwright III.

Chambers got his start in the mailroom at Sky Records, which was co-owned by Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls. Ray got him a job promotion after a chatty encounter one day at work.

In a podcast interview with Cigar City Radio First, Chambers recalled Ray asking afterward, “Who’s that kid in the mailroom who won’t shut up? Put him on the phones.”

From there, marketing and promotion became his way up the music industry ladder.

In nearly three decades, Chambers built a long resume. His jobs included merchandise representative for Sony Records in Miami and national sales representative for a division of Sire Records in New York.

Along the way, he watched Maroon 5 break into the outer stratosphere of the music world.

The economic crash in 2009 cost him his job. He flirted with moving to Belize, but ended up back home in Carrollwood, with his parents.

He taught drum lessons for awhile. Then, he ran a home-based music academy, until the homeowner’s association objected.

In July 2015, he opened Jim Chambers Music Box in a small shopping plaza, at 4312 Gunn Highway. Creative Loafing magazine recognized his school as “Best of the Bay” band incubator.

His band protégés include the all-girl band, Extra Celestial, and Inkblot.

Musical influences on Heroes for Hire are the Foo Fighters, Jack White and Jimi Hendrix.

Morin admires instrumental rock guitarist Joe Satriana. “He lets the guitar be his melody,” he said.

Rehearsals at Chamber’s studio are free-wheeling, get-it-on rock shows. But, live performances are the best.

“This is a way of getting feedback,” said Hense, who plays the drums.
It also builds a fan base that gets to know their music.

Mittens thinks he’s found his niche.

“Pretty much all I want to do is play guitar, in and out of school,” he said.

Published February 22, 2017

Traffic woes may lessen at 41/54

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Some relief may be coming in 2018 to reduce the daily traffic jams at U.S. 41 and State Road 54.

Frustrations at the intersection are common, as more than 100,000 motorists pass through the intersection every day.

Pasco County and state highway officials are now looking at a plan to lessen congestion.

The plan calls for lengthening turn lanes, providing more room in those lanes to improve the general flow in through lanes.

A long line of eastbound vehicles on State Road 54 wait to make it through the traffic signal, or reach the right turn lane to head south on U.S. 41.
(Kathy Steele)

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey talked about the turn-lane project during a recent Pasco County workshop.

Starkey said she’d learned of the project at a committee meeting for the county’s Metropolitan Planning Commission.

“I think that’s a huge step forward on our road projects,” Starkey said.

The project isn’t seen as a permanent solution, but as something that can be done in the near-term.

“It is a fix.” said Margaret Smith, Pasco’s engineering services director, adding she doesn’t know how long the fix will last.

Design work is expected to take about eight to 10 months, with construction likely in 2018. The county will spend about $300,000 on design, with money saved from other road projects, Smith said.

A funding source for the remainder of the project, estimated at around $1 million is being sought.

The redesign would include these changes, based on an email from the Florida Department of Transportation:

  • The right-turn lane eastbound on State Road 54 would increase from 215 feet to 1,050 feet. Eastbound dual left-turn lanes would increase from 350 feet to 750 feet. An additional 125 feet would be added to the outside left-turn lane for a total length of 875 feet.
  • Westbound on State Road 54, the right-turn lane at U.S. 41 would increase from 360 feet to 500 feet. The southbound dual left-turn lanes on State Road 54 already are at the maximum length.
  • Southbound on U.S. 41, the dual left-turn lane would increase from 430 feet to 475 feet. The southbound right-turn lane would increase from 320 feet to 475 feet.
  • No change is planned for the northbound U.S. 41 left- and right-turn lanes because they are at maximum length.

A permanent and more intense design change for the intersection remains uncertain.

Work will begin anew in March on the Vision 54/56 corridor study, which is looking at a range of road projects from U.S. 19 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

A first phase of the study was completed in 2016.

This second phase will place emphasis on ideas to improve the intersections of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 in east Pasco, and State Road 54 and Little Road in west Pasco.

Meanwhile, the state transportation department put an earlier proposal on hold to build a $180 million flyover elevating State Road 54 over U.S. 41, and including toll lanes.

The road project met strong resistance from residents at a town hall meeting in 2015.

Published February 22, 2017