The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kathy Steele

Connected City gets initial OK

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Pasco County’s Development Review Committee has given its first stamp of approval to a pilot program to create a futuristic, technology-based network of communities across more than 7,800 acres in northeast Pasco County.

But that’s just one step in the review process.

State legislators approved the Connected City in 2015, and selected Pasco as the site for the project.

The Pasco County Commission also gave the concept for Connected City its OK, via a resolution.

The county’s Development Review Committee voted on Oct. 13 to recommend changes to the county’s long-range land use planning and development codes to lay out the legal framework for Connected City.

Additional votes by the review committee will be needed on a range of issues, including financial and road plans. Those issues are expected to considered in November.

But those are actions are merely recommendations. The Pasco County Commission has the final word.

If Connected City gains needed approvals, it is expected to have considerable impact on the county.

It is projected to have about 96,000 employees, and about 37,000 homes and apartments when it is entirely built out, which expected to take about 50 years.

“In the long run, this is going to make Pasco a premier county,” said Ernest Monaco, the county’s assistant planning and development director.

Not everyone agrees with that vision.

Some residents who live within the district worry about losing the rural lifestyle of northeast Pasco to Connected City’s urgan lifestyle.

“I’m not willing to give up my slice of ruralness,” said Jennifer McCarthy, who lives on Kenton Road.

McCarthy opposes plans to turn Kenton into a four-lane paved roadway, that she says likely will turn a local road into a heavily travelled thoroughfare. There also will be harm done to wildlife in habitats on both sides of Kenton, she said.

“Wildlife is not going to be able to pass through here,” McCarthy said. “It doesn’t make sense to ruin conservation areas to make it a pass through for all the subdivisions to the north.”

County officials suggested a willingness to look at the issue.

“Let’s explore it and find the answers,” said Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker.

Connected City has its fans, too.

Margaret Tingley, president of Tingley Systems, Inc. in San Antonio, described Connected City as “a dream come true.”

“You’re centrally located to all of Pasco County. It’s a great place to show what you can become,” she said. “Technology is the wave of the future. The new Connected City is the wave of the future.”

Efforts to craft a master plan have taken about 17 months.

“I’m actually proud we spent 17 months trying to do something different,” said attorney Joel Tew, who represents Metro Development Group. “This was not an accident.  We purposely selected Pasco County over competing counties.”

Connected City is expected to become the first gigabit community in the nation that is built from the ground up.

Metro Development is partnering with Pasco County on the first neighborhoods that will be built in the Connected City network.

Boundaries generally are Interstate 75, State Road 52, Overpass Road and Curley Road.

Construction is under way on Metro Development’s first project within Connected City. Developers are building a mixed-use community at Epperson Ranch. An approximately 7-acre, manmade “Crystal Lagoon” will be a centerpiece of the project.

Though state lawmakers created a 10-year pilot program, build out within the entire special district will take an additional 40 years.

The district’s development plans will be locally controlled, with a minimum of state or regional oversight.

Estimates are that local review from application to permitting and construction will take only four months to five months. Not everything must be in place before early phases of construction get underway.

For example, Monaco said, “Developers won’t have to wait to decide where every shrub goes before beginning mass grading on their sites. This makes us more competitive. It’s a good thing.”

Published Oct. 19, 2016

 

Wiregrass Ranch names COO

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Scott Sheridan is a familiar face at Wiregrass Ranch.

As senior vice president of King Engineering Associates Inc., he has been involved from the start in the master-planned community’s development. Since 2004, he has taken on various roles with the planning, engineering and permitting of the project.

Sheridan now is putting on a new hat for the Wiregrass Ranch development company Locust Branch LLC.

Scott Sheridan is the new chief operating officer for Locust Branch LLC, the development company for Wiregrass Ranch.
Courtesy of Locust Branch LLC                           Scott Sheridan is the new chief operating officer for Locust Branch LLC, the development company for Wiregrass Ranch.

He is the company’s first chief operating officer, according to a news release from the development company.

His goals as chief operating officer will be to oversee the upcoming growth at Wiregrass Ranch, as it moves into a new phase of development.

“Under (Scott’s) leadership and expertise, we are confident that Wiregrass Ranch will thrive as the region’s premier master-planned development,” Bill Porter, president of Wiregrass Ranch, said in the release.

The construction of the satellite campus of Raymond James Financial is among the future projects in the development of regional impact.

The financial services company closed on a land deal in September to buy 65 acres of ranch property from the Porter family.

The Fortune 500 financial giant could build as much as 1 million square feet of offices near State Road 56 at Mansfield Boulevard, and bring hundreds of jobs to Pasco County.

Wiregrass Ranch is a 5,100-acre mixed-use community in the Wesley Chapel area. It is home to The Shops at Wiregrass, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Florida Medical Clinic, North Tampa Behavioral Health and the Porter Campus of the Pasco Hernando State College.

Sheridan is a Florida registered landscape architect and an active member of the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit research and education organization. ULI provides a forum for more than 40,000 members in the real estate and land use professions.

Sheridan shares his expertise with the ULI’s statewide Urban Development and Mixed Use Council.

In 2014, Governor Rick Scott appointed him to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council for Hillsborough County.

Sheridan has a bachelor of science degree in urban and regional planning from Cook College at Rutgers University.

He worked for more than five years at Heidt Design as a landscape architect. He later worked in the land planning department at King Engineering for more than 14 years, and was a member of the board of directors.

Published Oct. 19, 2016

 

Pasco County to add tourism director

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Tourism in Pasco County is on a launching pad, as county officials prepare for what they hope to be an explosion of visitors — sampling the county’s shops, malls, restaurants, hotels and future sports complexes.

County commissioners are reviewing proposals for a sports complex at Wiregrass Ranch, with about an $8.5 million investment.

Florida Hospital Center Ice is expected to open in early 2017, and to become a draw for local, state and national sports competitions.

Bed tax revenues are estimated to push past the $1 million mark in 2016. And, under a tourism master plan, county officials anticipate the 2 percent bed tax rate to increase to 5 percent by 2019, with revenues reaching nearly $3 million.

To tackle upcoming challenges from this record growth, Pasco is looking to reorganize the tourism office, and hire a tourism director.

“It’s growing to a pretty big operation,” said Richard Gehring, the county’s strategic policy administrator. “We’re going to be on another plateau as we compete in the Tampa Bay region. This is the next step up.”

Two to three candidates were identified and interviewed. County officials now are making an offer, and negotiating salary and benefits.

The issue came up at the County Commission’s Oct. 11 meeting.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells expressed surprise at the creation of a new position of tourism director.

Ed Caum currently serves as the tourism manager.

Under the new plan, Caum’s title would become program manager and he would report to the tourism director.

Gehring said the change is a lateral move for Caum, and not a demotion. Caum agreed, saying he concurred with the decision for the new hire.

“I don’t feel it’s a demotion,” he said, adding that he will continue to perform his current duties.

Caum didn’t apply for the tourism director position.

He said his next move may be retirement, in two to three years.

Wells praised Caum’s efforts in developing and expanding the scope of the tourism council over the years.

Wells isn’t convinced about the county’s need for a tourism director at this time.

“I think we’re putting the cart before the horse,” Wells said.

“I’d like to see us hold off on this until we have a new county administrator. It doesn’t make sense to me,” Wells said.

Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker is scheduled to vacate her post in July 2017.

Gehring said it makes sense to get someone on board now.

“Let’s go ahead and reach out for another horse-power level person,” he said.

 

Business Digest 10-19-2016

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Hurricane relief

Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are aiding business owners, as well as residents, in the wake of Hurricane Hermine.

The teams are made up of disaster specialists from the Florida Department of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They are easily identified by their photo identifications, and FDEM and FEMA uniforms. People should ask for photo identification before providing personal information.

Homeowners, renters and business owners affected by Hurricane Hermine from Aug. 31 to Sept. 11 in eight area counties, including Pasco County, are eligible to register for federal assistance.

To register, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, or call the FEMA helpline at (800) 621-3362. People with hearing disabilities may call TTY (800) 462-7585. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 pm., seven days a week. Assistance is available in multiple languages.

Business owners can complete an electronic loan application on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s secure website, DisasterLoan.sba.gov/ela.

Questions can be answered by calling the SBA disaster customer service center at (800) 659-2955/TTY (800) 877-8339, or visiting SBA.gov./disaster.

Network luncheon

The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have a chamber network luncheon on Oct. 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Beef O’ Brady’s, at 8801 Himes Ave. (at Himes Avenue and Busch Boulevard), in Tampa.

Order from the lunch menu or regular menu. Minimum payment of $5 is required if you don’t order food, and you must pay for your drinks.

For information, email , or call Keller Williams Tampa Properties at (813) 864-6370.

Grand opening

Advantage Real Estate will have a grand opening on Oct. 20 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 3948 Lake Padgett Drive in Land O’ Lakes.

A ribbon cutting will be at 5:30 p.m.

The event is free. Guests will enjoy food and beverages, including a wine tasting by Land O’ Lakes Winery.

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

Business forum

A Lunch N Learn Business Forum is scheduled for Oct. 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Don Porter Boardroom, at 6013 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Suite 105.

Guest speaker will be Cindy Moran, a consultant with Predictive Results. Her topic will be “How to Attract, Hire and Retain the Best People.”

The cost for the forum is $15 including lunch. Please RSVP, as seating is limited.

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

Senior living

Angels Senior Living Idlewild will have a grand opening and ribbon cutting on Oct. 22 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at The Lodge of Idlewild, 18440 Exciting Idlewild Blvd.

Featured guest will be legendary singer Pat Boone.

The event is free. There will be hors ‘d oeuvres and live entertainment.

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

Breakfast meeting

The East Pasco Networking Group will meet on Oct. 25 at 7:30 a.m., at the Fresh Market Café, at 5518 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Guest speaker is Carol Scheckler, president of the Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills Inc.

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

Chamber mixer

The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have a “Cup of Joe” and a “No Agenda” mixer on Oct. 26 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., at the law firm of Lucas/Magazine, at 2533 Windguard Circle, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel.

This mixer is held the last Wednesday of each month.

For information, call Elayne Bassinger at (813) 495-2336, or visit LucasMagazine.com.

Connerton mixer

The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have a chamber mixer, hosted at the master-planned community of Connerton, on Oct. 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at 21100 Fountain Garden Way in Land O’ Lakes.

The event is free.

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

Economic briefing

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly economic development briefing on Oct. 27 at 11:30 a.m., at Pebble Creek Country Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive in Tampa.

The guest speaker will be Craig J. Richard, president and chief executive officer of Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Council.

The $15 cost includes a buffet lunch.

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

 

Fundraiser aims to help local teenager

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The bond between Joe Soueidan and Dani strengthens each time they meet.

And, within a few months, Dani should be a permanent member of the Soueidan family.

But, the furry Labrador won’t be the typical man’s best friend. She is a seizure response dog that will serve as a helper and protector for a young man who has lived a lifetime with the unpredictable and debilitating effects of epilepsy.

“We have seen what the dog is capable of,” said Joe’s mother, Natalie Soueidan.

Joe Soueidan, 19, is bonding with Dani, a Labrador mix that is being trained as a service response dog for people with seizure disorders. (Courtesy of Natalie Soueidan)
Joe Soueidan, 19, is bonding with Dani, a Labrador that is being trained as a service response dog for people with seizure disorders.
(Courtesy of Natalie Soueidan)

On one occasion during a family visit to Canines 4 Hope, Dani recognized signs of a seizure and immediately went over to Joe Soueidan, licking his face to keep him alert and offer comfort.

“It was amazing but simple,” his mother said.

Canines 4 Hope is a certified training center for service dogs, located in Palm City.

Seizure response dogs can activate a life-alert alarm, find someone to help, retrieve medication, food or a phone, and provide comfort. They wear vests to identify what they do, and also carry brochures and other materials with information on how to respond to a seizure.

However, service dogs, with such skills, require months of training and are expensive.

Dani will cost the Soueidan family $12,500.

To help with the expense an online donation site has been set up at YouCaring.com. About $4,900 in donations have been given so far.

On Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., hairstylists at Pulse Salon & Spa will have a fundraiser to help the family.

Half of the proceeds from shampoos, haircuts, blow-drys and other spa services will go toward the fund to pay for Dani.

Food and drinks will be provided. There also will be basket raffles.

Jennifer McCaslin organized the event with Pulse’s owner, Alberto Franco.

Soueidan is one of her clients, but they met years before when McCaslin took her then 3-year-old son, Mitchell, to Soueidan for speech therapy.

To help her own son, Soueidan had returned to school to earn a master’s degree from the University of South Florida in communication sciences and disorders.

“I love working with kids and working with families with special needs. I know what they go through. I’ve been there,” she said.

When McCaslin asked Franco about holding the fundraiser for Natalie’s son, he readily agreed.

“I’m very appreciative of that,” McCaslin said.

Natalie Soueidan hopes Dani can be life-changing for her son.

For the first eight months of his life, Joe Soueidan was a happy, curious toddler. He learned to walk at nine months and was saying a few words.

But, then he “just stopped,” his mother said.

Emergency room trips and doctors’ visits didn’t immediately yield answers to why her son was having very subtle seizures.

“That was the beginning of a crazy time,” she said.

For awhile, his seizures were controlled with medications obtained legally through Canadian pharmacies. But, the seizures returned – as many as 75 in a day – and Joe Soueidan had the first of two brain surgeries.

By third grade, he was off medications and doing well in school. As he entered his teen years, he went bowling, swimming, took guitar lessons and hung out with friends.

He was a typical teen.

On Jan. 12, 2012, though, he suddenly had a grand mal seizure, followed by more episodes and a second brain surgery.

He needed speech and occupational therapy.

He has dyslexia and has trouble reading, and is unable to do math.

It all became too much for him, his mother said. And, after the first week of his junior year, he left school.

He can’t be left alone night or day for fear of a life-threatening seizure.

He also struggles with severe depression.

But, Natalie Soueidan said, “I can’t give up hope.”

She wants him to regain moments of independence, and Dani could give him that.

Plans are underway for Joe Soueidan to return to high school, with Dani at his side.

“It’s not so much about him getting a degree, but about him getting out of the house and being part of society again.”

What: Pulse Salon & Spa Charity Event; 50 percent of proceeds will be donated to fund for service response dog. Food and drinks will be provided, and there will be basket raffles.
When: Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: 3756 Turman Loop, Suite 101, Wesley Chapel
Information: (813) 428-6917 or Facebook.com/pulsesalonandspawc

Published October 12, 2016

Business Digest 10/12/2016

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New real estate office
Coldwell Banker F.I. Grey & Son Residential opened an office in the Cypress Creek Professional Park, at 24620 State Road 54 in Lutz, according to a news release from the New Port Richey-based real estate firm.

Coldwell Banker is the largest and oldest real estate franchise in the nation, and globally. Coldwell Banker F.I. Grey & Son Residential has served homeowners for more than 90 years.

William Bunting will be the managing broker at the new location, which will serve the Central Pasco area including Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel. Greg Armstrong will remain as managing broker in New Port Richey.

For information, call (813) 575-2464.

Seasonal jobs
JCPenney is hiring 500 seasonal employees in the Tampa area, including positions at its store at The Shops at Wiregrass.

A variety of jobs are available including cashier, replenishment specialist, merchandise support specialist and more.

Seasonal employees are eligible for a full employee discount of up to 25 percent on merchandise, as well as flexible holiday schedules.

Hiring is underway, and will continue through the holiday season. Applicants can apply at an applicant kiosk at any JCPenney store or online at JCPcareers.com.

For information, call (972) 431-3400, or email .

Sponsors needed
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is seeking sponsors for the 23rd Annual Flapjack 5K and 1 Mile Run on Dec. 11 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center, at 3032 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The following sponsorships are available: corporate, for $500; gold, for $400; silver, for $225; bronze, for $125; and goodie bag item, for $50.

The annual event will be in memory of Kris Keppel.

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

General meeting
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have a general membership meeting on Oct. 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Iavarone’s Steakhouse & Italian Grill, 3617 W. Humphrey St., in Tampa.

Guest speaker will be Lee Kair, federal security director at Tampa International Airport. He is the airport’s senior official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

For early bird registration, RSVP online with a credit card or to the chamber office at by 5 p.m., on Oct. 10, at the discounted rate of $20 (whether you eat or not).

Registration after that date and at the door is $25, by cash, check or credit card.

To register, visit NorthTampaChamber.com/NTCC-Calendar.

Jobs available
All Target stores will have in-store hiring events on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15. Stop by between noon and 6 p.m., to meet the team and learn about available positions.

Be prepared to talk about yourself. There may be opportunities to interview on the spot.

Area stores in Pasco County include stores at Mitchell Ranch Plaza, 2900 Little Road in Trinity; 1040 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz; and, 1201 County Road 581 in Wesley Chapel.

Apply in advance, also, online at Target.com/careers.

Hispanic business luncheon
The Hispanic Business Leaders luncheon will be on Oct. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. The event is hosted by the Hispanic Business Leaders of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. Meetings are conducted in English.

Guest speaker will be Jose Peralta, a physician with Premier Community Healthcare Group in Dade City.

The cost is $20 for chamber members and $25 for non-members, but $15 for members and $20 for non-members, if paid by Oct. 13.

For information, contact .

Community grants
The Allstate Foundation gave $1,000 grants to benefit nonprofits supported by five Allstate insurance agents in Pasco County, according to a press release from Allstate.

The agents and the nonprofits that will receive the grants are:
Craig and Michael Arndt, both of Lutz – Pediatric Cancer Foundations Inc., in Tampa
Lisette Fernandez, of Lutz – FOOT Foundation in Odessa and Sunrise of Pasco County Inc., in Dade City
Stephen Ward, in Trinity, and Mo Ward, in New Port Richey – Pasco Kids First Inc., in New Port Richey

The nonprofits are among more than 3,500 organizations that will receive approximately $7.5 million from The Allstate Foundation Helping Hands in the Community grant program. The grants support nonprofits focused on powering youth, teen safe driving, disaster preparedness, hunger and other causes.

In the past 20 years, Allstate employees, agency owners and staff members donated more than $368 million and more than 4 million volunteer hours to charities. And, in March 2016, 63 percent of Allstate employees participated in the Bring Out the Good Month 2016 workplace giving programs. The programs collected more than $7.1 million to benefit more than 8,800 nonprofits nationwide.

Spa opens in Lutz
The Caribbean Mystique Massage & Wellness Spa is moving to the Sienna Village Professional Center, at 2435 Brunello Trace in Lutz, according to a news release from Larry Vershel Communications Inc.

Theresa Margaris, a transaction specialist with Hold-Thyssen Inc., brokered the lease agreement with Sienna Village I LLC, on behalf of the spa’s owners.

Caribbean Mystique Massage & Wellness Spa is expanding from its current location in Tampa. The spa recreates a virtual island destination for customers, giving them a calm and tranquil experience.

Hold-Thyssen Inc., provides commercial property as well as leasing and management services to institutional and private investors nationwide. The 40-year-old firm serves more than 100 commercial properties across the country.

Small business seminars
The Zephyrhills Public Library and SCORE are partnering to offer two free small business seminars

The first class on “Using the Internet in Your Business” will be Nov. 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Zephyrhills Public Library, 5347 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills. It will explain how a website can enhance your business. Participants will be shown an eight-step process of activities on how to use technology to promote your business.

The instructor will be Jim Karam.

The second class will be on “Marketing to Grow Your Business” on Nov. 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., also at the Zephyrhills library.

The class will focus on how to grow your business by using an audit that emphasizes planning, marketing and human resources. Learn what works and doesn’t work, how to write a sales and marketing plan, what you can learn from competitors, and best advertising and promotional practices.

The instructor will be Jack Grise.

Instructional handouts and materials will be provided to seminar participants.

For information and to register, visit PascoHernando.score.org.

‘Dear World’ gives storytellers a voice

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Everyone has a story to tell.

Not everyone has a listener.

But, Dear World gives voice to the storyteller in each of us, with social media as the forum.

Black markers — which the nonprofit organization describes as “messages-on-skin” — open dialogues through personal stories that are universally shared.

Dear World brought its college tour to the campus of Saint Leo University on Sept. 21 and Sept. 22.

Lawson Jolly, left, director of counseling at Saint Leo University, writes a Biblical message on the arm of his daughter, freshman Justine Jolly. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Lawson Jolly, left, director of counseling at Saint Leo University, writes a Biblical message on the arm of his daughter, freshman Justine Jolly.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

More than 300 Saint Leo students and faculty picked up markers to write messages on their face, arms or other body parts. With a few words – less than a 149-character tweet – they defined the emotions and experiences in their lives.

In the next week, participants will receive emails with their portraits. Some have been posted onto Dear World’s Facebook page.

Collectively, all of the stories from the interactive portrait project touched on themes such as love, friendship, racism, bullying, depression, a lack of self-esteem and the death of family or friends.

There is greater understanding when stories are shared, said Katie Greenman, storyteller, photographer and facilitator with Dear World.

“They are speaking not just for themselves, but for others,” said Greenman. “You’ve got to know you are not alone.”

Words have meaning
Freshman Justine Jolly, 18, and her father, Lawson Jolly, shared similar messages of faith.

Across her arms, Justine Jolly chose the words “Forgiven/Romans 5:8.”

“God shows his ultimate love for us by sacrificing his life even when we are all sinners,” she said. “I feel God is the most important part of my life.”

Lawson Jolly, director of counseling at Saint Leo, made his message, “Love God, Love Others.”

“I think about maybe one of the most important beliefs I hold, it’s my faith,” he said. “Jesus asked, what is the greatest commitment? It was to love God and love thy neighbor as thy self. It sums up what I should be trying to do.”

Senior Baylie Cowart looked into the camera and held up her arms as Greenman snapped her portrait. Three words, one each on her arms and one at her throat, spoke for her – “I’m Not Broken.”

She didn’t give into depression, despite the trauma of losing her stepmother in a death by suicide.

“Instead of being held back by the past, I want to look to the future,” she said. “It inspires me every day.”

The Dear World project helps people be honest with themselves, Cowart said.

“It starts asking questions and it gets a dialogue going,” she said. “It helps the community.”

Dear World started as a nonprofit fundraising event in the destructive aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2009. Founder Robert X. Fogarty, then working in the New Orleans’s mayor’s office, asked residents to write a “love letter” to the city – Dear New Orleans.

Since then, Dear World has taken its portrait project worldwide, sharing 50,000 portraits in the languages of the world as of spring 2016. Stops have included Boston after the marathon bombing, India with victims of child slave trade, and a special project to ask people around the world, “How to Say I Love You.”

People are empowered by telling their stories, Greenman said.

“We don’t change the world,” she said. “We take the pictures of those who are.”

Storyteller session
Fostering understanding and common ground were among the goals of the visit to Saint Leo.

A special storytelling session on Sept. 22 highlighted five stories from students and faculty. In a press release, Greenman said, “They were chosen not because they were the best, but because they are reflective of others’ stories.”

Tessy K. Jacques performed “slam poetry” and recited “Midnight Rituals.” Others were Joseph D. Thompson III, a junior from New Jersey; Edson O’Neale, director of student activities; Jamilah Ray, a senior from Orlando; Tiffany Fettig, campus minister and Saint Leo Class of 2016; and Dean D. Everton, a sophomore from Brandon.

In middle school, Collin Valenti often played a game at Applebee’s Restaurant, known as “hoop jones.” Scoring a basketball hoop, brought cheers echoing the game’s name.

The moniker stuck and now as a freshman at Saint Leo, friends know him as Hoop Jones. And, the nickname suits his passion for making up rhymes.

In fun, he wrote #stophoopjones2016 across his arms.

“I’m going to own that (name),” he said. “It’s become such a thing. It’s fun to be the face of your own story.”

Freshman Fabiola Rosado thought about friendship when she wrote “I’ll Be There.”

“My friends come to me for advice,” she said. “I talk to them and give my best advice. I listen to them.”

Sophomore Michael Williams writes lyrics from phrases that pop into his mind. A failed romance, and a song he wrote, were his inspiration for “With Time, Comes Change.”

“I spiraled into a place I don’t want to be,” Williams said. “After the pity party, I tried to find out who I am and grew a lot. It’s nice to see (Dear World) does this.”

Junior Dallas Jasper liked the message that Dear World sends with its portraits.

“I kind of had to think about myself, for a few minutes,” she said.

She is on the Saint Leo volleyball team. One day aboard the team bus, the coach asked his players to pick words to describe how they want to be seen.

Jasper chose “confident,” and for Dear World, she stuck with that word as her message.

She sometimes didn’t feel sure of herself, but she said, “I’ve tried to work on that. I’ve become more competent with my self, embracing that.”

The Student Government Union, Campus Activities Board, Student Activities, Multicultural and International Services Office, Residence Life, and Counseling Services sponsored the event.

To see portrait photos, visit Facebook.com/dearworld/photos.

Published October 5, 2016

Connected city concept draws mixed reviews

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Pasco County is the epicenter for a 10-year state-approved pilot program to create a “connected city” corridor of master-planned communities — built from the ground up with technology innovations.

State lawmakers carved out about 7,800 acres in central and eastern Pasco as a special development district that will foster residential and commercial projects.

The district’s development plans will be locally controlled, with a minimum of state or regional oversight.

Richard Ghering
Richard Ghering

The anticipation is that the district during the 10-year pilot program, and another 40 years of build-out, will be a national model for how to spark job creation, reduce urban sprawl, enhance environmental protection, provide alternative transportation, and interconnect neighborhoods through cutting edge technology.

At build-out, the district could have 96,000 employees, and about 37,000 homes and apartments.

But, some residents within the district are pushing back.

They prefer “rural enclaves” to the more urban development of a connected city.

“At best it’s the same sprawl most of us moved out here to escape,” said Tim Dolan, who lives within the district. “What’s gone is gone for good.”

Dolan spoke at a Sept. 15 public hearing in Dade City where the Development Review Committee considered approval of a land use amendment establishing an overlay district for the connected city.

The borders are Interstate 75, State Road 52, Overpass Road and Curley Road.

Committee members postponed a vote on the amendment until Oct. 13.

In addition to the land use amendment, approval is also needed for transportation, financial and utilities plans.

The Pasco County Commission has the final word.

At the hearing, committee members listened to presentations from county staff members, and participated in a tele-conference with Ken Hays, president of the Enterprise Center of Chattanooga.

Hays discussed that city’s experience as the first gigabit city in the nation, and technology’s role in reviving its downtown.

Pasco County officials are looking to the connected city corridor as a major economic driver for the county, and potentially for the 4.5 million residents of the Tampa Bay area.

It could be a northern gateway for Tampa Bay, and a second alternative to the shops, restaurants and jobs being generated in Wiregrass Ranch and Wesley Chapel, said Richard Gehring, Pasco County’s strategic policy administrator.

To push projects along, the county would boost mobility fee credits to developers willing to create about 272 acres of “service-ready” land, within 660 feet of a constructed road. The goal is job creation and economic development that is innovative and technology driven.

An estimated 7.2 million square-feet could be generated for job creation, Gehring said.

That is about half the size of Westshore, which has about 13 million square feet of office space and about 93,000 employees.

“This could be a second Westshore,” he said.

Dirt within the connected city corridor already is flying.

Metro Development Group is partnering with Heidt Design and the county to shepherd initial development projects from vision to building permits.

Among Metro’s initial projects are a mixed-use community at Epperson Ranch with about 2,000 homes, and another at Cannon Ranch, known as Mirada, that will have about 4,000 homes.

Metro’s newest communities, including Union Park, Waterleaf and Sereno, feature UltraFi, a broadband system capable of delivering gigabit-fast Internet connections.

But, a conceptual map by Heidt Design that sketched what might happen in the connected city corridor within the next 40 to 50 years raised concerns among some residents at a neighborhood meeting.

“My property was going to be a parking lot in 50 years,” said Jennifer McCarthy.

Tonya Riddlesworth doesn’t want to be crowded out by urban development.

“We want to keep our neighborhood as quiet and rural as possible,” she said.

Representatives of Metro Development Group emphasized the map was visionary and long-range, not a true representation of any building plans.

Others at the meeting understood that and expressed support for connected city, said Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations with Metro Development Group.

One concern about the Epperson Ranch project, raised by an attorney representing residents of Palm Cove of Wesley Chapel, appears resolved.

Construction is underway on the Crystal Lagoon, a 7-acre man-made lake with about 16 million gallons of crystal blue water. The lagoon will be the first in North America.

But, the lagoon’s initial need for massive amounts of water has some Palm Cove residents worried about sinkholes on their properties.

It is unlikely that would happen, said Goyani. But, Metro has agreed not to pump well water for the lagoon even though permits were approved by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Instead, water will be purchased from the county’s existing resources.

“It costs us more to do that, but we think it’s the responsible thing to do,” Goyani said.

Published October 5, 2016

Pasco property tax rates holding steady

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Property tax rates won’t go up in fiscal year 2017, though a more robust trend in property values could bring a slight boost in property taxes for some homeowners.

At a final hearing on Sept. 27, Pasco County commissioners approved a $1.3 billion operating budget that includes increases for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and 16 new business initiatives that give residents more services.

The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Mike Fasano
Mike Fasano

The final budget is about $80 million less than what was proposed in July, partly due to accounting adjustments in how unspent funds for capital projects are counted.

Tax rates remain the same as last year. A homeowner will be assessed about $7.61 for each $1,000 in property value for the county’s general fund, and about $1.81 per $1,000 for the fire district.

However, as the economy has improved, property values in the past year have increased. Tax bills also could tick up slightly.

On average, county officials anticipate an additional $6.89 on a tax bill for a home valued at about $106,000.

“Hopefully, most citizens are going to see some reductions in their taxes,” said Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader.

A request weeks earlier from Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano resulted in a one-time allocation of $100,000 to the elderly nutrition program.

The money will be held in a reserve account while county staff members provide details on how the money will be spent. Fasano told county commissioners he wanted the funds to reduce the waiting list of elderly residents who want to participate in the free meal program.

The money is from additional funds returned to the county from the tax collector’s office.

Dade City resident Amy Gant made a plea for money to repair the Dade City Little League concession stand at John S. Burks Memorial Park.

The 30-year-old structure is in dire need of repairs, she said.

Code violations include a leaking roof and broken plumbing.

An electrical fire happened recently, and critters crawl through broken windows, Gant said.

“The concession stand for our league is one of the biggest moneymakers,” she said. “I know that it’s expensive, and you probably can’t afford it, but I’m going to ask anyway.”

As a youngster, Gant said the Dade City Little League was a lifeline for her. She told commissioners she would be dropped off at the ballpark by her drug addicted mother, and picked up at the end of the day.

But, she said, “A lot of the character I learned was on that field from coaches that mentored me.”

While the county set aside about $1.5 million for park upkeep, the concession stand isn’t on the list. Gant did get some encouragement.

County officials will look into repairing the electrical outlets.

A 2015 parks’ master plan that included an overall needs assessment is in early stages of implementation.

“This is a story that is repeated all over our parks’ system,” said Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey. “We just don’t fund them enough.”

Budget highlights include:

  • A bus circulator route for Land O’ Lakes
  • A $6.3 million increase for the sheriff’s office to fund a second year of salary raises, 24 additional fulltime employees, and new patrol laptops
  • A fire rescue ambulance and crew for Fire Station 37 on State Road 54 at Ballantrae
  • A code enforcement initiative to clean up major corridors, such as U.S. 41 and U.S. 19

Published October 5, 2016

Illegal dumping at bins targeted

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Donation bins that collect used items – mostly clothing – can sometimes become magnets for illegal dumping.

Pasco County commissioners want to break that pattern with an ordinance establishing a registry and regulations on the location and oversight of the bins.

The county’s development review committee reviewed the draft ordinance on Sept. 28.

A donation bin near Sam’s Club, off State Road 56, became a dumping site in March as people dropped off used furniture, a mattress and other junk. (File Photo)
A donation bin near Sam’s Club, off State Road 56, became a dumping site in March as people dropped off used furniture, a mattress and other junk.
(File Photo)

Public hearings on the ordinance are scheduled for Oct. 11 in Dade City, and October 25 in New Port Richey.

County commissioners got a preview of the proposed regulations at their Sept. 27 meeting.

“It’s been a pet peeve of mine,” said Elizabeth Blair, senior assistant county attorney, who made the presentation at the meeting.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore began pushing for regulations in February, and snapping photos of dumped furniture, televisions and bags of clothes that couldn’t fit into the overflowing bins.

“We need some relief,” he said. “This can’t continue.”

However, he added, “We want legitimate charities to continue receiving donations. Most of the charities do a good job of cleaning them out.”

The worst offenders, Moore said, are the companies and organizations that collect clothes to sell for profit.

The proposed regulations would apply to donation bins and also to semi-tractors or trailers, or other temporary facilities used to collect recyclable or for resale materials and goods.

Permanent facilities with collection operations, such as those associated with Goodwill and Salvation Army thrift stores, aren’t included. Also, donation bins set up during permitted events aren’t subject to the ordinance provided the bins are removed within 48 hours of the event’s conclusion.

The ordinance would restrict bins to general and neighborhood commercial districts as well as light manufacturing and general industrial park districts. They also would be allowed in nonresidential areas within commercial and industrial districts that are part of master-planned developments. The regulation would require a company name, contact information and a tracking number be visible on the bins.

The proposed ordinance also calls for requiring permits to be be obtained before the placement of any donation bin. It would allow just one bin per location. However, a second bin can be approved if the location has more than 300 feet of road frontage.

The ordinance would prohibit placing bins in rights of way.

Other proposed requirements include:

  • Site plans detailing locations
  • Written consent from the property owner, or a legal representative of the owner
  • A pickup schedule for emptying and maintaining the bins
  • Proof applicants can legally operate a business in Pasco and the state

Permits for the bins would be renewed annually.

Published October 5, 2016