Kathy Steele

Famous Tate aiming for fall opening

June 15, 2016 By Kathy Steele

A new Famous Tate could be open as soon as fall.

Site preparation for the 13,700-square-foot appliance store is underway off U.S. 41 in Lutz. The store will sit on an outparcel in front of the Walmart Supercenter, and will be Pasco County’s third Famous Tate.

Famous Tate of New Tampa Inc., purchased the 1.5-acre vacant lot in March 2015.

A new Famous Tate off U.S. 41, in front of Walmart Supercenter, is expected to open by fall. It will be Pasco County’s third Famous Tate appliance store. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo) — A new Famous Tate off U.S. 41, in front of Walmart Supercenter, is expected to open by fall. It will be Pasco County’s third Famous Tate appliance store.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Owner John Horst said at the time that he wanted his company to be “a player” in the growth coming to the area.

“We have a lot of customer base,” said Claude Ward, the company’s general manager.

But, growth in the area also will bring more traffic, he said.

“As traffic becomes a hardship, people only drive so far, so we have to be more centrally located for our customers.”

Bulldozers recently cleared the land. The next step will be building permits to begin the store’s construction.

It tentatively is set for a fall opening, said Ward.

Famous Tate was founded in 1954. Its Pasco locations are 5419 Village Market in Wesley Chapel, and 8010 Grand Blvd., in Port Richey.

The store will have company, as developers are starting to buy more of the outparcels surrounding the Walmart location.

The discount store and the County Line shopping plaza are located in a pie-shaped swath of land between U.S. 41 and North Dale Mabry Highway, with entrances off both roadways.

New Port Richey Hospital Inc., a subsidiary of HCA Holdings Inc., recently bought a 1.6-acre vacant lot, across from Famous Tate. Plans are to build a health care facility, according to a press release from The Land Sharks LLC, which brokered the sale.

Another outparcel is slated for a Stor-Kwik Self Storage.

Mark Cooney of The Land Sharks also anticipates a restaurant and automobile store are potential new tenants on other outparcels.

Published June 15, 2016

Business Digest 06/15/2016

June 15, 2016 By Kathy Steele

New business
Bargain Warehouse Outlets is a new discount merchandise store at 11206 Challenger Ave., Unit C, in Odessa. Owners are Sue Collier Bradley, Van Bradley and their daughter, Christine Walker. Walker is the store’s managing partner.

The outlet store sells a wide range of merchandise from national retailers at 40 percent to 50 percent off retail prices. Items include toys, linen, housewares, sporting goods, automotive supplies, lawn and garden, home improvement and more. Inventory changes daily.

For information, contact Walker at (813) 454-7460 or .

Meet Tom Jackson
Tom Jackson, columnist for The Laker/Lutz News, will be on hand to meet and greet those attending The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce mixer on June 16.

The mixer will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Golden Corral, 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. The sponsor is The Laker/Lutz News.

For information, contact the chamber office at (813) 782-1913 or .

Linkedin Workshop
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the workshop “LinkedIn-Unlocking the Full Potential” on June 16 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Achieva Credit Union, 2115 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes. The workshop is for professionals who want to leverage the hidden power of LinkedIn to bolster their networking power. Bonnie Dye, a WordPress expert designer and manager, will facilitate the class.

The workshop will explain skills in using LinkedIn, including how to strategically place keywords into profiles; research your target customer; and get found without buying ads.

The cost is $20 for chamber members; $30 for non-members.

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

Business forum
A Lunch N’ Learn Business Forum is scheduled for June 16 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. The event is sponsored by IGTech365.

The cost is $15 including lunch. RSVP by June 15 is required, as seating is limited.

For information, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com, or call (813) 994-8534.

Ribbon cutting
Alta at Terra Bella will host a ribbon cutting on June 23 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 23700 Viento Drive, in Land O’ Lakes. The ribbon cutting will be at 5 p.m.

The apartment complex has more than 300 garden apartments, built by North Carolina-based Wood Partners. The complex is part of Terra Bella, a community of more than 250 single-family homes, off State Road 54.

For information, call (813) 895-3960, or email .

Awards banquet
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have its Annual Awards and Installation Banquet on June 24 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at Harbor Terrace Restaurant at Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club, at 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway in Lutz. The 2016-2017 officers are Terri Dusek, president; Kurt Conover, president-elect; Rhonda Buckley, secretary; David Gainer, treasurer; Elayne Bassinger, past president; and board members John Jay Anglada, Suzanne Beauchaine, Jack Buckley, Cindy Caroline, Rocky Contreras, Larry Giannone, Sandy Graves, Ignacio Ruiz, Elena McCullough, Les Saland and Jorge Santana.

A reception and cash bar will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The cost is $50 per individual, or $90 for two people, with RSVP by June 15. Cost at the door will be $60. Only 100 seats are available.

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

Pasco property values on the rise

June 8, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County property values grew by about $1.1 billion in 2015, according to tax estimates released by the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s Office.

That’s about 5.2 percent higher than the current tax roll and shows accelerated growth, compared to the previous steady growth of 4 percent, year to year.

Lowe’s home improvement store on State Road 54 is valued at about $18 million by Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office, and helped boost overall county property values. (File Photos) — Lowe’s home improvement store on State Road 54 is valued at about $18 million by Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office, and helped boost overall county property values.
(File Photos)

Much of the increase is being fueled by nearly $685 million in new residential and commercial construction.

The southern half of Pasco, particularly along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor is driving the growth, said Wade Barber, chief deputy at Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office.

“I think it will continue to be so,” he said. “Nothing up north is really going gangbusters yet.”

County records reflect the rising values.

Tampa Premium Outlets, which opened with more than 90 stores in October 2015, currently is valued at about $98 million. A year earlier with only vacant land to assess, the county pegged the property’s taxable value at nearly $12 million.

Lowe’s on State Road 54 in Lutz jumped from about $1.8 million in taxable value in 2015 to about $8.8 million now, records show. The home improvement store opened in April 2015.

More new housing construction is on the way, including Bexley Ranch in Odessa and Union Station in Wesley Chapel. Florida Hospital Center Ice Complex in Wesley Chapel is expected to open in October.

The upward trend in valuations could continue, but Ward cautioned that state-imposed caps on increases play a role in holding values down.

Crowds gathered outside stores on opening day at Tampa Premium Outlets. The mall was part of nearly $685 million in new construction that is pushing up Pasco County’s property values.

State law limits increases in valuations to no higher than 10 percent for commercial, nonresidential properties, and no more than 3 percent for homesteaded properties.

“It really holds you to the 5 percent range without new construction,” Barber said.

Overall, the boost in valuations spread to Pasco’s cities as well.

Estimated values and percentage increases are: Zephyrhills, $609 million, a 1 percent increase; Dade City, $265.7 million, a 2.1 percent increase; San Antonio, nearly $56 million, a 3.2 percent increase; Port Richey, nearly $252 million, a .08 percent increase; and New Port Richey, $504 million, a .08 percent increase.

The Town of St. Leo showed a modest increase of about $22,400 to an estimated value of about $8.7 million. But, the town’s property values remain in the doldrums compared to the nearly $10 million value in 2014.

The town lost about 85 homes in the Lake Jovita subdivision when Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill to de-annex the homes in 2014. The homes were added to unincorporated Pasco’s tax base.

Published June 8, 2016

Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen opens, Chick-fil-A comes next

June 8, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County residents looking to grab a bite to eat will have two new dining options starting this month.

One of those options, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, opened on June 6.

Chick-fil-A will open June 30.

Cheddars Scratch Kitchen opened on June 6 in front of Tampa Premium Outlets. Chick-fil-A is under construction in between Cheddar’s and Culver’s, which opened in May. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos) — Cheddars Scratch Kitchen opened on June 6 in front of Tampa Premium Outlets. Chick-fil-A is under construction in between Cheddar’s and Culver’s, which opened in May.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

The restaurants are side-by-side on Sun Vista Drive, in front of Tampa Premium Outlets, off State Road 56, in Wesley Chapel.

Before opening day at Cheddar’s, about 170 employees received training and worked at an invitation-only dinner session to get ready for customers.

“I think we’re excited. It’s a new destination, a new area,” said Mark Garcia, a general manager from Laredo, Texas. He was on temporary assignment to launch Cheddar’s at the Cypress Creek Town Center, a major retail center anchored by the outlet mall.

Pasco County resident John Seebach will be the new restaurant’s general manager.

Diners weren’t the only ones eager to have Cheddar’s on their radar. Garcia said about 1,500 people applied for jobs.

Construction is nearing an end at Chick-fil-A on Sun Vista Drive, by Tampa Premium Outlets. Opening is June 30.

The restaurant seats nearly 320 people and serves meals made fresh from scratch daily. Menu items include hand-battered onion rings, grilled hand-cut salmon, homemade chicken pot pie and hot fudge cake sundaes.

“Everything is made pretty much in house,” Garcia said.

This is the first Cheddar’s in Pasco.

Next door, construction crews are busy getting Chick-fil-A primed for its opening.

Owner Britt Young previously owned a Chick-fil-A in Moultrie, Georgia.

“I’ve got family all around here,” said Young, who lives in Lutz. “We love the area.”

The chicken chain got its start in 1946 as a diner in Atlanta, opened by Truett Cathy. Cathy opened his first Chick-fil-A brand restaurant in 1967, also in Atlanta. From the beginning, Cathy kept his restaurants closed on Sundays, saying employees needed time to spend with their families.

According to the company website, Chick-fil-A has about 1,700 locations in 38 states and Washington D.C.

Published June 8, 2016

Group hopes to reopen Moore-Mickens

June 8, 2016 By Kathy Steele

The Moore-Mickens Education Center may get new life, through efforts by a nonprofit group to lease the center from Pasco County Schools.

The center, whose history is tied to the first school for black students in Pasco County, was closed in 2015.

Pasco County school officials said the buildings on campus were in disrepair and too expensive to keep open.

A flier on the front door of the administration building at Moore-Mickens Education Center tells visitors the school is closed. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos) — A flier on the front door of the administration building at Moore-Mickens Education Center tells visitors the school is closed.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

“It was a big blow, especially to the African-American community when the school closed,” said Jesse McClendon Sr., pastor of New Family Life in Christ.

An effort is underway by a nonprofit, operating as the Moore-Mickens Education and Vocational Center Inc., to reopen the school to house multiple programs. It is soliciting partners, such as Pasco Kids First and Feeding Pasco’s Elderly.

Board members include Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez and Keith Babb, executive director of 2nd C.H.A.N.C.E. Center4Boyz.

The campus on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in recent years offered classes for adults, teen parents and special needs children.

The school’s name honors the legacy of two Pasco educators, Rev. Junias D. Moore and Odell Kingston “O.K.” Mickens.

McClendon said the nonprofit anticipates bringing a finalized plan to the school board in June or July.

Pasco Kids First is open to the idea of relocating its programs to Moore-Mickens, including Healthy Families and the Trauma Treatment Team.

“I think we can offer a very stable couple of programs to place at the site,” said Rick Hess, president of Pasco Kids First.

Moore-Mickens Education Center closed in 2015, but a nonprofit group wants to find new purposes for the historical school. Its roots date back to the first school for blacks to open in Pasco County.

Other programs being considered by the Moore-Mickens’ nonprofit would include a food bank, afterschool programs, an elderly nutrition program and voluntary prekindergarten classes.

The goal is to have the facility open in time for next year’s VPK classes to start, McClendon said.

“That would be something that complements the program we’re doing over there,” said Hess.

There are challenges for anyone taking on the building, said Ray Gadd, Pasco County’s deputy school superintendent.

“This is an old building with a lot of maintenance issues,” he said. “It also has undisturbed asbestos. As long as it’s undisturbed, it’s not an issue. We left the campus because it was a maintenance nightmare.”

However, there are about four buildings on campus that could be usable, with some work, Gadd said.

When the school district initially announced plans to close Moore-Mickens in 2014, school officials heard impassioned pleas from hundreds of people in the community who wanted to keep it open.

McClendon said the school, over the years, had become the educational home to a diverse population of students.

For many, it gave them hope and second chances through General Equivalency diplomas, and alternative educational classes.

“It surprised me,” McClendon said.

The community persuaded district officials to keep Moore-Mickens open, then.

But, officials reversed course a year later, citing the expense of repairs.

One last chance to secure funds for Moore-Mickens faded when Gov. Rick Scott in January vetoed $250,000 in the state’s 2016 budget to reopen Moore-Mickens.

The Cyesis teen parent program, FAPE 22 program for Exceptional Education students from age 18 to 22, Adult Education and the Support our Students (SOS) last-chance program were relocated to other schools.

When approached by the nonprofit, Gadd said he urged them to reach out to a range of social agencies.

An agreement with the school district likely would be a lease arrangement for $1 a year for a set number of years, Gadd said.

The district would require that the nonprofit have insurance, he added.

The group would be on their own to secure money for repairs, upkeep and program funding.

Funding is an issue, but McClendon said the lease agreement could make the nonprofit eligible for grants. One source, for example, would be state historical grants. Fundraising events also would be held, McClendon said.

The reopening of the school likely would be done in phases, he said.

Published June 8, 2016

Sludge disposal passes the smell test

June 8, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Getting rid of thousands of wet tons of sludge each year – also known as biosolids – isn’t as easy as flushing a toilet and watching it drain out of sight —beyond anyone’s smell.

Pasco County is looking toward new technology and biosolids management company, Merrell Bros. Inc., to deliver a solution.

Pasco County commissioners heard a presentation during a May 17 workshop regarding a proposed facility that can turn sludge into dry fertilizer that can be sold.

Consultants from CDM explained how the system would work to commissioners.

Merrell would construct and operate the facility, which would be owned by the county and located at the Shady Hills solid waste complex.

County officials estimate a cost savings of as much as $750,000 a year based on a service agreement with Merrell. Construction costs would not exceed $13 million. The facility could be online within two years.

The Indiana-based company is the second to seek the county’s business. In 2011, commissioners selected Earth, Wind & Fire Technologies to handle the county’s sludge, but the company folded before negotiating a contract.

Earth, Wind & Fire planned to create a synthetic diesel fuel from the sludge.

Pasco annually ends up with about 23,000 tons of sludge that fills about 1,100 dump trucks, according to Anthony Pevec, environmental engineer with CDM.

Much of it is composted or hauled to landfills in Georgia. But, some also goes to St. Cloud, where the largest bio-landfill in central Florida is located. Tipping fees there rose about 13 percent in the last year, according to data from CDM.

Pevec told commissioners that getting rid of sludge is expensive and is getting more so as state regulations limit available sites. Counties worried about protecting clean water also are restricting new site permits, including Pasco.

According to CDM, St. Petersburg’s disposal method is estimated to cost about $80 million.

Nearly four years ago, Hillsborough County spent more than $25 million on a process that couldn’t eliminate the odor issue.

Merrell is proposing a 15-year agreement with Pasco, with three, 5-year renewals, according to county records. The proposed facility would have a 50,000-ton capacity. In addition to Pasco’s sludge, Merrell anticipates contracting with other counties to treat and convert their product to fertilizer for sale.

But Michael Carballa, the county’s utilities engineering director, said, “Our sludge always has priority.”

The facility would have a greenhouse “pod,” a pasteurization building and an odor control system. A pilot program tested the procedure by using some of Pasco’s sludge.

It passed the test.

“We wanted a high level of odor control,” said Pevec.

Published June 8, 2016

Business Digest 06/08/2016

June 8, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Prevent online fraud
In recognition of Internet Safety Month, Central Bank, located at Bruce B. Downs and County Line Road, offers these seven tips to help consumers avoid online fraud:

Keep your computers and mobile devices up to date. Having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Turn on automatic updates so you receive the newest fixes as they become available.
Set strong passwords. A strong password is at least eight characters long and includes a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.
Watch out for phishing scams. These scams use fraudulent emails and websites to trick users into disclosing private account or login information. Do not click on links or open any attachments or pop-up screens from unfamiliar sources. (Forward phishing emails to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at – and to the company, bank or organization impersonated in the email).
Keep personal information personal. Hackers can use social media profiles to figure out your passwords and answer those security questions in the password reset tools. Lock down your privacy settings and avoid posting things like birthdays, addresses, mother’s maiden name and so on. Be wary of requests to connect from strangers.
Secure your internet connection. Always protect your home wireless network with a password. When connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, be cautious about the information you send over it.
Shop safely. Before shopping online, make sure the website uses secure technology. When you are at the checkout screen, verify that the web address begins with https. Also, check to see if a tiny locked padlock symbol appears on the page.
Read the site’s privacy policies. These policies tell you how the site protects the personal information it collects. If you don’t see or understand a site’s privacy policy, consider doing business elsewhere.

For more information on internet security or Central Bank, visit CentralBankFL.com.

Free Cybersecurity forum
Small business owners and administrators are invited to a free breakfast panel discussion on “Protecting Your Organization from Cyber Breaches.”

The panel will on June 15 at 8:30 a.m., at Saint Leo University. It will be moderated by Krista Covey, director of the SMARTstart Business Incubator in nearby Dade City. The incubator is a program of the Pasco Economic Development Council. The panel will help identify threats to small businesses and strategies to counter such dangers.

North Tampa chamber meeting
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly general meeting on June 9, with check-in at 11 a.m., at Brunchies, Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch and Catering at 14366 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. Networking is until 11: 30 a.m., when lunch will be served from a select menu.

Guest speaker is Terry Hitchcock, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and sometimes dubbed the “Real Forrest Gump.” He is an author, speaker and entrepreneur. In 1996, he ran 75 marathons in 75 consecutive days (about 2,100 miles), arriving at the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics to honor single parents and their children. A documentary, “My Run”, chronicled his life story. He is author of “American Business: The Last Hurrah?”, and co-authored “A Father’s Odyssey.”

Reservations are being accepted. The cost is $21, whether you eat or not, and is payable at the door by cash, check or credit card.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 961-2420, or email .

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

Members and guests are welcome.

Guest speaker will be Keith Wiley, Pasco County’s natural resources manager. He will discuss the county’s Environmental Land Acquisition and Management Program, or ELAMP.

The cost is $20 you RSVP by June 10, and $25 after and at the door.

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

Eve’s Garden finds a new paradise

June 1, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Evie Lynn is moving to greener pastures.

To be precise, she is staking out 55 acres of an old orange grove in Groveland that will be populated with bonsai, bamboo and beefalos.

Evie Lynn, owner of Eve’s Garden Inc., is moving her nursery and gift shop to a large pasture in Groveland. (Courtesy of Evie Lynn) — Evie Lynn, owner of Eve’s Garden Inc., is moving her nursery and gift shop to a large pasture in Groveland.
(Courtesy of Evie Lynn)

The beefalos are her husband’s idea after spotting a herd of them on his drive to Groveland. The cows are a cross between domestic cattle and bison.

The couple are the proud owners of a baby beefalo, bringing their herd up to a count of one dozen.

Evie Lynn glowed with pride last week at the news of the calf’s first steps at the Lynns’ new pasture.

But, she was also deep into the details of shutting down Eve’s Garden Inc., after 33 years in Land O’ Lakes — and relocating her enterprise to Groveland.

The retail shop and garden, at 5602 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., are favorites of local gardeners who are looking for bonsai and bamboo plants, and who benefit from the expertise of Lynn and her staff.

But, the business primarily sells wholesale nationwide to gift shops, nurseries and large companies, such as Publix and Walgreens, and to Disney for the Chinese and Japanese pavilions at Epcot.

Eve’s is one of the largest bonsai nurseries in the nation.

On June 10 at 10 a.m., Higgenbotham Auctioneers will auction off about 7 acres of lakefront commercial property at 5602 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Two statues of lions greet visitors at the entrance to Eve’s Garden Gifts. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos) — Two statues of lions greet visitors at the entrance to Eve’s Garden Gifts.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

The site will be sold as two parcels. One is about 2 acres, and fronts U.S. 41. The other is nearly 5 acres, and includes the shop and warehouse. Following the auction of the land, plants and supplies, Koi fish, statues, entrance gates and more also will be auctioned.

A preview of the property, and its inventory, will be held on June 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Currently, Eve’s Garden is offering 30 percent or more off on everything in the nursery.

Investors representing potential hotels, restaurants, and even a day care center have made inquiries, Lynn said.

For many years she has been looking for a larger property that opened up more opportunities for her business.

When she started Eve’s Garden, Land O’ Lakes still had rural appeal. But, Lynn said her property is too valuable for a plant nursery now that development and growth are changing the landscape of Land O’ Lakes.

And, she is ready for a quieter lifestyle.

Lynn grew up in New York. Her interest in bonsai came early when her mother would drop her off at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. At age 8, she would spend hours learning the ancient art of bonsai.

By trimming, shaping and wiring, a plant specimen can become a miniature version of what is found in a natural landscape.

Colorful and shapely vases are for sale at Eve’s Garden. The property and inventory will be auctioned on June 10.

“It’s very relaxing,” Lynn said. “You become one with them. It’s almost like a work of art, but it’s living art.”
Initially, Lynn thought about keeping a small shop open in Land O’ Lakes, but instead she hopes that customers will make the scenic, one-hour drive to Groveland.

She is in early stages of building a garden and gift shop with an Asian theme. A greenhouse and a 25,000-square-foot warehouse and packing plant are new additions to the property.

When she first eyed the site, Lynn said, “It was weeds, and you could barely go through it.”

Long-term, she plans to tap into the growing trend of agritourism that is popular, especially in central Florida.

The customer base is growing, as people seek activities that are farm-based and pastoral.

Within about five miles of Groveland, developers are planning to expand The Villages, a retirement community outside Orlando. About 2,000 new homes will be built.

Lynn is planning ahead to a grand opening of the new Eve’s Garden in Groveland in December.

“We’ll make it a splendid Asian thing,” said Lynn.

Published June 1, 2016

Cross Creek: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ spiritual home

June 1, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings followed an unlikely path from Rochester, New York, to a rustic farmhouse in hardscrabble Florida — and to international fame as the author of “The Yearling.”

Sight unseen, she and her husband, Charles Rawlings, took a risk on a working farm with 1,635 fruit-bearing trees and 150 “good” chickens.

Exterior view of the house where Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings lived, at Cross Creek. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Exterior view of the house where Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings lived, at Cross Creek.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

But it was there, in 1928, that Rawlings found her spiritual destination, a sense of place and belonging.

Today, visitors to the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park may feel, as they step through a side gate to the farmhouse, that they are stopping by to visit a friend.

On a wooden sign, Rawlings’ own words say it all, “Here is home.”

A sandy path leads to the farmhouse. Chickens and roosters roam the yard, scratching in the dirt. Shirts and sheets on some days are pegged to a clothesline.

A rustic-looking barn, off to the side, is the gathering point for guided tours of the 19th century farmhouse. Otherwise, visitors are free to roam where they will, to peek through windows into a faded tenant’s house, imagine turning the key to a yellow 1940 Oldsmobile parked beside the house, or stroll in solitude among hammock trees and palmettos on trails that loop from farmhouse to tenant house.

This is the writing table where Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings sat to compose books that were read around the world. One of them, ‘The Yearling’ won her a Pulitzer Prize.

“There’s a feeling people get when they come to the property,” said Rick Mulligan, a tour guide at the park. “It’s what she writes about. It’s peaceful. It’s restorative. It’s Old Florida. It’s essentially the same as when she was here.”

More than 23,000 visitors walk through that gate each year.

Some know scraps and pieces of Rawlings’ life, gleaned from two Hollywood movies based on “The Yearling” and her autobiography, “Cross Creek.”

But for some, the journey is a pilgrimage to the home of a writer they came to know in their childhood through the coming of age story of a young boy and his pet deer.

The state park is bare of commercial trappings. There is no gift shop, no bookstore. The parkland in soul and spirit is the same homestead where Rawlings lived for nearly two decades.

The citrus grove is gone, but fruit trees still thrive. A kitchen garden is planted and harvested by tour guides that work there. Chickens lay eggs in a barn that is a replica of the original one.

As Rick Mulligan guides tours at the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park, his admiration for the writer and his knowledge about her life are apparent

Almost all of the furniture in the house is original, kept in storage for many years after her death by her second husband, Norton Baskin.

It was here in the 1930s when Rawlings saw her first stories published, “Cracker Chidlings” and “Jacob’s Ladder.” Her first novel “South Moon Under” — about moonshining — followed in 1933.

Then, in 1938, “The Yearling” came out, and Rawlings won a Pulitzer Prize.

She had struggled in obscurity for years, writing Gothic-inspired stories that didn’t impress editors or readers.

Maxwell Perkins, a renowned editor at Scribner’s, encouraged Rawlings to abandon Gothic and write what she knew – the lives and often hard times of her neighbors who scraped by, living off the land.

“She truly found her inspiration when she came down here,” said Mulligan. “It was a crazy risk. She almost had to give it up.”

The kitchen in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ home was well-stocked, and the author was known for using fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and eggs in the meals she prepared for her guests.

After the 1929 Depression, Rawlings and her husband divorced, and she struggled to hold onto the farm.

With literary success, financial benefits followed. One of her first large expenditures was a bathroom and indoor plumping. But, an outhouse still stands, just outside a back door.

Daily, she sat at a table on the veranda, typing on a Remington Noiseless typewriter and chain-smoking Lucky Strikes.

She had a reputation for speaking her mind, though Baskin once described her as the shyest person he ever knew.

One thing she would never let pass – the mispronunciation of her maiden name.

It is KinNAN (with the emphasis on the second syllable), not Kinnan (with the emphasis on the first).

“She would correct you,” Mulligan said.

Rawlings entertained often at the farmhouse, inviting neighbors and fellow writers including Robert Frost and Zora Neale Hurston.

Perkins and actor Gregory Peck, when he was filming “The Yearling,” also came.

She relied on oil lamps until the house was wired for electricity in 1950.

Besides being an acclaimed writer, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was an avid reader, as demonstrated by these shelves filled with books at her Cross Creek home.

She suffered two bouts of malaria while at Cross Creek.

The farmhouse, room by room, is left as she lived in it.

When Rawlings died in 1953 at the age of 57, she willed her property to the University of Florida. Today, the state’s park system manages the property.

More than a half-century later, visitors continue to be attracted to the place where Rawlings worked and lived.

They come from everywhere, from Florida, New Hampshire, Arizona, North Carolina and Rawlings’ home state of New York. But, Mulligan said international guests also arrive, including residents of Poland and a professor from China who teaches Rawlings’ work to her students.

“She was a compelling individual,” the tour guide said.

What: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
Where: 18700 S. County Road 325, Cross Creek, Florida
Hours: Park grounds open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; guided tours of the farmhouse from October through July, Thursday through Sunday, except for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Tours are at 10 a.m.; 11 a.m.; 1 p.m.; 2 p.m.; 3 p.m.; and 4 p.m.
Cost: Parking is $3 per group in one vehicle. Tours are $3 for adults and $2 for children ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and under are admitted free.
For more information, visit FloridaStateParks.org, or call (352) 466-3672.

Published June 1, 2016

Trails master plan under review

June 1, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County is mapping out its greenways, trails and blueways to preserve more of natural, wild Florida, and to give residents more opportunities for outdoor activities.

Increasingly, that brings into conflict choices between public access and private property rights.

Pasco County commissioners grappled with the issue at a May 17 workshop.

Commissioners are searching for answers on how to sort out some unique land use priorities in establishing a master plan for a county trails network.

Allen Howell, Pasco County’s senior planner for bicycles and pedestrians, talks with county commissioners about a proposed trails map for a master-planned system of greenways, trails and blueways. (Courtesy of Richard K. Riley) — Allen Howell, Pasco County’s senior planner for bicycles and pedestrians, talks with county commissioners about a proposed trails map for a master-planned system of greenways, trails and blueways.
(Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

County staff are updating policies and a map that would be adopted as part of long range planning for the trails network. The map includes planned and conceptual trails, as well as existing trails, and already has the approval of the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

But words carry meaning, and commissioners didn’t like the language of a proposed ordinance that struck out the word “new” in front of the word “development.”

It set off alarm bells on how existing development projects would be treated as the trails network is knit together.

“You’re not going to require existing developers to go back and upgrade to new standards,” said Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey.

“I think it opens up a can of worms,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

While there is an increasing interest in recreation and exercise, Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader said, “I’m always concerned about unintended consequences. I just want some clarity on what the real intent is so we don’t have those unintended consequences. I support the idea of providing more recreation and trails.”

Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker said county staff is in early stages of drafting the ordinance, which would deal with policy. The regulatory process then would be the next step, she said.

“We haven’t started crafting the language yet,” Baker said.

Starkey said a “hierarchy” of trails should be identified. “We need to clearly define where are the master trails.”

Some of the lines on the map are ideas of where trails might go, and can be moved, she said. “We’re trying to get from (point) A to (point) B. We’re not going to take someone’s property to do it. We need to make sure that’s plugged in there.”

Many gated communities provide trails as amenities for their residents, said Allen Howell, the county’s senior planner for bicycles and pedestrians.

“Not all trails are publicly accessible,” he said.

The county’s trails network will be developed as part of area road projects, Penny for Pasco projects, the Sun Trail projects and private development.

Schrader said the marketplace would likely determine when and how private developers want to participate in the trails network, and when public access would be allowed.

Public comment wasn’t taken at the workshop, but land use attorney Clarke Hobby spoke briefly to commissioners, suggesting “softer” language was needed for the ordinance.

Afterward, Hobby said the county’s intent with the ordinance “isn’t clear.”

He suggested the county adopt its regulations for the trails creation before adopting a new map. “No one is against trails,” he said.

But, he pointed out one trail line on the current, proposed map cuts through private property in northeast Pasco that was bought 25 years ago.

Published June 1, 2016