Kathy Steele

App seeks to reduce property fraud

November 18, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s Office is now offering residents a free app that will help protect against property fraud.

The app seeks to take aim at what the Federal Bureau of Investigation reports as the fastest-growing, white-collar crime in the nation.

The Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s Office is offering residents the app to help them monitor documents such as deeds, wills and liens filed with Pasco County.

Pinellas, Polk and Palm Harbor counties have launched similar preventative programs during the past year, using up-to-date social media technology.

Since launching the app in September, nearly 110 people have registered for the program in Pasco, said Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Paula O’Neil.

As of last week, four alerts had been sent out, though no one had yet reported any fraudulent activity.

The app is an early warning system that works in the same way a credit card alert program does, O’Neil explained.

While alerts don’t automatically mean something is wrong, people will know if they need to question an activity, she said.

“It lets them know if something is wrong,” said O’Neil. “There are no fees for any of it.”

Residents or business owners can go online to register the name or names to be monitored. They choose a notification method including by email or phone.

Alerts go out when a document is recorded with the registered name or names. Property owners can verify whether they initiated the activity.

A typical fraud might include filing a forged deed that records a new owner, and then taking out a mortgage on the property. Such activity, in some cases, could go undetected until the true owner refinanced or sold the property.

O’Neil said the app also could protect people from phone scammers who illicit personal information later used to file false documents.

If fraud is suspected, law enforcement or another appropriate agency can be contacted for follow up.

To register call (800) 747-4600, or visit www.pascoclerk.com and go to the link for “property fraud alert service.”

Published November 18, 2015

Antiques from rustic to elegant at Shabby Shack

November 18, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Golf can wait – at least for now. Antiques are so much more fun.

So, Laura Sanderson has put her golf career on hold, and has set up shop at Shabby Shack Antiques & Vintage.

The shop’s name is a twist on the Bill Murray movie, “Caddyshack,” a classic comedy about what else – golf.

But, let’s forget golf for the moment.

Inside Shabby Shack, antiques and collectibles fill the floors, nooks and crannies of seven rooms.

Elephants are the motif for a pair of table art decorations at Shabby Shack. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos) — Elephants are the motif for a pair of table art decorations at Shabby Shack.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

The wares are from personal family treasures, garage sales and thrift stores.

“This has been a passion of my whole family, collecting antiques and unusual things,” said Sanderson. “I’m at a point in my career when it was good to put it on pause, and go for it,” Sanderson said.

She is the new owner of the former Family Treasures’ property. That long-time business on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard bought and sold coins, metal detectors and collectibles.

The location also once operated as an antique shop, known as Calamity Jane.

Shabby Shack, at 4312 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is stepping out with its own sense of style.

Sanderson asked her family members to “thin out” their antiques at home, and bring them to Shabby Shack.

On weekends, she also combs through garage sales and thrift shops on the lookout for the one-of-a-kind item.

Laura Sanderson is putting her golf career on hold for another passion – antiques. She opened Shabby Shack in October.

“It’s not straight antiques. I have modern too, if it’s unusual,” she said. “I like things that have form and function.”

Her favorites are art deco and mid-century Modern.

In her spare time, she goes creative and repurposes what seems to have lost its function. An old camera with a flash attachment, for instance, becomes a lamp. Map pages from an atlas become the foundation for wreaths.

A large, wooden biplane hangs from a ceiling, waiting for its transformation.

“It would be the perfect lamp hanging over a pool table,” said Sanderson, who is a graduate of Brandon High School.

She began playing golf as a youngster, but didn’t become a professional golfer until age 40.

She worked for more than 25 years as a golf pro at area country clubs, including The Groves and Meadow Oaks.

She moved to Land O’ Lakes about six years ago.

Shabby Shack is in a spot along U.S. 41 that Sanderson hopes is ready for redevelopment.

A large, wooden biplane hangs from a ceiling at Shabby Shack. Shop owner Laura Sanderson thinks it would make a perfect hanging lamp over a pool table.

“I believe in Land O’ Lakes,” she said. “I so badly want to see something happen along U.S. 41.”

And, she’s eager for Shabby Shack to be a part of that transformation.

On a mid-day on Tuesday, Land O’ Lakes resident Margaret Dillard dropped by to purchase a pulley. She had her eye on it for a few days.

“I don’t know where you’re shopping (for antiques), but you’re getting some mighty nice things,” she told Sanderson.

Dillard said she enjoys the surprises that can be found at Shabby Shack. The shop caters to all tastes from rustic to elegant, she said.

Sanderson said her goal at the shop is to “turn, turn, turn. I want new truckloads every week. I don’t want stale inventory.”

Merchandise generally is priced on the lower end of the scale, from $3 to $200.

Sanderson’s husband helps with lawn maintenance around the property, which also has a smaller building in the rear. Sanderson hopes to rent that out, possibly for another antiques space.

For now, Shabby Shack is pretty much a one-woman show.

“I’m just stepping out on a leap of faith,” Sanderson said.

What: Shabby Shack Antiques & Vintage
Where: 4312 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Information: (813) 501-4900

Published November 18, 2015

Business Digest 11/18/15

November 18, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Ribbon cutting
Appliance World, a new member of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, will have a ribbon cutting on Nov. 19 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 47643 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills. The business sells reconditioned appliances including refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and dishwashers.

For information, call (813) 312-3885.

Network luncheon
Lunch ‘N Learn with the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the chamber boardroom, at 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 105. The guest speaker will be Thomas Giella, owner of Gear Spinners. He will offer tips on how to make your website and social media deliver a return on your investment.

The cost is $15, with lunch included. Register early, as seating is limited.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 994-8534, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com, or email .

Breakfast meeting
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly breakfast meeting on Dec. 1 from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., at Pasco-Hernando State College, third floor conference center, Room B-303, at the Porter Campus, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Cost for chamber members is $15 in advance (register online by 3 p.m., Nov. 27. At the door, the cost is $20 for members and non-members.

For information, call (813) 994-8534, or email . Visit the website at WesleyChapelChamber.com.

Zephyrhills breakfast network
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly breakfast meeting on Dec. 3 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at Golden Corral, 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

The sponsor will be Zephyrhills/Wesley Chapel Ministerial Association.

The cost is $7 for members, and $10 for non-members.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 278-1913, or email .

Holiday networking
WOW, Women of Wesley Chapel, will meet Dec. 4 from 7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m., in the second floor conference room at the Health and Wellness Center, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. The event will benefit S.O.C.K.S., an organization that collects socks to give to cancer patients. Come enjoy a holiday-spirited celebration of WOW’s accomplishments in 2015.

For information, call the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at (813) 994-8534, or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com.

Lutz mixer
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will host an “After Hours Mixer” on Dec. 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at E.L.L.A. Boutique, inside the Lutz Ace Hardware Store, at 18409 U.S. 41 in Lutz. Enjoy refreshments, wine and networking.

For information contact the chamber at (813) 961-2420, email to , or visit NorthTampaChamber.com.

Business Link breakfast
Business Link will have its monthly networking breakfast on Dec. 9 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Wesley Chapel Toyota, at 5300 Eagleston Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. Come for tips and networking to strengthen your business. This monthly gathering, held at various locations, provides networking and an information-sharing platform for our small business community. A complimentary breakfast will be provided.

Please RSVP to Rebecca Gaddis at (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237, or email .

Chamber luncheon
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon on Dec. 10, with check-in at 11a.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.

Dulcee Loehn, coach at FocalPoint Business Performance of Tampa Bay, will explain how to “Change Your Habits and Transform your Business.”

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

International award
The Pasco Economic Development Council received a Bronze Excellence in Economic Development Award for Business Retention & Expansion-Single Event at this year’s International Economic Development Council Annual Conference.

The award honors the combined efforts of Pasco EDC with community partners, including Pasco County, New Port Richey, and Duke Energy, to keep Applicant Insight in New Port Richey. The company is the city’s largest employer.

“This award serves as a salute to pacesetting organizations like the Pasco Economic Development Council for leading the charge,” said JoAnn Carary, in a press release from Pasco EDC. Carary is chairwoman of International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and president of Saginaw Future Inc.

The IEDC is a nonprofit membership organization serving economic developers.

Representatives of Applicant Insight had begun to search new sites for relocation. But, Pasco EDC representatives met with company officials to discuss issues of concern, including the need for a larger facility, as well as crime and safety.

Instead of relocating, the company signed a lease on a new location in New Port Richey, which keeps 100 high-paying jobs in the area. Applicant Insight has increased jobs by nearly 30 percent with plans to expand in the future.

Job training
CareerSource Pasco Hernando received an $80,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, according to a news release from CareerSource. The funds are from a statewide Sector Partnership National Emergency Grant of nearly $7 million that is targeted at long-term unemployed individuals in health care and manufacturing. The funds will help transition 25 individuals who have been unemployed for longer than 20 weeks. Classroom instruction in manufacturing skills will be offered that will lead to an industry certification. Participants will then be eligible for short-term on-the-job training with a local manufacturer. First enrollments will be in February/March 2016.

For information, visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com.

SBA award nominations open
The U.S. Small Business Administration is accepting nominations for its 2016 awards competition.

The SBA honors successes of small businesses and small business owners during “National Small Business Week.”

All nominations must be submitted no later than 3 p.m., Jan. 11, 2016.

For information about the awards, please visit SBA.gov/districtoffices.

Business workshops
Copperstone Executive Suites is collaborating with Lane Business Consulting to offer a yearlong intensive program called “The Business Mastery Academy.” Each month, the program includes two on-site workshops, one telephone conference call, and a one-on-one coaching session for each participant. Two business consultants and between 10 and 15 business owners will offer their expertise.

Copperstone Executive Suites is offering 10 to 15 grants of $600 each to business owners who complete an online application and are accepted into the program. The remaining monthly cost for the business owner is $47 per month.

For more information, and to apply for a grant, visit Copperstone.info, or call Copperstone Executive Suites at (813) 298-7363 or Lane Business Consulting at (813) 486-2837.

Business Digest 11/11/15

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Construction jobs increasing
The construction industry is facing a work force shortage with 86 percent of companies reporting difficulties in filling hourly and salaried positions, according to an October survey released by The Associated General Contractors of America.

But Doreen DiPolito, owner and president of D-Mar General Contracting and Development, sees that as an opportunity, especially for skilled workers.

“Today’s market conditions give skilled laborers the upper hand, allowing them to command better pay and perks,” DiPolito says in a Nov. 4 news release.

The Clearwater-based company currently is expanding its projects. Among its past projects was the LSG Sky Chefs kitchen at Tampa International Airport. D-Mar also has completed projects for Hess, Dunkin’ Brands, Burger King and Circle K.

The survey’s findings reveal that carpenters are in greatest demand with 73 percent of companies overall reporting a need to fill those positions.

Wages also are increasing for skilled workers, the survey says.

Fifty-six percent of companies are increasing base pay rates, 16 percent are paying more overtime, and 23 percent are providing bonuses, according to the survey.

Contractors are eager to hire new employees, which will lead to quicker build times, DiPolito says, in the release.

For more information, visit D-mar.com.

Sweets for the sweet
Delectable Delights is now open at 16541 Pointe Village Drive, Suite 110, in Lutz. The shop dishes up ice cream from Working Cow, and also offers cakes and pies, gourmet cookies, cake pops, candies and toys. The sweets selection is available at Northpointe Village Shopping Center, at the southwest corner of State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway.

For information, call (813) 920-4200.

Terra Bella model home
Hovnanian Homes and the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have a ribbon cutting at the Terra Bella community for its “Messina” model home on Nov. 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The model home is at 2300 Via Bella Blvd., off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes. Refreshments will be served. Terra Bella is a master planned community, off State Road 54, near Livingston Road. The development is about 2 miles west of Interstate 75, conveniently located near major highways, dining, and shopping.

Business Link breakfast
Business Link will have its monthly networking breakfast on Nov. 12 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Quality Inn & Suites, 6815 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills.

Come for tips and networking to strengthen your business. This monthly gathering, held at various locations, provides networking and an information-sharing platform for small businesses. A complimentary breakfast will be provided.

Please RSVP to Rebecca Gaddis at (352) 588-1356, or email .

Hispanic business luncheon
The Hispanic Business Leaders Luncheon will be on Nov. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, at 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. Sponsors are the Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Guest speakers will be representatives of Sunrise of Pasco County, Farm Worker Self Help, Oasis Pregnancy Care Centers and AmericanNow.

The cost is $20 for members, and $25 for non-members, but only $18 if prepaid. For information contact John Jay Anglada, at Finest DeeJays, at (813) 298-3232.

Uphill celebrates a year
UpHill Marketing Group will host a ribbon cutting and one-year anniversary on Nov. 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Delectable Delights, at 16541 Pointe Village Drive, Suite 110, in Lutz. Join owner Gayle Hill, who is celebrating one year in business and her new membership with Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

RSVP at UphillMarketingGroup.com, or call Gayle Hill at (813) 892-2545.

For information, call (813) 312-3885.

The cost is $15, with lunch included. Register early, as seating is limited.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 994-8534, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com, or email .

The IEDC is a nonprofit membership organization serving economic developers.

For information, visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com.

SBA award nominations open
The U.S. Small Business Administration is accepting nominations for its 2016 awards competition.

The SBA honors successes of small businesses and small business owners during “National Small Business Week.”

All nominations must be submitted no later than 3 p.m., Jan. 11, 2016.

For information about the awards, please visit SBA.gov/districtoffices.

For more information, and to apply for a grant, visit Copperstone.info, or call Copperstone Executive Suites at (813) 298-7363 or Lane Business Consulting at (813) 486-2837.

Consolidation improves emergency operations

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County’s 911 call center is making strides in improving its operations, according to an annual report of its activities.

For the past two years, the Public Safety Communications department has been in transition as the county and Pasco County Sheriff’s office consolidated emergency response operations.

The Dade City Police Department also recently merged its 911 center with the county.

The Public Safety Communications division is a busy place.

In 2014-2015, it answered more than 525,000 calls.

Of those, more than 210,000 were 911 calls, and nearly 38,000 were classified as high priority.

Of more than 252,000 dispatched calls, most went to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and Pasco Fire Rescue, the report shows.

There were about 15,000 dropped, or abandoned, calls.

That’s a significant number, according to Randy TeBeest, assistant county administrator for public safety and administration.

But, it’s an improvement.

In a single year, the center has reduced the number of abandoned calls from 10 percent to 7 percent, the report found.

“Abandoned calls are a national problem,” TeBeest said, and they happen for a variety of reasons.

Children sometimes dial 911 by mistake. Prank calls are made. In the age of the cellphone, pocket dialing happens. And at accident scenes, people who start to call 911 realize other people also are dialing and, TeBeest said, they drop their calls.

A benefit of consolidation is a 55 percent reduction in call transfers from one department or agency to another. That has helped cut down on the time a caller has to wait and also on the potential for dropped calls.

Emergency dispatch times have improved by 30 percent, the report found. National standards require 90 percent of emergency calls be answered in 10 seconds during the busiest hour with the greatest call volume.

The standard also requires 95 percent of all emergency calls to be answered within 20 seconds. There was a significant decline in answering times for the sheriff’s office in the summer of 2014, but TeBeest said, “At all times, we were above industry standards.”

Most recently, call takers answered about 99 percent of calls for assistance from the sheriff’s office within the standard recommended time.

One of the biggest challenges for the center is staffing turnover due to the intensity of the job. The center currently has 13 vacancies.

But, TeBeest said the center expects to be close to fully staffed soon.

The county authorized eight new hires and, in total, there are 11 new employees in training, he said.

The emergency response operations will deploy a new radio system in the coming year to enhance communication among agencies. A new phone system also is being installed to thwart potential cyber attacks.

Published November 11, 2015

A walk through history at Lutz Cemetery

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The first resident of the Lutz Cemetery is a man known only as Mr. Nims. His grave marker is gone and the burial plot nearly obliterated.

Local historians think he was buried there in 1914, and almost nothing is known of his personal history.

That is not the situation, however, for most of the people resting in peace at this hallowed ground, off U.S. 41 at Fifth Avenue.

Instead, their headstones and grave markers are a narrative of the history of Lutz from past to present.

The cemetery is more than 100 years old.

The Lutz Cemetery Association Inc., maintains the Lutz Cemetery. Vernon Wynn is the president of the association; Mary Lewis is vice president and also director of operations for the cemetery. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo) — The Lutz Cemetery Association Inc., maintains the Lutz Cemetery. Vernon Wynn is the president of the association; Mary Lewis is vice president and also director of operations for the cemetery.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

The original cemetery plot was 230 feet by 80 feet, in what today is the western portion of the cemetery, according to “Citrus, Sawmills, Critters, Crackers,” a history of Lutz by Elizabeth Riegler MacManus and her daughter, Susan MacManus.

Today, the site measures nearly 8 acres.

Early settlers who are buried include Fred Polen, a teacher at Myrtle School, and later a mail carrier; and Herbert Vernon, owner of Vernon & Land Co. Three generations of the Goheens can be found there, too.

Ira Goheen and his father, Alfred, made Mr. Nims’ coffin, according to the MacManus’ book.

Modern day community activists also are at the Lutz Cemetery including Oscar Cooler, a champion of Lutz youth sports. The Oscar Cooler Sports Complex is named for him. And Carolyn Meeker, former president of the Lutz Civic Association, is another activist buried there.

“This is a community cemetery,” said Mary Lewis, vice president of the Lutz Cemetery Association Inc., and the cemetery’s director of operations.

The cemetery is a legacy donated to Lutz residents by C. E. Thomas, president of the North Tampa Land Company. A group of Chicago investors bought about 32,000 acres, north of the city of Tampa. They called their proposed settlement “North Tampa.”

The company targeted its advertising to would-be farmers and settlers in the North and Midwest, especially in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

The first permanent settler was Mike Riegler, a 30-year-old German immigrant who later donated land for the Myrtle-Denham School.

A few years into the land sales, Thomas made an offer that anyone who bought 10 acres could have a free lot in town or a burial plot in the cemetery.

New signs display the rules of the Lutz Cemetery.

Residents cared for the cemetery in the days when activities, such as “barn raising” ceremonies, still thrived and brought families together for a common effort.

For many years, Lutz’ residents gathered once or twice a year to tend to the cemetery. According to the MacManus’ book, men would come with hoes and rakes; women would pack a picnic lunch.

Just when that practice ended isn’t clear but the Lutz Cemetery Association came together in the mid-1950s, said Vernon Wynn, the association’s current president.

“It goes waaaay back,” Wynn said.

But, the association has had a low profile within the community, he said.

Today, the association is taking a more activist role in bringing attention to the cemetery. Board members recently installed a Lutz Cemetery sign near the front of the cemetery facing U.S. 41. For years, motorists could zip past and not realize the cemetery was there.

“It’s really visible now, where before it wasn’t,” Wynn said.

Wynn can point in almost any direction at the cemetery and find a family member. He traces his roots to Lutz pioneers who were among the earliest to buy land and settle down.

He remembers a garage, close by the cemetery, owned by Bill and Mary Starkey.

“Everyone gathered there. It was the only automotive type garage out here,” Wynn said. “It was kind of like a meeting place.”

Today, a few shade trees and a brick utility building on cemetery property might catch someone’s eye, said Lewis, who more than 27 years ago began working with the association.

She takes care of the cemetery’s operations from cutting grass to selling burial plots.

To most people passing by, she said, “It’s just a piece of property with a little building on it.”

The sign isn’t the only new addition to the cemetery.

Decades ago, a metal archway covered the entrance into the cemetery. It long ago was taken down. But, a replica of the archway now stands in front of the small brick utility building.

For the first time, the association had a display table at this year’s traditional Lutz Fourth of July parade.

Association members handed out brochures and collected about $1,200 in donations.

The money is essential to maintaining and preserving the cemetery, Wynn said.

The contributions are needed, said Lewis, a Lutz transplant from Long Island, New York. “People think it survives on its own.”

A few months ago, several pine trees had to be removed at a cost of about $3,000. A new roof had to be put on the utility building.

“We just can’t continue taking care of this, unless donations are made to the association,” Wynn said.

More than 1,600 people are buried at Lutz Cemetery, Lewis said. Only about 100 gravesites remain.

The association is considering adding cremation sites, and potentially looking to add more land to the cemetery.

Lewis came to Lutz in 1973, for a weekend of fun with friends, and to attend the annual pirate fest and Gasparilla parade. She was 25 years old and newly widowed.

She and a friend thought the trip to Tampa would be a distraction.

“Before it was over, I’d bought a house,” Lewis said.

And she stayed.

“I’ve never had a desire to leave. I’ve always felt comfortable here,” she said.

The Lutz Cemetery will be her final resting place.

For information contact Lewis at (813) 310-6637, or write to Lutz Cemetery Association, P. O. Box 1353, Lutz, FL 33548.

Published November 11, 2015

Efforts yield socks and shoes for charity

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Land O’ Lakes’ brothers, Owen and Grady Matthew, want to provide socks for the homeless.

And, Zephyrhills retiree Janet Chubinsky wants to give new shoes to children in need.

The efforts are separate, but both are making strides in reaching their goals to help others.

Kid President, a YouTube character played by 11-year-old Robby Novak, inspired the Matthew brothers to get involved.

Owen Matthew, left, and Grady Matthew challenged students and families at Countryside Montessori Charter School to a sock drive that collected 1,552 socks for the Salvation Army. (Courtesy of Countryside Montessori Charter School) — Owen Matthew, left, and Grady Matthew challenged students and families at Countryside Montessori Charter School to a sock drive that collected 1,552 socks for the Salvation Army.
(Courtesy of Countryside Montessori Charter School)

Kid President declared the month of October as “Socktober,” and challenged children across the nation to host sock drives to help homeless people.

Sixth-grader Owen and second-grader Grady embraced the challenge, and enlisted the help of nearly 300 students and their families at Countryside Montessori Charter School in Land O’ Lakes.

By the end of the month, the sock drive doubled its goal of 770 socks by donating 1,552 socks to the Salvation Army.

“We have amazing parents,” said Holly DePiro, volunteer and fundraising coordinator for Countryside Montessori Charter School. “You ask, and they go with the cause. The kids get excited.”

Though it was a one-time event, DePiro said it could be repeated. “If there is a need out there, then we’re on it,” she said.

The school is having a food drive in November.

Students also are collecting leftover Halloween candy to send to troops overseas for Operation Gratitude.

A toy drive is planned for December.

Chubinsky, 81, transplanted a shoe donation program she started in Tennessee to Pasco County when she and her husband retired to Zephyrhills four years ago.

“I need to have something to do,” Chubinsky said.

Lachoochee Elementary School students, Damarko Cross, 5, and his sister, Demyia Cross, 7, show off the new shoes they got from COPE (Children Outreach Program Effort). (Courtesy of COPE) — Lachoochee Elementary School students, Damarko Cross, 5, and his sister, Demyia Cross, 7, show off the new shoes they got from COPE (Children Outreach Program Effort).
(Courtesy of COPE)

Her daughter, an educator in Tennessee, suggested that Chubinsky visit area schools to find out what they needed.

On her first visit to Raymond B. Stewart Middle School in Zephyrhills, she heard a familiar response. Thirty-six students at the school needed shoes.

“The goose bumps went right through my body,” Chubinsky said.

She delivered 36 pairs of donated shoes within days and the Children Outreach Program Effort (COPE) was off and running.

Chubinsky, the organization’s program director, enlisted two friends to help and they dubbed themselves “Two and a half women.” When the program began, two of the volunteers were retired and one worked part-time, she explained.

This year Chubinsky anticipates giving away 900 pairs of shoes.

She works with Pasco County Schools’ ABC coordinators at 10 schools to deliver pairs of shoes, and socks, as requested, to area schools.

The school district’s ABC program seeks to help students who don’t have appropriate clothing, shoes that don’t fit or who eat all of their meals at school.

Chubinsky has 11 volunteers but would love more.

“We don’t have enough volunteers or a place to house our shoes,” she said.

Local civic groups and area businesses, such as the Elks, Eagles, Sunshine Eatery, Methodist Ladies Club and Rotary clubs, give generously.

COPE also received 300 pairs of shoes from Sole4Souls, a global nonprofit that fights poverty by collecting and distributing clothes and shoes. COPE paid Sole4Souls $2 a pair for freight costs, Chubinsky said.

She may be retired, but Chubinsky keeps busy.

She tools around in a 2000 model SUV with magnetic signs displaying the COPE logo – a large sneaker.

The sign has attracted some interest from people who want to volunteer, she said.

COPE meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., at various locations. Plans are in the works for fundraising events in 2016.

“It’s God’s work,” Chubinsky said. “We’re all volunteers.”

For information on COPE and its meetings, contact Chubinsky at (352) 668-4397 or .

Published November 11, 2015

Pasco County brings back bus service for Veterans Day

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

People looking to board Pasco County’s public buses on Veterans Day are in luck.

Routes will be in operation on the holiday for the first time in nearly seven years.

Pasco County commissioners voted unanimously on Nov. 3 to authorize the Nov. 11 bus service, at a cost of about $17,000. According to a county memorandum, potential ridership could be about 3,200 trips on that day.

Many of those expected to board buses that day work in the retail sector, said Philip Pumphrey, the county’s public transportation director.

Public buses will be on the road in Pasco County on Nov. 11. (Courtesy of Pasco County) — Public buses will be on the road in Pasco County on Nov. 11.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

Bus drivers will operate on a Saturday schedule from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., on what Pumphrey describes as a “pilot” program. Administrative offices will be closed on Nov. 11.

Based on ridership, Pumphrey said the county would gauge the need to add more “non-major holidays,” such as Columbus Day and Good Friday, to its bus schedules.

Budget cuts during the economic downturn have kept public buses off the road on minor holidays since 2008.

But an improving financial outlook, and some back and forth between Pasco County commissioners, county staff members and the local Teamsters Union 79, put the buses back on the road.

At least they’ll be there on Nov. 11.

But, stay tuned for Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving. The commissioners would need to authorize an additional $17,000 to cover one more holiday bus service. That likely would happen only if enough bus drivers agreed to work that day.

For 2015, the county didn’t set a designated county holiday schedule that included “non-major” holidays.

Riders were alerted to that via posters displayed inside the buses, according to James Boucher, union steward for Teamsters Union 79.

He spoke to commissioners during public comment.

“This late in the year, drivers have planned vacation time, family time around those days,” Boucher said. “It would inconvenience them.”

Commissioners initially sought to approve service for both holidays, as long as enough bus drivers agreed to work.

They were disappointed at the response. Though Pumphrey anticipated bus drivers would volunteer for extra pay, he said, “I think there was some changes of the mind going on.”

On Nov. 11, bus drivers will be paid overtime or have the option of taking a floating holiday to be used at a later date in lieu of holiday pay, according to an email from Kara Deniz, press secretary for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who was responding to an inquiry from The Laker/Lutz News.

The back and forth negotiations on the holiday bus service rankled some commissioners.

While he agreed that the county could have acted sooner, Pasco Chairman Ted Schrader said the union was politicizing the matter. “It’s wrong,” he said.” It’s part of their job.”

He pointed out an appreciation award the county had just presented to dozens of county employees for their extra work during the recent flooding.

County officials said the lack of bus service on the non-major holidays has been a source for ongoing complaints over the years. Columbus day prompted numerous phone calls and emails.

“There’s no doubt for public transit, we’ve got to get back to a level of service we had,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells.

For information on routes and schedules, visit RidePCPT.com.

Published November 11, 2015

Garden club seeks moratorium on fracking

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The Dade City Garden Club is pushing for a resolution that urges state lawmakers to enact a statewide ban on hydraulic fracking.

Pasco County commissioners will vote on the matter, likely on Nov. 17, but the resolution to ban fracking also will include a request for a study commission to look at the pros and cons of the controversial practice.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano is the resolution’s sponsor.

During fracking, chemically treated, high-pressure water is pumped into a drilled pipeline to break apart rock formations to extract oil or natural gas.

An opt-out clause is recommended in the resolution to give counties the right to ban fracking even if there’s no statewide ban.

“We do want to have some local control,” Mariano said.

In October, a similar resolution was pulled from the commissioners’ agenda. It was tweaked in the interim with the addition of more specific language regarding sinkholes, the chemicals used in fracking, water quality, and the addition of the study commission.

State legislators are expected to take up the issue during the 2016 session, which begins in January. A bill already is winding its way through subcommittees in Tallahassee.

The bill designates the state’s Department of Environmental Protection as the agency that would investigate and issue permits for fracking.

“That’s the scary part,” said Mariano.

Under the proposed bill, permits may be issued for construction of fracking structures a mile or more from the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, bays, estuaries, or fresh water lakes, streams and rivers. And the state environmental protection agency must be satisfied of adequate protection of natural resources in the event of an accident or blowout.

Supporters of fracking say natural gas is a cleaner source of fuel than coal, and extraction through fracking has fewer safety issues. Opponents say the practice is environmentally harmful, leading to water contamination, public health threats and sinkholes.

The Dade City Garden Club earlier this year went on record against fracking, mirroring a decision by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc., made in January.

“Water quality has long been a concern of garden clubs, said Pat Carver, environmental chairwoman of the garden club, and also water and wetlands District 8 chairwoman.

She cites studies that have shown about 20 percent of the wastewater in fracking migrates underground, and can pollute wells and aquifers.

A bill last year for an outright ban on fracking didn’t make it out of committee, Carver said.

“We hope to see the bill again come up and be heard,” she said.

Carver said Pasco commissioners were shown a video on fracking prior to the anticipated vote on the initial resolution, which was later pulled.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said she needed more information.

“My issue is, I’ve heard from one side. I’ve not heard from the other side,” she said. “I’d want to be more educated before I did something.”

The issue is catching the attention of county residents, also.

“I continue to get calls and letters from concerned constituents about fracking,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Ted Schrader, who serves as chairman of Tampa Bay Water. The regional nonprofit supplies Tampa Bay area municipalities with drinking water.

He noted that the water board recently approved a similar resolution.

“I don’t see what the harm would be in having a resolution,” Schrader said.

Published November 11, 2015

Opening day a hit

November 4, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Shoppers flock to Tampa Premium Outlets

Margie Hamman was one of the earliest birds to land at the Tampa Premium Outlets.

Almost too early.

Her 5:30 a.m. arrival at the fog-shrouded parking lot, off State Road 56, surprised one parking lot attendant who said she should come back later.

After being first in line at Coach, Margie Hamman of Homosassa makes her way through the crowd en route to Gap at the grand opening of Tampa Premium Outlets. (Fred Bellet/Photos) — After being first in line at Coach, Margie Hamman of Homosassa makes her way through the crowd en route to Gap at the grand opening of Tampa Premium Outlets.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

As she began driving off, a man “in a suit and tie” flagged her down and ushered her back to the parking lot, she said.

She was rewarded for early arrival when she came away with a bag full of coveted handbags and the bragging right of being the first customer inside the Coach store when the mall opened at 10 a.m.

She got a steal for her 10 designer purses, and then she moved on over to Gap.

“I’ll be making a lot of trips to my car,” said Hamman, who drove from Homosassa to her daughter’s home in Odessa the night before. “I’m doing my Christmas shopping.”

She was among thousands who thronged the walkways on Oct. 29, the opening day for the highly anticipated outlet mall developed by Simon Property Group.

Hamman expects to be back, again and again.

The Ellenton Premium Outlets (also a Simon mall) is no longer her go-to destination, especially when she has a daughter living so close to Tampa Premium Outlets.

Fountains shoot water into the air as the Market Hall food court towers over the Lagoon Court at the Tampa Premium Outlets.

Like Hamman, there are others who will forego outlet malls in Ellenton and Orlando to jingle cash registers in Pasco County instead.

The outlet mall will be an economic shot in the arm, Pasco County Commissioner Chairman Ted Schrader, said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“We know it’s going to be a very big success, building on this momentum,” he said. “We are so looking forward to shoppers spending so much time in Pasco, maybe looking around, staying and living here.”

About 800 people gained full and part-time jobs at the outlet mall, and local labor hired about 500 people to help build it.

The outlet mall adds cache to the Tampa Bay region and will help boost tourism, said Ed Caum, Pasco’s tourism manager.

Visitors to the area can be expected to spend their money in more than one county and at more than one venue, he said.

“It will have a regional influence,” said Caum. “People will fly in to Tampa International Airport. They may stay in Clearwater, but eat at Ulele (in Tampa), and come here to the mall.”

Foreign visitors, especially from Canada and Brazil, are frequent shoppers at the Orlando Outlet Mall. And, Caum said Pasco plans to focus some of its marketing on Central and South American countries including Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico.

With counties sharing in the tourism pool, Hillsborough County’s tourism agency, Visit Tampa Bay, will include materials on the Tampa Premium Outlets in its marketing packages at an upcoming trade show in London.

“Everything that’s in Pasco, we’re going to be working very closely with them,” said Kevin Wiatrowski, regional media relations manager for Visit Tampa Bay. “All of our materials have this built into it along with our regular stuff. It’s an impressive time to be here.”

Wesley Chapel resident Rita Faddoul came from Lebanon more than 20 years ago. She remembers when the community had “one store, one light.”

Now, she says relatives coming from Europe will enjoy something unique in her neighborhood.

“It’s better than the International Mall,” Faddoul said. “I want to stay until midnight.”

Cool vibe and good deals

When all of its stores have opened, the 441,000-square-foot mall, with its “Key West” décor, will boast more than 100 designer brand shops selling top-line merchandise at 25 percent to 65 percent discounts daily.

Many stores sweetened the bargains with larger discounts, coupons and giveaways during the mall’s opening weekend from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1.

Karen Jenkins, and her mother, Beth McDonald, sat on a bench studying a brochure and a map of the outlet mall.

“I’m really just looking to see what they have,” said Jenkins. “If I see something I like, I’ll buy it.”

Tampa Premium Outlets has some stores that shoppers won’t find at Ellenton, including Naturalizer and The Limited.
The duo registered with the Tampa outlet’s VIP Shopper, and got a few coupons including a discount on Ralph Lauren merchandise.

“We’re thrilled we’re not driving to Ellenton,” said Jenkins who lives in Land O’ Lakes. But, she added: “My husband’s not happy about this.”

Kaiya Davis and her son, Jamal McIntosh, had a quick hop to the mall, from their new home in Lutz.

Davis took the day off to check out the shops.

Stephen Yalof, chief executive officer of Premium OUtlets for Simon, talks about the opening of Tampa Premium Outlets, located on State Road 56, near Interstate 75.

McIntosh is starting a job with the Florida Department of Transportation and soon could be working on highway projects to ease traffic woes at the interchange of Interstate 75 and State Road 56.

“Lots of new beginnings,” said Davis.

Besides a being new shopping venue, the new homeowner sees an added bonus from the mall.

“The price of property values are going to go up,” she said.

Another Lutz resident Karen Fortin, and her mother, Margaret Carreiro, left Columbia Sportswear, one of their favorite stores, carrying bags containing shoes and a fleece jacket.

The travel time to the shopping destination can’t be beat, they said.

“We’re right here, 2 minutes from home,” Fortin said.

Caralee and Charles Shapero had a longer trip, coming over from Clearwater. But, they might come back.

“We will see,” said Caralee Shapero. “It’s missing a Bath & Body Works, but it is closer. So far so good.”

They are Yankee Candle enthusiasts and were ready to snap up a deal – five candles for $50.

“We’ll be walking out with 10,” said Caralee Shapero.

Natalie Scheer and Blanca Jordan sat down on a bench with Disney Store Outlet bags at their feet. They rattled off stores they had been to and others they were ready to take on.

“We’re only halfway there,” said Scheer, who along with Jordan, works at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

They expected to spend two hours to three hours scouring the mall for bargains.

“We threw our bags in the car already,” said Jordan. “This is our second round. It’s wonderful. We don’t have to go all the way to Orlando.”

Jordan said she sometimes goes to Westfield Citrus Park. But, she added: “Outlets are much better. You get better deals.”

The women liked the setting, too.

Jordan held out her cellphone showing off a picture of the two framed in the background by the mall’s blue water lagoon and bridge.

“It looks like we’re on vacation,” said Scheer.

Published November 4, 2015