Kathy Steele

Business Digest 04-01-15

April 1, 2015 By Kathy Steele

New Tampa gym
Come to the ribbon cutting for Crunch Gym Tampa Palms on April 1 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 15313 Amberly Drive in the Shoppes of Amberly in New Tampa. This is the sixth location for the fitness center.

Enjoy free fun, food and adult beverages.

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

New web-based company
SymphonicB2B will host a ribbon cutting on April 2 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at 2318 Cypress Lane, Unit 102, in Wesley Chapel.

The company provides assistance with website design, branding, social media, SEO, videos and printing, and is a subsidiary of Tampa-based Symphonic Distribution.

For information, call (866) 471-4749.

Zephyrhills chamber breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly breakfast April 2 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Golden Corral, at 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. Guest speaker will be Ron Yasurek, general manager of Mosaic’s Plant City facility. He will discuss the company’s phosphate operations in Florida and the mission to help the world grow food it needs.

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

New dry cleaners
Pristine Dry Clean & Alterations is open for business, and also is hiring. The family-owned store is at 23388 State Road 54, in Lutz, just down from Panera Bread.

Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Women-n-charge
Join the ladies of Women-n-Charge on April 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at Pebble Creek Country Club, at 10550 Regents Park Drive, in Tampa. The meeting includes lunch and time to network.

The featured speaker will be Ginger Rockey-Johnson, the Original Spice Girl of Tampa Bay, who will discuss “How to Use Today’s Social Media to Market Your Business.”

The cost is $15 for members (payable the Tuesday before the meeting) and $18 for guests and members paying Wednesday and after.

To register, visit Women-n-Charge.com.

For information, call (813) 600-9848, or email .

Breakfast and ribbon cutting
The Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly breakfast meeting April 7 from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., at the conference center at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd. The breakfast will be on the third floor, Room B-303.

The guest speaker will be Denyse Bales-Chubb, president and CEO of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

Cost is $15 in advance for chamber members and $20 at the door for members and visitors. Online registration ends by 3 p.m., April 3.

After the breakfast, there will be a ribbon cutting at 9:30 a.m., for the new student coffee shop on the campus, on the fourth floor next to the library. The shop will be operated by Dash of Salt N’ Pepper.

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

Free business seminar
SMARTstart will offer a free seminar in “Marketing to Grow Your Business” April 7 from 1 p.m. to 3p.m., at the SMARTstart incubator in New Port Richey at 6345 Grand Blvd.

Instruction will include a growth audit and an analysis of factors affecting growth and expansion. There also will be information and resources to make sales, marketing and advertising decisions. Instructional handouts and materials will be distributed.

To register, visit SmartStartPasco.com, and click on “Events,“ or call (727) 478-0670. Emails also can be sent to Krista Covey at .

Grants for businesswomen
Are you a businesswoman who could use $1,000?

Women-n-Charge is offering two $1,000 grants this spring. The grants can be used towards business-related equipment or services and continuing education. The nonprofit’s mission, in part, is to support and assist professional women in managing their businesses more effectively.

Learn more about the grants at Women-n-Charge.com. Applications are available online and are due April 15.

For information, contact Judy Nicolosi, treasurer of Women-n-Charge, at (813) 600-9848, or email .

Two-day career fair
Pasco Hernando State College will host Opportunity 2015 Hernando County Career Fair on April 9 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and April 10 from 9 a.m. to noon, at the North Campus, Building B Conference Center, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Brooksville.

On April 9, there will be free seminars on resume writing, interview skills and proper attire and etiquette for interviews.

On April 10, local employers will be present to accept resumes and do on-the-spot interviews. Dress professionally and bring lots of resumes.

The event is free but pre-registration is required at HernandoCountyCareerFair2015.eventbrite.com.

For information, call Nicole Miller at (352) 7907-5174 or Steve Wilson at (352) 293-1123.

Rotary Club needs bee sponsors
The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon needs sponsors for the third annual “BEE Part of the Buzz” adult spelling bee.

The spelling bee will be April 10 at 6:30 p.m., at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, 10641 Old Tampa Bay Drive, in San Antonio. The event helps raise funds for the Pasco Education Foundation.

Donations range from $1,500 for a Queen Bee sponsorship to $150 for a four-person team.

For information, email Erin Meyer at .

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet April 14 at Rose’s Café at 38426 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.

Jeanette Hall, Pasco Shopper advertising representative, is the guest speaker.

For information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email him at .

Business Link available monthly
Business Link, a monthly small business gathering hosted by the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, meets the second Wednesday of each month beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The meeting is designed to provide a networking and information-sharing platform for the business community.

For locations, details and to reserve a seat, email , or call (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237.

Traffic signals by Lowe’s ready for action

March 25, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Traffic signals outside the new Lowe’s Home Improvement store on State Road 54 are expected to be operational within two to three weeks, according to officials with the Florida Department of Transportation.

The addition of stop lights and turn lanes that will help get motorists in and out of Lowe’s and the Village Lakes Shopping Center is welcome news to area residents and business owners.

Cars and trucks attempting to make a left-hand turn off of State Road 54 into the Village Lakes Shopping Center, east of the intersection of U.S. 41, will find it much easier once a new set of traffic signals are activated. The lights have been installed near the Lowe’s store, on State Road 54, expected to open in April. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Cars and trucks attempting to make a left-hand turn off of State Road 54 into the Village Lakes Shopping Center, east of the intersection of U.S. 41, will find it much easier once a new set of traffic signals are activated. The lights have been installed near the Lowe’s store, on State Road 54, expected to open in April.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Billy Fotopoulos, owner of Pizza Villa, remembers when the shopping center and his restaurant were under construction three decades ago.

“We needed the light there 30 years ago,” Fotopoulos said. But he said state highway officials turned down a request for a traffic signal from Fotopoulos and other business owners.

“Without the light there, you can’t get out of (the parking lot) to go east or even going west, you’re taking your life in your hands,” he said.

Charlene Wingo agreed. She and some friends were leaving the shopping center last week, laden with their purchases. “The light will make it a lot easier to head east on State Road 54,” she said. “I was just thinking now, ‘How am I going to get out of the parking lot?’ ”

Fotopoulos said he loses business due to the lack of traffic signals. Residents living on State Road 54, southeast of the shopping center, are reluctant to try and cross over, he said.

“It will save businesses. It will save lives there,” Fotopoulos said.

The signal will give motorists a green light to turn left, going east on State Road 54. Motorists also can cross over the road to access entrances to either Lowe’s or the Village Lakes Shopping Center.

When the traffic signals are activated, highway officials say they will be synced with signals at the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 to help ease traffic flow. The signals will be the only ones between U.S. 41 and Collier Parkway about 2 miles away.

The half-mile distance between the signals at the intersection and those by Lowe’s are standard, highway officials said.

The 152,000 square-foot Lowe’s, at 21500 State Road 54, is expected to open in April.

Published March 25, 2015

Farmers market offers fruits, vegetables — and a dance

March 25, 2015 By Kathy Steele

June Wentworth went looking for a pleasant walk around the lake on a sunny morning at Zephyr Park and before she knew it, the 83-year-old found herself in the arms of a dance partner who glided her through the bittersweet memories of Garth Brooks’ “The Dance.”

Gospel singer Kris Pierce had just sold a copy of his CD to Wentworth who was impressed enough to say yes to her surprise of the day – the singer’s invitation to dance.

Amanda Jones (in ball cap) talks with a shopper who is checking out Jones’ array of homemade clutch bags, potholders and accessories. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo) — Amanda Jones (in ball cap) talks with a shopper who is checking out Jones’ array of homemade clutch bags, potholders and accessories.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

“He’s got a great voice,” said Wentworth, a Maine native visiting Zephyrhills for a couple of weeks.

She had stopped at Zephyr Park for that quiet walk and discovered the Zephyrhills Artsy Farmers’ Market, off State Road 54 at 38116 Fifth Ave.

Pierce and his wife, Melissa, were at the market for their second time.

The singer is a frequent entertainer at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles and Ralph’s Travel Park, both in Zephyrhills.

During the farmers’ market, Pierce sang covers and original tunes under the gazebo at water’s edge. His wife, Melisssa, sat at a display table covered with her husband’s CDs, collections that range from gospel songs to covers of Elvis Presley.

“I do a little bit of everything,” Pierce said. “Pretty much everything but heavy metal and rap.”

He was among about 15 vendors who set up tents and displays under the cathedral canopy of oak trees near the park’s entrance.

The market got its start downtown in Times Square Park on Fifth Avenue with just a few vendors about a year ago.

In October, the market moved to the larger and more tranquil setting of Zephyr Park.

The event is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the second Wednesday and fourth Saturday of each month. Beginning April 25, the market will become a fourth-Saturday-only event.

The market, staged by Largo-based Simply Events, needs more vendors.

Owner Sonya Bradley hopes to eventually have about 30 businesses selling everything from cheese to breads to specialty foods. “We’re going to keep adding to it,” she said.

Ashley Samnani, who sells Rainbow vacuums and cleaning supplies, was among the original group of vendors who launched the market at the downtown location.

Samnani likes the park setting much better.

“Now (the market) is growing expansively,” she said.

On a recent Wednesday, the Brandon resident had a drawing at the park to give away three air purifiers.

“It’s nice that it’s in this location,” Samnani said. “People in the park visit (the market). It’s like a family the way we all interact.”

Keeping it local is Simply Events’ goal, said Andrew Cecere, the company’s vendor consultant.

Owners of Zephyrhills-based Peaceful Pastures Farm were on hand selling free-range eggs. The farm also produces free-range Cornish Cross broilers and turkeys.

Amanda Jones, 30, and her mother-in-law, Phyllis Stonebarger, were selling handmade items including clutches, drawstring bags, coaster sets and potholders. They spread their wares across a folding table. It was their first time at the Zephyrhills’ market.

“I’ve always wanted a sewing machine,” said Jones who lives in Wesley Chapel. “One day I bought one. I’m self-taught, a lot of YouTubes (YouTube videos).”

Natalie Avila, 21, Kornilous Donnell Sr., 25, and their 1-year-old toddler, Kornilous Donnell Jr., all of Zephyrhills, enjoyed a stroll through the park, cool drinks and fruit from Come Under the Yum Yum Tree, a produce company from Brandon.

“It adds to the community,” said Donnell Sr., “I like that they are getting vendors that are able to sell produce. Zephyrhills needs more businesses anyway. This is great.”

Pam Nethers of American Pride sold jewelry and accessories from her home-based business in Fort Myers. Lida Livingston, owner of Livs Coffee Place, sold organic coffee.

Her mobile business is based in Lakeland, but she travels for weddings, corporate events and house parties.

Maryann Hendricks, 67, brought her Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, children’s dresses and accessories from Clearwater. Her grandmother taught her to sew.

“I enjoy it,” she said. “I’m teaching my granddaughter to sew.”

For one family from Zephyrhills, jams and pickles, and baby quilts are a growing business. ITTs Homemade is an intergenerational venture that began as a fun project in the kitchen. They were among the original vendors at the downtown location.

Grandmother Irene Secrest, 80, does some of the preparations, such as peeling the apples. But she said, “I let them do the cooking.”

While her daughter, Teisha Disbrow, and granddaughters, Teresa Hicks and Tabytha Silverman, are busy canning strawberry jams, pumpkin butter, banana peppers and sweet pickles, Secrest settles down to her specialty – making baby quilts.

Their home-based business also was among the original vendors at the downtown location.

“There’s a lot more people coming here,” Hicks said. “It’s just a prettier setting.”

The next farmers’ market at Zephyr Park will be March 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For information, contact Simply Events at (727) 674-1464.

Published March 25, 2015

Business Digest 03-25-15

March 25, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Health center grand opening
Premier Community HealthCare Group will have a ribbon cutting and grand opening for the Lacoochee Family Health Center March 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 pm., at 38724 Mudcat Grant Blvd., in Dade City.

There will be a brief ceremony followed by tours and a reception at the Lacoochee Community Center.

The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce are co-hosts of the event.

Employ Veterans Seminar
Are you an employer interested in hiring veterans? The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and the office of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis will co-host the Employ Veterans Seminar March 31 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 pm., at the Microtel Inn & Suites, 7839 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

RSVP for this free seminar by March 27. A light lunch will be served.

Representatives from state agencies will be on-hand to answer questions about available incentives and funding for job-specific training.

For information and to make reservations call (813) 782-1913, or email .

Classes in creativity
Studio Twenty8 will host a ribbon cutting March 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 28152 Paseo Drive, within The Shops at Wiregrass, in Wesley Chapel.

The studio offers a range of creative classes in painting, music, photography and graphic design.

For information, call (866) 471-4749.

Meet Zephyrhills physician
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will host an open house and ribbon cutting March 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., for Dr. Stacy Taylor-Hunt, a doctor of osteopathy.

She is joining the staff at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Family Medicine, Suite B, 37908 Daughtery Road, in Zephyrhills. Free glucose, blood pressure and/or BMI screenings will be available. Sandwiches, salads, desserts and beverages will be provided.

New web-based company
SymphonicB2B will have a ribbon cutting on April 2 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at 2318 Cypress Lane, Unit 102, in Wesley Chapel.

The company provides assistance with website design, branding, social media, SEO, videos and printing, and is a subsidiary of Tampa-based Symphonic Distribution.

For information, call (866) 471-4749.

Zephyrhills chamber breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly breakfast April 2 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Golden Corral, at 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. The guest speaker will be Ron Yasurek, general manager of Mosaic’s Plant City facility. He will discuss the company’s phosphate operations in Florida and the mission to help the world grow the food it needs.

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

Women-n-charge
Join the vibrant ladies of Women-n-Charge on April 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., at Pebble Creek Country Club, at 10550 Regents Park Drive in Tampa. The meeting includes lunch and time to network.

The featured speaker will be Ginger Rockey-Johnson, the Original Spice Girl of Tampa Bay, who will discuss “How to Use Today’s Social Media to Market Your Business.”

The cost is $15 for members (payable the Tuesday before the meeting), and $18 for guests and members paying Wednesday and after.

To register, visit Women-n-Charge.com.

For information, contact Judy at (813) 600-9848, or email .

New mattress shop opens
Mighty Mattresses is open for business at 21126 State Road 54 in Lutz.

The discount mattress retailer had a ribbon cutting on March 3.

The store is on the southwest corner of State Road 54 and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, with an entrance off State Road 54.

Grants for businesswomen
Are you a businesswoman who could use $1,000?

Learn more about the grants at Women-n-Charge.com. Applications are available online and are due April 15.

For information, contact Judy Nicolosi, treasurer of Women-n-Charge, at (813) 600-9848, or email .

Two-day career fair
Pasco-Hernando State College will host Opportunity 2015 Hernando County Career Fair on April 9 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and April 10 from 9 a.m. to noon, at the North Campus, Building B Conference Center, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., in Brooksville.

On April 9, there will be free seminars on resume writing, interview skills and proper attire and etiquette for interviews. Keynote speaker will be Steve Wilson of Pasco-Hernando State College.

On April 10, local employers will be present to accept resumes and do on-the-spot interviews. Dress professionally and bring lots of resumes.

The event is free but pre-registration is required at HernandoCountyCareerFair2015.eventbrite.com.

For information, call Nicole Miller at (352) 7907-5174, or Steve Wilson at (352) 293-1123.

Rotary Club needs bee sponsors
The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon needs sponsors for the third annual “BEE Part of the Buzz” adult spelling bee.

The spelling bee will be April 10 at 6:30 p.m., at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, 10641 Old Tampa Bay Drive, in San Antonio. Teams compete in three rounds with words progressing in spelling difficulty from easy to intermediate to difficult.

Spectators cheer on their favorite teams in a fun event that helps raise funds for the Pasco Education Foundation. Donations range from $1,500 for a Queen Bee sponsorship to $150 for a four-person team.

For information, email Erin Meyer at .

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet April 14 at Rose’s Café at 38426 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.

The guest speaker is Jeanette Hall, Pasco Shopper advertising representative.

For information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email him at .

The meeting is designed to provide a networking and information-sharing platform for the business community.

For locations, details and to reserve a seat, email , or call (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237.

Wesley Chapel networking group
Networking for Your Success meets every Thursday at 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks Country Club, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Cost is $5, and annual membership to the group is $79.

Charter advisory panel all white, mostly male

March 23, 2015 By Kathy Steele

A 15-member charter advisory panel that will decide the future of Pasco County’s governing structure is in place. And Pasco commissioners approved a contract to pay a private Tallahassee consultant $60,000 to guide its efforts during the coming months.

But the panel’s all white, and nearly all-male make-up came under fire at the commissioners regular meeting in Dade City on March 10. Each Pasco County Commissioner appointed two members, plus an alternate to the panel. Pasco’s five state legislators also weighed in, with one appointment each.

Commissioner Mike Moore got some pushback for his selection of a county law enforcement officer supervised by Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco.

“I have concerns with a member of (Nocco’s) team being on the committee,” said Chairman Ted Schrader. “I think it would be appropriate to replace him with someone else.”

Moore defended Pasco Maj. Mel Eakley as the right choice based on Eakley’s credentials in law enforcement and his service as a military veteran.

“I kind of take offense to saying we don’t want anyone on the board who is an everyday average citizen,” he said.

Schrader said he wasn’t questioning Eakley’s qualifications.

Other commissioners and Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano also questioned Moore’s choice of Eakley.

“Perception is everything, ladies and gentlemen,” said Fasano in a public comment to the commission. He questioned the appointment of anyone “associated with constitutional officers.”

But no one made a formal challenge to Eakley’s appointment.

“I respect Mr. Moore,” Schrader said. “I’m really disappointed in his choice. I think it’s a conflict of interest, but it’s your choice.”

The lone woman on the panel will be banker Candace Glewen. She is a replacement for Commissioner Kathryn Starkey’s first choice of Pasco County School Board member Alison Crumbley. Crumbley declined the appointment upon the advice of the school board’s attorney who cited the potential for a conflict of interest.

Commissioner Jack Mariano appointed a woman, Cami Austin, as an alternate.

Former commissioner Pat Mulieri took the commissioners to task for not appointing a more balanced panel to represent the community. “It is ironic,” she said during public comment. “I was supposed to speak at a luncheon (today) celebrating women.”

The panel will tackle critical issues, such as whether Pasco County should have single-member voting districts, term limits and whether the county’s structure should be changed to have an elected administrator rather than one that’s appointed.

Mulieri wondered: ”Why did the board feel only men could make these decisions?”

She also questioned the $60,000 cost “for a consultant you don’t need. I’m standing here today to tell you it will go to $100,000.”

The cost for services from Kurt Spitzer & Associates potentially could exceed $60,000 if the panel requests additional work or travel beyond the flat fee of $5,000 a month, said County Administrator Michele Baker. The fixed rate includes travel for 12 months for approximately 22 to 24 meetings, she said.

Moore suggested panel members might not need a consultant beyond the early organizational meetings. “That’s a pretty large consulting fee in my mind,” he said. “I think you need to leave it up to the committee.”

Baker said the terms of the contract allow Spitzer to terminate his service with a 30-day notice. It also allows the panel to cancel his services immediately upon written notice.

Moore and Commissioner Jack Mariano floated a proposal to allow panel members to approve recommendations based on a simple majority, but Starkey, Schrader and Wells said the requirement of a super-majority vote was essential.

The panel must meet within the next 30 days.

Its recommendations are due to the commission by June 1, 2016. If the panel recommends a charter government, the matter would go to voters in a referendum on the November 2016 general election ballot.

Members of the Pasco County charter advisory panel
Commission Chairman Ted Schrader appointed Billy E. Brown and John J. Gallagher to the panel, with Cliff McDuffie, as alternate

Commissioner Mike Moore appointed Mel Eakley and Gary Bradford, with Joseph Poblick, as alternate

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey appointed Candace Glewen and Dewey Mitchell, with Dominic Scannavino, as alternate

Commissioner Mike Wells Jr., appointed Steve Booth and Tim Holladay, with Jim Driscoll, as alternate

Commissioner Jack Mariano appointed Chuck Grey and Bill Woodard, with Cami Austin, as alternate

Members of the Pasco County legislative delegation appointed Michael Cox, Robert Eckard, John Kinsman, Randy Maggard and Mike Ryan

Published March 18, 2015

Striking up some winning ways

March 18, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Donna Fernandez played soccer until she was forced to give it up because she had asthma.

She wasn’t too disappointed.

“I wasn’t very good at it anyway,” the 14-year-old said.

Her mother, Andrea Elbrecht, wanted her daughter to find a sport in which she could excel and have fun.

From left, Donna Fernandez, 14, of Land O’ Lakes; Jacob Kostoff, 15, of Trinity; Coach Lucy Sandelin; Alec Ballard, 16, of Land O' Lakes; and Chandler Carr, 14, of Lutz will compete in an upcoming state tournament. Fernandez and Kostoff also will compete in the Jr. Gold Championship this summer in Chicago. (Fred Bellet/Photo) — From left, Donna Fernandez, 14, of Land O’ Lakes; Jacob Kostoff, 15, of Trinity;
Coach Lucy Sandelin; Alec Ballard, 16, of Land O’ Lakes; and Chandler Carr, 14, of Lutz will compete in an upcoming state tournament. Fernandez and Kostoff also will compete in the Jr. Gold Championship this summer in Chicago.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

She had no idea that would turn out to be bowling.

“I didn’t know the first thing about bowling,” said Elbrecht, who lives in Land O’ Lakes.

Chance — and a friend’s birthday party at a bowling alley — settled the matter. Fernandez found her niche.

The teenager has had the highest average score in Hillsborough County in her age group for the past two years.

She currently is topping her own previous records with an average 180 points a game.

She and 15-year-old Jacob Kostoff, who lives in Trinity, will test their skills against hundreds of bowlers this summer, when they head to Chicago to compete at the national Jr. Gold Championship.

Kostoff eased into bowling naturally by watching his father play in a local league.

He rolled his first ball toward the tenpins when he was just 8. The ball was so heavy, he lifted it with two hands. Seven years later, he is a rarity, a left-handed bowler with a two-handed bowling style.

Fernandez and Kostoff competed in a tournament in DeLand to secure their tournament spots.

Their coach is Lucy Sandelin, a Hall of Fame bowler who is a two-time winner of the United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens title. She hopes to win a third title this year. Sandelin also is a former member of Team USA. She coaches with World Cup Bowling Academy, based in Tampa.

Practice sessions in coming weeks will focus on gaining real-time experience in bowling on lanes with different oil patterns.

Bowling alleys have “lane machines” that put down varying amounts of oil over parts of the width and length of each lane.

Sandelin is focusing on five of 24 recognized patterns, each named after a city that has hosted the Olympics. The patterns aren’t visible to the eye, but they make a huge difference in game strategies, she said.

Competitors in Chicago will learn a week before the tournament start what pattern will be applied to the lanes.

One of the most challenging patterns is the Los Angeles pattern, said Sandelin.

“It’s their (bowlers’) nemesis,” she said because it forces bowlers to roll their balls close to the gutters to avoid the heaviest amounts of oil.

Her students make detailed notes.

The notes offer explicit instructions: “It tells them ‘I stand here. I look here. I use this hand position. I use this ball speed,” Sandelin said.

Fernandez and Kostoff have very different styles.

“His two-handed style is phenomenal,” Sandelin said. “People look at him and go ‘wow.’”

His goal is to attend college on a bowling scholarship and then to turn pro.

He gave fleeting consideration to switching to a more standard one-handed bowling style, but decided to stick with his approach.

After all, Australian bowler Jason Belmonte is a two-handed bowler.

“Right now, he’s the best bowler in the world,” Kostoff said.

Fernandez is laid back and doesn’t give in to distractions or pressure.

“A lot of things don’t bother her,” Sandelin said. “That’s going to be to her advantage (in Chicago).”

Her calm demeanor may be disarming.

“She’s a fierce competitor,” Sandelin said.

Both youths play in three bowling leagues and practice three to four days a week at bowling alleys in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

On a recent Thursday night, they were at Royal Lanes in Lutz, along with 14-year-old Lutz resident Chandler Carr and Land O’ Lakes resident 16-year-old Alec Ballard.

The foursome will compete later this year in a state tournament.

Carr, who has been playing baseball since he was 4, is relatively new to bowling. He just started last year.

“Now all he wants to do is bowl, bowl, bowl,” said his mother, Suzin Carr. “He finally found something he really likes. It is something you can do as an individual. You are part of a team, but you also enjoy it as an individual sport.”

He’s gone from 43 points a game to a high of 265. “He’d do it every day of the week, if I let him,” she said.

When bowling, teammates often high-five each other.

“They want to win, but they are also supportive of one another,” Carr said.

Sandelin, 58, started bowling at age 6.

Bowling is a sport open to everyone, she said.

“A lot of these kids don’t have other sports they can play,” she said. “They have asthma. They can’t run. But in bowling, you don’t have to be tall or strong. You need eye and hand coordination.”

Bowling offers so many life lessons to students, Elbrecht said. That’s why she is disappointed that public schools in Pasco and Hillsborough – with one exception – don’t offer it in school athletics.

In Hillsborough County, Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate Charter School is the only public school with a bowling team, according to the school’s website. Boys and girls compete on a coed team.

Schools are missing out on opportunities to include more students in athletics and also in giving students a chance at winning scholarships, Elbrecht said.

Through its SMART (Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins) program, the United States Bowling Congress helps student bowlers secure scholarship money for college.

Students can earn scholarship dollars based on the number of pins they knock down, Elbrecht said. “It’s a fantastic sport. I’ve known a lot of kids who funded their college educations.”

Her daughter has her scholarship money waiting in a USBC account and hopes to attend college on full scholarship. Long-range, she wants a career in the medical field.

But bowling will be a lifelong passion.

“You can control what you do,” Fernandez said. “You can sort of show off in an independent game, and you can improve.”

And, she likes her chances in Chicago.

“I have a mental game. That’s what most bowlers don’t have,” Fernandez said.

Sandelin’s advice to her students is this: “Enjoy the journey … Make friends. Enjoy the process.”

Published March 18, 2015

Pasco commissioners approve a study for Wiregrass Sports Park

March 18, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County commissioners are in a quandary about the fate of the proposed Wiregrass Sports Park. Should they try again to work a deal for a world-class sports complex or build a district park for local sports teams?

Commissioners voted 4-1 on March 10 to take a wait-and-see approach with a feasibility study that will gauge the market for a sports complex with the potential to draw national tournaments, and yield millions in tourism tax dollars.

Jack Mariano (File Photo) — Jack Mariano
(File Photo)

The results also could show that the county’s money is better spent on a park that caters to local sports teams.

The study is intended to give county officials, residents and potential park operators an idea of what will work at the park site, located near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard off State Road 56.

“We think we’ll get the ability to expedite (the process) because people will understand it better, and we think the quality of applications will improve,” said Richard Gehring, the county’s planning and development administrator.

Johnson Consulting Inc., a sports consulting firm with national and international clients, will be paid $35,000 for the study, expected to take less than 12 weeks.

The study will include marketing and needs assessments as well as recommendations on development costs, operating and financial responsibilities, and funding options.

“I think it’s time to move forward,” said Commissioner Mike Moore. “It’s a positive. People in my district want to see it sooner rather than later.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano voted against the study. Instead of spending money on a study, he said county officials should explore why the deal with Pasco Sports LLC to build a multimillion-dollar sports complex fell apart.

“I’d like to find out why he (Gary Sheffield) didn’t like the contract,” Mariano said. “We could look at that first.”

In December, commissioners dropped plans to partner with Pasco Sports to build a sports complex on 100 acres near The Shops at Wiregrass regional shopping mall. The land is part of more than 200 acres donated to the county by the Porter family.

Partners James Talton and former major league baseball player Gary Sheffield had proposed to build 20 ball fields and dormitories on the site. They had envisioned a youth baseball camp that would attract national tournaments and deliver more than $300 million annually in economic impact to the county.

According to the agreement, the county would commit between $11 million and $14 million in tourism dollars to the project. But Talton and Sheffield let a deadline pass without delivering on a pledge to provide $3 million for the complex’s design.

Other projects, both rumored and real, are competing with the proposed sports complex.

Z Mitch LLC had a groundbreaking in February for a major ice hockey and sports complex off Interstate 75 at the State Road interchange in Wesley Chapel. The facility is expected to open in fall 2015 with four full-size rinks. But the 150,000-square-foot facility will accommodate a wide range of sports including soccer, lacrosse and basketball.

Rumors also persist that Hillsborough County may be in line for a new sports facility.

Most Pasco commissioners agreed the feasibility study would be a valuable tool in sorting out the county’s options.

“It will either validate or invalidate the marketing of the complex and what’s needed in this area,” said Chairman Ted Schrader. “It will give us the confidence to go forward with some sort of park project.”

Published March 18, 2015

Business Digest -3-18-15

March 18, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Business luncheon
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will host its Lunch N’ Learn Business Forum March 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the chamber’s boardroom, 6013 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Suite 105. The forum is held on the third Thursday each month.

Guest speakers will be Albert Verile and Kirby Lavallee of SharpLine Investigations. They will discuss how to protect your business against fraud.

The cost is $15 including lunch. An RSVP is required.

For information, call the chamber office at (813) 994-8534.

Employment fair in New Port Richey
CareerSource Pasco Hernando will have an employment fair March 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 6347 Grand Blvd., in New Port Richey.

The event is free and open to the public.

Dress professionally and bring plenty of resumes.

For information, contact CareerSource Pasco Hernando at (727) 484-3400, or visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com.

Insurance ribbon cutting
Gunter and Gunter Insurance will host an open house and grand opening March 24 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at 28969 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel.

Suncoast Auto Glass will be on-site for free windshield repair. There will be giveaways, and people who sign up for free automobile insurance quotes will be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift card from Publix Super Market. Catering will be provided by The Private Chef.

For information, call the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at (813) 994-8534, or Gunter and Gunter at (813) 994-3900.

New mattress shop opens
Mighty Mattresses is open for business at 21126 State Road 54 in Lutz. The discount mattress retailer had a ribbon cutting on March 3.

The store is on the southwest corner of State Road 54 and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard with an entrance off State Road 54.

RSVP for this free seminar by March 27. A light lunch will be served.

Representatives from state agencies will be there to answer questions about available incentives and funding for job-specific training.

For information and to make reservations, call (813) 782-1913, or email .

Grants for businesswomen
Are you a businesswoman who could use $1,000?

Women-n-Charge is offering two $1,000 grants this spring. The grants can be used toward business-related equipment or services and continuing education. The nonprofit’s mission, in part, is to support and assist professional women in managing their businesses more effectively.

Learn more about the grants at Women-n-Charge.com. Applications are available online and are due April 15.

For information, contact Judy Nicolosi, treasurer of Women-n-Charge, at (813) 600-9848, or email .

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet March 24 at Rose’s Café at 38426 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.

Leja Apple, former Miss Pasco and former Miss Nature’s Coast, is the guest speaker.

For information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email him at .

She is joining the staff at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Family Medicine, Suite B, 37908 Daughtery Road in Zephyrhills.

Free glucose, blood pressure and/or BMI screenings will be available.

Sandwiches, salads, desserts and beverages will be provided.

Two-day career fair
Pasco-Hernando State College will host Opportunity 2015 Hernando County Career Fair April 9 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and April 10 from 9 a.m. to noon, at the North Campus, Building B Conference Center, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., in Brooksville.

On April 9, free seminars will focus on resume writing, interview skills, and proper attire and etiquette for interviews. The keynote speaker will be Steve Wilson of Pasco-Hernando State College.

On April 10, local employers will accept resumes and perform on-the-spot interviews. Dress professionally and bring lots of resumes.

The event is free, but preregistration is required at HernandoCountyCareerFair2015eventbrite.com.

For information, call Nicole Miller at (352) 7907-5174, or Steve Wilson at (352) 293-1123.

Rotary Club needs bee sponsors
The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon needs sponsors for the third annual “BEE Part of the Buzz” adult spelling bee.

The spelling bee will be April 10 at 6:30 p.m., at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, 10641 Old Tampa Bay Drive in San Antonio. Teams compete in three rounds with words progressing in spelling difficulty from easy to intermediate to difficult.

For information, email Erin Meyer at .

The meeting is designed to provide a networking and information-sharing platform for the business community.

For locations, details and to reserve a seat, email , or call (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237.

Wesley Chapel networking group
Networking for Your Success meets every Thursday at 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks Country Club, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Cost is $5, and annual membership to the group is $79.

Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce pays it forward

March 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The scent of barbecue and the sounds of bands belting out the blues aren’t the only sweet things to come out of the fifth annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Fest at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

There’s also the money that the event generates.

Children rode the ‘rails’ at the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Fest on Jan. 17. The event was sponsored by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, which has donated $15,000 to local youth and civic groups. (File Photo) — Children rode the ‘rails’ at the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Fest on Jan. 17. The event was sponsored by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, which has donated $15,000 to local youth and civic groups.
(File Photo)

This year, the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce handed out more than $15,000 in donations to eight civic clubs and youth groups, thanks to money raised through the event. The donations ranged from $750 to $1,500.

The chamber also announced new scholarships of $1,000 each for performing arts and culinary arts that will be presented to two graduating Zephyrhills High School students in May.

“We are fortunate to have a community that embraces volunteer service and grateful for the enthusiasm by businesses and community organizations that support this event,” said Vonnie Mikkelsen, the chamber’s executive director.

Groups that received the money are excited about what it can do.

The YMCA of East Pasco will spend its donation to send four students and a supervisor to the YMCA’s Blue Ridge leadership program in Black Mountain, North Carolina this summer.

“It’s a huge event,” says AJ Hernandez, the East Pasco YMCA’s program director. “It’s a great opportunity for the kids to network. It’s a great learning experience.”

The students work year-round to collect funds to pay for the trip with car washes, drawings, dinner events and selling snacks at sports events.

The Zephyrhills Museum of Military History, at 39444 South Ave., in Zephyrhills, will be getting some display cases, mannequins and other items to freshen up its look, said Cliff Moffett.

“It’s going to be huge for us,” Moffett said. “We need a lot of stuff to make the museum up-to-date and more modern.”

He thinks the museum visitors will enjoy the acquisitions.

Visitors, he said, “like to see something new.”

The museum is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It also hosts some special events. It had an event on Dec. 7 to remember the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, on Dec. 7, 1941. It is planning a similar event on June 6, to honor D-Day in World War II.

About three-dozen members of the Interact Club at Zephyrhills High School plan to pass on their donation to a local charity at the end of the year. The club is the high school extension of the Noon Rotary Club of Zephyrhills.

Last year, the students donated funds to Sunrise Domestic Violence Center, Thomas Promise Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and East Pasco Meals on Wheels. They usually visit and do volunteer service at area charities throughout the year before deciding which charities will receive donations.

“They gain a broader understanding of the needs that are out there,” said Amy Chappell, the club’s advisor. She also serves on the chamber’s board of directors but not on the committee that awards the donations. “Locally, it’s an eye opener to the needs that are right here.”

In addition to local initiatives, club members reach out to global organizations that work on issues such as clean drinking water and human trafficking. But, Chappell said the local volunteer work gives them a unique perspective.

“They see what a difference it can make,” she said.

Other groups and organizations that received donations were the Pasco County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, Sunshine Swampers 4 x 4 Club Inc., Zephyr Airport Cadet Squadron, Zephyrhills High School Drama Club and Zephyrhills Army JROTC.

Nearly 10,000 people attended the barbecue and blues event.

Published March 11, 2015

Pasco and Hillsborough counties are partners in growth

March 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The explosion of new development in Pasco and Hillsborough counties is good news for governments that count on robust tax revenues to balance budgets. But, the rooftop subdivisions and shopping malls sprouting along busy highways that link these two prospering counties bring new challenges that likely will require a regional approach to solve.

Transportation, including public transit, is among the most critical issues.

“Everything is connected, but all roads – no pun intended – lead back to transportation,” said Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill.

The recession temporarily slammed the brakes on new investments. But with marketplace confidence in the driver’s seat again, developers are accelerating their pace to build thousands of new homes, malls, hotels and restaurants.

In Pasco County, much of the activity is centered on State Road 54, the east-west corridor on the county’s southern border. The heaviest activity on State Road 54 so far is at its interchanges at Interstate 75 and the Suncoast Parkway.

Another Pasco hot spot is U.S. 19, the north-south corridor on the county’s western side.

Both State Road 54 and U.S. 19 are expected to have expanding development and concentrations of new residents, according to Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker.

Future growth plans, driven by incentives, will set the path for where future development – commercial and residential – should go, she said. But she added: “You cannot build your way out of traffic congestion.”

During the past two decades, Pasco has seen cow pastures and citrus groves vanish as land is plowed over for subdivisions and shopping centers. Rush hours are a daily ritual — a commuter conga line of motorists leaving and returning to the county’s bedroom communities.

Density plays a role in deciding which transportation projects should get priority.

“You need a certain amount of congestion before you see people on the bus,” Baker said.

Baker and Merrill shared their insights on the future of their counties and of the Tampa Bay region with about 50 people who attended the monthly meeting of the Tampa Bay Builders Association on Feb. 26.

Much of Pasco’s growth emerged from development along U.S. 19 in Pinellas County and from I-75 and U.S. 301 in Hillsborough County, Baker said.

“People moved up here for quality of life and housing, but we orient ourselves to the counties to the south,” Baker said.

Slightly less than 50 percent of Pasco residents of employment age commute daily to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

“We’re trying to make that less every day,” Baker said.

The transportation network linking Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco isn’t simply about commuters, however. Goods and services must move along the same network, Baker said.

“We do have to work to try to solve the problem,” she said.

Hillsborough is dealing with its own growth explosion.

It is courting opportunities to attract corporate headquarters, it is watching downtown Tampa’s revitalization, pondering a new site for the Tampa Bay Rays, and delivering expanded services and infrastructure to new residents.

In the next 20 years Hillsborough is expected to add about 600,000 residents, Merrill said.

“Along with (Pinellas County Administrator Mark Woodward) we are working much more closely than I’ve ever seen, since 1988, because we are dependent on each other,” Merrill said.

Improved communications and collaborations are good for all counties, Baker agreed.

“Our futures do grow together,” she said.

The challenge is to develop regional strategies without overlooking each individual county’s needs, Baker said.

As businesses look to expand and don’t have room in Hillsborough and Pinellas, they will look elsewhere, Baker said.

But she posed this question: “Rather than let them leap frog from the Tampa Bay region, how do we work to keep them here…without cherry picking from each other?”

The two counties take different approaches to revenue resources.

About 70 percent of Hillsborough’s tax revenues flow from property taxes, while Pasco gets about 35 percent of its money from property taxes. The majority of Pasco’s revenues are filled in with sales and gas taxes, and the renewed Penny for Pasco program.

Baker said Pasco historically has taken a “pay as you go” approach with developers paying higher impact fees than Hillsborough to cover the costs of infrastructure, such as roads and sewers, to support new growth.

But Baker also pointed out that Pasco County has the lowest permitting fees in the region.

Hillsborough needs greater diversity in its revenue sources, Merrill said.

“The struggle in Hillsborough County is how to go forward. It’s not easy to make that shift overnight,” Merrill said.

Pasco County has been focused on changing what Baker described as a “culture of no.”

Along those lines, county officials have taken steps to eliminate and streamline business regulations and to promote a more customer friendly attitude among county employees, Baker said.

“We are not all the way there, but we are picking up steam and making good headway,” Baker said.

Published March 11, 2015