Kevin Weiss

Zephyrhills chamber names new director

February 24, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Zephyrhills native Melonie Monson has been named as the new executive director for the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

She was appointed to the post on Feb. 16 and will begin work on Feb. 29.

She replaces Rod Mayhew, who held the job about three months before stepping down in January.

Monson, 54, spent the past year working as assistant city clerk for the city of Zephyrhills.

The Zephyrhills High graduate previously was the chamber’s member services coordinator for about a year, where she worked alongside former chamber director Vonnie Mikkelsen.

Mikkelsen left the position in July 2015 to take on a similar role in Springfield, Oregon.

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce hired Melonie Monson to serve the role as executive director, effective Feb. 29. She will be the chamber’s third executive director in nine months, following Rod Mayhew and Vonnie Mikkelsen. (Courtesy of Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce) — The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce hired Melonie Monson to serve the role as executive director, effective Feb. 29. She will be the chamber’s third executive director in nine months, following Rod Mayhew and Vonnie Mikkelsen.
(Courtesy of Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Monson stood out during the hiring process because she’s a local resident, is familiar with the inner workings of the city and is a former chamber employee, said Tim Linville, chamber president and search committee chairman.

Another bonus for the selection committee was Monson’s business experience, Linville said. She owned and operated a hair salon business in Utah for more than 30 years.

Her background gives her perspective that will help in her new role, the chamber president said, noting, “our chamber is made up of mostly small business owners, so that makes it easier to understand their concerns.”

Linville said Monson’s familiarity with the city’s business and political leaders makes her an ideal fit for the position.

“Her starting point is so much quicker as compared to if we hired someone from the outside, where it would take six months to a year to get somewhat familiar with who the different players are and understand the (city’s) makeup,” he explained.

“We really haven’t had an official leader for about nine months. It’s about…making sure things are running correctly and then…make sure we’re on our strategic plan which we have set up for March.”

Monson, who’s been living in Zephyrhills for the past five years, said she’s “excited to get back in the community and make a difference.”

One of Monson’s main objectives is to facilitate the development of downtown Zephyrhills.

“The nice thing about me being over here at the city for the last several months is I now see the vision the city has, and the direction they’re trying to go with form-based code and “reimagine” Gall Boulevard. I also understand the direction the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) is going in our downtown corridor… so I really think we can work together and find some businesses that will do great here,” Monson explained.

“The Zephyrhills Brewing Co., is going to be coming downtown. I’d love to be in on that, and help find a couple other businesses to come in and bring more people downtown,” she said.

Monson acknowledged that it will be a “bit of an adjustment” to go from being a member on the chamber’s staff, to assuming the leadership role.

“There’s always a challenge when you were working with people side-by-side and then you go back in, and now you’re over them,” Monson said. “But the (staff) is amazing, and we work well together, so I don’t anticipate too much of a challenge.

“I’m not sure if any confidence has been lost with things being changed so quickly, so I’ll watch for that and see if that needs to be addressed when I get in there,” she said.

In addition to her own ideas, Monson wants to garner feedback from fellow chamber employees on additional programming.

“It’s a team effort. It’s not a one-person job,” she said. “We all have to work together with the same type of goals.”

When she worked as the chamber’s membership services coordinator, Monson said she “learned a lot” from Mikkelsen about the duties of the executive director position.

“I learned how she interacted with people…and understood that relationships are far more important than anything monetary. …Most of the executive director position is being out there in the community and seeing what’s needed,” Monson explained.

“I learned a lot about understanding the role of a nonprofit, which was new to me and a little bit different,” she said.

Monson will make her own daily agenda.

Her first plans in office include completing the new chamber directory and locking in a permanent venue for the chamber’s annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Festival.

Published February 24, 2016

Hockey complex making progress

February 24, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

After a few setbacks, the Florida Hospital Center Ice complex may open sometime before Labor Day.

Initially, the opening for the $20 million project, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., had been slated for last October.

However, weather and installation of the refrigeration system pushed back the timetable for the 150,000-square foot complex.

The construction of Florida Hospital Center Ice has undergone a few setbacks, due to weather and technological hurdles. Initially slated to open in October 2015, the target date for completion is now late summer of this year. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice) — The construction of Florida Hospital Center Ice has undergone a few setbacks, due to weather and technological hurdles. Initially slated to open in October 2015, the target date for completion is now late summer of this year.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)

Developer Gordie Zimmerman, of Z Mitch, said the facility’s opening is currently “at the mercy of the refrigeration company.”

“It’s not your average double-ice rink that you see in this area,” said Zimmerman, who helped develop the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon. “To build five rinks in one building under one system, it really is a technological challenge — like going to the moon.

“We have (the issue) resolved. We just don’t know exactly the timeframe.”

Once complete, the complex will have four full-size ice rinks, and a mini-rink for ice hockey and figure skating — making it the largest ice rink complex in the Southeast.

Additionally, the facility will be multipurpose for other sports like basketball, soccer, lacrosse and volleyball.

“We can do a lot of other different things that other facilities— whether they’re a single sheet or a double sheet— can’t do. We have the ability to do more programming at the same time,” Zimmerman explained

“This facility is going to open up a lot of avenues, not just for hockey, but for figure skating, street hockey and multiple sports,” he said.

Zimmerman isn’t quite sure yet what membership costs or membership totals will be, but he said “we’ll probably double the size of USA Hockey membership in the Bay Area once we come on line.”

The facility expects to staff “somewhere in the area” of 20 full-time and 30 part-time employees, Zimmerman said.

“We have taken in probably 100 resumes…from people of interest,” he said. “We’re really looking for ice maintenance (employees)…because of all the new technology.”

Zimmerman already has a hockey department staff in place, and recently hired Shari Trotter, the figure skating director at the Ashburn Ice House in Washington D.C., to serve as the executive figure skating director for Center Ice.

Pasco County tourism manager Ed Caum said the sprawling facility will increase tourism and have a “major economic impact” for the Tampa area.

He believes it will “create a buzz,” from Pasco County to Bradenton.

“People will start calling us the ‘Ice-75’ corridor. From all the way up here to the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, there’s going to be a massive, massive need for time on the ice,” Caum said.

The tourism manager noted the facility will draw regional events, and perhaps, down the line, will attract national and international events, too.

“You can go after the USA Curling Championships. You can go after your artistic and dance-type events, and you can go after your big events like the NCAA Frozen Four.

“I know that (Zimmerman) does have a lot of friends up in Canada from when he played professionally, so I think we’ll see some international-type tournaments held in there, because people in the business know Gordie.”

While Caum doesn’t have a dollar figure on the amount of revenue Center Ice is expected to bring to Pasco County, he knows there’s already significant interest, because the county has five hotels in development.

“We don’t have the room stock that Hillsborough County does, so the economic impact is going to be shared with Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, because it’s going to be a regional draw,” Caum explained. “We’ve got good partners, and everybody’s going to benefit from this. …Even if people come here to skate at the ice center, they may want to stay on the beach or they may want to stay in Channelside.

However the tourists come, he said, “everybody wins.”

Published February 24, 2016

Sunlake’s Anderson captures weightlifting title

February 24, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

After finishing third at the state weightlifting meet in 2015, Sunlake High’s Brianna Anderson set her sights on winning a state title in her senior year.

That’s exactly what she did on Feb. 6, when she placed first in the 183-pound division in the Class 2A Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Girls Weightlifting Championships.

Anderson recorded a 165-pound bench press and a 220-pound clean-and-jerk for a total of 385 pounds — 20 pounds more than the second place finisher, Kendall Chavarria of Charlotte High.

Sunlake High’s Brianna Anderson, right, is pictured alongside weightlifting coach Denise Garcia. Anderson won first place in the 183-pound division in the Class 2A Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Girls Weightlifting Championships on Feb. 6. (Photos courtesy of Denise Garcia) — Sunlake High’s Brianna Anderson, right, is pictured alongside weightlifting coach Denise Garcia. Anderson won first place in the 183-pound division in the Class 2A Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Girls Weightlifting Championships on Feb. 6.
(Photos courtesy of Denise Garcia)

“I was really emotional, because it was like I finally accomplished a goal that I had since sophomore year, and all the hard work just paid off,” Anderson said about the result.

In addition to the state title, Anderson’s 220-pound clean-and-jerk was her highest mark ever recorded.

“It took her four months to go from 190 (pounds) to 220 (pounds),” said Denise Garcia, head coach of the Sunlake weightlifting team. “I think she probably would’ve had 230 (pounds), but she did her personal best, and she went out with a bang.”

Over the past three years, Anderson made significant gains in the clean-and-jerk once she was being taught the front squat method of lifting.

She also got used to the feeling of falling down after a failed attempt.

“Most people are afraid of falling or getting hurt, so if you get used to falling, that’s really half of it,” Anderson said about being successful in the clean-and-jerk.

“It’s all about dropping under the (bar) and getting your elbows up.”

As she prepared for the state meet, Anderson lifted twice a day during the school week, and mixed in some weekend training sessions, as well. When she wasn’t lifting, Anderson could be found at basketball practice or working on homework.

“I don’t even know how I did that,” Anderson said about managing two sports simultaneously. “I just put my mind to it. I knew that since I wanted to play both sports, that’s just something I had to do.”

Garcia admired Anderson’s ability to keep her composure and juggle her busy schedule all season long.

“Even as tired as she was, she went with it,” the coach said. “Sometimes, she would come to practice, looking at me, and I’d say, ‘Take 15 minutes. Have a little snack, regroup and get your mind set.’ The hard work she put into it paid off.”

Anderson credits Garcia for her development since joining the team as a sophomore, when she could barely clean-and-jerk 100 pounds due to spotty fundamentals.

“She taught me all I know about weightlifting,” Anderson said about Garcia’s influence on her success. “She’s pushed me. She’s really caring, and she knows how to win. She knows what workouts to do, and she knows how to teach good technique.”

Sunlake High’s Brianna Anderson won first place in the 183-pound division in the Class 2A Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Girls Weightlifting Championships. She recorded a 165-pound bench press and a 220-pound clean-and-jerk for a 385-pound total.

For Garcia, replacing Anderson’s combination of production and leadership will be a tall task, as the decorated senior leaves behind a legacy similar to former Sunlake weightlifter Alexandra Ruiz, who won a state weightlifting title in 2013 at 119 pounds.

“Brianna is one of those student-athletes that you don’t get all the time,” explained Garcia, who’s in her 10th season coaching at Sunlake. “She’s so good, and everybody loves (her). She’s well-liked and respected by everyone — teachers, administration, peers — and she’s a leader.”

Garcia hopes someone on the roster can step up and become a leader for next season.

“Every year, you have girls that will come up to the plate, just like Brianna and Alex Ruiz did,” Garcia said. “I’m sure there’ll be someone else.”

Perhaps that girl is junior Hailey Parks, who finished in fourth place in the 169-pound division at the state championships.

The three weightlifters who bested her 335-pound total—Navarre’s Olivia Brahms and Hanna Vernetti, and Lake Mary’s Courtney Coyle—are all seniors, pegging Parks as a likely favorite in 2017.

Garcia believes a state title for Parks is within reach, as long as “she’s willing to put the work in.”

“It all depends on (her) work ethic,” the weightlifting coach explained. “She needs to challenge herself every meet, set goals and not worry about whatever another girl is lifting.

“I know she can. It’s about her wanting to do it,” Garcia said.

Published February 24, 2016

Academy falls short in state final

February 24, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

A sluggish start was too much for the Academy at the Lakes girls basketball team to overcome in the Class 2A state championship, as it fell to Tallahassee FAMU Developmental Research School 55-40 at The Lakeland Center on Feb. 17.

The Baby Rattlers’ full-court pressure proved to be problematic for the Academy early on, as the Wildcats faced a 20-6 deficit after the first quarter.

The Academy at the Lakes girls basketball team finished runner-up in the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A Finals, losing 55-40 to Tallahassee Florida Agricultural & University University (FAMU) Developmental Research School. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos) — The Academy at the Lakes girls basketball team finished runner-up in the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A Finals, losing 55-40 to Tallahassee Florida Agricultural & University University (FAMU) Developmental Research School.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)

“In the first (quarter), we were really out of our element. That’s not how we play,” said Wildcats coach Karim Nohra, whose team committed 13 turnovers in the first quarter. “Once we settled in, we broke the press and got layups, even though we missed a few layups.

“Had we come out in the first quarter like we did the third and fourth, it would’ve been a totally different game,” Nohra said.

The Wildcats double-teamed FAMU’s top player, senior Jazmine Jones, the entire game, but it wasn’t enough to stop her from collecting a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds).

“Jazmine Jones makes all the difference in the world,” Nohra said. “You take any 2A team that was here and you put Jazmine on that team, that team wins state. She is the difference-maker.”

Jones, a University of Louisville basketball commit, was also a pest on the defensive end, collecting seven steals.

“(Coach Nohra) told us not to throw the ball towards Jazmine Jones, and some of the mistakes were because we did throw the ball towards her, and because she’s (lengthier) than all of us,” said Wildcats junior forward Imani Thomas. “She got the ball and that (led to) quick fast breaks for them.”

Making matters more difficult for the Wildcats was losing Thomas (7 points, 13 rebounds) for most of the second quarter after she sustained a blow to the stomach.

“You’re talking about Imani and (sophomore) Audra (Leipold) being the leaders of the squad in terms of scoring and people relying on them, so when one goes out, it works on the psyche a little bit,” Nohra explained.

“It was definitely tough,” said Leipold, who led the Wildcats in scoring with 20 points. “She’s like my go-to girl, and I’m her go-to girl. “But, it was good to learn the leadership in a way and how to take (the team) in control.”

The Academy (26-4) has reached the state tournament five consecutive years, only to fall short of a title, losing to FAMU four times during that span.

“It’s a nice squad,” Nohra said about FAMU, which has won four state titles since 2012. “Not many 2A teams have beaten them. Do they deserve it? Absolutely.”

Leipold added that FAMU’s “athleticism and the way they run the floor” has been the challenge in facing them in recent years.

While the Academy will lose seniors Janise Cassanello and Lulu Santiago, they’ll return their top four scorers in Leipold, Thomas, Loren Wells and Nini Chester.

“It’s very exciting,” Nohra said about next year’s prospects. “My goal is always to get to state. I tell my kids, ‘We’re going to win our district. We’re going to be one of the best teams in our county, and I want to get to state.’”

With FAMU’s top player graduating, Thomas is confident the Wildcats will have a better showing next season.

“I think it’s going to be a great experience, and next time, we’ll win the whole thing,” Thomas said.

In preparation for next season, Leipold plans to work on “pretty much everything” to take her skills to the next level.

“I need to get more shots up, so I can get prepared for the depth perception at (The Lakeland Center). And, definitely finishing, creating off the dribble more, creating space,” she said.

Published February 24, 2016

Pepin Charity fishing tournament set

February 24, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Pepin Academies is hosting its first “Catchin for Pepin” Fishing Tournament on Sunday, April 3 at Catches Waterfront Grille, 7811Bayview St., in Port Richey. The catch-and-release fishing tournament starts at 8 a.m. It includes a raffle, live entertainment and awards ceremony for participants. Sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Kelly Mothershead at (813) 344-3325.

Oasis Golf Tournament April 30

February 24, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Oasis Pregnancy Centers will host its Seventh Annual Golf Tournament on April 30 at the Lexington Oaks Golf Club, 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd, in Wesley Chapel. The event includes a buffet lunch, contests, awards to top teams, and a one-week vacation in Tennessee as a prize. Sponsorships are also available. It begins at 8:30 a.m. For information, call (813) 406-4965.

Wharton track sweeps first meet

February 24, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The Wharton boys and girls track and field teams swept their first meet of the season at home on Feb. 15, beating Freedom High, Wiregrass Ranch and Bloomingdale. The boys totaled 83.5 points to defeat Freedom by a single point. The girls scored 116 to win by 36 points over Wiregrass Ranch.

The boys scored individual event victories in the following:

1-mile by sophomore Noah Damjanovic in 4:51
300-meter hurdles by senior Dezmond Williams in 45.71 seconds
800-meters by sophomore Sahil Deschenes in 2:11
2-mile by sophomore Noah Damjanovic in 10:19
4×800-meter relay team of Ryan Russell (Jr.), Sahil Deschenes (So.), Josiah Crawford (Sr.) and Noah Damjanovic (So.) in 8:41

In addition, Tre Rivers broke the freshman record in the 2-mile by running 10:49 (previous record was 10:53).

The girls scored individual event wins in the following:

Pole vault by senior Gabby Paul by clearing 9 feet
Long jump by junior Avonti Holt with a jump of 15-feet, 1-inch
1-mile by junior Bryanna Rivers in 5:33
400-meters by junior Searra Woods in 58.8 seconds
300-meter hurdles by senior D’Andra McFarlane in 51.54 seconds
800-meters by junior Bryanna Rivers in 2:24
200-meters by sophomore Serena Gadson in 26.42
2-mile by junior Marin James in 11:55
4×400-meter relay in 4:08

Watergrass girls on the run

February 17, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Watergrass Elementary school counselor Meredith Ward joined forces last year with third grade teacher Amanda Hoffman to start a girls running club.

Since Watergrass doesn’t have organized school sports, they felt it was a good way for their students to get active and develop interpersonal skills.

The Watergrass Elementary Owls Run Club is for fourth grade and fifth grade girls. They meet every Thursday afternoon and are preparing for a 5K race in March. (Photos courtesy of Watergrass Elementary) — The Watergrass Elementary Owls Run Club is for fourth grade and fifth grade girls. They meet every Thursday afternoon and are preparing for a 5K race in March.
(Photos courtesy of Watergrass Elementary)

“I had heard about how girls running groups really helped promote empowerment and that kind of girl power mentality, and I just thought, ‘Well, this would be really cool if I could start this here at Watergrass,’” Ward said.

The Watergrass Elementary Owls Run Club — for fourth grade and fifth grade girls — promotes healthy choices, and tries to build positive self-esteem and teamwork. It also focuses on setting goals and developing perseverance, as the girls begin their transition to middle school.

The club has provided an outlet for Watergrass students to socialize, outside of the regular school day.

“I’ve had some girls who’ve said, ‘I’ve made some new friends since being part of the group,’ and that’s important,” Ward said. “We’re focusing on positive relationships with other girls, and how we need to work together and build each other up.

“It’s kind of a byproduct to the health and fitness, and goal setting that we’re doing,” she said.

Ward, an avid runner in her own right, was initially surprised in the amount of interest the afterschool club generated.

She had hoped to attract about 15 students or so. But, the club wound up with double that, at 30 members last year. Currently, it has 33 members.

“We weren’t really sure what we were going go get, but we were thrilled to have so many fourth (grade) and fifth grade girls who wanted to come out and do this,” she said. “The response from the parents has been great, too.”

Through business donations, the club was able to create a pink T-shirt that says, “I Run Like a Girl, Just Try to Keep Up.”

The Owls Run Club meets every Thursday after school, exercising in various open areas, as well as in nearby neighborhood communities.

It welcomes all skillsets—no matter how fast or how slow.

“We have a varied ability level,” Ward explained. “We have some girls that, maybe, without this group wouldn’t be very active, and then we have some that are already running a couple of miles a couple of days a week.”

Watergrass fifth-grader Elizabeth Parsons said the club is “really fun” because “we get to have more exercise.”

“I recommend (other schools) have running clubs, because it’s really good for you,” said Parsons, who’s in her second year with the club. “Some think that girls are not strong enough to run something, so we try to build up our self-esteem, and we encourage people.”

The encouragement aspect of the club is especially important for students going through personal issues, Ward added.

“Sometimes we’ll do mini-sessions before we start running where everyone shares a compliment or shares something positive that has happened during their week,” the school counselor explained. “Some of our kids may be going through family changes or may have experienced some kind of a loss.”

Ward said a few adult volunteers from the school have stepped up to help supervise the group, thereby accommodating the girls’ varied running and walking paces.

“We try to kind of break the groups down…where one of us will push up so the girls who are capable of running more consistently can do so, and this year we’ve had some other adults walk…forming a barrier in the back,” she said.

The presence of other adults has been a positive motivator for club members, Parsons said.

“They really encourage us,” the fifth-grader said. “For people that are behind, they say, ‘You can do it’ and ‘Keep up the good work.’”

The running club is currently training for the Watergrass Elementary Parent Teacher Association 5K on March 7.

Since the group meets just once a week, Ward said the training program is loosely based around the ‘couch to 5K’ program — jogging sessions at a comfortable pace, gradually adding more distance each week.

“Each week, we’ve been building our stamina…and the goal is for the girls to be able to participate in that race, and finish that race,” Ward said. “For some of them, it’ll be their very first 5K.”

After the race, Ward plans to scale down the club until October, bypassing the warm weather conditions at the beginning and end of the school year.

“It’d be nice to do it all year, but once it gets extremely hot, there are some concerns about overheating and hydration,” she said.

Published February 17, 2016

New park seeks funding

February 17, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

A grassroots effort from community members in Carrollwood Village spurred the idea for a new 50-acre park that may see the light of day in the next few years.

The Carrollwood Village Community Park expects to replace the Dale Mabry Wastewater Treatment Plant once it goes offline, and the land is converted to a green space.

While the green site should be available by the spring of 2017, there’s not a timetable yet for when the park may open, because there’s no funding available for the park’s construction.

A new 50-acre park expects to replace the Dale Mabry Wastewater Treatment Plant. (Photos courtesy of the Friends of the Northwest Regional Park) — A new 50-acre park expects to replace the Dale Mabry Wastewater Treatment Plant.
(Photos courtesy of the Friends of the Northwest Regional Park)

The county currently has $3.2 million for land acquisition and design of the park, according to Kyla Booher, manager of parks services with the Parks and Recreation Department.

However, about $4 million more would be needed to build the park, not counting administrative equipment or contingency costs.

“It’s a very rough estimate, but it could be upwards of more,” Booher said.

The construction funds would go toward site improvements, park access, infrastructure, lighting, landscape and other costs, the parks services manager added.

Booher said the parks department is still in the “very beginning” of the project’s development and environmental management process.

“We are in the planning process. We are looking at surveys right now,” Booher said. “We’re trying to solicit a design consultant for the master planning of the park.”

In September 2015, the parks department had a public meeting, seeking input from the community on the type of amenities they’d value the most at the 50-acre site.

Booher and her staff ranked the citizens comments, and created a top 10 “wish list” of amenities.

Walking trails, a dog park, a splash pad, a picnic area, a botanical garden and a nature center were some of the features most requested by community members.

“I think those are very reasonable requests,” Booher said. “There are much more that they wanted, but it wasn’t the general consensus.

“At this point, it’s going to be have a little bit more of a passive feel, so it may not have as much activity as a recreation site would with programs like dance and art classes.”

Hillsborough County has $3.2 million for the site’s acquisition and design. However, there is no funding for construction of the Carrollwood Village Community Park.

A more “passive” park is exactly what homeowners in Carrollwood Village want, according to Bill DeMare, co-chairman of Friends of Northwest Regional Park — the group responsible for spearheading the idea for a new park.

“We already have regional parks like Lettuce Lake Park, and we already have recreational parks — like basketball, tennis, indoor facilities, but this is more unique, and something the community can enjoy,” DeMare said.

“For years, we’ve talked about a dog park, a walking trail, and an area where you can just go and sit down and relax. It’ll be very serene.”

DeMare added it’s also important to have some sort of activity in the park, like an “upgraded” children’s playground.

“If we do a playground, it’ll be state of the art,” DeMare explained. It’ll kind of be a destination playground— not swings and slides— where parents and children can utilize ropes, ladders, rock formations and things of that nature.”

Once news spread about the retirement of the wastewater site, the Friends of the Northwest Regional Park collected several thousand individual signatures and received support from over 10,000 Carrollwood homeowners for a new park in the middle of Carrollwood Village.

“We started a grassroots effort to get the community behind the (park) idea, rather than allowing a developer to come in and have more congestion with stores or bars, or condos or apartments,” DeMare said.

The overwhelming support made the project an “easy sell” when presented to the Hillsborough County Commission last March, DeMare noted.

“It’s a lot easier to get approval when the community wants this,” Booher said. “The commissioners have been terrific.”

The community’s backing is one reason why the park services manager believes project will ultimately receive funding for construction.

“In my opinion, this is one of the more active projects that I’ve seen get picked up and get rolling with. There’s a very active group behind it, so who knows what could happen,” said Booher, referring to friends of the parks’ involvement. “I see this being a very high-profile political project that the community really wants, and typically, they find a way.

“It’s very fluid. It could happen at any time,” Booher said.

The next public forum will be held sometime in the spring or summer, Booher said.

Published February 17, 2016

Zephyrhills chamber seeks new director

February 17, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

For the second time in less than six months, the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce is seeking a new executive director to run its day-to-day operations.

Chamber president Tim Linville said the chamber hopes to have someone in place by early March to “get prepared for next year.”

Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce president Tim Linville is heading the five-member search committee to find a new executive director. (Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce) — Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce president Tim Linville is heading the five-member search committee to find a new executive director.
(Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

The new hire will replace Rod Mayhew, who left the post in January. He began working for the chamber last October, spending just around three months on the job.

According to Linville, the chamber’s selection committee began seeking Mayhew’s replacement three days after the 6th annual Pigz in Z’ Hills BBQ and Blues Festival ended on Jan. 16.

Linville said Mayhew was “looking for other opportunities,” adding that the chamber position “wasn’t a perfect fit for him.”

“He’s a good guy and, whatever he does, I’m sure he’ll be successful,” said Linville, who’s head of the selection committee.

Mayhew could not be reached for comment.

Mayhew was hired to fill the vacancy left by Vonnie Mikkelsen, who held the leadership role for six years before departing in July 2015 to accept a similar chamber position in Springfield, Oregon.

The executive director position pays between “$45,000 to $55,000,” according to the job posting.

The five-member selection committee is currently vetting candidates, and will choose “seven or eight” to do a phone interview, the chamber president said.

The top three candidates will get an in-person interview, with the committee choosing the top two to present to the chamber’s board of directors, which makes the final decision on whom to hire.

According to Linville, the chamber is looking to hire someone that “has past experience with chambers, or has been a director of other organizations.”

Published February 17, 2016