The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Detective, investigator complete specialized firearms training

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A pair of Dade City Police Department employees have achieved the distinction of earning an advanced firearms certification.

Dade City Police Detective Amanda Chambers and Investigator Diana Surratt completed a local three-day certified firearms specialty class, organized by the International Firearm Specialist Academy.

Front row, from left: Dade City Police Detective Amanda Chambers, Dade City Police Investigator Diana Surratt, retired Tampa Police captain Bret Bartlett, Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez and Dade City Police Chief James Walters. Back row, from left: Dade City Commissioners Scott Black, Knute Nathe, Jim Shive and Normita Woodard. (Courtesy of Dade City Police Department)

Chambers and Surratt were among 22 class members from various law enforcement agencies from across the Tampa Bay area. The in-classroom firearms specialist academy took place at the DCPD Training Center in November 2019. The two became the first to successfully complete the course’s 13 learning modules and tests, according to Dade City Police Chief James Walters.

Areas of focus for certification include safe handling practices; accurate identification of firearms and ammunition; competency to explain firearms rules and classifications, and nomenclature; and mechanical operation.

The two members’ certifications became official March 4.

The firearms academy originally was developed by Daniel O’ Kelly, a retired special agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. O’ Kelly recognized there was a learning gap in firearms training and specialty after he served as lead instructor of firearm technology at the ATF National Academy in Glynco, Georgia.

One of the lead instructors for the local firearms class was retired Tampa Police captain Bret Bartlett, who made a presentation during a March 9 Dade City Commission meeting to recognize the Dade City Police employees’ achievement.

The certification, Bartlett said, “is designed to let investigators and officers make better firearms cases so we put more bad guys away in jail, more efficiently.”

“It’s a difficult class,” Bartlett said. “When I took it the first time, I realized there’s a lot more that I needed to learn, a lot more than I knew, so they worked very hard, they were very diligent. There are very few in this whole country, very few certified firearms specialists.”

Chambers was hired by the local police department in December 2016. Surratt was bought on as a part-time employee in January 2017 and became full-time in October last year.

Published March 31, 2021

Passover continues through April 4

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The Jewish holiday of Pesach, or Passover, is an eight-day festival celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan.

This year, it runs from March 27 through April 4.

Passover celebrates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Following its various rituals and traditions allows the Jewish community to relive and experience the freedom of their ancestors.

This includes substituting matzah for leavened grains, from midday of the day before Passover until the conclusion of the holiday.

Passover is divided into two parts.

The first two days (March 27 and March 28) and the last two days (April 3 and April 4) are full-fledged holidays.

Holiday candles are lit at night, and festive meals (Seders) are usually enjoyed for one or two days. The middle four days are referred to as Chol Hamoed, or semi-festive “intermediate days.”

The seventh and eighth days of Passover, meanwhile, are celebrated as Yom Tov, holidays, capping the weeklong celebration that begins with the first Seder.

These final days of Passover begin before sunset on April 2 and end after nightfall on April 4.

It’s customary for Jews to not work during this time, aside from food preparation, reciting holiday prayers, lighting candles and some other special practices.

During morning services on the seventh day, Torah reading includes the biblical reading of the parting of the Red Sea and the exodus from Egypt.

During morning services on the eighth day, memorial prayers are recited for dead relatives.

Source: Chabad.org

Local synagogue information
Various in-person and virtual Passover services are being offered throughout The Laker/Lutz News coverage area. Here is a listing of local synagogues and Jewish houses of worship:

Published March 31, 2021

Wesley Chapel native relishes second shot at ‘American Idol’

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Wesley Chapel native Zach D’Onofrio made his first brief appearance on ABC’s hit reality television show “American Idol” back in 2018.

Then he was a timid 17-year-old Wiregrass Ranch High School student who perhaps came away best known for his colorful sock collection, before being eliminated during the show’s “Hollywood Week” competition in Los Angeles.

Wesley Chapel native Zach D’Onofrio wowed ‘American Idol’ judges with his rendition of Billy Joel’s ‘New York State of Mind,’ during a March 21 episode to advance to the second round of ABC’s hit reality television series. The 20-year-old college student’s run ended shortly thereafter, during the duet challenge of the competition. (Courtesy of Gigi Stevens/Freemantle)

D’Onofrio’s second chance at stardom proved more fruitful.

Entering as a more seasoned and confident 20-year-old college sophomore studying at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, D’Onofrio aimed to advance farther in the competition and to have a more enjoyable experience overall.

Mission accomplished for D’Onofrio.

He made it to the second round of “Hollywood Week” thanks to his rendition of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” as part of the show’s genre challenge.

He also had previously impressed celebrity judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie — in a live audition broadcast March 14 singing “Golden Slumbers” by The Beatles solo, and “Falling” by Harry Styles with girlfriend and former “Idol” contestant Catie Turner.

However, D’Onofrio’s run ended in the show’s duets challenge on March 22, where showrunners paired him with Sloane Simon, a 16-year-old high school cheerleader from the Pittsburgh area.

Together, they belted out a cover of “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates.

Following the aired performance, Perry said of D’Onofrio: “Listen, I believe in you. You really have grown and overcome.”

In the same breath, however, the Grammy-nominated pop star said both D’Onofrio and his duet partner “need more experience” and “it’s not the time” for them to continue in the competition.

But, she later added this of D’Onofrio on the broadcast: “Next time he comes back, he’s going to show us — the underdog always wins, always.”

Despite a rejection witnessed by millions of viewers nationwide, D’Onofrio came away pleased to have achieved more compared to his first go-round, thanks in part to countless choir and voice lessons taken the past couple years.

He also left with several friendships forged with other talented contestants throughout his appearance on the show.

He traded in his unique socks for showy, colorful sweaters, too.

“My whole thing the second time was getting out of my shell, and I really did think I got out of my shell,” D’Onofrio told The Laker/Lutz News in a recent phone interview.

“I definitely felt better the second time. I just didn’t want to get cut earlier than I did the first time. I just wanted to make it farther, that was my main goal, and I did.”

D’Onofrio acknowledged that he felt more comfortable this time performing in front of the daunting star-studded cast of judges — who are among the world’s all-time best-selling artists in their respective genres. After all, it wasn’t the first time he performed for them.

“I definitely was more confident, because I was like, ‘Yeah, they know me, I’ve done this before,’ like it really wasn’t that bad,” said D’Onofrio, who grew up in the Seven Oaks neighborhood in Wesley Chapel.

“I just saw (the judges) as people this time, instead of figures, because they really do give advice, and talk to you heart-to-heart and it feels real, because some things on TV are sometimes fake, obviously, but when you’re actually there in person and you can connect person to person, it just feels really nice.”

D’Onofrio began singing around his junior year of high school, making his talent known at Dreamhouse Theatre in Lutz, which was then owned by his family.

The budding singer-songwriter adeptly plays the piano, electric guitar and ukulele, and fancies himself an old soul at heart — with a passion for oldies and classics music dating to the 1940s era.

“It just feels right when I sing those types of songs,” said D’Onofrio, who lists Billy Joel among his favorites.

“That was kind of my goal with “American Idol,” to introduce the new generation of people that maybe aren’t familiar with that type of music…so it’s like taking older songs and just making them fun and new and that’s kind of my goal, just so people don’t dislike oldies.”

Newfound celebrity
While D’Onofrio said no music labels have reached out to him since his latest “Idol” appearance, he’s received offers to perform at some local piano and jazz bars in Tampa Bay.

His college also has been quite supportive of his career, hosting an “Idol” watch party and has “offered a lot of really cool opportunities,” such as on-campus performances.

He’s also acquired a certain level of fame — from getting verified on Instagram to having fans reach out to him on social media from Argentina, Brazil and Philippines, and other places.

Even former “Idol” contestant Clark Beckham, who finished runner-up on the show in 2015, reached out to him for words of encouragement.

Every once in a while, D’Onofrio is even recognized on campus, or about town.

But, people tend to be timid about approaching him.

“At school, I get so many stares,” he said, noting he realizes it’s because of his American Idol appearances.

He doesn’t say anything, because he thinks that would make them feel awkward.

“People want to say something but they never do, and I’m like, ‘I’m not scary, I swear, it’ll be OK.’”

Music is the motivation
D’Onofrio continues to make music from his college dorm room — which he’s transformed into a makeshift studio.

He also collaborates on projects with a friend through FaceTime calls.

He plans to release a single titled, “Don’t Leave,” in late April, which he describes as “a pop piano ballad.”

He’s also working to produce and release an EP album by summertime.

Now the lingering question: Could the third time be the charm for D’Onofrio, on “American Idol” or another reality television singing competition?

At the moment, D’Onofrio is focused on finding success as an independent artist and pursuing a degree in music management.

But he hasn’t closed the door on music competitions.

“I’m sure I’ll audition again just to see,” he said.

But he doesn’t know if that will be to “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent” or “The Voice.”

If he makes a return to “Idol,” he’d like to make it to at least round three.

While he’s exited the show this year, 19-year-old Alanis Sophia, of Dade City, remains active in the competition.

Published March 31, 2021

Strong season

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(Courtesy of Greg Mark)

The Land O’ Lakes K-2 Battlehawks youth flag football team earned an invitation to the Under Armour Under the Lights state championships at the Tournament Sportsplex of Tampa Bay, in Tampa. The Battlehawks finished the winter season with an 8-1 mark and No. 13 state ranking, but suffered a 2-point loss in the single-elimination tournament on March 14. Battlehawks head coach Greg Marks said of the team, ‘They gave everything they had to win that game and I was so proud of them.’ Back row, from left: head coach Greg Marks, Zane Miller, Brooklyn Hencz, Brantley Wall, Christian Mirabella, Bryson Freeman, Colton Hammond and assistant coach Joey Hencz. Front row, from left: Caden Alleger, Cameron Wright, Parker Nichols, Carson Hammond, Madden Langehennig and Tanner Boyette.

Conference champs

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(Courtesy of Saint Leo University Athletics Department)

The Saint Leo University men’s basketball claimed its first-ever Sunshine State Conference (SSC) championship tournament title, defeating Florida Southern University 83-70 on March 21 at the Marion Bowman Activities Center. The Lions (7-1) were paced by senior guard Rusty Moorer, who registered a game-high 28 points. The team is coached by Lance Randall.

Solid haul

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(Courtesy of John Medvid)

Kristofer Samson, left, and Mike Mathews teamed up to win the South Pasco Bassmasters (SPBM) March tournament on the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes. The team hauled in five bass for a total weight of 13.80 pounds. Their strategy was to fish in water 15-feet deep using diving crankbaits and jerkbaits. The next SPBM tourney is set for April 17 at Lake Panasoffkee. Visit SouthPascoBassmasters.com for more information.

Efforts set to begin to address flooding problems at intersection

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Stormwater drainage improvements are coming to the intersection of 15th Street and Main Avenue in Dade City — an area officials say has been long plagued by flooding problems.

Long-awaited stormwater issues will soon be resolved at the 15th Street and Main Avenue intersection in Dade City. (Courtesy of Dade City Public Works Director Bryan Holmes)

The intersection runs between Cox Elementary School and Watson Park. It also is near the future site of The Cove, a 10-unit Habitat for Humanity residential development.

Dade City Commissioners on March 9 voted unanimously to award the construction project to Tampa-based Kamminga & Roodvoets Inc. The company’s bid of $94,753 was the lowest of four submitted. Others came in at $122,460.25, $125,750 and $147,130.

The project scope calls for installing curb inlets and storm pipe at the intersection; constructing concrete curb; installing pavement and an asphalt wing; installing a ditch bottom inlet and constructing ditch pavement to match the street’s existing ditch grade, among other improvements. The contractor has 100 calendar days to achieve substantial completion.

The project was originally budgeted for $95,000, from the Penny for Pasco local government infrastructure surtax fund.

The city, in 2019, obtained engineering design services of Wood Environmental and Infrastructure Inc., to prepare bid-ready construction drawings for the drainage improvements. The engineer’s cost estimate at the time was $89,120.

Mayor Camille Hernandez described the project as “long-needed” and “overdue.”

“I’m very pleased to see this and happy that we awarded that (bid),” Hernandez said. “The folks (in the neighborhood) we have met at different times and stages are looking forward to that, and there’s a lot of development happening with The Cove and other things.”

Kamminga & Roodvoets also was the contractor on the city’s recent multimillion downtown stormwater piping system spanning Seventh Street, Pasco Avenue, Third Street, Meridian Avenue and other areas.

Published March 24, 2021

Dade City Commissioners seek city manager improvements

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As the City of Dade City is staged for a wave of unprecedented growth, development and other happenings, elected leaders want to ensure they have the right leadership and administration in charge to navigate the East Pasco town’s future.

Much of that starts with Dade City Manager Leslie Porter, who has officially held the position for nearly two years.

Dade City Manager Leslie Porter’s contract is up for renewal May 14. (File)

Porter’s employment contract will renew on May 14, unless the Dade City Commission acts otherwise.

Keeping this time frame in mind, Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez has called for significant tweaks to the handling of Porter’s annual performance review — with the aim of helping the city manager carry out the city’s established vision and goals.

The topic came up during the commission’s March 9 meeting.

Hernandez said the municipality is at a “critical juncture.”

She detailed major undertakings, such as the U.S. 301 commercial corridor; the developing of major recreational and park amenities; overseeing several new residential developments and annexations; and, figuring out the way to market, brand and promote the town going forward.

“We’re dealing with growth issues and concerns that we have never dealt with before, so we need to make sure we’ve got our game in order,” Hernandez said.

Because of that, Hernandez urged fellow commissioners to put deep, and serious, thought into their observations of Porter’s job to date.

Said Hernandez: “I want to make sure that when we get through this evaluation, that we can all walk away confident that (Porter) is the person that is going to lead us on, as we move forward and have all of the skillsets that we need.

“I think Ms. Porter is an extremely talented individual, and if she’s the one that we want to keep in this position as we move forward — if that’s the one we choose — then we need to make sure we’re all on the same page in making sure that we help her to have that, by way of marking improvement that peaks her performances.

“I think more than ever, I think we need to be on the same team, ‘Team City Manager,’ so that we move forward to get the city’s best interests,” the mayor said.

Hernandez said her comments are “nothing personal” toward the sitting city manager, but rather about “having Dade City’s best interests at heart.”

Hernandez then described disappointment with the handling and execution of various city operations on the whole, specifically noting a general lack of communication and engagement and not being “in the loop” on certain matters.

Hernandez also mentioned others in the community and throughout City Hall have expressed “angst and frustration” of late, too.

“We’re in the hot seat all the time because of all the people that come to us when things are done and not done,” Hernandez said. “I know this commission wants to know what’s going on, because the last thing we want to do is walk down the shopping aisle and have somebody tell us (about a local issue) and we look like a deer in the headlights…”

Even with this direct and clear warning shot and wakeup call, the mayor did credit Porter for making “considerable changes recently in terms of communicating and engaging.’

The mayor added: “I think if we can continue to move in that direction, then we are on the right path, but if we can’t, then we’ve got some issues that we need to address.”

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez

Evaluations should be meaningful
Commissioner Normita Woodard, sworn into her first-term last July, agreed with calls for more proactive oversight and transparency in manager evaluations, as opposed to a mundane check-the-box exercise.

“I definitely don’t think we just do an evaluation and call it a day,” Woodard said. “I do think that we need to make sure that all of what we want to see and all the criteria is being met, and if not, then we need to have a plan set up of how we’re going to meet that objective or what we’re going to do, if it’s not done. But, I don’t think we can just evaluate and move forward.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner Scott Black suggested scheduling a workshop to brainstorm ways to fine-tune the manager evaluation and clarify other goal-setting measures. This exercise, he said, “would go a long way for helping address the concerns” the mayor brought up.

“We haven’t had (this type of workshop) since our new commissioners (Woodard and Knute Nathe) have joined us and that is something we once did on an annual basis, where we just go in and indicate what our priorities individually, and bring all that together to have a collective vision or at least a plan for the city manager to pursue.

“It’s been awhile since we’ve done that, and I think this would be very helpful for the commission, for management, for staff, for everyone else involved, and that keeps us all where we can have something that we can measure performance based on what our collective vision is as a commission,” Black said.

Porter’s last evaluation was presented at a meeting in June 2020.

Commissioners then rated Porter’s overall performance at a 4.1 out of 5.0 scale, graded on management in administration, adhering to governance, relationship-building, leadership, and financial acumen, among other areas.

The main focus for improvements was in the arenas of building relationships and better communication with legislators, residents, merchants, The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, and so on.

Other constructive criticism also called for Porter — who commutes from her home in Tampa — to have better familiarization with the municipality as a whole, along with various city departments and employees.

Previous city manager evaluations came in with satisfactory marks from commissioners.

After the commission meeting, The Laker/Lutz News reached out to Porter for her reaction to comments that were made pertaining to her during the meeting.

In an email response, Porter said: “I agree the city needs an evaluation tool that the commission as a body agrees upon. The city manager is in a unique position in that he/she reports equally to five elected officials. Each voice is important, and for the city manager to be most effective, he/she needs to know the expectations to which they are being held accountable and  the priorities of the commission as a whole.”

Porter was originally hired as the city’s finance director in 2014.

She was appointed interim city manager in February 2019, assuming the post long-held by Billy Poe, who took a similar position with the City of Zephyrhills.

Porter was selected, after the city was unable to reach a contract agreement with Christopher Edwards, its initial top candidate for the position, who was then a real estate associate in Tallahassee and previously had served as deputy director of the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economy Vitality.

Instead of selecting a list of new candidates to interview, the commission opted to proceed with Porter for the post, starting with a base salary of about $99,000, citing her performance as acting city manager over prior months while also juggling her duties as finance director.

Before coming to Dade City, Porter spent nearly a decade working as town treasurer for the Town of Chesapeake Beach, in Maryland.

She has a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and a master’s degree from George Washington University.

Published March 24, 2021

Kumquat Festival set March 27

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The 24th annual Kumquat Festival will take on more of a spring feel, among other twists and turns due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The popular event traditionally held the last Saturday in January is instead set for March 27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in downtown Dade City, around the iconic Historic Pasco County Courthouse; the original event date was pushed back due to COVID-19.

The 24th annual Kumquat Festival is set for March 27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Dade City. (File)

The Kumquat Festival is organized each year by The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce in coordination with other community stakeholders.

And, it’s all in the name of celebrating, of course, kumquats — a tiny, tart citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia, but grown in Dade City.

The festival features all things kumquat, including such specialties such as kumquat ice cream, kumquat pie and kumquat beer. You might also find some non-edible items such as kumquat lotions, balms and body butters.

As in previous editions of the festival, downtown Dade City will be transformed into an open-air marketplace featuring local businesses, hundreds of specialty vendors and dozens of partner sponsors.

Other happenings throughout the day include:

  • “Kumquat Growers” series to learn about and purchase kumquats
  • Farmer’s Market
  • Kid’s Corral with a variety of activates for children of all ages
  • Quilt challenge
  • Car and truck show

Some of the more interactive live entertainment options have been pared down from prior years, however, out of COVID-19 health and safety precautions. There won’t be shuttle services to remote parking lots, either, because of COVID-19.

Admission is free. Self-parking will be available throughout the city limits and downtown, including private lots, church lots and street parking. Masks will be required by all vendors and attendees.

The festival — which puts Dade City at the regional fore for the day — otherwise epitomizes the locale’s “iconic, old Florida, down home sort of feel,” chamber Executive Director John Moors told The Laker/Lutz Newspaper in a recent interview.

“I think the whole fact that it’s kumquats is kind of a funny thing,” Moors said. “There’s lots of strawberry festivals, blueberry festivals, all sort of other things, but this is the only one we’re aware of that actually features kumquats and a lot of folks aren’t even sure what a kumquat is, so it kind of lends itself to that quirky, kind of fun, sort of entertainment day that you don’t find at the wonderful theme parks that Florida offers.”

Scaled back, but still lots to see and do
The event will showcase around 250 vendor booths — each spaced about 12 feet apart instead of side-by-side as in previous years.

Due to physical distancing requirements, organizers had to cut back on about of a third of vendor booths from prior years.

While forced to scale down overall, organizers felt it important to still put on the family friendly event for the community, Moors said.

“This year, we just really wanted to have an event because there isn’t a lot going on and so many things have been canceled and we just thought, ‘Well, if we can do this safely, let’s just give it our very best shot and try to keep everybody safe,’” Moors said. “It’s going to be different, and maybe not as convenient as it has been in the past, but hopefully we have a successful day and a successful event, and then next year we’ll be back to something a little different, maybe a little more extensive.”

In the way of attendance prognostications, Moors acknowledged he’s “really not sure what to expect,” considering the date change and ongoing pandemic concerns. Simply, “We’re hoping for a good event,” he said, then adding “the safety of our volunteers, attendees, our vendors is at the forefront.”

Moors asked those attending to exercise some patience: “We know it’s going to be a little different and it’s not going to be the same, but come out and enjoy it, have some fun and take a deep breath, and we’ll all get through this together.”

Meanwhile, festival-goers also will have a chance to land a sneak preview of The Block, downtown Dade City’s newest event and entertainment center located at 14313 Seventh St.

Walk-in tours of the facility will be offered, to let visitors check out the progress so far, with updates on the project’s brewhouse, CrossFit gym, wedding venue and other amenities.

The facility’s entrance corner will have an assortment of tents with a live band, and food and drinks during the Kumquat Festival, too.

While technically separate from the Kumquat Festival, Moors said having coinciding activities at The Block are “a fabulous addition” to festival day.

The Block is a new take on two existing buildings, totaling 21,000 square feet that run together with an outdoor patio with seats, tables and string lights hanging above.

The premises has an extensive history as a car dealership, going back for decades.

The renovated space, conceptualized by local real estate developer Larry Guilford, takes on some influences from the Tampa Heights neighborhood’s popular Armature Works.

The Block will include a wedding and event venue, outside bar, brewery, catering business, space for food trucks, CrossFit gym and more. It is slated to open this spring.

For more information about the Kumquat Festival, visit KumquatFestival.org, or call The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce at 352-567-3769.

24th annual Kumquat Festival
When: March 27, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Historic downtown Dade City, near Meridian Avenue and Seventh Street
Cost: Free admission, free parking
Details: Festival-goers have a chance to get a taste of Old Florida, in a community known for its hospitality and charm. There will be loads of vendors, places to purchase food and drink, activities for kids, and a car and truck show, among other things.

Published March 24, 2021

Expansion plans unveiled for Zephyrhills tennis center

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The Sarah Vande Berg (SVB) Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills has sights on a major expansion to significantly enhance its tennis offerings and also establish a boarding program — all of which may run upwards of $20 million, when all is said and done.

The existing tennis center situated on 10 acres of land at 6585 Simons Road already has garnered much attention for its present slew of amenities, including:

  • 11 regulation-size outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface)
  • Eight outdoor pickleball courts
  • Four outdoor padel courts
  • Outdoor multipurpose turf field
  • Nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse, featuring a full-service restaurant/cafe, fitness center, salt room, yoga room, cryotherapy chamber and pro shop

But, the center could be broadening its reach through an expansion that would be funded by a state appropriation, private investments and financing.

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center CEO Pascal Collard (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

Preliminary details and various renderings were announced during a special presentation at the facility on Feb. 25.

Perhaps of greatest interest to the general public are proposals to nearly double its tennis offering by installing 10 more courts.

This would include six outdoor regulation hard surface tennis courts, plus a 30,000-square-foot multi-use indoor sports complex with room for four full-size tennis courts, as well as other athletic events, trade shows, banquets and ceremonies.

A nearly $4.7 million state appropriation for the slate of courts is being sponsored by state Sen. Danny Burgess, a Republican from Zephyrhills.

Besides helping to stimulate Pasco’s economy, the initiative would “provide access to low-income residents and children, as well as to provide athletic tournaments and events to east Pasco,” according to the state funding proposal.

If approved in the 2021 state budget, funding would become available around July, with expectations to begin construction by September or October, said Pascal Collard, the CEO of the SVB Tennis & Wellness Center.

Plans call for a half-dozen hard courts to be built on the northeast corner of the tennis center property, while the multi-use complex would be situated on another adjacent 10-acre tract of land southeast of Simons Road purchased by Collard and other private investors a few months ago.

Collard emphasized the need for the court additions during the presentation, citing the facility’s rampant demand since opening October 2020, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic: “We have days where there’s a waiting list. We have days where there’s not enough space on the parking lot. We are already too small. We are, literally. There are moments where we don’t have enough courts,” he said, during the special presentation on the proposed expansion.

Adding an indoor component is particularly important, too, Collard said, noting, “sometimes it rains, sometimes it’s too warm for the kids” to play tennis and other sporting activities.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills could be in store for a roughly $20 million expansion that calls for an international sports boarding program and a slew of indoor and outdoor tennis courts. (File)

An international sports boarding program?
Aside from further beefing up tennis offerings, Collard and other private investors are pursuing financing to establish an international residential sports academy and boarding program — similar to a scaled-down version Bradenton’s IMG Academy and Wesley Chapel’s Saddlebrook Preparatory School.

The concept calls for an assortment of phased-in student condos, dormitories and houses on the adjacent land tract that would eventually accommodate from 60 to 80 international students. That would be called the Sarah Vande Berg Learning Village.

A shared master plan rendering shows a dormitory building, 31 individual 1,500-square-foot homes and a three-story condo building with nine two-bedroom units and nine one-bedroom units, with walkable or rideable connections to the present tennis center.

Renderings also show the learning village subdivision is slated to feature a community center, pool, park, playground, community garden, and pond and fountain, among other outdoor and recreational features.

Here’s how the sports academy would work: International and out-of-state students would train and reside at the tennis center properties, then get bussed to North Tampa Christian Academy in Wesley Chapel for a more traditional academic setting, Collard said. The academy also would offer training and development packages for youth golfers and soccer players, Collard said, through partnerships with Dade City’s Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club, and Florida Premier FC.

Depending on the amount of amenities and programs (boarding, meals, sports training, academics), costs could run anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 annually per visiting student, Collard said.

Meanwhile, he added, there will be opportunities for area-based youth to enroll in various portions of the sports academy, while still living at home. Various sports academy scholarships also will be made available for Zephyrhills area youth through the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation, he said.

“This is going to enhance what we’re trying to do here for the kids,” Collard said. “We went to be special and different, and bringing some stuff to the table that nobody has, and that’s truly what we’re doing with everything. We want to create an atmosphere that kids are loving…”

This rendering shows plans for an international sports academy boarding community on property adjacent to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills. The community would feature dormitories, apartments and housing for international and out-of-state students looking to enhance their athletic skills, in hopes of securing college scholarships or professional opportunities. The concept would be similar to Bradenton’s IMG Academy and Wesley Chapel’s Saddlebrook Preparatory School. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

Collard acknowledged the boarding program initiative is “not a done deal yet,” though he noted that multiple banks are interested in taking on the project.

Collard indicated initial investment for the boarding campus may be in the ballpark of $10 million to $15 million.

The proposed project also has an ambitious timeline. The idea is to open a portion of the boarding program in conjunction with the multi-use complex around September 2022, he said.

Benefits of the expansion, as outlined in the presentation, include: raising the city’s regional and national profile; additional tax revenue and increased property values (projected up to 15% or more); and, providing a valuable community resource; and, introducing a diverse international presence to Zephyrhills.

The existing $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is a public-private partnership between Collard and the City of Zephyrhills. The municipality owns the facility while Collard’s company, Tennis Pro Florida LLC, is tasked with management and day-to-day operations.

The facility is named after Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district champion and three-time state qualifier who died in an automobile accident in South Carolina at the age of 21, on Oct. 11, 2015, while a member of the University of South Carolina-Upstate women’s tennis team.

Collard and his team were responsible for leveraging connections and forging partnerships with individuals and organizations to bring aboard some of the facility’s splashier features — such as the salt room, cryotherapy, and restaurant. The city — with the help of a state appropriation and other impact fees — funded the tennis portion of the facility.

Collard brings a varied tennis background, having founded other academies in his native Belgium, and being a former tennis director at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel and The Merion Cricket Club, in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

His professional coaching resume includes working with several widely known international tennis pros, including Younes El Aynaoui and Dominique Monami, among others.

Published March 24, 2021