The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Pasco Clerk’s Office upgrades website, online features

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The last time Pasco Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles spoke with the East Pasco Networking Group (EPNG), she vowed to make various technological and customer service upgrades to the agency’s website and operations.

Less than a year later, some of those goals have been achieved.

A recent addition to the clerk’s website is e-Notify, a new statewide alert system to stay informed about upcoming hearings, trials and other criminal court events.

Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles (File)

Users who sign up for the service receive email or text alerts on upcoming events, with options to get reminders 14 days, seven days or a day ahead of time.

The program works similar to the way individuals receive electronic reminders for upcoming doctor’s appointments “except it relates to cases,” said Alvarez-Sowles, who led a virtual video presentation with the networking group last month.

The e-Notify system is not just for parties and attorneys, but the public and media, as well. “It is open to the world,” she quipped.

In addition to providing information on an appearance date, time and location, it also alerts when a defendant or witness doesn’t show for a particular event, said Alvarez-Sowles, who became the eighth Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller last August, filling out the balance of term for the retiring  Paula S. O’ Neil.

There is no limit to the number of cases users can sign up to get notifications, and users can manage their alert subscriptions and make changes to the number of followed cases and frequency of alert.

In addition to e-Notify, the clerk’s office also has installed bolded tabs at the bottom of its website for “highly sought after information,” such as marriage licenses, property auctions, juror information, e-Filing and legal resource center services, to ease in searches.

Alvarez-Sowles also talked about the agency’s online property fraud alert system.

That alert system helps protect a person’s property from fraud by monitoring documents, such as liens, deeds and mortgages that are recorded in Pasco County.

It provides peace of mind because property owners know that their property is being monitored against the filing of fraudulent documents in their name.

Alvarez-Sowles put it like this: “If someone records a document in the official record with my name on it, I am going to get an email or phone call telling me that a document was recorded with my name on it, and give me the information so that I can go and look.”

The clerk explained there’s “a lot of fraud going on in our official record” — detailing how many fraudsters file quitclaim deeds on someone’s property then sell it to another party “so you no longer own your property on public record.”

To drive the point home, the speaker shared a heart-wrenching story about a Miami area woman who was homeless for seven months after swindlers used forged quitclaim deeds to sell her home to an investment firm, leading to her eviction.

“Our home or business we own is probably the largest asset that we will own, and we need to protect it,” she said.

All sorts of information available online
The website also offers online searches for court records.

The public can do anonymous criminal background checks on Pasco County-based businesses and residents. There’s also specific lookups for animal abuse cases, high-profile cases, mental health cases and others.

For example, you can search a person or business name and see lawsuits and criminal and civil charges, among other court records.

Alvarez-Sowles explained the database provides a way for citizens to vet doctors, lawyers, building construction, housecleaning, landscaping and other service providers.

It also can be used to research a new neighbor moving in, to see if they have a prior record in the county, she said.

To underscore the feature’s significance, Alvarez-Sowles shared a news story of two maids who’d been charged with stealing electronics and a firearm from a Cape Coral area home they were hired to clean.

A simple court records search in Lee County likely would have revealed each of the individuals criminal history, she said.

“Just think of any services people are providing, you can go and protect yourselves by going and looking at our records online,” she told the networking group.

On a related note, Alvarez-Sowles said she’s collaborating with other county clerks to get permission from the Florida Supreme Court to consolidate court records statewide for public consumption. That would allow for individuals to search a person or business name and see all court records cases from all Florida counties simultaneously and not require individual searches of each county.

Such a system currently is only accessible by the courts, law enforcement, state attorneys and public defenders.

Alvarez-Sowles said one her next big initiatives will be to expand online payments through the clerk’s website. Currently, citizens can pay traffic tickets and child support online, but she’s working to make it possible to pay court fines, fees and infractions online.

“I want it so that you can pay anything that you owe online, without having to come in (the office),” she said.

She’s also looking to contract with Amscot to accept payments on behalf of the clerk’s office, to assist individuals who don’t have bank accounts.

“To be honest, in Pasco County there’s a lot of people that don’t have bank accounts and they just live on cash, so having a place like Amscot for them to go is also very helpful, so that is a work in progress,” the clerk said.

For additional information about the clerk’s services, visit PascoClerk.com.

Office of the Pasco Clerk & Comptroller
By the numbers — for 2019

  • 220,000 official documents recorded
  • 88,000 cases filed
  • 31,000 jurors summoned
  • 6,500 passports issued
  • 2,500 marriage licenses issues

Published May 20, 2020

Dade City awards contract for Hardy Trail

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Dade City has pushed another step forward to make the Roy Hardy Trail more tourist-friendly.

City commissioners have agreed to enter negotiations with Borregard Construction Inc., for the design-build of a visitor’s information welcome center, to be located on the south side of Church Avenue near the Hardy Trail multi-use trailhead.

Preliminary plans call for a building of 1,100 square feet to 1,500 square feet, with two family bathrooms that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

A group of cyclists is ready for the Trail Jam fitness event held previously at Dade City’s Roy Hardy Trail. A visitor’s information welcome center and bike hub is set to be installed near the Hardy Trail trailhead. (File)

The center will feature an open floor plan — allowing for vendor operations, area attractions, museums and art exhibits to host mobile displays.

The building is part of a larger exterior space concept that will feature a bike-share hub with stations for parking, minor repairs and public resting areas for cyclists and exercising pedestrians.

Commissioners voted 4-1, with Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon voting against the bid award, during a May 12 virtual conference call meeting.

The city received three bids for the project.

Borregard, a Dade City-based construction firm, garnered the highest average qualification score by city staffers for its proposal, scope of services and cost projections.

If the city is unable to come to terms with Borregard, it will turn to the second-ranked bid, WJCreate LLC.

Construction shall begin no later than July 15 and completed before June 2021, per the city’s

request for proposals (RFP).

The exact budget for the visitor’s center will be determined by the design of the structure and any necessary site improvements, officials say.

The city has received a $250,000 appropriation for the project from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.

The visitor’s center will require additional public input and commission approval along the way, officials say.

The new amenity adds to Hardy Trail, which is currently being extended northbound to Lock Street. Commissioners have also expressed a desire to phase in more water stations, pet stations and even outdoor fitness stations.

In addition to the visitor’s center and bike hub, an adjacent downtown park is being planned, with features that could include a splash park, amphitheater, playground and more.

Leaders anticipate budget hit
Dade City Manager Leslie Porter told commissioners April statewide tax collection information will be made available May 25, giving city leaders a “first inkling on some of the impact” from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease pandemic.

While total figures are not yet known, decreases in sales tax, shared revenues and Penny for Pasco monies to the city are to be expected, she said.

Meanwhile, Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said there’s general worry among Florida cities of all sizes about the negative fiscal impact related to COVID-19. She based that assessment on  a recent conference call she had with the Florida League of Cities.

“The budget may be painful, and it’s very concerning,” Hernandez said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a small city or a very large city, we are all going to feel this in some shape or way or form.”

Adding to the hardship of what will likely be a tight budget cycle for the city is the fact there’ll be at least two new faces on the five-member commission following the June 30 municipal election.

Commissioners Newlon and Eunice Penix aren’t seeking re-election for their seats.

Commissioner Jim Shive is running against candidate Matthew Wilson for the Group 3 seat.

“It’s going to be kind of a real quick learning curve,” the mayor said.

Resident shares frustration with city upkeep
Speaking during the public comment portion of the virtual meeting, Dade City resident Bernice Thomas expressed her displeasure with city public works crews for not following proper 6-foot social distancing protocols and not wearing masks on the job.

The resident described one alleged incident on 14th Street near the Dade Oaks area, where city workers were “just sitting under the tree, talking without masks, and sitting right next to each other,” she said.

Thomas also criticized public workers for just “riding in air-conditioned trucks doing absolutely nothing.”

“It is absolutely disgraceful to me that our city has employees getting paid, but are not doing anything, “said Thomas. “COVID-19 has been an excuse to take time off, get paid, and still do nothing. We are taxpaying citizens who deserve better than we are getting.”

Thomas went on to mention the Dade City Merchant’s Association two months ago requested painted crosswalks, new signage and sidewalks cleaned, watered flowers and so on. “I haven’t seen anything being started yet,” she said.

She then blamed city department heads for not keeping tabs on city employees nor ensuring proper upkeep of the downtown district.

Said Thomas, “If the supervisors cannot manage their employees, maybe we need to seek out another employee who can be promoted to fulfill these duties. If the city manager cannot care for this city as if she lives here, maybe we need to find a new one.”

Responding to Thomas’ claims, Porter pointed out the city just received quotes on painting crosswalks, while city workers have now begun “an intense downtown cleanup,” including mulching, weeding, pressure washing sidewalks and more.

As for city employees possibly not observing proper health and safety measures, the city manager said: “Certainly, if we have new employees who are not observing the social distancing and following the protocols we will be addressing that, because that has to be one of our priorities, the safety of our citizens, as well as our employees.”

Published May 20, 2020

Special Olympics keeps athletes engaged — virtually

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Like it has done with seemingly everything else — coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) threw a wrench into Special Olympics-Pasco’s event schedule for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Annual Special Olympics-Pasco events, such as area and state games, have been canceled the past two months, thanks to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Shown here is a Special Olympics event last year at Weightman Middle School in Wesley Chapel. (File)

The pandemic led to the cancellation of local and state-level competitions and practices for more than 1,500 local Special Olympics athletes. It also forced the cancellation of the organization’s two largest annual fundraisers — a 5K race set for April and a golf scramble set for May.

It’s all meant less than ideal circumstances for Special Olympics-Pasco director Val Lundin, who’s set to retire this summer after 36 years with the nonprofit organization.

“It kind of stings to end this way,” Lundin said. “But, it is what it is.”

The longtime director has spent her final weeks offering support to local Special Olympics athletes, letting them know they’ll see a ballfield or gymnasium before too long.

“This has been very hard for our athletes,” Lundin said. “They don’t really quite understand, and this is their life, so we’ve made some of those phone calls ensuring them things will get back to normal, and to just hang in there.”

While traditional Special Olympics-Pasco activities have been temporarily shuttered, its statewide counterpart, Special Olympics Florida, has organized a slew of virtual daily activities and events hosted on Zoom and social media platforms.

They include live workouts, Zumba, crafts, dance classes, beginner-level martial arts, as well as segments on nutrition, fashion, and stress management.

The statewide organization also has introduced a daily fitness challenge series on Facebook called, “Fit 5 Like a Pro,” which encourages Special Olympics athletes to exercise five times per week, eat five fruits and vegetables daily, and drink five glasses of water a day. The challenge features minute-long videos from various professional, world-class athletes giving tips on building strength, flexibility, endurance and so on.

Special Olympics-Pasco director Val Lundin, right, stands with athlete Bobby Robinson. Lundin is retiring this summer after 36 years with the nonprofit organization, which provides sports programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. (Courtesy of Val Lundin)

Notable athletes who’ve submitted minute-long videos include Tampa Bay Rays All-Star outfielder Austin Meadows, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate and Orlando Magic point guard D.J. Augustin, among many others.

Meanwhile, the statewide organization last week put together a “Spirit Week,” where athletes were encouraged in an online setting to show off their medals, personality and team pride.

Special Olympics-Pasco, like other county programs throughout the state, has worked to spread word on the virtual programs and to involve as many athletes as possible.

Lundin said myriad online programs has helped her athletes stay busy and “keep their spirits up” in lieu of the canceled 2020 State Summer Games — the pinnacle of the season.

That had been scheduled to take place this month at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

“There’s something every day for them to just keep them engaged, as some of them may be feeling the pinch of (not having) state games,” Lundin said.

Many special memories
Lundin started with Special Olympics-Pasco in 1984, also working as an adaptive physical education teacher at Cotee River Elementary in New Port Richey.

Special Olympics-Pasco director Val Lundin, right, is alongside athlete Matt Paoletti. Lundin is retiring this summer after 36 years with the nonprofit organization, which provides sports programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. (Courtesy of Val Lundin)

For her, the gig melded a perfect fit — combining her love of children, sports and education.

“I’ve just truly, truly been blessed to fall into the career,” Lundin said. “I’ve always said it probably gave me more than I’ve given it.”

When she began her career more than three decades ago, the county’s Special Olympics program had approximately 125 athletes. Bowling and track and field were the only sport offerings.

Today, the local program has more than 1,500 athletes competing in 19 different sports.

Lundin credits the Pasco County school district for being onboard with so many Special Olympics events and programs over the years, such as “Unified Sports,” which joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same teams across elementary, middle and high schools. It’s helped cultivate more inclusion, understanding and friendships among Special Olympics athletes and non-disabled students, she said.

“We’ve just been so blessed that the school district has supported us, as it does any athletic program within the school district,” Lundin said. “They allowed us to build a program, and as Special Olympics Florida added sports, the athletes just loved it and the program kept growing…”

As her lengthy tenure winds down, the longtime Special Olympics advocate has spent ample time rummaging through old photo albums, as she begins to clean out her office.

It’s all evoked “so many special memories, it’s overwhelming to even think about it,” Lundin said.

She observed: “It’s just been incredible. Being able to work with these athletes, they’re just so inspiring, they’ve kept me going, and it’s times when it gets busy and overwhelmed, you just think about what it means to them.”

Special Olympics-Pasco director Val Lundin, left, shown with athlete Chip Smith. Lundin is retiring this summer after 36 years with the nonprofit organization, which provides sports programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. (Courtesy of Val Lundin)

One of the biggest highlights of her career was seeing the Land O’ Lakes Special Olympics unified soccer team represent Team U.S.A., at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

The team earned a bronze medal after defeating China, 2-1.

“It was an exciting time for us — those athletes and partners worked so hard,” she said.

In general, being able to send athletes to other states and countries to compete is rewarding, she added.

“We’ve sent athletes to Ireland, Greece, Minnesota, North Carolina —  those are some proud moments because that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some of those athletes,” Lundin said.

Though soon officially retired, Lundin isn’t heading into the sunset anytime in the near future.

She plans to  continue to volunteer at Special Olympics-Pasco.

“You just don’t just spend 35 years in building a program and let it go, so I will still be involved.”

As for when Special Olympics in-person activities may resume locally, Lundin said the decision will be made by the state organization’s CEO, Sherry Wheelock, in accordance with guidelines put forth by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“Our fingers are crossed for the beginning of June, but that could change tomorrow,” Lundin said.

For information, visit SpecialOlympicsFlorida.org/pasco.

Published May 20, 2020

Lacrosse standout named All-American

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Senior defender Ashley Salvett recently made history — becoming the first Saint Leo University women’s lacrosse player to garner an All-American nod.

Earlier this month, Salvett was named to the 2020 Inside Lacrosse Women’s Maverik Division II Media All-America Team, as a defensive honorable mention.

Ashley Salvett (Courtesy of Saint Leo University athletics)

Salvett wrapped up this year’s shortened seven-game season with 43 draw controls, eight caused turnovers and 27 ground balls. In 24 career games, she caused 38 turnovers, picked up 74 ground balls and won 93 draw controls.
The All-American title rounds off a personal stack of accolades for the native of Syracuse, New York, who transferred to Saint Leo for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

In addition to being part of the Lions to back-to-back nationally ranked season finishes, Salvett has been named an All-Sunshine State Conference (SSC) First Team selection and Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-South Region Second Team selection. She’s also been named to the SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, where a student-athlete must post a minimum grade-point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00.

“I am so happy that Ashley’s efforts this year have earned her national recognition,” Lions head coach Caitlin Hansen said, in a release. “She has been a game changer for us since she arrived on campus and her contributions to the program in just two seasons has been tremendous. One of her greatest assets is her ability to always play at 110% in both practices and games, which, not only made herself better but her teammates better every day. Ashley is an exciting player to watch and I’m grateful I had an opportunity to coach and work with her!”

Locals commitments and signings

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  • Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High senior outside hitter Gabby Koenig signed with Johnson & Wales University, an NAIA volleyball program in Miami
  • Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High senior middle blocker Kayla David at State College of Florida, a junior college volleyball program in Bradenton
  • Steinbrenner High senior running back Jonathan Mallen committed to Baldwin-Wallace University, an NCAA Division III program in Berea, Ohio
  • Sunlake High senior defensive lineman signed Hunter Feiden signed with Culver-Stockton College, an NAIA football program in Canton, Missouri
  • Sunlake High senior linebacker Damian Riewold signed with Warner University, an NAIA football program in Lake Wales
  • Wiregrass Ranch High senior receiver/safety Dorien Green committed to New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college football program in Roswell, New Mexico
  • Pasco-Hernando State College men’s baseball landed a commitment from Josh Pigozzo, a senior outfielder/first baseman from East Lake High
  • Former Carrollwood Day School basketball standout Malcolm Whitlow committed to Tallahassee Community College. He played last season at Division II Eckerd College, in St. Petersburg

Local schools rank among top programs

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Several area programs topped the list of the FHSAA’s (Florida High School Athletic Association) 2019-2020 Academic Team Champions standings — for having among the highest cumulative team GPAs across all sports for their respective classifications, for the entire school year.

Academy at the Lakes (Class 2A) and Steinbrenner High (Class 7A) both finished second overall among all schools in their respective classifications, while Carrollwood Day School finished 15th in Class 3A and Land O’ Lakes tied for 26th in Class 5A.

The academic program recognizes teams in each of the FHSAA’s sanctioned and recognized sports. For the 2019-2020 school year, the state’s 699 member senior high schools were divided into seven classifications for administrative purposes based on the enrollments submitted to the FHSAA. All team members listed on its varsity roster (or those who participate in at least one district game in football) are considered in compiling its cumulative team grade point average.

Zephyrhills CRA projects, initiatives on tap

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Amid the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has managed to stay plenty busy.

In a virtual CRA board meeting last month, Zephyrhills CRA director Gail Hamilton outlined a number of tasks the agency has on its plate to beautify the 500-plus acre historic district that stretches through the center spine of the city.

Hamilton told the board: “We are in strange times, trying to do remote meetings and getting things done has certainly been a challenge, but everybody has pitched in and worked hard.”

The Zephyrhills CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) district is roughly 500 acres, from Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. Within those boundaries are the following historic neighborhood districts: Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Historic Abbott, Moore’s Estate, Zephyr Lake, Oakside and Plaza. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency)

More immediately, the CRA is in the final review of its sidewalk master plan and updating signage design standards in the district. It’s also collaborating with the Zephyrhills Public Library to redesign the agency’s website “to make it more appealing and easier to navigate,” Hamilton said.

Meantime, the CRA is working on a bid proposal for the final restoration of the historic Carriage House, a two-story wooden structure connected to the historic Jeffries House, at 38537 Fifth Ave. The city recently received architectural plans on the project that calls for a new balcony, footings and columns — with the idea the home’s restoration will contribute to the preservation of other buildings within the CRA district.

Another ongoing CRA initiative is reviewing its grant programs and the grant application process, “looking for ways to make it clearer, better, easier to read,” Hamilton said.

The CRA director added she’s working on providing information on a single sheet to better explain residential ownership grants, residential paint grants, and so on.

The idea is to make the process easier.

Hamilton also touched on other general projects the agency has on its to-do list, too.

She said the public works department is set to install flowerpots and other landscaping upgrades along Fifth Avenue, once it returns to its regular, fully staffed operations. (Public Works is presently in partially staffed, split shifts, due to the coronavirus pandemic.)

She also mentioned free, public Wi-Fi has been installed at Zephyrhills City Hall and the adjacent courtyard, but the amenity won’t be activated until large gatherings are deemed safe again.

Additionally, the agency has received three bids for public-use Wi-Fi at Clock Plaza, a half-acre park located on Fifth Avenue, two blocks east of U.S. 301 in the historic downtown district. The Wi-Fi at that location would support up to 100 users at a time, and will be presented at the next CRA board meeting scheduled for June 22.

Hamilton also is evaluating “four or five locations” in the CRA district that could be ripe for residential developments, such as duplexes and condo townhomes.

To do that, the CRA is working with consulting firm GAI Community Solutions Group to handle “proformas on the land and see how the numbers work out,” Hamilton said. “We would like to really promote some of the city sites and other sites that are privately owned within the district, to try to encourage residential development,” she said of the plan.

Meanwhile, the CRA director is finalizing the job description for the Main Street Zephyrhills coordinator position and meeting with Main Street board members on how to best proceed with the organization — following the recent resignation of Anna Stutzriem, who held the role for more than two years.

Main Street Zephyrhills is a 501c3 nonprofit that generally facilitates new business and organizes large events within the historic downtown district.

Hamilton underscored the importance of having a new Main Street coordinator and action plan in place once storefronts and downtown activity is fully operational again, for whenever the COVID-19 pandemic blows over.

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has many projects and initiatives on tap over the next several months. (File)

She observed, “When we can open back up, when the stores can open back up, Main Street needs to be up and running and working on promoting the city, our merchants, the businesses, and really doing a full press on creating a promotional for events…to get people to come downtown and use our businesses.”

Elsewhere, Hamilton presented the CRA’s 2019 annual report, which showed a notable increase in ad valorem revenues collected by the city and Pasco County. For fiscal year 2019, the county’s share was $107,238 and the city’s share was $89,510. That’s up from 2018, when the county and city generated $36,000 apiece in ad valorem taxes in the district.

To Hamilton that means the agency is “seeing the fruits of our labor in working on redevelopment for the CRA district and taking out the blight.”

In other business, the CRA board approved the following grants/incentives:

  • $5,000 matching façade rehabilitation grant to Faithful Friends Pet Cremation, 5221 Eighth St.
  • $5,500 historic preservation developer’s incentive to Kerns Family Construction for the restoration of a 1928 wood frame structure at 5524 11th St.

The Zephyrhills CRA is a dependent special district in which any future increases in property values are set aside in a Trust Fund to support economic development and redevelopment projects within the designated district. Although it functions within the City of Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills CRA is a separate and distinct legal entity. The Zephyrhills City Council also serves as the appointed board governing the Zephyrhills CRA.

The CRA district encompasses the center spine of the city, generally between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. Within those boundaries are the following historic neighborhood districts: Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Historic Abbott, Moore’s Estate, Zephyr Lake, Oakside and Plaza.

Published May 13, 2020

Hoops coach brings overseas pro pedigree

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It’s not uncommon for Derrick Sharp to be recognized when he’s out and about in the Tampa Bay area, while he’s shopping, running errands or just going about his day.

The new Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School varsity boys basketball coach has been approached by strangers at clothing stores, mall kiosks and tire shops, among other places.

And, it’s usually not because they remember him as a 6-foot-1 sharpshooting combo guard and leading scorer at the University of South Florida (USF) in the early 1990s.

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School varsity boys basketball coach Derrick Sharp spent 18 years in Israel playing professional basketball. (Courtesy of Derrick Sharp)

Rather, it’s his 18-year professional hoops career in Israel that people recognize — perhaps most frequently at the Glazer Family Jewish Community Center in Tampa.

“I have so many stories, it’s crazy,” Sharp said of how often he’s been spotted since moving back to Florida in 2013.

Sharp, 48, may go unnoticed by the casual American basketball observer.

But, overseas, he is something of a folk hero. He played predominantly for the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club — the most successful and widely known team in Israel.

Undrafted out of USF, Sharp made the roughly 6,500-mile trek to Israel pursuing dreams of a professional basketball career.

The Orlando native had an idea of what he was getting into because four former USF teammates (Gary Alexander, Radenko Dobras, Fred Lewis, Bobby Russell) made the jump to the Middle Eastern country the prior year.

Sharp first played for Maccabi Hadera (1993-94) and Beitar Migdal-HaEmek (1994-96), before spending the next 15 seasons (1996 to 2011) with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Mccabi Tel Aviv is where his most notable achievements came. It won 13 Israel national league championships, 11 Israel state cups and three European-wide titles (champions of the 2001 FIBA SuproLeague, 2004 EuroLeague, 2005 EuroLeague).

Sharp also generated a number of individual accolades. He was an All-Star, elected to the Israeli League’s 2000s All-Decade Team, named one of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 11 Greatest Players, and was a member of the senior Israeli national team from 2000 to 2003.

Sharp is best known for one of the most famous baskets in European basketball history.

In 2004, he hit a miraculous buzzer-beating three-pointer that forced overtime in a win-or-go-home game against Lithuania’s Zalgiris Kaunas that lifted Maccabi Tel Aviv to the EuroLeague Final Four. In Israel, it’s simply known as the “Zalgiris miracle.”

Just how famous is Sharp in Israel? Following his retirement, he participated in a docu-reality television show called “Hayehida,” centered on 10 Israeli celebrities being trained as an army entertainment troupe.

Sharp calls Israel his “home away from home.” It’s where he not only had immense hoops success, but also met his future wife and started a family. He became a naturalized citizen and speaks fluent Hebrew.

“I spent half my life there,” Sharp said, “so it’s definitively a part of me.”

For Sharp, uprooting to the land of milk and honey “was a pretty easy transition” more than 25 years ago.

He noted English was the country’s secondary language and described aspects of an “Americanized” culture, “so it really wasn’t that big of a change, actually.”

Moreover, he was eager to go anywhere and do anything to better his craft on the hardwood.

“My main focus was getting better and playing. It was practice and home,” he said. “I was really focused on getting better and trying to reach a level that I was capable of, so I was really mature and disciplined.”

Now, here’s a sign of it being a small world: Sharp played alongside nine-year NBA veteran Anthony Parker for several seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the early to mid 2000s. Parker now lives in Wesley Chapel and is general manager of the Lakeland Magic, a developmental affiliate of the NBA’s Orlando Magic. “He’s probably one of the greatest Americans to play overseas,” Sharp said of Parker. “He’s kind of like the Michael Jordan of Europe.”

Bettering Bishop
Sharp’s playing career stands on its own, but it’s his coaching ability and offspring that’s taking flight.

Derrick Sharp steered the Blake High School varsity boys basketball team to a 22-6 mark and Class 5A regional quarterfinals last season. He accepted the Bishop McLaughlin coaching job in April.

Sharp was named Hillsborough County Coach of the Year after guiding Blake High School to a 22-6 record and the Class 5A regional quarterfinals during the 2019-2020 season.

He spent a total of five seasons at Blake, winning four games combined the first three seasons, then going 11-12 before this year’s breakout run.

It didn’t hurt having his son, Emmanuel Sharp, on the court. The 6-foot-4 sophomore guard averaged a state-leading 31.9 points per game this year, while on his way to being named Florida Dairy Farmers 5A Player of the Year.

Both Sharps will head to the private school in Spring Hill, looking to quickly turnaround a program that went 2-22 last year and has just one winning season in the last decade.

In leaving what he’s built at Blake High for a Bishop McLaughlin rebuild, the elder Sharp mainly cited the academic component of more structured, smaller classes for his son. “It’s just a great opportunity,” he said.

In addition to the Sharps, Blake High’s Anthony Davis Jr., and Sickles High’s Dillon Mitchell are also transferring to Bishop McLaughlin. Like Emmanuel Sharp, both hold Division I scholarship offers and are viewed among the top players statewide.

“The kids are going to make the big difference; it’s all about the kids,” Derrick Sharp said.

With an influx of talent, the new coach is looking to beef up the team’s schedule, with more competitive tournaments, road games and so on.

“I’d rather lose by five (points) than win by 40 — to build character and build necessary skills mentally for these kids going forward,” he said.

As for what to expect stylistically, Derrick Sharp plans to run a system heavy on fastbreaks, three-pointers, pressing and trapping.

He observed of his coaching style, “Just being in attack mode on both ends of the floor, play hard, play together, and have fun.”

Bishop McLaughlin athletic director Rex Desvaristes said he didn’t know of Derrick Sharp, until his application and resume came across his desk for the coaching vacancy.

But, Desvaristes said the former Israeli pro quickly emerged as the school’s “best candidate” throughout the interview process because of “his demeanor, his love for the youth and coaching the game.”

Sharp’s selection as head coach was announced last month.

“It was a great match,” Desvaristes said. “He started a program at Blake, similar to where our program is currently, and he built it up to where it is now, and his passion and just teaching and developing these athletes is what stood out to me.”

The athletic director added: “He fits our mission and our motto, and that’s to educate and cultivate Christ-centered athletes.”

Published May 13, 2020

Local commitments

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  • Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High baseball product Manny Sado committed to NCAA Division II Saint Leo University. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound right-hander, who graduated from high school in 2017, most recently pitched for the College of Central Florida in Ocala.
  • Steinbrenner High senior right-handed baseball pitchers Cameron Kenny and Cameron Lee committed to Division I NJCAA Pasco-Hernando State College. Kenny posted a 1.62 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched in this shortened season, while Lee registered a 4.06 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 10.1 innings pitched.
  • Wharton High senior left-handed pitcher Carson Caso committed to Division II University of Tampa. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Caso posted a 0.34 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched this shortened season.
  • The Saint Leo University men’s basketball program landed a commitment from Hillsborough High 6-foot-5 senior forward Cantia Rahming. Rahming averaged 20.8 points, 17.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.2 blocks per game this season, helping the Terriers to a 22-8 mark and Class 6A regional finals.

Wharton High product declares for NBA Draft

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Wharton High School product Darin Green Jr., now a freshman at the University of Central Florida (UCF), has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, while maintaining his college eligibility.

Darin Green Jr. (Courtesy of University of Central Florida athletics department)

The 6-foot-4 guard played in 30 games for UCF this season, averaging 10.1 points per game and pacing the team in 3-point percentage (41.7%) and 3-pointers made (68).

He made the draft announcement on his social media accounts.

Green Jr. — like other underclassman who declare for the draft — has the option to return to the college hoops ranks if he withdraws his name for the draft by June 15.

The 2020 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 25 at the Barclays Center in New York City, but this is subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Green Jr., played four years of varsity hoops at Wharton, becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer and named the 2018-2019 Hillsborough County Player of the Year, among other accolades.