The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Hinman

Sheriff: This year’s budget hikes are just the beginning

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Sheriff Chris Nocco knows the additional $6 million he’s asking for to fund the Pasco County Sheriff’s office this year isn’t a small amount. But it’s just the beginning as local law enforcement starts to fall behind neighbors like Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, and even the much smaller Hernando County.

Cpl. Mary Guyer shares some recent crime statistics with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. The sheriff has requested an additional $6 million this year, but could be asking for more in coming years, especially as he sets sights on a new district office in the Wesley Chapel/Land O’ Lakes area. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Cpl. Mary Guyer shares some recent crime statistics with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. The sheriff has requested an additional $6 million this year, but could be asking for more in coming years, especially as he sets sights on a new district office in the Wesley Chapel/Land O’ Lakes area.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Nocco would prefer his additional funds not be part of any property tax increase, but no matter how the money is raised, his department desperately needs it.

“We’re already preparing for next year, like how many more deputies we’re going to need out on the street,” Nocco told The Laker last week. “Our biggest thing right now is that we have to stop losing members. It’s hurting us, and it’s coming at a very high cost.”

In a workshop last month with the Pasco County Commission, which sets his budget, Nocco said many of his veteran deputies and managers are leaving for better salaries and benefits with neighboring counties. Despite the commission’s attempt to raise salaries in recent years, there just hasn’t been enough money to stop the talent bleed.

Even worse, he said, the technology used by the sheriff’s office is quite outdated, and it’s preventing deputies from providing the level of service Nocco says residents in neighboring counties receive. For instance, a homeowner who has a mailbox knocked over could easily make a report using an online form — if that technology was available to Pasco County residents. Instead, a deputy has to physically go out and make a report, costing valuable time that could be saved otherwise.

Even if the salary and technology problems are addressed, the county still has another problem. Many counties average around 1.3 deputies per every 1,000 residents. In Pasco, that number is below one deputy per thousand. Just to catch up with current populations, Nocco needs 150 new deputies.

With new deputies, he will need a new district office, too, right where the population is growing the most.

“We are going to need many more deputies, and we’re going to need a fourth district in the (State Road) 54 corridor,” Nocco said. “We need to have a stronger presence in the Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel area. Deputies who serve that area right now are based out of Dade City, and there has to be something much closer to serve those needs.”

Many of these issues aren’t even a part of this year’s proposed budget increase, which would bring the sheriff’s office budget close to $100 million.

And elected officials are listening. During a recent workshop, commissioners admitted taxes in Pasco were far too low, affecting the government’s ability to serve its people. With proposed budget increases from other departments needed as well, it seems impossible to keep taxes at the same level they were last year.

“I am for having a better-funded county government,” Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said recently. “Local government is not the same as our federal government, where I think there is a lot of waste. We have no hidden money, we have no extra money. We are all scraping by barely.”

But how much of those extra funds should go into the sheriff’s office is still a question for the commission, which has been weighing Nocco’s request carefully. Public safety may be a key measure to stimulate growth, but so is having a building department that can maintain a seamless working relationship with developers so that major projects, like a new Amazon.com facility, are not lost to neighboring counties, Commissioner Ted Schrader said.

“We want to continue to support public safety, but a lot of our other departments have suffered because of the financial constraints that we have been under,” Schrader said during a workshop last month.

Nocco is convinced the commission will help him with most, if not all, of his budget requests this year. But if the increase was tough to swallow this year, future requests might be even more difficult.

Yet, the sheriff’s office is willing to help in those areas, too, Nocco said. For instance, the call for more code enforcement can actually be handled by a group of volunteers trained and managed by the sheriff’s office.

“We will train them and provide them the tools they need to start writing code enforcement violations and target high-crime areas,” Nocco said. “This will let us focus on areas where abandoned or neglected structures are used over and over again for drug houses and other crime.”

In all, there is a lot more the sheriff’s office can do to help other departments, Nocco said, and soften the impact of potentially higher taxes to residents.

“We are not wasting taxpayer dollars. Instead, we are very efficient,” he said. “I know our commissioners are being pulled in a thousand different directions, but I also think they realize that public safety is a priority.”

Published July 9, 2014

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Horse rescue inspires Bavota to write, act in new film

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The fictionalized movie tale of a real dolphin helped make a Clearwater aquarium famous.

Michael Bavota made his career in the seafood business, but has always nurtured a love for writing. The Zephyrhills retiree’s words will finally come to life in a new independent film, ‘The DreamCatcher’s Ranch,’ which he’ll also star in as Grandpa Jim. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Michael Bavota made his career in the seafood business, but has always nurtured a love for writing. The Zephyrhills retiree’s words will finally come to life in a new independent film, ‘The DreamCatcher’s Ranch,’ which he’ll also star in as Grandpa Jim.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

But can another animal-based film do the same for an actual horse rescue ranch near Orlando? Michael Bavota says yes, and he’s not only the primary writer for the film “The DreamCatcher’s Ranch,” but he’s one of the stars as well.

“We were completely inspired by the ranch,” Bavota said of DreamCatcher Horse Ranch and Rescue, a large piece of property in Clermont that boards more than 60 rescued horses. “The director and executive producer, Ricky DiMaio, got this idea that he wanted to do a film about what life would be like on the ranch with fictional characters.”

And DiMaio found Bavota, a retired seafood distributor now living in Zephyrhills, to craft that story. Bavota, in turn, drafted actress and writer Kaylea Grace, and the two spent more than 140 hours writing what would become the story of a family struggling to secure the future of their ranch that’s directly in the way of a major highway project.

“We worked seven 20-hour days doing this,” Bavota said. “We would stay at the director’s house in Orlando, starting in the morning, and not finishing until the next morning at 5. We wrote day and night, and it just came out beautiful.”

Bavota and Grace fell in love with two characters they created, Grandpa Jim and Kelly, and decided the film couldn’t go forward unless they could play those roles — something DiMaio had no hesitation agreeing to. Yet, until a few years ago, Bavota never imagined himself ever working in front of a camera lens.

While he was living in Boston, Bavota learned through a member of his church that a local production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” was casting.

“I had no experience, but I was told I should audition anyway,” he said. Bavota’s work impressed the stage director, who cast him not only as Lt. Rooney, but Mr. Gibbs as well.

It was working in film, however, that really appealed to Bavota. There was a freedom of not having to be at the theater each day, and only being allowed to focus on one project at a time. So he worked closely with the Orlando film school Full Sail University, and has appeared in a number of other productions as well, such as “The Business Card,” which appeared on the Christian Television Network.

The usually clean-cut Bavota is sporting stubble and long hair as he gets ready to start filming “The DreamCatcher’s Ranch” this week. The entire production is budgeted for $50,000, small even by independent film standards. But that’s because the crew not only has full access to DreamCatcher Ranch, but many of the primary people — especially the actors — have different crew jobs as well.

“What we did is kind of unique,” Bavota said. “Everybody on the film got a job to act, and everybody got an extra job to fill in holes wherever we needed it. This is a way to ensure everyone feels they have ownership of what we’re doing here.”

Although the film is fiction, the stories of some of the various rescued horses on the ranch are real. Bavota has fallen in love with one mare, Blac, that the ranch won in an auction for $10 just minutes before Blac was headed off to a meat-packing plant.

Others have heartbreaking stories of abuse or abandonment, finding a home in Clermont when no others were available.

The ranch itself spends $3,000 a year to care for each horse, Bavota said, with most of those funds recouped by riding lessons and donations. The hope is the film will connect with younger audiences, especially girls, who typically have a fondness for horses, and could help champion the cause of caring for rescued animals.

“We want to help the ranch to attract more volunteers and more funds,” Bavota said. “We want to attract people who can help the owners expand the ranch, so that they can take care of even more rescue animals. And we want to give them a story that will make them stop and think.”

The cast and crew of “The DreamCatcher’s Ranch” are still raising money for the production through the online crowdfunding site Indiegogo. And the hope is to have the film completed by winter so that it can start appearing in film festivals as early as Christmas.

To donate to the project, visit tinyurl.com/DreamCatcherRanch. And to learn more about the actual horse rescue ranch in Clermont, visit DreamCatcherHorses.com.

Published July 9, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Business Digest 07-09-14

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Dusek new honorary mayor
The votes are in, and so is the money. Pasco County has a new mayor, and it’s Terri Dusek.

Dusek, a local real estate agent, ran a campaign of “Paying it Forward Through Music.” She was one of several people and businesses honored at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce annual dinner last week. Dusek also won Ambassador of the Year.

The dinner included the installation of the new chamber president, Charlene Ierna, of Ierna’s Heating & Cooling. She succeeds Denny Esber, who also is retiring from the board along with director Gary Loman.

Before he left, Esber handed out his President’s Award to Tony Masella of OurTownFla.com for his outstanding service to the chamber and the community.

Hungry Harry’s Bar-B-Que was the Large Business of the Year while All Smiles Tampa Bay won Small Business of the Year. A Focus on Fitness was New Business of the Year, while Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco was Non-Profit Member of the Year.

If honorary mayor and the chamber’s top ambassador wasn’t enough, Dusek topped a successful season as Chamber Member of the Year as well.

The Community Service Award was a tie between April Saland of A.L. Saland Insurance Solutions, and Pam Oakes of Pasco International Tourism.

Finally, the Central Pasco Chamber honored the lifetime service of Larry Delucenay and retiring Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri.

Lake Francisco Plaza sold
A 1980s-era shopping center along Land O’ Lakes Boulevard has a new owner.

Robert and Elizabeth Ferrer purchased Lake Francisco Plaza at 1900 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Lutz, early last month for $1.3 million. That was nearly $200,000 less than what Lake Francisco Plaza LLC out of Georgia paid for the same 121,000-square-foot strip mall in 2005.

The center, near where U.S. 41 and Dale Mabry Highway split just north of the Hillsborough County line, has spaces for retail and office, according to Pasco County property records. The largest is 54,000 square feet.

Lake Francisco Plaza has been part of the Yount family since the beginning in 1984, with even the company that purchased it in 2005 listing Thomas C. Yount as one of its managers.

Pasco had a strong quarter in property sales of transactions more than $1 million. The period between March and June, not including any late filers, saw $72.8 million change hands, compared to $37.2 million sold during the same quarter in 2013, according to county property records.

Pinchers Crab Shack opens at The Shops
Pinchers Crab Shack, a seafood restaurant chain based out of Bonita Springs, has opened its 10th location at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.

Dacie Broshears will manage the restaurant, located at 28330 Paseo Drive, Suite 185. Broshears also managed what had been the closest Pinchers location before in Lakewood Ranch near Bradenton.

Pinchers started in 1997 at a six-table restaurant in 1,500 square feet of space in Bonita Springs. It has grown to 10 locations and more than 500 employees, stretching form Wesley Chapel in the north to Key West.

For information, visit PinchersCrabShack.com.

Market struggling to grab first-time homebuyers still
Condominium sales in the Tampa Bay region are down, but prices are on the rise as home sales continue their long recovery in the state.

The median sales price of a condominium in the region, which includes both Pasco and Hillsborough counties, was $110,000 in May, up nearly 13 percent from the year before, according to a new report from Florida Realtors. The number of closed sales dropped nearly 10 percent, however, to 1,256 units.

Single-family home sales climbed a little more than 1 percent last month in the area, while median sale prices slipped about the same percentage, to $156,000.

Statewide, condo sale prices rose nearly 14 percent to $145,000, while home prices ticked up another 4 percent to $180,000.

The market still struggles to attract first-time homebuyers.

“Going forward, we’re concerned about affordability,” said John Tuccillo, chief economist for Florida Realtors, in a release. “In particular, the difficulty of first-time buyers to access mortgage financing, and the lag in providing a much-needed supply of new homes may hold back Florida’s housing market.”

Avalon Park West welcomes D.R. Horton
D.R. Horton has recently completed construction of its first model home at Avalon Park West in Wesley Chapel.

The model is located in the Cypress Village neighborhood of the community, where the homebuilder is planning 56 new houses.

The company will offer homes ranging from 2,045 to 3,576 square feet, according to a release, with prices starting at $270,000.

Avalon Park West is located just off State Road 54, east of Interstate 75.

New tenants in Trinity
Commoncents Wealth Advisors LLC has signed a five-year lease with Trinity Medical Holdings Inc., for 1,605 square feet of space in the Trinity Medical and Professional Center, 8820 Belagio Drive.

The lease was negotiated through Hold-Thyssen Inc., a Winter Park-based commercial property firm, which also was involved with a lease for 1,100 square feet of space at Hunting Creek Pointe in Trinity for JGI Insurance Group LLC. The landlord there is Sunfield Homes Inc., for the property located at 3610 Galileo Drive.

 

Political Agenda 07-09-14

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Mulieri endorses Robertson
Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri is retiring from her job, but she already knows who she’s voting for to replace her: Bob Robertson.

Robertson, a Zephyrhills financial analyst, is in a primary battle with former state Rep. Ken Littlefield and Wesley Chapel entrepreneur Mike Moore. Mulieri told The Laker/Lutz News she first met Robertson through his work with the homeless, and later learned his wife was an outreach coordinator at a church in Zephyrhills.

“He believes, like me, in giving a hand up to those in need,” Mulieri said. “Being a commissioner is a steep learning curve. Bob has done his best to prepare himself for the job. I believe he will listen to citizens, study the issues, and work to bring opportunities hope to Pasco.”

Mulieri went public with her support on June 29 when she wished Robertson a happy birthday on Facebook, adding “I support you 100 percent. You will be a great commissioner.”

The winner of the August primary will face Land O’ Lakes Democrat Erika Remsberg in the November election.

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours Aug. 12 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Lutz Library, 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz.

Other dates in Lutz include Sept. 9, Oct. 14 and Dec. 9.

For more information, call (863) 644-8215, or (813) 752-4790.

Corcoran endorses Moore
Pasco County Commission candidate Mike Moore has received an endorsement from future House Speaker and current Land O’ Lakes state Rep. Richard Corcoran.

“Mike Moore has spent his career building businesses and creating jobs,” Corcoran said, in a release. “It’s vital to have more leaders who can help make government more accountable and more efficient. His commitment to his family and to our community shines through, and is a good example for us all.”

Moore is seeking the Republican nomination to replace retiring commissioner Pat Mulieri. He is locked in primary with former state Rep. Ken Littlefield and Zephyrhills financial analyst Bob Robertson.

The winner of the August primary will face Democrat Erika Remsberg in November.

Realtors help get the vote out
Pasco County elections supervisor Brian Corley is thanking the Pasco County Board of Realtors Associations for the group’s help in registering and updating voters around the county.

“In the exciting but stressful time of purchasing a new home and relocating, things like registering to vote or update your address are often overlooked,” Corley said, in a release.

Corley’s office provides packets containing information like a voter’s guide and a registration form.

“In the upcoming 2014 election cycle, proactive initiatives like Move the Vote are low-cost ways to encourage voters to prepare in advance of election day,” Corley said.

Moore attends fire rescue orientation
Pasco County Commission candidate Mike Moore recently attended the fifth annual Fire Operations 101 Orientation with representatives from Pasco Fire Rescue.

Moore, who is one of four candidates looking to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri in District 2, attended the one-day operations orientation, which was sponsored by the Pinellas County Fire Chiefs Association among others.

Armstrong appointed to Swiftmud board
Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Elijah Armstrong III to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s governing board.

Armstrong is a Dunedin attorney with Hill Ward Henderson. He was previously a member of what was then known as the Pasco-Hernando Community College board of directors.

If confirmed by the state Senate, Armstrong’s term will end March 1, 2018.

Chambers get together to host forums
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will host two forums to introduce members to candidates facing off in primary and general elections.

The first forum takes place Aug. 4 beginning at 7 p.m., at East Pasco Adventist Academy, 38434 Centennial Road in Dade City. That event will include candidates ranging from the state House to the Mosquito Control Board.

The second event will be Oct. 20 beginning at 7 p.m., in the same location, once again including the same races.

The chambers will provide two moderators to ask questions. Candidates also will have a chance to set up tables and meet voters beginning each night at 6 p.m.

Republican club invites candidates
The Wesley Chapel Republican Club will host a Republican candidate meet and greet July 10 at 7 p.m., at Wesley Chapel Hyundai, 27000 Wesley Chapel Blvd.

Candidates will have a chance to speak for up to three minutes each beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Pasco tax rates expected to remain steady

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Despite pay raises across the board, adding 45 full-time equivalent positions and even providing nearly everything Sheriff Chris Nocco asked for, Pasco County commissioners are expected to receive a draft budget Tuesday morning at the same general millage rate charged to property owners last year.

The proposed $1.21 billion budget is a little more than 3 percent higher than last year, but thanks to new construction and some increase in property values generating another $6.7 million, county budget officials were able to keep ad valorem millage at 7.3441, and the Municipal Fire Service Unit millage at 1.7165.

One mill represents $1 of tax on every thousand dollars of taxable property value. So a $100,000 home with $50,000 in exemptions would pay $367.21 for the year.

But there are still a lot of decisions that need to be made before the final numbers are complete, assistant county administrator Heather Grimes told reporters in a press briefing Monday. The biggest decision is how to fund capital improvement projects for Pasco’s roads — either through a 5-cent gas tax increase, a millage increase of more than 5 percent, or a combination of the two.

There has been considerable debate among commissioners on exactly how to do just that, with no clear consensus yet on which way they will go. Last year, the commission failed to pass an additional gas tax, falling a vote short.

If the county were to raise all $8 million through property taxes, it would mean an additional $20 a year to the typical homeowner’s tax bill. Proponents of a gas tax say those additional costs may not even be passed on to the consumer, since fueling stations operate more by volume than revenue.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office would see its budget increase more than $5 million under the proposed budget, providing everything Nocco had asked for except for $1.7 million he said he needed to switch healthcare coverage from fully insured to self-insured. Doing that could cut health insurance costs by around 2 percent, Grimes said, but the request came too late for the current budget cycle, and would likely create an additional tax increase to implement it.

To read more about Nocco’s long-range plans for the sheriff’s office, see the July 9 print edition of The Laker.

Spending on county parks will jump $571,000 to $8.9 million, but it’s still $1.1 million short of where Pasco funded them in 2008. That means park fees would remain in effect and staffing levels are still well below what they were nearly seven years ago.

Libraries also won’t get all they had hoped for. Part of the plan was to allow the libraries to once again open on Mondays, or at the very least extend hours on existing days. Even a plan to open just two libraries — including the Land O’ Lakes branch — on Mondays didn’t make the cut with its $279,000 price tag.

Pasco County is seeing an uptick in property values, which has allowed the government to fund additional programs without raising millage. However, it’s lagging behind neighboring counties in the region, which have experienced value increases of between 5.3 percent and 7.5 percent, Grimes said. The only county that didn’t fare better in value increases was Hernando, but not by much.

Some initiatives from last year already are paying off, Grimes said. The county’s conversion to a self-insured health plan saved the county nearly $1 million, or about $300 per employee annually. The current budget has made some room to implement wellness centers for county employees, which officials say could create even more cost savings in the future because of its preventive medical care.

The first public hearing for the budget is expected to take place Sept. 9 in Dade City, followed by a second one Sept. 23 in New Port Richey. Commissioners will hear details of the proposed budget for the first time during its regular meeting July 8 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

Chuck E. Cheese’s coming to The Grove

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Family food and entertainment is on its way to a neighborhood near you as The Grove at Wesley Chapel plans to open the county’s first Chuck E. Cheese’s.

Oakley Grove Development LLC has submitted plans to the county to build a 14,260-square-foot outparcel at The Grove, located on Wesley Grove Boulevard fronting Interstate 75.

The plans for the new kids-centered eatery are on the agenda for the Pasco County Development Review Committee, when it meets July 10 in Dade City. Oakley Grove, the developer of the shopping complex, is asking the county to approve a reduction in the number of buildings it intends to have on the property from 11 to 10, and reduce the overall square footage of the complex by 7,000 square feet.

Chuck E. Cheese’s would be in Building 10, where the developer is asking to increase the size from 8,400 square feet to the proposed 14,260. The company also is asking the county to allow it to build a wider-than-normal sidewalk to help accommodate the larger child and family traffic such a location would attract.

Chuck E. Cheese’s has more than 560 locations worldwide, including one on North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, and another in Brandon. Founded in 1977, the chain says it entertains more than 40 million kids and hosts more than 2 million birthday parties every year.

The Development Review Committee is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Voters are mad, and it could affect turnout this November

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There’s one question Susan MacManus gets more than any other as we head into a contentious election season. And despite her long and impressive credentials as a political scientist, even she can’t answer it.

Who will occupy the governor’s desk after November? Will Rick Scott stay put? Will Charlie Crist return as a new man? Or is it time for Nan Rich to take over?

University of South Florida political scientist and Land O’ Lakes native Susan MacManus shared some of her observations about the upcoming Florida gubernatorial race with the Republican Club of Central Pasco last month. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
University of South Florida political scientist and Land O’ Lakes native Susan MacManus shared some of her observations about the upcoming Florida gubernatorial race with the Republican Club of Central Pasco last month.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“Who is going to win the governor’s race? I don’t know yet,” MacManus, a Land O’ Lakes native, told the Republican Club of Central Pasco on June 25. “And neither do you.”

Two things for certain are that this could not only be the most expensive governor’s race in history, but also the most negative. Political groups on both sides already have launched mud-slinging ads against each other, Scott taking hits for the Medicare scandal that rocked his former company in the 1990s, and Crist for raising taxes and fees during the economic downturn.

Want a good look at what’s to come? One only has to look back to the recent special Congressional election in Pinellas County between Democrat Alex Sink and Republican David Jolly, MacManus said.

“The mood of the public is a very angry mood,” the University of South Florida professor said. “They are very disappointed in politicians, and don’t like any one of them, and don’t believe any one of them. And this already is the most nasty race known to humankind, and not just to Florida.”

But it doesn’t have to be all negative, MacManus said. Two ads that stood out over the last several months were Sink appearing with her father and Scott with his grandchild. Both resonated well with voters, but barely get a glance in the sea of negativity.

“A couple nice ads are very refreshing, but then the next ones after that are slash and burn again,” MacManus said.

The biggest problem facing politics is money not directly raised by a candidate’s campaign. Both Sink and Jolly had plenty of spending beyond their campaigns, setting a tone that neither of them felt represented them. The same already is happening between Crist and Scott as the voice of outside money gets louder and louder.

With the governor’s race too close to call, those wanting to peer into the future might have to look at other factors on the ballot, especially ones that might draw people from a certain party. MacManus starts and stops with the three proposed state constitutional amendments.

The first one, which MacManus said should appeal to both Democrats and Republicans, would commit 33 percent of net revenues from existing excise taxes to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund conservation program. The second would legalize marijuana in Florida for medicinal purposes.

The third is one that could be a warning bell for Democrats: It would allow a governor to make judicial appointments before a judge’s term is up. That would allow an outgoing governor to decide seats in the judiciary that would affect the next governor.

“Every editorial board in the state is going to be against that,” MacManus said.

One amendment that may not be as big of an advantage for Democrats is medicinal marijuana. The popularity of that amendment has started to wane in recent months, and opposition groups are raising millions of dollars to combat it, MacManus said.

That means the push to get out the vote on that measure will likely split between both parties, although it’s still unclear how many more college students might head to the polls because of it.

“Guess where they got all the signatures to get that on the ballot to begin with?” MacManus said. “It was every college campus in the state. You couldn’t walk across out campus without being interrupted by someone passing a petition.”

Outside of that, however, MacManus still feels turnout will be a big problem in November. A drop in Pasco County voters in the presidential election of 2012 may have cost Mitt Romney the White House, she added.

The Tampa Bay media market remains an important one to all parties, MacManus said. It’s already split evenly between Republicans and Democrats with 37 percent each, with the remaining going to the ever-growing number of independent voters.

Florida will be on the national stage for the mid-term elections, drawing in big names like the Clintons and Obamas to help generate turnout for Democrats. But the GOP has some weapons as well, MacManus said.

“If the Republicans can split the women vote and the independent vote, they can win the statewide races,” she said. “Those are key.”

Published July 2, 2014

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Pasco’s free lunches take to the road

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It’s hard to imagine getting through most days without that noontime break for lunch. That packed sandwich, frozen entrée, or maybe even a quick trip to a local eatery, is something many people take for granted each day.

But for 36,000 students in the Pasco County school district, that trip to the cafeteria may be the only nutritious meal they have all day, paid for through federal tax dollars.

Kids gather to greet one of the mobile food units used by Pasco County Schools to bring free lunches to children from disadvantaged homes through the Summer BreakSpot program. Five buses like this make daily stops in various communities, including this one on Acorn Loop in Dade City. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Kids gather to greet one of the mobile food units used by Pasco County Schools to bring free lunches to children from disadvantaged homes through the Summer BreakSpot program. Five buses like this make daily stops in various communities, including this one on Acorn Loop in Dade City.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

What happens, however, when school lets out? These students, who account for nearly 53 percent of the entire school population in the county, still need to eat. And they’re not being left behind.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services manages a federal program known as Summer BreakSpot. Last year alone, it provided more than 12 million meals to nearly 300,000 children statewide, setting up hundreds of locations where kids in need can be sure to have something good and nutritious to eat.

“We want kids across Florida to eat healthy, wholesome food throughout the school year, and all summer long,” said agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam in a release. “This program helps ensure children have access to healthy meals during the summer, along with enrichment activities and time with their friends, so they are ready to learn in the fall when school is back in session.”

Locally, Summer BreakSpot is run by Pasco County Schools, operating more than 60 sites where kids can travel a short distance — typically to local schools — to get a bite to eat. But not everyone can make that trip on a daily basis, or at all. And the school district has done something about it.

“There are kids who can’t get to those sites,” said Cindy Norvell, a food and nutrition specialist for Pasco County Schools. “Many of them don’t have transportation. So instead of expecting them to come to us, we took meals to them out into the communities that needed them most.”

Three years ago, the school district began retrofitting retired school buses, turning them into traveling food stations. Most of the seats have been replaced with makeshift food counters, where kids can sit and eat, and have a bright view out the window.

There are five buses that travel around to various communities each day, loaded with a variety of foods depending on the day. It could range from a turkey sandwich, to a beef stick with cheese, to even build-your-own pizza kits.

“All of it comes with fruit, and everyone always gets their milk,” Norvell said. “Our mobile units also carry applesauce and extra peach cubes for some of our children who are below a certain age.”

The buses will typically stop in a common park area of a community, many times with picnic tables nearby so that kids can choose to eat on the bus, or maybe out in the shade. But to ensure that only they eat the food they get, kids can’t take any food with them.

No one under 18 is turned away at the mobile units either, Norvell said. If they are there, they will get something to eat. If a bus runs out of food, they can quickly call out to a nearby BreakSpot location to get more.

Amy Sue Hammond leads a two-person team that drives the mobile unit through stops around Dade City. She spent 15 years as a bus driver for East Pasco County schools, and now transports autism students to schools that are sometimes 90 minutes away.

In the summer, she’s working with BreakSpot, continuing her own personal commitment to make sure every child has a chance.

“You have to have a lot of patience, but seeing these kids excited to see us pull up is its own reward,” Hammond said. “All of this we’re doing is very important, because without these buses, many of these kids would go hungry.”

Hammond’s bus is one of two buses that serves East Pasco. Her bus begins each day at Pasco Elementary School, while a second bus departs every morning from Lacoochee Elementary School. Both make a total of three stops, with Hammond’s route typically seeing nearly 100 kids a day.

“Despite all we do to get the word out about this program, I am sure there are people who still don’t know about it,” Norvell said. “Some people are just surprised when you start to talk about it. But it’s something we have available, and something we hope families who need it will take advantage of.”

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has modernized access to the 2014 Summer BreakSpot food program for kids needing meals while school is out.

Access to more than 3,400 locations statewide — including more than 60 in Pasco County and nearly 125 in Hillsborough County — is available one of the following four ways:
• Dial 211
• Text “FoodFL” to 877-877
• Download the Nutrislice smartphone app
• Visit SummerFoodFlorida.org.

Published July 2, 2014

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Littlefield challenges experience of his commission opponents

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Former state Rep. Ken Littlefield does not exactly need an armor truck to take his campaign fundraising revenue to the bank, but that’s not stopping him from trying to stand out in a crowded primary field.

Ken Littlefield
Ken Littlefield

Littlefield, who is seeking the District 2 Pasco County Commission seat currently held by the retiring Pat Mulieri, once again stumped in front of the Republican Club of Central Pasco during a regular meeting last week. While he talked about his work in Tallahassee, he also talked about how his primary opponents — businessman Mike Moore and financial analyst Bob Robertson — failed to stand up to his experience.

“I’m the only one in the race that has the kind of experience that I just mentioned,” Littlefield told the Republican group. “One of the candidates coached soccer league, and the other was elected to a (community development district) before. And that’s about it.

“And they are going to make a lot of promises to you. You have the choice of either voting for somebody who makes a lot of promises, or somebody who has the experience.”

Neither Moore nor Robertson was at the meeting, but both quickly defended their experiences when reached by The Laker/Lutz News.

“I’ve spent my career creating new jobs and running a business,” Moore said in a prepared response. “My wife, Lauren, and I are like so many others here in Pasco County who believe government is too big and takes too much. I’ve spent months sharing my background and experience with voters, and I look forward to continuing to do so in the weeks ahead.”

Robertson pointed out his recent selection by the very commission he wishes to join as a non-elected representative on Pasco’s Restore Act Advisory Committee, which helps manage funds related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

“The county expects to receive a significant amount of money as a result of the Gulf oil spill,” Robertson said in a prepared statement. “We are currently in the process of evaluating millions of dollars worth of projects to benefit the citizens of this county.”

Littlefield was elected to the state House in 1999 in a special election succeeding his brother, Carl Littlefield. He left the House in 2006, and had planned to join the Florida Public Service Commission after receiving a nomination by then outgoing Gov. Jeb Bush.

When Charlie Crist assumed the governor’s office, however, he pulled Littlefield’s nomination, forcing him to return to the private sector.

This is not the first time Littlefield has tried to knock down his opponent’s success in the political field. During a debate in March, Littlefield jabbed Moore about his 2010 loss to Matthew Abbott for a seat on the county’s Mosquito Control board.

Littlefield’s fundraising efforts picked up a bit in the first three weeks of June, raising $1,600. That brings his campaign total to $6,600, but is still a far cry from what Moore has accomplished.

Moore raised $4,700 during the same time, bringing his total above $85,200.

Robertson raised just $310 during that time, and now has pulled in just under $12,700.

The winner of the Aug. 26 primary will face off against Democrat Erika Remsberg in November. The Land O’ Lakes social worker had her best fundraising efforts to date over the first three weeks of June, receiving checks totaling more than $1,600. Her campaign total is just above $2,100.

Published July 2, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Business Digest 07-02-14

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Used cars coming to Wesley Chapel
Wesley Chapel Honda and Wesley Chapel Toyota are going to get quite a bit bigger.

The owner of the dealerships along State Road 54, Williams Automotive Group, announced this week it will add a pre-owned sales center to its existing facility.

It will use a little more than 1 acre of land it purchased last May for $1.35 million, according to county property records. It will be located on the corner of State Road 54 and Old Pasco Road.

The latest expansion is part of an overall effort being made by the company this year, which also purchased the former Tampa Honda Land at 11000 N. Florida Ave., in Tampa, last March, shortening the name to simply Tampa Honda.

Williams Automotive was founded as Southeast Automotive Group in 2000, and once owned several dealerships in Georgia, selling Toyota, Kia, Mitsubishi and Hyundai, according to the company’s website.

Wesley Chapel Toyota is located at 5300 Eagleston Blvd., and Wesley Chapel Honda is at 27750 Wesley Chapel Blvd.

Avex promotes one, hires another
It’s a promotion and a new hire at Avex Homes’ Avalon Park West in Wesley Chapel.

Laura Gahan was promoted to senior sales associate, and Yvette Fuertes was hired as a sales coordinator in the community. Gahan has 12 years experience in new home sales, and joined Avalon Park West in 18 months ago as a sales associate.

Fuertes has a degree in commercial arts, and more than 10 years experience in sales and customer service.

Avex Homes is building 342 single-family houses at Cypress Village at Avalon Park West, located on State Road 54, more than three miles east of Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel.

Bank offers student sweepstakes
Fifth Third Bank has launched its annual Student Banking Sweepstakes.

Through Sept. 30, students who open a checking account will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes offering $10,000 toward college tuition.

Last year’s winner was Tre’ Watson, a rising football star at Tampa Catholic High School.

For more information, visit 53.com/students.

Veterans get more licensing fee waivers
Beginning this month, military personnel, veterans and military spouses seeking a professional license in Florida will have several fees eliminated, making it easier for them to do business in the state, according to elected officials.

The Florida G.I. Bill, which was signed by Gov. Rick Scott in March, expands current military and veteran fee waivers to include spouses of military personnel. At the same time, the deadline to apply for the fee waivers has been extended from within 24 months of honorable discharge, to 60 months.

Also, active Florida National Guard members will now be reimbursed for continuing education and examination fees.

H.B. 7105 extends the current exemption, which was effective starting in 2012, from initial licensing fees for honorably discharged military veterans, and include spouses that were married to the soldiers at the time the soldier was discharged from service.

More information about the fee waives as well as other services offered to active military, military spouses and veterans, can be found at MyFloridaLicense.com/mil.

Construction begins on Claridge Townhomes
Lennar Homes has broken ground on its newest community, Claridge Townhomes at Meadow Pointe. Construction is located off Meadow Point Boulevard, just north of New Tampa in southern Pasco County. The company has planned 88 townhomes ranging from 1,200 to 1,600 square feet, and will begin at $120,000. Meadow Pointe is an 1,800-acre project with a nature preserve, and an assortment of amenities.

Coach set to close 70 stores
Coach Inc., the maker of high-end accessories, handbags, shoes and clothing, says it will close 70 retail stores, possibly by early next year.

Coach didn’t tell investors which locations they plan to close, but the company has a store locally at The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive, Suite 160.

The closure is part of what the New York-based company has called a multi-year transformation plan that will be focused on a new global branding strategy centered on the concept of “defining modern luxury,” according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Sales over the last nine months leading into spring were down nearly 5 percent for the company, according to public filings, dropping to $3.7 billion.

Coach operates 351 stores in North America, according to its filings with investors. The closures would account for nearly 20 percent of its total retail outlets.

Another Avon award for Rosie Heim
Rosie Heim, a 17-year veteran selling Avon in the Land O’ Lakes area, has received the company’s Spirit of Avon Award.

This recognition is for those who show incredible spirit and stands out above the rest, according to a release. They also build their own business professionally, and always are courteously serving their customers.

This is the third Spirit of Avon award Heim has won.