The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Hinman

Business Digest 06-18-14

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Local RadioShacks could be spared
The odds are getting better that three local RadioShack stores will survive the budget knife as the national chain scales back its store closing plan.

After announcing in March that it planned to close 1,100 stores nationwide by spring, RadioShack Corp., instead is saying it will close 200 stores this summer, and will work to convert the remainder of their stores into a new concept it says will help bring it into the 21st century.

“Even in this environment, we are making progress in our turnaround strategy,” RadioShack chief executive Joseph Magnacca said, in a release. “We are building a pipeline of new products that will bring differentiation and newness to our stores in the form of high-margin private brand and exclusive items, including those from new partnerships like Quirky and PCH.”

RadioShack operates three locations locally, including at 23012 State Road 54 in Lutz, at the Shops at Pebble Creek in New Tampa at 19416 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., and at 7248 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Kentucky investor buys Dairy Queen, Tuffy lots
The land under the Dairy Queen and a Tuffy Service Center in Wesley Chapel has a new owner from Kentucky.

An acre of land at 27329 Wesley Chapel Blvd., sold June 1 for $2.35 million to Monticello Properties LLC. That company is connected to real estate developer and bank chairman Jack Sheidler.

Its previous owner, J & J Wesley Chapel LLC, had originally bought the land in 2006 for $1.8 million. The buildings, according to county property records, were built in 2002.

The land is an outparcel of the former Sweetbay supermarket location in Wesley Chapel, which has since concerted to Winn-Dixie.

Sheidler has developed real estate since 1984, according to published reports. He is the chair of Citizens First Bank Inc., which operates primarily in the Bowling Green area of Kentucky.

Scott, USAA break ground on new facility
Gov. Rick Scott joined United Services Automobile Association last week to break ground on the company’s new Tampa campus.

USAA has hired 130 employees in the Tampa area since January, and is continuing to hire more, according to the governor’s office.

“I applaud USAA’s commitment to growing jobs in Florida, and supporting our active duty military, veterans and their families,” Scott said of the insurance provider, in a release.

“For more than 40 years, Tampa has been a critical part of our success as an association,” said Shon Manasco, an executive vice president of USAA, in a release. “USAA’s expansion in this vibrant city marks an important step in broadening the impact that this community, and our employees who live and work there, will have as we continue in the pursuit of our mission to serve even more military families.”

USAA will continue to remain in New Tampa off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, but will use the new campus as part of its plan to create up to 1,215 new jobs and $164.3 million in capital investment by 2019.

Arbor Woods opening new phase
Taylor Morrison has opened a new phase to its Arbor Woods community in Wesley Chapel.

This new phase will have 48 additional lots, with frontage between 55 and 75 feet, and will include a new floor plan.

The Elmhurst III is a four-bedroom single-story home with 2,329 square feet of space.

Arbor Woods is located on 423 wooded acres — 338 of them set aside for conservation — near Cypress Creek. It includes more than 200 single-family homes.

For information, call (813) 280-7976, or visit ArborWoodsTM.com.

Political Agenda 06-18-14

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MacManus to speak at Republican Club
The Republican Club of Central Pasco will host University of South Florida professor and political analyst Susan MacManus June 25 at 6:30 p.m., at Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

MacManus is a Land O’ Lakes native, and has written two books on the history of the area, including “Citrus, Sawmills, Critters & Crackers” in 1998, and “Going, Going, Almost Gone: Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Pioneers Share Their Precious Memories” in 2010.

For information, call Steve Graves at (813) 996-3011.

Remsberg qualifies, picks up endorsement
Erika Remsberg, a Land O’ Lakes resident seeking to replace the retiring Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri, has picked up an endorsement from the West Central Florida Federation of Labor.

That endorsement came soon after she officially qualified as the only Democratic candidate for the seat. Remsberg says her experience as a social worker has provided extensive knowledge of the problems suffered by families in the community.

“I seek to provide a voice for our community’s working families on the commission,” Remsberg said in a release. “My perspective as a working mom and community advocate puts me in a unique position to represent the voice of the people who live in Pasco.”

Remsberg has raised just $553 so far in her campaign, including nothing in May. Unless any other Democrats enter the race, she will not have a primary, and will face off against the winner of the Republican primary that currently involves former state Rep. Ken Littlefield, entrepreneur Mike Moore and financial analyst Bob Robertson.

Moore has raised more than all his competitors — more than $80,500 — including $7,650 in May. His top donors include Royal Investments and SB General Partners, both operating from the same location in Tampa, each writing $1,000 checks.

Robertson raised $953 in May, bringing his total to just under $12,400. However, $600 of the money raised came from outside Florida, most of it through a $500 donation from a case manager in Pennsylvania.

Littlefield picked up $600 in May, $100 of it from a Trinity donor, and the rest as a loan to himself. Littlefield has now loaned his campaign $1,500.

Moore, Littlefield and Robertson will battle it out in a primary Aug. 26, with the winner facing off with Remsberg in November, if no one else files to run.

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.

Wilson experiences county work first-hand
Pasco County commissioner Henry Wilson, who is defending his seat against political newcomer Mike Wells Jr., spent 24 hours shadowing fire rescue workers at Pasco Fire Station No. 11.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” Wilson said, in a release.

It’s all part of Wilson’s work since being elected in 2010 to experience different offices first-hand.

“Working in each of the departments has been very beneficial,” he said. “I believe it has helped me make a more informed decision when it comes budget time.”

Wilson, however, is well behind Wells when it comes to fundraising. Wilson had his best month since January when he raised $4,715 in May. His biggest donors were real estate-related companies where NISSI Inc., Trinity Club Apartments and Forty Nine Acres of Tarpon Springs each donated $1,000.

Wells, however, topped his first big month of campaign donations with a bigger one. The son of Pasco County property appraiser Mike Wells Sr., picked up just under $25,000 in May, bringing his two-month campaign war chest to almost $45,600.

Wells received a number of $1,000 checks from developers as well, including Forty Nine Acres, NISSI and Trinity Club Apartments. Nearly $7,000 of his donations came from outside Pasco County, however.

Unless a Democrat or other type of candidate enters the race, Wells’ and Wilson’s race could be decided in an open primary Aug. 26.

Clay shoot for Mike Moore
Mike Moore is looking to raise more money for his Pasco County Commission campaign with a clay shoot June 21.

It will take place at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays, 10514 Ehren Cutoff in Land O’ Lakes, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. The cost would be $125 per person, or $500 per team of four. All payments would be considered political donations.

For more information, email .

Poll workers needed for August, November elections
Energetic? Service-oriented? Then the Pasco County supervisor of elections may be looking for you.

Poll workers are needed for both the primary election Aug. 26 and the general election Nov. 4. Positions are paid, but potential candidates will need to be able to stand, bend, stoop, lift approximately 30 pounds, and have normal vision and manual and physical dexterity.

Applicants also need to write and read English, have an email address, and be able to work the entire day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All positions receive mandatory paid training the month preceding both the primary and general elections.

For information, call (800) 851-8754, or visit PascoVotes.com.

Mayor to Bush 41: Come skydive here … for free

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Don’t tell President George H.W. Bush that he’s 90 years old, or that he struggles to get around on his own. The father of both the 43rd U.S. president and Florida’s 43rd governor — who served in the Oval Office himself — likes to celebrate birthday milestones by skydiving, like he did this past week in Maine.

Zephyrhills mayor Gene Whitfield signs a letter to President George H.W. Bush, inviting him to make his next birthday jump in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)
Zephyrhills mayor Gene Whitfield signs a letter to President George H.W. Bush, inviting him to make his next birthday jump in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Zephyrhills mayor Gene Whitfield was one of many who cheered the president from a distance. However, after it was all said and done, Whitfield felt that if Bush wanted to make a similar jump from an aircraft on his next birthday milestone, he should do it in Zephyrhills — for free.

“Whether President Bush knows it or not, he is an inspiration to so many people around the world, not just for his years of public service, but for the example he sets by making every day count, and living an active healthy life well into his golden years,” Whitfield said, in a release. “It would be a thrill for all of us to see him jump here at Skydive City on the day he turns 100. In fact, if he would like to bring President George W. Bush and Gov. Jeb Bush along with him, we’ll arrange so they can all jump together.”

The elder Bush, a World War II veteran, would feel right at home in Zephyrhills, Whitfield said, citing the airport as a former WWII training facility, and home of the city’s military history museum. Whitfield quickly gained the support of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce in his efforts, which offered to fund the jump through its own resources.

In Whitfield’s letter to Bush, which you can download here, the mayor shared with the president the quick stopover visit he and former First Lady Barbara Bush made to Zephyrhills en route to Saddlebrook Resort several years ago for a speaking engagement. He also touched on a relationship Jeb Bush had with a Zephyrhills middle school student, Matt Ross, who would exchange emails and even play golf together.

Bush’s jump this past week was one in a series of tandem jumps the former president has made beginning with his 75th birthday. It was said to be his eighth skydiving jump, something he first did when he was shot down over the Pacific Ocean during World War II.

Hess Express getting ready to leave retail market

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Hess Express service stations throughout the region and the rest of the country are changing hands as the petroleum company buys out property owners to sell to a one-time competitor.

The New Jersey company announced last month that it struck a deal with Marathon Petroleum Corp. for $2.6 billion that would include more than 1,300 locations along the east coast of the United States, including seven locations in parts of Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

Over the last few weeks, Hess purchased four service stations in Pasco it didn’t already own, including the one at 28232 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel for $2.7 million. The other three locations in Port Richey, New Port Richey and Holiday sold for an average of $3.4 million each, according to county property records.

Other locations were already on land Hess Corp. owned, including 18431 Livingston Ave., in Lutz; 11224 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes; 17519 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in New Tampa; 13508 State Road 54 in Odessa; and two Zephyrhills locations at 6026 N. Gall Blvd., and 7317 Gall Blvd.

The full sale to Marathon is not expected to close until the end of the year, meaning Hess Express locations will stay that way for now, and will even carry its holiday toy truck at those locations, according to published reports. Beginning in 2015, however, those toys will only be available online.

Unlike the Hess business model, Marathon stores are typically owned by franchisees. The company has 5,200 retail outlets in 18 states, according to its website. The company already has six locations locally in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

County tourist leaders want to double Savage Race sponsorship dollars

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The Pasco County Tourist Development Council may feel a little generous next week, especially if the group follows a recommendation to give an event company double the sponsorship money it would’ve normally received from the county.

The intended recipient is Mad Cap Events LLC, an Orlando-based company that is planning to bring the Savage Race back to Little Everglades Park in Dade City for two days. The race, which will be held just before Halloween, is described as “an intense 5- to 7-mile obstacle run with 25 world class obstacles, mud, fire and barbed wire,” according to the event’s website. The race is “challenging fun that will give you and your friends an adrenaline buzz that lasts for days.”

Mad Cap charges participants between $54 and $89 per day of the event, depending on how early they register. That does not include a $15 surcharge added to those prices to cover insurance.

Spectators pay $15 in advance or $25 at the gate, on top of a $10 charge for parking.

The spring race held in Pasco County generated 1,051 hotel room nights, Pasco County’s Office of Tourism Development reported. Because of that, each day could qualify for a county sponsorship of $10,000. Mad Cap, however, wants $20,000, and the Tourism Development Council is being asked to give the company a total of $40,000 — higher than the $15,000 per night starting point usually recommended for events that draw double the hotel room nights.

But there is a good reason to spend the extra money, county tourism manager Ed Caum said in a memo to the council.

“The marketing exposure we receive online with this event has been excellent,” he wrote. “Mad Cap Events LLC markets Pasco County’s Little Everglades Ranch at each of their events around the nation. Further, they have made the commitment for Pasco to be their ‘premier’ race site. (Their) events have become so popular that events in Pasco are held on both Saturday and Sunday.”

Mad Cap does not release revenue publicly, however a September 2012 story in the SportsBusiness Journal reported Mad Cap earned $500,000 on two races the company staged in its first year of operation. Two years later, it had expanded to six states, including Maryland and Pennsylvania, while continuing its presence in Florida.

The Tourism Development Council includes three elected officials — Pasco County commissioner Jack Mariano, New Port Richey councilman Chopper Davis, and Dade City mayor Camille Hernandez. It also includes leaders from Pasco’s tourism market, including Gail Cushman from Days Inn & Suites, Piyush Mulji from Hampton Inn, Kyle VonKohorn of Fairfield Inn & Suites, Toby Caroline of Paradise Lakes Resort, Gregory Riehle of Saddlebrook Resort, and Jack Phethean of Little Everglades Ranch — the venue that will host the Savage Run.

The meeting, which is open to the public, is June 18 at 10 a.m., at the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey.

Documentary could encourage a nude German invasion

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The end of the Cold War may have spelled the destruction of the Berlin Wall, but a culture war continues between what was once West Germany and East Germany over one simple thing: being naked.

Monique Liliensiek, center, oversees filming of her German documentary ‘World of Nudism’ last week at Lake Como from the perspective of her travelers, Luise and Peter Krause. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Monique Liliensiek, center, oversees filming of her German documentary ‘World of Nudism’ last week at Lake Como from the perspective of her travelers, Luise and Peter Krause.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

With nowhere to go anyway, East Germans found comfort and freedom from leaving their clothes at home. Being nude was a way of life, until their neighbors from the west arrived and told them to put those clothes back on.

Nudism doesn’t have the popularity it once had in the European country, but it’s prompted one film crew to travel the world to see what being naked is like in other countries. And they ended up in the American heart of nudism, Pasco County, this past week.

“The people in the east were definitely raised naked,” said Bjorn Buck, the husband of documentary producer Monique Liliensiek, who both made the trans-Atlantic trip to Land O’ Lakes. “All the Baltic Sea beaches were naked beaches, and that was absolutely normal to them.”
Liliensiek found Pasco’s nudist community thanks to a Google search, which introduced her to Caliente Resort. A phone call later, she was in touch with retired firefighter and nudism champion Pam Oakes, who introduced the entire film crew to the rest of the local community, setting up stops in a variety of places including Lake Como and Paradise Lakes.

“This has been a niche kind of tourism for Pasco all these years,” Oakes said. “There was an opportunity to reach out to Europe where there are 50 million naturists alone, and they speak English.”

The documentary is tentatively called “World of Nudism,” and is set to air on Germany’s Vox network next month — a channel typically home to American shows like “CSI: Miami” and “Burn Notice.” Liliensiek and her crew from Runge.TV already have visited places like Turkey and Austria, but plan to make Pasco’s nudism community a primary focus of their two-hour exploration into nudism.

Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri has represented the area where most of the nudist communities are centered for the past two decades, and said even she had to have a little time to adjust.

“I’ll never forget the one day at the beginning of my term, I was speaking at the Butt Hutt (at Lake Como), and I was thinking, ‘I got this made,’” Mulieri said. “All the guys there had shirts on, and was fine, until they stood up.”

The communities, however, are one of the key components to Pasco’s tourism, and also to other services like charity, said county tourism director Ed Caum.

“I wanted to say thank you to our naturists and all you do,” he told a crowd that gathered at Hungry Harry’s Lake House last week to welcome the film crew. “They are great volunteers. I’ve never seen so many people without clothes do such a great job of collecting clothing to give to other people.”

Buck spoke on behalf of his wife, who did not know a lot of English, but said he and his crew were welcome from the minute they stepped off the plane.

“We come from the second-largest network, and we have a little budget, but nobody cares about that,” he said. “We were told that you’re a family and you’re a friend, and that is quite overwhelming.”

This exposure on national television may not be the last time Pasco County ends up in German living rooms in the near future, either. While Liliensiek and her crew headed back to Europe last weekend, Buck stayed behind, and will explore other areas that might get a more in-depth look from the crew. That’s especially true for Caliente, which Buck says could warrant a feature of its own.

“This isn’t only for the naked community in Germany, but for everyone there,” Buck said. “In the end, I think what people will realize is that nudism is something good, or at least it’s not bad.”

Published June 11, 2014

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County roads could get boost through gas, property tax hikes

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Henry Wilson was dead set against an additional tax on a gallon of gas last year, and he’s not changing his mind now.

However, the Pasco County commissioner could be alone in his convictions this time, as commission chair Jack Mariano hinted he might support raising that tax by 2 cents per gallon.

With county roads needing repair, Pasco County commissioners seem poised to add at least another 2 cents to its county gas tax. (File Photo)
With county roads needing repair, Pasco County commissioners seem poised to add at least another 2 cents to its county gas tax.
(File Photo)

That would all but ensure the gas tax in Pasco County would go up, as four of the five commissioners are required to support it. Mariano had joined Wilson in opposition of it last year, which many — including their fellow commissioners — have blamed for continued deterioration of county roads this past year.

“When I went through this last year, I was asking how much do we really need, and how much do we really want,” Mariano said at a commission workshop last week. “I didn’t want to put in a tax that was going to keep reoccurring if we didn’t need it.”

A 2-cent gas tax raise would alone generate about $3.2 million. However, the county is looking to increase revenue by at least $5 million to stay at the same level of road work as last year, or even as much as $8 million to fully get the county back on track.

The only other way the commission could raise that kind of money is by levying additional property tax to homeowners in the county. Supporters of the gas tax say it’s more fair because the people using the roads are the ones paying for it, whether they live in the county or not. Opponents fear the additional tax would be passed to consumers, and that drivers will wait to get to a neighboring county with cheaper gas before stopping at the pump.

Mariano, however, isn’t convinced that a property tax increase would be needed to raise an additional $5 million or even $8 million. Instead, he wants to use reserve funds — the county’s financial fallback in case it runs out of money — to wipe out the shortfall instead.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey didn’t like that idea at all. “I don’t see how you do operation and maintenance out of your piggy bank,” she said.

But Mariano believes the reserve fund is not following its original purpose, which he says is to keep tax rates low during tough economic times by using saved cash sitting in the bank.

Starkey wanted nothing of it, citing her past experience on the Pasco County school board, and how she saw business being done with neighboring districts.

“We did not go into that,” Starkey said of the reserved funds. “I saw other school boards get into that, and they expected the state to bail them out when they got in trouble. Those school board members were not making a hard vote to have a balanced budget by going into their reserves, and they got into trouble. To me, that is very bad fiscal policy.”

Commissioner Ted Schrader was ready to do more than that, willing to commit to a 3-cent gas tax, and to limit raising property taxes to as small a number as possible.

“You raise the millage rate, you may not hear it, but I hear it,” Schrader told Mariano. “It’s even higher for non-homestead property, and higher for business and retailers.”

The commission would raise more than enough money to meet its needs by increasing the gas tax to as much as 5 cents. However, that move would not have the support of either Mariano, who says he’s limited to 2 cents, and Wilson, who is against a gas tax increase at all.

A 2-cent increase would cost motorists an additional $15 annually, or 29 cents a week assuming they filled the tank weekly and gas stations pass those increases to motorists. To hit the $8 million mark, commissioners would have to raise property taxes at least 0.25 mills, which would have an additional financial impact of $12.66 on a home valued at $100,000 that also carries $50,000 in exemptions.

Commissioners will have to come to some kind of a consensus before the end of the month. County Administrator Michele Baker said she starts putting together next year’s budget just after the July 4 holiday.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who supports raising the gas tax, said it’s important to get this issue decided before work begins on the budget.

“You’re never going to make everyone happy in this world,” she said. “You just have to do what you believe is the right thing to do.”

Published June 11, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

WWII memorial ready for rededication Saturday

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When war broke out in Europe and Asia in the 1940s, Pasco County was nothing more than a small farming and citrus group of communities.

The Pasco County World War II Memorial has been a part of Dade City’s downtown attractions since it was first dedicated in 1954, and has been a part of many ceremonies there, including the recent Fallen Officers memorial for law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. A restored memorial will be rededicated on Flag Day, June 14. (File Photo)
The Pasco County World War II Memorial has been a part of Dade City’s downtown attractions since it was first dedicated in 1954, and has been a part of many ceremonies there, including the recent Fallen Officers memorial for law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. A restored memorial will be rededicated on Flag Day, June 14.
(File Photo)

But the people loved their country, and showed it by signing up and heading to war. In fact, one in eight Pasco residents would serve in the military during World War II, including Frank Ashbrook, the father-in-law to Pasco County commissioner Ted Schrader.

“He was captured during the invasion of Normandy, and spent 18 months in a prisoner war camp in Germany,” Schrader said.

Ashbrook’s name is one of 1,855 county residents listed on the Pasco County World War II Memorial at the Historic Dade City Courthouse. This weekend will mark the 60th anniversary of the memorial’s dedication, and Schrader will lead a rededication ceremony June 14 that will include the official unveiling of a new, more permanent granite memorial.

The granite slabs replace the original wood panels that have deteriorated significantly since the memorial’s first dedication in 1954.

“The courthouse is where my office is, and I would come in every day to hear we had some vandalism or a skateboarder hit it, and we had to call (the facilities department) to come and make the necessary repairs,” Schrader said. “It was really just that it was time we did something different.”

Schrader reached out to then assistant county administrator Dan Johnson, and they were able to secure seed money of $25,000 from Pasco County officials, and another $15,000 from Dade City. The rest of the $40,000 cost would be made up from private donations that Johnson would gather.

In the end, however, the memorial cost less than the estimate, and the final price tag was an even split between public money and private donations.

The rededication ceremony will begin at 11 a.m., Saturday in front of the courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City. Schrader will emcee the event, and will be join by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, who will present a special flag.

Of all the people who served, a vast majority of them did return home, including Ashbrook. Just under 40 soldiers from Pasco County died in the line of duty.

However, seven decades is a long time, and many of the returning veterans from World War II have been lost over the years.

“Unfortunately, they are reaching an age where they are not going to be with us much longer,” Schrader said. “It was important for those who are still alive and for their family members that we make sure this memorial is here forever.”

Joining Schrader in the bandstand the memorial adorns are Florian Gude and Stanley Burnside. Both have their names on the wall, and still live in the area.

“I think Florian just turned 90,” Schrader said. “It’s really gratifying to be able to commemorate their service and reflect back on the sacrifices they made for our country.”

WHAT: Rededication of Pasco County World War II Memorial
WHEN: June 14 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Historic Dade City Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City
COST: Free
INFO: PascoCountyFl.net

Published June 11, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Business Digest 06-11-14

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Central Pasco chamber readying banquet
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is recruiting sponsors for its upcoming awards and installation banquet, which will be June 26 at 6 p.m., at Harbor Terrace Restaurant at Heritage Harbor in Lutz.

Sponsorships range from a table placement at $200, to speaking opportunities and other amenities at $1,000.

Tickets for the event are $45 each.

For more information, visit ChamberLogin.com, or call (813) 909-0827.

Florida Hospital parent receives Gallup award
Employees at Adventist Health System — the parent company of facilities like Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills — have been recognized by Gallup as one of the best-performing, most productive and engaged work forces in the world.

This is the fourth year in a row that the company and all of its hospital campuses have received the Gallup Great Workplace Award. The company was one of 36 chosen to receive the award.

Chamber quarterly meeting
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will host a quarterly membership meeting June 11 at 9 a.m., at the chamber office, 38550 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Speakers at the meeting include chamber president Carolyn Sentelik on the value of membership, and Vonnie Mikkelsen on matching expectations to results.

For information, call (813) 782-1913, or visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org.

Pasco’s Griswold location sold
Birdsong Ventures Inc., is adding to its Tampa office of Griswold Home Care by acquiring Griswold’s Pasco office.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Griswold is a non-medical private pay home care company that recruits, screens and refers caregivers who provide companion and personal care services to homebound people.

Founded in 1982, Griswold has 200 offices in 35 states. Its Pasco office was started 10 years ago in Central Pasco, and covers the entire county.

The new principals are Arthur and Frieda Moseley. Arthur is a certified senior advisor and is vice chair of the Hillsborough Seniors and Law Enforcement Together Council. Frieda is a registered nurse with more than 30 years experience.

Working in the office will be Alice Gilbert and Hilda Hellwig, who have a combined 30 years of experience in the caregiving field.

For information, visit GriswoldHomeCare.com.

USAA helps Florida win national award
The more than 1,200 new jobs affecting New Tampa’s USAA location didn’t go unnoticed by the company’s development peers at the national level, as the United Services Automobile Association has helped Florida win another Silver Shovel award for job creation.

The award, which is given by Area Development magazine, recognizes state economic development agencies that drive significant job creation through innovative policies, infrastructure improvements, processes and promotions that attract new employers and investments in new and expanded facilities, according to a release from Gov. Rick Scott’s office.

USAA is expanding its existing Bruce B. Downs Boulevard campus into Brandon, and will create an estimated 1,215 jobs through a capital investment of $164.3 million. Only Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola is bringing in more jobs — 2,200 after a capital investment of $206 million.

Store chain supports cancer research
HomeGoods in Lutz and New Tampa are supporting cancer care and research with its 13th annual “Helps Families Fight Cancer” campaign through June 29.

The program benefits Jimmy Fund, which supports pediatric and adult cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Customers can make a contribution through the store, or purchase a reusable shopping bag for 99 cents featuring artwork by Jimmy Fund Clinic pediatric patient Aleah Smith, 7, of Massachusetts. HomeGoods will contribute 50 cents for each bag purchased to the fund.

HomeGoods is located at 17641 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz, and at 18061 Highwoods Preserve Parkway in New Tampa.

HART drivers honored for safety
The Tampa Area Safety Council has honored nine Hillsborough Area Regional Transit drivers with induction into the One Million Mile Club during its recent luncheon.

The drivers — Desmond Coulson, Demetra Jackson, Charles Evans, Rigoberto Oquendo, Luis Garcia, Thomas Palmore, David Gonzalez, Al Hughes and Antonio White — have careers with the bus system that date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, and have completed an average of 14 consecutive years without a preventable accident.

The One Million Mile Club has been around since 1994, and now has 124 members. From that group, 24 of them are now inducted into the Two Million Mile Club, which requires 27 years of driving without a preventable accident.

Only one person, retired HART driver Samuel Baker, holds the title of a Three Million Mile Club member, a designation he earned in 2004 after driving 42 years without causing an accident.

Wesley Chapel chamber heading to Tuscany
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is planning a nine-day trip to Tuscany, Italy.

The trip is planned to begin Oct. 20, and space is limited.

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

Political Agenda 06-11-14

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Wilson endorsed by public safety group
Pasco County Commissioner Henry Wilson’s re-election campaign has received the endorsement of Pasco County Public Safety. That’s a group that includes the West Central Florida Chapter of the Police Benevolent Association, the Fraternal Order of Police Pasco County Sheriff’s Lodge No. 29, and the International Association of Firefighters Pasco County Local 4420.

Wilson also received the endorsement of the West Florida Women’s Conservative Republican Network.

Wilson is looking to return to his District 4 seat, but has a primary challenge by fellow Republican Mike Wells Jr., in August.

Wilson raised $200 for his campaign in April, bringing his total to $19,245. Wells, in his first month of campaigning, raised $20,700.

If no Democrat enters the race, Wells and Wilson will battle it out in an open primary Aug. 26.

Commission candidates to debate
The Conservative Club of East Pasco will host a debate between District 2 Pasco County Commission candidates Ken Littlefield and Bob Robertson June 16 at 6:30 p.m.

The two are racing against Mike Moore for the Republican nomination for the seat. Moore is not attending because he’ll be out of town, according to club secretary Nils Lenz.

The event will take place at the Zephyrhills Woman’s Club, 38549 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills. It will include introduction of new city leaders including Mayor Gene Whitfield, Councilman Alan Knight, and interim city manager Steve Spina.

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

Mike Wells fundraiser, endorsement
Mike Wells Jr., who is seeking the District 4 Pasco County Commission seat currently held by Henry Wilson, is holding a fundraiser June 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the home of Steve and Lynn Hickman, 37402 Church Ave., in Dade City.

As expected, Wells also received official public support from his father, Pasco County property appraiser Mike Wells Sr., who is encouraging supporters to either attend the June 17 fundraiser, or make contributions to him for his son’s campaign.

To RSVP, email .

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours July 8 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 Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14 and Dec. 9.

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