The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Hinman

Man vs. bull this weekend at Great Bull Run

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For some people, nothing could make a weekend more complete than having a herd of bulls stampeding after them.

It takes a lot of courage, and maybe a touch of insanity, to jump into the path of a rampaging bull. But those are exactly the kind of people invited to do just that March 8 in Dade City. (Courtesy of The Great Bull Run)
It takes a lot of courage, and maybe a touch of insanity, to jump into the path of a rampaging bull. But those are exactly the kind of people invited to do just that March 8 in Dade City. (Courtesy of The Great Bull Run)

It’s been a way of life in Pamplona, Spain, for more than a century. And now that experience is coming to Dade City for The Great Bull Run on March 8.

It takes place at Little Everglades Ranch, 17951 Hamilton Road, just off U.S. 301.

The 10-city tour began last August in Virginia with more than 12,000 attendees, and organizer Rob Dickens hopes to make it an annual event here locally. Oh, and by the way, it is dangerous.

“That’s what draws people, the danger,” Dickens said. “If it was as safe as a walk in the park, there would be no reason to do it.”

Dickens said the idea to do a bull run in America came a couple years ago when he and his business partner tried to make the trip to Pamplona to take part in the famous bull run there. But it was impossible to attend — the average cost is around $3,000 a person to make the trip, giving up 10 days of work, all planned at least a year in advance. And that’s if they didn’t get injured.

“That’s when we realized, why don’t we just bring it here to the U.S.,” Dickens said. “There must be millions of other Americans like us who want to do this, but probably can’t afford all that.”

The Great Bull Run is a kinder, gentler version of the Spanish one. There are more safety precautions for both the runners and the bulls. There is track fencing runners can easily climb over and slide under if they get into danger, as well as nooks in the fence they can hide. Also, the bulls — which are brought in by a touring rodeo company — don’t have sharpened horns. That means less chance of goring.

The bulls are constantly monitored for their health and safety, and unlike in Pamplona, none of them are heading to the bullfighting ring afterward.

Yet, there are still dangers involved. Since the current tour started, two people have been injured, Dickens said. One had a broken wrist, the other a broken pelvis. However, the injury rate remains much lower than an average high school football game.

Even in Spain, there have been 15 deaths with the bull running, but that’s over a span of 102 years.

Still, the bull run is not just for the adventure seekers. Spectators also are welcome — at a much lower cost — and will be close enough to see the action, but far enough to stay safe.

It’s part of an all-day event that includes music, food, games and beer. The afternoon will feature the Tomato Royale, another Spanish tradition, where 30,000 pounds of tomatoes are trucked in for the sole purpose of participants throwing them at each other.

Tickets to run with the bulls are $65, with six total runs available throughout the late morning and mid-afternoon. For those who would rather throw tomatoes with no bull, the cost is $40.

Just want to watch? Tickets are $10 at the gate, with an additional fee for parking.

“We were looking for major metropolitan areas where we thought people would be interested in something like this, and we found a great venue just between Tampa and Orlando,” Dickens said.

“I’ve run with the bulls several times now at our own events, and the first time you do it, you’re absolutely scared out of your mind,” he said. “But the more you do it, the more you get comfortable with it. But it does take a certain type of person to do it in the first place.”

For more information, visit TheGreatBullRun.com.

Published March 5, 2014

Contest taps into region’s best-tasting drinking water

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The rows of water-filled plastic cups were not at all daunting to Daniel Yeh. He would pick each one up, sniff the water, look at it, and then quickly take a sip before setting the cup back down and jotting some notes on a score sheet.

Water was judged on a number of criteria including taste — as demonstrated by Nick Makris of the Southwest Florida Water Management District — odor, and as fellow judge Rick Ratcliff shows, color. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Water was judged on a number of criteria including taste — as demonstrated by Nick Makris of the Southwest Florida Water Management District — odor, and as fellow judge Rick Ratcliff shows, color. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“After a while, the samples run together,” said Yeh, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of South Florida. Narrowing it all down to a winner? “I do it scientifically,” he says with a smile before moving on to the next plastic cup.

Yeh was one of four judges tasked with finding the best-tasting tap water in the region last week, a title Hillsborough County was looking to defend, but many others wanted to wrestle away. Nearly 20 municipalities ranging from Sumter to Pinellas counties lugged in gallons of water to Lake Park in Lutz using containers of both the plastic and glass variety.

At stake were bragging rights for the region, and the chance to put their water head-to-head with the best in Florida next month.

“We are blessed with such a good source of clean, high-quality water in Florida — water that exceeds state and federal standards for quality — and this is all just some friendly competition to showcase it,” said Steven King, vice chair of Florida’s Region IV in the American Water Works Association.

In a society that consumes millions of bottles of water, contents like the best-tasting contest are designed to give a positive spin to tap water — something people typically only talk about when something goes wrong, like the recent pollution of the water supply in West Virginia.

“That’s when you think about water, when something like that happens,” King said. “There’s already this preconceived notion that tap water is bad, but really it’s not. It’s regulated probably more than bottled water, and it’s just high quality all around.”

Hillsborough County hosted this year’s regional contest, since it won this level last year. But Pasco County also was there, looking to defend its state title from 2006. And Zephyrhills, Dade City and other area communities were invited as well.

Judges were not told where their water samples came from, but were tasked to check for odor, color and taste.

The competition is highly subjective, King admits, where one person’s like may be someone else’s dislike. But most of the way through the taste-testing, one judge said one sample really stood out.

“It’s nice and smooth, and it’s almost tasteless,” said Nick Makris, a water supply specialist and project manager for the Southwest Florida Water Management District. “It’s hard to tell if some of these would stand out, because a lot of them feel to be the same. But yeah, I think one of them stands out in a good way.”

While Makris didn’t know where his favorite water came from, the day ended with a clear winner. Dunedin, which actually won the regional contest in 2011, was champion once again.

Water officials there will head to the Florida Water Resources Conference in April in Lake Buena Vista to find out how they compete against other regional winners in the state.

But in the end, all of these municipalities are winners, King said.

“No one writes about high-quality drinking water that everyone drinks 365 days a year and no one gets sick from,” King said. “We’re just trying to shed some light on the industry, because for too long, it’s been sort of a hidden industry. Generally, if you ask people on the street where their water comes from, they’ll just say it’s from the tap.

“But there’s a lot that happens to that water before it gets there, and this is our way to honor the hard work of those people who ensure the best water coming from the tap every day.”

Published March 5, 2014

Political Agenda 03-05-14

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Commission candidates to debate
The Pasco Federated Republican Women’s Club will host a debate for Republican Pasco County Commission candidates March 7 at 11:30 a.m. at Fox Hollow Golf Club, 10050 Robert Trent Jones Parkway in Trinity.

The forum will include Ken Littlefield, Mike Moore and Bob Robertson. All three are campaigning to win a primary election set for Aug. 26, with the winner set to face Erika Remsberg — or the winner of a Democratic primary if one is needed — in the general election.

Cost is $15.

For more information, call Fran Scerbo at (727) 597-3727, or email .

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours March 11 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 April 8, May 13, June 10, July 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, and Dec. 9.

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

Business Digest 03-05-14

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(Courtesy of OurTownFLA.com)
(Courtesy of OurTownFLA.com)

Local business leaders recognized
Terri Williamson, an advertising representative for The Laker/Lutz News, accepts the newspaper’s award for Medium Business of the Year at the annual Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce awards banquet at Heritage Harbor. She’s joined by, from left, John Jaay, Darla Sarhaddi, Elayne Bassinger and Harland Henry. Other winners including OurTownFla.com as Small Business of the Year, and its owner Tony Masella as Volunteer of the Year. Ierna’s Heating & Cooling was Large Business of the Year and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay was the Non-Profit of the Year.

 

SmartStart gets new member
Computers Etc., an information technology company providing complete IT management, support and training, has joined the SmartStart Dade City incubator.

As an offsite member, Computers Etc. has around-the-clock access to the facility, which includes free WiFi, parking, co-working space, a post office box, and meeting rooms.

In addition, Computers Etc. will receive one-on-one mentoring and get assistance from SmartStart’s intern from Saint Leo University’s master of business administration program.

The SmartStart Dade City incubator is the first of its kind in Pasco County, giving companies the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment with other small businesses, gain access to technical support, and network with other business leaders and community partners.

SmartStart is located at 15000 Citrus Country Drive in Dade City. For more information, visit SmartStartPasco.com.

Community Business Expo coming
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will host its 2014 Community Business Expo March 14 and March 15 at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The event runs from 4 p.m. to 7 pm., March 14, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on March 15, with the theme “The Price is Right – Shop Local.”

Sponsorships and booth space remain available, but are limited.

For more information, visit CentralPascoChamber.com, or call (813) 909-2722.

March meeting for Women-n-Charge
Women-n-Charge will meet March 7 beginning at 11:30 a.m., at Pebble Creek Country Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive in Tampa.

Speaking is Debra Lombardozzi, who will talk about how to identify personality types so that people can communicate more effectively.

Cost is $15 for members ahead of the meeting, and $18 for all guests and those who haven’t prepaid by March 5.

For more information, call (813) 600-9849, or email .

RPE passes SSAE 16 audit
RPE Outsourcing LLC of Land O’ Lakes, has completed a Service Organizations Control 1 Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 16 Type 2 examination, known more commonly as SSAE 16.

The audit was developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to provide a uniform method of disclosing independently assessed information about the design and operation of internal controls. RPE is a retail cloud computing consultant and an information technologies management service provider.

“Retailers today are more aware than ever of data security and compliance issues, and having confirmation a data center meets the highest standards is critical,” said Cliff Epstein, president of RPE, in a release. The audit helps support the company’s commitment to “safeguarding sensitive information” and keep its data operations secure.

Wesley Chapel car dealer buys Tampa Honda Land

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Williams Automotive Group, which already owns Wesley Chapel Toyota and Wesley Chapel Honda, is now a company with three car dealerships after finalizing its purchase of Tampa Honda Land on Florida Avenue.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Williams Automotive bought the dealership from its longtime owner Scott-McRae Group, which owns several dealerships in the Jacksonville area, as well as Countryside Ford and Countryside Mazda in Pinellas County.

A new owner means a new name for Tampa Honda Land, and it will become simply Tampa Honda.

“Williams Automotive Group prides itself on being able to grow, develop and create opportunities for our outstanding team members,” spokeswoman Therese Bottino said in an email. “Because of all of our collective hard work and dedication the past five years, we have made the strategic decision to grow. This growth is part of a well-thought out long-term vision for the company.

“We look forward to establishing the same award-winning sales and service reputation at the new store, just as we have at our other stores since the beginning of our company.”

Tampa Honda is located at 11000 N. Florida Ave., on land purchased by Scott-McRae Group’s Duval Motor Co. in 1996 for $1.5 million. It constructed its main dealership building in 2001, according to county property records. Williams Automotive did not indicate whether they would purchase the property as well, and county records have yet to show any recent transactions.

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. For more information on any of the three dealerships or its ownership group, visit WilliamsAuto.com.

RadioShack closing 1,100 stores, locals may be affected

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RadioShack Corp. says it will close 1,100 stores by the end of spring — a quarter of its total stores — and it could affect some of its stores locally.

The company didn’t say which of its more than 5,000 stores it will close, but there are 283 stores in Florida, including one at 23012 State Road 54 in Lutz, and another at The Shops at Pebble Creek, 19416 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Tampa. Zephyrhills also has a RadioShack at 7248 Gall Blvd.

“Over the past few months, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of our portfolio from many angles — location, area, demographics, lease life and financial performance — in order to consolidate our store base into fewer locations while maintaining a strong presence in each market,” said Joseph C. Magnacca, chief executive of RadioShack, in a release.

The two local RadioShack stores are part of a greater region of Pasco and Hillsborough counties were the company currently operates 10 stores, some just minutes from others. The Lutz location is the last location north in west central Florida until Brooksville.

Sales at company-operated RadioShack stores were down 10 percent in 2013 from the year before, and 15 percent from 2011.

It will cost RadioShack a little more than $10,000 per store to close them, and another $9,200 in inventory write-downs, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The closings could affect as many as 7,000 employees nationwide.

Starkey to discuss elevated road at town hall

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The official public meetings surrounding the elevated toll road concept proposed for the State Road 54/56 corridor might be a month or two off, but Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey is wasting no time giving residents a voice.

Starkey is planning a town hall meeting March 10 at 7 p.m., in the Sunlake High School cafeteria. The school is located at 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The official announcement of the meeting doesn’t suggest topics, but published reports say the controversy over the unsolicited bid from a private company to turn existing right of way into a toll express lane will be right at the top of the agenda.

International Infrastructure Partners are pushing for the road, which would eventually stretch 33 miles between U.S. 301 near Zephyrhills to U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. The final decision on whether to allow IIP to move forward on the potential $2.2 billion project lies with the Florida Department of Transportation. However, officials at the state agency said it would not green light the project if it doesn’t have support from the community and county commissioners.

Commissioners Henry Wilson and Jack Mariano have appeared to take stands against the road, however, Starkey has been more noncommittal either way, saying she is looking to get more information before making a decision.

Opponents to the road call it unnecessary, and has the potential to stymie growth and destroy home values and businesses. Those who support it, however, say it’s needed to help handle future traffic congestion in the corridor created not just by neighboring counties, but the anticipated growth in the southern portion of Pasco County as well.

For the county’s explanation of the elevated road concept, click here.

Mariano calls artificial turf fields ‘mistake’

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Artificial turf fields are now being fast-tracked for Wesley Chapel District Park, but not before one Pasco County commissioner called the entire project a bad move.

Commissioners Tuesday approved a $1.9 million bid from Mainstay Construction Services to build a pair of 81,000-square-foot artificial turf fields for the park off Boyette Road. The decision, according to county tourist development official Ed Caum, will help keep an annual tournament at the park, and could attract others.

But the focus should not be on tourism, but instead providing services to the residents already living here, Commissioner Jack Mariano said. He wanted five or six grass fields constructed instead to help alleviate some of the crowding for soccer and lacrosse teams who say there is not enough room to accommodate everyone.

“I think you guys are making a huge mistake,” Mariano said. “Your own citizens have spoken.”

Fellow commissioner Ted Schrader, however, rebuffed Mariano, telling him that this is the same argument he brings up each time the artificial turf is discussed, and that Mariano is clearly in the minority on his position. However, Mariano presented a new letter from one of the tournament organizers saying they preferred five new grass fields over two artificial turf fields.

“We have been having this dialogue for some time, and the tournament officials are fully aware what we are planning there,” Schrader said. “This does not come as a surprise to them. We just need to move forward and get these fields constructed, and then we are going to expand it.”

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said she empathized with Mariano, but the artificial turf fields were the better choice.

“I would like to add a lot more fields everywhere,” Starkey said. “We in the Trinity and West Pasco area have gone without fields for a long time.”

Maintaining five or six additional fields to tournament standards would be costly and difficult for the county with its current resources, county administrator Michele Baker said. Plus, the county is not abandoning the idea of adding more grass fields in the future — just not with tourism funds that are being used to construct these fields.

Six companies responded to the bid request, with the lowest coming from JCT Development of Dunedin. However, the company didn’t complete its necessary paperwork, and Tampa-based Mainstay won the bid instead. None of the bids came from companies in Pasco County, instead submitted from St. Petersburg, Atlantic Beach and St. Augustine, among others.

Artificial turf moves big step closer at Wesley Chapel park

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Although the move is controversial, a Tampa company is expected to take on the planned artificial turf expansion project at Wesley Chapel District Park that is expected to cost just under $1.9 million.

Grass would help ease the overcrowding at Wesley Chapel District Park, one Pasco County commissioner says, but artificial turf fields — which could attract tourism dollars — are likely on the way instead. (File photo)
Grass would help ease the overcrowding at Wesley Chapel District Park, one Pasco County commissioner says, but artificial turf fields — which could attract tourism dollars — are likely on the way instead. (File photo)

If accepted by the Pasco County Commission, Mainstay Construction Services will build two artificial turf fields in Wesley Chapel, each spanning 81,000 square feet, and also will construct additional parking areas. The commission was expected to make a final decision at its Feb. 25 meeting, after The Laker/Lutz News went to press.

The artificial fields are intended to help bring some additional tourism dollars to the county by making the Wesley Chapel fields more attractive to regional or even national tournaments, Ed Caum, who works in the county’s office of tourist development, told commissioners last October.

“I cannot market grass fields,” he said at the time. “We have had field problems out there before for overuse.”

Some people who have used Wesley Chapel District Park, located just off Boyette Road, have complained about overcrowding and the need to build more fields. Some have even started traveling farther away to play soccer and other sports in places such as Zephyrhills.

Commissioner Jack Mariano highlighted those problems in October, suggesting the county look to serve local demands first before seeking to attract teams from elsewhere.

“They would rather have five grass fields than two artificial fields,” Mariano said at the time.

When the project was first put to bid last year, only one company — QGS Development Inc., of Lithia — responded, and they priced it $500,000 over budget. County Administrator Michele Baker, however, felt the request the county sent out was too broad, and that re-bidding it would get them closer to their budget.

Six companies responded this time, with QGS staying close to its original $2.2 million bid, higher than everyone else. The lowest bid actually came from JCT Development of Dunedin. However, the company was disqualified after failing to submit necessary final paperwork on bonding.

None of the bids came from Pasco County companies. Bids also came in from companies based in St. Petersburg, Atlantic Beach and St. Augustine.

Work could begin as early as late spring.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

Affordable, available housing helps Wesley Chapel earn national spotlight

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There’s never a shortage of “best” lists circulating the Internet, ranking cities, beaches, hotels, schools … whatever might be good for marketing people. Typically, however, these lists are as scientific as the ones David Letterman might use in his “Top 10” comedy bit on “Late Show.”

Even before the housing industry fully recovered, Wesley Chapel and its surrounding areas were already breaking ground on new houses and new neighborhoods, all in an effort to keep up with demand of people wanting to live in the area. (File photo)
Even before the housing industry fully recovered, Wesley Chapel and its surrounding areas were already breaking ground on new houses and new neighborhoods, all in an effort to keep up with demand of people wanting to live in the area. (File photo)

A new list released last week, however, compared some real numbers important to people looking for a place to settle down: availability of good homes that are affordable in an area with solid growth. And one of the areas that have excelled in all these categories is very close to home: Wesley Chapel.

The designation comes from NerdWallet, a San Francisco-based online financial services advice company that is run by, for a lack of a better term, nerds. Wesley Chapel was compared against nearly 180 other areas towns, cities and areas in Florida, and ranked the fourth best area for homeownership in Florida.

“The beauty of Wesley Chapel is that everything you need is right here,” said Hope Allen, the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce’s executive director. “Here you have a world class hospital, a fabulous shopping and dining experience, and it’s a great place to buy a home.”

Amenities are important, of course. But NerdWallet was paying close attention to slightly different questions: Are homes available? Can people afford to live there? And is the area growing?

The answer to all three questions was a resounding yes for Wesley Chapel. The median monthly income for residents in the area is $6,153, but housing costs are just under $1,700. That means people in Wesley Chapel are spending just 27 percent of their income on housing, a number that would make any statistician smile.

“Homeowner costs and the percentage of household income is a really important measure,” said Maggie Clark, an analyst with NerdWallet who worked the numbers for the Florida study. “Generally, anything under 30 percent is considered affordable.”

The area also had population growth of nearly 11 percent in a two-year period between 2010 and 2012, second only to Jacksonville’s Oakleaf Plantation, which also finished at the top of the overall survey.

And affordability is key to attracting new residents, not just from the Tampa Bay area, but beyond.

Sam Turgeon, a broker and owner of Sunlight Realty in Lutz, said his home state of Connecticut is feeling the pinch of higher taxes and homes that are being priced out of many people’s range.

“Many of them are hitting retirement age and realize very quickly they can’t afford to live there on the pension and savings they have,” Turgeon said. “People started doing the math, and realized that they were going to outlast their money. So they’re selling their houses up there, and coming down here. And I think that is good.”

The only area in the Tampa Bay region that finished higher than Wesley Chapel was the Keystone area, located just outside of Odessa in Hillsborough County, at No. 2. Housing there is a bit more expensive — nearly $2,400 a month — but income is a little higher too at nearly $8,900 monthly.

What really pushed Keystone over the top, however, was the fact that 94 percent of its residents own their home, compared to just 75 percent in Wesley Chapel. In fact, the only other area that even came close to the high ownership rate was Jacksonville’s Fruit Cove area, which chalks up a 90 percent rate.

Yet a good mixture of owned homes and rental options means a solid, diverse community. It also means that someone looking to call Wesley Chapel home can do it whether they want to own a home, or just rent one. And when renters are ready to invest in a new home, they’ll likely stick with the area they’ve already been spending time in.

“Pasco County is just an attractive place to live,” Turgeon said. “The taxes are far less because you’re not in the middle of a city, you still have access to anything you might need, and you don’t have that same overhead cost as you would in Hillsborough.”

And Wesley Chapel will only continue to grow. More than 12,000 homes are ready to be added to the mix, the chamber’s Allen said, and statewide polls like the NerdWallet one can help make those homes fill up even faster.

“It’s another great highlight of the area,” Allen said. “You can tout something like this to people who are looking to grow and expand business in Wesley Chapel because their work force can have affordable housing with all the amenities.

“This is just another notch in our belt in getting more business here.”

To read the complete study from NerdWallet, click here.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.