Michael Hinman

Friends of young cancer victim told to ‘focus on positive things’

October 23, 2013 By Michael Hinman

He was described as a “young man who has the heart of gold,” and his diagnosis of a rare brain cancer at the age of 15 rallied a community behind him in the fight against such afflictions.

For Jordan Harris, that gallant battle ended in the early morning hours of Oct. 16. He was 18.

“We miss and love Jordan,” a statement read on his Facebook page, Snapback Against Cancer. “We have forever his footprints in our hearts. He has touched our lives, and we can’t describe the impact he has had.”

Friends speak on behalf of Jordan Harris during a candlelight vigil and balloon release in his memory Oct. 16 on the football field of Freedom High School. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

A memorial service for Harris is scheduled for Oct. 25 at 3:30 p.m. at Cypress Point Community Church, 15820 Morris Bridge Road in Tampa. A funeral service also is slated there the next day, beginning at 11 a.m.

Harris was diagnosed with primitive neuroectodermal tumors in 2011. He was attending Freedom High then and played boys soccer during his freshman and sophomore years.

Surgeries and chemotherapy, however, kept him sidelined in games after that. But he never gave up on the sport, even planning to play recreationally in college.

“If nothing happened, I probably would have wanted to play college soccer on a scholarship,” Harris told The Laker/Lutz News last December. “But it’ll all be about fun now.”

The tumor Harris had is rare, typically found only in people under the age of 25, according to medical experts. The cancer is aggressive, yet Harris was able to overcome early obstacles, even getting some test results as late as May that showed no tumor, according to the family’s Facebook page.

He graduated in June from Freedom, and turned 18 soon after. But later that summer, he found out the cancer had returned, and Harris continued his treatment, according to the family.

Friends, family and students came together Oct. 16 at Freedom High School’s football stadium in an impromptu event to release balloons in Harris’ memory. The air was quiet, with an occasional muffled voice or sob breaking through.

As candles were handed out, Freedom social studies teacher Katie Feldman described Harris as a “beacon at the school, but not just because he was sick. Jordan brought a light to all those around him.

“In my experience, it’s those with the hardest struggles who seem to persevere the most, and Jordan was no exception,” she said. “Talk to anyone who knew him, and they would undoubtedly mention his beautiful smile, the way he always wanted to put other people first, and his unyielding sense of perseverance.”

Harris’ father, Phillip Harris, said his son would want his work to spread a positive influence to those around him to continue.

“You all know the history of my son,” he said. “Let’s focus on the positive things. Seeing that he already set the bar, let’s follow suit to do the same or better.”

Both of Jordan Harris’ parents, Phillip and Kim Harris, shared the light of their candle with the more than 400 people in attendance before everyone walked the track and released their balloons.

“Listening to people talk, driven to tell someone they love them in a moment of sorry instead of finding a quiet place to be sad,” Feldman said. “You reached out toward each other, to try and bring each other closer, and to try to make each other feel loved. That’s Jordan.

“It’s our love for him that gives us a better understanding of our love for one another.”

Slutzky’s stage life proves he’s not a ‘boring’ lawyer

October 23, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Jerry Slutzky has had many auditions in his life. But none was more grueling than the one where he eventually found his future fiancée.

A lawyer and financial advisor who works right off State Road 54 on Sterlington Drive, Slutzky had maintained a profile on the website Match.com almost since the beginning of the site’s existence.

Helen Techler, an audiologist out of Dunedin, posted a profile, and received 100 responses. She didn’t want to go through it, and instead tasked her daughter to pick out three. One of them was Slutzky.

Acting has been a passion for Jerry Slutzky since he was a teenager growing up in Chicago. Here, he plays Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman with five daughters, in a 2006 production of the musical classic ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ (Photo courtesy of Jerry Slutzky)

“I was nervous, but I would go into any meeting like this just looking for someone who enjoys doing things, and being someone who shares that interest,” Slutzky said. “With Helen, I got the rose.”

But he did have a bit of an advantage. Slutzky has been auditioning his entire life, finding a home on the stage for many popular productions like “Music Man” and “Kiss Me Kate.”

Slutzky was born into a family of Chicago lawyers, and would become one himself. But there was something about the stage that always fascinated him — and the theater bug was something he could never cure. So much that even today, with a busy work schedule and a full personal life because of Helen, he makes the time to appear on stage, like the starring role in the upcoming production of “La Cage aux Folles” in Largo.

“In high school, I played trombone, and our orchestra always played for the spring musical,” Slutzky said. “I would be in the pit orchestra, but it always looked like more fun to be on stage than in the pit.”

That prompted Slutzky to audition for the next play, hoping to make it into the chorus. Instead, he was cast as the lead — a trend that would continue for the next two productions as well.

“The next three shows after that, however, I didn’t get the part,” Slutzky said. “That brought me back down to where I needed to be. Otherwise, who knows, I may have skipped law school to pursue acting, and I may have ended up as your waiter somewhere. The concept of a starving actor is just not for me.”

“La Cage aux Folles” is probably more familiar to audiences through its comedy film adaptation “The Birdcage,” which starred Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in 1996. Slutzky plays Georges, a character similar to Williams’ Armand Goldman, the owner of a gay nightclub, who suddenly finds himself entertaining a visit from the very conservative family of his son’s fiancée.

“The storyline is the same as the movie, but it’s a totally unique experience,” Slutzky said. “People will laugh until their sides hurt.”

Slutzky openly invites friends and clients alike to his performances, but still gets surprised looks from some when they realize who’s on stage.

“People think that because I’m an attorney, I must be conservative, quiet or boring, but that’s not the way many of us are at all,” Slutzky said.

Performing in shows is a huge time commitment, so great that Slutzky limits himself to one production each year. But even with a grueling schedule, the stage is where he feels he belongs.

“You know that feeling you get when you’ve worked inside in a freezing cold air-conditioned office all day, and your car has been outside baking in the sun?” he said. “You get in, and you get that wonderful feeling of heat that warms you down to the bone. That’s the feeling I get when the spotlight hits me.”

Slutzky’s all-time favorite role is Harold Hill in “The Music Man,” but now that he’s 60, he’s not exactly the right age to play the part anymore. That has opened the door for other characters, including Tevye, the Jewish father and milkman who sings his way through oppression in “Fiddler on the Roof.”

“You experience every emotion in that role, and that’s particularly meaningful for me,” Slutzky said. “My heritage is Russian Jew, and at the time the story is set, that could’ve well been my family being thrown out of Russia.”

After more than 40 years on the stage, Slutzky said he’s still excited to see younger people in the audience. Newer generations have so many ways to be entertained, and going to the theater usually isn’t high on the list.

“I was worried a few times that it was a dying art form,” Slutzky said. “But now I see a whole new generation who do have a love for Broadway musicals, and I am very happy.”

PEDC earns international award for business enterprise network

October 23, 2013 By Michael Hinman

The International Economic Development Council had reason to recognize Pasco County earlier this month, bestowing its Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award to the Pasco Economic Development Council.

PEDC had established an unconventional, collaborative entrepreneurship program called the Pasco Enterprise Network. From that, a new business incubator, as well as a microloan fund for small businesses, was formed.

“These awards are meant to honor the organizations and individuals who are dedicated to making a positive change in their communities,” IEDC chair Paul Krutko said in a release. PEDC “uses creative solutions and inventive ideas, and offers other regions a wonderful example to learn and benefit from.”

The enterprise network, recognized as the best of the best for communities with populations of between 200,000 and 500,000 people, is a one-stop resource for finding guidance and assistance for new businesses, according to the PEDC’s website. It’s a collaborative effort of nonprofit groups that provide consulting, counseling, education and technical assistance.

“Basically, this was all put into place because there was a lack of capital for startup businesses and small businesses in the county,” said Krista Covey, the PEDC’s economic development manager. “We are about job creation and about supporting our local economy to help our businesses grow and be prosperous. The hindrance was capital.”

The microloan program has put capital back on the market, especially during a time in the recent past when banks weren’t exactly lending to small businesses. With a pool of $320,000 thanks to investments from Saint Leo University, various banks and other groups, nine loans of up to $35,000 have been distributed so far with low interest rates and terms of no more than six years.

The loans themselves have created 24 jobs in the county, Covey said, and this past summer, even had its first payoff when 301 Designs Inc. paid back its loan 17 months ahead of schedule.

An online retail apparel company, 301 Designs started in the home of its founder, Gil Gauthier, and is now operating out of a 2,400-square-foot warehouse space.

“If a company comes in and has a good business plan in place, that’s great,” Covey said. “Even if they don’t have a business plan, we automatically refer them to the small business development center and they’ll be walked through the whole process.”

Even if a company qualifies for money under the microloan program, the help doesn’t stop there.

“We offer ongoing technical assistance along with the other help they’ll receive from the PEDC,” Covey said. “We want them to be successful, and we want them to be a viable business.”

Joining Saint Leo as financial contributors to the microloan program are Pasco County, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, CenterState Bank, Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union, local entrepreneur Tim Tangredi, and Rubber Resources owner Dale Hawker.

Its incubator at the Dade City Business Center is the first of its kind in Pasco County. The SmartStart incubator is an overall partnership that includes the help of Dade City government officials, the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Saint Leo, the Florida Small Business Development Center, and the University of South Florida’s USF Connect.

The IEDC has more than 4,000 members around the world, and its excellence in economic development awards recognizes the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and most influential leaders.

This award is the sixth state- or national-level accolade in the last three years for the PEDC.

“We know that a successful economy depends on small businesses and the support of entrepreneurship,” said PEDC chief executive John Hagen, in a release. “Working together as a support network, entrepreneurs will be more likely to succeed.”

Dale Mabry entrance reopens, but more roadwork coming

October 23, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Good weather and some fast work shortened the time southbound traffic on U.S. 41 was unable to access North Dale Mabry Highway directly. But expect some more lane closures this weekend.

CSX Transportation is repairing railroad tracks at the crossing right at the start of Dale Mabry, and road closings last week forced drivers to take County Line Road or Brinson Road.

Traffic had to find an alternative route last week from U.S. 41 to the beginning of Dale Mabry Highway as CSX worked to replace railroad tracks at its crossing there. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Northbound traffic will get to experience the same beginning at 5 a.m. on Friday, forcing those looking to get onto U.S. 41 from North Dale Mabry Highway to once again use County Line or Brinson roads, according to Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kris Carson.

Part of southbound traffic was reopened by Monday for North Dale Mabry Highway, but it was limited to a single lane. It’s expected to fully open by mid-week.

That’s part of a number of road delays that will affect the central Pasco County area and northern Hillsborough County area over the next week. Construction continues primarily along the Veterans Expressway, which could affect traffic on its northern end, the Suncoast Parkway.

However, the Suncoast is also part of the all-electric tolling conversion project where tollbooths are being eliminated and only SunPass and drivers being billed by their license plate will be accepted.

To help accommodate the work, the southbound off-ramp of Van Dyke Road on the Suncoast will be closed overnight on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23. County Line Road will have closures and detours as well, with the northbound on-ramp closed Oct. 23 and Oct. 24, and the southbound off-ramp closed Oct. 24.

For the Veterans, there are going to be general lane closures nightly from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Sunday night to Friday morning. There also is expected to be some single-lane closures near Gunn Highway this week southbound for restriping that will result in a new traffic pattern on the northbound on-ramp.

Schedules can change, however, depending on weather and other factors.

The Florida Department of Transportation and Florida’s Turnpike should be completed with both projects overall by summer of 2015.

Elevated road proposal finds lessons in history

October 23, 2013 By Michael Hinman

The deadline is here for groups wanting to convince the Florida Department of Transportation to part with valuable road rights of way in Pasco County’s State Road 54/56 corridor.

The FDOT asked for the proposals after it received an unsolicited request to lease the rights of way to build a 33-mile elevated toll road that could possibly shorten the trip between Zephyrhills and New Port Richey to less than 30 minutes.

International Infrastructure Partners have proposed building a 33-mile stretch of elevated road, like this one built over the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Tampa, to help move traffic from one side of the county to the other. But some observers warn that state officials should keep some hand in any project that gets approved. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Gerald Stanley and International Infrastructure Partners LLC piqued the interest of state officials and the county as a whole with the request in June, and it’s created debate on not only if it’s good for the county, but if such a project is even feasible.

Those answers are yes and yes, said John Hagen, president and chief executive of the Pasco Economic Development Council. The fact is, Pasco County is growing quickly, and even an expanded State Road 54 struggles to accommodate the traffic it receives.

“You either have to build a bunch of new lanes and widen it out, or you have to build up,” Hagen said. “And in some places, (widening) just won’t work very well. You have stores and neighborhoods right up to the road. If you end up widening with new lanes, you’re going to be bulldozing.”

Some business owners, however, disagree. In an August meeting with Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, a few members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce expressed opposition to the road, fearing it would allow traffic to bypass their businesses.

“Things are going to get congested if we keep going the way we’re going,” Hagen said. “The idea that you’re going to attract more business somehow as we turn the place into a parking lot is something to rethink here. A way for local businesses to get more business is to separate out the people who are not planning to stop anyway — who are just wanting to get across the county — and opening up the surface roads to local traffic.”

Following the money
If built, the elevated expressway would be the first privately owned toll road in Florida. Cost estimates weren’t shared, but using the elevated road built for Tampa’s Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in the early 2000s as a model, builders could be looking at a cost of $70 million … per mile. That would bring the total price tag of this project to around $2.3 billion.

Stanley’s group, IIP, would raise the money through private sources like hedge funds, and then try to recoup that investment — with the necessary profit — through toll revenue collected by travelers who choose the expressway.

Yet, that profit model could be troubling.

Last year, toll roads in Florida collected revenue of $616 million from travelers. That’s broken down to $1.3 million per mile. Applying those numbers to this project would generate prospective revenue of $44.2 million each year. Even if IIP never spends another dime on the road, it would take the company 52 years to recoup its investment.

But that might be OK. Neil Gray, director of government affairs for the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association in Washington, D.C., says investors in projects like this know what they’re getting in to, and many are willing to play the long game.

“We’re talking as much as 99 years,” Gray said. “A 99-year concession is patient money. It also allows them, from the private side, to make these things happen that might not be viable on the state level. They can pool that money together right now, and build it right now.”

Not accounting for inflation or other increases and variables, a 99-year agreement on a Pasco elevated roadway would generate revenue of $4.4 billion — doubling the initial investment.

Learning from others’ mistakes
The FDOT, however, should be very careful about such long deals, says the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, an independent advocacy group that has spoken out against road privatization.

In a 2009 report authored by Phineas Baxandall, any agreements between the government and a private entity should clearly spell out expectations, and leave some of the decision-making — like toll rates — to the public. On top of that, no deal should last longer than 30 years, because even if the toll road fails, the structure will still be there, and the county will have to deal with it.

Toll roads really can fail, by the way. Just look at the Camino Colombia Toll Road in Texas. Built in 2000 at a cost of $90 million, the 22-mile road between the Mexican border and Interstate 35 north of Laredo was expected to generate $9 million in its first year alone based on the traffic created by the North American Free Trade Agreement, U.S. PIRG said. Instead, the road that charged tractor-trailers $16 each earned just $500,000.

Within a few years, the road was sold at auction to an investment company for $12.1 million who in turn shut it down. The Texas Department of Transportation needed that road in operation, and it cost the government entity $20 million to buy it and reopen it.

“No matter who runs it, the physical structure is going to be there, and it never goes away,” said Gray, adding that lessons are being learned to prevent another Camino Colombia debacle. “Each time these transactions are done, the government side is getting smarter and smarter and smarter. Now you have governments that negotiate contracts that include a series of performance metrics. If you fail to maintain those level of standards, you will breach the contract, and the government gets the road for free.”

Something has to be done
Florida has a big problem on its hands when it comes to roads, and it may depend on private proposals like IIP’s to grow the state’s infrastructure.

By 2020, Florida is expected to be $47 billion short in funding transportation improvements, like repaving, lane expansion and new roads.

“Our gas tax funding that pays for the highway system is no longer sustainable,” said Christa Deason, a spokeswoman with Florida’s Turnpike. “People are driving less, they are using transit more, and buying hybrid cars. There is not a ton of money pouring into the coffers anymore to build these roads, or even to maintain the ones we built 50 years ago.”

Pasco County has hit a similar wall. Commissioners had proposed a local gas tax increase to help fund road maintenance and construction for the coming year, but it failed under public pressure.

“We need to look at progressive ways to move traffic on 54,” Commissioner Starkey said.

During its presentation last week to county officials, the Urban Land Institute — the independent growth and development analytical group — strongly suggested Pasco stay away from the elevated road, and instead concentrate on reducing the need for more roads in the first place. That means developing communities that have live, work and play all within walking distance, or easily accessible through public mass transit.

“What ULI was trying to say is that we need to reduce trips so that people don’t have to go all the way across the county to get to a Wiregrass mall for instance,” Pasco EDC’s Hagen said. “We should create shopping experiences that are close by, that people can walk to.”

No matter what someone’s position is on the proposed elevated road, the conversation must continue, he said.

“People are just reading a small article in the paper, or they see a 30-second thing on television, and it doesn’t really explain the full complexity of how to do traffic planning, and how it fits into good community planning,” Hagen said. “Trying to get people engaged to create some light rather than heat, that would be a good step.”

Local salon takes fashionable field trip to Paris

October 16, 2013 By Michael Hinman

A trip to a hair show is a rare treat for a stylist. And that’s just to places like New York, Las Vegas or even Miami.

A small group of stylists from J. Joseph Salon in Land O’ Lakes got to go far beyond that, however, as they hopped a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean, landing in Paris.

Not too many hair stylists go to Paris to look at fashionable hair styles, but some of the crew from J. Joseph Salon in Land O’ Lakes made the trip to France last month to do just that. Joining salon owner Roy Naccour, center, were Justine Fallon, left, Linda Boyington, Jeremy Bisono and Melanie Kennedy. (Photo courtesy of Roy Naccour, with Redken and Pureology)

It was more than just a hair show for these stylists. Salon owner Roy Naccour wanted these artists to be inspired by what many consider to be the center of fashion.

“Every couple of years, we like to travel to fashion capitals of the world, which Paris is one of,” Naccour said. “We want to get inspiration for what’s in or what’s hot for the following year. Fashion kind of gets born over there — in places like France, Italy, New York and Tokyo — and then it spreads out throughout the world.”

Instead of waiting for that fashion wave to hit the United States, Naccour wanted an early preview — all to keep his clients ahead of the trends.

“Women are women, wherever they are, and beauty is beauty wherever it is,” Naccour said. For him, clients don’t have to travel outside of the Land O’ Lakes area to get the latest fashion trends typically found in places like New York and Los Angeles.

And keeping such a fashion-forward business in the area is a good way to attract new residents.

“Good doctors and good hairdressers are the No. 1 things that people look for when they move into an area,” Naccour said. “Those two things are very personal and important.”

If someone gets the wrong medicine from the doctor, they’re in trouble, Naccour said. And the same can be said about a bad haircut or color.

“People look at you, and you want to look your best,” he said.

Naccour, 32, got his own education in fashion and art through his time in three countries, his latest stop, the United States. He first worked in his original home in Lebanon where hair was “thick and black.” He moved on to Sweden, where hair was much different.

“It helped me get my brain opened up to so much fashion around the world, and how fashion spreads and evolves,” Naccour said. “I have gained so much knowledge that has helped me educate my staff and team.”

Naccour started J. Joseph Salon in 2007, and was simply a one-man operation. Today, however, he has 28 employees, and an expansive location at 5132 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. And not only does he deal with a crowded list of clients, but he looks forward to trips like the one in Paris, where he also did a photo shoot for hair care product companies like Redken and Pureology.

“There are a million hair salons on every single corner, and if you don’t stay up to date — especially in the beauty industry — you will fall behind,” Naccour said. “I always say I live in the future. I don’t want to wait for fashion to come to me. I want to go grab it before anyone else gets it.”

Sweetbay set to change its name … again

October 16, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Life has not been good for a supermarket chain with roots in Tampa, as it prepares for its third name in the past 10 years.

Sweetbay Supermarket will soon become Winn-Dixie, a brand that has also struggled in the region under the dominance of both Publix Super Markets, and later Walmart. The name change will mark the end of the Sweetbay brand, which was introduced in 2004 as a way to refresh stores that had been known as Kash n’ Karry since 1962.

The move was not unexpected after Sweetbay’s parent, Delhaize Group, sold the regional chain to Bi-Lo Holdings LLC in May for $265 million.

Don’t get too used to seeing the Sweetbay name on storefronts, like this one in Wesley Chapel. The incoming new owner of the chain, Bi-Lo Holdings LLC, announced last week it would rebrand Sweetbay to Winn-Dixie, based on the larger grocery chain Bi-Lo purchased in 2011. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Bi-Lo had already purchased Winn-Dixie in 2011 for $530 million, and with more than 600 stores already — including three in this area — it easily trumped the 72 remaining Sweetbay stores in Florida.

Signs aren’t coming down just yet. Bi-Lo says it’s waiting for its deal to acquire Sweetbay and two other regional supermarket chains to close before starting rebranding efforts. Sweetbay has four locations locally, including on State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, on County Line Road in Tampa, on Gunn Highway in Odessa, and on North Dale Mabry Highway. Once the rebranding takes place, Winn-Dixie will have seven locations, including the ones already owned on Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, U.S. 41 in Lutz, and on State Road 54 in Zephyrhills.

At this point, Bi-Lo says it has no plans to close any of the stores, or lay off any workers. Local stores should be fully rebranded by the end of spring next year.

Even with a familiar rebrand, the new Winn-Dixie will have a ways to go to catch its local competitors. Publix is the nation’s largest employee-owned company, and had sales of $27.5 billion last year, according to Forbes magazine.

The chain’s primary competition is Walmart, not Winn-Dixie or any other grocery chain in the state. Both Publix and Walmart have been focused on an advertising battle against each other in recent years, with Publix still holding on to the state lead.

Sweetbay started as a fruits and vegetable stand on the streets of Tampa in 1914 by Salvatore Greco. With his wife Giuseppina, the Grecos would open their first store in Plant City in 1947 under the name Big Barn, and would grow to nine stores by 1960.

Embrace medical growth, ditch old habits, experts say

October 16, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Nancy Reagan made the saying popular in the 1980s, and it’s time Pasco County learns it: Just say no.

That was the recommendation of the Urban Land Institute, the independent growth and development analytical group that has spent the past five years exploring the ins and outs of the county.

And in its first major presentation of its findings in a meeting last week, ULI officials said Pasco has approved enough residential and commercial development that would keep builders busy — until 2088.

If Pasco County wants to become a major player in the development and growth of the Tampa Bay area, it has to really focus on the medical industry. That means empty land like this surrounding Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will need to be filled with supporting medical offices, officials said. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“This condition presents tremendous challenges to the master planner,” said Dan Conway, an urban land economist from Denver who works with ULI. “Supply outpaces demand by a factor of 8-to-1.”

That number caught retiring County Commissioner Pat Mulieri by surprise.

“I think it’s interesting, the idea that we have to say no,” Mulieri said after the meeting. “We recently started not spreading (new development) like peanut butter, but I didn’t know we had enough for 75 years. I would be 150 by the time they had it all built.”

The oversupply shows growth management in Pasco is out of control, Conway said, and could also affect overall values. By not focusing on key geographic areas — especially those areas that are already set up for utilities and other services — the growth in Pasco could easily become more expensive than the county can bear.

Over the next decade, the Tampa Bay region will average about 25,600 new jobs each year, bringing 53,000 new people into the area annually. Of that, 3,600 jobs will be created in Pasco each year, causing population to grow by 11,000.

And a third of those jobs, not surprisingly, will come from health care, said April Anderson Lamoureux, an economic development expert who worked under Massachusetts governors Mitt Romney and Deval Patrick, who now lends her services to ULI.

“You need to review all your public expenditures throughout the county and think of new ways to drive those dollars,” Lamoureux said. “And 25 percent of that marketing should go exclusively to the health market. This includes going to health companies, pitching them to locate in Pasco, and developing tools specific to the industry that will entice them to pick Pasco over other viable opportunities.”

The health care market in Pasco has exploded, especially in the central part of the county, where two new hospitals have been built in recent years. Pasco has to ensure the appropriate supporting medical facilities and doctor offices surround the hospitals.

Not only does the county have to attract the right companies, but it also needs to provide the necessary infrastructure — like workforce housing, efficient public transportation, and the appropriate retail and pedestrian routes to support the employee base that would work on these expanded campuses.

“Career academies are a terrific resource, but we should be careful not to dilute the offerings,” Lamoureux said. Instead, the county could focus on specific medical disciplines.

County Administrator Michele Baker said she took 10 pages of notes throughout the ULI presentation, and would need some time to absorb all the information shared. She does agree, however, that it’s time to cast away some of the old habits — like approving new development without considering its future impact — and make room for some new ones.

“I’ve been here for 20 years, so some of those old habits might be mine,” Baker said. “I might have to do a little gut-check myself.”

The key to successful growth would be a stronger working relationship between the county and its incorporated towns, a relationship that has never been solid. Yet, consistency across the board is going to be necessary to get Pasco back on the right development track, and that means having cities like Zephyrhills and New Port Richey as partners will be key.

“We cannot do it alone,” Baker said. “It requires better dialogue between us and the cities, and us and the development community to seek out the opportunities for us to take advantage of.”

Obstacles facing Pasco County
The Urban Land Institute outlined the key areas that are holding Pasco County back. They include:
• Absorption and Projections — Approved growth far exceeds the county’s absorption capacity, meaning it will take decades for all the approved developments to actually be built.
• Sustainable Site Systems — Pasco needs to increase the priority for quality of life services, like affordable housing and transportation.
• Transportation Planning and Funding — Pasco needs to collaborate on regional transportation services, working with other counties to make everything connect.
• Economic Development — The biggest focus here must be on the medical industry as well as ecotourism.
• Shaping Strategies — County planners have to think further out with more effective plans to make future growth work.
• Leadership — Get rid of old habits. It’s holding the county back.
• Fiscal — The overall vision needs funding. That means reconsidering the gas tax, and possibly increasing the tourism room tax.

Candlelight vigil to shine light on domestic violence

October 16, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Sunrise of Pasco County will take over Agnes Lamb Park in Dade City on Oct. 17 with its annual candlelight vigil.

It’s the 17th annual event for the domestic and sexual violence center, but will be the first one with a new chief executive officer, Kelly Sinn.

She took over for longtime leader Penny Morrill, who retired in May after 27 years at the helm.

Sunrise of Pasco County chief executive Penny Morrill and heir apparent Kelly Sinn, center, join Dade City Police Chief Ray Velboom, left, and Dade City Police Department officer Kevin Burns during last year’s candlelight vigil. The event creates awareness of domestic and sexual violence, and encourages victims to seek help, and that they are not alone. (Photo courtesy of Sunrise of Pasco County)

There is no other job more important to Sinn than helping victims of domestic violence. Yet it wasn’t always that way. In fact, when Sinn first joined Sunrise 11 years ago as an advocate in the women’s shelter, doing such work was the last thing on her mind.

“I had no idea what domestic violence was. I was very naïve,” Sinn said. “I didn’t even know agencies like this existed.”

Sinn was introduced to Sunrise through another family member who was a children’s counselor there at the time. Although she was still a college student, Sinn had no trouble getting through the interview. But Sinn didn’t fully realize what she was getting into until she took a tour of the Dade City facility and its 24-bed shelter.

“We walked out into the back, and the first thing I saw was a mom,” Sinn said. “She had a couple kids there with her, and what I remember the most was that she had a huge black eye. I stopped and smiled and said hello, but it was kind of surreal.”

Later, a meeting broke up and all of the women who had taken part were crying. Sinn said she was worried something terrible had happened during their counseling session, but it was actually the exact opposite: They were tears of joy.

“Whatever was discussed in that group, it was so powerful to them and impacted them so much,” Sinn said. “They cried because they were happy, they were safe, and were stronger for themselves and their children. I realized I really wanted to be able to impact somebody’s life like that.”

Sinn switched majors from business to social work, and as she progressed in her education, she rose in the ranks at Sunrise, becoming its chief operating officer in 2010.

She takes over an organization that has grown from just one employee and a $35,000 budget three decades ago, to one that now operates on $1.5 million a year, with 34 staff members. It’s also in the middle of expanding its shelter from 24 beds to 40. Yet the focus of Sunrise has never changed — helping the victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

In 2010, more than 113,000 crimes of domestic violence were reported to police in Florida, according to the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Yet, many more go unreported.

“Fear is typically the No. 1 reason victims stay in an abusive relationship,” Sinn said. “But fear is also the No. 1 reason why they will get out of a relationship as well, because they are afraid of what will happen if they continue to stay.”

However, many abuse victims get caught in a cycle where they return to the person who abused them in the first place. Sometimes they can go back as many as 10 times before they finally stay away, Sinn said.

“When women and children come into our facility and into our shelter, many times they have very low self-esteem,” Sinn said. “But seeing how they progress once they get here, where they have a new home that is safe, and how far they’ve come, that’s so powerful.”

The candlelight vigil begins at 6 p.m. at the park, which is located in the heart of Dade City’s downtown. Besides the hundreds of lit candles, one of the more moving displays is the dozens of T-shirts hung from clotheslines designed by domestic violence victims.

It’s part of The Clothesline Project, created by a group of women in 1990 after they discovered that during the Vietnam War, 51,000 women were killed in domestic violence incidents — at the same time 58,000 soldiers were killed in the conflict.

The shirts themselves come in various colors, each with its own meaning. A white shirt represents a woman who died from domestic violence. Yellow or beige is for those who have been battered or assaulted. Red, pink and orange are for survivors of rape and sexual assault. Blue and green represent survivors of incest and sexual abuse. And purple or lavender represents women attacked because of their sexual orientation.

Messages on the shirt can range from short statements like, “You may have defeated me, but you will not destroy me,” to longer stories and poems.

“Every year, we use domestic violence month to acknowledge and honor the survivors that have been able to escape abusive homes, and remember those who have lost their lives,” Sinn said. “We shed light on all of this, for those who are still living in those types of situations, with the hope that they’ll seek out help.”

The candlelight vigil is not a fundraiser for the group, which operates on donations and grants. Yet anyone interested in helping out Sunrise can call (352) 567-1681, or visit www.SunrisePasco.org.

Sweetwater Apartments finds new owner, out of New York

October 16, 2013 By Michael Hinman

An apartment community born in the middle of a housing bubble off a road not far from where the “Edward Scissorhands” castle once stood, has a new owner.

A subsidiary of Beachwold Residential, in New York City, has purchased the nearly 200-unit Sweetwater Apartments in Pasco’s Happy Hill area for $12 million.

It’s only the second owner for the complex, which was built in 2006, and multiple suitors had lined up to buy it.

Working to attract both college students and senior citizens to Sweetwater Apartments in Dade City might be an interesting experiment, but one that its new owners are confident can work. New York City-based Beachwold Residential has planned some small upgrades to the community, including a Wi-Fi-enabled work area. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“There’s definitely a lot of competition now for properties like this,” said Gideon Friedman, a Beachwold managing member. “There were a number of people who were bidding on Sweetwater, but we were able to move quickly.”

It’s the third property owned by Beachwold on Florida’s Gulf coast, Friedman said, joining two other properties in Bradenton and Venice. But it most likely won’t be the last.

The northern part of the region — especially Pasco County — has piqued the interest of Beachwold, a company that owns various apartment communities around the country. Beachwold sees the area’s rapid population expansion outpacing available housing.

“Dade City is an area where there is going to be some nice growth,” Friedman said. “There have been a few companies that have relocated there in the past year, and it’s just a mile or so from Saint Leo University, so it has a nice good stable base of people we can draw from.”

The focus will be on students wanting to live close to Saint Leo, but also senior citizens as well. Friedman admits this is a bit of an unorthodox mix, since the demands of these two age groups are completely different. But then again, Saint Leo typically attracts students that are a little more low-key.

“It’s not like this would be a party situation for these students,” Friedman said. “The students who would live there would, for the most part, because they are looking for more space, and want something that is a little quieter than if they had moved in on-campus. They are looking for something more stable and mature than what they would find in dorms, and that matches up with what older residents are looking for as well.”

Beachwold plans to upgrade furniture in the community’s clubhouse, and add a business center that would include Wi-Fi and computer work areas.

The community is almost completely rented out, Friedman said, despite the fact that signs attracting new residents welcome visitors as they enter through the front gate. And as population continues to push north, the value of the units at Sweetwater will become even stronger.

Real Data Apartment Market Research, which studies rental trends in various areas including this one, agrees. In its most recent report, the Tampa Bay market is just meeting apartment rental demand for the first time since the beginning of 2010. And while 7,000 new units are under construction in the region, apartment vacancies are sliding fast, pushing rental prices up.

Friedman wouldn’t say where exactly his company would look next in Florida to buy more apartments, but it does look like they’re staying in Pasco County for the time being.

“We’ve seen a lot of growth in Zephyrhills and New Tampa, and we’re going to be looking out in that direction,” Friedman said. “There have been some new properties coming to the market, and some of them have things we’re looking for, so we’re probably not done quite yet.”

Sweetwater is located at 12730 Janke Road, less than two miles from Saint Leo University, and four miles southwest of downtown Dade City.