Michael Hinman

How much is that doggie in the window? $1

September 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

The holding area for the more than 130 dogs residing at the Pasco County Animal Services shelter in Land O’ Lakes erupts with barking every time someone walks in.

Cage after cage is filled with large dogs, some weighing as much as 90 pounds or more. And many of them have some sort of pit bull in them.

“Sadly, 70 to 80 percent of the dogs we get are pit bulls,” said Judy Tate Gregory, education coordinator for the shelter. “Most people come in looking for smaller dogs, and they are just more coveted. The larger dogs? Not so much.”

Flo is one of the nearly 150 dogs currently housed at the Pasco County Animal Services shelter on Dogpatch Lane in Land O’ Lakes. Because larger dogs like Flo are less likely to be adopted, the shelter is offering dogs for just $1 to good homes in September. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

And even with a policy designed to save as much as 90 percent of the dogs and cats the shelter receives, there’s a good chance many dogs with names like Jazzy, Flo and Luthes, will never again get to see outside the shelter.

That’s why the shelter is offering dog adoptions for just a buck through Sept. 28. Called the “Dollar Dog Days of Summer,” most of the dogs are available to good homes for a $1 adoption fee, plus a license fee of $10.

Each dog has been examined by a veterinarian, implanted with a microchip, and spayed or neutered — work that normally costs around $400. The total $11 charge is much lower than the normal $70 adoption fee for a dog, and a program that should make it easier for loving families to take home a new friend.

“Our goal is to save lives here,” Gregory said. “We like to find the best homes we can for them.”

The shelter is typically only required to hold dogs and cats without identifying information for 72 hours, according to county ordinances. However, the shelter tends to hold on to animals longer, doing everything possible to find someone to adopt. But it’s not easy.

“It’s hard to see all the animals in the shelter,” Gregory said. “It’s not a gloomy place here, and it is better than where a lot of them came from. But no matter what we do to make our shelter more comfortable, these animals really just want a forever home.”

In recent months, the shelter has implemented several programs to help get many of its animals on the right path. A foster program, launched in February, helps animals that are too young to be adopted, but are also without their mother. These foster families feed them, vaccinate them, and help them learn what their mother would’ve taught them otherwise.

Volunteers, of course, have always been the lifeblood of the shelter. They have to be willing to offer at least four hours a month, and be at least 15, Gregory said. Volunteers do everything from walking, grooming, cleaning, and even provide education outreach.

Adoption specials in September aren’t just limited to dogs. In honor of the late Philip Runnels, who volunteered many hours with those of the feline persuasion, Animal Services also is offering cats for a $5 adoption fee, instead of the normal $40.

“Kittens are cute, but adult cats don’t need to be taught a lot, and are very low maintenance,” Gregory said. “They need homes, too.”

To learn more about the “Dollar Dog Days of Summer” and also how to adopt a cat for $5, visit the shelter at 19640 Dogpatch Lane in Land O’ Lakes, or call (813) 929-1212.

Dennis Realty: 40 years of putting customers first

September 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Juanita Dennis had a vision of bringing all her real estate agents together in one place. And in 1994, the co-owner of Dennis Realty did just that, opening what would become a landmark on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and County Line Road.

It was a family philosophy both Dennis, and her husband Robert, had stood by since Dennis Realty was founded 40 years ago in 1973. And it’s that philosophy that has helped the business continue to thrive through the rollercoaster ride of the housing market, and be on top of its game today.

“We’re the big fish in the small pond, but we’ve learned from experience how to stay strong, no matter what the market throws at us,” said Carl Stratton, the broker and general manager at Dennis Realty, who first joined the company in 1999. “There are very few offices where you can walk in the front door, and have your choice of agents already there waiting for you.”

There have been several housing bubbles since Dennis Realty first opened its doors, but none were as devastating as the most recent one that burst in late 2006, not long after Stratton was promoted to general manager.

Pat Germino remembers when she had to answer phones at the old Dennis Realty location just down the road from its current site. Germino, who gets a helping hand from broker and general manager Carl Stratton, has been with Dennis Realty for most of its 40 years. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Everyone suffered, especially Realtors. Dennis Realty went from a peak of selling 120 homes in a month, to just eight. The company also closed a pair of satellite offices, and centralized all of its operations back in Lutz.

“Even when we were losing money, the one thing we did do was keep our advertising up,” Stratton said. “Our agents have been through this cycle before, and we knew at some point it would come back up. The agents that stayed in the business and kept their marketing going, they are the ones who are finding success right now.”

Dennis Realty now partners with 85 full-time agents, but does more than just sell homes. During the last decade or so, the company has expanded to include a title company, property management, insurance and more.

And all of it is in the two-story building that brought the first commercial elevator to Lutz.

“We have traditional values, and we adhere to those values,” Stratton said. “There are a lot of companies out there who think they have a better way of doing things, like discount brokers. But there is a lot of sacrifice in discounting — something has to give.”

Home values are on the rise. This past spring, the average sales price of a home jumped nearly 12 percent compared to the year before, according to Florida Realtors. And the number of days a home is sitting on the market is now less than two months, compared to nearly three months in spring 2011.

Yet many homes are not on the market, but are still in the middle of foreclosure. And many homes bought as investments are still finding plenty of people willing to rent.

“I don’t have a statistic, but I think people renting homes is at an all-time historic high in America,” Stratton said. “The fact is there are a lot of folks who lost their homes and are now renting houses because they are not able to buy homes. There’s just a big base of renters right now.”

That has promoted Dennis Realty to expand its efforts to help investors manage those properties, since no landlord is looking forward to that call in the middle of the night for an emergency repair.

In 2009, Dennis Realty managed the rentals of just 50 homes. Today, it’s 550. And it continues to grow.

“We focus on individuals who own homes, and not big corporations that might have hundreds of them.” Stratton said. “These are people who are upside-down on their house, and don’t want to short-sell or let their house go. We are offering ways to help.”

Sadly, Juanita Dennis died on 2001, but Robert keeps things moving, and staying close to the original philosophy.

The next 40 years should be an interesting time for Dennis Realty. But if history has any say, the company is ready for whatever the housing market might throw at it.

“We are a marketing company, and if you’re not out there marketing, then what are you doing? You’re out of business,” Stratton said. “It’s all about paying attention to the client, and giving good service. That’s what has always carried us through.”

Florida Medical Clinic opens new Carrollwood location

September 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Florida Medical Clinic has found a lot of success in pulling all kinds of providers into a single location, making it a one-stop haven for patients.

Locations on SR 56 in Land O’ Lakes and US 301 in Zephyrhills have done just that for years, and now North Tampa is getting the same thing with its North Dale Mabry Highway location.

Construction continues on Florida Medical Clinic’s new dialysis center that it’s building on Eiland Boulevard with DaVita Healthcare Partners Inc. DaVita will be the primary user of the 12,000-square-foot structure, with 2,500 square feet of that dedicated to medical offices. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Florida Medical Clinic is finally bringing all of its Carrollwood providers together under one roof, recycling a former Borders location at 12500 N. Dale Mabry Highway.

“The project in Carrollwood is a natural extension of our practices,” said Joe Delatorre, chief executive officer of Florida Medical Clinic. “We are only growing contiguously, and we want to keep that multi-specialty group concept where people can access as many systems as possible. And that just made sense for us on Dale Mabry.”

The doors have already opened for the Carrollwood office, and by the end of September, patients should have access to 27 providers from 12 different specialties. It will range from internal medicine, orthopedics and gastroenterology, to facial plastics, pulmonology and cardiology.

“People want to get in, get what they need done, and get out of there as quickly as they can,” Delatorre said. “We understand that, so we’ve made it efficient without sacrificing any of our quality.”

Expansion efforts for Florida Medical are not just stopping there. The company has partnered with DaVita Healthcare Partners Inc. in building a 12,000-square-foot facility on Eiland Boulevard in Zephyrhills that will serve as both a dialysis center and additional doctor offices.

“Patients will absolutely love this location,” Delatorre said. “We took it off the main road a bit, but it’s easy to get to, will have nice parking, and it’ll have a lot of room.”

When the facility opens in November, it will replace a much smaller dialysis center at Florida Medical’s primary Zephyrhills campus on US 301 just north of CR 54. This new location is just a few miles away, and dialysis patients will now have a chance to avoid some of the wintertime congestion that plagues US 301.

Florida Medical bought the vacant 1.5 acres of land in May for $35,000. It’s the first time the clinic has purchased land in Zephyrhills that is not part of its main campus, which is quickly running out of space. Space is at a premium at the former home of Kmart and Publix in Zephyrhills, especially once Florida Medical completes a $5 million expansion of its urgent care facility.

“It’s already on an outparcel in front of the property, and it’s perfectly located for easy access for our patients,” Delatorre said.

Urgent care is a fast-growing industry, especially as people look for medical resources that are both cost-effective and convenient. The expanded facility — which will double in size to 7,000 square feet — will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

What separates Florida Medical Clinic’s urgent care facility from others is the fact that doctors will have full access to each patient’s electronic medical records, Delatorre said. These records detail everything a patient has had done with any Florida Medical Clinic provider, eliminating the need to duplicate tests, and give an urgent care doctor the full medical picture he or she needs.

“You can’t always get to your existing primary care physician, so we’re providing a quality alternative that still has all the services available, and the overall experience you’re accustomed to with us,” Delatorre said.

The growth of Florida Medical Clinic has been brisk in recent years, first opening a location in Dade City, and then turning its sights south toward Tampa.

The company opened up in Wesley Chapel in 2001, and by 2003, Florida Medical had made significant strides into north Tampa.

Although the Florida Medical Clinic customer service model hasn’t changed, the medical industry has. If a practice isn’t attuned to what’s happening with federal healthcare reform, for example, they may be left struggling to keep up.

“You have to adapt to what’s going on in the marketplace,” Delatorre said. “The reality of it is the Affordable Care Act provides a solution to make sure everyone has basic health insurance. Patients will now have that funding mechanism, and that is a good thing for us. It means more people will want to access our services, and because of that, we can stay in the business of taking care of people.”

Maintenance costs could drown Hercules pool for good

September 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Another summer without the Hercules Aquatic Center is coming to a close, and yet the future of this once vibrant public swimming pool park is still dried up.

Pasco County Schools, which owns the nearly 16 acres, wants to figure it out, and they’ve enlisted the Zephyrhills City Council to help them. But coming to a consensus may prove more difficult than either side realized.

“We do have to be realistic,” Council President Lance Smith said during the council’s regular Aug. 26 meeting. “It’s a loser — financially — but it does provide a service that is needed. And the question is, at what cost do we feel that we can provide it?”

Pasco County leased the property from the school district for nearly two decades, maintaining a large public swimming pool there. However, budget cuts in 2009 forced the county out, threatening to close the park, which is located on the corner of US 301 and CR 54.

The Zephyrhills Police Athletic League kept Hercules open in 2010, but didn’t return after that. The main problem was the cost to maintain the facilities, estimated at just north of $100,000.

Even if Zephyrhills decided to lease the property from the school board and reopen the park, there are some other obstacles in the way.

First, the county has plans to widen CR 54, which is going to force both the park and its immediate neighbor to the east, Zephyrhills High School, to give up some land. That means the school’s baseball fields and some of the parking lot to its outdoor athletics complex would need to be reconfigured, possibly taking some of the land where Hercules is now.

On top of that, the school board wants to cash in on part of the land, namely the piece that sits directly on the corner of US 301 and CR 54, which could be sold to build a potential gas station there.

“We are being asked to give up the most attractive and profitable piece of property and really push it to be a gas station,” said Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson. “But it’s either that or do nothing, right?”

School district officials have mentioned turning Hercules into a maintenance facility for its area schools, and anything that happens to the westernmost piece of the property would still have to go in front of the council for rezoning, City Manager Jim Drumm said. If the city wanted to control that piece, it may have to cough up at least $1.2 million, which is about $1 million more than what the city even has on hand to deal with parks.

Allen Altman, who represents the Zephyrhills area on the Pasco County School Board, encouraged city officials to work with the school district on creating something the entire community can enjoy at Hercules Park.

“One of the things I have pushed for since I was elected was for us to participate with other governments as much as possible,” Altman said. “It cuts down on replication and provides as much savings and benefits to the taxpayer as possible.”

Altman acknowledged that the school board was exploring all possibilities with the land, including a potential sale of a portion of it, but he’s confident both governments can develop the best plan for both.

“It’s a beautiful piece of property,” Councilman Kenneth Compton said. “Talk about one of the best pieces of property, and that’s it. Just see this beautifully treed area, and then I just envision a gas station. I don’t know if I like that.”

Plantation Palms finds new trouble, with Swiftmud

September 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Golfers are making their way back to Plantation Palms Golf Club after a brief closing in August. But now there’s another sand trap in the way.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District, better known as Swiftmud, could file a lawsuit against the golf course owners, saying they overpumped nearly double the amount of water they were permitted to use to irrigate the course.

A call Friday to one of the golf course’s owners, Jason Ray, was not returned.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is accusing the Plantation Palms Golf Club of pumping far too much water to irrigate its greens, penalizing the owners nearly $12,000. The complaint could end up in court. (File photo)

MJS Golf Group LLC, which owns Plantation Palms’ golf course, was using 144,500 gallons of water per day on average over the summer, despite the fact they were permitted to use just a little more than 76,600 gallons. That was 89 percent more than the golf course was supposed to use, according to Swiftmud. That’s enough water to nearly fill four standard swimming pools.

This complaint comes after the golf course was notified in 2011 that it was using more than 117,000 gallons per day, 54 percent more than was permitted.

Swiftmud penalized MJS just under $12,000 for the overpumping, adding another $1,000 for its enforcement costs. However, MJS didn’t respond to the order, and that might force Swiftmud to take the golf course owner to court.

While Swiftmud is in charge of enforcing the amount of water commercial properties extract from the ground, it’s not very often the government organization is forced to go to court, said Swiftmud spokeswoman Terri Behling said.

Swiftmud “is hopeful we can still resolve the compliance issue through a consent order, but if that is not successful, the district would then issue an administrative complaint,” Behling said. “If a compliance issue arises, it is usually resolved by our regulatory staff, and very few compliance matters are referred to our legal department for enforcement. Of those compliance matters that are referred to our legal department, a very small number must be resolved through litigation.”

Plantation Palms Golf Club got some unwanted attention last month when the golf course closed for nearly a week. Ray, who co-owns the course with Mitch Osceola and Steve McDonald, told The Laker/Lutz News the temporary closure was because of the economy and the summer.

“It’s been too hot, and it’s been raining, and the culmination of all that just resulted in not a lot of people playing golf,” Ray said at the time. “Summertime is always tough for all the golf courses.”

MJS purchased the course in May 2011 through a $2.18 million mortgage through Native American Bank of Denver. It features 18 holes, a driving range, clubhouse and a lounge.

The secret to 60 years of marriage: Love and Jesus

September 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Ask Jack Bailey to open his wallet, and he’ll show you a picture of his wife Pat, beautifully adorned in the wedding dress her mother made.

It was taken the day Jack and Pat Bailey were married on Aug. 14, 1953. When Dwight D. Eisenhower was president. When the No. 1 song on the charts was “Vaya con Dios (May God Be With You)” from Les Paul and Mary Ford. And the same day a father created a light plastic ball for his 12-year-old son, and called it a Wiffle ball.

Yet, this photo, perfectly preserved in his wallet, is the only picture Jack has from that special day 60 years ago. A flash flood in the mid-1970s claimed the couple’s wedding mementos, taking away both pictures and the dress Pat’s mom made for her trip down the aisle.

Jack and Pat Bailey accomplished what less than a handful of couples ever do —reaching the 60-year milestone of wedded bliss. They credit their faith, their family, and their unwavering love, for the longevity of their relationship. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

But as beautiful as Pat was on her wedding day, Jack says she’s even more beautiful now as they celebrate their diamond anniversary.

“I love her to death,” Jack said, without taking his eyes off Pat, sitting just across the living room in their Wesley Chapel home. “For a woman who is 79-and-a-half, she is one of the most attractive women in the world.”

A small smile cracks through Pat’s tough exterior, but then she waves him off.

“He is going to get every last month in there until I turn 80,” she said. “But I guess as I always say, you hit middle age at 93.”

The Bailey home is filled with everything they love — pictures of their two children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. And pieces of Scripture they hold dear from The Holy Bible.
“Jesus Christ is our savior,” Jack said. “He is the leader of our home, and for the last 20 years, he has been No. 1 in our relationship. I just wish every couple could have what we got.”

Jack said he made a promise to Christ when he was 12 years old and growing up in Tampa. While other boys were praying for pickup trucks, all he wanted was a good wife and a good son.

Two years later, he would meet Pat for the first time.

“We lived about two blocks apart,” Pat said. “It was impossible for us to miss each other.”

Jack said he was intrigued by the fact she never wore shorts, and never enticed the boys to look at her.

“She was with her mother and two sisters visiting someone across the street from me, and I saw her for the first time,” Jack said. “That memory is embedded in my head. I can’t bring up in my mind what happened yesterday, but that image will never leave me.”

The two started to date, but the relationship was hardly storybook perfect. In fact, over their three-year courtship, they did nothing but fight. However, after Jack served his country in the U.S. Navy, he returned home and proposed to Pat. And when they were married soon after, Jack discovered a pleasant surprise.

“She pulled a total reverse on me,” he said. “She was 100 percent wife, and when she said, ‘I do,’ she meant it.”

Jack and Pat started their family immediately, staying in Tampa. Pat took on a job at the American Can Co. on 22nd Street, and Jack found himself going into business with his father, starting a company that would become Florida Boiler Sales & Service, which his son Jack Bailey Jr. — or Denny Bailey to his friends — still runs today. The company serviced steam generators primarily, which help create power.

Jack himself didn’t retire until four years ago. And while he misses the work, he doesn’t miss spending more time with Pat, and the congregation they’ve frequented for the last two decades, Faith Baptist Church of Seffner.

Jack is the associate pastor there, serving under Pastor J.W. Carr, who founded the church more than 50 years ago. Jack devotes his life to his faith, always acknowledging the 20-year period in his life when he strayed from the church before suffering a heart attack in the early 1990s.

It took that brush with death — when he was just 60 — to remind him the promise he made at 12. Jesus had held up his part of the bargain, and Jack realized he was not holding up his.

He cites the popular biblical story of Abraham ready to sacrifice his son Isaac simply because God asked him. It was a test of Abraham’s devotion, but not to prove it to God, but instead to prove it to Abraham himself, Jack said.

“God already knows all things, and here this was God telling Abraham that ‘now I know that you know,’ and that makes all the difference in the world,” Jack said. Turning to Pat, “I know how much she loves me, and I don’t have to worry about that. The love is strong, and it will carry us through everything in life.

“And she also knows that I love her, and I would defend her with my last breath. And that is what makes life so good.”

Family and friends from the present and past gathered to celebrate Jack and Pat Bailey’s anniversary last month with a special dinner and party. They did stop to remember those who had joined them a decade before for their Golden Anniversary, but were no longer with them to celebrate this one.

And despite their vitality, Jack and Pat know the odds are against them to be doing it all again for their 70th anniversary in 2023.

But that doesn’t faze them.

“I tell her I’m going to die tomorrow all the time, just to make sure she’s going to miss me,” Jack said. “And there is no doubt.”

Business Digest

September 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Wesley Chapel Chamber mixer
The Laker/Lutz News is partnering with the Tampa North Flight Center to host the September business mixer for the Greater Wesley Chamber of Commerce. The event will be on Sept. 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Tampa North Flight Center, 4241 Birdsong Blvd. in Lutz. The event will feature food, fun and networking, and will give people a chance to check out the flight center’s new food and beverage area, The Happy Hangar Café.

Zephyrhills chamber breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have a chamber business breakfast Sept. 5 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Golden Corral, 6855 Gall Blvd. It is sponsored by Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. Networking is from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., followed by a $7 breakfast buffet.

Dancing with our Stars
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring “Dancing with our Stars 2013,” with proceeds to benefit the art of dance in Central Pasco and the chamber. This year’s event is set for Sept. 21. Go to www.biddingforgood.com/CPCC to provide an auction item, bid on an item, purchase tickets or make a donation.

Big Lots unveils remodeled stores
Closeout retailer Big Lots has remodeled 15 of its stores, including its location in Land O’ Lakes and another in North Tampa. The Land O’ Lakes store is at 2414 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., while the North Tampa store is at 14948 N. Florida Ave. in Tampa. Big Lots also has a location in Zephyrhills at 4840 Allen Road.

Barb Conrad joins Cooper Financial Services
Insurance specialist Barb Conrad has joined the staff of Cooper Financial Services. Conrad specializes in long-term care insurance, life insurance and disability insurance. Cooper Financial Services has offered financial planning, insurance and investment services in the Tampa Bay area since 1994. For more information about its services, visit www.cooper-financial.com, or call (813) 996-6100.

Lennar promotes Randall Smith
Lennar’s Central Florida division has promoted Randall Smith to director of construction in the Tampa region. Smith, who has 30 years of experience, joined Lennar last year as a construction manager. Before that, he was a vice president for another construction company. In his new role, he will work with the construction team on schedules, prioritizing work activities, maintaining customer and trade partner relations, inspection of home for quality compliance, construction documents, recruiting hiring, and supervising the construction staff.

Florida fishing industry is boon to state economy
The Florida fishing industry contributes an estimated $5 billion to the state economy, according to the latest economics commentary report from Florida TaxWatch, an independent taxpayer research institute. More than 1.2 million visitors to Florida fished during 2013, according to TaxWatch. Besides attracting anglers from around the globe, the state also hosts boating and fishing expositions throughout the year, which draws visitors and their money to the state. “Florida’s unique location and variety of fishing opportunities position the state as the world leader in sport fishing tourism,” said Dominic M. Calabro, president and chief executive officer of Florida TaxWatch, in a release.

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group has scheduled several speakers for the coming months. The group meets every other week at the Village Inn at 5214 Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills. Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m. Here’s the group’s slate of upcoming speakers:
–Sept. 10: Faith Knight, chief operations officer for Apollo Group
–Sept. 24: Maureen Moore, director of communications for Saint Leo University
–Oct. 8: Danny Burgess, mayor of Zephyrhills, and Minerva “Minnie” Diaz, candidate for the District 38 state House of Representatives seat
–Oct. 22: Paul Stonebridge, teen services manager of Pasco County library, and Cheryl A. Pollock, business development director Premier Community HealthCare Group, Inc.
–Nov. 12: Gary Loman, professional education manager for Rasmussen College
–Nov. 26: Tom Jackson, columnist for The Tampa Tribune

Hillsborough County technology grants
The Hillsborough County Economic Development Innovative Initiative has awarded more than $300,000 to 23 programs during its first round of grant awards. The county’s economic development department launched the program, known as EDI2, in June. It aims to build a vibrant and sustainable startup community, centered on the use of technology and innovation. Several grants went to programs designed to build better community forums for exchange of ideas and increase connections between established businesses and startups.
Among the grant recipients:
– Learning is for Everyone Inc. received $18,250 for Robocon Tampa Bay 2013, an event slated for October
– New Market Partners received $4,150 for its Grow the Bay, scheduled in October
– Tampa Bay Technology Forum received $2,000 for the Engine Peer Network, scheduled in October
— Startup Weekend Tampa Bay received $9,437 for Startup Weekend Tampa Bay 2013, scheduled in November
– MOSI received $4,500 for STEAM Professional Leadership Forum, slated in October 2013
EDI2 aims to support the technology entrepreneurship ecosystem in Hillsborough County. It has a $2 million budget, to be distributed over three years.
Applications for the grants are expected to be available early this month. The deadline to apply for its second funding cycle is Nov. 15.
Additional program and application information is available online at www.HillsboroughCounty.org/EDI2.
For more information about EDI2, contact Stephanie Cvetetic with Hillsborough County’s economic development department at (813) 272-6217.

Publix and Walgreens getting new look in north Tampa
Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, designed the redevelopment plans for the 47,000-square-foot Publix Super Markets location and the 13,000-square-foot Walgreens drug store at South Village on North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. Construction is expected to be completed this fall. Regency Centers of Jacksonville is the developer of South Village.

Rotary golf tournament
The Rotary Club of Zephyrhills Daybreak is hosting the 21st annual Fall Businessman’s Breakaway Golf Tournament on Oct. 4, with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. at the Scotland Yard Golf Club, 8900 Wire Road in Dade City. For more information, contact Chris Robin at (813) 715-0565, or Theresa Sommers at (813) 788-3369.

Habitat for Humanity helps woman who helps others

August 28, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Tiffany Porter is accustomed to helping other people. But she never expected the tables to be turned, courtesy of Habitat for Humanity.

Porter, a compassion ministry director for Victorious Life Church in Wesley Chapel, is the area’s newest Habitat homeowner, receiving the keys earlier this month for the home at 15054 Gainesville Road.

“I had no idea that Habitat even did this for people like me,” Porter said. “I thought they only helped single moms, or people who were destitute and homeless.”

Volunteers through Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week program put up a wall for Tiffany Porter’s house during its construction in north Land O’ Lakes. Porter, who dedicates her time to helping others through her church, moved in earlier this month. (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Black)

In fact, Porter was trying to help a family get a Habitat home, and realized through the process that she actually qualified.

“So I said, ‘what the heck, let’s try this thing,’” she said. “My best friends kept telling me that all they could do is say no. And they didn’t.”

Porter, 29, grew up in New Mexico, but realized at a young age she wanted to be a pastor. But it was while she was in seminary, she discovered an even more direct calling.

“I wanted to be more hands-on and see people’s lives improve,” she said. “VLC gave me the opportunity to do that.”

Porter started as an intern at the church in 2003, and since 2005 has served as the compassion ministry director. She runs the church-owned Lily of the Valley food pantry outreach center in Wesley Chapel, where she not only helps feed those who are hungry, but provides other help when they need it.

That includes even her home, where she has served as a foster mother for teenagers who need a home.

“With my budget, I was not able to find a place that was able to foster a young child,” Porter said. Just before moving into her new home, she was living in a mother-in-law suite that was not in the best living conditions.

But now she can apply to take in younger children, thanks to having a safe home in a safe neighborhood.

And while Habitat’s mission is to provide homeownership for those who may not have had it otherwise, it’s certainly not a handout, said Stephanie Black, director of development and public relations for Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco County.

“I think the biggest misconception is that Habitat gives away homes, but they don’t,” Black said. “We provide a zero-interest, no-profit mortgage, but it’s still a mortgage.”

Candidates for home ownership have to meet certain income levels ranging from between $11,950 to $31,850 annually for one person, to between $21,150 and $56,400 for a family of seven.

Families have to demonstrate a need for affordable housing and currently live in a substandard home. However, they also have to prove they can make mortgage payments, and have a steady job with no recent bankruptcies or court judgments.

“Most of our home payments are less than what people are paying for rent,” Black said. “That includes their taxes and their insurance.”

And while Habitat is always looking for volunteers, their biggest need recently has been qualified candidates.

Porter’s home was the 117th Habitat home built in East and Central Pasco County. It was constructed over a seven-month period, and was a women-built project. The entire construction crew was female, part of an international campaign to encourage more women to join construction teams typically dominated by men.

All of that is just a bonus for Porter, who is enjoying her new home with plans to stay in it for quite a while.
“I didn’t grow up here, but I just love this area,” she said. “I never know what might happen next, but right now, I don’t plan on living anywhere else.”

For more information on how to apply for a Habitat home, call (352) 567-1444, or visit www.ephabitat.org.

Local schools add 1,000 students to rolls

August 28, 2013 By Michael Hinman

More students are walking through the front doors of area schools as communities in Pasco County continue to grow.

The 39 schools in east and central Pasco County added 1,000 students since this time last year, according to population numbers released by Pasco County Schools. On average, the student population growth in east and central Pasco would be equivalent to adding a classroom per school. The additional students bring the total public school population to 30,800 — a 3.4 percent increase.

Samantha Touriello, an incoming fifth-grader at Connerton Elementary School, gets some reassurance from principal Aimee Boltze while her mother Jessica Cottrell looks on during the first day of school last week. Samantha was able to wipe away her tears, and make her way to her new classroom. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“We’re not exactly sure where they are coming from as we haven’t had a chance to analyze it just yet,” said Christopher Williams, director for planning services at Pasco County Schools. “There are certainly some new houses being built, but I’m not sure how much of that has impacted the schools.”

The biggest student population jumps came in Wesley Chapel, where Watergrass and Wesley Chapel elementary schools added 382 students, many of them coming from Quail Hollow Elementary School, which is closed this year for renovations. Both schools already taught more than a combined total of 1,000 students, but this year are operating with 1,438 — a 36 percent jump.

Also on the rise is Wesley Chapel High School, adding 206 students from this time last year, and increasing its student body by nearly 16 percent. Wiregrass Ranch High School was not far behind, adding 159 students to cross the 2,000 mark with an 8 percent jump.

“The Wesley Chapel and (SR) 54 corridor is where we’re seeing the most growth,” Williams said, adding there are still serious overcrowding issues at schools like Seven Oaks Elementary, Long Middle and Wiregrass Ranch.

And it will be that way, at least for the near future.

“We don’t have much of a budget for new schools, other than having enough money to build a new elementary school, in the next five years,” he said. “In the meantime, we’re doing what we can to help these schools.”

Local invention vying for spot on Walmart store shelves

August 28, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Time is running out for two local medical professionals to get their invention on the shelves of Walmart stores across the country. And they need your help.

BariBowl is an innovative portion control food container developed by Land O’ Lakes-based physician assistant Dezi Zevin and bariatric surgeon Dr. Tiffany Jessee. It’s designed to help anyone managing their nutritional intake for a healthy life, and it’s quickly advancing through Walmart’s “Get it on the Shelf” contest.

Dezi Zevin, a physician assistant based in Land O’ Lakes, shows off the BariBowl, a product she co-created with bariatric surgeon Dr. Tiffany Jessee. The two are in the final stages of getting their invention on the shelves of Walmart through the “Get it on the Shelf” competition. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

BariBowl uses two 4-ounce dishes that can be subdivided right down to 1-ounce portions. It seems simple enough, and Zevin said she was surprised no one else had thought of it before.

“Dr. Jessee does weight-loss surgery, and I was her PA, and we talked about whether there was anything out there that would help patients keep track of their eating after surgery,” Zevin said. “I went home and researched it, and I found nothing. So she said we should come up with something.”

That was 2010, and later that year, both had created a company — BariWare LLC —and had a working prototype going. By 2011, they were manufacturing the BariBowl from a facility in Clearwater. The bowls come in pink, blue and green, and are both microwave and dishwasher safe.

So far, marketing and sales efforts for the BariBowl — which retails at about $20 — have been focused on doctor’s offices, especially those specializing in bariatric surgery. However, the product has a wide range of uses that go beyond that, whether it’s someone managing diabetes, trying to lose weight, and even body builders and athletes.

“I use this for my kids instead of going through the drive-thru at McDonald’s,” Zevin said. “I prepare their meals in the morning, and can use it throughout the day.”

Zevin says she can pack lunch for her kids, and then have a second one ready at the end of the day when she picks them up and takes them to soccer.

Since the product launched, sales have doubled year-over-year. Yet, getting into Walmart could push those numbers right through the roof. For that to happen, it’s going to take votes, however.

Walmart’s “Get on the Shelf” contest features a number of products evaluated by the store’s management staff, and then put up for a public vote to see what consumers might be interested in. The BariBowl was part of the contest last year, but did not advance. And with voting running through Sept. 2, Zevin and Jessee are hoping for a much different result this time.

And even if they do succeed and turn the BariBowl into a booming business, neither plans to give up their day job.

“It would be like a dream come true, and it would be a game changer for both our lives,” said Jessee, who was Florida’s first female bariatric surgeon. “We don’t have the financial ability to do much advertising, so to walk into a store and see your product on a shelf for a national chain, that is just unbelievable.”

Extra profits would be reinvested back into the company, Zevin said, to help them expand the BariBowl line to other complementary products. That could include a larger bowl for those who have to eat more but still want to portion food.

To vote for the BariBowl in the Walmart “Get on the Shelf” competition, visit tinyurl.com/nxsygt7.