Michael Hinman

Democrat first to try eliminating nuclear cost recovery this session

November 25, 2014 By Michael Hinman

A Tallahassee lawmaker is taking on one major campaign issue from the state’s mid-term elections right away, proposing a bill that would eliminate the ability of utility companies like Duke Energy Corp. to collect money for its failed nuclear plant projects.

State Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, filed H.B. 4001 last Friday. If passed, it would repeal the nuclear cost recovery statute that has put Duke in line to collect more than $3.2 billion from customers through a $3.45 monthly surcharge. It’s supposed to pay for the now-closed Crystal River nuclear facility, as well as a cancelled nuclear power plant in Levy County.

The nuclear cost recovery statute was one of the big issues that affected the governor’s race, as well as some local races, including the one state Rep. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, eventually won. Burgess was forced to defend a $1,000 direct donation from Duke during an October candidate forum, as well as $2,000 of indirect support from Duke through the Republican Party of Florida.

Burgess at the time said that while he accepted money from Duke, he’s not beholden to them.

“The answer is very simple: nobody can buy my vote,” Burgess said at the time. “I have been very fortunate to receive a lot of local support, and I have to be able to lay down my head at night. When I make a decision, it’s for every single person in this room.”

The very brief H.B. 4001 would simply repeal the state statute that would allow utility companies to recover money from customers for the “siting, design, licensing and construction of nuclear and integrated gasification combined cycle power plants.” If passed and approved by the governor, such a bill could force Duke to stop collecting the monthly recovery fee from its customers beginning next July.

Rehwinkel Vasilinda didn’t stop there in high-profile bills, however. She also filed H.B. 4003, which would eliminate the state’s death penalty for capital crimes. Democrats have typically called for the repeal of death penalties in states, but a bill like this likely would not make it very far in the Republican-controlled legislature, or the Republican governor.

Florida has executed eight people this year, slightly more than the seven who were put to death in 2013. Gov. Rick Scott has signed 20 death warrants during his four years in office, compared to just five under Charlie Crist before him. That doesn’t include a warrant Scott signed Monday for Johnny Shane Kormondy, who was convicted for the 1993 murder of Gary McAdams, and for repeatedly raping McAdams’ wife.

Kormondy is scheduled for execution Jan. 15.

Gov. Jeb Bush put 21 people to death over an eight-year period, while Gov. Lawton Chiles executed 18 in his two terms in office.

Wood Partners to build 300 apartments in Land O’ Lakes

November 21, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Wood Partners is expected to officially announce Monday a new residential project that would bring more than 300 apartment units to the 20 Mile Level Road area of Land O’ Lakes.

Alta Terra Bella LP, a company associated with the Atlanta-based developer, closed on 52 acres of land last Tuesday, located between Via Bella Boulevard and 20 Mile, just north of State Road 54. The company paid Capstone Resdev LLC $4.2 million for the property, according to county property records, using part of a $30 million mortgage the company received earlier this week from Synovus Bank.

Representatives from Wood were scheduled to meet with Pasco County officials about the project last June, sharing plans to build 311 apartment units in 14 buildings, as well as a free-standing clubhouse and free-standing parking garages. It would have a total of more than 452,000 square feet.

The project was originally known as Viento at Terra Bella Apartments, according to documents filed with the county, with units averaging about 1,200 square feet. The parking garages would be individual, one-story units, that could hold up to six vehicles each.

The project will be called Alta Terra Bella, according to a Wood Partners spokeswoman.

The land was originally purchased in 2007 for $6.8 million by BSP/Pasco LLC, a company associated with Orlando-based developer Scott T. Boyd. However, PNC Bank filed foreclosure papers against the property in October 2011, claiming they were owed nearly $6 million. The bank won title to the property through its Capstone Resdev affiliate in August 2012, and had the land on the market ever since.

The new community will be located in the same general area of State Road 54 where Florida Medical Clinic maintains its headquarters.

Find out more about the development in the Nov. 26 print edition of The Laker/Lutz News.

Local reaction split on president’s immigration plan

November 21, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The debate on whether President Barack Obama has the authority to enact his own immigration reform without the help of Congress extends beyond Washington, D.C., and is drawing both criticism and praise from lawmakers here at home as well.

But which side each congressman takes depends on what side of the aisle he or she is on.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis waited until Obama’s presidential address from the White House Thursday night to speak out against the planned executive action that could leave up to 5 million illegal immigrants safe from deportation, if they meet certain criteria.

President Barack Obama works on his immigration speech with speechwriters Cody Keenan, left, and David Litt in the Oval Office ahead of the president's Nov. 20 remarks on immigration reform. (Courtesy of Pete Souza) — President Barack Obama works on his immigration speech with speechwriters Cody Keenan, left, and David Litt in the Oval Office ahead of the president’s Nov. 20 remarks on immigration reform. (Courtesy of Pete Souza)

“As a second generation Greek American, I have a firsthand understanding of the importance and power of the American dream, as well as the sensitivity and passion surrounding immigration reform,” the Palm Harbor Republican said in a statement. “There is no doubt our immigration system is broken, but President Obama cannot act unilaterally and refuse to work with Congress. In the president’s own words: ‘That’s not how our democracy functions.'”

However, in his address to the nation, Obama said he and Democrats have tried to work with Congress to pass reform, and a bipartisan bill actually made it through the U.S. Senate in 2013. But the bill never came to a vote in the U.S. House, and such reform has remained stalled ever since.

“It wasn’t perfect. It was a compromise,” Obama said, according to his prepared remarks. “But it reflected common sense. It would have doubled the number of border patrol agents while giving undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, started paying their taxes, and went to the back of the line. And independent experts said that it would help grow our economy and shrink our deficits.

“Had the House of Representatives allowed that kind of bill a simple yes-or-note vote, it would have passed with support from both parties, and today it would be the law. But for a year and a half now, Republican leaders in the House have refused to allow that simple vote.”

Obama got support from a fellow Democrat in Congress, Kathy Castor of Tampa.

“Republicans who control the U.S. House failed to act, failed to allow debate on the floor, and blocked a vote — even after two-thirds of the U.S. Senate voted to pass a bipartisan reform bill a year and a half ago,” Castor said in a statement. “Speaker (John) Boehner said many times that the House would act, but it never did.”

In order to qualify for protection from deportation under the executive action, illegal immigrants would have to meet a series of conditions, including having children here who are American citizens or legal permanent residents, have been in the country at least five years, pass a background check, and pay taxes.

“Most of these immigrants have been here a long time,” Obama said, according to his prepared remarks. “They work hard, often in tough, low-paying jobs. They support their families. They worship at our churches. Many of their kids are American-born or spent most of their lives here. And their hopes, dreams and patriotism are just like ours. As my predecessor, President Bush, once put it: ‘They are a part of American life.'”

But U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, believes Obama is taking the wrong approach, and had not “heard the voters’ message” who gave Republicans majority control of Congress during the mid-term elections.

“I have repeatedly stated that the best way to address immigration reform is with incremental steps, with the first critical step being to secure our borders,” Ross said in a statement issued ahead of Obama’s address. “Instead, the president is headed to Las Vegas to gamble away our national security by granting massive amnesty rights while failing to secure our border. The president’s go-it-alone attitude will cause irreparable harm to any effort to reform our immigration system, and ruin any chance of having a positive working relationship with Congress during his final two years in office.”

Obama, however, stood behind his claim that the reform he has proposed is not amnesty.

“I know some of the critics of this action call it amnesty,” Obama said. “Well, it’s not. Amnesty is the immigration system we have today — millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules, while politicians use the issue to scare people and whip up votes at election time.”

Bilirakis reminded the president that leaders like himself and others in Washington “have an obligation to preserve the promise of the American dream for future generations.”

“To do so, we must uphold the rule of law and ensure its equal application,” Bilirakis said. “This means that we must enforce current immigration laws, strengthen the borders, and ensure all visas are enforced properly. This is an issue that impacts all Americans, and we must unite to solve this problem.

“In doing so, we can ensure the American dream remains alive and well for future generations.”

Pristine Lakes community moves planned entrance to Ehren Cutoff

November 20, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Homeowners living along Fletch Road may have won a battle to stop their small rural street from becoming the primary entrance of a large new community.

Southern Crafted Homes, which had proposed a 120-unit project around Curve Lake just northwest of Ehren Cutoff, has apparently abandoned its plans to use Fletch Road’s indirect access to U.S. 41, and instead looks poised to purchase nearby property to provide direct access to Ehren Cutoff.

Fletch and Barcellona roads are the only way Silver Lakes residents can get out onto Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, a four-lane expressway without a traffic light. (File Photo)

That’s exactly what one neighbor, Bobbi Smith, hoped she would someday hear.

“All we wanted was for the traffic to go a different way,” Smith said. “That’s the answer to everybody’s concern.”

Southern Crafted worked to get approvals for its project — now known as Pristine Lakes — last May. At the time, the developers had no options of going to Ehren Cutoff because they couldn’t come to terms with a neighboring landowner to purchase his property.

But that changed last month when Southern Crafted asked to meet with Pasco County officials again, this time to talk about amending its plan, cutting through cropland property currently owned by Steven Brewer. This new parcel has more than 27 acres, including a 6,000-square-foot house built in 2007, according to county property records. It was part of a larger land purchase Brewer made in 2001 for $700,000.

The amended plan for Pristine Lakes filed on Friday, however, would only use a portion of the property, suggesting it may be divided. Southern Crafted did not return a request last week for comment.

County officials had yet to fully review the amended plan, but there is a chance that the developer will have to deal with existing wetlands on the new tract, according to county planner Corelynn Burns.

“I’m just looking at this for the first time, and I see there is a wetland through there,” Burns said. “That may or may not be an issue.”

With the additional land, Southern Crafted also is asking the county to allow 60 more homes in the project, bringing the total to 180. Pristine Lakes, in its current form, involves 61 acres of land, not including the 27 acres currently owned by Brewer. John and Theresa Edwards own the primary land in the project, with the original plan calling for an additional 7 acres along Fletch Road owned by Leonard Gerage.

The Gerage property, however, appears to be no longer part of the project, according to the amended development plans.

One aspect of the revised Pristine Lakes that worries Smith, however, is that an emergency access road to her street still remains.

“Our street is just not suited for that,” Smith said. “We wouldn’t be happy with this going through.”

Using Fletch Road was problematic for Pristine Lakes, primarily because of its size, and the fact that it’s an indirect road leading to U.S. 41. Cars would have to travel Fletch, then turn onto Barcellona Road, before finally reaching the main highway, also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

The property is located at the gravel end of Fletch Road, neighboring the Silver Lakes community that includes homes owned by Smith and 40 others.

Ehren Cutoff always was the preferred route because access would be direct, Burns said, and it would remove potential traffic problems on U.S. 41 as people tried to turn in and out.

If Pristine Lakes needs an emergency access, however, the project needs to consider Caliente Boulevard to the west instead, Smith said.

“It’s already wide enough, and there’s nobody on it,” she said.

Such a change would still need approval from the Pasco County Commission, but the changes likely wouldn’t come before them until early next year.

Published November 19, 2014

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Hooters coming to Land O’ Lakes? Not so fast

November 20, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Could it be a little wishful thinking?

Drivers heading north on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard saw a surprise announcement on the sign that once shared dinner specials at the old Mosquito Grill & Bar: the long-rumored Hooters chain was coming to that location next year.

The problem, however, is it’s not true. At least for now.

“I’ve called it one of Land O’ Lakes’ biggest urban legends,” said Meredith Kleker, executive director of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. “All I’ve ever heard about that is rumors, and we’ve been hearing them for years.”

In fact, Hooters was rumored to be coming to Land O’ Lakes in 2012 when Rapscallions was still open at 4422 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. The owner of the restaurant, however, told an online publication at the time that it wasn’t true, nor were reports that Rapscallions was closing.

Rapscallions did indeed close a short time later, but Hooters didn’t swoop in to take over the lakeside property. Mosquito Grill & Bar opened there instead.

That restaurant shut down last spring, once again opening the rumor floodgates that included the Clearwater-based chain. And since Centennial Bank claimed ownership of the 2 acres of land that covers the two lakeside lots along U.S. 41, the sign announcing the new Hooters was even more believable.

There are plans for the land, and there is even a potential buyer working to get it under contract, but it’s not for Hooters, said Bill Nye, a commercial real estate broker in Wesley Chapel.

“There is definitely not a Hooters going in there,” Nye said, although he said it was far too early to give details on what might go there instead.

Nye’s name came into the mix after he called Pasco County officials three weeks ago asking about the property, according to Ruthann Dattoli of the county’s planning and development department. His questions centered around county requirements that might come into place if a developer decided to raze the 42-year-old building, or simply remodel it.

Nye also mentioned that the neighboring residential lot to the north could be turned into a parking lot, Dattoli said.

It would be difficult for a restaurant chain to build something new on the land, Nye said, because its lakeside location has far different environmental requirements than what existed in the 1970s.

“It’s going to be almost impossible to tear that building down and put another one there,” said Nye, the owner of Nye Commercial Advisors. “There are some stringent setbacks to adhere to, and the county is not going to bend very much on them.”

Centennial foreclosed on a $900,000 mortgage on the property owed by C of Pasco Inc., last month, which purchased the property in 2010. At the time, it was the home of Rapscallions, which was featured in a 2011 episode of the former Travel Channel program “Man v. Food,” hosted by Adam Richman.

An ownership group associated with Rapscallions purchased the property in 2005 for just under $1 million, and continued to operate the restaurant there even after selling to C of Pasco in 2010.

Mosquito struggled to follow Rapscallions despite plans to completely remodel the location. Yet, no matter who takes over that land, it’s a prime piece of real estate, said the chamber’s Kleker said.

“If you look at that location, it’s a good location,” she said. “And it’s not too close to other stores.”

It’s also not far from Ukulele Brand’s, which has a lakeside restaurant on the other side of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard. Yet, even if a new restaurant goes into the Mosquito spot, Kleker feels there’s still plenty of business to go around.

“I don’t think it would hurt Uke’s at all,” she said. “It’s good to have a thriving business in our community. And while we love our small businesses, we still love all businesses that can thrive here.”

A spokeswoman for Hooters of America Inc., and the related original company Hooters Inc. — which both own Hooters restaurants throughout the country — told The Laker/Lutz News Monday there were no plans to open a Hooters in Land O’ Lakes.

That would leave the closest Hooters restaurant in Port Richey, which is owned by Hooters Inc., the original Hooters company that owns a handful of locations in the Tampa Bay area, as well as Chicago and New York City.

Correction to print edition story: Hooters of America and Hooters Inc. both continue to operate and open Hooters restaurants throughout the United States. Although Hooters of America, based in Atlanta, is responsible for the national brand, Hooters Inc. in Clearwater — owned by the chain founders — still control the Tampa Bay territory, as well as additional restaurants in Chicago and New York. Hooters Inc. controls all the Hooters restaurants in the Tampa Bay region, including the one at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. A story in the Nov. 19 edition of The Laker/Lutz News stated otherwise.

Published November 19, 2014

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Early interception sets tone for Sunlake playoff win

November 20, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The Vanguard Knights had a long bus trip from Ocala to Pasco County to face the Sunlake Seahawks. And they weren’t going to leave without an upset in the first round of the Class 6A high school playoffs.

Sunlake Seahawks kicker Chris Wilkinson reflects on a missed field goal early in the team’s final regular season game against Zephyrhills, but bounced back with an opening field goal from 18 yards out to help Sunlake beat Vanguard in the first round of the state playoffs. (Fred Bellet/Photo)

Darryn Lake fell on the ball on the Knights’ own 37-yard-line following the kickoff, giving Vanguard great field position to start the game. But just eight seconds later, senior cornerback Mosi Davis would change everything.

In the very first snap of the 2014 playoffs between Sunlake and Vanguard, Knights quarterback N’Kosi Perry immediately tested the Seahawks’ defense with a long pass downfield. Davis, however, read the pass the entire way, and was there on his own 28-yard line to intercept the ball and set the tone for a 24-6 first round Sunlake win on Friday.

Sunlake (9-2) dominated the ground with 280 yards and three touchdowns. The Knights, on the other hand, were powerful in the air. Perry recovered quickly from his first-pass interception to complete 17-of-29 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. Perry’s defense, however, limited Sunlake to just a Chris Wilkinson field goal early in the first quarter off two interceptions.

“We’ll enjoy this one, but we better not be satisfied,” Sunlake head coach Bill Browning said after the game. “Everyone in the playoffs is good.”

After Davis’ game-starting interception, the Seahawks took 12 plays to reach Vanguard’s 1-yard line. However, senior running back Nathan Johnson just couldn’t cross the end zone, forcing the Seahawks to settle on an 18-yard field goal from senior Chris Wilkinson to give Sunlake an early 3-0 lead.

Both teams would trade three-and-outs right after that, with Perry breaking that cycle late in the first by moving to his passing game. He converted a third-and-20 with just 23 seconds left with a 50-yard pass to Lake. And after running 5 more yards himself, Perry found Lake one more time 14 yards away, this time in the end zone, to give Vanguard a 6-3 lead to start the second.

Knowing they may not get too many more chances to score, Vanguard head coach Edwin Farmer opted for a fake point-after kick, but could only watch as Rashard Laiz was stopped just inches from the goal-line, preventing a two-point conversion.

The Knights never really had a chance after that. Sunlake consistently moved the ball and burned clock, staying on the ground as much as possible. They added touchdowns along the way as well, including a 46-yard mad dash by Davis that put the Seahawks up 10-6 less than a minute after Vanguard took the lead.

Naejaun Jackson tacked on two touchdowns of his own, the first on a 7-yard scamper late in the first, and the second a 6-yard end zone run in the third.

Johnson led the rushing attack with 102 yards, while quarterback Dayton Feiden added 64 yards of his own. Feiden spent very little time in the air, finishing 4-of-6 for 63 yards with no touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Lake led all Knights receivers with 108 yards and a touchdown, while Justin Watkins picked up 38 yards on three catches. The Seahawks’ defense, however, sacked Perry five times in the game, costing Vanguard 22 yards.

Sunlake now heads on the road this week to face Gainesville, which outlasted Mitchell 24-17 in the first round. And like Vanguard before it, Sunlake has experience against what is expected to be a tough Hurricanes team that is far better than its 6-5 record might indicate.

“We played Gainesville before, so we know what to expect,” Browning said, citing the 17-14 loss to the Hurricanes last year that knocked Sunlake out of the playoffs in the first round.

And how will the Seahawks prepare?

“We’ll just keep believing in ourselves,” Browning said, “and work hard.”

Sunlake statistics
RUSHING—Nathan Johnson 20-102, Dayton Feiden 8-64, Mosi Davis 1-46, Naejaun Jackson 5-26, Logan Wolfe 4-25, Terrence Jackson 1-7.
PASSING—Dayton Feiden 4-5-0-63.
RECEIVING—Terrence Jackson 1-37, Nick Valdes 2-33, A.J. McClendon 1-4.
QB SACKS—Austin Yeloushan 1.5, Dylan Franklin 1, Spencer Jarvis 1, Will Alvarez 1, Kalon Gipson 0.5.
INTERCEPTIONS—Mosi Davis 1, Dylan Stanton 1

Published November 19, 2014

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Business Digest 11-19-14

November 20, 2014 By Michael Hinman

New CruiseOne franchise in Lutz
Edward Scott of Lutz is opening a CruiseOne franchise locally.

The home-based company offers cruise and land vacation packages.

Scott is now part of the World Travel Holdings family of brands, one of the leading travel retail networks in the world.

Scott is available Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or online at CruiseOne.com/Escott.

For information, call (813) 995-0937.

Former chamber director emeritus dies
Friends and family gathered last week to remember Rebecca “Nanna” Harper, a former director emeritus for the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, who died Nov. 10. She was 79.

Harper spent 20 years with Teco, and served as the cooperative business education program contact for the utility at Pasco High School. She also was the former president of the National Management Association.

She is survived by three children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Builders struggling to find workers
Construction employers added 12,000 jobs in October, and unemployment in that sector fell to its lowest levels since 2006, according to a new report from Associated General Contractors of America.

The construction employment gains, along with rising wages and weekly hours, are consistent with survey results from the group that more firms are having a tough time finding enough qualified workers to fill available positions.

Construction employment totaled just under 6.1 million in October, the highest since May 2009, with a 12-month gain of 231,000 jobs, or 3.9 percent. Residential building and specialty trade contractors added a combined 8,000 employees since September, and 130,600 over 12 months — a jump of 6 percent.

Non-residential contractors — building, specialty trades, and heavy and civil engineering — experienced an overall gain of 2,600 employees for the month, and just under 100,000 over the past year.

“The construction industry has made an impressive contribution to the nation’s unemployment gains this year,” said Stephen Sandherr, the association’s chief executive, in a release. “But those gains are in jeopardy unless schools, colleges and training programs can refill a pool of talent that is rapidly drying up.”

Airports offer new flight destinations
Beginning next September, Tampa International Airport will begin five-day-a-week nonstop air service to Frankfurt, Germany, through Lufthansa.

It’s the first airport on Florida’s west coast to offer the service.

Frankfurt is the largest of Lufthansa’s five hubs, offering connections to more than 145 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The 11-hour flight will leave daily from Tampa at 5:20 p.m., arriving in Germany at 8:45 a.m. the following day.

The plane will offer a little less than 300 seats, including some in the business class that can transform into beds.

A little closer to home, Allegiant announced it would offer five new nonstop domestic flights to five cities out of St. Pete/Clearwater Airport. They include new routes to Pittsburgh; Indianapolis; Richmond, Virginia; Hagerstown, Maryland; and Omaha, Nebraska.

Most of those flights will begin the weekend of Feb. 11, with Hagerstown and Omaha following in late February and early March next year.

Upcoming SCORE seminars
The Pasco-Hernando Chapter of SCORE, which historically stands for Service Corps of Retired Executives, will host the following upcoming free seminar. For information, visit SCORE439.org.

Building a Plan for a Successful Business — Nov. 25 at 5:30 p.m., at Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road in Hudson. The business plan guides a company’s daily operation and activity toward the goals and objectives that have been established. Participants can learn what data is required to write their plan, review the techniques used to acquire it, and how to use this data to establish realistic goals and objectives.

Kumquat Festival selling sponsorship packages
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is now accepting reservation packages for the 2015 Kumquat Festival, set to take place Jan. 31.

Packages start at $500, and include logos and links on the KumquatFestival.org website, as well as booth space at the festival. Premier packages, which run from $1,000 to $5,000, include additional features.

The event is expected to draw 45,000 people from Florida, who live here seasonally, and who are visiting.

For information, call John Moors at (352) 567-3769, or email .

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.

Upcoming speakers include:

Vicki Jones, manager of Palm Tree Acres, and author Madonna Wise, Nov. 25
Scott Lindner, pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church, Dec. 9
Michael Smith, pastor of Fair Haven Baptist Church and principal of Zephyrhills Christian Academy

Catholic Business Networking seeks members
The Catholic Business Networking group is looking for Catholic business owners, employees and supporters interested in joining it for regular meetings every Tuesday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 2348 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes.

The group has annual dues of $60, and there is a minimum attendance requirement of two meetings per month.

For information, call (813) 833-4737, or visit CBNTampa.com.

Business Link available monthly
Business Link, a monthly small business gathering hosted by the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, meets the second Wednesday of each month beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The meeting is designed to provide a networking and information-sharing platform for the business community.

For locations, details and to reserve a seat, email , or call (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237.

On The Agenda 11-19-14

November 20, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Pasco Legislative Delegation to meet
The Pasco County Legislative Delegation will meet Dec. 3 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Sunlake High School, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

This will give the local delegation a chance to show support for various measures proposed for the upcoming legislative session early next year. All local bill proposals need to be accompanied by a resolution from the local government supporting it, according to a release.

Public testimony is welcome. Those wishing to address the delegation need to complete a speaker request form, available online at tinyurl.com/PascoLD.

All speakers should bring six copies of all handout materials for distribution to the delegation members, or deliver them to the office of state Sen. John Legg before 5 p.m., on Dec. 1.

For information, email Jim Browne at , or call (813) 909-9919.

Recycling event set in Pasco
Pasco County residents can take part in recycling household waste and electronics at the next collection event set for Nov. 22 at the West Pasco Government Center on Little Road in New Port Richey.

“This is a great opportunity to clean out your garage, and clear out your excess paints, gasoline, or any hazardous waste,” said Charley Ryburn of Pasco County Utilities, in a release. “Many people don’t realize that there are hazardous materials in television sets, and must be disposed of properly. This is a convenient, inexpensive way of properly disposing of these items.”

Collection will take place Nov. 22 form 8 a.m. to noon. It’s free to Pasco County residents, however, there is a $5 charge for each television, computer monitor, computer tower and laptop computer.

There is a $10 charge for televisions that exceed 36 inches.

For information, visit PascoCountyUtilities.com, or call (727) 847-8041.

PCPT starts replacing bus benches
Pasco County Public Transportation has started the process of notifying bus riders that bus benches at stops throughout unincorporated Pasco County are being removed and replaced.

Metropolitan Systems Inc. will do the work, removing all the old benches by Nov. 30, according to a release. In their place, new benches will be installed that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. They also are expected to improve safety, security and accessibility for PCPT riders, officials said.

Bus shelters will not be impacted during this transition, and riders can call PCPT to determined where the closest shelter is to them.

“There may be some inconvenience from some of our riders,” said PCPT director Mike Carroll, in a release. “The new benches will be more accessible and convenient for those with disabilities. Unfortunately, in some cases, benches will have to be removed where the benches cannot comply with federal regulations.”

Once the benches are removed, it will take up to 90 days for the company to get necessary permits, and to start work. However, new benches should be in place by the end of spring.

For information, visit RidePCPT.com, or call (813) 235-6073.

Sheriff’s office to help schools
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is offering a four-hour training program to administrators and staff members at area schools in December, with the hopes of curbing some of the violence and safety issues at other schools around the nation.

The Dec. 15 event will begin at 8:30 a.m., at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, 13651 Hays Road in Spring Hill. It will include discussion of topics like the emergency management cycle, multi-hazard planning for schools, threat and vulnerability assessments, crime prevention through environmental design, mass notification concepts, grant resources, and facilitating drills and exercises.

The cost of the training is free, and is open to “anyone involved in the safety and care of our students,” according to a sheriff’s office flier.

Those interested in taking part can register by contacting Cpl. Donald Fly at .

Bilirakis includes Pasco in drug trafficking program
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis has successfully petitioned Pasco County’s entry into the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program.

HIDTA, as it’s more commonly called, is a federal grant program that provides resources and funds to local law enforcement entities and other authorities in specially designated areas of the United States to address drug trafficking.

“In my congressional district, Pasco County had dozens of oxycodone-caused deaths — some of the highest rates in Florida,” Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, said in a release. “Although serious strides have been made over the past few years, we still have a lot of work to do.”

Being a part of the program, Bilirakis said, means law enforcement officials in the county will have access to funds and resources that will allow them to combat prescription drug abuse and drug trafficking.

Upcoming public hearings in Pasco
For details on Pasco County’s public hearings, visit PascoCountyFl.net. Unless otherwise noted, Dade City meetings are at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave. New Port Richey meetings are at 8731 Citizens Drive.

Tourist Development Council on Nov. 19 at 10 a.m., in New Port Richey
Environmental Lands Acquisition Selection Committee on Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m., at Central Pasco Professional Center, 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes
Development Review Committee on Nov. 20 at 1:30 p.m., in New Port Richey
Restore Act Advisory Committee on Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m., in New Port Richey
Affordable Housing Advisory Committee on Nov. 24 at 9 a.m., at 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes

Early senate bill wants D’Souza movie required at schools

November 19, 2014 By Michael Hinman

A state senator from central Florida feels it’s time for middle school and high school students to become better Americans. And to do that, Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, wants to make viewing what he deems a “patriotic movie” a requirement for eighth-graders and high school juniors.

In a bill filed Nov. 18, Hays wants to make the 2014 film “America: Imagine the World Without Her,” an annual event for students.

If passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor, it would require students in those grades beginning next July to see the film produced by conservative political commentator Dinesh D’Souza, who directed the 2012 film “2016: Obama’s America.”

His new “America” film recreates the nation’s history from his perspective, and was released through Lions Gate Entertainment. It grossed about $14.4 million at the box office.

Students can be excused from the requirement with a parent’s note, according to the bill, labeled S.B. 96.

On the other side of the aisle, state Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Cutler Bay, has introduced S.B. 114, which would raise Florida’s minimum wage from $7.93 to $10.10 per hour, effective Jan. 1, 2016. Florida’s minimum wage already is above the federal minimum of $7.25, and is adjusted annually based on a cost-of-living formula. It’s expected to be $8.05 beginning in January.

Sen. Jeff Clemens wants to protect social media users from being forced to disclose private information found there to employers. The Lake Worth Democrat filed S.B. 126 that would make it illegal for an employer to request any kind of access to personal social media accounts of an employee or prospective employee that are not available to the general public. It also prohibits any retaliation against an employee or job candidate for not disclosing it when asked.

Legal action can be taken against employers through this bill for a period of up to two years, and could include damages of $500 or more per violation.

If the bill becomes law in its current form, it would not affect business-related social media accounts on places like Twitter and Facebook, but instead focus on personal accounts in those areas that have restricted access. It also doesn’t prohibit employers from using information found in publicly available tweets or Facebook posts.

Schrader elected chair of county commission

November 18, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Ted Schrader is back in a familiar seat with the Pasco County Commission after being elected chair of the county’s governing body.

Schrader, based in District 1 covering large parts of the eastern side of the county, was chair of the commission in the 2012-13 session, and then stepped aside this past year for fellow commissioner Jack Mariano. The chair position typically rotates among the commissioners, leading meetings and representing the board as a whole to the public.

Henry Wilson Jr. was in line to become the next chair, but lost his re-election bid to Mike Wells Jr. during an open primary in August. That had opened the door to a possible chairmanship by Kathryn Starkey. However, she immediately nominated Schrader for the job Tuesday morning in Dade City, and her motion won a unanimous approval.

Starkey was elected the vice chair, officially making her a top contender for the position next year.

The commission also swore in its two new members, Wells and Mike Moore. Wells will take over District 4 previously served by Wilson, while Moore will represent District 2, which Pat Mulieri served for 20 years.