Michael Hinman

Ready to vote? Here’s an election primer to help

October 30, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The mute button for many television viewers has never been used more through the barrage of political ads for everything from the governor’s race, to even Pasco County Commission.

Who will win? Voters will have a chance to express their opinions next Tuesday when Florida elects a governor, while local residents will choose a new state representative and a new county commissioner. (File Photo)

But as early voting continues through this weekend, and on Election Day itself Nov. 4, all of that is about to come to an end.

The governor’s race remains too close to call, while more local races like the county commission have a history of fueling upsets.

It’s impossible to condense the entire political season into a single story, so here are some of the highlights of major candidates on the ballot.

Be sure to get the latest election news Nov. 4 on our website at LakerLutzNews.com, and aftermath coverage in our Nov. 12 print edition of The Laker/Lutz News.

GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Rick Scott, Republican
Has he done enough to win a second term as governor? Or is Florida ready to look to its recent past and bring in a familiar replacement?

Those are the questions Gov. Scott has to answer as he touts the number of jobs created during his first term, and where the state is heading economically into the future.

It’s been a virtual dead heat for Scott and his main opponent, and both have engaged in a lot of mudslinging that some political analysts say may discourage more voters from going to the polls than welcome them.

Scott struggled in his first couple years to connect with people, including media, and suffered a low approval rating until this past year when he worked to fix it. But issues like high-speed rail (which he killed) and his time as the head of a major hospital chain continue to provide fodder for Democrats.

Charlie Crist, Democrat
He tried being governor once, and ended up presiding over one of the worst economic downturns in history, where hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost.

But if that wasn’t difficult enough to overcome, Crist also has to convince voters he’s now a Democrat after a lifetime of being a Republican, which also means he’s changed his stance on a number of hot-button political issues.

Crist entered a race where the incumbent was certainly vulnerable, but it’s tough to tell if the $9 million he’s raised through last week is enough to top the deep pockets of the current governor.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Pam Bondi, Republican
She’s not afraid to take a stand and express her opinion, and it seems that’s what voters liked about Bondi when they first elected her to office in 2010.

Yet, her firm stance on controversial issues could pose some problems, especially as the state fought against the federal Affordable Care Act, and continues to defend its ban of gay marriage, which is now legal in most other states.

Bondi has raised $2.2 million in her re-election bid through last week.

George Sheldon, Democrat
He’s raised far less money than his opponent, but Sheldon — an attorney and government administrator on both the state and federal level — jumped into this race because he says the current attorney general has mishandled her responsibilities.

He feels there’s a disconnect between Bondi’s fight for the ban on gay marriage and her battle over the Affordable Care Act, saying that while marriage might be defending a law, the program informally called Obamacare also is the law of the land.

Sheldon has raised $760,000 through last week.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 38

Danny Burgess, Republican
He became the youngest Zephyrhills councilman at 18, and was the youngest mayor at 27. And he’s raised nearly $142,000 to try to replace Will Weatherford in Tallahassee.

Many Republicans look at Burgess as the future of the party, but opponents fear he lacks specific plans to help Pasco County overcome some serious growing pains.

Read more about Burgess at tinyurl.com/DannyBurgess.

Beverly Ledbetter, Democrat
After spending more than three decades as an educator in Pasco County’s school system, Ledbetter says she’s ready to use her experience in the state House.

While she has worked with the teachers union quite extensively, Ledbetter has not held any public office before. However, she is getting advice from her husband, Michael Ledbetter, who was a Pasco County commissioner in the 1970s.

But it could be a tough battle, as she’s raised just $34,000 through last week.

Read more about Ledbetter at tinyurl.com/BeverlyLedbetter.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 2

Mike Moore, Republican
He easily moved past a busy primary against two opponents — one who was a former state legislator — and has raised some serious cash: $171,000.

But if history is a guide, county commission races don’t always go to the best-funded campaigns.

Moore has run primarily on job creation, using his experience as an entrepreneur to help get face time with large corporations who might consider moving to Pasco County. Yet, he brings a personality far different from the woman who’s held the office the past two decades, Pat Mulieri, and that might turn off some voters.

Read more about Moore at tinyurl.com/MikeMoorePasco.

Erika Jean Remsberg, Democrat
She’s raised less than $11,000 in her race to become the first Democrat on the county commission since 2010, but Remsberg has certainly made her mark.

In fact, she won the endorsement of Mulieri, the retiring county commissioner who isn’t even a member of the same political party.

Remsberg is hoping for a major grassroots boost to propel her to victory, but the social worker knows it will be tough. Plus, it’s hard to tell how much she can accomplish as a political minority on a board with its own agenda.

Read more about Remsberg at tinyurl.com/ErikaRemsberg.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT No. 1

Water and Land Conservation – Dedicates funds to acquire and restore Florida conservation and recreation lands.
This amendment to the state constitution would move money already collected through an existing excise tax into a fund that would help purchase more conservation lands in the state.

The goal would be to help improve the environment and water quality, supporters say, and help provide a boost to the growing ecotourism movement as well.

Although there are no groups organized to oppose this amendment, some lawmakers and individuals feel this is an overreach of the constitutional amendment process, and could be more effective as a standard law through legislators.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT No. 2

Use of marijuana for certain medical conditions.
By far the most controversial measure on the ballot, which would have likely received far more attention if it weren’t for the tight gubernatorial race.

If passed, this amendment would open Florida up to allowing the use of marijuana for specific health conditions, under the guidance of a doctor.

The battle over medical marijuana has played out in several states already, with proponents saying this is a move of compassion for those who would suffer otherwise. Opponents, however, call this a loophole to try and legalize the drug for everyone, especially since other states like California have very loose restrictions on who qualifies for the program.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT No. 3

Prospective appointment of certain judicial vacancies.
This is probably the least known of the three amendments on the ballot, but one that could have significant impact on the state in future years.

Right now, Florida Supreme Court justices have terms that run the same time as the governor, meaning they are typically chosen by a new governor, rather than an outgoing governor.

If this amendment passes, the winner of Tuesday’s gubernatorial election will likely appoint three justices to the state supreme court before he leaves office in 2019. However, if the amendment fails, then the system will remain allowing the winner of the 2018 election to make that appointment.

Published October 29, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Business Digest 10-29-14

October 30, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Leadership Pasco still strong after 25 years
Leadership Pasco unveiled its Class of 2015, bringing together 41 emerging and existing community leaders, chosen from a competitive pool of applicants. The 10-month course includes full-day program sessions, tours and candid conversations with community leaders, as a way to broaden local understanding of the ever-changing needs of the county. Participants this year include Andrew Baxter, Jackie Bennett, Susannah Caum, Tracy Clouser, Kimberly Collins, Rebecca Corrigan, Michael Cox, Cundee Dornblaser, Mel Eakley, Pamela Elliott, Kim Hamm, Becky Hatcher, Susan Hoeller, Alison Janke, Stacey Jenkins, Sean Kline, Billy Knight, Deepthi Kumar, Wendy Longman, Lee Maggard, Tim McClain, John McMillon, Russell Miller, Teri Nichols, Kada Parris, Todd Pillars, Cheryl Pollock, Leslie Porter, Ryan Regensdorfer, Gregg Schoppman, Cindy Schwiebert, Jeremy Simons, Daniel Swing, Randall TeBeest, Lisa Wagner, James Walters, Steve Wells, Mark Wickham, John Willis and Lauren Witmer.

McDonald’s, offices planned for Connerton
People waiting for a new McDonald’s restaurant on the northern part of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard may not have to wait much longer.

Planners are meeting with Pasco County officials this week to build a McDonald’s, as well as a 5,000-square-foot office building on the northeast corner of U.S. 41 and Pleasant Plains parkway. Pasco Investment Land LLC of St. Augustine, and FCPG R E Fund 09-03 LLC of Orlando currently own the 6.5 acres of land.

Pasco Investment Land is affiliated with Hayman Woods, the current developer of Connerton. Charles Mitchell Jr. of Orlando runs FCPG. He is the president and owner of First Capital Property Group, according to an online profile, a company he has owned for a little more than 19 years.

Mitchell is one of the people involved in the development of the property, as well as Stephanie Tyrrell, a construction manager for McDonald’s USA. It’s not clear if this will be a franchise location, and if so, who will own it. Ed Rogers of Heidt Design will function as the engineer of record, according to documents filed with Pasco County officials.

Once opened, this would be the 11th McDonald’s in Pasco, joining one franchised by Brickman Management Co., down the road at Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and State Road 54. This new location would be near a SunTrust Bank, Subway and a Walgreens.

A request for comment to Stew Gibbons with Connerton earlier this month was not returned. No timetable was released on when plans for the restaurant and office building will move forward.

Home sales, prices up in September
It’s nothing but positives in September for the Tampa Bay housing and condominium market, as both sales and median prices have gone up.

The latest report from Florida Realtors shows existing home sales are up 11 percent, and condo sales grew more than 4 percent, compared to a year ago. Median sales for the area that also includes Pasco County also rose more than 3 percent for existing homes, and 10 percent for condos.

In September, the Tampa Bay region sold 3,441 single-family homes and 1,132 condos — second only to the greater Miami area. Statewide, existing home sales were up more than 13 percent to 20,792, while condo sales climbed 2 percent to 8,622.

The median price for those single-family homes was $159,900 locally, compared to $180,000 statewide. Condos in the Tampa Bay region were $105,500, compared to $142,700 around the state.

The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.16 percent in September, down from 4.49 percent a year ago, according to Freddie Mac.

Dade City RaceWay sold
After more than 15 years of corporate ownership, RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. has sold its Dade City RaceWay location for $2.3 million.

The buyer of the station, located on a little more than an acre of land at 12310 U.S. 301, is 974 Pasco LLC, managed by West Palm Beach attorney Carolyn Sakolsky. The location was built in 2004 on land RaceTrac purchased in 1999 for $263,000.

Bobby and Dorothy Baker of Zephyrhills originally owned the land.

It’s not clear if the sale of the property will affect the location in any way. A request for comment last week from Atlanta-based RaceWay was not returned.

However, there is a chance the RaceWay might have sold to a franchisee. According to the company’s website, locations owned by corporate use the name RaceTrac, while those owned by franchisees are called RaceWay.

SBA wants to boost women-run business
The U.S. Small Business Administration and the National Women’s Business Council have joined forces in an effort to increase the flow of money by and into small businesses run by women.

The overriding goal, according to a release, is to encourage greater participation by women on the financial and investing side of high-growth entrepreneurship.

Both groups will host a series of roundtable discussions around the country to develop policy recommendations. Over the past year, woman-owned businesses were approved for 341 loans totaling more than $163 million, according to Francisco Marrero of SBA’s South Florida district. That’s up over the previous year, where 317 loans were approved for $133.8 million.

During the next few months, the working groups of 20 will meet with investor and fund managers to discuss ways to increase the ranks of women investors, while developing strategies to encourage investment in companies run by women. The series will culminate with the unveiling of policy recommendations at an investor network meeting next May.

For more information about the Small Business Investment Companies initiative, visit SBA.gov/INV.

Political Agenda 10-29-14

October 30, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Local leaders endorse Mike Moore
Mike Moore, the Republican candidate seeking to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission, has picked up endorsements from Dade City commissioner Scott Black and Zephyrhills councilman Kenneth Burgess.

“Mike’s enthusiasm and his commitment to serving as a county commissioner for all of Pasco County will bring great benefit to our citizens,” Black said, in a release. “His record as a successful business owner will afford him the needed perspective to lead our county to a higher level.”

Burgess called Moore a “family man and businessman with great character and integrity. Pasco County can count on Mike to always listen, be accessible, and do what he says.”

Moore is running against Erika Remsberg, the Land O’ Lakes social worker who recently picked up the endorsement of Mulieri herself, despite being a Democrat.

Voters will choose between the two on Nov. 4.

Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to meet
Pasco County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee will meet Nov. 10 and Nov. 24 beginning at 9 a.m., at the Hap Clark Building, 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

For information, visit PascoCountyFl.net.

Political mailer pits neighbor versus neighbor

October 30, 2014 By Michael Hinman

A political mailer sharing the voting habits of neighbors might not be a new trick for the 2014 elections, but it’s one that has some residents questioning how much of their personal information should be made public.

Joshua Ciganek of Wesley Chapel received the postcard among other political mailings Wednesday, informing him that while he voted in 2012, he didn’t vote in 2010 — and he wasn’t alone. Several other neighbors were listed by name and address, as well as their voting record in the last two elections. It had a stern warning that he should not “throw away his vote” because “your neighbors will know. It’s public record.”

This political mailer from Citizens for a Better Florida, uses personal voting histories collected through public records requests to try and get out the vote. (Courtesy of Lisa Ciganek)

The mailer, part of campaign material produced by Citizens for a Better Florida executive committee, is right: Whether someone has voted or not is very much public record, and it’s the kind of information campaigns from all walks of political life use to determine who votes regularly, and who doesn’t.

The primary benefit of data like that is it allows campaigns to target likely voters, instead of those who might be registered to vote, but will almost definitely not make it to the polls by election day. However, using that information to try and shame others into voting is something that started to pop up in recent years, and it’s still completely legal.

“I never had a voter say to me, ‘You know what, my neighbor hasn’t voted. I need to get over there and tell them they have to,’” Pasco County elections supervisor Brian Corley said. “I don’t know how successful they are doing something like this, but if they are trying to irritate voters, they’re succeeding.”

Joshua’s mother, Lisa Ciganek, actually saw this particular postcard before her son did. She was immediately concerned with so much detail about her family’s — and neighborhood’s — voting history being so readily available.

But after she got Corley on the phone a short time later, she was even more shocked to learn what kind of information anyone from the public can get about her and everyone else registered to vote.

“I was told that anyone can get names, addresses, email, telephone numbers, even birthdays,” Lisa Ciganek said. “I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I can understand having names and addresses, but why would someone need to do a public record request on when your birthday is?”

Even more frustrating for Lisa Ciganek is the fact that her son was called out for not voting in 2010. But Joshua had an excuse for not participating in that election — he was only 16 at the time.

“They had his birthday, so I don’t know why they couldn’t check that out,” she said.

Using the latest printing technology, political groups can personalize mass mailings such as this one to show specific information, including data they pick up from public records requests of voting rolls. This image was altered to remove house numbers, and the mailing address area of the card. (Courtesy of Lisa Ciganek)

Citizens for a Better Florida has raised more than $660,000 this past year, according to state campaign finance records, with their primary donor coming from another executive committee called Realtors Political Advocacy Committee. That group over the last two weeks alone has received more than $500,000 — its primary source of funding — from the National Association of Realtors, an advocacy group representing real estate professionals around the country.

A spokeswoman for NAR tried to direct The Laker/Lutz News to the state organization of real estate professionals, Florida Realtors. However, when she was informed that most of the recent funding for these mailers came from the national organization, she asked for more time to review, and that response was still pending Thursday.

Yet, nothing what the executive committee did was illegal, Corley said. Anyone can request voter information, and anyone can use it or disseminate it any way they want. NAR’s intentions might be good, but the results may not be what they expected.

“This is like the world’s worst get-out-the-vote effort,” Corley said.”There were two sets of mailings like this in 2012, where one week we had a conservative-leaning group trying to get Republican voters. They were all calling us en masse, and emailing us, complaining about this information being released to them. Then the next week, a liberal group did the same thing reaching out to Democratic voters.”

Corley and other elections supervisors around the state have pushed the Florida Legislature to pass a law removing some personal information like birthdays from public release, but have not been successful on moving it forward just yet.

Lisa Ciganek says the mailer’s get-out-the-vote effort is completely wasted on her family. In fact, it’s more discouraging about participating in the election process, than encouraging.

“You have enough smearing going on in campaigns, why are we encouraging our neighbors to smear each other?” she asked. “I have a problem with that.”

‘Good Morning America’ almost came to Zephyrhills …

October 29, 2014 By Michael Hinman

It would’ve been a great way to put Zephyrhills on the national stage. But as quickly as ABC’s “Good Morning America” was planning to do a live segment at Skydive City, it was gone.

Or is it?

Jenna Brossman, a spokeswoman with Skydive City, told The Laker/Lutz News this afternoon that the popular morning television show had planned on doing a segment next week ahead of the World Canopy Piloting Championships, but then cancelled the segment.

The plan was to have a member of the GMA team — reportedly Ginger Zee — do a live tandem jump with the Golden Knights parachute team from the U.S. Special Operations Command headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. The jump would’ve taken place in the early morning hours of Nov. 7 in the skies just above Zephyrhills.

One of the people coordinating the event told Brossman Tuesday that it was cancelled. However, Skydive City president and general manager T.K. Hayes told The Laker/Lutz News Wednesday afternoon that as far as he knew, the jump was still on.

“I just got an email from one of the people on the show an hour ago asking about logistics,” Hayes said.

However, the jump is totally separate from the canopy piloting championships taking place at the same time, and Hayes said he would prefer if the show moved its segment to MacDill rather than Zephyrhills, because of how busy the skies will be that morning with the competition.

“They contacted me 24 hours ago, and put this together really fast, so no one seems to be clear on what’s happening,” Hayes said. “I’m really busy right now getting ready for the championships, and this is just not a good time for them to do this.”

Why the segment was originally cancelled — or if it still is — was not shared, and a request for comment from the ABC show was pending return early Wednesday. However, segments like this come and go quite frequently, and can be cancelled for a number of reasons, including other news, logistics, or projected audience interest.

“Good Morning America” currently is the top-rated network morning program in the country with nearly 5.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen. Its hosts include Amy Robach, Robin Roberts, Laura Spencer, George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan and Zee.

The World Canopy Piloting Championships is set for Nov. 4-6 beginning at 7 a.m., at Skydive City at Sky Dive Lane in Zephyrhills. The cost is free, and more information can be found at CPWorldZhills.com.

This story was updated 10/26/14 at 2:30 p.m. to include comments from T.K. Hayes, and to include material that may contradict an earlier report that this segment was cancelled.

Moore enters final campaign week with $22K available

October 27, 2014 By Michael Hinman

For the first time since the end of August, Erika Remsberg raised more money than her opponent in the Pasco County Commission District 2 race. But she still has a long way to catch up to the money spent by Mike Moore as the election closes in on its final week.

Remsberg, the Democrat in the race to succeed Pat Mulieri on the commission, picked up $1,914 in donations for the period ending Oct. 17, according to county election records. That was ahead of the $1,500 raised by Moore.

Most of that money was from two party-affiliated groups — the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida and the Pasco Democratic Executive Committee — which combined to donate $1,275 to Remsberg’s campaign. The rest came from local donors, all from Pasco County.

Moore locked in $1,000 from the Florida Roundtable political action committee, and an additional $500 from Bay Area Citizens for Responsible Government, the political action committee of the Tampa Bay Builders Association.

Although it might have been a slow fundraising week, that didn’t stop Moore from spending more than $23,000 — nearly all of it for advertising through Majority Strategies located in South Florida. Remsberg spent $1,103 over the course of that week, with about half of it ending up in local hands.

Moore goes into the final week with $171,000 raised, and $22,600 in the bank. Remsberg’s totals are now at just under $11,000, with a little more than $1,900 left to spend.

Voters choose between the two candidates on Nov. 4.

More than 5,000 show up for first day of early voting

October 27, 2014 By Michael Hinman

A lot of people are heading to the polls, and it’s not even Election Day yet.

Pasco County elections supervisor Brian Corley says more than 5,000 people turned out to vote on Saturday, as early voting started in various locations around the county.

By lunchtime on Monday, the number of early voters quickly approached 9,000, joining more than 38,000 mail-in ballots already received for the midterm election.

Republicans make up 45 percent of all the pre-Election Day voters so far in Pasco, while Democrats account for 35 percent. Non-affiliated voters or those from other parties make up the remaining 19 percent.

That brings total turnout so far to a little more than 15 percent. The best turnout so far has been at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club in San Antonio, where nearly 25 percent of the more than 2,100 people registered there have cast a ballot. That is a heavily Republican precinct, where Democrats are outnumbered nearly 2-to-1.

The worst turnout so far is at Darby Community Church in Dade City, were just 6 percent of the 764 voters there have finished their civic duty. That district is more balanced in terms of the major political parties, with 42 percent Republican and 34 percent Democratic.

Early voting continues through Saturday, with each location open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. This election gives voters a chance to choose between two governors in who will stay (or move back into) the mansion in Tallahassee. It also has some local races, including Pasco County Commission between Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg.

Voters also are choosing whether to support three amendments to the state constitution, ranging from land conservation to how state supreme court justices are appointed to medical marijuana.

• East Pasco Government Center, 14236 Sixth St., Dade City
• Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes
• New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills
• The Grove at Wesley Chapel, 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Wesley Chapel
• Hudson Library, 8012 Library Road, Hudson
• New Port Richey Elections Office, 8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey
• Regency Park Library, 9701 Little Road, New Port Richey
• South Holiday Library, 4649 Mile Stretch Drive, Holiday

RaceWay location in Dade City sold

October 23, 2014 By Michael Hinman

After more than 15 years of corporate ownership, RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. has sold its Dade City RaceWay location for $2.3 million.

It’s not clear if the sale of the property will affect the location in any way. A request for comment from the Atlanta-based RaceWay was pending return.

RaceWay was founded in 1934 in St. Louis as the Carl Bolch Trackside Stations. The company’s goal was to remain independent of the major oil companies, according to the company’s website.

Carl Bolch acquired the Oil Well Co. of Opp, Alabama, in 1959, and started to rapidly expand across the south beginning in the late 1960s. The RaceTrac name was adopted in 1979.

Forever the Keppel Way at Land O’ Lakes High

October 23, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The crowd was there to watch the football teams from Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake high schools take the field. But for several minutes before kickoff, they were all chanting something much different: “We love Keppel!”

Kris Keppel, who spent more than two decades as the coach of the Land O’ Lakes cross-country team, and even longer as a teacher, was given that ovation during last Friday’s game. Keppel, never one who likes to draw attention to himself, knew something was up when he was invited to the game. But he still showed up, because he knew his courage facing pancreatic cancer would continue to inspire the students and athletes at the school.

Kris Keppel along with daughters Meredith and Morgan, and wife Dar, proudly show the new sign students and visitors will see leading the way to the athletic fields of Land O’ Lakes High School. Principal Ric Mellin says this will remind everyone to take the ‘Keppel way.’ (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“It’s pretty easy to inspire,” Keppel told the crowd. “Inspiration is a two-way street. You all can inspire each other on a daily basis.”

School officials and his team wanted to honor Keppel for being a finalist in the Brooks Inspiring Coach of the Year contest. Although Keppel received the most votes in the nationwide competition, he was able to applaud as Renee Williams-Smith of Manhattan Beach, California, received this year’s award during a ceremony last summer in Seattle.

The initial idea was to give Keppel a large trophy, girls’ cross-country coach and close friend Karen DeHaas said. But then an idea surfaced that would allow Keppel’s work to be honored year after year, naming a new school inspirational award after him and a fellow teacher, the late Marilyn Ling, who also battled cancer.

“We have always had inspirational people that helped our students and helped our faculty,” school assistant principal Rich Batchelor said. “We would like to start a new award, the Ling Inspiring Individual Award. But we decided to rename it for the first recipient of the award. So it will now be known as the Ling Keppel Inspiring Individual Award.”

But the school wasn’t done. A small crowd walked to a spot just outside the Land O’ Lakes football stadium so a new street sign could be unveiled — renaming that stretch of Gator Lane to Keppel Way.

“What better way to have students in the future know how much he inspired us to do things the Keppel way than to actually rename the roadway that leads into the athletic facility here,” school principal Ric Mellin said. “From this point forward, every time our athletes come down the road from the parking lot into the stadiums in the back here, they are going to be doing it the Keppel Way.”

Keppel was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer more than a year ago. Despite his grueling treatment for the disease, Keppel continued to attend as many practices and meets as he could. That continued until this past school year when he was forced to retire to focus more on fighting the cancer. It meant stepping down from his longtime role as cross-country coach, too.

“He’s retired, yet he comes to all the practices, except when he has chemo on Mondays,” DeHaas said. “He’s not able to bike with the runners anymore, but having him out there has really motivated all of our runners, and they want to win for him.”

Those trips to practices and meets have become their own inspiration to Keppel.

“We’re a team, we are a partnership,” Keppel said. “They keep plugging away, and I keep plugging away.”

A recent change in his chemotherapy treatment has allowed Keppel to grow back his hair, his eyebrows, and even his trademark moustache. He has lost weight, but being able to recognize his reflection in the mirror has helped him continue to fight the cancer.

“I have good days and bad days, but today was a good day,” Keppel said, looking toward his wife Dar, standing nearby. “The last few days were good, but the beginning of the week wasn’t so hot. It is what it is, and you just take it one day at a time.”

And that couldn’t be any other way, because it is indeed the Keppel way.

Published October 22, 2014

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Burgess: There’s no place like home … rule

October 23, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Danny Burgess was nervous as he straightened his tie and tried to review in his head everything he was going to say.

It was his first debate in his race for a seat on the Zephyrhills City Council, and he had an uphill battle to convince older voters that electing an 18-year-old to represent them was the right way to go.

He was the youngest member of the Zephyrhills City Council in history at 18, and the youngest mayor at 27. Now, Danny Burgess is looking to take his precocious spirit to Tallahassee to represent state House District 38. (Courtesy of Danny Burgess)

“I realized that you just got to be an open book,” Burgess said. “I remember looking at my mom and telling her that I am just going to get up there and tell the truth. And as long as I’m telling the truth, nothing else matters.”

Telling the truth worked, as did Burgess’ highly precocious approach to life of being mature far beyond his years. He won that council seat, went to law school, threw in a quick year as mayor, and now a decade later he has a new prize in sight: state House District 38.

The current representative, Will Weatherford, would have to step down because of term limits, and Republicans needed a refreshing — and young — candidate to help energize its voting base in the district. Burgess, who had just stepped in to help calm a scandal in the mayor’s office in Zephyrhills, was the most logical choice for them.

But Burgess himself wasn’t quite yet convinced.

“I wanted to be in public service in some way shape or form when I was 18, and being on the council allowed me to provide a voice in the community because I knew I had something to offer,” he said. “I had to really think about (the District 38 race) because this is one of those decisions that should not be easily made. It’s something that can really take you away from your family, and I had a new wife, and I had a baby on the way.”

But Burgess made that decision, and on Dec. 3, he filed his paperwork to succeed Weatherford in Tallahassee.

The race has not been without its own excitement, however. Burgess geared up early for a primary run against Minnie Diaz, a strong up-and-comer herself who had become very active in both the community and politics. And the winner of that race would have to face longtime Pasco County teacher and education advocate Beverly Ledbetter on the Democratic side of the ticket.

But on qualifying day, Diaz was missing some paperwork, ultimately disqualifying her from the race. That allowed Burgess to focus instead on Ledbetter, who he has out-spent 6-to-1.

Remembering his political roots in Zephyrhills city government, Burgess is a champion of giving local governments as much power as possible. He has spoken out against unfunded mandates issued by Tallahassee, forcing smaller governments with much smaller budgets to scramble to stay in compliance with ever-changing laws.

“You really have to be careful,” he said. “Otherwise, a lot of the decisions you make on the state level can really tie the hands of our local government, which is our most precious form of government. It’s as democratic and as accountable as it’s ever going to get.”

Local governments know what they need and want, Burgess said, and far too often, lawmakers from hundreds of miles away think they know better.

Burgess also wants to make sure the fast development in Pasco County — the area he primarily represents — is done right, especially in places like Wesley Chapel.

“It’s one of the fastest-growing areas, and a lot of opportunities are starting to pop up,” Burgess said. “We have to continue to push these efforts and promote this area, and we have to support the local efforts and our local delegation to continue their work, like the State Road 56 expansion.”

He also is focusing on developing a better work force in the area, to help attract new businesses and keep high-paying jobs local. That includes his continued exploration of vocational opportunities that he started to do as Zephyrhills mayor, and making sure schools have the resources they need to make it happen.

“We have to remember that not everybody who goes to school is college-bound, and we need to have options for them,” Burgess said. “They need to work, too, and we need to make sure we’re providing those opportunities for them to succeed.”

Burgess, an attorney with Johnson Auvil Pratico & Chane P.A. in Dade City, hopes he has all the pieces in place to win Weatherford’s seat. But no matter what happens on Nov. 4, this is an experience he says he’ll never forget.

“This has been far more wonderful than I ever imagined it would be,” Burgess said. “It’s been fun along the way. And win, lose or draw, I’m very glad I did this.”

DANNY BURGESS
Republican for House District 38

Occupation
Associate attorney, Johnson Auvil Pratico & Chane P.A.

Elected Office
Zephyrhills City Council, 2005-08

Zephyrhills mayor, 2013-14

Family
Courtney Burgess, wife
Adeline, daughter

Residence
Lifelong of Pasco County, most recently in San Antonio

Fundraising, through Oct. 10
$124,790

The other side
The Laker/Lutz News profiled Danny Burgess’ Democratic opponent, Beverly Ledbetter, in the July 31 editions of our paper. To read more about her, visit our website at LakerLutzNews.com, or go directly to tinyurl.com/BeverlyLedbetter.

Published October 22, 2014

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