The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

County plans meetings highlighting flood issues

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What does Pasco County have to do better to help save lives and property in the event of a catastrophic flood?

That’s what officials want to know as they look to update their local mitigation strategy — an assessment of hazard vulnerabilities faced by property owners and residents. The meetings include discussion on how communities can better mitigate against flooding hazards to not only protect people and what they own, but also to help expedite post-disaster recovery.

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency will approve plans that will open municipalities like Pasco to receive grants that could pay for mitigation projects like improving stormwater management capabilities, buyout of properties repeatedly flooded, and other property and infrastructure improvements.

The first meeting is set for Aug. 25 beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Land O’ Lakes Community Recreation Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. On the agenda for that gathering is the mitigation strategy itself as well as the National Flood Insurance Program, the community rating system, the hazard vulnerability assessment, and the county’s coordination with other community plans.

The Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City, will host its own meeting Sept. 5 beginning at 1:30 p.m., which will include a review of the current mitigation activities, and to draft an action plan.

Other meetings are scheduled for Aug. 28 at the Pasco County Emergency Operations Center in New Port Richey, and Sept. 10 at the South Holiday Branch Library in Holiday.

To read more about the county’s local mitigation strategy, click here. Questions or comments should be directed to the county’s emergency management office at (727) 847-8137, or email Barbara Spaulding at .

Bilirakis to host veterans town hall

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is planning a town hall meeting to have what he is calling a “candid conversation” with veterans the general public about the potential of a new consolidated Veterans Affairs clinic in Pasco County.

The meeting is set for Aug. 27 at 5:30 p.m., at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

“I have spent the past several years fighting for a new consolidated clinic in Pasco County,” Bilirakis said, in a release. “Our veterans deserve the absolute best health care possible, and consolidation of the five VA clinics will enhance the accessibility to a centralized and convenient point of care.”

President Obama signed H.R. 2320 into law which created the new VA clinic for the county. However, the fate of where it will be located is up to VA officials. Yet, Bilirakis said he feels it’s his duty to “solicit opinions from veterans and their families from within our community. This clinic is for them, and their considerations should be taken into account.”

Bilirakis hosted a town hall meeting for veterans in June at the New Port Richey city council chambers, listening to concerns people had with VA hospitals.

In Print: Learning lessons from loss of Robin Williams

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The tragic death of actor and comedian Robin Williams shocked his fans and the world. It has been tough, even more than a week later, for people to grasp how someone who seemed so happy could feel so cornered in life, that the only out he could find was to end it.

The biggest question people ask themselves is, “Could it have been prevented?”

Suicide-depression-r100There are warning signs that could lead to saving the life of a loved one — or even your own. But even then, knowledge might not be enough.

“What comes out of all of this is that we never know when someone is suffering suicidal thoughts,” Betsey Westuba, chairwoman of the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition, told reporter B.C. Manion. “It’s a very complex situation.”

When someone does tragically commit suicide — around 39,000 Americans do it each year — it can be even more traumatic on family members, especially since those closest may blame themselves for not being able to stop it.

“I believe that friends and families of those who die by suicide have a particularly difficult grief challenge,” said Grace Terry, founder of Grief Resolution Resources of Tampa. “No matter what the circumstances or situation, people who have loved ones die by suicide have a crushing sense of guilt.”

To read more about how to help someone in need, and what sometimes happens in the minds of those who are contemplating suicide, read this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News. You can find it at your home or at local retailers, or you can read it free right now in our online e-edition by clicking here.

The new school year has started, with many kids showing up for class with dreams of going on to college and pursuing an amazing career. But there are others who may want those dreams, but feel that because of their family’s financial situation, can never achieve it.

But there is hope, as reporter Michael Murillo talks about in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News.

Pasco-Hernando State College runs a program called Concept College, where at-risk youth and disadvantaged high school students explore and obtain college opportunities. It helps nearly 600 students each year, taking them on campus at PHSC, giving them a firsthand look at college life, answering questions, helping with application, and exploring scholarship opportunities.

“This is really targeting students who need assistance to help make them believe that college is possible for them,” said Maria Hixon, PHSC’s director of development. “Sometimes without that direct outreach and personal attention, they kind of fall through the cracks.”

To find out how the program has helped students, and ways to get involved, read this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, or read the online e-edition for free by clicking here.

Finally, we as a society seem to have a hate-hate relationship when it comes to rust. We don’t want it on our cars, our metal tables, our pipes … nothing.

But B.C. Manion has found a North Tampa man named Tom Harden who not only loves rust, but seeks out the history behind each rusty object he finds.

“When people go out and detect, I always tell them, ‘Dig up the iron. You never known what you’re going to find,” Harden said. “When you’re planting the plant in the ground, or hoeing the row to plant the tomatoes, or whatever you’re going to plant — you might turn up that old iron object and wonder, ‘What is this? Where did it come from?'”

Learn what Harden has discovered, and some of the local history behind it in the B Section of this week’s The Laker/Lutz News. If you can’t wait to get the hard copy of the edition, read our free e-edition by clicking here.

Oh, and are you ready for some football? We continue our preview of all the local gridiron teams this week from reporter Michael Murillo with the Wesley Chapel Wildcats and the Pasco Pirates.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

And see The Laker XL with our brand-new video!

Arthur Kirk Jr. retiring from Saint Leo

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Saint Leo University is bracing to lose a longtime leader as president Arthur Kirk Jr. says he will retire after the 2014-15 academic year.

“While presidents often get credit for success, I am most proud of those at Saint Leo who embraced our mission, practiced our values, and pursued our vision, never fearing change, and working tirelessly to create a successful and sustainable university for the 21st century,” Kirk said, in a release. “The faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and friends have all been an integral part of what stands today as the third largest Catholic university in America.”

Arthur Kirk Jr.
Arthur Kirk Jr.

When Kirk first joined Saint Leo as its president, it was known as Saint Leo College, and had a student body of a little more than 7,400. However, in his nearly 18 years, that number has more than doubled to 16,450 students served by more than 240 faculty members, and offering 48 degree programs, from the 22 available when Kirk first started.

Kirk’s tenure also included the founding of the Center for Online Learning, which serves students all over the world. The physical campus itself continues to grow as well, with 11 new buildings over the years, and three renovated buildings, adding 70 acres and nearly 1 million square feet of new facilities.

Retiring was not an easy decision for Kirk, according to a release. And he said he would miss the students more than anything else.

“They stand as role models by practicing our core values while on campus, and then living them in the world as alumni,” Kirk said. “Saint Leo University is not about a president; it is the collective seeking each day to go from good to great. I will miss leading and working with such a wonderful collection of men and women with purpose.”

Saint Leo’s board of trustees already has contracted with an executive search firm, Witt/Keiffer, to help find a successor to Kirk. The search, they said, will be nationwide.

“The board of trustees takes seriously its role in finding the next leader for these dedicated people, and most importantly for our students,” said Cindy Brannen, the board’s chair, in a release. “The university can never repay Dr. Kirk for all he has done at Saint Leo, but we will start by working diligently to appoint a president who shares the university’s commitment to its mission, values and vision, and embraces his legacy of hard work and dedication.”

Kirk became the eighth president of Saint Leo in 1997 after serving as president of Keuka College in upstate New York. He had begun his administrative career at Kean University in New Jersey where he served as assistant director of the division of college development, and director of alumni affairs. He also served as director of development and planning for Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey, and directed the college’s off-campus, non-credit and curriculum development programs.

Kirk moved on to become the executive vice president and chief financial officer of College Misericordia in northeastern Pennsylvania, before getting the nod to lead Keuka College in 1984.

He received his bachelor’s degree and his master’s degree in administration from Kean University. He earned his doctorate from Rutgers University, writing his dissertation on small college survival strategies.

Zephyrhills chamber announces award nominees

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The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce is getting ready for its Annual Awards in Excellence that will be a part of its yearly banquet celebration this fall.

The nominees were based on submissions from chamber members, and then selected by a committee that included Amy Chappell, Carolyn Hodges, Carolyn Sentelik, Cliff McDuffie, David West, Gary Hatrick, Jodi Wilkeson, John Kinsman and Rebecca Gaddis.

This year’s nominees are:

Small Business of the Year (1-24 employees) — Abbott Station, All-Craft Marine/Century Boats, B&N Lenz Enterprises, Kaufman Eye Institute, Pasco Shopper, Rose’s Cafe, Scotland Yards, Skydive City, Skywatch Signs, Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

Large Business of the Year (25 or more employees) — Bahr’s Propane Gas & A.C., CenterState Bank, Golden Corral, Hobby Lobby, Humana, Nestle Waters America/Zephyrhills water, Ryman Construction, Sunrise Eatery, Walmart.

Diamond Award (nonprofit) — Chancey Road Christian Church, Pregnancy Care Center, Samaritan Project, Town Ark/The Thomas Promise, Zephyrhills Lions Club.

Innovative Business of the Year — Abbott Station, Aiozo Corp., All-Craft Marine/Century Boats, Charm Hair Studio, Park Lane Jewelry, Jarrett Ford, Skydive City, Skywatch Signs.

Leadership in Government — Bill Burgess, Bob Hatfield, Danny Burgess, Gene Whitfield, Jeff Trovillion, Linda Boan, Mike Handrahan, Shane LeBlanc.

Economic Development Champion — Cliff McDuffie, Danny Burgess, Paul Carreira, Rebecca Gaddis, Tim Pierson, Vonnie Mikkelsen, Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

Community Service Award — Chris Drews, Cliff McDuffie, John and Diana MacDiarmid, Paul Carreira, Sam Abrahani, Tim Mitchell, Wade Thomas, Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

Leadership in Youth Involvement — A.J. Hernandez, Amy Chappell, Danny Burgess, Kevin Bahr, Kevin Barrett, Reggie Roberts, Sean Klotz, Jimmy McAuley, Wade Thomas, Zephyrhills Bulldogs Inc.

Chamber Ambassador of the Year — John and Diana MacDiarmid, Russ and Lee Heffelfinger, Sam Abrahani, Stephanie Stephenson, Vicky Jones.

Chamber Member of the Year — CenterState Bank, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union.

Citizen of the Year — Carolyn Hodges, Carolyn Sentelik, Greg First, Jodi Wilkeson, John and Diana MacDiarmid, Ron Oakley, Sean Klotz, Tim Pierson, Wade Thomas.

Alice Hall Community Service Award — Carol Scheckler, Cliff McDuffie, Earl Young, Kevin Ryman, Linda Boan, Mike Prilliman.

The chamber’s annual banquet is set for Sept. 18 beginning at 6 p.m., at the Southport Springs Golf & Country Club, 3509 Zephyr Springs Parkway in Zephyrhills.

For information on the event, click here.

Heading south? Something you need to know

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Construction on the Veterans Expressway has made driving south interesting, to say the least. But this weekend, it might be something worth avoiding altogether.

The southbound inside travel lane between Hillsborough Avenue at Exit 4 and Memorial Highway at Exit 3 will be closed beginning Aug. 22, and not reopening until the early hours of Aug. 25.

Officials will start closing the road at 7 p.m., with worth in that area continuing until the re-opening Monday morning at 5.

The closure will allow workers to reconstruct the roadway base in that area, not far from the future express lanes planned for that portion of the road, officials said. It’s expected to create significant delays southbound on the Veterans between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. throughout the weekend.

The best way to avoid congestion, according to the release, would be to exit the Veterans at Hillsborough Avenue, and use the West Eisenhower Boulevard to rejoin the Veterans at Memorial Highway. There is no additional toll for anyone using this particular route.

If that wasn’t enough, the southbound on-ramp at Hillsborough Avenue will be closed during the same dates and times. Motorists needing to head in that direction should once again use West Eisenhower Boulevard, and enter the Veterans southbound at Memorial Highway.

The work is not expected to affect commuter traffic, since the roads will reopen before dawn.

Florida on way to 100 million tourists annually

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Tourism remains one of Florida’s largest industries, and one advocacy group says investment from the government created nearly 76,000 jobs in 2013.

The analysis, reported by Florida TaxWatch, says the state could reach its goal of attracting 100 million visitors annually by 2015.

“Florida’s thriving tourism industry provides extraordinary opportunities for economic growth,” said Dominic Calabro, president and chief executive of Florida TaxWatch, in a release. “By increasing the number of visitors to Florida, the state is on track to reach this important milestone, providing jobs to hardworking taxpayers along the way.”

The report reveals that the number of visitors to Florida increased by more than 2.8 million in 2013 alone, continuing a trend of steadily increasing visitor numbers, according to a release. Because of that increase, Florida added 38,400 tourism-related jobs. That should induce or indirectly result in 37,400 non-tourism jobs.

In all, it added nearly 76,000 jobs, with an annual salary of $43,000.

“Florida’s tourism industry is responsible for far more than lowering the tax burden for the state’s residents,” said Jerry Parrish, chief economist for Florida TaxWatch, in a release. “Expanding tourism has a direct impact on job creation in the state, and the economic impact can be felt in many of Florida’s other industries.”

Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, reports quarterly visitation and tourism industry employment figures to the state economist’s office. The latest figures from the first quarter of 2014 showed that 26.7 million visitors came to Florida, and that 1.13 million people are employed in the tourism industry.

That is the largest quarter for visitation the state has ever experienced, according to the release, beating the 26.2 million who visited a year before.

The average number of direct travel-related jobs in the first three months of this year also was a record high, up 3.5 percent from the same period in 2013.

“Coming off of three consecutive record years for visitation and employment, and experiencing the largest first quarter for the industry in our state’s history, proves the power of tourism as a way to sustain Florida’s economic growth,” said Will Seccombe, Visit Florida’s president and chief executive, in a release. “With Florida tourism maintaining this type of strong momentum, we are well on our way to welcoming 100 million visitors, and making Florida the No. 1 travel destination in the world.”

The non-tourism jobs being created are in areas like retail trade, administrative services, construction, transportation and warehousing, Florida TaxWatch said. The additional marketing investment by the Legislature — along with investments by private-sector companies — have helped to create the new jobs.

World in chaos, but gas prices still dropping

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Gas prices are inching closer and closer to a milestone it hasn’t reached in nearly four years: Sell of less than $3 per gallon.

The decline in the cost of a gallon go gas continued last week, with Florida’s average dropping another 2 cents to $3.35 on Sunday, according to a new report from AAA – The Auto Club Group. In fact, gas prices in some metropolitan markets in the south have actually fallen below $3.20, which some stations not far from Tampa International Airport actually dipping below $3.10 as well.

That drop has taken place despite the turmoil happening overseas, said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins.

“Motorists are reaping the benefits of booming domestic oil production, which has provided the cheapest gas prices for August in years,” he said, in a release. “The price of oil declined slightly last week, so gas prices could skip even more this week.”

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue, as well as some unrest in Libya. Yet, nothing overseas has disrupted oil distribution, Jenkins said. The price of a barrel of oil dropped 30 cents to $97.35, suggesting there is still more room for gas costs to drop.

Nationally, gas has averaged $3.46 a gallon, down  2 cents from a week ago. Florida gas is down 16 cents from a year ago, and 18 cents from just a month ago.

Gas prices in Land O’ Lakes on Sunday were reported as low as $3.15 at the Hess station on State Road 52 and U.S. 41, according to GasBuddy. The most expensive there was reported in the Shell station on State Road 54 and State Road 56, where prices checked in at $3.39 late Sunday night.

Prices were at $3.16 in some parts of Wesley Chapel and New Tampa, including the Sam’s Club on State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, as well as the Kangaroo station at 14611 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. The most expensive in that area, according to GasBuddy, was the Shell station at County Road 54 and Oakley Boulevard.

In Lutz, prices were anywhere from $3.18 like at both a Chevron and Sunoco station at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway, and $3.39 at the Shell station at North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road.

The cheapest gas in Zephyrhills was $3.28 at a Sunoco station at Gall Boulevard and Geiger Road, with the most expensive reported at Cumberland Farms at State Road 39 and U.S. 301, at $3.36.

Dade City was a lot better, at least for anyone willing to travel north toward Hernando County. The Shell station at Cortez Boulevard and U.S. 301 was selling gas at $3.19, according to GasBuddy, while the most costly was at a Citgo at Lock and 21st streets, where regular gas was selling for $3.49 Sunday.

 

Local environmental group looking for interns to travel state

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What would it be like to take a tractor-trailer around the state sharing lessons about the environment with schools, special events and festivals?

WaterVentures Florida’s Learning Lab, based at Crystal Springs Preserve just outside of Zephyrhills, is looking for interns who want to “share the wonders” of the state’s water through guided labs and interactive exhibits.

The outreach program was developed in partnership with the Crystal Springs Foundation, a non-profit that turned the former Crystal Springs recreation area into an educational center that attracts some 50,000 students each year.

Interns selected to participate will teach hands-on, directed learning, environmental science activities, represent the organization at community and professional events, and analyze informal education data. It takes place during the spring semester, which runs from January to June next year.

Housing will be provided throughout the internship, as well as both a food and daily allowance stipend.

Crystal Springs Preserve was founded by Nestle Waters North America, which owns the Zephyrhills bottled water company.

To learn more about the position, or to apply, click here.

Another 2,100 jobs added to Florida in July

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The job sector in Florida continues to grow, with another 2,100 people given an opportunity to earn a paycheck last month.

That helped the state’s unemployment rate drop to 6.2 percent, down from the 7.3 percent recorded a year ago, but flat with June.

“Florida continues to see positive job growth highlighting our economic recovery, so let’s keep working to make sure every Floridian who wants a job can get one,” Gov. Rick Scott said, in a release.

Florida’s unemployment rate has steadily dropped since clocking in at 11.1 percent in late 2010, and has followed the economic recovery of the rest of the nation as it emerged from the Great Recession. The annual job growth rate, however, has exceeded the nation’s rate since April 2012, the governor’s office said, creating 620,300 jobs since December 2010.

In July, the state’s 24 regional workforce boards reported more than 39,100 people were placed in jobs. This counts anyone who receives employment and training assistance through a CareerSource Center, and finds a job within 180 days. Of these people, a little more than 8,000 received unemployment benefits, according to a release.