The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

County offices to close for Labor Day

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Pasco County government offices, including the constitutional offices and courts will be closed Sept. 1 for Labor Day. All those offices will reopen on Sept. 2.

The Pasco County Tax Collector’s office will be closed Aug. 30 as well as Sept. 1, reopening Sept. 2.

All Pasco County libraries will be closed that Monday, and reopen the next day at their regularly scheduled times.

Recreation centers will be closed Sept. 1, however, parks and beaches will remain open to the public from dawn to dusk.

The adoption center, intake and reclaim cheater, and field services for Pasco County Animal Services, will be closed Sept. 1, An animal control officer will remain available, however, but only for emergencies. All the offices will resume regular business hours on Sept. 2, with the adoption center open from noon to 4:30 p.m., and the rest of the offices opening at 8 a.m.

Pasco County Public Transportation will be closed Sept. 1, and will not provide services. Buses will resume on Sept. 2.

Pasco County Utilities customer information and service offices will be closed Sept. 1, reopening the next day.

The West Pasco County Resource Recovery Center and the East Pasco Transfer Station will be closed Sept. 1 to the general public. However, they will remain open to licensed commercial haulers. Both will reopen to the general public on Sept. 2.

Brewfest coming to Skydive City in October

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Skydive City in Zephyrhills will host its inaugural Skydive City Brewfest Oct. 25, with a beer pouring and sampling event featuring the award-winning beverages created by local homebrewer Robert Hilferding and up to 25 other homebrewers from around Central Florida.

Hilferding is a long-time Zephyrhills resident and businessman who took up homebrewing as a hobby after retiring. Last June, he won the 2014 American Homebrewers Association Homebrewer of the Year award with his best-in-show entry in the Scottish and Irish ale category.

Bill Back, a Zephyrhills businessman who worked with Skydive City in the past, developed the idea and pitched it to Hilferding and Skydive City general manager T.K. Hayes over the summer.

“After learning of Robert’s outstanding accomplishment, I certainly felt there should be a way to celebrate together with the community,” Back said, in a release. “The venue at Skydive City is an ideal location for this first-ever event offering a casual and inviting vibe suited for both tasters, brewers and guests.

Skydive competitors and enthusiasts from around the world are expected to begin arriving at the drop zone ahead of the FAI World Championships of Canopy Piloting, set for Nov. 1-7 in Zephyrhills. The Brewfest will overlap with many competitors already in town to train daily.

“We’ll be there to welcome them with a fine cold homebrew and more,” Back said.

Brewfest also will include offerings from regionally licensed craft breweries provided by the Dade City Brass Tap and the Sunset Bar. The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Skydive City to promote the evenet, and will host a VIP tasting area.

The Skydive City Brewfest is set for Oct. 25 from 3 p.m. to midnight at 4241 Sky Dive Lane in Zephyrhills.

Beer pouring and tasting, along with a live disc jockey, will run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., with live bands taking over from 8 p.m. to midnight. And award ceremony is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Beer and wine also will be available for purchase, with tickets costing $20 in advance, or $25 day of the show. An entry fee of $5 will collected for non-tasting patrons, spectators and concert attendees.

To get advance tickets, visit Bookings.burblesoft.com/index/53/25.

For information, email Bill Back at , or call him at (813) 355-1195.

Traveling? Labor Day gas prices expected at 4-year low

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When gas prices will start to climb again, no one knows. And while there may be a slight increase in time for the high-demand season of Labor Day weekend, AAA says expect those prices to be the lowest they’ve been in four years.

“Record-high oil production is keeping downward pressure on gas prices,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “The bottom fell out again on oil prices last week, which should lead to another week of discounts at the pump despite rising demand, as 29.7 million Americans plan to take a road trip for Labor Day weekend.”

The price for a barrel of oil dropped $3.70 last week to $93.65 — its cheapest since January. Refineries are producing the most petroleum for this time of year since 1989, AAA said, primarily because of the shale boom, which has boosted oil production in the United States by 64 percent in the past five years.

Gas prices in Florida were at $3.34 on Sunday, down nearly 2 cents from the week before, and 15 cents lower than what they were a month ago. Prices also are 22 cents cheaper than Labor Day weekend last year.

Of the southern states AAA reviews in its report, Tennessee and the cheapest gas at $3.21 a gallon, down a penny from the week before, and 18 cents lower than Labor Day 2013.

The cheapest gallon of gas in the Land O’ Lakes area, according to GasBuddy.com, is at the RaceTrac on State Road 52 and Silver Palm Boulevard, where prices were reported late Sunday night at $3.11. The Shell station at the corner of State Road 54 and State Road 56 had the highest prices in the area at $3.37.

In Wesley Chapel, Sam’s Club on State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard had the cheapest gas at $3.14, with the Shell station at State Road 54 and Oakley Boulevard reporting $3.39.

In Lutz, the Chevron and Sunoco stations on State Road 54 and Collier Parkway both reported $3.18 Sunday night, while the most expensive was found at the Shell station at Van Dyke Road and Lakeshore Drive at $3.39.

Gas in Zephyrhills still remains a little pricier than other parts of the county, with GasBuddy’s lowest reported price at the Marathon station on the corner of Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road where it cost $3.25 per gallon. The Citgo at County Road 54 and 20th Street was the most expensive at $3.34.

Dade City was a little cheaper, with $3.17 reported at the Clark station near the corner of U.S. 301 and Long Avenue. The most expensive was $3.31 at the Chevron station on the corner of Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue.

Why do gas prices seem to rise the more east one travels in Pasco County? Read all about it in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available Aug. 27.

Pasco school buses run smoother than expected

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With hundreds of school buses on the road transporting thousands of students from home to school and back again, Pasco County Schools set up a transportation call center to help fix any issues quickly.

However, after Friday, that center will close down — a week earlier than expected. That’s thanks to the fact that the call volume to the center over the first week has dwindled down to levels where such a hotline is no longer needed, officials said.

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School buses line up for students at Denham Oaks Elementary School for the start of the school year. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

The early closure of the telephone line can be attributed to the planning, training and other steps the district and schools took to make the transportation run smoothly at the start of the school year, officials said in a release. Those steps included finalizing bus stops by the end of June, developing a smartphone app that provided school bus information, provide more practice runs for bus drivers prior to the start of school, using bus labels for elementary school students, and parent cooperation.

“This is an example of how successful an operation can be when district departments work together, schools work with the district, and parents and students work together with the schools and district,” school district superintendent Kurt Browning said, in a release. “We also owe our gratitude to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office for helping with elementary school traffic issues, and supplying volunteers to help at the call center.”

Parents who still call the hotline will be forwarded to one of the transportation compounds for assistance. In addition, schools will continue to use the My Bus Loop app through Aug. 29, and could still use it throughout the school year.

Do your research before joining fun runs

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Fun runs are supposed to be exactly as they’re called, fun. But the Better Business Bureau has been receiving complaints about some fun runs around the country, where they are being cancelled with short notice, and often with no refunds.

Such an event was cancelled in Cleveland last July with only four days’ notice. Participants who prepaid received an email from the event saying that “unfortunately, we’re not able to provide you with a refund,” the BBB said, in a release. Those who paid up to $75 in registration fees wanted their money back, but it’s not clear if that will happen, especially since the organization running it has filed for bankruptcy protection.

Fun runs can be enjoyable and take place for a good cause. However, BBB offers some tips before committing to a fun run:

* Do you research. Check out the company’s BBB business review online, and search more about the group online before signing up.

• Understand the terms and conditions. In some cases, promoters say on their websites that they don’t offer refunds, but many consumers don’t read the fine print before hitting “I agree” to long online documents.

• Check the local venue. Contact the park or other venue to confirm that the event is scheduled.

• Pay with a credit card. Charges made on a credit card can be disputed after a purchase, whereas debit, cash or wire transfer transactions cannot.

• Keep documentation. After completing the online registration process, participants should receive a confirmation receipt. Print that out and keep a copy of the confirmation and any other supporting documentation for future reference.

• Check out the charity. Most fun runs are for-profit, but if the promoters claim a portion of the proceeds will go to charity, check it out on Give.org to make sure a donation is going to a trustworthy charity. Be wary of sound-alike names similar to more famous charities.

HPH Hospice forming affiliation agreement with Chapters Health

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HPH Hospice has taken a big step forward to create an affiliation with Chapters Health System, a not-for-profit post-acute health care system headquartered in Temple Terrace.

Chapters already affiliates with LifePath Hospice in Hillsborough County and Good Shepherd Hospice in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties.

The affiliation between HPH and Chapters is expected to be finalized by the end of December, according to a release. When it’s completed, the two will work together to provide services to address the needs of patients coping with advancing age, complex medical conditions, and end-of-life issues throughout the six central Florida counties they currently serve.

“With continuously changing state and federal regulations and reimbursement practices in today’s environment, it takes a tremendous amount of education and financial strength to maintain quality (and) compassionate care,” said Tom Barb, HPH’s president and chief executive, in a release. “This partnership will enhance our common not-for-profit missions, and guarantee that more patients coping with serious illnesses have access to exceptional care at a challenging time in their lives.”

Even with the affiliation, HPH will continue to use its current branding, and will continue to raise funds through the HPH Foundation to support programs specific to patients and families in Hernando, Pasco and Citrus counties.

HPH was founded in 1984 as Hernando-Pasco Hospice, and shortened it to its current name in 2006 when the organization expanded into Citrus County. The company employed 526 people in 2013, providing care to nearly 4,600 patients.

Chapters Health is the parent of LifePath Hospice, first licensed in 1983 as Hospice of Hillsborough. In 2004, Chapters acquired Good Shepherd Hospice, which had been delivering hospice care in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties since 1979.

Last year, Chapters employed more than 1,300 people, and delivered services to nearly 13,000 patients.

Southfork TOPS installs new officers

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The support group for TOP — Take Off Pounds Sensibly — recently installed new officers during its meeting at Southfork Mobile Home Park.

Area captain Sarah Hernandez performed the installation, and gave out charm awards to all the past officers for their service.

The new offers elected are Sue Antoine as leader, Shelia Hewitt as co-leader, Barb Christie as secretary, Phullios Grossi as treasurer and weight recorder, and Mary Pearson as assistant weight recorder.

TOPS is for those struggling with weight loss, and the group meets Saturday mornings for discussions and interactions on how to improve and monitor eating habits without restrictions.

Anyone interested in joining can email .

Published August 20, 2014

So happy to be back on Zephyrhills soil

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It is so good to be back in Zephyrhills again — safe and sound — after a two-week vacation to Bethel, Pennsylvania. There we stayed in a farmhouse that was remodeled by our friends, Ray and Clara Moyer. The Moyers also have a house here in Gem Estates.

Ann and Joe Casey made a trip to Hawaii for the wedding of Ann’s son, Chet Darby, and his bride, Tammy. (Courtesy of Lee Heffelfinger)
Ann and Joe Casey made a trip to Hawaii for the wedding of Ann’s son, Chet Darby, and his bride, Tammy.
(Courtesy of Lee Heffelfinger)

The weather in that two-week period was fantastic, in the 60s and 70s. It only rained one evening, and of course it was when we were at my brother’s house in Schaefferstown having an outdoor get-together.

We had a high school class reunion at the Dutchway restaurant, and there were 16 of the 35 classmates in attendance. Not bad, considering about 10 of them passed away during the past 50 years.

We were invited to several home-cooked dinners. And if you know anything about Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, it was good food, and very filling.

Joe and Ann Casey recently returned from a trip to Hawaii to attend Ann’s son, Chet Darby’s wedding.

He and his new bride, Tammy, were excited to have Ann and Joe be part of the wedding party at White Rock Beach on Maui. The wedding took place near the beach homes of Clint Eastwood and Oprah Winfrey, which made it even more memorable.

Other than the wedding, Joe and Ann spent the remainder of their vacation trip biking, swimming and horseback riding on the amazing beach, and enjoying the spectacular rainforest scenery with skyscraping volcanic peaks. They agree with the locals who say “Maui no ka oi,” which means “Maui is the best.”

They enjoyed the temperatures in the mid- to high-80s, walking in the sun-warmed sand while they saw the hula shows, ukulele sessions, and looking thru great shops.

We still have our coffee socials on Thursday morning, and that’s where we hear the news about what is going on in the park. We know Betty York is having a rough time and is in rehab, and her grandson is staying at her house and is nearby to help her.

We have several new residents that moved into the park. Shirley Schaeffer’s house on Rockford has been sold to Debi Molzon, and the Bernice Edwards property sold to David and Dale Taylor. Welcome to the park.

We have several birthday celebrants in August: John Phillips, Pat Cook, Joan Newland, Joan Andress, Harold Beck, Sy Budzinski and Virginia Carlson.  Happy birthday to all.

We are planning a bus trip to Biloxi, Mississippi, in September for a mini vacation, staying at the Imperial Palace for four days. We can gladly take anyone along that has the $209 for the bus fare.

If you want to be included with our group, call me at (813) 780-1012 for more information.

By Lee Heffelfinger

Published August 20, 2014

A break from Grand Horizons, with adventures in Maine

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During the middle of July, we took a trip to Maine. We try to go there every so often as we have some good friends who retired in Maine, and we all get together for a good time.

Before meeting them, we made a stop to see the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and Park. It was lovely there, and the lighthouse is situated on majestic rocky ledges on the Maine coast in Bristol.

Marty and Helene Rubenstein, back, catch up with their good friends, Duane and Joanne Ferrante, on a recent trip to Maine.
Marty and Helene Rubenstein, back, catch up with their good friends, Duane and Joanne Ferrante, on a recent trip to Maine.

This is a favorite spot for artists and photographers, as the views are breathtaking. This is usually a spectacular spot to not only see the lighthouse and the view, but also sit for a while on the benches that are in the park and take in the surroundings.

It was somewhat foggy that day, but we could still take in the various sites, and it was so relaxing.

This lighthouse was selected by Maine residents to represent their state on the quarter in 2003. The lighthouse is 39 feet tall and commands a dramatic view of Johns Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The light was automated in 1934, and later the fog bell, which hung on the bell house, was removed.

After viewing the lighthouse and park, we went to a fisherman’s museum, which was adjacent to the lighthouse. Inside, we saw the navigation room that had an exhibit with the lens formerly at Baker Island Light, on loan from the U.S. Coast Guard. This is a Fresnel lens built in France.

Also seen were a bronze buoy bell and iron chain, a four-valve mechanism from a whistle buoy, and a Lyle gun for shooting a lifeline to ships in distress. You also can see a chart of the coast of Maine used by fishermen and all coast traffic, along with pictures of all the lighthouses on the coast with numbers showing their location on the chart.

We then went on to the Fish House, which is the work area of the lobsterman. Here you will see tools and gears on workbenches, and lobster pot buoys that are hanging on the walls. The gallery consists of working half-models of fish boats, and more photographs showing aspects of the industry in bygone days. Almost all exhibits have been donated by fishermen and their families.

From here, we saw some more sites like a working alpaca farm. The alpacas were out in full force, and they looked so docile. I honestly didn’t get to find out firsthand, as I was quite intrigued by the gift shop and items that were made from alpaca. They were so soft.

On to a big department store called Big Al’s Super Values, and they had items that we haven’t seen for quite some time. It was a delight just to browse through the store. It actually brought back pleasant memories.

We went on a cruise and got to see the sights from the water. It was so relaxing, and the two hours just flew right by. After the boat ride, we did view several more lighthouses, and each one was different than the other. Each one had a distinctive quality about it.

While we were going home to Connecticut, we did make a stop at Scarborough, Maine, to see Lenny at Len and Libby Chocolates. This place houses the world’s only life-size chocolate moose. I had to see it to believe it, and the ad was so true. There was Len, but they also had Libby, also life-size. Yes, it was a chocolate Maine black bear and her two cubs.

We just had to see this, as we couldn’t picture it. It was almost unbelievable.

Our last stop on this trip was to visit the Hebert Candy Mansion located in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. This is a sweet adventure for the entire family. They had every type of candy available for sale. There were all kinds of handcrafted chocolates.

One thing was different, and that was an ice cream buffet that we just had to try out. It was sure worth it. Yummy!

By Helene Rubenstein

Published August 20, 2014

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 .