The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Scallop season could start earlier in the Gulf

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Gov. Rick Scott is asking the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to open the bay scallop season three days earlier than normal. The idea, he said, would be to create additional recreational opportunities for Florida residents and visitors, and help provide an economic boost to coastal communities.

“The bay scallop fishery is especially important to Florida’s Big Bend region, and by opening the bay scallop season three days earlier, Floridians throughout this area will have more opportunities to enjoy our national treasures and provide for their families,” Scott said, in a release.

The season normally opens July 1, but if approved, would open instead on June 28. Scott also wants to consider making the change permanent, by opening the season the Saturday before July 1.

The recreational season is set to open in the Gulf of Mexico state waters (up to nine nautical miles from shore) beginning at the Pasco-Hernando county line, to the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County. The season will remain open through Sept. 24.

Scott pushed for a similar early start last year as well, although it’s not expected to negatively affect the scallop populations, according to published reports.

Expect crowded roads this Memorial Day weekend

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More than 36.1 million Americans will take to the road during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, kicking off a summer season where more than 8-in-10 travelers will drive to their destinations.

“A long and unusually harsh winter gave many Americans the travel bug,” said Mark Jenkins, a spokesman with AAA, in a release. “Combine rising temperatures with signs of an improving economy, and travel for the holiday should hit a new post-recession high.”

The amount of people traveling at least 50 miles from home is up 1.5 percent from 35.5 million people who traveled last year, AAA said. However, more than half — some 57 percent — are still working to finalize their travel plans with things such as hotel reservations, car rentals, and such.

“Hotel and car rental reservations are filling up fast for Memorial Day,” said AAA Travel spokeswoman Jessica Brady, in a release. “Now is the time to make your Memorial Day travel arrangements to ensure you get what you want for the price that fits your budget.”

Travelers who plan to fly instead — about 2.6 million across the country — will find higher prices at the ticket counters. Airfares are up 6 percent, with mid-range hotels climbing 2 percent from last year, and car rentals up 1 percent, AAA said.

The winter was a hindrance to economic growth at the beginning of the year, but economic factors influenced by weather — such as car and home sales — appear to be resolving themselves now, AAA said.

Most drivers will pay lower gas prices during the holiday weekend because of rising supplies. The prices themselves should be steady with last year, at an average of $3.63 per gallon.

AAA bases its economic forecasting and research on IHS Global Insight, which has been working with the automobile association since 2009.

MOSI hosting hurricane expo

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It’s almost time for hurricane season, and the Museum of Science & Industry will host its free Tampa Bay Hurricane Expo to get the word out on how to be ready.

The expo — hosted by MOSI, Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa — will take place May 31 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the museum, 4801 E. Fowler Ave.

Hurricane season begins June 1 and continues through Nov. 30. The expo’s goal is to raise awareness about the importance of disaster preparedness by teaching hat to do before, during and after a storm.

Residents will learn the importance of having a solid disaster plan in place well in advance, so they can quickly recover after a storm.

The event will provide a kid-friendly entertainment, games and other activities. Adult and children can also have a chance to see various vehicles from first-responder agencies, as well as a variety of speakers and vendors.

Among the speakers will be professional meteorologists during question-and-answer weather panels from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There also will be a resiliency/survivor’s panel at 10 a.m, where guests can hear stories from people who have experienced and recovered from a disaster, along with expert advice and preparation techniques to protect themselves and their homes.

For information, visit TampaBayHurricaneExpo.com.

Mobile medical unit coming to Land O’ Lakes

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Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic CHurch will host the mobile medical unit provided by the Pasco County public defender’s office, May 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The unit provides free health care for the uninsured and homeless, all at no charge. While it does not provide emergency services, the unit does help with the following services:

• Treatment for a brief illness
• Treatment for a long-term illness that requires ongoing medical care, like high blood pressure and diabetes
• Treatment for temporary infection and pain, such as dental abscess
• Would and derma care
• School physicals, with the student’s Social Security card and appropriate identification, as well as parent
• Pregnancy testing
• Flu shots
• Hot showers

The unit also offers some prescription voucher assistance, however no drugs are kept on board the unit.

Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church is located at 2348 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

Wesley Chapel Walmart hiring 300 people

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A new Walmart planning to open this summer on State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel is now in the process of hiring up to 300 people to work in the store.

In anticipation of that opening, Walmart has set up a temporary hiring center at 28211 Paseo Drive, Suite 190, in Wesley Chapel. It will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Those who don’t want to go out physically also can apply online at Careers.Walmart.com.

Walmart says it will give extra attention to military veterans who have been honorably discharged over the last 12 months through its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment. Details of that program can be found at WalmartCareersWithAMission.com.

The new Walmart will be managed by Stephanie White, and will look for both full- and part-time associates.

The majority of the new employees are set to begin work in July to help prepare for the store’s grand opening, Walmart officials said, in a release.

Gas prices to drop in time for holiday weekend

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There will be some relief at the gas pump after all this weekend as drivers are set to hit the road for the Memorial Day weekend holiday.

AAA says average gas prices in Florida will drop to $3.64 per gallon this weekend. That’s a penny less than the national average, and 12 cents lower than what it was just a month ago. However, that is more than what motorists were paying last year when Memorial Day came in with average gas prices at $3.47 per gallon.

The latest drop comes as crude oil supplies continue to force gas prices lower. However, demand for gas is at its highest level since 2009, according to the Energy Information Administration.

More than 31.8 million Americans will fill their gas tanks and take a trip of 50 miles or more over the holiday weekend, AAA said. The national average for gas is down 1 cent from the previous week, while Florida saw a 3-cent drop — ahead of just 2-cent drops in Georgia and Tennessee.

“AAA has forecast gas prices to be at or near last year’s levels during the Memorial Day holiday weekend,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA, in a release. “However, the margins of decline have been modest in the past week, and prices could be slightly higher than a year ago. Even still, gas prices at these levels are not enough to keep people from traveling during the holiday.”

Gasoline prices have dropped since the beginning of May, which is typical for this time of year, AAA said. May 1 is the deadline for refineries to start making its summer-blend fuel, and now that the transition is complete, gas prices have likely reached their peak for the spring.

Odessa, Lutz among wealthiest ZIP codes

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Where is most of the wealth based in the Tampa Bay area?

A new survey conducted by Environmental Systems Research Institute and the Tampa Bay Business Journal revealed that among the richest ZIP codes are 33548, 33558 and 33556 — located in Lutz and Odessa.

Odessa just missed the ranking’s top five where residents have a median disposable income of $90,404, and a net worth of $993,591. The 33548 ZIP was ranked 12th with a median disposable income of $83,004, and a net worth of $945,668. Residents living in Lutz’s 33558 had disposable income of $81,223, and a net worth of $816,860, earning them a No. 17 rank in the poll.

In The Laker/Lutz News readership area, no other ZIP code finished in the top 20, although 34639 — which includes most of the Land O’ Lakes area just outside of Connerton — finished No. 29 with a median disposable income of $58,738, and a net worth of $196,027.

The 33613 ZIP, which includes the most southern part of the Lutz area, finished the lowest in the readership area, ranked No. 194, with a disposable income of $22,779, and a net worth of $11,109, according to the survey.

The richest ZIP code in the Tampa Bay region was 34228 in the Longboat Key area, where household income was $97,133 and the median net worth was $500,001.

The company and newspaper tracked both accumulated wealth and income in Pasco, Hillsborough, Hernando, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and Polk counties.

To check out other ZIP codes, click here. To see how others ranked, view the map here.

Jobs picture continues to strengthen in Florida

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Florida’s private sector added 33,700 jobs in April, bringing its total to 600,400 since December 2010.

The news was released by Gov. Rick Scott’s office, which added that Florida’s unemployment rate also dropped slightly to 6.2 percent last month. That makes it the ninth consecutive month the state’s unemployment rate has been below the national rate.

Florida’s labor force in April was 9.6 million, which consists of people with jobs, and those who are collecting unemployment benefits.

The state’s over-the-year job growth rate in April of 3.3 percent is the fastest annual job growth rate since March 2006, before the housing market crash.

Florida’s 24 regional workforce boards reported more than 42,500 Floridians were placed in jobs in April. That includes anyone who received employment and training assistance through a CareerSource Center, and finds a job within 180 days. Of those people, more than 8,800 of them were receiving unemployment benefits.

9 HART drivers inducted into One Million Mile Club

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The Tampa Area Safety Council has honored nine Hillsborough Area Regional Transit drivers with the One Million Mile Club Award during its recent luncheon.

The drivers — Desmond Coulson, Demetra Jackson, Charles Evans, Rigoberto Oquendo, Luis Garcia, Thomas Palmore, David Gonzalez, Al Hughes and Antonio White — have careers with the bus system that date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, and have completed an average of 14 consecutive years without a preventable accident.

The total driving of these drivers is 9 million miles, the equivalent of driving to the moon and back 38 times without an accident, according to a release.

The One Million Mile Club has been in existence since 1994, and has 124 members — with 24 of the now inducted into the Two Million Mile Club, which requires 27 years of driving without a preventable accident.

Only one person, retired HART driver Samuel Baker, holds the title of a Three Million Mile Club, a designation he earned in 2004 after driving 42 years without causing an accident.

HART has more than 400 bus and van operators, and go through an extensive and stringent training course that covers safety, customer service and emergency response.

Time to ride that bike to work

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Some Pasco County employees will work to bring more attention to the benefits of biking to work when they ride their own bicycles to the job on May 16.

The ride starts from the corner of Town Avenue and Starkey Boulevard at 7 a.m. It will run north on the path that runs adjacent to Starkey before turning west on DeCubellis Road, and then finally heading north to Little Road, ending at the West Pasco Government Center there. The riders will then make a return trip at 5 p.m.

Bikers who would like to participate are welcome, but they are asked to bring their own water.

The ride coincides with National Bike Month, which has been held since 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists.

“Biking provides many  benefits not only to the cyclist, but to our environment,” said Allen Howell, a bicycle and pedestrian planner for the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization, in a release. “If we get more people to commute to work via bicycle, then we can reduce the amount of cars on the roads, thus reducing the greenhouse gases. It’s a small start, but it’s a start in the right direction.”

Howell reviews bicycle and pedestrian master plans for the county, and coordinates with adjacent counties and municipalities for long-range trail planning. He is part of the team that is reviewing the land development code, and says he believes having bike paths and trails is key to getting more people biking to work.

“The county’s goal is to have multi-use trails connecting parks, attractions and neighborhoods,” Howell said. “We’d like bike paths to be a minimum of 10 feet, with an idea width of 15 feet.”

By building bike paths to that width, there can be safe, two-way bike traffic plus pedestrian traffic, he added.

For information on the event, call Howell at (727) 847-2411, ext. 8678.