The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Marshalls grand opening set for May 15

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Marshalls is set to open its newest store in Land O’ Lakes May 15 at the Village Lakes Shopping Center.

The 24,000-square-foot store will be one of more than 900 in 43 states and Puerto Rico. The first day, which runs from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., will include giveaways and gift card prizes, according to a release.

The regular hours for the store will run Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It will bring approximately 60 full- and part-time jobs to the area, as well as more than 10,000 new items added to the inventory weekly.

Marshalls also is planning to donate $5,000 to Feeding America Tampa Bay as part of its opening festivities during a ribbon cutting May 15 at 7:30 a.m. Marshalls maintains national and local partnerships with charitable organizations around the country, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Groundbreaking for new county utilities center Wednesday

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A groundbreaking originally scheduled for April will no take place May 6 at Pasco County’s new Utilities Administration and Operations Facility.

The building will be the central administration location for the Pasco Utilities System, and will be located at 19420 Central Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, just off of U.S. 41.

“I am excited to see this building become a reality,” said Bruce Kennedy, assistant county administrator for the utilities service branch, in a release. “We have sought for several years to provide a central location for Pasco utilities customers, and I believe this design will benefit both the customer and employees who will work in the building.”

Pasco County commissioners awarded the $9 million construction contract to Construction Technology Group Inc. of Plant City last February. The 50,000-square-foot building will be built on 30 acres of land the county already owns just north of the Tierra del Sol community.

The building will have a customer service section located on the first floor, with a five-seat curved counter. It also will have a covered drive-up service window, and an optional second lane that can be opened in the future.

The building’s theme is consistent with the architectural designs and features of the Historic Dade City Courthouse, county officials said. It also will be consistent with the nearby Connerton community.

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place May 7 at 11 a.m.

Flood watch continues throughout region

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UPDATE: This advisory has expired.

With more rain expected to continue on Saturday, the National Weather Service has issued a flood watch, which will remain in effect until 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The weather service says a frontal boundary of a weather system will slowly sag southward across West Central Florida. That will produce a number of rain showers and isolated thunderstorms, hitting an area that already experienced heavy rainfall the day before. All of that water together could result in additional flooding.

Rainfall is expected to hit three-quarters of an inch during the morning and afternoon, although some higher amounts could be possible, the weather service said.

A flood watch means that flooding is possible during the next 24 to 36 hours. The weather service warns that residents living in flood-prone areas should take action to protect property.

The area has a near 100 percent chance of rain as isolated showers will continue into the evening on Saturday, the weather service said. However, that’s expected to clear up around midnight and salvage the weekend on Sunday with mostly sunny conditions, and highs in the mid-80s.

River flood warning for Cypress Creek this weekend

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UPDATE: This advisory has expired.

Torrential rains all over the Tampa Bay area are still having destructive effects on Pasco County.

The National Weather Service has issued a river flood warning for the Cypress Creek area at Worthington Gardens, the same area near State Road 56 and Interstate 75 that includes Wesley Chapel Boulevard and the planned Premium Outlets Mall.

Officials say heavy rainfall from Friday morning, and the threat of additional rainfall over the next 24 hours, will allow water levels to rise to near flood stage on Cypress Creek.

The warning will last from Saturday evening until further notice, with minor flooding in the forecast.

Waters in the river could rise to 9.6 feet by Monday morning, officials said. The flood stage for the river is 8 feet. If it does rise to that level, it would be the first time that’s happened since December 2002.

Officials continue to warn drivers not to take their cars through flooded areas.

Wesley Chapel area under flood advisory

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UPDATE: This advisory has expired.

The National Weather Service has issued an urban and small stream flood advisory for northern Hillsborough and southern Pasco counties until 11:45 a.m.

This includes the areas of Lutz, New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.

The weather service said the area is experiencing three to four inches of rain per hour associated with thunderstorms nearby. Localized flooding is imminent, officials added, if not already occurring.

This includes parts of Interstate 75 between exits 257 and 279, as well as Interstate 275 between exits 39 and 53.

The weather service asks residents to keep children from being swept away in flooded ditches and drains, and that flood waters are usually deeper than they appear and could stall a vehicle. One foot of flowing water is powerful enough to sweep away a vehicle.

Senior Resource Fair coming to Zephyrhills next week

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Senior citizens will have a chance to find out what kind of programs and services might be available to them during a free Senior Resource Fair May 12 from 10 a.m. to noon in Zephyrhills.

The event is hosted by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, and will be held at the Alice Hall Community Center, 38116 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

“Seniors are extremely important to the fabric of our community, and I want to make sure they are able to access the services and information that will keep them healthy,” Bilirakis said in a release. “This fair will serve as a one-stop shop for seniors to receive a variety of check-ups and assistance.”

A number of local non-profit and government agencies will provide free services for seniors, including health and wellness suggestions, nutritional guidance, home health care services, and identity protection tips.

For information on the event, call (727) 232-2921.

Pressure grows on Scott to veto speed limit bill

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AAA is not a big fan of raising the speed limit on Florida highways, and is asking Gov. Rick Scott to veto a bill that would do just that.

S.B. 392, which was introduced by state Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, would allow Florida to join Maine as the only states east of the Mississippi River that would allow speeds above 70 mph. The bill would allow the Florida Department of Transportation to consider increasing speed limits by 5 mph on certain roads, meaning limited access highways could increase to 85 mph, highways outside urban areas 70 mph, and 65 mph on other roadways under FDOT’s jurisdiction.

But driving faster means more speed-related traffic deaths, AAA said. There are 16 states that allow speeds greater than 70 mph, and most are now well above the national average of 30 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“We’re deeply concerned for the safety of Florida’s roadway users with cars traveling at increasingly higher speeds on our interstates and other highways,” said Kevin Bakewell, senior vice president and chief public affairs officer for AAA, in a release. “Based upon similar action in other states, this change in state law will likely result in more crashes, injuries and deaths on our highways.”

NHTSA reported more than 10,200 deaths, or nearly a third of all motor vehicle fatalities, occurred in speed-related crashed in 2012, AAA said. The economic cost of speed-related crashes is more than $40 billion annually.

In the Florida Senate’s own analysis of the bill’s impact, a report from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program showed crash and fatality rates increased more when speed limits were increased from 55 to 65 mph, compared to a 65 to 75 mph increase. Yet, the Federal Highway Administration still points out that “there is clear and convincing evidence that crash severity increases with individual vehicle speed.”

The Senate’s analysis also pointed out that fuel efficiency drops the faster a vehicle goes, possibly more than a mile per gallon for each mile per hour a car increases speed.

The bill passed the Senate 27-11 on April 24, and the State House 58-56 on Wednesday. Locally on the Senate side, Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and Tom Lee, R-Brandon, both voted for the bill, while John Legg, R-Lutz, voted against.

In the House, only Reps. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes; Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel; and James Grant, R-Tampa, voted for it.

 

Keeping it beautiful at Timber Lake Estates

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???????????????????????????????Don and Sue Mugridge of Shady Creek Drive in Timber Lake Estates accept their award for House of the Second Quarter 2014. Residents work hard to keep their yards in tip-top shape. Honorable mentions were awarded to homes on Pond Hollow and Moss Hill street as well as Countryside Drive. (Courtesy of Jo Ann Buley)

Published April 30, 2014

Grand Horizons shows appreciation in a big way

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Grand Horizons hosted its first Appreciation Day on April 6 with hopefully more to come.

I wasn’t able to attend because of a previous engagement, but I heard from Joyce Bell that all had a great time.

Appreciation Day brought out numerous residents, including from left, Chuck and Shirley Carlson, Joyce and Ron Bell, and Cheryl and Ken Leone. (Courtesy of Ron Bell)
Appreciation Day brought out numerous residents, including from left, Chuck and Shirley Carlson, Joyce and Ron Bell, and Cheryl and Ken Leone.
(Courtesy of Ron Bell)

Ken Leone was the emcee of this event that had about 85 people in attendance. Along with Ken, the following people were on the team that worked very hard to get this appreciation day flowing smoothly: Cheryl Leone, Ron and Joyce Bell, and Chuck and Shirley Carlson.

There were several thank you signs in the community center and there was a big banner also with “Thanks” on it. The menu consisted of a pulled pork sandwich that Cheryl worked very hard on. There also were beans that Shirley Carlson, Joyce Bell and Sandy Lindke provided.

In addition to the above, they also had coleslaw, potato salad, condiments, pickles and cupcakes for dessert. Many pictures were taken and several discussions occurred among the people attending.

About 37 people attended our lunch connoisseurs April 11 at Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant in Brandon. Del O’Hara and Andy Gisondi, along with Tom and Laurie Carter hosted it.

They did a marvelous job of reserving the place and getting there early enough to greet everyone as they entered the room.

Buca di Beppo has many individual rooms and just the right size was set aside for the people of Grand Horizons. The restaurant not only had a large and varied menu, but the atmosphere was super. All the walls were covered with pictures and information about the place.

Once a month we have lunch connoisseurs, who try to go to different restaurants. This place hit the spot, and we thank the four people who worked on this gathering. We had a terrific time and look forward to many more.

Several women went on a luncheon to the Hacienda Mexican Restaurant on April 17. This is a restaurant that is located right in Zephyrhills and was hosted by Judi Davis. I heard from Judi that 11 women attended this outing and everyone had a great time. There was a special at the restaurant, and several people took advantage of this, plus other items that were presented on the menu.

All in all, everyone had a good time. We look forward to many other outings where the women get together for a good time.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published April 30, 2014

Sheriff’s office to honor fallen officers

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The public is invited to remember and honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty during a memorial service May 2 at 8 a.m., on the north lawn of the Historic Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

The memorial recognizes eight offices killed in the line of duty in Pasco County, from 1909 with Deputy Shelly Nicks, to 2011 when Hernando County Sheriff’s Office deputy John Mecklenburg was killed in Pasco while pursuing a suspect on U.S. 41.

Nicks, according to historians, was killed when he stepped in front of a bullet meant for his father, during an arrest attempt in the Fivay area. Despite the offer of a reward of $1,025 — around $25,000 today — the shooter was never apprehended.

“Once a year, we in Pasco have a formal memorial to remember those that gave their ultimate sacrifice,” Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said in a release. “We should, however, every day think about those heroes and their families that have sacrificed so much to protect others.”

In previous years, multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies have participated in the memorial, including groups like the Dade City Police Department, the Zephyrhills Police Department, the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Officers killed in action, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office website, also include:

• Pasco Sheriff’s Lt. Charles “Bo” Harrison, 56, shot and killed while on surveillance in Lacoochee on June 1, 2003.
• Florida Highway Patrol Trooper James Bradford-Jean Crooks, 23, shot and killed while chasing a suspect who had killed two Tampa police officers on May 19, 1998.
• Pasco Sheriff’s Deputy John Herbert McCabe, 24, in a car accident on U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes while responding to a call about stolen grove heaters on June 26, 1948.
• Pasco Sheriff’s Deputy William Henry O’Berry, 36, shot and killed while investigating a felony where a suspect resisted arrest on Jan. 1, 1926.
• Pasco County Constable Arthur Fleece Crenshaw, 31, during an ambush after visiting an illegal alcohol distillery near Dade City on Oct. 4, 1922.
• U.S. Department of Justice Prohibition Agent John Van Waters, 46, during the same ambush with Crenshaw, on Oct. 4, 1922.