Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

 See the new districts

The Pasco County Commission and school board adopted new district lines for the next 10 years with significantly less political attention than its neighbor Hillsborough County.

The only real debate for the two Pasco boards was if Gulf High should be in District 4 or 5, a relatively minor matter according to Commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand.

“I was really happy we didn’t get into a lot of heated arguments like you usually see when districts are redrawn,” said Hildebrand, of New Port Richey. “One school’s district was the only thing that held us up at all. … We decided to put Gulf in District 4.”

Hillsborough had more arguments about the new districts, including Democratic Commissioner Kevin Beckner arguing the county’s new lines were drawn to “keep Republicans in power.” No such accusations were made during Pasco’s workshop — though all five commissioners in Pasco are Republicans.

Pasco realigns the five districts for the county government and school board every 10 years to reflect changes in population. The U.S. Census shows there are 464,695 residents in the county, so each district needs to have as close to 92,939 people as possible.

The most apparent change with the new lines is the shift of representation east. The previous alignment had three of the commissioners and board members based entirely west of the Suncoast Parkway. Now all five stretch east of the highway.

“All of the growth during the last 10 years has been in District 2,” said County Administrator John Gallagher. “We needed to bring those districts more eastward to represent that growth.”

District 2 is represented by Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who has been on the board for the last 17 years.

“It was a big shift,” Mulieri said. “All the time I’ve been a commissioner there has always been more people in the west. Things have changed a lot.”

Mulieri said she would like to continue representing all the people who re-elected her last November, but understands that is not possible.

“It is actually a good thing because when more commissioners are representing this area, that means more people are looking out of those communities,” Mulieri said. “It used to just be me advocating for this area. Now it’s basically all the commissioners.”

Ted Schrader’s District 1, which was already the largest district in terms of land mass, grew even more. The east Pasco district now stretches further west of I-75 and north of SR 52 past the Suncoast.

Schrader said he liked how the new districts followed “logical boundaries,” such as major roadways.

One of the more unusual-looking alignments is Hildebrand’s District 3, which stretches from the Gulf coast to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Wesley Chapel. It mainly stays south of the SR54/SR 56 corridor.

At the workshop, Gallagher joked that the new District 3 makes sense for Hildebrand because “you spend most of your time over there shopping.”

Hildebrand got a laugh out from the observation.

“I do enjoy the malls in Wesley Chapel,” Hildebrand said.

The new districts have similar population totals, all within 500 of the others. The schools are not evenly distributed however, with three districts having 15, District 1 having 19 and District 4 having 20. District 3 school board member Cynthia Armstrong said the nature of how the county redistricts makes it hard to be completely balanced.

“I don’t think there’s any way to keep the schools perfectly balanced,” Armstrong said. “I’m amazed they came out as balanced as they did.”

Pasco has five government commissioners, which are elected by the entire county but must live within the zone they represent.

Pasco’s government and school district lines are identical. The new lines go into effect next year.

By B.C. Manion

She lives at Heartland Zephyrhills, a nursing home in Zephyrhills, but during her glory years, Frances Ingalls acted with Helen Hayes, Dorothy and Lillian Gish and other megastars of the day.

The 88 year old said she became enamored with acting while she was still in high school.

She was cast in the role of “Topsy” in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” and she made the most of the part.

The response by the audience was encouraging.

“What I did made people laugh,” she said.

The native of Pelham, N.Y., wanted to be a doctor when she was a little girl, according to a Dec. 25, 1961 report in the Boston Globe. But then her interest shifted to acting while she was in high school.

She wound up becoming both a nurse and an actress.

During the day, she donned her uniform and nursing cap and tended to patients; at night, she put on costumes and turned her attention to the audience.

Over the years, she accumulated quite a number of acting credits for work done on Broadway, off-Broadway, in regional theaters, community theaters and on television.

Her work ran the gamut — from comedy to drama to tragedy, and her performances drew acclaim from a number of theater critics.

Some characters she played through the years included Mrs. Tarleton, in the off-Broadway production of George Bernard Shaw’s “Misalliance,” Olivia in “The Chalk Garden,” with Lillian and Dorothy Gish, and Dorothea in “Eleemosynary.”

She also made appearances on a variety of television programs during the 1950s, including the “Barretts of Wimpole Street,” featuring Helen Hayes.

In the Nov. 6, 1953 edition of The New York Times, Ingalls’ acting abilities received high praise.

“Easily the most impressive portion of the bill last evening was the scene from Maxwell Anderson’s “Elizabeth the Queen,” where Essex is recalled from Ireland to face charges of conspiracy against the crown. Frances Ingalls gives a moving performance of the declining Queen. She is at once moving, proud, vindictive and properly ambitious,” the New York Times’ critic wrote.

In a Dec. 6, 1955 review, The Chicago Daily Tribune described Ingalls as “a dedicated young actress who plays the scrubwoman” in the play, “Anastasia.”

In July 1957, Ingalls played the husband-hunting widow in “The Circus of Dr. Lao,” starring Burgess Meredith, according to a news clipping from the Chicago Daily News.

Working with Meredith was wonderful, Ingalls said.

She also enjoyed working with Helen Hayes, whom she considered to be a consummate professional.

Over the years, she performed on stages in New York, Boston, Chicago and other cities, acting in plays penned by such playwrights as Thornton Wilder, Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw and Eugene O’Neill.

Her nephew, Monty Montieth, who lives in San Antonio?, recalls watching a couple of his aunt’s performances.

He was amazed by her transformation into the characters she played.

Ingalls said she always had a knack for memorizing her lines and she enjoyed stepping into the role of her character.

She said the highpoint of her acting career probably came from the work she did with the Gish sisters in “The Chalk Garden.”

“They were so well-known,” Ingalls said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parks have 10 months to make self-sufficient plan

By Kyle LoJacono

 

The Hillsborough Commission voted to revive the after-school program at county parks just less than one month after condemning it to the budget cutting chopping block.

Commissioners voted 4-3 to end the program on July 27 as a way to save $7.5 million from a $50 million budget shortfall. County parks director Mark Thornton said ending the program was the only way to make the department solvent.

The program would have ended on Oct. 3, the first business day of the new fiscal year. However, the commissioners unanimously voted on Aug. 24 to give the parks department until next June to show the service can be self-sufficient.

Commissioner Ken Hagan was one of the supporters of ending the program because it was “broken” and unable to exist without major taxpayer subsidies.

“Our current model is not sustainable,” Hagan said. “We cannot afford to spend $7.5 million for a program that serves 1,880 children.”

Hagan came up with the compromise to offer the program at just 30 parks, down from the current 42.

Hagan said keeping 30 facilities staffed would reduce the cost of the program to as little as $1.1 million.

“You would save on staffing, maintenance, utilities and a lot of other things,” Hagan said.

Thornton suspected the savings would be more modest than Hagan’s prediction, but said it could cut the cost in half.

While no official plan was presented, both Hagan and Thornton said Nye Park in Lutz would likely be one of those 30 sites that would keep the program.

“It would make sense to have the parks spread out, and that’s the only site in that part of the county,” Thornton said.

The new plan would also include reduced fees for parents and guardians sending their children to the program. The cost of a week has been $48, up from $20 two years ago.

“When we increased the fee to generate more revenue for the department, more people left,” Thornton said. “It had the reverse effect and that’s been hurting the budget for the last two years.”

Two years ago there were 6,000 kids enrolled in the after-school parks program, the most ever. Thornton said the department will likely reduce the cost to $38 per week, with discounts to as little as $20 for those receiving free and reduced-price lunches. That would be $10 cheaper a week than at a YMCA or at the county’s similar program at the schools, known as HOST.

In order to break even using Hagan’s estimated $1.1 million cost for the scaled-back program and an average fee of $30, an additional 34,787 children would have to enroll in the after-school service.

“This is not based on instinct,” Hagan said. “It’s based on talking to park directors. If you have a program and you lower the fees, they’re going to come back in droves.”

Commissioner Kevin Beckner was skeptical the program could increase its population by so many in less than a year. He said he does not want to use any of the county’s reserves to subsidize the service any longer.

“How long do you operate at a loss before you decide to pull the plug on an operation?” Beckner asked the other commissioners.

Commissioner Sandy Murman attached an amendment to the vote allowing the county to drop any sites from the program that had fewer than 25 children enrolled.

 

By Eugenio Torrens

 

Pasco Regional Medical Center offered a preview last week of its new emergency room, expected to be fully operational next month.

Phase I of the $3.5 million construction project was unveiled in an open house to hospital associates, medical staff, volunteers, EMS and the media. The goal is to have this section of the emergency room running by the end of September. Once the new ER can host patients, the hospital will renovate its old emergency room — Phase II of the project — that should be completed in November.

“It’s going to be really good for the community,” emergency department director Wendi Romano said. “The community has been waiting a long time for a facility like this, so I think they’re really going to embrace this.”

Phase I of the project includes the addition of 8,400 square feet of added exam rooms, an imaging suite, decontamination zone, two triage stations, nurses’ station, EMS lounge, a registration/patient welcome area and a patient/guest lounge.

As part of the tour, visitors were led through the new amenities through the eyes of a patient, starting with the registration/welcome area. Immediately, patients or guests are greeted with brightly colored signs, such as “Start Here,” to guide visitors and encourage a flow throughout the ER. There is a highlighter-orange corner of the room, complete with a mural of North Dade City, with the words “Come Play” in white inviting kids to preoccupy their time. The children’s lounge also has a touch-screen table where kids may draw whatever they want with a palette of digital colors a swipe away.

Just as aesthetically pleasing, the waiting room is technologically savvy — complete with an interactive media station featuring two computers to sign in, preregister and navigate around the hospital, as well as outlets to charge electronic devices.

“You have more of a calming and soothing atmosphere,” Romano said. “When a patient has to come through the emergency room, usually they’re not here because they want to be here, so we want to make them feel as comfortable as possible when they first walk in our doors.”

The health professionals at Pasco Regional are giddy over the medical prowess of the new ER facility and not just its vibrant makeover. The number of exam rooms will more than double to 17 once both phases are done. There is a new psych room for patients who may be a threat to themselves that is constructed with shatterproof glass. There is also a negative-pressure room with ventilation straight to the outside world to prevent contamination within the hospital.

Romano pointed out the state-of-the-art monitoring systems to check on patients, as well as the CT scanners as being extremely beneficial to the staff.

Dr. David Wilcher, who directs the Pasco Regional emergency room, pointed out the new facility’s efficiency because of its ability to attack many different causes. As a designated Primary Stroke Center, Pasco Regional deals with patients who may not be able to spare the five minutes it may take to be wheeled from one side of the hospital to another. A majority of medical facilities’ stroke victims have to be relocated to a different department.

“Now, no one has to leave the department and care of doctors,” Wilcher said.

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills opened its Heart Institute five years ago, paving the way for improved cardiac care in east Pasco County.

Gwen Alonso, associate vice president of cardiac services, said the institute’s first day was Feb. 14, 2006, and since then it has performed 10,188 heart procedures.

Alonso has been with the Heart Institute since it opened, allowing her to see the fledgling facility grow into what it is today.

“The beauty of this institute is we are a comprehensive program,” Alonso said. “The only thing we don’t do is heart transplants.”

Alonso said the institute hit the ground running when it opened.

“We made a conscience decision when we opened that the day we went live, everything went live,” Alonso said. “Heart surgery was available that first day, as well as our interventional cath lab. We had our first heart surgery two days after we went live.”

That isn’t to say things have not improved during the last five years. When the institute opened there was one catheterization lab versus the three today. The institute also started offering electrophysiology care in 2007.

Other additions include minimally invasive heart surgeries, radial caths that are easier on patients and several other therapies.

One of the first patients to have a radial cath was Betty Theademan. The Zephyrhills resident had a traditional cath, which goes in through the femoral artery in the groin, about 10 years ago.

“When I had it done the first time it was so uncomfortable,” Theademan said. “They put pressure on the area for six hours and I stayed overnight. This time they taped the area tight with some gauze and told me to take it easy for a couple days. … Two day later I took the gauze off and it was like it never happened.”

Another treatment added within the last year is external counterpulsation (ECP). The therapy includes strapping a machine to a patient’s legs and inflates and deflates like a heartbeat. This brings more blood to the heart, forcing the body to create more blood vessels.

Marina Bainbridge of Zephyrhills had problems doing anything without becoming short of breath before receiving ECP treatment, but now can cook, shop and do her chores again.

Alonso said such new treatments are important, but the real addition to the community comes from giving people faster care during major cardiac problems.

“In our community, before we had the institute, patients were having to leave Pasco County and go to Tampa primarily to have heart surgery and intervention,” Alonso said. “When a person is in the middle of having a heart attack, the best practice is to get that coronary artery open within 90 minutes. We’re able to provide that service faster.

“It was a huge delay to get people to Tampa,” Alonso continued. “That time difference caused people to have the quality of life change. It did affect their outcomes, so we’ve been able to dramatically improve those outcomes.”

Alonso ran the intensive care and progressive care units at the hospital before the Heart Institute opened. She came to the hospital because she knew the facility would be opening and wanted to be a member of its team.

“Being a part of this program is my biggest accomplishment in my 30 years in healthcare,” Alonso said. “To see this hospital provide this level of care to this community is more gratifying than anything else I’ve done professionally. To feel the community’s commitment to us is something I’ve never been a part of. We still get donations from community groups.”

One recent donation came from the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie and Auxiliary in Zephyrhills, which gave $3,000. The money is being used to enhance heart care.

“We’re constantly looking at the newest and best services out there,” Alonso said. “One of the things we’re going to use the money from the Eagles club for is to assist in our hypothermal program. That’s for patients who had cardiac arrest outside of the hospital. It preserves their brain function by cooling the brain.”

In addition, the hospital started a heart failure support group in April. The group meets the first Thursday of every month. For more information on the group, call (813) 788-0411.

 

Heart Institute by the numbers

• 5,939 diagnostic caths
• 2,720 interventional caths
• 823 electrophysiology procedures
• 706 open-heart surgeries
• 10,188 total cardiac procedures

 

Awards/distinctions given to the Heart Institute

• Became an accredited chest pain center in 2009
• Received designation as a heart failure institute in 2010
• Received Excellence in Coronary Intervention award from Healthgrades in 2010
• Received five-star designation from Healthgrades for coronary intervention in 2011

 

 

Wesley Chapel club finishes as national runner-up

By Kyle LoJacono

 

No softball team from Wesley Chapel had ever made the Dixie World Series — until the 2011 Angels showed up.

The Angels went 4-2 at the World Series in South Hill, Va., July 29-Aug 3, which included teams from 11 other states. The squad was representing Florida after winning the District 4 and state tournaments with a combined 8-1 record.

The team, part of the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association (WCAA), came up one win short of the ultimate crown, but the Angels showed their town is one that should be taken seriously in the future.

“We wanted to help put Wesley Chapel on the softball map,” said pitcher Logan Coward. “We felt we had a good chance to win districts and compete at states, but to be runner-up at the World Series was a dream come true.”

Wesley Chapel was knocked out in districts the last two years by Spring Hill, the 2010 World Series champion.

“We knew this was our best chance to do something special,” said pitcher Jordyn Kadlub. “Two years ago after losing to Spring Hill in the district championship, we saw what it took to win. So we worked hard on pitching and the rest of our game year round for two straight years.”

The Angels had become accustomed to winning games comfortably, outscoring their opponents 78-5 at districts and states. The pitchers and defense kept the opposition off the bases, and the goal was to use that same method in the World Series.

“Our strategy in pitching was to try and save our top two pitchers Jordyn Kadlub and Logan Coward for the later games, assuming we won our early games in the tournament,” said assistant Scott Kadlub, also Jordyn’s father. “Everything worked out as we hoped, with Riley Baxter, Shelby Westbrook and Jordan Rosenberg pitching the majority of the innings in first three games.”

Two of the first three contests were nail-biters for Wesley Chapel, defeating tournament host South Hill 5-4 in extra innings, Georgia 4-0 and Tennessee 1-0.

The Angels put up three runs in the first inning of their first contest against South Hill thanks to an RBI double by Jordyn and an RBI single by Melissa Wark. Wesley Chapel’s bats went cold from there, but the pitching kept the lead until South Hill tied it in the fifth.

South Hill took the lead in the top of the sixth, but Wesley Chapel loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the frame. Rosenberg stepped up to the plate and delivered a two-run walk-off single.

The Angels lost their fourth game to Louisiana 2-0, forcing them to come back from the losers bracket to earn a spot in the finals. Wesley Chapel defeated Tennessee 8-0 to secure its spot in the championship game.

Unfortunately for Wesley Chapel, the rematch with Louisiana was nearly a carbon copy of the first meeting, with the Florida squad coming out on the short end of a 2-0 score. The Angels posted just two hits total in the two contests against Louisiana.

Wesley Chapel pitchers threw 29 innings in the tournament, recording 45 strikeouts and posting three shutouts while allowing 13 hits and eight total runs in the six games.

“Our pitching staff was talked about throughout the tournament,” Scott said. “Not only our top two, but the fact that we had depth. Five pitchers who can throw hard and be consistent at this level.’”

The Angels can take some satisfaction on who they lost to and what it might mean for the future of the program.

“We lost to the team that was runner-up last year, who had seven returning players from that team,” Scott said. “Our pitching ability kept us in every game and gave us a chance to win it all, but we just did not have enough strength batting against the better pitching teams to either put back-to-back hits together or force errors.”

For information on the WCAA softball league or the Angels, visit www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=wcaa.

Wesley Chapel Angels

• Jordan Almasy
• Riley Baxter
• Chase Booker
• Logan Coward
• Jordyn Kadlub
• Baylie King
• Anna Margetis
• Paige Mulford
• Neely Peterson
• Jordan Rosenberg
• Melissa Wark
• Shelby Westbrook
• Will Coward, coach
• Scott Kadlub, assistant
• Scott King, assistant
• Mike Peterson, assistant

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Hunting enthusiasts in Pasco and Hillsborough counties have had few options close to home to live out their passions, something that may change by the year’s end.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District, commonly known as Swiftmud, is exploring opening up eight of its nature preserves for hunting. Three areas include the Cypress Creek Preserve in Wesley Chapel and Lutz, the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve just east of New Tampa and new portions of the Green Swamp in Dade City.

United Waterfowlers of Florida is pushing to open the preserves after successfully lobbying for the same thing from the St. Johns River Water Management District and the South Florida Water Management District during the last few years.

Newton Cook, executive director of United Waterfowlers, said hunters can coexist with birdwatchers, hikers and other people who enjoy the outdoors.

“There are other places throughout the state where people hunt near birdwatchers and there hasn’t been a rash of people getting shot accidentally,” Cook said.

Others are not as confident as Cook the plan would work.

“We don’t want that to go through,” wrote Nancy Kost, a member of the local Audubon Society, in an email. “It’s not safe to hunt and watch birds. They’re not compatible.”

Cook said Kost’s concerns are unfounded.

“We understand these other people’s concerns, even though they are irrational,” Cook said. “They’ve seen the movies and they’ve seen the bang-bang-bang. It’s not like that. They have this conception that it’s going to be this constant barrage and it’s not.”

Cook said the Tampa Bay area has been “hostile” toward hunting expansion. He points out that “Most of the Tampa Bay islands are shut down to hunting.”

Swiftmud already offers hunting at a few of its preserves within the 16-county district that stretches from Levy and Marion counties in the north to Charlotte County in the south.

In Pasco, hunting is allowed in the sections of the Green Swamp in Dade City and the Upper Hillsborough Tract in Zephyrhills. If Lower Hillsborough was added, it would be the first Swiftmud preserve in Hillsborough County where hunting is permitted.

Swiftmud spokeswoman Robyn Felix said there have been no problems at any of the areas where hunting is allowed, but added that not every piece of state land is suited for it.

The district started looking at expanding hunting opportunities in 2009. It has already looked at what the impact would be on the natural wildlife and is now in the process of getting public input.

Swiftmud’s governing board is scheduled to vote on expanding hunting to all or some of the eight proposed preserves this fall. For more information on the district’s proposed hunting plan, visit www.WaterMatters.org/HuntEvaluation.

 

Areas Swiftmud is discussing allowing hunting

–Cypress Creek Preserve, Pasco County

–The Green Swamp West, Pasco County

–Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve, Hillsborough County

–The Green Swamp East, Sumter County

–Lake Panasoffkee, Sumter County

–Weekiwachee Preserve, Hernando County

–Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps, Citrus County

–Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve, Marion County

By Eugenio Torrens

 

David Groomes wheeled around to face Barbara Friedman, his mother-in-law, and screamed at her to stop the song.

“It’s one of those juicy pleasures, 80 percent of it’s not real,” he said about the chance to yell at his mother-in-law.

But Friedman kept at the piano, tapping out “The Song That Goes Like This” from Spamalot.

Groomes, his wife Rebecca, Friedman and several others were part of a veterans’ tribute concert held at Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel on Saturday. He sang “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” and “Bring Him Home,” in addition to others.

“They both talk about the sacrifices that the men and women of the armed forces make,” Groomes said. “And with ‘Brother Can You Spare a Dime,’ it also brings home the struggles we have right now with money.”

Aimed to raise awareness for homeless troops, the concert brought together singing acts of all ages — from 17-year-old vocalist John Campbell to organizer Dolores Riego de Dios, who has studied music for more than 30 years.

“It’s great to be able to give back to people who have done so much for our nation,” Campbell said. “I’ve never done a benefit concert before, so it’s definitely a new experience.”

Campbell sang “You Raise Me Up,” “War at Home,” the French-themed “Those Canaan Days,” and “God Bless the USA,” near the end of the concert, during which the audience rose to its feet.

During the concert’s intermission, there was a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle. Items auctioned included a six-month YMCA family package and gift certificates to a golf and country club.

The aucion and raffle benefitted the Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills. The concert raised close to $7,000 according to Riego de Dios. After expenses, which included catering, printing, insurance and the sound system, the event raised $4,025.

“That’s pretty good,” she said.

Riego de Dios had been planning the event for almost a year. She took time during the performance to give thanks to Richard Kimmel, a Vietnam veteran and member of the Pasco Veterans Council. Riego de Dios, whose husband is a veteran, also had a color-guard presentation prior to the start of the concert.

With the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks fast approaching, remembering the attacks was something the performers noted.

“It was very apropos to turn everybody’s focus back to the military and veterans, thinking back to 9/11,” Rebecca Groomes said. “We had a specific focus on that, so we didn’t mention that specifically.”

Tyler Gay, 15, was one of the rifle-bearers during the color-guard presentation. A three-year Civil Air Patrol member, Gay — just 5 when the Sept. 11 attacks occurred —said it was an honor to present the colors.

“It stands for what we’ve been fighting for, for the past 250 years,” he said.

The proximity of the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks wasn’t wasted on Riego de Dios either.

“That’s why I had brought in the color guard,” she said. “Our country, right now, needs all of our people to come together as one. Never mind the bickering, and the differences of opinion and what have you. We need to come together and be one great nation again.”

By B.C. Manion

 

The atmosphere felt festive.

The aroma of ham and potatoes wafted from the kitchen, and women milled about – chatting with friends, browsing at racks of clothing and checking out second-hand items available for purchase at the Lutz Community Center.

Others were sorting bags of donated goods, including children’s clothing, diapers, school supplies, toiletries, bibs, children’s books and other stuff.

The women were clearly enjoying each other’s company – but they had also come together for a cause.

They were there for the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club annual event to benefit the victims of domestic violence.

The benefit, which has been staged for at least two decades, takes aim at a problem that is often hidden from public view, said Edwina Kraemer, president of the local woman’s club.

“It’s a problem that people don’t want to deal with,” she said. But it is one that must be addressed in the public eye, in order to combat the harmful effects it has on its victims.

Statistics from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reveal there were more than 7,000 reports of domestic violence in Hillsborough County last year and more than 3,500 during the same period in Pasco County.

When the woman’s club began having its annual benefit, its focus was on helping abused women.

Since then, it has adopted a broader view.

Now it aims to help victims of domestic violence – regardless of gender or age.

Providing such support is also part of the annual program of the woman’s club parent organization, the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, an international organization representing more than 4,000 clubs and more than 100,000 members.

The proceeds from the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes benefit, which was held last week, will be divided between Pasco Salvation Army Domestic Violence and Sunrise of Pasco County, said Joan Collins, chairwoman of the event.

The proceeds included money raised from the $5-a-plate lunch, money from the second-hand sale, gift cards and an assortment of donated items. The Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation & Conservation department also sponsored the event.

In the past, club members would use the money to purchase items to give to the shelters. Now, it donates cash and gift cards, instead.

That allows the shelters to address specific needs as they arise, Collins said.

Shelter officials told Collins why that works better.

In one case, Collins said, “they had a little girl who was invited to go to a swimming party and she did not have a swimsuit. They had another girl who came in who did not have shoes. They can take the gift cards and go get specific items that people need.”

Club member Gabriele Hansen, who sorted through donated items and arranged them in an orderly fashion on a table, said the event aims to help families to break free of the grip of domestic violence.

Hansen offered these words of encouragement: “If you are in a bad situation, then you need to get out of there in a hurry.”

She understands why people can feel stuck.

“People hang in there — stay for the kids, stay for the kids. Meanwhile, over the years, it just gets worse,” Hansen said.

The woman’s club wants to help families who are trying to make a new beginning, she said.

“Once they get to the shelter, they can get a fresh start. The children get a fresh start with loving hands, with things to play with, things to wear,” Hansen said.

By helping one generation of survivors of domestic abuse, the hope is to inspire them to “pay it forward” and help prevent future generations from suffering the same fate, Kraemer said.

Club member Annie Fernandez said the club is happy to do what it can.

“It’s something the ladies love to do,” Fernandez said. “That’s what we’re here for.”

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Pasco County has come a long way since those early days when the Pasco Economic Development Council was getting its start, said Pasco County Administrator John Gallagher.

Even before the county had the PEDC to help market the county to potential employers, it had the Committee of 100, Gallagher said.

People used to give the Committee of 100’s leadership a hard time for not attracting more businesses to Pasco, Gallagher said.

But at that point, there really wasn’t much to sell.

Over time, though, Pasco has become a different place and the PEDC has become a more effective organization for helping to market the county’s assets, Gallagher said.

Judith Rochelle, a former vice president of Saint Leo University, was on a four-member committee that helped the Committee of 100 make the transition into the new PEDC.

“The existing board of the Committee of 100 felt that we needed to do some soul-searching,” said Rochelle, who now lives in Sisterdale, Texas.

The four-member committee researched what was happening with other economic development organizations and decided that Pasco’s organization needed a new name and some new goals and objectives.

“The PEDC became the new brand,” Rochelle said.

John Walsh, of the PEDC, was on the Committee of 100’s staff in the late 1980s and early 1990s when there wasn’t much happening.

For a while, the county enjoyed rapid growth, but after the housing crash, activity slowed to a virtual standstill.

Meanwhile the county has been at work to put itself in a good position for future growth, Gallagher said.

The Pasco County Commission has taken new initiatives to help sell the county, Gallagher said.

“We’re using some ad valorem tax money to buy down impact fees,” he said. As a result, he said, “Anything dealing with an office or industry is zero.”

“The PEDC now has some tools they can use to help market the county. We’ve got a good team approach.”

As Gallagher looks toward the future, he envisions the SR 54 corridor to be a magnet for future development.

The completion of SR 56 has been a huge development in the county, said Walsh, vice president of PEDC.

“That whole corridor (of SR 54-SR 56) all of the way over from Little Road all of the way over to Wiregrass and beyond is getting looks from some larger employers, which is very interesting. It’s a very nice trend for us,” Walsh said.

The area is attractive because of its good road access, the availability of sewer and water and its access to high-speed Internet services, Walsh said.

There are also large swaths of land available for development.

“It provides an excellent opportunity for companies to be able to come up and build a corporate campus the way they want to see it built,” Walsh said. “You look at Pinellas County, there are not too many opportunities to be able to do that.

“Along the Suncoast Parkway, from Westshore until you get to (SR) 54, it’s all residential.

“So this is really the first intersection along that corridor where that can happen,” Walsh said.

Along I-75, he added, the opening of SR 56 creates new access to an urban area.

Walsh, who worked for the Committee of 100 in the late 1980s and early 1990s, said in those days, the county focused primarily on attracting manufacturers.

Now, it is chasing a broader array of potential industries to locate in Pasco, or to expand their operations, he said.

It’s also going after the developers of business parks, high-tech parks, medical research parks and industrial parks.

“The real key is being able to create relationships in the relocation consultants’ community. We go out and meet with those people who influence those projects,” Walsh said.

The county has a lot to sell, including a large pool of skilled workers, Walsh said.

“Forty-eight percent of our employees travel out of Pasco to go to work every day. That lets you know that there is a resident labor force here. They have the skills that these types of companies would be looking for,” Walsh said.

Walsh thinks the county’s recent efforts to improve processing for building permits, to clean up its land development code and to increase incentives for business development will yield good results.

“The county is reinventing itself,” Walsh said. “That’s absolutely huge.”

John Hagen, the president and CEO of the PEDC said Pasco is putting itself in a strong posture for growth, when the economy picks up.

“We’re kind of in a sweet spot in Pasco County,” he said. “We’ve laid some really great groundwork.”

Hagen said he’s impressed by the way the private sector has responded to the wakeup call of 2008, when the economy slid into recession.

“There’s nothing like a crisis to get people to rally,” Hagen said.

He thinks Pasco has an unusual advantage because business, education and government all work together as a team.

“I’ve worked in other states. I’ve never seen the degree of collaboration that we have here,” Hagen said.

 

PEDC celebrates 25 years

• Pasco Economic Development Council’s 25^th annual Industry Appreciation Banquet
• Wednesday, Sept. 7
• Trade show and networking, 5:30 p.m.
• Dinner and awards: 7 p.m.
• Tickets: $65 per person
• Where: Saddlebrook Resort Royal Palm Ballroom, 5700 Saddlebrook Way, Wesley Chapel
• Business attire
• RSVP by Aug. 31.