Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

The newly appointed Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco isn’t wasting any time when it comes to leading the department.

So when questions about any potential political run for the position comes up, he quickly redirects the conversation.

“Right now my main goal is to lead this department,” Nocco, 35, said. “I could say I want to run for the position in 2012, but that takes away from the real goals we have. Anything that takes away from that is something I’m not interested in.”

Two priorities rise to the top of Nocco’s list.

“I was a street cop and I still see myself as a street cop,” Nocco said. “I have the philosophy that our people on the street need to have the confidence to do their job, and I will support them as long as they are following the law. I want them to know that I’m behind them.

“My other main priority is putting bad people behind the bars at the Land O’ Lakes jail,” Nocco continued. “I believe strongly those people should be arrested and locked up. If the people committing crimes are behind bars, then this whole area will be safer for everyone.”

Nocco, an Odessa resident, has worked with the sheriff’s office the last two years, where he held the rank of major and has overseen the law enforcement elements of the department. He was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to replace Bob White, who retired the post April 30 during his third term.

Nocco was one of three finalists for the position. Fellow Pasco Sheriff’s Office Maj. Brian Head and local lawyer Kerry O’ Connor were the others.

Scott called Nocco the morning of April 28 to inform him he was the next sheriff.

“I was a little shocked and surprised,” Nocco said. “I wanted the opportunity to lead the department, and I wondered what I would do if I had the chance.”

During his pondering, Nocco realized protecting Pasco’s citizens goes farther than just law enforcement.

“I was with the police department just across the river from Washington D.C. during 9/11 and the D.C. sniper in the 1990s,” Nocco said. “That taught me we need to prepare for anything, whether that’s a natural disaster, crime or something else.”

While being prepared for anything, Nocco wants to look at how to maximize the use of the department’s resources.

“People should see us as a squared away and well-run office,” Nocco said. “What’s very important is finding the most efficient way to build a world-class law enforcement office.”

Nocco will complete White’s term as the sheriff, which ends in 2012. He said he respects the work White has done to build a strong foundation in making the agency he envisions.

Nocco grew up in what he described as a blue collar Philadelphia neighborhood. His father James is a retired captain from the Philadelphia Police Department and Nocco developed a respect for public service at a young age.

“Our neighbors were police officers, firefighters, construction workers. The people who made the community work and also the people who were our sports coaches, volunteers and leaders,” Nocco said.

Nocco started working in law enforcement in 1999. He moved to Florida in 2003 and has worked with the Florida Highway Patrol. He was also deputy chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio when Rubio was Florida Speaker of the House.

State Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said he has worked with Nocco and believes Scott made right selection for the sheriff.

“We have known each other for years and he is a very good man,” Weatherford said. “He has the right mindset and skills to get the job done.”

Weatherford also praised White for his, “years of honorable service to Pasco County.”

Nocco said he believes the role of every law enforcement officer does not stop with their paid duties, but extends into community service. He is a member of Our Lady of the Rosary’s chapter of the Knights of Columbus, a faith-based organization that supports people and families in need. He is also a volunteer soccer coach at the YMCA in Trinity.

Nocco and his wife Bridget have three children. His two sons Alex and Xavier are ages 4 and 3, respectively, while daughter Gabriella is 20 months.

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Hillsborough County commissioners will need to find another source of the $1.6 million needed to help buy land for a planned regional park in Odessa/Keystone.

The board originally proposed taking $1.6 million allocated for a community center in Citrus Park to buy the 40 acres of land in the area of Gunn Highway and Van Dyke Road, which would cost $3.1 million. Public outcry changed the commissioners’ minds and a new vote reversed the move on May 4.

“The money should stay in that community,” said Commissioner Ken Hagan. “It was promised to them.”

Hagan expressed his support for the yet unbuilt center in Citrus Park, despite recently saying, “I don’t think we would ever be able to build a Citrus Park center in the current economy.”

Hagan and Hillsborough Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department Director Mark Thornton said such centers are too expensive to continue operating once built in the current economy.

Hagan, who lives in northwest Hillsborough, said the money would be better used to expand the Citrus Park Little League complex with new fields. Thornton said adding to that facility would add very little operating cost to the county budget.

While the money has been allocated for a Citrus Park center, no location has been set for its construction since it was first provided for in 2005.

The proposed park in Odessa/Keystone would likely have soccer and other athletic fields and a possibly a skate park, according to Thornton.

By B.C. Manion

Lots of changes are in the works for the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce.

The organization has named David R. Weis as its new director of operations and has named Christine X. Hope as it new director of sales and marketing.

Besides making these two key staffing decisions, the chamber also is getting ready to move to a new location and has shifted the dates of two of its major annual events.

After David West left as the chamber’s executive director, the organization decided to replace that job with two positions.

As director of operations, Weis will oversee the chamber’s administrative functions, while Hope handles sales, marketing and event planning.

“David has a strong IT background,” said Laura Miller, chamber president. “David is revamping all of the technology. There’s going to be a lot more Facebook and Twitter.”

As it upgrades its technological capabilities, the chamber will be offering more web advertising to its members, Miller said.

Hope had been working for the chamber as the events coordinator before being named to her new post.

When the sales and marketing position opened, Miller said she asked Hope if she had any interest in applying.

Initially, Hope wasn’t interested in pursuing the post because she had planned to open her own marketing company. But she changed her mind and decided to pursue the position.

Besides handling the sales and marketing, Hope will also be working on chamber events, Miller said.

The decision was made to divide the duties into two positions because different strengths are needed for the two positions, Miller said. However, it is essential Weis and Hope work well together, and Miller said she is confident they will.

Meanwhile, the chamber also is moving to a new location at 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 105, in The Grove, which includes entertainment, retail and office space.

“We’re really racing against the clock,” Miller said.

The chamber will be out of its current office by May 10 and will be into its new space on June 1. In the interim it may lease some temporary space, Miller said.

The chamber chose to move to The Grove because it is a higher-profile location and has easy access to chamber members because of its proximity to Interstate 75.

The chamber also is changing the timing of two of its major events. The health fair will be held in the fall and the winner of its Honorary Mayor contest will be announced in December.

The health fair was moved to a time of year when the weather is more pleasant, Miller said.

The slate for the Honorary Mayor will be announced at the organization’s July mixer, with the winner named at the December mixer, Miller said.

That will give the candidates a good length of time to raise money for their campaign, which is a chamber fundraiser, Miller said.

By Gary S. Hatrick

The Zephyrhills City Council has offered the job of city manager to James Drumm of High Springs.

The council had interviews and a reception on Friday, May 6 with three finalists for the position.

The council ranked Drumm first, ahead of James Coleman of Lady Lake and Richard Reed of Auburndale.

Drumm had recently been the city manager of High Springs, near Gainesville, for 6.5 years and previously had served for 7.5 years as city manager in Lake Alfred, in Polk County.

“I have over 20 years of public management experience, with the majority of this time as a Florida city manager,” Drumm wrote in his application to the city. “I am a ‘hands on’ manager, however I do not micromanage and I do work with my department directors and management staff as a team … I have a great understanding of Florida municipal law and the many varied aspects of municipal government, from record archiving, budgeting, purchasing to excelling in program delivery in crucial areas such as emergency services and public works capital construction projects. I am available to the citizens, staff and elected officials.”

The city will now negotiate a contract with Drumm, said City Council president Jodi Wilkerson. City staff will determine an appropriate salary and city attorney Joe Poblick will look up contracts from other cities that have a four-fifths super majority for the removal of the city manager and compare them to the current city manager’s contract to come up with a contract to offer to Drumm once it is approved by city council.

Councilman Lance Smith thanked the rest of the council and city staff and all involved in the selection for a “smooth” process. Current manager Steve Spina is retiring.

 

They also offer some thoughts on Bin Laden’s death

By B.C. Manion

Members of the Lutz Patriots saluted as the body of Air Force Maj. Raymond G. Estelle II passed by in a white hearse along Bayshore Boulevard.

Estelle was one of eight airmen gunned down on April 27 at Kabul International Airport by a disgruntled air force pilot in Afghanistan.

Estelle’s body arrived shortly after noon Friday, May 6 at MacDill Air Force Base. After a brief ceremony there, it was escorted by a motorcade led by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office down Bayshore Boulevard en route to Ray Williams Funeral Home on North Howard Avenue.

To prepare for the procession, the Lutz Patriots gathered around 10:45 a.m. in northern Hillsborough County to make the approximately 25-mile trek toward a spot on Bayshore’s grassy median.

A steady rain fell from a gray sky, as members of the Lutz Patriots got soaked, while pounding pieces of pipe into the ground to support large flags and signs.

When they were finished posting their signs, one read:  “We Support Our Troops” on the top line, followed by “Thank You U.S. Military” on the bottom.

Another sign declared “Lutz Patriots.”

Shortly before the procession was set to arrive, they planted smaller flags, neatly along both sides of Bayshore Boulevard, in the lane leading toward downtown Tampa.

As they waited for the procession, others joined them. The Lutz Patriots and some others in the crowd talked about why they were there.

“He was serving his country. He gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The least that I can do is come out here and pay my respects to him and his family,” said Bruce Hockensmith, of the Lutz Patriots. “I want his family to know that we do care. We appreciate what he did.”

Marilyn Breton and Mike Breton, who live in Oldsmar, also turned out to watch the procession.

They didn’t mind giving up part of their day to show Estelle’s loved ones that they’re not alone as they grieve their loss. “Having people out here lets the families know that they don’t have to go through this by themselves,” Marilyn Breton said.

Johni Lamons, of south St. Petersburg, also made the trek to Tampa to offer her condolences.

“This is the least that I can do to show support to the families of soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice. It’s an honor for me, to be able to do it,” Lamons said.

While offering sympathy for Estelle’s family, Hockensmith expressed no remorse at the recent raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound and of the U.S. action to kill him.

“I was elated when I heard the news,” Hockensmith said. “We have the greatest military in the world. I’m really glad for them that they have accomplished this.”

“I’m glad they finally got him,” agreed Judy McCray, another member of the Lutz Patriots.

Kris Starr, another member of the group, said she heard the news about the al-Qaida leader’s death from her son, Nathan Hodge, a marine who has served in Afghanistan, but is currently stationed at Camp Lejeune. N.C.

She said when her son called, she flipped on the television said. “We rejoiced together, knowing that he’s (bin Laden) been taken out,” Starr said.

By B.C. Manion

Most area students are outperforming their state peers in writing, according to the first batch of Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores released last week.

In northern Hillsborough County, Martinez Middle achieved something no other area school can claim. All of its students posted a score of 4.0 or higher on the test.

The writing test is scored on a 1-6 scale, with 4 considered proficient and 6 the highest mark. It is administered to students in grades four, eight and 10, and the test results are factored in with math, reading and science scores to calculate a school’s grade.

The mean score at Martinez Middle was 5.1, well above the average of 4.2 among eighth-graders across Florida.

Other Hillsborough schools in the newspaper’s coverage area where at least 90 percent of the students scored a 4.0 or better on the writing test were Lutz, Maniscalco, McKitrick and Schwarzkopf elementary schools.

Ninety-one percent of Liberty Middle students attained a 4.0 or better. While the school is located in New Tampa, it draws some of its students from Lutz.

In central Pasco, the eighth-graders at Imagine School achieved the best results, with 92 percent scoring a 4.0 or better.

Overall, Hillsborough County fourth graders led Florida on FCAT writing scores. Ninety percent of the district’s fourth graders scored 4.0 or higher on the test, which was the best percentage in the state. Their average score of 4.4 earned the district was also the highest.

The county’s eighth graders’ average score was 4.4, with 86 percent of the students posting a score of 4.0 or higher.

The district’s 10^th graders had an average score of 4.0, with at least 75 percent of those students posting a 4.0 or higher.

By comparison, Pasco County Public Schools reported that 76 percent of its fourth graders, 78 percent of its eighth graders and 73 percent of its 10^th graders met the standard for proficiency, at 4.0.

District officials were pleased with their students’ progress, noting in a news release that 94 percent of their elementary schools, 80 percent of their middle schools and 69 percent of their high schools either maintained or improved the percentage of their students scoring 4.0 or higher.

The Pasco district also reported that 302 of its students attained a 6.0 on the test.

FCAT Writing Scores

Here’s how area schools performed on the FCAT Writing test given in March. Students in Grades 4, 8 and 10 take the test, which is used to help calculate the school grade. The assessment is graded on a scale of 1-6, with 4 considered proficient and 6 the highest mark.

 

NORTH HILLSBOROUGH            Mean                        Percent  4.0+

Learning Gate                                    3.7                        63

Lutz                                                4.5                        90

Maniscalco                                    4.5                        95

McKitrick                                    4.8                        98

Schwarzkopf                                    4.6                        98

Buchanan                                    4.3                        86

Liberty                                    4.5                        91

Martinez                                    5.1                        100

Freedom                                    4.0                        74

Gaither                                    4.2                        83

Steinbrenner                                    4.2                        85

PASCO/LAND O’ LAKES

Denham Oaks                                    3.8                        70

Imagine School (4^th)                        4.0                        83

Lake Myrtle                                    4.0                        85

Oakstead                                    4.2                        88

Imagine School (8^th)                        4.2                        92

Pine View (4^th)                        3.9                        82

Rushe                                                4.1                        82

Pine View (8^th)                        4.2                        85

Land O’ Lakes                                    4.0                        77

Sunlake                                    4.0                        78

STATE AVERAGES (4.0 4^th; 4.2 8^th; 4.0 10^th)

 

 

 

By Zack Peterson

The Pasco County Animal Services Center proudly opened its latest addition on Friday, May 6, a new state-of-the-art animal adoption facility. Crowds of excited and dedicated volunteers gathered to witness the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony after their years of hard work.

Pasco’s Animal Services Center itself has been around since 1973, providing a place of refuge for all animals living without a home. But in 1993, the center strove to create a new building that further catered to the needs of strays everywhere — a building that could house a large number of animals in an organized manner that needed new homes.

“They began planning this building 20 years ago,” said Animal Services Center director John Malley. “It was the cost and construction that delayed it though. We were in the years of a ‘building boom’ and constructors and builders everywhere kept driving the costs of the project up.”

According to Malley, it was the “silver lining of the collapse of the building boom” that contributed to the building’s initial beginnings.

“It was finally dropped into a reasonable price range,” he explained.

Now, the Animal Adoption Services Center – known as building A in the blueprints of the overall facility – boasts a variety of new technological treasures thanks to its $3 million budget.

“It was a bonded building,” Malley said. “These funds were set aside for a long time so that it wasn’t taking tax dollars during a really bad financial downturn.”

Donations were rendered by those most faithful to the center, such as Tom Dobies and by organizations like Friends of Animal Services, whose sole goal is to help provide the needed funding for the materials necessary to animal welfare.

And with this surplus of help, the Animal Adoption Services Center flourished.

“We came up with the most state-of-the-art design,” Malley said. “The most advanced possible features.”

Malley estimates that the sheer size of the facility itself can also hold up to two times the amount of animals than the overall facility was previously able to house. Furthermore, many innovations were made regarding the cleanliness of the new building.

The plethora of new technology includes a brand new air conditioning system modeled specifically after those found in hospitals. Therefore, there’s no re-circulated air so that disease control can be maintained and held to a minimum.

There is also what Malley referred to as “the glazed block,” a sealed block within the system that doesn’t absorb disease-causing germs.

Alongside the installment of new stainless steel cage and raised flooring, the new building’s ventilation system is just one of the many benefits of the new center, the biggest being its impact on the community.

“I think the fact that it’s so beautiful, new and providing will really make people want to come and see the animals,” said Diane Koenig, a volunteer at the center. “Ultimately, that’s the goal.”

Thanks to the new work done at the Animal Services Center, stray animals desperately searching for a safe home now have a greater chance at finding just that. And to Malley and the multiple other volunteers who sacrifice their time to the well being of these animals, that’s what makes all the difference.

 

If you go

The Animal Adoption Services Center is at 19640 Dogpatch Lane  (formerly Lake Patience Road) in Land O’ Lakes. Animals are available for half-price adoption ($20 for cats; $35 for dogs) through June 4.

 

By B.C. Manion

A Pasco County company is working on a website that will provide relevant information about the development potential of industrial land throughout the county.

The website is being created by Insight Mapping Systems Inc., for use by the Pasco Economic Development Council, said Kevin Mazur, president of Insight Mapping Systems, a spin-off of Florida Design Consultants.

Although it will allow PEDC to use the website for free, the company is hoping the site will serve as a model of the kind of websites it can develop for paying customers such as economic development councils in other parts of the country.

The website will provide detailed information for all of Pasco County’s Master-Planned Unit Developments and Developments of Regional Impact that have industrial entitlements, which means they are ready to build on, explained Elizabeth Lyon-Hall, senior planner with Florida Design Consultants.

Industrial businesses are often targeted by the PEDC because of their potential for creating jobs in the county, said Lyon-Hall, who serves on the PEDC’s board of directors.

For each of the industrial sites listed on the website, there are layers of detailed information that can be turned on or off. Those layers will include data in categories including flood zones, land use, soils, topography and wetlands.

The website would provide useful technical information for prospective buyers, which can be available on their portable computer, as they’re walking a lot, Lyon-Hall said.

They also could preview a number of sites online and narrow down the list of sites they want to visit, she said.

The website also will enable PEDC to focus its efforts on targets that appear to be more serious about a potential move here, Lyon-Hall said.

“It helps them track whose looking at it and how serious the inquiries are. They’re not fielding 500 calls, now they’re targeting 200, but they’re more serious calls. So, it really helps them be more efficient with their time and focus on the more targeted inquiries,” she explained.

The website is just one example of the kinds of services the mapping company can provide, Mazur said.

It also can do customized searches for developers, builders or people who just want to buy land, he said. The information it provides may help companies to locate the property they want themselves, thereby potentially reducing the commission they’ll need to pay a real estate agent, he said.

The customer provides the criteria for the kind of site they need and Mazur’s company does a search to match that criteria, to the extent possible.

For instance, someone may tell his company they want a site that is within three miles of a school, two miles of a major intersection and is of a certain size, Mazur said.

These custom searches may be particularly useful to a company that lacks the resources or expertise to handle this kind of work on its own, Mazur said.

The company also offers an asset management service, he said.

“A lot of banks have no idea what they’ve foreclosed on. They have no system for tracking those, mapping those, marketing those properties,” Mazur said.

His company can map the properties and marry that database into a bank’s internal database or the information can be used for external marketing, or a client might want a combination of both, he said.

The company can also help to keep track of available and sold inventory in a new subdivision, Mazur said.

Instead of pushing color-coded pins into a map, the company can use color-coded digital maps, which are updated in real time as sales are closed.

“We’re trying to create a system that is always up to date,” he said. “It’s very new. Nobody that I know of has done that yet,” Mazur said.

Providing the industrial land website for the PEDC isn’t the company’s first contribution to the county’s economic development efforts.

Florida Design Consultants also donated a giant full-color topographical map hanging in the PEDC’s conference room.

The map shows the county’s topography, but also provides a visual of its relationships to other markets, such as Tampa and Orlando and the location of transportation systems, such as roads, rail, port and airports.

It’s a significant improvement over the old laminated street map that used to hang on the wall, Lyon-Hall said.

She said her company was pleased to provide the map.

“We always try to bring new opportunities to the county,” Lyon-Hall said.

For more information about Insight Mapping Systems, visit insightmappingsys.com or call (727) 569-0566.