Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Suzanne Schmidt

An injured war veteran living in Wesley Chapel needs the community’s help to stay in his home.
The Meet Jose fundraiser is set for Saturday, Aug. 7 at Weck’s American Grill in Lutz.
Alex Altenhoff, co-owner of Weck’s, said from the moment he met Pequeno he knew he wanted to help him.
“We wanted it to be a nice backyard shindig where whole families can come and eat together,” Altenhoff said. “This is not about whether you are pro- or anti-war. Jose made his decision to fight for America and he needs support. We wanted to keep it simple so that everyone from the family can come out and just have a good time.”

Altenhoff said he was inspired by the strength and determination he sees in Marine Staff Sgt. Jose Pequeno, 36.
It has been more than four years since he returned to the states after that fateful day in Iraq when a grenade was thrown into the Humvee he was riding in. He suffered a severe brain injury along with a number of other injuries. Since then he has had 21 surgeries and spent a total of 34 months in the hospital.
The day his mother, Nellie Bagley, received the call he was injured is one she will never forget. It was March 1, 2006 when her whole life turned upside down.
“They told me that my son had been in an accident, but they wouldn’t give me details,” Nellie Bagley said. “When that happens, you imagine the worst. When you get a call like that you lose a piece of yourself. That phone call is always in the back of my mind. They said they didn’t think he was going to make it.”
Pequeno either damaged or lost 50 percent of his brain on the left side. Bagley and her daughter Elizabeth Bagley traveled to the Navy National Medical Center in Maryland to see him as soon as he got back to the states.
“When we were allowed to see him, we took our gloves off and touched his shoulder in the only place we could,” Nellie Bagley said. “We looked at him and told him that we care for him and that if he wanted to let go he can. We said if he wants to stay and fight that we will be there for him. We told him he will never be alone.”
His mother and sister have kept that promise by taking care of him everyday since he cannot take care of himself and he still cannot speak. Up until the last year and a half, they stayed with him while he was in and out of several hospitals. Since December 2008, they have been living with him in a home in Wesley Chapel. Now it is time to buy the house they have been renting, but they do not have the money.
“I started looking for a rental house that would allow me to fix the bathrooms and install ramps and widen the doors,” Nellie Bagley said. “The goal was to get him into a house and out of the hospital so he could get better. I found someone who would let me rent the home and we had all of the modifications done but I had to sign a contract stating I would buy the house in a year.”
Heroes to Hometown with The American Legion did all of the $60,000 worth of modifications to the home but now the family is struggling to be able to buy it. The contract to buy the home was up in October.
“Over a year has gone by and we haven’t had any success in raising money for the house,” Nellie Bagley said. “Being out of the hospital is the best thing for him. No medication can replace the love and attention of a family around him. If we get the house secured that would be one big weight off my shoulders. We have to keep the house, because Jose has to stay out of the hospital. The difference in him since he has been out is unbelievable.”
Elizabeth Bagley was a college student at the time of his injury. She gave up school and everything in her life to be there for her brother and her mom.
“At first it was very scary because of the condition he was in,” Elizabeth Bagley said. “Seeing the improvement he has made has been very rewarding. Being able to bring him home was the best thing for him. Ever since he got out of the hospital, he has been more relaxed and less depressed. It gives him something to look forward to.”
She said she knows her brother understands what is going on around him.
“We are typical brother and sister,” Bagley said. “I will give him a hard time about the outfit he is wearing and he will make a growling noise or make a face as if he is retorting. It may take time but I have no doubt in my mind one day he will communicate with us down the line. He is already communicating with us through facial expressions and moans and groans.”
Bagley said she is very proud of her son.
“When you have a child and they get hurt you kiss it and put a Band-Aid on it,” Nellie Bagley said. “I wasn’t able to be with him when he was hurt. I will never leave his side. His sister and I have been by his side every day 24 hours a day. If he didn’t want to live, he had plenty of opportunity to let go. He is a fighter and he wants to live. I am proud of him, everyday he fights for his life.”
He has been improving thanks to the physical, speech, occupational and pool therapy he has been doing five days a week and to the love and support of his family.
“We have been helping him to keep his muscles in shape and keeping him strong physically and mentally,” Bagley said. “We take him to the movies, to the beach and to restaurants. He eats what we eat. I put it all in a blender and put it in the feeding tube.”
For more information or to donate, call (813) 948-1615 or visit www.wecksamericangrill.com.

How you can help Jose at Aug. 7 fundraiser
By Suzanne Schmidt

The Meet Jose fundraiser will raise money for Marine Staff Sgt. Jose Pequeno with food, drinks, raffles and a silent auction at Weck’s American Grill, 18450 US 41, Lutz, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7.
Alex Altenhoff, co-owner of Weck’s American Grill, said meals of Johnsonville brats and pulled pork barbecue sandwiches with a side of red bliss potato salad will be served, along with Blue Bunny ice cream, Budweiser beer and Sprecher’s root beer – all donated.
“The outpouring of support from the community has been amazing,” Altenhoff said. “We are getting a 32-inch flat screen TV from Buddy’s, a necklace from Keifer’s and memorabilia from stars. The Florida Aquarium will be donating park packages.”
Altenhoff said he is still accepting donations.
“We are asking for local businesses to donate goods and services,” Altenhoff said. “Everyone who donates will be on our website permanently. The overall goal is to do something nice for our neighbor who is in need to show our gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice he made for our freedom.”
Pequeno’s three children Mercedes, 15, Alexandria, 13, and Gaige, 12, will attend along with his constant caregivers, mom Nellie Bagley and sister Elizabeth Bagley. The event will also draw a lot of military icons and some celebrities, Altenhoff said.
“He is looking forward to meeting people,” Nellie Bagley said. “He is aware of his surroundings. He understands what is happening around him. He knows everything that is going on, he is just trapped within himself. It means a lot to me to know the community cares and supports him. That is bigger than anything else. I think it means a lot to him too.”
The money raised will go to the Aleethia Foundation, a nonprofit organization, for the Jose’s Place fund. For more information visit the foundation’s website at www.aleethia.org.

Traffic is driving the state plan, but locals question the need

By Kyle LoJacono

Zephyrhills City Councilman Tim Urban knows from experience what one-way roads can do to a small city like Zephyrhills and is among those who want to see US 301 stay open to two-way traffic.
He moved to Brooksville in 1974, before US 41 was turned into a one-way street through the city in 1993.
“It shut businesses down,” Urban said of the change to 41. “It lets people drive through the town faster, but in the end it hurts the city. It also took away from the ambiance of the small town.”
Zephyrhills city manager Steve Spina did not give his own opinion, but said he is working to keep 301 two-ways because that is what the city council wants.
“Right now the FDOT has jurisdiction over the road and we’re trying to get it turned over to the city,” Spina said. “If that happens then we’d give the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Sixth and Seventh (streets) to use for the traffic going through the city.”
Sixth and Seventh, both one-way roads, are directly next to and parallel to 301 through the city. Sixth goes south while Seventh runs north.
“We’re in a holding pattern right now while they look at our proposal,” Spina said. “FDOT said it could take up to a year from now while their engineers check the design. They are also looking at the permitting.”
Spina said he first heard of FDOT’s plan in 2001 and added the city has had the same opinion on the project since then.
Gordana Jovanovic, FDOT’s project manager for 301, said the original plans were to convert the road to one-way traffic between where it splits with SR 39 in the south to CR 54 in the north. The highway would allow people to travel north while southbound traffic would be diverted to Sixth. The plan also includes widening both 301 and Sixth to three lanes.
“The traffic is bad on 301 through the city and making it a one-way street would help with that problem,” Jovanovic said. “Sixth Street already is one-way, so it makes sense to do the same thing with 301. When we looked at the engineering, the cultural impact and the economic impact we found that it was the best plan.
“We also had numerous public meetings in the city over the last few years and the majority of people said they thought it was the best plan,” Jovanovic continued.
Jovanovic added that Sixth would be given to FDOT’s jurisdiction regardless of which plan is used. This would not affect access to Florida Hospital Zephyrhills as it is north of CR 54 where 301 would remain a two-way road.
The city council members drafted a resolution last November making their objections known to the department and have not backed off from that opinion.
“Clearly the community doesn’t want to see one-way roads through Zephyrhills,” Urban continued. “It wouldn’t benefit the community economically.
“People have approached me and said they don’t support 301 going one-way,” Urban said, “That’s even before I joined the council (in April).”
It seems Urban has an accurate read of those in the city. The Laker asked 20 Zephyrhills residents in Zephyr Park and Betmar Acres if they were for or against converting 301. Of those, 18 said they were against changing the road while two said they were not sure.

“It would make driving harder and more confusing,” said Zephyrhills resident Judy Thomas.
Thomas went on to say she always gets lost because of one-way streets when she is in larger cities like Tampa.
Neukom Groves’ packing facility has been located on 301 just north of Fifth Avenue since 2001. George Neukom III owns the groves and has lived in Zephyrhills his whole life. While he does not think his business would be affected by a possible conversion of the highway, he sees how it could hurt others.
“I’ve heard how other towns have lost business when they start putting one-way roads through them,” Neukom said. “If you’re a large enough business people can see you going either way, but the small businesses that only face one way lose half the drive-by traffic.
“I’m for improvements though,” Neukom continued. “I’m for anything that makes Zephyrhills more accessible. I’m always for growth and improvement over staying the same as long as it’s done right.”
Urban also said he supports enhancements to the road.
“Both the city manager and Mayor (Cliff) McDuffie are looking into ways to make the traffic flow better,” Urban said. “They’ve been working with FDOT on the proposal and hopefully everything works out in the best interest for our residents and businesses.”

Primary opponent wants it too, but calls push a publicity stunt

By B.C. Manion

State lawmakers didn’t take up the Arizona-style immigration law being proposed in Florida at their special session last week, but the issue is far from over.
Indeed, it is just heating up.
Rep. Kevin Ambler, a Republican whose district includes Lutz, filed three measures aimed at making it easier for law enforcement officials to identify illegal immigrants and harder for those without proper documentation to secure public benefits or state jobs.
Since state lawmakers didn’t deal with the issue last week, Ambler said the push will continue when the legislature convenes for another special session, expected in August or September.
The issue is too important to put off until the legislature meets in regular session next year, said Ambler, who is engaged in a tough Republican primary battle for state Senate District 12, which covers portions of Pasco and Hillsborough counties.
“People are demanding something get done,” Ambler said.
“I certainly know about the fiscal costs, as well as the criminal justice costs, associated with illegal immigration,” said Ambler, chairman of the Public Safety & Domestic Security Policy Committee in the Florida House.
The Arizona law directs law enforcement officers to question people about their immigration status during traffic stops or other law enforcement actions if they have reason to suspect the person they’ve stopped is in the U.S. illegally.
With its wide-open coastline, Florida is especially vulnerable, Ambler said, estimating the number of illegal immigrants in Florida is more than twice as many as in Arizona.
Some Arizona law enforcement officials object to the law passed there, but Pasco County Sheriff Bob White wants an Arizona-style immigration enacted law in Florida.
He outlined his rationale in a prepared statement.
“Thrusting a transient and unsupported immigrant population on an already struggling economy with high unemployment and debt creates an unacceptable and unnecessary burden on taxpayers and on the quality of life in our communities,” White observed.
“When the federal government fails to protect the states, then the states must protect themselves,” the sheriff asserted.
Margarita Romo, executive director of Farmworkers Self-Help, based in Dade City, has a much different view about enacting an Arizona-style law here.

“I am very much opposed to it. I think it’s wrong. I don’t disagree that we have to fix our borders, but I do disagree with the way they are doing it.
“The farm workers only do what other people are not willing to do,” said Romo, who favors creating a system that would allow a path toward citizenship for illegal immigrants.
“We’re supposed to be a compassionate country, but I don’t see too much compassion going on these days,” Romo said.
Local residents offered a variety of views on the topic.
Harry Farner, 67, of Zephyrhills and Linsey Gregg, 27, also of Zephyrhills, were relaxing at an ice cream stand when they offered their opinions.
Farner thinks laws regarding illegal immigration should be decided at the state level – contrary to a federal lawsuit challenging Arizona’s law on the grounds that it illegally usurps federal authority.
“Not every state is the same,” Farner reasoned, so laws should be tailored to address the particular issues faced by individual states.
Gregg said illegal immigration is a complicated issue.
“I’m very torn because I feel that everybody has a right to be here – but everybody has a right to be here if they’re paying taxes,” she said.
Gregg also has doubts over whether the issue should be handled at the state or federal level. On one hand, it might be better left to state authorities, she said. On the other hand, they might not want the responsibilities of enforcement.
Vladinka “Vicky” L-Paunovic took a brief break from folding laundry at a coin laundry in Zephyrhills to offer her perspective.
She said she moved to the United States from Yugoslavia about 14 years ago, and now works two full-time jobs: at the laundry and at Walmart.
“I think we ought to take care of the people who are already here,” the 56-year-old said.
However, she thinks there should be a system that would allow illegal immigrants to work legally in the United States and earn their way to citizenship.

She envisions a system that would link Social Security numbers with work permits. After three years of working and paying taxes, without tapping into government benefits, those holding such the permits could get green cards and pursue citizenship.
“If they’re not working, send them back. If they don’t pay taxes, if they use government money, send them back,” she said.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman, Ambler’s opponent in the upcoming Republican primary for state Senate, criticized Ambler for not taking a stand on illegal immigration sooner.
He characterized Ambler’s recent call for action on the issue as a “political stunt.”
“If Ambler was really serious about wanting to deal with illegal immigration earlier, he would have done it in his previous years in office,” Norman said. “When I’m in the Senate, I will file legislation on it that will be heard. I’m very strongly in favor of the Arizona law.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The increased fee for children in Hillsborough County sponsored summer programs has done little to decrease the number of kids registered at Nye Park.
Last year the Lutz park had 125 children in the summer program. That number has only dropped to 118 this summer. The center’s director and recreation specialist Carol Legan said the higher fee has nothing to do with that small decrease.

“Pretty much everyone came back from last year,” said Legan “Some of the kids thought they had gotten too old to come back and I’d say that is where most of the drop was. We added a couple kids too, so I’d say the fee increase didn’t do anything to our numbers.”
Nye Park, 630 Sunset Lane in Lutz, offers the programs to kids ages 5 to 15. Legan became the parks director last June.
Last year the fee for the 10-week summer camp was $300. This year it costs $480 for the same program, an increase of 62.5 percent.
Hillsborough Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department spokesman John Brill said the higher fee was necessary to maintain the program’s current level.
“We were in survival mode last year with the budget crisis,” Brill said. “The department was just trying to stay afloat. At all our budget meetings the people who attended said they favored fees over closing parks and reducing services. The higher fee is letting us offer the same good summer programs to county residents.”
The higher fee did not prevent Jill Wilkins from sending her 6-year-old son Jack to Nye Park’s summer program for the first time July 19.
“I have a friend who sends her kids here and she told me they love it,” Wilkins said. “I thought it would be the perfect place for him to meet some new kids … The fee wasn’t really a big deal. The program is great and it’s still cheaper than almost any other one I’ve seen.”
Parents across the county seem to have come to the same conclusion as Wilkins.
Already, 3,500 children have participated in camps throughout Hillsborough County. Brill said the program is on target to top 5,000 participants, more than the 4,356 in summer 2009.
Brill said the department expects to raise about $1 million more than usual from the higher fee alone. He added the department offered half-summer sessions for the first time this year.
“The department felt it was fair to offer the full and half sessions this year with the increase,” Brill said. “A lot of parents said they travel for parts of the summer for vacation and only use the program for half the time, so it really works out.

“We also offer breaks and scholarships to people on free and reduced (priced) lunches at school like we always have,” Brill said. “That way those in very real need can still send their children to a good summer program.”
Wilkins said she signed Jack up for the second session because they had a vacation during the first one.
At Nye Park the children have gotten the same program they have become accustomed to during the last few years. Legan said the kids in kindergarten through fourth grade are split up from the older ones. They then rotate outdoor games with indoor activities.
“Really that was the only complaint we’ve heard since I’ve been here,” Legan said. “Parents wanted their kids to spend more time indoors, so we spend about 45 minutes to an hour outside and then go inside for the same amount of time.”
Legan said they also go on regular field trips and also have visitors who teach the children various skills.
“We had people from the 4-H Club come and teach the kids about animals, healthy eating and exercise,” Legan said. “Some people have also come and taught the kids different kinds of music. It’s called Giving Tree Music and they play African instruments. They came last year too and the children love learning about the instruments.”
Wilkins is just happy to have a safe place for her child to spend the summer.
“He seems to be having a good time,” Wilkins said. “He gets a lot of good exercise and he likes the counselors.”
For more information on Nye Park or its upcoming after-school registration, call (813) 264-3805.

Nye Park facilities
Three basketball hoops
Two tennis courts
Two softball fields
Two air-conditioned buildings
A playground

By Kim Walkover

Homebuilder companies seem to have missed the memo that the economy is down. Either that, or they are flat out ignoring it.
In the community of Land O’ Lakes, the business of home building is booming. Several companies such as M/I, Adams, Taylor Morrison and Standard Pacific are continuously building new homes in developments around the area.

According to Frank Messina, vice president of sales and marketing for the Tampa division of Standard Pacific, there are several factors that make the area so promising. He said the reasons they are so confident in building in Land O’ Lakes include quality schools, affordable land, proximity to shopping and downtown Tampa, lower property taxes and new hospitals.
Peter Winter, a real estate professional for the same company, said people are favoring new homes over previously owned since they are more affordable than ever based on pricing, interest rates, low homeowner’s insurance rates and lower taxes based on assessed values. He said that 85 percent of Standard Pacific’s sales in 2010 have been new inventory homes, which are fully built and ready for purchase.
Along with being an employee of the company and an advocate for homeownership, Winter is also a homeowner in Land O’ Lakes and moved here for many of the reasons stated above.
“My wife and I moved here and built in the area because we wanted new. Everything here is so clean and I personally like the potential,” Winter said. “My wife is a teacher and the schools here are so great.”
In addition to the area, another perk of building or buying new is the timeline from purchase to move-in. When purchasing an already-built inventory home it can take just 30 days to be move-in ready.  If building from the ground up, that timeline increases to just 90 to 120 days, plus the time it takes to obtain the necessary permits.
Winter said the permit process is taking four to five weeks in Pasco County and up to eight weeks in Hillsborough County. He says it’s taking longer than it has in the past due in large part to staff reductions at the county.
Development numbers are up countywide from a year ago. According to Pasco County Central Permitting, there were 541 permits pulled for new single-family homes between January and June of this year. The projected number of permits for 2010 is 1,094, over a hundred more than the 937 permits issued in 2009. That’s a long way from the 7,252 permits pulled in 2005, but it is a projected uptick nonetheless.
“I think the increase could be a positive sign,” Winter said, “but I also believe it can be a false indicator that might be tied to the tax credit deadline.

“I think many builders started more inventory homes to make sure they had enough for the initial June 30 tax credit deadline,” he said.
New shopping centers and restaurants, expanding roads, central location and highly rated schools are the focus of the up-and-coming area and many people are flocking to it.
New homeowner Keri Ex recently purchased a home in the Asbel neighborhood in Land O’ Lakes and chose to build from the ground up.
“I looked both in Tampa and Land O’ Lakes when I was looking for houses, and Tampa was a lot more expensive for new construction, and also taxes were quite a bit more,” she said.
Ex said she looked at several foreclosures and short sales on newer homes, but that most of them cost more than she would spend for brand new or that they would need a total overhaul and she didn’t want that much of a project.
“Even some of the foreclosures, with the poor state they were in, were not a whole lot less money,” she said. “So, when I found this house, which was similar to one I looked at in New Tampa but for a lot less, I decided to get it.”
It’s clear that Ex isn’t the only one who feels that way, seeing as how new home development is so prevalent in the area.

By Joe Potter

After facing life in a termite-infested house, Ann Murdoch said she feels right at home in her new Habitat for Humanity home, which was dedicated Saturday, July 24 on Lincoln Avenue in Zephyrhills.

Murdoch, a teller at Wachovia Bank in Zephyrhills for seven years, purchased the home from Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International based in Americus, Ga.
“I’m just so happy. I love it. I love it,” Murdoch said regarding her Habitat home. The nearly 1,100-square foot house will be a much better home for her and her daughter, Julia, 13, than where they had lived previously. Her former residence had been condemned as unsafe for human habitation because of termites, Murdoch said.
Murdoch’s home located near the Zephyrhills Airport is an example of recycling at its maximum said John J. Finnerty III, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco.
Habitat purchased the 12-year-old three-bedroom, one-bath home on Lincoln Avenue from an estate. The home’s interior was extensively refurbished. New central air and heat was installed along with new vanities, drywall, cabinets, sinks and other plumbing fixtures. New floor tile was installed and other steps were taken to make the home a warm and inviting abode for the Murdoch family. “Virtually the whole inside is all new,” said Michael Fremlin, Habitat’s construction supervisor.
The original siding was removed, cleaned and reinstalled, giving the home’s exterior a fresh new appearance.
Habitat develops partnerships to build healthy, affordable homes with people in need, promotes self-reliance through home ownership, affirms the dignity of the family and improves the communities it serves said the website www.ephabitat.org.
Murdoch was able to purchase the home through an interest-free mortgage. She contributed 400 hours of “sweat equity” working on her Habitat home and on other Habitat projects in lieu of having to make a cash down payment on her mortgage.

Murdoch’s home was the first to be dedicated since Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco was formed earlier this year through the merger of two local Habitat affiliates. The merger will allow the building of Habitat homes in Dade City, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes and other areas.
Murdoch’s home is the 80th area Habitat home to be dedicated since East Pasco Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1994. It is also the second Habitat home to be dedicated in Zephyrhills in about eight years.
Another Habitat home will be dedicated Saturday, July 31, for Donald and Jennifer Barton. The ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. at 14609 Osceola St. in Dade City. Donald Barton works for Heyl Truck Lines and Jennifer is employed at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. The Barton family attends New Walk Church in Zephyrhills.
Murdoch was presented several gifts during the dedication ceremony. They included bread, representing life; salt to season her life; sugar so that she would always know the sweetness of life; a candle, representing God’s word being a lamp for her feet and a light for her path; and a family Bible to provide daily spiritual guidance for her and her daughter, Julia.
Murdoch was also presented the keys to her new home and received a quilt from East Pasco Quilter’s Inc. A ribbon cutting ceremony was then held, followed by a tour of Murdoch’s home.
Habitat will be increasingly active in Zephyrhills over the next several months, Finnerty told the approximately 60 people attending the dedication on a warm and muggy morning. The nonprofit organization has obtained two vacant building lots where new homes may be built. Also, Habitat has two or three other homes in Zephyrhills that can be rehabilitated, Finnerty said.
In addition, Habitat plans to open a ReStore in September or October at the intersection of SR 54 and Allen Road, Finnerty said. A ReStore sells new and used building materials, furniture and home improvement items to the public. Habitat does not plan to close the ReStore it currently has at the Dade City Business Center. The new ReStore in Zephyrhills will be in a much larger building than the one in Dade City, Finnerty said.
Murdoch said she planned to visit the ReStore in Dade City later Saturday to purchase some furniture for her home.
Members of a Collegiate Challenge group from Silver Spring, Md. were recognized during the dedication of Murdoch’s home. Collegiate Challenge is a year-round alternative break program that offers students who are 16 or more years of age the opportunity to visit one of the more than 250 host Habitat affiliates in the United States. Students spend one week working in partnership with the local affiliate, the local community and partner families to eliminate poverty housing in the area.
Flaco’s Cafe of Zephyrhills provided refreshments following the dedication ceremony.
Call (352) 567-1444 or visit https://www.ephabitat.org for more information about Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco.

By Joe Potter

Jennifer Crain knew coming in that she had big shoes to fill when she succeeded Brenda Welcher as executive director of Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.
Crain was tapped for the top spot this month after Welcher, the former director, left to take a marketing position with Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.
Crain is joined by her executive assistant, Judy Taylor.

The mission of Main Street Zephyrhills Inc. is to provide economic vitality through historic preservation, pride in our quality of life and a strong sense of community, the organization’s web page says.
“Jennifer is no stranger to Zephyrhills or to Main Street,” said Elayne Bassinger, the board’s president. “She has learned a lot about the Main Street Zephyrhills organization by working closely with Welcher as a volunteer since February 2009. Jennifer comes to Main Street Zephyrhills with vast and diverse experience including sales, marketing and fundraising. She owned and operated her own charter bus company for several years.
Bassinger also said Crain understands the importance of development and growth in the community for local businesses to thrive. “She is looking forward to building upon Main Street Zephyrhills’ past success,” Bassinger said.
Crain is a co-owner of Interstate Housing Management LLC in Wesley Chapel.
Crain and Taylor had both worked with Welcher as volunteers and assisted at several Main Street events.
“I’m very excited. I think this is a wonderful opportunity. It gives me a chance to help finish and excel on what Brenda had already started to accomplish here,” Crain said, adding, “It gives us the opportunity to help unite the community with the businesses during these economic times. It’s very important that everybody be supportive of each other and the community be supporting our local businesses,” Crain said.
Welcher was a mentor to her and was just wonderful at what she did, Crain said.
The first big event on Crain’s calendar is National Night Out that will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Aug. 3. National Night Out is a unique crime/drug prevention program that is observed across the country. Now in its 27th year, National Night Out involves citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials.
The program is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; generate support for, and participation in, local crime anticrime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
Events held during National Night Out range from block parties to cookouts and from visits from local police and sheriff’s departments to contests and youth programs.
“We would really like for the community to come out and to join us for this event.” Crain said.
“It will be a great time for kids. McGruff the Crime Dog will be here,” said Taylor, Crain’s executive assistant.
Taylor has known Welcher for 16 years. She and Welcher previously worked for the same company in Indiana. Taylor took an early retirement and moved to Florida.
She was involved in several Main Street events over the past year while working as a volunteer.
It’s Taylor’s job to keep in contact with vendors who are participating in events and to help Crain to organize events.
“We’re really looking forward to getting into this thing and really going with it,” Taylor said.
Also on the agenda is the next Music & Motorcycles that will be held on Sept. 11. A lot of preplanning has to be done for Music & Motorcycles, Crain said.
For more information about Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., call (813) 780-1414 or visit www.mainstreetzephyrhills.org.

By Kim Walkover

Florida summers and unbearable heat are like the Fourth of July and fireworks — you can’t have one without the other. Anyone who has experienced a summer here knows that the moment they step outside, the sweat will start to bead.
This summer, the heat is proving to be even worse than normal. The over-the-top temperatures affect everyone, including local high school athletes who are busy preparing for their upcoming seasons.
According to the National Weather Service, the average temperature in Land O’ Lakes during the month of July is 92 degrees. While that is a high number, this month has already seen days reaching even higher, up to 95 degrees with heat indexes climbing in the low 100s.
So how are local high school coaches protecting themselves and their athletes from potentially fatal heat-related illnesses?

Land O’ Lakes High School football coach Matt Kitchie wasn’t shy about talking about the precautions he and his staff take when it comes to their players.
The most important one is water.
“I have a ‘water anytime’ policy,” Kitchie said. “If a kid needs water, he gets water.”
He also said that there are water coolers all around the playing field and that an athlete is never more than a few steps from being able to hydrate.
Kitchie’s athletes are practicing four mornings a week from 7:30–9:30 with one hour in the weight room and one hour outside. Kitchie said that being outside in the morning helps the players get acclimated to the heat and prepares them for the looming August temperatures.
His team also plays one night a week in the North Suncoast 7-on-7 league against other schools in the county. He said it’s a way to have the kids outside running around, playing some football and having fun without having to be in the scorching afternoon sun.
“We don’t have issues with the heat because we are very proactive about it,” Kitchie said. “We don’t punish anyone if they need to step out because they’re overheated. We want them to be at their best. If something happens to them, they can’t be at their best and play, and we want them to play.”
Kitchie said that all coaches in the area feel the same way about preventing any kind of heat illness. One of those coaches is Wesley Chapel High School football coach Ben Alford. Alford also practices the “water anytime” policy and says his athletes know that water is always available to them.
“I was an athlete so I know from experience when someone needs a break and needs water,” said Alford.
Like the Land O’Lakes athletes, the Wesley Chapel football players are also practicing four mornings a week to avoid the afternoon heat. However, instead of playing in the 7-on-7 league, the team has evening practices on the same days they participate in the morning sessions.
At times the heat can cancel those games as happened at a recent 7-on-7 game between Freedom High and Gaither High July 21. The heat index was higher than 100 and both coaches felt it was best to stop the game before it started.
“We don’t want someone to get sick,” said Freedom coach Tchecoy Blount said. “The kids are working to get into shape for the season, but we need to make sure they are safe too.”
In addition to heat, Florida summers generally guarantee an afternoon rainstorm that springs up for at least a quick, middle-of-the-day cool down, if not an all out torrential downpour.
However, there has been little relief for the athletes this summer as the area has yet to accumulate even half of the monthly average of 7.69 inches. According to the National Weather Service, as of July 15, only 2.38 inches had been accounted for in Land O’ Lakes.
-Staff Writer Kyle LoJacono contributed to this story.