Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Construction company thrives, two others step aside

By Kyle LoJacono

It is nearly impossible to drive through Pasco or north Hillsborough counties and not see signs for Ripa & Associates.
The company is currently working on about 10 construction projects, some for the counties and some for private developers.

“We’re proud to be a great presence in Pasco County and north Hillsborough County,” said Chris Laface, Ripa’s executive vice president. “The area has been very good to us and we’re honored to be given the chance to develop the area.”
Some of the larger projects the company is working include:

Collier Parkway extension, Land O’ Lakes
Concord Station Community, Land O’ Lakes
Road work in Dupree Lakes, Land O’ Lakes
Road work in Stonebriar Community, Lutz
Bruce B. Downs Boulevard widening, Wesley Chapel
CR 54 extension for the Cypress Creek Town Center, Wesley Chapel
The Medical Center of Trinity, Trinity

The most expensive contract completed by Ripa was $20 million to build roads and put in utilities at The Grove at Wesley Chapel. Echo Development hired Ripa to do that project, which was finished about two years ago.
The company also built Sunlake Boulevard extension in Land O’ Lakes and the extension of SR 56 to Meadow Pointe Boulevard and the development in Terra Belle community, both in Wesley Chapel. It also did roadwork and utility installation for the new Odessa Elementary School, Anclote High and Fivay high schools in Pasco.
In Hillsborough, Ripa completed the road widening and improvements to Van Dyke Road in Lutz in front of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North.
Laface said the number of recent projects was not uncommon five years ago when the economy was booming, but the current workload is higher than it had been for several months.
Pasco Chief Project Manager Robert Shepherd said the county does not play favorites when awarding contracts because public money is being used.
“Generally the county awards contracts to whichever company is the lowest bidder,” Shepherd said. “Ripa has been awarded quite a few projects. They’ve done a good job getting projects done on time or earlier and without much trouble at all.”
Ripa was founded in 1998 by Frank Ripa and is based in Tampa. The company has more than 200 employees and does earthwork, utility/infrastructure work and roadway construction in Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando and other central Florida counties.
Ripa has even handled projects it did not win the bid for after other companies failed to complete work. Ripa picked up work on the SR 56 and Collier extension after another company filed for bankruptcy and lost insurance coverages according to Pasco Chief Engineer James Widman.

Ripa put the final touches on the SR 56 extension, which opened July 31. Laface said the Collier extension is much further from completion as it was less than half finished when Ripa picked up the project about a month ago. Its project in Dupree Lakes, funded by Beazer Homes, will eventually connect the neighborhood to Collier.
Shepherd said Ripa was selected by the company that insured and bonded the original contracts with the first company. He said the bonding company is required to pay any additional cost above the contract, so no new county money is needed for those projects.
The contract for Collier was for $4.3 million and for Sunlake $1.5 million. The original contract for the SR 56 project was $60 million and was shared by three developments — Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel Lakes and Seven Oaks, according to Shepherd.
“They most have been able to do it for less money,” Shepherd said. “Otherwise the bonding company wouldn’t have picked them as it is money out of their pocket if it’s more expensive.”
Laface said the company has been keeping its bids as competitive as possible during the down economy to keep their workers and equipment moving. He said that will keep their name in the market and will benefit the company once the economy turns around.

Seven years after initial plans, studio breaks ground on new home

By B.C. Manion

Susan Sisk, owner of The Dance and Gymnastics Academy of Tampa, has a simple philosophy she expects her dancers and gymnasts to live by. They may stumble. They may fall. They may have trouble learning new skills. But, they should never utter those dreaded words: “I can’t.” “When you are hanging on those bars and that (gymnastics) coach is telling you to flip your feet over, it seems impossible. You may think, “I am never going to. Never. It’s too hard. It’s hurting my hands. It’s hurting my shoulders.”

“And, then in six weeks when your feet go over the bar, it’s not just about your feet going over the bar – you know what you’ve learned? That when something is hard, don’t just run around, or be scared, or cry. Face it. Take a deep breath. You can do it.” The same goes for dancers: “Don’t tell me, ‘I can’t pirouette.’  You don’t know what you’re going to be able to do next week, or next year or in five years. “We’re teaching life lessons here. I’m not just teaching dance and gymnastics.” The dance instructor, who has taught young charges for nearly a quarter-of-a-century in Land O’ Lakes, had to follow a little of her own advice regarding perseverance — during her quest to create larger quarters for her program. She recognized seven years ago that the academy had outgrown its home at 2632 Land O’Lakes Blvd., and she began searching for a new location. At the time, commercial land was simply too expensive, so she tried, unsuccessfully, to rezone two parcels. She spent time, money, and countless hours of frustration, pursuing those false starts. In the end, however, those failures turned out to be blessings in disguise, she said. Just 4½ years ago, before the recession hit, the project’s budget would have only covered an 8,000-square-foot building. The tough economy, however, caused land values and construction costs to drop, allowing her to build a new 12,000-square-foot center instead. A groundbreaking for the center, at SR 54 and Livingston Ave., was Aug. 7. The $1.8 million project is expected to take seven to nine months to complete. The academy now has 300 to 350 students, ranging from toddlers to adults. The vast majority of its dancers and gymnasts are school-age students. Programs include separate gymnastics classes for boys and girls and dance classes, as well as Mommy and Me and adult programs. At the new center, Sisk will be able to offer more classes at opportune times, enabling her, and co-owner Jill M. Bosack, to meet the demand.

“Kids out here get out of school at 4 (p.m.). I can only offer so many classes from 4 (p.m.) to 8 (p.m.),” Sisk said. “We constantly have waiting lists. I constantly am turning away students who have specific needs that I can’t meet.” The new center will allow her to accommodate around 700 students, she said. She will be able to increase the number of gymnastics classes she offers, from three at a time to six. Those classes are maintained at a ratio of six students per instructor. The dance studio is moving into a larger space, too, from its current 30-by-30-foot space to one that that is 40 by 50. But Sisk is not increasing the number of dance classes she offers because she teaches them all herself, She enjoys guiding students as they develop their skills.  When the new center opens, it will mark the end of constant accommodations to work around limitations at the current space, Sisk said.  “My older gymnasts – currently, to vault over the vault table – they have to run through the doorway (from the lobby), because you need 60 feet to vault,” she said. At the new center, there will ample room inside the gym to get the job done. Parents who come to watch their children’s classes will also be able to get much better views of their children’s progress. Glass windows will flank both sides of a large lobby, with the gym on one side and the dance studio on the other. A parent can sit in the lobby, work on a laptop and periodically check on the progress of his or her children – whether the kids are in gymnastics, in dance, or both, Sisk said. Knowing that their parents are watching is important to young athletes, said Sisk, recalling how much it mattered to her when she knew her mother was watching. “I know when she walked into that room, I was trying a little harder. I was trying to show off for her. I was trying to get that pirouette that the week before I kept stumbling on,” said Sisk, who fell in love with dancing when she was just 4. After class, she’d ask her mom: “Did you see that?” And they would talk about it all of the way home. “That makes a big difference in your training,” said Sisk, who estimates she has taught more than 1,000 dancers over the course of her career. Another advantage the new center offers is the ability to host competitions, Sisk said. That will make life easier for the academy’s families who have been carting their kids to competitions all over the place for years.  When she envisions the new center, she sees it as a vastly improved version of the current center with all of the space issues resolved. The academy’s overall mission, however, will remain the same. “My dream for this building is the same as it has always been,” Sisk said. Whether students are at her academy for six months, or 15 years, she wants them to walk out of the school’s doors with something that can help them for the rest of their lives.

About the new center

What: The Dance and Gymnastics Academy of Tampa
Where: 23633 Venezia Drive (off the northwest corner of SR 54 and Livingston Avenue)
How large: 12,000 square feet
When: Slated to open in seven months to nine months
Capacity: 700
Parking: 50 paved spaces, with overflow parking on the grass

This Lutz shop helps gardeners grow

By B.C. Manion

Motorists buzzing down US 41 are likely to notice the bright teal blue lean-to, which houses Annie’s Garden Shed. It’s the kind of building that sort of just shouts for attention. But its bold color is only an over-the-top introduction to a subtler visual feast that awaits anyone who takes time to stop at the garden shop, at 100 Fourth Ave., NW, just off US 41 in Lutz. The shop originally opened in November 2007, on the other side of the highway, just about a mile to the south. But owner Patti Schaefer decided to relocate – opening at her new spot on Dec. 1 — in an effort to gain a more solid foothold.

“I needed a more permanent home — or something I could see as a more permanent home,” Schaefer said, explaining she wasn’t sure of the owner’s long-term plans for the land she had leased for her original location. The shop has moved, but it hasn’t changed its focus: “We’re trying to turn people into gardeners.” The idea is to find out enough about a customer’s personal situation – in terms of their yards light exposure and their watering habits, to help them choose plants that will thrive after they take them home. The shop gets its name from Schaefer’s grandmother, whom the Lutz woman characterized as being a source of inspiration — “more in life, than in the garden.” Schaefer fondly describes her grandmother as being fun, a risk taker and a crazy gardener. “It wasn’t unusual to see a rose bush next to an avocado plant that she stuck in the ground.” When it comes to taking risks, Schaefer, it seems, inherited a strain of that trait from her grandmother. She began planning her business well before the recession began, but the shop opened just as the economy slumped. Managing a new business through a recession has been scary, Schaefer said. There were times when it was truly touch and go. “When I was planning this move, I was very frightened about whether I was going to make it or not,” she said. “There was a period of time there, I was crying every day.’’ Even now, it’s a challenge. “There has been no easy money. We still work very hard for every single dollar,” said Schaefer, who has two employees, Karyn Ademek and Helen Cantrell. From the beginning, though, she has tried to position her shop as an alternative to garden centers at major retail centers. “I have to really make myself the complete opposite of the big box stores,” Schaefer said.  “There’s no competing with them on their terms. “We’re really all about service. We carry stuff out to people’s cars. We’ll talk about plants until their (customers’) eyes glaze over.” The shop offers a wide selection of plants, pots and garden décor – with items ranging from plaques with inspiring quotations for gardeners to metal sculptures of garden art.

Herb gardeners can choose oregano, chives, lavendula, tarragon, pineapple sage, thyme and different varieties of basil for $2.49 each. Other plant choices include antherium for $9.99, blue daze for $1.99, allamanda for $4.50, cat whiskers for $4.25, emerald lace for $1.99, Joseph’s coat for $1.99 and Platycodon for $1.99. The shop also offers container classes every Saturday, at 9:30 a.m., ranging in price from $18 to $38 per class, depending on the type of container used. The classes attract as many as two dozen gardeners at a time, and has been a crucial part of the business’ ability to weather the tough economic times. Her regular patrons have helped immensely, too. Experts continue to express doubts about the economy, but Schaefer is sensing some glimmers of hope. “The recession is easing up,” she said. “The fear has lifted.” She is proceeding on that basis, with long-range plans to create an inspiration garden – where she hopes people will want to meet for special gatherings. To learn more about Annie’s Garden Shed call (813) 949-2600 or go to www.AnniesGardenShed.com.

By Kyle LoJacono

When Danny Spence saw the reverence given to his grandfather during his military funeral, he knew he wanted to receive honor guard training.

“I fell in love with it seeing all the respect and honor given to him during the ceremony,” Danny said. “There was so much respect for every detail.”
That high regard made Danny apply for special training through the CAP at the National Honor Guard Academy in Westminster, Md. Only 140 cadets were accepted for the training nationally.
“I was amazed,” Spence said of being selected. “I wasn’t the best cadet applying in Florida, more like a mid-level cadet, so I was very surprised I was selected. When I heard I made it I was literally running through the house screaming.”
Cheryl Spence, Danny’s mother, could not have been prouder of her son.
“He was so happy with being selected that I couldn’t help but be just as thrilled,” Cheryl said. “He’s talked about trying to do something like this since my dad died, so it was very nice to see it come true for him.”
At the training Danny was taught how to perform various military ceremonies, while gaining the understanding that he is representing all military personnel while performing.
“What’s so great is he’s bringing back what he learned so the other cadets can see how to do the ceremonies too,” said Steve Lampasona, the squadron’s adult leader.
Danny’s family has a long tradition of military service. His grandfather, Edwin Wolski Sr., was a 31-year veteran and was in both the U.S. Army and Air Force. He fought in WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Wolski died of heart failure a year ago.
Cheryl and her husband, Dan, were in the Florida National Guard and reached the rank of major. Danny’s younger brother, Josh, is also in the squadron. Danny said he plans on joining the Army after high school.

Alec Lampasona member of the Blue Berets

Thousands of CAP cadets from around the country applied for Blue Beret training and only 130 were selected, 11 from Florida. Among those few was Wesley Chapel resident Alec Lampasona.

The training involved directing planes at the Experimental Aircraft airshow in Oshkosh, Wis.
“It was an amazing experience, especially with so few people being accepted,” Alec said. “We got to marshal the planes at the biggest air show in the county and even had to help during a crash.”
Jack Roush, owner of Roush Fenway Racing NASCAR team, crashed his Sesna Citation jet while at the event. Roush was OK after the crash.
“We went out around 11 at night and didn’t get back until after 1 (a.m.),” Alec said. “We had our uniforms set up like firefighters so we could put them on in a couple seconds in case something like that happened. We went out and secured a perimeter and made sure everyone was ok.”
Alec said the hardest part of directing the planes was how quickly they came up on him.
“They were so big and moved so fast,” Alec said. “They would be far off, I’d look away and then they’d be right on top of me.”
After completing the course, cadets are given a blue beret to show they have finished the training.
“Getting the beret is very cool,” Alex said. “I’ll be able to wear that with my uniform.”
Alec’s father, Steve, is the leader of the Wesley Chapel squadron. Steve said 7,000 cadets applied for the Blue Beret training.
“It was great. Just a terrific opportunity for him,” Steve said. “It was nice to see him selected and to get to go to such a large air show.”
Alec is the cadet leader of the squadron. His father and mother are also senior members of the group. Alec plans to join the U.S. Air Force after high school.

Civil Air Patrol cadets complete training
Cadet Tech. Sgt. Danny Spence and Cadet Capt. Alec Lampasona of the Wesley Chapel Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) recently returned from special training at different locations around the country. Thousands of CAP cadets applied for the slots nationally. Both cadets are 16 and attend Wiregrass Ranch High.
The Wesley Chapel squadron was chartered in November 2009 and currently has 34 cadets and 10 senior members. The group meets from 6:30-9 p.m. each Wednesday at the Tampa North Aero Park in Wesley Chapel. Those interested in joining can attend one of the meetings or visit www.wesleychapelcap.com for more information.

Procedure helps heart disease patients

By Kyle LoJacono

One of the things Marina Bainbridge most enjoys is going out to dinner with her daughters, but until a recent procedure, her heart made that virtually impossible.

Bainbridge also could not do daily activities like washing and hanging up clothes, cleaning, cooking and shopping.
“I’d have to stop at the first bench and rest when I was shopping,” Bainbridge said. “One of my daughters had to get everything and I’d only get up when they went to check out. I just got so weak that I couldn’t move. When I was hanging wash I had a chair close by so I could sit down.
“I was never really in pain,” Bainbridge continued. “I just felt weak like I couldn’t get enough oxygen to my heart.”
Even simple phone conversations were a chore. Bainbridge’s daughters, Carol Rehrig and Linda DeRanek, also saw the decline in their mother’s health.
Her physician at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, Dr. Sunil Gupta, suggested a procedure called external counterpulsation (ECP). Bainbridge thought it was worth a try.
“It’s used for people who are not candidates for stents or other surgeries either because they’ve had one before or their health won’t allow it,” said Dr. Ketul Chauhan, who is Gupta’s partner with the hospital.
“A lot of people who have stents still have pain after, or in Ms. Bainbridge’s case get very tired,” Chauhan continued. “That’s about 10 percent of people who have that kind of procedure.”

The ECP machine attaches to a patient’s legs. It then inflates and deflates like a heartbeat, which forces more blood to the heart. This causes the body to form more capillaries, or small blood vessels, around the heart.
Those who opt for ECP commit to using the machine for one hour a day, five days a week for six weeks. The procedure is completely noninvasive and done in the doctor’s office area.
ECP has been used for 34 years and is approved by the American College of Cardiology, according to Chauhan. He also said it has been used at the two doctor’s practice for three months, making it the only East Pasco County facility to offer it.
“I think it’s a great thing for those with pain, weakness or can’t have other procedures,” Chauhan said. “I had another patient who couldn’t mow their yard and now they can walk three miles. That’s the typical kind of response.”
Bainbridge has lived in Zephyrhills for 36 years. Both of her daughters also live in the city. Her trouble with her heart started four years ago when she had triple-bypass surgery.
Bainbridge then had two stents and a balloon was used in April to clear blockages. Her doctors recommended the treatment, which she started June 1 and completed July 13. Chauhan said the procedure can relieve the problem for one to three years.
“It gently helped me get stronger,” Bainbridge said. “I didn’t notice for about two weeks, but then it got so much better.
“I’ve always had problems with my lungs and breathing since I was a girl,” Bainbridge continued. “My other doctor says I only use about half of my lungs. I couldn’t swim two strokes without having to stop. If I didn’t have that problem with breathing I’d say I feel perfect now. I feel I have the energy to do anything.”
To Rehrig it was very apparent when Bainbridge was getting better.
“I called to check in on her and she told me she was doing great,” Rehrig said. “She told me she just finished two loads of laundry, so I knew she was much better.”
DeRanek said of the improvement, “She is doing so much better. She’s getting up earlier and can do the normal things everyone is used to doing. It’s a complete change. It’s really given her a lot of her life back.”

By B.C. Manion

If you’re in the mood for a pulled pork sandwich, spare ribs or smoked salmon, you may want to check out the barbecue stand on the east side of US 41, just north of Crystal Lake Road in Lutz
At the small shack, the sweet smell of barbecue fills the air and smoke billows out, as spare ribs cook on a primitive grill over aged oak wood.
The secret to great barbecue is patience, said Todd Whaley, owner of Whaley’s Blazin’ BBQ, who operates the stand with the help of Ralph Johnson and Randy McKracken.

The three men put in about 150 man hours every week, cooking and serving ribs, chicken, pork sandwiches, brisket and salmon.
The meat is seasoned with a blend of 14 spices and is grilled on a fire at a heat of less than 300 degrees for several hours, said Whaley, who used to prepare the barbecued meats sold in the deli at Whaley’s Market in South Tampa.
One secret he shares with barbecue enthusiasts is this: About halfway through the smoking, take the meat out, wrap it in foil and puts it back on the grill. That way, it continues to cook, but is not overwhelmed by smoke flavor.
When his smoked pork is done, he pulls it apart by hand to make sure he can feel any fat or tough parts – which he removes before generously coating the meat in a sauce, that’s sweet with a bit of a kick.
Before the Whaley family lost its lease at its South Tampa store, it had been a fixture there — selling fruits, vegetables, meats and grocery items for decades. When the store closed, Todd Whaley decided to set up his shop in Lutz, in a community where members of his family have lived since the 1970s.
“It was just a no-brainer to come up here where we live,” he said.
“My customer base is local people who live in the area that have known the family name and are familiar with it, and people who are driving through that live in Land O’Lakes and, actually, even in Hudson.
The family’s Carrollwood store, which operated for decades, also made people living north of Tampa aware of the family’s reputation, he said.
“With the name recognition, people are stopping,” Whaley said. “Because the product is good, they keep coming back.”
The bulk of its business is walk-up trade, with the lunchtime crowd dropping by between 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and dinnertime customers stopping by between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Whaley said he’s not sure how long he will be at his current location, since he rents on a month-to-month basis. But with the economy still struggling, he doesn’t anticipate being forced to move any time soon.
When he does move, he said he’ll find another spot in Lutz, and eventually, he hopes, stands in Westchase, Tampa Palms and Odessa.
The barbecue chef said those locations would be stands; he has no aspirations to own a restaurant.
“Having worked in the produce-meat market for 30 years and having to work with up to 30 employees, I like to keep it simple,” he said.

By B.C. Manion

It’s billed as an industry appreciation banquet – but it’s more of an occasion for people who are interested in economic development in Pasco County to network and mingle with others of a like mind.
About 600 business and community leaders typically attend the Pasco Economic Development Council’s annual banquet, which will be held this year on Sept. 9 at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.
“This is probably the premiere business event in Pasco County,” said John Hagen, who was named president and chief executive officer of the economic development council earlier this year.
Awards will be presented in seven categories at the event which will be co-emceed by ABC Action News anchor Brendan McLaughlin and Taking Action Reporter Jackie Calloway.
This year’s awards will honor recipients who have distinguished themselves in various categories, including service and distribution, manufacturing and technology. A special recognition award will be bestowed, and a special contribution will be acknowledged.
The $65-a-plate dinner begins at 7 p.m., but it is preceded by a trade show and networking session which begin at 5:30 p.m. About 40 to 45 businesses typically take part in the trade show, including companies involved in healthcare, publishing, education, social services and financial services.
Tickets for the banquet are available but must be reserved by Sept. 1. To make a reservation call (813) 926-0827 or go to the website at It’s billed as an industry appreciation banquet – but it’s more of an occasion for people who are interested in economic development in Pasco County to network and mingle with others of a like mind. About 600 business and community leaders typically attend the Pasco Economic Development Council’s annual banquet, which will be held this year on Sept. 9 at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel. “This is probably the premiere business event in Pasco County,” said John Hagen, who was named president and chief executive officer of the economic development council earlier this year. Awards will be presented in seven categories at the event which will be co-emceed by ABC Action News anchor Brendan McLaughlin and Taking Action Reporter Jackie Calloway. This year’s awards will honor recipients who have distinguished themselves in various categories, including service and distribution, manufacturing and technology. A special recognition award will be bestowed, and a special contribution will be acknowledged. The $65-a-plate dinner begins at 7 p.m., but it is preceded by a trade show and networking session which begin at 5:30 p.m. About 40 to 45 businesses typically take part in the trade show, including companies involved in healthcare, publishing, education, social services and financial services. Tickets for the banquet are available but must be reserved by Sept. 1. To make a reservation call (813) 926-0827 or go to the website at www.pascoedc.com The PEDC, funded through a combination of public and private funds, was created in 1987 to promote the common good of Pasco County through economic development, with the aim of alleviating unemployment, relieving poverty and reducing the need for public assistance.">www.pascoedc.com
The PEDC, funded through a combination of public and private funds, was created in 1987 to promote the common good of Pasco County through economic development, with the aim of alleviating unemployment, relieving poverty and reducing the need for public assistance.

WHAT’S IN A NAME

By Jake Bittle

Originally opened in 1984, Gaither High is one of the most significant landmarks on Dale Mabry Highway. With an enrollment of over 2,000 students and an established suite of sports programs, the high school has already made a name for itself in Hillsborough County, despite being relatively new.
However, its namesake comes from a different high school, one with more than a hundred years of history and heritage — Hillsborough High.
Lutz resident Laura Novy graduated from Gaither in 1986 and has been living in the area for more than 20 years.
“I think he was on the school board … I’m not really sure,” Novy said when asked what she knew about the namesake of her alma mater.
Vivian Gaither, for whom the school was named, was born in a small town called Tallassee, not to be confused with Tallahassee, in the heart of Alabama.
Raised on a farm, he grew up as one of eight boys and learned the value of discipline and diligence. At first Gaither wanted to be a lawyer, and took a teaching job while saving the money needed to enter law school.
He found he liked teaching so much he gave up law and pursued education, later becoming principal of a school in Catula, Ga. and received his bachelor’s degree in education from Peabody College.
In 1925, Gaither moved down to Florida to accept a teaching contract, acting as principal of Woodrow Wilson Junior High. During his five-year tenure there, he visited Columbia University in New York during the summer until he earned his master’s degree in education in 1930.
After short stints at Benjamin Franklin Junior High and Plant High, a choice that devoted Hillsborough students thought to be a slight bit of heresy, Gaither became principal of Hillsborough in 1933.
Hillsborough, the oldest school in the county, has a robust alumni association and much of the information about Gaither comes from that group’s newsletter.
During his 33-year stay at Hillsborough, according to the alumni association, Gaither earned the unwavering respect of all his students, embodying the spirit of the school and acting as a fair and efficient principal.
He was known to regularly attend the school’s sporting events in full Terrier regalia. In 1937, he married a Hillsborough graduate, Jacqueline Bettis.
During his career, Gaither was named an Honorary Doctor of Education by the University of Tampa. He was heavily involved in the First Baptist Church, and was a high-ranking member of the Hillsborough Masonic Lodge.
Out of a list including Dale Mabry High, Carrollwood High, Northdale High and Odessa High, Vivian Gaither was chosen to be the namesake of the newly opened school, paying homage to Gaither.
That decision led to another name change — for the football stadium named at Hillsborough. School leaders there removed the Gaither name, not wanting to have a stadium named for a rival school. Still, Gaither remains an honored presence at Hillsborough — a prominent oak tree shades the courtyard and his desk is on display in the media center.

Have a suggestion for a historic name we should profile in a future issue? E-mail it to .

Cutting positions to make ends meet

By Kyle LoJacono

The proposed Pasco County budget would trim 76 full-time jobs and raise property tax rates for the second straight year after it was decreasing for nearly a decade.
It would also close a library and make a lot of transactions paperless as the county works to balance its $1.023 billion checkbook.
“Based on the economy, government must get smaller,” said Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Pat Mulieri. “Government cannot be everything to everyone. We will concentrate on essential services.”

“For the past two years we have been examining the way government works,” Mulieri continued. “The board had the urban land institute study, developed a strategic plan and used the elements to put together a business plan.
Part of that plan was the county’s LEAP program, or Lean Efficient Accountable Pasco. The program looks for ways to downsize government by combining departments and increasingly utilizing technology to make government more cost efficient.
Cutting the 76 positions is a continuation of a trend that started about two years ago in Pasco. Since 2008, 271 positions have been cut, a reduction of more than 12 percent. Some of those jobs were already vacant.
“Other things we’ve done during the last two years is now more services will be paid
online, some permits can be downloaded and inspections can be checked on smart phones,” Mulieri said. “Each department was looked at and found they were replicating some services. Reorganization was done.
“Each constitutional officer was asked to cut their budget 5 percent,’ Mulieri continued. “Based on a criteria established in our strategic plan, each department had to validate their programs and depending on how it was justified there could be from 5-12 percent cuts.”
The chairwoman also said the county has been working to meet the budget while listening to what residents want from their government.
Also on the proposed chopping block is Centennial Library in Holiday. Other library hours will remain the same.
While several positions are proposed for cuts, the county’s budget is projected to be larger than the last two years in part because of federal stimulus money, according to Office of Management and Budget assistant director Mike Howard. The current budget is $950 million and it was $1.021 billion in 2008-09.
Another change for this year will be an increase in the millage rate. The tax rate will increase from $1.20 to $1.43 for every $1,000 of assessed property value, which will mostly go to fire rescue services. That increase would mean $34.50 more taxes on a home taxed at $150,000.
The need to increase the rate was mainly because property values in the county have dropped since 2007. The loss of taxable value reduced the Pasco general fund by $2.7 billion for this year.
Increasing funding to fire rescue was a factor of listening to public opinion.
“With our stakeholder meetings we found what services our residents felt were essential, which were mainly public safety — sheriff and fire rescue.”
In addition to those meetings, the annual Pasco residents survey indicated the most important thing to county residents is fire rescue, followed by law enforcement and emergency medical services. Those surveys were conducted online and by in person interviews with 1,825 people in the county.
Another place Mulieri said was a focus in stakeholder meetings was veterans services.
“There is also a large contingency of veterans (54,000) in the county, so keeping veterans services is important,” Mulieri said.
The proposed budget is recommending the elimination of one veteran service counselor. In order to keep that position, $37,320 will need to be found from somewhere else in the budget.
Howard emphasized this is only the proposed budget and nothing is set in stone. The 2010-11 fiscal budget needs to be in place by Sept. 21 and will go into effect Oct. 1. The commission will have several more workshops and public meetings before that date.
While Mulieri believes government needs to get smaller to meet its budget, she predicts good things for the county’s future.
“This said, I believe Pasco will be in good shape when the economy rebounds,” Mulieri said. “We are putting in needed infrastructure, restructuring the permitting process and working to bring in new industries and help local ones. Jobs are a top priority. Pasco is working to bring opportunities home.”

SOUND OFF
What do you think about the proposed Pasco County budget?
Send us your response to and put Sound Off in the subject.
Be sure to include your name and city of residence.

By Kyle LoJacono

Each year thousands of children, parents and friends pile into Oscar Cooler Sports Complex to watch youth athletics. All those people walk by the park’s sign, including Oscar Cooler himself.

Cooler, 81, has lived in Lutz since 1963 and was instrumental in bringing the first version of the park to Lutz in 1975.
“I think kids need to have a safe place to learn about teamwork,” Cooler said. “That’s why I worked to get the first park built all that time ago.
“If kids don’t have something like this then they usually get into a lot of things they shouldn’t be doing,” Oscar continued. “I think the most important thing for a community are its athletic fields for the kids. I’d say the park has helped keep thousands of kids, if not millions of kids, off the streets.”
Now the current park will be 33 acres larger after the grand opening of the $3.9 million expansion at 9 a.m. Aug. 14.
“That’s great that the new part of the park is opening,” Cooler said. “Now we can get more kids into our programs.”
Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department spokesman John Brill said the expansion will allow more than 500 additional athletes to participate in sports programs at the park. A future project will improve the existing football and baseball facilities as well as adding more parking.
Hillsborough County bought the land for the expansion five years ago and construction began last September. The expansion adds several new fields, facilities and parking spaces to the facility.
The park, located along W. Lutz-Lake Fern Road and Crooked Lane in Lutz, opens just in time for the Lutz Chiefs youth football season. The Chiefs’ first home game is Aug. 28.
“All the construction has been done for more than a month now, but we are now opening the expansion to the public,” said Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department spokesman John Brill. “(Hillsborough) County added a football game field and several other practice fields for football and soccer.”
The Chiefs joined the Tampa Bay Youth Football League (TBYFL) for this season.
“It’s going to be one of the best field locations in our league,” said TBYFL president Scott Levenson. “The county really went above and beyond making the park a great place for youth football and cheerleading.”
Also part of the expansion was adding a soccer game field for the first time. The new soccer program is called FC Tampa Lutz Rangers, which will have competitive and recreational soccer for children ages 4-18.
The park was originally built in 1975 and had three baseball fields only. Before it was built, the area was mainly orange groves. Lutz resident Oscar Cooler, 81, was one of the key people in getting the first park built. He and worked for about two years to convince the county to buy the land and build the park.
Brill did not know when the park was renamed after Cooler, but said it was given the name because, “He was a major player is getting the original park put in the area as a place for the Lutz community kids to play.”
Cooler has been a big supporter of the youth sports programs at the park during the last 35 years. He was the Lutz Little League president for 15 years and still goes to the games when he can.
Cooler continued by saying he wished he had a park like the complex while he was growing up. He said after the county bought the land more than three decades ago he got local people to volunteer to do as much of the building as possible. This allowed the first park to open much sooner than was originally anticipated.
Brill said he has invited Oscar to the opening of the expansion, but does not know if he will make it for the ribbon cutting. Oscar himself said he would like to if he has the energy.
The event is free and open to the public. Those in attendance will get to see the Chiefs’ players and cheerleaders practice for the first time on their new fields after the grand opening.

If you go
What: Oscar Cooler Sports Complex grand opening
Where: 19045 Crooked Lane in Lutz
When: 9 a.m. Aug. 14