Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

A $2 park fee meant to plug a $691,000 budget hole is falling short of expectations.

The Pasco Parks and Recreation Department’s new user began in November at 11 county parks. The charge was for one vehicle per day, with the exception of residents who purchased a $60 annual pass. The county enacted the fee to prevent having to close county facilities or raise taxes during the last budget cycle.

“We were faced with a tough budget reality,” said department director Rick Buckman. “We could have either closed parks for a couple days each week and permanently close the remaining two county pools, raised taxes for everyone or start the user fees. The commission got feedback from residents and they voted for the fees.”

One of those remaining pools that could have been closed is the one at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Collier Parkway.

The budget shortfall for the department was almost $900,000 for the current fiscal year on top of the $1.8 million it has cut during the last three years. The goal of the park fee is to make up $691,000 of that shortfall, but the county has collected only $60,000 during the first two months.

In addition, county sponsored youth leagues and programs had an increased fee to make up the rest of the shortfall. Those leagues are on track to do just that, but user fees are lagging behind.

“We are using the same program they’re using in Hillsborough County,” Buckman said. “It’s been successful there and that’s one of the reasons the commission wanted to try the user fees.”

Since the fees in Hillsborough started in November 2009, the county has collected $927,786, according to Hillsborough spokeswoman Kemly Green. Hillsborough Parks, Recreation and Conservation spokesman John Brill said the fees were needed to keep the department operating.

Both counties’ law enforcement officers can write tickets to anyone they catch not paying the entry fee.

Jeffrey Steinsnyder, county attorney, said several businesses owners, mainly on the Gulf coast, argued the fees went against county ordinances. He said the only problem was the wrong ordinance was listed on the signs telling guests about the fee to enter.

“The board has the authority to impose fees for parking,” Steinsnyder said.

The incorrect signs have been removed after county administrator John Gallagher sent an e-mail to several Pasco departments reading, “The ordinance on the signs are not correct. I would appreciate if you would remove this language until the issues is addressed by the Board.”

Buckman said the signs will soon be up with the correct wording.

“We still get people calling and sending messages who are mad about the fees,” Buckman said. “Our department and the board of commissioners believe people want parks. They make life better in the county and this was the best way to keep them open.”

The most recent Pasco residents survey, which polled nearly 2,000 county inhabitants, showed that 63 percent of people support user fees as opposed to raising taxes for such programs as parks and recreation.

Buckman said the department is still planning on expanding the John S. Burks Memorial Park in Dade City and possibly the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, neither of which have entry fees.

Buckman said the Dade City construction will happen, including the addition of a new soccer/football field. It will also convert an old softball field into one for soccer/football. He said once done, the expansion will have no new operating cost, which is different from Land O’ Lakes.

“We’re going to go through 30 percent of the design and then wait until we have the budget to operate it,” Buckman said. “The plan is to add many more fields in Land O’ Lakes for soccer, which would require more people to staff it. We don’t want to expand and then not be able to staff it.”

For additional information on the Pasco Parks and Recreation Department, visit portal.pascocountyfl.net. For Hillsborough’s department, visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org.

Pasco parks with entry fees

Withlacoochee River Park, 12449 Withlacoochee Blvd., Dade City

Suncoast Trail, stretches from Lutz into Hernando though central Pasco

Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, 10500 Wilderness Park Blvd., New Port Richey

Crews Lake Wilderness Park, 16739 Crews Lake Drive, Spring Hill

Anclote River Park, 1119 Baillies Bluff Road, Holiday

Anclote Gulf Park, 2305 Baillies Bluff Road, Holiday

Key Vista Park, 2700 Baillies Bluff Road, Holiday

Moon Lake Park, 8985 Lake Drive, New Port Richey

Robert K. Rees Memorial Park, 4835 Green Key Road, New Port Richey

Eagle Point Park, 4499 Strauber Memorial Highway, New Port Richey

Robert J. Strickland Memorial Park, 6345 Clark St., Hudson

Store will replace old Wal-Mart in Land O’ Lakes

By B.C. Manion

Bealls shoppers who are accustomed to traveling between company stores in Lutz and Land O’Lakes soon will be able to choose from a larger selection of goods under a single roof.

The Bradenton-based chain is closing its locations in the Land O’ Lakes plaza at US 41 and SR 54 and in Sunset Plaza on US 41, south of Sunset Lane in Lutz. The stores will close when the inventory in those stores sells out or when the new store opens, whichever happens first, said Bill Webster, Bealls director of public and government affairs.

The combined space of the current locations, at 2410 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. and 18445 US 41, respectively, totals about 20,000 square feet.

The new location at 21703 Village Lakes Shopping Center Drive in Land O’ Lakes will be 27,500 square feet. It will have an orange, red and white motif, Webster said.

The home goods section in the new store will be somewhat smaller than it is at the current stand-alone store in Lutz, Webster said. However, the new store will have a substantially larger selection of shoes, kids’ apparel, young men’s and juniors.

Bealls specializes in apparel for the entire family and has experienced considerable growth in its young men and jeans segments, Webster said. He thinks that’s because the company has increased its number of stores in urban areas.

“We have a really big plus size business,” Webster added.

The store will have an ample assortment of shoes, hats, handbags, wool ponchos, jewelry, luggage, home décor items and linens, he said.

The new store also will use the company’s new customer check out system, with shoppers waiting in a single line to check out. That system will ensure that people will be waited on in the order they stepped into line.

No layoffs are anticipated and it remains unclear whether any positions will be added, he said. The company will likely be able to meet its staffing needs by combining personnel from the stores it is closing, he said.

Bealls is enthusiastic about establishing a larger presence in the community, Webster said. “We have a very strong business at Land O’ Lakes. We love the market there.

“We have had that on our horizon to expand that for a very long time.”

The store at the new location will have a new façade, Webster said.

He’s optimistic about its prospects.

“We’re looking for more growth, absolutely. The outlet division has really thrived during the Recession. More and more people are looking for good prices and we absolutely do have that.”

Once things get moving, they’ll really get moving, Webster said. “Tallahassee is going to fast-track everything.”

ZPAL expected to lose pool and possibly field

By Kyle LoJacono

Last spring, Mark LaMonte and the Zephyrhills Police Athletic League (ZPAL) stepped in and helped save Hercules Aquatic Center, but $20,000 of debt has changed that.

Pasco County had planned to close the pool, located at 38110 CR 54 in Zephyrhills, to help meet the budget shortfall. LaMonte, who had taken over as president of ZPAL earlier in the year, then asked county commissioner Jack Mariano and county Parks and Recreation Department director Rick Buckman if his organization could run the center.

LaMonte did not return requests for interviews for this story, but said in a previous interview last year, “Commissioner Mariano and Rick were extremely excited at the idea and helpful in getting this contract drawn up very quickly. We also appreciate commissioner Ted Schrader for lending his support to the contract as well as all the rest of the commissioners who were very encouraging in their comments at the meeting.”

By April, the pool was turned over to ZPAL and the city of Zephyrhills donated 250,000 gallons of water to fill it. The center reopened May 29 for people to cool off during the hot summer months. Also, the Zephyrhills High boys and girls swim teams used the facility for home meets during the fall. If the pool had closed, the Bulldogs would have had to travel to Saint Leo University.

It seemed to be a win-win for everyone involved. The county saved some money and those in east Pasco still had an affordable place to have some fun. Unfortunately, debt was piling up and the county was expected to void the deal with ZPAL Jan 25.

“We struggled with the decision to close the pool and believed Mr. LaMonte would be able to keep it going for the youth of Pasco County,” said Pasco Commissioner Pat Mulieri. “It really is too bad things had to work out like this.”

Mariano agreed with Mulieri’s sentiments, adding, “ZPAL had several chances to pay its debt and we, in the commission, knew it was time to move on.”

Dan Johnson, assistant county manager, said ZPAL owes the county more than $5,000 in electricity bills.

“The pool costs about $100,000 per year to operate, including lifeguards and other staff, but usually only took in about $35,000 in fees as I recall,” Johnson said.

The nonprofit organization also owes the city of Zephyrhills nearly $2,500 in water bills and $12,500 in other expenses to other debt holders.

The fate of the pool, which is on 16 acres of land, is in doubt, as the county still does not have the money to operate it. There is a reverter clause that could give the land back to the Pasco School District, which owned the land in the 1980s.

“If we are given the land, then we will look into what the best options are for it,” said Chris Williams, the districts director of planning. “We could operate it as a pool for the high school swim teams, but the savings there might not offset the operating costs. It’s still early in the process.”

Pasco School’s attorney Dennis Alfonso said at a school board meeting Jan. 18 that another option is to sell the land.

“It is a well positioned piece of property,” Alfonso said. He added that realtors expressed interest in the land several years ago.

ZPAL may also have its deal with the city of Zephyrhills voided.

Zephyrhills city attorney Joe Poblick sent ZPAL a letter demanding payment of all outstanding debt by Feb. 10 or risk losing exclusive rights to use Krusen Field for its youth football and cheerleading program. The letter also requested proof of insurance to operate the program.

ZPAL has had rights to use Krusen Field, located on Krusen Field Drive near 20th Street in Zephyrhills, since 2009. Before that, ZPAL and the Zephyrhills team in the Pasco Police Athletic League (PPAL) disputed over which group should use the location. The PPAL organization currently uses Sam Pasco Park, 39835 Chancey Road in Zephyrhills.

ZPAL records show 124 football players and 87 cheerleaders registered for the most recent ZPAL season. The organization had teams for players ages 4-14. The cost for the season was $95 for football players and cheerleaders 4-6 years old and $130 for those ages 7-14 for the first child per family, $105 for each additional child.

ZPAL also had an AAU baseball program for children ages 10-11 years old at Krusen Field during the fall after the football season, but the number of registered children was not available.

-Community Editor B.C. Manion contributed to this story.

Citizen patrol gets rolling, too

By B.C. Manion

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has moved its Lutz Community Station from its former location at 19002 First St. S.W. to a new space at 138-B Whitaker Road.

The new station is in the Lutz Landings Business Complex off US 41.

It will provide the same services as offered at the substation’s previous location near US 41 and Lutz-Lake Fern Road, said Deputy Tom Wesolowski. But it also will be used for the newly established Lutz Citizen Volunteer Patrol, Wesolowski said.

The substation’s new space is slightly larger, Wesolowski said.

Building owner Chuck Kaupp, who also is a member of the Lutz Citizen Volunteer Patrol, has been encouraging the sheriff’s office to move into the space for quite some time, Wesolowski said.

The owners of the buildings at Lutz Landings have chipped in to subsidize the sheriff’s office rent, so the department is paying a nominal rent and covering utilities, Kaupp said.

The Sheriff’s Office thought it was a good time to make the move, Wesolowski said.

“The owners of the building that we were in have had the building on the market for years,” Wesolowski said, so there was always some degree of uncertainty about how long it would remain in that building.

Services provided at the sheriff’s substation include:

–     Fingerprinting for employment or to meet volunteer requirements (The service is free for Hillsborough County residents and is $10 per card for non-residents).

–     Reporting of misdemeanor crimes, such as vandalism, fraud, identity theft and lost property

–     Reporting a neighborhood problem

–     Reporting of minor traffic accidents

The office serves an area that is generally bound on the west by North Dale Mabry Highway and east by US 301, on the north by County Line Road and on the south by Bearss Avenue.

Wesolowski said he wanted to get the word out about the office’s relocation to avoid inconveniencing anyone who needs the substation’s service.

“We did get quite a bit of traffic (at the old location),” he said.

Signs have been posted to inform people who drop by, but there’s no guarantee how long they will remain up, he said.

Wesolowski said the substation aims to give citizens a convenient place to get services and to voice any public safety concerns that they have. If someone is worried about safety in their neighborhood, for instance, they can drop by to share those concerns.

The office also helps citizens over the telephone, Wesolowski said. The number is (813) 264-8950.

Besides offering a service for citizens, the office also offers a location for detectives, street crime units and other Sheriff’s Office personnel to drop by when they are in the area to use the office space.

The office also is home to the headquarters of the new Lutz Citizen Patrol, which provides voluntary services to assist the sheriff’s office.

Members of the volunteer patrol help with traffic control, search for lost children and adults, handle the exchange of information for minor accidents, take care of vacation checks, do patrols of parking lots, schools, parks and other areas and help direct traffic around downed wires, accidents and other obstructions in the road.

The volunteer patrol in Lutz has seven members but could use more, Kaupp said.

Eddie Townsend, the leader of the Lutz volunteer patrol, said he has an interest in law enforcement and enjoys giving back to the community.

By handling various duties, the volunteer patrol members free up deputies to devote more time to responding to crimes, Townsend said.

He said being involved in the volunteer patrol has made him more aware of what deputies encounter and has given him a deeper level of appreciation for the work they do.

Substation Office Hours

The substation is generally open from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Please call ahead to be sure someone is in the office because they may need to step out to handle a call. The number is (813) 264-8950

Volunteer Requirements

Must be 19 or older

Must have a valid driver’s license

Must pass a screening process

Must complete training course

Must attend monthly meetings

Must be willing to volunteer at least 12 hours a month

Anyone who would like to learn more about the volunteer citizens patrol should contact Lorraine Jordan at (813) 247-8223 or e-mail her at .

By B.C. Manion

When school bells ring this fall in Pasco County public schools, the campuses at Wiregrass Ranch High and John Long Middle School will feel more spacious.

That’s because the Pasco County School Board unanimously approved a plan recommended by a boundary committee to change attendance areas for the schools.

The new plan also sends students living in the Cox Elementary attendance area to Pasco Middle and Pasco High, instead of busing them to Weightman Middle and Wesley Chapel High.

In approving the changes, board members praised the work of a boundary committee made up of district administrators, district staff, school principals and parents.

In essence, the new boundaries will:

— Shift students in New River, Ashley Pines and an area near Morris Bridge Road from Wiregrass Ranch High to Wesley Chapel High

— Reassign students from New River and Ashley Pines from John Long Middle School into Weightman Middle School

— Shift students living in neighborhoods west of Morris Bridge Road into Stewart Middle School

— Assign students attending Cox Elementary in Dade City to Pasco Middle and Pasco High schools, instead of Weightman Middle and Wesley Chapel High.

Wiregrass Ranch High, at 2909 Mansfield Blvd., has 2,132 students, representing 127 percent of the school’s permanent capacity. It has 18 portable classrooms.

John Long Middle, at 2025 Mansfield Blvd., has an enrollment of 1,784 students, which represents 134 percent of the school’s permanent capacity. It has 23 portable classrooms.

In recommending the new boundaries, the committee considered such things as impacts to the district’s transportation and special education services, as well as the socioeconomic makeup of the schools.

It also attempted to avoid splitting neighborhoods and considered such things as school feeder patterns and future growth.

The boundary changes will not affect incoming seniors at Wiregrass Ranch High.

It will, however, affect all school choice students who attend a school affected by a boundary change, Williams said.

All of those students will have to reapply for the choice assignment, Hurley said. Even incoming seniors at Wiregrass will have to reapply for a choice assignment, she said.

The district now has less flexibility in choice assignments because of the state’s class size limits, Hurley said.

However, the board said if an 11^th grader had been approved to come into a career academy, that student will get priority when they apply for school choice.

Just one parent turned out to object to the changes.

Simone Lowery, who lives Ashley Pines, appeared before the board asking it to consider a plan she had drafted that would have shifted children from other neighborhoods.

Williams said Lowery’s proposal would have a negative effect on school feeder patterns and would merely delay an eventual redrawing of school boundary lines when future growth occurs in the area.

Lowery told the board that when drawing future boundaries it should reach out to include not only parents who have children in the district’s schools, but also those who live in the affected communities — even if their children are not enrolled in the district’s schools.

After the meeting, Lowery said she was not surprised by the board’s action because she thought they would support the committee’s work. However, she added, “I did everything that I had to do.”

By B.C. Manion

Pasco County’s legislation delegation heard about wide-ranging concerns from constituents at a delegation workshop on Friday at Mitchell High School.

Many of the speakers acknowledged the tough position that lawmakers are in, as they tackle a state budget with a $3.5 billion shortfall.

Just the same, they pleaded with lawmakers to avoid stripping their current funding and to make changes that will ease daily operations in various programs.

Pasco County Administrator John Gallagher said the county is trying to reinvent itself as a magnet for businesses and it needs state lawmakers’ help to make that happen.

Pasco wants to establish an urban service area in the areas of the US 19 corridor and the SR 54 corridor, Gallagher said. State planners rejected the idea, saying the development wasn’t dense enough, Gallagher said. But he thinks that decision puts the county at a disadvantage.

Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, agreed with Gallagher that getting legislation passed on urban service area issue is very important in the coming session.

Cliff McDuffie, mayor of Zephyrhills, said he appreciates the tough economy facing state and local governments. “We’re like everyone else,” he said. “We’ll probably be looking at some layoffs this coming year.”

He said he hopes the city will be able to make the cuts with retirements, but he didn’t sound certain that would happen.

There’s also a need for funding to pay for an emergency shelter on the east side of the county, McDuffie said. Thousands of residents live in mobile homes and need someplace to go if a hurricane threatens.

Pasco School Board Chairwoman Joanne Hurley reminded lawmakers that funding is the school district’s primary issue.

The district is starting with a $47 million shortfall, and like state lawmakers, the school board will need to make painful decisions.

She reminded lawmakers that the district receives $540 per pupil less than it did in 2007-2008.

Besides reiterating the district’s dire financial straits, she requested: “When you are revisiting the issue of class size, please give us as much flexibility as you can.”

State Attorney Bernie McCabe also outlined the cuts his division has made. Five years ago, he had 485 authorized positions, he said. Now, he has a staff of 420.

McCabe said that he, too, has constituents that he serves and he wants to ensure they get quality service.

“We’re getting down to the quick,” McCabe said.

George Romagnoli, the county’s community development director, asked state lawmakers to restore funding for the State Housing Initiative Partnership. It allows the county to use a myriad of ways to  help people stay in their homes, he said.

Those funds are key “because they don’t have federal strings attached,” said State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey.

Rev. Dan Campbell, president of the Homeless Coalition of Pasco County, Inc., said Pasco’s homeless population continues to grow and more must be done to address that.

Other issues brought to state lawmakers attention, include requests to:

–    Force pill mills out of business

–    Provide justice for fathers who are prevented from seeing their children because of false allegations of abuse

–    Address impacts from changes in funding for healthcare that will affect the quality and type of care available to senior citizens

–     Enact a patient protection act that would regulate registered nurse to patient ratios, and would protect registered nurses who report unsafe actions taken by care providers

–     Allow children attending private schools who want to play on public school athletic teams to have the opportunity to do so

By Kyle LoJacono

Everyone who is a part of building NuVista Care Communities at Lutz Center thinks it will change the way people perceive therapy in the area.

“There isn’t anything else like this anywhere,” said Michael Holzum, Palm Health Partners vice president of human recourses. “We’re a new company and what we’re going to offer is something that is lacking in healthcare today.”

Palm Health will operate the facility, which is being built at 19091 N. Dale Mabry, as one of three NuVista Care Communities in Florida.

“There’s a gap in coverage for those who couldn’t go straight home after a hospital visit, but didn’t need to go to a long-term rehab center,” Holzum said. “This will allow better treatment for those people.”

The 120-bed, 550,000-square-foot center is scheduled to open to the public by the end of May and will bring about 150 jobs to the area, according to Holzum. Residents will stay at the facility for three to six weeks.

“The kind of things we’ll be treating here are people recovering from falls or other physical injuries, heart-related problems, strokes or anything that requires some rehabilitation to get back to 100 percent,” Holzum said.

Holzum said one of the biggest problems with current rehabilitation care is patients having to be readmitted to a hospital. He said that usually happens because the patient has some change in condition, or their doctor becomes concerned and wants to give more direct care.

“We have several ways to reduce the chance that someone has to go back to a hospital,” Holzum said. “During the first 48 hours, we monitor them even closer because that’s when they are more likely to have a change in condition.

“Also, doctors will be able to check the current status of any patient they have here because everything we do is electronic,” Holzum continued. “When we take their temperature or blood pressure, it goes into the electronic file. Doctors can even see their patient through Skype. It will be like the doctor is at their bedside without having to be in a hospital.”

Additionally, Holzum said there will be about one registered nurse for every six patients to keep a close eye on everyone in treatment.

The technology that will be used does not end with Skype and electronic records. Everyone, including staff and visitors, will have badges so personnel can follow them in the building.

“That helps with security, but also so we know where all the patients are in case we need to find them,” Holzum said. “We can follow all our equipment the same way so we can see where something is if we need it to treat someone or if we need to order more because of demand.”

Those badges will also tell patients the name of anyone who enters their room on a television mounted on the wall.

Anthony Fago, vice president of development, said he has been in construction for decades and has not ever seen a facility like this one.

“Even just the center courtyard we’re building is amazing,” Fago said. “It’s 100 square feet and will be a beautiful area for the patients to see and enjoy. … We are also designing every room to let as much sunlight in as possible.”

Holzum said of using sunlight, “We know that sunlight and nature helps patients heal better and faster, so we are getting those elements into the facility wherever we can.”

The facility will have 16 private rooms and 52 shared rooms where two patients will be separated by a curtain. Each bed will have a harness to lift patients when he or she needs to get up to avoid accidental falls.

“People falling while moving around are one of the most common ways they can be forced back to a hospital,” Holzum said. “This eliminates any chance of that.”

Holzum said the harness systems also protect caregivers, who usually have shoulder, back and other chronic pain problems from lifting and supporting patients.

The center’s exercise room will also use a harness to help with rehabilitation.

“It will have this thing that will let the caregiver allow them to walk with just 10 pounds, 15 pounds or whatever amount of weight on their legs to help them get used to walking again,” Fago said. “They also won’t be able to fall, and caregivers won’t have to support them because the harness is impossible to fall out of.”

Rehab also involves doing everyday things like laundry, cooking and cleaning with special appliances.

Holzum said the center is in the process of reaching out to area hospitals, such as St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, University Community Hospital and University Community Hospital-Carrollwood. He said as soon as they open they will likely be full because, “There is a demand for us right now.”

The center will also work with area universities, including the University of South Florida, to teach medical students and give them hands on training.

“We hope to be a part of this community in Hillsborough and Pasco counties for a long time,” Holzum said. “We want to help new medical caregivers and they will also educate us on things they learn at the universities. It will help everyone.”

NuVista Care Communities at Lutz Center

Located at 19091 N. Dale Mabry in Lutz

550,260 square feet, 120 beds

Will employ 150 people

Set to open in May