Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Buoyed by the success of its first Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Fest, the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce is considering taking the event to the next level.
The chamber will decide early this year whether to seek to have the competition sanctioned by the Florida Bar-B-Que Association, said Vonnie Mikkelsen, the chamber’s executive director.
If that happens, the event will likely draw more professional competitors, and a larger crowd, which would be good news for the chamber’s scholarship coffers, Mikkelsen said.
The chamber was gratified by the outcome of last year’s event, especially for an inaugural effort, Mikkelsen said. “During a first-year event, you’re always building a template as you go.’
About 3,000 attended and the event received a 9.8 rating on a scale of 1-10 from teams competing there, Mikkelsen said.
The event allowed the chamber to triple its scholarship fund, Mikkelsen said.
In the coming year, the chamber plans to conduct some “pulse” surveys to find out where its members stand on various issues. Results from those surveys will help determine whether the chamber should pursue government action on any specific issues, she said.
The chamber also is paying close attention to the city’s redevelopment efforts which are aimed at building a stronger identity for the city and enticing more businesses to locate near downtown.
And, it plans to hold some forums on government issues, such as regional transportation, to help inform its members about various topics, Mikkelsen said.
For more information, call the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce at (813) 782-1913
Or visit http://zephyrhillschamber.org/
Up the road in Dade City, brand new executive director John Moors wants to build on the sense of community he’s observed during just a few weeks on the job.
“I see the chamber as sort of setting the table for economic development,” said Moors, whose initial focus will be making sure the inner workings of the chamber office operates smoothly. For more information about the Dade City Chamber of Commerce call (352) 567-3769 or visit http://www.dadecitychamber.org/.

One of the biggest items on the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce’s agenda this year is the chamber’s plan to move its headquarters to The Grove shopping center.
The 1,700-square-foot space has more visibility from Interstate 75, is more conveniently located for members, is at the same place as some of the chamber’s larger events and offers room to grow, said David West, the chamber’s executive director.
Besides moving to new quarters, the chamber also continues to welcome new members, West said.
Wesley Chapel’s economy is better in general than many other locales and the community is in an excellent location to take advantage of future growth opportunities as the economy improves, he said.
The community is easily accessible to Tampa, enjoys lower property taxes than Hillsborough County, has a low crime rate and generally offers a good quality of life, West said. It also offers these intangibles: “People are friendly. People like each other. They help each other.”
The chamber is attracting new members because of great recruiting efforts by current members and because it offers business owners a chance to network, share their knowledge and advertise what they have to offer.
“People do business with people they know, like and trust,” West said.
The chamber provides opportunities for networking and for business owners to encourage and support one another. This year it will be launching a Toastmasters International club and will starting a marketing networking group.
For more information about the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce call (813) 994-8534 or visit http://www.wesleychapelchamber.com/.
-B.C. Manion

The economic downturn has been challenging, but there are bright spots, said Kathy Dunkley, executive director of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.
The East Pasco Campus of Rasmussen College, a 25,000-square-foot building now under construction on SR 54 near Sunlake Boulevard, will bolster area businesses, she said.
Those attending classes or working at the college will frequent the nearby businesses, Dunkley said. “That’s going to give them an economic boost.”
College officials chose the location purposefully because of its proximity to Interstate 75 and the Suncoast Expressway. It also is near Sunlake Boulevard, which will provide a straight shot into Hillsborough County, once the road is extended. And, it is directly across the street from a 72-acre site that T. Rowe Price eventually expects to use for an office complex for up to 1,600 employees. The timeline for the project remains uncertain.
When it comes to turning the economy around, small businesses will lead the way, said Dunkley, who has been at the helm of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce for 12 years.
The chamber works with small businesses to encourage them to share ideas and learn from each other, Dunkley said. They also have the benefit of some pro bono help from seasoned professionals, she said. One of those is Lorraine Lane, the chamber’s immediate past president, who offers her expertise to help area businesses, Dunkley said.
“She makes them think differently,” Dunkley said.
The idea is to help each other to achieve success.
“It’s going to take the whole community to work together,” she said.
For more information about the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce call (813) 909-2722 or visit http://www.centralpascochamber.com.
-B.C. Manion

By Kyle LoJacono

Pasco and north Hillsborough counties currently have several major road projects underway. Here is a look at what drivers and riders can look forward to on the highways and byways across the area this year.

Lutz-Lake Fern Road widening
The project to widen W. Lutz-Lake Fern Road is still on schedule for completion in May, according to Hillsborough County Public Works spokesman Steve Valdez.
The job is growing the two-lane highway to four lanes from just east of the Suncoast Parkway to the Boulevard of the Roses in Lutz at a cost of $9.9 million. Hillsborough is paying for the construction and Pepper Contracting Services Inc. is doing the job.
The construction site includes the entrances to Steinbrenner High, Martinez Middle and McKitrick Elementary schools. The project is mainly needed to handle the daily traffic to and from the schools.
A future project, still unfunded, will further widen Lutz-Lake Fern from Boulevard of the Roses to 300 feet west of Dale Mabry Highway. That later job is projected to cost about $58 million, according to Valdez.

US 41 widening
The $14.8 million project to widen US 41 will be completed by the spring as originally planned, according to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) spokeswoman Kris Carson.
Currently, US 41 is two lanes from Tower Road to Connerton Road in Land O’ Lakes, a distance of about three miles. The construction is growing that to four lanes while adding center turning lanes and a grassy median. Additionally, a concrete sidewalk on the east side of the highway has already been finished, according to Carson. Places along the project include Land O’ Lakes High, Connerton Elementary and Pasco County School District’s administrative office.
The job is managed by FDOT and being completed by R.E. Purcell Construction. The project began in August 2009 and was needed to help ease traffic flow from the increasing population in central Pasco.

Collier Parkway extension
The much delayed Collier Parkway extension will be finished by the end of February, according to Pasco County Chief Project Manager Robert Shepherd.
The project was originally planned for completion last April, but the original contractor, WDG Construction, was released from its contract with Pasco for falling behind schedule. Ripa & Associates took over the job last September.
The project includes the first two of three phases to take Collier north to Ehren Cutoff. The first two portions of the job take the street from where it stops at Hale Road north to connect with Parkway Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes, a stretch of 1.8 miles. The last segment will not happen until 2015 or 2016, according to program administrator for Pasco County Engineering Services Deborah Bolduc.
The original contract was for $4.3 million and about $2.5 million remained when Ripa took control, according to Shepherd. The project is needed to take drivers off of US 41 and Parkway and onto Collier.

SR 54 widening
More than half the construction is finished on the most expensive project in Pasco County history, the widening of SR 54.
The job was projected to take 21 months, but is more than half finished through the first eight months, according to Pasco County Chief Project Manager Robert Shepherd. He said the project is still scheduled for completion March 2012.
“I’d hate to say a date sooner just yet, but we are way ahead of schedule,” Shepherd said. “We could have a very cold winter or rainy period and that would slow us down again.”
The project costs $105.2 million, but only $28 million is for construction. The job is widening SR 54 to six lanes from I-75 to Curley Road in Wesley Chapel, a distance of about 3.2 miles. Pepper Contracting Services Inc. is doing the construction.
The job also included the temporary closing of portions of Boyette Road and Curley, but those intersections with SR 54 are finished.

Bruce B. Downs widening
The widening project of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, also known as either CR 581 or SR 581 depending on the location, is still progressing on schedule.

Pasco County Chief Project Manager Robert Shepherd said the new lanes between SR 56 and just south of SR 54 should be opened by the end of January. That last section to the intersection of SR 54 will then be reduced from three to one lane to improve the old road, which will take about four months to finish. The total length of the road from SR 56 to SR 54 is just less than four miles.
The widening project is being paid for by a developer, Crown Development, at a cost of $17 million. Once finished, Bruce B. Downs will be three lanes from SR 54 to the county line. The project is needed to keep up with the growing population of Wesley Chapel.

Light at Mansfield
The intersection of SR 56 and Mansfield Boulevard in Wesley Chapel remains without a traffic signal months after the opening of the extension of the state road.
Both Wiregrass Ranch High and Dr. John Long Middle are on Mansfield, and many school buses and vehicles leaving the schools each day have to turn across several lanes of traffic to leave the school since the extension opened. Parents of students at the schools have complained to the county commission to get a light put in at the intersection to make turning safer, but fixing the problem is not as easy as it seems.
SR 56 is a six-lane divided road where it meets with Mansfield; too wide for a temporary traffic signal strung from wooden or concrete poles. The metal poles commonly used at wide crossings were unavailable until recently, but have been ordered and should be up and operational by the end of January.
“We need to get a signal there,” said Pasco County Commissioner Pat Mulieri. “It is dangerous to turn left out of Mansfield. Once we get the poles it shouldn’t take very long to put in place. We’ve already got the spots marked off.”

By B.C. Manion

Boundary changes are in store for some Pasco County public schools, while transportation adjustments could affect some northern Hillsborough County public schools.

Those are just two of the issues that school boards in those districts will face during 2011.
The Pasco County school district is shifting school boundaries to relieve overcrowding at Dr. John Long Middle School and Wiregrass Ranch High. Some of the proposed changes have drawn opposition by parents. The Pasco School Board is scheduled to take a final vote on the issue Jan. 18.
The Hillsborough County school district is preparing to reorganize its transportation plan for Area 3, which includes Gaither and Freedom high schools, Buchanan Middle School, Learning Gate Community Middle and Elementary schools and Lutz and Maniscalco elementary schools.
George Gaffney, general director of the county’s Area 3 schools, said that generally students who are entitled to public transportation to school will not be affected, except that some bus stops may be moved for efficient operations.
If history is any indication, however, the relocation of any bus stop could become a source of objections by parents who typically do not wish to lose a bus stop their child has been using unless it is a change that will make the bus stop more convenient for the child, which usually upsets someone else.
In Pasco County, district employees will have a new option for some healthcare services.
The district is opening three Health Wellness Clinics, including one at the district office in Land O’ Lakes.
The clinics will offer a number of healthcare services at no cost to employees. Use of the clinic is voluntary and employees will be able to continue to see their own physicians.
However, any employee enrolled in a district health plan can use the clinics to get free blood work, free women wellness exams and free medications as long as they are seen by a Health Wellness Clinic physician.
Pasco Superintendent Heather Fiorentino said the district expects the clinics to lead to $3 million in district savings.
Pasco also has a $6 million construction project underway to build the Culinary Arts Academy at Land O’ Lakes High.
The 18,000-square-foot center includes three kitchens, commercial equipment, a theater-style classroom, a demonstration station and other high technology features. It is expected to open in fall 2011.
Meanwhile, the Hillsborough school district will launch a massive renovation at Gaither High in January. The $17.3 million makeover, which will take about 18 months to complete, will be done in five phases.
The school’s mechanical systems will be replaced, which means removing the big chillers and air handlers. The work also will require removing the ceiling and lighting. The school will get a new roof.
The project calls for adding a stairwell at the front of the building to meet current safety codes. The restrooms will be updated to adhere to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

By Kyle LoJacono

State Rep. Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel) has been named the redistricting committee chairman. The committee is responsible for redrawing the boundaries for the state’s legislative and congressional districts.

Weatherford was named to the position by House Speaker-Designate Dean Cannon (R-Winter Park).
“It’s a tremendous honor,” said Weatherford, who just won re-election for House District 61. “I’m happy Speaker-Designate Cannon put his faith in me. It’s a long process that is very complicated, but I’m up for it.”
Weatherford said he understands how important redistricting is to all of Florida’s elections and will make the process something its citizens can be proud of. Florida voters this year approved a pair of constitutional amendments that require districts to be drawn without favoring any particular candidate or party.
“My goal is to have the most open and transparent redistricting process ever,” Weatherford said. “We are looking for a lot of our citizens’ input while obviously following the law and constitution.”
The redistricting job recently got a little more complicated with the release of U.S. Census numbers that pushed Florida’s U.S. House seats to 27, the same number as New York. The Sunshine State now how 29 electoral votes.
Weatherford, who will become the next Speaker-Designate at a ceremony in March, is in the process of creating a website where people can get information on the redistricting, give opinions and even create their own district maps.
“It’s going to be very interactive,” Weatherford said. “We may get some very interesting looking maps by the end, but it will allow us to really see what the people are looking for and where their concerns are.”
District 61 currently covers Land O’ Lakes, Odessa, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Dade City, San Antonio and the rest of east Pasco County along with portions of northern Hillsborough County.
Every 10 years after the federal census, the Florida Legislature redraws the state’s legislative and congressional districts. This redistricting will happen during the 2012 session after two years of hearing public testimony about the district lines.
“In addition to passing the budget, redistricting is the only other constitutional mandate the members of the Legislature must pass,” Cannon said. “Representative Weatherford’s hard work and proven leadership abilities make him a perfect fit for this important, but very challenging assignment.”
Along with redistricting, one of Weatherford’s main focuses in the future is to create an environment for jobs to come to Florida.
“We’re doing a lot of prep work for the coming months,” Weatherford said. “Creating jobs is going to be the key to making Florida more prosperous and we’ll be doing everything we can to do that.”

By B.C. Manion

Coming on the heels of a year that’s been dominated by news of double-digit unemployment and high foreclosure rates, leaders in Hillsborough and Pasco counties want to change the narrative.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan led the push to have a ballot measure placed on November’s ballot that allows commissioners to grant a property tax exemption to companies locating or expanding in the county.

In pushing the measure, Hagan argued the county needed another tool to help it spur the economy to create more jobs.
In Pasco County, numerous efforts are under way to lay the groundwork for companies to locate there and to help existing companies flourish and grow.
Pasco is paying attention to both the big picture and the small details, said John Hagen, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council.
Big things — like tax advantages and good accessibility — help make a community attractive to new businesses, Hagen said. But so do less obvious things like clear development codes and an efficient development process.
Pasco is rewriting its code to make it easier to understand, Hagen said. “It’s a process that’s kind of tedious,” he said.
But it goes to the heart of eliminating a complaint by developers, who frequently object to getting mired in a bureaucracy.
“I think they’ve made some real progress,” he said. “It makes us more competitive.”
Several other initiatives also are under way in Pasco County.
The PEDC plans to launch a website soon that will help both new and existing businesses. The website, which will known as the Pasco Economic Network, will pull together the chambers of commerce, SCORE, the PEDC and other economic development groups to help businesses seeking guidance.
The idea is to have a “virtual” place where someone can go to open any door and find someone on the other side that can help them find the resources they need, Hagen said.
Another initiative involves work to develop a strategic economic development plan, an effort being led by Bob Gray, Strategic Planning Group Inc., a consultant hired by the county.
Gray predicts that over the next 20-25 years everything in Pasco County will double, and the Pasco of the future will more closely mirror Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
Meanwhile, the city of Zephyrhills also hopes to improve its economic climate in the coming year. The city is considering an expansion of its community redevelopment areas, in an effort to fortify the city’s identity and to entice more businesses to set up shop near downtown.

The Economy: What’s in Store for the Year Ahead?
The Pasco Economic Development Council presents a forecast of the U.S. and Florida economies with a look into what the numbers mean locally
Jan. 28, 12-1:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club
$25
RSVP to (888) 60-PASCO by Jan. 24