Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Last stretch of I-275 to get six lanes

By Kyle LoJacono

Commuting between Pasco and Hillsborough counties will get a little easier by the fall of 2012.
That is when the 5.7 miles of I-275 between Bearss Avenue to I-75 will grow from four to six lanes. Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Public Information Officer John McShaffrey said the project is needed to help with traffic flow of 52,000 vehicles that move through the area daily.
“The interstate is being widened according to the master plan for the interstate system in the Tampa Bay area, which calls for at least three lanes in each direction to reduce congestion and improve safety,” McShaffrey said. “Finishing this section will complete I-275 widening north of downtown and will also work in conjunction with the coming widening of I-75.”
I-275 was widened to six lanes in the south from around Busch Boulevard to Bearss in 2003. Once finished, the interstate will be at least six lanes all the way into Pinellas County.
There will be periodic lane closures, but all starting no earlier than 9:30 p.m. and ending by 6:30 a.m. The project is federally funded and comes at a $20.5 million price tag. It is being completed by Prince Contracting, which will also be adding devices to help monitor traffic flow including five cameras and 20 vehicle detectors.
“These are tools to help the traffic managers determine the amount and speed of traffic, identify problems such as accidents, breakdowns, items in the roadway, and react accordingly,” McShaffrey said. “For example, if they notice a slowdown in speeds, they can look on the cameras and spot the trouble. If there is a motorist need for assistance, police, fire and/or wreckers may be dispatched to assist and get traffic moving back to speed as quickly as possible.”
There will also be an electric sign to let drivers know what is happening on the road ahead, allowing motorists to make decisions about their travel route.
Just north of the widening project is the job to expand and resurface I-75 just north of the split with I-275 and improve the interchange at SR 56.
The work is taking I-75 to six lanes on the northbound side from I-275 interchange and exit ramp at SR 56 while resurfacing existing road on the stretch of 2.3 miles.
Additionally, a new exit ramp to SR 56 from I-275 is being built. This will eliminate drivers having to shift across several lanes of traffic after the interstates come together heading north.
The $29.9 million FDOT project began in the fall of 2009 and is being built by SEMA Construction. The job is scheduled to be finished in the summer of 2012, but McShaffrey said the job is well ahead of that pace
“It is likely this project will finish around eight months ahead of schedule,” McShaffrey said.
The I-275 work is not affected by a recent hold placed on contracts throughout the state by new Gov. Rick Scott, McShaffrey said.
Both the above jobs are preparing I-75 for a future widening from SR 56 to SR 54 to six lanes. That project is not yet funded, but FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson said it will happen.
Another FDOT job is building new rest areas on I-75 between SR 56 and SR 54 in Wesley Chapel at mile marker 278. It is being done by Cone and Graham at a cost of $25.1 million.
The two existing stops on the east and west side of the interstate were torn down and are currently being rebuilt. The job began last July and is slightly ahead of schedule of being finished next spring.
The rest areas should reopen to the public by late 2011 (or) early 2012,” McShaffrey said.
The new stops — designed to last for at least 30 years — will include additional truck parking and more space for restrooms. McShaffrey said the department regrets having to close the stops, but says it will be better for people using the interstate once done.
For more information on these or other FDOT project, visit www.dot.state.fl.us.

By B.C. Manion

When 13-year-old Gabrielle Giguere headed out to Los Angeles a few weeks ago, she didn’t know exactly what to expect.
She was attending a convention for aspiring performers and her goal was to do a good enough job to get at least a few callbacks.

She had no idea she would do so well that she would win second runner-up in an international singing competition — and would get callbacks from 19 agents.
Now, the Rushe Middle School eighth-grader hopes some of the connections she made at the convention will her land professional gigs — and who knows where that could lead, she and her mom, Sara Giguere, said during a recent interview.
The Land O’ Lakes teenager is not exactly a stranger to singing.
After all, she had her first solo in second grade at Lake Myrtle Elementary School.
She has gone on to expand her repertoire to include acting, dancing and some modeling, and has appeared in some productions at the Wesley Chapter Center for the Arts.
Most recently, she’s been honing her skills at The Actors Studio in Tampa, under the direction of David Martin. She’s also taking private guitar lessons and is learning to write songs.
She was at The Actors Studio when she was selected to attend iPOP in Los Angeles. The acronym stands for International Presentation of Performers. The convention for aspiring actors, singers, models and dancers that draws participants from around the globe is held twice a year in Los Angeles and in Las Vegas.
It’s a place where aspiring performers vie for the attention of industry professionals, hoping the networking they do there will lead to some gigs.
Gabrielle auditioned for acting, which involved performing a scene, a television commercial and a monologue.
She also competed in the iPOP, a singing competition.
She won second runner-up in that contest, which drew an international field of about 400 singers.
Gabrielle said she couldn’t believe “there were so, so, many singers.”
She was thrilled to even make it to the top 20, let alone to bring home a hefty trophy, which is in the shape of a microphone.
Her mom said they didn’t have a clue if she had made it after the initial round.
Gabrielle’s dad, John, who is a personal trainer, went out for a workout and on the way back, he checked the results screen and brought back the happy news.
It was a pretty big deal, her mom said, because Gabrielle was competing in an international field of about 400 singers, between the ages of 5 and 25.
To compete, singers prepare two songs of contrasting styles. They get to choose one of the songs and iPOP chooses the other.
The convention for models, singers, actors and dancers is open only to participating schools. It has a reputation for showcasing aspiring performers who are considered to have what it takes to become a success, according to iPOP’s website.
Gabrielle chose to sing “The Way I Am,” by Ingrid Michaelson.
“It really showcases my voice,” she said matter-of-factly, without a scintilla of boasting.
The 5-foot-4 girl said the convention was a bit of an eye-opener for her.
When she and her parents arrived, she said, “it kind of seemed like (the television series) “Toddlers & Tiaras.”
“Girls were standing in 10-inch heels,” added her mom, referring to some of the models.
Gabrielle said she always has two goals when she sings: To connect with the song and to connect with the audience.
“I really, really love to sing,” Gabrielle said, noting some of her favorite singers include Celine Dion, Charice and JoJo.
“I also love to act,” she said, citing Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Aniston as two of her favorite actors.
She hopes she’ll be able to find a way to pursue both acting and singing.
She’s encouraged by the convention.
“The agents decide who they want to call back and who they want to see again.”
She got 19 callbacks.
“We were there six hours. We got through 16,” Gabrielle’s mom, Sara, said.
It was exciting, but it wasn’t always glamorous, the mother and daughter agreed.
“We were starving. We were thirsty. Our backs hurt,” Sara added.
So now that she’s got the agents’ attention, what’s next?
It’s too soon to say, both Gabrielle and Sara said.
“You’ve got to take it day by day,” Sara said.

By B.C.Manion

They gather on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at the Lutz Senior Center with a well-worn deck of cards and plenty of banter.
It’s a small but lively group.

Rose Dyll, 75, has been sitting in on Double-Deck Pinochle games for the better part of a decade.
“It is fun. We are friendly. We don’t play for money,” the Carrollwood woman said with a laugh.
“We play for ego,” dead-panned Elton Shahin, an 84-year-old player from Lutz.
“It stimulates your brain. It’s so good for you,” agreed Paul Ganci, also an 84-year-old from Lutz, who clearly enjoys a deft play.
“It keeps your mind sharp. You really have to pay attention. You’ve got to listen to the bids,” added Ganci, who began playing pinochle at 18 and has been part of the club for three years.
On a recent Thursday, just three members turned out — so they had to play three-handed Double-Deck Pinochle.
“Three-handed is very messy,” Ganci said.
It’s not exactly Dyll’s favorite way to play either. She hates holding so many cards in her hands.
They only play the three-handed game when not enough players turn out.
That happens more often than it used to.
“When I first started here, sometimes we’d get about 12 people,” Dyll said. But the turnout declined as members died or moved.
The club would love to rebuild the group. It’s entertaining and doesn’t cost a thing, they said.
“If you haven’t played pinochle in awhile, it’s no problem,” Ganci said. “It’s like riding a bicycle. We’ll get you back into it.”
However, you do need some experience to join the group because they are sticklers for the rules.
“We play hard pinochle,” Dyll said.
And, just because they’re friendly doesn’t mean they’re not competitive.
Dyll, in particular, enjoys trash-talking.
During one hand, she eyed Ganci’s cards, which were spread on the table and declared:  “He’s got crap. He’s got a lot of losers.”
“He’s in trouble,” Shahin agreed.
Somehow, though, Ganci pulled the hand off.
“I got it,” he said, beaming. “A good pinochle player counts trump.”
In another hand, when Ganci made a clever play, Dyll declared: “Ooh, sneaky, you.”
“Sneaky me,” Ganci said, clearly pleased.
When Dyll has good cards, they literally fly out of her hands as she snatches cards off the table and tosses another one in, in a split-second move showing confidence and command.
On one occasion, she catches Ganci off guard:  “Oh, that was a surprise,” he said.
These players know the glory of victory and agony of defeat.
Once Ganci forgot one of the cardinal rules of the game and suffered a demoralizing defeat.
“We thought it was funny,” Dyll said.
“It was devastating,” Ganci said.
In another hand, Dyll and Ganci got into a bidding war — both desperately wanting a pile of cards they thought would give them a most excellent hand.
Dyll won the bid.
She was jubilant.
Ganci, deflated.
She beamed as she spread her cards proving that she got what she wanted.
Ganci slumped his shoulders and let out a heavy sigh.
But the table turned later on, when Ganci got a hand that he simply couldn’t believe.
“You never get dealt this. I can’t believe this,” he exclaimed, sounding like a child who had won first prize at the fair.
A little bit later, another player joined the game.
When 71-yer-old Robert Potts of Land O’ Lakes showed up, they were able to switch from the three-handed game to two teams, with partners.
It didn’t take them long to shift gears and begin attacking each other.
“Eliminate the enemy,” Shahin declared, again revealing his wry sense of humor.
Time passes quickly. The players shuffle, deal and play out their hands.
They are clearly enjoying the game and each other.
“We have such a great time,” Potts said.
No matter the outcome, it seems that they do.

Players wanted
If you play pinochle and have some free time, you are welcome to join the Double-Deck Pinochle Club at Lutz Senior Center, 112 First Ave., N.W. in Lutz.
The games are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays.

By Tammy Sue Struble

Brenda Carlson learned from example. When she was young, Carlson used to go with her mom when she donated blood. Now, she hopes people can be that example her mom was – donating blood and saving lives.
“I’ve never received an award like this before,” Carlson stated after being honored with Donor Chairperson of the year for the Zephyrhills, Dade City and San Antonio area for BloodNet USA.

On Thursday, Jan. 13, Carlson was one of a handful of chairpersons awarded for their successful blood drives over the last year at the 26th Annual Donor Chairperson Luncheon held by BloodNet USA at the Lakeland Center.
The Health Academy Instructor at Zephyrhills High School, Carlson helps direct two large blood drives at the high school each year.
“Our Health Academy students lead the drives,” which helps give the students practical and helpful experience, she said. Carlson explained that they usually get about 200 students per drive to donate blood. The students who donate blood get wheeled back to their classrooms in wheelchairs.
“The next (Zephyrhills High) student blood drive is in April and I hope it is the most successful we’ve ever had,” Carlson said.
Charles “Buddy” Franklin, Blood Chairman for the Zephyrhills Moose Family Center also attended the BloodNet luncheon; he tries to have a blood drive five to six times a year. “Every 56 days you can donate blood,” explained Franklin.
According to Executive Vice President J.B. Gaskins from BloodNet, “Over 47,000 units of blood were collected in (this) Lakeland region in 2010.” BloodNet USA says that each unit will save three lives.
For more information logon to www.BloodNetUSA.com or contact area representative Cheryl Thompson at (813) 714-3270 to start your own blood drive.

By Tammy Sue Struble

The newly revived Ronald Reagan Republican Club met Jan. 12 in Dade City.
Attendees were welcomed and advised that the scheduled guest speaker, Secretary of State Kurt Browning, would not be at the meeting because he had to make a trip to Tallahassee.

Browning had served as secretary of state in the previous administration, but retired in April 2010. New Gov. Rick Scott asked Browning to serve as Florida’s secretary of state again.
Steve Van Gorden, presiding over the Reagan Club meeting, stated that he wasn’t surprised Governor Scott also chose Browning for the secretary of state position as he seemed to perform his job well and was well liked.
Van Gorden spoke to the group of 16 and explained that there was a lot that needed to be done, in particular, volunteers would be needed as the 2012 Republican National Convention is set for Tampa.
The next meeting is scheduled for March 8 at 6 p.m. at Beef O’Brady’s in Dade City. See www.pascogop.org for more information.

Pasco High shares in the reward

By Kyle LoJacono

Despite being run entirely by volunteers, Keep Pasco Beautiful was recognized as one of the top plastic bottle recyclers nationwide.

The group was one of nearly 600 organizations affiliated with Keep America Beautiful that participated in a challenge from Nestlé Waters North America to recycle the most bottles. The challenge was tied to the Great American Cleanup last year, which was from March through May.
“What we did was we challenged all the schools in Pasco County to recycle as many bottles as they could,” said Jennifer Seney, Keep Pasco Beautiful president and the county’s recycling coordinator. “We collected 24,580 pounds of plastic bottles and that really is something the kids should be proud of.”
The more than 12 tons of plastic is more than the average weight of two adult African elephants. The county contributed the seventh most of any affiliate in 250,000 or greater population category. The honor comes with $1,000 award from Nestlé.
“This puts us on the map,” Seney said. “Other groups around the country are much larger and have more funding, so for our group to do this with just volunteers is impressive. Keep Milwaukee Beautiful had the most bottles recycled with more than 1 million pounds, but they are much larger than we are.”
Seney offered another challenge to the 13 public high schools in Pasco to see which could contribute the most plastic. Pasco High finished on top with 707 pounds recycled and was given $500 for its efforts.
“That’s a great thing,” said Pasco principal Pat Reedy. “I’m proud of the kids here, but I’m never surprised by what they do.”
Reedy said the school has had bins to collected recycled paper and plastic bottles for several years thanks in large part to the Pirates science department head Don Charlick.
“Don has headed up the recycling effort at Pasco and does a great job getting the kids to understand it is important,” Reedy said. “Each Thursday on our school’s news show we remind the students to recycle. It’s part of what we all need to do.”
Seney said a lot of the credit goes to Karen Bryant, the Pasco County School District’s recycling coordinator.
“It gets the kids excited about recycling,” Seney said of Bryant’s efforts in the district. “She does a lot of great things to show kids that recycling is important.”
The rest of the award money will go to the 2011 Great American Cleanup, which is always celebrated in the county the third Saturday in April. The money will mostly be used to buy bags for the trash and recycled items and other materials for the effort.
Seney said the group is always looking for cleanup site captains and volunteers for the annual effort.
“We have locations all over the county, so people won’t have to go too far to help,” Seney said.
To learn more about this year’s cleanup, call Seney at (727) 847-8041 or e-mail her at . For more information on Keep Pasco Beautiful, visit www.keeppascobeautiful.org.

County searches for replacement

By Kyle LoJacono

Longtime Hillsborough County Fire Chief William Nesmith retired Jan. 15 after 41 years working in fire rescue.
Nesmith, 62, started with the county’s fire rescue service as the assistant fire chief in 1994 and became the fire chief in 1996. Prior to that, he worked with Tampa Fire Rescue for 24 years before retiring as the division chief.

“Over the 41 years of fire service, I have found a second family and the friendships will last forever,” Nesmith said. “I will cherish the time I spent in the fire service.”
Nesmith added he is in good health and just wants to spend more time with his family now that he is 62.
During Nesmith’s tenure, the Hillsborough County Fire Department and Hillsborough County Emergency Medical Services were merged as one. He also saw the growth of the department from 400-850 firefighters and the opening of eight new fire stations.
Additionally, Nesmith won the 1997 Harvey Grant Excellence in Rescue Award presented by the IAFC, the 1998 Hillsborough County Excellence in Government Award and the 2010 Distinguished Service Award by the Hillsborough County Volunteer Services Association.
Nesmith has also served on several committees during his time, including chairman of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee, president of the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association and member of the Florida West Central Region Board of Directors. He has also served as an instructor of basic firefighter certification and management level courses at Hillsborough Community College.
Ray Yeakley, department spokesman, said a nationwide search is underway for Nesmith’s replacement.
“We aren’t sure right now how long it will take,” Yeakley said. “It could take months; it could take many months.”
Administration Chief Ron Rogers will be the interim chief while the department seeks a replacement.

By B.C. Manion

It all began with a rocking chair.
Millie Cornell wanted to buy a rocking chair for her granddaughter to carry on a tradition she’d begun with her oldest grandson.

She found one at a store that she thought would be perfect, but as she carried it to the counter to pay for it, it began to fall apart.
She rejected that chair and went home and told her husband Duke (whose given name is George) that she wouldn’t be able to get a chair for Sarah.
Duke told Millie not to worry. He said he’d see if he could make their granddaughter a rocking chair.
So began Grandpa’s Wee Rockers Woodcraftsman, a business that continues to this day at 38133 Fifth Ave. in Zephyrhills.
Duke spends the better part of most days working in the open-air shop out behind their house, a highly visible location near Zephyrhills.
A sign in front of the shop welcomes passersby: “Come See What I Saw,” it proclaims.
Drop by and you’ll likely hear the whirring sound of a drill, as Duke uses 2.5-inch deck screws to bind together parts of a bench. The quick and sure movements of his hands and sawdust on the floor are evidence of a man at work.
Visitors can check out child-sized rocking chairs, wishing wells, Adirondack chairs, a bench swing, picnic tables and single, double and triple gliders on display on the lawn and driveway at the couple’s house.
At one point, Duke set up at a flea market, but there was too much down time in that venture for his tastes, he said.
At another point, he carted chairs to the Northern states because he’d taken one up at someone’s request and found there was a demand for them there.
Now, he’s content to stay at home working in his shop.
The idea of retiring is not even a remote possibility for this 83-year-old.
“I can’t sit around,” said Duke, who speaks quietly and appears to be a man of few words. “You’ve got to do something.”
He cuts pieces of spruce and pressure-treated pine into pieces he needs to make his furniture.
“About 40 pieces go into those rockers,” he said. The sliders have about 40 pieces, too.
The rockers are strong enough to support the weight of a child up to 28 pounds, he said.
Many patrons are repeat customers.
“They keep coming back for grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” he said.
The rocking chairs hold up well, he said. “They hand them down from generation to generation.”
Busy times of the year are typically around the Christmas holidays and just before Mother’s Day, Millie said.
The length of his work day varies, Duke said. “It depends on what I have to build.”
How much he gets done each day varies, too. “It depends on how fast you work and how hard.”
In the summer, he works mostly in the morning because of the afternoon’s stifling heat.
The tools of his trade include a band saw, a sander, a drill, deck screws and wood.
Over the years, the business isn’t the only thing that has grown and prospered.
The couple, who married on April 24, 1947, has five children, 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
For more information about items, prices and hours call (813) 788-2984.

By B.C. Manion

If Pasco County wants to gain a competitive edge in attracting businesses and jobs, its land development code needs to be more specific so people who want to build or expand their businesses will know exactly what to expect.
The county also needs to shorten the time it takes to get through the process, to eliminate duplication in reviews and to refrain from adding last-minute requirements for issues that should have been covered earlier through staff reviews.
Those are among the general recommendations offered during a 2 ½-hour meeting Friday morning of the Competitive Task Force of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.
The task force — made up of experts from the development community — is weighing in on a county effort to make itself more attractive to employers by streamlining the land development code.
In making the changes, it is important to eliminate language that is overly broad, task force members agreed. When the language is too broad, it is too hard for businesses to predict what will be required and how long it will take for approvals.
It is also important to eliminate logjams, they said.
One of the biggest obstacles is how long it can take to get a final plat, they said.
The final plat has a 30-page checklist and is often used by county staff to address issues that should have been addressed earlier in the process, they explained.
Another problem can occur at the front end of the process, when agreements reached between the applicant and staff are not written down and made binding.
There are also issues with the county’s parking requirements, duplicative stormwater reviews and lengthy delays between parts of the process, task force members said.
When it comes to parking, for instance, the standard for spaces at industrial sites should be based on the number of employees there during its peak period of operation, not on how many workers are employed by the company.
At a retail site, on the other hand, the number of employees at the business is less important than the people using the business.
When it comes to stormwater reviews, the county’s stormwater department is reviewing the same things as the Southwest Florida Water Management District — with SWFMD sometimes issuing a permit before the county review is even done.
The county should also take a look at creating a faster process for small projects which already have proper zoning and comply with the county’s master plan.
The county also may want to consider creating a “glitch committee” which would look at issues that continue to pop up, as applicants work their way through the process. The committee could address issues that keep popping up and suggest ways to fix the problems.
Recommendations from the task force will be considered by county staff before it takes its final recommendations on the streamlined code to the Pasco County Commission, which has the final say.