Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Local reaction to project’s holdup

By Kyle LoJacono

The Pasco County project to connect SR 56 and Mansfield and Meadow Pointe boulevards in Wesley Chapel has been pushed back a second time to as late as August 1.
The connection was originally set to open in March, but the construction company, WDG Construction Inc., had its contract terminated by the county after its vehicle and workers insurance expired, according to Pasco’s chief engineer Jim Widman.

The bonding company has been looking for a replacement to finish the project since.
“RIPA (& Associates) is who the bonding company has selected,” said Robert Shepherd, Pasco County Chief Project Manager, on May 17. “They are in final negotiations now and it should be finalized in seven to 10 days.”
RIPA, a Tampa-based firm, is also the bonder’s choice to complete the Collier Parkway extension in Land O’ Lakes. WDG was also working on that project before it was terminated. No additional county money will be needed because the bonding company is required to cover any additional cost above the original contract.
“There is 20 to 25 days left of work to be done, but we don’t know yet when that work will begin,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd also said lanes of SR 54 will not be closed as part of the road widening project. The county had planned to detour vehicles through Meadow Pointe to SR 56 during the summer during the SR 54 project.
Even though SR 54 will remain open, the newly opened alternative route through Wesley Chapel will likely bring increased traffic flow to the Wiregrass area, including the Shops at Wiregrass.
“We will have an influx of traffic coming by the Shops at Wiregrass and I think that will lead to more impulse buying,” said Greg Lenners, general manager at the shops. “People will stop by to pick up something on the way home.”
Lenners said the shops’ parking lot is about 40 percent full Monday through Thursday and 90 to 100 percent full Friday to Sunday. The delayed opening does not seem to bother the general manager.
“It is perfect time for us,” Lenners said. “It is right before school starts and the stores will be having their back-to-school events. It is also not long before the holidays, so it is great for us.”
Lenners said he lives in Meadow Pointe and it is about a nine mile drive now when he takes SR 54 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to the shops. He said that would be cut to about five miles when the connection opens.
Schools that will be affected by the connection include Wiregrass Ranch High and Dr. John Long Middle. Students who live along Meadow Pointe and SR 54 east of I-75 are zoned for the schools, according to the Pasco school district’s Web site of www.pasco.k12.fl.us.
Driving time for school bus drivers, parents and older children traveling to and from the facilities each day would likely be reduced, as they will be for Lenners once the connection opens. Pasco’s school board has not released bus routes for next year and will not examine changes until later in the summer.
Kathy Appleby, manager of Dillard’s at the shops, said the store is hoping for a 5 to 10 percent increase in customers when the connection opens. She added the business did not know when the connection was originally scheduled for completion.
“We didn’t really know when the (SR) 56 extension was going to open before it did last year, so when this part opens it will be just another big surprise for us,” Appleby said.
The increased traffic from the east will help Dillard’s more than most stores at the shops because of its location.
“We are in the back of the mall so people going north on Bruce B. Downs might not see us driving by,” Appleby said. “This will increase our visibility when it happens…The road will help the businesses in the shops and that will keep the money here in Pasco, which helps us all.”

Cancer Survivor pursues race car dreams

By Sarah Whitman

Accelerating to 100 mph around the Daytona Speedway racetrack, Land O’ Lakes resident Tom Harrison felt his pulse race. He pressed down hard on the gas, remembering a few months before when he was too sick to get out of bed.
“I was going around at top speed and I pictured myself lying bald with a chemo needle in my arm,” Harrison, 56, said. “At that moment, I thanked God for my life.”
Harrison, a family man and proud patriot, was diagnosed with throat and tongue cancer last September. Uncertain about the future, he made a list of things he wanted to accomplish in life. Getting his race car driver’s license was at the top.

He underwent surgery to have a tumor removed; then endured the pain of radiation and chemotherapy. The treatments worked and Harrison went into remission. In April, he hit the track at driving school and walked away carrying a dream come true, a regional Sports Car Club of America racing license.
“It was exciting, exhilarating and a little bit scary my first time on the track,” Harrison said. “You’re going really fast and I wondered if I’d actually have what it took to not be afraid, to just pay attention and drive. I was surprised how well I did.”
Harrison lives in Lake Padgett Estates with his fianceé Colleen and sons, Alex, 19, Adam, 17, Westley, 14, and Dean, 10. He’s spent most of his life working in construction, specifically in the field of building materials, and previously worked as an auto mechanic. He was laid off from his job around the same time he was diagnosed with cancer.
“It couldn’t have happened at a worse time,” Harrison said. “I’d been laid off from work. I had no job and no insurance. I was faced with my own mortality and I realized there were a lot of things I wanted to do in my life, all the would of, could of, should of dones.”
Harrison decided to pursue life’s what-ifs. What if he’d pursued racing? What if he’d spent more time building a family business?
Alex wanted to help his dad achieve those dreams.
“I was worried he wasn’t going to make it,” Alex said. “It was pretty tough and nerve wracking for a while. I told him I would help him do whatever he wanted to do. When he got better and we were able to do those things, it was pretty awesome.”
Alex, like his father, is a longtime NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt fan. So, he was excited to accompany his dad to driving school in Daytona and stand on the same track where Earnhardt raced.
Alex acted as his dad’s pit crew at the weekend-long school.
“He was there every step of the way,” Harrison said. “The Honda Civic I was driving broke once but because Alex was there, we were able to fix it and I was able to finish.”
Alex will go to school to earn his own license at Homestead in Miami in June. He will drive a 1993 Mustang restored in the family garage.
Harrison raced his Civic, which was given to him by a friend, at driving school and at his first official race at Daytona, an SCCA regional competition this May.
The father and son will hit the track for two more races this summer, in Sebring and Brooksville.
Alex and his dad are also in business together. They own Eaglespeed US, a company specializing in door and window replacements. The company operates online at www.eaglespeed.us.
Since going into remission, Harrison has had more time to focus on growing the business. He’s also added a side business. Eaglespeed now restores and sells muscle cars, like Alex’s Mustang.
“Our business is doors and windows, but we tied racing in with the business,” Harrison said.
Alex said he likes fixing up cars and even installing windows with his dad.
“I enjoy spending time with him and working with him,” Alex said. “I always have but what he went through was still such an eye opener. People are not in our lives forever so it’s important to spend time with family while they’re here.”
Harrison’s fiancée and his other sons are also incredibly supportive.
Harrison said he’s learned to value family above all else. He attends church regularly at First United Methodist of Land O’ Lakes and attributes his survival to never letting go of faith. He is looking forward to marrying Colleen and seeing his youngest son Dean grow up.
“I’m excited about everyday now,” Harrison said. “The race car thing is what got me back out of bed but there is so much I want to do.”

By Joe Potter
Laker Correspondent

Hundreds of people turned out May 22 for the Leon Shoupe Benefit Tournament at two locations in Dade City, including family, friends and softball players Shoupe had known most of his life.
Leon, owner of Roto-Rooter Sewer Services in Dade City for 17 years, died unexpectedly Jan. 15 of a heart attack. He was 45.
Approximately $6,000 was raised for the Shoupe family, including his widow, Kim, and his children, Kaleigh and Trent Shoupe, according to Jack Rhoden, one of the benefit tournament’s organizers.

Games were played at Mickens Field, located at the corner of Taylor Avenue and Canal Street, and Watson Park, located on North Avenue and Main Avenue between 17th and 19th streets.
The city cleaned up Mickens Field, which had not been used regularly for about a decade, so there would be two fields where the games could be played. City manager Billy Poe and other city staff members stepped up and did “a tremendous amount of work” when the request was made to use Mickens Field, Rhoden said. The Shoupe family and others really appreciate the help the city provided, Rhoden continued.
Members of the Shoupe family came out to Watson Park at 8 a.m. to throw out the first pitch of the tournament, according to Rhoden. The tournament continued well into the night before wrapping up.
The tournament was planned because Leon played adult softball for several years, Rhoden said. Leon knew many of the members of the other teams from Dade City, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, Lakeland, Spring Hill, Brooksville and Winter Haven that participated in the tournament.
Umpires donated their time for the tournament, according to Rhoden. Leroy Tolbert flew in from Tennessee to umpire a couple of games and flew back after the games.
Chicken dinners, hamburgers, hot dogs, water and soft drinks were sold throughout the day at both fields to raise additional money for the Shoupe family.
The tournament turned out better than anticipated Kim said. She could not believe how many people turned out to support it.
They would have celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary in February, continued Kim Shoupe, who has operated Roto-Rooter since her husband’s death.
Her husband was a happy-go-lucky man who knew everybody around, Kim said.
Leon’s mother, Frances Shoupe, said she thought it was wonderful to have a softball benefit to help raise money for her late son’s family.
Leon’s parents, Roy Leon Shoupe Sr. and Frances, opened the Roto-Rooter business in Pasco County in 1973. Frances ran the business by herself for a couple of years after her husband passed away. Leon took over the business in 1992.
Roto-Rooter’s team bested the team Donkey Bunch 14-12 in one of the games played at Mickens Field. Donkey Punch had players from Dade City, Zephyrhills and Brooksville.
Leon is remembered for giving friends and family members nicknames. One of the Roto-Rooter team members, Joel Dixon, whom Shoupe had dubbed “Fat Boy,” helped his team’s cause by blasting a grand slam. Dixon said afterward it had felt good to hit the homerun. When asked if he hits the long ball often, Dixon replied, “No, man. I’m just a base hitter.”