The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Paving project on Bruce B. Downs expected to cause minor delays

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Work began last week on a pavement rehabilitation project on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, from State Road 56 to County Line Road, in Wesley Chapel.

The work is being done in both directions and is expected to be finished within 30 days of the project’s state date, which was Jan. 21, depending on weather conditions. 

The project entails resurfacing the entire roadway and adding new pavement markings, according to a Pasco County news release.

Drivers should be prepared for minor delays, according to the county.

The work hours are from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday.

Drivers should expect single-lane closures, with message boards directing traffic.

Asphalt Paving Systems is the contractor for this Pasco County Public Works project.

Published January 31, 2024

Upcoming festival features beauty, seafood and entertainment

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The ninth annual SunWest Crab & Shrimp Festival, sponsored by Florida’s Sports Coast, will feature a wide array of seafood dishes, live entertainment and activities designed to appeal to people of all ages.

The festival will be at SunWest Park, at 17362 Old Dixie Highway, in Hudson, on Feb. 23, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; on Feb 24, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and on Feb. 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you like to shop, eat or be entertained, you will have plenty of options at the ninth annual SunWest Crab & Shrimp Festival at SunWest Park, in February. (Courtesy of Florida Penguin Productions)

Entry tickets are $15 per adult at the gate, or $10 when pre-ordered online, while supplies last. Kids under 18 get in for free. Food and beverages are not included with entry ticket.

Here’s a glimpse of what the festival will offer:

Seafood Extravaganza: A feast for the senses with a diverse menu offered from food trucks and by mobile chefs from across Florida. Offerings will include classic shrimp boil, crab cakes, fresh battered fish and chips, lobster rolls, stone crab claws and more.

Entertainers help keep things lively at the SunWest Crab & Shrimp Festival. This year’s event is set for Feb. 23 through Feb. 25 at SunWest Park in Hudson.

Live Entertainment Schedule:
Feb. 23: FuseBox & Titans of Rock – Journey/Bon Jovi Tribute Show
Feb. 24: Smoking Guns, Draw 4, Barefoot Bob, Crossfire Creek
Feb. 25: Phoenix 5 & Southbound 75

Family Friendly Activities: Bring the whole family for a day of fun with the Kid’s Zone featuring bounce houses, slides, games, and activities. Play All Day Wristbands are $10.  

Vendor Market: A diverse marketplace featuring local artisans, craftsmen and businesses. Support a local community of artists and crafters and discover unique treasures, handmade goods, and one-of-a-kind finds.

Scenic Venue: The festival takes place at the stunning SunWest Park in Hudson, providing a picturesque backdrop for a day of festivities.

Community Fundraiser: The SunWest Crab & Shrimp Festival has raised over $70,000 for local charities; this year the event benefits the Stano Foundation and Celebrate Birthdays, two local Pasco County nonprofit organizations.  

Ticket Information:
Tickets for the ninth Annual SunWest Crab & Shrimp Festival are available for purchase on its official Eventbrite Ticketing Page, including $5 off while early bird supplies last. Early bird discounts are still available, so be sure to secure a spot soon. 

Event Ticket Link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9th-annual-sunwest-crab-shrimp-festival-tickets-769835216857

Florida Penguin Productions is the event organizer.  It hosts community events across the Tampa Bay area including food and drink competitions, concerts, holiday festivals, and community shopping markets happening every week. Learn more at FloridaPenguinProductions.com.

Published January 31, 2024

County board wants to know more about constitutional officers’ needs

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As the Pasco County Commission considers its budget for fiscal year 2024-2025, it wants to hear more about the needs of its constitutional officers, who are Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano and Pasco Property Appraiser Mike Wells.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey asked county staff to invite the constitutional officers to share their needs during the county’s budget talks.

“I just want to be sure our constitutional partners are involved,” Starkey told County Administrator Mike Carballa and Amielee Farrell, the county’s new budget director, during a board workshop on Jan. 16.

Carballa said county staff typically brings the constitutional officers’ budget to board members.

Starkey: “Can we not engage with them before they bring us their budgets?”

Farrell responded: “Can you, yes. My office will encourage it and recommend it, but we will need support from you all.

“Do you want that to be at a workshop? Do you want that to be a regular item?” she asked.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley said the county board needs more information. ”Last year, we didn’t hear anything,” he said.

Starkey added: “I want to hear their vision for what they need, so we have a short-term goal. We have a long-term goal.”

Starkey said she regularly meets with the sheriff and he told her that no one has sat down with them to find out what they need, in terms of buildings.

She said she’s aware that the tax collector is planning a building.

She wants to know the big picture.

“I’d like to hear what their capital needs are, long-term, so we can plan them into ours. It’s our responsibility to fulfill their capital needs,” she said.

Board members left it up to Carballa and his team to arrange for an opportunity for the board to have a discussion with constitutional officers during the budget process.

Published January 31, 2024

Pasco’s collaboration with AmSkills receives national recognition

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Pasco County has been awarded the 2024 Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award for its work relating to the AmSkills Workforce Innovation Center project.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the county’s Community Development Department has secured the national honor.

“Another year, another award for our team,” Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said, in a news release from the county.  “Our work with AmSkills is amazing and makes a huge difference in our community.  I’m certainly not surprised we’re receiving such a prestigious award — yet again!”

AmSkills Workforce Innovation Center helps individuals explore new careers and workforce training.

It serves youth, adults, veterans, persons with disabilities, and those affected by COVID-19 job reduction and loss, according to the release.

Focus areas include careers in the manufacturing, public works, utilities and construction trades.  Introduction into this program can begin with the mobile Career Discovery Boot Camp, designed with direct input from local manufacturers looking for more vetted entry-level candidates.

The county’s community development team helped AmSkills to acquire its new center and plan future renovations through the assistance of Community Development Block Grant funds.

The county’s team will attend a conference on Feb. 2, in Washington D.C, to receive the honor.

The department also received the national distinction in  2021, 2022 and 2023 for its collaboration on the Vincent House, Rosalie Rendu Residences Project and Family Services Center, respectively.

 The Audrey Nelson Award recognizes exemplary local projects and programs funded through the HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and other HUD Office of Community Planning and Development funding.

For more information, visit NCDAonline.org.

Published January 24, 2024

Share your thoughts in Pasco’s annual survey

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Pasco County is conducting its annual community survey and it’s asking the public to share their thoughts on all sorts of topics, including utilities, parks and libraries, safety and emergency services, transportation, growth, and the importance and quality of services.

You can take the survey on Pasco County’s homepage at MyPasco.net by clicking on the survey link, or on the MyPasco App by clicking on the Community Survey button.

You also can take it on Pasco County’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Nextdoor pages.

The deadline for taking the survey is Jan. 31.

Published  January 24, 2024

 

Garden club celebrates Joy-Lan Drive In

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Vicki Johnson and Sally Redden of the Hollyhock Circle of the Dade City Garden Club are shown here with Chip Sawyer. Sawyer received two ornaments from the garden club depicting the Joy-Lan Drive In. The Hollyhock Circle nominated Joy-Lan for the honor of being the garden club’s 2023 historic ornament. (Courtesy of Dade City Garden Club)

Members of the Dade City Garden Club recently presented Chip Sawyer with a gift of two ornaments to celebrate the selection of the Joy-Lan Drive In as the subject of the garden club’s 2023 historic ornament.

Sawyer is president of Sun South Theatres, which operates the Joy-Lan in Dade City and Silver Moon in Lakeland.

He recently visited the Dade City Garden Club to receive his gift of two of the club’s 2023 historic ornaments, according to a news release.

Since 1994, the Dade City Garden Club has designed and sold an annual ornament depicting landmarks, institutions, and activities of Dade City, to preserve its rich history and strengthen community pride, the release says.

The Joy-Lan Drive In was featured in the 2023 ornament and proved to be a community favorite, selling out within two months of its issue.

Published January 24, 2024

Tania Gorman appointed MPO’s executive director

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Tania Gorman has been named the new executive director of the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Gorman replaces Carl Mikyska, who resigned from the post in October.

The Pasco MPO board confirmed Gorman’s appointment at its meeting on Jan. 11.

Roy Mazur, the county’s assistant county administrator for development services, presented the recommendation to the MPO board.

The recruitment process had been completed when Mazur assumed his position, but he said he had met with the top two applicants and also observed Gorman in her day-to-day activities.

“I came to the conclusion that she would be absolutely the top pick to represent the MPO as their executive director. I absolutely, with zero hesitation and total confidence, submit her name for your confirmation,” Mazur told MPO board members.

The board unanimously approved Gorman’s confirmation.

The Pasco MPO board is made up of elected officials from Pasco County, Zephyrhills, Dade City, New Port Richey and Port Richey.

The Pasco County MPO is the lead transportation planning agency in Pasco County, which serves the following municipalities in Pasco: Zephyrhills, San Antonio, St. Leo, New Port Richey, Port Richey and Dade City.

Under federal and state laws, the Pasco County MPO is responsible for establishing a continuing, cooperative and comprehensive transportation planning process for Pasco County.

Its key responsibilities are the creation of the 20-year Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the five-year Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), and the five-year Transportation Improvement program.

Published January 24, 2024

Quilters stitch together projects to help others

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The Cypress Creek Quilters Guild put their collective talents together this year. Members joined forces to make a block each month, with those blocks being assembled to create more than 80 quilts that were donated to local charities.

The quilts were donated to Sunrise of Pasco County Domestic and Sexual Violence Center, the Redeeming Love Foster Closet and the Oasis Pregnancy Care Center. 

The local guild meets the second Monday of the month at the Jimmie B. Keel Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave., in Tampa, and each Thursday that school is in session at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway.

The guild’s mission is to foster the art of quilting, according to Jennifer Ackart, the group’s president.

More information about the guild can be found at CypressCreekQuilters.net.

The quilters also made 391 pillowcases for Ryan’s Cases for Smiles — an organization that distributes cheerful handmade pillowcases to hospitalized children.

Published January 24, 2024

Members of the Cypress Creek Quilters Guild donated their time and talent to make 80 quilts for local charities. (Courtesy of Jennifer Ackart)
These are some of the quilts lovingly stitched together by members of the Cypress Creek Quilters Guild to benefit local charities.
These women sewed together fabric to make pillowcases to help bring smiles to the faces of hospitalized children.

Applicants needed for new veteran’s advisory board

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The Hillsborough County Commission is seeking applicants for its newly created Hillsborough County Veteran’s Advisory Board.

Those interested in applying must live in Hillsborough County and must be a registered voter, according to a Hillsborough County news release.

The board will advise the Hillsborough County Commission, the Hillsborough County Consumer & Veteran’s Services Department, and the Conservation & Environmental Lands Management Department regarding the development of additional phases of the Veterans Resource Center. It also will weigh in on issues involving the memorials and grounds of Hillsborough County Veteran’s Memorial Park, and revitalization of the museum.

The advisory board also will convene community groups that are interested in providing resources to veterans and their families, the news release says.

Plus, it will deliver an annual report to the Hillsborough County Commission detailing priorities, goals, and issues pertaining to veterans and their families.

The board will serve on an ad hoc basis until December 2027 when it will be determined if it should continue, the release adds.

Terms on the seven-member board are for two years. At least one board member will be selected from each county commission district.

Applicants should meet this criteria:

1) Served in the U.S. Armed Forces and received an honorable discharge with a minimum of six years’ service (preference given to those who have retired by years of service or medically retired from active service);

2) Provide a resume of veteran-related community service;

3) Indicate educational background and work experience that would significantly contribute to the board when serving as a member; and

4) Identify all memberships in professional organizations.

There is no compensation to serve on the board, and the board is subject to the Florida Sunshine Law.

The meeting schedule has not yet been determined.

All applicants must submit a completed Questionnaire for County Appointments and a Standards of Conduct form.  

All forms must be signed and dated, and all questions must be answered in entirety to be eligible. 

Forms are available on the county’s website at HCFLGov.net. To download a form, click on the following tabs/links: “Government,” “Boards and Committees Forms.”

Forms can be mailed to: P. O. Box 1110, Tampa, FL 33601; faxed to 812-239-3916; emailed to ; or delivered to 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., second floor, in Tampa.

Applications are due by the close of business on Feb. 8. Appointments will be scheduled for a Hillsborough County Commission meeting in March or April.

Published January 24, 2024