Land O' Lakes News

Holiday happenings abound: Prepare to have fun

November 26, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Whether it’s a stroll along Christmas Card Lane in Lutz, tree lighting festivities in Zephyrhills, synchronized tree lights and music at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, or a magical Christmas parade in Dade City — there are plenty of holiday events in coming weeks to put on your calendars.

Several events are planned in anticipation of the holidays in Lutz.

Here’s just one of the displays that visitors are likely to encounter if they visit the Old Lutz School during the holiday season. (File photo)

Shoppers looking for a unique gift may want to check out the 2014 Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival at Lake Park, 17302 N. Dale Mabry Highway, on the weekend of Dec. 6-7.

The annual event attracts more than 250 vendors, offering a wide array of items including paintings, photography, jewelry, woodcarvings, ceramics and pottery, and stained glass.

The juried art show awards cash prizes as the year’s biggest fundraiser for the GFWC Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, and supports a multitude of community organizations and activities. The event also features various food selections, including the woman’s club’s famous peach cobbler.

The event’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 6, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 7. There is no admission charge, but parking costs $2.

The Lutz community also is planning a couple other events likely to appeal to those who enjoy old-fashioned holiday festivities. At the 18^th annual Christmas at the Old Lutz School, 18819 U.S. 41 N., visitors can walk through rooms to enjoy holiday displays, listen to musical presentations, sip a cup of hot chocolate, and nibble on a cookie.

There is no admission charge, but donations are accepted. Proceeds are used for the Old Lutz School. Canned foods and new toys also are accepted to provide for those less fortunate.

It’s open this year from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, Dec. 13, Dec. 14, Dec. 16, Dec. 18, Dec. 20, Dec. 21, Dec. 26, Dec. 27 and Dec. 28. For a nominal fee, children can enjoy breakfast with Santa from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 13.

For those who like entertainment, the heartwarming Christmas musical, “3 Wise Men and a Baby” may be just the ticket. Heritage Church, 1854 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz, is presenting free performances of the play at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13, and 10:30 a.m. Dec. 14.

Lutz also is planning another community event beginning at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 16, when it will showcase its Christmas Card Lane.

The event features the displays of four-by-eight-foot illuminated holiday cards, along with performances by children from local schools, a visit by Santa, hot chocolate and cookies.

The event takes place at the corner of U.S. 41 and Lutz Lake Fern Road in the vicinity of the Lutz Train Depot near the library.

Those who enjoy holiday concerts may want to plan on attending one of two presentations of “A Saint Leo Christmas,” at Saint Leo University in the town of St. Leo. The free presentations are scheduled for 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 2 in the Greenfelder-Denlinger Boardrooms of the Student Community Center, 33701 State Road 52.

Although admission is free, those attending the 7 p.m. show must call to reserve tickets to be assured seating. To reserve a seat, call Tamra Hunt at (352) 588-8294.

The Founders Garden Club of San Antonio also is gearing up for its annual “Christmas in the Park,” held at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 in the city park.

The event includes lighted Christmas cards placed around the park by area businesses and families. After the lighting, the Rev. Santiago Huron and his musical family from Heritage Bible Church of San Antonio will present a Christmas concert.

The event also includes refreshments, carol singing, and a Nativity blessing by the Rev. Edwin Palka.

Those who enjoy watching parades may want to mark their calendars for the 2014 Magical Night of Christmas Parade in Dade City at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5, and the parade planned for 6 p.m. on Dec. 6 during the Festival of Lights in Zephyrhills.

The Dade City parade, organized by the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, will feature bands, floats and walking units.

In addition to the parade, the Festival of Lights, presented by Main Street Zephyrhills, has a theme this year of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

Another event likely to draw a big crowd is the 30^th annual Lighting of the Trees, hosted by Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 7, on the front lawn of the hospital, 7050 Gall Blvd.

The event includes decorating trees, entertainment, a live Nativity, Santa’s arrival, skydivers, and of course the tree lighting and some fireworks.

Forest Lake Estates, 6429 Forest Lake Drive in Zephyrhills, has its annual craft fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 6. It will feature handcrafted items including jewelry, jams, decorations and other goods.

Those who enjoy a lively Christmas lights show can swing by The Shops at Wiregrass to take in its seventh annual Symphony of Lights. The holiday light show features a 55-foot tall tree and more than 250,000 lights, synchronized to music by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Shows run nightly, on the hour, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., through Dec. 31 at 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel.

Wesley Chapel also has a new performing arts company presenting O. Henry’s heartwarming story “The Gift of the Magi.” Dreamhouse Theatre will present the play at 8 p.m. on Dec. 5 and at 2 p.m. on Dec. 6 at Bridgeway Church, 30660 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

Tickets at the door are $22 for adults, and $17 for students and kids 12 and younger. Tickets also are available at a discounted rate online at DreamhouseTheatre.com.

For those who don’t mind venturing out of the area to take in some holiday sights and sounds, there are a host of offerings that they may find enticing.

The Celebration of Lights is a new attraction in Tampa Bay, which features a mile-long route that motorists can drive along to see a dazzling display of animated lights.

The event was the vision of Dave Parrish, a community leader in West Pasco who died before his vision could come to life.

The event is open at dusk on Nov. 27-30, and Dec. 5-Jan. 4 at 15325 Alric Pottberg Road in Spring Hill. Entry fees are $20 per car and $40 for a 14-passenger van.

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Trinity hospital planning $15M newborn services expansion

November 26, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The population growth in Pasco County is not expected to end anytime soon, and Medical Center of Trinity is getting ready now — even if the hospital is just three years old.

HCA West Florida, which owns both the Trinity hospital as well as Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in Hudson, is having its initial meetings with Pasco County officials ahead of a proposed $15 million expansion that could add or shift at least 50 beds.

The hospital is just three years old, but Medical Center of Trinity already is thinking about expansion, focusing heavily on its neonatal and pregnancy services. (Michael Hinman/Staff photo)

The primary target of the renovations is the hospital’s post-partum department as well as its neonatal intensive care unit, according to documents the hospital has filed with the county. The goal is to add 36 beds, relocate 17 beds in the post-partum unit, and renovate the NICU.

Later phases would include building out an additional elevator shell as well as expand the suite for patients undergoing cesarean sections.

Hospital spokeswoman Mary Sommise wouldn’t elaborate on those plans. But according to what the company told county officials, Trinity would begin its bed expansion on the hospital’s fifth floor as well as its C-section suite work. Once that’s done, the post-partum unit would shift from the hospital’s east wing to the west.

When all that work is completed, the hospital would then focus on its NICU, making that renovation the final phase.

Medical Center of Trinity opened in 2011 on 55 acres of land along State Road 54, just east of Little Road. It cost $200 million, and replaced the aging Community Hospital the company ran in New Port Richey.

The five-story main campus opened with 400,000 square feet of usable space, as well as a 90,000-square-foot office building.

The Trinity hospital gave itself plenty of room to expand, something Community Hospital didn’t have. Combined with the Bayonet Point facility, both hospitals saw nearly 157,000 patients in 2013, according to HCA West’s annual report, including nearly 86,000 emergency room visits — half of them going to Trinity.

Both hospitals have a combined economic impact of more than $290 million to Pasco County, officials said. More than $163 million of that comes from salaries and benefits paid to employees, while another $35 million is dedicated to charity or uncompensated care.

The Trinity and Bayonet Point hospitals also contribute more than $16.5 million in taxes to the county each year, and redirects $27 million to local vendors.

The 282-bed hospital has a little more than 1,200 employees earning an average annual salary of $63,600 a year, according to the hospital.

The Trinity hospital is not alone in wanting to expand services to newborns and mothers. Florida Hospital Zephyrhills spent last summer expanding its obstetrics unit after the number of babies born were more than double initial projections going into the year.

Officials did not share any timelines on when renovations might begin, but when it does start, Matt Nitch of Earl Swensson Associates Inc. out of Nashville, Tennessee, will manage it.

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New luxury apartment complex coming to Land O’ Lakes

November 26, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Wood Partners is stepping in where another developer left off, resurrecting a 311-unit apartment complex that could add even more residents along State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

The Atlanta-based company announced the new project — called Alta Terra Bella — just off 20 Mile Level Road Monday, following a report on The Laker/Lutz News’ website, LakerLutzNews.com.

Developers of the new Alta Terra Bella apartments say the new Land O’ Lakes community will inject nearly $25 million into the local economy, and indirectly create nearly 400 jobs. (Michael Hinman/Staff photo)

“As the Tampa Bay area continues to experience robust employment and income growth — especially in the hospitality, financial and business service industries — Pasco County will continue to grow,” said David Thompson, Wood Partners’ Florida development director, in a release. “Alta Terra Bella is ideally located near top schools, and provides convenient interstate access to employers throughout the Tampa area.”

Wood Partners closed on 52 acres of land through a subsidiary, Alta Terra Bella LP, last week. It’s located between Via Bella Boulevard and 20 Mile Level, just north of State Road 54. The developer paid Capstone Resdev LLC $4.2 million for the vacant land, according to county property records, using part of a $30 million mortgage the company received early last week from Synovus Bank.

Pasco County officials met with representatives from Wood Partners last June, where the developer shared plans to build 311 apartment units in 14 buildings. Also on the plans are a freestanding clubhouse and freestanding parking garages, with a complete build-out of more than 452,000 square feet.

The project was originally known as Viento at Terra Bella Apartments, according to documents filed with the county, with units averaging about 1,200 square feet. The parking garages would be individual, one-story units, each with six bays for vehicles or storage.

Wood Partners is not expected to waste much time in breaking ground and getting construction started. The company expects to start leasing next September through its Wood Residential Services subsidiary, according to a release, with a full completion date scheduled for May 2016.

A community like this could inject as much as $24.5 million into the local economy — including $2.5 million in taxes — that would ultimately create nearly 380 jobs, Wood Partners officials said, using a formula offered by the National Association of Home Builders.

The population within a five-mile radius of the proposed Land O’ Lakes development has exploded by 114 percent since 2000, compared to a smaller but still strong 20 percent for the rest of the Tampa Bay region, the developer said. At the same time, household incomes have risen 37 percent, with 64 percent of households generating income of more than $50,000 not far from the proposed complex.

The land for Alta Terra Bella was originally purchased in 2007 for $6.8 million by BSP/Pasco LLC, a company associated with Orlando-based developer Scott T. Boyd. However, PNC Bank filed foreclosure papers against the property in October 2011, according to county records, claiming they were owed nearly $6 million.

The bank won title to the property through is Capstone Resdev affiliate in August 2012, and the land has been on the market ever since.

The new community will be located in the same general area where Florida Medical Clinic operates its headquarters. It’s also close to 46 acres of land Academy at the Lakes purchased in August 2013 on 20 Mile Level for $2 million.

The Collier Parkway school purchased the former MacManus property for $44,000 an acre, while Wood Partners spent just under $81,000 an acre for its land. The developer plans to use just 19 acres of the site for the complex, slating the rest for conservation and other non-commercial uses.

Charlan Brock & Associates designed the community, according to a release. It will have a 9,000-square-foot clubhouse that will include a community room, fitness center, playroom, a Wi-Fi café, and a summer kitchen overlooking a swimming pool.

The community will have more than 630 surface parking lots, and 76 garage spaces for rent.

Biggest local real estate purchases of 2014

1. $36.1 million, Arlington at Northwood in Wesley Chapel
BES Northwood Fund IX LLC of Chicago purchased this 312-unit apartment complex in May and renamed it Enclave at Wiregrass.

2. $16 million, Wiregrass Ranch development in Wesley Chapel
Pasco County Associates II LLLP picked up more than 332 acres in May for a 550-home subdivision along the southern portion of State Road 56, not far from Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter at Wiregrass Ranch campus.

3. $10.2 million, West Winds Assisted Living Facility in Zephyrhills
Sabra Health Care Holdings III purchased the 75-bed nursing home on Eiland Boulevard in October.

4. $4.7 million, Creative World School in Land O’ Lakes
Emerald Holding and Investments LLC bought the 7-year-old building and 2 acres of land on Mentmore Boulevard from Ballantrae LLC in July.

5. $4.2 million, Alta Terra Bella in Land O’ Lakes
Alta Terra Bella LP, a subsidiary of Wood Partners, purchased 52 acres of land off State Road 54 to build a new 311-unit apartment complex.
Source: Pasco County Property Appraiser

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Sophomore chosen for national medical leadership conference

November 26, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Kristen Kova isn’t even sure how she was selected. But when she got the chance to attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders convention in Washington, D.C., the 15-year-old didn’t look back.

Kristen Kova, left, poses with Connie Mariano, the medication director for the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists. (Courtesy of Kristen Kova)

The Land O’ Lakes teenager traveled by car with her mother Jennie, and her brother Ryan, to the conference, over the weekend of Nov. 14, and found a packed agenda at the conference.

“They had a lot of cool speakers that were very influential,” said Kova, a sophomore at Land O’ Lakes High School.

Kova has had an interest in medicine since he was quite young, but found a documentary showed at the convention — “Code Black”— to be “really eye-opening.” It depicts the challenges faced by Los Angeles County Hospital trying to provide care, where patients waited for hours by a staff buried in bureaucracy. Some patients had to go to work, so they left the hospital without being seen, while others died.

Kova said her interest in medicine probably stems from being around her father’s medical challenges. Rex Kova is disabled and has a variety of medical issues, including deafness in one ear and blindness in one eye.

“I spend a lot of time being there for him and taking care for him,” she said. “I think that’s something God wants me to do.”

Initially, Kova thought she wanted to pursue a career as a surgeon. But now she’s reconsidering, and instead may direct her energies into becoming a nurse or a physician assistant.

She wants to be involved in medicine, but Kova also would like a family, she explained. So she’s not sure she wants to commit so much of her life to pursue that goal.

Despite that shift, Kova’s glad she was selected to attend the conference.

“It was pretty motivational,” she said.

One of the speakers was Jack Andraka, who helped develop a new diagnostic test for pancreatic cancer when he was just 15.

“He was amazing,” Kova said, adding that unlike how other kids would enjoy the summer, Andraka spent his time researching proteins online.

Kova couldn’t stay for the third day of the conference because she had classes back home.

“I couldn’t miss school because I had an AP psyche test,” she said.

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PHSC gets creative with writing classes

November 26, 2014 By Michael Murillo

Suzanne Baginskie knows what it’s like to sign up for a writing class at a local college and be disappointed.

Suzanne Baginskie had trouble finding the appropriate classes when she wanted to begin a writing career. Now an accomplished author, she teaches them for Pasco-Hernando State College’s Encore Academy program. (Courtesy of Suzanne Baginskie)

“Whenever they would put a course like that up, nobody would take it, and I’d get my money back,” she said.

Baginskie eventually found a course that stayed open. And now, years later, she’s involved with more of them.

But she’s not taking them this time. She’s teaching them.

Baginskie leads creative writing classes for Pasco-Hernando State College’s Encore Academy, a program that provides education opportunities for people 50 and older.

The Introduction to Creative Writing class wrapped up Nov. 24, a Write Your Life Story class is in progress, and a Writing Children’s Stories class begins Dec. 1. All classes are held at the college’s Spring Hill campus, 450 Beverly Court.

Baginskie, 68, has become the right kind of person to lead writing classes. After nearly 30 years as a law office manager and paralegal, she turned her attention to something she loved for years, but never had enough time to pursue seriously.

And she’s made up for lost time. Baginskie sold her first story in 1999, and since then has sold more than 40 short stories to publishers. Her work has appeared more than two dozen times in the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, which feature inspirational and motivational stories.

She’s also written horror, non-fiction and mystery stories, and her current projects include a legal thriller novel.

Of course, another ongoing project is teaching creative writing at PHSC. Baginskie didn’t want a lack of classroom opportunities to discourage writers from pursuing their passion.

“That was my goal,” she said. “When I finally got to where I could teach it, and I was multi-published, I did a proposal and PHSC accepted me. That’s why I continue to do this.”

She helps others by getting them started on a project and guiding them through the creative process. That might include writing exercises, providing informative handouts, or offering encouragement for someone trying his or her hand at writing later in life.

Many people decide to give writing a try after they retire, or their children are grown or they’ve lost a spouse, Baginskie said. Their family and friends might be out of state, and the classes allow them to connect with a creative streak and complete projects they couldn’t even start previously.

While it might sound like an over-50 student is late to the game, Baginskie said it’s actually a good time to start writing. A person has attained wisdom and life experience to bring to the craft, and people often don’t realize how valuable their seasoned perspectives are to a creative endeavor.

Part of her job is to help students recognize the value of their years, and show them how it enhances their writing.

By teaching the classes as she’s done for the past eight years, Baginskie has found it’s enhanced her own writing as well.

“You want to keep yourself inspired, and this is the perfect way to help these beginning writers,” she said. “I learn so much.”

While Encore Academy is designed for older students, there’s no age restriction to take the creative writing classes. There’s also no obligation to attend every session, although Baginskie said there are benefits to building on previous lessons.

The Write Your Life Story class continues Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Writing Children’s Stories class begins Dec. 1 and ends Dec. 8, running from 10 a.m. until noon.

The cost is $12 for each two-hour session.

For more information about the classes or Encore Academy, call program manager Debra Duncan at (727) 816-3439, or visit PHSC.edu/encore.

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Sheffield’s $3M pledge buys more time for baseball complex

November 26, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Late-game heroics are something Gary Sheffield became accustomed to during his 21-year professional athletic career. But his plans to build a massive baseball complex in Wesley Chapel is now in the bottom of the ninth, and the retired outfielder is going to need a grand slam to make it a reality.

James Talton, right, shares his plans with business leaders last month to build a 19-diamond baseball complex in the heart of Wesley Chapel’s Wiregrass Ranch area as his business partner, retired baseball star Gary Sheffield, listens in. (File photo)

Pasco County commissioners gave Sheffield and business partner James Talton until January to secure enough seed money to help Pasco Sports LLC build a 19-field complex not far from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel in the Wiregrass Ranch area. Commissioners like new chair Ted Schrader was reluctant to give the developers the extra time, that is until Sheffield pledged $3 million of his own money to make sure it happens.

“I talked to my bankers, and at the end of the day when all this is said and done, if nobody comes in and does this, I’m going to use $3 million myself to take care of that note,” Sheffield told commissioners.

Sheffield and Talton have struggled to get financing for what has become a $34 million project to attract up-and-coming youth baseball players from around the country. One of the biggest sticking points is the land, Sheffield said, which would remain under the county’s control. Not having the more than 100 acres as collateral has made the overall project less attractive to investors.

Also complicating matters is the fact that Pasco Sports can only talk to one investor at a time, Sheffield said. Being forced to wait until an investor comes to a decision before Pasco Sports can approach someone else has pushed the project back for months. It also has put the county’s $11 million in tourist tax money in jeopardy.

“It’s a fantastic location and a great concept,” Schrader said during a meeting in Dade City last week. “We just have to make sure that we have the right partner.”

Commissioners had hoped to get the proof of financing they requested to give the baseball complex their blessing. However, without initial funding secured, nothing is concrete just yet.

Making the situation more difficult now are the holidays.

“In the financial world, if you don’t have a deal struck now, you’re not going to get anything done until the end of the year,” Schrader said. “Delaying this to the end of January is something I don’t have a problem with. I am concerned with the money they are going to be obligated to put forward, that those bills be paid for in an expedited manner when necessary.”

Pasco Sports would have until the beginning of December to turn over the necessary paperwork to show proof of financing. From there, the county will review the paperwork so that commissioners can act on it by the time the new year rolls around.

Commissioner Jack Mariano was concerned with high interest rates attached to the $3 million seed money — some 20 percent — fearing annual expenses to pay it could climb as high as $600,000.

“This was thrown together just to put something in front of us, and it’s very unstable,” he said.

Talton, however, assured Mariano that he’s not looking to pull out $3 million upfront, and then start paying back high interest rates. Instead, Pasco Sports would just use money when its needed to help cover initial bills, and are not obligated to use all — or any — of that $3 million.

“It’s just an incentive for that person (who offers the money) to step forward, and an incentive for us not to use it,” Talton said. “It’s absolutely normal to have a bridge loan at a high interest rate at the beginning of a project.”

The county has looked at Talton’s and Sheffield’s project as one that could bring in thousands of young baseball players and their families each year, and possibly even attract a Major League Baseball team to have spring training there.

Talton told members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce last October that his project could create an estimated 8,000 jobs and a $318 million annual economic impact boost to the county. Even the $11 million Pasco is investing would come back quickly, he said, as the project is estimated to pay the county $9 million in taxes and other costs.

Talton had hoped to spend as much as $70 million on the project, tapping into what he described as a $7 billion youth sports industry. However, the project has shrunk a bit as Pasco Sports failed to bring in the big investors it had hoped.

Commissioners approved the extension unanimously, delaying a final decision until January. But Schrader added a warning: this is the last extension.

Sheffield remains optimistic, just as he did last month when talking to local chamber members.

“We can’t predict how big this is going to be,” Sheffield said at the time. “And I think it’s going to be 10 times bigger than what James is putting to paper right now.”

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It’s crunch time for annual holiday toy drive

November 26, 2014 By Michael Murillo

Bob Loring isn’t Santa Claus. Yet he has some 250 elves at his disposal, and he seems pretty jolly about his job.

“I’m the head elf,” Loring said. “It’s a thrill. Personally it’s so rewarding. I get to work with and be around the neatest people in Pasco County.”

Bob Loring will do whatever it takes to get the word out for his annual local Toys For Tots campaign. (Michael Murillo/Staff photo)

The retired Marine doesn’t look like Kris Kringle, either, but he does share a common goal with the Christmas character. With the help of elves (volunteers), he distributes toys to boys and girls during the holiday season.

The difference is that Loring does it in real life.

Loring heads up the local Toys For Tots chapter, part of a national program that distributes toys to needy children run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve for more than 65 years. He took the helm back in 1999, and in his first year, the group distributed toys for nearly 400 children in the Dade City area.

But he knew it wasn’t enough.

To expand, Toys For Tots would have to increase the number of communities it serves. Most people who donate want the recipients to live in their area, Loring said. As a result, they’ve broadened their efforts to provide a happy holiday to children in Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel, as well.

The donations have gone up, too. Loring expects to distribute toys to around 4,000 children this year. And the method of distributing them is almost as important as the donations themselves.

Toys For Tots relies on school counselors to identify needy children and families. Then, instead of simply distributing bags of gifts based on age and gender, a parent or guardian will go to a local center where one of the elves helps them choose from the available toys for each child in the family.

Every recipient receives a couple of bigger gifts as well as some stocking stuffers to make sure they have a few things to open. Someone who knows them handpicks them all.

This method ensures the right gift goes to the right recipient, Loring said, because the parent or guardian has a good idea what each child would like. Some children might be more or less advanced for their age, and finding suitable gifts requires more than guesswork based on how old they are.

Letting a parent or guardian choose the gifts themselves provides another benefit: dignity.

“I want the parent, first of all, to be treated with kindness, to be brought into the Christmas spirit,” Loring said. “We’re not here to make people feel uncomfortable that they’re asking us to help them.”

By playing a role in deciding what their children receive, the experience is more in line with traditional gift giving.

While the organization has provided toys for decades, Toys For Tots had to adjust with the times. They still have collection boxes at various locations and businesses where people can donate new, unwrapped toys. And they still have their annual toy drive with the National Association of Letter Carriers, where residents leave toys by their mailboxes and the letter carriers pick them up on their postal routes.

The problem is that fewer people know about it.

The U.S. Postal Service previously allowed Toys For Tots distribute free mailers to each resident, letting them know when the drive would take place. But a few years ago they stopped providing that benefit due to costs, Loring said, so his organization has had to get more creative in getting the word out on when to leave toys for their letter carriers.

He admits that current donations would be even higher if not for the mailer setback, because many residents don’t know exactly when it occurs.

Still, with some assistance from the national Toys For Tots organization and mostly local donations, the chapter provides presents for thousands of local children each year. And with some help from other groups, Loring has built a network of add-ons to accompany the holiday presents.

For example, faith-based organizations and Rotary Club sponsor Food For Tots and Skivvies For Tots, offering food and clothing for those in need. And down the road, Loring would like to add Shoes For Tots as well.

But for now, Loring will settle for another successful toy drive for needy area families. And in doing so, it also will translate into a happier holiday for those volunteers who find it can be better to give than to receive.

“My elves get more out of this than the families we help. That is true,” Loring said. “They come away with the Christmas spirit and they take it home. It’s magnificent.”

The Letter Carriers’ toy drive is set for Dec. 6.

For more information about local Toys For Tots efforts, contact Loring at (352) 588-4230, or at .

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Pristine Lakes community moves planned entrance to Ehren Cutoff

November 20, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Homeowners living along Fletch Road may have won a battle to stop their small rural street from becoming the primary entrance of a large new community.

Southern Crafted Homes, which had proposed a 120-unit project around Curve Lake just northwest of Ehren Cutoff, has apparently abandoned its plans to use Fletch Road’s indirect access to U.S. 41, and instead looks poised to purchase nearby property to provide direct access to Ehren Cutoff.

Fletch and Barcellona roads are the only way Silver Lakes residents can get out onto Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, a four-lane expressway without a traffic light. (File Photo)

That’s exactly what one neighbor, Bobbi Smith, hoped she would someday hear.

“All we wanted was for the traffic to go a different way,” Smith said. “That’s the answer to everybody’s concern.”

Southern Crafted worked to get approvals for its project — now known as Pristine Lakes — last May. At the time, the developers had no options of going to Ehren Cutoff because they couldn’t come to terms with a neighboring landowner to purchase his property.

But that changed last month when Southern Crafted asked to meet with Pasco County officials again, this time to talk about amending its plan, cutting through cropland property currently owned by Steven Brewer. This new parcel has more than 27 acres, including a 6,000-square-foot house built in 2007, according to county property records. It was part of a larger land purchase Brewer made in 2001 for $700,000.

The amended plan for Pristine Lakes filed on Friday, however, would only use a portion of the property, suggesting it may be divided. Southern Crafted did not return a request last week for comment.

County officials had yet to fully review the amended plan, but there is a chance that the developer will have to deal with existing wetlands on the new tract, according to county planner Corelynn Burns.

“I’m just looking at this for the first time, and I see there is a wetland through there,” Burns said. “That may or may not be an issue.”

With the additional land, Southern Crafted also is asking the county to allow 60 more homes in the project, bringing the total to 180. Pristine Lakes, in its current form, involves 61 acres of land, not including the 27 acres currently owned by Brewer. John and Theresa Edwards own the primary land in the project, with the original plan calling for an additional 7 acres along Fletch Road owned by Leonard Gerage.

The Gerage property, however, appears to be no longer part of the project, according to the amended development plans.

One aspect of the revised Pristine Lakes that worries Smith, however, is that an emergency access road to her street still remains.

“Our street is just not suited for that,” Smith said. “We wouldn’t be happy with this going through.”

Using Fletch Road was problematic for Pristine Lakes, primarily because of its size, and the fact that it’s an indirect road leading to U.S. 41. Cars would have to travel Fletch, then turn onto Barcellona Road, before finally reaching the main highway, also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

The property is located at the gravel end of Fletch Road, neighboring the Silver Lakes community that includes homes owned by Smith and 40 others.

Ehren Cutoff always was the preferred route because access would be direct, Burns said, and it would remove potential traffic problems on U.S. 41 as people tried to turn in and out.

If Pristine Lakes needs an emergency access, however, the project needs to consider Caliente Boulevard to the west instead, Smith said.

“It’s already wide enough, and there’s nobody on it,” she said.

Such a change would still need approval from the Pasco County Commission, but the changes likely wouldn’t come before them until early next year.

Published November 19, 2014

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Beef O’Brady’s puts comedy on the menu

November 20, 2014 By Michael Murillo

There’s going to be some extra laughter in Land O’ Lakes.

Beef O’Brady’s, 7040 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is hosting another comedy night on Nov. 21. The now-regular event, which features a different professional headliner each month, is part of a continuing series after a couple successful trial runs in September and October.

Mike Rivera, named America’s Most Hilarious Teacher on ABC’s ‘The View,’ is the headliner for the November comedy show at Beef O’ Brady’s. (Courtesy of Mike Rivera)

The restaurant already offers trivia nights and music acts, but restaurant general manager Mike Connor wanted to offer an additional unique entertainment option to his patrons.

“There’s nobody else who has a comedy show in the area,” he said. “We just thought this was something different.”

After being contacted by a comedy club that also books local shows, the Beef O’Brady’s started featuring the comedy nights in their outside patio area, which seats around 60. Good initial reactions from customers at the first two shows — featuring comedians Pete Dearaujo and Pat Duax — have led to continuing the event on a regular basis.

The show begins at 9 p.m., and a later start means the topics can be more adult-oriented. But Connor is making sure it won’t be dirty — the comedians are told to avoid the most offensive words, and not curse just for shock value.

“Dropping an f-bomb every other word is not funny,” he said.

His own preferences lean toward the style of Jerry Seinfeld or Robin Williams, and thinks the audience will appreciate adult humor that isn’t vulgar.

Mike Rivera, November’s headliner, fits that mold. A teacher in Pinellas County with more than 25 years of stand-up comedy experience, Rivera was recognized in 2013 by ABC’s “The View” as the winner of its America’s Most Hilarious Teacher contest. His energetic style and comfortable stage presence impressed the show’s hosts, and he beat competitors from around the country to claim the title.

Previously, he was a regional winner of Showtime’s Funniest Person in America contest.

Rivera travels most weekends to different comedy clubs, and regularly tells jokes in front of large groups of people. But he enjoys performing for local crowds, and is happy to headline a smaller venue close to home.

“I find local shows to have audiences that are really appreciative. They don’t have to drive as far to the big locations and spend a ton of money,” Rivera said. “I find myself making good friends at local venues and wanting to come back.”

Connor had considered having a comedy night in the past, but only recently decided to give it a shot. Now he hopes the crowd keeps coming back and makes comedy night a successful staple for the restaurant, and he wants the casual format to be part of the appeal.

Whatever way the crowd wants to enjoy the atmosphere, there’s a seat at the table and jokes on the stage.

“There are people who bought dinner, and there are people who just sat and listened to comedy and had a couple of beers,” Connor said about the previous comedy nights. ”That’s what it’s about. It’s a relaxing evening.”

Tickets are $10. For more information, call (813) 388-6893.

Published November 19, 2014

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Hooters coming to Land O’ Lakes? Not so fast

November 20, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Could it be a little wishful thinking?

Drivers heading north on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard saw a surprise announcement on the sign that once shared dinner specials at the old Mosquito Grill & Bar: the long-rumored Hooters chain was coming to that location next year.

The problem, however, is it’s not true. At least for now.

“I’ve called it one of Land O’ Lakes’ biggest urban legends,” said Meredith Kleker, executive director of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. “All I’ve ever heard about that is rumors, and we’ve been hearing them for years.”

In fact, Hooters was rumored to be coming to Land O’ Lakes in 2012 when Rapscallions was still open at 4422 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. The owner of the restaurant, however, told an online publication at the time that it wasn’t true, nor were reports that Rapscallions was closing.

Rapscallions did indeed close a short time later, but Hooters didn’t swoop in to take over the lakeside property. Mosquito Grill & Bar opened there instead.

That restaurant shut down last spring, once again opening the rumor floodgates that included the Clearwater-based chain. And since Centennial Bank claimed ownership of the 2 acres of land that covers the two lakeside lots along U.S. 41, the sign announcing the new Hooters was even more believable.

There are plans for the land, and there is even a potential buyer working to get it under contract, but it’s not for Hooters, said Bill Nye, a commercial real estate broker in Wesley Chapel.

“There is definitely not a Hooters going in there,” Nye said, although he said it was far too early to give details on what might go there instead.

Nye’s name came into the mix after he called Pasco County officials three weeks ago asking about the property, according to Ruthann Dattoli of the county’s planning and development department. His questions centered around county requirements that might come into place if a developer decided to raze the 42-year-old building, or simply remodel it.

Nye also mentioned that the neighboring residential lot to the north could be turned into a parking lot, Dattoli said.

It would be difficult for a restaurant chain to build something new on the land, Nye said, because its lakeside location has far different environmental requirements than what existed in the 1970s.

“It’s going to be almost impossible to tear that building down and put another one there,” said Nye, the owner of Nye Commercial Advisors. “There are some stringent setbacks to adhere to, and the county is not going to bend very much on them.”

Centennial foreclosed on a $900,000 mortgage on the property owed by C of Pasco Inc., last month, which purchased the property in 2010. At the time, it was the home of Rapscallions, which was featured in a 2011 episode of the former Travel Channel program “Man v. Food,” hosted by Adam Richman.

An ownership group associated with Rapscallions purchased the property in 2005 for just under $1 million, and continued to operate the restaurant there even after selling to C of Pasco in 2010.

Mosquito struggled to follow Rapscallions despite plans to completely remodel the location. Yet, no matter who takes over that land, it’s a prime piece of real estate, said the chamber’s Kleker said.

“If you look at that location, it’s a good location,” she said. “And it’s not too close to other stores.”

It’s also not far from Ukulele Brand’s, which has a lakeside restaurant on the other side of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard. Yet, even if a new restaurant goes into the Mosquito spot, Kleker feels there’s still plenty of business to go around.

“I don’t think it would hurt Uke’s at all,” she said. “It’s good to have a thriving business in our community. And while we love our small businesses, we still love all businesses that can thrive here.”

A spokeswoman for Hooters of America Inc., and the related original company Hooters Inc. — which both own Hooters restaurants throughout the country — told The Laker/Lutz News Monday there were no plans to open a Hooters in Land O’ Lakes.

That would leave the closest Hooters restaurant in Port Richey, which is owned by Hooters Inc., the original Hooters company that owns a handful of locations in the Tampa Bay area, as well as Chicago and New York City.

Correction to print edition story: Hooters of America and Hooters Inc. both continue to operate and open Hooters restaurants throughout the United States. Although Hooters of America, based in Atlanta, is responsible for the national brand, Hooters Inc. in Clearwater — owned by the chain founders — still control the Tampa Bay territory, as well as additional restaurants in Chicago and New York. Hooters Inc. controls all the Hooters restaurants in the Tampa Bay region, including the one at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. A story in the Nov. 19 edition of The Laker/Lutz News stated otherwise.

Published November 19, 2014

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