Lutz News

Finding hope, in the heart of darkness

January 27, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Immaculee Ilibagiza boards an airplane nearly every week to travel to a speaking engagement, where she shares her message of hope and forgiveness.

That’s the primary theme of her book, “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.”

Ilibagiza grew up in a small village of Rwanda and had been attending the National University of Rwanda to study electrical and mechanical engineering, when she came home during an Easter break.

Immaculee Ilibagiza survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and believes she was spared to share a message of faith, hope and forgiveness. (Courtesy of Immaculee Ilibagiza) — Immaculee Ilibagiza survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and believes she was spared to share a message of faith, hope and forgiveness.
(Courtesy of Immaculee Ilibagiza)

That’s when the April 1994 assassination of the Hutu president sparked months of massacres of Tutsi tribe members throughout the country.

To spare his daughter from rape and murder, Ilibagiza’s father told her to run to the home of a Hutu pastor, who was a family friend.

The pastor hid Ilibagiza and seven other women in a 3-foot-by-4-foot bathroom for 91 days.

“My faith was crushed and challenged, when I was in that bathroom,” said Ilibagiza, who will be giving two talks at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Lutz this week.

“I felt there’s nothing out there. I’m dying and life is over, and how can this be?”

“Any tiny noise could have been the end of our life,” Ilibagiza said.

The Hutu killers heard that some Tutsi women had been seen near the pastor’s house, so they stormed in and searched through it.

“They went in the ceiling of that house. In the roof of the house. Under the beds.

“Every reasonable thing said, ‘It’s over,” Ilibagiza said.

She held onto the rosary her father had given her, and had her Bible, too.

As she feared for her life, she prayed God: “If there’s anything beyond this, please give me a sign. Don’t let them find the door, just today, in this house.”

In a 60 Minutes interview, the pastor said the intruders put his hand on the doorknob to the bathroom, but didn’t turn it.

Ilibagiza recalls that moment: “You are literally counting, on the grace of God, for them not to open that door,” she said.

She believes they were saved by God’s grace.

When she went into hiding, she weighed 115 pounds. When she emerged, she weighed 65. “We were like bones,” she said.

When she was able to escape, she learned that her family, with the exception of a brother who was abroad studying, had been murdered.

She said the faith that she discovered through prayer during her ordeal, enabled her to let go of the anger, resentment and hate, and to instead feel hope, forgiveness and peace.

She emigrated to the United States in 1998 and shared her story with some co-workers at the United Nations, who encouraged her to write it down, she said.

Just a few days later after she finished writing her story, she said she met internationally known Wayne Dyer at a conference and book signing.

That meeting led to Dyer’s involvement in the publication of her book.

The two became friends, frequently sharing the stage during Dyer’s inspirational talks.

The story of Ilibagiza’s life is expected to be made into a movie, with filming slated to begin this year.

“Realistically, my prayer has been, I hope they do a good job — something that will inspire people. I don’t just want a movie to make noise,” Ilibagiza said. Rather, she hopes the movie will help people to have better lives.

Her talks on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28 at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 17512 Lakeshore Road, will be “sharing from one human heart to another,” she said.

“I will share what I have lived,” she said. “I will speak about forgiveness.

“I want to share with people with the way I met God, how I came closer,” she said. She also wants to help people embrace “forgiveness, prayer and the power of prayer.”

She wants to encourage people to get closer to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

“Talk to her as a mother,” she said.

Ilibagiza said she also wants to share the lesson that her life and faith have taught her: “If you love one another, if you forgive one another, you will have peace.”

What: Immaculee Ilibagiza speaks on “Faith, Hope and Forgiveness.”
Where: St. Timothy Catholic Church, 17512 Lakeshore Road in Lutz
When: Jan. 27 at 7 p.m., and Jan. 28 at 10 a.m., a Mass will precede each talk
How much: Admission is free

Published January 27, 2016

Hillsborough libraries seeking public input

January 27, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative wants to hear the thoughts of area residents to help it develop its five-year plan.

The cooperative has scheduled a series of evening open houses at nine regional libraries, where residents can voice their thoughts about improving the library system, as well as changes or additions they would like to see over the next few years.

The next two open houses will be at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library on Feb. 2 and the New Tampa Regional Library on Feb. 16. All open houses take place on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative had an open house session at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Public Library on Jan. 19. Approximately 45 residents attended to provide feedback on the county’s library system. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County Public Library) — The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative had an open house session at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Public Library on Jan. 19. Approximately 45 residents attended to provide feedback on the county’s library system.
(Courtesy of Hillsborough County Public Library)

“The way our open house works is that for each of our five major service programs of the library, there’s a station where we’re collecting input and interacting with folks to get some feedback specifically about how we’re doing stuff, and what they want,” said Andrew Breidenbaugh, director of library services for the Hillsborough County Public Library system. It’s a little too early to know what the overall picture is going to be, but the kind of things we’re trying to get information about is the things that are changing about libraries.”

Accessing more books and items in digital format appears to be one of the main changes in the habits of local library users, which includes 53 percent of all Hillsborough County residents.

From October of 2014 to October 2015, library visits decreased 11 percent, and the circulation of physical items decreased by 9 percent.

Conversely, the circulation of virtual items (e-books, e-audiobooks, magazines, streaming music/movies and full-text downloads) increased by 22 percent for the 20th largest library system in the country.

“Libraries have been going through rapid change,” Breidenbaugh said. “We are looking at those types of things to make sure the direction we’re going is what meets our customers’ needs.

“Our customers in Hillsborough County have been strong adopters of the digital format. This year, we circulated over 1 million e-books for the first time ever. So, there are some trends we’re looking at.”

In addition to possibly expanding the library system’s digital collection and other technologies, Breidenbaugh is also looking into how the library system can make a more meaningful impact in community building.

“We’re looking at how we support entrepreneurs and startup businesses,” the library director said. “We’re also looking at how we support new Americans, and how we support school-age children — people who are advancing from one level to the next.

“I would love to do a promotion of reading as an activity. We’ve been focused on our technology side for the last few years, and we’ll continue to do that, but one of the things the library offers…is literacy, and the access to information and reading.”

On the whole, the strategic plan will be a “very customer-driven process,” so the county’s library system can best serve its users for the future.

“There’s lots of ideas of things I’d like to do, but we really do need to filter that by what our customers want, because we know that no matter what we put in place, we’re going to be most successful, if we’re doing what really matters to the residents,” Breidenbaugh added.

In addition to the open houses, the library cooperative will begin offering surveys for library users in the spring. Then in the summer, the cooperative plans to create focus groups for specific segments of the library user population — teenagers, seniors, Spanish speakers, and teachers — to ensure the library is meeting their needs.

Once all the data is compiled from the open houses, surveys and focus groups, the cooperative will team up with the Hillsborough County Public Library Board to craft its five-year plan, which they hope to have in place by October, which is the beginning of fiscal year 2017.

Hillsborough County Library Cooperative
What: Open houses at regional public libraries to seek input from residents
Where: Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library and New Tampa Regional Library
When: Tuesday, Feb. 2 (Jimmie B. Keel) and Tuesday, Feb. 16 (New Tampa) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information, visit hcplc.org.

Published January 27, 2016

Recycling and fun are major themes at Learning Gate

January 27, 2016 By B.C. Manion

The seventh- and eighth-graders were so revved up, it seemed like they were competing for a big cash prize.

But, they were battling for something that has no price tag.

Plastic trays, garden hose, plate liners and tin molds are used to bring life to the side of a storage shed at Learning Gate Community School’s seventh- and eighth-grade campus. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Plastic trays, garden hose, plate liners and tin molds are used to bring life to the side of a storage shed at Learning Gate Community School’s seventh- and eighth-grade campus.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

They were going after bragging rights during a physical challenge at Learning Gate Community School, at the school’s seventh- and eighth-grade campus at 207 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road.

The kids were clearly having a blast, as they crab walked, kangaroo hopped, buzzard circled, salamander slithered, inch walked and piggyback rode through a relay race in the school’s auditorium.

The place was rocking with cheers and laughter, as teams raced back and forth.

The relay race is just one of the challenges that students have participated in this year, said Principal Michelle Mason said.

The challenges vary. Sometimes they’re physical. Other times they’re academic or have another focus.

“We make sure everybody has a chance to be the star and use their natural gift,” Mason said.

The students are competitive, she said.

But, points can be earned in other ways, too, the principal said.

Teachers can reward students that they notice are going above and beyond — academically, socially or behaviorally.

“We try to make sure that we encourage them in all different ways,” she said.

Although the elementary school and the middle school are on two different campuses, the school makes it a point to build on the curriculum, to give students a seamless education, she said.

The school places a heavy emphasis on environmental education and has won national recognition.

It received a 2014 Best of Green Schools award from the U.S. Green Building Council for the annual EcoFest that the school organizes.

Originally held on the school’s campus in Lutz, the event became so popular that it was moved to Tampa’s Lowry Park.

The event brings together businesses, organizations and individuals from Tampa Bay dedicated to the principles of sustainability.

The elementary campus has a sizable garden, and the seventh- and eighth-grade campus will be adding one.

This is the first year that the seventh- and eighth-graders have been housed at the Lutz Lake Fern Road campus, in a building that previously housed Hand in Hand Academy.

The seventh- and eighth-graders had been attending classes in an office building on Florida Avenue, but that was always intended as a temporary location.

At Learning Gate Community School’s seventh- and eighth-grade campus, the words ‘upcycle’ and ‘recycle’ are part of the school’s daily life. They’re reusing an old building for their school and are using ingenuity to create outdoor décor. Spray paint and hubcaps can be transformed into outdoor whimsical décor.

The charter school had been seeking to build a school for grades six through 12 off U.S. 41, but those attempts were abandoned after community opposition to the proposed site.

The Lutz Lake Fern Road location gives the students what they need, Mason said.

“We spent all summer getting this in shape for the kids to come in. We made it work for us,” she said.

“We’ve kind of been using the whole theme of recycling,” she said. “We’ve recycled and reused this older building.”

Outside, spray-painted bicycle rims and old hubcaps have been transformed into flowers, and a shack is decked out with flowers, featuring recycled items and green garden hose.

This campus has 176 students and can accommodate up to 205.

The school originally wanted up to 250 students, but agreed to compromise with community representatives for a maximum of 205.

“I think it was a good compromise,” Mason said.

Published January 27, 2016

Former Lutz Guv’na is now Saucy Queen

January 20, 2016 By B.C. Manion

It all began with a carrot.

Well, a basket of carrots, actually.

Carrots were the vegetable of the week at Learning Gate Community School in Lutz, and everyone was encouraged to come up with an idea to make vegetables more enticing for kids.

Michele Northrup poses near her gourmet hot sauces, now available on the shelves of some Winn-Dixie stores in Florida. (Photos courtesy of Michele Northrup) — Michele Northrup poses near her gourmet hot sauces, now available on the shelves of some Winn-Dixie stores in Florida.
(Photos courtesy of Michele Northrup)

Michele Northrup, who works at the charter school, decided to combine the sweetness of carrots with the heat of peppers to concoct a gourmet hot sauce.

People said the sauce tasted so good, she should bottle it.

So, she did.

Since then, she launched a business named Intensity Academy and has branched out to have a product line including sauces, dry rubs and dips.

Her company’s gourmet sauces also have garnered 57 national awards.

Last year, Northrup and her husband, Tom Was, joined forces with a partner to open their own bottling plant, The Sauceology Group, in Clearwater.

Intensity Academy also was selected by Winn-Dixie to stock its product in about 150 Winn-Dixie stores across Florida.

“In the middle of the summer, Winn-Dixie did a really big, grassroots search for local, quality products,” Northrup said. “They put the word out through all festivals and markets that they were looking for products to showcase their Winn-Local program.

“So, we did a pitch, very similar to a ‘Shark Tank’ pitch,” Northrup said, referring to the television program which gives product inventors a chance to win backing from potential investors.

“We did samples of foods with all of our sauces, and we presented it to them, and we had little cheat sheets, so they knew what sauces they were eating with what foods.

“We had to talk about our fan bases and our social media, and how we built our businesses from the ground up.

“From that selection process, they narrowed it down to a few key products for the state of Florida,” Northrup said.

The rollout began around Thanksgiving and is occurring gradually.

The fun part, Northrup said, is finding out from fans where her sauces are showing up in other parts of the state. They’ll pose in front of a shelf and take a “Saucy Selfie” to send to her, Northrup said.

One of the five artisanal hot sauce developed by Intensity Academy for The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.

Northrup was also notified last week that she is one of five finalists in the first annual “That Business Show Awards” selected by Jamie Meloni, host of the iheartradio show.

Northrup is thrilled by the achievement of a business she has built from, literally, the ground up.

She launched Intensity Academy in 2007, the same year she was making her run for Lutz Guv’na.

The honorary title is won by raising the most cash, and proceeds from the race go to local organizations and charities.

Northrup raised $16,912, setting a record for the race.

Throughout her bid, she was introducing her sauce and using proceeds from their sales to fill her campaign coffers.

Her Guv’na bid helped groups in Lutz, but also helped Northrup get her fledgling business off the ground.

People who had tasted her sauces during the campaign wanted to buy more, she said.

Now, Northrup’s sauces are sold at specialty markets, and dozens of festivals and fresh markets each year.

She also delivers. She tools around the area, making stops in Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, Trinity, Citrus Park, Carrollwood and other spots to drop off orders.

Now, she’s transitioning the business. Her sons Christian, Sebastian and Tommy, and their girlfriends, now handle the events and markets.

She’s focusing on product development and marketing, and her husband is in charge of the Clearwater warehouse.

“I do all of the artwork for the labels. I draw all of the designs.”

She’s still developing new sauce flavors, too.

“Our newest sauce is a mustard. It’s MustThai. MustThai is a must try. It’s a spicy mustard,” she said.

The bottling plant provides services for 11 brands on a regular basis and about 20 others, periodically, she said.

At Sauceology, she helps new companies get their grassroots marketing going.

“Really, for me, the marketing and the branding, and the social media — I love that. I love the connection side of it, too,” she said, noting she has about 10,000 combined followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The common question she gets is: “How did you get started?”

Another popular query is: “How do you take an idea and actually make it into something? That’s why I ended up branching off into Sauceology, because I was giving everybody advice all of the time,” she said.

When she meets someone who has an idea and a passion for it, she tells them: “Take the chance. Take the leap. That’s the difference right there.”

It’s not necessary to know all the answers, or how it will all play out, she said.

Just get started and don’t be intimidated, she advised.

“The first step makes all of the difference,” she said.

“You don’t always have to know how you’re going to finish it, or how you’re going to do the whole thing,” Northrup said.

“I would have never thought that I’d have my own manufacturing plant — from just that little idea from a carrot in a garden,” she said.

To learn more about her business, search Intensity Academy on Facebook or visit www.intensityacademy.com.

Published January 20, 2016

Woman’s Club scrambles for donations

January 20, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The sinkhole that developed at Lake Park in October hasn’t done anyone any favors, especially the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club.

The nearly 6-foot-wide, 100-foot-deep sinkhole forced the closure of the park in early December, forcing the cancellation of what would have been the 36th Annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival.

The event, which has attracted nearly 30,000 people in recent years, typically provides the club with several thousand dollars to give back to the community in the form of donations to nonprofits and college scholarships for local students.

“We’re really hard-pressed for funds as a result of the event being cancelled,” said Pat Serio, head of public relations for the woman’s club. “It is our largest fundraiser of the year and, as a result, our budget and our treasury is going to seriously suffer.

“Our scholarships in particular (will be affected) because we usually give upwards of $20,000 a year in scholarships, as well as the rest of the money we donate to the library, the Old Lutz School, Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, Relay for Life, veterans’ charities and all that across the board,” Serio said.

The club is currently scrambling to put together some smaller fundraisers while seeking help from local community members to raise funds.

Upcoming events include a Valentine’s Day celebration on Feb. 12 and the club’s annual Flea Market at Old Lutz School on March 7 and March 8. In June, they will partner with Burger 21 for a one-day project, in which a percentage of the restaurant’s sales for that day will go to the club.

“We’re just working on lots of different little things, because it’s really hard to do a huge thing like the (arts & crafts festival) as a startup, so we’re going to be doing a lot of little things for this year,” said Cathy Mathes, president of the woman’s club.

Mathes, who took over as president in December from Kay Taylor, said it was frustrating to have the festival cancelled on such short notice, preventing the organization from having enough time to find a temporary location.

“At some point, we thought they could maybe just put some dirt in it,” Mathes said about the sinkhole. “But, they didn’t know the extent of it, until they did more investigating.”

Mathes added the club plans to find a new permanent location for the arts & crafts festival this December, saying they’ve encountered “other issues at Lake Park,” such as flooding on park roads that vendors and attendees would have to constantly maneuver around.

“It’s time to just find a new location,” Mathes stated. I think we can still have a really good show.”

While nothing has been finalized, the plan is to host the festival at one of the “big schools” in the area.

“I heard someone recently say how they looked forward to going to the festival, and they were disappointed. We’ve had lots of that,” the club president explained. “And, lots of people have asked me, ‘Are you going to do it again?’ and I say, ‘Yes. Yes we are.’”

The closure of Lake Park also has affected Hillsborough County as well. According to Forest Turbiville, the county’s director of conservation and land management, the park generated $119,000 in 2015 through a combination of entry fees, canoe rentals, shelter rentals and other special events.

“Keeping the park closed is going to have an impact,” Turbiville said. “What that impact is right now I’m not sure, but we can probably extrapolate those numbers based on previous years and business that we’ve done from November to December to January.”

Turbiville said the county is still looking into solutions for the sinkhole, with the assistance of Ardaman & Associates, an environmental consulting firm.

“We’ve discussed different ideas as far as filling it, keeping it fenced off,” Turbiville said about the lone sinkhole amidst the park’s nearly 600 acres of land. “I’ve asked our consultant to give me a proposal to take a look at the entire park and give out some kind of assessment…as far as any sinkhole activities, risks and things like that, because we need to make sure the public is safe before we start putting people back in there.

“This whole area has had a history of being quite abundant with sinkholes,” he said.

Being that the park’s land is actually owned by the city of St. Petersburg, Turbiville said he would need to get its approval as well before there’s a remedy for the sinkhole. But, he added: “If we were to do anything out there, I’m sure they would approve it.

“We just need to come to some consensus as far as what the plan is moving forward,” he said. “We’ll lay out a plan looking at the entire park and sinkhole risks, and we’ll have a better timeline on the park reopening, whether that’s going to be a month from now or two months from now.

“My guess is it’s going to be awhile before the park reopens,” Turbiville said.

Published January 20, 2016

New charter school to open in Lutz

January 13, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

If all goes smoothly, Sunlake Academy of Math and Science will open for the 2016-2017 school year.

The eight-acre site for the school is on North Dale Mabry Highway, about a half-mile north of Exciting Idlewild Boulevard.

Construction for the 40,000-square-foot, two-story charter will break ground sometime within the next month, and is expected to be completed over the summer.

The charter, which will be tax-funded and tuition-free, is expected to pull students from within a 5-mile radius of the school’s location.

Sunlake Academy will look similar to Valrico Lake Advantage Academy. (Courtesy of Charter School Properties) — Sunlake Academy will look similar to Valrico Lake Advantage Academy.
(Courtesy of Charter School Properties)

Developed by Charter School Properties (CSP), Sunlake Academy will be large enough to eventually accommodate up to 1,150 students, from kindergarten through eighth grade. It will have a focus on STEM curriculum, which stands for science, technology, engineering and math. It also will offer an interdisciplinary approach to learning, in which lessons will emphasize the interrelationships between various subjects.

The school’s features will include a library and media center, science laboratories, computer labs, art rooms and an area for outdoor activities.

In creating the school, Charter School Properties, which also developed Valrico Lake Advantage Academy, is working closely with Charter School Associates, the school’s Education Management Organization.

“We’re pleased to be bringing the local community new educational opportunities with this state-of-the-art building and a proven, high-tech STEM curriculum,” Joseph Rauenhorst, president of Charter School Properties, said in a release. “Partnering with Charter School Associates and other leading charter school operators, we focus on creating stimulating, nurturing environments that maximize each child’s achievement and develop the skills needed to succeed today.”

The company and its site engineer, Chris McNeal, are currently working through the site permitting process with several Hillsborough County agencies and the Florida Department of Transportation.

“We hope to have it wrapped up soon to start with building,” said McNeal, founder of McNeal Engineering, Inc. “Since it’s properly zoned already for the use, there’s no public hearings or anything like that. It’s straight to construction.”

According to Cindy Hughes, Charter School Properties’ director of operations, the local school district approved the charter in November. Since then, getting the charter up and running has been an ongoing process.

“There’s two moving parts,” Hughes said. There’s the construction of the building by the developer who also has to get all approvals running, then the school is required to get all their FEA (Florida Education Association) things handled, hire teachers and do their end of it. Then it all comes together.”

Sunlake Academy was originally proposed to be located on an 8.4-acre piece of land at the southwest corner of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard. However, the piece of property has not yet been sold to the developer.

Hughes said the property is “still an option” for building a charter school in the future.

“We’re still in negotiations, so nothing’s for sure yet,” Hughes said.

Hughes added that if a charter were built there, it would most likely have a different managing operator than CSA, which will run Sunlake Academy.

Last year, several Lutz residents voiced their concerns about building a school at the Sunlake and Lutz Lake Fern Road location. They cited traffic congestion, interference of wetlands and natural habitats, and possible flooding as potential issues that could arise if a school was established there.

“It’s an inappropriate project in scope and size for that proposed location,” said Mike White, founder and president of the Lutz Citizens Coalition. “That’s the type of thing that brings local neighborhoods to their knees. The new location is off of Dale Mabry Highway, so it’s not as impactful to the local area as it would have been.”

White said the citizen’s group is closely monitoring the project at North Dale Mabry Highway, but currently has “no issue” with it and has not been asked to intervene by members of the Lutz community.

“The main thing that we’re looking at right now is access to that project,” White said. “Right now, it’s designed for Dale Mabry primarily, and that’s fine. That’s really what Dale Mabry was built to do. However, if they change it to where they’re coming out on Van Dyke Road or rural two-lane roads, which would dramatically impact our local neighborhood, then we would step in and get involved.

“It’s a large school, but if they were to keep access limited to Dale Mabry, then you know, Dale Mabry can handle it.”

Published January 13, 2016

Park master plan meetings on tap

January 6, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Hillsborough County’s Conservation and Environmental Lands Management department will host a series of meetings during the next 2½ months to provide information to residents about the county’s regional park system, and gather input for a master plan.

The public meetings will take place at 10 locations, with the first on Jan. 9 at the Upper Tampa Bay Park on Double Branch Road. All meetings will take place on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to11:30 a.m.

The meetings will provide an overview of the conservation department’s duties, outline recreational opportunities in the area and explain the master planning process in detail. Department officials also will field questions.

When the master plan is finished, it is expected to include specific recommendations on policies, procedures and practices relating to natural resource management, facility uses and upgrades, and outdoor recreation for the parks and trails.

The Hillsborough County Conservation and Environmental Lands Management department will have a public meeting at Lake Rogers Park on March 27. (Photos courtesy of Hillsborough County) — The Hillsborough County Conservation and Environmental Lands Management department will have a public meeting at Lake Rogers Park on March 27.
(Photos courtesy of Hillsborough County)

“The master plan is really going to focus on the vision for our regional parks,” said Forest Turbiville, the county’s director of conservation and land management. “We want the public to kind of tell us what they would like to see. …What kind of services, activities and, potentially, facilities that they would like to see in the future at each one of our regional parks, as well as our ELAPP (Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program) sites.”

For those unfamiliar, ELAPP is a voluntary, non-regulatory program established for the purpose of providing the process and funding for identifying, acquiring and protecting endangered or environmentally sensitive lands in Hillsborough County. It is a citizen-based program made up of volunteer committees.

While the department has a few possible ideas for the plan, Turbiville said he first wants to gather residents’ ideas and feedback on improvements that can be made for the regional parks and trails before organizing the bulk of the plan.

The public meetings will provide information about the regional park system and will gather resident feedback to help create a master plan.

“Really, we’re waiting for the feedback from the public,” said Turbiville, whose department manages over 78,000 acres of land across regional parks and ELAPP sites. “We’re going to have a survey that’s available that we’re going to hand out at the public meeting. It’s going to consist of a pretty extensive list of questions centered around what people would like to see in the parks.

“The public input is going to drive the outcome of the plan,” he said.

As an example, Turbiville said some people might suggest additional programming at select park facilities, request the construction of a new nature center or may want the county to build additional boardwalks on the trails.

The master plan is expected to be completed by the end of December 2016, so its programs’ budgets can be set in motion for the 2017 fiscal year, and successive fiscal years, Turbiville said.

Park master plan meetings
What: Hillsborough County’s Conservation and Environmental Lands Management department will have a series of public meetings to help develop the county’s master plan for parks and conservation. The meetings will be on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 11: 30 a.m.

Meetings in the general vicinity include:

Jan. 9: Upper Tampa Bay Park, 8001 Double Branch Road in Tampa
March 5: Upper Tampa Bay Trail, 9201 W. Waters Ave., Tampa
March 12: Lake Rogers (meeting will include Lake Park): 9586 N. Mobley Road in Odessa

For a complete list of meetings, visit HillsboroughCounty.org/Conservation.

Published January 6, 2016

Sales prices rise for existing Hillsborough homes

December 30, 2015 By B.C. Manion

The median sales price for existing single-family homes in Hillsborough County rose by 20 percent in November, according to a news release from the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors.

The median price for a single-family home in Hillsborough in November 2014 was $175,000, compared to $210,000 in 2015, according to the release.

The number of closed sales during that month decreased by 1.7 percent, declining from 1,236 in November 2014 to 1,215 in the same month this year.

Existing townhouse and condominium sales prices in Hillsborough County increased by a greater percentage, according to the Realtors’ data. The median sales price for a condo or townhouse in Hillsborough was $125,000 in November 2015, up from $96,960 in November 2014.

Hillsborough County’s active listings of single-family houses decreased by 7.2 percent during the same period, declining from 5,532 listings in November last year to 5,133 listings during the same month this year.

“A continued increase in the median single-family housing prices and the percent of original list price received indicates positive growth in our housing market,” Barbara Jordan, 2015 president of the Realtors’ association, said in the release.

The number of new single-family homes listed for sale increased 3.3 percent to 1,579 this November, as compared to 1,529 last November. The number of new townhouse and condominium listings decreased by 4 percent, from 445 last November to 427 during the same month this year.

The number of months of supply for existing single-family homes was 3.4 months for this November, compared to 4.3 months of supply during the same month last year.

Sellers of existing single-family homes received 95.4 percent of their asking price in November 2015, compared to 93.2 percent of their asking price in the same month last year.

During the same period, sellers of townhouses and condominiums received 94.3 percent of their asking price, a decrease of 1.3 percent from November 2014.

Published December 30, 2015

Senior cats retire to the Cats Cradle

December 16, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The secluded backyard in a quiet Lutz neighborhood is a make-believe world that once transported the Jenkins’ children into the Wild West.

But Frontierland, with its school house, storefronts and covered wagon, does more these days than entertain giddy children at fantasy-filled birthday parties.

Bruce Jenkins founded Cats Cradle as a nonprofit shelter for senior cats in crisis and in need of homes. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos) — Bruce Jenkins founded Cats Cradle as a nonprofit shelter for senior cats in crisis and in need of homes.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

A menagerie of geese, roosters, chickens, a miniature horse and a goat live in the yard.

But, it is Garfield, Moxie, Bumper, Forrest and a dozen or so of their feline friends that rule this frontier town.

Frontierland is home to the Cats Cradle, a nonprofit sanctuary founded by Bruce Jenkins.

He is a savior of sorts — taking in older cats at his nonprofit that no other shelters will accept.

These are cats in crisis that have run out of options.

“We’re not taking cats that are inconvenient for somebody,” Jenkins said. “They have to be in advanced difficult circumstances, and we’ll consider taking them.”

More than a dozen cats roam the half-acre of the Cats Cradle, lounging or strolling on bridges that crisscross the yard from train depot to a lookout station at the chicken coop to a tall wooden tower.

On a recent morning, Garfield napped mid-way between the tower and a small schoolhouse that contains supplies and a video monitoring system.

Prowler, left, and Garfield hang out in the transition room. Prowler is the newest cat at Cats Cradle

Inside the schoolhouse, the colony’s newest tenant – Prowler – stayed by himself in a “transition” room, also known as the sunroom.

Prowler, a 12-year-old marble Bengal, would hang out there for awhile, Jenkins said, before moving outdoors and claiming his place in the social hierarchy.

“Prowler is getting adjusted,” Jenkins said. “The main thing is to get him used to the sights and smells. There’s a lot to do and see here.”

While Prowler was hanging out in the transition room, Garfield suddenly popped in to share feeding time with him.

Babette, a seal point Himalayan, groomed herself atop the tower. Forrest stretched out on the ground next to half a dozen feeding dishes.

Moxie padded over to Jenkins, side-by-side with the mini-horse and an inquisitive goat.

Jenkins explained the eclectic mix of animals.

“We just like a variety in a farm setting,” said Jenkins, whose property is zoned agricultural.

A row of frontier storefronts houses a senior center with cat beds and train tracks circle a water pond in the Garden Room.

Jenkins hopes in the future to raise about $2,000 to refurbish two more buildings, and open up room for more cats.

Forrest lounges next to feeding bowls at Cats Cradle, a sanctuary for senior cats in Lutz.

He recently began restoring an old train engine that once made appearances at the Lutz Fourth of July parade.

The sanctuary began with Forrest and Bumble (now placed in a forever home), and a plaintive request from Jenkins’ wife. Once the children, Casey and Nikki, grew up, the back yard sort of went to seed – and weed.

“Either tear it down or re-purpose it,” his wife told him.

A neighbor’s two cats and a dog in crisis made up Jenkins’ mind. The dog found a new home but Jenkins’ took in Forrest and temporarily, Bumble.

“It kind of grew from there,” Jenkins said.

Cats range in age from 8 to 18 years. No feral cats are accepted.

Babette’s owner moved from an assisted living facility to a nursing home. Similar stories of life changes, such as financial loss, death and illness, brought Prowler, Bonnie, Daisy, Tucker and Clyde to the sanctuary as well.

The cats have to be in good health and open to joining a cat colony. A local veterinarian provides discounted rates for medical care, and another veterinarian serves on the nonprofit’s board of directors.

“I don’t like to turn people away, but we have to have a balance to keep the community happy,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins does what he can to place his cats. A few have settled in as companion cats at nursing homes. “Sometimes residents are really, really lonely, but they want to care for a pet,” Jenkins said. “They are happy to have a cat to sit on their lap. It’s great for the cat. They get more attention than they’d get here.”

Or Cats Cradle residents have found a new home with individuals willing to take in an older, more settled cat.

“This is a niche we’ve kind of fallen into,” Jenkins said. “It’s a national problem. Everybody wants a cute kitten.”

Jenkins would like to put a spotlight on the problem of older, homeless cats – and dogs – and see more sanctuaries pop up around the country. He also believes pet owners need to think about setting up pet trusts as part of their wills.

“It’s unfortunate they are over age eight and often unadoptable,” he said. “Many (pets) are put down, and they have a lot of love in them.”

For information, call Jenkins at (813) 501-8868, or visit Cats-Cradle.org.

Published December 16, 2015

Lake Park closed until further notice

December 9, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Lake Park, a popular park in Lutz, has been closed until further notice because of a sinkhole.

At this time, the sinkhole is 6 feet across and approximately 90 feet deep, according to Michelle Van Dyke, a spokeswoman for Hillsborough County.

The county has closed the park, at 17302 N. Dale Mabry Highway, in an abundance of caution to protect public safety, Van Dyke said.

Lake Park, a popular regional park in Lutz, is closed until further notice. Hillsborough County, which operates the park, has confirmed the presence of a sinkhole and has closed the park as a matter of public safety. (Photos courtesy of Hillsborough County — Lake Park, a popular regional park in Lutz, is closed until further notice. Hillsborough County, which operates the park, has confirmed the presence of a sinkhole and has closed the park as a matter of public safety.
(Photos courtesy of Hillsborough County

The county hired a geotechnical firm to conduct soil borings after floodwaters receded about four weeks ago, revealing a depression on one of the main roads in the park, according to Van Dyke.

The county notified the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club about a possible sinkhole, which forced cancellation of the club’s annual arts and crafts festival at the park.

The two-day festival, held in early December, typically features around 300 vendors and attracts about 30,000 people. It’s the club’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and its cancellation will have a ripple effect on the various local organizations it supports.

Lake Park is a 589-acre sanctuary for birds and wildlife. It features five lakes, cypress swamps, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks.

It also has an archery range, a BMX bicycle track, two equestrian arenas and a radio-controlled car track.

The county closed the park after receiving an engineering report on Dec. 1 confirming the presence of a sinkhole.

The immediate area affected looks like a dip in the road, but tests indicate a sinkhole beneath the surface. The exact footprint is not known, Van Dyke said.

Additional fencing has been installed on the park road leading to the affected area, she added.

County staff will be talking with the engineering firm and the City of St. Petersburg, which owns the land, to determine what the next steps will be. The county leases the property from the City of St. Petersburg.

County staff is contacting event organizers and groups that use the park, to notify them the park is closed until further notice.

Any park usage application fees for cancelled events will be refunded.

Published December 9, 2015