The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Shining a spotlight on a century-old lumber business

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Long before most of Pasco County’s residents settled here, the San Antonio Lumber Company was meeting customer’s needs for building supplies.

The Pasco County Commission took a few minutes on Jan. 10 to congratulate members of the Schrader family, whose members have been involved in the business since 1923.

Tom and Sarah Schrader, and some other family members were there, when the county board passed a resolution honoring the company’s 100th year.

Originally, Herman Schrader was involved in the business with J.P. Lynch in 1929, but Schrader bought out Lynch and ran the lumber company until 1937, according to the county’s resolution.

Members of the Schrader family pose with the Pasco County Commission and other county officials during the county board’s Jan. 10 meeting, where the Schrader’s company, San Antonio Lumber, was honored for its century of business operations. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Next, Arthur Schrader took over and remained at the helm for two decades. Then, Arthur Schrader Jr., took over in 1957.

Arthur Schrader Jr., is credited with expanding the store and its business operations, by heading up regional agriculture pilot programs and forging an alliance with the Purina Chow Company.

When Arthur Schrader Jr., died in 1994, his son, Thomas Schrader, took over the company, and now, Thomas Schrader’s daughter, Sarah, is the lumber company’s president. She joined the family business in 2012 after graduating from Stetson University and working several years in other industries.

“We are the largest independent lumber company in East Pasco County, and the only one, by the way,” Thomas Schrader told board members.

“We’ve had a lot of great customers over the years. A lot of good employees — some have been there 40, 50 years. All of the family has been involved with the business, at one time or another.

“My grandfather is over on the wall,” he said, pointing to photographs of former county commissioners, whose portraits line a wall in the county board’s chamber on the second-floor of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse. “Teddy (Ted Schrader) is over on the wall. They were both county commissioners.

“We’re just glad to still be here. We have about 22 employees now. They’ve all been there many, many years,” he said.

Sarah Schrader added: “We just want to thank you for acknowledging our business. We appreciate it.”

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley, whose district includes San Antonio, said his relationship with the lumber company spans 40 years.

“I built my first home buying material from San Ann (San Antonio) Lumber, back in the ’70s. I’m building my last home, right now, finishing up, buying materials from San Ann Lumber.

“And, I’ve done other homes and other projects for my company and my family — over the years, so many different ways we’ve been able to use your company and get what we need, as far as building construction needs,” Oakley said.

“I congratulate you. Not many companies last 100 years. They don’t have anybody to take over, they’re sold, or gone. Thank you, for all that you’ve done for our community and for East Pasco and for working with us.

“It’s been a joy to do business with you all, and your family. You’ve been a great asset to the community,” Oakley said.

Commissioner Seth Weightman noted one thing he thinks that’s unique about San Antonio Lumber is that Mr. Schrader has been known to write personal thank you notes to customers.

“That’s something unique to the business, that I thought was pretty special,” Weightman added.

Commissioners Kathryn Starkey marveled at the company’s staying power.

“Any business that can survive that long, that’s fantastic,” she said.

Commissioner Gary Bradford added: “I can appreciate the longevity of your business, so well done.”

Commission Chairman Jack Mariano told the Schraders: “Congratulations on 100 years. That’s a great accomplishment. Your family has done a great service for this county — made it better and better.”

Published January 25, 2023

Improvements planned on Suncoast Parkway

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The five-year tentative work plan for the Florida Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) includes $40 million in major projects for Pasco County, according to Siaosi Fine, of the turnpike enterprise.

The tentative work program covers fiscal year 2024 through fiscal year 2028.

Two resurfacing projects on the Suncoast Parkway are in the plan, with one project from mile post 17.5 to mile post 28.5 funded for construction in fiscal year 2025, and another project calling for resurfacing from mile post 28.5 to mile post 37.3, funded in 2026.

The plan also calls for a project development and environment study (PD&E) involving the widening of the Suncoast Parkway, from Van Dyke Road to State Road 52.

“We will be evaluating the widening of the parkway and potential improvements to interchanges, like State Road 54 and State Road 52; we’ll be evaluating the need for new interchanges, like Tower Road,” Fine said.

He added: “We’re close to kicking off the PD&E study and we’ll be coordinating closely with Pasco County and the MPO.

Fine gave a presentation on tentative work plan at the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Jan. 12 meeting.

Published January 25, 2023

Duke Energy is giving away free trees

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Duke Energy is celebrating Florida Arbor Day by giving away 1,200 trees to customers throughout Florida.

Florida Arbor Day is recognized on the third Friday in January, which was Jan. 20.

The company began giving out trees on Jan. 20, and will continue doing so until the supplies run out, according to a news release.

To request one, go to ArborDay.org/dukeenergy.

The one-gallon trees are shipped directly to customers’ homes with planting and care instructions. They are expected to be delivered in time for National Arbor Day on April 28.

Available tree species include the dahoon holly, sweetbay magnolia, baldcypress, crape myrtle (pink) and crape myrtle (red).

Duke Energy Florida is donating $50,000 to the Arbor Day Foundation to purchase and distribute the trees through its Energy-Saving Trees program.

The energy company gives the trees away to encourage tree planting to maximize environmental benefits and conserve energy, the release says.

Published January 25, 2023

Interchange at Overpass Road and I-75 expected to open soon

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The new Interstate 75 interchange at Overpass Road, in Pasco County, is expected to open by the end of January.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley shared that news during the county board’s Jan. 10 meeting.

The new interchange is about 3.5 miles south of State Road 52 in Pasco County.

The new diamond interchange will include a flyover ramp for westbound Overpass Road access onto southbound I-75, according to information about the project included on the Florida Department of Transportation’s District 7 website.

Ridge Road will eventually be extended east, all the way to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes, and go through the planned town of Angeline. (Mike Camunas)

To accommodate the new interchange, Overpass Road has been widened from two lanes to four lanes between the interstate and Old Pasco Road, and six lanes between the interstate and Boyette Road. Blair Drive has been realigned to connect with Old Pasco Road. McKendree Road has been realigned to connect with Boyette Road.

At the same meeting, County Administrator Mike Carballa told board members that the bid for the next phase of the Ridge Road extension could go out as soon as this winter or spring.

That project will extend the transportation corridor from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

The first leg of the extension now carries traffic from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey to the Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes. The second leg, which is slated for completion in 2025, will extend Ridge Road over to U.S. 41, also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

County officials have pushed for the Ridge Road extension for decades, but encountered legal challenges from environmentalists and faced permitting delays.

Pasco officials persisted in the quest to get the new road, describing it as a critical hurricane evacuation route and as another needed east-west transportation corridor for Pasco motorists.

Officials also have noted that the extension will improve accessibility to a rapidly growing area in Pasco County, as plans move ahead for Moffitt Cancer Center’s Pasco campus, which is expected to attract life science companies and researchers from around the globe.

The campus is in the center of a newly emerging area, known as Angeline, which will feature diverse housing styles, an extensive trail system, the latest in internet technology, schools, a community farm, wetlands and other features.

On other topics:

  • Commissioner Kathryn Starkey told her colleagues that the county needs to have an enforcement plan to respond to illegal used car dealerships and storage facilities. She’d also like the board to have a discussion on the issue of short-term rentals. Plus, she informed them of a planned celebration for international business at the board’s Feb. 21 meeting.
  • Commissioner Gary Bradford also informed the board that he had spoken at a groundbreaking ceremony for Fire Rescue Station No. 20, on Little Ranch Road. The old station had two bays. This one will have four.

In addition to hearing those updates, the county board:

  • Approved an agreement with Asphalt Paving Systems Inc., for the Lacoochee Industrial right of way improvements, segments one and two, for nearly $2.17 million
  • Approved a contract for $730,246 with Daikin Applied Americas Inc., to replace the chiller system at the East Pasco Government Center. The 22-year-old chiller HVAC system has outlasted its expected 15-year life cycle and for the past year a rented, temporary exterior chiller system has been used to cool the build. The price includes a 10-year warranty for parts and labor.
  • Approved spending up to $69,000 for a Staff Development Day appreciation celebration ceremony for all county employees, planned for Feb. 20
  • Approved a contract with Sunbelt Sod & Grading Company for a total of $1.75 million, for as-needed sod over fiscal years 2023 through 2025
  • Approved a contract with Daikin Applied for $304,490 for the purchase and installation of five energy recovery ventilators and the installation of a safety railing system in the Charlie Barracks of the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center

Published January 18, 2023

Setting the stage to remember fallen law enforcement officers

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Crews cut trees last week to prepare for the construction of the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial.

That’s just one step needed to erect the planned memorial on the front law of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in downtown Dade City.

It’s a project that’s been a longtime coming — but now that the money has been raised to pay for the permanent tribute, it won’t be too much longer before the vision becomes reality.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley gave his colleagues an update on the project during the county board’s Jan. 10 meeting.

This is a rendering of what the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial will look like, when construction is completed in coming months. (File)

He expects construction of the memorial to be complete within the next three months to four months, weather permitting.

“We hope to see that memorial out on the front lawn, on the corner, next to Meridian Avenue and Seventh Street,” Oakley said, during the meeting, held in the board’s second-floor chambers in the historic courthouse.

Commission Chairman Jack Mariano reacted enthusiastically to the news: “Looking forward to that!”

Oakley added: “Yeah, it’s been a long wait. We’ve been waiting like nine years to get that done.”

Mariano expressed the county’s gratitude to Oakley for the commissioner’s private efforts to raise the money for the project.

Oakley thanked others who were involved, as well.

The project was started almost a decade ago.

Tim Hennigan, who has been involved in the efforts since the beginning, recapped the history during a groundbreaking ceremony for the memorial in October.

He told those gathered about the event that inspired the effort to pursue a permanent memorial.

It was windy and rainy one year during the Pasco Sheriff’s annual memorial ceremony for fallen law enforcement office, recalled Hennigan, who is president of the board for the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and Benefit Foundation Inc.

Photos of the fallen officers began blowing away, he said.

Hennigan said his wife encouraged him to put together an organization to pursue the construction of a permanent memorial, so he did.

Hennigan enlisted his friend, Skip Stone to get involved and they sat down with an accountant to get the ball rolling.

Fundraising efforts began small, but others joined in, including Craig Laporte, an attorney who is a former Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputy.

Oakley, his friend Randy Blankenship, and others recently helped push the fundraising effort for the memorial over the finish line.

When the memorial is completed, Pasco will join the state’s other 66 counties that already have permanent memorials to their fallen law enforcement officers.

“We have a lot of citizens that look forward to that being placed there, in support of our law enforcement,” Oakley said.

Published January 18, 2023

Sending coupon sales overseas

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Freedom isn’t free — even with coupons.

But that doesn’t mean military families have to pay full price.

At least that’s how the Auxiliary Unit for American Legion Post 108 sees it.

Members of the Auxiliary Unit from American Legion Post 108 in Land O’ Lakes work diligently to sort through and clip coupons, as part of an initiative to send overseas, so military families can use them in commerce areas. The newly formed Auxiliary Unit for Post 108 has been clipping away for only a few months, however, as the women collect coupon ads from local publications, they also are allowed to send expired coupons, which commerce areas will accept for up to six months. They are about to send the first batch of coupons, estimated to total more than $10,000 worth of savings. (Mike Camunas)

The auxiliary, which serves Lutz and Wesley Chapel and is based in Land O’ Lakes, has launched a coupon-clipping initiative to help military families overseas.

The auxiliary is made up of women who are spouses, daughters and granddaughters of veterans, living or deceased. They are rounding up discarded or unused coupons from local publications, including The Laker/Lutz News.

They take the coupon sheets, books and inserts, and painstakingly clip away at the deals. Then, they bundle and package them to send overseas for military families to use at the bases’ commerce areas.

“It’s a low-budget way to give back, to do things for our military and their families,” said Barbara Bird, leader of Auxiliary Unit 108. “We can do so many things, but sometimes it costs a little more to do things, but this is a way to do something and save them money.

Post 108 Auxiliary Unit leader Barbara Bird sorts through hundreds of coupons clipped from local publications. The coupons eventually will be bundled and shipped overseas to military families to use at commerce areas.

“We get a lot of them from The Laker, and I’ve asked my neighbor to save her Laker, and I’ve been trying to find where I can find extra Lakers and newspapers that are left over, but we’ll take any newspaper we can with coupons that people don’t use.”

Post 108’s Auxiliary Unit is relatively new, with it just starting in mid-2022 and getting its charter approved in December. However, Bird and about a half-dozen other women — including one Air Force veteran herself — have been gathering coupons out of newspapers and clipping since about September.

The women meet once a month and clip, or clip at home on their own time. Over time, they have sorted and put aside thousands of coupons.

They are about to send out their first batch that will go to a base in either Germany or Poland, and, in total, the coupons are valued at more than $10,000 in savings.

Commerce areas will also honor expired coupons of up to six months.

“Well, it’s definitely a labor of love, that’s for sure,” said Post 108 Chaplain Don Hinst, whose wife, Linda, also does a lot of coupon clipping. “It’s free money — there’s 10 grand right there of free money, and they pass them out to the families because it’s the non-commissioned officers and their families that are struggling.

American Legion Auxiliary Unit District 15 President Eileen Wilson cuts through a coupon sheet to help out Post 108’s unit collect coupons to be used by military families overseas.

“The dollar value of all the coupons in the newspapers, when the ladies are clipping, they can get anywhere from $80 to $120 per coupon insert. Why not put that to use for our military members?”

The key has been finding unused coupons, which has meant the women rounding up newspapers and other publications that have been discarded. Several of the women, such as Bird, have been seeking out old newspaper issues in bins, as well as asking their neighbors for their newspapers, if they’re not going to use the coupons.

“I just moved here and I live with my daughter,” Bird said, “and I’m trying to get out, walk around and get to know more people, and if they don’t want their coupons or their Laker, I’ll take them.”

Lutz resident Sandi Uhl intently searches for a hot deal while clipping coupons to send overseas. She’s helping in an initiative organized by Post 108’s Auxiliary Unit. Uhl, whose husband is a Vietnam veteran, is checking the expiration date on some coupons because commerce areas will accept expired coupons.

The Auxiliary Unit also invites people in the community to donate newspapers, which can be dropped off at Harvester Community Church in Land O’ Lakes.

Bird, who was instrumental in starting Post 108’s Auxiliary Unit to honor her late husband, a Vietnam veteran who died in 2020, admits most of her free time, as of late, has been spent clipping coupons.

“It’s really gratifying to know how much it has added up to,” she said. “Just the other night, I go, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s $9,000! So, the other night, I said, ‘Let me round this up to 10. And my daughter comes in and is like, ‘What are you doing? Oh, don’t tell me — it’s clipping coupons again! (laughs)’”

“We are so excited to get them the coupons,” Hinst, a Navy veteran, added. “I am so excited to see how much we can help them save, and to see the piles and bags of coupons that were clipped and put together finally get mailed out.

“We would’ve loved to get coupons. We could’ve used that when I served, for sure.”

Linda Hinst, whose husband, Don, is Post 108’s chaplain, pitches in during the Auxiliary Unit’s clipping session.

Bird agrees, knowing full well that if militaries can use anything, it’s discounts on the essentials.

“How great would it have been to get coupons?” Bird asked. “It was just the thought of someone doing something so nice, thinking about military families who do their shopping at commerce areas, and I just know that it is difficult as the price of everything rises, but their salary and pay doesn’t, I can identify with that.

“It’s going to be great when we send them over,” she added. “I hope they’re excited when they get them because I’m excited for them to use all the coupons.”

Coupon Clipping with Post 108’s Auxiliary Unit
American Legion Post 108 serves Wesley Chapel and Lutz, but is based out of the Plantation Palms community in Land O’ Lakes. It recently was granted the charter for its Auxiliary Unit. The unit is composed of spouses, daughters and granddaughters of veterans in the Post. The Auxiliary meets the fourth Monday of each month at 5 p.m. for a social gathering and then at 6 p.m. for a meeting, at the Plantations Palms Golf Club, 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd. The Auxiliary welcomes new members who have a veteran in their family. For more information, visit AmericanLegionPost108.org/index.php?id=20.

The Auxiliary welcomes coupon donations and volunteers to help clip them. The coupons can be dropped off at Harvester Community Church, 2432 Collier Parkway. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Barbara Bird at 206-735-0597 or .

Published January 18, 2023

Recycled Christmas trees give trails new life

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Even after Christmas, these trees are still presenting gifts.

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department sets up its Trees to Trails Program each year, with residents dropping off Christmas trees at various parks around the county.

The program, which runs three weeks and ended on Jan. 11, aims to encourage residents to recycle their trees instead of tossing them in the garbage or, even worse for the community, burning them.

Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department has its annual used Trees to Trails Program for residents to drop off Christmas trees for recycling, which results in them being chipped into mulch for the county’s parks. At Wesley Chapel District Park, one of two of the drop-off locations, drop-off was available through Jan. 11. (Mike Camunas)

The annual effort typically yields a big haul for the parks department.

The county asks participants to remove the tinsel, if there was any. Then the county chips the trees to provide free mulch at the parks where the trees were dropped off.

“It’s a great program — it’s a great tax-funded program,” said Brian Taylor, the county’s Parks & Recreation Manager. “It actually saves the taxpayers money because it gives the parks some much-needed mulch for landscaping.

“Plus, it smells good (laughs).”

The county set up drop-off sites at Wesley Chapel District Park and Veterans Memorial Park in Hudson.

Peter Grayling, a park operator with the county for 28 years, says the turnout for drop-off was good, especially right after Christmas and at the beginning of 2023.

And, as good as residents were about bringing trees to be recycled, several residents were just as good about hauling some away for personal use.

Those trees weren’t usually taken for mulch.

“The reason why is, well, kind of funny,” Taylor added.

Some residents took a tree or two to create a reef, or new habitat for fish in their ponds or lakes.

Trees are placed upright in parts of the pond that are at least deep enough to cover the trees. That is an approved disposal method by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Conservation Biologists.

Once submerged, sunken trees are great for creating natural fish habitats in local ponds and lakes. Recycled Christmas trees become havens for a variety of freshwater wildlife, including small insects, snails and mussels.

These tiny organisms attract fish who feed on them, like minnows and crawfish, who in turn, attract such species as bass, bluegill and crappie.

One tree can become an entire ecosystem with an estimated lifespan of up to 10 years, which is not only great for lake life, but for fishing enthusiasts, too.

“We don’t discourage them from not taking them,” Grayling said. “We know that’s what they’re for, so it’s OK if they do, but we’re not going to be out here stopping them or monitoring.

“If they’re putting them in lakes, that’s recycling them, too.”

In the past, the county used to have more drop-off sites, but scaled back to have two centralized locations: one for East and Central Pasco and another for West Pasco.

It wasn’t, however, because the county saw a decrease in tree piles, not from people using them in lakes, but from people switching to artificial trees.

“We really haven’t seen a difference in the time we’ve been doing it, even going back how many years we can go back,” Taylor said. “Every year, there are plenty of trees brought to us, and every year we end up with plenty of mulch.

“From the county’s point of view, we’re just glad we can do our part and recycle the trees, in an environmentally friendly way, every year.”

Published January 18, 2023

Pasco approves about 400 new residential entitlements

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The Pasco County Commission has set the stage for an additional 240 single-family homes, near an area known as the Villages of Pasadena Hills in the southeast part of the county.

The board voted unanimously on Jan. 10 to approve a request to change the county’s long-range plan to increase the development potential on 61 acres of land, at 59430 Billmar Road, in Wesley Chapel.

The land previously was designated for up to three dwellings per acre, but the county board changed the category to allow up to six units per acre.

However, the applicant has agreed to a maximum of 240 units, which works out to be an average of 3.93 units per acre.

County planners and the Pasco County Planning Commission each recommended approval of the request.

The development is perceived as a transitional land use between the Villages of Pasadena Hills and surrounding higher density residential land uses. The request also is considered to support the mission of the county’s South Market area, according to materials in the county board’s agenda packet.

The site abuts the Chapel Crossing master-planned unit development (MPUD) to the west and Avalon Park West, formerly known as the New Rivers MPUD, to the south.

The access to the site is on Billmar Road, a 13-foot-wide private residential dirt road. There is a proposed trail that will bisect along the south side of the project site named the Eiland Boulevard Trail.

There also is a proposed arterial roadway identified on the highway vision road map as Zephyrhills Bypass extension planned for future development that will provide additional access south of the proposed project site.

There are no roads or access located to the east side of the subject site.

A rezoning request for the Hamilton Oaks MPUD is associated with the land use change.

In another action the county board approved a rezoning to change an agricultural-residential zoning to a medium density multifamily district, allowing the development of 158 townhomes.

The 30.2-acre site, at the intersection of Chancey Road and Diana Drive, historically has been used for timber and grazing.

Published January 18, 2023

Zephyrhills will make election decisions in April

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(Mike Camunas)

Residents of the City of Zephyrhills will be choosing a new mayor and selecting a representative for Seat 2 on City Council, during the Municipal Elections, set for April 11.

Here are the important election dates and information regarding the election.

Important Dates

  • Municipal Candidate Qualifying begins at noon on Feb. 7.
  • Municipal Candidate Qualifying ends at noon on Feb. 14.
  • Mayor’s Caucus is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Feb 17 in Council Chambers at City Hall, 5335 Eighth St.
  • Municipal Election: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., on April 11, at Alice Hall Community Center, 38116 Fifth Ave., in Zephyr Park.

Candidate Requirements

  • All candidates must be a qualified and registered voter of the City of Zephyrhills and have been a resident of the city for a six-month period immediately preceding the next election to qualify for any City elective office.
  • The City Council may set filing fees to be paid by candidates at the time of qualifying to run for elective office.
  • The nomination of all candidates for elective offices shall be made by nominating petitions. The name of any elector of the City having the necessary qualifications to hold the office may be nominated for the election to such office when a petition shall be filed with the City Clerk, signed by not less than 25 registered voters of the City.

For additional information, please visit the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections website at PascoVotes.com.

Published January 18, 2023

Pasco shines spotlight on evil of human trafficking

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Human trafficking and modern-day slavery are problems that people tend to think wouldn’t happen where they live, but the Pasco County Commission wants the community to know that those crimes do happen locally, and they need the public’s help to combat them.

The board passed a resolution during its Jan. 10 meeting declaring January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and Jan. 11 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Pasco County.

The board’s resolution explains that human trafficking occurs when an individual “is compelled to work or engage in a commercial sex act through force, fraud, or coercion, thereby being stripped of his/her rights and humanity.

Efforts to prevent human trafficking and modern-day slavery were spotlighted during the Pasco County Commission’s Dec. 10 meeting. Shown here are members of The Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking, members of the county board and other county officials. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

“Traffickers typically use multiple means to control their victims, including beatings, rape, isolation, forced drug/alcohol dependency, withholding of documentation, and psychological and emotional abuse,” the resolution adds.

It also cites some statistics gathered by the International Labor Organization, which estimates there are more than 49.6 million victims of human trafficking worldwide.

The crime, the resolution says, “is second only to the illegal drug trade in terms of the speed of its growth and the profits that it generates as human beings can be sold repeatedly.”

The resolution also notes that “human trafficking has been reported in all 50 states,” with Florida consistently ranking third among the number of calls made to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH).

In fact, according to the resolution, hotline statistics reveal there were 3,587 human trafficking reports to the NHTH from Florida between 2016 to 2020.

The Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking is working to prevent the crime and to help survivors.

It enlists the aid of a broad array of people to help in the effort, including representatives of law enforcement, schools, child welfare, nonprofits, businesses, faith-based organizations and survivors, too.

After the resolution was read, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey commented: “You know, it’s just unbelievable that we’re talking about slavery — slavery and human trafficking, in this day and age, and to know that’s occurring here in Pasco County. It’s just heartbreaking.

“I’m really glad that we’re bringing attention to this important issue. Everyone needs to be vigilant and keep your eyes open for someone who is being trafficked,” Starkey said.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley served on the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking for four years.

“It was an eye-opener to me all that goes on in our community,” Oakley said. He noted that he’s certain the situation would be worse, if it weren’t for the work of the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking.

Commissioner Gary Bradford, a new member on the county board, has been appointed to serve on that commission.

Bradford is eager to help attack the problem.

“There is no more vile crime than human trafficking. It’s a vile, hideous disease that our society can’t seem to fix, until now.

“We have to make a difference in Pasco County.

“In a previous life, in a previous career, I was out there fighting that fight. One victim at a time. One situation at a time,” said Bradford, a former Tampa Police officer.

“God blessed me with a different role, hopefully I can make a difference here, in that exact same fight,” Bradford said.

Also last week, Pasco County announced that the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking is partnering with the county’s public transportation system, GoPasco and the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT) to help bus riders and drivers recognize the signs of human trafficking and to help those who are potentially being exploited to get to safety.

This campaign will reach 45,000 riders a month through:

  • Placards and pamphlets for GoPasco bus riders
  • Tips for bus drivers to identify trafficking
  • Protocol for bus drivers who suspect trafficking
  • Providing USIAHT victims Safe Way Out cards

If you suspect or are a victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.

Published January 18, 2023