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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Selection of planning board members to change

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a new process for selecting members of the Pasco County Planning Commission.

Under the new process, each county board member will be able to choose someone to sit on the planning board.

There also will be one at-large member, who will be selected collectively by the county board.

There’s also a representative for the Pasco County School Board on the planning board and that will not change.

County board members approved the process change during their Dec. 7 meeting.

They had discussed their desire to change the selection process during previous meetings and directed county staff to pursue changes to the county’s land development code to effectuate the change.

The amendment required public hearings, and no one stepped forward to speak in favor or in opposition.

The proposed terms of the planning board members would coincide with the term of the county board member who selected him or her.

The new process will take effect on Feb. 22.

Although each county board member will appoint one member of the planning board, there are no restrictions on where the planning board members live.

Three of the current planning board members live in County Commissioner Mike Moore’s district and three live in County Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick’s district. No planning board members live in the districts represented by Kathryn Starkey, Jack Mariano or Ron Oakley.

In previous discussions, Oakley said he didn’t see a need for the change since the planning board members serve the entire county, but Starkey and Mariano said they wanted a greater say.

Published December 15, 2021

COVID-19 has had wide-ranging impacts on mental health

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The COVID-19 pandemic — with its associated lockdown, and even without it — has created mental health challenges that have played out in assorted ways, according to a panel of experts who addressed the topic in a Zoom session organized by the League of Women Voters Hillsborough County.

“I heard from parents of children who were maybe 6 years old, bedwetting, acting out aggression, not wanting to leave home,” said Natasha Pierre, executive director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Hillsborough.

She said she was not prepared for the number of college students who reached out, who were dealing with work, parents having COVID, roommates having COVID, or not having insurance.

“I heard from a lot of veterans. Veterans, who because of the stillness, were having memories of combat,” she said.

She heard from women who had experienced military sexual trauma or date rape.

“Because of the stillness, once again, these memories are coming back,” she said, noting many of those women had never reported the assault.

She also heard from retired people, who were financially stable, but felt socially isolated.

The pandemic created a mental health crisis, with people feeling overwhelmed by frustration, fear and stress, she said.

The first step for getting help is to let someone know you need it, said Pierre, who has lived with mental illness for more than 20 years.

“We know that there are people that are being affected by a mental illness, and they’re not talking. They are living in pain. Suffering in silence. They’re existing in a silo,” said Pierre, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder ultradian.

She shares her experiences, with the goal of helping others.

“When it comes to public awareness, we know that storytelling saves lives,” Pierre said.

“The only reason I am speaking to you tonight — with certainty — is because I had great insurance at a time when I needed it most.

“The reality is that the vast majority of the people who need the treatment that I got, will not receive it,” Pierre said.

Stigma and self-stigma are the biggest barriers to people seeking help, she said.

But she added, it’s important for people with mental health challenges to know: “‘You’re not alone. You’re not the only one feeling anxious when you leave home. You’re not the only one concerned about going back to work. You’re not the only one that is in active grief.”

An essential part of helping those who are suffering is to simply be present, she said.

“Sometimes support is: ‘I’m so sorry that happened to you. That sounds awful. That’s probably hard on you. What can I do to help. I’m going to check on you later tonight.’

“Hurting in a silo, in my experience, causes people to lose their lives. Suffering in silence leads to decreased and diminished hope, and if there is anything people need right now, people need hope.

“They need hope that tomorrow will be the day that a job calls me back.

“Tomorrow will be the day where I have insurance.

“Tomorrow will be the day where I can fall asleep and remain asleep through the night.

“That tomorrow will be the day where I am less paranoid, or I am able to keep food down.

“As long as we can fuel and empower hope, in our communities, we have a chance to reduce the number of people who take their lives,” Pierre said.

She continued: “I’ve heard it many times, you know, ‘People who die by suicide, they take the easy way out.’ As a person who has had suicidal thoughts, as a person who has been suicidal, that is not true.

“When that’s an option for you — you’ve run out of options. You’ve run out of hope. You are hopeless, (you’re thinking) there’s no way life can change,’” she said.

She said she keeps telling her story and talking about the work that NAMI and mental health community partners do, in an effort to change that trajectory.

“We want to get to someone before they make that decision (to take their own life), before they have that plan,” Pierre said.

Suicide calls spiked
Sunny Hall, vice president of client services for the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, said the call volume ramped up because of COVID-19.

Suicide calls increased dramatically, she said.

“What was super alarming to us was (that) calls from kids, ages 13 to 18, went up 36% — suicide calls from kids 13 to 18 went up 36%,” Hall said.

A spike in suicide calls is not unprecedented, she said, noting there was jump in the volume after Robin Williams took his own life, and the same with Kate Spade.

During COVID, Hall said, “the suicide calls started going up and they stayed up, and they’re still up.”

She highlighted another startling statistic involving sexual assault calls: “We saw a 70% increase in people who met their assailant online. People were meeting their assailant online, then they were going to physically meet them,”

Hall also addressed COVID-19’s impacts on children.

“One in 500 kids in our country have lost a caregiver, they’ve lost somebody close to them, to COVID. There’s a lot of anxiety,” Hall said.

“Kids in school are seeing teachers or teacher’s spouses, dying, especially in the last three, four months.

“I was talking to someone in the Pasco school system the other day and the social workers have responded every week to a death of an adult in the Pasco County school system. So, that’s what’s happening to kids. Those triggers lead them to some acute needs, related to mental health,” Hall said.

Alan Davidson, chief clinical officer for Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, said the aging population also has felt the extra mental health challenges because of COVID-19.

Some have experienced social isolation; others have chosen or have been forced to retire early; some have had trouble accessing specialized care or day-to-day assistance that they need; and, some have faced a whole new set of adjustments, as changing circumstances have caused them to move.

Hall said the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay has honed its focus and its mission to ensure that no one faces crisis alone.

The panelists encouraged anyone needing help to reach out to let someone know.

Need help?
Here are some numbers you can call:
Suicide prevention lifeline: 800-273-8255
NAMI Helpline, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.: 800-950-6264
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay: 2-1-1 (to connect with local resources)

Published December 08, 2021

Charter school coming to Connerton

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Pasco County Schools and Connerton Property Charter LLC, the developer of Connerton, have approved an agreement regarding the construction of a charter school, in the master-planned community off of U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

The school will be built on a site including 14.2 acres within Villages 3 and 4 of Connerton.

The developer and school board also have approved a step-in agreement, in the event it is needed in the future.

The board approved the agreements at its Nov. 16 meeting. The items were part of the board’s consent agenda, meaning they were approved along with other items without discussion, in a single action.

Under the charter school agreement, the developer will build a K-8 charter school that will have the capacity for 1,400 students, according to the board’s agenda packet.

Plans call for a campus with single- and two-story tilt-wall buildings up to 118,000 square feet.

The project will include a black box theater and a “cafetorium” with a similar style and finish of the Pinecrest Academy K-8 charter school in Avalon Park West.

There also will be athletic fields, circulation and parking.

The current proposal calls for the charter school to be a Pinecrest Academy Charter School, but the developer has the right to use any charter school that has an approved charter with the school board.

The goal is to open the new charter school in the 2023 school year.

The agreement also notes that the charter school shall be designed and constructed according to 2020 State Requirements for Educational Facilities, and the design is subject to review and approval by the director of construction services or a designee, the board materials say.

Once the charter school is complete and students are enrolled, the entity that paid for the design, permitting and construction of the charter school shall be entitled to school impact fee credits.

The agreement states that the maximum amount of fee credits shall not exceed $27,932,800, which is based on 1,400 student stations multiplied by $19,952 per student station.

Also, the land value for the fee credits shall be based on the actual purchase price, including closing costs, paid by the developer, the agreement says.

The agreements also spell out how those fee credits shall be paid and what will happen, in the event that the property ceases to be used as a charter school.

Published December 08, 2021

Hercules Park redevelopment plan raises questions

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As the redevelopment plan for Hercules Park in Zephyrhills presses forward, at least one resident stakeholder is raising “strong concerns” with its preliminary conceptual plan.

At issue is a portion of the plan that calls for a BMX (bicycle motocross) track, where mountain bike enthusiasts could traverse jumps and obstacles across a circuitous riding trail.

This is an initial conceptual sketch plan of the Hercules Park redevelopment. (File)

Dade City resident Kimberly Barker raised questions about how youths wanting to access the trail would be able to ride their bikes safely through the city’s congested roadways to get to the attraction.

Her remarks came during the public comment period of a Nov. 29 Zephyrhills City Council regular meeting at Zephyrhills City Hall.

An initial rough conceptual sketch plan shows a circuitous riding trail covering roughly 5.29 acres on the southwest corner of the property. There’s also a proposal to build a more traditional multi-use path that surrounds the perimeter of the mountain bike course to accommodate walkers, joggers and casual bike riders.

Barker — a real estate broker for VITIS Realty — pointed to the busy street traffic that surrounds the 12-acre park property, at the corner of County Road 54 and Gall Boulevard, next to Zephyrhills High and Woodland Elementary schools.

She observed the bustle is only going to grow, as high density residential development makes its way down Eiland Boulevard, as well as west and north of that area.

“Having an amenity there that draws bicyclists and pedestrian traffic, specifically, young pedestrian traffic, to cross what is one of the largest intersections in the city of Zephyrhills, is of great concern to me,” said Barker, a lifelong East Pasco resident and a graduate of Zephyrhills High School.

“I just wanted to speak tonight to voice that concern, and ask the city to maybe pump the brakes a little bit and let’s reevaluate what we’re doing with that property, and what’s going to add the greatest value to the community,” she said.

She also raised another concern — the transients and homeless people who are regularly on the park’s premises.

The speaker told council members she visited the site a couple weeks ago and documented the issue with photos on her cellphone.

“I’d like to see the city do something with that property that is maybe going to eliminate that problem right next to the elementary school, and I don’t know that the current plan is going to do that,” she said.

Meanwhile, Barker encouraged the city develop a citizens advisory committee to oversee the park development, as well as other projects and initiatives.

Council President Alan Knight thanked the speaker for her concerns and feedback.

Knight emphasized that “nothing has absolutely, totally been finalized” yet on the park’s forthcoming features and amenities, so additional citizen comments are welcome.

“Any input you would like to give, we would certainly appreciate it, but we are really finalizing it down, and just on the first couple of looks, it looks pretty nice, and I will think when it gets through, you will really like it,” he said.

Knight added the homeless population inhabiting the park is nothing new, estimating this has been an ongoing dilemma for some 30 years. “The transients and so forth have been a problem on that property,” he said. “It’s always been that way.”

This isn’t the first time reservations have been raised about a BMX track within the park property.

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield raised objections to the amount of land being used for the BMX concept, during an Oct. 25 city council meeting.

“It just seems like a lot of the project is going to that, a lot of the land area. We could do multiple things in there, or a couple of things,” Whitfield said, at the time.

Addressing the issue during this latest November meeting, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said he’s had conversations with Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Director Gail Hamilton on significantly “shrinking” the BMX course layout.

“We’ve heard council loud and clear, and citizens have been pretty clear about it as well, so we’re taking a hard look at that,” Poe said. “There is a way to condense it down considerably, and so we’re looking at that, and that’ll be brought back through the whole process.”

In October, city council granted a contract for the park’s design and construction document services with engineering firm Kimley-Horn, in the amount of $292,985.

Published December 08, 2021

Zephyrhills golf course to stay open

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The Zephyrhills Municipal Golf Course will remain in play, after all — which is good news for area golfers who enjoy using it.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Golf Course is designed to provide a public, low-cost alternative compared to other courses in the area. The 18-hole, par-68 course is known as a haven for snowbirds and beginners alike. (File)

The Zephyrhills City Council passed a first amendment to its lease agreement with Under Par Inc., to continue to serve as management operators of the 18-hole, par-68 course, at 39248 B Ave.

The action came as part of the consent agenda during a regular meeting on Nov. 29 at Zephyrhills City Hall.

The current lease agreement is set to expire in April 2022.

The new agreement extends the lease for an additional 10 years, until April 30, 2032.

While the initial term is 10 years, the city has the right to cancel the agreement after year five with 18 months’ notice.

Per the lease, Under Par’s annual rent will be $62,000 to the city, and will continue to increase by the consumer-price index (CPI) every two years through April 2027.

Beginning in May 2027, the annual lease will increase by 2% or the CPI each year on an annual basis — whichever figure is greater.

Under Par also will be required to invest $40,000 for the paving of the golf course’s parking lot, within 18 months of the effective agreement. (Should the city cancel years six through 10, the city will pay a penalty of 50% of the remaining golf cart lease and a prorated share of Under Par’s $40,000 capital investment.)

Meanwhile, the course will undergo a slight alteration under the updated lease, as the city secured state funding to construct an access road from Alston Avenue to the airport infield. This access road will be constructed along hole No. 2, along the fence line. The construction will reduce the course’s total acreage by about 0.65 acres, officials say.

Other considerations in the amended agreement include:

  • An option for two five-year renewals
  • No penalties for early termination during the renewal periods, with an 18-month notice
  • Both parties must agree to the renewal at least six months prior to expiration

The city and Under Par have been partners for nearly two decades, as the lessee and lessor originally executed a lease agreement for the course back in September 2002.

Questions had been swirling about the golf course’s future during the past year, as city leaders pondered the possible sale of the 65-acre property.

The National Guard had been scouting the site, on the southwest quadrant of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, for possible use for a Florida Army National Guard Armory.

But, the military organization turned its attention to a different location near the airport for an armory to house full-time Army officers during the week, plus hundreds of soldiers and service people visiting and training on weekends.

State lawmakers approved $25 million in appropriations to the military organization, for future training grounds in Zephyrhills, during the past legislative session.

The possible sale of the golf course roused area golfers and residents to rally around keeping the golf course, with several speakers turning out to multiple city council meetings in May to voice their support for continuing its operation.

The course — established in 1957, then opened in 1978 — is regarded as a low-cost alternative compared to surrounding golf courses, where snowbirds and others flock to during the year.

It’s also known as a welcoming place for beginners, seniors, and golfers with disabilities.

Representatives with Under Par have previously stated the facility can average upwards of 1,500 players per week and some 6,000 rounds per month, during the busy winter season between October through February.

Published December 08, 2021

Planning efforts begin, at Gunn Highway and State Road 54

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The county has initiated efforts to work with property owners to develop a plan for appropriate future uses of the area at the southwest corner of Gunn Highway and State Road 54.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey convened a meeting with county staff and area property owners at the Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center.

“The purpose of it was to bring together all of the land owners in that quadrant, because we’re starting to get piecemeal owners coming in with development plans and we wanted to do a type of cohesive planning exercise there,” Starkey told her colleagues on the Pasco County Commission at its Oct. 26 meeting.

“It’s a sector plan or quadrant plan, if you will, for that part of the block,” explained Nectarios Pittos, director of planning and development.

“There had been a number of property owners that had been inquiring in this particular area, asking what could potentially happen. Because there were so many inquiries, because there was interest, we decided we would hold a neighborhood meeting and ask everybody what they were thinking about,” Pittos said.

“We had a great turnout, took a lot of feedback that we’re going to utilize as we develop the quadrant plan for this part of the intersection.

“The quadrant plan itself is just a fancy name for a comprehensive plan amendment that could change the future land use in the area to something that the landowners would really like, what the market is looking for, the vision of the county in regard to economic development potential for that area,” Pittos said.

“The hope is that it becomes its own little community,” Starkey said. “You’ll be seeing this work its way through the county and come to us, eventually.”

Published December 08, 2021

Wesley Chapel Library is a step closer to reality

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A new Wesley Chapel Library has moved a step closer to reality.

The Pasco County Commission has authorized negotiations with FleischmanGarcia Architecture and Planning, as its first choice to handle the project’s design.

The board shortlisted the top firms vying for the job, during its Nov. 9 meeting. If negotiations with FleischmanGarcia are unsuccessful, the county would move on to begin negotiations with the second-ranked firm.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore began talking up the idea well over a year ago, telling his colleagues during discussions of the budget for 2021 that it was important to begin laying the groundwork to make that happen.

Libraries are about a lot more than books, these days. They’re community gathering spots, they provide meeting spaces for classes, community organizations and programming. A new library is planned in the Seven Oaks area or Wesley Chapel. (File)

Moore has a soft spot in his heart for libraries. He recalls riding his bicycle to the library when he was young, to get his hands on books and magazines.

He sees libraries as community assets — because they have something to offer to people of all ages and walks of life.

Initially, Moore was simply trying to move the project forward.

It got a push, however, when the county board decided to set aside funding from the American Rescue Plan to build the library.

“The goal is to have it under construction next fiscal year,” County Administrator Dan Biles, told those gathered at a breakfast meeting of the North Tampa Bay Chamber. The breakfast meeting was at the Porter Campus of Pasco-Hernando State College, which is in Wesley Chapel.

The county has owned the planned library’s site since 2004. It’s next to Seven Oaks Elementary, which is at 27633 Mystic Oaks Blvd.

The planned Wesley Chapel library is just the latest news involving the county’s library system.

It also received national recognition for the design of the Starkey Ranch Theatre Library and Cultural Center, which opened this year at 12118 Lake Blanche Drive, in Odessa.

The county also is in the midst of modernizing all of its branches, using proceeds of a bond issue approved by 66% of Pasco County voters in a 2018 referendum.

The Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, and Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City are both closed now, for renovation. The New River Library, at 34043 State Road 54, in Wesley Chapel, now completely updated, has reopened.

Published December 08, 2021

Designed with nature in mind, library receives recognition

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Pasco’s brand new Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center (Starkey TLC) is getting some noteworthy attention and national recognition for its unique design.

Pasco County Libraries has announced that the library is featured in the Library Journal’s “Year in Architecture 2021” issue, according to a Pasco County news release.

Staff at the Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center spotlight the Library Journal issue that features its national achievement. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

The library, which opened in August, is recognized by the magazine for incorporating nature in its design.

The use of soft, natural light in the lobby and natural wood in the main entryways is designed to help connect people with the outdoor environment, the release says.

“To be recognized by such a distinguished publication as Library Journal is quite an honor for Pasco County Libraries,” said Bob Harrison, communications program manager, in the release.

“We’re proud of the innovative design of the Starkey TLC and how the community has responded to it,” said Harrison.

The library was built in conjunction with, and partially funded by, Pasco County Schools, and serves as Starkey Ranch K-8 school’s media center.

Patrons can visit the library at 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa.

The general contractor for the project was the Walbridge Group of Tampa, and the architect was FleischmanGarcia Architecture.

The Starkey Ranch TLC joins three other libraries also featured for reflecting nature in the building design: Brooklyn Pubic Library’s Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center in New York; The Newark Public Library in New Jersey; and, the Ledding Library in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Published December 08, 2021

Shoppers flock to the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show

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Barbara Karnay, of New Port Richey, waits for customers under the roof of the Nature Coast GFWC booth to buy her Christmas wreaths that were fashioned from clothespins. (Fred Bellet)

After calling off its biggest fundraiser of the year last year, the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club resumed its popular holiday shopping festival and art show over the weekend at Keystone Prep High, in Odessa.

The 42nd annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show featured plenty of tasty treats to eat and myriad choices for shoppers looking for unique items for people on their holiday gift lists.

The annual arts and crafts show —now  known throughout the region — started small, with a crafts show at the Old Lutz School.

It has been held in recent years at Keystone Prep High, 18105 Gunn Highway, in Odessa.

The event, geared with holiday shopping in mind, has been held without fail for decades, except for two years. It was canceled in 2015 because of a sinkhole in Lake Park, and it was called off last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It typically attracts between 20,000 and 30,000 over the course of the weekend, giving people a chance to shop, enjoy each other’s company, and take in the sights and sounds.

This year’s event featured more than 200 vendors. Santa was there and an orchestra played holiday tunes.

The woman’s club uses proceeds from the event to support scholarships and numerous community organizations and causes.

Published December 08, 2021

Artist Michael Howland’s fluidic work of an American flag was an eye-catcher for many strolling through the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show. Howland is from Keystone Heights, outside Gainesville.
Michele Northrup, a former Lutz Guv’na, hawks her hot sauce. The Saucy Queen, of Lutz, gets an assist from Atlas Cortecero, as she lets the crowd know how saucy her sauce is.
Kathleen Nay makes her way into the menagerie of metal birds, part of a display under the tent of Robyn’s Garden of Metal Garden and Lawn Ornaments. Nay, along with her sister, Elaine Duncan, both of Tampa, were checking out the artistic wares at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, presented by the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, on the grounds of Keystone Prep High School in Odessa.
Ten-month-old Kate Aldridge lets out a yawn, as her mom Courtney Aldridge, of Land O’ Lakes, pushes her stroller along one of the rows of vendor tents. Kate’s brother, Chandler Aldridge, 4, was there, too, along with friend Jill Melle, of Brooksville.
Timmy, a 3-year-old French Bulldog, had it made in the shade as Jenny Engle wheels him through the arts and crafts show. Engle is fostering the dog for Southern State Bully Rescue. The woman was accompanied by her friend Krissy Mazza. They are both from Shady Hills.
Mary Rich, of Land O’ Lakes, and Sharon Greene, of Tampa, look over the old wooden post office boxes for sale under Paul D. King’s booth at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show. The boxes — some of which date back to the 1800s — were converted by King into savings banks.
Bill Genovese, of Tampa, and also a member of the New Horizons band, sported this heels-over-head elf hat, adding merriment to the season.

Hillsborough seeking applicants for diversity council

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The Hillsborough County Commission is seeking residents who are interested in serving on the board’s Diversity Advisory Council.

The council was established to foster communication between Hillsborough County government and diverse populations, and to address matters related to diversity that affect county government and Hillsborough residents, according to a county news release.

The advisory council is appointed by the county board and is made up of two individuals from each of these groups: African American; Caribbean; Far East Asian; Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, and Transgender; Hispanic/Latino; Indian Asian; Middle Eastern; Native American; Northern and Southern European; People with Disabilities; and At-Large, which does not require identification with a specific category.

Representatives are being sought for 13 positions, to serve two-year terms. These are the open positions: African American (2); Far East Asian (1); Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (1); Hispanic/Latino (1); Indian Asian (2); Middle Eastern (1); Native American (2); Northern and Southern European (1); People with Disabilities (1); and At-Large (1) – identification with a specific category is not required.

All nominees must reside in and be registered voters in Hillsborough County. Appointments are voluntary positions; therefore, members serve without compensation.

Residents interested in being considered for appointment must submit:

  • An essay of 200-500 words highlighting what their goals would be as a member of the Diversity Advisory Council and state why you are most suited to carry forth those goals
  • A completed Questionnaire for Diversity Advisory Council
  • A Standards of Conduct Form

Forms are available on the County’s website, at HCFLGov.net. Click on the “Government” link on the top of the page, then the “Boards and Committees” link. The forms can be filled out and printed, then scanned and emailed, faxed or mailed.

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

Applicants declining to submit an essay will be eliminated from further consideration for service on the Diversity Advisory Council of Hillsborough County.

The application is due by the close of business on Dec. 16.

Appointments will be scheduled for a meeting of the Hillsborough County Commission in January or February of 2022.

Forms can be mailed to P. O. Box 1110, Tampa, FL, 33601; faxed to 813-239-3916; emailed to ; or delivered to 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 2nd Floor, Tampa, FL, 33602.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings may be held virtually.

Published December 08, 2021