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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Army veteran gets a warm welcome to his new home

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Veteran Army Specialist Stephen Peterson received a warm welcome to his specially adapted custom home in Land O’ Lakes, on the morning of March 13.

Veteran Army Specialist Stephen Peterson raises the flag in front of his new home, which was provided by Homes for Our Troops. Peterson was wounded in Afghanistan. (Courtesy of Homes for Our Troops)

The national nonprofit organization, Homes For Our Troops, donated the home to Peterson during a special key ceremony.

The custom home, at 24235 Hideout Trail, is adapted to meet Peterson’s needs.

The Army veteran was severely injured while serving in Afghanistan. He was riding in a vehicle on a route clearance mission when an improvised explosive device exploded directly under his seat, a news release said.

From left: Stephen Peterson and his wife Brittany, U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis and Homes for our Troops President/CEO Tom Landwermeyer.

He immediately lost his right leg in the blast, and sustained fractured hips, a fractured tailbone, and a traumatic brain injury.

His new home features more than 40 major special adaptations, such as widened doorways for wheelchair access, a roll-in shower, and kitchen amenities that include pull-down shelving and lowered countertops.

The home also is designed with hallways that are accessible for wheelchairs and with cabinets that are within reach.

Homes for Our Troops donated the house to Peterson, using contributions from donors, supports and corporate sponsors.

Those attending the ceremony in Land O’ Lakes were required to wear masks or facial coverings as a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

To find out more about Homes for Our Troops, visit HFOTusa.org.

Published March 24, 2021

This tiny baby’s brief life inspired others

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A celebration of life and committal services will be held for Brooklyn Rose Buzek on March 27 at Garden of Memories, in Tampa.

Brooklyn weighed 1 pound, 10 ounces and measured 12.5 inches long, when she arrived into the world on Aug. 20.

Her life was brief, but Brooklyn Rose Buzek was an inspiration for others. (Courtesy of the Buzek family)

She was born at just 24 weeks gestation, and spent 187 days at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, in Tampa, before going home with her parents, Amber and Dennis.

A GoFundMe page was set up by Donna Robinson, of Tampa, to help the family.

The page expresses how Brooklyn’s life affected others.

“At just 7 months old, Brooklyn had already taught us all so much about strength, perseverance and overcoming obstacles,” the page says. “With the odds stacked against her since birth we have watched in awe as the miracle baby continued to fight the good fight.”

It goes on: “During her short life she withstood more than any human should have to, but her fighter spirit, which was earned honestly from the parents who have been by her side each and every step of the way, rose to each challenge she faced.”

After Brooklyn’s release from the hospital, her parents dedicated themselves to her 24-hour care.

On the morning of March 15, they realized something was wrong with the baby, and called 911. Brooklyn was airlifted to St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, in Tampa, but did not survive.

The infant’s obituary describes the imprint she left on others.

“Brooklyn’s journey impacted many people from those who knew and cared for her to friends around the world who have followed her miracle story from conception. Brooklyn was loved deeply by so many and her memory will live on through all of the family and friends who have been there along the way,” the obituary reads.

In an interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Amber said she found out she was pregnant on Mother’s Day — which was a surprise because she and Dennis had been together 18 years and she didn’t think she could get pregnant.

They were excited by the news.

They had a baby shower on Aug. 16, at the Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park Community Center, in Land O’ Lakes.

Amber said she recalls feeling crampy and uncomfortable earlier on that day.

“But I had never been pregnant before, so I was just, ‘This is what it’s like to feel pregnant,’” she said.

Later that night, she asked Dennis: “Honey, can you take me to the emergency room around the corner. I just want to make sure everything is OK.”

They went to a 24-hour ER, but were advised to go to a hospital.

The couple went to St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz, and from there, Amber was transported to St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, in Tampa, where Brooklyn was born on Aug. 20.

After Brooklyn’s birth, the couple made daily trips to the NICU, and took photos to record their baby’s journey. They also learned how to use the equipment they would need to use in caring for their baby at home.

Amber’s grief at the loss of her daughter, is palpable.

“It’s hard because everybody is like, ‘Oh, God had better plans.’ But, I don’t understand how the plan for her — not to be here — could have been better than the life we could have gave her,” Amber said.

She said she’s not sure she will ever understand.

She is grateful, though, for the help of others, particularly Donna and Ron Robinson, who stepped in to make the funeral arrangements.

“I don’t know how I could have done it without them,” she said.

As for herself, Amber said she is just trying to pick up the pieces.

“I’m just trying to take it one day at a time,” she said.

In addition to her parents, Brooklyn is survived by siblings Brittany Buzek, Braily Buzek and Brandyn Buzek, grandmother Tena Frost, aunt and uncle Pam and Kevin Oliva and a large extended family, according to the online obituary.

The family welcomes all to attend Brooklyn’s Life Celebration and Committal services on March 27 at 1 p.m., at Blount & Curry Funeral Home at Garden of Memories, 4207 E. Lake Ave., Tampa, Florida, 33610.

To read more about Brooklyn, visit Brooklyn Rose Buzek’s Journey, on Facebook.

If you would like to help, visit the GoFundMe page, at Tinyurl.com/4tchjh77.

Brooklyn’s Life Celebration and Committal Services
When: March 27, 1 p.m.
Where: Blount & Curry Funeral Home at Garden of Memories, 4207 E. Lake Ave., Tampa
All are welcome to attend.

Published March 24, 2021

Pasco Commission approves East Pasco flooding study

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The Pasco County Commission has authorized a task order for the development of a cost-effective conceptual improvement plan for the Bailey Hill Road and Zephyr Ranch Area, in East Pasco.

Board members approved a staff recommendation to have DeLoach Engineering Service complete the task for an amount not to exceed $74,840, according to agenda background materials for the board’s March 9 meeting.

“The conceptual plan will provide a rigorous assessment of the condition of the existing stormwater drainage system, identify deficiencies within the system, evaluate design alternatives for flood abatement, develop cost estimate for the selected design alternative, and derive benefit to cost ratio. A cost-effective conceptual plan may lead to detailed design and construction of the project,” the agenda backup says.

Bailey Hill Road is an unpaved rural road that extends east to Gall Boulevard and west to Fort King Road.

The project area is within the East Pasco Watershed.

There is a history of structural and property flooding, as well as roadway flooding and scouring.

DeLoach has 180 days from the notice to proceed, to complete the project.

Funding for the conceptual improvement plan is coming from the stormwater management fund.

Published March 24, 2021

Girls-only troops work on camping, leadership skills

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Girls had a chance to learn outdoor skills, build teamwork and develop leadership at the Back to Brownsea program in Odessa.

The program is for members of the girls-only troops of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), according to a news release.

Ten-year-old Stella DeStefano, of Cub Scout Pack 37 at Learning Gate School, learns how to use a saw at Back to Brownsea, at Camp Brorein, March 12 through March 14, in Odessa. (Courtesy of the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council of Boy Scouts of America)

Seventeen-year-old Isabella Trevino, a Gaither High student, was at the camp — held March 12 through March 14 — because she wanted to give something back, by helping the younger girls who were there, the release says.

The younger girls had just “crossed over” to the Scouts BSA program, for ages 11 to 17, from family oriented Cub Scouts packs, which include elementary school-aged boys and girls.

Trevino served as the senior patrol leader (the highest level of youth leadership) for the weekend event, which drew more than 50 participants, including girls as instructors and students and adult leaders, to Boy Scout Camp Brorein, 16901 Boy Scout Road, the release adds.

“People involved in this grow into real good adults,” Trevino said, in the release. “And, we learn a lot about leadership and skills.”

The event was sponsored by the Fort Brooke District of the Greater Tampa Bay Council of Boy Scouts of America, which serves nine west-central Florida counties. It was organized by Terri Hunter, a member of the district’s Activities and Civic Services Committee.

The hands-on activities, taught by older Scouts BSA members, included fire-building, wood-splitting, knot-tying and other basic scout skills exercises to prepare them for independent camping, using the patrol method.

Paisley Murphy, 13, a Pasco Middle School student, with Troop 34, of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Land O’ Lakes, helped the younger girls work on tying knots.

She said she enjoyed teaching the skill, according to the release.

Her father, Ryan Murphy, an adult leader with the troop, said, “This was a good opportunity to get more experience in leadership roles.”

Published March 24, 2021

Pasco has new director of building, construction services

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The Pasco County Commission has confirmed the appointment of Roy Mazur as the county’s new director of building and construction services.

In his new role, which takes effect on April 19, Mazur will receive an annual salary of $125,000.

A national search was conducted before Mazur was selected for the post, according to an agenda memo in the board’s backup materials.

“I’m ecstatic to be here. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I just can’t wait to get going.” Mazur told the board.

Sally Sherman, assistant county administrator of development services, pointed to Mazur’s credentials and experience as key reasons he will be a good fit for the job.

She said the position is critical.

“We’re being presented with an unprecedented amount of work that is coming to us, as a branch,” Sherman said.

At the same time it is responding to greater demand, it also is trying to improve service delivery, she said.

Mazur has held positions at WRA Engineering, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Hillsborough County and Autodesk.

He is a Florida professional engineer, a certified planner and he holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of South Florida and from Florida State University, according to the agenda packet.

There’s no doubt the county’s building and construction services department has been busy.

Sherman pointed to some statistics contained in the agenda backup, as evidence of the amped up activity.

In calendar year 2020, the county had 5,741 residential single family permits, A 32% increase over the previous year.

It had 581 new commercial permits in 2020, a 16.7% increase over the previous year.

Published March 24, 2021

Kumquat Festival set March 27

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The 24th annual Kumquat Festival will take on more of a spring feel, among other twists and turns due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The popular event traditionally held the last Saturday in January is instead set for March 27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in downtown Dade City, around the iconic Historic Pasco County Courthouse; the original event date was pushed back due to COVID-19.

The 24th annual Kumquat Festival is set for March 27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Dade City. (File)

The Kumquat Festival is organized each year by The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce in coordination with other community stakeholders.

And, it’s all in the name of celebrating, of course, kumquats — a tiny, tart citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia, but grown in Dade City.

The festival features all things kumquat, including such specialties such as kumquat ice cream, kumquat pie and kumquat beer. You might also find some non-edible items such as kumquat lotions, balms and body butters.

As in previous editions of the festival, downtown Dade City will be transformed into an open-air marketplace featuring local businesses, hundreds of specialty vendors and dozens of partner sponsors.

Other happenings throughout the day include:

  • “Kumquat Growers” series to learn about and purchase kumquats
  • Farmer’s Market
  • Kid’s Corral with a variety of activates for children of all ages
  • Quilt challenge
  • Car and truck show

Some of the more interactive live entertainment options have been pared down from prior years, however, out of COVID-19 health and safety precautions. There won’t be shuttle services to remote parking lots, either, because of COVID-19.

Admission is free. Self-parking will be available throughout the city limits and downtown, including private lots, church lots and street parking. Masks will be required by all vendors and attendees.

The festival — which puts Dade City at the regional fore for the day — otherwise epitomizes the locale’s “iconic, old Florida, down home sort of feel,” chamber Executive Director John Moors told The Laker/Lutz Newspaper in a recent interview.

“I think the whole fact that it’s kumquats is kind of a funny thing,” Moors said. “There’s lots of strawberry festivals, blueberry festivals, all sort of other things, but this is the only one we’re aware of that actually features kumquats and a lot of folks aren’t even sure what a kumquat is, so it kind of lends itself to that quirky, kind of fun, sort of entertainment day that you don’t find at the wonderful theme parks that Florida offers.”

Scaled back, but still lots to see and do
The event will showcase around 250 vendor booths — each spaced about 12 feet apart instead of side-by-side as in previous years.

Due to physical distancing requirements, organizers had to cut back on about of a third of vendor booths from prior years.

While forced to scale down overall, organizers felt it important to still put on the family friendly event for the community, Moors said.

“This year, we just really wanted to have an event because there isn’t a lot going on and so many things have been canceled and we just thought, ‘Well, if we can do this safely, let’s just give it our very best shot and try to keep everybody safe,’” Moors said. “It’s going to be different, and maybe not as convenient as it has been in the past, but hopefully we have a successful day and a successful event, and then next year we’ll be back to something a little different, maybe a little more extensive.”

In the way of attendance prognostications, Moors acknowledged he’s “really not sure what to expect,” considering the date change and ongoing pandemic concerns. Simply, “We’re hoping for a good event,” he said, then adding “the safety of our volunteers, attendees, our vendors is at the forefront.”

Moors asked those attending to exercise some patience: “We know it’s going to be a little different and it’s not going to be the same, but come out and enjoy it, have some fun and take a deep breath, and we’ll all get through this together.”

Meanwhile, festival-goers also will have a chance to land a sneak preview of The Block, downtown Dade City’s newest event and entertainment center located at 14313 Seventh St.

Walk-in tours of the facility will be offered, to let visitors check out the progress so far, with updates on the project’s brewhouse, CrossFit gym, wedding venue and other amenities.

The facility’s entrance corner will have an assortment of tents with a live band, and food and drinks during the Kumquat Festival, too.

While technically separate from the Kumquat Festival, Moors said having coinciding activities at The Block are “a fabulous addition” to festival day.

The Block is a new take on two existing buildings, totaling 21,000 square feet that run together with an outdoor patio with seats, tables and string lights hanging above.

The premises has an extensive history as a car dealership, going back for decades.

The renovated space, conceptualized by local real estate developer Larry Guilford, takes on some influences from the Tampa Heights neighborhood’s popular Armature Works.

The Block will include a wedding and event venue, outside bar, brewery, catering business, space for food trucks, CrossFit gym and more. It is slated to open this spring.

For more information about the Kumquat Festival, visit KumquatFestival.org, or call The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce at 352-567-3769.

24th annual Kumquat Festival
When: March 27, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Historic downtown Dade City, near Meridian Avenue and Seventh Street
Cost: Free admission, free parking
Details: Festival-goers have a chance to get a taste of Old Florida, in a community known for its hospitality and charm. There will be loads of vendors, places to purchase food and drink, activities for kids, and a car and truck show, among other things.

Published March 24, 2021

County transfers funds for park improvements

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Pasco County has transferred funding from its engineering services division to its parts, recreation and natural resources division to pay for land needed for a roads project.

The transferred funds, totaling $329,500, will pay for park improvements at the Samuel W. Pasco Recreation Complex, to include new sidewalks and an Americans with Disabilities Act accessible parking expansion, and the Wesley Chapel District Park T-Ball Field to include lighting and grading of that field.

The Pasco County Commission approved transferring the funds from engineering services to parks and recreation to purchase 6.59 acres, which was previously part of the Wesley Chapel District Park.

The land was needed to accommodate a northbound off-ramp from Interstate 75 and to widen Overpass Road, between I-75 and Boyette Road. The land will be contained in the right of way of the road project. The cost for the land was $50,000 per acre.

Published March 24, 2021

Celebrate women’s history month — with a cookie

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You may have already heard that a woman invented the recipe for the ever-popular chocolate chip cookie, but have you ever heard the back story?

Well, since it’s Women’s History Month, it seems an opportune time to share it — while at the same time celebrating women’s achievements in the arenas of food science, food safety, food technology — and myriad accomplishments in other fields, too.

The chocolate chip cookie, originated by Ruth Graves Wakefield, had its start in New England, during the 1930s.

The story of the chocolate cookie begins in the 1930s, when Ruth Graves Wakefield and her husband, Kenneth, ran the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts.

Ruth was in charge of making meals for the guests, and she quickly became well-known for her impressive baking skills. In fact, travelers came from all over New England to enjoy her bakery items.

Her go-to dessert to serve was chocolate butter drop do cookies, a popular recipe from colonial times.

On one particular day, in 1938, she went to bake them, as she normally would.

It’s not entirely clear what happened next.

One story says that Ruth lacked the baker’s chocolate she needed, so she took a piece of a Nestle semi-sweet chocolate bar and used an ice pick to chip off pieces of chocolate into the batter, thinking they would blend throughout the cookie dough and melt.

Of course, they held their shape — turning gooey and soft instead.

Another story says it wasn’t baker’s chocolate that she was lacking, it was nuts. So, instead of serving plain butter drop do cookies, she decided to add pieces of chocolate to substitute for the nuts.

There’s another theory, too — that one says that Ruth planned to make the chocolate chip cookies all along.

After all, she did have a degree in household arts, and worked as a food lecturer and dietitian.

Some say she had been experimenting with new desserts with a friend, Sue Brides, and that the cookies were a result of her meticulous recipe development.

Whatever the case, the new cookies became a guest favorite.

She called them Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies, and regularly made them  for visitors.

Their popularity grew throughout the Northeast.

She had originally published a recipe book in 1931; she added the chocolate chip cookie recipe in a 1939 reprint edition.

The recipe was then featured in the Boston Herald, and was later promoted on the radio show “Famous Foods from Famous Eating Places,” hosted by the brand character Betty Crocker, according to the New York Times.

After that radio show, the cookies became nationally known.

Nestle’s sale of chocolate bars skyrocketed.

Ruth sold the rights to Nestle to print her recipe, in 1939, and the company later hired her to be a consultant on future recipes.

It’s said the best perk of her job was free chocolate for life.

Nestle also started selling “chocolate morsels” — commonly called chocolate chips — that same year.

The company printed the recipe for the cookies on the back of its packaging.

In fact, that’s where you can still find it today — with a few changes to make it current.

Ruth and her husband sold the Toll House Inn in 1966.

The inn caught fire in 1984 — a sad ending to a place where culinary history had been made.

Still, the name lives on, through the recipe for a cookie that’s become a favorite for many.

By Shari Bresin

Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County.

Recipe
Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (Optional. If omitting, add 1 to 2 Tbsp. of all-purpose flour.)

Directions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375° F.

Step 2: Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Step 3: Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe and cookie image courtesy of NESTLÉ®. NESTLÉ® NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® are trademarks of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.

Published March 24, 2021

Pasco County supports youth program

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a two-year lease to Youth Entrepreneurial Services Inc. (YES), for office space at the Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St., in Dade City.

The lease term begins on March 1 and ends on Feb. 28, 2023. Terms also include two additional one-year renewal options.

The YES program focuses on serving youths and young adults, between the ages of 11 and 25, to help them develop innovative thinking and entrepreneurial skills.

The lease covers 140 square feet of space, plus non-exclusive use of classroom 1, common parking and common areas.

In addition to the rent charge of $1 a year, the organization also will pay its pro-rata share of the utilities in the annual amount of $240.

Published March 24, 2021

Pasco County’s budget forecast looks bright, budget director says

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Pasco County’s taxable assessed values are expected to increase 7% to 10% for the coming budget year, according to Robert Goehig, the county’s budget director.

He delivered that forecast during the Pasco County Commission’s March 9 meeting.

The budget director gave board members an overview of impacts from COVID-19 on the county’s economy, and the way looking forward.

“When the coronavirus and the pandemic first came upon us, we experienced the economic recession, which is defined, of course, as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth,” he said.

The recession was much deeper than the Great Recession experienced from 2007 to 2009, but it was much shorter, too — lasting just two economic quarters, Goehig said.

“We’re expecting the economy to move along at kind of a very slow pace, until a substantial portion of the population is vaccinated, whether that be April, May, June, whatever that is. “Once we have that substantial portion of the population vaccinated, we expect the economy to grow at a very fast pace.

“Luckily, we’re in an area that’s expected to see growth even above the national average.

“If we’re expecting a national growth rate of 8%, we’re expecting the Tampa rate to be higher than that,” Goehig said.

Industries expected to have the most growth are construction, financial services and other services, which include repair and maintenance, personal care services and social advocacy, according to slides in Goehig’s presentation.

“We have some evidence to point toward the fast-growing Tampa region,” he said, noting that Tampa Bay startups raised $180 million in 2020, compared to $129 million in 2018.

He also noted that Tampa leads the nation in small business job growth.

Plus, more corporations from the northeast region of the country are relocating to Florida. And, more residents are moving here, too, he said.

All of this is having an impact on the region’s housing market.

“The existing home price in the past year or so took a sharp spike,” he said, which indicates a shortage in existing homes for sale.

“This partially explains the reason that so much new construction is happening in our region,” Goehig said.

Regional home values are on the rise, in both the resale and new construction market.

There has been a price appreciation of 8% for resale homes and 9% for new homes, while at the same time there’s been a 7% increase in new home sales.

Goehig offered evidence of Pasco’s hot market by noting “two of the top 50 planned housing communities in the United States, two of those best-sellers are right here in Pasco. That’s Starkey Ranch and Bexley,” the budget director added.

“Of course, all of this growth does come at a price, and that is inflation. Our area is more than double the national average in inflation,” he said.

Demand for construction materials is causing the price to go up, and the county is expected to feel the effects of inflation, in particular, during construction of roads and buildings, he said.

During fiscal year 2021, the county was very conservative because of the pandemic, and didn’t bring on much new spending, Goehig said.

This year, with a brighter outlook, the county can invest in some new initiatives, he said.

Plus, Goehig said the county will be waiting for guidance from the treasury department before recommending how to spend any funds coming from the recently passed federal stimulus bill.

Meanwhile, on the local front, construction of single-family homes has kicked into high gear.

“At the end of the year, we were seeing single-family home permits coming into the building department at record levels, at 600 homes per month.

“We thought we were at the peak, we can’t possibly get any higher. And, then we turned the calendar in January, had almost 900 single-family homes in January.

“So, we expect this to continue,” he said.

The permit value for commercial construction also is significantly higher, too, the budget director said.

Plus, the county is benefiting from tourism — as visitors pay bed taxes and spend money in the local economy.

Goehig noted that “with the exception of the gas tax, revenue is on an upward trajectory.”

The county expects to receive information about its preliminary taxable values from the property appraiser on June 1 and the final assessed values on July 1.

The county is expected to set its tentative tax rates on July 6, which are reported in Truth in Millage (TRIM) notices mailed to property owners.

Once the TRIM notices go out, the board can choose to lower the rates, but cannot raise them, when adopting its final budget.

Published March 17, 2021