The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

New businesses beginning to pop up, along U.S. 41

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The signs sprouting along U.S. 41 — which is also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard — are an indication that new development is beginning to take root, on the main artery through Land O’ Lakes and Lutz.

New restaurants, a car wash and gas stations are coming. A new coffeehouse and meat shop have opened. A medical center and other developments, are planned, too.

None of this is on the same grand scale of the Tampa Premium Outlets or the Cypress Creek Town Center along State Road 56, but something is happening along Land O’ Lakes Boulevard that hasn’t happened in years.

A new restaurant is in planning stages on a site at 4422 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. It briefly was occupied by a restaurant called Mosquito Bar & Grill, and before that, Rapscallions. (Kathy Steele)

New businesses are taking a chance on a long overlooked, heavily traveled highway.

“This is great,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, whose district includes Land O’ Lakes. “As they have begun filling up along State Road 54/56, you’re seeing more happening along U.S. 41.”

Much of the new activity on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard extends from Bell Lake Road north toward State Road 52 and a nearly $50 million highway project that passes through Gowers Corner at U.S. 41.

For sale signs are plentiful, sites have been cleared and construction is underway — conveying a sense that new commercial projects are on the way, or could be coming soon.

A new Circle K gas station and convenience store is in the works at 7767 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., according to county records.

The project is being built by Frontier Building, according to a news release from that company, and the Circle K is expected to open in July.

Redstone Commercial is marketing more open land next to the Circle K.

Zaxby’s and Vortex carwash are planned for a location at U.S. 41 and Wilderness Lake Boulevard, according to posted signs and county records.

A 7-Eleven is anticipated at Bell Lake Road, along with another 7-Eleven at 9077 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., near the Tierra Del Sol subdivision, county records show.

Ps & Qs will be fluffing and styling pets from a new doggie day and boarding facility planned for 7495 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., near the community of Connerton.

Heights Meat Market, a longtime presence in the Tampa neighborhood of Seminole Heights, is operating at a small plaza at 5132 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. It opened in early 2020.

Aroma Joe’s coffeehouse is serving java, breakfast and sandwiches in a shop by the Preserve at Lake Wilderness.

Aroma Joe’s is a new coffeehouse open in a small plaza by the Preserve at Lake Wilderness, off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

A new restaurant is expected to open at 4422 Land O’ Lakes Blvd, the site previously occupied briefly by Mosquito Bar & Grill and before that by Rapscallions, a popular meeting place.

No details are yet available regarding what the new restaurant will look like, or the type of cuisine it will serve.

The old restaurant structure has fallen into disrepair, after its closure in 2013.

Longtime Land O’ Lakes resident Sandy Graves remembers how popular Rapscallions was, especially among nearby Bell Lake residents.

Graves is pleased to see some new development and redevelopment along Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

“It’s nice to see any kind of progress,” Graves said. “I’d love to see more. It’s nice to see a new restaurant.”

There’s definitely room for improvement, she added, noting there’s still a lot of Land O’ Lakes that looks “stuck in the ’60s.”

Graves looks forward to bicycle trails being built in the future that follow along the old railroad tracks. And the completion of the Ridge Road extension, which will emerge at U.S. 41 across from Connerton, also could help, she said.

“It will be a lot easier going east and west in the county. I think things are looking up for Land O’ Lakes, which extends to the outlet mall.”

Graves sees positive changes along the northern corridor at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Frontier Building announced the construction of a Circle K gas station and convenience store, at 7767 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

County officials and officials from Pasco County Economic Development Council Inc., previously have touted potential economic investment in the area that is likely to result from the development of the K9 Tactical Center/Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security, and Tactics, or F.I.R.S.T., and the Adam Kennedy Memorial Forensics Fields, also known as the body farm.

These facilities are expected to attract forensics-related businesses and organizations, as well as national and international visitors to forensics conferences.

Road improvements on a northern segment of U.S. 41, plus substantial improvements along State Road 52, also are expected to support new development efforts.

And, the development of the Angeline community — along with a planned Pasco County campus of Moffitt Research Center — are expected to have a significant economic impact in Land O’ Lakes.

County records show developers are getting ready for what comes once the roadwork is finished.

Five years ago, the Tibbetts family rezoned its property at the southwest corner of Gowers Corner for residential and commercial development. No projects are announced as yet.

On property adjacent to the Tibbetts’ parcels, county records show Sandridge Commercial LLC applied for a “mass grading” permit to level and prep a large swath of land for an unidentified project.

Gowers Corner and U.S. 41 are on the development radar.

Meanwhile, the signs of new development on U.S. 41 are much less obvious south of Bell Lake.

O’Reilly Auto Parts has opened a store at 3600 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., and the Walmart Supercenter, at 1575 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is opening a fueling station.

Businesses along the southern end of Land O’ Lakes struggle to redevelop properties after a road widening years ago that chopped off frontage, Graves said.

The county may need to consider overlay districts at locations along U.S. 41, to foster redevelopment efforts, she said.

By Kathy Steele

Published March 10, 2021

Award-winning smiles and good sportsmanship on display

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It was one of those days when everyone went home a winner.

Athletes and staff members make their way around the track during the Special Olympics Showcase, at Achievers Day School, at 18288 U.S. 41 in Lutz. The school is for children with special needs, and on this day, they had a chance to show off skills they’ve been developing through the year. (Fred Bellet)

About 30 athletes even had medals to prove it.

They clearly relished their moment in the sun, as they demonstrated their skills in  jumping, balancing, running, and kicking a ball during the Special Olympics Showcase at Achievers Day School, in Lutz.

Six-year-old Annabella Rose, of Tampa, gets some help with her swing, from an Achievers Day School staffer.

Players from the Tampa Bay Tornadoes arena football team were on hand during the Feb. 26 event, to help out with the special track and field events.

Staffers from Achievers Day School — a private school for children with special needs — also were there to offer help or moral support, as the athletes rounded the bases, or ran on the track, or did their bit to shoot a soccer ball or make an athletic move.

It was an afternoon that gave these young athletes a chance to put into action the motor skills they’ve been developing all year.

And, it wasn’t always easy to tell who was happier — the athletes, or the spectators there cheering on as their favorite athlete showed what he, or she, could do.

Published March 10, 2021

‘Coach’ Zack Cimaglia runs with Eliezer Hernandez during a track event. Players from the Tampa Bay Tornadoes professional arena football team were on hand to help out.
Three year-old Wyatt Edwards, of Dade City, beams with pride and happiness, while holding the Special Olympics gold medal he just received from ‘Coach’ Zack Cimaglia, a kicker for the Tampa Bay Tornadoes professional arena football team.
Fourteen-year-old Savanna Sanders flashes a smile of success, during a ball game at Achievers Day School, on Special Olympics Day. Registered behavioral therapist Payton DeAndre, of Plant City, doubled as a base coach that day.
Yara Caceres’ glasses reveal the track and field event she was watching at the Special Olympics. The Land O’ Lakes resident was waiting for her son, Sebastian Ortiz, 13, to round the track.
Five-year-old Alessia Bowman, of Land O’ Lakes, bounces off the soccer netting — after kicking the ball into the goal.
It’s a proud moment for 8-year-old Alana Alderman, as she receives her gold medal for taking part in the Special Olympics at Achievers Day School in Lutz.

Pasco School Board asks for reprieve from state accountability impacts

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The Pasco County School Board has passed a resolution asking for a reprieve from the state’s accountability standards this year, to avoid potential punitive consequences.

The board is seeking to avoid any negative outcomes on teachers, students or schools that could occur based on results of the Florida Standards Assessments, known as FSA for short.

Specifically, the board approved a resolution that requests the governor and commissioner of education “to provide safe harbor to students, teachers, schools, and districts, by pausing negative consequences of the accountability system based on statewide assessments for the 2020-2021 school year.”

The resolution was adopted on March 2, on a 4-0 vote, with Allen Altman, board chairman, absent.

The board’s action followed a discussion of the issue on Feb. 16, prompted by concerns raised by board member Alison Crumbley.

Crumbley said it wouldn’t be fair to use the FSA results for anything other than a diagnostic tool to identify strengths and weaknesses, because of COVID impacts.

Other board members agreed noting teachers shouldn’t be held responsible for testing results, especially for MySchool Online students who had failed to participate.

At the same Feb. 16 meeting, Crumbley questioned how school grades could be “considered accurate, during these COVID-related times.”

In other action at the March 2 meeting, the board:

• Renamed the James Irvin Education Center and Harry Schwettman Education Center. The new names will be the East Pasco Education Academy, James Irvin Campus and the West Pasco Education Academy, Harry Schwettman Campus.

These schools will begin offering voluntary placements options with diploma pathways for students. The Harry Schwettman complex will be relocated to the former Hudson Elementary School site. Additionally, the programs at Achieve Center of Pasco will be relocated to these schools.

• Superintendent Kurt Browning reported that the Department of Health-Pasco County had agreed to 2,500 doses of vaccine, expected as early as the weekend of March 6 and March 7, to vaccinate school district employees, who are at least 50 years old.

Those vaccines are in addition to the 500 second doses for district personnel, scheduled the same weekend.

Board member Cynthia Armstrong said she has been vaccinated, and encouraged others to get vaccinated when they can. “It brings you wonderful peace of mind, to go ahead and get the vaccine,” she said.

• Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco, announced that both school-related personnel and instruction staff overwhelmingly approved this year’s contracts. The SRP contract passed with 98% approval; instructional passed with 95% approval, he said.

Peace thanked the superintendent and the board for their part in the negotiations.

“I think that the results show that this was a fair and equitable contract,” Peace said.

Published March 10, 2021

Small changes, big difference

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Pasco County Utilities (PCU) encourages residents to take the time to check inside and outside their homes for ways to conserve water and avoid excess water use.

When it comes to saving water and money, small changes can make a big difference.

Make small adjustments inside and outside your home, to conserve water and avoid excessive water use — it can help save money, too. (File)

Here are some helpful tips from PCU:

  • Check for leaks. The Water Research Foundation found that 13% of water used indoors was being lost to household leaks. If the toilet runs or you have to jiggle the handle, more than 180 gallons of water can be lost per hour.
  • Clean or replace filters in your water softener, pool, refrigerator ice/water dispenser, and under the sink. Filter maintenance helps appliances to run efficiently and reduces the potential for leaks.
  • Use a spray nozzle to prevent outdoor water loss. When a hose is forgotten and left running, up to 500 gallons of water can be wasted per hour.
  • Pool covers help to retain water levels and to keep out debris. Water evaporates at the rate of about 1,000 gallons per month from a pool.
  • Change the batteries in an irrigation system. During a power outage, the battery backup prevents the system from resetting to the factory setting, often programmed to water daily.
  • Establish the right plants in the right place to decrease the use of water, pesticides and fertilizers.

To view all resources available, visit bit.ly/SaveH2OPasco.

Residents also can learn how to read their own meter at bit.ly/myPCUmeter.

Published March 10, 2021

Hercules Park renovations may include BMX track

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Over the past several months, the City of Zephyrhills has pondered ways to spruce up the Hercules Park property at the corner of County Road 54 and Gall Boulevard, next to Zephyrhills High and Woodland Elementary schools.

Following meetings with consulting firm Kimley-Horn, public works, and the parks and recreation advisory board, city officials may have an answer for the languished 12-acre site —  a BMX (bicycle motocross) track where mountain bike enthusiasts traverse winding trails and thrilling jumps, in a safe and comfortable setting.

Renovations to Hercules Park could feature a circuitous BMX bike track with jumps and rollers, among other amenities. This conceptual sketch was unveiled during a Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board of Commissioners meeting in January. The 12-acre park site is situated at the corner of County Road 54 and Gall Boulevard, next to Zephyrhills High and Woodland Elementary schools (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency Director Gail Hamilton detailed how the BMX track idea came to be formed, during a January CRA Board of Commissioners meeting.

“We asked Kimley-Horn to look at the park and try to figure out what we can do with it to give the kids something to do and give the public something to do. There’s nothing on the north end of town as far as a park goes, and I heard very loud and clear from some of the CRA members in this year’s budget they wanted to see something at Hercules.

“If you are walking through those pine trees and those oak trees (at the park), it’s beautiful, and you don’t want to cut those trees down, so, as we were walking around the consultant said, ‘What about a BMX bike track around here? Kids would love it. It’s wooded, and we could do jumps and all kinds of stuff…’”

Hamilton proceeded to unveil a conceptual sketch plan — showing a circuitous riding trail spanning roughly 5.29 acres of the park property, albeit with many details still to be hashed out.

Height levels on jumps and bumps haven’t yet been determined, though the track is expected to have variations for beginner, intermediate and advanced bikers.

Surface material hasn’t been decided, either, though one possibility is a dirt track with wooden features for jumps and stunts. Hamilton described the course overall as “something kids could be excited about and not hurt themselves on.”

Also proposed is a paved pathway encircling the BMX course for parents, walkers and runners to use for general exercise purposes.

Hamilton told the board the BMX track concept received strong support from the city’s parks and recreation advisory board: “They were pretty pumped about it and excited about it.”

Remaining Hercules Park property upgrades would take on a mostly passive vibe, with a nearly 1-acre open playfield, 1.42-acre playground and picnic/shelter area, and a soft walking trail surrounding an existing retention pond and lighted fountain spray.

The open playfield — to be situated at the former Hercules Aquatic Center— would offer a grassy space for throwing footballs, frisbees and so on. “Kids can just run and play; they don’t have to be contained,” Hamilton noted.

The playground, meanwhile could include some nature-based equipment beyond conventional slides and swings — think rock climbs, tunnels, rope play structures and more.

No established budget has yet been put forth for the entire Hercules Park renovation, nor is there a timeline for construction; the city also plans to seek public-private partnerships to get a project in motion. “Right now, we’re at a 30,000-foot view on this,” Hamilton said, signaling preliminary plans.

Following Hamilton’s presentation, the CRA Board expressed enthusiasm with the overall park concept, while putting forth some input of their own.

At least one sticking point may be ensuring various segments of the park have ample lighting, particularly for evening hour use. Said board member Ken Burgess: “I think we need to look and make sure there’s some well-lit areas, especially in the wintertime when it gets darker early; we want to make sure it’s pretty well-lit there.”

In addition to its proximity to local schools, Hercules Park borders a Wawa gas station and Culver’s fast food restaurant, which could prompt those patrons to also drop by the park to have a relaxing meal.

The park also is accessible to surrounding neighborhood developments through Henry Drive.

Should the concept follow through, it would create an amenity otherwise not readily available to the East Pasco community. (Local BMX enthusiasts have previously tried accessing the Zephyrhills Skatepark at Krusen Field for those purposes.)

The closest public BMX pump tracks in the surrounding Tampa Bay area include Tampa BMX in Lutz and Oldsmar BMX.

There were preliminary discussions last fall on a nonprofit group bringing a BMX track and bike park to a 23-acre tract situated off the intersection of State Road 54 and Gunn Highway, in the Odessa/Trinity area in Pasco County. Under that proposal, about 3 acres would be used for a BMX dirt race course made of various jumps and rollers.

Published March 10, 2021

New partnership aims to prepare tomorrow’s workforce

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Pasco County Schools has launched a new CTE Career Advisory Council aimed at helping the district’s graduates prepare for the world of work — while, at the same time, giving employers a chance to weigh in on what skills are needed for employees to be successful.

The advisory council also aims to give local businesses a chance to help develop the community’s future workforce.

Kristine Hensley, a career counselor at Wiregrass Ranch High School and Jennifer Batchelor, a career specialist in the district’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) division, explained the new advisory council during a recent breakfast Zoom session, and invited members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber to get involved.

The advisory council’s work has the potential to affect thousands of students enrolled in career and technical courses and programs across the district, Batchelor said.

“Currently in Pasco County, we have programs of study, or academies, that fit into 13 of the National Career Clusters. Within CTE — Career and Technical Ed — in Pasco County Schools, we’ve got 574 courses that are specific to those programs.

“We’ve got 17,000 middle and high school students — over 17,000 middle school and high school students — that are currently enrolled in one of these courses, or programs of study,” she said.

Previously, schools had their own advisory councils. This new approach puts the focus on career fields, with the aim to improve the district’s preparation of students, as well as expand their opportunities to get real-world experiences.

Concerns about keeping people safe during COVID has had an impact on opportunities that are currently available, but once things open up, the district hopes that will change, Batchelor said.

“We’re going to be looking for experiential learning opportunities. We need our students to get hands-on experience,” said.

Besides learning about occupations and jobs, the idea is to get students out to see how what they’re learning plays out in the workplace.

“They need to be out there seeing what it’s like in the real world,” Batchelor said.

There will be many different ways to get involved — through sharing expertise or providing suggestions on curriculum, to job-shadowing or offering other ways for students to get a real feel for the world of work.

“Work-based learning experiences are key for these students,” Batchelor said.

Hensley, career specialist at Wiregrass, told the chamber members, via Zoom: “Your involvement will be key to making sure that we are actually aligning what we’re teaching to what all of you need.”

Besides inviting chamber members to get involved, both Batchelor and Hensley encouraged them to put out the word to others who might want to get involved.

The advisories are career-focused and will help students across the district, rather than at any particular school, Batchelor said.

She added: “There are a lot of ways to help these students figure out what they are going to do, once they leave high school.”

Those interested in getting involved, or learning more, should contact Pam Willoughby at or Jen Batchelor at .

Published March 10, 2021

AdventHealth expands cancer care in Pasco

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AdventHealth Wesley Chapel has unveiled a 24-bed, inpatient oncology unit, dedicated to the care of cancer patients.

The 13,000-square-foot unit has private rooms, to substantially decrease infection risks for cancer patients, according to a news release from the hospital chain.

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel also unveiled two new state-of-the-art operating rooms, expanding the hospital’s ability to provide its clinical expertise in surgical care, the release says.

“Many of our cancer patients have had to travel outside Pasco County for the specialized care they need, and we’re excited to provide convenient access to that expert care right here in our community,” Erik Wangsness, president and CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, said in the release.

The addition of the unit also allows the hospital to expand its workforce and hire more nurses, specifically for the care of cancer patients.

“AdventHealth has a vision to expand its footprint to provide trusted, innovative cancer care to many of our growing communities,” Elizabeth Hayden, director of oncology for AdventHealth West Florida Division, adds in the release. “Our greater strategy is to build on our connected network of care to provide cancer patients in all of our counties with the access to exceptional cancer care when they need us most.”

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel is home to a number of surgical cancer services and screening opportunities for the community and survivorship programs geared toward patients who are post-treatment and in remission, the release says.

For more information, visit AdventHealth.com, or Facebook.com/AdventHealth.

Published March 10, 2021

Mariano is regional planning council chair

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Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano has been selected to chair the board for the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, according to a news release.

Mariano was selected as chairman of the board for 2021, during the board’s Feb. 8 meeting.

The council represents the Tampa Bay region, with its board leadership coming from Manatee, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Mariano, who was first elected to the Pasco County Commission in 2004, is now serving his fourth term on the county board. He has previously served as chairman of the county board and also of regional planning council.

Only four elected officials during the regional planning council’s 59-year history have been selected to be board chairman twice, the release says.

The regional planning council works with six counties and 21 municipalities as they make long-range plans related to the future of the Tampa Bay region.

The council’s work focuses on resiliency, planning for climate change and sea level rise, environmental management, water quality, emergency preparedness planning, protection and restoration of the Tampa Bay estuary and numerous other issues.

To find out more, visit TBRPC.org.

Published March 10, 2021

Tampa water changes to affect Pebble Creek

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A Tampa Water Department maintenance project is expected to affect some Hillsborough County water customers, including those living in Pebble Creek, according to a Hillsborough County news release.

The Tampa Water Department plans to temporarily change its water disinfection process to chlorine, from March 8 to March 29.

The water distributed in Pebble Creek during that period will be converted from chloramine to chlorine disinfection.

The system is scheduled to return to chloramine disinfection by March 30, according to the release.

Customers within the affected areas may notice a slight difference in the taste and odor of their drinking water while chlorine is in use.

Users of dialysis machines and owners of aquarium fish are advised to seek professional advice to ensure that the pretreatment steps they currently use to remove chloramines will accommodate the scheduled change in water disinfection.

Customers with any health questions or concerns are encouraged to contact their health care provider.

For additional information, customers may contact Hillsborough County Water Quality at 813-264-3835 or 813-744-5544.

Published March 10, 2021

USDA conservation program accepting applications

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The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)— through the Conservation Stewardship Program —  helps agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for expanding conservation activities while maintaining agricultural production on their land.

The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) also encourages adoption of new technologies and management techniques, according to a news release.

The application deadline to participate in the CSP is March 26, for fiscal year 2021.

Changes in the 2018 Farm Bill authorizes NRCS to accept new CSP enrollments from now until 2023, and it makes some improvements to the program.

These updates include:

  • NRCS now enrolls eligible applications based on dollars rather than acres. For fiscal 2021, NRCS in Florida can spend up to $3 million in the program, which covers part of the cost for producers implementing new conservation activities and maintaining their existing activities in all eligible land, such as private and tribal agricultural lands, cropland, rangeland, pastureland, private non-industrial private forestland (NIPF), farmstead and Associated Ag Land.
  • Higher payment rates are now available for certain conservation activities, including cover crops and resource conserving crop rotations.
  • The annual payment limitation of $40,000 no longer applies.

While applications are accepted throughout the year, interested producers should submit applications to their local NRCS office by the deadline to ensure their applications are considered for 2021 funding.

For additional information about CSP, contact your local USDA service center.

Published March 10, 2021