The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Rezoning recommended for Thomas townhomes

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a rezoning that would allow a 218-unit townhome development, off U.S. 41, about one-half mile north of Ehren Cutoff.

When it was originally proposed, there was significant neighborhood opposition, but no one spoke against the project during a May 21 virtual planning commission, and there was a letter of support for the project submitted by Jeremy Couch, president of the Glen Pine Homeowners Association.

“I understand that this developer has voluntarily agreed to several conditions that will be an improvement for how the property could be developed under the current land use and zoning,” Couch’s letter says.

“Having a townhome development at this location will not only benefit the surrounding property owners and the owners on Lake Thomas, it will benefit our community, as well.

“U.S. 41 needs continued investment to be the place that many desire it to be.

“With new homes, quickly come new retail and restaurant opportunities, that the area so dearly needs.

“We look forward to this project and additional development on U.S. 41,” the letter adds.

A land use change was previously approved by the Pasco County Commission, which cleared the way for consideration of a rezoning on the 45-acre site.

Applicants for the rezoning are N & Z Corporation and Two Sisters Land Trust.

During the course of public hearings on the land use change, Barbara Wilhite, an attorney representing the applicants, noted that the applicants have agreed to numerous conditions that address concerns raised by neighbors.

Among those conditions are height restrictions for the townhomes and buffering requirements. Additionally, no boating access — either motorized or not — will be allowed to Lake Thomas.

Also, access into and out of the project will be off U.S. 41, with a gated emergency-access only entrance to Little Lake Road, according to the conditions.

Planning Commissioner Chris Poole expressed concerns about traffic the development will generate, but ultimately voted in favor of the motion recommending approval of the request to the Pasco County Commission.

The land’s existing zoning allowed 100 single-family homes. The rezoning, if approved by the Pasco County Commission, allows 218 townhomes.

Published May 27, 2020

Seminar offers advice on coping amid pandemic

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Jesse Varnadoe mostly has kept an optimistic outlook, despite stay-at-home orders and quarantine protocols.

It hasn’t been easy, though.

Besides claiming lives and flattening the economy, the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a range of reactions — including loneliness, isolation, cabin fever and other responses.

Pasco-Hernando State College organized a virtual summit on helping others cope through the coronavirus disease-201 (COVID-19) pandemic, as it relates to loneliness and self-isolation during quarantine.

“Being stuck in the house, not being able to go anywhere — I started to get in a funk almost,” said Varnadoe, a student at Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC).

To stave off negative moods, the student said he tries to “make every day mean something.”

Even simple routines help, he said, such as folding laundry or hanging clothes. Staying in regular communication with friends and family helps, too.

His advice to others?

“Every day, make sure that you have something that you want to accomplish, even if it’s not much, and it’ll keep you on the right track, it’ll keep you moving, it’ll help you to not become depressed,” Varnadoe said.

He was one of several speakers on a virtual panel discussion organized by PHSC and designed to offer ways to help people cope through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speakers at the May 11 virtual summit included students, behavioral health experts and representatives from the college.

Panelist Rod Cunningham underscored the vulnerability of people in isolation.

Cunningham, who is the community outreach director with the Drug Enforcement Agency, observed that even vicious criminals are found lying in the fetal position when retrieved from solitary confinement.

“Men are not made to be alone,” Cunningham said.

He advised people to schedule social distancing activities that simply make them “feel better,” whether it’s gardening, reading, playing video games, or even perusing social media.

“It’s important to understand yourself and start to pull your plan together,” Cunningham said.

Panelist Harold Jackson suggested one way to lighten things up is to take a humorous look at certain aspects of the pandemic.

For instance, he joked: “If you need a 144 rolls of toilet paper, you probably needed to see a doctor before COVID-19 hit.”

“There are aspects of this thing that we can laugh about, because we’re not laughing a lot today,” said Jackson, who is a community relations liaison with Tampa Family Health Centers.

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. (Courtesy of the CDC)

He also suggested that people draw on whatever faith-based experiences or readings they have, “to move forward through (the pandemic).”

Dr. Joe Bohn, a professor at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, recommended using the new-found personal downtime to pick up a new skill or hobby.

He is following his own advice by taking online dance classes.

Amidst the pandemic, it’s been therapeutic, he said.

He’s also passed along what he’s learned about dancing to other professors and students.

“It’s helped them, given them an outlet,” he said. “I think it’s one of these things of having something to do every day.”

Some panelists from the college also offered suggestions on what the college can do to help support PHSC’s large student body during this pandemic.

Dr. Eddie Williams said many students are facing financial issues, technological issues and increased bouts of anxiety.

The assistant professor, who works in human services, called upon faculty and staff to be proactive in “letting students know the resources that are out there.”

He noted it is particularly important to do that because some students are reluctant to ask.
He said he’s personally been reaching out to struggling students who haven’t been quite as active in virtual classes. He think that’s something that more instructors should do.

Even a simple phone call can set them back on the right track, he said.

“They get very surprised and happy, and they feel supported, usually by me just calling,” he said. “I let them know to communicate with me. Let them know what’s out there and let them know you’re supporting them.”

Dr. Micheal Jones, a psychology professor at the college and the men’s basketball coach said faculty must take a leadership role.

During times of crisis, he said, “it’s our due diligence to reach out to the students.”

He advocates for more robust mental health support groups and services on campus, because he believes there will be an influx of students facing issues with anxiety and depression come fall.

“We just have to be prepared to be able to service these students with the issues that they’re dealing with, especially coming back from this pandemic,” Jones said.

“I think this is one of the things that students never really thought could happen, but it happened, so we’ve got to find a way to support them and keep them enrolled, and keep them positive,” he said.

Published May 27, 2020

Virtual orientations offered to ‘Bigs’

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Due to the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Tampa Bay has had to cancel all in-person community orientations and trainings for adult mentors and role models, or “Bigs.” Virtual orientations now are offered, instead.

‘Big’ Howie Taylor, right, stands alongside his ‘Little’ Hunter, last year, after being united through the mentorship program Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. (File)

Throughout the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is crucial for the organization to maintain its mentoring of relationships.

Many of the BBBS children in the program, called “Littles,” would welcome hearing from a friend who can help ease their fears and provide a distraction.

Depending on the program, all it takes is four hours to eight hours a month, with a focus on being consistent and spending “virtual” quality time with a Little.

The first step is to attend a Big Orientation & Training session to learn about the BBBS programs, commitments, expectations, and its kids.

Virtual orientations are offered twice a week. No preregistration or RSVP is required.

Upcoming meetings are:

  • June 2 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and June 6 from 10:30 a.m. to noon
  • June 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and June 11 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • June 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and June 18 from noon to 1:30 p.m.
  • June 23 and June 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

To find out more on how to make a difference, visit BBBSTampaBay.org/virtual-big-orientation-trainings/.

Published May 27, 2020

Hillsborough County neighborhood parks reopening

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Hillsborough County has reopened neighborhood parks, green spaces and dogs, effective May 18, according to a county news release.

Although the parks are open, users must obey social distancing guidelines, and portions of many parks will continue to be off-limits, the release says.

Visitors are encouraged to wear face coverings and to bring water to hydrate and provide for pets. Tennis/pickleball courts and volleyball courts will be open, but no organized sports, activities or groups will be allowed.

Outdoor restrooms will be open at staffed sites.

The following areas remain closed:

  • Recreation centers/buildings
  • Athletic fields
  • Playgrounds
  • Shelters
  • Splash pads
  • Skate parks
  • All courts excluding tennis/pickleball and volleyball courts
  • Programs
  • Events and rentals

Several of the county’s conservation parks remain closed, but nature preserves and the following conservation parks are open, including:

  • Flatwoods Conservation Park, 14302 Morris Bridge Road in Thonotosassa, and 18205 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Tampa
  • Morris Bridge Off-Road Biking Area, 12651 Morris Bridge Road, Thonotosassa

Published May 27, 2020

Mighty Wurlitzer plays on, during pandemic

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When the iconic Tampa Theatre opened in downtown Tampa in 1926, it was hailed by The Tampa Daily Times as perhaps the finest achievement of its kind, south of the Mason-Dixon line.

John Eberson, who designed the movie palace, was known throughout America, for his atmospheric theaters.

The Tampa Theatre offers theater-goers a chance to enjoy a movie in one of the country’s finest movie palaces. Sometimes, when one of the theater’s volunteer organists is in the house, patrons get an extra treat: a pre-show of organ music. (Christine Holtzman)

Besides laying claim to being Tampa’s first air-conditioned building, the theater, at 711 N. Franklin St., boasted a Mighty Wurlitzer, which, at that time, had 1,400 pipes.

Flash forward to the present — when patrons arriving to the theater often are treated to a pre-show provided by one of the volunteer organists.

“People love it. They absolutely love it,” said Jill Witecki, the theater’s director of marketing and community relations.

“There is something about seeing that organ rise up out of the floor — and to know that 93 years ago, when we opened, that’s what you were hearing,” she said. “It’s magical.”

Like all movie venues across Florida, Tampa Theatre was forced to go dark because of concerns about the potential spread of the deadly coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

So, while its doors are closed, theater staff have turned to virtual offerings to continue providing ways to connect with patrons.

One such event is set for May 22 at 7 at p.m., when the nationally acclaimed organist Steven Ball will accompany the 1926 silent comedy film, “The General,” starring Buster Keaton.

Ball will play his original score to an empty theater auditorium, while the event is livestreamed on the Tampa Theatre Facebook Page.

Ball isn’t the only highly recognized organist to grace the stage at the historic theater.

Rosa Rio, one of the few female organists to play during the silent film era, also has accompanied films there.

Trained in classical music at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, Rio accompanied screenings at venues such as Loew’s Burnside Theatre in New York and Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, according to a story by Sherri Ackerman, published on Aug. 26, 1998 in The Tampa Tribune.

Rio survived the emergence of “talkies,” played live backup to national television soap operas and went on to teach some of the finest musicians in the country, according to Ackerman’s account.

Witecki recalled Rio’s performances at Tampa Theatre.

“Rosa didn’t come to us until much, much later in her life,” Witecki said, noting Rio had retired to Sun City Center and came to the theater to attend a friend’s concert.

“When she saw this place and saw this organ, and saw they were willing to bring in — you know — volunteer organists, she was on board,” Witecki said.

“She played for us for, I think, seven or eight years. She played up until a few months before she died — and, she died at 107,” Witecki said.

The organ feels right at home here
The Tampa Theatre is the perfect place for an instrument like the Mighty Wurlitzer, Witecki said.

“The architects never conceived of amplified sound coming out of speakers when they built this building. It was built for unamplified music. It was built for a 21-piece orchestra or a pipe organ. That’s why the music in here sounds so incredible,” she said.

When the movie palace opened, it featured silent films.

“It was live musicians sitting up there,” Witecki said.

“It wouldn’t be uncommon that the full orchestra would play the weekend shows, the big Friday night shows. But, on a weekday, if you didn’t want to pay 21 musicians to be here, you could bring in one organist instead,” she said.

“With an organ, it’s not just the organ that’s important. You’re also playing the building,” said Dave Cucuzza, a volunteer organist for the theater.

“The building picks up the sound and amplifies it,” he said.

Besides playing traditional rich organ tones, Tampa Theatre’s organ can produce all sorts of special effects, including a train whistle, a horn, a siren and others.

It can produce bright sounds, low sounds, soft sounds and loud sounds, Cucuzza said.

It can set a mood, create an atmosphere.

Cucuzza gets a thrill out of sharing his love for organ music.

“I want people to be able to hear that sound because what they’re hearing is the same exact thing that people heard in 1926, during the silent movie era,” the organist said.

And, while the sounds of the organ can transport people back in time, there was a time when the organ at Tampa Theatre fell silent.

After the talkies came along, the organ fell into disuse and was sold to Bayshore Baptist Church, where it remained for decades.

It was returned to Tampa Theatre in the 1980s, with the help of the Central Florida Theatre Organ Society. Members of that society help to maintain the organ and some of them volunteer to play for film screenings and events.

Witecki said the theater welcomes additional volunteer organists, but noted a vetting process is required.

The more volunteers the theater has, the more it can share a form of music not commonly heard today, she said.

The theater tries to offer organ music as often as it can before screenings.

However, Witecki noted: “We are at the mercy of our organists’ schedules, whether or not they are able to make it.”

During the holidays, for instance, there often are sing-alongs before the classic movies begin. Most of the shows during a recent season had coverage.

However, Witecki noted: “We did have a few shows that didn’t have an organist — and man, did we hear about it.”

You can’t visit the Tampa Theatre now, because like other movie theaters it is closed due to concerns over the potential spread of coronavirus disease-2019. When it reopens, though, it’s worth a visit — and be sure to get there early, in case there’s a volunteer organist offering a pre-show. For updates about the theater, check TampaTheatre.org.

Virtual ‘silent’ movie
What: Acclaimed organist Steven Ball will accompany the classic silent film, “The General,” a 1926 comedy starring Buster Keaton.
Where: The organist will play his original score to an empty auditorium, while the movie is live-streamed on the Tampa Theatre Facebook Page.
When: May 22 at 7 p.m.
Cost: There’s no charge the watch the movie, but donations are welcome.
Details: If you want to buy popcorn, that can be arranged in advance. Visit TampaTheatre.org/popcorn-pickup.

Want to play the Mighty Wurlitzer?
Tampa Theatre is looking to add to its cadre of volunteer organists. If you are interested, contact Jill Witecki at (813) 857-9089 or

Published May 20, 2020

Share your thoughts to help improve The Laker/Lutz News

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One of the few positive things about the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) crisis is that most of us have more time on our hands at home and on the job.

Having this additional time provides an opportunity to reflect on what is most important to us, and then make changes that will improve our lives personally and professionally.

Publisher Diane Kortus

It has allowed me to step back and reflect on what we do well at The Laker/Lutz News, what we could be doing better, and what new things we could offer our readers and advertisers.

To help us improve our community newspaper, we need your help, and are asking you to complete an online readership survey at www.research.net/r/150911. This survey is just 17 questions, and will take less than 10 minutes to complete. It asks you questions about what kinds of stories are most important to you, has a few demographic questions, and also asks what types of products and services you will be looking for as our economy continues to reopen.

To thank you for taking the time to complete the survey, we are giving away a $100 gift card to Publix, with the winner being randomly chosen in early June. We truly want your suggestions on how we can make our newspaper even more relevant to your life.

Fortunately for our company, Gov. Ron DeSantis deemed newspapers an essential business, and we’ve continued to write stories, deliver the newspaper to your home and help businesses reach our readers through advertisements.

Unlike many publications, we have not cut back on our circulation. We continue to print and deliver 47,395 papers every week in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City. In these communities, we are often the only weekly publication that gives readers pertinent information on how COVID-19 is impacting their lives in north Hillsborough and central and east Pasco counties.

Because there has been so much local news about COVID-19, we have expanded our Facebook presence with timely news that cannot wait until our next issue, and have taken great pleasure in sharing heartwarming stories and videos about neighbors helping neighbors, and letting you know how you can help, too.

It’s been said that newspapers are the original social medium — the glue that holds a community together. We provide credible reporting that you can trust on topics from government to prep sports. Plus, nothing replaces the photos you can cut out and tape to your refrigerator, or slip in an envelope and mail to someone you love.

While it’s true that regional, national and international news is easily found on the Internet, that’s not true when it comes to local news in your neighborhood. While The Laker/Lutz News has a robust website and active Facebook presence, our coverage of your community begins with our printed paper that is delivered every Wednesday to your home.

Please complete our survey so we can do an even better job of serving you.

Published May 20, 2020

Pasco schools brace for tough budget

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Pasco County Schools is gearing up for a tough budget year.

“We have been working on budget,” Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning told school board members at a May 5 virtual school board meeting.

“It’s not a so-rosy picture of a budget. We’re working with department budgets and the district budget as a whole. We know that it’s going to be tight, and we’re very cautious going into this next budget and school year, not knowing what the Legislature is going to do, or possibly do, as it relates to any special session.

“I just wanted the board to know that we’re having some very, very, very serious discussions about the budget,” Browning said.

Pasco County School board member Allen Altman tells board members that the district is likely to encounter a tough budget year. (File)

Board member Allen Altman told his colleagues that they need to be forward-thinking about the possibility of budget cuts.

He said having to make cuts during the Great Recession was “the worst experience of my elected career.”

“I can tell you that I’ve talked to a couple of directors of state agencies in the past week, who have quietly been told to look at what a 20% cut would do. And, I looked today at the sales tax figures for Florida for month of March and they were down $770 million, and April is expected to be even worse.

“We don’t need to start jumping out of ships yet, but I think that it would be prudent for us to be cognizant of the situation that the state and other local governments may be in and consider that, as we make decisions going forward,” he said.

He also told board members he had met with the Value Adjustment Board and the county’s tax roll will be certified at about $27.4 billion for 2019. That compares to slightly more than $25 billion for 2018.

But, he said, “there is some fear going forward that commercial real estate, especially in retail and boxes, could see upwards of a 20% decline.”

Board member Cynthia Armstrong said she listened to a webinar hosted by the Florida School Boards Association that featured three chief financial officers talking about what to expect, and what school boards should be doing.

Revenue figures for April will be released on May 25, which should give the district an idea of what it will be looking at, she said.

During the webinar, the CFO said  “to expect that it’s very possible that the Legislature might go into special session, say in November, and adjust the budget, and we definitely could have some drawbacks,” Armstrong said.

“So, when we do our budget, we’re going to have to think about that, that it’s very likely that the budget could be cut, partway through the year, and we need to make sure that we’re planning for that,” she said.

“It’s going to be a very tough budgeting year for us,” she said.

She also noted that supporting the pay raise that’s in state legislation may require the district to reduce its staffing allocations.

Armstrong also urged the board to return to a face-to-face board meetings, to the degree possible, as soon as possible.

She said that fosters better communications at a time when important conversations must be had.

School board member Alison Crumbley agreed that discussions are more effective when they are done in person, to the degree possible.

“Hopefully, we’re going to get to that point really, really soon,” she said.

School will feel different, going forward
Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco (USEP), commented on distance learning and what to expect in the future.

“Some students have found that they are better suited to this manner of learning. Still others long to be back in the traditional classroom, interacting with teachers and classmates,” Peace said.

“Maybe there’s case to be made that a hybrid of sorts could be utilized for future learning, capturing the best of both worlds,” Peace added.

“Whatever the case, I think we better have some options available next fall.

“However next year plays out, whether we start on time, or after Labor Day, it will definitely not be the same scenario that we left before Spring Break.

“Families may decide it not best for their student to return to a brick-and-mortar building for either real, or imagined, fears.

“Some of our teachers may elect not to return for their own reasons.

“I think that next year is going to be really trying for all of us, in matters other than just financial.

“I am asking the district to keep USEP in the communication loop, regarding any future plans, as we certainly are all in this together,” Peace said.

Published May 20, 2020

Zephyrhills OKs alcohol sales at tennis center

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At the forthcoming Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center, after a sweaty session of volleys and serves, players will be able to slake their thirst with an adult beverage or two.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved the sale of beer and wine — but no liquor —  at the city-owned facility’s indoor restaurant/café. The action came during a virtual council meeting on May 11.

The original request for alcohol sales came from Pascal Collard, who’s private management company is operating the $4.9 million tennis center, set to open in July, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

Beer and wine sales will be allowed at the new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of David Alvarez)

Situated on more than 8 acres of land, the complex will feature 11 outdoor tennis courts built to United States Tennis Association (USTA) standards, plus eight pickleball courts, four padel courts and an event pavilion.

The facility also features an adjoining 7,400-square-foot indoor space that will house the restaurant/café, as well as a fitness and rehabilitation studio, salt/sauna room, cryotherapy, pro shop, kid’s area and more.

Collard expressed the need for a beer and wine license, in a memo to council members. He explained the sale of beer and wine is needed to help lure a new restaurant business partner. Wesley Chapel-based Buttermilk Provisions planned to run the restaurant/café, but backed out following the rise of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The primary focus of our business is to provide a place where people can gather to play sports, meet friends, benefit from our wellness offers, and spend time over food and drinks,” Collard wrote in the memo.

Alcohol sales could be a “make or break” contract opportunity with any prospective new restaurant partner, Collard noted in the memo.

Council members concurred with Collard’s request, to help him cast a wide net to attract another partner as the state-of-the-art facility readies for a summer opening. Also, they feel confident that the consumption of beer and wine will be done judiciously.

Councilman Lance Smith put it like this: “The tennis folks aren’t going to get all ripped up after they have a tennis match.”

Collard later told The Laker/Lutz News he’s signed on Mike and Sue Prenderville as restaurant partners.

The Prendervilles own Song Printing & Design in downtown Zephyrhills, and Mike once operated one of the largest pubs in London, England, Collard said.

The facility’s restaurant/café would operate for lunch and dinner, with a brunch option on weekends, per the memo. Daily operating hours of the café typically will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., then opening at 10 a.m. on weekends. (The tennis complex’s gym will open at 5:30 a.m. everyday, however.)

The restaurant is expected to provide a full menu of hot and cold food, with the ability to offer a juice and protein shake bar and other non-alcoholic beverages.

The ambiance of the facility’s restaurant/café will consist of  “easy listening music,” the memo says. No televisions or dance floor are planned.

Noise will be limited because no loud music will be played, Collard wrote.

The city has previously granted alcohol sales at city-owned, but privately-managed facilities.

Years ago, the council approved such sales at the city-owned municipal golf course, which is leased to a private operator, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said.

City ordinance allows for the sale of alcoholic beverages within 300 feet of a school, provided seating capacity is not less than 25 and at least 51% of combined gross sales comes from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages.

The tennis center’s café will be audited annually to ensure they meet that standard, Poe said.

Meantime, the council also approved a request to use $100,000 from the city’s tree mitigation funds to plant more trees throughout the tennis center property.

The additional funding brings the total landscape budget for the project to $200,000.

The contract for the $4.9 million guaranteed maximum price of construction project had called only for $100,000 for landscaping and irrigation.

As a result of the council’s action, the city’s tree mitigation fund has been reduced to $41,000.

Though the measure passed unanimously, council members advised city staffers to have better cost estimates on large projects in the future.

“We need to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” said Smith, noting the original $100,000 allocation for landscaping seemed “a paltry sum” on a nearly $5 million recreation project.

Councilman Jodi Wilkeson pointed out the tree mitigation fund “is only good when development is good.” “When we have a lull in development, it takes a long time to get that (up), so for us to spend it all in (one) fell swoop, makes me a little nervous,” she said.

Council president Ken Burgess said he’s not opposed to using tree mitigation funds for the tennis center, but added, “I just think we maybe need to take a closer look at something like this on the front end so that we don’t end up with something like this on the back end.”

Council members expressed concern about all-but bottoming out the mitigation fund so quickly. The tree mitigation fund is made up of fees property owners and developers pay when they are unable to mitigate trees removed from their property.

In other action, the council:

• Approved a final plat for an additional 20 single-family residential lots in the Zephyr Lakes subdivision, a 63-acre development north of Pretty Pond Road and west of Wire Road.

• Approved purchase of a new public works front-load sanitation truck totaling $269,116.50, using sanitation reserves funds ($174,116.50) and insurance provider funds ($95,000). The purchase replaces a 14-year-old sanitation truck damaged beyond repair in February after a fire formed in the truck’s hopper.

• Passed a first reading ordinance consenting to the inclusion of the city’s boundaries into the Pasco County Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) for fire rescue services.

Published May 20, 2020

This animal control officer helps pets, and people

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Michael Northrup, who works for Pasco County Animal Services, has been named Animal Control Officer of the Year by the Florida Animal Control Association.

A nomination submitted on Northrup’s behalf said, in part, that during 2019 Northrup displayed “compassion, dedication, expertise, awareness and incredible decision-making.”

The nomination noted that Northrup responded to more than 1,000 animal control calls that year.

Michael Northrup responded to more than 1,000 animal control calls in 2019, and he helped some people along the way. His professionalism earned him the Animal Control Officer of the Year award, from a statewide organization. (Courtesy of Pasco County Animal Services)

And, while he’s an animal control officer, he’s also provided help that goes beyond the call of duty, to Pasco residents.

For example, the nomination notes, that on Aug. 9, as Northrup was driving home from work on the Suncoast Parkway he noticed cars veering around another vehicle.

As he got closer, he realized the vehicle was on fire — and, as it pulled out onto the grass, the grass caught fire, too.

Northrup pulled over, radioed Pasco Fire Rescue and the Sheriff’s Office for assistance, then he used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire.

Less than a week later, Northrup and Animal Control Officer Stephanie Martin responded to a call about loose dogs.

While there, an elderly woman told Northrup that her caregiver had been physically harming her, had moved relatives into her home and had been letting her animals run loose.

While Officer Martin talked to the caregiver, Northrup called the Florida Abuse Hotline, Pasco Fire Rescue and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.

As a result, the elderly woman’s family moved her into assisted living, where she can get the care she needs, the nomination says.

In another case, Northrup noticed a woman was running in a dangerous intersection, yelling for someone to hit her with their car.

Northrup called to get the woman help, then waited for it to arrive.

He also helped Animal Services’ return to owner rate by 25% in one year, by reuniting more than a dozen animals to their owners in the field, without the animals having to be impounded.

Winning the award was an honor, Northrup said, but he wasn’t especially enthused about being in the spotlight.

He likes keeping a low profile and doing his job.

To be honest, he said: “I don’t like awards. I don’t like interviews. I don’t like recognition.”

When he went to work as an animal control officer, he thought the vast majority of his work would involve interacting with animals.

As it turns out, though, much of the work involves helping to mediate disputes between people regarding animals.

Calls can range from a claim that a neighbor’s dog barks too much to a report of a pack of dogs mauling someone.

“People call in crazy stuff,” he said, noting he doesn’t take complaints at face value.

“A lot of the times I find it to be more of a people problem, than an animal problem.

“A lot of times, it’s an ongoing dispute, with either one of their neighbors and they want someone to intervene — to use some type of enforcement action to alter their behavior in some way, shape or form,” he said.

“I look at every call, if I were in their shoes, how would I want that to be handled?” he said.

Frequently  he finds himself telling people something they don’t want to hear.

“You may not like what the person is doing, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re doing something wrong,” he said.

In other words, what seems objectionable to someone might not be a violation of a Florida Statute or a county ordinance.

“You have the right to call. We have the right to decide what we’re going to do,” he said.

“I’ve always treated everyone with firmness, fairness and dignity. Everyone deserves that,” he added.

He believes in using a straight-forward approach.

“Direct is my way of life. I usually don’t beat around the bush,” he said.

Published May 20, 2020

Diverging diamond work moves forward

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Work is approaching the halfway mark on the diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 75 and State Road 56.

The project is expected to be completed in summer 2022, according to Florida Department of Transportation officials.

“We’ve got quite a way to go,” said John McShaffrey, FDOT communications outreach manager in District 7. “Until we get to the point we can convert to the diverging diamond, we really won’t see any benefit to the traffic or to pedestrians.”

Work on a diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 75 and State Road 56 is expected to be completed by 2022. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

Construction to retrofit the interchange began in 2019 on the project, which has an estimated cost of $33.2 million.

Diverging diamond interchanges rely on multiple lanes of traffic in a crisscross pattern, with a limited number of traffic signals.

Periodic lane closures and traffic shifts will be required, though most of the work is within the ramp areas. Activities are concentrated at the interchange between Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Cypress Ridge Boulevard.

Once the new design is road ready, the interchange is expected to ease traffic gridlock at one of the county’s busiest intersections, where I-75, State Road 56, State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard converge.

Tampa Premium Outlets, the Cypress Creek Town Center, AdventHealth Center Ice and Brightwater Crossings apartment complex are driving growth in retail and residential development.

They also are drawing long lines of motorists moving onto and off the busy roadways.

The project originally slated to begin in 2024 got moved ahead of schedule by about two years.

Just two weeks ago, the DOT announced that the project’s completion date was accelerated by two weeks under a directive by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The governor is taking advantage of reduced traffic volumes at this time to get road work completed more quickly.

This project is the first diverging diamond in District 7 of the FDOT.

Other similar designs are planned in Hillsborough County for State Road 54 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, at I-75; and at Gibsonton Drive, at I-75.

Florida’s first diverging diamond opened at University Parkway at I-75, in Sarasota, in 2017.

Published May 20, 2020