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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Have some Hoppin’ John, and a Happy New Year

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The beginning of 2019 is right around the corner, and celebrating the start of a New Year often involves partaking in a traditional food ritual to promote health, luck and prosperity in the year ahead.

In the Southern United States, many subscribe to the notion that eating just a bowl of Hoppin’ John will bring you good fortune in the New Year.

The ritual dates back to the 1800s in South Carolina, where the food is also known as “Carolina Peas and Rice.”  This African-American dish is nothing fancy. It’s just a simple recipe of pork (ham hock/bacon/country sausage), black-eyed peas (or red cow peas/field peas) and rice.

There are many ethnic variations of this dish.

Beans and rice have been staples of many cultures around the world from Africa to Brazil (baiao-de-dois), Guiana, Peru (tacu-tacu), Costa Rica/Nicaragua (gallo pinta), Venezuela (pabellon criollo), Puerto Rico (arroz con gandules), the Caribbean and Cuba.

You can follow the traditional way of cooking separately, or, as some prefer you can cook the black-eyed peas and rice in the same pot. Some may even add the greens to that same pot making it a one-dish meal. I like the simplicity of that idea, but would probably go a step further and adapt to using my slow-cooker.

In modern times, the recipe has been modified to make a somewhat healthier/more nutritious version using smoked turkey (instead of fattier pork products)  to add flavor; sometimes jalapenos to add spice; red or green bell peppers to add more color; and then served upon a bed of brown or white rice.

I find the symbolism intriguing.

Each food item represents a different meaning: black-eyed peas = coins; greens = money (“green backs”); corn bread = gold; and tomatoes (optional) = health.

Betsy Crisp is a Professor Emeritus, UF/IFAS Extension – Family & Consumer Sciences.

Recipes

Hoppin’ John for New Year’s Day
Ingredients

 2 smoked turkey thighs (cooked as instructed below)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 cup red bell pepper (or ½ red + ½ green), diced

2 jalapenos (remove stem and seeds), chopped

1 Tablespoon garlic, chopped

1 pound dried black-eyed peas (rinse, remove any tiny stones/debris; soak overnight; rinse and drain)*

1 quart chicken stock (low-sodium)

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Cayenne pepper to taste

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

1-2 Tablespoons cider vinegar (optional)

1 cup green onion, thinly sliced for garnish

4 cups freshly steamed brown or white rice

Instructions

  • In a large pot/Dutch oven, add turkey breasts and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer to cook until tender and meat falls off bone. Remove meat from pot (reserve broth in a large glass measuring cup – fat will rise to top and can easily be removed when cool). Let turkey cool to touch to remove bones and skin, and set aside.
  • Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in the large pot.
  • Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, jalapenos and garlic, and cook until opaque and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the turkey meat, peas, chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme and a teaspoon of salt.
  • Simmer for 40-60 minutes, or until peas are just tender.
  • Add the can of diced tomatoes**
  • If liquid evaporates, add the saved broth. (You may have to add more seasoning)
  • Add 1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar (optional) ** and stir.
  • Garnish with green onions.
  • Serve hot over rice (uncooked rice can be added to the pot early, but you will need that extra broth).

Serve with collard/mustard/turnip greens (even chard/kale/cabbage/spinach) and corn bread to complete this Southern meal.

Makes 10 servings.

Notes:

  • Soaking dried peas overnight is not the only method, but helps speed cooking process, otherwise beans can take 1 ½-2 hours to become tender (do not overcook or they will become paste). Another technique is to rinse and sort to remove tiny stones/debris. Place peas in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover pot and let stand 1-2 hours. Drain and rinse beans.
  • Acid in the form of vinegar, tomatoes, lemon juice or something similar may make beans tough if added early in the cooking process and, therefore, beans may take longer to cook.

Published December 26, 2018

Wreaths Across America pays homage to fallen veterans

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In touching tributes that played out at cemeteries across the country, the nation paused for a moment on Dec. 15 to remember its fallen military veterans through Wreaths Across America.

People fanned out to place wreaths on headstones throughout the 512-acre Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. To date, more than 129,000 have been laid to rest at the cemetery. (Randy Underhill)

An estimated 2 million wreaths were laid on the gravestones of military veterans, including more than 30,000 at the Florida military cemetery in Bushnell.

Thousands arrived to Bushnell early, on a cloudy, windy day, to take part in the annual ceremony.

The wreaths arrived in semi-trailer trucks.

People traveled there on motorcycles and in cars. They came as members of veterans organizations, civic clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. There were family members and friends of the veterans being honored.

This is the gravestone of Lowell Hathaway, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He is the father of Mary Eberhard, accounting manager for The Laker/Lutz News.

The crowd lined the narrow streets, as the escorted semi-trucks made their way to different sections of the 512-acre cemetery — delivering more than 30,000 wreaths to be placed at the headstones of veterans.

A ceremony was held at 11:45 a.m., with the presentation of colors, the placing of the POW/MIA table, the posting of ceremonial wreaths and other ceremonial touches.

Keynote speaker Maj. Gen. Michael E. Langley, of U.S. Central Command, spoke about the nation’s veterans, and their fortitude and willingness to serve.

The playing of “Taps” concluded the service.

The event was hosted by Wreaths Across America Bushnell and U.S. Military Vets MC.

Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell is off Interstate 75, about one hour north of Land O’ Lakes.

By Randy Underhill

Published December 19, 2018

Vernon Brown, of Fort Myers, a veteran of the Vietnam War, placed a wreath for a fallen soldier he did not know, during Wreaths Across America on Dec. 15.
Staff Sgt. Andrew King, of Oklahoma, and Sgt. Kristopher Calnon, from California, both stationed at MacDill, post one of the ceremonial wreaths during Wreaths Across America, at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.
Ninety-six-year-old Lyle Strong, of Zephyrhills, stands proudly, as he is recognized for his service during World War II.
Local Harley Owner’s Group members Capt. David Kreiger, Land O’ Lakes, seated on motorcycle; Barbara Blakely, director, left center, of Lutz; Larry Blakely, secretary, of Lutz; and Luis Buitrago, treasurer, get ready to ride through the rain to the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. They are shown here in Land O’ Lakes.
Major Michael E. Langley, of the U.S. Central Command, was the keynote speaker for Wreaths Across America, an event at cemeteries across the country, including Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.
U.S. Air Force veteran David Reeve, a member of the U.S. Military Vets MC, stands near a table set in honor of prisoners of war and missing comrades. Each item on the table has significance. The table is set for a meal, but never occupied, at every military ceremony.

Specialty grocers sprouting up in Pasco

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A national trend for smaller, specialty grocery stores is taking hold in Pasco County.

Within the next year, Earth Fare, Sprouts Farmers Market, and possibly Lucky’s Market will open grocery stores that specialize in natural, organic and fresh foods.

Aldi is planning to open its no-frills, discount grocery stores in Zephyrhills and New Port Richey in 2019. Also, a new store is coming to the southeast corner of State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard, on a parcel owned by developers of the Cypress Creek Town Center.

South Branch Ranch developers submitted plans to the county that include a “prototype” grocery store within a mix of commercial, office and retail. The approximately 25,000-square-foot store, on State Road 54 at Suncoast Parkway, would fit within the size range for boutique-style grocery shopping.

These new foodie arrivals on the retail scene follows an explosion of growth all over Pasco of more shops, restaurants and residential development.

Activity centers include Cypress Creek Town Center, the Village at Mitchell Ranch, Starkey Ranch and Wiregrass Ranch.

Rooftops and retail are two major parts of getting development started, and making them profitable, said Bill Cronin, executive director of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.

“Some of the developments now are coming to fruition with their plans,” Cronin said.

Grocery stores are one part of that development pattern.

As 2019 unfolds, Pasco residents can anticipate a buffet line of new grocery options in addition to the traditional brand names, such as Publix and Winn Dixie.

According to the U.S. Grocery Store Trends 2018, consumers continue to prize high-quality fruits and vegetables, low prices, and great product selection and variety.

Currently, the new trend in groceries is for smaller stores that offer organic, natural and local foods. In addition, consumers are looking for something extra – a food “experience.”

“Everybody is looking for that food experience, whether its ethnic sourcing or that new product,” said David Fikes, vice president of communications and community/consumer affairs director for the Food Marketing Institute. “It’s not (about) giving people 11 varieties of ketchup in the store.

The digital age is ushering in coupons and social connectivity via mobile applications. Online grocery shopping is gaining in popularity, especially with millennials, according to the survey.

Baby boomers, though, are showing keen interest, as well.

Experiences are shared on Facebook, or other social media, as if saying “I discovered this, and you’re the foodie among your group,” Fikes said.

Prior generations would shop to stock the pantry in order to have enough food on hand, Fikes said. That evolved later to a desire for nutritional, healthy food, he added.

Now, a third factor is a desire for discovery, engagement and connection, according to the FMI survey.

“We are moving away from stocking up our pantry to what’s the next meal,” Fikes said.

The specialty grocery stores coming to Pasco include:

Earth Fare is an organic-based grocery store that boasts that its shoppers don’t need to read labels to know its products are healthy. (Courtesy of earthfare.com)

Earth Fare
The store will open at Cypress Creek Town Center, at 25535 Sierra Center Blvd. The organic-based grocery store boasts that shoppers don’t need to read labels to know its products are healthy.

Its food is free of added hormones, artificial anything, and, according to Earth Fare’s website, the store sells “100 percent clean food for your family.”

Earth Fare began in Asheville, North Carolina, as a health food store before it enlarged and, in 1994, became a full-service grocery store. Its stores are built to be energy efficient, with skylights and LED light bulbs. Biodegradable to-go containers are used, and recycling is encouraged in the store.

Among its features is the Heirloom Juice Bar.

Aldi
Aldi is in the permitting phase for a store at 2215 Sun Vista Drive, which is near the Tampa Premium Outlets, off State Road 56. The store is expected to open in fall 2019, according to email responses from Matt Thon, Haines City Division vice president for Aldi.

Aldi is planning new stores in Pasco County, one near Tampa Premium Outlets and the other in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Aldi)

Thon also confirmed in the email that an Aldi will open in Zephyrhills, but no other details are available.

The location under discussion is off Pretty Pond Road, at U.S. 301. One issue nearing resolution at the site is the relocation of a traffic signal to that intersection.

The traffic signal “is under design review and engineering,” said Todd Vande Berg, Zephyrhills’s planning director.

Plans are to remove the existing signal at the main entrance to the shopping plaza, but to have traffic signals at the north and south ends of the plaza.

No construction date is set, but Vande Berg anticipates Aldi will open in 2019.

Lucky’s Market
Lucky’s is eyeing an approximately $1.5 million renovation to the former Winn Dixie grocery store at Collier Parkway and State Road 54, according to county records.

A pre-application meeting with county planners was held in November.

The Lucky’s option isn’t a done deal, but is the latest grocery to show interest in the site. Previously, representatives for Sprouts Farmers Market made inquiries and submitted a plan for a grocery store, as well as retail and a restaurant.

Nothing came of the proposal.

Now, Lucky’s is exploring options, though a spokeswoman for Lucky’s said no contract is signed.

The pre-application included demographics suggesting why the site has potential.

Average daily vehicle trips within 3 miles of the site, on State Road 54, total nearly 40,000; within 7 miles, more than 173,000 vehicle trips are charted.

About 14,770 households are within 3 miles of the proposed Lucky’s, and about 66,000 within 7 miles. Average household income ranges from about $87,000 to $94,000.

Lucky’s began in 2003 with inspiration from two chefs.

The store highlights local, organic and natural foods. Customers can sip glasses of wine or beer at an in-store café, or as they stroll along the aisles and fill their carts.

Lucky’s also has a juice bar, hot-ramen bar, a bulk foods section, and specialty foods, including house-made sausage and in-house smoked bacon.

Sprouts Farmer’s Market
Pasco’s first Sprouts Farmers Market will be one of three anchor stores at the 165,000-square-foot shopping center, The Village at Mitchell Ranch, according to a Dec. 13 press release from The Shopping Center Group.

Other anchors will be HomeGoods and Michaels. The shopping center is in Trinity, at Little Road and State Road 54.

The Arizona-based chain opened its first store in 2002. Its roots, however, date to 1943 and a fruit stand operated by Henry Boney in San Diego.

Sprouts features natural foods at affordable prices. Its motto is “eating clean and living healthy.” Today, the chain has about 300 stores and 28,000 employees.

By Kathy Steele

Published December 19, 2018

Regional coalition to respond to climate change

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The Pasco County Commission on Dec. 11 signed the memorandum of understanding to be part of the Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Coalition.

The coalition has been formed to coordinate climate adaptation and mitigation activities across county lines to plan for economic and social disruptions that are projected to result from sea-level rise and storm surge, and to provide state and local agencies with access to technical assistance and support.

The coalition is made up of the counties of Citrus, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota, and the municipalities within those jurisdictions.

The memorandum of understanding notes that Tampa Bay has approximately 4 million residents, representing nearly one-fifth of Florida’s population, and is projected to have nearly 5 million residents by 2040.

The memo also notes the numerous ways that sea-level rise, storm surge and extreme weather conditions can threaten the lives of residents, damage property, disrupt business and destroy public infrastructure.

Coalition members have joined to coordinate their efforts and enhance their abilities to prepare, adapt and mitigate for the effects of sea-level rise, storm surge and climate change, both in their individual communities and throughout the Tampa Bay region.

Through the governing boards of coalition members, the coalition will pursue:

  • Regional cooperation
  • A regional resiliency action plan
  • Science-based decisions
  • A legislative strategy
  • Community involvement

The memorandum also notes that by joining the coalition that members commit local resources and staffing, and acknowledge that the governing body of each coalition member retains its power and authority.

Published December 19, 2018

County continues pursuit of Ridge Road Extension

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Pasco County is continuing its pursuit of a project to allow the extension of Ridge Road, and Sam Beneck, the county’s project manager, gave a briefing on the status during a Dec. 12 luncheon meeting of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

“We are currently in the design and permitting phase,” said Beneck. “We have not started any construction activities,” he told members and guests during the luncheon at the Fox Hollow Golf Club in Trinity.

At the North Tampa Bay Chamber luncheon on Dec. 12, Sam Beneck, Pasco County project manager, updates attendees on the current plans for the Ridge Road Extension. (Brian Fernandes)

The planned 9-mile project will be broken into two phases, the project manager said. Phase 1 would stretch from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey heading east to the Suncoast Parkway. Phase 2 would run from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

The duration for the first phase is expected to be three years, but the county hopes to shorten that.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers views it as one project, and the funds for the phases will be allocated separately.

The first phase is estimated at $67.8 million. The second phase has not yet been funded.

A Suncoast Parkway interchange also is being considered. The design for that project is expected to cost $1 million, with funding from the Florida Turnpike Enterprise.

“In prior years, we have expended almost $20 million on this project,” Beneck explained. “That includes land acquisition, a fair amount of design and redesign.”

He emphasized that in working with the Corps of Engineers, the county vigorously sought the alternative that is cost efficient, while improving mobility and reducing hurricane evacuation time.

Replacing roadside slopes with walls and pedestrian rails is being considered, he said.

The project manager also said the county has been working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce impacts to the environment.

Pasco County and the Corps of Engineers came to a consensus in 2017 on an approach called Modified Alternative 7 as the least environmentally damaging option. It calls for partially elevating the Ridge Road Extension.

According to a traffic analysis survey, Modified Alternative 7 would also increase traffic flow and reduce evacuation time.

Under the plan, 16 bridges would be added in sensitive areas, as well as curbs and guardrails.

Specialized fencing also will be installed in areas where animals are most likely to frequent.

The county also would provide $3.2 million in compensation for environmental impacts during Phase 1.

The county also is collaborating with Duke Energy to design a new trailhead with parking and to provide access to existing hiking trails within the Serenova Preserve.

The county expects a permit decision by the Corps of Engineers by September 2019.

While the county continues to press forward on its efforts, the project continues to meet resistance.

Two of those opponents spoke at the Pasco County Commission’s Dec. 11 meeting.

Dan Callaghan, a long-time critic of the Ridge Road Extension, said that contrary to the county’s claims, the project is being pursued to promote development, not to improve hurricane evacuation.

He said the county wants to nibble to death its preserve areas and “slash our wild places to death, by a thousand cuts.”

Clay Colson, who also opposes the Ridge Road Extension, urged commissioners to protect the county’s preserves.

“You know preserve is something that means we’re going to keep it for our future generations,” Colson said.

Instead of extending Ridge Road through the Serenova Preserve, Colson said the county should extend Connerton Boulevard to the Suncoast Parkway.

Staff writer B.C. Manion contributed to the report.

Published December 19, 2018

Carin Hetzler-Nettles named principal of the year

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When Pasco County Schools opened Cypress Creek Middle High School, the challenges facing the new leader of that school weren’t the same kind faced by most principals of new schools.

For one thing, the school was the first in the Pasco school district that would be for students in sixth through 11th grade, initially, with a senior class to be added the following year.

For another, the school was pulling students from established middle and high schools — including many families who challenged the school district’s boundaries for the new school.

When it comes to being a cheerleader for her students and staff, Cypress Creek Middle High Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles is out front, and center. The principal was named Pasco County Schools’ Principal of the Year and is now among the candidates for the state title. (File)

And, of course, there was the issue of combining middle and high school students on the same campus — with their obvious differences in the size, maturity level and academic needs.

So, when the school district was deciding on the leader for Cypress Creek Middle High, it had to be sure that whoever was in charge would be able to rise to the occasion.

“The obvious leader for this new school was Carin Hetzler-Nettles,” Tammy Berryhill, assistant superintendent of high schools for Pasco County, wrote in a letter nominating Hetzler-Nettles for Florida’s principal of the year.

Berryhill noted a number of the principal’s achievements, including her work to raise the performance at Wesley Chapel High School, which she led before being selected as the inaugural principal at Cypress Creek Middle High.

The assistant superintendent noted that Hetzler-Nettles is known for being able to help develop teachers and assistant principals for broader district roles, such as instructional coaches, assistant principals, principals, district supervisors and even one assistant superintendent.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning also sees Hetzler-Nettles’ strengths.

In his letter nominating her for the state honor, Browning observed: “Mrs. Hetzler-Nettles was selected as Principal of the Year from among nearly 80 school principals. Her peers nominated her, and all district administrators voted for the winner. They could not have selected a better example of an outstanding school leader. I am certain she would represent the state of Florida with distinction as the state’s Principal of the Year.”

For her part, Hetzler-Nettles said she “was very shocked, and humbled” to be named Pasco’s principal of the year, especially in light of her high regard for her peers across the district.

Hetzler-Nettles said she embraced the leadership position at Cypress Creek Middle High because it presented unique challenges from the outset.

For one thing, the district hadn’t initially intended to have middle and high school students within a single school on the campus. It had planned to build a high school and a middle school, but lack of funding changed those plans.

With pressing needs for more classroom space, the district decided to house grades six through 12 on the campus, temporarily, until the new middle school could be built.

And, instead of having separate principals for the middle and high school programs, Hetzler-Nettles was chosen to lead the entire campus, with assistant principals to support her.

The job had built-in challenges
Hetzler-Nettles described some of them, in an essay she wrote that’s included in her statewide nomination packet.

“I’m not going to lie, and say it was easy, and that all of the students zoned to attend Cypress Creek Middle High School were excited about the change.

“In fact, it was extremely difficult to get the students to buy in to the culture, community and identity we were building at Cypress Creek.

“Who could blame them? For decades, some of the communities that were rezoned to attend Cypress Creek were Wildcats or Bulls, and now they were forced to be Coyotes.

“The idea of having to leave friends who lived in a different neighborhood that was not affected by the boundary change, and attend a new school that had no familiarity, was a challenge for most students.

“It was my job to combat those fears and make the students’ transition from their previous school to Cypress Creek as smooth as possible.”

Long before the school opened, the principal began reaching out to schools that would be sending students and to parents of those students — to begin building the new community that would become Cypress Creek Middle High.

The principal said she knew many parents were worried about having sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders on the same campus as high school students.

Steps were taken to ensure that the middle school and high school students were kept separate.

At the same time, Hetzler-Nettles knew there were opportunities for high school students to develop leadership skills, and for middle school students to take advantage of academic possibilities.

For instance, middle school students could walk across campus for high school classes, and high school students could serve in ways that they could become positive role models for younger students.

“I know how awesome high school kids are. If you set high expectations for them, they will rise to the challenge,” the principal said.

Being named Pasco Schools’ principal of the year is icing on the cake for Hetzler-Nettles.

“I cherish this job and I love the work that I do, and feel that being a principal is an important role,” she said. “I see the power of good leadership — in getting kids excited about all of the possibilities that await them in life.

“I see the power in setting processes and procedures and high expectations for students, and for people who work with me and for me, and for myself,” she said.

She loves being an educator because the field is filled with people who are always striving for improvement.

“That’s a true love of mine: To think of ways that would engage kids to move something forward or make something better, and to have people rally around or come up with ideas and then to put that to work and to see it in action,” she said.

It’s not a passion that everyone shares, she added.

“People don’t always love change. But, I get very excited about, ‘How can we improve this? How can we always be striving to make things better?’

Being a principal is rewarding, but not always easy, she said.

“There’s not a day that I don’t come to work that there’s not a challenge, and it’s not always the same one,” she said.

It’s a job that requires grit and perseverance — but those are attributes that everyone needs in life, she said.

“You’ve got to have grit and perseverance, and set high expectations for yourself, in order to make it through whatever path you choose in life,” the principal said.

“You’re going to get knocked down in life. We all do and we all have.

“It’s really how you approach those challenges and roadblocks that are going to get put in front of you — as to how successful you are going to be in whatever you choose to do,” Hetzler-Nettles said.

Published December 19, 2018

Central Pasco project could be like ‘a self-contained city’

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A proposal for a 24 million-square-foot corporate business park, plus residential and other components in Central Pasco is a step closer to reality.

The proposed development, dubbed Project Arthur, would be located on 6,951 acres — east of the Suncoast Parkway, west of the CSX rail line and south of State Road 52.

In addition to the massive office park, there would be 11,495 residences and other supportive uses, under the proposal.

Besides changing the county’s long-range land use plan, Project Arthur requires changes to the county’s highway vision map.

The Pasco County Commission voted 4-0 on Dec. 11, with Commissioner Kathryn Starkey absent, to transmit the proposed changes to the Department of Economic Opportunity and other agencies for review.

Commissioner Mike Wells welcomes the proposed project. “This is about jobs. It’s about time we’re a county that’s creating jobs, being competitive with the region,” Wells said.

The next step is a much more detailed process, which lays out all of the particulars for a Master Plan Unit Development that would govern the way the tract is developed, according to Clarke Hobby, the land use attorney representing the applicants.

In presenting the proposal to county commissioners, Ernest Monaco, assistant planning and development administrator, characterized it as “a great opportunity for Pasco County to address the imbalances between jobs and housing.”

The site had been previously approved on the county’s long-range plan for a variety of uses. The net increase, under the Project Arthur plan, is approximately 19 million square feet of employment-generating land use, Monaco said.

Project Arthur will create an employment center, with residential to support it, reducing the need for people to commute elsewhere for jobs, Monaco said.

In the planning department’s report on the request, planners noted: “Project Arthur is uniquely poised to create an innovative and sustainable community, which uses the site’s strategic location to realize the employment-generating vision set forth in the County’s 2008 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Report.”

Specific issues, such as the need for schools, police and fire services, would be addressed during the request for approval of zoning for the development, Hobby said.

The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the proposed long-term land use and highway vision map changes during its Nov. 29 meeting.

During that meeting, some planning commissioners expressed great enthusiasm for the proposal.

Planning Commissioner Peter Hanzel said, “When I was reading through this document, I became very excited about it, and I’ll tell you why. There’s city in California called Davis, California, it’s outside of Sacramento.

“When I read through this document, it almost identifies that city. It’s a self-contained city. For the most part, the people who live there, work there. They have a great hospital. They have great recreational facilities.

“It will definitely be a benefit for Pasco County. It will definitely be a benefit for employment opportunities that will be available,” he said.

Planning Commissioner Roberto Baez added: “Thank you for being in Pasco County, and for embracing Pasco County and believing in this community. That is the kind of project that is going to change the entire county.”

Hobby said he expects to be back before the Planning Commission in a matter of months to present a more specific plan.

“We’re excited. This is a big opportunity; I think everybody can see that,” Hobby said.

Published December 19, 2018

Sports museum coming to Florida Hospital Center Ice

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Digit Murphy knows a thing or two about achieving success in the sports industry, as one of the most decorated female hockey coaches of all time.

She was the featured guest speaker during the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Women of Wesley Chapel event on Dec. 7 at Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care, at Wiregrass Ranch. Her presentation centered on female empowerment and fostering gender equity in sports.

Digit Murphy, left, is shown with Florida Hospital Center Ice Managing Partner Gordie Zimmermann. Murphy’s nonprofit, Play It Forward Sport Foundation, has partnered with Florida Hospital Center Ice to bring a first-of-its kind women’s sports museum to the Wesley Chapel-based ice complex. The interactive museum is expected to open early next year. (Courtesy of North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce)

She was in town for another announcement, also.

Murphy’s Play It Forward Sport Foundation has partnered with Florida Hospital Center Ice to bring a first-of-its-kind women’s sports museum to the Wesley Chapel-based ice complex. Expected to open early next year, the interactive museum will be situated in one of the facility’s viewing rooms, where visitors will scan a QR code to view content. The room will also feature various historic memorabilia in women’s hockey.

Murphy’s personal history includes starring as a collegiate player at Cornell University and then embarking on a 22-year coaching career at Brown University, where she compiled more than 300 career wins.

At one point, she was the winningest coach in Division I women’s hockey. (She now ranks 13th all-time in career wins in college women’s ice hockey).

In the professional ranks, Murphy spent three years with the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, becoming the first American-born coach to win two Clarkson Cup titles. She was the first coach to lead a U.S.-based team to two Cup wins.

In addition to coaching, Murphy in 2016 co-founded the United Women’s Lacrosse League, the world’s first-ever pro league for women’s lacrosse.

Murphy, 57, now serves as an advocate for gender equity in sports through United Women’s Sports and nonprofit partner Play It Forward Sport Foundation.

The Laker/Lutz News caught up with Murphy for an exclusive Q-and-A, where she opined on a number of different topics related to women, sports, and of course, hockey.

On why women need to place value on sports for their children:
“We don’t prioritize what sports can do for our kids. We should even see sports as more important than school at some level, because it develops their whole body, and, in a really great way, their mind. It’s about discipline. It’s about being on time. It’s about respect. And, I’m not saying that you don’t learn that in school, but you certainly learn that with the right coach on the field, and that’s where I really believe when (women) can make a difference, if they make sports a part of their life. It teaches you how to deal with adverse situations, and we don’t look at it (sports) like something that’s necessary, we look at it like an activity, and I really, truly believe that it can change people’s lives; sport is a great way to help empower people.”

On the need for more female coaches, especially at the youth levels:
“I think that a voice of having a woman coach, coaching boys is very important, as well as coaching girls. I believe that women can coach differently. They can become comfortable with coaching, with the right mentoring. Unfortunately, coaching is looked at as a nontraditional female (occupation). You can learn the Xs and Os, but you can’t learn the management of kids, and moms do it best. Moms have eyes in the back of their head. We see a lot, so I think we are actually perfect coaches, especially at the young ages. And, keeping it fun. Again, men make it about the Xs and Os. Women have the potential to be better at the younger ages, because they make it fun.”

On building a successful model for women’s professional sports leagues:
“Women (athletes) right now, in my opinion, can’t get off the dime professionally because they operate in silos and there’s not enough critical mass around the model to have sponsors. Like, I see women’s sports as a huge opportunity in the world, because we’re not where men’s sports is, so any visionary and business is going to see it as an option, especially if we do the model differently. Let’s make it sustainable. It doesn’t have to be as big. Make it smaller. Make it community-based. Make it regional. Take the all-stars from that and make it into a pro league. Change the rules. It’s that simple. There’s just so many different models that people aren’t thinking about, because they’re just not thinking about them, because they just accept the status quo. Why do we have to play in these huge stadiums? Maybe we can play in smaller stadiums. Maybe it can be a mother-daughter event as opposed to a daughter-father event like it always turns into.”

On why women’s professional sports leagues have struggled to become viable in the United States:
“I’ve said for years: The reason women’s professional sports doesn’t succeed is because they’re in the wrong cities. I think you need to be in cities that want you. Not just because it’s Boston, New York, Detroit — that’s where all the men (pro sports organizations) are. Go to outliers; they’ve got nothing to do. I remember when I was at Brown, one of our biggest, biggest, biggest venues to go to was Hanover, New Hampshire (to face Ivy League rival Dartmouth University), because there’s nothing else to do in New Hampshire. Same thing with Ithaca, New York (Cornell University). I think sometimes, because we’re so entrenched in the tradition, we can’t think outside the box. You’ve got to find an environment that will embrace it, that has a progressive mindset, that has a community that’s ready to pop. You need energy, you need passion, and you need that positive growth mindset. If you have that, you really can do anything.”

On the advancement of gender equity in college sports in the Title IX era:
“It’s kind of sad that there’s a long way to go. Unfortunately, Title IX’s an entitlement program because you have to have it, and whenever you have to have something, you’re not motivated to do better. And, sometimes, women’s sports are perceived as a suck on the (college) athletic department, because they have to have it, so they just throw it over there and they just do it because they have to have it. But, if women took control of it and gave back to it and nurtured it like they do other things, I think you would see a major shift in athletics. So, I think the people in charge need to change their mindset. They need to change the people that are implementing the practices, and when you start to see that, that’s when you’re going to see Title IX really take control — when you see people embrace it, instead of seeing it as a detriment. And so, I think Title IX has come a long way, but you still see it go on. The problem is we don’t have enough women in the industry. Because, the second you introduce wealth into it, you don’t see a lot of women coaches. You need to have more women leaders, role models and examples. This is what I always say: Title IX works when you see women coaches crossing over to men’s sports.”

On what she’s most proud of from her hockey playing and coaching career:
“I think the moment that I was most proud of probably was in 2015, winning the Clarkson Cup (with the Boston Blades). The way we won it was very important to me. It was a third-line player that scored the goal to win it, and it was in overtime. You know, it was empowering for me to be able to manage a bench that had a whole team playing and contributing; I think that was important. But, I also think that there’s just so many things for me, because I really was a woman that had done a lot of firsts, because there was no one else. Whatever it was, like those firsts really culminated in my life to give me what I can do, which is to give more opportunities.”

On touring the Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, the largest ice complex in the Southeast United States:
“Unbelievable. I thought I was actually walking into a Canadian rink. It’s very impressive. They thought of all the details. The whole energy that’s around sports in Tampa and Pasco County is very exciting.”

Published December 19, 2018

BayCare wants to build new hospital in Pasco

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BayCare has received preliminary approval of an application to build a new 60-bed hospital on a 111-acre site, at the northeast quadrant of Interstate 75 and Overpass Road.

The Agency for Health Care Administration on Dec. 10 announced preliminary approval of the hospital’s application for a Certificate of Need.

Tommy Inzina, president/CEO of BayCare (Courtesy of BayCare)

As part of its application, BayCare outlined plans that include:
• Construction of the hospital
• Recruitment of primary care practitioners
• Implementation of additional behavioral health services
• A commitment to community outreach, wellness and education activities
• An investment in training and education for Pasco County school students interested in health care careers.

Tommy Inzina, president/CEO of BayCare, said the new hospital would provide medical services in a growing area of Pasco County.

The proposed site meshes well with the hospital’s need to take the long view, Inzina said, noting, “hospitals have to have a plan for 50 or 100 years.”

When BayCare was considering locating a hospital in Pasco, it began looking north of Wesley Chapel, to meet the growing need moving north along the Interstate 75 corridor, the hospital executive said.

BayCare wanted a site near Interstate 75, to make the site easily accessible, and it wanted 50 acres or more of land, Inzina said.

“There’s just not an infinite number of sites that would meet that definition,” Inzina said.

The property at I-75 and Overpass Road fit the bill.

Inzina noted the property is “a large enough piece of property to not only accommodate the hospital needs today, but what the needs might look like 30, 40, 50 years into the future.”

There are plans to create an interchange at I-75 and Overpass Road, and the area is poised for considerable growth, as new developments occur in the state-approved Connected City corridor, which covers about 7,800 acres in northeast Pasco County, bordered by I-75, State Road 52, and Curley and Overpass roads.

The timing for construction of the new hospital is unclear at this point, Inzina said.

Adventist Health, which operates Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills and Florida Hospital Dade City in Pasco County, has raised objections to BayCare’s application.

Inzina said BayCare expects to know by early January whether Adventist Health will appeal.

Inzina said the state was aware of the objections that were raised and BayCare’s responses, when it issued its preliminary approval for the Certificate of Need.

“If they (Adventist Health) appeal this, it could take perhaps up to a year to work through the appeals process,” Inzina said.

Meanwhile, BayCare will continue preparing for the new hospital, Inzina said.

“You can’t begin construction without a Certificate of Need, but we can do all of the planning we want to,” he said. For example, the hospital can work to secure the proper zoning for the land.

Typically, it takes 3 ½ to 4 years for a hospital project to be completed, including design, permitting and construction, Inzina said.

No specific figures are available for the project’s cost, but Inzina offered a rough estimate ranging from $250 million to $300 million.

BayCare expects hospital construction to bring hundreds of jobs to the area. It also expects about 300 permanent positions at the hospital by the second year of hospital operations.

Additionally, BayCare expects the hospital’s economic impact to include surrounding growth, including medical offices and other businesses.

BayCare Health System operates 15 hospitals in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida regions.

Published December 19, 2018

Volunteer, and get a taste of the ‘little gold gem’

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The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is looking for community volunteers for the 22nd annual Kumquat Festival scheduled for Jan. 26 in downtown Dade City.

More than 30,000 guests are anticipated, including residents from Tampa Bay and surrounding counties, winter residents, tourists and “day trippers.”

Cheryl Howard, of Spring Hill, and Marilyn Prill, of Brooksville, visited the festival for the first time last year, and shared their first slice of kumquat pie. (File)

For the event, downtown Dade City is transformed into a giant marketplace with local businesses, specialty vendors and partner sponsors. There also will be live entertainment at the historic courthouse square, according to a news release.

The festival celebrates the “little gold gem of the citrus industry,” and in partnership with Kumquat Growers Inc., showcases all the advantages of the versatile, tasty and healthy fruit.

Volunteers are needed to welcome the vendors to the event on Jan. 26 from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Volunteers will be paired off and together will use a color-coding system to direct vendors to their appointed places. A master site map and two-way radio link to the Dade City Police Department and organizers will be provided.

There will be a team breakfast at 4:30 a.m., and directing the vendors will take place between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m.

When all is said and done, volunteers will be able to enjoy the festival, if they so choose.

For information on how to help, call (352) 567-3769.

Published December 19, 2018