The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Business community weathers Hurricane Irma

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Hurricane Irma left residents and business owners in northern Hillsborough, east Pasco and central Pasco assessing damage, cleaning up the mess, and, calculating their losses and counting their blessings.

Walgreens drugstore let people know it was open for business after Hurricane Irma’s departure. (B.C. Manion)

For business owners, the focus was on reopening and getting Pasco County’s commercial back in motion.

The effort goes on.

Zephyrhills’ chamber gave shelter
With shelters filled to capacity, The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce on Fifth Avenue opened its doors for three families to weather Hurricane Irma.

“They did well in our building,” said Melanie Monson, the chamber’s executive director.

Someone even managed to get some video footage of the storm.

In the aftermath, Monson and chamber staff pitched in to help people in need — including clearing debris and cutting up trees.

“Anything we can do to get people’s lives back, we did,” she said.

Zephyrhills’ businesses generally were luckier, and appeared to suffer less damage than other parts of the county. A few roofs were coming off, and a lot of trees were felled.

Duke Energy estimated that the Zephyrhills area, including its businesses, would have power restored by Sept. 15. Withlacoochee Electric said it might take longer for some of its customers.

The chamber cancelled all events the week of the storm, including its Citizens of the Month awards to area students.

“We’re going to double up for October, and do double the number of students,” Monson said.

Ukulele’s playing its tune again
Bryant Brand, owner of Ukulele Brand’s, reopened the waterside restaurant in Land O’ Lakes on Sept. 12 at 3 p.m. The restaurant lost power for more than 12 hours.

Some food had to be tossed out, but Brand said the restaurant withstood the battering winds. A floating dock still floated, but dipped about a foot-and-a-half underwater.

Brand said he would wait to see if the water drained away, and what kind of damage was done.

Within 30 minutes of the restaurant’s opening, cars began filling the parking lot, and hurricane-weary residents headed for the outdoor tables or the cooler bar inside.

It was business as usual.

The Shops at Wiregrass pitches in to help
Hurricanes have threatened in the past, but Hurricane Irma delivered.

“It was definitely a learning experience for everyone,” said Greg Lenners, general manager at The Shops at Wiregrass.

With Irma waffling on her direction, Lenners said the decision to close the mall came on Sept. 9, when it appeared obvious the hurricane had west Florida, and Pasco County, in her sights.

Something unexpected happened.

Some residents decided to leave their cars in the mall’s garage for safe keeping.

“Parking in the garage caught us by surprise, but we allowed them to park there to be a good neighbor,” Lenners said.

The mall came through without damage, and mall officials hoped to reopen on the afternoon of Sept. 11. Out of caution, the opening was delayed until Sept. 12, though a few restaurants opened doors sooner.

Yamato’s Japanese Steakhouse and Pincher’s seafood shack on Sept. 11 had long lines of residents eager to put Irma behind them with a hot meal and a cool place to hang out.

“I think we were all stir crazy, and had no power,” Lenners said.

Irma’s timing couldn’t have been worse. She came during a weekend, when shops and restaurants normally look forward to crowds.

“It certainly was a blow,” Lenners said, but noted it was too early to tell the precise impacts.

There already is some rebound, in part, due to schools closing for the week, he noted.

“You did have a lot of families off work because their businesses didn’t have power,” he said. “We’ve started seeing an uptick in traffic on Tuesday (Sept. 12).”

The mall planned to partner with 99.5 QYK radio station on Sept. 15 for a Help Our Community Heal event. The radio station was scheduled to hand out free water and batteries, and provide charging stations for people needing help. Donations also were being collected to aid about 700 linemen who have been restoring power.

Drive-through here and there
Motorists wrapped their cars around McDonald’s at Connerton on Tuesday morning, eager to grab bags full of breakfast foods and hot coffee from the drive-through lane.

Area restaurants that were able to open immediately after Hurricane Irma activated drive-through windows, with limited menus.

Kentucky Fried Chicken on State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes also was among the fast-food chains with lines of cars quickly surrounding the restaurant.

Tampa Premium Outlets is shopper ready
Tampa Premium Outlets reported no problems arising from Hurricane Irma. As of Sept. 12, stores began opening and the outlet mall “is open for business as usual,” said Sarah Rasheid, in a written statement. Rasheid is director of marketing and business development.

“We recognize the devastation our communities are experiencing by Hurricane Irma’s arrival in Florida,” Rasheid said in her statement. “It is heartbreaking when events like these occur, and our thoughts and prayers are with all the families throughout the state.”

Home improvement stores fill needs, before and after
Home improvement stores, like Home Depot and Lowe’s, were slammed with customers frantic to buy plywood to board up their homes, generators to keep refrigerators running and flashlights to light the dark.

Now that Irma is history, shopping is getting back to normal.

But, there also have been plenty of residents needing cleanup supplies.

Lowe’s, on State Road 54, east of U.S. 41, sent in a small team of employees to get the store ready for its reopening on Sept. 12.

The store shut down about lunchtime on Sept. 9, before Irma struck.

“I’d love to see power returned to the whole area,” said Michael Armstrong, Lowe’s store manager.

Since reopening, Armstrong has seen a mix of customers. Buying is happening across all categories, he added.

People are filling carts with flowers, patio cushions and usual needs of a home. But, he said others are on the hunt for cleaning supplies, rakes, yard clippers and tarps for their roofs.

Those still without power also wanted flashlights, he said.

In the midst of providing area residents with their hurricane needs, Lowe’s, as a company, also had to consider its own employees.

Armstrong said employees had to think of their own safety and their families. Their decisions reflected the dilemmas everyone had. And, he said some opted to evacuate; others stayed.

“We keep a list of associates,” he said. “As soon as the hurricane was over, we started calling everyone. At 9 a.m., yesterday, (Sept. 12) we reached the last one. It’s not just about coming to work. It’s ‘we want to check on you. See how you’re doing’.”

As of Wednesday, Lowe’s was on track for a normal business day.

Dade City ready to rebound
Dade City’s downtown businesses took a hit during Hurricane Irma. But, with power restored, they began opening doors around mid-week to shoppers and diners.

For two days after Irma passed, downtown seemed “very quiet,” said John Moors, executive director of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

“I haven’t heard of anything looking major, except for cosmetic stuff and trees down,” he said.

Revenue losses are to be expected, however.

“There’s definitely concern over the whole week,” Moors said. “The major thing is people were safe. It’s just a lot of work to get cleared up.”

It’s early yet, but Moors said some merchants might want to explore hosting a special event to help businesses rebound from Irma.

Published September 20, 2017

She knows local history, and is preserving it

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If you want to learn a thing or two about local history — particularly as it pertains to Wesley Chapel, Dade City and Zephyrhills — a telephone call to Madonna Jervis Wise will put you on the right track.

Madonna Jervis Wise has written several books, including four which help preserve the history of Zephyrhills, Dade City and Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

Wise has written books about all three communities.

“I’ve always been interested in history,” she said. “We’re sitting in my dining room, and these are some of my family heirlooms that came on a covered wagon from Pennsylvania,” the retired educator said, during an interview in the Zephyrhills home she shares with her husband, Ernie.

Her interest in the history of people, places and things began early.

As a little girl, she would go with her father, who was a farmer in Indiana, as he went out to plow fields.

As he worked, he would have her wait in the home where he was plowing.

“One of those people that I remember, when I was about 6 or 7, was Mrs. Hefley. And, I remember her showing me the crochet work and the tatting work. She would begin to tell me about the family and the experiences they had. I just always made those connections.”

She also recalls spending an enormous amount of time with her grandparents.

“My grandfather was a blacksmith during World War I,” said Wise, who began her career in education as a history teacher.

Dade City women organized the Alpha Sorosis Club, which met regularly for intellectual pursuits. The club was founded in 1909, and continued through 1968. (File)

She’s always been a writer, for as long as she can remember and, wherever she’s worked, people have turned to her to do newsletters and other writing chores.

Her foray into authoring local history books began while she was working as the principal at West Zephyrhills Elementary School and she began compiling information about the community of Zephyrhills.

“I just started researching it,” she said. “I would get more and more stuff. I was like, ‘This has to be preserved.’ That’s kind of how it happened.”

To capture that history, she self-published a book called “Zephyrhills – An Anthology of its History Through Education.”

The book was a family affair. Her husband and daughter, Mamie, edited the volume.

Downtown Dade City, during the 1940s, was a thriving hub of activity.

Around the same time, she published a book called “Juanita in Blue,” a four-year project showcasing her mother’s recipes.

“My mother was an extraordinary cook. She ran this little restaurant in Indiana. It was called The Rainbow Café.

“After she passed away, I had all these boxes of recipe cards,” Wise said.

So, she created cookbooks for each of her three kids: Jervis, an attorney in St. Petersburg; Mamie, an attorney in Tampa; and Rachel, who is studying to become an attorney, in Gulfport.

The three community history books that Wise has written are part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series.

The publisher, which has now merged with History Press, invited Wise to do a local history book about Zephyrhills. After that, the publisher invited her to do books on Dade City and Wesley Chapel.

Before accepting the offer to do the Dade City book, Wise said she cleared the idea with various groups from the Dade City community because she didn’t want to be presumptuous or intrusive.

Any concerns along those lines were alleviated by Dade City folks who not only encouraged her to pursue the local history book, but helped her in tracking down the documents and photographs that she needed to tell the community’s story.

“It really came together,” Wise said.

Pasco Packing was the home of the largest citrus processing company in the world, when citrus was in its heyday in Florida.

Next, she tackled the task of compiling Wesley Chapel’s history.

Figuring out how to approach that took some thought, she said, because unlike Zephyrhills and Dade City — which are municipalities with city records — Wesley Chapel is unincorporated.

So, she turned to genealogy skills to help track down the families who have shaped the community’s history.

Initially, she thought the book would focus primarily on ranching, and would include some ranching artifacts.

But then, she went into some genealogy sites and plugged in some key names, which led to interviews with families.

One interview led to another, and the story of Wesley Chapel emerged.

A desire “to preserve the stories” motivates her to do the research, conduct the interviews, gather the photographs, track other documents and compile the local history books, she said.

Wise said she enjoyed digging into the history of residents who settled in Pasco County, adding they remind her of the people in Patrick Smith’s book, “The Land Remembered.”

“It’s a young history, relatively speaking,” Wise said. It’s an area where “rugged people cleared the land and settled and persevered. I’ve always been drawn to those stories.

“I become really enamored with the people,” Wise added. “That was a hard life. The mosquito-ridden frontier of Florida — no air conditioning.

“It was something else,” she said.

Published September 20, 2017

Comforting kids through teddy bears

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For the second year, Lowe’s collected huggable teddy bears for a good cause.

Two volunteer deputies with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office stopped by the home improvement store on Sept. 8 to load up about 250 teddy bears.

From left, Douglas O’Connor, Dante Plesce, Don McLachlan, Jan Wyckoff, Michael Armstrong and Tim Huff pose with the donated bears that will be delivered to comfort children when Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies respond to emergency calls. (Kathy Steele)

They scooped the plush animals from a table piled high with bears of all sizes and colors.

The teddy bears are given to sheriff’s deputies who hand them out to children when they respond to emergency calls, including domestic violence situations. It’s a way to ease a child’s stress.

Lowe’s collected the stuffed animals for about a month-and-a-half, filling up a large cardboard box placed at an entrance. The contributions came from customers and employees at the Lowe’s location on State Road 54, east of U.S. 41.

“Everyone donated,” said Lowe’s representative, Don McLachlan. “We had such a great response to it.”

Last year’s teddy bear haul took in about 140 bears. The program got started by employees who wanted to help out the community.

The annual teddy bear drive this year was noticeably larger — up by nearly 110 bears over last year.

“I just feel really good that we’re able to put this together to help the kids,” said McLachlan.

Published September 20, 2017

Local bidders could have an advantage in Pasco

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Pasco County commissioners might soon give local vendors an advantage over their competitors when bidding on county government contracts.

Commissioners directed legal staff to amend the county’s purchasing ordinance to create a local preference system for contract bids, during an Aug. 22 workshop in Dade City.

For instance, a local company that offers the second lowest bid could become eligible for a contract by matching the low bid offer from a competitor. The rule would apply only within specific guidelines, based on how wide the gap could be between the bids.

Also, local engineers, architects and other professional service providers could get extra points when ranked by evaluation committees.

Pasco relies on businesses from inside and outside the county, said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells.

But, giving preference to local businesses makes sense, he added. “It’s an economic driver. We owe it to people to keep money here.”

But, there are some caveats on how best to set the rules.

Defining which businesses qualify as local is one issue the ordinance would need to spell out.

“You have lots of franchises,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore. “A franchisee is really a local owner.”

The ordinance also might address a business’ longevity in Pasco, granting an advantage to companies that have been in Pasco longer.

Supporters say local preferences could increase the money that stays in Pasco, and encourage more local businesses to bid. But, disadvantages include discouraging out-of-county businesses from expanding into Pasco, and higher costs based on less competition.

“I’ve always been in favor of local (preference) if it doesn’t cost our citizens more,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. “The devil is in the details.”

A survey by county officials found that Pasco could lose about 15 percent of current out-of-county bidders, if local vendors can match the low bid.

Nearly 400 responses were received from about 2,500 requests for completed surveys, county officials said.

County officials recommended changes in how county staff members are selected to serve on evaluation committees. The goal would be to provide a broader representation from all county departments.

However, there was sharp disagreement over whether to allow county commissioners to sit on these types of committees, specifically for professional services.

Wells and Commissioner Jack Mariano advocated in favor.

Mariano suggested it could be done on a rotating and voluntary basis. “You don’t have to do it, if you don’t want to,” he said.

Moore said commissioners could be pulled into lawsuits when bid awards were disputed.

“I’m not afraid of it,” Mariano said. “It doesn’t scare me whatsoever.”

Starkey and Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley also objected to commissioners doing committee work.

Pasco County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder recommended against it.

“I’m not saying you can’t do it,” he said. “I think it’s a bad idea.”

Commissioners opted against an official role for a member of their board to serve on the committees, though Wells and Mariano might opt to monitor the committee meetings.

Those meetings are open to the public.

Published September 13, 2017

Two museums receive money for special projects

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Two museums will receive a financial boost in Pasco County’s fiscal year 2018 budget.

The Pasco County Commission has agreed to give $25,000 each to the West Pasco Historical Society Museum and Library in New Port Richey and the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City. The action came at the commission’s Aug. 29 meeting in Dade City.

The infusion of cash to the nonprofits stemmed from a request in July by Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley.

The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City served as a backdrop for a movie called ‘The Terrible Trio.’ Here, actors and students from Florida State University rehearse a scene for the movie, outside the historical Overstreet House at Pioneer Florida Museum & Village. (File)

Before granting Oakley’s request, however, his colleagues on the commission wanted details on how the money would be spent.

“They struggle throughout the years to get funding to keep up with our records and history,” Oakley said.

County officials outlined each agency’s plans for the funds. Each agency sent a letter of explanation, as well.

Pioneer Florida Museum & Village wants to relocate a historical log cabin from Lacoochee to add to its collection of historical buildings at the 16-acre site in Dade City.

Museum officials are exploring the costs and suitability of moving the cabin, according to the letter from Melissa Lea, board president, and Stephanie Black, executive director.

“The museum is continually trying to preserve and improve,” the letter states.

Other potential projects could be attic fans and better lighting for the Blanton Packing House, or repairs to other buildings. The main building, with numerous displays and traveling exhibits, needs flooring.

Visitors to the museum already can tour its history center, as well as the Overstreet House, a one-room school house. They also can check out a church from Enterprise, the Trilby depot and a train engine.

West Pasco Historical Society will spend the money to expand storage. The museum is at capacity, according to the letter from Bob Langford, the society’s president.

“In the past few years, we have had to refuse items simply due to the fact that we don’t have room,” he stated.

A second potential project would be to digitize the museum’s collection of weekly newspapers – The New Port Richey Press, The Dade City Banner and The Zephyrhills Colonist/Zephyrhills News.

For more information about both of these organizations, visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org and WestPascoHistoricalSociety.org.

Published September 13, 2017

Awards honor visionary leadership, and local businesses

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The late James “Don” Porter received the inaugural Leadership Award from the Pasco Economic Development Council for his visionary role in developing the master-planned community at Wiregrass Ranch.

J.D. Porter, left, holds an award bestowed to his father, the late James ‘Don’ Porter. Also shown are Pasco Economic Development Council President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Cronin and Quinn Porter Miller, Don Porter’s daughter. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

Porter’s family accepted the award at the Pasco EDC 31st Annual Awards and Trade Show on Aug. 31 at Saddlebrook Resort & Spa.

The annual event recognizes local businesses, and their owners, for their contributions to Pasco County’s economic development.

The new award singled out Porter for his “passion, strong will, persistence and dedication,” according to a news release from the Pasco EDC.

The Porter family sold portions of Wiregrass Ranch to develop The Shops at Wiregrass, and more recently Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. Land donations also were made for the Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch; and, for a future sports complex at Wiregrass.

Pasco County commissioners recently approved a series of agreements that will lead to construction of the complex.

IC, the mascot for Florida Hospital Center Ice made an appearance at the Pasco Economic Development Council’s 31st Annual Awards and Trade Show.

There will be a 98,000-square-foot indoor sports facility, outdoor ball fields, an amphitheater and event lawn, trails and a playground. A privately financed Marriott hotel also is planned.

In addition, local businesses received awards in six categories.

Twenty-four businesses were nominated, and scored based on company growth, leadership in current business issues and corporate citizenship.

“We love having the opportunity to honor Pasco companies, and all 24 nominees have had such an important impact on economic development,” said Bill Cronin, in a written statement. Cronin is the Pasco EDC’s president and chief executive officer. “It was difficult for the awards committee to narrow it down, but the seven winners truly deserve this honor.”

The winners for Business of the Year were:

  • Florida Hospital Center Ice: Start-Up
  • Express Employment Professionals: Small business
  • FACTS Engineering LLC: Medium business
  • TRU Simulation and Training Inc.: Large business

In addition, North Tampa Behavioral Health and Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point received special contribution awards.

For information, visit PascoEDC.com.

Published September 13, 2017

Hurricane Irma: A disruptive force

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With Hurricane Irma threatening Florida last week, officials weren’t taking any chances on where or when the massive storm would make landfall.

The deadly storm was churning in the Atlantic, when Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency on Sept. 4, warning residents that Irma is a “a massive storm” that could prove devastating.

Hurricane Irma is deemed to be one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the Atlantic. It had sustained wind speeds of 185 mph. (Courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

“This storm is bigger, faster and stronger than Hurricane Andrew,” Scott said, during a news conference, referring to a Category 5 Hurricane, ripping through Miami in 1992. Andrew claimed 65 lives and caused an estimated $26.5 billion in damages.

“If you’re in an evacuation zone, you’ve got to get out,” Scott said, during one of several interviews he did on national television.

In addition to closing all state offices on Sept. 8, he also closed all state colleges, universities and public schools. He said he wanted to provide ample space for shelters.

Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel is one of several schools in Pasco County serving as a shelter.

It opened at 11 a.m. on Sept. 8 and people were already beginning to arrive.

Ninety-one-year-old Mac McKechnie, of Zephyrhills, and his wife, Rae, were among those planning to stay at the shelter.

These beds, set up at Wiregrass Ranch High, were awaiting special needs residents who needed to be evacuated for Hurricane Irma. (B.C. Manion)

McKechnie said they came to the shelter because they live in an area that floods. Plus, he added: “My wife is a nervous wreck.”

Robyn White, principal of the high school, said the shelter has a capacity of around 1,700.

“Right now, we don’t have rooms set up for that. We’re going to open us rooms as needed,” she said.

The areas are divided into a special needs area and areas for adults and families, White said.

The special needs areas will have oxygen and electricity for people who need it for their nebulizers, said Denise Fackender, of the Pasco County Health Department.

“We will be supplying oxygen, so that they don’t have to use up their small tanks,” Fackender said.

White said the shelter will stay open until officials tell her the event is over, which she expects might be for a few days.

Other local schools that were designated to serve as shelters were Sunlake High School, Wesley Chapel High, Centennial Middle, in Pasco County and Hammond Elementary in Hillsborough County.

Robyn White, principal at Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel, said the school could shelter as many as 1,700 people from Hurricane Irma’s effects, if that becomes necessary. (B.C. Manion)

The Laker/Lutz News, regularly published on Wednesdays, went to press on Sept. 8. The initial goal was to deliver the newspaper before Irma made landfall, but the plan changed when it became clear that it would not be possible to achieve that.

As the monster storm approached, it was obvious that residents were taking it seriously.

Gas and bottled water were in short supply, and parking lots were full at home improvement stores, as customers picked up plywood and other supplies to fortify their homes and businesses.

The threat of Hurricane Irma, whose path still remained uncertain at press deadline, caused government offices to close and scores of businesses and local organizations to postpone or cancel events.

The Pasco County Commission issued a local state of emergency on Sept. 6 for Pasco County, allowing the county administrator and assistant county administrator of public safety to waive everyday procedures as they feel necessary to ensure the health and safety of the community.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District closed all district-managed lands including these properties in the Laker/Lutz News coverage area: Conner Preserve, 22500 State Road 52, in Land O’ Lakes; Cypress Creek Preserve, 8720 Pump Station Road in Land O’ Lakes; the Green Swamp West, in Pasco County; Starkey Wilderness Preserve, Serenova Tract, 14900 State Road 52, in Land O’ Lakes.

A sandbag operation at the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey was shut down due to traffic issues. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department closed all county parks on Sept. 9, until further notice, because of concerns about inclement weather and potential flooding. Camping ceased on Sept. 8 and no reservations will be accepted until further notice.

Pasco County bus service was still running on Sept. 8, but officials said passengers should expect delays. Bus service will be cancelled if winds exceed 39 mph.

All of Tampa’s YMCA locations were closed on Sept. 10 because of concerns for safety of the Y’s members and its staff.

Hillsborough County’s sandbag operations were halted temporarily when the county ran out of sand and bags due to the high demand. At one point, the county was distributing sandbags at an unprecedented clip of 10,000 per hour, county officials said.

As of Sept. 7, Hillsborough had distributed nearly 200,000 sandbags, estimated to be about seven times more than distributed in any previous storm event, officials said.

Evacuation zones were announced as Irma’s proximity grew closer, and as the track of the storm continued to shift.

The threat of Hurricane Irma also caused a number of events to be cancelled.

Pasco County Schools cancelled all of its sporting events and activities that were scheduled for Sept. 8 or over the weekend.

An event that the Tampa Bay Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay planned for Sept. 9 will be rescheduled to a date not yet determined.

In announcing that Pasco County Schools would be closed, Superintendent Kurt Browning said he realized that many people may wonder why all of the district’s schools would be closed.

He explained the decision this way: “The EOC (Pasco County Emergency Operations Center) doesn’t want school buses full of school children on the roads, as evacuees from other parts of the state are arriving here. We expect thousands of south and east coast Floridians to seek shelter here, or to pass through on their way further North.

“We also use school buses to help evacuate special needs citizens to shelters.”

The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel announced it would be close at the end of business on Sept. 8 and hoped to reopen at 3 p.m., Sept. 11, depending on the conditions.

Bishop Gregory L. Parkes of the Diocese of St. Petersburg announced that, for safety reasons, a dispensation of the obligation for attending Mass had been given. He also advised the faithful to check with their local parish regarding any potential cancellations of services.

Dangers remain, after a hurricane passes
While storm surge and high winds are the biggest threats that hurricanes pose, there are dangers that go on well after a hurricane has passed. Here are some pointers to help keep you safe, in the wake of possible impacts from Hurricane Irma.

Be careful

  • Do not drive into areas when you don’t know the depth of the water.
  • Do not touch power lines, anyone or anything in contact with lines.

This could include a fence or other object a line may fall onto. Always assume lines are
energized and stay away.

  • Don’t drive over downed power lines, and if a downed power line makes
    contact with any part of your vehicle, stay inside and tell others to stay away untilthe line is safely removed and power is turned off. Attempting to get out of the vehicle could result in serious injury or death by electrocution.
  • Never trim trees around power lines. Only qualified tree contractors should trim trees
    around power lines.
  • If you are using a generator, be sure it is outside, well away from doors, windows and vents. Generator exhaust is toxic. Carbon monoxide is deadly, can build up quickly and can linger. Do not use a generator inside a home, garage, crawl space, shed or similar area.
  • Don’t use a charcoal grill indoor, either. That, too, creates a potential for carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Limit contact with floodwater, which may have high levels of raw sewage, bacteria, viruses and contaminants.
  • If returning home after evacuating, be sure to keep an eye out for snakes and other animals that may have entered your home during the storm.

Watch what you eat and drink
If you need to boil your drinking water, be sure to bring it to a rolling boil for a full 1 minute, to kill major water-borne bacterial pathogens.

If your power has gone out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. A refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if the door is kept closed. A full freezer will hold its temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half-full).

Use dry ice or block ice to keep a refrigerator as cold as possible during an extended power outage. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep a fully stocked 18-cubic-foot freezer cold for two days.

Food safety after a flood

  • Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with floodwater. Discard food that’s not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it came into contact with floodwater.
  • Inspect canned foods, and discard any food in damaged cans.
  • Check each food item separately. Throw out any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture, or that feels warm to the touch.
  • Check frozen food for ice crystals. Food that still contains ice crystals may be safely refrozen.

Cleaning up, making repairs

  • Remove mold because it can cause serious health problems. The key to mold control is moisture control. After the flood, remove standing water and dry indoor areas. Remove and discard anything that has been wet for more than 24 to 48 hours.
  • Be sure to use plastic sheeting to cover roof damage and/or broken windows, to keep water from entering your home or business.
  • Wear protective clothing and use proper equipment when cleaning up the mess the storm left behind. Before trimming trees, make sure there are no power lines nearby. Only qualified tree contractors should trim trees around power lines.

Making claims, avoiding scams

  • Contact your insurance agent to report any covered damage to your home, apartment or vehicle. Be sure to have detailed photographs, so you can submit them with your claims.
  • If you had to evacuate, save receipts for all dining, hotel, medical, hygiene and even entertainment. Some of these items may be eligible for reimbursement. Save the receipts from the time you leave your home until you return to stay there.
  • Watch out for scams and unlicensed contractors. Verify the contractor’s business license and insurance. Make sure quotes are in writing.
  • If you suspect price gouging, call the state’s Price Gouging Hotline (866)-9-NO-SCAM (66-7226).

Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tampa Electric Co., the State of Florida’s Attorney General’s Office, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Published September 13, 2017

Creating beauty from bits of glass

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Fusing glass to create works of art is much like other types of artistic creation, according to Michele Gould, of Purple Cloud Studio, in Land O’ Lakes.

Elizabeth Beck of Land O’ Lakes starts work on her suncatcher, pasting small shards onto a clear glass base. After this stage is complete, the suncatcher will go to Purple Cloud Studio to be fired in a kiln. (Fred Bellet)

“Every glass artist, like every painter, has his own vision,” said Gould, who recently taught a free two-hour Fused Glass 101 class at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, at 2818 Collier Parkway.

Before the class began, Gould cut big flat sheets of art glass into various shapes and sizes.

“I have every color of the visible light spectrum in glass that you can imagine,” Gould said, adding, “everyone picks their own color scheme.”

She also gives each student a clear piece of glass, which serves as a clear glass canvas.

“I set them free with the glass. Everybody does their little thing,” Gould said.

Next, the students use tiny bits of glue to attach whatever pattern they’ve created onto the clear blank glass.

After the art works dry, Gould takes each of them back to her studio to fire them in a kiln.

While she’s teaching the class, she offers tutorials about art glass and about safety.

Instructor Michele Gould says artistic glass offers many avenues for creative expression.

She also shows the students samples of completed works, to show them what happens to the art glass, as its fired in a kiln.

What begins as raw, sharp glass, gets soft and loses it edge, she explained.

They also can see that the pieces of glass she uses are compatible, meaning that they shrink and expand at essentially the same rate. If they weren’t, the fused glass could pop or break apart later, she said.

Pieces of different colored art glass can be layered or stacked, but the colors won’t blend when the pieces are fired, she said.

“They’re layered, but they retain their original color. If I stack a red and a blue, I’m not going to get purple. They don’t mix at all. They just do their thing. What you see is what you get,” Gould said.

She showed students an example, to let them see how the colors come out.

She also tells students about cathedral glass and opal glass.

Lois Cohen, of Land O’ Lakes, looks over the finished suncatcher made by Michele Gould, a glass artist who taught the Fused Glass 101 class.

Cathedrals, like a church, let the light come through, she said. Opals are more opaque.

Gould loves working with glass.

“There’s tons of different things you can make with fused glass.

“People do all sorts of stuff with art glass — from sinks in your bathroom to lamps and lighting. It’s really kind of cool. I cut it into pieces. I make bowls. I make jewelry.”

Gould believes that a free class, like the one she taught, might encourage someone to take a chance at self-expression.

“I have people say, ‘I’m not artistic,’” Gould said. But, she doesn’t believe it.

“That’s part of your human experience, and your creative spirit is there,” she said.

“Maybe you wouldn’t do this normally, but if it were free, maybe you’d take a chance on it. Maybe you’d find something new out about yourself.”

To learn more about Gould and her work, visit Michele Gould @Purple Cloud Studio on Facebook.

Published September 13, 2017

Land O’ Lakes jail unveils educational tablet program

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Miguel Perez just wants to better educate himself as he awaits trial on racketeering charges at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center.

The 53-year-old inmate has an added tool to do that, thanks to the jail’s new tablet program.

Last month, the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center distributed more than 200 Google Nexus 7 tablets to be shared among nearly 1,700 inmates. The tablets, secure and unable to connect to the Internet, come preloaded with various learning and spiritual applications, such as Kahn Academy and Calm. Inmate Doney Bedford shows some of its features. (Kevin Weiss)

Last month, the detention center distributed over 200 Google Nexus 7 tablets to be shared among nearly 1,700 inmates.

Its primary focus is on education and rehabilitation.

The tablets, secure and unable to connect to the Internet, come preloaded with various learning and spiritual applications, such as Kahn Academy and Calm.

Kahn Academy features in-depth reading material, interactive videos, virtual museum tours and TED Talks, as well as GED prep education, math, engineering, humanities, economics, science and college career prep studies; Calm helps inmates deal with substance abuse, anxiety and emotional trauma.

“There’s just so much in there — algebra, physics, economics, biology,” Perez said. “It goes from ‘A to Z.’”

The tablets, equipped with protective hard shell cases, were donated to the jail by Telmate, a leading provider of secure inmate communication systems, at no cost to Pasco County taxpayers. Other county jail systems in the state, including Flagler and Walton counties, have implemented similar educational tablet programs.

Perez, like others, has been glued to a tablet since they were delivered Aug. 17.

“It is amazing; I really love it,” Perez said. “Instead of wasting time playing cards or doing nothing or walking around moping, you can actually do something with your mind and your life.”

He added: “We’ve made a mistake  — whatever we’ve done — so it gives us the option to fix it…and move forward in a positive manner.”

Inmate Miguel Perez shows off a Google Nexus 7 tablet. The 53-year-old, who’s awaiting trial on racketeering charges, enjoys studying economic concepts through the Kahn Academy app. ‘I think it’s amazing because it gives (inmates) an opportunity…to better themselves,’ he said.

Besides learning apps, the tablets come equipped with a law library and inmate staff requests. There are also email capabilities, for a small commissary fee.

The tablets also have pre-downloaded religious texts, including the Bible and Koran.

That feature is especially meaningful to 46-year-old inmate Doney Bedford, who’s awaiting trial on drug possession charges. He aspires to become a theologian, as he receives credits for college education through mail-in correspondence courses.

“It’s got every possible translation of the Bible, it’s got the Koran, it’s got Aramaic Hebrew, and the history of the Bible. It’s an endless supply of information,” Bedford explained.

Bedford also uses the tablet to dive into subjects like ancient Egyptian history, which helps him to effectively use his jail time.

“When you have something like this, to educate yourself, it just broadens your horizons,” Bedford said.

“These resources are very, very good for us, so that way we can learn to better ourselves and become better, productive men of society,” he added.

Another inmate, 31-year-old Christopher Murgatroyd, says the tablets have even eased tensions within his housing unit.

“The pod detention is less since they’ve came in,” Murgatroyd, a combat veteran incarcerated on charges of driving on a suspended license and first-time driving under the influence.

“It’s serving more than one purpose, actually; education really helps a lot.”

Pasco County Sheriff ChrisNocco emphasized the importance of the tablet initiative, especially for detention centers where inmates have shorter stays before they’re reintegrated into society. ‘If you don’t give them the opportunity to succeed, then they’re going to be right back in here again,’ he said.

Inmates get access to the tablets in their cells, and anytime outside of lockdown, said Maj. Stacey Jenkins, who supervises the Security Services Section of the Court Services Bureau at the Sheriff’s Office. Each is assigned a unique pin number and login into tablets via facial recognition technology.

Some inmates, however, will not have access to the tablets, including those in disciplinary confinement or in the medical wing.

“Every shift change (tablets) are going to have to be accounted for by the deputies,” Jenkins said.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco emphasized the importance of the tablet initiative, especially for detention centers where inmates have shorter stays before they’re reintegrated into society.

The jail’s average stay is 67 days. That includes those held without bond or unable to post bail set by the courts, those being transferred from other states or counties while awaiting trial in Pasco County, or those found guilty and sentenced to serve less than one year.

Said Nocco: “I know a lot of times citizens and maybe some of our members are going to be like, ‘I can’t believe we’re giving inmates tablets.’ Well, a lot of these people are going to go back into the community. If you don’t give them the opportunity to succeed, then they’re going to be right back in here again.”

Another potential bonus from the program, Nocco added, is the possibility of gaining intelligence regarding ongoing criminal activity outside jail cells.

“We gain a lot of information through these tablets. We know who’s putting money into their accounts, we know who they’re talking to, and we can read their emails,” Nocco explained.

“A lot of information that we gain is from people in here, of criminal operations that still may be going on in the streets. We’re gaining that from a firsthand knowledge, and then we’re able to react to it very quickly and be proactive on the street, whereas a lot of times this information falls through the cracks.”

Meanwhile, jail officials say more apps will be loaded over time. Many will still center on education and self-help.

Perez, for one, believes an app that teaches basic life skills “would be very helpful” for fellow inmates.

“Some guys here can’t even reconcile a bank account or fill out a job application,” he said.

“Some of them could benefit from an app that could teach a basic work skill, or just teach them about doing the right thing, getting up on time, going to work,” he said.

Published September 6, 2017

Quail Hollow golf course set for redevelopment

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Plans to close Quail Hollow Golf Course and redevelop the land are moving into the next phase.

Pasco County commissioners voted 5-1 in July to rezone the property, with Chairman Mike Moore dissenting.

A pre-application meeting was set for Aug. 14 between Pasco County planners and representatives of golf course owner Andre Carollo.

The owner of the Quail Hollow Golf Course is moving ahead with plans to replace the golf course with houses, retail, offices and a day care center. (File)

That meeting is a preliminary step before additional documents and a detailed site plan are submitted for county review.

Plans call for 388 single-family houses, according to the pre-application form filed with the county.

The approved rezoning allows up to 400 single-family houses, 30,000 square-feet of office/retail and a 10,000-square-foot day care center.

The project was approved despite stiff opposition from Quail Hollow residents during public hearings.

Opponents said the redevelopment would devalue their properties, harm the neighborhood’s residential character, cause flooding and add more traffic to inadequate roads.

Attorney Barbara Wilhite, representing Carollo, said the course was not profitable, and Carollo’s request for rezoning was for redevelopment that would be less intense than the site’s existing zoning allowed.

The debate often centered on property rights of Carollo.

Area residents countered that their property rights were being ignored.

They noted that developers marketed their homes, years ago, as part of a golf course community.

But, Wilhite said the golf course was built first, and that the Quail Hollow subdivision was separate from the golf course.

Published September 6, 2017