The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Heritage Stage is becoming a community gathering place

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Long before Heritage Stage existed, Sandy Graves envisioned a place where the community would gather, to watch performances and spend time together.

The stage was completed this fall and Graves’ vision has begun to take shape.

Recently, the stage was the centerpiece for an event to honor area veterans.

Live musical entertainment always plays a big role in the annual ‘Traditions on the Green’ event. This year, for the first time, the entertainers will have a stage for their performances at the event, set for Dec. 2, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (File)

Shortly after that, entertainers used it for performances during Land O’ Lakes SwampFest.

Next, the Land O’ Lakes High School Band, the Pine View Middle School Band, the Pine View Middle School Dance Team and the Lake Myrtle Elementary School Choir will provide a holiday concert during Traditions on the Green.

The free event, being held at the recently renamed Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., also will feature a visit from Santa, a tree lighting and a raffle on gift baskets, to raise money for the schools.

“We’ll have cookies and warm apple cider, until it runs out,” Graves said.

The event is set for Dec. 2, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and snacks, to the evening of performances presented by the Heritage Park Foundation and the Wesley Noon Rotary Land O’ Lakes Satellite club.

Another event is planned for the afternoon of Dec. 10, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The event will include a food truck, a bounce house, a visit from Santa and, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Florida Orchestra Brass Quintet will perform “Holiday Pops” on the Heritage Park Stage.

Again, spectators are advised to bring a blanket or lawn chair, to sit back and enjoy some music presented by Heritage Park, Classical Preparatory School and several other sponsors.

Another event — the Land O’ Lakes Arts & Crafts & Seafood Festival, featuring The Battle of the Bands — is planned at the venue on Dec. 16 and Dec. 17, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Featured bands will be Priest, Rat Salad and Soul Circus Cowboys. And, there will be food, shopping and kids’ activities, as well.

The event is family and pet friendly, and proceeds will benefit Pasco County Animal Services.

Graves is delighted to see the stage being put to good use.  “We’re so excited,” she said.

Traditions on The Green
Where: The recently renamed Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
When: Dec. 2, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Admission is free
Details: The even features performances by local schools and a visit from Santa. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

Published November 22, 2017

It’s that time again for the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show

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Christmas at the Old Lutz School is coming up, too

Preparations are underway for the 38th annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, which is being held for the second year on the campus of Keystone Prep High School, 18105 Gunn Highway in Odessa.

“We’re going to have over 300 vendors. And, there’s a larger expanded food court,” said Faith Sincich, co-chair of the event.

She marvels at the transformation that takes place at the festival grounds, each year.

Zoe Deimling, 4, of Odessa, just can’t stop looking at the art on her face after having it painted at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show. Deimling was along with her grandmother, Denise Alliston of Odessa, and her great-grandmother, Susan Corcoran of Lutz. (File)

“You go out on Friday morning and you see a field, an empty field, and by Saturday morning you see a little village of tents set up. It’s really incredible to see,” Sincich said.

As usual, there will be a great number of returning vendors, Sincich said. But, she noted, “we have some new vendors with some new crafts.”

The two-day event is always a hit with families because of its festive holiday atmosphere and its unique shopping opportunities. Shoppers can peruse booths featuring handcrafted jewelry, original artwork, photography, woodcrafts and metal work, and plants and yard art, to name just a few.

It is the primary annual fundraiser for the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club.

Proceeds from the event benefit “hundreds, and I mean literally hundreds of charities and nonprofits that we support,” Sincich said.

The venue changed last year, from Lake Park to Keystone Prep.

That didn’t seem to hurt attendance, Sincich said. “We thought that the attendance was about the same.”

Even so, organizers believe that attendance could increase this year.

“This year, now that more people are familiar with the new location, we expect more people,” Sincich said. The new venue is also conveniently located for people from Pinellas County who want to check it out, she noted.

There’s ample parking.

“There’s a lot more room for public parking at this facility than there was at the old Lake Park,” Sincich said.

This year, the event is on Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is free, but there is a $5 charge for parking collected by the school, which receives the proceeds.

While the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club gears up for its giant arts and crafts show, the Citizens for the Old Lutz School Building is preparing for its annual Christmas celebration at the school, 18819 U.S. 41 N., in Lutz.

“Two of the rooms will be set up with trains and displays around trains,” said Stephanie Ensor, one of the event organizers. “The museum will be open.

“We have a tree room, where some different organizations will be bringing a tree to represent their organization.

“They have nutcrackers on display, throughout the building.

“The hallway is decorated by Steinbrenner (High School) student ambassadors,” Ensor added.

There will be entertainment on select evenings, and more entertainers are welcome to sign up.

There is no admission for the evenings at the schoolhouse, Ensor said, but “there will be a barrel to collect nonperishable food items and unwrapped toys for those less fortunate.”

The breakfast with Santa event costs $4.

The event is meant to serve as “a thank-you to the community for its continued support,” Ensor said.

It’s a great way for people to reconnect with people they haven’t seen in awhile, Ensor said.

“My daughters are 18 and 20 now.

“When I’m up there, I’m always running into someone I knew 15 years ago, when the kids were in kindergarten,” she said.

She enjoys the annual tradition at the schoolhouse.

“It’s really neat. It’s one of our little small-town things that we treasure,” Ensor said.

38th annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show
Where: Keystone Prep High School, 18105 Gunn Highway in Odessa
When: Dec. 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: Admission is free; parking is $5 per car, with proceeds benefiting the school
Details: More than 300 vendors are expected at the event, which is a popular draw for families because of its holiday atmosphere and its unique shopping opportunities. It also is a juried show, giving artists a chance to win cash prizes.
Info: Call (813) 833-3962

 

21st annual Christmas at the Old Lutz School
Where:  18819 U.S. 41 N.
When: The evenings of Dec. 7, Dec. 9, Dec. 12, Dec. 14, Dec. 16, Dec. 19, Dec. 21, Dec. 22 and Dec. 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: There is no admission, but collection boxes will be there to accept donations of nonperishable food and new, unwrapped toys, for those who are less fortunate.
Details: The school will be open for your viewing pleasure, with entertainment on select nights.

What: Breakfast with Santa at the Old Lutz School
When: Dec. 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Cost: $4, which includes a doughnut, juice and craft
Details: Santa will be there, so families can bring their cameras to take a photo with them. Additional menu items will be available for purchase.
Info: Email  

Published November 22, 2017

Residents help identify flood risk areas in Pasco

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The Southwest Florida Water Management District is updating computer-model maps that identify flood prone areas within Pasco County.

Residents at several community meetings have provided public input to the process by sharing first-hand where flooding happens, and also where it doesn’t.

This chart explains how the watershed management program works. (Kathy Steele)

On Nov. 16, residents within the Duck Lake watershed got their turn to study existing maps and meet with representatives of the water management agency, known as Swiftmud.

About 1,500 letters were mailed to area residents in unincorporated areas of Pasco, in and around Dade City and San Antonio. About 100 people attended the event at Pasco County High School, off State Road 52 in Dade City.

“We’re trying to gather as much data as we can to know we’re getting good results,” said Scott Letasi, engineering and watershed management manager for Swiftmud. “This is the last opportunity for the public to give us any additional feedback on how well we did in coming up with flood elevations.”

Residents came in to study the maps, pinpointing their homes as either inside or outside areas prone to flooding. Some brought photographs of flooding in their neighborhoods; others talked about their experiences with heavy rainfalls or hurricanes. And, some wanted to know how new development projects might increase flood risks.

Local governments will be able to use the finalized maps to aid in land use and zoning decisions. The information also aids in making development decisions in areas in and around floodplains and wetlands. And, the exercise identifies areas where stormwater projects are needed.

Residents living within the Duck Lake watershed came to an open house to help identify flood prone areas in Pasco County. The information aids the Southwest Florida Water Management District in updating computer-generated maps.

Residents can use the data and maps to decide on land purchases.

Leslie Rookey did that when she bought nearly 20 years ago. She settled on a house on Howard Avenue, outside Dade City, that hadn’t seen flooding in decades.

It’s been high and dry since, though waters did wash over Howard during Hurricane Irma.

Rookey keeps up with the data, and recalled maps she saw 10 years ago. Her house remains outside the flood plain.

“It’s moved ever so slightly,” she said. “But, the (map boundaries) are not off from what we saw 10 years ago.”

That was good news to Swiftmud representatives who hoped residents could validate the computer-generated maps.

Based on new data gathered from residents at the series of open houses, the flood plain boundaries could be adjusted. In some cases, Swiftmud will do further field investigations based on residents’ reports, and photographs.

Once public comments are reviewed, maps will be finalized and presented to the water district’s governing board for approval.

The information isn’t currently being incorporated into the Federal Emergency Management Agency Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps. That could happen, however, at a later date.

Published November 22, 2017

Interim steps planned to improve 54/41 traffic flow

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Construction on a project to improve traffic flow through the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 is expected to begin in 2018, according to Florida Department of Transportation officials.

The project, which will lengthen some turn lanes, currently is in design. The construction cost is about $752,000 and is included in the transportation department’s fiscal year 2019 budget, according to the department’s spokeswoman, Kris Carson.

State highway officials plan to lengthen some turn lanes to improve traffic flow for about 100,000 vehicles a day that move through State Road 54 and U.S. 41. (Kathy Steele)

Changes will focus on the west side of the intersection by lengthening the eastbound right- and left-turn lanes on State Road 54. To accomplish this, the median on State Road 54 at Hunt Road will be altered to allow only right turns from Hunt onto State Road 54.

Pasco County officials estimate design costs to be about $300,000.

The turn-lane changes are considered an interim solution to the traffic congestion at this intersection.

A permanent solution – and a major reconstruction – is the current focus of a study by a local task force that will make a recommendation to the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Those efforts began in 2015, and are expected to extend into 2018.

The entire study includes the State 54/56 corridor, from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard on the east to U.S. 19 on the west. Currently, the focus is on two intersections: Little Road and State Road 54 in New Port Richey, and U.S. 41 and State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

The Land O’ Lakes intersection is receiving most of the attention as one of the county’s busiest intersections. There also is available funding, which the New Port Richey intersection lacks.

Some options for State Road 54 and U.S. 41 include elevated lanes, as well as redesigns at ground level. Dedicated lanes for buses and express toll lanes also are being considered.

The 17-member task force is working with the MPO as well as Pasco County Planning and Development, FDOT and consultants.

Published November 22, 2017

Garden yields lessons on math, science, conservation

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Children at Hammond Elementary School are learning all about water conservation, and honing their mathematics and science skills, too, in a class that uses a hydroponics garden to help bring the lessons home.

Children in Bonnie Cothern and Tina Miller’s classes at Hammond Elementary are learning about the advantages of hydroponics gardening. (B.C. Manion)

The school, at 8008 N. Mobley Road in Odessa, used a Splash! grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District to cover the costs of creating the hydroponics garden. The grant also includes several other elements relating to water conservation.

Teachers Tina Miller and Bonnie Cothern said that Urban Roots, of 11780 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, have also helped in the program by demonstrating how to put together the plant towers and letting students help, as well as allowing them to plant vegetables and herbs.

Students in Cothern’s gifted education classes are working with Miller’s fifth-graders to help educate the entire school about hydroponics and water conservation.

This tower of plants contains rosemary, oregano, basic, chocolate mint, French sorrel lettuce and parsley.

They’ll be reporting conservation tips monthly on the school’s morning show, and will be making posters to raise awareness to the rest of the school and members of the community about the importance of water conservation.

Lessons also will include the importance of choosing Florida-friendly garden plants that are adapted to the state’s climate to prevent unnecessary water use.

On a recent day, Cothern and Miller were out in the garden with some of their students.

The children talked about some advantages of hydroponics gardening.

Third-grader Lyla Cullimore explained how the plant tower system works.

“The reservoir is right here,” she said. “When you turn it on, the water goes through a pipe and it goes up, then the water goes down and it makes it so the plants get water.”

Teacher Tina Miller checks on plants in a hydroponics garden at Hammond Elementary School.

The pump runs twice a day, for 15 minutes each time, the teachers said, via email, in a more detailed explanation of hydroponics.

The water drips from the top plant container, through the plant medium, which is composed of shredded coconut shell and perlite. Then, water in that planter drips to the one below, the teachers said.

Fifth-grader Ryan Dumont noted the water “can drip down through the angles of the planters, then, once it drops down, there’s holes in the planters and it drips down into the reservoir, and we can reuse it.”

The drip system, combined with a porous medium, conserves water and provides oxygenation to the root system of the plants. The water in the reservoir lasts 10 days to 14 days, the teachers said. The system is efficient because no water is wasted through runoff and evaporation.

Miller asked students, what does organic mean?

Carlie Restrepo is eager to offer an answer during a discussion about hydroponics at Hammond Elementary School’s hydroponics garden.

Fifth-grader Ethan Bezaury responded: “Organic means that it’s not manmade.”

Miller then talked about the liquid fertilizer that provides nutrients to the plants.

By growing the plants in pots, arranged on a tower, more plants can be grown in a smaller area, she said.

“How many plants are in that little bit of a space?” Miller asked.

“There’s about 20,” answered third-grader Evan Rottenberger.

That’s correct, Miller said, adding that students have been able to integrate math and science into what they are learning about hydroponics.

Students have been taking measurements of the plants and charting their observations in notebooks.

Lyla Cullimore talks about how a hydroponics plant system works.

“When you guys were doing your data recording yesterday, what did you find about the different plants that you had taken your baseline data on?” Miller asked.

Fifth-grader Sophia Wyant responded: “They were growing more and more each time.”

The teacher explained: “We’ve been doing some long-term investigations because one of the claims of hydroponics is that the yield is greater.”

It’s too early to tell if that is true, but fifth-grader Angela Rosario has noticed that a plant she’s been observing has achieved noticeable growth.

The first time they observed the garden was on Oct. 27.

“It was 10 centimeters, my longest leaf. I had seven leaves. The smallest leaf was 3 cm, and the height was 17 cm. After 10 days, my height was 21 cm, I had eight leaves. My smallest was 6; the longest was 11,” Rosario said.

She said hydroponics helps conserve water and reduces problems from weeds.

Cothern’s students began their observations a week after Millers’ students.

She said she gave her students the freedom to choose how they wanted to observe their plant.

“I told them they could take whatever data they wanted to. They could measure the whole plant. They could measure the biggest leaf, the smallest leaf, whatever they decided to do,” she said.

The teachers are pleased that the children are learning about water conservation and are excited about the students sharing what they have learned with the entire school community, as well as with their families at home.

Published November 22, 2017

Giving thanks, for life’s big and little blessings

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Whether it’s for the expected arrival of a first grandchild, the ability to be a stay-at-home mom, landing a new job, or savoring the sheer blessing of being alive to celebrate the holiday — people across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have many reasons to celebrate this Thanksgiving.

Those of us working at the newspaper, join them, in celebrating the holiday of gratitude and express our appreciation to you, our readers.

(Photos by B.C. Manion)

“I am so blessed with family and a husband that survived a stroke and club members (GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club) and church (First United Methodist Church of Lutz), said Edwina Kraemer, of Lutz.

For Thanksgiving, she said, “We are having an organic turkey. And, my son and daughter-in-law and my beautiful granddaughter and some friends of ours are all coming over, and we’re going to try to eat healthy.”

 

 

 

 

Isabel Wirth, who has been volunteering at Daystar Hope Center Thrift Shop in Dade City for 19 years, said “I’m thankful that we can do as much for the people here, and I’m thankful for good health.”

The Dade City woman plans to travel to Mount Dora to her niece’s house for Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m thankful for the nice weather. I’m so glad it’s finally cooled down,” said Lois Cohen, of Land O’ Lakes.

But, that’s not all she’s grateful for.

I’m thankful for all of the friends that I have in the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club,” she added.

For the holiday, Cohen said, “We’re having my family over for Thanksgiving. My husband is doing a whole menu,” she said, including German potato casserole and cranberry trifle.

 

Matt Badillo, of Wesley Chapel, is thankful for a new employment opportunity. “I just got offered a job at the VA. It was a bit of a long process, but it’s finally rolling through. It’s really good. I’ll be a nursing assistant there.”

But, he’s also grateful to be celebrating the holiday with his family.

“I just recently came back from living in Australia for three years. I came back in April,” he said, noting he’s looking forward to turkey and cranberry sauce, and for another favorite, too.

“My grandma makes this corn casserole that I’ve been waiting for, for awhile.”

 

Pat Wright, the circulation supervisor at Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City, said: “I’m thankful for the whole staff that I work with here at Hugh Embry.”

The Webster woman said she’s also grateful for family and friends, and planned to be making a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, with all of the trimmings, for her family.

 

Rita Noble, an avowed book lover, has been working at Hugh Embry Branch Library for 17 years. She said she’s grateful for her family and friends, and is excited by the prospect of her first grandchild who is due this spring. Noble said she’ll be making a “Thanksgiving dinner “with all of the fixins’.”

 

 

 

Sister Jean Abbott, who oversees the Daystar Hope Center Thrift Shop in Dade City, said “I am thankful for the generosity of the people who donate their time and their money and their items, or their food and household stuff to us.

“It keeps our doors open. It keeps us able to assist people who are needy, and I’m especially thankful for the volunteers who do all of the work of processing that stuff that comes in, and making sure it’s in useful shape to go to the people who need it,” she said.

She plans to spend Thanksgiving at Saint Anthony Parish Hall, helping to serve others and enjoying her holiday meal.

It will be her second Thanksgiving dinner, which makes it hard to follow her primary doctor’s advice to watch her carbohydrates, she said.

 

Stephanie Critser and her 3-year-old son, Joshua, were enjoying a beautiful day at Zephyr Park recently — which offers an example of why the Zephyrhills woman is grateful this Thanksgiving. “I am very thankful that I am able to stay at home with him. I’m able to spend a lot of quality time with him. I haven’t always been able to do that, so this year, I am very thankful for that,” she said.

The family will be celebrating Thanksgiving with her in-laws, she said. “My husband (Daniel) is making his mashed potatoes.”

 

Suzanne Jasinski, of Land O’ Lakes, is grateful to be able to celebrate another Thanksgiving with her family.

“A couple of years ago, I was shivering, I thought I was cold. I kept putting blanket after blanket after blanket. My son said, ‘No, you’re going to the hospital,’” she recalled.

She didn’t want to go, but she went.

“It turned out to be septic. My kidneys were shutting down. I was in a coma for 3 ½ weeks,” she said. She was on dialysis, too.

“They took me off dialysis because my kidneys started working,” she said. Her doctor called her “his little miracle.”

Jasinski lives with her son, James, and her daughter-in-law, Michelle, and they expect about 20 people to celebrate Thanksgiving with them.

They’ll be enjoying a feast, including turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams — “the whole nine yards,” Jasinski said.

And, that includes dressing.

“Her oyster dressing is the best,” said Kimberly Lucas, Jasinski’s daughter, who was with her and Jasinski’s granddaughter, Ashley Lucas, at The Shops at Wiregrass.

Published November 22, 2017

Crystal Lagoon will make a splash in 2018

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The Epperson residential development, with its Crystal Lagoon, will open in spring 2018 with a special guest – Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps.

Phelps signed on with Crystal Lagoons as its “Global Ambassador.” He will promote swimming and water sports around the world, with appearances at Crystal Lagoon properties, including Epperson, according to a news release from The Conroy Martinez Group.

Details and a date for the grand opening will be announced later.

The Crystal Lagoon at Epperson is expected to open in spring 2018, with festivities that will include Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. (Courtesy of Crystal Lagoon Inc.)

The 7-acre lagoon at the center of Epperson is a mammoth swimming pool, with crystal blue, see-through waters. Epperson’s lagoon will be the first in the nation.

“(Phelps is) big on promoting people being active in water sports,” said Greg Singleton, president of Metro Development Group, which is developing Epperson. “Metro is big on having people swimming and being active in our lagoon.”

Epperson residents can enjoy aquatic activities, including swimming, kayaking, paddle-boarding and sailing small boats. There also will be Caribbean-style beaches and cabanas, a waterslide, an entertainment plaza, a yoga lawn and an area for special events.

Singleton said the lagoon would have some limited guest opportunities, as well. But, he added, “It’s not designed to be a public water park.”

Instead, it will function more like a private golf course, Singleton said.

Metro is purchasing water from Pasco County to fill the lagoon. Once it is filled, Metro officials estimate the lagoon will use 50 times less water than a park of the same size and 30 times less water than a golf course.

Epperson will have about 2,000 homes when completed. Residents will participate in the first “smart gigabit community” in the nation, with UltraFi technology as a built-in feature of the community, indoors and outdoors.

Epperson also will be the first residential community within the Connected City corridor.

Pasco County commissioners approved the framework for Connected City in February. The approximately 7,800 acres in northeastern Pasco is designated as a state-approved, 10-year pilot program designed to feature technology-based neighborhoods. However, full development of Connected City is anticipated to take about 50 years.

When completed, the area will have about 37,000 homes and more than 12 million square feet of commercial space.

Saint Leo University, Florida Hospital and Tampa General Hospital are partners in the development of a wellness district within Connected City, with plans to build hospitals, schools and research facilities.

The Connected City boundaries are Interstate 75, State Road 52, and Curley and Overpass roads. Epperson is at the juncture of Curley and Overpass roads.

Currently, about 200 homes have been built at Epperson, with another 200 lots available for construction. Singleton said homeowners occupy about 70 houses.

Metro also is developing Mirada, a master-planned community north of Epperson. It also will have a Crystal Lagoon.

“Mirada is underway,” Singleton said. “We’re moving dirt and developing lots.”

Other lagoons are expected to open at developments in southern Hillsborough County and in Fort Myers.

Published November 22, 2017

She trades Alaska for a floral shop in Pasco

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More than 35 years ago, Susan Crenshaw made a life-changing decision.

A friend – who later became her husband – urged the New Port Richey native to move from her home base in Pasco County to Alaska.

“Alaska is the place you need to be,” he told her.

Susan Crenshaw’s floral shop, in Wisteria Plaza, has custom designed floral arrangements, balloons, gifts and artwork. (Kathy Steele)

At the time, there weren’t many jobs available at home, so she took his advice.

She wound up loving it.

“I like the outdoors and love animals,” Crenshaw said.

She also found plenty of opportunities to pursue her career passion – floral design.

Now, 35 years later, she is living in Spring Hill.

And, at age 58, she thought she was on a path to retirement, and living close to her children.

But, in October, she opened The Lakes Floral and Gifts Inc., at 6755 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Wisteria Plaza.

After years of working for other shop owners, Crenshaw became a first-time business owner.

So much for retirement.

“I got bored,” she explained.

Her shop offers custom-designed floral arrangements for all occasions.

She also offers an assortment of gifts and selected artwork.

There are fresh flowers, silk flowers, live plants, balloons, stuffed animals, soaps, and handcrafted cards, bottles and beadwork.

One gift item is a graphite pencil and a “Wishing Stone,” created by sculptor Kelly Barker.

Artwork can be painted on the stone’s surface in water. As the water evaporates, the art disappears and the stone is ready for another artistic creation.

She also features works by local artists.

Susan Crenshaw returned home from Alaska and opened her first floral business, The Lakes Floral and Gifts Inc.

She plans to display artists’ works on a rotating basis — featuring one artist’s work for about two months and then bringing in new works from another artist.

Her own paintings are on display, too.

She began painting when she was young, noting that her mother painted, so she grew up with it.

Just as Alaska didn’t become her permanent address, her career choice didn’t follow the direction she expected it to take, either.

She attended what was then known as Pasco-Hernando Community College, majoring in art, with a minor in business.

Across the hallway, she noticed an adult education class on the basics of floral design.

She decided to give that a try, and was hooked.

“It gets into your blood,” Crenshaw said. “You can’t get away from it.”

Though moving to Alaska might seem a leap to some people, Crenshaw said Anchorage, the state’s largest city, worked well for her.

“It has a symphony orchestra that is fabulous, and opera,” she said. “And, 10 minutes outside town, you’re in the wilderness with moose and bears.”

In Florida, people move from air-conditioned buildings to air-conditioned cars. In Alaska, it’s from heated buildings to heated cars, Crenshaw said.

Not a big adjustment, she said.

“It was great.”

She painted and was an avid photographer.

She worked as a florist.

At one time, she was florist at a base exchange at Elmendorf Air Base in Anchorage.

Crenshaw also worked in management for the supermarket company, Safeway, which is now owned by Albertson’s.

Still, floral design is her first love.

She took classes in floral design in California from Phil Rulloda, a designer who is nationally known.

When she made the decision to open her Land O’ Lakes shop, she researched and observed.

“We sat in parking lots and scoped areas out,” she said.

Her son suggested she check out Land O’ Lakes as a place where new development was happening.

“I remembered Land O’ Lakes as the old Land O’ Lakes,” she said.

But, new subdivisions are coming, including one on former Lester Dairy farmland. More retail is coming, too.

Crenshaw saw “a nice, busy place,” and settled on Wisteria Plaza, where Capital Tacos restaurant is located.

She also likes the family feel of the plaza.

“Everyone looks out for each other here,” she said.

So, she is home again in Pasco County, doing what she loves.

Published November 22, 2017

Thousands get emergency food assistance in Pasco

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Thousands of residents from about 14 counties came to the Pasco County Fairgrounds to qualify for emergency assistance in replacing food lost during Hurricane Irma’s power outage.

From Nov. 5 through Nov. 8, Pasco County deputies monitored an orderly progression of vehicles that stacked up in both directions along State Road 52, outside Dade City.

Applicants for the food emergency D-Snap program formed long lines at the Pasco County fairgrounds as they waited to apply for assistance in replacing food lost during Hurricane Irma. (Kathy Steele)

Traffic moved slowly, but the disruptions that seemed to overwhelm similar events in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties didn’t materialize.

The fairgrounds were a change in venue after Pasco County commissioners backed away from an agreement to hold the event at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center, on Collier Parkway. They decided that using that would result in traffic gridlock on what already is one of the county’s busiest urban corridors.

The income-based Food for Florida program is administered by the Florida Department of Children & Families in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture. Dozens of four-day events have taken place across the state, starting at 6 a.m., and ending at 7 p.m., each day.

In Pasco, cars and trucks filled the 20 acres of hilly grassland at the fairgrounds that usually sees its busiest traffic at fair time.

By mid-day of Nov. 8, more than 21,000 households had applications processed during the multiday event. About 90 percent qualified for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, or the D-Snap program.

Residents came not only from Pasco, but from Collier, Lee, Volusia, Sarasota and Polk counties, too.

One woman, who didn’t want to give her name, drove about two hours from Brevard County.

Staff members from the Florida Department of Children & Families helped direct applicants seeking emergency food assistance at the Pasco County fairgrounds.

Most who came from long distances said they made the trip because food sites in their areas had closed before they realized help was available.

And, on the final day of the program, some said they had just learned they could be eligible.

Teresita Ayala, who lives in Pasco, said her sister-in-law in Tampa told her about the program going on at the fairgrounds.

So, Ayala and her friend, Shawna Stacy, came on the final day.

Ayala has four children.

Power was out for nine days, said Ayala. “So, all our food went to waste.”

Stacy lives with her grandparents, one of whom is diabetic. They had no power for about a week.

They took on extra expenses buying more food, and ice to keep it cool, Stacy said.

Dade City resident William Wilson sat under a canopy, out of the sun. He drove a friend to the fairgrounds to make an application for D-Snap.

“I’m just helping a neighbor,” Wilson said.

Wilson said he receives food stamps so didn’t qualify for D-Snap.

Instead, he and other regular food stamp recipients will get increased monthly allotments for September and October.

Loss of food during the hurricane made it tough, Wilson said.

The last minute decision to pick another site to host the D-Snap event meant adjusting the event’s schedule from an October start to November.

Pasco County commissioners initially agreed to allow the state Department of Children and Families to use the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center. Within about two days of the announcement of the event, there were about 11,000 preregistrations.

The potential for large crowds, and traffic gridlock, on such a busy corridor set off alarms with county officials and county commissioners.

With the recreation center no longer a possibility, the board of directors of the Pasco County Fair Association offered their site for rental. The association also had staff members available to help with parking and other activities.

As the fairgrounds site in Pasco closed, the Department of Children and Families had two remaining sites scheduled to open in Miami-Dade and Broward counties on Nov. 7 through Nov. 9. Those would conclude the in-person statewide signups, and distribution of D-Snap cards.

For additional information on eligibility, visit DCF.state.fl.us/programs/access.signup.

Published November 15, 2017

FDOT budgeting future land purchases for 54/41 project

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A local task force is expected to make recommendations next year on a traffic fix for the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41, but the Florida Department of Transportation already is budgeting about $32 million for land purchases connected to the project.

The funding is slated for fiscal year 2023, as part of the agency’s five-year work plan.

Florida Department of Transportation is budgeting about $32 million for rights of way purchases in fiscal year 2023 for an as-yet-undecided project to improve State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection. (File)

The funding for the rights of way for the State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection is a conservative amount programmed in advance to give Pasco County time to do outreach, and determine the community’s vision for this project, according to FDOT spokeswoman, Kris Carson, in an email response to The Laker/Lutz News.

“The amount may be reduced or increased or we can shift the funds elsewhere if the no-build is selected,” Carson wrote.

The department also is working on interim improvements for the intersection, she added.

One anticipated project would lengthen some of the turn lanes at the intersection to improve traffic flow.

In October, the 17-member Vision 54/56 Task Force scheduled a workshop to review in more detail traffic projects that are being proposed as solutions.

The group’s options include 11 major highway and transit alternatives, as well as a no-build alternative for the intersection. Some alternatives would be at-grade re-designs with express transit lanes; others would have flyovers, and toll lanes.

The task force is expected to schedule its next public meeting in November or December. Additional public meetings into 2018 also are expected in order to complete the second of three phases of the traffic study.

The entire study includes the State Road 54/56 corridor, from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard on the east to U.S. 19 on the west. However, for the current phase of the study the focus is on two intersections: Little Road and State Road 54 in New Port Richey, and U.S. 41 and State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

The Land O’ Lakes segment is getting intense scrutiny as it is among the busiest intersections, with nearly 100,000 vehicles per day.

Representatives from Pasco County Planning and Development, the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, FDOT and consultants are assisting in the study.

The FDOT also is expected to fund a detailed analysis and evaluation of the State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection, likely in 2018. MPO officials say it is the only segment included in the study that has funding.

The MPO established the task force in 2015, and started with two separate groups. One studied issues for west Pasco; the other for east Pasco.

In late 2016, a single task force, with some members from the first groups, began studying a list of potential options. They include 11 major highway and transit alternatives, as well as a no-build alternative for the intersection.

The task force initiative got underway after the FDOT proposed a flyover for the intersection, with room for express toll lanes. The project met with opposition from the community, and FDOT officials agreed to back off while a task force tried to reach consensus on what should be done.

The FDOT’s five-year work plan is updated annually.

Some projects to redesign, expand and resurface roadways are slated for 2018/19. They are:

  • Resurfacing U.S. 41 from north of Ehren Cutoff to north of Caliente Boulevard for about $2.3 million
  • Resurfacing U.S. 301 from Pond Avenue to north of Long Avenue/Pioneer Museum for about $2.3 million
  • Realignment, widening and new construction on State Road 52 from Uradco Place to west of Fort King Road for about $83.3 million
  • Widening State Road 52 from two lanes to six lanes, from west of Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41 at cost of about $75 million. This also includes intersection improvements, sidewalks and 12-foot trail.
  • Right of way purchase for U.S. 41 from north of Connerton Boulevard to south of State Road 52 for about $739,000. Construction of that project, in 2020, would cost about $20.3 million.

For more information, visit FDOT.gov.

Published November 15, 2017