The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Pasco County moves to speed up demolitions

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Pasco County has new rules aimed at speeding up the demolition of blighted, and unsafe commercial buildings.

The Pasco County Commission initially agreed in August to amend an existing ordinance to make the process faster, after Kristi Sims, a senior assistant county attorney, presented the ordinance.

The final ordinance, approved by commissioners on Sept. 26 in New Port Richey, requires demolition within 30 days of a posted notice that a building is unsafe or unsound, and must be torn down.

Previously, the ordinance required action within 60 days of the notice.

Pasco also will no longer publish demolition notices in newspapers. Instead, public notification will be posted on the county’s website and at the county’s government centers in east and west Pasco.

That change allows building inspectors to post notice at the targeted site and online the same day. Previously, they had to factor in the print publication date.

Appeals will be decided by volunteers serving on the Pasco County Construction Board. Previously, county commissioners heard appeals.

Appeals must be made within 30 days. The cost is $400.

Sims said committee members will receive a list of criteria to use as guidelines for reaching their decisions.

Committee members were consulted beforehand about their new role. Members come from the construction industry and already handle appeals related to licensing and permitting.

Some of their hearing duties will be reduced to allow time for demolition hearings, Sims said.

“They all seemed very comfortable with sitting as a quasi-judicial fact-finder (committee),” she said.

The construction board during appeals will consider plans submitted to rehabilitate properties. Plans must be specific as to how and when repairs will be made in timely manner.

Owners filing appeals also can contest whether the condemned building meets the county’s criteria for demolition, or whether demolition can be completed in a timely manner.

This latest tightening of code enforcement efforts is part of a long-range plan county commissioners have pursued in the past two years to reduce blight.

Their focus has been on neglected properties along major corridors including U.S. 19, U.S. 301 and U.S. 41.

Published Oct. 11, 2017

Building the community, one check at a time

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After the race for the Lutz Guv’na wraps up every year, the money raised is doled out to local groups and causes.

Kori Rankin is the 2017 winner of the Lutz Guv’na’s race and she has the plaque to prove it. She’s shown here with Paul Vahue, emcee of a celebration held to pass out checks from the annual race’s proceeds. (B.C. Manion)

This year the race drew candidates Greg Gilbert of Beef O’ Brady’s Lutz, Jessica Sherman with Pinch A Penny, and Kori Rankin, of Kori Rankin Photography. Ultimately, Rankin won the Guv’na’s sash. Her stepmother, Jennifer Rankin, won the sash in 2015.

The 2017 campaign for the honorary title generated more than $7,000 in contributions and the checks to local groups were handed out in a ceremony on Oct. 3 at the Old Lutz School.

This year’s recipients included the Old Lutz School, the Lutz Chiefs, the Lutz Cemetery, Girl Scout Troop 2717, Boy Scout Troop 12, Books for Troops, the Lutz Patriots, the Little Woman of Lutz, The Lutz/Land O Lakes Women’s Club, Steinbrenner High School Student Ambassadors, and Martinez Middle School, Learning Gate Community School, and the North Tampa/Lutz Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.

Suzin Carr, a two-time Lutz Guv’na, said the good that the funds help to generate goes beyond sheer dollars.

“All of these little nonprofits, we’re keeping them healthy and whole,” Carr said.

“A candidate gets to decide where 10 percent of their money goes,” she said.

“The Girl Scout Troop, for instance, this year they were recipients of Jessica Sherman’s 10

Paul Vahue hands a check to representative of the North Tampa/Lutz Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. The group received a portion of this year’s proceeds from the Lutz Guv’na’s race. (B.C. Manion)

percent,” she said.

“That group can also apply for more money,” Carr noted.

“That scout group is going to go for an overnight at NASA. That’s something they could not afford, if this had not happened,” she said.

“You don’t know the impact that that will have, even if it’s just on one of those girls, what their future could be as a result of that trip,” Carr added.

The Civil Air Patrol cadets were there and they talked about their mission, she said. When a disaster hits, they’re among the first people on the ground to analyze what’s needed in an area, she said.

“It’s a tremendous feeling to be able to watch the money come in one hand, and immediately within a matter of a month or two go right back to the community,” Carr said.

The night the funds were being distributed a group from Learning Gate Community School arrived early, Carr said. “They helped set it up.

“This is a night to celebrate them, and here they are setting up tables and chairs, bringing stuff in from the cars to get it ready for everyone else,” she said.

Published Oct. 11, 2017

Area teenager bowls perfect 300 in North Carolina tournament

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Chandler Carr, who got his start bowling at Royal Lanes in Lutz, shot his first sanctioned perfect 300 in the Randy Pedersen 4 Game Sweeper in Shallotte, North Carolina.

He achieved the perfect score on Oct. 7 at Planet Fun, helping him to take fifth place in the competition.

Chandler Carr recently shot a perfect 300, while he was in Shallotte, North Carolina. (Courtesy of Suzin Carr)

Carr — whose mom is Suzin Carr, the only person to win the Lutz Guv’na race twice — has done a substantial amount of volunteer work at the Old Lutz School in Lutz, and in various Lutz activities.

The family moved to Citrus Park in November.

Besides this most recent accomplishment, Carr is one of 25 finalists for the Positive Coaching Alliance-Tampa Bay Chapter “Triple-Impact Competitor Scholarship.”

The 17-year-old will be the Athlete of the Week in partnership with Casper’s Company on 860AM radio on Oct. 14.

Carr is a senior at Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School. Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate Charter School is the only public school in Hillsborough County which has a bowling team.

Published Oct. 11, 2017

Creating an outdoor place to pray the rosary

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When Gabe Vega was a little boy, he was not the slightest bit interested in joining the Cub Scouts.

However, once he did it didn’t take long to overcome that initial resistance.

This is what the Blessed Mary’s garden looks like, at the completion of phase one of Gabe Vega’s Eagle Project. (Courtesy of Edwin Vega)

And now, the 16-year-old can’t wait to earn the rank of Eagle Scout — the highest honor a member of the Boy Scouts of America can achieve.

The completion of an Eagle project is one of the requirements necessary to earn that distinction.

And, Gabe — who belongs to Troop 33 based at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church — is well on his way to accomplishing that.

After conferring with various groups at the Land O’ Lakes church, Gabe decided to build a Rosary Garden.

His garden features a garden, with a statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as its centerpiece, and a seashell path surrounding that garden, which will have engraved pavers, representing the beads of a rosary.

In the Roman Catholic Church, a rosary is a set of beads that are used in a form of devotion, during which five (or 15) decades of the Hail Mary are recited, preceded by an Our Father, and followed by a Glory Be.

Stones line the border of the path, which will be covered with seashells before pavers will be installed to signify rosary beads. Shown here, Spencer Huffman bends over to place a rock on the edge of the path, while a number of other volunteers help, too. (Courtesy of Edwin Vega)

To get started on the project, Gabe and his father, Edwin, visited a rosary garden at St. Paul Catholic Church, 12708 N. Dale Mabry Highway, for some ideas. That visit came at the suggestion of Leo Gendreau, who recommended Gabe check out that garden and consider creating one for Our Lady of the Rosary.

The Land O’ Lakes High School junior also talked things over with Rich Thibeau, of Natural Designs Landscaping, who is the teenager’s coach for the Eagle Scout project.

“He helped me map everything out. The kind of rocks we needed. The kind of flowers we were going to plant in the garden,” Gabe said. “I went with the idea of having the rocks and the crushed shell, then selling the pavers to have the beads.”

The project has involved help from many sources, said Gabe, who lives with his parents, Edwin and Sheila, and his twin sisters, Rosie and GiGi, in Land O’ Lakes.

The Rev. Ron Aubin, pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary, gave the project his blessing and his support. The monsignor allowed Gabe to run an article in the parish bulletin explaining the project and announcing the sale of pavers.

The pavers that will represent Hail Marys, and will be used as stepping stones on the shell pathway, sell for $100 each.

A set of four smaller pavers will be joined together to represent each Our Father and Glory Be. Each of those pavers goes for $75.

Edwin is delighted by how well the project is being received, and supported.

A group loads rocks in a pickup truck to carry them closer to the Rosary Garden being created at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church. Working here, from left, are Sean Smith, Jim Pasek, Clayton Hagel, Matthew Thibeau and Tommy Ploor. (Courtesy of Edwin Vega)

“Everybody has been so nice and responsive,” he said.

“For me, this has taken on a life of its own, all of the support at the church. They’re spreading the word. They’re backing it up,” he said.

People have helped in all sorts of ways, Gabe and Edwin said.

The physical work has been done mostly by Gabe, his Scout friends and a few men from the church.

Contributions have come in through the sale of pavers, but also in many other forms, Edwin said.

For instance, the sod cutter needed to put down the seashell path was provided for free by Dot Geho, of West Coast Events and Rentals, and Joseph and Casie Lynn Holloway, of Holloway Farm Store, provided a free cement bench.

The statue of Mary, which now serves as the centerpiece of phase one of the project, was donated by Hal and Betty Montgomery.

“We had the Blessed Mother here (in the family’s family room) for months,” said Sheila Vega, Gabe’s mom.

Paver sales have been going well.

Sean Smith, left, and Gabe Vega carry a very large rock, with Evan Hernandez in the background. (Courtesy of Edwin Vega)

“This past Saturday is when we built the path. One gentleman came down and said he was going to buy one for each of his children, and he has six children,” Gabe said.

A woman called to say she would be buying a paver to honor the memory of her nephew, who was killed by a drunk driver.

Another woman, who initially thought she could only swing a $20 contribution had second thoughts and decided to go ahead and buy a $100 paver.

Building the first phase of the project — Mary’s garden — took two days.

“Day One was putting the boulders in and filling the hole with dirt. Day Two was putting all of the plants in,” he said, as well as installing the statue of Mary.

That part of the project involved help from a dozen scouts, and four or five adults, Edwin said.

“Those were big boulders we were moving,” he said. “We had to have a special cart. No one could lift it. It was so heavy.”

Gabe said that after a while, they came up with a better plan.

“Eventually, we just lifted them into the back of a pickup truck,” he said, and moved them closer to the site.

Building the seashell path, the next phase, took another day.

Eight scouts and a few adults helped that day.

All of the scouts, Gabe said, are close friends who he’s known since he was a Cub Scout.

This is the Rosary Garden, after the completion of the shell path. The final phase will be to install pavers, which represent the beads of a rosary. (Courtesy of Edwin Vega)

“It made it easy being the leader of them. The dynamic of it all was easy,” said Gabe, who is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program at Land O’ Lakes High.

The last phase will be to install the pavers.

Polar Engraving, which is engraving the pavers, is based in Naples. It was hit by Hurricane Irma, which has affected its schedule, Edwin said.

Overall, Edwin estimates the cost of the project to be about $10,000.

But, the value to the community, he said, far exceeds that.

Edwin expects the pavers to be ready before Thanksgiving, so they can be installed. Meanwhile, orders are still being taken for the pavers not yet sold.

Want to help?

If you’re interested in purchasing a ‘rosary bead’ paver engraved with your personal message, visit PolarEngraving.com/BoyScoutTroop33. If you have questions, call Edwin Vega, (813) 838-2400, or email .

Published Oct. 4, 2017

Presenting musical passion, precise choreography

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Their love of singing developed in different ways.

“Singing has always been a part of my life,” said Sandy Everly, of Land O’ Lakes. “On Sunday nights, at home, my mom played the piano, and my sister and my dad and I would sing.

“Actually, I learned to harmonize at a very young age.”

Cathy Frey, of Wesley Chapel, recalled “my parents used to play these reel-to-reel tapes with these singing groups … I was always singing.”

The Toast of Tampa has a number of young members. Overall, the chorus members range from age 10 to 85. (Courtesy of Toast of Tampa)

Nancy Hansel, of Lutz, said her mom had a radio show. “They were Two Girls and a Guy. That was their name.”

Fran Byers, of Wesley Chapel, said her dad used to sing to her in the car. “My dad was a crooner. He could sing like Bing Crosby,” she said.

Beth Bosserman Curts also recalls lots of singing in the family car.

“We had to drive everywhere. Florida to Kansas. Kansas to Boston.

“My parents would throw the four of us in the car and off we would go, and this was before air conditioning, and the radio was not very good.

“Mother and Dad taught us all these rounds.

“We just clicked off the miles by singing rounds. You had to hold your own part.

“I grew up singing different harmonies in the car on those crazy road trips.”

No matter how their musical path began — each of these women now belongs to Toast of Tampa, a group of female a cappella singers that performs in four-part harmony.

Toast of Tampa is one of the more than 700 choruses of Sweet Adelines International worldwide. The group will compete at the Sweet Adelines International 71st annual Convention & Competition, Oct. 9 through Oct. 14, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Toast of Tampa has had success at the international level, including third-place finishes in 2015 and 2013, and the top prize in 1993. In between, they had a number of top-10 finishes.

It’s a challenge these women relish.

“This will be our 13th time on the international stage,” Curts said. “It is so exciting to sing at the level we’re singing at.”

From left, Beth Bosserman Curts, Fran Byers, Evie Stern, Julie Kelly and Jessica Horner are five members of Toast of Tampa. (Courtesy of Toast of Tampa)

Closer to home, the show chorus will be presenting a public performance on Nov. 4, at the University of South Florida’s School of Music Concert Hall.

Toast of Tampa defies the stereotypical notion of “a bunch of gray-haired ladies with crinoline dresses,” Frey said.

Under the direction of internationally recognized Tony De Rosa, the group sings modern, complex arrangements.

It is also a selective group, requiring its members to audition and holding them to high expectations.

Toast of Tampa practices on Tuesdays, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., with occasional weeks off. The sessions are at the TPepin’s Hospitality Centre, at 4121 N. 50th St., in Tampa.

Those interested are welcome to come to a rehearsal to see if joining the chorus is something they wish to pursue.

The group has 120 active singers, ranging from age 10 to 85, Curts said.

Toast of Tampa draws members from all walks of life, including military veterans, new moms, grandmothers, real estate agents, accountants and others.

Beyond being devoted to singing, members should expect to incur costs of $1,000 to $1,500 a year, added Curts, who in addition to being a member, handles media and marketing duties.

The monthly dues are $51, with prorated dues for those under age 25. A portion of the dues is paid to the national organization and the rest goes to rent the hall, pay the director and cover other costs.

There are also costs associated with regional competitions every year, and international competitions every other year.

The costs are no greater than those for other pursuits, and the value goes beyond voice lessons, Frey said. Toast of Tampa involves dance and choreography, and helps members develop poise and confidence, she said.

It’s a workout on many levels, Hansel said.

“I go to chorus, and I stand on the risers and I sing. It’s physical. It’s mental. And, challenging. But, when I start breathing and singing, and singing properly, on a great night, and we’re really cranking, it’s like I’m running a race, and I am winning. I feel so physically good.”

“It’s empowering,” Byers added.

Chorus members come from throughout Tampa Bay and other parts of Florida, including Jacksonville, The Villages, Sarasota, Bradenton, Fort Myers, Orlando, Melbourne and Crystal River.

Lexi Burkle performs a solo during a Toast of Tampa performance. (Courtesy of Toast of Tampa)

“I drove from Sarasota to Tampa for 23 years, and then my husband had died, and I moved to Land O’ Lakes,” Everly said.

The relationships forged among members go beyond a shared passion for singing, members said.

They describe it as a sisterhood.

When someone is sick, they said, other members respond.

When a member has a new baby, it is deluged with love.

Anyone wanting to know more about the group should call Toast of Tampa Show Chorus at (813) 963-7464, or email .

Toast of Tampa Show Chorus presents Standing Room Only, featuring special guest Voctive

Where: University of South Florida Music Concert Hall, 3755 Holly Drive in Tampa

When: Nov. 4, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Cost: $40 patron; $25 regular

Details: The Toast of Tampa Show Chorus is an internationally recognized female chorus that performs four-part a cappella singing. As they perform, they sing and move with emotion and precision.

Published Oct. 4, 2017

 

 

 

Labor shortage delays debris removal

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Those piles of Hurricane Irma debris could be sitting near homes for as long as a couple of months, Pasco County officials have said.

That’s because there’s a shortage of work crews.

Pasco County homeowners may need to exercise patience, while they wait for debris from Hurricane Irma to be removed by subcontractors working for Pasco County. County officials say there’s a shortage of subcontractors available to get the job done. (Mary Rathman)

Officials hope that residents will be patient, as the county struggles to pull together enough work crews.

Pasco County Utilities, Solid Waste and Resources Recovery Department set the start of debris collection for Sept. 18. But, finding and keeping subcontractors who can do the work is proving difficult.

The problem is, Hurricane Irma took a swing through the entire state, stretching local government resources.

Financially, subcontractors are finding more lucrative contracts in South Florida, where Irma did the most damage. That has made it difficult for Pasco to secure and hold onto subcontractors.

“I’ve got a lot of complaints that we’re not getting anything picked up,” said Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano.

Working with the county’s consultant, Ceres Environmental Services, Pasco had hoped for 16 work crews. By Sept. 25, that number fell to eight. Then, one day later, the county could only count on four crews.

“There’s just not that many resources,” said John Power, the county’s solid waste facilities director. “At the rate we’re going now, we’re talking about a couple of months.”

Even as Pasco works to find its own crews to supplement county efforts, Power said other counties were calling Pasco to ask for manpower.

On Sept. 26, county commissioners approved inter-local agreements to allow Ceres Environmental Services to aid in securing cleanup services for Dade City, San Antonio and the Town of St. Leo.

Similar agreements are possible with New Port Richey and Port Richey.

Zephyrhills is the one city that has been able to do its own debris pickup.

Adding to Pasco’ cleanup task are suspicions that some residents are putting out more than storm debris curbside.

“A lot of people are using it for spring cleaning,” said Power, who said he was also waiting for debris at his home to be picked up.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore wasn’t so sure.

“We need to be careful about making determinations,” he said.

The furniture and other goods being tossed onto residents’ piles could be from actual storm damage, he said. “It’s a delicate situation.”

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles said the county likely will follow with a second county sweep after completing the initial pickups over the next weeks.

Pasco County officials have issued guidelines for debris pickup:

  • All debris materials must be brought to the curb or roadside.
  • Do not block fire hydrants, mailboxes, electrical boxes or other structures.
  • Do not bag debris.
  • Contractor generated debris won’t be picked up.
  • Refrigerators should be empty, with the doors secured or removed.
Piles of debris from Hurricane Irma may be a common sight around Pasco County, possibly as long as a couple of months. The county is struggling with a shortage of work crews to remove the debris. (Kathy Steele)

Debris must be separated into the following categories:

Furniture: Mattresses; couches, sofas, chairs; dressers; lumber, if not pressure treated; particle board; laminated flooring; dry insulation (if wet, pile with construction); carpet and padding

Construction: Drywall, plasterboard, ceramic tile, concrete, lumber (pressure treated), wet insulation

Vegetation: Tree cuttings (must be no more than 5 feet in length, and all branches must be bundled)

White Goods: Appliances, metal furniture, metal shelving, bicycles, items that are more than 75 percent metal

Hazardous Waste – Delayed Pickup: Any household chemicals; oil, gas, flammables; lawn and garden chemicals; televisions; computer monitors, computer towers (CPUs)

Contractor-generated debris won’t be picked up.

Requests for debris pickup must be submitted to Pasco County Customer Service Center by emailing ">, providing the address where the debris is located.

Residents also can call customer service at (727) 847-2411.

Pasco County now has a map, an interactive tool to track hurricane-related storm debris pickup, available at arcg.is/2wSHdN5.

Yellow boxes on the map indicate the areas in which crews are working.

Published Oct. 4, 2017

Agreement reached on forensic research campus

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Pasco County commissioners approved a three-way agreement that sets up the framework for ownership and operation of a forensic research and training facility on county land next to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center.

One feature of the facility is a body farm to aid in criminal investigations, body identification and research into body decomposition.

Abigail Kennedy spoke at the dedication ceremony naming the Adam Kennedy Forensic Field for her husband, who died in January. Adam Kennedy, former principal of Crews Middle School, was the first body donated for research at the body farm. (File)

Florida F.I.R.S.T. (Forensic Institute for Research & Tactical Training), will be only the seventh in the nation. It is expected to become a national and international center for forensic research and its applications.

Pasco County, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the University of South Florida are parties to the agreement.

“It’s really going to put us and USF on the map,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore.

At no cost, Pasco will lease a portion of the facility to USF for 33 years, with two extensions allowed, for a total of 99 years.

“We’re excited to get this rolling and move it forward,” said Chase Daniels, assistant executive director for the sheriff’s office.

The campus will have a laboratory, classrooms, a morgue and evidence storage space. Virtual autopsies with 3-D scanning and chemical isotope analysis will be done. Work also will be done in the fields of legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction and cyber forensics.

A tactical training facility for the sheriff’s K-9 unit and the Pasco Unified SWAT team also is planned.

Dr. Erin Kimmerle of USF’s Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science (IFAAS) will be in charge of the university’s research and training.

Kimmerle and USF led efforts in identifying bodies found in unmarked graves at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

The forensic building at Florida F.I.R.S.T. will be the Thomas Varnadoe Forensic Center for Education and Research. Varnadoe’s body was among those recovered and identified at the unmarked burial sites at the Dozier school.

About 5 acres of the future campus were dedicated in May as the Adam Kennedy Memorial Forensics Field. It honors the memory of the former principal of Crews Lake Middle School, who died in a car accident while driving to work in January. His body was the first one donated to the body farm.

The price tag for the facility is about $4.3 million.

Legislators approved the money in the state’s 2017 budget, but Gov. Rick Scott vetoed the item.

The county’s legislative delegation will try again to win approval in the state’s 2019 budget. Conversations with members of Scott’s office already are underway, Daniel said.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley said he sent a letter to the governor’s office in support of funding. “It’s very important to the state besides us,” Oakley said.

If Pasco is unsuccessful a second time, Daniel said USF officials have offered to “tap into their donor lists.”

Published Oct. 4, 2017

Pizza Villa wins ‘Heart of Pasco Award’

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A group of Central Pasco Chamber members gathered in front of Pizza Villa to have its photo taken last week, as the manager of the restaurant received the chamber’s “Heart of Pasco Award.”

Members of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce turned out to congratulate Pizza Villa for winning the ‘Heart of Pasco Award.’ (B.C. Manion)

What group members huddling together didn’t know — except for Cheryl Will, the restaurant’s manager — was that they were posing in the very spot where the photo was taken for the business’ ribbon cutting three decades ago.

Will has seen a multitude of changes in the Land O’ Lakes community since Pizza Villa began operations at 21501 Village Lakes Shopping Center Drive.

For one thing, State Road 54, which fronts the restaurant, was just two lanes back then, she said. For another, as the community has grown so, too, has the restaurant.

It now has 35 employees, Will said.

What hasn’t changed, though, is the spirit of the Land O’ Lakes community, she said. “It’s very heartwarming. Even though it’s growing, it still has a heart for people. Even though the area has grown, it still feels like family.”

She believes that Pizza Villa’s staying power is linked to its sense of community, its customer service and its good food.

“I’ve got some servers who have been here 15, 20 years,” she said. “I’ve had the same prep people, basically.”

This sign is now posted proudly near the Pizza Villa sign, off State Road 54. (B.C. Manion)

Of course, serving good food is essential for a restaurant’s success, Will said. Some customer favorites at Pizza Villa include the Greek chicken, the Greek salad dressing and the potato salad.

The restaurant’s prices are good, too, she said, noting “we’ve always tried to keep it affordable.”

Pizza Villa also believes in giving back to the community, Will added.

“People come to us, looking for fundraisers, sponsorships,” she said, and the restaurant responds.

In presenting the Heart of Pasco Award to the restaurant, Rosie Heim, the honorary mayor of Land O’ Lakes, read a letter, and acknowledged the restaurant’s many contributions.

In part, Heim said, “Pizza Villa has been actively involved in the community, and you have given back to the community in countless ways. In many instances, your kind deeds may not have been properly acknowledged, as they should have been.”

After Heim concluded her remarks, chamber member April Saland told Will: “You do give effortlessly, and continuously.”

Sandy Graves, another chamber member noted: “You just have a heart for this community, Cheryl, and you have always served it so well.”

Following the presentation, Graves and others gathered near Pizza Villa’s sign and posted a yard sign proclaiming the restaurant’s accomplishment.

Sandy Graves, left, looks on, as Rosie Heim, right, reads a letter proclaiming Pizza Villa as the winner of the ‘Heart of Pasco Award.’ Cheryl Will, the restaurant’s manager, said she is honored by the recognition.

As Graves pushed in the sign, trucks driving past on State Road 54 tooted their horns in a show of support.

Will was clearly touched by the honor.

The restaurant is a mainstay in the community.

And, it obviously appreciates its customers, as evidenced by these words written on its front door: “Through these doors pass the finest people.

Our customers. Our friends.”

Pizza Villa is fortunate to have many regular customers, Will said.

Over the years, it has lost some through death and greeted new generations of patrons.

“You see ones that came in as babies, and now they’re coming in with their babies,” Will said.

And, there are some who have moved away, but still come in occasionally.

“We have a lot of people who have left the area, and whenever they come back to the area, this is one of their first stops,” she said.

Billy Fotopoulos is the owner of Pizza Villa, and of ABC Pizza, which also is in Land O’ Lakes.

Revised Oct. 5, 2017

 

 

 

Pasco County approves 2018 budget

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Pasco County commissioners approved a $1.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2018, which begins Oct. 1.

The budget is slightly less than the 2017 budget, but still has new expenditures for parks, boat ramps and the proposed Ridge Road extension.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano (File)

County commissioners had a final public hearing, and vote, on the new budget on Sept. 26 in New Port Richey.

There will be no change in the existing millage rate, which determines property taxes.

However, some homeowners could see a slight increase of less than $10 in their annual tax bill, based on a 2.1 percent increase in homesteaded property values.

Pasco saw about a 7.7 percent increase in assessed taxable property, with a value of about $24.6 billion. Much of that was fueled by new construction.

Expenditures for 2018 include $2.5 million to buy right of way needed for the Ridge Road extension, and $1 million for design and engineering of the interchange at Suncoast Parkway.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano was uncomfortable with the county bearing those costs, when the Florida Turnpike Authority previously agreed to pay for the interchange.

“Let’s make sure we’re getting the turnpike authority to pick up all this money, not us,” he said.

The Ridge Road extension is awaiting a decision from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a construction permit. The road project has lingered for nearly 19 years.

Pasco puts a high priority on the extension to create a new east/west route and a hurricane evacuation option. Environmentalists oppose the project for its intrusion into wetlands in the Serenova Preserve.

Other expenditures include about $8.1 million to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to pay for a third year of promised salary increases for deputies, as well as equipment and new job hires.

County employees will receive a 4 percent salary increase.

About $15 million is earmarked for the Wiregrass sports complex, which will be funded with a $20 million loan. The remaining $5 million of the loan will pay for boat ramps.

The county is relying on a 2 percent increase in the county’s tourism tax (for a total of 4 percent) as collateral for the loan.

There also is $4.5 million for a district park at the master-planned community of Connerton, off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

The Wesley Chapel District Park will get about $2 million for upgrades, including installation of bleacher canopies for baseball fields and the design of a community center.

The center would be built in 2019.

The $2 parking fee at county parks will be ended, with the county boosting the parks budget about $320,000 to cover the lost revenue.

About $1.5 million will be spent for upgrades and maintenance at county parks that are in danger of being closed due to disrepair.

A special disaster fund of $1 million will be created to take advantage of matching fund opportunities with the Federal Emergency Management Administration.

Such grants are geared toward projects that provide mitigation for future disasters, not current recovery efforts from Hurricane Irma, said Dan Biles, the county’s administrator.

Published Oct. 4, 2017

 

Zephyrhills appoints police chief

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Following a four-month nationwide search for its next police chief, the city of Zephyrhills has opted to hire from within, appointing interim chief Derek Brewer the city’s permanent, full-time police chief.

At its Sept. 25 meeting, the Zephyrhills City Council voted 4-1 in favor of Brewer, a 15-year veteran of the Zephyrhills Police Department who’s served as the interim chief since May following the retirement of former chief David Shears, who held the leadership position since 2008.

Brewer’s appointment was recommended to the council by city manager Steve Spina, who was part of a six-person interview committee during the hiring process.

Derek Brewer, a 15-year veteran of the Zephyrhills Police Department who has served as the interim chief since May, has been appointed as the city’s permanent, full-time police chief; he will be sworn in at the city’s Oct. 9 council meeting.
(Courtesy of Zephyrhills Police Department)

Of the six applicants interviewed, Spina told the council Brewer is “without a doubt” the top candidate for the position.

Brewer, 44, gradually has risen up the agency’s ranks, since being hired as a patrol officer in 2002.

He served as a field training officer, patrol sergeant and lieutenant before being promoted to patrol captain in 2014.

While on the force, Brewer earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Hillsborough Community College, and attended the senior leadership training program at the Southern Police Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Florida Police Chiefs executive leadership training in 2014.
He also graduated this July from the Command Officer Management Program at Saint Leo University, and is scheduled to receive his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University this December.

Brewer has received numerous honors during his law enforcement career, including:

  • Pasco County Crisis Intervention Team Officer of the Year (2010)
  • William B. Eiland Officer of the Year Award (2012)
  • Tampa Police Department Appreciation Award (2013)
  • City of Zephyrhills Employee of the Year Award (2015)

Besides regular law enforcement duties, Brewer is a member of several committees and organizations that include the Transportation Exception Plan Committee; Pasco-Hernando State College Technical Advisory Committee; Pasco County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Task Force; Zephyrhills Code Enforcement Task Force; Zephyrhills Police Department Homeless Initiative; Zephyrhills Site Plan Review Committee; Florida Police Chiefs Association; and, Noon Rotary Club of Zephyrhills.

Several officers of the Zephyrhills police force spoke in favor of Brewer’s appointment to the department’s top job, during the meeting’s public comment period.

Lorenzo Limoges, a K-9 officer, said the agency, under Brewer’s leadership, has experienced “some of the best teamwork I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“…I’ve talked to just about every officer that we’ve got, and I can’t tell you one that hasn’t showed their support for Derek and the agency,” Limoges said.

(File)

Zephyrhills police captain Reggie Roberts said Brewer’s promotion to chief is “what’s right” for Zephyrhills and the police department.

Roberts touched on Brewer’s management style, outlining his work ethic, compassion and humility, and the handling of high-risk situations, such as Hurricane Irma.

“I believe in him 110 percent,” Roberts said.

A few citizens stepped forward, too, to express their support in naming Brewer the 10th police chief in the city’s history.

Amy Chappell, vice president and residential loan officer at CenterState Bank, said Brewer deserves the job and “has the talent it takes to bring this city together for the greater good.”

“You have an individual that cares, and that’s something you won’t find really on the resume,” said Chappell, who’s spoken in favor of Brewer at previous council meetings.

Mickey McPhee, who manages the Publix Supermarket on Gall Blvd, also applauded Brewer’s service as interim chief.

“Anytime we’ve needed the police department, they’ve just been great. And, it’s his leadership that makes it great,” McPhee said.

The store manager noted Brewer and the agency were particularly accommodating in the week leading up to Hurricane Irma.

“I just appreciate (Brewer) for the communication we had all during the storm,” McPhee said.

“We were the last retailer to be open in Zephyrhills. We didn’t call the police department, but he came down there personally and sat with us for the last 30 minutes (we were open). It was comforting, and it was his leadership that made it comfortable,” McPhee added.

The lone councilman opposed to Brewer’s appointment was Ken Burgess, who suggested an outside hire to give the agency a “fresh look.”

The Zephyrhills City Council voted 4-1 in favor of Brewer at its Sept. 25 meeting, with councilman Ken Burgess the opposed vote.
(Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

“I felt that this was an opportune time to possibly look at things from a new philosophy and perspective,” Burgess, addressing the council, said.

“During this whole process, I gathered as much information as I could, and I spoke to a lot of individuals, both in and out of the law enforcement community on this important decision. In our current society, I believe our next chief will face challenges that previous chiefs probably never faced or had to deal with. He will need to have an access to a multitude of resources and a willingness to embrace them.”

Council vice president Lance Smith countered Burgess, pointing out the city’s previous outside hires for police chief failed in the past.

Smith mentioned by name former chiefs Russell Barnes — who resigned in 2008 after accusations he created a “flex time” policy that allowed employees to receive time off instead of overtime pay for extra hours worked — and Jerry Freeman— who resigned in 2003 after just nine months on the job, due to perceived questionable decisions and judgments.

Smith said, “We have gone outside before without much success. But, that’s one part of the equation to me. The other is seeing the way the employees respond to Derek. “I think he’s done a great job,” Smith said.

Once Brewer’s appointment became official, Burgess said he will support him “all the way through, because that’s what’s important for the city.”

Brewer will be sworn in at the city’s Oct. 9 council meeting.

Published Oct. 4, 2017