The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

10-Year milestone

By

This marks the 10th consecutive year that The Laker/Lutz News has published the names of every high school graduate in our local communities.

The Class of 2017 amounts to more than 3,500 graduates in the eight high schools our community newspapers cover.

In Pasco County, these graduates are from Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass and Zephyrhills high schools. And, in Hillsborough County, our graduates are from Steinbrenner and Freedom.

Names of graduates are listed by school, in alphabetical order, in our Graduation Section beginning on page 5. You will find graduate names from the two high schools closest to where you live, and also the names of valedictorians and salutatorians from these schools.

In addition to graduates from our public schools, you also will find the names of graduates from three private schools in our community — Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School and Land O’ Lakes Christian School.

You don’t have to be a graduate, or relative of a graduate, to enjoy looking though our Grad Section. It can be fun, even rewarding, to find names of kids you know from your neighborhood, friends and acquaintances, church, community groups, sports teams and recreational activities.

And, when you find a graduate you know, honor them by sending a congratulatory text, or better yet, give them a personal call. Congratulate your graduate for accomplishing an important goal in his or her life — one that is an essential stepping stone, as they go on to achieve many more.

Graduates of the Class of 2017 have worked for years to fulfill the requirements to qualify for graduation.

And, they are why today’s paper is important.

Graduating from high school is a monumental accomplishment that will set these students on a path to success.

We applaud the Class of 2017.

Published May 17, 2017

4H Unidos Club aims to boost opportunities, bridge gaps

By

There’s a new 4H Unidos Club starting in Dade City that’s intended to reach into a community that traditionally hasn’t been part of such clubs.

The club is specifically reaching out to Spanish-speaking youth and their parents, although it’s not an exclusive club.

“It’s a totally inclusive club. Anybody can join. That’s kind of the nature of 4H and all Extension activities,” said Whitney C. Elmore, director of the Pasco County Extension Office.

Grace Reich, who works at the Pasco County Extension Office, will take on a leadership role in a new 4H Unidos Club forming in Dade City.
(B.C. Manion)

However, Elmore noted, it became clear last year during community stakeholder meetings that more services were being requested in Dade City’s Lock Street area.

“Folks in the community were saying, ‘We want to know more about 4H,’” Elmore said.

The meeting is set for May 13, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Resurrection Park, at 37124 Lock St., in Dade City. Free hot dogs and chips will be served.

During the stakeholder meetings, Sammy Ortiz stepped forward and said he wanted to get involved. Both he and Grace Reich, from Elmore’s office, will take on leadership roles.

Elmore believes that “4H is the perfect vehicle, to talk about entrepreneurship and leadership skills.”

It also helps youths develop literacy about livestock and agriculture, both very important topics in Pasco County, she said.

Beyond that, club members have the chance to learn about environmental stewardship, sustainability, science, technology, engineering, mathematics and other topics.

These are among the things the community said they needed, Elmore said. “So, we’re doing our best to respond to that.”

To that end, the club will have an informational session to find out what potential members are interested in, and will begin planning future meetings.

The meetings likely will be in various locales around the community, Elmore said.

The information session will help set the tone for future meetings.

Besides delivering information, the session will be aimed at listening to what topics the community wants the 4H Club to explore, Elmore said.

“We can take it in a million different directions. That’s one of the best things about 4H. It’s definitely not one-size-fits-all,” Elmore said.

It’s not clear yet whether there will be fees, but if there are and a family can’t afford them, the University of Florida won’t allow that to be a limiting factor, Elmore said.

“We’re hoping that we’ll have sponsors step up out of the community to help fund some of the fees and some of the activities that the children will want to do,” Elmore added.

Grace Reich, who works in Elmore’s office, has stepped up to help lead the 4H Club.

“I’m part of this community. I’d like to see the Hispanic people be more involved in 4H, because we’re a big part of the community.

“I think they can see some things they haven’t seen before — opportunities that they don’t realize are out there. I think it’s a good thing,” Reich said.

The club is expected to meet at least once a month.

“We’re hoping to get an idea of what they’re interested in. What excites them,” Reich said.

Ortiz got involved after learning about the conditions in the Lock Street area.

“It goes back to coming to the Kumquat Festival and missing the turn to go onto Meridian, and going onto Lock Street, and Lock Street looking like it was a Third World country, and I said, ‘Why does Lock Street look different than Seventh Avenue?” Ortiz said.

“I want underprivileged kids to have the same opportunities (as other kids).

“It’s going to open up a whole new horizon for them,” he said.

“I’d like to see a melding of what they can learn from 4H — not just from an agricultural point of view, but how to deal with people, how to communicate, how to relate to people who are different from themselves.

His hope is that “at the end of the day, what will end up happening is that they can build community. They all go to school together, but they don’t live in the same area.

“This way, it will bridge a gap, build community,” Ortiz said.

He wants to plant seeds of hope in these youths’ hearts, that they could one day attend the University of Florida.

The program “may not change physically, the way that Lock Street looks, but if we can begin to impact the way that the kids think mentally, eventually the way that Lock Street looks will change because the kids on Lock Street will change.”

For more information about the new 4H Club, call Ortiz at (813) 563-5753, or reach him by email via ,

Or, contact Elmore at (352)518-0156 or .

New 4H Unidos Club
What: An information session about a new 4H Unidos Club forming in Dade City
Where: Resurrection Park Pavilion, 37124 Lock St.
When: May 13, 10 a.m. to noon
Who: Parents and youths are invited to learn about the new club.
Cost: Free
Details: Free chips and hot dogs will be served; parents and youths are invited to offer ideas about what kinds of activities the new club should do.
Information: Call Whitney C. Elmore at (352) 518-0156 or Sammy Ortiz at (813) 563-5753.

Published May 10, 2017

Putting on a show that’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’

By

A group of second- through eighth-graders at Lutz Learning Center have been rehearsing their lines, and now they’re ready to present Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.”

The school, located at 621 Sunset Lane, will be presenting a free community performance of the play at Nye Park, 630 Sunset Lane in Lutz, on May 11 at 1 p.m.

These are the students taking part in Lutz Learning Center’s production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ back row, from left: Carter Smith, Devyn Asencio, Emberly Wilson, Aiva Sohl, Anola Sohl, Ryan Brochu, Campbell McElaney; middle row, from left: Kendal Whillock, Sasanka Senthil, Caleb Wong, Evan Meredith, Gavin Quijano, and Jaden Askew; front row, from left: Levi Quijano, Lucia Pinera, Damien Negre, Elysia Wootten and Jackson Brewer.
(Courtesy of Lutz Learning Center)

Those attending the event should bring blankets or chairs to sit on, and they should get ready to see a bunch of young actors who are eager to put on a show, said Stephanie Rodriguez, director of staff at the school.

The play is an outgrowth a Shakespeare study the children have been involved in at the school.

“We kind of pride ourselves in making sure that kids are challenged and that they have a well-rounded education,” Rodriguez said, which includes not only mathematics and reading but also the arts.

“One of the things that we do try to implement is allow the kids a little bit of direction in their learning as well,” she said.

For instance, the school had planned to do Shakespeare’s tragic play, “Julius Caesar,” but the kids voiced a greater interest in putting on “Much Ado About Nothing,” a romantic comedy, Rodriguez said.

“They’re definitely a funny bunch,” Rodriguez said, describing the students who are presenting the play.

“I know a lot of the parents are going to come, but we wanted to open it up to the community, to reach out more — to give the kids a chance to perform for people other than their family,” Rodriguez said.

She expects the production to last between 20 minutes and 30 minutes.

Despite the range in age, the performers have been preparing as a troupe.

“They’ve been working together and practicing together,” Rodriguez said.

She thinks the experience helps the students to develop confidence, and she’s confident they’re going to put on a good show.

“These kids are just so animated. They really go into the role, 100 percent. They are using gestures, facial expressions. They are just completely into it, 100 percent,” Rodriguez said.

‘Much Ado About Nothing’
Where: Nye Park, 630 Sunset Lane, Lutz
When: May 11, 1 p.m.
How much: Free
Details: Bring a chair or a blanket and get ready to watch a group of second- through eighth-graders present their take on Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing.’
Information: Call Lutz Learning Center at (813) 949-3484.

Published May 10, 2017

Lutz Guv’na race debate set for May 20

By

It’s campaign season again — in Lutz, that is.

The annual Lutz Guv’na Race is underway.

And, it kicks off with the 2017 Guv’na Debate on May 20 at the Old Lutz School, 18819 N. U.S. 41.

The event — which runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. — is free and open to the public.

Last year’s Lutz Guv’na candidates competed in several fun-filled activities, including a watermelon-eating contest. The annual Lutz Guv’na Race kicks off with the 2017 Guv’na Debate on May 20 at the Old Lutz School, 18819 N. U.S. 41. It runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
(File)

This year, three candidates will vie to raise the most money for their “campaigns,” with proceeds benefitting local nonprofits and community organizations.

Incumbent Guv’na Greg Gilbert, of Beef O’ Brady’s in Lutz, will square off against two first-time candidates: Kori Rankin from Kori Rankin Photography, and Jessica Sherman of Pinch A Penny in Lutz.

Throughout the fun-filled debate, the trio will field jocular questions from audience members and partake in other quirky activities, hoping to raise money for a good cause.

The event’s emcee will again be Paul Vahue of First Baptist Church in Lutz.

Attendees, meanwhile, can attach themselves to a candidate to benefit their campaigns; former Guv’na winner Stephanie Ensor of Flip Flop Embroidery Shoppe will offer a $100 campaign donation to the candidate who brings the most guests to the May 20 debate.

The annual charity event — which started in 1991— is sponsored by the Lutz Civic Association.

“This is what makes a small town a small town,” said Suzin Carr, ambassador for the Lutz Guv’na Race.

It typically raises several thousand dollars for about 20 beneficiaries, including scout troops, the Old Lutz School and Friends of the Library.

“They make community spirit what it is,” Carr said, of the beneficiaries. “They make Lutz a nice place to live.”
More than $100,000 has been raised in the past decade alone.

“There’s some years that are less, and some years that are more, but the impact…on these small groups is huge,” said Carr.

Last year’s event, like the others before it, proved particularly entertaining, thanks to a makeshift bowling competition, costume and watermelon-eating contests, and a Donald Trump-masked mystery candidate.

Besides various tasks and challenges, the debate regularly features plenty of laughs, as candidates offer up tongue-in-cheek answers to “hot button” issues surrounding Lutz.

The race continues through the Fourth of July weekend, where the winner is announced, and earns the coveted “sash” from the prior year’s winner.

The winner also typically earmarks 10 percent of what he or she raises to the organization of their choice.

Carr, a former two-time winner of the Guv’na Race, is actively seeking additional community involvement and volunteers for the Guv’na festivities.

“We want bodies out there,” she said. “When people don’t come out and support these kinds of programs, they die…and we certainly don’t want to see that.”

For more information, contact Carr at (813) 453-5256.

Published May 10, 2017

Pasco County begins budget review for 2018

By

Pasco County officials anticipate an increase in property tax revenues, which in recent years have been on an upward trend.

But, that doesn’t mean the budget will be flush with money for fiscal year 2018.

Pasco County commissioners will be grappling with an $8.1 million increase in the Pasco County sheriff’s budget; a request to restore operating hours for libraries to 2008 levels; and, a parks system trying to keep up with population growth.

That’s a short list of anticipated budget requests.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano
(Fred Bellet)

Commissioners got a preview of the tough budget decisions for fiscal year 2018 at a May 2 workshop in New Port Richey. Final figures on revenues and expenses are evolving.

The Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office is scheduled to provide tax valuation data in June. Commissioners are set to review the budget in July and to have two public hearings before final approval. The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

At the workshop, county projections pegged property tax revenues according to three scenarios – a 4 percent increase, a 7 percent increase and a 9 percent increase.

Even with the rosiest of scenarios, the county’s property tax revenues for 2018 will be less than where the county was 10 years ago, said Bob Goehrig, the county’s budget director.

The county also will be facing the potential loss in 2019 of as much as $13 million in property tax revenues. Voters will decide in a 2018 referendum whether to increase the current $50,000 standard homestead exemption to $75,000.

“That will make our decisions more difficult,” said Pasco County Transition Manager Michele Baker.

Baker is retiring as county administrator. Her replacement is Dan Biles, who started his new job on May 1.

One of the biggest ticket items for 2018 will be the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. A requested increase of $8.1 million would be used for pay raises, equipment and new job hires. About $5.5 million of the increase is for the last phase of a 3-year pay raise plan for deputies.

A somewhat smaller amount of about $4.8 million had been anticipated, said Goehrig.

Several other departments made presentations requesting budget increases.

Over three years, library officials want to restore operating hours to 2008 levels of 40 hours a week at each library, and to hire eight full-time employees. The total cost over three years would be about $985,000.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey

In the first year, the Land O’ Lakes Public Library and Regency Park Public Library would add hours and staff at a cost of about $325,000. In later years, service would increase at the Hudson Regional Public Library, Hugh Embry Public Library, New River Public Library, Centennial Park Public Library and South Holiday Public Library.

“We should be doing this,” said Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley. “But, we’ve got to come up with a funding source.”

The county’s parks department needs about $15 million to pay for deferred maintenance and about $6.4 million to replace aging infrastructure. Based on a long-range master plan for parks, about $134 million is needed to provide amenities to meet population growth for the last 10 years and for the next 10 years.

At a prior workshop, county commissioners requested information on eliminating $2 parking fees at county parks, and $60 annual passes.

That would mean a revenue loss of about $332,000 a year, said

Kelley Boree, the county’s parks, recreation and natural resources director.

To cover the loss, general funds could be used or, Boree said, the county could end three programs – aquatics, horticulture at sports field and summer camp.

“I’m just totally against taking any money from parks,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

But, Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said he wants to see fees eliminated and suggested a higher tax rate would save programs from being cut. “You increase access and quality of life; I think that’s great advertising for the county.”

Published May 10, 2017

Traffic ‘relief’ coming to Pasco

By

As Pasco County’s population booms, traffic relief is on the way.

That’s according to Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, the featured speaker at The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce monthly breakfast on May 4.

The commissioner provided updates to several county road projects, including: extension of State Road 56; widening of State Road 54; and, intersection improvements along Eiland Boulevard.
Those projects are crucial, Moore said, as growth continues.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore was the featured speaker at The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce monthly breakfast on May 4. He discussed a wide range of topics, including roads, code enforcement and economic development.
(Kevin Weiss)

The county recently crossed the 500,000-population threshold, and stands at roughly 505,000.

The figure is estimated to grow to 750,000 people by 2030, and over 1 million by 2040.

“We’re catching up (to Hillsborough County). We’re one of the fastest growing areas in the nation,” said Moore.

Specifically, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills are “probably the fastest growing…in the state of Florida.”

Knowing that, Moore said county leaders must be “proactive” and “forward-thinking” on “big-ticket items,” including road improvements.

Among the most ballyhooed is the four-lane extension of State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.

Construction on the 6.7-mile stretch is estimated to be complete sometime in 2019.

“Relief is definitely on the way,” Moore said. “It’s going to open up economic development opportunities in this area. But, at the same time, it’s going to relieve some of that traffic congestion that we see on (State Road) 54 coming into Zephyrhills or (U.S.) 301 coming into Zephyrhills.”

The county also is working with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on widening the State Road 54 corridor from four lanes to six lanes, up through Morris Bridge Road.

Though he declined to provide a specific timeline, Moore said the right-of-way acquisition process is complete and the project will start “very, very soon.”

Meanwhile, design studies are ongoing for various intersection improvements along Eiland Boulevard in Zephyrhills.

The intersection of Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road will feature a traffic signal system and a right turn lane for eastbound traffic from Geiger to Eiland. The existing dual turn lane on Geiger Road will be restriped for left turn movements.

A signalization project also is being planned at the intersection of Handcart Road and Eiland Boulevard, along with the intersection of Eiland Boulevard and Silver Oaks Drive.

“Eiland needs to happen — it’s going to happen,” Moore said.

Besides roads, Moore hit on the county’s ongoing code enforcement efforts.

Over a year ago, commissioners approved a plan to increase code enforcement efforts along major corridors to end blight, and clean up vacant commercial properties.

Moore said code enforcement continues to focus on major corridors, including U.S. 19, U.S. 41 and U.S. 301.

Stings are also planned outside the Zephyrhills city limits, within the next month.

Targeting dilapidated buildings, violators are fined $500 per day for blight like broken windows or damaged doors.

“It’s not fair for the legitimate business owners that live in the neighborhoods behind these buildings,” Moore said. “We know what it does — it brings property values down, it hurts economic development. Additionally, it’s just unsightly.”

Moore noted the blight ordinance “has done wonders for a lot of areas” in the county, since its implementation.

“We’re trying to clean up the area, and obviously increase property values and beautify the area,” he said.

Lastly, Moore addressed various economic development initiatives within the county.

Among the targets: a 440-acre site adjacent to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport and next to the CSX rail line.

The industrial land is currently undergoing a site certification process, with a boost from Duke Energy through the Duke Energy Site Readiness Program.

The site — once certified — could be a draw for a domestic or international corporation that specializes in manufacturing or distribution.

Within the next decade, Moore said upward of 2,000 to 3,000 jobs could be brought to that area alone, further supplementing the county’s tax base.

“If we can get that site certified, some great things will happen in this area,” Moore said.

Published May 10, 2017

National parks offer lessons in life, history

By

The nation’s history is recorded in books and taught in classrooms — but, author Penny Musco recommends another path of discovery.

She suggests that you visit as many of the 417 properties in the U.S. National Parks Services as possible.

That list includes 59 parks, 87 monuments, 15 rivers, three scenic trails, four battlefield parks, 11 battlefields, 78 historic sites, and thousands of recreational areas.

Musco, who lives in Sarasota, summed it up like this: “It’s our history.”

Sarasota resident Penny Musco was guest lecturer at the Zephyrhills Public Library, where she discussed her book, ‘Life Lessons from the National Parks: Meeting God in America’s Most Glorious Places.’
(Kathy Steele)

She went on to say, “sometimes it’s more interesting to learn our history when you’re somewhere history occurred rather than in a classroom. That’s what makes it come alive.”

Musco is author of “Life Lessons from the National Parks: Meeting God in America’s Most Glorious Places.”

She was guest lecturer at the Zephyrhills Public Library on April 19.

She also is a former artist-in-residence for the National Park Service.

She spent six weeks in Nebraska researching the “exodusters,” blacks who migrated to Kansas and other states west of the Mississippi River after the Civil War. The Homestead Act of 1862 provided land grants of 160 acres to all Americans, including former slaves and women.

During her residency, Musco wrote “Steal Away,” a one-woman show on homesteaders and exodusters. She occasionally performs at events for Black History Month or Women’s History Month.

She wrote her book in 2016 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

The variety of properties operated by the park service often surprises people, who tend to only think of the national parks, such as the Grand Canyon or Yosemite.

There are many other properties to visit that are less widely known, Musco said.

For instance, the national historic site commemorating the Supreme Court desegregation decision in Brown v. Board of Education is in Topeka, Kansas.

“It has a lot of multi-media. It’s a really good place to go,” she said.

Another plus? The site is free, Musco said.

Another free attraction — which was the country’s most visited park property in 2016 — is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

About 15.6 million people visit that each year, Musco said.

The Grand Canyon ranks No. 8 for most visitors; Yosemite, No. 12; and the Lincoln Memorial, No. 6.

The Blue Ridge Parkway – No. 2 in visitors – follows a scenic route for more than 400 miles through the Shenandoah National Park within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Smoky Mountains became a national park in the 1930s — as automobiles became a popular mode of travel.

Park service officials wanted to have a national park located in a populated area, unlike the western parks that had far fewer, if any, residents.

“Most Americans wanted to go somewhere in their automobiles,” Musco said.

Donations from the states of Tennessee and North Carolina, average citizens, and John D. Rockefeller Jr., helped buy the land. The park’s creation came with controversy, as about 1,200 people were displaced.

“People lived in the hollers in the Great Smokies,” Musco said.

About 70 log-built structures remain.

Today, the Great Smoky Mountains is the largest protected land area east of the Rocky Mountains.

In Florida, a popular spot is the Hernando de Soto National Memorial, near the Sarasota-Bradenton airport. The site marks the spot where the Spanish explorer came ashore in Tampa Bay in 1539.

The Dry Tortugas National Park is an island fortress south of the Florida Keys, accessible by ferry or seaplane. Dr. Samuel Mudd, convicted as a conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, served time on the island until his pardon in 1869.

Musco said Cuban refugees fleeing Castro would sail small boats to the island to seek asylum in the closest place to mainland United States.

It is one of the least visited parks but, Musco said, “It’s architecturally a magnificent place. The aquatic life is beautiful. It’s an all-day adventure.”

Her personal favorite is the Grand Canyon.

“It is so immense and so hard to wrap your mind around the scale,” she said.

Musco also loves the opportunities for free or reduced cost passes issued by the park service.

Seniors age 62 and older qualify for $10 lifetime passes. (There is a proposal to increase that fee to $80). Free passes are available to military; permanently disabled; and, fourth graders (age 10) and their families from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31.

Parks also are free on President’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and on Aug. 25 for the National Park Service’s birthday.

For information on parks, visit NPS.gov.

For information on Musco, visit PennyMusco.com.

Published May 10, 2017

Commission on Status of Women elects officers

By

The Commission on the Status of Women met recently to elect officers and begin exploring issues that they want to pursue in coming months.

Pasco County commissioners established the 15-member commission in September 2016 as an advisory board. The commission will make periodic reports and recommendations on matters that promote women’s issues.

Members of the Commission on the Status of Women elected their officers at a recent meeting. Amanda Colon, president of the Women Lawyers of Pasco Inc., left, is chairwoman; Krista Covey, SMARTstart Business Incubator director with the Pasco Economic Development Council, is vice chairwoman; and, Kelly Mothershead, communications assistant at Pepin Academies in Pasco, is secretary.
(Courtesy of Amanda Colon)

Amanda Colon, president of the Women Lawyers of Pasco Inc., will serve as chairwoman; Krista Covey, SMARTstart Business Incubator director with the Pasco Economic Development Council, as vice chairwoman; and Kelly Mothershead, communications assistant at Pepin Academies in Pasco, as secretary.

Meetings are open to the public.

The next meeting will be June 5 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the county’s Utilities Administration Office, at 19420 Central Blvd., off U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

“The more public support we have in the community, the more it’s going to help us,” said Colon.

Commission members opted to focus on three umbrella issues of health and safety; education; and, economic prosperity and promotion.

Among health and safety topics are domestic and sexual violence, mental health, women’s health, veteran’s services, and the epidemic of drugs, pills and alcohol.

Education also will focus on drugs and alcohol, but also topics such as financial literacy, and the challenges facing single mothers and grandparents who are caregivers for their grandchildren.

Under economic prosperity and promotion, homelessness, affordable housing, affordable daycare, and promoting women in the political and government arenas are on the list.

Going forward, the commission will decide on priorities and set up committees.

The commission must meet at least six times annually, but can meet more frequently. Meeting dates are scheduled into February 2018, though no meetings are planned for July, September and January.

Efforts to create the commission began more than two years ago with discussions between Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey and Land O’ Lakes attorney Michele Hintson.

More women joined the conversation and took the matter to the county commission.

Research turned up an ordinance from 1979 that had established a women’s commission. But, it is unclear if its members ever met.

The county’s legal staff updated that ordinance to create the current commission.

County commissioners appointed five of the commission members, with 10 selected from area agencies, schools and nonprofits. They are African-American Club of Pasco County Inc.; Hispanic Professional Women’s Association Inc.; Metropolitan Ministries; Pasco Economic Development Council; Pasco-Hernando State College; Saint Leo University; Sunrise of Pasco County Inc.; United Way of Pasco County Inc.; and Women Lawyers of Pasco Inc.

Published May 10, 2017

Woman unleashes creativity through soaps

By

Step in Melissa Brown’s workshop, and you’ll see a woman focused on creating handmade soaps at her home business in Lutz.

Brown launched her business —Nautilus Soap Company LLC — more than a year ago, and hopes one day to open her own storefront. Besides making scented and unscented soaps, she also makes bath bombs and shampoo bars.

Melissa Brown uses a cutting device to create 11 bars of soap from a single mold.
(B.C. Manion)

She sells her products at local markets, such as the Lutz Arts & Crafts Fair, the weekly market in Indian Shores, the downtown Dunedin and other events. She offers wholesale pricing and handles custom orders.

Brown is a member of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce and was one of the vendors at the chamber’s Land O’ Lakes Music Fest in March.

When Brown ventured into soap-making, she was beginning at Ground Zero.

So, she has spent a fair amount of time researching how to make soap, source suppliers and find out which markets work for her, and which ones don’t.

She’s chatted with other soap-makers to glean pointers — to help her avoid potential mistakes.

And, she’s done a fair amount of experimentation, too, learning through trial and error.

Melissa Brown’s Nautilus Soap Company LLC creates soaps of many colors and fragrances.

She began soap-making after trying her hand with candles and discovering that she didn’t find that engaging enough to suit her.

“I actually started making soap last January, really more of a hobby than anything. It just continually progressed,” Brown said.

“This is my absolute passion. It’s what I live, eat, breathe, and sleep every single day. I’ve never been this way about anything before,” she said.

She sells all sorts of soap. There’s Almond Milk & Honey, Bare Naked Soap, Bay Rum & Bergamot, Bed of Roses, Chill Out, Mother Nature, and Orange Blossom, just to name a few.

One recent day, Brown was experimenting with a batch of pink grapefruit soap.

While soap-making is an ancient art, Brown uses sophisticated equipment.

Melissa Brown stands in front of her Lutz home, where her soap company is based.

She uses a computer software program to formulate her recipes.

As she mixed the sample batch, she explained her process.

“What I have in here is my oil blend. I use an oil blend of five different oils. I use canola, castor, coconut, rice bran oil and olive oil.

“What is in this pitcher right here, is my lye and water mixture. It’s a specific strength that I use, and it has been formulated by my program, chemistry-wise, to make sure that it activates all of the molecules of the oils that I have in here. It’s a very specific ratio,” she said.

The lye mixture is critical, she said.

“If you do not have this, you will not get soap. You will just get oil,” she added.

Pink grapefruit essential oil, Australian pink clay and melted cocoa butter were the other ingredients she used, for this batch of soap.

These bars of soap are on the curing rack. They’ll cure for six weeks before being sold.

The clay is good for the skin, but also provides some color for the soap.

“Once I mix the oils and the lye together, after that is when I add the cocoa butter, because the cocoa will be free floating molecules within the soap, so it will more moisturizing,” Brown said.

“I give it a little stir, and then I go with the stick blender,” she said.

She’s careful while mixing the ingredients, because she doesn’t want the soap to harden too quickly. She also adds the color gradually to make sure she gets the shade she desires.

Her sample batch makes 11 bars.

After pouring the mixture into the mold, it rests overnight.

These pink creations add fizz to a luxurious bathing experience.

“Once I cut it,” she said, “it goes on these drying racks, it cures for six weeks.”

Sometimes, the soap doesn’t come out like she expects.

But, some creations she views as “mistakes” turn out to be quite popular with customers, Brown said.

In addition to learning the ins and outs of soap-making, Brown has broadened her knowledge on many other fronts, including figuring out out how much to charge for her soap, how to market it, and about taxes and other business requirements.

“I learn as I go,” Brown said.

Her husband, Doug, helped her to price her goods.

Nautilus Soap Company LLC, based in Lutz, offers can custom make orders.

“We looked at basically everything that was out there. We looked at markets. We looked at soap companies online. We looked and actually broke it by how much they were charging by ounce of soap. And, that’s how we kind of came up with it, so we were in line.

“I didn’t want to be too high, because then people are turned off by the price; but, I didn’t want to be too low, because then it would seem like it was a cheap product,” Brown said.

Brown said most of her working life has been devoted to medical work, in one form or another.

She didn’t’ feel able to unleash her creativity.

She decided to give soap-making a try and discovered a new source of joy.

The feeling reminded her of advice she’d heard during a talk, many years ago, by Debbi Fields, the founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies.

“She (Fields) said, ‘Do what you love, and love what you do.’ I never ever forgot that. And, that’s when it came to me, ‘You know what? I love this, and I want to do this.’

“It just blossomed from there,” Brown said.

Upcoming markets/fairs/festivals
You can buy handmade soaps produced by Nautilus Soap Company LLC, based in Lutz, either through the company’s website, or at these upcoming markets:

  • Indian Shores Sunday Market, on May 14 and May 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Indian Shores Town Hall Municipal Center, 19304 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores.
  • Clearwater Mall Weekly Market, May 16, May 23 and May 30, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., southeast corner of U.S. 19 and Gulf-To-Bay Boulevard, in front of Target.
  • Downtown Dunedin Weekly Market, May 12, May 19 and May 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Pioneer Park, Main Street and Douglas Avenue.
  • Armed Forces Day, May 20, noon to 8 p.m., at Frankie’s Patriot BBQ, U.S. 19 and Ulmerton Road in Clearwater.

For more information, call (813) 438-3507, or visit NautilusSoap.com.

Published May 10, 2017

Homestead exemption could increase

By

A property tax savings could be on its way to Florida homeowners, if a statewide referendum in 2018 boosts homestead exemptions to a total of $75,000.

But, what could be tax relief to homeowners could pose financial challenges for local governments.

State Sen. Tom Lee

If approved, homeowners can add another $25,000 to the existing standard of $50,000 (approved by voters in 2008) for homestead exemption on a primary residence. The added bonus would take effect on Jan. 1, 2019.

Statewide estimates suggest that property tax collections could drop between $654 million and $700 million annually.

Locally, Pasco County could lose as much as $13 million, according to Pasco County Property Appraiser Gary Joiner.

About 100,000 of the county’s more than 260,000 parcels have a homestead exemption. Of those, about 60,000 would qualify for the increased exemption, he said.

“I don’t think that there is any doubt it’s going to pass,” Joiner said. “It’s going to be tough for the county and the commissioners to decide what they are going to have to do.”

The impact of lost revenues would be felt starting in 2019.

To close financial holes in budgets, other revenue sources could be sought, including sales taxes, increased millage rates and user fees. Or, governments may have to reduce staff or cut services.

Homeowners currently can receive a standard homestead exemption on the first $25,000 of assessed value of their primary residence. Another $25,000 can be deducted from assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000.

Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran

The proposed exemption increases the exemption on all taxes, other than school district taxes, by another $25,000 on assessed value greater than $100,000 and up to $125,000.

As an example, a house valued at $100,000 would be taxed as if it were worth $25,000. A $200,000 house would be taxed at an assessed value of $125,000.

State Rep. Richard Corcoran of Land O’ Lakes, who is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and State Sen. Tom Lee of Brandon, pushed for the referendum and the larger exemption.

In a news release, Corcoran described the vote as a “big win for all Floridians” and “one of, if not the largest, tax cut in the history of Florida at $645 million.”

It allows families to pay bills and make payments on cars, health care and day care, according to Corcoran’s statement.

State Rep. Amber Mariano, State Rep. Danny Burgess and State Sen. Wilton Simpson voted for the referendum.

State Sen. Jack Latvala, of Clearwater, was the only member of the Tampa Bay delegation to vote no.

Published May 10, 2017