The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Widening project of State Road 52 at Interstate 75 nears end

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Nearly three years after dirt began flying, a $72.6 million project to widen State Road 52 and Interstate 75 is heading into its final phase.

Completion is expected in summer 2017.

A stop sign sits outside one of the exits from the Flying J truck stop, where workers are widening State Road 52. (Fred Bellet)

Motorists have learned to navigate through construction cones, barricades and lane shifts — heading north or south on I-75, or east and west on two-lane State Road 52.

Traffic flow has slowed, and sometimes halted, as construction workers twirled their signs signaling lines of motorists to go “slow” or “stop.”

Construction work has greeted residents entering and leaving the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club on a daily basis.

Amid the passenger vehicles, a steady stream of 18-wheelers rolled in and out of the Flying J truck stop, just east of I-75.

It became a routine of the daily commute.

The work began in May 2014.

This view looks west along State Road 52, in Pasco County, where work is continuing to widen the state highway and Interstate 75, at the interchange near the Flying J truck stop.

The state department of transportation tried to minimize the impact to traffic by having road crews work at night, and scheduling lane closures after 9 p.m.

“We will have added capacity to allow the traffic to flow better,” said John McShaffrey, a transportation department spokesman. “We’ve already seen that.”

Part of the project is to redesign the interchange.

In March, FDOT opened a loop ramp for westbound traffic on State Road 52, heading south on I-75.

Ramp intersections will have traffic signals to aid motorists who are entering and exiting I-75.

In 2016, southbound traffic onto I-75 from State Road 52 logged about 8,300 vehicles per day. Northbound there were about 3,000 vehicles a day, according to FDOT data on Annual Average Daily Traffic counts.

Motorists navigate through construction around the southbound exit ramp at Interstate 75 at State Road 52.

The same traffic report showed about 60,000 vehicles per day traveling I-75 between County Road 54 and State Road 52; and 40,000 per day between State Road 52 and County Road 41.

The FDOT project will widen about 7 miles of I-75 from four lanes to six lanes, with three lanes in each direction.  The work stretches from north of County Road 54 to north of State Road 52.

About 1 ½ miles of State Road 52 will be widened from two lanes to six lanes, from west of Old Pasco Road to east of Corporate Lake Boulevard.

In addition, frontage roads will be built on the northbound and southbound sides of State Road 52, west of I-75.

The project also includes on-street bicycle lanes and 10-foot sidewalks.

Published May 24, 2017

Fleet of school buses to use alternative fuel

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Pasco County Schools is making history with a new, fast-fill station and a fleet of buses that runs on alternative fuel.

Emmett Thompson, the school district’s transportation maintenance supervisor, fuels a truck with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

The school district, in partnership with Integral Energy and Clearwater Gas System, is the first in Florida to own and operate a compressed natural gas (CNG) station to fuel its growing fleet of CNG buses.

By the end of the 2018 school year, school officials estimate the district will own 65 buses that operate on natural gas, rather than diesel or gasoline.

The fueling station, along with a new bus garage, is on about 24 acres at 13101 Interlaken Road in Odessa.

School officials, school board members and representatives with Integral Energy and Clearwater Gas celebrated the occasion with a ribbon cutting on May 16.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, center, cuts the ribbon at the new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station as Chuck Warrington, left, of Clearwater Gas, and State Sen. Wilton Simpson watch

Guests at the event toured the buses and the fuel processing plant. The J.W. Mitchell High School jazz band entertained.

The alternative fuel is expected to offer several benefits, including reduced vehicle noise, cleaner emissions and cost efficiency.

“We’ve tried to be good stewards of our natural resources,” said Kurt Browning, the district’s superintendent.

Each bus is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 20,000 pounds a year, school officials said. Compared to clean diesel buses, they said the CNG buses would produce 13 percent less greenhouse gas, 95 percent less nitrogen oxide and 80 percent less hydrocarbon.

The CNG station can fuel a bus within 3 minutes and can pump out the equivalent of more than 10,500 gasoline gallons a day.

Members of the J.W. Mitchell High School jazz band performed at the ribbon cutting for the new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station.

It also is a state-of-the-art facility with more than 10,000 linear feet of electrical conduit buried underground. More than 50 cubic yards of concrete encase those conduits; and, each CNG storage vessel weighs more than 6,500 pounds. All of the compression equipment was American-manufactured.

Ray Gadd, the school district’s deputy superintendent, said discussion about the CNG station and using the alternative fuel began nearly six years ago.

He and other school district staff members helped shepherd the project to its completion. State Sen. Wilton Simpson sponsored a bill to create a state rebate program that can reimburse the county up to $25,000 for the cost of each bus.

In the past three years, the school district began buying new buses that run on alternative fuel.

Plans are to continue buying about 35 buses a year eventually replacing much of the school’s aging fleet of more than 450 buses. The shift will reduce reliance on gasoline and diesel-burning fuels in favor of natural gas, which burns cleaner and emits fewer toxins.

Published May 24, 2017

Pantry provides food for those in need

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The Helping Hands Choice Food Pantry at Atonement Lutheran Church of Wesley Chapel began more than a decade ago with a simple goal — to feed the hungry.

Carl Haberland came up with the idea.

“He had this dream that he was supposed to feed people in need,” said Carla Haberland, who has led the church’s food pantry efforts since her husband’s death in 2011.

Members of the Giraffe Club at Academy at the Lakes, in Land O’ Lakes, made gift bags for Mother’s Day for moms who come by the Helping Hands Choice Food Pantry in Wesley Chapel. From left are Deborah Szarko, club sponsor, and club officers, Luke Magnusson, Adalynn Williams and Luna Cummings. (B.C. Manion)

“It started out with a Christmas Eve dinner, between services, for the community, and baskets of food,” she recalled.

That was in 2006.

When the church began feeding the hungry, it still had a day care, so it had limited amount of space, Haberland said.

But, when the day care closed, the Helping Hands food pantry opened, distributing food every Wednesday to those in need.

“It started out with like 10, 20 families,” the food pantry director said.

“It didn’t take long to figure out that we couldn’t afford to keep buying the food at Save-A-Lot,” she said.

The pantry signed up with what was then Suncoast Harvest in Land O’ Lakes. There is no longer a food bank there and the organization is now called Feeding Tampa Bay.

The church also signed up to receive foods for the pantry from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Now, it has nearly 1,200 registered, active families, and on any given week, between 270 to 330 families show up to pick up food.

“USDA requires a form. For us to give you USDA, there’s certain criteria. You have to live in Pasco County,” Haberland said, noting there are five ways to qualify for USDA assistance.

The pantry is organized somewhat like a store.

Carla Haberland, the director of Helping Hands Choice Food Pantry at Atonement Lutheran Church, said the work can be quite demanding, but is also extremely rewarding.

It opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m., but people begin lining up long before opening.

Around 8 a.m., Helping Hands opens its doors to let people register or check in. People get numbers, and some leave and return, while others stay and wait outside.

Haberland thinks the people who are driving by and see the large line of people in need — are touched by what they see and prompted to help.

Besides the USDA, the pantry gets food from Feeding Tampa Bay, through donations from local stores, from local organizations and from individual contributors.

There’s also about 40 regular volunteers, who handle all sorts of chores. They pick up food items, sort them, store them, stock the shopping tables, work the distribution lines and do other miscellaneous tasks.

It’s an operation that truly requires many helping hands.

Besides the regular crew, there are others who come in for special occasions.

For instance, officers from the Giraffe Club were at the pantry recently, handing out Mother’s Day gift bags to moms visiting the pantry. Each gift bag was hand-decorated by Giraffe Club members and stocked with goodies to pamper the ladies.

While she has a steady crew of volunteers, Haberland said she always makes room for kids who want to volunteer and can always use more volunteers with muscle.

It’s a big job
The pantry distributes nearly 10,000 pounds of food each week. Items doled out weekly vary, based on what comes in.

One recent week, the USDA tables were stocked with grape juice, milk, cereal, canned peaches and orange juice.

Volunteers Barbara Packer, Marina Buff and Joanne Greseth say they enjoy volunteering at Helping Hands Choice Food Pantry because helping to feed the hungry is important work.

Other tables had bread, chips, salad dressings, canned goods, desserts and produce.

There’s a meat counter, too.

On this particular week, each family received a package of lunchmeat and one meat item.

As people make their way around the tables, volunteers let them know if they can take one item or two, depending on what’s available.

Usually fresh produce is scarce, but on this Wednesday, there was a large supply of romaine lettuce.

That’s because the pantry received an unexpected contribution, Haberland said.

“I had a call Sunday evening, at 5 o’clock, from a trucker, saying, ‘I’m at the rest area, northbound, on (Interstate) 75, I have five cases of romaine lettuce. Can you run and pick it up?’” she said.

And, because of that, Land O’ Lakes volunteer Barbara Packer said, “everybody is going to get a lettuce or a salad, and they’ll probably get one other (fresh vegetable) choice.”

Volume dictates how many choices a family will have, Packer said, “but at least they make the choices. They can make the decisions for their families.”

Besides providing food, the pantry provides something else that matters, Packer noted.

“The neat thing is the fact that we’re kind and positive, and smiling, with our families,” Packer said.

That’s particularly important, she added, “because so many times everybody is saying ‘No’ to them in so many other phases of their life.”

Marina Buff, who lives in San Antonio, has been a Helping Hands volunteer for several years.

“It’s just such an important thing. It needs to be done. There are too many people without food,” Buff said.

Packer agreed: “They just need the basics. They’re kind of the forgotten people.”

It’s true that the volunteers help the pantry, but the pantry helps them, too, Haberland said.

It gives them an opportunity to be needed, and it feels good to do something for someone else, she said.

Haberland said the blessings the pantry receives come in many forms.

The romaine lettuce is just one example, she said.

“Somebody else, from Flying J, a trucker, had 750 pounds of mashed potatoes.”

Plus, she added, “I know that my car will hold 68 king-size bed pillows. I know that, because Target donated like three pallets of bed pillows one week.”

There’s no such as a typical day or week at the pantry, Haberland said.

“It’s like you’re on call 24/7,” she said.

There are times when she gets tired, she acknowledged, and she wonders to herself: “What are you doing this for?”

Then, she said, “You think of the people — and there’s nothing that touches you more.

“You’ll get a new family that comes through and by the time they get around to the meat counter, they’re crying. They are so overwhelmed with the help that they get,” she said.

So, that question that Haberland sometimes asks herself? It always has the same answer.

“Obviously, we’re supposed to be doing this,” the pantry director said.

Pantry wish list
What’s on the Helping Hands’ wish list?
A remodeling project has created the need for Helping Hands Choice Food Pantry to replace its walk-in cooler. The freezer/cooler combination that it needs will cost $30,000. Anyone who wants to help the pantry meet this need should call Carla Haberland at (813) 973-2211.

Published May 24, 2017

Pasco County schools expect budget squeeze

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As things stand now, Pasco County Schools could be facing an $8.7 million budget shortfall for the 2017-18 budget year, and Superintendent Kurt Browning has begun laying the groundwork for potential cuts.

He briefed the Pasco County School Board during a May 16 budget workshop about what he’s been doing so far to gear up for what could become a tough budget year.

Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning

The final budget numbers won’t be known until Gov. Rick Scott acts on the budget adopted by the Florida Legislature. Scott has 15 days to sign the budget, veto it, or use his line-item veto authority. The 15-day time clock begins ticking once the budget lands on Scott’s desk.

Browning told school board members that he had met the previous week with all the district’s department directors and directed them to “prepare a 10 percent budget reduction exercise.”

The superintendent said he emphasized it was an exercise, but he added, “we’re going to look at each one of those proposed cuts that they recommend, and we will look at it accordingly and see what the impacts to the district are.”

On the same day, Browning had a conference call with secondary principals and two conference calls with the district’s elementary principals, to let them know they need to hold one instructional position open.

The district isn’t taking the position away from each school, but it is freezing it, Browning said.

The district estimates it would take 146 positions to plug an $8.7 million budget gap, Browning said.

Olga Swinson, the district’s chief finance officer, also noted that the charter school enrollment in Pasco County is projected to increase by about 977 full-time equivalent students, which is about a 25 percent increase over the previous year.

The district is also facing additional costs associated with opening Bexley Elementary and Cypress Creek Middle/High School, she said.

There also will be higher retirement costs, health insurance costs, increased costs for McKay Scholarships and higher costs in a number of other areas, according to Swinson.

Browning told board members that the district is considering a wide range of options to balance the budget.

The district is looking at extended school year funds, extended school day funds, furlough days, closing schools, class size requirements, dual enrollment, leadership supplements, athletics, athletic supplements and other options, Browning said.

“The bottom line is, nothing is off the table. Nothing’s off the table,” Browning said.

“The only editorial comment I will make is that, in a year when the state is not in economic crisis, we should not be in this economic crisis,” Browning said.

Published May 24, 2017

Lutz Guv’na candidates face off in lively debate

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It was a landslide for one first-time Lutz Guv’na hopeful.

Jessica Sherman of Pinch A Penny was voted the winner of the Lutz Guv’na Debate, at the Old Lutz School on May 20.

She also claimed the debate’s talent contest, appealing to “voters” with her dancing skills (and baked goods).

The annual Lutz Guv’na Debate was held on May 20, at the Old Lutz School. It featured three candidates, Jessica Sherman, left, Kori Rankin and Greg Gilbert.
(Kevin Weiss)

And,  she earned a $100 campaign donation for bringing the most guests — by far— to the fun-filled shindig.

The other candidates — incumbent Greg Gilbert of Beef O’ Brady’s and Kori Rankin of Kori Rankin Photography — had their moments, too.

Gilbert created arguably the best slogan: “Hang up your boots in Lutz.”

Rankin, meanwhile, displayed her superior athleticism, dominating a cow chip-throwing contest.

The annual affair isn’t your typical “political” debate.

Besides answering satirical questions from the crowd, the trio squared off in several entertaining competitions, ranging from a costume contest to alligator watermelon-carving.

There also was a makeshift field sobriety test — blowing and tying a “breathalyzer” balloon while traversing along a zigzagged line.

Sherman and Rankin passed with relative ease.

Gilbert failed.

“Apparently happy hour at Beef O’ Brady’s is before 2 o’ clock,” emcee Paul Vahue quipped.

The amusement didn’t stop there.

Incumbent Guv’na Greg Gilbert readies for a cow chip-throwing contest. It was just one of the many challenges during the Lutz Guv’na Debate.

As usual, the question-and-answer portion of the debate elicited the most reaction, thanks to candidates’ exorbitant promises and guarantees.

To appeal to the women vote, Gilbert proposed free massages for women “at least once a week.”

Approval ensued.

So did Rankin’s suggestion to offer “unlimited wine.”

Candidates also tackled several pressing issues, including: what new law should be passed for Lutz?

Without hesitation, Rankin said, “No more construction.”

Gilbert advocated for a motorcycle ban “at least once a week” to keep Lutz peaceful.

Sherman instead focused her attention on the area’s economy — ensure 90 percent of Lutz businesses are locally owned.

Another hot-button topic was addressed: Canadian snowbirds sneaking into Lutz.

“Build a wall,” Rankin answered, assuredly.

“Laser beams,” Sherman said.

Gilbert, however, seemed more welcoming of northern migrants.

“Why not invest in a hockey team in Lutz?” he asked.

Other questions— “Why did the chicken cross the road?” and “Who’s the biggest liar?” also generated plenty of laughs throughout the debate.

The afternoon’s silliness was all done in an effort for candidates to drum up as much support as they could, hoping to raise as much money as possible for their “campaigns,” which ultimately go to benefitting several nonprofits and local organizations.

The annual Guv’na Race fundraiser continues through the Fourth of July weekend, where the winner is announced, and earns the coveted “sash” and honorary title from the prior year’s winner.

The race, which started in 1991, is sponsored by the Lutz Civic Association.
It typically raises several thousand dollars for about 20 beneficiaries.

Dignitaries at Saturday’s event included volunteers from Steinbrenner High School, the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, and representatives from the Old Lutz School and the Lutz Civic Association.

For more information on getting involved or participating in Guv’na fundraising events, contact Greg Gilbert at (248) 444-7320 or , Jessica Sherman at (813) 362-1085 or , or Kori Rankin at (813) 476-3718 or .

Published May 24, 2017

Review committee to talk about school impact fees

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Pasco County’s Development Review Committee is slated to discuss a proposal that would raise the impact fees charged to new residential development to help address the impact that new growth has on schools.

Under the proposed ordinance, the fees could be used to build new schools, acquire school sites or purchase new school buses.

Bexley Elementary School, depicted in this rendering, is set to open in the fall for the 2017-2018 school year. Rapid residential growth in Pasco County has prompted a need for new schools, and the Pasco County School Board is asking the Pasco County Commission to increase school impact fees to help pay for new growth.
(File)

Pasco County already imposes school impact fees, but the new fees would be substantially more than is currently collected.

Here are the proposed fees:

  • Single-family detached residences: $7,540, for homes 1,500 square feet or less; $9,785 for homes between 1,501 square feet and 2,499 square feet; and, $12,028 for homes of 2,500 square feet or more
  • Single-family attached: $3,633 per dwelling
  • Mobile homes: $5,544 per dwelling
  • Multifamily: $5,295 per dwelling

These are the current fees:

  • Single-family detached: $4,828 per dwelling (no distinction based on size)
  • Single-family attached: $1,740 per dwelling
  • Mobile home: $2,843 per dwelling
  • Multifamily: $1,855 per dwelling

The fees do not apply to age-restricted communities, where residents are 55 and older.

Even if the county adopts the proposed rates, school district officials estimate a $284 million shortfall in revenue needed for capital construction during the next decade.

The development review committee meeting, which is open to the public, is set for May 25 at 1:30 p.m., in the board room at the West Pasco County Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

The development review committee, under the direction of the county administrator, reviews proposed developments and policies, and makes recommendations to the Pasco County Commission. It includes representatives of several different county departments and a representative from Pasco County Schools’ staff.

The school impact fee issue boils down to rapidly increasing school enrollment outpacing the school district’s ability to build schools to house the students.

Concerned about the problem, the school district hired a consultant to do an impact fee study.

That study recommended substantially higher impact fees.

The County Commission reacted by appointing a Pasco County School Infrastructure Funding Committee, which recommended the consultant’s highest fees be adopted, but only if the school board put a referendum on the 2018 ballot seeking a sales tax increase to support school construction.

The infrastructure funding committee’s recommendation fell flat with county commissioners, who resisted the idea of requiring the referendum.

As Commission Chairman Mike Moore put it during a May 2 workshop on the issue: “I’m not very keen on the recommendation for this board to attempt to almost hijack the process, or tie the school board’s hands by forcing them to go out and raise the sales tax. That makes me uncomfortable.”

Instead, commissioners directed county staff to prepare an ordinance to increase the school impact fee, and to schedule the development review committee meeting and two public hearings.

Absent specific direction for the amount to include in the proposed ordinance, the county’s legal staff said it would use the full amount recommended by the consultant.

The proposed ordinance does not include a requirement for the school board to ask voters for a sales tax increase to support schools.

But, it notes that except for annual adjustments that may be made based on construction costs, “the school impact fee shall not be updated in a manner that would result in an increased school impact fee for (a) period of 10 years after the effective date of the 2017 school impact fee rate increase.”

In addition to the review committee’s session, the County Commission has set two public hearings on the proposed changes to the county’s school impact fees.

Considerable debate is likely.

Proponents of the higher fees are expected to contend that new growth should pay for itself, that there’s no question the schools are needed and that there are no other sources of revenue available.

Opponents, on the other hand are likely to argue that new development is being forced to shoulder too much of the cost, that the size of the fees put Pasco County in a competitive disadvantage and that the higher fees will make it essentially impossible to provide affordable housing.

The first public hearing on the the school impact fees issue is set for June 20 at 1:30 p.m., in the commission’s board room at the West Pasco Government Center. The second is set for July 11 at 1:30 p.m., on the second floor of the Historic County Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Published May 24, 2017

‘Cow Palace’ attracted music greats

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The block structure was built in 1957, without heat or air conditioning, according to records kept by the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s Office.

It was located in Carver Heights, a predominantly black neighborhood where many people lived hard-scrabble lives.

Scott Place, left, and Al Brown are hoping planned restorations can save the historic Cow Palace in Dade City. (Courtesy of the Chitlin’ Circuit Preservation Society)

And, during the next 20 years, the building attracted performers who would become some of the biggest names in soul-blues and R&B music.

Each of those musicians would travel down Bull Road — still a dirt lane southeast of Dade City. They would go past Ferguson Lake to make their way to the stage, inside the block structure.

It was a venue with a spacious dance floor and ornate Spanish-tiled bar.

And, that’s where bar-goers, who could get rowdy, had the chance to see performances by B.B. King or Ray Charles.

More often than not, people could hear the loud music outside as they passed the open pastures, as they did on the night that James Brown played.

Despite its remote location and wild weekends, this block structure became a juke joint variously known as “Rabbit’s Place,” “Jake’s Lakeside Tavern” and the “Cow Palace.”

It was part of the so-called “Chitlin’ Circuit,” which the National Public Radio defines as “a touring circuit that provided employment for hundreds of black musicians and brought about the birth of Rock ’n’ Roll.”

Glenn Thompson, secretary of the Pasco County Historical Society, said the circuit’s name “derives from the soul food item chitterling” which is made from stewed pig intestines.

Thompson is a big fan of the local Chitlin’ Circuit Preservation Society, co-founded by Scott Place, which is seeking funding to restore and save one of Florida’s historic blues clubs.

“We want to be like the Bradfordville Blues Club in Tallahassee,” Place said. That juke joint was shuttered for nearly 20 years before it reopened in the 1990s.

The dance floor and bar at the Cow Palace as it looked in April 2016.

Place also points to other success stories on the old Chitlin’ Circuit, such as the Jackson House in Tampa, the Manhattan Casino in St. Petersburg and the Cotton Club in Gainesville.

Place, a Dade City blues musician who performs under the name “Howlin’ Buzz,” hopes future generations will have a chance to know more about the Cow Palace and its historic links to stars like King, a relatively unknown artist who brought a Chitlin’ Circuit tour to the Cow Palace in the late 1950s.

Buddy Guy played at the Cow Palace early in his career and was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Eric Clapton and B.B. King on March 14, 2005.

Writing on his Facebook page, Guy said: “The tone (B.B. King) got out of that guitar, the way he shook his left wrist, the way he squeezed the strings…Man, he came out with that, and it was all new to the whole guitar-playin’ world.”

The Cow Palace attracted stars and fans to a very poor neighborhood.

“There was nothing like that anywhere in Tampa Bay,” recalled George Romagnoli, in a news report published 25 years ago.

First subdivided in 1946 by Stanley Cochrane, the subdivision where the Cow Palace sits likely was named after the renowned botanist George Washington Carver, according to Bill Dayton, a member and former chairman of the Dade City Historic Preservation Advisory Board.

“Maybe he had an admiration for Carver,” Dayton told The St. Petersburg Times in 1998.  “Or maybe he just thought it was an appropriate name for a black subdivision,” Dayton added.

No regularly hosted events have been held at the Cow Palace since the mid-1970s, but a jam session there two years ago drew approximately 100 musicians and guests.

“We found out there was no commercial zoning, and that’s what we need for live entertainment in the future,” Place said.

Even with rezoning issues and the challenges of restoration, Place believes people would stand in line to enter the Cow Palace as they did 50 years ago.

“They would admit as many people as possible (back then). But, there was only one way in — or out,” Place said, with a smile.

To find out more about the Cow Palace and efforts to restore it, email .

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published May 24, 2017

Zephyrhills Police to have a changing of the guard

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Zephyrhills police chief David Shears is hanging up his uniform following 25 years of service.

His retirement, effective May 31, was announced during the Zephyrhills City Council May 8 meeting.

Zephyrhills police chief David Shears is retiring after 25 years of service. Shears has been the city’s police chief since 2008.
(Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The council then unanimously approved City Manager Steve Spina’s appointment of Zephyrhills police Capt. Derek Brewer to interim chief, effective June 1.

The city now will undergo a hiring process—expected to take several months—to fill the position permanently.

Shears, now 54, had 16 years on the force when he replaced former chief Russell Barnes in 2008.

Barnes resigned after accusations he created a “flex time” policy that allowed employees to receive time off instead of overtime pay for extra hours worked.

Brewer, like Shears, is a longtime member of the Zephyrhills Police Department. Hired as a patrol officer in 2002, Brewer served as a field training officer, patrol sergeant and lieutenant, before his promotion to patrol captain in 2014.

Brewer, 44, 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 is slated to graduate from the Command Officer Management Program and obtain a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University this year.

Zephyrhills police Capt. Derek Brewer has been appointed interim chief, effective June 1. He’s been on the force since 2002. In 2015, Brewer won the City of Zephyrhills Employee of the Year award.
(Courtesy of Zephyrhills Police Department)

Besides regular law enforcement duties, Brewer is a member of several committees and organizations: 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.

Additionally, Brewer has received numerous honors during his 15-year 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)

In March, Brewer outlined the city’s 2016 crime statistics to the Zephyrhills city council.
The report — generated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation — found overall crime and arrests decreased in Zephyrhills last year, but violent crime and domestic offenses went up.
According to the report, the city’s total crime rate, which incorporates violent and property offenses, decreased 4.7 percent in 2016.

The city of Zephyrhills will undergo a hiring process to permanently fill the police chief vacancy. The search is expected to take several months.
(File)

Violent crimes rose 3 percent (a total of 51 offenses), while property crimes fell 5.2 percent (a total of 879 offenses).
The report also revealed a significant jump in citywide domestic-related offenses.

Those incidents, which include simple battery and assault, skyrocketed 27.6 percent, with 125 actual offenses in 2016.
Total arrests, however, decreased 12 percent (832 total) in 2016.

At that meeting, Brewer indicated that Zephyrhills Police is taking a more proactive approach toward narcotics arrests, using a special response team for surveillance and intelligence gathering “to attack the problem at a broader level.”

He also said the department is looking to take “a stronger approach to domestic violence cases.”

Brewer noted that addressing code enforcement and the homeless rate within Zephyrhills are some of the department’s other major focuses.

Published May 24, 2017

Decision delayed on Quail Hollow

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Pasco County commissioners, for a second time, pushed off a decision on the fate of the Quail Hollow Golf Course.

In a 3-2 vote, they opted to continue the issue until June 6 at 1:30 p.m. in Dade City.

The intent is to give the golf course owner and Quail Hollow homeowners more time to settle differences.

But, there is a wide gulf between an owner who wants to redevelop his unprofitable golf course, and homeowners who want to preserve their golf course community.

A sign advertises meal specials at the clubhouse for Quail Hollow Golf Course.
(Kathy Steele)

“They want to stop the project,” said Barbara Wilhite, a land use attorney representing the golf course owner.

Andre Carollo, of Pasco Office Park LLC, wants to close the golf course and build up to 400 single-family houses, 30,000 square feet of office/retail and 10,000 square feet of day care.

Quail Hollow homeowners packed the boardroom at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse to again plead their case on May 9.

The outcome of the meeting was the same as it was at the April meeting — without a vote on the project, and with a continuance.

Homeowners are challenging the project and the impacts of construction.

“The runoff from construction will affect the water, the wetlands and the basin to the Hillsborough River,” said Anna Spencely.

Homeowners also worry about a loss of property values, and increased traffic along inadequate roadways.

Homeowners also say they bought their homes based on long-ago sales pitches that they were buying into a golf course community.

Wilhite disputes that, saying the golf course was built prior to the subdivision.

Maureen Jones, a Sarasota-based attorney, is representing the Quail Hollow Neighborhood Citizens Group Inc. She raised questions about homeowners’ property rights in Quail Hollow, but also in an adjacent subdivision.

She sparred repeatedly with Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore and with Pasco County Attorney Jeff Steinsnyder, who told Jones not to stray from allowed topics of discussion.

Moore and Steinsnyder told speakers that comments had to strictly deal with the four additional conditions that had been added to the project’s site plan since the previous public hearing.

The new conditions include designing a stormwater management plan for 25-year and 100-year storm events of 24-hour duration, and hiring an inspector to oversee activity before and during construction.

Pasco County Commissioners Ron Oakley and Kathryn Starkey expressed support for the project, and voted against the continuance.

“These golf courses are going defunct everywhere,” Starkey said. “Something has to be done with them. This gentleman has property rights. I am definitely a property rights person.”

Oakley agreed that Carollo, under county codes, has the right to rezone his property.

But, Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano responded, “These other people (homeowners) have property rights, too.”

Mariano also had a compliment for Wilhite.

“You’ve done a phenomenal job,” Mariano said. “I think I’d like to give you and the (homeowners) association one last chance, and bring it back.”

If the project is approved and a lawsuit is filed against the developer and the county, one stipulation is the applicant, not the county, would pay legal fees.

No additional public comment is expected on June 6.

Published May 17, 2017

New chapter begins in The Edwinola’s storied history

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Most people who know anything about Dade City have heard a thing or two about The Edwinola.

After all, the building has been around for more than a century, and has had its glory days and dark chapters during its history.

The Edwinola opened originally in 1912 to replace the Dade City Hotel, which had burned in 1907.

This is an exterior view of The Edwinola, which has been remodeled and is reopening as a senior living community.
(B.C. Manion)

The hotel was built by Edwin and Lola Gasque, who came up with the name Edwinola, by combining their first names, according to an account provided by Madonna Wise, a local historian.

For years, the structure — with its wrap-around veranda, Doric columns and Mansard roof — was a popular destination for businessmen and travelers.

“The Edwinola is an icon in the community,” said Darcielle Gray, executive director of the senior living community, which has closed and reopened more than once through the years.

After ceasing operations as a hotel, it became a private residence, a university, a boarding house, a restaurant and an assisted living facility, according to various historic accounts. It closed most recently after two violent deaths and reported care violations, according to media reports.

“I think it was a loss for the community when it closed. Even though it had gone through some hard times, I think it was a big loss,” Gray said. “There was a lot of sadness about it closing.”

Darcielle Gray, executive director of The Edwinola, relaxes on one of several rocking chairs on the wide verandah at the senior living community. She’s excited about helping future residents there to create a vibrant residence. (B.C. Manion)

Now, the building has been refreshed, and residents have begun moving in, she said. “We have people who are slated to move in, almost daily, for the next several weeks.”

The eight-story senior living facility offers a variety of models, Gray said, noting “we’re pretty much able to accommodate anyone.”

The building has the capacity for about 160 residents, and the types of units will depend on demand.

“We’re going to have two floors of independent to start with. We are applying for our assisted living license. So, we’ll have assisted living. Then, a few months after that, we’ll be offering memory care,” Gray said.

A grand opening celebration has been set for May 23, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 14235 Edwinola Way. There will be refreshments, tours and a ribbon cutting.

The Edwinola’s reopening is creating a buzz in the community.

The Alpha Sorosis Club was a women’s club that was organized in 1909 and continued meeting until 1968. The club met regularly for intellectual pursuits, and the group — like many other organizations — often met at The Edwinola.
(Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

“Everybody is pretty excited about it,” said Gray.  “When we talk to store owners in the Dade City area, different churches in the area, everybody seems to be quite happy because it gives a place for the seniors of Dade City to be able to stay in Dade City.

“For them to be able to do that, that’s a pretty big thing,” she said.

“Dade Citians are Dade Citians,” she explained. “They like their town. They like their banking here and their restaurants here, and their friends are here.

“So, when they get to stay here – especially at The Edwinola — they’re right in the middle of town,” she said.

Area merchants have already provided discount coupons, and because The Edwinola is pet friendly, Gray expects the nearby pet shop to be a popular place with residents.

Seniors also will be able to take advantage of nearby restaurants and beauty shops, and be able to mix with people they’ve known for years.

That’s a benefit for the seniors, but also a benefit for the community, Gray said.

The Hotel Edwinola was the focal point for social life for residents and visitors to Dade City.(Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

She expects most of The Edwinola’s residents will come from the Dade City and the surrounding communities, but she also suspects that some snowbirds may decide to settle in there, too.

There is no buy-in or long-term commitment, Gray said.

“There’s a basic community fee for entering. And then, you pay your check monthly,” she said. There’s a 30-day notice, in order to leave.

The services provided for independent residents will include a light housekeeping service and a continental breakfast and lunch. Those wishing three hot meals a day can purchase a meal ticket.

The residence also will provide transportation, to take residents out shopping, to doctors, to events, to movies and so on, Gray said. That service is important to seniors because many of them find it frightening to drive in heavy traffic, she said.

The executive director said her goal, and the goal of her staff, will be to create an environment where residents set the course for the kinds of activities they do.

“We will meet monthly to determine what next month’s calendar looks like.

“We really want the residents determining their schedule, so they will drive a lot of the activities we do, based on what the group wants to do,” she said.

She’s already been talking to some of the new residents.

“Some of the ladies are like, ‘Can we have happy hour?’” Gray said, to which she responded: “Yes. We can have happy hour as many times a week as you want.”

There will be standard activities, such as movies and popcorn, arts and crafts, and bingo. There also will be weekly speakers.

“One of our goals is to make sure that the residents here know any providers that are available to them.

“If a resident here ends up going to the hospital for some reason, we don’t want them to meet the hospital social worker the first time they’re lying in bed,” Gray said.

“We’ll bring in wheelchair clinics. We’ll bring in walker clinics. We’ll bring in nutritionists and chefs,” she said.

The idea is for residents to venture out into the community and for people from the community to drop in, too, Gray said.

Along those lines, she has issued an invitation to the Dade City Police to “come in and partake in any meal that we have here,” she said. She plans to invite the fire department to do the same.

“Sometimes our world gets smaller, as we get senior. We want to make sure that it stays wide,” Gray said.

The executive director is upbeat about The Edwinola’s future.

She envisions it as becoming a vibrant new place for seniors to call home, and she finds that prospect to be exciting.

“It’s a brand-new start,” Gray said.

The Edwinola’s grand opening
Where: The Edwinola, 14235 Edwinola Way, Dade City
When: May 23, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Ribbon cutting at 5:30 p.m.)
Details: Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served to mark the grand opening of The Edwinola, an iconic building that has been remodeled to serve as a senior living community. Tours will be given.
Information: Call (352) 567-6500, or visit TheEdwinola.com.

Published May 17, 2017