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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Industry awards banquet will have trade show

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The Pasco Economic Development Council will adjust the format for its annual awards banquet to allow more networking and showcase an industry trade show, according to a news release from Pasco EDC.

Bill Cronin, president and CEO of Pasco Economic Development Council, frequently gives talks about what makes Pasco County a great place for businesses.

The 2017 Annual Awards will be at Saddlebrook Resort on Aug. 31. The event will have a shortened awards ceremony, and a brief report on Pasco County’s economic development progress.

The awards recognize top companies in Pasco that excel in technology, innovation job creation, growth, capital investment and community development. The nomination deadline ended on April 28.

In evaluating nominees, the Pasco EDC looks at job creation, increased capital investment and contributions to the community through civic involvement between January 2016 and June 2017.

Industry awards are given in the following categories:

  • Small (1-20 employees)
  • Medium (21-100 employees)
  • Large (101 or more employees)
  • Startup/New within past 24 months

Pasco EDC has partnered with Pasco County government for more than three decades to attract businesses and create jobs in Pasco.

In the past year, Pasco EDC helped to expand or relocate 17 companies, employing more than 1,100 people. This includes nearly 850 new jobs and about $145 million in capital investment.

In other accomplishments, Pasco EDC:

  • Visited 69 Pasco companies and made presentations to more than 30 groups and organizations
  • Responded to more than 190 requests for business assistance through the Pasco Enterprise Network (PEN)
  • Increased the Pasco Microloan Fund capitalization up to $709,000
  • Held three CO.STARTERS classes for entrepreneurs
  • Started a new International Committee to set goals and expand into the international arena
  • Partnered with Pasco County Commission on Penny for Pasco programs, including Ready Sites and CEO Roundtable

About 600 community and business leaders attend the annual awards banquet.

Space is limited, and early reservations are encouraged.

Sponsorships range from $500 to $5,000, with five benefit levels.

For information, visit tinyurl.com/nybzrfw, or call (813) 926-0827, ext. 226. You also can email a completed sponsorship form to , or fax it to (813) 926-0829 by July 1.

Published May 17, 2017

The Ringling offers circus lore and more

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With the final performance of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s iconic traveling shows headed for its grand finale this week, the age-old fantasy of running off to join the circus may one day fade into the annals of pop culture history.

Replicas of sculptures by world-famous artists, including ‘David’ by Michelangelo, are sprinkled across the expansive courtyard that’s flanked by the wings of The Ringling Museum of Art.
(Susan Green)

But, there’s nothing to stop you from enjoying all manner of circus lore. You’ll find it at The Ringling in Sarasota, about 60 miles south of Tampa. Indeed, you’ll find much more than circus artifacts at this attraction. For those who enjoy art, history and an exemplary tale of rags to riches, The Ringling has it all.

The 66-acre site lures more than 400,000 visitors each year, who travel from across the United States and from other countries, too, said Alice Murphy, spokeswoman for The Ringling.

They come to see the legacy of John Ringling, one of the sibling founders of the Ringling Bros. World’s Greatest Shows, who built a grand winter home and an art museum on the grounds now occupied by The Ringling complex.

The five-story, 36,000-square-foot mansion built by John and Mable Ringling in 1926 includes an 82-foot-high tower that provides a broad view of much of Sarasota. Visitors can access the tower with purchase of one of The Ringling’s add-on tour packages.

Ringling rose from humble beginnings in the Midwest and went on to help develop the largest circus in the nation after he and his brothers purchased Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth in the early 1900s.

Though the museums on the Sarasota property are not affiliated with today’s Ringling circus, the collections of circus memorabilia and exhibits housed there have benefited from the largess of donors ranging from former circus performers to devoted fans. As remarkable as those collections are, however, they are not the attraction’s biggest draw.

That distinction falls to the house that Ringling’s circus revenues built – the opulent waterfront mansion Cà d’Zan, said Ron McCarty, curator of the grand home.
“I think that most people enjoy history, and everyone loves the idea of wealth,” McCarty said.

“It’s the largest mansion on the west coast of Florida that’s a period building. … Cà d’Zan is a national treasure.”

Built in 1926 by Ringling and his wife, Mable, the five-story, 56-room abode was modeled after the grand palazzo-style homes of Venice, Italy, which the couple admired during trips to Europe to scout for new circus acts.

Howard Tibbals did extensive research of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus to create his exquisitely detailed replica of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth,’ including this view of the expansive midway.

The stucco and terra cotta façade — generously embellished with decorative tile, plus a marble terrace that stretches for more than 200 feet along Sarasota Bay — provides a glimpse into life for the wealthiest Americans during the Roaring ’20s.

Inside, there are gilded ceilings inset with paintings, rare antiques, fine art and an ornate crystal chandelier that once hung in the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. The chandelier is the focal point of an indoor courtyard where the Ringlings often entertained the celebrities of their time.

Hidden behind tapestries is a 2,289-pipe organ that stands two stories high and was custom-made for the house by the Aeolian Co.

Circus curios galore
Elsewhere on the grounds are two museums that showcase the glitter and derring-do that have long thrilled audiences under the Big Top, as well as the traveling lifestyle of performers, laborers and show executives.

John Ringling’s luxury train car is on display, as well as the colorful calliope wagon, clown cars and circus parade animal cages that ballyhooed the show’s arrival and summoned spectators when the event pulled into town.

This scale model of an early 20th century horse-drawn calliope wagon is part of the sprawling exhibit of intricately carved miniature circus figures in the Howard Tibbals Learning Center at The Ringling.

Visitors at The Ringling can see the original famous piece of artillery that shot “human cannonball” performers from the Zacchini family through the air and across the circus tent to land in a net.

Many of those echoes of yesteryear have been replicated in the lifelike miniature carvings of Howard Tibbals, who spent much of his life painstakingly creating a sprawling scale model of all aspects of the circus.

He donated his collection of more than 44,000 tiny figures to The Ringling in 2007, where it occupies 3,800 square feet of the Howard Tibbals Learning Center.

John Ringling, who died in 1936, bequeathed the estate’s mansion and art museum to the state, and that was only part of his gift to Florida’s Gulf Coast residents and tourists, McCarty said. Ringling also founded what became the Ringling College of Art and Design.

And, for 30 years, his circus held open rehearsals at a site not far from The Ringling.
“It was the biggest attraction in Florida,” said McCarty, estimating that it remained one of the most popular tourist sites in the state from the late 1920s into the 1950s. “It’s unbelievable what he [John Ringling] did for this community.”

The Ringling
Where: 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota
When: Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and until 8 p.m. on Thursdays, excluding major holidays
Cost: $25 for adults; $23 for seniors; $5 for children, 6 through 17; free for children 5 and under. (Check website for available discounts)
Parking: Free
Details: Circus artifacts, a luxurious mansion and an art museum are some of the highlights of The Ringling. Food and gifts also are available at the attraction.
Information: Call (941) 359-5700, or visit Ringling.org.

By Susan Green

Published May 17, 2017

10-Year milestone

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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

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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’

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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