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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Exhibit features North Tampa Arts League

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Works done by nearly two dozen members of the North Tampa Arts League will be on display in February at Bug’s Splatter Gallery in Zephyrhills.

This acrylic on canvas, ‘Cruising the Channel,’ is by artist Joan Garcia.
(Image courtesy of Fran Byers)

The exhibit will showcase 57 works. It opens with a free reception Feb. 4, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the display will remain up through Feb. 24.

Fran Byers, owners of Bug’s Splatter Gallery, is pleased to be presenting the exhibit.

Besides running the gallery, she’s also a member of the arts league and is impressed by the caliber of the work its members do.

“I love these artists. There are some fabulous artists in that organization. I’m so pleased that they want to be here,” said Byers, who joined the arts league last fall.

The exhibit will cover the gallery’s walls, but Byers said her gallery also has other items, such as pottery, stained glass and jewelry.

Bug’s Splatter Gallery is at 5716 Sixth St., in Zephyrhills. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Byers, who is relatively new to the area, said she was impressed by the North Tampa Arts League from the very beginning.

She joined the group after attending one meeting. The annual dues are $35, which she described as “crazy cheap.”

The North Tampa Arts League dates back to June of 2005.

This watercolor and colored pencil, ‘Morning Vigil,’ is by artist Fran Byers.

It began when a call went out, inviting artists to gather at the New Tampa Regional Library. More than 30 people responded, leading to the league’s creation. The organization now has more than 50 members.

Byers, who opened her gallery last summer, said its mission is “to show local artists and make art available to everyone, at a reasonable price.”

Items at her gallery range from as low as $5 to around $1,500, she said.

An artist herself, Byers works in watercolor and pencil.

“It’s wonderful to create something and then have somebody appreciate it,” said Byers, who especially enjoys painting food, and items which depict texture and age.

For instance, she’d rather paint a portrait of an old woman, whose skin has a story to tell, than to create an image of an infant, whose story is not yet known, she said.

Featured pieces in the February exhibit will include works by Hernie Vann, Joan Garcia and Dorothy Bankers.

For information about the exhibit, contact Byers at (813) 355-4806 or .

For more information about the arts league, visit NorthTampa-arts.com.

North Tampa Arts League show
Where: Bug’s Splatter Gallery, 5716 Sixth St., Zephyrhills
When: Feb. 4 through Feb. 24. Opening reception is Feb. 4 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Normal gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free admission
Details: Twenty-two artists will be exhibiting a total of 57 pieces of art. All works will be for sale through the gallery. The reception will include wine and finger foods.
Info: Call Fran Byers, (813) 355-4806, or email .

Published February 1, 2017

Love — in its many forms — is concert’s theme

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Veterans and active service members will be honored at an upcoming concert, that centers on the theme of love, at the University of South Florida.

The Love Concert, which is scheduled for Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m., will feature the Touch iPad Band, which uses iPads to make music. The band dates back to 2011.

This band, which calls itself Touch, uses iPads to make music. They’ll be featured in a concert at the University of South Florida on Feb. 3. From left are: George Pennington, Jonathan Kladder, David Williams, Jeff Temple and Clint Randles.
(Courtesy of David Williams)

Music at this concert will feature collaborations between Touch and the university’s dance, theater and visual arts to portray stories told by local military veterans, according to David Williams, who is a USF school of music faculty member, as well as a member of Touch.

Other members of Touch are Clint Randles, another USF school of music faculty member, and USF music education students Jonathan Kladder, Jeff Temple and George Pennington.

They will be joined by New York-based singer/songwriter Kat Reinhart; USF alum and Hillsborough County music teacher Nathaniel Strawbridge, students and faculty of USF’s schools of theater and dance; art and art history; and, the singers from the school of music’s A cappella singers, Tones of Gold.

The event will benefit a local organization that helps disadvantaged veterans.

The event will take place at the USF School of Music Concert Hall, 3755 USF Holly Drive.

General admission is $15; students and seniors are $10; and veterans and active members of the military are $5. Tickets are available at the Arts Box Office, (813) 974-2323 and at the door 90 minutes before show time.

Published February 1, 2017

Kumquat Festival likely to attract thousands

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In the beginning, there was the kumquat.

It’s a tiny fruit, with a slightly sweet and tangy, tangy taste.

And, it’s the centerpiece of an annual tradition that often introduces visitors to Dade City’s Old-Florida charm.

The Kumquat Festival in Dade City is an event that pays homage to what promoters call ‘the little gold gem’ of the citrus industry.
(File)

The festival that pays homage to the diminutive orange fruit began two decades ago, when Phyllis Smith, Roxanne Barthle and Carlene Ellberg were looking for a way to help inject new life into downtown Dade City. They put their heads together and decided to have a festival to honor the kumquat.

The inaugural festival was on the lawn of the historic Pasco County Courthouse. It included a few vendors, some food and some kumquat growers, from nearby St. Joseph, the Kumquat Capital of the World.

Described as the “little gold gem of the citrus industry” by kumquat promoters, the fruit can be found in virtually every form at the annual festival.

While the exact offerings change from year to year, there’s typically kumquat cookies and kumquat smoothies. Kumquat marmalade and kumquat salsa. Kumquat pie and kumquat all kinds of other stuff.

This year, more than 425 vendors and 40 sponsors are taking part in the festival organized by The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, said John Moors, the chamber’s executive director.

The festival is slated for Jan. 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Whether it’s kumquat marmalade, kumquat salsa or kumquat wine, chances are you’ll be able to find it in downtown Dade City, during the community’s annual Kumquat Festival.

If you’ve been there before, you’ll know the basics. Admission is free. Parking is free. Entertainment is free. And, there are two satellite parking lots, with free shuttles, Moors said.

But, even if you’ve been there before, the experience won’t be the same, Moors said. There are always new vendors joining the lineup, and every year organizers aim to make the experience better than it was was before, he said.

Besides food trucks and other food vendors, local restaurants are open, too.

There is live entertainment, an antique car and truck show, a quilt challenge, arts and crafts, a health and wellness area, a farmer’s market, and activities for the kids.

There’s also plenty of shopping, with offerings from festival vendors and at local stores.

Those who would enjoy learning more about kumquats are welcome to attend grove and packing house tours offered by the Kumquat Growers on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27.

For times and more information, visit KumquatGrowers.com.

For more information about the festival, call the chamber office at (352) 567-3769.

Kumquat Festival
Where: Dade City’s historic downtown core
When: Jan. 28, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How much: Admission and parking are free
Details: Live entertainment, food vendors, arts and crafts, car and truck show, children’s activities, fine arts, health and wellness area, quilt challenge, kumquat pie and products.
For more information, visit KumquatFestival.org or DadeCityChamber.org, or call The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce at (352) 567-3769.

Published January 25, 2017

Education a key theme for upcoming session

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Education was a recurring theme among speakers at a recent meeting held by the Pasco County Legislative Delegation before this year’s annual session.

Local citizens and civic leaders voiced their concerns on this hot-button issue during a Jan. 18 gathering at Sunlake High School, with six local representatives to the state Legislature.

Dozens of interest groups and local government leaders also talked to legislators about their priorities for the legislative delegation.

The Pasco County Legislative Delegation had a pre-legislative session on Jan. 18 at Sunlake High School. From left, on the dais, are Richard Corcoran, incoming Speaker of the House for the Florida House of Representatives, and State Reps. Tom Ley, Danny Burgess, State Sen. Wilton Simpson, State Rep. Amber Mariano, and State Sen. Jack Latvala.
(Kevin Weiss)

Rising school enrollment and additional education funding were just two topics raised during the four-hour meeting with State Sens. Wilton Simpson and Jack Latvala, incoming Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran, and State Reps. Tom Ley, Danny Burgess and Amber Mariano.

Spencer Pylant, speaking on behalf of Superintendent Kurt Browning for the Pasco County School District, talked to the delegates about concerns increasing school enrollments and the lack of funding to provide adequate school capacity.

“It’s fitting the delegation is meeting at this school, because it rests in one of the highest-growing segments of Pasco County,” Pylant said.

“After opening 10 years ago, it is at 114 percent capacity; this additional growth demands additional capacity,” he said.

Pylant said 1,707 new students chose Pasco schools in the 2016-2017 school year.

That’s only a preview of things to come, he added.

“We expect approximately 20,000 new students in 10 years, based on our projections,” he said.

School board members and district officials are concerned that current funding sources cannot match the growing demand.

He presented two suggestions:

  • Restore the authority of the school boards to levy—by simple majority vote — up to 2.0 mills for capital purposes.
  • Provide Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funding for school construction.

“A balanced capital funding stream is necessary to provide a proper learning environment for our students and families,” Pylant said.

He also suggested some other changes:

  • More flexibility regarding assessments
  • Elimination of End-of-Course exams not required for graduation
  • Authorization of the use of a nationally recognized assessment (ACT or SAT)
  • Letting school districts decide when to administer personnel evaluations

“These recommendations reduce quantity and increase the quality of student assessments, while ensuring simple, meaningful accountability,” he said.

Later on, Kenny Blankenship, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, pleaded with delegates to improve public schools by providing “additional funding” and “more support for teachers” in the county.

Education was a recurring topic during the four-hour delegation, which featured several hundred attendees. ‘I think this is one of the best turnouts we’ve ever had at a delegation meeting,’ said State Rep. Danny Burgess.

Blankenship, a 20-year teaching veteran, endorsed “much-needed” school health centers, small class sizes and “adequate compensation” for teachers.

“We need your help to work with us to improve our public schools, because public education benefits everyone,” Blankenship said.

Jessica Hooper, representing Project Lead The Way, advocated for mandatory computer science education in schools, suggesting, “kids will be more prepared for the 21st century workplace.”

Improvement is needed in this arena, Hooper said. “Unfortunately, there are not enough offerings. You would think that Florida — being the hub of computer science technology employers — would need more (offerings) in this area in the education space.”

Pasco-Hernando State College President Timothy Beard also asked state legislators to increase funding for facilities.

Specifically, he requested $2.5 million in PECO funding for the West campus in New Port Richey.

He also asked for $10 million for an education performance arts center, which would be built on the campus of Cypress Creek Middle/High School.

Saint Leo University representatives lobbied for continued funding of Bright Futures scholarships, along with the Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG), which provides tuition assistance to Florida undergraduate students attending an eligible private, nonprofit Florida college or university.

The Florida Legislature kicks off the 2017 session on March 7.

Published January 25, 2017

Awards keep coming for Land O’ Lakes student

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When it comes to accomplishments, Maxwell William Keenan, or Max, for short, has racked up quite a few.

The Land O’ Lakes High senior’s academic credentials are impressive.

He ranks 14th out of 4,632 seniors in Pasco County.

He’s a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist.

Max Keenan has garnered numerous accolades during his academic career, including, most recently ‘Pasco County Schools Most Outstanding Senior.’
(B.C. Manion)

And, he achieved high marks on two leading college admissions tests, scoring a 34 out of a possible 36 on the ACT and a 1,490 out of 1,600 on the SAT.

Beyond all that, he’s had success on the tennis court. He’s involved in community service projects, and he helped launch his school’s Investment Club.

Recently, he added to that list of distinctions by being named Pasco County Schools Outstanding Senior.

The award was bestowed during the Pasco County School Board’s meeting on Dec. 20.

In announcing the award, the presenter quoted comments from Land O’ Lakes High Principal Ric Mellin.

“Like his peers nominated for this award, Maxwell came highly recommended,” according to the principal’s account.

“His accomplishments in academics, athletics, service …are well-documented. However, Maxwell’s natural leadership ability and kindheartedness, sets him apart from other students,” Mellin added.

Keenan has a 4.0, unweighted grade point average, in the rigorous International Baccalaureate Program, and a 4.75 weighted GPA, Mellin said.

Initially, students at Land O’ Lakes High voted on who should represent the school. They narrowed the list to the top 10, and then the teachers voted, Keenan said.

Next, he was interviewed at the school district’s office.

It “is truly an honor” to be chosen for the award, Keenan said.

After graduation, he hopes to attend either Cornell University or the University of Chicago.

Keenan plans to study economics. He’s particularly interested in how economics affects government policies.

He said he hopes to gain a greater understanding of the impact that laws have on the average person.

He’d also like to pursue a law degree and is interested in politics.

Keenan said he’s grateful for the support he’s received from the teachers and administration at Land O’ Lakes High.

His appreciation for school administrators may have been developed at an early age.

His mom, Kimberly Keenan, is a former principal of Tampa Palms Elementary in Hillsborough County, and he used to tutor some of the younger students at the school.

It was a rewarding experience, he said, because he saw the children making progress.

His volunteer work didn’t end there.

Over the years, he’s connected with veterans at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home, he’s been involved in campus cleanups at Land O’ Lakes High, he’s helped raise money for Red Cross and he’s taken a leadership role in Relay for Life activities.

“Relay for Life is my main community service club. I absolutely love it because I deal with so many people who are directly impacted by cancer, and I get to help them, not only with their struggle with cancer, but hopefully preventing future struggles with cancer.

“A lot of the money raised by Relay for Life is invested in new cancer research,” he explained.

Published January 25, 2017

Boundaries approved for new schools

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The Pasco County School Board has approved boundaries for the new Cypress Creek Middle/High School, despite considerable controversy.

The board also adopted boundaries for Bexley Elementary School, without any opposition from the public.

Boundaries have been set for Bexley Elementary School, which is under construction off of State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes. The school, scheduled to open in the fall, will help reduce crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Cypress Creek Middle/High School, being built off Old Pasco Road, is scheduled to open in fall 2017. Initially, it will be for students in grades six through 11, but it will add grade 12 during the second year.

There won’t be a senior class the first year because this year’s crop of juniors will be allowed to complete their high school career at their current school.

The board adopted Cypress Creek’s boundary on a 4-1 vote, with Steve Luikart dissenting. Luikart said he thinks the district can find a better way to reassign students that would avoid disrupting students’ lives.

“Have we done the very best we can in looking at rezonings? I have reservations there,” Luikart said.

But, board vice chairman Cynthia Armstrong, and board members Colleen Beaudoin and Alison Crumbley said they have to do what’s best for the majority of the district’s students.

Beaudoin said: “It’s our job on the board to look at the big picture.”

“No decision that we make is going to make everybody happy,” Armstrong said.

Crumbley said she doesn’t want to move students at all, but the district’s robust growth gives it no choice.

Board Chairman Allen Altman also noted he had received hundreds of emails and heard scores of proposals.

Altman added: The one thing they had in common is that no one suggested a plan that involved moving his or her own child.

Ultimately, the board adopted Superintendent Kurt Browning’s recommendation.

The boundary changes affect Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and Sunlake highs schools and John Long, Rushe and Weightman middle schools.

The rezoning aroused deep emotions.

Most of the controversy stemmed from Browning’s support of an option to keep all of the Seven Oaks students at John Long and Wiregrass Ranch, and to move part of Meadow Pointe students to Weightman Middle and Wesley Chapel High.

Speakers alternately praised or skewered the superintendent, depending on where they live.

Some criticized Browning for failing to follow the boundary committee’s recommendation. They questioned his motives. They challenged the school district’s data.

Meadow Pointe parents urged board members to allow their children to stay at Wiregrass Ranch High.

Seven Oaks parents, on the other hand, praised Browning’s approach, saying it made the most sense.

Parents pleaded with board members not to disrupt their children’s lives. Students urged board members to let them stay at the school they love.

While Browning deviated from the boundary committee’s final recommendation, even the boundary committee changed its recommendation during the process.

In the end, though, the majority of board members rejected Luikart’s proposal to gather more information before voting, and agreed with Armstrong’s assessment that a decision must be made.

No one signed up to speak during the public hearing on the Bexley boundaries.

The elementary school, being built off State Road 54, is scheduled to open this fall. It is intended to reduce crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools. The proposed boundaries also provide additional students for Lake Myrtle Elementary.

Published January 25, 2017

 

Push is on for forensic training center

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A forensic training center – sometimes indelicately called a “body farm” – is being proposed for a site in Land O’ Lakes.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the University of South Florida, the Pasco-Hernando State College and Pasco County, in the quest for the facility.

The “body farm” label has stuck as a colloquial description for this type of facility after crime novelist Patricia Cornwell published “The Body Farm” in 1994.

The author detailed the forensic research done on decomposing bodies.

The proposed outdoor and indoor facility in Pasco would be built on about 5 acres of county land, next to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center on Central Boulevard, off U.S. 41.

State funds will be sought for the approximately $4.3 million project.

State Sen. Wilton Simpson and State Rep. Danny Burgess are working jointly on a budget request for the 2017 legislative session.

At the behest of Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells, county commissioners signed a letter of support following their Jan. 10 meeting in Dade City.

“This is a big deal,” Wells said.

If built, the facility would be the first in Florida, and only the seventh in the nation.

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville started the first forensic training and research center in the 1970s.

Other facilities are at Western Carolina University, Sam Houston State University, Texas State University in Carbondale, Southern Illinois University, and Colorado Mesa University.

A 2015 effort by USF to pursue a forensic training center in Hillsborough County’s Lithia Springs met with stiff opposition from residents. University officials subsequently dropped the pursuit.

Chase Daniels, assistant executive director for Pasco’s sheriff’s office, said “we’re taking a very cautious approach. It’s not going to be in a residential area. It’s next to the jail.”

Fencing and other safety-related measures would be part of the facility’s design, Daniels said.

Forensic anthropology applies scientific methods to aid in identifying the human remains of individuals who often are victims of homicide or disfiguring accidents. Anthropologists also can help identify victims of genocide or individuals found in mass graves.

Anthropologists at USF, for instance, led the investigation on the Dozier project to identify missing children buried in unmarked graves at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

The university also hosts an annual conference for law enforcement, anthropologists and medical examiners who share expertise in crime-solving techniques.

In 2016, the conference included artists who helped imagine and create busts or digital images of unidentified victims to aid several law enforcement agencies from around the nation, including in Pasco, with cold cases.

Pasco’s sheriff’s office has a longstanding partnership with USF’s anthropology department, frequently seeking advice and sharing information.

In working alongside researchers at the proposed facility, “investigators will become highly skilled at collecting, processing, and interpreting evidence in their cases,” according to a statement on the USF website.

The new partnership could open even more opportunities for students at PHSC as well, said Stanley Giannet, the college’s vice president of academic affairs and faculty development.

The goal would be to create an associate degree and certification program in crime-scene technology, Giannet said.

The college also could participate in or host conferences related to forensic anthropology, he added.

Other supporters of the project include Florida’s medical examiners and the state NAACP.

Published January 25, 2017

Master plan developing for Hercules Park

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Hercules Park is still in line to become the property of the city of Zephyrhills. But, an agreement to transfer the parkland from the Pasco County School District to the city remains a work in progress.

“We’re still on track to turn it over, and we will do that,” said Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools.

The Zephyrhills City Council received an update on the matter on Jan. 10 from the city’s planning department.

Consulting firm Kimley-Horn completed a master plan for Hercules Park, including trails, an outdoor event center and a trailhead for bicyclists.
(Courtesy of Kimley-Horn)

Site approval is nearly complete for a WaWa convenience store and gas station at the corner of Eiland Boulevard and U.S. 301.

The city also is preparing a site, south of WaWa, for marketing to developers, possibly for a restaurant or retail.

A master plan for restoring and reopening Hercules Park also is on the drawing board.

The approximately 15-acre park site is a historic relic that once was part of about 80 acres owned by the Hercules Powder Co. The company, which converted pine stumps into resin and turpentine, had been the city’s largest employer.

The site also eventually became home to the park, Zephyrhills High School and Woodland Elementary School.

Based on an agreement with the school district, Pasco County operated the site as a park for several years. However, the county closed the park more than six years ago to save money, and returned the property to the school district.

The Pasco County School Board agreed last year to sell about 2.5 acres to GH & G Florida LLC. A second parcel, south of WaWa, also will be developed.

However, several acres of parkland will remain for transfer to the city of Zephyrhills.

Consulting firm Kimley-Horn has completed a master plan for Hercules Park. It includes trails, a picnic area, a trailhead for bicyclists, an outdoor center, playground area, and connecting sidewalks to area schools and neighborhoods.

“Mostly the interest is to keep it a passive park,” said Todd Vande Berg, the city’s planning director.

Preserving trees and low-impact activities are what people seemed to want as opposed to building tennis or basketball courts, he added.

No decisions have been made on the future of the park’s aquatic center and swimming pool, he said.

But, he said, “Everything is moving forward for transfer.”

Published January 25, 2017

 

Connected City plans taking shape

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Metro Development Group is finalizing its team of partners for what is billed as “the city of the future.”

Florida Hospital and Tampa General will be setting up a new medical partnership in the Connected City called West Florida Health.

Meridian Autonomous Systems will be providing self-driving and electrical vehicles.

And, Saint Leo University will be creating a new education center.

Kris Hughes, Pasco County’s planning and development administrator (standing), addressed county commissioners during workshop on Connected City.
(Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

Connected City is a master-planned community in eastern Pasco County that promises the fastest Internet and WiFi speeds in the nation.

Over a year and a half, Metro developers and Pasco County have fashioned a public/private partnership for a 10-year pilot project, authorized by state law.

It sweeps in about 7,800 acres bordered by Interstate 75, State Road 52, State Road 54 and Curley and Overpass roads. Metro controls about 35 percent of land targeted for development.

On Jan. 17, Metro put its partners on display at a workshop for Pasco County commissioners.

Six speakers outlined plans to embed state-of-the-art technology into every feature of Metro’s initial development within Connected City.

“It’s all about trying to encourage entrepreneurship in the field of technology, and high-wage jobs in Pasco County,” said Kris Hughes, the county’s planning and development administrator.

During the presentation, both Metro and county officials acknowledged some details on the oversight of Connected City remain a work-in-progress.

County commissioners agreed to jettison a proposed special management committee. Its seven members, including three people appointed by Metro, would have replaced the usual pre-approval route through the county’s development review committee and planning commission.

“I didn’t really like that setup,” said Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano. “I think it’s probably good for us not having the committee.”

Pasco County Chairman Mike Moore suggested a future workshop to reconsider how to make the review process work fairly for everyone.

However, land use attorney Joel Tew noted that the state, in crafting the pilot program, had mandated an expedited review process for Connected City.

“I do think we’ll get in trouble if we don’t set up a new development review board,” Tew said.

The first public hearing for Connected City was scheduled for Jan. 24, after The Laker/Lutz News press deadline.

The final public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 7.

Metro currently is constructing its first community within Connected City at Epperson Ranch, at Overpass and Curley roads.

A 7-acre, manmade Crystal Lagoon will be built there, along with thousands of homes, a town center, offices and retail.

Plans for the wellness district, operated by Florida Hospital and Tampa General, include advanced research facilities, an innovation center, and a medical hospital with a med-spa and a health and performance institute, according to details included in a news release.

Details and a name for the health care campus will be released at a later date.

“Our goal is to change the way we deliver care,” said Gino Casanova, director of administrative and governmental affairs at Florida Hospital.

Other Connected City partners include The Broadband Group and the nonprofit US Ignite.

“We’re looking forward to the growth and development of this project,” said Ed Dadez, vice president of continuing education and student services at Saint Leo University.

The university already operates about 40 education centers in seven states, Dadez said.

“An education center is like a small college,” he said. “Saint Leo would be the anchor institution on site (at Connected City).”

Matthew Lesh, Meridian’s chief commercial officer, said his company focuses on high-tech solutions for the development of self-driving and electrical vehicles, as well as robotics and automation.

For instance, Meridian did programming for Olli, a self-driving shuttle from Local Motors.

Asked if Meridian would bring manufacturing jobs to Pasco, Lesh said, “I think we’re wide open to that.”

Published January 25, 2017

 

Heritage Park Foundation plans reorganization

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The Heritage Park Foundation — the primary mover behind the construction of a stage at Land O’ Lakes Community Park — is hosting a reorganizational meeting on Feb. 1 at 6 p.m.

The foundation has been involved with the park and community center for years.

This sign announces that a stage soon will be available for festivities in Land O’ Lakes. It is being built at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park, on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.
(B.C. Manion)

It has hosted family events in the past and brought attention to the Pasco County Commission about needs at the community center.

In recent years, the park has been renovated. A stage also will be added — through a partnership involving the foundation, Pasco County, Pasco County Schools, the state of Florida and local businesses.

The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a spring music festival, and several other groups have expressed using the park for future events.

The Feb. 1 meeting will feature Brian Taylor, of the county’s Parks and Recreation Department, who will discuss new ideas for “Friends of the Park” organizations throughout Pasco County.

The meeting will be at the community center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Anyone interested in the park or community center, or activities at those facilities, is invited to attend.

Published January 25, 2017