The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Local senior wins app contest

By

Nikhil Dutt has big aspirations.

He wants to become “the next Steve Jobs.”

And, like the co-founder of Apple Inc., he has a craving for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Nikhil Dutt, a Land O’ Lakes High senior, developed a desktop app, ‘Student Toolbox,’ to help students organize their classwork. It was selected as the winner of 2016 Congressional App Challenge for Florida’s 12th Congressional District. 
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)

So, it may not be surprising that the 17-year-old Land O’ Lakes high school senior developed his own desktop computer application, as a side interest.

It’s called ‘Student Toolbox,’ and it aims to simplify the lives of students.

Essentially, it’s a one-stop shop for students to organize their schoolwork.

Built through a Microsoft Access coding program, ‘Student Toolbox’ helps students organize tasks, with tools such as reminders for when an assignment is due; an address book that helps students connect with teachers and their peers; and, the ability to map out their classrooms by uploading maps of the school.

The toolbox also features a “Media” button to upload podcasts, assignments and lectures from classes or other online resources.

“It’s something that I felt is useful, so I wanted to apply it to other people,” Dutt said.

It was enough to catch the attention of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who recently announced Dutt as the winner of 2016 Congressional App Challenge for Florida’s 12th Congressional District.

“I am very impressed with Nikhil’s app, and can envision ‘Student Toolbox’ being used by high school students across the country,” Bilirakis said, in a statement. “Coding and app development are important skills for the 21st century, and it is great to see these skills being embraced right here in Pasco County.”

The Congressional App Challenge drew more than 2, 150 student competitors across the nation. Winners were selected from 123 congressional districts.

The contest aims to encourage students to design their own original smartphone or desktop apps, promoting computer science and STEM education in schools.

App submissions were judged by a panel made up of teachers, and various tech professionals and entrepreneurs.

‘Student Toolbox’ is essentially a one-stop shop for students to organize their schoolwork. Built through a Microsoft Access coding program, the app helps students organize tasks, with tools such as reminders for assignment due dates; connect with teachers and peers through an address book; and, map out their classrooms by uploading maps of the school.

Criteria included quality of the idea (including creativity and originality); implementation of the idea (including user experience and design); and demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills.

When Dutt first heard about the challenge, he figured he’d give it a shot.

He noted the contest was “the best way for me to express my admiration” of entrepreneurship.

To brush up on application coding, Dutt turned to instructional videos on YouTube.

“It’s amazing the amount of free resources you can get online,” he said.

Dutt’s creation took about a year to complete.

“Every weekend, I would work on it for a few hours, here and there,” he said. “The idea started developing in my head and then, over time, I turned it into a product.”

Dutt acknowledged the app is still undergoing beginning testing stages. However, he hopes schools can someday use it, once updates and revisions are made.

In the meantime, Dutt is already brainstorming other app developments, including a medical-based program to assist surgeons.

That app, in theory, would allow for surgeons “to draw out a picture” of procedures, instead of having nurses write them down.

His parents, who are both medical doctors, influenced that idea. His father is an ophthalmologist and his mother is a radiation oncologist.

Dutt — like many other students in the school’s rigorous International Baccalaureate program— serves in several school organizations.

He is the president of the school’s American Red Cross Club; he’s also a member of the Model UN Club and the Future Business Leaders of America.

“I have a lot of different passions,” the high school senior said.

Over the long term, Dutt envisions owning his own company, and helping others globally through computer science and technology.

While he one day hopes to make the same kind of impact as the former Apple CEO did, Dutt knows those aspirations are a long way off.

“It’s a bit of a stretch,” the aspiring entrepreneur said.

Published December 28, 2016

Overpass Road/I-75 interchange under review

By

About 100 residents had the chance to see the design for a proposal to widen and extend Overpass Road at a public hearing on Dec. 15, but the project is years away from construction.

The project, estimated at $220 million, calls for widening and extending Overpass Road, aligning it with Fairview Heights and Kossik roads, and building a new Interstate 75 interchange.

The nearly 9-mile project is driven by a rapidly changing landscape that developers are tapping into for homes, employment centers and shops.

The proposed plan was outlined at the public hearing at the First Congregation Church of Zephyrhills.

In addition to a new I-75 interchange, the road would be widened to four lanes, or six lanes in some sections, from Old Pasco Road to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills. Construction on the interchange – the only partially funded phase of the project – is scheduled in 2020.

Pasco County has about $32 million budgeted for the estimated $64 million interchange. Additional state funds will be sought in 2017.

Pasco, with the Florida Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, is completing a study of the project before committing to its construction.

A no-build alternative also is an option.

A decision is anticipated by spring 2017.

At the hearing, residents could view maps and ask questions. They also viewed a video explaining the project.

During a public comment period, one property owner raised concern about access to property abutting I-75. Others opted instead for written comments, which were accepted by the state department of transportation through Dec. 27.

Many people at the meeting had questions about construction, increasing traffic and future plans to buy right-of-way.

Lorri and David Blommel, who live off Kossik Road, had mixed views of the project.

Lori Blommel had some questions: “How are we going to get out of our little place across four lanes of highway? How’s that going to work?”

But, an improved roadway, with an Overpass extension, also would provide a quicker, more direct route to Wesley Chapel.

David Blommel said a 30-minute trip could be shortened to 10 minutes.

The entire length of roadway is quickly transforming. Vacant land is becoming home to new subdivisions to join existing ones, such as the Villages at Pasadena Hills.

Metro Development Group recently broke ground on a 7-acre manmade Crystal Lagoon on Epperson Ranch at Overpass and Curley roads. The master-planned community will add thousands of homes, as well as employment opportunities to the area as part of the state-approved Connected City corridor.

The state’s 10-year pilot program focuses on about 7,800 acres to encourage development of new neighborhoods and stimulate job growth with cutting edge technology. Total build out is about 50 years into the future.

Currently, Overpass is an east-west road that runs from Old Pasco Road to just less than a mile east of Boyette Road. The road falls between State Road 52 and County Road 54. It crosses I-75, but it isn’t connected to the interstate.

The project would widen Overpass from two lanes to four lanes, from Old Pasco to I-75. A diverging diamond interchange would be built with a connection to Overpass.

In addition, Blair Drive, which currently links to Overpass near I-75, would be closed. A new, two-lane paved road would be built with a connection to Old Pasco.

When the Overpass extension is complete, the road would intersect with Handcart Road. From there, the road name changes to Fairview Heights Road and later becomes Kossik Road. The project ends where Kossik intersects with U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.

Plans, long range, are to widen Overpass Road from I-75 to Boyette Road to six lanes, plus two auxiliary lanes. From Boyette Road to U.S. 301, the road also would widen to six lanes.

The project dates to 2003 and the Overpass Road Route Study. Since then, the plan has taken shape from additional studies and public workshops.

Published December 28, 2016

School boundaries gain preliminary approval

By

The Pasco County School Board has given preliminary approval to new school boundaries for the 2017-2018 school year.

The board’s action came after a contentious public hearing on the proposed boundaries for Cypress Creek Middle/High School, set to open in fall 2017.

The proposed boundaries for Bexley Elementary, being built off State Road 54, on the other hand, drew no public opposition.

Bexley is intended to reduce crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools. The proposed boundaries also provide additional students for Lake Myrtle Elementary.

Kurt Browning

Cypress Creek Middle/High School will open initially for students in sixth through 11th grades, and will add a senior class during its second year of operations.

Its proposed boundaries will affect Rushe, John Long and Weightman middle schools, and for Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools.

Despite considerable opposition, school board members supported Superintendent Kurt Browning’s recommended option for the Cypress Creek Middle/High boundaries.

Some speakers criticized Browning and questioned his motives for disregarding the boundary committee’s recommended option and substituting his own recommendation.

Others, however, applauded Browning, saying his option makes the most sense.

In a letter to parents, Browning said his recommended option would result in the least disruption and avoid the possibility of Seven Oaks being rezoned twice in as few as four years.

School board member Steve Luikart did not support any of the proposed boundaries.

Instead, Luikart said if students need to be rezoned, it should only be at the end of elementary school or middle school.

Rezoning them at any other time is disruptive, Luikart said.

School Board Chairman Allen Altman said after reading scores of emails, he came to the conclusion that even people living in the same community can’t agree on the best solution.

In the end, board members have to do their own due diligence, Altman said.

Colleen Beaudoin, who joined the board this year, was taking part in her first rezoning process. She said she found it heartbreaking to see neighborhoods pitted against each other.

Board members Cynthia Armstrong and Alison Crumbley said they understand that parents don’t want their children rezoned, and they emphasized they don’t take the issue lightly.

While some people were thrilled by the board’s vote to back Browning’s recommendation, others were clearly dejected.

The board is slated to take final action on school boundaries for 2017-2018 at its Jan. 17 meeting.

For more information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/planning/rezoning/.

Published December 28, 2016

Inspiring hope through origami cranes

By

Tina So and Mia Thielbar were pre-International Baccalaureate freshman at Land O’ Lakes High School when they began a project they call “Cranes for Cancer.”

Now, more than three years later, they are seniors — and they are still involved with the project to handcraft paper origami cranes for people afflicted with cancer.

The goal is to instill hope, and the idea was spawned in August 2013.

Mia Thielbar, left, and Tina So handcraft origami paper cranes for cancer patients. The initiative, which began in 2013, seeks to inspire hope for those battling cancer.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

At the time, Marilyn Ling, a reading teacher at the high school, was battling ovarian cancer. As a show of empathy, So and Thielbar together assembled 1,000 paper cranes after their Inquiry Skills teacher, Angelle Damalos, relayed the gesture’s significance in class one day.

In Japanese culture, cranes are a traditional sign of long life and good fortune. Other cultures, meanwhile, fold 1,000 paper stars to make a wish.

The ambitious crane project took four months to complete.

They first used post-it notes, then progressed to traditional origami paper.

Cranes were also sculpted in an assortment of colors — pink, gold and blue.

“We had one that would flap,” So said, “and, we had one that just looks prettier because it has a stomach to it.”

It required some trial and error.

“At first, it took us a while,” So said. “Initially, we were not very good at it.”

Eventually, they improved.

“We worked consistently,” Thielbar said. “We did it everyday; whenever there was free time in class, we’d work on it.”

The pair never actually met Ling.

“(Ling) was sick, and she didn’t want us to see her in her condition,” So said.

Damalos, instead, presented the 1,000 cranes to her that December.

Ling passed away in April 2014.

The students, however, have continued their efforts.

They’ve since volunteered at Shriner’s Hospital in Tampa, where they distributed over 500 cranes to children surgical patients.

In multiple hospital visits, So and Thielbar taught patients the origami art form, and assisted them with crane decorations.

“It’s sort of a distraction for them,” Thielbar said, “so that they’re not as worried to…see the doctor.”

The pair, too, sold cranes at various Relay for Life events, helping to raise money for cancer-afflicted patients.

“We always have wanted to share cranes with people,” Thielbar said. “We make them whenever we can.”

The cranes, they believe, help cancer sufferers hold onto their faith during personal struggles.

“Positivity can change everything,” So said. “Even if it can’t cure you, it can prolong your life; you can enjoy that prolonged time.

“Without hope, it’s a losing battle.”

The philanthropic journey has been fulfilling — for both.

“I really enjoy reaching out to people like that,” So said, “and it has inspired me to be a better person, like evaluate my actions and values. Overall, it just really makes me feel really good to help people.”

“We just want to serve as more of an inspiration to our peers — to be more kind toward other people,” said Thielbar, “and respectful of the things they might be going through.”

In other words, expressing sympathy.

“That’s one of the values that I feel is being lost in our culture,” Thielbar said.

“A lot of people are losing empathy and compassion, and generosity towards other people.”

Besides “Cranes for Cancer,” the duo has other grandiose plans on the horizon.

“We still want to continue the efforts of helping people,” Thielbar said, “but, we want to make a bigger impact. We’re still working on what would that impact be — how to affect more people.”

That may include additional fundraising efforts for cancer patients.

“I feel like that would make a bigger impact financially for a lot of people, because I know that’s a big struggle,” said Thielbar.

“But, we also want to be like an inspiration to other people.”

They’ve already inspired Jeff Morgenstein, an assistant principal.

“Seeing Mia and Tina use their creativity and compassion in order to improve the lives of others is greatly in tune with our (school) mission statement,” Morgenstein said, via email.

He continued: “To say that I’m proud of them is an understatement. It is through these meaningful actions here in the community that they are truly changing the world.”

Beyond high school, Thielbar plans to study educational administration at the University of South Florida, and aspires to become a school principal, someday.

So is considering the University of Florida, where she would like to study psychology.

Published December 28, 2016

‘Freeing’ birds from blocks of wood

By

Edna Speyrer was just a college student when a visit to a furniture store changed her life.

While there, she saw a carving of a matador and a bull.

“They were priced at $50 a piece. I said, ‘I can do that,’” she said.

Edna Speyrer can spend hours in her workshop, absorbed in the quest to unearth beauty from blocks of wood.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

So, she got a piece of mahogany wood and went to work on it. She spent several months, using her Case pocket knife, to create the three-dimensional figure, with its considerable detail.

“I ended up doing two bulls and two horses, and then that was the end of that,” said Speyrer, who now lives in Land O’ Lakes.

Years passed before she did any additional carving.

“Then, at the place where I was working, there was this fella that did carving — this was in Baton Rouge — and he said, ‘There’s a carving club in Baton Rouge. You need to join.’

“So, after a lot of coaxing. I decided to go one night,” Speyrer recalled.

“It was mostly men, and everybody would bring what they were working on, or what they had just finished. It was kind of a show and tell.

“I looked at this stuff. It was mostly birds.

A perch provides a perfect place to display a carving of a Blue Jay or a Carolina chickadee or Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

“And I thought, ‘Oh, gosh, if I could only do half that good, I would be pleased.’

“And so, I started.

“Some of the members would give weekend seminars, and then everything started falling in place and (my) birds started looking pretty good.

“Every year, they have a big carving show in New Orleans. They coaxed me into entering and so I entered. I won ‘Best of Show’ as a novice.

“The next time I entered, I entered as an amateur, and I did well with that, and it just sort of spurs you on,” she said.

She entered shows for several years, but at some point stopped competing.

She’s never stopped carving.

She also began attending seminars — learning techniques from some of the best woodcarvers in the world.

A duck that’s familiar to many, Mallards are found throughout North America and Eurasia, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The male’s gleaming green head, gray flanks, and black tail-curl arguably make it the most easily identified duck, the ornithology lab’s website says.

Those seminars have taken her to Pennsylvania, Vermont, Arizona, Indiana and other places.

Her interest continued to grow, and she traveled to see birds in their natural settings.

She’s been to South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. She’s also visited New Zealand, 40-plus states and to several national parks.

She’s been to Alaska, twice.

Over time, she expanded her toolkit, too.

She carves her birds from Tupelo gum wood, which is ideal because the wood has an intertwined grain, which resists splitting while being carved.

She uses patterns to sketch out the basic shape of the bird.

After carving the bird, she begins working to contour it — delineating different areas of the bird for feather groupings.

Each feather is richly detailed, and she uses a burning process to bring out its texture.

This collection of tools includes a burning tool used to burn barbs into feathers on the birds that Edna Speyrer creates from blocks of wood. Other items she uses in her work include a spatula for blending paint, an epoxy for gluing bases and other small details, pencils for marking feather groupings and the location of bird eyes.

The high-pitched whirring sounds in her workshop are reminiscent of a dentist’s drill, and fine-grained wood dust flies, as she works to create birds that look real.

She is a stickler for detail.

She uses knowledge she has gained through the years to carve birds that are anatomically correct. She uses reference materials she’s collected to guide her painting.

She enjoys blending colors — and confesses that she has a knack for getting the exact shade she needs.

She also buys clear glass eyes for her birds — of varying sizes — and then paints them according to her needs.

“Some birds have yellow eyes. Some have red eyes. Some have brown eyes,” she said.

The Land O’ Lakes woman said she never thought that a simple trip to a furniture store would lead her into an entirely new universe.

“You learn all kinds of interesting things,” she said. She added: “When I was a teenager, I bet I didn’t know the names of 10 different birds.”

Since then, she has carved hundreds of birds, in about 75 different species.

She thoroughly enjoys the challenge.

Edna Speyrer begins each carving with a block of tupelo gum, which she cuts, burns, shapes and paints. She’s carved hundreds of birds over roughly 60 years.

“I think you get a tremendous amount of self-satisfaction out of producing something from a block of wood. You have to just imagine that he’s in there. You just have to remove what doesn’t look like him.”

She gets so immersed that she often is absorbed in the pursuit for hours.

“I just lose track of time,” said Speyrer, who worked as a teacher and as a security guard before retiring at the age of 57.

She enjoys learning from master carvers and developing friendships with other carving enthusiasts.

Carving birds has never been her sole source of income, but she does sell her work. Her pieces range from $200 to $2,500.

Some of her birds are on display at a gift shop in Cedar Key. She also does work on commission. She also is open to private appointments with potential buyers.

Some birds require more time and energy to create, but even if it meant parting with the piece that’s become most precious to her, Speyrer said she wouldn’t hesitate to sell it.

“I can always carve me another one,” she said.

If you’d like to know about Speyrer’s birds, you can reach her by calling (225) 485-1374.

Published December 28, 2016

Gary Joiner takes on new role as property appraiser

By

Gary Joiner will be sworn in as Pasco County’s property appraiser in the new year. But, he started laying the groundwork for his first day soon after winning the Nov. 8 election.

Joiner’s starting point is customer service.

Gary Joiner is the new Pasco County property appraiser. He previously served more than 33 years with the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office, most recently as director of operations.
(Courtesy of Gary Joiner)

He has met with some of the office staff members to discuss ways, for instance, of modernizing the website.

He wants ideas on how to make it more user-friendly.

“Tell me what works and what doesn’t work,” he said. “We’ll build on that.”

It all comes back to customer service.

“It has to be No. 1,” said Joiner, who worked for more than 33 years at the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office. His last position was as director of operations.

Joiner replaces Mike Wells Sr., who chose not to seek a sixth, four-year term in the office.

Joiner defeated Democrat Jon Sydney Larkin in the general election after winning the Republican primary against former Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader.

Long-range, Joiner plans to focus on making sure the office is up-to-date on technology. Eventually, he would like the property appraiser’s office to move off the county’s mainframe and operate a web-based platform, either in-house or with a third-party contractor.

Among the challenges for the property appraiser’s office is the explosion of new development.

“We need to make sure we have enough staff on the road, looking at the new buildings, getting these assessments and values,” Joiner said. “We want them to be right.”

Joiner knows the county well.

He grew up in New Port Richey, and graduated from Gulf High School.

He attended Pasco-Hernando State College, though he didn’t earn a degree. “It’s probably one of my regrets, not finishing college,” he said.

Instead, he worked at a local hardware store for $3.60 an hour. More than a year later, he took a job in the front office of the tax collector’s office, where he stayed more than three decades.

“I took a 10-cent pay cut to come here,” said Joiner.

Over the years, his job positions included supervisor, assistant manager and manager of offices.

“Anytime we opened a new office, I opened it,” said Joiner.

As with any new job, there is a learning curve.

Joiner said he wants to learn all aspects of the property appraiser’s office so that, like the tax collector’s office, it all becomes “second-nature” to him.

“I’ve always had a hands-on approach,” he said. “I want to learn it from the top to the bottom.”

He also looks forward to working with Realtors and others who know Pasco’s real estate inside and out.

It’s part of customer service for everyone.

“We’ll try to make their lives easier,” Joiner said. “They also can be the eyes and ears out there.”

They notice where development is happening, he said, and “we can work as a team. We all take care of the same people.”

Published December 28, 2016

Burgess seeks state funding for veterans’ health

By

Alternative therapies to treat post-traumatic stress or brain injuries are bringing relief to veterans who say more traditional approaches don’t work.

Danny Burgess

Rep. Danny Burgess is sponsoring a bill (the Alternative Treatment for Veterans Act) in the 2017 Florida legislative session to authorize the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs to provide state funding for alternative treatments offered by nonprofits and state university organizations, according to a news release from Burgess’ office.

It is similar to the national Cover Act (Creating Options for Veterans’ Expedited Recovery), sponsored by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, which focuses on mental health care options, such as sports therapy and service dog therapy.

Such legislation “will help ensure the (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) finally recognizes that one size does not fit all when it comes to treating Veterans for physical and invisible wounds,” said Bilirakis, in a written statement in the press release.

According to Burgess, the state legislation will put “Florida in the lead of serving those who served us.”

Alternative therapies, including service dog therapy and hyperbaric oxygen treatment, “have saved my life,” said Brian Anderson, a retired Green Beret and founder of Veterans Alternative in Pasco County.

If approved, the state Veterans Alternative bill will open opportunities to help more veterans statewide, Anderson said.

For information on Anderson’s program, visit VeteransAlternative.org.

Published December 28, 2016

Glimpsing the upbeat in a gloomy 2016

By

You don’t have to be a disappointed supporter of Hillary Clinton to have arrived at the notion that 2016 can’t end soon enough.

Tom Jackson

I mean, lots of us got there long before Nov. 8. Simply put, 2016 was, in many respects, a rough year, and not just because of the rancor of the election.

We needn’t revisit the particulars here. That’s for the news services, networks and major dailies. Let’s just say any year that begins and ends with relentless horror that elevated an unknown Syrian city — Aleppo — to nightmarish prominence, and still found time to accommodate the Orlando nightclub massacre, two mass killings by truck, and the deaths of Prince and Zsa Zsa Gabor is a year that will live in infamy.

Not unexpectedly, then, as if to hasten its exit, we have for weeks been awash in the business of mopping up 2016. People of the year have been declared. News events have been ranked. And, we’re up to our chins in forecasts about what 2017 will bring. (Breaking: CNBC projects Americans still will buy lots of trucks and SUVs.)

Ordinarily, I am second to none when it comes to reveling in expectation, what psychologists call “the joy of anticipation.”

This is why you never will find me lining up with those who complain about Christmas merchandise filling the shelves in the middle of September, or TV commercials for April’s Masters golf championship airing in January.

Both are terrific dates on my calendar, and I extract enormous pleasure from contemplating them. In fact, I’m going to pause right now and think about the banks of azaleas surrounding the 12th green and 13th tee at Augusta National’s Amen Corner. … OK, back to our regularly scheduled column.

The thing is, although it’s true 2016 packed no shortage of misery — for me, the year will forever be framed by the death of the Tampa Tribune, where I’d toiled nearly a quarter of a century until its abrupt termination May 3 — but, what the old Scottish philosophers said about ill winds applies equally to the year behind us. Close inspection finds some slight cheer amidst the tumult, including within the region served by The Laker and Lutz News.

Mike Wells, Pasco’s longtime property appraiser, retired, as scheduled, celebrating among friends and associates at the Champion’s Club clubhouse in early December.

Land O’ Lakes-based Richard Corcoran, meanwhile, has become Florida’s Speaker of the House, giving Pasco its second House speaker in two years (Wesley Chapel’s Will Weatherford turned it over in 2014), and, Corcoran’s pronouncements on crony capitalism, lobbyist activity and government transparency — all welcome — sent tremors across the state.

In Pasco, another can-do fellow with an agenda — Seven Oaks’ Mike Moore — was elected chairman of a county commission that, with the loss of Ted Schrader, will be looking for leadership.

Moore’s job will have to be easier than that of Pasco schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, who, even as the district races to complete new schools — including the jewel, Cypress Creek High, with a state-funded performing arts center — has been accused of unfairly tampering with attendance boundaries.

So, yes, we suffered losses in our region, although few were more keenly felt than that of Joe Hancock, forever 57, descendant of pioneers, farmer, philanthropist, family man and cycling enthusiast, knocked off his German Focus and into eternity on rolling Lake Iola Road in early May.

Those hills are God’s way of reminding us space must be honored, which is among the reasons folks in Pasco’s high country remain worried about what encroachments might be signaled by the rollout of the “Connected City” plan proposed by Metro Development, a massive project of homes and job centers east of Interstate 75 and south of State Road 52.

Although ground recently was broken on a staggering 7.5-acre lagoon slated to become the centerpiece of a $100 million residential community, Metro has yet to submit its final proposal involving about 96,000 new residents to county commissioners.

So, something else to anticipate in 2017. Need more? OK. Spokesman Kim Payne says the Florida Hospital ice center is only weeks from exiting its construction stage. Soon, only hockey players will need hard hats.

And finally, this upbeat note. Upbeat? Make that soaring. The results of the raffles involving Sherry Lee Steiert’s quilts are in, and San Antonio Rotarian Betty Burke has this to report: The drawing attracted $420. Through the miracle of matching funds — from various divisions of Rotary, plus the Gates Foundation — that $420 became $3,150, enough to purchase 5,250 polio vaccinations.

Y’all did that. In a certifiably terrible year, assorted acts of kindness, love and generosity stitched together to produce a quilt of human selflessness. Something to build on as we contemplate 2017.

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Published December 28, 2016

Name sought for new Zephyrhills venue

By

A new community venue in Zephyrhills needs a name.

The City of Zephyrhills and The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce are conducting a contest to name the venue, which is located at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

The venue’s moniker will be announced at the eighth annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest on Jan. 21. Naming winners will receive free parking to the BBQ fest, as well as other prizes.
(Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

The venue, at 5200 Airport Road, is the site for the eighth annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest on Jan. 21.

Ideally the venue’s name will reflect the purpose, location and history of the site. The name also should not imply that the venue’s sole purpose is for the annual barbecue and blues event.

Submissions will be accepted through Jan. 6. Double entendres, that is, words with double meanings, will not be considered.

The venue’s name will be selected by a city of Zephyrhills committee, and will be announced during the Pigz in Z’Hills event.

Winners of the contest will receive a free parking pass to the BBQ fest, plus gifts and prizes.

Melonie Monson, the chamber’s executive director, said her office has already received “quite a few” submissions from locals.

“Everybody’s got a different idea,” she said. “It’s quite fun to see the different ones that are coming in.”

The $60,000 venue is owned and operated by the City of Zephyrhills. The city contributed $30,000 to its construction, while Florida Hospital Zephyrhills donated $30,000 to build a permanent stage.

The venue helps cut down on variable expenses, including the annual costs to rent a stage and generators, which officials say can total nearly $10,000.

A permanent site had been desired for some time.

Over a year ago, the chamber proposed the concept for a local festival grounds after the organization determined a larger site was needed to house Pigz in Z’Hills.

Melonie Monson, executive director of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.
(File Photo)

The tract of land the chamber had been using for the festival was about 2.5 acres.

The new 14-acre site includes a 20-by-40 stage, and 50 vendor spaces equipped with water and electricity. There also is additional space for freestanding vendors, business expos and children’s activities

The setting, moreover, will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 guests at a time, and will provide easy access and parking along South Avenue.

Officials say the permanent venue will ultimately help the Pigz in Z’Hills run more smoothly, and will create an enhanced layout for musicians, vendors and attendees.

That means an expanded Kids Zone, which may feature as many as 15 vendors, making the event “more family friendly.”

“It’s going to be huge compared to what we’ve had in the past,” Monson said.

The barbecue festival’s car show will be larger, too. Monson said there will be as many as 200 automobiles on display, to the delight of vehicle enthusiasts.

“The car show itself is going to be amazing,” Monson said. “We’ve only had about 50 in the car show in the past.”

Elsewhere, Monson anticipates about 50 barbecue cook teams; 60 business expo vendors; 20 aviation expo vendors; and 15 concession vendors.

The chamber director, meanwhile, is finalizing the “best possible layout” for the shindig, which she hopes will draw anywhere from 7,000 to 10, 000 attendees.

Much of the preparation has already been done, considering the staging area is already complete, and water and electricity access has been installed.

“Everything is 90 percent ready,” Monson said. “We’re starting to lay out all the vendors and the cook teams…”

She added: “After this year, it’s going to be a lot easier.”

Once Pigz in Z’Hills wraps up, the chamber will look to bring a balloon festival to the completed venue site.

“That’s high on our priority,” Monson said.

Besides the chamber, several organizations have expressed interest in using the event site, including the Rotary Club of Zephyrhills, Thomas Promise Foundation, Ride for Hospice, and Paulie Palooza.

Once in operation, nonprofit organizations wanting to use the venue will pay a fee to cover the cost of site maintenance and staffing, which will be performed by the city.

Events are expected to be limited to daytime festivals in order to prevent stage noise in the residential area behind the venue, although the stage will be designed to direct music toward the airport.

The venue also paves the way for the return of the Celtic Festival and Highland Games to Zephyrhills; the festival’s immense popularity forced it to vacate its venue at Zephyr Park in 2011.

For more information, contact the Zephyrhills chamber at (813) 782-1913.

Published December 28, 2016

Trade mission yields millions in future exports

By

The Tampa Bay Export Alliance is projecting about $6.8 million in future export sales for some Bay area companies that participated in a trade mission to the Dominican Republic, according to a news release from the alliance.

The TBEA includes the Pasco Economic Development Council, the Pinellas County Economic Development and the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation.

Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council, was among local business leaders to attend a trade mission to the Dominican Republic.

More than 35 area business leaders participated in the trade mission from Dec. 5 to Dec. 8.

For the Pasco EDC, this was its first trade mission with TBEA, which has hosted a total of four missions.

Thirteen companies participated in the U.S. Commercial Service’s Gold Key Services Matchmaker program.

Company representatives had about 140 one-on-one meetings with potential customers that resulted in about $6.8 million in either actual and expected export sales, the release reports.

Companies that came away with hope of securing a contract included New Port Richey-based Global Sign Restoration.

“This was our first trade mission, so we did not know what to expect, but the experience was invaluable to the future of our company,” Theresa Pagano, the company’s president, said in the news release.

The company has a “very promising opportunity for a large contract that we would not have had the chance to pitch otherwise,” Pagano added.

Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco EDC, said the agency would build on the success of the first mission to “grow our companies and create jobs.”

Published December 28, 2016