The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Efforts continue to extend Ridge Road

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It’s been two decades and Pasco County is still waiting on a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to extend Ridge Road — but, a push is on to try to speed things up.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is seeking to take advantage of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to accelerate reviews of “high priority” infrastructure projects.

Gus Bilirakis

The extension of Ridge Road, which would create another east/west evacuation route, has long been considered essential by Pasco County government officials.

In an effort to help move things along, Bilirakis sent a letter on Jan. 25 asking President Trump and the Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality to grant priority status to the project.

The congressman also plans to reach out to Gov. Rick Scott, who has strong ties with Trump. While no formal meeting is scheduled, Bilirakis anticipates a personal appeal, as well, to Trump on Ridge Road. He counts Reince Priebus, Trump’s chief of staff, as another potential contact on the matter.

Pasco County commissioners are pressing the issue through Washington D.C.-based lobbyists. They also sent a letter to the governor requesting his support for the project.

“This is a priority for me because it’s a priority for our community,” said Bilirakis. “It’s really a nonpartisan issue. We’re talking about public safety.”

In his letter, Bilirakis cited Hurricane Hermine, which damaged 2,672 homes in Pasco County and, in total, caused $89 million in damages to Pasco County.

A favorable decision on the permit could come from U.S. Army Corps in mid-March, Bilirakis said.

But, if the permit is denied or delayed further, Bilirakis said, “The executive order overrides that.”

Trump’s executive order cites infrastructure projects that “have been routinely and excessively delayed by agency processes and procedures.”

A decision on a project’s priority shall be made within 30 days by the chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, according to the executive order.

However, the council, which was created by President Richard Nixon, currently doesn’t have a chairperson. It’s not known when the Trump administration will appoint someone to fill that position.

Pasco County submitted its application for an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road in 1998. The road dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey. The extension would link to U.S. 41, with a connection to Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues permits based on regulations within the Clean Water Act.

About 58 acres of the 6,000-acre Serenova Preserve are at issue. The land was set aside years ago to mitigate wetlands lost during construction of the parkway. For permit approval, federal law requires a minimum of damage to the environment.

Pasco County had one application rejected for insufficient data.

Dawson & Associates helped county officials with a second application, which is awaiting a final decision.

The county’s budget, for several years, has included about $42 million for the first phase of the project, if approved.

“The good people of Pasco County deserve for this (project) to happen,” Bilirakis said.

Published February 8, 2017

Business community buoyed by Trump administration

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The business community is mostly bullish about the Trump administration and Trump’s plans to cut taxes and roll back regulations, according to Mark Vitner, managing director and senior economic advisor for Wells Fargo.

The Pasco Economic Development Council featured Vitner as guest speaker at its annual Economic Forecast Luncheon at the Florida Hospital Center Ice on Feb. 3.

President Donald Trump is shaking up the old way of doing business, Vitner said. “It’s a 180 degrees from policies we’ve been following and not what most people expected to be following.”

But, Vitner said the business community generally likes Trump’s rapid-fire issuance of executive orders that are delivering on his campaign promises.

Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco EDC, agreed.

There has been an uncertain climate in past years with road blocks in getting loans to invest, particularly to build on speculation, he said.

“The president said a lot of things during the campaign, and now he’s starting to do those things,” Cronin said. “Now it gives predictability and certainty in the market place. Whether you agree with him or not, you want certainty before you invest.”

Vitner said tax cuts, fewer regulations and better trade agreements are “very, very good for growth.”

He expects the Gross Domestic Product to rise 2.3 percent in 2017. The GDP is based on the total value of goods produced and services provided nationwide in one year.

Some cities, such as San Francisco and Houston, are outpacing the nation’s growth, increasing their local GDP faster than the rest of the country.

Florida also has a growing economy “from Pensacola to Key West,” Vitner said.

He anticipates about 4 percent job growth in Pasco County, up from about 3.6 percent in 2016.

But, Vitner also cautioned against expecting too much, too soon.

“It takes time to formulate policies,” he said. “It takes time to impact the economy.”

One of Trump’s campaign promises was to spend $1 trillion over the next decade on infrastructure. But, Vitner said, “I don’t think dirt will move for two to three years.”

He anticipates court challenges that could delay those types of projects.

The economy likely will see more immediate results from deregulation, he added.

“The thing I’m most positive of is rolling back regulations,” Vitner said. “And, regulations are strangling small businesses.”

Unemployment ticked up slightly from 4.7 percent to 4.8 percent. That’s technically full employment, but Vitner said employment remains a problem.

“There are a whole lot of people not fully employed,” he said.

Some people may only work a few hours at an online job, or drive for Uber part-time, but still are counted in employment data, he said.

But, some people have dropped out of the labor market or maybe don’t feel secure in the jobs they have, he added.

The recent holiday season also was telling.

Vitner said brick-and-mortar retailers hired fewer seasonal workers “because they knew they were getting strangled by online.”

Technology and energy will be economic drivers for the country, Vitner said.

He also expects reforms to the Dodd-Frank law, which enacted financial reform following the economic meltdown in 2008. Vitner said changes likely will make it easier for people to qualify for loans.

“Regulations are well-intentioned,” he said. “But, there are unintended consequences.”

February 8, 2017

East Pasco Rocks plays hide-and-seek

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East Pasco County residents are having a rockin’ good time – with hide-and-seek painted rocks.

On a recent Sunday, members of a new club, East Pasco Rocks, packed a pavilion at Zephyr Park in Zephyrhills for their first group painting party.

They brought art supplies, creativity and – rocks.

Afterward, children gathered up the pretty stones, hidden for a treasure hunt in the park.

Wesley Chapel resident Marlo Sue Johnson, a member of East Pasco Rocks, painted cartoon-style animal faces onto rocks. The group enjoys hide-and-seek treasure hunts to find painted rocks. The social-media driven hobby is a nationwide trend.
(Courtesy of East Pasco Rocks Facebook page)

“There’s nothing grander than sitting down and watching kids find rocks,” said Renee Crum, founder of East Pasco Rocks.

Her daughter painted a rock with a Pokemon character. Later, a friend’s daughter found the rock.

For 15 minutes, Crum said, “All she did was hear this girl squealing (with joy). It’s a giant game of hide-and-seek.”

The group has nearly 600 members, brought together largely through Facebook.

Members live in Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, San Antonio and Dade City.

A few, who frequently visit east Pasco, live in Lakeland and Plant City.

Many have never met their rock-painting buddies in person.

East Pasco Rocks plans a second painting party on Feb. 11 from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Hobby Lobby, at 7325 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

The club is part of a growing national trend. Members often meet up on Facebook or Pinterest.

First, comes the arts and craft part. Rocks are painted with colorful designs or a written message.

“There is nothing specific about what they have to do or how they do it,” said Crum. “Sometimes we write a word – hope or love.”

But, mermaid tails, penguins or pretty patterns also are popular.

The finished artworks are hidden, but not too well because it’s the discovery that counts.

A rock found is a rock that can bring delight, or at least a smile, to someone who stumbles upon something unexpected, pretty and a bit mysterious.

Crum started painting rocks when a friend in Missouri suffered the loss of her son. The friend painted a rock in his honor.

Renee Crum, founder of East Pasco Rocks, painted a Florida gator on one of the rocks she hid in Zephyrhills.

About the same time, Crum also saw a Facebook page about a group in Lakeland.

She started Zephyrhills Painted Rocks in November, beginning with a few members, and a Facebook page.

She quickly heard from residents in Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, San Antonio and Dade City who wanted to find out how to start their own clubs.

Turns out it was easier to expand Crum’s group and rename it East Pasco Rocks.

“This started as a community project, but it has grown to a multi-community effort,” said Crum. “It’s a good way to bring east Pasco together so we can share with each other.”

It’s a pretty free-wheeling pastime.

Anyone who finds and keeps a rock is expected to paint and hide two replacement rocks.

If a rock is put back in its hiding place, a Facebook posting of the rock or better still, a selfie, is appropriate.

But, Crum said safety also is paramount.

Don’t hide rocks in parking lots, for instance, or in grassy areas where a lawnmower could kick up a hidden rock.

The Facebook posts can bring attention to area businesses where rocks sometimes are left, Crum said.

A couple of businesses have asked not to be included, Crum said. But, overall, she added, “It’s a win-win for everyone.”

For information on joining East Pasco Rocks, visit Facebook.com/groups/1218099624929213/.

Published February 8, 2017

Foundation considers its future path

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The Heritage Park Foundation is figuring out its future.

The foundation, which formed decades ago, has essentially met its major goals of bringing improvements to the park — including a stage, which is now under construction.

Dirt flew during the groundbreaking ceremony last year for construction of a stage at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park. The stage is expected to be completed in coming months, and is envisioned as a venue for concerts, plays and other activities at the park.
(File)

So, the group met on Feb. 1 to discuss whether the foundation should continue to exist, or should disband.

Sandy Graves, a prime mover in the quest to get a stage for the park, told board members that if the foundation dissolves, it would be difficult to attain a nonprofit status (501c3) for another organization.

By having the nonprofit status, however, money can be raised that can be spent at the Land O’ Lakes park, she explained.

Kurt Conover, who has been involved since the inception of the foundation, agreed that establishing another 501c3 would be difficult.

Over the years, the vision for what should happen on the park land has changed, Conover said.

But, the idea has always been to foster a greater sense of community, Graves said.

The stage will help make that happen, Conover said.

“It will be a whole different atmosphere, once you have the stage,” he said.

The stage project was made possible through a partnership of the foundation, community businesses, Pasco County, Pasco County Schools and a $250,000 grant from the state.

Construction must be completed by this summer to comply with terms of the state grant, said Brian Taylor, the county’s Parks and Recreation manager.

The completion of the stage follows other significant upgrades to the park, which has resulted in making it a popular place among athletes.

In the future, the foundation may serve as a conduit to help raise money for additional improvements at the park, but it is not clear how that will work yet.

One idea would be for a fee to be imposed to those using the stage, with those fees going to the foundation. The foundation, in turn, could contribute that money for improvements at the park.

Taylor said he needed to do more research on the issue.

Discussion on the issue will continue at the board’s next meeting, expected to be held next month.

Published February 8, 2017

Safeguarding seniors against scams

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Awareness is key in protecting yourself against scams, according to Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater.

Atwater launched Operation SAFE (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation) in 2014 to help protect Florida’s elderly population from financial scams and fraud.

An Operation SAFE workshop, presented by the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, was held on Jan. 18 at Zephyrhills Cinema 10.

There, a group of mostly senior attendees learned about spotting fraudulent behavior, common scams that target seniors and ways to fight identity theft.

Savannah Sullivan, a communications specialist for the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS), counseled the dozens in attendance to first be wary of odd behavior. She said seniors should tread carefully if someone is “becoming a little too friendly” or “shows up out of nowhere and wants to move in.”

During the presentation, Sullivan pointed out senior women, typically, are more vulnerable than their male counterparts to becoming a scam victim.

“A lot of women are a little more trusting, nurturing, caring, and may find themselves in a position where they want to help somebody more,” she explained.

Those attributes, Sullivan said, makes them particularly susceptible to what’s known as a romance scam.

In romance scams, a con artist pretends to have romantic intentions to gain affection and trust, often claiming to be from another country. The scam artist will then begin asking for money, claiming it’s for airplane tickets, medical bills or other expenses.

Those scams, Sullivan noted, are becoming more prevalent with the rise of online dating sites.

It’s also becoming one of the most costly.

Sullivan said romance scams wound up costing older Americans about $82 million in 2014; the average cost was over $100,000 per person.

“It really does wrap people in it,” Sullivan said, “because it uses that place where we are at our weakest — our hearts and our love connections.

“If they’re asking for money, and you haven’t met them, it’s a bad sign.”

The overall rate of scams against seniors is staggering.

According to the AARP, 80 percent of fraud victims are 50 and older.

Moreover, one out of every five adults, 65 years and older, has been the victim of a financial scam.

One explanation: seniors control about 70 percent of the disposable income in the United States.

“(Seniors) have so much control over the nation’s wealth,” Sullivan said, “and that is why scam artists are targeting them.”

Yet many scam artists, surprisingly, aren’t even strangers.

About 79 percent of scams against seniors over 65 occur by a family member, a DFS report shows.

“It’s important to keep in mind that sometimes it’s the people you least expect,” Sullivan explained. “It’s often the people who are closest around and may have access to personal financial information…”

Det. Bruce Cohen handles economic crimes for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

He said many scammers claim to be an authentic government agency, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and then proceed to ask for payment via a prepaid debit card.

Requests for green dot cards, he said, are one vital clue to filtering out a scam.

“No legitimate business or government agency will tell you fill out a green dot card; if you hear that, it’s a scam,” Cohen said.

Cohen also instructed seniors to never place mail in mailboxes for pickup.

Doing so creates an easy opportunity for criminals to access financial statements, like credit card accounts and bank statements.

“If you’re going to deal with mail, go to the post office and drop it off at the post office box inside,” Cohen said. “The red (mailbox) flag is just an indication to all the thieves to steal your stuff.”

Seniors, too, should be wary of various intimidation scams, like the jury duty scam.

Fraudsters, posing as courthouse officials or police, telephone in claims that jury duty was missed.

Because of that, scammers threaten you’re going to be arrested, unless a fine is immediately paid.

“It’s a doubly whammy,” said Zephyrhills Police Sgt. Reginald Roberts. “You’ve given them money and your (personal) information.”

Roberts noted those types of scams have also become more frequent because of spoofing, a technique where scammers manipulate the Caller ID feature to masquerade as courthouses or law enforcement agencies.

“They’ll use official names. They’ll use the names of judges, the sheriff, the police chief,” Roberts explained.

He continued: “Caller ID was the gospel at one time, but nowadays, there’s just too many spoofing apps that you really can’t trust that.”

If you suspect a sham call, Roberts advised, “hang up and call the jury clerk.”

Unfortunately, Roberts said, these types of scams, along with other fraud schemes, are constantly getting tweaked and fine-tuned by criminals.

It makes law enforcement’s job even tougher, he said.

“These scams are going to change daily,” Roberts said. “They’re going to try to find a way to get better.”

Yet, experts agreed that knowing the telltale signs of scams and applying common sense can help to avoid getting caught up in a money-draining plot.

“Scam artists are using information that you don’t know,” Sullivan said. “They’re banking on you not knowing something.”

For more information, visit MyFloridaCFO.com.

Common tactics used by scam artists

  • Phantom riches: The scam artist will dangle the prospect of wealth, perhaps a guaranteed monthly income, if you purchase a certain product.
  • Source credibility: The scam artist will make it appear that his or her company is reputable, or that they have special credentials or experience.
  • Social consensus: The scam artist will want you to believe that people you may know already have invested or purchased the product, such as your neighbors, or well-known community leaders.
  • False affiliation: Similar to source credibility, the scam artist works for a company whose name gives the appearance that they are a part of, or affiliated with a senior advocacy group, such as AARP, or a government agency to gain your trust.
  • Sense of urgency: The scam artist will try to get you to buy now by saying the offer is extended only to the next 10 people who purchase today.

Red Flags

  • The person uses broken English and/or poor grammar during the interaction.
  • The person requests money or personal information.
  • A stranger tells you that he or she knows you.
  • The person makes threats that you will be arrested or will be forced to pay a penalty, if you don’t pay a fee.

Ways to avoid being scammed

  • Practice safe internet use.
  • Protect your Social Security number.
  • Destroy private records.
  • Secure your mail.
  • Check your credit report for suspicious activity.

Published February 8, 2017

 

Lutz gardener cultivates generosity

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Eighty-five-year-old Elaine Pittman’s love affair with gardening began 7 1/2 decades ago.

“My father gave me my first piece of a garden on Long Island when I was about 9 years old.

Eighty-five-year-old Elaine Pittman has never sought attention for the contributions she makes to Christian Social Services, from proceeds derived from her plant sales. She likes to help that group because it feeds the hungry.
(B.C. Manion)

“Every spring, I would go to all of the neighbors around the block and ask for the little seedlings that they didn’t want. I had snow-on-the-mountain and bachelor buttons, and you name it,” said Pittman, who lives in Lutz.

She can barely remember a time since then when she wasn’t getting her hands dirty.

Deliberately.

Throughout her life, she spent spare time digging in soil and coaxing beauty from the earth.

Now, gardening is part of her daily life.

And, in Florida, she can do it year-round.

Behind her house, she has a potting shed, where she has stacks of pots, a sink and potting soil — in an assembly line of sorts.

“I do have a sink full of water here. Certain plants require clean pots. I just soak them (pots) in bleach and detergent here,” she said.

She takes plants that others discard, or pass along to her, and she divides them into smaller plants, which she then tends in her backyard.

She’s nurturing all sorts of plants, including begonias, amaryllis, coonties, crotons, kalanchoe, maple leaf hibiscus and crown of thorns.

She was in her shed, one recent day, putting her skills to work.

Maple leaf hibiscus ‘looks like velvet,’ Elaine Pittman says. ‘This one tends to get a little leggy, so you have to cut it back a lot,’ she adds.

She picked up a leather-leaf fern – a scraggily looking thing, but Pittman saw its potential.

“I always tell people I’m one of these idiots, something breaks, I can’t throw it away. I have to put it in dirt,” Pittman said.

After eyeballing the leather-leaf fern, she decides it will make three or four smaller plants.

She prepares a pot for the first cutting.

“I use coffee filters in the bottom of the pot. It keeps the dirt from washing out,” Pittman explains. She picks up the filters at The Dollar Tree to keep down her costs.

When a pot has a tiny hole, she uses a clump of dryer lint to keep in the dirt.

Then, she takes the first cutting from the leather-leaf fern. She holds it over the pot and begins adding potting mix. She holds the cutting in the center of the pot until she’s added enough soil in the pot to support it.

Next, she adds a “teensy” bit of systemic insecticide, then more soil, and then a small amount of fertilizer.

“I don’t believe in using as much fertilizer as they tell you. They want to make money,” Pittman said. Plus, she notes, too much fertilizer isn’t good for the environment.

Elaine Pittman tends to begonias with red, white and pink blooms in her backyard. These are some of her red begonias.

At her age, Pittman said, she’s not able to make her own potting mix.

“I can’t do my own hard work because the body is too old,” she said. And, she added, “Arthur is not a good friend,” Pittman said, referring to her arthritis.

So, she enlists help.

“I have some young friends that are strong,” she said, and they make her potting mix for her.

And, while she can’t move as fast as she used to — she still manages to grow and sell hundreds of plants every year.

Her prices generally range from $2 to $6, with a few exceptions. “The most I’ve ever charged for one of my plants was $15,” Pittman said.

She sells most of her plants at a booth at the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club yard sale and at two flea markets held at the Old Lutz School each year. The club’s yard sale is scheduled for March 3 and March 4, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., on both days, at the Old Lutz School, 18819 U.S. 41 N., in Lutz.

Proceeds go to the woman’s club, which, in turn, donates the money to Christian Social Services, which operates a thrift store and food pantry in a building that looks like a red barn, at 5514 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

In recent years, Pittman has sold $1,000 in plants a year to provide donations. She said she likes to help Christian Social Services because they feed people who are hungry.

Pittman provides the labor, and the space to cultivate the plants, but she said the work she does relies on the generosity of others.

“People give me plants all of the time when they redo their yards. They’ll bring me the extras. “When my daughter cuts her hibiscus, she brings me the cuttings,” she said.

It’s also not uncommon for her to find plants, pots and other supplies left — anonymously — in front of her garage.

She takes those offerings and puts them to good use.

Pittman has never sought attention for her efforts to create beauty, and to help the poor.

But, it’s a project that seems to align nicely, with a quotation by an unknown author that the Lutz woman finds inspiring: “If there is any hope for the world, it can only be found in personal kindness.”

Published February 8, 2017

Farewell, and Godspeed, to Adam Kennedy

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The call brought Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning out of an early morning meeting. Crews Lake Middle School was on the phone. The principal hadn’t arrived. There were reports of a terrible wreck along his usual commute, and they were worried.

Saying he was on it, Browning rang up Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco and put the situation to him. “I’ll call you back,” Nocco said. Ten long minutes ticked by. Then, Nocco, on the phone.

“My condolences,” he said.

Now, Browning. “Those are the words no one wants to hear.”

(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Thus began what Browning would come to know as “the worst I’ve had as the superintendent of schools.”

Adam Kennedy was, like many U.S. Marines, a Renaissance man. Smoker of savory meats; baker of perfect cheesecakes; housepainter, woodworker and cabinetmaker; golfer, triathlete, Xbox aficionado and Pokémon shark; tank driver and fan of Broadway musicals; warrior-philosopher, educator and servant leader.

And — and! — marvel his friends — he more or less mastered virtually all these skills before that maker of instant experts, YouTube, entered our lives. Adam Kennedy was old school.

Also, this: He is missed. As Nocco reported to Browning, the 46-year-old died on the way to work Jan. 20, when his 12-year-old Dodge pickup slammed into the back of a logging truck on State Road 52 that had slowed to make a turn just west of U.S. Highway 41.

A couple of weeks ago, some 800 mourners filled the school’s gymnasium to express, with tears and tender memories, why his premature passing left a sinkhole that will be slow to fill.

“He never gave you the answer,” Clarissa Stokes, his student, said into a melancholy microphone the other night. “He made you work for it.”

This was not College of Education theory at work. This was a revelation that came to Capt. Kennedy in the cockpit of an M1A1 Abrams tank on the outskirts of Baghdad. Deployed as part of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, it came to Kennedy he wasn’t sure exactly where he was, or what exactly motivated the Iraqis.

There in his war machine, Kennedy made a promise: If God saw fit to deliver him home, he would do whatever he could to make sure future generations of Americans did not suffer a similar fundamental shortcoming about the world.

It was a vow he followed as surely as if it had been an order from a commanding general.

Kennedy made it home, made his way into teaching, and began making his mark on young minds by inspiring them with the stories of those who went before.

Teaching rewarded him not only with young minds flickering to life, but also dedicated friends and a wife, Abigail, also a teacher, and their children, grade-schoolers Ethan and Hannah.

All were, and remain, staggered. Because Kennedy was young. And vibrant. But, as colleague Freda Abercrombie rightly noted, “It is not always the leaning tree that falls.”

Once a commander, in the classroom he was commanding.

“He told us, ‘Never present a problem without offering a solution,’” Stokes recited, “‘because then, you’re just complaining.’”

Witness after witness said much the same thing: Everything about him encouraged others to be better.

Mike Pellegrino admired him because Kennedy boosted his game.

Pellegrino noticed the new guy at Weightman right off, as you do men who wear suspenders and bowties.

Pellegrino and Kennedy wound up playing golf, training for triathlons and repairing houses together.

Pellegrino stood by him, when Adam took Abigail’s hand.

As Jim McKinney, a tech specialist who found a fellow traveler in Kennedy, said utterly without irony, “He liked retro things.”

As proof, he noted the singular time Kennedy shed his 1920s-teacher look to come to school, instead, dressed as Ben Franklin.

Browning imagined big things ahead.

Kennedy made assistant principal before he was 40, and rose to principal in 2015. All of which added to the devastation from the horror of that Friday morning.

The boss pauses here. There is a sniff. He remembers excitedly calling Kennedy to tell him about his new command. “He said [in Marine Corps monotone], ‘Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Right away, sir. Thank you, sir. Have a good day, sir.’ …  I thought I’d messed it up.”

He hadn’t, of course.

Kennedy, it turned out, absorbed the rigors of responsibility the same whether his view was through the periscope of an Abrams, or across the panorama of a middle school campus.

Only the rules of engagement changed. As did the lives of those who were blessed, in recent years, by that engagement.

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

Published February 8, 2017

Pucker up for kumquats

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Every year when the calendar rolls up against the Dade City Kumquat Festival, I can’t help thinking about a scene from “Doc Hollywood” — the Michael J. Fox movie in which an aspiring Beverly Hills plastic surgeon gets waylaid in tiny Grady, South Carolina (played convincingly by Micanopy, just up the road).

While he’s there waiting for repairs to his wrecked Porsche and serving community service hours in the local hospital, preparations are underway for the local Squash Festival, which prompts a rumination on timing by the mayor (David Ogden Stiers).

Skip Mize, the longtime kitchen boss at Williams Lunch on Limoges, says that kumquat season at his popular Seventh Street eatery is fleeting. But, during that period, the ambitious menu features kumquats in all of the various forms.
(Tom Jackson)

It seems the zucchini and the Grady squash were locked in a battle over which would be the nation’s preeminent gourd when a shipment of the town’s signature crop was swept away by a tornado that was otherwise “bound for … agricultural stardom at the [1933] Chicago World’s Fair.”

“If it had gone the other way,” the mayor says, “there’s no telling where this town would be today.”

The parallel is not exact, but when it comes to festivals surrounding local harvests, and towns that are making the most of close calls, I can’t help thinking about kumquats and Dade City. Not that there’s anything wrong with either, except that kumquats are not, to choose one regional delicacy, strawberries. Nor are they tangerines or oranges — although all these and kumquats are related taxonomically.

Generally, however, humans do not have to work their way up to strawberries or tangerines or oranges. Each can be enhanced, of course, and often are, but each also, when ripe, is tasty right off the bush or branch. Fresh-picked kumquats, however, are an acquired taste.

Yes, you’d say, and so are Spanish olives, champagne, golf and PBS’ “Masterpiece Classics.” And, I would not disagree. Each requires a mature palate, and rewards the effort.

But, in my experience, bright little kumquats, so lovely in aspect and mesmerizing in fragrance, will flat out produce a three-day pucker when eaten fresh-picked.

Yes, even if you follow, precisely, the recommended regimen, rolling the fruit firmly between your thumb and forefinger to release the sweet oil in the skin before popping the whole thing, grape-like, in your mouth, you will wind up resembling someone eager to be kissed.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Still, the resolute tartness of kumquat pulp makes the little fruits conveyances for the delivery of sugar, the more the better.

So, part of me can never anticipate the Kumquat Festival without wondering, like the Grady mayor, how the arc of Dade City’s history would have bent if it had been Florida’s first to celebrate the subtly sweet temple orange, the easily peeled and delicate tangerine, or even the bold pink grapefruit.

But, no. Instead, The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce decided to organize a festival in its honor. And, they have it on the last Saturday in January — the same day as Tampa’s annual Gasparilla pirate invasion.

A challenging date for a challenging fruit. Because that’s how Dade City, the little town that can, rolls.

If you were there last weekend, you may have discovered that once they have submitted to the culinary expert’s machinations, kumquat-centered dishes can be exquisite.

And so, we turn to the Skip Mize, the longtime kitchen boss at Williams Lunch on Limoges, who advises us at the top, kumquat season at his popular Seventh Street eatery is fleeting.

This has more to do with preparation, which is labor intensive, than harvest season, which extends from November through March.

“There are some things you get to eat only at Thanksgiving, and some things you get to eat only at Christmas,” Mize says, “and some things you get to eat only around the Kumquat Festival. It’s tradition.”

For Mize’s kitchen, that tradition extends “only about two weeks, two-and-a-half weeks, tops.” But, what a season it is. His ambitious menu abounds with dishes featuring kumquats in various forms: sauced, jellied, jammed, candied and glazed; kumquats reduced, through repeated boiling, to simple syrup; and, ladled onto pork, chicken or salmon, kumquat chutney.

Similarly, on festival day itself, nearby Kafe Kokopelli always features kumquats in various forms, infused into everything from appetizers and cocktails — kumquat sangria sounds zesty — to entrees (who’s up for kumquat meatloaf?).

Without a gate admission, organizers say it’s impossible to know how many people attend the festival in any given year, but with roughly tens of thousands each year, it’s fair to say the crowd is substantially more than turned out for the Grady Squash Festival.

Then again, the movie had a happy ending: The doc got the gal; the town got the doc; the mayor, presumably, went on to many reelection landslides.

It’s a similar joy that descends, each year, on Dade City as a result of its embrace of its tart natural treasure.

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

(Published February 1, 2017)

Extension Office could get makeover

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The Pasco County Fair Association is seeking a state grant to help pay for a $1.1 million upgrade of the Pasco County Extension Office.

The Extension Office — which is supported by state and county funding — now leases space from the fair association.

But, the facility needs improvements and more space to expand its services.

The state grant could address both needs.

The Pasco County Commission, on Jan. 24, gave the fair association the go-ahead to seek a state grant to help cover the costs.

Whitney Elmore, director of Pasco County Extension, says more meeting space is essential for the Extension Office to expand its services.
(Richard K. Riley)

The state grant requires a 40 percent match. So, the county has agreed to provide about $243,000, and the fair association would cover about $197,000, if the grant is approved.

The fair association would be in charge of completing the project, which will include securing contractors and obtaining county permits.

While the fair association and members of the community are on the same page now, that wasn’t the case during an October stakeholders meeting.

At that point, the county was considering options that included moving Extension to the Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St., in Dade City, leaving it at the fairgrounds or finding another location.

Those supporting the fairgrounds’ location said Extension should stay because its activities are closely aligned to those of the Pasco County Fair. But, those supporting the Stallings Building said the community living near there need the additional programs that Extension could bring to the area.

“From that last meeting in October, we really learned a lot from the whole community,” Cathy Pearson, assistant county administrator for public services said, at a Jan. 19 follow-up stakeholder meeting.

“It opened our eyes to what that community really needs. There’s a need in both places,” Pearson said.

“So, we had the opportunity in the last 60 days to meet with the Pasco County Fair board, and really voice our concerns about the building, and stuff that needs to be improved here.

“We also talked about operations.

“You know what? They really listened. They really did,” Pearson said.

Margarita Romo is delighted that the county is looking into ways to offer programs at the Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St., in Dade City. The neighborhood needs more services, Romo said. Cathy Pearson, an assistant county administrator is in the background.

If the grant is approved, Extension would move temporarily to the Stallings Building.

The county also will work with the community to develop a business initiative, Pearson said.

“What kind of community programs can we put in there?” she said. “We have until March 6 to work on our plan,” Pearson said.

If the state grant is approved, there would be more meeting space, more classroom space, a renovated kitchen, a new greenhouse, upgraded parking and other improvements, said Whitney C. Elmore, the Extension director.

She said she based her renovation plan on information she gleaned from other Extension directors around the state.

More meeting space is critical to enable Extension to expand its programs, Elmore said.

An updated kitchen also is needed to offer classes that are in demand, but can’t be provided because of inadequate facilities and equipment, she said.

Enhanced office space, a reception area and other improvements also would be completed in the proposed project. The overall space would increase from roughly 3,000 square feet now to more than 5,200 square feet, once the improvements are done.

The fair association should find out in May or June whether the grant has been approved.

If it doesn’t come through, the county and fair association will work together to see what can be done with the approximately $440,000 that’s available, Pearson said.

But, Pearson added: “We’re going to be optimistic, though, we know we’re going to get the grant. That’s what we’re going to think.”

Margarita Romo, who spoke passionately at the October meeting about providing more services to the community near the Stallings Building, said she’s thrilled about the direction the fair association and county are taking.

“I’m just very excited,” Romo said. “Everybody is going to have what they need.

“We want the master gardeners to be happy. We want them to come and help us to learn how to do things better than we did in the past.

“Most important is the children,” Romo said. “All of those children make up Dade City, too. It would be wonderful to be able to interact with each other, to see that the county cares about us, the Extension Office cares about us, that all of the master gardeners care about us.

“Then, we could begin to close that gap because you know we’ve all been so separated in different ways. And, it’s time to come together,” Romo said.

Published February 1, 2017

Design is final for new Zephyrhills City Hall

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When it comes to a new City Hall, the Zephyrhills City Council agreed that “bigger is better.”

Council members unanimously approved the design for the new City Hall complex on Jan. 23. The design calls for a two-story building of 19,615 square feet.

The $6.2 million price tag is about $300,000 greater than the alternative option, which called for a structure of 18,170.

Alan Knight, the council’s vice president, was the most outspoken advocate of proceeding with Harvard Jolly’s larger, more expensive, building.

The Zephyrhills City Council on Jan. 23 unanimously approved the design plan for a 19,615-square-foot, two-story City Hall complex. Construction will cost about $6.2 million. The total scope of the project is estimated at about $7.6 million.
(Courtesy of Harvard Jolly)

The city’s anticipated future growth is the main factor, Knight reasoned, in dishing out more dollars.

“We’re no longer a sleepy little town,” Knight said. “Zephyrhills is not growing, we’re exploding. I think to do anything to shortchange — or cut the building down— would be a mistake.”

He added: “We’re already the largest city in Pasco County, and I see nothing but growth.”

Council member Lance Smith concurred: “We need to do it first-class.”

The total scope of the City Hall project is estimated at about $7.6 million.

That includes additional “soft” costs, such as architect and engineering fees, furniture and technology expenses.

Other estimated expenses — relocation costs and temporary office space— are also included in the figure, as provided by the city.

The new complex will replace the existing City Hall, which is situated between the city’s public library and fire department on Eighth Street. A courtyard plaza and walkway eventually will link all three buildings.

With a modern stone and brick exterior, the new City Hall follows an architectural template similar to the Zephyrhills Public Library.

The complex’s interior, meanwhile, will be equipped with more open workspaces and multifunctional meeting rooms, which offer flexibility to accommodate public events.

The schematic rendering by Harvard Jolly shows the first floor houses the council chambers, and includes office quarters for the city’s building, finance and planning departments.

Other city departments, such as public works, the Community Redevelopment Agency and technology will be located on the second floor.

“This plan provides a lot flexibility for future growth,” said Amy Morgan, an associate architect with Harvard Jolly. “There are a couple of spare offices with plenty of storage.”

Phil Trezza, senior vice president at Harvard Jolly, expects the new City Hall to have “at least” a 50-year lifespan.

“The bones of the building will be pretty stout,” Trezza said, addressing the council. “We’re considering concrete block walls, and long-life materials.”

Trezza noted the design-development process will take another “five to six months” before construction can begin.

Construction, he said, will take another 12 months, placing the timetable to completion around mid-2018.

In the interim, the city must locate temporary quarters during the City Hall build out.

The council previously discussed the possibility of continuing to utilize the existing City Hall during construction, but safety and accessibility issues won’t allow that.

Temporary placement options include using extra space at the city’s police and fire stations, and other locations.

“We would all be within one block of each other,” said City Manager Steve Spina.

The City Hall complex marks the second major project Harvard Jolly and contractor A.D. Morgan has designed for the city in recent years.

In 2013, both firms were hired to help design the public library.

They later faced scrutiny over the project’s escalating costs.

At the time, the council was presented with an 8,500-square-foot facility for $1.7 million, but overall costs ended up totaling $2.26 million, a 33 percent increase from what the council originally agreed upon.

Spina, though, has reassured the council a similar instance will not occur, with members being involved in the project “every step of the way.”

Along with Spina, other city staff who’ve served on the City Hall review committee are: Sandra Amerson, Bill Burgess. Brian Williams, Gail Hamilton, Lori Hillman, Todd Vande Berg, Mike Panak and Shane LeBlanc.

Published February 1, 2017