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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Habitat, church collaborate on Community Cleanup Day 

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Throughout the day, teams of volunteers worked across various residential areas in Dade City. Homeowners expressed gratitude for the assistance, with many saying they felt hopeful again thanks to the efforts of volunteers. Photos courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco

DADE CITY – Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco and St. Rita’s Catholic Church aided Dade City homeowners affected by Hurricane Milton through a Community Cleanup Day.

Volunteers from both organizations worked together Oct. 26 to help residents in need, offering support and relief in the aftermath of the storm.

Hurricane Milton left many people facing cleanup and repair challenges. Habitat for Humanity and St. Rita’s Catholic Church mobilized volunteers to clear debris, remove fallen trees and help with essential repairs. Their work ensured homes were safe and accessible for affected families.

“Seeing the community come together to support one another has been inspiring,” said Kathy Proulx, a representative from Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco. “Our collaboration with St. Rita’s Catholic Church made a real difference for many Dade City families, showing the strength and resilience of our community.”

 

Need help or want to help?

Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco has compiled helpful links at habitatpasco.org/help for anyone in need of hurricane-related support. 

To continue supporting hurricane relief efforts, contact Kathy Proulx, development and community engagement manager for Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco, at 352-437-5388 or .

 

Triple Triumph: Champion gymnast to balance triplets

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Victoria Ravelo, a former state champion gymnast, is celebrating her latest achievement – triplets. Photo courtesy of Ilia Muriente

In a celebration of life, a Land O’ Lakes mom has welcomed triplet girls into the world, showcasing the incredible journey of motherhood.

Victoria Ravelo, 23, the new mother of multiples who already has a 2-year-old daughter, never thought in a million years that on her second pregnancy she would carry spontaneous triplets, with two identical twins and a fraternal other in her womb.

She carried them up to 34 weeks and one day. An achievement in itself, as the average duration for triplets is 32 weeks.

As a former state champion gymnast from Land O’ Lakes, she always embodied resilience and determination, qualities that have served her well throughout her life.

Her athletic prowess was complemented by her active involvement in the Land O’ Lakes High school soccer team, where she not only honed her physical strength but also built a foundation of teamwork and perseverance.

Transitioning from the sports arena to the professional world, she became a skilled surgical dental assistant, bringing her meticulous attention to detail and care for others into her career.

The birth of her three daughters at Tampa General Hospital marks a beautiful milestone in her life, transforming her into a supermom overnight.

Surrounded by the support of her family and friends, the arrival of the triplets has filled her home with joy and excitement.

Each baby girl represents not only a new chapter in her life but also a testament to the miracle of life itself.

The hospital staff, impressed by this inspiring woman’s journey, celebrated her achievements and the strength she displayed during the delivery, which was both challenging and awe-inspiring.

In a remarkable display of teamwork and expertise, a dedicated team of five doctors and 13 nurses worked in perfect synchrony to deliver a textbook-perfect birth of triplet girls.

Their meticulous planning and seamless communication ensured that every detail was attended to, resulting in a smooth and safe delivery for both the mother and her newborns.

As she embarks on this new adventure of motherhood, the former gymnast continues to draw on the discipline and tenacity that guided her through years of training and competition. Balancing the demands of parenting three infants and a 2-year-old big sister will undoubtedly be a test of her strength, but if her past is any indication, she will embrace this challenge with grace and enthusiasm.

With dreams of raising strong, confident daughters, this extraordinary mom is ready to inspire the next generation, paving the way for her girls to pursue their passions just as she did.

The miracle of life has truly blossomed in her family, and the future looks bright for this incredible Pasco County mother and her triplet girls.

The Book Shack begins new chapter

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Jenny Williams, left, owner of Farmhouse Brew & Bites, and Kristy Kassabaum, owner of The Book Shack, stand by some of the thousands of new and used books available at the business’ new location. Photo courtesy of Joe Potter

DADE CITY – The Book Shack, a Dade City business founded 45 years ago, recently opened in a space that is three times larger than its Seventh Street location. 

Owner Kristy Kassabaum celebrated the store’s grand reopening Oct. 5 at 37838 Pasco Ave. 

She bought the business from her husband’s grandmother, Jo Kassabaum, in September 2016. Kassabaum said she wanted to have a business of her own and that she was happy to keep the business in the family.

The move to a larger space was necessary, Kassabaum said, because she had outgrown the previous location. Kassabaum said she not only wanted more room for her products but she also wanted to offer more services to her customers.

In addition to purchasing new or used books, customers may enjoy coffee and treats provided by Farmhouse Brew & Bites, a business owned by Ronnie and Jenny Williams.

“We thought it would be a good opportunity … kind of like an Oxford Exchange kind of look,” Ronnie Williams said regarding Farmhouse Brew & Bites’ location in The Book Shack. 

Williams was referring to a bookshop/coffee shop/restaurant called The Oxford Exchange in Tampa.

Aubrey Weldon, left, and Jenny Williams are shown behind the counter of Farmhouse Brew & Bites, which is owned by Jenny Williams and her husband, Ronnie. It’s inside The Book Shack’s new location. Photo courtesy of Joe Potter

The Williamses also own The Farmhouse Market & Café at 14124 Fifth St. The company has been in business since 2018 “with a vision of supporting local farms & businesses to bring the best & freshest products,” according to its website. 

The Book Shack customers can also admire and buy pieces of art created by local artists in a mini-version of Out of Our Hands Gallery, provided by Russ and Lee Taylor.

The gallery, located at 14245 Seventh St., will celebrate its sixth year in business on Nov. 11, Lee Taylor said. It “specializes in offering local, regional, original, handcrafted work from Florida fine artists. Everything is selected with great care, directly from the artists,” according to its website. 

Art pieces displayed inside The Book Shack are priced at $50 and below. Lee Taylor said the purpose of having them there is to provide a mini introduction to customers of the things the gallery has to offer at its location, which is three blocks away.

Sixteen artists are providing samples of their work at the gallery and eight of them live in Dade City, Lee Taylor said.

Customers visiting The Book Shack’s new location on Pasco Avenue will be thrilled to see the comfortable places where they may sit and relax while looking at a book, drinking coffee, eating a treat or admiring an art piece, according to Kassabaum.

The previous location on Seventh Street had a limited seating area and the aisles were difficult to navigate if there were many people in the store, Kassabaum said. This isn’t the case at all with the new location.

Customers may purchase new or used books at the store or by placing an order at mybookshack.com. 

Customers may also trade books they own in for other books offered at The Book Shack, Kassabaum said. A record is kept online of how much credit a customer has acquired through trading books at The Book Shack, Kassabaum said.

Former Veteran’s Affairs clinic pitched for adult daycare center

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NEW PORT RICHEY – The Pasco County Planning Commission approved a special exception Oct. 17 that will allow a former Veteran’s Affairs Medical Clinic building to be used as an adult care center.

The 7.99-acre site is located on the southeast corner of Little Road and Grove Drive in west central Pasco County.

Plans call for the center to be developed in conformance with the E-R Estate-Residential District. 

The property was operated as a Veteran’s Affairs Medical Clinic from 2000 to mid-2023. The property consists of a 45,700-square-foot office building. 

The owners intend to use the property for a BoldAge PACE center. PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is a national managed care program aimed at keeping older adults who qualify for nursing home level of care living independently and safely at home. PACE programs coordinate and offer a wide range of services, including preventative, primary care, acute and long-term care. 

The proposed project will occupy 29,000 square feet of the building to provide the PACE services. All of the intended services BoldAge PACE provides fall within the already approved special exception for professional offices use. 

The Adult Day Care component of the program will use 6,064 square feet, or 13% of the total square footage of the property.

The special exception was necessary because the Adult Day Care component of the BoldAge PACE program is outside of the professional office special exception.  

Plans call for the remaining 16,000 square feet to be leased for other professional office uses. 

Subject to a portion of Pasco County’s Land Development Code, the owner/applicant may be required to convey, at no cost to Pasco County, the amount of right-of-way needed to achieve 73 feet from the centerline of Little Road.

 

Other business

In other business, the planning commission:

• Recommended the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners approve a request by Sandarben LLC to rezone 92.6 acres on the northwest corner of Bellamy Bros Boulevard and Johnston Road in northeast Pasco County. The applicant is seeking to change the zoning from an A-C Agricultural District to an AR-5 Agricultural-Residential District.

The site consists of two single-family homes on 92.60 acres. The applicant proposes to develop the property with 18 single-family homes on five-acre lots.

Subject to a portion of Pasco County’s Land Development Code, the owner/applicant may be required to convey, at no cost to Pasco County, the amount of right-of-way needed to achieve 57 feet from the centerline of Bellamy Bros Boulevard. 

The board is scheduled to consider the request Nov. 12 in Dade City.

• Recommended approval of an application for a small-scale comprehensive plan amendment for 3.02 acres located at the northeast corner of Jasmine Boulevard and Little Road.

Little Road Commercial is requesting the amendment from RES-1 (Residential-1 DU/GA) to COM (Commercial) to allow for commercial, retail and office uses on the property. 

Commissioners will hold an adoption hearing on the request Dec. 10 in New Port Richey.

If adopted, the amendment would enable the development of commercial uses and promote economic growth for the surrounding area. 

The applicant has proposed a voluntary deed restriction on the site to ensure the intended use of the property is for commercial/industrial uses and not include residential uses.

The development would expand the existing commercial uses, which aligns with the intent of the Commercial Future Land Use classification, as it would act as a community-serving commercial development.

The planning commission’s action came after it was agreed to strike all references to C-2 (General Commercial) in the application along with references to access points from Jasmine Boulevard and Little Road.

The applicant has also agreed to a voluntary deed restriction to ensure the property is used only for industrial uses. 

 

Veterans can get free dental care in Stars, Stripes and Smiles 

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NEW PORT RICHEY – Dentists have volunteered to provide urgent dental care at no cost to 75 military veterans living in Pasco County who have been suffering with untreated dental pain and infection.

The West Pasco Dental Association, Office of Congressman Gus Bilirakis and Pasco-Hernando State College are partnering on the Stars, Stripes and Smiles event Nov. 8 in New Port Richey.

“These heroes deserve a system of care to ensure their oral health care needs are met,” said Dr. Zacharias Kalarickal of the West Pasco Dental Association. “Until that can become a reality, it is our professional privilege to serve this special segment of our community.”

Currently, dental care through the VA is limited to those who are 100% disabled or have a direct service-connected injury impacting their oral health. 

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much in defense of our freedom and they deserve access to high quality health care,” Bilirakis said. “I am continuing to push a bill that will expand veterans’ access to dental care; however, I am very grateful for the generosity of the dentists from the West Pasco Dental Association who are not waiting for a change in law. They are ensuring our heroes receive immediate attention and I am honored to help organize this important event.”

Veterans in need of dental services should call Bilirakis’s office at 727-232-2921 to sign up for treatment. They will be taken on a first come, first serve basis. Services offered will include professional dental cleanings, dental fillings and tooth extractions. 

Rezoning could turn hotel into affordable housing

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NEW PORT RICHEY – The proposed rezoning of the La Vista Inn hotel in Port Richey did not gain a favorable recommendation Oct. 17 from the Pasco County Planning Commission.

The 4.44-acre site at 11736 U.S. Highway 19 is currently zoned C-2 General Commercial District and MF-1 Multiple-Family Medium Density District. HCM Hospitality, based in Clearwater, is seeking to rezone the site to MF-1 Multiple-Family Medium Density District. 

The change is needed for HCM Hospitality to convert the hotel’s rooms into 153 individual dwelling units where people could live in for more than 28 days.

County staff is recommending the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners approve the request. The board may decide on the request during its Dec. 10 meeting in New Port Richey. 

Hiram Patel, HCM Hospitality’s manager, and Todd Pressman, who was representing the firm, said that if the zoning request is granted, the hotel would be used as an affordable housing site. Pressman is president of Pressman & Associates in St. Petersburg.

The planning commission preferred having a conditional use to be designated on the property, which would enable it to be used for the same purpose. They preferred a conditional use for three reasons.

First, that would allow the county to have more control over what HCM Hospitality did on the property rather than granting the rezoning request, which only contained a couple of deed restrictions.

Second, it has been Pasco County’s longstanding policy to try to make it possible for properties zoned C-2 to be used for employment-generating purposes. The site where the La Vista Inn is located could possibly be used for that purpose if the hotel closed or went out of business.

Third, Pasco County has also gone on record saying it doesn’t agree with certain provisions of the Live Local Act that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law on March 29, 2023. That law preempts a local government’s regulation on zoning, density and height for certain multi-family and mixed-use affordable housing developments. 

The hotel would be a last resort product for people in dire straits whose next step is probably homelessness, Pressman told the planning commission. He added that it could provide housing to people who couldn’t afford to stay at other affordable housing units in the county that had more amenities than the hotel would have.

If the rezoning request was approved, it would enable many of his workers who were staying at the hotel to remain there for more than 28 days instead of having to move to and from, Patel said.

Both men were told that approximately $1.4 million in impact fees would be charged to convert the rooms in the hotel into affordable housing units. That information was also included in the agenda papers that HCM Hospitality had access to prior to the meeting.

“Typically an affordable project wouldn’t want to be paying $1.4 million in impact fees because then they’ve got to raise the rent which probably makes it not affordable,” Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein said.

Planning commission members wondered how HCM Hospitality would fund the remodeling of the hotel in addition to having to pay the impact fees. Also, it was asked why HCM Hospitality hadn’t applied for various grants and other resources that are available in Pasco County to lower expenses for affordable housing projects.

“We have a potential partner who is willing to do that who is already in the industry,” Patel said. “He has done affordable housing in the Orlando area. They are willing to partner with us and guide us through this process.”

He was also asked if it would be agreeable to HCM Hospitality if the property were granted a conditional use instead of the requested zoning change.

“If we cannot change the zoning, he cannot partner with us, so that’s the first step that we need to take,” Patel said.

Planning commission member Chris Poole said he thought HCM Hospitality needed to think about going before the board again in two months after more steps are taken to help reduce the impact fees and other expenses.

 

Browning: Normalcy, routine is important

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Kurt Browning

LAND O’ LAKES – Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning acknowledged Oct. 15 that plans to reopen schools following Hurricane Milton were met with some criticism.

But that’s par for the course for decisions involving such storms.

“It doesn’t matter what the decision is that you’ve made,” Browning said. “You will have people over here that think you are a rock star. And there are people over here that if they saw you in the produce section of Publix, they would drag you out of that store and beat you about the head and shoulders.”

Staff returned to work Oct. 15. Students returned to class Oct. 16. 

Browning explained that he believes consistency and routine are important for children to have a sense of normalcy. 

“They’ve lost their homes. They’ve lost their clothes. They’ve lost the roof over their head. They’ve lost their automobile. And they need a place to belong,” Browning said. “Oftentimes, that place they belong is their school.”

Browning said storm-related decisions are vetted multiple times by his amazing team at Pasco County Schools. He described his top-level staff as selfless.

“I continue to be amazed when we get into a situation of not just one storm but back-to-back storms,” Browning said. “People are dead-dog tired but they don’t hesitate to step up and do what’s right for this community – mainly our students and our families.”

Elizabeth Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services, told the school board Oct. 15 that Pasco and Zephyrhills high schools sustained the most damage from Hurricane Milton. 

“The fortunate thing is in both situations, we were able to reopen without making huge changes,” Kuhn said. 

Pasco High School had roof damage to Building 6 and the gym. The district is putting a temporary roof on Building 6 but the gym is going to take time to fix.

Zephyrhills High School experienced heavy flooding. Staff discovered water in the band room and a couple of classrooms. The city has helped by pumping water into two retention ponds. School leaders have had to make adjustments related to student drop-off and parking.

“We’re monitoring water all over the county as everyone,” Kuhn said. “The biggest challenge with this storm is that it changes. Today there were roads that might have been OK and now they’re not.”

Transportation staff has been evaluating roads daily to ensure they’re unobstructed. 

Kuhn said as many as 44 schools were without power. Power returned for all schools by the end of Oct. 15. 

“We’re very happy that you’re back at school,” said Megan Harding, chair of the school board. “That’s all our hearts want is for you to be at school but we also understand this is a very difficult and stressful and traumatic situation. So,if it’s not safe or if you’re having (trouble), please contact your administrator, contact your school, because we’re all in this together.”

 

Ideas to create healthy little monsters leading up to Halloween 

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Get some nutrition in the midst of all the candy by making healthy food fun for Halloween. Photo courtesy of Shari Bresin

Additives, and sugar and dyes – oh my. You guessed it. I’m talking about candy. 

I’m not here to be the candy police, as I’m all for partaking in the Halloween fun. 

But it’s important to know that the American Academy of Pediatrics says kids 2 and older not have more than 25 grams of added sugar per day (and zero for kids under 2). 

Adult women should also limit their added sugar intake to no more than 25 grams per day, and under 36 grams per day for men, according to the American Heart Association. 

So yes, there is room in our daily eating pattern to indulge, but of course, doing so in moderation. 

These sugar recommendations are easy to exceed this time of year, as this equates to just a few pieces of fun-sized candy. 

The following examples with their sugar content:

  • 16 grams of sugar are in a six-piece package of Starbursts
  • 16 grams are in two packages of M&Ms
  • 14 grams in two packages of KitKats
  • 11 grams of sugar are in one package of Skittles
  • 10 grams are in one piece of Reese’s 
  • 8 grams in one snack-sized Snickers

And all the events in October like Halloween parties, trunk-or-treat events and so on add up to make for a month-long sugar fest. And don’t forget to factor in the other food you or your child consumed the same day (soda, flavored yogurt, sweetened applesauce, etc). 

Get some nutrition in the midst of all the candy by making healthy food fun for Halloween. Photo courtesy of Shari Bresin

There’s no getting around it, but there is a way to make nutrition more appealing this time of year: crafting with fruits, vegetables and other healthy food. During this month of excessive sugar intake, here are some ways you can make nutrition part of the Halloween festivities that are easy for the non-artistic parents, inexpensive and require minimal cleanup:

  • If you have a clementine or an orange, and a marker, then you can simply draw a jack-o-lantern face on the outside of the peel.
  • Take an apple and a peeler or spiralizer, then peel/spiralize it to make it into a snake, and put mini chocolate chips dipped with honey to use for eyes.
  • In addition to carving pumpkins, carve a face into an orange or grapefruit: Simply carve out a face with the segments still intact, or slice the top of the fruit, remove the segments by running a pairing around the interior and then carve out the face. You can add the segments back in, along with any other small pieces of fruit, to make into an adorable fruit cup.
  • Make apple mummies: Cut an apple in half, remove the core and use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of apple peel. For the eyes, press chocolate chips (pointy end first) into a part that was peeled. Honeycrisp and Pink Ladies won’t brown as quickly.
  • Pumpkin-face oatmeal: After making oatmeal, either in a bowl or in a slow cooker, simply add cinnamon or pumpkin spice into a face (triangle eyes, nose and a mouth)
  • Boo-nana (ghost banana): Peel and cut a banana in half, press in three mini chocolate chips for eyes and an open mouth and insert a lollipop stick, popsicle stick or skewer.
  • Monster smoothies: Turn a fruit smoothie into a green monster or goblin by adding spinach or kale. Pour into a clear plastic cup and draw a face with a marker. You can repeat this on St. Patrick’s Day, minus the scary face.

These are just a few ideas to have some non-candy fun with your kids or to offer at your Halloween party. 

Candy is highly visible and accessible this time of year, so switch things up a bit and get creative with something that has more natural sugar than added.

 

Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County, An Equal Opportunity Institution.

 

AdventHealth providing gas to staff following hurricane

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AdventHealth Wesley Chapel team members set to receive fuel following Hurricane Milton. Photo courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division

 

Team members about to receive gas at AdventHealth Wauchula. Photo courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division

TAMPA – In the wake of Hurricane Milton, the AdventHealth West Florida Division sought to provide more than 25,000 gallons of gas and 10,000 gallons of diesel to support team members with urgent fuel needs across all 14 of its hospital campuses.

Several fuel tanker trucks, brought in from out of state, rotated between the hospitals to ensure staff had access to the fuel they needed to safely travel to and from work.

“The continuous service throughout the storm would not have been possible without our team members’ dedication – from our clinicians to our facilities crew monitoring back-up generators,” said David Ottati, president and CEO of the AdventHealth West Florida Division. “By providing this fuel, which has come from all across the country, we hope to support our team members as they continue delivering the high-quality, whole-person care our patients rely on.”

Rosemary Tyrkala, a facilities manager at AdventHealth North Pinellas, lost her home initially in Hurricane Helene and was in temporary housing when Hurricane Milton hit. Tyrkala said the 10 gallons of gas she received from her hospital made a huge difference.

“It’s one less thing to worry about,” Tyrkala said.“It meant that I didn’t need to go and stand in that line for hours to get gas so that I can go to work. I’m sure that’s how it assisted other people, knowing that if they had to get to work or if they had to get to a store for medicines or food or their necessities, that they had some gas in their car to be able to do it.”

Girls invited to experience scouting at festival

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Girl Scouts of West Central Florida serves more than 20,000 members across eight counties: Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sumter. Photo courtesy of GSWCF

TAMPA – Girls and their families are invited to kick off the 2024-25 Girl Scout Year at Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s annual Girl Scout Fest.

The event was rescheduled due to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton to Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Florida State Fairgrounds. 

Girl Scout Fest is open to girls of all ages and their families to enjoy hands-on and interactive activities while highlighting the theme of “Builders of Tomorrow.”

Throughout the day, girls will have many opportunities to earn Girl Scout badges and will walk away with multiple free event patches, while supplies last. 

Working with Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s program partners, Girl Scout Fest will showcase more than 30 hands-on activities.

Activities include HCA Florida Healthcare’s Robotic Arm Technology experience, making stress balls with Tampa General Hospital, and AI app building with Florida Education Fund. 

Girls can also earn Tampa General Hospital’s TampaWell Wellness Warrior patch, participate in a hockey match with Lightning Made Hockey, get ready for cookie rally with the Product team, and make homemade butter with Dairy Council of Florida. 

This year’s Girl Scout Fest will highlight its newest community patch partner, Ajax Paving, with activities related to civil engineering and a brand new “Paving the Way to Success patch.”

 

Want to go?

Girl Scout Fest takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Admission costs $5 per person, which includes all activities and this year’s exclusive Girl Scout Fest patch. 

Attendees can register in advance online or register at the event. Walk-ups are welcome. The Florida State Fairgrounds charges $10 per vehicle for parking. 

Food and drinks will be available for purchase at the concession stand and various food trucks.