The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Medical marijuana on Pasco agenda

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Medical marijuana is slated to be a topic of discussion when Pasco County commissioners host a public workshop on Sept. 20 at 1:30 p.m., in New Port Richey.

The county’s legal staff currently is reviewing land use and zoning regulations to craft an ordinance governing the future of medical marijuana within Pasco.

County commissioners requested a workshop to hear a range of opinions on the matter.

In August, commissioners extended a moratorium on the growth, processing and distribution of cannabis through the end of the year. The existing moratorium was set to expire on Sept. 1.

Cannabis is the basis for medical marijuana, which is legal in Florida in a low-level, non-euphoric form known as Charlotte’s web. Its use is limited to patients with cancer or seizure disorders.

At prior meetings, commissioners have heard from law enforcement about increased crime rates in states, such as Colorado and California, which have approved either medical marijuana or its recreational use. Substance abuse or prevention counselors have said they worry about increased use of marijuana, especially among youth.

But, commissioners also have heard from residents with chronic medical conditions, who say medical marijuana eases their pain and gives them a quality of life that traditional medicines don’t provide.

Whatever the county’s final ordinance, it will have to take into account a statewide Nov. 8 referendum on the issue. Voters will be asked if they want to expand the list of illnesses that can be treated with medical marijuana, and if stronger strains can be prescribed and dispensed.

Published September 14, 2016

My father loved this newspaper

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I never thought it would take this long to write a column about my father’s death. I’ve tried many times to share this news with you, but my sorrow was too raw to write more than a paragraph or two.

Donald Valentine Kortus died Jan. 26, in the home where he lived for 60 years in Maplewood, Minnesota.  After deciding against treatment for late-stage cancer, he came home from the hospital on a cold winter afternoon to be cared for by his daughters, immersed in his family’s love.

My father’s death came fast, but he was good with that. He was already suffering from back pain when he fell down on Christmas Eve, while preparing for the annual Christmas Day festivities that he and his wife, Bettye, always host for their children and their families.

Don Kortus sits next to his grandson, Andy Mathes, and his great-grandson, Connor Mathes. Diane Kortus stands behind them. This is the final photograph taken of Diane and her father. (Courtesy of Diane Kortus)
Don Kortus sits next to his grandson, Andy Mathes, and his great-grandson, Connor Mathes. Diane Kortus stands behind them. This is the final photograph taken of Diane and her father.
(Courtesy of Diane Kortus)

The  fall added to other pains our father kept from us, which he brushed off as normal for someone who was almost 88 years old.  However, after Christmas his pain intensified and his mobility decreased, and Dad began to lose the independence he valued so much.

After his second hospitalization within two weeks, I decided to fly home on a Friday

afternoon to see Dad and help with his care. Just five days later, he was gone.

To lose a parent is always difficult. But, for me and my brothers and sisters, to lose our father was unthinkable. Our mother had died 40 years earlier when she was just 48, and our father was left to parent by himself 10 children between the ages of 10 and 24.

I sometimes wonder if our mother had not died so young, whether Dad would have become such a remarkable father — the type our cousins and friends envied, and one who became a surrogate father to so many.

In the 1960s and ’70s, he was a hardworking father who held down two jobs to support his family. He had little time to parent, outside of being the disciplinarian when our mother needed help.  But, after Mom died, Dad seemed to seamlessly make the transition to becoming both mother and father.

His enduring love, patience, forgiveness, guidance, and unabated belief and support of our dreams, was the foundation that shaped the lives of his children, grandchildren and all the others whom Dad embraced as part of his family.

It’s important to know that my father’s Catholic faith was central to his life. So when his doctors told him he had no more than a few months to live, my father said with all certainty that he did not fear death and could not wait to enter the Kingdom of God.

Dad told us this on Saturday, and we brought him home on Sunday. Monday afternoon at 3 p.m., his parish priest gave him the last Sacraments, and his daughters watched him take his last breath Tuesday morning at 3:45 a.m.

Dad asked us not to mourn his death, but to celebrate his life and to pray for his entry into heaven.

But of course, we did mourn, and still do. We think about him every day — I often reach for the phone to call him with news about my children, or seek advice about the latest challenge facing this newspaper.

My, how my father loved this paper.

He read it cover-to-cover every week, and often remarked that he knew more about the happenings of Land O’ Lakes and Lutz than he did his hometown.

My father is the biggest reason why The Laker and Lutz News are such good community newspapers. Dad would often call me with comments on that week’s stories, and make suggestions on how we could make the paper even better — whether I wanted to hear that or not.

He would notice — and worry — when our ad count was down, and shake his fist in disbelief that every business in town wasn’t advertising in such a “fine newspaper that I’m sure everybody reads.”

My father was so proud that I was this newspaper’s publisher. I realize now that much of my drive and motivation came from wanting to make him proud.

One of my father’s last requests to me before he died was not to write a column about his death.

After I wrote about the birth of my grandson last summer, Dad told me that my publisher’s column had run its course. He said my readers were undoubtedly bored with my boastful stories about my children and family, and he said I needed some humility and should find other things to write about.

But today — eight months since my father left this world — I have decided to write this column after all. Because I want you to know about the good man who was my father, and of the love he had for this newspaper and me. That love will forever shape the person I am, and these newspapers that I lead.

Published September 14, 2016

A citrus king who savored the art of the deal

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When James Emmitt Evans was 12 years old, he already knew what he wanted to do.

He aimed to be “a general business man,” as he liked to call it.

By the time he died, at age 96, the Dade City man would have gone on to build one of the first citrus concentrate plants in the state south of Dade City.

This is where Evans Packing Plant stood in February 1989. (Courtesy of Pam Higgins/The History Center/Pioneer Florida Museum and Village Collection)
This is where Evans Packing Plant stood in February 1989.
(Courtesy of Pam Higgins/The History Center/Pioneer Florida Museum and Village Collection)

He is perhaps best remembered for his pioneering strategies to hedge juice inventory on the futures market, and for planting some of the largest contiguous citrus groves in Florida.

When he died, his obituary carried the lead headline on the front page of the June 13, 1996 edition of The Tampa Tribune.

A half-century before his death, Evans was a vice president on the board of the Pasco Packing Company in Dade City. Other board members were L. C. Edwards Jr., president (whose father was the former head of the Florida Citrus Exchange); W. F. Edwards, vice president (namesake of the football stadium at Pasco High School in Dade City); L.C. Hawes, vice president; and, H.S. Massey, secretary-treasurer.

These men, who were all citrus growers, had a combined total of 10,000 acres that could produce 2.5 million boxes of fruit annually for processing at the plant.

When the company’s whistle was heard across Dade City at noontime, the Valencia Restaurant in downtown Dade City was often the unofficial “Board Room” for Pasco’s board of directors.

Located across from the Historic Pasco County Courthouse at the time, the Valencia was probably the place where plans were discussed to sell the company to Lykes Brothers in Tampa.

With the citrus industry changing beyond all recognition, Pasco’s board members recognized how frozen concentrate was letting growers preserve and ship juice with greater efficiency.

Built in 1900, the longtime residence of James Emmitt Evans is now the home of a Pasco County Circuit Court judge. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)
Built in 1900, the longtime residence of James Emmitt Evans is now the home of a Pasco County Circuit Court judge.
(Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

Only 50,000 gallons of concentrate were produced in the inaugural year of 1945. By 1951, production had zoomed to 31 million gallons.

Selling the plant allowed the new owners to change the name to Lykes Pasco Packing in 1961, and to market its labels around the world as “Old South,” “FloridaGold” and “Vitality.”  At its peak, Lykes had more than 2,000 workers on its payroll in Dade City.

Unlike any grower in the state at the time, Evans was a trader with his own accounts on the emerging Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice futures market.   He was never satisfied with dealing through brokers, buying his own seat and remaining a major force during the formative years of the exchange.

“All I can say is, I love making deals,” Evans said, in a Feb. 2, 1983 story published by The Gainesville Sun.

Evans Packing Company was one of the first processors to supply other packagers with drums of bulk concentrate for distribution to chain stores.  At its peak with some 400 employees, many of Evans’ six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren worked side-by-side with their spouses and in-laws.

“If they’re kin, we’ll give them a job,” he was quoted as saying.

Evans enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.

He employed his own pilot, Sam Fallin, who flew the eight-seat, twin engine King Air to the Evans ranch in Homestead, where friends and family could spend a weekend fishing, playing golf, and hunting.

Over the years, Evans endured his share of challenges.

His citrus groves faced hard freezes, the Mediterranean fruit fly and citrus canker.

The area where Evans Packing Plant stood is vacant today, except for the Walgreens at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Morningside Drive. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)
The area where Evans Packing Plant stood is vacant today, except for the Walgreens at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Morningside Drive.
(Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

Despite these harsh realities, Evans started the development of 7,000 acres for production in St. Lucie County in the 1960s. He also began an even larger grove along the Indian River/Okeechobee County lines near the Florida Turnpike during the 1970s. And, the purchase of 10,000 acres for additional groves in Charlotte County was completed in the early 1980s.

Evans did not live to see the outbreak of citrus greening, the agricultural disease with no known cure that has decimated Florida’s citrus production to an all-time industry low.

The 1983 Gainesville Sun story identified Evans as one of 21 Floridians on the Forbes magazine list of the 400 wealthiest Americans. At the time, he citrus fortune was estimated at $135 million.

Five years later, he was the oldest resident in Florida on Forbes 400 list, with $400 million in holdings — putting him at 157th place on the list.

Evans had been successful since the early 1920s, starting off with less than $500 from selling tractors.

“I never did have a bad year in business,” he told The Gainesville Sun. “Not even during the Great Depression.”

Despite his wealth and success, Evans lived in the same wood frame, three-bedroom home on the corner of 12th Street and Meridian Avenue in Dade City for 49 years.

He headed his family business for 39 years.

And, the company he founded in 1951 still remains as one of the largest growers in the state with 12,000 acres of citrus groves.

“Retirement is not for me,” Evans was quoted in 1983.  “Retirement is the day I die.”

It turns out, that’s exactly what happened.

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published September 14, 2016

Biometric ID device now in use at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills

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Patients visiting Florida Hospital Zephyrhills will now encounter a high-tech identification device at the medical center.

PatientSecure, a device that images veins in the hand, is now being used to register and identify all patients.

PatientSecure — manufactured by Imprivata, a Massachusetts-based IT Company — uses infrared light to scan a patient’s palm, and then links the unique vein pattern to each patient’s electronic health record. (Courtesy of Imprivata)
PatientSecure — manufactured by Imprivata, a Massachusetts-based IT Company — uses infrared light to scan a patient’s palm, and then links the unique vein pattern to each patient’s electronic health record.
(Courtesy of Imprivata)

The biometric identification solution—manufactured by Imprivata, a Massachusetts-based IT Company — uses infrared light to scan a patient’s palm, and then links the unique vein pattern to each patient’s electronic health record.

The new apparatus was introduced at the hospital on Sept. 6. Hospital officials claim the device reduces paperwork, improves accuracy and helps to prevent identity theft.

“This technology streamlines the registration process by automatically pulling up a patient’s record, provides added protection from medical identity theft, and ensures each patient is correctly linked to their unique medical record,” said Gwen Alonso, the hospital’s chief nursing officer.

Nationwide, the number of patients at risk of encountering medical identification issues is staggering.

A 2012 health care report by the Wall Street Journal shows that 7 percent to 10 percent of patients are misidentified during medical record searches.

Moreover, a 2015 study by the Medical Identify Theft Alliance estimates that 2.3 million individuals are affected by medical identity theft annually, a figure growing by about 22 percent per year.

Mike Vanderbilt, the hospital’s director of patient access, said the palm vein technology is more secure than if a patient provided insurance or Social Security numbers, which can easily be swapped or transposed during identification.

That helps reduce the risk of duplicate medical records, and errors in charting, he explained.

“The palm vein is more accurate than any of that other data,” Vanderbilt said.

PatientSecure, a device that images veins in the hand, is now being used to register and identify all patients at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. Benefits of the new apparatus include reduced paperwork and improved accuracy, hospital officials say, as well as helping to prevent identity theft. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Hospital)
PatientSecure, a device that images veins in the hand, is now being used to register and identify all patients at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. Benefits of the new apparatus include reduced paperwork and improved accuracy, hospital officials say, as well as helping to prevent identity theft.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills)

“Once they’re scanned, it attaches that palm vein image to their record,” he said. “It actually assigns a series of unique code numbers to that patient, so the next time they come in, they can scan their hand…and it brings them right up in the computer system.”

PatientSecure also could be a lifesaving tool, in some instances.

Should an individual arrive to the facility in an unconscious state, or is unable to communicate, their hand can be placed on the device to reveal their electronic health record (medical history, allergies, current medications).

“If they had been put into this system at some point previously, it would pull them right up as well, without ever talking to them,” Vanderbilt said.

He noted the new registration process is “very quick” for patients.

“It really doesn’t add much to their registration experience as far as the timing goes,” Vanderbilt said. The hospital also has received positive feedback from patients, he added.

The identification tool is equally “very straightforward” for medical staff to utilize and access, Vanderbilt said.

“It’s a USB — sort of a plug and play into our computer system,” Vanderbilt said. “It’s kind of like if you just hook up a mouse to a computer, and of course there’s all the software and everything behind it.”

Should the identification system malfunction or crash, only then would patients be required to verify personal information — name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and address — to medical staff.

“If it were ever to go down, it’s similar to when you call your bank or your credit card company or even your cable company — they make you tell them who you are,” explained Vanderbilt.

“The palm scan is just one extra step that in the future will prevent us from having to ask all those questions. But, that would be the fallback if the system were down — we would still go through some verification steps to confirm their identity,” he said.

PatientSecure is currently being rolled out through Florida Hospital Zephyrhills’ parent company, Adventist Health System, which operates 46 facilities in 10 states.

According to Vanderbilt, the palm vein technology also will be installed in Florida Hospital-owned physician offices and other long-term care facilities.

“It’ll help make the coordination of care better,” he said.

Vanderbilt added: “It’s all linked to that one palm scan, so the whole continuum of health care — as long as the patient is using Florida Hospital — will be more streamlined.”

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, a 139-bed regional medical center, is at 7050 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. For additional information, visit FHZeph.org.

Published September 14, 2016

Lowe’s collects teddy bears for a good cause

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The teddy bear drive at Lowe’s Home Improvement store, at State Road 54 and U.S. 41, started with a big, empty cardboard box, placed by the sliding door entrance.

“The empty box first started the conversation,” said Lowe’s store manager Derek Walter.

Just why was the box there?

From left, Doug O’Connor, Citizen’s Service Unit volunteer; Lt. Stephen Frick, District 2 road patrol; and, Lowe’s representatives Don McLachlan, Ray Peel, Jane Wyckoff, Sandy Fimbel and Derek Walter celebrate the completion of a teddy bear campaign at the store. (Courtesy of Lowe's)
From left, Doug O’Connor, Citizen’s Service Unit volunteer; Lt. Stephen Frick, District 2 road patrol; and, Lowe’s representatives Don McLachlan, Ray Peel, Jane Wyckoff, Sandy Fimbel and Derek Walter celebrate the completion of a teddy bear campaign at the store.
(Courtesy of Lowe’s)

A hand-drawn picture of a teddy bear quickly appeared on the side of the box, and employees began dropping huggable bears inside.

Customers soon noticed and began doing the same.

On Sept. 9, about 175 teddy bears were given to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to help deputies who respond to domestic violence situations and need a comforting toy to hand out to children under stress.

Employees initially began talking about a community outreach project when the teddy bears came up.

Once started, employees ran with the idea.

One day, Walter went shopping at Walmart and took an armful of bears to the check out line. A customer in line asked about the bears.

When he explained the teddy bear drive, Walter said she liked the idea.

And soon after, he said, “She came by (Lowe’s) with some bears.”

Store employees plan to repeat the drive at least once a year.

“It’s a different way to give,” said Walter.

September 14, 2016

Local 9/11 service honors and celebrates first responders

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As the nation paused to remember the lives lost in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks 15 years ago this year, Atonement Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel had a special service to celebrate and honor the community’s first responders.

Pastor Scott Lindner presents Pasco County Sheriff’s Deputy Sarah Walker and Sgt. Sam Pepenella to the congregation at the end of the service. They are assigned to District 2, which includes Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Land O'Lakes. (Richard K. Riley/Photos)
Pastor Scott Lindner presents Pasco County Sheriff’s Deputy Sarah Walker and Sgt. Sam Pepenella to the congregation at the end of the service. They are assigned to District 2, which includes Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Land O’Lakes.
(Richard K. Riley/Photos)

The church, at 29617 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, held a 10 a.m. service to celebrate and honor the community’s local police officers, fire and rescue first responders.

The church also provided a meal for all guests, and took its hospitality a step further by delivering meals to first responders on duty at area fire stations and sheriff’s department stations serving Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Dade City, Land O’ Lakes and Lutz.

The church also remembered four-legged first responders by providing special treats for them.

On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four airliners and carried out suicide attacks. Two of the planes were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

The attacks resulted in more than 3,000 deaths, including more than 400 police officers and firefighters.

The special service at Atonement Lutheran Church was an expression of gratitude for the work that first responders do every day to serve the community, according to a release announcing the event.

Published September 14, 2016

This sign in the church lobby, created by young Sunday School students at Atonement Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, expresses gratitude for first responders. It was posted to welcome members of the local fire and police stations to a special 9/11 service at the church.
This sign in the church lobby, created by young Sunday School students at Atonement Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, expresses gratitude for first responders. It was posted to welcome members of the local fire and police stations to a special 9/11 service at the church.
These Boy Scouts, listening here, served as an honor guard — posting the American Flag — before and after the service.
These Boy Scouts, listening here, served as an honor guard — posting the American Flag — before and after the service.

 

 

Pasco Economic Development Council honors businesses

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The Pasco Economic Development Council honored eight businesses at its 30th annual Banquet and Industry of the Year Awards on Sept. 8.

More than 600 community and business leaders attended the event at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.

Shauna McKinnon, center, of Bayfront Health Dade City, accepts a special recognition award during the 30th annual Banquet and Industry of the Year Awards presented by Pasco Economic Development Council. Bill Cronin is to her left and Barbara Wilhite is to her right. (Photos courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)
Shauna McKinnon, center, of Bayfront Health Dade City, accepts a special recognition award during the 30th annual Banquet and Industry of the Year Awards presented by Pasco Economic Development Council. Bill Cronin is to her left and Barbara Wilhite is to her right.
(Photos courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

Courtney Robinson, 10News WTSP anchor, emceed the event.

The winners, according to information provided by Pasco EDC, were:

  • Ortho Technologies Inc. – New Business Award
  • Crestmark Pharmacy Services LLC – Manufacturing Industry of the Year (one to 25 employees)
  • Leggett & Platt Adjustable Bed Group – Manufacturing Industry of the Year (26 or more employees)
  • Optimum Plumbing LLC – Service/Distribution Industry of the Year (one to 25 employees)
  • Bayonet Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning – Service/Distribution of the Year Award (26 or more employees)
  • Global Electronics Testing Services LLC – Technology Award
  • Bayfront Health Dade City – Special Recognition Award
  • Marjorie’s Hope – Special Contribution Award

Companies were nominated in the spring and then interviewed by members of the Pasco EDC awards committee.

Vladimir Breton, of Optimum Plumbing, addresses the audience. His company won Service/Distribution Company of the Year.
Vladimir Breton, of Optimum Plumbing, addresses the audience. His company won Service/Distribution Company of the Year.

Winners are selected based on exemplary growth in job creation, capital investment, technology, innovation and community service.

Other finalists this year were:

Compark 75, Dixie Belle Paint Company, First National Bank of Pasco, Nicopure Labs LLC, Premier Community Healthcare Group, Rogers Tower P.A., Southeast Bottling & Beverage Co., Southeast Personnel Leasing Inc., Trxade Inc., and USA Underwriting Solutions of America.

In addition to the announcement of the awards, the banquet featured a keynote address by Attorney Barbara Wilhite, the Pasco EDC’s chairwoman.

Those pictured here represent the companies which won awards during the 30th annual Banquet and Industry of the Year Awards presented by the Pasco Economic Development Council.
Those pictured here represent the companies which won awards during the 30th annual Banquet and Industry of the Year Awards presented by the Pasco Economic Development Council.

It has been a year of transition for the council, including the hiring of Bill Cronin as the group’s president and chief operating officer, according to the Pasco EDC release.

Wilhite noted the approval by Pasco County commissioners of a cooperative agreement with the Pasco EDC to direct about $3.2 million from Penny for Pasco dollars toward job growth and economic development.

Wilhite also touched on the recent announcement that Mettler Toledo, a Swiss-based manufacturer, planned to relocate from Tampa to Pasco, and also build a new facility at Northpointe Village, near the Suncoast Parkway.

The Pasco EDC helped bring another 14 projects to fruition.

Wilhite said these efforts are expected to result in nearly 850 new jobs and more than $145 million in Pasco investment, according to the release.

Published September 14, 2016

Zephyrhills company offers EpiPen at no upcharge

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In lieu of the soaring costs for an EpiPen, one local pharmacy chain is offering the life saving, anti-allergic reaction device at no upcharge.

The Canadian Medstore, based out of Zephyrhills, says their cost for an EpiPen Twin Pack is $180, compared to the over $700 being retailed at traditional area pharmacies.

Mylan, the makers of the EpiPen, recently announced it would produce a generic version that it would sell for $300 a two-pack. That move came after intense criticism following the company’s announcement that it was increasing the price of the product by nearly 400 percent. The device, which was sold at a wholesale price of just under $60 in 2007, has risen to $600 for a two-pack in 2016. It marks the product’s 15th price hike over the past seven years. (Courtesy of Mylan)
Mylan, the makers of the EpiPen, recently announced it would produce a generic version that it would sell for $300 a two-pack. That move came after intense criticism following the company’s announcement that it was increasing the price of the product by nearly 400 percent. The device, which was sold at a wholesale price of just under $60 in 2007, has risen to $600 for a two-pack in 2016. It marks the product’s 15th price hike over the past seven years.
(Courtesy of Mylan)

Mylan, the makers of the EpiPen, recently announced it would offer a generic version that would sell for $300 a two-pack. That move came after the company drew intense criticism for increasing its product price by nearly 400 percent.

The device, which was sold at a wholesale price of just under $60 in 2007, has risen to $600 for a two-pack in 2016. It marks the product’s 15th price hike over the past seven years.

The Canadian Medstore, which opened in 2003, has international contracts with pharmacies based in Australia, Canada, England and New Zealand.

In those countries, medications are often 60 percent to 70 percent less expensive than in the United States.

Bill Hepscher, director and founder of the Canadian Medstore, said the company typically “averaged one or two orders in a month” for the EpiPen, but is now seeing a surge in calls from more families requesting the anti-anaphylaxis device.

“We’re literally getting five or 10 calls a day now,” Hepscher said, noting that most of his clientele are seniors on fixed incomes, and families that are uninsured or have high deductible health plans.

Hepscher often witnesses the costs of prescriptions “being a huge issue for families.” But, the EpiPen is a unique situation, he said, because it can mean  “life or death for a child.”

“It’s literally the definition of holding a gun to the head because there’s not another option,” he said. “I think that’s why there’s so much outrage.”

Nut and bee allergies are oftentimes hereditary, leading to multiple children or parents needing the product, Hepscher explained.

“Sometimes it’s two or three kids that have the same allergies, and the parent is not only going in and paying $600, but $1,800,” he said. “It’s pretty crazy when you think about a family having to spend that kind of money on a prescription.”

The Canadian Medstore, based out of Zephyrhills, says their cost for an EpiPen Twin Pack is $180, compared to the over $700 being retailed at traditional area pharmacies. (Courtesy of Bill Hepscher)
The Canadian Medstore, based out of Zephyrhills, says their cost for an EpiPen Twin Pack is $180, compared to the over $700 being retailed at traditional area pharmacies.
(Courtesy of Bill Hepscher)

The Medstore, which has six locations throughout central Florida, doesn’t hold any medications on its shelves. Instead, via its customer service center, the company sends prescriptions — which must be filled by an American doctor — to licensed pharmacies in one of those aforementioned four countries. Medications are then mailed directly to patients.

According to a recent report by Bloomberg Businessweek, an EpiPen costs “just several dollars to make,” and contains about “$1 or so worth of epinephrine.”

Hepscher believes the pricing should be in “a more reasonable range,” but also understands the pricing structures of some pharmaceutical giants.

“Of course the argument could be made that it costs so much money to come up with these products,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of family members that if it wasn’t for modern pharmacology, we probably wouldn’t be here anymore. I think the pharmacy industry, in general…is a super innovative industry, and I really believe that there’s a lot of really good, smart people working hard…to make our lives better.

“All I do know is that we can get the same exact medication in Canada or England for a third of the price, so I think that speaks volumes.”

The Canadian Medstore is located at 38176 Medical Center Ave. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit its website at DrugstoreUnlimited.com.

Published September 7, 2016

Ideas sought for Pasco school names

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The Pasco County School Board is seeking suggestions from the public for names for two schools the district plans to open in the fall of 2017.

One school, now known as Elementary B, is being built in Bexley Ranch, north of State Road 54 and east of the Suncoast Parkway.

Construction activity is well underway on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school. (Image courtesy of Pasco County Schools)
Construction activity is well underway on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school.
(Image courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

The new elementary school is expected to help reduce crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools.

The other school needing a name is now known as High School GGG. It is currently under construction on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

The new high school is expected to affect the boundaries for Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and potentially Sunlake high schools.

The new middle school is expected to affect the boundaries for Weightman, John Long and potentially Rushe middle schools.

Before any decisions are reached on the boundaries for the new schools, boundary committees will meet, parent meetings will be held and the school board will make the final vote.

Meanwhile, the school board has begun the naming process for the schools.

In its school naming policy, the board welcomes suggestions from the public, students and educators.

The board prefers to name schools after the general location, features of the area, or historical information about the school’s location. The suggested name must be brief and descriptive.

The board will consider naming schools after individuals, but those individuals should be of a person of prominence recognized for his or her outstanding civic or educational contribution. The board also will consider naming a school after an elected official or a school district employee, but only after that person has been deceased for two or more years, or has left public office or employment with the district two or more years ago.

Once the name is adopted, it is considered permanent, unless the facility or its use changes.

Those wishing to submit a suggestion should do so by Oct. 1. Suggestions can be emailed, along with a brief explanation supporting the proposed name. Submissions can be emailed to .

Please type “Elementary B” or “High School GGG” in the subject line.  Submissions also can be faxed to (813) 794-2716.

Suggestions also can be mailed to: Deborah Hebert, Pasco County Schools Communications & Government Relations Department, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, Florida, 34638.

Published September 7, 2016

Union Park offers super-fast Internet speeds

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Union Park is delivering the lickety-split Internet connections that homebuilders say homebuyers are increasingly putting at the top, or near the top, of their desired list of amenities.

Along with the clubhouse, swimming pool, trails and green space, homebuyers are putting greater emphasis on new technology and what it adds to quality of life, homebuilders say.

Mike Lawson, right, director of operations for Metro Development Group, and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore discuss the unique features of Union Park, including the one-gigabit Internet connections available at the Wesley Chapel community. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)
Mike Lawson, right, director of operations for Metro Development Group, and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore discuss the unique features of Union Park, including the one-gigabit Internet connections available at the Wesley Chapel community.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

From Day 1, Union Park residents are connected to UltraFi, a fiber-based delivery system with connecting speeds as fast as one gigabit. Starting speeds generally are 100/100 megabits per second as part of a standard package included in homeowner association fees.

But, Bright House Networks, in partnership with Metro Development Group, is ready to boost speeds to the maximum.

Turning lights on and off, cooling or heating the house and setting alarms — is a tap away, at home or remotely.

Besides that, videos, photos, data can be downloaded in seconds, not minutes, and uploads are just as fast.

“It’s a requirement if you are building here,” said Mike Lawson, director of operations for Metro Development Group. “You contract to prewire. Every builder is embracing this.”

In the future, Metro developers expect other developers to consider this new technology as a staple of homebuilding, the same as water, utilities and electricity. For now, they feel like pioneers in a cutting-edge concept to provide these connections from the ground up, not as an add-on after move-in day.

“We’re trying something radically different,” said Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development Group.

At build-out, Union Park could have a maximum of 1,800 homes. Home prices range from $200,000 to $500,000.

When construction began there in 2014, Union Park was the first Metro development to install UltraFi. Since then, three more UltraFi communities have opened in Hillsborough County — Park Creek, Waterleaf and Sereno.

But, Union Park also has been a testing ground for an even grander vision for a master-planned “Connected City” development within about 7,800 acres in central and eastern Pasco County. The site is designated as a state-approved special district, bordered by Interstate 75, State Road 52, Curley Road and Overpass Road.

The district is a 10-year pilot program, but the plan, in total, will evolve over 50 years as several mixed-use development projects emerge.

“This (Union Park) is the platform that will help launch Connected City and take the development of its technology to the next level,” Lawson said. “We were the first in the nation to come up with this idea.”

UltraFi is what sold Russ Griggs and his family on Union Park.

Griggs, his wife, Donna, and their three children moved into Union Park nearly a year ago.

They had checked out other Wesley Chapel area subdivisions first before making their choice.

Turtle statues squirt water at a splash pad outside the Florida-style open-air clubhouse at Union Park.
Turtle statues squirt water at a splash pad outside the Florida-style open-air clubhouse at Union Park.

“I work from home. I have a software company, so a high speed connection is very important,” said Russ Griggs, product development manager for Osprey Compliance Software. “I do a lot of video conferences with people around the world.”

People often comment on the download speed and crisp screen shots, he said.

The super connectivity also is a plus for leisure streaming on tablets, computers or televisions for the Griggs and their three children, ages 7 to 13.

In addition to its Internet connectivity, Union Park also boasts outdoor common areas; miles of multi-use trails; a dog park; a Florida-style, open-air clubhouse; a birdhouse village; a zen garden; and, a shaded “tot lot.”

This is all part of creating a sense of community at Union Park, with technology as the common unifier, Goyani said.

In most cases, urban areas are the focus of companies seeking to deliver faster Internet speed and WiFi connections, but Pasco is proving to be the exception to the rule.

Pasco has an advantage with its large swaths of rural landscape where retrofitting isn’t required, and costs for new infrastructure are less expensive, Lawson said.

Google Fiber, for instance, has a 30-city initiative with plans to provide one-gigabit speeds. Recently, the company announced a delay in moving forward, including a project in Tampa.

“It is extremely expensive to retrofit, dense urban environments,” Lawson said.

The next step for Connected City is a public hearing of the county’s Local Planning Agency on Sept. 15 at 1:30 p.m., at the Pasco County Historic Courthouse in Dade City.

For information on Union Park, visit UnionPark.metroplaces.com.

Published September 7, 2016