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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Memory keeper preserves Trilby’s past

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When Scott Black tools around the community of Trilby in his white pickup truck, the place becomes alive for him with the people and businesses from its past.

As he drives along the community’s roads, he’ll point out where the old railroad depot stood, the bank, the store, the hotel and other local landmarks.

Scott Black, who grew up in Trilby, has such an intense interest in preserving Trilby’s history that it borders on obsession. He has spent countless hours tracking the community’s history through public records and newspaper accounts, and has a large collection of photographs and postcards, too. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Scott Black, who grew up in Trilby, has such an intense interest in preserving Trilby’s history that it borders on obsession. He has spent countless hours tracking the community’s history through public records and newspaper accounts, and has a large collection of photographs and postcards, too.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

He also notes the community’s segregated cemeteries — a vestige of the past, and he talks fondly about people who once lived in Trilby and made their final resting place there.

The Dade City commissioner understands that, for those unfamiliar with Trilby or its history, it takes a bit of an imagination to see the place the way he does.

But for him, preserving Trilby’s story, is important.

Black is a native of the community, and his father was born there, too.

He knows the pivotal role that the railroad played in shaping the community’s history.

The people who made their way to this settlement, north of Dade City, and who chose to make their life there, fascinate him.

He finds romance in the sounds of trains rumbling by.

“I did grow up in Trilby, so trains were very much a part of our life. I can remember lying in bed at night and watching the strobe light of the engine, from across the pasture, on the ceiling and listening to the trains,” Black told members of the Pasco County Historical Society in March.

He recalls a time when he was riding with his dad, and his dad had to stop for a train. His dad wasn’t perturbed. “He rolled down the window and said, ‘Isn’t that a wonderful sound?’”

Black said his interest in Trilby’s history dates back to when he was in middle school, and he won an essay contest sponsored by the West Pasco Historical Society.

As he gathered information for his essay, he went around the community, recording interviews with some of its oldest residents.

Black recalls how his mother stayed up with him until midnight, as he made the final touches on his entry.

The interest in community history that was piqued in his youth, lives on.

The railroad played a pivotal role in shaping the development of Trilby, according to Scott Black, who has devoted considerable time to researching the community’s history. (Courtesy of Scott Black)
The railroad played a pivotal role in shaping the development of Trilby, according to Scott Black, who has devoted considerable time to researching the community’s history.
(Courtesy of Scott Black)

He also recalls being inspired by an article he read about a reunion of descendants of family members who had lived in New Salem, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln had owned a store.

He thought it would be fun to do the same thing in Trilby.

So, he began looking for old families with ties to Trilby, and he found quite a few. Then, 11 years ago, the community began having its annual Trilby homecoming that’s held on the third Saturday of March every year.

There was a time when the community was a bustling place, at the crossroads of railroad lines. It had depot buildings, hotels, restaurants, boarding houses, a bank, stores and other businesses.

“As you come into Trilby, there’s not much left anymore, and not too many that remember, either,” Black said.

But, he’s taken on the task of being the memory keeper of the place that was, and the people who once lived there.

Named after a novel?
Railroads played an enormous role in shaping the community’s life, he said.

Peter Demens, who built the Orange Belt Railroad, didn’t initially intend to build his railroad all of the way to St. Petersburg, but he did.

“So, along the path of his railroad was the community of Macon, and that forever more changed what we now know as Trilby,” he said.

“Someone else who came along and changed Trilby was Henry B. Plant. His north-south railroad that came through intersected with Peter Demens’ Orange Belt Railroad. That made Trilby very important as an intersection, in fact, any train that went to St. Petersburg, it went through Trilby. People would make that connection there.

“It helped the commerce at Trilby — restaurants and everything else, of the rail passengers going south.

“Henry B. Plant was a key part of Trilby’s success,” Black added.

It is said that Trilby’s name was suggested by Plant’s wife, Margaret, who asked him to name the next town he platted after a popular novel of the day, “Trilby,” written by George du Maurier.

When Plant platted Trilby, in June 1896, he named the streets after characters in the novel. The depot was built around Svengali Square.

Black said he’s not aware of any those streets ever being built.

Over the years, Black has tracked the history of Trilby and its inhabitants through newspaper accounts, public records, grave stones, census records, photographs, post cards, interviews and artifacts.

“When I was a child growing up, my pastor out in Trilby, we’d plant a garden out there, and we’d plow things. There’s a pond that’s there, and it would recede and things would surface from the old town site,” Black said.

He estimates that Trilby’s population today is around 600 and was probably around the same as its peak.

Black acknowledges that his fascination for Trilby borders on obsession.

“Sometimes my wife wonders a little bit,” he admitted.

But, he feels a sense of urgency to collect as much information as he can, so that the history is not lost to the ages.

“I let so many people slip past me,” Black said.

Published August 31, 2016

Ridge Road extension needed to avert potential disaster

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There I was on a recent Monday morning, headed west on State Road 54 on my way to one of the several part-time jobs that occupy me since the demise of the Tampa Tribune.

And, it was all good.

I had my podcast going on. I was making good time. The consumption indicator in my car’s computer reported I was cruising at more than 40 miles per gallon. As much as a 60-something guy not on his way to play golf on a weekday could be, I was content.

Then, seconds past the railroad crossing at Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, there it was: a sea of glowing brake lights announcing a three-lane parking lot stretching around the gentle bend leading to Oakstead.

Sam Beneck, Pasco County’s Ridge Road project manager, and Margaret Smith, the county’s engineering services director, stand in the are where the Ridge Road extension would go. (Tom Jackson/Photo)
Sam Beneck, Pasco County’s Ridge Road project manager, and Margaret Smith, the county’s engineering services director, stand in the are where the Ridge Road extension would go.
(Tom Jackson/Photo)

Ahead, a Pasco County Sheriff’s deputy’s patrol car sat broadside to the stopped traffic near a break in the median. And beyond, past another half-mile of stopped traffic, by the landmark sign for Stonegate, flashed the lights of a rescue vehicle.

We sat like that for 20-odd minutes, until the deputy whose car blocked our path began directing us through the median cut that ordinarily was off-limits to westbound travelers.

I can’t say how long traffic was blocked, or how long it had been stymied when I came upon it. Neither the sheriff’s office nor the Florida Highway Patrol could produce a record of the incident.

But, while I am left to guess at the duration, I’m certain about the rest: For at least an hour, if not longer, on that recent Monday morning, all of Pasco County east of U.S. 41 was one incident on State Road 52 from being cut off from the western half of the county, including Sunlake High School, the Suncoast Parkway, the west-side government complex, Trinity, U.S. 19 and the Gulf.

What would it have taken? Another gas leak, like the one that shut down State Road 54 near Starkey Boulevard in late June, would have done it. Another manhunt like the one in early June near Safety Town. A mishap in a construction zone. Something going wrong at the CSX crossing. A sinkhole.

That morning it was westbound traffic under threat. Tomorrow it could be eastbound, or, with just the right confluence of misadventures, all traffic in both directions.

Clearly, two east-west thoroughfares, separated by a dozen miles, are no longer sufficient for a county of nearly 465,000 extremely mobile residents, and who knows how many more passing through. If only Pasco planners had some sort of strategy to address this looming concern.

Oh, wait. They do.

It’s called the Ridge Road extension, an 8-mile, multi-lane, limited-access highway that, while splitting the difference between state roads 52 and 54, would provide a vital third link between New Port Richey and Land O’ Lakes.

It’s been part of the county’s comprehensive transportation plan since before we knew about Monica and Bill, before the dot-com bubble, even before smartphones. The Ridge Road extension plan has been around so long, biker jackets and real estate had time to be cool, fall out of favor and become cool again.

And, with certain construction caveats, building it ought to be a no-brainer.

Which is where Margaret Smith and Sam Beneck, a couple of affable civil engineers who love making things work better, come in. Smith, as director of engineering services for Pasco County, is Beneck’s boss. Beneck, 31, a Virginia Tech graduate who cut his transportation teeth trying to improve the commuting nightmare around Washington D.C., is the Ridge Road extension project manager.

Everything that worries me about having just two east-west thoroughfares concerns them, too, but they absolutely obsess about what happens when everybody living along the U.S. 19 corridor waits (as you know they will) until the very last moment before fleeing for high ground in the face of the inevitable Big One. Or the Sort-of-Big or even Medium One, given how much of the coast, from Palm Harbor north, is floodplain.

As Beneck explains, by the time the first bands of a serious tropical event arrive, “The Courtney Campbell Causeway is going to be underwater. Everybody in northern Pinellas is going to be coming north.”

On a good day, there’s not enough space on State Road 54 to accommodate everybody, even if authorities converted all of it to one-way eastbound. When the bad day happens — engineers don’t deal in “if” — Pasco will need another eastbound artery.

As my recent Monday scenario demonstrated, Pasco already does.

Environmentalists reliably push back, claiming any number of things that either aren’t necessarily true, or authorities could prevent.

For instance, the Ridge Road extension would go through the Serenova Preserve, which was set aside as mitigation for the Suncoast Parkway. Why put a highway through a mitigation zone?

Because the Serenova agreement anticipated the extension; proof is in the expensive overpass at the Suncoast’s Mile Marker 25.2, precisely where the extension is projected to emerge from the Serenova and link up with the toll road before plunging ahead toward Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

But, it will be disruptive to wildlife. Yes. Preserving human life, or simply making it more convenient, sometimes is. Still, highway planners are not heartless. Lots of them — I can cite at least two — love long bicycle rides on paths otherwise set aside for nature.

“That’s why I live in Land O’ Lakes,” Smith says. “I’m never more than 10 minutes from a park.”

Accordingly, the project calls for at least eight wildlife crossings and two bridges, and, according to Smith and Beneck, a rather spectacular bicycle path.

Well, it’ll certainly lead to more development. Well, not in the Serenova. And, if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — whose approval stands between the planners and groundbreaking — stick to its limited-access guns, not much will spring up on the Suncoast-to-U.S. 41 stretch.

All that remains, apparently, is a proper tweaking of the route with an eye to the least possible impact at the best possible construction price. The money is set aside. The time has never been better.

Twin disasters a dozen miles apart is not unimaginable. And, every day that passes without it happening is a day closer to the day it will.

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

Veterans enjoy ‘honor flight’ at home

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Hundreds of people turned out to the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home on Aug. 20 to bring “Honor Flight” to veterans unable to travel to Washington D.C., to enjoy the whirlwind experience.

U.S. Army veteran Bob Edward, who served in Vietnam, becomes emotional during ‘Honor Flight at Home,’ an event at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home on Aug. 20. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
U.S. Army veteran Bob Edward, who served in Vietnam, becomes emotional during ‘Honor Flight at Home,’ an event at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home on Aug. 20.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

Instead of boarding airplanes, these veterans walked down the nursing home’s corridors, or were wheeled down — receiving hearty applause and cheers from well-wishers.

“This is your big day,” one woman told a vet, as he rode by.

“Are we ready to have some fun?” another woman asked.

The nursing home was awash in patriotic colors.

Red, white and blue balloons bobbed near the ceiling. There were sprays of stars. Red, white and blue bunting decked the walls.

Family members snapped photos, and people who had lined up along the corridor’s walls, approached veterans, to thank them and shake their hands.

A Navy veteran stands and salutes, as Fred Still, 90, sings along with music that designated each branch of the military.
A Navy veteran stands and salutes, as Fred Still, 90, sings along with music that designated each branch of the military.

As the veterans made their way toward the dining room — where the main event was staged — they were entertained by a band playing a medley of military tunes. There was also music from the World War II-era and other popular hits.

The veterans also had a chance to stop and have their photograph taken in a pose with a woman wearing military apparel.

Once the vets arrived in the main dining room, they were honored by individual military branch, entertained by singers and had a visit from Santa’s Drill Team Honor Guard.

They also heard remarks from the keynote speaker, U.S. Brig. Gen. Richard K. Sele.

Then, they watched a video, which offered a virtual tour of the war monuments in Washington D.C. — the same tour they would have had, if they’d been able to make the trek to the nation’s capital.

The heartfelt event brought tears to the eyes of Karen Burgos, of Spring Hill, as she holds hands with nursing home resident Henry Burgos Jr. He was a paratrooper with the U.S. Army while serving in Korea.
The heartfelt event brought tears to the eyes of Karen Burgos, of Spring Hill, as she holds hands with nursing home resident Henry Burgos Jr. He was a paratrooper with the U.S. Army while serving in Korea.

Some veterans at the nursing home, however, couldn’t even make the trip to the facility’s dining room.

Those veterans were given the opportunity to watch the event via a live-streamed, closed-circuit broadcast, in their rooms.

There were also too many people to fit into the dining room. But, they could watch it via big screen TVs in the nursing home’s common areas.

It took two years of preparation to organize the event, which was spearheaded by Operation Patriot and Honor Flight of West Central Florida.

In addition to family members of the veterans, more than 200 volunteers showed up to help get the veterans from their rooms to the dining room and to attend to them during the event.

Each veteran received a white Honor Flight shirt and a ball cap. They also received a goody bag containing several gifts, and a manila envelope filled with letters and other items during mail call.

Finally, as they were guided back to their rooms, the veterans were greeted with a warm round of applause from those gathered for a “Welcome Home” receiving line.

Published August 24, 2016

Nursing home resident Jack Kincella looks for familiar faces in the standing-room-only crowd during the ‘Honor Flight at Home’ event. Kincella said he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Nursing home resident Jack Kincella looks for familiar faces in the standing-room-only crowd during the ‘Honor Flight at Home’ event. Kincella said he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Veteran resident, Leo Rodgers, 94, of Port Richey, clutches an envelope of mail he received during mail call. His daughter, Sue Williams, of Homosassa, was at the event, too.
Veteran resident, Leo Rodgers, 94, of Port Richey, clutches an envelope of mail he received during mail call. His daughter, Sue Williams, of Homosassa, was at the event, too.

Now serving chicken pilau, with a side of nostalgia

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Fifty-six-year-old Richard Christmas cannot recall a time in his life without chicken pilau.

The dish, which has been served for decades at events in San Antonio and Dade City, features chunks of chicken and white rice, which have been seasoned with garlic, onion, salt and pepper.

Although the name of the dish is spelled p-i-l-a-u, it’s pronounced per-loo, which rhymes with purview.

Christmas’ earliest childhood memories include his Uncle Hugh Dunne’s chicken pilau.

“He’d cook it for the (Pasco County) fair. He’d cook it for the Rattlesnake Roundup (now known as the Rattlesnake Festival). And, then he would cook it for the Knights of Columbus,” Christmas said.

Now mayor of the Town of St. Leo, Christmas said, until he was an adult, that when people talked about fair food — they weren’t talking about chicken pilau, but instead were talking about corn dogs, or elephant ears or funnel cakes.

“My fair food was pilau,” he said, or beef from back in the livestock area.

His uncle was widely known around San Antonio — which the locals call San Ann — for his special touch with chicken pilau.

After his uncle passed on, Jack Jones picked up the tradition.

And now, the torch has been passed back to Christmas and Sam Sessa, both members of the Knights of Columbus Council 1768.

The council has 198 members who come from three Catholic churches, Sacred Heart in St. Joe, St. Rita’s in Dade City and St. Anthony’s in San Antonio.

They hold about three chicken pilau dinners a year to raise money for various causes.

Generally, they help local causes, such as buying winter coats for children in need.

But this time, they’re raising money to enable some girls in Tanzania to go to school, Christmas said.

The fundraising dinner will be on Aug. 27, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the council’s hall, 11549 Curley Road in San Antonio.

Diners often arrive early, around 4:30 p.m., Christmas said.

He and Sessa arrive much earlier — about 10 a.m., to begin preparing the pilau.

They start by putting pots of water on to boil.

They slice up the onions and garlic, while bringing the water to a boil.

Christmas admits he can get a little “teary-eyed” while chopping up the onions.

Once the vegetables are ready, they’ll add them and chicken pieces to the boiling water and let them cook, periodically adding salt and pepper to taste.

“You cook it until it falls off the bone,” Christmas said.

About 1 p.m., the “bone pickers” will arrive to help debone the chicken, before returning it to the pot. Finally, the long-grain white rice is added — to the right amount of broth — about 45 minutes before serving time.

Christmas said he’s not really sure where his uncle got the recipe, or where the recipe for chicken pilau originated.

He does know it’s a versatile dish.

“It’s a rice meal that you could add whatever meat you choose to add. Most people add chicken, but you could add squirrel. You could add possum, I suppose.

“Typically, it’s a warm-blooded meat, but I guess it could be gator, but I’ve never seen anybody do that,” said Christmas, whose uncle was named for Capt. Hugh Dunne.

Capt. Hugh Dunne played an important role in the history of St. Leo, San Antonio and other communities that are part of the original Catholic colony established by Edmund Dunne, and Christmas’ family heritage traces back to the colony’s founding.

So, besides being based on a recipe that’s been a tradition for more than a half-century, the person serving it up comes from a family that reaches back to St. Leo’s beginnings.

Those coming by for the dinner will get chicken pilau, plus coleslaw, sweet peas, bread, water, sweet tea, unsweetened tea, or coffee and dessert.

Diners are welcome to eat in the hall, or purchase meals to carry out.

Tickets are sold in advance, but most of the meals are sold to those dropping by, Christmas said.

“Some people come and take it out. Some people sit and eat. We encourage people to sit and eat,” he said.

“For us, it’s a good way to get a lot of people together,” he said.

It’s not just a chicken dinner, It’s a chance for people to mingle.

In other words, it’s chicken pilau served with up with camaraderie.

“I think it’s a pretty good deal,” Christmas said.

Knights of Columbus Pilau Dinner
When: Aug. 27, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., or until the pilau runs out
Where: Knights of Columbus Hall, 11549 Curley Road, San Antonio
Dine-in or take-out
Cost: $8 for adults; $5 for children under 12

 

Knights of Columbus Council 1768 Chicken pilau recipe:
3 gallons of water
3 whole chickens
6 large onions
1/3 bulb garlic, peeled
6 pounds Uncle Ben’s converted rice
2 tablespoons salt, to taste
2 tablespoons black pepper

Pour water in a huge pot, with a lift-out colander, if available. Use a marker to mark the water level outside the pot. Place chickens, onions and garlic into the colander, and lower it into the water. (If you don’t have this kind of pot, be prepared to strain the broth into another pot when the chicken is fully cooked.) Add the salt and pepper, and bring the contents of the pot to boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is tender.

Lift out the chicken, onions and garlic. Discard the onions and garlic (optional). Put the broth back into the original pot and add/or remove broth to the original measured mark.

Keep the broth hot, while you carefully remove the bones from the chicken.

Place the chicken back into the broth, and then add the rice. Carefully stir the contents of the pot a few times after adding the rice. Taste the broth, and add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat, and cover the pot. Simmer until the rice is fully cooked.

Published August 24, 2016

 

Wesley Chapel Boulevard to be six lanes

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Pasco County now is on a path to widen County Road 54 — also known as Wesley Chapel Boulevard — to a six-lane divided road.

The move comes nearly 15 years after the county proposed widening the road from two lanes to four lanes.

The project also will include a multi-use trail on one side and a sidewalk on the other side.

No construction start date is announced, but the road’s design is about 90 percent complete.

Sierra Properties, the developers for Cypress Creek Town Center, are building an entrance into the mall off County Road 54, also known as Wesley Chapel Boulevard. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Sierra Properties, the developers for Cypress Creek Town Center, are building an entrance into the mall off County Road 54, also known as Wesley Chapel Boulevard.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

The Pasco County Commission approved a road re-evaluation study on Aug. 9, which is the next step in what has been a drawn out process.

A 2003 study that looked at future traffic needs anticipated widening the road to four lanes. At the time, data showed that by 2025 slightly more than 20,000 vehicles a day would travel the corridor.

More recent data estimates that the average daily vehicles by 2040 will exceed 52,000.

“(The original study) didn’t capture all of the growth going on in this dynamic part of the county,” said Mike Campo, of Kisinger Campo & Associates. The Tampa-based engineering firm was hired in 2008 to provide design services for the road project.

The extra traffic lanes take into account the explosive growth at an intersection where State Road 54, State Road 56 and County Road 54 meet up. The intersection is just west of the Interstate 75 interchange.

All-around growth is evident at Tampa Premium Outlets, the soon-to-open Florida Hospital Center Ice sports complex and Holiday Inn Express, and the soon-to-rise Cypress Creek Town Center.

A newly announced project, Brightworks Crossing, could add a maximum of 350 apartments, offices, self-storage and a 150-room hotel on vacant land across from a planned entrance into Cypress Creek Town Center.

The mall’s developers currently are building the entrance as part of the initial roadwork to improve County Road 54.

As part of the study, residents weighed in with their opinions at a workshop held in January at Veterans Elementary School. They expressed frustrations with a road that no longer can handle the volume of motorists moving north and south along County Road 54.

Getting in and out of subdivisions, such as Stagecoach and Grand Oaks, means long waits and safety risks, they said.

“We are tired of playing Russian Roulette every time we leave or enter the subdivision (Grand Oaks),” wrote Robert Potts in a written comment from the workshop.

Beyond the mall entrance, the county plans to widen the corridor to six lanes to just north of Magnolia Boulevard. There will be 4-foot bicycle lanes, a median, 5-foot sidewalks on the eastern side, and an 8-foot multi-use trail on the western side.

No additional right of way will be purchased.

The widening will take advantage of rights of way donated to the county from Stagecoach and Grand Oaks subdivisions. Three traffic signals are planned at Stagecoach, at Grand Oaks near Veterans Elementary School, and at Cypress Creek Town Center.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore pressed for a traffic signal at Compark 75, an industrial park off Wesley Chapel Boulevard. Campo and Pasco County engineer Chris Wert said all intersections would be reviewed.

However, because Compark is less than a half-mile from the Grand Oaks signal, it isn’t certain the industrial park could meet distance requirements.

Compark currently is expanding its facilities, and Moore said nearby vacant land could be developed in the future.

“We’re talking basically about an employment center there,” Moore said. “People are going in and out of there on a daily basis.”

Published August 24, 2016

Zephyrhills names new fire chief

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The Zephyrhills City Council appointed a new fire chief during a special meeting on Aug. 16.

It was the fourth new fire chief within four years.

Brian Swartout has more than 32 years of fire service experience, and most recently served as Division Fire Chief for the Seminole Tribe Fire/Rescue in Broward County.

As division fire chief with the Seminole Tribe, Swartout supervised a staff of 104.  He was also responsible for fleet management, capital projects, new purchases, and rehabilitation of apparatus and equipment maintenance.

New Fire Chief Brian Swartout addresses the Zephyrhills City Council on Aug. 16. He is the city’s fourth fire chief over a four-year period. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)
New Fire Chief Brian Swartout addresses the Zephyrhills City Council on Aug. 16. He is the city’s fourth fire chief over a four-year period.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

Swartout previously worked for the Lee County Port Authority, City of Deland Fire/Rescue, Flagler County Fire/Rescue, St. Johns County Fire/Rescue, City of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and Broward County Crash Fire Rescue.

City Manager Steve Spina said Swartout “definitely stood out” among the three candidates that were interviewed for the post.

With continual turnover at the fire department’s leadership position, city council members indicated they’d like to see a “multiple year” commitment from the new fire chief.

In May, Daniel Spillman resigned from the position after being appointed in Oct. 2014; he replaced Verne Riggall, who also resigned after being under fire for how he had managed the agency from 2012-2014.

In a 2014 memo to the council, Spina addressed budding concerns about the direction of the department under Riggall’s leadership, saying there was a “clear lack of coordination and communication in Zephyrhills Fire Rescue” and “a clear sense of dysfunction and morale issues” that were affecting day-to-day operations.

Swartout, who said he was unaware of the past issues within the department, now oversees the 23-member fire rescue crew that responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually.

The new chief said the first few days on the job have been “a whirlwind” as he becomes familiar with the staff, the city, and other municipal departments.

Swartout said his initial duty is to build relationships with his staff before making any major department-wide decisions.

Zephyrhills Fire Rescue consists of a 23-member crew that responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually. (File Photo)
Zephyrhills Fire Rescue consists of a 23-member crew that responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually.
(File Photo)

“I’m more of the opinion that it’s important for me to sit back and observe, and listen…so I have a better idea of which way I need to go,” Swartout said. “I don’t believe in coming in anywhere and making (immediate) changes — I want to see what’s going on before I address anything.”

He added: “In my mind, I’m here to be supportive with what the guys do, and the message I’m telling them is that, ‘As the new fire chief, I’m here to support you and get you what you need.’”

With discussions already underway for the city’s 2016-2017 budget, Swartout said he likely won’t add much input into the fire department’s general fund, which reached $2.4 million in 2015-2016.

“I think I may be too late to have much of an impact into the next fiscal cycle, but what it does do for me is it does give me an ability to see what the needs are throughout the year and hopefully come back with some ideas or some solutions to issues,” the new fire chief said. “It actually works in my favor — I look at it as a blessing where I have time to learn and then move forward.”

During a council meeting in May, the city manager presented council members with several possible scenarios to consolidate fire services, and reduce operating and equipment costs. However, the council opted to keep the department and its two fire stations intact.

At the time, Spina noted there’s duplication in services with the city and Pasco County Fire Rescue, since the county also responds to all medical and fire calls.

Published August 24, 2016

Setting the stage for community gatherings

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Someday when the crowds gather to enjoy a school recital, or attend a concert, or watch a play — the stage at Land O’ Lakes Community Park will just be a fixture, a venue for events.

But last week, the yet-to-be built stage was the star of the show.

Elected leaders, government workers, business partners and community activists join together to toss dirt signifying the groundbreaking for a stage to be built at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Elected leaders, government workers, business partners and community activists join together to toss dirt signifying the groundbreaking for a stage to be built at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

That’s when local politicians, community activists and interested residents gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking for the stage, which will be built on a grassy area west of the park’s fenced-in ball field.

The ceremony signaled the end of a quest for a stage that began decades ago.

The construction of the stage follows a $2.3 million project to breathe new life and expand amenities at Land O’ Lakes Community Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Construction of the stage is expected to begin in October and to be completed by January.

The idea for a stage was nothing new, but funding for it was elusive.

Everything finally came together, in what Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore described as a “public, public, public, private, private, private, private, private, private partnership.”

By all accounts, it took a $250,000 grant from the state, the cooperation of local governments, the generosity of local partnerships and the involvement of community activists to make the vision a reality.

And, of course, there was Sandy Graves.

“I can tell you that this doesn’t exist but for Sandy Graves,” said Richard Corcoran, Speaker-designate of the Florida House of Representatives.

Corcoran helped secure the grant from the state’s Division of Cultural Affairs for the stage, but he credited Graves’ passion for making it happen.

“Sandy — she just dogged it, day in and day out,” Corcoran said. “The perseverance is something I’ve never seen.”

Sandy Graves, a native of Land O’ Lakes, has been pushing for years to get a stage built at Land O’ Lakes Community Park. She envisions all sorts of gatherings to draw the community together. Construction is set to start in October.
Sandy Graves, a native of Land O’ Lakes, has been pushing for years to get a stage built at Land O’ Lakes Community Park. She envisions all sorts of gatherings to draw the community together. Construction is set to start in October.

Corcoran said Graves told him: “I want to bring to my community something that’s great, something that’s beautiful, and where children can learn about arts and culture, and have this great asset to the community,” he said.

“I’m pretty conservative — but if there’s ever a project that belongs in a budget, it’s when it’s an individual who is fighting for something beautiful for her community. She doesn’t have a lobbyist. She doesn’t have power. She doesn’t have any of that stuff, but a heart, and a passion and a vision,” Corcoran said.

Graves, who declares herself a proud “Laker,” said anyone who has ever met her knows within a couple of minutes that she’s a native of Land O’ Lakes.

It’s a place that’s known for its community spirit, she said, pointing to the Land O’ Lakes Community Park as a prime example.

“It was built in the 1960s, after fish fries and donations, from loads of Lakers,” she said.

“This was before the county had a parks and recreation department, and before red tape was invented.

“So, in keeping with that tradition, Heritage Park (Foundation) was created,” she said.

The foundation has aimed to keep the park alive and has dreamed of adding a stage that could serve as a focal point for community events.

“Heritage Park Foundation has a motto: Building a better community by building a better community center,” she said.

The construction of the stage is the result of many, many people who have come together to help make it happen, Graves said. She named off dozens of people and organizations that have been involved through the years. She also remembered those who help carry the torch, but have since passed on.

“I want to thank the members of our organization (Heritage Park Foundation) that are not here today,” she said. “We hope they’re smiling down on us and saying, ‘Job well done.’”

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, also took to the podium to thank the business partners who are either providing their services for free, or at cost, in order to bring the project in within budget.

The result will make a difference, said school board chairwoman Joanne Hurley, who recalled selling turkey legs at the Flapjack Festival years ago, to help raise money for a stage.

Hurley praised the partnerships that came together to make the vision a reality. She expects generations of people to enjoy events at the park.

The stage will be used for plays, recitals, concerts, pageants and other presentations, Moore said.

“This stage is actually going to be a cornerstone of future cultural events here in Land O’ Lakes,” Moore said.

Recognitions galore!
The list of people, companies and organizations that had a hand in bringing the stage project to life at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park is long.

These are the people and organizations that got a mention during speakers’ remarks at the stage’s groundbreaking on Aug. 16:

  • Members of the Heritage Park Foundation, especially Kurt Conover, Tim Hayes, Lee Cannon, John Mitchell and Joanne Hurley, and newer members Terri Dusek, Helen Rodriguez and Stefanie Bracciale. Also, members of the foundation who have passed way.
  • Longtime supporters: The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the GFWC Lutz Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, the past Land O’ Lakes Rotary, Lonnie and Bobby Piper, Susan MacManus, Hungry Harry’s, Keystone Community Church and the Candlewood Community Church
  • School bands and choirs that performed in the park, with the hopes that one day there would be a stage to showcase their talent.
  • Pasco County Schools
  • Pasco County
  • Pasco County Parks and Recreation
  • Humberto Gonzalez, Rick Buckman, Brian Taylor, Mike Walcott and A.J. Fernandez
  • Richard Corcoran, speaker-designate for the Florida House of Representatives
  • Sandy Graves
  • Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools
  • Peter Gottschalk, architect
  • Coastal Design Consultants, Paul Manuel
  • Walbridge, Richard Marshall, Tim Sewell, Mary Layton
  • DC Johnson & Associates Inc., Dan Johnson and Andy Getz
  • Copperstone Executive Suites, Mary Lynn and Gary Gorsline
  • Ervin Bishop Construction Inc., Sonny Bishop
  • Schaer Development of Central Florida, Skip Schaer
  • RIPA and Associates, Frank Ripa
  • Quality Roofing Inc., Rick Jenkins
  • JN Electric of Tampa Bay, John Narcisi
  • Door and Hardware Openings Inc., Mike Gonzalez
  • Accurate Signs on Time, Amy Daigrepont-Calkowski

Published August 24, 2016

Looking for tools to help patients help themselves

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When it comes to treating patients with behavioral health issues, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dr. Laura Bajor is always on the lookout for new tools that could help.

She sees the potential of emerging technology.

But Bajor, who is medical director for the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health, 29910 State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel, isn’t into technology for technology’s sake.

Organizations that engage in that approach, she said, “tend to create a ‘flavor of the month’ atmosphere.’”

Dr. Laura Bajor, medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health, is always looking for new tools to help her patients help themselves. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Dr. Laura Bajor, medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health, is always looking for new tools to help her patients help themselves.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Ultimately, that’s counterproductive, Bajor said, because “that actually ends up alienating folks from trying new things, because they’ve lost faith in the actual benefit of new technology.”

Instead, Bajor believes that “technology and research are most useful when they improve a patient’s investment in their own health, and their quality of life.”

She’s constantly on the lookout for new tools, or collaborations, to help her find the best ways to help the patients she’s treating.

“In my opinion, one of the absolute worst conversations to have with a patient is to have to sit across a desk from them and say ‘We’ve run out of treatment options for you, and we’re not working on anything new. Good luck.’

“The real aim of health care is not that they remain our patients, it’s that they function well on their own without us. So, we can move them toward that,” Bajor said.

Along those lines, “we’re using technology to assess sleep, activity level, change in heart rate throughout the course of the day, and a few other parameters,” she said.

This permits a more focused approach to prescribing medication and planning treatment, she said.

The idea is to be able to show patients evidence regarding their progress or lack of it, which helps save time and reduces frustration, she said.

Technology also is used to help patients learn how to control their own stress and anxiety levels, which helps them regain a sense of control and self-confidence, she said.

Bajor said she began using emerging technology about four years ago, with a series of small innovation grants in a clinic at the VA in Boston.

She was able to pilot the use of different kinds of fitness, sleep, and stress trackers with her staff and patients. That eventually spread into a partnership with the Basis division of Intel, who worked to equip patients from about 15 different clinics and programs with their gear.

She believes part of the reason she was recruited to become the medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral was because of those experiences and skills.

Sleep plays a significant role in a patient’s health, Bajor said.

“The first paper I ever published was about tracking sleep first rather than hitting people with very high-caliber meds,” Bajor said.

This monitor tracks activity levels and can help determine if a patient is having problems with sleep. The quality of one’s sleep can have significant impacts on health, according to Dr. Laura Bajor, medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health in Wesley Chapel.
This monitor tracks activity levels and can help determine if a patient is having problems with sleep. The quality of one’s sleep can have significant impacts on health, according to Dr. Laura Bajor, medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health in Wesley Chapel.

When someone comes into the clinic and sleep is part of their problem, they are put on a tracking system for a couple of days before any medication is prescribed, she said.

“Is the problem that they’re not going to bed until 3 in the morning? Is the problem that they can’t fall asleep? Or, is it that they’re waking up 10 times?

“We would actually use different treatment approaches, depending on which or all of those problems they have,” she said.

“A person, once they’ve been sleeping, you can probably use much less medicine,” she said. That helps to avoid prescribing medication that can affect their functioning during the day, and reduces potential for side effects.

“All of these things have side effects,” she added.

While in Boston, Bajor said she worked with top-notch researchers and clinicians from the Harvard and Boston University systems, she said.

“I worked mainly in Ann Rasmusson’s lab at the National Center for PTSD, where there is a major focus on using exercise, cognitive therapy, and other novel approaches to calm down the neuroendocrine system, get folks’ frontal lobes back on line, and in doing all that, help PTSD patients get back in control of their anxiety,” she said.

“Ann and her crew have continued to be generous in providing advice about how to translate these ideas into our CORE program,” she said, where exercise, yoga, diet and other approaches are being used to treat veterans.

“There’s an emerging parameter called heart rate variability,” Bajor said. “It’s kind of the newest thing in physiologic tracking. It’s the rate at which a heart rate changes.

“We’re watching that with guys who are doing PTSD therapy,” she said.

“We can tell: Should we back off a little, or should we try harder?

“There’s actually NFL coaches and Olympic coaches that are using the same HRV (heart rate variability). They’ll say, ‘Well this guy should take a day off from weightlifting.’ Or, ‘We should push this guy harder, he’s not going hard enough.’’’

“We can kind of do the same thing,” she said.

Bajor also noted she’s received help from a number of other experts in the areas of research methods, dissemination of innovation and day-to-day management of new ideas in a clinical setting.

“The trajectory of my medical career has been a little unorthodox,” Bajor said.

She went from being a student at the Naval Academy, to becoming a search and rescue pilot, to being a Department of Defense engineer. She left that job to attend medical school.

In addition to her current work, she also belongs to “Tampa Hackerspace,” a group she describes as an eclectic group of brilliant folks who have pooled their resources into a space where members have access to things like 3-D printers, laser cutters, full metal and wood shops, and the expertise of leaders in their various fields.

She just joined the group in the summer and already has ideas that will be used in her clinic, she said.

“Making those connections and sharing knowledge. There’s no way to measure that. It’s just invaluable,” said Bajor.

She welcomes opportunities for collaborations that will lead to better care for patients.

Published August 24, 2016

New venue being built for Zephyrhills events

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The popular Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival, along with several nonprofit organizations, will finally have a permanent event venue at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

A groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 15 marked the beginning of construction for a 14-acre community venue site, at 5040 Airport Road.

Once complete, the site will include a 20-by-40 stage and 50 vendor spaces equipped with water and electricity, along with additional space for free-standing vendors, business expos and children’s activities.

Several Zephyrhills community leaders were on hand for the Aug. 15 groundbreaking ceremony for the new community event venue at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. From left: Tim Linville, president of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Danny Burgess, state representative; Randy Surber, CEO of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills; Melonie Monson, executive director of the Zephyrhills chamber; Steve Spina, city manager for the City of Zephyrhills; and, Gene Whitfield, mayor of Zephyrhills. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)
Several Zephyrhills community leaders were on hand for the Aug. 15 groundbreaking ceremony for the new community event venue at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. From left: Tim Linville, president of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Danny Burgess, state representative; Randy Surber, CEO of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills; Melonie Monson, executive director of the Zephyrhills chamber; Steve Spina, city manager for the City of Zephyrhills; and, Gene Whitfield, mayor of Zephyrhills.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

The venue is situated north of the Zephyrhills’ City Yard, stretching to Airport Road and backing up the southern boundary of the Lincoln Heights subdivision.

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

The $60,000 venue, owned and operated by the city of Zephyrhills, is expected to be complete in time for the seventh annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Festival set for Jan. 21.

Nearly a year ago, The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce proposed the concept for a local festival grounds after the organization determined a larger site was needed to house Pigz in Z’Hills.

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

“We kind of got to a point where we grew so much, that it was really impossible to every year set up a whole venue,” Melonie Monson, chamber director, said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “This is going to make it (possible) to grow where we want to grow…and it won’t take all week of putting stuff together.”

Officials say the permanent venue will help the annual shindig run smoother, creating a better layout for musicians, vendors and attendees.

Moreover, the permanent site will help cut down on variable expenses, including the annual costs to rent a stage and generators, which officials say can total nearly $10,000.

“The only way for this event to go forward was to find a permanent venue,” Monson said.

The annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival typically draws around 9,000 people. Ground was broken last week on a new permanent venue that will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 guests at a time, and will provide easy access and parking along South Avenue. (File Photo)
The annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival typically draws around 9,000 people. Ground was broken last week on a new permanent venue that will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 guests at a time, and will provide easy access and parking along South Avenue.
(File Photo)

Chamber officials say Pigz in Z’Hills has created an economic impact of more than $1.3 million for Zephyrhills. Out of the 30,000 total attendees the past six years, more than half have come from outside the region and state.

“Somewhere in the last few years, Pigz in Z’Hills stopped just belonging to the chamber and now belongs to the community,” Monson said. “With that, this new building will reaffirm the strength of the partnership that we have with the city and community.”

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

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

“This is truly a community effort,” said Bob Winters, of the Rotary Club of Zephyrhills. “It’s an outstanding opportunity for the nonprofits of Zephyrhills to make a showing, and kick money back into the community.”

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield said the venue will be used “for generations to come.

“We’re going to enjoy this venue today and the days ahead, but it’s something for our children and grandchildren,” Whitfield said. “We’re always about trying to do things for our community and our citizens, always with an eye on the future.”

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

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

Published August 24, 2016

Twin goals: Safe roads and increased tourism

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San Antonio is a destination for many bicycle enthusiasts who want scenic vistas and the rolling hills they can find in rural northeast Pasco County.

On weekends, bicyclists en masse pedal their way across the landscape. For four years in a row, San Antonio has hosted Gran Fondo Florida, one of eight events nationwide in the Gran Fondo National Championship series.

County officials are taking notice of cycling’s growing popularity, and the potential for San Antonio as a tourist hub surrounded by a trail system and destinations that promote the arts, entertainment, food and nature’s beauty.

The scenic landscape in and around San Antonio is popular with bicyclists. The area served as a backdrop in March for Gran Fondo Florida. (File Photo)
The scenic landscape in and around San Antonio is popular with bicyclists. The area served as a backdrop in March for Gran Fondo Florida.
(File Photo)

But, if the foundation is there, a lot of work is still to be done to build a unified vision for everyone who shares the roads – bicyclists, residents and motorists.

The obstacle that most often pops up is where to find the money to make things happen.

Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey hopes she has started the dialogue. She told 30 or so people who attended an Aug. 11 public meeting in Dade City that money shouldn’t be the focus – at least, for now.

“We’ll never get there if we don’t plan,” she said. “What I’m hoping is we start having a vision and a plan. Then, we’ll get the money. This is just a first step.”

Topics at the meeting ranged from the practical – who to notify about potholes – to the visionary – how to craft a grand plan to promote tourism and safe roads for everyone.

Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization has a consulting firm – AECOM – that soon will conduct a fact-gathering study to identify potential projects.

Input from the meeting on popular routes and trails, as well as safety concerns, will aid the county in defining the “scope of work” needed from AECOM. Consultants also will scout out funding sources, and recommend how to start the process, said James Edwards, transportation planning manager for Pasco MPO.

While some recommendations would focus on long-range plans, Edwards said, “We want to look at the low-hanging fruit. What can we do in the short term?”

The narrowness of many of the rural two-lane roads is a major safety issue. They barely allow two vehicles to pass, and bicyclists have no sidewalks or shoulders to get out of the way of motorists.

Janet Geiger isn’t a bicyclist. But, she said, “I drive (agricultural) trailers where the wheels are outside the lanes. The right of way is there, but the pavement isn’t.”

Josh Thornton, a former professional cyclist, leads community bicycle rides on Saturdays. Of more than 60 miles of roads within the area, he said, “Less than five miles have any shoulders.”

Currently, the county has no plans to widen any roads in the area. But Starkey said, “At the end of the day, we’ve got to figure out how to put shoulders on these roads.”

Tampa resident Steve Brown, who also organizes Saturday rides in San Antonio, said road conditions in some areas have been poor for years. “We know where those spots are,” he said. “We need to know who to call.”

County officials said potholes or other road issues should be reported with the county’s mobile phone application, MyPasco.

Finding ways to improve the roads and accommodate the growing cycling crowd that seeks out northeast Pasco is driving the county’s future tourism plans.

Surrounding counties also are looking for “green dollars” from trails and tourism.

“It’s one of the most asked for things at tourism centers,” said Steve Diez, a transportation planner for Hernando County and chairman of the Good Neighbor Trail Committee. “When they get done with Disney, they want to ride their bikes. They want to see the countryside on two wheels.”

Florida is working on a Coast to Coast trail that will link the state’s east and west coasts. A portion of the trail will go through Pasco and county officials are lobbying for a special loop trail that would come south to Dade City and San Antonio.

Another future trail could follow the former Orange Line railroad tracks, near Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco’s Tourism Manager Ed Caum said the county plans to spend about $1.2 million promoting and marketing the county’s trails and trail-related activities. Another $250,000 will pay for cycling-friendly visitor centers, which will bring together the public and private sectors.

There is potential to transform the former Dade City police station into a bicycle tune-up site that also could offer cyclists craft beers, sandwiches and an opportunity to explore the restaurants and shops in downtown Dade City.

Pasco can look to Pinellas County and the Pinellas Friendship Trail as an example of the economic benefits of trails, said Richard Gehring, Pasco’s strategic policy administrator.

It is a major component in marketing campaigns for homebuilders and area businesses, he said. “People like to advertise how close they are to the trail,” Gehring said. “Everyone is building them into their amenities packages…and seeing that as a really marketable element.”

Not everyone is ready to embrace an influx of more bicyclists, however.

Tensions bubbled up at the meeting revealing a divide that often exists between cyclists and motorists who don’t always agree on who has the right of way.

One area resident said bicycle groups sometimes behave more like road hogs, and don’t get out of the way. Bicyclists at the meeting said most riders are respectful in following the rules of the road, and see aggressive driving as the problem.

Dade City resident Sonya New said she understands the motorist’s frustrations. But, she said, “There’s a lot of hatred for the cyclists out there.”

Florida and the Tampa Bay area annually rank at or near the top in annual bicycle and pedestrian fatalities. Based on federal statistics, Florida, per capita, has the most bicyclist fatalities of any state, with an annual average of 5.7 deaths per million people.

The national average, per capita, is 2.3 deaths per million people.

The consensus at the meeting was for more education on road rules, and safety for cyclists and motorists.

“We can have both. It happens in rural America all over the place,” Starkey said.

Published August 24, 2016