Local News

Costco likely to open in 2016

December 30, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Costco Wholesale received tentative approval recently for beer and wine package sales at a proposed membership warehouse club slated to open near Tampa Premium Outlets.

The Pasco County Planning Commission on Dec. 2 recommended approval of the alcoholic beverage license for the approximately 153,000 square feet of store space, plus about 2,100 square feet more for a separate liquor store.

The Pasco County Commission is expected to vote on the license in January. Additional site plan approvals and building permits are still to come. An opening date for the national chain likely won’t happen until late 2016.

“There is a ways to go in the process,” said Grace Yang, an attorney who represents the applicants, JG Cypress Creek LLC and Costco Wholesale.

Representatives for the companies were not available for comment.

Costco is an anticipated addition to the retail beginning to sprout along the State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridor, at the Interstate 75 interchange.

Tampa Premium Outlets, which opened in October, has 100-plus outlet stores including Michael Kors, Nike, Coach and PacSun. A sports complex and ice rink, known as Florida Hospital Center Ice, recently received building permits, with an opening planned for spring 2016.

Construction is under way on Culver’s restaurant on an out parcel fronting State Road 56. Permits also are approved for Cheddar’s Casual Café in the same vicinity.

Chick-Fil-A, Kohl’s, Panda Express and BJ’s Restaurant and Brew House also are planned as part of the master-planned Cypress Creek Town Center, located on separately owned parcels on the north and south sides of State Road 56.

According to the company website, Costco’s history traces to the Price Club which opened in San Diego in 1976. The Costco brand opened its first store in Seattle in 1983, and then 10 years later merged with the Price Club.

Costco is one of the largest retailers in the world, generating more than $113 billion in sales in fiscal year 2015, which ended in August.

Published December 30, 2015

Sales prices rise for existing Hillsborough homes

December 30, 2015 By B.C. Manion

The median sales price for existing single-family homes in Hillsborough County rose by 20 percent in November, according to a news release from the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors.

The median price for a single-family home in Hillsborough in November 2014 was $175,000, compared to $210,000 in 2015, according to the release.

The number of closed sales during that month decreased by 1.7 percent, declining from 1,236 in November 2014 to 1,215 in the same month this year.

Existing townhouse and condominium sales prices in Hillsborough County increased by a greater percentage, according to the Realtors’ data. The median sales price for a condo or townhouse in Hillsborough was $125,000 in November 2015, up from $96,960 in November 2014.

Hillsborough County’s active listings of single-family houses decreased by 7.2 percent during the same period, declining from 5,532 listings in November last year to 5,133 listings during the same month this year.

“A continued increase in the median single-family housing prices and the percent of original list price received indicates positive growth in our housing market,” Barbara Jordan, 2015 president of the Realtors’ association, said in the release.

The number of new single-family homes listed for sale increased 3.3 percent to 1,579 this November, as compared to 1,529 last November. The number of new townhouse and condominium listings decreased by 4 percent, from 445 last November to 427 during the same month this year.

The number of months of supply for existing single-family homes was 3.4 months for this November, compared to 4.3 months of supply during the same month last year.

Sellers of existing single-family homes received 95.4 percent of their asking price in November 2015, compared to 93.2 percent of their asking price in the same month last year.

During the same period, sellers of townhouses and condominiums received 94.3 percent of their asking price, a decrease of 1.3 percent from November 2014.

Published December 30, 2015

AMIkids Pasco provides update to school board

December 30, 2015 By B.C. Manion

O.B. Stander, president of AMIkids Pasco, recently updated the Pasco County School Board on changes being made to improve the program.

The changes are in response to the board’s Dec. 1 vote to terminate the organization’s contract effective Jan. 29.

When they took the vote, board members made it clear they would revisit the issue and would reinstate AMIkids Pasco, if the organization could demonstrate substantial improvement in its performance by Jan. 12.

The board’s initial action came at the recommendation of Superintendent Kurt Browning, who informed the board that substantial progress would be needed.

At the same time, Browning said he hopes AMIkids Pasco can turn the program around, so it could continue operating it.

AMIkids Pasco serves 46 students, who come from across Pasco County.

The program serves 25 therapeutic emotional/behavior disability students and 21 students in the Department of Juvenile Justice program at a campus of portables on U.S. 41, north of State Road 52 at 18950 Michigan Lane in Spring Hill.

If AMIkids Pasco makes considerable progress, Browning said he will recommend that the board revoke the termination; otherwise, the district will take over operation of the site on Jan. 29.

Browning said discontinuing the district’s relationship with AMIkids Pasco is not the preferable option for him or for Pasco County Schools.

Stander told board members that retired principal Pat Reedy has been helping AMIkids Pasco in the development of an enhanced action plan.

“We changed the school’s leadership team to strengthen both the educational and behavioral modification expertise,” Stander said.

It also has hired additional staff to make sure that class size ratios and mental health needs of the students are being met.

It also has increased staff compensation to a rate that’s higher than the school district’s rate, to improve retention, Stander said.

AMIkids Pasco also has partnered with the University of South Florida’s Department of Applied Behavior Analysis to participate in a pilot program, Stander said. That program includes having a university faculty member, with a doctorate in behavioral analysis, as well as two graduate students on campus, for a total of about 60 hours a week, Stander said.

Published December 30, 2015

Is Hercules Park back in play?

December 23, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The city of Zephyrhills could get another chance to own Hercules Park.

A deal between the Pasco County School District and Gh&G Florida LLC remains under negotiation, but it isn’t clear a final deal can be struck.

To put the city of Zephyrhills in the posture of being able to purchase the park, the Zephyrhills City Council, on Dec. 14, voted 3 to 2 to renew the city’s offer to buy the park for $1.7 million.

City council members Charles Proctor and Lance Smith voted against the proposal.

City officials sent a letter of intent on the offer to the school board.

A fence prevents vehicles from entering the shuttered Hercules Park, but the city of Zephyrhills remains hopeful that it will be able to buy the park from the school district. (File Photo) — A fence prevents vehicles from entering the shuttered Hercules Park, but the city of Zephyrhills remains hopeful that it will be able to buy the park from the school district.
(File Photo)

“Our contract is kind of a backup contract,” said Steve Spina, Zephyrhills’ city manager. “We’re in a different ball game. If they can’t (close the deal), we’ll step up to the plate.”

Spina said he believes the developers are having a hard time making their financial plan work.

Representatives with the development company approached city officials in October about a possible private/public partnership.

Spina said the offer was declined.

The city lost out in June when its bid came in lower than the $2.3 million offered by Gh&G Florida LLC. The school board voted to begin negotiations with the development company with expectations that 10 acres to 11 acres of parkland would be donated to Zephyrhills. The park site has a fitness trail, children’s playground and an aquatic center.

At one time, the parkland was part of about 80 acres owned by Hercules Powder Co., formerly the largest employer in Zephyrhills. The company converted pine stumps into rosin and turpentine. The property later became sites for the park, Zephyrhills High School and Woodland Elementary School.

The county shut down the park nearly five years ago citing budget issues. A prior agreement between the county and the school district required that the land be used for a park or be returned to the school district.

Gh&G Florida is about three months into a six-month contract to purchase the site.

“Until they withdraw their contract, I have to deal with them,” said Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools.

But, he added, “We would not sell the property unconditionally to Zephyrhills for $1.7 million.”

Sticking points could be the potential sale of a portion of the site for commercial use.

Spina said the city remains interested in reviving the 15.5-acre park, but also would like to sell about two acres along U.S. 301, just south of a corner lot.

City officials have said the intent would be for those two acres to be developed for a purpose compatible with the park.

But, Gadd said that would have to be negotiated if the original contract with Gh&G Florida doesn’t work out.

Published December 23, 2015

New school boundaries approved

December 23, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County School Board members adopted boundaries for Elementary School W in Wesley Chapel, despite objections by parents living in Northwood and Arbor Woods.

In approving the boundaries, the board members also approved a plan by school district staff to add gifted services to Denham Oaks Elementary School in Lutz.

Parents had objected to their children losing gifted services, and the district responded – at the recommendation of board member Allen Altman and other board members – by adding the services at Denham Oaks.

Some parents also voiced concerns about a waiting list for the child care program at Denham Oaks, but Superintendent Kurt Browning said additional staff is expected to be hired for the program.

The board’s unanimous vote on the school boundaries came despite concerns voiced repeatedly by parents who wanted to keep their children at schools within their Wesley Chapel community.

They said shifting their children to the Lutz school would disrupt their established day care arrangements. They also said it would be harder for commuting parents to make it to after-school events.

Some said they had moved into their neighborhoods specifically because of the schools serving them. And, they also voiced concerns about the impacts that the boundary change would have on their child’s assigned middle school and high school.

Parents also asked if children entering fifth-grade could be grandfathered in, which some board members said the district should try to do, if possible.

Ray Bonti, assistant superintendent for support services, said the district has a past practice of allowing parents of children going into fifth-graders to apply for school choice to attend that school.

Board member Cynthia Armstrong, who made the motion to approve the boundary change, said she realized the boundary change “is painful for the parents.”

But, she added, “We do have to sometimes make very difficult decisions.”

Board member Altman, who seconded the motion, said offering the gifted services at Denham Oaks is important. The district may not be able to alleviate geographic impacts of boundary shifts, but should do what it can to ensure that students have the same academic opportunities, he said, during the first public hearing on the boundary change.

Board member Alison Crumbley noted that, “Those of you who came out tonight, you’re the kind of parents that make schools really good. You could be the core of leaders, and your children, I’m sure, too, in the school. And that’s a really valuable asset.”

Steve Luikart, another board member, who is a former educator said, “When the parents get on board and say, ‘Whatever it is, we’re going to make the best of it.’ Their students will make the best of it. It’s going to start in the home.

“We’re having to make decisions that we don’t like making. But, the mending is going to start at home. It will be up to you as parents to make that transition as easy and as simple as possible,” Luikart said.

But, he also noted that the school district will do what it can to help.

Published December 23, 2015

Have a ‘Joyous Kwanzaa’

December 23, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The holiday season at the end of the year is a time of celebration for many religions around the world.

Christians rejoice in the birth of Christ. Jews reflect on the miracle of Hannukah when a single-day of sacred oil for burning candles at a rededicated temple lasted eight days.

For many African-Americans the season brings one more celebration, known as Kwanzaa.

The holiday’s name is from a Swahili phrase for the “first fruits of harvest.”

Though not specifically religious, Kwanzaa celebrates the roots and culture of the African-American and Pan-American experience.

A typical greeting at this time of year is “have a joyous Kwanzaa.”

“We’re celebrating the best of African culture,” said Imani Asukile, president of the African American Heritage Society of East Pasco County.

From Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, participating families will gather each day in their homes to honor the seven principles of Kwanzaa, known as Nguzo Saba: unity (umoja); self-determination (kujichagulia); collective work and responsibility (ujima); cooperative economics (ujamaa); purpose (nia); creativity (kuumba); and faith (imani).

Schools, libraries and churches also host Kwanzaa events.

Though the celebration is annual, the meaning of Kwanzaa is year-round.

“It’s not something we do,” said Asukile. “It’s a way of life.”

Each day of the week during Kwanzaa, a candle is lit – most often by a child – and one principle is discussed each day. The black candle in the center of the kanara, or candleholder, is the first to be lit in a ceremony reminiscent of the Jewish ritual of lighting eight candles during Hannukah.

“Hopefully, they develop a sense of appreciation of ancestors who laid a foundation on which we stand today,” said Asukile. “And, they can restore what we consider the best pride in our community.”

To start the holiday, the heritage society will host the Brenda Wormack Annual Unity Walk on Dec. 26 at 9 a.m., at the New Bethel African Episcopal Methodist (AME) Church in Lacoochee.

Wormack was vice president of the organization at the time of her death in 2009 from breast cancer. She also was a member of New Bethel AME.

“She was an ardent supporter of youth in the community,” said Asukile.

The heritage society also will host a Kwanzaa event, featuring storyteller Windell Campbell, on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m., at the Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City.

Storytelling is an affirmation of the African-American experience, Asukile said, and it creates an understanding of the past and future.

“You have to constantly tell the story,” Asukile said.

Kwanzaa began in the mid-1960s as the first uniquely African-American holiday. Its creator is Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of black studies at California State College in Long Beach, California.

According to the Kwanzaa website, the theme for Kwanzaa in 2015 is “Embracing Kwanzaa’s Principles and Practices: Creating and Celebrating the Good.”

For the African-American Heritage Society of East Pasco County, the Kwanzaa celebration is a tradition dating at least to the 1990s.

“I think it was through Kwanzaa that our organization was given birth,” Asukile said. “We have kind of used Kwanzaa to help make our community a better place.”

The organization hosts an annual memorial service to honor more than 20 veterans buried at Indian Pond Cemetery in Dade City. During segregation, the cemetery was the only one where African-Americans could bury their loved ones.

Events also are held during the year to recognize black history and women’s history, particularly individuals from the east Pasco area.

“We are extremely proud of what we have been able to contribute, especially proud of how the community has received the organization,” Asukile said.

For information, contact Imani Asukile at (352) 567-0441.

What: The Brenda Wormack Annual Unity Walk
When: Dec. 26 at 9 a.m.
Where: New Bethel AME Church, 20653 Floyd Road in Lacoochee

What: African American Heritage Society of East Pasco – Kwanzaa celebration, featuring storyteller Windell Campbell
When: Dec. 29 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., Dade City

All events are free and open to the public.

Published December 23, 2015

More than 70 teams at lacrosse tournament in Wesley Chapel

December 23, 2015 By Kevin Weiss

Wesley Chapel is gearing up for a lacrosse tournament that attracts teams from across the country and provides an economic boost for Pasco County.

The Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions presented by Pasco County is slated for Dec. 29 through Dec. 31.

The tournament, operated by NDP Lacrosse, will showcase 73 elite teams from five youth divisions that will be vying for national titles. The teams are coming from 15 states, as well as one team from Ontario, Canada.

Opponents face off in a previous Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions game. (Courtesy of NDP Lacrosse) — Opponents face off in a previous Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions game.
(Courtesy of NDP Lacrosse)

The tournament, which moved to Pasco County in 2008, has been referred to as the “inaugural national championship” for pre-collegiate lacrosse players on club teams.

“This is not your high school team or your local rec team,” said Josh Gross, NDP’s senior director of lacrosse operations. “These are all-star teams that travel from different places around the country. There have been some (other organizations) that have tried to replicate it, but none to the (level of) success that we’ve had.

“We truly get some of the best competition in the world,” said Gross, whose organization’s acronym, NDP, stands for National Development Program.”

The number of teams participating is slightly down from previous years due to rising travel costs, but the event is still expected to bring in a considerable amount of revenue for Wesley Chapel and Pasco County.

“It’s my understanding that it brings approximately a $2.6 million economic impact to our community,” said Hope Allen, president of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. “That’s from nights in hotels, eating food, and shopping at our malls.”

With the event falling under the umbrella of the holiday season, many of the lacrosse teams and the players’ families remain in the area for several few days before and after the tournament, said Pasco County Tourism Manager Ed Caum.

“They come down after Christmas and stay through Christmas (break), and enjoy what they can do here after the tournament,” he said. “They can go off to Busch Gardens or down to the Florida Aquarium, so it definitely has a good impact to the Tampa Bay region.”

The tournament, which is held at both the Wesley Chapel District Park and Wesley Chapel High School, had 25 teams when it began operating in Pasco County.

Its growth since then has paved the way for the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association (WCAA) to make capital improvements in facilities, said Tom FitzSimons, WCAA president.

FitzSimons said the tournament also has given exposure to a plethora of local lacrosse players that compete in the event.

“A lot of these kids have grown athletically in the program because they had the ability to play not only teams in Florida, but (teams from) all over the country,” FitzSimons said. “It’s helped them as far as progressing to the next level in college. Upwards of 60 kids that have played with us that played in this event have gone on to play in college.”

The NDP’s existing four-year contract with Pasco County ends after this year, but there is mutual interest to see if a new agreement can be reached.

Gross said he’s excited for the event’s future and hopes it can remain in Pasco County.

“Pasco County, the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association, Saddlebrook Resort and other local partners have been tremendous to NDP and to the event for years,” he said. “We have nothing but great things to say about them.”

For Pasco County, Caum noted there is “about a $100,000 investment” in originally bringing and keeping the tournament in the area.

FitzSimons said the event is really about making a “commitment to the community” for Wesley Chapel.

“I understand the financial parts and everything else, but we’d really like to keep it here and support everything we’re doing in Wesley Chapel,” he said. “Not just from a sport program perspective, but all the growth we’ve seen in keeping these businesses hopping all times of the year.

“I know that we get called pretty much annually from businesses wanting to know when the event is, so they can staff up,” he said.

Published December 23, 2015

Saint Anthony choir to perform for Pope Francis

December 23, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Members of the Saint Anthony Choristers are departing Dec. 26 on a pilgrimage to Rome.

The highlight of their trip will be to sing at the World Peace Day Papal Mass on New Year’s Day, said Sandra Lau, the choir director for the group from Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in San Antonio.

The 14 youth singers will be part of 5,000 youth singers from around the world that are taking part in the 40th International Congress of Pueri Cantores.

Pueri Cantores, which means “little singers” in Latin, was founded in France in 1907.

St. Peter’s Basilica is filled with singers from all over the world during the International Congress of Pueri Cantores on Jan. 1, 2011. It should be a similar scene when a group of singers from Saint Anthony of Padua Church in San Antonio take part in the 40th International Congress of Pueri Cantores. (Courtesy of American Federation Pueri Cantores) — St. Peter’s Basilica is filled with singers from all over the world during the International Congress of Pueri Cantores on Jan. 1, 2011. It should be a similar scene when a group of singers from Saint Anthony of Padua Church in San Antonio take part in the 40th International Congress of Pueri Cantores.
(Courtesy of American Federation Pueri Cantores)

The organization is dedicated to the conviction that singing can be an instrument in worshipping God.

Saint Anthony Choristers is part of the largest delegation of American singers ever to participate in a Pueri Cantores Congress, with almost 2,000 pilgrims expected to travel from the United States to Rome.

Other activities during the week include the “Mass of the Nations,” where the American choirs will celebrate a Mass in English in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, various “Concerts of Hope” at major churches in Rome, featuring an international mix of children’s choirs from among Pueri Cantores’ 37 federations around the world, and a private audience with the Holy Father, at which the “little singers” will sing Christmas carols from their home countries.

Lau said the group she is leading has been practicing the music it will be singing in Rome for months.

“We started in July, and we’ve been having twice a month, hour-and-a-half rehearsals,” Lau said.

The choir is singing an Argentinian song that we’re learning, because our Pope is from Argentina, Lau said.

The group also will be touring various sites in Rome, Lau said, noting she believes the experience will leave a lifelong impression on the singers making the trip.

Being able to sing for Pope Francis is an honor, she said.

“You saw how excited people were when he came to the United States, in Philadelphia and New York. So many people said, ‘Oh, I just love this Pope. And, they loved seeing him here on our homeland. But, to be in the Vatican where he lives and have kids their age from all over the world coming together is just amazing. It makes you realize how big the Catholic church is, and how far it has spread,” she said.

The music the choirs will be performing, she said, “ties us in with generations past, because we’re singing chant that goes back centuries.”

So, the experience will enable the choir to join voices with choirs from around the world, and they’ll be connected to the past through the music

The group also will be in church during a special time.

Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee of Mercy, which began Dec. 8 and runs through Nov. 20, 2016.

A Jubilee is a special time celebrated by the church to receive pardon and blessing from God, according to the National Catholic Reporter. “Most Jubilees have been focused on calling pilgrims to Rome to receive such pardon — normally by walking through a special holy door at a papal basilica,” according to the national Catholic publication.

“Francis has widely expanded his Jubilee, asking that diocese throughout the world open their own holy door at a cathedral or other church to expand the practice globally,” the National Catholic Reporter explains.

Lau is excited because the choir will be in Rome when the Holy Door is open there.

Lau has been the organist and choir director at St. Anthony of Padua since 1987, and has led children’s choirs nearly the entire time.

The Saint Anthony Choristers became affiliated with Pueri Cantores in 2007, expanding the choir’s opportunities to participate in regional festivals and international choral gatherings.

This is the second time the church has sent members of its youth choir to Rome; the other time was five years ago, Lau said.

Published December 23, 2015

Pasco County water customers get relief

December 23, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Listen to the customer — that’s the lesson learned by Pasco County after unhappy residents repeatedly complained during the past year about exorbitant and sometimes unexplainable water bills.

“It is moving in the right direction,” said Marc Bellas, director of performance development for Pasco County, referring to the county’s efforts to create a more customer-friendly water department.

Bellas appeared before the Pasco County Commission on Dec. 15 to deliver an update on steps being taken to correct deficiencies in the water department billing procedures.

After numerous complaints about water bills by customers, Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller Paula O’Neil ordered an audit by the solicitor general.

One of those complaints came from Louise Gritmon who was floored by a bill she received in July 2014 for more than $3,300.

The county billed Gritmon for 614,000 gallons of water during an 18-day period at a time when Gritmon said her house was vacant.

An analysis of 361 accounts, including the bill to Gritmon, resulted in 60 billing adjustments ranging from just under $2 to more than $3,000 less in Gritmon’s case.

Her bill was lowered to $40, which Gritmon had argued for months was the amount of a normal bill at her house.

Commissioners in November rewrote an ordinance to include language permitting the billing adjustments as a one-time event. Previously, county officials said they had no authority to make adjustments.

Many of the high bills were explainable as leaks or from irrigation of lawns, Bellas said. But, he added: “There were some key errors on our part, and a lot of things going wrong. You’ve got to start with a culture shift.”

That shift, according to Bellas, is meant to move the water department from an office focused on compliance to one focused on customer service and education.

Significant progress has been made, and more is coming, Bellas told commissioners.

The audit found deficiencies in the county’s meter reading and billing process, software glitches, inaccessible meters, inconsistent readings and alerts to potential leaks that weren’t passed on to customers.

To address problems, the county changed a confusing billing format that listed an account number, a customer number and a bill number. How the customer paid a bill could determine which number was used, Bellas said.

A third-party billing system should save the county about $80,000 a year, he said.

Pasco also budgeted for additional staff to boost to 11 the number of full-time customer service representatives. Bellas said that is barely more than a minimum of nine employees needed as “best practice.”

Employees also received more training, with a focus on quicker response times. Progress has been made, Bellas said.

The number of abandoned phone calls dropped from 50 percent in August to 13 percent in November. And, a wait time of 20 minutes decreased to about four minutes.

Bellas also said the customers whose bills were reviewed were asked to rate their service. About 81 percent were satisfied, he said.

That says a lot for how employees are responding to the complaints, Bellas said.

But, Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said he would like to see more improvements.

“I don’t think there would be any private company that would be happy with those numbers,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said he did his own checking on customer service by calling the water department with questions on how to pay his last three water bills. He didn’t identify himself as a commissioner.

“The person that helped me was great,” he said, at least on the first call. “The second person, not so much.”

The first employee who was outgoing and friendly, he said, “Those are the people you want to possibly train the others.”

But, Bellas said he hadn’t heard any “really bad stories” from people. “You want most of your customers to be thrilled with what you’ve done, but you can’t always please everybody that’s coming through.”

Part of the solution is on making it easier for customers to understand their bills, and Bellas said the new bill is easier to read. But, efforts to educate the public also matter, he added.

Some high bills resulted from lawn irrigation, he said, adding that residents are often unaware of how much water their lawns soak up.

Published December 23, 2015

Lighted hummingbirds, butterflies and snowmen — oh, my!

December 23, 2015 By B.C. Manion

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys seasonal decor, you’ll find plenty to like at Holiday Lights in the Gardens at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.

The gardens — home year-round to an interesting array of plants and trees — decks out with 750,000 holiday lights and a huge array of seasonal decorations during the event.

Visitors to Holiday Lights in the Gardens at Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo will encounter colorful lights throughout the display, decking out everything from berry bushes to stately palms, to pointy cacti and floral beauties. Here, a set of round colored lights seems to be the perfect addition to this berry bush. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Visitors to Holiday Lights in the Gardens at Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo will encounter colorful lights throughout the display, decking out everything from berry bushes to stately palms, to pointy cacti and floral beauties. Here, a set of round colored lights seems to be the perfect addition to this berry bush.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

The display features such things as lighted lollipops, giant snowflakes, ornaments and snowmen, too. There’s also a choo-choo train, gingerbread men and a gingerbread house, as well.

Plenty of the lighted decorations pay homage to Florida’s natural life, including a turtle, a gator, hummingbirds, flamingoes and butterflies.

The lighted figures are placed throughout the garden, adding color and complementing the garden’s natural beauty. For instance, a group of illuminated flamingoes appears to be prowling under some drooping angel trumpets.
The event is the largest fundraiser for the gardens and depends on the help of about 450 volunteers, as well as donations to make the event a success.

Visitors who want their kids to have a chance to tell Santa what they would like will have until Dec. 23.

But, the event continues nightly, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., until Dec. 31.

An up-to-date schedule of nightly, family friendly entertainment can be found on the Florida Botanical Gardens’ website at FLBG.org, or by calling the Holiday Lights hotline at (727) 582-5800.

If You Go
What: Holiday Lights in the Gardens
Where: Florida Botanical Gardens, 12520 Ulmerton Road in Largo
When: Nightly through Dec. 31, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
How much: $4 donation suggested per person, for those 13 and older. Parking is free.
For more information, go to FLBG.org.