The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

This time, Santa is the recipient

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Usually, Santa is on the giving end of things.

But, not this time.

Santa Paul, also known as Paul Bartell, recently received an Honorary Paul Harris Fellow Award for Community Service from the Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary Club.

The award was presented on March 8 at Hunter’s Green Country Club, during the Rotary of Wesley Chapel Noon’s first Foundation Dinner, an event the club plans to host every year.

Bartell was recognized for the many good deeds he performs, both undercover as Santa Paul, and more directly through his Relay for Life activities.

Santa Paul, also known as Paul Bartell, talks with a young boy at a ‘Breakfast with Santa’ event. (Laura Hauser photos courtesy of Paul Bartell)
Santa Paul, also known as Paul Bartell, talks with a young boy at a ‘Breakfast with Santa’ event.
(Laura Hauser photo courtesy of Paul Bartell)

Bartell and his wife also have been heavily involved in their children’s schools, have worked to raise scholarship funds to honor their son, Sean, who died from a rare condition at the age of 16, and for their tradition of opening their home at the holidays to spread Christmas cheer.

Santa Paul is widely known around Wesley Chapel.

He’s been playing Santa for charity since 1995.

He volunteers for eight schools in Pasco and one in Hillsborough County.

He dons his Santa costume so school PTAs can raise money through “Cookies with Santa” or “Photos with Santa” events. Over the years, he’s played Santa to roughly 30,000 children, include 3,750 in 2015.

He and his wife, Jamie, also have opened their home during the holidays. As Santa and Mrs. Claus, they share cookies, fudge, punch and music at their home, which is decked out to the max. Those visiting can also have their photo taken with Santa in his sleigh, and Santa gives a gift to each child who visits. Last year, 847 guests dropped by.

Bartell also has been involved with Relay for Life since 1991, serving as a team captain for the last eight years.

He also has been active at his children’s schools since 2003.

After their 16-year-old son died, Bartell and his wife rallied to pass on Sean’s legacy by creating a memorial scholarship. This year, they plan to give four $1,000 scholarships.

Bartell also does his Santa gig for company Christmas parties, using the money he earns from them to help support the scholarship fund and to buy presents for children visiting his home during the holidays.

Bartell was both surprised and delighted to receive the Rotary Club’s honor, particularly in light of the caliber of the other nominees, he said.

In a Facebook posting, he said: “This award is a great honor in the Rotary community, and I am truly honored to have been chosen.”

Sean Bartell Memorial Scholarship
What: Second annual Pasta Dinner Fundraiser
When: April 16 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, 33425 State Road 54
Cost: Advanced tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 5 to 10, free for kids younger than age 5. The price at the door is $12 for adults, $6 for kids ages 5 to 10. Tickets are available by calling Paul Bartell at (813) 416-9238, or at Atonement Lutheran Church, 29617 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel.
To-go boxes will be available.

Published April 6, 2016

 

Swimming against all odds

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Thomas Casey will be making his 16th swim this year to raise money for people battling cancer.

Casey, 57, flies to his hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut each summer to participate in the annual SWIM Across the Sound — a 15.5-mile swim marathon stretching from Port Jefferson, New York to Bridgeport — helping to raise $2.5 million each year.

It wasn’t until 2012, though, that he found out that he also is dealing with the disease.

Lutz resident Thomas Casey was diagnosed with Stage IV renal cell carcinoma in 2012. The cancer spread from his kidney to the bones in both of his arms. (Photos courtesy of Thomas Casey)
Lutz resident Thomas Casey was diagnosed with Stage IV renal cell carcinoma in 2012. The cancer spread from his kidney to the bones in both of his arms.
(Photos courtesy of Thomas Casey)

When he was diagnosed with Stage IV renal cell carcinoma — the most common form of kidney cancer — it came without warning.

The Lutz resident said there was “no history of cancer” in his family.

He was diagnosed shortly before he was scheduled to make the trip to Bridgeport.

“Six weeks before the event, I went to the doctor’s (office) because I was having pain in my left side, and I found out I had diverticulitis, and he said, ‘Oh, and by the way, your left kidney is filled with cancer,’” Casey said. “Being told you have cancer, everybody says the same thing: ‘It’s like you got hit by a freight train,’ and it’s true.”

Casey acknowledges it’s a strange feeling — to know he is the only member of his family to be stricken with the disease.

“I’ve got three brothers and a sister with no cancer,” he said. “I’m the only one…out of my family that does any kind of (cancer) fundraising, and I get it. But, I don’t take it that way, and I never say, ‘Why me?’ I don’t have that attitude.”

Even after having his kidney removed, the cancer had spread to his arms, where tumors were virtually breaking the bones in half.

Despite being stricken with Stage IV cancer, Casey swims three to four days per week. He helps raise money for cancer victims by swimming in the annual SWIM Across the Sound, a 15.5-mile swim marathon that stretches from Port Jefferson, New York to Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Despite being stricken with Stage IV cancer, Casey swims three to four days per week. He helps raise money for cancer victims by swimming in the annual SWIM Across the Sound, a 15.5-mile swim marathon that stretches from Port Jefferson, New York to Bridgeport, Connecticut.

With the help of Dr. David Cheong, an orthopaedic oncologist, Casey had both tumors removed. To reinforce the upper-arm bone, known as the humerus, in both of Casey’s arms, the doctor inserted two 10 ½-inch plates to provide both mechanical and rotational stability.

“Humeral shaft tumors can be particularly devastating because they run the length of the bone,” said Cheong, a surgeon with Orthopaedic Associates of West Florida in Clearwater.

“Patients generally need extensive therapy to regain normal function,” the surgeon said.

However, Casey was a rare case.

The Lutz resident’s recovery went so well so quickly that he is able to swim a mile (72 lengths) three to four days a week.

“The doctor that has rebuilt me is totally amazing.  I can not thank Dr. Cheong and the other professionals enough that have worked with me,” said Casey, who’s already booked his trip for the 2016 SWIM Across the Sound event.

“I don’t know if any other person could have done what he did. …For what he’s done for me, I am totally, wholeheartedly grateful.”

Dr. David Cheong is an orthopaedic oncologist with Orthopaedic Associates of West Florida in Clearwater. He removed tumors in Thomas Casey’s arms and inserted two 10 ½-inch plates to provide both mechanical and rotational stability for his upper arms. (Courtesy of Ashley Pontius)
Dr. David Cheong is an orthopaedic oncologist with Orthopaedic Associates of West Florida in Clearwater. He removed tumors in Thomas Casey’s arms and inserted two 10 ½-inch plates to provide both mechanical and rotational stability for his upper arms.
(Courtesy of Ashley Pontius)

“If you see me, you would not believe that I have these rods in my arms, and am still able to swim and raise money for the foundation up there,” he said.

While he knows the clear cell carcinoma is still in his body and “isn’t going anywhere,” Casey uses swimming as a coping mechanism.

“You think, and you kind of dream when you’re in the water. I think a lot about what’s coming up,” said Casey, who’s been a swimmer for more than half his life. “I can’t work anymore; the one thing I can do is swim. Not to be able to swim anymore would probably upset me.”

According to Dr. Cheong, it’s important for cancer patients like Casey to have an activity where they can focus their energy.

“I have always known Thomas to be a highly motivated individual with goals and aspirations to beat cancer and maintain an active lifestyle,” the surgeon said. “I believe that this attitude is the single most important aspect to a patient’s recovery and success.”

Casey also puts it on himself to speak to others about the deadly disease. He said that having open discussions about cancer has helped him deal with it.

“I don’t like sitting at home all day. I try to do things, but I don’t let this (cancer) depress me at all,” Casey said.

Casey has had radiation three times, but has never undergone chemotherapy.

Casey acknowledges that with Stage IV cancer, “the worst is yet to come.”

But, he doesn’t let the thought disturb him.

“Technically I should be dead now. But, it’s not killed me yet, and I keep fighting it,” he said, noting the typical life expectancy is two years for someone with his type of cancer.

What bothers him most is seeing children who have cancer, Casey said.

“I’ve lived 57 years and these children, basically, have not lived,” Casey said.

Published March 30, 2016

Cafeteria lady basks in the limelight

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When Suellen Smith began stocking formal attire in a closet in the Zephyrhills High School cafeteria, she was hoping the effort would help create a little magic for some young men and women.

The cafeteria manager knew that most of the school’s students come from families that struggle financially, and she wanted to do her part to help.

During her visit to Washington D.C., Suellen Smith had a chance to see some popular spots for tourists. (Photos courtesy of Suellen Smith)
During her visit to Washington D.C., Suellen Smith had a chance to see some popular spots for tourists.
(Photos courtesy of Suellen Smith)

So, in addition to the hundreds of meals it serves up each day, the cafeteria is also known as being a place where students needing to dress for a special occasion can do a little ‘shopping’ for free.

What began quietly, around five years ago, has helped hundreds of students make special memories.

And, while it started with the idea of helping give students a time to remember, Smith’s compassion has resulted in the cafeteria manager having a few shining moments of her own.

The honors began flowing in last year when Smith received the Community Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Florida School Nutrition Association and the “Best Behind the Scenes” award from Pasco County Schools.

She was recognized on a bigger stage recently, when she traveled to Washington D.C., where she was honored by the School Nutrition Foundation as one of five School Nutrition Heroes in the country.

A video telling the story of Smith’s fancy clothes closet and the other ways she helps students was played during the Feb. 29 national event.

It was replayed on March 15, when the Pasco County School Board lavished praise on Smith — casting a spotlight on her accomplishments.

Smith never expected the attention or applause, but she is touched by the recognition.

“It was just happenstance that it started,” Smith said.

“I just had gotten involved with the county’s Cinderella Project, and then I realized that we could do it out of here, and I’d have dresses available for the kids’ homecoming and the military ball,” she said. “It has just grown bigger and bigger through the years.”

Suellen Smith gets ready to attend a reception honoring her and four other School Nutrition Heroes from across the country during an event in Washington D.C.
Suellen Smith gets ready to attend a reception honoring her and four other School Nutrition Heroes from across the country during an event in Washington D.C.

Since returning from the nation’s Capitol, she’s received a cash donation to help with expenses, she said. “I also got a box of dresses shipped to me from Maryland,” she added.

While helping kids, Smith said she gets something, too.

“Nobody has more fun with it than I do,” she said. “I gave three away yesterday. That was three times I got to get somebody dolled up, and leaving here like a princess. It was really fun.”

She basked in the glow of recognition at the national event.

“I was a celebrity for an evening — queen for a day — that’s what I say,” Smith said.

At the conclusion of her video, throngs of people approached her at the national awards ceremony.

“So many people came up and just hugged me. And, people cried,” she said.

While Smith doesn’t view herself as a hero, it means a lot to her to be appreciated, and she hopes other cafeteria managers will feel inspired to do what they can for the kids at their schools.

“I was blessed when I started in school food service that I worked with a manager that showed me that we could do more for the children than just lunch, that we could actually touch their whole life,” Smith said, during the video. “So, that’s what I try to do.”

Published March 30, 2016

New restaurant to take Hot Rods’ spot

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A lawsuit shuttered Hot Rods Country BBQ in 2013.

Two weeks ago, the quirky Lutz restaurant, locally famous for ‘swamp bat’ and hot sauces, met the wrecking ball.

Hot Rods Country BBQ, a Lutz landmark, closed in 2013. The restaurant recently was torn down to make way for a new, unnamed restaurant at Sunset Lane and Livingston Avenue. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)
Hot Rods Country BBQ, a Lutz landmark, closed in 2013. The restaurant recently was torn down to make way for a new, unnamed restaurant at Sunset Lane and Livingston Avenue.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

County records show the property changed hands in December 2015 when Sunset Livingston LLC bought Hot Rods from Champor Corp Inc., for $525,000. Winter Park-based Alton Lightsey is listed as the registered agent for Sunset Livingston; Lutz real estate broker Jerry Shaw is manager.

Plans are to build a new restaurant with an outdoor patio. The as-yet-unnamed restaurant will serve beer and wine, and could have a few barbecue items.

Co-owner Jerry Shaw said, “It’s going to be home-cooked, family style food.”

The beer and wine license received approval in January.

Next comes settling on a restaurant name, drawing up construction plans, and getting the building permits, Shaw said.

No ribbon cutting is set, but Shaw hopes to open the restaurant within six months or so.

“It’s a matter of getting the drawings completed and approved,” he said.

A dirt lot is all that is left of Hot Rods Country BBQ. The restaurant was torn down to make way for a new restaurant from owners Sunset Livingston LLC.
A dirt lot is all that is left of Hot Rods Country BBQ. The restaurant was torn down to make way for a new restaurant from owners Sunset Livingston LLC.

Hot Rods became legendary in Lutz for its offbeat menu items and rustic décor.

It opened in 1998. A lawsuit over debt led to the restaurant’s closure in May 2013.

Rod Gaudin started Hot Rods with a barbecue pit, next to a country store he had at Sunset Lane and Livingston Avenue. He later converted a wood-frame house into the restaurant. Customers walked onto the porch and opened the front door with a water-spigot handle.

Hot sauces tantalized with names such as “Scorned Women,” “Endorphin Rush,” and “Mosquito Blood.”

Typical dishes were barbecue and cornbread. Atypical dishes were ‘swamp bat,’ ‘lizard tail’ and ‘armadillo eggs’ — known respectively as quail, beef steak and cheddar cheese poppers.

State inspectors revealed the swamp bat secret to a Tampa Tribune reporter, though Gaudin’s lips were sealed on the subject.

Published March 30, 2016

Special events eligible for tourism grants

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Every year, thousands of tourists flock to festivals in Pasco County, spending money and getting to know the county’s best features.

They dine on kumquats, browse through arts and crafts booths, immerse themselves in Native American culture, listen to old-time music, and learn about the environment.

But, putting on those special events takes cash.

Thousands flocked to Dade City to enjoy the activities and displays at the 2016 Kumquat Festival. Events hoping to secure support through Pasco County’s tourism grants have until April 13 to apply. (File Photo)
Thousands flocked to Dade City to enjoy the activities and displays at the 2016 Kumquat Festival. Events hoping to secure support through Pasco County’s tourism grants have until April 13 to apply.
(File Photo)

Each year the Pasco County Office of Tourism Development and the Tourist Development Council award $80,000 in grants to organizations staging special events.

For fiscal year 2016-17, applications for the grants will be accepted through April 13.

Staff members at tourism development will review the application packets and make recommendations to the council members. All applicants will then make presentations to the council on May 18.

“We look for unique events that can really draw people to the event,” said Pasco Tourism Manager Ed Caum, in a press release. “We also recognize that event success doesn’t happen overnight, so we look for the potential growth as well.”

Grants can be spent on promotions, marketing, paid advertising and media buys.

The Kumquat Festival, the Suncoast Arts Fest, Rattlesnake Festival and Chasco Fiesta are among past recipients.

The Pasco Eco Fest, which staged its first event in 2015, also got some seed money for the event through the county’s special events grant program.

Last year, about $69,000 of the $80,000 in grants was awarded. The remaining $14,000 was spent by Pasco tourism on marketing efforts for each of the recipients.

Some of the funds paid for advertisement buys on Facebook. One ad drew about 33,000 visits to the page, Caum said.

“We’re trying to show them the power of online ways to attract people from outside of the county,” he said. The ad reach doesn’t have to go far. Even those people who come from surrounding counties are tourists – known as day trippers – once they cross into Pasco, he said.

Once the Tourism Development Council makes it recommendations for grants, the Pasco County Commission will have final say, probably in July or August.

Funds will be available Oct. 1, with the start of fiscal year 2017.

To apply, call the Pasco County OTD at (727) 847-8129. Forms and requirements are available at PascoCountyFl.net.

Published March 30, 2016

Governor slashes some budget items

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Pasco County had some hits and misses in the 2017 state budget.

Gov. Rick Scott signed a statewide budget bill of about $82 billion on March 17. But not before he slashed about $256 million in vetoed items, including $11 million sought for the proposed performing arts center at the Pasco-Hernando State College.

However, he spared some Pasco projects including $450,000 for repairs and upkeep at the Baldomero Lopez Memorial Veterans Nursing Home in Land O’ Lakes and $53,500 for the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City.

Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a proposed $750,000 grant to help restore the Capt. Harold B. Jeffries House in Zephyrhills. (File Photo)
Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a proposed $750,000 grant to help restore the Capt. Harold B. Jeffries House in Zephyrhills.
(File Photo)

The performing arts center is planned for joint uses between the college and Pasco County Schools. It likely will be built on property near the Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

In two prior years, requests of $10 million each made it through safely. This is the first rejection for a project expected to cost as much as $60 million.

“It’s disappointing, but we understand it’s a complex statewide budget,” said Lucy Miller, spokeswoman for the state college. “There’s always another year we can vie for funds. It’s a fact that we have to look at other options and see what’s out there.”

Miller noted, however, that it’s unlikely to be a private donor with deep enough pockets to foot such a large bill.

Planning for the project will move forward, she said.

The college currently operates a performing arts center in a 620-seat theater on its West Campus in New Port Richey. The proposed facility would have up to 3,000 seats, and could serve as training ground for college and high school performing arts’ students.

It also has potential for conferences, conventions, trade shows and high school graduation ceremonies.

A 2013 study by the Urban Land Institute found that Pasco lacks sufficient cultural and arts venues, and should consider using revenues from the Penny for Pasco program to support such projects.

Scott also rejected some other Pasco projects.

He cut $250,000 to help reopen the Moore Mickens Education Center in Dade City and $75,000 to restore the historical Capt. Harold B. Jeffries’ house in Zephyrhills.

The Moore Mickens school was Pasco’s first school for black students. In more recent years, the school provided adult education, a Cyesis program for pregnant teenagers and an early childhood education program for child care workers.

School officials closed Moore Mickens in 2015 and transferred its programs to other sites.

The request for the Jeffries’ house in Zephyrhills landed on the annual “turkey watch” list issued by Florida Taxwatch.

Built in 1912, the structure is the original home of Jeffries, the Civil War veteran who settled Zephyrhills in the hopes of bringing other war veterans with him.

The private, nonprofit Taxwatch group doesn’t judge a project’s worthiness, but singles out projects for a lack of transparency and accountability.

According to Taxwatch, the request for the restoration funds didn’t go through the historical properties grant process.

Another project on the turkey list escaped the veto pen: Scott led stand a request for $750,000 for a multi-modal trail across U.S. 19 in New Port Richey.

Other winners in Pasco are the STEM aeronautics academy at Sunlake High School and other locations, with $750,000; Dade City, with $400,000 for a storm water project; Pasco Sheriff’s child protective unit, with $400,000; Lighthouse for the Blind in Pasco and Hernando counties, with $100,000; and $250,000 for a new kitchen for the Senior Elderly Nutrition Program in Land O’ Lakes.

Sometimes persistence pays off.

Last year, Gov. Scott vetoed a similar request for the kitchen. He also scuttled a larger request of $1.9 million for Dade City’s storm water initiative.

Published March 30, 2016

Saying thanks, a million times over

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John Picciano has fond memories of his years at Saint Leo University, and a deep appreciation for the influence that the Benedictine Sisters of Florida had on his life.

That’s what motivated the CEO of Ogelthorpe Inc., to donate $1 million to the Benedictine Sisters’ The Future is Now Campaign.

“The sisters, at that time, were very instrumental in bringing out my potential as a student,” Picciano said. “They emphasized Christian values.

John Picciano expresses his gratitude for the influence the Benedictine Sisters of Florida have had on his life through a $1 million donation to the sisters’ fundraising efforts. He is shown here, presenting an oversized copy of the check to Sister Roberta Bailey. (Courtesy of Benedictine Sisters of Florida)
John Picciano expresses his gratitude for the influence the Benedictine Sisters of Florida have had on his life through a $1 million donation to the sisters’ fundraising efforts. He is shown here, presenting an oversized copy of the check to Sister Roberta Bailey.
(Courtesy of Benedictine Sisters of Florida)

“They made me feel at home, and also were very good to help develop my self-esteem,” said Picciano, who went on to become a priest in the Diocese of Orlando, before stepping away from that vocation into a corporate role.

The Future is Now Campaign seeks to raise $1,650,000 to build an additional wing onto Holy Name Monastery, off State Road 52, across from Saint Leo University, near Dade City.

The additional wing was always part of the plan, but just not this soon.

“We knew the new facility would garner renewed interest in our community over a period of five or six years, but did not imagine it would happen so quickly,” Prioress Sister Roberta Bailey, said in a news release.

Requests have been flowing into the monastery from large groups wanting more than just a day retreat, Bailey explained. There also are women who are interested in discerning a vocation. Those needs require more space, Bailey said.

Besides donating $1 million, Picciano is chairing the fundraising campaign.

When Holy Name Monastery opened its doors in 2014, plans had already been drawn to expand the building at a future date. But, the need for larger quarters came sooner than expected. (File Photo)
When Holy Name Monastery opened its doors in 2014, plans had already been drawn to expand the building at a future date. But, the need for larger quarters came sooner than expected.
(File Photo)

A graduate of the class of 1969 at Saint Leo University, Picciano is the CEO of

an inpatient multihospital system dedicated to substance abuse care and counselling.

“I’m in the health care business. I work with drug addiction and psychiatric hospitals. We manage those facilities, and as a result of many things, we’re able to give back,” Picciano said. Last year, he gave $1 million to Saint Leo University.

Ogelthorpe, which has its corporate headquarters in downtown Tampa, has hospitals in Ohio, Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

Picciano’s contribution, combined with proceeds from a fundraiser and gifts from other donors, has brought the total raised to date to $1,334,896. Efforts continue to raise the remaining $315,104.

The additional space at the monastery is needed, said Picciano, noting he believes Pope Francis is inspiring more people to consider a religious life.

In addition to providing space for women who are considering vocations, the wing will provide more room for retreats, he added.

“I think the rooms will be well-used for their mission. The Benedictines are to work and pray, that’s what they do,” Picciano said.

For more information, visit BenedictineSistersOfFl.org.

Published March 30, 2016

Pasco County health rankings improve from last year

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On average, Pasco County residents are slightly healthier than they were last year.

Out of Florida’s 67 counties, Pasco ranks 37th in health outcomes, according to the University of Wisconsin’s 2016 County Heath Rankings & Roadmaps tool.

That’s four spots better than the county’s ranking last year, when it came in at 41st in the state.

Pasco County ranked 37th out of Florida’s 67 counties for health outcomes in 2016. The county ranked 41st in 2015. (Photos courtesy of Pasco County Health Department)
Pasco County ranked 37th out of Florida’s 67 counties for health outcomes in 2016. The county ranked 41st in 2015.
(Photos courtesy of Pasco County Health Department)

The rankings are a broad measure summarizing county residents’ health status and quality of life.

Comparatively, Hillsborough County ranked 28th in health outcomes in the last two years.

The main reason for the rankings jump can be linked to improvements in the “quality of life” indicator, said Mike Napier, Pasco County’s health officer.

The county leaped from 45th to 24th in the “quality of life” category, which consists of four elements — percentage of residents in poor or fair health, number of poor physical health days per resident, number of poor mental health days per resident and low birth weight percentage.

Napier noted county residents have reported “feeling better than in the past.”

“Part of good health is people feel good,” the health officer said. “That may not mean they’re as healthy when you look at their blood work or all the things they should be, but if you feel healthy, that’s definitely a good sign.”

Napier hopes the county can rise into the “20s” or the top third of the health outcomes ranking by 2020.

To reach that goal, Napier said the department is focusing on creating better access to care—like a mobile dental bus — and decreasing the prevalence of chronic diseases, such as smoking and obesity.

“The big overarching issues are access to care and chronic disease,” he said. “Then you drill down into that a little bit—smoking continues to be a concern that we have people working on, on a daily basis. Obesity continues to be a problem for Pasco, as well as the nation. Obesity is just a symptom. There are a lot of factors that go into obesity, like getting people to eat healthier, and get physical activity.”

Pasco County health officer Mike Napier said he’d like to see Pasco County rise into the top third of the health outcomes ranking of all Florida counties by 2020.
Pasco County health officer Mike Napier said he’d like to see Pasco County rise into the top third of the health outcomes ranking of all Florida counties by 2020.

According to the rankings, the percentage of adult smokers in Pasco decreased from 26 percent in 2015 to 17 percent this year. However, adult obesity (Body Mass Index of 30 or more) increased slightly, from 29 percent to 30 percent.

In an effort to make the county’s roughly 485,000 residents “healthier,” Napier’s department is working to create collaborative efforts with “nontraditional” partners, such as local chambers of commerce, rotary clubs and private businesses.

Napier hopes these partnerships will have a greater “collective impact” on the community in raising awareness about the negative effects of smoking, promoting better health through healthier eating and perhaps by instituting more exercise options, such as building more bike paths.

“A lot of us are working on the same things, but we don’t always talk to each other about those same things, so we’re trying to bring groups together that are working on common problems,” Napier said. “It’s organized a little better, so we’re all going in the same direction.”

The Pasco County Department of Health has also aligned with organizations like United Way, Alliance for Substance Abuse of Pasco (ASAP) and Premier Health, a fully qualified health center, to help facilitate and fund additional activities for the community.

“We’ve got a lot of great services in our community. We just don’t have a lot of great organization to have that all in a way, where you…combine resources and you get more done with two people doing the same thing,” Napier said.

While the health department is trying to do its part to raise the wellness profile of Pasco residents, Napier pointed out that it will take collaboration and buy-in to achieve the desired results.

“If we get into the 20s ranking, it will be because the community came around the idea, and we collectively made that happen,” Napier said.

The 2016 health outcome ranking for Florida’s 67 counties was recently released. The measure focuses on a county resident’s average length of life and quality of life.

Top five counties for health outcomes:
St. Johns, Collier, Sarasota, Martin, Seminole

Bottom five counties for health outcomes:
Hamilton, Madison, Putnam, Union, Gadsden

Published March 30, 2016

 

Task forces ready to make choices on transportation

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Two task forces are grappling with critical decisions on the future of State Road 54 and State Road 56.

The final meeting of the West Task Force was scheduled for March 28, after The Laker/Lutz News’ press deadline.

The East Task Force is scheduled to meet on March 31 at 5:30 p.m., at Rasmussen College.

An 18-wheeler moves through the intersection at State Road 54 and U.S. 41. A task force is looking at ways to improve the intersection, and ease congestion. (File Photo)
An 18-wheeler moves through the intersection at State Road 54 and U.S. 41. A task force is looking at ways to improve the intersection, and ease congestion.
(File Photo)

Eighteen transportation alternatives for the state highway corridors are expected to be whittled down to five alternatives, along with a no-build option.

The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization is the sponsoring agency for what is a three-part review of how to address growing transportation needs on one of Pasco County’s busiest thoroughfares.

The second phase of the review will be a “drill down” into the selected alternatives, said James Edwards, transportation planning manager for the MPO.

The goal is to focus on options that appear reasonable and feasible, Edwards said.

But, the next phase likely won’t get under way until mid- or late-summer.

The task forces will remain in place, but Edwards said there will be additional public meetings in the second phase to gather input from the community at large.

The task forces had the first of three meetings for each group in September.

The West Task Force focused on State Road 54 from U.S. 19, in west Pasco, to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. The East Task Force looked at State Road 54/State Road 56, from U.S. 41 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, east of Interstate 75.

Task force members are from the MPO’s Citizens Advisory Committee, local chambers of commerce, community leaders, developers or their representatives, and residents from east and west Pasco.

In preparation for the upcoming meeting, task force members completed surveys giving their views on the 18 proposals.

Much of the East Task Force discussion has centered on the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41, where state highway officials are proposing to redesign State Road 54 as a flyover crossing above U.S. 41. Toll lanes also are being considered.

Some favor the design, but others strongly oppose the plan as harmful to the businesses that could be displaced.

“I just want to see them stay at grade as much as possible,” said Sandy Graves, chairwoman of the East Task Force and a member of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

At a prior meeting, some task force members pushed for at-grade solutions and greater use of frontage roads to ease congestion at the intersection.

Suggestions also have been made that the CSX railroad tracks could be adapted for commuter stops.

All options are being looked at, including public transit, Edwards said.

About $150,000 in federal grants funded the initial phase, but the cost could double for the next phase.

Edwards said the county hopes to share costs with the Florida Department of Transportation.

“It’s a state highway,” he said. “What we’re doing will benefit DOT.”

But, final decisions are a long way off, and presently no construction funds are available.

“There’s time to sit back and reflect,” Graves said. “It’s important to get State Road 54 and U.S. 41 correct.”

Published March 30, 2016

Free outdoor movie set for Land O’ Lakes

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Good times and summer are coming together at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, at 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Family movie night is back — after major renovations at the park temporarily put the park out of commission for users.

A ribbon cutting in August 2015 signaled the completion of a $2.4 million makeover that added new ball fields, a concession building with restrooms, two shelters, new parking lots and a remodeled patio.

And now, at 7 p.m., on the first Friday of every month, families again can grab blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets for an evening with their favorite Hollywood stars.

The April 1 feature is “Shrek the Third,” the last installment in the adventures of Shrek, Princess Fiona and Puss ‘n Boots.

The movies are hosted by the Land O’ Lakes Community Center and the nonprofit Heritage Park Foundation.

The movie screenings have been upgraded from an inflatable giant screen to a Jumbotron, with crisper, sharper images.

“It’s a good family thing to do,” said Sandy Graves, the foundation’s president. “It takes advantage of the open space there, without being sports oriented. It’s a nice little venue.”

Graves said there are ongoing discussions about having the local Rotary Club offer concessions. For now, though, movie-goers need to bring their own treats.

No alcohol, however, is permitted.

Movie night officially kicked off on March 4 with a showing of “Ice Age.” About 100 people flapped open blankets and clicked lawn chairs into place.

Parking is no problem with the upgraded lots at the center, Graves said.

If there’s a big turnout, there’s plenty of room to park on a county-owned parcel, off School Road, across from the community center, Graves said.

For information, call (813) 929-1229.

Published March 30, 2016