Local News

Business Digest 10-01-14

October 2, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Grand opening in style
Kalista Sprague, left, along with Lilly Boudin and Kate Boudin of Land O’ Lakes show off some of their face painting creations at the grand opening celebration for ME Hobbies. The store is located at 1904 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz. To learn more about the store, visit MEHobbies.com.

The Laker/Lutz News wins national ad award
An advertisement featuring some happy feet and encouraging readers to keep “a step ahead” was honored by a national contest featuring three newspaper industry groups.

The ad, from Family Foot & Ankle Care, won second place in Small Space Ad-Black Ink Only, at the 2014 Advertising and Editorial Awards from the Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association, Community Papers of Florida, and Independent Free Papers of America.

Family Foot & Ankle Care is represented at the paper by Terri Williamson, and the ad was created by Stefanie Burlingame and Carolyn Bennett.

The annual SAPA-IPF-CPF conference took place in Orlando this year, and the competition itself received more than 1,400 entries, organizers said.

Wesley Chapel chamber hands out awards
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce honored its top businesses and leaders during its annual banquet recently at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.

The awards, according to chamber officials, acknowledge the accomplishments of small businesses, large businesses, volunteers, civic organizations, and business leaders, for the contributions they make to the regional economy.

The business awards were reviewed and scored by a panel of peers based on their demonstrated commitment to the advancement of the business community.

Winners included Stanley Giannet of Pasco-Hernando State College as Business Leader of the Year, Parks Ford of Wesley Chapel as Large Business of the Year, the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News as Small Business of the Year, and American Cancer Society as Civic Group of the Year, and Kelly Mothershead of A Focus on Fitness as Volunteer of the Year.

In addition to those awards, Wendy Bechtelheimer was presented the president’s award for her contribution to the organization, while Jeff Novotny of American Consulting Engineers was named the board member of the year.

Grand opening for Flowers by Viktoriya
Flowers by Viktoriya will host a grand opening Oct. 3 at 9 a.m., at its new location, 5132 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Suite 105.

The new store will offer silk flowers, cut flowers, plants, roses, vases and various arrangements.

Commission applauds CVS for tobacco stance
The Pasco County Commission publicly commended drugstore chain CVS Health recently for removing tobacco products from its stores around the country.

In a resolution, the commission cited a January surgeon general’s report that said smoking kills 480,000 people annually, and sickens millions more. It also costs the nation more than $289 billion in health care expenses and economic costs each year.

CVS had announced earlier this year it would remove tobacco products from its stores, but then decided to do it a month earlier than planned. That move, commissioners said, represents the “bold action needed from all segments of our society to accelerate progress against tobacco, and make the next generation tobacco-free.”

CVS operates more than 7,700 stores, including 11 in The Laker/Lutz News readership area east of the Suncoast Parkway.

October meeting for Women-n-Charge
Women-n-Charge will meet Oct. 3 at 11:30 a.m., at Pebble Creek Country Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive in Tampa.

Cost is $15 for members, and $18 for guests. It includes lunch, and speaker Rena Romano, a certified leadership coach.

For information, visit Women-n-Charge.com, or call (813) 600-9848.

Families returning to home market, Realtors say
Single-family homes remain on the rise for the greater Tampa Bay area, while sales of townhouses and condominiums continue to slip.

Just under 3,600 homes sold in the region that includes Pasco County last month, according to Florida Realtors, up nearly 4 percent from a year ago. That’s despite the median sales price staying the same at $160,000.

Condos dropped a little more than 1.5 percent to 1,170 units, while the median price there jumped more than 15 percent to $115,000, compared to 2013.

Statewide, single-family home sales are up 4.2 percent, while the median price rose 3.4 percent.

Short sales in the single-family home market dropped more than 49 percent from last year. Closed sales typically are occurring 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written, according to the group.

Inventory was at a 5.5-month supply in August, while condos were at a 5.7-month supply. The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.12 percent in August, according to Freddie Mac, down from the 4.46 percent average recorded a year ago.

Grand opening for Pulte at Country Walk
Pulte Homes hosted a grand opening recently for its new single-family homes in Country Walk, located off Meadow Pointe Boulevard south of State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel.

Pulte plans to build 32 three- and four-bedroom houses in the community, ranging in size from 1,827 to 2,443 square feet, according to north Florida regional vice president Sean Strickler. Prices will start at $220,000.

For information on the community, call (866) 230-3599.

HART offers text-based bus updates
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, or HART, has launched a text message service to complement its app, OneBusAway.

The new feature will provide transit customers real-time bus arrival information via text message. This will provide some of the functionality of the OneBusAway app for riders who don’t have smartphones.

Those who wish to use it simply need to text “HART” and their bus stop number to 41411 to get back estimated arrival times. For example, someone wanting arrival information for stop 4804 would text “HART 4804” to 41411.

Political Agenda 10-01-14

October 2, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Littlefield joins forces with Moore
They may have been foes during the primary, but former state Rep. Ken Littlefield has taken sides in the November election, joining the campaign of Republican candidate Mike Moore in his efforts to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission.

Moore, who faces Democrat Erika Remsberg in the November election, revealed the new team during a recent Conservative Club of East Pasco meeting.

“I am helping Mike in the general election,” Littlefield said, adding with a laugh, “I’m bringing back the (Moore political) signs that I stole.”

Littlefield and Zephyrhills financial analyst Bob Robertson were defeated in the August primary by Moore, who raised more than 10 times the money they did. Littlefield attacked Moore throughout the primary on a variety of topics, including the amount of money he was raising from people in the development community.

Moore has raised $10,500 in the first two weeks of September, bringing his campaign total to nearly $113,500. All but about $1,500 of it came from a group of development companies under common ownership, Lew Friedland of Tarpon Springs. Moore has a little more than $13,000 in cash available, according to campaign finance reports.

Remsberg raised $475 during that same time, bringing her total to just under $6,500. She has about $460 in the bank for her campaign.

Newlon, Bilirakis endorse Burgess
San Antonio mayor Tim Newlon has endorsed Danny Burgess in his run for state House District 38.

“Danny has always demonstrated dedication to our East Pasco communities,” Newlon said, in a release. “I am confident Danny will provide the leadership we need in our state capitol.”

Also endorsing Burgess is U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor.

“Danny is a dynamic and proven leader who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to excellence, unrivaled work ethic, and a fervent passion for public service,” Bilirakis said, in a release. “With a strong vision for how to leverage the strengths of our community in order to facilitate continued progress, I am confident Danny is the right candidate for this seat.”

Burgess faces Democrat Beverly Ledbetter in the November election. Both are seeking to replace Will Weatherford, who is stepping down because of term limits.

Federated Republican women meet in October
The Pasco Federated Republican Women’s Club will meet Oct. 3 at 11:30 a.m., at Fox Hollow Golf Club, 10050 Robert Trent Jones Parkway in Trinity.

The event will include a chance to meet some of the candidates for public office, including Danny Burgess for state House District 38, Chris Gregg for state House District 36, and Mike Moore for Pasco County Commission.

Cost is $15.

For information, call Fran Scerbo at (727) 597-3727, or email .

Ross wants to charter NAI
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross has introduced a bill to grant a federal charter to the National Academy of Inventors.

“I wholeheartedly believe that the key component of global competitiveness and economic development stems from those who are motivated and determined to succeed,” the Lakeland Republican said, in a release. “Determination drives innovation and encourages our society to develop new technologies and establish entrepreneurship.”

NAI is based at the University of South Florida, Ross said, which boasts 3,000 individual inventor members and fellows from more than 200 institutions.

The government does not provide funds to Congressional charters. However, a charter like this allows Congress to merit research.

Ross is up for re-election, facing Democrat Alan Cohn in November.

HART needs board members
The Hillsborough County Commission is seeking applications for the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, due Oct. 2.

Those who wish to serve must be registered voters in Hillsborough, live in the unincorporated part of the county, and be willing to serve in a voluntary capacity with no compensation. Those who serve also will be required to provide financial disclosure.

Appointments will be scheduled for a meeting of the county commissioners on Oct. 15.

Three three-year terms are expiring.

Necessary forms are available at HillsboroughCounty.org, and by clicking “government,” “board and committee,” and then selecting the forms related to HART.

For information, call (813) 272-5826.

Advocacy group offers voters guide
Florida TaxWatch is offering a voter’s guide through its TaxWatch Center for Florida Citizenship, which will inform residents on key issues the group advocates.

The voter’s guide will address proposed state constitutional amendments appearing on the November ballot, as well as provide opinions based on the group’s political position on those issues.

Among the members for the new TaxWatch Center board is Susan MacManus, a Land O’ Lakes native, and professor at the University of South Florida.

The guide can be found at tinyurl.com/TaxWatchGuide.

Ross gets farming award
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross has received the Friend of Farm Bureau award for being what the organization says is receptive to the needs of farmers in the state by sponsoring, co-sponsoring, and voting for legislation that will address high-priority agricultural issues.

“Florida’s citrus farmers supply about 56 percent of the orange juice consumed in the United States,” Ross said, in a release. “We must allow the livelihood of farmers and Florida agriculture to continue to flourish.

Ross voted for the federal Farm Bill in January, which included $125 million to help fight a deadly citrus greening disease. He also asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to take action to help keep diseased Florida citrus groves productive by providing short-term research initiatives.

Ross, who is facing Democrat Alan Cohn in November, was nominated by the Florida Farm Bureau, and was approved by the American Farm Bureau Federation’s board of directors.

Newland wants Bexley Ranch to be next FishHawk

September 25, 2014 By Michael Hinman

People have driven by construction work on State Road 54 east of the Suncoast Parkway and wondered what might be happening there.

A lot of those details were unveiled last week when Newland Communities vice president Tom Panaseny presented some of the first details of the recently resurrected Bexley Ranch project that will include about 1,700 homes over the next five years.

Construction already has begun on the retail portion of Bexley Ranch, part of a massive new community moving forward on State Road 54 just off the Suncoast Parkway. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo) — Construction already has begun on the retail portion of Bexley Ranch, part of a massive new community moving forward on State Road 54 just off the Suncoast Parkway.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

The massive development, which will stretch north past Tower Road, was put on hold several years ago after the housing market crashed and new home construction came to a halt. But with the market on the rebound, and people still looking to move to Pasco County, Panaseny said this was as good a time as any to get started.

“We’ve got our plans in review at Pasco County right now, and we think we’ll break ground in March or April next year,” he told a small crowd that gathered at the Residence Inn at NorthPoint across the street from the project. “We haven’t even announced any of the builders yet. But the builders really almost come in last, once we develop the community and figure out what type of homes that we want to build. Then we’ll match up the builders to the type of home.”

Homes will start close to $200,000, and run as high as $400,000, Panaseny said. While most of the development will be single-family houses, the front part of the development close to State Road 54 will include townhouses, attached villas, commercial and retail, and even a new hotel.

The retail portion is where most of the land is being cleared right now, Panaseny said. That will likely be up and running by the time that work crews start prepping the land behind it for residential development.

“We are talking to several retailers right now to come in there, one of which has never been in Pasco before,” Panaseny said. Past that on Bexley Boulevard will be about 5 acres devoted to office, as well as a business class hotel.

“The hotel here does very well,” Panaseny said, about the Residence Inn. “Hopefully, there is room for another one.”

This will be Newland’s first project in Pasco County. It has had a lot of success with other high-profile projects in Hillsborough County, most notably with FishHawk Ranch near Brandon, as well as MiraBay and Waterset in Apollo Beach. FishHawk Ranch has more than 5,000 homes, and is near completion after more than a decade of development work.

While the initial plans bring about a third of that volume of development to Bexley Ranch, the longer-term goal is to be just as big as the project expands east toward Sunlake Boulevard. Initial plans also include an elementary school, and Newland’s contribution to the construction of Tower Road to Sunlake Boulevard.

The project also will include a network of trails that would provide miles of both paved and dirt pathways for residents. The idea is to eventually connect with the Suncoast Trail, possibly by going underneath the highway.

The trails, Panaseny said, would show off the nearly 1,000 acres of conservation land the Bexley Ranch project already has set aside. And in a sales pitch to some of the potential buyers in the audience, the developer said views of those pockets of nature won’t be limited to the highest bidders.

“I look at things like wetlands, and you’ll see developers who will try to price those views so that only an individual home can look at a wetland,” Panaseny said. “You won’t see a lot of that with us. We try to make that public space, because we don’t just want to have individuals look at that, we want the community to be looking at that.”

The entire project, once all the phases are completed, could go as high as 6,000 homes, Panaseny said. However, that all depends on how Pasco County does in the future when it comes to attracting new residents.

“You’re talking about 20 years-plus, and that’s really hard to even speculate on that right now,” he said. “We have to start with what we know, and what we know right now is that there are 1,700 acres there that will keep everybody busy for four or five years.”

Published September 24, 2014

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No challenge too tough for swimmer with cerebral palsy

September 25, 2014 By Michael Murillo

When Taylor Sanders was born, she had a stroke.

Diagnosed with monoplegic infantile cerebral palsy, doctors told Taylor’s parents that she couldn’t walk, she couldn’t do things her peers could do and she couldn’t live a normal life.

Sanders usually chooses the 50-meter freestyle when she competes for the Zephyrhills High School swim team. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo) — Sanders usually chooses the 50-meter freestyle when she competes for the Zephyrhills High School swim team.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

So her parents gave up. Specifically, they gave up on words like “couldn’t.”

“We had a No. 1 rule. The ‘C’ word was not allowed in our house, and that’s ‘can’t’ or ‘cannot,’” said Taylor’s mother, Vanessa Sanders.

Now, 15 years later, the focus is on all the things Taylor can do. She can walk. She can make friends and fit right in at Zephyrhills High School. And, like many students, she can be an athlete, too.

Taylor is in her second season on the school’s swim team. And before anyone even thought about giving her special treatment when she joined, her mother eliminated that possibility on the first day.

“I went to coach (Karen Cooley) the very first day of practice, and I told her what she has,” Sanders said. “I said that there isn’t anything that she cannot do. Anything that you request the team do, I ask you to request that Taylor do the same.”

Cooley accepted those terms happily, and ended up with a productive, contributing team member.

“She’s an awesome member of the team,” Cooley said. “She’s a leader. She likes to be involved and she’s very creative.”

Taylor is supportive of her teammates, and is good at taking direction and working hard to get better, Cooley said. As a result, her technique, form and times have improved since she joined the team.

Being on the team allows Taylor to challenge herself and others while doing something she enjoys in a supportive group setting.

“I’ve always loved swimming since I was little,” Taylor said. “And I have a very competitive attitude, so competing while I’m doing something I love is just amazing.”

The team, she said, is her family. “Ever since I started, they’ve accepted me like nothing was ever wrong.”

Being an athlete might be a challenge for Taylor physically, but it’s also in her genes. Vanessa Sanders was a softball player in high school and college, and still competes to this day. Her father, Scott Sanders, was a golfer in college. Disability or not, they wanted Taylor to experience the camaraderie of team competition, and the benefits and challenges that come with competing in sports.

While she enjoys the competition, her cerebral palsy has made Taylor used to more painful challenges outside the pool. Her hips were growing at the wrong angle due to learning to walk in an unorthodox way, and she would fall up to 10 times on a daily basis. But two surgeries in the past year has helped reduce her pain, limited her falls dramatically, and allowed her to live somewhat more comfortably.

The only drawback in Taylor’s mind? It set her back in the pool, and her times aren’t where she wants them to be.

“Because of my surgeries, I’ve kind of started back to day one all over again,” she said.

But Hannah Cutkomp, a teammate and captain, is impressed with how far Taylor has come in her time with the team.

“There’s been a drastic change from what I’ve seen from last year. She’s swimming so much better,” Cutkomp said. “She’s an amazing teammate.”

If Taylor is focused and determined while swimming, she’s just as tenacious when she’s on dry land. She plays guitar for fun, but graphic design and animation is her calling.

The sophomore already is accumulating college scholarships with an eye on the best schools to help her with that career. She even wants to raise money for a trip to California to visit legendary graphic studios Dreamworks Studios and Pixar Animation Studios to get real-world perspective on the industry.

That kind of focus is just part of who she is.

“When I find something I love, I run with it,” Taylor said.

And her parents are proud to see the results of raising her without words like “can’t” in her vocabulary. They’re also vocal supporters at her swim meets, with her mother getting overwhelmed seeing Taylor accomplish so much when doctors warned them to expect so little.

“I cry every single time,” Vanessa Sanders said. “Every time.”

Published September 24, 2014

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Cancer journey chronicled through ceramic busts

September 25, 2014 By B.C. Manion

People facing a life-threatening disease have different ways of coping.

Some join prayer groups. Others keep journals. Some write blogs.

Land O’ Lakes resident Jan Tucker decided she wanted to keep a physical record of what her breasts looked like before she began cancer treatment.

These three ceramic busts, created by artist Paul Phillips, chronicle Jan Tucker’s journey through cancer. The bust on the left shows Tucker’s upper torso before she began cancer treatment. The one in the middle shows her at her lowest point in the battle. The bust on the right shows her upper torso after breast reconstruction. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — These three ceramic busts, created by artist Paul Phillips, chronicle Jan Tucker’s journey through cancer. The bust on the left shows Tucker’s upper torso before she began cancer treatment. The one in the middle shows her at her lowest point in the battle. The bust on the right shows her upper torso after breast reconstruction.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She knew that her brother, Paul Phillips — who does ceramics and other kinds of art — could make the ceramic bust because he’d done body castings for women who were pregnant.

She also knew that her brother might feel strange about applying the material to make the mold to her body, so she asked him to teach her husband Ben how to do the first layer, to avoid potential embarrassment.

Tucker initially just wanted a physical reminder of what she looked like before she was diagnosed with invasive ductile carcinoma — an aggressive, fast-growing cancer.

Being a private person, she didn’t expect others to see it. But those plans changed, and now three ceramic busts — chronicling her journey through cancer — will be on display at an art exhibit and sale to help raise money for the American Cancer Society and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

One bust shows her upper torso before treatment began. The second records her at her lowest point in her cancer battle. The third shows her torso after reconstructive surgery.

The story of Tucker’s fight for her life began like many other stories about breast cancer: She found a lump in her right breast during a routine monthly self-exam.

Ironically, it appeared at a time in her life when she’d never felt healthier. She was 46, and she and Ben routinely worked out.

When she found the lump, Tucker made an appointment with her doctor to check it out as part of an annual exam. That exam, as well as a mammogram, showed it was a cyst, which didn’t surprise Tucker because she’d had cysts before.

So, Tucker went about her daily life, working as an online business professor and developing online courses.

As time went on, though, the lump grew. It was right at her bra line and was becoming uncomfortable. She also felt two smaller lumps.

Still, she had no plans to go back to the doctor before her annual check.

“My husband kept nagging me,” Tucker said. “‘You need to go get this checked.’”

But she didn’t until he hurt his foot, and now it was Tucker urging him to see a doctor. They made a deal: He would go for his foot, if she went for her breast.

On the return visit, the doctor said the lump was larger, but was still a cyst. But after Tucker told the doctor it was bothering her, the doctor referred her to a breast surgeon to get the lump drained.

The breast surgeon – Dr. Kimberly Apple – wanted an ultrasound. That led to additional diagnostics, a core biopsy, and a needle biopsy on six cancer tumors.

The doctor told Tucker she would call her with the results, either way. That call came on a Friday morning, April 26, 2013.

“When I picked up the phone, I hear her say, ‘I’m sorry.’ I hear her voice crack,” Tucker said. Then she starts with the doctor jargon.”

She heard the doctor talking, but couldn’t process what she was saying.

“Everything kind of stops in your world,” Tucker said. “It was so surreal.”

The doctor asked Tucker if she had any questions. Tucker had one: “Is it treatable?”

Yes, but it would require extensive treatment.

Tucker’s cancer was so advanced that she had to undergo chemotherapy before surgery. That’s when she decided to have her brother do the ceramic bust.

“I called him and I said, ‘I want to remember how I am today,’” she said.

A week later, she was undergoing chemotherapy.

“It’s awful. There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” Tucker said, noting she went through five rounds of chemo in six months.

Next, she had a nipple-sparing bilateral mastectomy.

She planned to do reconstruction, but lost so much blood she had to have a transfusion, which led to an infection.

“I was down to 95 pounds,” Tucker said. “I’m bald at this point. I have no eyebrows, no eyelashes. My skin is sagging, and I was extremely depressed. I was in a really, really dark place.

“I called Paul and said, ‘I want to do another casting.’

“He’s like, ‘Really?’”

She said she wanted to remember this stage of the battle, too. That casting was done on Feb. 26.

When she got over the infection, she pursued reconstruction again. After that was done, Tucker did another body casting to show her upper torso after reconstruction. That casting was done on Aug. 16.

“It just kind of brought the whole thing together,” Tucker said.

She still had no intention of making the ceramic busts public. But that changed after her brother, who had exhibited some of his art works at Alchemy Art Lounge in Tarpon Springs, told the owner about the castings he’d done for his sister.

“The owner got real quiet and said, ‘My mother has breast cancer,’” Tucker said.

Then the owner suggested having a Pink Party in October, and to donate the proceeds to the American Cancer Society and Moffitt. Tucker agreed to have her ceramic busts on display because they help convey the stages she has been through.

“There really is no better way to illustrate the story than that,” said Tucker, who is now 48.

She and her husband have two sons, Van — who just graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in chemical engineering — and Adam, a sophomore at USF, who is pursuing the same degree.

Tucker said she never would have chosen to walk the path, yet she knows it has yielded new insights.

“I am a different person today because of this,” Tucker said. “I am much more focused on what’s important in life, and it’s not chasing a promotion.”

If you go …
WHAT: Alchemy Art Lounge and Hard Bodies Yo present a Pink Party, featuring an art show and sale, a silent auction and a chance drawing for prizes.
WHERE: 25 Dodecanese Blvd., Tarpon Springs
WHEN: Oct. 9, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
DETAILS: Proceeds will benefit cancer charities
INFO: Paul Phillips at (386) 334-5943

Published September 24, 2014

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Ethan Allen out, Scott Fink moving in?

September 25, 2014 By Michael Hinman

In 2001, Scott Fink took a gamble and decided to open a Hyundai dealership in New Port Richey. At the time, Hyundai did not have the best reputation for dependability, and accounted for about three of 100 every new car sold.

What does local car dealership owner Scott Fink have planned for more than an acre of land next to a proposed Volkswagen dealership? Whatever it is, Fink thinks it’s worth $1 million. (File Photo) — What does local car dealership owner Scott Fink have planned for more than an acre of land next to a proposed Volkswagen dealership? Whatever it is, Fink thinks it’s worth $1 million.
(File Photo)

Since then, Hyundai has become one of the most popular overseas brands in America, and Fink has expanded his car empire to include Hyundai, Mazda and Chevrolet dealerships in Wesley Chapel, and a planned Volkswagen dealership on State Road 56 across from Mini of Wesley Chapel.

So what does Fink have up his sleeve on land next to his proposed dealership? He’s not talking — he didn’t return a call for comment from The Laker/Lutz News — but it’s now a $1 million gamble.

S&D Giant Real Estate LLC, a company, which lists Fink as its sole manager, closed on nearly 1.6 acres of land on State Road 56, just off Silver Maple Parkway on Aug. 26. The price was $1 million, something that might appear like a steep price for vacant land. But it’s a $400,000 discount from what Ethan Allen Retail LLC paid for the property in 2006, according to Pasco County property records.

Ethan Allen, a Connecticut-based furniture chain with locations in Citrus Park and Brandon, had announced in late 2005 it would build an 18,000-square-foot showroom on the site. It was supposed to open in 2006, and compete with the less-expensive Rooms To Go that opened down the road on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

However, the housing market crashed, and couches that cost as much as a semester at the University of South Florida simply were no longer in demand.

Unlike the Lowe’s on State Road 54 near Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, Ethan Allen never resurrected its plans to build on the site, despite holding the land for nearly a decade. A spokeswoman for Ethan Allen confirmed to The Laker/Lutz News on Monday that the project was indeed dead.

“I believe that the new use will be automotive,” Ann Zaccaria, vice president of real estate for Ethan Allen, said in an email.

In his annual report filed last June addressing the entire Cypress Creek development of regional impact area that includes this parcel, Skinner Bros. Realty president A.C. “Chip” Skinner III did not mention the pending sale to Fink. He still listed it as a closed sale to Ethan Allen, where 18,000 square feet of retail rights are still planned.

Fink is under contract to buy more than 5 acres of land immediately to the southeast of the parcel, where he plans to build a Volkswagen dealership complete with a nearly 30,000-square-foot showroom.

The lot Fink has closed on still is set for a retail store, but it’s not clear if that’s what he still plans to do, said Dawn Sutton with Pasco County’s planning and development department. No new paperwork for the site has been filed with the county.

“There is an agreement for (the Volkswagen parcels) for up to 46,000 square feet of retail entitlements,” Sutton said. “That’s probably a 22,000-square-foot building plus maybe a car wash, and some supporting retail.”

Land proposed for the Volkswagen dealership has yet to change hands, but if Fink’s purchase of the adjacent land sets a new precedent, then he could spend more than $6 million for the adjacent lot once that deal finally closes.

Published September 24, 2014

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Internship takes local student to Amazon jungle

September 25, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Those first nights in the Amazon rainforest were tough ones for Kenny Quayle. Especially when he was trying to get a few hours of sleep.

“There are strange sounds that come from the jungle, and some of them were from animals I never wanted to come face-to-face with,” he said. “There were thousands of bugs everywhere at night, and you could hear each and every one of them.”

Kenny Quayle, a junior at Academy at the Lakes, spent part of his summer as an intern in Peru, working in the Amazon. The trip included adventures, like this fishing trip on the Tahuayo River. (Courtesy of Kenny Quayle)

Quayle spent a month in Peru living on the edge of the Amazon. He was there working on a conservation team that was part of Amazonia Expeditions, an adventure company led by local biologist Paul Beaver, and his wife Dolly.

But Quayle is no scientist. He wasn’t even an adventure tourist. He’s a 16-year-old who just started his junior year at Academy at the Lakes.

The Beavers offer the internship to one student each year, creating an opportunity of a lifetime. Quayle had such a desire to make the trip that he applied his freshman year, but lost out to an older student. That changed his sophomore year when he made it in, and found himself on a plane to South America that summer.

“You write a small essay on what you want to do with the knowledge you gain from going there, and what you expect to draw from the experiences,” Quayle said. And that part was easy for him, since his goal is to eventually become a journalist, working for publications like those owned by National Geographic.

And while he was among tourists and researchers, this wasn’t a trip to Disney World. There was no air-conditioning, no hot showers, and bugs were the size of softballs. The average temperature is 81 degrees, but the humidity is so high, it puts Florida to shame.

“The locals there, they don’t sweat,” Quayle said. “If you sweat, you just get hotter, because of all the humidity. You learn to sit in places with a good breeze, and you learn to survive on cold showers.”

Quayle woke up at 6 a.m. daily and hiked for a few hours. He primarily cleaned out camera traps that are used to capture wildlife on film in its native habitat for researchers. He brought protein bars with him to keep his energy up, because breakfast wasn’t served until he returned to camp.

“I actually dropped 15 pounds while I was there,” Quayle said. “We would eat well, but it was a lot of plantains and a lot of rice, as well as some fresh vegetables.”

Usually, afternoons were spent working with tourists who would visit the Tahuayo Lodge and the Tahuayo River Amazon Research Center, located about 30 miles south of Iquitos, Peru’s fifth-largest city, in the Loreto Region.

The forests, as nearly anyone would imagine, were dangerous. Quayle almost had a fatal run-in with a fer-de-lance, a highly poisonous snake that can disguise itself well to look like a rock.

“It does swim, and it likes to hunt near the water,” Quayle said. “We were on the shore, and lucky the person I was with noticed it, because I almost walked into it.”

But not all of Quayle’s encounters with the wildlife had happy endings. He was stung by a tarantula hawk — a spider wasp that is so aggressive that it hunts tarantulas. Its sting is considered to be the second most painful in the world, second only to the bullet ant.

“You would have these flying roaches all over the place, and so you’re constantly swatting them away,” Quayle said. “We were out spear fishing, and a bug landed on my back. I swatted it, and didn’t realize it was a tarantula hawk.”

Back home, Quayle is on the Academy at the Lakes football team, and spends time playing the cello. His parents are Kevin and Kathy Quayle, who own All Season Air Conditioning & Heating in Tampa.

Before going to Peru, Quayle was only out of the country three other times, and two of those were cruises. But that might change now that he’s had a taste of the world outside of North America, and has made new friends around the globe.

“I am very interested in traveling, and I’ve always loved traveling,” he said. “My parents, not so much.”

With two more years left to his high school career, Quayle’s not even looking to wait until he’s in college to try to head out again. He’s already applying for a chance to take care of a baby orangutan in Borneo for two months next summer. And he’s getting ready for a trip to England and France with his European studies class.

“There is so much worldly knowledge out there that I want to collect, before I have to sit down and really take in all that scholarly knowledge from college,” Quayle said. “There is just so much to see, and so little time to do it in.”

Want to read more about Kenny Quayle’s adventures in the Amazon rainforest? Check out his blog, which is still under development, at TheAdventuresOfKenny.com.

Published September 24, 2014

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Manors of Crystal Lakes to get new water source soon

September 25, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Residents of the Manors of Crystal Lakes are expected to connect to a new Hillsborough County water line within a month or so.

Work continues on installing pipeline along Lutz Lake Fern Road, with the road narrowed down to one lane near North Dale Mabry Highway while construction continues.

Crews are busy on Lutz Lake Fern Road putting in a 12-inch water pipe that will carry water into the Manors of Crystal Lakes. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The county is completing the $5.4 million project to connect the Manors of Crystal Lakes to a new 12-inch water line. The goal is to improve the reliability of water supply for the subdivision, said Richard Kirby, section manager for Hillsborough County’s capital improvement program.

The project involves 4.5 miles of pipeline, Kirby said. It creates a looped system, giving Manors of Crystal Lake residents a backup in the event of any water line breaks or other disruptions.

The water flow also will be improved with the new line, bringing it up to the current standards for fire protection.

As work progresses, flagmen are directing traffic down to one lane on a portion of Lutz Lake Fern Road near North Dale Mabry Highway as crews work along the right of way of the narrow road. Installing the pipeline along that stretch is a challenge because of existing utilities in the area, Kirby said.

New water pipes already have been installed on U.S. 41 as part of the project.

Once the work on Lutz Lake Fern Road is completed between U.S. 41 and North Dale Mabry Highway, testing of the water line will begin.

The biggest change is that customers will receive water that uses chloramines in the final disinfection stages instead of chlorine, Kirby said.

“If anything, it’s an improvement in the smell and taste of the water because there’s less chemical in there,” he said.

Customers should be aware that water that contains chloramines should not be used in home aquariums, fishponds or home kidney dialysis, Kirby said. Water used for those purposes should be treated or filtered to remove the chloramines.

Chloramines have been used to disinfect water since the 1930s, Kirby said. They are used to disinfect water throughout the county’s water system.

So far, most of the calls coming into the county about the project have been inquiries about whether nearby properties can hook onto the system, Kirby said. Properties that are adjacent to the water pipe can hook in, but they must be directly next to it.

He does not expect any changes in water pressure for customers. The rates will not change either.

The Manors of Crystal Lakes already is a part of the county’s water system, but has been served by two wells. Those wells and a nearby chlorination plant will be shut down once the new waterline begins operation.

Published September 24, 2014

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Book captures Dade City’s history through photographs

September 25, 2014 By B.C. Manion

When visitors drop by downtown Dade City, its stately historic courthouse, unique shops and good restaurants likely will impress them.

But there’s so much more to Dade City’s story, and Madonna Jervis Wise has captured that through 200 photographs of the people and places in this city that initially was known as Fort Dade.

Downtown Dade City, during the 1940s, was a thriving hub of activity. (Courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise) — Downtown Dade City, during the 1940s, was a thriving hub of activity.
(Courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise)

Wise began working on the volume about a year ago. She’d done another book called “Zephyrhills” for Arcadia Publishing, and the South Carolina publisher approached her to see if she had an interest in writing a book about Dade City.

Wise wasn’t sure initially if she wanted to take it on. But her family encouraged her to pursue the opportunity, and Wise decided to meet with some local leaders to see if they’d like to have a book about their community published.

John Moors, the executive director of the Dade City Chamber of Commerce, greeted the idea with enthusiasm and set up a meeting for Wise with the city’s development director. She also met with the Dade City Preservation Advisory Board, which encouraged her to write the book and provided invaluable suggestions, she said.

Wise said her husband Ernie played an instrumental role, too.

The book includes photographs of everything from old railroad depots to stately homes, from ballet dancers to orange packers. It includes photographs of the sons and daughters of Dade City, who shaped the community and played an instrumental role in Pasco County and beyond.

“Dade City is a rich historical hub,” Wise said. “For many, many decades, this county was run by Pasco High graduates.”

The book showcases the community’s diversity, covering the history of the African-American community and its migrant farmworkers.

Wise used information and photographs she gleaned from a multitude of sources. Jeff Miller of the West Pasco Historical Society provided about 3,000 photos for her to consider from his collection.

She also used photos from the collections of Helen Eck Sparkman and of Oliver and Barbara DeWitt, who provided them to Eddie Herrmann, one of the authors of “The Historic Places of Pasco County.”

The Pasco County Genealogical Society and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System’s Genealogical Collection, as well as the librarians, were invaluable resources for the work as well, Wise said.

She used photographs from The Memory Project, produced by the Florida government.

The book’s photographs convey the city’s history through its people, residences, churches, social and civic clubs, and commerce. It points out that Pasco Packing, later known as Lykes Pasco, was the largest orange packing plant in the world, in the days before freezes, blight and development wiped out much of Florida’s citrus industry.

The photographs also show homes of early residents, with many of the structures still standing today.

“My husband photographed many of the houses,” Wise said, noting some of the photos had to be taken more than once, to be sure that alarm signs and air conditioners didn’t show up in the frame.

When they were out in the neighborhoods taking the photographs, people would approach them and ask what they were doing, Wise said. When she told them about the book, she said, “they would add other pieces to the story. It was great. It was just great.”

The actual work of culling photographs, writing captions and arranging the layout was a gargantuan task. But Wise enjoyed learning about Dade City’s history and spending time with the people who helped on the project.

Besides Herrmann, other primary sources included William G. Dayton and J. Thomas Touchton.

“I probably talked to Eddie (Herrmann) nearly every day,” Wise said. “And Bill is a real storyteller. He can give you the feel for the different eras. He knew a lot of the inside of what was going on.”

Touchton, a Dade City native and leader of the effort to establish The Tampa Bay History Center, also provided valuable insights, she said. Touchton has an international reputation for the collection of maps he’s acquired, and has fond recollections of Dade City.

“He told me the most fabulous stories about growing up there,” she said.

As she conducted her research, Wise was struck by the realization that Dade City remains a cohesive community, something that’s not all that common in the 21st century.

As people page through the volume, Wise hopes it will inspire them to learn more about Dade City.

“The book is intended to be an invitation to learn more about Dade City and serve as an enticement to walk through Church Avenue, visit the historic courthouse, dine in a vintage café, or visit the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village,” Wise writes in the acknowledgements section of the book. “History must be shared to pass it on to the next generation.”

If you go …
WHAT: Author Madonna Jervis Wise will offer some remarks regarding her new book, ‘Images of America, Dade City’
WHERE: Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City
WHEN: Oct. 4, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
DETAILS: Other speakers at the event will include Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri, Dade City councilman Scott Black, Trilby historian Angelo Liranzo, and J. Thomas Touchton, founding board member of the Tampa Bay History Center

Published September 24, 2014

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Saint Leo abbot discusses the art of spirituality

September 25, 2014 By B.C. Manion

For thousands of years before Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, books were printed and illustrated by hand — a painstaking process often completed within the confines of monastery walls.

Reproductions of two volumes of the St. John’s Bible are on display at Cannon Memorial Library at the University of Saint Leo this year to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of Saint Leo Abbey, Holy Name Monastery and the university. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University) — Reproductions of two volumes of the St. John’s Bible are on display at Cannon Memorial Library at the University of Saint Leo this year to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of Saint Leo Abbey, Holy Name Monastery and the university.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

The St. John’s Bible, a modern version of that ancient practice commissioned by St. John’s Abbey and University, depicts the first handwritten illuminated Bible of a monumental size commissioned by a Benedictine Monastery in more than 500 years.

The original volumes are housed at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library on the campus of St. John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota.

But 299 reproductions of the work have been made, and two volumes are on loan this year to Saint Leo University, Holy Name Monastery and Saint Leo Abbey.

The illuminated volumes and other religious artworks were the focus of a discussion led by the Rev. Isaac Camacho, abbot of Saint Leo Abbey, which is a Benedictine community of monks in St. Leo.

The abbot’s talk, “The Art of Spirituality,” covered not only the use of art to inspire spiritual understanding and growth, but also the artful pursuit of the spiritual life.

“Who created me? What is there after life? What is God? How is God?” Camacho said. “God’s beauty does not remain wrapped up in himself.”

Through his creation of the universe, the abbot added, “our God has already demonstrated that natural things are fundamentally good.”

Art is an expression of mankind’s creative nature, he added.

“Every single human being knows that there is something creative inside of us and art is an expression of that,” Camacho said. “We cannot deny that art will lead us to try to understand that there is beauty beyond ourselves.”

He also believes that being artistic is an intrinsic part of being human.

“If you say you are not an artist, you are lying to yourself,” Camacho said.

For some people, the art can be as simple as a stick figure. For others, it can be a poem.

Pursuing that artistic expression, and using it to help express spiritual discovery, helps people feel more connected to their spiritual life, the abbot added.

He encouraged people to feel free to mark up their Bibles with illustrations or other notations, to help make it truly their own.

“Your spiritual journey will be nourished when you discover something beautiful,” Camacho said.

The St. John’s Bible was completed by a team of calligraphers led by Donald Jackson, the calligrapher to Queen Elizabeth II. The calligraphers collaborated with 80 contemporary artists who illuminated the work.

The volumes are made from traditional materials such as calfskin, ancient ink, gold and silver leaf. Calligraphers used quill pens, fashioned from goose, turkey and swan feathers.

The reproductions on display at the university’s library are two of the seven volumes of the Heritage Edition of the St. John’s Bible — a limited edition of full-size facsimile reproductions of the original work.

The public is invited to see the sacred works of art, which are on display in the lobby of the Daniel A. Cannon Memorial Library, on Saint Leo University’s campus at 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo.

The two volumes that are on display include the first five books of the Old Testament and the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John from the New Testament. Pages of the text are turned on a regular basis to new illuminated passages in the volumes.

Published September 24, 2014

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