The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

New tax collector’s office doing brisk business in opening weeks

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Any time you open a new location, you wonder if people will like the decisions you’ve made, and if the hard work will pay off. That happens if you’re a business owner or a general manager.

Or even the Pasco County Tax Collector.

“You’re always concerned about ‘If you build it, will they come?’” said Tax Collector Mike Fasano, referencing the iconic line from the movie “Field of Dreams.”

U.S. Army Master Sgt. Robert Knox registers his truck at the new tax collector’s office, located off Wesley Chapel Boulevard in Lutz. The location is already drawing around 240 customers a day, exceeding the expectations of Pasco’s tax collector, Mike Fasano. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
U.S. Army Master Sgt. Robert Knox registers his truck at the new tax collector’s office, located off Wesley Chapel Boulevard in Lutz. The location is already drawing around 240 customers a day, exceeding the expectations of Pasco’s tax collector, Mike Fasano.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Six weeks after the county opened its newest tax collector’s office at 4610 Pet Lane, off Wesley Chapel Boulevard in Lutz, Fasano has his answer: They’re coming.

The county set a modest goal of around 125 to 175 customers a day as a start for the location. But less than two months later, they’re seeing 240 on a normal office day, Fasano said.

Even on the weekend, when the office is open for limited hours, people are taking advantage. The location gets around 200 customers during their Saturday hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“It’s the area needing the service,” Fasano said. “Wesley Chapel, the Lutz area and west Zephyrhills is growing. The service was needed there.

“They have a location go to now, and not have to travel either to Dade City or all the way to Land O’ Lakes on U.S. 41.”

That decision appears to have advantages as well. Purchasing land and building an office was an earlier consideration, but would have cost several million dollars and delayed the opening by a few years. And when the decision to lease space at The Grove fell through, the current location at Compark 75 proved to be a viable alternative that offered a larger area for driving tests.

As a result, the chosen location allowed the county to have the site up and running in around six months and for less than $1 million, Fasano said.

In addition to the office’s most popular services — obtaining and renewing driver’s licenses and vehicle registration renewals — the full-service location also handles birth certificates, paying property taxes, and obtaining occupational, hunting and  fishing licenses.
And many residents are taking advantage of the driver’s license testing, Fasano said. He attributes the testing’s popularity to area demographics.

“We have a lot of young families in Wesley Chapel,” he said. “We are seeing a larger amount of young people that we are providing that service to than I expected.”

The tax collector’s office could have a new service to offer customers in 2015 as well. Thanks to a new law that allows approved tax collectors to accept applications for concealed weapons licenses, the county’s offices will be able to file them for residents with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

It should take about a year for the Pasco offices to be involved in the rollout, Fasano said.

Comment cards have revealed positive reviews and customer satisfaction with the new location and its services, but Fasano understands that a trip to the tax collector’s office rarely is cause for celebration.

But there’s a focus on keeping wait times down — there are no appointments — for those who need services performed in a timely manner, Fasano said. In some cases, customers might wait 45 minutes to an hour at peak times, but many are getting their tasks accomplished in 20 minutes or less.

While customer traffic can be unpredictable, Fasano suggests doing business in the middle of the month if possible, as people are often renewing auto tags at the end of the month. Wednesdays might be less busy than other days of the week as well, he said.

And customers can save themselves multiple trips by making sure they have all the necessary identification and accepted proofs of residency the first time they come in. Document requirements can be found at PascoTaxes.com.

The location’s customer traffic is growing and people are using the services it offers, which makes Fasano feel good about the decisions and preparations that went into its opening.

“I’m extremely pleased,” he said. “It’s not only met our expectations, but exceeded our expectations.”

Published September 24, 2014

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Strong start: Saint Leo cracks top 10 in men’s soccer

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They’re only a few games into the season, but it’s never too early to get some national recognition.

The Saint Leo men’s soccer team (2-0-2) has earned a ninth-place ranking in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. The poll was released before their two most recent games: a 1-0 victory over 21st-ranked West Alabama on Sept. 19, and a scoreless tie against the University of West Florida Sept. 21.

Just a few games into the season, Saint Leo goalkeeper Manny Schoenhuber hasn’t allowed any goals and the Lions haven’t lost any games. They’re ranked in the top 10 of the most recent NSCAA poll. (Courtesy of Mike Carlson)
Just a few games into the season, Saint Leo goalkeeper Manny Schoenhuber hasn’t allowed any goals and the Lions haven’t lost any games. They’re ranked in the top 10 of the most recent NSCAA poll.
(Courtesy of Mike Carlson)

While they’ve won just two games in the new season, the first was a big one: The Lions toppled second-ranked Carson-Newman University out of Tennessee, 2-0. The victory boosted the 17th-ranked Lions up to the 11th spot in the poll, and a scoreless draw against Clayton State propelled them into the top 10.

According to coach Keith Fulk, a good showing against Carson-Newman — which also was last year’s national runner-up — was important to establish momentum at the beginning of the season.

“We’ve built the program for four years now, and if you’re going to try and get to the final four or get to win a national championship, you have to play the best,” he said.

Even with the confidence he has in his Lions, Fulk admitted to being a bit surprised at how well the team came together so quickly and dominated the second half of that game.

While Saint Leo’s defense has shined with three shutouts, opponents are spending a lot of time trying to keep the Lions from scoring. The team has outshot its foes 87-35 so far, including commanding 35-10 advantage in shots on goal.

While Saint Leo is playing well in both aspects of the game, Fulk believes his offense is the team’s strength right now. The team is pressing forward well and displaying a dynamic style that’s giving opponents problems.

That offensive style is making it harder for teams to get many shots on the Lions, so their goalkeeper doesn’t have to work as hard. It’s been a recipe for success, but Manny Schoenhuber, now in his third year, actually wishes he was a bit busier.

“I like getting a lot of shots on goal, to be honest. It keeps me ready,” he said. “Of course I’m glad I get shutouts and all that, but I’m also here to save the ball. I like my job. I like being a goalie.”

Schoenhuber has had plenty of time to learn to like his job. Now 22, he started playing soccer when he was 5, and was involved in club soccer at 7. He hails from a small town near Munich, Germany, and played at the professional club level before coming to the United States.

Now in his third year with Saint Leo, he’s become a team leader and has seen a great change in the Lions’ approach to the game.

“When I first came here, the biggest issue we had was discipline,” Schoenhuber said. “It was just not a very professional way of thinking among the players. But that’s changed a lot now.”

Fulk credits a lot of that change to players like Schoenhuber, who have joined the team from other countries. Saint Leo has a number of players from Germany and France on the team, and having athletes who come from countries where soccer is so important makes everyone better, he said.

“I think the difference is their experience, their culture, their knowledge, their confidence. It’s contagious to the younger players,” Fulk said. “The Florida kids have learned. A kid said to me the other day that he’s learned more in three weeks than he learned in 15 years. And a lot of that is learning from the other players.”

For now, Saint Leo is having to learn to play with some national recognition and status associated with their name. They won’t be able to sneak up on teams, Fulk said, and playing in the tough Sunshine State Conference means there aren’t any easy games on the schedule.

Fellow conference member Lynn University was ranked No. 6 in the same poll, for example. Since then, the Fighting Knights lost their first match on Sept. 20.

While the Lions are proud of their ranking and excited about the attention, they all agree that the goal isn’t to ascend in polls, accumulate statistics or earn votes. They want to keep winning games and play well when it matters most at the end of the year, and in the playoffs.

“We want to be there in November and December playing,” Fulk said. “That’s our real target.”

And Schoenhuber agrees.

“At the end, the only thing that matters is that we win as a team,” he said. “I don’t care if I have 15 shutouts this season or only two. If we win the national title, that’s all that matters to me.”

Published September 24, 2014

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Business Digest 09-24-14

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Bank offers student sweepstakes
Fifth Third Bank has launched its annual Student Banking Sweepstakes.

Through Sept. 30, students who open a checking account will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes offering $10,000 toward college tuition.

Last year’s winner was Tre’ Watson, a rising football star at Tampa Catholic High School.

For more information, visit 53.com/students.

‘Dancing With Our Stars’ returns
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will once again host “Dancing With Our Stars,” with a performance scheduled for Oct. 18.

The chamber still has a few dance slots to fill, as well as a need for volunteers to help behind the scenes for the “stars” who will be trained by dance professionals to perform a short routine.

The overall winner will be based on monetary votes, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting arts programs in the community.

To participate, volunteer or even sponsor, visit CentralPascoChamber.com, or call (813) 909-2722.

Kumquat Festival selling sponsorship packages
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is now accepting reservation packages for the 2015 Kumquat Festival, set to take place Jan. 31.

Packages start at $500, and include logos and links on the KumquatFestival.org website, as well as booth space at the festival. Premier packages, which run from $1,000 to $5,000, include additional features.

The event is expected to draw 45,000 people from Florida, who live here seasonally, and who are visiting.

For information, call John Moors at (352) 567-3769, or email .

Wendy’s coming to Sunlake
Homes are popping up throughout the area surrounding the intersection of Sunlake Boulevard and State Road 54, and the businesses are coming with it.

The latest one planned is a new 3,500-square-foot Wendy’s fast food restaurant, complete with drive-thru service. It will be constructed on less than an acre of land currently owned by Sunlake Equity One LLC out of Miami, which has nearly 28 acres on the site.

Wendy’s International Inc., is in charge of the construction project, which will be considered by Pasco County’s Development Review Committee on Sept. 25. Wendy’s initially submitted plans to the county for the project last April, with final revisions received at the end of August, according to county records.

It would become the seventh Wendy’s location east of the Suncoast Parkway, the closest at 2328 Raden Drive in Land O’ Lakes. Other locations are in Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

The meeting is set for Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m., at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

A chance to RACE to work
CareerSource Pasco Hernando is hosting three RACE to Work events throughout the region, helping those who are receiving unemployment benefits find work.

RACE, or Reemployment Assistance-claimant Community Event, will have its first job event Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at Pasco-Hernando State College, 450 Beverly Court, in Spring Hill. A second event will follow Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at Rasmussen College, 8661 Citizens Drive, Suite 300, in New Port Richey.

A third and final event will move to the eastern side of Pasco County, Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at the American Legion Post, 37745 Church Ave., in Dade City.

The event is free for both companies and those seeking work.

Businesses interested in registering a book can call Joyce Headrick at (352) 200-3050.

Lowe’s wants a bigger sign
When Lowe’s opens its doors later this year, it wants to make sure drivers on State Road 54 just east of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard realize it’s there.

The hardware store, now under construction in 152,000 square feet of space across from Village Lakes Shopping Center, is asking Pasco County’s Development Review Committee to allow its wall sign on the building to be more than double the size the county currently allows.

Current code limits a wall sign — that is, one that is hung on the front or side of a business — to 150 square feet. However, Lowe’s wants to build a sign on the front of its store at a little more than 375 square feet.

That would make the sign nearly 19 feet tall and 20 feet long, instead of the 15 feet long and 10 feet tall usually allowed under county ordinance.

In return, Lowe’s says it’s willing to build just one sign at the road, instead of the three the county allows. Overall, that would reduce the amount of signage Lowe’s has to 37 percent smaller than what the county allows, according to records submitted to the Development Review Committee.

A decision is expected Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m., at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

Bank stands up to cancer
Fifth Third Bank has returned its “Pay to the Order Of” campaign that earlier this year raised more than $2.3 million for Stand Up to Cancer.

The campaign was first launched in January and leverages new checking accounts to help drive donations that support collaborative cancer research programs, the company said in a release. For each new customer who opens a checking account with direct deposit, and makes three online bill payments, Fifth Third will give $150 to the customer and donate $150 to the cancer organization, more commonly known as SU2C.

The campaign runs through Oct. 17.

Prudential Commercial now Berkshire Hathaway
Prudential Commercial Real Estate FL is officially changing its brand, now becoming the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group Commercial Division.

The brokerage, which has served the Tampa Bay commercial and residential real estate markets since 1959, joins the HSF Affiliates company that now accounts for more than 31,000 agents and 907 offices in 46 states, according to a release.

The new Florida Properties Group Commercial Division is affiliated with popular businessman Warren Buffet and his holding company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. It has 18 offices located throughout Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Hernando counties.

Prudential Tropical Realty, which is based in Trinity, made the name switch to Berkshire Hathaway last January. Despite the new moniker, the company is still owned by Dewey Mitchell and Allen Crumbley.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is based in Irvine, California, and works in both residential and commercial real estate.

Upcoming SCORE seminars
The Pasco-Hernando Chapter of SCORE, which historically stands for Service Corps of Retired Executives, will host the following upcoming free seminars. For information, visit SCORE439.org.

  • How to Apply for Non-Profit Grants — Oct. 1 at 3 p.m., at Spring Hill Branch Library, 9220 Spring Hill Drive, in Spring Hill. This seminar explores the truths, the hows, and the whys of grant writing. Participants can gain information on the key steps in the process of grant writing, matching their needs invariably as not-for-profits with the goals of grantors.
  • Presentation Skills — Oct. 3 at 10 a.m., at SmartStart New Port Richey, 6345 Grand Blvd., in New Port Richey. Presentation and public speaking skills are useful in many aspects of work and life. Developing the confidence and capability to give good presentations, and to stand up in front of an audience and speak well, also are extremely helpful competencies for self-development.

Political Agenda 09-24-14

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(Courtesy of Meg Merritt)
(Courtesy of Meg Merritt)

Governor’s wife is cooking in Pasco
Florida’s First Lady Ann Scott, right, presents her cookbook, ‘Viva la Florida,’ to Pasco County commissioner Kathryn Starkey during a visit in August to the Pasco Federated Women’s Club. The event was part of an afternoon tea in the home of Jay Starkey, and was sponsored by Shawn Foster. The Florida Governor’s Mansion Foundation published the cookbook.

Starkey, Mulieri to host town halls
Pasco County commissioner Kathryn Starkey will host a town hall meeting Sept. 24 beginning at 7 p.m., at Seven Oaks Elementary School, 27633 Mystic Oak Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Then on Sept. 29, Commissioner Pat Mulieri will have a community meeting at 7 p.m. at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Starkey will be joined by members of the Pasco County staff, and possibly state Sen. John Legg and state Rep. Will Weatherford, as well.

Among the topics to be discussed include budget issues like the gas tax, an update on new development in the area, a new baseball sports facility, transportation issues — including Overpass Road — and new area schools.

Mulieri will be on-hand with representatives from the county utilities department to talk about water and utility concerns for those living in the communities of Wilderness Lakes Preserve and Lake Padgett.

For information about the town hall, call (727) 847-8100.

Danish, Harrison stay even in money race
Shawn Harrison is trying to return to Tallahassee by unseating an incumbent. But if fundraising efforts are any indication, it’s still a pretty close race.

Harrison, who is looking to represent state House District 63, has raised a little more than $129,300 in his bid, including an additional $2,000 he picked up the last week of August, according to state campaign finance records. The Democrat who holds the seat, Mark Danish, is close to $96,000 in fundraising, including $3,350 picked up that same week.

Harrison’s money came from two groups he founded — the political action committee called the Committee for an Innovative Florida, and his law firm. He also received $3,000 in labor costs from the state Republican Party.

Danish picked up $2,750 from PACs himself, including $1,000 from a group that represents the Florida AFL-CIO unions, and $500 from the Duke Energy Corporation Florida PAC. He got some help from his own state party, with the Florida Democratic Party providing more than $2,000 in staff help.

Harrison still has nearly $46,500 in cash available to his campaign, while Danish has kept nearly $66,300 in the bank.

Robocalls will happen, but there are rules
Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley has told voters in a recent newsletter that robocalls might be plaguing many ahead of the November election, but reminding them that none of them are affiliated with his office.

Political parties and candidates who utilize robocalls have to comply with state law, and both major political parties — as well as candidates — have legally used this technology to encourage voters to request a vote-by-mail ballot, conduct get-out-the-vote efforts, and surveys, Corley said.

Political candidates and parties can request parts of a voter’s registration form that is legally available to the public — which is virtually everything outside of Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers. Also part of the public record are email addresses, which can be made available to political parties and anyone else submitting public records requests.

“For this reason, and to protect voters, I do not encourage voters to provide their email addresses,” Corley said in the newsletter.

Opponent’s week off doesn’t help Steinberg fundraising
After a seven-week period where he raised nearly $123,000, state Rep. James Grant took a break during the last week of August to raise just $100, as he faces a fellow Republican in a rare November open primary.

The $100 was from an individual donation from a Tampa resident, but is added to the $178,480 Grant has collected so far to try and keep his seat in state House District 64.

Miriam Steinberg, on the other hand, just started raising outside money, picking up $1,300 at the end of August. That all came from taxicab companies, with $1,000 from United Cab Cos., and $300 from Cab Plus Inc.

Grant has nearly $97,000 in cash still available to him, while a personal loan to the campaign back in June is the only thing keeping Steinberg in the black. She has a little more than $1,500 on hand.

Ledbetter gets nod from progressive group
Beverly Ledbetter has earned the endorsement from Democracy For America in her attempt to become the new representative for state House District 38 in Tallahassee.

The Democrat is facing Republican Danny Burgess in the general election.

Democracy For America is a Vermont-based national organization that pushes for universal health care, marriage equality, reversal of the so-called Citizens United Supreme Court decision, and what it says is strengthening of the middle class.

Both Ledbetter and Burgess are looking to replace current House speaker Will Weatherford, who is stepping down because of term limits.

 

Neighbors, power company fight over trees near electrical line

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Debbie Lane Goodman was a kid in 1986 when her family planted an oak tree sapling near where 20 Mile Level Road and Black Jack Lane meet.

Back then, there was no Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex to the west, or even a Plantation Palms community to the north. Just two years before, the 10 acres of land Goodman’s father owned was filled with orange groves, the primary source of income for her family.

Neighbors Debbie Lane Goodman and Eddie Midili survey tree trimming work Duke Energy has performed along a line route that crosses 20 Mile Level Road in Land O’ Lakes. The oak tree behind them is slated to come down next, which has riled up Goodman, Midili and other neighbors. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Neighbors Debbie Lane Goodman and Eddie Midili survey tree trimming work Duke Energy has performed along a line route that crosses 20 Mile Level Road in Land O’ Lakes. The oak tree behind them is slated to come down next, which has riled up Goodman, Midili and other neighbors.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

But a rare snowstorm in 1984 killed those trees, and emptied the land. The state helped by donating some pine trees to plant on the property, but the oak tree would become a symbol of perseverance for the family.

Today, Goodman uses the former orange grove land to provide horse-riding lessons, and keep various ranch-style animals. The oak tree is still there, now towering over the rest of the tree line, providing a majestic feel to property that was once part of a 19th century stagecoach route to Tampa.

But if Duke Energy gets its way — and it almost certainly will — that tree will become a part of history.

“They’ve destroyed my land, and now they’re going to take my trees down,” Goodman said. “They just came out four years ago and shaved the trees, and told us that’s all they were going to do. They said they didn’t need to cut any trees, and that it’s not even on their line. But then they came back and said we’re going to cut them all down.”

The property damage, Goodman said, came from heavy trucks that were used to replace the poles along the edge of her property from wood to steel last month. Duke did not fix divots its trucks created in the ground, although the utility did bring in a load of dirt so that Goodman could fix the land herself.

The tree is one of more than 30 Goodman said she believes is going to come down along Black Jack Lane. She is not sure, because Duke never reached out to her directly about the tree removal, and all of her information has come from the tree-cutting crew itself.

“I asked my dad, I asked my neighbors, and none of them have received anything,” Goodman said. “The only thing we have is the tree people, and they are at the bottom of the chain. They don’t really know anything. And how do we know that these guys aren’t just doing this because they want more jobs?”

Duke, which bought Progress Energy in 2011, says it works to keep open lines of communication with residents and businesses that might be affected by the tree work along power lines. While the trees and even lines might be on other people’s property, each line path has an easement that typically grants the utility 50 feet on either side of the pole.

“Generally, when we’re doing this type of work, we will put a letter out to each homeowner, each resident, that is adjacent to the easement,” Duke spokesman Sterling Ivey said. “We generally have staff walking the neighborhoods and knocking on doors, leaving door hangers. We try to do a lot of it proactively.”

Yet, Goodman and neighbor Eddie Midili said they’ve received no such communication. In fact, the only time Midili said someone from Duke contacted him was when a representative of the company knocked on his door and gave him paperwork from 1959 she said showed where the easement was.

“She said, ‘We’re claiming the land back,’” Midili said.

Trees came down last week at the neighboring Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, leaving stumps in a parking area near an athletic field that once supported cabbage palms and oaks.

Brian Taylor, Pasco County’s parks and recreation manager, said he received a letter from Ashley McDonald, a vegetation management specialist with Duke Energy, which described exactly which trees had to be removed. Those trees, Taylor said, would cost the county a little more than $1,700 to replace.

Duke cuts and trims trees as a way to protect lines, not just from branches growing into lines, but also to try and prevent power line issues during major storms where winds could blow vegetation into the lines. It’s not required to remove stumps, but will make mulch available to interested homeowners who would like to recycle those trees, according to the utility’s website.

Duke also does not replace trees it removes, leaving those costs the responsibility of the affected property owners.

“We try to take the trees down as low as we possibly can,” Ivey said. “If a customer has concerns about some stumps that might have been left, and especially if they have some animals or horses in the area, I would encourage them to call our customer service center to see what help there might be.”

The line clearing project started in May, and stretches from Tarpon Springs to Zephyrhills, Ivey said.

Goodman and her neighbors have tried to talk Duke out of removing the trees, but know they won’t be successful. So now they’re having to figure out what life will be like on their property with the lights from the recreation complex streaming in, and what will now be an unobstructed view of the overgrown 12th green at the currently closed Plantation Palms Golf Club.

“When they did all this before a few years ago, I gave up some trees, and Debbie gave up some trees,” Midili said. “We didn’t like it, but whatever we had to do, we would do. But now, they want to go overboard on it, and it’s just not necessary. They need to come out and see what kind of damage they’re doing.”

Anyone with questions or concerns for Duke, Ivey said, is urged to call the company’s customer service line at (800) 700-8744.

Published September 17, 2014

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Last-minute agreement makes long-awaited gas tax reality

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If Congress is any indication, it’s rare to see Democrats and Republicans agreeing on very much, if anything, these days.

But when it comes to increasing the Pasco County tax on gas sales, local leaders from both parties agreed: They didn’t want it.

The talk of a gas tax did not stop Land O’ Lakes resident Ron Cain from filling up his SUV at the 7-Eleven gas pumps on State Road 54 and U.S. 41. Motorists are slated for a smooth ride as the tax money generated will be used to build new Pasco County roads. (Fred Bellett/Photo)
The talk of a gas tax did not stop Land O’ Lakes resident Ron Cain from filling up his SUV at the 7-Eleven gas pumps on State Road 54 and U.S. 41. Motorists are slated for a smooth ride as the tax money generated will be used to build new Pasco County roads.
(Fred Bellett/Photo)

Yet, it would be an agreement of a different sort that won the day last week, when Pasco County commissioners finally found that fourth vote to approve a 5-cent increase in gas taxes, which is expected to raise an additional $8 million annually to help fund road construction. And it came in the form of outgoing commissioner Henry Wilson Jr.

“We’re all in a lose-lose situation, primarily me,” Wilson shared with fellow commissioners during a meeting Sept. 9. “If I say yes to the gas tax after I said no every single time before, I will be labeled as a flip-flopper. If I say no to it today, I’m ostracized by the people who are trying to build here.”

Wilson had joined with Commissioner Jack Mariano last year to block an increase in the gas tax, which requires four of five commissioners to approve. Both Democrats and Republicans lauded the two at least week’s meeting for holding their ground against the increase.

“The Pasco Democratic party opposes the passage of raising the gas tax at this time,” said Lynn Linderman, chair of the Pasco Democratic Party. “Wages in Pasco are declining, workers are having less money, not more. You are asking the people who live here and have no mass transit in the Tampa Bay area to pay more taxes to go to work.”

Wanda Stevens, who represented the Conservative Party of East Pasco at the meeting, didn’t let that go unnoticed.

“I am agreeing with our Democratic folks back here, so please don’t let this get in the news,” she joked.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, however, said that while the commission is completely filled with Republicans, not addressing the road infrastructure needs of the county was actually against her opinion of conservative principles.

“It is difficult for us, because none of us want to be known as a Republican who raised the gas tax,” Starkey said. “I believe it’s much more conservative to have the funds to repair the road, then to not have the guts to raise this money, and then we have to replace the road. Because that cost is exponentially more than repairing the road.”

Starkey supported the full 5-cent additional tax, and was backed by many in the business community who stepped up to speak last week. That included representatives from various companies, as well as the Tampa Bay Builders Association, the real estate trade group NAIOP, John Hagen from the Pasco County Economic Development Council, and local housing developers like Stew Gibbons from the Connerton community in Land O’ Lakes.

“You’ll see that Pasco is really out of sync with being competitive with the other counties in the region,” Gibbons said. “This creates a change in momentum for quality builders from being in Pasco County, as opposed to being in Manatee County. And I know some good quality builders that are focusing more on Manatee County than Pasco County.”

Commissioners for months have talked about the need to add $8 million to the budget, but the debate was on how to collect it. The two schools of thought were either through expansion of the local option gas tax, or raising property taxes — or a combination of the two.

Wilson, however, had pushed for using the state-collected real-estate transfer fee, which could provide Pasco with $18 million every year it would have to split with the school district. The problem, however, was that state lawmakers haven’t earmarked that money for Pasco, and it would take their vote — plus the governor’s signature — to make that happen.

“Nobody picked up the bill because it did not have three commissioners saying to move forward on it,” Wilson said.

Commissioner Ted Schrader had earlier appealed to Wilson to change his mind on the vote, and to capitalize on what was a unique opportunity for a departing commissioner. Wilson had been defeated in an open primary election last month, and will be replaced by political newcomer Mike Wells Jr. in November.

Not giving up on his plan to use state funds instead of county dollars to pay for new roads, Wilson offered a compromise — put in language to switch the county to real estate transfer fees if they ever become available, and he’d support a gas tax in the meantime.

David Goldstein, the chief assistant county attorney, told commissioners he could add language to the gas tax ordinance that would allow such a tax to end if real estate transfer funds were to become available, and were approved by both state lawmakers and county commissioners.

Wilson then joined commissioners Starkey, Schrader and Pat Mulieri to pass the 5-cent gas tax, with Mariano remaining opposed.

“When a gas supplier has a gas tax, they pass that cost onto the people buying the gas,” said Mariano, disputing some claims from county officials that some or all of the tax may be absorbed by gas stations, and not passed on to customers. “It’s basic economics, that cost is passed on.”

If the new gas tax is passed on to drivers, their costs could increase by $37.50 per year, county officials said. Small business owners would likely feel a $250 impact each year.

Published September 17, 2014

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A thread of giving leads to a vocational school in Haiti

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It may not sound like much — some sewing machines, spools of thread, and fabric.

They are humble items, but they helped launch a vocational school in Callabasse, Haiti.

The construction of the school had been completed, but nobody was using it when Chris Cox, a Lutz resident, was in Haiti last year doing some volunteer work.

Chris Cox shows Clairsimise Charle and Wislande Felius how to operate a sewing machine that was donated to a sewing center at a vocational school that Cox helped to launch in Haiti. (Courtesy of Chris Cox)
Chris Cox shows Clairsimise Charle and Wislande Felius how to operate a sewing machine that was donated to a sewing center at a vocational school that Cox helped to launch in Haiti.
(Courtesy of Chris Cox)

The school had been started before the catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, killing hundreds of thousands of people and displacing more than a million people.

When he saw the empty school, Cox felt compelled to try to start a vocational school there. Since then, Cox founded an organization called Bagay Ki Bon, which in Creole means, “good things.”

And now, The School of Blessings is up and running.

There’s a sewing room where women glide fabric through whirring machines to create canvas bags that can carry computers or tote other items. There’s an English class, too, where students practice English words and phrases — learning the basics of the language.

Cox said his inspiration to launch the vocational school was rooted in Kenya, where he had been on assignment to shoot video of an orphanage. His company, Cox Digital Arts, produces videos for charitable organizations.

In Kenya, he noticed a woman from Great Britain who had started a vocational school to teach people how to grow strawberries.

“I got to talking to some of the women she was impacting and teaching, and I saw the families and how they could provide for themselves. And they couldn’t before,” Cox said. “It was changing a community.”

He was blown away by the difference that program was making to change lives.

The next week, Cox traveled to Haiti to join family and friends doing volunteer work there.

It wasn’t their first time there.

The family has made short-term mission trips since the earthquake struck, said Linda Cox, who is Chris’ mom. They stay at an orphanage called House of Blessings, and The School of Blessings is next door.

In launching the vocational school, Cox said he worked through existing organizations in the area. He identified sewing and English as two classes that could begin to make an immediate difference for residents.

The sewing class prepares students for a trade, and the English classes make them much more marketable, especially in the capital of Port-au-Prince, he said. Cox envisions a day when the vocational school will be self-sustaining, but it’s not there yet.

He credits his mother and other volunteers for helping to bring his vision to life. Cox’s mom went to work, trying to drum up support for the school.

“I sent out hundreds of emails,” Linda Cox said. “I went online and just looked for fabric suppliers.”

One of those communications reached Melissa Helms of Keep Me In Stitches, a company with locations in Tampa. She responded by donating three sewing machines.

The Santa Rosa Quilt Guild stepped up, too. They raised money to purchase thread, Chris Cox said. One member asked a thread company for a discount. The company, Superior Threads, doubled the size of the order — resulting in more than $600 worth of thread for the vocational school.

While the school remains in its infancy, it continues to grow and evolve, Cox said. Initially, the idea was to offer sewing classes, but the effort expanded to include a sewing center to produce canvas computer and tote bags.

The center provides jobs for four seamstresses, he said, and the bags they create are sold to pay their wages, purchase additional materials, and help subsidize the cost of the English classes.

“These women that are producing the bags are expert seamstresses,” Linda Cox said. “They do absolutely beautiful work. They start every workday with a prayer and a song, which just sets the mood. They laugh and they tell stories. They’re just so happy to have a job and to be working with people that they like.

“They’re just filled with such joy. It’s such a moving experience to be part of that.”

The canvas bags can be purchased online, but Cox said he’s also looking for local places, too, that would be willing to stock and sell them.

While contributions are welcome, donations of supplies are a bit problematic because of the costs to get them to Haiti, Cox said. The best way to support the effort is to purchase a bag.

To do that, visit BagayKiBon.com.

 Published September 17, 2014

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Still in effect: No changes to county’s athletic transfer policy

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Pasco County’s athletic transfer policy for athletes isn’t going anywhere.

Earlier this month, the Pasco County School Board declined to make any changes to the policy, which requires students who switch schools to sit out a calendar year before playing for their new school. They can appeal the one-year ban, but unless they meet certain criteria, the student isn’t playing.

Students who change schools are subject to Pasco County’s athletic transfer policy, which could mean sitting out a calendar year before playing for their new school. That affects all high school sports, including the more popular ones, such as football. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Students who change schools are subject to Pasco County’s athletic transfer policy, which could mean sitting out a calendar year before playing for their new school. That affects all high school sports, including the more popular ones, such as football.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

The purpose of the policy is to prevent students from changing schools simply due to athletic considerations. However, some consider it stringent and controversial. The policy brings both positives and negatives to the table, said Land O’ Lakes High School athletic director Karen Coss.

Having the policy adds an extra check between the school and the Florida High School Athletic Association, she said.

“Having that extra check is a benefit. Without a policy, the schools make their own decisions, which can be ill-informed, or they need to navigate the FHSAA bylaws and policies,” Coss said.

On the other hand, schools have to identify affected students in order to request an appeal, Coss said. There’s also additional paperwork, which can put a further burden on an athletic director’s time.

Many athletic directors also are teachers — Coss teaches American government and human geography, for example — so the extra work can be challenging.

School board member Steve Luikart has been a critic of the policy as it’s being applied. But some have portrayed him as being against the policy itself, he said, and that’s not the case.

“I was never trying to rewrite something,” Luikart said. “We don’t have real big issues with the policy. We’ve had some big issues with the procedures and how they’re being implemented.”

Luikart believes there is some ambiguity in terms, such as what constitutes an enrolled student or a transfer student, he said. As a result, there are athletes being forced into an appeals process based on these interpretations when they should already be eligible to play sports.

“I’m under the impression that, according to the FHSAA, if a student lives inside their attendance zone, and they live with a legal guardian and they’ve enrolled in school on the first day of school, then they’re an enrolled student,” Luikart said. “There is no definition of being transferred from one place to the other.”

For the public, one of the sources of confusion is in relation to the FHSAA and the county. They aren’t the same organization, and while they work together to create athletic opportunities for students, they have different roles.

“The county is not determining eligibility,” Coss said. “They are deciding if they will allow the student to participate in sports. Some students still have to be ruled on by the FHSAA in addition to the county, so it is possible that a student is permitted to participate by the county, but ineligible by the FHSAA, and vice versa.”

Creating a policy and applying it can be two different things, and it’s the application that has concerned Luikart. It’s also the source for some degree of optimism.

Instead of expressing disappointment that the policy wasn’t changed or rescinded at the last meeting, Luikart feels like they’re working on a clearer explanation of how to apply it.

While nothing formal has been sent to the board to review, he’s heard that some adjustments in the procedures could be made. At that point he’ll review the adjustments and see if it fits with what he considers a fairer implementation of the policy.

In that regard, even though the policy is still in place and no changes to it were made, Luikart believes he got what he wanted.

“I thought I won,” he said. “My whole argument was that the process was flawed. The procedures were totally flawed.”

Published September 17, 2014

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Gimme five: Youth receiver a bowl participant … again

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For the fifth year in a row, wide receiver Dean Patterson has been named an All-American by the Offense-Defense instructional football camp. He’s also been hand-selected to participate in the organization’s Bowl Week festivities, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando at the end of the year.

Dean Patterson, 12, has been selected to join the Offense-Defense Bowl Week later this year in Orlando. It’s his fifth invitation to the event. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Dean Patterson, 12, has been selected to join the Offense-Defense Bowl Week later this year in Orlando. It’s his fifth invitation to the event.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Even though he’s used to the invitation by now, he still admits to some jitters before he steps onto the field.

“I get kind of nervous and freaked out,” Patterson said. “But as the days (get closer), I normally just get all excited and happy.”

Patterson can be forgiven for his nerves, considering he’s just 12 years old. The seventh-grader, who lives in Lutz and attends Martinez Middle School, plays for the South Pasco Predators Pop Warner football program. He’s played youth football since he was four, and started getting recognition from Offense-Defense when he was seven.

Like many athletes his age, Patterson loves watching football at the higher levels. As a fan of Florida State University and the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, he’s seen his teams achieve great success over the past year.

But he doesn’t watch the games like a regular preteen. Patterson keeps his eyes on the receivers, watching their movements, how they get separation from the defenders, and make adjustments to catch the ball. He supports his teams, but he’s also studying them, trying to find qualities he can emulate when he steps onto the field.

His system seems to be working. Each year, Patterson impresses the decision-makers at the Offense-Defense camp, even as he gets older and faces better talent coming to compete for spots at Bowl Week. But his reward includes a number of activities over the course of several days, including practices, a game at the Citrus Bowl, and another on campus at the University of Central Florida in Oviedo.

Even though Patterson’s a regular at the event, his first invitation didn’t even come at receiver. He was a running back at the time, and a cornerback the following year. But since then, he’s settled into the position he loves and plans to stick with it. He enjoys running routes and hearing his mother, Krystal, yell his name from the stands when he makes a big play.

At 5-foot-1, Patterson isn’t the tallest athlete on the team. Weighing 104 pounds, he’s not the biggest. And by his own admission, he’s only third or fourth fastest. It’s the intangibles, hard work and focus that allow him to excel at his position.

“It’s kind of getting to know your quarterback and what speed you have to run,” he said. Adjusting to a ball that might be over or under-thrown and making the catch is part of the job.

His future receiving opportunities include a potential athletic career at Steinbrenner High School when he’s old enough to attend. But before he can suit up for the Warriors, he has to stay focused and remain disciplined.

That includes in the classroom, too. Patterson reads to keep his vocabulary up and makes sure his studies are a primary focus.

“School’s always first,” he said. “You have to make sure you get good grades.”

Patterson also spends a lot of time with his head coach, going over game film and doing exercises every morning. But it’s not hard to schedule those workouts since his father coaches the team.

While it’s not unusual for a father to get involved in his son’s athletics, Robert Patterson had been coaching well before Dean had even seen a pigskin. An athlete himself who played football in high school — and soccer and lacrosse in college — he said that a coach was instrumental in helping him stay focus and motivated, and achieve success beyond high school. He wanted to be that kind of role model for other children, and that now includes his son.

“I’ve been working with at-risk youth for 20 years, helping kids get back on track or stay out of trouble with the law,” Robert Patterson said. “So to be able to do that with your kid, and see him flourish on the football field as well as the classroom, it’s a special deal.”

In addition to practicing three days during the week and playing a game on Saturdays, father and son have a regular early-morning jog that includes push-ups mixed in as well. Dean wakes up at 6:30 every morning to take care of his dog, Brady — named after the famous New England Patriots quarterback — before heading out on their morning routine.

The Pattersons are a close family. Dean’s little sister Kyra is on the cheer squad for the Predators, so she’s on the field while her brother practices at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center.

But they can be competitive, too.

When playing video game football on their Xbox 360, both Dean and Robert agree that dad has the upper hand. But what about a hypothetical match-up between the Patterson men if they were the same age, with Robert at his high school position of cornerback covering Dean as wide receiver? In that case, they have differing opinions over who would get the best of that encounter.

“I don’t know. It would have been a competitive deal, put it that way,” Robert said.

But Dean thinks he’d have the edge and could get open.

“I definitely do think so,” he said with a smile.

Published September 17, 2014

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Lieutenant governor paying visit to Zephyrhills

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The Conservative Club of East Pasco is welcoming a very high-profile guest to its Sept. 22 meeting in Zephyrhills.

Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera is the scheduled speaker for the group when it meets next week at the Zephyrhills Woman’s Club, at 38549 Fifth Ave.

Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera
Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera

“We’re excited to have the lieutenant governor coming, but I’m still really trying to get Rick Scott to visit, too,” said Nils Lenz, the Conservative Club’s secretary. Lopez-Cantera is running on the Republican gubernatorial ticket with Scott in November against Democrat and former Republican governor Charlie Crist.

The 40-year-old Lopez-Cantera assumed the duties of lieutenant governor last February following the resignation of Jennifer Carroll.

That means a lot of people may not know much about Lopez-Cantera, especially since the state’s second top spot usually gets overlooked by many in the public.

Yet, this remains the highest-profile guest the local Conservative Club has had in its 10-year history. Next Monday’s meeting is free and open to the public — as long as those who attend are respectful to the Conservative Club’s views.

“Usually we get 30 to 40 people in a regular meeting,” Lenz said. “But we expect to have a lot more than that for this visit. It’s big for the community.”

Since last December, the Scott campaign has raised $7.7 million seeking re-election, compared to a little more than $7 million from Crist. Polls have had both candidates neck-and-neck. Significant advertising — primarily by outside groups — has cast a very negative shadow on both campaigns.

Scott has worked to tie Crist to the economic problems that hit both the state and the county during Crist’s terms, as well as his association with fallen state GOP leader Jim Greer.

Crist, on the other hand, has highlighted the legal trouble Scott’s former company, Columbia/HCA, suffered through in the 1990s, which resulted in a settlement with the federal government costing hundreds of millions of dollars.

Crist, whose previous lieutenant governor was former lawmaker Jeff Kottkamp, has picked Annette Taddeo, chair of the Women’s Enterprise National Council’s Leadership Forum.

Before becoming the lieutenant governor, Lopez-Cantera spent eight years in the Florida House, and later became property appraiser for Miami-Dade County. He was born in Madrid, Spain, but moved to Miami soon after he was born.

The Conservative Club meeting is set to start at 6:30 p.m.

For more information on the meeting, or the Conservative Club itself, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email .

Published September 17, 2014

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