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Read-a-thon celebrates literary event

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When Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” was published in 1960, it captured the Pulitzer Prize, became an American classic in literature and was made into an Oscar-winning film, starring Gregory Peck.

Now, the sequel to that book is scheduled for release on July 14 and Barnes & Noble bookstores throughout the United States are celebrating the literary event by staging read-a-thons of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

The Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass will have its read-a-thon on July 13, on the second floor of the bookstore, near the fiction section, said Karen Dietz, store manager.

The event will begin at 10 a.m., and volunteers will continue reading passages from the book until they have finished reading the entire novel.

It is expected to take between nine and 11 hours to complete the book, Dietz said.

“Of course, it’s available in audio, so we kind of gauged it by that,” Dietz said.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” deals with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality. Its narrator is Scout, a 10-year-old tomboy.

Lee’s other novel, “Go Set a Watchman,” revolves around the now-adult Scout, returning to her native Alabama from New York to visit her father.

The book was written before “To Kill a Mockingbird” but was only recently discovered.

Dietz said she was very excited when she learned that Lee had a second book.

“Go Set a Watchman,” Dietz said, “is being called the biggest literary event in our lifetime.”

She said her store is lining up volunteers for the read-a-thon.

“We would love to have as many people as possible, to celebrate this event,” Dietz said.

The plan is for each person to read 20 minutes to 30 minutes, but the length could vary based on how many people sign up.

The book, “Go Set a Watchman,” will not go on sale until the next day.

“We have been waiting over 50 years for this book. So, it’s a big deal,” Dietz said.

The new book’s release comes amidst conflicting reports over when the manuscript was discovered and by whom.

According to published accounts, publisher Harper Collins and Lee’s lawyer, Tonja B. Carter, have said that Carter stumbled upon the novel last August, but another report claims that it was first discovered in 2011 by a rare books expert from Sotheby’s auction house.

What: ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ read-a-thon
Where: The Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Shops at Wiregrass, 28152 Paseo Drive, Suite 100 in Wesley Chapel.
When: The read-a-thon begins at 10 a.m. on July 13 and is expected to last between 9 hours and 11 hours.
To find out more, call (813) 907-7739 or email .

 

‘Go Set a Watchman’ goes on sale
Where: Barnes & Noble store at The Shops at Wiregrass, 28152 Paseo Drive, Suite 100, in Wesley Chapel.
When: 7 a.m. on July 13
Details: Those buying the book during the special event will receive a free cup of coffee from the bookstore’s café. The first 20 people to purchase the book will also receive a ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ tote bag.

Published July 8, 2015

Memories of Grandma Martinucci, and her chicken cacciatore

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I come from a very large family — the fourth of 10 siblings. My oldest brother was just 14 when my youngest sister arrived, which made for an incredible busy household bursting with children, from infants through high school students.

With so many mouths to feed, our mother rarely asked us kids what we wanted for dinner. Not that it really mattered — we learned at an early age if we did not eat what was put in front of us, a sibling gladly would clean our plate.

Diane Kortus grew up in a family of 10 children, so it was always a big treat to choose what she wanted for her birthday dinner. She always chose Grandma Martinucci’s chicken cacciatore, shown here. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Diane Kortus grew up in a family of 10 children, so it was always a big treat to choose what she wanted for her birthday dinner. She always chose Grandma Martinucci’s chicken cacciatore, shown here.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

There was only one day of the year when our mother asked what we wanted for dinner, and that was our birthday. Most of my brothers and sisters chose standard kid foods— macaroni and cheese, pancakes and fried bologna sandwiches.

But much to the chagrin of my siblings, I always asked mom to make chicken cacciatore for my birthday dinner. My brothers and sisters would wail, “not spaghetti again,” but to me, chicken cacciatore was special because it was the only Italian dish Mom made with chicken instead of meatballs.

We were a brood of half-Polish and half-Italian kids, but since mom was Italian, we ate a lot more Italian dishes than Polish.

Thinking about this today, pasta and red sauce is inexpensive to make, and since mom cooked dinner for 12 people every night, I’m sure cost factored into her decision of what to make for dinner.

Every week my mother and Grandmother Martinucci, who immigrated from Italy in 1912 when she was 12 years old, chopped onions and garlic, sieved fresh tomatoes, added fresh basil and oregano, and put on a huge pot of red sauce with hamburger and meatballs.

But when they made chicken cacciatore, the red sauce was cooked down without any meat until it was time to drop in sautéed chicken pieces. Then the red sauce and chicken simmered on the stove for hours, until the chicken fell from its bones.

To this day I love chicken cacciatore because it makes me feel special.

Here is my grandmother’s recipe, which is over 60 years old.

But don’t wait for a special occasion to enjoy it. It’s easy to make and takes less time than lasagna or other pasta dishes.

Grandma Martinucci’s Chicken Cacciatore
For the chicken

  • 5-6 lbs whole chicken cut into pieces, or 5 lbs chicken legs and thighs
  • ¼ c. olive oil
  • salt, pepper and other preferred seasonings

For the sauce

  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced – not chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 large can tomatoes (29 ounces)
  • 1 large can tomato sauce (29 ounces)
  • 1 large can tomato puree (29 ounces)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp oregano leaves (crushed)
  • ½ tsp basil leaves (crushed)
  • ½ tsp celery seed
  • 2 T sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3/4 c. dry red wine
  • 1 c. water

Select chicken with skin on the bone. This can be a whole chicken, or an assortment of legs, thighs and breasts. If the breasts are large, cut in half.

Wash and pat dry chicken dry. Coat with seasoning and brown all sides in olive oil, about 10 minutes on each side. Set aside.

For sauce, saute onions and garlic in olive oil (until the onions are clear). Add other ingredients and cook on low between two hours and three hours, until the sauce thickens. Add chicken pieces, and cook for another hour until the chicken begins to fall off the bone.

Chicken cacciatore can also be made ahead of time and popped in the oven for 45 minutes before serving. If you want to do this, place your browned chicken in a large 9 X 13 casserole dish, and pour the red sauce over the chicken. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, until the red sauce bubbles and the chicken pulls away from the bone. If desired, sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella or other Italian cheeses on top the last 5 to 10 minutes, until melted.

Serve with pasta.

Editor’s Note: Some of our favorite foods not only taste good, but prompt cherished memories, too. We hope this new feature, ‘Recipes to Remember,’ will provide a source of recipes for foods you will enjoy. We also hope the recipes we feature will inspire you to share your recipe, and the story behind it. Want to know more? Email .

Published July 8, 2015

Getting food on families’ tables faster

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A Feeding America Tampa Bay facility in Land O’ Lakes is being repurposed, meaning it will no longer be a place where local agencies can pick up food for their pantries.

That will be an adjustment for local agencies — such as Daystar Hope Center of Pasco County Inc., in Dade City — that have been picking up food from the Land O’ Lakes facility to pack in bags and boxes to give to people in need.

Sister Jean Abbott, who oversees Daystar Hope Center of Pasco County Inc., said she hopes that changes being made by Feeding America Tampa Bay will allow her agency to pick up donations from food suppliers closer to her food pantry. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Sister Jean Abbott, who oversees Daystar Hope Center of Pasco County Inc., said she hopes that changes being made by Feeding America Tampa Bay will allow her agency to pick up donations from food suppliers closer to her food pantry.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

But Thomas Mantz, executive director of Feeding America Tampa Bay, said he believes the new system that will be used in Pasco will help deliver more food to family dinner tables faster.

Under the new system, Feeding America Tampa Bay will pick up food from suppliers and deliver goods to local agencies directly, or will facilitate arrangements between local agencies and local food suppliers, Mantz said.

“We did this in Pinellas County two years ago,” he said, and the organization’s experiences have demonstrated that the model works.

The change will not mean less food going to feed the poor in Pasco County, Mantz said. “We are invested in Pasco.”

In 2013, 3 million pounds of food was distributed in Pasco. In 2014, the amount increased to 4.5 million pounds of food.

Still, there needs to be more, Mantz said.

“There’s not enough food in Pasco County to feed everybody,” Mantz said.

The Land O’ Lakes facility will stop providing food to local agencies in early July, Mantz said.

These are some of the items stocked in the pantry at Daystar Hope Center of Pasco County Inc. The inventory changes, based on what’s available, said Sister Jean Abbott, who oversees the food pantry.
These are some of the items stocked in the pantry at Daystar Hope Center of Pasco County Inc. The inventory changes, based on what’s available, said Sister Jean Abbott, who oversees the food pantry.

It will be put to a different use, and that use will support the organization’s overall mission, Mantz said.

One possible use would be a chophouse, where fruits and vegetables would be chopped and bagged, to keep the foods fresh for longer periods, Mantz said.

Sister Jean Abbott, who oversees Daystar’s operations, said she would welcome arrangements that allow her pantry to pick up food items directly from local grocers.

“It eliminates them running their trucks all over the road. It eliminates us running our trucks all over the road,” she said.

“We used to go to Sweetbay. We went there twice a week,” she said. We’d gladly do that again. That was a sweet deal for us. We loved it,” she said.

In fact, when Kash’n Karry rebranded to Sweetbay, they got rid of all of the stuff that said Kash’n Karry,” Abbott said.

“We had two or three truckloads of stuff — out of their freezers, off their shelves, packaged things.

“Merciful heavens, we had stuff. It was wonderful,” Abbott said.

Published July 1, 2015

Author’s feline teaches about friendships, faith

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Angie Albrecht-Smith brings her cat, Willie, to any speaking engagements or book signings where he’s allowed.

He’s not there just for moral support. It’s his event as much as hers.

Willie, a Maine Coon, is the main character in Albrecht-Smith’s line of children’s books. The Land O’ Lakes resident released the second book in the “Willie’s Critter Tales” series earlier this year by Tate Publishing. “Willie’s Friend Visits” is the follow-up to “Willie Meets A Possum,” which was published in 2010.

Angie Albrecht-Smith likes to write out her stories on paper before heading to the computer. Sometimes the series protagonist, Willie, likes to supervise. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Angie Albrecht-Smith likes to write out her stories on paper before heading to the computer. Sometimes the series protagonist, Willie, likes to supervise.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

In the stories, Willie encounters a variety of animals: Possums, deer, doves, chipmunks and other cats. He’s always eager to meet someone new, even if they’re very different than he is, with their own ways of eating and living.

While Albrecht-Smith confirms that the stories come from true events with a little imagination thrown in, there’s a parallel between Willie’s welcoming attitude and her own life.

Her husband, Frank, is a construction manager with specialized skills, and the couple have traveled all over the world during their 43 years together.

Every few years Albrecht-Smith has made a new home, sometimes in a different state, and other times in a different country. Whether it’s England, Trinidad or Saudi Arabia, Albrecht-Smith had the same open attitude toward different experiences as she gives Willie in her books.

“You have different mindsets and you have different cultures, but what God’s always shown me is you can find common ground,” she said of the people she’s met in her travels. “They want to provide for their family. They want to have a good life, and most people want to treat others well.”

Albrecht-Smith made an effort to live among the people in that particular country, rather than in a community with other Americans living there. She would go from house to house, introducing herself and her children, Abraham and Patience, to their new neighbors.

Even though some were hesitant, she soon forged friendships that way, and was able to bond with each community, even if they didn’t stay long.

Albrecht-Smith is used to making an impact on people in a short amount of time, and she wants to do the same with her book series.

Because they’re intended for children, the books aren’t long and are easy to read. The idea is that parents can read them to their children, or have the children read to their parents. In either case, the act of sharing fosters communication at a time when she sees too many people staring at a cellphone instead of interacting with someone close to them.

“We’ve lost the art of conversing,” Albrecht-Smith said. “Either that child reading to you or you reading to them — There is nothing that will replace that bonding experience.”

While the books aren’t overly religious, readers will usually find a mention or two of God in the story.

That’s also by design.

Albrecht-Smith is an ordained Christian minister, and faith plays a big role in her life. She’s also active with animal rescue organizations; her pets, including Willie, are rescues.

While the book aims to help people communicate, it also helped the author with communication when she went through a difficult time in her life.

The author’s son, Abraham, passed away (Albrecht-Smith prefers the phrase “called home”) around the time her first book came out. Doing publicity for the book became a cathartic experience, and the warm reception she received when she spoke was a help to her as both a writer and a mother.

“That is when I started breathing again. I love people. I love talking to them. I love listening to their stories,” Albrecht-Smith said. “That helped me more than anything.”

Albrecht-Smith is still talking to people, whether it’s talking to children about her latest book, or writing workshops with young adults.

And she’s still writing.

She plans to speed up the releases of her books, with a goal of the next one being published in 2016.

She wants to complete six books in Willie’s series before moving to a separate group of stories with her other cat, Ernie. Those stories should be more whimsical to match Ernie’s personality, she said.

Future stories will cover different topics, such as caring for a rescue pet, and what plans people make for their pets when they pass away (Patience now cares for Abraham’s cat). But they’ll keep the same respectful tone regarding meeting new people, sharing a variety of experiences and searching for common ground with those who seem different.

The same kind of respect for others that Albrecht-Smith maintained in her travels around the world.

“I never preached. I just tried to treat everybody like God treats me, which is very kind and very forgiving,” she said.

For more information about the “Willie’s Critter Tales” series, call (888) 361-9473, or visit TatePublishing.com.

Published July 1, 2015

Charter school finds a home

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Garden Montessori Charter School has signed a five-year lease on a new 22,000-square-foot home in a former fitness facility in Wesley Chapel.

“It’s a beautiful property,” John Selover, a consultant for the charter school said. “We’re really excited about it.”

Garden Montessori Charter School has signed a five-year lease on the property now known as Sports and Field, at 2029 Arrowgrass Drive. (Photos courtesy of Garden Montessori Charter School)
Garden Montessori Charter School has signed a five-year lease on the property now known as Sports and Field, at 2029 Arrowgrass Drive.
(Photos courtesy of Garden Montessori Charter School)

In addition to the building at the Sports and Field Inc. location, at 2029 Arrowgrass Drive, there’s a large fenced play area, Selover said.

“When we move in there this year, we’ll have temporary walls and partitions, with the idea that we’ll make that more permanent down the road,” he said.

The school is opening this fall with an enrollment of around 215 children, in kindergarten through second grade.

Selover said many people believe that Montessori education is a private-school only type of situation.

But Garden Montessori School is a charter school, meaning there’s no tuition for children attending the school.

The Sports and Field building, which has been leased to Garden Montessori Charter School, has an exterior rock wall.
The Sports and Field building, which has been leased to Garden Montessori Charter School, has an exterior rock wall.

The same is true for Countryside Montessori Charter School, which is located in Land O’ Lakes.

Garden Montessori School has its roots in a private preschool and kindergarten that has been offering the Montessori approach to education since 2009.

Parents of some of those children were interested in continuing to pursue that type of education in elementary school, and the school sought permission from Pasco County to open a charter elementary school.

There are still some seats available at Garden Montessori Charter School.

General information and enrollment details can be found at GMCSWC.weebly.com.

Published July 1, 2015

Study focuses on marketing property near Zephyrhills airport

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Duke Energy recently completed a site evaluation and marketing report on more than 440 acres next to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

The property, according to the report, can be made site-ready for aerospace manufacturing, light industrial and assembly companies, and the plastics industry.

“We want to help you, to encourage you, as you market the Zephyrhills airport’s industrial area,” said Beth Land, a consultant with McCallum Sweeney, a national firm that partners with the Duke Energy Site Readiness program.

The engineering firm, HRP Associates, also participated in the site’s analysis.

The site-readiness program began in 2005 for the purpose of identifying and improving industrial sites that can attract investments and jobs in communities within Duke Energy’s service region. In the past decade, 155 site readiness projects have been completed, mostly within Southeastern states.

Work on the Zephyrhills’ project began several months ago. Two other sites in Florida – the Deltona Commerce Park in Volusia County and Florida Energy and Aerospace Training (FEAT) Park – were evaluated in 2013.

The report was presented to a joint workshop of the Zephyrhills City Council and the Pasco County Commission on June 22, prior to the city council’s monthly meeting. There was no discussion from council or commission members afterward.

One of the initial steps recommended by Duke Energy is an environmental assessment of the industrial site. Pasco County might be able to use a portion of a $400,000 federal grant to complete the task, if property owners give permission. The grant was awarded recently to help Pasco County build an inventory of brownfield sites. An update is expected by October.

The term “brownfield site” generally refers to the reuse, expansion or redevelopment of property, which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The site readiness report for the Zephyrhills location provided a detailed look at the area’s prospects for future development, its strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations to boost its attractiveness to investors.

The team of evaluators found the site suitable for one or two large facilities built on site or a cluster of smaller facilities with multiple users.

“We’ve been very excited about the whole process,” said John Walsh, vice president of the Pasco Economic Development Council. “It’s an exciting opportunity to promote Zephyrhills and show the rest of the world we’re ready to bring investment opportunities and get some jobs here.”

As laid out by Land and Mark Sweeney, one of the owners of McCallum Sweeney, the path to certifying a site as market-ready takes commitment, time and resources.

“It can be very demanding at times,” said Sweeney.

But the rewards, as touted in the report, can be significant.

Among success stories for Duke Energy’s program is Severcorr Steel, which invested about $800 million in a facility in Columbus, Mississippi, and created 450 jobs. Among McCallum Sweeney’s clients are Hertz, Northrup Grumman, Nordex, Boeing and Alenia Aeronautics.

The key is to understand that economic development is a business with the community as the product being sold. “Everything about your community may be a factor they (investors) are considering in whether they want to locate in your community,” Sweeney said.

Among a list of considerations would be the site itself, the infrastructure including utilities, the labor force and quality of life factors.

There are issues with the site that should be addressed prior to marketing the site, Land said.

The property has three owners, 4 Rail LLC, Sysco Corporation and 5L Properties LLC. The portion owned by 5L Properties is zoned agricultural, and Duke Energy recommends either rezoning it as industrial or at least creating a timeline for completing the task.

There is access to the property from Chancey Road, Sixth Avenue and State Road 54, but it also is 13 miles from Interstate 75 and 20 miles from Interstate 4. An investor would want to know what routes are available to connect to interstate highways.

Duke Energy also recommends building a rail spur onto the property off the CSX rail line adjacent to the site’s western border. No cost estimate was provided.

Construction of a new wastewater line and lift station is needed, according to the report, at an estimated cost of about $1.7 million and a timeline of up to a year for completion.

The power company also recommends creation of a master plan for how to develop the site.

“This is a great spot. Our key to success is having pads ready,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore. There is a lot of opportunity here.”

Published July 1, 2015

Developer plans new homes in Land O’ Lakes

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Developers plan to build a new subdivision on land formerly owned by Lester Dairy Farm, off U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. The vacant land is the last significant undeveloped parcel along a corridor filled with new residential communities including Asbel Creek and Lakeshore Ranch.

To the north, Florida Citrus Investors owns more than 300 acres slated for townhouses. Across the highway the “new town” of Connerton is under development on about 8,000 acres of a former cattle ranch.

On June 24, Pasco County’s Development Review Committee gave unanimous approval to the residential community proposed by NVR Inc., the owner and developer of the dairy farm property. The Pasco County Commission must still give its approval.

Plans are to build nearly 490 single-family homes on about 300 acres, located on the west side of U.S. 41 and about a mile south of State Road 52.

Developers will be responsible for building the first two lanes of the Bulloch Road extension, which would bisect the site and connect with the portion of Bulloch within Asbel Creek.

They also would build a portion of a proposed east/west “vision” road, with access off U.S. 41. The roadwork within the subdivision is part of Pasco County’s long-range transportation efforts to increase neighborhood connectivity, and relieve traffic volume on heavily traveled highways such as U.S. 41.

Chris Williams, planning director for the District School Board of Pasco County, took the opportunity to push for more cooperation between planners with the county and school district on another “vision” plan for school construction.

He also serves on the county’s development review committee, and supported NVR’s project.

Connerton and other large developments often set aside acreage for future schools. But, Williams said smaller projects, such as Lakeshore Ranch, Asbel Creek, Tierra del Sol and the latest from NVR, rarely have the space.

“There already are 500 elementary school kids who live in these developments,” Williams said.

The school district has purchased land in the area for a future elementary school. However, Williams said planners with the county and the school district need to work jointly on school needs, not only with large development projects, but smaller ones as well.

“There is an accumulative effect,” he said. “We’re seeing this happen, and we need to set a school vision plan.”

Published July 1, 2015

Chapel Crossings could bring new rooftops to Wesley Chapel

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Crown Community Development got the go-ahead from the Pasco County Commission to build Chapel Crossings, a mixed-use development that will be located north of State Road 54 and east of Curley Road.

More than 1,000 single-family homes and apartments are planned. There also would be about 175,000 square feet of retail and about 50,000 square feet of office space.

“This is a great project,” said attorney Barbara Wilhite, who represented the developer at the public hearing to rezone the property. “We’ve worked really hard on it. (Pasco County) staff worked really hard on it.”

But the approval didn’t come without a kerfuffle over the construction of roads that will bisect the approximately 300-acre site in Wesley Chapel.

Crown Community Development plans to spend about $6.6 million to build extensions to Curley Road and a portion of the Zephyrhills Bypass Extension. The roads intersect in the center of Chapel Crossings.

The disagreement focused on the types of roads that are required, and whether Crown Community Development needed to build a second north/south road through the property at an additional cost of about $990,000.

It wouldn’t be a road that served Chapel Crossings, said Craig Weber, vice president of Crown Community Development, whose company also developed WaterGrass and Seven Oaks in Wesley Chapel.

Weber claimed that the county was holding him to a standard “that doesn’t exist. I don’t get it. Let’s just not make it up as we go along.”

It also isn’t certain, he said, that the road would ever be needed to connect with potential development to the north.

His project is southwest of the Villages of Pasadena, a planned community with potential for a range of 22,000 to 25,000 homes.

“We don’t believe the code requires a second north/south road, one-third of a mile from Curley Road,” said Wilhite. “My client thinks he has met the standard.”

But Chairman Ted Schrader and Commissioner Kathryn Starkey raised concerns about a road design that didn’t go far enough to give people alternatives to driving on major thoroughfares that already are in gridlock.

Newer subdivisions that direct traffic onto State Road 54 compare unfavorably, Starkey said, to older neighborhoods in west Pasco County that do have neighborhood roads.

“You have got to have interconnectivity between neighborhoods or you’re going to have gridlock everywhere,” said Starkey, who had to leave the hearing prior to the vote. “One of the basic qualities of life is to be able to move around within a community and not have everyone on the same road.”

Other commissioners were more supportive.

“It could end up being a road to nowhere,” said Commissioner Mike Moore. He also suggested that the second road might not be environmentally doable because of wetlands.

That argument, in the end, persuaded Schrader to join with other commissioners in approving the project.

“I think you have to have interconnectivity,” he said. “I think that is better planning. But when I look at the map, I see some real challenges to making that happen.”

Published July 1, 2015

Chamber exec leaves her mark

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Vonnie Mikkelsen is wrapping up her work this week at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce to take on a similar role for the chamber of commerce in Springfield, Oregon.

Making the decision to leave her current post was no easy choice, Mikkelsen said.

“This was not just a job to me. It was really a commitment. It’s where my heart was. It’s where I grew at the same time that I saw people around me and the community and the organization, itself, grow,” said Mikkelsen, who lives in Land O’ Lakes.

Vonnie Mikkelsen is leaving her post as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce this week. She’s excited about moving to Oregon, where she’ll lead the chamber of commerce in Springfield and will live closer to her family. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Vonnie Mikkelsen is leaving her post as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce this week. She’s excited about moving to Oregon, where she’ll lead the chamber of commerce in Springfield and will live closer to her family.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Mikkelsen took the leadership role at the Zephyrhills chamber on Dec. 14, 2009. She was selected from a field of 44 candidates.

Since accepting that role, she’s been involved in numerous initiatives.

She helped organize the collection of items for the time capsule created to celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary.

She was involved in the push to change the hours for when liquor could be served on Sundays.

She was involved in the effort to persuade the state roads department to use a pair of one-ways running through Zephyrhills, instead of turning Gall Boulevard (US 301) into a three-lane, one-way road.

She led efforts to launch a new annual festival, the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest, an event that attracts thousands and raises money for the chamber and community groups.

She drummed up support to create the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition.

And, she helped persuade the powers-that-be that finding money to create a four-lane stretch of State Road 56 — from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 — would be an investment in the region, not just a project for Zephyrhills.

While the money has not yet been found for the State Road 56 project, work is under way to see if it’s possible to get a loan from the state’s infrastructure bank to make it happen.

Mikkelsen is proud of what has been accomplished during her tenure, but she’s the first to say these achievements were a result of people working together to make them happen.

“I never would have guessed all of the things that we were able to accomplish – even at my highest expectation. We, together, have exceeded those. That’s incredibly rewarding,” Mikkelsen said.

Shortly after she assumed her role as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Vonnie Mikkelsen had a chance to meet people throughout the community by working on a time capsule project to mark the city’s 100th birthday. (Courtesy of Vonnie Mikkelsen)
Shortly after she assumed her role as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Vonnie Mikkelsen had a chance to meet people throughout the community by working on a time capsule project to mark the city’s 100th birthday.
(Courtesy of Vonnie Mikkelsen)

She’s been amazed by the willingness of individuals and organizations in Zephyrhills to give their time, talent and resources.

Mikkelsen thinks a chamber of commerce is in a unique position to pull people together.

“It’s (the chamber is) your business community, it’s your nonprofit organizations, it’s your faith-based organizations, your community support organizations, your schools, your government agencies. It’s a cross-section and there’s no other organization in the community like that,” Mikkelsen said.

Recognizing how people can help is important, Mikkelsen said.

“If you know the resources that are in an organization like that (the chamber), the possibilities are endless,” she said.

Having a pulse on stakeholders’ interests is essential, Mikkelsen added.

“It’s not my chamber of commerce. It’s not even the board’s chamber of commerce. It’s first and foremost, the members’, and then the community at large,” she said.

Mikkelsen said she hadn’t been at the job long before she had a chance to tap into the broad spectrum of Zephyrhills’ stakeholders.

That happened when she was working with a team to create a time capsule for the city’s 100th birthday, she said.

The capsule contains artifacts of the daily life of groups and organizations that make up the fabric of Zephyrhills.

When Mikkelsen agreed to take a leadership role on that task, she was determined to excel.

That’s her mantra.

“I don’t promise anything I’m not going to deliver on, and usually deliver beyond expectations,” she said.

When Mikkelsen joined the Zephyrhills chamber she was coming out of a period of personal transition, she said.

She’d left a position with The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a few years before because it wasn’t the right fit for her.

Then, she went back to school to get a certificate in nonprofit management from the University of South Florida.

At the same time, she was doing volunteer work.

She served as a certified guardian ad litem, acting as an advocate for children under state protection, who had been abused, neglected or abandoned.

She also volunteered hundreds of hours at the Pasco County Animal Shelter.

She said a staff member there described her as “the best used-dog salesperson in the world” because she concentrated on getting dogs socialized and ready for adoption.

Her efforts there earned her a Citizen of the Year award from the Florida Veterinary Medical Association.

When Mikkelsen arrived in Zephyrhills, she didn’t know much about the community beyond the research she’d done to help her land the job.

She got busy trying to understand the community’s strengths and opportunities, as well as its weaknesses and threats.

“You’ve got to know where they are. You’ve got to know where you are and what you need.

“Once you’ve identified your weaknesses and your threats. Once you’ve identified them and are clear about them,” she said, “that’s the starting point.

“Instead of wallowing in your disadvantages, just know them. “Then, you focus everything else on the solution,” Mikkelsen said.

Part of finding those solutions involves building partnerships and considering different points of view, she added.

Building those relationships takes time and follow-through, Mikkelsen added. “It’s not just sending an email.”

It also takes a willingness to do the research to establish credibility, and to create trust, over time through your actions, she added.

It’s important to respect people’s time and to be sure that meetings are meaningful, Mikkelsen said.

“You’re calling on volunteers. Time is money. I appreciate that. I value that. I get it. Ultimately, I don’t want to waste their time. I don’t want to waste my time. More importantly, I want them to keep coming back, and keep engaged and keep moving forward, because we need them,” she said.

Finding common ground and collaborating is an effective way to tackle issues, Mikkelsen said.

“If you’re always looking at others as a competitor and a threat, then you’re definitely not leading. It’s the biggest drag on success,” she said.

She’s fluent in Japanese. She spent 16 years in Japan and worked with Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting in Tokyo to develop programming for Cartoon Network Japan.

Factoids about Vonnie Mikkelsen
She’s fluent in Japanese. She spent 16 years in Japan and worked with Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting in Tokyo to develop programming for Cartoon Network Japan.

The ringtone on her cell is “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

She received the Florida Veterinary Medical Association’s Citizen of the Year award in 2009 for her volunteer work with Pasco County Animal Services.

Published July 1, 2015

Scott’s veto pen helps, and hurts

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Gov. Rick Scott’s veto pen stripped away funds from some projects but spared others, as he cut more than $460 million from the state’s 2015-16 budget.

Pasco County lost more than $8 million in anticipated funds for various projects.

But some local projects in the $78.6 billion state budget faired especially well.

Rick Scott
Rick Scott

Pasco-Hernando State College will receive $5.5 million for a performing arts center in Wesley Chapel. A shooting range for the police academy, located on the college’s Dade City campus, will receive $1 million for improvements.

Another winner is the Land O’ Lakes Community Center which will receive $250,000 for a band shell and stage.

“I’m as excited as I can be,” said Sandy Graves, president of Heritage Park Foundation. The nonprofit helps collect donations for improvements to the community center, which dates to the 1960s.

“We’ve been wanting it and wanting it. It’d be in our reach, and then it would go away,” Graves said.

In December, Graves made a presentation to Pasco’s legislative delegation. The initial estimate of $150,000 for construction costs was deemed too low, and the request was boosted to $250,000.

The community center is a long-time gathering place for residents in Land O’ Lakes and Lutz, Graves said.

The band shell and stage will enable the community to expand uses there, to include bigger community events and festivals.

Scott signed the state’s budget on June 22. It becomes effective July 1.

The county’s losses, in budget cuts, included $1.9 million for a storm water project in Dade City; $250,000 for the Senior Elderly Nutrition Kitchen; $1 million for the Metropolitan Ministries’ partially completed transitional housing for the county’s homeless population; and $450,000 for a Zephyrhills’ fire protection water line.

It was a mixed bag for Pasco County Schools.

The good news is the district will receive $750,000 to continue operating the Tampa Bay Regional Aeronautics Academies partnership with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Tampa International Airport. Currently, there is an aeronautics academy at Sunlake High School in Land O’ Lakes.

But Scott cut $1.5 million sought for a similar program at Zephyrhills High School that would include a capital project for a separate classroom facility.

Among reasons Scott gave for eliminating line items from the budget was whether the programs would offer statewide benefits.

“I disagree that these programs don’t have a statewide benefit, or return on investment,” Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning said in a news release. “We believe this unique program embraces Governor Scott’s platform to provide more jobs for Floridians, attract more businesses to our state, and prepare students to achieve success in college, career and life.”

However, Browning noted that the program would move forward with classroom instruction at Zephyrhills High School.

Published July 1, 2015