The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Unlicensed contractors not welcome in Pasco County

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Pasco County is cracking down on unlicensed contractors who leave residents on the hook for shoddy work, or who take the money and run without doing the job.

County officials and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office joined forces in October to launch a pilot program aimed at protecting consumers from unscrupulous contractors.

Licensed contractors also lobbied for tougher actions against competitors who don’t follow the rules, county officials said.

“Unlicensed contractors in Pasco County now risk felony charges in certain cases, as well as traditional financial penalties,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, speaking at a press conference to announce the pilot program. “When (licensed contractors) do things right, it’s not fair to compete with unlicensed contractors who undercut them and deliver an unsafe product.”

The county and sheriff’s office average 20 to 25 complaints a month, said Ainsley Caldwell, the county’s unlicensed contractor project manager.

Previously, a county building inspector would be pulled from regular duties and assigned to investigate complaints, Caldwell said. “Now we have a team that is dedicated full-time.”

That team is made up of Caldwell and a building inspector, code inspector and a detective from the sheriff’s economic crimes unit.

The Pasco county attorney’s office and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation are assisting, too.

The pilot program, which has been approved to operate this fiscal year, has a $500,000 budget.

Investigations are often complaint-driven, but not always.

“We drive through neighborhoods and do spot checks,” Caldwell said.

Other building and code inspectors pass on information to the team about possible scams and the sheriff’s detective is advised as well, he said.

In many cases, county inspectors issue citations to contractors suspected of doing unlicensed work.

Caldwell said cases are heard by judges who can levy fines, require restitution and, in some cases, impose jail sentences.

The sheriff’s economic crimes unit staged a sting operation in November that led to the arrest of 11 men who were charged with workmen’s compensation fraud and unlicensed construction services. Both are felonies.

Between October and December 2014, there were 13 misdemeanor arrests and 11 felony arrests, said Shawn Rozankowski, a detective with the Pasco sheriff’s office. Since January, there have been 10 misdemeanor and 10 felony arrests, he said.

Besides protecting consumers from shoddy work, the program aims to educate residents about the risks involved in hiring unlicensed contractors.

The education efforts include speaking at neighborhood association meetings and developing an informational brochure.

It may seem cheaper to hire an unlicensed contractor, but it can prove to be very costly, Caldwell said.

“(People) are not aware they are hooking themselves up to significant liability issues,” Caldwell said.

If the unlicensed contractor falls off a ladder, for example, the person who hired him can be sued or be held responsible for medical bills, Caldwell said.

And, if building inspections done at a later date uncover work that was done without permits, the owner could face substantial penalties for “after-the-fact” permits, Caldwell said.

Other costs could result from having to repair work that wasn’t done properly.

There can be other risks as well.

Among the 11 men arrested in the sting operation, seven had prior criminal records including motor vehicle theft, forgery and domestic battery, county officials said.

To verify building permits and licensed contractors, visit the county’s website, PascoCountyFl.net and click on the appropriate links.

To find out more, or to report an unlicensed contractor (reports can be made anonymously), call (727) 847-2411, ext. 2692.

Clues to spot an unlicensed contractor
You are asked to obtain the permit.

  • The contractor tells you a permit is not necessary. Visit the Pasco County website, at PascoCountyFl.net, to verify whether either a permit or inspection is required.
  • The contractor is not willing to put a contract in writing.
  • You are asked for a large down payment before work begins, or you are asked to pay in cash.
  • The contractor cannot provide proof of insurance or a copy of his license. To verify a locally licensed contractor visit PascoCountyFl.net.
  • The contractor does not display a license number in contracts or advertisements or on business cards and business vehicles.
  • The contractor will work only at night and/or weekends.

Published February 25, 2015

Business Digest 04-25-15

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Clubhouse at Estancia opens
The Estancia Club at Estancia at Wiregrass had a ribbon cutting and grand opening on Feb. 11.

The club has a private clubroom, state-of-the-art fitness facility, an aquatic center with a resort style pool, a tower water slide and a lap pool.

The clubhouse is located in a master-planned community in Wesley Chapel at 4000 Estancia Blvd.

Grants for businesswomen
Are you a businesswoman who could use $1,000?

Women-n-Charge is offering two $1,000 grants this spring. The grants can be used towards business-related equipment or services and continuing education. The nonprofit’s mission, in part, is to support and assist professional women in managing their businesses more effectively.

Learn more about the grants at Women-n-Charge.com. Applications are available online and are due April 15.

For information, contact Judy Nicolosi, treasurer of Women-n-Charge, at (813) 600-9848, or email .

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet at Rose’s Café at 38426 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco is the guest speaker on March 10.

For information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email him at .

Career Fairs
Rasmussen College will host its Spring Career Fair March 5 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., on the college’s Land O’Lakes campus at 18600 Fernview St.

Students, alumni and residents will be able to speak with hiring managers of local companies and learn about resources to aid in job searches.

Rasmussen College also will host a Career Fair March 4 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at its New Port Richey campus at 8661 Citizens Drive.

For information about the Land O’ Lakes event, call (813) 435-3601.

For information about the New Port Richey event, call (727) 942-0069.

Women-n-Charge Meet
Women-n-Charge, a women’s networking group, will meet March 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., at Pebble Creek Country Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive in Tampa.

The meeting includes lunch and time to network. Suzanne Gray, founder of ReNew Life Wellness Center, will be the featured speaker.

Come share talents, build relationships and share resources with other women in business.

The cost is $15 for members who pay by Tuesday before the meeting, and $18 for guests and members who pay Wednesday and after.

To register, visit Women-n-Charge.com.

For information, contact Judy at (813) 600-9848, or email .

Rotary Club needs bee sponsors
The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon needs sponsors for the third annual “BEE Part of the Buzz” adult spelling bee.

The spelling bee will be April 10 at 6:30 p.m., at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, 10641 Old Tampa Bay Drive in San Antonio. Teams compete in three rounds with words progressing in spelling difficulty from easy to intermediate to difficult.

Spectators cheer on their favorite teams in a fun event that helps raise funds for the Pasco Education Foundation. Donations range from $1,500 for a Queen Bee sponsorship to $150 for a four-person team.

For information, email Erin Meyer at .

NetFest sponsors needed
The Pasco Economic Development Council is hosting its 13th annual NetFest, which is short for Networking Festival, March 5 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Starkey Ranch on State Road 54 in Odessa.

The council is seeking sponsorships ranging from $500 to $2,000.

The event is a casual night of food, drink and music — and a great chance to network.

For more information, visit PascoEDC.com.

Central Pasco Chamber to host new expo
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is launching a new event this year called the 2015 Community Fun Day and Business Expo.

The event, open to everyone, will spotlight businesses and service providers in the northern area of Hillsborough and the central area of Pasco counties.

There will be fun and games for kids, live entertainment, door prizes and a food truck rally.

The event’s theme is “Keeping It Local — Moving our Businesses Forward.”

The two-day event, free to the public, will be March 6 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and March 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

Sponsorships and booth spaces are available.

Visit CentralPascoChamber.com for an application.

For more information, call (813) 909-2722, or email .

Business Link available monthly
Business Link, a monthly small business gathering hosted by the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, meets the second Wednesday of each month beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The meeting is designed to provide a networking and information-sharing platform for the business community.

For locations, details and to reserve a seat, email , or call (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237.

Wesley Chapel networking group
Networking for Your Success meets every Thursday at 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks Country Club, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Cost is $5, and annual membership to the group is $79.

Dade City chamber needs volunteers
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is looking for some volunteers to help with the chamber event season.

With winter residents returning to the area, there are a number of activities the chamber needs help to staff. The chamber is looking for people who are friendly and outgoing, who have knowledge of the local area and activities, and are team-oriented.

For information, email .

Jobs on the go
CareerSource Pasco Hernando has reintroduced its Mobile One Stop, a 38-foot bus retrofitted with 13 computer stations. It’s complete with satellite Internet, telecommunications, printing, copying and scanning — everything anyone would need to find a job.

It provides service to more than 100 people every month with stops that include the New River Branch Library in Zephyrhills among others.

For details on where Mobile One Stop will be, visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com.

 

Improvements planned on State Road 54

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Pastoral scenes of as-yet untouched land in Pasco County still exist amid the office complexes, shopping centers and subdivision rooftops that dot parts of State Road 54.

But the “for sale” and “for lease” signs planted on large open fields in between those developments portend the future story for traffic counts on what is already one of Pasco County’s busiest east-west corridors.

The Florida Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin work this month to widen State Road 54 from four lanes to six lanes from east of the Suncoast Parkway to west of U.S. 41 (also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard). (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
The Florida Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin work this month to widen State Road 54 from four lanes to six lanes from east of the Suncoast Parkway to west of U.S. 41 (also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard).
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

State highway officials are ready to unveil a $16 million road project to widen the highway from east of the Suncoast Parkway to west of U.S. 41 from four lanes to six lanes. The widening will bring that section of the roadway into alignment with the existing six-lane divided highway that narrows to four lanes at the Suncoast Parkway.

Survey teams began work Feb. 9. Construction is scheduled to be completed in spring 2016.

Residents can look at the road design at an open house Feb. 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Residence Inn at 2101 Northpointe Parkway, off State Road 54, at the Suncoast Parkway interchange and Northpointe Village. No formal presentation is planned. State road department staff will be on hand to answer questions.

The project will cover a 6.7-mile stretch of highway that passes by Long Lake Ranch, a master-planned community that has its first homes on the market.

Other subdivisions along the route are Suncoast Meadows, Suncoast Pointe, Stonegate, Concord Station and Ballantrae. Professional office complexes and the Shoppes at Sunlake Centre are other developments along the heavily traveled corridor.

State highway records for 2013 reveal that daily round-trip vehicle trips — along the segment that will be widened — ranged from 39,500 to 47,000.

In addition to extra lanes, the project includes new sidewalks and more highway lights. Bicycle lanes will remain.

A new traffic signal will be installed at Meadowbrook Drive, east of the parkway by the entrance into Suncoast Meadows and Suncoast Pointe. All existing traffic lights will stay in place.

Alberta Bland, partner and managing director at Flagship Title, welcomes the new traffic signal.

“It’s a dangerous intersection,” said Bland, whose company is in Suncoast Meadows Professional Center.

Motorists stop on an incline at Meadowbrook as they approach on the south side of State Road 54, she said. They also must look west for oncoming traffic zipping along a curve in the state highway.

“I’ve seen near accidents and accidents because of the way the street is shaped,” Bland said. “It’s difficult to see both ways especially at night.”

The traffic signal will improve safety, she said.

But widening the road is a mixed bag, she added.

“If they are going to widen it, (traffic) is going to get worse,” Bland said. “There is enough traffic that they need to do it, but they need to slow everything down.”

During construction, speed limits will be 50 miles per hour. Once the roadwork is completed, the existing limits, which range from 45 mph to 60 mph, will apply, state road officials said.

While traffic during construction won’t be a cakewalk for motorists, road officials said the widening will occur in the median, not in rights-of-way along the road’s shoulder.

“It’s a construction site, of course, but there shouldn’t be too much disruption,” said Kris Carson, a spokeswoman for the state roads department.

Roy Schleman said he sees a considerable amount of bad driving on the roadway, with some motorists speeding or texting.

And, he noted, the intersections at Ballantrae Road and Oakstead Boulevard, where there are existing traffic lights, can be as bad or worse than Meadowbrook.

But, like Bland, he thinks a traffic signal at Meadowbrook is a good idea.

Schleman owns All Insurance Underwriters in the Suncoast Meadows office complex.

“I’m a dad,” he said. “Thinking about moms and kids, I’d rather (the intersection) be safer.”

When deciding where to locate his business nearly five years ago, he rejected New Tampa because of the traffic congestion on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

The widening of State Road 54 makes sense in view of the new development that is coming, he said. “I think it’s good to get ahead.”

But he keeps thinking about Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. “I feel we’re going to be like that in some way,” Schleman said.

Want to see the plans?
The Florida Department of Transportation is having an open house to give the public a chance to see the plans for a construction project to widen a section of State Road 54, from east of the Suncoast Parkway to west of U.S. 41 (also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard).

The meeting will be Feb. 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Residence Inn, 2101 Northpointe Parkway in Lutz.

Published February 18, 2015

Charter government discussions continue in Pasco County

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Pasco County commissioners spent nearly three hours at a special workshop on Feb. 12 learning about the intricacies of the process for putting a charter-style form of government on the ballot, but they still have more to talk about.

So they decided to take it up again at a Feb. 17 workshop.

Commissioners could decide to vote on an ordinance to establish a charter advisory committee and that action could be decided at the commissioners’ Feb. 24 meeting.

But the debate over the issue of shifting to a charter-style form of government could play out for months, and the earliest that voters are likely to weigh in on the matter would be in a referendum on the 2016 general election ballot.

The idea of adopting an ordinance to appoint an advisory committee emerged during the Feb. 12 workshop.

That approach gives commissioners more control of the charter process than an autonomous charter commission.

The issue is sparking interest.

More than 50 people filled the commission chambers at the Feb. 12 workshop.

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Paula S. O’Neil, Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley and Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning were there, in addition to a number of residents who are interested in the issue.

Ginger Delegal, general counsel for the Florida Association of Counties, provided a primer on charter governments and Kurt Spitzer, a Tallahassee-based private consultant, provided insights on how charter governments operate in various counties across Florida.

Pasco now operates with five county commissioners elected countywide, and an appointed county administrator.

In recent months, State Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, has advocated to give Pasco voters the option of changing to a charter style of government which could allow for such things as single-member districts for county commissioners, term limits, an elected county administrator or an elected county mayor.

Twenty of the state’s 67 counties operate with counties, including Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Under state law, either a majority of county commissioners or a petition signed by 15 percent of the county’s registered voters can create a charter commission. In Pasco, that would require more than 46,000 signatures.

Proponents of a charter argue that it can make local government more responsive to voters. Opponents worry that a charter government would mean increased taxes and more bureaucracy.

Fasano has voiced strong objections to the charter form of government.

There would be potential, he said, for the county to impose unfunded mandates on cities for certain services such as storm water management.

“We have cities barely getting by now,” Fasano said.

Most speakers during the public comment period were skeptical, too.

“Part of me feels, as a citizen, that I’m being sold a bridge over a river of problems I didn’t know existed,” said Calvin Branche, a planning commission board member.

“What is the agenda?” asked Pat Mulieri, who retired last year after serving two decades on the county commission. “I cannot understand what is driving this because I don’t believe right now it’s the people of Pasco.”

Wesley Chapel resident Steve White said change for the sake of change is risky. So he wondered, “What’s driving this? Is there something the county wants to do that they can’t do today? Is there some benefit that a charter could provide the county that would aid citizens that we’re not getting today?”

Most charter initiatives are petition driven by citizens, said Chairman Ted Schrader.

But in this case, he said Corcoran brought the matter to the county commission “because he believes that it is something (on which) the citizens should have the opportunity to express themselves. But, this board is not pushing the charter form over the non-charter form of government.”

Corcoran, reached by telephone, said he hopes county commissioners agree to establish a charter commission —rather than an advisory committee — that empowers voters to choose their form of government.

The advisory committee, which would enable commissioners to retain control, is not the way to go, Corcoran said.

Corcoran also rejected suggestions that either he, or the legislative delegation have an agenda. He said delegation members just want to make sure that the community “where we grew up in and love, gets better.”

Some people don’t want to give up the status quo, Corcoran said.

“They are afraid to be held accountable by the people,” he said.

Published February 18, 2015

New Wesley Chapel charter uses Montessori method

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When school begins in the fall, a new educational option will be available for parents of children in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Garden Montessori School has been approved as a charter school in Pasco County, meaning that there’s no tuition for children attending the school.

Ella Selover attends the private pre-school that has inspired the creation of Garden Montessori Charter School which will open this fall in Wesley Chapel. Deadline for applications is Feb. 27. (Courtesy of Garden Montessori School)
Lilly Selover attends the private pre-school that has inspired the creation of Garden Montessori Charter School which will open this fall in Wesley Chapel. Deadline for applications is Feb. 27.
(Courtesy of Garden Montessori School)

The new charter has its roots in a private pre-school 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.

“It’s going to continue the Montessori that’s here,” said John Selover, a consultant to the school.

“The genesis of the (charter) school was that a lot of the parents here were very interested in continuing the Montessori method of instruction. Montessori is much more than a method. It’s kind of a culture of its own,” he said.

Darlene Pla-Tschantz, associate education director, said, Montessori focuses on teaching the whole child.

“It’s based on grace and courtesy,” she said.

The children do a lot of hands’ on work, and the work is designed to build on previous work that has been accomplished.

“In terms of the social piece, it is a community involvement,” she said. One of the values of a Montessori education is giving back to the community in which the sits.

“We have permission to open with up to 270 students,” Selover said. It will begin with kindergarten through second grade and will add a grade each year, until its fifth year of operation, when it will reach 540.

One key difference between this school and traditional public schools is that the children will be taught in multi-age classrooms and they have the same teacher for three years.

“We’re meeting the kid where they’re at,” Selover said.

“Everybody knows the child. They have some history with the child. They’re able to really, truly meet them where they’re at,” he said.

Pla-Tschantz explained: “It’s really not teacher-centered. It’s child-centered, with the guidance, of course, from teachers.

Teachers observe children closely and keep good records, to keep tuned into the child’s progress and where they should be, she said.

Teachers look at benchmarks to make sure that children are reaching them and when they’re not, they ask themselves why children aren’t reaching them and they make recommendations on what they can do to make progress.

Besides paying close attention to a child’s progress, there’s also peer teaching.

The school also pays attention to how the children learn.

“Are they visual? Are they tactile? Are they auditory?” Pla-Tschantz said. Or, perhaps like most people, they learn using more than one style.

The school’s charter application was approved for five years.

Applications are being accepted through Feb. 27.

School officials expect more applications to come in than there are slots, so a lottery system will be used to select the students.

Applications are being accepted through Feb. 27.

A site has not yet been acquired, but officials expect that to be done soon.

Initially, the school will use portable classrooms.

Parents can attend a parent meeting on Feb. 18, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, to learn more about the school.

Questions parents have asked at previous meetings include such practical considerations as the start and end times of school, whether there is before and after care and what kind of lunch program is available, Selover said.

The school will follow the Pasco County code of student conduct. It also will serve Pasco County school lunches, providing free or reduced-price lunches to those qualify.

It will not provide transportation, but will help parents who want to arrange car pools.

Parent information session
Garden Montessori Charter School is a tuition-free, public kindergarten through sixth grade school slated to open in August, serving the Wesley Chapel area.

There will be a parent information session Feb. 18 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway.

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

Published February 18, 2015

Saint Anthony School celebrates historic milestone

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Saint Anthony School, in San Antonio, celebrated a milestone in its history on Feb.9, when the Rev. Robert N. Lynch, Bishop of Saint Petersburg presided over a Mass and dedicated the school’s new building.

“It was just so beautiful,” said Sister Alice Ottapurackal, the school’s principal.

Saint Anthony School held a dedication celebration on Feb. 9 to celebrate the opening of its new classroom building. (Courtesy of Saint Anthony School)
Saint Anthony School held a dedication celebration on Feb. 9 to celebrate the opening of its new classroom building.
(Courtesy of Saint Anthony School)

In addition to the bishop, there were 13 priests and four deacons taking part in the Mass.

“You should have seen the excitement in the faces of the children. I don’t think they ever saw so many priests,” Ottapurackal said.

In fact, there were so many that six-year-old student Kolbe Williams, said, “I couldn’t really count them.”

Eight-year-old Colton Courtade enjoyed the school’s celebration and the picnic afterward.

But he was especially pleased to be an altar boy.

“I was serving with them (the priests). It was an honor,” Courtade said.

Both children and adults alike said they are pleased with the new brick building, which was designed to architecturally match the existing brick building, constructed in 1922.

Some of the new building’s advantages are the larger classrooms, better lighting and improved technology, they said.

“It’s bright and cheerful,” said 8-year-old Catalina Espada. It has more space and is organized well, she added.

First-grade teacher Franchesca Blocher, is delighted with the new building.

“Oh my goodness, it’s awesome. This is my 17th year at Saint Anthony. It is a true blessing to have this new classroom, this new building.

“The children are so excited to be in the classroom. They love coming in every day. I love coming in every day,” said Blocher, who commutes from Land O’ Lakes to teach at Saint Anthony School.

“Having all of the classes together in the same building, it really is very nice. We can travel through the building and see the older children and they can be an example for my students,” Blocher said.

Katie Kenny, 6, said she’s new to the school this year and is really enjoying the experience.

She said she likes her new friends, her teacher, and the new building, too.

Like many of the younger children, 6-year-old Ryan Potthast is impressed by the lockers that sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders have in the new building.

Potthast also thinks it’s cool that the school has an elevator.

Parents are also impressed.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Mary Kay Connor, whose daughter, Meg, is in second grade.

Connor has been associated with Saint Anthony School for 16 years. Her daughters Katie, Anne Marie and Claire already went through their elementary school years there.

The new building allows the school to increase the size of its enrollment from a maximum of 225 to a maximum of 270, Ottapurackal said.

“We still have only one class per grade,” she said, but the larger classrooms can accommodate more students.

It also features a new science lab, Ottapurackal said.

The school serves kindergarten through eighth grade. It doesn’t have early childhood because another Diocesan school nearby offers that, the principal added.

She also noted that the St. Petersburg Diocese’s Forward in Faith Capital Campaign made it possible to build the new building.

Next on the agenda is remodeling of the old building, Ottapurackal said.

The library is now sharing space with the Spanish class, but it will be moved to the old building once that is remodeled.

Once that project is done, the cafeteria, library, computer lab, Spanish, music and art will be in the old building, the principal said.

The old building is being used for art and lunch now, but once the renovation begins, the parish center will be used for art and lunch.

The dedication festivities drew hundreds of people, including former graduates of a school that has served generations of families since its inception in 1883.

It’s a community that takes tremendous pride in the school and is always willing to help, Ottapurackal said.

In fact, on moving day which was held Jan. 6 over the Christmas break, volunteers — including students — stepped forward to help.

“It’s just amazing,” she said.

The school didn’t even have to hire a crew.

“That’s the beauty of this community,” Ottapurackal said. Besides providing free labor, they even brought equipment and boxes to use in the move.

“Even the children were carrying their books,” she said.

She smiled broadly, as she described the day of the school’s dedication.

“We had Mass, then a dedication ceremony outside the building, then right after that an open house and then a reception back in the parish center. Our children had a picnic in the park.

“It was just a beautiful day,” she said.

Even the weather cooperated, Ottapurackal said.

“We didn’t have rain until everything was over.”

Published February 18, 2015

Seniors flock to Zephyr Park for ‘Snowbird Palooza’

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Bird-watchers will find plenty of pigeons in Zephyrhills. But there’s another type of bird that’s already completed its annual migration to the area:

The snowbird.

Magician and balloon-artist Windy Douton of Largo fixes his Styrofoam, straw-looking hat as he gets ready to go on stage to entertain those attending the Snowbird Palooza at Zephyr Park. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Magician and balloon-artist Windy Douton of Largo fixes his Styrofoam, straw-looking hat as he gets ready to go on stage to entertain those attending the Snowbird Palooza at Zephyr Park.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

Snowbirds aren’t really birds, of course. They’re northerners who make their way south and live in the area for several months out of the year. From the winter months through around April, they make Florida their home. And many of them have residences in Zephyrhills.

But according to Sonya Bradley, who estimates that the local population grows by around 30,000 people at this time of year, snowbirds weren’t getting the kind of welcome they deserve.

She set out to change that with Snowbird Palooza.

Bradley, the event coordinator for Simply Events of Tampa Bay, decided that a free event for part-time residents — though it was open to everyone — would be a good fit for the February schedule. It was held Feb. 11 at Zephyr Park, the same site as last month’s Zephyrhills Pie Festival & Community Bake Off, which was also organized by Simply Events.

Bradley estimates that between 500 and 600 people attended the first Snowbird Palooza, which featured various arts and craft booths that coincided with the bi-weekly farmer’s market held at the park.

There also was live music and a bingo pavilion, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., that offered the chance to buy cards to play the popular game and win some money.

“It was a good day,” Bradley said. “People stayed, which was awesome, because we had entertainment for them and different things for them to do.”

Snowbird Palooza offered some health benefits as well.

Bayfront Health Dade City had representatives on hand to administer blood pressure checks and hearing tests for attendees. Nurses also were available to interpret results and answer questions.

Simply Events learned from the first pie festival about how to improve it for next year, and Snowbird Palooza was no different.

The 2016 version will have expanded medical screenings, Bradley said, as well as more input from local mobile home communities. She’d like one of them to run the bingo games and help get the word out about the games and the event in general.

Bradley was pleased to see some younger people who had stopped by the farmer’s market or were running through the park also having a good time. But with a large senior population, she wants to get the word out for next year to make Snowbird Palooza even bigger and better-attended than the first one.

“It’s a community with an older soul. It just makes sense for this time of the year,” Bradley said. “Why not have an event just for them?”

Published February 18, 2015

Navigating through today’s ‘Teen World’ isn’t easy

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Being a teenager has never been an easy time, but with today’s technology, poor decisions and impulsive actions can go viral in an instant.

And, with Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter it’s so much easier for kids to get themselves into trouble these days — sometimes with deadly consequences.

Stacie Gavin, Terri Vanderhook and Laura LoPresti organized an event aimed at providing resources and advice to parents and teenagers as they confront the challenges of being a teenager in today’s technology-driven world. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Stacie Gavin, Terri Vanderhook and Laura LoPresti organized an event aimed at providing resources and advice to parents and teenagers as they confront the challenges of being a teenager in today’s technology-driven world.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Teenagers aren’t the only ones facing new challenges in this cyber age.

Parents also have trouble helping their children navigate through their teen years.

To help both groups, Steinbrenner High School’s Parent Teacher Student Association recently held a “The World of a Teen,” forum to discuss challenges confronting today’s teenagers.

A panel of experts covered issues ranging from dating, drugs, alcohol, stress, social media.

They also talked frankly about such topics as sexting and sexploitation, human trafficking, date rape, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, self-mutilation, eating disorders and various kinds of anxiety.

More than 160 people turned out for the event, prompting Laura LoPresti, one of the organizers to remark as she addressed the crowd: “This is obviously a topic of interest.”

The forum offered a safe space for both parents and their children to ask questions.

They jotted them on index cards and LoPresti read them to panelists.

Parents wanted advice about how to keep track of their child’s online behaviors.

It’s a serious issue, said Michelle Gonzalez, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Parents must monitor what their children are doing online — on whatever kind of electronic device they are using, said Gonzalez, who investigates the exploitation of children on the Internet, including such issues as sextortion and sexting.

Deputy Tony Bennett, who is the school resource officer at Steinbrenner, told parents there are computer apps that can track their children’s computer behavior. He advised parents to contact him and he’d give them a list to check out.

Dating is another dangerous arena for teenagers, said Erica Ruiz, of The Spring of Tampa Bay, Inc.who works with dating abuse prevention and intervention programs.

“One in three or four teens will experience some form of teen dating violence,” she said, noting the violence can be either physical or verbal.

It’s an issue that’s often not on parents’ radar, Ruiz said.

“Take it seriously,” she urged parents.

Cindy Floyd, a licensed clinical psychologist with a practice in Wesley Chapel, said many of clients she sees have eating disorders, body image concerns, depression and anxiety.

Separation anxiety is another issue that teenagers sometimes have as they prepare to leave home for college.

“Are they socially and emotionally prepared for that transition?” she asked.

Parents often are reluctant to talk about drugs and alcohol with their children, said Sonya Bufe, of The Phoenix House, a substance abuse treatment center.

But it’s a necessary discussion.

In fact, parents, in general, need to talk to their children routinely to know what’s happening in their lives, said Ray Hewitt, who also works for The Phoenix House.

Kids often have an entirely different view of their future than their parents have for them, Hewitt said.

It’s important to know what they’re thinking and feeling and the only way to do that is keep the lines of communication open, he said.

While clients struggle with various anxieties, it’s important for parents to know that help is available, said Karan Lamb, a licensed psychologist with a practice in Carrollwood.

“Treatments are very effective,” she said, but if anxieties are left unchecked, they can develop into deeper problems.

The panelists offered a wide range of advice to parents. They talked about signs that can indicate that a child is being bullied. They gave advice on what to do if your child begins to hang out with a kid you think is trouble. They also offered practical suggestions to help parents prepare their children for independence.

Floyd, who has never been part of this type of panel, praised the Steinbrenner PTSA for arranging the program.

“I think it is so crucial for parents and families to be involved in the ins and outs of their teens’ lives,” Floyd said. “When parents are present, it’s just such a different experience for the teenager.”

She was impressed by the turnout.

“There’s some vulnerability that comes with these questions, especially for the parents to be sitting alongside their teen. I think it’s really neat that they were open and reflecting to their teenager — ‘We’re open and we’re capable of hearing about this stuff, so come talk to us.’ ”

She said the theme that emerged from the panelists’ remarks was this: “Get to know your teenager. Be in their life. Know what they’re looking at. Know what stresses them out. Know who their friends are.

“These are kids, so continue participate in their lives, deeply, so that you know if they’re depressed, if they’re anxious, if they’re engaging in something inappropriate,” Floyd said.

Terri Vanderhook and Stacie Gavin, worked with LoPresti to organize the event.

They said their goal was to inform parents about resources that may be helpful and to provide some practical advice as they deal with the daily challenges of raising a teenager.

Lisa Kiev-Chen, who attended the forum with two of her three children, said the panelists provided plenty of food for thought.

Two big things she took away from the event were this: “Talk less. Listen more,” she said.

She said listening to the experts also reinforced her belief in the importance of sharing family meals together, even when the kids would prefer to do something else.

She also was reminded of the importance of bringing the kids into discussions and listening to their point of view.

Published February 18, 2015

Business Digest 02-18-15

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Grants for businesswomen
Are you a businesswoman who could use $1,000? Women-n-Charge is offering two $1,000 grants this spring. The grants can be used towards business-related equipment or services and continuing education. The nonprofit’s mission, in part, is to support and assist professional women in managing their businesses more effectively.

Learn more about the grants at www.women-n-charge.com. Applications are available online and will be due April 15. For information, contact Judy Nicolosi, treasurer of Women-n-Charge, at (813) 600-9848, or email .

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet at Rose’s Café at 38426 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills. Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m. Diane Kortus, owner/publisher of The Laker/Lutz News is guest speaker on Feb. 24.

For information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email him at .

Career Fair
Rasmussen College will hold its Spring Career Fair from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on March 5 on the college’s Land O’Lakes campus at 18600 Fernview St.

Students, alumni and residents will be able to speak with hiring managers of local companies and learn about resources to aid in job searches..

Rasmussen College also will hold a Career Fair from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on March 4 at its New Port Richey campus at 8661 Citizens Drive.

For information about the Land O’ Lakes event, call (813) 435-3601. For information about the New Port Richey event, call (727) 942-0069.

Attorney addresses forum
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will host a Lunch N’ Learn Business Forum Feb. 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the chamber’s boardroom at 6013 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Suite 105.

The guest speaker will be attorney Dineen Wasylik, of DPW Legal, who will discuss the Top Five Intellectual Property Mistakes Small Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them. Wasylik is a certified intellectual property expert.

Registration is limited to 15 people. The cost is $15, including lunch.

For information, contact the chamber office at (813) 994-8534 or email .

Burgess Opens District Office
State Rep. Danny Burgess will celebrate the grand opening and ribbon cutting of his new district office on Feb. 24 at Creekside Center, 35358 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills.

The open house will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with the ribbon cutting at 5:30 p.m.

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are co-hosting the event.

Rotary Club Needs Bee Sponsors
The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon needs sponsors for the third annual “BEE Part of the Buzz” adult spelling bee.

The spelling bee will be April 10 at 6:30 p.m., at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club at 10641 Old Tampa Bay Drive in San Antonio. Teams compete in three rounds with words progressing in spelling difficulty from easy to intermediate to difficult.

Spectators cheer on their favorite teams in a fun event that helps raise funds for the Pasco Education Foundation. Donations range from $1,500 for a Queen Bee sponsorship to $150 for a four-person team.

For information, email Erin Meyer at .

NetFest sponsors needed
The Pasco Economic Development Council is hosting its 13th annual NetFest, which is short for Networking Festival, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., on March 5 at Starkey Ranch on State Road 54 in Odessa.

The council is seeking sponsorships ranging from $500 to $2,000.

The event is a casual night of food, drink and music — and a great chance to network.

For more information, visit PascoEDC.com.

Central Pasco Chamber to host new expo
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is launching a new event this year called the 2015 Community Fun Day and Business Expo.

The event, open to everyone, will spotlight businesses and service providers in the northern area of Hillsborough and the central area of Pasco counties.

There will be fun and games for kids, live entertainment, door prizes and a food truck rally.

The event’s theme is “Keeping It Local — Moving our Businesses Forward.”

The two-day event, free to the public, will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., on March 6 and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on March 7. It will be at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

Sponsorships and booth spaces are available.

Visit CentralPascoChamber.com for an application.

For more information, call (813) 909-2722, or email .

Business Link available monthly
Business Link, a monthly small business gathering hosted by the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, meets the second Wednesday of each month beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The meeting is designed to provide a networking and information-sharing platform for the business community.

For locations, details and to reserve a seat, email , or call (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237.

Wesley Chapel networking group
Networking for Your Success meets every Thursday at 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks Country Club, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Cost is $5, and annual membership to the group is $79.

Dade City chamber needs volunteers
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is looking for some volunteers to help with the chamber event season.

With winter residents returning to the area, there are a number of activities the chamber needs help to staff. The chamber is looking for people who are friendly and outgoing, who have knowledge of the local area and activities, and are team-oriented.

For information, email .

PHSC’s Winterling is Regional Coach of the Year

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When Pasco-Hernando State College’s baseball coach Steve Winterling found out that he was named regional coach of the year, he kept it a secret from almost everybody.

“I laid low about it,” Winterling admitted. “I’m not an egomaniac-type person,” he said. Even some of his friends got mad at him because he didn’t tell them about it.

Steve Winterling, PHSC's athletic director and baseball coach, wears No. 1 on game days. He's also tops in the region after being named the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Regional Coach of the Year. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
Steve Winterling, PHSC’s athletic director and baseball coach, wears No. 1 on game days. He’s also tops in the region after being named the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Regional Coach of the Year.
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Aside from informing his superiors at the college in September, Winterling didn’t really talk about it until he was officially given the award last month.

But winning the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Regional Coach of the Year award caps a great 2014 for the coach, who is now in his 24th season at the school.

Last season, the team reached the NJCAA Division II College World Series for the first time in school history, finishing fourth in the country.

Besides earning the coach some recognition, Winterling said it also put the school on the map for recruits seeking a school with a successful track record.

As a World Series-caliber program, he had an easier time finding interested athletes and can field a stronger team than he could before.

While he’s not wild about talking about himself, Winterling — who also serves as PHSC’s athletic director — said he’s changed a bit over the decades.

He’s slightly mellower now than his earlier days, when he was a bit harder on the players. He said he maintains that competitive fire, but is also focused on building a strong foundation of expectations and then finding players who meet them.

“My philosophy is now basically I teach them what I can, and get the good, quality kids who like my principles: Being clean-cut, follow the rules and regulations, do the job academically and be good student-athletes,” he said.

Those are the types of athletes that got the Conquistadors to the World Series last year, and the type Winterling hopes will help them get back this year.

The team returns two pitchers, three infielders and an outfielder from last year’s roster, and he believes the World Series experience will help the 2015 team.

The recruiting class also helped add more depth than he typically has had at his disposal. Overall, the team is more confident now that they’re building on the school’s best-ever finish.

As a coach, Winterling, of course, doesn’t get to play in the games. But he enjoys the strategy in baseball, and the challenge that different scenarios provide as the games and the season unfold. He credits Florida State University baseball coach Mike Martin, where Winterling served as an assistant for six years, for encouraging him to maximize strategic advantages.

“When I was at Florida State I learned from coach Martin so much. The discipline, and always trying to be a step ahead of the thinking process of your opponent,” he said. “The one thing about baseball that I’ve always enjoyed is there’s a lot of thinking to it. You can’t be distracted. I leaned from him that I can focus on the aspects of what’s going to give us an edge.”

Apparently, since there’s no edge gained by focusing on his award, Winterling chooses not to think about it too much. He’s appreciative of the acknowledgement, but prefers to save the reminiscing for the future. Now, his focus is on getting his team, whose season started in late January, back to the World Series. The team won four of its first five games in the New Year.

“It’s definitely a nice honor, and it’s attributed, obviously, to the players last year and what they accomplished,” Winterling said of the award. “I think once I retire, then I’ll be able to look back and appreciate it more.”

Published February 18, 2015