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Business Digest 01-28-15

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Women-N-Charge to meet
A business women’s group called Women-n-Charge will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., on Feb. 6 at Pebble Creek Country Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive in New Tampa.

The meeting includes lunch, a feature speaker and time to network. The cost is $15 for members, paid by the Tuesday before the meeting, and $18 for members paying later, and for guests, too.

February’s speakers will be Rosa Quintela and Shanita D. Jones, who will be speaking on “Business and Personal Tax Tips for Filing your Taxes.”

Register at Women-n-Charge.com.

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

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 introduces 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 shine a 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 at the event, which has the theme of “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 .

Wesley Chapel author writes about personal finance
Wesley Chapel resident Dave Robbins has written a book aimed at helping people achieve financial success.

He wants to help people learn to earn more, spend less and live debt-free.

His book is called, “Rich Little Piggy: Build a Financial House of Brick.”

His book is available on Amazon. You can also visit Facebook.com/richlittlepiggy.

Pasco Tax Collector’s office raises $60,000 for charities
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s office has raised $60,000 for various charities between October 2013 and the end of 2104.

During the past 15 months the following organizations have received donations and/ or partnered with the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office to provide goods and services to those in need: The Able Trust, Blind Services Foundation of Florida, Prevent Blindness Florida, The Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program, The James Patrick Work Incentive Program, Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living, Support Our Troops, Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Drive, Be a Santa to a Senior, Farm Share, The Volunteer Way, Lighthouse for the Blind, Gulfside Hospice & Palliative Care, Guardian ad Litem Program, Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation, Lifelink/ Donate Life, ARC Florida – Center for Independence, Pack-a-Sack 4 Kids, AAA Traffic Safety Foundation, Florida Breast Cancer Foundation, Terri’s Tears Foundation, Toys 4 Tots and One Community’s Hunger Walk.

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.

Small Business Help
If you’re launching a new business or trying to expand, the Pasco Enterprise Network may have information that can guide and assist you.

The network is a collaborative effort of nonprofit agencies committed to ensuring the success of small businesses in Pasco County. Network partners provide consulting, counseling, education, and technical assistance in a variety of areas and subjects.

To find out more, visit PascoEDC.com/pen.

State program could generate 25,000 new jobs
An independent analysis by Florida TaxWatch has determined that expanding GrowFl could result in 25,000 new jobs over the next 10 years.

GrowFl is a state program designed to grow and develop the biggest job-creating companies in Florida.

Florida TaxWatch is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy research institute.

In addition to boosting job growth, investing in GrowFl would help diversify the state economy and provide positive return on Florida’s investments, Florida TaxWatch said, in a news release.

PEDC board names new chairman
The Pasco Economic Development Council, Inc. has named Lex Smith as the new chairman of its board.

Smith is city president-Nature Coast of SunTrust Bank.

Smith has been involved with the Pasco EDC board since 2010 and has served in various roles.

Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Florida, where he played both quarterback and linebacker for the UF Gators football team from 1989 to 1992.

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.

 

Penny for Pasco funds to help spur local economy

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Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker said the county wants to keep an application process open to private parties to submit unsolicited applications for part of the Penny for Pasco proceeds to spur economic development.
Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker said the county wants to keep an application process open to private parties to submit unsolicited applications for part of the Penny for Pasco proceeds to spur economic development.

The Pasco County Commission soon will be deciding how to allocate funds from Penny for Pasco proceeds to create jobs and spur the county’s economy.

Before they can do that, though, they must adopt a resolution that establishes how funds from the Penny for Pasco Jobs and Economic Trust Fund will be allocated.

The resolution will define eligible applicants, such as Pasco County, the Pasco Economic Development Council and private industry, that can submit unsolicited proposals.

Commissioners had a workshop on Jan. 20 to discuss how to proceed in choosing investments and allocating funds.

The particulars haven’t been ironed out, but the process is expected to include an application process, a ranking system and an economic investment council.

Commissioners will appoint an economic investment council, which likely will have members possessing expertise in a variety of fields, such as manufacturing, commercial/industrial, site selection, real estate and agriculture.

Commission Chairman Ted Schrader told county staff that the council should include a representative from the health care industry.

“Health care obviously is the economic engine in Pasco County,” Schrader said. “I think that’s critically important.”

Pasco is notorious for the tens of thousands of residents who head out of the county for work in the morning and return to the county at night.

It’s been trying to shake the image of being a bedroom community for years and wants to use Penny for Pasco funds to inject energy into the county’s economic development.

With so many people leaving the county each day, it’s obvious that Pasco has an available work force, said Commissioner Mike Moore.

“What jobs are they leaving for?” Moore asked. “That’s where our focus should be initially.”

The primary goal of the trust fund is to attract jobs to Pasco, said Richard Gehring, the county’s planning and development administrator.

Gehring said the county has a number of opportunities.

There’s a railroad corridor in East Pasco, as well as heavy industrial zoning, which the county could use to create new opportunities, he said.

There are also buildings that can be recycled for other uses, he said.

The county needs to develop a method for scoring applications because those who are not selected will want to know why, Gehring said.

The county is expected to generate $45 million to $50 million for economic development through Penny for Pasco.

The goal is for the county to get a 4-to-1 return on investment, said Melanie Kendrick, senior planner for economic development in Pasco.

The county is going after jobs being generated in the Tampa Bay region, with the aim of Pasco becoming a prime player, Gehring said.

John Hagen, president and chief executive officer of the Pasco Economic Development Council, said putting money into acquiring an industrial site would not create jobs directly, but would set the stage for that to happen.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey would like the county to invest in infrastructure into areas where it could attract numerous end-users.

County Administrator Michele Baker said that allowing private applicants to make unsolicited applications could result in attracting potential development the county had not even imagined.

“Part of the problem is not knowing what ideas are out there that might come forward,” Baker said. “We don’t know, what we don’t know.”

Hagen urged the county to adopt a process that is easy to understand.

“If it is too complicated or too difficult, people will go, ‘I can’t deal with that,’” Hagen said.

Since the board cannot take action at a workshop, the Jan. 20 session was intended to give the staff additional direction before preparing a resolution to bring back for the board’s consideration.

Published January 28, 2015

 

Big competition: Students prep livestock for fair judging

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Land O’ Lakes High School has nice football and baseball fields. But if you go past them, you might see something unusual.

Like a barn with livestock, and students training them.

Stephanie Dahm, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High School, works with Dixie, a 700-pound heifer at the school’s barn. Dahm and Dixie will compete at the Florida State Fair and Pasco County Fair. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Stephanie Dahm, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High School, works with Dixie, a 700-pound heifer at the school’s barn. Dahm and Dixie will compete at the Florida State Fair and Pasco County Fair.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“People think we’re crazy,” said sophomore Augusta Browder. “They think we’re just out there rolling around with them (the animals). They don’t think we’re being serious about it.”

But they’re not being crazy; they’re being competitive. The school’s members of Future Farmers of America, now known as the National FFA Organization, are prepping their livestock to be judged along with other animals at the Florida State Fair and Pasco County Fair next month and other competitions throughout the year.

Some of the animals stay on school property. Other students own their animals and have homes that can maintain them, so they live on their land.

But wherever they stay, caring for them is hard work.

Browder gets up around 5:30 a.m., every morning, to feed her animals at her home, and does it again at the end of the evening. She can’t take extended time off, and she also has to practice with them so they’ll perform well when the time comes to be judged in categories such as appearance and showmanship. She’ll show a heifer and a steer this year, and she has a bull named Buster that she’s already planning to show next year.

Actually showing them only comes after getting the animals, caring for them and learning their behaviors and traits. The students often are showing large animals that are several times their weight, so developing a strong relationship is important.

“It’s spending time with them. If you don’t spend time with them, they’re not going to do what you want,” said Stephanie Dahm, who’s showing a 700-pound heifer named Dixie at the Florida State Fair and Pasco County Fair.

While Dahm said that Dixie is a calm heifer with a good demeanor, she still has to spend a lot of time with her. That means at least an hour or two each day during the week and then more time on the weekend.

Dahm has shown animals before, and had a Florida White rabbit that won Best of Breed at the Florida State Fair and the Pasco County Fair last year.

The jump to livestock is good practice for her; she plans to study livestock management and ranch management when she goes to college.

Browder, who wants to be a large animal veterinarian, also has a lot of experience raising and showing animals. And while she wants to win when she competes, it’s the experience and the friendships that make it worthwhile.

“I actually met one of my best friends at the Pasco County Fair two years ago,” she said. “We all realize that we’re doing this for responsibility, for leadership, to do something,” she added.

In order to do something special with their four-legged partners, they have to practice quite a bit. On many afternoons, FFA members will be out with their livestock, going through movements and practicing techniques. Even if some people at the school don’t even know they’re out there.

A lot of people at our school, when I say we have a barn, they’re like ‘We have a barn?’ Not many people know about this,” Browder said.

But for around 30 members of the school’s FFA program, it’s an important part of their high school experience. They learn how to handle different animals, they learn time management skills, and they get to spend time with both schoolmates and show partners.

“I love being out there with my friends, and I love being out there in the ring. Some people do sports, and I do cows,” Browder said. “I love it.”

Dahm agrees.

“There’s something about cows,” she said.

Published January 28, 2015

Wanted: Donations for the Woman’s Club annual flea market

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The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club is putting the word out that it is seeking donations for the annual Woman’s Club Flea Market at the Old Lutz School.

The annual sale is a great way for people to clear out closets, attics, garages, patios and sheds — and to help good causes at the same time, according to Pat Serio, co-chairwoman of the flea market.

Verna Johnson helps out during a recent Flea Market at the Old Lutz School and does a bit of shopping, too. This year it will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., on March 6 and March 7 at 18819 N. U.S. 41 in Lutz. (Courtesy of GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club)
Verna Johnson helps out during a recent Flea Market at the Old Lutz School and does a bit of shopping, too. This year it will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., on March 6 and March 7 at 18819 N. U.S. 41 in Lutz.
(Courtesy of GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club)

While residents can clear some of their clutter — others can benefit from a bargain, Serio said, noting the items at the flea market are priced to sell quickly.

“We have the best prices,” Serio said.

As always, the flea market will feature a wide range of goods. There will be items for the home, such as linens, lamps, china, and pots and pans.

Big pieces of furniture will be under tents outdoors, and plants will be sold, too, Serio said.

There also will be a room called Trinkets and Treasures that will feature higher quality and higher priced items, Serio said.

In previous years, the club has had a half-price sale the weekend after the flea market, but has decided not to do so this year, Serio said. Any items that are left over after the flea market will be distributed to a variety of charitable organizations, she said.

Putting on the flea market is a big project, Serio noted.

Generally, about 60 club members volunteer to help receive donations, to sort through them and get ready for the sale.

“We also rope in husbands and children and significant others,” Serio said, with a laugh.

Proceeds from the sale support local charities and the club’s scholarship fund.

It’s the club’s second largest fundraiser of the year, Serio noted. It’s second only to the club’s annual Arts and Crafts Festival at Lake Park.

To prepare for this year’s sale, club members will accept donations at the Old Lutz School on Mondays and Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to noon, through the month of February.

Besides helping the club, the flea market also serves a community need, Serio said. Many people are in the market for affordable furniture and house goods, she said.

It’s also fun to look through the assortment of items that turn up every year at the market, she added.

The club also can arrange to pick up large items, but appointments must be made, Serio said.

The club is unable to accept large appliances or items that are heavy, such as sofa sleepers.

For more information about the woman’s club, visit GFWCLutzLandoLakesWomansClub.org and like them on their Facebook page.

For more particulars on flea market donations, please call Phyllis Hoedt at (813) 949-1937 or Pat Serio at (813) 948-4752.

Published January 28, 2015

Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest draws record crowd

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About 8,000 people attended the fifth annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest, breaking another record for the event founded in 2010 by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Besides attracting thousands to enjoy the barbecue and bands, the event on Jan. 17 at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, also lured 51 teams to compete to see who makes the best barbecue. Thirty-nine teams competed at the professional level, and there were 12 backyard barbecue teams, according to a news release issued by the chamber.

With limited room for dancing, Cindy Crismon of Zephyrhills, center, managed to strut her stuff in the crowd while jamming to the music of The Lauren Mitchell Band. This was her first Pigz In Z'Hills BBQ & Blues Fest. She is a winter resident from Lake Orion, Michigan. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
With limited room for dancing, Cindy Crismon of Zephyrhills, center, managed to strut her stuff in the crowd while jamming to the music of The Lauren Mitchell Band. This was her first Pigz In Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest. She is a winter resident from Lake Orion, Michigan.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

Figures have not been tallied, but organizers estimate the event exceeded last year’s proceeds of $30,000.

The money raised benefits local youth and education programs and community services of the Chamber of Commerce.

A crew of more than 100 volunteers pitched in to make the event a success. Many worked the entire week, some arriving at dawn and staying past sunset, to get things ready for the festival and to take it down and clean up the grounds.

“Beyond even our own optimistic projections, Pigz in Z’Hills belongs to Zephyrhills,” Vonnie Mikkelsen, executive director of the chamber, said in an email.

“I’m thrilled by the positive outcome and so very happy for the volunteers, the participants and the community who came together to make it happen,” she said.

There were thousands who arrived by car, and at least 26 private aircraft took advantage of the airport’s “Fly-in” option.

Besides enjoying barbecued foods of many styles, spectators had the chance to listen to music performed by TC Carr & Bolts of Blue, The Lauren Mitchell Band, Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones and Cold Iron.

The event venue was larger this year, too, to make room for increased demand for kids’ activities, vendors, a classic car show, and aviation and military history displays.

The Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ competition is sanctioned by the Florida BBQ Association and is a qualifier for three prestigious championship contests: the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational in Lynchburg – considered the Superbowl of BBQ contests; American Royal World Series of BBQ in Kansas City – the world’s largest and oldest contest; and the Sonny’s Smokin’ Showdown Invitational – the FBA’s newest contest.

Wink’s Barbecue led by Wink Yelverton of Fort Walton Beach, FL won Grand Champion Professional Division qualifying his team for all three prestigious contests. Peter Golob of Extra Mile BBQ from Loveland, Ohio took Reserve Champion. In the Backyard Division, Bettern Store Bot, Dave Grantham of Bushnell won Grand Champion while Bamboo Warrior, head cook Curley McKenzie of Thonotosassa took Reserve Champion.

Pigz In Z’Hills BBQ & Blues benefits local youth and education programs and community services of the Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org, call (813) 782-1913, or visit the chamber’s Facebook Page.

Published January 28, 2015

The pies have it: new festival draws thousands in Zephyrhills

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Chocolate cream, coconut cream, banana cream, apple, cherry, pumpkin, pecan, raspberry and key lime. If that sounds like a roll call of popular pies, that’s exactly what it is.

Those pies and more were on display Jan. 24 at the inaugural Zephyrhills Pie Festival & Community Bake Off at Zephyr Park, 38116 5th Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Orma Moon of Zephyrhills, right, took first place at the baking contest with her cranberry-apple pie. Wendy Orbeck and John Cadwell took second and third. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Orma Moon of Zephyrhills, right, took first place at the baking contest with her cranberry-apple pie. Wendy Orbeck and John Cadwell took second and third.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

If an entire day celebrating one specific dessert seems over the top, event coordinator Sonya Bradley said it’s actually an overdue tribute to a family favorite.

“It’s just fun,” she said. “Old school, traditional festivals are fun.” Bradley has fond memories of holidays when older family members would bake and bring pies to dinner, and she wanted to create a fun atmosphere for adults and children to sample a variety of pies.

And people were eager to do just that, with more than 2,000 in attendance to participate in different interactive events. There was a pie-baking contest, with winner Orma Moon taking home some money and a trophy thanks to her victorious cranberry-apple creation. There was also a pie buffet, where visitors could enjoy all the pie and ice cream they could eat for one set price. Those who didn’t want all pie all the time were able to sample more traditional carnival food at various stations.

The pie festival also included a live band and more than 50 vendors promoting crafts, jewelry, candles and even animal conservation. While the vendors offered a variety of products and information, Bradley said it was important for the festival, which featured free admission and parking, to be more than visiting booths and hearing music. The contest and buffet were important aspects in bringing people together.

“It forces interaction, which makes the festival so much fun,” she said. In a way, it was too much fun: A scheduled pie-eating contest had to be scrapped when the buffet proved to be so popular that they didn’t have enough pies.

Bradley’s Simply Events put the festival together, which is just one event the company has planned for Zephyr Park. They’ll also oversee the Snowbird Palooza event, geared toward residents who migrate downs to Zephyrhills for part of the year, at the same location next month.

According to Bradley, the turnout was so good that residents can probably expect another one next year, with more pies on hand to meet the large demand.

“It’s been crazy. It’s great,” she said as she was shuttling pies to eager judges. “We didn’t expect all this.”

New twist to holy wafer

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Our Lady of the Rosary offers low-gluten hosts

A pivotal moment during the celebration of the Catholic Mass occurs during communion, when believers come forward to receive the Body of Christ.

But some members of Our Lady of the Rosary were choosing to stay in their pews, because they have Celiac disease, which means they cannot ingest gluten, a protein found in wheat.

The Rev. Ron Aubin displays a silver ciborium and a gold ciborium. The silver one is used to hold the gluten-free communion hosts, and the gold one holds the traditional hosts. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
The Rev. Ron Aubin displays a silver ciborium and a gold ciborium. The silver one is used to hold the gluten-free communion hosts, and the gold one holds the traditional hosts.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“There are different levels of intolerance to gluten and wheat products,” said the Rev. Ron Aubin, pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary Church at 2348 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes. “Apparently, some people react severely and can be quite sick. So, they bypass the host — receiving the Body of Christ.”

When one woman asked if there anything the church could do about it, the church decided to look into the issue.

Church doctrine requires there be at least a trace of gluten, in order to be considered valid matter for the Eucharist, according to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“So, we did a little research and we discovered there are low-gluten hosts,” Aubin said.

The church is now using low-gluten wafers made by the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, in Clyde, Missouri. The sisters have been baking communion hosts for generations and spent 10 years working to develop a low-gluten host.

The host the sisters produce contains .01 percent gluten.

Our Lady of the Rosary began serving the hosts about a month ago.

“What we did, was, we have reserved one small part of the church — a small section. We’re calling that our low-gluten section,” Aubin said.

It uses slides on a giant screen to inform those attending its weekend services where to sit if they would like to receive a low-gluten host.

Anyone is welcome to sit in the section, Aubin said, but those sitting there will receive the low-gluten host during communion.

Aubin described what it’s like: “It’s a little smaller and thinner. It basically has no taste.”

“If you object to that,” the pastor said, “Go to the other line.”

The church also is taking care to avoid any cross-contamination when people drink from the chalice during communion.

“To help us not get them confused, we use a silver chalice (for the wine) and a silver ciborium for the low-gluten (hosts),” he said. In other sections, the church uses a gold chalice and gold ciborium.

Some people are now asking if they can have a smaller piece of the low-gluten host, Aubin said.

“The low-gluten hosts don’t break easy. I told the Sacristan to go buy a scissors and designate it for only cutting the low-gluten hosts,” he said.

The church wants to encourage participation in the Eucharist. It also wants to be as accommodating as possible.

“We’re responding,” he said.

Members of the congregation appreciate the effort, he added.

“Several people have come out of their way just to thank me. (They told me) ‘Thank you for considering us.’”

Published January 28, 2015

Court presence: Land O’ Lakes basketball preps another playoff run

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When the Land O’ Lakes girls’ basketball team bowed out of the Class 5A playoffs last year, they had many reasons to be proud. The Gators were beaten in the state semifinals by eventual-champion Southeast High School from Bradenton, and they completed their third-straight winning season under coach Phyllis Crain. Since they had gone farther than any girls’ basketball team in school history, students and fans might wonder if they could repeat that success and possibly claim a state title this year.

Land O' Lakes coach Phyllis Crain has guided the girls’ basketball team to another season with more than 20 wins. Now she'll try to guide them back to the state tournament, where they reached the semifinals last season. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Land O’ Lakes coach Phyllis Crain has guided the girls’ basketball team to another season with more than 20 wins. Now she’ll try to guide them back to the state tournament, where they reached the semifinals last season.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

But with the playoffs starting, the coach isn’t focused on anything but the next opponent.

“We don’t look any further than we have to. We look at one game at a time, and we take it from there,” Crain said. “If you overlook an opponent, they can sneak up behind you.”

Very few teams have snuck up on Land O’ Lakes this season. They finished their regular season campaign with just three losses, fewer than last year. They ran the table in Class 5A-8 with a perfect 14-0 record. And according to Crain, they enter the postseason with even more confidence after last season’s accomplishments.

While senior Jhade Hayes has paced the team as both leading scorer and rebounder, the coach believes it’s the other players doing their jobs and playing important roles that allow skilled players like Hayes to shine, and the team to succeed in each game.

“It’s teamwork, not an individual that’s going to win the championship. They really believe in each other,” she said.

The school has good reason to believe in Crain, who has built a strong program in her four seasons at the helm. After nine seasons as an assistant at the University of Tampa, she came to Land O’ Lakes High School wanting to create a team that consistently has both experienced players and younger talent who can contribute and take on leadership roles later in their careers. This season’s team has a good mix of returning starters and reserves (the starting five consists of three seniors and two juniors), as well as newer players who are looking to help continue the team’s forward progress.

As a result, Crain believes the team is at least as good as the one that was one step away from the state championship game.

“I would say as good, and maybe a little bit better,” Crain said. “We have a little bit more rebounding presence inside.” A lot of that increased presence can be attributed to junior Gabby Mills, which makes the team more dangerous when she’s on the court. But as they head to the playoffs, the coach wants to see better team rebounding and tighter defensive play from the Gators.

While Crain has created a perennial contender in just a few short years, it’s not her only goal when it comes to coaching. She’s aware that many of her players might not continue their basketball careers in college, so she wants them to get the most out of their high school experience.

“I went into it thinking that I really want to teach these girls the game of basketball, and I really want to teach them some life lessons, too,” Crain said. “Don’t get me wrong. We all want to win. But I really think it’s an experience.” The coach follows their academic progress and believes that learning lessons like not being late to practice, working hard and believing in yourself will help them off the court.

But the team is performing well on the court, too. Another season with more than 20 wins is already secured, and another playoff berth is looming. And while Crain believes the team has the ability to make another deep run, she doesn’t want players to think about anything but the hard work that got them this far, and about the next opponent they face.

“We want to win the district championship. We want to get back to Lakeland (where the state championships will be held). That’s our main focus,” she said “But to do that, we need to focus on the little things and take it game by game,” she said.

Published January 28, 2015

Despite objections, multifamily zoning gets OK

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Residents urged the Pasco County Commission to reject a request to allow multifamily zoning on a parcel on Clinton Avenue, but commissioners went along with the planning staff’s recommendation for approval.

The new zoning designation, requested under the name of Six Feet Under, LLC, will allow a maximum of 157 units, according to Carol Clarke, the county’s zoning administrator.

The 21.6-acre property is on the north side of Clinton Avenue, about 1,700 feet west of U.S. 301.

Opponents raised concerns about additional traffic that the project will create. They also said a multifamily project will change the character of the area.

“Please keep Dade City a small town,” said Abelardo Cruz, of 37451 Orange Blossom Lane. “We don’t have a problem with single-family.”

Dorothy Moore, president of The Ridge Homeowners Association, said her association is “very much against higher density.”

Donald Dempsey of 37510 Orange Blossom Lane, told commissioners: “We have enough problems with traffic.”

Another speaker told commissioners that he’s in the process of building a new home in the area, and he’s worried about his investment in the area and also concerned that others will be less likely to build a home there, if the multifamily project gained approval.

Allen Altman, one of the owners of the land up for rezoning, said he was approached by some people at his church about the possibility of creating some senior housing at the site.

“We don’t know exactly what’s going to be there,” he said, but he does know there’s a need for that kind of housing.

Altman also noted that he’d seen a petition submitted against the rezoning. The list contained several names of friends he has known for years.

They didn’t know who owned the land, Altman said. They were reacting to a rumor they heard that the multifamily housing was for low-income people.

Altman said his friends dropped their objections once they knew he was involved.

County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey noted that senior housing tends to be a wonderful addition to a community.

Commissioners approved the rezoning on a 5-0 vote, without debate.

Published January 21, 2015

 

Internships aim to offer new possibilities

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Brandon Butts got a break when he was 12 years old — working as an apprentice in a computer repair shop.

Months later, a promised job never materialized. But his experience at the repair shop set him on a path toward becoming a successful businessman with his own repair shop, Anything Computers, 38501 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Anything Computers intern, at left, Jesse McGee, 24, and former intern and now store technician Pierce McMenamin, 18, both of Zephyrhills, man the front end of the store and tackle technical issues for customers and stay busy resolving the computer issues of customers. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Anything Computers intern, at left, Jesse McGee, 24, and former intern and now store technician Pierce McMenamin, 18, both of Zephyrhills, man the front end of the store and tackle technical issues for customers and stay busy resolving the computer issues of customers.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

Now, 16 years after his youthful apprenticeship, the 28-year-old Butts wants to pay it forward.

He wants to give other computer geeks an opportunity to learn skills to either land a job at his shop or to work somewhere else in the IT or technology industries.

At the very least, they’ll have a chance to walk away with a wealth of computer knowledge.

When Butts was an apprentice, he did everything from mopping floors to fixing computers. He didn’t get the job he had hoped for, but he said the experience was important.

“It kind of mapped what I am today. Without the apprenticeship, I wouldn’t be what I am today,” Butts said.

He wants to open a similar door of opportunity for today’s youth.

He’s reaching out to local high school students who want to become interns.

Butts and his employees will train the interns, who will provide free diagnosis and repairs on computers.

To build up an inventory of computers to use in the program, Butts invites people from the community to bring in computers that need a repair.

The labor to repair the computer is free, but patrons must pay for any necessary software or parts, Butts said.

Butts plans to take on about three interns at a time for 90 to 120 days of training.

He’s looking for interns who are at least 13 years old, but will consider younger applicants.

“I’ve known 10-year-olds who can build their own computer and are mature enough,” Butts said.

The first graduate of his training program — 18-year-old Pierce McMenamin — landed a part-time job at Anything Computers after learning the basics of computer repairs during a summer internship.

“I never knew how to do any of this stuff. Now it feels awesome because I have knowledge,” said McMenamin, a senior at Pasco High School.

Learning how to remove a computer virus or how to respond when a computer crashes weren’t part of the learning curve at high school, McMenamin said.

The 18-year-old said he wound up in the internship program partly because he was looking for a summer job and party because his dad and Butts are friends.

A little more than a week ago, a new intern arrived.

Zephyrhills resident Jesse McGee, 24, an engineering student at St. Petersburg College, said he’s a “little techie at heart.”

No matter what job he holds in the future, McGee said he knows that computer and technology skills are essential.

“This is how it’s going to be from here on out. I might as well learn.”

Schedules for interns can be flexible, as the students must juggle schoolwork and the apprenticeship.

Butt said almost 80 percent of computer troubles the shop encounters are related to viruses. Sometimes a computer needs a tune-up. Other times a system must be rebuilt from scratch.

“We’ve seen almost every problem under the sun,” Butts says. “I want to build up the interns and keep them here. But no matter what the job market, they’ll have a skill.”

As a youngster, Butts was interested in computers but wasn’t certain of a career. His apprenticeship led to a job at another computer repair shop and eventually working with computers became a full-time gig.

Butts opened his first shop in 2009 on Main Street in the midst of the country’s downward economic spiral. The shop survived, and three years later he relocated to Fifth Avenue.

“I wanted to be on Fifth Avenue, the main part of downtown,” Butts said. “It’s classic.”

While looking to give young people new opportunities, Butts also is looking toward expanding his shop in Zephyrhills into a franchise, and to market socially responsible mobile applications to a national audience.

One of his patented devices, known as Quiet Zone, is a mobile application marketed to establishments such as movie theaters, churches and schools that have a need to silence cellphones.

His other patented device, DriveTAB, can be installed in vehicles to prevent texting while driving.

Butts said he’s proud of his accomplishments, but he noted, “A lot of people weren’t as lucky as I was.”

He hopes his future graduates will find their own path to success with the skills they learn at Anything Computers.

For more information about this internship program, contact Anything Computers at (813) 364-1737, or visit MainStreetComputerShop.com.

Published January 21, 2015