The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Pasco exploring bringing all advertising signs to the ground

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More than a decade after she led a crusade to lower new business advertising signs in Pasco County, Kathryn Starkey is gearing up to bring the “grandfathered” ones up to code.

It’s usually Golden Arches in the sky when there’s a McDonald’s around. But the newest McDonald’s at 1733 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Wesley Chapel has a sign at ground level, thanks to a Pasco County ordinance, and the early efforts of Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
It’s usually Golden Arches in the sky when there’s a McDonald’s around. But the newest McDonald’s at 1733 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Wesley Chapel has a sign at ground level, thanks to a Pasco County ordinance, and the early efforts of Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

The county commissioner says it’s time her colleagues start looking into enforcing the sign laws — which typically limit sign height at 11 feet — uniformly across Pasco, including those signs that pre-date the 2003 changes to the ordinance. Starkey, however, says she won’t push it without trying to find at least some help for business owners, who would have to invest in new signs.

“One of the biggest complaints I get is the old signs that are still up, so we got to figure out a way to help those businesses bring those signs to our new look,” Starkey said. “It’s difficult. It’s a financial investment, but I think we should incentivize them to bring them up to the current code.”

How to incentivize those businesses is still a big question mark, but one possibility could be offering small grants or even low-interest microloans to help defray the costs, Starkey said.

Businesses with grandfathered signs have been allowed to keep them as long as they are not changed in a way that would make them become “more non-conforming” to the ordinance. After 11 years, some of those signs are starting to show their age, and are looking more and more out of place in areas where ground-level, or monument, signs have become the norm.

Starkey’s original goal was to prevent the growing Wesley Chapel area from becoming what U.S. 19 is on the western side of the county. Because of Wesley Chapel’s proximity to Interstate 75, early signs would create what Starkey called “circuses in the sky,” to be visible to interstate travelers still a couple miles away.

Instead, Starkey — through her activist group Scenic Pasco — influenced the way the county looked at both business signs and billboards, all before she first sought elected office. That work brought Wesley Chapel more in-line with the standards of neighboring New Tampa, and prevented some roads like State Road 54 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard from being littered with high road advertising signs, each one trying to outdo its neighbors.

Fortunately, a good portion of Wesley Chapel was developed after the ordinance went into effect, so many of the problems involving grandfathered signs are not present in Wesley Chapel. But as Starkey heads west, first through Land O’ Lakes, and then toward U.S. 19 — with the new development of Trinity one of the lone exceptions — she gradually finds signs creeping higher and higher, and it’s something she wants to finally get fixed.

“In September, we’re having our first community meeting about redevelopment, and I think we’ll start exploring the ideas of how we can help people not only deal with their signs, but maybe help them to figure out how to improve their landscaping and even the architecture in their buildings,” Starkey said.

The change in business signs and billboards helped not only Pasco to grow, but property values as well, she said.

“I’m very glad that we had a county commission at the time that was willing to take the political hit from some who didn’t want to change the way they were doing business,” Starkey said. “But it’s made such a difference. We have to have ordinances like this because it really does affect our quality of life, and how other people see us. Otherwise, what it says to me is that we don’t care about how we look.”

Published April 30, 2014

Lutz leader: ‘The system, this time, worked’

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Towering stands of pine trees and open fields characterize the plot of land at the northeast corner of Van Dyke Road and North Dale Mabry Highway, but that property soon could have an entirely new look.

A pair of rezonings affecting 251 acres of property beginning at the northeast corner of Van Dyke Road and North Dale Mabry Highway will give the area a new look. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
A pair of rezonings affecting 251 acres of property beginning at the northeast corner of Van Dyke Road and North Dale Mabry Highway will give the area a new look.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The parcel is part of a 251-acre plan that calls for upscale houses, multifamily units, offices, retail and a congregate care facility.

Lutz residents are notorious for battling proposals they believe will disrupt their way of life. But in this case, they turned out en masse to support the proposed project. That’s because of all the work the applicants and community did before the public hearing took place.

“They negotiated with our community members in good faith,” said Mike White, the president of the Lutz Citizens Coalition. “The system, this time, worked. And, it worked well.”

Attorney Joel Tew and Richard Davis represent Geraci Land Acquisition LLC and Standard Pacific Homes of Florida, who presented their rezoning applications as companion requests. The companies are seeking to change the land from its current agricultural zoning to planned developments (PDs).

Land Use Hearing Officer Steve Luce had two public hearings on April 21, to listen to the evidence that he will use to recommend whether the Hillsborough County Commission should approve or deny the two requests. Much of the testimony heard during the first hearing was carried over to the second hearing, as well, at the request of those testifying.

One request incorporates the Landings at Lake Pearl, a previously approved rezoning that includes 650 multifamily units and 70,000 square feet of office.

“We agreed, at the county’s request, to essentially roll that old PD into the new PD,” Tew said. “The county preferred to have one consolidated PD that would give easier site plan control, easier enforcement of conditions, easier platting and easier development approval, so we were happy to do that.”

Besides the existing entitlements, the application calls for 240 single-family houses. Standard Pacific is planning a gated, high-end residential community. Another parcel is planned for 177 multifamily units.

The new requests total 417 dwelling units, about 25 percent of what would be allowed under the county’s long-range land-use plan, Tew noted. The retail uses requested in the companion proposal represents about one-third of what would be allowed under the long-range plan designation.

In essence, the requests are substantially less than the major activity center that was designated on the county’s long-range plan, Tew said.

The applicants also worked hard with the community and the county’s staff to work out conditions that addressed concerns and will create a quality project, Tew said.

“We have had a total of eight meetings with the major community associations that are directly affected by this project,” he said. “We’ve had very valuable, constructive input from them. We’ve listened to their concerns and we’ve made significant changes to the plan.”

The applicant also met repeatedly with members of the county staff to work out the conditions for approval, Tew said.

Both requests received favorable recommendations from the Planning Commission and the county’s land development staff.

Ethel Hammer, a professional planning expert working for the applicants, noted that the proposed developments include conditions that exceed the county’s land development code.

“There are project enhancements, such as increased setbacks from surrounding properties,” Hammer said. “There are conditions that deal with building orientation, which is somewhat unusual. There’s enhanced landscaping and there are requirements for signage that are above and beyond the normal requirements in the code.”

This application takes the land development code and applies it in a way “that is new and creative,” Davis said.

Conditions also call for a number of transportation improvements that residents want. That includes a signalized intersection at Exciting Idlewild Boulevard and North Dale Mabry Highway.

The applicants agreed to a new alignment leading into the Veterans Expressway that essentially will square up that intersection. They also agreed to a single access point off of Van Dyke Road, instead of the three they initially requested.

The limited access on Van Dyke Road was essential to gain the support of area residents and the Lutz Citizens Coalition, who were concerned about traffic impacts both on Van Dyke and nearby neighborhoods.

Pamela Jo Hatley, an attorney representing the coalition as well as some individual Lutz residents, said “the broader community has expressed its support.”

“The applicants and their representatives met with my clients and with me, and they listened to my clients’ concerns and they were very responsive,” she said. “We appreciate that.”

About 40 people turned out and waited patiently nearly three hours before the rezoning requests were heard so they could show their support.

No one spoke in opposition.

The final decision rests with the Hillsborough County Commission, which is expected to consider the rezoning requests in June.

Published April 30, 2014

Skydiving’s newest sport returns to Zephyrhills with nationals

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It’s quite easily one of the newest sports out there, and something many people have never heard of.

Canopy piloting, more commonly known as ‘swooping,’ forces skydivers to pick up speed as they approach the ground, rather than slow down. Then they have to navigate obstacles, typically over lakes and ponds since water is more forgiving in high-speed impacts than the hard ground. (Courtesy of Joe Abeln)
Canopy piloting, more commonly known as ‘swooping,’ forces skydivers to pick up speed as they approach the ground, rather than slow down. Then they have to navigate obstacles, typically over lakes and ponds since water is more forgiving in high-speed impacts than the hard ground.
(Courtesy of Joe Abeln)

For the second straight year, Skydive City in Zephyrhills will host the U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships of Canopy Piloting May 22-24. And whenever drop zone owner T.K. Hayes shares that with someone outside of skydiving, he can almost anticipate that first question: What is canopy piloting?

“It’s a fairly new sport that has come around in the last 10 to 12 years, and it’s grown into its own discipline of skydiving,” he said.

Simply, skydivers jump from a plane that’s just 5,000 feet in the air (compared to the normal 12,000 feet for typical skydiving), and instead of slowing down before hitting the ground, these jumpers actually speed up — some as fast as 90 mph — swooping through a ground-level course that’s exciting for spectators, and dangerous for the jumpers.

And Hayes knows all about that danger. He has a spinal fusion to prove it.

“When we built the first swoop pond out here in 2000 or 2001, it wasn’t even a sport then,” Hayes said. “It was a windy day, and I got down too low and caught me knees in the water at 50 to 60 mph. I bounced out of the pond and landed on my head, breaking my neck.”

Luckily Hayes wasn’t paralyzed, but his swooping days are over. Since then, canopy piloting has grown from a hobby to a high-skilled sport where only divers with hundreds if not thousands of jumps to their name can even think about competing in. It’s basically the NASCAR of skydiving.

“There is definitely a lot less margin for error, so people who are competing in this event are extremely experienced and have trained specifically for this,” said Nancy Koreen, director of sport promotion for the U.S. Parachute Association, based in Fredericksburg, Va.

Last year’s national champion, Curt Bartholomew, has been in town already getting set for the national meet. And even someone at his skill level has to work through bumps and bruises.

“He was wearing a knee brace and an ankle brace, and was using ice packs between jumps,” Hayes said. “They are true athletes, and they go through a regimen of training and physical fitness, because you really have to be at the top of your game to compete.”

Zephyrhills has successfully bid for the event the last two years, and the warm reception of the near 70 jumpers last year, along with a solid drop zone complete with a pond, has made Skydive City a premier place for the event. But getting spectators to come out, however, has not been so easy, and Hayes has made some changes for this year’s championship he hopes will be much friendlier for those who want to see the swoopers compete.

“We didn’t get the word out much last year, and it’s happening during the week, so I know that might affect those numbers even more,” Hayes said. “We didn’t have a budget last year, but we were able to get a small one this year. So we’ll have new features, like a color commentator on a sound system, to let people know what’s happening. This should make it a little more exciting, because last year I think too many people were in the dark on what’s happening.”

The event is free for spectators, who will get to see bursts of action as multiple swoopers jump from a plane at once. Canopy piloting, Hayes said, is probably the closest skydiving will ever get to a spectator sport.

And it’s helped Zephyrhills not only reach the national stage, but the global one. Skydive City will be the site of the world championships of canopy piloting in November — the first time the United States has ever hosted it — and that could draw more than 120 jumpers and their entourages from all over the planet.

“We’re becoming experts in hosting these things, and I hope we can build a market for canopy piloting right here,” Hayes said. “It’s just a cool thing, which you don’t even realize until you come out and see it for yourself.”

WHAT: U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships of Canopy Piloting
WHEN: May 22-24
WHERE: Skydive City, 4241 Sky Dive Lane, Zephyrhills
COST: Free for spectators
INFO: SkydiveCity.com

Published April 30, 3014

Eat, drink and help charity with wine walk

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Next Wednesday, patrons at The Shops at Wiregrass will drink wine, sample food, listen to live music, and do a little shopping.

And they’ll help a charity at the same time.

Hundreds of people helped The Shops at Wiregrass raise more than $8,000 at last month’s Wine Walk Wednesday. Next week’s event will be the last one until September. (Courtesy of The Shops at Wiregrass)
Hundreds of people helped The Shops at Wiregrass raise more than $8,000 at last month’s Wine Walk Wednesday. Next week’s event will be the last one until September.
(Courtesy of The Shops at Wiregrass)

Wine Walk Wednesdays, a series of four events scheduled for this year, continues on May 7 at the shopping center, 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel. The annual charity series benefits the Jason Ackerman Foundation, an organization that provides educational opportunities and entertainment experiences for young people who have endured various types of tragic circumstances.

They provide scholarship funds directly to four-year universities, community colleges and vocational training schools to benefit recipients based on financial need and their desire to make a positive impact on the community.

Wine Walk Wednesdays is fun for anyone looking for a fun destination, said Shops marketing director Debbie Detweiler.

“It’s a great thing not only for ‘girls night out,’ but also for couples as well,” she said. “And there are families who come out and they’re enjoying the entertainment and activities. It’s really casual and just a fun night, and it’s all for a great cause.”

Those who want to eat and drink will receive “passports” and a map, showing them the location of each tasting station. In addition to sampling wine and food, visitors can enjoy live music on two stages, mini-massages and models showing off the latest fashions.

There also will be caricature artists and free painting classes available.

While Wine Walk Wednesdays has been happening for a few years, the format changed for 2014. Instead of having it on four consecutive Wednesdays in one month each year, The Shops decided to host it on the first Wednesday in four different months: April, May, September and October.

Detweiler admitted that she wasn’t sure how the new format would be received, and was a little nervous before last month’s event. But when she saw people lining up for their passports, she knew it was going to be a success.

Judging by the final numbers, the change was a good one: April’s Wine Walk Wednesday attracted 560 participants and raised about $8,400 for the charity, making it the biggest opening of any year so far. While the first event is normally a bit slower, the strong start in 2014 allowed them to pace well ahead of their annual goal of $20,000.

The event is a true collaborative effort, Detweiler said, with several sponsors donating wine, food and many activities so the community can come together and support a good cause.

“It’s all of us working together, we’re going to be able to put a lot of scholarship dollars in the hands of these students,” she said. “We’re doing a lot of good for the community.”

The Jason Ackerman Foundation also takes an active role in the event, providing volunteers and helping put it together.

“They’re just a great organization and have a strong source of volunteers who are committed to the cause,” Detweiler said. “They’ve been a great partner for us the last three years and we’re really excited too work with them again this year.”

Wine Walk Wednesday runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is free, but participating in the wine and food tasting has a donation request of $15, of which 100 percent goes to the charity.

And in thanks for their donation, each participant also receives a wine tumbler to keep.

For information on Wine Walk Wednesdays, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com, or call (813) 994-2242.

For information about the Jason Ackerman Foundation, visit JasonAckermanFoundation.org, or call (813) 915-2766.

Published April 30, 2014

Pasco Parks and Recreation wants public to help shape its future

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Pasco County’s Parks and Recreation department is developing its new master plan, and it wants the public’s help.

Pasco County has a broad array of parks and recreational facilities, including nature trails. The county is in the midst of creating a new master plan. (Courtesy of Pasco County Parks and Recreation)
Pasco County has a broad array of parks and recreational facilities, including nature trails. The county is in the midst of creating a new master plan.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Parks and Recreation)

The division is hosting community meetings to gather as much input as it can to consider the county’s existing parks and recreation master plan, and make changes for the future.

The plan covers the county’s parks, trails, open space and recreational programs. It also considers parks and recreation programs provided by cities and prominent nonprofit groups, such as the YMCA, said Rick Buckman, the county’s Parks and Recreation director.

As the county moves forward in its planning, it will continue to collect information about existing conditions, population changes, trends, current and desired levels of service, maintenance, programming standards, and other issues. The goal is to produce a plan that will help determine the future role of the county’s parks and recreation services, to assess how trends affect the services it provides, and to consider how other private and public parks and recreation services fit into the picture, Buckman said.

For instance, the county needs to consider how parks and recreation affects the county’s quality of life, and to consider how that role will be carried out as redevelopment and future development occurs, he said.

The master plan also will consider all of the potential ways to achieve the level of service residents and leaders within the county want, Buckman said. That includes considering various funding mechanisms and partnerships.

Parks and recreational services offer many benefits, even to people who never set foot on a park property, Buckman said. For instance, nearby businesses can benefit from families coming and going to parks for ball games. Property values also can increase when people live near an amenity such as a large regional park or walking trails.

The county also is interested in hearing from young people. Buckman said his department wants to know what kinds of facilities and activities appeal to the younger set.

To help encourage public participation, the department has set up three public forums to solicit input. Each meeting will include a review of scope of the master planning efforts, a visioning exercise, and a discussion of priority needs and gaps.

The county wants to include everyone in this process, Buckman said. It’s not just seeking people who are advocates of parks and recreation.

Pasco Parks and Recreation community meetings

Come share your ideas as the Pasco County Parks and Recreation department prepares its new long-range plan. The department wants to hear from people of all ages as it plans for its future facilities.

Community master plan meetings are:
• May 1 at 6:30 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes

• May 2 at 6:30 p.m., in the Pasco County Commission Board Room

8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey

The youth workshop is May 3 at 1 p.m., a the Land O’ Lakes Community Center.

For details, call (813) 929-2760

Published April 30, 2014

Local woman revels in Boston Marathon run

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Trish Trout can scratch an item off her bucket list.

The Wesley Chapel woman completed the 118th Boston Marathon on April 21, finishing the 26.2-mile course in 6 hours and 14 minutes.

It was a day that she’ll never forget.

Trish Trout is taking it all in as she runs in the 118th Boston Marathon. (Courtesy of Trish Trout)
Trish Trout is taking it all in as she runs in the 118th Boston Marathon.
(Courtesy of Trish Trout)

“I was in the center of the Boston Marathon,” Trout said. “You’re a rock star for a day. It’s like everybody’s your best friend.”

It came a year after bombings rocked the event, and security was tight, Trout said. Military police, Boston police and other law enforcement officers were stationed about every 150 yards along the route.

Helicopters hovered over the crowds. Armored trucks blocked roads. Bomb-sniffing dogs walked through the crowds, Trout added.

“My cheering section could not get to the finish line because it was lockdown. Even VIP ticket holders were kept out,” she said.

Despite the heavy security, the atmosphere was festive.

“It was a beautiful day. The energy was unreal,” Trout said. “At times, it was breathtaking, just seeing all of those people in support, and all of the runners. All ages, all shapes and sizes. It was awesome.”

Spectators lined the course, cheering on runners. People grilled on barbecues at nearby marathon parties.

Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” blasted, as Trout made her way through Natick, a town on the route. Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” filled the air as she ran through the suburb of Newton. All along the way, Trout high-fived little kids.

Her name was printed on the front of her shirt, and as she ran past, spectators offered encouragement.

“When I would hear my name — and I heard it a lot — I would give a thumbs up,” Trout said.

She was delighted to see her former colleague Steve Twitty, who came with his wife, to watch her run. They made a sign to cheer her on.

Her running partner, Jacqueline Pastika of Land O’ Lakes, was not able to come, so she sent a life-size cardboard cutout that Trout’s kids, Alexa and Adam, lugged around from place to place to offer Trout moral support.

“Runners along the course also encouraged each other. Literally everyone was there to finish, and we all helped each other cross the finish line,” she said.

The crowds, the signs and the flags people waved along the course inspired Trout.

“There were only a few quiet areas along the course, and that’s when I tried to regroup and clear my mind,” Trout said.

Trout had a hip injury shortly before the marathon. While her hip didn’t bother her, she had some foot problems. So, she ran when she could, but also walked for three miles.

“I wanted to run smart. Also, I wanted to take everything in,” Trout said. “I wanted to be able to remember it. It was a huge deal.”

As she made her way through the course, she drank water and Gatorade at stations along the way.

“And, probably from Mile 15 to 21, people along the route would have orange wedges, pretzels, Twizzlers, Gummy Bears, anything to keep you going. I took it all in,” Trout said. “Right before I made the final turn onto Boylston Street, I heard someone in the crowd yell to me ‘Trish, you’re going to be a Boston Marathon finisher.’”

That was nearly the same thing Trout’s daughter told her before she went to the hotel.

“She told me, ‘The next time I hug you, you will be a Boston Marathon finisher.’ Each time I heard it, I cried,” Trout said. “I knew going into it that I was going to start and I was going to finish. Nothing was going to stop me. I didn’t have to roll. I didn’t have to crawl.”

Instead, she was running at a slow jog when she hit the finish line.

Before she injured herself, Trout had hoped to complete the race in five-and-a-half hours. She gave herself another hour after her injury.

She beat that goal by16 minutes, and she made memories for a lifetime.

Still raising funds
Trish Trout took part in the 118th Boston Marathon on April 21 as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston provides cancer treatment for adults and children.

Trout pledged to raise at least $9,650 for Dana-Farber.

The race is over, but she’s still collecting funds for the cause. So far, she has raised $11,600. If she hits her goal of $13,100, she will shave her head as a sign of solidarity for people suffering from cancer, who don’t think they have anyone who cares.

Fundraising closes on May 21.

Those wishing to make a donation can visit RunDFMC.org/2014/trish.

Published April 30, 2014

Major resurfacing of U.S. 41 through Lutz expected this winter

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Motorists driving on U.S. 41 in Lutz will notice lane closures while workers complete a $5.4 million waterline project.

But even after the waterline work is done, traffic disruptions on the six-lane highway that cuts through Lutz will continue. The Florida Department of Transportation will do a resurfacing project on U.S. 41, from Linnwood Drive to north of County Line Road, through Lutz.

Plans call for resurfacing 7.4 miles of roadway. Other improvements include intersection upgrades for pedestrian improvements and bicycle lanes along the entire length of the project.

The railroad crossing south of Crystal Lakes Road will be reconstructed as well, which will require a temporary detour, according to FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson.

Design for the project was completed in March. The work is expected to begin in the winter, Carson said. The design work cost $2.3 million.

The resurfacing and other improvements will cost an estimated $11.5 million, but those figures may change as the project progresses, Carson said.

Published April 30, 2014

Drumm takes final stand as Zephyrhills city manager

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Jim Drumm likely saw the first cracks in his tenure as Zephyrhills city manager last July when councilmen Lance Smith and Ken Burgess both gave him low marks on their evaluations of his job performance.

Zephyrhills city manager Jim Drumm goes over some last-minute details with city finance director Stacie Poppell ahead of a special city council meeting last week where Drumm’s severance package was discussed. (Courtesy of Michael Hinman)
Zephyrhills city manager Jim Drumm goes over some last-minute details with city finance director Stacie Poppell ahead of a special city council meeting last week where Drumm’s severance package was discussed.
(Courtesy of Michael Hinman)

Drumm had communications issues, according to the evaluations, especially when it came to city employees and the public as a whole. He wasn’t getting out to meet enough people. The city’s relationship with Pasco County was troubled, at best.

Yet Drumm wasn’t worried about his job. While he knew there was room for improvement in his own job performance, he received high marks from the three other council members. And as far as Drumm was concerned, there were nowhere near the four votes required to remove him, if that’s what Smith and Burgess were aiming for.

That all changed, however, in March, when Drumm found himself fighting for his job — the voices of two councilmen suddenly gaining the power of the majority.

Despite three legal opinions against him, Drumm maintains his position that no matter what his contract says, the city’s charter — the constitution of the local government — requires four votes to remove him.

The security of that belief encouraged Drumm to move his family to Zephyrhills in the first place, where he spent $185,000 on a home in Silver Oaks. That was despite still owning a house he bought for $135,000 at the height of the housing boom in 2005 in his former town of High Springs.

“I came here with a commitment,” Drumm told reporters after a special council meeting last week. “I wanted to do a good job, and apparently I did. The issues are not very clear, and I’m just surprised. What I’m getting is, ‘We don’t want to terminate you. We just don’t want to renew you.’”

During that same meeting, called to negotiate a severance package for Drumm, only Councilman Kenneth Compton seemed willing to stand up for the embattled city manager. And that had obviously become an unpopular position, especially after Compton watched the one other council member who agreed with him, Jodi Wilkeson, lose re-election, most likely because of her support of Drumm.

Wilkeson quietly supported Compton’s efforts last week, except this time from the audience instead of the dais.

“We are looking at numbers, and to me, the numbers should reflect what has happened over the tenure of the city manager,” Compton said. “When the city manager walked in here, he walked into a million-dollar shortfall in the budget, and within a matter of months, he turned it into a surplus.”

The city at the time was looking at layoffs to make up the budget shortfall in 2011, but instead Drumm filled the city’s contingency funds, not to the $300,000 or $500,000 it once contained, but instead to $1.5 million — and kept it there.

“This is a separation, and it’s not a happy thing,” Compton said. “Something didn’t work out, but my suggestion is the numbers be looked at.”

Alan Knight, the former high school football coach and educator who beat Wilkeson for his council seat, wasn’t focused on numbers. Instead, it was the three-year contract Drumm signed in 2011 set to expire May 18.

“Looking back at my experience, when I was a school principal and given a two-year contract, that was it,” he said. “If I didn’t get renewed, I didn’t get all these other things.”

Those things Drumm asked for included 20 weeks of severance pay, money for nearly 400 hours of “comp time” — hours worked above and beyond a standard work week without any pay — and for the city to continue paying premiums on the health insurance for an additional five months.

The council balked on the 20 weeks of severance last week, offering just 13 instead. Yet, 20 weeks is a standard for city and county managers, the maximum set by state law, said Lynn Tipton, executive director of the Florida City and County Management Association, the state’s professional organization for municipal managers like Drumm.

“It is recommended in light of the many costs a manager incurs in transition,” she said. In best-case scenarios, the hiring process for a city manager from the time an ad is placed for the job to signing the contract is four months. But that can sometimes go six months or even longer.

“However, this is greatly complicated by election cycles,” Tipton said, adding that some municipalities might just hire an interim until after the next election.

Drumm said he would likely seek unemployment insurance, but $275 a week is a far cry from $1,730 weekly. But he could have other income opportunities as well while he waits to find a new city manager job.

“Some managers are fortunate to find interim work, teaching and consulting while they await the next management position,” Tipton said. “Others take part-time work where available.”

The severance package proposed by the council last week would cost the city $54,000, but only a portion of that would actually represent cash in Drumm’s pocket. The rest are taxes and other costs the city would have to pay to part ways with him.

Drumm was expected to step down from his position April 25 if he agreed to the lower separation terms offered by the city. He resigned on Friday, after reportedly agreeing to the severance package.

The council approved the revised severance package 4-1, with Compton voting no. Just before the vote, Drumm did suggest that the lower payout may not be enough of an incentive for him to sign any agreement not to sue the city over the debacle, but the council voted their package in anyway.

Published April 30, 2014

Ready for the ring: Amateurs prepare for May 3 event

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On a weekend evening, hundreds of people gather for fight night.

They cheer for two boxers, who punch, jab and defend their way through round after round in the ring.

Benjamin Vazquez, 15, prepares for his amateur boxing debut at the American Olympic League’s May 3 event. The fights are sanctioned by USA Boxing. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Benjamin Vazquez, 15, prepares for his amateur boxing debut at the American Olympic League’s May 3 event. The fights are sanctioned by USA Boxing.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

In the end one emerges victorious, sometimes by knockout and other times after the judges reveal their scoring. Records improve or fall, momentum will be gained or lost, and fans applaud the winner and await the next two competitors.

That scene occurs at boxing events all over the country, as professional and amateur fighters compete in front of fans for a shot at advancing their career. It could be in New York, or Las Vegas, or Atlantic City.

It also happens in Wesley Chapel.

The American Olympic League hosts regular boxing events at its home, 5807 Ellerbee Road in Wesley Chapel. The organization trains athletes and has classes in disciplines such as boxing, wrestling, judo, jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai. But their regular fight nights draw hundreds, and the next event on May 3 will feature several amateur boxers of all age ranges who are ready to show off their skills in the ring.

“It’s amazing the talent that you can find, you see these kids have ambition and you see it carry through with their skill level,” said Carlos Valle, who serves as general manager and promoter.

The boxing events normally feature between 17 and 20 fights, with competitors usually ranging from 7-year-olds to teenagers. Some adult amateurs also compete, but the event is mostly for younger fighters who will eventually turn pro.

All fights are sanctioned by USA Boxing, so the format, protective gear, officials and judges all meet the standards required for a bout that counts toward a fighter’s record.

But Valle explained that American Olympic League isn’t about just selling tickets to events or having classes. They also sponsor Sports League of Wesley Chapel, a non-profit where Valle also is active. The two organizations work together to help area underprivileged kids learn a new skill and stay focused on their schoolwork.

“They really can’t afford to train, the uniforms, the gloves, the headgear. It gets expensive,” Valle explained. “So we pick them up from school, we bring them here and we help them with homework. We have a tutor here who helps them, and when they’re done with homework, then they come here and box.”

In addition to those participants, the events draw other groups and fighters who are interested in adding to their record. And even the younger fighters can run up significant stats.

“I was impressed when I saw some of the kids, 8-year-olds with 45 to 50 fights, because they’re competing every month and sometimes twice a month,” Valle said.

The boxing event also is a chance for less-experienced fighters to start their path into the ring. Benjamin Vazquez, a 15-year-old freshman at Wesley Chapel High School, will be on the card May 3, marking his first amateur fight after months of preparation.

“I’m ready for it. I feel confident,” Vazquez said during a training session. His confidence stems from his previous experience competing in karate, and also a strict regimen where he trains every day after school.

Shadow boxing in the ring, instruction and more boxing with a trainer who wears pads and timed work on a punching bag, are part of his daily routine.

Vazquez is ready for his match against a to-be-named opponent, and said that his training has required a lot of hard work.

“The conditioning is intense. There’s a lot of stamina, running. It’s not easy,” he said.

While his fight will be a one-on-one battle with his opponent, Vazquez won’t be alone that night. His mother, Maribel, will be one of around a dozen friends and family who will be there cheering him on and watching him compete.

“I can’t wait,” she said. “He’s going to have uncles, sister, brothers, friends” at the fight.

Maribel grew up watching boxing, and won’t hide her eyes while her son competes. She wants to watch the entire fight, and believes his hard work has prepared him well for his first boxing match.

“He trains very hard, and he has a good coach,” she said. “I have confidence in my son.”

The event begins at 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. The cost is $15.

For information, call (813) 284-8888.

Published April 30, 2014

Business Digest 04-30-14

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 Zephyrhills chamber business breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have a chamber business breakfast May 1 sponsored by Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. Randy Surber, president and chief executive of the hospital, will speak at Golden Corral, 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills, with the event beginning at 7 a.m.

Cost is $7 for members.

Martin to lead Saint Leo advisory council
Saint Leo University has launched a new Communication-Marketing-Multimedia Industry Advisory Council, with Summer Martin from the Pasco Economic Development Council, elected as chairwoman.

The council’s mission is to serve as an advisory body, working collaboratively with the instructional faculty and students by providing ideas and opinions on matters concerning the industry, and to help advance the department’s strategic plan.

“Talent is always No. 1 on a company’s wish list when choosing a location for its business,” said Martin, in a release. “This is a great opportunity for industry professionals to weigh in on the skills they would like to see future graduates have as it relates to their business and the field of marketing, communication and multimedia.”

Martin joined the PEDC in 2012, and has since helped the organization win four awards recognizing its marketing efforts. She also serves on the Tampa Bay Partnership’s Regional Marketing Council, and in 2012, participated as a member of the Communications Action Group for the Tampa Bay Host Committee.

“Saint Leo University is preparing students for future jobs, and we want to stay on the cutting edge,” said Michael Nastanski, dean of Saint Leo’s Donald R. Tapia School of Business, in a release. “We look forward to working with industry professionals to develop the Tampa Bay region’s talent.”