The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

EcoFest offers fun, and food for thought

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Thousands turned out for the sixth annual EcoFest at the picturesque setting of Lowry Park.

This year’s event had the feel of a farmer’s market and that was intentional, said Michele Northrup, an event organizer from Learning Gate Community School.

Thousands of people streamed to Lowry Park on April 18 to celebrate Earth Day a bit early. The event initiated by Learning Gate Community School in Lutz had to be moved to a larger venue last year because it has become too large for the school’s campus. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Thousands of people streamed to Lowry Park on April 18 to celebrate Earth Day a bit early. The event initiated by Learning Gate Community School in Lutz had to be moved to a larger venue last year because it has become too large for the school’s campus.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The charter school, located in Lutz, has spearheaded the event since its inception.

As its name implies, the festival celebrates efforts to make the earth more sustainable by promoting energy conservation, environmental protection and healthy living practices.

The event initially took place on the grounds of the school in Lutz, but it outgrew that location.

This year, the event was on April 18 and was presented by the school, the City of Tampa and the University of South Florida’s Patel College of Global Sustainability.

Festival-goers checked out entertainment and educational presentations near the band shell at Lowry Park, 7525 N. Boulevard, and browsed through a wide assortment of vendors on the park grounds across the street from Lowry Park Zoo.

The event gave people a chance to begin celebrating Earth Day — officially April 22 — a bit early.

There were 167 vendors at the event this year, which is a record, according to Northrup. It’s also a sizable jump from last year, when there were 118.

Event-goers could pick up foods from organic farms, buy healthy pet treats, pick up some local honey, grab a bite from some food trucks or enjoy organic popcorn.

There were loads of speakers and entertainers, too.

Amanda Renaud, of Topsy Turvy, an entertainment group, strolled on stilts through the festival, towering above the crowd and flashing a bright smile.

Samantha Petrone, who played the character Ariel from The Little Mermaid, had to be carried across North Boulevard, to be placed in her spot beneath a tree.

She and other members of the Much Foundation, of Tampa, attracted attention from fascinated children and parents snapping photos of their youngsters, posing with the characters.

Last year, the event was selected as the “Best Community Event” by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Northrup was clearly enthused, as people continued streaming into the event this year.

“We made the event bigger and better than ever,” she said.

Published April 22, 2015

Protecting the earth, all year long

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Corrine Goodman is a big fan of Earth Day.

“My only desire for Earth Day would be is that it’s a month long,” said the Lutz woman, who is an avid gardener.

“We’re the caretakers of this earth,” said Goodman, whose water-saving practices earned her the 2014 Community Waterwise Award in Pasco County.

Corrine Goodman poses near some of the roses in her backyard. This gardener from Lutz believes in protecting the earth every day, not only on Earth Day, which is celebrated annually on April 22. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Corrine Goodman poses near some of the roses in her backyard. This gardener from Lutz believes in protecting the earth every day, not only on Earth Day, which is celebrated annually on April 22.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Her yard is a work in progress — and it’s progressing quite nicely.

“This was the ugliest house on the street, when I moved in, in January of 2010,” said Goodman, who lives in Carpenter’s Run.

“There wasn’t grass. We had weeds,” she said.

Currently there’s a rather large patch in the front yard that looks somewhat bare.

That’s where the oak tree used to be, Goodman explained.

But the tree was pushing up the driveway and someone walking past tripped, so Goodman took out the tree.

The area looks somewhat sparse now, but Goodman has plans for it. She’s transplanted an ornamental cassia tree, which is a host to sulphur butterflies.

“Now that I have some sun in the front yard, I’ve put in some milkweed to attract butterflies in the front yard, as well as the backyard,” Goodman said.

In other spots in her front yard, there are splashes of color — from red amaryllis blooms, and there’s a trio of old tires she’s now using as plant containers.

Along the side yard, there’s a thriving lion’s whiskers bush — with beguiling orange blooms.

“They’re a really nice plant (for) hummingbirds, bees, butterflies,” Goodman said.

In the backyard, the fragrance of rosemary wafts through the air and Tibetan prayer flags flap in the breeze.

Goodman isn’t Buddhist, but she likes the flags.

“The mythology is every time the wind blows and the flags move, a prayer is being sent to the creator for us,” she said.

Around her yard are fully mature plants that once were mere cuttings from plants in other people’s yards.

“That beach sunflower — that was one scraggly little plant,” she said. “That’s one plant, that has spread like that.”

Her garden boasts all sorts of plants and flowers. She has roses, sages, lilies, honeysuckle, pineapple, angel trumpet and camellias, to name just a few.

And, her garden is thriving even though she uses no irrigation, no pesticides and very little fertilizer.

“I have a really nice balance of good bugs, bad bugs, so I don’t have to use pesticides.

“I don’t fertilize very much, because the mulch disintegrates.

“The only water this yard gets is from the rain barrels and from nature. I have no irrigation, no sprinkling system,” she said.

Tending the garden takes work, but for Goodman, it’s an exercise that’s good for the soul.

“This is my oasis. This is where I come.”

“When I go out and I sit in my garden in the morning, I take my coffee out and it, to me, it’s like my holy space or my sacred space.

“I enjoy the butterflies, the lizards, the cockroaches — I mean, everything has a purpose.”

She believes in the theory that one person respecting and tending the earth can affect the whole world.

“It’s the old butterfly effect — ‘If the butterfly flaps its wings in Africa, that vibration carries around the globe.’

“I truly believe that.”

Published April 22, 2015

Club offers venue for artistic growth

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Artists always need venues to display their art and kindle their passion for creativity.

The Zephyrhills Art Club has been a friend to the local art scene for nearly 40 years, encouraging both budding and professional artists.

“It’s hard to find a place to show your work,” said Gainor Roberts, art instructor and retired art curator for the Carrollwood Cultural Center. “(The club) is great for networking.”

Artist Gainor Roberts, left, offers a critique of a painting by Zephyrhills Art Club president Joyce Owens. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Artist Gainor Roberts, left, offers a critique of a painting by Zephyrhills Art Club president Joyce Owens.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Roberts was a recent guest artist at the club’s monthly meeting and offered critiques of paintings by its members. Much of the art was on display in a “member mini-show” that featured garden scenes. Members later voted on their favorites.

Nelida DiLorenzo got some advice from Roberts on her garden scene that highlighted a pair of ethereal sprites. The painting had earned her a second place ribbon.

Roberts — who continues to teach and paint — is known for her still life and landscapes, and works in egg tempera, oil, pastel, watercolor and monotype.

DiLorenzo appreciated the critique.

“This gets you excited,” she said. “You have the interactions. You have to have the input from people.”

The club was founded in the mid-1960s by a group of local artists, including Ruth Coe who died in 2004.

Currently, the art club has more than 90 members. Its youngest member is 10; its oldest members are in their 80s.

In addition to its monthly meetings, the club has workshops, field trips and special events to encourage networking and artistic growth. The club also sponsors an annual juried art show.

Meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m., at the First Christian Church at 6040 Eighth St., behind the post office in Zephyrhills.

“It’s open to anyone,” said Joyce Owens, the club’s president.

In March, the club hosted a workshop in watercolor techniques led by Chinese artist Lian Quan Zhen. Other workshops have featured artist Betty Fairbanks on acrylic painting techniques and DiLorenzo on techniques in portrait painting.

Owens took one drawing class in college but always wanted to paint.

For decades her pursuit of art took a backseat to her service in the U.S. Army. “It was only the weekend thing,” she said.

Now retired, she works part-time but paints as much as she can, and has sold some works.

The club’s youngest member is 10-year-old Lilly Hernandez whose butterfly painting earned an honorable mention.

She began painting animals and flowers in acrylic and watercolor about two years ago. She joined the art club a few months ago. “It’s hard, but I enjoy painting them,” she said.

“All the members are so friendly.”

The young artist has “painting days” with her grandmother, Kathleen Munn.

“I kind of got her started,” said Munn. “We have a great time painting together. Her great-grandmother also inspires her to paint.”

Munn said her sister is a portrait artist. “I never thought I could do it,” she said. “I just started and taught myself, and I really love it.”

A visit to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., several years ago, proved inspiring to Tom Myers. “I’ve always liked art but never really thought I could get into it,” he said.

The Michigan native brought a landscape to the mini-show depicting a roadway and a field of mustard grass.

He, too, appreciates critiques.

“We’re looking for a little constructive criticism,” Myers said.

Longtime member Olga Burghdorf walked through the mini-show with Hernandez. They stopped in front of each painting to point out what they liked about each one.

Burghdorf, 86, joined nearly 20 years ago. She learned to watercolor first and then added other skills, including painting on glass. “I’m not a master of anything,” she said. “I just enjoy doing it all.”

She looks forward to the club’s meetings and extra activities.

“It’s just a chance to meet people and see other artists. It opens up a lot of doors.”

For information on the art club, call (813) 780-8562.

Published April 22, 2015

Will body cameras become new standard?

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office rolled out the use of body cameras as standard equipment for its deputies beginning in February.

The Tampa Police Department has adopted a pilot program, using 80 cameras in three police districts.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco and Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor spoke recently at Saint Leo University about the use of body cameras. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco and Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor spoke recently at Saint Leo University about the use of body cameras.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

The leaders of both police agencies spoke about the use of body cameras at the debut of the Criminal Justice Speaker Showcase on April 16 at Saint Leo University.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco and Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor addressed roughly two dozen faculty, students and media about the expanding use of body cameras.

Pasco’s deputies and investigators put on a body camera at the beginning of each shift.

Nocco made the decision to use the cameras after seeking opinions from other law enforcement agencies that were using the technology even before the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri.

“One thing that was consistent when they were asked the question ‘Would you ever go back?’ They all said no,” Nocco said.

The Ferguson, Missouri incident involved a white police officer who shot and killed a 17-year-old black teenager.

The incident sparked riots in Ferguson and a national protest regarding charges of excessive police force and racism.

An investigation cleared the officer in Ferguson of any wrongdoing.

The use of body cameras will have a significant impact on policing, Nocco said.

“It’s going to change the way we do law enforcement,” Nocco said. “It’s an evidence-based business model.”

Police departments already using the cameras have reported fewer confrontations and reduced complaints from residents.

Nocco also said he expects the court system will benefit, because more suspects will plead out cases rather than go to trial.

“If we can reduce the backlog because of the evidence, think how much more efficient courts will be,” he said.

Videos taken by bystanders on camera cellphones have brought mixed results.

A grand jury declined to indict officers caught on tape using a banned chokehold while arresting Eric Garner on Staten Island for selling single cigarettes. Garner died at the scene.

But another bystander in North Charleston, South Carolina taped a police officer shooting Walter Scott in the back as he fled after a routine traffic stop for a broken tail light. The officer has been charged with murder.

Still, the objectivity of a video is what many hope will resolve disputes of fact and create more transparency when confrontations happen.

“Once it is ironed out, it will be a regular thing” said Jennifer Booker, a staff member at Saint Leo University. “I think it will become a piece of evidence like DNA was in the 80s. They shoot exactly what happens from beginning to start.”

Rickado St. Fleur, a criminal justice major, hopes to some day work for the federal Homeland Security agency. “It’s definitely going to take some time to get used to them,” he said. “But it definitely helps. It will help society regain the bond with law enforcement.”

The Pasco sheriff’s department issued more than 400 sets of Taser Axon cameras that are mounted usually onto glasses, hats, on shirt fronts or collars of deputies or investigators. Cameras are turned on to record interactions with the public. At the end of a shift, video is uploaded to a docking station.

Castor opted for a pilot program with 80 body cameras deployed to 18 officers in each of three districts, and six to officers on bicycle patrols.

“We need to have our side seen,” she said.

It’s a learning curve for everyone.

“It’s going to be an ongoing process to see how the public reacts, and the officers,” Castor said. So far, acceptance has been high, she said.

The cameras raise questions about privacy, search and seizure protections, and about how the video can be used. Currently public record requests for footage are reviewed in-house. Software can blur out certain information such as license tags or identities of minors.

Lawmakers are weighing in during the current legislative session. One bill would require agencies that use body cameras to set policies on their use and training requirements. A second bill would set exemptions to the state’s public records law that supporters say would protect the general public’s privacy. Critics say that could lead to less transparency and allow law enforcement to conceal misdeeds.

Castor said there should be some limitations. She noted that Tampa successfully barred the release of video showing the deaths of two Tampa police officers killed during a routine traffic stop.

“I don’t think that we’ll see the end of legislation for several years,” Nocco said.

But Nocco believes that body cameras are here to stay.

“As we move forward, it’s going to be constantly evolving, constantly changing,” Nocco said. “We’ll be much better off for it.”

Published April 22, 2015

Rubbing shoulders with scientific researchers

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Joseph Militello, a junior at Pasco High School, is one of 90 students from throughout the world selected to attend a summer scientific research program at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Militello will spend seven weeks immersed in the 57th annual University of Florida Student Science Training Program.

Joseph Militello plans to spend seven weeks this summer participating in a scientific research program at the University of Florida. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Joseph Militello plans to spend seven weeks this summer participating in a scientific research program at the University of Florida.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

He was chosen for the residential study program through a highly selective application program, according to background materials from the University of Florida.

The curriculum includes 28 hours a week in a science or engineering research lab, where participants are involved in ongoing research as part of a mentor’s lab team.

Militello also will write a research paper, give two research talks, attend faculty lectures, go on field trips and take part in activities aimed at helping him to build leadership skills.

The program was established in 1959, and since then has involved more than 4,300 academically talented students from 20 states in the United States and from countries around the world.

Militello is excited about the possibilities.

“I’m nervous, but confident at the same time,” the 17-year-old said.

“I’m nervous because it will be one of the first times I’ve been thrown into a situation that I have absolutely no idea who I’m going to be with, what I’m going to be studying,” he said.

“I know I’m going to struggle, because it’s going to be very rigorous,” he added, noting that he has been fairly laid back with his high school courses.

He’s looking forward to meeting other students involved in the residential research program.

He thinks there’s a chance he could develop some lifelong friends, because others taking part in the program have interests that are similar to his. Militello also thinks the experience of working with researchers will have a lasting impact.

At this point, he’s keeping his career option open.

He’s drawn to dentistry, but is also intrigued by genetics.

The residency program also will help him have a better idea regarding whether he would want to consider a career in scientific research, he said.

He hopes that he’ll be doing research in dentistry during the UF program, because he’s already developed a bit of foundation in that arena.

He’s shadowed some Tampa Bay area dentists.

He’s spent time with Dr. Mark Farina, who is an orthodontist; Dr. Patrick Abbey, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon; and Dr. Louis Cerillo, who practices general dentistry and does implants.

As part of his application, Militello had to submit letters of recommendation from two teachers.

Jacqueline Watson, a mathematics teacher at Pasco High, was one of the teachers that recommended him for the program.

“I have known Joseph for three years, and he is not only a great student but very mature for his age,” Watson wrote.

“Besides being gifted academically, Joseph also works well with others.

“He realizes that, while some things come easy to him, that is not always the same for other students.

“Joseph offers to tutor students that are struggling and is patient when doing this.

“Joseph is one of those students that comes along and, as a teacher, you feel fortunate to say you had him in your class. He challenges you to step up your game, because he wants and needs that challenge. I am amazed at all he has and is still accomplishing, and he would be a genuine asset to your program,” Watson wrote.

Militello said he enjoy tutoring others, because he has personally gained from being tutored.

Watson tutored him to help him build his skills. Then she became his mentor, and now she is a friend, Militello said.

In another part of the application, Militello was asked to write about someone who has been influential in his life. He chose to write about his stepdad, Paul Finora.

“I admire his thoughtful discussions and the way he weaves a life lesson into every conversation,” he wrote in part.

“He is my dad, and I cherish that. Any man can create a child, but it takes a father to raise one,” he added.

Militello said his interest in science began when he was in elementary and intensified during middle school.

He credits Michael Demaree, a science teacher at Centennial Middle School, for making the topic more attractive to him.

“He (Demaree) was always very interested in what he was teaching. He was always very human with his students,” Militello said.

“He was a very understanding teacher. He encouraged his students to explore different aspects of their life — other than just show up to school, do your work, go home and sleep.”

“He wanted everyone to be a very well-rounded person. He would talk to people about football. He would talk to people about band.

“You weren’t a number,” Militello said.

Besides enjoying mathematics and science, Militello’s other interests include music and boxing.

He boxes every Saturday. He plays the trumpet, French horn and guitar.

His mom Brenda Finora and his stepdad, Paul Finora, are ecstatic about his selection for the program.

It’s a big deal, his mom said.

But it’s also expensive, she added. It costs $5,000 to attend.

Militello is covering part of those costs by working part-time as a bus boy at Texas Roadhouse.

The family had been hoping that a portion of the costs could be covered by scholarship funds from local organizations, but those are already earmarked for other students, his she said.

So, a scholarship fund has been set up at San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union. Donations can be made by writing a check out to Joseph Militello and noting in the memo portion of the check that the check is intended for the Joseph Militello Scholarship Fund.

Donations also can be dropped off at any branch of the credit union or mailed to the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1057, San Antonio, Florida 33576.

If they would like to donate directly to the UF-SSTP Program to help cover his expenses, send a check payable to the University of Florida – SSTP, writing Joseph Militello in the memo section of the check.

The address is University of Florida- SSTP, 334 Yon Hall, Gainesville, Florida 32611.

Published April 22, 2015

Efforts are on again for Ridge Road extension

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Pasco County is trying again to obtain a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road.

The project is a high priority for the county to provide an additional evacuation route during hurricanes or other emergencies.

Consultants with Washington D.C.-based Dawson & Associates briefed the Pasco Commission on April 14 on its analysis of road designs requested by the Corps of Engineers, including the county’s initial proposal and 17 alternatives. The federal agency rejected a prior application based on insufficient data.

County officials expressed frustration over the agency’s lack of information regarding its requirements prior to sending in its application.

“We would do what you want, if you’d just tell us what you want,” said Georgianne Ratliff, an urban planning consultant serving as project manager on the Ridge Road extension.

The rejected application eliminated without analysis 10 alternatives that the county considered not practical to build largely due to cost. Corps officials said detailed analysis of all options had to be provided.

“They wanted a full analysis, and we have done that,” said David Barrows, senior counselor with Dawson & Associates.

At issue are about 58 acres of the 6,000-acre Serenova Preserve, set aside years ago to mitigate the loss of wetlands during construction of the parkway.

County officials must come up with an option that will do the least damage to the environment. Efforts to secure the permit have been ongoing for nearly 15 years.

Critics of the extension have said the project will open up the area to more development.

The county has determined that four of the 17 alternatives are practical options.

Costs range from about $77 million to nearly $102 million. The most expensive road project would be four lanes and would be partially elevated. Barrows said that alternative would be the least damaging to the environment.

It would impact about 23 acres of wetlands and 86 acres of upland habitat.

For several years the county’s budget has included about $42 million for the first phase of the project.

Currently the road dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey.

The extension would link to U.S. 41 with a connection to the Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The Corps of Engineers must issue a permit based on regulations within the Clean Water Act.

Before the matter is all settled, other agencies also will weigh in. Among them are Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Environmental Protection Agency

The next step in the process is awaiting a response from the Corps of Engineers to know if additional information will be required, Barrows said. He hopes a meeting will be scheduled within two months.

While a final decision is still months away, Barrows said there is a better understanding of what has to be done.

“I congratulate you on securing the goal posts,” said Commissioner Jack Mariano. “I’m very impressed.”

Published April 22, 2015

Business Digest 04-22-15

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Taste of Boston to relocate
Taste of Boston plans to relocate from 1944 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in the Wiregrass area, to a shopping plaza at 1930 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Lutz.

The seafood restaurant will close its location on Bruce B. Downs on May 31, according to manager Ashley Walker. By mid-June Taste of Boston will reopen on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard with more space, an outdoor patio and live music on weekends.

Manufacturers job fair
The Pasco-Hernando State College TRADE Grant Office will host the Florida Manufacturing Career Fair on April 22 from 1 to 4 p.m., at the college’s Spring Hill Campus, 450 Beverly Court. The Career Source Pasco Hernando, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the Manufacturers Association of Florida and the Upper Tampa Bay Manufacturing Association also are sponsors.

The fair will bring job seekers together with representatives of the manufacturing industry.

Employers and job seekers should contact (727) 816-3345 or to register for this free event.

For more information visit PHSC.edu/mfg-cf.

Awards
Pasco Economic Development Council’s Smart Start incubator program received honorable mention at the 23rd Annual Future of the Region Awards ceremony in St. Petersburg on March 27. The awards are hosted annually by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council to single out achievements in the public and private sectors for resource planning and management in the Tampa Bay region.

The incubator program mentors emerging and startup companies. Pasco County also received first place awards in the categories of development and infrastructure and going green, and second place award in community service.

Economic briefing
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly economic development briefing on April 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Hoosier Grille, located within Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club, 10630 Plantation Bay Drive.

Guest speaker is Chris Alvarez, chief financial officer of the Florida Medical Clinic. He will discuss plans to open an 80,000-square-foot medical facility on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, next to the Florida Hospital.

The cost is $15 including lunch. Register online by 3 p.m., April 22. Guests should pay online, as no credit cards will be accepted at the door.

For information, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com, or call (813) 994-8534.

Saint Leo University students
A class assignment with a new Tampa Bay area technology company, Entangle Media, became a real world experience for Saint Leo University students. Rae-Kwon Andrews, Tatiyana Cosme, Cedric Blatch and Elizabeth Schilling assisted the company in its app launch of DealMyBrand.com, a new social media management program.

Entangle Media offers a range of Internet services including web design and maintenance. Saint Leo professor Emma Brown collaborated with James Chittenden, consultant with the Small Business Development Center at University of South Florida, in placing the students at Entangle Media.

Learning center opens
Bricks4Kidz will host a ribbon cutting on April 23 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the office of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, 6013 Wesley Chapel Blvd.

The learning center will operate at the New Tampa YMCA Meadow Pointe clubhouse and Seven Oaks. It will provide a unique hands-on interactive curriculum focused on STEM concepts (science, technology, engineering and math). Technology and engineering-based camps will be available. More locations will be added.

For information, visit Bricks4Kidz.com/florida-wesleychapel/, or email .

Weight loss clinic
Come to the ribbon cutting for Florida Aesthetics and Medical Weight Loss on April 28 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 14945 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Guests can meet the doctors and practitioners who offer a range of services including anti-aging Botox and fillers, laser skin and vein treatment, skin rejuvenation and medical weight loss.

For information, call (813) 345-4044, or visit FloridaAesthetics.com.

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet April 28 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.

Mike Wells Sr., Pasco County’s property appraiser, is the guest speaker.

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

Networking breakfast
Calling all professionals. Join us for networking and a free continental breakfast on April 30 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., at The Commons on Pretty Pond, 38130 Pretty Pond Road, Zephyrhills.

For information, call (813) 779-4501, or email .

YMCA in New Tampa
The New Tampa Family YMCA will celebrate its grand opening on April 30 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 16221 Compton Drive. Tour the facility and enjoy light refreshments. The facility features an outdoor conditioning area for strength training for adults, teens and children, who want to get active, fight the obesity epidemic and improve overall health. The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will host the free event.

Non-members who mention the Wesley Chapel chamber ribbon cutting or the new outdoor conditioning area will not pay a join fee. This offer is valid from April 30 through May 7.

For information, call (813) 866-9622.

Business seminar
The Pasco-Hernando State College will host BizGROW2.0 on May 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the college’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass. The half-day conference and entrepreneur exchange is for entrepreneurs, start-up business owners and established business owners, and will include panel discussions, advice and inspiration on growing your business and lots of networking.

The cost is $30 per person or $35 per person after May 12. Registration is required. For information, visit PascoEdc.com.

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.

State loan could pave way for four-lane State Road 56

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The money isn’t in anyone’s bank account yet, but a state loan program might be the solution to fund the widening of State Road 56 to four lanes from Wesley Chapel to Zephyrhills, according to a press release from State Rep. Danny Burgess and State Sen. John Legg.

The lawmakers, in consultation with the Florida Department of Transportation staffers, including Secretary Jim Boxold, are looking to the State Infrastructure Bank as a potential source for a low-interest loan.

A low-interest loan from the state may be a way to create a four-lane extension of State Road 56, which now ends in Wesley Chapel over to Zephyrhills. (File Photo)
A low-interest loan from the state may be a way to create a four-lane extension of State Road 56, which now ends in Wesley Chapel over to Zephyrhills.
(File Photo)

The loan could be made to Pasco County for the cost of building additional traffic lanes.

The infrastructure bank provides loans and other assistance to public or private entities for projects that qualify for aid under federal and state law.

To start the process moving, a letter of interest must be submitted by May 29 for the loan to be included in the bank’s 2016 cycle.

“This is a much needed project,” said Burgess. “It’s important for economic growth to our area, a benefit that affects all of Pasco and all of the region.”

County officials plan to meet with state officials on April 16 to get details on how the loan would work.

“We’re still in early stages of exploring this,” said David Goldstein, Pasco’s assistant county attorney.

To many, the four-lane extension is a decade-long unfulfilled promise.

“I’m afraid if we let this go by now, it will be another decade,” said Charles Proctor, president of the Zephyrhills City Council and a long-time Zephyrhills’ business owner.

Current plans are to extend State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills, as a two-lane road. Even for this two-lane project, money is an issue because land from adjacent landowners must be purchased for right-of-way.

If the state paid for four lanes, state highway officials said some other project on Pasco’s list likely would not get done.

The low-interest loan could be a way to avoid that scenario, but the effort to secure a loan faces hurdles including buy-in from the county and state, as well as from property owners and developers along the planned extension.

“This cannot get done unless the state, the county and the private sector come together for the benefit of our East Pasco county residents,” stated Legg in the press release.

The city of Zephyrhills is pressing its case.

As recently as mid-March, all five Zephyrhills’ council members, Mayor Gene Whitfield and City Manager Steve Spina headed to Tallahassee to lobby for four lanes as a priority for State Road 56.

This followed a February town hall meeting where area residents, elected officials and business owners met with Burgess, Legg and Goldstein to plead for construction of four lanes, not the current two lanes being planned. Legg raised the possibility of state funds being repaid with a loan but didn’t think the state had a mechanism for such a transaction.

Goldstein said he had some familiarity with the state bank, having explored its use for other county projects. He broached the subject at the meeting’s conclusion to Debbie Hunt, transportation development director for the Florida Department of Transportation. “She ran with it,” he said.

Since then the county has had ongoing discussions with developers and property owners whose land could bring thousands more homes as well as retail and industrial development to the area. Among the largest land tracts is the Two Rivers Ranch with about 3,500 acres. About half of the 6.7-mile extension would cut through the ranch.

“The county is not interested in putting a lot of money into this. It’s a state road,” Goldstein said. “There are a lot of other priorities. If there is a loan, we expect developers to pay it back. We might be a conduit.”

Before the Pasco commission can sign off on anything, Goldstein said there are a lot of details that must be worked out including how much money would be needed, terms of the loan and, most importantly, who would be responsible for the payback.

Spina applauded the new effort to find a solution.

“I think it’s pretty inventive of them to come up with an idea like this to find the money,” he said.

It makes more sense, Spina said, to do four lanes now and not wait five or more years when the project likely would be more costly.

Proctor envisions a major economic boost to the area’s commercial development if the four-lane road is built. He has heard from business owners who would like to locate in Zephyrhills and surrounding areas and from owners who would consider expanding operations, if there was an improved road for getting in and out of the city.

“I see nothing but positive,” Proctor said.

Published April 15, 2015

Industry audit proves our papers are well-read

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When you look down your street every Wednesday and see The Laker/Lutz News in its blue newspaper bag, our hope is that you’ll pick it up to find useful information, compelling photographs and interesting stories.

At the same time, we aim to deliver advertising that helps readers find out about local goods and services that help businesses in our community to thrive.

So, every year we look forward to the results of a report produced by the Circulation Verification Council, known in the industry as the CVC, to see how we’re doing.

This year’s results show that nearly four out of five households receiving our newspaper read it, and 78 percent of readers use the advertising to help plan their purchasing decisions.

Those findings are based on a statistically valid survey that CVC conducts to find out if The Laker/Lutz News is being delivered, what people think about their community paper, and how readers use it.

The CVC is an independent, third-party reporting firm that verifies the number of papers we print and deliver each quarter, and breaks down our circulation by zip code. It also calculates the number of papers we deliver to homes compared to the number that are distributed via newspaper racks and businesses.

We do not pay for this audit — CVC is hired by newspaper associations to audit the circulation of their 3,000 member newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.

The audit covers printing, distribution, circulation, websites, digital editions, mobile, email, social media and readership studies to give an accurate picture of a publication’s reach and market penetration.

“We run our business the same way as financial auditors and auditors of all other media,” said CVC founder and president Tim Bingaman. “There’s no power of influence because publishers do not pay us directly for our services — we are totally impartial and just report the facts.”

So what did CVC report from this year’s audit of The Laker/Lutz News?

The report found that:

  • 80 percent of those responding said that they, or someone in their home, regularly read or look through our paper (compared to the CVC average of 74 percent).
  • Our average number of readers per paper (pass-along rate) is 1.95 (compared to the CVC average of 1.75).
  • 78 percent said they frequently purchase products or services from local business ads seen in our papers (compared to the CVC average of 74 percent).
  • 85 percent of our distribution is home delivery, and 15 percent is through news boxes and business outlets.

Our average circulation in 2014 was 42,600 divided among our four editions in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and East Pasco.

CVC’s Tim Bingaman said the most impressive aspect of our audit is that we’ve achieved these above-average results year-after-year in a highly competitive suburban market.

“Typically, when a newspaper scores so well, it’s in a rural market where it is the only paper in town. For your newspapers to be doing so well puts you at the elite status among all the papers we audit,” said Bingaman.

Bingaman also gave us kudos for increasing our readership scores every year since 2010. Back then, our readership score was 72 percent; today it is 80 percent.

“To increase your readership by 8 percent in such a short time frame is truly remarkable and indicative that you are doing a very good job listening to your readers and giving them the content they want to read,” said Bingaman.

These are impressive numbers, especially today when so many people falsely believe that nobody reads newspapers anymore. In fact, we know that they do, and are proud to be one of the best-read community papers in the country.

I know this column may seem boastful and self-serving, and I suppose in some ways it is. But I want you to know how good it feels to head up a business whose industry report card is far above average. I am incredibly proud of my staff and want you to know that.

I’m also very proud of our community, which consists of thousands of people just like you, who care so much about their neighbors and neighborhoods that they read their community paper every week.

Not all communities are so engaged, and it is gratifying to produce newspapers that so many of you rely on to help our local organizations and businesses to thrive.

These facts for The Laker/Lutz News that were unveiled by our audit are something our entire community can be proud of. After all, without the community supporting us through their readership and advertising dollars, there would not be a community newspaper in your driveway every Wednesday.

The words “thank you” do not suffice to express our gratitude for your continued readership and support, but I hope you realize that our appreciation is heartfelt.

Published April 15, 2015

No 90-foot sign for new outlet center

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Tampa Premium Outlets’ developers can order an array of decorative signs for the retail complex under construction off State Road 56, but at least for now, a 90-foot pylon sign won’t be one of them.

The Pasco County Commission approved a signage plan that excludes the 90-foot pylon sign.

Simon Property Group opted not to seek a 90-foot pylon sign near Interstate 75 that would have advertised the Tampa Premium Outlets, under construction on State Road 56. (Courtesy of FRCH Design Worldwide)
Simon Property Group opted not to seek a 90-foot pylon sign near Interstate 75 that would have advertised the Tampa Premium Outlets, under construction on State Road 56.
(Courtesy of FRCH Design Worldwide)

The Simon Property Group, the outlet mall’s developer, initially requested the 90-foot sign as part of its signage plan, but dropped that portion of the request after the county’s development review panel raised objections.

Simon Property Group has the option to try again later, with a new application.

The sign had been planned for installation along Interstate 75. The county’s regulations would limit the sign’s height to no higher than 30 feet.

David Goldstein, Pasco’s assistant county attorney, also indicated the sign wouldn’t meet regulations of the Florida Department of Transportation and could affect Pasco’s share of highway funds.

Outlet mall officials had wanted the taller height to help motorists searching for the mall, as they zipped down the interstate.

As many as 80 percent of the outlet mall’s customers are expected to be coming from outside the area and will be unfamiliar with the local road system, they said.

While the tall sign was not part of the approved signage plans, the mall developer is enthusiastic about Tampa Premium Outlets.

“We’re excited,” said John Dionis, senior director of development for New Jersey-based Simon Property Group, who made only brief remarks before the commission’s April 8 vote.

“It’s been a great experience. We look forward to opening in October,” Dionis said.

The 441,000-square-foot retail complex is expected to have more than 100 shops on State Road 56, near I-75. To date, the only announced tenant is the anchor, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th.

Following the vote, Dionis said he was not authorized to make comments. He referred questions about the sign to Les Morris, director of company public relations.

Published April 15, 2015