The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Newland wants Bexley Ranch to be next FishHawk

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People have driven by construction work on State Road 54 east of the Suncoast Parkway and wondered what might be happening there.

A lot of those details were unveiled last week when Newland Communities vice president Tom Panaseny presented some of the first details of the recently resurrected Bexley Ranch project that will include about 1,700 homes over the next five years.

Construction already has begun on the retail portion of Bexley Ranch, part of a massive new community moving forward on State Road 54 just off the Suncoast Parkway. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Construction already has begun on the retail portion of Bexley Ranch, part of a massive new community moving forward on State Road 54 just off the Suncoast Parkway.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

The massive development, which will stretch north past Tower Road, was put on hold several years ago after the housing market crashed and new home construction came to a halt. But with the market on the rebound, and people still looking to move to Pasco County, Panaseny said this was as good a time as any to get started.

“We’ve got our plans in review at Pasco County right now, and we think we’ll break ground in March or April next year,” he told a small crowd that gathered at the Residence Inn at NorthPoint across the street from the project. “We haven’t even announced any of the builders yet. But the builders really almost come in last, once we develop the community and figure out what type of homes that we want to build. Then we’ll match up the builders to the type of home.”

Homes will start close to $200,000, and run as high as $400,000, Panaseny said. While most of the development will be single-family houses, the front part of the development close to State Road 54 will include townhouses, attached villas, commercial and retail, and even a new hotel.

The retail portion is where most of the land is being cleared right now, Panaseny said. That will likely be up and running by the time that work crews start prepping the land behind it for residential development.

“We are talking to several retailers right now to come in there, one of which has never been in Pasco before,” Panaseny said. Past that on Bexley Boulevard will be about 5 acres devoted to office, as well as a business class hotel.

“The hotel here does very well,” Panaseny said, about the Residence Inn. “Hopefully, there is room for another one.”

This will be Newland’s first project in Pasco County. It has had a lot of success with other high-profile projects in Hillsborough County, most notably with FishHawk Ranch near Brandon, as well as MiraBay and Waterset in Apollo Beach. FishHawk Ranch has more than 5,000 homes, and is near completion after more than a decade of development work.

While the initial plans bring about a third of that volume of development to Bexley Ranch, the longer-term goal is to be just as big as the project expands east toward Sunlake Boulevard. Initial plans also include an elementary school, and Newland’s contribution to the construction of Tower Road to Sunlake Boulevard.

The project also will include a network of trails that would provide miles of both paved and dirt pathways for residents. The idea is to eventually connect with the Suncoast Trail, possibly by going underneath the highway.

The trails, Panaseny said, would show off the nearly 1,000 acres of conservation land the Bexley Ranch project already has set aside. And in a sales pitch to some of the potential buyers in the audience, the developer said views of those pockets of nature won’t be limited to the highest bidders.

“I look at things like wetlands, and you’ll see developers who will try to price those views so that only an individual home can look at a wetland,” Panaseny said. “You won’t see a lot of that with us. We try to make that public space, because we don’t just want to have individuals look at that, we want the community to be looking at that.”

The entire project, once all the phases are completed, could go as high as 6,000 homes, Panaseny said. However, that all depends on how Pasco County does in the future when it comes to attracting new residents.

“You’re talking about 20 years-plus, and that’s really hard to even speculate on that right now,” he said. “We have to start with what we know, and what we know right now is that there are 1,700 acres there that will keep everybody busy for four or five years.”

Published September 24, 2014

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No challenge too tough for swimmer with cerebral palsy

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When Taylor Sanders was born, she had a stroke.

Diagnosed with monoplegic infantile cerebral palsy, doctors told Taylor’s parents that she couldn’t walk, she couldn’t do things her peers could do and she couldn’t live a normal life.

Sanders usually chooses the 50-meter freestyle when she competes for the Zephyrhills High School swim team. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Sanders usually chooses the 50-meter freestyle when she competes for the Zephyrhills High School swim team.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

So her parents gave up. Specifically, they gave up on words like “couldn’t.”

“We had a No. 1 rule. The ‘C’ word was not allowed in our house, and that’s ‘can’t’ or ‘cannot,’” said Taylor’s mother, Vanessa Sanders.

Now, 15 years later, the focus is on all the things Taylor can do. She can walk. She can make friends and fit right in at Zephyrhills High School. And, like many students, she can be an athlete, too.

Taylor is in her second season on the school’s swim team. And before anyone even thought about giving her special treatment when she joined, her mother eliminated that possibility on the first day.

“I went to coach (Karen Cooley) the very first day of practice, and I told her what she has,” Sanders said. “I said that there isn’t anything that she cannot do. Anything that you request the team do, I ask you to request that Taylor do the same.”

Cooley accepted those terms happily, and ended up with a productive, contributing team member.

“She’s an awesome member of the team,” Cooley said. “She’s a leader. She likes to be involved and she’s very creative.”

Taylor is supportive of her teammates, and is good at taking direction and working hard to get better, Cooley said. As a result, her technique, form and times have improved since she joined the team.

Being on the team allows Taylor to challenge herself and others while doing something she enjoys in a supportive group setting.

“I’ve always loved swimming since I was little,” Taylor said. “And I have a very competitive attitude, so competing while I’m doing something I love is just amazing.”

The team, she said, is her family. “Ever since I started, they’ve accepted me like nothing was ever wrong.”

Being an athlete might be a challenge for Taylor physically, but it’s also in her genes. Vanessa Sanders was a softball player in high school and college, and still competes to this day. Her father, Scott Sanders, was a golfer in college. Disability or not, they wanted Taylor to experience the camaraderie of team competition, and the benefits and challenges that come with competing in sports.

While she enjoys the competition, her cerebral palsy has made Taylor used to more painful challenges outside the pool. Her hips were growing at the wrong angle due to learning to walk in an unorthodox way, and she would fall up to 10 times on a daily basis. But two surgeries in the past year has helped reduce her pain, limited her falls dramatically, and allowed her to live somewhat more comfortably.

The only drawback in Taylor’s mind? It set her back in the pool, and her times aren’t where she wants them to be.

“Because of my surgeries, I’ve kind of started back to day one all over again,” she said.

But Hannah Cutkomp, a teammate and captain, is impressed with how far Taylor has come in her time with the team.

“There’s been a drastic change from what I’ve seen from last year. She’s swimming so much better,” Cutkomp said. “She’s an amazing teammate.”

If Taylor is focused and determined while swimming, she’s just as tenacious when she’s on dry land. She plays guitar for fun, but graphic design and animation is her calling.

The sophomore already is accumulating college scholarships with an eye on the best schools to help her with that career. She even wants to raise money for a trip to California to visit legendary graphic studios Dreamworks Studios and Pixar Animation Studios to get real-world perspective on the industry.

That kind of focus is just part of who she is.

“When I find something I love, I run with it,” Taylor said.

And her parents are proud to see the results of raising her without words like “can’t” in her vocabulary. They’re also vocal supporters at her swim meets, with her mother getting overwhelmed seeing Taylor accomplish so much when doctors warned them to expect so little.

“I cry every single time,” Vanessa Sanders said. “Every time.”

Published September 24, 2014

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Cancer journey chronicled through ceramic busts

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People facing a life-threatening disease have different ways of coping.

Some join prayer groups. Others keep journals. Some write blogs.

Land O’ Lakes resident Jan Tucker decided she wanted to keep a physical record of what her breasts looked like before she began cancer treatment.

These three ceramic busts, created by artist Paul Phillips, chronicle Jan Tucker’s journey through cancer. The bust on the left shows Tucker’s upper torso before she began cancer treatment. The one in the middle shows her at her lowest point in the battle. The bust on the right shows her upper torso after breast reconstruction. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
These three ceramic busts, created by artist Paul Phillips, chronicle Jan Tucker’s journey through cancer. The bust on the left shows Tucker’s upper torso before she began cancer treatment. The one in the middle shows her at her lowest point in the battle. The bust on the right shows her upper torso after breast reconstruction.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She knew that her brother, Paul Phillips — who does ceramics and other kinds of art — could make the ceramic bust because he’d done body castings for women who were pregnant.

She also knew that her brother might feel strange about applying the material to make the mold to her body, so she asked him to teach her husband Ben how to do the first layer, to avoid potential embarrassment.

Tucker initially just wanted a physical reminder of what she looked like before she was diagnosed with invasive ductile carcinoma — an aggressive, fast-growing cancer.

Being a private person, she didn’t expect others to see it. But those plans changed, and now three ceramic busts — chronicling her journey through cancer — will be on display at an art exhibit and sale to help raise money for the American Cancer Society and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

One bust shows her upper torso before treatment began. The second records her at her lowest point in her cancer battle. The third shows her torso after reconstructive surgery.

The story of Tucker’s fight for her life began like many other stories about breast cancer: She found a lump in her right breast during a routine monthly self-exam.

Ironically, it appeared at a time in her life when she’d never felt healthier. She was 46, and she and Ben routinely worked out.

When she found the lump, Tucker made an appointment with her doctor to check it out as part of an annual exam. That exam, as well as a mammogram, showed it was a cyst, which didn’t surprise Tucker because she’d had cysts before.

So, Tucker went about her daily life, working as an online business professor and developing online courses.

As time went on, though, the lump grew. It was right at her bra line and was becoming uncomfortable. She also felt two smaller lumps.

Still, she had no plans to go back to the doctor before her annual check.

“My husband kept nagging me,” Tucker said. “‘You need to go get this checked.’”

But she didn’t until he hurt his foot, and now it was Tucker urging him to see a doctor. They made a deal: He would go for his foot, if she went for her breast.

On the return visit, the doctor said the lump was larger, but was still a cyst. But after Tucker told the doctor it was bothering her, the doctor referred her to a breast surgeon to get the lump drained.

The breast surgeon – Dr. Kimberly Apple – wanted an ultrasound. That led to additional diagnostics, a core biopsy, and a needle biopsy on six cancer tumors.

The doctor told Tucker she would call her with the results, either way. That call came on a Friday morning, April 26, 2013.

“When I picked up the phone, I hear her say, ‘I’m sorry.’ I hear her voice crack,” Tucker said. Then she starts with the doctor jargon.”

She heard the doctor talking, but couldn’t process what she was saying.

“Everything kind of stops in your world,” Tucker said. “It was so surreal.”

The doctor asked Tucker if she had any questions. Tucker had one: “Is it treatable?”

Yes, but it would require extensive treatment.

Tucker’s cancer was so advanced that she had to undergo chemotherapy before surgery. That’s when she decided to have her brother do the ceramic bust.

“I called him and I said, ‘I want to remember how I am today,’” she said.

A week later, she was undergoing chemotherapy.

“It’s awful. There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” Tucker said, noting she went through five rounds of chemo in six months.

Next, she had a nipple-sparing bilateral mastectomy.

She planned to do reconstruction, but lost so much blood she had to have a transfusion, which led to an infection.

“I was down to 95 pounds,” Tucker said. “I’m bald at this point. I have no eyebrows, no eyelashes. My skin is sagging, and I was extremely depressed. I was in a really, really dark place.

“I called Paul and said, ‘I want to do another casting.’

“He’s like, ‘Really?’”

She said she wanted to remember this stage of the battle, too. That casting was done on Feb. 26.

When she got over the infection, she pursued reconstruction again. After that was done, Tucker did another body casting to show her upper torso after reconstruction. That casting was done on Aug. 16.

“It just kind of brought the whole thing together,” Tucker said.

She still had no intention of making the ceramic busts public. But that changed after her brother, who had exhibited some of his art works at Alchemy Art Lounge in Tarpon Springs, told the owner about the castings he’d done for his sister.

“The owner got real quiet and said, ‘My mother has breast cancer,’” Tucker said.

Then the owner suggested having a Pink Party in October, and to donate the proceeds to the American Cancer Society and Moffitt. Tucker agreed to have her ceramic busts on display because they help convey the stages she has been through.

“There really is no better way to illustrate the story than that,” said Tucker, who is now 48.

She and her husband have two sons, Van — who just graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in chemical engineering — and Adam, a sophomore at USF, who is pursuing the same degree.

Tucker said she never would have chosen to walk the path, yet she knows it has yielded new insights.

“I am a different person today because of this,” Tucker said. “I am much more focused on what’s important in life, and it’s not chasing a promotion.”

If you go …
WHAT: Alchemy Art Lounge and Hard Bodies Yo present a Pink Party, featuring an art show and sale, a silent auction and a chance drawing for prizes.
WHERE: 25 Dodecanese Blvd., Tarpon Springs
WHEN: Oct. 9, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
DETAILS: Proceeds will benefit cancer charities
INFO: Paul Phillips at (386) 334-5943

Published September 24, 2014

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Ethan Allen out, Scott Fink moving in?

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In 2001, Scott Fink took a gamble and decided to open a Hyundai dealership in New Port Richey.  At the time, Hyundai did not have the best reputation for dependability, and accounted for about three of 100 every new car sold.

What does local car dealership owner Scott Fink have planned for more than an acre of land next to a proposed Volkswagen dealership? Whatever it is, Fink thinks it’s worth $1 million. (File Photo)
What does local car dealership owner Scott Fink have planned for more than an acre of land next to a proposed Volkswagen dealership? Whatever it is, Fink thinks it’s worth $1 million.
(File Photo)

Since then, Hyundai has become one of the most popular overseas brands in America, and Fink has expanded his car empire to include Hyundai, Mazda and Chevrolet dealerships in Wesley Chapel, and a planned Volkswagen dealership on State Road 56 across from Mini of Wesley Chapel.

So what does Fink have up his sleeve on land next to his proposed dealership? He’s not talking — he didn’t return a call for comment from The Laker/Lutz News — but it’s now a $1 million gamble.

S&D Giant Real Estate LLC, a company, which lists Fink as its sole manager, closed on nearly 1.6 acres of land on State Road 56, just off Silver Maple Parkway on Aug. 26. The price was $1 million, something that might appear like a steep price for vacant land. But it’s a $400,000 discount from what Ethan Allen Retail LLC paid for the property in 2006, according to Pasco County property records.

Ethan Allen, a Connecticut-based furniture chain with locations in Citrus Park and Brandon, had announced in late 2005 it would build an 18,000-square-foot showroom on the site. It was supposed to open in 2006, and compete with the less-expensive Rooms To Go that opened down the road on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

However, the housing market crashed, and couches that cost as much as a semester at the University of South Florida simply were no longer in demand.

Unlike the Lowe’s on State Road 54 near Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, Ethan Allen never resurrected its plans to build on the site, despite holding the land for nearly a decade. A spokeswoman for Ethan Allen confirmed to The Laker/Lutz News on Monday that the project was indeed dead.

“I believe that the new use will be automotive,” Ann Zaccaria, vice president of real estate for Ethan Allen, said in an email.

In his annual report filed last June addressing the entire Cypress Creek development of regional impact area that includes this parcel, Skinner Bros. Realty president A.C. “Chip” Skinner III did not mention the pending sale to Fink. He still listed it as a closed sale to Ethan Allen, where 18,000 square feet of retail rights are still planned.

Fink is under contract to buy more than 5 acres of land immediately to the southeast of the parcel, where he plans to build a Volkswagen dealership complete with a nearly 30,000-square-foot showroom.

The lot Fink has closed on still is set for a retail store, but it’s not clear if that’s what he still plans to do, said Dawn Sutton with Pasco County’s planning and development department. No new paperwork for the site has been filed with the county.

“There is an agreement for (the Volkswagen parcels) for up to 46,000 square feet of retail entitlements,” Sutton said. “That’s probably a 22,000-square-foot building plus maybe a car wash, and some supporting retail.”

Land proposed for the Volkswagen dealership has yet to change hands, but if Fink’s purchase of the adjacent land sets a new precedent, then he could spend more than $6 million for the adjacent lot once that deal finally closes.

Published September 24, 2014

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Internship takes local student to Amazon jungle

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Those first nights in the Amazon rainforest were tough ones for Kenny Quayle. Especially when he was trying to get a few hours of sleep.

“There are strange sounds that come from the jungle, and some of them were from animals I never wanted to come face-to-face with,” he said. “There were thousands of bugs everywhere at night, and you could hear each and every one of them.”

Kenny Quayle, a junior at Academy at the Lakes, spent part of his summer as an intern in Peru, working in the Amazon. The trip included adventures, like this fishing trip on the Tahuayo River. (Courtesy of Kenny Quayle)
Kenny Quayle, a junior at Academy at the Lakes, spent part of his summer as an intern in Peru, working in the Amazon. The trip included adventures, like this fishing trip on the Tahuayo River. (Courtesy of Kenny Quayle)

Quayle spent a month in Peru living on the edge of the Amazon. He was there working on a conservation team that was part of Amazonia Expeditions, an adventure company led by local biologist Paul Beaver, and his wife Dolly.

But Quayle is no scientist. He wasn’t even an adventure tourist. He’s a 16-year-old who just started his junior year at Academy at the Lakes.

The Beavers offer the internship to one student each year, creating an opportunity of a lifetime. Quayle had such a desire to make the trip that he applied his freshman year, but lost out to an older student. That changed his sophomore year when he made it in, and found himself on a plane to South America that summer.

“You write a small essay on what you want to do with the knowledge you gain from going there, and what you expect to draw from the experiences,” Quayle said. And that part was easy for him, since his goal is to eventually become a journalist, working for publications like those owned by National Geographic.

And while he was among tourists and researchers, this wasn’t a trip to Disney World. There was no air-conditioning, no hot showers, and bugs were the size of softballs. The average temperature is 81 degrees, but the humidity is so high, it puts Florida to shame.

“The locals there, they don’t sweat,” Quayle said. “If you sweat, you just get hotter, because of all the humidity. You learn to sit in places with a good breeze, and you learn to survive on cold showers.”

Quayle woke up at 6 a.m. daily and hiked for a few hours. He primarily cleaned out camera traps that are used to capture wildlife on film in its native habitat for researchers. He brought protein bars with him to keep his energy up, because breakfast wasn’t served until he returned to camp.

“I actually dropped 15 pounds while I was there,” Quayle said. “We would eat well, but it was a lot of plantains and a lot of rice, as well as some fresh vegetables.”

Usually, afternoons were spent working with tourists who would visit the Tahuayo Lodge and the Tahuayo River Amazon Research Center, located about 30 miles south of Iquitos, Peru’s fifth-largest city, in the Loreto Region.

The forests, as nearly anyone would imagine, were dangerous. Quayle almost had a fatal run-in with a fer-de-lance, a highly poisonous snake that can disguise itself well to look like a rock.

“It does swim, and it likes to hunt near the water,” Quayle said. “We were on the shore, and lucky the person I was with noticed it, because I almost walked into it.”

But not all of Quayle’s encounters with the wildlife had happy endings. He was stung by a tarantula hawk — a spider wasp that is so aggressive that it hunts tarantulas. Its sting is considered to be the second most painful in the world, second only to the bullet ant.

“You would have these flying roaches all over the place, and so you’re constantly swatting them away,” Quayle said. “We were out spear fishing, and a bug landed on my back. I swatted it, and didn’t realize it was a tarantula hawk.”

Back home, Quayle is on the Academy at the Lakes football team, and spends time playing the cello. His parents are Kevin and Kathy Quayle, who own All Season Air Conditioning & Heating in Tampa.

Before going to Peru, Quayle was only out of the country three other times, and two of those were cruises. But that might change now that he’s had a taste of the world outside of North America, and has made new friends around the globe.

“I am very interested in traveling, and I’ve always loved traveling,” he said. “My parents, not so much.”

With two more years left to his high school career, Quayle’s not even looking to wait until he’s in college to try to head out again. He’s already applying for a chance to take care of a baby orangutan in Borneo for two months next summer. And he’s getting ready for a trip to England and France with his European studies class.

“There is so much worldly knowledge out there that I want to collect, before I have to sit down and really take in all that scholarly knowledge from college,” Quayle said. “There is just so much to see, and so little time to do it in.”

Want to read more about Kenny Quayle’s adventures in the Amazon rainforest? Check out his blog, which is still under development, at TheAdventuresOfKenny.com.

Published September 24, 2014

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Manors of Crystal Lakes to get new water source soon

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Residents of the Manors of Crystal Lakes are expected to connect to a new Hillsborough County water line within a month or so.

Work continues on installing pipeline along Lutz Lake Fern Road, with the road narrowed down to one lane near North Dale Mabry Highway while construction continues.

Crews are busy on Lutz Lake Fern Road putting in a 12-inch water pipe that will carry water into the Manors of Crystal Lakes. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Crews are busy on Lutz Lake Fern Road putting in a 12-inch water pipe that will carry water into the Manors of Crystal Lakes. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The county is completing the $5.4 million project to connect the Manors of Crystal Lakes to a new 12-inch water line. The goal is to improve the reliability of water supply for the subdivision, said Richard Kirby, section manager for Hillsborough County’s capital improvement program.

The project involves 4.5 miles of pipeline, Kirby said. It creates a looped system, giving Manors of Crystal Lake residents a backup in the event of any water line breaks or other disruptions.

The water flow also will be improved with the new line, bringing it up to the current standards for fire protection.

As work progresses, flagmen are directing traffic down to one lane on a portion of Lutz Lake Fern Road near North Dale Mabry Highway as crews work along the right of way of the narrow road. Installing the pipeline along that stretch is a challenge because of existing utilities in the area, Kirby said.

New water pipes already have been installed on U.S. 41 as part of the project.

Once the work on Lutz Lake Fern Road is completed between U.S. 41 and North Dale Mabry Highway, testing of the water line will begin.

The biggest change is that customers will receive water that uses chloramines in the final disinfection stages instead of chlorine, Kirby said.

“If anything, it’s an improvement in the smell and taste of the water because there’s less chemical in there,” he said.

Customers should be aware that water that contains chloramines should not be used in home aquariums, fishponds or home kidney dialysis, Kirby said. Water used for those purposes should be treated or filtered to remove the chloramines.

Chloramines have been used to disinfect water since the 1930s, Kirby said. They are used to disinfect water throughout the county’s water system.

So far, most of the calls coming into the county about the project have been inquiries about whether nearby properties can hook onto the system, Kirby said. Properties that are adjacent to the water pipe can hook in, but they must be directly next to it.

He does not expect any changes in water pressure for customers. The rates will not change either.

The Manors of Crystal Lakes already is a part of the county’s water system, but has been served by two wells. Those wells and a nearby chlorination plant will be shut down once the new waterline begins operation.

Published September 24, 2014

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Book captures Dade City’s history through photographs

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When visitors drop by downtown Dade City, its stately historic courthouse, unique shops and good restaurants likely will impress them.

But there’s so much more to Dade City’s story, and Madonna Jervis Wise has captured that through 200 photographs of the people and places in this city that initially was known as Fort Dade.

Downtown Dade City, during the 1940s, was a thriving hub of activity. (Courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise)
Downtown Dade City, during the 1940s, was a thriving hub of activity.
(Courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise)

Wise began working on the volume about a year ago. She’d done another book called “Zephyrhills” for Arcadia Publishing, and the South Carolina publisher approached her to see if she had an interest in writing a book about Dade City.

Wise wasn’t sure initially if she wanted to take it on. But her family encouraged her to pursue the opportunity, and Wise decided to meet with some local leaders to see if they’d like to have a book about their community published.

John Moors, the executive director of the Dade City Chamber of Commerce, greeted the idea with enthusiasm and set up a meeting for Wise with the city’s development director. She also met with the Dade City Preservation Advisory Board, which encouraged her to write the book and provided invaluable suggestions, she said.

Wise said her husband Ernie played an instrumental role, too.

The book includes photographs of everything from old railroad depots to stately homes, from ballet dancers to orange packers. It includes photographs of the sons and daughters of Dade City, who shaped the community and played an instrumental role in Pasco County and beyond.

“Dade City is a rich historical hub,” Wise said. “For many, many decades, this county was run by Pasco High graduates.”

The book showcases the community’s diversity, covering the history of the African-American community and its migrant farmworkers.

Wise used information and photographs she gleaned from a multitude of sources. Jeff Miller of the West Pasco Historical Society provided about 3,000 photos for her to consider from his collection.

She also used photos from the collections of Helen Eck Sparkman and of Oliver and Barbara DeWitt, who provided them to Eddie Herrmann, one of the authors of “The Historic Places of Pasco County.”

The Pasco County Genealogical Society and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System’s Genealogical Collection, as well as the librarians, were invaluable resources for the work as well, Wise said.

She used photographs from The Memory Project, produced by the Florida government.

The book’s photographs convey the city’s history through its people, residences, churches, social and civic clubs, and commerce. It points out that Pasco Packing, later known as Lykes Pasco, was the largest orange packing plant in the world, in the days before freezes, blight and development wiped out much of Florida’s citrus industry.

The photographs also show homes of early residents, with many of the structures still standing today.

“My husband photographed many of the houses,” Wise said, noting some of the photos had to be taken more than once, to be sure that alarm signs and air conditioners didn’t show up in the frame.

When they were out in the neighborhoods taking the photographs, people would approach them and ask what they were doing, Wise said. When she told them about the book, she said, “they would add other pieces to the story. It was great. It was just great.”

The actual work of culling photographs, writing captions and arranging the layout was a gargantuan task. But Wise enjoyed learning about Dade City’s history and spending time with the people who helped on the project.

Besides Herrmann, other primary sources included William G. Dayton and J. Thomas Touchton.

“I probably talked to Eddie (Herrmann) nearly every day,” Wise said. “And Bill is a real storyteller. He can give you the feel for the different eras. He knew a lot of the inside of what was going on.”

Touchton, a Dade City native and leader of the effort to establish The Tampa Bay History Center, also provided valuable insights, she said. Touchton has an international reputation for the collection of maps he’s acquired, and has fond recollections of Dade City.

“He told me the most fabulous stories about growing up there,” she said.

As she conducted her research, Wise was struck by the realization that Dade City remains a cohesive community, something that’s not all that common in the 21st century.

As people page through the volume, Wise hopes it will inspire them to learn more about Dade City.

“The book is intended to be an invitation to learn more about Dade City and serve as an enticement to walk through Church Avenue, visit the historic courthouse, dine in a vintage café, or visit the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village,” Wise writes in the acknowledgements section of the book. “History must be shared to pass it on to the next generation.”

If you go …
WHAT: Author Madonna Jervis Wise will offer some remarks regarding her new book, ‘Images of America, Dade City’
WHERE: Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City
WHEN: Oct. 4, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
DETAILS: Other speakers at the event will include Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri, Dade City councilman Scott Black, Trilby historian Angelo Liranzo, and J. Thomas Touchton, founding board member of the Tampa Bay History Center

Published September 24, 2014

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Saint Leo abbot discusses the art of spirituality

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For thousands of years before Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, books were printed and illustrated by hand — a painstaking process often completed within the confines of monastery walls.

Reproductions of two volumes of the St. John’s Bible are on display at Cannon Memorial Library at the University of Saint Leo this year to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of Saint Leo Abbey, Holy Name Monastery and the university. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
Reproductions of two volumes of the St. John’s Bible are on display at Cannon Memorial Library at the University of Saint Leo this year to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of Saint Leo Abbey, Holy Name Monastery and the university.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

The St. John’s Bible, a modern version of that ancient practice commissioned by St. John’s Abbey and University, depicts the first handwritten illuminated Bible of a monumental size commissioned by a Benedictine Monastery in more than 500 years.

The original volumes are housed at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library on the campus of St. John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota.

But 299 reproductions of the work have been made, and two volumes are on loan this year to Saint Leo University, Holy Name Monastery and Saint Leo Abbey.

The illuminated volumes and other religious artworks were the focus of a discussion led by the Rev. Isaac Camacho, abbot of Saint Leo Abbey, which is a Benedictine community of monks in St. Leo.

The abbot’s talk, “The Art of Spirituality,” covered not only the use of art to inspire spiritual understanding and growth, but also the artful pursuit of the spiritual life.

“Who created me? What is there after life? What is God? How is God?” Camacho said. “God’s beauty does not remain wrapped up in himself.”

Through his creation of the universe, the abbot added, “our God has already demonstrated that natural things are fundamentally good.”

Art is an expression of mankind’s creative nature, he added.

“Every single human being knows that there is something creative inside of us and art is an expression of that,” Camacho said. “We cannot deny that art will lead us to try to understand that there is beauty beyond ourselves.”

He also believes that being artistic is an intrinsic part of being human.

“If you say you are not an artist, you are lying to yourself,” Camacho said.

For some people, the art can be as simple as a stick figure. For others, it can be a poem.

Pursuing that artistic expression, and using it to help express spiritual discovery, helps people feel more connected to their spiritual life, the abbot added.

He encouraged people to feel free to mark up their Bibles with illustrations or other notations, to help make it truly their own.

“Your spiritual journey will be nourished when you discover something beautiful,” Camacho said.

The St. John’s Bible was completed by a team of calligraphers led by Donald Jackson, the calligrapher to Queen Elizabeth II. The calligraphers collaborated with 80 contemporary artists who illuminated the work.

The volumes are made from traditional materials such as calfskin, ancient ink, gold and silver leaf. Calligraphers used quill pens, fashioned from goose, turkey and swan feathers.

The reproductions on display at the university’s library are two of the seven volumes of the Heritage Edition of the St. John’s Bible — a limited edition of full-size facsimile reproductions of the original work.

The public is invited to see the sacred works of art, which are on display in the lobby of the Daniel A. Cannon Memorial Library, on Saint Leo University’s campus at 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo.

The two volumes that are on display include the first five books of the Old Testament and the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John from the New Testament. Pages of the text are turned on a regular basis to new illuminated passages in the volumes.

Published September 24, 2014

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New tax collector’s office doing brisk business in opening weeks

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Any time you open a new location, you wonder if people will like the decisions you’ve made, and if the hard work will pay off. That happens if you’re a business owner or a general manager.

Or even the Pasco County Tax Collector.

“You’re always concerned about ‘If you build it, will they come?’” said Tax Collector Mike Fasano, referencing the iconic line from the movie “Field of Dreams.”

U.S. Army Master Sgt. Robert Knox registers his truck at the new tax collector’s office, located off Wesley Chapel Boulevard in Lutz. The location is already drawing around 240 customers a day, exceeding the expectations of Pasco’s tax collector, Mike Fasano. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
U.S. Army Master Sgt. Robert Knox registers his truck at the new tax collector’s office, located off Wesley Chapel Boulevard in Lutz. The location is already drawing around 240 customers a day, exceeding the expectations of Pasco’s tax collector, Mike Fasano.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Six weeks after the county opened its newest tax collector’s office at 4610 Pet Lane, off Wesley Chapel Boulevard in Lutz, Fasano has his answer: They’re coming.

The county set a modest goal of around 125 to 175 customers a day as a start for the location. But less than two months later, they’re seeing 240 on a normal office day, Fasano said.

Even on the weekend, when the office is open for limited hours, people are taking advantage. The location gets around 200 customers during their Saturday hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“It’s the area needing the service,” Fasano said. “Wesley Chapel, the Lutz area and west Zephyrhills is growing. The service was needed there.

“They have a location go to now, and not have to travel either to Dade City or all the way to Land O’ Lakes on U.S. 41.”

That decision appears to have advantages as well. Purchasing land and building an office was an earlier consideration, but would have cost several million dollars and delayed the opening by a few years. And when the decision to lease space at The Grove fell through, the current location at Compark 75 proved to be a viable alternative that offered a larger area for driving tests.

As a result, the chosen location allowed the county to have the site up and running in around six months and for less than $1 million, Fasano said.

In addition to the office’s most popular services — obtaining and renewing driver’s licenses and vehicle registration renewals — the full-service location also handles birth certificates, paying property taxes, and obtaining occupational, hunting and  fishing licenses.
And many residents are taking advantage of the driver’s license testing, Fasano said. He attributes the testing’s popularity to area demographics.

“We have a lot of young families in Wesley Chapel,” he said. “We are seeing a larger amount of young people that we are providing that service to than I expected.”

The tax collector’s office could have a new service to offer customers in 2015 as well. Thanks to a new law that allows approved tax collectors to accept applications for concealed weapons licenses, the county’s offices will be able to file them for residents with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

It should take about a year for the Pasco offices to be involved in the rollout, Fasano said.

Comment cards have revealed positive reviews and customer satisfaction with the new location and its services, but Fasano understands that a trip to the tax collector’s office rarely is cause for celebration.

But there’s a focus on keeping wait times down — there are no appointments — for those who need services performed in a timely manner, Fasano said. In some cases, customers might wait 45 minutes to an hour at peak times, but many are getting their tasks accomplished in 20 minutes or less.

While customer traffic can be unpredictable, Fasano suggests doing business in the middle of the month if possible, as people are often renewing auto tags at the end of the month. Wednesdays might be less busy than other days of the week as well, he said.

And customers can save themselves multiple trips by making sure they have all the necessary identification and accepted proofs of residency the first time they come in. Document requirements can be found at PascoTaxes.com.

The location’s customer traffic is growing and people are using the services it offers, which makes Fasano feel good about the decisions and preparations that went into its opening.

“I’m extremely pleased,” he said. “It’s not only met our expectations, but exceeded our expectations.”

Published September 24, 2014

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Strong start: Saint Leo cracks top 10 in men’s soccer

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They’re only a few games into the season, but it’s never too early to get some national recognition.

The Saint Leo men’s soccer team (2-0-2) has earned a ninth-place ranking in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. The poll was released before their two most recent games: a 1-0 victory over 21st-ranked West Alabama on Sept. 19, and a scoreless tie against the University of West Florida Sept. 21.

Just a few games into the season, Saint Leo goalkeeper Manny Schoenhuber hasn’t allowed any goals and the Lions haven’t lost any games. They’re ranked in the top 10 of the most recent NSCAA poll. (Courtesy of Mike Carlson)
Just a few games into the season, Saint Leo goalkeeper Manny Schoenhuber hasn’t allowed any goals and the Lions haven’t lost any games. They’re ranked in the top 10 of the most recent NSCAA poll.
(Courtesy of Mike Carlson)

While they’ve won just two games in the new season, the first was a big one: The Lions toppled second-ranked Carson-Newman University out of Tennessee, 2-0. The victory boosted the 17th-ranked Lions up to the 11th spot in the poll, and a scoreless draw against Clayton State propelled them into the top 10.

According to coach Keith Fulk, a good showing against Carson-Newman — which also was last year’s national runner-up — was important to establish momentum at the beginning of the season.

“We’ve built the program for four years now, and if you’re going to try and get to the final four or get to win a national championship, you have to play the best,” he said.

Even with the confidence he has in his Lions, Fulk admitted to being a bit surprised at how well the team came together so quickly and dominated the second half of that game.

While Saint Leo’s defense has shined with three shutouts, opponents are spending a lot of time trying to keep the Lions from scoring. The team has outshot its foes 87-35 so far, including commanding 35-10 advantage in shots on goal.

While Saint Leo is playing well in both aspects of the game, Fulk believes his offense is the team’s strength right now. The team is pressing forward well and displaying a dynamic style that’s giving opponents problems.

That offensive style is making it harder for teams to get many shots on the Lions, so their goalkeeper doesn’t have to work as hard. It’s been a recipe for success, but Manny Schoenhuber, now in his third year, actually wishes he was a bit busier.

“I like getting a lot of shots on goal, to be honest. It keeps me ready,” he said. “Of course I’m glad I get shutouts and all that, but I’m also here to save the ball. I like my job. I like being a goalie.”

Schoenhuber has had plenty of time to learn to like his job. Now 22, he started playing soccer when he was 5, and was involved in club soccer at 7. He hails from a small town near Munich, Germany, and played at the professional club level before coming to the United States.

Now in his third year with Saint Leo, he’s become a team leader and has seen a great change in the Lions’ approach to the game.

“When I first came here, the biggest issue we had was discipline,” Schoenhuber said. “It was just not a very professional way of thinking among the players. But that’s changed a lot now.”

Fulk credits a lot of that change to players like Schoenhuber, who have joined the team from other countries. Saint Leo has a number of players from Germany and France on the team, and having athletes who come from countries where soccer is so important makes everyone better, he said.

“I think the difference is their experience, their culture, their knowledge, their confidence. It’s contagious to the younger players,” Fulk said. “The Florida kids have learned. A kid said to me the other day that he’s learned more in three weeks than he learned in 15 years. And a lot of that is learning from the other players.”

For now, Saint Leo is having to learn to play with some national recognition and status associated with their name. They won’t be able to sneak up on teams, Fulk said, and playing in the tough Sunshine State Conference means there aren’t any easy games on the schedule.

Fellow conference member Lynn University was ranked No. 6 in the same poll, for example. Since then, the Fighting Knights lost their first match on Sept. 20.

While the Lions are proud of their ranking and excited about the attention, they all agree that the goal isn’t to ascend in polls, accumulate statistics or earn votes. They want to keep winning games and play well when it matters most at the end of the year, and in the playoffs.

“We want to be there in November and December playing,” Fulk said. “That’s our real target.”

And Schoenhuber agrees.

“At the end, the only thing that matters is that we win as a team,” he said. “I don’t care if I have 15 shutouts this season or only two. If we win the national title, that’s all that matters to me.”

Published September 24, 2014

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