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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Military museum in Largo conveys the human side of war

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Visitors to the Armed Forces History Museum will get the sense that they are stepping into scenes from war.

Smoke drifts through a dim room, soldiers aim their guns at the enemy, and the rat-a-tat-tat sounds of gunfire fill the air in the museum’s World War I bunker.

John J. Piazza Sr., a retired businessman and former U.S. Marine, began collecting military artifacts and memorabilia when he was 17. About 90 percent of the items on display at the Armed Forces History Museum came from his personal collection. (Photo courtesy of the Armed Forces Military Museum)
John J. Piazza Sr., a retired businessman and former U.S. Marine, began collecting military artifacts and memorabilia when he was 17. About 90 percent of the items on display at the Armed Forces History Museum came from his personal collection.
(Photo courtesy of the Armed Forces Military Museum)

Exhibit cases in the room contain personal items that soldiers carried with them. They include foot powder, a razor, prayer books, a sewing kit and binoculars.

These items of daily living convey a sense of the human side of war.

The museum — in a squat warehouse a bit off the beaten track — contains a treasure trove of war artifacts and military memorabilia. Not only can visitors see what soldiers carried, but they also can see what military personnel wore, the weapons they used and the vehicles they rode in or drove.

More than 100,000 items are on display at the largest nongovernment funded museum of its kind in the state, said Cindy Bosselmann, the museum’s director of marketing and events. Even before visitors step inside the 35,000-square-foot building at 2050 34th Way N., in Largo, they’ll see military vehicles in the parking lot, including a helicopter and a Russian MiG jet.

About 90 percent of the items on exhibit were donated by retired businessman John J. Piazza Sr., who began amassing his vast collection more than a half-century ago. Piazza was 17 when he got his first military item — a World War I German mortar grenade given to him by his girlfriend.

Over the years, he continued collecting items, and he created a mobile museum that he drove around to the independent living centers, assisted living facilities and nursing homes that he owned. He used his traveling museum as a marketing tool, offering people a chance to see his collection and to entice potential customers to find out more about the facilities he owned.

After he retired, Piazza decided to create a nonprofit museum so that younger generations could learn about military conflicts, and to honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces. As patrons stroll through the military history center, they can hear the sounds of war and can listen to oral histories recorded by military personnel who witnessed such pivotal events as the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima’s Mt. Suribachi, and the D-Day landing of U.S. forces on Utah Beach.

It took Piazza and a team he hired about 18 months to create the exhibits that the now 75-year-old designed. The idea was to give visitors enough information to explain the exhibit, but not so much that it overwhelms them, said Piazza, who visited museums and looked through books before designing the exhibits.

“I wanted people to come in and have a wow effect,” Piazza said.

The museum includes displays featuring artifacts from World War 1, World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In one room, visitors will get a chance to learn more about the Japanese attack on U.S. Naval forces in Pearl Harbor. They’ll see model warships from the 1970 movie “Tora! Tora! Tora!” and can view black-and-white film footage of actual attacks.

They can also see a chair that once was in the office of Adm. Yamamoto Isoroku, who masterminded Japan’s Pearl Harbor attacks.

In another room, devoted to exhibits for the U.S. Navy, visitors can peer through a periscope to get a view of the museum’s parking lot.

Patrons also can listen to the story of Capt. Leonard Schroeder, the first to step foot on Utah Beach during the invasion. Some of Schroeder’s personal artifacts are on display in a glass case, including a pair of boots from that historic day.

As visitors step into another room, they’ll see a French village scene, complete with a soldier dangling from a parachute caught on a church spire. The scene portrays a partial replica of the church Sainte-Mere-Eglise in the Cotentin Peninsula near the coast of Normandy, France.

Germans had occupied the town for four years until U.S. forces arrived on June 6, 1944, in Operation Boston, giving the town a claim of being one of the first liberated in the invasion.

The paratrooper depicted in the museum was Pvt. John M. Steele, who was taken prisoner by the Germans, but later rescued.

“There’s still an effigy (of Steele) hanging there (on the church), in real life,” Piazza said, to serve as a reminder of what happened.

Another scene in the museum sets the scene for the heroic actions of 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez as he scales a wall. After topping the wall, he smothered a grenade to prevent it from killing the troops that were with him.

Lopez, a graduate of Hillsborough High School, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and a state veterans nursing home in Land O’ Lakes bears the name of the war hero.

Another highlight in the museum is a tribute to prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action. There’s also a recreation of Rosie’s bar, made famous by the television series, “M.A.S.H.”

Other notable items on display include a uniform worn by Saddam Hussein and a playing card depicting him as the ace of spades from a deck of Iraqi war criminal recognition cards.

In the Salute to Services room, which is the first one visitors see coming in, there are crisp uniforms on display in clear cases. They represent every branch of the U.S. military, dating back to the Civil War.

Other rooms show off the museum’s collection of arms, grenades and land mines, and throughout the museum there are vehicles, which are fully operational. That collection includes jeeps, tanks, a 1942 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and an amphibious vehicle that can operate on land or water.

Other items of interest include an exhibit honoring the contribution of the Tuskegee Airmen and a wall of heroes, which features shadow boxes containing personal items, such as letters, photographs, post cards and dog tags.

Piazza, who is a former U.S. Marine, is at the museum nearly every day. He said it’s gratifying to see the war veterans when they tour through the museum. They often react when they see an item they would have used in the field.

“Emotionally, it puts them back in the trenches,” Piazza said.

He also enjoys visits from school groups.

“What continues to amaze me is the interest of these young kids – fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders,” Piazza said. “They are really, really interested. They ask really good questions.”

If you go
Armed Forces History Museum
WHAT: A collection of more than 100,000 war artifacts and military memorabilia, featuring oral histories, sound recordings, black-and-white footage and scenes depicting various wars.
WHERE: 2050 34th Way N., Largo, 33771
COST: Adults. $17.95; youths, 4 to 12, $12.95; senior citizens age 65 and older, $14.95; veterans, $14.95. Special prices are offered for group tours and special events.
INFO: Call (727) 539-8371, or visit ArmedForcesMuseum.com

This little library downtown never closes

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When Amanda Lakes opened her hair salon, Charm Hair Studio, on the corner of Seventh Street and Fifth Avenue, she added something downtown Zephyrhills had never seen before.

Amanda Lakes sorts through some of the books stored outside her shop on Seventh Street and Fifth Avenue. People are encouraged to take a book or leave a book, and many return books they’ve borrowed with notes in the margins. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Amanda Lakes sorts through some of the books stored outside her shop on Seventh Street and Fifth Avenue. People are encouraged to take a book or leave a book, and many return books they’ve borrowed with notes in the margins. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

It was a small box, with a little door. And inside, it was filled with books. A small wood-carved sign on top advertised it as a Little Free Library, and encouraged anyone to “take a book” or “return a book.”

“There is no real system to it; you just take a book or leave a book,” Lakes said. “People ask me if anyone ever steals the books. But you can’t steal them, they’re already free.”

Lakes opened Charm at the former Main Street Zephyrhills office last August. Deciding to add a free library was an afterthought, but she spent a day building the stand. For the door, she “cheated” and was able to adapt an old picture frame.

But the Little Free Library is not just something Lakes developed on a whim. In fact, the national movement started a few years ago in Wisconsin when Todd Bol built a small wooden box in the shape of a one-room schoolhouse to honor his mother. He placed it in his front yard and filled it with books.

It was a hit in his neighborhood, and a movement was born. There are now hundreds of them all over the country, and a handful on nearly every continent. Florida alone boasts more than 50 of them, with the closest one outside of Zephyrhills in Lakeland.

“It is a topic of conversation a lot,” Lakes said. “It would be nice if more business owners would do it, too, but I don’t know if they see the value in it. I am not doing it to promote the salon business. I do it because I like working downtown, and it’s a way to do something fun and helpful for the community.”

But other businesses could do the same thing, and maybe even stock it with books that relate to their business. A travel agency, for example, could keep their library filled with travel books, Lakes said.

People are stopping in her shop so often to donate books for the library, Lakes stores many of them in a work closet until there’s room. People will come and take books from her outside stand, and some will even bring them back later on, complete with notes in the margins, or even messages to future readers.

“People will review the books, writing what they thought of it,” Lakes said. “I’ve even had people go back and forth with conversation, almost like it’s a mobile book club. There is this kind of attraction to the whole thing, especially now in a world where everything is so technology-driven.”

The Little Free Library sits outside Charm at 5224 Seventh St., and never closes.

“It’s always open, and anyone who just happens to be walking by is free to explore,” Lakes said.

A vet’s best friend: Richardson wins Dalmatian Award

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Santa Claus has elves to help him, and firefighters have Dalmatians in the firehouse as team players. So who does Central Pasco Veterinary Care have?

Zachary Novak poses with Santa, portrayed here by Vern Richardson, as part of the ‘Pet Photos with Santa Day’ project. The project helps raise money each year to provide specialized oxygen masks for animals in fires and accidents. (Courtesy of Matt McEachern)
Zachary Novak poses with Santa, portrayed here by Vern Richardson, as part of the ‘Pet Photos with Santa Day’ project. The project helps raise money each year to provide specialized oxygen masks for animals in fires and accidents. (Courtesy of Matt McEachern)

They have Vern Richardson.

“I love animals. I’m a dog lover. I’ve had them for years,” he said.

But Richardson’s pug, Thor, isn’t the only animal that benefits from his fondness for pets. And now he’s being recognized for it.

Richardson, who actually plays Santa Claus at Central Pasco Veterinary Care’s fundraisers, won the 2013 Pasco Hernando Veterinary Medical Association Dalmatian Award, given to local residents who go above and beyond with their efforts to help veterinarians in their area. Award winners are recognized as special contributors, volunteering their time for charitable causes and community service projects.

In Richardson’s case, he poses with his red suit (just a costume) and white beard (it’s real) with four-legged friends in the “Pet Photos with Santa Day” project. The annual event, organized by Dr. Jo Ann Daniels and her staff, raises money to purchase pet oxygen masks for local fire trucks when they provide aid to furry victims as well as humans.

Daniels, the medical association’s vice president, nominated Richardson for the award and was happy that her regular helper for the past four years has finally been recognized for his work.

“We’re very fortunate to have such a wonderful person who volunteers his time, and who has the same philosophy as ours — trying to give back to the community, supporting veterinarians and supporting veterinary medicine,” Daniels said.

This past year, the photos enabled Daniels to provide five sets of masks for fire trucks. Each set of oxygen masks has three different sizes, allowing fire rescue personnel to help a variety of pets when the need arises. Daniels also provides training on how to use them.

And the masks are used. Just a few months ago, first responders were able to resuscitate a cat thanks to the special equipment.

“These pet oxygen masks have already saved lives in the community, and (Richardson) has been a big part of that,” she said.

Helping save the lives of beloved pets might be a new experience for Richardson, but posing for photos as Santa Claus is a familiar one. He used to work in malls in South Florida before settling in Land O’ Lakes. Having pets on his lap is different than posing with humans, and he prefers his current job to his old one.

“I think dogs are easier to handle than children,” he said with a jolly laugh.

While Thor lives a comfortable, carefree life in Richardson’s care, he knows many animals don’t enjoy those luxuries. That’s why he often donates a 50-poung bag of dog food when he goes shopping to stock up on his own supplies.

Like many animal lovers, Richardson said it bothers him to hear about pets that aren’t being cared for properly, and it motivates him to help make sure they have an opportunity to live healthier, happier lives.

“Every time I see some story about an abused animal, I just cringe,” he said. “It just amazes me that people can do that. Whatever we can do to help out these animals, especially if they’re homeless or abandoned or sick, I’m good with that.”

While Richardson was both appreciative and surprised when he found out he was the Dalmatian Award recipient, Daniels said he’s been a rare and valuable find for a veterinarian.

“He’s just really special,” she said. “He’s just been really generous over the years in his volunteerism and his generosity toward helping animals.”

County waiting on feds to start Overpass Road expansion

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In just a matter of weeks or even days, federal officials are expected to give the final green light to an Interstate 75 interchange project that will forever change one rural country road in Pasco County.

Big changes could soon come to Overpass Road, especially with the point where it crosses Interstate 75. Plans are to expand the road to four lanes, and build an interchange, connecting it to the interstate. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Big changes could soon come to Overpass Road, especially with the point where it crosses Interstate 75. Plans are to expand the road to four lanes, and build an interchange, connecting it to the interstate. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Despite its proximity to Wesley Chapel District Park and the future site of a high school, Overpass Road is typically a quiet one, connecting Old Pasco and Boyette roads over the interstate. But work could begin as early as next year to turn it into an important Pasco County traffic corridor, alleviating some of the congestion at State Road 52 to the north and State Road 54 to the south.

“Over time, you’re going to see more access points coming into this portion of the county,” said James Edwards, transportation planning manager for Pasco County. “Overpass Road is a $50 million project, and the county is going to have to come up with a funding plan to make it work.”

Once the county receives approval from the Federal Highway Administration through the Florida Department of Transportation, it has just eight years to construct the interchange. If it fails, then the entire planning process would have to start again.

“When we get approval is when the clock starts ticking,” Edwards said. “You don’t want to miss that window, because basically you’d be starting from scratch with your planning studies. And that could put you back two or three more years.”

Immediate plans are to widen Overpass Road to four lanes, with the ability to expand to six in the future. Eventually, the county is interested in using an expanded Overpass Road to connect Old Pasco Road and U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.

The area might be quiet and rural now, but it’s not expected to look that way over the next 20 years, Edwards said. Studies show that the population will explode 400 percent to 218,000 people in 2035. Right now, just fewer than 60,000 people live in that area.

Capacity on I-75 also will increase through that area from the current 51,000 vehicles daily between State Roads 52 and 54, to 165,800 in 2040. That volume will completely clog up the existing interchanges in San Antonio to the north and Wesley Chapel to the south, and could even back up State Road 56 just north of the Hillsborough County line.

Some officials already have speculated that the State Road 54/56 corridor could some day be forced to expand to 20 lanes, which has prompted one private group to propose an elevated toll road to create express lanes between Zephyrhills and New Port Richey. While the expansion of Overpass Road would be just nine miles compared to the 33 miles of the elevated road, traffic going back and forth between the interstate and east Pasco could at least have another road alternative, Edwards said.

The county has a chance to have state and federal highway construction dollars offset the Overpass Road project, but first officials have to show they can fund it on their own, Edwards said. County officials use money primarily from gas taxes, Penny for Pasco and mobility fees to fund construction. But those funds have not necessarily been plentiful in recent years, especially after county commissioners rejected an expansion of the gas tax last year.

Raising money through bonds is another possibility, Edwards said. That could be more costly in the long run because the county would have to pay interest on the bonds.

Pasco County has already started to earmark funds for this particular project, however, with $15 million, Edwards said. And there’s a chance the new Penny for Pasco that starts in 2015 could generate some money for this project.

“Whether the state or federal government will put in any money, you can’t depend on that,” Edwards said.

World War II history lands at Zephyrhills Airport

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It’s one thing to go to a classroom to learn about history. But this weekend, history is coming to Zephyrhills. In fact, it’s landing at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport Wednesday afternoon.

The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most recognized aircraft of World War II, and this plane — the Nine-O-Nine — will make a stop in Zephyrhills this week as part of the Wings of Freedom Tour. (Courtesy of the Collings Foundation)
The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most recognized aircraft of World War II, and this plane — the Nine-O-Nine — will make a stop in Zephyrhills this week as part of the Wings of Freedom Tour. (Courtesy of the Collings Foundation)

Touching ground are three planes straight out of World War II: The B-24 Liberator, the P-51 Mustang, and the B-17 Flying Fortress.

“It’s one thing to see a plane behind a rope collecting dust, but to be able to physically crawl through one and have a close look at all the various compartments — it’s hard to imagine how these young men were able to do any of this to start with,” said Hunter Chaney, the director of marketing for the Collings Foundation, which hosts the annual Wings of Freedom Tour. “These are bare bone minimalist aircraft made to carry and drop bombs, and spread a lot of lead all over anyone trying to stop them. Crews would have to sit in these planes for hours at a time, and if you lost a glove, you’re automatically facing frostbite.”

The tours at Zephyrhills Airport are much different than a trip to the Smithsonian. These are fully restored — and operational — planes, some of only the few remaining from World War II. Visitors can crawl right through the plane, sit in the cockpit, and for a little more money, actually ride on the plane. Tour tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children (free for World War II veterans), while flights start at $450 for the B-24 or B-17, and $2,200 for the P-51.

Chaney acknowledges the cost to fly is steep, but it’s not cheap to fly planes that were built decades ago. The B-17 itself costs about $4,500 per hour in flight, and requires about 10 hours of maintenance work for every hour it’s in the air.

Every dollar raised goes back into the continued maintenance of the planes, all operated by the nonprofit Collings Foundation. The organization started in 1979 in Stow, Mass., with a focus on preserving history. While Collings began with antique cars, in the 1980s, it really began to focus on airplanes, and have been touring these restored planes around the country for the last 25 years.

Zephyrhills will be the 2,831st stop of the tour, which usually hits more than 100 cities each year, connecting with up to 3.5 million people.

“It really appeals to the curiosity of people from all walks of life,” Chaney said. “It’s such a rare opportunity to touch and experience and interact with this history, particularly when we come into areas like Zephyrhills.”

This is the second time the Wings of Freedom Tour has made a stop in Zephyrhills, and it might not have happened this time if it weren’t for airport manager Mike Handrahan, Chaney said.

“He has been in aviation for years now, and he’s helped us bring the tour into all the various airports he’s worked at,” Chaney said.

The B-24 coming to Zephyrhills was built in 1944 for the U.S. Army, and saw combat in the Pacific Theater with the Royal Air Force. The Liberator is the last of its kind still flying, which is surprising considering it also was the most mass-produced plane in history.

The B-17, known as “Nine-O-Nine,” was finished too late to see actual combat, but it was subjected to the effects of three nuclear bomb detonations. Soon after it was restored in the mid-1980s, the “Nine-O-Nine” had an accident in western Pennsylvania. No one was killed, but the plane was not expected to fly again. It took thousands of volunteer hours and thousands of dollars in donations, but the plane was fully restored and has flown without incident now in nearly 2,400 stops.

The P-51 was designed as a one-seater, but it was Collings that not only restored the plane, but added additional seating so that even passengers without a pilot license could experience the Mustang in flight.

The planes will be open to the public Jan. 22 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Jan. 23 at 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Jan. 24 from 9 a.m. to noon. Flights usually take place before and after ground tour times.

For more information, call (800) 568-8924.

“We call these guys part of the Greatest Generation,” Chaney said. “What they did and what they endured is incredible. However awful World War II was, we would not have been able to win it without them.”

If you go
WHAT: Wings of Freedom Tour with the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator and P-51 Mustang
WHERE: Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, 39450 South Ave., Zephyrhills
WHEN: Jan. 22 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Jan. 23 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Jan. 24 from 9 a.m. to noon
COST: $12 for adults, $6 for children under 12; World War II veterans free
INFO: (800) 568-8924

Dale Mabry Shell station sold

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A gas station near the busy intersection of North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road was sold last month, saving it from foreclosure.

AJA Properties of Clearwater LLC bought the Shell gas station located at 17803 N. Dale Mabry Highway on Dec. 23 for $1.5 million, according to Hillsborough County property records. The station was built in 1999, and is a little more than 3,000 square feet, including a car wash.

The station was previously owned by Jennifer & Mary Kaye Inc., which had purchased the location in 2002 for $2.2 million. Mills 2011 LLC, which held the mortgage on the property, began foreclosure proceedings last September, according to records.

The sale was secured after Risser Oil, a Clearwater gasoline distributor, released its rights of first refusal to buy the gas station.

The new owner is associated with Adams Tank & Lift, a construction and installation company in Clearwater. The two companies — Adams Tank and AJA Properties —share the same principal, Andrew J. Adams, as well as its primary address, according to state corporation records.

Why we didn’t cover the Cobb shooting

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Just about every conversation I’ve had this past week with family, friends or customers quickly gravitated to reports of the shooting at Cobb Theatres/Grove 16 & CineBistro in Wesley Chapel.

And I bet it was the same with you.

Most of us here in Pasco and north Hillsborough go to movies at The Grove and can easily visualize the setting. We know the layout — theaters one through eight are to the left, and nine through 16 are to the right. We’ve eaten popcorn from the same popper that made the snack that is said to have escalated an encounter between two patrons into the deadly scene.

And if you’re like me, the thought crossed your mind that you could have been in the theater when it happened. You too may have been bothered at one time or another by someone close by using their cell phone in blatant disregard for the rules and for others.

There’s little I can add to the discussion of what happened and why, and how this tragedy could have been prevented if only some common sense had prevailed. We all feel horrible that this shooting happened in our community, and because it did, it feels personal and haunting.

You may have noticed that we do not write about the shooting anywhere else in this week’s paper. And you may wonder why that is. How could your local weekly newspaper ignore such a huge news event that has received national and international coverage?

Here’s why. It is not our role to regurgitate news that already has been covered 24/7 by every news organization out there. Within 48 hours of the shooting, you had all the reporting and analysis you’d ever want or need.

Sometimes we do write about state or national news originating in our circulation area if we can localize the story with information specific for our readers. An example is our story about the $590 million Powerball ticket that was sold to an elderly Zephyrhills resident last May.

Before the winner came forward, B.C. Manion wrote about problems that often arise from such instantaneous wealth, interviewing a local psychologist, financial planner and attorney. This story worked in our format because B.C. talked to experts who also are our neighbors.

And because winning the lottery is a fantasy we all share, B.C.’s story gave us helpful suggestions we could all dream about using someday.

My staff and I talked about to how best to cover the Wesley Chapel shooting in today’s paper, a week and a half after it happened. And we decided there really was no local angle that was not already covered by Tampa’s many news outlets in print, broadcast, cable and digital. In fact, we thought some of the stories pursued seemed forced, and we questioned their validity and the amount of attention they received.

So instead of a story, we thought this column was the best way to acknowledge the shooting and to let you know why it is not on our front page this week.

Business Digest 01-22-14

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New hours for urgent care
Centra Care, the urgent care facility for Florida Hospital, now has new hours for its Wesley Chapel location.
The facility, located at 5504 Gateway Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed weekends.

For more information, call (813) 948-5400.

Open house for Royal Oak Nursing Center
Royal Oak Nursing Center, 37300 Royal Oak Lane in Dade City, will host an open house Jan. 30 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information, or to RSVP, call (352) 567-3122, or email .

New women networking group
Working Women of Tampa Bay is now hosting monthly networking meetings in Land O’ Lakes, with the next meeting set for Jan. 30 at 9 a.m., at Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/WorkingWomenTampa.

Grand opening for Pro Martial Arts
Pro Martial Arts, 30024 County Line Road in Wesley Chapel, will host a grand opening Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The martial arts facility is a franchise of an international company that boasts locations across the United States and Canada. It offers free bully prevention and predator prevention seminars to the community, and has even conducted free women’s self-defense seminars in coordination with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, according to a release.
For more information, call (813) 991-0462, or visit ProMartialArts.com/WesleyChapel.

Official opening for resource center
Restored Hope Resource and Outreach Center, 13703 17th St., Dade City, will host an official opening and dedication ceremony Jan. 23 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with the dedication itself at 5 p.m., at its new location.

Clay shoot sponsors sought
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is looking for sponsors for its fourth annual Sporting Clay Shoot Feb. 15 at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays.

Various sponsorships are available, ranging from $25 table branding to $2,500 presenting sponsor opportunities. The chamber also is looking for door prizes from businesses willing to donate.
The clay shoot itself will take place at 10514 Ehren Cutoff in Land O’ Lakes with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Cost is $90 per shooter, and $325 per team.

For more information, call (813) 909-2722, or visit CentralPascoChamber.com.

February meeting for Women-n-Charge
Women-n-Charge will meet Feb. 7 beginning at 11:30 a.m. at Pebble Creek Country Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive in Tampa.

The meeting includes lunch, a featured speaker and networking. The speaker for this meeting is Alishia Willardson, creator of “The Money Making Success Formula.”

Cost is $15 for members by the Tuesday before the meeting, and $18 for all guests and those paying after advance registration.

To register, visit Women-n-Charge.com, or call (813) 600-9848.

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.

NetFest seeks sponsors
With NetFest set to return April 3, the Pasco Economic Development Council is looking for sponsors willing to spend between $500 and $2,000.

Opportunities for sponsorship include the chili cook-off, and others.

NetFest takes place between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Starkey Ranch, located on State Road 54 in Odessa.
For more information on how to sponsor, call (813) 926-0827, ext. 226. Deadline is Feb. 14.

Suarez new chair of HART
Tampa City Councilman Mike Suarez has been elected chairman of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit board.
Suarez has been a board member since April 2011, and became the board secretary in 2012.

The HART board is responsible for setting policy and making decisions for the authority on matters ranging from system operations, service planning, fare structure, finance and customer service. It is made up of 13 volunteers who are appointed to represent Hillsborough County, Tampa, Florida and Temple Terrace.

Free tax help available
The Hillsborough County Extension Office is offering free tax preparation assistance for individuals and families with incomes of $58,000 or less in 2013.

Tax filers will be able to access a self-guided tax preparation program and receive assistance, as needed, from an IRS-trained and certified volunteer.

The service is offered as part of the United Way Suncoast Prosperity Campaign. Appointments are required, and will be available Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., between Feb. 4 and April 8.
For a list of tax preparation sites, visit MyFreeTaxes.com/tampa.

Website community critique
SmartStart will host a website community critique Jan. 27 at 2 p.m., at the SmartStart facility, 15000 Citrus Country Drive, Suite 103, in Dade City.

For more information, call (352) 437-4861.

Political Agenda 01-22-14

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Moore leads commission fundraising
Michael Moore has picked up a fast fundraising start in the race to replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission.

Through the end of the year, Moore — a Wesley Chapel resident who founded CareFirst Home Care in 2004 — has raised $40,715, which is four times as much as his opponent, Bob Robertson. Both are running as Republicans.

Moore’s biggest boost came just after Thanksgiving from Tarpon Springs businessman Lew Friedland, who contributed $8,000 through various corporations.

Robertson, a self-employed asset manager from Zephyrhills, loaned his campaign $3,000 right at the start. In his first few months campaigning, he raised more than $3,500 additional cash donations from outside Florida, primarily in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

At the beginning of November, he picked up $1,500 more from companies controlled by Jeffrey Greenacre on Gunn Highway.

Commissioner Henry Wilson, who looks to hold on to his District 4 seat, is the only candidate to have filed so far. He’s raised $5,750 through the end of December.

Crooked Creek Ranch holds fundraiser
Republican candidates for the state House — Danny Burgess, Shawn Harrison, Chris Latvala and Chris Sprowls — will raise money through a Wild Game Dinner at Crooked Creek Ranch, 29325 Darby Road, Dade City, Jan. 31 beginning at 5 p.m.

Donations will be accepted up to the state maximum of $1,000 per individual to support each campaign.

Burgess, the current mayor of Zephyrhills, is facing a primary against Minerva Diaz in District 38, the seat currently held by Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel. Harrison also has a Republican primary challenger for District 63, Bret Wedding, for a seat currently held by Mark Danish, D-Tampa.

Latvala has filed to run in District 67 in a seat currently held by Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater. He’s facing Christopher Shepard and Frederick Thomson so far in the primary.

Sprowls is a candidate for District 65, in a seat currently held by Carl Zimmerman, D-Palm Harbor. He is expected to face off with Debbie Faulkner in his primary.

For details about the dinner, visit VoteDannyBurgess.com.

Bilirakis endorses Moore for commission
Mike Moore’s run to replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission got a boost from U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, who endorsed the Wesley Chapel businessman for the seat.

Bilirakis had presented Moore with a North Tampa Chamber of Commerce leadership award in 2006, and has been following his career ever since, according to a release.

“Mike has the required character traits to help take Pasco County to the next level,” Bilirakis said in a statement. “Mike understands that small businesses are the engine that drive our economy. He knows that cutting red tape and lowering taxes is what it takes to allow businesses to thrive.”

Moore’s previous endorsements include State Sen. Wilton Simpson, Sen. John Legg, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, U.S. Rep. Will Weatherford and Pasco County Schools superintendent Kurt Browning, among others.

So far, Moore is running against another Republican, Bob Robertson, for Pasco County Commission District 2.

Ross holds first town hall
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, hosted his first telephone town hall meeting of 2014 on Jan. 14, with nearly 5,000 constituents participating.

The call addressed a number of questions, from the country’s debt, the Affordable Care Act, immigration, the IRS, foreign aid, balancing the budget, Social Security and unemployment benefits.

Anyone with a question, or who might be interested in joining a future town hall meeting, should email Ross through DennisRoss.House.gov/contact, or call his district office at (863) 644-8215.

Ross so far is facing former WFTS-Channel 28 investigative reporter Alan Cohn, a Democrat, for his Congressional seat in November.

Two elections offices reopening
The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections recently hosted a grand reopening of its regional offices, located at 12022 Anderson Road in Tampa, and 10439 Gibsonton Drive in Riverview.

These are the same offices that were added during the 2012 election cycle, and will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They join two permanent offices, one in downtown Tampa, and the other in Brandon.

Hillsborough County’s next countywide elections are the primaries on Aug. 26, followed by the general election Nov. 4.

For more information, visit VoteHillsborough.org, or call (813) 744-5900.

Elevated road could bring 1,000 construction jobs

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If everything goes as planned, a team of international developers could break ground on a 33-mile elevated toll road along the State Road 54/56 corridor by the end of next year. And it could mean a nearly $100 million windfall for the Florida Department of Transportation as well through a “confidential” stipend.

The front page of Florida 54 Express’ 83-page proposal includes the development group’s new logo. Efforts to build an elevated expressway along the State Road 54/56 corridor are a joint effort between International Infrastructure Partners LLC and OHL Infrastructure Inc.
The front page of Florida 54 Express’ 83-page proposal includes the development group’s new logo. Efforts to build an elevated expressway along the State Road 54/56 corridor are a joint effort between International Infrastructure Partners LLC and OHL Infrastructure Inc.

A proposal from a development group that includes Gerald H. Stanley’s International Infrastructure Partners LLC was unsealed by the FDOT last week, asking for control of rights of way between Zephyrhills and New Port Richey to build a privately funded toll road. The FDOT sought out proposals after IIP made an unsolicited proposal last June to build such a road, creating mixed reaction from those who travel the corridor and those owning businesses along it.

The proposal provided no details about how much such a project would cost, although some rough estimates put that figure at more than $2 billion. However, the developers say it will create 1,000 direct jobs for the construction of the road.

On top of that, the partnership — officially known as Florida 54 Express LLC — has offered the FDOT a stipend of slightly more than $1 million a year over the course of the agreement to “offset any costs incurred by FDOT in its management of the agreement.” It’s not clear what that figure is based on or how much the state agency would have to spend each year to manage the agreement, but a citation in the proposal indicated this stipend offer was a “trade secret” by Florida 54 Express, and should remain confidential.

Kris Carson, a spokeswoman for the FDOT, told The Laker/Lutz News the offer was not redacted from the public proposal because the FDOT doesn’t do confidential stipends. She also added that while the agreement still needs to be negotiated, the FDOT does not require $1 million a year to manage the agreement.

The development group also is asking for a 99-year lease through an initial 45-year agreement with built-in conditions that would allow them to extend it another 54 years.

A 99-year lease is exactly what one group that has studied privately constructed roadways in-depth has recommended against. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund shared a report in 2009 authored by Phineas Baxandall that any agreements between the government and a private entity should clearly spell out expectations and not last more than 30 years.

That way, if the road struggles or fails, it won’t get caught in limbo for years while the legal and financial aspects are worked out, a lot of it at taxpayers’ expense.

Once again, even that aspect of the agreement would have to be negotiated, Carson said.

Joining IIP on the project is OHL Infrastructure Inc., an American subsidiary of Spain’s OHL Group. The century-old company boasts 25,000 employees in 20 countries, with total revenue in 2012 topping $5 billion, according to the road proposal.

OHL’s Brazilian operations controlled nearly 2,000 miles of toll roads in that country before selling a substantial portion of that subsidiary in 2012 to a group led by Brookfield Infrastructure of Toronto. It also operates toll roads in other countries, including Mexico and Spain, with some of them being similar in scope to what is proposed for Pasco County.

Financing for the project could come from a variety of sources, including banks and private activity bonds. The group also could explore using the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program, which provides loans and lines of credit to road projects. There are, however, limited funds available through that program, expected to reach $1 billion in 2014.

If constructed as planned, the finished toll road would not only provide an express route across the county, but also interconnect with other major arteries, including the Suncoast Parkway and Interstate 75, although the latter would require federal approval.

Although Florida 54 Express hopes to finish negotiations on the overall agreement by summer, the FDOT has not provided a timeline for its completion. The road developer also did not say when the first legs of the new system, if approved, would open.