The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Extra money coming to help Land O’ Lakes center

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After years of hard work and lobbying, the Pasco County Commission has taken the final step to expand and improve the Land O’ Lakes Community Center.

This stage could someday be a part of the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, which is the center of a $2.4 million expansion finalized by the Pasco County Commission. (Courtesy of Sandy Graves)
This stage could someday be a part of the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, which is the center of a $2.4 million expansion finalized by the Pasco County Commission.
(Courtesy of Sandy Graves)

In a unanimous vote last week, commissioners agreed to find an additional $500,000 for the project after bids came in higher than expected. The $2.4 million upgrades include expanding the existing building on the site to include the construction of a restroom, concession area and meeting room, as well as a picnic shelter, a small outdoor amphitheater, two softball fields, a hybrid football and soccer field, a basketball court, a mile-long trail and parking for 250 vehicles.

“Our park has waited a long time for this facelift,” said Sandy Graves, one of the community leaders who have championed improvements at the park, located at 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. “Thanks for making that dream become a reality today.”

Last year, commissioners put aside $1.9 million to make the improvements, and put the project out to bid in February. When the bids came back, however, Construction Technology Group Inc. of Plant City had the lowest bid at $2.24 million. Trias Construction LLC of Lutz was not far behind with a bid of $2.27 million, while the highest bid came from Cleveland Construction Inc., of Naples at $2.6 million.

Impact fees collected from parks in the central part of the county were funding the improvements, and commissioners were told no more funds were available to meet the $519,000 shortfall.

Assistant county administrator Heather Grimes recommended through her department that commissioners borrow from the capital improvement fund reserves, and then pay it back with park impact fees over the next two years.

Graves, however, had a different idea.

The county is sitting on $3.7 million of impact fees dedicated to a proposed project for Raymond James Financial. Since that project has yet to move forward, some of those dollars could be directed to the Land O’ Lakes project, Graves said.

Commissioners, however, disagreed.

“I would hate to see us start changing an agreement that we have with Raymond James,” Commissioner Ted Schrader said.

The St. Petersburg financial company announced in 2011 that it planned to build two 100,000-square-foot buildings on Wiregrass Ranch property, bringing 750 jobs to the county by 2024. Although some of those jobs were expected to come as early as this year, no work has begun at the site yet.

In the end, commissioners stuck with their original plan to borrow from reserves, giving the thumbs up to let the work finally begin.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri is grateful for the final vote, as she said it will free up some of her phone time now.

“That Land O’ Lakes group is tenacious,” the retiring commissioner said. “And Sandy, you don’t have to call me anymore.”

Published July 16, 2014

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Don Porter: He was a forward-thinker, with deep community roots

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When Don Porter was growing up in Wesley Chapel, he attended elementary school at a one-room schoolhouse and rode a bus to Dade City for high school.

Much has changed in the Pasco County community where he grew up — and Porter and his extended family have played a considerable role in creating that change.

Don Porter was described by state Rep. Will Weatherford as a ‘giant of a man.’ Porter died on July 1 at age 73. (Courtesy of the Porter Family)
Don Porter was described by state Rep. Will Weatherford as a ‘giant of a man.’ Porter died on July 1 at age 73.
(Courtesy of the Porter Family)

The memorial service to honor his life was July 12 in the conference center at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a satellite campus of Pasco-Hernando State College. The campus opened in January on 6 acres of the 60 acres of land the Porters donated to the college.

That campus is just one tangible sign of the forward-thinking and big picture approach that the entire family has used in making decisions regarding the development of thousands of acres they have owned for decades, Porter’s son, J.D. Porter, said in a recent interview.

The Shops at Wiregrass, a regional shopping mall, and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, an 80-bed facility, are two other projects built within the 5,100-acre development of regional impact approved in 2006 on the Porters’ land.

Porter, the eldest son of the late James and Martha Porter, moved into Wesley Chapel in the 1940s, long before development hit the area.

He died on July 1, at age 73.

In personal interviews and during the memorial, family and friends described the kind of man Porter was.

They characterized him as a passionate fighter for justice, but also a patient listener. They said he was a deep thinker, a loving father and a faithful friend.

Porter enjoyed single malt scotch and Little Debbie snack cakes. He had musical tastes that ranged from Pavarotti to Dave Brubeck, had his own sense of style, and was a fierce competitor in everything from baseball to Scrabble to table tennis, they added.

State Rep. Will Weatherford said he was 26 and making his first run for state office when he met Porter. Over the past decade, Weatherford had numerous roundtable chats with Porter, his brothers, Tom and Bill, and his son, J.D. The men didn’t talk about what Wiregrass would look like in the next five to 10 years, Weatherford said. They took a much longer view.

“I never knew a man who could speak less and say more than Don Porter,” Weatherford said.

Whatever project they worked on together, “it was always about the long-term sustainability and legacy of this community,” Weatherford said.

“In my business, you get to meet a lot of families that have very large landholdings. It’s not rare for a family to have thousands of acres — there’s a lot them in the state of Florida,” Weatherford said. “But I’ve never met a family, I’ve never met a man — until I met Don — that was so keenly more focused on the future of his community than on how much money he would make off of it.”

While Porter was proud of the accomplishments in the development arena, he would resist being credited as the leader or the patriarch of the family, J.D. Porter said. That role belonged to Don’s father, James Porter.

J.D. Porter said his father, his uncles and the rest of the extended Porter family have shared a collective vision and a collective will for what has been done so far, and for the foundation that has been laid for future achievements.

“Development was a very important part of his life,” J.D. Porter said. “But if you had a top five list, I’m not sure it would make it.

“At No. 1 was family. It wasn’t just my mom, my sister and myself,” he said, but his dad also cared tremendously for his parents, his brothers and their families.

Porter’s daughter, Quinn Miller, recalled a father who taught her how to ride a bicycle, accompanied her to father-daughter dances, and was her biggest fan during her softball days.

Known for his deep, rich voice, Porter did some radio broadcasting in college and later in Zephyrhills. He also used those talents to announce Quinn’s softball and J.D.’s baseball games.

“He was the voice of Berkeley Prep softball,” Miller said.

Porter was quite the athlete himself. He held a baseball state record for years after striking out 20 of the 21 batters he faced during a championship. He attended Ole Miss on a baseball scholarship, and he used the signing bonus he received from the Houston Colt 45s to buy his family’s home on land now occupied by the hospital.

Miller said her dad taught her to think for herself. She remembers being frustrated by him when she would want to commiserate over a problem or disappointment, and he wouldn’t let her or offer her advice.

Instead, he listened and then asked her questions.

She now understands that he wanted her to arrive at her own solutions.

“He had a way of offering perspective by forcing introspection, not (offering) his opinion,” Miller said.

Porter’s cousin, Mike Gramling, and Porter’s friends Will Roberts, Doug Manson and Tom Touchton, also spoke at the memorial. When the Porters arrived in Wesley Chapel, there was no electricity and the family lived in a moonshiner’s cabin, Gramling said. Porter’s mother, Martha, prepared meals on a Coleman stove.

Porter learned to drive a tractor when he was 6, and he didn’t have a store-bought shirt until he went to college, Gramling said.

Roberts said they used to joke that Porter was “sweater-rich.”

“He had more sweaters than Bill Cosby,” Roberts said.

He recalled a time when Porter took him, his brother and J.D. to a basketball game at the University of South Florida Sun Dome. Porter was wearing a beret, a sweater, brown leather pants and black Italian zippered ankle boots.

“Nowadays, the sight of man dressed like that with three young boys might be cause for an Amber Alert. But that was Don in all of his glory,” Roberts said, drawing a roar of laughter from the nearly 240 at the memorial.

Manson was in his late 20s when he met Porter.

It was obvious, he said, that Porter’s life was centered on his family. The two men never had a conversation that didn’t begin with an update on their families.

When Manson had a problem he didn’t know how to solve, he turned to Porter, who would listen for as long as it took, whether that was a few minutes or hours.

“He showed me what friendship is,” Manson said.

Porter was a multi-dimensional man, with many interests, said Touchton, who knew Porter for about 60 years. One of his favorite poets was Lawrence Ferlinghetti, of the beat poet generation.

Porter especially liked Ferlinghetti’s “I am Waiting,” which repeated this phrase, “I am perpetually awaiting the rebirth of wonder.”

“I suggest Don has to wait no longer,” Touchton said, “because in leaving us, he has finally found his rebirth of wonder.”

Published July 16, 2014

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Learning more about the Moore you know

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Bob Moore is the kind of guy that likes to stay out of the way in the Paradise Lakes home he shares with wife Nancy. He paints, he sculpts. He collects stamps. And he makes regular trips back home to Canada to see his family.

Bob Moore, who retired to Paradise Lakes years ago, shows off a coat of arms he designed for the Regional Cadet Instructor School in Ontario, where he was a commander. This particular copy was signed off and approved by Queen Elizabeth II. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Bob Moore, who retired to Paradise Lakes years ago, shows off a coat of arms he designed for the Regional Cadet Instructor School in Ontario, where he was a commander. This particular copy was signed off and approved by Queen Elizabeth II.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

But Moore, however, has had a tough time staying out of the way of history. He served 39 years with the Canadian armed forces, signing up when he was just 17 just a few years after World War II. And along the way he ensured one Olympic Games in Montreal was properly supplied, and he designed a coat of arms for a military school that was personally signed off by Queen Elizabeth II.

Oh, and he won the Nobel Peace prize, too.

“I was part of one of the first peacekeeping operations in history,” Moore said, not minding at all that he’s shared this story many times before. “We were told that we would join a force of U.N. soldiers three days before Christmas. I barely had time to spend the holidays with my family.”

It was 1956, and Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser had taken control of the Suez Canal, a 120-mile artificial waterway that allows ships to travel between Europe and eastern Asia without having to sail around Africa.

The United Kingdom and France didn’t take the naturalization well, since they had a 100-year lease, and they joined forces with Israel to try and take back the waterway.

The United Nations knew something had to be done to prevent all-out war in the Middle East. So it pulled together military troops from nations that weren’t directly involved in the conflict, like Canada, and sent them in to help calm the situation down.

“We got to Halifax, and we boarded the HMCS Magnificent,” Moore said. “It was an aircraft carrier, but there was no aircraft for this voyage. Instead, the deck was strewn with all this equipment, and about 6,000 soldiers from 11 different countries.”

When the Magnificent arrived at the Suez Canal, Moore said he was shocked at what soldiers found. Nasser had blocked access to the canal by sinking a large number of ships at the entrance.

“I got there and looked from the deck of the aircraft carrier, and counted 36 sunken ships,” Moore said.

He was part of a contingent of troops that made their way across the Sinai Desert, following retreating Israeli forces. The trip was hard through the desert, especially since Israel was destroying roads and buildings on its way back.

The Israelis spared an old British air force base, which Moore camped out in for some time. It was riddled with bullet holes, and did not have much of a roof. At night, it would get cold, so they would use debris from the building to keep the fire going.

“When we ran out of wood there, we ended up burning the chairs we were sitting in,” Moore said.

In 1988, the Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to give its Peace Prize to U.N. Peacekeeping forces. As part of that initial force, Moore received a small medallion celebrating the honor, which was later pinned to him in a ceremony that included Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri.

In his time traveling around the world, Moore picked up five languages, including Swahili, although he still doesn’t feel completely comfortable with French. He raised two sons on his own after his first wife died. Dwayne became a scientist and is now part owner of an environmental company in Maine, while Michael followed his father into the military, and is still there today.

Moore retired in 1991 when he was 57, and almost immediately found a home in Pasco County.

“I was always a nudist, and I was looking for some place where people lived who believed in the same,” Moore said.

He met Nancy while visiting Paradise Lakes from his then New Port Richey home, and they settled into their own condo at Paradise Lakes in 1998.

Moore may have accomplished a lot in his life, but he’s even prouder of what his children and grandchildren have accomplished, including one who just graduated from college.

“You’re nothing without education,” Moore said. “You got to have it, or you’ll be out there digging ditches and painting buildings. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with being a tradesman if that’s what you want to do, but it shouldn’t be what you have to do.”

He doesn’t actively sell his artwork, but if people want it, he’s willing to hear a price. Moore comes from a family with a strong artistic background; many of his siblings are artists, as well. In fact, a portrait painted by his brother featuring his mother and father, that had been on public display for years in Canada, hangs in his front foyer.

“Doing art was just a no-brainer for me,” he said. “It’s a way to express myself, and to share the beauty of the world with the world.”

Getting to know Bob Moore

Who was the world’s most influential military commander?
Alexander the Great was one of the most successful and innovative military leaders of our time. His strategies always surprised his opponents, especially where he was out-numbered and out-gunned.

What song will make you turn up the radio?
Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” or really anything from George Gershwin. But opera always moves me to tears, where I have them splashing down my face.

If you could sit anyone in history for a portrait, who would you pick?
Charles Darwin, because he created an area of science that actually answered all kinds of questions that people never could figure out before.

Published July 16, 2014

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When it comes to helping the homeless, she’s not too proud to beg

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In her previous role, Carol Scheckler delivered warm greetings to people when they dropped in at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

But she stepped away from her job as administrative assistant at the chamber in May, and has since become president of The Samaritan Project, based in Zephyrhills.

Carol Scheckler, president of The Samaritan Project, said helping the homeless is her passion and mission. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Carol Scheckler, president of The Samaritan Project, said helping the homeless is her passion and mission.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The chamber job, she said, was her paycheck. The Samaritan job doesn’t pay Scheckler a dime.

“Now, I don’t have a paycheck, just a passion and a mission,” Scheckler told members of the East Pasco Networking Group at its July 8 breakfast meeting.

In fact, there are no paid positions in The Samaritan Project organization, she said.

“None of us get anything other than the reward of knowing we are helping some people,” said Scheckler, who became acquainted with the charitable organization when she was working for the chamber.

She learned about it through Tim Mitchell, who was president of the Zephyrhills chamber at the time, and president of The Samaritan Project as well.

“I met a lot of unique people, coming into the office, applying for assistance,” Scheckler said.

She felt compelled to get involved.

“My dad is a minister. I was raised that we were to help those less fortunate,” Scheckler said. “Not to turn our backs on them, not to stereotype them, but to help them.”

The Zephyrhills woman understands how it feels to struggle.

“When my husband and I moved up in 1982, we did it for a reason. We were losing everything,” she said.

Her husband, a semitrailer driver had been through two major gas wars.

“This was our fresh start,” Scheckler said. “That’s why this project is so important to me. I have been there. I know firsthand what it is to lose everything.”

The Samaritan Project has been helping people since 2008. It operates on donations and fundraisers.

“We assist people with past due rent and utilities,” Scheckler said.

The organization keeps its operational costs low.

“We do not pay rent. We have one overhead (cost), that is our Internet, because as you know in this day of technology, everything relies on the Internet.”

The project has spent more than two years in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Education Building in Zephyrhills in 500 square feet of space, including the bathroom and air-conditioning room.

“My private office is the bathroom,” she said, noting whenever she has to make a private call to a landlord or utility company or somewhere else, she steps into the bathroom to do it.

But the organization is moving to much larger quarters at 5722 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills. Last week, the Samaritan Project signed a two-year lease, rent-free lease for the 1,400-square-foot home, thanks to the generosity of a local couple.

In addition to its own fundraising efforts, the organization received a $76,000 Emergency Solutions Grant earlier this year from the Florida Department of Children and Families and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“With this grant, we are able to get them into housing,” Scheckler said. “We can pay their first month’s rent, we can pay their electric deposit, water deposit, the security deposit.”

There is a drawback, though. The organization must raise matching funds for the grant money it spends, Scheckler said. The grant also requires applicants to fill out a form that’s about 20 pages long.

“We don’t make the rules. We strictly abide by the rules,” she said.

Still, the project is thrilled to be able to help more people, Scheckler said. The grant is aimed at preventing homelessness and getting people without housing back into homes.

Sixty percent of the grant is earmarked for getting people back into housing, she said, and the need is great.

“We had 151 homeless, registered students, just in Zephyrhills,” Scheckler said. At any given time, there are 1,500 to 2,000 registered homeless students in Pasco County.

One of the biggest challenges is finding a place for these people to live thanks to past evictions and credit issues, she said. “Landlords won’t step up.”

“If you know landlords who own property, ask them to trust us,” Scheckler said. “Our organization is backing these people. We follow them for six months. I do a case management every 30 days on everyone that we assist.”

Despite challenges, Scheckler said her volunteer work has moments of sheer joy.

“The biggest thing is, when you walk up to this client and you go, ‘Here’s your lease,’” she said, with her voice breaking and tears in her eyes, “I do get real emotional.”

A couple of weeks ago, the organization moved a young woman and her father into an apartment. The woman has special needs and the pair had been living in a truck.

“Habitat for Humanity stepped up and donated the furniture,” Scheckler said. “When I walked them in the apartment, I told (them), ‘This is yours. This is all yours. The furniture. The TV. Everything.’ How do you put a price on something like that?”

While many youths are couch-surfing to keep a roof over their heads, there also are elderly people who are in desperate need, Scheckler added.

“We have an 87-year-old woman who couldn’t pay her water bill. She was living off of pool water, drinking water out of a pool,” she said. “Did we step up and help her? Absolutely.”

After telling the group about The Samaritan Project’s mission, Scheckler went into her fundraising mode.

“Any of you women in here wear jewelry?” she asked, to set up a pitch for a fundraiser planned for Aug. 10. She also urged them to get involved in the Harvest Festival, another fundraiser on Nov. 1, or to hit the links on Feb. 7, at its annual golf benefit.

Scheckler frequently speaks at churches and civic organizations to drum up support for the cause.

“What we really, really, really need is support of the community,” she said. “Our motto is ‘Working together to make a better community.’ That’s what we want to do.”

And Scheckler said she’ll do whatever she can to make that happen.

“I am not too proud to beg,” she said. “I can cry. I can do whatever it takes.”

For more information
To help The Samaritan Project, based in Zephyrhills, or to get help from the organization, call (813) 810-8670.

Published July 16, 2014

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Pies, cakes raise $1,100 for local Lutz charities

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Picture, if you will, patriotic table settings spread neatly beneath rows of baked pies and cakes in the Lutz Senior Center.

The scent of these treats permeates the building as the contest’s judges and former Lutz Guv’na Suzin Carr bite into the delicious array of desserts.

This pie, baked by Tracy Gaschler, is a 5-pound apple pie from last year’s Centennial celebration in Lutz. She was back again this year, with another 5-pound apple pie. (File Photo)
This pie, baked by Tracy Gaschler, is a 5-pound apple pie from last year’s Centennial celebration in Lutz. She was back again this year, with another 5-pound apple pie.
(File Photo)

That was the scene on the Fourth of July as 44 entries competed in the annual cake and pie contest during the community’s Independence Day celebration.

This year, the auction for the culinary delights raised $1,100 — more than in recent years, said contest coordinator Marilyn Wannamaker.

“I think the contest this year was a success,” Wannamaker said.

Danny Neeley, winner of the men’s only category in the adult division, baked a pineapple upside down cake to honor his father.

Wannamaker didn’t sample any of the sweets, but she had her eye on a couple.

“I would’ve wanted to take a bite out of the chocolate cake or Tracy Gaschler’s apple pie,” Wannamaker said.

She was impressed by the detail of some of the entries. Cate Hancock used white Kit Kats, ribbons and sparklers to create an effect that captured the most patriotic category in the youth division. She also was the Guv’na’s and judge’s favorite.

Wannamaker believes a change this year to create a new category to split younger kids from older kids gave the younger kids a better chance to capture a ribbon.

Wannamaker, who plans to step down from her role as contest coordinator, said she enjoyed this year’s competition.

“I was very honored to have hosted the contest this year,” she said. But Wannamaker hinted that while she may be stepping away for now, it might not be forever.

And the winners are …

Adult Division
Debbie May, best decorated
Wilma Lewis, most patriotic
Shirley Simmons, best tasting
Danny Neeley, men’s only
Tracy Gaschler, best pie tasting
Sharon Brant, Guv’na’s favorite
Wilma Lewis, judge’s favorite

Youth Division
Abigail Brazier, best decorated
Catelyn Payne, best tasting
Cate Hancock, Guv’na’s favorite, judge’s favorite, most patriotic

Children’s Division
Sarah Robison, best decorated, judge’s favorite
Alexander Pramsberger, most patriotic
Lucy Bazin, best tasting

– Ashley Schrader

Published July 16, 2014

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Seeking seniors: Sports group offers fun times, friendship

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Seniors might live a less-active lifestyle than they did when they were younger, but Walt Bockmiller thinks they still have time for softball, golf, tennis, bowling and maybe volleyball.

If not all of those activities, maybe one or two of them.

Whatever sport a senior might enjoy, Walt Bockmiller probably has something on the schedule for them. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Whatever sport a senior might enjoy, Walt Bockmiller probably has something on the schedule for them.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Bockmiller, a Land O’ Lakes resident, started Senior Sports in 2011, and he organizes regular events for older residents that include a wide variety of activities. Whatever people choose to do, there are plenty of benefits in getting out and being active, he said.

“It’s an opportunity for them to get out and start doing something rather than just being home shopping or watching TV,” Bockmiller said. ”It gives them an opportunity to meet people in a different kind of environment.”

Bockmiller began Senior Sports by setting up softball leagues, since many people have some experience with baseball or softball in their youth. That starting point proved extremely popular, and he now has around 90 participants for those games. Counting tennis, bowling and golf, Senior Sports boasts more than 150 participants, and he said that tennis could prove to be the most popular of them all.

While softball is designed for men and women ages 60 and older, the other sports don’t have an age limit. He said players could be in their 40s through their 80s. The oldest softball player turned 90-years-old last month.

At 71 years old himself, Bockmiller might be expected to ease up on his schedule, but it’s simply not in his nature. He worked in recreation and leisure services management, and over his 47-year career, Bockmiller organized several activities, both with and without sports themes.

While he expected the participants to enjoy Senior Sports, he didn’t expect them to have quite as much fun as they’re having. He said people are “finding their smile,” and area residents who normally didn’t get out much are making friends and planning get-togethers off the field or court. Participants often go out to dinner, plan outings to see the Tampa Bay Rays, and even go on cruises together, Bockmiller said.

Senior Sports is about sports, naturally, but without a focus on the competitive side. Instead, Bockmiller keeps the focus on having fun, giving out awards that are earned by good sportsmanship instead of athletic skill. Softball might appeal to more physically fit participants, while bowling is available for those who might not have that level of ability. Or, people can simply sign up to play whatever appeals to them.

The activities are designed to be inexpensive and occur during various dates and times, allowing more seniors to participate. But whether a person plays every available activity or selects their favorite, or simply wants to meet new people, Bockmiller said they’ll come away with some fun memories and good people to share them.

“There are a lot of friends that come out of this stuff. Some of my friends in tennis and golf, especially tennis, are friends for life,” he said. ”There’s a commonality that you have, and because of that you have a lot of laughs over the years. It’s just a lot of fun.”

Co-ed slow-pitch softball is played from September through December, and again from mid-January through mid-April. Golf is played on a variety of courses year-round on Wednesdays. Bowling is played year-round in Lutz on Thursdays. Tennis and volleyball are new to the schedule.

For more information about Senior Sports, contact Bockmiller at (813) 527-8211.

Published July 16, 2014

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Business Digest 07-16-14

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Kaufman joins father’s practice
Dr. Jon Kaufman has joined the Kaufman Eye Institute, which has offices located in Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Sun City Center and Bushnell.

He is the son of Stuart Kaufman, the medical director and founder of the institute, and is a Cornell fellowship-trained surgeon.

The younger Kaufman grew up in Tampa, and is a graduate of Berkeley Preparatory School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan, and his medical training at Rush Medical College in Chicago.

For information, call (855) 733-2378.

Dental office opens in Wesley Chapel
Drs. Johella Liguori and Sarina Bhole have opened a new dental office, Wiregrass Family Dental Care.

It’s a new full-service dental practice at 2066 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

For information, visit WiregrassFamilyDentalCare.com, or call (813) 528-8797.

Williams moving to Carrollwood
Gary Williams has become the market manager for the Carrollwood office of Bay Cities Bank, ending a long tenure in the Lutz and Land O’ Lakes area.

“My years at the Lutz office have been very rewarding, and I will miss seeing my clients on a weekly basis,” Williams said, in a release. “However, I will continue to be involved in helping the Lutz/Land O’ Lakes communities grow.”

Amy Underwood has been promoted to assistant vice president and market manager. She has been with the bank since 2003.

Nancy Gordon, who has worked both as a manager and a commercial lender, will also turn her focus full-time on commercial lending.

Williams will be based at 14877 N. Dale Mabry Highway, and can be reached at (813) 637-2420.

Dash to speak at Women-n-Charge meeting
Women-n-Charge will meet Aug. 1 at 11:30 a.m. at Pebble Creek Country Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive, in Tampa.

The meeting will feature guest speaker Kellye Dash, owner of The Busy Buddy, talking about how to manage email.

Cost is $15 for members who RSVP the Tuesday before the meeting, and $18 for all guests and after the deadline for members.

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

Grand opening for CareerSource
CareerSource Pasco Hernando will have a grand opening and ribbon cutting July 16 beginning at 10 a.m. at its new location, 15000 Citrus Country Drive, Suite 303, in Dade City.

It is hosted by the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

For information, visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com.

New builder at Silverado Ranch
Highland Homes has started to offer homes in the Zephyrhills community of Silverado Ranch off Eiland Boulevard.

The homes, which start at $170,000, range in size from 1,508 to 3,315 square feet, between three to five bedrooms, and two to three bathrooms.

For information, visit HighlandHomes.org.

Ribbon-cutting for Nana Jo’s
Nana Jo’s Café, 14748 U.S. 98 Bypass in Dade City, will have a grand opening and ribbon cutting July 26 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., hosted by the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

The event will include live music by DC Country, barbecue chicken and more.

Cost is $8 for adults, $6 for children.

Wesley Chapel chamber heading to Tuscany
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is planning a nine-day trip to Tuscany, Italy.

The trip is planned to begin Oct. 20, and space is limited.

For information, call (813) 994-8534, or email .

Marketing summit in Tampa
The Tampa Bay Marketing Summit will take place Aug. 8 beginning at 8:45 a.m., at Mainsail Conference Center, 5108 Eisenhower Blvd., in Tampa.

The event is hosted by EMSI in Wesley Chapel, which provides news content for print and online news outlets, as well as television and radio talk shows.

For information, visit TampaBayMarketingSummit.com, or call Marsha Friedman at (727) 443-7115, Ext. 201.

Sheriff: This year’s budget hikes are just the beginning

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Sheriff Chris Nocco knows the additional $6 million he’s asking for to fund the Pasco County Sheriff’s office this year isn’t a small amount. But it’s just the beginning as local law enforcement starts to fall behind neighbors like Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, and even the much smaller Hernando County.

Cpl. Mary Guyer shares some recent crime statistics with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. The sheriff has requested an additional $6 million this year, but could be asking for more in coming years, especially as he sets sights on a new district office in the Wesley Chapel/Land O’ Lakes area. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Cpl. Mary Guyer shares some recent crime statistics with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. The sheriff has requested an additional $6 million this year, but could be asking for more in coming years, especially as he sets sights on a new district office in the Wesley Chapel/Land O’ Lakes area.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Nocco would prefer his additional funds not be part of any property tax increase, but no matter how the money is raised, his department desperately needs it.

“We’re already preparing for next year, like how many more deputies we’re going to need out on the street,” Nocco told The Laker last week. “Our biggest thing right now is that we have to stop losing members. It’s hurting us, and it’s coming at a very high cost.”

In a workshop last month with the Pasco County Commission, which sets his budget, Nocco said many of his veteran deputies and managers are leaving for better salaries and benefits with neighboring counties. Despite the commission’s attempt to raise salaries in recent years, there just hasn’t been enough money to stop the talent bleed.

Even worse, he said, the technology used by the sheriff’s office is quite outdated, and it’s preventing deputies from providing the level of service Nocco says residents in neighboring counties receive. For instance, a homeowner who has a mailbox knocked over could easily make a report using an online form — if that technology was available to Pasco County residents. Instead, a deputy has to physically go out and make a report, costing valuable time that could be saved otherwise.

Even if the salary and technology problems are addressed, the county still has another problem. Many counties average around 1.3 deputies per every 1,000 residents. In Pasco, that number is below one deputy per thousand. Just to catch up with current populations, Nocco needs 150 new deputies.

With new deputies, he will need a new district office, too, right where the population is growing the most.

“We are going to need many more deputies, and we’re going to need a fourth district in the (State Road) 54 corridor,” Nocco said. “We need to have a stronger presence in the Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel area. Deputies who serve that area right now are based out of Dade City, and there has to be something much closer to serve those needs.”

Many of these issues aren’t even a part of this year’s proposed budget increase, which would bring the sheriff’s office budget close to $100 million.

And elected officials are listening. During a recent workshop, commissioners admitted taxes in Pasco were far too low, affecting the government’s ability to serve its people. With proposed budget increases from other departments needed as well, it seems impossible to keep taxes at the same level they were last year.

“I am for having a better-funded county government,” Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said recently. “Local government is not the same as our federal government, where I think there is a lot of waste. We have no hidden money, we have no extra money. We are all scraping by barely.”

But how much of those extra funds should go into the sheriff’s office is still a question for the commission, which has been weighing Nocco’s request carefully. Public safety may be a key measure to stimulate growth, but so is having a building department that can maintain a seamless working relationship with developers so that major projects, like a new Amazon.com facility, are not lost to neighboring counties, Commissioner Ted Schrader said.

“We want to continue to support public safety, but a lot of our other departments have suffered because of the financial constraints that we have been under,” Schrader said during a workshop last month.

Nocco is convinced the commission will help him with most, if not all, of his budget requests this year. But if the increase was tough to swallow this year, future requests might be even more difficult.

Yet, the sheriff’s office is willing to help in those areas, too, Nocco said. For instance, the call for more code enforcement can actually be handled by a group of volunteers trained and managed by the sheriff’s office.

“We will train them and provide them the tools they need to start writing code enforcement violations and target high-crime areas,” Nocco said. “This will let us focus on areas where abandoned or neglected structures are used over and over again for drug houses and other crime.”

In all, there is a lot more the sheriff’s office can do to help other departments, Nocco said, and soften the impact of potentially higher taxes to residents.

“We are not wasting taxpayer dollars. Instead, we are very efficient,” he said. “I know our commissioners are being pulled in a thousand different directions, but I also think they realize that public safety is a priority.”

Published July 9, 2014

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Don Porter’s vision for Wiregrass Ranch area lives on

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Don Porter, whose vision helped transform ranch land into an urban center in Wesley Chapel, has died. He was 73.

Porter’s family, which owns the sprawling Wiregrass Ranch, sold the land that is now occupied by The Shops at Wiregrass and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. The family also donated 60 acres of land for Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, which now occupies about 6 acres of that land.

Members of the Porter family joined Pasco-Hernando State College president Katherine Johnson at the open house and dedication of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. From left are J.D. Porter, Bill Porter, Johnson, Don Porter and Quinn Miller. (File Photo)
Members of the Porter family joined Pasco-Hernando State College president Katherine Johnson at the open house and dedication of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. From left are J.D. Porter, Bill Porter, Johnson, Don Porter and Quinn Miller.
(File Photo)

There’s also a high school in the community named after the Porter’s Wiregrass Ranch.

While Porter had a hand in projects of a regional scale, that is not what meant the most to him, said his son, J.D. Porter.

“Out of all of the accomplishments, I think the thing that he was most proud of was his family,” he said. “He wanted to see everyone do well.”

Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri recalls when her colleagues were considering approval of The Shops at Wiregrass. She and Commissioner Jack Mariano supported the request, but they needed a third vote, which came from Commission Ted Schrader.

“I believe that Don’s generous spirit and clear vision made a difference in the Wesley Chapel area, and set the tone for all future development there,” Mulieri said. “Don will be missed. He was a good steward of the land and a southern gentleman.”

Greg Lenners, general manager of The Shops at Wiregrass, said it was easy to see that Porter was a highly respected man in the community.

“He will truly be missed,” said Lenners, who oversees the main-street style shopping mall at the intersection of State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

The mall is a popular gathering spot and pulls shoppers and visitors from across the region, especially during the holidays and for special events.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel also issued a statement paying tribute to Porter’s contributions.

“Don Porter’s vision was to transform the Porter Ranch into a Wesley Chapel community centered around family … a community with quality health care, education, and recreation services for its residents,” hospital officials said. “It was wonderful to work with Don and his family to bring that vision to life. The entire Porter family has been very supportive of the hospital and our programs to improve the health and wellness of the entire community.”

Katherine Johnson, president of Pasco-Hernando State College, recalled the first time she met Porter. It was her first day as the college’s president, and she was being introduced around the community. Those introductions included a lunch with Porter at Saddlebrook Resort.

Porter was approachable and she immediately felt at ease, Johnson recalled.

“We clicked. We just clicked,” she said.

At that very first lunch, Porter told Johnson about his vision for higher educational opportunities for students living in the community. The family’s later contribution of 60 acres for the campus played an instrumental role in making that vision come true, Johnson said.

“Clearly, we would not have been able to have a campus in Wesley Chapel without that family,” she said. Beyond helping to bring that vision to life, Porter became a friend and mentor.

When Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch opened in January, it signaled the first time in Wesley Chapel history that a student could attend preschool through college without leaving the Wesley Chapel community.

When the Porters moved to Wesley Chapel during the 1940s, there wasn’t much development in the area. Over the years, the community has evolved, and Porter had a clear vision for the future, Johnson said.

When plans were being discussed for the Porter Campus, he envisioned a campus with multi-story buildings.

“He wanted an urban, corporate look,” Johnson said.

Porter is survived by son, J.D., daughter, Quinn Miller and her husband, Matthew, as well as three grandchildren, Johannah, Cooper, and Lillian Jane, of Odessa; and his brother, William H. and his wife, Debby, of Dade City.

Don Porter memorial service
A memorial service for Don Porter has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on July 12 at the conference center at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Published July 9, 2014

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County approves middle school site for Learning Gate

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Learning Gate Community School has received Hillsborough County’s blessing to locate its classes for seventh- and eighth-graders in the former Hand-in-Hand Academy building near downtown Lutz.

Learning Gate Community School has gained approval for using buildings located at 207 Lutz Lake Fern Road to house its seventh- and eighth-graders. Even though that hurdle has been cleared, no details are available yet on when or whether the school will make the move to the site. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Learning Gate Community School has gained approval for using buildings located at 207 Lutz Lake Fern Road to house its seventh- and eighth-graders. Even though that hurdle has been cleared, no details are available yet on when or whether the school will make the move to the site.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Land use hearing officer James Scarola approved Learning Gate’s request to use the location at 207 Lutz Lake Fern Road for its middle school-level students. The approval, issued June 29, limits the enrollment, however, at the Lutz Lake Fern Road location to 205 students.

That’s 45 fewer students than the school initially requested. The school agreed to reduce its request after Mike White, president of the Lutz Citizens Coalition, objected to the higher number.

At a June 2 public hearing, White told Scarola the site was not conducive for that many students. White also said the community has no problems with the school, simply with the proposed enrollment, according to the hearing officer’s June 29 ruling.

During a recent interview, White said the school also agreed to sign a private agreement with the Lutz Citizens Coalition pledging that it would never ask for a variance to allow more students at the site.

The 4-acre site previously had been approved for 175 kindergarten through fifth-grade students. Of those, up to 85 were allowed to be in child care.

The property, which is included in Hillsborough County’s Landmark and Historic Archeological Resources Inventory, contains a church that was built in the 1940s and two educational buildings that were constructed during the 1960s.

No additions or expansions are requested in Learning Gate’s application.

The county’s transportation department reviewed the request and concluded the school will not impact traffic on nearby roads. The school is expected to generate 225 trips during the peak morning hours, and 151 during the afternoon peak hours.

However, the transportation department has determined that a detailed traffic study will be needed and it may show the need for such improvements as paving, widening and construction of a turn lane.

Learning Gate is a nationally recognized charter school that operates at two locations in Tampa. Its campus for kindergarten through sixth grade is at 16215 Hanna Road, and its campus for seventh and eighth grade is at 15316 N. Florida Avenue.

Even though Learning Gate applied for permission to operate a school at the Lutz Lake Fern location, no additional information is available about Learning Gate’s plans.

Brian Erickson, president of Learning Gate’s board, said in an email that “at this time, it would be inappropriate for anyone to comment.

“There are many unanswered questions. We are having ongoing communications with the bank who holds the note, but we are still doing our due diligence on the property,” Erickson wrote.

Published July 9, 2014

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