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‘D’ stands for ‘discipline’ at Wiregrass Ranch

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After back-to-back 0-10 campaigns, the Wiregrass Ranch Bulls turned things around in 2013 with a respectable 4-6 record.

As a result, they lost the losing mentality that comes with winless seasons.

Yori McMillan, left, and Austin Stroup will be part of the offensive line assigned to protect quarterback Shane Bucenell this season. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Yori McMillan, left, and Austin Stroup will be part of the offensive line assigned to protect quarterback Shane Bucenell this season.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Heading into 2014, however, they’ve lost something else: their head coach.

Mike Lawrence parlayed his successful year with the Bulls into a position with Bethany College in Kansas. That leaves Arturo Meza at the helm, who was co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Bulls last year. Before that, his resume includes Zephyrhills, East Bay and Spoto high schools.

And the United States Marine Corps. Meza said his background will factor into the Bulls’ philosophy this season.

“We have a saying, ‘Discipline is the key.’ You have to say it, you have to think it, you have to believe it,” Meza said. “Discipline is going to be a big thing in continuing to move forward.”

The players already believe it as they move forward with their preparations. At Wiregrass Ranch High School, practice includes a lot of whistles, horns and players rotating to different sections of the field, working hard at drills and remaining in constant motion. And last week, Meza had representatives from the Marine Corps visit the team to instill some mental toughness and add a little something to their physical regimen.

According to Austin Stroup, a senior who plays on the offensive line, the team is feeling the effects of Meza’s approach.

“We run so much,” he said. “We run more than any team I’ve ever been a part of. Everyone’s going to be so disciplined. There are going to be less mistakes.”

Mistakes and a lack of conditioning are part of what prevented Wiregrass Ranch from turning a respectable year into an excellent one last season. Close games and early leads turned into disappointment as the team failed to keep up with their opponents as the games progressed.

“In the Steinbrenner game, we just fell apart,” said senior quarterback Shane Bucenell, recalling how a 17-7 halftime lead against the Warriors turned into a 27-20 defeat last season.

“We have to put in the work every single day and make sure that we finish all our conditioning drills.”

Yori McMillan, a senior who also will protect Bucenell on the offensive line, believes Meza is the right coach to make sure the team puts in the necessary effort to limit errors and advance as a program.

“Coach Lawrence was big on discipline, but Coach Meza, he really wants to enforce that we don’t make mistakes,” McMillan said.

In addition to the Steinbrenner defeat, Meza pointed to the game against Gaither High School as a missed district opportunity, which they lost by 20 points. While the Bulls went 4-6 last year, they were 0-5 in Class 7A-District 7.

One of the team’s goals is to become a force in their district, where they haven’t won in three seasons.

To achieve their goals, Wiregrass Ranch will need steady production from their offense, which Meza considers to be improved over last year, but suffered some losses due to graduation. Meza isn’t as concerned with the offensive line, which lost a few starters, and he has confidence in his quarterback and receivers.

But he admits the running game lost quality players who will be a challenge to replace.

“The running back position is the question mark,” Meza said. “That’s where we’re trying to solidify some things.”

The Bulls’ off-season program has included elements of CrossFit training for strength and conditioning, agility drills and plenty of running. And while it hasn’t been easy, the players have bought into the hard-work philosophy, and are confident in the results it can bring.

Even if they don’t like all the running while they’re doing it.

“I hate it,” Stroup said. “But I know at the end of the season I’m going to be looking back and be like ‘I’m glad we did that.’”

WIREGRASS RANCH BULLS:

LAST YEAR: 4-6
0-5 in district play
Sixth place in Class 7A-District 7

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS:
Jay Minor, linebacker and wide receiver
Austin Stroup, offensive line and defensive line
Yori McMillan, offensive line and defensive line

PLAYER TO WATCH:
Shane Bucenell, quarterback
“He has prepared and studied very hard for the upcoming season, and we expect big things out of him.” – Coach Arturo Meza

2014 Bulls Schedule
8/29 – Gulf
9/5 – at Hudson
9/12 – at River Ridge
9/19 – Tampa Bay Tech
10/3 – Gaither
10/10 – at Ridgewood
10/17 – at Steinbrenner
10/24 – at Sickles
10/31 – Freedom
11/7 – Wesley Chapel

Published August 13, 2014

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Business Digest 08-13-14

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BizDigest-TaylorSamantha Taylor gets a little tough in her efforts to help a struggling gym in the Spike reality series ‘Gym Rescue.’ Taylor owns Pure Health & Fitness Studios in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Spike)

Local business owner on reality television
Samantha Taylor, the owner of Pure Health & Fitness Studios in Land O’ Lakes, appeared Aug. 10 on the new Spike reality show “Gym Rescue.”

“I flew out to Fort Lauderdale last year for a week to film this show, and it’s finally airing,” Taylor said, in a release.

The show, Taylor said, is similar to programs like “Kitchen Nightmares,” where someone goes in and helps a failing restaurant, except this one is for gyms and fitness studios. MMA fighters Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock host it.

Taylor had only 45 minutes to “change the life” of the gym owners in the episode, she said, “so I had to toughen up a little on the owners to help them stop making excuses for why they weren’t succeeding, and just listen to the experts giving them advice.”

Couture, according to the cable channel, owns a successful chain of gyms called Xtreme Couture MMA, while Shamrock owns Shamrock MMA.

To learn more about Taylor’s studio, visit PureHealthStudios.com.

Wesley Chapel Walmart opens
The newest Walmart at 28500 State Road 54 is set to open Aug. 13 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m.

The store created 300 jobs, and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Stephanie White will manage the store. She began her Walmart career in 1988 as an hourly cashier in Port Richey.

The store will offer the Site to Store program where items purchased online can be delivered to the local store. It also offers fresh produce and a full line of groceries. A pharmacy will offer a full range of products and services, including an iPhone and Android Walmart mobile app.

The grand opening celebration includes presentations of $7,000 in grants from Walmart to local community groups. Those recipients include the Wesley Chapel Lions Club, Wesley Chapel High School, Watergrass Elementary School, and Lily of the Valley food pantry.

A celebration is planned Aug. 16 that will include family activities and free food samples between noon and 3 p.m.

Lennar opens new phase at Concord Station
Homebuilder Lennar has opened a new phase with 145 lots at Concord Station, the company’s master-planned community located off State Road 54 and Sunlake Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes.

Lennar plans to build 52 new three- and four-bedroom houses beginning at $180,000, along with 93 new three-, four- and five-bedroom houses at a higher price point.

Concord Station has a 5,000-square-foot community center with a swimming pool, fitness center, tennis and basketball courts, a sport court, a lake pond, and a community park with a picnic area.

Upcoming PHHCC events
The Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will have its regular luncheon Aug. 13 at 11:30 a.m., at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 20735 Leonard Road in Lutz.

Lunch is $20 per member, or $25 for non-members. To RSVP, call (813) 435-1499.

The chamber will host a mixer Aug. 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Good Faith Insurance Services, 5854 Argerian Drive, Suite 101 in Wesley Chapel.

For information, visit PHHChamber.com.

TBBA council wins award
The Sales and Marketing Council of the Tampa Bay Builders Association received an Excel Award as Florida’s Best Sales and Marketing Council during the recent Southeast Builders Conference in Orlando.

The council was honored for outstanding achievements in membership efforts, programs, seminars, education, council marketing and awards programs, including the annual Parade of Homes and Awards of Excellence.

The council boasts membership of more than 250 sales and marketing professionals in the Tampa Bay area. Through networking, speakers and a variety of educational programs for sales professionals, the council promotes better and more efficient sales practices so consumers can enjoy a more positive and informed home-buying experience, according to a release.

Zephyrhills looking for contest entries
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominees for its annual business and community awards, which will be honored during the chamber’s annual meeting and banquet Sept. 18 at Scotland Yards Golf Club.

Nominees do not have to be a member of the chamber, but should meet the criteria established in each category. Winners from last year are not eligible, and deadline to enter nominees is Aug. 13.

For information, visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org.

Dade City chamber wants award winners
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce will host its annual awards banquet Oct. 16. With that, it’s seeking nominations for various awards.

Typically, awards are open to members who have been a part of the chamber in good standing for at least a year. Some of the categories include Business Leader of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Civic Association of the Year and Citizen of the Year.

To learn more about how to nominate, contact Jo Uber at the chamber office at (352) 567-3769, or email her at .

Bank stands up to cancer
Fifth Third Bank has returned its “Pay to the Order” of campaign that earlier this year raised more than $2.3 million for Stand Up to Cancer.

The campaign was first launched in January and leverages new checking accounts to help drive donations that support collaborative cancer research programs, the company said in a release. For each new customer who opens a checking account with direct deposit, and makes three online bill payments, Fifth Third will give $150 to the customer and donate $150 to the cancer organization, more commonly known as SU2C.

The campaign runs through Oct. 17.

Political Agenda 08-13-14

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Simpson to speak at chamber breakfast
State Sen. Wilton Simpson will speak at a business breakfast hosted by the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce Aug. 19 beginning at 7 a.m., at The Commons on Pretty Pond, 38130 Pretty Pond Road in Zephyrhills.

Cost is $5 per person.

To RSVP, email , or call (813) 567-3769.

Early voting in Hillsborough
Hillsborough County will have 15 early voting sites open between Aug. 14-24, including weekends, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., for those who want to participate in the primary election.

Once voting begins, those who wish to cast their ballot early can visit VoteHillsborough.org, and find out both locations and wait times. Hillsborough voters can go to any of the 15 sites to vote.

Poll workers needed for August, November elections
Energetic? Service-oriented? Then the Pasco County supervisor of elections may be looking for you.

Poll workers are needed for both the primary election Aug. 26 and the general election Nov. 4. Positions are paid, but potential candidates will need to be able to stand, bend, stoop, lift approximately 30 pounds, and have normal vision and manual and physical dexterity.

Applicants also need to write and read English, have an email address, and be able to work the entire day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All positions receive mandatory paid training the month preceding both the primary and general elections.

For information, call (800) 851-8754, or visit PascoVotes.com.

Free rides to the polls
Pasco County Public Transportation will do its part to help get out the vote by offering free rides to the polls on election days for the upcoming cycle.

The deal was worked out between PCPT and county elections supervisor Brian Corley, and was approved by the Pasco County Commission last week.

On both primary day Aug. 26 and the general election day Nov. 4, voters who present their voter information card will ride free to their local polling location. The goal is to encourage and promote participation in the election process, while also introducing public transportation as a viable option for travel throughout the county, said PCPT director Michael Carroll.

In return, Corley’s office will use available media advertising and respective websites to inform potential riders and voters how to access and navigate the transit system.

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours Sept. 9 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Lutz Library, 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz.

Other dates in Lutz include Oct. 14 and Dec. 9.

For more information, call (863) 644-8215, or (813) 752-4790.

PACA to talk long-range transportation plan
The Pasco Alliance of Community Associations will host Matthew Armstrong, Pasco County’s executive planner in charge of the long-range planning group, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

PACA is a not-for-profit organization whose members include 70 of Pasco’s homeowner associations, community development districts and condominium associations, as well as individuals residing in the county. It assists members by educating them on common issues, and finding solutions to shared problems. It also represents the interests of members before all levels of government.

For information, call Ron Litts at (813) 475-4561, or visit MyPACA.org.

Bilirakis to host office hours
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis will host office hours Aug. 27 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Congressman’s Wesley Chapel office, 5901 Argerian Drive.

The office hours are part of his ongoing effort to solicit feedback from his constituents, according to a release.

Appointments, which are scheduled on a first-come basis, can be made by calling (727) 232-2921.

 

Homeowners worry about value drain from golf course

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In the three months since the links at Plantation Palms Golf Club closed, a homeowners association has been left powerless, and confused neighbors listen to any rumor they can about the fate of the 156-acre course.

A small party tent, which once provided shade to golfers near the clubhouse, now sits neglected, its dirty canopy flapping in the wind. Equipment that used to keep the greens pristine is buried in overgrown grass.

Golfers have been replaced with wildlife along the Plantation Palms Golf Club, which has been deserted since MJS Golf Group closed the course last May. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Golfers have been replaced with wildlife along the Plantation Palms Golf Club, which has been deserted since MJS Golf Group closed the course last May.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

One hole, not far from the entrance, still sports a small flag, desperately calling attention to golfers who may never come.

Patty Stach doesn’t play golf, but the deserted course has become a nightmare for her. She’s ready to move to a new town, but she can’t even put her Plantation Palms house up for sale because of what’s happening just a block or so away.

“If you’re a golfer, it affects your way of life,” she said. “But even if you’re not a golfer, it affects the value of your home. Who would want to buy into a community where the golf course looks like this?”

Mitch Osceola, Jayson Ray and Steve McDonald — collectively known as MJS Golf Group LLC — bought the course in 2011 through a $2.2 million loan from Native American Bank of Denver. All three have Native American roots: Osceola is a Florida Seminole, Ray is from the Klamath Modoc tribe of Oregon, and McDonald from the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation of Kansas.

Despite their different upbringings, they found common ground in golf. Osceola, Ray and McDonald realized their dream to own a golf course when a Vero Beach developer decided to sell a course they built in the heart of Land O’ Lakes.

“We’ve got big ideas for Plantation Palms that will help the HOA grow as well,” Ray told The Laker at the time.

But now, the ownership is quiet. They haven’t communicated with the HOA, and they didn’t return a message seeking comment from The Laker. The doors that used to welcome golfers are now adorned with a citation from the Pasco County code enforcement office, demanding the grass get cut.

Dave Brooks, a former member of the HOA and a longtime member of the club, says there’s nothing the community can do except wait for something to happen.

“It’s frustrating that the course is in such bad shape, and it’s frustrating that we can’t play the course,” he said. “But at the same time, there’s not much we can do. It’s a privately owned golf course.”

After the May closing, the HOA president David Gunsteens told residents to stay off the course, and that he would close the front gates to the community during the day to stop people from coming in trying to get free trips around the links. Each month, he would update residents on what’s happening with the golf course in the community’s newsletter — at least as much as he could with the little information he had.

“Once again this month, I have to report that we still have no word on the status of the golf course,” Gunsteens wrote in the most recent newsletter. “We continue to attempt to obtain permission from the course owners in order to do some basic mowing in some of the more visible areas, but have continued to be unsuccessful in that area.”

If the county does have to come in and mow, it could make the property even more difficult to sell or bring back online. Especially since the cost to just maintain a 30-foot buffer from neighboring properties would be in the thousands of dollars, said Joaquin Servia, the county’s code enforcement manager.

“The government isn’t really equipped to deal with a situation like that,” Servia said. “It’s such a large area, and there’s no way that any government is going to be able to maintain a golf course like that to the standards that people would really expect.”

The county has three other golf courses that also are in limbo, Servia said. However, the owners at those are doing at least the bare minimum to keep code enforcers at bay.

If the county does come in and do work, they will lien the property, which will make it that much more expensive to sell.

The biggest rumors circulating around the community are that at least two groups — including one led by a resident — have tried to make offers on the golf course, but neither have received a response from Native American Bank. None of those rumors could be verified, and Joel Smith, a senior vice president and chief credit officer for the financial institution, didn’t return a call seeking comment.

However, a receptionist who answered the phone at the bank said they have received a number of calls from people asking about the course.

One way or the other, something needs to happen soon, because Stach says she’s ready to leave.

“It’s a beautiful community, and everybody loves it. It would just be nice to have the golf course up and running,” she said. “Nobody can move right now. We’re all kind of stuck. And as that grass gets deeper and deeper, we’re starting to realize it might be a while.”

Published August 6, 2014

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We never doubted that bigger is better

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Unless you’re reading this column online, by now you should have realized that something big is different about this week’s paper.

Really big.

We are 6 inches longer, or 25 percent bigger, than we were last week. This makes us the same size as most daily newspapers, and gives you two sections of the paper instead of one.

We’ve been working on this transition since May, so today is a big day for my staff and me. We are thrilled with how our new paper looks and feels, and hope you are too.

Converting to a larger size has touched just about everything we do, from the size of our ads to the size of the plastic bags we use to deliver your paper. It’s been more work, and has affected more aspects of our business, than we ever imagined.

But we’ve never doubted our decision to go bigger. We truly believe this is the best way to meet the changing needs of our readers and advertisers.

There are many reasons behind the change that we’ve talked about in promotional ads and in our news columns for the past month. But the biggest one is a larger paper gives us more space to print local stories for you and your family.

Becoming the same size as a daily also communicates that we’re no long the “little community paper” that some people may perceive, but rather a “real newspaper” to be taken seriously.

We’ve stepped up our game to fill the void left by the two daily newspapers in our market — The Tampa Bay Times and The Tampa Tribune — which have steadily cut back their local news coverage and frequency of their regional sections in Pasco and north Hillsborough counties. These big dailies once had neighborhood news sections they published seven days a week. As they scaled back their news staffs, their regional editions dwindled from seven days a week, to five, to three and now just once or twice a week.

We have picked up their slack by expanding The Laker/Lutz News, both in size and content. We still give you the human interest stories you’ve always loved, but we’ve increased our coverage of growth and development, new and expanding businesses, public and private education, and city and county government.

There’s no doubt that size does matter and bigger is better — at least when it comes to newspapers in the communities we serve in Lutz, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

Going bigger has energized my employees and the business community that supports us like nothing before. And we’re confident our new size also will inspire our readers and make you more loyal than ever to The Laker/Lutz News.

Please let us know what you think of our new size. We’re betting the only complaint we’ll hear is the larger size is harder to hold when drinking a cup of coffee and reading your paper Wednesday morning.

Published August 6, 2014

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New schools, new programs on tap for 2014-15 school year

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The days of relatively easy rush-hour commutes are approaching an end as students, teachers and other employees gear up for a new school year.

Students in Pasco County Schools begin the 2014-15 school year on Aug. 18, and Hillsborough County public schools begin classes a day later.

These children arrive at school at Quail Hollow Elementary School on the last day the school had classes before closing down for renovation. Quail Hollow is slated to open in the 2015-16 school year. (File Photo)
These children arrive at school at Quail Hollow Elementary School on the last day the school had classes before closing down for renovation. Quail Hollow is slated to open in the 2015-16 school year.
(File Photo)

Wiregrass Ranch High School already is urging students and parents to give themselves ample time to arrive.

“Traffic in the morning is always busy,” Robyn White, the school’s principal, noted on the Wiregrass Ranch website. “With 40 buses arriving, 500 student drivers, 200 employees and hundreds of parents driving to school, you must arrive early to prevent being late to school.”

If that’s the scene at just one school, imagine how it will play out across two massive school districts.

In addition to traffic generated by Hillsborough and Pasco public schools, there also are thousands of students in both counties attending private schools and charter schools, including Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes Christian School, Countryside Montessori, The Reading Corner, Learning Gate Community School, Imagine School and Academy at the Farm, just to name a few.

The traffic jams will begin in earnest when students return to classes, but the volume will pick up a bit earlier as teachers and other school employees begin reporting back to work to get ready for another year.

Many parents are already hitting the malls, discount stores and local shops to buy their kids new school clothes and supplies for the coming year. Parents who want to be in the know should check their school’s website to make sure they are getting the supplies that their kids will need. Most websites offer a list of supplies that differentiates between grade levels.

Parents also can benefit from attending “meet the teacher” day at elementary schools and orientation sessions for older students to get a better feel for their child’s campus and the school’s rules. Again, all that information is available on schools’ websites.

The coming school year is ushering in new educational options for students in both school districts. Pepin Academies has a new public charter school in New Port Richey that will serve students with special learning needs throughout Pasco County.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the county, Darby Christian Academy in Dade City will offer a community school model, based on a biblical worldview. That school, a ministry of Darby Community Church at 14745 Bellamy Brothers Road, offers instruction for kindergarten through 10th-graders.

Stewart Middle School and Zephyrhills High School are adding The Infinity Academy, a program that blends online instruction with classroom learning to give students the chance to quickly move through material they master, but spend more time on lessons that cause them to struggle.

Both schools also are offering a program called AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. At Zephyrhills High, AVID will be available for 60 incoming ninth-graders who will take it as an elective. The class will focus on organizational skills, text coding, reading and writing coaching, and math and science tutorials.

At Stewart, the AVID elective will be offered for students in grades six through eight.

In Hillsborough County, the public charter Lutz Preparatory School has added a middle school. This year, the school will serve sixth- and seventh-graders. Next year, it intends to add eighth grade.

Three elementary schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have new principals.

Claudia Steinacker will lead Cox Elementary School, and Christina Twardosz is at the helm of Centennial Elementary School, both in Dade City. Gretchen Rudolph-Fladd is the new principal at Veterans Elementary School in Wesley Chapel.

This school year also signals the first full year of operation for Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite of Pasco-Hernando State College.

The college campus is next door to Wiregrass Ranch High and not far from Wesley Chapel High School, which is expected to lead to enhanced educational opportunities for the high school students and to give the college a chance to recruit more future students.

Pasco County Schools Calendar 2014-15
Aug. 18 — Students’ first day
Sep. 1 — Labor Day
Oct. 20 — Teacher planning day
Oct. 27— Report card distribution
Nov. 24-28 — Thanksgiving break
Dec. 22-Jan. 2 — Winter break
Jan. 5 — Teacher planning day
Jan. 12 — Report card distribution
Jan. 19 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb. 16 — President’s Day
March 16-20 — Spring break
March 23 — Teacher planning day
March 30 — Report card distribution
April 3 — Non-student day
May 20 — Seniors’ last day
May 25 — Memorial Day
June 3 — Students’ last day
June 11 — Final report card distribution

Hillsborough County Schools Calendar 2014-15
Aug. 19 — Students’ first day
Sept. 1 — Labor Day
Oct. 20 — Teacher planning day
Nov. 3 — Elementary report card distribution
Nov. 7 — Secondary report card distribution
Nov. 11 — Veterans Day
Nov. 24-28 — Fall break
Dec. 22-Jan. 2 — Winter break
Jan. 19 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan. 20 — Non-student day
Feb. 2 — Elementary report card distribution
Feb. 10 — Secondary report card distribution
March 9–13 — Spring break
March 16 — Student’s return to school
April 3 — Non-student day
April 13 — Elementary report card distribution
April 17 — Secondary report card distribution
May 25 — Memorial Day
June 5 — Elementary report card distribution
June 5 — Last day of school
June 12 — Secondary report card distribution

– Compiled by Ashley Schrader

Published August 6, 2014

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Let them go?

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It pretty much started when John Gallagher was caught in heavy traffic on Interstate 75.

The morning rush is exactly that, the morning rush. But Gallagher, then the Pasco County administrator, realized that these were primarily people who lived in his county, but were heading south to work jobs in Hillsborough and even Pinellas counties.

More than half the residents of Pasco County hop in their cars each morning and drive across the county line for jobs in places such as Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
More than half the residents of Pasco County hop in their cars each morning and drive across the county line for jobs in places such as Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

From that time forward, Pasco County made it a priority to develop policy that not only encouraged people to find homes in the county, but to work here as well. That meant working to attract high-wage jobs to the area with efforts like tax incentives, and removing some of the red tape involved in locating a business in the county.

Ken Littlefield, a former state representative who is running for Pasco County Commission, may bring a completely different perspective to the dais if he’s elected, however.

“A lot of people see 60,000 to 80,000 people leaving Pasco to go to work in Hillsborough or Pinellas counties as a negative. But I’m not sure about that,” Littlefield said. “It’s like they are working in the mine. They are bringing the gold back to Pasco, and they are spending that money here. When that money is spent here, there is economic growth that is taking place.”

Littlefield shared those views during a candidate forum last week at Keystone Community Church in Land O’ Lakes, hosted by the Central Pasco and Trinity-Odessa chambers of commerce. Other candidates seeking the same seat on the commission quickly rebuked his remarks.

“When I think about a premier county, I think about jobs in that county,” said Mike Moore, who is facing Littlefield for the Republican nomination.

Money, he said, doesn’t necessarily come back home. Especially since people spend a lot of time at work, and spending money around their jobs.

“There was a time that I worked outside the area quite often, and I would fill my gas tank on the way home in another county,” Moore said. “I would shop in the afternoon — guess where, in another county. Guess where I ate breakfast? Another county.”

Pasco residents spend an average of 30 minutes on the road commuting to work, compared to 26 minutes for residents living in Hillsborough, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Two decades ago, that commute time was 24 minutes, and despite advancements like the widening of I-75, U.S. 41 and the construction of the Suncoast Parkway, the time it takes to get to work is just going up for Pasco residents.

It’s something county leaders still want to curb, especially since Pasco ranks as one of the worst commute times in the state, spending the equivalent of three full work weeks, and a bit of overtime, behind the wheel each year.

“That’s valuable time, and time is money,” said James Edwards, the transportation manager with Pasco’s Metropolitan Planning Organization.

But it’s not just sales tax the county collects from having more business here, but other ways of producing more money inside the county as well.

“Basically, the big (economic) payoff is at the other end of their trip, which is where they are employed,” Edwards said. “The intent is to build that employment base within your own county, so that you capture the best of all worlds.”

How can the county keep more workers here? Find companies willing to pay higher wages, said another county commission candidate, Bob Robertson. He cited a report from the National Bureau of Labor Statistics that showed the average weekly wage in Pasco was $624, while it was well above $800 in Hillsborough and Pinellas.

“I live in Pasco and work in Pasco,” the Zephyrhills financial analyst said. “When you have a chance to make 30 to 35 percent more, it’s no wonder more people drive south.”

Making it worse, Robertson said, is the fact any educated work force Pasco develops ends up moving away.

“We are hearing about kids who are coming out of school, and they are not going to Hillsborough or Pinellas. They are going to Atlanta, or they are going somewhere else altogether,” he said. “That is not a good thing for Pasco County.”

Sandy Graves, who chairs the government affairs committee at the Central Pasco Chamber, said a lot of what’s needed is patience.

“I am happy that people have jobs and choose to live here in Pasco, because that is the reality of the situation at present,” she said in an email. “There is no doubt that Hillsborough and Pinellas have the commercial economic base that supplies those jobs for many that live here, but our county needs to prepare for the natural growth of businesses that will move northward in the future.”

However, Erika Remsberg — the lone Democrat seeking to replace Pat Mulieri on the county commission — believes there is something the county can do right now: invest in small businesses.

“We should be putting 75 percent of our economic development money into small business,” Remsberg said. “It’s a lot less expensive, and can have more of an impact. Just think, if they all added just one job, we would have 3,000 more jobs in Pasco County.”

Any change to scale back the need to commute will take a while, the MPO’s Edwards said.

“It’s going to take a long time to change it, probably 15 to 20 years to change that dynamic,” Edwards said. “But at the end of the day, it’s really a revenue-based decision, and what’s good for the employment sector is good for the county.”

Published August 6, 2014

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Tilling the soil to share earth’s bounty

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It’s around 8 a.m. on a Saturday, and a volunteer crew is hard at work in a garden at Tims Memorial Presbyterian Church in Lutz.

Renee White is yanking plants out of a raised bed, like a one-woman wrecking crew. Her husband Mike is on the other side of the garden trying to make sure that he’s placing a wood post in the right spot for a new raised bed.

A group of volunteers at Tims Memorial Presbyterian Church has created The Mustard Seed Garden Ministry. The crops they grow help to feed the hungry. The flowers they grow feed the soul. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
A group of volunteers at Tims Memorial Presbyterian Church has created The Mustard Seed Garden Ministry. The crops they grow help to feed the hungry. The flowers they grow feed the soul.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Eric Kopp is working up a sweat, first sawing wood for the new garden bed, and then fixing a water pipe that’s broken.

Meanwhile, Ann Marks and Princess Layne are tending to other garden chores. Marks is scooping up piles of vegetation that Renee White has cleared out of a bed and carrying it to a compost heap. Layne is stripping okra leaves off a plant to allow sunlight to reach other plants.

The volunteers are part of The Mustard Seed Garden Ministry.

They launched the project last year, first finding an area on the church’s property that would work for a garden, said Renee White, who is a Hillsborough County master gardener.

To plant the garden they needed flat terrain, water and sun. They also needed a spot that wasn’t already being used by another group at the church, she said.

“Of all the places that we surveyed on the 11 acres, this was the one that fit everything,” White said.

The volunteers set about transforming a 65-by-55-foot patch of land into a thriving garden.

The idea for the garden came from members of the mission committee, White said.

“Several of us had the idea,” she said. “We have this property, why don’t we use it to God’s glory by taking care of people who don’t have fresh food.”

At the moment, okra, peppers, cherry tomatoes, basil and flowers are growing in the garden. At other times of the year, they plant different crops.

The plants are grown in raised beds, and the gardeners rotate what they grow to reduce problems with fungus, disease, nematodes and other pests.

They also grow a variety of flowers on the front side of the garden.

“We have our pollinators up front here,” White said.

Besides attracting bees and butterflies, the flowers create a beautiful view for passersby and visitors to the church grounds.

As they harvest the garden, they donate its yield to the First Baptist Church and Grace Family Church in Lutz, which both feed the hungry. They also donate produce to Christian Social Services in Land O’ Lakes, which gives it to people in need.

The Mustard Seed Ministry raises money for garden supplies by going to local produce markets and having their own farmer’s market at the church. Whatever they don’t sell, they donate to Christian Social Services.

“One day, it may be tomatoes and broccoli and cabbage and lettuce. On another day, it may be something else,” White said. That’s in addition to donated crops from their garden.

The ministry also allows people to use 4-by-4-foot plots for a $10 annual donation. Layne is growing okra and flowers in one of those plots.

“I just love gardening, and where I live, I do not have a lot of gardening space,” said Layne, who lives in Willow Bend. “So, this is my garden away from home.”

She enjoys helping in the garden ministry, too.

“I just love being active in my church,” Layne said.

Kopp said this is his first experience in serving on an outreach ministry, and he’s glad he signed on.

“I own a landscaping company, so it’s a pretty natural thing,” Kopp said.

Marks, who lives in Wesley Chapel, said she comes from a long line of gardeners. Unlike them, she said, she’s not a skilled gardener. “Weeding is my specialty,” she said, but she enjoys being involved. “It’s all community. It’s pulling our strengths together to help out people who can’t help themselves.”

Published August 6, 2014

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Saint Leo University hosts free Beginning Teacher Boot Camp

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Beginning educators may feel a bit shell-shocked, as they navigate through their first year of teaching. But a July 25 seminar at Saint Leo University aimed to combat those feelings.

The free half-day session, led by instructor Beverly Ledbetter, was filled with practical advice — in essence, a road map — to help new teachers protect themselves against potential pitfalls as they launch their careers.

Hilary Berbach, left, and Samantha Crumpler are starting their teaching careers in Pasco County this year. They took advantage of the free table of goodies that instructor Beverly Ledbetter brought to use as props in her ‘boot camp’ for beginning teachers. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Hilary Berbach, left, and Samantha Crumpler are starting their teaching careers in Pasco County this year. They took advantage of the free table of goodies that instructor Beverly Ledbetter brought to use as props in her ‘boot camp’ for beginning teachers.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The boot camp, now in its third year, is a public service offered through Saint Leo’s School of Education and Social Services. The university is at 33701 State Road 52, in East Pasco County.

Teachers at the session came from numerous schools, including Wesley Chapel and Wharton high schools, Rushe Middle and Woodland, Seven Oaks, Pasco, Double Branch, R.B. Cox, San Antonio and Wesley Chapel elementary schools.

Nancy Cerezo, associate professor of education at Saint Leo, offered a bit of advice, too. She urged the teachers to seek assistance if they are encountering difficulties.

“If you don’t ask for help, they don’t know you’re drowning,” she said. “Do not be afraid to seek help from people on your faculty, on your campus. Ask seasoned teachers, ask the principal, ask the librarian — ask someone.”

Ledbetter talked to the teachers about what they should and shouldn’t do on campus. It’s a good idea to circulate with other teachers and school staff, to get to know them and to become known, she said.

“Know people’s names,” she advised. “That helps you.”

It’s especially smart to know the school’s bookkeeper, its guidance staff, custodians, lunchroom workers and union representative, Ledbetter said. All of them can help teachers succeed in different ways.

Teachers also should know they will get a supply budget, she said, so they don’t need to empty their wallets for classroom items. However, they must account for how they spend that money, so they should be sure to keep their receipts.

“Anything you buy for your classroom is tax-deductible,” Ledbetter added.

Another piece of advice is how to interact with students.

“Never put yourself in the position to be alone with a student, because you never know what they are going to say,” she said.

If a teacher wants to help a student after school, that’s fine – just be sure another teacher or other students are present, Ledbetter said.

Play it safe when it comes to school attire, too, Ledbetter said. Female teachers must avoid revealing clothing.

Male teachers must be aware of how they position themselves near students. They should avoid bending over a female student, to avoid accusations of impropriety, she said. Teachers need to read their contracts to make sure they know what is appropriate and inappropriate in the classroom.

Some things are just common sense, Ledbetter said. “If you have any doubts about something, don’t do it.”

Technology can be a useful aid to instruction, but also must be used with care, she said. Check with the school’s media staffer to be sure the material is appropriate for use in the classroom.

Also, avoid talking on your cellphone during class, Ledbetter said.

“Be careful of jokes in the classroom,” she added. “You never know how a student is going to take a joke.”

Another concern is how to deal with money, especially since misappropriating school funds is an infraction that can result in losing retirement benefits, Ledbetter said.

“Before you handle student money, know the procedures at your school,” she said. “If you’re on a field trip and a student asks you to hold their lunch money, think twice.”

Hilary Berbach, who will teach kindergarten at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills, and Samantha Crumpler, who will teach kindergarten at San Antonio Elementary School, were among those attending the seminar. Crumpler said she’d already heard warnings about not being alone with children and being careful with money, but she liked Ledbetter’s advice about getting to know the school’s bookkeeper and saving receipts for school supplies for tax deductions.

Berbach liked Ledbetter’s suggested survival kit for teachers. She said she’d never considered how useful it would be to have safety pins around in case a need arises.

Both teachers are eager for school to start.

“I’m very nervous and very excited,” Berbach said. “I want to get in my classroom and set things up and meet my students. I’m so excited to know who my students are.”

A Beginning Teacher’s Survival Kit
Veteran educator Beverly Ledbetter suggests beginning teachers assemble a supply kit to prepare them for that first day of school.
Her suggested kit is not filled with tradition school supplies, such as markers, scissors, glue and paper. Instead, she recommends:

• Sanitizer wipes
• Facial tissue
• Eyeglass cleaning cloths
• Small set of screwdrivers
• Safety pins
• Sewing kit
• Hand lotion
• Clip of keys
• Umbrella
• Peanut butter crackers
• Cough drops
• Bandages for paper cuts or blisters

Published August 6, 2014

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Soaring above life’s everyday routine

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When people see a colorful hot air balloon gliding across the sky in Land O’ Lakes or Wesley Chapel, or other nearby places — chances are the beauty of the balloon is what captures their attention.

But that’s a mere glimpse into the stories that play out every week in the hot air balloons operated by American Balloons, based in Land O’ Lakes.

Balloon pilot Tom Warren shoots flames into the interior of a balloon, to heat the air in the balloon. The hot air is what gives the balloon its lift. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Balloon pilot Tom Warren shoots flames into the interior of a balloon, to heat the air in the balloon. The hot air is what gives the balloon its lift.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Just a few weeks ago, a couple got engaged during a flight that Tom Warren piloted out of Zephyrhills. After the groom-to-be popped the question, the balloon operator guided the balloon to a landing in the middle of the fiancée’s family’s property in Dade City where a big group was waiting.

During another recent week, the balloon operator piloted three engagements and a wedding.

American Balloons has flown hospice patients who wanted to fulfill a final wish, and has taken up wounded warriors so they could experience the freedom of flight, said Jessica Warren, the company’s owner.

It has helped people celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and retirements. It has played a role in solemn events, too, as people bid a final farewell to a loved one.

The couple, who have operated the business for 17 years, enjoys sharing the tranquil experience that ballooning offers.

And, they never know whom they’ll be flying next.

Some passengers travel from far away places to catch a ride on the wind, while others come from just around the block. So far, their oldest passenger was 97, while the youngest were infants.

Their balloons, equipped with doors, can accommodate people who use wheelchairs and have other physical limits.

Passengers have different reasons for boarding the balloon. Jessica Warren was sitting in the lobby one morning at the Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa in Wesley Chapel, checking passengers in.

“This guy came downstairs and began asking questions,” she said.

When she explained the flight, the man wanted to join the group. And he could, because there was room — two scheduled passengers had failed to show up.

It turns out the man was from Puerto Rico and was suffering from a brain tumor, the balloon company owner said. He was traveling the world while he could, dipping into as many new experiences as time would permit.

Whether it’s from a sense of adventure, a penchant for romance, or a matter of mere curiosity, the company attracts enough passengers to fly more than 150 flights a year. It would fly more, but many flights are cancelled because of weather conditions.

One recent Thursday morning, a group of seven passengers gathered at the hotel before dawn to check in for their flight. They came from Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Lake Magdalene, Carrollwood and Tampa.

There was an air of anticipation as the group traveled by van to a field in New Tampa, where the flight would depart.

At the field, the Warrens and their three-member crew sprang into action. They quickly unloaded the massive fabric balloon and spread the envelope flat on the ground. They rigged the balloon’s vents and set up giant fans to inflate the balloon.

Finally, they shot propane flames into the interior to heat the air, which is what causes the balloon to rise.

Within minutes, it was time for passengers to board. Some used footholds to climb into a compartment, while others stepped through an open door into the other side of the basket.

As they prepared to launch, Tom Warren — who has flown balloons all over the world — began his commentary.

The 10-passenger balloon, which stands 90 feet tall and 55 feet wide, is fueled by propane, he said. It can heat up to 208 degrees near the top of the balloon, and that heat is what keeps the balloon aloft.

He controls the balloon’s direction by raising and lowering the balloon, to ride the wind, which blows in different directions and at varying speeds, depending on the altitude.

Every flight is unique, the balloon pilot said.

“We’re not going to go very far today,” Tom Warren said. “There’s not a lot of wind. It’s the kind of crapshoot that God gives you every day.”

On this particular day, passengers can see stands of cypress, shimmering ponds and a gorgeous sunrise as they glide above New Tampa.

They can see the downtown Tampa skyline in the distance and can check out The Shops at Wiregrass, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, and subdivisions nearby.

The balloon pilot has seen some interesting sights through the years. He’s seen boars the size of cows on land within Wiregrass Ranch. He’s seen marijuana being cultivated in a field behind apartments. He’s seen nudists on their back porch in Caliente, a clothing optional community in Land O’ Lakes.

During this particular flight, though, the winds were calm, the wildlife was hiding and the balloon didn’t travel far.

As they disembarked, passengers said they’d had a great time.

“It was so calm. I’m afraid of heights and I wasn’t afraid at all,” said Kathy Rizzo of Wesley Chapel. “It wasn’t at all frightening. It was a very smooth landing.”

“It was quiet and peaceful,” her husband Tom said, noting he especially enjoyed experiencing “the beauty of creation.”

Jimi Gillespie of Carrollwood acknowledged she was bit nervous before the flight.

“I’m a little afraid of heights,” she said, but it turned out that the ride was smooth and not at all intimidating.

Gillespie enjoyed seeing the world from a different perspective.

“It’s a vantage point you don’t typically get, so that was interesting,” she said.

Brian Bernhard of Lake Magdalene has a pilot’s license, so he’s no stranger to flight. But this was his first time up in a balloon.

“I loved it,” Bernhard said.

Jim and Kathy Appleby of Lutz both said they enjoyed the flight. After six cancellations by the balloon company, and three cancellations from themselves, the couple was finally able to go on a ride.

Now, Kathy Appleby said, she can scratch that off her bucket list.

She complimented the balloon pilot and crew.

“We’ve done a lot of this stuff and I thought they were very informative,” she said. “They were very professional.”

The pilot was entertaining too, Tom Rizzo added, noting it’s an outing he’d highly recommend.

American Balloons typically offers more than 150 flights a year, based on weather. The company also handles a wide variety of special events.
For more information or to book a balloon, visit AmericanBalloonRides.com, or call (813) 243-9507.
Flights cost $189 per adult and $125 for children, ages 5 through 15. Discounts are available for groups of six or more.
The company also offers private exclusive flights at $525 per couple. The price includes a hot air balloon ride, a crew to inflate and pack up the balloon, a professional pilot and a traditional champagne toast and breakfast, following the flight.

Published August 6, 2014

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