The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Ethan Allen out, Scott Fink moving in?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published September 24, 2014

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Internship takes local student to Amazon jungle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published September 24, 2014

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Manors of Crystal Lakes to get new water source soon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published September 24, 2014

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Book captures Dade City’s history through photographs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published September 24, 2014

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Saint Leo abbot discusses the art of spirituality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published September 24, 2014

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

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

Or even the Pasco County Tax Collector.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published September 24, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And Schoenhuber agrees.

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

Published September 24, 2014

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Business Digest 09-24-14

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Bank offers student sweepstakes
Fifth Third Bank has launched its annual Student Banking Sweepstakes.

Through Sept. 30, students who open a checking account will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes offering $10,000 toward college tuition.

Last year’s winner was Tre’ Watson, a rising football star at Tampa Catholic High School.

For more information, visit 53.com/students.

‘Dancing With Our Stars’ returns
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will once again host “Dancing With Our Stars,” with a performance scheduled for Oct. 18.

The chamber still has a few dance slots to fill, as well as a need for volunteers to help behind the scenes for the “stars” who will be trained by dance professionals to perform a short routine.

The overall winner will be based on monetary votes, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting arts programs in the community.

To participate, volunteer or even sponsor, visit CentralPascoChamber.com, or call (813) 909-2722.

Kumquat Festival selling sponsorship packages
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is now accepting reservation packages for the 2015 Kumquat Festival, set to take place Jan. 31.

Packages start at $500, and include logos and links on the KumquatFestival.org website, as well as booth space at the festival. Premier packages, which run from $1,000 to $5,000, include additional features.

The event is expected to draw 45,000 people from Florida, who live here seasonally, and who are visiting.

For information, call John Moors at (352) 567-3769, or email .

Wendy’s coming to Sunlake
Homes are popping up throughout the area surrounding the intersection of Sunlake Boulevard and State Road 54, and the businesses are coming with it.

The latest one planned is a new 3,500-square-foot Wendy’s fast food restaurant, complete with drive-thru service. It will be constructed on less than an acre of land currently owned by Sunlake Equity One LLC out of Miami, which has nearly 28 acres on the site.

Wendy’s International Inc., is in charge of the construction project, which will be considered by Pasco County’s Development Review Committee on Sept. 25. Wendy’s initially submitted plans to the county for the project last April, with final revisions received at the end of August, according to county records.

It would become the seventh Wendy’s location east of the Suncoast Parkway, the closest at 2328 Raden Drive in Land O’ Lakes. Other locations are in Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

The meeting is set for Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m., at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

A chance to RACE to work
CareerSource Pasco Hernando is hosting three RACE to Work events throughout the region, helping those who are receiving unemployment benefits find work.

RACE, or Reemployment Assistance-claimant Community Event, will have its first job event Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at Pasco-Hernando State College, 450 Beverly Court, in Spring Hill. A second event will follow Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at Rasmussen College, 8661 Citizens Drive, Suite 300, in New Port Richey.

A third and final event will move to the eastern side of Pasco County, Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at the American Legion Post, 37745 Church Ave., in Dade City.

The event is free for both companies and those seeking work.

Businesses interested in registering a book can call Joyce Headrick at (352) 200-3050.

Lowe’s wants a bigger sign
When Lowe’s opens its doors later this year, it wants to make sure drivers on State Road 54 just east of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard realize it’s there.

The hardware store, now under construction in 152,000 square feet of space across from Village Lakes Shopping Center, is asking Pasco County’s Development Review Committee to allow its wall sign on the building to be more than double the size the county currently allows.

Current code limits a wall sign — that is, one that is hung on the front or side of a business — to 150 square feet. However, Lowe’s wants to build a sign on the front of its store at a little more than 375 square feet.

That would make the sign nearly 19 feet tall and 20 feet long, instead of the 15 feet long and 10 feet tall usually allowed under county ordinance.

In return, Lowe’s says it’s willing to build just one sign at the road, instead of the three the county allows. Overall, that would reduce the amount of signage Lowe’s has to 37 percent smaller than what the county allows, according to records submitted to the Development Review Committee.

A decision is expected Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m., at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

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.

Prudential Commercial now Berkshire Hathaway
Prudential Commercial Real Estate FL is officially changing its brand, now becoming the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group Commercial Division.

The brokerage, which has served the Tampa Bay commercial and residential real estate markets since 1959, joins the HSF Affiliates company that now accounts for more than 31,000 agents and 907 offices in 46 states, according to a release.

The new Florida Properties Group Commercial Division is affiliated with popular businessman Warren Buffet and his holding company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. It has 18 offices located throughout Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Hernando counties.

Prudential Tropical Realty, which is based in Trinity, made the name switch to Berkshire Hathaway last January. Despite the new moniker, the company is still owned by Dewey Mitchell and Allen Crumbley.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is based in Irvine, California, and works in both residential and commercial real estate.

Upcoming SCORE seminars
The Pasco-Hernando Chapter of SCORE, which historically stands for Service Corps of Retired Executives, will host the following upcoming free seminars. For information, visit SCORE439.org.

  • How to Apply for Non-Profit Grants — Oct. 1 at 3 p.m., at Spring Hill Branch Library, 9220 Spring Hill Drive, in Spring Hill. This seminar explores the truths, the hows, and the whys of grant writing. Participants can gain information on the key steps in the process of grant writing, matching their needs invariably as not-for-profits with the goals of grantors.
  • Presentation Skills — Oct. 3 at 10 a.m., at SmartStart New Port Richey, 6345 Grand Blvd., in New Port Richey. Presentation and public speaking skills are useful in many aspects of work and life. Developing the confidence and capability to give good presentations, and to stand up in front of an audience and speak well, also are extremely helpful competencies for self-development.

Political Agenda 09-24-14

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(Courtesy of Meg Merritt)
(Courtesy of Meg Merritt)

Governor’s wife is cooking in Pasco
Florida’s First Lady Ann Scott, right, presents her cookbook, ‘Viva la Florida,’ to Pasco County commissioner Kathryn Starkey during a visit in August to the Pasco Federated Women’s Club. The event was part of an afternoon tea in the home of Jay Starkey, and was sponsored by Shawn Foster. The Florida Governor’s Mansion Foundation published the cookbook.

Starkey, Mulieri to host town halls
Pasco County commissioner Kathryn Starkey will host a town hall meeting Sept. 24 beginning at 7 p.m., at Seven Oaks Elementary School, 27633 Mystic Oak Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Then on Sept. 29, Commissioner Pat Mulieri will have a community meeting at 7 p.m. at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Starkey will be joined by members of the Pasco County staff, and possibly state Sen. John Legg and state Rep. Will Weatherford, as well.

Among the topics to be discussed include budget issues like the gas tax, an update on new development in the area, a new baseball sports facility, transportation issues — including Overpass Road — and new area schools.

Mulieri will be on-hand with representatives from the county utilities department to talk about water and utility concerns for those living in the communities of Wilderness Lakes Preserve and Lake Padgett.

For information about the town hall, call (727) 847-8100.

Danish, Harrison stay even in money race
Shawn Harrison is trying to return to Tallahassee by unseating an incumbent. But if fundraising efforts are any indication, it’s still a pretty close race.

Harrison, who is looking to represent state House District 63, has raised a little more than $129,300 in his bid, including an additional $2,000 he picked up the last week of August, according to state campaign finance records. The Democrat who holds the seat, Mark Danish, is close to $96,000 in fundraising, including $3,350 picked up that same week.

Harrison’s money came from two groups he founded — the political action committee called the Committee for an Innovative Florida, and his law firm. He also received $3,000 in labor costs from the state Republican Party.

Danish picked up $2,750 from PACs himself, including $1,000 from a group that represents the Florida AFL-CIO unions, and $500 from the Duke Energy Corporation Florida PAC. He got some help from his own state party, with the Florida Democratic Party providing more than $2,000 in staff help.

Harrison still has nearly $46,500 in cash available to his campaign, while Danish has kept nearly $66,300 in the bank.

Robocalls will happen, but there are rules
Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley has told voters in a recent newsletter that robocalls might be plaguing many ahead of the November election, but reminding them that none of them are affiliated with his office.

Political parties and candidates who utilize robocalls have to comply with state law, and both major political parties — as well as candidates — have legally used this technology to encourage voters to request a vote-by-mail ballot, conduct get-out-the-vote efforts, and surveys, Corley said.

Political candidates and parties can request parts of a voter’s registration form that is legally available to the public — which is virtually everything outside of Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers. Also part of the public record are email addresses, which can be made available to political parties and anyone else submitting public records requests.

“For this reason, and to protect voters, I do not encourage voters to provide their email addresses,” Corley said in the newsletter.

Opponent’s week off doesn’t help Steinberg fundraising
After a seven-week period where he raised nearly $123,000, state Rep. James Grant took a break during the last week of August to raise just $100, as he faces a fellow Republican in a rare November open primary.

The $100 was from an individual donation from a Tampa resident, but is added to the $178,480 Grant has collected so far to try and keep his seat in state House District 64.

Miriam Steinberg, on the other hand, just started raising outside money, picking up $1,300 at the end of August. That all came from taxicab companies, with $1,000 from United Cab Cos., and $300 from Cab Plus Inc.

Grant has nearly $97,000 in cash still available to him, while a personal loan to the campaign back in June is the only thing keeping Steinberg in the black. She has a little more than $1,500 on hand.

Ledbetter gets nod from progressive group
Beverly Ledbetter has earned the endorsement from Democracy For America in her attempt to become the new representative for state House District 38 in Tallahassee.

The Democrat is facing Republican Danny Burgess in the general election.

Democracy For America is a Vermont-based national organization that pushes for universal health care, marriage equality, reversal of the so-called Citizens United Supreme Court decision, and what it says is strengthening of the middle class.

Both Ledbetter and Burgess are looking to replace current House speaker Will Weatherford, who is stepping down because of term limits.

 

Neighbors, power company fight over trees near electrical line

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Debbie Lane Goodman was a kid in 1986 when her family planted an oak tree sapling near where 20 Mile Level Road and Black Jack Lane meet.

Back then, there was no Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex to the west, or even a Plantation Palms community to the north. Just two years before, the 10 acres of land Goodman’s father owned was filled with orange groves, the primary source of income for her family.

Neighbors Debbie Lane Goodman and Eddie Midili survey tree trimming work Duke Energy has performed along a line route that crosses 20 Mile Level Road in Land O’ Lakes. The oak tree behind them is slated to come down next, which has riled up Goodman, Midili and other neighbors. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Neighbors Debbie Lane Goodman and Eddie Midili survey tree trimming work Duke Energy has performed along a line route that crosses 20 Mile Level Road in Land O’ Lakes. The oak tree behind them is slated to come down next, which has riled up Goodman, Midili and other neighbors.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

But a rare snowstorm in 1984 killed those trees, and emptied the land. The state helped by donating some pine trees to plant on the property, but the oak tree would become a symbol of perseverance for the family.

Today, Goodman uses the former orange grove land to provide horse-riding lessons, and keep various ranch-style animals. The oak tree is still there, now towering over the rest of the tree line, providing a majestic feel to property that was once part of a 19th century stagecoach route to Tampa.

But if Duke Energy gets its way — and it almost certainly will — that tree will become a part of history.

“They’ve destroyed my land, and now they’re going to take my trees down,” Goodman said. “They just came out four years ago and shaved the trees, and told us that’s all they were going to do. They said they didn’t need to cut any trees, and that it’s not even on their line. But then they came back and said we’re going to cut them all down.”

The property damage, Goodman said, came from heavy trucks that were used to replace the poles along the edge of her property from wood to steel last month. Duke did not fix divots its trucks created in the ground, although the utility did bring in a load of dirt so that Goodman could fix the land herself.

The tree is one of more than 30 Goodman said she believes is going to come down along Black Jack Lane. She is not sure, because Duke never reached out to her directly about the tree removal, and all of her information has come from the tree-cutting crew itself.

“I asked my dad, I asked my neighbors, and none of them have received anything,” Goodman said. “The only thing we have is the tree people, and they are at the bottom of the chain. They don’t really know anything. And how do we know that these guys aren’t just doing this because they want more jobs?”

Duke, which bought Progress Energy in 2011, says it works to keep open lines of communication with residents and businesses that might be affected by the tree work along power lines. While the trees and even lines might be on other people’s property, each line path has an easement that typically grants the utility 50 feet on either side of the pole.

“Generally, when we’re doing this type of work, we will put a letter out to each homeowner, each resident, that is adjacent to the easement,” Duke spokesman Sterling Ivey said. “We generally have staff walking the neighborhoods and knocking on doors, leaving door hangers. We try to do a lot of it proactively.”

Yet, Goodman and neighbor Eddie Midili said they’ve received no such communication. In fact, the only time Midili said someone from Duke contacted him was when a representative of the company knocked on his door and gave him paperwork from 1959 she said showed where the easement was.

“She said, ‘We’re claiming the land back,’” Midili said.

Trees came down last week at the neighboring Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, leaving stumps in a parking area near an athletic field that once supported cabbage palms and oaks.

Brian Taylor, Pasco County’s parks and recreation manager, said he received a letter from Ashley McDonald, a vegetation management specialist with Duke Energy, which described exactly which trees had to be removed. Those trees, Taylor said, would cost the county a little more than $1,700 to replace.

Duke cuts and trims trees as a way to protect lines, not just from branches growing into lines, but also to try and prevent power line issues during major storms where winds could blow vegetation into the lines. It’s not required to remove stumps, but will make mulch available to interested homeowners who would like to recycle those trees, according to the utility’s website.

Duke also does not replace trees it removes, leaving those costs the responsibility of the affected property owners.

“We try to take the trees down as low as we possibly can,” Ivey said. “If a customer has concerns about some stumps that might have been left, and especially if they have some animals or horses in the area, I would encourage them to call our customer service center to see what help there might be.”

The line clearing project started in May, and stretches from Tarpon Springs to Zephyrhills, Ivey said.

Goodman and her neighbors have tried to talk Duke out of removing the trees, but know they won’t be successful. So now they’re having to figure out what life will be like on their property with the lights from the recreation complex streaming in, and what will now be an unobstructed view of the overgrown 12th green at the currently closed Plantation Palms Golf Club.

“When they did all this before a few years ago, I gave up some trees, and Debbie gave up some trees,” Midili said. “We didn’t like it, but whatever we had to do, we would do. But now, they want to go overboard on it, and it’s just not necessary. They need to come out and see what kind of damage they’re doing.”

Anyone with questions or concerns for Duke, Ivey said, is urged to call the company’s customer service line at (800) 700-8744.

Published September 17, 2014

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