The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Veterans can get free dental care in Stars, Stripes and Smiles 

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NEW PORT RICHEY – Dentists have volunteered to provide urgent dental care at no cost to 75 military veterans living in Pasco County who have been suffering with untreated dental pain and infection.

The West Pasco Dental Association, Office of Congressman Gus Bilirakis and Pasco-Hernando State College are partnering on the Stars, Stripes and Smiles event Nov. 8 in New Port Richey.

“These heroes deserve a system of care to ensure their oral health care needs are met,” said Dr. Zacharias Kalarickal of the West Pasco Dental Association. “Until that can become a reality, it is our professional privilege to serve this special segment of our community.”

Currently, dental care through the VA is limited to those who are 100% disabled or have a direct service-connected injury impacting their oral health. 

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much in defense of our freedom and they deserve access to high quality health care,” Bilirakis said. “I am continuing to push a bill that will expand veterans’ access to dental care; however, I am very grateful for the generosity of the dentists from the West Pasco Dental Association who are not waiting for a change in law. They are ensuring our heroes receive immediate attention and I am honored to help organize this important event.”

Veterans in need of dental services should call Bilirakis’s office at 727-232-2921 to sign up for treatment. They will be taken on a first come, first serve basis. Services offered will include professional dental cleanings, dental fillings and tooth extractions. 

Rezoning could turn hotel into affordable housing

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NEW PORT RICHEY – The proposed rezoning of the La Vista Inn hotel in Port Richey did not gain a favorable recommendation Oct. 17 from the Pasco County Planning Commission.

The 4.44-acre site at 11736 U.S. Highway 19 is currently zoned C-2 General Commercial District and MF-1 Multiple-Family Medium Density District. HCM Hospitality, based in Clearwater, is seeking to rezone the site to MF-1 Multiple-Family Medium Density District. 

The change is needed for HCM Hospitality to convert the hotel’s rooms into 153 individual dwelling units where people could live in for more than 28 days.

County staff is recommending the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners approve the request. The board may decide on the request during its Dec. 10 meeting in New Port Richey. 

Hiram Patel, HCM Hospitality’s manager, and Todd Pressman, who was representing the firm, said that if the zoning request is granted, the hotel would be used as an affordable housing site. Pressman is president of Pressman & Associates in St. Petersburg.

The planning commission preferred having a conditional use to be designated on the property, which would enable it to be used for the same purpose. They preferred a conditional use for three reasons.

First, that would allow the county to have more control over what HCM Hospitality did on the property rather than granting the rezoning request, which only contained a couple of deed restrictions.

Second, it has been Pasco County’s longstanding policy to try to make it possible for properties zoned C-2 to be used for employment-generating purposes. The site where the La Vista Inn is located could possibly be used for that purpose if the hotel closed or went out of business.

Third, Pasco County has also gone on record saying it doesn’t agree with certain provisions of the Live Local Act that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law on March 29, 2023. That law preempts a local government’s regulation on zoning, density and height for certain multi-family and mixed-use affordable housing developments. 

The hotel would be a last resort product for people in dire straits whose next step is probably homelessness, Pressman told the planning commission. He added that it could provide housing to people who couldn’t afford to stay at other affordable housing units in the county that had more amenities than the hotel would have.

If the rezoning request was approved, it would enable many of his workers who were staying at the hotel to remain there for more than 28 days instead of having to move to and from, Patel said.

Both men were told that approximately $1.4 million in impact fees would be charged to convert the rooms in the hotel into affordable housing units. That information was also included in the agenda papers that HCM Hospitality had access to prior to the meeting.

“Typically an affordable project wouldn’t want to be paying $1.4 million in impact fees because then they’ve got to raise the rent which probably makes it not affordable,” Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein said.

Planning commission members wondered how HCM Hospitality would fund the remodeling of the hotel in addition to having to pay the impact fees. Also, it was asked why HCM Hospitality hadn’t applied for various grants and other resources that are available in Pasco County to lower expenses for affordable housing projects.

“We have a potential partner who is willing to do that who is already in the industry,” Patel said. “He has done affordable housing in the Orlando area. They are willing to partner with us and guide us through this process.”

He was also asked if it would be agreeable to HCM Hospitality if the property were granted a conditional use instead of the requested zoning change.

“If we cannot change the zoning, he cannot partner with us, so that’s the first step that we need to take,” Patel said.

Planning commission member Chris Poole said he thought HCM Hospitality needed to think about going before the board again in two months after more steps are taken to help reduce the impact fees and other expenses.

 

Browning: Normalcy, routine is important

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Kurt Browning

LAND O’ LAKES – Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning acknowledged Oct. 15 that plans to reopen schools following Hurricane Milton were met with some criticism.

But that’s par for the course for decisions involving such storms.

“It doesn’t matter what the decision is that you’ve made,” Browning said. “You will have people over here that think you are a rock star. And there are people over here that if they saw you in the produce section of Publix, they would drag you out of that store and beat you about the head and shoulders.”

Staff returned to work Oct. 15. Students returned to class Oct. 16. 

Browning explained that he believes consistency and routine are important for children to have a sense of normalcy. 

“They’ve lost their homes. They’ve lost their clothes. They’ve lost the roof over their head. They’ve lost their automobile. And they need a place to belong,” Browning said. “Oftentimes, that place they belong is their school.”

Browning said storm-related decisions are vetted multiple times by his amazing team at Pasco County Schools. He described his top-level staff as selfless.

“I continue to be amazed when we get into a situation of not just one storm but back-to-back storms,” Browning said. “People are dead-dog tired but they don’t hesitate to step up and do what’s right for this community – mainly our students and our families.”

Elizabeth Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services, told the school board Oct. 15 that Pasco and Zephyrhills high schools sustained the most damage from Hurricane Milton. 

“The fortunate thing is in both situations, we were able to reopen without making huge changes,” Kuhn said. 

Pasco High School had roof damage to Building 6 and the gym. The district is putting a temporary roof on Building 6 but the gym is going to take time to fix.

Zephyrhills High School experienced heavy flooding. Staff discovered water in the band room and a couple of classrooms. The city has helped by pumping water into two retention ponds. School leaders have had to make adjustments related to student drop-off and parking.

“We’re monitoring water all over the county as everyone,” Kuhn said. “The biggest challenge with this storm is that it changes. Today there were roads that might have been OK and now they’re not.”

Transportation staff has been evaluating roads daily to ensure they’re unobstructed. 

Kuhn said as many as 44 schools were without power. Power returned for all schools by the end of Oct. 15. 

“We’re very happy that you’re back at school,” said Megan Harding, chair of the school board. “That’s all our hearts want is for you to be at school but we also understand this is a very difficult and stressful and traumatic situation. So,if it’s not safe or if you’re having (trouble), please contact your administrator, contact your school, because we’re all in this together.”

 

Ideas to create healthy little monsters leading up to Halloween 

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Get some nutrition in the midst of all the candy by making healthy food fun for Halloween. Photo courtesy of Shari Bresin

Additives, and sugar and dyes – oh my. You guessed it. I’m talking about candy. 

I’m not here to be the candy police, as I’m all for partaking in the Halloween fun. 

But it’s important to know that the American Academy of Pediatrics says kids 2 and older not have more than 25 grams of added sugar per day (and zero for kids under 2). 

Adult women should also limit their added sugar intake to no more than 25 grams per day, and under 36 grams per day for men, according to the American Heart Association. 

So yes, there is room in our daily eating pattern to indulge, but of course, doing so in moderation. 

These sugar recommendations are easy to exceed this time of year, as this equates to just a few pieces of fun-sized candy. 

The following examples with their sugar content:

  • 16 grams of sugar are in a six-piece package of Starbursts
  • 16 grams are in two packages of M&Ms
  • 14 grams in two packages of KitKats
  • 11 grams of sugar are in one package of Skittles
  • 10 grams are in one piece of Reese’s 
  • 8 grams in one snack-sized Snickers

And all the events in October like Halloween parties, trunk-or-treat events and so on add up to make for a month-long sugar fest. And don’t forget to factor in the other food you or your child consumed the same day (soda, flavored yogurt, sweetened applesauce, etc). 

Get some nutrition in the midst of all the candy by making healthy food fun for Halloween. Photo courtesy of Shari Bresin

There’s no getting around it, but there is a way to make nutrition more appealing this time of year: crafting with fruits, vegetables and other healthy food. During this month of excessive sugar intake, here are some ways you can make nutrition part of the Halloween festivities that are easy for the non-artistic parents, inexpensive and require minimal cleanup:

  • If you have a clementine or an orange, and a marker, then you can simply draw a jack-o-lantern face on the outside of the peel.
  • Take an apple and a peeler or spiralizer, then peel/spiralize it to make it into a snake, and put mini chocolate chips dipped with honey to use for eyes.
  • In addition to carving pumpkins, carve a face into an orange or grapefruit: Simply carve out a face with the segments still intact, or slice the top of the fruit, remove the segments by running a pairing around the interior and then carve out the face. You can add the segments back in, along with any other small pieces of fruit, to make into an adorable fruit cup.
  • Make apple mummies: Cut an apple in half, remove the core and use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of apple peel. For the eyes, press chocolate chips (pointy end first) into a part that was peeled. Honeycrisp and Pink Ladies won’t brown as quickly.
  • Pumpkin-face oatmeal: After making oatmeal, either in a bowl or in a slow cooker, simply add cinnamon or pumpkin spice into a face (triangle eyes, nose and a mouth)
  • Boo-nana (ghost banana): Peel and cut a banana in half, press in three mini chocolate chips for eyes and an open mouth and insert a lollipop stick, popsicle stick or skewer.
  • Monster smoothies: Turn a fruit smoothie into a green monster or goblin by adding spinach or kale. Pour into a clear plastic cup and draw a face with a marker. You can repeat this on St. Patrick’s Day, minus the scary face.

These are just a few ideas to have some non-candy fun with your kids or to offer at your Halloween party. 

Candy is highly visible and accessible this time of year, so switch things up a bit and get creative with something that has more natural sugar than added.

 

Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County, An Equal Opportunity Institution.

 

AdventHealth providing gas to staff following hurricane

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AdventHealth Wesley Chapel team members set to receive fuel following Hurricane Milton. Photo courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division

 

Team members about to receive gas at AdventHealth Wauchula. Photo courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division

TAMPA – In the wake of Hurricane Milton, the AdventHealth West Florida Division sought to provide more than 25,000 gallons of gas and 10,000 gallons of diesel to support team members with urgent fuel needs across all 14 of its hospital campuses.

Several fuel tanker trucks, brought in from out of state, rotated between the hospitals to ensure staff had access to the fuel they needed to safely travel to and from work.

“The continuous service throughout the storm would not have been possible without our team members’ dedication – from our clinicians to our facilities crew monitoring back-up generators,” said David Ottati, president and CEO of the AdventHealth West Florida Division. “By providing this fuel, which has come from all across the country, we hope to support our team members as they continue delivering the high-quality, whole-person care our patients rely on.”

Rosemary Tyrkala, a facilities manager at AdventHealth North Pinellas, lost her home initially in Hurricane Helene and was in temporary housing when Hurricane Milton hit. Tyrkala said the 10 gallons of gas she received from her hospital made a huge difference.

“It’s one less thing to worry about,” Tyrkala said.“It meant that I didn’t need to go and stand in that line for hours to get gas so that I can go to work. I’m sure that’s how it assisted other people, knowing that if they had to get to work or if they had to get to a store for medicines or food or their necessities, that they had some gas in their car to be able to do it.”

Girls invited to experience scouting at festival

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Girl Scouts of West Central Florida serves more than 20,000 members across eight counties: Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sumter. Photo courtesy of GSWCF

TAMPA – Girls and their families are invited to kick off the 2024-25 Girl Scout Year at Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s annual Girl Scout Fest.

The event was rescheduled due to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton to Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Florida State Fairgrounds. 

Girl Scout Fest is open to girls of all ages and their families to enjoy hands-on and interactive activities while highlighting the theme of “Builders of Tomorrow.”

Throughout the day, girls will have many opportunities to earn Girl Scout badges and will walk away with multiple free event patches, while supplies last. 

Working with Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s program partners, Girl Scout Fest will showcase more than 30 hands-on activities.

Activities include HCA Florida Healthcare’s Robotic Arm Technology experience, making stress balls with Tampa General Hospital, and AI app building with Florida Education Fund. 

Girls can also earn Tampa General Hospital’s TampaWell Wellness Warrior patch, participate in a hockey match with Lightning Made Hockey, get ready for cookie rally with the Product team, and make homemade butter with Dairy Council of Florida. 

This year’s Girl Scout Fest will highlight its newest community patch partner, Ajax Paving, with activities related to civil engineering and a brand new “Paving the Way to Success patch.”

 

Want to go?

Girl Scout Fest takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Admission costs $5 per person, which includes all activities and this year’s exclusive Girl Scout Fest patch. 

Attendees can register in advance online or register at the event. Walk-ups are welcome. The Florida State Fairgrounds charges $10 per vehicle for parking. 

Food and drinks will be available for purchase at the concession stand and various food trucks.

 

Business Spotlight: JC Audiology adds to hearing professional to staff 

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The staff at JC Audiology has grown larger as Dr. Judith L. Reese (second from left) added DJ Mitchell (middle) to her team. Photo courtesy of JC Audiology

LUTZ – Ever since Dr. Judith L. Reese opened JC Audiology in 2005, thousands of residents have come to the practice for their hearing needs. 

On average, the practice serves more than 160 hearing aid devices a month. That’s that’s about one device every hour and doesn’t include the dispensing of new hearing devices. 

Reese has added another hearing professional to her staff to help with the growing number of clients.

DJ Mitchell joined JC Audiology in September. Mitchell has been a licensed Hearing Aid Specialist since 2016 and has worked in clinical settings locally while dispensing hearing devices from all major manufacturers.

“DJ is the kind of hearing professional we’ve been looking for.” Reese said. “Now patients won’t need to wait to make appointments, and his expertise on new technology and how it improves quality of life will benefit our patients enormously.”

The region’s growing population, along with new published research about the link between hearing and cognitive health, have led to more people approaching the practice about hearing services.

As the number of patients continues to grow, Reese has worked to minimize supply chain challenges that affect the industry. Reese recently bolstered her relationships with suppliers by joining forces with Professional Hearing Group. This arrangement allows her to continue providing the best quality hearing solutions at more affordable prices for patients as well as offer faster service than industry standards.

 

Want to go?

JC Audiology is located within the North Fork Professional Center, 1519 Dale Mabry Hwy., Suite 105, Lutz. Visit ​​jc-audiology.com or call 813-949-1331 for details.

Pasco County zoning amendments earn positive recommendations

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This aerial map shows the 76.55 acres targeted for Old Pasco West Master Planned Unit Development. Map courtesy of Pasco County

DADE CITY – The Pasco County Planning Commission recommended approval of three zoning amendments during its Oct. 3 meeting.

All three of the rezoning requests are for properties located in either south central or southeast Pasco County.

The Pasco Board of County Commissioners has the final authority regarding zoning amendments because the planning commission only acts in an advisory capacity.

One of the requests was for a rezoning to allow for the construction of 99 single-family detached units on 76.55 acres south of State Road 52 and west of Old Pasco Road. 

Mary Elaine Sharp and Maxine Green submitted the application for the Old Pasco West MPUD Master Planned Unit Development. Attorney Barbara Wilhite, whose law office is in New Port Richey, represented the applicants.

The applicants requested to not have to provide an access point to the north or west due to an existing wetland system and because a portion of the site is adjacent to an Environmental Lands Acquisitions and Maintenance Program property.

One of the conditions of approval is the applicant will need to provide a 340-foot northbound left turn at the Old Mill Road and Old Pasco Road intersection. Improvements will be made to Old Mill Road between Old Pasco Road and the project access.

A date wasn’t given for when commissioners would decide on that rezoning request.

Anodyne 54 LLC/Anodyne 54 LLC (East) is seeking to rezone 1.27 undeveloped acres at the northeast corner of the intersection of State Road 54 and Point Cypress Boulevard from a C-1 Neighborhood Commercial District to a C-2 General 

The applicant has volunteered to record a deed restriction to the property to ensure it provides the benefits of commercial development, including adequate employment generation.

Sitex NR Holding LLC is seeking to rezone 1.06 acres on the west side of Ernest Drive, approximately 200 feet south of State Road 54, changed from an A-R Agricultural-Residential District to a C-2 General Commercial District.

The site consists of an unoccupied single-family dwelling. 

The applicant has volunteered to record a deed restriction to ensure the property provides the benefits of commercial development, including adequate employment generation.

More than 100 daily trips are estimated to occur from the property after it is developed for commercial uses. Therefore, the applicant will be responsible for the design, construction and right-of-way donation/acquisition for all the improvements needed to provide access from the property to State Road 54, the application said.

Commissioners are scheduled to decide on requests by Anodyne 54 LLC and Sitex during their Nov. 12 meeting.

 

Cell tower gets bad reception from Pasco County neighbors

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Anthemnet provided this aerial map to the Pasco County Planning Commissioner to show where a cell phone tower would be located. Photo courtesy of Pasco County

DADE CITY – A request to install a 195-foot-tall monopine cell phone tower did not gain a favorable recommendation from the Pasco County Planning Commission on Oct. 3. 

Cynthia M Barthle/Anthemnet, Inc./Verizon Wireless had requested a conditional use that would enable the cell tower to be located on the northwest corner of the intersection of St. Joe Road and Mt. Zion Road. 

County staff recommended the planning commission send a favorable recommendation with conditions to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, which has final authority. 

If approved, the proposed cell tower would have dense branching and could accommodate Verizon Wireless and up to three additional cell carriers. It would be located within a 2,500-square-foot fenced compound area within an overall parcel that contains 4.22 acres.

Mary Solik, who is legal counsel for the applicant, told the planning commission that the area where they wanted the cell tower to be placed was the result of a long search to find a site that was buildable, leasable and that would meet locational and performance criteria. 

“We were left with very few options and unfortunately we have unhappy neighbors,” Solik said.

Some residents of the nearby Willow Run subdivision objected to the proposed placement of the tower at that location.

Nancy Cabiness Johnson described Willow Run as a gated, deed restricted, high value residential community. Johnson said she believed the placement of the cell tower so close to Willow Run that it would have a negative impact on the community’s property values.

Robert Welbourn, who is president of the Willow Run Property Owners Association, told members the home values in his neighborhood “range probably anywhere from $700,000 to $1.5 million. 

“This has a greater financial impact on our residents and our community,” Welbourn said. “It has a more unfair impact to us financially because we have a greater investment.” Welbourn believes placing the cell tower at the proposed location would stigmatize the property.

Solik responded to some of the concerns of neighbors.

“The Barthle property was really all we had left,” Solik said.

“It truly looks like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree up on a pole,” planning commission member Jon Moody said.

Planning commission member Chris Poole said he understood that 5G technology, which is being used, would require tighter spacing of cell towers for it to work efficiently. However, Poole said, “I’m struggling with the need for a tower a mile away from another tower.”

David Taulbee, of Tampa-based Lee Pallardy Inc., told the planning commission that he has 25 years experience evaluating whether cell towers have negative impacts on property values.

“Not once has your appraiser or any appraiser along the whole west coast of Florida and into central Florida made a reduction in an assessment of property – commercial, rural, residential, urban, whatever you want to call it – because of proximity to a tower,” Taulbee said. “There’s simply no market data that indicates and supports that these towers impact values.”

Charles Grey, who chairs the planning commission, disagreed with Taulbee’s view on whether cell towers impact property values.

“I tend to take the common-sense approach,” Grey said. “I’ve been in the real estate business for over 50 years here. So, in my opinion, if I had that monstrosity next to my house then it would impact the value of my property. So if you think it doesn’t you’re just making up a story.

“We’re here to protect our people. That’s our number one job.”

Moody asked the applicant if they would rather have a long continuance so they could either find another site or a tower that could be more compatible with the area, or if they preferred a recommendation of denial.

“I don’t often bring you a site like this but this one is what it is because of what’s on the ground out there,” Solik said. “We have limited choices so I think we would prefer to keep it moving.

“I’m sorry that you’re choosing to penalize Anthemnet going forward.”

“I want you to understand,” Grey said, “that we’re not penalizing anyone. We’re just protecting the people that live here – the same thing I would do for you if you lived here.”

Solik and the people accompanying her were reminded that Moody had given them the option to do a continuance so the issues could be readdressed and they hadn’t done that.

Planning commission members then voted to recommend to county commissioners to deny the request. County commissioners are scheduled to vote Nov. 12.

 

Dade City interviewing for new city manager

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DADE CITY – Leslie Porter resigned as the city manager of the City of Dade City, effective Oct. 10.

Porter had worked for Dade City for more than 10 years. Prior to becoming city manager, she was the city’s finance officer from 2014 to 2019.

Her departure from the position occurred after members of the Dade City Commission expressed a desire earlier in the year for a new administrator to take the city in a different direction. 

An amicable separation agreement was negotiated between the commission and Porter regarding a severance package. The agreement emphasized that Porter’s termination from employment was not “for cause or for misconduct.” It also said that she would be eligible for future employment with Dade City if she applied for a position for which she was qualified either through education or experience.

Mayor Scott Black praised Porter during an emergency meeting Oct. 7 in preparation for Hurricane Milton.

“It has been a pleasure to work with you as finance officer and city manager,” Black said. “Thank you for your grace, your composure and your dedication. It means a lot to me.” 

Commissioner James Shive also spoke highly of Porter and her accomplishments.

“I really want to thank you for your 10 years of service to Dade City,” Shive said. “We appreciate what you’ve done for Dade City and we wish you the best moving forward.”

Porter recommended during the Oct. 7 meeting that her executive assistant, Marieke vanErven, be appointed as acting city manager, effective Oct. 11, until an interim city manager is hired.

Commissioners agreed by a vote of 4-1 to appoint vanErven as acting city manager.

Black, Shive and commissioners Kristin Church and Ann Cosentino voted in favor of vanErven’s appointment. Mayor Pro Tempore Normita Woodard abstained from voting. City attorney Patrick Brackins said Woodard’s abstention was considered a vote against vanErven’s appointment.

In addition to having served as Porter’s executive assistant, vanErven is also the city’s public relations specialist and staff liaison to the Youth Council, Redevelopment Advisory Committee and Community Redevelopment Agency.

The city had planned to conduct interviews with two applicants for the interim city manager position during the week of Oct. 7. However, those interviews were rescheduled due to Hurricane Milton.

Brackins asked if the interviews could be conducted virtually through Zoom because it wasn’t known at that time how much damage might be caused by Hurricane Milton.

Black said he would only want to conduct the interviews that way “as the last resort.”

The two applicants for the interim city manager position are:

  • James Gabbard, who is an executive search consultant for the Florida Police Chiefs Association. He has served in that capacity since 2018. Prior to that, he was a senior manager for the International City/County Managers Association Police Consulting Services from 2008 to 2018. He was city manager for the City of Vero Beach from 2005 to 2011.
  • Glenn Irby, who has been city manager for the City of Edgewater from 2019 to 2024. Prior to that, he was city administrator for the City of Apopka from 2015 to 2018 and city manager for the City of Umatilla – airport manager, from 2006 to 2015.

The dates for these interviews weren’t available by print deadline.