The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Brandon expansion won’t hurt USAA’s local campus

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With more than 2,000 employees already flocking to its New Tampa campus every day, the United Services Automobile Association, better known as USAA, is already a major economic player in the region.

The New Tampa campus of USAA will continue running, even when the company expands its work force to Brandon. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
The New Tampa campus of USAA will continue running, even when the company expands its work force to Brandon. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

A planned expansion over the next five years may shift new jobs south to Brandon, but the insurance company that grossed nearly $21 billion in revenue in 2012 won’t be abandoning its northern campus just off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard anytime soon.

Before settling on Brandon to bring in another 1,100 people, USAA had already been looking for new campuses nationwide, according to Robert Hoyland, USAA’s vice president and general manager in Tampa, during a recent breakfast meeting with the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. It was not only land and facility costs that kept USAA in the Tampa Bay region, but Brandon has one asset the insurance company was most interested: veterans.

“You might ask, ‘You’re up here and (have) been successful, why are you going all the way down here?’” Hoyland said. “If you ever go to Brandon, you’ll find that a large concentration of active duties and veterans live there. By putting this building there, it helps us with one of our targets as a company — that 20 percent of the work force we hire is either veterans or spouses of veterans.”

The move also gives USAA a chance to pull in more employees from the Pinellas County area, something they enjoyed in their original South Tampa location when the company first came to the area, but lost when it opened its 500,000-square-foot facility in New Tampa more than a decade ago.

“This will still be our main office,” Hoyland assured those attending the breakfast. “We still like the employees we get from the main area, and we get a lot from Pasco County. They come as far away as Brooksville to come to our facility.”

USAA was founded in 1922 after a group of U.S. Army veterans struggled to get affordable car insurance because existing companies at the time thought they were too risky to ensure.

The company now boasts more than 10 million members, all of who are, or are associated with, military service members.

In recent years, USAA has begun to expand its offerings into mortgages, wealth management and investments. In fact, many of its new positions — including 500 in two temporary locations in Tampa — focus primarily on those fields, Hoyland said. The new facility in Brandon, not far from where Amazon is planning a distribution facility, will eventually hold 1,100. It will also add up to 5,000 other people nationwide, growing the existing employee base of more than 26,000.

Kumquat Festival aims at old-fashioned, down-home fun

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Somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 people are expected to head to Dade City on Jan. 25 to attend the 17th annual Kumquat Festival, one of Pasco County’s most popular events.

The festival that pays homage to the diminutive orange fruit had humble beginnings. Phyllis Smith, Roxanne Barthle and Carlene Ellberg were looking for a way to help inject new life into downtown Dade City. They put their heads together and decided to have a festival to honor the kumquat.

John Moors holds a poster promoting the 17th annual Kumquat Festival presented by the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. He thinks the event will draw between 40,000 and 50,000 to the East Pasco County city this year. (Photo by B.C. Manion)
John Moors holds a poster promoting the 17th annual Kumquat Festival presented by the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. He thinks the event will draw between 40,000 and 50,000 to the East Pasco County city this year. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The inaugural festival was on the lawn of the historic Dade City Courthouse. It included a few vendors, some food and some kumquat growers.

This year, there are 430 vendors offering fine arts, craft items, food and other services — and that’s after about 150 vendors were turned away, said John Moors, executive director of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event.

There also will be two entertainment stages, a car and truck show, children’s activities, and a health and wellness section, Moors said.

The festival is a magnet for visitors and has raised Dade City’s profile. It was heralded by the Pasco County Tourism Board as the Pasco County Event of the Year in 2012 and has enjoyed the distinction of being named a “Top 20 Event” by the Southeast Tourism Society, which selects premier events in 13 Southeastern states.

It gives the community a chance to show off its old-fashioned charm and gives event-goers an opportunity to enjoy a family-friendly event, with free parking and admission, Moors said.

Offering the event without charging an admission means that organizers must cover costs from vendor fees and sponsors, and drum up support from volunteers. Fortunately, the festival enjoys the help of the city, county and state governments, as well as corporate sponsors. Community volunteers play a vital role, too, Moors said.

Volunteers from Calvary Assembly of God Church, for instance, help set a friendly tone for visitors by doling out bottles of water to people who park in the satellite lot at the Pasco County Fairgrounds.

Getting ready for the festival requires thorough planning and some elbow grease, starting a year ahead of the event to make sure all of the logistics are covered, Moors said.

On festival day, volunteers are up well before sunrise to pitch in.

“We have hundreds of local volunteers that start at 4:30 in the morning to get all of the vendors in and get all of our things in and set up,” Moors said. “By 9 o’clock, which is the festival opening time, we’re all ready to go.”

There’s plenty of parking with the satellite lots, but last year organizers discovered that those using the shuttles had to wait too long. So, this year there are more shuttle buses, and the bus routes have been tweaked to prevent long waits.

Moors expects the festival to attract 5,000 to 10,000 more people this year because of increased marketing efforts. This year, event organizers are making a bigger push to try to entice people from Sun City Center, The Villages, Wesley Chapel, New Tampa and the Nature Coast in Pinellas to make the trip to Dade City.

The event has a regional impact, Moors said. Using the same formula Visit Florida uses for fairs and festivals, he believes $1 million exchanges hands over the course of the festival.

Of course, much of that money goes to the vendors, but the event has an impact in Dade City, too, he said.

“I’ve had restaurants tell me that they do one week’s worth of business in that one day,” he said. “Our merchant’s association is geared up. They know that if they don’t make a sale on that day, there’s a good possibility that they can make a connection for somebody to come back and visit again and perhaps buy because they like what they see.”

The king of the event is the kumquat. Described as the “little gold gem of the citrus industry” by kumquat promoters, the fruit can be found in virtually every form at the festival.

Vendors will offer kumquat pie, kumquat salsa, kumquat jam, kumquat jelly, kumquat preserves, kumquat ice cream, and even kumquat lotions and soaps.

It’s easy to understand why the event attracts big crowds, Moors said.

“It’s a wonderful, wonderful family experience and experience for mature adults who enjoy a good, old-fashioned, down-home unique Florida experience,” he said.

EVENTS:
WHAT: Miss and Mr. Kumquat Festival Pageant
WHEN: Jan. 18 at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Calvary Assembly of God Church, 13544 U.S. 98 Bypass
DETAILS: Contestants in various age categories will be judged on their poise, personality, communication skills and overall appearance.

 

WHAT: Kumquat Growers Open House
WHEN: Jan. 23 and Jan. 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: 31647 Gude Road, Dade City
DETAILS: Visit a farmer’s market, tour grove houses, view antique equipment and sample kumquat products.
COST: Tours are free
INFO: Call (352) 588-2761, or visit KumquatGrowers.com

 

WHAT: 17th annual Kumquat Festival
WHEN:  Jan. 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Historic downtown Dade City
DIRECTIONS: Take Interstate 75 and go east on State Road 52; or take U.S. 301. Follow signs.
COST: Free admission, free parking and free shuttles from remote satellite parking lots at the Pasco Fairgrounds on State Road 52 approaching Dade City, or near Jarrett Ford, 38300 Dick Jarrett Way.
INFO: Visit KumquatFestival.org, or drop by an information booth at the festival. There are information booths at Third Street and Meridian Avenue, and at Seventh Street and Meridian.

Business Digest 01-15-14

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Honors for Avalon Park West
Avalon Park West on State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel recently earned three awards from the Tampa Bay Builders Association Awards of Excellence for sales and marketing.
Developed by Avalon Park Group, Avalon Park West earned top honors for Best Sales and Marketing in 2013, ad well as Best Brochure for a community or builder. Avex Homes, which partners with Avalon Park Group, was honored for best logo.
The awards are judged by TBBA’s Sales and Marketing Council.

Tax collector’s office opening in Lutz instead
Plans to open a Pasco County tax collector’s office at The Grove in Wesley Chapel have fallen through, and instead will open in Lutz.
The new location will be at Compark 75 Center, 4610 Pet Lane, in Lutz, and will “still offer superior convenience to our residents in an area of the county which has been underserved,” said Billy Poulos, the deputy tax collector, in a memo. It will be near the entrance to the Grand Oaks community on Wesley Chapel Boulevard.
It is expected to open by summer.

 

Seminar explores ‘Growth on the Horizon’
The Pasco County Economic Development Council, in conjunction with Business Development Week 2014 with the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce, will host the seminar “Growth on the Horizon,” Jan. 31 beginning at 11 a.m. at the Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club, 10641 Old Tampa Bay Drive in San Antonio.
John Jung, executive director of BB&T Capital Markets, will demonstrate what he says are the key drivers of the U.S. economy.
Cost is $30 per person by Jan. 17, and advance registration is required.
To register, visit PascoEDC.com/events.

 

Cardiology group moves to Wesley Chapel
Brooksville Cardiology now has a new home in Wesley Chapel.
The center is at 2204 Ashley Oaks Circle, Suite 201, across from The Shops at Wiregrass, and behind Sam’s Club.
For more information, call (352) 592-4938.

 

Dewey Mitchell
Dewey Mitchell

PEDC chooses Mitchell as new leader
Dewey Mitchell, owner of Prudential Tropical Real Estate, has been named chairman of the board for Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.
With his new position, Mitchell is responsible for governing the organization and providing leadership in implementing the organization’s strategic plan. The governance structure enables the private and public sectors to collectively leverage knowledge, passion, influence and relationships to achieve their goals.
“Dewey Mitchell comes from a family with deep roots on Pasco County,” PEDC’s president and chief executive John Hagen said in a release. “As a member of our policy council, Dewey has been an important part of developing the plans that will drive future growth in Pasco County.”
Besides his work with PEDC, Mitchell also serves on the board of trustees for BayCare Health Systems and Saint Leo University. He sits on the board of directors for Morton Plant Mease Hospital. Mitchell also is the former chairman of the Tampa Bay Partnership.
When not volunteering in the community, Mitchell has led one of the Tampa Bay area’s primary real estate firms since 1984.
Over the last year, PEDC helped create 627 jobs with 388,227 square feet occupied and $43.3 million in capital investment, according to a release.
For more information on PEDC, call (813) 926-0827, or visit PascoEDC.com.

 

Small business workshop at Saint Leo
Saint Leo University’s Small Business Development Center will host a workshop on how to start a small business Jan. 22 beginning at 6 p.m., at the Donald R. Tapia School of Business, State Road 52, in St. Leo.
The seminar will talk about how to generate business ideas, how to obtain a business license, how to structure a business, and the importance of business planning.
Registration is only available online at SBDCTampabay.com/training.
For more information, call (888) 929-2221.

Landmark theater turns to Internet for help

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A few years after moving to Lutz, Wayne and Cindy Valenti decided to start a business on North Dale Mabry Highway. The concept of a movie theater with nightclub-style seating serving a wide variety of food and alcohol sounded like one with potential, and offered a change of pace from traditional movie-going.

They named it Tampa Pitcher Show.

Wayne Valenti of Lutz, who opened the Tampa Pitcher Show in 1982, loads up the film projector that has served his North Dale Mabry Highway business since the beginning. He is now raising money to replace it with a digital projector — an upgrade that could cost $60,000.
Wayne Valenti of Lutz, who opened the Tampa Pitcher Show in 1982, loads up the film projector that has served his North Dale Mabry Highway business since the beginning. He is now raising money to replace it with a digital projector — an upgrade that could cost $60,000.

That was back in 1982. More than three decades years later, some things haven’t changed much.

“We’ve lived in the same place and worked in the same place for over 30 years,” Wayne Valenti said with a laugh.

Unfortunately, the business climate for Tampa Pitcher Show is no laughing matter. Entertainment competition and technology have made success more difficult, and the venue is now in danger of closing. The 220-seat theater that used to have frequent sellouts looks empty many nights, and getting prints for their 35mm projector (the same one they opened with) is getting more and more difficult. Some movies, like last year’s “Gravity,” aren’t released on 35mm film at all. It was a digital-only release, and Tampa Pitcher Show isn’t equipped to show movies in that format.

To turn things around, the business has turned to the Internet for help. A Kickstarter program has been launched in order to raise $30,000 — roughly half the cost of the digital upgrade. Kickstarter is a crowdsourcing platform where someone can pitch an idea, and convince everyday people to pledge donations for that idea from their computer or cell phone. The amounts can be as little as $1 and go up to several thousand dollars.

Kickstarter launched in 2009, practically redefining how ideas can be financed. Those who contribute money, however, are considered donors and not investors. That’s because they don’t actually get any ownership or product in return for that pledge, except incentives offered by the group looking for pledges based on how much is contributed.

Valenti is offering incentives to those who contribute to the Tampa Picture Show Kickstarter. They range from a movie ticket and website recognition for a $10 contribution, up to a private movie screening for 75 people with a $2,000 donation — with food and soft drinks included.

“We need to let people know that they’re not just donating. They’re getting something for their money,” Valenti said.

One person has already taken them up on the private movie screening. Tom Mitchell, also a small business owner with a location not far from Tampa Pitcher Show, wanted to demonstrate his support of the Valentis, especially since he is a longtime patron and fan of the theater.

“It’s a great theater,” Mitchell said. “We’ve enjoyed going there for a long time.”

He finds the ticket prices to be cheaper than a traditional multiplex, with a wide variety of food and drink available, and the opportunity to support a local business. He plans to treat some of his employees at Actsoft to a movie with the perk he earned for the donation.

While Tampa Pitcher Show has raised more than $5,000 so far, the theater might not see a penny of it. If a project doesn’t meet its fundraising goal in the specified time — in this case, by Feb. 1 — all donations are returned and the company gets no money.

While they hope to meet that goal, Valenti said he can’t afford to wait for it, either. Tampa Picture Show already is beginning the digital upgrade process, with the understanding that the equipment will have to be returned if they don’t have the money to pay it off.

Installing the system will allow customers to enjoy better picture and sound, and have access to movies that aren’t distributed in the old format. But failing to make the digital conversion permanent would be devastating to a business that’s already struggling to keep up with the times, and make it harder for the Valentis to keep the small business they’ve had for more than three decades.

“We’ve got our fingers crossed,” Valenti said. “We need it to work.”

Tampa Pitcher Show is located at 14416 N. Dale Mabry Highway. For more information about the company’s Kickstarter project, visit SaveTampaPitcherShow.com.

Woman’s club loses one of its brightest stars

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The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club is grieving the loss of one of its most cherished members.

Mary Martin, a longtime member of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, lost her battle with cancer on Jan. 1.
Mary Martin, a longtime member of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, lost her battle with cancer on Jan. 1.

Mary Martin, a club member who served for 35 years in nearly every capacity, lost her battle with cancer on New Year’s Day. She was 85.

She fought courageously to overcome two bouts of cancer and again tolerated heavy treatments, but sadly lost her third battle.

Mary was a lovely and petite American of Japanese-English descent, known for her quiet dignity, kindness and meticulous style. Wherever she went she always was perfectly turned out and made up.

She was a talented artist and crafts woman, and for many years, played tennis with a Tampa Bay area group.

She was a woman of great faith and a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Lutz. Her faith sustained her and gave her the strength to bear the heavy burdens she faced, especially during the last few years.

Mary recently spoke of wanting to “go home to the Lord” and rejoin her beloved Duane in their Father’s House. She suffered the loss of her husband of 48 years, Duane Martin, a few months ago.

She is at peace, now.

Mary is survived by three sons and two daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Woman’s Club members mourn the loss of their dear friend, but are consoled in knowing the heavenly skies burn more brightly now, with her twinkling glow.

“As gentle as a snowflake, may peace come to your heart.”

-Japanese proverb

By Patricia Serio

Local men set off on worldwide sailing adventure

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Brian Fox, of Odessa, was preparing last week to push off on a sailing trip that will take him around the world. Joel Heyne, of St. Petersburg, is joining him for this grand adventure.

Brian Fox and Joel Heyne look over the first chart for a sailing trip that will take them around the world. The men planned to set sail from Boca Ciega Yacht Club on Jan. 4.
Brian Fox and Joel Heyne look over the first chart for a sailing trip that will take them around the world. The men planned to set sail from Boca Ciega Yacht Club on Jan. 4.

The two men will cruise on a 40-foot sailboat called American Spirit II, setting sail from the Boca Ciega Yacht Club in Gulfport on Jan. 4. They’ll begin circumnavigating the globe when they join 35 other sailboats taking part in the World Atlantic Rally for Cruisers.

Fox and Heyne plan to join the Round the World Rally, which includes sailors from all over the world, when it makes its first stop in the San Blas Islands.

“”The largest contingent will be United Kingdom,” Fox said, noting that’s where the organizers of the rally are from. “There will be French. There will be Russian. There will be American. There will be Germans. There will be South African. There will be Norwegian.”

They will travel around the globe, sailing on the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. They’ll complete 17 legs, covering 26,000 nautical miles, in 15 months. Along the way, they’ll encounter natural wonders and stop to sample cultural offerings at exotic and historic locales.

The itinerary includes exploring the Galapagos, checking out Napoleon’s prison, witnessing Carnival, visiting the Great Barrier Reef, and on and on.

Along the way, they’ll restock provisions, repair breakdowns and follow the route that sailing vessels took hundreds of years ago to come to America, Fox said. The route, however, avoids areas of political instability, piracy and the storm seasons in both hemispheres.

Fox has been preparing for the voyage for about 18 months. During that time, he and Heyne have made sure to outfit the boat with equipment and technology that will keep them safe, will allow them to stay in touch with others, and will enable them to make repairs.

Fox is ready.

“When I was young, I wanted to sail around the world,” he said. “In middle age, I didn’t.”

As he grew older, however, the idea regained its appeal.

“In 2010, I had a couple of health challenges, both which could have been terminal,” Fox said. “I decided after that — you know what, if you’re going to do something like this, you need to do it.”

Heyne is excited, but he doesn’t expect nonstop adventure.

He knows better.

Sailors have an axiom, said Heyne, who at 62 has been sailing for five decades. “Sailing is hours of boredom, followed by moments of sheer panic.”

When equipment fails or the vessel is damaged, the sailors must react quickly. “Everybody is hustling and hustling and hustling until you have that problem taken care of,” Heyne said.

Whales pose a real danger, Fox said.

“Moby Dick lives,” Fox said. “If you hit a whale, it’s bad.”

Whales have been known to attack sailboats and sink them.

“Sometimes a sailboat will sail into a sleeping whale and it’s like hitting a side of a house,” Fox said. “You’ll suffer hull damage, and in all likelihood, you’ll be leaking. It’s just a question of whether or not you have the time and the resources to stem the leak and stop the boat from sinking.”

Fox expects the first part of the trip to be the most difficult.

“In the winter time, the trade winds in the Caribbean blow very strong, east-to-west,” he said. “We’re going to have to contend with those rounding Cuba to get to Panama. When I say blow strongly, I mean 25 to 30 knots, quite a wind. Complicating matters more is that you’ve probably noticed about a week or 10 days ago, we started getting really large cold fronts. We have one coming up.”

That means some adjustments to the travel plans. Originally, the two were going to leave Tampa and head to the western tip of Cuba. Now, however, they’ll have to travel to the Dry Tortugas and wait there a few days for a weather window that will allow them to cross the Gulf Stream and around Cuba.

“The waves are only forecast at about 15 feet,” Fox said. “Because we have to cross the Gulf Stream, typically the waves are double. So you could have 25- to 30-foot seas, if you follow a front across the Gulf Stream. So, we’re going to have to wait until the front clears and go after that.”

Still, he’s confident that he and Heyne are up to challenges they’ll encounter.

The sailboat has an autopilot, which is far easier than steering by hand. It also has equipment that can make fresh water from salt water. The boat can take advantage of solar power and hydropower.

It also has a kitchen, bathroom, shower, two bedrooms and a flat-screen television below deck. The men also will take hundreds of DVDs along them to entertain them when things get slow.

They also are taking advantage of the latest technology to protect them and the boat. The vessel is equipped with devices that notify either the boat or authorities that a person has left the boat.

“Most people don’t have the kind of safety equipment we’re talking about,” said Fox, who owned a security guard business before he sold it and retired in 2008.

The boat also has a life raft, buoys and flares to use during emergencies.

As they prepared to head off, both men were looking forward to the people they’ll meet, the places they’ll visit, the sites they’ll see and whatever adventures they’ll encounter.

“I think sailing around the world, to sailors, is like climbing Mount Everest, to climbers,” Heyne said.

Arts and entertainment showcased at Suncoast Arts Fest

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If you’re looking to add an artwork to your home décor, want to pick up a piece of pottery, or are looking for some entertainment, the Suncoast Arts Fest may be just the thing for you.

If you’re looking to complete your personal art collection, or are just getting started, you’ll find plenty of choices at the Suncoast Arts Fest Jan. 18 and Jan. 19 at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.
If you’re looking to complete your personal art collection, or are just getting started, you’ll find plenty of choices at the Suncoast Arts Fest Jan. 18 and Jan. 19 at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.

The event will feature more than 130 juried visual artists and craftsmen. It is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 18, and from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Jan. 19 at The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive.

The shopping mall is in the heart of Wesley Chapel, just off State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, a couple of miles east of Interstate 75.

The event, now in its ninth year, is expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors, said Laura Knox, a member of the Fine Arts of Suncoast board, which produces the fest. The event is popular because of the venue and because of the high-quality artists that it attracts.

Art lovers will be able to browse through tents filled with fine art and crafts. Meanwhile, entertainers will set up at the mall’s Center Court, the same setting for interactive art, where volunteers will assist children with art projects.

The entertainment also helps draw a crowd, Knox said.

“A lot of times we give entertainers a chance to jumpstart their careers,” she said.

The entertainment slate this year includes a wide range of singers, dancers and actors. Julie Black, an area singer and songwriter, will perform on Saturday. Her music brings together elements of blues, jazz, soul and rock, and has been featured at music festivals, concert halls and select venues.

Her band includes Dave Eichenberger on guitar, Michael John on keyboard, Father Bill Spicuglia on bass and Frankie Timpanelli on drums.

In addition to promoting cultural awareness, the Suncoast Arts Fest benefits Arts for Kids, a supplemental arts education funding program for area schools.

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the event this year, too, Knox said. The chamber also is planning an Arts and Business Expo, which includes booths, an awards presentation and entertainment, with the expo beginning at 4 p.m., and festivities concluding at 9 p.m. on Jan. 18.

The Suncoast Arts Fest slate of entertainment:
Jan. 18
10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. — Pasco Schools youth music presentation
11 a.m. to noon — Timebandits
12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. — Richey Suncoast Theatre
1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Achobrother
2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — Julie Black
3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. —Pasco Schools youth music presentation
4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Hot Rod Hornets

Jan. 19
11 a.m. to noon — Tampa Bay Ukulele Society
12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. — Aaron Rutter Duo
1 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Amanda Lynn
2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. — Six Volt Rodeo
3:30 p.m. to 4:15 pm — Pasco Schools youth presentation
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Sarasota Slim
Bay’s best blues and swing dancers will celebrate the art of dance both days.

 

Arts and Business Expo
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will present the Arts and Business Expo on Jan. 18 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Expo will be on Piazza Avenue, a high-traffic area at The Shops at Wiregrass.
Thirty-five member businesses will have the chance to promote their businesses and show support for the arts. The evening also will feature live musical entertainment and a presentation of awards.
Businesses wishing to participate must bring their own skirted table and 10-by-10-foot canopy or market for shade. Electrical outlets are available, if needed, as is Wi-Fi connectivity. Setup begins at 3 p.m.
The charge is $175 per booth and the event is open to chamber members only.
Parks Fiat of Wesley Chapel is the expo sponsor.
For additional information, email , or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com/pages/ArtsBusinessShowcase.

Key to county growth: More public buses

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It was years in the making, and some said at least several years too long. But last spring, Pasco County Public Transportation — which manages the mass transit system in the county — finally connected Zephyrhills and New Port Richey with a bus.

The trip takes less than two hours, and riders can take advantage of it simply with a $3.75 day pass.

Bus stops like this one on State Road 54 will have to become much more commonplace in the coming decade as Pasco County works to lead the Tampa Bay region in smart growth.
Bus stops like this one on State Road 54 will have to become much more commonplace in the coming decade as Pasco County works to lead the Tampa Bay region in smart growth.

But if Pasco wants to find a way to lead the suburban growth of the greater Tampa Bay area, it’s going to have to create a network much stronger than that, according to the Urban Land Institute.

“There is very little transit here in the county, as you all know,” said Bill Lawrence, managing director with T.R. Advisors in Boston, who joined the independent growth and development analytical group in a presentation to the county late last year. Yet, while some of that blame falls to county officials, it is part of a much broader problem.

“The transportation planning function in the region really is in disarray,” Lawrence said. “The (high-speed) train to Tampa has been defunded, and the transit initiative in Hillsborough has not been passed.”

The number of cars traveling Pasco roads is growing faster than the roads can be upgraded, Lawrence said. There already are daily traffic bottlenecks in areas like Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and State Road 54, as well as the interchanges around Interstate 75 and the Suncoast Parkway.

While adding lanes will help accommodate the traffic in a county that has grown 143 percent in the last 30 years — the key is an expanded mass transit system, which means changes must come to PCPT.

The system currently runs 10 routes, including the cross-county route along the State Road 54 corridor, compared to the nearly 50 routes operated by its southern neighbor, Hillsborough County.

But how would such expansions be paid for, especially with Pasco County facing a $14 billion shortfall in the current planning cycle?

Lawrence suggested that 5 percent of all transportation funding be earmarked to advancing public transit in the county.

“Most of this would be picked up by local development fees, and there is in place this mobility fee that is supposed to address some of that,” Lawrence said. “I am not sure how that would work, or how much money it would actually raise, although it provides incentives to offset land uses that are desirable, like transit-oriented development, which is a good thing.”

Mobility fees may have some problems getting traction in terms of additional revenue since county officials have waived or reduced such fees in the past to help attract new development to the county.

While jobs are growing in Pasco County by more than 3,000 per year, government officials can’t forget that many Pasco residents — around half by Lawrence’s projections — still travel into Hillsborough and Pinellas counties each day to work. Addressing this need could come through bus rapid transit, something that is now being tried in Hillsborough County, and could be expanded at some point into Pasco.

Transit will always remain a subsidized offering of the county, but the importance lies not just in moving the workforce around, but also in making Pasco an attractive place for business, Lawrence said. Transportation is one of the key issues businesses look at when trying to find business hubs for its operations, and many grants and other funding also hinge on the diversity and effectiveness of transportation options in an area.

Dade City to paint the town kumquat

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Lucy Avila got the idea to paint kumquats around Dade City and San Antonio during a visit to Dunedin.

Organizers behind the Paint the Town Kumquat campaign show off the new kumquat-painted shutters at the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce office. Participating in the project are, in front from left, project coordinator Lucy Avila, incoming chamber president Bonnie Krummen of CenterState Bank, and Dade City mayor Camille Hernandez. In back, Dade City chamber executive director John Moors, and Saint Leo University media coordinator Kim Payne.
Organizers behind the Paint the Town Kumquat campaign show off the new kumquat-painted shutters at the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce office. Participating in the project are, in front from left, project coordinator Lucy Avila, incoming chamber president Bonnie Krummen of CenterState Bank, and Dade City mayor Camille Hernandez. In back, Dade City chamber executive director John Moors, and Saint Leo University media coordinator Kim Payne.

That city, becoming known for its annual Dunedin Orange Festival, was sprinkled with small paintings of oranges. And they were everywhere — businesses, homes, even public areas like a seawall.

“I was sitting there with my Scottish terrier, and I saw an orange painted on a building,” said Avila, a member of the advisory board for the Dade City Center for the Arts. “And then I looked again, and there was another one, and then another one.”

Dunedin might associate itself with oranges, but Dade City and San Antonio have positioned themselves quite solidly with the kumquat, the small orange-like fruit with a sweet rind and sour juicy center the region celebrates with a festival every January. It didn’t take long for Avila to realize such a project would be great for East Pasco County.

“We are the largest kumquat growers in America, and we don’t highlight that as much as we should,” she said. But now, with its own painting project underway, Dade City and San Antonio can do just that.

A collaboration between the DCCA, the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce and Saint Leo University, the Paint the Town Kumquat campaign offers 21 different kumquat designs priced between $50 and $250, depending on the size of the painting. Local artists specially chosen by the DCCA will receive half the proceeds, with the rest going toward art programs in the area. It’s open to businesses, merchants, building owners and even homeowners on the eastern side of the county.

So far, two businesses have officially signed up for the paintings, with more ready to commit in the coming weeks, Avila said. They include the Dade City chamber, which had kumquats painted on the shutters of its main offices, located at 14112 Eighth St., in Dade City.

“The kumquat festival has become an event of regional importance,” said John Moors, executive director of the Dade City chamber. “It’s becoming so well-known across the Tampa Bay region, and it’s really quite remarkable. People are moving back toward more authentic and family-friendly fun sort of activities.”

The Kumquat Festival, which runs Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in Dade City’s historic downtown, is an example of those events with the slower, more rural easier pace that people in the area have come to enjoy, Moors said. And showing pride in the area’s biggest agricultural export — similar to what Plant City has with strawberries — can only grow through projects like the one organized by Avila.

Yet, the festival draws some 45,000 people each year — six times the size of Dade City, Moors said.

“When you think of the logistics of it, that’s quite a feat,” he said. “It’s basically a volunteer-run situation because we don’t have a professional management company running the festival for us. With the help of the county and the city and the state, we are able to pull this off, and certainly painting the kumquats on buildings year-round can help sustain that.”

The kumquat painting project won’t end with the festival, Avila said. It’s likely to continue straight through until November when plans are made to conduct a scavenger hunt involving businesses that receive the works of art on their exteriors. It’s a way to bring the community back to the businesses, many who work hard to support the arts and the annual festivities in the area.

“They’ll have to go by clues to find out where each and every one of the kumquats are,” Avila said. “And with that, we’ll only be closer to the next kumquat festival.”

For more information on how to participate in the project, contact Avila at (352) 521-5858, or Diana Murcar at (813) 966-3704.

Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch is ready for students

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When Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch opens its doors to students on Jan. 13, it will mark a new chapter in Wesley Chapel history.

It will be the first time that students in that community will be able to attend college, without having to commute.

Stan Giannet is the provost of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College set to open its doors to students on Jan. 13.
Stan Giannet is the provost of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College set to open its doors to students on Jan. 13.

Stan Giannet, provost of Pasco-Hernando Community College’s fifth campus, is fired up about the campus’ inaugural day of classes.

“We’re ready. We’re poised to open successfully,” he said.

Porter Campus will have a beginning enrollment of about 1,300 individual students, which is within the college’s projections, Giannet said. Its inaugural staff consists of 48 full-time positions, including 15 faculty members and 33 staff members. There also will be a large number of adjunct faculty members.

Officials theorize students come from Wesley Chapel, choosing the Porter Campus over the college’s East Campus in Dade City and West Campus in New Port Richey. At the same time, the college also expects to pick up some enrollment from nearby counties.

“We also know that many students in Wesley Chapel might not have been going to school,” Giannet said. “There’s no doubt that we’ll be bringing in students from Hillsborough, maybe even Polk.”

Porter Campus officials won’t be able to pinpoint where the enrollment is coming from, however, until they do a ZIP code analysis, expected to take place after the semester begins, Giannet said.

The campus, at 2727 Mansfield Blvd., is situated off State Road 56, about two miles east of Interstate 75, in the heart of Wesley Chapel. It is across the street from the planned Raymond James financial services office park, next to Wiregrass Ranch High School, down the road from The Shops at Wiregrass and around the corner from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

In addition to offering a two-year degree program, the campus plans to launch two bachelor’s degree programs in the fall. One is a bachelor’s degree in nursing and the other is a bachelor’s in applied science, focusing on supervision and management.

In keeping with its new baccalaureate offerings, the Pasco-Hernando Community College board is scheduled to vote on Jan. 21 on a proposal to change the college’s name to Pasco-Hernando State College.

As it opens, the Porter Campus is offering about 160 bricks-and-mortar, face-to-face sections and about 15 hybrid sections, which includes online and face-to-face instruction, Giannet said.

“That’s not counting our nursing courses. We’ll have several courses in our nursing program, which is a limited access program,” he added.

Courses being offered run the gamut from microbiology and human anatomy, to psychology and sociology, to cinema and literature.

The campus also will be the only PHCC location to offer two new certification programs. Those programs are for surgery and pharmacy technicians, both fields where workers are in high demand.

Porter Campus has six buildings, including a seven-story classroom building — said to be the tallest structure in Pasco County. It consists of a three-story parking deck, topped by four floors of classrooms and labs.

The nursing lab on the fifth floor simulates a hospital ward. The equipment is so current that the mannequins there can talk and breathe, officials said during a November preview tour.

Porter Campus boasts a beautiful architectural design, Giannet said, but it won’t truly come to life until the students, staff and faculty are using it.

“We want to create a milieu, an ambience, that will be conducive to a totally meaningful experience — from the learning perspective and from the working perspective,” Giannet said.

He wants the campus’ staff and faculty to enjoy being at the campus, serving students and he wants students to enjoy being there, too.

“We have small classes, “ Giannet said, enabling teachers to know students by name.

He also plans to have an open-door policy.

“Students can come to the provost office at any time,” Giannet said. “If the student perceives that he or she is valued, they feel more invested in their education. The research is unequivocal: The more connected that students feel to the campus, to the faculty, to the events on campus, the greater the likelihood that they’ll be retained and will succeed.”

The college will work closely with guidance counselors at Wiregrass Ranch and Wesley Chapel high schools, he said. Besides being able to earn college and high school credits through dual enrollment programs, students also will have a chance to have their questions answered about degree programs available through the college.

Giannet said he’s gratified by the warm reception that the new campus has received.

“The community has shown a tremendous interest in the campus and in the programs we are going to have,” he said.

He expects the college to forge close relationships with businesses and organizations in the community. It already has established a relationship with Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

“We’ve developed a partnership for our students to have their clinicals on that site, for our nursing students and some of the other Allied Health. That’s already in the works,” he said.

Work also is under way to create opportunities for Porter students at the North Tampa Behavioral Health center, a new psychiatric hospital on State Road 56.

“As a psychologist, I’m very excited about that,” Giannet said.

The campus was named to honor the Porter family, which donated more than 60 acres for the facility. It is the same family that sold the land now occupied by The Shops at Wiregrass and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. The family also owns the land expected to become the site for the Raymond James office park.