Local News

Promote happiness with this Mother’s Day gift guide

April 9, 2024 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that can make one’s day. Use this Mother’s Day gift guide to promote happiness in your mom’s life:

Better Mornings
Coffee and tea have been scientifically proven to boost happiness. But if your mom is like many moms out there, she may get so busy taking care of others she forgets to drink her beverage before it gets cold. What if she could enjoy her coffee or tea from the first sip to the last at just the right temperature? A temperature-controlled self-heating mug, stylishly maintains an individual’s beverage at their ideal temperature — 130, 140 or 150 degrees Fahrenheit — for hours. Your mom will never have to reheat her tea or coffee again.

Endorphin Boost
Did you know that exercise is one of the best ways to promote happiness? Not only can it be a major confidence booster, it releases endorphins that offer a post-workout bliss. However, many people new to exercise don’t know how to start working out or have questions about doing so safely. If your mom is one of those people, consider gifting her a session with a personal trainer. In one session, the trainer can assess your mom’s current level of fitness and offer her a sensible routine to do on her own. Or, if your mom is social or loves variety, consider getting her a fitness membership to a service like ClassPass. This will allow her to take various types of fitness classes so she can see what style of workout she likes best.

Happy Faces on Rotation
Sometimes all one needs to smile is a reminder of a happy memory. Upgrade your mom’s photo display game with a digital frame so she can be treated to a slideshow of loved ones anytime she wants. With a model that connects to Wi-Fi, she can easily send photos to the frame through email or via online photo collections. As a thoughtful gesture, consider pre-loading it with some of her favorite family photos.

This Mother’s Day, honor your mom with thoughtful and fun gifts that will promote her happiness.

-StatePoint

Published April 10, 2024

Governor signs bill allowing larger bottles for Florida wineries

April 9, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — Florida residents will be able to upsize their wine purchases after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Thursday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 583, which will allow Florida winemakers and distributors to legally sell bottles of wine up to 15 liters, almost four gallons. Previously, wine distributors and manufacturers were restricted from selling their products to everyday Florida customers in anything larger than a one-gallon container.

“So, we’re here today to talk about wine and to talk about something that I know is near and dear to the hearts of many people in our state, and to be frank, it’s something that was near and dear to the hearts of a lot of people that founded this country,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis stated that historians have said that wine was used to toast the signing of the Declaration of Independence. They added that it was reported that George Washington would drink wine every evening.

“As somebody who has often cited Washington’s example as something people in political office should follow, I knew we had to work with the Legislature to ensure that Florida was living up to those great traditions,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis said the Legislature looked at laws that were not working for Florida businesses and for Florida consumers. DeSantis added that the previous laws were “odd” because a customer was able to order a 15-liter bottle online but not physically buy one in a store.

“There was really no public policy reason why we should have this regulation, and this is a regulation that was something that had been in place for many many decades,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis noted that this legislation is an example of Florida cutting through unnecessary red tape.

“We want our businesses to thrive, we want our consumers to be happy,” DeSantis said.

Bill sponsor Rep. Chip LaMarca, R-Lighthouse Point, stated that putting forward the legislation was an easy thing to do and just made sense.

Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Melanie S. Griffin thanked DeSantis for making it easier for more than 51,000 DBPR licensees to succeed in their businesses.

“Under the governor’s leadership, Florida continues to cut red tape and make it easier to do business in our state…I want to take a moment to emphasize how important it is to Florida businesses,” Griffin said.

Published April 10, 2024

State utility to refund $5M to customers over nuclear plant outages

April 9, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — The Florida Public Service Commission approved a settlement Tuesday that will allow Florida Power & Light to provide its customers with a reimbursement.

FPL will reimburse its customers $5 million after they were charged “replacement” power costs when the Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear plants experienced outages between 2020 and 2022.

According to PSC filings, the $5 million credit, including interest, would be included in the calculation of FPL’s fuel factors the next time the company resets them. In February, state regulators recommended that the PSC refund over $11 million due to an agency audit that cited mismanagement as the reason for more than 40 shutdowns at both power plants.

During a prehearing statement, the Office of Public Counsel, which represents customers, officially requested that PSC sign off on an agreement between the OPC and FPL to resolve the issue.

“The outcome is a win-win for customers and the utility. Customers benefit not just from the recovery of $5 million of replacement power cost but also from the FPL’s improved nuclear fleet for Florida, a fact acknowledged in the staff management audit back to 2021 and running through the present time,” Trierweiler said.

Trierweiler stated that the high level of performance benefits customers as they receive cost-effective, efficient, carbon-neutral nuclear power. He added that this enhances the reliability of the utility’s service and helps keep FPL’s electric rates lower than every other investor-owned ultimately in the Sunshine State.

Trierweiler noted that there is no doubt that FPL’s response to addressing outages in a timely and transparent manner helped return its nuclear fleet to operate once again at a high level.

The utility agreed to do a follow-up staff management audit no earlier than 2030, and Trierweiler pointed out that audits are important to ensure that the utility is running in an efficient manner while still delivering savings to customers.

“The purpose of a future audit is to provide a blinking light in the future, in the distance, to remind us that these performance metrics require constant vigilance,” Trierweiler said. “This reminder should only solidify FPL’s commitment to maintain and build on a continued high level of power plant performance, which will benefit customers.”

Published April 10, 2024

Pasco’s conservation area expands

April 3, 2024 By Joe Potter

More than 300 acres of property in southwest Pasco County have been designated as a conservation area.

The zoning of the nearly 318-acre parcel near Lutz was changed from RES-1 (Residential-1 Du/Ga) and AG-R (Agricultural/Rural) to CON (Conservation Lands) by a 3-0 vote of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners on March 26.

The vote, made by commissioners Jack Mariano, Kathryn Starkey and Seth Weightman, was unanimous.

Mariano, who represents District 5, was appointed as the acting chairman of last week’s meeting in Dade City. He is the longest serving member of the board. The designation was necessary because both Ron Oakley, the chairman who represents District 1, and vice chairman Gary Bradford, who represents District 4, were reportedly unable to attend the meeting due to illnesses.

The nearly 318-acre parcel newly designated conservation area contains approximately 50 acres of Category 1 wetlands.

Funds from the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program (ELAMP) were used to purchase the property that is north of State Road 52 and between the Suncoast Parkway and U.S. 41.

Starkey praised the board’s decision, saying this represents an addition of 318 acres to Pasco County’s Wildlife Corridor. She represents District 3 in which the new conservation property is located.

This is in addition to the approximately 6,255 acres of property that had been purchased by the ELAMP program since it was created in 2004 by Pasco County.

A decision on whether to opt out of the Live Local Act was continued until the board’s April 10 meeting in Dade City.

The act would grant tax exemptions to units in multifamily projects that are used to house natural persons or families whose annual household income is between 80% and 120% of the median annual adjusted gross income for households within Pasco County.

The county is within the Tampa- St. Petersburg- Clearwater metropolitan statistical area.

Officials previously said the county could lose out on $38 million in tax revenues over a 35-year period if a pair of properties that was considering using the Live Local Act received tax breaks.

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder recommended the continuance because he said Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, had not signed the measure into law as of the date of last week’s meeting.

In other business, commissioners:

Approved a zoning amendment requested by Ja-Mar Palms MPUD Master Planned Unit Development and Caleb and Angela Miller that will allow for the maximum development of 250 platted townhomes and villas on approximately 42.8 acres located on the east side of U.S. 19 south of Krysher Lane. Some area residents were concerned about the development of town homes on this parcel.

Dr. Marc Yacht, the former director of the Pasco County Health Department, told commissioners he was opposed to the zoning change. “This project will ruin the rural nature of our community. There will be a significant increase of traffic in the area because the 250 townhomes/villas could result in a population increase of 1,000 people in the area,” said Yacht, who is an area resident.

Before the zoning was changed the property could have been used for a mobile home park containing a maximum of 499 units according to county records.

“This will be an improvement over what could have been there,” Starkey said. “I think this is a good plan.”

Approved a zoning amendment that allows a homeowner association in Beacon Woods to use 25 acres of property as a park or for other passive purposes. The property that was gifted to the HOA is part of the former Links Golf Course that closed in June 2019. Several people representing the HOA spoke to commissioners prior to the 3-0 vote in favor of the zoning amendment. The HOA will now be responsible for the maintenance of the property.
Also, commissioners agreed 3-0 to have six plats recorded, provided that the developers or property owners provide letters of credit to the county to cover the expenses of infrastructure, landscaping and other requirements that had not yet been met. Four of the plats were in District 1, Oakley’s district. The four plats are:

An application by CR Pasco Development Company LLC and CRCG Two LP for a 143-lot residential subdivision in Mirada Parcel 8C on 33.28 acres on the Northeast Corner of Tyndall Road and Teak Follow Boulevard.
An application by CRCG Two LP for Mirada Active Adult Phase 2G consisting of 44 residential lots for single-family detached housing units on 37.44 acres on the southwest corner of Mirada Boulevard and Teak Follow Boulevard, approximately 1.45 miles south of State Road 52.
An application by ICI Homes of Tampa LLC for the proposed development of West Hill Estates consisting of 55 residential lots on which single-family detached housing units could be constructed on 68.67 acres on the south side of St. Joe Road, approximately 1.15 miles north of State Road 52, by Promenade Retail LLC. The applicant wants to be able to use four nonresidential lots for commercial purposes. The property is located on approximately 4.322 acres in Promenade Business Centre North Parcel 1B on the northeast corner of Overpass Road and Curley Road, approximately 2.62 miles east of Overpass Road.
An application by Promenade Retail LLC to permit the use of four lots for commercial purposes. The property is located on approximately 4.322 acres in Promenade Business Centre North Parcel 1B on the northeast corner of Overpass Road and Curley Road, approximately 2.62 miles east of Overpass Road.

Two additional plats were recorded in other districts:

In District 4, commissioner Bradford’s district, made by Burcom LLC for the proposed Hidden Ridge development that would consist of 70 single-family residential lots on 63.841 acres on the north side of Ridge Road. approximately 2.5 miles east of Little Road
In District 5, commissioner Mariano’s district, made by State Road 52 Industrial LLC for the development of five nonresidential lots in an industrial park located at Crossings at Sunlake. The property is on the north side of State Road 52, approximately 1.25 miles east of the Suncoast Parkway. The applicant plans for the lots to be used for commercial purposes.

Published April 3, 2024

DeSantis signs ban on social media for children under age 14

April 3, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a controversial new bill into law on Monday that will prohibit the use of social media platforms by children.

House Bill 3 requires that social media platforms be regulated to prohibit minors under age 14 from having a social media account if the platform allows users to upload content and view content from other users, uses algorithms and has certain addictive features to keep young children scrolling.

According to the bill, adult websites that have adult content that is sexually explicit or pornographic would also be required to use age verification before someone can access the website.

“One of the things I know a lot of parents have concerns about is the role that the internet and social media play in the upbringing of young kids,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis added that before the rise of the internet, parents only had to worry about their children if they were out of the house and noted that now the danger comes into the home via the internet.

“Now, with things like social media and all this, you can have a kid in the house, safe seemingly, and then you have predators that can get right in there into your own home,” DeSantis said. “You could be doing everything right, but they know how to manipulate these different platforms.”

DeSantis said that social media has created huge problems and mentioned that last session, the Legislature passed a bill to ban the use of cellphones in classrooms and further noted that the legislation has been successful.

“Ultimately, you know, trying to help parents navigate this very difficult terrain that we have now with raising kids,” DeSantis said. “So, I appreciate the work that’s been put in… but we have done an awful lot in the state of Florida over these last many years.”

Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, made it a priority for greater online protections for children in the Sunshine State and said that problems can go deeper than children being at the mercy of predators.

“The internet has become a dark alley for our children where predators target them, and dangerous social media leads to higher rates of depression, self-harm and even suicide,” Renner said. “I am proud of the work of all our bill sponsors, Representatives Tyler Sirois, Fiona McFarland, Michele Rayner, Chase Tramont and Toby Overdorf, for delivering a legislative framework that prioritizes keeping our children safe.”

Published April 3, 2024

County offers ‘Safe Place’ locations for youth in need

April 3, 2024 By Mary Rathman

National Safe Place Week helps to raise awareness about the vital program, Safe Place, that provides kids ages 10 to 17 who are in crisis access to immediate support services.

Whether there was a fight with their parents or they are fleeing domestic abuse in the home, kids and teens without a place to go can visit a Safe Place location in Hillsborough County to get assistance.

With nearly 200 Safe Place locations in Hillsborough County, including fire stations and libraries, kids can look for the yellow and black “Safe Place” sign.

If kids have access to a cellphone, they can text SAFE with their location to 4HELP and receive a message with the closest Safe Place site and phone number to Children’s Services.

This program has been managed by Hillsborough County Children’s Services for more than 30 years and staff at all “Safe” spots are trained to call Children’s Services, which will send a qualified staff member to the location to talk with the youth in need.

If necessary, transportation to the Children’s Services campus in Tampa also will be provided so the child can receive professional support services.

To learn more about the program and how to get involved, visit HCFL.gov/SafePlace.

Published April 3, 2024

Traffic from proposed Hudson subdivision won’t have access to Hazel Avenue

April 3, 2024 By Joe Potter

After more than two hours of discussion, the Pasco County Planning Commission decided at its March 21 meeting to not permit vehicular access onto Hazel Avenue from a proposed subdivision in Hudson.

The commissioners agreed by a vote of 4-2 to approve a rezoning request by Gary L. Blackwell Investments Inc., with conditions, and to send it to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The Planning Commission (PC) acts as an advisory board to the BOCC.

If approved by the BOCC at a future meeting, the zoning of approximately 107.24 acres north of Hudson Avenue and east of Hazel Avenue will be changed from A-R Agricultural-Residential District and A-C Agricultural District to an MPUD Master Planned Unit Development. This will allow a maximum of 321 single-family detached units to be developed on the site.

Several area residents spoke against the proposed traffic interconnection with Hazel Avenue that had not been originally planned.

Members of Pasco County’s department of Planning and Development had recommended the interconnection after reviewing information they had been provided, said attorney Kamala E. “Kami” Corbett who was representing the applicant.

“We don’t need that extra traffic on Hazel Avenue. We don’t need it and we don’t want it,” William A. Kromer said.

“I am totally opposed to them opening that road on Hazel and using it for more traffic. It’s not safe,” Kathy Kromer said.

“That connection to Hazel Avenue is not something that should be allowed,” Alisha Juanis said. She added it wouldn’t be a good thing to do even if county staff had recommended it.

“The majority of people driving down Hazel Avenue are not area residents,” Amber Tucker added. She also asked planning commission members to either deny the rezoning request outright, or to approve it with a lower density than the applicant had requested.

Planning commissioners briefly considered letting part of Hazel Avenue to only be used as an emergency access to the proposed subdivision. They decided to instead permit a 5-foot-wide sidewalk to be installed on Hazel Avenue. A crosswalk at the intersection of Hazel Avenue and Cobra Way would give students a safe place to walk when they were going to area schools.

It also was proposed that emergency access to the subdivision be provided by means of nearby Edwards Road.

Robert “Bob” Waldo told planning commissioners he owned the property on Edwards Road that Blackwell planned to use and that he wouldn’t grant an easement for that purpose.

Attorney Corbett, of the Clearwater office of the law firm Hill Ward Henderson, said she thought that part of Edwards Road could be used for emergency access since it was on county records as being for public access.

In other business last week, planning commissioners:

Approved a conditional use request for a Group Living Arrangement in an A-C Agricultural District for 471.40 acres in Northwest Pasco County made by Word of Life Fellowship/Word of Life GLA. If approved by the BOCC, Word of Life, which is an adult and youth religious camp and facility, will be able to have nine buildings constructed that can be used as dormitories for up to 440 people. This would increase the number of buildings on the property to 52 and the number of people who could stay in the dormitories to 1,237.
Approved a special exception requested by Hope Youth Ranch Inc., to be able to have a private school serving up to 60 special needs students in an R-2 Low Density Residential District on approximately 1 acre in northwest Pasco. This needs to be approved by the BOCC.
Approved a zoning amendment requested by Sandra Marie Brown, Stefanie F. and Derek L. Pontlitz for 19.841 acres on the north side of Dusty Lane to be a conditional use request, changed from an A-C Agricultural District to an R-4 High Density Residential District. If approved by the BOCC, this would allow 47 single-family residential units to be built on the property in southwest Pasco.

Published April 3, 2024

New members sought for historic board

April 3, 2024 By Mary Rathman

The City of Zephyrhills is actively seeking three additional members to join its Historic Preservation Board, according to a news release.

The Board administers various programs aimed at preserving the city’s heritage, including Historic Façade Grants and the review of Certificates of Appropriateness for alterations, demolition and new construction in historic districts, the release says.

The board was established to oversee the designation and regulation of the city’s historic, archaeological, cultural and architectural resources. Members help to shape the future of the community while honoring its past by advising the City Council on matters related to historic preservation.

Meetings take place on the second Thursday of each month, with agendas available beforehand and minutes accessible after approval.

Online applications for board membership are available on the city’s website, at https://ow.ly/635N50QZ5JJ.

For additional information or questions, contact Hunter Gearhart, City of Zephyrhills historic preservation specialist/community planner, at 813-780-0000, ext. 3502, or .

Published April 3, 2024

Support the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters

April 3, 2024 By Mary Rathman

Residents can trade in their car tag for a Big Brothers Big Sisters tag to support BBBS services. (Courtesy of Pasco Tax Collector’s Office)

The five Pasco County Tax Collector’s offices will feature Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) as its April Charity of the Month. All donations made in person to the tax collector offices, through the mail or online will benefit BBBS.

“Children without a strong adult presence in their life, kids in jeopardy of not completing school or who may come from a broken home and who need a mature adult to provide practical life lessons, are served by this fantastic program,” said Tax Collector Mike Fasano, in a news release.

“Your donation in any amount will help advance the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters. You may also support the life-changing services provided by this agency by trading in your regular car tag for a Big Brothers Big Sisters tag,” said Fasano.

For more information, those interested in donating can speak to a customer service representative at any of the tax collector’s offices.

Donations also can be mailed to Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, P.O. Box 176, Dade City, FL 33526-0276.

To give online, visit GovHub.com/fl-pasco/tc-gives/donate.

Contact Assistant Tax Collector Greg Giordano at 727-847-8179 about the charitable programs.

For details about BBBS, call Alyssa Reas, program director, at 813-310-9184.

Published April 3, 2024

Report: New technology could assist growth in Florida’s manufacturing sector

April 3, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — A recently released report has shown huge growth in Florida’s manufacturing sector, which is responsible for almost half a million jobs in the Sunshine State.

Florida TaxWatch has released the Unleashing Digital Transformation: 2023 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit Summary Report, which focused on how Florida’s manufacturing industry can create greater value and increase profits by deploying new technologies en masse.

FloridaMakes, a statewide, industry-led, public-private partnership operated by Florida’s regional manufacturer’s associations and partner organizations, has a single goal to strengthen and advance Florida’s economy by following three main principles: technology adoption, talent development and business growth.

FloridaMakes further represents the Manufacturing Extension Partnership in Florida, a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

FloridaMakes’ Executive Vice President Zoraida Velasco said in the report that in order for Florida’s manufacturing sector to grow, the industry must communicate with each other to enhance dialogue and begin brainstorming solutions to correct what is not working and enhance what is.

Currently, Florida’s gross domestic product is approximately $1.5 trillion. Manufacturing makes up roughly 5% of the Sunshine State’s annual total economic output, and according to the report, Florida has over 25,000 manufacturers.

The report also notes that the average number of employees per manufacturing company is 17 because most manufacturing companies are small. However, these companies play a pivotal role and are considered “foundation” or supplier companies that support larger companies to keep moving forward.

In total, there are more than 426,000 high-wage manufacturing jobs in Florida, producing goods including aerospace products, food and beverages, communications, and equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, semiconductors and boats.

Around 4.4% of the state’s workforce is employed in manufacturing, with an average wage of $74,575.2 per year. Recent employment data shows that Florida is one of the top ten states in the nation for manufacturing employment.

Experts have recommended that Florida does several things to continue manufacturing growth. This includes manufacturers stepping up marketing and messaging efforts; putting more recruitment efforts into high schools to show students that they have opportunities in manufacturing employment; and further adding that Florida’s 14 regional manufacturer associations need to be put to better use.

Published April 3, 2024