The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Wesley Chapel/New Tampa News

Wiregrass Ranch grad leads by example

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At Wiregrass Ranch High School, Carly Norman was a senior team captain and standout defender on the varsity girls lacrosse team — helping the program to a 14-2 mark during the 2019 season.

She also graduated in the top 10% of her class, with a 4.0-plus GPA.

But, it’s her contributions off the field and outside the classroom that proved to be most rewarding.

Wiregrass Ranch High School graduate Carly Norman became the school’s first recipient of the Congressional Citizen Award, for volunteerism and community service. Norman was president of the school’s Key Club service organization. (Courtesy of Kathy Norman)

Carly was involved in as many as 10 extracurricular activities.

In one of those, she was president of the school’s Key Club, the oldest and largest international student-led service program for high school students.

Through that, she spearheaded volunteer efforts at Feeding Tampa Bay, Bay Chapel Food Pantry, Humane Society of Tampa Bay and Habitat for Humanity, among others.

One definitive moment occurred in 2017, when Carly helped organize a weekend neighborhood cleanup in downtown Tampa, following Hurricane Irma.

The Wiregrass Ranch graduate recalled a local woman came up to her volunteer group and began sobbing. The woman thanked them for picking up trash and debris the devastating tropical storm had left behind.

Moments like that make volunteering all the more worthwhile, for Carly.

“It was just so touching to see how much my little effort, just taking some time off on Saturday morning for a couple hours to pick up trash made her feel so good,” Carly, now a freshman at the University of Central Florida, said.

The young woman’s efforts to serve have not gone unnoticed.

Earlier this year, she received the Congressional Citizen Award from U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis.

The honor was bestowed for Carly’s exemplary volunteerism and community service.

She was Wiregrass Ranch’s first-ever recipient of the honor, which goes annually to select graduating seniors in Bilirakis’ district.

Though she wasn’t seeking recognition, Carly said she was “really touched” to be chosen for the award.

Seeing the value of giving back

Some volunteers who are Carly’s age may view helping others as a necessary chore to obtain needed service hours. But, in high school, Carly began embracing the opportunity to help others who are less fortunate.

The 18-year-old put it like this: “I  kind of just grew to love volunteering. It became almost like fun for me. It’s a great way to give back to my community and have fun with my friends while doing it. …If you just take some time to find it fun, it really is amazing.”

Carly said her mother, Kathy Norman, instilled in her the value of volunteering.

“When I grew up, my mom always taught me, ‘You give back to others. You help others,’” Carly said.

She began at an early age by writing personalized holiday cards to military members.

In addition to her volunteerism, Norman was a senior team captain and standout defender on the Wiregrass Ranch High School varsity girls lacrosse team.

It blossomed from there.

“When I did get older and had more opportunities to help, I really did jump at that,” Carly said.

Since then, she has gone on to become a member of UCF’s Circle K International service club, the college and university counterpart of the Key Club.

That, plus a demanding undergraduate physical therapy program, keeps her plenty busy.

As she watches her daughter juggle multiple responsibilities and still make time to serve others, Kathy Norman is “beyond proud” of her Carly.

“She works really hard and balances a lot. She basically just wants to be a good kid and do her best in everything.

“She’s really grateful for what she has, and to think that other people don’t have the bare basics, it really does pull on her heart a lot,” Kathy Norman said.

In addition to the Congressional Citizen Award, Carly received another distinction her senior year.

She was one of three Wesley Chapel-based high school female athletes to receive the inaugural HERStory Museum scholarship, offered by the new women’s sports virtual museum at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel.

Though she was a dancer and cheerleader growing up, Carly transitioned to lacrosse her sophomore year, as it was becoming a sanctioned Florida high school sport.

She recalls being encouraged by the school’s boys lacrosse team to try out for the girls squad so they would have enough players to field a program. (Because of Title IX, the school must offer both a boys and girls lacrosse program.)

She quickly fell in love with the sport, she said, noting it “made me appreciate how much Title IX does for women’s athletics.”

Carly wound up developing into a team leader, and was known as a scrappy defensive player. She also recovered from a torn ACL her junior year.

“It kind of taught me that I’m tough,” Carly said of the experience. “The truth is, I’m not a star athlete. I’m really just a kid who has a lot of heart.”

Wiregrass Ranch girls varsity head coach Craig Havemann wasn’t surprised to learn of Carly’s scholarship from the local women’s sports museum.

He speaks fondly on Carly’s three seasons in the program, citing her positive attitude and “go-getter” mindset.

“She just had the grit and determination to want to succeed,” Havemann said. “She had that extra little quality that some people have that they just stand out as leaders — always asking questions, always wanting to improve.

“She’s one of those people that always has a smile. I can’t remember her ever being down on herself or just down in general,” he said.

Havemann noted Carly stepped up as an upperclassman to lead offseason workouts, and helped acclimate new players into the program.

She took them under her wing and showed them the ropes, and let them know what the expectations were, he said.

It’s the type of initiative from a player any coach can appreciate.

“As a coach, she makes the job a lot easier,” Havemann said. “She’s one of those people you want to have on your team because she just brings the whole team up.”

He also observed that Carly “was a much better player than she gave herself credit for.”

Published November 27, 2019

Wesley Chapel color guards receive national acclaim

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While the Wesley Chapel Cadet Squadron is affiliated with aviation, its their performance on ground that has granted them national accolades.

The squadron’s color guard team, known as The Wesley Chapel Knights, has won two consecutive national championships in 2018 and 2019.

1st Lt. Cesar Alayon is one of the commanding officers who helps oversee the local cadets.

“We’re the only team in the history of Civil Air Patrol (CAP), under the new competition program or new format, that has won two times in a row, back to back,” Alayon said.

In precision, Cassie Ramer, left, and Francisco Pulgarin, of the Wesley Chapel Cadet Squadron, stood before the pole where the American flag would be raised. This was a part of the 2016 inaugural flagpole raising at The Shops at Wiregrass. (File)

The 2019 championship comes at the same time the Wesley Chapel squadron is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

The Wesley Chapel squadron, which has more than 30 members, belongs to the United States Air Force Auxiliary’s Civil Air Patrol.

The Civil Air Patrol was established over 70 years ago during World War II, helping to prevent enemy advancement, with equipped planes.

Its cadet program was implemented not long after, for youth who may want to pursue a military career.

The program teaches cadets how to operate aircrafts, and helps to respond to disaster relief – such as the aftermath of a hurricane.

While the Wesley Chapel cadets have participated in these endeavors, its six-member color guard team offers another physical component.

Lt. Col. Cassie Ramer is the commander of the Knights team, having led them to their multiple championships.

“There’s a lot of different aspects of color guard that we all focus on,” the 18-year-old said. “Being the ones that represent the squadron colors and the national flag, those cadets need to be at the top of their game.”

Consisting of riflemen and flag-bearers, the Knights have to undergo different requirements.

This includes proper handling of their rifles and flags, precision, and working in unison.

They also must take exams to test their knowledge of squadron rules and must be physically fit.

On occasion, they’re asked to take part in public events. For instance, they provided the color guard for the inauguration of the flagpole at The Shops at Wiregrass mall.

Ramer said: “When we meet up anytime throughout the week, whenever we can, we’re practicing and acting as though we’re actually at the competition.”

The distinction they recently won began as a tournament at the state level, which attracts color guard teams from across Florida. A similar competition is held in each state.

The top two finalists at the state level move on to the regional competition – which also recognizes the first and second place winners.

At the national level, the top 16 teams from across the country challenge each other during a three-day contest in Dayton, Ohio.

The Wesley Chapel Knights have won the national competition twice in a row.

Those victories came after the team was unable to make it past the regionals in 2017.

“It really hurt knowing that we couldn’t go to nationals that year, because that was a team promise that we made,” Ramer said.

She recalled that cadets who were set to join the Air Force, put it aside temporarily to help the team reach the national level.

Lt. Col. Andrew Alayon is Cesar’s brother and a former color guard for the local chapter.

Before being promoted to his current rank, the 19-year-old filled in for a color guard member, helping to take the team to the nationals this year.

“I’ve always said ‘It’s not about the trophies, it’s always about the experience and what led to those trophies,’” he noted. He said the accolades displayed in the squadron’s clubhouse are a “visual representation” of the team’s hard work.

He is a member of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of South Florida, and is planning a military career.

Ramer, who intends to pursue a health care career as a civilian, said the team’s victories have deeper meaning than the recognition that comes with trophies.

“It’s about the concept of family and the concept of friends,” she said. “A family works by helping each other, not just because we want to get a trophy.”

Published November 13, 2019

Principal raises the roof to promote literacy

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Students at Wiregrass Elementary School have a summer tradition.

They take part, every year, in the Scholastic Book reading challenge.

Several students passing by the courtyard area wave excitedly at Steve Williams, the school principal, as he broadcasts on Facebook Live from on top of the school’s roof to fulfill a promise he made to his students, who logged more than 160,000 minutes in the nationwide Scholastic Book summer reading challenge. (Christine Holtzman)

Two years ago, the students logged in over 43,000 minutes, and came in eighth in the state.

But, Steve Williams, principal of the school at 29732 Wiregrass School Road in Wesley Chapel, knew they could do better.

So, he challenged them to log in more than 50,000 minutes.

If they could, he promised he would spend time reading to them from the school’s roof.

The students slayed the challenge — logging more than 160,000 minutes of reading.

And, the principal responded by spending a full day on the school’s roof — about 32 feet above ground — reading through a megaphone to the students below.

Steve Williams, principal of the Wiregrass Elementary School, reads a book into a megaphone, so the students seated in the courtyard below could hear. The top student readers from each group and their classmates earned the right to enjoy a story from the courtyard.

About every half-hour or so, the principal went on Facebook Live to connect with the community and with his students.

Teachers could log in and let their students watch.

The principal read a series of fiction and nonfiction books. He read newspapers and textbooks. He regaled the audience with his thoughts about the characters, plots and illustrators.

As a special treat, the top reader in every grade level was invited to come to the courtyard to listen to the principal read a book to them, from his high perch, through a megaphone.

Williams said that the kids love the fact that their principal is willing to do fun and extreme things.

He summed up the rooftop challenge like this: “Today is really all about supporting literacy.”

Published November 06, 2019

From approximately 32 feet above the ground, Steve Williams, the principal of the Wiregrass Elementary School, waves to passing students and staff members from the school’s roof. Williams spent the whole school day on the roof, reading books through a megaphone, as well as broadcasting on Facebook Live, to promote literacy and to fulfill a promise he made to his students during the summer reading challenge.
Steve Williams, principal of the Wiregrass Elementary School, holds up a book that he will read during one of his broadcasts via Facebook Live. Every half-hour or so, Williams went on Facebook Live to connect with the community and with the students. Throughout the campus, teachers were able to log in and let their students watch.

 

Brewery aims to become Wesley Chapel ‘gem’

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If all goes according to plan, Florida Avenue Brewing will open in Wesley Chapel by next spring.

It aims to become “a destination, a gem,” said Anthony Derby, the Founder and CEO of Brew Bus Brewing, located in Seminole Heights.

Brew Bus Brewing and Florida Avenue Brewing are affiliated, but Florida Avenue Brewing is considered to be the company’s flagship brand.

Anthony Derby is the founder and CEO of Brew Bus Brewing. (File)

And, while operations will continue in Seminole Heights, the Wesley Chapel location will be called Florida Avenue Brewing and will be known as the company’s flagship location.

The goal for the new Pasco County location is to create a place that people refer to as “a cool brewery,” Derby told those attending the North Tampa Bay Chamber economic development luncheon last week.

“The project that we’re building now is going to be able to do 60,000 barrels (a year). It will be the largest locally owned brewery in the state of Florida,” Darby said.

The brewery wants to be a place where people gather to drink , to eat, to play games — such as  bocce ball and cornhole — to listen to music, to watch sports, to celebrate special events, or to just hang out in the beer garden, he added.

He’s excited about the possibilities.

The brewery will operate in a 32,000-square-foot building, formerly known as Sports + Field, at 2029 Arrowgrass Drive.

“For us, it’s kind of a blank slate. We’re going to be able to do a lot of really cool things,” Derby said, noting he wants to incorporate the best elements of what he’s seen at breweries across the United States.

The company is making a sizable investment.

“Before we open the doors, we’ll have spent about $10 million on the project,” Derby said. That includes land acquisition, new equipment and building improvements. Over the course of the next five years, he expects the company to invest another $2 million to $3 million.

There will be an open kitchen, and also a larger closed kitchen.

Part of the brewery will have community seating, on a first-come, first-served basis — promoting a come-and-go vibe. And, a small space will be devoted to a more formal dining setting.

There will be a private event space, too, accommodating about 100 seated guests, or between 150 to 200 standing, Derby said. That area will have three huge sliders that open to a private beer garden.

Plus, a 3,500-square-foot outdoor beer garden is planned, too.

“We’re not building any new structures, but a lot of internal modifications need to happen,” Derby said.

“We are painting the entire façade, almost a whitewash brick with a gray metal roof and then some red or burnt orange accents.”

The entrance to the building will be moved.

Glass is being installed, so guests will be able to see into the brewery from the outside, and also from the dining room.

“We’re upgrading our water line from a 2-inch to a 4-inch,” he said, to support brewing operations. Additional power is needed, too, so an additional transformer is being added.

To preserve parking, they’re paving a roadway to enable valet parking for the special events area.

On the brewery side, all of the equipment will be new, including its canning line, which will be imported from Italy. It will be able to do about 250 cans a minute, compared to the company’s current canning line that does 50 cans a minute.

A grain silo is planned, on the State Road 56 side, to allow the brewery to buy grain in bulk.

Besides getting the site ready for the business, the company also will be hiring about 50 employees. That’s in addition to its 53 current employees in Seminole Heights, Derby said.

Jobs will include such roles as a lab manager, a general manager, an assistant general manager, an event coordinator and hourly employees, such as bartenders and servers.

Plans call for being open daily, with doors opening at 11 a.m. Closing times will be set, as the business dictates.

Published October 30, 2019

86-year-old woman scratches skydiving off her bucket list

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Gerry Austin is a spry woman.

And, she’s a busy one, too.

She is a regular church-goer. She volunteers at Pregnancy Care Center in Zephyrhills. She belongs to a group that sews items for the homeless. And, she crochets hats for village children in Papua, New Guinea.

Gerry Austin jokes around with a group of her supporters in the waiting area of Sky Dive City. (Christine Holtzman)

But, all that seems rather low-key compared to what she did recently.

The 86-year-old just skydived for the first time.

It was a feat that fulfilled a promise she’d made to herself decades ago.

The Wesley Chapel woman got the idea during the 1990s, while working for the Pasco News. She’d heard some ladies from Zephyrhills say they would be jumping for their 80th birthday.

It sounded fun, she thought, and promised herself that she’d skydive at 80, too.

But, one thing led to another, and time slipped away — and the opportunity never arose.

Until earlier this month, that is.

With her instructor Paul Wolfe’s help, Gerry Austin enters the plane that she will soon jump from, at an altitude of 13,500 feet.

While she had never jumped out of an airplane before, Gerry said her fascination with flying is nothing new.

Her husband, Richard, was completing his courses to become a pilot, before he passed away 25 years ago. She, too, had taken lessons — completing 40 minutes in the air.

She had no desire to become a pilot. She just wanted to be able to land the plane, in case of an emergency.

Gerry’s confident that if Richard could see her now, he’d applaud her decision to skydive. And, if he were still here, he’d probably go along for the jump, she said.

When Gerry made up her mind to skydive, she heard a mixture of reactions.

She shared the news with members at Charity Baptist Church, in Wesley Chapel, where she attends.

In a purple and pink parachute, Gerry Austin soars through the clouds with her tandem instructor, Paul Wolfe.

One response: “You’re crazy.”

Another: “Why do you want to do that?”

Her answer: “You know everyone has a bucket list. Well, this was on my bucket list, and I decided because I’m getting older, I need to start completing my bucket list.”

Others in her circle thought it was a fabulous idea.

In fact, Betsy Strickland, of Zephyrhills, and Alvin Davis, of Wesley Chapel, had their own skydiving ambitions.

Betsy always wanted to try it and figured now was as good a time as any.

Alvin, a former pilot and cancer survivor, wanted to cross off skydiving on his own list.

They asked Gerry if they could join her, and she was delighted.

After getting their gear on, Betsy Strickland, right, sneaks up behind Gerry Austin, to give her a hug.

Their original jump date was set for Aug. 11, but a thunderstorm thwarted that plan.

They jumped, instead, on Oct. 5.

The trio of friends and dozens of supporters, were at Skydive City, 4241 Sky Dive Lane in Zephyrhills, for the big day.

Cam King, Skydive City’s operations manager, explained that the group would do a tandem jump out of the plane at 13,500 feet.

He told them they would complete a 60-second free-fall, reaching speeds ranging from 110 mph to 120 mph. The parachute would be deployed at 8,000 feet, giving them a 5- to 7-minute ride back to the ground.

Gerry was visibly excited, as she waited for her group to be called.

She was surrounded by dozens who had come to witness her big moment.

Her tandem instructor, Paul Wolfe, came over to give her some pointers on what to expect, and as he headed off to another group, he told her: “It’s going to be exciting, it’s going to be a good day.”

After their first skydiving adventure together, the trio hold hands in celebration, as they walk back to the staging area. From left: Alvin Davis, Gerry Austin and Betsy Strickland.

Minutes ticked away in what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, it was time for Gerry and her group to get strapped into their gear.

Their church pastor, A. C. Bryant, led the group in a prayer, before the trio of jumpers headed to a small plane that would lift them up beyond the clouds.

Gerry’s friends looked up, shielding their eyes from the sun, to watch Gerry sail in the sky. She moved gracefully, in her bright pink and purple parachute.

From the ground, Gerry appeared to have a nice, long ride down to earth.

Once she landed, she was quick to tell others, it was more than just a jump and descent.

Her instructor turned them around several times, she said, pointing out places of interest — including a view of Tampa, from thousands of feet above the ground.

As she and the others made their way back to the staging area, they held hands, savoring their shared experience.

When Gerry reached the staging area, she was swarmed by her supporters, wanting her to share her take on skydiving.

As adrenalin coursed through her body, she told them: “It was breathtaking. I’m speechless. You just got to do it. No words.”

Published October 16, 2019

Baseball farm plans grand opening celebration

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Coach Ryan Pryor is hosting a grand opening celebration of the Pryor Baseball Farm — an event where friends, family, leagues and members of the media can visit the outdoor training farm.

The baseball school is  intended to be a place where young athletes can bridge the skill gap to pursue their dreams of reaching high levels within baseball and softball.

The grand opening is set for Oct. 26 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to a news release about the celebration.

Pryor is the former varsity assistant coach at Wiregrass Ranch High School and a varsity assistant at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School. Both programs enjoyed considerable success during his work there. A number of Pryor’s former players are now playing on Major League teams.

The baseball school is situated on a 5-acre-plus site, off Old Pasco Road and Hadlock Drive, at 8931 Elkmont Lane in Wesley Chapel.

The facility, called the “Farm” for short, includes:

  • Hitting stables with six batting cages and machines
  • Pitching pens with five bullpens
  • The Julie Parker drill field
  • Golf-style batting Tee ranges (over pond)
  • Full video evaluations
  • Outfield range
  • Long-toss throwing lanes, up to 300 feet
  • Practice drill fields

For more information about the event, or the facility, call Coach Ryan Pryor at (813) 992-1030, or email .

Published October 16, 2019

Playground aims to remove barriers for having fun

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Olivia Campbell, and her parents, were front and center at the future site of a play space that aims to give all children access to fun.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Sept. 20 at Wesley Chapel’s District Park for its new universally inclusive playground – the first in Pasco County.

The amenity will be designed to accommodate children who have special needs, such as Olivia, who has Down Syndrome.

“Inclusive playgrounds actually make a fundamental statement about how communities value meaningful play experiences for people of all ages and abilities,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who helped conceptualize the playground.

Pasco County Commissioners Jack Mariano and Kathryn Starkey, Erik Wangsness, Pasco County Commissioners Ron Oakley and Mike Moore, Mark Metheny, Eric Johnson and Keith Wiley officiate the groundbreaking of Wesley Chapel District Park’s new playground, on Sept. 20. (Brian Fernandes)

“We believe in creating play environments where everybody can play, focusing on both the physical and social aspects of inclusion,” Moore said at the gathering, which included Pasco County officials, local residents and representatives from organizations that provided financial support for the project.

Moore has spent a fair amount of time at the district park, while coaching teams there.

During those times at the park, Moore said he noticed that there were no suitable accommodations for children with disabilities.

Moore talked it over with Keith Wiley, director of Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, and together they began an initiative to create an inclusive playground.

In addition to researching other inclusive playgrounds, they spoke with special needs organizations for suggestions.

The new play space will be next to the park’s existing playground, with the two connected by sidewalks.

This will come in handy for Olivia, who frequents the park about four times a week to watch her sisters play soccer.

Her father, Stuart remarked: “We spend a lot of time at the park, so we’re absolutely ecstatic that they’re doing such a good project. To have a playground for all abilities will be absolutely amazing for her.”

Her mother, Tammy, said Olivia’s biggest challenge is climbing up the bars to reach other equipment on the current playground.

The new playground will have equipment stationed at a low level for easier access.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore gave opening remarks at the groundbreaking of Wesley Chapel District Park’s new playground, on Sept. 20. The new amenity will be Pasco County’s first handicap-accessible playground.

The 7,000-square-foot facility will include rubber flooring – for safety and a smoother ride for those in wheelchairs.

It also features canopy-shaded benches, and will be near a butterfly garden.

Donors that helped make the project possible are the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and the Lennar Foundation.

Representatives from each organization were present at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Their contributions, along with the county’s park impact fees, amounted to  $340,000 toward the project.

“[At] AdventHealth Wesley Chapel hospital, we take care of sick people every day,” said Erik Wangsness, the hospital’s CEO. “But, another part of our mission is to nurture the health of the community.”

Chris Casella, president of the local Rotary club, added that he and his members instantly knew the project would be worth taking on.

Pasco County Commissioners Kathryn Starkey, Jack Mariano, Ron Oakley and Mike Moore stepped onto the site’s barren ground with organization representatives.

With hard hats and shovels in hand, they posed for the customary groundbreaking snapshot.

Even Olivia got the opportunity to stand among the group.

“The good thing – I think – about this playground, is she’s actually going to meet children like her,” Olivia’s mother said.

The project is expected to be completed in November.

Published September 25, 2019

New interchange expected to ease traffic on area roads

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Plans are underway to build an interchange connecting Overpass Road to Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel, and the project is expected to have a flyover ramp.

The ramp would grant access from westbound Overpass Road to southbound Interstate 75.

The Overpass Road bridge runs east-west above the interstate, which runs north-south.

Richard Moss is the director of transportation development for the Florida Department of Transportation District 7, who is overseeing the project.

Overpass Road, which runs above Interstate 75, will soon have a flyover ramp to connect the two roadways. (Brian Fernandes)

He was present at the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) board meeting to explain the development before board members, on Aug. 8.

“That flyover would process a lot more traffic going southbound (on Interstate 75), so it’s a much better design,” Moss said.

This in turn, would help alleviate congestion on main corridors, such as State Road 52 to the north and State Road 54 to the south, the director added.

Construction along Overpass Road would run from its intersections with Old Pasco Road and Boyette Road – a distance of roughly 1 mile.

Overpass Road bridge will need to be remodeled to accommodate the interchange.

“There’s an existing bridge out there,” Moss said. “We’re going to demolish that and it will be a full new interchange.”

Additional lanes are being added to Overpass Road, too.

The stretch from Old Pasco Road to I-75 will be expanded to four lanes; I-75 to Boyette Road, will be six lanes.

And, Blair Drive and McKendree Road, which both run off of Overpass Road, will undergo realignments.

Blair Drive will be disconnected from Overpass Road and will extend southwest to intersect with Old Pasco Road.

McKendree Road also will disconnect from Overpass Road. It will turn eastward, running parallel to Overpass Road before moving up northward and temporarily connecting with Boyette Road.

Future plans call for Boyette Road to extend north, where it will eventually intersect at another end of McKendree Road.

Pasco County and FDOT are operating under two agreements to acquire the necessary land for the project.

Right of way is being acquired for properties on both sides of Overpass Road, west of I-75. It also is being acquired along the west side of I-75, just south of Overpass Road.

A contractor will be selected for the project by Spring 2020, at which point the state transportation department will enter into a design-build contract.

“We anticipate that, being roughly about 800 days to construct,” Moss said. “You’re looking at probably about three years out and that interchange will be open.”

He also noted that there may be a six-month to eight-month gap between hiring the contractor and beginning construction.

The project will cost approximately $70 million and is expected to be completed by 2023.

Published September 18, 2019

New fire station opens in Wesley Chapel

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Pasco County has opened Fire Rescue Station 38, a new station built to serve Wesley Chapel.

A ribbon cutting took place on Aug. 27 to celebrate the new station, which began operation several weeks ago.

This is the first station added to a fire coverage area in the county since 2009, and is intended to reduce emergency wait times.

Pasco County Fire Rescue Station 38 had its grand opening ceremony on Aug. 27. The Wesley Chapel facility is located in the Watergrass community and will help cut down on response times during emergencies. (Brian Fernandes)

A big crowd gathered to celebrate the moment, including Pasco County officials and firefighters, as well as Fire Chief Scott Cassin.

“This is yet another great day for Pasco County Fire Rescue, and [an] absolutely awesome day for citizens of Pasco County,” the fire chief said.

The estimated $3.5 million project broke ground last September and has been a decade in the making. This was funded primarily by the county’s fire impact fees.

The fire station is situated in the Watergrass community, off of Overpass Road.

“This station, itself, will help the response time to get better safety, emergency help, and fire help [to the] community, and strengthen the fire services for the entire county. That’s so important to our residents,” Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley said, during the ceremony’s opening remarks.

“With the ever-growing emergency call volume here in the Wesley Chapel area, and the other surrounding portions of Pasco County, this additional capacity stands to do just that,” Cassin added.

The 10,850-square-foot facility is the county’s second largest fire station. It can accommodate up to 13 firefighters.

The station is equipped with four bi-fold, bay doors that slide open at a quicker rate than the traditional overhead doors that roll up.

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles, left, Pasco County Attorney Jeff Steinsnyder, Chief Scott Cassin, Pasco County Commissioners Ron Oakley and Jack Mariano, Kathy Creighton and Andy Taylor take part in the ribbon cutting for Fire Rescue Station 38. Pasco residents were welcomed to celebrate the Wesley Chapel facility’s opening on Aug. 27.

It now has a paramedic engine and an EMS supervisor SUV, but it can house up to eight vehicles at once.

“The station is also environmentally friendly, highly energy-efficient and storm-hardened, which are all critical elements of today’s infrastructure,” Cassin said.

Features include a vehicle exhaust extraction system – the first to be installed in a Pasco County fire station. This helps to deter the spread of diesel fumes, which have been identified as creating an increased risk of lung cancer.

The station’s call alert system is designed to handle a high demand of inquiries, with six to eight crew members working on any given shift.

Amenities at the station include a kitchen, a gym, multiple bunk rooms and climate-controlled storage rooms.

Several housewarming gifts were presented to add to the station’s interior. Those included a signed promotional poster for actor John Cena’s upcoming film. The Pasco County resident was not present at the event.

County officials joined the fire chief in a ribbon cutting, which was followed by a tour of the station and refreshments.

Published September 04, 2019

Veteran’s gratitude for new face, new friend

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When Veteran Don Clough looks in the mirror, he says he’s now satisfied by what he sees.

That’s after undergoing multiple surgeries over the course of the last seven decades.

The surgeries were required after he suffered serious facial wounds while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War.

War Veteran Don Clough now resides in Wesley Chapel with his wife, Sandy. After being injured in the line of duty during the Korean War, Clough underwent numerous surgeries to reconstruct his face. He’s an active member of a local Marine Corps League. (Courtesy of Don Clough)

Born on the Fourth of July, the Missouri native felt an obligation to serve his country from a young age.

“When I was 10 years old, right after World War II, I saw a movie about the Marines,” Clough recalled. “I decided right then: I wanted to be a Marine.”

And so he did.

A call to duty
Before joining the U.S. Marine Corps at 17, he first got his training a year prior in the Reserve.

“I was very little to be a Marine,” Clough chuckled. “I only weighed 114 pounds.”

His eyes welled with tears as he reminisced the pride he felt while marching at his graduation ceremony, on a breezy day.

When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the young man had served for almost two years – landing aircrafts in the Fleet Marine Force.

At the start of the conflict, he was deployed to California, then Japan, and finally landed on the shores of South Korea.

Ten days after landing, Clough was on a mission when he got separated from his platoon and was met by enemy gunfire.

He found refuge in a foxhole, but the attack had taken out six of his teeth and tore away his upper gum, upper lip, his nose, and the left side of his face.

Only a dozen members of his platoon survived.

After he was rescued, he underwent treatment for months in Japan before being transferred to California.

After that, he had more than 40 surgeries.

He underwent operations at numerous U.S. Veteran Affairs hospitals — in Illinois, Missouri and Florida.

During plastic surgeries, physicians placed skin grafts on his face taken from his body.

Efforts were made to reconstruct his face, but he felt dismayed by his appearance.

“I looked terrible when I got out,” Clough said. “I had holes in my nose. I was ashamed to even go out to restaurants.”

However, he did not allow this to deter him from seeking higher education and a career for himself.

Returning to civilian life
Using help from the G.I. bill and disability benefits, the former Marine went on to major in accounting at Missouri State University, then received a law degree at University of Missouri.

Clough obtained his law degree in 1959 and began working for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, then as a contract negotiator at the U.S. Department of Defense.

A young Don Clough poses in his uniform, as a U.S. Marine. He would soon put his life on the line fighting in the Korean War.

After a decade in government, he transitioned into his own law practice — following his grandfather’s footsteps, who also had been a lawyer.

“I always figured I’d be a tax lawyer,” Clough said, “but I ended up being a criminal lawyer – which I enjoyed.”

Back in Missouri, he served not only as a prosecuting attorney, but as a judge as well.

In 1994, he retired to Florida, where he continued to undergo plastic surgery.

It wasn’t until 2018, though, that his spirits would be lifted by two procedures under the hand of Dr. William Carter.

A new face of gratitude
At the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Dr. Carter performed what Clough said was exemplary work – even giving him a new chin.

The veteran even implored U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida to honor the doctor for his craft.

In a letter of gratitude to the Tampa VA hospital, Clough stated: “Dr. Carter is a modest man, and will tell you he is only doing the job he is paid to do. But, I tell you this, after undergoing 43 plastic surgery operations by different surgeons, in the last 66 years, Dr. Carter is one in a million. A man to be proud of. A man proud to serve those who served.”

The Wesley Chapel man, who spends time with Sandy, his wife of 47 years, said he often hears expressions of gratitude for his service to the country.

Clough has the same sense of appreciation for the doctor — who through the use of his surgical skills — gave him part of his life back.

Published August 28, 2019