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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Wesley Chapel/New Tampa News

Wesley Chapel Girl Scouts empower other youths

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Ask members of Girl Scout Troop 473 what they’ve been up to this past year, and they’ll tell you — they’ve been putting smiles on other kids’ faces.

The Wesley Chapel troop, comprised of eight girls, has been working toward getting its Silver Project Award since August of 2017.

The award requires 50 community service hours, and the young ladies decided to focus on charitable work that was near to their hearts.

Wesley Chapel Girl Scout Troop 473, from left (front row): Sofia Marasco, Lauren Erwin, Kate Niehoff and Isabel Poholsky. From left (back row): Hailey Krall, Mia Marasco, Rachel Sutherland and Adrienne Gammage. (Brian Ferndandes)

Initially, the troop chose the theme of childhood reading for its project because of a sense of gratitude for literature.

“We all like to read,” said Mia Marasco, adding, “we all realize how lucky we are.”

The girls then decided that their efforts would be better spent if they divided into two groups, each group focusing on its own topic.

Eighth-grade students Lauren Erwin, Isabel Poholsky, Sofia Marasco and Kate Niehoff remained focused on childhood reading. The girls, who attend Dr. John Long Middle School, partnered with the United Way Children’s Literacy Program.

The ninth-graders — Mia Marasco, Adrienne Gammage, Rachel Sutherland and Hailey Krall — turned their attention toward helping foster kids. The four Wiregrass Ranch High School students partnered with the Eckerd Connects Foster Care Organization.

Both groups had a bake sale and sold popsicles to raise funds. They took the opportunity to display two presentation boards. Each represented their causes, explaining what they were about and offering interesting facts.

“It was really fun to watch them learn something of reality – budgeting and earning money,” said Mindy Gammage, who hosts scout sleepovers at her home. “It was definitely skill-building.”

The ninth-grade girls used proceeds from their fundraisers to buy supplies to make personal care bags. They filled plastic baggies with daily essentials such as deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes and hairbrushes for foster kids.

“With these bags, they can grab it, and it has everything they need for a week,” said Sutherland,  a Girl Scout for 10 years.

The four scouts were able to create care bags for 20 boys and 20 girls, delivered through Eckerd Connects.

Besides hygienic products, each bag included something extra from the heart.

“We also made personalized quotes of inspiration that when they read it, they can feel happy and look at the positive side of a bad situation,” said Mia Marasco, the project communicator.

Members of Troop 473, from left: Sofia Marasco, Lauren Erwin, Kate Niehoff and Isabel Poholsky stand with their presentation board. The board advocates for child literacy and offers interesting facts. (Courtesy of Girl Scout Troop 473)

The girls also were sponsored by the Ernst and Young Company, which gave them a platform to bring awareness to foster care. They set up their presentation board and enlightened listeners on the subject at the company’s office.

Meanwhile, the eighth-graders strategized the best ways to collect books.

The tutoring organization Life Skills in Action sponsored the girls, setting up a book donation bin within its facility.

The girls advocated for donations at local events. They also used their presentation board to inform others about child literacy.

“It was just a very eye-opening experience to see that other people didn’t know our fun facts,” said Isabel Poholsky, social media director.

The scouts ended up collecting well over 400 books, exceeding their goal of 375.

It was an important milestone for the girls who acknowledged that the thought of kids who are struggling to read makes them feel sad.

Although they accomplished their donations to United Way, it didn’t stop there. The girls took it a step further and became ‘reading pals.’ They volunteered their time in Tampa and Wesley Chapel, sitting down with children to read to them.

“We realized how lucky we were that we had a good school and a good family to help us have a good education,” said Erwin, project organizer. “We would have liked to return the favor.

Reading and offering Girl Scout cookies to the kids made quite an impact. The children didn’t want their ‘reading pals’ to leave, but to stay and read some more, the girls explained.

Aside from their projects, the young ladies enjoy camp-outs, selling cookies and visiting nursing homes. They also have made donations to a pet shelter.

They’ve made it a priority, too, to learn the Girl Scout promise in sign language.

“They always rise to the occasion – multitasking between school, social activities,” said Elizabeth Poholsky, leader of Troop 473.

Now, their attention is set toward achieving the Gold Award.

They haven’t settled on a new project yet, but they’re sharing some ideas.

Troop member Isabel Poholsky is considering the topic of self-confidence, reasoning that’s something that many people struggle with.

Sofia Marasco is focusing on a topic that’s personal to her.

“I want to do it on celiac awareness,” she said, as her own mother suffers from the disease.

The scouts recognize that with each award comes more responsibilities, but said they’re ready for new challenges.

Scout volunteer Alycia Erwin sees the impact that Troop 473 is making — both on the girls personally, and also those they reach out to.

“They really are making a difference in the lives of others, which is the Girl Scout way – making the world a better place.”

For more information about the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida please visit, GSWCF.org, or call (813) 281-4475.

Published September 12, 2018

Wesley Chapel church aims to extend God’s grace to others

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If there’s one thing that Jeff Olsen, pastor of Grace Community Church, knows for certain it’s this — the church that he leads is physical proof that God is “able to do exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all that we ask or imagine.”

Indeed, that’s part of a Bible verse that Olsen said summarizes the church’s entire quest to build a permanent home at 7107 Boyette Road in Wesley Chapel.

Jeff Olsen, pastor of Grace Community Church, said the building project has been blessed abundantly. He estimates that volunteers completed 50 percent of the labor, saving the church between $500,000 and $600,000. (B.C. Manion)

“This project was beyond us. It took more resources, more help, more finances than we could do on our own. But, we’re doing it because we want to reach beyond ourself to others — a church that’s for others,” Olsen said.

The church moved into its new home in July, but is hosting its grand opening celebration on Sept. 9, with services planned at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., a free barbecue lunch at noon and a pizza night for its teen ministry starting at 6 p.m.

Olsen describes the church as a contemporary church, with some traditional elements.

“We’re a Good News church, not just good advice. The good news is that God loves you,” Olsen said, and that’s the central message of its ministry.

Building the 7,760-square-foot church required an army of volunteers, and, Olsen said, adding that by God’s grace, they showed up.

The property was acquired in 2014, the plans were done in 2015, the site preparations were completed in 2016. The ground-breaking service was on July 1, 2017.

“In most churches, a traditional groundbreaking is some gold shovels, a couple of pictures and everyone walks away. That was not this project,” Olsen said.

Volunteers from Carpenters for Christ help to build Grace Community Church in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Grace Community Church)

“We dug all of the footers on groundbreaking day. We had dozens of volunteers over the Fourth of July weekend. One of the church members had an excavator. Others brought shovels,” he said.

It took about 50 volunteers about six weeks to complete the footers, rebar and concrete forms, the pastor said.

Over the course of the entire project, about 250 volunteers pitched in, doing everything they were allowed and able to do, the pastor said.

He estimated that the volunteers completed about 50 percent of the labor on the project, saving the church between $500,000 and $600,000.

“We didn’t do mechanical, electrical, plumbing or even erection of the steel structure,” Olsen said.

Besides a core group of church volunteers, other helpers came from far and wide.

Crews from Carpenters for Christ, based in Auburn, Alabama, showed up twice to help.

Other groups of volunteers came from Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

A group of pastors helped. Boy Scout Troop 177 helped. And, a volunteer crew chief came down from Connecticut to provide guidance to volunteers from early January through late March, Olsen said.

“So many people did so much,” Olsen said.

Robert Whorley used an excavator to help dig footers.

“Just when we’d done all we thought we were able to do, somebody else would come, (and) somebody else was able to come – until it was finished.

“It was exciting. It was tiring. It was wonderful to see that God could do something beyond what we asked or imagined. What a joy to be part of something like that,” Olsen said.

The church building features a foyer that can be used for small gatherings, a sanctuary that can accommodate 200, a preschool classroom, the pastor’s office and other rooms.

Olsen’s wife, Heather, oversees the preschool that began operations in August.

“When I think of Grace Community, I think of a community of people who come from diverse backgrounds, but are committed to building a better community by God’s grace.

“We are not here trying to convince anybody that our church is more amazing than anybody else’s in town,” Olsen said.

“We’ve seen an amazing God do something amazing things, and we believe he can do that in their lives.

“There’s a tendency, right now in churches, on sermons that are success-based and that are good advice.

“We are a Good News church. We declare the historical Christian faith, God’s love. The gospel is central. Grace is what we are about.

“You can come here weary or broken and find help or find hope, find people who care,” Olsen said.

As the church moves forward, it intends to look for ways to extend God’s grace to others, through a variety of programs at the church and through outreach ministries.

And, while the church celebrates its grand opening, it also has plenty of space to accommodate future growth.

When that might happen isn’t yet clear, Olsen said.

That’s a matter of “God’s timing,” the pastor said.

Grace Community Church grand opening
When: Sept. 9, with services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., followed by a free barbecue lunch at noon. The Walk Student Ministries, for teenagers, will kick off its fall season with a pizza party from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: 7107 Boyette Road, Wesley Chapel
Info: Visit ExploreGrace.com, or call (813) 994-9363.

Published September 5, 2018

Substation expansion plan sparks controversy

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Some area residents are protesting a proposal by Duke Energy Florida to expand an electrical substation at Smith Road and Satin Leaf Lane in Wesley Chapel.

Opponents claim the project will devalue their properties and create unsightly views.

The request for a special exception permit for the New River Substation expansion has been put on hold.

The Pasco County Planning Commission granted a continuance at Duke Energy’s request during an Aug. 9 public hearing in Dade City. The rescheduled hearing will be Sept. 6 at 1 p.m., in the Pasco County Commission’s chambers in Dade City.

The delay will give Duke Energy and area residents time to discuss conditions of the expansion.

While opposing the substation expansion, area residents said at the very least the power company should consider moving the substation from the southeast corner to the north side of the site. They say that would minimize impacts to property values, and lessen potential noise and visual pollution.

Resident Lee Schmidt spoke against the proposed expansion. “It will most definitely affect my property values,” Schmidt said.

Residents also said Duke Energy didn’t do enough to fully explain their plans, either in the letters that were mailed to residents or a July meeting with eight residents.

The energy company sent letters to 19 residents living closest to the project site to invite them to a meeting, according to a Duke Energy memorandum.

Resident Joshua Kling said Duke’s outreach “was really more reminiscent of a marketing campaign.”

Most of the proposed expansion would happen on the existing site, according to Duke Energy. But, additional acreage would be added to expand the parcel to about 10 acres.

The expansion is part of upgrades to the grid system necessitated by the merger several years ago between Duke Energy and Progress Energy. Duke Energy representatives said the company has a deadline of December 2021.

The nearest residences to the New River substation are within the Meadow Pointe and Ashley Homes communities. Residents receive their power from Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative, not Duke Energy.

Access to the substation is off Satin Leaf, which is a private road. Additional access will be off Smith Road, a county-maintained roadway.

The expansion wouldn’t provide additional power, but would increase the capacity and reliability of Duke’s electrical grid, said attorney Manuel Vilaret, who represented Duke Energy.

Buffering of the site would include a fence, a berm and trees.

Sara Guntrum, Duke’s lead substation permitting specialist, said additional landscaping would provide “less (negative) visual impact than there is today.”

But, David Goldstein, Pasco’s chief assistant county attorney, said there were too few details on the buffering.

“It’s not clear to me,” he said. “You need to fix this condition.”

Goldstein said more details are needed on the heights of the berm and the trees, and the spacing distance between trees.

Planning Commissioner Michael Cox wondered if Duke had scouted other sites for a substation.

Guntrum said the nearly 30-day delay would give the company time to address concerns, and provide additional details on the project.

By Kathy Steele

Published August 29, 2018

Local entrepreneur creates healthy desserts

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After tiring of drinking the same old protein shakes, James Doyle decided to brainstorm some new ideas.

He figured there was a way to turn his protein powder into a dessert.

So, the 29-year-old Wesley Chapel man began experimenting.

Inspired by how Jell-O works, Doyle developed FREEZINda, a liquid and dry mix product that transforms any whey protein powder into an ice cream-like, frozen dessert.

Wesley Chapel resident James Doyle is the creator of FREEZINda, which turns whey protein powder into an ice cream-like, frozen dessert. (Courtesy of James Doyle)

Throughout a lengthy trial period, Doyle estimates he tested more than 100 different ingredients and about 3,000 pounds of frozen dessert in his kitchen.

Doyle’s friends and family members — even his dog, Buddy — taste-tested recipes.

As he toyed with countless combinations early on, his taste-testers were brutally honest.

“I had my dad try one of the formulas, and he straight up told me, ‘It tastes horrible,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, man! It (froze) right, it had the right qualities, it looked good,’ and then we tasted it and it was like, ‘No!’”

He said it took approximately 19 months “to get the formula down.”

Eventually he found what he considers the ideal combination of mixing agents that bind together to form a texture that mirrors a sweet icy, syrupy sorbet; with ingredients like vegetable glycerin, erythritol (sugar alcohol), guar gum and xanthan gum, and just a gram of sugar per serving.

FREEZINda officially launched last November and is now offered in 21 stores across the United States. It is non-genetically modified, low sugar, fat free, lactose free, gluten free, low glycemic (low net carbs) and vegetarian friendly.

Preparation is easy. Mix any whey protein powder with a cup of water or milk — like a protein shake — then add the FREEZINda liquid and dry mix, and place in the freezer overnight.

Doyle’s favorite concoction? Mixing in just about any type of chocolate mint whey protein powder, specifically the flavor made by Adaptogen Science.

To further customize the high protein ice cream dessert replacement, Doyle recommends adding nuts, fruit, sprinkles and so on.

Doyle noted: “It definitely does satisfy your sweet tooth and your cravings that you would get, so once you eat it, then you’re like, ‘OK, I’m good.’”

And, there’s no question he’s a fan of his own product.

For about eighth months straight, Doyle said he ate about 2 pounds of FREEZINda each day.

“I still eat it,” he said, “but not 2 pounds a day.”

Computer specialist turned entrepreneur
Doyle was born in New York but went to high school in Leesburg, right outside The Villages.

He later settled in Wesley Chapel with his older sister, to attend and graduate from the University of South Florida.

After college, Doyle worked as an IT specialist locally.

He was forced to quit his career as lingering vision issues prevented him from staring at a computer monitor all day long.  “It was pretty tough,” Doyle said, of having to give up IT work.

FREEZINda contains mixing agents that bind to form a texture that mirrors a sweet icy, syrupy sorbet. It includes such ingredients as vegetable glycerin, erythritol (sugar alcohol), guar gum and xanthan gum, and just a gram of sugar per serving.
To prepare, mix any whey protein powder with a cup or water or milk — like a protein shake — then add the FREEZINda liquid and dry mix, and place in the freezer overnight.

Not sure where to turn next, the concept for FREEZINda suddenly popped in his head while he basked in the sauna at the New Tampa LA Fitness one spring day in 2016.

“It’s kind of weird how, like, when doors close, another one opens,” he said.

Once he had the idea, the next step was to figure out how to get it to market.

Doyle leaned on a minor degree in entrepreneurship, as well as advice from several family members who own businesses to help FREEZINda off the ground.

“I kind of figured out my way from there,” he said.

As a sole entrepreneur, Doyle works from his Wesley Chapel home office, where he can facilitate supply chain duties between a commercial kitchen in Oldsmar, and a co-packer and fulfillment center in Texas.

He’s had to learn how to navigate other aspects, including patents and trademarks, and ensuring the product is compliant with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

He’s also had to figure out innovative ways to market his product and generate more sales.

“There’s quite a bit to owning your own business,” said Doyle, who works six days a week. “There’s so many different areas, from fulfillment to marketing. There’s so many different areas, it’s unreal.”

FREEZINda is offered in retail nutrition and mom-and-pop stores as far away as Texas and California. It is also sold in Florida.

Locally, it can be found at Total Nutrition USF, 2720 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa.

It’s also available on Amazon and several other nutrition-focused websites.

Next month, Doyle plans to introduce new packaging and a new FREEZINda formula that’s sugar-free, and substitutes sea salt for baking powder.

He’s searching for a food broker, too, to help promote FREEZINda to additional chain wholesalers, retail stores and independent wholesalers.

“I’m hoping to pick up more traction, with better retail boxes and a little more enhanced formula,” he said.

He also dreams of appearing on the hit Emmy Award winning reality show “Shark Tank.”

He applied in January and made it through a couple rounds of casting interviews before talks dried up.

While Doyle  aims to be successful in business, he also wants to help people to become healthier.

For more information, visit Freezinda.com.

Published August 22, 2018

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel plans to add more services

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Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel plans to expand the services it offers, as well as building additional parking and a new three-story medical office building.

The hospital, at 2600 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., also plans to add a wound care center that’s expected to open soon.

Those initiatives are in addition to an offsite Emergency Room the hospital has opened in Land O’ Lakes and the addition of Inspiration Place it opened last year. Inspiration Place is a 12,000-square-foot concierge health facility geared specifically for women, complete with female physicians, women’s imaging services and other services tailored to women’s needs.

Denyse Bales-Chubb is president and CEO of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel)

In addition to these new activities, the hospital also has garnered national recognition for its performance.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel recently appeared in Modern Healthcare Magazine as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals. It is the only hospital in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area to receive this distinction.

The selection was based on a study conducted by IBM Watson Health, which spotlights the top-performing hospitals based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational and patient satisfaction metrics and data.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel also was named as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience by the Women’s Choice Award. That award evaluates specific survey results, along with primary research about women’s health care preferences.

Denyse Bales-Chubb, the hospital’s president and CEO, said she “almost jumped for joy” when she learned about the Watson award.

She considers the Watson award one of the top honors a hospital can receive. “They’re looking nationwide, and they’re selecting the top 100 hospitals,” she said.

“To be listed in the Modern Healthcare Watson Top 100 Hospitals is quite an accomplishment. It’s one of those things you always have as your goal. You’re not sure if you’re ever going to get there,” she said.

The award, Bales-Chubb noted, “actually looks at your financial outcomes, how fiscally responsible you are and how viable.”

Inspiration Place, opened last year at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, is a 12,000-square-foot concierge health facility geared specifically for women, complete with female physicians, women’s imaging services and other services tailored to women’s needs.

The Women’s Choice Award considers patient satisfaction, patient outcomes and other criteria.

Much of the hospital’s success stems from the hiring procedures it uses, Bales-Chubb said.

When hiring, it looks at whether the candidate possesses the proper skills and will be a good fit, and also evaluates the candidate’s potential to grow into other roles in the future.

“It’s so important for employees to feel that ‘This is an organization that I want to stay with’ —because loyalty is really big in making sure they are engaged in wanting the success of the organization,” Bales-Chubb said.

The hospital also has an incentive program to promote employee referrals, and has tuition reimbursement to encourage staff to continue building their skills, she said.

When the hospital opened, it was bringing services to residents who had been accustomed to driving for miles to receive medical care.

Since opening, it has expanded in both its number of beds and its array of services.

Inspiration Place, added last year, gave women a single place where they go for the major health care screenings and care, Bales-Chubb said.

The wound care center, which will open soon, will give Wesley Chapel residents a local place to get wound care services. Residents have had to drive 12 miles to get those services, in either Zephyrhills or Tampa, the hospital executive said.

Other planned changes include additional parking and a new three-story medical office building. The new medical office building will mirror the hospital’s Wellness Plaza, and will be built on the land now occupied by a parking lot used for the hospital’s emergency department. The medical building will house specialists, rather than primary care physicians.

“It’s going to be brand new services that have not been provided in the Wesley Chapel area,” Bales-Chubb said, saving patients the need to drive out of the community for services.

As the hospital continues to expand to meet growing needs, the community of Wesley Chapel has been supportive, Bales-Chubb said.

“This community is just so full of people who are so engaging and welcoming, and so innovative. Everybody is looking for how they can make this community better.

“It’s a great place to be,” Bales-Chubb said.

Published August 15, 2018

Wesley Chapel native proudly serves country

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Kaelyn Cardona, a graduate of the Class of 2013 at Wiregrass Ranch High, is now known as Seaman Cardona and she works as a cryptologic technician in Pensacola.

The Wesley Chapel native is stationed with a command that’s responsible for teaching future information warriors the skills required to defend America around the world.

Seaman Kaelyn Cardona

She operates out of the Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station in Pensacola.

As a cryptologic technician, she’s responsible for analyzing electronic communications, jamming enemy radar signals, deciphering information in foreign languages, and maintaining equipment and networks used to generate top secret intelligence.

Cardona credits success in the Navy with lessons she learned during her years in Wesley Chapel.

“Growing up, I learned to never give up, which helps me so much in the Navy,” Cardona said, in a news release.

The IWTC Corry Station is just one component that makes up the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) domain, headquartered at Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station.

The CIWT leads, manages and delivers Navy and joint force training to 22,000 students annually.

It also oversees about 200 courses at four information warfare training commands, two detachments, and additional learning sites located throughout the United States and Japan.

As a member of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Cardona and other sailors and staff know they are part of a legacy, serving as a key component of the information warfare community.

These sailors have a tremendous responsibility in creating options for fleet commanders and advising decision-makers at all levels, serving worldwide aboard ships, submarines and aircraft, and from the National Security Agency to the Pentagon.

Cardona said, “Serving in the Navy means giving back to my country that I love.”

Published August 15, 2018

Wesley Chapel to get a new fire rescue station

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A new fire station in Wesley Chapel will replace an aging facility that has become inadequate to handle the needs of a growing population.

Pasco County’s Fire Rescue Station No. 13, off Old Pasco Road, is expected to open in January 2019. A groundbreaking was held in mid-March on the same day the Pasco County commissioners approved the construction contract of about $2.6 million.

Funding is partially from the Penny for Pasco program.

Construction is underway on a replacement fire station for Pasco County’s Fire Rescue Station No. 13, in Wesley Chapel. The station is expected to open in January. (Courtesy of Pasco County Fire Rescue)

In addition, Pasco purchased an adjacent property for about $467,000, according to county records.

The additional land was needed to accommodate a new fire station that, at about 9,400 square feet, will more than double the size of the old station at 27329 Dayflower Blvd.

The new station also will have space for a Pasco County Sheriff’s substation, where deputies will be able to write up reports, and conduct interviews.

The new station will have three drive-through bays and will be able to hold six fire vehicles. Currently, five firefighters and a battalion chief work each shift. But, the additional space means that eventually up to nine firefighters and one battalion chief could be accommodated.

Instead of dormitory-style sleeping quarters, individual bunkrooms will be provided.

There will be a larger kitchen, with individual pantries for each shift.

Firefighters will have an on-site fitness area, and a specialized washing system for their gear. Also, there will be customized gear lockers in a climate-controlled room.

For emergency calls at night, a “stumble light” system will automatically turn on lights at the fire station, as firefighters don their gear and board fire vehicles.

The station is modeled after Fire Rescue Station No. 30 at Little Road and Massachusetts Avenue, in western Pasco. In 2015, the station won Firehouse Magazine’s “Notable Architectural Design Award.”

Pasco County Fire Chief Scott Cassin said, “It’s essentially the same footprint and design.”

While the new station is under construction, the old station – built in the 1970s – remains operational, Cassin said. It will be torn down once its replacement is opened, he added.

“It’s really in a good location in the central part of the county,” said Cassin.

The area is also a high growth area for the county, with new residents arriving monthly.

Estimates show Pasco adds about 300 homes each month, Cassin said.

Pasco’s growth in all areas of the county is bringing challenges to county departments that deliver services to residents.

Fire rescue especially is called upon to respond to increasing numbers of emergency calls.

At budget workshops to prepare the 2019 draft budget, fire rescue officials noted that in 2017 firefighters responded to more than 71,000 such calls. Over the next eight years, those calls are expected to increase to 100,000 a year.

Much of that is due to overall population increases, but Cassin said other factors also add to the call volume, including Pasco’s aging population.

Lack of health insurance for some is also a factor, he said.

“A lot of people have dropped their health insurance and don’t get the medical care that they should,” Cassin said. They can wind up seeking medical attention when it becomes an emergency, he added.

“We’re seeing some of that,” he said.

As the county’s growth continues, Cassin said fire rescue is planning to expand its capabilities.

However, that comes at a cost to build new stations, increase personnel and add equipment.

In the general election on Nov. 6, voters will be asked to consider approval of four 30-year general bond referendums for the sheriff’s department, parks, libraries and fire rescue.

Over the life of the bond, if approved, fire rescue estimates collecting more than $70.2 million in revenues. About $2.2 million would cover costs of financing the bond, and leave fire rescue about $68 million for construction projects.

Funds would be used to build nine fire stations, including new ones and expanded or refurbished ones.

Four new stations would be located at Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52; State Road 52 and Majestic Parkway; Meadow Pointe, by State Road 56; and Bexley, off State Road 54.

In addition, five stations would be expanded and upgraded.

They would be at U.S. 41 and Central Boulevard; Seven Springs Boulevard; U.S. 19 and Cross Bayou Boulevard; Shady Hills; and, Crystal Springs.

Published August 8, 2018

Lego builds community and a family business at Wiregrass

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Adam Smyk liked the sense of community he found in his 20-year career in the Navy. But, he often had to leave his family for six-month tours of duty at sea.

When he came home, he had to re-introduce himself to his young sons. One lasting bond between them was Lego. They could spend hours together snapping Lego bricks into space ships or create their own special projects.

Adam Smyk owns Bricks and Minifigs at The Shops at Wiregrass. The shop buys, sells and trades Lego pieces and box sets. (Kathy Steele)

“It was something for us to go out and get, and then, do it together,” said Smyk, who retired from the Navy about two years ago.

The family was living in Hawaii then, but New Tampa is home now.

And, Lego remains a bond between Smyk and his youngest sons, James, 10, and Andrew, 7. It also is the family business.

Smyk opened Bricks and Minifigs at The Shops at Wiregrass in March, at 28210 Paseo Drive.

The shop is the first, and to-date only, franchise of the Utah-based company to open in Florida. It’s sort of a Lego consignment shop with new items for purchase, but also opportunities to trade for store credit or cash.

Bricks and Minifigs sells older box sets that were never opened; missing pieces from retired Lego series that can be bought in bulk; and, of course, the minifigs (miniature figures) that are sometimes hard to find or, over the years, those that owners might have lost, like their favorite Star Wars figure.

Batman in the guises of a pink fairy or a mermaid or Marge and Homer Simpson fill display cases with their plastic tininess. One special minifig is a Lego mistake – Princess Leia with smooth, not wavy hair.

“It’s one of the rare Lego mistakes,” said Smyk.

Wesley Chapel residents Karen and Jacob Raffoul look at mini-fig pieces at Bricks & Minifigs at The Shops at Wiregrass.

Bins are filled with hundreds of Lego pieces that customers can dig through, find what they want, and pay for a bag full. One section allows customers to select pieces to build their own minifig.

“We have people who spend hours looking for that one piece,” Smyk said. “Some people come in for an hour or so and build, and just walk out.”

Wesley Chapel residents Karen Raffoul and her 13-year-old son, Jacob, looked through the minifig pieces on a recent Friday afternoon.

“This is really cool,” said Jacob Raffoul. “I never thought that you could customize your own (Lego) people.”

The store hosts birthday parties. Partygoers can build complimentary minifigs to take home or design small cars for derby races on the store’s racetrack. The birthday child also gets a complimentary “It’s My Birthday” minifig.

It’s truly a family operation that has connected with the Lego community.

Smyk’s son, Daniel, is product manager; his daughter-in-law, Jenny, is general manager; and his wife, Sonya, handles social media.

“I was looking to be part of a community when I got out of the Navy,” he said. “The Lego community is very passionate about what they’re about.”

Lego famously is almost a rite of passage for children.

The company began in the early 1920s as a store selling handmade wooden toys. The name Lego comes from abbreviations of two Danish words, “leg godt,” meaning “play well,” according to the Lego website.

But, Smyk said customers also can be young at heart or Lego collectors who love the creativity and imagination that the bricks represent.

One of his best customers is a 71-year-old woman whose doctor approves of her hobby.

“She loves Lego, but her doctor thinks it’s a good way to keep dexterity in her fingers,” Smyk said. “We really appeal to everyone.”

The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

For information, visit BricksAndMinifigs.com or Facebook.com/BAMtampa/.

Published August 8, 2018

El Dorado Furniture opening fall 2019 at Brightwork Crossing

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The largest Hispanic-owned furniture retailer in the United States plans to open a new store in the mixed-use, residential and commercial project, known as Brightwork Crossing.

An apartment complex at Brightwork Crossing is under construction at State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard. Shops and a hotel are planned, too.

A new Burger King restaurant recently opened on a parcel, fronting State Road 54.

The estimated opening for El Dorado Furniture Store is fall 2019, according to Pedro Capo, chief operating officer of the family-owned business.

This is an aerial view of an El Dorado Furniture Store that opened in Cutler Bay, in Miami-Dade County. Company officials are in early stages of planning a store in Pasco County that would open in fall 2019. (Courtesy of Smith Aerial Photos/El Dorado Furniture Store)

Bowman Consulting Inc., filed a preliminary site plan for El Dorado Furniture, and had a pre-application meeting with Pasco County planners in July.

“Everything is looking good,” said Capo.

The Miami-based business is expanding elsewhere in Florida, including new stores in Naples and Fort Myers. A former Sports Authority on Tyrone Boulevard, and a Babies R Us, will be remodeled and opened as El Dorado stores.

The site plan for El Dorado shows a two-story, 70,000-square-foot building, with access from Ashley Creek Trail.

Ashley Creek is among new roads built, internal to Brightwork Crossing. Maren Way is a new road off State Road 54, leading to Burger King and the apartments.

A WaWa gas and convenience store also is featured on the site plan, across from the furniture store. It also has access from Ashley Creek.

The recent El Dorado Furniture store opening in Naples is the company’s 16th store, said Capo.

The company has wanted to move into Pasco for awhile, and looked at a site about five years ago, east of Interstate 75. Tampa Premium Outlets was still in planning stages.

“It was too soon. Then, the recession came in,” said Capo. “But, now the timing is right.”

Company founder, Manuel Capo, left Cuba after the Fidel Castro regime confiscated the family’s chain of furniture stores, known as Casa Capo. Capo and two of his six sons sailed a small boat, named El Dorado, to Mexico, and then settled in Miami, according to the website.

The rest of the family later joined them.

Capo opened El Dorado (named for the boat) in 1967 in Little Havana.

Manuel Capo died nearly 10 years ago. His sons now operate the family business, which is recognized among the top 50 furniture retailers in the country, the website adds.

In the early 1990s, the family designed a unique showroom concept, featuring the El Dorado “boulevard.” Customers stroll along a streetscape, dotted with old-fashioned benches and street lamps, 16th century-inspired stained glass windows, and Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Capo said the parking lot also features old-fashioned street lights and brick pavers to begin what is essentially a neighborhood experience.

Typically, customers in most furniture stores might spent 20 minutes, but El Dorado customers stay as long as an hour, he added. “They can just relax, enjoy a cup of coffee and wander around,” Capo said.

The store has more than 20 storefronts, and specialty furniture shops, which showcase various furniture styles from contemporary to traditional.

Same-day delivery is available in many instances.

“Being Hispanic, typically the whole family comes to shop,” Capo said. “They’d bring anybody that fit in the car, even their neighbors.”

But, he said, the boulevard concept proved successful “for everybody. We do have people for all over the world to look at our boulevard.”

Pasco County commissioners approved Brightwork Crossing in August 2017. The development will have about 350 apartments, 250,000 square feet of offices, retail, and a 150-room hotel.

The approximately 32-acre site is off State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard. It is behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel are at the epicenter of retail growth in Pasco. Tampa Premium Outlets, a row of restaurants, a new At Home store and Costco are among the projects that opened on the south side of State Road 56.

Cypress Creek Town Center, on the north side of State Road 56, is filling up with restaurants, including Bahama Breeze Island Grill, Mellow Mushroom, and Chuy’s Tex Mex. The Hyatt Place Hotel is almost ready for its grand opening.

Other planned shops include HomeGoods, Blaze Pizza and Hobby Lobby.

Published August 1, 2018

Car dealerships arriving in Wesley Chapel

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Pasco County is in the market to add to its luxury car dealerships with BMW as the potential tenant of a proposed showroom near The Shops at Wiregrass.

Japanese-auto dealership Mitsubishi also appears to want into Pasco’s market, with a showroom located west of Eagleston Boulevard at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

Representatives of Spring Engineering Inc., filed a pre-application for “BMW-Wesley Chapel,” and recently met with Pasco County planners.

Spring Engineering representatives could not be reached for comment.

Preliminary site plans show a 37,000-square-foot showroom and space for 216 new vehicles. The dealership also would have a pre-owned vehicle division and service department.

The 32-acre site is located at the southeast corner of State Road 56 and Mansfield Boulevard, east of the Wiregrass mall. The property is owned by Solly Branch Holdings LLC, which lists J.D. Porter and his sister, Quinn Porter, as company officers, according to state records.

If the dealership materializes, BMW would be the fourth luxury automobile dealerships to gravitate to Pasco in the past three years. It would join previously opened dealerships for Lexus, Mercedes Benz and Audi.

According to its website, Springs Engineering’s clients include BMW of Ocala, Mini of Wesley Chapel, Jaguar of Orlando, and Lamborghini of Broward (County).

Another site plan identifies “WC Mitsubishi” as the potential tenant for an approximately 4-acre site near Toyota, Honda and Lexus dealerships.

Jacobs Holdings WC LLC, filed the pre-application for WC Mitsubishi, which would be a new and used auto dealership of about 17,600 square feet.

Daniel Jacobs is listed as the prime officer of Jacobs Holdings WC LLC, as well as chief executive officer of Jacobs Automotive Group and owner of Jacobs Auto Enterprise Inc., according to state records.

He is listed on the pre-application as the purchaser. The property is owned by DDG Holdings LLC, according to county records.

Jacobs wasn’t available for comment.

Published August 1, 2018