Wesley Chapel/New Tampa News

Approvals recommended for Connected City pilot

November 16, 2016 By Kathy Steele

The framework for the Connected City corridor is falling into place.

Members of Pasco County’s development review committee recommended approval of new documents establishing fees that will be paid by developers, a utilities service plan and a master roadway plan.

State legislators approved the Connected City in 2015, and selected Pasco as the site for a 10-year pilot program to create communities and new jobs based on cutting edge technology, including gigabit Internet speeds.

The initiative also envisions alternative transportation, including lanes for golf carts, and trails and paths for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Pasco County commissioners will make the final decisions on implementing rules for the state-approved special development district, which covers about 7,800 acres in rural northeast Pasco.

Boundaries generally are Interstate 75, State Road 52, Overpass Road and Curley Road.

That final vote and public hearing, is tentatively scheduled for March 7.

But, the Pasco County Commission is scheduled to have a Dec. 6 workshop to discuss Connected City.

Though the state’s pilot program is for 10 years, build out in the district would take another 40 years, with completion expected around 2065.

Preliminary data from the county suggests that in the first phase, from 2016 to 2040, Connected City could generate on average about $20 million a year in property tax revenues. From 2040 to 2065, the annual haul in property tax revenues could be as much as $30 million a year.

The net affect on the county’s budget – balancing expenses and revenues – is not known yet, but county staff members are crunching data.

Within the district’s boundaries, it is up to property owners and developers if they want to participate in Connected City.

Rules provide an opt-in choice that requires an application process, and a mandated set of requirements and responsibilities.

Overall developers opting in would pay additional mobility fees and surcharges, but also receive incentive credits for such items as building alternative traffic lanes for golf carts and bicyclists.

Estimates peg infrastructure costs, including roads and new schools, at about $329 million over the 50-year time frame.

“We weren’t going to force anybody to participate in Connected City,” said Earnest Monaco, the county’s assistant planning and development director. “If they did nothing, they could continue business as usual.”

Oversight of projects would be transferred from the county’s development review committee and planning commission to a seven-member management committee. County commissioners would still make final approvals.

The goal is to speed up the process for land use changes, rezoning and permitting.

Members would include the District 1 county commissioner, three people appointed by Metro Development Group, one property owner not part of Connected City, one school district appointee, and a county staff member named by the county administrator.

Metro Development is partnering with Pasco on the initial projects in Connected City. The company plans to build a mixed-use community at Epperson Ranch, which will have a 7-acre manmade “Crystal Lagoon” as a featured centerpiece.

During public comment, concerns were raised about whether incentives given to Connected City property owners would be unfair to property owners who choose not to participate.

“I’m not sure how this is supposed to be,” said Randy Maggard, who owns property in the district. “Is this really a level playing field. That’s my concern. Is it fair and equitable for everybody at the end of the day?”

Attorney Joel Tew, who represents Metro Development Group, said data shows “there’s more than a level playing field.”

Residents along Kenton Road — which under the road plan would be expanded from two lanes to four lanes — were split in their support for Connected City.

Resident Jennifer McCarthy said she worried about losing the rural character of a two-lane road where residents enjoy open spaces.

Todd Stevenson, who also lives on Kenton, said he understands why developers are focused on this area of northeast Pasco.

“It’s largely undeveloped,” he said. “Of course, residents who live there are pretty upset. They like the peace and quiet of the unfiltered space. We have a lot of open space. We enjoy that. It (Connected City) potentially negates why we are there.”

But, Chris Joy said he welcomed Connected City even though he would lose land to the widening of Kenton Road.

His property fronts Kenton for nearly a mile, but he said, “It’s something in my opinion whose time has come. It’s not very pedestrian friendly. We’re very much in support of having this despite that our property is going to be split in two.”

Published November 16, 2016

Beach House to offer assisted living in Wesley Chapel

November 9, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Beach House Wiregrass Ranch is some distance from the seashore. But, the senior-living community in style and design will evoke the “good memories of the times families spend together,” according to Allan Brown Jr., co-owner of Prevarian Senior Living.

Brown and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore were among about a dozen people who attended the groundbreaking for Beach House on Nov. 1.

Beach House Wiregrass Ranch is a senior living community that will have about 100 residents in assisted living apartments for memory care suites. (Courtesy of Prevarian Senior Living) — Beach House Wiregrass Ranch is a senior living community that will have about 100 residents in assisted living apartments for memory care suites.
(Courtesy of Prevarian Senior Living)

The two-story, approximately 93,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in December 2017. It will be the third Beach House to open in Florida. Others are in Jacksonville and Naples.

“As the population grows in Wesley Chapel and Pasco County, there is a huge need for this assisted living facility,” said Moore, who previously owned a home health care business. “We don’t want to have to drive to Tampa and Hillsborough County to see our loved ones.”

Indeed, Wesley Chapel’s growth is a major reason company owners opted to build on a large parcel fronting State Road 56, at Hueland Pond Boulevard at Wiregrass Ranch.

The area is “amenity rich. It’s very family oriented with a lot of services like restaurants and shops,” said Brown.

Beach House is a short distance east of The Shops at Wiregrass, and the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus.

Allan Brown Jr. (center in sunglasses), co-owner of Prevarian Senior Living, shovels dirt at the groundbreaking for Beach House Wiregrass Ranch, a senior living community that will open in 2017. Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore (next to Brown) and Hope Allen (in red), executive director of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, also shovel dirt. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo) — Allan Brown Jr. (center in sunglasses), co-owner of Prevarian Senior Living, shovels dirt at the groundbreaking for Beach House Wiregrass Ranch, a senior living community that will open in 2017. Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore (next to Brown) and Hope Allen (in red), executive director of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, also shovel dirt.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Restaurants, the Tampa Premium Outlets and the anticipated Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex also are nearby.

Beach House is an up-to-date living environment that supports senior living, but shouldn’t be confused with a nursing home, Brown said.

“We support health care needs, but we’re not a health care provider,” he added.

For health care, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is a nearby resource.

The senior community will have 67 alcove-style, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartments for assisted living, and 33 suites for memory care residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Residents will have a restaurant-style dining room, as well as a private dining room for family events. There also will be an activities room, salon and spa, a theater, and outdoor living areas.

Beach House Wiregrass Ranch also will have an Extended Congregate Care (ECC) license to allow long-term residency for aging residents, who can access additional health care as needed.

Published November 9, 2016

Local author is inspired by mysterious phenomenon

November 9, 2016 By B.C. Manion

The notion of writing about “things that go bump in the night” is not a new idea for novelists.

Many authors have used the presence of unexplained sounds to help create a sense of suspense for their readers.

But, in the case of Alicia White, an author who lives in Wesley Chapel, it was a sound that she actually heard — similar to a sonic boom — that sparked the the idea for her first novel, “The Roar.”

A.M. White was inspired to write her first novel by a mysterious booming sound she has heard in Wesley Chapel. She called that novel ‘The Roar.’ She has finished a sequel and expects the third book in a three-part series to come out next spring. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — A.M. White was inspired to write her first novel by a mysterious booming sound she has heard in Wesley Chapel. She called that novel ‘The Roar.’ She has finished a sequel and expects the third book in a three-part series to come out next spring.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

White has lived in the Tampa area since 1991, but she didn’t hear the sound until she moved into Wesley Chapel about a year ago and, since then, she’s heard it about five times.

“It rattles things, kind of like a sonic boom would,” she said.

She quickly learned that she was not alone.

“There have been reports within a 15-mile radius,” said White, who uses the pen name A.M. White.

“People make note on social media to get reassurance that they’re not going crazy,” she notes. So far, there’s no explanation for the phenomenon.

The author said she’s heard the sound, and so has her husband, Mark, and their 8-year-old son, Landon. Their 4-year-old Grayson hasn’t heard it, but White’s dad, Gary Orchard, who lives in Lutz, also heard it once while sitting in White’s living room in Westbrook Estates.

“It’s not just this neighborhood. People have reported hearing it in Lexington Oaks, up near Quail Hollow, over to Meadow Pointe,” White said.

The author, who expects to release her second novel, “Into the Roar,” on Nov. 17, said she’s wanted to be a writer since she was young, but never seriously pursued it until last year.

“Last spring, I kind of had a brush with my own mortality. I had a health scare,” she said.

That motivated her to stop thinking about trying her hand at writing and to start doing it.

The second-grade teacher said she finds windows of time for writing after her boys are in bed. She squeezes in about four hours a night for her writing.

She envisions a third book in the series, which she describes as a dystopian novel, in the vein of books like “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent.” She expects her third book to be released in the spring.

White thinks she has an unusual writing process, which she describes as a “reverse-movie” approach.

“I see it playing out in my head, and it just comes out,” she said.

Since she sees what’s happening to her characters — and it can be violent at times — it can be an emotional experience, said White, who teaches at Turner/Bartels K-8, in New Tampa.

In addition to writing her books, White also designed the covers and does all the marketing, through social media, such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

By publishing her own work, she owns the rights, but White would like to find a publisher to pick up her books because she’d love a wider audience.

White said she’s encouraged by the feedback she’s been receiving.

“There’s a lot more to it than the money,” she said, noting “The Roar” has attracted readers as young as 12 and as old as 91, and has appealed to both genders.

And, while she’s never stepped foot out of this continent, her book has been read by people in six of the seven continents and by people in 10 different countries.

Reviews on Amazon.com for “The Roar” characterize the novel as “fantastic” and say it deserves five stars. It is described by one reviewer as a “great read.” Another said, “couldn’t put it down.” Another reader summed it up by saying, “Wow!”

Copies of “The Roar” are available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. The paperback sells for $11.99 and the Kindle version is $2.99.

Published November 9, 2016

Hockey complex to open in December

November 2, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

It’s almost here.

The highly-anticipated Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex is slated to open in mid-December.

According to Gordie Zimmermann, a developer with Z Mitch, the complex’s “soft opening” may occur somewhere between Dec. 10 and Dec. 15.

Dasher Boards in Rink C were installed on Oct. 25. The facility has five ice rinks, a multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-square-foot fitness facility and an indoor sprint track. (Photos courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice) — Dasher Boards in Rink C were installed on Oct. 25. The facility has five ice rinks, a multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-square-foot fitness facility and an indoor sprint track.
(Photos courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)

The facility’s grand opening, he said, will likely be held sometime in early January.

In May, officials said the 150,500-square-foot complex would open in late October.

But, weather setbacks and technological hurdles has delayed the $20 million project, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel.

Now, the complex is undergoing a “four-to-five week” project-commissioning period.

“There’s a lot of things that have to happen,” Zimmermann said of the commissioning period. “There’s a lot of flushing of the big, main pipes. Then they’ve got to test all the controls, and all the motors and compressors.”

The complex operates off a single refrigeration package, which also serves as a dehumidification system. The process is multifaceted, Zimmermann said.

“The whole system is connected,” Zimmermann said, “so in order for it to be running like a charm, everything has to balance — the ice on all the rinks, (and) the dehumidifiers.”

Zimmermann, who helped develop the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, added it typically takes about three to four days to finish a sheet of ice for each rink.

The Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex is set to open in mid-December. The $20 million, 150,500-square-foot facility is located at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel.

Described as the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States, the finished building will house five ice rinks, a multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-square-foot fitness facility and an indoor sprint track.

The multipurpose floor will be used for several sports, including roller hockey, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse and soccer.

There also will be a full-service family restaurant on the second floor and five party rooms totaling 17,000 square feet.

Once the facility opens to the public, Zimmermann said the “Learn to Skate” program will be offered first, followed by various recreational and in-house youth leagues.

Registration for those programs will soon be available on the Center Ice website, Zimmermann said.

Meanwhile, other activities — public skating and pickup hockey games — will take place.

“The first thing that’s really going to happen in a big way here is the skating,” Zimmermann said. “We have some big group events that are scheduling with us, and then shortly into the February timeframe, we have a lot of tournaments starting up and running all the way through July.”

While membership and league fees are not yet readily available, Zimmermann said each program will have “pretty competitive pricing.”

“Everything’s going to be in relation to what you typically see in the market — it’s not like a big upswing or anything like that,” he explained.

Center Ice expects to be a haven for several local high school club teams, which are part of the Tampa Bay Lightning High School Hockey League. High schools like Freedom, Mitchell, Wharton and Wiregrass Ranch have expressed interest in using the facility for regular practices and games.

“You’re looking at four or five high schools making this their home,” said Zimmermann, who coaches hockey at Wiregrass Ranch. “We’re going to be able to give them more ice time.”

Officials believe the massive facility will ultimately attract 1.5 million to 2 million visitors annually, with 40 percent coming from outside Tampa Bay.

For information, visit FloridaHospitalCenterIce.com.

Florida Hospital Center Ice
Facility overview
The 150,500-square-foot complex will be the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States. Here are some details:

One Olympic-size rink (200 feet by 100 feet)
Two North American standard-size rinks (200 feet by 85 feet)
One multipurpose sports floor/ice pad-multipurpose pad conversion
A 2,600-square-foot fitness facility
An indoor sprint track and conditioning area
An onsite athletic trainers and sports performance program
Five corporate/birthday party rooms
A family sport restaurant
Private and public locker rooms
A hockey skills training area
A revolving entrance door to control inside temperature environment

Florida Hospital Center Ice will have numerous programs and uses, including:

Local, regional, national and international hockey tournaments
University and high school teams’ practices and games
Recreational leagues
Hockey development programs
Roller and street hockey
Camps, clinics, multisport training
Curling
Figure skating
Public skating, birthday parties
Sled hockey
Indoor sports: box lacrosse, volleyball, basketball
Sports Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention programs
Corporate events, public meetings

Published November 2, 2016

Bringing ‘world flavors’ to The Shops at Wiregrass

November 2, 2016 By Kathy Steele

A new kind of barbecue experience is coming to The Shops at Wiregrass.

Union72 Barbecue will open on Nov. 7 with a tantalizing menu of ribs and barbecue, infused with sauces and spices from around the world.

Described as “chef-driven” and not the traditional barbecue, Union72’s dishes and sauces are the creation of the restaurant’s chef and pitmaster, Geoff Zukosky.

General Manager John Hanley, left, owner Jeff Martin, and chef Geoff Zukosky are getting ready to open Union72 Barbecue at The Shops at Wiregrass. (Courtesy of Union72 Barbecue) — General Manager John Hanley, left, owner Jeff Martin, and chef Geoff Zukosky are getting ready to open Union72 Barbecue at The Shops at Wiregrass.
(Courtesy of Union72 Barbecue)

“It’s global barbecue,” said Jeff Martin, co-owner of Union72. “Everything is made in-house and from scratch.”

Menu items include The Conquistador, a Spanish-spiced slow-smoked pork dish with chimichurri, caramelized onions and a fried egg, and The Far East, slow-smoked pork with kimchi, in-house Sticky Asian Barbecue sauce, cilantro, scallions and sesame seeds.

For more down-home tastes, The Southern Boy is barbecue topped with house cole slaw, fried jalapenos, onion straws and in-house Sweet Barbecue sauce.

And, for people tired of chain restaurants, Union72 is locally owned and operated.

Martin and Bharat Chhabria are partnering on the new restaurant, located at 2000 Piazza Ave., and conveniently situated next door to the craft beer bar – The Brass Tap.

Martin is one of the founders of The Brass Tap, which initially opened at Wiregrass, but has since expanded to more locations in the Tampa Bay area, including Brandon and Ybor City. Martin lives in Wesley Chapel.

When the spot next to The Brass Tap opened, the partners quickly signed up. Zukosky had been a regular at the beer bar, and struck up a friendship with Martin.

Foodie conversations led to the discovery of Zukosky’s passion for barbecue. He has a wood-burning smoker at his home.

“I had no idea about his barbecue skills,” Martin said.

Union72 Barbecue is next to the craft beer bar, The Brass Tap, at The Shops at Wiregrass. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo) — Union72 Barbecue is next to the craft beer bar, The Brass Tap, at The Shops at Wiregrass.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Hype Group, based in St. Petersburg, is creating the restaurant’s design, including a mural with cartoon sketches of the pigs in charge – Sergeant Stag, Colonel Short Horn and Captain Poulet.

Matt Callahan, of Mad Made Murals, is the muralist.

The restaurant will seat about 60 diners indoors, with some patio seating outside. Guests will order and select their beverages before picking up their orders.

Union72 will serve wine and craft beers. Four beers from Florida breweries will be on tap. A selection of craft fountain sodas also will be available.

Guests at The Brass Tap (which doesn’t sell food) will be able to order from Union72’s menu and have their meals delivered.

There also will be online ordering and a “recruiters” club whose members can text “FREEMYBBQ” to 555888 for special menu deals and restaurant events.

Information on the restaurant’s opening will be on Facebook and sent by text. “Everybody on the list will get an invite,” Martin said.

Union72 will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For information, visit Union72.com, Facebook.com/pg/union72wiregrass, or call (813) 575-9999.

Published November 2, 2016

Bruce B. Downs widening gets underway

November 2, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Construction is underway to widen Bruce B. Downs Boulevard from four lanes to eight lanes, from Pebble Creek Boulevard to County Line Road.

It is the last of four phases of a multi-year project to ease traffic congestion on one of the county’s busiest thoroughfares.

The $24.7 million project will add travel lanes, sidewalks and bicycle lanes, along about 1.5 miles of roadway. Completion on this segment is expected in late 2018.

Area residents are hopeful that more lanes will ease traffic congestion along a corridor popping with new retail, apartments and houses.

But, concerns remain among residents who drive the packed roadway daily for shopping errands, trips to Wharton High School and commutes to jobs.

On Oct. 18, about 20 residents attended a pre-construction meeting at Wharton High to get a look at the new road design, and pose questions to Hillsborough County planners and traffic engineers.

Most expressed concerns about traffic lights, and how motorists and pedestrians will navigate a widened road with four lanes running in each direction.

Some had a historical view of a road that, for years, was mostly empty of shops and residences.

“I remember when it was the road to nowhere,” said Carlotta Bernard, who lives in the Meadow Pointe neighborhood, off Bruce B. Downs.

Now, she said her neighborhood is in the midst of development all around, from The Shops at Wiregrass in Pasco County to the University of South Florida area in Hillsborough County.

“It’s a danger zone, and a stop-and-go road,” she said.

At one intersection, parents drop off and pick up students. At another, a student parking lot sees a lot of in-and-out traffic.

“I feel bad for kids who are new drivers having to fight traffic,” Bernard said.

Cheryl Puleo also worries about school traffic. She is a bus driver delivering and picking up students at Wharton High.

There is a light at the student parking lot, but not at the drop-off site for parents.

“It really needs a light,” she said.

Some residents worry about the timing of traffic signals.

Currently the wait times last so long, it can be quicker for motorists trying to turn left, to instead make a right turn, head to another traffic signal and do a U-turn.

Traffic in and out of a Walmart Superstore at Regents Park Drive also leads to vehicles backing up to the signal at Pebble Creek.

One couple described at least one signal on Bruce B. Downs as the “5-minute” light, though a county traffic engineer said the longest wait time at a signal would be about 3.5 minutes.

Still, county officials say the road widening should improve traffic flow.

In addition to more traffic lanes, the roadway will have new sidewalks, multi-use paths, improved drainage, a 28-foot landscaped median, and upgrades to traffic signals.

In 2012, the road segment from Pebble Creek to County Line had about 44,000 cars daily, data showed. By 2032, estimates are for more than 82,000 daily vehicle trips.

The road widening is a top transportation priority for Hillsborough County.

In recent years, Bruce B. Downs from Palm Springs Boulevard to Pebble Creek was widened to eight lanes. Currently, work is underway on a segment from Bearss Avenue to Palm Springs Boulevard, with completion expected in late 2017.

Published November 2, 2016

Hillsborough County seeks to improve recycling

November 2, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Hillsborough County wants to reduce recycling contamination.

That effort begins with educating the public through an online survey and various focus groups scheduled throughout October and November.

A focus group is meeting on Nov. 5 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Northdale Recreation Center, 15550 Spring Pine Drive in Tampa.

Travis Barnes is the recycling coordinator for the Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management Division (Photos courtesy of Hillsborough County) — Travis Barnes is the recycling coordinator for the Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management Division
(Photos courtesy of Hillsborough County)

Information gathered through the survey and focus groups will be used to design behavior-based education and outreach messaging to reduce recycling contamination, which occurs when non-recyclable items or heavily soiled items are mixed with clean recyclable items during collection.

“We’re basically just trying to get feedback from the public with the ultimate goal of using that information to deliver information to them in a way that’s going to be more impactful for them, and hopefully increase (recycling) participation,” said Travis Barnes, recycling coordinator for the Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management Division. “We’re…trying to hone in on a baseline of what the public’s understanding of our program is right now: What are their existing habits? How are they disposing of things?”

The county’s recycling contamination rate is about 19 percent, Barnes said. The national average is reportedly about 16 percent.

The county is trying to raise awareness about which items should be placed in 65-gallon, blue recycling carts and 95-gallon, gray garbage carts.

“For every 100 tons we bring in, about 19 of those tons end up having to go back to our waste energy facility to be incinerated,” Barnes explained. “That could be people throwing in an actual bag of garbage…or it could be things that people presume to be recyclable, but aren’t in our program.”

Barnes noted county residents and businesses often try to recycle items such as construction and demolition debris, yard waste and scrap metals.

“Those things can’t be recovered by our single-stream (recycling) program,” said Barnes. “Those items are problematic because they get into our sorting equipment…and basically end up shutting down the whole line. A couple times a day, we’ve got to physically remove and cut that stuff out of the sorting line. In that whole time, we’re losing productivity and the ability to recycle more tonnage in a given day.”

The county introduced automated curbside single-stream recycling in October 2013. The program has resulted in an 82 percent increase in recycling tons collected. The current average tons per year of recyclables rose to 64,000 in 2016.

Program recyclables should be placed in the blue cart clean, dry and unbagged to ensure proper sorting. Officials say a good rule of thumb is “when in doubt, throw it out.”

Survey links, focus group schedules, and registrations are available at HCFLGov.net/RecyclingSurvey.

For more information on the county’s recycling program, visit HCFLGov.net/Recycling.

Blue Cart recyclables include:

Clean plastic bottles and containers
Clean aluminum cans
Clean glass jars and bottles
Dry paper, newspaper and junk mail
Steel and tin metal containers
Clean milk and juice cartons
Dry flattened cardboard
Dry paperboard boxes

Gray cart, for household garbage, can include:

Food waste
Windows, mirrors and ceramics
Clothing, shoes and textiles
Fake plants
Soiled paper items
Cords and wires
Plastic items that fit in the cart including old grocery bags
Diapers
Rope, twine or straps
Garden or pool hoses
Yard waste up to 2-cubic yards can be put out for curbside collection
Small appliances
Incandescent light bulbs

Published November 2, 2016

Tampa Premium Outlets goes pink

October 26, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Pink is in vogue at Tampa Premium Outlets, and for good reasons.

On Oct. 29, the outlet mall will cap off a month-long More Than Pink campaign in recognition of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

But, the day also highlights the Grand Opening Anniversary Celebration of the Tampa Premium Outlets, including opportunities to make donations to Susan G. Komen, a nonprofit that supports breast cancer research and educational awareness.

Tampa Premium Outlets is celebrating National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and its one-year anniversary. (File Photo) — Tampa Premium Outlets is celebrating National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and its one-year anniversary.
(File Photo)

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., shoppers can enjoy family activities, strolling entertainers, and live music from Mad Dog and Sacred Fire.

One year ago, the outlet mall opened its doors to more than 90 retailers, and heralded the renewal of economic development along the State Road 56 corridor.

“It’s hard to imagine that we opened one year ago,” said Sarah Rasheid, Tampa Premium Outlets’ marketing director. “We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

Currently, about 105 retailers are in business at the outlet mall. Three new restaurants are set to open shortly on parcels fronting the shopping mall – BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, McDonald’s and Longhorn Steakhouse.

They are only the latest along restaurant row, and join Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chick-Fil-A and Culver’s. Still to come are Panda Express, On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and Starbucks. Among new retailers that have opened over the year inside the outlet mall are Steve Madden, Hanna Andersson and the Flip Flop Shops.

Construction is underway on a large outparcel on Costco Wholesale, which is slated for an early 2017 opening.

As shopping and dining experiences grow at Tampa Premium Outlets, community outreach also is taking root.

The More Than Pink campaign is part of the mall’s community outreach.

Store and mall employees donned pink clothing, pink ribbons and pink accessories during October.

Donations to Komen can be made at Simon Guest Services in Market Hall.

The outlet mall’s owner, Simon Properties, donated more than $470,000 to the nonprofit in 2015, and by Sept. 30, 2018 is pledging contributions of at least $1 million for each year of the program.

A More Than Pink Hero Wall allows survivors and families to honor their victories over cancer, and the continued fight for improved treatment and a cure.

Stickers for $1 can be bought and placed on the wall, with all proceeds going to Komen. In addition, $10 discount cards can be purchased at Guest Services. The cards can be used for 25 percent off one item at participating shops at Tampa Premium Outlets. All proceeds from the sale of the cards go to Komen.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, the mall soon will begin glowing with seasonal holiday colors and lights.

On Nov. 19, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the public is invited to a Christmas lighting and the arrival of Santa Claus.

And, upcoming, Rasheid said, “There will some festive ways to get involved.”

The mall will host a Community Holiday Performance from Nov. 20 to Dec. 24, at select dates and times. Community groups, schools and organizations will be featured.

A Community Gift Wrap from Dec. 10 to Dec. 24, also at select dates and times, will allow organizations to provide volunteers who will provide gift wrapping the mall’s visitors in return for donations.

For information, visit tinyurl.com/jnbnq9c.

Published October 26, 2016

Rattlesnake fest hits half-century mark

October 19, 2016 By B.C. Manion

They weren’t bringing in rattlesnakes that they’d found out in fields or carting in live gopher tortoises to race — but they were having old-fashioned fun at the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival & Run.

Kids scaled up rock walls, people had close encounters with alligators and bands played continuously.

The festival, held in San Antonio’s City Park, celebrated its 50^th anniversary with a two-day event, on Oct. 15 and Oct. 16.

Richard K. Riley/Photos Taylor Weiss, of New Port Richey, makes her way up the rock wall. — Richard K. Riley/Photos
Taylor Weiss, of New Port Richey, makes her way up the rock wall.

It was a hit.

It’s hard to get actual numbers, since there’s no admission charge, but Betty Burke, chairwoman of the organizing committee, estimated attendance at between 7,000 and 8,000 people.

“My goodness, it was fantastic,” said Burke, a member of the Rotary Club of San Antonio, which put on the event.

There were lots of kids, she said. And, “there were dogs everywhere.”

People seemed to be enjoying themselves, said Burke, noting she was “very happy” with the way things turned out.

“Croc Encounters — that was real popular,” the chairwoman said. “Everybody loved the music,” she added.

Besides listening to bands, festivalgoers could get a bite to eat, pose for a picture in the pumpkin patch, or do a bit of shopping.

There were barrel train rides, a bounce house, a rattlesnake run, and wooden gopher tortoise races — a perennial hit at the event.

The gopher tortoise races, which use wooden mechanical tortoises, is always a big hit at the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival & Run.

The festival is the primary fundraiser for the Rotary Club of San Antonio. Proceeds support local scholarships, community projects and international Rotary projects, such as Polio Plus. The event is partially funded by Visit Pasco Tourism and Visit Florida. Area businesses, community members and sponsors, including The Laker/Lutz News, also support the event.

Published Oct. 19, 2016

Pasco testing idea of cat license fees

October 19, 2016 By Kathy Steele

A catfight nearly broke out as Pasco County commissioners couldn’t quite agree on whether to mandate $5 license fees for man’s best feline friend.

The fees are among a package of changes proposed for the county’s Animal Services, which is searching for ways to boost its budgetary bottom line.

In a compromise, county commissioners agreed to approve the entire package included in an amended ordinance, with one exception.

File photo Pasco County Animal Services wants to collect funds from mandatory cat licenses to supports its low-cost spaying and neutering program.

The mandatory cat fees and licenses will be charged as part of a one-year pilot program, with quarterly updates on the number of licenses sold. Cat licenses currently are made available on a voluntary basis.

Animal Services’ officials are working out details on how to get the word out to residents and veterinarians.

The goal with the mandate is to collect about $60,000 for an Animal Services Sterilization Fund to support the county’s low-cost spaying and neutering program.

“I’m willing to give you a year but I’m expecting you to exceed the numbers,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells. “I’m not sold on it. I hope you can prove me wrong in 12 months,” Wells said.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said the fees could have unintended consequences, if cat owners balk at the costs.

“What are they going to do? Let the cats go,” he said. “It’ll get worse and worse.”

Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader said he thought the fees had been scratched from Animal Services’ proposal, when it was presented at a budget workshop.

County officials said they were trying to be creative in coping with an approaching depletion of funds for spaying and neutering. At the workshop, they projected the coffers will be empty within three years unless a funding source is found.

Currently, revenues from dog licenses are the only resource, essentially subsidizing the expense of spaying and neutering cats, said Michael Shumate, the county’s Animal Services director.

“That revenue source is drying up,” he said.

Pasco is one of three counties in the state that doesn’t require cat licenses, and collect fees, said Cathy Pearson, the county’s assistant county administrator for public services.

However, one exception to the fees raised questions with some commissioners.

No fees will be charged when feral cats are trapped and released after being sterilized. And, they won’t have to wear collars displaying their tags. Veterinarians identify those cats by clipping a notch in one of their ears.

The trap and release process is a sometimes controversial method of trying to reduce kitten populations among feral cat colonies.

County Administrator Michele Baker is a cat owner and lives in a neighborhood with a number of feral cats.

“They are producing kittens. They are walking on my car,” she said. “I would gladly buy a $5 tag if that would allow Pasco County to neuter and spay some of the cat colony in my neighborhood.”

Cat licenses aren’t the only change for pet owners and veterinarians.

The county will require that animals sold or adopted must by micro-chipped. Veterinarians and pet dealers must have license tags available for sale, report stolen tags and provide copies of rabies vaccination certificates.

A new fee schedule also was approved.

Costs for dog and cat adoptions are unchanged, at $70 and $40 respectively. But adopting a small breed dog and puppies under four months of age will cost $85. Kittens younger than four months will cost $50.

However, animal services often have special discounted adoption events.

Dog and cat owners also will be able to get three-year rabies tags.

Published Oct. 19, 2016