Zephyrhills/East Pasco News

Enjoying entertainment, and sampling syrup

January 19, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Syrup-makers at ‘Raising Cane,’ an event at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, used the same techniques that were used in the 19th century to make sugar cane syrup. Here, Jerry Moates, of Zephyrhills, right, and Marcus Copeland, left, of Dade City, filter and skim the cane syrup juice as it boils down in the 80-gallon kettle. The Southern Syrup Maker’s Association also had a cane syrup tasting and competition at the event. (Fred Bellet)

For some, the chance to sample syrup was the big attraction.

Others wanted to watch a WW II reenactment.

Still others wanted to check out the traditional craft demonstrations, enjoy some food, or take a look at the model trains.

“Raising Cane,” an event held on Jan. 9 at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, in Dade City, seemed to have offerings that appealed to a diverse crowd.

The event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featured old-fashioned syrup making and tasting, music by Emett Stevens, and a chance to step back in time, while reenactors presented a battle from World War II.

Published January 20, 2021

World War II U.S. Army reenactor Joe Gibson, of Fort Myers, took part in the World War II battle reenactment at ‘Raising Cane.’ His wife, Tara Gibson, reenacted the role of a French Resistance freedom fighter.

Hannah Schultze, of Tampa, explains the major role that women in the service played during World War II.

Jennifer Pettys holds on to some stalks of cane sugar that she plans to plant at her Polk City home. She was the event with her friend, Lyle Combee, of Polk City.

Hannah Schultze, left, of Tampa, emphasizes the important role women in the service played during World War II. She and Hannah Hoffman, right, of Tampa, display a portion of a female Marine uniform.

World War II U.S. Army reenactor Joe Gibson, of Fort Myers, and Kevin Slaughter, of Brooksville, prepare a 943 GPW Jeep for a skirmish against German reenactors in a battle dubbed the ‘Raid on Renault.’

John Falls, of Dade City, made sure the fire was hot under the 80-gallon kettle used for syrup-making. Temperature readings showed the syrup reaching 200-degrees and more.

Mark Redden, 10, center, and his brother, Matthew Reddon, 8, right, both of Dade City, get a closer look at the boiling cane juice, as Jerry Moates, left, talks about the age-old process of making cane sugar syrup.

Mike Alvarez portrayed an American G.I., during a World War II battle reenactment at ‘Raising Cane.’ Here, Alvarez, wearing the U.S. Army uniform of a corporal in the 34th Infantry division, rests on a Browning heavy machine gun. He and others with the Florida Historical Preservation group took part in the reenactment designated as the ‘Raid on Renault.’

Dressed in 1800s-period clothing, Jeanene Fisher, of Zephyrhills, left, volunteered her time to make corn cakes. Here, she shows 7-year-old Raygan Mae Phillips, right, how to make the batter. The young girl was the event with her dad, Cody Phillips; her mom, Brandi Phillips; and, her little brother, Rhett Phillips, 3. In the background, smoke billows from the chimney over the syrup-making shed.

Zephyrhills development yields roadway concerns

January 12, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

The City of Zephyrhills is experiencing booming growth and development that includes thousands of new homes and myriad commercial projects — and that’s on top of a newfound tourism and visitor rush felt with the opening of the $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road.

As the city begins to add new population and outsiders, concerns are increasing about the ability of the city’s road ways being able to sustain traffic arising from all the happenings in the small East Pasco town.

Those qualms were front and center at a Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month.

“We’re having tremendous growth right now, and I think it’s really hard to stay ahead of it, I really do, from a traffic management standpoint,” Councilman Lance Smith said.

Zephyrhills development yields roadway concerns. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

“We see it in (Pasco County). In the county we see the lag that’s happened, and my gosh, how long have they been working on (State Road) 54, adding additional lanes? I’m just concerned that we stay ahead of it,” the councilman said.

Smith directed attention to the Abbott Square development that will add some 700 units surrounding the new tennis center on Simons Road.

The roadway is already becoming a problem with motorists trying to make left-hand turns off the Simons Road/Eiland Boulevard intersection, without a traffic signal, he said.

He also observed “cars stacked up turning left” during a recent event at the tennis complex, therefore increasing the likelihood of accidents and wrecks.

“People get frustrated when they can’t make that left-hand turn, and they’re willing to take a chance when they do that,” Smith said. “We need to do something.”

In response, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe explained a signalized intersection improvement is tied into a developer’s agreement with the Abbott Square homebuilder, Lennar Corporation. Meanwhile, the city is looking to time up those signalized improvements and connect Simons Road into Fort King Road by the end of 2021, Poe said.

Smith credited city staff for “doing a really good job” with facilitating various development projects — along with getting some transportation projects in the pipeline, such as the busy U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road and County Road 54/U.S. 301 intersections.

But he cautioned that those involved must think of any potential issues that might result before construction actually begins on a particular project: “Just put on your thinking cap when you’re looking at these developments, ‘How’s it going to impact the road network around it?’”

Smith brought up the example of consulting engineers not including a right-hand turn lane into the recent State Road 56/Morris Bridge Road project.

He said: “Let’s try and avoid (those mistakes). Somebody holler and say, ‘Hey, you forgot this.’ It’s a shame to open up a new road and have these goat trails on the side where people are coming up and making their own right-hand turn lane.”

Meanwhile, another Zephyrhills roadway issue brewing is the sustainability of Wire Road. Nearby construction is afoot on Abbott Park, a 500-plus unit development popping up on the site of the former Gore Dairy Supply property.

Councilman Alan Knight observed: “Wire Road’s taking a beating already and you know with the new people coming in, and we’re looking at 500 homes — whew, it’s going to be tough (to maintain).”

Poe explained that Wire Road is scheduled to be repaved at some point but has been pushed back due to Abbott Park’s construction. Also, Poe said city officials are having internal discussions to find some way to get a utility transmission pole relocated, so that Wire Road can be connected with Kossik Road. There’s also designed plans — but not yet budgeted — for Dairy Road to be extended north to connect with Kossik Road, the city manager said.

Meanwhile, Knight and other council members called for additional funding and resources to move such transportation projects forward.

Knight, for one, made a vocal plea for more help from the Pasco County Commission: “There’s a lot of money coming from our county commissioners that are going other areas…and some of that money needs to come to us. I’ll be the first to be very vocal about it. I see where a lot is going to Wesley Chapel; I understand the growth. I understand a lots going, but Zephyrhills needs to get some of that money. We need to get some improvements. We’re growing at a rate that’s unreal.”

Council President Charles Proctor echoed those sentiments: “This city is growing so fast. We all lived here a long time and I believe we’re doing our best to stay ahead of it, but we definitely need to work with the state and with the county to stay ahead of it.”

Published January 13, 2021

Pigz in Z’Hills festival postponed until April

January 12, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

Like so many other major events throughout the Tampa Bay area, the 11th annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest will be forced to make many adjustments in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The largest annual event in Zephyrhills — which was slated for Feb. 27 — has been tentatively postponed until April, in the name of health and safety. Exact dates, times and a location are still to be determined, as are ticket and parking prices.

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors agreed on the postponement in mid-December, after consulting with medical professionals and event partners, according to a chamber news release.

This year’s Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest may feature a socially distanced car drive-in concert format with local or Florida-based bands only. But, there won’t be the other usual frills like a prized BBQ team competition, car show, cornhole tournament, business expo, or kids fun zone. (File)

The BBQ festival’s reboot will take on a different flavor in 2021 compared to past years — possibly focusing on just a drive-in concert and drive-thru BBQ meal pickup.

More concrete details will be hammered out following another board meeting in late January, where final event recommendations will be agreed upon, Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Director Melonie Monson told The Laker/Lutz News in a recent interview.

Multiple proposals already have been discussed with Pigz in Z’Hills committee members and chamber leaders on the best approach.

One general concept that has been floated includes having attendees simply “drive through a line and pick up their BBQ, and then park and stay in their cars and listen to a concert,” Monson said.

But even this plan and its logistics have been questioned, as Monson said organizers “really struggled with some of the concept and the concern, so I think we’re back to square one of how we can do this in a COVID world and ensure safety.”

“The board really wants to be extra cautious, for sure,” she added.

Much concern from the board lies with the hundreds of volunteers who help make the event possible, Monson said. A point already has been made to excuse any youth and elderly helpers for this year’s festival, she said.

Said Monson: “That’s where a lot of it plays out — is can we guarantee safety to the people volunteering all day? You know, that’s the bottom line when it comes to things.”

Should a makeshift food and music show go on in some way or another, only local or Florida-based bands would be showcased for the event, Monson said.

Meanwhile, a final menu is being completed.

To do this, the chamber is collaborating with three of its regular cooking teams to serve up various offerings for attendees, perhaps an entrée choice of ribs, barbecued chicken or pork with various sides and drinks.

Aside from heaps of food and live music, Pigz in Z’Hills typically features a prized BBQ cookoff contest, car show, cornhole tournament, business expo, kids fun zone and tours of the Zephyrhills Military History Museum.

Those are off the table for the festival this year — though some type of combined car show and cornhole tournament may be organized through the chamber for sometime this summer, Monson said.

Event organizers have reached out to would-be BBQ competitors with information on refunds and to sponsors about being a part of the hybrid event.

A community staple and major fundraiser
Pigz in Z’Hills has not only been cemented as a community entertainment staple over the years, but also is a major fundraiser for student scholarships, and about a dozen nonprofits and community organizations, such as Boy Scouts, East Pasco YMCA, and Relay for Life of Zephyrhills, to name a few.

The chamber director acknowledged funds raised from this year’s BBQ event “is going to be very minimal,” but expressed confidence there’ll be enough in the coffers to continue the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund and Citizen of the Month programs.

To help make up for other anticipated funding shortages, Monson said the chamber in February is launching a campaign called “Love Your Non-Profit” that will showcase different organizations and solicit public donations for each.

Said Monson: “We’re going to spotlight the nonprofits that usually get the money (made from Pigz in Z’Hills) and really hope that the public will say, ‘Oh yeah, we recognize they’re not going to be able to get what they’re used to; we can help, too.’”

The BBQ shindig has grown substantially since its debut in 2011 — when it drew about 2,500 patrons.

Well over 10,000 people have attended in recent years at its usual staged location of 5200 Airport Road, across from the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport — including a record-high of about 13,500 attending in 2019.

The momentum carried into the event’s 10th anniversary celebration last January, drawing roughly 11,000 people.

The chamber had hoped to build on the string of successes and find a way to bring some normalcy to the area by holding the festival and all its familiar fixins’, but the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and vaccine delays forced organizers to pivot completely, Monson said.

Expected to be a much smaller turnout this year, the chamber director noted any hybrid festival would be considered “a huge success” if anywhere from 300 to 500 tickets get purchased.

“It’s real disappointing, but we recognize we’re not the only ones going through this, and we will rebound,” Monson said.

There’s confidence brewing that the BBQ extravaganza will get back on track by 2022, however.

That’s because next year’s Pigz in Z’Hills has been selected to host the Florida BBQ Association State Championship.

Monson said the showcase could draw upward of 65 top-notch BBQ teams from around the state, with a purse of at least $10,000 for the winner. The event is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 26, 2022.

“It will bring in competitors that we’ve never had before from throughout the state, which is exciting,” said Monson.

The chamber leader also noted that the event will be a solid marketing tool for Zephyrhills, at large.

She expects that television exposure and coverage of the event will offer a great opportunity “to showcase our little city.”

For more information, call 813-782-1913, or email .

Published January 13, 2021

Zephyrhills seeking state funding for four projects

January 12, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

The City of Zephyrhills is pursuing state funding for four projects, although ongoing financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic may hamper some, or all of the requests, from being included in the state’s budget.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe explained the requests during a regular Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month. They call for:

Transforming Seventh Street into a complete street, generally from U.S. 301 to South Avenue and C Avenue
Building sewer line and sewer capacity expansions and improvements on the north end of town to make way for additional development around the Zephyr Commons Publix Super Market on Gall Boulevard
Paving and taxiway improvements at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport
Phase II of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, which calls for a 30,000-square-foot indoor multi-use complex on the northeast portion of the 10-acre property on Simons Road — large enough for four tennis courts, but could also be converted to accommodate soccer, weddings, concerts and other community events or sports

The deadline to submit requests to the state is Feb. 2. Final project submissions and prioritization will come before a formal council vote, likely at a Jan. 11 regular meeting.

Monies would be made available to Zephyrhills in July, should one or more of those projects be approved by the Florida Legislature and signed off on by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The city manager said each of those projects should be “shovel-ready” for construction by the summer time frame, except for the sewer line initiative, which first needs to be designed.

Published January 13, 2021

Dade City approves modified CRA plan

January 5, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

The City of Dade City has finally gotten around to revising its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plan — a document which hadn’t been updated since its original formation back in 1998.

The Dade City Commission in December unanimously approved a modified CRA plan — which looks to address conditions of blight in the core of the city and, according to the new 118-page document, “seeks to position the city for renewed economic success in the 21st century without compromising on the city’s character by leveraging existing physical, cultural and natural resources to encourage private sector investment.”

Dade City’s 137-acre CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) district primarily encompasses the city’s downtown corridor east of the U.S. 301/U.S. 98 bypass, stretching south from Coleman Avenue to north of Whitehouse Avenue. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

Work to revise the original CRA plan began in late 2016, with the help of North Carolina-based consulting firm S&ME Inc.

Though a modified plan was completed in 2018, the commission tabled approval until a new city manager was hired, which occurred in April 2019.

Since then, the plan has further been updated to encompass the latest available socioeconomic demographic information, which revealed an even younger profile compared to just two years ago, officials say.

Dade City’s 137-acre CRA district primarily encompasses its downtown corridor between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the U.S. 301/U.S. 98 bypass, stretching south from Coleman Avenue and north of Whitehouse Avenue.

The five-year plan encompasses a wide range of background information on the city, plus community surveys, and various goals and objectives to focus on in the near future.

The following four strategic goals for the CRA were established out of the new plan:

Increase awareness of Dade City and its amenities
Establish Dade City as a leisure, cultural and ecotourism hub
Improve quality of life for current and future residents, and visitors
Establish Dade City as an entrepreneurial destination for those seeking access and opportunity for new businesses

The plan also summarized various viewpoints on wants and needs within the CRA limits, based on a series of stakeholder interviews conducted by local officials and input collected from the city’s Resident Advisory Committee, Downtown Merchants Association and Dade City Chamber of Commerce, among other groups.

Some of the outlined priorities and other thoughts from stakeholders include:

Emphasize bricks and mortar

The CRA could benefit from a renewed focus on pedestrian improvements: increasing mid-block crossings, repairing sidewalks and alleyways
Focus on increasing trail connections and expanding infrastructure surrounding the Hardy Trail
Increase accessibility of downtown buildings through ADA improvements

Grants (proposed new grants topics)

Provide grants for ADA improvements
Provide residential painting grants
Rental subsidies program
Historic structure plaque grant

Opportunities for Dade City

Increase coordination with advertisement for events
Catering to cyclists with targeted businesses in downtown
CRA frontage on U.S. 301 to signal presence of downtown (gateway)
Expand CRA boundaries to include more residential and commercial areas
Moving the farmer’s market downtown
Proximity to Saint Leo, and ability to attract and retain millennials
Cultivating a relationship with local hospital system and Pasco-Hernando State College

Threats to Dade City

Attorney general opinions regarding use of agency funds for contracted services
Grant program criteria: project and applicant eligibility, performance criteria and measurement
High downtown rents
Downtown flooding
Not enough family friendly activities
Downtown businesses not staying open past 5 p.m.
Matching requirement on grants makes them unattainable for businesses with fewer resources
Pass-by traffic along U.S. 301/U.S. 98

Commissioner/CRA wish list

Gateway signage
Splash pad for kids
Bring back a movie theater
Get a community/youth center
Create a business incubator
Consistent streetscapes
Clean up entryways to downtown
Highlight areas of historical interest
More duplex housing
Grocery store
Evening programming

The comprehensive plan also included details on the city’s ever-changing demographic profile, which reads:

The Dade City CRA strives to address blighted conditions generally in the downtown corridor, through a combination of reinvestment, grants and other programs.

“While Florida is historically known as a state comprised of a primarily older demographic, the median ages for the top five tapestry segments (traditional living, hardscrabble road, social security, down the road, old and newcomers) present in Dade City are below 44.2 years of age. Albeit lower income, the tapestry segments reveal a younger, family oriented demographics than traditionally present within Florida. …More than half of the city’s population is white (67.3 percent) with an almost equal share of Black and Hispanic residents, 20.4% and 20.6%, respectively.”

Current population just over 7,500
Approximately 2,600 households
Median household income is $31,497 (compared to Pasco County’s $45,064)
Nearly 7% of Dade City households make more than $100,000

The CRA plan is a living document of sorts, meaning it can be adjusted as needed depending on the city leader’s objectives, said Melanie Romagnoli, the city’s community and economic development director.

With that, she recommended the city — given the CRA has two newly elected board members in Knute Nathe and Normita Woodard — do another check-up on the plan in a year “to see if anything needs to be modified, or it’s still the same path that this existing commission wants to go on.”

“We can modify this as many times as we’d like, we just have to provide notice to the county and the state of any modifications that we make,” explained Romagnoli.

Estimated budgets for the CRA across the next five years are as follows: $246,361 (2021), $253,752 (2022), $261,365 (2023), $269,206 (2024) and $277,281 (2025).

Romagnoli indicated at least one issue that needs to be addressed is revisiting some arbitrary timelines for getting certain action-level steps and projects accomplished in the next handful of years.

“Some of them are very unrealistic with current staffing conditions and financial constraints,” said Romagnoli.

“The current CRA does not gather as much money as what’s required for all these things to get accomplished, so we definitely need to revisit it and make sure it’s realistic for us to be able to implement and prioritize and figure out what this commission and CRA board wants to do in the next five years.”

There’s also been discussion about possibly expanding the CRA district beyond its current boundaries, she said, which likely will require many in-depth workshops.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez agreed that additional workshops are needed to perhaps further refine the plan and gather input from Nathe and Woodard, first-term commissioners and board members elected back in July.

“I know it’s important to all of us,” Hernandez said of the CRA plan. “It has been a long time in the making and processing. Hopefully we can move forward with the next steps.”

Published January 06, 2021

Busy 2021 anticipated for East Pasco communities

January 5, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

The East Pasco municipalities of Dade City and Zephyrhills are poised for a busy 2021 in terms of infrastructure, development and other community programs.

Here’s a closer look at some of the highlights in the new year:

Dade City

A rendering of the type of large-sized heart-shaped sculptures that will be installed at city-owned properties in the downtown area. (File)

Let’s get artsy
“The Heart of Pasco County” moniker soon can be taken on quite literally in Dade City — in the form of an outdoor, permanent public artwork exhibit.
The Dade City Center for the Arts in February will celebrate the installation of a new outdoor public art exhibition — in the form of about a dozen 8-foot-tall metal heart sculptures painted by local artists and installed throughout historic, downtown Dade City.
Proposed locations for the 3D heart sculptures, which will have varied artwork patterns on each, include:

Hibiscus Park
City Hall/Police station alcove entrance or nearby
Green space entrance to Hardy Trail
Meridian Avenue/U.S. 301 intersection, near Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum
Naomi S. Jones Park
Whitehouse historical landmark on Old Lakeland Highway
Lock Street/Hardy Trail intersection
Agnes Lamb Park near Meridian Avenue
Price Park
Watson Park
Dade City Garden Club

The Dade City Center for the Arts is facilitating more community art programs.

The community initiative is designed not only to color up the downtown area, but also to use public artwork as a photo opportunity and marketing tool, to encourage residents and visitors alike to stroll throughout city limits. More frills include installing QR codes on each sculpture mapping out the location of other city landmarks and providing information about a particular artist or meaning of the artwork itself.
The entire concept is similar to outdoor art events in other cities that bring together artists’ creativity with a sculptural icon that relates to the city. In Dade City’s case, its official seal has a heart shape surrounded by kumquats in its center.
The city’s arts center also has been approved to create a wall mural at the site of the former CenturyLink building at Hardy Trail and Eighth Street.

Dade City’s visitor information center will be built adjacent to the Roy Hardy Trail on Church Avenue. (City of Dade City)

Visitor’s information center coming
Roy Hardy Trail cyclists and exercisers alike will have a spot to take a breath, relax and learn about the happenings in their community all at once.
It comes in the form of a visitor’s information center adjacent to the Hardy Trail on Church Avenue.
The 1,380-square-foot open floor space will feature informational kiosks and mobile displays for all county tourism amenity partners.
The building also will be accompanied by two porches and a bike rack — its location designed to offer easy access off the Hardy Trail for users to gather and rest. The facility will have two family bathrooms, as well.
A groundbreaking is slated sometime in early 2021, with completion expected in the summer.
The project is funded with the help of a $250,000 grant from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.

Sprucing up downtown
Dade City leaders have made it a priority for 2021 and beyond to ensure that the city’s historic downtown area is safe, clean and generally more desirable to stroll through.
The city is moving forward with plans to install additional crosswalks along Seventh Street and Meridian Avenue, and is improving stormwater drainage near Seventh Street and Pasco Avenue.
It also is exploring traffic-calming initiatives to reduce vehicle speeds. And, it is making public parking space changes, boulevard additions, and encouraging landscaped parklets to create additional outdoor seating areas.
Additional resources also will be dedicated to downtown cleanup — including mowing, weeding and litter patrol of city-owned properties in the Community Redevelopment Area.
Meanwhile, the city’s public works team is in the midst of enhancing the lighting downtown parking lots, as well as Agnes Lamb Park on Ninth Street.

Could Dade City try to leverage its recreation amenities, such as motocross, as it embarks on a rebranding effort? (File)

Marketing rebrand in the works?
The City of Dade City is plotting a full-scale marketing rebrand to capitalize on residential and tourism growth in Pasco County and Tampa Bay area, at large.

The city has earmarked $40,000 in this fiscal year’s budget toward a marketing and advertising plan, promotional activities and other contractual services.
But, before that money, and possibly much more, is allocated specifically, Dade City commissioners want to hear what the public thinks — and that includes local business owners, residents and other stakeholders.

Efforts to gather input throughout the year could take form in charrettes, surveys, monthly forums, and even door-to-door visits.

How to best promote its current and forthcoming amenities remains the looming question.
Does the city try to emphasize its unique collection of downtown shops and restaurants? Focus more on recreation attractions inside and outside the city limits? Leverage its budding reputation as a location for rural destination weddings? Or, perhaps will it simply brand itself as an ideal location to raise a family?

City of Zephyrhills

The rebuilding Jerry’s Crystal Bar is set to open in early 2021 on Gall Boulevard. (Courtesy of Jerry’s Crystal Bar)

Iconic business to reopen
The longest-operating bar in Zephyrhills is set to reopen in early 2021 — almost two years since it was destroyed by a fire.
The original Jerry’s Crystal Bar had been in business since 1954, at 5707 Gall Blvd.
That all changed in May 2019 when a two-alarm fire electrical in nature suffocated the building’s attic and roof, yielding a total loss.
A complete rebuild of the iconic, family owned establishment is coming along swimmingly since a May 2020 groundbreaking. The bar’s owners expect a grand opening ceremony in January or February.
The new building takes on an elevated, modernized look and is nearly double the size of the old structure. It also falls under the requirements of the city’s form-based code for the U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard corridor area, whereby the facade is aligned right up to the street with a wide sidewalk and all parking is situated behind the bar.

A rendering of the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road intersection project (File)

U.S. 301 intersection project to spur commercial activity
The completion of an intersection improvement at U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road, expected in mid-2021, is expected to open up opportunities for increased commercial development.

The $2.3 million state-funded project calls for new traffic signals on U.S. 301 at Pretty Pond and at Medical Arts Court/ Townview Avenue, along with other median and roadway improvements.
Once construction is complete, the area is poised to land Chick-fil-A and Chipotle chain restaurants, among several other businesses and attractions.

Residential developments popping up
Don’t be surprised if “The City of Pure Water” get a little more crowded in 2021 and beyond.

Significant progress or completion is expected on a number of large-scale residential developments throughout the municipality.

With myriad new homes on deck, small town Zephyrhills is going to get a little more crowded. (File)

A slew of new housing communities is actively underway — such as Abbott Square, 700-plus units surrounding the new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center off Simons Road; and Abbott Park, 500-plus units tucked behind the Zephyr Commons Publix Shopping Center, off Gall Boulevard.

Other notable homesites include the Link at Calusa Springs, north of Silverado Golf & Country Club; the Oaks at Pasco, southeast of Silverado Golf & Country Club; and Skybird Properties, off Alston Road near the municipal airport.

Simply put, the city’s real estate market is “very hot right now,” Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg said earlier this year.

“I don’t know where all these people are coming from, but these housing subdivisions are selling homes for over $300,000 with HOAs and CDDs. I wasn’t sure how that’d work in Zephyrhills, but you drive up to Silverado and before the lot infrastructure is completed, you’re seeing a ‘Sold’ sign, so it is amazing.

“Even through this COVID-19 environment, the residential housing…has really stayed very strong, which helps the city from a budget and revenue standpoint,” said Vande Berg.

More bells and whistles for tennis center?
Could the newly opened Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center continue to add to its wide range of features this year?

The northeast corner of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center on Simons Road is reserved for a an indoor multipurpose sports complex. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

Well, the City of Zephyrhills and the Zephyrhills City Council are giving strong consideration to a second request for state funding to expand the state-of-the-art facility on Simons Road.

The northeast corner of the 10-acre property has been reserved for a 30,000-square-foot indoor multi-purpose sports complex — enough room to handle four full-sized tennis courts, and can also be converted to accommodate soccer, weddings and even concerts.

This past year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a $1.5 million appropriation for the Phase II project from the state’s budget amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But that might not stop city leaders from continuing to push for the project. Appropriation requests for this year must be submitted to the state by early February.

The $4.9 million tennis center, which opened in September, already includes numerous courts and other amenities.

Published January 06, 2021

New Zephyrhills Police officer sworn in

January 5, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

The Zephyrhills Police Department has added a new member to its force — recently swearing in 21-year-old Gabriella Slater as a patrol officer.

Slater was officially introduced to the East Pasco community and took an oath during a Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month.

Newly sworn Zephyrhills Police officer Gabrielle Slater, right, stands alongside Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer. (Courtesy of Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Slater — a recent graduate of the Pasco-Hernando State College law enforcement academy —brings a unique background to the city’s police department.

She was born in Colorado and relocated to Florida as a youth through the foster care system. She was eventually adopted and raised by Zephyrhills residents Erv and Jan Slater, a former director of the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce from 2006 to 2008.

Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer said of Slater and her family: “The Slaters provided her a loving home and a Christian upbringing. Officer Slater and her family have been active members of the Zephyrhills community for years. Her long-term community involvement is what inspired her to pursue a career.”

Brewer also noted Slater “expressed her excitement for being a Zephyrhills police officer to give back to the community that has provided her so many opportunities throughout her lifetime.”

The freshly minted officer was supported by a slew of family and friends in attendance at the meeting, who served up a heaping of claps, cheers and congratulations upon her acknowledgements.

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield also offered words of support to the rookie officer.

“We know you’re going to do a wonderful job, and we’re very excited to add you on board,” said Whitfield.

He added: “I think it means a lot to us to see our new police officers, and I think it gives them a little bit more of an indication that we’re behind them when they can come here, and we can all be here to cheer them on and have their families here. I just appreciate (Chief Brewer) doing that.”

Published January 06, 2021

Tennis center hosts fruitful tournaments

January 5, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center has only been open since September, but it has quickly shown to be a hit among Zephyrhills residents and outsiders alike.

The $4.9 million complex at 6585 Simons Road has already begun delivering on its promise to bring in large-scale racquet sports tournaments, thanks to its portfolio of 11 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts — plus a distinct mix of peak performance treatments in the way of a modern fitness center, cryotherapy, salt room therapy and sports counseling.

The new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center hosted major pickleball and padel tournaments last month, drawing hundreds of participants. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

The complex hosted a weeklong pickleball tournament from Dec. 7 through Dec. 11, followed by a weekend padel tournament Dec. 12 and Dec. 13.

The pickleball event attracted over 200 participants, making it one of the largest in the state for the entire year, according to Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg, who updated the Zephyrhills City Council on the facility’s happenings at a regular meeting last month.

Meantime, the padel event’s 118 participants made it one of the largest padel tournaments held in the United States, the planning director said.

The padel event alone attracted a sizable contingent from Miami and the South Florida area, while others came in from as far away as Houston, Las Vegas, New York and even California. It is believed a total of 11 states were represented in all.

“They were coming from all over the country to be here in Zephyrhills to play in that padel tournament,” Vande Berg said of the new but fast-growing racquet sport popularized in Mexico and Spain.

And, more big-time tournaments in Zephyrhills are planned in the new year.

The facility will host a $25,000 professional women’s tennis tournament bringing in some of the top-ranked players in the world, from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1.

Vande Berg also noted “there’s potentially a very large tournament that’s in the works of being investigated that would be super exciting if we’re able to get that, but we’ll continue to talk about that if that continues to pull through.”

Elsewhere, the facility’s youth sports training program — called United Global Academy (UGA) “is growing like crazy,” Vande Berg said.

“Every time you go out there, you see new kids that are training there, either on a full-time or afterschool basis; but just everything we’re hearing from parents that are coming in is, ‘An amazing facility,’” he said.

Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vande Berg said the tennis center in general has produced “positive results to this point,” also mentioning that its regular Sunday Brunch has become “very successful.”

The complex is owned by the City of Zephyrhills, but privately managed and operated by renowned tennis instructor Pascal Collard, who’s held similar posts at the Saddlebrook Tennis Center and The Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

It’s named in honor of former Zephyrhills High School district champion Sarah Vande Berg, who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team.
Sarah, the daughter of Todd Vande Berg, died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

The facility celebrated a soft opening in September and a grand opening in October, more than a year after a July 2019 groundbreaking on construction.

Published January 06, 2021

Cemetery complaints addressed

December 29, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

The Dade City Commission has approved a landscaping contract, after grievances aired in recent months about the upkeep of the Dade City Cemetery.

Commissioners have approved a contract with a landscaping company to maintain the grounds of the 17-acre cemetery, at 38151 Martin Luther King Blvd.

The agreement is with Gotha-based JDMF LLC, and it calls for landscape management services from April 1 through Oct. 31, at an annual cost of $37,200.

The Dade City Commission approved a contract with landscaping management firm JDMF LLC, to maintain the Dade City Cemetery during the rainy season from April through October. The cost of services is $37,300 annually for the seven months of work. (Kevin Weiss)

The seven months of work coincide with the area’s rainy season when grass grows more quickly at the site nestled in the Mickens-Harper community, on the northeast side of town, across U.S. 98.

Two other bids received for cemetery landscape management came in at $61,446 and $179,746, respectively.

The city originally budgeted $36,000 to hire an additional public works/park employee who would have shared duties between the cemetery and downtown grounds maintenance.

However, city administration felt it more prudent to outsource the cemetery workload instead.

As explained in a city memo dated Dec. 8: “Contracting out the cemetery landscape management will eliminate the current need to hire an additional employee and provide the current downtown and parks employees the help that is needed to maintain a park-like setting in our city’s downtown area. During the dry season, city employees will maintain the cemetery.”

Dade City Public Works Director Bryan Holmes also deemed the workload “too great for one employee to maintain during the rainy season.”

Funding for the contract services will come from the parks department’s operational budget. The cost for outsourcing the work will be offset by the cost of hiring an additional employee and the vehicle costs associated with maintaining the grounds, officials say.

Split decision
The decision to go with the landscaping firm was divided among commissioners, narrowly passing by a 3-2 vote at the Dec. 8 meeting.

Mayor Camille Hernandez, and Commissioners Scott Black and Knute Nathe voted for the contract. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Shive and Commissioner Normita Woodard voted against.

In dissenting, Woodard expressed concern about the number of tasks the municipality has been outsourcing — as opposed to finding solutions in-house with city workers.

“It seems like anytime we meet any type of adversity, the solution is contracting someone from the outside,” Woodard said. “I personally feel like our solution should not always be to contract out.”

She added: “It seems to be that we are consistently setting a precedent that when we can’t do the job, we are immediately going outside, and I don’t like it.”

Shive made similar points. He preferred adding another a full-time employee to handle the grounds and other areas for 12 months, instead of “turn over control of the cemetery with contracted people” for seven months of the year.

“I just want to remind everybody this is $37,000 for seven months. What is going to happen for the other five months when they’re not here to do the job?” Shive asked.

“I have a problem paying $37,000 for seven months when we can hire a full-time person that can work for the cemetery and the CRA (the Community Redevelopment Agency special district) — and we’re actually creating a job for somebody.”

The mayor pro tem, too, noted the city previously hired a contractor to maintain parking lots downtown, which led to unsatisfactory results.

The other commissioners, however, supported the city staff’s recommendation for various reasons.

Over the last handful of years, some 175 gravesites have been installed across the city’s 17-acre cemetery, sparking the need for more groundskeeping assistance. Some local residents have complained about the upkeep of the site in recent months.

“For smaller municipalities like Dade City is, sometimes you can’t do everything in-house,” Nathe reasoned. “Sometimes it is more cost-effective to hire out and go to a third party to maintain something that we don’t have the resources to do ourselves.”

He continued, “I don’t care whether it’s somebody directly employed by the city who does it or a third-party contractor.

“If staff’s telling us, ‘Listen, it’s more efficient to get a third-party contractor to do this, so that it frees up the cemetery groundskeeper to go help out in other parts of the city,’ — and I’m sure they need help during the rainy season — then I say let’s do that.”

Meanwhile, Black pointed out the firm JDMF had strong references from the cities of Lakeland and Bartow, as well as Pasco and Lake counties. Also, he surmised the contractor is set to bring in an experienced multi-person crew with their own equipment to spruce up the cemetery, likely to be more effective and efficient than any one person.

“The fact remains that we’ve got a problem that we need to take care of, and this does seem like a cost-effective way of doing it,” Black said. “You’re getting a team that comes in, that works and does this for other municipalities and a couple of counties, and I think we’re needing to do something different here, and if it doesn’t work out, then we can go back and find another way to do it, but this does sound like this could be a very good solution for us, and hopefully we can go back and break the cycle of the problems that we’ve been having of late.”

Hernandez — who was the favoring swing vote — acknowledged being “really torn” with the decision.

The mayor emphasized that the city’s public works supervisors must have regular follow-up with the landscape company. Moreover, the contractor better give ample attention to weed-eating around headstones and gravesites, she said.

“I just want to make sure that we’re doing our work, that this gets done,” Hernandez said. “As we get ready to do all this marketing of our town and not only the cemetery, but all of those things that we’re doing, that everything is looking in a way that people are proud of, especially when they’re going to pay tribute to their loved ones who’ve passed.

“We all realize this is important for people with gravesites. It’s in a lot of ways very emotional and very sentimental, as well as being something that we need to take care of.”

In recent months residents have levied ongoing complaints on the growth of weeds, and damaged graves and headstone decorations, making comments on social media and during commission meetings.

It came to a head during a September meeting when residents, including Mario Jenkins, spoke up about the conditions.

Jenkins told commissioners when he last visited his mother’s grave, he discovered some of the decorations—including a memorial cross — had been destroyed.

“Every time I go there, I seem to be disappointed,” Jenkins said. “The upkeep on the grounds is very poor.”

Cemetery duties increasing
For many years, the city was able to have a single groundskeeper maintain the entire cemetery parcel, officials say.

But, apparently that’s no longer the case.

One explanation may be the surging demand of marked graves and installed headstones over the last several years.

Dade City Clerk Angie Guy is responsible for selling cemetery spaces and when families want to have headstones installed for loved ones.

Guy explained that more than 175 graves have been added to the cemetery during the last six years.

The increasing number of gravesites has increased the workload for maintaining the cemetery, she explained, as more man hours are needed to mark the grave, install headstones, landscape surrounding areas and so on.

“The workload has increased substantially, so that’s another part of the issue,” Guy told commissioners at the meeting. “It’s not just marking the grave and that’s it. Now there’s a headstone that (residents) want installed, that (worker) is going to have stop mowing, stop weed-eating, and install the headstone, and make sure it’s installed correctly. If there’s any problems (with the headstone install), then they go back and forth…”

Published December 30, 2020

2020 eventful for East Pasco communities

December 29, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

The COVID-19 pandemic aside, the year 2020 brought myriad new developments and occurrences within the cities of Dade City and Zephyrhills.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights from the past year:

Dade City

Medical marijuana dispensaries allowed
Medical marijuana treatment centers and dispensaries can now set up shop within certain areas of Dade City, following a commission ruling.

An ordinance approved in January altered Dade City’s land development regulations to make treatment facilities a permitted use in the city’s general commercial zoning district, and an allowed use in commercial and employment center planned development districts.

More specifically, the action ordinance lets medical marijuana facilities be situated along U.S. 301/U.S. 98 south and north of town, and certain pockets of the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) district, while avoiding much of the city’s historic downtown main street and central business district.

The city previously had a series of concurrent moratoriums on medical marijuana treatment centers within its municipal limits dating back to 2016, to study its possible impacts.

New commissioners elected
The 2020 municipal election cycle brought aboard a pair of fresh faces to the five-member Dade City Commission — in Knute Nathe and Normita Woodard.

Nathe, an attorney at McClain Alfonso, assumed the Group 4 seat vacated by Nicole Deese Newlon, who chose not to run for reelection. Nathe in his campaign was vocal about controlling development that comes into city limits, to curb “out-of-control” growth seen in Wesley Chapel and San Antonio.

Woodard, a secretary at Lacoochee Elementary School, assumed the Group 5 seat that had been held by Eunice Penix since 1993 (Penix opted not to seek reelection.)

Woodard’s platform focused on building a strong downtown, while also advocating for more accountability and efficiency in municipal services for residents.

Meantime, Group 3 incumbent Jim Shive was elected to serve a third term on the commission.

A $2.5 million construction project was completed to help relieve downtown flooding in Dade City.

Downtown gets stormwater relief
Dade City’s downtown streets and sidewalks have been known to be swallowed in at least 6 inches to 7 inches of standing water for days at a time after heavy summer rains.

This issue was seemingly mostly resolved when construction wrapped up in August on a $2.5 million stormwater capital improvement project.

The project generally took underground concrete piping through multiple downtown streets into an existing conveyance system into a reconfigured Irwin Pond, just past U.S. 98 and the CSX railway.

The new system runs from Seventh Street’s intersections with Church Avenue and Pasco Avenue. Then it heads east on Pasco Avenue to Third Street, before heading north up to Meridian Avenue.

The project was paid for with a combination of state appropriations, and funding from the Florida Department of Transportation and Dade City.

Snow in town?
While slightly outside the city limits, the brand-new Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park has brought an influx of visitors seeking a unique, family friendly thrilling adventure to the Dade City area.

The theme park hyped as “Florida’s first-ever snow park” opened for business in November,

at 27839 Saint Joe Road in Dade City.

There are three main attractions on the 20-acre site:

Snowy Slopes — 60-foot-tall, 400-foot-long snowtubing hill featuring single, tandem and family-style snowtubing.
Arctic Igloo — 10,000-square-foot enclosed circular space that is covered in snow thick enough to build snowmen, and make snow angels and snowballs.
Alpine Village — expansive concourse area that exhibits a line of local vendors offering an assortment of food, drinks, beer, wine, craft goods and holiday gift shopping.

The park operates daily, except Christmas, from around November through March. Snowcat Ridge is owned by Point Summit Inc., which also operates TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure Park and Scream-A-Geddon Horror Park.

Zephyrhills

Main Street Zephyrhills garners statewide recognition
Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., annually puts on some of the city’s largest and most popular downtown events, such as the Festival of Lights, the Founder’s Day Parade & Heritage Festival, Music & Motorcycles, and others.

The 501c3 nonprofit also works closely with city leadership on other initiatives, such as creating interactive art murals, and installing public Wi-Fi downtown and more public park benches.

The organization’s varied efforts didn’t go unnoticed in 2020.

In March, it was designated Florida Main Street Program of the Month by Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee.

The monthly statewide honor is believed to be a first for Main Street Zephyrhills, which is mostly run by a large contingent of volunteers. The City of Zephyrhills does staff a coordinator to facilitate the group’s events and other programs.

Also, the organization in 2019 achieved national accreditation by the Main Street America program “for generating impressive economic returns, preserving community character, and celebrating local history.”

Attorney Clarke Hobby will serve as co-counsel for the City of Zephyrhills.

Zephyrhills joins water contamination lawsuit
Coincidentally enough, “City of Pure Water” this year joined a massive federal lawsuit regarding contaminated water.

In May, the municipality became a plaintiff in a multi-district litigation case filed against various companies that manufactured firefighting foams, or manmade chemicals found to contaminate groundwater, wastewater and water wells.

The chemicals in question are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), compounds historically used in carpets, clothing, food packaging and a number of industrial processes.

High levels of PFOA/PFOS were discovered in Water Well No. 1 utilized by the city’s downtown fire station for training purposes, dating as far back as 2014, officials and experts have said.

Armed with this information, the Zephyrhills City Council unanimously voted to enter negotiations for representation with Cossich, Summich, Parsiola and Taylor LLC., a New Orleans-based litigation firm. Local co-counsel includes Tampa-based firms Hobby & Hobby P.A., and Young & Partners LLP.

Zephyrhills joins more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in the lawsuit. Other plaintiffs are as far away as California and North Dakota, and within Florida, Pensacola and Lauderhill.

Bidding adieu to local fire department
The Zephyrhills Fire Department — as it had been known for some 100 years — made its last service call in September when the agency officially became part of Pasco County Fire Rescue, through an interlocal agreement.

The Zephyrhills Fire Department consolidated with Pasco Fire Rescue through an interlocal agreement.

With the merger, the locally controlled fire department’s 24 full-time employees, two stations and apparatus were absorbed into the county’s fire and rescue operations.

The fire stations’ computer and audio systems unified within the county’s 911 operations center, too.

Along with the change, the city’s two stations have been renamed from Zephyrhills Fire Department Station 1 and Zephyrhills Fire Department Station 2, to Pasco County Fire Rescue Station 25 and Pasco Country Fire Rescue Station 29, respectively.

The merger had been inevitable for the past several years.

Besides a ballooning annual budget, Zephyrhills Fire Department over the years battled personnel turnover, staffing shortages and outdated equipment. The city also was without a fire chief for over 18 months, instead dividing those duties among three battalion chiefs.

The consolidation saved Zephyrhills from having to implement what would have amounted to a pricey fire assessment fee on residents and business owners to keep the local agency afloat.

World-class tennis center opens
Lace up the tennis shoes and prep those rackets and balls for play — because the state-of-the-art Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is now game-ready for local use.

The multimillion dollar Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is open for public use.

What began as drawings and plans on paper some four years ago has become a reality — in the form a $4.9 million athletic complex situated on nearly 10 acres of land, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

The facility’s centerpiece is 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface), eight pickleball courts and four padel courts.

Attached is a nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor club housing cutting-edge health and wellness amenities that promote training and recovery via cryotherapy, salt therapy, yoga, athletic training and more. The indoor clubhouse also has a full restaurant and cafe operated by Land O’ Lakes-based caterer Mark Vesh.

The complex is named in honor of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district champion and three-time state qualifier who died in an automobile accident in South Carolina at the age of 21, in October 2015.

The tennis center venture is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

Besides public use, the facility is anticipated to be a host to national and international racquet sports tournaments.

A soft opening was held in September and grand opening in October.

Published December 30, 2020