Zephyrhills/East Pasco News

No Festival of Lights this year, in Zephyrhills

November 24, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

One of the most popular holiday events in Zephyrhills won’t be happening this year after all — because of the ongoing concern about the coronavirus pandemic.

City leaders pulled the plug on the Festival of Lights Christmas Parade, typically held each year and hosted in partnership with Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., and the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

The popular Festival of Lights Christmas Parade in Zephyrhills has been called off, amid ongoing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The event was originally scheduled for Dec. 5. (Courtesy of Main Street Zephyrhills)

The downtown event had been scheduled for Dec. 5. Typically, the celebration draws more than 15,000 people.

Because of the parade’s popularity, the Zephyrhills City Council and other city officials felt it was prudent to cancel the event in the interest of health and safety. The issue was discussed at length during a Nov. 9 regular meeting.

As an alternative to the holiday festival, Main Street Zephyrhills and Zephyrhills CRA are organizing a smaller downtown gathering on Dec. 5 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the town square on Fifth Avenue.

Activities will include a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, pictures with Santa, food trucks and a family movie.

Meanwhile, scrapping the full-blown parade is on par with other local municipalities that also have canceled similarly sized Christmas-themed events. Dade City has canceled its Christmas festival, as has Lakeland and Plant City, respectively

Because of those cancellations, city leaders voiced concerns that an influx of residents from other communities would flock to Zephyrhills to check out its Christmas parade, if it had one.

Officials also said it would be difficult to create controlled entrance points, check temperatures and make sure everyone followed mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe underscored the impact if someone (or multiple people) with COVID-19 showed up to a full-scale Christmas festival.

“It just takes one and it’s a mess for us,” Poe said at the meeting. “(It’d be) a news media frenzy on Zephyrhills on, ‘How did you have this large event that you weren’t able to control?’”

Poe went on to explain there’s a difference between a city sponsoring such an event and a private organization or location — such as Busch Gardens, Disney, the Grove at Wesley Chapel.

Those groups, Poe said, “have very controlled entrance points” to maintain order and safety protocols.

The increasing positivity rates in local schools is another concern, the city manager said, noting, “I know that a couple of us have had kids impacted multiple times this year already.”

While concurring with Poe’s comments relating to public safety, Council President Charles Proctor said it’s a shame the event has to be canceled.

“I’ve lived in this city for over 30 years and I’ve never missed a Christmas Parade, so it breaks my heart that because of all this, we have to do what we have to do, unfortunately,” Proctor said.

“The last thing I want is for us to have an event and somebody get sick, and then the city is thrown under the bus for not being responsible. It’s hard to make decisions like this and shut down, but our hands are tied with the guidelines. I mean, we have to do what we have to do to keep our citizens safe.”

Published November 25, 2020

Their stories — and foods — are varied

November 17, 2020 By B.C. Manion

A small group of entrepreneurs gathered recently to sell their goods at a drive-thru vendor fair at the University of Florida/Pasco County Extension’s One Stop Shop, at 15029 14th St., in Dade City.

Those wishing to make a purchase could swing by on Oct. 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., to order items and purchase them, from the comfort of their cars.

Hillbilly Farms prepares gluten-free foods. The company’s founders sold the storefront, but are still selling items prepared at an incubator commercial kitchen in Dade City. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

The idea was to support the small businesses, while providing a safe place to shop, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participating vendors included Hillbilly Farms Bakery Shops, Charm City Eats, Lanky Lassie’s Shortbread, Superfood Bakeshop, and Chef Sweets of Luminous Concession.

The stories, shared by some small business owners taking part in the event, are as varied as the foods they sold.

Rhoda Mazerolle, of Hillbilly Farms Bakery, previously sold her gluten-free foods from a storefront that she operated with her husband. They have sold that store and have scaled down, but she continues to prepared wholesale foods at the SMARTstart commercial kitchen, at the One Stop Shop.

The commercial kitchen initiative is the result of a partnership between the Pasco Extension Office, which is part of the University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, Pasco County and Pasco County Economic Development Council Inc., with assistance from Welbilt, an industrial kitchen company.

Amy Henninger, of Charm City Eats, is a newcomer to the Pasco County area — moving here less than two months ago.

She said the commercial kitchen allows her food truck — which specializes in authentic Maryland cuisine — to operate.

Charm City Eats offers authentic Baltimore cuisine. The company was one of the vendors taking part in a recent drive-thru vendor fair at the One Stop Shop in Dade City.

Charm City Eats offers such foods as broiled crab cakes, slow-smoked pit beef, Baltimore fried chicken, hot chicken and hand-cut fries.

Getting into the food business is a big departure for her, she said, noting she used to run a copier company in Baltimore.

But, the pandemic has been a turning point, she said.

“I’m going to be turning 40 soon, and I was just sick of the corporate world, and quotas and nonsense, and stress and all of that. I just wanted to do something different and work for myself,” Henninger said.

Plus, her fiancé loves to cook.

Like Henninger, Mary Katherine Mason Souter — who owns Lanky Lassie’s Shortbread — was greatly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In fact, the entrepreneur said she’s had her shortbread business for years, but it was always a “very, very side hustle, hobby.”

It turned into a full-time career, she said, “100% because of COVID.”

The owner of Lanky Lassie’s estimates she’s baked about 5,000 pounds of shortbread since being laid off from her previous full-time job of doing interior designs and selecting furniture for hotels.

Before turning all of her attention to running a baking company, she did interior designs and selected furniture for hotels.

That came to a halt earlier this year, when she was furloughed in April, then laid off in July.

“Since April, I have made about 5,000 pounds of shortbread,” said the baker, who uses her maiden name, Mason, on her business documents.

Her company’s slogan — “Long legs, short bread” — is a reference to her height, of 6 feet.

She’s grateful for the SMARTstart kitchen.

“Without that kitchen, I would not be able to have my business because in order to be able to ship legally and sell legally online, you have to have your manufacturing license.

“The only way you can have your manufacturing license is to have your commercial kitchen, and it has to be inspected by the Department of Agriculture,” she said.

It turns out that the kitchen is just 2 miles away from where she lives in Dade City.

Dan Mitchell, Pasco EDC’s SMARTstart program coordinator, said “the drive-thru vendor fair was a way for our community to experience the new food businesses that have been developing at the incubator.”

It also gave entrepreneurs a chance to get some feedback and hone their skills, Mitchell added.

Whitney C. Elmore, director of Pasco County Extension, said she’s proud of the vendors who produce their foods at the incubator kitchen.

“They’ve persevered during the pandemic – some had lost their job as a result and we were there, along with Pasco EDC, to provide the resources they needed to start their business,” she said.

“Our vendors provide phenomenal products,” Elmore added, “We were excited to showcase them in a drive-through vendor fair at our One Stop Shop in Dade City.”

Published November 18, 2020

Input sought on 301/98/Clinton Avenue realignment

November 17, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

Efforts are underway to enhance a busy and sometimes dangerous roadway intersection that passes through Dade City and unincorporated Pasco County.

The Florida Department of Transportation has developed five possible alternative corridor alignments, to alleviate the traffic issues where U.S. 301 and U.S. 98 merge and intersect with Clinton Avenue. A so-called Corridor B is viewed as the best option. Public comment on the alternative corridor project is being accepted through Nov. 25. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 7 office has developed and unveiled recommended corridor realignment improvements for the U.S. 301/U.S. 98/Clinton Avenue intersection — via the agency’s Alternative Corridor Evaluation (ACE) process.

A virtual public information presentation was released on Nov. 4 online. This meeting provided an opportunity to review the corridor alternatives and provide input.

Proposed improvements seek to:

Eliminate the current closely spaced intersections of U.S. 301 at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301 at Clinton Avenue
Facilitate east/west travel
Maximize the benefits of the improvements to Clinton Avenue and designation as State Road 52 west of U.S. 301
Enhance safety along the corridor

With those objectives in mind, five proposed corridor options were developed in FDOT’s ACE study, which were shared in detail in the prerecorded online presentation.

Each of the proposed corridor routes are 250 feet wide to allow for flexibility in developing proposed alignments that avoid potential constraints. It also is anticipated that a four-lane, expandable to six-lane — in divided sections — will be developed for corridor consistency.

The closely spaced major intersections of U.S. 301 at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301 at Clinton Avenue are only 1,500 feet apart and have roadways with high traffic volume. Traveling through the area requires turning and weaving movements that result in crash rates that exceed the statewide average, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

From the five alignment alternatives, the state transportation department is recommending the Corridor B option, to proceed to the project development and environmental (PD&E) study.

The 1.91-mile Corridor B route begins approximately 485 feet north of Townsend Road, and diverts U.S. 98 to the north along the east side of mobile home parks along Wilds Roads, until it ties into Clinton Avenue, east of U.S. 301.

The corridor, according to FDOT, “will impact primarily rural and farmland properties as well as a few residential properties, concentrated at the northern end of the proposed realignment.” The total cost of the recommended corridor alignment is estimated between $27.8 million and $38.3 million, according to the presentation.

Here are the other proposed corridor alternatives studied:

Corridor A — 0.88-mile route begins approximately 3,300 feet southeast of the intersection of U.S. 98 and U.S. 301, and diverts U.S. 98 to the north, and ties into Clinton Avenue, east of U.S. 301
Corridor C — 3.48-mile route begins approximately 725 feet northeast of the overpass of U.S. 98 and Old Lakeland Highway, and diverts U.S. 98 to the north, mirroring the existing geometry of Old Lakeland Highway until it ties into Clinton Avenue
Corridor D — 0.80-mile route begins approximately 350 north of the entrance to the Grove Ridge RV resort and diverts U.S. 98 to the west, and continues until it intersect U.S. 301 at an existing median opening
Corridor E — 1.47-mile route begins approximately at the intersection of U.S. 98 and Jim Jordan Road, and diverts U.S. 98 to the west, and continues until it intersects U.S. 301

How the corridors compare
The state’s presentation summarized the drawbacks of those corridors, as compared to Corridor B.

This is the Florida Department of Transportation’s recommended alternative for the U.S. 301/U.S. 98/Clinton Avenue intersection, referred to as Corridor B. The 1.91-mile route begins approximately 485 feet north of Townsend Road, and diverts U.S. 98 to the north along the east side of mobile home parks along Wilds Roads, until it ties into Clinton Avenue, east of U.S. 301. Cost is estimated between $27.8 million and $38.3 million. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

Corridors D and E “do not meet the purpose and need criterion of eliminating the closely spaced major intersections and are proposed for elimination from consideration.”

Corridor C “has the greatest involvement with the natural, social, cultural and physical environment, engineering issues,” the presentation said. Corridor A “has greater social impacts (than Corridor B), including the potential relocations and potential effects to the Harmony Heights and South Clinton Heights communities,” it added.

Corridor A has an estimated project cost from just under $13 million to $17.5 million, while Corridor C comes in at a projected cost between just below $51 million to $69.4 million.

Public comments on Corridor B and other alternatives will be received through Nov. 25, and can be made by visiting FDOTd7Studies.com/US301US98INT/ or emailing FDOT District 7 project manager Brian Shroyer at .

The next steps in the project development process include the PD&E phase, design phase, right of way acquisition and then construction.

There’s no set time frame on the project, but it’s anticipated construction wouldn’t begin for at least several more years.

PascThe PD&E study should be ready sometime in early 2022, Shroyer wrote in an email to The Laker/Lutz News.

The PD&E phase would look at the road width, number of lanes, sidewalks and trails that may be necessary.

Then, depending on if funding is secured for right of way and construction during that time, it could take a couple years after that before shovel hits dirt, Shroyer said.

Reasons for intersection improvements
District 7 of FDOT initiated the planning phase of the U.S. 301/U.S. 98/Clinton Avenue intersection project in early 2019.

The U.S. 98 intersection realignment is listed among the needs detailed in the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Mobility 2045 long-range transportation plan.

Efforts are underway to seek an alternative corridor where U.S. 301 and U.S. 98 merge and intersect with Clinton Avenue in Dade City and unincorporated Pasco County. The new roadway is aimed at easing traffic and reducing accidents. (File)

The virtual presentation — which remains available online on FDOT’s website — outlined the necessity for alterations to the busy intersection.

It was explained how the closely spaced major intersections of U.S. 301 at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301 at Clinton Avenue are only 1,500 feet apart and have roadways with high traffic volume (feeder and receiver roadway segments have an annual average daily traffic of 5,000 vehicles or greater).

Because of this, traveling through the area requires turning and weaving movements that result in crash rates that exceed the statewide average, the presentation explained.

The data shows that the closely spaced intersections have crash rates that exceed the statewide average.

Between 2013 to 2017, the U.S. 301/U.S. 98 intersection saw 68 crashes, while the U.S. 301/Clinton Avenue intersection saw 72 crashes during that period, according to FDOT studies.

Furthermore, the realignment of State Road 52 from east of McKendree Road to east of U.S. 301 will serve as an additional east/west route in the regional transportation network. Because of this, traffic at the U.S.301/U.S 98 and U.S 301/Clinton Avenue intersections is anticipated to increase, exacerbating the current intersection safety concerns, according to the presentation.

Maps, drawings, and other information are available for review under the documents tab on the project website, fdotd7studies.com/US301US98INT/.

Plans also can be viewed in person at:

The FDOT District 7 Headquarters, 11201 N. Malcolm McKinley Drive in Tampa
Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City

Published November 18, 2020

Zephyrhills renews utility billing service

November 17, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

Utility customers and Zephyrhills city staffers can breathe a collective sigh of relief: For the next year at least, MuniBilling will continue to handle the city’s utility billing.

That means customers will be able to continue to view their water consumption and make payments, without switching to another company.

The Zephyrhills City Council made that official announcement during the council’s Nov. 9 meeting.

The City of Zephyrhills has renewed its contract on utility billing services with MuniBilling, a North Carolina-based firm that provides cloud-based utility billing software for governments and private companies. The renewal comes a year after the city was forced to scramble to find a new utility billing provider, after it was informed that Fathom Water Management was going out of business. (File)

Last November, the city had to change its water billing provider after it was informed that Fathom Water Management was going out of business. The notice came from the Arizona-based company in a Saturday email — telling the city it had three weeks to find a different provider to service utility customers.

The bombshell — or what city officials describe “a disastrous day” — forced the city to scramble for a new utility billing provider, subsequently requiring the complete overhaul of billing system software and repository information, as well as bill printing.

“It was quite an undertaking,” Zephyrhills Finance Director Ted Beason recalled. “I used to be thin and had a lot of hair before that process, so it’s had a toll on the staff.”

By December, the city was able to land with MuniBilling, who converted the city’s billing data to their software and offered call center services within a period of days.

Customers were able to provide their same username and account number on MuniBilling as they did on Fathom. Also, the company combined 1,700 irrigation accounts on the same bill as household meters.

That first-year agreement with MuniBilling came with an $812,000 price tag, or $5.99 per active account (roughly 11,300) for 12 months.

Now, in continuing the relationship for a second year, MuniBilling services will drop to $541,000 ($3.99 per account for 12 months), yielding a savings of $271,000 for the city, the finance director says.

“We’re now in a position where we can take advantage of our second year of our contract with MuniBilling,” Beason explained to the Zephyrhills City Council. “We think it’s worth the second year of the contract, and we think they performed well enough that we’d like to push forward.”

Beason highlighted other program benefits, too.

The firm’s associated integrated customer portal — WaterSmart — allows customers to make online payments, set up autopay and review data on their water consumption. The program also sends email and text notifications to customers on abnormal water usage. A meter showing 20 gallons of water being used in the middle of the night may signal a leaking toilet, for example.

Beason called the feature “a total win” as it allows customers to resolve a potential issue before seeing major effects on the following month’s bill.

“It’s very much the case of, we don’t want to produce boomerang bills. As we notice the problem, reach out to the customer and try to head off the problem before it really becomes expensive for them,” explained Beason.

However, the finance director acknowledged there were some hiccups in the early days of the MuniBilling partnership, including: inexperience of the firm’s call center staff; software that didn’t smoothly handle old customer move-outs and new customer move-ins; and, deposit refunds requiring a lot of effort by city staff.

But, Beason noted the company in June added “a really good project manager” who “seems to be in tune with not repeating the same mistakes more than once, and goes ahead and gets that taken care of quickly.”

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe also went to bat in favor of renewing MuniBilling’s contract.

Poe told council members he’d “highly recommend against” changing gears and searching for a new water billing provider.

If that was to be the case, Poe, perhaps half-jokingly, said: “We probably will not have a finance director or many utility employees,” referencing the stress and workload involved in transitioning from one utility billing firm to another.

Other city staffers didn’t have to put up much of an argument, as council members likewise expressed their satisfaction with the MuniBilling and WaterSmart system.

Said Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson: “For me personally, I think that the bill is easier to read. I think that it’s pretty consistent when it arrives and for the general customer experience, overall, has been pretty positive.”

Council President Charles Proctor also shared upbeat comments about MuniBilling, noting he has not received many complaints from utility customers.

Efforts to modernize the city’s water billing system had been in the works for some time.

Prior to signing up with Fathom more than five years ago, Zephyrhills leaders expressed the need to shift to state-of-the-art, cloud-based technology that can monitor for leaks and spikes in water usage, and provide more accuracy and consistency in meter readings and billings.

Confidence in the city’s billing system had eroded in recent years because of inaccurate meter readings, broken meters, leaks that went undiscovered and other problems.

Residential and commercial customers then reported incorrect billing, including a $100,000 error in the Zephyrhills bottled water account.

Yet, even the initial Fathom rollout led to numerous complaints from residents, who saw their bills go up after installation of new bar meters provided more precise water-usage readings, finding leaks the old system did not detect.

Published November 18, 2020

Local event overrun with ‘Bugs’

November 10, 2020 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The 32nd annual Florida Bug Jam lived up to its name, attracting Volkswagen enthusiasts eager to show off their Bugs, to swap parts and to enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded people.

This beautiful 1962 Volkswagen Bug — complete with matching luggage — belongs to Jose m.Reyes Nieve. It was among the pristine, interesting and unusual VWs on display at the 32nd annual Florida Bug Jam, held Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, at the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City. (Randy Underhill)

The partly sunny, breezy weekend made the weather ideal for huge crowds on both days of the event.

The Jam is a magnet for people across the country to converge on the Pasco County Fairgrounds, in Dade City, to show off their vintage Volkswagen Bugs and VW vans of yesteryear.

Besides the classic Bugs and vans, there were VW dune buggies, Baja Bugs, and the “Thing” on display at the car show on Nov. 8.

Randy Yoho, of Kry Inc., was the show’s promoter.

On Nov. 7, the first day of the two-day event, there was a poker run, a parade to downtown Dade City, an off-road course, a pre-jam party and a concert.

The next day’s events included a car show and swap meet.

Campsites were available, and event-goers could grab a bite to eat and do some shopping, too.

By Randy Underhill

Published November 11, 2020

Alice Encio, of Tampa, adjusts her props that are part of her Alice in Wonderland theme in her 1967 Volkswagen at the Florida Bug Jam car show on Nov. 8, at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, at 36722 State Road 52 in Dade City.

Owner Jack Cook, of Brooksville, proudly sits near his 1972 Ford Grabber blue-colored VW Karmann Ghia at the 32nd annual Florida Bug Jam, on Nov. 7, inside the Pasco County Fairgrounds. It took Cook a year to build the car, which placed third for two years in a row in the competition.

Dave MacDougall, of Fort Lauderdale, sits near his sage green 1976 Volkswagen van, with its matching trailer. He and his son, who did not make it to the Bug Jam, have traveled to all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums in four seasons starting in 2015.

Fifteen-year-old Conner Sorenson, left, of Stuart, stands with his dad, Justin Sorenson, in front of the family’s 1967 Volkswagen bug on Nov. 7 at the Bug Jam.

The 32nd annual Bug Jam enjoyed good weather and attracted a big crowd of Volkswagen enthusiasts during the two-day event at the Pasco County Fairgrounds.

Donations being sought for law officer memorial

November 3, 2020 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s five offices are accepting donations during the month of November to help build the Pasco Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

This rendering depicts what the permanent memorial for fallen law enforcement officers is expected to look like. (File)

The memorial is planned to be located on the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City, and will honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty, according to a news release from Fasano’s office.

Pasco County is the only one of Florida’s 67 counties without a permanent law enforcement memorial, so efforts led by Attorney Craig LaPorte and other volunteers have been ongoing to raise enough money to build one. Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley also has been involved in the fundraising efforts.

An annual memorial service is held to honor the officers who have been lost, but the memorial will provide a place to visit year-round.

Cash donations can be made at any of the five tax collector locations in Pasco County. They also can be included in registration renewals mailed to the tax collector during the month of November, the release says.

For more information about the charitable giving program at the Pasco Tax Collector’s office, contact Assistant Tax Collector Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

For more information about the Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, call Craig LaPorte at (727) 863-1553.

Donations also may be mailed to the tax collector’s office at the following address: Tax Collector Mike Fasano, P.O. Box 276, Dade City, FL 33526. Please note on the check’s memo line “Law Enforcement Memorial.”

Published November 04, 2020

New contract gives Dade City police a bump in pay

October 27, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

Members of the Dade City Police Department are set to receive across-the-board salary increases, plus starting salary will be higher, too.

Those are just two of the provisions in a 56-page collective bargaining agreement between the City of Dade City and the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association (WCFPBA) on behalf of the local law enforcement agency.

The new three-year contract was approved unanimously at the Dade City Commission’s Oct. 13 meeting. The agreement runs through fiscal year 2022-2023.

The Dade City Police Department is set to receive across-the-board salary increases and other benefits as part of a new three-year collective bargaining agreement between the City of Dade City and the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association (WCFPBA). The new base salary is $40,000, up from the previous base salary of $37,000. (File)

The respective negotiations team for the city and police union met three times during the summer, and reached tentative agreement on all articles in early September.

The collective bargaining unit notified the city that its members had ratified the proposed contract during a vote later that month.

The most noteworthy changes are the increased officer salaries, as well as established pay steps. The new starting salary for a Dade City police officer is $40,000 — up from the previous starting salary of $37,000.

Meanwhile, a pay step plan implemented for sworn officers will create a 2% increase for every year of service between years one to 15, a 5% increase at year 20, and a 5% increase at year 25. This pay step plan eliminates a separate Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase and eliminates a separate longevity incentive.

Under the plan, all current officers will receive some sort of immediate pay increase — with most receiving up to 5%.

Officers and detectives requiring a greater increase to fit respective pay step will have the balance adjusted in equal installments in year two and year three, according to the agreement.

As an example, a rookie officer who was making $37,377.60 will see pay jump to $40,000 this fiscal year. In 2022-2023, that salary will be $41,616.

An 11-year veteran of the force making $43,992 will see pay jump to $46,191,60 this year; the salary will be $51,744.27 by 2022-2023.

To further put in perspective, here’s how an officer would be compensated based on years of service, under the plan:

Rookie officer: $40,000
One year service: $40,800
Five years of service: $44,163.23
10 years of service: $48,759.78
15 years of service: $53,834.73
20 years of service: $56,526.47
25 years of service: $59,352.79

There also were other special payment provisions implemented in the contract, including a $100 footwear allowance for all officers each year.

Another clause of the contract compensates officers for a loss of personal items during a physical incident on duty, or due to the of hazardous materials.

Dade City Police Chief James Walters, right, with Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez commended both city staffers and the police union for arriving at a workable agreement.

“I want to thank both sides,” Hernandez said. “I’m impressed at the amount of time, thought and deliberation, and action that ultimately we came to.”

The mayor, however, did acknowledge more work needs to be done in the future — alluding to greater officer pay and benefits in the future, as the city grows, develops and expands.

Even with the raises, the upgraded starting salary for a Dade City police officer still lags behind other agencies in Pasco County, where starting pay for police officers and deputies hovers around the mid-40s.

The nearby City of Zephyrhills, for instance, is actively advertising a starting salary of $44,500.

Hernandez put it this way: “You know, we have lots to do better on, we know that. But, I’m happy of where we are and we know there’s more to go, but I do believe we are moving in the right direction…”

Dade City Police Chief James Walters echoed the mayor’s sentiments regarding the agreement, overall.

“We appreciate the hard work for getting this done,” said Walters, a 25-year veteran of the agency who’s served as chief since 2018. “It is a great accomplishment for the employees and staff and officers, to be able to understand where they’re going to be at, and how they’re going to get there.”

The city’s police department has about 40 employees, including 23 sworn officers, civilian personnel and part-time staff.

Better pay deemed essential for retaining officers
The finalized contract comes at a point when the city is expected to need additional officers, as it continues to experience residential growth.

Walters advised commissioners during a budget meeting in August that additional staffing will be required to match the additional demands. At that time, he said: “In order to provide the services this community has come to expect and deserve, the police department must grow as well.

“We are already seeing a tremendous increase in our calls for service, and the more calls for service that we have with the same number of officers, the less time there is to spend on direct speeding enforcement, and community outreach and community-oriented policing.”
At the same meeting, WCFPBA president Nick Marolda underscored the importance of competitive pay for the city’s police force, noting the challenge the lower pay presents in both attracting and retaining officers.

“You’re spending thousands and thousands of dollars training these officers. They get great training, and then in about two years or three years, they look around and they see they’re the lowest (paid) in Pasco County, and they bail on you, and you lose all that money in training, and they go to another agency and you’ve got to start over again,” he said.

Published October 28, 2020

Check out this drive-up food fair

October 27, 2020 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

You can indulge in locally baked goods and gourmet specialty items from the comfort of your car and help small businesses — during the drive-up SMARTstart Vendor Fair.

The event will be on Oct. 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the UF/IFAS Pasco Extension One Stop Shop, 15029 14th St., in Dade City.

Lanky Lassie’s Shortbread, Superfood Bakeshop, Chef Sweets – Luminous Sweets, Nutoriously Good and other local incubator businesses will be ready with their most popular offerings – ranging from shortbread to organic, gluten-free items packed with superfoods, according to a news release from Pasco County.

Just drive up and you’ll receive online menu access to place an order that will be delivered to your car.

The event is being co-hosted by UF/IFAS Pasco Extension and the Pasco County Economic Development Council Inc.’s SMARTstart program.

Published October 28, 2020

Cancer forces retirement of police dog

October 20, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

A cancer diagnosis has forced the retirement of one of the Zephyrhills Police Department’s police dogs.

Zephyrhills Police Department K9 Oscar was recently diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, a blood vessel cancer. The 4-year-old yellow Labrador is officially retired and now in the care of handler Officer Morgan Upchurch. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Police Department)

It was a somber moment inside the Zephyrhills City Hall chambers when Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer on Oct. 12 officially retired 4-year-old K9 Oscar, amid what he called “an aggressive form of cancer, which is quickly spreading.”

The more technical term of K9 Oscar’s cancer is hemangiosarcoma, whereby malignant tumors are derived from the cells lining blood vessels.

“Unfortunately, he’s starting to exhibit signs of rapid decline in his health, and at this time we think it’s best for him to retire,” said Brewer, who was noticeably choked up.

With the retirement, ownership and care of the dog has been transferred from the city to his handler, Officer Morgan Upchurch.

K9 Oscar— a yellow Labrador from England— joined the city police department in 2018.

Brewer detailed how the canine in two-plus years completed 163 narcotics searches (yielding 134 findings) and 86 arrests. In those findings, K9 Oscar recovered methamphetamines, opiates, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl and other prescription pills.

Zephyrhills Police Department K9 Oscar with his handler, Officer Morgan Upchurch. The 4-year-old yellow Labrador was recently diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, a blood vessel cancer. Oscar had been with the agency since 2018.

“His value to us is going to be well-missed,” Brewer said. “I just want to tell you how much Oscar has meant to all of us, and none more than Morgan (Upchurch), and it’s a shame that he’s only 4 years old, and already suffering these types of issues, and we’re going to miss him a lot.”

The law enforcement agency operates with three police canines, with a long-term goal of working with four. The police chief later told The Laker/Lutz the agency plans to find K9 Oscar’s replacement “as soon as possible,” but added there’s not yet a set timetable “because many factors go into purchasing a dog.”

A slew of law enforcement officials and K9 units attended the retirement proceedings as a show of support for the Zephyrhills Police K9 team. A video tribute of K9 Oscar also was played for the audience at the meeting.

“It’s heartbreaking that such a young dog has to go through this,” said Zephyrhills City Council President Charles Proctor. “My heart goes out to Officer Upchurch. I can’t imagine. Having to put down one of our beloved dogs is always incredibly hard, so my heart goes out to him and the entire police department for their loss.”

Published October 21, 2020

Artists’ handiwork displayed on hay bales

October 20, 2020 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

People who enjoy viewing public art might want to check out six hay bales — painted by artists of various ages — that have been stationed around locations in Dade City.

The display is the Dade City Center for the Arts’ kick-off project, since being revived in July 2020.

This painting of a scarecrow’s face was done by Morgan Turgeon and Ethan Wiley, students at Pasco High School. The painted hay bale is at Price Park. (Courtesy of Dade City Center for the Arts)

Hancock Farm & Feed Co., provided and delivered the hay bales.

Those wishing to view the works can visit these Dade City locations:

Hardy Trail at Church Avenue, 37856 Church Ave.
Hibiscus Park, Seventh Street and Bougainvillea Avenue
Price Park, 37415 Magnolia Ave.
Agnes Lamb Park, 14200 Ninth St.
Naomi Jones Park, 38122 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Watson Park, on Main Avenue, between 17th and 19th streets

The paintings have been well-received, said Lucy Avila, of Dade City Center for the Arts, in a news release.

To find out more about Dade City art, check the art center’s website at DadeCityArts.com.

The center also has other projects planned to enhance downtown Dade City.

The arts center is headquartered at Out of Our Hands Gallery, 14245 Seventh St., in Dade City.

Published October 21, 2020