The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Zephyrhills/East Pasco News

Creating a permanent place of honor

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If all goes according to organizers’ desires, Pasco County will join the state’s 66 other counties and will establish a permanent memorial for law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

Those behind the effort hope the memorial will be ready for use next year, during the Pasco County ceremony held annually to honor members of the law enforcement community who began their shift, like any other day, but never made it home.

This rendering depicts what the permanent memorial for fallen law enforcement officers is expected to look like. (Rendering courtesy of Ardurra, formerly known as King Engineering Associates Inc.)

Craig Laporte, a Port Richey attorney, is one of the key players working to establish the memorial.

The initiative was launched in 2014 by some members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge in Land O’ Lakes, Laporte said.

They created the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial & Benefit Foundation Inc., Laporte said. In addition to the goal of creating a memorial, the foundation also seeks to help families of fallen law enforcement officers, or officers severely injured on duty.

“Coincidentally, at about the same time, my wife Arndrea and I decided that we wanted to do something to thank the families of law enforcement officers for what they go through on a daily basis,” said Laporte, who was a Pasco deputy before getting his law degree.

He and his wife saw firsthand the unpredictable nature of the work, and the sacrifices made by officers and their families, Laporte said.

They decided to organize a Family Fun Day to give law enforcement personnel and their families a chance to gather together to have a good time. The day includes a meal, and fun activities for kids and adults.

Area businesses and organizations help to pay for the festivities.

The first year, the Family Fun Day drew about 250 people; this year, there were 750, representing 17 agencies, Laporte said.

Craig Laporte holds a rendering of what the sculpture will look like in the center of a new memorial planned to honor fallen law enforcement officers. (B.C. Manion)

After paying the expenses the first year, there was $5,000 left over that was donated to the memorial fund, Laporte said. This past year, $14,000 was donated, said Laporte, who also became involved with the memorial foundation’s board.

Originally, the FOP  wanted to have the memorial at their private lodge site in Land O’ Lakes, but they agreed to change the location to erect the memorial in a public setting.

The Pasco County Commission also approved a request to locate the memorial at the northwest corner of the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

The historic courthouse is the same place where the annual Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial events have been held, according to accounts published in The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Bay Times.

Those events have been solemn affairs, sometimes attended by hundreds of people, according to published reports. They’ve been marked with the pageantry of law enforcement — a riderless horse, two boots sitting backward in the stirrups, escorted across the courtyard; a bagpiper playing “Going Home;” a bugler playing “Taps;” and words of consolation, and appreciation, for lives cut short too soon.

Next year, organizers hope the event will be held at the permanent memorial.

The memorial was designed free of charge by Ardurra, formerly known as King Engineering Associates Inc., of Tampa, Laporte said.

Clark Lohmiller, Planning and Landscape Group Leader for Ardurra, has been involved in the design since Day 1. He decided to contribute his skills after being approached by Terry Edmonson, of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, who had an obvious passion for the project.

Lohmiller said Jason Marques of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office also has been involved, and that John Galbavy and Kevin Velinsky, also from Ardurra, have lent their expertise on the project.

The memorial’s design was influenced by one in Texas, which features a sculpture of an angel carrying a fallen officer up to heaven at the center of it, Lohmiller said.

Laporte said Brodin Studio in Minnesota is creating the sculpture for the Pasco memorial.

He also described what the public can expect to see.

“It’s going to be designed really spectacularly,” he said. “It’ll be a black stone base down on the ground. And, it’ll be narrower than this, but it will be a thin blue line of glass block that’s illuminated from underneath, so at night, it will be an illuminated thin blue line.

“Then, the statue also will be illuminated, with LED lighting, and the names of the fallen officers will be around the pedestal,” Laporte said.

“Hopefully, it will be well-received and something that showcases the support that Pasco County has — and the community wants to have — for the fallen officers, and just the officers in general. I’m honored to be a part of it,” Lohmiller said.

LaPorte said his law partner, Frances Werner-Watkins, has a personal interest in the memorial. She is related to Sheldon Nicks and William O’ Berry, two of the fallen officers honored each year.

Efforts continue to raise the money needed to complete the project, Laporte said.

So far, about $220,000 of the $300,000 needed has been raised. Anyone who would like to make a donation, or contribute in other ways, can reach out to Laporte at (800) 273-8303.

Killed in the line of duty

  • Pasco deputy Sheldon S. Nicks, May 8, 1909: Died after jumping in front of a bullet, shot by an escaped convict. The bullet was intended for Nicks’ father, Henry Robert Nicks, the Fivay town marshal.
  • U.S. prohibition agent John Van Waters, Oct. 4, 1922: Gunned down in an ambush by bootleggers
  • Constable Arthur Crenshaw, Oct. 4, 1922: Gunned down in an ambush by bootleggers
  • Pasco deputy William O’ Berry, Jan. 1, 1926: Shot in the neck in Hernando County while trying to arrest a suspect
  • Pasco deputy John McCabe, June 26, 1948: Died when a truck heading north on U.S. 41 struck his car head on
  • Florida Highway Patrol trooper James Crook, May 19, 1998: Shot and killed while attempting to stop a suspect who had killed a young boy and two Tampa police detectives
  • Pasco Lt. Charles Bo Harrison, June 1, 2003: Killed by a sniper while sitting in his patrol car, just weeks before his retirement. He was promoted posthumously to captain.
  • Hernando deputy John Mecklenburg, July 3, 2011: Lost control of his vehicle on U.S. 41 and crashed during a high-speed chase that led authorities through Hernando, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

Sources: Published reports in The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Bay Times

Published August 07, 2019

Police officers help kids start school year in style

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Eleven-year-old Jayden Boykin made his way from one aisle to the next, as he went shopping for school clothes with his new buddy – Officer Troy Fulford of the Dade City Police Department.

The police officer and fifth-grader were on a mission, to make sure Jayden will look fashionable for his first day back at Rodney B. Cox Elementary School.

Fourteen-year-old James Walker was offered tips for new school clothes from Sgt. Lorenzo Moreno of the Dade City Police Department during the Summer Shop with a Cop event. The Aug. 2 program allowed the new freshman to pick his own gear at the Dade City Walmart before starting his first year at Pasco High School. (Brian Fernandes)

The pair was among those taking part in the second annual Summer Shop with a Cop event that brought 18 local kids and Dade City police officers together to select new school gear, on Aug. 2.

At the Dade City Walmart on U.S. 301, the police officers pushed shopping carts — following the lead of eager children ready to select clothing, to their liking, off the shelves.

Members of the Dade City Youth Council and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Explorers also teamed up with the officers in helping the students shop.

Victoria Conn is part of the Youth Council and helped kids comb through the clothing.

“I think it really helps – being able to show the kids, ‘Yeah, you’re being partnered with a cop,’” the 17-year-old said. “It really breaks a lot of boundaries, and I think it’s good to be able to have that interaction.”

The off-duty officers volunteered to help out at the shopping extravaganza.

Jayden Boykin stocked up on a new wardrobe of clothes with the help of Officer Troy Fulford of the Dade City Police Department. The Shop with a Cop event on Aug. 2 helped the 11-year-old pick his own fashion style before returning to Rodney B. Cox Elementary School this fall.

Sgt. Lorenzo Moreno said he was happy to be there. It gave him the chance to make friends with James Walker, 14, a Pasco High freshman.

“He’s the boss,” the sergeant said, with a smile. “Wherever he wants to go, whatever he wants to get – I’m here for him.”

The shopping experience initially was suggested by the Youth Council, after they found out about it being done in other Florida towns.

Since last year, the Youth Council and the Explorers have been working with the police department to help Dade City students.

Kids are recommended for assistance by teachers who may notice their unmet needs.

Each event sees a new round of kids being helped with shopping.

Lt. Brian Uppercue of the Dade City Police Department said the experience helps to build a good relationship between students and law enforcement.

Because the program gives youths a chance to meet officers in a different environment, it’s also believed that it helps them feel more at ease to approach officers in various situations.

Three Shop with a Cop events are held each year, supported by funds from the Youth Council and the police department.

In the spring, kids get to shop for school supplies. During the holidays, they can buy gifts for family members, and in the fall, they get to pick out new school clothes.

Timothy Rayford was excited to pick out his superhero attire with the help of Kayla Contreras, a Dade City Youth Council member. The first-grader was one of 18 youths chosen for the Summer Shop with a Cop event on Aug. 2.

“We want them to feel positive about what they’re wearing and build that self-esteem on their first day of school,” Uppercue said.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez helps to oversee the Youth Council and to organize the Shop with a Cop events.

Besides helping the students, it also helps their parents, Hernandez said, noting that it reduces the financial pressures they face.

“Parents love that we do this,” the mayor said. “The word has spread and it’s been a very positive reception.”

Another opportunity to engage with kids will be the upcoming ‘Cop-sicle’ event, Hernandez mentioned. The Youth Council and the police department plan to hand out popsicles within the Dade City community.

Meanwhile, it won’t be long now until the students get to show off their new school fashions. The new school year starts in Pasco County on Aug. 12.

Published August 07, 2019

Public input propels playground project forward

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The initiative to renovate the playground at John S. Burks Memorial Park in Dade City is pressing forward after the public had the opportunity to offer its input.

A session was held on July 10 at the Hugh Embry Branch Library, in Dade City, to solicit public input.

Recreation and Natural Resources Department a wealth of ideas to consider when redesigning the playground at John S. Burks Memorial Park in Dade City. (File)

Ideas presented – especially by youths – possibly will be implemented into the project, said Angela Fagan, of the Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department.

Safety was a main topic of discussion, Fagan said.

Suggestions included installing a portion of the playground under existing trees for better shade, and using a soft rubber surface on the playground to prevent injuries.

Concerns were mentioned about issues with motorists driving too close to the playground, and people hanging out in the nearby woods engaging in questionable behavior, Fagan added.

Providing better access to the premise for those with limited mobility is another idea the county department intends to factor into its designing phase.

Fagan noted that project funding is coming through a general obligation bond supported by voters last November.

The county has $127,000 for this project.

The county also is seeking a state grant, which could raise available funding to $245,000, Fagan said.

The playground’s renovation is still set to begin in 2020.

Published July 31, 2019

Dade City sets tentative millage rate

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Dade City residents will not see an increase in their property tax rate for the coming year.

Dade City Commissioners unanimously voted 5-0 on July 23 to set the tentative millage rate at 7.14 mills — the same rate as last year.

Under state law, once a tentative millage rate has been set, the city cannot raise it before the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The commission does, however, have the option to reduce the rate before then.

The Dade City Commission set the 2019-2020 tentative millage rate at 7.14 mills, the same property tax rate as last fiscal year. (File)

At the tax rate of 7.14 mills, ad valorem tax revenues in the city’s general fund are anticipated to decrease by $40,850 for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, according to Dade City Manager Leslie Porter.

Because of that, Porter recommended the commission choose a higher tentative tax rate “to allow us the flexibility as we see what comes into the budget.”

The recommendation included the rollback rate of 7.3297, which Porter said would result in a $50,000 swing and thus increase ad valorem revenues in the general fund by about $10,000 compared to 7.14 mills.

The rollback rate is the millage rate that would collect an equivalent level of ad valorem taxes in the next fiscal year as in the current fiscal year.

Traditionally, the commission has voted to use the rollback rate as the proposed millage, while instructing city staff to set a lower rate for the fiscal year.

However, that was a non-starter for commissioners, who pointed out residents have already seen increases in water and sewer rates, along with a stormwater fee assessment.

“I think we just need to work within the budget and make the cuts where we need and see how it rolls out,” Commissioner Jim Shive said. “I think residents in Dade City are paying more than enough in taxes. …I talk to constituents every day about taxes and a lot of them are very concerned with the amount of taxes we have to pay.”

Other commissioners concurred.

“I think we need to live within the means that we have,” Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon said. “I don’t want to give us the opportunity to try to make 7.3297 (mills) work. I would rather stay within 7.14 (mills) and if things have to be cut to stay within 7.14 then they have to be cut, so I do not want to raise taxes.”

“We’re going to have to make it work,” added Mayor Camille Hernandez of setting the tentative 7.14 millage rate. “I think we’re all hearing every day from citizens and we’re just responding to what we are hearing out in the community.”

A budget workshop preceded the city commission meeting. Discussions focused on some reorganization, specifically creating a development services department and related additional staffing changes. Major general fund capital requests included several new vehicles (four police vehicles, shop truck, safety services truck, grapple truck), rehabbing the city’s old police department building, Hardy Trail improvements and Morningside Drive extension studies.

With some of those projects and initiatives on the docket, Commissioner Scott Black warned concessions may have to made with a 7.14 millage rate.

“We do need to keep in mind we do have some basic needs here in the city that need to be met,” Black said, noting the city’s millage rate hasn’t changed in “probably seven or eight years.”

“A lot of those things that we’re saying that we need to do, they’re going to have to be funded somehow.

“We’re not waving a wand with our budget. If we want certain things, there’s going to be some disappointment I think in some things we’re indicating that we would like to see happen,” Black said.

In other business, Dade City is still searching for a finance director since Leslie Porter was officially promoted to the role of city manager in May.

In addition to city manager duties, Porter is still serving as acting finance director until a full-time replacement is found.

She told commissioners the city may elect to use a temporary personnel agency to fill the vacancy and then re-advertise the job posting.

“We really have not been receiving a response to the ads, so we’ll keep moving forward,” she said.

Elsewhere, city officials have targeted a location for a bike-share hub/splash pad/pavilion recreational project that’s been in talks the past few years.

Porter said the property is centrally located in the downtown area, near The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce on Eighth Street.

Porter said city officials plan to enter negotiations over the next month with the property and local business owner Otto Weitzenkorn.

The Pasco County Tourist Development allocated $250,000 for the recreational project.

Published July 31, 2019

A winter play park in Florida?

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A new winter play park may be coming to East Pasco.

The attraction would have a snow hill where people could go snow-tubing, an area where they could play in the snow, and other features.

The winter park would be situated next to the Tree Hoppers Aerial Adventure Park, off St. Joe Road, east of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard, in Dade City.

The Pasco County Planning Commission and the county’s planning department have recommended approval of the request, with conditions.

A dozen letters in support have been incorporated into the public record, as part of the application, but the request also encountered opposition during the planning commission’s July 11 public hearing.

The applicant is seeking conditional use approval for two parcels, as well as permission to sell beer and wine for consumption on premises, said Denise Hernandez, the county’s zoning administrator/special projects manager.

The western parcel makes up about 58.5 acres and the eastern parcel makes up about 60 acres, Hernandez said.

The western parcel consists of areas of dense vegetation and a mature tree canopy. The applicants want to convert that into a winter park.

The eastern parcel is occupied by Tree Hoppers, which was approved as a conditional use in 2012. It consists of zipline and rope ridge obstacle courses, concession areas, and a gift and pro shop.

The Tree Hoppers site also is used to host an annual fall festival and Halloween festivities, including Scream-A-Geddon. Those events have been operating under annual temporary use permits.

The pair of attractions would be on the north side of St. Joe Road, about 800 feet east of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard and on the east side of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard, approximately 1,400 feet north of Bent Fork Road.

The conditional use, which would apply to both parcels, would allow the winter park to operate up to 120 days a year and the festivities on the Tree Hoppers site to operate up to 56 days a year, according to proposed conditions. Both of the attractions would operate between two and seven days a week, and both attractions would not be allowed to operate at the same time, according to the conditions.

Attorney Clarke Hobby said his client owns the Tree Hoppers site and purchased the other parcel.

“There is actually new technology where you can build a snow hill, and provided that the weather stays under 80 degrees, the snow will stay in place for an extended period of time,” Hobby said.

“While we’re asking for a term that may be up to 120 days (for the winter park), my suspicion is, based on being born and raised here — it may be only open 30 or 45 days a year,” Hobby said.

The proposed winter park would not be the first operation of its kind, the attorney said.

“They’ve got one up in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and it’s a bigger facility than we may have here, but this is what they are talking about creating. They’re very, very popular. People really, really enjoy them with their kids,” Hobby said.

The attorney said his client wants to be a good neighbor and has had a number of neighborhood meetings, which he described as being productive.

As a result, most of the neighbors living or having property closest to the site have submitted letters of support, Hobby said, adding he would be glad to continue working with any neighbors who have concerns.

William Geiger, who owns property next to the proposed winter park, told planning commissioners that he’s concerned that the proposed project could negatively impact his property values.

“I just don’t feel a 40-foot snow hill fits the agenda you all put in for Northeast Pasco,” Geiger said.

He characterized the request as a commercial operation, and said there are plenty of other commercial locations where it could go.

Stephen Gonzalez, of St. Joe Road, lives less than a mile from the proposed attraction.

“I moved out there 23 years ago. We did so because it’s quiet and it’s rural, and you can see the stars at night,” Gonzalez said.

He doesn’t mind Tree Hoppers, because the attraction is back in the woods.

But, he asked:  “How did Scream-A-Geddon come about?

“It’s like having the state fair at the end of your residential road, for about two months. That kind of traffic. That amount of cars. That amount of people, driving up and down the roads. “That amount of trash, on the side of the roads. Every Saturday and Sunday. It’s a big crowd.

“I think it’s .75 miles from my house to the corner of St. Joe and Bellamy Brothers,” Gonzalez said.

Like Geiger, Gonzalez said the proposed attraction should be in a commercial space.

“It’s just in the wrong area. It should be on (U.S.) 301. It should be on (U.S.) 19. It should be in a commercial business area,” he said.

“This is an amusement park. People are paying admission. This should be in a commercial area,” he said.

“It’s on a road that’s a completely quiet, rural residential road,” Gonzalez said. “This doesn’t fit at all to that rural, residential setting.”

Hobby said one of the reasons for locating the park in the area is because of the land’s contours. “There’s a natural roll on it. There is about a 30- to 40-foot drop over the west side.”

The attorney also noted the plan calls for substantial buffering.

Hernandez said the conditions place specific limits on the operating hours.

When the winter park is open, its operating hours would be Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

When the fall festival and Scream-A-Geddon area open, the operating hours will be Sunday through Thursday, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Planning Commissioner Jaime Girardi spoke in favor of the request.

“The applicant here seems like he’s done a lot to protect the buffer. He’s protected the access. He’s limited the access to only St. Joe Road.

“I think the applicant has done a lot to try to be a good neighbor,” Girardi said.

The request now goes to the Pasco County Commission, which has the final say on zoning and land use issues.

Published July 24, 2019

Clay Sink remains; others fade away

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Small communities with names such as “Mexico,” “Drexel,” “Ehren,” and  “Chipco” appeared on Pasco County maps more than 100 years ago.

They were located along the Orange Belt Railway, the first — and last — railroad to cross Central Pasco with a potential for future development.

Still moss-draped as it was when the Slaughters buried their infant daughter in 1873, the Clay Sink Cemetery is located on a hill and is the final resting place for six generations. Descendants still live in Pasco County. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

The names of those small towns now are mere footnotes in Pasco County’s history.

But, a tiny community has survived.

Surrounded by hundreds of acres of the Withlacoochee State Forest, a 2-square-mile area is still known as “Clay Sink.”

Call it a quirk of fate.

Unlike many of Florida’s rural outposts, by the 1930s, the greater Clay Sink area had a complex economy.

In addition to farming and ranching, the expansion of the Atlantic Coast Line railroad spurred a timber harvesting industry and a turpentine business.

“It was lonely living oftentimes, but we had the radio to listen to programs like the ‘Grand Ole Opry’ and ‘Fibber McGee and Molly,’” recalled Jean Brinson Ward, who was 7 years old when her father monitored the area in the 1940s from the fire tower for the U.S. Forestry Service.

A wood-frame building, erected in 1904 on this site, served as the Clay Sink Missionary Baptist Church until the present building was constructed of heart pine in 1956. It remains one of the few churches still located on state forestland. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

The settlement has been known by different names.

In a land transaction on May 20, 1862, Jesse Sumner sold 120 acres to Harrison H. Slaughter and Martha Ann McKinney Slaughter.

Martha had three children from a first marriage in 1859, and at least 10 children with Harrison, who had escaped a Yankee POW camp at the start of the Civil War and fled to the Everglades.

The settlement that soon developed initially was called Slaughter, after this pioneering family.

But later, it was called Clay Sink, after the local clay sinkhole.

Life wasn’t exactly easy.

Farms were worked in the intense heat of a Florida sun without the benefit of modern air conditioning or diesel tractors.

Families grew their own pork, chicken, beef, and planted gardens for vegetables.

And, they saw plenty of wildlife.

During an oral history with the Citrus County Historical Society on August 26, 2006, Frances Pritchell, a lifelong resident of Clay Sink, described what happened to her husband when he came home from a late shift at Pasco Packing in Dade City: “It was dark, and when he turned out the lights at the front gate and opened the gate, something ran into him and like to have knocked him down. He thought it was a dog. He came out around the house, but the dog was in the yard. Well, when he got along there about the chimney, it squalled out. It was a panther, and he had to go on around it to come in the house. About that time, it hollered again. A panther. And then about that time the dogs taken after it, and that was it. But, there are panthers here.”

Built as a one-room schoolhouse in 1912, this structure has served as the fellowship hall for the Clay Sink Missionary Baptist Church since school consolidation in 1943. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

During Prohibition, the Dade City Banner reported this news item on Sept. 22, 1925:

“Saturday a raid in the Slaughter neighborhood resulted in the capture of two stills, both small ones.”

No arrests were made in one instance, the newspaper reported. But in the other, “Bob Johnson, colored, not only lost his lard can outfit and a gallon of shine, but was also lodged in Jail.”

A year later, the Dade City Banner reported on the burial of Roy Slaughter at Clay Sink Cemetery. He was a veteran of World War I and also…”a member of Pershing’s punitive expedition into Mexico during the border troubles caused by the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920).”

During World War II, a bombing range less than a mile east of Clay Sink was operated by the U.S. Army for testing Mustard Gas, an oily liquid used as a shell filling, according to Jean Brinson Ward, vice chairman of the Dade City Historic Preservation Advisory Board.

Now the home of the Florida Bass Conservation Center—the state’s major freshwater fish production hatchery—the bombing range was used to test the effects on goats and rabbits.

Details from a 1956 Pasco County map show Slaughter as a settlement in the extreme northwest corner of Pasco County. Richloam is locatedDetails from a 1956 Pasco County map show Slaughter as a settlement in the extreme northwest corner of Pasco County. Richloam is located across the county line in Hernando County. (Courtesy of Fivay.org)

“We could feel the earth shake when the bombs were dropped, and our house was in Richloam, which was about 9 (miles) or 10 miles from the range,” Ward said.

In an article published by The Tampa Tribune on Dec. 26, 2007, Pasco County Attorney Robert Sumner said people wanted to live in Clay Sink “where they were free to do what they wanted to do without being fenced in, where they could develop their own church.”

Back then, Sumner added, “the people who came to Florida came for the same reasons people originally came to the United States.”

Sumner’s own family history dates back to the 1820s, before Pasco County was created.

In October 1936, the federal government started buying forestland around Clay Sink, first from the Schroeder Land and Timber Company for $3 an acre, and then from area families such as the ancestors of 84-year-old Henry Boyett.

“They didn’t want our cattle eating the young pine trees they had planted,” Boyett recalled during an interview at the fellowship hall. “We tried to convince them there was too much turpentine in those saplings for cattle to digest.”

By 1939, the purchase of private-owned farms was completed to begin restoring the forests and wetlands under the U.S government’s Withlacoochee Resettlement Act.

To this day, Clay Sink remains a small cluster of farmsteads and homes due to the Great Depression and the loss of grazing lands.

For Boyett, though, it’s a desirable place.

He describes it as “peace and quiet, and it can never be developed.

“It’s the most fantastic thing I can tell you,” Boyette said.

In the stillness of this place, rainfall could be heard falling on the tin roof of the fellowship hall.

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published July 24, 2019

Zephyrhills Police chief talks crime, initiatives and more

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Arrests are up in Zephyrhills, but overall crime trends are down citywide.

That’s according to Zephyrhills Police Department Chief Derek Brewer, who was the featured guest speaker at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce July breakfast meeting.

Brewer said arrests in Zephyrhills have increased each of the last three years, topping out at 1,077 in 2018.

Zephyrhills Police Department Chief Derek was the featured guest speaker at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce July breakfast meeting. (Kevin Weiss)

That’s up from 1,047 arrests in 2017 and 942 in 2016, respectively.

Many of the agency’s arrests are related to narcotics and property crimes, Brewer said, noting those crimes “go hand in hand” and are where a majority of the problems are in the city.

There were 288 narcotics arrests and 268 property crimes arrests in 2018 alone.

Brewer explained many of those arrests have been initiated by the department’s street crimes unit — a special response team tasked with “attacking some of the problems in the city” on a daily basis, whether its traffic complaints, narcotics, burglaries, thefts and so on.

“A lot of our attention has been on narcotics and property crimes. If we can attack the narcotics problem, a lot of times property crimes will be reduced,” said Brewer, an 18-year veteran of the department who’s served as chief for about two years.

Brewer stated an added emphasis on narcotics and property crimes has led to a reduction in Zephyrhills’ overall crime rate (total number of crimes of offenses reported) in each of the past four years. The city experienced its biggest crime rate reduction of 19.2 percent last year, he said.

“Our crime trends are continuing to go down, our strategy seems to be working,” Brewer said.

“I know people will see certain individuals in town and will say, ‘Boy, we still have a drug problem,’ but I’m telling you we’re attacking it, and it is making a difference in our crime reduction.”

Aside from crime prevention and reduction efforts, Brewer highlighted some ongoing initiatives within the police department.

For instance, the agency recently implemented a citizen volunteer crossing guard program at West Zephyrhills Elementary School, with plans to expand it to Woodland Elementary School in the near future. The department is looking for more volunteers, who will be trained and then deployed at local schools.

So far, the crossing guard program has gotten “amazing feedback” from the West Zephyrhills Elementary community, Brewer said.

“We have noticed since we put the crossing guard program in West (Zephyrhills Elementary), people are slowing down a lot more, and we certainly feel better about providing more safety for the kids,” he added.

Brewer emphasized that the department has heightened its community involvement efforts, particularly in terms of youth outreach programs.

One such initiative, called “Operation Chill,” involves police officers giving children a Slurpee drink coupon when seen in public “doing the right thing.”

Officers also are involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters “Bigs in Blue” mentorship program, where they spend one-to-one time mentoring a child at a neighborhood school.

“We’re in front of our youth frequently,” Brewer said. The agency’s goal is to be “highly visible” and “make the community pro-police and the police to be pro-community.”

The chief also discussed the impact of body cameras, since the agency required all officers to wear them about a year ago.

The Axon Body 2 cameras are installed on all Zephyrhills police officers and patrol cars. They activate automatically whenever an officer’s taser or firearm is deployed.

Brewer said the body camera program has been “incredibly helpful” for evidence collection, and also for dismissing frivolous citizen complaints against officers.

“In my opinion, it’s been a great program,” Brewer said. “I know that some people are against the body cameras, including officers, but I think even the officers that were against it, they’re starting to come around because they’re seeing that these complaints are getting squashed pretty quickly.”

The department also is exploring the possibility of police academy training sponsorships to attract more police officers. The department currently has 34 sworn police officers and 16 civilian employees.

There has been turnover in recent years, Brewer acknowledged. It also is becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified officers and people interested in law enforcement careers, he said.

“I just don’t think people want to be police officers anymore, just because of all the stuff that comes with it,” Brewer said.

Published July 17, 2019

Zephyrhills considers fire department merger

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After nearly 60 years of operation and tradition, the Zephyrhills Fire Department may soon be absorbed by Pasco County Fire Rescue.

As funding and staffing issues mount within the city’s fire department, the Zephyrhills City Council on July 1 unanimously directed city staff to begin formal negotiations to consolidate the local agency with Pasco County Fire Rescue.

The City of Zephyrhills will enter formal negotiations with Pasco County to merge Zephyrhills Fire Department into Pasco County Fire Rescue. Any consolidation agreement would need to be approved by the Zephyrhills City Council. (Kevin Weiss)

If the merger occurs, Pasco County Fire Rescue would operate the city’s two fire stations and would absorb the city’s fire department personnel at their proper pay step, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said. The county would ensure and maintain additional staffing needs at both stations and place an ambulance within the city limits.

The merger is anticipated to be “revenue neutral,” meaning it would not cost either entity any money, Poe said. The county can operate at lower costs because of economies of scale, Poe explained.

The merger negotiations follow attempts by Zephyrhills leaders to find ways to address the fire department’s rising costs.

The fire department budget this year is $3.3 million — up nearly $900,000 from 2016, according to a city manager memo to the city council. Those costs are expected to rise over time.

One option would be to levy a fire fee assessment through annual property tax bills — affecting commercial and residential properties, and churches and nonprofits. But, Zephyrhills residents and business leaders vehemently opposed that idea during public comment .

“We have to look at what is the best for overall,” said Kevin Bahr, owner of Bahr’s Propane Gas & A/C in Zephyrhills. “I work for a few nonprofits, to sit there and say they’re going to pay…and we’re going to have every one of the churches in town (pay), I don’t think they have any earthly idea that they’re fixing to start paying a fire assessment fee.”

With a merger, Zephyrhills property owners would pay for county fire rescue services through a Municipal Service Taxing Unit, or MSTU. Generally, an MSTU for fire services would have less financial impact on city residents and commercial entities than a fire assessment fee, city officials say.

Bingham Realty president Will Bingham represents owners of about 250 residential multi-unit properties in Zephyrhills. He said a fire assessment would have a significant impact, and appears unreasonable. “You’re looking at rents going up.”

Sunlight Realty real estate agent Sam Turgeon also opposes the idea of a fire assessment fee.

“I don’t think that’s sustainable. It’s definitely not fair and it’s definitely unaffordable for the city,” Turgeon said.

He supports the proposed merger.

“You’re going to have more people able to go on more calls that are going to serve our community better,” he said. “We’ve heard repeatedly that this fire department is understaffed, which also means that it’s underfunded. Our community is growing rapidly and, because of that, our city does not have enough money to sustain the fire department in its current form. If we leave our fire department understaffed, that’s dangerous for our citizens and it’s dangerous for our firefighters.”

Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce director Melonie Monson also weighed in regarding the potential impact a fire assessment fee would have on the nearly 500 businesses she represents.

Monson warned the council: “There will be many that will not be able to take on the cost, so you may lose businesses with the fee. Think about how much it’s going to tax our businesses.”
The Zephyrhills Fire Department deferred public comment to firefighter union leader Travis Geiger.

Geiger pleaded the council to find a way to maintain the city’s fire department. He expressed concern about the loss of local control and predicted a difficult transition in merging the two departments because the positions are not equivalent.

“If you look at it from our perspective, we feel that we’re being pushed out. We’re not choosing to go over there,” Geiger said.

City manager Poe told council members: “If the decision is to keep the department, we have to charge a fire assessment fee, and we have to hire additional staff to meet the minimum safety standards. If we don’t do that, the only other option is to merge with Pasco County and do the very best that we can to make sure the (city fire department) employees that are transferring over are not adversely impacted.”

Zephyrhills city attorney Matthew Maggard concurred with Poe’s assessment.

“I don’t think anybody wants to see our fire department go away from an emotional or pride standpoint, but financially you have to look at it. We can’t sustain going forward, and I don’t think there’s any dispute with that,” Maggard said.

City Council member Lance Smith voiced concerns about the city fire department’s “long-term viability,” and added, “the logical conclusion is we’ve got to merge with the county.”

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield agreed: “I think we have to look at sustainability.”

Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson put it like this: “If it were only up to me, I would spend the money in a heartbeat. But, I’m representing all of these people who have reservations about the cost. None of them want to lose our firefighters. It is the question, ‘Can we afford it?’”

City Council member Alan Knight was the most vocal about trying to find a way to keep the department. One possibility would be to increase the millage rate, he said.

“Once we lose our fire department, we aren’t getting it back,” Knight said.

Published July 10, 2019

Foundation helps foster kids develop ‘wings’

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As its name implies, Caterpillars to Butterflies is all about transformation — but this organization isn’t about insects — it’s all about helping Pasco County foster children to develop their “wings.”

After Guardian ad Litem children are placed within a foster home, Caterpillars to Butterflies, a Dade City nonprofit, sets about trying to discern the children’s desires and to help fulfill them.

It does this by working with the foster families, who seek to find out the child’s dreams and desires — and by helping the foster families find ways to fulfill them.

Under the Caterpillars to Butterflies program, foster kids not only get to go on fun adventures of their choosing, but they also participate in annual events where they create and showcase their own artwork. (Courtesy of Tracy Hanson)

It’s a way to help these youth have a more well-rounded childhood, explained Tracy Hanson, president and founder of the nonprofit foundation.

Hanson has been a Guardian ad Litem volunteer for the past five years – a position that inspired her to create Caterpillars to Butterflies.

As a volunteer, she has the opportunity to mentor and befriend kids who are taken out of unsuitable households. She also gets to advocate for their best interest within the judicial system.

However, the volunteer said, the outcome for many of these kids can be heart-wrenching.

“One thing I noticed in the court system is these children would be taken from their homes and CPI (Child Protective Investigations) hands them a garbage bag and says, ‘Put your life in this bag. Then we’re going to remove you from the only home you’ve ever known.’ That’s very defeating to these children,” Hanson said.

In response, she began providing the youths with duffel bags for more durability – and Caterpillars to Butterflies was born.

The idea is to give these children a chance to have experiences they enjoy, and to bring some joy into their lives.

The organization began in January 2018.

Caterpillars to Butterflies covers expenses that foster families incur, when helping the children take part in camps or other programs.

This summer, the foundation will be funding foster kids for sports camps, as well as karate, swimming and dance classes.

“We want them to see that we believe in them, that they can have dreams [and] we’re going to help them fulfill their dreams,” Hanson said.

The foundation gathers kids and their new families to Hanson’s farm for two main events each year: Easter and Christmas celebrations.

At those events, kids get to make and showcase their own art crafts to the public. They even get special visits from the Easter bunny and Santa.

Events, such as the Christmas program, raise money to support the kids’ adventures.

With no government assistance, the foundation relies solely on community support for monetary needs.

“We always need sponsors, we always need funding for these camps,” Hanson stated. “Every nickel that comes in, goes to these children.”

Hanson does speaking engagements to increase public awareness of the program and to raise money.

The organization also is a partner with the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, which enables it to reach out for help.

Hanson said Caterpillars to Butterflies understands that the foster parents often face financial constraints.

“The stipend that the government gives the foster parents is not enough to go beyond your basic food – maybe a little bit of clothing,” she said.

For instance, there was a case last December when seven youths were placed in homes that did not have adequate bedding.

The foundation stepped in and provided mattresses, sheet sets and comforters.

It also provides clothing and shoes, in some cases.

As a new school year approaches, efforts are underway to collect new backpacks for foster kids and to fill them with essential school supplies.

“It’s not just the children in the system that need the help, it’s the entire family,” Hanson explained.

Besides lessening the financial burden on foster parents, Caterpillars to Butterflies gives foster parents a chance to take a break and have some leisure time for themselves.

During Foster Parent Night Out, for instance, kids do crafts, and enjoy food and movies, while their parents get some time off.

Hanson and her staff’s long-term goal is to expand their program.

They’ve been using social media, such as Facebook, to get their name out, and Hanson is eyeing a vacant building across from her office, in hopes that she might one day use it for the program.

She sees possibilities.

With additional space, for instance, former foster kids who are now of legal age, could mentor current foster kids.

With more space, the program could offer cooking classes and provide an area that could be used for visitation time with their biological parents, and counseling services.

Hanson also would like to provide tutoring services for the children and to raise scholarship funds for them.

“So many of these children see no future, no hope, and the butterfly represents transformation,” she explained. “They can live a wonderful life. They can fly.”

To learn more about Caterpillars to Butterflies or offer a donation, visit Caterflies.org.

Published July 10, 2019

Commercial kitchen incubator to open in East Pasco

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An incubator commercial kitchen is expected to begin operating in September at 15029 14th St., in Dade City.

The 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 the Pasco County Economic Development Council Inc., with assistance from Welbilt.

Welbilt, a global manufacturer of commercial restaurant equipment, has provided equipment for the kitchen. It contributed a six-burner range, a single-door refrigerator, a single-door freezer, an under-the-counter ice machine, shelving, and stainless steel work tables.

Welbilt Inc., has delivered the kitchen equipment for a commercial kitchen incubator at the One Stop Shop, in the UF/IFAS Cooperative Extension One Stop Shop Stallings Building at 15029 14th St., in Dade City. From left: Mick Hughes, Welbilt; Elizabeth Urquiola, UF/IFAS; Steve Flook, Welbilt; Dan Mitchell, Pasco EDC; and, Michael Anderson, Welbilt. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.)

“They have been working with us, very closely, as an excellent partner, and we do appreciate that donation of equipment from them,” Dr. Whitney C. Elmore, director of the Pasco County Extension Office, told members of the Pasco County Commission at a meeting last month.

“They’ve worked closely with us, with facilities from Pasco County, to retrofit an older commercial kitchen space in that building, which has been actually fantastic,” Elmore added.

The new kitchen “is going to open up a lot of opportunities for us and the community,” Elmore added. It will be operating out of the One Stop Shop, located within the Stallings Building in East Pasco.

Dan Mitchell, program manager for Pasco EDC’s SMARTstart Incubator Program, said the updated commercial kitchen will be used for community classes and by SMARTstart.

“It will be used for our members who might need to use it to launch their food businesses,” Mitchell said. “They’ll be able to do a little bit of production out of there, if they’re one of our incubator members, as well as collaborate with local growers, local chefs, other food entrepreneurs.

“So, it will really be a space that will hopefully foster some food innovation, some excitement around food business in Pasco County. There’s a lot of that bubbling under the surface,” he said.

For instance, the kitchen makes it possible for a family living in the area to lease a garden plot for free, grow some vegetables and make a product they could sell at a farmer’s market.

“Once a business needs to grow beyond a farmer’s market, we have all of our SMARTstart programs, like co-starters, our microloan program, and everything else to support entrepreneurs,” Mitchell said.

The Pasco EDC offers a host of programs aimed at helping businesses grow, at whatever stage they happen to be in, Mitchell noted. And, Pasco County has incentives aimed to attract high-wage jobs to the county.

The idea of creating the incubator kitchen resulted from talks involving a variety of stakeholders, including the Pasco EDC, the Extension Office and others, Mitchell said.

“What we noticed is there’s a lot interest in food businesses. There’s a lot of agriculture in Pasco County. There’s citrus, beef, kumquats, blueberries out East. Then out West we have some breweries and some seafood production. And, one of the things that we don’t have, however, is a good local distribution model, where food can get from these different producers to our local restaurants,” Mitchell said.

But, he added, “there’s not a good easy way for these people to connect.”

“It became apparent that it would be nice if we had some kind of food hub. So, the Pasco EDC decided to go ahead and host what’s called its Food Hub Task Force.”

The group meets monthly, with the aim of creating a model that will encourage food-related partnerships and generate jobs, he said.

The commercial kitchen opens the door to new possibilities, Mitchell said.

“If you produce the food in your own home, you’re not allowed to sell other than direct to consumer. If you produce in a commercial kitchen, you’re suddenly allowed to do a lot more,” he explained.

A ribbon cutting to celebrate the incubator kitchen is planned for Sept. 23 at 2:30 p.m.

Another event has been planned, as well, to help explore the possibilities the new kitchen is creating. That event is set for Nov. 20 and has been dubbed, “Food is the Biggest Business.”

“We’re going to have four or five food entrepreneurs that are already successful. Maybe a successful restaurateur, maybe a food truck guy, maybe a celebrity chef. Those types of people,” Mitchell said.

“It will be open to anyone interested in those types of businesses, from any direction,” he said, and, it will give people a chance to know others who share an interest in the food industry — from a variety of perspectives.

From there, who knows?

“It really comes down to each individual entrepreneur and what their dreams are,” Mitchell said.

But, whatever path they choose to pursue, chances are Pasco EDC will be able to help them along the way, Mitchell said.

Published July 10, 2019