The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Zephyrhills/East Pasco News

Zephyrhills’ finances solid, audit shows

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An independent audit shows that Zephyrhills is in healthy financial shape.

The Zephyrhills City Council on Sept. 12 received and approved the audit of the city’s 2014-2015 financial statements, performed by Baggett, Reuitmann & Associates, and John E. Henson CPA.

The city’s assets exceeded its total liabilities by about $79.3 million, and the city’s total net position increased by 3.44 percent to about $2.6 million from 2014 to 2015, according to the financial report.

The 74-page audit also shows Zephyrhills’ ad valorem revenue increased for the first time in six years.

The city’s ad valorem revenue was about $3.6 million in 2015, an increase of more than $110,000 from 2014. But, the report notes that ad valorem taxes remain about 2.8 percent less than collected in fiscal year 2010 (about $3.7 million), the second year of the Great Recession.

The audit summarizes that “city administration took a conservative approach to balancing the 2016 fiscal year budget.”

During the council meeting, John Henson, a Zephyrhills-based accountant, said the city is in a “very good financial position.”

“I really thought there were going to be a lot of municipalities with a minus balance, but the City of Zephyrhills has taken very good care of itself,” Henson said.

Jeff Baggett, of Baggett, Reuitmann & Associates, added the city remained very financially stable from 2008 through 2015.

“It’s weathered the recession,” Baggett said about the city’s finances. “During the recession, a lot of governments had financial troubles. …(Zephyrhills) never even came close to that.”

Council president Kenneth Compton said the city’s encouraging financial footing “was a function of good leadership from the council, the mayor and the city manager.”

“We all stuck together,” he said.

City Manager Steve Spina concurred, saying the city’s financial situation was a “real team effort” among the city’s various department heads.

“They’ve been great partners in recognizing the differences between needs and wants,” Spina said.

“We met with them individually, and they all agreed to cut back where needed,” Spina added.

The audit does include a critique involving the city’s record-keeping of federal grants it has received.

The audit says “personnel overseeing the grants were unable to provide an accurate schedule of grants that…reconciled to the city’s underlying financial records.”

In the report, both accounting firms recommend the city to appoint a specific individual to oversee grants, and have the designated individual undergo specific training for Federal and State Single Audit Acts requirement.

As for other bookkeeping concerns, Henson said there was “nothing major.”

In other business, the council unanimously approved the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency’s $315,000 budget for fiscal year 2016-2017.

The redevelopment agency, known as the CRA, adopted budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal was about $465,000, but Gail Hamilton, CRA director, said about $100,000 will roll over to the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

Hamilton told the council she’s continually working on creating incentives to bring in new businesses to Zephyrhills through renovations of vacant building spaces, and by offering façade and signage grants programs.

The objective, she said, is to increase property values within the CRA district, a 520-acre defined area that essentially encompasses the center spine of the city, generally between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street.

“It looks like we’ve had a couple of pockets where property values rose this year,” she said, addressing the council.

“Hopefully, what the CRA is doing in cleaning up the neighborhoods and working with the businesses, and some of the things that are happening in the marketplace, the…valuations will rise,” Hamilton said.

Published September 21, 2016

Lawyer provides practical pointers on legal issues

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State Rep. Danny Burgess is a familiar face around Pasco County.

He is widely known in East Pasco as the former mayor of Zephyrhills and for his work on the Zephyrhills City Council.

A lot of people know Danny Burgess as a representative of the Florida Legislature and the former mayor of the City of Zephyrhills. But, he’s also a lawyer and offered some practical pointers to business owners at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce meeting. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
A lot of people know Danny Burgess as a representative of the Florida Legislature and the former mayor of the City of Zephyrhills. But, he’s also a lawyer and offered some practical pointers to business owners at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce meeting.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

He’s also known about other parts of the county for his work as a representative in the Florida Legislature.

But in addition to that work, Burgess is also a lawyer with the Law Offices of Lucas Magazine, which is based in New Port Richey and has a satellite office in Wesley Chapel.

Burgess appeared recently at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting in Lutz, to offer some practical legal pointers to the club’s members.

Here are a few of the tips that Burgess doled out:

  • No. 1: Document everything. Keep a paper trail. He prefers using emails to keep a record. You want to have a written record.
  • Read everything. If you’re signing a contract, be sure to read it. It’s important to read every line, to know everything you’re signing.
  • In your contracts, have a venue clause — something that says where the lawsuit can be filed, if you’re in in a disagreement and you’re going to go to court. That aims to prevent a lawsuit from being filed in a location that’s out-of-state.
  • Be sure that a contract includes an attorney’s fees clause. That ensures that the prevailing party receives attorneys’ fees, in the event of a legal dispute.
  • Think about the long-term aspects of a legal dispute. If a customer or client wrongs you and fail to pay, is it likely they will pay if you prevail in the lawsuit? You may be throwing good money after bad.

Burgess also noted that some issues can be resolved through a demand letter, which he said is sometimes affectionately referred to as a ‘nasty-gram’ in the legal community.

The letter sets out what must be done to address the issue, in order to avoid a more serious legal action.

Often, that gets the job done, Burgess said.

Published September 21, 2016

A citrus king who savored the art of the deal

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When James Emmitt Evans was 12 years old, he already knew what he wanted to do.

He aimed to be “a general business man,” as he liked to call it.

By the time he died, at age 96, the Dade City man would have gone on to build one of the first citrus concentrate plants in the state south of Dade City.

This is where Evans Packing Plant stood in February 1989. (Courtesy of Pam Higgins/The History Center/Pioneer Florida Museum and Village Collection)
This is where Evans Packing Plant stood in February 1989.
(Courtesy of Pam Higgins/The History Center/Pioneer Florida Museum and Village Collection)

He is perhaps best remembered for his pioneering strategies to hedge juice inventory on the futures market, and for planting some of the largest contiguous citrus groves in Florida.

When he died, his obituary carried the lead headline on the front page of the June 13, 1996 edition of The Tampa Tribune.

A half-century before his death, Evans was a vice president on the board of the Pasco Packing Company in Dade City. Other board members were L. C. Edwards Jr., president (whose father was the former head of the Florida Citrus Exchange); W. F. Edwards, vice president (namesake of the football stadium at Pasco High School in Dade City); L.C. Hawes, vice president; and, H.S. Massey, secretary-treasurer.

These men, who were all citrus growers, had a combined total of 10,000 acres that could produce 2.5 million boxes of fruit annually for processing at the plant.

When the company’s whistle was heard across Dade City at noontime, the Valencia Restaurant in downtown Dade City was often the unofficial “Board Room” for Pasco’s board of directors.

Located across from the Historic Pasco County Courthouse at the time, the Valencia was probably the place where plans were discussed to sell the company to Lykes Brothers in Tampa.

With the citrus industry changing beyond all recognition, Pasco’s board members recognized how frozen concentrate was letting growers preserve and ship juice with greater efficiency.

Built in 1900, the longtime residence of James Emmitt Evans is now the home of a Pasco County Circuit Court judge. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)
Built in 1900, the longtime residence of James Emmitt Evans is now the home of a Pasco County Circuit Court judge.
(Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

Only 50,000 gallons of concentrate were produced in the inaugural year of 1945. By 1951, production had zoomed to 31 million gallons.

Selling the plant allowed the new owners to change the name to Lykes Pasco Packing in 1961, and to market its labels around the world as “Old South,” “FloridaGold” and “Vitality.”  At its peak, Lykes had more than 2,000 workers on its payroll in Dade City.

Unlike any grower in the state at the time, Evans was a trader with his own accounts on the emerging Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice futures market.   He was never satisfied with dealing through brokers, buying his own seat and remaining a major force during the formative years of the exchange.

“All I can say is, I love making deals,” Evans said, in a Feb. 2, 1983 story published by The Gainesville Sun.

Evans Packing Company was one of the first processors to supply other packagers with drums of bulk concentrate for distribution to chain stores.  At its peak with some 400 employees, many of Evans’ six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren worked side-by-side with their spouses and in-laws.

“If they’re kin, we’ll give them a job,” he was quoted as saying.

Evans enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.

He employed his own pilot, Sam Fallin, who flew the eight-seat, twin engine King Air to the Evans ranch in Homestead, where friends and family could spend a weekend fishing, playing golf, and hunting.

Over the years, Evans endured his share of challenges.

His citrus groves faced hard freezes, the Mediterranean fruit fly and citrus canker.

The area where Evans Packing Plant stood is vacant today, except for the Walgreens at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Morningside Drive. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)
The area where Evans Packing Plant stood is vacant today, except for the Walgreens at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Morningside Drive.
(Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

Despite these harsh realities, Evans started the development of 7,000 acres for production in St. Lucie County in the 1960s. He also began an even larger grove along the Indian River/Okeechobee County lines near the Florida Turnpike during the 1970s. And, the purchase of 10,000 acres for additional groves in Charlotte County was completed in the early 1980s.

Evans did not live to see the outbreak of citrus greening, the agricultural disease with no known cure that has decimated Florida’s citrus production to an all-time industry low.

The 1983 Gainesville Sun story identified Evans as one of 21 Floridians on the Forbes magazine list of the 400 wealthiest Americans. At the time, he citrus fortune was estimated at $135 million.

Five years later, he was the oldest resident in Florida on Forbes 400 list, with $400 million in holdings — putting him at 157th place on the list.

Evans had been successful since the early 1920s, starting off with less than $500 from selling tractors.

“I never did have a bad year in business,” he told The Gainesville Sun. “Not even during the Great Depression.”

Despite his wealth and success, Evans lived in the same wood frame, three-bedroom home on the corner of 12th Street and Meridian Avenue in Dade City for 49 years.

He headed his family business for 39 years.

And, the company he founded in 1951 still remains as one of the largest growers in the state with 12,000 acres of citrus groves.

“Retirement is not for me,” Evans was quoted in 1983.  “Retirement is the day I die.”

It turns out, that’s exactly what happened.

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 September 14, 2016

Biometric ID device now in use at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills

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Patients visiting Florida Hospital Zephyrhills will now encounter a high-tech identification device at the medical center.

PatientSecure, a device that images veins in the hand, is now being used to register and identify all patients.

PatientSecure — manufactured by Imprivata, a Massachusetts-based IT Company — uses infrared light to scan a patient’s palm, and then links the unique vein pattern to each patient’s electronic health record. (Courtesy of Imprivata)
PatientSecure — manufactured by Imprivata, a Massachusetts-based IT Company — uses infrared light to scan a patient’s palm, and then links the unique vein pattern to each patient’s electronic health record.
(Courtesy of Imprivata)

The biometric identification solution—manufactured by Imprivata, a Massachusetts-based IT Company — uses infrared light to scan a patient’s palm, and then links the unique vein pattern to each patient’s electronic health record.

The new apparatus was introduced at the hospital on Sept. 6. Hospital officials claim the device reduces paperwork, improves accuracy and helps to prevent identity theft.

“This technology streamlines the registration process by automatically pulling up a patient’s record, provides added protection from medical identity theft, and ensures each patient is correctly linked to their unique medical record,” said Gwen Alonso, the hospital’s chief nursing officer.

Nationwide, the number of patients at risk of encountering medical identification issues is staggering.

A 2012 health care report by the Wall Street Journal shows that 7 percent to 10 percent of patients are misidentified during medical record searches.

Moreover, a 2015 study by the Medical Identify Theft Alliance estimates that 2.3 million individuals are affected by medical identity theft annually, a figure growing by about 22 percent per year.

Mike Vanderbilt, the hospital’s director of patient access, said the palm vein technology is more secure than if a patient provided insurance or Social Security numbers, which can easily be swapped or transposed during identification.

That helps reduce the risk of duplicate medical records, and errors in charting, he explained.

“The palm vein is more accurate than any of that other data,” Vanderbilt said.

PatientSecure, a device that images veins in the hand, is now being used to register and identify all patients at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. Benefits of the new apparatus include reduced paperwork and improved accuracy, hospital officials say, as well as helping to prevent identity theft. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Hospital)
PatientSecure, a device that images veins in the hand, is now being used to register and identify all patients at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. Benefits of the new apparatus include reduced paperwork and improved accuracy, hospital officials say, as well as helping to prevent identity theft.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills)

“Once they’re scanned, it attaches that palm vein image to their record,” he said. “It actually assigns a series of unique code numbers to that patient, so the next time they come in, they can scan their hand…and it brings them right up in the computer system.”

PatientSecure also could be a lifesaving tool, in some instances.

Should an individual arrive to the facility in an unconscious state, or is unable to communicate, their hand can be placed on the device to reveal their electronic health record (medical history, allergies, current medications).

“If they had been put into this system at some point previously, it would pull them right up as well, without ever talking to them,” Vanderbilt said.

He noted the new registration process is “very quick” for patients.

“It really doesn’t add much to their registration experience as far as the timing goes,” Vanderbilt said. The hospital also has received positive feedback from patients, he added.

The identification tool is equally “very straightforward” for medical staff to utilize and access, Vanderbilt said.

“It’s a USB — sort of a plug and play into our computer system,” Vanderbilt said. “It’s kind of like if you just hook up a mouse to a computer, and of course there’s all the software and everything behind it.”

Should the identification system malfunction or crash, only then would patients be required to verify personal information — name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and address — to medical staff.

“If it were ever to go down, it’s similar to when you call your bank or your credit card company or even your cable company — they make you tell them who you are,” explained Vanderbilt.

“The palm scan is just one extra step that in the future will prevent us from having to ask all those questions. But, that would be the fallback if the system were down — we would still go through some verification steps to confirm their identity,” he said.

PatientSecure is currently being rolled out through Florida Hospital Zephyrhills’ parent company, Adventist Health System, which operates 46 facilities in 10 states.

According to Vanderbilt, the palm vein technology also will be installed in Florida Hospital-owned physician offices and other long-term care facilities.

“It’ll help make the coordination of care better,” he said.

Vanderbilt added: “It’s all linked to that one palm scan, so the whole continuum of health care — as long as the patient is using Florida Hospital — will be more streamlined.”

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, a 139-bed regional medical center, is at 7050 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. For additional information, visit FHZeph.org.

Published September 14, 2016

Zephyrhills company offers EpiPen at no upcharge

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In lieu of the soaring costs for an EpiPen, one local pharmacy chain is offering the life saving, anti-allergic reaction device at no upcharge.

The Canadian Medstore, based out of Zephyrhills, says their cost for an EpiPen Twin Pack is $180, compared to the over $700 being retailed at traditional area pharmacies.

Mylan, the makers of the EpiPen, recently announced it would produce a generic version that it would sell for $300 a two-pack. That move came after intense criticism following the company’s announcement that it was increasing the price of the product by nearly 400 percent. The device, which was sold at a wholesale price of just under $60 in 2007, has risen to $600 for a two-pack in 2016. It marks the product’s 15th price hike over the past seven years. (Courtesy of Mylan)
Mylan, the makers of the EpiPen, recently announced it would produce a generic version that it would sell for $300 a two-pack. That move came after intense criticism following the company’s announcement that it was increasing the price of the product by nearly 400 percent. The device, which was sold at a wholesale price of just under $60 in 2007, has risen to $600 for a two-pack in 2016. It marks the product’s 15th price hike over the past seven years.
(Courtesy of Mylan)

Mylan, the makers of the EpiPen, recently announced it would offer a generic version that would sell for $300 a two-pack. That move came after the company drew intense criticism for increasing its product price by nearly 400 percent.

The device, which was sold at a wholesale price of just under $60 in 2007, has risen to $600 for a two-pack in 2016. It marks the product’s 15th price hike over the past seven years.

The Canadian Medstore, which opened in 2003, has international contracts with pharmacies based in Australia, Canada, England and New Zealand.

In those countries, medications are often 60 percent to 70 percent less expensive than in the United States.

Bill Hepscher, director and founder of the Canadian Medstore, said the company typically “averaged one or two orders in a month” for the EpiPen, but is now seeing a surge in calls from more families requesting the anti-anaphylaxis device.

“We’re literally getting five or 10 calls a day now,” Hepscher said, noting that most of his clientele are seniors on fixed incomes, and families that are uninsured or have high deductible health plans.

Hepscher often witnesses the costs of prescriptions “being a huge issue for families.” But, the EpiPen is a unique situation, he said, because it can mean  “life or death for a child.”

“It’s literally the definition of holding a gun to the head because there’s not another option,” he said. “I think that’s why there’s so much outrage.”

Nut and bee allergies are oftentimes hereditary, leading to multiple children or parents needing the product, Hepscher explained.

“Sometimes it’s two or three kids that have the same allergies, and the parent is not only going in and paying $600, but $1,800,” he said. “It’s pretty crazy when you think about a family having to spend that kind of money on a prescription.”

The Canadian Medstore, based out of Zephyrhills, says their cost for an EpiPen Twin Pack is $180, compared to the over $700 being retailed at traditional area pharmacies. (Courtesy of Bill Hepscher)
The Canadian Medstore, based out of Zephyrhills, says their cost for an EpiPen Twin Pack is $180, compared to the over $700 being retailed at traditional area pharmacies.
(Courtesy of Bill Hepscher)

The Medstore, which has six locations throughout central Florida, doesn’t hold any medications on its shelves. Instead, via its customer service center, the company sends prescriptions — which must be filled by an American doctor — to licensed pharmacies in one of those aforementioned four countries. Medications are then mailed directly to patients.

According to a recent report by Bloomberg Businessweek, an EpiPen costs “just several dollars to make,” and contains about “$1 or so worth of epinephrine.”

Hepscher believes the pricing should be in “a more reasonable range,” but also understands the pricing structures of some pharmaceutical giants.

“Of course the argument could be made that it costs so much money to come up with these products,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of family members that if it wasn’t for modern pharmacology, we probably wouldn’t be here anymore. I think the pharmacy industry, in general…is a super innovative industry, and I really believe that there’s a lot of really good, smart people working hard…to make our lives better.

“All I do know is that we can get the same exact medication in Canada or England for a third of the price, so I think that speaks volumes.”

The Canadian Medstore is located at 38176 Medical Center Ave. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit its website at DrugstoreUnlimited.com.

Published September 7, 2016

Conservation work yields statewide award

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Kaitlyn Greenough has nurtured a curiosity about nature and love of the outdoors since she was very young.

She also began her lifelong relationship with girl scouting at an early age. As a matter of fact, she was in kindergarten when she became a Daisy scout.

Kaitlyn Greenough is the Florida Wildlife Federation’s Youth Conservationist of the Year for 2016. (Photos courtesy of Kaitlyn Greenough)
Kaitlyn Greenough is the Florida Wildlife Federation’s Youth Conservationist of the Year for 2016.
(Photos courtesy of Kaitlyn Greenough)

Her love of nature and of scouting both have shaped her life, and offered her opportunities to get involved in volunteer work in the community.

Greenough recently received accolades for the work she has done, as a Girl Scout and a conservationist, to teach elementary-age children about water conservation.

The 20-year-old spent about 130 hours, over three years, researching and designing a water conservation course in her quest for a Gold Award, the highest honor bestowed on a Girl Scout.

She taught the course at Crystal Springs Preserve, a 525-acre sanctuary in Pasco County. For years, she attended summer camps at the preserve. She began volunteering there when she was 8.

In July, the Florida Wildlife Federation name Greenough the Youth Conservationist of the Year. The award was bestowed on July 15 in Bradenton.

“It’s the coolest award I’ve ever gotten,” said Greenough, the Zephyrhills High graduate who is now a junior at the University of South Florida.

A few months earlier, Greenough and other area Girl Scouts received their Gold awards from the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida.

The Gold Award honors extraordinary leadership and community involvement by scouts in ninth through 12th   grades.

Greenough also received a lifetime membership in the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

The young woman treasures the experiences she had through the Girl Scout program.

Kaitlyn Greenough, the Florida Wildlife Federation’s Youth Conservationist of the Year for 2016, taught a class on water conservation at Crystal Springs Preserve.
Kaitlyn Greenough, the Florida Wildlife Federation’s Youth Conservationist of the Year for 2016, taught a class on water conservation at Crystal Springs Preserve.

“It’s about empowering women, and I really like that the exposure is generational,” she said. “You want to have women with power, and give them opportunities to just bond and grow.”

Friends and family sat in the audience at the banquet in Bradenton, as she received the state award from the wildlife federation.

Zephyrhills’ Mayor Gene Whitfield also surprised her with a proclamation from the City of Zephyrhills.

Diane Hines, spokeswoman for the federation, said Greenough imparted her knowledge to young people. “She was able to teach others about the importance of protecting our rare, fresh water springs.”

Located near the city of Zephyrhills, Crystal Springs Preserve allows visitors to step back into old Florida, and enjoy wooded trails, butterfly gardens, a wildlife pavilion and educational programs on preservation of the natural environment.

Crystal Springs is the source for Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water, which is bottled and sold nationwide.

Greenough began researching the springs at the preserve nearly three years ago. She then crafted a course where students could build their own small watersheds in a sandbox. They also toured the preserve and learned about its history, plants and wildlife.

She is working on her studio arts major at USF, but Greenough still thinks about a future with Girl Scouts.

“In the future, I’m definitely going to volunteer,” she said.

Published August 31, 2016

Memory keeper preserves Trilby’s past

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When Scott Black tools around the community of Trilby in his white pickup truck, the place becomes alive for him with the people and businesses from its past.

As he drives along the community’s roads, he’ll point out where the old railroad depot stood, the bank, the store, the hotel and other local landmarks.

Scott Black, who grew up in Trilby, has such an intense interest in preserving Trilby’s history that it borders on obsession. He has spent countless hours tracking the community’s history through public records and newspaper accounts, and has a large collection of photographs and postcards, too. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Scott Black, who grew up in Trilby, has such an intense interest in preserving Trilby’s history that it borders on obsession. He has spent countless hours tracking the community’s history through public records and newspaper accounts, and has a large collection of photographs and postcards, too.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

He also notes the community’s segregated cemeteries — a vestige of the past, and he talks fondly about people who once lived in Trilby and made their final resting place there.

The Dade City commissioner understands that, for those unfamiliar with Trilby or its history, it takes a bit of an imagination to see the place the way he does.

But for him, preserving Trilby’s story, is important.

Black is a native of the community, and his father was born there, too.

He knows the pivotal role that the railroad played in shaping the community’s history.

The people who made their way to this settlement, north of Dade City, and who chose to make their life there, fascinate him.

He finds romance in the sounds of trains rumbling by.

“I did grow up in Trilby, so trains were very much a part of our life. I can remember lying in bed at night and watching the strobe light of the engine, from across the pasture, on the ceiling and listening to the trains,” Black told members of the Pasco County Historical Society in March.

He recalls a time when he was riding with his dad, and his dad had to stop for a train. His dad wasn’t perturbed. “He rolled down the window and said, ‘Isn’t that a wonderful sound?’”

Black said his interest in Trilby’s history dates back to when he was in middle school, and he won an essay contest sponsored by the West Pasco Historical Society.

As he gathered information for his essay, he went around the community, recording interviews with some of its oldest residents.

Black recalls how his mother stayed up with him until midnight, as he made the final touches on his entry.

The interest in community history that was piqued in his youth, lives on.

The railroad played a pivotal role in shaping the development of Trilby, according to Scott Black, who has devoted considerable time to researching the community’s history. (Courtesy of Scott Black)
The railroad played a pivotal role in shaping the development of Trilby, according to Scott Black, who has devoted considerable time to researching the community’s history.
(Courtesy of Scott Black)

He also recalls being inspired by an article he read about a reunion of descendants of family members who had lived in New Salem, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln had owned a store.

He thought it would be fun to do the same thing in Trilby.

So, he began looking for old families with ties to Trilby, and he found quite a few. Then, 11 years ago, the community began having its annual Trilby homecoming that’s held on the third Saturday of March every year.

There was a time when the community was a bustling place, at the crossroads of railroad lines. It had depot buildings, hotels, restaurants, boarding houses, a bank, stores and other businesses.

“As you come into Trilby, there’s not much left anymore, and not too many that remember, either,” Black said.

But, he’s taken on the task of being the memory keeper of the place that was, and the people who once lived there.

Named after a novel?
Railroads played an enormous role in shaping the community’s life, he said.

Peter Demens, who built the Orange Belt Railroad, didn’t initially intend to build his railroad all of the way to St. Petersburg, but he did.

“So, along the path of his railroad was the community of Macon, and that forever more changed what we now know as Trilby,” he said.

“Someone else who came along and changed Trilby was Henry B. Plant. His north-south railroad that came through intersected with Peter Demens’ Orange Belt Railroad. That made Trilby very important as an intersection, in fact, any train that went to St. Petersburg, it went through Trilby. People would make that connection there.

“It helped the commerce at Trilby — restaurants and everything else, of the rail passengers going south.

“Henry B. Plant was a key part of Trilby’s success,” Black added.

It is said that Trilby’s name was suggested by Plant’s wife, Margaret, who asked him to name the next town he platted after a popular novel of the day, “Trilby,” written by George du Maurier.

When Plant platted Trilby, in June 1896, he named the streets after characters in the novel. The depot was built around Svengali Square.

Black said he’s not aware of any those streets ever being built.

Over the years, Black has tracked the history of Trilby and its inhabitants through newspaper accounts, public records, grave stones, census records, photographs, post cards, interviews and artifacts.

“When I was a child growing up, my pastor out in Trilby, we’d plant a garden out there, and we’d plow things. There’s a pond that’s there, and it would recede and things would surface from the old town site,” Black said.

He estimates that Trilby’s population today is around 600 and was probably around the same as its peak.

Black acknowledges that his fascination for Trilby borders on obsession.

“Sometimes my wife wonders a little bit,” he admitted.

But, he feels a sense of urgency to collect as much information as he can, so that the history is not lost to the ages.

“I let so many people slip past me,” Black said.

Published August 31, 2016

Now serving chicken pilau, with a side of nostalgia

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Fifty-six-year-old Richard Christmas cannot recall a time in his life without chicken pilau.

The dish, which has been served for decades at events in San Antonio and Dade City, features chunks of chicken and white rice, which have been seasoned with garlic, onion, salt and pepper.

Although the name of the dish is spelled p-i-l-a-u, it’s pronounced per-loo, which rhymes with purview.

Christmas’ earliest childhood memories include his Uncle Hugh Dunne’s chicken pilau.

“He’d cook it for the (Pasco County) fair. He’d cook it for the Rattlesnake Roundup (now known as the Rattlesnake Festival). And, then he would cook it for the Knights of Columbus,” Christmas said.

Now mayor of the Town of St. Leo, Christmas said, until he was an adult, that when people talked about fair food — they weren’t talking about chicken pilau, but instead were talking about corn dogs, or elephant ears or funnel cakes.

“My fair food was pilau,” he said, or beef from back in the livestock area.

His uncle was widely known around San Antonio — which the locals call San Ann — for his special touch with chicken pilau.

After his uncle passed on, Jack Jones picked up the tradition.

And now, the torch has been passed back to Christmas and Sam Sessa, both members of the Knights of Columbus Council 1768.

The council has 198 members who come from three Catholic churches, Sacred Heart in St. Joe, St. Rita’s in Dade City and St. Anthony’s in San Antonio.

They hold about three chicken pilau dinners a year to raise money for various causes.

Generally, they help local causes, such as buying winter coats for children in need.

But this time, they’re raising money to enable some girls in Tanzania to go to school, Christmas said.

The fundraising dinner will be on Aug. 27, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the council’s hall, 11549 Curley Road in San Antonio.

Diners often arrive early, around 4:30 p.m., Christmas said.

He and Sessa arrive much earlier — about 10 a.m., to begin preparing the pilau.

They start by putting pots of water on to boil.

They slice up the onions and garlic, while bringing the water to a boil.

Christmas admits he can get a little “teary-eyed” while chopping up the onions.

Once the vegetables are ready, they’ll add them and chicken pieces to the boiling water and let them cook, periodically adding salt and pepper to taste.

“You cook it until it falls off the bone,” Christmas said.

About 1 p.m., the “bone pickers” will arrive to help debone the chicken, before returning it to the pot. Finally, the long-grain white rice is added — to the right amount of broth — about 45 minutes before serving time.

Christmas said he’s not really sure where his uncle got the recipe, or where the recipe for chicken pilau originated.

He does know it’s a versatile dish.

“It’s a rice meal that you could add whatever meat you choose to add. Most people add chicken, but you could add squirrel. You could add possum, I suppose.

“Typically, it’s a warm-blooded meat, but I guess it could be gator, but I’ve never seen anybody do that,” said Christmas, whose uncle was named for Capt. Hugh Dunne.

Capt. Hugh Dunne played an important role in the history of St. Leo, San Antonio and other communities that are part of the original Catholic colony established by Edmund Dunne, and Christmas’ family heritage traces back to the colony’s founding.

So, besides being based on a recipe that’s been a tradition for more than a half-century, the person serving it up comes from a family that reaches back to St. Leo’s beginnings.

Those coming by for the dinner will get chicken pilau, plus coleslaw, sweet peas, bread, water, sweet tea, unsweetened tea, or coffee and dessert.

Diners are welcome to eat in the hall, or purchase meals to carry out.

Tickets are sold in advance, but most of the meals are sold to those dropping by, Christmas said.

“Some people come and take it out. Some people sit and eat. We encourage people to sit and eat,” he said.

“For us, it’s a good way to get a lot of people together,” he said.

It’s not just a chicken dinner, It’s a chance for people to mingle.

In other words, it’s chicken pilau served with up with camaraderie.

“I think it’s a pretty good deal,” Christmas said.

Knights of Columbus Pilau Dinner
When: Aug. 27, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., or until the pilau runs out
Where: Knights of Columbus Hall, 11549 Curley Road, San Antonio
Dine-in or take-out
Cost: $8 for adults; $5 for children under 12

 

Knights of Columbus Council 1768 Chicken pilau recipe:
3 gallons of water
3 whole chickens
6 large onions
1/3 bulb garlic, peeled
6 pounds Uncle Ben’s converted rice
2 tablespoons salt, to taste
2 tablespoons black pepper

Pour water in a huge pot, with a lift-out colander, if available. Use a marker to mark the water level outside the pot. Place chickens, onions and garlic into the colander, and lower it into the water. (If you don’t have this kind of pot, be prepared to strain the broth into another pot when the chicken is fully cooked.) Add the salt and pepper, and bring the contents of the pot to boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is tender.

Lift out the chicken, onions and garlic. Discard the onions and garlic (optional). Put the broth back into the original pot and add/or remove broth to the original measured mark.

Keep the broth hot, while you carefully remove the bones from the chicken.

Place the chicken back into the broth, and then add the rice. Carefully stir the contents of the pot a few times after adding the rice. Taste the broth, and add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat, and cover the pot. Simmer until the rice is fully cooked.

Published August 24, 2016

 

Zephyrhills names new fire chief

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The Zephyrhills City Council appointed a new fire chief during a special meeting on Aug. 16.

It was the fourth new fire chief within four years.

Brian Swartout has more than 32 years of fire service experience, and most recently served as Division Fire Chief for the Seminole Tribe Fire/Rescue in Broward County.

As division fire chief with the Seminole Tribe, Swartout supervised a staff of 104.  He was also responsible for fleet management, capital projects, new purchases, and rehabilitation of apparatus and equipment maintenance.

New Fire Chief Brian Swartout addresses the Zephyrhills City Council on Aug. 16. He is the city’s fourth fire chief over a four-year period. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)
New Fire Chief Brian Swartout addresses the Zephyrhills City Council on Aug. 16. He is the city’s fourth fire chief over a four-year period.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

Swartout previously worked for the Lee County Port Authority, City of Deland Fire/Rescue, Flagler County Fire/Rescue, St. Johns County Fire/Rescue, City of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and Broward County Crash Fire Rescue.

City Manager Steve Spina said Swartout “definitely stood out” among the three candidates that were interviewed for the post.

With continual turnover at the fire department’s leadership position, city council members indicated they’d like to see a “multiple year” commitment from the new fire chief.

In May, Daniel Spillman resigned from the position after being appointed in Oct. 2014; he replaced Verne Riggall, who also resigned after being under fire for how he had managed the agency from 2012-2014.

In a 2014 memo to the council, Spina addressed budding concerns about the direction of the department under Riggall’s leadership, saying there was a “clear lack of coordination and communication in Zephyrhills Fire Rescue” and “a clear sense of dysfunction and morale issues” that were affecting day-to-day operations.

Swartout, who said he was unaware of the past issues within the department, now oversees the 23-member fire rescue crew that responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually.

The new chief said the first few days on the job have been “a whirlwind” as he becomes familiar with the staff, the city, and other municipal departments.

Swartout said his initial duty is to build relationships with his staff before making any major department-wide decisions.

Zephyrhills Fire Rescue consists of a 23-member crew that responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually. (File Photo)
Zephyrhills Fire Rescue consists of a 23-member crew that responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually.
(File Photo)

“I’m more of the opinion that it’s important for me to sit back and observe, and listen…so I have a better idea of which way I need to go,” Swartout said. “I don’t believe in coming in anywhere and making (immediate) changes — I want to see what’s going on before I address anything.”

He added: “In my mind, I’m here to be supportive with what the guys do, and the message I’m telling them is that, ‘As the new fire chief, I’m here to support you and get you what you need.’”

With discussions already underway for the city’s 2016-2017 budget, Swartout said he likely won’t add much input into the fire department’s general fund, which reached $2.4 million in 2015-2016.

“I think I may be too late to have much of an impact into the next fiscal cycle, but what it does do for me is it does give me an ability to see what the needs are throughout the year and hopefully come back with some ideas or some solutions to issues,” the new fire chief said. “It actually works in my favor — I look at it as a blessing where I have time to learn and then move forward.”

During a council meeting in May, the city manager presented council members with several possible scenarios to consolidate fire services, and reduce operating and equipment costs. However, the council opted to keep the department and its two fire stations intact.

At the time, Spina noted there’s duplication in services with the city and Pasco County Fire Rescue, since the county also responds to all medical and fire calls.

Published August 24, 2016

New venue being built for Zephyrhills events

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The popular Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival, along with several nonprofit organizations, will finally have a permanent event venue at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

A groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 15 marked the beginning of construction for a 14-acre community venue site, at 5040 Airport Road.

Once complete, the site will include a 20-by-40 stage and 50 vendor spaces equipped with water and electricity, along with additional space for free-standing vendors, business expos and children’s activities.

Several Zephyrhills community leaders were on hand for the Aug. 15 groundbreaking ceremony for the new community event venue at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. From left: Tim Linville, president of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Danny Burgess, state representative; Randy Surber, CEO of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills; Melonie Monson, executive director of the Zephyrhills chamber; Steve Spina, city manager for the City of Zephyrhills; and, Gene Whitfield, mayor of Zephyrhills. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)
Several Zephyrhills community leaders were on hand for the Aug. 15 groundbreaking ceremony for the new community event venue at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. From left: Tim Linville, president of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Danny Burgess, state representative; Randy Surber, CEO of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills; Melonie Monson, executive director of the Zephyrhills chamber; Steve Spina, city manager for the City of Zephyrhills; and, Gene Whitfield, mayor of Zephyrhills.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

The venue is situated north of the Zephyrhills’ City Yard, stretching to Airport Road and backing up the southern boundary of the Lincoln Heights subdivision.

Its location will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 guests at a time, and will provide easy access and parking along South Avenue.

The $60,000 venue, owned and operated by the city of Zephyrhills, is expected to be complete in time for the seventh annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Festival set for Jan. 21.

Nearly a year ago, The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce proposed the concept for a local festival grounds after the organization determined a larger site was needed to house Pigz in Z’Hills.

The tract of land the chamber had been using for the festival was about 2.5 acres.

“We kind of got to a point where we grew so much, that it was really impossible to every year set up a whole venue,” Melonie Monson, chamber director, said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “This is going to make it (possible) to grow where we want to grow…and it won’t take all week of putting stuff together.”

Officials say the permanent venue will help the annual shindig run smoother, creating a better layout for musicians, vendors and attendees.

Moreover, the permanent site will help cut down on variable expenses, including the annual costs to rent a stage and generators, which officials say can total nearly $10,000.

“The only way for this event to go forward was to find a permanent venue,” Monson said.

The annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival typically draws around 9,000 people. Ground was broken last week on a new permanent venue that will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 guests at a time, and will provide easy access and parking along South Avenue. (File Photo)
The annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival typically draws around 9,000 people. Ground was broken last week on a new permanent venue that will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 guests at a time, and will provide easy access and parking along South Avenue.
(File Photo)

Chamber officials say Pigz in Z’Hills has created an economic impact of more than $1.3 million for Zephyrhills. Out of the 30,000 total attendees the past six years, more than half have come from outside the region and state.

“Somewhere in the last few years, Pigz in Z’Hills stopped just belonging to the chamber and now belongs to the community,” Monson said. “With that, this new building will reaffirm the strength of the partnership that we have with the city and community.”

In addition to the chamber, several organizations have expressed interest in using the event site, including the Rotary Club of Zephyrhills, Thomas Promise Foundation, Ride for Hospice and Paulie Palooza.

Once in operation, nonprofit organizations wanting to use the venue will pay a fee to cover the cost of site maintenance and staffing, which will be performed by the city.

“This is truly a community effort,” said Bob Winters, of the Rotary Club of Zephyrhills. “It’s an outstanding opportunity for the nonprofits of Zephyrhills to make a showing, and kick money back into the community.”

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield said the venue will be used “for generations to come.

“We’re going to enjoy this venue today and the days ahead, but it’s something for our children and grandchildren,” Whitfield said. “We’re always about trying to do things for our community and our citizens, always with an eye on the future.”

Events are expected to be limited to daytime festivals in order to prevent stage noise in the residential area behind the venue, although the stage will be designed to direct music towards the airport.

The new venue also paves the way for the return of the Celtic Festival and Highland Games to Zephyrhills; the festival’s immense popularity forced it to vacate its venue at Zephyr Park in 2011.

Published August 24, 2016