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Zephyrhills/East Pasco News

Chamber exec leaves her mark

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Vonnie Mikkelsen is wrapping up her work this week at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce to take on a similar role for the chamber of commerce in Springfield, Oregon.

Making the decision to leave her current post was no easy choice, Mikkelsen said.

“This was not just a job to me. It was really a commitment. It’s where my heart was. It’s where I grew at the same time that I saw people around me and the community and the organization, itself, grow,” said Mikkelsen, who lives in Land O’ Lakes.

Vonnie Mikkelsen is leaving her post as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce this week. She’s excited about moving to Oregon, where she’ll lead the chamber of commerce in Springfield and will live closer to her family. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Vonnie Mikkelsen is leaving her post as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce this week. She’s excited about moving to Oregon, where she’ll lead the chamber of commerce in Springfield and will live closer to her family.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Mikkelsen took the leadership role at the Zephyrhills chamber on Dec. 14, 2009. She was selected from a field of 44 candidates.

Since accepting that role, she’s been involved in numerous initiatives.

She helped organize the collection of items for the time capsule created to celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary.

She was involved in the push to change the hours for when liquor could be served on Sundays.

She was involved in the effort to persuade the state roads department to use a pair of one-ways running through Zephyrhills, instead of turning Gall Boulevard (US 301) into a three-lane, one-way road.

She led efforts to launch a new annual festival, the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest, an event that attracts thousands and raises money for the chamber and community groups.

She drummed up support to create the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition.

And, she helped persuade the powers-that-be that finding money to create a four-lane stretch of State Road 56 — from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 — would be an investment in the region, not just a project for Zephyrhills.

While the money has not yet been found for the State Road 56 project, work is under way to see if it’s possible to get a loan from the state’s infrastructure bank to make it happen.

Mikkelsen is proud of what has been accomplished during her tenure, but she’s the first to say these achievements were a result of people working together to make them happen.

“I never would have guessed all of the things that we were able to accomplish – even at my highest expectation. We, together, have exceeded those. That’s incredibly rewarding,” Mikkelsen said.

Shortly after she assumed her role as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Vonnie Mikkelsen had a chance to meet people throughout the community by working on a time capsule project to mark the city’s 100th birthday. (Courtesy of Vonnie Mikkelsen)
Shortly after she assumed her role as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Vonnie Mikkelsen had a chance to meet people throughout the community by working on a time capsule project to mark the city’s 100th birthday.
(Courtesy of Vonnie Mikkelsen)

She’s been amazed by the willingness of individuals and organizations in Zephyrhills to give their time, talent and resources.

Mikkelsen thinks a chamber of commerce is in a unique position to pull people together.

“It’s (the chamber is) your business community, it’s your nonprofit organizations, it’s your faith-based organizations, your community support organizations, your schools, your government agencies. It’s a cross-section and there’s no other organization in the community like that,” Mikkelsen said.

Recognizing how people can help is important, Mikkelsen said.

“If you know the resources that are in an organization like that (the chamber), the possibilities are endless,” she said.

Having a pulse on stakeholders’ interests is essential, Mikkelsen added.

“It’s not my chamber of commerce. It’s not even the board’s chamber of commerce. It’s first and foremost, the members’, and then the community at large,” she said.

Mikkelsen said she hadn’t been at the job long before she had a chance to tap into the broad spectrum of Zephyrhills’ stakeholders.

That happened when she was working with a team to create a time capsule for the city’s 100th birthday, she said.

The capsule contains artifacts of the daily life of groups and organizations that make up the fabric of Zephyrhills.

When Mikkelsen agreed to take a leadership role on that task, she was determined to excel.

That’s her mantra.

“I don’t promise anything I’m not going to deliver on, and usually deliver beyond expectations,” she said.

When Mikkelsen joined the Zephyrhills chamber she was coming out of a period of personal transition, she said.

She’d left a position with The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a few years before because it wasn’t the right fit for her.

Then, she went back to school to get a certificate in nonprofit management from the University of South Florida.

At the same time, she was doing volunteer work.

She served as a certified guardian ad litem, acting as an advocate for children under state protection, who had been abused, neglected or abandoned.

She also volunteered hundreds of hours at the Pasco County Animal Shelter.

She said a staff member there described her as “the best used-dog salesperson in the world” because she concentrated on getting dogs socialized and ready for adoption.

Her efforts there earned her a Citizen of the Year award from the Florida Veterinary Medical Association.

When Mikkelsen arrived in Zephyrhills, she didn’t know much about the community beyond the research she’d done to help her land the job.

She got busy trying to understand the community’s strengths and opportunities, as well as its weaknesses and threats.

“You’ve got to know where they are. You’ve got to know where you are and what you need.

“Once you’ve identified your weaknesses and your threats. Once you’ve identified them and are clear about them,” she said, “that’s the starting point.

“Instead of wallowing in your disadvantages, just know them. “Then, you focus everything else on the solution,” Mikkelsen said.

Part of finding those solutions involves building partnerships and considering different points of view, she added.

Building those relationships takes time and follow-through, Mikkelsen added. “It’s not just sending an email.”

It also takes a willingness to do the research to establish credibility, and to create trust, over time through your actions, she added.

It’s important to respect people’s time and to be sure that meetings are meaningful, Mikkelsen said.

“You’re calling on volunteers. Time is money. I appreciate that. I value that. I get it. Ultimately, I don’t want to waste their time. I don’t want to waste my time. More importantly, I want them to keep coming back, and keep engaged and keep moving forward, because we need them,” she said.

Finding common ground and collaborating is an effective way to tackle issues, Mikkelsen said.

“If you’re always looking at others as a competitor and a threat, then you’re definitely not leading. It’s the biggest drag on success,” she said.

She’s fluent in Japanese. She spent 16 years in Japan and worked with Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting in Tokyo to develop programming for Cartoon Network Japan.

Factoids about Vonnie Mikkelsen
She’s fluent in Japanese. She spent 16 years in Japan and worked with Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting in Tokyo to develop programming for Cartoon Network Japan.

The ringtone on her cell is “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

She received the Florida Veterinary Medical Association’s Citizen of the Year award in 2009 for her volunteer work with Pasco County Animal Services.

Published July 1, 2015

BizWalks survey highlights Zephryhills’ market power

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As community leaders talked recently with business owners about their job needs, it became clear that many were looking to hire military veterans. But they didn’t know how to get the word out.

That disconnect became the first challenge identified in the inaugural BizWalks 2014-15 report, a survey sponsored by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and the Pasco Economic Development Council.

No one wanted to wait until the study was finished. So effort started quickly to hold a workshop in March to link those employers with community organizations and the resources to get something done.

“There was a tremendous response,” said Vonnie Mikkelsen, out-going executive director of the chamber of commerce. Mikkelsen’s last day on the job is July 3.

That kind of quick action in support of the business community is one outcome of what Mikkelsen hopes will be an annual BizWalks survey. Long-term, the survey might be done quarterly, she said.

The chamber has done business surveys periodically.

But BizWalks is more targeted and drills deeper into the opinions and issues facing business owners, especially in high-growth sectors of manufacturing, aviation, distribution and startups.

Those are the businesses that drive economic growth, Mikkelsen said.

The idea for BizWalks took off soon after Mikkelsen attended a conference on how to retain and expand businesses. She heard from others who had done similar “BizWalks” surveys in their communities.

Over a six-week period in late 2014, volunteers completed 16 on-site visits and 26 anonymous online surveys.

Participating businesses included Flight Crafters, Turin Aviation Group, Skywatch Signs, Goin’ Postal, Zephyr Aircraft Engines and Skydive City.

The staff members at the Pasco Economic Development Council partnered with Zephyrhills’ chamber and a committee of volunteers to coordinate activities, offer interview training and aid in crunching the data for the final report.

The Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition will use the data to craft an 18- to 24-month plan of action to tackle issues such as infrastructure, work force development and the bureaucratic world of business regulations. Those were identified as the top priorities among business owners.

“We’re not only out there to gain a better knowledge and pulse of the business community, but also to take action and champion these things,” Mikkelsen said.

Overall, business owners were upbeat about the future.

About 82 percent said they felt Zephyrhills was moving in the right direction in creating a business-friendly atmosphere.

About 38 percent said they planned to hire additional employees in the next six months. And, none were planning layoffs.

Sales volumes are increasing, and the trend is expected to continue during the next 12 months.

Half of business owners said they would expand facilities in the next two years, and 60 percent expected to invest in new equipment.

Growth is not being hindered due to lack of capital or financing, and that trend likely will continue.

The survey also showed the commercial reach of Zephyrhills, which is strategically located near major road systems with access to markets beyond Pasco County and the Tampa Bay region.

That reach may be surprising to some.

Many Zephyrhills companies sell statewide and nationwide. About 45 percent of surveyed companies reported international sales to Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and the Mediterranean.

“There are a lot of gems here,” said Mikkelsen. “It’s truly a remarkable coming of age for Zephyrhills.”

The report establishes a foundation for future spin-off activities and programs that bolster Zephyrhills’ ongoing economic growth. As future reports are done, trends can be spotted and opportunities can emerge, Mikkelsen said.

The implications go beyond this one report, said John Hagen, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council.

“It’s a good thing to do for the community, but it also is a template for other communities,” he said. “What we’re trying to accomplish, other than just working in Zephyrhills, is to work out a methodology that we can then duplicate and use in other communities and with other chambers.”

In the future, Hagen said he anticipates efforts to share the Zephyrhills’ experience as a model of how to conduct a proactive business survey. It was the first locally initiated program of its type in Pasco County.

“That is something for Zephyrhills to be truly proud of,” said Mikkelsen. “We did it because we needed to, but that is an indication that we did it right. It’s really exciting.”

Published July 1, 2015

Developers could buy Hercules Park; donate land

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The city of Zephyrhills lost its bid to purchase Hercules Park, but there is hope still that a large swath of the park and its aquatic center can become city property.

The Pasco County School Board unanimously voted to begin negotiating the park’s sale with developers from Gh&G Florida LLC. Their bid for $2.3 million topped Zephyrhills’ bid of $1.7 million for the 15.5-acre park.

A fence, with a stop sign, blocks vehicles at the former entrance to Hercules Park. A faded sign lists park rules. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)
A fence, with a stop sign, blocks vehicles at the former entrance to Hercules Park. A faded sign lists park rules.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

But Deputy School Superintendent Ray Gadd said any deal brought back to the school board must stipulate that between 10 acres to 11 acres of the park would be donated to the city of Zephyrhills.

The acreage would include a fitness trail, the children’s playground and the aquatic center.

School board member Allen Altman said he agonized over his vote.

He explained: “We just don’t have the ability to turn down additional money right now.”

The school district is recovering from significant budget cuts resulting from the economic crash in 2008. The lack of funding for capital improvement projects is critical, said school board member Cynthia Armstrong.

“It is our constitutional duty to do fiduciarily what is best for our people, our students, who are also the people in Zephyrhills,” she said.

Other board members echoed those sentiments despite impassioned pleas from Zephyrhills’ Mayor Gene Whitfield and others to accept Zephyrhills’ bid.

“I’m disappointed,” Whitfield said. “We want the park. We’ll do everything we can. We’ll wait to see what they offer and proceed from there.”

Prior to the school board’s vote, Whitfield recounted the park’s history. He described a “handshake” agreement nearly 50 years ago between Hercules Powder Co. and the school district that the park would be used for children and for education but not for commercial use.

At one time Hercules Powder Co. was the largest employer in Zephyrhills. The company processed pine stumps into rosin, turpentine and pine oil on about 80 acres. The property later became sites for the park, Zephyrhills High School and Woodland Elementary School.

Some residents had feared that a gas station would be built on a corner lot at U.S 301 and County Road 54, adjacent to the park. But a $1.7 million bid from Del Lago Ventures Inc., affiliated with Race Trac Petroleum Inc., was rejected.

Belleair Development Group, with a $1.6 million bid, also lost out.

“Something needs to be worked out, because we in Zephyrhills need that (park),” said resident Fern Williams. “I’m not even seeing what your vision is with a gas station on that corner.”

A jungle gym, picnic table and swing set go unused at Hercules Park, which was closed by Pasco County four years ago for lack of funding.
A jungle gym, picnic table and swing set go unused at Hercules Park, which was closed by Pasco County four years ago for lack of funding.

In April, school officials announced plans to put the corner parcel on the market for commercial sale. Zephyrhills’ City Council previously agreed to rezone the site with expectations that the school board would consider leasing the remaining acres to Zephyrhills for $1 a year for 100 years.

City and school officials have somewhat different recollections on what happened next.

Gadd said as far back as 2011, the school board raised the possibility of a lease, but city officials rejected the offer.

Following the recent rezoning of the corner lot, he presented the lease option to the school board but never heard back from Zephyrhills for follow-up. City officials said the lease agreement would have precluded them from applying for grants. Buying the property was the best option, they said.

The city planned to use several funding sources including Community Development Block Grants and the Penny for Pasco program. The bid also included the right to sell about 2 acres, south of the corner lot. City officials said, if they needed the funds from the lot’s sale, it would be developed for a purpose compatible with the park.

The future of the park has been under discussion since Pasco County’s decision to close it nearly four years ago. County officials said the county could no longer afford to operate and maintain the park and its aquatic center.

Under a prior agreement, the park had to be used or returned to the school district.

School officials estimate that Zephyrhills could receive about $50,000 annually in property and gas tax revenues if the deal goes through with Gh&G.

Zephyrhills’ officials dispute those numbers, saying the city will receive very little from gas taxes.

They peg property tax revenues at about $6,000 a year.

Gadd said school officials are in agreement with Zephyrhills on the goal to reopen the park and see the pool again hosting swim meets.

During the long closure, he said the pool has been vandalized and homeless people have been found living in the woods.

Law enforcement has been called there on several occasions.

“To me its sad to see the pool has fallen into disrepair,” Gadd said.

Zephyrhills’ City Manager Steve Spina remains hopeful of a good outcome.

“I understand their position,” he said of the school board’s vote. “I think it’s good if they can work it out, and we get the bulk of the land. It’s a win-win.”

Published June 24, 2015

Dade City native is a writing wizard

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Wendell Speer is a prolific note-taker.

Paper and pen are ready at hand.

“You’ll get a million ideas wherever you go. If you don’t write them down, you’ll never remember them all,” he said.

Children at libraries in Poland lined up to get autographed copies of Wendell Speer’s book, ‘Simon Peppercorn, Log in to Magic Space.’ (Courtesy of Wendell Speer)
Children at libraries in Poland lined up to get autographed copies of Wendell Speer’s book, ‘Simon Peppercorn, Log in to Magic Space.’
(Courtesy of Wendell Speer)

Notes on slips of paper, written down in quiet moments on walks in the woods or in the hushed quiet of the local library, laid the trail that led to “Simon Peppercorn, Log in to Magic Space.”

Speer published his fantasy tale of the young wizard apprentice, Simon Peppercorn, more than eight years ago on his own. A Polish publisher translated the story and introduced it to a young reading audience in that country about three years ago.

About 2,000 copies sold in Poland, Speer said.

The American version is available at Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. Copies also are available at the Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City.

Speer is at work currently on a series of “first-chapter” books including one about a magic pencil box and a young girl who brings it to life. He hopes to find an agent and publisher for his newest creations.

But Speer said he is realistic about his chances.

“I know I’m the underdog,” he said. “I don’t have the contacts. I don’t know people who know people.”

What he does have, Speer said, is a passion for writing that began with a sixth grade classroom assignment and a mystery story. By age 18, he knew that he wanted to write a book.

He followed his heart to the fantasy world and found Simon Peppercorn.

The book follows 12-year-old Simon on his journey into “Magic Space” in quest of adventure and a special crystal with powers to save him from being transformed into a werewolf. His journey begins in a typical small town in the real world, known as “Hardspace.”

Once he enters an alternate realm, Simon learns he is a novice wizard who must confront dragons, werewolves, wicked witches, goblins and trolls.

The target audience is children ages 9 and older. As film, it would be a visual treat and even has theme park potential, Speer said.

Except for the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Speer said there were few other books about wizardry. It seemed a natural to find his own niche with young readers.

“I read all the Harry Potter books,” he said. “I was enthralled by them.”

But Simon Peppercorn is different, said Speer who cites other influences such as the King Arthur tales, Polish folklore and Mark Twain.

“Harry Potter is very much a mystery book,” Speer said. “Simon Peppercorn is an adventure story. It’s like Huck Finn with magic.”

Speer has had his own adventures and a bit of wanderlust.

He grew up in Dade City and graduated from Pasco High School.

A scholarship took him to Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where he earned a degree in mass communications. That wasn’t his first choice as a major.

“I had always had an interest in film,” he said. But the university didn’t have a film program, so he settled for classes in film theory.

He also landed a nine-week film production internship. He helped out when actor Paul Newman taped a public service announcement and again when Newman taped a special segment for a television show honoring actor and director John Huston.

One summer, in the midst of his college studies, Speer took a trip to Europe where he met his future wife. She was a native of Poland and for the next 20 years or so, Speer lived much of the time in his wife’s country.

At the time, Poland was a Communist state under martial law. Later, the Solidarity uprising brought a revolution and the end of Communism.

“The people had a special spirit about them at that time,” he said. “That was truly amazing.”

His son was born in Warsaw in 1984.

Speer learned Polish and got work in film production, largely hired by foreign film companies that chose Poland as a backdrop for their movies.

When his book was published in Poland, Speer appeared on television shows to promote sales. He also visited local Polish libraries.

“I was a big hit with the 10-year-old Polish kids,” he said.

In the early 2000s, Speer returned to Dade City and worked as a substitute teacher, and also for two years as a child protective investigator for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

He works part-time now at a local home improvement store.

In his spare time, Speer keeps dreaming up new stories and maybe imagining more Simon Peppercorn adventures.

“I plan eventually to do a real series,” he said. “There are possibilities for many spin-offs, with many characters. I have the same dreams as every creative person.”

Published June 17, 2015

Celebrating a half-century of dance

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Sally Blackwood was just meant to dance.

And at age 79, she is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Blackwood Studios in Dade City with a recital of “The Wizard of Oz”.

The journey down the yellow brick road is a tradition begun in 1965 and has been repeated every decade since.

Sally Blackwood has a conversation with some students before a dress rehearsal dance number. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Sally Blackwood has a conversation with some students before a dress rehearsal dance number.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

“It is our signature piece,” said Blackwood who teaches up to five hours a day.

The faces of many of her students have a familiar look, because often they are the children or grandchildren of students she taught in the past.

“We really are a studio family,” Blackwood said.

Her own family is where her passion for dance began.

Her father’s orchestra traveled through Florida at the height of the swing band craze in the 1940s. Ben Atwood and his musical troupe played the swanky Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg. Her mother, Genevieve Atwood, played violin in the orchestra. It was a love match.

Blackwood would find her own love match, too. But first there would be a childhood of uninhibited movement.

She traveled with her parents to military bases as they entertained troops during World War II. She was 5 years old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

They were part of the vaudeville circuit, playing one night in Jacksonville and another in Avon Park. Her hometown was Lakeland, Florida.

“They did everything they could to help the war effort. I was like their mascot,” Blackwood said. “I made up dances.”

She did a “little samba” to the song “Down South American Way.” Or, whatever she’d seen in the movies.

A Lakeland teacher spotted her and told her parents their young daughter had to take lessons, and join her dance troupe. Another teacher, Mary Fariday, told a teenage Blackwood to go to New York.

“Ballet was my big love,” she said. “(Fariday) took me under her wings and taught me everything.”

At age 20, she auditioned for the legendary Robert Joffrey, founder of the Joffrey Ballet School, then based in New York. He selected her to tour with a troupe that would perform at colleges and universities.

Blackwood is modest about the accomplishment, pointing out she is barely 5 feet. “He was a short man,” she said. “He liked short dancers.”

But fate and love intervened.

Her high school sweetheart, James “Woody” Blackwood, had returned to Lakeland from Germany after three years of military service. He wanted to see her one more time.

“I was going to go home for a week,” she said. “I never went back. I’ve never regretted it.”
Ballet with a professional company takes drive and ambition.

Besides, she said, “I’m not a competitive person for myself.”

Though the couple was living in Lakeland, Blackwood began driving to Dade City once a week to teach 19 dance students.

Enrollment grew and it made sense in 1966 to relocate the family.

“We had so many coming back,” she said. “I’d have to come back four times a week.”

They bought a house on Meridian Avenue in downtown Dade City where they raised their daughters, Mary Ann and Glenda. A kindergarten teacher whose daughter was in Blackwood’s dance class offered to build a facility next to the house which she would use during the day. It was Blackwood’s dance studio in the afternoon and evening.

Woody Blackwood, who died in 2001, operated an antiques shop in another house, adjacent to the studio.

“He did everything for us,” said his wife. “He’d make dinner for me. He built scenery. He was good with the kids.”

The antique shop is now a two-story maze of costumes collected through the years. Square-dancer skirts in a rainbow of colors hang along the walls. Racks and racks of gowns, tutus, leotards, fancy dress shirts, vests, bangles and beads, laces, a box of yellow polka dot bikinis, and the odd piece of stage scenery are showbiz cornucopia.

Cheryl Hauff is part of the studio family and in charge of making costumes for more than a decade. Her daughter is a former student.

“Everyone just becomes family,” she said. “It gives girls (and boys) something to do. They advance and progress.”

Ballet is the foundation.

“Nobody has ever gotten a system better to train bodies,” Blackwood said. “That’s why we really stress ballet.”

It teaches control, stamina, body placement, and how to move smoothly and gracefully.

“If they never dance (again), the posture they get from ballet is so healthy and beautiful,” she said. “It also teaches them respect for music and for themselves.”

Her studio offers 66 classes a week in ballet, tap, jazz, modern dance and acrobatics. Blackwood has seven teachers including her daughter, Mary Ann Blackwood, who also is the studio’s choreographer.

She seems somehow to know instinctively how to orchestrate the movements of dozens of children, Haupff said. “She is amazing,” she added.

“The Wizard of Oz” will have two performances on June 12 and 13. An old “reel-to-reel” tape recording of the narrative and music from 1975 will be used.

The play isn’t a re-creation of the familiar movie with Judy Garland, though bits of familiar songs are used as performers move scenery around between scenes.

L. Frank Baum wrote more than a dozen Oz books and Blackwood dips into many of them for the story line.

There are no flying monkeys. That would be too scary, she said.

Instead the witches have crows.

“We chose music to fit the characters,” Blackwood said. “So, it can be classical.”

On June 14, there will be a reunion of Blackwood and her extended dance family through the years. At least one former student is coming from California.

But a 50-year reunion doesn’t mean Blackwood is planning to retire any time soon.

“I hope I’ll have enough sense to know when I’m not doing a good job,” she said. “I still have patience.”

Plans are under way for a trip to Europe where some of her students will perform in Germany and Austria. And she has three girls who are going to a Joffrey-sponsored summer camp in Miami.

Teaching is where her heart is.

“This way you’re sharing everything. That’s the way I like it,” Blackwood said.

Blackwood Dance Studio presents The Wizard of Oz 50th Anniversary Recital and Reunion Party
When: Recital at 7 p.m., June 12 and 13; reunion party, 2 p.m. on June 14
Where: The recital is at Wesley Chapel Center for Performing Arts. The reunion party is at Dan Cannon Auditorium at the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City.
Cost: Recital tickets are $15 per person
For information, call (352) 567-5919

Published June 10, 2015

Save-A-Lot opening at Zephyrhills Plaza

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Save-A-Lot grocery store will move into the vacant anchor spot at Zephyrhills Plaza on State Road 54.

Sunshine Partners Development Corp., has filed a conceptual plan to redevelop the plaza, county records show. Save-A-Lot, and potential additional retail tenants, could give the plaza a new start.

800px-Save-A-Lot_logo.svgThe approximately 52,000-square-foot discount grocery store will replace the former Sweetbay grocery store that closed in 2014.

The closure was part of an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission following the purchase by Bi-Lo Holdings of more than 150 Sweetbay, Harveys and Reid grocery stores from the Delhaize Group. The intent was to operate the stores under the Winn-Dixie brand.

But to encourage local competition, the federal agency ordered Bi-Lo to close more than a dozen stores in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. They were considered too close to stores already under Bi-Lo control. Two of those stores were in Zephyrhills and Dade City.

A tentative opening for Save-A-Lot is scheduled for late October with remodeling likely to begin in midsummer, said Save-A-Lot spokeswoman Chon Tomlin.

Save-A-Lot operates more than 100 stores in Florida, and more than 1,300 nationwide. Bill Moran founded the company when he opened his first grocery store in Illinois in 1977.

“We have a really solid footprint in Florida,” Tomlin said. “Our model is well-established in the state.”

Store officials look for established neighborhoods with a customer base that want to have a grocery store close to home, Tomlin said.

“It’s really about being a community grocery store,” she added.

Published June 3, 2015

Pasco takes first step toward loan for State Road 56

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Pasco County commissioners agreed to at least inquire about a $27 million state loan to pay for an additional two lanes for the extension of State Road 56. But there are concerns that the payback could jeopardize other county road projects.

On May 19, commissioners unanimously voted to submit a letter of interest to the State Infrastructure Bank for a 30-year, low-interest loan. The goal is for developers to shoulder the responsibility for repayment through county-collected mobility surcharge fees. As a back up, revenues from gasoline taxes and special assessments might be applied.

The Pasco County Commission approved a letter of interest for a possible low-interest loan from the state to create a four-lane extension of State Road 56, linking Wesley Chapel with Zephyrhills. (File Photo)
The Pasco County Commission approved a letter of interest for a possible low-interest loan from the state to create a four-lane extension of State Road 56, linking Wesley Chapel with Zephyrhills.
(File Photo)

The Zephyrhills City Council also has agreed to pay up to 10 percent of annual loan payments – estimated at about $1.3 million annually — to cover costs not paid by developers.

Developers have not signed on to any loan agreement, but negotiations will continue as more details are learned about the project’s costs, said Richard Gehring, the county’s planning and development administrator.

The letter had to be sent by May 29 in order for banking officials to consider a loan in the 2016 cycle. The infrastructure bank provides loans and other assistance to public or private entities for projects that qualify for aid under federal and state law.

“We don’t have to accept the loan until we are all comfortable,” Gehring told commissioners.

Preliminary estimates on costs were provided by Cone & Graham, which is under contract to build the two-lane extension planned by the Florida Department of Transportation. But the final amount could be lower than $27 million, Gehring said.

Current plans are to extend State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills, as a two-lane road.

City officials and residents of Zephyrhills have lobbied intensely for a four-lane road into the community, but state highway officials say there are no funds for the extra work.

The low-interest state loan was proposed as a method of payment following a February town hall meeting in Zephyrhills to discuss transportation issues. Gehring and Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein made a presentation to the Zephyrhills’ City Council on May 11 regarding the city’s role in repaying the loan.

“They are certainly committed to wanting to see this built,” Gehring said.

Commissioners Mike Moore and Mike Wells saw little risk in moving forward on the loan. Moore noted that the loan repayment could be deferred for five years.

Wells said the loan was “an opportunity to be proactive not reactive here. It sounds like there is really a low risk.”

But there also was skepticism.

“Do we know what impact it could have on other projects?” said Chairman Ted Schrader. He cited roadwork on U.S. 41 and State Road 54 as essential to keep up with Pasco’s growth as more subdivisions are built. A proposed overpass on the north side of Zephyrhills also is critical, he added.

“I don’t want to see that project jeopardized for this one,” Schrader said.

As the conduit for the loan, Goldstein said the county could wind up repaying the loan temporarily while waiting to collect fees from developers. County staff members are still crunching budget data for fiscal year 2016, including estimates on some road projects including State Road 54 and U.S. 41.

Schrader restated his objections, saying $1.3 million would be a significant amount of money to lose from the county’s capital improvement budget.

“I don’t think it would have a devastating impact, but we’re still working on the issues,” Goldstein said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey expressed support for road improvements in Zephyrhills but, like Schrader, held up State Road 54 and U.S. 41 as priorities, along with the overpass.

“I very much want to see us work with Zephyrhills,” she said. “I think we have great potential for growth on that side of the county…that will add to our tax base. (But) I’m going to keep harping (State Road) 54 and (U.S.) 41. That intersection is going to get worse and worse with no solution in sight. Developments are popping up along that route. It really concerns me.”

Published May 27, 2015

Arts in Motion’s new musical is ‘Seussical’

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When Arts in Motion presents “Seussical” at Pasco Middle School this weekend, the audience will recognize Dr. Seuss’ famous characters and stories that have entertained children for decades.

And they’ll also experience something that sets the play apart from many musicals: A lot more music.

“It is honestly, let’s say, 97 percent music,” said director Craig Hartfield. “There’s very few lines, and even those lines are in verse, because it is Seuss.”

The cast of ‘Seussical’ has been rehearsing at The Alliance Church of Zephyrhills, but performers will bring the production to Pasco Middle School this weekend. From left to right are Josh Corjay, Melanie Kender, Roman Ricardo and Rhett Ricardo. (Courtesy of Arts in Motion)
The cast of ‘Seussical’ has been rehearsing at The Alliance Church of Zephyrhills, but performers will bring the production to Pasco Middle School this weekend. From left to right are Josh Corjay, Melanie Kender, Roman Ricardo and Rhett Ricardo.
(Courtesy of Arts in Motion)

Having that many musical numbers presents challenges from a production standpoint.

But Hartfield brings extensive experience to the job.

He has been directing acting for decades and has directed “Seussical” before, but this is his first play with Arts in Motion.

And, as a play for Arts In Motion — a local nonprofit dedicated to cultivating arts education and youth theater — all the characters are played by actors ranging in age between 5 and 18 years.

In “Seussical,” the age of the average performer is just over 10.

The actors also have a little extra work, too.

“Seussical” is double-casted, meaning the major roles are played by more than one actor. Most actors also perform in more than one role.

That format requires a tight production with actors knowing what role to play and where to be at any given moment,

Hartfield isn’t worried.

He’s happy with his cast and the support he’s received from Arts in Motion.

“They’re very organized. It’s very important to them that there’s a strong level of support for me and the kids in the show,” Hartfield said about Arts in Motion.

Having multiple roles gives the cast a chance to get in a lot of work, rather than learning one character’s lines and waiting around for their speaking role.

Some actors will be speaking or singing as one character and then dancing as another.

When it comes to “Seussical,” there are many moving parts.

The play has nearly 50 cast members playing more than two dozen important roles.

It’s reassuring that the children are all interested in theater and really want to be there, Hartfield said.

The training they get by being in Arts in Motion productions also makes his job easier, he added.

“They’re well-trained. They know what they’re supposed to be doing,” Hartfield said.

Melanie Kender, a senior at Pasco High School, definitely knows what she’s doing. In six years with Arts in Motion, she’s performed in around a dozen productions, and now she’s a Cat In The Hat and a Wickersham Brother in “Seussical.”

As an experienced performer, Kender helps the younger actors get comfortable with the ins and outs of community theater.

“The training that we get through Arts in Motion, we carry on with it, and we grow with it,” Kender said.

That includes beyond high school.

Kender plans to pursue theater opportunities at Pasco-Hernando State College.

For now, she’s getting into her roles.

For the Cat In The Hat, that meant reading the books and watching clips of Mike Myers’ take on the character in the 2003 film.

Kender also spends hours each week rehearsing with the cast at The Alliance Church of Zephyrhills, and will start five-hour days as the show draws near.

The end result should be a unique take on the character, especially if people are expecting a male in the role.

“It’s a whole other level of trying to accomplish this character,” Kender said. “I’m going to be the best Cat I can be.”

Hartfield is expecting all the actors to be at their best, and for the audience to enjoy the unusual take on stories they already know.

Instead of a simple retelling, “Seussical” blends several stories together, providing familiarity and something fresh for those who already love Dr. Seuss.

“The storylines are all in there, but no entire story is told. It’s not about telling one story. It’s about taking all these stories and mixing them into this one musical,” Hartfield said.

Showtimes are May 22 and May 23 at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on May 23 and May 24 at 3 p.m. Pasco Middle School is located at 13925 14th St., in Dade City. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7 for students.

For more information, visit ArtsInMotionPasco.org.

Published May 20, 2015

State loan may help widen State Road 56

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The Pasco Commission agreed that a low-interest state loan to fund the widening of additional lanes on State Road 56 is worth exploring, if developers take responsibility for paying it back.

Commissioners voted unanimously to direct county administrators and staff members to gather details about the loan and prepare a letter of interest to be sent to the State Infrastructure Bank. The letter must be submitted by May 29 for state officials to consider granting a loan in its 2016 cycle.

‘I do have some reservations. People here believe growth should pay for itself.’ – Pasco County Commission Chairman Ted Schrader
‘I do have some reservations. People here believe growth should pay for itself.’ – Pasco County Commission Chairman Ted Schrader

The infrastructure bank provides loans and other assistance to public or private entities for projects that qualify for aid under federal and state law.

Commissioners are expected to vote on the matter at their May 19 meeting.

“There’s a lot of details that need to be worked out on this,” said Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein.

Goldstein and Richard Gehring, the county’s planning and development administrator, sought permission at the commissioners’ May 5 meeting to pursue the loan option.

A lot of staff time will be needed, Goldstein told commissioners.

“I think this is a regional road, not a local road, and will be a benefit for the entire county,” said Commissioner Mike Moore. “There may be options, many ways the loan can be packaged.”

But commissioners also had concerns about potential costs and who would be held accountable for repaying the loan.

“I do have some reservations,” said Chairman Ted Schrader. “People here believe growth should pay for itself.”

Gehring said the county would be the lead applicant for the loan but would collect repayment funds from developers through mobility surcharge fees and potentially special property assessments.

County officials hope the city of Zephyrhills will agree to pay 10 percent of the annual loan payments not covered by developers’ contributions.

The Zephyrhills City Council was expected to discuss the matter at its May 11 meeting.

The state loan option arose out of a February town hall meeting to discuss transportation issues. Since then county officials, State Sen. John Legg, State Rep. Danny Burgess and state highway officials have had additional meetings on the loan plan.

Current plans are to extend State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills, as a two-lane road.

Zephyrhills’ residents and city officials have pushed for the additional lanes as a boost to the area’s economy. They also have said it would be less costly to build four lanes now rather than later.

Gehring said the agreement might be crafted along the lines of a similar one that paid for roadwork for the Villages of Pasadena Hills. In that instance, the Florida Department of Transportation and developers each paid for two of the four lanes built to accommodate increased traffic generated by the development project.

If needed, other funding sources could be tax increment financing and gasoline taxes.

However, Gehring cautioned commissioners that if these funds were used, the county might have to defer other road projects.

Commissioners said developers should bear the burden of repaying debt from the project.

“Other developers have already been paying,” said Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

Published May 13, 2015

 

Aldi grocery store set to open on U.S. 301

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A busy section of U.S. 301 will get even busier as developers move forward with plans to build a small shopping plaza with an Aldi grocery store at the intersection of Pretty Pond Road.

Demolition crews began razing Rainbow Court and Brightside Manor mobile home parks in March. MQ Pretty Ponds LLC, a subsidiary of MQ Partners of Dallas, bought the two parcels in 2014, and gave notice to residents they would need to relocate to make way for the plaza.

No construction date has been announced.

This Aldi store is in a shopping plaza off of U.S. 41 and Bearss Avenue. A new store is planned for Zephyrhills. Company officials have said they want to open 650 new stores in America by the end of 2018. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
This Aldi store is in a shopping plaza off of U.S. 41 and Bearss Avenue. A new store is planned for Zephyrhills. Company officials have said they want to open 650 new stores in America by the end of 2018.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

For the moment, city officials and developers are grappling with how to get approval for a new traffic signal at Pretty Pond.

A traffic signal currently operates at the Townview and Merchant’s Square Shopping centers, directing traffic flow into and out of their parking lots on opposite sides of U.S. 301. But Florida Department of Transportation officials say a light at Pretty Pond can only be considered if the existing signal comes down. Two traffic signals so close together don’t meet national highway standards for safe road design, state road officials say.

Commercial and residential growth justifies installing a traffic signal at Pretty Pond to accommodate the anticipated increase in traffic volume, said Zephyrhills City Manager Steve Spina.

Zephyr Commons, a shopping center anchored by a Publix grocery store, is in the same area as the proposed Aldi. And, about 230 new apartments are due for construction, Spina said.

“Its (traffic) all got to come out somehow,” Spina said. “We have to come up with something,”

Spina said he intends to meet with owners of the shopping center to discuss options.

Aldi is a leading international retailer in the discount grocery market. Shoppers bag their own groceries and are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags. Stores are stocked with about 1,400 quick-selling food items including fresh produce, meat, dairy, wine and beer. In contrast, a typical grocer might stock as many as 30,000 items. The goal is low overhead expenses, which Aldi representatives say translates into major savings for its shoppers.

The company was founded in the mid-1940s in Germany and today operates more than 9,000 stores in 18 countries. The United States division is headquartered in Illinois.

In a news release issued this year, Aldi announced the goal of opening 650 new stores in America by the end of 2018. That represents more than a $3 billion investment in land, facilities and equipment.

Aldi was named the nation’s top discount grocery store for four consecutive years, and also one of the top three favorite grocery store chains in America, based on consumer surveys by Market Force Information Inc.

Published May 6, 2015