The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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High gas prices hitting wallets hard

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Gas prices are skyrocketing, with no apparent end in sight.

In a two-week period since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the average price for a gallon of gas climbed 73 cents a gallon in Florida; oil prices climbed $32 a barrel and the price to fill an average-sized tank of gas was $63, compared to $41 a year ago, according to Mark Jenkins, AAA (American Automobile Association) spokesman.

The 73-cent boost within two weeks is the largest increase in two weeks that AAA has recorded since it began tracking gas prices in 2000, Jenkins said, via email.

Gas prices have reached a record high in the United States, surpassing the previous record set in 2008. The price last week at RaceTrac on State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel was $4.39 a gallon for regular, about average in Pasco County. (Mike Camunas)

The average price around the state on March 11 was $4.378 per gallon. That shatters the previous record of $4.08 per gallon, set back in July 2008, according to AAA figures.

The crisis in Ukraine has prompted President Joe Biden to stop the import of Russian oil and that comes at a time when the United States is experiencing its highest rate of inflation in 40 years.

Motorists are feeling the pain at the pump.

“I live in Saint Mary with my sister in her house,” freelance construction worker Victor Reyes said, while filling up his truck and at least four gas containers, at a Pasco County gas station.

The price at the pump was $4.39 a gallon for unleaded 87.

“I used to go home every night. Now, I just go home on Saturdays. I sleep on the construction site because gas, it’s too expensive.

Brian Quigoley, of Wesley Chapel, gets some gas at a fueling station in Wesley Chapel.

“There’s nothing else I can do,” he said.

Zach Perry, a traveling salesman from Tampa, said he has to drive for work, so he’s stuck with the higher prices.

“My gas budget has doubled, but there’s nothing I can do about it,” Perry said, while filling up at a Lutz gas station.

The cost of gas also is influencing what people do with their leisure time.

“I don’t go anywhere anymore — at least now with these prices,” said Brooke Miller, a retired Air Force veteran who lives in Land O’ Lakes. “I go to the grocery store and I go home. I used to meet up with people to do some quilting at the community center, but I’m not going to do that anymore. We’ll probably have to quilt together on Zoom now.”

Despite the high prices, some gas stations experienced lines at the pump last week. In some cases, customers were filling up containers to avoid the prospect of paying more.

“We’ve got lines running out of the parking lot and into the street, and blocking traffic,” the gas manager at Costco in Lutz, Jordan Cass, said. “That’s leading to a lot of tense situations or unhappy customers, but just everyone needs gas. Sure, its members and they get a discount, but the demand here (at Costco) has, if anything, gotten higher.”

On average, Costco receives four shipments of gas regularly, but that has ballooned to six a day in recent weeks, Cass said. “We can’t keep it in the tanks,” he said, sounding slightly exasperated.

Drivers are frustrated, too. “When you gotta drive, you gotta drive,” Perry said. “And you need gas to drive. Guessing we’ll be stuck with high prices for a while.”

Gas prices soaring
Here’s a look at average gas prices on March 11, as tracked by AAA (American Automobile Association):

National average: $4.331
Florida average: $4.378

Hillsborough County retail prices:$4.399-$4.92
Pasco County retail prices: $4.384-$4.398
Tampa/St Pete/Clearwater: $4.40, regular; $4.734, mid-grade; $5.027 premium; $5.122, diesel
The previous record in Florida was $4.08 per gallon, set in July 2008.

Source: AAA

Fuel-saving tips

  • Tires & maintenance: Keep your vehicle in top shape through routine inspections; in between, be sure your tires are properly inflated.
  • Plan ahead: Map your route before you go, to minimize unnecessary turnarounds and backtracking. Avoid peak traffic times. Combine errands.
  • Watch your speed: Fuel economy peaks at around 50 mph on most cars, then drops off as speeds increase. Reducing highway speeds by 5 mph to 10 mph can increase fuel economy by as much as 14%.
  • Avoid excessive idling: A car engine consumes one-quarter to one-half gallon of fuel per hour when idling. A warm engine only takes around 10 seconds worth of fuel to restart. When it is safe, shut off your engine when you will be stopped for more than 1 minute.
  • Use “fast pass” or “express” toll lanes: Avoiding unnecessary stops or slowdowns on the highway helps save fuel.
  • Avoid rush hour: You’ll use less gas if you’re not stuck in traffic jams.
  • Anticipate road conditions: Pay attention to what’s happening on the road to maintain momentum and avoid unnecessary stop-and-go travel.
  • Purchase recommended fuel type: If regular gas is recommended for your vehicle, that’s all you need. Opting for premium when your car doesn’t requireit will cost more and won’t boost efficiency.
  • Shop around & save: There are apps and websites that will help you find the best prices.

Source: AAA

B.C. Manion contributed to this article.

Published March 13, 2022

Apartments’ rejection is challenged

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SD Wesley Chapel LLC and Stock Development LLC are challenging the Pasco County Commission’s decision to reject a proposed mixed-use project of apartments, office and retail on a parcel in Seven Oaks.

The petitioners have filed a challenge under the state’s Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act.

They claim that the county’s denial was “unreasonable and unduly burdensome.”

David Goldstein, chief assistant Pasco County attorney disputes that claim.

He wrote, in part: “The denial was not unreasonable or unfairly burdensome to petitioner, because the board did not take away any of petitioner’s existing rights to utilize petitioner’s property (“Parcel S-19”) for retail and/or office uses, which have been the uses contemplated for Parcel S-19” since the Seven Oaks development was approved.

Pasco County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder informed the county board of the challenge, during its Feb. 22 meeting.

The petitioners have filed a challenge under the state’s Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act.

“It’s a process that someone who believes that they are inordinately burdened by the action by the Board of County Commissioners in land development can take,” Steinsnyder explained.

Both parties agree to a special magistrate, which in this case will be David Mechanik, a Tampa attorney who is a Florida Supreme Court-certified mediator and a certified planner, Steinsnyder said.

“Unlike a court mediation, the public is invited to attend, especially those who are affected,” Steinsnyder said.

There will be an opportunity for negotiation, between the petitioners and the county, to see if a resolution can occur.

“If such a resolution were to occur, I’m not saying that it would, then that would come forward to the board in another public hearing to vote on whatever the settlement would be,” Steinsnyder said.

The mediation would take place in a county facility, which be selected based on how many people are expected to attend, Steinsnyder said.

The dispute stems from the county’s Jan. 11 denial of the petitioners’ request to modify the entitlements on a parcel within Seven Oaks to allow a development that includes 320 luxury apartment units in a vertical mixed-used project on land zoned for commercial uses.

The proposed project site is next to the Sam’s Club, in Seven Oaks, a community in Wesley Chapel, off State Road 56 and County Road 581.

The county board rejected the request on a 3-2 vote. Commissioners Mike Moore, Jack Mariano and Ron Oakley supported Moore’s motion for denial, while Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey and Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick dissented.

Seven Oaks’ residents turned out in force at the public hearing to express their opposition.

In the hours-long meeting, many residents testified that their community already has land available for apartments, in a more appropriate location.

They said the traffic created by the development would add to already congested roads and would pose hazards.

They complained that the amount of proposed development was too much for its intended site.

The developer, however, said the project has been carefully planned and would be an asset to the area. He said that great efforts had been made to amend his plans and to design a project that would offer a high-qualify lifestyle, while also incorporating some commercial elements.

County commissioners Moore and Mariano said the proposed project reduces the amount of land available for job-generating uses. Oakley said the project was too big for the proposed site.

The special magistrate is expected to consider the merit of the request for relief, seek solutions between the petitioners and Pasco County, hold an informal public hearing, and then issue his recommendation.

Pasco County has requested that the special magistrate hold the hearing as soon as practicable.

Published March 09, 2022

New ordinance aims to ban panhandling in Pasco County

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An ordinance adopted by the Pasco County Commission aims to halt solicitation by panhandlers — by making it unlawful for pedestrians and motorists to physically interact, unless a vehicle is parked.

The ordinance is patterned after one adopted in Lee County, and Pasco county board members said it’s needed to reduce safety hazards on county roads.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano applauded Lee County for finding a solution to the issue of panhandling, and he thanked Senior Assistant County Attorney Patrick Moore for handling the legal work to bring the ordinance forward.

Mariano repeatedly has said it’s a problem that needs to be addressed.

“You hear some of them talking about making $600 a day, doing it.

“One watched some guy finish for the day. He got through with his panhandling, got into his new Cadillac and went away,” Mariano said.

“When the people know they can’t do business in the middle of the right of way, I think they stop,” Mariano said.

He added that when the source of the money goes away, “I think this problem will get eliminated a lot quicker.”

According to Moore, from the county attorney’s office: “What this ordinance does, regardless of the reason why someone is in the road, or why they’re in the median, or interacting with vehicles, it’s dangerous. Regardless of the reason of that occurring, it (the ordinance) makes it prohibited.”

Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick said it needs to be addressed to improve safety.

She noted that of the county’s top 10 most dangerous intersections for pedestrians and bicyclists, six are on U.S. 19.

The U.S. 19 corridor has been notorious for the number of panhandlers that congregate there, according to testimony offered by commissioners during previous discussions relating to panhandling.

Commissioner Mike Moore noted that when he joined the board, the problem was predominantly in West Pasco, but it since has spread into Land O’ Lakes, Lutz and Wesley Chapel.

Commissioner Ron Oakley said panhandling isn’t a big issue in East Pasco, but he joined his colleagues in approving the ordinance because he thinks it is needed to address the problem in other parts of the county.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey said, “I’m hoping that this ordinance can help stop the tragic things that are happening out on our roadways.”

She told her colleagues that recently she was driving home along U.S. 19, at night, and could barely see a woman, who was dressed in dark clothing, walking along the median.

Mariano brought a video to show board members panhandlers out in the road. There was a glitch on the video, but board members didn’t seem to need to see it, to understand there’s a problem.

Moore, from the county attorney’s office, said the new ordinance prohibits the stopping or standing by pedestrians in a median, and also prohibits the physical interactions between a pedestrian and an occupant of a motor vehicle that is not legally parked.

The regulations also prohibit the commercial use of public rights of way.

Any person found in violation must cease the activity and may be issued a citation punishable by a fine not to exceed $500, according to the ordinance.

Each action in violation of a provision of this chapter shall constitute a separate offense. Issuance of a citation does not preclude an action for injunction, issuance of a trespass warning where authorized, or any other legal remedy available to Pasco County, the ordinance adds.

The board unanimously adopted the new regulations at its Feb. 22 meeting.

The ordinance must be filed by the clerk to the board to the Department of State, within 10 days of its adoption. It takes effect upon that filing.

Published March 02, 2022

Women Trailblazers: They helped carve a path for others

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When Madonna Jervis Wise set out to write about women trailblazers in Tampa Bay, she was looking for women who carved their own path — through Florida’s wild lands, and within such  realms as law, politics, education, social justice, sports and community life.

Kate Jackson stands between two friends with their bicycles. Jackson, who made her mark in Tampa, was commissioner of the Girl Scouts, was involved in the business and Professional Women’s League, the Catholic Woman’s Club and nearly every women’s group in Tampa. (Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center)

Some of these women are widely known today, occupying — or having occupied — positions of prominence. Others played a pivotal role in shaping opportunities for future generations but were not necessarily heralded during their own lifetime, and are all but forgotten today.

Wise’s book, “Images of America: Trailblazing Women of Tampa Bay,” shares the stories of women who have helped to shape today’s way of life.

She conveys their contributions through photographs and through accounts she gleaned from artifacts, historic sources, newspaper clippings, public records, oral histories and interviews.

The 159-page book is a result of months of recent work, coupled with years of research Wise has done for her other local history books, as well as from knowledge she has acquired through deep involvement with area historic societies.

‘Alice Hall made a living doing what people say cannot be done,’ Paul Hogan wrote in The Tampa Tribune in 1990. She was active in the Zephyrhills chamber, the Garden Club and the Veterans Associations. She was instrumental in bringing a hospital to the area and later equipped it with cardiovascular equipment from funds she raised. She worked for the Tribune from 1953 to 1990, and retired as a writer for the Tribune when she was 86. Here, she is shown wearing period clothing for a Founder’s Day celebration. ‘Without her, gone would be the hospital, the city’s first nursing home, first bank, its first emergency rescue equipment, its blood drive, its floral displays, Krusen Field, the Pioneer Florida Museum, and even the continuation of Founder’s Day. What she does, she does with her whole heart,’ said councilwoman Gloria Brown. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Historical Society)

When Wise was compiling a list of women to include, she put out feelers to former colleagues and to community leaders.

She also consulted her daughters, Mamie and Rachel, and her daughter-in-law, Emily.

Mamie is an assistant U.S. Attorney and Rachel is a public defender. Emily is a director at Academy of the Holy Names.

They brainstormed with the author, with a focus on diversity and inclusion.

Many colleagues suggested names of women whom Wise said she had not known before, but once she did her research, she knew they must be included.

Others in the book are women that Wise met during her own professional life.

One of those women in retired Sixth Judicial Circuit Judge Lynn Tepper, who presided over Family Court cases in Pasco County. Wise said the judge is known for her work in creating a family centered, trauma-informed courtroom.

The other is Margarita Romo, an ordained minister who founded Farmworkers Self-Help, in Dade City and has spent decades working to improve life for migrant farmworkers. She was recognized for her contributions when she was inducted into the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed to individuals who have made significant contributions to improving the lives of minorities and all citizens in Florida.

The book covers a lot of ground.

It begins with contributions of indigenous women and includes women who are still making a difference today.

The photographs came from myriad sources, including The Tampa Bay History Center, newspaper archives, fivay.org, Florida Memory (Florida State archives), The Burgert Brothers Collection at the John Germany Genealogical library, the East Hillsborough Historical Society, Brooksville Mainstreet, and others.

She even obtained photos from the Henfield Museum in London featuring some Tampa Bay suffragettes.

Local photographer Richard Riley provided some photos, and others were supplied from private collections.

When Wise couldn’t acquire a usable photo, she turned to a local retired art teacher, who sketched the photographs for her.

Throughout her research, Wise said there was one common thread — regardless of the women’s background or endeavors —the woman had to be willing to step out, to break the mold.

“Without a doubt, successful, professional, prominent women will talk about how difficult it was to speak up. How difficult it was to be one of a few, maybe the only one, in class,” Wise said.

“I think you’re always reminded of the incredible courage it takes,” the author added.

She hopes the book will show that from generation to generation, women have built on the work done by women who blazed a trail before them.

Want a copy?
“Images of America: Trailblazing Women of Tampa Bay,” is available for $23.99, at Amazon.com; the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Pioneer Florida Museum & Village; Tampa Bay History Center Museum store; Wesley Chapel Barnes & Noble; and Lanky Lassie Shortbread in Dade City.

Madonna Jervis Wise book talks
March 1 at 6 p.m., and March 18 at 6 p.m.
Both talks are at the Florida Pioneer Museum & Village, 15602 Museum Road, in Dade City. The March 1 talk is in the main museum building; the March 18 talk is in Mabel Jordan Barn.

Published February 23, 2022

Betty Castor served as the Florida Commissioner of Education, was the president of the University of South Florida, was the first female member of the Hillsborough County Commission and served in the Florida Senate. Here, she is shown at the old capitol building in Tallahassee, joining students to protest educational budget cuts on Sept. 24, 1991. (Courtesy of Mark Foley Collection, Florida Memory)
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was a relocation of Seminoles to Oklahoma, which provided the impetus for the Second Seminole War. Seminole genealogy is passed through the mother, as the children belong to her and to the clan she represents. The maternal figure rules the household. (Courtesy of Burgert Brothers Collection, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library)
Jan Kaminis Platt is shown here at age 7. The former Hillsborough County elected leader earned the nickname ‘Commissioner No,’ for refusing to support development she deemed to be poorly planned or harmful to the environment. After Platt’s death, former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio said Platt “could always be counted on to be a voice for honest and open government … who never wavered from her convictions.” (Courtesy of Tampa Bay History Center)
Mabel Healis Bexley served as the executive director of The Spring of Tampa Bay, for 19 years. Prior to that, she coordinated education and job training for women prisoners in Hillsborough County in the 1970s at the Women’s Resources Center, which introduced her to domestic violence and its trauma. Bexley was a powerhouse fundraiser, public speaker and change agent. In addition, she enjoyed a variety of interests, including equestrian sports. She is shown here riding her Arabian stallion, Kamazan, with her son, Christopher Healis ‘Kit’ Bexley. (Courtesy of Jennifer Bexley)
Christine Mickens, far right, leads a discussion about a community endeavor. She is joined in the conversation by, from left, Estes Smith, Rev. Cora Hall and Dorothy B.T. Baker.
Mickens became one of the first African-American women in the rural South, since Reconstruction, to be appointed to an elective position when she was named in 1981 to replace her late husband, Odell Kingston Mickens, on the Dade City Commission. She served on the commission until her death. The couple arrived in Dade City in 1933, during the Great Depression, having been referred to the area by their mentor, Mary McLeod Bethune. Mickens taught at the Dade City Colored School, Moore Academy, Mickens High School and Pasco High School, for a total of 40 years. When the boys basketball team didn’t have a coach, she stepped in to fill the gap. She also helped with integration efforts in Tampa Bay schools. (Courtesy of Moore-Mickens Education Center)
Sixth Judicial Circuit Judge Lynn Tepper, left; Madonna Wise, center; and Margarita Romo, right, all met each other through their professional work. Judge Tepper is known for her efforts to create a family centered, trauma-informed courtroom; Wise formerly worked as an educator and is the author of several local history books; and Romo has spent decades working to improve the lives of migrant farmworkers. She was recognized for that work when she was inducted into Florida’s Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Wise has dedicated ‘Trailblazing Women of Tampa Bay’ to Romo. (Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

 

 

Pasco attracts 1.3 million visitors

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The numbers are in — and they’re looking good for Pasco County tourism.

While much of the country is still rebounding from the impacts of COVID-19, Pasco County set new records in the number of visitors it attracted and tourism’s impact on the local economy, according to a 104-page report delivered by Adam Thomas, tourism director Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, the county’s tourism arm.

A look at Gerry Austin and her tandem instructor as they soared through the clouds at Skydive City. (File)

Thomas shared the findings from the 2021 Economic Impact & Visitor Tracking Report, completed by Downs & St. Germain Research Inc., consultants on the county’s tourism efforts.

Thomas delivered the good news to the Pasco County Commission at its Feb. 8 meeting.

Perhaps the biggest news is Pasco’s record-shattering number of visitors, which the study put at 1,358,200 — compared to the previous high mark of 1 million, set in 2019.

“From right off the heels of a pandemic, we welcomed over 300,000 additional visitors,” Thomas said.

Those guests generated about 1.4 million room nights, 16.6% growth over fiscal year 2019.

The tourism impact report was based on 2,499 interviews completed with Pasco County visitors online and in-person at local attractions, parks, hotels and events, between Oct. 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2021.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills is altering its membership pricing model for the coming year. (File)

The total economic impact was calculated based on direct spending by visitors, and indirect and induced impacts, such as increased business and household spending generated by tourism dollars.

Downs & St. Germain Research uses economic modeling to calculate the multiplier based on direct expenditure data collected from visitors to Pasco County, according to the report.

The multiplier used for Pasco County is 1.41.

Based on those calculations, the overall economic impact from tourism in Pasco County last year was $721 million.

Visitors spent an estimated $511 million on restaurants, gas, lodging, attractions and entertainment, up 10.6% from fiscal year 2019.

Directly and indirectly, there are more than 9,200 jobs in Pasco that support the tourism industry, and those jobs generate more than $231 million, Thomas said. That’s up (about) 38%, year-over-year from 2019, he added.

The report also breaks down why people are visiting Pasco, where visitors are coming from, and offers demographic information on those traveling here.

Here are some specifics:

Why they came:

  • 29% to visit friends and family
  • 16% to attend a sporting event, throughout Pasco
  • 11% for a getaway

Who came:

  • Typical travel parties consisted of 2.7 people.
  • One in three travel parties included someone under age 20.

Where they came from:

  • 64% of visitors came from five states: 46% from Florida; 4%, Georgia; 4%, Illinois; 4%, New York; and 4%, Ohio.

How they arrived

  • 85% drove; of those who didn’t, the vast majority flew through Tampa International Airport.

The economic impacts from tourism go beyond the businesses that serve tourists, such as hotels, restaurants and gas stations, Thomas said.

For instance, the tourism industry saves every Pasco household more than $385 a year in state and federal taxes, the tourism director said.

It also draws attention to Pasco County, and that can prompt visitors who own businesses to decide to set up a venture here, said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who chairs the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.

Thomas also noted that the county gets a good return on investment for its tourism marketing efforts.

For every dollar spent on marketing Pasco County, visitors spend $70, Thomas said.

“Our strategy is really focused on hitting the right visitor, at the right time, in the right medium — to get the ultimate return,” he said.

Pasco County Tourism, by the numbers
Economic impact
2021 $721,719,800, up 10.6% from 2019

Visitor spend
2021: $511,857,800, up 10.6% from 2019

Visitors attracted
2021: 1,358,200, up 30.8% from 2019

Room nights generated
2021: 1,419,000, up 16.6% from 2019

Jobs supported
2021: 9,254, up 17.6% from 2019

Wages and salaries generated
2021: $231,648,800, up 37.8% from 2019

Source: Florida’s Sports Coast, FY 2021 Economic Impact & Visitor Tracking Report (Downs & St. Germain Research)

Published February 16, 2022

Steve Melton’s Machinery Museum

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Like many collections, this one started small.

Steve Melton — whose family owns about 1,500 acres of farmland in northern Pasco County — began with just a few tractors.

“We were poor, in farming, growing up.

Steve Melton, owner of Melton’s Machinery Museum, uses a piece of antique equipment to shell an ear of corn. (Christine Holtzman)

“Because we were buying land, we couldn’t afford any nice tractors.

“So, we bought all of these different makes of tractors, which were John Deere and Farm-Alls and Fords,” he said.

They ran the old tractors for years, because they couldn’t afford to buy new ones.

Later in life, when the family could afford new tractors, Melton began acquiring old tractors.

“And my Dad said, ‘Son, we have spent all of years trying to get rid of these tractors and you’re buying them back,’” he recalled, with a laugh.

The firetruck came from the Florida Pioneer Village & Museum. It was a Dade City firetruck for the Edwinola. ‘I’m using this for kids to have fun on, now,’ says Steve Melton, who has amassed a giant collection of farm implements and machinery, as well as other assorted items.

Now, he has a tractor shed where he keeps his old tractors.

“I don’t restore them. I keep them in what they say, is their working clothes,” he said.

He has a John Deere corn cultivator, which he uses in his garden patch.

Its top speed, when driving, is 12 mph; when cultivating, he runs it at about 2 mph.

While his collection began with tractors, it didn’t end there.

Not by a long shot.

Next, he began picking up pieces that would reflect “the old way of life” — the kinds of tools his grandfather would have used for farming.

Besides owning the machinery museum, Steve Melton is a cowboy poet. Here his reflection is shown in an old mirror on his property.

Melton became curious: “How did we get from so agrarian, to the place where we are now?”

“I just got enthralled and passionate about collecting farm implements and farm machinery that would have shown that (simpler way of life),” he said.

He officially established Melton’s Machinery Museum on his property in 2002.

Some of the items he bought, some were donated, and others were gifts.

The museum sign, which hangs overhead, explains what he’s after: Investing in the future, by preserving the past.

Steve Melton uses his blacksmith skills to make items, such as the knife he’s holding.

The collection is eclectic — featuring farm tools and equipment, but also household items.

He has a General Electric refrigerator, a double-drum wooden washing machine, butter churns and an antique bathtub.

The collection includes authentic railroad signs and equipment, from Trilby and Dade City.

He has barbed wire, dating back to the 1800s, a gas engine used to run lathes, a mechanical vacuum, and a yoke designed for humans to haul heavy loads.

The Chevron truck is an airport tanker truck from the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

His corn-sheller is well over 120 years old.

He has horse-drawn farm implements, such as a hay mower, seed planters and plows, to name  just a few.

He has a sod cutter, dating back to the late 1800s, which would have been used to create little houses, on the prairie.

“Picture yourself in Kansas, Missouri, 1870s,” he said.

“You’ve just moved to the wild prairie to farm. You get out there, and there are no trees.

Steve Melton wears a hand-carved yoke on his shoulders, as he explains how the device would have been used to haul water or handle other tasks. He estimates that the yoke is around 120 years old.

(You think to yourself): ‘What am I going to build my house with?’

There, he points to the sod cutter: “You hitch a horse to this and you cut the sod, for your ‘soddie’ home,” he said. “You could make blocks of sod with this.”

Melton’s long history as a farmer and his fascination with antique implements reveal themselves, as he walks through his museum, weaving stories about Florida history and the agrarian way of life.

For instance, he shared: “People do not realize the turpentine industry 100 years ago was the No. 1 industry in Florida.”

Once the turpentine tapped out, the lumber was harvested, he said.

Then, once the turpentine and trees were gone,  the land could often be bought for a few dollars an acres, at tax sales.

Steve Melton smiles as he wraps up the recounting of his poem, ‘Goose Down.’

Melton enjoys sharing his knowledge, and also likes to get visitors — especially children — involved, so they can see for themselves how the equipment works.

He does demonstrations, too.

“I love to demonstrate things that go from a raw product to a finished product that you can use and utilize,” he said.

“I like to do blacksmithing – take a raw piece of metal, form it into a spoon or to a knife or some kind of thing we can actually use,” he said.

“I grow corn and what I do is let kids see where food comes from. I put it in here.” He said, pointing to a piece of equipment. “I let them shell it off the cob. I take that and let them take the corn kernels over here (to a grist mill) and let them grind it into cornmeal and grits.

This simple sign says it all: Melton’s Machinery Museum was established in 2002.
It represents: ‘Investing in the future, by preserving the past.’

“Then, they sift it into the respective corn meal and grits — grits for breakfast and cornmeal for supper.

“What I’m doing is teaching kids — and anybody else — how does our food come from fields … to kitchen tables,” he said.

He has a theory about people who amass collections.

“People collect things to remind them of their youth, when things were, in their minds, better and simpler and enjoyable.”

That’s true for him.

“It was a harder life, but it was simple,” Melton said. “Generations of families are (represented) in a collection.”

Want to see for yourself?
Steve Melton enjoys giving people personal tours of his collection, which are offered free, only by appointment. If you’re interested, email him at to set up a date and time.
(P.S. He’s a cowboy poet, too, so he may be willing to share one, or two of his poems, if you make a request.)

Published February 09, 2022

Amazon to bring 500 jobs to Pasco

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The Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., has announced Amazon’s commitment to build a 517,220-square-foot facility that will be home to 500 employees.

The $150 million Amazon Robotic Sortation Center (ARSC) is being built at Eagle Industrial Park, a 127-acre property that was identified as part of the Pasco EDC Ready Sites Program.

The Pasco EDC Ready Sites Program, funded through Penny for Pasco, accesses, evaluates and certifies large tracts of land to prepare properties for industrial development, according to information from Pasco EDC.

Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco EDC, shared details of the planned project during the Pasco County Commission’s Jan. 25 meeting.

“This facility is going to employ more than 500 people, and this is not your typical sorting facility.

“This is the good stuff, you guys. This is one that you fight over,” Cronin added.

“This is a robotics center, which means that our students at the career academies — studying robotics — and people working through AmSkills, all have the opportunity to be able to work on these machines and robots.

“These are not the low-paying jobs of typical sorters.

“We got their attention because of the way we operated and handled their first project,” he said, referring to Amazon’s facility on State Road 54.

“We told them we want the good stuff. They listened. They came back and they delivered,” a clearly exuberant Cronin said.

“So, at 10 o’clock this morning, Amazon issued a national press release about four of these competitive (projects) in Florida,” he added.

Cronin also shared a quote with commissioners that he had received from Sam Blatt, economic development manager for Amazon.

In the email, Blatt said: “Given Eagle Industrial Park’s location and the availability of the quality of our workforce in the region, Pasco County was a natural fit for Amazon’s new sort center.”

Cronin said Amazon will be breaking ground any day on the project, which will likely take about 11 months to build.

“So, we should be looking at the end of the year, at a state-of-the-art facility right at (State Road) 52 and Bellamy (Brothers Boulevard).”

Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey noted: “ AmSkills has received funding to really blow up our robotics training program and we’re going to be working with Wendell Krinn (Technical High School) with their robotics academy, so we’re real excited about being able to help Amazon get their workforce.”

Commissioner Mike Moore added: “What a big win for Pasco County, really, the entire region.”

The new Amazon site has frontage on State Road 52 and is less than 2 miles from Interstate 75.

Pasco Commissioner Ron Oakley commented on the project, in a Pasco EDC news release.

“This is a unique facility supporting a lot of technology and robotics. I am thrilled to have such a cutting-edge facility join the evolving SR 52 (State Road 52) and I-75 (Interstate 75) corridor,” Oakley said.

The new facility is considered a mid-mile facility, which feeds Amazon logistics, according to the Pasco EDC release. The facility will feature line-haul trucks, which will use the I-75 corridor to bring shipments to locations across the southeast.

Published February 02, 2022

Union leader urges kindness and respect, during trying times

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Celebrating excellence is a routine part of Pasco County School Board meetings.

Outstanding teachers are singled out.

Special achievements are acknowledged.

“We hear of wonderful accomplishments by students and teachers, remarkable things that have been done despite all of the obstacles of COVID, and related issues being thrown at them.

“This is truly awesome, and we should be proud and recognize those people and those situations,” said Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco.

“However, I’m going to ask you to focus for a few minutes on the other side — that is equally prevalent, at our worksites.

“We recently heard that in a “Thought Exchange Survey,” parents, students, the community and staff all had mental health as a Top 5 priority.

“Employees are being mentally taxed, to the utmost, in trying to perform their jobs.

“Staff shortages showed up as (No.) 1 and (No.) 2, by both groups.

“We can’t get enough individuals to fill all allocations, so others are being asked, and expected, to do more.

“Substitutes are not available to fill in for all those out for illness or for quarantine.

“Students are being shuffled, to meet the needs for supervision, often at the expense of quality instruction.

“This all affects morale and performance.

“Employees have given and given, until — in some cases — there’s no more to give,” the union leader said.

“Your recent Gallup Survey showed 56% of the district’s employees are either not engaged or actively disengaged. That’s an astounding number of people just going through the motions.

“Forty-four percent of those surveyed said they haven’t (received) praise or recognition for their work.

“Where’s our compassion for those who are front-line workers in an ongoing medical crisis?

“Forty-one percent say they don’t necessarily feel their opinion is important.

“Why is it so difficult for us to perform temperature checks, if you will, to see where people are at?

“Thirty-four percent of the employees surveyed expressed little, to no, satisfaction with their job.

“Sixty-five percent of our schools, according to the survey, fell into the two lowest levels of the survey results.

“These numbers indicate that we need to do more,” Peace said.

Salary improvements in the district, although better — are not keeping up with surrounding counties, the union leader continued.

“When will we take the next step and put together a ballot initiative to help hire and retain quality employees?” Peace asked.

Rising number of resignations, retirements
Peace also noted that the union tracks the number of district hires and the number of employees who leave.

“To date, according to our records, the district has hired almost 1,400 new employees this year. In the board packets, there are two to four pages, sometimes more, of retirements or resignations. In tonight’s board packet alone, there are 101 retirements or resignations, with only 10 of those being 15-plus year employees.

“We have got to do a better job of taking care of people to retain quality individuals working with our students.

“We need to do a better job of standing up for all employees. Every job in this district is important and plays an integral part in the students’ educational opportunity. Take away any of those positions, and students will suffer.

“Therefore, every individual should be treated with kindness, respect and compassion — especially in these trying times,” Peace said.

He urged those listening to take a moment for introspection.

“Please, take a step back and look where you are — and where we all need to be,” Peace said.

His words stirred a response from the district’s elected leaders.

School board member Megan Harding said she’s heard the word “burnout” being used by district personnel.

“It’s very real now, in our district, and really, in our nation,” Harding said. “Our teachers and staff are really feeling alone and overwhelmed.

“Many of them are leaving the profession or moving schools (transferring),” she said.

She noted that district pay is brought up frequently, but added she couldn’t talk about that because the district and union are in the midst of negotiations.

However, Harding added: “I just want to reiterate that I really hope we’re working on a plan that will pay our employees a wage that they truly deserve.

“My heart can’t take another teacher, bus driver or staff calling me, or emailing me that they aren’t making enough to pay their rent or their child’s day care.

“I’m tired of seeing our highly effective teachers leaving Title 1 schools, and I’m sad seeing and hearing my peers getting burned out,” Harding said.

Harding also requested that a closed-door workshop be scheduled soon, so board members can discuss issues that are subject to negotiations.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin raised a concern about how staff are being treated, as they go about performing their jobs.

“They’ve all been working hard and doing a tremendous job,” Beaudoin said. “Particularly challenging has been the increase in anger directed at them.

“I want to thank our teachers, our leaders, our bus drivers, all of our staff for continuing to remain focused on our students and I want to thank the parents, who are supportive and respectful in communicating with our employees.

“I hope that in 2022 we can bring back civility to our schools and community,” she said.

Beaudoin also mentioned an initiative she read about that’s being done elsewhere. It involves a business owner who stepped forward to help the school district by providing paid time off for his staff, so they can provide volunteer help in the district.

She asked Pasco school district leaders to look into reaching out to local companies and service clubs to see if a similar program can be initiated here.

School board chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong empathized with Peace’s message.

“Just to put it in simplistic terms: COVID, the flu, colds — are really kicking the butt of the whole community, especially in the school system where we’re in close quarters of all of our students.

“We really are working hard to do whatever we can.

“We really appreciate everyone — from teachers to administrators to the people in cafeterias, the bus drivers, the maintenance people — that play such a vital role in everything we do.

“We’re having to work through these issues,” Armstrong said.

“My heart goes out to them because I know how frustrating it is — not to feel that you’re able to do your job like you’re used to doing it, because of all of these demands.

“As Mr. Peace said, ‘Do that temperature check with your colleagues: How are you doing today?’

“See if there is not something, or a word, that we can say to make the situation better and help each other out in these trying times,” the board chairwoman said.

Published January 26, 2022

Divided board rejects Seven Oaks’ apartments

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The Pasco County Commission has denied a request that would have allowed 320 apartments and 20,000 square of commercial office/retail use in Seven Oaks, a master-planned community in Wesley Chapel.

Commissioners voted 3-2 to reject the request for a modification to Seven Oaks’ master plan, which would have set the stage for a resort-style development by Stock Luxury Apartment Living, a developer based in Naples.

Commissioner Mike Moore made the motion to deny the request, which was seconded by Commissioner Ron Oakley. Commissioner Jack Mariano also voted against the proposal.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey and Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick disagreed with their colleagues, voting against Moore’s motion.

The action followed hours of public testimony.

Applicant Keith Gelder, of Stock Luxury Apartment Living, wanted Seven Oaks to be the location for his first Pasco project.

He told county board members: “We do high-quality, large amenity, lifestyle-driven projects.”

Gelder said plans called for a resort-style pool, multi-story buildings with commercial uses on the first floor, a dog park, a parking garage and angled street parking for customers using the shops.

His presentation included photographs, to give commissioners an idea of what to expect. He also mentioned that developments his company has done include amenities such as golf simulators, fitness centers, a catering kitchen, spin room, outdoor cabanas and gaming.

“We want to bring a beautiful project here to Pasco,” he said. “We feel like this is the right project and right location.”

Seven Oaks residents disagreed.

Resident Barbara Foss said she doesn’t oppose additional apartments in Seven Oaks, but objects to the location of the proposed project.

“We do have a place that is zoned for apartments. It’s on the north end of our property. There are several streets there — for entering and existing our subdivision,” Foss said.

Zachary Besso, another opponent, questioned the need: “We have plenty of luxury apartments in Pasco County. Do we really need more?”

Seven Oaks resident Michael Garbutt told commissioners: “There are many reasons to oppose this change to the master plan.”

One primary problem would be traffic impacts, he said.

“It is easy to look at the roads and conclude generically that they’re adequate for the new residents, but when you have local knowledge of how the roads are actually used, then you see there will be a problem.

“As residents, we’ve learned how to get in and out of our subdivision as efficiently as possible. “So, we can foresee how 500 new residents are likely to use the roads. Do we really want to add more traffic? I don’t think so.”

Jon Tomsu, representing the Seven Oaks Resident Council, presented documents containing 1,220 signatures of opposition to the proposed development.

“It just doesn’t fit,” Tomsu said.

He also questioned the economic formula that was used by the county planning staff as part of its recommendation for approval.

Initially, economic impact calculations were based on 86,000 square feet of commercial retail/office as compared to 320 apartments. An updated comparison was based on 60,000 square feet of commercial office/retail, compared to 320 apartments and 20,000 square feet of commercial office/retail.

“We keep changing the playing field,” Tomsu complained.

The new formula bothered Mariano, too.

The commissioner put it this way: “The scales were tipped in the statistics here, to make the mixed use look better than what the commercial retail would have been, by changing that input.”

Opponents had plenty to say
Neighbors also raised issues about the proposed parking garage. One said it would be an eyesore; another said it would pose security risks. Still others questioned if the plan had adequate parking and surmised that overflow could end up using the Wesley Chapel Sam’s Club parking lot, which they said would be unfair for that business.

Commissioner Oakley said the size of the development was too big for the proposed site. He also voiced concerns about potential safety hazards.

In calling for denial, Moore said “the staff and the applicant both failed to conduct any service consumption cost analysis, therefore the staff and the applicant failed to demonstrate that the project will contribute more to the county in revenue than it will consume in services.”

He also noted the conversion “will place additional unplanned and unmitigated demands on the school, library and park systems.”

Existing entitlements for office or retail would not create those demands, Moore said.

Plus, Moore said, converting the land’s use would be contrary to the legitimate public policy of preserving land for employment-generating uses.

Starkey, however, voiced discomfort with voting down the request.

“I think it’s being denied for different reasons. We heard that people thought it’s going to be ugly. People think we don’t need any more apartments,” Starkey said.

She thinks Pasco needs more apartments — not fewer — and she thinks locating apartments on the edge of a master-planned development is appropriate.

“To put multifamily on a corner like (State Road) 56, where transit is going to be, I think that’s where it needs to be.

“We have said that we want vertical mixed use. I think that’s a great use of our limited space.

The county has a process that allows consideration for a swap of uses within a master-planned unit development — based on using a land use equivalency matrix (LUEM), which ensures that the impacts are equivalent.

Attorney Joel Tew said the county has granted 15 other requests to convert uses within Seven Oaks.

That drew Fitzpatrick’s attention: “What concerns me is that in the past 15 LUEM conversions, not one had been disputed or denied.”

Tew also noted that while his client had to undergo a public hearing process, another applicant  — represented by attorney Barbara Wilhite — received an administrative approval on a similar request.

He also said the reception to his client’s request would have been different, if it had been in a different location.

“Under normal circumstances, you would have given them a hug and a kiss and thanked them for coming to your fair county,” Tew said.

The attorney said that if the proposed request “wasn’t exactly where it is (in Seven Oaks)” that the board “would recognize this as the poster child for the type of vertical mixed-use development that you have begged my client and other development clients to bring to Pasco County for you.”

Moore lives in Seven Oaks and championed the county’s current temporary moratorium on new applications for multi-family development.

Published January 19, 2022

Chamber executive shares lessons learned from COVID

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Headlines are being dominated by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, and scientists and health experts are working to understand its potential impacts, and how to prevent and treat it.

But there already have been many lessons learned by Pasco County’s business community, in terms of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic — which began having widespread disruptions in March 2020, according to Hope Kennedy, president and CEO of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Hope Kennedy is CEO and president of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. While the COVID-19 pandemic has been disruptive, it also has yielded valuable lessons, she says. (Courtesy of North Tampa Bay Chamber)

Kennedy has a broad perspective on the issue because her chamber work involves large business operations, startup entrepreneurs, legislators, local organizations and business leaders.

In reflecting upon the impacts of the pandemic, Kennedy said beyond presenting challenges, it also has offered valuable lessons.

And, as she looks ahead to 2022, she’s optimistic about the opportunities that await.

Going back to the beginning of the pandemic, Kennedy said: “None of us was prepared for any of this that was coming.”

It has been challenging and particularly painful for enterprises that didn’t survive, she said.

But those who made it through, are emerging stronger, Kennedy said.

“We’re better business leaders. We are more in tune with our businesses,” the chamber executive said.

“What I saw most is that people were able to say: ‘OK, we’ve been doing this forever and ever. We can’t do it that way. What can we do to still deliver our product, our goods, our services in a more efficient manner?’”

The companies and organizations that were able to key in on their essential mission and to adapt their operations have become more focused and efficient, she said.

The chamber, itself, was forced to change. It went to remote operations within hours.

“We eliminated some of our programs,” she said, which also is true for many businesses.

Now, as businesses look to the future, they need to ask:  “What are the barriers? What are things that are stopping us?”

For instance, workforce and affordable housings are big issues.

“There are some barriers to entry of people in the workforce. There’s barriers to entry in affordable housing,” Kennedy said.

“So, what can we do to have conversations, to just see what those barriers are — because chances are, we can get around them,” she said.

The silver lining from the pandemic, Kennedy said, is that it offered time for introspection, and “it has opened our (way of) thinking.”

Attracting employees and training those who want to reenter the workforce are topics of conversation across the community, Kennedy said.

There’s no silver bullet to ever-evolving workforce issues, but the chamber plans to lead conversations on the issue, she said.

“It is a huge focus at the chamber for the coming year, to make sure we understand the needs of the businesses and what they are looking for,” Kennedy said.

“Pasco-Hernando Career Source is going to be a huge help to the business community, in these coming years. One, identifying the need of the workforce and two, connecting the training,” she said.

“There is a (national) program called Second-Chance Hiring, and it’s for folks who have been formerly incarcerated, and/or have a felony on their record,” she said. “I want in on it.”

People with a criminal record are often automatically knocked out of consideration for job openings, Kennedy said.

“There’s an opportunity for us, as business leaders, to come up with a system,” she said, aimed at helping employers fill jobs and giving applicants a chance to work — who want to work, but are barred from entry.

She pointed to Walmart as an employer who gives applicants a second chance, on a case-by-case basis.

Over the course of her career in chamber work, Kennedy said she’s faced an assortment of difficult times. She dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, while she was working in Pensacola. Then came the Great Recession, then the BP oil spill.

When COVID hit, reactions varied from place to place, Kennedy.

Some chambers across the country ceased operations because they were not technically ready to make the shift to virtual operations,” she said.

“Some communities crumbled. Ours came together.

“Our community rallied.

“We rallied around each other. We had takeout Tuesdays,” she said.

“We did a ‘We are Open’ campaign,” she said, using social media to spread the word.

She said COVID reinforced a lesson she grasped in other turbulent times.

“I learned that in every single adversity, there is a solution.

“There absolutely is a solution.

“It might not be right in front of you.

“You can’t lose sight of your ultimate goal,” Kennedy said.

Published January 05, 2022