The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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County exploring adding a new tax

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Pasco County commissioners often talk about making Pasco a premier county.

But, even with a rebounding economy, they are facing a financial hurdle in funding the necessities for parks, libraries and emergency management.

Looming ahead is a third $25,000 homestead exemption, which is expected to pass in a 2018 voter referendum.

If it does pass, Pasco County could lose $8 million in general fund revenues, and $2 million in fire fund revenues.

One solution commissioners are exploring is municipal taxing units that would collect revenues based on property tax valuations.

Commissioners discussed the idea at an Oct. 17 workshop in Dade City.

No decision was reached, but county staff members will provide more details in the future.

And, it’s possible that voters could weigh in, if the matter goes to a referendum.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey wants to move forward, without a referendum. Other commissioners want a referendum before considering any increase of taxes.

Representatives of each of the three departments presented a list of backlogged equipment and repairs, or enhanced services that are needed, if Pasco is to become a premier county.

Parks has about $14 million in deferred maintenance at its 35 parks, recreation centers, trails and swimming pools. Its current annual budget is about $9 million.

A taxing unit would collect about $28 million annually.

However, not all of those funds would be spent at once. The annual parks’ budget would increase to between $10 million and $13 million.

And, funds would be spent on maintenance of existing facilities and long-term replacement, said Keith Wiley, the county’s natural resources manager.

“It’s not about having more facilities and prettier facilities,” he said.

Libraries and emergency management also face shrinking resources.

Based on state library standards, Pasco spends about $13 per person, or about half the state average of about $26 per person. The same standards show Pasco needs about 170,000 square feet of additional space. Yet, the next library, probably in Starkey Ranch, isn’t slated for construction until 2022.

Library staffing also is well below state average standards.

“We need to update our facilities to the 21st century,” said Sean McGarvey, a library administrator.

Emergency management and fire rescue face challenges in response times and providing protection for area residents.

Fire rescue needs eight additional fire stations to cover the entire county, and the growing population, said Michael Cassano, the county’s deputy fire chief of operations.

Additional personnel and equipment also are needed, he said.

Taxing units for emergency management and for fire rescue would collect about $10 million each.

The county’s 911 communications center won’t have sufficient room to operate in two to three years, a situation that Kevin Guthrie, assistant county administrator for public safety, called “catastrophic.”

The county also needs generators for the schools that provide emergency shelters during hurricanes.

Currently, the county can provide only three schools with generators, Guthrie said.

Starkey pushed to move forward and create taxing units with a future vote by county commissioners.

Prior public outreach has shown that residents are willing to support more funding, said Starkey.

She had raised the issue for parks during budget discussions for 2018, but the county could not have met a deadline to establish such a taxing district.

“We can’t have slides that are falling apart, swings falling apart,” she said. “We’ve just let our citizens down by letting all these parks fall apart. I think it’s 10 years past due to fund our parks and our libraries.”

The authority to create the taxing units belongs to the county commissioners. So, the referendum, unless voters were asked to approve a bond issue, would be a straw poll.

“I personally think we’re jumping the gun by even having any discussion,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore.

He cited an earlier directive from the county commission to first have outreach to the public on parks before considering a taxing unit.

County officials said the hurricane had delayed those efforts for outreach on the parks, but they would come back in December with results from meetings and polling efforts. Libraries and emergency management will be included.

Moore also did some quick figuring, determining that homeowners could face a 34 percent increase in taxes, if all of the taxing units were fully funded.

That would add about $140 to the average property tax bill of $407, based on the county’s average home value of $107,000.

“Never, ever, in my life will you see this person raise our citizens’ taxes by 34 percent,” Moore said. “That’s insane.”

Published October 25, 2017

Helping Puerto Rico, one click at a time

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As the island of Puerto Rico tries to pick up the pieces after the devastating landfall of Hurricane Maria, a group of students at Sunlake High School offered their help in the recovery efforts — via classroom computers nearly 1,200 miles away.

Sunlake High School geography teacher Anne Cullison introduced her classes to a collaborative project called The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School)

On Oct. 2 and Oct. 3, students in teacher Anne Cullison’s Advanced Placement (AP) Geography class participated in a collaborative project called The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, a nonprofit that does emergency mapping in the wake of disasters.

Cullison’s two classes, comprised of mostly freshman, mapped areas affected in Puerto Rico using what’s called OpenStreetMap, a web project that uses open-source geospatial data, and satellite imagery to create better, digitally available maps of the area.

Over the course of two days, Cullison’s students mapped and validated everything from buildings and streets, to homes and parking garages.

The exercise, also performed by numerous volunteers worldwide, serves a critical resource when relief organizations, such as the American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are responding to disasters — by providing more details on the island’s roads and buildings, in part to give them information about who needs help and how to get there.

Cullison explained relief organizations working in Puerto Rico struggle to help those trapped in rural areas in the interior of the island, due to little data on roadways and buildings. Small towns may also not be labeled on maps, so in some cases, aid workers may not even know which towns exist.

But, with up-to-date maps, “the Red Cross…can go in and start actually checking destroyed things and go, ‘OK, well that was a building,’” Cullison said.

“It could also give them data about areas that may be without power or what kind of infrastructure needs to be rebuilt,” she said.

Hurricane Maria unleashes her fury

Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 Hurricane, on Sept. 20. More than 1,500 roads and bridges were damaged after the hurricane. Rebuilding them could cost more than $240 million, transportation officials estimate. Forty-five deaths have been reported in Puerto Rico alone, as of Oct. 10. (Courtesy of U.S. Department of Defense)

Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 Hurricane, hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20 after barreling into Dominica.

Regarded as the worst natural disaster on record in Dominica, Hurricane Maria also caused catastrophic damage and a major humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico.

More than 1,500 roads and bridges were damaged after the hurricane, and rebuilding them could cost more than $240 million, transportation officials estimate. There also have been 45 known deaths in Puerto Rico alone, as of Oct. 10.

The Humanitarian OpenStreet Map Team seeks to help emergency responders help people affected in disaster zones.

The group was initially organized after the Haiti earthquake in 2010. At the time, the maps available of the country were on paper, and mostly outdated.

A loose network of volunteers started using OpenStreetMap, to create better, digitally available maps of the area.

Since then, emergency disaster mappers have worked to coordinate their responses to provide more directed, higher quality maps — to give disaster response workers better information.

Cullison explained OpenStreetMaps differs from Google Maps, as Google Maps is proprietary software that doesn’t allow third parties to label buildings and residential areas and so on.

“If you pull up a Google Map of Puerto Rico, it’s going to look essentially like (OpenStreetMaps), but there’s nothing you do with it,” Cullison said.

OpenStreetMaps, however, can provide relief organizations data about the types of infrastructure that needs to be rebuilt in a certain area by detailing, “exactly what was there” prior to a natural disaster.

As an example closer to home, Cullison pointed out Google Maps has labeled streets and large buildings, like Sunlake High School, but not her own residential neighborhood.

“None of the homes around here are mapped…so we would have some of the exact same problems,” the high school teacher said.

Geography teacher brings her lessons to life
Cullison herself learned about humanitarian mapping last spring, when she participated in the American Geological Society teacher fellowship program. She was one of 50 teachers selected for the program, which was held at Columbia University in New York City.

Besides Sunlake, volunteers from other universities — including Boston University, Trinity College, Miami (Ohio) University, the University of Miami, Rutgers (New Jersey) University and University of Nebraska Omaha — held simultaneous “mapathons” for Puerto Rico on their own campuses.

Meanwhile, other worldwide emergency mapping projects also are being done for Mexico, following a trio of September earthquakes, and for Bangladesh, after experiencing devastating flooding during monsoon season.

Madeline Murch, a freshman Advanced Placement geography student, marks buildings on OpenStreetMap, to gives relief organizations in Puerto Rico information about who needs help and how to get there. (Kevin Weiss)

Many of Cullison’s students, including freshman AP student Madeline Murch, found the two-day humanitarian activity worthwhile.

“It’s really nice knowing that you can help other people, just from sitting in your class and doing work at a computer, but knowing that it’s still helping others. I feel like it’s time well spent,” Murch said.

Diego Montoya, another freshman AP student, agreed that it’s great to be able to help others.

He also noted: “This class just kind of opened my eyes a bit to what’s actually going on in the world, rather than what’s going on just like in technology.”

The way Cullison sees it, the exercise has both philanthropic and educational benefits.

“This is kind of getting them some hands-on use in terms of GIS software and the layers,” she said. “We were already a little bit behind because of our own hurricane in losing (school) days, but I decided this was worth it so I pushed our schedule a little bit farther to get them into this, for them to see what we can actually do with geography.”

Throughout the year, Cullison plans to introduce her classes to other geographic-related software techniques, like Esri, an international supplier of geographic information system (GIS) software.

“It’s different than a regular geography course. It’s not just about, ‘Here’s a map and let’s talk about the culture in one place.’” said Cullison, who’s taught geography and social studies for 13 years.

Instead, students in her AP class learn about global development, migration, culture and religion, resource disparity, political geography and urban development, among other topics.

“We have the interplay between the human aspect and the physical aspects and where they come together,” Cullison explained.

“Kids come out more understanding, more caring, because they understand a little bit more about the world. They really start to understand the plight of some of the other people around the world, instead of having the veil of a fairly privileged upbringing.”

Published Oct. 18, 2017

Lessons learned from Hurricane Maria

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Hurricane Maria left a trail of death and destruction and continues to impose extreme hardships to those living in its path — and it also offered the Zloty family of Land O’ Lakes, dramatic reminders of the power of faith, the fragile nature of life, and the importance of gratitude.

From left, Martin, Justin and Colleen Zloty, are together again in their Land O’ Lakes home. Justin, 22, is a medical student at Ross Medical School, which is being forced to relocate from Dominica following Hurricane Maria’s devastation there. (B.C. Manion)

Hurricane Maria’s impact on Colleen and Martin Zloty’s family began on Sept. 18 when they heard a hurricane was building strength near the island of Dominica, where 22-year-old Justin Zloty was in his first year at Ross Medical School.

Knowing that a hurricane was brewing, Colleen turned on The Weather Channel when she arrived home from her job as an instructional assistant at Sand Pine Elementary School.

At that point, Hurricane Maria was a Category 2.

By 7 p.m. it had ramped up to a Category 5 and was headed straight toward Dominica.

In a national news report, NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins characterized Hurricane Maria as one of the fastest-intensifying hurricanes in recent history. He said it strengthened so rapidly that those in its path didn’t have time to get ready.

Hurricane Maria’s winds were so fierce they not only knocked down trees, but also stripped the bark off them. (Courtesy of Justin Zloty)

As Maria churned, Colleen and Martin’s concern grew.

“We were texting back and forth with him,” Colleen said. “I said, ‘You know, your roof is not going to hold for a Category 5 Hurricane. It has winds of 160 mph.’”

Justin responded that he was in a concrete block building with strong walls, that had weathered storms.

Colleen warned: “This is getting really strong now. It’s serious. You need to know of another place you can go.”

Justin replied: “If it gets real bad, I’ll go downstairs to a neighbor.”

As Maria approached, Justin told his mom: “It does sound like they say. It’s like a roaring train.”

Then, they lost contact.

“We’re trying to give him advice. Do this. Do this. Do this.

“Then all of a sudden, no contact. And then you think, ‘OK, maybe he’ll get back online. Maybe they’ll re-establish power,” Martin said.

Their last communication was about 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 18, Colleen said.

“It was silent for two days,” Martin said.

Fears mount as Maria strengthens

While his parents worried in their Land O’ Lakes home, Justin’s apprehension was increasing in his Dominica apartment.

“All of a sudden, the power went out and the water stopped working and the Internet went out,” Justin said.

When a corner of his ceiling popped down and broke. Justin hid under a table for protection.

The third-floor apartment started flooding. Justin worried he could get electrocuted if the power went back on.

“I was really scared,” he said.

When more ceiling began falling, Justin decided it was time to leave.

Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc across Dominica, including tearing the roof off of Justin Zloty’s third-floor apartment, getting everything wet and blowing debris everywhere. (Courtesy of Justin Zloty)

He ran downstairs — clinging to a railing as winds whipped him about.

He stayed overnight with his landlord and his landlord’s wife.

“I continued to hear trees snapping and aluminum things just flying around.

“Around 6 a.m., the storm had settled down,” Justin said.

He decided to check on his apartment. It was flooded, his belongings were strewn about and the roof was gone.

He packed some clothes and food and headed to Ross’ student center, where he’d been told a roll call would be taken.

Normally, the student center is a 10-minute walk from Justin’s apartment.

But he couldn’t take the usual route. The area was unrecognizable. Trees were snapped. Bark was blown off. Power lines were down and buildings were damaged or destroyed.

Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc across Dominica, including tearing the roof off of Justin Zloty’s third-floor apartment, getting everything wet and blowing debris everywhere. (Courtesy of Justin Zloty)

When he arrived at the student center, it was chaos.

He was stuck there, waiting for the roll call and to find out what would happen next.

There was no running water, so he bathed and washed his clothes in the river. He slept on the floor.

Meanwhile, his parents still had not heard a word.

“That was terrible,” Colleen said. “Who could survive? I knew that the roof was not going to hold.”

The Zlotys, who attend First Baptist Church in Land O’ Lakes, relied on their faith.

“We were praying and praying. That’s how we got through it,” Colleen said. She called a friend and asked her to pray for Justin.

Her friend got a prayer chain going.

“These are ladies — they are on their knees when they’re praying,” Colleen said.

“It just wrenches you,” Martin said. “The mind would go crazy: Is he hurt? Is he calling out for help? Is he alive?

“So, then you say, ‘Lord, I know you are there. This is all in your timing. I know you’ve got this under control.’,” Martin said.

Colleen added: “I kept thinking about that verse, ‘All of the days ordained for me are written in your book, before one of them came to be.’ It’s in Psalm 139:16.”

She continued: “God knows what’s going on. He’s got a plan for Justin. I’ve loved having him for my son, and I wanted to still be able to treasure and find great joy in the years I’ve had with him, not let the thought of all this grief, overwhelm that.”

 While waiting, they worked

Martin, a nuclear medicine physician at James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, said he knew working would help keep his mind occupied.

Colleen went to her job because she wanted to honor Justin, who had encouraged her to do the work she does.

The wait, however, “was really agonizing,” Colleen said.

This is the pirate cruise ship that Justin Zloty sailed on from Dominica, past Martinique to St. Lucia. The trip normally would take a few hours, but took 12 hours because of the high seas. (Courtesy of Justin Zloty)

Martin replayed his emotions during that time.

“You go back and you think of all of the baby pictures. All of the times you were with him. Even the last conversation you had with him, you think, maybe that’s all there is now.

“You start to come to grips: Do I have to say bye to him? And, how do I deal with that?” Martin said.

Finally, on Sept. 20, they found out Justin was OK.

“As soon as I heard, I just started crying,” Colleen said.

Martin added: “I was just, ‘Thank you, Lord.’”

That gratitude hasn’t flagged.

“I’m still thanking the Lord every morning on my way to work. It had been just begging the Lord to spare his life,” Colleen said.

Justin’s return to Land O’ Lakes started with a taxi ride on Dominica to catch a ride on a pirate cruise ship that took 12 hours to make a trip on rough waters to St. Lucia. Then, it was another long taxi ride to catch a chartered flight to Miami.

Finally, he flew on a commercial jet to Tampa International Airport.

Since returning to Land O’ Lakes, Justin has been enjoying time with his parents, and his three brothers, Joshua, 24; Weston, 18; and, Daniel, 15.

Martin and Colleen said they’re grateful Justin is safely home, but they realize how terrible the conditions are for people in Dominica, Puerto Rico and other places ravaged by Hurricane Maria.

Justin understands, too.

“I was able to fly away from that island and come home here. But the island people, they live on that island. That’s their home,” he said.

Published Oct. 11, 2017

 

 

 

New mindset needed in substance abuse battle, speakers say

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A shift in attitudes could go a long way toward reducing impacts from substance abuse, speakers said at the sixth annual Substance Abuse Prevention Conference held in Wesley Chapel.

Stigma is a huge issue, they said.

Those attending the sixth annual Substance Abuse Prevention Conference could visit a number of booths, including this one, which featured a poster on the topic of shattering the stigma associated with substance abuse. (B.C. Manion)

Until that changes, fewer people will seek treatment, and employment and housing challenges will remain for those in recovery from substance addictions, they explained.

A new mindset is also needed toward people who are in recovery, several speakers said.

Even when people have stopped misusing drugs or alcohol and are trying to reform their lives they often encounter roadblocks because of previous run-ins with the law, speakers said.

Those were among myriad issues discussed during the Sept. 21 conference at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.

The conference, which had the theme “Strengthening Our Communities: Opportunities for Action,” was presented by the Pasco Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) and BayCare Behavioral Health.

About 400 people were registered, including youths involved in prevention efforts, people at various stages of recovery, mental health and medical providers, elected officials, judges and members of law enforcement. Besides the speeches, the event included a panel discussion and breakout sessions.

The keynote speaker was Andy Duran, executive director of Linking Efforts Against Drugs (LEAD) and the SpeakUP! Prevention Coalition, based near Chicago.

About 400 people registered to attend the sixth annual Substance Abuse Prevention Conference at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel. The conference was presented by the Pasco Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) and BayCare Behavioral Health. (B.C. Manion)

He talked about the need to change the conversation, as it relates to the topic of the misuse of drugs and alcohol.

He suggests dropping labels commonly used to describe people with drug or alcohol issues.

“We use pejorative words, even in prevention we do this. We use words like ‘addict’ or ‘junkie’ or ‘dirty’ … We’ve got to get those words out of the language.

“Someone has an addiction, they’re not an addict. Someone has an alcohol problem or struggles with alcoholism, they’re not an alcoholic.

“When we start to talk differently, we start to think differently. And, when we start to think differently, society then follows us and starts to think differently,” Duran said.

Society generally views substance abuse as a crime, a moral failing or a simple choice, Duran said. In reality, it’s a complex medical behavioral problem, he said.

The stigma attached to the problem reduces the likelihood that someone will ask for help, which increases the risk for overdose, Duran added.

Worst crisis in decades

Another speaker, Mark Fontaine, executive director of the Florida Alcohol & Drug Abuse Association, offered an assessment of the current situation. He also addressed ongoing efforts to bring about change and the challenges ahead.

“I’ve been doing this work for 40 years. I have never seen a crisis as we’re facing in this state right now,” Fontaine said.

Opioid overuse is affecting every community in Florida, with opioids being the direct cause of 2,538 deaths across the state in 2015, he said. Statistics are not available for 2016 yet, but the number is expected to double, he said.

It’s not an isolated problem.

Mark Fontaine, executive director of the Florida Alcohol & Drug Abuse Association, gave an assessment on the state’s current situation relating to substance abuse issues.

“This epidemic is affecting us all. It’s the most important thing that’s on the table in the state right now,” Fontaine said.

While efforts are underway to increase funding in the battle — and Gov. Rick Scott has declared it an emergency — the state lacks a comprehensive plan for tackling the problem, Fontaine said.

He pointed to gaps in service.

“In Florida, there are many people who come knocking on the door for treatment and treatment is not available to them,” Fontaine said.

And, while there’s a focus on the opioid crisis, that’s just one part of the substance abuse picture, speakers said.

“I can tell you that in the Pasco County Drug Court, we are seeing more methamphetamine than opioid cases,” said Judge Shawn Crane, who oversees that court. “That is a growing number. We see it all of the time. It’s cheap. It’s easy. It’s something for those practitioners and providers — just keep that on your radar. That is an important part of what we are facing in our court.”

And, while the opioid crisis is the focus of today, other problems persist, Duran said. “Alcohol still kills more people a year. Tobacco use still kills more people a year.”

In addition to the conference speakers, there was a panel discussion, moderated by Carley Boyette of Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend. It

A detail shot of a slide, used as a backdrop for conference speakers. (B.C. Manion)

took a look at the issues from the perspective of recovering addicts, social service providers, elected officials and law enforcement.

Cesar Rodriguez, who has had his share of battles with substance abuse, talked about the struggles that he encountered in finding work and housing, after he got sober.

“I stayed the course and I was able to find a job after a while, but by no means was that easy.

“When I made enough money and I was on my feet, the next obstacle was — you have to fill out these background checks to rent anywhere, and people don’t want convicted felons in their neighborhoods or in their HOAs (homeowners associations).

“Everything is, ‘Put your application online.’ You don’t get a chance to present yourself.

This artwork was on display at the sixth annual Substance Abuse Prevention Conference in Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

“It can break people. When you get told ‘No’ enough — ‘No you can’t have safe housing,’ ‘You can’t have an hourly wage job to keep your life moving forward,’ — it can send somebody back out,” he said.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore noted “substance abuse doesn’t discriminate …Every one of us has friends and neighbors that are going through this. Every one of us probably has a family member that has gone through this,” Moore said.

“As a community, we need to give people a chance,” Moore added.

Erica Smith, a licensed mental health counselor from BayCare Behavioral Health, said the road to recovery begins with meeting people where they’re at.

“It’s really about helping them to achieve behavior change,” she said.

“You get asked the question a lot of times: ‘How many times are you going to let this person come and use this service, or go to detox?’

The answer, she said, is “As many times as it takes.”

“We never shut the door,” Smith said.

Published Oct. 4, 2017

Rallying ’round the blueberry bushes

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Hurricane Irma blew across the landscape, uprooting and toppling about 100,000 blueberry bushes at Frogmore Fresh Farm, outside Dade City.

Pasco High senior ​Matt​ ​Gregory, 17,​ took a break and used a cane stake to stretch out his back.​ ​Gregory​ ​and​ ​senior​ ​Nathalie Sawczuk, 17,​ ​​(obscured​ ​by​ ​plant)​ were​ ​among​ ​students​ ​who​ ​volunteered​ ​at Frogmore Fresh Farm. (Fred Bellet)

In Irma’s aftermath, the farm’s general manager, Leonard Park, knew he had a narrow window to salvage as many of the plants as possible. He also knew he didn’t have enough labor to make that happen.

An unexpected phone call from Whitney Elmore offered some hope.

Elmore is the chief executive director of the University of Florida/IFAS Pasco County Extension, in Dade City.

“She wanted to know if she could send some volunteers to help,” said Park. “I thought she meant a van with maybe 20 people.”

Elmore had bigger ideas, and put social media to work.

“This went viral,” said Elmore. “It’s been all over Facebook and Twitter.”

Pasco County, the University of Florida and the extension service worked as a team to put out the word.

Land​ ​O’​ ​Lakes​ ​resident​ ​Tom​ ​Stewart​ ​staked​ ​fallen​ ​blueberry plants​.​ ​Stewart​ ​said​ ​he​ ​learned​ ​about​ ​the​ ​event​ ​at Frogmore Fresh Farm on​ ​​Facebook.

On a hot, Saturday morning, about 200 volunteers drove their cars and trucks down a narrow dirt lane, off St. Joe Road, to put in a day’s work and save the blueberries.

Volunteers focused on about 23 acres of the approximately 145-acre farm. That is where the youngest blueberry plants had either been uprooted or knocked down.

Farm employees were able to put their attentions on more mature plants elsewhere.

The turnout caught Park by surprise.

“It’s heartwarming. This is a tremendous benefit to us,” he said. “This (the young plants) is the future. We’re going to keep on, keeping on.”

It was all for a good cause, said Elmore.

Frogmore Fresh Farm benefits the county’s economy. The Sigety family, which owns the farm, does charitable work in Pasco, donating to food banks and providing internships to local students, Elmore said.

University​ ​of​ ​Florida​ ​graduate​ ​students​ ​Carlos​ ​Zambrano​, right, ​and​ ​Dario​ ​Racano,​ both​ ​of​ ​Gainesville,​ staked​ ​young​ ​blueberry​ ​plants​ ​at Frogmore​ ​Fresh Farm.

“It’s about being part of the community and making it better for everyone,” she said.

About 50 students and faculty members came from UF. Two sororities also sent volunteers.

“People have driven two hours basically on a call from social media, which is really interesting,” said Kevin Folta, UF professor and chairman of the university’s horticultural sciences department.

“But, this is what we’re supposed to do as a land grant institute. It fits our mission well.”

Frogmore’s blueberries are hybrids developed through UF research. Folta said the plants produce fruit after the harvests in other countries, such as Chile.

It opens markets for Florida blueberries that might not be available, he said.

Linda​ ​Dao,​ ​a​ ​University​ ​of​ ​Florida​ ​senior​ ​biology​ ​major,​ ​worked to​ ​fix damaged​ ​blueberry​ ​plants​ ​that​ ​fell​ ​over​ ​from​ ​the​ ​force​ ​of​ Hurricane Irma’s wind.

They are rooted in wood chip beds and hydrated with an irrigation system, sort of as a “big, crazy hydroponic garden,” Folta said.

“None of this would happen naturally,” he said. “It’s a system that works and brings millions of dollars to the state of Florida. Blueberry acreage is exploding.”

Elmore said Florida produces about 20 million pounds of blueberries annually, with a value of about $82 million to $100 million.

UF wasn’t alone in rounding up students to help.

Another 50 or so volunteers were from Pasco High School’s science club and student body council. There also were students from Saint Leo University, local residents, and church members.

The Salvation Army provided bottled water.

Margarita Roma, local migrant activist and executive director of Farmers Self-Help Inc., came with about 10 volunteers. Most were teenagers, wearing T-shirts in support of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Kevin Folta, professor and chairman of the University of Florida’s horticultural sciences department, relied on social media to recruit about 50 UF students to help salvage blueberry plants damaged by Hurricane Irma.

Those children, often referred to as Dreamers, are undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children before age 16, and who have lived here since June 15, 2007.

“It’s good for our kids to have visibility,” she said. And, good to show that they can help the community they live in, she added.

Jose Pedro Lopez, 14, wanted people to know that Dreamers are like everyone else. “They should be able to live a free life,” he said.

Volunteers headed into the field, one group at a time.

In groups, volunteers carried batches of cane stakes and rolls of tape, and walked into the field.

Jim Moll, the extension service’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping program manager, gave tutorials on blueberry care.

Plants had to be stood upright, firmly replanted, and wrapped with tape to keep foliage from drooping.

“It doesn’t have to be a pretty knot, just effective,” Moll said. “You want it tight, but, not too firm. You don’t want to cut off circulation.”

Moll felt optimistic.

Pasco High School student, ​Roney​ ​Webster, 17,​ ​ties green tape​ ​around​ ​a​ ​​stake​ ​to support a damaged blueberry plant.

The plants “will be traumatized from being whipped in the wind,” he said. “The good news is they are all green. They aren’t limping.”

Samantha Acacio, 21, bent down to tie a knot around a blueberry plant. She felt a connection to the environment, as she worked to put the plants upright.

“These (plants) produce oxygen,” said Acacio, a pre-med student at Saint Leo University. “Why not have more oxygen in the world? It’s motivation. They weathered the storm, and we’re going to help them stand upright.”

Wesley Chapel residents Maleena Newcomb, 14, Allie Black, 14, and Ana Anderson, 24, might have been volunteering at an annual coastal cleanup, if not for Irma.

But, they were happy to find themselves being useful at the farm instead.

“It’s a good effort,” said Black. “You get community service hours. It’s all good.”

Gayle Womer and her daughter, Jenny Konow, attend First Baptist Church in Dade City. Konow is a 4-H leader.

Konow said they had some experience with blueberry plants. “We’re small hobby farmers,” she said. “We kind of know the struggles if you need help.”

But, it was her 11-year-old son, Archer Konow, who told his family that they had to volunteer. He loves everything about farming.

“It’s good to help people after hard things come through,” he said. If it’s a business, he added, “You need to help out.”

Roney Webster, 17, is a Pasco High senior. He volunteered around his community to help neighbors with cleanup.

This was one more chance to help.

“It’s just giving back,” Webster said. “I’ve been outside pretty much every day helping people.”

Published September 27, 2017

New summer camp aims to offer fun for kids with special needs

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A plan that began more than five years ago will finally reach fruition next summer when Camp Idlewild is scheduled to open in Land O’ Lakes.

The camp is being developed by The Roach Family Foundation. Irene Roach, founder and president, and her family, intend to provide recreational and camping experiences for children with autism spectrum disorders, who have learning differences and other unique challenges.

Roach said that before her husband Bill died, seven years ago, they talked about doing something for special needs kids.

From left, Wendy Neal, Irene Roach and Sherri Shuman are members on the board of directors for Camp Idlewild, which is being developed by the Roach Family Foundation. (B.C. Manion)

“We started thinking about a school,” she said, but that idea was dropped because there was too much red tape.

So, the family decided to create a camp instead, Roach said, during an interview along with her daughters, Wendy Neal and Sherri Shuman, at Roach’s Land O’ Lakes home.

“Wendy’s son has Asperger’s. That kind of made up our mind that we wanted to do something for special needs,” Roach said.

Phase one of Camp Idlewild will have a 5,000-square-foot lodge and four cabins, which can accommodate 12 overnight campers each.

“Our lodge is going to be done by December, and the first four of our cabins will be done by February,” Roach said. The lodge includes a lunchroom, a kitchen and a business office.

Plans in phase two include adding four more 12-camper cabins.

Beyond hosting overnight campers, Camp Idlewild also will host day campers. It also has six recreational vehicles spaces, to accommodate families, Roach said

“A lot of people who have special needs kids don’t like to leave them,” she explained. This way, the children can experience overnight camping, but the parents will be nearby.

The camp’s main mission is to be a place where people can have fun, Roach and her daughters said.

The family has done its homework.

Their research began five years ago. They joined the American Camp Association, and have been to conferences in Orlando; New Orleans; Greenville, South Carolina; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“They’re people who have camps from all over the world, even Russia, China. They all come and network, and it’s amazing,” Roach said.

During one of the first conferences they attended, they met Scott Arizala. He’s a nationally known speaker and author, and runs Camp Tall Tree, a camp for children on the autism spectrum in Michigan.

They have hired him to be their consultant.

“He’s going to come and help us train,” Roach said.

This is what the lodge being built at Camp Idlewild will look like at completion. The lodge is one part of a new camp intended to provide recreational and camping experiences for children with autism spectrum disorders, who have learning differences and other unique challenges. The camp is scheduled to open next summer. (Courtesy of Camp Idlewild)

“Now, we’re ready to fine-tune all of programming and our scheduling,” Neal said, adding it will be invaluable to have someone with the depth of his experience to guide them.

The family also has secured necessary approvals and permits from Pasco County, installed needed infrastructure and had the design work done.

The camp is situated on 40 acres that has been carved out of the family’s 140-acre homestead.

In addition to her property, Roach said there’s another 150 acres of cypress swamp surrounding the camp.

Besides working with young campers there also will be some adult programs.

Neal, who is the camp director, expects Camp Idlewild to host some make-and-take workshops to give parents tools for working with their children.

For instance, parents will hear that they need to put together a visual schedule, Neal said, but they have no idea how to do that.

“Of course, I’m a (former) school psychologist, so I knew what those things were. But a lot of my friends, who had kids, they didn’t know what a visual schedule is,” Neal said.

The target market for the camp is kids ages 6 through 17, who are mild to higher-functioning, said Shuman, the camp administrator. “They have to be able to use the bathroom and dress themselves, that sort of thing,” she said.

The camp will operate when school is out, from June through August. Overnight campers will be able to come for a week at a time and can stay for multiple weeks. Day campers may be able to come for as little as three days at a time, Shuman said.

Camp Idlewild will be marketed not only across Florida, but also outside the state, Shuman said.

There may be families that want to vacation to Florida. They’ll be able to go on a vacation, while their special needs child has a chance to experience overnight camping, she said.

Besides having a fully trained staff, the camp will offer a multitude of volunteer opportunities, Roach said.

During the off-season, the facilities will be available for rental for people who want to run their own camps, hold family reunions, have group retreats, do staff trainings and so on.

“We also will be doing our own specialty camps, possibly,” Shuman said.

Programming for Camp Idlewild will include arts and crafts, as well as outdoor activities such as canoeing, fishing and boating.

“We’ll cover the arts, whether it’s music, dance, theater,” Neal said.

“Autistic kids like to perform,” Roach said.

“A lot of them have a lot of talent that they don’t have a chance to express,” Neal said.

“We want to give them a chance to unplug from the technology, but we don’t want to take that all away from them,” she added.

A small petting zoo and organic gardening are also in the plans.

If the kids are involved in gardening, they may be more open to tasting new foods, Neal said.

“Food is a big issue for pretty much all of the kids (on the autism spectrum) that I know,” Neal said. “If they kind of see how they are part of the process, they might actually try something different.”

In addition to summer camp, the organization may also offer some weekend activities during the year, Shuman said.

“One of the big challenges for the kids, especially the big kids, is socialization,” Shuman said. “In our off-season, we’re hoping to continue programs for on the weekends for kids that are peers in the local community to have a place to come, and have a movie night — a way for them to continue the relationships.”

Giving these kids a chance to develop friendships is important, Neal said.

“From my experience, the major gap is the socialization, the friendship, the relationships,” she said.

“They don’t get invited to birthday parties, things like that, because, ‘What if he has a meltdown?’” Neal said.

Camp Idlewild will be a place where kids “can be who they are,” Neal said. “If they want to flap, or if they’re stressed — we’re not here to stop behavior, correct behavior.”

Or, Roach, said, “say no to everybody.”

Neal went on, “Whatever they need to do at the time that they’re doing it — if they’re not hurting anyone or themselves, that’s fine. A lot of kids do things that other people consider as just odd. They try to stop that behavior.

“It’s OK,” Neal said. “It’s a release. If they get a little nervous. They’re not hurting anyone. That’s just who they are. If it makes them feel better, if it’s comforting, then, we’re not going to try to correct that.”

Published September 20, 2017

Why we printed your newspaper early

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As I write this column, it is Friday morning — two days before Irma arrives in Florida, and at least a full day before we know what kind of impact the hurricane will have on Tampa Bay.

In the aftermath of Harvey, everyone is on edge because of the stress getting ready for the storm, and the uncertainty of when and where Irma will make landfall.

In anticipation of Irma, one way we coped here at The Laker/Lutz News was to begin planning as soon as we got back from the Labor Day weekend.

Initially we decided to move up our production deadlines so we could print our papers and begin delivery on Saturday —before Irma arrived.

By Friday, that plan had changed. Irma’s arrival was moved up to Sunday, and there was no longer enough time to deliver before the storm. So, while our papers still will be printed early, we went back to our regular Tuesday and Wednesday delivery, after Irma is well out of Florida.

The other reason we chose to print our papers early was to ensure the safety of our employees. Like most of you, the people we work with are part of your family, and we care greatly about their well-being. I wanted my staff to be home with their families, and if necessary, have time to evacuate, when Irma hits.

This self-determination is one of the best things about owning or working for a small business. My team and I determine what’s best for our colleagues, customers and the business itself, and then go straight into implementation. There’s no chain of command, or lengthy review and approval process.

And, this ability makes me so appreciative of my group’s teamwork, outstanding ideas and smooth implementation. Together, we are able to develop and carry out plans that met our goals.

A weekly spin
First, it was the Lake Padgett Estate sinkhole in Land O’ Lakes. And now, it’s Hurricane Irma. Both were international news, and both happened in our backyard.

How does a small operation like The Laker/Lutz News manage to cover these big stories along with everything else we do (prep sports, city and government news, schools, business and community events)?

We almost always report on breaking news after the fact, and then do it with our unique weekly spin.

Our stories focus on how these events impact our local families and businesses. We let people know how they can get help, and also how they can help their neighbors.

There are plenty of news outlets that give you breaking news. But, only The Laker/Lutz News drills down to your community and reports how an emergency like Irma directly impacts the neighborhood where you live and your local businesses, schools and government agencies.

Even when there isn’t a sinkhole or a hurricane to cover, our goal every week is to be a trustworthy, community resource with professionally written, unbiased stories. Every story, every news brief, every photo in The Laker/Lutz News is tied directly to our readers in Pasco and north Hillsborough counties.

And, that’s why you read our newspaper — because our stories are relevant to your life, and answer questions about living in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

This week, our Hurricane Irma package aims to provide a glimpse of the impacts Irma has already had on our community and to help you recover from the damages Irma may leave in its wake. As always, our goal is to be a resource for our community.

Thank you for being our reader through good times and bad. I pray that you and your loved ones come safely through Irma. Let’s do the best we can to weather this storm and its aftermath together.

Published September 13, 2017

She hopes her ‘simple witness’ will help change lives

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Emily Busch plans to spend the next year of her life as a full-time missionary in the Life Teen program in northern Georgia.

She’s confident about committing a year of her life to missionary work.

“I’m not even a little bit nervous,” said the 21-year-old from Wesley Chapel. “There’s so much peace.”

When Emily Busch, of Wesley Chapel, was heading to her first summer stint at Life Teen in northern Georgia, she didn’t know what to expect. She found out that it was beautiful, and holy. (Courtesy of Emily Busch)

Part of that is because she’s familiar with the program, after spending a summer there working as a videographer and another summer as an office intern.

She knows what’s she’s getting into, and she can’t wait.

Life Teen owns two camps, Hidden Lake and Covecrest, in the mountains of North Georgia, in a town called Dahlonega.

“It’s a retreat center during the year, and it’s a summer camp during the summer,” Busch said, noting about 2,500 kids come there every summer, so it’s busy.

It’s a place which attracts youth groups from parishes, giving them a chance to gain a deeper understanding of their Catholic faith.

Busch, herself, was involved in her youth group at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, in Land O’ Lakes, which led to her going on a mission trip to Nicaragua.

That experience was a turning point in her spiritual life.

She feels called to do mission work, and she believes the trip to Nicaragua was the catalyst.

“When I was there, I saw the poverty, and I saw the desire for the Lord in the hearts of people that had nothing.

“And, when I was back home, I was like, ‘I have everything I want. I have everything I need. These people have less than half of what I have and they’re happier than I am, so what am I doing wrong?” she said.

It was a question she pondered for quite some time.

Emily Busch

Ultimately, she felt that the Lord was putting mission work on her heart.

She didn’t answer that call immediately. She wanted to get her degree from Saint Leo University, where she majored in religion.

But, she graduated a year early and decided to devote that year to serving at Life Teen.

“I’m not saying that I’m a saint by any means, but I desire that. I desire that holiness, and I desire to do the work that the Lord has done, but in 2017.”

Beyond working with youths, Busch will also be working on her own spiritual walk.

Serving at the camp requires Busch to raise her own support. She must raise a minimum of $6,000 to cover food, housing and other costs. She hopes to raise $10,000, to provide a $100 a month stipend and to provide money to begin paying back her student loans.

As of last week, she had raised $5,500.

She planned to hit the road, en route to Georgia, on Sept. 5.

She expects the year to have its highs and its lows, but is looking forward to what lies ahead.

She recalls the first time she went to the camp, in 2015.

“I had never been to the camp before, and I had committed for three months. And, I was driving there (thinking), ‘I’ve never been to this place. It could be terrible. It could be horrible. And, I got there … It was beautiful and it was amazing, and it was holy. There’s something about living in the mountains that just takes your breath away.”

Busch said there have been times when people have excluded her because of her Christian values. Some took an attitude of: “I’m not going to invite you (Busch) to this thing because you’re a Christian girl.”

That doesn’t bother her.

“I have to be confident in who I am and what the Lord has called me to, and I can’t worry about what other people’s opinions are,” she said. “But, I can show them Jesus in my actions, and I can show them the peace that I have about my life.”

She’s not sure what lies beyond this next step in her journey.

“I’m thinking about either teaching at a Catholic school, or working at a nonprofit in some way, like Metropolitan Ministries or something like that,” she said.

But, only time will tell.

For now, though, she’s content with her next step in life.

“Spreading the Word (of God) is what I most desire,” Busch said.

Want to help? Go to: Donate.Lifeteen.com/EmmBusch.

Published September 6, 2017

Outlining a road map to tackle Pasco traffic problems

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Pasco County’s residential and commercial growth is causing more traffic headaches on the area’s roads.

At an Aug. 21 session, residents had a chance to learn about what’s planned to tackle the area’s congestion during The Pasco County Transportation Summit.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore hosted the event at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus, in Wesley Chapel.

A project that would ease traffic congestion on Wesley Chapel Boulevard, also known as County Road 54, is scheduled in fiscal year 2018. Planning calls for widening the road from two lanes to four lanes, from State Road 54/56 to Progress Parkway. (B.C. Manion)

Other panelists included David Gwynn, District 7 secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation; Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles; and, Hope Allen, chief executive officer and president of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, which recently merged with The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting focused on project updates for east Pasco and Wesley Chapel.

Audience members submitted written questions to the panel.

Their queries centered on current and future road projects; public transit; new technology, such as self-driving vehicles; and, passenger rail on CSX rail lines.

Charity Henesy-Brooks, who lives in the Meadow Pointe subdivision, said she came away with information she didn’t know before. “It’s good to know they are trying to get ahead of the (traffic) problem,” she said. “At least they have these goals.”

For Moore, the basic issue is how to build the right infrastructure to support economic development and meet residents’ needs.

Anyone who drives in the county knows the frustration of long waits in traffic, he said. “Relief is on the way. There are a lot of things on the way, but these things won’t come to fruition over night.”

At least one project has been sped up.

Construction of the diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 75 and State Road 56 will begin in 2018, about two years ahead of an initial start date. The unique engineering pattern eliminates left turns and most traffic signals, to quicken, and ease, traffic flow.

The interchange is at the epicenter of a growth boom in Wesley Chapel that includes Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center.

“It’s miserable. I get it,” said Moore. “I’m with you.”

Bilirakis said local governments will have federal funding available for their transportation projects.

President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise of $1 trillion in shovel-ready infrastructure projects. Congress is waiting on a specific proposal from the White House, Bilirakis said.

“The infrastructure piece is very much alive,” he said. “It’s a priority for the President, and it’s a priority for us in Congress. It’s a bipartisan effort and, God knows, we need that today.”

Bilirakis said he expected Congress to address tax reform early in 2018, and “then, we’re going to get to infrastructure.”

He also said the Ridge Road extension will benefit from an expedited review process implemented by the White House.

Pasco has lobbied for the extension for nearly 19 years as a necessary east-west road for hurricane evacuations. A permit is needed from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Environmentalists have opposed the project, which would cut through a portion of the Serenova Preserve. But, Bilirakis said, “We’re really moving the ball forward on this project.”

Lots of projects are on the horizon
The state department of transportation currently has a slate of road projects under construction, in design or in planning. In the past five years, the state agency has invested more than $640 million in Pasco, Gwynn said.

By late 2017, work on widening Interstate 75 from four lanes to six lanes from County Road 54 to State Road 52 will be completed, along with a redesign of the interchange.

To the west of I-75, work to widen State Road 52 from two lanes to four lanes, from Bellamy Brothers Boulevard to Old Pasco Road, will be done by summer 2018.

State Road 54 from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road will go from two lanes to four lanes by fall 2020. A shared use path and sidewalks also will be built.

Work recently began on a four-lane extension of State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills. Completion is scheduled by spring 2019.

Two projects are in design and scheduled to begin in 2019. One will widen State Road 52 from two lanes to six lanes, from west of Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41, with a shared use path.

A second will realign State Road 52 from Uradco Place to West Fort King Road. A new four-lane road will run from Uradco Place to Prospect Road. From Prospect to Fort King, the existing road will widen from two lanes to four lanes.

A third project, with no construction start date, would widen State Road 52 from two lanes to four lanes from U.S. 41 to west of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard.

There are two unfunded projects in design stages that would both realign and widen Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills.

Bicycle lanes and sidewalks are being designed for County Line Road from Northwood Palms to west of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2018.

Also, planning is underway on two projects to widen U.S. 301 from Fowler Avenue to State Road 56, and from State Road 56 to State Road 39.

A major reconstruction of the State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection is on hold while a local task force reviews options and makes a recommendation to the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Pasco has 48 road projects slated from 2017 to 2021 at an estimated cost of about $426 million. Almost all will be in east and central Pasco, Biles said.

The county will fund about half the cost, with the remainder coming from state and local funds, he said.

The expansion of Wesley Chapel Boulevard from State Road 54 to Progress Parkway, from two lanes to four lanes, is scheduled in fiscal year 2018. Sierra Properties, which is developing Cypress Creek Town Center, completed the initial segment of the project, and built an entrance into the mall from the boulevard.

In addition to increasing road capacity, the county is exploring options with new technology. For instance, adaptive traffic signals can be adjusted based on real-time conditions monitored via cameras a centralized command post.

This technology is being used in some areas of U.S. 19, and Biles anticipates that in the next five years it would be installed along other roadways.

Bilirakis is a fan of self-driving vehicles, which is an evolving technology. He is supporting federal legislation to ensure that such vehicles are adaptable to needs of seniors and disabled veterans.

The Congressman also agreed that partnerships with Uber and Lyft can enhance public transit by helping people reach bus stops.

Self-driving vehicles appeal to Land O’ Lakes resident Kelly Smith as a means of providing ride-sharing opportunities.

That would get more vehicles off the roads and lessen the need for parking, and potentially mean fewer roads would be needed, she said.

But, Smith, who is running against Moore for a seat on the Pasco County Commission, said, “I’m concerned that we’re not looking into the future.”

In response to a question about buying CSX rail lines for passenger service, Moore said he favors rapid bus transit.

“CSX does not give their lines away,” he said. “It’s very costly. Bus transit is more economical.”

Published August 30, 2017

Tourist tax increase to help finance Wiregrass sports complex

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Pasco County commissioners approved a 2 percent increase in the tourism tax and cleared the way to finance construction of the Wiregrass Sports Complex of Pasco County.

The added revenues will be used as collateral to secure a construction loan of up to $15 million for a 98,000-square-foot multi-purpose indoor sports venue.

The tax increase is on top of an existing 2 percent tax collected on hotel rentals, often described as the “heads in beds” tax. At a total of 4 percent, Pasco’s tourism tax rate will remain lower than most other counties in Tampa Bay.

This is what the Wiregrass Sports Complex site is expected to look like when the project is completed. (Courtesy of Peter C. Lent)

County commissioners also approved a series of resolutions setting up the framework for a private/public partnership between Pasco, which will own the complex, and RADD Sports, which will operate and manage the facility.

The county will receive lease payments and share in profits generated from the sports complex.

Besides the indoor facility, seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, trails, pavilions and a playground are planned.

County commissioners also approved a ground lease for a 128-room Marriott Residence Inn to be built on about 2 acres within the complex. Mainsail Lodge and Development will build the hotel at an estimated cost of $18.5 million.

Funding for the sports complex also will come from about $11 million collected from previously pledged tourism dollars and sales tax revenues.

“I think it’s time we put this money in the bank to work,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. “It’s long overdue that we took the leap and did something big with this money.”

Several years ago, the Porter family – developers of Wiregrass Ranch – donated more than 200 acres near The Shops at Wiregrass for the sports complex. But, proposals to build on the land fell apart, including one for an outdoor baseball complex.

“We know what happened in the past – nothing,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore. “This is a test in showing cohesiveness, that we’re all working together.”

During public comment, Hope Allen, president of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, and Steve Domonkos of the Wiregrass mall, spoke in favor of increasing the tourism tax.

“We’re really becoming a sports tournament destination,” said Domonkos. “That sets us apart from other parts of Florida. It benefits the community as a whole.”

The vote to increase the tourism tax passed unanimously, but it stirred debate among county commissioners.

“It’s important that we get our fair share,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells Jr.

He sought money for boat ramps and for boosting the scalloping industry.

Mariano wanted money for beach re-nourishment, pointing out a need at Sun West Park. He also said the county’s tourism development council needed to give its opinion before county commissioners voted on the matter.

The council, which is an advisory board, had a meeting the day after the county commission voted. County commissioners declined to delay their votes.

Mariano later was the lone dissenter in voting against the agreement for RADD Sports to operate the sports complex. He objected to the loan arrangements, preferring that RADD Sports do its own financing.

“We shouldn’t be putting tourism money there,” Mariano said.

County officials noted that the tourism dollars are pledged as collateral. “If they (RADD Sports) perform well, you may not even have to dip into there,” said David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney for Pasco.

The lease agreement requires RADD Sports to pay the county $60,000, or 11 percent of gross revenues. The funds can be used to repay the loan.

The county also will benefit from new tourism dollars. Officials with the county’s Economic Development Office estimate that 80 percent of hotel rentals will come from off-site hotels.

Construction or proposals for more hotels are expected to significantly increase the county’s hotel room inventory.

In addition, the county, RADD Sports and the Porter family reached agreement on road work and ball fields.

At least one field will be open to the public at least 90 percent of the time. The remaining fields will be accessible to residents of Wiregrass.

The Porters will speed up roadwork, including a link from the sports complex to State Road 54 to the north.

“We do believe it’s a win-win for the county,” Goldstein said.

Published August 23, 2017