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Gran Fondo cycles into Pasco

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For the fourth year in a row, cyclists from all across the nation will make the trek to Pasco County to ride in the Gran Fondo Florida racing event on March 26.

The race begins — and ends — in downtown San Antonio.

It is one of eight events across the country as part of the Gran Fondo National Championship Series.

The Gran Fondo Florida race has a 35-mile, 55-mile and 100-mile route. As opposed to a ‘start to finish’ race, each route will have timed segments at specific mile markers. (Courtesy of Reuben Kline)
The Gran Fondo Florida race has a 35-mile, 55-mile and 100-mile route. As opposed to a ‘start to finish’ race, each route will have timed segments at specific mile markers.
(Courtesy of Reuben Kline)

The cycling route is 100 miles, but there are also 35-mile and 55-mile routes for less avid riders.

While much of Florida is synonymous with flat roads, the bike race travels along Pasco County’s rural rolling hills, with cyclists riding by horse farms and clear springs throughout the scenic route.

The 100-mile course has nearly 3,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain, according to Reuben Kline, president and race director of the Gran Fondo National Championship Series.

“The rolling back roads are beautiful, but also very challenging,” Kline said. “The area around Pasco County and even up into Hernando County — it offers amazing riding for any perspective. It’s a great area to ride— a lot of back roads, low traffic.”

The gran fondo format differs from other bike races, because it’s not a “start to finish” race. Instead, there are timed segments throughout the courses, which are used to calculate a rider’s competitive time.

In the 100-mile course, for example, there might be a chip-timed session from mile 17 to mile 20, and again from mile 42 to mile 47.

“It’s really a unique style of race. The Gran Fondo is really becoming popular,” said Ed Caum, tourism director for Pasco County. “You casually ride for part of it, and then when you hit your sections where you’re timed, then that’s where you do your sprint. Then, you’re back down to cycling through beautiful Pasco countryside until you get to your next timed section.”

Kline noted the gran fondo format is “less contentious” than other road races, because it eliminates the “peloton dependency,” where cyclists ride in a tight group, drafting off one another to conserve energy.

“Historically, bicycling hasn’t been a very user-friendly discipline when it comes to a competitive environment because of the need to draft in a large group of people. The atmosphere is often contentious because of the dynamics of it, and because of the safety, or lack of safety involved,” Kline explained. “There’s not a lot of closeness among competitors, because you’re always like ‘I’m going to have to use you to win.’

“What we saw with this gran fondo format was an opportunity to make something that people could both enjoy and (also) be competitive,” he said.

According to Kline, the gran fondo-racing format has only been around in the United States for “no more than six or seven years.”

“It’s a new discipline, and a lot of people don’t understand, ‘what is a gran fondo and how does it work?’”

Gran fondo events, which originated in Italy, provide a cycling outlet for everyone from beginners to elite cyclists, he said.

“It’s very much like a marathon. How many people enter a marathon thinking they’re going to win? Not many, but some do,” the race director said. “The atmosphere is such that those people are showing up to compete, because it inspires the other people to compete. People might enter to either finish the race, finish atop their age group or finish at the top of the overall standings.

“It does provide an opportunity to be competitive, and not only competitive with a whole bunch of people, but also with their friends and teammates.”

Last year, the race drew 297 riders — a 70 percent increase from 2014, and a 140 percent from 2013 — reports show.

Additionally, only 26 of those riders lived in Pasco County, with the majority coming from all across Florida.

There were also participants from a dozen other states — Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

A 2015 post-event report shows an economic impact of $44, 878, based on the total number of room nights booked by participants and spectators.

“They come from across North America, and then you’ll have some people that are down here—snowbirds and all— that ride the (gran fondo) races…throughout the circuit,” Pasco County’s tourism director said. “Some people travel specifically to participate in the event.

“As people come here and ride, they’ll want to come back, because it’s so beautiful out there in San Antonio and St. Joseph, and Dade City.”

Kline has been pleased with the event’s “very sizable growth” since it’s inception, and plans to bring it back to Pasco County.

“We intend to continue holding the event in Pasco County. We’ve enjoyed working with the representatives in Pasco County,” he said.

Gran Fondo Florida
What: A bike racing event for everyone from beginners to elite cyclists. There are 35-mile, 55-mile and 100-mile routes, each with chip-timed sections.
When: March 26 at 8 a.m.
Where: Local Public House & Provisions, 32750 Pennsylvania Ave., San Antonio
For more information, visit GranFondoNationalChampionshipSeries.com.

Published March 16, 2016

Freedom student is going to West Point

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A Freedom High student recently received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point.

Dean LaGattuta received word that he’d been accepted into the prestigious service academy on Jan. 20. He accepted the appointment on Jan. 31.

Ironically, LaGattuta, 18, was visiting the West Point, New York campus when he received the good news.

Freedom High senior Dean LaGattuta received his appointment to the U.S. Military Academy on Jan. 20. He accepted his appointment on Jan. 31. (Courtesy of Dean LaGattuta)
Freedom High senior Dean LaGattuta received his appointment to the U.S. Military Academy on Jan. 20. He accepted his appointment on Jan. 31.
(Courtesy of Dean LaGattuta)

“It was just complete disbelief. I really couldn’t believe that I found out while at West Point,” the high school senior said. “It was just a dream come true that I was appointed.”

LaGattuta will report to West Point on June 27, shortly before his birthday.

“I’ll be spending my nineteenth birthday getting my head shaved,” he said, with a chuckle.

LaGattuta also applied to the U.S. Naval Academy, but has yet to hear back about his appointment status.

However, he has always viewed the U.S. Military Academy as his top choice for post-secondary education.

“Just hearing from West Point so early, and then speaking with my admissions major, he’s the one that really sold me on West Point—that they really wanted me—and that’s what really encouraged me to go there,” LaGattuta explained.

The ambience of the campus and its rich history were two aspects that stood out to LaGattuta, as he was weighing his college options, which also included the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, George Washington University and Georgetown University.

“I love the seclusion of the area. I love being by the Hudson River. It’s just an incredibly beautiful campus, surrounded by rolling hills—something we don’t have here (in Tampa),” he said.

“I was always a history buff, and it’s all the same architecture as it was 200 years ago. Even the new buildings they’re constructing—they’re matching the architecture to the previous buildings. I just love that feel that you’re not just in history, but you’re also becoming part of history,” he said.

To be considered for the service academy, LaGattuta underwent an application process that seeks to identify candidates who demonstrate leadership skills, have strong moral character, excel in academics and can surpass the required physical fitness standards.

In December, he was one of 14 students nominated for appointment to a United States service academy from the 15th Congressional District by U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross.

Eight Tampa area students were nominated, along with four from Valrico and two from Lakeland.

Appointments by service academies are usually made between January and April, and sometimes as late as May, according to Gary Clark, chairman of the District 15 Nomination Board.

Clark said a U.S. service academy (Military, Naval, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and Air Force) typically accepts only between 1,000 to 1,200 applicants out of the 17,000-plus that are sent in from across the country.

Last year, the District 15 Nomination Board nominated 12 students. Seven received appointments.

A 2014 study by the U.S. News and World Report found the U.S. Military Academy to have a 9.5 percent acceptance rate — the fifteenth most selective among all colleges and universities in the United States.

Knowing that his college years will be spent at the U.S. Military Academy is a weight off of LaGattuta’s shoulders.

“I still have to focus on my (high school) grades, but having that uncertainty of where I’m going to be in the coming months gone, I’m so relieved. It’s just really a blessing,” he said.

The appointment means LaGattuta is obligated to spend at least 10 years in the military, including four years at the Academy and six years on active duty.

“This is really going to be the start of a long journey, and I hope for a long career,” he said. “I definitely see myself surpassing the required amount of years of service, and I’m really looking forward to the years ahead.”

While keeping his career options open, LaGattuta is intrigued by some professions within the military.

“Right now, I’m interested in doing…Army Intelligence or something with cybersecurity, because it’s such a growing necessity, especially in an increasingly technological world in warfare,” the high school senior said.

For now, LaGattuta will be busy for the rest of the school year and over the summer.

He’s currently on the Freedom High varsity tennis team, and is serving as chairman of Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn’s Youth Leadership Council.

Over the summer, he’ll teach leadership classes at the council, serve meals to the homeless at the Trinity Café and work with underprivileged children at A Brighter Community, the oldest nonprofit preschool in Hillsborough County,

He’s also aware that he needs to take advantage of the time he can now spend with family and friends.

“For the next four years, there’s going to be a limited amount of time that I can see my family and friends once I go up (to West Point),” he said.

Published March 9, 2016

Taylor Hicks to perform in Land O’ Lakes

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Before he became nationally known, Taylor Hicks spent years in relative obscurity, sharing his music at any venue where he could get a booking.

“I would play everything from small venues to clubs to honky-tonks, to roadhouses to juke joints — you name it, I was playing it,” Hicks said.

Over the years, he played concerts and club dates with widely known musicians, but he didn’t get his big break until he won Season 5 of American Idol.

Taylor Hicks said he loves performing, and it’s something he expects he will always continue to do. He will be performing on March 11 in Land O’ Lakes at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce’s Spring Music Festival & Expo. (Photos courtesy of Taylor Hicks)
Taylor Hicks said he loves performing, and it’s something he expects he will always continue to do. He will be performing on March 11 in Land O’ Lakes at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce’s Spring Music Festival & Expo.
(Photos courtesy of Taylor Hicks)

Hicks said he hadn’t really been planning to audition for the popular television show, now celebrating its farewell season.

He had gone to a wedding and was stranded by Hurricane Katrina, and he wound up getting a free ticket to fly anywhere in the country, he explained.

“So, I flew to Vegas on a whim,” he said. That just happened to be where American Idol was holding auditions, so Hicks decided to get in line.

That was the beginning of Hicks’ rise to national fame.

He went on to become America’s favorite.

“The season that I was on (American Idol) was their biggest season. With all of that attention, it was pretty amazing,” Hicks said.

After winning the title, doors opened for him, and he remains grateful.

“The Idol platform has set me up to be able to do a lot of different things,” he said.

Less than three weeks after winning Idol, his debut single, “Do I Make You Proud,” entered at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, Pop 100, and Single Sales Charts.

He penned “Heart Full of Soul,” an autobiography published by Random House, and starred in the role of Teen Angel in the Broadway musical “Grease.”

Now, he also has a hand in barbecue, as co-owner of a barbecue restaurant in Birmingham.

“I keep busy,” Hicks said.

He also continues to tour, with upcoming concerts planned in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Missouri.

His Florida appearance will be at the Land O’ Lakes Spring Music Festival on March 11.

He’s looking forward to the concert, noting he enjoys a nice following from his Florida fans, who tend to travel.

Taylor Hicks’ interest in music dates back to his teenage years, when he taught himself to play the harmonica. He later learned how to play acoustic guitar and piano.
Taylor Hicks’ interest in music dates back to his teenage years, when he taught himself to play the harmonica. He later learned how to play acoustic guitar and piano.

“I love performing,” Hicks said.  “I think that’s something I’ll always do. Entertaining and making people feel music, that’s something that I just really love doing.”

Hicks is the featured performer in a new event the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is launching, aimed at giving people an annual music festival they can enjoy, while area businesses showcase their goods and services.

The festival is a new take on the chamber’s annual business expo that has been held for two decades at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

This festival runs for two days, March 11 and March 12, with Hicks performing on the opening night, following Solar Exposure, the opening act. The second day of the festival features a business expo and other musical acts.

Tickets for Hicks’ concert are still available, said David Gainer, co-chairman of the event. They cost $40 for reserved seating, and $25 for lawn seating.

Food and beverage will be available for purchase, and no coolers will be allowed.

Gainer also noted that all of the slots for the business vendors for the expo on March 12 have been sold.

Hicks said he is looking forward to the Land O’ Lakes event, and he hopes he’ll see some of his loyal fans.

He said his interest in music dates back to his teenage years, when he taught himself how to play the harmonica.

At 16, he taught himself acoustic guitar and then moved on to piano later on, and then began writing songs, he said.

“I think it was a natural progression,” Hicks said.

His early experience helped prepare him for life after winning American Idol, he said.

“I think a lot of the touring as a kid kind of help me set my own experience up,” he said.

“When it happened, the transition from obscurity to notoriety was kind of an easy transition because, I’d been doing it (touring) a lot, since I was a kid,” he said.

“Experience always helps,” he added.

“I think you just kind of get in a groove with notoriety. You start understanding your place in society as a public figure. And then, you just have to reinvent yourself and stay out there, and work as much as you can,” he said.

As American Idol concludes its television run this year, Hicks said the show is exiting on a high note.

“I think it’s bittersweet, but I think the way that Idol is ending its run is a pretty classy way to do it,” Hicks said. “I think 15 years of television is quite respectable.”

Spring Music Festival & Expo
Where: Fraternal Order of Police Pasco Lodge 29 property, 21735 YMCA Camp Road, in Land O’ Lakes.
When: March 11, gates open at 6 p.m.: Taylor Hicks is the featured act, following a performance by Solar Exposure. There will be food trucks, beer and wine. Reserved seating, $40; open lawn seating, $25.
And, on March 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Business expo featuring more than 100 local businesses, numerous musical acts and fun family activities. Admission to the expo is free.
For concert tickets or more information, call (813) 909-2722, or visit CentralPascoChamber.com.

Published March 2, 2016

Helping homeless people reclaim sense of dignity

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In the spiritual realm, preachers often talk about being cleansed by the healing power of Jesus.

But, members of Vine Church in Zephyrhills, also want to share their love of the Lord in a more practical, down-to-earth way.

Members of the church at 4743 Allen Road already routinely feed the homeless.

Their latest quest has been a fundraising campaign to raise money for a mobile shower unit.

The idea came while sharing food with the hungry, said Pastor Carlos Santana.

Santana said some of his “homeless brothers and sisters” told him what they would really like is a nice, hot shower.

Initially he thought a shower could be built in someone’s barn.

But, then he realized that homeless people would have a hard time getting to the shower.

So, then he thought: “Why don’t we make it mobile?”

“Through a lot of prayer, we found out that FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) uses these mobile showers every time they have a disaster.”

So, now the church is raising money to buy a mobile unit with four shower stalls.

To help things along, it is planning a movie night behind the church on Feb. 26. Donations of $10 are requested, but people are welcome if they can’t afford to pay, Santana said. And, donations exceeding $10 would be gratefully accepted, he said.

The church needs $30,000. So far, it has raised about $4,000.

Vine Church, which began about two years ago, is a nondenominational Christian church, with about 45 members, ranging in age from infants to around age 70.

“Our basic mission as a church is to love God fully and people unconditionally. That’s our mission. That’s our vision. To love people unconditionally,” Santana said.

“We started feeding the homeless. Some of them in Zephyrhills,” he said.

They also feed the hungry at Sims Park in New Port Richey.

“We go out there every Saturday, and we feed them breakfast. And then, one Saturday a month, we also do lunch,” he said.

“Now, we’re collecting clothing. So, we’re also giving clothing and toiletries,” he said.

Eventually, Santana hopes the church can buy several of the portable shower units.

“When people look at homeless people, for some reason, they look at them like they’re not people, they’re not human,” he said.

A hot shower may seem like a simple thing, Santana said. But, a hot shower, a meal and clean clothing can go along way toward helping to restore someone’s sense of dignity.

He hopes other churches follow Vine’s lead.

“I really would like for this to be something that all churches would pick up on. If we all just come together, we could make a real difference.

“It’s really God’s church. It’s one church. One body,” he said.

He said his church feels called to get out and help others in need. When they see the love of Christ in action, they will come to see that it’s true, Santana added.

“We’re not called to sit in a church and warm up pews,” Santana said.

“He (Jesus) told his disciples, ‘Get up and go.’

“That’s what we’re doing,” Santana said.

Shower fundraiser
What: A showing of ‘The War Room,’ a movie about prayer, to raise money to purchase a portable shower unit to help the homeless.
When: Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.
Where: Behind Vine Church, 4743 Allen Road in Zephyrhills
How much: A donation of $10 is suggested. Less will be accepted, and more will be appreciated.
Details: Popcorn and hotdogs and other refreshments will be available for purchase. Movie-goers should bring their own chairs.

Published February 24, 2016

 

It’s Pasco County Fair time

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At first glance, it may seem to be all about the rides.

After all, there are a lot of them.

Or, perhaps it’s all about the food.

Fried anything, anyone?

Or, maybe it would seem to be about the games or entertainment.

There are certainly plenty of choices.

Fried foods of every variety are available at the Pasco County Fair. Of course, there are other fair favorites, too. (Photos courtesy of Pasco County Fair)
Fried foods of every variety are available at the Pasco County Fair. Of course, there are other fair favorites, too.
(Photos courtesy of Pasco County Fair)

But really, the stars of the Pasco County Fair are the kids and their livestock.

At least that’s how Clark Converse, general manager of the fair, sees it.

“The biggest thing about our fair is that we maintain our roots in agriculture in the community. That’s what really we’re about … it’s about the agriculture and the kids,” he said.

“We have great participation in that. There are probably 300 to 400 livestock entries in the fair,” he said.

“They’re all from Pasco County,” he added, with no small measure of pride.

The fair, at 36722 State Road 52 in Dade City, is rooted in the desire to promote Pasco County’s youth and its other resources.

Although fairs had been held in the community dating back to around 1915, one hadn’t been held there for years until a group of local businessmen got together in 1947 and decided to begin hosting the annual event, according to the fair’s website.

San Antonio rancher D.E. Cannon led the group, which included agriculture agent Jimmy Higgins and businessmen George Nikolai, Bob Williams and Joe Collura. They found a 40-acre tract along State Road 52 and raised $3,500 to purchase the site.

The Hoppers, a widely known gospel singing group, are set to perform on Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Dan Cannon Auditorium.
The Hoppers, a widely known gospel singing group, are set to perform on Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Dan Cannon Auditorium.

The first documented Pasco County Fair took place between Jan. 20 and Jan. 24, 1948.

Besides giving families a chance to enjoy themselves, and visitors a chance to gorge on fair food, the event also provides a platform for youths to showcase their skills.

“We’re growing kids. That’s the focus,” Converse said.

“It’s important for me to give the kids in our county a chance to show off their talents and their skills,” he said.

“They can do their stuff at school … and the only people who see it are people who come to the school. But, to be able to put that out into the public at a fair is a great opportunity for these kids. They don’t have anyplace else,” he said.

At the fairgrounds, there is a huge school exhibit building where kids’ works are on display.

There’s also a Lego competition this year, “which is something new and different,” Converse said.

The fair also is reviving its bluegrass night and its gospel night.

Little Roy and Lizzy are scheduled to perform on Feb. 17 at 6 p.m., in the Dan Cannon Auditorium.
Little Roy and Lizzy are scheduled to perform on Feb. 17 at 6 p.m., in the Dan Cannon Auditorium.

“We’re bringing back Little Roy and Lizzie, which is a perennial crowd favorite in the bluegrass industry,” he said. Their show will be Feb. 17 at 6 p.m., at the Dan Cannon Auditorium.

“On Thursday night, we have an internationally known gospel group called The Hoppers, along with a quartet that’s actually part of the family, too, called The Hoppers 2.0,” Converse said.

That show will be on Feb. 18 at 6 p.m., at the Dan Cannon Auditorium.

The Hoppers are widely known, Converse said.

“We’re really excited about having them, because they’re a bigger name act than we normally get at this fair, because we’re just a small, country fair,” he said.

“Bringing the gospel (night) back, to me, is a big thing,” Converse added.

The fair, which runs through Feb. 21, also has a few other new twists.

There are some new rides on the Midway, there’s a new Disc-Connected K9s, Frisbee-dog show, and there’s a firefighter’s show that’s both educational and entertaining, Converse said.

The community pitches in to put on the fair, Converse noted.

“Over the course of the fair, between the directors and the committee chair people and all of the volunteers who help, there’s probably 400, maybe as many as 500 people.

“We’re all volunteers. None of us get paid for doing this. So, it’s a labor of love,” he said.

But, he thinks it’s the worth the time, effort and energy he invests in it.

“For me, agriculture in Florida is a very vital part of Florida’s economy and what Florida is. People aren’t aware of it.

“It’s important for me, and for us, to make sure that kids are educated in agricultural things, and understand that milk doesn’t come from Winn-Dixie and eggs don’t come from Publix, they come from cows and chickens, those kinds of things,” Converse said.

Pasco County Fair
When: Through Feb. 21 (hours vary, check the website at PascoCountyFair.com)
What: Rides, food, games, entertainment, livestock and exhibits.
Where: Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52
How much: Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children 6 through 12; parking is free. Wristbands are available for unlimited rides. Parking is free. (On Feb. 21, one child is admitted free with each adult)

Published February 17, 2016

Ideas clash for solving traffic woes

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A proposal for a flyover at State Road 54 and U.S. 41 got a big thumb’s down at a recent transportation task force meeting aimed at finding solutions for reducing congestion on one of Pasco County’s busiest east/west corridors.

In fact, the idea of a flyover anywhere along State Road 54 and State Road 56 between U.S. 19 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard met stiff resistance.

About 50 people, including members of two separate task forces, residents and Pasco County officials, met Feb. 2 at Rasmussen College to discuss options.

A heavy volume of cars and trucks makes State Road 54 and U.S. 41 one of the busiest intersections in Pasco County. (File Photo)
A heavy volume of cars and trucks makes State Road 54 and U.S. 41 one of the busiest intersections in Pasco County.
(File Photo)

Task force members pressed county officials to consider using frontage roads to ease congested intersections and to preserve access to local businesses and shops.

The task force also approved a motion to ask county planners to determine the feasibility of the frontage road option.

“Our solution is at grade, which is what the public wants,” said Tom Ryan, a task force member and economic development manager at the Pasco Economic Development Council. “It (flyover) infringes on their quality of life. There is no way around it. It will affect quality of life.”

Ryan was joined by task force member Robb Sercu who also tossed out ideas for at-grade alternatives rather than flyovers.

The meeting was the first joint session of East and West task forces, which began meeting separately in September. Each was appointed as an advisory board to the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization. Their task is to recommend up to five alternatives that the MPO can consider for future transportation projects over the next 20 years. One option is not to build anything.

The West Task Force is studying State Road 54 from west of U.S. 41, and the East Task Force, from east of U.S. 41.

However, discussion at the joint meeting quickly focused on the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 as a priority that likely will be the first road project to need funding.

“That is the most congested location at this time,” said Ali Atefi, a transportation engineer with MPO.

The Florida Department of Transportation held a public hearing in January to get input on two alternatives for elevated lanes over U.S. 41. Many who attended said they came away believing they would pay tolls.

“That’s what got a lot of people upset in our area,” said task force member Fred Knauer. “If I go to Lowe’s, I have to pay a toll?”

Atefi said tolls could be a source to pay for the roads, but that hasn’t been decided yet.

County officials also noted that even with elevated lanes, there would be at-grade through lanes at the intersection.

Some of those attending the meeting want tolls to be an option, to help reduce congestion.

“Toll roads do have a place,” said task force member Marilyn DeChant. “They take drivers off grade and put them up (on express lanes). They do have a place to be considered.”

But, task force member Susie Hoeller said toll roads could hurt elderly residents on fixed incomes and local businesses that do deliveries.

“People in government, they don’t look at the real impact on people’s lives,” she said. “I think it’s a bad idea.”

Whatever option that gains approval should be one that is feasible and reasonable, said Ryan.

And, any option that involves construction will cause disruptions including the purchase of right-of-way, he said.

“We shouldn’t hide away from discussing eminent domain. These are going to come up,” he said. “There’s a business or two that might have to move.”

Keystone Community Church, at 21010 State Road 54, also could be in the path of future road construction.

“We’re in a growth mode now,” said Wayne Hawes, chairman of the church’s board of directors. “Are we going to waste our money if we expand our facilities?”

Even if funds were available now, Atefi said construction could be between seven and eight years away.

Funding more likely won’t be available until after 2020.

Some people at the meeting expressed frustrations and skepticism about the planning process.

Dave Miller said the county’s long-range land use plan is too focused on increasing density.

“This is social engineering,” said Miller who lives in west Pasco, off Little Road and State Road 54.

“They are trying to force people into high rises on transit lanes. You need to throw this back at them (Pasco County and the state). This is not workable,” Miller said.

Others seemed skeptical that their efforts on the task force would be taken seriously.

“Ultimately it’s going to be what they want it to be,” said task force member Christie Zimmer. “I’m praying it’s not that, and we won’t get something stuffed down our throats.”

Her remarks drew some applause.

Task force members will complete surveys in the next weeks to identify up to five construction alternatives, plus a no-build option.

The West Task Force will vote on alternatives at its final meeting on March 28. The East Task Force will do the same at its meeting on March 31. Both of those meetings will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Rasmussen College.

The planning organization will do additional study on the top selections.

What: Town Hall meeting with Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, and county staff members
When: Feb. 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 20735 Leonard Road, Lutz

Published February 10, 2016

Craft beers are In the Loop in Land O’ Lakes

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Cooking home brewed beer started as a hobby five years ago, with three friends in Land O’ Lakes meeting up in a garage on Cherbourg Loop.

All anyone had to say was – “See you at the loop.”

And, the next few hours were devoted to brewing beer.

The compliments rolled in.

Mark Pizzurro, Joe Traina and Peter Abreut anticipate opening their craft brewery in Land O’ Lakes in spring. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)
Mark Pizzurro, Joe Traina and Peter Abreut anticipate opening their craft brewery in Land O’ Lakes in spring.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

“We had a lot of people like our beers,” said Peter Abreut. “That made us think we could really start something.”

By spring, a garage hobby will become In the Loop Brewing with an on-site brewery, tap and tasting room, and nearly 7,000 square feet for an outdoor beer garden.

The brewery, tap and tasting room will open first, with the beer garden opening later on.

Abreut and partners, Mark Pizzurro and Joe Traina, are busy renovating a former residence at 3338 Land O’ Lakes Boulevard. The two-story house is next door to a building that houses Interior Elegance and Abreut’s gym, Crossfit En Fuego.

The upstairs can be rented for private parties or special events such as birthdays, weddings and office parties.

“We’re trying to keep the house as is,” Pizzurro said. “It has its own character.”

A former single-family home on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard is being renovated for a tap and tasting room. In the Loop Brewing will be next door to Interior Elegance and Crossfit En Fuego.
A former single-family home on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard is being renovated for a tap and tasting room. In the Loop Brewing will be next door to Interior Elegance and Crossfit En Fuego.

A shed on the property will be converted into the brewery.

An outdoor patio, decks, an inside/outside serving window and landscaping will complement the beer garden.

Noise will be kept at a minimum, Traina said, with low-level background music for the beer garden.

“It’s very community oriented,” he said. “That’s our goal.

Everything is coming into place.

In the Loop Brewing already has a fan base with nearly 900 likes on Facebook from beer enthusiasts who identify as “loopers.”

A Portland-based company is delivering brewing equipment. The Pasco County Commission, in January, approved the brewery’s beer and wine licenses. A federal license to brew beer is expected soon.

“I’m excited about this. This is a great day for Land O’ Lakes,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore. “This is great for the area’s development. This is also tourism for the county if you think about it.”

An In the Loop growler sits on a table on the patio of a former residence that is being renovated as a tap and tasting room for In the Loop Brewing.
An In the Loop growler sits on a table on the patio of a former residence that is being renovated as a tap and tasting room for In the Loop Brewing.

Three years ago Big Storm Brewing, located in Odessa, was Pasco’s only craft brewery.

“For years you’d seen nothing of this kind of thing,” Traina said.

Pasco now is seeing a burst of new breweries.

The vacant ClassB screen-printing business in downtown Zephyrhills will soon open as Zephyrhills Brewing Co. Pasco County commissioners also approved a beer and wine license for Rebel Dog Brewing Co., in New Port Richey.

According to 2014 data from the Brewers Association, Florida ranked ninth nationally in numbers of craft breweries, with 111 locations. The state held the fifth spot in production at 1.1 million barrels of craft beer.

But, Traina said the trend for more breweries isn’t about competition, but camaraderie. “The whole culture of the (brewing) community is to be tight- knit,” he said. “It’s so diverse.”

Pizzurro is head brewer among the partners. In addition to home brewing, he served as an intern at Big Storm for about a year.

In the Loop’s beer selections so far include an IPA, American pale ale, a Vienna lager and farmhouse ale.

It is a true partnership, however.

Everyone can contribute on beer recipes.

Abreut is skilled in marketing; Traina in sales.

“We all bring something to the table,” Traina said.

And, they take pride in bringing a unique experience to Land O’ Lakes.

“It’s helping revitalize this area,” said Abreut. “That’s what we want to do.”

More information about In the Loop Brewing can be found on their Facebook page.

Published February 3, 2016

Kumquats reign supreme at Dade City festival

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They take the cake and the pies at the festival.

The first kumquat tree in St. Joseph took root more than 100 years ago, when C.J. Nathe planted it in his backyard.

He added a few more, and soon he had a small grove on an acre of fertile ground.

The kumquat king, as Nathe was later dubbed, transformed a quiet back road community into the Kumquat Capital of the World.

An open house will take place on Jan. 28 and Jan. 29 at the Kumquat Growers packinghouse and gift shop.

The 19th annual Kumquat Festival is set for Jan. 30 in downtown Dade City.

Margie Neuhofer and her husband Joseph Neuhofer are among founding growers of Kumquat Growers Inc. Neuhofer manages the gift shop. She and Frank Gude show off kumquat products sold at the shop. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Margie Neuhofer and her husband Joseph Neuhofer are among founding growers of Kumquat Growers Inc. Neuhofer manages the gift shop. She and Frank Gude show off kumquat products sold at the shop.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

More than 40,000 people are expected to stroll through the historic town square during the festival, which will feature more than 425 vendor booths. There will be arts and crafts, a car and truck show, a health and wellness area, live entertainment, a farmer’s market, the Kumquat Kids Corral, a quilt challenge, and kumquats in pies, cakes, salsas, jams, jellies and chutneys.

No one imagined nearly two decades ago the drawing power of a tiny citrus fruit from Asia, sweet on the outside and tart on the inside.

“The biggest thing that made it a success was people didn’t know what a kumquat was. There was the curiosity of it,” said Frank Gude, president and founding partner in Kumquat Growers Inc., the country’s largest producer and shipper of kumquats, and kumquat products.

Phyllis Smith, Roxanne Barthle and Carlene Ellberg organized the first festival on the lawn of Dade City’s historic courthouse with only a few vendors.

“We started slow, and then it built,” said Gude.

Gude’s family traces its history with kumquat farming to those early plantings decades ago.

The Gudes were one of five original growers who founded the packing cooperative in the early 1970s. Others were Charles Barthle, Joseph and Paul Neuhofer and Fred Heidgerken.

But, kumquat groves dotted the rural landscape for decades before then.

“Every family out here had a little block of kumquats,” said Gude. It didn’t take much to produce an abundant crop. “Depending on how many kids they had (to do the picking), they could have enough to ship kumquats (up north).”

Nathe gets historical credit for starting it all.

The Michigan native had been an employee of nearby Jessamine Gardens nursery for many years. He had a special affection for the small decorative tree with delicate green leaves and orange fruit.

Up north, the kumquat blooms added color and charm to Christmas décor in wreaths, on mantels, and as stylish adornments on gift packages. Or, people wanted a pretty tree for their yards.

But, as Nathe knew, they also could be popped into the mouth and eaten or preserved as marmalade, jams and jellies.

Nathe gave away most of his early harvests to neighbors. But, he soon realized the commercial value of the kumquat, both decorative and edible.

He loaded his kumquats on the rail line and shipped them north by the bushels.

His neighbors took note, and kumquat trees sprouted across the countryside.

As a young boy, Gude, now age 86, and his siblings, had kumquat chores during harvesting seasons. “We’d come home from school to pick kumquats,” he said. “My job especially was to make crates to ship them in. The girls would be out there picking them.”

Gude said local families swapped recipes for kumquat pies, cakes, jellies and jams. Many of those recipes went into a cookbook that was slipped into kumquat gift boxes, and shipped to cities such as New York and Chicago. Outside, the boxes would be decorated with pretty clippings of fruit nestled within leaves.

Agricultural regulations nowadays don’t allow leaves due to the potential for spreading pesticides and plant diseases, Gude said.

But, at the time, the kumquat’s versatility only boosted its popularity.

The trees typically bear fruit three times a year, in May, June and July.

“You pick one crop, and the next crop gets ready,” Gude said.

Kumquat Growers represents about 10 area growers. “We harvest their fruit and market it for them,” Gude said.

At the packinghouse on Gude Road, off State Road 578, a small group of workers are stationed on the assembly line — washing, cleaning and stripping away leaves. Kumquats are packaged in small containers and then boxed for delivery.

In downtown Dade City, a 1950s-style sign inside Olga’s Deli, advertises kumquat refrigerator pie, using a recipe by Rosemary Gude, Frank’s wife, who died in 2014.

The recipe uses a frozen kumquat puree sold by the growers’ cooperative.

As often happens, the festival coincides with Tampa’s pirate invasion and Gasparilla Festival. The first time that happened, organizers of the kumquat fest held their breath.

But, they need not have worried. The tiny kumquat triumphed.

“Different crowds,” Gude said.

Even after all these year, Gude is amazed that some people still don’t know what a kumquat is.

At the open house, Gude and Roger Swain, the former host of The Victory Garden on PBS, will explain to visitors “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About a Kumquat.”

There also will be tours of the groves and the packinghouse, free samples of kumquat products and a farmer’s market.

Donations for hot dogs will go to the American Cancer Society.

For those who want to do a little shopping, the gift shop is stocked with all things kumquat, including pie, marmalades, butter, chutney and salsa. There’s even sweet or spicy barbecue sauce and vinaigrette, featuring kumquats.

Free samples are always available, said Margie Neuhofer, who manages the shop.

And, those samples typically turn into sales, she said.

“Once they taste it, they want to buy it,” Neuhofer said.

At the festival’s first open house, people lined up along the road waiting to get in.

Last year more than 1,000 people stopped by, and Neuhofer expects this year to be no different.

“A lot of people like it better than the festival,” she said.

What: Kumquat Growers Open House
When: Jan. 28 and Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: 31647 Gude Road, in St. Joseph
What: Grove and packing house tours, farmer’s market, free kumquat samples and kumquat products for sale in the gift shop
Cost: Free

What: 19th Annual Kumquat Festival
When: Jan. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Historic downtown Dade City
What: Music, arts & crafts, car and truck show, food trucks, family fun and lots of kumquats
Cost: Admission is free, transportation from satellite parking areas is free, and city-owned parking lots in downtown Dade City are free.

Published January 27, 2016

Wesley Chapel Boulevard to be widened

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The developer of Cypress Creek Town Center could issue bids for a redesign along County Road 54, also known as Wesley Chapel Boulevard, as early as February.

If that happens, construction could begin in April to widen a stretch of roadway from its intersection with State Road 56 north past a planned entry in the mall.

“That’s optimistic,” said Brent Whitley, vice president of Sierra Properties Inc. “But, we want to be completed by the end of the year.”

Additional roadwork by Pasco County might not happen until 2020, but area residents are eager to see a start on easing traffic woes on the existing two-lane portion of Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

Residents listen as Michael Campo, roadway project engineer with Kisinger Campo & Associates, answers questions about the proposed road design for County Road 54. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Residents listen as Michael Campo, roadway project engineer with Kisinger Campo & Associates, answers questions about the proposed road design for County Road 54.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

More than 100 residents attended a workshop on Jan.15 to check out the proposed road project. County transportation planners and representatives of Kisinger Campo & Associates were on hand at Veterans Elementary School to answer questions and listen to input on the road design.

The goal is to build a six-lane divided roadway from north of State Road 56 to north of Magnolia Boulevard. The project will provide three 12-foot traffic lanes on both sides of a median. There also will be bicycle lanes, a five-foot-wide sidewalk on the west side of the road, and an eight-foot sidewalk on the east side.

On the county’s part, completion of the roadway’s design is expected in 2016. Construction to start where the mall’s expanded roadwork ends won’t happen until right-of-way acquisition is completed. That process will begin in 2016. Funding for the project is included in Pasco County’s five-year capital improvement budget.

Sierra Properties, the mall developer, is responsible for that portion of the road that runs past the mall, located north of State Road 56 at the intersection with Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

A traffic signal is planned at the mall’s entrance.

Most of the residents at the workshop expressed frustrations about increasing traffic congestion, long waits to turn onto Wesley Chapel Boulevard as they exit their subdivisions and concerns about right-of-way acquisition.

Currently, the road has six lanes where Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 56 meet, but it quickly tapers to two lanes beyond the mall’s property.

“The main issue is being able to get in and out of Grand Oaks,” said Jim Clark, who moved to Grand Oaks in 1997. “It’s a tremendous problem especially going east.”

A wait of 10 minutes or more to exit the subdivision is not unusual, he said.

“We really do need a stop light,” said his wife, Trisha Clark.

The couple will get their wish.

County planners said new traffic signals would be installed at Grand Oaks and at Stagecoach, in addition to the light at the mall.

New growth, both residential and commercial, gets the blame for the increasing traffic woes.

“Because of the expansion of new car dealerships, it’s growing greatly, which is a good thing,” said Ed Rogers, who lives in Grand Oaks. “But, now we have trucks at all hours of the night. The noise will be even more.”

Rogers and his neighbor, Kay Kleinhample, also had concerns that the county would buy up right-of-way that would take down Grand Oaks’ entrance wall, and even all or part of their homes.

That won’t be the case, according to county planners.

Instead, the right-of-way still needed for the project will come from the east side of Wesley Chapel Boulevard. That could affect some businesses, but no homes will be lost, they said.

Concerns still remain about the timing and how the redesign will work.

“What are they going to do to make our living a little easier?” Kleinhample said.

Published January 20, 2016

Area events honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lives on each year as communities nationwide celebrate the birth of the civil rights leader with parades, community service days and reflections on his message of non-violence.

The official holiday honoring King will be Jan. 18.

In Pasco County, celebrations will be take place throughout the week, including a first-time parade in Lacoochee on the official holiday.

The parade came at the suggestion of the young people in the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, said Lorenzo Coffie, who is helping organize the parade and a scholarship breakfast for the MLK Program Committee.

“We thought it was an exciting idea,” Coffie said.

Area colleges and civic groups also are planning events.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his stirring ‘I Have a Dream’ speech during the 1963 March on Washington. (FIle Photo)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his stirring ‘I Have a Dream’ speech during the 1963 March on Washington.
(FIle Photo)

Pasco-Hernando State College will host the 31st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture Series on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21, on its various campuses around the county.

The guest speaker will be Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of black popular culture in African-American Studies at Duke University in North Carolina and director of the Institute of Critical US Studies.

The theme of Neal’s lectures will be “Hip Hop, Civil Rights and Social Media.”

King’s legacy is in civil rights, but also social justice, and this year’s theme focuses on the synergy between the two, said Imani Asukile, director of Global & Multicultural Awareness at PHSC.

Neal also brings expertise in social media and its cultural influences. His articles have been published in the Washington Post, Emerge Magazine and The Chicago Sun-Times.

He is author of four books, including his most recent, “New Black Man: Rethinking Black Masculinity.”
Neal has described himself as a black feminist male.

At Saint Leo University, there will be a Spring Community Service Day on Jan. 18.

Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince will be the guest speaker at noon in the Student Community Center boardroom, discussing King’s efforts to end childhood poverty.

Quince became the first African-American woman appointed to a state appeals court when she was selected to serve on the Second Court of Appeal in 1993. She was elected to the position three years later.

Gov. Lawton Chiles and Gov.-elect Jeb Bush appointed her to the Florida Supreme Court in 1998. She served as chief justice from 2008 to 2010, making her the second African-American and third woman to hold the position.

Following her talk, a free children’s fair will be on campus. There will be face painting, sand art and several inflatables. Faculty, students and student clubs will host the activities.

In Lacoochee, the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, local churches, schools, area businesses and the MLK Program Committee plan two days of activities.

On Jan. 16, a Scholarship Breakfast program will take place at the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee. Donations of $10 for adults and $5 for students are requested. The funds will provide scholarships to area high school students.

On Jan. 18, a parade will be held, followed by a program at the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, with the Rev. Deundrick Reed as keynote speaker.

The MLK Program Committee enlists different hosts each year for festivities. Coffie said the committee members appreciate the enthusiasm of the youth at the Boys & Girls Club who wanted to stage a parade.

Pasco County Sheriff’s Cpl. Jessica Hammond, known as Officer Friendly, also encouraged the parade, he said.

The theme is “The Dream: One Nation Under God.”

“(Dr.) King was a reverend. That was his forte,” said Coffie. “His ministry was based on nonviolence and equality for all.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations:

Activities at Pasco-Hernando State College
Who: Guest lecturer Mark Anthony Neal, professor of black popular culture in African-American Studies at Duke University
What: Lecture on  “Hip Hop, Civil Rights and Social Media”
When: Jan. 20 at 10 a.m., in Room B-303, Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Road, Wesley Chapel and at 6 p.m. in Room A-240, East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road, Dade City.
Neal also will speak on Jan. 21 at 9:45 a.m., via web telecast in B-104/105, North Campus, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Brooksville; at 9:45 a.m., in Performing Arts Center, West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road, New Port Richey, and at 7 p.m., in Room B-105, Spring Hill Campus, 450 Beverly Court, Spring Hill

Activities at Saint Leo University
What: Speech by Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince
Where: Student Community Center boardroom
When: Jan. 18 at noon

What: Children’s fair
When: Jan. 18, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., on the green between the Student Activities Building and Kirk Hall.
Saint Leo University is at 33701 State Road 52, four miles east of Interstate 75.

MLK Program Committee Activities

What: Scholarship Breakfast Program
When: Jan. 16, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., at the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, 38724 Mudcat Grant Blvd., in Lacoochee.
How much: Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for students

MLK parade
When: Jan. 18 at 9 a.m.
Where: Starting in Lacoochee at Cummer Road and U.S. 301, ending at Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee. After the parade, there will be a MLK Commemorative Program at 11 a.m., at the boys and girls club, where the Rev. Deundrick Reed will be the keynote speaker. There will be refreshments at Stanley Park after the program.

Published January 13, 2016