Top Story

Native plants play starring role in this tour

April 13, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Organizers say this tour is first of its kind in Pasco County

When the Spitlers moved into their home in Land O’ Lakes, its landscape was devoid of native plants and wildlife.

That was before Jonnie Spitler joined the Nature Coast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and began changing things up.

Jonnie Spitler loves spending time in her garden, because it offers an ever-changing nature show. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Jonnie Spitler loves spending time in her garden, because it offers an ever-changing nature show.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

Now, her yard is among seven sites included in what she calls Pasco County’s first Native Garden Tour.

The tour, organized by the Nature Coast Chapter, gives visitors a chance to see native plants in a variety of landscapes and to see how they support wildlife.

Spitler, president of the chapter, hopes the tour will increase her organization’s membership and will result in more native plants being added to the local landscape.

That’s important, Spitler said, because as more development occurs in Pasco County, steps must be taken to support bees, butterflies, birds and other creatures that rely on native plants.

The Land O’ Lakes woman is wild about her garden.

“When you have a native plant garden — and you walk through your garden — every single day is different. Something else is blooming. Something shows up in a place that you didn’t expect it to show up.

This rosin weed adds a splash of yellow color in Jonnie Spitler’s front yard. Her house is one of seven sites in an upcoming native plant society tour.

“There are native bees, there are some beautiful iridescent green bees that I’ve seen that I never saw before, that have shown up in the yard,” Spitler said.

A walk around her property offers gardening enthusiasts plenty of ideas.

Along the edge of her front yard, she’s planted flea bane, a plant some people view as a weed, while others see as a wildflower.

There’s rosin weed, sporting a bright yellow bloom.

She’s enthusiastic about rosin weed: “It’s a wonderful plant. It grows almost all year long, and it is native and it flowers almost all year.”

Other plants around her front, side and back yards include coontie, coreopsis, firebush, coral honeysuckle and passion vine, to name just a few. There’s a winged elm tree and a fringe tree, too.

Her coral honeysuckle is her pride and joy.

“It brings in the hummingbirds. It can be grown any way — on a pole, on a trellis, allowed to grow as ground cover.

“I think everyone should have a coral honeysuckle somewhere in their yard, on a little pole.”

She’s creative.

Instead of using mulch at the base of a tree, she’s planted wild petunia, a plant she describes as “a lovely, low-growing ground cover.”

Gardener Jonnie Spitler asks: Why put mulch around the base of a tree, when you can use a lovely ground cover such as wild petunia?

Her Simpson’s Stopper, she said, produces beautiful white, aromatic flowers.
“As soon as the white flowers bloom, the bees will be all over it. Then, it has red berries, and birds will land and eat all of the berries,” she said.

She also has a wild lime — a host plant for the giant swallowtail butterfly.

And, bees buzz happily around her sunshine mimosa.

The tour stops offer gardening enthusiasts a chance to see native plants in a variety of settings. One stop, in Odessa, features a wild habitat at a concrete company.

Another showcases a native plant garden in a gated subdivision.

Another is a hideaway location, off the south branch of the Anclote River, which includes a stand of cypress in a variety of woodsy landscapes.

A fourth site features a former orange grove that’s been replaced by 200 native trees.

The fifth site features a wildlife corridor, created in the midst of a subdivision.

Spitler’s garden is the sixth site on the tour.

At the last one is a wildflower nursery, where people can purchase some of the plants they’ve seen during the tour.

Native Garden Tour, presented by the Nature Coast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society
April 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
$10 per person; $20 per carload
Seven stops:

Site 1: Preferred Materials Inc., 11913 State Road 54, Odessa, 33556
Site 2: 1521 Westerham Loop, Trinity, 34655 (Get map from another location. Do not use GPS, it will take you to a residents’-only gate)
Site 3: 17157 Gunlock Road, Lutz, 33558
Site 4: 2133 Henley Road, Lutz, 33558
Site 5: 21006 Lake Thomas Road, Land O’ Lakes 34638
Site 6: 2435 Oasis Drive, Land O’ Lakes, 34639
Site 7: 21930 Carson Drive, Land O’ Lakes, 34639

Tickets can be purchased at any stop, but organizers would prefer them to be purchased at Site 1 on the tour. For more information, call Steve Joyce at (813) 767-3131.

Published April 13, 2016

Task forces consider road choices

April 6, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Two volunteer task forces recommend more in-depth review of a range of traffic solutions for State Road 54 and State Road 56 that include keeping redesigned roads at ground level, building flyovers or a no-build option.

The West Task Force and the East Task Force concluded the first phase of a vision study for the State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridor with meetings on March 28 and March 31, respectively. It was the third meeting for each group, which began working on the issue in September 2015.

Members of the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization will review the recommendations from the task forces to determine where to focus their attention in coming months. Each group took 18 alternatives and whittled them to no more than six options, including the no-build choice. There also were add-on alternatives to the list that were considered, such as designs that used frontage and bypass roads.

Vehicles stack up along State Road 56 as they approach and pass by the Interstate 75 interchange, near Tampa Premium Outlets. A vision study is looking at ways to ease congestion as more development pops up along the east/west corridor. (File Photo) — Vehicles stack up along State Road 56 as they approach and pass by the Interstate 75 interchange, near Tampa Premium Outlets. A vision study is looking at ways to ease congestion as more development pops up along the east/west corridor.
(File Photo)

The next phase of a three-part study is expected to drill down on specific transportation alternatives, with greater detail on design and costs of future construction.

The study’s second phase could take months, probably not concluding until late 2017 or 2018.

“This is going to be a long process,” said James Edwards, the county’s transportation planning manager with the MPO. “Something has to be done,” he added.

In addition to overall concerns about the entire corridor, area residents and the East Task Force also concentrated on the State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection. About 100,000 vehicles travel through it daily.

A proposal from the Florida Department of Transportation would build a flyover that would be elevated over U.S. 41, and could include toll lanes. The issue has stirred controversy and worries that the Land O’ Lakes community could be split in half, with many businesses being closed or relocated.

State transportation officials recently have said they would wait for the county’s vision study before moving forward on the matter.

The entire State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridor is a high development area, with new homes, shops, restaurants, offices and hotels popping up. Congestion and traffic volume is increasing rapidly.

“Our models tell us we have a problem,” Edwards said. “It’s a corridor with issues. It’s not just one intersection.”

The West Task Force focused on State Road 54 from U.S. 19, in west Pasco, to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. The East Task Force reviewed State Road 54/State Road 56, from U.S. 41 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, east of Interstate 75.

Task force members were from the MPO’s Citizens Advisory Committee, local chambers of commerce, community leaders, developers or their representatives, and residents from East Pasco and West Pasco.

The groups, each with nine members, will remain in place to aid with upcoming reviews.

Officials, however might make some new appointments to the East Task Force based on spotty attendance by some members.

The task forces opted mostly for the same transportation alternatives, but varied in how they ranked their choices. Elevated express lanes, with public transit express lanes, ranked first in the West Task Force survey, but just barely based on a weighted score. Close behind were survey responses in favor of a modified alternative with at-grade express lanes and express transit lanes.

Most East Task force members wanted six at-grade lanes, with dedicated lanes for public buses and rail. That choice was followed by a preference for the no-build option. The top picks by east members were at the bottom of the west members recommended list.

Both groups also supported an add-on alternative that would consider frontage and bypass roads in intersection design.

“These are all going to be analyzed in phase two,” said Ali Atefi, a county transportation engineer.

The East Task Force meeting also heard a new presentation – not included in the survey – for an at-grade design for State Road 54 and U.S. 41, known as “parallel flow intersection.” Jacksonville-based engineer, Greg Parsons, had pitched his concept to state transportation officials previously. He has a patent on the design.

His specific road design to date has not been built in the United States, though Parsons said a few places, including Baton Rouge, have used partial versions of the design.

The design is based on allowing left turns onto a bypass road, before vehicles reach an intersection. Parson said that allows for a continual flow of traffic.

“I’m really confident my traffic option will work,” Parsons said.

He is equally certain the transportation department’s flyover, or any elevated design, won’t work.

With traffic volume increases, Parsons predicts that by 2040, an elevated roadway would see delays of up to an hour getting through traffic signals, with vehicles backed up for four miles.

According to Parsons, his proposed design would mean delays of one minute and minimum vehicle lineups.

Edwards said that Parson’s concept would be vetted by the state department of transportation.

“It’s a little premature. He’s introducing a concept out there,” he said. “There’s a lot of information that isn’t at the table yet and many issues to be vetted.”

For information about Mobility 2040: A Vision for the SR 54/56 Corridor Phase 1, visit PascoCountyFl.net.

To view Parson’s YouTube presentation, visit GFParsons.com/us41-sr54.

Published April 6, 2016

These women love to soar

March 30, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Whether they’re supporting young girls through scholarships to Space Camp, or honoring women pilots who served in World War II, there’s an organization of women that supports the joy of flying in all of its forms.

The group, which calls itself The Ninety-Nines Inc., got its start in 1929.

It began when some female aviators wanted to have to a long-distance race, said Marilyn Shafer, of Land O’ Lakes, who is a member of the Florida Suncoast Chapter of the group.

“It was supposed to start out in California and go over the mountains,” Shafer said.

Marilyn Shafer is enthralled by the joys of flight. The Land O’ Lakes woman belongs to The Ninety-Nines Inc., an organization that supports women and the joy of flying, in all of its forms. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Marilyn Shafer is enthralled by the joys of flight. The Land O’ Lakes woman belongs to The Ninety-Nines Inc., an organization that supports women and the joy of flying, in all of its forms.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“The men didn’t want the women doing that because it was too dangerous for women to be able to get over mountains safely,” Shafer said.

The women decided: “We’re going to do it anyway.”

Through the race, the women discovered how fantastic it was to have the support of each other, and they decided to form an organization of female aviators.

“They sent out formal letters to every licensed woman pilot in the United States. I want to say there was about 129, and 99 of them replied,” Shafer said.

They tossed around some names.

In the end, they chose to honor the women who wanted to be part of the new organization. So, they called themselves The Ninety-Nines.

Amelia Earhart was the group’s first president.

Over time, the group has spread its wings — substantially. It’s now an international organization with about 4,900 members, Shafer said.

“Our mission is advancement in aviation, through scholarship, education and support, while we keep in mind where we started — our history,” Shafer said.

The Suncoast chapter includes a wide swath of territory, including Pasco County and going from Crystal River to Sarasota, from Ocala over to Winter Haven.

The chapter has roughly 60 members, including commercial pilots, military pilots, general aviation pilots and student pilots.

The group sponsors two scholarships a year for girls, in grades four through six, who would like to attend Space Camp. This year’s deadline for applications is April 2.

The chapter also is involved in other educational activities.

“We just finished a Girl Scout Aviation Day over at Clearwater Air Park. Girl Scouts came in. We had different stations. They got to build an airplane. They got to set off rockets,” Shafer said.

The girls also had a chance to learn about experimental airplanes and to see how an airplane is built.

Besides all of that, they were able to climb into an airplane, put on the headphones and have their photo taken while they were sitting at the controls, Shafer said.

Every year, the chapter honors members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, also known as WASPs, at the annual Fun ‘n Sun International Fly-in & Expo, an event in Lakeland.

The number of WASPs is dwindling, Shafer said.

“They were the women who served during World War II. They flew airplanes, trailing a target for the men on the ground to practice live ammunition training in shooting things out of the sky,” she said.

They delivered newly built airplanes to the East Coast, so men there could use them in Europe,” she said.

“We have very few left. We try to bring each of them that are interested, and a companion, and put them on Sun ‘ N Fun Radio. We have a luncheon for them, where they field questions,” she said.

This year the luncheon is on April 7.

Besides supporting female aviators, members of The Ninety-Nines have been involved in creating air markings — to help pilots in the air to know where they are.

“They divided themselves up into different sections of the United States, and they would climb up on barn roofs and paint the name of the town on the barn roof.

“Or, they would put up something on the ground with a mark, to denote their location, if you saw it from the air,” she said.

They still do that kind of work at airports, she said.

“Our big thing is our compass rose. We will do (paint) a compass rose with the cardinal points, North, East, South and West. It’s painted to magnetic north. It has to be approved. It has to be gridded by the airport authority,” Shafer said.

Shafer’s own fascination with aviation began very early.

“My dad was a Navy pilot and was killed when I was 5. He was taking up a plane for a test, and it crashed on takeoff.

“I’ve always been enthralled with airplanes,” she said.

She wanted to learn how to fly, but usually she didn’t have the time or money, or both, to pursue it.

“It’s not cheap to get a pilot’s license. It’s $5,000 or $6,000, depending on how dedicated you are and how fast you want to get your hours in,” she said.

At age 50, though, she decided to go for it.

She’s delighted she did.

“It’s absolutely wonderful. When you fly, it’s so freeing. You have your headphones on, and yes, you have contact with the ground. But, you don’t have that cellphone ringing, and ‘Oh, I should be doing housework …

“All you do is think about flying,” she said.

She does regret one thing.

She wishes she had joined The Ninety-Nines sooner.

“I thought I had to have my pilot’s license first to be able to join. And, that’s wrong.

“You can join the Ninety-Nines as a student pilot, and there are scholarships available,” Shafer said. “The Amelia Earhart Scholarship from our International Office in Oklahoma — if you get that, it pays for everything.”

More information about The Ninety-Nines Inc., and the Space Camp scholarship, can be obtained on the chapter’s website.

Published March 30, 2016

Animal Services wants higher fees

March 23, 2016 By Kathy Steele

A program to spay and neuter pets, and to educate the public on the value of the surgeries, is facing a financial crunch.

Reserve funds to keep the program afloat could be depleted within three years — unless new revenues are found, and some expenses cut.

Pasco County Animal Services frequently seeks the community’s help to give pets at the shelter a permanent home. (File Photos) — Pasco County Animal Services frequently seeks the community’s help to give pets at the shelter a permanent home.
(File Photos)

Pasco County commissioners got a preview of recommendations to add money to the coffers of Pasco County Animal Services at a March 15 workshop.

Those recommendations include a mandatory $5 fee for a cat license, an increase in an unaltered dog license from $35 to $40, and adoption fees of $85 for small breed dogs and puppies. Kittens younger than four months could cost $55.

Other adoption fees would be unchanged, with dogs costing $70 and cats, $40.

No fee increases are anticipated for the county’s low-income program for reduced-cost sterilizations for qualified applicants. Those rates are $10 for cats and $20 for dogs.

No decisions were made.

Pasco County staff members are expected to bring the issue back to commissioners later.

In some ways, Animal Services is suffering from too much success.

Since 2012, more than 10,000 dogs and cats have been sterilized.

“That’s pretty significant,” said Mike Shumate, the county’s animal services manager.

The county currently contracts with the nonprofit Spay Pasco to manage the spay and education program, as well as the trap-neuter-return program to sterilize feral cats.

That contract expires in February 2017.

Animal services is recommending that the county takes over the programs, estimating potential savings of $18,000 annually.

Over the years, the growing demands for sterilization, and for educational presentations at schools and elsewhere, have strained finances, and drained reserve funds.

Deficit spending for the program is ongoing annually, and the coffers could be empty by 2019.

As an example, the trap-neuter-return program cost about $48,000 in 2013, but two years later cost more than $136,000.

One solution would be to renegotiate contracts Pasco has with area cities, and increase fees for the surgeries.

The current contracts are with Dade City, Zephyrhills, New Port Richey, Port Richey, San Antonio, the town of Saint Leo and Safety Harbor.

Animal services also is recommending that the county adopt an ordinance to codify rules for trap-neuter-return programs.

“We want to make sure people participating in community cat programs have some standards,” Shumate said.

The cat licenses could add about $68,000 to the department’s revenues, based on an estimate of cat-owner households of more than 13,600.

Cat owners can get a license currently, but it is offered by local veterinarians to clients on a voluntary basis.

“We’ve always had the voluntary cat license program,” said Shumate. “It just really hasn’t taken off.”

Pasco is one of only a few counties that doesn’t have mandatory cat licenses.

Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader wondered how the license would be enforced.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said raising fees too much could have consequences.

“If you do this, are people going to get rid of the cats?” he asked.

It would be a gamble, Shumate said. But, he added, “We’re really asking those of us who can afford it to give the $5.”

Published March 23, 2016

Gran Fondo cycles into Pasco

March 16, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

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

March 9, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

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

March 2, 2016 By B.C. Manion

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.

“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

February 24, 2016 By B.C. Manion

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

February 17, 2016 By B.C. Manion

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 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.

“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

February 10, 2016 By Kathy Steele

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