The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Don Porter: He was a forward-thinker, with deep community roots

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When Don Porter was growing up in Wesley Chapel, he attended elementary school at a one-room schoolhouse and rode a bus to Dade City for high school.

Much has changed in the Pasco County community where he grew up — and Porter and his extended family have played a considerable role in creating that change.

Don Porter was described by state Rep. Will Weatherford as a ‘giant of a man.’ Porter died on July 1 at age 73. (Courtesy of the Porter Family)
Don Porter was described by state Rep. Will Weatherford as a ‘giant of a man.’ Porter died on July 1 at age 73.
(Courtesy of the Porter Family)

The memorial service to honor his life was July 12 in the conference center at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a satellite campus of Pasco-Hernando State College. The campus opened in January on 6 acres of the 60 acres of land the Porters donated to the college.

That campus is just one tangible sign of the forward-thinking and big picture approach that the entire family has used in making decisions regarding the development of thousands of acres they have owned for decades, Porter’s son, J.D. Porter, said in a recent interview.

The Shops at Wiregrass, a regional shopping mall, and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, an 80-bed facility, are two other projects built within the 5,100-acre development of regional impact approved in 2006 on the Porters’ land.

Porter, the eldest son of the late James and Martha Porter, moved into Wesley Chapel in the 1940s, long before development hit the area.

He died on July 1, at age 73.

In personal interviews and during the memorial, family and friends described the kind of man Porter was.

They characterized him as a passionate fighter for justice, but also a patient listener. They said he was a deep thinker, a loving father and a faithful friend.

Porter enjoyed single malt scotch and Little Debbie snack cakes. He had musical tastes that ranged from Pavarotti to Dave Brubeck, had his own sense of style, and was a fierce competitor in everything from baseball to Scrabble to table tennis, they added.

State Rep. Will Weatherford said he was 26 and making his first run for state office when he met Porter. Over the past decade, Weatherford had numerous roundtable chats with Porter, his brothers, Tom and Bill, and his son, J.D. The men didn’t talk about what Wiregrass would look like in the next five to 10 years, Weatherford said. They took a much longer view.

“I never knew a man who could speak less and say more than Don Porter,” Weatherford said.

Whatever project they worked on together, “it was always about the long-term sustainability and legacy of this community,” Weatherford said.

“In my business, you get to meet a lot of families that have very large landholdings. It’s not rare for a family to have thousands of acres — there’s a lot them in the state of Florida,” Weatherford said. “But I’ve never met a family, I’ve never met a man — until I met Don — that was so keenly more focused on the future of his community than on how much money he would make off of it.”

While Porter was proud of the accomplishments in the development arena, he would resist being credited as the leader or the patriarch of the family, J.D. Porter said. That role belonged to Don’s father, James Porter.

J.D. Porter said his father, his uncles and the rest of the extended Porter family have shared a collective vision and a collective will for what has been done so far, and for the foundation that has been laid for future achievements.

“Development was a very important part of his life,” J.D. Porter said. “But if you had a top five list, I’m not sure it would make it.

“At No. 1 was family. It wasn’t just my mom, my sister and myself,” he said, but his dad also cared tremendously for his parents, his brothers and their families.

Porter’s daughter, Quinn Miller, recalled a father who taught her how to ride a bicycle, accompanied her to father-daughter dances, and was her biggest fan during her softball days.

Known for his deep, rich voice, Porter did some radio broadcasting in college and later in Zephyrhills. He also used those talents to announce Quinn’s softball and J.D.’s baseball games.

“He was the voice of Berkeley Prep softball,” Miller said.

Porter was quite the athlete himself. He held a baseball state record for years after striking out 20 of the 21 batters he faced during a championship. He attended Ole Miss on a baseball scholarship, and he used the signing bonus he received from the Houston Colt 45s to buy his family’s home on land now occupied by the hospital.

Miller said her dad taught her to think for herself. She remembers being frustrated by him when she would want to commiserate over a problem or disappointment, and he wouldn’t let her or offer her advice.

Instead, he listened and then asked her questions.

She now understands that he wanted her to arrive at her own solutions.

“He had a way of offering perspective by forcing introspection, not (offering) his opinion,” Miller said.

Porter’s cousin, Mike Gramling, and Porter’s friends Will Roberts, Doug Manson and Tom Touchton, also spoke at the memorial. When the Porters arrived in Wesley Chapel, there was no electricity and the family lived in a moonshiner’s cabin, Gramling said. Porter’s mother, Martha, prepared meals on a Coleman stove.

Porter learned to drive a tractor when he was 6, and he didn’t have a store-bought shirt until he went to college, Gramling said.

Roberts said they used to joke that Porter was “sweater-rich.”

“He had more sweaters than Bill Cosby,” Roberts said.

He recalled a time when Porter took him, his brother and J.D. to a basketball game at the University of South Florida Sun Dome. Porter was wearing a beret, a sweater, brown leather pants and black Italian zippered ankle boots.

“Nowadays, the sight of man dressed like that with three young boys might be cause for an Amber Alert. But that was Don in all of his glory,” Roberts said, drawing a roar of laughter from the nearly 240 at the memorial.

Manson was in his late 20s when he met Porter.

It was obvious, he said, that Porter’s life was centered on his family. The two men never had a conversation that didn’t begin with an update on their families.

When Manson had a problem he didn’t know how to solve, he turned to Porter, who would listen for as long as it took, whether that was a few minutes or hours.

“He showed me what friendship is,” Manson said.

Porter was a multi-dimensional man, with many interests, said Touchton, who knew Porter for about 60 years. One of his favorite poets was Lawrence Ferlinghetti, of the beat poet generation.

Porter especially liked Ferlinghetti’s “I am Waiting,” which repeated this phrase, “I am perpetually awaiting the rebirth of wonder.”

“I suggest Don has to wait no longer,” Touchton said, “because in leaving us, he has finally found his rebirth of wonder.”

Published July 16, 2014

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Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel looks west for new CEO

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Denyse Bales-Chubb is the new president and chief executive for Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, beginning Aug. 1.

She replaces Brian Adams, who filled a similar position at Florida Hospital Tampa earlier this year.

Denyse Bales-Chubbs
Denyse Bales-Chubb

“Denyse is committed to our mission and growing the legacy of Seventh-day Adventist health care,” said Don Jernigan, president and chief executive of Adventist Health System, in a release. “I’m pleased to welcome her to our system, and look forward to seeing her contributions to both Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Adventist Health System.”

Bales-Chubb brings more than 25 years of health care experience, most recently serving as vice president and administrator of Adventist Medical Center Selma and Adventist Medical Center Reedley, both located in Southern California. She has worked for other organizations as well, including United WestLabs, Valley Baptist Health Plan, Tenet Health System, Columbia Healthcare, Lutheran Health Systems, and Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center.

“Denyse’s proven success in enhancing the patient experience is going to be a tremendous asset to this region,” said Michael Schultz, president and chief executive of West Florida Region of Adventist Health System, in a release. “She puts quality and patient safety first, approaches physicians as true business partners, and believes in transparent and direct communication. This is the formula we need for Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel’s next phase of growth.

Bales-Chubb holds a master’s degree in health care administration from Wichita State University in Kansas, and a bachelor’s degree in medical technology and biology from Fort Hays State University in Missouri.

“When I visited Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, I was so impressed with the energy and engagement of the staff and physicians,” Bales-Chubb said in a release. “I am excited to join the team and build on the incredible success the hospital has already had because I believe the hospital’s opportunities are endless.”

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is an 83-bed facility located on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in central Pasco County. It opened in 2012 on land once owned by the Porter family.

Enjoy your summer: Avoid a trip to the ER

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If you’ve been outdoors lately, no doubt you’ve observed that Florida’s steamy days of summer have arrived with a vengeance.

You also may have noticed there are a lot more kids riding bicycles in the street, splashing around in pools, and hanging off equipment at the local playground.

Going to the beach is a fun summer pastime, but three local doctors want to make sure that trip doesn’t end up in the emergency room. (File Photo)
Going to the beach is a fun summer pastime, but three local doctors want to make sure that trip doesn’t end up in the emergency room.
(File Photo)

The roads are busier, too. Cars and trucks snake toward the beach, and families have packed up to hit the road for vacation. There are a lot more people firing up their backyard grills and having picnics at parks, too.

Summer and its pastimes can offer a pleasant break, but is also can lead to illnesses or injuries, prompting unwanted trips to the local emergency room. There are ways, though, to lower your risk of getting sick or injured.

Three physicians — from Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and St. Joseph’s Hospital-North — shared their observations about the types of summer injuries that typically arrive at their emergency departments, and they offered suggestions to help people avoid the need for medical care.

On the road
“We see increased motor vehicle accidents,” said Dr. Javier Gonzalez, assistant medical director of the emergency department at the Zephyrhills hospital. Wear a seat belt, he added, because it reduces injuries and save lives.

It’s important to safeguard children, too. Be sure they have the appropriate type of protection, such as car seats or child-restraint chairs, he said. Head injuries tend to increase in the summer, too, because of greater use of bicycles, skateboards and in-line skates, Gonzalez said.

Be sure to wear helmets and make sure they fit properly, he said. Also, be sure the chinstrap is strapped beneath your chin to help protect the side of your head.

Use wrist guards to help prevent injuries, too.

“A lot of these people wear helmets, but when they fall, they put their hands down first, so they get a lot of wrist injuries,” Gonzalez said.

In the water
The importance of water safety cannot be overstated. “In Florida, a lot of people have pools. Make sure they have gates,” Gonzalez said.

Constant vigilance is required when children are in or around water, he added.

“Don’t take a break to get on the phone. I hear that all of the time, ‘I just went out for a second to speak to somebody or to pick up the phone.’ Before they know it, two minutes have passed by and the child is dead at the bottom of the pool.”

At public pools, be sure the child is within view of the lifeguard, Gonzalez said. Drownings at the beach often result from swimmers getting caught in riptides, so be sure to swim across the current, not against it.

“Always wear a life vest, as well, if you are doing activities like jet skiing,” he said. It’s also wise to do so when you’re cruising in a boat.

Besides the potential for drowning accidents, there are other risks associated with the water, Cordero said.

Diving accidents can cause serious neck injuries, she said.

When someone gets hurt diving, it’s important to get them out of the water to make sure they’re breathing, said Dr. Katrina Cordero, associate medical director of the emergency room at St. Joseph’s Hospital–North. Then, make sure they keep their neck still until help arrives.

Enjoying the outdoors
When you’re having a cookout or picnic, pay attention to how long the food has been sitting out, Gonzalez said. Some foods must be refrigerated, and if they are left out too long, it can cause people to become ill.

Store uncooked meats in separate coolers to avoid issues with cross contamination. Also, be sure to thoroughly cook meat and chicken, he said.

All three doctors said drinking water is important to avoid dehydration.

“There’s a misconception that you can actually keep up with your hydration once you’re outside, or once you’re doing the activity,” said Dr. Michael Longley, medical director of the emergency department at the Wesley Chapel hospital. “The reality is you really need to pre-hydrate. Drink a lot either the night before or a couple of hours before you’re going to be outside.

“You’re losing water with every breath you take, you’re losing water with the heat itself. You’re losing water with sweating and you’re losing water with the activity that you’re doing. It’s compounded and there’s just no way to keep up if the tank isn’t full to begin with,” Longley said.

How much you need to drink varies based on your size. An adult should drink a liter or two before they go out. A child should drink about half of that, Longley said.

To help people drink enough water, Longley offers this piece of advice: “I tend to tell kids and adults, alike, to add a little extra salt to their meal. It drives the thirst. It helps the muscle function and it helps you to hold in a little of the water, as well.”

People who suffer from heat cramps, heat stroke and heat exhaustion haven’t hydrated before they go outside, Longley said. Often, people don’t realize how hot they are because they’ve been out in the sun for hours, take a dip and feel a cool breeze.

Sunburn is a problem, too, St. Joe’s Cordero said. People often underestimate the intensity of the sun here.

“They fall asleep on the beach,” she said, and when they wake up, they have painful sunburn.

The same thing can happen when people are out working in the yard and haven’t applied sunscreen, she said. They get busy and forget how much sun exposure they’ve had.

Cordero also offered this tip to avoid becoming dehydrated: Carry a bottle of water or Gatorade around with you, to remind yourself to drink. Some people like to quench their thirst with a beer or another alcoholic drink.

“Beer is OK,” Cordero said. But “don’t let it be your only means of hydration.”

Rockets’ red glare
The increased amount of recreation during summer months tends to result in more people visiting the ER with injuries, Longley said. “We see a lot more broken bones.”

It’s also a time of year when there’s an uptick in fireworks injuries, which are typically unique injuries that require expert medical attention.

“Explosions can cause all sorts of tissue damage locally,” Longley said. “Particles can be inhaled. They can be embedded in the eye.”

The injuries can get complicated quickly.

“Something that seems simple can be way more complex a few hours later,” Longley said.

Sometimes the steps taken immediately after a fireworks injury can make a big difference, Cordero said. If a fingertip is blown off, for example, it’s important to try to find the fingertip, she said. It should be placed in a cloth that has been dampened with water, placed in a plastic bag, and then all put into a larger bag that has some ice in it.

“You don’t want any direct contact with ice,” Cordero said. “That could cause some tissue damage.”

Tips for a safer summer
• Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Start drinking water before you head out for the day, and keep drinking it throughout the day to stay hydrated.

• If you’re grilling, be sure to cook your meats thoroughly. Also, do not allow children to be near hot grills.

• If you’re having a gathering, be sure to keep foods that need refrigeration in coolers until shortly before you need them. Keep them away from direct sunlight and don’t leave them out for more than an hour.

• Wear helmets while riding bikes, skateboarding or rollerblading. Wear wrist guards, too.

• Be vigilant when there are children around water. A happy gathering can turn tragic within minutes.

• Wear sunscreen to avoid sunburn. Be sure to reapply it if you decided to take a dip in a pool or at the beach.

• Wear life jackets on boats and seat belts in cars.

Water Safety Tips
Ways to improve safety:

• Never leave a child unattended at a pool or a spa.

• Teach children basic water safety skills.

• Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings.

• Have a telephone nearby to enable a quick call to emergency agencies.

• If a child is missing, check the pool or spa first.

• Learn CPR.

• Install a 4-foot fence around the perimeter of the pool with a self-closing, self-latching gate.

• Having life-saving equipment such as life rings or floats available and easily accessible.

For information, visit PoolSafely.gov.

Published July 9, 2014

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The Laker/Lutz News becomes a bigger paper on Aug. 6

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This month marks the fifth year since I’ve become publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, having assumed this role in 2009 when the recession was at its peak.

The Laker/Lutz News publisher Diane Kortus shows off the new size of your local newspaper beginning next month, adding six inches of length and bringing it in-line with the size of daily newspapers locally. (Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photo)
The Laker/Lutz News publisher Diane Kortus shows off the new size of your local newspaper beginning next month, adding six inches of length and bringing it in-line with the size of daily newspapers locally.
(Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photo)

Like most small business owners back then, I was faced with cutting staff and expenses as we adjusted to the dramatic downturn in the economy. Business analysts called this “right sizing,” but I mostly remember it as a very difficult, even painful, time to be managing a business.

Over the past five years my employees and I worked hard to rebuild our business, steadily making improvements to our content and distribution. Our perseverance has paid off, and today The Laker/Lutz News has more readers than anytime in our history.

Our papers are read by more than 64,000 residents in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City. This readership represents an incredible 79 percent household penetration — three times more than any other newspaper or magazine in our community.

We could not have rebounded from the economic collapse of the recession to the promising outlook of today without the support and commitment of our readers and advertisers. There was never a doubt that you wanted a strong community newspaper, and for that we will be forever thankful.

And it’s because of your continued belief and support that we’re able to announce today a milestone that is one of the most significant improvements ever to our papers.

Beginning Aug. 6, we are increasing our size to that of a daily newspaper. We will be six inches longer, or 25 percent bigger, than the paper you are holding in your hands today. Here’s why this change should matter to you.

1. Credible newspaper; serious local news
In the past few years, we’ve begun writing more stories about growth and development, new and expanding businesses, public and private education, and city and county government. This complements what we’ve always done, writing stories about our communities and the great people who live and work here.

Changing our format to the same size as daily newspapers communicates even more that The Laker/Lutz News are credible newspapers committed to reporting serious local news. 

2. More and bigger photos
A larger size allows for more and bigger photos. And photos help us tell you stories about special events and things to do, people and organizations that do good and interesting things. It also enables expanded coverage for youth sports and adult recreation.

3. Two sections
Changing size allows us to print two separate sections. The new B Section becomes a second front page to give more prominence to feature stories. The back page of the A Section becomes a high-profile sports page.

With two sections, it is easy to share the paper. You can read the A Section, while someone else in your family reads the B section.

4. Easy-to-find classifieds
Our new B Section will house all classified pages, as well as our Best In Small Business Directory.

5. More advertising circulars
The larger format means we can accept more advertising circulars from major accounts like Publix, Michaels, JCPenney and Ulta. Beginning in August, inserts from Beall’s Outlet will be in the paper, and we expect other national retailers to follow.

6. Bigger ads
Ad sizes in the larger format are 25 percent bigger than current sizes. A bigger ad allows advertisers to include more offers and create more effective ads. This summer we are resizing ads of all current customers to their equivalent larger size in the new format.

My staff and I are proud to have accomplished so much in the past five years.  We greatly look forward to the new opportunities we’ll have with a larger format newspaper.

As always, I welcome your ideas and comments. If you want to talk, please call me at a time best for you — after hours is perfectly fine — at (813) 909-2800 in the office, (813) 503-5213 on my cell, or send me an email at .

Published July 2, 2014

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Creativity wins local kids trip to Washington, D.C.

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The trio jetted to Washington, D.C., to meet with a member of Congress, to hear remarks from the chief executive of an international company, and to take part in television interviews. And they are all still in elementary school.

Sophia Nobles, left, Catie Tomasello and Joey Santana have their picture taken with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson while visiting the nation’s capital. The kids won the trip by placing second nationally in the 22nd annual Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision STEM competition. (Courtesy of Heather Tomasello)
Sophia Nobles, left, Catie Tomasello and Joey Santana have their picture taken with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson while visiting the nation’s capital. The kids won the trip by placing second nationally in the 22nd annual Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision STEM competition.
(Courtesy of Heather Tomasello)

Joey Santana, Sophia Nobles and Catie Tomasello recently returned from a trip to the nation’s capital, and a whirlwind of appearances there. The Countryside Montessori Charter School students took the trip to receive their second-place honors in their age division in the 22nd annual Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision STEM competition, provided by the electronics company and the National Science Teachers Association. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The team, coached by Lorna Cohen, finished among the top eight in the country. The contest itself drew more than 4,900 entries, representing nearly 15,300 students and 550 schools across the United States and Canada, according to the contest website.

It is the world’s largest science and technology competition for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It encourages them to develop problem-solving, critical thinking and collaboration skills.

Contestants are asked to imagine what technology might be like in 20 years. They work in teams to propose ideas for innovative future technology based on what already exists. They simulate scientific research to outline how they plan to test their idea, and they build websites to further illustrate and communicate their concepts.

For their entry, the Countryside Montessori students envisioned WateRenew, a concept that uses the technology of Wave Wings  — which are wings that sway back and forth in the ocean, creating mechanical energy that can be converted to electricity. That electricity would then be used to power a leading edge desalination plant, which in turn creates clean drinking water for homes and businesses.

Florida’s water shortages inspired the team to search for a solution, Nobles and Tomasello said. The team began meeting in September, and team members spent at least a couple of hours each week working on the project.

The team worked well together because they are friends and they respect each other, the girls said. The team divided the project into pieces, and each team member became an “expert” on one part of the project.

Nobles also noted that the team benefited from the help of Lee Marcum, of Clean and Green Enterprises, who took the time to talk to the team about his invention, the Wave Wing.

While in Washington D.C., team members met with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, and went a tour of the Capitol Building led by staff members of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis. Santana’s family also dropped by the office of U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, where they posed for photos.

The kids also took part in two television interviews with Bill Nye the Science Guy, and they participated in a science showcase. Other highlights included hearing remarks from Atsutoshi Nishida, chairman of Toshiba Corp., and doing some sightseeing.

Other winners in the competition also proposed creative solutions to challenging issues, according to the competition website. Third-grade students from Merion Station, Pennsylvania, developed a system designed to save people who are stuck in rip currents.

An entry from second-graders from Edmond, Oklahoma, aimed to save lives of babies, toddlers and animals left accidentally in a car. A team of fifth-graders from Locust Valley, New York, created an innovative plant power de-icing system for planes, while 10th graders from Toronto created a new technology that uses light signals to boost optical computing.

Besides the expenses-paid trip, the young students also each received a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond.

Since its inception in 1992, more than 330,000 students have participated in the ExploraVision program.

Published June 25, 2014

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Demands from sheriff, other departments, could raise taxes

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Pasco County is losing deputies and command staff at an alarming rate, Sheriff Chris Nocco said. It’s a crime he says can be solved only one way: more money.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco already commands more than half of the county’s taxpayer dollars, but he’s looking for more. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco already commands more than half of the county’s taxpayer dollars, but he’s looking for more.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

About $6 million more, to be exact, bringing the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office closer than ever before to that $100 million budget threshold.

The Pasco County Commission, however, might not be ready to surrender those dollars just yet. But Nocco believes commissioners can’t wait any longer to get a handle on making salaries more competitive in his department with surrounding counties.

“I got two more letters of resignation today,” Nocco told commissioners in a meeting last week. “It is heartbreaking when you have people leaving, and they say it’s about the money. I know it’s a tough situation.”

Salary increases alone would require an additional $2.6 million in funding, and that’s money the county doesn’t really have — unless it raises taxes. But commissioners say they have other departments also expressing a legitimate need for more money.

“I know it’s expensive for you to train your deputies and have them leave. It is very frustrating to see that happen,” Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said. “But we have increased demand on our staff with development picking up, and it’s hard for us. We have to go out there in the market and compete with the private sector.”

Yet, it’s not new hires the sheriff’s office is watching depart, but instead people with experience, Nocco said.

“We are not losing the one- or two-year person to Pinellas, we’re losing people with six to seven years experience,” he said.

That may be enough for Starkey and other commissioners to warm up to the idea that a property tax increase may be needed to get everything paid for.

“I am for having a better-funded county government,” she said. “Local government is not the same as our federal government, where I think there is a lot of waste. We have no hidden money, we have no extra money. We are all scraping by barely.”

The amount of taxes collected equates to about $420 per resident, which ranks Pasco above just 12 other counties, according to one study cited by Starkey.

“Our libraries, our parks, the quality of life, all at $420 per person,” she said. “It is pretty darn tough to have a premier county at that kind of level of taxes.”

Commissioner Henry Wilson agreed.

“In 2010, when I ran for the first time, I said the millage rate was too low to sustain us, and I still agree to this day that the millage rate is too low,” he said. “I would rather the sheriff’s office be 55 percent of our budget than the tax collector or the supervisor of elections. Our No. 1 goal is public safety.”

All of that has created tremendous burdens on county employees from across various departments, burdens that many are looking to get lifted this budget cycle. But it could be difficult to accommodate everyone’s requests.

“We want to continue to support public safety, but a lot of our other departments have suffered because of the financial constraints that we have been under,” Commissioner Ted Schrader said. “The economy seems to be recovering … so we’re trying to facilitate that so that we can add tax base and continue to provide that funding.”

Only part of the money Nocco seeks would go to pay raises. The sheriff also wants to earmark $333,000 to overtime, and another $300,000 for maintenance on the department’s helicopter, and to purchase a $94,000 night-vision infrared camera.

Nocco has worked to lower costs in his department, primarily through privatization. And he said he’ll continue to look for ways to reduce costs as he moves forward as well.

“It’s hard to compete,” Nocco said. “We are not putting milk, bread and potatoes on the table for our families. When people are leaving to go to Pinellas, they are leaving strictly because of pay.”

Commissioners could see a first draft budget for the next fiscal year in July.

Published June 25, 2014

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Homebuilders want compromise on potential ban of feather signs

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Pasco County has strict ordinances against temporary signs, but the proliferation of tall advertising flags known as “feather signs” has some county commissioners looking to make those ordinances even more restrictive.

However, Pasco County commissioners said they would wait at least long enough for the homebuilding community to weigh in — an industry that heavily depends on such temporary advertisement.

Pasco County commissioners are looking to ban temporary signs like these, known as ‘feather signs,’ because of safety and aesthetic concerns. However, homebuilders have asked the commissioners if they can help craft a way to regulate the signs, while still allowing them to be effective advertising, especially for developing communities. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Pasco County commissioners are looking to ban temporary signs like these, known as ‘feather signs,’ because of safety and aesthetic concerns. However, homebuilders have asked the commissioners if they can help craft a way to regulate the signs, while still allowing them to be effective advertising, especially for developing communities.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“We’re hoping that you’ll allow us to put together a policy that provides us a pathway for compliance,” said Jennifer Doerfel, executive vice president of the Tampa Bay Builders Association, which represents homebuilders locally. “We do not want to see blight, and we certainly don’t want to see tattered signs, and we’re part of this community, too. We want to make sure this looks great, because that’s what attracts buyers to our homes.”

The signs have become common in front of businesses, especially on U.S. 41 through the center part of Pasco, where retailers fight to grab attention from a heavily traveled highway artery. They are usually anchored into the ground like flags, and are noticeable by how they freely flap in the wind.

Pasco typically requires a temporary sign permit and a limit for how long they can be displayed. However, the signs usually addressed in that ordinance have been temporary banners, which are typically secured on all sides. Feather signs have been virtually overlooked by the ordinance, and county officials are suggesting implementing an outright ban on those types of signs.

“Feather banners have two key issues, one being the visual impact,” said Rebecca Stonefield of the county’s planning and development department. “There are also general safety concerns associated with them. If they are not anchored appropriately, they could fly out and become a hazard.”

The planning and development department recommended not including the feather signs with other temporary signs the county allows. However, that could create some legal problems for the county in how a court might differentiate between the types of signs.

“Do you believe that it’s defensible, to attempt to defend in court, the difference between a banner and a feather banner?” Commissioner Ted Schrader asked. “I see it as being the same thing.”

County attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder disagreed, however.

“They are two different styles of advertising, and there is a physical difference,” he said. “It’s easy to define.”

Pasco is a community with hundreds of new homes under construction, many in growing communities. The builders depend on attracting attention from the main road, especially since their product might not be as apparent because it is hidden inside a neighborhood, Doerfel said.

“The reason that you see as many feather signs as you do is that it is the last option that we have to be compliant with the sign ordinance,” Doerfel said, referring to the quantity and time limits for temporary banners. “We have to be able to attract people to our communities, and most of these communities are not even on the GPS. Most of the people are finding model centers through signs.”

Mike Southward, the local division president of Beazer Homes, said unlike standard retailers, homebuilders typically don’t jump onto the radar of someone looking for a new house until after they are inside a neighborhood they want to move to.

“If you look into the buyer’s psyche, they do a lot of research when buying a home,” he said. “They look for things like schools and shopping and lifestyle, and they will go and drive around.”

It’s not until they start driving the area that they start looking for builders and communities, and that’s where having good signage helps get their attention, Southward said.

“If we don’t have an opportunity to direct them into our communities, we lost an opportunity to gain a customer,” he said.

How the county handles signs in the near future is something the commission should explore slowly and deliberately, Commissioner Pat Mulieri said.

“We receive tons of email, and we’re pushing the idea that we want to be premier,” she said. “We don’t want to be shoddy looking, but we also want business, who are also applauding the fact that now we have people buying houses. I don’t know what the problem would be to put this off for a month or six weeks to get other ideas and work from there.”

The commission will look at a potential revision of the temporary sign ordinance again at its July 22 meeting.

Published June 18, 2014

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Mayor to Bush 41: Come skydive here … for free

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Don’t tell President George H.W. Bush that he’s 90 years old, or that he struggles to get around on his own. The father of both the 43rd U.S. president and Florida’s 43rd governor — who served in the Oval Office himself — likes to celebrate birthday milestones by skydiving, like he did this past week in Maine.

Zephyrhills mayor Gene Whitfield signs a letter to President George H.W. Bush, inviting him to make his next birthday jump in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)
Zephyrhills mayor Gene Whitfield signs a letter to President George H.W. Bush, inviting him to make his next birthday jump in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Zephyrhills mayor Gene Whitfield was one of many who cheered the president from a distance. However, after it was all said and done, Whitfield felt that if Bush wanted to make a similar jump from an aircraft on his next birthday milestone, he should do it in Zephyrhills — for free.

“Whether President Bush knows it or not, he is an inspiration to so many people around the world, not just for his years of public service, but for the example he sets by making every day count, and living an active healthy life well into his golden years,” Whitfield said, in a release. “It would be a thrill for all of us to see him jump here at Skydive City on the day he turns 100. In fact, if he would like to bring President George W. Bush and Gov. Jeb Bush along with him, we’ll arrange so they can all jump together.”

The elder Bush, a World War II veteran, would feel right at home in Zephyrhills, Whitfield said, citing the airport as a former WWII training facility, and home of the city’s military history museum. Whitfield quickly gained the support of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce in his efforts, which offered to fund the jump through its own resources.

In Whitfield’s letter to Bush, which you can download here, the mayor shared with the president the quick stopover visit he and former First Lady Barbara Bush made to Zephyrhills en route to Saddlebrook Resort several years ago for a speaking engagement. He also touched on a relationship Jeb Bush had with a Zephyrhills middle school student, Matt Ross, who would exchange emails and even play golf together.

Bush’s jump this past week was one in a series of tandem jumps the former president has made beginning with his 75th birthday. It was said to be his eighth skydiving jump, something he first did when he was shot down over the Pacific Ocean during World War II.

Documentary could encourage a nude German invasion

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The end of the Cold War may have spelled the destruction of the Berlin Wall, but a culture war continues between what was once West Germany and East Germany over one simple thing: being naked.

Monique Liliensiek, center, oversees filming of her German documentary ‘World of Nudism’ last week at Lake Como from the perspective of her travelers, Luise and Peter Krause. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Monique Liliensiek, center, oversees filming of her German documentary ‘World of Nudism’ last week at Lake Como from the perspective of her travelers, Luise and Peter Krause.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

With nowhere to go anyway, East Germans found comfort and freedom from leaving their clothes at home. Being nude was a way of life, until their neighbors from the west arrived and told them to put those clothes back on.

Nudism doesn’t have the popularity it once had in the European country, but it’s prompted one film crew to travel the world to see what being naked is like in other countries. And they ended up in the American heart of nudism, Pasco County, this past week.

“The people in the east were definitely raised naked,” said Bjorn Buck, the husband of documentary producer Monique Liliensiek, who both made the trans-Atlantic trip to Land O’ Lakes. “All the Baltic Sea beaches were naked beaches, and that was absolutely normal to them.”
Liliensiek found Pasco’s nudist community thanks to a Google search, which introduced her to Caliente Resort. A phone call later, she was in touch with retired firefighter and nudism champion Pam Oakes, who introduced the entire film crew to the rest of the local community, setting up stops in a variety of places including Lake Como and Paradise Lakes.

“This has been a niche kind of tourism for Pasco all these years,” Oakes said. “There was an opportunity to reach out to Europe where there are 50 million naturists alone, and they speak English.”

The documentary is tentatively called “World of Nudism,” and is set to air on Germany’s Vox network next month — a channel typically home to American shows like “CSI: Miami” and “Burn Notice.” Liliensiek and her crew from Runge.TV already have visited places like Turkey and Austria, but plan to make Pasco’s nudism community a primary focus of their two-hour exploration into nudism.

Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri has represented the area where most of the nudist communities are centered for the past two decades, and said even she had to have a little time to adjust.

“I’ll never forget the one day at the beginning of my term, I was speaking at the Butt Hutt (at Lake Como), and I was thinking, ‘I got this made,’” Mulieri said. “All the guys there had shirts on, and was fine, until they stood up.”

The communities, however, are one of the key components to Pasco’s tourism, and also to other services like charity, said county tourism director Ed Caum.

“I wanted to say thank you to our naturists and all you do,” he told a crowd that gathered at Hungry Harry’s Lake House last week to welcome the film crew. “They are great volunteers. I’ve never seen so many people without clothes do such a great job of collecting clothing to give to other people.”

Buck spoke on behalf of his wife, who did not know a lot of English, but said he and his crew were welcome from the minute they stepped off the plane.

“We come from the second-largest network, and we have a little budget, but nobody cares about that,” he said. “We were told that you’re a family and you’re a friend, and that is quite overwhelming.”

This exposure on national television may not be the last time Pasco County ends up in German living rooms in the near future, either. While Liliensiek and her crew headed back to Europe last weekend, Buck stayed behind, and will explore other areas that might get a more in-depth look from the crew. That’s especially true for Caliente, which Buck says could warrant a feature of its own.

“This isn’t only for the naked community in Germany, but for everyone there,” Buck said. “In the end, I think what people will realize is that nudism is something good, or at least it’s not bad.”

Published June 11, 2014

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Wesley Chapel welcomes ice in new $20M sports complex

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By the end of next year, State Road 56 will be more crowded than ever.

A new Mercedes dealership. A long-awaited outlet mall and the different stores it will bring. Yet another hotel, this time 120 rooms.

Gordie Zimmermann, from left, is joined by Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and retired Tampa Bay Lightning star Dave Andreychuk last week in a presentation unveiling a new four-pad ice sports complex just off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel. The new arena is expected to open by late next year. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Gordie Zimmermann, from left, is joined by Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and retired Tampa Bay Lightning star Dave Andreychuk last week in a presentation unveiling a new four-pad ice sports complex just off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel. The new arena is expected to open by late next year.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Not bad for a road that, just a little more than a decade ago, didn’t even exist.

Joining all that, however, is an ice and sports complex so big, it might make existing facilities in Ellenton, Oldsmar and maybe even Brandon a bit jealous.

Apartment developer Gordie Zimmermann and his colleagues Z Mitch LLC, closed on 13 acres of land last week on Cypress Ridge Boulevard for $2.6 million, where they plan to build a 155,500-square-foot ice and sports complex complete with four pads of ice, a restaurant, and room for other sports in the community.

Zimmermann’s development team is investing more than $20 million in the project, all so that Zimmermann’s hockey team — and other teams like it — won’t have to travel so far anymore to find a sheet of ice in Florida.

“I was operating down in the Brandon facility, and I noticed that the adult hockey program had taken over,” Zimmermann said of Ice Sports Forum, a two-pad complex he also owns. “The kids had limited ice time there, and had to drive 60 to 70 miles to an ice practice.”

Zimmermann, in his off-time, coaches the Wiregrass Ice Hawks, a youth team that includes his son, incoming Wiregrass High School junior Luke Zimmermann. The Ice Hawks finished as one of the top youth hockey teams in the state, second only to Mitchell High School.

The long drives and fighting for time on the ice limits the younger Zimmermann’s practice time to just a few days a week. But having a sports complex within walking distance of his Seven Oaks home could actually get him out on the ice much more frequently.

“I’d probably be going there every day,” Luke Zimmermann, a center for the team, said.

Although the facility is tentatively called the Cypress Creek Ice and Sport Complex, Gordie Zimmermann said he’s not opposed to finding a corporate sponsor to buy the naming rights. But even if that happens, it would probably be hard for people not to refer to the facility based on where it is geographically, like Cypress Creek or even Wesley Chapel.

And that’s exactly what Jeff Novotny wanted to hear. Not only is he president of American Consulting, which helped with the Zimmermann project, but he’s also president of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, which has been working tirelessly on branding new development along State Road 56 in the name of Wesley Chapel.

“I can tell you that the Tampa Bay area has a shortage of ice availability for all age levels,” said Novotny, whose American Consulting headquarters is literally next to the site where the ice complex will be built. “I can count on one hand the number of ice arenas in a one-hour drive. And thanks to the Tampa Bay Lightning, it is better than what it was 15 years ago.”

The Lightning was represented by Stanley Cup winner Dave Andreychuk who, coincidentally, went to high school with Zimmermann in Hamilton, Ontario. Andreychuk stood behind Zimmermann last week during a news conference where the new facility was unveiled, and lent his support to the facility.

Although there are plans to build a two-pad ice sports complex near The Grove in Wesley Chapel, Zimmermann seemed to dismiss the possibility that the local market could become too saturated with ice.

“I think we’ve done our homework,” he said. “I come from an area that has 200 rinks — eight-plexes and six-plexes, and it’s kind of the way of the world to build a minimum of four.”

The facility will be two stories tall, complete with two National Hockey League-level ice pads, and one meeting Olympic specifications. A fourth smaller ice pad, which can double as a non-ice sports court, could be made available when needed for young kids just getting their start, or even to help goalies learn position playing, Zimmermann said.

A restaurant would be situated on the second floor, with a clear view of all the rinks.

“During tournaments, some people’s children’s games might be an hour or two apart, an they can go up and grab a quick snack,” Zimmermann said. “Others might have six- or seven-hour gaps, and they can go to Wiregrass mall, and maybe to a restaurant.”

Coming right behind it is a planned 120-room hotel expected to close on 3 acres of land this summer, developers said. It would complement offerings already in that area, including an existing Hampton Inn & Suites.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano joined other government leaders at the presentation in endorsing the project, calling the project a crowning achievement to what the county is trying to accomplish in the State Road 56 and Interstate 75 corridor.

“Two rinks would’ve been great, three rinks is phenomenal, but with four, everyone is going to want to come here and play this from all around the world,” Mariano said, highlighting potential interest to travel here from groups outside Florida, and even outside the United States. “If you had to go to Canada or down here to play hockey, where would you want to go?”

Published June 4, 2014