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Efforts continue to speed, simplify vaccine rollout

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National and local news reports show images of long lines of vehicles waiting to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations, as efforts continue to improve the process for signing up for the shots, and to speed the production and distribution of the vaccines.

President Joe Biden last week announced that the United States signed a final contract for 100 million more Moderna and 100 million more Pfizer vaccines. The news came during a Feb. 11 speech at the National Institutes of Health.

Biden also said that 100 million doses that were promised by the end of June now will be delivered by the end of May, and that the country is on track to have enough supply for 300 million shots by the end of July.

A public-private partnership has been launched, as well, with vaccinations being distributed through 21 national pharmacy partners and networks of independent pharmacies representing over 40,000 pharmacy locations across the country. The effort is part of a national strategy to expand equitable access to the vaccines. (More information is available at CDC.gov/covid19)

Participating chains nationwide include Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Publix, Costco and Winn-Dixie. To find participating local pharmacies, check those companies’ websites.

The retail pharmacy efforts are in addition to ongoing distributions coordinated through local public health departments.

So far, based on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order, COVID-19 vaccinations are limited to long-term care facility residents and staff; individuals age 65 and older; and, health care personnel with direct patient contact.

Hospital providers also may vaccinate persons deemed extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.

Pasco County seniors can register through the Pasco County health department’s portal.

They also can register through participating private pharmacies.

In Hillsborough County, seniors can pre-register for the state’s portal and reserve their space in line. The state will contact them once it is their turn for a vaccine. Additionally, they can register through participating private pharmacies.

Florida has no county residency requirement, so individuals can attempt to secure an appointment through any of these options.

Despite increased supplies and more vaccination options, Pasco County commissioners said they continue to hear from constituents who are frustrated about not being able to get registered for a shot.

At their Feb. 9 meeting, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey told her colleagues: “I am concerned and want to be sure that we’re doing all we can, that our senior citizens who don’t have access to computers and aren’t computer savvy, are able to figure out how to get on. I’m hearing this over and over again.”

She thinks the county needs to do more to help.

Commissioner Jack Mariano agreed. He’d like to see a system that would allow people to sign up and be put on a waiting list, and then to be notified when a vaccine becomes available.

That would be better, he said, “even if you’re going to be (number) 135,000 — as opposed to not getting in the system.”

Starkey reiterated her concerns: “The queue is the queue. I’m just saying, some people don’t know how to get in the queue.”

County Administrator Dan Biles noted there is a telephone number that people can call to make appointments.

Starkey responded: “I know, but it’s really hard to get through.

Biles observed: “You have 100,000 people trying to get 1,000 shots. It’s going to be hard to get through right now.”

Meanwhile, across the country, 52.9 million COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of COVID-19 cases nationally stood at more than 27.4 million, as of Feb. 14, and there has been a downward trend in cases for the past 30 days. The death toll for COVID-19 related cases stood at 482,536.

In Florida, the total number of positive cases exceeded 1.82 million, and there were 28,779 resident deaths, as of Feb. 14, according to data recorded on the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard.

The figures stood at 31,348 positive resident cases in Pasco County, and 642 deaths; and at 105,531 positive resident cases and 1,397 deaths in Hillsborough County.

COVID-19 vaccinations
To register:

In Pasco County: Go to PatientPortalFl.com to complete an account with CDR Maguire Health & Medical for upcoming appointments, or call 1-844-770-8548. New appointments open up every Sunday at 2 p.m., for the following week, and are typically filled within minutes.

In Hillsborough County: Call 866-200-3896, TTY 844-251-5532, or visit MyVaccine.fl.gov.

National Retail Pharmacy Program: Some retail pharmacies also are participating in a public-private partnership to administer COVID-19 vaccinations. Check the website of  individual retail pharmacies to find out more.

For the most recent COVID-19 vaccination information, check with your local health department websites.

Published February 17, 2021

New Aldi stores springing up in Pasco

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The Aldi retail chain is opening three stores to meet new demands of Pasco County’s burgeoning growth.

Construction is underway simultaneously on new Aldi stores in Odessa, Lutz-Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

The grocery chain already has stores in Holiday and Port Richey.

Three new Aldi stores will be opening in Pasco County to keep up with the area’s growing demands. (Courtesy of Aldi)

Matt Thon, vice president for the Aldi’s Haines City division, said the grocery chain looks at many factors, when choosing store locations.

“We want the best sites that are closest to our shoppers and can support a high daily traffic volume,” Thon said.

There’s no doubt about high traffic volume near the Odessa and Lutz-Wesley Chapel locations.

The Odessa store is at the intersection of State Road 54 and Trinity Boulevard, west of the Suncoast Parkway. The Lutz-Wesley Chapel store is near where State Road 54 transitions into State Road 56, near Interstate 75.

The State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor has been bursting with growth in recent years, with new residential and commercial developments.

Aldi’s history dates back to its first store opening in 1961. Since then, it has branched out to have a total of 1,900 locations in 36 states across the country, the retail grocer’s website says.

The grocer also expects to open nearly 2,500 new stores nationwide by 2022, according to the website.

Aldi operates as a grocery store with a variety of foods, including meats and fresh produce. The majority of products are exclusive brands, only found in Aldi stores.

Like other Aldi locations, the Pasco stores will be roughly 12,000 square feet. They also will have an interior layout that’s similar to other stores in the chain.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said he’s happy to see the new Aldi coming to his district, which will be built almost directly in front of a Costco store.

Moore said he’s been hearing a desire by his constituents for an Aldi store for quite some time.

“It’s great to have options for people. The more options the better. They’re in a good location. That’s for sure,” Moore said.

Having more locations is good for both the company and consumers, Thon said.

He said the bottom line is this: “We want to be conveniently located for our shoppers in Pasco County.”

Published November 06, 2019

Helping a community to lift itself up

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Drive up to Life Community Center and you’ll find a crowded parking lot.

That’s because there’s a lot going on in the modular building, at 6542 Applewood Drive in Wesley Chapel, which is affiliated with Life Community Church, formerly known as Victorious Life Church.

Carol Smith, left, enjoys coming to the weekly luncheons. Carmen Robles, a volunteer at the center, helps Smith get settled. (B.C. Manion)

For instance, there’s a weekly community luncheon on Tuesdays in the modular building, and anyone is welcome to drop in for a hot meal and some fellowship.

During one of those recent luncheons, Riley Brannon greeted people as they entered the building. Later, as they prepared to eat, he offered a blessing.

Carol Smith, a regular at these gatherings, said she enjoys the food.

Carmen Robles, a volunteer, helped Smith settle in for a pasta lunch, prepared by Nancy Frankulin, of Bosco’s Italian-To-Go. On alternate weeks, the meals are prepared by Taco Sun.

The center also has a food pantry that operates on Friday afternoons, routinely providing food for 300 to 375 families.

The groceries are donated to the church by Costco and Feeding Tampa Bay, said Terence Gaston, the food ministry coordinator. “Our motto is nobody goes hungry,” he said.

Brannon said Life Community Center is doing important work.

“People are getting food that wouldn’t otherwise,” Brannon said, plus it helps in other ways.

One program, called “Raptime,” is aimed at keeping kids in school.

Fourteen children have been with the program since elementary school, and now they’re in middle school, said Robin Granger, director of Life Community Center.

The goal is to help them to graduate from high school.

Riley Brannon offers a blessing during a Tuesday afternoon lunch at Life Community Center, in the Angus Valley community of Wesley Chapel. The gathering, held each week, offers fellowship and a free hot meal to those who choose to attend.
(Courtesy of Life Community Center)

Angus Valley, where Life Community Center is located, has a high dropout rate, Granger explained. “It’s generational. Their parents didn’t graduate from high school. Their grandparents didn’t graduate from high school,” she said.

Because of that, when a problem arises at school, parents often feel intimidated when they are trying to stand up for their children, Granger said.

That’s where Life Community Center comes in. It provides guidance for parents to help them take the needed steps to support their children, Granger said.

“We’re not going to do the work for you, but we’ll walk beside you,” she said.

“When you’re not sure what to say to the social worker, or your kid is suspended, or your kid has to be transferred — what can we do to advocate for you? We coach parents. We don’t do it for them,” Granger said.

Helping people find gainful work
The center also has a program aimed at helping people to enter or re-enter the workforce.

Its Work Ready program helps people to put together their resumes, brush up on interview skills and to even learn skills that can help them land a job.

For instance, it provided scholarships for students to be trained to become certified nursing assistants. Seven of those people now have full-time jobs, Granger said.

The idea is to provide a hand up, not a handout, she said.

The center aims to help equip people who haven’t had the opportunity to be employed, or haven’t had the chance to understand what it takes to get a job, Granger said.

A big crowd gathered this spring for the ribbon cutting at the new modular building for Life Community Center. The center has been serving the community for years, but previously was operating out of a doublewide trailer. (Courtesy of Life Community Center)

There’s another program, called “Celebrate Recovery,” which focuses on assisting people who are in recovery.

“People are more willing to walk in a community center than they are a church,” Granger said.

At the church, about 10 people showed up to a recovery meeting; at the life center, about 30 did, Granger said.

The center helps in other, practical ways, too.

“We have a Back to School, where we help do socks, shoes and underwear,” she said, noting that those items are provided for families who need the help. And, there’s a program that supplies food for children who would otherwise go hungry over the weekend.

On top of all that, every fourth Friday of the month, Florida Hospital and Pioneer Medical Services bring a mobile unit to the center to see people who do not have insurance, Granger said.

The center aims to provide the kinds of services that people want and need, Granger said.

It also wants to be a source of information regarding programs it doesn’t directly provide, but that can be useful for community residents.

Creating a paradigm shift for helping others
At Life Community Center, people get help — but it’s not just a one-way street, Granger said.

The center has a program called Time Exchange.

It works like this: “If they need an electricity bill paid, or a water bill paid, we’ll partner with them to do it, but in return, they have to give us Time Exchange,” Granger said, meaning a number of service hours in exchange for the help.

“If they have $100 electric bill, we’ll work with them, but then I expect to see them here, whether it’s at the community lunches or at food ministry,” she said.

Nancy Frankulin shows off a big pot of pasta sauce served during a recent Tuesday afternoon lunch at Life Community Center, 6542 Applewood Drive in Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

And, at Christmas, they’ll help a family give their children nice presents, but they expect some hours of service at the center.

Again, the goal is to give a hand up, not a handout.

Time Exchange helps people see how they can contribute, and it fosters a way to connect to others, she said.

“Poverty isn’t about the lack of material things. Poverty is about broken relationships,” Granger said.

The lack of resources can be demoralizing.

“When we think about people who are living paycheck to paycheck, or they get behind in bills, they feel like there’s no light at the end of their tunnel.

“They’re just depressed. They’re feeling hopeless,” she said.

What the center has discovered is that people who began helping as part of Time Exchange often continue helping.

That’s because they feel welcome and appreciated, Granger said.

Besides, she added, “there’s a lot of laughter, and there’s a lot of fun.”

Want to help?
These are some items on Life Community Center’s wish list:

  • 10 Chrome Books/Laptops: to help job seekers and Stay in School programs
  • 1 printer
  • Books for teens
  • Do-it-yourself ideas/projects for children and teenagers
  • Board games for kids

For more information, call (813) 994-0685.

Ways that Life Community Center helps:

  • Celebrate Recovery: A 12-step program celebrating God’s healing power for any hurts, hang-ups and habits
  • Raptime: A stay in school program servings youths who live in Angus Valley
  • Community lunches: A free hot lunch on Tuesday for anyone who wishes to come
  • Food ministry: Families are welcome to pick up a box of fresh produce, meat, bread and groceries on Fridays between 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
  • Little meals: A partnership with Quail Hollow Elementary School to provide nutritious supplements on the weekend for chronically hungry children in the community
  • Community Service House: Those needing to earn volunteer hours can do so at the Life Community Center.
  • Work Ready Services: Help is provided with resumes, interview skills and classes to help members in the community to obtain jobs
  • Grants: Help can be provided when someone encounters an unexpected hardship, but that help must be repaid through volunteer hours at the center.
  • Thanksgiving in a box: Life Church provides 500 families with the ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal, including a turkey.
  • Imagine Christmas: Parents complete 10 hours to 18 hours of community service in exchange for quality Christmas gifts for their children.

For more information, call (813) 994-0685.

Published April 18, 2018

Culver’s ready for custard day on Feb. 29

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The countdown is less than a week away for the opening of Culver’s restaurant.

The aqua building with the royal blue highlights is a visible sign of the growth under way near the Tampa Premium Outlets.

“There is such development in this area,” said franchise owner Marty Roeske. “There’s going to be nothing but growth. We’re excited.”

Construction crews are pulling together last-minute details to prepare for the Feb. 29 opening. A grand opening will be scheduled, probably in March, when Culver’s founder, Craig Culver, is expected to attend.

The pastel blue of Culver’s restaurant, off State Road 56, matches the Florida Key West style of Tampa Premium Outlets. The sign is counting down to the Feb. 29 opening. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)
The pastel blue of Culver’s restaurant, off State Road 56, matches the Florida Key West style of Tampa Premium Outlets. The sign is counting down to the Feb. 29 opening.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

Next door, Cheddar’s Casual Café is under construction, also fronting the outlet mall along State Road 56.

Other anticipated restaurants include BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Starbucks, On the Border, Panda Express and Chick-Fil-A, according to Pasco County records.

The Roeskes are establishing some firsts for Culver’s.

“It’s the first Culver’s to say ‘baby blue’,” said Lucas Roeske, who is assisting his father in restaurant operations.

The official color is a shade of aqua. The royal blue is the signature Culver’s color.

This restaurant also has patio seating, another first for Culver’s.

The fast-food chain’s menu serves up Culver’s signature, “Butterburgers,” as well as fried chicken, sandwiches and salads.

And, for desserts, there are Culver’s frozen custard treats, made fresh daily and scooped into waffle cones, dishes, sundaes, shakes and malts.

The Roeskes aren’t newcomers to restaurants or to Culver’s.

They own a franchise in Wisconsin, which is operated by another of Roeske’s sons.

That franchise opened in 2000 as Culver’s 97th restaurant.

Lucas Roeske, left, and his father, Marty Roeske, stand beside the menu board at the drive-through at Culver’s restaurant.
Lucas Roeske, left, and his father, Marty Roeske, stand beside the menu board at the drive-through at Culver’s restaurant.

The Roeskes initially looked in Hillsborough County for locations, but eventually landed at the site that is one of Pasco’s hottest development areas.

In addition to restaurants, Costco and Kohl’s are among future retail headed to the junction of State Road 56 and Interstate 75, as part of the Cypress Creek Town Center.

On the north side of State Road 56, more retail, offices and potentially a hotel also are coming to the town center.

With five high schools close by, Marty Roeske said there is a good employment base.

More than 80 people have been hired, and the number could go as high as 100, he said.

The family moved to Pasco more than a year ago, leaving behind the cold and snow of Wisconsin.

“We love Wesley Chapel,” said Marty Roeske. “It’s very much home to us. It’s a community-based area.”

Culver’s is located at 2303 Sun Vista Drive, off State Road 56 and Grand Cypress Drive. The restaurant is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

For information, visit Culvers.com.

Published February 24, 2016

Retail jobs on the rise

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But more jobs are needed to diversify Pasco’s economy

Heading south on Interstate 275 into Tampa, and points beyond, cars stack up and slow to a crawl as commuters in the morning rush hour out of Pasco County’s bedroom communities hit the brakes.

Motorists going north, mostly zip along at a steady clip.

In the afternoon the traffic flow reverses.

It’s all about where the jobs are and where they aren’t.

The volume of people who commute daily to jobs outside Pasco is about 46 percent, according to county data.

But flipping that trend is the goal of the county’s Planning and Development Department, and its marketing partner, the Pasco County Economic Development Council.

Holiday Inn Express is one hotel ready for construction with an opening in 2016. The hotel is next to Florida Hospital Center Ice, an ice rink and sports complex that is under construction, off State Road 56. Both will be job producers. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Holiday Inn Express is one hotel ready for construction with an opening in 2016. The hotel is next to Florida Hospital Center Ice, an ice rink and sports complex that is under construction, off State Road 56. Both will be job producers.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

There are good signs in the job market especially in retail, but county officials say Pasco needs higher paying jobs and a diverse employer-base to shed its bedroom community status.

And that could take years of steady, patient marketing.

For now, dirt is flying especially along the prime corridors of State Road 56 and State Road 54, around the Interstate 75 interchange.

“The retail is following the rooftops,” said Melanie Kendrick, senior planner for economic development in Pasco.

Tampa Premium Outlets, the centerpiece for Cypress Creek Town Center, is sprouting. It is expected to have more than 110 stores and will provide an estimated 800 jobs.

The Shops at Wiregrass is expanding. And, other retail development, including Mercedes Benz, Buffalo Wild Wings and Dairy Queen, is popping up.

Abutting the outlet mall, the town center also will have more retail including Kohl’s, Costco, Culver’s, Cheddar’s Casual Café, and BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse. Job numbers for this project aren’t available.

More hotels, shops, restaurants and offices are on a waiting list, marked ‘coming soon’ for a site on the north side of State Road 56, also part of Cypress Creek Town Center.

On Oct. 29, Tampa Premium Outlets will be the first to hit the start button.

“This is like a bonus,” said John Hagen, president of the PEDC. “It will definitely raise the amount of money coming into the community. It makes the economic pie bigger.”

People are put to work, the Penny for Pasco program gets fattened with more pennies and Pasco’s image shines brighter in the marketplace.

“It is a destination… It will help people understand that there is a Pasco County,” Hagen said. “This is a place. It has place-making attributes that are important to us. It’s hard for people to think about (Pasco) in terms of a place.”

Retail already has shown it can spark other development.

Pasco-Hernando State College located its Porter Campus at the mall. It currently has a staff of about 60 employees and 100 adjunct faculty members.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, near Wiregrass, added 600 jobs to the economy when it opened nearly three years ago. The hospital is investing $78 million in an expansion at the hospital. And Florida Medical Clinic, just north of Wiregrass, also is expanding in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.

On State Road 54, a new Lowe’s warehouse store opened in April, bringing with it as many as 160 jobs.

Businessman Gordie Zimmerman is building Florida Hospital Center Ice, a sports complex with four ice rinks and a removable pad that can allow for more sports such as volleyball, soccer, basketball and lacrosse. The 150,000 square foot facility, off State Road 56, can also accommodate non-sports events such as dog shows and graduations.

It is expected to attract national and international sports competitions.

All of these generate more sales tax revenues from people shopping and dining in Pasco.

And, a portion of those Pasco pennies will be dedicated this year to the Jobs and Economic Trust Fund to provide business incentives to locate in Pasco.

County officials have estimated that $45 million to $50 million will flow from the Penny for Pasco program to stimulate economic development.

Hagen recently delivered the PEDC’s third quarter report to the Pasco County Commission. The data showed that to date, 415 jobs had been created through the agency’s efforts in 2015.

On July 24, the PEDC upped that number by 124 jobs with its announcement that Leggett & Platt, a global manufacturing company, plans to open an 80,000-square- foot facility near Spring Hill. The plant will assemble adjustable bed bases. Company officials have pledged to hire locally and contract with suppliers within the Tampa Bay region.

Hagen sees Leggett & Platt taking a position as one of the county’s top employers with room for expansion in future.

On another front, the SMARTstart business incubator program has created 45 jobs. Currently, 13 startup companies are sharing space on-site in Dade City. Another three entrepreneurs are located off-site. “They are all trying to get their businesses off the ground,” Hagen said.

While some of these new businesses may only generate a small number of jobs, there always is potential that one or more could take off with an idea that is “scalable” into a regional or national company, Hagen said.

The county set clear goals in the long-range Economic Development Plan, adopted in 2013.

One target is to add between 160,000 and 185,000 new jobs to the economy over the next decade, said Richard Gehring, the county’s planning and development administrator.

That has to be reached by fostering a business-friendly environment where private companies want to invest in Pasco, Hagen said.

“I kind of like to differentiate between creating a business climate and making business deals,” he said. “I think we’re creating a business climate where things can happen.”

One example of private investment that paid off is Compark 75. The business park, off Wesley Chapel Boulevard, will expand in 2016 with the addition of a 65,000 square foot building. The existing park, with four buildings, is leased nearly to capacity.

Two new tenants, Streetside Classic Cars and an as yet-unidentified orthodontics company will open there in October.

Hagen would like to see 10 more projects similar to Compark 75.

Over the years, Pasco has evolved from a rural community into a service-based economy that catered to senior retirees and then into the bedroom community for counties such as Hillsborough and Pinellas.

The current building boom is picking up where developers left off before the Great Recession. Predictably, the new development began with housing because that offers reasonably quick turnaround on investment, Hagen said.

But many of these projects have also set aside space for retail, offices and in some cases industrial, Hagen said.

“It’s kind of setting the stage for other development,” he said.

But, it is crucial to Pasco’s economic growth to encourage more business parks. That was one issue identified in a study completed recently by Duke Energy of the large acreage in and around the Zephyrhills airport.

“I don’t mean to sound alarmist,” Hagen said. “I think we’re trying to put some thought into that. We probably need to be more active in acquiring and controlling parcels that would make good industrial parks before they get gobbled into retail.”

Still Hagen isn’t what he describes as a “retail snob.”

Jobs of every kind are needed, he said. “If it puts them to work, then it’s a good thing.”

Tampa Premium Outlets hosts center-wide job fair
What: The grand opening of Tampa Premium Outlets is scheduled for October.

Retailers are seeking job applicants for more than 800 open seasonal, part-time, full-time and management positions. The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is the job fair sponsor.

When: Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Embassy Suites Tampa USF/Busch Gardens,  3705 Spectrum Blvd., Tampa

Cost: Free and open to the community. Dress professionally and bring lots of resumes.

Information: Call (813) 909-8716, or visit PremiumOutlets.com/tampa.

Published August 5, 2015

Kohl’s and Culver’s submit site plans for Cypress Creek Town Center

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Kohl’s is the latest retailer to schedule a sit-down with Pasco planners as a future tenant at the Cypress Creek Town Center at State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

The store’s conceptual plan on file with the county shows a 55,000- square-foot building at the same intersection where construction crews are hard at work on the 1.1 million square-foot Tampa Premium Outlets.

Cypress Creek Town Center at the interchange of Interstate 75 and State Road 56 is getting tenant interest from Kohl’s department store, Chick-fil-A, Cheddar’s Casual Café and Culver’s. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Cypress Creek Town Center at the interchange of Interstate 75 and State Road 56 is getting tenant interest from Kohl’s department store, Chick-fil-A, Cheddar’s Casual Café and Culver’s.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

According to county records, representatives of the national department store chain were expected to attend a pre-application meeting scheduled for April 28.

No official announcement on Kohl’s presence at the proposed outdoor mall has been made. Kohl’s has stores in Brandon, Lutz and New Port Richey.

A Kohl’s representative wasn’t available for comment.

Other tenants who have indicated intentions to open at the mall are Costco, Chick-fi-A, Cheddar’s Casual Café and Culver’s.

Chick-fil-A plans a 4,791-square-foot fast-food restaurant at Cypress Creek with 132 seats. And Cheddar’s Casual Café is proposing an 8,066-square-foot restaurant with its signature fresh, made-from-scratch menu items including croissants, salmon filets and hamburgers.

Costco Wholesale Inc., filed its plans in December for a 153,000-square-foot discount membership warehouse club. The retail giant was second behind Walmart in 2013 among the top 10 of 250 global retailers.

Culver’s likely will have a mid-June groundbreaking and a fall opening timed with the opening of the outlet mall.

This will be a second location for franchise owner Marty Roeske, who opened his first restaurant in Wisconsin nearly 15 years ago. He and his wife are moving to Wesley Chapel, while their son operates the Wisconsin restaurant.

“When I dream of a location, I’m thinking about access, population and incomes,” Roeske said. “I can’t think of any characteristic that isn’t there.”

The employment base, with area high schools nearby, also is strong, said Roeske, who has searched for more than two years for a Florida location.

Tampa was on the radar, but Wesley Chapel won out.

“We warmed up to Wesley Chapel quickly,” he said. “It’s so new and has so much energy. It’s only going to go up.”

He is proposing a 4,235-square-foot restaurant at Cypress Creek with 110 seats. A bicycle rack and a covered patio also are part of the plans.

The fast-food chain offers its signatures “Butterburgers,” fried chicken, sandwiches and salads.

In addition to this location, a different Culver’s franchise owner also has submitted plans for a 4,242-square-foot restaurant at The Shoppes at Trinity Lakes. A pre-application meeting took place on April 6, according to county records.

Currently Culver’s has 541 restaurants in 22 states. The Wisconsin-based chain is expanding its operations in Florida. In the past two years, 11 franchised locations have opened in the state. The first was in Naples; two are in Tampa.

“It’s a hot bed,” said Paul Pitas, Culver’s spokesman. “We have a lot of folks who are transplants from the Midwest. They’ve moved there, or they are snowbirds, but they definitely know the brand.”

Published May 6, 2015

Staples closing leads searches on LakerLutzNews.com

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Thousands of Web travelers found their exit off the Information Superhighway to LakerLutzNews.com thanks to search engines this past year, but what exactly lead them here in the first place?

Apparently, it was all about the closing of Staples.

Not long after LakerLutzNews.com started publishing daily stories to complement the print stories found each week in our papers, reporter Michael Hinman published a story March 6 about the closing of 225 Staples stores by the end of 2015. That could include two stores locally — the Staples at 7910 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills, and another at 6260 Commerce Palms Blvd., in New Tampa.

It was a rather significant chunk of the Staples chain, which has 1,500 stores in the United States and employs more than 50,000 people.

But what else led the list of top search terms that led to the LakerLutzNews.com in 2014? Check out our list, just in time for us to start it all over again in 2015.

1. Staples closing stores
The good news, however, is that both the Zephyrhills and New Tampa stores continue to remain open by year’s end, with no public announcement of their fate made at this point.

2. Angela Madonia Tampa
Who is Angela Madonia you might ask? Well, she’s a co-owner — along with mother Josephine Argento — of what was then a new farmer’s market called The Family Farm on 41 that opened May 23.

Reporter B.C. Manion shared the news of this market for the first time on June 12, based on a story that appeared the day before in the Lutz News.

“The concept is providing the freshest and healthiest fruits and veggies to our customers,” Madonia said at the time. “We will be growing strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, carrots, corn, radishes, pumpkins and okra. We will start harvesting in late August or early September.”

At the beginning of the year, the site where the outdoor market would eventually open was just an empty field south of County Line Road on U.S. 41. But that changed quickly throughout the spring as what appeared to be a barn went up, and the Family Farm opened for business.

3. Sanders Elementary School
A lot has happened on the former campus of Sanders Memorial Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes in the past year, everything from the announcement of it becoming a magnet school to the opening of enrollment earlier this month.

Through reporter B.C. Manion, The Laker has stayed on top of all the developments regarding the school, including the November announcement that Lake Myrtle Elementary School principal Jason Petry would be the head administrator at the new Sanders school.

It is set to open in August, just in time for the 2015-16 school year.

4. Cypress Creek Town Center
With all the development taking place in Pasco County, it’s surprising to see one project get more attention than others. Yet that seems to be happening with the Cypress Creek Town Center area in Wesley Chapel, right where State Road 56 and Interstate 75 meet.

With everything from the construction start of Tampa Premium Outlets to plans to open a Costco on the site, there’s been plenty to talk about on the property. In fact, in the past year alone, LakerLutzNews.com has posted six stories about the project. It would be hard to find any other topic, outside of the failed elevated toll road project, the paper wrote about more.

5. Atlanta Braves
Believe it or not, the elevated toll road didn’t make our list of the top five search terms — probably because that project died last July.

However, people were interested in the Atlanta Braves, especially some teasing from former Major League Baseball star Gary Sheffield, who told Wesley Chapel business leaders in September that he wanted to convince his former team to set up spring training in Pasco County once a massive baseball complex he was involved in was built.

Except there’s one problem: At the moment, it doesn’t look like the baseball project is coming. Last week, the Pasco County Commission terminated the contract it had with Sheffield and business partner James Talton after they failed to secure funding for their 19-field project.

Could Sheffield and Talton come back with a revised plan? Talton thinks so. But they would likely have to compete with other would-be developers to turn that part of Wiregrass Ranch into a sports megaplex.

Are you curious to what the most-read online stories were on LakerLutzNews.com this past year? Find out in the Dec. 31 print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, and get a great recap of all the stories that moved readers over the past year as well.

And be sure to visit LakerLutzNews.com for daily stories every day — sometimes before you even have a chance to read it in print. Find out why more and more people are making sure The Laker/Lutz News online is a regular stop on their Web journeys.