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Historic Pasco County Courthouse

Law enforcement memorial receives donations

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Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s office raised $8,727.38 to support the construction of a permanent law enforcement officers memorial on the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, in downtown Dade City.

The tax collector’s five offices highlighted the Pasco Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial as the charity of the month in November.

The campaign had been begun pre-COVID, but was rescheduled to November because of the pandemic, according to a news release from Fasano’s office.

Staff and leaders from the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Pasco’s Back the Blue. (Courtesy of Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s Office)

Pasco County holds a memorial service each year to honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

However, Pasco County is the only county in Florida without a permanent memorial that can be visited year-round.

Local attorney Craig LaPorte has been heading up the effort to raise funds to build a permanent memorial, and he asked Fasano to help bring the fund drive to the finish line, the news release adds.

A check presentation was held in December, with Fasano joined by members of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and Bob George and members of Pasco’s Back the Blue, an organization created to help support law enforcement officers.

“On behalf of the board of directors of the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and Benefit Foundation we want to extend our sincerest thanks to Mike Fasano and his entire staff for making our foundation the beneficiary of the Pasco County Tax Collector Charities,” LaPorte said, in the release. “He was kind enough to select us for the April 2020 Charity of the Month, but unfortunately as COVID-19 jumped into our lives, he was forced to close in-person office visits for a time. So, in order to help us realize our goal of constructing a permanent memorial to Pasco’s Fallen Law Enforcement Heroes, he put us back on his queue for November. Thanks to the generosity of Pasco’s citizens, and Mr. Fasano and his charity, we raised enough funds to put us “over the top.” As a result, we are now in the process of the final stages leading to the construction of the memorial in front of the Pasco County Historic Courthouse in Dade City.”

“It has been such an honor to work with the fine men and women of our law enforcement community to help raise the funds that will help construct this long-needed memorial,” Fasano said, in the release. “For any one law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty is one too many. Unfortunately, many good officers have been killed in Pasco over the years. This memorial will honor their sacrifice and the good work they did protecting our county from lawbreakers of every sort. A very generous community stepped up to show their support for the members of our law enforcement agencies.”

Another local group also helped to put the fundraising efforts for the memorial over the top, according to Sandy Graves, president of the Land O’ Lakes Rotary Club Charities Inc., a charitable arm of the club.

The club’s charitable group contributed $2,000 for the permanent memorial.

Published January 13, 2021

Donations being sought for law officer memorial

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Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s five offices are accepting donations during the month of November to help build the Pasco Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

This rendering depicts what the permanent memorial for fallen law enforcement officers is expected to look like. (File)

The memorial is planned to be located on the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City, and will honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty, according to a news release from Fasano’s office.

Pasco County is the only one of Florida’s 67 counties without a permanent law enforcement memorial, so efforts led by Attorney Craig LaPorte and other volunteers have been ongoing to raise enough money to build one. Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley also has been involved in the fundraising efforts.

An annual memorial service is held to honor the officers who have been lost, but the memorial will provide a place to visit year-round.

Cash donations can be made at any of the five tax collector locations in Pasco County. They also can be included in registration renewals mailed to the tax collector during the month of November, the release says.

For more information about the charitable giving program at the Pasco Tax Collector’s office, contact Assistant Tax Collector Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

For more information about the Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, call Craig LaPorte at (727) 863-1553.

Donations also may be mailed to the tax collector’s office at the following address: Tax Collector Mike Fasano, P.O. Box 276, Dade City, FL 33526.  Please note on the check’s memo line “Law Enforcement Memorial.”

Published November 04, 2020

Pasco courthouse has colorful history

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If you visit downtown Dade City, it’s nearly impossible not to notice the stately Historic Pasco County Courthouse.

It sits in the middle of a town square, at Seventh Street and Meridian Avenue.

Originally constructed in 1909, and restored in a $2.3 million renovation in 1998, the courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 20, 2006.

Pictured in 1909, Pasco County’s historic courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic places on Sept. 20, 2006. (Courtesy of Fivay.org)

With its Classical Revival style of architecture, the building at 37918 Meridian Ave., has a colorful history of its own.

For instance, there was confusion for years over who designed the red brick building, according to various accounts published in The Tampa Tribune.

Altemus Roberts was credited in local history books for designing the courthouse, but that was put into question after Gregory Herrmann, originally from East Pasco, moved to Texas and spotted a courthouse in Mason, Texas, which looked very much like the one in Dade City, the Tribune reported.

The East Pasco man learned that an architect named Edward Columbus (E.C.) Hosford had designed the Texas courthouse. He sent that information, along with a photograph, to his brother, Eddie, who was deeply involved in local history circles.

Eddie dug into old Pasco County records to find out that, indeed, the building people had believed to be designed by Roberts, actually was designed by Hosford.

Hosford’s involvement was documented on April 17, 1909 in a story by the Tampa Morning Tribune.

Spearheaded by Pasco County Commissioner Sylvia Young, a four-year restoration totaling $2.3 million included the demolition of five additions to the historic courthouse. (Courtesy of Fivay.org)

In that account, the newspaper reported the Pasco County Commission had approved the architectural plans submitted by Hosford, and commissioners agreed to erect “a courthouse that will be a credit to any county.”

The board also adopted a resolution to build the new courthouse for less than $35,000. A contract was awarded that May to Mutual Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky, in the amount of $34,860. Hosford also received $871.50 for his plans and specifications.

The confusion over Roberts’ role on the courthouse may be partially due to the fact that he did design other buildings in downtown Dade City, and was the construction superintendent on the courthouse project, Tribune reports said.

While the courthouse, with its neoclassical dome and clock tower, is impressive — the design was not exactly unique.

Hosford used a similar design for three courthouses in Georgia and two in Texas.

The courthouse in Mason, Texas, was built for $39,786. It featured front porticos and Doric columns, and was built the same year as the courthouse in Dade City.

Stanley Burnside checks the time inside the clock tower. His father, Archie Burnside, made the first payment for the new courthouse in the amount of $6,360 in 1910. Both father and son served as the Pasco County Clerk of the Circuit Court for a combined total of 17 terms. (Courtesy of Fivay.org)

Hosford designed seven courthouses in Florida and usually worked with the Mutual Construction Company to build them.

The courthouse in Polk County, which opened in 1909, also is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

With completion of the new courthouse in Dade City, the county board sold the former two-story wooden courthouse structure at public auction for $500.

Part of the deal called for removing the building from courthouse grounds within 60 days, said Scott Black, a local historian who also sits on the Dade City Commission.

A bandstand was built at the northeast corner of the courthouse yard in 1925, after famed composer and conductor John Philip Sousa visited Dade City.

Sousa never returned, and the bandstand was repurposed as a World War II Memorial. The dedication for that memorial was held on Flag Day, on June 14, 1948.

The courthouse in downtown Dade City played a central role in Pasco County government for 70 years. Five additions were added to accommodate the county’s growth.

When a new courthouse opened in 1979, activities shifted, and over time, the 1909 structure fell into disrepair.

But, Pasco County Commissioner Sylvia Young championed a $2.3 million renovation, which used $1.3 million in taxpayer money and $1 million in state grants, according to Tribune reports.

The project took four years to complete, and included knocking down the additions to restore the building to its original look.

Sidewalks leading to the county’s courthouse contain the names of pioneer families of Pasco County. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

The project was not without its controversy.

Some thought it was too extravagant, particularly when Young pushed for money to purchase period pieces to furnish the renovated building.

But, that idea prevailed. Commissioners approved a $50,000 budget, and Young searched far and wide, to accomplish the job.

The building, once again, has become a center for county activities.

Except for during this time of COVID-19, the full Pasco County Commission typically gathers twice a month on the second floor.

They meet in the same room where trials were once held and hearings conducted.

Now restored to its original grandeur, the building is a symbol of pride for the Dade City community.

Its image is part of the logo for The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, and it is used as a setting for community events.

The building was rededicated in 1998, when Young was chairwoman of the county board.

And, when she stepped away from her 20-year stint on the board in 2000, she described the courthouse restoration as her “crowning glory.”

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Pasco wants crash debris off the street

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When tow-truck crews clean up after a crash, it should be a thorough job.

At least that’s how the Pasco County Commission sees it.

The county board soon will be considering a provision that will require the people who remove damaged or wrecked vehicles from roadways to be sure to clear the roadway of glass and injurious debris.

“This is sort of a local version of a state law that is basically aimed at tow-truck drivers,” said Kristi Sims, senior assistant county attorney. “They’re operating on rotation and remove vehicles after accidents from our roadway.”

The aim is to hold them to the standard that the state law requires, which is clean up all of the debris that results from the incident.

“By codifying it in our local ordinances, we have a local chance to use code enforcement to enforce it. At the state law, it’s only enforceable through issuance of a uniform traffic citation.

“At our level, it will be enforceable obviously through issuance of a county court citation, which is punishable up to $500 per day.

“The local amendment that we’re proposing also will have a provision that requires the person removing the debris to lawfully dispose of it,” Sims said.

Commission Chairman Mike Moore said he wants to make sure that this ordinance doesn’t require towing companies to remove biological hazards, in the event that someone is hurt or killed in an accident.

“This is aimed at all of the glass, hardened plastic, that is getting pushed and accumulated into sort of the center of every intersection in Pasco County,” Sims said.

It requires “tow truck drivers on the rotations to do a good job, it’s part of their contract to pick up that debris, that causes flat tires, that flies up and scratches other people’s paint, etc.,” she said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said: “I thought it was required already.”

Sims responded: “It is under state law, we just haven’t duplicated it on a local level.”

Commissioner Mike Wells said: “I don’t think it’s every hauler, but again, we need to hold them accountable.”

Wells added: “There’s no excuse for them not cleaning it up.”

Sims said coordination will be needed between the county and law enforcement agencies to determine whom should be cited when crash scenes are not cleaned up.

Board members voted to set a public hearing date on the new requirements for April 7 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be in the boardroom, on the second floor of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Published March 18, 2020

Kumquat Festival ushers in a new decade

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It’s time to indulge in a tiny, tart fruit called the kumquat.

After all, the fruit is considered to be the centerpiece of the Kumquat Festival, now celebrating its 23rd year.

This year’s Kumquat Festival will once again offer various kumquat treats, as well as activities for the public. Live entertainment also will amplify music for the masses. (File)

Besides offering fun family activities, the festival showcases downtown Dade City, offering visitors a chance to sample a taste of Old Florida and some Southern hospitality, too.

The free event is set for Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in downtown Dade City, near the Historic Pasco County Courthouse.

Thousands of people flock to the area every year in an event that gives downtown Dade City merchants a chance to show off their shops and gives entertainers a place to showcase their talents.

It’s also an annual gathering that draws upon the generosity of local volunteers and sponsors.

“This is a marvelous event that is truly a local volunteer-run festival,” said John Moors, executive director of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. “I know the hundreds of folks involved are very proud of their community for producing such a quality show every year.”

As always, the kumquat fruit, known as the “little gold gem of the citrus industry,” will be found in all sorts of treats and beverages, including pies, cookies, ice cream, smoothies, marmalade, salsa, beer and wine.

Hundreds of vendors will be there, offering not only kumquat-related foods, but arts and crafts, and other items. Local restaurants will be serving up food, too.

There will be a quilt challenge and a Festival Collector Car Show.

There will be face-painting, and kids will have an activity area, too.

All public parking is free, and there will be free shuttle rides from two satellite parking areas. One is at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, on State Road 52. The other is at next to Jarrett Ford, at 38300 Dick Jarret Way, in Dade City, on the U.S. 301 truck route.

Those wishing to volunteer should call Melody Floyd or Mary Beth Lumbra at (352) 567-3769, or email .

A volunteer orientation dinner also has been scheduled for Jan. 21 at 5:30 p.m., at Hampton Inn Dade City-Zephyrhills, 13215 U.S. 301, Dade City.

For additional information about the Kumquat Festival, call (352) 567-3769, or visit DadeCityChamber.org/Annual-Kumquat-Festivalr.

Kumquat Festival
When: Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Downtown Dade City
Cost: Free admission
Parking: Parking is free. Free shuttles run continuously from two satellite parking areas. One is at the Pasco County Fairgrounds on State Road 52 and the other is located next to Jarrett Ford, at 38300 Dick Jarret Way, in Dade City, on the U.S. 301 truck route. Parking also is available at various locations just outside of festival area, but that fills up fast.
Details: The festival, now in its 23rd year, will feature live entertainment, an array of activities, vendors and all things kumquat.
Info: Call (352) 567-3769, or visit DadeCityChamber.org/Annual-Kumquat-Festivalr.

Published January 15, 2020

2045 roadway plan officially pushes forward

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The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) board has approved the 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan that includes numerous projects that are expected to be pursued within a 20-year time frame.

“The goal is to develop [a] cost-affordable plan that covers a minimum of 20 years through the planning process,” Wally Blain, of Tindale Oliver, told the MPO board during a Dec. 11 meeting at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse.

The evaluation of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 is underway and a part of the 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan. This agenda was passed by the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization board on Dec. 11. (File)

The 2045 plan is a revision of the 2040 plan. It prioritizes road in greatest need.

The long-range plan is updated every five years and is subject to revision.

Its feasibility is determined by what funds are allocated on the federal, state and local levels.

The planning process also included a public comment period, from Nov. 6 to Dec.6.

“More than 2,500 residents of Pasco participated in those and provided input on the transportation planning process,” Blain noted.

One comment noted that trucks are traveling faster on Ehren Cutoff, since the road’s shoulders were expanded. Another cited a lack of north-south improvements in Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills compared to east-west improvements. And, there was a suggestion for a train service to connect Pasco County with Orlando and Tallahassee.

While the feedback was noted, priority road improvements must be dealt with first, Blain said.

The 2045 plan includes changes in the way revenues are distributed for transportation-related improvements.

The 2045 plan contrasts to the 2040 plan as follows:

  • Funding for roadway capacity rose from 64% to 71%
  • Funding for transit decreased from 25% to 9%
  • Funding for sidewalks and bicycle facilities increased from 1% to 2%
  • Funding for technology/congestion management rose from 1% to 3%
  • Funding for roadway maintenance rose from 9% to 14%

Projects in the 2045 plan include:

  • Widening of State Road 52 to four lanes, from U.S. 41 to Old Pasco Road
  • A one-way pair conversion, along U.S. 301
  • Widening of U.S. 301 to six lanes, from Eiland Boulevard to Kossik Road
  • Widening of Old Pasco Road to four lanes, from Wesley Chapel Boulevard to State Road 52
  • Widening of Overpass Road to four lanes, from Interstate 75 to U.S. 301
  • Extending Tower Road to U.S. 41

The Vision 54/56 project has $600 million for improvements, but specific changes have yet to be determined.

“State Road 54 is a key corridor that the MPO has taken as a priority in this plan, as well as the 2040 plan,” Blain said.

The MPO has been working along with the Florida Department of Transportation to address the issue.

The state transportation department is conducting an evaluation to determine potential improvements at the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54.

The approved long-range transportation plan will be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation. These agencies utilize the adopted plan to implement numerous federal and state-funded transportation projects in Pasco County.

In addition to long-range planning, Blain also covered a number of projects that are ongoing and committed in the five-year plan, which runs through 2024.

Those include:

  • Widening of State Road 52 to four lanes from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41
  • Widening U.S. 41 to four lanes, south of State Road 52
  • Ridge Road extension from Moon Lake Road to the Suncoast Parkway (The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a permit to begin work on the project on Dec. 20)
  • Construction of a new State Road 52 alignment, east of Interstate 75 to Clinton Avenue
  • Construction of an Interstate 75/Overpass Road interchange.
  • Widening of Collier Parkway to four lanes, from Bell Lake Road to Parkway Boulevard

Published December 25, 2019

Judge enjoys challenges in civil court cases

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Judge Kent Compton recently paid a visit to the East Pasco Networking Group —where he discussed his duties in the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida.

The former Zephyrhills city councilman, and longtime lawyer and prosecutor took up the post in January, after being elected in August 2018.

While still settling in, Compton clearly enjoys his new gig at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse building in Dade City.

“I feel like I’ve got the best job in the state of Florida,” Compton said, during the Nov. 26 breakfast meeting at IHOP in Dade City. He said he finds the position to be “very refreshing.”

Pasco County judge Kent Compton was a guest speaker at a Nov. 26 East Pasco Networking Group breakfast meeting at IHOP in Dade City. (Kevin Weiss)

He went on: “I love criminal law, but I love the civil law and I love everything new about it, and the challenges and the opportunity to do something different, to research something different, to hear the stories, —I enjoy that.”

Compton presides over county civil cases handling principal issues $15,000 or less, small claims and traffic court, as well as first appearance advisories. He also is on-call for emergency petitions for arrest warrants, search warrants, Marchman Acts, Baker Acts and so on.

On an emotional level, Compton said eviction hearings are “the hardest part of my job.”

He explained: “I’ve had some very unhappy people, particular in evictions. I’m human, but I have to follow the law, and Chapter 83 (of the Florida state landlord-tenant statutes) gives me fantastic direction on what to do. If the money’s not paid, if the right motion isn’t made, then people are disappointed.”

Compton added, “it can be kind of hairy — very specific notices, requirements of what the landlord has to do, what the tenant has to do.”

He also mentioned that conducting traffic court can become “quite a scene,” noting his courtroom will be filled with 20 or 25 law enforcement officers and another 50 people waiting for their case to be heard. There also can be “a little gamesmanship” between law enforcement officers and violators who’ve been issued a ticket or citation.

Violators “will come to court taking the gamble the law enforcement officer doesn’t show up,” he said. If that happens, Compton said he will dismiss the case “99% of the time.”

If the law enforcement officer is present, however, Compton said the violator usually will enter a plea to close the case.

In more substantial traffic matters, such as car accidents, Compton said there’ll be “a full-blown hearing” between a defendant and plaintiff.

That typically includes witness testimony, as well as video and photographic evidence.

Those cases, he said, can be challenging because it becomes “a credibility contest.”

Testimony between defendants and plaintiffs can be “just unbelievably 180 degrees separate,” Compton said.

In judging those matters, he said: “You rely upon your common sense and your life experience to try and decide who’s telling the truth, but sometimes I can’t tell, and if that’s the case, it’s not guilty.”

On the other hand, though, “Sometimes it’s pretty obvious the person is caught in their own lying,” he said.

When he’s unsure how to decide a case, the judge said, he’ll take it under advisement to research an issue further, study case law and lean on the experience of his fellow peers in the courthouse and judges throughout the state.

“I have the great resource of all the other judges who are very helpful to me if I have any indecision,” Compton said.

The speaker drew parallels between the courtroom and his dozen-plus years on the city council:

“It’s a people business. You must listen, and you must be fair and courteous. It’s the same job, there’s just a lot more legal mumbo jumbo to go along with it.”

Those qualities are something Compton reminds lawyers and others that enter his courtroom, he said.

Said Compton, “The lawyers, it’s basically a confrontation of business, but while we have to do zealous representation, we also need to have professional courtesy amongst each other and the court.”

When asked how the job differs from what he expected, Compton said, “I didn’t realize that I would see a stack of paper every day. I spend an hour and a half, two hours every day just going through paperwork and processing evictions or motions for summary judgement or credit cards, stuff like that.”

He also was surprised by the quantity of nonjury trials that he handles in the civil division.

Published December 04, 2019

New Suncoast Parkway projects are being planned

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Projects aimed at improving traffic flow on the Suncoast Parkway are included in the Florida Turnpike Enterprise’s tentative work program.

Those projects call for adding lanes at the parkway’s intersection with State Road 54, and for connecting the parkway with Ridge Road and with Tower Road.

Carol Scott, of the Florida Turnpike Enterprise, highlighted those proposed projects at the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) board meeting on Oct. 10, at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

The Suncoast Parkway intersecting with State Road 54, as seen here, may see additional lanes to help ease traffic flow. There also are plans to intersect Ridge Road and Tower Road with the Suncoast Parkway. (Brian Fernandes)

She talked about the tentative work program for fiscal years 2021 to 2025.

“We’re going to make interchange improvements to the Suncoast Parkway and the (State Road) 54 interchange,” Scott said, of the first project.

The design phase would be funded for 2021, while construction would be funded for 2022.

The proposed project would add an extra deceleration lane on the Suncoast Parkway for motorists heading northbound to State Road 54.

It also would include additional right turn and left turn lanes when exiting onto State Road 54.

Scott also said that the current toll booth on the Suncoast Parkway eventually would be replaced with an electric one.

However, Pasco County Commissioners Mike Moore and Kathryn Starkey, who sit on the MPO board, addressed the issue of congestion on State Road 54.

Motorists have expressed concerns about vehicles heading eastbound on State Road 54 stacking up before merging onto the Suncoast Parkway interchange, Moore said.

Starkey went on to state that, “We need longer turn lanes. Going on (State Road) 54 heading east in the morning, is a three- or four-light cycle wait.”

But, Starkey expressed optimism that the future Ridge Road extension, intersecting with the Suncoast Parkway, would help alleviate State Road 54 congestion.

Scott noted that there are plans to lengthen the acceleration lane turning off the state road onto the Suncoast Parkway – heading southbound.

Scott also said: “I believe there [is] also some developer-funded project in that area on (State Road) 54, to add some turn lanes in the future.”

The second project addresses Ridge Road intersecting with the Suncoast Parkway.

The Florida Turnpike Enterprise is working in conjunction with Pasco County on this initiative.

“We’re funding the interchange and we’re providing some technical assistance to the county,” Scott said.

That project is in the design phase and construction may begin in early 2020.

As of Oct. 25, a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has not been granted. This would allow the extension of Ridge Road from Moon Lake Road to the Suncoast Parkway.

Justin Hannah is a project manager for AECOM, which works with the county’s MPO.

The consulting firm had done a study to look at the Suncoast Parkway interchange projects, forecasting their impacts up to 2045.

“As a part of the study, we ended up analyzing potential interchanges,” the project manager told the board.

One of those is the connection of Tower Road, heading west to cross the Suncoast Parkway.

A Tower Road interchange would see an estimated 32% traffic diversion from the State Road 54 interchange, Hannah said.

Three alternatives are being considered for the Tower Road interchange. They are:

  • A tight diamond interchange: This would have closely-spaced and signalized intersections where the ramps would meet with the crossing road. The estimated cost would be $108.5 million.
  • A single point urban interchange: A signalized light would be placed at the center of the intersection of Suncoast Parkway and Tower Road, guiding traffic on and off ramps. The estimated cost would be $27.5 million. It also would have an approximately 3,700-foot space from the State Road 54 ramps to the south.
  • A partial clover leaf interchange: The Suncoast Parkway’s left-turn and right-turn ramps would merge with Tower Road heading upward in opposite directions, respectively. The ramps on either side, would form a loop on the north end of Tower Road before connecting again with the road. This would resemble an “M” shape. The estimated cost would be over $59 million. However, it would have a longer distance from the State Road 54 ramps.

Hannah said the great distance would be beneficial.

“The more distance and the more space we can get between the interchanges, the better the operations are, and the safer it is,” he pointed out.

Currently, the most preferred alternative is the partial clover leaf interchange, Hannah said.

There is one connection with the parkway that doesn’t seem to need long-term improvements, Hannah said.

“When we examined the State Road 52 interchange, the operations here were operating pretty well. We expect the existing interchange to handle future traffic demand through the year 2045,” Hannah said.

In addition to improvements to help motorists, Commissioner Starkey called for improvements to help bicyclists and pedestrians.

“There is no way for the cyclists to get from one side of the Suncoast (Parkway) to the other,” she said. “We just have to find a solution for that.”

Starkey suggested a flyover path where pedestrians and bicyclists would not need to contend with traffic.

Jensen Hackett of the Florida Department of Transportation briefly took to the podium, noting that the transportation department would look into any potential routes.

The Penny for Pasco program would provide funding toward a pedestrian-bicycle flyover at the Suncoast Parkway.

Published October 30, 2019

Volunteer sought for Pasco Planning Commission

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Pasco County is seeking a volunteer to serve on the Pasco County Planning Commission.

Ideal candidates will represent diverse knowledge and expertise in the areas of engineering, planning, real estate, surveying, property management, architecture, construction and/or other related fields, according to a county news release.

The deadline for application is Oct. 11.

Planning Commission members review and make recommendations to the Pasco County Commission on proposed amendments to the county’s comprehensive plan, proposed changes to county zoning, requests for conditional use permits and other development applications.

The Planning Commission also conducts hearings and makes final determinations on all variances, alternative standards, and certain appeals and special exception applications.

To apply online, go to bit.ly/2G3IqUH.

The County Commission will be filling one vacancy on the Planning Commission, created by the resignation of Kevin Ryman, former vice chairman of that board.

The Planning Commission generally meets twice a month, on Thursday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. The meetings alternate between the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City and the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey.

For more information about Pasco Planning and Development, visit bit.ly/2hMXfkD

Published October 2, 2019

Creating a permanent place of honor

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If all goes according to organizers’ desires, Pasco County will join the state’s 66 other counties and will establish a permanent memorial for law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

Those behind the effort hope the memorial will be ready for use next year, during the Pasco County ceremony held annually to honor members of the law enforcement community who began their shift, like any other day, but never made it home.

This rendering depicts what the permanent memorial for fallen law enforcement officers is expected to look like. (Rendering courtesy of Ardurra, formerly known as King Engineering Associates Inc.)

Craig Laporte, a Port Richey attorney, is one of the key players working to establish the memorial.

The initiative was launched in 2014 by some members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge in Land O’ Lakes, Laporte said.

They created the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial & Benefit Foundation Inc., Laporte said. In addition to the goal of creating a memorial, the foundation also seeks to help families of fallen law enforcement officers, or officers severely injured on duty.

“Coincidentally, at about the same time, my wife Arndrea and I decided that we wanted to do something to thank the families of law enforcement officers for what they go through on a daily basis,” said Laporte, who was a Pasco deputy before getting his law degree.

He and his wife saw firsthand the unpredictable nature of the work, and the sacrifices made by officers and their families, Laporte said.

They decided to organize a Family Fun Day to give law enforcement personnel and their families a chance to gather together to have a good time. The day includes a meal, and fun activities for kids and adults.

Area businesses and organizations help to pay for the festivities.

The first year, the Family Fun Day drew about 250 people; this year, there were 750, representing 17 agencies, Laporte said.

Craig Laporte holds a rendering of what the sculpture will look like in the center of a new memorial planned to honor fallen law enforcement officers. (B.C. Manion)

After paying the expenses the first year, there was $5,000 left over that was donated to the memorial fund, Laporte said. This past year, $14,000 was donated, said Laporte, who also became involved with the memorial foundation’s board.

Originally, the FOP  wanted to have the memorial at their private lodge site in Land O’ Lakes, but they agreed to change the location to erect the memorial in a public setting.

The Pasco County Commission also approved a request to locate the memorial at the northwest corner of the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

The historic courthouse is the same place where the annual Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial events have been held, according to accounts published in The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Bay Times.

Those events have been solemn affairs, sometimes attended by hundreds of people, according to published reports. They’ve been marked with the pageantry of law enforcement — a riderless horse, two boots sitting backward in the stirrups, escorted across the courtyard; a bagpiper playing “Going Home;” a bugler playing “Taps;” and words of consolation, and appreciation, for lives cut short too soon.

Next year, organizers hope the event will be held at the permanent memorial.

The memorial was designed free of charge by Ardurra, formerly known as King Engineering Associates Inc., of Tampa, Laporte said.

Clark Lohmiller, Planning and Landscape Group Leader for Ardurra, has been involved in the design since Day 1. He decided to contribute his skills after being approached by Terry Edmonson, of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, who had an obvious passion for the project.

Lohmiller said Jason Marques of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office also has been involved, and that John Galbavy and Kevin Velinsky, also from Ardurra, have lent their expertise on the project.

The memorial’s design was influenced by one in Texas, which features a sculpture of an angel carrying a fallen officer up to heaven at the center of it, Lohmiller said.

Laporte said Brodin Studio in Minnesota is creating the sculpture for the Pasco memorial.

He also described what the public can expect to see.

“It’s going to be designed really spectacularly,” he said. “It’ll be a black stone base down on the ground. And, it’ll be narrower than this, but it will be a thin blue line of glass block that’s illuminated from underneath, so at night, it will be an illuminated thin blue line.

“Then, the statue also will be illuminated, with LED lighting, and the names of the fallen officers will be around the pedestal,” Laporte said.

“Hopefully, it will be well-received and something that showcases the support that Pasco County has — and the community wants to have — for the fallen officers, and just the officers in general. I’m honored to be a part of it,” Lohmiller said.

LaPorte said his law partner, Frances Werner-Watkins, has a personal interest in the memorial. She is related to Sheldon Nicks and William O’ Berry, two of the fallen officers honored each year.

Efforts continue to raise the money needed to complete the project, Laporte said.

So far, about $220,000 of the $300,000 needed has been raised. Anyone who would like to make a donation, or contribute in other ways, can reach out to Laporte at (800) 273-8303.

Killed in the line of duty

  • Pasco deputy Sheldon S. Nicks, May 8, 1909: Died after jumping in front of a bullet, shot by an escaped convict. The bullet was intended for Nicks’ father, Henry Robert Nicks, the Fivay town marshal.
  • U.S. prohibition agent John Van Waters, Oct. 4, 1922: Gunned down in an ambush by bootleggers
  • Constable Arthur Crenshaw, Oct. 4, 1922: Gunned down in an ambush by bootleggers
  • Pasco deputy William O’ Berry, Jan. 1, 1926: Shot in the neck in Hernando County while trying to arrest a suspect
  • Pasco deputy John McCabe, June 26, 1948: Died when a truck heading north on U.S. 41 struck his car head on
  • Florida Highway Patrol trooper James Crook, May 19, 1998: Shot and killed while attempting to stop a suspect who had killed a young boy and two Tampa police detectives
  • Pasco Lt. Charles Bo Harrison, June 1, 2003: Killed by a sniper while sitting in his patrol car, just weeks before his retirement. He was promoted posthumously to captain.
  • Hernando deputy John Mecklenburg, July 3, 2011: Lost control of his vehicle on U.S. 41 and crashed during a high-speed chase that led authorities through Hernando, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

Sources: Published reports in The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Bay Times

Published August 07, 2019