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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kentucky

Zephyrhills appoints police chief

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Following a four-month nationwide search for its next police chief, the city of Zephyrhills has opted to hire from within, appointing interim chief Derek Brewer the city’s permanent, full-time police chief.

At its Sept. 25 meeting, the Zephyrhills City Council voted 4-1 in favor of Brewer, a 15-year veteran of the Zephyrhills Police Department who’s served as the interim chief since May following the retirement of former chief David Shears, who held the leadership position since 2008.

Brewer’s appointment was recommended to the council by city manager Steve Spina, who was part of a six-person interview committee during the hiring process.

Derek Brewer, a 15-year veteran of the Zephyrhills Police Department who has served as the interim chief since May, has been appointed as the city’s permanent, full-time police chief; he will be sworn in at the city’s Oct. 9 council meeting.
(Courtesy of Zephyrhills Police Department)

Of the six applicants interviewed, Spina told the council Brewer is “without a doubt” the top candidate for the position.

Brewer, 44, gradually has risen up the agency’s ranks, since being hired as a patrol officer in 2002.

He served as a field training officer, patrol sergeant and lieutenant before being promoted to patrol captain in 2014.

While on the force, Brewer earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Hillsborough Community College, and attended the senior leadership training program at the Southern Police Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Florida Police Chiefs executive leadership training in 2014.
He also graduated this July from the Command Officer Management Program at Saint Leo University, and is scheduled to receive his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University this December.

Brewer has received numerous honors during his law enforcement career, including:

  • Pasco County Crisis Intervention Team Officer of the Year (2010)
  • William B. Eiland Officer of the Year Award (2012)
  • Tampa Police Department Appreciation Award (2013)
  • City of Zephyrhills Employee of the Year Award (2015)

Besides regular law enforcement duties, Brewer is a member of several committees and organizations that include the Transportation Exception Plan Committee; Pasco-Hernando State College Technical Advisory Committee; Pasco County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Task Force; Zephyrhills Code Enforcement Task Force; Zephyrhills Police Department Homeless Initiative; Zephyrhills Site Plan Review Committee; Florida Police Chiefs Association; and, Noon Rotary Club of Zephyrhills.

Several officers of the Zephyrhills police force spoke in favor of Brewer’s appointment to the department’s top job, during the meeting’s public comment period.

Lorenzo Limoges, a K-9 officer, said the agency, under Brewer’s leadership, has experienced “some of the best teamwork I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“…I’ve talked to just about every officer that we’ve got, and I can’t tell you one that hasn’t showed their support for Derek and the agency,” Limoges said.

(File)

Zephyrhills police captain Reggie Roberts said Brewer’s promotion to chief is “what’s right” for Zephyrhills and the police department.

Roberts touched on Brewer’s management style, outlining his work ethic, compassion and humility, and the handling of high-risk situations, such as Hurricane Irma.

“I believe in him 110 percent,” Roberts said.

A few citizens stepped forward, too, to express their support in naming Brewer the 10th police chief in the city’s history.

Amy Chappell, vice president and residential loan officer at CenterState Bank, said Brewer deserves the job and “has the talent it takes to bring this city together for the greater good.”

“You have an individual that cares, and that’s something you won’t find really on the resume,” said Chappell, who’s spoken in favor of Brewer at previous council meetings.

Mickey McPhee, who manages the Publix Supermarket on Gall Blvd, also applauded Brewer’s service as interim chief.

“Anytime we’ve needed the police department, they’ve just been great. And, it’s his leadership that makes it great,” McPhee said.

The store manager noted Brewer and the agency were particularly accommodating in the week leading up to Hurricane Irma.

“I just appreciate (Brewer) for the communication we had all during the storm,” McPhee said.

“We were the last retailer to be open in Zephyrhills. We didn’t call the police department, but he came down there personally and sat with us for the last 30 minutes (we were open). It was comforting, and it was his leadership that made it comfortable,” McPhee added.

The lone councilman opposed to Brewer’s appointment was Ken Burgess, who suggested an outside hire to give the agency a “fresh look.”

The Zephyrhills City Council voted 4-1 in favor of Brewer at its Sept. 25 meeting, with councilman Ken Burgess the opposed vote.
(Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

“I felt that this was an opportune time to possibly look at things from a new philosophy and perspective,” Burgess, addressing the council, said.

“During this whole process, I gathered as much information as I could, and I spoke to a lot of individuals, both in and out of the law enforcement community on this important decision. In our current society, I believe our next chief will face challenges that previous chiefs probably never faced or had to deal with. He will need to have an access to a multitude of resources and a willingness to embrace them.”

Council vice president Lance Smith countered Burgess, pointing out the city’s previous outside hires for police chief failed in the past.

Smith mentioned by name former chiefs Russell Barnes — who resigned in 2008 after accusations he created a “flex time” policy that allowed employees to receive time off instead of overtime pay for extra hours worked — and Jerry Freeman— who resigned in 2003 after just nine months on the job, due to perceived questionable decisions and judgments.

Smith said, “We have gone outside before without much success. But, that’s one part of the equation to me. The other is seeing the way the employees respond to Derek. “I think he’s done a great job,” Smith said.

Once Brewer’s appointment became official, Burgess said he will support him “all the way through, because that’s what’s important for the city.”

Brewer will be sworn in at the city’s Oct. 9 council meeting.

Published Oct. 4, 2017

Converting caps into love, through service project

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The culmination of donations over eight months was quite a sight at Saint Leo University recently.

Dozens of students, faculty and staff gathered on April 18 at the university’s northeast campus parking lot to witness 14 pallets — containing 8,000 pounds of plastic bottle caps — being loaded onto a 53-foot trailer, and sent to Bluegrass Recycling in Kentucky.

This school year, the university collaborated with Caps of Love, a Florida-based, nonprofit organization that recycles three grades of plastic caps and lids that are sold to the Kentucky-based recycling company.

All proceeds from the recycling are used to purchase new and refurbished wheelchairs that are donated to children in the United States with mobility disabilities.

(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo) Students gather to see pallets full of bottle caps loaded onto a 53-foot truck that will send them to a recycling center in Kentucky. They have been collecting caps since August.
Students gather to see pallets full of bottle caps loaded onto a 53-foot truck that will send them to a recycling center in Kentucky. They have been collecting caps since August. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

Since 2014, Caps of Love has provided 32 wheelchairs to people under the age of 21, that are in need.

The charitable organization was founded over nine years ago by Valerie Mathieu of West Palm Beach, and it received its 501 (c) (3) status about four years ago.

After learning about a similar charity overseas, Mathieu figured she’d bring the program to the U.S. She was impressed by both its environmental and humanitarian components.

“It’s primarily an environmental charity and educating children on how to recycle properly—how to identify what is recyclable,” Mathieu said. “Our country is not really good at recycling, so this is an easy way to learn how to recycle and identify the different grades of plastic. …At the same time, we have the humanitarian side where we’re providing wheelchairs for handicapped children in the U.S.”

With many wheelchairs ranging from $5,000 to well over $22,000, the expense is often a financial burden for families with special needs children, Mathieu said.

“Insurance gives them a basic wheelchair, and they only receive wheelchairs every couple of years, so they outgrow it, and it’s up to the parents to just purchase a new one,” Mathieu said, noting her organization will soon give out 70 more wheelchairs. ”We also have a lot of families in this country that do not have insurance, and their children do not get wheelchairs, so that’s where we come in,” Mathieu said.

The program’s simplicity and purpose made it an ideal fit for the university to participate in the philanthropy project, satisfying its ‘community’ core value, said Heidi D’ Ambrosio, senior coordinator for Residence Life.

“We’d have competitions at the (residence) halls of who could collect the most caps,” D’ Ambrosio said. “We’d have sorting events, and we’d spend hours sorting them, because they have to be in three different grades.”

The three grades of plastic caps they recycled were polypropylene No. 5, and polyethylene No. 2 and No. 4 plastic caps, which are valuable in bulk.

“The most important thing is getting the three different grades collected correctly,” Mathieu said. “All three grades have about the same value and are sold by the pound, but when they’re mixed together, they have no value.”

With over 14 collection sites throughout the Saint Leo campus, the program quickly spread through word of mouth, as Greek Life organizations and student affairs staff members got involved.

“It (became) a constant thing that when you have a bottle cap, you put it in the basket,” said Ashley Montas, a freshman criminal justice major. “It’s pretty easy.”

Ryliegh D’ Ambrosio, a freshman psychology major, said the program helped unite the university.

“I feel that it brought sororities and (other) departments all together on campus for a good cause,” she said. “I didn’t realize how many (caps) it was until we finished.”

Community service hours were calculated based on the number of caps brought in. For example, if a student brought in 100 caps, they were rewarded with one service hour, and if they brought in 200 caps, they received two service hours.

“We’d like to continue this because we have so many people now that want to get involved with it,” D’ Ambrosio said.

For more information about Caps of Love, visit CapsOfLove.com.

Published April 27, 2016

Clinton finds serious Florida challenge from Jeb

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If the 2016 presidential election were held today, Floridians would be ready to give the Sunshine State’s 29 electoral votes to former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

That is, unless Jeb Bush decides to run.

A new survey by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute said that if both Clinton and the former governor end up representing their respective parties in the presidential race, voters in Florida, at least, would be split on whom to choose.

The poll, conducted between Nov. 25 and Dec. 7, gave 43 percent of support to Jeb Bush, while 42 percent picked Clinton.

No other early contenders did too well against the one-time First Lady. Clinton got 50 percent support against Kentucky senator Rand Paul, and 45 percent against New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

Clinton hit 51 percent against Texas senator Ted Cruz, and 48 percent against former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

Florida senator Marco Rubio held his ground a little better, however, earning 42 percent support among Floridians compared to 46 percent from Clinton.

Bush might be a favorite among Floridians, but at least one expert says it might be difficult for the two-term governor to gain momentum in the national spotlight.

“People perceive Jeb Bush differently in the rest of the country,” said Saint Leo University political instructor Frank Orlando, in a release. “Inside Florida, he’s Jeb. Outside of Florida, he’s George’s brother,” as in George W. Bush.

“Jeb Bush continues to struggle to separate his personality from the former president. However, inside the Sunshine State, he stands for himself. He’s his own man. He’s been the most popular figure in the state for a generation.”

Bush has a tremendous lead in Florida over other potential Republican nominees, carrying 34 percent support compared to 15 percent from Romney, according to the Saint Leo poll. Rubio had 10 percent support, while medical doctor Ben Carson is pulling 8 percent.

If their first choice decided not to run, Bush still lead among second picks with 18 percent, followed by Rubio at 15 percent and Romney at 13 percent.

Among Democrats, it might be impossible to topple Clinton. She has 63 percent support in Florida, with Vice President Joe Biden a distant second at 8 percent.

Biden, however, does lead among second choices with 25 percent, followed by Clinton with 13 percent and Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren at 11 percent.

Saint Leo polled 500 Florida adults, including 420 likely voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

Tuffy, Arby’s properties sell locally

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The end of the year is approaching, meaning it’s time for some commercial landowners to rethink their holdings. So recent sales of property currently occupied by companies like Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center of Land O’ Lakes and Arby’s in Lutz probably won’t be the last Pasco County sees before Christmas.

3A LLC, the owner of the Tuffy property at 3530 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., sold the half-acre parcel Oct. 28 for $1.7 million to BL Ground Leasing LLC, a company based in Chicago. That’s far more than what 3A originally purchased that lot for in 2006 when it picked up vacant land for $375,000.

3A built the service shop there in 2009.

The “BL” in BL Ground Leasing likely stands for Bernard Leviton, who is listed as the president of the company, according to Florida state corporation records. He shares an address with Metropolitan Rental Corp., out of Chicago, which — according to its website — is a boutique real estate firm that owns apartment buildings around Chicago. The company adds that “all aspects of our business are done under one roof, and open seven days a week.”

The company’s website does not list any property holdings outside of Illinois.

The Tuffy property had originally been owned by David Mayer of Kentucky, who purchased it for $97,000 in 1990, according to property records.

The second land sale toward the end of October involved the Arby’s location at 22820 State Road 54 in Lutz. Olympus BK LLC sold that land for $1.7 million to JLD Realty Inc. and Longwood Realty Corp. of Kissimmee.

Details about this new owner are not clear. Neither JLD Realty nor Longwood Realty is registered with Florida’s corporation division. They are both described as New York companies, with an address at 4730 Oren Brown Road in Kissimmee. That property, according to Osceola County property records, is owned by Diamond Investments Inc., which lists its president as Darryl Diamond of Inglis.

An online social media profile of a Darryl Diamond in the Kissimmee area says he has been a real estate auctioneer for Diamond Investments since 1980, and also spent 25 years as president of Sparkle Motors beginning in 1960. There is a Sparkle Motors location on U.S. 1 in Port Orange.

Olympus BK bought the property in 2003 for $827,500 from The Estate of Tropical King LP of Tampa, which itself purchased the vacant 1-acre parcel in 1995 for $350,000, and built the Arby’s location there a short time later.

It’s not clear if either land purchase will affect the businesses there, but it’s not expected.

Dairy Queen, Tuffy land sold in Wesley Chapel

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The land under a Dairy Queen and a Tuffy Service Center in Wesley Chapel has a new owner from Kentucky.

An acre of land at 27329 Wesley Chapel Blvd., sold last week for $2.35 million to Monticello Properties LLC. That company is connected to Kentucky real estate developer and bank chairman Jack Sheidler. Its previous owner, J & J Wesley Chapel LLC, had originally bought the land in 2006 for $1.8 million. The buildings, according to county property records, were built in 2002.

Monticello purchased the property using a $1.5 million loan from BB&T.

The land is an outparcel of the former Sweetbay supermarket location in Wesley Chapel, which has since converted to Winn-Dixie.

Sheidler has developed real estate since 1984, according to published reports. He is the chair of Citizens First Bank Inc., which operates primarily in the Bowling Green area of Kentucky.

This is the 15th land sale in Pasco County this year above $1 million, accounting for $71.8 million in land sales this year, according to county property records. However, that is off pace from last year when 58 land deals were completed in the county above $1 million, totaling $204.8 million.

Humana offering up to $350,000 for nonprofits

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The Humana Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the insurance company Humana Inc., has relaunched its signature Humana Communities Benefit program, which awards multi-year grants totaling $350,000 to eligible nonprofit companies.

The program is now underway in the Tampa Bay area, as well as Chicago and San Antonio, Texas, for organizations focused on promoting healthy behaviors and relationships.

But now Humana wants the online community to be involved, letting an online vote be a part of the overall judging process.

“This new approach with Humana Communities Benefit is a natural evolution for the program as Humana and the Humana Foundation work to improve the health of the communities we serve nationwide,” said Bruce Broussard, president and chief executive of Humana, in a release. “We have added several new features to the program, including the online vote, which provides an opportunity for each community to have a stake in which organization in each region is awarded our $350,000 grant.”

The new program will award nonprofits a three-year infusion of funds, enabling the winners to receive $200,000 the first year, $100,000 the second year, and $50,000 in the final year. The funds will be used to create new programs or enhance ongoing activities that have a positive, transformational impact on the organization and the community.

Tampa Bay was one of three locations chosen because it employs more than 3,500 employees here, more than in any other area outside of their Louisville, Kentucky, headquarters.

The foundation has given more than $8 million to nonprofits in 11 communities nationwide since starting in 2003. The previous program awarded one-time, $100,000 charitable grants, including one to Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful in 2013, which used the money to build the Humana Educational Pavilion at the Florida Learning Garden in Tampa.

Locally, the competition is open to local nonprofits in Pasco, Hillsborough, Hernando and Pinellas counties. Applications can be submitted to Humana.com/hcb, but must be completed by June 30.

Judging, including an online component, begins in August.