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Lacoochee

Summit speaker shares optimism about Pasco’s prospects

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From manufacturing hubs and roadway improvements, to myriad residential developments on tap — Pasco County has much to be thankful for during these unique and challenging times.

That was the overarching message put forth by Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley at the annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit, held in October at Zephyrhills City Hall.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley was a guest speaker at the annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit last month. (File)

The county commissioner was among featured speakers during the event organized by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Oakley exuded optimism about Pasco’s future, from the moment he stepped up to the microphone: “Goodness gracious, you couldn’t ask for a busier county, and a busier East Pasco county,” he said.

He’s particularly bullish on an influx of manufacturing opportunities throughout East Pasco.

One case in point: A new industrial park in Lacoochee, headlined by a 25-acre precast concrete plant, with room for additional tenants.

The little town just north of Dade City has struggled to find development for decades — since Cummer’s lumber mill closed back in 1959.

Upgrades to Cummer Road and Bower Road in the area, plus workforce housing opportunities, provide “improvements we need for that manufacturing going there,” Oakley said.

There’s other potential boons, too, such as the 99-acre wastewater spray field on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel that’s being developed as a commercial park by the Atlanta-based Rooker Company.

Oakley also mentioned two warehouses that, taken together, total more than 900,000 square feet, and are set to be developed along State Road 52 and Interstate 75.

“Most people haven’t heard about them, but they’re coming. I’ve been told by the developer that they’re coming. They’re going to provide 600 to 800 jobs,” Oakley said.

People moving to the area for work are going to need places to live, of course.

That’s no problem, as the area continues to add to its residential options.

Oakley pointed to thousands of new homes that are underway, or will be, in large subdivisions in Zephyrhills, and in master-planned developments, including Mirada in San Antonio, and Connected City and WaterGrass in Wesley Chapel.

Oakley also highlighted some major transportation improvements.

Those projects include:

  • Widening County Road 54
  • Improving the intersection at State Road 54 and Eiland Boulevard/Morris Bridge Road
  • Creating the diverging diamond at Interstate 75 and State Road 56
  • Building a new interchange at I-75 and Overpass Road
  • Realigning the intersection at U.S. 301/U.S. 98/Clinton Avenue
  • Widening State Road 50, from North Pasco across the Hernando County line
  • Paving projects on Eighth Avenue and on Jerome Road

Oakley underscored the significance of improving the roadways and transportation connections — in the quest to boost the region’s economy.

Pasco County is poised to be home to some manufacturing hubs, major roadway improvements and a slew of large-scale residential developments.

“You connect all these roads, and you look at the transportation value you have in the roads, and moving of people and products across our county, and with manufacturing and being able to move out from this area to other parts, and come into this area.

“Think about all the road projects, and if they get done. What a change that’ll be to our county and the way we move traffic,” the commissioner said.

In summation, the area’s complementary blend of infrastructure, industrial jobs and housing opportunities signal more positive economic times ahead for the region, Oakley reasoned.

“You’ve got everything that’s going to make this economy boom. You’re talking about a stimulus where, ‘You build and they’ll come.’ People are coming. People are coming from the north, from other areas into this area.

“It’s just amazing what’s going to happen in our area, and it’s a change. Think about three or four years down the road, how these things come about, so it’s great things to look forward to,” Oakley said.

He also pointed to the county’s efforts to reduce bureaucratic red tape that can hamper progress.

Besides being a commissioner, Oakley’s experience includes working in his family’s citrus and agriculture business with his brother and father, and serving as vice president of the family’s transportation company, Oakley Transport, which hauls liquid food commodities in stainless steel tanks.

He understands the need for government efficiency.

“I’ve had my hand in a lot of different businesses and all. I know what we don’t want to see when we go to get a permit, and what we do want to see is a happy face and, ‘Here’s how you get through the process.’ We try to streamline things and make things better for everyone,” Oakley said.

Published November 11, 2020

Family’s passion for land runs deep

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The Melton family’s history of farming and ranching in Pasco County stretches back to 1950, when Jack Melton went to work growing watermelons for a rancher.

Steve Melton, Jack’s oldest son, shared the story of his family’s abiding love for the land during a spring tour of their holdings with a photographer and writer from The Laker/Lutz News.

The Meltons — including Jack Melton, his children and their families— live on 1,500 acres the families have acquired through decades of hard work. (Christine Holtzman)

Over decades, the Meltons have acquired 1,500 acres of farm and pastureland in northeast Pasco County, where Jack and five families of Meltons now make their homes.

“As we could get a little bit of money, we’d buy a little bit of land. We’d owe that money to the bank. We’d get that paid off,” Melton said.

It has been a family affair, he said. It has required the efforts of his dad, Jack, the four Melton brothers — Steve, Johnny, Mark and Joe — and their sister, Becky Worrell.

“This has not been given to us. It was not left to us,” Melton said. “That’s why our heart is in this land because it was through our toil that we paid for it.”

As he drove his pickup truck along bumpy roads, he stopped, occasionally, to show off beautiful views.

“Right over that hill, straight ahead of us, is Dade City. Blanton is over that next hill.

“What’s so remarkable about this is the steep relief in this valley right here —how quickly this drops off.

“You see those towers right there on the next horizon? That’s Trilby and Lacoochee.

“That second tower to the right is the big grain elevator in Lacoochee. You can see a water tower, sometimes, in Webster, from here,” he said.

Throughout the property, there are scenes that capture a sense of Old Florida. There are ancient oaks, tree-canopied roads, and wildflowers bursting with color along the roadsides.

Steve Melton rests a spell, and shares some of his cowboy poetry with visitors. Melton, now retired, enjoys writing and reciting poetry and also does heritage arts, such as making brooms and grinding sugar cane to make sugar cane syrup.

The family’s agricultural operations are varied.

“On our 1,500 acres, we have several hundred head in our cow/calf operation. We raise the calves, and then we have a few lease ranches around, too. That’s a major part of our operation.

“So, we have horses — quarter-horses for working, and working dogs to help pen the cattle,” he said.

The ranch also has cow pens, seed barns, and a shop to repair and maintain equipment.

They grow crops, too
“We’re in the seed-harvesting business.

“We custom harvest this Bahia grass that you see growing out here, throughout all of Central Florida,” Melton said.

He stopped by a field, where rye was growing — as far as the eye could see.

“It looks like a sea wave, when the wind passes through,” Melton said. “In a month, this will be golden waves of grain.

“Sometimes — a very rare occasion — we’ll see clouds of this white pollen, wafting through the field — pollinating all at once,” he added.

Once harvested, the rye is packed into 50-pound bags and sold to ranchers to graze their cattle with in the winter, said Melton. He saves some of the grain to make rye bread.

“People sometimes have an idyllic interpretation of farming, as being Sunday on the front porch and just watching the crops grow,” Melton said.

This field of rye, on the Meltons’ farmland, looks like a wave on the sea, when the wind catches it just right, Steve Melton says.

But, he continued: “Farming is not for the faint of heart.”

Threats to a farmer’s livelihood come in many forms: “Too much rain. Drought. Freezes. And, hurricanes coming — destroying the crops. Then, you have the stress of getting the harvest in,” he said.

COVID-19, which has been raging through Florida, hasn’t had much of an impact on the Meltons’ operations.

“Really, it’s not slowed us down. We hardly know anybody that knows anybody that’s had it,” he said.

“It’s kind of isolated in the country. We’re working outdoors most of the time and (are) not connected with many people,” he added.

Melton attributes his family’s ability to survive — and thrive — to forward-thinking and the ability to adapt.

“My brothers are always thinking, ‘What’s the next thing we can do, that might fill in a gap?’” he said.

This cow seems quite content in a pasture on the eastern edge of Pasco County.

When an orange grove was lost, for instance, the family increased its hay production.

Despite hard work and uncertainty, Melton loves what he and his extended family have created.

“It keeps me connected to the land,” he said.

“My dad started the farm and ranch. All of the siblings and myself have helped build it up through the years,” he said.

Now, his brothers, Johnny and Mark, and his five nephews run the operation.

The idea of a third generation continuing the work is gratifying, Melton said.

“This gives us so much encouragement. It carries on the family tradition.

“This is very comforting to know, especially for dad, and for us — that it still has a future,” he said.

Published July 15, 2020

Collecting litter to help keep Pasco clean

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About 340 volunteers fanned out across Land O’ Lakes to pick up litter and trash along the area’s roads, public lands and waterways.

In their first year volunteering for the Coastal Cleanup event, the Dana family, from Wesley Chapel, work together to pick up trash that was discarded along Collier Parkway, north of Hale Road. From left: 7-year-old Peyton, Cliff, 10-year-old Ethan, and Lydia. (Christine Holtzman)

They were among the thousands who took part in Pasco County, as part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup event on Sept. 21.

Volunteers in Dade City, Lacoochee, New Port Richey, Port Richey, Hudson and Holiday also joined in the efforts that were organized by Pasco County and the not-for-profit environmental organization, Keep Pasco Beautiful.

Those pitching in on the Land O’ Lakes effort met around 8 a.m., at the community center at Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., to pick up gloves, trash bags, safety vests and bottles of water.

Event sponsors paid for the supplies, and volunteers who had registered received a keepsake bag and an event T-shirt.

Some of the volunteers have been helping out for decades, including 84-year-old Gloria Dale, of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, who worked at the registration table. She’s been pitching in for 26 years.

Eleven-year old Olivia O’Malley, of Land O’ Lakes, holds a trash bag open, as her father, Michael, throws away a decaying trash bag that was found on the side of Parkway Boulevard. O’Malley, a member of Boy Scouts Troop 34, and her dad also found a piece of a car bumper earlier in the morning.

Lottie Kelley, another longtime volunteer, has helped for 24 years.

She works for Covanta, one of the event sponsors, and was the Land O’ Lakes site captain.

Helping to keep Pasco clean and green is what makes the event important, Kelley said.

“Litter is very unsightly, and it’s not good for the county,” Kelley said.

Besides being unattractive, roadway trash can be dangerous for wildlife, she said.

“We need to keep the litter off the roadways, so the animals don’t eat it. They can end up being in a terrible situation,” Kelley said.

She said this year’s effort focused on roadways in Land O’ Lakes, including Ehren Cutoff, Collier Parkway, Parkway Boulevard, Hale Road, Bell Lake Road and Carson Drive.

Boy Scout troops 33 and 34, and Cub Scout Pack 33 from Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Land O’ Lakes,  collected trash along large stretches of Collier Parkway and Parkway Boulevard.

Twelve-year-old Wesley Swank, of Land O’ Lakes, emerges from the bushes with a large Styrofoam cup, that was discarded along Parkway Blvd, near Paw Place. Swank is a member of Boy Scout Troop 33, which is based out of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Land O’ Lakes.

The troops have been participating in this event for approximately 15 years and, over the years, have picked up all sorts of items, including a glass table, a microwave, beer bottles and even a device that looked like a pipe bomb.

The idea is to remove every piece of trash discarded on the roadways to prevent it from ending up in waterways, and eventually into oceans.

As each piece trash is picked up, it is recorded on sheets, or on a downloadable app provided by the nonprofit organization Ocean Conservancy.

The ocean-advocacy group is on a mission to tackle the greatest global challenges facing the ocean.

By recording the types of trash and the amounts, the group can establish a snapshot and a state-by-state index of the problem of marine debris.

Last year, 1,823 volunteers picked up 11.94 tons of trash throughout Pasco County, according to the Keep Pasco Beautiful website.

Published September 25, 2019

Five-year-old Aliya Goodwin, of Lutz, left, and 9-year-old Caleb MacKenzie, also of Lutz, take a break from picking up trash, and sit on the bumper of an SUV. The kids were volunteering their time by collecting trash along Parkway Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes with Cub Scout Pack 33.
Seven-year-old Brendan Pratt, of Land O’ Lakes, left, and his father, Michael, stand on the corner of Parkway Boulevard and Collier Parkway. To stay hydrated, Brendan is drinking water from a hose, that is connected to the backpack full of water that he is wearing.
Cub Scout Pack 33, based out of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Land O’ Lakes, picks up trash along Parkway Boulevard, near the corner of Collier Parkway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hazel Wells’ mission: To help the less fortunate

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Hazel Wells views herself as a “second mother” to disadvantaged residents living in East Pasco County.

And, her years of community outreach throughout Dade City, Trilby and Lacoochee are evidence of her commitment.

Hazel Wells stands alongside her brother, Robert S. Perkins, in the church sanctuary, which he pastors: Faith Fellowship in Jesus Christ. Through the Trilby church, Wells has been able to form meaningful relationships with the less fortunate and provide them access to their basic needs. (Brian Fernandes)

She attributes her charitable drive, partially, to a wish that she’d been more engaged with her own children, as they were growing up.

“I realized that I wasn’t the greatest mother in the world,” Wells said. “I wanted to make up for all that I didn’t do.”

The Trilby resident said she witnesses the poverty that many in her region live with on a daily basis.

And, she has formed a bond with many of the young people in the community — particularly those attending her brother’s church, in Trilby.

There, she came across a young man who is paraplegic and has trouble getting to church.

Seeing that situation spurred Wells to make an appearance before the Pasco County Commission to request additional sidewalks around the building.

She has also noticed that some children attending her brother’s church lack proper clothing.

She doesn’t have the financial ability to expand their wardrobe, but she does pass along clothing donated by friends.

Both parents and children have been grateful for the help, Wells said.

Kids also drop by her home to visit, and for advice.

She said they know they are welcome there.

Wells offers a simple formula for developing a strong relationship with youths.

All it requires, she said, is “just loving them and listening to them.”

It’s typical to find Hazel Wells preparing a hearty meal for attendees of the Faith Fellowship in Jesus Christ church, in Trilby. Wells has been a longtime advocate for helping the disadvantaged people of East Pasco County.

As she passes along precepts she’s learned in life, she’s also had a chance to learn from the youths.

She’s had a chance to observe many youth during her time as a Pasco County school cafeteria worker and on her job at a juvenile detention center.

Seeing troubled youths in the system made her realize that they lack much-needed love, Wells said.

To provide more opportunities for kids, Wells is on a quest to gain support for improvements to the Trilby Community Center.

Wells would like to use space in the center, which is currently closed, to engage youths in arts and crafts, sewing, crocheting, cooking and other activities.

She’s already made one appearance before the Pasco County Commission, and is encouraged by the support she’s received from other local women.

Another one of her initiatives was to persuade a barber to provide free haircuts for some of the area’s disadvantaged kids.

She said she’d also like to collaborate with Pasco County Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Ziegler, who is known in the county as “Officer Friendly.”

Wells said Ziegler has been a strong advocate for youths in community outreach efforts.

Wells doesn’t limit her help to area youths.

She’s also involved in helping disadvantaged adults.

Wells and friends have helped distribute food, blankets and hygiene items to homeless people living within Dade City, Trilby and Lacoochee.

Her church has provided boxes of food, and a local Dade City restaurant has provided soup she can give to people on the streets.

Wells also has brought attention to people in the community who dedicate themselves for others.

For instance, she held a ceremony to honor the African-American instructors who taught her at the Moore-Mickens Education Center in Dade City.

She also presented certificates to Pasco County Firefighters, to honor them for their sacrifices.

One of her longtime friends was Capt. Charles “Bo” Harrison, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, who was slain in 2003.

Wells was involved in the renaming of 11th Street in Dade City, to honor Harrison.

Besides providing recognition for her friend, the renaming reduced confusion for first responders.

The city previously had two 11th Streets and the renaming created clarity, she explained.

“I think Bo is still saving people’s lives,” she added, with a chuckle.

More recently in 2018, Wells worked with city officials to have June 1 proclaimed as Capt. Charles “Bo” Harrison Day.

Her future plans include rebuilding her nonprofit organization, Dade City Widow’s Mite.

Established in 2004, the organization relies upon community funding to provide financial help in times of emergency, help with home maintenance and educational resources.

And, as Wells continues her quest to improve community life, she wants to make the best use of her time.

“I want to do what I can before I leave this world,” the Trilby woman said. “I want to leave a legacy of honoring people and giving children a voice in this community.”

Published May 22, 2019

East Pasco honors Martin Luther King legacy

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In ceremonies large and small across the country, the nation paused to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a slain civil rights leader whose birthday is commemorated each year through a federal holiday.

An event to honor the birthday of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., attracted a large crowd at the Lewis Abraham Boys and Girls Club on Jan. 21. (Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

Locally, there were various events to observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including one at the Lewis Abraham Boys and Girls Club in Lacoochee.

Speakers lined up to offer remembrances of King, who would have turned 90 this year.

Cassie D. Coleman, president of the Martin Luther King Committee, organized “The Dream that Changed the World” event.

She read from Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.

As a pianist played a quiet ballad, punctuated by responses of “amen” from the crowd, Coleman recited these words: “With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.”

Coleman extended a warm welcome, to all those present, and the audience joined in singing, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

“Today is an awesome celebration,” Coleman said, reverently.

Pastor Philip Williams of the Glorious Church of God offered opening prayer to a congregation. The Jan. 21 event was in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“We just don’t celebrate a man, but we celebrate a prophet that was sent by God to change the world as we know it,” she said.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez was among those attending.

“Dr. Martin Luther King devoted his life to advance equality, social justice, opportunity for all and challenged all Americans to participate in the never-ending work of building a more perfect union,” Hernandez said.

She emphasized the important role that citizens have in creating a safer and unified community.

“It’s Dade City’s desire to educate our residents to remember the dream that changed the world,” the mayor said.

The Pasco County Community Choir took the stage and amplified the gymnasium with their voices — accompanied by piano, tambourine and rhythmic hand claps from the audience.

Then, the Rev. Dr. Willie Roberts delivered his message: “I challenge all of us here today to dare to dream,” the minister said.

He noted that Dr. King’s vision was bigger than himself and compared him to such pivotal figures as Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

He emphasized that making a dream come to fruition involves risk, and he asked the audience what they were willing to give up, in the quest for a better tomorrow.

He asked the audience to ask themselves: “Are you here to hinder, to help or to hurt?”

The program concluded with several pre-collegiate high school students taking the stage to read the biographies of female civil rights advocates, including Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Ella Baker and Ida B. Wells – who were instrumental in advancing Dr. King’s cause.

Published January 30, 2019

Fallen officer cherished for leadership, love, and laughter

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The countless who knew Capt. Charles “Bo” Harrison, say they’re better people because of it.

And, the superlatives flow freely when people describe what he was like.

Here are just a few of those descriptions: Hero. Christian. Father. Brother. Husband. Friend. Leader. Coach. Servant. Great Officer. Integrity. Honorable..

Capt. Charles “Bo” Harrison was the highest-ranking black officer for the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. Harrison was gunned down on June 1, 2003 — just two weeks before he was scheduled to retire from a 31-year law enforcement career. Prior to his law enforcement career, he served in Vietnam as a U.S. Army paratrooper.
(Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

He was “a servant-leader who made a difference to every man, woman and child who came in contact with him,” said Pastor Deundrick Reed of Living Waters United Church in Dade City.

Reed served as master of ceremonies for the Bo Harrison Memorial on June 1 at the Boys and Girls Club.

The event has been held each year since Harrison’s watch ended on June 1, 2003 — the day he was killed in the line of duty.

“He walked it, he talked it, and he lived it,” Reed said. “He motivated and inspired. He sacrificed himself for others, no matter what. He was a man who was an example how we all should live our lives today.”

Harrison, then a lieutenant, had served with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office for 31 years. It was just two weeks before he was scheduled to retire when he was shot and killed while on surveillance near a nightclub on U.S. Route 301 in Lacoochee around 2 a.m.

He was 57.

According to reports, several deputies who were across the street heard a gunshot and went to investigate. They located Harrison in his patrol car suffering from a gunshot wound to the back. He was transported to Dade City Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Harrison had been shot with a high-powered rifle by a sniper who was in the nearby woods. The shot went through the trunk of the car and struck him in the back.

A 19-year-old suspect turned himself in two days later and was charged in connection with Harrison’s murder. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison with no parole.

Harrison, the highest-ranking black officer in county history, was posthumously promoted to captain.

He left behind a wife and three children.

Before his law enforcement career, Harrison served in the Vietnam War as a U.S. Army paratrooper.

Dozens of law enforcement officers and officials from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Dade City Police Department and the Zephyrhills Police Department attended the memorial service.

Family, friends and members of the east Pasco community also attended, “honoring the memory of a man who answered the call to serve his country and community.”

The two-hour long gathering and reception also featured some of Harrison’s favorite gospel songs from his parish, St. John’s Missionary Church, in Dade City.

Harrison was mainly recognized for his impact to the community; serving as one of Pasco’s first black deputies; and for his life growing up in Dade City, where he was a sports star for the local black high school, Mickens High School.

Hazel Wells, 70, grew up with Harrison. She graduated high school with him in 1965 and remained friends long after.

In her words, Harrison was “a heroic, outstanding, God-fearing man.”

Last month, Wells wrote a proclamation to the Dade City Commission to forever make June 1 known as Capt. Charles “Bo” Harrison Day in Dade City.

Back in 2015, Wells successfully petitioned Dade City officials and neighbors to rename 11th Street as Charles “Bo” Harrison Street.

Wells also recalled Harrison for his upbeat, positive nature and athletic prowess.

“He was just a happy person,” Wells said, “and he loved sports.”

“I can still hear (people) on the Mickens ballfield yell, ‘Run Bo’ because he would run so fast. Any kind of sport, he excelled in,” Wells said.

Another lifelong friend, Willie Broner, 69, still cherishes fond moments with Harrison.

A crowd exceeding 100 people turned out for the annual Bo Harrison Memorial on June 1 at the Boys and Girls Club, in Lacoochee.
Dozens of law enforcement officers and officials from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Dade City Police Department and the Zephyrhills Police Department were among those attending.
Many family members and friends and members of the east Pasco community also attended, “honoring the memory of a man who answered the call to serve his country and community.”
(Courtesy of Richard Riley)

Both played on the same sports teams growing up and also served together in Vietnam. While serving in the war, Broner was caught in enemy territory when Harrison risked a 20-mile trek “all by himself” to help rescue his childhood friend.

Broner went on to become a longtime educator in Pasco County and a successful basketball coach at Pasco High School, where he recorded more than 300 career victories.

“I will always remember Bo,” Broner paused, “as long as I live.”

“He will always be remembered in my heart. …I will always remember a great man; a great, great, great friend,” Broner said.

Harrison, known as “BoBo” by those closest, was also reminisced for his radiant smile, his great sense of humor, and his distinguished, boisterous laugh.

Such a laugh would often echo through the hallways of the sheriff’s office, said Pasco Sheriff’s Det. Johnny Windsor, who worked under the fallen deputy early in his career.

“If you knew Bo,” Windsor said, smiling, “you knew the laugh that he had. …You always knew when Bo was in the building.”

Windsor, himself now set to retire after a 30-year law enforcement career, shared several stories and tales about working with Harrison.

One that still holds meaning: Harrison welcomed Windsor and family to his church and to share a meal as part of law enforcement appreciation week.

For Harrison, race was never an issue, said Windsor, who is white.

“It’s something for somebody to want to invite you to their church,” said Windsor, “when you’re not the same color as they are.”

Added Windsor: “He did not see color and it didn’t matter. This day and age that’s important. It should be important to all of us.”

Also oftentimes “the happiest guy on earth,” the veteran detective recalled Harrison as someone he could reach out to for help at anytime.

“He was a guy that was very approachable,” Windsor said. “You could walk up to him and have a conversation with him. You could talk about work issues. You could go to him about personal issues. At that time there were very few people in the agency that I would go to with personal issues, but I will tell you Bo Harrison was one of them. I was proud to know that man. I was proud to say he was my friend.”

Windsor also said Harrison was a major influence on his career.

Looking back in his early days as a deputy, Windsor remembers thinking Harrison as “the guy I want to be like.”

“I believe that Bo Harrison probably made me the deputy sheriff that I am today and I thank him for that,” he said.

Published June 6, 2018

Pasco suffers extensive storm damage

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Tropical Storm Hermine brought drenching rain and gusting winds to Pasco County and a price tag well over $100 million, in what could prove to be one of the costliest storms in the county’s history.

Homes in New Port Richey, Port Richey and Elfers sustained the worst damage. Those communities also suffered through flooding during strong summer rains in 2015.

Northeast and central Pasco mostly escaped the flooding and wind damage from Hermine, which later came ashore in the Panhandle as a hurricane.

However, a total of seven sinkholes opened across the county, including at locations in Lacoochee and Wesley Chapel.

Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey, left of podium, listens as Pasco County Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie updates the media on damage from Tropical Storm Hermine. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey, left of podium, listens as Pasco County Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie updates the media on damage from Tropical Storm Hermine.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Final numbers are not yet in, but county officials say just the physical damage to homes along could reach $89 million. Damage to public buildings could be as high as $50 million.

County officials are asking business owners to complete a business damage assessment survey to help calculate their losses.

At a Sept. 7 press conference, county officials gave an update on storm damage, and steps being taken to secure disaster aid for county residents.

“We are going to do what it takes to get you back on your feet,” said Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey.

More than 2,600 homes were damaged, with 305 homes sustaining major damage from fallen trees or water covering electrical sockets.

More than 1,500 homes had minor damage; nearly 800 had some damage from downed trees or yard flooding.

Seven homes were destroyed, based on water rising above doorknobs or roofs and walls that caved in due to fallen tree limbs.

The Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point sustained about $3 million in damages and $10 million in lost revenues.

The hospital had to evacuate patients and close the hospital when lightning during the tropical storm sparked a fire.

After last year’s flooding, the county didn’t qualify for federal aid based on the amount of damage. However, damage from Hermine is well above the threshold that would qualify it for federal emergency status.

That will open opportunities for federal grants, said Kevin Guthrie, the county’s emergency management director.

But, he added, “This is not a quick moving process.”

In coming days, Guthrie said he expected additional reports to come in about storm damage.

Much of the data on damage so far was collected from county employees in the field, not from waiting for residents to phone, Guthrie said.

“We went out and found those homes,” he said.

County commissioners also were scheduled to discuss stormwater projects and stormwater maintenance at their Sept. 13 meeting, held after The Laker/Lutz News’ press time.

At the press conference, Starkey said the county needs to take another look at a proposed increase in the countywide stormwater fee.

That isn’t possible for 2017, but could be for 2018.

Commissioners increased the fee last year by $10 to a total of $57. They rejected a request in July from stormwater managers to consider an $80 annual fee effective in 2017. Commissioners stuck by the $57 fee in a close 3 to 2 vote. Starkey and Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano favored increasing the fee.

Pasco also is taking steps to help residents clean up debris, with a special schedule that began on Sept. 12.  Pickups will be done seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., for the next several weeks.

Crews will complete runs north to south in the Aripeka area and south to north in the Anclote area. Requests for pickup should be made to the county’s customer service center.

Homeowners should place debris at curb or street side with items separated into separate piles for furniture, white goods (appliances etc.), construction materials and vegetation.

Initially crews will go out to assess the amount and types of materials that need pickup.

“It makes it easier for our folks to come along and know what kind of equipment they will need,” Guthrie said.

For information about storm damage or pickup schedules for debris, call (727) 847-2411 or email .

Business owners can participate in the damage assessment survey at PascoCountyFl.net.

Published September 14, 2016

Celebrating health care services in Lacoochee

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The Lacoochee Family Health Center, a Premier Community Healthcare Group satellite location, hosted an open house on April 20 to celebrate the location’s first anniversary.

The event was at the Stanley Park Lacoochee Community Center in Dade City.

The center served nearly 400 patients during 2015, according to a news release.

The Lacoochee health center opened in response to a need expressed by the community, said Cheryl Pollock, director of business development for Premier.

Cheryl Pollock is director of business development for Premier Community Healthcare Group, which provides quality, accessible medical care to underserved communities in Pasco County.
Cheryl Pollock is director of business development for Premier Community Healthcare Group, which provides quality, accessible medical care to underserved communities in Pasco County. (Courtesy of Cheryl Pollock)

Premier is dedicated to providing high quality, affordable, accessible medical care to Medicaid/Medicare recipients, uninsured and underserved communities of Pasco County.

Premier provides a full range of comprehensive primary care medical services that include family medicine, pediatrics, dental, behavioral health, obstetrics and gynecology.

The center in Lacoochee was opened in response to the community’s request for more accessible health care, Pollock said. Most of its patients walk to the clinic.

It provides a wide range of services, and it can provide bus passes to help people who need to go to other locations for services it doesn’t provide, Pollock said.

The center in Lacoochee is not funded with grant money, so its operations must be paid for through fundraising efforts, she added.

Statistics for the first year of operations show that 47 percent of patients were on Medicaid, 31 percent were uninsured or opted to self-pay, 12 percent were classified with private insurance, 6 percent were on Medicare, and 4 percent were classified as “other.”

Of those served, 24 percent were under age 17, and the rest were adults.

Also, 37 percent of all patients received services through same-day appointments.

The 600-square-foot clinic is staffed by a nurse, a provider and a clerical worker, Pollock said.

The equipment and furnishings were provided by the Florida Medical Clinic Foundation. The clinic space is also provided for free, through a coalition of community organizations.

The anniversary celebration was held to help draw attention to the center and to encourage more people to take advantage of the availability of primary health care services in the area.

Those attending had a chance to pick up information about health care services and enjoy some refreshments.

Premier Community Healthcare has eight offices throughout Pasco County.

Published April 27, 2016

Former pro cyclist organizes community rides

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A former professional cyclist has created a weekend community cycling ride in Dade City that welcomes riders of all skill levels.

The ride, organized by Josh and Kaleigh Thornton, takes place each Saturday at 8 a.m., at the parking lot next to 14112 Eighth Street in Dade City.

Rides are typically two hours long, with varying paces, depending on each member’s skill level.

Josh Thornton, 37, has organized a Dade City community cycling ride on Saturdays. The free rides are open to cyclists of all skill levels. (Photos courtesy of Josh Thornton)
Josh Thornton, 37, has organized a Dade City community cycling ride on Saturdays. The free rides are open to cyclists of all skill levels.
(Photos courtesy of Josh Thornton)

Thornton, a professional cyclist from 2005 to 2009 and former member of the U.S. National Team, wanted to create a community ride to promote the cycling industry and bike advocacy in the area.

He said there’s currently a core group of 10 to 15 riders that have been showing up each Saturday over the past few months.

“It’s a really good ride, because it truly is for all skill levels,” Thornton, 37, said. “There’s other rides that are very fast and for very skilled riders, and a lot of people are intimidated by that, so this is kind of neat because it’s for anyone. We wanted something that really started in Dade City; there was nothing like that.”

“There’s no cost. Just show up and go, and hopefully hang out and meet some new people,” he added.

Throughout the course of the two-hour ride, the cyclists usually log about 30 miles, pedaling at an average pace of 13 mph to 15 mph. However, some less-experienced riders can opt to start out slow, and work their way up.

Thornton noted the group will typically “head out toward the hills” and ride along Darby Road. Other times, they’ll head north and hop on the Withlacoochee Trail.

“The roads that we pick are generally the less-traveled roads. That’s generally how most cyclists try to think,” he said. “We do have a couple different routes that we’ve done.”

Instead of trying to finish first, the rides are more about enjoying the scenery, and getting in some early weekend exercise.

“We have a protective group; we’re looking out for the other riders,” Thornton said. “You ride differently when you’re thinking like that as opposed to where you’re muscling around with the guys, jockeying for position.”

A regular group of about 10 to 15 people has been taking part in the rides for the past few months.
A regular group of about 10 to 15 people has been taking part in the rides for the past few months.

While still a small group, Thornton hopes the local rides will grow to the point where there can be multiple groups — like an A, B and C group —that can more closely match each rider’s skill level.

Although no longer a professional racer, Thornton is still very much involved in the cycling industry.

He operates a bike promotions and coaching business called Wicked Awesome Racing, and has also spawned a cyclo-cross racing series.

As opposed to a road race on pavement, Thornton’s Wicked Awesome Racing Series events are held on closed courses, like at Stanley Park in Lacoochee.

According to Thornton, cyclo-cross is currently the fastest growing form of cycling.

“It’s a much different form of cycling,” said Thornton, who competed in both road races and closed-circuit races (criteriums) as a professional. “It’s almost like a minor steeplechase kind of a race. It reminds me of cross-country in high school. You have a modified road bike— a little bit wider tires with knobs on them and the brakes are more like a mountain bike style brake.”

“The cool part about it is it’s a seven- to eight-minute loop, so you see the (racers) multiple times. It has this spectator-friendly aspect to it that you really don’t get when you go to a road race,” he added.

With Pasco County’s rolling hills and varying elevation points, the area offers an ideal setting for the cyclo-cross races, Thornton said.

“I’m from New England originally, and people see photos of (the course) and they don’t believe its Florida, because they think it’s flat as a pancake and there’s (only) beaches here,” he said.

For more information about the community rides, e-mail or call (352)-444-6413.

Published April 6, 2016

Have a ‘Joyous Kwanzaa’

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The holiday season at the end of the year is a time of celebration for many religions around the world.

Christians rejoice in the birth of Christ. Jews reflect on the miracle of Hannukah when a single-day of sacred oil for burning candles at a rededicated temple lasted eight days.

For many African-Americans the season brings one more celebration, known as Kwanzaa.

The holiday’s name is from a Swahili phrase for the “first fruits of harvest.”

Though not specifically religious, Kwanzaa celebrates the roots and culture of the African-American and Pan-American experience.

A typical greeting at this time of year is “have a joyous Kwanzaa.”

“We’re celebrating the best of African culture,” said Imani Asukile, president of the African American Heritage Society of East Pasco County.

TitleFrom Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, participating families will gather each day in their homes to honor the seven principles of Kwanzaa, known as Nguzo Saba: unity (umoja); self-determination (kujichagulia); collective work and responsibility (ujima); cooperative economics (ujamaa); purpose (nia); creativity (kuumba); and faith (imani).

Schools, libraries and churches also host Kwanzaa events.

Though the celebration is annual, the meaning of Kwanzaa is year-round.

“It’s not something we do,” said Asukile. “It’s a way of life.”

Each day of the week during Kwanzaa, a candle is lit – most often by a child – and one principle is discussed each day. The black candle in the center of the kanara, or candleholder, is the first to be lit in a ceremony reminiscent of the Jewish ritual of lighting eight candles during Hannukah.

“Hopefully, they develop a sense of appreciation of ancestors who laid a foundation on which we stand today,” said Asukile. “And, they can restore what we consider the best pride in our community.”

To start the holiday, the heritage society will host the Brenda Wormack Annual Unity Walk on Dec. 26 at 9 a.m., at the New Bethel African Episcopal Methodist (AME) Church in Lacoochee.

Wormack was vice president of the organization at the time of her death in 2009 from breast cancer. She also was a member of New Bethel AME.

“She was an ardent supporter of youth in the community,” said Asukile.

The heritage society also will host a Kwanzaa event, featuring storyteller Windell Campbell, on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m., at the Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City.

Storytelling is an affirmation of the African-American experience, Asukile said, and it creates an understanding of the past and future.

“You have to constantly tell the story,” Asukile said.

Kwanzaa began in the mid-1960s as the first uniquely African-American holiday. Its creator is Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of black studies at California State College in Long Beach, California.

According to the Kwanzaa website, the theme for Kwanzaa in 2015 is “Embracing Kwanzaa’s Principles and Practices: Creating and Celebrating the Good.”

For the African-American Heritage Society of East Pasco County, the Kwanzaa celebration is a tradition dating at least to the 1990s.

“I think it was through Kwanzaa that our organization was given birth,” Asukile said. “We have kind of used Kwanzaa to help make our community a better place.”

The organization hosts an annual memorial service to honor more than 20 veterans buried at Indian Pond Cemetery in Dade City. During segregation, the cemetery was the only one where African-Americans could bury their loved ones.

Events also are held during the year to recognize black history and women’s history, particularly individuals from the east Pasco area.

“We are extremely proud of what we have been able to contribute, especially proud of how the community has received the organization,” Asukile said.

For information, contact Imani Asukile at (352) 567-0441.

What: The Brenda Wormack Annual Unity Walk
When: Dec. 26 at 9 a.m.
Where: New Bethel AME Church, 20653 Floyd Road in Lacoochee

What: African American Heritage Society of East Pasco – Kwanzaa celebration, featuring storyteller Windell Campbell
When: Dec. 29 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., Dade City

All events are free and open to the public.

Published December 23, 2015