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The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Pasco-Hernando Community College

Coronavirus could ‘decimate’ state appropriations

April 21, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

The recently passed $93 billon Florida state budget included some big wins for East Pasco, but District 38 state Rep. Randy Maggard isn’t ready to celebrate or take a victory lap just yet.

That’s because the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic will force state lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a special session sometime this summer — and likely result in major spending cuts for budgeted programs and projects due to a shortfall in sales tax revenues.

“This virus, it’s just going to decimate our budget,” Maggard said, during an East Pasco Networking Group virtual conference meeting on April 13.

Randy Maggard represents District 38 in the State House of Representatives (Courtesy of Florida House of Representatives)

The Dade City Republican helped secure a total of $16.6 million in appropriations to be used in projects by Zephyrhills, Lacoochee, Pasco County and Saint Leo University. These projects include intersection improvements, establishing a new robotics program, and septic to sewage for a fast-growing part of our county.

But, the freshman lawmaker admitted he isn’t sure which, if any, of those projects could be on the chopping block a few months from now.

“The problem we’re in, we all don’t know what’s going to change on us,” Maggard said. “All the good things we accomplished may not last, so that’s what we are dealing with at the moment and just watching, because It’s unchartered waters for all of us.”

Aside from budgetary impacts, Maggard outlined other issues that have or could become the result of COVID-19.

One of the more well-documented issues surfaced is the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) having trouble managing the massive volume of people filing for unemployment benefit claims.

Maggard mostly defended the DEO — pointing out the system was never designed or could’ve anticipated such unemployment levels in a state with historically low unemployment.

The lawmaker explained the DEO would typically file more than 10,000 unemployment claims in a month. Now, the department is getting as many or more in a single day.

“I think you’ve gotta put it in perspective a little bit,” Maggard said. “Nobody expected this to happen and where it’s going. Nobody expected it in our unemployment part and in our small businesses and our restaurant businesses. I just feel so bad for them, because it’s devastating…so we’re working tirelessly to try to do the right things to get us through this as quick as possible.”

He added “99% of what I do daily now is trying to help people get unemployment claims and fight it through the system.”

Maggard touched on some other unintended consequences resulting from COVID-19.

He explained statewide stay-at-home orders have led to a rise in domestic violence, and strains on waste management, while consumer stockpiling has exposed a truck driver shortage and product supply chains.

Maggard also raised concerns of the risk of utility and electric companies being overwhelmed as “everybody’s staying home under A/C, 24/7…and we haven’t even hit the summer hot time yet.

“This virus has really compounded a lot of problems and shows us a lot of weaknesses and some of the things we thought we had set up and were foolproof,” he said, “but, the good thing is we’re learning from it, we’re going to get through it…and there’s a light at the end of the end of the tunnel.”

Maggard reflects on first year in office
Voters selected Maggard in a special election last June to become their next representative in District 38 of the Florida House of Representatives — filling the vacancy created by former Rep. Danny Burgess, who accepted an offer from Gov. Ron DeSantis to become the executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Participating in his first 60-day regular legislative session “was absolutely one of the biggest honors of my life,” Maggard said, adding, “to be able to walk out on that chamber floor and realize you’re one of 2,700 people that ever stepped there, it gives you chills.”

Maggard spent 30 years as vice president of Sonny’s Discount Appliances in Dade City. He is a Pasco County native, attended Zephyrhills High School and holds an Associate of Arts degree from Pasco-Hernando Community College (now known as Pasco-Hernando State College).

He underscored the significance of his new role.

“Every time we press a button, we affect 21 million people’s lives,” Maggard said, “and I take that very seriously.”

With that, stopping a bill is oftentimes more important than passing a bill, Maggard said, “because every time something is passed, something is taken away, there’s some kind of freedom affected.”

“I quickly learned that my job up there was to stop things — bad policies — more than it was trying to make good policy, so I did a lot of arguing, debating over that,” he said.

For Maggard, the job overall has been “like drinking from a fire hose”  — in terms of the volume of tasks and issues that come across his desk regularly.

“When you’re running for office, you can’t really get prepared for all the amount of information that you need to use, and the people you need to see, and the work you have to do to be able to vote the right way for your citizens in Pasco,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maggard commended fellow state lawmakers for working together and across the aisle, as both the House and Senate unanimously approved the $93 billion state budget in March.

He highlighted the procurement of $690 million for water protection and restoration of the Everglades; $1.7 billion dollars for hurricane response; and, $17 billion for PreK-12 education funding, including $500 million for teachers pay raises, among others.

“The Republicans and Dems, we do have some differences,” he said, “but, we can sit down and have a breakfast, both sides, and talk and work something out, and I think that’s what good government’s supposed to be.

“We were called not to be politicians, but to be statesmen. I’m arguing for East Pasco, but somewhere in the middle there, we’ve gotta do what’s best for 21 million people.”

Published April 22, 2020

Filed Under: Local News Tagged With: coronavirus disease-2019, COVID-19, Danny Burgess, DEO, East Pasco Networking Group, Everglades, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, Florida House of Representatives, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Pasco-Hernando State College, Randy Maggard, Ron DeSantis, Saint Leo University, Sonny's Discount Appliances, Zephyrhills High School

Longtime Pasco High school resource officer retires

September 11, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

A longtime Dade City Police Department school resource officer (SRO) won’t be patrolling the halls and campus of Pasco High School anymore.

Brian McDougal joined the police department in 1990, straight out of then Pasco-Hernando Community College’s law enforcement academy.

The bulk of his service has been spent as a familiar face in local schools.

Longtime Pasco High School resource officer Brian McDougal, middle, has retired from that role, after nearly three decades of service with the Dade City Police Department. (Kevin Weiss)

Before his 17-year stint at Pasco High, McDougal became the police department’s first SRO when he was assigned to Pasco Middle School in 1994.

He had to step away from his SRO role this year because of an ongoing leg injury he said stems from an arrest he made in 2018.

While he’s leaving that position,he will remain on the Dade City force as a reserve officer, to assist with multi-subject trainings.

“I just got to the point where I can’t walk, can’t do my job as a resource officer on 99 acres,” McDougal recently told The Laker/Lutz News.

He said he will miss the interaction with kids.

“It’s having that feeling of making a difference in a young person’s life that’s made it all worthwhile for me,” he said.

Dade City police detective Pete Emerson will serve as Pasco High’s SRO for the 2019-2020 school year. He last served in that role from 1997-2002, until, ironically, McDougal took over for him.

McDougal began his law enforcement career as a patrolman, and eventually worked his way up to detective. Advancement opportunities arose after he passed the police sergeant’s exam.

His passion, however, remained in schools “to bridge that gap between cops and kids.”

“I was just trying to really make a difference. My heart told me I just needed to stay as SRO,” said McDougal.

McDougal acknowledged that the responsibilities of a resource officer have evolved since he took his first post in the mid 1990s — particularly when it comes to school safety in the age of school shootings and other violent threats.

“As a resource officer, you’ve got to have your head on a 360 (degree) swivel all the time now, constantly looking, constantly watching. In your mind, you have to be prepared for the absolute worst and fall back to your training,” said McDougal.

“You used to be able to go to school and say, ‘OK, I got this.’ You know, pretty comfortable in your environment and not have to worry about a lot. But then, Columbine happened, 9/11 happened and the snowball effect for our safety, that’s where it all changed.”

When he put on the uniform each day, McDougal was reminded about the importance for the consideration of the whole student body.

“If those kids don’t know we care as law enforcement, if they don’t know we care, then why should they?” McDougal said. “If you’re going to go out here and be a public servant, you treat everybody with compassion, you treat everybody how you want to be treated, you don’t lose your temper just because they do.”

Now in quasi-retirement, McDougal said he plans to start a firearms safety instruction business.

He also wants to become a blacksmith to tap into his Scottish roots, and craft ornamental ironworks and knives.

“Before the (History Channel) TV show “Forged in Fire” ever came on, it’s something that my Scottish ancestors did, so that’s what really got me interested in it. Being a McDougal, we’re pretty Scottish,” he said with a hearty laugh.

For McDougal, working in law enforcement fulfilled “a lifelong dream.”

“Ever since I was a little fat kid, I always wanted to be a cop. All the TV shows I watched, I was the good guy,” McDougal, who was born and raised in St. Petersburg, said. “I’ve been very blessed in my career. I can’t deny it. God has watched over me from Day One.”

The longtime resource officer was formally recognized for his service during an Aug. 27 commission meeting.

Dade City Police Chief James Walters said McDougal “took his job seriously” when it came to ensuring school safety, and praised him for his work ethic and commitment to the job.

“What an honor it has been to serve beside Brian for almost 30 years,” Walters said.

“If anybody that knows Brian from any time at Pasco High School over the last 20-some years, he’s as much of that institution as W.F. Edwards Stadium or anything else to do with Pasco High School, and he’s going to be missed.”

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez also thanked McDougal for his service and keeping students safe. She said he leaves “big shoes to fill.”

Addressing McDougal at the commission meeting, Hernandez said: “I know the times that I’ve spent at the school and had a chance to interact with you, those students love you. I mean, they respected you. I know your job probably wasn’t easy there, but I know that a lot of the students have so much admiration, and love and support for you.”

Published September 11, 2019

Filed Under: Local News, People Profiles, Zephyrhills/East Pasco News Tagged With: Brian McDougal, Camille Hernandez, Dade City Police Department, James Walters, Pasco High School, Pasco Middle School, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Pete Emerson, W.F. Edwards Stadium

Paula S. O’ Neil retires after decades of public service

July 3, 2019 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission recently honored Paula S. O’ Neil, who retired after three decades of public service.

O’ Neil’s final day as Pasco Circuit Court Clerk & Comptroller was June 30.

She had recommended that Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, her chief operations officer, be appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to complete the remainder of her term, which ends in 2020.

The Pasco County Commission paused recently to honor Pasco Circuit Court Clerk & Comptroller Paula S. O’ Neil, who retired on June 30, after more than three decades of public service. (Courtesy of Tom Jackson/Pasco Circuit Court Clerk & Comptroller’s office)

DeSantis had not made his decision as of last week, so Sixth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Anthony Rondolino appointed Alvarez-Sowles to fill the post on an interim basis, pending the governor’s final decision.

O’ Neil was honored during the County Commission’s June 19 meeting, where Alvarez-Sowles read the resolution, lauding the clerk’s many contributions through the years.

The resolution provided background on O’ Neil’s life, as well as citing professional achievements and civic contributions, through the decades.

O’ Neil grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and played collegiate softball and graduated from Missouri State University, with a Bachelor of Science degree.

She began her professional life working for Charleston Air Force Base, and also began teaching, which she still does today. She also worked for Charleston County Parks and Recreation Department, before her family moved to Pasco County in 1987, where she joined the staff of the county’s parks and recreation department.

Her duties there included implementing a voter-approved bond referendum for parks and recreation — expanding the county’s parks system from 22 parks to 36 parks.

She later worked in the county’s community services department, as administrative services manager, where she oversaw numerous grants and special funding resources that provided services to citizens, through social services, veterans services, animal control and sexual abuse victims services. She also played a critical role in the automation of the Pasco County public transportation system, improving dispatch, scheduling and office administration, according to the resolution.

At the same time, she was continuing her education to earn a Master of Science degree and then joined Pasco-Hernando Community College as an adjunct professor.

In the fall of 2002, O’ Neil joined the Circuit Court Clerk’s office, where she swiftly rose to chief deputy clerk.

Meanwhile, she continued to add to her educational credentials, obtaining a doctorate degree.

She was elected to her first term as Clerk of the Circuit Court & County Comptroller in 2008, and re-elected to subsequent terms in 2012 and 2016.

She led the office in the implementation of numerous technological advancements, modernizing the office to improve efficiency and customer service.

She has served on numerous boards and worked with various committees, agencies and organizations. She continues to teach, is an author and a cancer survivor.

“Paula has been a tireless leader in community, civic and not-for-profit organizations, serving to make Pasco County a better place to live and raise families,” the resolution adds.

A large contingent of O’ Neil’s staff was at the meeting, demonstrating their support.

The clerk thanked the board and her staff for their help through the years.

“I have an amazing team. The executive team is amazing. They’re a dream team,” O’ Neil said.

She offered a glimpse of what Pasco County was like when her family arrived.

“We lived in Wesley Chapel. I had to drive to Land O’ Lakes or Zephyrhills to get groceries.

“What a change it is today,” she said.

She also recounted attending Florida Retirement Seminars and thinking to herself: “I’m not going to be here that long.”

It turned out, though, “there was never anything better than Pasco,” O’ Neil said. “I appreciate all of the opportunities that I’ve been given here. It’s just been an honor to serve.”

Pasco commissioners lavished praise on O’ Neil.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey told O’ Neil that the myriad accomplishments cited in the resolution “doesn’t begin to describe the value you have to this community, to this citizenry and this county.

“You know you will be missed, and you will always be a legend, here in this county,” Starkey said.

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley added: “We’re all proud of you.”

Commissioner Mike Wells said he was honored to be able to share the moment with O’ Neil.

“Well, I’ve known you since literally, I was a kid. I really wish my father (Mike Wells Sr., former property appraiser and former commissioner) would be here, too.

“Who would have thought that I’d be sitting up here, with you? I don’t want to get choked up.

“You truly are a great leader,” Wells said.

Commissioner Jack Mariano recalled being on the campaign trail with O’ Neil, in 2008.

He told O’ Neil: “The presentation you put on, made you a completely impressive candidate.”

And then, O’ Neil went on to implement her vision, Mariano added, “Thank you so much. You’ve been a great asset.”

Commissioner Mike Moore also applauded O’ Neil’s accomplishments.

“You do so much good. You’re an inspiration for so many people,” he said.

Published July 03, 2019

Filed Under: Local News, People Profiles Tagged With: Anthony Rondolino, Charleston Air Force Base, Charleston County Parks and Recreation Department, Jack Mariano, Kathryn Starkey, Mike Moore, Mike Wells, Missouri State University, Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Pasco Circuit Court Clerk & Comptroller, Pasco County Commission, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Paula S. O'Neil, Ron DeSantis, Ron Oakley

Randy Maggard wins District 38 seat

June 26, 2019 By B.C. Manion

Voters have selected Randy Maggard to become their next representative in District 38 of the Florida House of Representatives.

Maggard, a Republican, received 9,615 votes, or 55.58 percent of the total in the Special Election held on June 18. His opponent Kelly Smith, a Democrat, received 7,684, or 44.42 percent of the vote.

The voter turnout in the contest was 15.24.

The district’s boundaries stretch roughly from East Pasco over to U.S. 41 in Central Pasco.

Maggard fills a vacancy that was created by former Rep. Danny Burgess, who accepted an offer from Gov. Ron DeSantis to become the executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Maggard is a businessman and community leader. He’s served as vice president of Sonny’s Discount Appliances for 30 years, according to campaign materials.

He is a Pasco County native, attended Zephyrhills High School and holds an Associate of Arts degree from Pasco-Hernando Community College (now known as Pasco-Hernando State College).

He has served on the Southwest Water Management Governing Board since 2011, including a stint as  chairman, from 2016 to 2018.

He was chairman of the Republican Party of Pasco from 2006 to 2012.

He was a member of the Coastal River Basin Board, from 2004 to 2008, and was vice chairman on that board from 2008 to 2010.

Maggard lives in Dade City. He’s been married to his wife, Colleen, for 34 years, and they have three children.

In his free time, Maggard enjoys hunting, fishing, ranching and spending time with his family.

Maggard was endorsed by Burgess, whom he is replacing.

He also received endorsements from other widely known Pasco County public office holders, including Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco; Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano; Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley; Pasco County Commission Vice Chairman Mike Moore; Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning; and former Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran.

Published June 26, 2019

Filed Under: Local News, Zephyrhills/East Pasco News Tagged With: Chris Nocco, Coastal River Basin, Dade City, Danny Burgess, Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, Florida House of Representatives, Kelly Smith, Kurt Browning, Mike Fasano, Mike Moore, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Randy Maggard, Republican Party of Pasco, Richard Corcoran, Ron DeSantis, Ron Oakley, Sonny's Discount Appliances, Southwest Water Management, Zephyrhills High School

Dade City author debuts suspense novel

November 21, 2018 By Brian Fernandes

Birth, death, fear, hatred and love are the complexities of life, which all happen to be packed in Penny L. Freeman’s debut novel, “Heartache to Happiness.”

The Dade City native has been working on her book for three years, and it has now seen publication through RoseDog Books.

In her office at Saint Leo University, Penny L. Freeman proudly displays her first published novel, ‘Heartache to Happiness.’ (Brian Fernandes)

The story revolves around Kelsi, a young, pregnant woman whose world is turned upside down when her parents are brutally murdered and she becomes a prime suspect, sending her on the run.

The plot continues to escalate after Kelsi gives birth and her newborn is then kidnapped by her parents’ murderer.

Freeman said the story came to her spontaneously, with one idea leading to the next.

She hopes readers will take away the message that, like the story’s main character, they too can overcome life’s  obstacles.

As a member of a fifth-generation Dade City family, Freeman said her humble beginnings were a far cry from that of her story’s main character.

Her father was a professional roofer and she had a stay-at-home mother.

“We had a great childhood – didn’t have much money, but we really enjoyed ourselves,” said Freeman, describing her growing-up years with her parents and her sister. “It was wonderful.”

Even during her early years, she knew she had a knack for literature, and she enjoyed writing poems and short stories.

As an author, she enjoys a wide range of genres, and traces of them can be found in “Heartache to Happiness.”

“I put a little bit of everything in it,” said Freeman. “It has murder, it has mystery and some romance,” she said, but it is not graphic in nature.

Freeman received her associate degree from what was previously known as Pasco-Hernando Community College, before starting a family.

It wasn’t until she was in her 30s, and was raising two children, that she decided to return to school.

She now has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in business administration from Saint Leo University, where she’s been employed since 1999.

She has represented the university as a member of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce for four years, which she characterized as “a really great experience.”

She currently serves as the university’s senior academic coordinator for English, fine arts, philosophy, theology and religion.

If she didn’t love her current position, she would probably be teaching in a classroom, instead of working in an office, she said.

She still writes short stories, and said that her stories always come from her imagination — instead of from real life.

One technique she enjoys using is to write out of sequence — creating the beginning of the story, then the ending, and then filling in the gaps.

With a fresh new novel out, she’s ready to begin work on her second one.

Published November 21, 2018

Filed Under: Local News, Zephyrhills/East Pasco News Tagged With: Dade City, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Penny L. Freeman, RoseDog Books, Saint Leo University, The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce

She trades Alaska for a floral shop in Pasco

November 22, 2017 By Kathy Steele

More than 35 years ago, Susan Crenshaw made a life-changing decision.

A friend – who later became her husband – urged the New Port Richey native to move from her home base in Pasco County to Alaska.

“Alaska is the place you need to be,” he told her.

Susan Crenshaw’s floral shop, in Wisteria Plaza, has custom designed floral arrangements, balloons, gifts and artwork. (Kathy Steele)

At the time, there weren’t many jobs available at home, so she took his advice.

She wound up loving it.

“I like the outdoors and love animals,” Crenshaw said.

She also found plenty of opportunities to pursue her career passion – floral design.

Now, 35 years later, she is living in Spring Hill.

And, at age 58, she thought she was on a path to retirement, and living close to her children.

But, in October, she opened The Lakes Floral and Gifts Inc., at 6755 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Wisteria Plaza.

After years of working for other shop owners, Crenshaw became a first-time business owner.

So much for retirement.

“I got bored,” she explained.

Her shop offers custom-designed floral arrangements for all occasions.

She also offers an assortment of gifts and selected artwork.

There are fresh flowers, silk flowers, live plants, balloons, stuffed animals, soaps, and handcrafted cards, bottles and beadwork.

One gift item is a graphite pencil and a “Wishing Stone,” created by sculptor Kelly Barker.

Artwork can be painted on the stone’s surface in water. As the water evaporates, the art disappears and the stone is ready for another artistic creation.

She also features works by local artists.

Susan Crenshaw returned home from Alaska and opened her first floral business, The Lakes Floral and Gifts Inc.

She plans to display artists’ works on a rotating basis — featuring one artist’s work for about two months and then bringing in new works from another artist.

Her own paintings are on display, too.

She began painting when she was young, noting that her mother painted, so she grew up with it.

Just as Alaska didn’t become her permanent address, her career choice didn’t follow the direction she expected it to take, either.

She attended what was then known as Pasco-Hernando Community College, majoring in art, with a minor in business.

Across the hallway, she noticed an adult education class on the basics of floral design.

She decided to give that a try, and was hooked.

“It gets into your blood,” Crenshaw said. “You can’t get away from it.”

Though moving to Alaska might seem a leap to some people, Crenshaw said Anchorage, the state’s largest city, worked well for her.

“It has a symphony orchestra that is fabulous, and opera,” she said. “And, 10 minutes outside town, you’re in the wilderness with moose and bears.”

In Florida, people move from air-conditioned buildings to air-conditioned cars. In Alaska, it’s from heated buildings to heated cars, Crenshaw said.

Not a big adjustment, she said.

“It was great.”

She painted and was an avid photographer.

She worked as a florist.

At one time, she was florist at a base exchange at Elmendorf Air Base in Anchorage.

Crenshaw also worked in management for the supermarket company, Safeway, which is now owned by Albertson’s.

Still, floral design is her first love.

She took classes in floral design in California from Phil Rulloda, a designer who is nationally known.

When she made the decision to open her Land O’ Lakes shop, she researched and observed.

“We sat in parking lots and scoped areas out,” she said.

Her son suggested she check out Land O’ Lakes as a place where new development was happening.

“I remembered Land O’ Lakes as the old Land O’ Lakes,” she said.

But, new subdivisions are coming, including one on former Lester Dairy farmland. More retail is coming, too.

Crenshaw saw “a nice, busy place,” and settled on Wisteria Plaza, where Capital Tacos restaurant is located.

She also likes the family feel of the plaza.

“Everyone looks out for each other here,” she said.

So, she is home again in Pasco County, doing what she loves.

Published November 22, 2017

Filed Under: Land O' Lakes News, Local News Tagged With: Kelly Barker, Land O' Lakes Boulevard, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Susan Crenshaw, The Lakes Floral and Gifts Inc., Wisteria Plaza

Tree farm plays starring role in annual tradition

December 14, 2016 By Tom Jackson

The first thing you need to know about the Ergle Family Christmas Tree Farm is, you have to be going there to get there. Nobody leaves the house for a gallon of milk, or a package of screws, or to drop off a donation at the neighborhood church and comes home with an Ergle tree.

Visiting the Ergle Family Christmas Tree Farm provides a great photo op for the Webers, of Lutz. Shown here are Kyle, Kelly, Sophie and Aria, along with photographer Cortney Pieus.
(Tom Jackson/Photos)

No, unlike the neighborhood big-box retailer and those ubiquitous pop-up lots, experiencing Debbie and Tony Harris’ rolling 25 acres on U.S. 301 above the north bank of the Withlacoochee River — like yoga or a “Gilmore Girls” marathon — requires commitment.

Nonetheless, for 25 years — longer if you include the original Ergle farm, a converted citrus grove nearby founded by Debbie’s late father, Omar Ergle, the Pasco-Hernando Community College provost — seekers by the thousands have found their way to this out-of-the-way place in the country to retrieve their centerpiece symbol of the season.

Once there, visitors browse from a menu that includes choose-and-cut Florida-hardy species in the field, or familiar imports from Michigan and North Carolina — Scotch pines, Douglas firs, blue spruces, Fraser firs and more — turning the farm into nothing less than the region’s yuletide crossroads, where evergreens and old-fashioned seasonal merriment are dispensed in equal measure.

Breathe deeply, the sign says. They’re making oxygen.

Piper (in front), Vesper (in the wagon) and Kemper Streets have come from Lakeland to visit the Christmas tree farm.

“You have to give customers what they want,” says Tony Harris, silver hair under an ever-present ball cap, and in his experience, about 70 percent of them want trees from up north, even though they cost about 80 percent more (about $10 a foot versus $6 for farm-grown trees). “But, for an old Southern boy like me, going out in the woods to cut down a red cedar and haul it home — that’s Christmas.”

Similarly, for most of the spread’s customers, treating the experience not like just another hurried household errand, but instead like a time-honored ritual, seems to be what it’s all about.

“It’s a tradition,” says Wesley Chapel entrepreneur Ben Alexander, founder of Balloon Distractions. “Coming out here” — as he did with his wife, Rachel, and daughters Claire, 19, and Grace, 17, on a recent Thursday — “harkens back to a time when people did stuff with their families.”

For the Delaneys of Treasure Island — Pete and Paula and their 28-year-old daughter Amanda, plus leashed Pomeranians Nick and Gabby — tramping around with a bow saw in search of the perfect tree (while Pete preserves the day on a 12-year-old Sony video recorder), followed by a picnic lunch, defines the Christmas season.

For Susan Zygmont, 81, from Connecticut by way of New Port Richey, every bit of the experience, from the moment her son, Bob, picks her up until they’re back home, is an eagerly plotted adventure.

Debbie Harris holds a wreath. Among the reasons she has to celebrate is the fact that she’s a cancer survivor.

“On the drive out here, you see so many things you don’t ordinarily see,” Zygmont says, “and then on the way home, we always stop at a little diner in Brooksville. It’s tradition. It’s Christmas.”

Virginia Michael Tokyro, from just up the road in northern Ridge Manor, likes that Tony will cut the price on a potted tree — which she’ll use for Christmas, then plant outside — in exchange for fudge.

Then again, it’s not just any fudge. Family lore holds that a San Diego grandmother came into possession of one of the recipes used by Los Angeles-based See’s Candies, and they’ve been whipping it up, now, for four generations.

As it turns out, the farm isn’t just for picking out trees. Area professional photographers — among them Wesley Chapel High digital media specialist Cortney Pleus — are pitching the place as the ideal location for Christmas card portraits.

So, here came the Webers of Lutz — Kyle, a Wesley Chapel High School history teacher; Kelly, a Sand Lake Elementary assistant principal; and their daughters, Sophie, 5, and Aria, 3 — to pose in the slanting light piercing the farm’s Choctawhatchee sand pines.

“We’ve known Cortney a couple of years,” says Kyle Weber, “so when she tells us she’s found a great place for pictures, we believe her.”

Nick Speigle is handy with a saw.

Happily, for the Harrises, this time of year few things shout “Hallelujah!” more boldly than a ceiling-scraping evergreen erected in the family room.

“I knew it was going to be a good year,” Tony said on a recent hopping Friday night. It bears noting the man is the essential optimist, a Gibson Les Paul-strumming, Harley-riding, boat-driving, Jimmy Buffet-celebrating free spirit.

But, December brought upbeat news, even by Tony’s hopeful predisposition. Diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2014, Debbie’s recent follow-up biopsy revealed no traces of a recurrence. More important, she reports she feels terrific.

All that said, then, “How could it be anything but a good year?” Tony says. Still — and he rarely is one to reveal proprietary information — this one is feeling exceptional. “It could be a record,” he says.

Accordingly, he ordered a second delivery of more than 1,000 trees from his supplier in western North Carolina, whose mountaintop farm, though not threatened, is within sniffing distance of the recent, raging wildfires.

More than 1,000 newly cut trees? In the second week of December? From a guy whose crew’s work is occasionally interrupted based on the wind direction?

As Alexander, the Wesley Chapel balloon guy, says, “It’s the holiday for love, the holiday for joy.”

This year, especially, those who come to bathe in the full Ergle experience are rewarded with both.

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Published December 14, 2016

Filed Under: Local News Tagged With: Balloon Distractions, Ben Alexander, Cortney Pleus, Debbie Harris, Ergle Family Christmas Tree Farm, Kelly Weber, Kyle Weber, Omar Ergle, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Sand Lake Elementary School, See's Candies, Susan Zygmont, Tony Harris, Virginia Michael Tokyro, Wesley Chapel, Wesley Chapel High School, Withlacoochee River

Stepping away, after a decade of progress

June 17, 2015 By B.C. Manion

When Katherine Johnson came to Pasco County a decade ago, the educational institution she was leading was known by a different name.

It had fewer campuses, fewer students and a smaller endowment fund, too.

When Johnson came on board, the college was known as Pasco-Hernando Community College and had three campuses.

Pasco-Hernando State College President Katherine Johnson poses with members of the Porter family during a school celebrating the new campus. From left are J.D. Porter, Bill Porter, Johnson, Don Porter and Quinn Miller. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
Pasco-Hernando State College President Katherine Johnson poses with members of the Porter family during a school celebrating the new campus. From left are J.D. Porter, Bill Porter, Johnson, Don Porter and Quinn Miller.
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

In 2010, the college added its Spring Hill campus, and in 2014, it opened Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

The college also added baccalaureate degree programs in 2014 and changed its name to reflect its four-year degree programs.

During the past decade, the college increased its graduation by 43 percent — a statistic that is perhaps most meaningful to Johnson, who herself graduated from what was then called a junior college.

Johnson continued her education to complete a doctorate and become a college president, but it all began with the opportunity offered at the junior college.

She is passionate about the educational opportunities offered by institutions like Pasco-Hernando State College.

“My father couldn’t afford to send me to college. He was a railroad worker. My mother was a homemaker, and I didn’t have stellar grades. I wasn’t a poor student, but I wasn’t a stellar student, either,” she recalled.

“Sometimes, community colleges are viewed as the red-headed stepchild — that we take any and all (students) — but quite honestly, I think that’s a wonderful mantra.”

She believes that community colleges are sometimes the first option, sometimes the only option and sometimes the last option.

Some students choose to attend a community college because they are on scholarship. Others choose it because it’s their only feasible option. And, sometimes they choose it because they can’t get in any other postsecondary institution.

“We are an open-door institution,” Johnson said.

Besides being an option for students on a traditional path, schools like PHSC offer opportunities for people who are in the work force or who have lost their jobs and need to develop new workplace skills.

“We’ve had to adjust our programs of study, not just here at PHSC, but everywhere due to technology, the changing work force, certainly, the economics, particularly crawling out of this recession,” Johnson said.

Katherine Johnson, president of Pasco-Hernando State College, retires on June 30, after a decade of leading the school. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
Katherine Johnson, president of Pasco-Hernando State College, retires on June 30, after a decade of leading the school.
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

“People had to learn to be flexible. They had to come back and learn new skills. And, so I think that the nimbleness of our institutions has provided access to perhaps many students who never even thought about coming back to college,” Johnson said.

She uses these three As to describe PHSC’s mission: “It’s accountability, accessibility and affordability. Those three As truly make an equation for success,” Johnson said.

“Those are the three As that I’ve always tried to tie our mission to, so that we don’t lose our way,” she said.

The college is focused on providing educational opportunities.

“Students, students, students – are at the heart of what we do,” Johnson said.

While she has played a visible role in steering the college through change and growth, she is quick to point out that there are many people behind the scenes who have played a vital role in the college’s daily operations, and its long-term success.

As Johnson prepares to leave her post, she’s delighted that the administration building at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch will bear her name.

“I was shocked that that would be a recommendation by the board, and that it would be so warmly engaged and approved by the board. I’m obviously humbled and honored to have my name on one of the buildings at Porter,” she said.

She recalled meeting Don Porter on her first day as college president.

At that very first lunch, Porter told Johnson about his vision for higher educational opportunities for students living in the community. The family’s later contribution of 60 acres for the campus played an instrumental role in making that vision come true,

“Don Porter has to be smiling from up above because this was his vision. This was Tom’s vision, God rest his soul, as well, and certainly Bill and J.D.”

The campus could not have happened without the Porter family, Johnson said.

“We couldn’t have afforded to buy that land,” she said, and she thinks it is fitting that the campus bears the family’s name.

“To know that that gift, for perpetuity, will forever change lives of students is a pretty strong legacy that we’re delighted to have associated with the Porter family,” Johnson said.

Now, the campus serves not only students living in Pasco and Hernando counties, but also students from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

“We certainly have picked up tremendous enrollment from our sister counties,” Johnson said, noting that the campus is convenient and offers attractive programs.

As PHSC looks to the future, it will be under the direction of Tim Beard, who becomes the college’s fourth president, effective July 1.

Johnson plans to move to Gainesville to join her husband, who has already moved to their retirement home.

She plans to sit out a year because of the state retirement system requirements, but after that, she’s interested in working part-time training potential college administrators through the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Florida.

“I don’t see myself being idle,” Johnson said.

As she reflects upon her life as an educator, she said she’s grateful for both its challenges and opportunities.

She said she couldn’t have asked for a better career.

Retirement receptions for Katherine M. Johnson
Pasco-Hernando State College will host several upcoming farewell receptions for president Katherine Johnson:

Wednesday, June 17
9 a.m., West Campus in New Port Richey, 10230 Ridge Road

  • 9 a.m., West Campus in New Port Richey, 10230 Ridge Road
  • 12:30 p.m., North Campus in Brooksville, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
  • 4 p.m., Spring Hill Campus in Spring Hill, 450 Beverly Court

Thursday, June 18

  • 9 a.m., East Campus in Dade City, 36727 Blanton Road
  • 12:30 p.m., Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel, 2727 Mansfield Blvd.
  • 4 p.m., West Campus in New Port Richey, 10230 Ridge Road

 

A decade of progress
During Katherine M. Johnson’s 10-year tenure, Pasco-Hernando State College has:

° Increased its graduation rate by 43 percent

° Increased its foundation’s assets by 50 percent

  • Added the Spring Hill and Porter at Wiregrass Ranch campuses
  • Transitioned to a state college offering baccalaureate degrees.

Published June 17, 2015

Filed Under: Education, People Profiles, Top Story Tagged With: Beverly Court, Blanton Road, Don Porter, Katherine Johnson, Mansfield Boulevard, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Pasco-Hernando State College, Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, Ridge Road, Tim Beard, University of Florida

Mulieri watched county go from carbon paper to the Internet age

November 6, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Nearly 10 years after she retired from what was then Pasco-Hernando Community College, Pat Mulieri will hang it up once again Wednesday — this time as a Pasco County commissioner.

So what will the 76-year-old do now?

“Maybe I’ll become a belly dancer,” she said.

Pat Mulieri spends some time with Rocket, one of the dogs rescued by Pasco County Animal Services. Mulieri, whose last day as a county commissioner is Nov. 5, spent 20 years as a public servant, all thanks to a proposed medical waste facility.  (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Pat Mulieri spends some time with Rocket, one of the dogs rescued by Pasco County Animal Services. Mulieri, whose last day as a county commissioner is Nov. 5, spent 20 years as a public servant, all thanks to a proposed medical waste facility. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Mulieri may be joking, but the 20-year commissioner has never been afraid to speak her mind, or go against the establishment in county government she more than once referred to as a “good ol’ boy club.” Whether it’s speaking out on increasing local gas taxes, or throwing her support behind a candidate from a different political party, Mulieri always has described herself as fearless, standing up for those who might not be able — or willing — to stand up for themselves.

“You can’t just sit there, and you can’t be afraid to speak out,” Mulieri said. “People will try to intimidate you, they’ll try to talk over you. But you have to keep an open mind, and never waver from what you believe in.”

Spending so many years in elected office would have many asking what kind of legacy a commissioner leaves when they retire. Mulieri, however, sees her legacy beginning well before she won her first election in 1994. In fact, it was her work in the late 1980s and early 1990s that pushed her into public office in the first place.

“I was teaching at PHCC when someone came up to me and told me that they are building an incinerator on my corner, and I started looking into it,” Mulieri said.

As she does now, Mulieri lived in Gower’s Corner, the mostly rural area north of Land O’ Lakes at State Road 52 and U.S. 41. She and husband Jimmy had called it home since moving from New York in 1979, and plans were to build a plant that would dispose of up to 500 pounds of medical waste each day.

Except plans didn’t stay that small for long. By 1990, the developer expanded it to 54 tons per day, and that put Mulieri and her neighbors into action.

The first thing she did? Call Sylvia Young, of course, the longtime county commissioner representing much of the eastern side of Pasco.

“It was the most terrible experience of my life,” Mulieri said. “’It won’t hurt you,’ she told me. ‘Why do you care? It’s not going to hurt you.’”

Except at 54 tons daily, that meant trucks would be going in and out constantly, bringing in waste from all over the state, and even beyond. It was the last thing Gower’s Corner needed, Mulieri said, and she vowed to fight it, with or without the help of her elected officials.

“I filed to be my own attorney at an administrative hearing” with state environmental officials, Mulieri said. “It started out as a Gower’s Corner issue, and then it became a Pasco issue. By the time I was done, it had become a state issue.”

She got a lot of help from John Long, then a Democratic state representative who would later become superintendent of Pasco County Schools. Long helped push a five-year moratorium on the incinerator through the House, but it was the state Senate that was proving difficult.

“There was a senator there who was the meanest senator in the world, and he did not want to get it passed,” Mulieri said. “But John was a powerful man, and he walked over and whispered something into the senator’s ear. I have no idea what he said, but the next thing you know, there was a moratorium on medical incinerators for the next five years.”

That was enough to kill the project, and Mulieri could’ve simply gone back to teaching and enjoying life in Florida. But in 1994, many of Mulieri’s neighbors become frustrated with the lack of communication between commissioners and residents, and many of them were trying to convince her to run.

“It was really hard,” she said. “We didn’t raise a lot of money. I put in $9,000, and maybe I raised $10,000.”

But Mulieri got a lot of attention, primarily because of what she called her “green gang.” Someone had designed a green shirt with Mulieri’s name on it, and volunteers would wear them everywhere, becoming human billboards.

Mulieri won that election, and every challenge thrown at her ever since. Each time, she kept her campaign small. Her last election in 2010, against Republican Ken Littlefield and independent Clay Colson, Mulieri raised $88,000. But that was a little more than half of what her then colleague, Michael Cox, raised for his race, and is far less than the $174,000 Mike Moore has raised to try and replace her.

“I always tried to keep these races in the community, and it’s always been a grassroots effort,” she said.

On Wednesday, Mulieri will walk in the door of the commission boardroom for the last time as one of the commissioners. She’ll have a chance now to spend even more time with the Pasco County animal shelter in Land O’ Lakes, and quality time at her Gower’s Corner home. And she hopes she leaves the commission just a little better than the way she found it 20 years ago.

“For everything, there is a season,” she said. “When I started, everyone there was using carbon paper, and I had to push just to get Internet there. Now, we depend on the Internet.

“I hope the county will keep changing for the better.”

Published November 5, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Filed Under: Land O' Lakes News, Local News Tagged With: Clay Colson, Gower's Corner, John Long, Ken Littlefield, Land O' Lakes, Michael Cox, Mike Moore, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Pat Mulieri, State Road 52, Sylvia Young, U.S. 41

PHSC president Katherine Johnson to retire next year

June 18, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

After a decade of growth and success which included changing the school’s name, Pasco-Hernando State College president Katherine M. Johnson will retire from her post on June 30, 2015.

Katherine M. Johnson
Katherine M. Johnson

Johnson made the announcement in a letter to the school’s board of trustees Tuesday night, telling them that the decision was “bittersweet.” However, she said by then, she will have completed more than 10 years of service, fulfilling a promise she made to the board in 2004.

“It is my hope the timing of this announcement will allow the board ample opportunity to complete the search for and selection of a new president, ensuring a smooth transition in leadership by July 1, 2015,” Johnson wrote.

Len Johnson, the board’s chair, said Johnson’s “leadership is inspiring, and she will be greatly missed.”

During Johnson’s time, she oversaw the opening of the Spring Hill Campus in 2010, and the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch last January. The school also changed its name from Pasco-Hernando Community College to Pasco-Hernando State college after it began to offer baccalaureate degrees. The school is now accepting applications for two new bachelor’s degrees, beginning this August.

Johnson told the board she is looking forward to spending more time with her husband, retired PGA golf professional Chuck Johnson.

“My other commitment was to my husband, promising Chuck that I would join him in retirement at the end of a decade of service, to enjoy time with him, our extended family and friends,” Johnson said.

PHSC will begin its search for a new president as early as its upcoming July reorganizational meeting.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Chuck Johnson, Katherine Johnson, Len Johnson, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Pasco-Hernando State College, PGA, Porter Campus, Spring Hill Campus, Wiregrass Ranch

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