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The Grove at Wesley Chapel

Rockin’ a good time at music festival

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Families attending the recent Country Music Festival at The Grove at Wesley Chapel, had plenty of options for fun.

The two-day festival, held Aug. 22 and Aug. 23, offered a chance to do line dancing, go for a ride in a hot air balloon, do some rock climbing, jump around in bounce houses, pet some animals, do some shopping, play some games and grab a bite to eat.

And, of course, there was the music.

Country singers Angie Rey, Kelsey Lamb and Samantha Leigh entertained the crowd with their renditions of some classic country hits.

Kelly Gorgon-Snyder, owner of Mama G’s Pierogi, poses for a photo with Celine McPherson and her dog, Kaia.
Ali Trull rocks a custom vest from her family’s upcycling fashion company, Treasure Trulls. The company was among the vendors at the music festival. (Kelli Carmack)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Live music, of course, was the main attraction at the Country Music Festival, held at The Grove at Wesley Chapel. Performer Samantha Leigh, shown here, was among those sharing her talents.
You could step right up — and try to win yourself a prize, at the Country Music Festival, Aug. 22 and Aug. 23, at The Grove at Wesley Chapel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Festival-goers could purchase live crabs, or at least get a good look at one.
Families had plenty of choices for fun activities at the Country Music Festival, including bouncy houses, game booths, ax throwing, rock climbing and shopping.

Schools end unusual year on high note

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Normal end-of-the-school year traditions were out this year, due to COVID-19, so schools put on their thinking caps to find new ways to honor and celebrate the students.

Sand Pine Elementary School, in Wesley Chapel, held its Fifth Grade Moving Up Ceremony, in the school’s parking lot.

Names of fifth-graders from Sand Pine Elementary were written in chalk in the school’s parking lot, to treat the children like royalty during the school’s Fifth Grade Moving Up ceremony. (Courtesy of Sand Pine Elementary)

After a parade through the school’s parking loop, each fifth-grader’s name was written in chalk on a parking spot.

Then, their belongings were loaded into the trunk of their car, along with a balloon and a middle school T-shirt, according to Sue Urban, the principal’s secretary.

“Everyone had a great time, even while social distancing,” she said, via email.

At Academy at the Lakes, an independent school in Land O’ Lakes, students drove by in a parade — and picked up their yearbooks, locker stuff, art projects and science projects — all packed in an Academy tote bag with personalized notes from their teachers.

Voluntary prekindergarten graduates from Mary’s House at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church were honored, too.

To bring a special ending to the year, staff from the school did an individual “graduation” ceremony at each child’s house, according to Corrine Ertl, center director.

From left, members of the Stoppa family: Anne (mom), Jeeho (Mary’s House graduate), Jackson and Michael (dad). (Courtesy of Mary’s House at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church)

“First, we gathered all their addresses, divided by subdivision, and mapped out all the addresses, Ertl said, via email.

“Well, we started on Monday and after four days and 489 miles we finished.

“Every child was full of joy. Most of the children had dressed up in their cap and gown, we placed their sign in the yard, played pomp and circumstance through our mobile Bluetooth speaker,” she wrote.

Every child and his or her siblings received cupcakes, and the graduates received their candy class ring, just like they would at graduation, Ertl wrote.

Meanwhile, Pasco and Hillsborough county high schools had to push off their traditional ceremonies because of COVID-19, so other ways were found to honor the seniors until those formal commencement exercises can be held.

In Pasco County, the school district had virtual ceremonies, complete with pomp and circumstance, performed remotely, by students from several bands from across Pasco County.

Drive-by celebrations were held for the Class of 2020 at The Grove in Wesley Chapel and at SunWest Park in Hudson. The city of Zephyrhills had a parade for seniors, too.

Published June 10, 2020

Academy at the Lakes seniors Jordan Whit, left, and Kate Erin McCormick (in car) swing by to pick up their stuff. (Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes)
From left, members of the Sievert family: Carmen, Kimberley (mom), Tony (dad), Alicia (Mary’s House graduate) and Dominic. (Courtesy of Mary’s House at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church)
All four children of the Iglesias family attended Mary’s House, and Rosie, the youngest of those children, was the last one to graduate from the VPK program. From left, Isabella, Dennis (dad), Cecilia, Nicholas, Jaclyn (mom) and Rosalia. (Courtesy of Mary’s House at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church)

Big changes coming to The Grove

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The Grove at Wesley Chapel shopping center is in store for a major makeover — something being hyped as a future downtown entertainment district for the growing Pasco County community.

Owner and developer Mark Gold unveiled his vision for the property during a North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce luncheon last month.

He has sweeping plans for the large, but rather traditional strip mall, which is situated west of I-75 and north of State Road 54 .

New renderings for The Grove at Wesley Chapel show the addition of KRATE, a new plaza that will feature an 87-space container boutique shopping and restaurant park, plus an adjacent amphitheater and stage, trampoline park, miniature sports and more. KRATE is expected to be up and running within the next three months to six months, Gold said. (Courtesy of The Grove at Wesley Chapel)

The Grove is already  home to a 16-screen theater and more than a dozen national retail chains, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Old Navy and others.

Gold purchased The Grove for $62.7 million in September, through parent company Mishorim USA Real Estate Investments.

While many of those major retail spaces will remain in place, it’s what Gold has in mind for the property’s surrounding 114 acres of vacant land that’s been generating buzz.

“I’m going to build a downtown Wesley Chapel,” he told a packed room of chamber members at New Tampa’s Pebble Creek Golf Club on Jan. 23.

To do that, the developer is bringing an 87-space container park to the plaza, predicting it could open within the next three months to six months.

Called KRATE, it will feature renovated shipping containers filled mainly by mom and pop boutique shops and unique eateries. The containers will be grouped together by walkways with options for indoor and outdoor seating. Curbside parking will be available, too.

Gold said he’s already leased 96% of the container park, which includes as many as 35 eateries, all with “different tastes, different feeling.”

That many food options in one spot alone will be a major draw, he said.

“If you put 35 restaurants in one place, it brings a lot of people, because people want the variety — the kids want to eat something, mother wants to eat something else,” Gold said.

The Grove’s KRATE area will be surrounded by an entertainment complex, with a large amphitheater and stage, and family friendly activities, such as a trampoline park and various miniature sports, Gold added.

Gold also announced that he has secured a permit from the Pasco Commission to allow alcohol to be consumed throughout KRATE — news greeted by loud cheers and applause from chamber members.

The developer’s concept is somewhat similar to Sparkman Wharf in downtown Tampa’s Channelside District, perhaps on an even grander scale.

He predicted that The Grove, over time, will become “a place to be,” as a one-of-a-kind destination attracting people from all over Tampa Bay.

He think it fills a need in Wesley Chapel, particularly for families.

He put it like this: “There’s lots of kids in this area with nothing to do. If you want to do something, you need to drive to South Tampa and suffer through the traffic. I want South Tampa to come to us.”

Weekly and monthly community and cultural events also are planned for The Grove and KRATE, Gold said.

For instance, there will be a nationwide graffiti contest for KRATE, where each container park will be able to get its own unique design. For example, the outside of a pizza eatery could be decorated up with Italian-style food images. “Graffiti alone is an event,” he said.

The developer also envisions a local-based singing competition, modeled somewhat after NBC’s TV program, “The Voice,” with winners receiving cash prizes upward of $10,000.

“Everything is on the table,” he said.

While he has loads of ideas, he’s also seeking input from business leaders and residents.

“Please be involved, it’s important,” he told chamber members. “If there’s something that’s not good, or there’s something you really like, let us know. I’m not from here, so I really don’t know, I can only guess.”

In addition to The Grove, Gold operates more than a dozen commercial properties, mainly throughout the southeastern United States, including Florida locations in Jacksonville and Orlando. Many of those properties include attractions, such as indoor roller rinks, zip lines in parking lots, haunted houses, obstacle courses, trampoline parks, climbing walls and arcades.

He decided to purchase The Grove after hearing about the massive growth happening in Wesley Chapel and surrounding communities, he said.

With reports of another 50,000 homes coming online in the next 24 months, Wesley Chapel has been labeled the fastest-growing community in the Tampa Bay area, and one of the fastest in all of the southeastern U.S.

Gold sees the potential.

Published February 05, 2020

Inspiration found in the city, and the hills

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As a member of Life Church in Wesley Chapel, Demene Benjamin embarked on a nine-day missionary trip with Life Church and Life Church International to Guatemala and El Salvador, in November.

Demene Benjamin took part in a nine-day mission trip to Guatemala and El Salvador, focusing on outreach and the love of Jesus. (Courtesy of Demene Benjamin)

The mission was a passionate drive to give hope by sharing the love of Jesus, and to inspire change, said Benjamin, who is manager of CMX Cinemas, at The Grove at Wesley Chapel.

In Guatemala, alongside Pastor Luis Pedro Solares, the team visited with an orphanage in the mountains — providing education and meals, as well as life skills to moms in the community. There was also the opportunity to learn both Spanish and English. It was here that one of Benjamin’s teammates took polaroid photos of the kids, who were amazed to see themselves in a picture taken by a camera.

Children from an orphanage in Guatemala get together for a group photo. During the mission trip, the children were amazed to see themselves in pictures.

In El Salvador the team found more laborious work, but also an unconditional love for the city. Life Church partnered with Pastor Paco Rosales on sharing and inspiring hope. The team also had the opportunity to visit the well system Pastor Paco is working on that will provide a life source for the people who suffer from liver failure, kidney and heart issues, as a result of dehydration. With donations, the well is expected to be up and running before the end of the year and will provide the community with free, clean water.

The group also served inside an El Salvador church, serving the elders and adding fresh paint to the sanctuary.

Along the way, Benjamin said she found two countries connected in love.

“It was an overwhelming and majestic trip,” she said, and inspired her to seek more opportunities to demonstrate unconditional love.

For information about the church missions, call Natalie Dougherty at (813) 973-2230.

Published December 11, 2019

Festival offers Halloween fun for all ages in Wesley Chapel

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The Wesley Chapel Fall Festival is back again for its 14th year, ready to offer festival-goers a variety of ways to have seasonal fun.

Festivities will include a Glow Party, where participants wear glow bracelets and necklaces, while dancing to a live DJ performance.

Pet owners can claim bragging rights if their favorite four-legged friend wins the costume contest during the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival, Oct. 26 to Oct. 28. The pet costume contest is on Oct. 27 at 11 a.m. (Courtesy of Shaunte Langley Photography)

On Oct. 27 at 4 p.m., children are encouraged to come out with their Halloween costumes for Trunk-or-Treat, where they can collect candy from vehicle trunks at the festival.

Other offerings include a Bounce House with a $5 play-all-day fee; a $30 wristband will grant unlimited access to 12 to 14 rides at the carnival, including a Ferris wheel and Gravitron. On Oct. 26 only, there’s a buy-one, get-one free deal for the carnival.

Visitors can buy a variety of items from food trucks, and there will be pumpkin-painting, a petting zoo and a business expo, too.

There’s a pet costume contest on Oct. 27 at 11 a.m., with a $5 entry fee. The following day, there’s a pumpkin pageant for kids at 11 a.m.

Kids are encouraged to wear their costumes to the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival. They also can collect lots of candy from vehicles during Trunk-or-Treat at the event.

There also will be live band and community performances on two stages at the event.

Some of the acts include Kris Pierce, George Pennington III and Jessica Rose Powell.

Proceeds will help K-9 Heroes 4 Our Heroes, Relay for Life of East Pasco and The Stano Foundation.

The fest will be outdoors at The Grove at Wesley Chapel plaza, on Oct. 26 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and, on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Admission and parking are free. The Suncoast Credit Union is hosting the event.

For additional information, contact Drew Cecere at (727) 674-1464 or .

Wesley Chapel Fall Festival
Where: The Grove at Wesley Chapel, 6105 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel
When: Oct. 26, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Details: Guests can enjoy a glow party, carnival rides, contests and live performances.
Info: Contact Drew Cecere at (727) 674-1464 or .

Published October 24, 2018

Let the good times roll

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Part of the secret to having fun is knowing where to find it.

And, then once you have figured out some options, it’s good to know early enough so you can do what you need to do, to maximize your enjoyment.

That’s the idea behind this master calendar: It’s a list of fun stuff to do in 2018 — giving readers plenty of time to consider their choices and make some plans.

So, as New Year gets underway, get ready to enjoy yourselves.

January

Raising Cane, a sweet & spicy event
When: Jan. 13, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City

Cost: $5 per person, children under 5 free

Details: Syrup-tasting contest; cane grinding; sugar cane pole tossin’; iron skillet tossin’; chili cook-off, chili verde and salsa competition; entertainment; and, vendors

Eighth annual Pigz in Z’ Hills BBQ & Blues
When: Jan 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Zephyrhills Community Venue, 5200 Airport Road

Cost: Free admission; $10 parking. Benefiting local youth and education programs.

Details: Mouth-watering barbecue, blues music, swine and shine car show, aircraft displays, World War II museum, beer and wine, gift vendors, business expo, kids zone and more. No coolers, limited seating, so bring chairs.

Information: Call (813) 782-1913, or visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org.

13th annual Suncoast Arts Fest
When: Jan. 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 21, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive, Wesley Chapel

Cost: Free admission and parking

Details: More than 125 fine artists and craftsmen; live entertainment; emerging artist booth, featuring work of area middle and high school students; street painting; roaming entertainers; and, free art projects for the kids; kids arts garden and maker space, and more

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Dade City’s annual Kumquat Festival
When: Jan. 27, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Downtown Dade City

Cost: Admission and parking are free; free shuttles for satellite lots

Details: Local entertainment, antique cars, arts and crafts, activities for kids, vendors, health and wellness, kumquat pies, kumquat products, quilt challenge and more. Several events are held leading up to the festival.

Information: DadeCityChamber.org

Shabby Chic Vintage Market & Artisan Day
When: Jan. 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: The Grove at Wesley Chapel, 6105 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel

Cost: Free admission and parking

Details: Artisans, live music, original art, painted furniture, antique vendors, shabby style and cottage glam

February

Farm Fest & Quilt Show
When: Feb. 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Feb. 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Florida Pioneer Museum & Village,15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City

Cost: $10 for adults on Feb. 3; $5 for adults on Feb. 4; $5 for children ages 6 through 12 either day; free for children age 5 and under

Details: Southern Draft Horse Pulling Competition on Feb. 3 at noon; Hoffman Challenge Quilt Collection Show of Quilts and Clothing; Quilt Appraisal and Trunk Show, concessions and food trucks, antique car show, children’s activities, live entertainment on Feb. 4. (Limited seating, lawn chairs welcome for horse pull).

Information: PioneerFloridaMuseum.org

Florida Ranch Days
When: Feb. 10 and Feb. 11

Where: Little Everglades Ranch, 17951 Hamilton Road (U.S. 301 and Gould Road), Dade City

Cost: Free admission; parking, $10 for cars and $25 for RVs

Details: Live entertainment on two stages; strolling performers; swamp buggy rides; guided ranch tours; face painting; petting farm; games and rides; arts and crafts; food and drink

Information: RanchDays.com

Fourth annual Snowbird Palooza
When: Feb. 3, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Zephyr Park, 38116 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills

Cost: Free parking and free admission

Details: Free coffee and doughnut mingle hour, fun family activities, free health checks, card games and tournaments, live entertainment and other activities.

Information: Email .

Pasco County Fair
When: Feb. 19 to Feb. 25

Where: Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52, Dade City

Cost: $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 6 through 12; free for children age 5 and under

Details: Midway, fair food, entertainment, competitions

Information and schedule: PascoCountyFair.com

Living History and Civil War
When: Feb. 24 and Feb. 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Pioneer Florida Museum & Village,15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City

Cost: $5 admission, children age 5 and under are free

Details: Civil War Reenactments and Living History Encampment. Visitors can tour authentic confederate and union camps, and get a glimpse of what life was like during the U.S. Civil War. There will be battles each day at 2 p.m.

March

Big Flea Market at the Old Lutz School
When: March 2 and March 3, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: The Old Lutz School, 18819 U.S. 41 N.

Cost: Free admission

Details: Thousands of items for sale to generate funds for causes supported by the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club

108th Founders’ Day Parade & Heritage Festival
When: March 10, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (historic downtown Zephyrhills), parade begins at 10 a.m.

Details: Moonshine, Turpentine and Timber is the theme of the parade; as well as a local art display, food vendors, petting zoo, kids’ carnival games and more.

Also, festivities are planned at a second venue.

When: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Zephyrhills Community Venue, 5200 Airport Road

Details: Live concert, food and merchandise vendors, Busch Gardens penguins and fireworks at 9 p.m.

Information: MainStreetZephyrhills.org, or call (813) 780-1414.

Savage Race
When: March 17 and March 18

Where: 17951 Hamilton Road, Dade City

Cost: Parking $10 for cars; $25 for RVs; spectators, $15 in advance; $25 at the door

Details: Twenty-five obstacles, mud in your underwear, chip timing, T-shirt, beer, action photos, camaraderie, memories

Information: SavageRace.com

Dogs Day in Dade City
When: March 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Agnes Lamb Park, in downtown Dade City

Details: Dog wagon parade, dog costume contest, canine got talent, ice cream/yogurt eating contest and more

Third annual Land O’ Lakes Music Fest
When: March 24, noon to 8 p.m.

Where: Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park (formerly the Land O’ Lakes Community Center), 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Cost: Free admission; $10 parking (Bring a lawn chair or blanket)

Details: This Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce event is presented by Ierna’s Heating & Cooling. It features live music, arts and crafts vendors, other booths and more.

Information: Call (813) 909-2722.

Summer Camp Expo
When: March 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Florida Hospital Center Ice, 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel

Cost: Free admission

Details: Families get a chance to find out about summer camps and activities in the area and businesses get a chance to reach their target audience. There will be entertainment, bounce houses, activity zones, a photo booth, giveaways, character visits and more.

Information: FamilyFriendlyTampaBay.com

Gran Fondo Florida
When: March 24

Where: San Antonio

Details: Bicycle road race through the rolling hills of Dade City and San Antonio. Cyclists can choose to ride three distances: 35 miles, 55 miles or 100 miles, and are timed on certain stretches of the race.

Information: GranFondoNationalChampionshipSeries.com

Jelly Bean Fling
When: March 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City

Cost: $5 admission, free parking

Details: Mr. Tommy will join in the Easter Parade, kids will make Easter bonnets, there will be Easter egg hunts for different age groups; and there will be games, a bounce house, face painting and more.

Information: PioneerFloridaMuseum.org

April

Easter Sunrise Service
Where: Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, 7050 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills

When: April 1, 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., rain or shine

Cost: Free admission

Details: Live Christian music, an inspirational message, a live dove release and free refreshments. Seating is limited and lawn chairs are encouraged.

Information: Call Jane Freeman at (813) 783-6192.

Wesley Chapel Boat Show
When: April 20 to April 22

Where: The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive, Wesley Chapel

What: Event showcases boats, boating accessories, fishing gear, apparel and other items.

Information: TheShopsatWiregrass.com

June

Zephyrhills Summerfest
When: June 23, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Zephyr Park, 38116 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills

Details: Dance and watermelon eating contests, food vendors, bounce houses, family games, crafters, family activities. Event concludes with fireworks.

Information: Email

July

Lutz Fourth of July Parade and festivities
Where: Downtown Lutz, near the Train Depot

When: July 4, parade starts at 10 a.m.

Cost: Free admission and parking

Details: There’s a race and other festivities before and after the parade. The winner of the honorary Lutz Guv’na race is announced following the parade. Additional details will be available closer to the time of the event.

September

A salute to Sept. 11
Where: In front of the Old Lutz School, 18819 U.S. 41, in Lutz

When: Sept. 11, 10 a.m. to noon

Cost: Free admission, free parking

Details: The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club honors those lost on Sept. 11 by waving flags in front of the Old Lutz School.

Information: GFWCLutzLandoLakesWomansClub.org

October

San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival
When: Traditionally held the third weekend of October

Where: City Park, 12202 Main St., San Antonio

Cost: Admission and parking are free

Details: This event typically features music, gopher tortoise races, handmade arts and crafts, children’s rides and games, pumpkin patch, farmer’s market, farm animals, food trucks, beer garden, pioneer village and more.

Shabby Chic Vintage Market and Artisan Day
When: Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: The Grove at Wesley Chapel, 6105 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel

Details: Artisans, live music, original art, painted furniture, antique vendors, shabby style and cottage glam

14th annual Wesley Chapel Fall Festival
When: Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: The Grove at Wesley Chapel, 6105 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel

Details: Simply Events and The Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce have partnered to bring the community to present the 14th Annual Wesley Chapel Fall Festival, which will include a carnival with rides and games, live music, delicious fall foods, beverages, arts and craft area with pumpkin painting, local business expo, Pumpkin Patch, Halloween celebration on Oct. 27.

Information: WesleyChapelChamber.com

November

30th annual Florida Bug Jam
When: Nov. 10 and Nov. 11

Where: Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52, Dade City

Information: FloridaBugJam.com

December

Lutz Arts & Crafts Show
When: Dec. 1 and Dec. 2

Where: Keystone Preparatory High School, 18105 Gunn Highway in Odessa

Details: Hundreds of arts and crafts vendors and food booths in an annual show that draws tens of thousands of shoppers

34th annual Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration
Where: Florida Hospital Zephyrhills front lawn, 7050 Gall Blvd.

When: Dec. 2, noon to 7 p.m., rain or shine

Details: Tree decorating begins at noon. There’s an evening program from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., with musical entertainment, a Christmas message, the lighting of the trees and fireworks.

Information: Call Jane Freeman at (813) 783-6192.

Christmas in the Park
When: Traditionally the first Sunday in December

Where: City Park, 12202 Main St., in downtown San Antonio

Cost: Free admission, free refreshments

Details: Annual lighting of giant Christmas cards, old-fashioned carol singing and other nostalgic touches

11th annual Tampa Tour de Clay
When: Dec. 8 and Dec. 9

Where: Stops at area pottery studios

Cost: The tour is free.

Details: Those making the tour will have the chance to watch kiln openings, talk with nationally known ceramic artists and perhaps do a bit of shopping.

Information: TampaTourDeClay.com

Festival of Lights on Main Street
When: Traditionally held on the first Saturday in December  

Where: On Fifth Avenue, from Seventh to 10th streets, in downtown Zephyrhills

Cost: Admission is free

Details: The event includes food, entertainment, holiday activities and a Christmas parade.

Old Lutz School Christmas House
When: Traditionally held on select dates in December.

Where: 18819 U.S. 41 N., Lutz

Cost: Free admission; donations of toys and nonperishable foods encouraged

For details closer to the time of the event, visit OldLutzSchool.com.

Published January 3, 2018

Strong early voter turnout so far in Pasco

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Brian Corley likes what he’s seeing for the 2014 election so far.

As of 4 p.m. Thursday, more than 21 percent of registered voters in Pasco County have dropped a ballot in the voting box, and there’s still two full days of early voting left.

“We’re on pace to beat 2010, and we’re doing that with less than a 10-minute wait” at early voting locations around the county, said Corley, Pasco’s supervisor of elections. “It’s very rewarding, and shows that we are getting things done to get out the vote.”

Nearly 65,300 votes have been cast in Pasco so far, with nearly a third from early voting, and the rest from mail ballots. In a race that includes a tight battle for governor between Charlie Crist and Rick Scott, as well as a high-profile county commission race, more than 29,000 — or 45 percent — of the votes are being cast by Republicans, while more than 23,000, or 35 percent, are coming from Democrats. Another 20 percent, representing just over 13,000 voters, are coming from those with other or no party affiliations.

Republicans continue to turn out in better numbers than Democrats in the race, especially with the GOP only accounting for 38 percent of Pasco’s more than 305,000 voters. Democrats make up 33 percent of the total electorate, while everyone else is at 28 percent.

The voting precinct with the best numbers so far is First Assembly of God in Zephyrhills where 33 percent, or 850 people, have cast an early ballot so far. Political breakdowns there match pretty much the rest of the county with 40 percent Republicans, and 35 percent Democrats.

The lowest numbers so far, however, are coming from Crystal Springs Community Hall just outside of Zephyrhills, where just 86 votes — or less than 10 percent — have been cast. That precinct has nearly 900 total registered voters where Democrats just slightly outnumber Republicans.

Early voting continues through Saturday, with each location open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Voters also are choosing whether to support three amendments to the state constitution, ranging from land conservation to how state supreme court justices are appointed to medical marijuana.

• East Pasco Government Center, 14236 Sixth St., Dade City
• Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes
• New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills
• The Grove at Wesley Chapel, 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Wesley Chapel
• Hudson Library, 8012 Library Road, Hudson
• New Port Richey Elections Office, 8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey
• Regency Park Library, 9701 Little Road, New Port Richey
• South Holiday Library, 4649 Mile Stretch Drive, Holiday

Growth at The Grove may depend on traffic light

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Hiring has begun at a Chuck E. Cheese’s store now under construction at The Grove at Wesley Chapel, a shopping center opened at the height of the recent housing boom, which is now growing again.

How much the shopping center bordering Interstate 75 will expand, however, depends on the cooperation developers get from Pasco County officials.

Future growth at The Grove at Wesley Chapel depends on help from the county to keep traffic moving in and out of the shopping complex off County Road 54. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Future growth at The Grove at Wesley Chapel depends on help from the county to keep traffic moving in and out of the shopping complex off County Road 54. (Fred Bellet/Photo)

“The challenge we have with all the major future development out of The Grove centers around the fact that the project lacks a traffic signal at the main entrance,” Jim Mazzarelli, managing director at Genesis Real Estate Advisers — the company working with The Grove developers — told members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce last week. “As our engineers say, we don’t have an ingress problem, we have an egress problem. You can get in, but you can’t get out.”

The Grove has two entrances off County Road 54, using Oakley Boulevard less than 1,000 feet from the I-75 interchange, and Gateway Boulevard, located another 800 feet or so from there, where customers can find a traffic signal.

Getting to Gateway is not easy, however. Shoppers have to leave The Grove, turn onto Dayflower Boulevard, and then turn onto Gateway on the other side of an Econo Lodge. Anyone wanting to drive just straight out on Oakley either has to make a right turn, or journey across three lanes of traffic to make a U-turn at Gateway.

“It’s a really awkward work-around,” Mazzarelli said. “It might work for everyone who is there now, but it doesn’t work for the big anchors who are going to come in and invest millions in a store. That’s a hurdle we’ve been working to overcome for the better part of three-and-a-half years. We’re getting there, but it’s a long road.”

One 17-acre piece of land on the southern end of The Grove property, for example, is set up for a large box store, like a Lowe’s or Target, Mazzarelli said. The land has been vacant since The Grove opened in 2007, but developers are in negotiations with a large department store “with a well-known name.”

Such a deal, however, is contingent with adding a traffic light for the Oakley connection to County Road 54. The Grove developers already have spent more than $250,000 in studies and other work to get that light in, but it still hasn’t happened.

“We are not taking this lightly by any means,” Mazzarelli said. “It is a critical element to the center as it stands today, especially right now when it’s only half built-out.”

Although 54 is now a county road, there are still Florida Department of Transportation restrictions in place since it controls the traffic lights for vehicles looking to access I-75. Generally DOT wants 1,260 feet separating traffic lights, and by adding one on Oakley, that would put three traffic lights in a stretch of road totaling a little more than 2,000 feet.

“If you put in another stop light, that and the other two stop lights already there creates the possibility of traffic backing up into the off-ramps of the interstate,” county spokesman Douglas Tobin said. “We are reviewing that, but one solution might be if you put a stop light in there, we have an agreement that, in the future, if it backs up, we’d be able to remove it.”

Other hindrances to expansion are restrictions The Grove had to negotiate through when it signed leases with some of its big tenants, like Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Old Navy. That was what stopped the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office from opening a new location at the center, and also kept the Pepin Academy charter school from considering some space.

“We had an idea to create this nice little educational court that could’ve been sealed off” from the rest of the complex, Mazzarelli said. “We went to the anchors and did a great deal of negotiating with them, but we couldn’t get the anchors to sign off on it.”

However, those restrictions could change in the near future. Many of the anchor leases are up for renewal, and since some stores would like the chance to upgrade their facilities, that gives The Grove a little bargaining power at the negotiation table.

“In addition to giving the anchors some money so they can refurbish their stores, we are getting a lot of these restrictions relaxed,” Mazzarelli said. “That will have obviously long-term benefits for the center, because the fewer restrictions we have, the more flexibility we will have, and the most success we’ll have in this space.”

Published October 29, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

In Print: Growth at The Grove could get red light

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It takes a lot to stand in the way of progress, but a popular shopping center just off Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel may have finally found its Achilles heel: A traffic light.

The Grove at Wesley Chapel has the room to grow, however new tenants are shying away from the complex because they say another traffic light is needed where Oakley Boulevard meets County Road 54.

“The challenge we have with all the major future development out of The Grove centers around the fact that the project lacks a traffic signal at the main entrance,” said Jim Mazzarelli, managing director at Genesis Real Estate Advisers, the company working with The Grove developers. “As our engineers say, we don’t have an ingress problem, we have an egress problem. You can get in, but you can’t get out.”

There is a traffic light for cars wishing to turn left from the shopping center, but that means traveling west to Gateway Boulevard before leaving. Oakley makes more sense, Mazzarelli said, because that’s considered the main drive out.

But getting that light won’t be easy. Although the main road past The Grove is now county-maintained, the Florida Department of Transportation still controls the intersection with I-75, and rules currently prevent the state agency from allowing a traffic light that close.

So what are The Grove’s options? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available on newsstands and driveways right now. Or you can read the free online e-edition by clicking here.

For those who feel jumping out of a perfectly good airplane thousands of feet above the ground with nothing more than a large piece of nylon isn’t exciting enough, Zephyrhills is bring the world to town with the World Canopy Piloting Championships.

Florida resident and reigning national champion Tommy Dellibac will be among the competitors vying for gold at the World Canopy Piloting Championships in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Randy Swallows)
Florida resident and reigning national champion Tommy Dellibac will be among the competitors vying for gold at the World Canopy Piloting Championships in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Randy Swallows)

It’s all about “swooping,” and it’s the first time the world competition has come to the United States. And unlike regular skydiving, this is something people can gather on the ground to not only watch, but also enjoy.

“All the action happens in the last 10 seconds of the skydive, close to the ground,” T.K. Hayes, president and general manager of Skydive City, told reporter Michael Murillo. “It is totally a spectator sport.”

It’s going to cost $100,000 for Skydive City to put on the event, which takes place Nov. 4-6, but the company did get a little help from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council, which contributed $15,000 to the cause.

And it’s not just jumpers from around the world. It also includes a Florida swooper who was the champion at the last world competition two years ago. Is he coming back? Can he defend his title?

Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available now both on newsstands, and in our online e-edition, which you can read for free right now by clicking here.

Several years ago, retiring Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri found herself at the Pasco County Animal Services shelter in Land O’ Lakes, and vowed she would never return. Seeing all the animals the shelter had to put to sleep tortured her soul so much, that she preferred it to be out of sight, out of mind.

However, Mulieri realized the only way to make a difference was to become involved, and she did just that in 2012. And now she’s looking to continue her very active role with the animal shelter on Dogpatch Lane even when she finally steps down from the government dais next week.

But despite all the efforts the shelter has done to reduce the percentage of animals that have to be killed each year, Mulieri believes real change will have to happen outside the shelter, not inside, to really make a difference.

“You’ll never be able to adopt them all out,” Mulieri told reporter Michael Hinman, “and you’ll never be able to cut down on the pet population until you change people’s ideas.”

That means encouraging everyone to spay or neuter their animals. Otherwise, it’s possible for one cat couple, for example, to be the top of the family tree of more than 420,000 cats … in just seven years.

How else can people help to save lives at the animal shelter? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available on both newsstands, and right here in our free online e-edition.

And finally, photojournalist Fred Bellet has some great pictures to share from the recent cut-a-thon at The Grove at Wesley Chapel’s Ulta Beauty location, all to help raise awareness about breast cancer, and at the same time, raise money for research. See it online by clicking here.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

More than 5,000 show up for first day of early voting

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A lot of people are heading to the polls, and it’s not even Election Day yet.

Pasco County elections supervisor Brian Corley says more than 5,000 people turned out to vote on Saturday, as early voting started in various locations around the county.

By lunchtime on Monday, the number of early voters quickly approached 9,000, joining more than 38,000 mail-in ballots already received for the midterm election.

Republicans make up 45 percent of all the pre-Election Day voters so far in Pasco, while Democrats account for 35 percent. Non-affiliated voters or those from other parties make up the remaining 19 percent.

That brings total turnout so far to a little more than 15 percent. The best turnout so far has been at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club in San Antonio, where nearly 25 percent of the more than 2,100 people registered there have cast a ballot. That is a heavily Republican precinct, where Democrats are outnumbered nearly 2-to-1.

The worst turnout so far is at Darby Community Church in Dade City, were just 6 percent of the 764 voters there have finished their civic duty. That district is more balanced in terms of the major political parties, with 42 percent Republican and 34 percent Democratic.

Early voting continues through Saturday, with each location open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. This election gives voters a chance to choose between two governors in who will stay (or move back into) the mansion in Tallahassee. It also has some local races, including Pasco County Commission between Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg.

Voters also are choosing whether to support three amendments to the state constitution, ranging from land conservation to how state supreme court justices are appointed to medical marijuana.

• East Pasco Government Center, 14236 Sixth St., Dade City
• Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes
• New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills
• The Grove at Wesley Chapel, 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Wesley Chapel
• Hudson Library, 8012 Library Road, Hudson
• New Port Richey Elections Office, 8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey
• Regency Park Library, 9701 Little Road, New Port Richey
• South Holiday Library, 4649 Mile Stretch Drive, Holiday