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Efforts continue to speed, simplify vaccine rollout

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National and local news reports show images of long lines of vehicles waiting to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations, as efforts continue to improve the process for signing up for the shots, and to speed the production and distribution of the vaccines.

President Joe Biden last week announced that the United States signed a final contract for 100 million more Moderna and 100 million more Pfizer vaccines. The news came during a Feb. 11 speech at the National Institutes of Health.

Biden also said that 100 million doses that were promised by the end of June now will be delivered by the end of May, and that the country is on track to have enough supply for 300 million shots by the end of July.

A public-private partnership has been launched, as well, with vaccinations being distributed through 21 national pharmacy partners and networks of independent pharmacies representing over 40,000 pharmacy locations across the country. The effort is part of a national strategy to expand equitable access to the vaccines. (More information is available at CDC.gov/covid19)

Participating chains nationwide include Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Publix, Costco and Winn-Dixie. To find participating local pharmacies, check those companies’ websites.

The retail pharmacy efforts are in addition to ongoing distributions coordinated through local public health departments.

So far, based on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order, COVID-19 vaccinations are limited to long-term care facility residents and staff; individuals age 65 and older; and, health care personnel with direct patient contact.

Hospital providers also may vaccinate persons deemed extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.

Pasco County seniors can register through the Pasco County health department’s portal.

They also can register through participating private pharmacies.

In Hillsborough County, seniors can pre-register for the state’s portal and reserve their space in line. The state will contact them once it is their turn for a vaccine. Additionally, they can register through participating private pharmacies.

Florida has no county residency requirement, so individuals can attempt to secure an appointment through any of these options.

Despite increased supplies and more vaccination options, Pasco County commissioners said they continue to hear from constituents who are frustrated about not being able to get registered for a shot.

At their Feb. 9 meeting, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey told her colleagues: “I am concerned and want to be sure that we’re doing all we can, that our senior citizens who don’t have access to computers and aren’t computer savvy, are able to figure out how to get on. I’m hearing this over and over again.”

She thinks the county needs to do more to help.

Commissioner Jack Mariano agreed. He’d like to see a system that would allow people to sign up and be put on a waiting list, and then to be notified when a vaccine becomes available.

That would be better, he said, “even if you’re going to be (number) 135,000 — as opposed to not getting in the system.”

Starkey reiterated her concerns: “The queue is the queue. I’m just saying, some people don’t know how to get in the queue.”

County Administrator Dan Biles noted there is a telephone number that people can call to make appointments.

Starkey responded: “I know, but it’s really hard to get through.

Biles observed: “You have 100,000 people trying to get 1,000 shots. It’s going to be hard to get through right now.”

Meanwhile, across the country, 52.9 million COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of COVID-19 cases nationally stood at more than 27.4 million, as of Feb. 14, and there has been a downward trend in cases for the past 30 days. The death toll for COVID-19 related cases stood at 482,536.

In Florida, the total number of positive cases exceeded 1.82 million, and there were 28,779 resident deaths, as of Feb. 14, according to data recorded on the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard.

The figures stood at 31,348 positive resident cases in Pasco County, and 642 deaths; and at 105,531 positive resident cases and 1,397 deaths in Hillsborough County.

COVID-19 vaccinations
To register:

In Pasco County: Go to PatientPortalFl.com to complete an account with CDR Maguire Health & Medical for upcoming appointments, or call 1-844-770-8548. New appointments open up every Sunday at 2 p.m., for the following week, and are typically filled within minutes.

In Hillsborough County: Call 866-200-3896, TTY 844-251-5532, or visit MyVaccine.fl.gov.

National Retail Pharmacy Program: Some retail pharmacies also are participating in a public-private partnership to administer COVID-19 vaccinations. Check the website of  individual retail pharmacies to find out more.

For the most recent COVID-19 vaccination information, check with your local health department websites.

Published February 17, 2021

Hillsborough County files ‘opioid’ lawsuit

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Hillsborough County has filed a lawsuit in the 13th judicial circuit court in Hillsborough County against 14 manufacturers and distributors alleging they have played a role in the opioid epidemic in the county.

The county has hired a national team of lawyers to represent them in the lawsuit, with attorney Mike Moore as the lead litigant. Moore, a former Mississippi attorney general, is now handling a number of similar suits on behalf of local and state governments nationwide.

Hillsborough County Commission Chairwoman Sandra Murman

The list of defendants in the county’s lawsuit includes Purdue Pharma, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, McKesson Corporation, CVS Health Corporation, Walgreens and nine others.

At a news conference announcing the lawsuit, Hillsborough County Commission Chairwoman Sandra Murman said, “Today is an important day, but today is just like every day in Hillsborough County. There’s a baby being born that’s substance exposed because the mother was on drugs. We have many children every single day being removed from their homes, put in foster care because their parents are substance exposed and addicts.

“We have young people every day that are dying of opioid overdose,” Murman said.

The county’s lawsuit “alleges that manufacturers of these drugs misrepresented the risk of opioids and marketed the drugs for chronic pain, when in fact, there’s not one single valid scientific study that supports the use of opioids for treatment of long-term chronic pain, Murman said.

The county intends to prove that drug distributors shipped excessive amounts of pain pills into the community, flooding county streets with pain pills, the commission chairwoman added.

The opioid epidemic is widespread, crossing socioeconomic boundaries, she said.

“It affects our seniors. It affects adolescents. Children. Families,” she said.

There have been 1,072 opioid overdose deaths in Hillsborough County since 2012, Murman said. The county also has seen a 24 percent increase in opioids over a period of five years.

“That’s a direct result of the fraudulent marketing of the drugs and the excessive amounts of drugs shipped into our county by these defendants,” Murman said.

“Hillsborough County is leading the state in the number of babies born addicted to opioids,” Murman said. “That is totally unacceptable.”

There were 579 cases of babies addicted to opioids reported in Hillsborough County in 2015, she said.

“For me, it’s personal.,” Murman said. “My sister, who was addicted to painkillers, committed suicide.”

At the news conference, Moore said he was involved in helping to resolve the BP oil spill.

“What we have here is a pill spill,” Moore said. “Close to 40,000 people in your county are opioid addicts.”

Moore characterized the problem as a “ticking, ticking time bomb.”

“We want these companies to pay to clean the pill spill,’ Moore said.

Moore challenged a perception that some may have about the types of people who die from opioid abuse. It’s not just a problem faced by people who live on the streets, he said.

“It’s somebody’s 19-year-old college student.

“It’s a 35-year-old lawyer.

“It’s a housewife,” Moore said.

State attorney Andrew Warren, who also spoke at the news conference, agreed: “It’s a public health crisis. It does not discriminate.”

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, weighed in, as well. He put it like this: “We must dry up the supply. This is not an epidemic we’re going to arrest our way out of.”

Hillsborough’s lawsuit follows a national trend for local governments to fight against the distributors and manufacturers of opioid medications.

The Pasco County Commission voted in January to become one of several plaintiffs in litigation that seeks to replicate the kind of payouts attorneys won in the late 1990s against the tobacco industry.

Pensacola-based Levin Papantonio is representing Pasco County. The law firm is part of a consortium that is pursuing lawsuits in several states including West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.

In 2016, Pasco County had 165 drug overdose deaths, and 120 were related to opioids.

Published August 22, 2018

Storeright Self Storage to open in Lutz

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Construction workers are clearing land and building mini-warehouses for a new Storeright Self Storage facility in Lutz.

The project, at Crystal Grove Boulevard and U.S. 41, comes nearly 18 years after the Hillsborough County Commission approved a plan to allow about 75,000 square feet of offices, restaurants, drugstores and child care centers. Big box retail was banned.

However, in October 2017, county commissioners agreed that a second option for self-storage also would be allowed.

Representatives for Storeright proposed a project of up to 92,000 square feet of mini-warehouses, with space also available for boat and RV storage.

In June, county commissioners approved a request for a minor modification to the site plan that permits a septic tank system on the site.

Storeright representatives weren’t available for comment.

According to the company website, the family owned company, based in Lakeland, was founded in 2010, and has 14 self-storage locations in Florida.

Storeright’s facilities have both non-climate controlled and climate-controlled storage options, and many accommodate boat, automobile and RV storage.

The approximately 14-acre site is across from Walgreen’s drugstore on U.S. 41, and opposite the McDonald’s restaurant, off Crystal Grove Boulevard. The CSX rail line runs past the property, along the state highway.

The Florida Department of Transportation owns a small parcel, with a fenced-off retention pond, adjacent to the self-storage site.

According to county records from land use hearings, the site proved difficult to market due to nearly 5 acres of wetlands.

Hillsborough County records show Storeright Lutz XV LLC purchased the property in April for $725,000.

At a 2017 public hearing before a Hillsborough County land use hearing officer, four area residents objected to the project.

According to county records, they expressed concerns about drainage, traffic and decreased property values.

The hearing officer recommended approval of the project, with conditions.

Published August 15, 2018

El Dorado Furniture opening fall 2019 at Brightwork Crossing

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The largest Hispanic-owned furniture retailer in the United States plans to open a new store in the mixed-use, residential and commercial project, known as Brightwork Crossing.

An apartment complex at Brightwork Crossing is under construction at State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard. Shops and a hotel are planned, too.

A new Burger King restaurant recently opened on a parcel, fronting State Road 54.

The estimated opening for El Dorado Furniture Store is fall 2019, according to Pedro Capo, chief operating officer of the family-owned business.

This is an aerial view of an El Dorado Furniture Store that opened in Cutler Bay, in Miami-Dade County. Company officials are in early stages of planning a store in Pasco County that would open in fall 2019. (Courtesy of Smith Aerial Photos/El Dorado Furniture Store)

Bowman Consulting Inc., filed a preliminary site plan for El Dorado Furniture, and had a pre-application meeting with Pasco County planners in July.

“Everything is looking good,” said Capo.

The Miami-based business is expanding elsewhere in Florida, including new stores in Naples and Fort Myers. A former Sports Authority on Tyrone Boulevard, and a Babies R Us, will be remodeled and opened as El Dorado stores.

The site plan for El Dorado shows a two-story, 70,000-square-foot building, with access from Ashley Creek Trail.

Ashley Creek is among new roads built, internal to Brightwork Crossing. Maren Way is a new road off State Road 54, leading to Burger King and the apartments.

A WaWa gas and convenience store also is featured on the site plan, across from the furniture store. It also has access from Ashley Creek.

The recent El Dorado Furniture store opening in Naples is the company’s 16th store, said Capo.

The company has wanted to move into Pasco for awhile, and looked at a site about five years ago, east of Interstate 75. Tampa Premium Outlets was still in planning stages.

“It was too soon. Then, the recession came in,” said Capo. “But, now the timing is right.”

Company founder, Manuel Capo, left Cuba after the Fidel Castro regime confiscated the family’s chain of furniture stores, known as Casa Capo. Capo and two of his six sons sailed a small boat, named El Dorado, to Mexico, and then settled in Miami, according to the website.

The rest of the family later joined them.

Capo opened El Dorado (named for the boat) in 1967 in Little Havana.

Manuel Capo died nearly 10 years ago. His sons now operate the family business, which is recognized among the top 50 furniture retailers in the country, the website adds.

In the early 1990s, the family designed a unique showroom concept, featuring the El Dorado “boulevard.” Customers stroll along a streetscape, dotted with old-fashioned benches and street lamps, 16th century-inspired stained glass windows, and Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Capo said the parking lot also features old-fashioned street lights and brick pavers to begin what is essentially a neighborhood experience.

Typically, customers in most furniture stores might spent 20 minutes, but El Dorado customers stay as long as an hour, he added. “They can just relax, enjoy a cup of coffee and wander around,” Capo said.

The store has more than 20 storefronts, and specialty furniture shops, which showcase various furniture styles from contemporary to traditional.

Same-day delivery is available in many instances.

“Being Hispanic, typically the whole family comes to shop,” Capo said. “They’d bring anybody that fit in the car, even their neighbors.”

But, he said, the boulevard concept proved successful “for everybody. We do have people for all over the world to look at our boulevard.”

Pasco County commissioners approved Brightwork Crossing in August 2017. The development will have about 350 apartments, 250,000 square feet of offices, retail, and a 150-room hotel.

The approximately 32-acre site is off State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard. It is behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel are at the epicenter of retail growth in Pasco. Tampa Premium Outlets, a row of restaurants, a new At Home store and Costco are among the projects that opened on the south side of State Road 56.

Cypress Creek Town Center, on the north side of State Road 56, is filling up with restaurants, including Bahama Breeze Island Grill, Mellow Mushroom, and Chuy’s Tex Mex. The Hyatt Place Hotel is almost ready for its grand opening.

Other planned shops include HomeGoods, Blaze Pizza and Hobby Lobby.

Published August 1, 2018

Apartments on the rise at Brightwork Crossing

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Brightwork Crossing is going vertical.

Brick-and-mortar tower-like structures are rising on the 32-acre site, off State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

These are early signs of an apartment complex approved for up to 350 units. The complex will be a series of four-story buildings with more than 60 apartments per building, according to county records.

Permits also have been approved for a WaWa convenience store, a Burger King and the apartment’s clubhouse. Internal roads include Tapestry Way, Maren Way, Ashley Creek Trail and Canopy Creek Way.

Construction crews are building apartments at Brightwork Crossing, a mixed-use project at Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 54. This view is from Old Cypress Creek Road. (Kathy Steele)

Alabama-based Arlington Properties and BW 54 56 Holdings LLC are partners in the development. Representatives for the companies weren’t available for comment.

Pasco County commissioners approved the mixed-use, commercial and residential project in August 2017. It’s been on the drawing board since 2015.

Brightwork Crossing is approved for the apartments, as well as 250,000 square feet of offices, retail and a 150-room hotel.

Firestone Complete Auto Care store has been named as a potential retail store.

Construction began in summer 2017 as bulldozers cleared and leveled the vacant land, located directly behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

Traffic spills into the area from all directions, off State Road 54, State Road 56, Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Interstate 75.

Brightwork Crossing will fill out a prime corner at this major juncture for new development, which already includes Tampa Premium Outlets, Cypress Creek Town Center, and Florida Hospital Center Ice.

The site where apartments are being built was bisected by Old State Road 54, and often used as a cut-through by motorists seeking to avoid long waits at Wesley Chapel and State Road 54 and State Road 56.

Old State Road 54 became part of a land swap that gave the county green space for its wildlife corridor, as well as room for a future park-and-ride facility.

Recent and future road projects are on tap to improve traffic flow along the area’s major corridors.

Brightwork Crossing will have access via Wesley Chapel Boulevard to Cypress Creek Town Center, at the center’s Pondside Drive entrance.

Wesley Chapel is partially widened, near State Road 56, and the county plans eventually to widen the boulevard to six lanes to just north of Magnolia Boulevard. There will be 4-foot bicycle lanes, a median, 5-foot sidewalks on the eastern side, and an 8-foot multi-use trail on the western side.

Construction is expected to begin in 2018 on a diverging diamond interchange at I-75 to improve traffic flow.

Published April 25, 2018

Development coming by Lexington Oaks

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New development is headed to vacant land fronting the Lexington Oaks subdivision.

The Pasco County Commission approved a change to the county’s comprehensive land use plan, and a zoning amendment, to allow for the development of a residential and commercial project at Lexington Oaks Boulevard and Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

The boulevard is within the wider Wesley Chapel area, at the epicenter of new growth in Pasco. Lexington Oaks Boulevard is the entry into the Lexington Oaks residential community.

Specialty Restaurants Corp., proposes to build up to 200 apartments or condominiums and retail, north and south of Lexington Boulevard at Wesley Chapel Boulevard. The road is the entry into Lexington Oaks subdivision. (Kathy Steele)

The California-based developer, Specialty Restaurants Corp., proposes to build up to 200 apartments or condominiums and 300,000 square feet of retail. An assisted living or independent living facility could be constructed, too.

Developers worked with the Lexington Oaks Homeowners Association on issues related to interconnections with existing roads, and roads internal to the proposed development.

This proposal replaces one previously considered by Specialty Restaurants that did not include a residential component.

“It would have been pretty much a straight retail project,” said Clarke Hobby, the attorney representing the developer.

Development will happen north and south of Lexington Boulevard, under the names of Lexington Oaks Plaza North and Lexington Oaks Plaza South. An approximately 5-acre parcel in the southern portion was carved out of the project to potentially be developed separately.

The southern parcel is about 46 acres; the northern parcel about 23 acres.

Internal roads and driveways within the south parcel and the separate 5-acre parcel will have connectivity to Lexington Oaks Boulevard. There also will be access to Progress Parkway at Wesley Chapel Boulevard, which has a traffic signal.

This would just be the latest new development in the area.

Wesley Chapel Boulevard is dotted with subdivisions, such as Stagecoach, Cypress Estates and Grand Oaks.

It is a major corridor linking to State Road 54 and State Road 56 to the south, and the rapid commercial and residential development at that intersection.

Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center are adding to the retail sector. New hotels are open or are under construction. An apartment and retail development called Brighthouse Crossings is under construction behind the Walgreens drugstore, near the same intersection.

As more development emerges, Pasco is preparing to widen Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

Cypress Creek Town Center developers recently completed road widening immediately north of the State Road 54 and State Road 56 intersection.

Future county plans call for widening Wesley Chapel Boulevard to a six-lane divided roadway, with additional traffic signals. Some segments of Wesley Chapel Boulevard to the south are two lanes, but the roadway at Lexington Oaks is four lanes.

The widening will extend to just north of Magnolia Boulevard.

Bike lanes, a median, sidewalks on the eastern side of the boulevard and a multi-use trail also are included in the road design.

Published November 1, 2017

Brightwork Crossing under construction on State Road 54

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Brightwork Crossing is a mixed-use development under construction on about 32 acres close to Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center.

Up to 350 apartments, 250,000 square feet of offices, retail and self-storage, and a 150-room hotel can be built. Site plans are on file with Pasco County for a WaWa convenience store, Firestone Complete Auto Care store and Burger King.

A sign along Old State Road 54 marks off the site where construction workers are preparing about 32 acres for residential and commercial development – Brightwork Crossing.
(Kathy Steele)

The site is on the north side of State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard, directly behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

A handful of cows that once grazed on grass and weeds are gone. Bulldozers and cranes are leveling the ground. A single residence on the property is being torn down.

The complex will go up in the midst of one of Pasco County’s fastest growing areas, at an intersection where State Road 54, State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard meet up. The State Road 56 interchange at Interstate 75 is immediately to the west.

Tampa Premium Outlets on the south side of State Road 56, and Cypress Creek Town Center, on the north side, are at the epicenter of new shops and restaurants. More are on the way, as are offices and hotels.

Tampa-based BW 54 56 Holdings LLC, and Alabama-based Arlington Properties Inc., are partnering on Brightwork Crossing.

Representatives for those companies weren’t available for comment.

The Pasco County Commission approved the development in 2016. The entire site is bordered by Wesley Chapel Boulevard, State Road 54, and the one-lane paved, Old Cypress Creek Road.

At hearings on the matter, traffic concerns became an issue.

The site is bisected by Old State Road 54, a popular cut-through for motorists seeking to avoid traffic jams at the intersection of Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 54/56.

Old State Road 54 right of way was part of a land swap between the county, landowners and developers. It gave the county green space for its wildlife corridors network, and also room for a future park-and-ride facility for commuters.

A dead-end portion of the road to the north has been opened, and rebuilt to provide cross access, via Wesley Chapel Boulevard, into the town center. Sierra Properties, the town center’s developers, paid for the roadwork as part of its construction of a town center entrance, off Wesley Chapel.

The county plans to eventually widen Wesley Chapel to a six-lane divided road. And, a diverging diamond interchange is expected to replace the existing interchange at I-75 to ease traffic congestion. Construction is expected to begin in 2018 on the interchange.

Published August 2, 2017

Medication can reverse effects of opioid overdoses

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As communities across the nation struggle with an opioid epidemic, there’s a medication — that’s not widely known — that can reverse the effects of an overdose and save lives. Its generic name is naloxone.

About 75 people attended a June 15 seminar on opioid addiction and the benefits of naloxone moderated by Judge Shawn Crane, who presides in the sixth circuit.

Law enforcement officers, health care providers and a local pharmacist shared their expertise during a panel discussion. People recovering from addiction or helping family members to recover also shared their insights.

More than 75 people attended a seminar on opioid addiction and the medication, known as naloxone, which can save lives during overdoses. Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Preventions sponsored the event. (Kathy Steele)

Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) sponsored the seminar at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in New Port Richey.

The opioid epidemic is widely known.

Data from the United States Department of Health and Human Services estimates more than 650,000 prescriptions of opioid pain pills are dispensed daily. While the United States accounts for about 5 percent of the world’s population, Americans consume more than 80 percent of the world’s opioid supply.

China is a major manufacturer of illicit opioids, such as fentanyl and its derivatives.

Since 1999, the rate of deaths from opioid overdoses has quadrupled, including deaths from illegal use of heroin and other opioid synthetics, according to health and human services statistics.

On average 78 people in the country die every day from an opioid-related overdose, the department reports.

Health care providers and law enforcement officers are trying to spread the word that naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose.

While the medication doesn’t eliminate the need for emergency medical care and treatment, it can save lives.

Naloxone is available to anyone at area pharmacies, and can be administered as an injection or through a nasal spray.

Crane and law enforcement officers agreed that the most prevalent drug of choice among addicts is methamphetamine.

“It’s cheap,” Crane said.

But, there is an increase in opioid pain medications from prescriptions or their synthetics. The use of heroin also is on the increase.

“It’s important that people know law enforcement understands that we can’t arrest our way out of the problem,” said Sherryl Johnson-Tandy, a corporal with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. “Drug addiction is a public health issue.”

Every Pasco deputy, as of April, carries naloxone as a nasal spray – sold under the name Narcan. The deputies can use the spray as first responders on the scene, without waiting for emergency medical personnel to arrive.

“We have a unique opportunity to make contact with people who are in their greatest need,” said Pasco Sheriff’s Capt. Michael Jenkins. “In an overdose, every second counts. It was a no-brainer for us.”

Johnson-Tandy said Narcan also is a protection for first responders.

During investigations, officers, or their K-9 partners, can inadvertently ingest or inhale opioids. Especially dangerous are the opioid synthetics, fentanyl or carfentanil. They could have an overdose and need Narcan immediately. Emergency medics also are at risk.

Cesar Rodriguez is a recovering addict, and serves on the ASAP Recovery Committee. He used heroin for about seven years, and nearly died from an overdose. Naloxone saved him, he said.

There is a stigma attached to addiction, but Rodriguez said, “We do recover and become productive members of society. We can turn around and help the next recovering addict.”

Naloxone also saved Lisa Conca’s son, who has been in and out of rehabilitation programs for about eight years. In years of seeking help, Conca said no one ever told her about naloxone. “I just want to pay it forward and help our community,” she said. “It’s a disease of the brain, not a moral failing. Every life deserves a chance.”

Kent Runyon likened naloxone to the automated emergency defibrillators. The portable devices save people who are having heart attacks, and can be found in public places, such as offices, gymnasiums or shopping malls, he said.

People can keep naloxone doses at work, at home, or in a purse.

“We need to do everything we can to put every tool in the box to help people live,” said Runyon, who is vice president of community relations for Novus Medical.

Asking for naloxone at any pharmacy is easy, said Ashley Huff, a Walgreen’s pharmacist.

Some health insurance plans pay for it; others don’t. But pharmacies treat naloxone requests in the same way as flu shot requests, she said.

“We don’t ask any questions,” Huff said. “Anyone can get it, and get as many prescriptions as you want, as long as you are willing to pay for them.”

A nasal spray kit, with two nasal sprays, can cost about $135. But, doses for injection can be about $20 each, although two doses are recommended, Huff said.

In some cases, one dose won’t be enough and a second would be administered soon after.

The most expensive medication is sold as Evzio at a cost of more than $4,500. It is an auto-injector, similar to the Epi-pen that is sold to people with asthma.

People with addictions aren’t the only ones who should get naloxone, Huff added. Anyone who gets an opioid prescription should consider naloxone — as a precaution against an accidental overdose, she said.

Published June 28, 2017

Super Saturday offers a swingin’ good time

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It might’ve been April Fool’s Day, but this softball event was no joke.

This dog belongs to Mackenzie Pavloff, of Lutz. The service dog, named Koda Bear, is a 5-year-old Pitbull-mix, who seems to like the sounds of the softball games at Oscar Cooler Youth Sports Complex. The pet’s owner said she played softball at the complex years ago.
(Fred Bellet)

It’s called Super Saturday, and it’s an annual fundraiser for Lutz Softball, a recreational fast-pitch league for girls ages 5 through 18.

On April 1, several hundred softball families gathered to cheer on more than 20 teams, soaking in the daylong festivities at the Oscar Cooler Youth Sports Complex.

Besides a full slate of softball matchups, there was plenty to keep attendees amused, from family friendly games and activities, to numerous vendors and countless raffles.

“This is probably the biggest Super Saturday we’ve ever held,” said Mike Cook, president of Lutz Softball Inc.

“Every year, it’s gotten bigger and bigger and bigger,” added event coordinator Jennifer Bommarito. “This is quite a bit bigger than it started out to be.”

Ten-year-old Sicily Jordan, of the visiting Wesley Chapel Pink Rockets, gets a hit against the Renegades during game action last Saturday at Oscar Cooler Youth Sports Complex.

Held each spring, Super Saturday is one of the league’s two major fundraisers. The other is Fall Festival, in October.

Amid softball rivalries and competition, Super Saturday gives young athletes a chance to unwind.

“This is actually like a fun day for them,” Bommarito said, “where they actually get to goof all a little bit…and not have to be so serious.”

Mike Bosworth, who has coached in the league since 2013, said the annual shindig also helps foster positive interactions among families.

“People are…competitive with one another, and when you do an event like this, it gets you to know other people, and it softens those relationships on the field,” he explained.

Other parents agreed.

After playing his Little League game, 5-year-old Wyatt Gingras, of Lutz, totes his favorite bat and backpack to watch Leaguerette softball and cool off with an icy beverage. Wyatt was with his grandfather, Scott Knoeppel, of Lutz, and spent the day enjoying the family fun event at Oscar Cooler Youth Sports Complex.

“I think it brings us closer,” said parent-coach Rainey Rosenberger.

“It’s just fun to get families together from the community,” parent Natalie Brown added.

Another parent, Maggie Mixon, believes the event has nearly become a Lutz tradition.

“It’s phenomenal — just to see the community come together, in the spirit of collaboration,” she said. “It’s just a good, old-fashioned, small-town gathering.”

Among the afternoon’s top highlights was the parents’ tournament — and it’s unlike any other.

A 16-inch blooper ball was used, bases were run in reverse, fathers batted with their non-dominant hand, and kids served as coaches.

“It’s fun and confusing — everything’s backwards,” Rosenberger said, smiling.
The sports complex’s ballyhooed concession stand was another draw.

From biscuits and gravy during early morning games, to mushroom Swiss burgers and buffalo chicken wraps, there’s never a shortage of tasty grub offerings.

Bosworth, whose wife, Alissa, is the concessions manager, said parents from other youth leagues — Brandon, Carrollwood, Wesley Chapel —can’t say enough about the ballpark’s spreads.

Bryan Bounds, of Gainesville, watches softball action with friend, Charlene Ierna, of Lutz. Ierna’s 15-year-old daughter, Emma Ierna, plays on the softball team called the Rebels. Ierna is also the team’s sponsor.

“The parents are always like, ‘You guys have got the best concession stand we’ve ever seen, anywhere,’” Bosworth said.

Super Saturday, meanwhile, couldn’t have come at a better time for the softball organization.

On March 8, two suspects burglarized the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex during early morning hours, causing losses in excess of $5,000.

“That (robbery) threw us for a loop tremendously,” Mike Cook said.

In wake of the incident, the league has received “overwhelming” community support, with donations from the likes of Home Depot, Walgreens, Lowe’s and Ford.

Over $1,920 has also been raised, via a GoFundMe page.

Lutz Softball, formerly known as the Lutz Leaguerettes, also has seen quite a transition since January 2016, when the organization announced it was offering a recreational fast-pitch league for the first time in its 37-year history.

Just six months later, its slow-pitch leagues were discontinued because of dwindling registration and an overwhelming preference for fast-pitch. The fast-pitch league now claims to have about 200 participants, the highest figure in several years.

Lutz Softball Inc., is a PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) Softball affiliate.

Published April 5, 2017

 

New apartments and offices approved

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Brightworks Crossing — a mixed-use project calling for offices, self-storage units, apartments, and a hotel with up to 150 rooms, landed on the desks of Pasco County’s planners nearly a year ago.

And, on Aug. 9, the Pasco County Commission pushed the project along with a series of approvals.

Commissioners unanimously agreed to amend the county’s comprehensive land use plan and to rezone the land. They also approved an agreement for a land swap between the county, the landowners and the developers.

The land deal will give the county green space for its network of wildlife corridors, and room for a park-and-ride lot with 25 parking spaces for future transit commuters.

A car passes along Old State Road 54, at Old Cypress Creek Road. The route is a popular cut-through to avoid traffic at State Road 56. (File Photo)
A car passes along Old State Road 54, at Old Cypress Creek Road. The route is a popular cut-through to avoid traffic at State Road 56.
(File Photo)

The site is directly behind the Walgreen’s drug store, at Wesley Chapel Boulevard and the State Road 56/State Road 54 intersection.

The intersection is a high growth area populated by Tampa Premium Outlets and new restaurants on the south side of State Road 56, and on the north side of the road, the future Cypress Creek Town Center.

“It’s a major intersection. A lot of thought, evaluation and analysis has gone into this project and its impact on the intersection,” said Matt Armstrong, the county’s executive planner. “We’ve put together a package that actually improves this area and will help in the long run.”

Brightworks Crossing received approval for a maximum of 350 apartments, 250,000 square-feet of offices, and self-storage and the 150-room hotel.

A road redesign also is built into the project for Old State Road 54, which bisects the site. The short stretch of road is a popular cut-through for motorists coming down Wesley Chapel who want to avoid traffic at the State Road 56 intersection.

County commissioners agreed to close the existing cut-through to accommodate the land swap and allow developers to build a new road in its place. The new road will be open to the public.

Nearby, work is underway by Sierra Properties to build an entrance into Cypress Creek Town Center, a future mall at the northeast corner of State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard, also called County Road 54.

One of the mall entrances is across from Brightworks Crossing, on County Road 54.

In the long term, the county has plans to turn the two-lane stretch of Wesley Chapel Boulevard into a six-lane divided highway with sidewalks and a multi-use trail.

The impact of traffic and road redesigns raised concerns for Sierra Properties’ developers and John Narcisi, who owns JN Electric on Old Cypress Creek Road.

Narcisi is the only business on Old Cypress Creek, which also is off Wesley Chapel and intersects with Old State Road 54.

“Traffic will increase on Old Cypress Creek Road which runs in front of my property,” said Narcisi.

Attorney Clarke Hobby, representing Sierra Properties, said the proposed new road through the site should continue to function as a cut-through that can help ease traffic congestion.

“We think that’s an important issue, and the staff needs to look at that closely,” he said.

Published August 17, 2016