The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Pasco County Sheriff's Office

Homeless shelter to help families find housing

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A “one-stop navigation center” for the homeless population in Pasco County will provide temporary shelter for families, instead of the initial plan to help single adult men and women.

If opened, the center would be Pasco’s first homeless shelter.

An estimated $100,000 annual cost for around-the-clock security at the facility and neighborhood opposition to the original plan prompted the shift in the shelter’s purpose.

A public meeting in 2017 to discuss a proposed homeless shelter drew a large, impassioned crowd. (File)

“We realized the need was great for families, and we will have more funding (opportunities) for families,” said Don Anderson, chief executive officer for the Homeless Coalition of Pasco County.

A public meeting to discuss the new concept will be held May 16 at 6 p.m., at the Pasco County Commission board room in New Port Richey. Additional outreach to residents in nearby neighborhoods also is planned.

Commissioners voted on April 24 to continue the public hearing for a conditional use permit for the facility until June 19.

That will allow time to amend the coalition’s application, and to hear from area residents.

Commissioners have been supportive of the project, and previously approved funding to remodel the center.

Commissioner Jack Mariano, however, has been critical of the county’s choice of location.

Residents from Crane’s Roost, a neighborhood of about 90 homes, off Little Road, said the homeless population needs help, but they think the proposed location is wrong.

They worry about increased solicitations, crime and lowered property values.

Business owners at Ridge Plaza, adjacent to the Youth Lane site, have objected, too.

The commission’s boardroom was packed during the public hearing in 2017, with people equally passionate on both sides of the issue.

A former Boys & Girls Club in New Port Richey is being proposed as a temporary shelter for homeless families.

Advocates for the center point to its location near bus stops, government offices and service agencies as a good fit to help people in need. They also say Pasco County has been unresponsive in the past in meeting the needs of its homeless population, which at times has been counted as high as 3,000 people.

The center would operate at the two-building campus formerly leased by the county to the Boys & Girls Club, at the end of Youth Lane, off Little Road.

Under the initial concept, the goal was to house 50 to 75 homeless adult men and women for an average of 90 days at the navigation center. They would receive help in locating housing, jobs, job training and health care.

A survey by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office found about 100 homeless camps throughout the county. The initiative would focus on one camp at a time.

Under the new plan, the coalition’s “housing first” program would provide temporary shelter to families for 30 days to 60 days.

Anderson said an average stay could be 45 days or less. He anticipates housing about four families to six families at a time.

The coalition’s administrative offices would operate from Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. People would receive help with job training, showers, health care, behavioral health care, case management, resume building and financial literacy.

The only food services provided would be to families staying at the center.

The people who are served at the coalition’s location on Pine Street are polite and respectful, Anderson said.

“They are really looking for services that can help them get out of their situation,” he said.

Anderson said he was hopeful that the new direction for the navigation center will be well-received.

“We really want to take advantage of their (the county’s) willingness to do something in the community for the homeless,” Anderson said.

Published May 2, 2018

Sheriff’s Office adds policing advisor

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is taking a closer look at its policing practices, as a measure to maintain transparency and openness in dealing with citizens.

To do so, the agency has appointed general counsel Lindsay Moore as its first constitutional policing advisor.

As part of her new role, Moore’s primary duties are to to ensure the agency follows best practices and procedures in the arena of search-and-seizure; use of force; detention operations; profiling issues; citizen contacts; arrests; and, custody operations.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s has appointed general counsel Lindsay Moore as the agency’s first constitutional policing advisor. Moore will be responsible for regularly reviewing agency policies and procedures to ensure they align with constitutional case rulings. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

She’s also responsible for regularly reviewing agency policies and procedures to ensure they align with constitutional case rulings.

If laws and case precedent change, Moore will publish alerts and coordinate trainings with members of the agency.

“These are all things that we’re already doing, but this is going to be codifying these things into one cohesive program,” Moore said.

Moore is a former associate attorney at a civil litigation law firm specializing in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. She also is a former assistant state’s attorney with the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, where she prosecuted domestic violence cases, crimes against children, and felonies.

As an extra measure to enhance constitutional policing efforts, the Sheriff’s Office also appointed Capt. Eric Seltzer to serve as a liaison between other criminal justice system partners, including the county state’s attorney’s office efforts. He’ll also provide oversight for new training measures.

The agency is using existing resources to fund the new advisory roles.

Originally developed by the Los Angeles Police Department, constitutional policing is a growing trend nationwide where law enforcement agencies proactively work to protect the civil rights of the citizens they police.

Also known as “legal policing,” constitutional policing cooperates with the parameters set by the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, and the many court decisions that have defined in greater detail what the text of the Constitution means in terms of the everyday practices of policing.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said adhering to constitutional policing should yield more prosecutable cases and fewer citizen complaints of possible unlawful discrimination and harassment by deputies.

“We have to be by the book in everything we do. We’re not just sitting back and waiting for a complaint to come in. We’re going to proactively look to make sure we’re doing everything the right way, all the time,” Nocco explained.

“It’s going to make us better deputies and better people out there serving the community,” he said.

Published April 4, 2018

Women’s commission sets goals

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The goals for the Commission on the Status of Women are coming into focus, after nearly a year of research, discussion and goal-setting.

The 15-member volunteer group has created committees on health and safety, education and economic prosperity.

Members of the Commission on the Status of Women presented their goals to the Pasco County Commission. Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, front row center, headed up efforts to establish the commission, along with attorney Michele Hintson (not shown). (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Issues that will be pursued in coming months include domestic violence, affordable child care, and women’s entrepreneurship, financial education and literacy.

Amanda Colon, chairwoman of the woman’s commission, gave Pasco County commissioners an update on the group’s activities over the past year.

Several of the group’s members joined her at the Feb. 20 meeting of the Pasco County Commission in New Port Richey.

“I truly cannot think of a more relevant time to be talking to you about women,” said Colon. “As the status of women goes in Pasco, so goes Pasco. Having women in crisis negatively affects our schools, our courts and our commerce.”

Raising the status of women will positively affect schools, courts and the local economy, Colon said.

The women’s status commission began its work in May 2017. Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey and attorney Michele Hintson worked together to establish the group, which has five appointees by county commissioners.

Other members are from 10 area agencies, schools and nonprofits. They are African-American Club of Pasco County Inc., Hispanic Professional Women’s Association Inc., Metropolitan Ministries, Pasco Economic Development Council, Pasco-Hernando State College, Saint Leo University, Sunrise of Pasco County Inc., the United Way of Pasco County Inc., Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and Women Lawyers of Pasco Inc.

“I know you’re off to a great start,” Starkey said.

In the next months, the women’s commission will continue its work through goals set by each committee.

The health and safety committee members plan to distribute a community survey to complete a needs assessment. The goal is to launch an action plan within six months.

Committee members also gathered data from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. Calls regarding domestic abuse were lowest in February, and the highest in September, October and November.

On April 3, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., there will be a free Women’s Symposium on harassment prevention at the Pasco-Hernando State College West Campus, at 10230 Ridge Road, in New Port Richey.

“We’d like to look forward to see what we can do to prevent harassment in business, and focus on our young girls going into business, but also raising up girls who have a voice and know how to use it,” said Suzanne Legg, a member of the women’s commission.

This will be an ongoing discussion, not a one-time event, she added. “We’d like to change #metoo to #notme,” Legg said.

The education committee members plan to focus efforts on affordable child care, as well as career guidance and training for single mothers, empty-nesters and seniors.

Seniors include grandparents who often are caregivers for their grandchildren, Colon said.

A third goal is to provide mentoring and education for at-risk youth.

“We’re focusing immediately on identifying and utilizing resources we have in Pasco,” Colon said.

The economic prosperity committee plans to help women entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on their financial education and literacy.

“Women earn less, save less and live longer, but are responsible for the same living expenses as those of men,” Colon said.

Women often pay higher interest rates on home loans, for instance. And, many divorced women don’t receive full child support payments, Colon added.

“One in five divorced women slide into the poverty line,” she said.

To register for the free women’s symposium, visit FTGIsymposium.eventbrite.com.

Published February 28, 2018

Mother of twins dies after casino boat fire; donations sought

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A GoFundMe account has been set up to aid the children of Carrie Dempsey.

The 42-year-old woman, who lived in Lutz, died Jan. 14, hours after a fire engulfed a casino shuttle boat ferrying about 50 passengers to a casino ship in the Gulf of Mexico.

She was the sole fatality among about 15 passengers who needed medical attention, according to news reports.

Carrie Dempsey
(Facebook.com)

Dempsey leaves behind 12-year-old twins, Chad and Megan. Dempsey’s husband, Joseph Dempsey II, died in 2011, at the age of 33, according to an obituary.

The children are being cared for by their grandparents.

“We are reaching out to raise funds for Chad and Megan’s care and education, that their grandparents may not have been financially prepared for,” according to a written statement on the GoFundMe page. “Chad and Megan are two kind-hearted, athletic and academically gifted children who deserve a bright future. They have incurred so much loss and heartache in their short lives.”

Bridget Verrecchia is listed as the fund’s organizer. She is vice president of the ways and means committee of the PTA executive board for McKitrick Elementary School, according to the school’s website.

Segal Funeral Home is handling funeral arrangements.

According to an obituary, Dempsey moved to the Tampa Bay area in 1985 from Cleveland, Ohio.

She will be “remembered for her sense of humor, quick wit and infectious laugh, but mostly as a devoted and loving mother,” the obituary states.

Graveside services are scheduled for Jan. 25 at 2 p.m., at Gan Shalom Cemetery, 3527 E. County Line Road in Lutz. In lieu of flowers, a college fund will be established for Dempsey’s children.

The cause of the fire aboard the Island Lady is under investigation, according to a spokesman with the U.S. Coast Guard.

About 50 people were aboard as the shuttle, operated by Tropical Breeze Casino, steered toward the gulf, and a casino ship in international waters.

The boat’s captain noticed the engine was overheating, and prepared to return to shore when a fire broke out, according to news reports.

The reports said the captain ran the shuttle aground in the Pithlachascotee River, about 100 yards from shore in Port Richey.

Passengers and crew had to jump into chilly waters. Rescuers included nearby neighbors, Port Richey police, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco Fire Rescue, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The boat burned down to its hull, reports added.

For information, visit GoFundMe.com/the-dempsey-family.

An online guestbook is available at SegalFuneralHome.com.

Published January 24, 2018

Homeless Coalition CEO understands tough times

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Don Anderson, the new chief executive officer for The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County, doesn’t have to look far to understand what it’s like to experience poverty.

“I come from very humble beginnings. My dad didn’t finish eighth grade. My mom didn’t finish high school. He worked three jobs.

“We had a hard time keeping a car going, let alone pay the rent every month.

Don Anderson is the new chief executive officer for The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County. Many people are just a medical issue, a car accident, a car problem or a few paychecks away from homelessness, he said. (B.C. Manion)

“I remember sitting around the table with them at the end of every month, deciding who it is that we would not pay, so we could pay the rent every month.

“We relied on the church and food stamps, and just the generosity of others,” Anderson said.

And, he knows his experiences are far more common than people think.

For many — just a single incident such as a medical issue, a car accident, a car breaking down or the loss of a job — can push them into homelessness, he said. That’s particularly true in communities, such as Pasco County, where much of the workforce receives minimum wage earnings from service industry jobs, he added.

While Anderson’s background didn’t prevent him from landing work with technology companies, he said he experienced his share of ups and downs through the years.

At one point, at the encouragement of one of his customers, he volunteered for Metropolitan Ministries. Later, when he was in his 50s, he got a job there.

A couple of years ago, he went to work for Youth and Family Alternatives in Pasco, where he was the vice president of strategy and development.

He said he sought his current post because he wanted an opportunity to take on a greater leadership role.

Being new to that post, Anderson said he has much to learn. He plans to do a lot of listening, and a lot of reaching out.

He said he wants to make internal improvements to the organization he’s leading, but also wants to forge stronger relationships with people in the community who may have felt alienated in the past.

One of the biggest developments on the horizon is the effort to open Pasco County’s first homeless shelter as part of a comprehensive plan to help the county’s homeless population.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has estimated there are about 100 camps across Pasco County where people live.

The chosen location for what is proposed as a “one-stop navigation center” is in two county-owned buildings in west Pasco, formerly leased to the Boys & Girls Club.

A planning commission meeting is scheduled for next month, regarding the conditional use of the property, and then the issue will go to the Pasco County Commission for a vote, Anderson said.

The project has met resistance from area residents.

Anderson said he planned to attend a meeting with neighbors. He said his goal is to “understand their concerns and then address them, as best as we can.”

Many of the details for the Navigation Center have not been worked out yet — such as how many beds the center will have — so conversations will need to continue as more information becomes available, he said.

There also is a host of challenges facing the homeless in Pasco County, he said. For one thing, there needs to be designated places where the homeless can go for shelter when temperatures plummet, he said.

There is some assistance available through partner organizations, but generally that is simply helping people in need to find motel rooms, said Anderson, noting the coalition pays for those rooms.

The Homeless Coalition, established in 1988, is a network of individuals and organizations working together to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness.

Published January 17, 2018

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Dade City held festivities over the weekend to commemorate the birthday and honor the legacy of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

More than 200 participants and spectators gathered at the steps of the Pasco County Historic Courthouse, following the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade in Dade City, to sing, pray and listen to the reading. (Richard K. Riley)

The city had a parade, followed by a unity prayer on the steps of Historic Pasco County Courthouse. That evening there was a banquet, with proceeds benefiting a scholarship fund.

Other festivities planned included an MLK Commemorative Program on Jan. 15, with keynote speaker is the Rev. Donald R. Smith, senior pastor of Greater Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Lacoochee, followed by a picnic in the park at 38724 Mudcat Grant Blvd., in Dade City.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez reads a proclamation at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. festivities, as Boys & Girls Club Manager Rev. Cassie Coleman stands nearby.

It’s a tradition that’s been going on for about 20 years, said

Cassie Coleman, president of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Pasco County.

“It brings unity in the community. We all know that what Martin did, he didn’t just do for one group of people,” Coleman said.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, the City of Dade City, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the Dade City Police Department all played instrumental roles, Coleman said.

Published January 17, 2018

The Lacoochee Boys & Girls Club, along with their Prodigy arts component, created a Statue of Liberty theme for their float that participated in the Dade City Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade on Jan. 13.

They hit the water to solve crimes, make rescues

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A Pasco Sheriff’s Office team has been trained to respond to emergency calls involving water rescues, and to search for evidence in lakes, rivers and other water bodies.

The tactical units, called the Underwater Recovery/Swift Water Response Team, includes divers, rescue swimmers and deputies who pilot boats.

“We really can do anything that needs to be done on the water,” said Lt. Jay Galassi, who oversees the Marine Unit.

The Underwater Recovery/Swift Water Response Team held a training exercise on Dec. 4 at SunWest Park on Old Dixie Highway in Hudson, to practice its new waterborne skills. The unit was deployed over the summer during Hurricane Irma to assist residents living in flood-prone areas, such as the Elfers community in Pasco County. They also recovered items and debris in the November plane crash of former Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay. (Kevin Weiss)

The 18-member team became nationally certified in November, after completing advanced swift water training through Dive Rescue International.

The certification means the team is ready to serve a wide range of scenarios, from safety and security, to special waterborne operations — even in strong water currents.

Officials say no mission is too large, whether its retrieving cars crashed in bodies of water, rescuing drowning victims, or looking for evidence or weapons underwater.

The certification also allows it to assist in Federal Emergency Management Agency-related response efforts, on a local, regional and national level.

“We could deploy to Texas, we could deploy to South Florida, North Florida, wherever…and then still have a team here that could effectively deal with issues in Pasco County,” Galassi said.

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office began the task of creating and implementing a Swift Water Recovery Team in late 2016 for rescue and recovery operations in areas that frequently flood in the county.

The team initially planned to include just four members who would respond to any swift water event in Pasco County. But, as the process of creating the team evolved, the Sheriff’s Office obtained funding from private citizens allowing the agency to dedicate more than a dozen fully trained and equipped personnel to the team.

The unit has been deployed for several high-profile occasions this year.

For instance, they assisted during Hurricane Irma to provide aid to residents living in flood-prone areas, such as the Elfers community.

They also recovered items and debris from the November plane crash of former Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay.

They also conducted underwater searches in Wesley Chapel in a recent missing persons case.

The team held a training exercise on Dec. 4 at SunWest Park on Old Dixie Highway in Hudson, to practice and maintain its new waterborne skills.

Mitch Bollenbacher is a member of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office’s Swift Water Response Team. The team’s 18 members retrieve cars crashed in water, rescue drowning victims, conducting evidence and weapons searches underwater and handle other water-related duties.

Team members tested three new 12-foot long INMAR inflatable/recovery boats purchased from private community donations.

As part of the drill, they assembled the boats — which involved inflating them and connecting motors — and then they operated them on the water.

They also practiced setting up what’s called a highline, a rope that connects to the boat and is controlled by someone on land. The rope line helps stabilize the boat for rescue and recovery operations in high waters or strong currents.

“We just kind of keep current on getting the speed down of getting the boats out and getting them in the water. The water here is nice and clean, so we just run the boats out here and get the motors all cleaned up,” Galassi said of training at SunWest Park.

The boats, equipped with 25-horsepower Suzuki motors, are designed to hold steady control in all bodies of water, fighting against heavy winds and currents.

They are being used instead of the larger, bulkier boats the team previously used, said Mitch Bollenbacher, a member of the team.

“These are easier to maneuver. They sit very still,” Bollenbacher said. “You can anchor the boat, and then a diver can dive off the back of it. The boats aren’t really affected by the wind or the current. They kind of maintain control in the water.”

Bollenbacher also said the boats can traverse tight-access areas, including lakes, canals and retention ponds — where someone might discard a body, weapons or another type of criminal evidence.

“It’s definitely something that we needed at the Sheriff’s Office,” said Bollenbacher, who’s been with the agency more than four years.

“We can now definitely search an area and say, ‘No, it’s not here.’ You can 100 percent say, ‘There’s no one here, there’s no object here, and we searched it,’”

said Bollenbacher, who is a swimmer and a diver, and has been around the water since he was a teenager.

To be considered for the special unit, deputies must pass a standard test for their water skills.

Even with his skills, Bollenbacher said there’s still trepidation in and around water, with the presence of alligators and other unknowns.

“It’s Florida. There’s always a fear,” he said.

The team takes precautions to stay safe.

“The biggest thing is safety, double-check and use the right equipment for the right job,” Bollenbacher said.

By year’s end, the agency looks to also have its Underwater Recovery Team, or tactical dive team, certified as a specialized unit of the Division of Homeland Security. It would allow the Sheriff’s Office to assist federal task forces in waterborne operations, including: antiterrorism and maritime dignitary protection, drug interdiction, underwater crime scene, special response team support, and maritime surveillance.

Published December 13, 2017

Have a very, merry — safe — holiday season

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It’s that time of the year that people enjoy purchasing presents for loved ones, and gathering with family and friends — but, it’s also a time when crime and accidents can ruin happy holiday plans.

So, here are some suggestions from Shawn Whited, division chief for Pasco Fire Rescue and Deputy Ron Buzzetto, of Pasco County Sheriff’s Office crime prevention division, which seek to help you have a safe and merry season.

Staying safe at home
Division Chief Whited offers these pointers for staying safe at home:

  • Inspect your electrical cords. Make sure they’re not frayed.
  • Do not overload outlets with too many electrical cords.
  • If using a living tree, be sure to keep it watered to prevent it from becoming a fire hazard.
  • When baking, be sure to pay attention, and don’t lose track of time. “You’d be surprised at how many house fires we go to that started with something in the oven that somebody forgot,” Whited said.
  • If using a turkey fryer, be sure to measure the oil correctly and use the proper temperature. Also, be sure the turkey has been thawed before cooking.
  • When using the fireplace, do not over pack it with materials, and make sure those materials fit in the fireplace. Do not burn wrapping papers, the embers can fly and can cause a fire. Also, the intensity of the heat from the wrapping paper could cause a chimney fire.
  • Be sure to extinguish candles, to avoid a potential fire.
  • If you like to place wrapped presents under the tree, be sure not to wrap any items that are harmful to your pets. For instance, chocolate is bad for dogs, but chances are your dog will sniff it out and get into it, if you wrap some and leave it under the tree.

Deputy Buzzetto adds these tips for staying safe on the home front:

  • Protect package deliveries. “This is a prime time of year for porch piracy,” Buzzetto said. Protect yourself by having those packages rerouted to your office, your neighbor or a family member if you won’t be at home to receive it. Otherwise, get a post office box.
  • Reduce home burglaries. “Most break-ins typically happen during the day, when folks are at work,” Buzzetto said. Some ways to reduce risks include using a home alarm system; keeping curtains and blinds drawn, to prevent would-be burglars from seeing your valuables; being sure your windows and doors are locked; making sure your vehicle’s doors are locked; joining a Neighborhood Watch, to help each other keep an eye out for suspicious characters.
  • Don’t open the door to strangers. Ask who it is through the door before deciding whether you want to answer it, Buzzetto said.

Staying safe while shopping
Deputy Buzzetto offers these reminders:

  • Be mindful of your surroundings, day or night.
  • Park in well-lit areas. Do not get out of your car if you feel unsafe.
  • Be sure your car is locked.
  • Carry only what you need. If you’re carrying a purse, you run the risk of having your purse snatched.
  • Do not place your purse in the trunk, while you are in plain view of others.
  • Do not carry a multitude of credit cards. If one credit card is enough, just take that.
  • Keep valuables in your car out of plain sight of potential criminals.
  • If you feel uncomfortable walking back to your car, go back to the store and ask for an escort.
  • Shop in pairs, if possible. You are less vulnerable to becoming a victim of crime.
  • When returning to your car, have your key fob ready. It can activate your car horn, which can deter criminals. Also, a small horn or whistle are other ways to make noise and deter criminals.

Avoid skimmers
Gas stations are a prominent place for card skimmers, so the best approach is to pay by credit inside the gas station, Buzzetto said.

Staying safe on the road
Both Whited and Buzzetto remind motorists to play it safe through defensive driving.

  • If someone starts following, Buzzetto said, call 9-1-1 and drive to an area where there are lots of people. Criminals are less likely to engage when there are witnesses.
  • If you have car trouble, try to get to a safe place off the road, Whited said. If it’s not possible to move your car to a safer location, get out of the car and move yourself to a safer location, Whited said.
  • Do not text or use your phone while driving, Buzzetto said. “Find a safe place. Pull over,” he said.
  • Be extra cautious on the road because there are more people out during the holidays, and this is the time of year when there are visitors in the area that are unfamiliar with area roads, Whited said. There are also returning snowbirds, and because of new construction, things don’t look the same as they did when they left, Whited said.

The bottom line, Buzzetto said, is to be sure to pay attention.

“This is ‘crime of opportunity’ season here, with the holidays,” he said.

“People are so consumed with their phone that they miss looking up, and looking around,” Buzzetto said. “Your personal safety is first and foremost. Property can be replaced. Purses can be replaced. Your personal safety has to be the priority.”

These are 10 tips to avoid fire dangers during the holidays
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and the National Fire Protection Association offers these tips to help ensure your holiday plans don’t go up in smoke:

  • Have a fireplace chimney cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
  • Make sure a fireplace flue or damper is open before starting a fire. The opening draws smoke up the chimney and out of a building.
  • A fireplace must have a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container, which then is placed a safe distance from any residence.
  • Inside the home, install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in every bedroom, and in hallways leading to bedrooms.
  • Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from a fireplace or other indoor heating equipment such as a furnace, wood stove or portable space heater.
  • Have a 3-foot “kid-free zone” around fireplaces and fire pits.
  • Position a fire pit at least 10 feet away from any structure, combustible material, or neighboring yard.
  • Do not put a fire pit directly on a wooden deck or grass, or beneath eaves or low-hanging tree branches. Place the fire pit on a nonflammable surface, such as concrete or patio blocks.
  • Burn only dry and aged wood. Generally, hardwoods such as oak and maple are preferred. Properly cured, they release more heat and burn cleanly.
  • Never leave an active fireplace or fire pit unattended.

Published December 13, 2017

Pasco County seeks new location for food relief

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Pasco County commissioners don’t want a replay of the overwhelming crowds and hours-long

Pasco County officials moved to cancel a federal emergency food program at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center. They decided the location, with a playground and youth ball fields, would be inappropriate to handle large crowds of applicants and traffic. Another location is being sought. (Kathy Steele)

waits that hampered efforts in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties for residents seeking to qualify for disaster food relief following Hurricane Irma’s destruction.

So, on Oct. 16, Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles prepared to send a letter to the Florida Department of Family and Children Services cancelling plans for a similar event scheduled at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center.

The four-day event had been slated to begin on Oct. 22.

Pasco officials now are scouting for a different location, and will work with local DCF officials to identify a more suitable site, said Biles.

Per the agreement, either party can terminate upon three days prior written notice.

As of Oct. 16, about 11,000 people had pre-registered online to participate in the emergency food program, Biles said.

The challenge is finding a large building with sufficient parking in a location that is accessible, he said.

“We (Pasco County) don’t have a location for that,” Biles said.

The better option likely is finding a private property that would meet those requirements, he added.

County commissioners were scheduled to hold a workshop on Oct. 17 in Dade City, with discussion of the emergency food program an added topic. The meeting was scheduled after publication deadlines for The Laker/Lutz News.

County commissioners reluctantly approved the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center for the federal relief program on Oct. 10.

Their approval came only after an unsuccessful try

to move the emergency food program to a vacant Super Target store, at State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway.

That didn’t happen because the owner told county staff that the store needs repairs that could not be completed in time.

“So, that’s out of the loop,” Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore said during the Oct. 10 meeting.

Moore and Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey both indicated that the Target store would be better able to handle a high volume of traffic.

They also voiced concerns that a crush of vehicles and people at the recreation center would slow work commutes and recreational activities scheduled in the afternoon.

A Florida Department of Children and Families official estimated up to 82,000 people could show up to the site during the four-day period.

The Land O’ Lakes Branch Library and several schools also are along Collier Parkway.

Before Biles cancelled the use of the recreation center site, county staff members and DCF officials had been working on plans to limit disruptions at the recreation center.

State workers processing the applications were planning to park their vehicles at a vacant Kmart store on State Road 54. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office had agreed to assist with traffic.

Pasco commissioners had been told that the 6 p.m. closing time would be met to keep from interfering with regular activities at the center.

Ongoing reports of problems at other sites around the Tampa Bay area also had heightened Pasco officials concerns.

The Food for Florida program is administered by DCF in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture.

Residents can qualify based on income and losses.

People who currently recei

ve food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, aren’t eligible. Instead, they will be compensated with extra benefits through the monthly program.

For eligible applicants, Disaster-SNAP, or D-SNAP debit-style cards will be issued if the applicant lived or worked in one of the 48 declared federal disaster counties from Sept. 5 to Oct. 4.

Those qualifying can receive assistance for the months of September and October.

For information, visit Dcf.state.fl.us/programs/access

Published Oct. 18, 2017

Agreement reached on forensic research campus

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Pasco County commissioners approved a three-way agreement that sets up the framework for ownership and operation of a forensic research and training facility on county land next to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center.

One feature of the facility is a body farm to aid in criminal investigations, body identification and research into body decomposition.

Abigail Kennedy spoke at the dedication ceremony naming the Adam Kennedy Forensic Field for her husband, who died in January. Adam Kennedy, former principal of Crews Middle School, was the first body donated for research at the body farm. (File)

Florida F.I.R.S.T. (Forensic Institute for Research & Tactical Training), will be only the seventh in the nation. It is expected to become a national and international center for forensic research and its applications.

Pasco County, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the University of South Florida are parties to the agreement.

“It’s really going to put us and USF on the map,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore.

At no cost, Pasco will lease a portion of the facility to USF for 33 years, with two extensions allowed, for a total of 99 years.

“We’re excited to get this rolling and move it forward,” said Chase Daniels, assistant executive director for the sheriff’s office.

The campus will have a laboratory, classrooms, a morgue and evidence storage space. Virtual autopsies with 3-D scanning and chemical isotope analysis will be done. Work also will be done in the fields of legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction and cyber forensics.

A tactical training facility for the sheriff’s K-9 unit and the Pasco Unified SWAT team also is planned.

Dr. Erin Kimmerle of USF’s Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science (IFAAS) will be in charge of the university’s research and training.

Kimmerle and USF led efforts in identifying bodies found in unmarked graves at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

The forensic building at Florida F.I.R.S.T. will be the Thomas Varnadoe Forensic Center for Education and Research. Varnadoe’s body was among those recovered and identified at the unmarked burial sites at the Dozier school.

About 5 acres of the future campus were dedicated in May as the Adam Kennedy Memorial Forensics Field. It honors the memory of the former principal of Crews Lake Middle School, who died in a car accident while driving to work in January. His body was the first one donated to the body farm.

The price tag for the facility is about $4.3 million.

Legislators approved the money in the state’s 2017 budget, but Gov. Rick Scott vetoed the item.

The county’s legislative delegation will try again to win approval in the state’s 2019 budget. Conversations with members of Scott’s office already are underway, Daniel said.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley said he sent a letter to the governor’s office in support of funding. “It’s very important to the state besides us,” Oakley said.

If Pasco is unsuccessful a second time, Daniel said USF officials have offered to “tap into their donor lists.”

Published Oct. 4, 2017