The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

The Shops at Wiregrass

Don Porter: He was a forward-thinker, with deep community roots

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When Don Porter was growing up in Wesley Chapel, he attended elementary school at a one-room schoolhouse and rode a bus to Dade City for high school.

Much has changed in the Pasco County community where he grew up — and Porter and his extended family have played a considerable role in creating that change.

Don Porter was described by state Rep. Will Weatherford as a ‘giant of a man.’ Porter died on July 1 at age 73. (Courtesy of the Porter Family)
Don Porter was described by state Rep. Will Weatherford as a ‘giant of a man.’ Porter died on July 1 at age 73.
(Courtesy of the Porter Family)

The memorial service to honor his life was July 12 in the conference center at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a satellite campus of Pasco-Hernando State College. The campus opened in January on 6 acres of the 60 acres of land the Porters donated to the college.

That campus is just one tangible sign of the forward-thinking and big picture approach that the entire family has used in making decisions regarding the development of thousands of acres they have owned for decades, Porter’s son, J.D. Porter, said in a recent interview.

The Shops at Wiregrass, a regional shopping mall, and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, an 80-bed facility, are two other projects built within the 5,100-acre development of regional impact approved in 2006 on the Porters’ land.

Porter, the eldest son of the late James and Martha Porter, moved into Wesley Chapel in the 1940s, long before development hit the area.

He died on July 1, at age 73.

In personal interviews and during the memorial, family and friends described the kind of man Porter was.

They characterized him as a passionate fighter for justice, but also a patient listener. They said he was a deep thinker, a loving father and a faithful friend.

Porter enjoyed single malt scotch and Little Debbie snack cakes. He had musical tastes that ranged from Pavarotti to Dave Brubeck, had his own sense of style, and was a fierce competitor in everything from baseball to Scrabble to table tennis, they added.

State Rep. Will Weatherford said he was 26 and making his first run for state office when he met Porter. Over the past decade, Weatherford had numerous roundtable chats with Porter, his brothers, Tom and Bill, and his son, J.D. The men didn’t talk about what Wiregrass would look like in the next five to 10 years, Weatherford said. They took a much longer view.

“I never knew a man who could speak less and say more than Don Porter,” Weatherford said.

Whatever project they worked on together, “it was always about the long-term sustainability and legacy of this community,” Weatherford said.

“In my business, you get to meet a lot of families that have very large landholdings. It’s not rare for a family to have thousands of acres — there’s a lot them in the state of Florida,” Weatherford said. “But I’ve never met a family, I’ve never met a man — until I met Don — that was so keenly more focused on the future of his community than on how much money he would make off of it.”

While Porter was proud of the accomplishments in the development arena, he would resist being credited as the leader or the patriarch of the family, J.D. Porter said. That role belonged to Don’s father, James Porter.

J.D. Porter said his father, his uncles and the rest of the extended Porter family have shared a collective vision and a collective will for what has been done so far, and for the foundation that has been laid for future achievements.

“Development was a very important part of his life,” J.D. Porter said. “But if you had a top five list, I’m not sure it would make it.

“At No. 1 was family. It wasn’t just my mom, my sister and myself,” he said, but his dad also cared tremendously for his parents, his brothers and their families.

Porter’s daughter, Quinn Miller, recalled a father who taught her how to ride a bicycle, accompanied her to father-daughter dances, and was her biggest fan during her softball days.

Known for his deep, rich voice, Porter did some radio broadcasting in college and later in Zephyrhills. He also used those talents to announce Quinn’s softball and J.D.’s baseball games.

“He was the voice of Berkeley Prep softball,” Miller said.

Porter was quite the athlete himself. He held a baseball state record for years after striking out 20 of the 21 batters he faced during a championship. He attended Ole Miss on a baseball scholarship, and he used the signing bonus he received from the Houston Colt 45s to buy his family’s home on land now occupied by the hospital.

Miller said her dad taught her to think for herself. She remembers being frustrated by him when she would want to commiserate over a problem or disappointment, and he wouldn’t let her or offer her advice.

Instead, he listened and then asked her questions.

She now understands that he wanted her to arrive at her own solutions.

“He had a way of offering perspective by forcing introspection, not (offering) his opinion,” Miller said.

Porter’s cousin, Mike Gramling, and Porter’s friends Will Roberts, Doug Manson and Tom Touchton, also spoke at the memorial. When the Porters arrived in Wesley Chapel, there was no electricity and the family lived in a moonshiner’s cabin, Gramling said. Porter’s mother, Martha, prepared meals on a Coleman stove.

Porter learned to drive a tractor when he was 6, and he didn’t have a store-bought shirt until he went to college, Gramling said.

Roberts said they used to joke that Porter was “sweater-rich.”

“He had more sweaters than Bill Cosby,” Roberts said.

He recalled a time when Porter took him, his brother and J.D. to a basketball game at the University of South Florida Sun Dome. Porter was wearing a beret, a sweater, brown leather pants and black Italian zippered ankle boots.

“Nowadays, the sight of man dressed like that with three young boys might be cause for an Amber Alert. But that was Don in all of his glory,” Roberts said, drawing a roar of laughter from the nearly 240 at the memorial.

Manson was in his late 20s when he met Porter.

It was obvious, he said, that Porter’s life was centered on his family. The two men never had a conversation that didn’t begin with an update on their families.

When Manson had a problem he didn’t know how to solve, he turned to Porter, who would listen for as long as it took, whether that was a few minutes or hours.

“He showed me what friendship is,” Manson said.

Porter was a multi-dimensional man, with many interests, said Touchton, who knew Porter for about 60 years. One of his favorite poets was Lawrence Ferlinghetti, of the beat poet generation.

Porter especially liked Ferlinghetti’s “I am Waiting,” which repeated this phrase, “I am perpetually awaiting the rebirth of wonder.”

“I suggest Don has to wait no longer,” Touchton said, “because in leaving us, he has finally found his rebirth of wonder.”

Published July 16, 2014

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Don Porter’s vision for Wiregrass Ranch area lives on

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Don Porter, whose vision helped transform ranch land into an urban center in Wesley Chapel, has died. He was 73.

Porter’s family, which owns the sprawling Wiregrass Ranch, sold the land that is now occupied by The Shops at Wiregrass and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. The family also donated 60 acres of land for Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, which now occupies about 6 acres of that land.

Members of the Porter family joined Pasco-Hernando State College president Katherine Johnson at the open house and dedication of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. From left are J.D. Porter, Bill Porter, Johnson, Don Porter and Quinn Miller. (File Photo)
Members of the Porter family joined Pasco-Hernando State College president Katherine Johnson at the open house and dedication of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. From left are J.D. Porter, Bill Porter, Johnson, Don Porter and Quinn Miller.
(File Photo)

There’s also a high school in the community named after the Porter’s Wiregrass Ranch.

While Porter had a hand in projects of a regional scale, that is not what meant the most to him, said his son, J.D. Porter.

“Out of all of the accomplishments, I think the thing that he was most proud of was his family,” he said. “He wanted to see everyone do well.”

Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri recalls when her colleagues were considering approval of The Shops at Wiregrass. She and Commissioner Jack Mariano supported the request, but they needed a third vote, which came from Commission Ted Schrader.

“I believe that Don’s generous spirit and clear vision made a difference in the Wesley Chapel area, and set the tone for all future development there,” Mulieri said. “Don will be missed. He was a good steward of the land and a southern gentleman.”

Greg Lenners, general manager of The Shops at Wiregrass, said it was easy to see that Porter was a highly respected man in the community.

“He will truly be missed,” said Lenners, who oversees the main-street style shopping mall at the intersection of State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

The mall is a popular gathering spot and pulls shoppers and visitors from across the region, especially during the holidays and for special events.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel also issued a statement paying tribute to Porter’s contributions.

“Don Porter’s vision was to transform the Porter Ranch into a Wesley Chapel community centered around family … a community with quality health care, education, and recreation services for its residents,” hospital officials said. “It was wonderful to work with Don and his family to bring that vision to life. The entire Porter family has been very supportive of the hospital and our programs to improve the health and wellness of the entire community.”

Katherine Johnson, president of Pasco-Hernando State College, recalled the first time she met Porter. It was her first day as the college’s president, and she was being introduced around the community. Those introductions included a lunch with Porter at Saddlebrook Resort.

Porter was approachable and she immediately felt at ease, Johnson recalled.

“We clicked. We just clicked,” she said.

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

“Clearly, we would not have been able to have a campus in Wesley Chapel without that family,” she said. Beyond helping to bring that vision to life, Porter became a friend and mentor.

When Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch opened in January, it signaled the first time in Wesley Chapel history that a student could attend preschool through college without leaving the Wesley Chapel community.

When the Porters moved to Wesley Chapel during the 1940s, there wasn’t much development in the area. Over the years, the community has evolved, and Porter had a clear vision for the future, Johnson said.

When plans were being discussed for the Porter Campus, he envisioned a campus with multi-story buildings.

“He wanted an urban, corporate look,” Johnson said.

Porter is survived by son, J.D., daughter, Quinn Miller and her husband, Matthew, as well as three grandchildren, Johannah, Cooper, and Lillian Jane, of Odessa; and his brother, William H. and his wife, Debby, of Dade City.

Don Porter memorial service
A memorial service for Don Porter has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on July 12 at the conference center at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Published July 9, 2014

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Mental health tune-ups for Pasco County residents

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NTBHMain
Spend a few minutes with Jim Harris, CEO of North Tampa Behavioral Health in Wesley Chapel (NTBH), and you’ll catch his enthusiasm. He and his staff are committed to providing the very best care and support for people experiencing mental health issues.

“Sometimes the challenges of life can overwhelm us,” says Jim. “Many of us will experience a mental health issue at some point in our life – grief, loss, loneliness, depression, addiction. We’re here to help people work through their mental health concerns.”

North Tampa Behavioral Health provides a non-institutional environment on 16 acres of wetlands and forest off of State Road 56, east of The Shops at Wiregrass. The campus offers peace and quiet without urban distractions.

“We want to set the standard for the treatment of behavioral health and addiction disorders,” says Jim. “We have a unique half-day, partial hospitalization program and an intensive outpatient program for the treatment of adults and seniors with mental health and substance abuse conditions.”

NTBH is more than just a productive member of the community. They are making their facilities available for various support group meetings. The National Alliance on Mental Illness currently provides free support group meetings on the first and third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., for families experiencing mental health issues or who have friends receiving mental health care.

“We currently have 143 employees contributing to the economic health of the region,” says Jim. “The resources we use come from the local community as much as possible. We are also a provider working to enhance mental health awareness and wellness of the citizens of Pasco County.”

“Our treatment focuses on the whole person,” says Jim. “We believe that physical health and nutritional health play a role in mental health, and we address that daily here.”

They have an indoor gym with stationary bicycles, workout bags and a basketball court. They also host yoga classes in the gym. Outdoors they have a basketball court, a walking path and spaces to relax, read and converse. There are also a number of spacious community rooms and a cafe with a selection of nutritious foods available during all meals.

“Our goal is to bring together mental and physical health approaches to psychiatric therapies founded on the most current principles of patient safety,” says Jim. “We are a progressive facility. For example, there are no mechanical restraints for patients, which is rare for a psychiatric hospital. Suggestions from our patients are continually improving our facility.”

All programs are group-oriented and developmentally appropriate to the client. Inpatient care is short-term. Outpatient care may go on longer depending on the client’s needs. The partial hospital program is 5 days per week for 5 hours per day. The intensive outpatient program is 3 days per week for 3 hours per day.

They became a Baker Act facility in February 2014 and have since been working closely with law enforcement and local hospitals to treat involuntary patients who are deemed a threat to themselves or others due to mental health or substance abuse issues.

North Tampa Behavioral Health has been very successful to date. They are continuing to develop relationships with local hospitals, independent practitioners, clinics, colleges and chambers of commerce. They are in the process of starting an alumni group for people who have been treated at the facility as another way to further support the community. Call them for an assessment or referral.

They are located at 29910 State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel, and can be reached at (813) 922-3300. Their website is NorthTampaBehavioralHealth.com.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department.

 

In Print: Don’t miss Fourth of July, we have pics

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What did you do on the Fourth of July? Well, hopefully you didn’t stay home, because there were plenty of options, which as a regular reader of The Laker/Lutz News, you already knew about.

Bridget Richwine, second from right, helped her sons get into the Fourth of July spirit with hats she made for C.J., 11, at right, and Ben, 5. Grandmother Chloie Adkins, far left, looks on. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Bridget Richwine, second from right, helped her sons get into the Fourth of July spirit with hats she made for C.J., 11, at right, and Ben, 5. Grandmother Chloie Adkins, far left, looks on. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The Shops at Wiregrass kicked things off with its annual Fourth of July celebration July 3, complete with bicycle decorating contests, watermelon eating and Miss and Mr. Firecracker. It continued Friday morning in Lutz with its annual Fourth of July parade, which had large crowds lined up along Lutz Lake Fern Road leading into the Lutz Depot.

And if that wasn’t enough, the fun continued Saturday in places like Avalon West and Connerton, with booths, games and fireworks.

Want to see some of the great images from those events? Well, you can find them right now in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News. If you don’t have a newspaper in front of you, you can see all the picture in our free e-edition by clicking here.

Also, a Lutz News reader, Tracy Gaschler, submitted some of her own pictures from the Lutz parade. You can check those out on our Facebook page by clicking here.

If you were at any of those Fourth of July events, then there’s no doubt in your mind that we’re in the middle of summer, and it can be hot. But how do you enjoy the sun and fun, without ending up in the emergency room?

Three local doctors from places like Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and St. Joseph’s Hospital-North shared some advice on how to stay safe while celebrating summer whether it’s on the road, in the water, or in the outdoors.

But it’s not just about keeping yourself safe, but children, too. And they require constant vigilance, especially when they are in the water.

“Don’t take a break to get on the phone,” Dr. Javier Gonzalez, assistant medical director of the emergency department at the Zephyrhills hospital, told reporter B.C. Manion. “I hear that all the time, ‘I just went out for a second to speak to somebody or to  pick up the phone.’ Before they know it, two minutes have passed by and the child is dead at the bottom of the pool.”

Another key safety tip is to stay hydrated, and not just when you’re in the heat — but drinking plenty of water before you go out is essential too.

“You’re losing water with every breath you take, you’re losing water with the heat itself,” said Dr. Michael Longley, medical director of the emergency department at the Wesley Chapel hospital. “You’re losing water with sweating and you’re losing water with the activity that you’re doing. It’s compounded and there’s just no way to keep up if the tank isn’t full to being with.”

To see what else these doctors, along with Dr. Katrina Cordero, has to say about summertime protection, check out the print edition of this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, or you can read it for free in our e-edition by clicking here.

Finally, Pasco County sheriff Chris Nocco learned Tuesday that the first draft of the county’s budget for the next year will include more than $5 million he’s requested in additional funds to help stave off the departure of deputies to neighboring counties. But what is the long-term plan for the sheriff’s office?

Probably the biggest thing on the drawing board is creating a fourth district for deputies, based out of the Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel area.

“we are going to need many more deputies, and we’re going to need a fourth district in the (State Road) 54 corridor,” Nocco told reporter Michael Hinman. “We need to have a stronger presence in the Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel area. Deputies who serve that area right now are based out of Dade City, and there has to be something much closer to serve those needs.”

However, many of those plans will require money — something Nocco believes Pasco County commissioners are supportive, since public safety is a key factor to continued growth and happy residents.

“We are not wasting taxpayer dollars,” Nocco said. “Instead, we are very efficient. I know our commissioners are being pulled in a thousand different directions, but I also think they realize that public safety is a priority.”

You can read more about Nocco’s plans in the print edition of The Laker, or you can read our free e-edition 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.

Three days of fireworks: Local events display patriotic spirit

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Local residents wanting to see fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July can enjoy them before, during and after the actual holiday.

The third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival at The Shops at Wiregrass features a fireworks display on July 3 at 9 p.m. (Courtesy of Tony Masella/OurTownFla.com)
The third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival at The Shops at Wiregrass features a fireworks display on July 3 at 9 p.m.
(Courtesy of Tony Masella/OurTownFla.com)

Multiple venues will host fireworks shows as part of special holiday celebrations July 3-5, along with a number of other activities to help celebrate Independence Day in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.

Those who want to celebrate early can visit The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel, on July 3. The shopping complex, home to around 100 different retailers, is the site of the third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival. Last year’s event drew around 30,000 people.

The free event begins at 5 p.m., and includes a watermelon-eating contest and a bicycle-decorating contest. But one of the highlights is a patriotic-themed pageant to crown Little Miss and Mr. Firecracker across several age groups.

The pageant was a favorite in 2013, and should be bigger this year, said Debbie Detweiler, director of marketing for The Shops.

“It’s grown so much that we’re having it hosted up on the center court stage this year,” she said. “It was a really popular part of the event last year, and we want to make more room for it.”

Winners will be announced for participants in three separate categories: Ages 3 months to 1, ages 2 to 4, and ages 5 to 8.

The fireworks show begins at 9 p.m., with approximately $9,000 worth of pyrotechnics on display.

On July 4, the annual Sparklebration event will be held at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52 in Dade City. It includes a watermelon-eating contest, a hot dog-eating contest and bounce houses.

Gates open at 3 p.m.  The fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. The cost is $5 per person, with children younger than 12 admitted free. Parking also is $5.

For anyone who missed the events on July 3 and July 4, or wants to celebrate a little longer, there are a couple of local options the following day. Avalon Park West, 5227 Autumn Ridge Drive in Wesley Chapel, will host its free Independence Day Festival on July 5.

According to Kristin Muslin, marketing and events coordinator for Avalon Park West, it’s more important for the community to schedule an event when people can attend than to make sure it falls on the Fourth of July.

“Having an event during the week is a little bit more difficult for a lot of people to attend,” Muslin said, noting that July 4 falls on a Friday this year. “So it’s kind of important for us to make it a little bit easier for families to be able to spend time together on the weekend.”

Avalon Park West also wants to use the event as an opportunity to showcase its neighborhood, which has around 70 occupied homes. With future planning allowing for 4,800 homes to be built, the Independence Day Festival allows the community to learn a bit more about them, Muslin said.

Avalon Park West’s town center will serve as the focal point of the festival.

The event includes bounce houses, giveaways, community performances and food trucks. More than 50 vendors are expected to be in attendance. A bicycle parade starts at 5:30 p.m., and the fireworks begin at 9 p.m.

That same day, Connerton, a community located on U.S. 41 about seven miles north of State Road 54, will host a free Fifth of July event starting at 5 p.m. Its celebration also is a chance to show off the 8,000-acre community, which includes a 3,000-acre nature preserve.

The celebration includes live music, games, prizes, and bounce houses. Food trucks and refreshments will be available, and guests are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. The fireworks start at 9 p.m.

For more information about the Freedom Festival at The Shops at Wiregrass, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com.

For more information about Sparklebration at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, call (352) 567-6678, or visit www.pascocountyfair.com.

For more information about Avalon Park West’s Independence Day Festival, call (813) 482-5361.

For more information about Connerton’s Fifth of July event, visit Connerton.com.

Published July 2, 2014

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Services for late Don Porter set for July 12

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The community is remembering Don Porter, whose vision helped transform ranch land into an urban center in Wesley Chapel. He died yesterday at the age of 73.

Don Porter
Don Porter

Porter’s family, which owns the sprawling Wiregrass Ranch, sold the land that is now occupied by The Shops at Wiregrass and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. The family donated another 60 acres for what became the Porter Campus of Pasco-Hernando State College.

“Out of all of the accomplishments, I think the thing that he was most proud of was his family,” said his son, J.D. Porter. “He wanted to see everyone do well.”

Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri called Porter a “good steward of the land and a southern gentleman.”

“I believe that Don’s generous spirit and clear vision made a difference in the Wesley Chapel area, and set the tone for all future development there,” Mulieri said.

Katherine Johnson, president of PHSC, recalled the first time she met Porter, and how his approachability immediately made her feel at ease.

“We clicked. We just clicked,” she said. “Clearly, we would not have been able to have a campus in Wesley Chapel without the family.”

A memorial service for Don Porter has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on July 12 at the conference center at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

For more on the reaction to the life of Don Porter, read the July 9 edition of The Laker/Lutz News.

Pinchers Crab Shack opens at The Shops at Wiregrass

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Pinchers Crab Shack, a seafood restaurant chain based out of Bonita Springs, has opened its 10th location at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.

The restaurant, located at 28330 Paseo Drive, Suite 185, is offering dinner service beginning at 4 p.m., and will expand to include lunch beginning July 7 at 11 a.m. It will be managed by Dacie Broshears, who also managed what was the closest Pinchers to the area before in Lakewood Ranch near Bradenton.

Pinchers started in 1997 at a six-table restaurant in 1,500 square feet of space in Bonita Springs. It has grown to 10 locations and more than 500 employees, stretching from Wesley Chapel in the north to Key West.

For more information on the location, visit PinchersCrabShack.com.

Coach set to close 70 retail stores

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Coach Inc., the maker of high-end accessories, handbags, shoes and clothing, says it will close 70 retail stores, possibly by early next year.

Coach didn’t tell investors which locations they plan to close, but the company has a store locally at The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive, Suite 160.

The closure is part of what the New York-based company has called a multi-year transformation plan that will be focused on a new global branding strategy centered on the concept of “defining modern luxury,” according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The overall plan could have up to a $300 million hit to the company’s bottom line through next year.

Sales over the last nine months leading into spring were down nearly 5 percent for the company, according to public filings, dropping to $3.7 billion.

Coach operates 351 stores in North America, according to its filings with investors. The closures would account for nearly 20 percent of its total retail outlets. Other locations in the greater Tampa Bay region include International Plaza in Tampa’s Westshore District, Countryside Mall in Clearwater, and Brandon Town Center.

Wesley Chapel’s Arlington at Northwood sold, renamed

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A Chicago-based real estate company has bought its second community in the Tampa Bay area, taking over the former Arlington at Northwood, a 312-unit complex in Wesley Chapel.

BES Northwood Fund IX LLC, a company associated with Sherman Residential, finalized its sale of the high-end apartments May 15 for $36.1 million. That is nearly $10 million more than what the community’s previous owner, Protea Northwood Apartments, purchased the complex for in 2006 soon after it was built.

The new owners have brought in a new name for the complex as well, calling it Enclave at Wiregrass, according to the company’s website.

Enclave is considered a Class A apartment complex, meaning that it was built in the last 20 years or so, and comes with a number of luxury-style amenities. Sherman, on its website, says it’s looking to buy apartment communities that have at least 150 units, comprehensive amenity packages, and strong locations, among other things.

Sherman already owns the Enclave at Tranquility Lake in Riverview, as well as 13 other communities in Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, according to its website.

BES Northwood purchased the property through a $22.5 million loan. It’s located at 1930 Devonwood Drive, just off State Road 56 not far from The Shops at Wiregrass.

This is Pasco County’s largest property sale since August 2012 when Seneca at Cypress Creek was sold for $62.3 million. Units in that Lutz community sold for $138,100 each, while units at the new Enclave sold for $115,700 each.

 

In Print: Golf course closes again, authors gather, and ‘Oklahoma!’

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The gates to the Plantation Palms community are now closed to the general public after the struggling Plantation Palms Golf Club has shuttered once again. And no one knows when it might be back.

The homeowners association there says that while the golf course is private property and not their responsibility, what happens to it could affect the value of the 875 homes there.

“Many of our residents purchased their homes here because of the excellent golf course,” the HOA board, led by president David Gunsteens, said in a prepared statement to reporter Michael Hinman. “So when the golf course is impacted negatively, it has a detrimental effect on all of us.”

The golf course had closed down before in August, but reopened within a week. This time, however, the ownership group is not talking, and a few vendors are going as far as to filing liens against the property.

Get all the details in the print edition of this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, or in our online e-edition by clicking here.

If you like books, then you’ll be more than interested to learn that 17 local authors will be on hand during a special event at The Shops at Wiregrass’ Barnes & Noble store on May 17.

“It’s Barnes & Noble’s way to recognize the community,” assistant store manager Paul Brouillard told reporter B.C. Manion. “Our customers are readers. A lot of them aspire to be authors and have their books for sale in our store. So this is a great way to get the authors who are local to our store.”

Some of the authors participating include Leigh Kenyon, Madonna Jervis Wise, Evelyn Johnson-Taylor and Janet Watson.

Find out what has the book community buzzing in this week’s print edition, or read the free e-edition here.

Lutz resident Ryan Santello takes on the lead role of Curly in ‘Oklahoma!,’ which wraps up its run this week at the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. His sister, Victoria, is a featured dancer in the play. (Courtesy of the Patel Conservatory)
Lutz resident Ryan Santello takes on the lead role of Curly in ‘Oklahoma!,’ which wraps up its run this week at the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. His sister, Victoria, is a featured dancer in the play. (Courtesy of the Patel Conservatory)

Finally, Lutz resident Ryan Santello has taken the stage as Curly in the popular musical “Oklahoma!,” which is now showing at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa.

Santello appears in the play along with his sister, Victoria Santello. And both of them are still in high school.

“When you’re an actor, you have to do your homework,” stage manager Kara Goldberg told reporter Michael Murillo. “You have to look up words you don’t know in the script, and you have to study your lines really well. I can tell that (Ryan) is doing his homework.”

You can read the story in print right now with our e-edition by clicking here.

All of these complete 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.