The Shops at Wiregrass

Town hall over elevated toll road descends into chaos

March 11, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The crowd was there to speak, not to listen.

After spending nearly an hour hearing why some Pasco County leaders like planning and development administrator Richard Gehring were still open to exploring the possibility of an elevated toll road along the State Road 54/56 corridor, hundreds of people gathered at a town hall meeting at Sunlake High School Monday night interrupted, shouted and booed over scheduled speakers.

Residents crowded into Sunlake High School's gymnasium March 10 to talk about the proposed elevated toll road for the State Road 54/56 corridor. (Photo by Michael Hinman) — Residents crowded into Sunlake High School’s gymnasium March 10 to talk about the proposed elevated toll road for the State Road 54/56 corridor. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

And their goal was clear: No elevated toll road.

“This needs to have community support, and the presentation (from county officials) was very demeaning,” one resident said. “Everything has already been decided.”

It was supposed to be just another one of several town hall meetings Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey had organized for constituents: She would bring members of the county staff with her to discuss various issues, and then listen to the attendees and get their feedback.

This meeting, however, served as a prelude to official public interaction over the elevated toll road and overall county transportation plan that’s set to kick off Saturday at The Shops at Wiregrass.

Even with a microphone, speakers like Gehring struggled to talk over the unruly crowd. When one man interrupted him after shouting from the audience, Gehring tried to keep some sort of order.

“Sir … could we have …” Gehring said before getting interrupted again. “Public dialogue requires civility. Let me try and ask you for it.”

International Infrastructure Partners, which submitted an unsolicited proposal last year to privately build the elevated toll road in Pasco County, has not even actually bid on such a project yet, and is still early in negotiations with the Florida Department of Transportation, Starkey said.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said. “But we all need to know, at least in my mind, what our alternatives are” to the road if it’s not built.

Some of the talk from the crowd is to keep moving such an east-west connector north, just like residents in Hillsborough County have successfully done over the years. One idea would be to build a higher-capacity road along State Road 52, which virtually runs parallel to State Road 54 in the northern part of the county.

“We do have a problem: We have to have an east-west road,” said Christie Zimmer, a member of the Pasco County Citizens’ Advisory Committee. “I’m absolutely 100 percent opposed for that to happen in the State Road 54/56 corridor, but if we look at the 52 corridor, the cost is substantially less.”

Such a road, she said, would not just serve the travelers from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, but it would help bring Hernando County into the fold on a road where not so much development has happened.

At one point, Gehring rebutted a comment that an elevated road would depress property values along the corridor, using the Selmon Expressway as an example in Hillsborough County. There, he said, property values are actually on the rise — a statement that was met with jeers from the audience.

While there was a lot of interruptions from the audience, it did seem at least one person was listening. Ken Littlefield, a Republican candidate for Pasco County Commission seeking to replace Pat Mulieri, failed to take a position on the elevated road during a Republican debate last week. But now, the former state legislator says he has all the information he needs.

“If there is one thing that I detest, it’s an unsolicited call,” Littlefield said. “Every evening, between 5 and 7 p.m., our telephone rings, and every now and then, I will not recognize the number and I’ll pick it up. They’ll start an unsolicited call, and I will hang it up.

“Ladies and gentlemen, what I think we need to do on this unsolicited bid is hang up.”

Read more about this meeting and this weekend’s transportation presentation at The Shops at Wiregrass in the March 19 print edition of The Laker/Lutz News.

Workshops planned for transportation, elevated toll road

March 5, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization has set dates to openly discuss its various transportation plans with the public, including the proposed elevated toll road along the State Road 54/56 corridor.

The series of workshops begin March 15 at The Shops at Wiregrass, and wind up April 10 during an MPO workshop in New Port Richey.

The primary discussion is focused on the 2040 Long Range Transportation Needs Plan, the blueprint Pasco County will use to determine what kind of transportation infrastructure is needed over the next 25 years, and where and when it should be built. That plan now includes the impact of a proposed elevated toll road from International Infrastructure Partners, which would connect a 33-mile stretch between U.S. 301 near Zephyrhills with U.S. 19 in New Port Richey.

A toll feasibility study is underway right now, and part of the long-range planning will include exploring alternatives to such a road, especially other east-west roads in Pasco County like State Road 52 to the north.

The complete plan for 2040 is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

Public workshops include:

March 15, 10 a.m to 2 p.m.
Fresh Market at Wiregrass
28211 Paseo Drive, Wesley Chapel

March 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
West Pasco Government Center, Lobby
8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey

March 26, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Alice Hall Community Center
38116 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills

March 27, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Pasco County Recreation Center
3032 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes

April 10 at 10 a.m.
MPO board meeting workshop
West Pasco Government Center, BCC Board Room
8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey

For more information, visit www.Mobility2040Pasco.com, PascoMPO.net, or call (727) 847-8140.

Arts and entertainment showcased at Suncoast Arts Fest

January 8, 2014 By B.C. Manion

If you’re looking to add an artwork to your home décor, want to pick up a piece of pottery, or are looking for some entertainment, the Suncoast Arts Fest may be just the thing for you.

If you’re looking to complete your personal art collection, or are just getting started, you’ll find plenty of choices at the Suncoast Arts Fest Jan. 18 and Jan. 19 at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.

The event will feature more than 130 juried visual artists and craftsmen. It is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 18, and from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Jan. 19 at The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive.

The shopping mall is in the heart of Wesley Chapel, just off State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, a couple of miles east of Interstate 75.

The event, now in its ninth year, is expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors, said Laura Knox, a member of the Fine Arts of Suncoast board, which produces the fest. The event is popular because of the venue and because of the high-quality artists that it attracts.

Art lovers will be able to browse through tents filled with fine art and crafts. Meanwhile, entertainers will set up at the mall’s Center Court, the same setting for interactive art, where volunteers will assist children with art projects.

The entertainment also helps draw a crowd, Knox said.

“A lot of times we give entertainers a chance to jumpstart their careers,” she said.

The entertainment slate this year includes a wide range of singers, dancers and actors. Julie Black, an area singer and songwriter, will perform on Saturday. Her music brings together elements of blues, jazz, soul and rock, and has been featured at music festivals, concert halls and select venues.

Her band includes Dave Eichenberger on guitar, Michael John on keyboard, Father Bill Spicuglia on bass and Frankie Timpanelli on drums.

In addition to promoting cultural awareness, the Suncoast Arts Fest benefits Arts for Kids, a supplemental arts education funding program for area schools.

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the event this year, too, Knox said. The chamber also is planning an Arts and Business Expo, which includes booths, an awards presentation and entertainment, with the expo beginning at 4 p.m., and festivities concluding at 9 p.m. on Jan. 18.

The Suncoast Arts Fest slate of entertainment:
Jan. 18
10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. — Pasco Schools youth music presentation
11 a.m. to noon — Timebandits
12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. — Richey Suncoast Theatre
1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Achobrother
2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — Julie Black
3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. —Pasco Schools youth music presentation
4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Hot Rod Hornets

Jan. 19
11 a.m. to noon — Tampa Bay Ukulele Society
12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. — Aaron Rutter Duo
1 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Amanda Lynn
2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. — Six Volt Rodeo
3:30 p.m. to 4:15 pm — Pasco Schools youth presentation
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Sarasota Slim
Bay’s best blues and swing dancers will celebrate the art of dance both days.

Arts and Business Expo
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will present the Arts and Business Expo on Jan. 18 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Expo will be on Piazza Avenue, a high-traffic area at The Shops at Wiregrass.
Thirty-five member businesses will have the chance to promote their businesses and show support for the arts. The evening also will feature live musical entertainment and a presentation of awards.
Businesses wishing to participate must bring their own skirted table and 10-by-10-foot canopy or market for shade. Electrical outlets are available, if needed, as is Wi-Fi connectivity. Setup begins at 3 p.m.
The charge is $175 per booth and the event is open to chamber members only.
Parks Fiat of Wesley Chapel is the expo sponsor.
For additional information, email , or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com/pages/ArtsBusinessShowcase.

On your marks, get set, wobble

October 2, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Runners who enjoy starting their Thanksgiving Day with a Turkey Trot will have a new option this holiday season.

Instead of driving to the Turkey Trot in Clearwater or the FishHawk Turkey Trot, area runners will be able to do a 5-kilometer or a one-miler at the first Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel. The race will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 28.

A look at some of the participants of a weekly Thursday night run at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel. The Thursday night runners inspired the idea for the Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot, scheduled for the first time this coming Thanksgiving. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

Brian Brink, the race director, came up with the idea for the Wiregrass Wobble. However, he credits his wife Erica with coming up with the name and dreaming up the prize that winners will receive — an engraved carving board for use at their holiday gatherings later in the day.

Besides giving runners a new race, the event is raising money for Feeding America Tampa Bay and the New Tampa YMCA.

Brink, who is general manager of Fitniche at The Shops at Wiregrass, said the idea for the event came out of the weekly run he organizes at the mall every Thursday night.

There are two groups of runners who run at the mall with one heading out at 6 p.m., and the second at 6:30 p.m., Brink said.

Since they always meet on Thursdays, they decided to do a morning run last Thanksgiving.

They announced that plan about a week before Thanksgiving, Brink said. Much to his surprise, roughly 150 people showed up.

Brink figured if that many people turned out with just a week’s notice, the event could draw substantially more runners with more lead time. Thus began the planning for this year’s event, which Brink believes will attract at least 1,000 runners.

“We have Seven Oaks and Meadow Pointe and all of these giant neighborhoods within a few miles of here that are (homes to) young families,” Brink said.

He expects runners to come from such communities as Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Zephyrhills, Dade City, Land O’ Lakes and Lutz.

Lutz resident Jonathan Bosque, 18, said he plans to be there. The Freedom High student has run at the Turkey Trot in Clearwater for the past three years.

“I just love running,” Bosque said. “This is a great community place for running.”

Brink said he expects the Wiregrass Wobble to become a premier event for the area because the other Turkey Trots are so far away.

“The Clearwater one is the biggest one. They have about 15,000 people doing four different races,” Brink said. “To get down there, to get parking, to get registered, everything like that, it’s going to take over an hour to do all that.

“There’s so many people in the North Tampa area that have no desire to wake up that early on Thanksgiving morning. So, really the area needed something like this. I think we’re going to have a huge turnout,” Brink said.

He also noted that once the county gets a planned park built on adjacent land in Wiregrass Ranch, organizers can add a 10k run.

The route of the Wiregrass Wobble’s 5k will go around the mall and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, ending to the top of the mall’s parking garage.

“Doing 3.1 miles takes some maneuvering,” Brink said, noting the idea is to keep the race off busy roads. “Luckily we have a really big parking garage over there — that will give us some distance.”

The race director thinks the event will be a popular choice for families who want to take a walk or run before settling down later to their Thanksgiving meals. He also thinks it will be a nice option for people who are having family in for the holiday.

“People are traveling on Thanksgiving to be with family. They’re looking for something to do together,” Brink said.

Runners who register early enough will receive a T-shirt that’s designed to keep them dry and cool while they race. The 5k will also be a chip-timed event, Brink said. The chip ensures that racers are timed from the start line to the finish.

Registration is $25 for the 5k and $20 for the one-miler.

Runners who sign up in person at any Fitniche location or the New Tampa YMCA can get a $5 discount if they donate five nonperishable goods for the food bank, Brink said.

Registrations are also being accepted online at signmeup.com.

Runners will also be able to register on race day.

Natural Setting Conducive To Patient Care At New Psychiatric Hospital in Wesley Chapel

October 2, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Often people are surprised to learn that over a lifetime, close to 50 percent of Americans face a mental health issue that would benefit from professional treatment. Unfortunately, for different reasons, many do not seek or receive the help they need.

That statistic from the Center for Disease Control is cited by Jim Harris, chief executive officer of North Tampa Behavioral Health, a new psychiatric hospital opening this week in Wesley Chapel.

Harris has worked in the mental health care field for 20 years, first as a clinical social worker and then in hospital management. He has been in Wesley Chapel since June making sure all details are in place to welcome patients and family to a nurturing, warm environment that he and his staff are committed to establishing at their new hospital.

“We really have a rare opportunity to build a hospital from the ground up,” said Harris. “We’re creating an open, welcoming, noninstitutional environment that will help counter the stigma that often keeps people from seeking or following through with their treatment.”

North Tampa Behavioral Health is located just east of The Shops of Wiregrass on State Road 56 on 16 acres of wetlands and forest with beautiful views and abundant wildlife and birds.

“This setting is conducive to treatment and helping patients get better,” said Harris. “There is a lot of peace and quiet with no urban distractions.”

The hospital’s foremost philosophy is to treat patients and their families with dignity and respect. “We consider each patient’s unique individual needs during their time with us,” said Harris.

The hospital is opening with a staff of 70 that will grow to as many as 200 or more as it treats more patients in its 75-bed facility. It employs a variety of positions required to run a hospital, including doctors, nurses, case managers, techs, cooks, housekeepers and maintenance workers.

North Tampa Behavioral Health will open one unit at a time as its census grows, offering treatment for adults and seniors with mental health and substance abuse concerns. Harris said he expects many patients to have a dual diagnosis. Often times psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, post-traumatic stress or psychosis can be co-occurring with a sub- stance abuse problem.

The hospital also offers a unique half-day, partial-hospitalization program that provides more intense services than traditional outpatient services. Other levels of care include an intensive outpatient program and a mobile assessment team.

Eventually, law enforcement and mental health professionals will be able to place people needing emergency psychiatric care under the Baker and Marchman legislation to prevent someone from hurting themselves or others.

Supporting its evidence-based treatment programs, North Tampa Behavioral Health offers many physical activities for its patients with amenities including a full gym, outdoor basketball court, walking path, spacious community rooms, café and quiet rooms.

“Our goal is to bring together mental and physical health approaches to psychiatric therapies founded on the most current princi- ples of patient safety,” said Harris.

North Tampa Behavioral Health can be reached at (813) 333-0000, or at www.NorthTampaBehavioralHealth.com. It is located at 29910 State Road 56, Wesley Chapel.

This story was written by the advertising department.

On your marks, get set, wobble

September 25, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Runners who enjoy starting their Thanksgiving Day with a Turkey Trot will have a new option this holiday season.

Brink, the race director, came up with the idea for the Wiregrass Wobble. However, he credits his wife Erica with coming up with the name and dreaming up the prize that winners will receive — an engraved carving board for use at their holiday gatherings later in the day.