The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

The Shops at Wiregrass

2016 marked by rapid growth, touching moments

By

The national election captured headlines and attention, but 2016 was an eventful year in many other ways, as well, across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

The big story is the region’s growth.

Eighty-eight-year-old Angel Torres, center, a veteran from Puerto Rico and a resident of the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home, is being positioned to have his photograph taken by Mark Fosket, of Valrico, during the ‘Honor Flight’ ceremony at the nursing home. Gabrielle Perrella, a volunteer from Baltimore, Maryland, who is dressed in a uniform costume, posed with each veteran for their portrait.
(File Photos)

New houses are popping up all over the place, with developments such as Long Lake Ranch, Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch, Connerton, Bexley and Asturia, just some of the residential communities beckoning to buyers.

Pasco County is on the move in many other ways, too.

A futuristic, technology-based network of communities across 7,800 acres in northeast Pasco County is in its planning stages.

Raymond James Financial has closed on a deal to buy 65 acres across from Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, with the financial services giant expected to have hundreds of workers in Pasco County at some point.

Florida Hospital Center Ice — a new 150,000-square-foot hockey arena and sports complex — is nearly set to open, and that is expected to be a big draw for both tournaments and tourists.

And then, there’s the commercial development that continues to transform the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, especially near the Interstate75/State Road 56 interchange.

Just in that vicinity alone, there’s Tampa Premium Outlets, Longhorn Steakhouse, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chick-fil-A and Culver’s.

A 186,000-square-foot Costco Wholesale is expected to open in February, with an estimated 200 employees.

A historic photo of a baptism of members of the First Baptist Church of Lutz.

Just across the road, on the north side of State Road 56, Cypress Creek Town Center — another shopping development — is being built.

There are also plans for a new cinema, grocery store, apartments, shops and restaurants next to The Shops at Wiregrass, off State Road 56.

Of course, all of this growth is compounding traffic problems on area roads — and numerous projects are underway or are expected to begin work in coming years.

Improvements are expected to begin near the I-75/State Road 56 interchange. Wesley Chapel Boulevard is slated to be widened. An extension of State Road 56 is planned between Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills, and discussion continues about the best solution for reducing congestion at U.S. 41 and State Road 54.

Growth is putting the squeeze on schools, too.

Pasco County Schools can’t keep pace with growing enrollments.

The district opened Wiregrass Elementary School, in Wesley Chapel, in August, to reduce crowding at area schools.

In the coming school year, it plans to open Bexley Elementary and Cypress Creek Middle/High.

Bexley is being built in a new subdivision off State Road 54. Cypress Creek Middle/High is going up on Old Pasco Road.

School board members gave preliminary approval for boundaries for Bexley and Cypress Creek at a contentious public hearing on Dec. 20. A final vote is expected on Jan. 17.

But, school board members and Superintendent Kurt Browning said the new schools fall far short of addressing district needs. They want the Pasco County Commission to require new residential construction to pay higher impact fees to support school construction.

Paramedic John Ward helps Sister Helen Lange blow out the candles that lit up her 103rd birthday cake at a party at Heritage Park in Dade City.

While growth and its ripple effects clearly dominated the news, there were plenty of other notable moments within the region during 2016.

For instance, there were heroics in everyday life.

On June 3, a fire claimed the life of a tiny black Chihuahua named Peanut, but not until after the dog’s persistent barking saved the life of three generations of a Lutz family.

Later that same week, quick actions by a student at Saddlebrook Preparatory School in Wesley Chapel averted potential tragedy at the international boarding school for aspiring golf and tennis players.

A student smelled smoke, investigated, pulled the alarm and help to ensure that all 28 students and two adults got out of the dorm safely.

It took 55 firefighters more than 1 ½ hours to put out the blaze.

This past year also was one of milestones and celebrations.

The First Baptist Church in Lutz celebrated its 75th anniversary, The San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival turned a half-century, Cox Elementary School turned 90 and the Town of St. Leo marked its 125th anniversary.

On a more personal note, Sister Helen Lange, of Dade City, received a surprise cake to mark her 103rd year on Sept. 28 in Dade City, and Nellie and Gain Hughs Bailey Sr., of Lutz, celebrated 70 years of married life on March 31.

There were inspiring moments, too.

Hundreds of people turned out for the “Honor Flight” celebration on Aug. 20, at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Home in Land O’ Lakes. The event provided a virtual tour of the nation’s war monuments because these veterans are unable to make the trip to Washington D.C.

The stands were also filled at Ron Allen Field at Gaither High School, in North Tampa, to attend the June 15 vigil to honor Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, one of 49 people killed during a mass shooting on June 12 at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

There was the inspiring message, too, from Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, who spoke at two days of gatherings at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Lutz.

Ilibagiza’s family, friends and other members of her tribe were brutally murdered in Rwanda, but through her faith, she was able to forgive the killers.

Forgiveness, the genocide survivor said, brings freedom.

Published December 28, 2016

Celebrating the Festival of Lights

By

The Festival of Lights coincides with the Christmas week this year.

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins on the evening of Dec. 24, and ends on the evening of Jan. 1.

Hanukkah runs from the evening of Dec. 24 to the evening of Jan.1.
(Photos courtesy of Chabad.org.)

The eight-day celebration commemorates the “miracle” of the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C., when Israel was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who massacred thousands of people and desecrated the city’s holy Second Temple; they also outlawed Judaism and forced Jews to worship Greek gods.

Ancient sources recount that leaders of a Jewish rebel army, called the Maccabees, rose up against their Syrian-Greek oppressors. The uprising lasted three years until the Maccabees seized Jerusalem and retook control of the Second Temple.

During Hanukkah, it is customary to play with a dreidel, a four-sided spinning top.

According to the Talmud, one of Judaism’s most central texts, the Maccabees sought to light the temple’s menorah (a seven-branched candelabrum), but found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Syrian-Greeks. The one-day supply of oil, however, kept the candles flickering for eight nights.

Observances
The main religious observance to the holiday is lighting a nine-branched menorah, known in Hebrew as a hanukiah. On each of the holiday’s eight nights, another candle is added to the menorah after sundown; the ninth candle, called the shamash (helper), is used to light the others. Jews typically recite blessings during the ritual and display the menorah prominently in a window as a reminder to others of the holiday-inspired miracle.

Traditional Hanukkah Foods
It is traditional to eat fried foods during Hanukkah because of the significance of oil to the holiday. Among the most popular dishes are potato latkes (pancakes) and sufganiot (deep-fried doughnuts). Brisket is often served as a main course; it is also customary to consume dairy foods during Hanukkah.

Other customs

  • Playing with a dreidel: On Hanukkah, it is customary to play with a dreidel, a four-sided spinning top bearing Hebrew letters that serve as an acronym for “a great miracle happened there.” The game is usually played for a pot of coins, nuts or other prizes; it is won or lost based on which letter the dreidel lands when it’s spun.
  • Offering gelt: It is also a tradition to offer gelt (gifts of money) to children during the festival as a reward for positive behavior and devotion to Torah (Jewish Bible) study. The custom has since spawned the phenomenon of silver and gold foil-covered chocolate gelt coins.

Hanukkah events listing:

Light Up The Night Chanukah Street Fair
Where: The Shops at Wiregrass (by Dillard’s), 28211 Paseo Drive, Wesley Chapel
When: Dec. 27 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
For information, call (813) 642-3244, or visit ChabadatWiregrass.com.

Kol Ami Hanukkah Party
Where: Congregation Kol Ami, 3919 Moran Road, Tampa
When: Dec. 24 at 6:30 p.m.
The event is free of charge; reservations are required. For information, call (813) 962-6338, or email .

Mekor Shalom’s fourth annual Hanukkah Party
Where: Congregation Mekor Shalom, 14005A N. Dale Mabry Highway
When: Dec. 27 at 6:30 p.m.
For information, call (813) 963-1818, or visit MekorShalom.org.

Lights & Latkes Hanukkah Potluck Dinner
Where: Congregation Beth Am, 2030 W. Fletcher Ave.
When: Dec. 30 at 6 p.m.
For information, call (813) 968-8511, or visit BethAmTampa.org.

Published December 21, 2016

 

Spreading cheer, and cuddly bears, at Christmas

By

A Land O’ Lakes mom recently led an effort to help less fortunate children by making stuffed bears and other animals at Build-A-Bear Workshop at The Shops at Wiregrass.

“I made an event on Facebook,” said Cindy Ross, whose business RP&G Printing, is in Wesley Chapel.

Cindy Ross, of RP&G Printing in Wesley Chapel, welcomes guests to a fundraiser at Build-A-Bear at The Shops at Wiregrass. The fundraiser was originally started by her daughter as a service project.
(Mary Rathman/Staff Photos)

“I asked people to come build a bear. Bring their kids, bring their family. Just have fun building a bear that they’re willing to donate,” she said.

She also announced the event through The Laker/Lutz News.

Twenty-seven people came out to build stuffed animals and 11 others who couldn’t come donated money.

The volunteers made a total of 70 bears and other animals with a total estimated value of more than $1,100, Ross said, expressing gratitude for all of the help.

The people at Build-A-Bear Workshop were fantastic, she said. And, the volunteers were great, too, she added.

“A lot of the people I’ve met through the years — with my business and with the chamber and with my friends — this community is just truly amazing. I definitely want to say, ‘Thank you so much,’ to all these people. This would not have happened at all, if these people in our community, weren’t as giving and caring as they are,” she said.

Ross said she was inspired to organize the event by her daughter, Miranda, who originally came up with the idea when she was a student at Wesley Chapel High School.

Miranda thought it would be fun to create cuddly stuffed animals for kids who couldn’t make them for themselves, and she enlisted a couple of her friends, Cindy Ross recalled.

Barbara Wilson, Jennifer Crissey and Stephanie Vokes have their Build-A-Bear minions and bears in hand, ready to stuff.

“We did The Joshua House, and we had a pretty good turnout.

“So, she did it for two or three more years, up through high school,” Cindy Ross added.

Miranda and her friends made 55 bears during her senior year, before the young woman headed off to college to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

A couple of years ago, Cindy Ross decided to revive the effort.

“I asked my friends, my neighbors, did a little event on Facebook.

“Two years ago, I did it, and we donated them to Farmworkers Self-Help. I want to say, I had maybe 20 bears or stuffed animals.

“I didn’t do it last year, but I decided this year I wanted to do it again.

Guests lined up at the bins to choose which animal to stuff and dress for the fundraiser at Build-A-Bear in Wesley Chapel.

“It’s something I would like to continue to do every year,” she said.

“I just felt, just really the calling,” she said.

The bears and stuffed animals will go to children who live in the areas of Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Land O’ Lakes and East Pasco, she said.

“There are so many people and kids in need, all over the place.

Some of the stuffed animals were delivered to Double Branch Elementary. Others will go to children of people being served by Sunrise of Pasco County Inc., Domestic and Sexual Violence Center, and also to other children in need at area elementary schools.

Cindy Ross said her husband, Kent, also pitches in.

The Wesley Chapel business woman said she plans to organize the event again next year, and she wants it come full circle.

She wants Miranda, who now lives in Jacksonville Beach, to get back into the act.

“I told her last night, ‘Definitely, next year when we plan this, we’re going to plan it on a day that you can be there. We’ll make it an annual thing, together.”

Published December 14, 2016

There’s no shortage of holiday cheer here

By

The Thanksgiving turkey and all of the fixins’ — and all of the leftovers — are gone.

The lighted entryway at the Florida Botanical Gardens sums up the sentiment of many holiday events in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area and the Tampa Bay region. (File Photo)
The lighted entryway at the Florida Botanical Gardens sums up the sentiment of many holiday events in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area and the Tampa Bay region.
(File Photo)

Lucky for you, you’ve got a whole month of holiday happenings available for your enjoyment.

Here’s a look at just some of the free and low-cost options being offered in the The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, with a few other regional events tossed in that we thought would give you some holiday pleasure.

 

Lutz

  • 37th annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, on Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Keystone Preparatory High School, 18105 Gunn Highway in Odessa. The event is free, but there will be a $5 parking charge to benefit the school. Event organizers expect about 355 vendors, and between 30,000 to 40,000 festival-goers.
  • 20th annual Christmas at the Old Lutz School, on select evenings from Dec. 8 through Dec. 27 at the school, 18819 N. US 41 in Lutz. Hours are 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., on Dec. 8, Dec. 10, Dec. 11, Dec. 13, Dec. 15, Dec. 17, Dec. 18, Dec. 20, Dec. 22, Dec. 26 and Dec. 27. Admission is free, but there will be barrels to collect nonperishable food items and toys for families that are less fortunate. The building is decked out for the holidays, and there will be entertainment, too.
  • Breakfast with Santa at the Old Lutz School, on Dec. 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the school, 18819 N. US 41. There is a $4 charge for breakfast, and a visit from Santa Claus.
  • Handbells & Friends, a free holiday concert on Dec. 14 from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., at First United Methodist of Lutz at 960 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road. The public is welcome to this concert which will feature handbells, vocals and other instruments.
  • Tampa Bay Tour De Clay, a free family friendly, self-guided tour of four local pottery studios, Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour includes: Pottery Boys Studio, 30 Bogle Lane in Palm Harbor; Hidden Lake Pottery, 16705 Hutchinson Road in Odessa; Wellman & Welsch Pottery, 17202 Wirley Road in Lutz; and, San Antonio Pottery, 11903 Curley St., in San Antonio. (San Antonio Pottery will be open until 8 p.m. on Dec. 10). For more information, visit TampaTourDeClay.com.

North Tampa

  • CABA tree lighting, Dec. 3 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Elmcroft at Carrollwood, 2626 W. Bearss Ave.
  • Build a Toy with Santa at the Museum of Science & Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa. Children will be able to come to the museum’s Idea Zone creativity lab to make a toy to take home. Santa Claus will drop by the workshop to share pointers on holiday cheer. The workshop will be open through Jan. 3. It is included in the normal museum admission charge. For more information, visit MOSI.org.
  • Christmas in Song, free concert on Dec. 18 at 7 p.m., in the sanctuary at Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church, 2902 W. Fletcher Ave., Tampa. This free, family friendly concert features the church’s chancel choir, orchestra and handbells.
  • “Simply Christmas,” Christmas Eve services at Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church, 2902 W. Fletcher Ave. The evening will include a Spontaneous Christmas Pageant at 5 p.m.; a contemporary Christmas service at 6:30 p.m.; lessons and carols at 8 p.m.; and, traditional communion services at 11 p.m.

Land O’ Lakes

  • Christmas Holiday Bazaar at Harvester United Methodist Church, 2432 Collier Parkway, Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free to this event, which features a free photo with Santa, a bounce house village, a candy trail, holiday shopping, food trucks, giveaways and games. Those attending also will have a chance to meet the Mascot “Blue” from the Tampa Yankees. Plus, there will be resources for families affected by autism, including sensory-friendly activities for children.
  • Heritage Holiday Card Walk, sponsored by the Wesley Chapel Land O’ Lakes Satellite Rotary, from Dec. 3 to Jan. 7 at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, at 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The event will have around 30 full-size cards on display, ranging in size from 6 feet by 4 feet to 8 feet by 4 feet. Cards can be placed on Dec. 3 between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. For information, call (813) 996-3011.

  • 23rd annual Flapjack 5k and 1-mile run, on Dec. 11, at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway. The 5k starts at 8 a.m., and the 1-mile starts at 8:45 a.m. A flapjack breakfast follows the race for each runner; non-runners can donate $5 for breakfast. Santa will be there for photos, too.

Wesley Chapel

  • CalAtlantic Homes presents Symphony in Lights, with shows on the hour between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., through Dec. 31 at The Shops at Wiregrass, at State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Wesley Chapel. The show features snow, sparkle and sounds of the season. For more information, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com.
  • Movies under the stars, Holiday Movie Marathon at Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz. See TampaPremiumOutlets.com for dates and times. The outlet center also will have community holiday entertainment, on select days and times through Dec. 24, and also will have a Community Gift Wrap through Dec. 24, with local organizations benefiting from donations.

Dade City

  • Country Christmas Open House, at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, on Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event offers free admission to the attraction, with the donation of an unwrapped toy that will be given to a local Dade City charity. The event starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. This is a great opportunity to come out and visit the museum’s charming history, do some holiday shopping with its vendors, listen to some Christmas music and hear the Solid Gold Barbershop Quartet. Bring the kiddos out to see Mr. Tommy Presents. He will have two performances at 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. Santa & Mrs. Claus will be here from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and we will offer complimentary photos by photographer Christina Strong. The barrel train also will give rides, and there will be a train show in the Mable Jordan Barn. The museum will serve punch and cookies, and hot dogs and hamburgers will be available at the concession stand. For more information, call (352) 567-0262 or (352) 206-8889, or visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.
  • Country Crafters third annual Arts and Crafts Fair, Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Country Aire Manor Clubhouse, 10249 U.S. 19 in Dade City. This event features a wide assortment of locally produced items, which are available for purchase.
  • The Market Place, on Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Seventh Street and Bougainvillea Avenue in downtown Dade City. The market will feature unique holiday presents, the jazz band from Pasco High School and musician Derrick Tucker. Vendors will be offer homemade cookies, honey, jams, handmade soaps, jewelry, garden accessories, fresh produce, Scentsy, Thirty-One, handmade baskets/gourds, hand-designed coasters, artwork and more. The Market Place is free and pet friendly. It is sponsored by the Dade City Youth Council.

Zephyrhills

•   Festival of Lights on Dec. 3 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., in downtown Zephyrhills. Free photos with Santa will be offered at 38439 Fifth Ave., courtesy of Goin’ Postal. Santa will take a brief break at 6 p.m., to appear in the lighted nighttime parade.

  • Jingle Bell Boutique & Bake Sale, on Dec. 3 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the GFWC Woman’s Club of Zephyrhills Clubhouse, 38545 Fifth Ave., in downtown Zephyrhills. In addition to the customary bake sale, this will be the first year for the Jingle Bell Boutique, which will feature several women’s home-based businesses or showcase their handiwork of hobbies gone wild, and will give shoppers a chance to buy local. Proceeds from the bake sale and vendor fees will support the woman’s club’s projects.
  • Tampa Bay Tour De Clay, a free family friendly, self-guided tour of four local pottery studios, Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour includes: Pottery Boys Studio, 30 Bogle Lane in Palm Harbor; Hidden Lake Pottery, 16705 Hutchinson Road in Odessa; Wellman & Welsch Pottery, 17202 Wirley Road in Lutz; and, San Antonio Pottery, 11903 Curley St., in San Antonio. (San Antonio Pottery will be open until 8 p.m. on Dec. 10). For more information, visit TampaTourDeClay.com.

Downtown Tampa

  • Free screening of the movie “Elf” at Tampa Theatre, 711 Franklin St., in downtown Tampa on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6 p.m., for a cocoa and cookies social in the theater’s lobby. A big announcement will be made at 7 p.m., followed by the movie. Admission is free and open to the public; however, guests are asked to visit TampaTheatre.org/events/Elf and click on the “Buy Tickets” link to print their complimentary Eventbrite ticket for guaranteed entry.

West Pasco

  • River Lights Boat Parade and holiday festival. The West Pasco Business Association is joining New Port Richey Main Street on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 in Sims Park, near downtown New Port Richey, for the free “River Lights Boat Parade” and a holiday festival. The movie “Polar Express” will be screened on Dec. 2 in the park. The boat parade begins at 7 p.m., on Dec. 3.
  • Sixth annual “How the Grinch Saved Christmas” will be on Dec. 9 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., at the Spartan Manor, 6121 Massachusetts Ave., in New Port Richey. The West Pasco Business Association is hosting this event, which includes members of the association and the community.

Tickets are available online at WPBA.biz for $45. For more information contact Maria Johnson at (727) 934-0940 or "> .

Largo
More than than 750,000 lights have transformed the Florida Botanical Gardens, at 1250 Ulmerton Road in Largo, into a holiday wonderland. Visitors can stroll through the gardens from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., nightly through Dec. 31. A donation of $4 is suggested for those 13 and older, while children 12 and under, and parking, are free.

For more information, call (727) 582-2117 or visit, FBG.Org.

Published November 30, 2016

Beach House to offer assisted living in Wesley Chapel

By

Beach House Wiregrass Ranch is some distance from the seashore. But, the senior-living community in style and design will evoke the “good memories of the times families spend together,” according to Allan Brown Jr., co-owner of Prevarian Senior Living.

Brown and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore were among about a dozen people who attended the groundbreaking for Beach House on Nov. 1.

Beach House Wiregrass Ranch is a senior living community that will have about 100 residents in assisted living apartments for memory care suites. (Courtesy of Prevarian Senior Living)
Beach House Wiregrass Ranch is a senior living community that will have about 100 residents in assisted living apartments for memory care suites.
(Courtesy of Prevarian Senior Living)

The two-story, approximately 93,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in December 2017. It will be the third Beach House to open in Florida. Others are in Jacksonville and Naples.

“As the population grows in Wesley Chapel and Pasco County, there is a huge need for this assisted living facility,” said Moore, who previously owned a home health care business. “We don’t want to have to drive to Tampa and Hillsborough County to see our loved ones.”

Indeed, Wesley Chapel’s growth is a major reason company owners opted to build on a large parcel fronting State Road 56, at Hueland Pond Boulevard at Wiregrass Ranch.

The area is “amenity rich. It’s very family oriented with a lot of services like restaurants and shops,” said Brown.

Beach House is a short distance east of The Shops at Wiregrass, and the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus.

Allan Brown Jr. (center in sunglasses), co-owner of Prevarian Senior Living, shovels dirt at the groundbreaking for Beach House Wiregrass Ranch, a senior living community that will open in 2017. Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore (next to Brown) and Hope Allen (in red), executive director of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, also shovel dirt. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Allan Brown Jr. (center in sunglasses), co-owner of Prevarian Senior Living, shovels dirt at the groundbreaking for Beach House Wiregrass Ranch, a senior living community that will open in 2017. Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore (next to Brown) and Hope Allen (in red), executive director of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, also shovel dirt.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Restaurants, the Tampa Premium Outlets and the anticipated Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex also are nearby.

Beach House is an up-to-date living environment that supports senior living, but shouldn’t be confused with a nursing home, Brown said.

“We support health care needs, but we’re not a health care provider,” he added.

For health care, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is a nearby resource.

The senior community will have 67 alcove-style, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartments for assisted living, and 33 suites for memory care residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Residents will have a restaurant-style dining room, as well as a private dining room for family events. There also will be an activities room, salon and spa, a theater, and outdoor living areas.

Beach House Wiregrass Ranch also will have an Extended Congregate Care (ECC) license to allow long-term residency for aging residents, who can access additional health care as needed.

Published November 9, 2016

Bringing ‘world flavors’ to The Shops at Wiregrass

By

A new kind of barbecue experience is coming to The Shops at Wiregrass.

Union72 Barbecue will open on Nov. 7 with a tantalizing menu of ribs and barbecue, infused with sauces and spices from around the world.

Described as “chef-driven” and not the traditional barbecue, Union72’s dishes and sauces are the creation of the restaurant’s chef and pitmaster, Geoff Zukosky.

General Manager John Hanley, left, owner Jeff Martin, and chef Geoff Zukosky are getting ready to open Union72 Barbecue at The Shops at Wiregrass. (Courtesy of Union72 Barbecue)
General Manager John Hanley, left, owner Jeff Martin, and chef Geoff Zukosky are getting ready to open Union72 Barbecue at The Shops at Wiregrass.
(Courtesy of Union72 Barbecue)

“It’s global barbecue,” said Jeff Martin, co-owner of Union72. “Everything is made in-house and from scratch.”

Menu items include The Conquistador, a Spanish-spiced slow-smoked pork dish with chimichurri, caramelized onions and a fried egg, and The Far East, slow-smoked pork with kimchi, in-house Sticky Asian Barbecue sauce, cilantro, scallions and sesame seeds.

For more down-home tastes, The Southern Boy is barbecue topped with house cole slaw, fried jalapenos, onion straws and in-house Sweet Barbecue sauce.

And, for people tired of chain restaurants, Union72 is locally owned and operated.

Martin and Bharat Chhabria are partnering on the new restaurant, located at 2000 Piazza Ave., and conveniently situated next door to the craft beer bar – The Brass Tap.

Martin is one of the founders of The Brass Tap, which initially opened at Wiregrass, but has since expanded to more locations in the Tampa Bay area, including Brandon and Ybor City. Martin lives in Wesley Chapel.

When the spot next to The Brass Tap opened, the partners quickly signed up. Zukosky had been a regular at the beer bar, and struck up a friendship with Martin.

Foodie conversations led to the discovery of Zukosky’s passion for barbecue. He has a wood-burning smoker at his home.

“I had no idea about his barbecue skills,” Martin said.

Union72 Barbecue is next to the craft beer bar, The Brass Tap, at The Shops at Wiregrass. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Union72 Barbecue is next to the craft beer bar, The Brass Tap, at The Shops at Wiregrass.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Hype Group, based in St. Petersburg, is creating the restaurant’s design, including a mural with cartoon sketches of the pigs in charge – Sergeant Stag, Colonel Short Horn and Captain Poulet.

Matt Callahan, of Mad Made Murals, is the muralist.

The restaurant will seat about 60 diners indoors, with some patio seating outside. Guests will order and select their beverages before picking up their orders.

Union72 will serve wine and craft beers. Four beers from Florida breweries will be on tap. A selection of craft fountain sodas also will be available.

Guests at The Brass Tap (which doesn’t sell food) will be able to order from Union72’s menu and have their meals delivered.

There also will be online ordering and a “recruiters” club whose members can text “FREEMYBBQ” to 555888 for special menu deals and restaurant events.

Information on the restaurant’s opening will be on Facebook and sent by text. “Everybody on the list will get an invite,” Martin said.

Union72 will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For information, visit Union72.com, Facebook.com/pg/union72wiregrass, or call (813) 575-9999.

Published November 2, 2016

 

Bruce B. Downs widening gets underway

By

Construction is underway to widen Bruce B. Downs Boulevard from four lanes to eight lanes, from Pebble Creek Boulevard to County Line Road.

It is the last of four phases of a multi-year project to ease traffic congestion on one of the county’s busiest thoroughfares.

The $24.7 million project will add travel lanes, sidewalks and bicycle lanes, along about 1.5 miles of roadway. Completion on this segment is expected in late 2018.

Area residents are hopeful that more lanes will ease traffic congestion along a corridor popping with new retail, apartments and houses.

But, concerns remain among residents who drive the packed roadway daily for shopping errands, trips to Wharton High School and commutes to jobs.

On Oct. 18, about 20 residents attended a pre-construction meeting at Wharton High to get a look at the new road design, and pose questions to Hillsborough County planners and traffic engineers.

Most expressed concerns about traffic lights, and how motorists and pedestrians will navigate a widened road with four lanes running in each direction.

Some had a historical view of a road that, for years, was mostly empty of shops and residences.

“I remember when it was the road to nowhere,” said Carlotta Bernard, who lives in the Meadow Pointe neighborhood, off Bruce B. Downs.

Now, she said her neighborhood is in the midst of development all around, from The Shops at Wiregrass in Pasco County to the University of South Florida area in Hillsborough County.

“It’s a danger zone, and a stop-and-go road,” she said.

At one intersection, parents drop off and pick up students. At another, a student parking lot sees a lot of in-and-out traffic.

“I feel bad for kids who are new drivers having to fight traffic,” Bernard said.

Cheryl Puleo also worries about school traffic. She is a bus driver delivering and picking up students at Wharton High.

There is a light at the student parking lot, but not at the drop-off site for parents.

“It really needs a light,” she said.

Some residents worry about the timing of traffic signals.

Currently the wait times last so long, it can be quicker for motorists trying to turn left, to instead make a right turn, head to another traffic signal and do a U-turn.

Traffic in and out of a Walmart Superstore at Regents Park Drive also leads to vehicles backing up to the signal at Pebble Creek.

One couple described at least one signal on Bruce B. Downs as the “5-minute” light, though a county traffic engineer said the longest wait time at a signal would be about 3.5 minutes.

Still, county officials say the road widening should improve   traffic flow.

In addition to more traffic lanes, the roadway will have new sidewalks, multi-use paths, improved drainage, a 28-foot landscaped median, and upgrades to traffic signals.

In 2012, the road segment from Pebble Creek to County Line had about 44,000 cars daily, data showed. By 2032, estimates are for more than 82,000 daily vehicle trips.

The road widening is a top transportation priority for Hillsborough County.

In recent years, Bruce B. Downs from Palm Springs Boulevard to Pebble Creek was widened to eight lanes. Currently, work is underway on a segment from Bearss Avenue to Palm Springs Boulevard, with completion expected in late 2017.

Published November 2, 2016

Riding the Route 54 County Connector

By

They cut the ribbon on a posh new bus a few weeks ago, signaling optimistic expansion of Pasco County’s two-year-old east-west route linking Zephyrhills and New Port Richey.

Assembled under a fan-cooled tent in the parking lot of the Medical Center at Trinity, officials spoke buoyantly about the future of mass transit in Pasco County, with the bus in the background lending physical evidence to their commitment.

And, what evidence it is. Sleek. Ocean blue, emblazoned with a green and yellow stripe undulating across the side — a wave below a bright ball of sun and a seagull taking wing.

Courtesy of Pasco County Pasco County is using this new bus in an expansion of its east-west route, linking Zephyrhills and New Port Richey.
Courtesy of Pasco County
Pasco County is using this new bus in an expansion of its east-west route, linking Zephyrhills and New Port Richey.

Inside, more blue. Soothing. Welcoming. Comfy, upholstered padded seats that say, sit, rest, stay awhile. Overhead, adjustable air conditioning vents and reading lights, just like on intra-city buses and airliners. Upscale.

And, that’s not all. Over the next several months, they’ll add free Wi-Fi, introducing the option of online productivity or entertainment to your ride, while Pasco County Public Transportation drivers get you pretty close to where you need to go.

It’s all perfectly splendid. But, so far, it’s also all a dream. Not that the new buses, two of them, aren’t authentic. Or, that Pasco’s commitment to mass transit isn’t both enthusiastic and genuine. But, there’s a reason there’s no mention of “rapid” in the system’s official name, as we shall see.

Let’s be clear. If, just now, it serves as nothing more than a symbolic reminder that Pasco is a single, unified entity, and not some geographic hybrid stitched together by whimsical bureaucrats and maintained by stubborn tradition, then the connector serves a valuable purpose.

Still, the additional buses, acquired through a $1.031 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, represent a severe test of the “Field of Dreams” launching instructions. If they drive them, will riders come?

Having traveled the line, designated the “Route 54 County Connector,” roundtrip from Zephyrhills to the Trinity hospital recently, I can say without hesitation: Winning converts is going to take time.

And, that’s a generous review. The trip, which, even following the bus’ roundabout circuit, could have been accomplished by car in about two hours, took more than twice as long.

Possibly because of this snail’s pace, there were long stretches where I was the only passenger aboard. At its most crowded — after a late-afternoon stop at the Wiregrass campus of Pasco-Hernando State College — I shared my ride with five others.

Not that you can’t meet pleasant company along the way, among them Jonathan Funnel (pronounced “foo-NELL,” accent on the second syllable), 25, who routinely rides from the Zephyrhills City Hall stop to The Groves for his job at the Cobb cineplex.

Funnel, who reports he loves all movies, everything having to do with baseball, plus the NFL’s Packers and Eagles, likes that the bus drops him near the Grove’s Dick’s Sporting Goods store. “It’s heaven,” he says.

Among the notes jotted by Funnel’s traveling companion: “We rode together about 25 minutes. A car couldn’t have done much better.” Our driver, Jose Rojas, 62, a retired postal worker from Land O’ Lakes who piloted heavy machinery as a Marine, observes pleasantly, “Today’s been rainy. There’s no traffic. I love it.”

About then the radio squawks. The bus out of Zephyrhills goes only as far as The Shops at Wiregrass. There, in the parking garage, westbound passengers switch. But, the connector, bound from Trinity, is caught in a snarl triggered by a crash near Collier Parkway.

“Uh-oh,” Rojas murmurs. When we arrive at the mall terminus, the driver apologizes for the delay with a what-are-you-gonna-do shrug, adding “He’ll be along in a while.”

He’s seven minutes early, so he gets out and stretches, groaning pleasantly. No passengers board before Rojas makes his on-time departure, half-a-million-dollars of empty bus.

“A while” turns out to be most of a half hour, which allows time to strike up a conversation with Odette Rennie, 69, a Virgin Islander who settled in a Land O’ Lakes village along State Road 54 sometime after a nearly catastrophic accident in Los Angeles broke her right arm in three places and convinced her to swear off personal transportation almost completely.

She’ll ride if her husband or son are driving. Otherwise, she takes the bus, even though she concedes — as do many fans of public transportation — managing the last half-mile home presents challenges of its own. Some days it’s brutally hot. Today, near the Ferman new car dealership, she exits into a downpour, lamenting she’d left her big umbrella at home.

Worse, because the bus is designed to drop passengers onto raised platforms, Rennie makes a big step onto an unpaved shoulder, punctuating the maneuver, “Ow, wow!”

After that, riders come and go singly. One seems to have just finished a shift at Big Lots; he falls asleep immediately. Another, at the Suncoast Parkway, has come from a bike ride. He loads his two-wheeler on the front, drops coins in the slot, slumps into a seat and, buds in ears, studies his smartphone. Farther up, a boarding passenger complains that the bus is late. She doesn’t want to hear about the accident.

Nobody does. If the buses are adequate, and this one is more than that, nothing kills ridership quite like blown schedules. On the day they snipped the ribbon, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey conceded as much. “We’ll never get people out of their cars as long as buses can get stuck in traffic. We need real bus rapid transit” — that is, buses traveling in lanes reserved only for buses.

Still, if you’re not in a rush, there’s something to be said for riding, especially if you take one of the scenic seats a couple of steps up in the back. Not driving means you can fixate on industrious egrets following a tractor-drawn mower hacking through a pasture. Not driving and sitting up high means you finally see over the reeds to the little lagoon with a small dock framed in lattice west of Keystone Community Church.

Being alone, being chauffeured, means your thoughts can wander. I’m thinking, from time to time, riding the bus just might be therapeutic. And, at $3 a roundtrip, it will be cheaper than any shrink.

This is the buzz in my head at the end of my four-hour odyssey. It could have been worse. And my mind is oddly at ease. If I’m ever not in a hurry again, I could do this.

 Published Oct. 19, 2016

 

 

Raymond James closes land deal

By

Raymond James Financial has purchased land from the Porter family, moving a step closer to building an office complex in Wesley Chapel.

The satellite campus could yield hundreds of new jobs for Pasco County.

The Fortune 500 financial company, with headquarters in St. Petersburg, could build as much as 1 million square feet of offices on about 65 acres near State Road 56 at Mansfield Boulevard, east of The Shops at Wiregrass.

J.D. Porter, an owner of Wiregrass Ranch, always knew that Raymond James Financial eventually would move forward with plans to build a satellite campus in Pasco County, across from Pasco-Hernando State College. The financial company bought about 65 acres for the project on Sept. 15. (File Photo)
J.D. Porter, an owner of Wiregrass Ranch, always knew that Raymond James Financial eventually would move forward with plans to build a satellite campus in Pasco County, across from Pasco-Hernando State College. The financial company bought about 65 acres for the project on Sept. 15.
(File Photo)

The land purchase had been anticipated since July, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a permit for the project.

Over the years, there have been naysayers who never thought the project would get off the ground after the recession scuttled the project in 2011.

But, J.D. Porter, an owner of Wiregrass Ranch, never doubted that Raymond James believed in the project, and in Pasco.

In fact, Porter said, “Pasco County is in the best situation. It is a place that is built and made to grow in a big way. This really sets it up for leadership to take the bull by the horns. I feel a lot of people will follow suit.”

Nearly six years ago, the Pasco County Commission offered up about $10 million in roadwork and tax break incentives to lure Raymond James to the county. Raymond James had a target goal of bringing up to 750 new jobs to the county.

But by 2014, company officials said they would delay plans for up to five years. The land purchase is a project restart.

“Obviously, we don’t know when the project will go vertical,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore. “It will take some time. But, I think it’s going to be a trigger for other development. It’s going to be a draw and bring a lot of attention to our area.”

Wiregrass Ranch already is seeing new growth.

Forest City Enterprises plans to add more retail and residential next to The Shops at Wiregrass.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, which opened in 2012, is already deep into an expansion, adding three floors and nearly 112,000 square feet of medical space.

Porter said patience paid off with Raymond James. Company officials, county staff and Will Weatherford, who was then Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, worked to make the project happen.

“This was truly a team effort to get the deal done,” Porter said.

Now Raymond James is arriving in the midst of a post-recession boom for Pasco County and Tampa Bay.

“This is great for the region (of Tampa Bay),” Porter said.

Published September 21, 2016

Shoppers can save during sales tax holiday

By

It’s commonly called a Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, but the truth is that any Florida shopper can skip the sales tax on a multitude of items from Aug. 5 through Aug. 7.

The sales tax exemption starts a minute after midnight on Aug. 5 and ends a minute before midnight on Aug. 7.

Back to school shopping is an annual tradition for many families.

Nationally, back-to-school spending is expected to reach $75.8 billion this year, according to a survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics for the National Retail Federation.

That’s up from $68 billion last year, according to a story on consumer trends posted on the NRF’s website.

If current trends continue, The Shops at Wiregrass is expecting to have a very good back-to-school shopping season, according to Debbie Detweiler, director of marketing for the regional mall. Shoppers can enjoy a break from state and local sales taxes on certain items, from Aug. 5 through Aug. 7. (Courtesy of The Shops at Wiregrass)
If current trends continue, The Shops at Wiregrass is expecting to have a very good back-to-school shopping season, according to Debbie Detweiler, director of marketing for the regional mall. Shoppers can enjoy a break from state and local sales taxes on certain items, from Aug. 5 through Aug. 7.
(Courtesy of The Shops at Wiregrass)

Locally, Tampa Premium Outlets has kicked off its back-to-school season, with a campaign targeted at teens that features three seasonal trends inspired by ’80s and ‘90s fashions — Off-Beat, Modern Utility and ’90s Nostalgia.

“Back-to-school shoppers spend more during this season than they do during Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day combined, so we want to make sure the experience is a pleasurable one that appeals to students and parents alike,” Stacey Nance, general manager at Tampa Premium Outlets said, in a news release.

“Our campaign celebrates the fashion trends of the past and today — the evolution of fashion and mixing the old with the new to ‘Find your style,’” added Nance, whose center opened last October, off State Road 56 and Interstate 75.

Tampa Premium Outlets also is hosting a sidewalk sale during mall hours, Aug. 5 through Aug. 7. It also has the GAP spend-and-receive gift card promotion. When a guest buys at least $150 worth of any Gap family brand gift cards, the guest receives a $30 Simon Visa gift card. That special runs July 29 to Aug 26. Check with Guest Services for more details.

Not far away, off State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, The Shops at Wiregrass also is gearing up for the sales tax holiday.

“If the current sales trend continues, we are expecting to have a very good back-to-school season,” said Debbie Detweiler, director of marketing for the regional shopping mall, via email.

The mall is having a special deal during the sales tax holiday. Shoppers who spend $200 in a single day, from Aug. 5 through Aug. 7, can get a $20 mall gift card. The shopper must bring same-day receipts to the mall’s Guest Services to receive the gift card. Department store and restaurant purchases cannot be counted toward the $200, and gift cards will be given out only as long as supplies last.

The Florida sales tax break applies to a multitude of items, but there are some exclusions, too.

Clothing, footwear and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item, and certain school supplies selling for $15 or less, are generally exempt from state and local sales taxes — but, there are many exceptions to that rule.

It can get a little tricky to interpret.

For instance, dress, garden and work gloves sold for less than $60 are exempt, but athletic gloves are taxable because sporting equipment is excluded in the definition of clothing, according to the Florida Department of Revenue’s website.

Here’s the way the state defines clothing: “’Clothing’ means any article of wearing apparel, including all footwear (except skis, swim fins, roller blades and skates) intended to be worn on or about the human body. Clothing does not include watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, or handkerchiefs.”

Here’s how the state defines school supplies: “‘School supplies’ means pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, notebooks, notebook filler paper, legal pads, binders, lunchboxes, construction paper, markers, folders, poster board, composition books, poster paper, scissors, cellophane tape, glue, paste, rules, computer disks, protractors, compasses and calculators.”

Exclusions to the sales tax holiday include:

  • Any item of clothing selling for more than $60
  • Any school supply item selling for more than $15
  • Personal computers and computer-related accessories
  • Sales of clothing or school supplies in a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment or airport.

It’s also important to remember that the exemption is based on the sales price of each item, not the total sale amount. So, it’s possible to buy three $59 dresses at the same time and still get the exemption, because each item meets the requirement of having a selling price of $60 or less.

Another thing that’s good to know is that there is no limit on how many tax-exempt items can be purchased during the sales tax holiday.

According to the National Retail Federation’s survey, families with children in kindergarten through 12th grade expect to spend an average of $673.57 on apparel and accessories, electronics, shoes and school supplies, according to the survey. That’s up from $630.36 last year.

College students and families with children in college plan to spend an average of $888.71, according to the survey. That’s a slight dip from last year, when the average was $899.18.

For more information on the state’s sales tax holiday, visit the Florida Department of Revenue’s website at DOR.MyFlorida.com.

Published August 3, 2016