The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

U.S. 301

The specialists at Vein911 are experts in vein problems

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Vein911 is a medical practice specializing only in medical and cosmetic vein care and is staffed with a physician who is clinically trained in vascular and interventional radiology.

Dr. Chris Pittman
Dr. Chris Pittman

“There are a lot of practitioner’s treating veins, but not a lot of them are doing it with a high degree of quality,” says Dr. Chris Pittman, medical director of Vein911.

“This is an outpatient procedure and there is much less scrutiny than if a patient was being treated in a hospital,” said Dr. Pittman. “And because it is not a surgical disease, seeing a surgeon is no guarantee of a great outcome. Vein care is truly a buyer beware situation.”

Vein care begins with ultrasound imaging because vein disorders aren’t always visible. Doctors use ultrasound images to accurately determine the cause and source of the problem and to formulate a personalized treatment plan.

Fortunately for patients at Vein911, Dr. Pittman is an imaging expert who has more than 20 years experience performing minimally invasive, image guided surgery.

“There’s no vein disease that we can’t treat,” says Dr. Pittman. “And we’re proud to report that we’ve never had a patient who didn’t feel better afterward. In fact, 20 percent of our new patients were previously treated for vein disease, and came to us to get their treatment done right.”

Dr. Pittman is triple board-certified in diagnostic radiology (ultrasound), vascular and interventional radiology, and venous and lymphatic medicine. Diagnostic radiologists are experts at performing and interpreting ultrasound exams. Interventional radiologists use ultrasound images to perform minimally invasive, non-surgical procedures to treat diseases anywhere in the body.

Dr. Pittman and the other medical specialists at Vein911 treat vein dis- ease with the most minimally invasive techniques possible. They use ultrasound images to guide tiny instruments inside the body, which allows them to correct vein problems with little or no discomfort, using no scalpels and requiring no stitches. These procedures minimize pain, reduce the chance of infection and speed recovery time. Most treatments are completed in less than 45 minutes and patients are back to their normal routine without restrictions on their activities.

A patient’s initial consultation and ultrasound are covered by insurance, as are most treatments. This is true even with people who think their only problem is visible spider veins that they want treated for cosmetic reasons.

“Typically spider veins are a result of deeper problems,” said Dr. Pittman. “There’s no reason to live with spider veins — three 30-minute treatments are all it takes to get rid of them in most patients.”

Vein911 is the first medical prac- tice in America to offer a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee of spider vein treatment results. “We’re that confident.” says Dr. Pittman.

Vein911 has three locations: 3000 Medical Park Drive in Tampa; 2716 West Virginia Ave., in Tampa; and 13005 U.S. 301 in Riverview.

They can be reached at (813) 501-2346, or at Vein911.com.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department.

Finding a deal on gasoline? It’s only going to get cheaper

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Since the end of September, the price of gas has plummeted in states across the country, including 41 cents per gallon in Florida alone.

And it’s not stopping anytime soon.

“Gas prices are plunging in-line with the falling price of oil, declining demand, and pumps selling winter blend fuel, which is cheaper to produce,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “Gas prices should only get cheaper through the rest of the year.”

Even the national gas price is taking a hit, with the U.S. Energy Information Administration dropping its forecast from $3.38 per gallon in 2015, to $2.94 instead. The national average in 2013 was $3.49, and despite the current drop in price, has averaged $3.45 so far this year.

“The change in EIA’s forecast this month shows just how volatile gas prices can be,” Jenkins said. “Motorists can expect low gas prices to linger through early 2015, but they will likely climb above $3 a gallon in the spring.”

That’s because gas prices typically rise about 40 cents in the spring because of oil refinery maintenance, increased demand, and the switch to the more expensive summer blend fuel.

The shale boom continues to push the price of oil downward, with a barrel selling for $75.82 on Friday — down $2.83 from the week before.

A gallon of unleaded gasoline in Florida Sunday was down 3 cents from a week ago, and 32 cents from a month ago. The price is 35 cents cheaper per gallon than what it was a year ago.

Two gas stations just off State Road 52 reported the cheapest gas in Land O’ Lakes, according to GasBuddy.com, with a posted price of $2.73 per gallon on Sunday. The most expensive was found at the Sunoco station on Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards, at $2.89.

The Sam’s Club on State Road 56 was slightly cheaper with prices at $2.72, while the cash price at a Citgo on State Road 54 and Boyette Road was the priciest in Wesley Chapel at $2.89.

Gas prices in Lutz ranged from $2.74 at three different stations, to $2.94 at a Shell station on North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road.

The cheapest gas in Zephyrhills was reported at $2.72 at two different stations, while the most expensive was said to be $2.89 at a Citgo at Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road. Dade City prices ranged from $2.69 at D&D on U.S. 98 and U.S. 301, to $2.85 at the Citgo station at Lock and 21st streets.

No bottom yet in sight for falling gas prices

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Cheaper gas is probably something everyone can get used to. But how long will gas hover around the $2.75 mark or lower? Only time will tell.

The national average for regular unleaded gasoline fell to its lowest point since December 2010, dropping below $3 per gallon. Right now, more than 60 percent of American gas stations are selling gas below that mark, according to AAA, and 23 states have averages also below that mark.

In fact, Florida — where the gas average price is $2.96 — is ranked 20th in the nation, and is part of a region of the country where gas is at its lowest.

“Gas prices are still falling,” said AAA spokesman Josh Carrasco, in a release. “There is still room for the price at the pump to drop in the short term. We could see prices side another 5 to 15 cents by the end of the year.”

Gas prices dropped 33 cents in October, the steepest single-month decline since 2008. A lot of that can be attributed to the cheapening of crude oil, according to the AAA, which accounts for a vast majority of gasoline’s cost. West Texas Intermediate, for example, has dropped more than $25 per barrel since this year’s peak price of $107.73 on June 20. The current price for WTI closed at $80.54 on Friday, down slightly from the previous week’s close of $81.27.

“Abundant oil supplies, winter-blend fuels and low demand continue to place downward pressure on gas prices,” Carrasco said. “Crude oil prices seem to be leveling out, which may put the brakes on significant drops in gasoline prices. But we haven’t hit the bottom yet.”

The price for gas in Florida dropped 8 cents from the previous week to $2.96. It’s down 37 cents from a month ago, and 29 cents from a year ago.

Taking a look at where gras prices are locally, the cheapest gas in Land O’ Lakes is at the RaceTrac on State Road 52 and Silver Palm Boulevard, where prices were reported Sunday at $2.76, according to GasBuddy. The priciest is at the Shell located on State Road 54 and State Road 56, where prices were set at $2.97 over the weekend.

In Lutz, prices ranged from $2.84 at the Circle K at Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads, to $2.99 at two Shell stations on Dale Mabry Highway.

Motorists were finding the best gas prices in Wesley Chapel at the Sam’s Club at State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, where prices were set at $2.82. The most expensive there was at Shell just nearby at $2.93.

In Zephyrhills, the cheapest gas was reported at the Shell station at Paul S. Buchman Highway and Central Avenue at $2.84. The high was found at $2.95 at the Citgo, located at Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road.

Finally, drivers in Dade City looking for the best prices should look up either the Clark station on U.S. 301 and Long Avenue, or D&D at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301, where prices were set at $2.83. The most expensive in that area was found at the BP station on U.S. 98, where gas was priced at $2.99.

 

Lower gas here just in time for holiday shopping

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Drivers are paying on average 65 cents less per gallon of gas they did just six months ago. And the price at stations around the state — and nation — continue to drop.

Gas in Florida checked in at $3.04 over the weekend, down 11 cents from a week ago, and below $3 in many markets, including in and around Pasco County.

“We are seeing gas prices falling at an average of 1 to 2 cents a day,” AAA spokesman John Carrasco said, in a release. “That’s extra money consumers can now use in other areas, like holiday shopping.”

Prices nationwide are the lowest since 2010, and gas has fallen below the $3 mark in 17 states, AAA said. Georgia was the latest state to cross the $3 mark, where the state average currently sits at $2.93. Tennessee, on the other hand, has one of the lowest gas prices in the nation at $2.80.

A barrel of oil fell $1.08 on Friday to $81.01, and hit a two-year low on Oct. 16 when it briefly dropped below $80. Some analysts believe oil prices could drop to $75, which likely would translate to even lower prices at the pump.

Florida’s prices are down more than a quarter from a year ago, when gas was selling at $3.30.

The RaceTrac and Mobil stations on State Road 52 on the northern part of Land O’ Lakes, has the cheapest gas in that area, checking in at $2.89 on Sunday, according to GasBuddy. The Sunoco at Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards has reportedly the most expensive gas at $3.03.

Sam’s Club on State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel was just a penny cheaper than many of its surrounding competitors, with prices at $2.88. Not even the most expensive gas in that area is above $3 now, with two stations coming in at $2.99.

Two stations in Lutz reported $2.89 gas — the Citgo at North Dale Mabry Highway and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, and Lutz Petroleum on U.S. 41. Two Shell stations in the Van Dyke Road area remain that area’s most expensive, at $3.09.

The cheapest gas n Zephyrhills was found at the Shell station at Buchman Highway and Central Avenue, which reported $2.95. Only the Citgo on Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road was above $3, according to GasBuddy, at $3.01.

Dade City has some of the cheapest prices in the area, with D&D at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301 reporting $2.85, and the Clark station at U.S. 301 near Long Avenue checking in at $2.87.

RaceWay location in Dade City sold

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After more than 15 years of corporate ownership, RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. has sold its Dade City RaceWay location for $2.3 million.

The buyer of the station, located on a little more than an acre of land at 12310 U.S. 301, is 974 Pasco LLC, managed by West Palm Beach attorney Carolyn Sakolsky. The location was built in 2004 on land RaceTrac purchased in 1999 for $263,000. The land was originally owned by Bobby and Dorothy Baker of Zephyrhills.

It’s not clear if the sale of the property will affect the location in any way. A request for comment from the Atlanta-based RaceWay was pending return.

However, there is a chance the RaceWay might have sold to a franchisee. According to the company’s website, locations owned by corporate use the name RaceTrac, while those owned by franchisees are called RaceWay.

RaceWay was founded in 1934 in St. Louis as the Carl Bolch Trackside Stations. The company’s goal was to remain independent of the major oil companies, according to the company’s website.

Carl Bolch acquired the Oil Well Co. of Opp, Alabama, in 1959, and started to rapidly expand across the south beginning in the late 1960s. The RaceTrac name was adopted in 1979.

 

Plunging gas prices take a breather

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Notice gas going up at your favorite fill-up station? Don’t worry, it’s happening everywhere.

Maintenance at refineries along the Gulf of Mexico created a spike in gas prices this past week, pushing the cost of a gallon of gas up nearly a dime in one night Wednesday in some places around the state. But it did calm down elsewhere, and Florida reported an average of a 2-cent rise since last Sunday.

“Last week was a temporary setback in what should otherwise be a month of falling as prices,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “In October, refineries reduce output to conduct maintenance on their systems. They choose this month because fewer people are driving, and demand for gasoline is lower. However, there are more refineries along the Gulf coast doing maintenance compared to last year, and that put a temporary strain on supplies, causing prices to rise.”

However, that maintenance work should be done within the next week or so, Jenkins said, and that should cause gas prices to drop 20 cents by Thanksgiving.

If it weren’t for the maintenance work, gas prices would be at the lowest levels in a long time. The price of a barrel of oil settled at $89.74 last week, the first time it’s closed below $90 since April 2013. The United States remains the lead oil producer in the world because of the shale boom, and domestic crude production is at its highest level since March 1986, according to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Gas prices in Florida averaged $3.31 Sunday, up 2 cents from last week but still down 5 cents from a month ago. It’s even with prices from a year ago.

Marathon had the lowest gas prices in the Land O’ Lakes area Sunday, charging $3.17 at its station on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and Ehren Cutoff. The highest was $3.29 at the Shell station on State Road 54 and State Road 56, according to GasBuddy.

However, prices were much better in Wesley Chapel, with $3.09 reported at the Marathon station at Wesley Chapel Boulevard near Magnolia Boulevard, and at the Shell station on County Road 54 and Oakley Boulevard. Prices peaked at $3.29 at two stations Willow Oaks Drive and State Road 56.

Gas prices in Lutz ranged from $3.19 at Citgo on North Dale Mabry Highway and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, to $3.34 at the Shell station at Dale Mabry and Van Dyke Road.

Prices in Zephyrhills were pretty uniform, with several stations reporting gas at $3.22 or $3.23 over the weekend, according to GasBuddy. The 7-Eleven on Fifth Avenue had the highest-priced gas, but it’s $3.29 was not that far above everyone else.

Dade City was a little cheaper with $3.19 reported at Clark on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue, and at Sunoco on U.S. 301 near Jordan Road. The most expensive there was $3.29 at two stations not far from downtown.

 

Refinery problems freeze gas prices

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The dream of gas under $3 may have to wait a little longer, at least in Florida.

Refinery outages in both Canada and Texas put a halt to the summer-long decline in gas prices, and even went as far as pushing prices up in some places, like Pensacola.

“Refinery maintenance, especially in the Gulf, is causing the tightening of supplies in some areas,” said AAA spokesman Josh Carrasco, in a release. “As a result of these refinery issues, the downward pressure eon gas prices motorists saw earlier this month has stopped.”

Several companies in the Gulf region — home to more than 40 percent of U.S. refining capacity, announced an unplanned maintenance, AAA said, which reduced gasoline output in this areas. Those outages occurred the same time as other refineries in the region are conducting seasonal maintenance.

Oil prices also are rising again, with West Texas intermediate crude rising $1.13 to $93.54 a barrel on Friday.

“Overall, motorists are still seeing value at the pump,” Carrasco said. “Gas prices are at a seven-month low, and we expect gasoline to continue trending downwards in the coming months.”

Prices in Florida held steady this week at $3.29, but was down 8 cents from a month ago, and 6 cents from a year ago.

The cheapest gas in Land O’ Lakes was $3.16, and found at a few stations in the area, including the Hess on State Road 52 and U.S. 41, as well as the RaceTrac at State Road 52 and Silver Palm Boulevard, and another RaceTrac on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, near Lake Patience Road, according to GasBuddy. The most expensive gas reported to the site was $3.29 at the Shell station on the corner of State Road 54 and State Road 56.

In Wesley Chapel, prices ranged from $3.12 at Sam’s Club near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, and $3.29 at a Shell station nearby. Lutz gas was as low as $3.16 at the Chevron and Sunoco at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway, and as high as $3.39 at the Shell on North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road.

Gas prices in Zephyrhills climbed a little bit to a low of $3.15 at the Marathon on Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road, as well as the Mobil on State Road 54 and Allen Road. The most expensive was reported at the Cumberland Farms on Gall Boulevard and State Road 39, where gas was $3.26.

The cheapest gas in Dade City was $3.13 at Clark, on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue. The most expensive there was said to be at Chevron on the corner of Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue, were prices came in at $3.24.

New Wendy’s planned for Sunlake Boulevard

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Homes are popping up throughout the area surrounding the intersection of Sunlake Boulevard and State Road 54, and the business are coming with it.

The latest one planned is a new 3,500-square-foot Wendy’s fast food restaurant, complete with drive-thru service. It will be constructed on less than an acre of land currently owned by Sunlake Equity One LLC out of Miami, which has nearly 28 acres on the site.

Wendy’s International Inc. is in charge of the construction project, which will be considered by Pasco County’s Development Review Committee on Sept. 25. Wendy’s initially submitted plans to the county for the project last April, with final revisions received at the end of August, according to county records.

It would become the seventh Wendy’s location east of the Suncoast Parkway, the closest at 2328 Raden Drive in Land O’ Lakes, near the intersection of State Road 54 and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard. Other locations include 28031 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, 19430 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in New Tampa, 32715 Eiland Blvd., in Zephyrhills, 5658 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills, and 13135 U.S. 301 in Dade City.

The county’s Development Review Committee is led by County Administrator Michele Baker, and includes assistant county administrators Heather Grimes, Cathy Pearson and Bruce Kennedy, as well as John Walsh from the Pasco Economic Development Council, and Chris Williams from Pasco County Schools.

The meeting is set for Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m., at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

It’s a family affair at Wilson’s Tractor & Supply

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Bruce and Jennifer Wilson, owners of Wilson’s Tractor and Supply Co., have an admirable goal – to one day turn their family business over to their two sons, Bruce Jr. and Aaron.

The Wilson Family
The Wilson Family

The couple wants their sons to know the value of hard work and to appreciate the rewards of customer satisfaction. They look forward to their boys carrying on the stellar reputation of the Wilson name, and to one day be able to support their families with the family business.

Self-employed for most of his adult life, Bruce owned other businesses — even moving his family to Georgia for a short time — before returning to his hometown of Dade City in 2002 to open Wilson’s Tractor and Supply Co. Mowers, leaf blowers, and weed eaters line the walls of the store, showing that Wilson’s carries much more than tractors. If your mower needs a new blade or tune-up, one of the staff will gladly help unload it out of your vehicle and into the service area.

Growing up in the business and now working alongside his dad, 20-year-old Bruce Jr. specializes in selling and repairing lawn equipment and tractors. He also makes sure that everything that leaves the store is in tip-top shape, ready to meet the needs of the customer. It is this level of detail and perfection that drives the entire Wilson family.

When not at Pasco High School as a vocational teacher, Jennifer Wilson is the company’s bookkeeper and unofficial door greeter at the store. In her “spare” time, Jennifer is chauffeur to her younger son, 13-year-old Aaron, and his group of friends who have recently discovered the art of yo-yoing.

Aaron watched a yo-yo demonstration during a visit to Disney and became enthralled with the artistry of the sport. After meeting several internationally acclaimed masters and learning several tricks, Aaron is focused on starting a yo-yo club at Centennial Middle School, where he is in the seventh grade.

Future Farmers of America and 4-H are clubs important to the Wilson family. While a student at Pasco High School, Bruce, Jr. was active in the school’s FFA Club. Aaron is continuing that legacy through his own leadership roles in the club, including raising a steer (aptly named Beefy) for the Pasco County Fair. Aaron is financing his current steer project with profits earned through previous projects with his 4-H group. The family also raises chickens and turkeys.

Rounding out the Wilson team is Fred “The Tractor Man” Roenicke. Fred is as iconic in Dade City as the green and yellow paint on the tractors he sells. Fred has more than 45 years experience selling tractors and other farm equipment. His knowledge about the tractor business, combined with his love of the local area, makes Fred a perfect employee for this family business.

What does the family do for fun when they’re not at the store?

“When you own your own business, you don’t have time for your own personal fun. You want your business to succeed and you want your customers to be happy,” said Jennifer. “But we do enjoy the hunting season.”

Time in the woods, away from the business, helps motivate this family to do even more and allows them to return to the town they grew up in, refreshed and ready to get back to work.

Wilson’s Tractor & Supply Co. is located at 12410 U.S. 301 in Dade City. It can be found online at WilsonTractorSupplyCo.com, by calling (352) 567-5002 or email .

– Jenny Timms

This story is a feature of the advertising department. 

Gas prices fall in Zephyrhills, Dade City

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Gas prices have now dropped for six weeks in a row. And those prices could fall even lower yet, especially after the price of oil is at its lowest point since May 2013.

“Motorists should continue to see a discount at the pump,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “High domestic oil supplies, a decrease in global demand, and the easing of geopolitical tensions in Libya and Iraq are keeping downward pressure on gasoline prices.”

Beginning Monday, refineries will no longer need to sell summer-blend gasoline, Jenkins said. Winter-blend is cheaper to produce, which will help push prices even lower in the coming months.

The price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel in Florida was $3.32 on Sunday, compared to $3.36 a week ago. That’s down 16 cents a gallon from a year ago.

The price for a barrel of oil settled at $92.27 on Friday, down a little more than a dollar from the previous week. It’s at its cheapest level in four months.

The price drop came as the International Energy Agency decreased its 2015 oil demand forecast late last week, where it estimated that global demand will rise just 1.3 percent next year.

“The bottom fell out of oil prices this week,” Jenkins said. “U.S. domestic oil production is set to hit a 45-year high by next year. Barring a major weather event in the Gulf, or overseas geopolitical tensions, we should continue to see oil prices fall.”

In Zephyrhills, gas is cheaper than most other places in the county, with six gas stations checking in at $3.15. Yet, the Citgo at Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road reported prices of $3.34. Dade City saw a range of $3.15 at the RaceWay on U.S. 301 and McDonald Road, to $3.29 at a BP station at the U.S. 98 Bypass.

Four locations in Land O’ Lakes offered gas at $3.19 on Sunday, according to GasBuddy.com. They included the RaceTrac on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard near Lake Patience Road and on State Road 52 near Silver Palm Boulevard, as well as the Citgo station on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard near Lake Patience Road as well, and the Mobil station on State Road 52 near the Suncoast Parkway.

The most expensive reported was $3.30 at a Sunoco station on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard near Causeway Boulevard.

In Lutz, gas prices Sunday ranged from $3.21 at the Circle K on Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads, to $3.39 at two Shell stations near Van Dyke.

Wesley Chapel prices were the lowest at Sam’s Club at State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard at $3.16, and reportedly the most expensive at a Shell station nearby, where gas sold for $3.29.