The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

University of South Florida

Push is on for forensic training center

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A forensic training center – sometimes indelicately called a “body farm” – is being proposed for a site in Land O’ Lakes.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the University of South Florida, the Pasco-Hernando State College and Pasco County, in the quest for the facility.

The “body farm” label has stuck as a colloquial description for this type of facility after crime novelist Patricia Cornwell published “The Body Farm” in 1994.

The author detailed the forensic research done on decomposing bodies.

The proposed outdoor and indoor facility in Pasco would be built on about 5 acres of county land, next to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center on Central Boulevard, off U.S. 41.

State funds will be sought for the approximately $4.3 million project.

State Sen. Wilton Simpson and State Rep. Danny Burgess are working jointly on a budget request for the 2017 legislative session.

At the behest of Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells, county commissioners signed a letter of support following their Jan. 10 meeting in Dade City.

“This is a big deal,” Wells said.

If built, the facility would be the first in Florida, and only the seventh in the nation.

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville started the first forensic training and research center in the 1970s.

Other facilities are at Western Carolina University, Sam Houston State University, Texas State University in Carbondale, Southern Illinois University, and Colorado Mesa University.

A 2015 effort by USF to pursue a forensic training center in Hillsborough County’s Lithia Springs met with stiff opposition from residents. University officials subsequently dropped the pursuit.

Chase Daniels, assistant executive director for Pasco’s sheriff’s office, said “we’re taking a very cautious approach. It’s not going to be in a residential area. It’s next to the jail.”

Fencing and other safety-related measures would be part of the facility’s design, Daniels said.

Forensic anthropology applies scientific methods to aid in identifying the human remains of individuals who often are victims of homicide or disfiguring accidents. Anthropologists also can help identify victims of genocide or individuals found in mass graves.

Anthropologists at USF, for instance, led the investigation on the Dozier project to identify missing children buried in unmarked graves at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

The university also hosts an annual conference for law enforcement, anthropologists and medical examiners who share expertise in crime-solving techniques.

In 2016, the conference included artists who helped imagine and create busts or digital images of unidentified victims to aid several law enforcement agencies from around the nation, including in Pasco, with cold cases.

Pasco’s sheriff’s office has a longstanding partnership with USF’s anthropology department, frequently seeking advice and sharing information.

In working alongside researchers at the proposed facility, “investigators will become highly skilled at collecting, processing, and interpreting evidence in their cases,” according to a statement on the USF website.

The new partnership could open even more opportunities for students at PHSC as well, said Stanley Giannet, the college’s vice president of academic affairs and faculty development.

The goal would be to create an associate degree and certification program in crime-scene technology, Giannet said.

The college also could participate in or host conferences related to forensic anthropology, he added.

Other supporters of the project include Florida’s medical examiners and the state NAACP.

Published January 25, 2017

Sunlake student earns college degree

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Technically, Madison Riggle is still a high school student — but she’s a college graduate, too.

The 17-year-old received her Associates of Art degree from Pasco-Hernando State College on Dec. 13, while still enrolled at Sunlake High School.

The feat was made possible through the Collegiate High School program, a partnership between PHSC and Pasco County Schools.

Riggle has been accepted to several universities, and is still deciding where she wants to attend. She plans to become a pharmacist. (Courtesy of Aileen Gocek)

Riggle was one of the first students chosen for the dual-enrollment initiative, which began during the 2015-2016 school year.

A lottery process is now used each year to select students to fill up to 60 available seats.

To qualify, junior and senior-level students must meet several criteria, including traditional Dual Enrollment participation requirements — 3.0 GPA and College Ready PERT (Postsecondary Education Readiness Test) assessment scores in all areas.

For Riggle, the achievement was a long time coming.

In seventh grade, she drew up several long-term goals.

One was to earn an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree prior to graduating high school.

Mission accomplished.

In fact, Riggle accumulated enough credit hours  — at least 60 — to graduate a semester early, another notable achievement.

According to the school district’s website, the Collegiate High School program allows students to earn an AA/AS Degree or a Cape Certification while also earning their Standard High School Diploma. Students in the program attend class full-time at PHSC campuses, and don’t take any courses on the high school campus. However, they are still considered a student of their zoned school, and are able to participate in their zoned school athletics, student activities and graduation ceremonies.

For Riggle, it “was a great opportunity.”

“The great thing about this program,” she said, “is that…it pays for your college, it pays for your books, it pays for your lab fees, and everything else that comes with college.”

Riggle attended Sunlake High School for her freshman and sophomore years. In the summer leading up to her junior year, however, she exclusively took classes at PHSC.

She was just 15.

Elder PHSC classmates, unsurprisingly, were dumbfounded once they discovered Riggle was just a teenager.

“They were all amazed,” Riggle said, with a chuckle. “Most people actually thought I was a lot older than I was.”

Even so, she was ready for the challenges higher education entails.

At 17 years old, Melanie Riggle earned an Associate in Arts degree from Pasco-Hernando State College. It was made possible through the Collegiate High School program, a joint partnership between PHSC and the Pasco County school district.
(Courtesy of Melanie Riggle)

“You definitely have to be a lot more independent and more mature than in high school,” Riggle explained. “You have to designate your own study time, because you might not get all the information in class. You just had to work harder and study more for those classes than high school.”

That’s not the only key difference from high school, though.

“The thing that amazes me the most, was that you can just get up and leave out of class. You don’t have to ask to go to the bathroom or anything,” Riggle said.

She added there’s also less “busy work” than in typical high school classes.

“I like college a lot; I will say that.”

While she favors the college atmosphere, Riggle acknowledged she occasionally misses seeing friends roam the halls at Sunlake.

“I don’t really get to see them as much,” Riggle said, “because when they’re in school, I’m either working, or when they’re out of school, I’m working or in school.”

Nevertheless, the aspiring pharmacist said she couldn’t pass up the prospect of getting a jump on her postsecondary education.

Riggle, who’s still taking classes at PHSC, figures it’ll take somewhere between two to three years to earn her bachelor’s degree, prior to enrolling in pharmacy school.

“It definitely gave me a major head start, because I don’t have to take all basic classes that everyone else has to take,” Riggle said.

For her associate degree, Riggle took a combination of introductory classes — religion, humanities — alongside “upper level” math and science courses.

“I really liked anatomy,” she said. “I just found it really interesting how the human body works.

“I also really liked biology a lot.”

To Riggle, participating in the program was preferable to simply graduating from high school early.

Yet, she cautioned the program “isn’t for everyone.”

“I completely recommend it, if you are ready to be a bit more independent while still being in high school,” she said. “If you like the high school environment, enjoy the four years of high school, by all means. But, for me, I was just ready to expand myself…and be more independent.”

Though she no longer attends Sunlake, Riggle still makes it a point to partake in school-related activities, like prom and Homecoming Week.

She’ll also walk across the graduation stage, come May.

“I did powder puff and skit, and all that fun stuff,” Riggle said, “so I definitely try to stay involved in high school — I just don’t have any classes on campus.”

Meantime, Riggle is considering several universities — the University of South Florida, Palm Beach Atlantic University and Florida Gulf Coast University.

She admits she still has “no clue” where she’ll wind up.

“I’m still trying to figure out how my cards will play out over the next couple of months,” Riggle said.

Published January 18, 2017

 

There’s no such thing as ‘managing’ time

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Maybe you’ve decided that this is the year that you’re going to do a better job of ‘managing’ your time.

But, if you listen to Richard Dutton, a retired professor of Managerial Behavior & Organization Studies from the University of South Florida, it is impossible to “manage” time.

“Time cannot be managed. It is completely independent of us,” Dutton said.

“We can use time. We can’t replace time,” said Dutton, formerly of the Muma College of Business at USF.

Richard E. Dutton, a retired professor of Managerial Behavior & Organization Studies in the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida, recently spent a little of his time talking about the value of time. He presented a free lecture through the university’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, known as OLLI for short.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

It’s also impossible to “save time,” added Dutton, during remarks he delivered as part of a free lecture series offered through the university’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, also known as OLLI.

When people — especially college students — think about their personal resources, they tend to consider money to be their scarcest resource, Dutton said.

But, he said, that’s not true.

“Time is your scarcest resource. Today will never ever happen again. So, how you use your time today is critical. You can make more money. You can work more hours. You can’t make more time,” he said.

There are, however, ways to be more efficient and to make better use of your time, Dutton said, during his talk at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library.

Here are some ways Dutton suggests to help you make better use of your time:

  • List your objectives
  • Rank the objectives based on importance
  • List actions that you need to take to achieve your objectives
  • Prioritize those actions
  • Schedule your time based on your priorities.

It’s important to have a manageable list, Dutton said. He suggests a list averaging five items. Avoid making lists that have more than nine items, he said.

It’s also important to know when you are most effective, Dutton said. Be aware of your personal productivity cycle. Some people wake up raring to go; others fare better later in the day.

It’s also important to discern the difference between being busy and being effective, Dutton said.

“We need more focused thinking,” he said.  “When we prioritize things well, we do the right things, not just the obvious things.

Schedule your most difficult tasks during your peak productivity periods, Dutton said.

Be sure to protect yourself from interruptions when you are doing your most difficult work, he said.

“Our mind is not good at solving problems that are complicated or difficult when we only have little splinters of time to work with,” he said. “We need chunks of time to solve complicated problems.”

When people are zoned in on a problem, their concentration can be broken by an alert they receive on their Smartphone, he said.

So, be sure to minimize disruptions by insulating yourself from telephone calls or people popping by for a chat, he said.

He also recommends grouping less important tasks together and doing them at the same time. That may mean reading through emails, returning telephone calls or doing busy work that has to be done but is not as important as other work you need to accomplish, he said.

Technology is useful, but needs to be used wisely, Dutton added.

“Sometimes we make ourselves busier than we should be. When you send out an email, you get an email back, right?

“Now you have to send another email.

“This is a never-ending cycle.

“Can’t we just talk?” Dutton asked.

One of the downsides of technology is the constant interruptions it creates, he said.

“I want to be the master of that phone. I don’t want it to interrupt me,” he said. “It’s my phone. I turn it on when I think I need it.”

Another way to accomplish more with our time is to master the art of delegation, Dutton said.

“Multiple yourself by letting other people have a part of the project, have a part of the action. You can help develop them, and, in the future they may be more and more and more helpful,” Dutton said.

Tips for having effective meetings:

  • Have a time limit
  • Have a written agenda
  • Consider conducting the meeting in a room without chairs — that tends to speeds things up.

 

Tips for choosing which line to wait in:

  • Get behind a single shopper with a full cart, rather than several shoppers who have fewer items.
  • When there are a series of lines, choose lines to the left. People tend to choose lines to their dominant side, so be sure you are giving all lines a fair shot.
  • Look for female cashiers, they tend to be faster in processing details.
  • Avoid chatty cashiers, regardless of gender.
  • Look at what people have in their carts. Don’t get behind people who have items that can complicate the transaction, such as someone who has lots of produce that must be weighed, or someone who has lots of coupons.
  • When there is a choice between a single line that leads to one cashier, or a line that leads to several cashiers, choose the one that has more cashiers. People tend to be more concerned about how long the line is than they are about how fast it is moving.

Published January 4, 2017

 

 

State college clears the air – of smoke

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The campuses of Pasco-Hernando State College will become smoke-free and tobacco-free zones effective Aug. 14, 2017.

The college’s District Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Nov. 15 to expand an existing policy that prohibits smoking in college buildings and “workplace” areas, but allows smoking in designated areas.

That means smoking and other forms of tobacco will be banned entirely on the college’s campuses, said Courtney Boettcher, assistant director of marketing and communications at PHSC.

The no-smoking, no-tobacco rule will apply to cigarettes, cigars, pipes, E-cigarettes and any vaporizing devices, such as hookah pipes. Snuff and chewing tobacco also will be prohibited. The rule applies to students, faculty, visitors, vendors and others who come on campus.

Trustees approved the campus-wide ban “to promote the health and wellness of its students and employees, as well as a safe, comfortable environment for all who work, study, conduct business, or visit the college,” according to college documents.

The coverage area includes all properties leased and owned by the college. The college’s fleet of vehicles also will be smoke-free and tobacco-free, whether on or off campus.

The ban goes along with a national trend among colleges and universities to create smoke-free and tobacco-free campuses.

Hillsborough Community College also has such a policy, and the University of South Florida adopted a no smoking policy in January 2016.

In 2011, there were more than 580 smoke-free colleges and universities in the nation, according to the Association for Nonsmokers Rights.

As of October 2016, the nonprofit reported more than 1,700 schools with smoking and tobacco bans.

About 1,400 of that total includes schools that also ban tobacco use of any kind, and more than 1,200 that ban E-cigarettes.

Officials at PHSC will help ease people into the new policy.

During the transition, an ad hoc committee of students, faculty, staff and administrators will help spread the word on the tougher policy.

Free smoking cessation programs also will be available before and after the transition for students, faculty, staff members and other employees.

Published January 4, 2017

Inspiring hope through origami cranes

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Tina So and Mia Thielbar were pre-International Baccalaureate freshman at Land O’ Lakes High School when they began a project they call “Cranes for Cancer.”

Now, more than three years later, they are seniors — and they are still involved with the project to handcraft paper origami cranes for people afflicted with cancer.

The goal is to instill hope, and the idea was spawned in August 2013.

Mia Thielbar, left, and Tina So handcraft origami paper cranes for cancer patients. The initiative, which began in 2013, seeks to inspire hope for those battling cancer.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

At the time, Marilyn Ling, a reading teacher at the high school, was battling ovarian cancer. As a show of empathy, So and Thielbar together assembled 1,000 paper cranes after their Inquiry Skills teacher, Angelle Damalos, relayed the gesture’s significance in class one day.

In Japanese culture, cranes are a traditional sign of long life and good fortune. Other cultures, meanwhile, fold 1,000 paper stars to make a wish.

The ambitious crane project took four months to complete.

They first used post-it notes, then progressed to traditional origami paper.

Cranes were also sculpted in an assortment of colors — pink, gold and blue.

“We had one that would flap,” So said, “and, we had one that just looks prettier because it has a stomach to it.”

It required some trial and error.

“At first, it took us a while,” So said. “Initially, we were not very good at it.”

Eventually, they improved.

“We worked consistently,” Thielbar said. “We did it everyday; whenever there was free time in class, we’d work on it.”

The pair never actually met Ling.

“(Ling) was sick, and she didn’t want us to see her in her condition,” So said.

Damalos, instead, presented the 1,000 cranes to her that December.

Ling passed away in April 2014.

The students, however, have continued their efforts.

They’ve since volunteered at Shriner’s Hospital in Tampa, where they distributed over 500 cranes to children surgical patients.

In multiple hospital visits, So and Thielbar taught patients the origami art form, and assisted them with crane decorations.

“It’s sort of a distraction for them,” Thielbar said, “so that they’re not as worried to…see the doctor.”

The pair, too, sold cranes at various Relay for Life events, helping to raise money for cancer-afflicted patients.

“We always have wanted to share cranes with people,” Thielbar said. “We make them whenever we can.”

The cranes, they believe, help cancer sufferers hold onto their faith during personal struggles.

“Positivity can change everything,” So said. “Even if it can’t cure you, it can prolong your life; you can enjoy that prolonged time.

“Without hope, it’s a losing battle.”

The philanthropic journey has been fulfilling — for both.

“I really enjoy reaching out to people like that,” So said, “and it has inspired me to be a better person, like evaluate my actions and values. Overall, it just really makes me feel really good to help people.”

“We just want to serve as more of an inspiration to our peers — to be more kind toward other people,” said Thielbar, “and respectful of the things they might be going through.”

In other words, expressing sympathy.

“That’s one of the values that I feel is being lost in our culture,” Thielbar said.

“A lot of people are losing empathy and compassion, and generosity towards other people.”

Besides “Cranes for Cancer,” the duo has other grandiose plans on the horizon.

“We still want to continue the efforts of helping people,” Thielbar said, “but, we want to make a bigger impact. We’re still working on what would that impact be — how to affect more people.”

That may include additional fundraising efforts for cancer patients.

“I feel like that would make a bigger impact financially for a lot of people, because I know that’s a big struggle,” said Thielbar.

“But, we also want to be like an inspiration to other people.”

They’ve already inspired Jeff Morgenstein, an assistant principal.

“Seeing Mia and Tina use their creativity and compassion in order to improve the lives of others is greatly in tune with our (school) mission statement,” Morgenstein said, via email.

He continued: “To say that I’m proud of them is an understatement. It is through these meaningful actions here in the community that they are truly changing the world.”

Beyond high school, Thielbar plans to study educational administration at the University of South Florida, and aspires to become a school principal, someday.

So is considering the University of Florida, where she would like to study psychology.

Published December 28, 2016

It’s beauty by design at Bella Home Market

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Bella Home Market — a new shop situated in Lutz — owes a lot to mother and daughter relationships.

Jennifer Wagner, owner of Bella Home Market, and her daughter, Sophia Wagner, the store’s assistant manager, are partners in a new Lutz store.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Growing up in Wisconsin, Jennifer Wagner soaked up her mother’s do-it-yourself approach to interior design. She took on home remodeling projects and did them with style.

“I got my taste and flair from her,” said Wagner.

Now, she and her daughter, Sophia Wagner, are putting their talents together at Bella Home Market, a shop that brims with

eye-catching home décor and artwork for any room in the house.

Bella’s vibe is eclectic, from vintage chic to brand new.

The shop is a treasure trove for gifts, candles, soaps and scents, and also is a dealer for the Dixie Belle Chalk Paint brand.

The shop opened in June at Tropical Village Plaza, 1532 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., next to The Breakfast Nook.

Jennifer Wagner opened the shop after years of encouragement from her friends to take the plunge into retail.

Bella Home Market has gifts as well as paintings, sculptures and other home accessories.
(Courtesy of Jennifer Wagner)

She has a background in homebuilding, but also experience in staging homes — for family and friends — to make them more appealing to potential buyers.

“They told me ‘you have a knack for this’,” she said.

Her friend and founder of the Dixie Belle Paint Company, Suzanne Fulford, alerted Wagner to the vacant storefront at Tropical Village. The paint company is across the way at 1641 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

She immediately liked the “small town feel” of the plaza, with shops clustered around a courtyard.

“It was perfect,” Jennifer Wagner said. “I love this center.”

She brought her daughter, Sophia, into the venture as assistant manager.

Sophia Wagner is a sophomore at the University of South Florida, working toward a mass communications degree. Future plans might include film school or news broadcasting.

A table display at Bella Home Market is filled with eye catching colorful treasures for home decorating and gifts.
(Courtesy of Jennifer Wagner)

She took off a semester to help her mother open the store, but will be a full-time student again next year.

But, in her spare time, she will still be working at Bella Home Market.

One goal for the new year is to increase painting classes – featuring Dixie Belle Chalk Paint. Crafting enthusiasts can learn techniques to give furniture or other items a shabby chic look.

Bringing in new items to the shop is a year-round adventure.

Mother and daughter go on buying trips to Dallas, Atlanta and North Carolina, with an eye for one-of-a-kind items.

Tables, shelves and wall space are filled with mirrors, candle holders, railroad lanterns, jumbo-size Edison light bulbs, delicate metal butterflies, and replicas of farm tractors made from nuts, screws and bolts.

Among their finds also are paintings and sculptures by fair trade artists in places such as Haiti. But, national artists, including metal and 3-D vision sculptor Travis Burford, and local artist, Jessica Marcus, are represented, too.

“You support the community,” said Jennifer Wagner. But, she has another wish for the new year.

“I want to find more local artists.”

Holiday hours for the store in December are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The shop is open on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To find out more, visit BellaHomeMarket.com.

Published December 14, 2016

Tracing the development of early Lutz

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Once one of the most active stops for wood-burning locomotives, Lutz was settled with just a handful of homesteaders.

William Paul Lutz was a railroad engineer. He and his brother, Charles, played a pivotal role in the history of Lutz, a community north of Tampa. (Photographs courtesy of Susan A. MacManus)
William Paul Lutz was a railroad engineer. He and his brother, Charles, played a pivotal role in the history of Lutz, a community north of Tampa.
(Photographs courtesy of Susan A. MacManus)

There was a store and a couple of houses there in 1907, and once the Tampa Northern Railroad was extended from Brooksville to Tampa that same year, the Concord Stagecoach Line went out of business.

But, that news didn’t discourage two brothers from West Virginia — William Paul Lutz and Charles Henry Lutz.

That’s because one of the largest sawmills in northwest Hillsborough County was the Gulf Pine Lumber Company — which was south of Odessa and owned by Charles Lutz.

In 1909, Charles Lutz built a tram track to carry his lumber 10 miles to the east, connecting his sawmill to the Tampa Northern Railroad at what is now Lutz Lake Fern Road and U.S. 41.

William Lutz — Charles’ brother — was the railroad engineer.

Most of the area was “nothin’ but sand,” according to the recollections of Dorothy Lutz Jones, stepdaughter of William Lutz.

“Then from there on to Tampa, there was nothin’ until you got there, down to the city,” Jones is quoted in an account published by local historian Susan A. MacManus, a professor at the University of South Florida.

First Lutz United Brethren Church was built in 1914. Before that, church members met at Lutz School.
First Lutz United Brethren Church was built in 1914. Before that, church members met at Lutz School.

MacManus and her mother, Elizabeth Riegler MacManus, wrote “Citrus, Sawmills, Critters and Crackers: Life in Early Lutz and Central Pasco County.

William Lutz is reported to have witnessed “strange events” as he engineered his train through such a remote countryside.

“It was not uncommon to come across public hangings and to see some unfortunate soul with his neck still in the noose,” the local history book notes.

According to his wife’s journal, William Lutz sold cars on the side and would take orders for a vehicle, and then strike one on the tracks with his locomotive.

“The railroad would pay for the damaged car, Lutz would buy it, have it repaired, and then sell it to his customer,” according to a published account.

William Lutz exhibited a better side of his nature to the family of Ella McDowell in December 1912. Ella had received a handwritten note thrown from the train by Lutz inviting her to ride with him to Tarpon Springs and spend Christmas with his family.

Trains like these helped pave the way to Florida’s future. (Courtesy of Tampa Bay History Center)
Trains like these helped pave the way to Florida’s future.
(Courtesy of Tampa Bay History Center)

The year — 1912 — was also a memorable year for the local residents demanding their own post office.

That was largely because the investors of the North Tampa Land Company.

C.E. Thomas, the company’s president, had been busy marketing “…a vast settlement where folks could buy tracts of land to farm and raise orange groves,” according to the MacManus’ book.

Thomas would eventually build the new post office, and donate land for the wood-frame schoolhouse, cemetery and church. He even provided jobs with his nursery.

But, when postal officials named the new post office “Lutz” on March 27, 1912, they helped cement the memory of the contributions of the two Lutz brothers, in an area still generally known today as North Tampa.

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published November 9, 2016

 

Multi-use trail opens along U.S. 301

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Get ready for a safer—and steeper — ride.

The U.S. 301 Bicycle Pedestrian Trail is complete, allowing for riders to safely navigate through one of east Pasco’s busiest commercial corridors connecting Zephyrhills and Dade City.

The 4.5-mile, 10-foot wide trail — built within the existing road right-of-way on the west side of U.S. 301 — extends from Kossik Road to Dade City Avenue.

Several community leaders were on hand for the trail’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 27 at Grace Baptist Church in Dade City. (Photos courtesy of Richard K. Riley)
Several community leaders were on hand for the trail’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 27 at Grace Baptist Church in Dade City.
(Photos courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) constructed the $2 million trail as part of the larger, $12.5 million U.S. 301 resurfacing project. Construction lasted about 12 months, officials said.

Jim Edwards, Pasco County Transportation planning manager, said the 4.5-mile extension was a difficult undertaking, due to the sharp, rolling hills along U.S. 301.

“This terrain doesn’t make it any easier to construct this particular project,” Edwards said, during a grand opening ceremony on Oct. 27. “ It was challenging, and also a bit more costly than I think it was originally anticipated…”

The multi-use trail was a collaborative effort among several local regional and state agencies, including FDOT, Pasco County MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization), the cities of Zephyrhills and Dade City, and the Dade City and Zephyrhills Chambers of Commerce.

The 4.5-mile segment is a connector to a larger trail network planned for the U.S. 301 corridor that will eventually extend from north of Dade City to the Hillsborough County line south of Zephyrhills.

The 4.5 mile, 10-foot wide U.S. 301 Bicycle Pedestrian Trail extends from Kossik Road to Dade City Avenue. It was built within the existing road right-of-way on the west side of U.S. 301.
The 4.5 mile, 10-foot wide U.S. 301 Bicycle Pedestrian Trail extends from Kossik Road to Dade City Avenue. It was built within the existing road right-of-way on the west side of U.S. 301.

“It’s part of something bigger,” said Edwards. “We’ll have a connected system all the way down towards USF (University of South Florida), and all the way to the Withlacoochee State Trailhead, so this is an element of that — a 4.5-mile element of it.”

The Pasco MPO is currently determining options for extending the trail south of Kossik Road into downtown Zephyrhills. The northern extension of the existing Hardy Trail — from Church Avenue to Lock Street in Dade City — is programmed for construction in fiscal years 2017 and 2018.

“You’ve got to start somewhere, and this is what this trail basically does,” Edwards said. “It provides safety, health benefits, economic benefits, impacts tourism, and recreation. As you amenitize these trails, they practically become linear parks…and they really become more heavily used as time goes by.”

Kathryn Starkey, Pasco Board of County Commissioners chairwoman, one of the key advocates for the multi-use extension, said she expects the trail to be a “very popular” attraction.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, left, called the trail’s completion ‘a celebration of vibrancy.’
Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, left, called the trail’s completion ‘a celebration of vibrancy.’

“I know a lot of people are going to come over and use this, and bring economic benefit to the communities here along the trail,” Starkey said.

She added: “Pasco County is going to be the county in the state that’s known for its trails.”

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez echoed similar statements, calling the trail’s completion a “celebration of vibrancy.”

“This is too cool. This makes us special in Pasco County,” Hernandez said. “This is just a piece of a puzzle that’s so important to Dade City and Zephyrhills, and we just have to continue to put this puzzle together.”

“I think it’s a great asset to our cities — it enhances our cities and our communities,” Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield said.

The trail’s ongoing maintenance costs will shift from FDOT to Pasco County and its cities, officials said.

For more information about transportation planning in Pasco County, visit the MPO website, PascoCountyFl.net.

Published November 2, 2016

Bruce B. Downs widening gets underway

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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

Cyber threats on the rise, expert says

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The global impact of cyber crimes is likely to skyrocket over the next several years, Sri Sridharan, a cyber security expert predicts.

Sridharan, managing director and chief executive officer of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida, was the keynote speaker during the Cybersecurity Symposium at Pasco-Hernando State College, on Oct. 11.

Hacking, he said, continues to be a “serious problem” in the realm of cyber security.

“It’s a huge crime that’s taking place on a daily basis,” Sridharan said. “There’s lots of people wanting to steal your personal information, and steal intellectual property.”

The latest statistics related to cyber crime are staggering.

According to a recent study by Juniper Research, the global impact on cyber crimes was about $400 billion in 2015. By 2019, the market research organization projects the impact will be approximately $2.1 trillion.

“In my opinion, that number is going to be even higher,” Sridharan said. “Every second, at least 22 records are breached. That’s about 2 million (records) per day.”

Courtesy of Florida Center for Cybersecurity Sri Sridharan, is the managing director and chief executive officer of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida.
Courtesy of Florida Center for Cybersecurity
Sri Sridharan, is the managing director and chief executive officer of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida.

Sridharan said hackers often focus on high-value industries — healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services — to access and modify information.

“No longer is this a backdoor problem,” he said. “It’s moved to boardrooms of corporations. Boards of directors now have a fiscal responsibility to make sure the information they have is well protected. Otherwise, they can get sued.”

Yet, many organizations haven’t put safety measures in place to protect against such threats.

A 2016 global economic crime survey by the consulting firm PricewaterHouseCooper (PwC) found that 32 percent of organizations were affected by cyber crime last year. Moreover, the survey found only 37 percent of organizations have a cohesive plan in response to cyber incident, or breach.

“Organizations need to have a plan. That’s extremely important,” Sridaran said.

That starts with practicing what Sridharan refers to as “good cyber hygiene.”

For businesses, that encompasses several steps: use a secure ecommerce platform; deploy SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption; and utilize firewalls, multi-factor authentication and site backups.

“Don’t just have (employees) use a password to get into the system. Have them go through one or two more steps to make…it very difficult for the bad guys to penetrate your system,” Sridharan explained.

In addition to using lengthy, complex passwords, Sridharan recommends individuals stay away from “unfamiliar websites.”

“If it’s not a site that you know, don’t click on it,” he said. “If you’re not careful about the website that you go to, you stand a serious risk of getting breached, or your information stolen.”

The same theory applies to suspicious emails.

“If you don’t know who it’s from, don’t touch it.”

Sridharan noted ransomware — a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid — is currently one of the most pervasive problems in cyber security.

A 2016 report by Cisco Systems Inc. found that approximately 9,500 people pay ransoms to hackers each month.

“This is very prevalent these days. The average target pays $300,” said Sridharan.

“The most important thing you can do is have backups of your system at all times.”

Perhaps a silver lining to the influx of cyber threats is in the job market.

According to Sridharan, there’s a significant demand for cyber security professionals.

He estimates there will be approximately 2.5 million jobs in cyber security over the next two years.

“It’s a hot job market,” he said, “and it’s not going to go away for a long time.”

“There is no comprehensive cyber security solution on the horizon for the next ten years,” he added.

The symposium also featured a presentation on human trafficking online.

Pasco County Sheriff’s Corporal Alan Wilkett, who’s served more than 22 years as a public service official in Indiana, Ohio and Florida, said human trafficking transactions are becoming increasingly prevalent online.

Human trafficking encompasses forced labor, involuntary servitude, and commercial sex.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are approximately 20.9 million victims of human trafficking.

“Selling and auctions are all taking place online,” said Wilkett, a member of the Tampa Bay Regional Human Trafficking Task Force.

The transactions, Wilkett said, are taking place in what’s commonly referred as the dark web, which is only accessible through specific software, called Tor (The Onion Router).

“When you get on there, that’s where (traffickers) hold the online markets,” explained Wilkett. “It’s one of the most diabolical things I’ve ever seen.”

According to Wilkett, the average price for a human being is going for about $90.

“You go to India and you can buy three boys for less than the price of a cow,” he said. “Many of them are bought as child soldiers; some of them are smuggled into the United States and other countries.”

Published Oct. 19, 2016