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LAND O’ LAKES/LUTZ EDITION
MARCH 9, 2016
Connerton Corner to get McDonald’s By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
McDonald’s restaurant is set to open at Connerton Corner in late summer. It is yet another sign that developers are looking north along U.S. 41 to bring retail to Land O’ Lakes, an area where more rooftops are popping up. A groundbreaking for McDonald’s is expected by mid-April, with an opening date slated for late July or early August. Construction crews currently are preparing the site at the entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton, at U.S. 41 and Pleasant Plains Parkway. The site is owned by Orlando-based Connerton Corners LLC, according to Pasco
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County records. For McDonald’s franchise owner, Jose Hernandez, the restaurant will be his 11th restaurant in the Tampa Bay area. His 10th restaurant recently opened at 11367 Ridge Road in New Port Richey.
A dump truck tips a load of dirt onto a vacant lot that in April will be the site for a groundbreaking of a new McDonald’s restaurant, at U.S. 41 and Pleasant Plains Parkway.
Hernandez also owns franchises in Trinity, New Port Richey and Land O’ Lakes. He bought most of his locations in 2014 from Bob Brickman, a long-time franchise See MCDONALD’S, page 11A
Local couple shares passion for fossils By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
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Seina Searle will never forget the first time she and her husband, Mike, went to what was then called Fossil Fair. “We walked around with our jaws open,” Seina said.They were in awe of what fossil hunters could find in Florida. The Searles had already begun their amateur quest to find old bits of bone and teeth in a desire to learn more about Florida’s prehistoric past, but when they got to Fossil Fair, she said, they were blown away by the possibilities. That was 1993, and the Searles immediately joined the Tampa Bay Fossil Club. Flash forward 23 years. Mike is now president of the club, which boasts around 600 members and Seina is on the board of directors. She’s coordinating a team of about 140 volunteers for the 29th annual Tampa Bay Fossil Fest, set for this coming weekend at the Florida State Fairgrounds. They hope the event will spark an interest in others that will lead them to join a community devoted to unearthing clues about the creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago. The couple’s passion for fossils is obvious. An entire room in their Lutz home is filled with shelves of fossils they’ve found while diving in rivers and exploring mines. They have stuff in their garage and out back, too. There’s one section in their fossil room devoted to finds from vacations to Nebraska to go fossil-hunting.They’ve made the trip 19 times and are planning to go there again this year. Their passion has evolved through the years, Mike said.
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WHAT: Fossils, artifacts, minerals, shells, workshops, silent auctions, door prizes, and activities for kids. WHEN: March 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; March 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: Florida State Fairgrounds, intersection of Interstate 4 and U.S. 301, just east of Tampa COST: $7 for adults, free for children 12 and under For more information, visit TampaBayFossilClub.com.
At first, they just wanted to find stuff, he said. “Then we wanted to find good stuff.Then, we wanted to find the most stuff,” he said.
“Sometimes you get wrapped up in what the value of your collection is worth and what you find. We’ve completely gone through all of those emotions. Now, our goal is to find stuff that’s scientifically valuable, that will help unravel the picture of what was in Florida,” he said. Seina is fascinated by what Florida was like millions of years ago. “It was a lot like Africa now,” she said. “You had the mammoths. Mastodons. Rhinoceros. Huge Bears. Lions.” There were armadillos the size of Volkswagens, Mike said. Seina has had a penchant for unearthing buried treasures since her childhood. “I always loved archeology as a kid. I was always digging in the backyard, hoping to find something. I always had that interest,” Seina said. See FOSSILS, page 11A
cater to a changing customer base that includes the Gen Y, or millennial generation. First National Bank of Pasco is ex“It’s not going to look like one of panding into the growing markets of our traditional branches in Zephyrhills central Pasco County. or Dade City,” Hickman said. Bank officials filed an application to Traditional teller lines will be elimiopen their first Land O’ Lakes branch at nated, replaced with “universal” the northeast corner of State Road 54 employees prepared to help with myriand Livingston Road, according to ad of banking, insurance or records filed with the Office of wealth-management needs. Comptroller of the Currency. The number of customers opting It will be the fourth office for First for online and mobile phone banking National, which opened in Dade City in services is increasing, particularly 1986. Two other offices are in among millennials born between 1982 Zephyrhills, in eastern Pasco. and 2000. And, traditional brick-andThe site for the new branch is adjamortar banking isn’t as attractive to cent to Terra Bella, a master-planned young people who grew up in a totally community of single family homes and a digital world. recently completed apartment comThe First National branch will be plex, Alta Terra Bella. And, Tampa full service, but its customers can opt Premium Outlets, The Shops of COURTESY OF FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF PASCO for as much or as little personal service Wiregrass and The Grove in Wesley Steven Hickman is president and chief executive officer as they want. Chapel are all part of the swirl of devel- of the Dade City-based First National Bank of Pasco. The “It’s all going to be a new approach opment activity along State Road 54 and financial institution plans to expand into central Pasco, for us,” Hickman said. State Road 56. Virtual banking is a choice but, he opening its first Land O’ Lakes branch. “We think it’s a very strategic locasaid,“It’s a higher touch if the customer tion for high growth,” said Steven wants it.” Hickman, president and chief executive offi- have met with county planners to discuss First National of Pasco opened in 1986 in cer of First National Bank of Pasco. permitting and construction of the bank Dade City.The bank reported assets of $137 Hickman said other locations would be branch. million and net income of $529,000 in considered for future expansion. Closing on the property is expected by 2015, according to documents filed with The comment period on the bank’s ap- the end of April. Construction would take the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation plication ended March 3. Bank officials also about a year for a bank branch that will (FDIC).
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Winner 2012-2015
29th annual Tampa Bay Fossil Fest
Bank branch to open in Land O’ Lakes By Kathy Steele
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Seina and Mike Searle get a thrill out of finding fossils to help unravel the mysteries of the prehistoric past.