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MARCH 15, 2017
Golf course could be replaced by houses By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Despite impassioned pleas from residents of Quail Hollow, it appears that the Quail Hollow Golf Course & Country Club soon could give way to residential and retail development. Property owner Andre Carollo, of Pasco Office Park LLC, is proposing to build a maximum of 400 single family homes, 30,000 square feet of office/retail and 10,000 square feet of day care. The golf course is located on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel. More than 20 residents attended a public hearing of Pasco County’s Development Review Committee on March 9 in Dade City. Committee members agreed to recommend approval of the project to the Pasco
County Commission. County commissioners will have another public hearing, where they will make the final decision. Many residents speaking in opposition to the proposal said they bought their homes decades ago when it was marketed to them as a golf course community, with large lots, ranging from 1 acre to 3 acres. Land use attorney Barbara Wilhite said the golf course – built in the 1960s – predated the home sales. There never was a master-planned golf course community, said Wilhite, who represents Pasco Office Park LLC. The golf course shut down in 2008 and reopened in 2011. Its website touts Quail Hollow as “more than just a golf course” with a restaurant and banquet facilities for weddings, parties and special events.
Residents are worried about losing their rural enclave. But, they also raised issues about ongoing flooding in the neighborhood and concerns about increased traffic. Boom Boom Drive currently is the only access road off Old Pasco Road into the golf course. A traffic engineer for Pasco Office Park described intersection improvements that would add right- and left-hand turns on Old Pasco to improve traffic flow. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2019, about the time new residents would be moving into their homes. Flooding already is a chronic problem for homeowners, said Edward Glime, who lives in the area. “We can’t stop them from building on See COURSE, page 13
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Paulie Palooza will be playing at a new venue this year. The event is scheduled for March 18 at the Zephyrhills Community Event Venue. It will feature live bands, vendors, a silent auction and more. Proceeds benefit Gulfside Hospice.
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bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
When people gather this year to check out the music at the fifth annual Paulie Palooza, they’ll be arriving at a new event venue. This year, the bands will be performing at the Zephyrhills Community Event Venue, at 5200 Airport Road. The bands will start playing March 18 at
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Palooza. The event also features local vendors, silent auctions, a car show, food and drawings, said Kirsty Churchill, of Gulfside Hospice. The cost for admission is $5, and those attending are encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Event proceeds support hospice patient care in Pasco County through Gulfside See PALOOZA, page 13
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COURTESY OF AMANDA FAINT
The Land O’ Lakes High School Science Olympiad Club has advanced to the Florida Science Olympiad State Tournament, on March 25 at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. The club is sending two teams (of 15 students each) to the competition. During Science Olympiad, the teams will engage in hands-on, interactive, inquiry-based activities that are lab-based, research-based, or pre-built. There are 23 different events, with subjects ranging from physics, chemistry, earth space science, biology and engineering.
Local science club reaches state finals By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
The Land O’ Lakes High School Science Olympiad Club has reached the state finals for the third year in a row. Moreover, it’s the first year that two of the club’s teams — consisting of 15 students each — have advanced to the Florida Science Olympiad State Tournament. This year the event is set for March 25, at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. The club’s achievements are notable,
particularly considering that it is just four years old. Team Exdee and Team Natural Selection, made up primarily of International Baccalaureate (IB) students, will compete against 40 teams from across Florida. Both Land O’ Lakes squads qualified after finishing in the top six in a field of 47 regional teams at the Western Regional Science Olympiad, held Feb. 4 at Hillsborough Community College-Brandon. A third team — Andromeda — finished 11th at the regional event.
Land O’ Lakes High School is the only public high school in Pasco County to reach the state competition this year. Now, with multiple teams in the fold, the club is eyeing the possibility of a better showing than its 11th place finish last year. “I think it’s about improvement,” said Amanda Faint, the club’s sponsor, who teaches chemistry at Land O’ Lakes High. “We know how we did at regionals. We know states is tougher, so if we can...stick See SCIENCE, page 13