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Dining and shopping options expand, near Wesley Chapel By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic have forced businesses to shutter, and others to regroup — but activity continues to hum along at the Cypress Creek Town Center, near Wesley Chapel. Located at Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 56, the outdoor mall features a broad array of shops, restaurants, stores and a hotel on the north side of State Road 56. Meanwhile, across the way, on the south side of State Road 56, Tampa Premium Outlets occupies a large chunk of real estate, but is surrounded by free-standing restaurants, big box stores, an entertainment venue and other things. The assortment of places to eat, drink, shop and have fun continues to grow. The newest development is a massive
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Crews are busy working on this massive store that offers a wide assortment of hardsurface flooring materials. A nearby sign says it’s coming soon.
Floor & Décor, now under construction at 25737 Sierra Center Blvd. Crews were busy painting an exterior wall recently, and a sign hung on a chainlink fence made this promise: Coming soon. Floor & Décor, headquartered in Atlanta,
offers a wide assortment of in-stock, hardsurface flooring, including tile, wood, laminate/luxury vinyl plank, and natural stone, along with decorative and installation accessories. A number of other new businesses have opened nearby, or are expected to open soon. They include: • Pure Hockey, 25629 Sierra Center Blvd., sporting goods store that specializes in hockey gear • La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Decor, a 13,560-square-foot store at 25960 Sierra Center Blvd. • Five Guys, a restaurant specializing in handcrafted burgers and fresh fries, at 25598 Sierra Center Blvd. • Crumbl Cookies, a dessert shop offerSee OPTIONS, page 11A
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A ‘Festival of Scarecrows’
There were plenty of fun activities to do at the Scarecrow Festival, held on Oct. 10, at the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village. This scarecrow seems to enjoy hanging out near the livestock. Guests could make their own scarecrow, participate in costume contests, enjoy live entertainment, a petting zoo and so much more. For more photos, see Page 10A.
Pasco County’s COVID-19 cases surpass 10,000 mark By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
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As Pasco County’s COVID-19’s positive cases surpassed the 10,000-mark, local officials continue to consider their best responses to the threats. The Pasco County Commission and the Pasco County School Board were both scheduled to take up the issue during their meetings on Oct. 20, which occurred after The Laker/Lutz News’ deadline. Pasco County commissioners were expected to hear an update on local COVID-19 conditions, from the health officer for Department of Health-Pasco County, during the board’s morning session. During a September update, Mike Napier, the public health officer for Pasco County told the board he realized there was significant interest on when it would be appropriate to lift mask mandates and social distancing restrictions. At that time, he told them the best time would be when a vaccine was available, or medication was available to treat it.
From a practical standpoint, though, he told commissioners that the positive cases would need to be lower — and he said he would report back in October. Napier also told commissioners that he’s on regular conference calls with health officers and county officials around the region, and they were leaning toward trying to come up with a regional response to the issue of face coverings. The idea is to come up with a consensus on the numbers and benchmarks to use, and to consult with academics to determine the approach, Napier said. Presumably, the presentation at the board’s Oct. 20 meeting provided an update on those issues. Meanwhile the Pasco County School Board was set to take up the issue of masks and other personal protective equipment during its afternoon workshop on Oct. 20. Board members were expected to consider a proposed rule change that would require mask or face coverings for everyone on a school campus, through the end of the 2020-2021 school, in the interest of protecting the health and welfare of students, staff and visitors. The proposed rule also calls for observing social distancing, washing hands frequently and using other personal protective equipment, as may be necessary. The workshop session is a discussion only, the issue will come back for a formal vote at a later meeting. The local government boards are considering these issues at a time when Pasco See COVID, page 11A
Pasco County approves tourism marketing study By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
The Pasco County Commission has approved spending $48,000 for an economic impact study related to tourism. During the board’s Oct. 6 meeting, commissioners approved a consulting services agreement with Downs & St. Germain Research Inc. (DSG), to perform the analysis. The company, a market research firm based in Tallahassee, specializes in developing marketing and strategic
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recommendations from survey results and focus groups through tourism studies such as visitor tracking, potential visitor research, branding research, event research, return on investment research and other methods, according to agenda backup materials. The consulting company has substantial experience in Florida tourism market research. Commissioners previously approved an agreement with the market research company, known as DSG, on Jan. 23, 2018, to conduct the county’s first Visitor Profile and
Economic Impact Study of Tourism. Since then, the research company has partnered with several events organizations, tourism attractions, venues, and short-term rental accommodations to run face-to-face, phone and online surveys to Pasco County visitors.As a result of these interviews, DSG has been able to profile visitors coming to our destination and quantify the economic impact that the tourism industry brings to Pasco County, according to the agenda item. See TOURISM, page 11A
A chance to tell your neighborhood’s story By Mary Rathman mrathman@lakerlutznews.com
Hillsborough County’s Office of Neighborhood Relations is now accepting applications for the 2021 Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program. During this application period, the program features new project categories that are aimed at bringing neighbors together and boosting community pride. The program provides up to $5,000 of funding for neighborhood organizations that want to strengthen and engage their communities through innovative and creative community projects. The new categories are: • Neighborhood Identification • Leadership Empowerment • Safety Opportunities and Education • Environmental Enhancements • Health and Wellness Engagement • Emergency Preparedness • Neighborhood and Community Innovation. Applicants are encouraged to be innovative and original, and to select a project that is creative, engaging, enduring, and unites the community. Neighborhood, civic, homeowner, and crime watch associations in Hillsborough County that are registered with the Hillsborough County Office of Neighborhood Relations are eligible to apply.That also includes the associations in Temple Terrace,Tampa and Plant City. Prior to submitting an application, applicants are strongly encouraged to participate in a mini-grant training session webinar, which is a comprehensive review of the application, grant criteria and projects that qualify for the mini-grant. Organizers also must answer questions about the program. Webinars will be announced at a later date, online at HCFLGov.net/Neighborhoods. The deadline to apply for a mini-grant is at 5 p.m., Dec. 4. Visit tinyurl.com/yybu9ddc for more on the grant application process, the requirements, and to complete the application. For information, call the Office of Neighborhood Relations at (813) 272-5860.