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NOVEMBER 4, 2015
Wiregrass Sports Park on new path? By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
The future of the Wiregrass Sports Park is in play, again. A new call for proposals will be issued within the next month seeking developers who want to partner with Pasco County in building and operating a field house for indoor sports such as basketball, wrestling
and volleyball. The project also envisions the potential for four or five outdoor ball fields. And, eventually there could be tourist attractions such as an indoor zipline, indoor skydiving, and a driving range. But, even as the county puts the project out for bid, negotiations are under way on a new proposal from the Porter family, who have played a considerable role in influenc-
ing the development of the area. The family previously owned the land now occupied by The Shops at Wiregrass, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, PascoHernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, as well as residential subdivisions and public schools. The Porters donated more than 200 See PARK, page15A
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OCTOBER 14, 2015
Pasco’s tourism figures are rising By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
When the final tourism numbers are in, Pasco County’s tourism manager believes the county will be issuing a report on a record year for the county. “I’m actually probably going to have a record year, once I see September’s numbers. The average daily room rate is up about 10 percent across the board,” said Ed Caum, tourism manager for Pasco County.“It’s pretty exciting.” FILE PHOTO And, the prospects are bright for even Tree Hoppers is an aerial adventure park in more visitors in the coming year. The county has several new attractions Dade City, giving people of all ability levels
B.C. MANION/STAFF PHOTO
Ed Caum, tourism manager for Pasco County, believes the county is heading
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Opening day a hit Shoppers flock to Tampa Premium Outlets By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Margie Hamman was one of the earliest birds to land at the Tampa Premium Outlets. Almost too early. Her 5:30 a.m. arrival at the fog-shrouded parking lot, off State Road 56, surprised one parking lot attendant who said she should come back later. As she began driving off, a man “in a suit and tie” flagged her down and ushered her back to the parking lot, she said. She was rewarded for early arrival when she came away with a bag full of coveted handbags and the bragging right of being the first customer inside the Coach store when the mall opened at 10 a.m. She got a steal for her 10 designer purses, and then she moved on over to Gap. “I’ll be making a lot of trips to my car,” said Hamman, who drove from Homosassa to her daughter’s home in Odessa the night before.“I’m doing my Christmas shopping.” She was among thousands who thronged the walkways on Oct. 29, the opening day for the highly anticipated outlet mall developed by Simon Property Group. Hamman expects to be back, again and again. The Ellenton Premium Outlets (also a Simon mall) is no longer her go-to destination, especially when she has a daughter living so close to Tampa Premium Outlets. Like Hamman, there are others who will forego outlet malls in Ellenton and Orlando to jingle cash registers in Pasco County instead. The outlet mall will be an economic shot in the arm, Pasco County Commissioner Chairman Ted Schrader, said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We know it’s going to be a very big success, building on this momentum,” he said. “We are so looking forward to shoppers spending so much time in Pasco, maybe looking around, staying and living here.” About 800 people gained full and parttime jobs at the outlet mall, and local labor hired about 500 people to help build it. The outlet mall adds cache to the Tampa Bay region and will help boost tourism, said Ed Caum, Pasco’s tourism manager. Visitors to the area can be expected to spend their money in more than one county and at more than one venue, he said. “It will have a regional influence,” said Caum. “People will fly in to Tampa International Airport. They may stay in Clearwater, but eat at Ulele (in Tampa), and come here to the mall.” Foreign visitors, especially from Canada and Brazil, are frequent shoppers at the Orlando Outlet Mall. And, Caum said Pasco plans to focus some of its marketing on Central and South American countries including Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico. With counties sharing in the tourism
FRED BELLET/PHOTOS
Fountains shoot water into the air as the Market Hall food court towers over the Lagoon Court at the Tampa Premium Outlets.More coverage, page 1B.
pool, Hillsborough County’s tourism agency, Visit Tampa Bay, will include materials on the Tampa Premium Outlets in its marketing packages at an upcoming trade show in London. “Everything that’s in Pasco, we’re going to be working very closely with them,” said Kevin Wiatrowski, regional media relations manager for Visit Tampa Bay. “All of our materials have this built into it along with our regular stuff. It’s an impressive time to be here.” Wesley Chapel resident Rita Faddoul came from Lebanon more than 20 years ago. She remembers when the community had “one store, one light.” Now, she says relatives coming from Europe will enjoy something unique in her neighborhood. “It’s better than the International Mall,” Faddoul said.“I want to stay until midnight.” Cool vibe and good deals The 441,000-square-foot mall, with its Stephen Yalof, chief executive officer of “Key West” décor, will offer more than 100 Premium Outlets for Simon, talks about the See OUTLETS, page15A
opening of Tampa Premium Outlets, located on State Road 56, near Interstate 75.
Pasco County is seeking to fill teacher shortages By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County Schools is hosting a job fair in an effort to fill teacher shortages in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The job fair will be on Nov. 12 from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., in the gymnasium at Wiregrass Ranch High School, 2909 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, according to a district news release. The district is inviting college graduates and soon-to-be graduates to attend the job fair, and it also is extending the invitation not only to education majors, but also to people who have degrees or are seeking degrees in the shortage areas identified. The district has a Professional
Development Certification program, which • Bethune Cookman University allows individuals who possess a bachelor’s • Florida A&M University degree, and who qualify for a temporary cer• Florida Atlantic University tificate under Florida law, to receive • Florida Gulf Coast University professional preparation and experience re• Florida International University quired to earn the Florida Professional • Florida Memorial University Certificate. • Florida State University The district’s benefits and certification • Saint Leo University staff will be at the event to give candidates a • St. Petersburg College better understanding of the process, the • St.Thomas University news release says. • University of Central Florida • University of Florida To make the event even more enticing, • University of Miami those attending the job fair also will be eli• University of North Florida gible to win a pair of tickets for a Tampa • University of South Florida Bay Buccaneers football game and an iPad • University of Tampa Mini. The district has cast a wide net, specifi• University of West Florida cally inviting students from these For more information, visit universities: PascoSchools.org, and click on the job fair • Barry University banner at the top.