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MARCH 18, 2020
Coronavirus causes big disruptions
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
The ever-evolving threat posed by coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has forced schools across Florida to shut down, blocked visitors from nursing homes, caused wide-ranging travel and event cancellations, and stripped grocery aisles — especially of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Locally, parents of students in the Pasco and Hillsborough county school districts are bracing to prepare for an extended state-ordered spring break.
The Diocese of St. Petersburg also closed schools and early childhood centers through March 20.The diocese already had scheduled March 16 and March 17 as days off for students.Virtual learning will be conducted March 16 through March 20, according to a Diocese news release. The additional school closures have left thousands of families scrambling to arrange child care, although the impact may be lessened to some degree as many companies are asking workers to work at home, if possible. The World Health Organization has de-
clared COVID-19 a pandemic; President Donald Trump has declared a national state of emergency. Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state emergency, and Hillsborough and Pasco counties have declared local states of emergency. As of the morning of March 16, there had been four deaths reported in Florida linked to COVID-19, according to the Florida Health Department, which is the lead agency responding to the threat. The health department also reported See CORONAVIRUS, page 11A
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The Roaring ’20s return Downtown Zephyrhills transformed back into the wild decade of gangsters, flappers, sparkles, feathers – and tin can tourists. The 110th Founder’s Day Parade & Heritage Festival, on March 7, was themed ‘The Roaring ’20s: Glitz, Glam and Tin Cans.’ This year’s event featured over 80 vendors, a kid-friendly zone, live music, storytelling presentations, a police K-9 demonstration and, of course, the iconic parade. Above, Jim Bliss, a bartender with Zephyrhills Elks Lodge 2731, portrays a bartender during the Prohibition era, as he rides in the Elk’s parade float during the 110th Founder’s Day Parade & Heritage Festival. This year’s festival theme was about the Roaring ’20s. Bliss is a snowbird from Michigan, who lives part-time in Zephyrhills. For more coverage on this story, turn to page 1B.
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The LAKER WESLEY CHAPEL/NEW TAMPA EDITION
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The site is located at the corner of of heading toward a construction start Magnolia Boulevard and Wesley Chapel Amici Plaza in spring with an opening likely Boulevard, which is also known as County ksteele@lakerlutznews.com by the end of 2016. Road 54. Pasco County records show a conceptual Pasco County is moving forward with acOwners of Amici Pizza & Deli are planthe plan with about 3,000 square feet for Road ning to build a new stand-alone restaurant, for quisition of right-of-way along County restaurant, and about 1,800 square feet 54 to prepare for the expansion of the twowith additional retail space, on Wesley retail. the lane road into a four-lane road at Chapel Boulevard. “We’d like to have our own building and 54 junction of State Road 56 and State Road The new restaurant is a short distance a bigger kitchen,” said Andrea Mannino. from the existing Amici restaurant in Grand No decisions have been made on the adSee PIZZA, page 13A Oaks Square, at Wesley Chapel and Pet Lane. ditional retail space, he said. Andrea and Josephine Mannino, are
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JANUARY 27, 2016
Pasco administrator to retire in
By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker expects to be very busy over the next year and a half. She’ll be crossing off a to-do list, one by one, before leaving in 2017 to go on a lengthy road trip with her husband. The couple will hit the road with their recreational vehicle and their motorcycles, on a tour of as many baseball parks and national parks as they can squeeze into a year. “That’s been our dream,” Baker said, so letting her contract lapse in July 2017 makes sense. But, don’t expect a lame duck administrator. “There’s no kicking back here,” Baker said.“This isn’t me slowing down. ” Baker has told Pasco County commissioners she won’t seek renewal of her current two-year contract, which makes her
2017
last day July 9, 2017. the jail and construction of new fire stations By then, Baker will • Relocating have worked 35 years central Pasco more government offices to in public service, 24 Baker also plans to fill vacancies for a of those years with few key leadership positions that remain, Pasco County. cluding an assistant county administrator infor Her to-do list, in public safety and administration. short form, includes: Progress has been made, Baker said, but • Completing mas- government services still could be more ter plans and updates customer-friendly. for storm water, solid A culture that was decades in the waste and tourism making is being changed, she said.“You don’t • Funding and building a diverging get to dia- turn a canoe.You’re turning mond road design to ease traffic congestion a ship.” Public service wasn’t Baker’s first at State Road 56 and Interstate 75 career choice. • Completing the State Road 56 extenOver the years she worked sion as a waitress, • Nurturing SunWest Park, the county’s flight attendant and a theater manager. She also served in the U.S.Air Force Reserve. fledgling aqua park Her undergraduate degree was in • Replacing and repairing aging busiinfra- ness administration. structure and roads damaged by the It wasn’t until she accepted a secretarial summer flooding • Making progress on the expansion of See RETIRE, page 11A Michele Baker
Kumquats reign supreme at area festival By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
®
Saturday, January 30, 2016 9 AM - 5 PM Historic Downtown Dade City
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WESLEY CHAPEL/NEW TAMPA
Amici Pizza plans stand-alone location
Mark Pizzurro, Joe Traina and Peter Abreut
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The first kumquat tree in St. Joseph took root more than 100 years ago, when C.J. Nathe planted it in his backyard. He added a few more, and soon he had small grove on an acre of fertile ground. a The kumquat king, as Nathe was later dubbed, transformed a quiet back road community into the Kumquat Capital of the World. An open house will take place on Jan. and Jan. 29 at the Kumquat Growers 28 packi h d
Margie Neuhofer and her h
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Dressed appropriately for this year’s Founder’s Day Parade & Heritage Festival’s theme – ‘The Roaring ’20s: Glitz, Glam and Tin Cans,’ David Schall of Wesley Chapel, and his wife Nicole, share a moment on Fifth Avenue, as they make their way around the festival. Earlier, the Schalls were seen in the parade – in Nicole’s sublime green 1929 Ford Model A.
At her first Zephyrhills Founder’s Day Parade, Jacqueline Pruden, a snowbird from Michigan, who lives part-time in Zephyrhills, patiently awaits the arrival of the next parade float near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street. Pruden said she was happy to finally attend the event, and was enjoying collecting beads and candy that were being tossed around.
Main Street Zephyrhills Dade City garners statewide recognition flood relief
By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
Main Street Zephyrhills annually puts on some of the city’s largest and most popular downtown events, such as the Festival of Lights, the Founder’s Day Parade & Heritage Festival, Music & Motorcycles, and others. The 501c3 nonprofit, too, has been a crucial component in several large public projects of late — cultivating interactive art murals and mounting wireless electronic speakers downtown to serve up daily music for pedestrians, for example. It also works with city leadership on other initiatives, such as installing public Wi-Fi downtown and more public park benches. The organization’s varied efforts have not gone unnoticed: It recently was designated Florida Main Street Program of the Month by Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee. The selection was based on its development achievements and participation in the Florida Main Street program. Since its founding in 1994, Main Street Zephyrhills has reported more than $19.5 million in public and private reinvestment, more than 1,000 new jobs, and 185 new businesses within its district boundaries. It
also has accumulated more than 26,000 volunteer hours. “I am so impressed by Main Street Zephyrhills’ growing success,” Lee said, in a release.“Their district continues to build on the community’s assets to celebrate and recognize their distinctive history and heritage.” The monthly honor is believed to be the first for Main Street Zephyrhills, according to the organization’s coordinator, Anna Stutzriem. “I was just floored when they called and told me about it,” she said. Under Stutzriem’s leadership, Main Street Zephyrhills has seen business and residential membership increase more than 10-fold in the last 2 ½ years, rising from seven members to 82. Last year, the organization achieved national accreditation by the Main Street America program “for generating impressive economic returns, preserving community character, and celebrating local history.” Stutzriem began as a Main Street volunteer about five years ago, working her way from board member to coordinator — the
See MAIN STREET, page 11A
in final stages
By Brian Fernandes bfernandes@lakerlutznews.com
Construction is nearing completion on a project in downtown Dade City — which aims to address flooding that plagued the area for years. The project involves installing new underground stormwater piping. The concrete pipeline has been lengthened longer than its initial 2,400-linear-foot projections, said Abu Nazmurreza, Dade City’s public works director. New curb drains also have been incorporated. These improvements will ease the flow of rainwater as it goes down the piping system, passing U.S. 98 and the CSX railway, to the east. The water is then stored in Irvin Pond. The new system runs from Seventh Street’s intersections with Church Avenue and Pasco Avenue. Then it heads east on Pasco Avenue to Third Street, before heading See FLOOD, page 11A