The LAKER
ee r F
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
EAST PASCO EDITION
JUNE 7, 2017
Pasco projects axed by Gov. Scott By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Signs of a heart attack are rarely this obvious. During a heart attack, every minute matters. So, know the warning signs. If you experience them, call 911. And count on the Nationally Accredited Chest Pain Center at Bayfront Health Dade City for emergency heart care.
13100 Fort King Road, Dade City, FL 33525
BayfrontDadeCity.com
Check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ LakerLutzNews
You’ll find stories, things to do, specials, community photos and more. Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
Gov. Rick Scott signed an $83 billion budget for 2018 and used his veto pen to slash nearly $22 million earmarked for Pasco County projects. In total Scott struck out nearly $410 million from local projects across Florida. Pasco lost about $15 million for a new interchange to connect Overpass Road with Interstate 75, and $4.3 million for the Thomas Varnadoe Forensic Center for Education and Research. The interchange would be a major link in providing more access to Wesley Chapel and east Pasco, where residential and commercial development is booming.
A groundbreaking and dedication ceremony was held in May for the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field, located in Land O’ Lakes, near the planned forensic center. The body farm and forensic center would become the seventh in the nation Gov. Rick Scott to study body decomposition as a tool in solving crimes, and identifying victims of murder or other trauma. The forensic center is planned jointly with Pasco County, the Pasco County
Sheriff’s Office, Pasco-Hernando State College and the University of South Florida’s Institute for Forensics and Applied Science. Two budget items totaling nearly $1 million to clean out and repair the county’s culverts, and ease the threat of flooding are gone as well. The Pasco County Fair Association also lost about $860,000 for proposed upgrades to the Pasco County Extension Office.And, Saint Leo University won’t get $4 million for a proposed Florida Hospital Wellness Center. Scott had a joint press conference on June 2 with Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran, a Republican from Land O’ Lakes, See PROJECTS, page 11A
Retirement ‘bittersweet’ for police chief By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
After 25 years of service, former Zephyrhills Police Chief David Shears is settling into retirement life. Throughout a respected career, Shears at some point worked every hour of the day, every day of the week and every day of the year. Now, he gets to relax. His last day in uniform was May 31. To Shears, stepping away from law enforcement altogether is “bittersweet.” “You enjoy the job, and enjoy doing the work and everything,” he said, “but, also I think with veteran officers there comes a point it’s time to move on and let the next generation come in. “For me personally, my goal was to get my 25 years in here at the police department.” He’ll most cherish memories of his time on patrol. “The biggest thing I am going to miss is actually being out there working with the community as a cop on the street; that was something I enjoyed,” he said. Shears, 54, exits the department satisfied, with what he considers a job well done. “I can walk out with my head up high, feeling good about the agency and everything that we did here,” he said. Zephyrhills leaders agree. City Manager Steve Spina shared his appreciation for Shears’ service, during a May 22 city council meeting. Spina said,“Chief Shears led his department — and the men and women working there — with quiet resolve, moral integrity and high ethical standards.While every department and every organization experiences turbulence and some level of discord, never in his tenure as chief were
No Fees Or Costs Unless You Win
KEVIN WEISS
David Shears retired as Zephyrhills Police Chief on May 31. He spent 25 years in the department, moving up the ranks from patrol officer to detective, sergeant and captain.
there any ethical or moral lapses that compromised or embarrassed his coworkers, the city of Zephyrhills or his community.” Other councilmen expressed similar sentiments. “He has been a leader, and he has taken this city and molded it into a safe, protected city,” Council president Alan Knight said. “He’s really just somebody that I want to tip my hat to.” “He’s just been a tremendous part of this city,” Councilman Charles Proctor said.“He’s helped transform our police department into the modern police department that it is today; he’s left it in great hands.” Shears is often described as ‘a cop’s cop.’ A native of Flint, Michigan, Shears relocated to Florida in 1982. Prior to joining the force, Shears worked in internal security, and then became an electrician. Law enforcement, however, was his true See CHIEF page 11A
A portion of Eighth Street—from North Avenue to Henry Drive—has been renamed Chief Shears Way, an honorary designation for the outgoing Zephyrhills Police Chief. The council unanimously approved the measure May 22.
A ‘Safe Place’ for Dade City
HOLLIDAY KARATINOS
By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
LAW FIRM, PLLC HelpingInjuredPeople.com Call Attorney
JIM HOLLIDAY FILE
“I Will Aggressively Fight To Protect Your Legal Rights”
813-868-1887 OR
352-597-0009
B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
Kevin Guthrie, Pasco County director of emergency services, gave a storm update at a press conference in 2016.
Pasco launches new alert system By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County has launched a new system called Alert Pasco, which allows residents to be notified of emergencies, such as wildfires and hurricanes. Residents can sign up for the alerts by using the county’s mobile application, MyPasco. Pasco County officials introduced this new “mass notification tool” at a press conference in New Port Richey on May 31, one day before the start of hurricane season. “This allows us to put out information in See ALERT, page 11A
The door is always left open — until someone is in danger. It’s called “Safe Place.” And it’s situated directly inside the lobby of the new Dade City police station, at 38030 Meridian Ave. While “Safe Place” signage was installed just last month, the 8-by-12 room has been operable since the 12,000-square-foot building opened in January 2016. Geared toward protecting against domestic violence incidents, citizens seeking shelter from danger, abuse or both can enter the chamber and simply shut the door. Once closed, the room locks, dispatch is alerted and a Dade City police officer is summoned from an adjacent back door. The area, replete with comfortable lounge chairs, is soundproof and bulletproof. It’s under video surveillance, too. In domestic incidents, an officer intervention is required before an individual may exit, said Brian Uppercue, the department’s spokesman. “Once that door is closed, there’s no way for them to get out, even if they had a change of heart,” Uppercue said. “We’ve had a couple uses for it already,” added Dade City Police Chief Ray Velboom. Fingerprinting and noncustodial interviews— of victims and witnesses — are also conducted inside the “Safe Place” confines. According to Uppercue, the space supplements the department’s ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ interview rooms, specifically in complex cases,“to keep all the parties separate.” That way, folks aren’t passing through “the belly of the police department.”
KEVIN WEISS
Signage went up last month for ‘Safe Place,’ an 8-by-12 room designed for citizens seeking shelter from danger, abuse or both.
Besides dire instances, the “protected” area is also employed for property returns and pickups. The “Safe Place” concept materialized in the station’s design phase a few years ago, Velboom said. In the old building, at 38042 Pasco Ave., residents often would file police reports in the lobby. “There was no place to talk to those folks, so they were being interviewed right out in the lobby, in the open,”Velboom said. “We wanted...something that was a little more secure, a little more private.” The idea follows another public-use offering, initiated by the department. See SAFE PLACE, page 11A