The Laker-East Pasco-July 6, 2016

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EAST PASCO EDITION

J U LY 6 , 2 0 1 6

Ceremony honors Vietnam veterans By Kevin Weiss

kweiss@lakerlutznews.com

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It was a day set aside to honor veterans of the Vietnam War, and their loved ones. More than 100 veterans of the Vietnam War, and their families, gathered inside the East Pasco Adventist Academy’s gymnasium on June 27 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Veterans at the ceremony received lapel pins acknowledging their service. Tribute was paid, as well, to the 58, 307 service members who died in the war, as well as the 1,167 still considered missing in action. In his remarks to the audience, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis thanked the veterans for their service and for their sacrifices. Bilirakis, who represents Florida’s 12th District and is vice chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, said two lessons learned from the controversial Vietnam War continually stand out to him:To leave no one behind and to honor the commitment to support war veterans. “The members of the armed services who faithfully served with courage and

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RICHARD K. RILEY

Veteran Air Force Sgt. Robin McIntosh, of Zephyrhills, shows off the lapel pin acknowledging service during the Vietnam War.

honor were caught in the crossfire of public debate regarding the nation’s involvement, and did not receive the welcome home that they deserved,” Bilirakis said. “Our veterans are our heroes — not our movie actors, not our athletes and certainly not our politicians; Americans need to continue to thank veterans on a daily basis,” Bilirakis said. Within the past three years, Bilirakis has introduced two pieces of legislation (COVER Act, PROMISE Act) to help veterans get better access to primary medical care and to address the prevalence of mental health issues amongst veterans. Estimates show that 22 veterans a day commit suicide, with many suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. A survey conducted by the Veterans Administration revealed that some 500,000 of the 3 million troops who served in Vietnam suffered from the condition. Rates of divorce, suicide, alcoholism and drug addiction are also markedly higher among veterans. “It’s awful; we must do something about See VIETNAM, page 11A

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Picnics, parades, fireworks and flag-waving are all a traditional part of Fourth of July celebrations. We, at The Laker/Lutz News, hope you had an enjoyable Independence Day holiday. Please check out our July 13 issues for coverage of Fourth of July festivities.

Pasco seeking diversified growth, speaker says By B.C. Manion

bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

When Bill Cronin took the helm of the Pasco Economic Development Council, he didn’t view himself as being on a rescue operation. “I’m here because we’ve got a good product and a winning team,” said Cronin, who joined the Pasco EDC in January. “This is a community that actually ‘gets’ economic development, so much so that they voted with their wallets to actually fund that, to get some jobs here,” Cronin said, at a recent Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting.The meeting was hosted by the Royal Oak Nursing Center in Dade City. “Voters in Pasco approved Penny for Pasco not once, but twice,” Cronin noted. Part of the tax proceeds supports efforts to stimulate job growth. Without that support, Cronin said he’d be forced to devote more of his energy to raising money for local economic development efforts. Instead, he can focus on recruiting companies and helping existing companies to succeed and expand. Competition is fierce in the quest to attract companies, Cronin said, noting there are roughly 16,000 organizations like his around the country. To have a shot in the economic development game, Pasco first needs to be known by potential companies, Cronin said. That means it must identify itself as being part of the Tampa Bay region, because the region is more widely known, the economic development chief said. After Pasco becomes part of the discussion, Cronin said he works to “differentiate why we’re better than the rest of the Tampa Bay region.” Pasco has its strengths, the economic development expert said.

RICHARD RILEY/PHOTO

From left, John Moors, executive director of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce; Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council; and, Jake Mitchell, administrator of Royal Oak Nursing Center in Dade City.

“Pasco County is in the middle of Florida. We are very strategically located for distribution in a great consumer state. “We’ve got a confluence of several highways, interstates, as well as being pretty close to a port, and a great labor force,” he said. “We’re also right in the middle of the northern and southern portion of the Western Hemisphere, between North and South America.That puts us in another strategic position, as it relates to trade and shipping,” added Cronin, who spent 10 years of his career working in international shipping. To be competitive, it’s important to go after businesses that can thrive in your community’s environment, Cronin said. It’s also important to diversify, he said. “A lot of people think that economic development is recruiting big business, doing

the ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings. It’s all about jobs, capital investment and winning the deal. It’s a competitive sport. “But that, by itself, isn’t going to give us the results that we need,” Cronin said. Roughly 40 percent of Pasco County’s workers commute to work daily, so the county clearly needs to attract some large companies, he said. But, the fact that Pasco has such a sizable work force available is a strength, Cronin said. “So, when I talk to people I tell them:‘Our work force is so good, everybody else wants to hire them,’” he said. Pasco’s economic development efforts must focus on “making sure that we have opportunities at every tier, for every individual See GROWTH, page 11A


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