The LAKER
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J U LY 1 3 , 2 0 1 6
Paper recyclables permitted at curb
By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
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Curbside recycling is expanding. For the first time in Pasco County’s recycling history, newspaper, cardboard and other mixed paper are now eligible for the county’s curbside pickup program. No additional fees will be charged. Residents who pay for twice-a-week trash service already are billed for the recycling service. Items already accepted are aluminum cans, metal food cans, plastic bottles, jars and containers with numbered codes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, and glass bottles and jars in clear, green and brown colors. Now, county officials say residents can drop paper and cardboard into their recy-
cling containers along with the jars, cans and bottles they normally discard. In addition to newspapers, “mixed paper” includes inserts, junk mail, office paper, paper bags and wrapping paper. Cardboard includes shipping containers that have been flattened, cereal boxes, shirt inserts, cardboard tubes and shoeboxes. The Pasco County Commission discussed the addition of paper and cardboard as pickup items at a May 17 workshop, and agreed the change made sense.
It is a good conservation measure, and “reduces and keeps landfill space free for other types of trash that can’t be recycled,” Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said in an email to The Laker/Lutz News. The six haulers who provide trash service to county residents began accepting the expanded list of recyclables effective June 29. Paper and cardboard have been excludSee PAPER, page 11A
Forester’s days are anything but routine By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
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B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
One day, Mona Neville may be riding in an airplane over Pasco County searching for signs of Southern Pine Beetle infestations. Another day, she may be talking to a homeowner who wants to create a stewardship plan for his property, or explaining a cost-share program aimed at encouraging healthier forests. Or, perhaps she’ll be providing technical advice on tree ordinances to local governments or guiding some scouts through some forested land — in their quest to earn a badge. Neville’s job — as the forester for Pasco County — is anything but a 9-to-5 behind the desk routine. In fact, if you call her, chances are she’ll be out in the field. And that’s exactly how it should be, said Neville, who grew up in Wesley Chapel, graduated from Land O’ Lakes High School, and received her bachelor’s degree in forestry management from the University of Florida. “We’re out of the office more than we’re in the office, or we try to be. That’s the whole goal, working with the landowners,” Neville said. She began her career with the Florida Forest Service Withlacoochee Forestry Center, as a state lands forester. She was delighted when she had the chance to return to her roots. She became the forester for Pasco County in January and is stationed in the forest service’s Dade City office. “As the county forester, we help any private landowner with any of their forest management needs,” Neville said. She also can help local governments with urban forestry or parks forestry issues, she said, And, she can advise private landowners on urban landscape issues, she said. “It may be somebody in a development that calls me and it looks like their tree is dying or declining, or they don’t know what type of tree it is, and they want to know
B.C. MANION/STAFF PHOTOS
Jake English and Mona Neville discuss plans for managing English’s pine forest, and also talk over some cost-sharing programs available through Florida Forest Service.
more about it. I’ll go out and see them,” she said. “It could be shade tree calls, or forest health calls,” Neville said. “Some of the bigger developments, that do their own maintenance, will call when they have sick trees,” she said. If a homeowner’s association needs technical advice, she’s happy to provide it. The Withlacoochee District includes Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter and Lake counties, and each county has its own forester. Neville said she’s noticed a growing interest in the preservation of forested lands. “That whole sustainability concept is really starting to come back,” she said. Recently, she made a visit to Jake English’s wooded property in Land O’ Lakes. She was there to help English work on his stewardship plan and to explain some
cost-share programs available through the Florida Forest Service. There were cows grazing on the property. “They go through the pine stand and chew up all of the grass, and mow it for him,” she said. “Florida Forest Service offers several cost-shares, different times a year,” Neville said.Those include programs to prevent the spread of Southern Pine Beetles, to eradicate cogongrass, to thin out pine stands and to replant trees. “This property is due for a thinning, because trees can only grow so much before they’re competing too much for nutrients,” Neville said. “A healthy stand needs to be thinned, usually 15 (years) to 20 years after planting. See FORESTER, page 11A
New hangar coming to Zephyrhills Airport By Kevin Weiss
there,’ and that’s what we can offer.” Nathan Coleman, deputy airA new hanger is being conport manager, called the new structed at the Zephyrhills hangar a “big advantage” for the Municipal Airport for the first time city’s airport going forward. in 16 years. “Each airport is very benefiThe 10,000-square-foot hangar, cial when they have a located on the northwest portion maintenance facility down on of the airport property, broke the field,” Coleman said. “When ground on June 22. commuter traffic or transit traffic Canco General Contractors excomes in, if they have a problem, pects to complete the hangar by they’ll actually have a facility to late October. go to.” The new hangar is owned by Coleman believes the econoThomas and Keith Morrell of TKM my is the main culprit for why a COURTESY OF TKM AVIATION Aviation. new business hangar hasn’t been The new business hangar broke ground on June 22. From left, They recently signed a 30-year built at the airport since JJ lease with the City of Zephyrhills Keith Morrell, John Prahl, Scott McBride, Melonie Monson and Aeronautics came aboard in for roughly $360 per month to use Thomas Morrell. 2000. He noted most of the the land where the hangar is hangars at the airport are citybeing constructed. come in if they had an issue,” Morrell said. owned and rented out by private airplane The hangar will primarily house the “There wasn’t really anybody (at the airport) owners. company’s small piston aircraft mechanic, that could take on that work, and we no“It is exciting, to get a new business maintenance and inspection shop,Thomas ticed that there was a need,” he added. hangar here,” Coleman said. Morrell said. Morrell continued:“Zephyrhills has the TKM Aviation has been operating out of “One of the primary reasons we picked lowest fuel prices in the region, so they get the airport’s Aerocenter, where they’ve Zephyrhills to open a business was there a lot of traffic from people flying their air- leased space since Aug. 2015. was no real maintenance on the field — planes, and you never know what’s going to “We (always) intended to build a hangar, there was not really a shop there that could happen; you try to take off, something See AIRPORT, page 11A be on-call if needed where pilots could breaks and, ‘Hey, you need a mechanic
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com