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Athletes ‘swoop’ l l in for world a s ’ t I championships By Michael Murillo
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mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
Imagine hurling toward the Earth at nearly 90 mph, then negotiating your way over land and water while you skim across the surface, before landing back on solid ground and tumbling to an abrupt stop. Now imagine doing it on purpose, over and over again. Canopy piloting, also known as swooping, is a form of skydiving where jumpers maneuver through a course upon their descent as they make contact with the ground. And it isn’t just a growing activity. It’s a full-fledged competitive sport, with international championships and competitors from dozens of countries vying for gold. The 5th World Canopy Piloting Championship will be Nov. 4-6 at Skydive City, 4241 Sky Dive Lane in Zephyrhills. It’s the first time the world championships have been held in the United States, and is expected to attract more than 100 competitors representing nearly 30 countries. Swooping is more than just a competition of rare skills, said T.K. Hayes, president and general manager of Skydive City. It’s the most audience-friendly form of skydiving around. “All the action happens in the last 10 seconds of the skydive, close to the ground,” Hayes said.“It is totally a spectator sport.” For the November event, a tent close to the swoop pond, where athletes will make contact, will have visitors just 50 feet from the action. The World Canopy Piloting Championship is held every two years and is sanctioned by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the international governing body that covers aviation competitions, including skydiving, ballooning and even airplanes. Following the last championship, Hayes heard that nobody had yet applied to host the 2014 event. He threw his hat into the ring, then fended off a bid from a city in Russia to host it. Afterward, the Pasco County Tourist Development Council chipped in $15,000 for advertising and promotion for the event, which Hayes estimates will cost around $100,000 to put together from start to finish. While athletes will travel across the globe to compete at the event, one of them See SWOOP, page 6
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COURTESY OF RANDY SWALLOWS
Florida resident and reigning national champion Tommy Dellibac will be among the competitors vying for gold at the World Canopy Piloting Championships in Zephyrhills.
Both want jobs, but disagree on how to get them Veterans serve those who have served
By Michael Hinman
mhinman@lakerlutznews.com
One of the biggest challenges facing the Pasco County Commission in recent years is how to create more jobs here, and not force nearly half the population to travel elsewhere to find work. It’s likely a problem that won’t be fixed over the next four years, but that hasn’t stopped the two candidates looking for a seat on the commission to share their ideas on how it might happen.They are just quite different. Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg both want to succeed the retiring Pat Mulieri on the commission, and both believe it’s jobs and growth that will finally put them on the dais. “Penny for Pasco is giving us $45 million for economic development, and those dollars need to be put to work,” Moore said during a recent candidate forum at Lexington Oaks in Wesley Chapel.“I know the (Pasco Economic Development Council) has some ideas on how to put those dollars to work, and I have some of my own ideas.” The Pasco EDC has long taken a position of working to attract big employers to the county, competing with Hillsborough, Pinellas and even Polk counties, to get companies here. Earlier this year, Pasco EDC president and chief executive John Hagen suggested using some Penny for Pasco money to assemble chunks of land and make it ready for a large employer. Companies like Amazon and BristolMyers Squibb could have brought many high-paying jobs to the county if they had chosen Pasco over Hillsborough, Moore suggested. “We need to incentivize those companies to come into the area,” he said.“When you bring in large companies, that helps some of the smaller businesses, too.You’re going to have more people eating at restaurants, and they will have the money to buy
Business Center provide lowcost commercial space for upstarts, as well as advisory help from business experts to help those companies become profitable. “They are resource centers for these small businesses, and they have training available to help make these businesses successful,” she said. “We should be taking these Penny for Pasco dollars and investing them in provable strategies that we know work here, and which will benefit Pasco residents.” Because of his own background starting and running companies, Moore said he’s perfect to talk to chief execuMICHAEL HINMAN/STAFF PHOTO tives of larger companies, and Mike Moore, left, and Erika Remsberg both want to succeed promoting the county to Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission. Moore has them. Pasco’s push to bring raised nearly $132,000 in his effort, while Remsberg, who tourism-related amenities like has raised slightly more $7,700, wants to be the first the proposed 20-field baseDemocrat on the commission since 2010. ball complex by Blue Marble Strategic in Wesley Chapel goods at mom and pop stores. We need to will make it easier to sing those praises. keep the economic engine going.” “We need to gamble, we need to show But the county has had little luck in them our area and how all these people are bringing those companies here, Remsberg excited about it,” Moore said. “We want to said. Instead, millions of taxpayer dollars create lots of opportunities for people who have been put aside for companies like T. want to come here.” Rowe Price, who was supposed to bring But the work to wine and dine execu1,600 jobs on the promise of a $30 million tives, and to compete with neighboring commitment from the county, only to counties, carries a hefty price tag, Remsberg change its mind a few years later. said. “It’s very expensive to do that, and more “The consulting fee alone could’ve often than not, the projects do not work helped Meals on Wheels feed the 200 homeout,” Remsberg said.“It’s an expensive gam- bound elderly people who are going ble that we should not be taking and using without food right now,” she said.“We need the minimal dollars we already have.” a steady stream of qualified workers, and we Instead, Remsberg suggests the county need comprehensive public transportation take cues from the Pasco EDC and the com- so that we are able to move those people munities of Dade City and New Port Richey around.” to fund more small business incubators. Voters will decide between Moore and Facilities like the one at the Dade City Remsberg Nov. 4.
By Michael Murillo mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
When military veterans were asked what type of information they wanted from a school or university, the top answer wasn’t information about graduation rates or estimates regarding student loan debt. It wasn’t even information about what credits earned in the military would be accepted by the institution. Those were important, of course. But according to a U.S. Government Accountability See VETERANS, page 6
FRED BELLET/PHOTOS
The Oct. 4 Mud Run raised money for Saint Leo University’s Veteran Student Services.