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EAST PASCO EDITION
Historic election comes to a close By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Votes will be counted on Nov. 8 to determine which candidate will be the next president of the Unites States – Donald J. Trump or Hillary Clinton. But, voters also will choose candidates running for state and local office in Pasco and Hillsborough counties. Absentee and early voting ballots already are being stockpiled in election offices. On election day, both counties will offer free bus rides to people who can show a valid voter information card. In Pasco, early voting began on Oct. 29 at eight locations around the county. Voters
B.C. MANION/STAFF PHOTOS
Yards and rights-of-way are filling up with Trump and Clinton for president signs.
can cast ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at any of those sites until early voting ends on Nov. 5 (Saturday) at 7 p.m. “We’re seeing a good, strong turnout,” said Brian Corley, Pasco’s supervisor of elections. “We’re seeing a lot of energy and
To schedule an appointment, call 813-602-8841.
7209 Green Slope Drive, Zephyrhills
See ELECTION, page 13A
By Kevin Weiss
BayfrontDadeCity.com
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
Member of the Medical Staff at Bayfront Health Dade City.
around the world. Described as “chef-driven” and not the traditional barbecue, Union72’s dishes and sauces are the creation of the restaurant’s chef and pitmaster, Geoff Zukosky. “It’s global barbecue,” said Jeff Martin, co-
Get ready for a safer—and steeper — ride. The U.S. 301 Bicycle Pedestrian Trail is complete, allowing for riders to safely navigate through one of east Pasco’s busiest commercial corridors connecting Zephyrhills and Dade City. The 4.5-mile, 10-foot wide trail — built within the existing road right-of-way on the west side of U.S. 301 — extends from Kossik Road to Dade City Avenue. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) constructed the $2 million trail as part of the larger, $12.5 million U.S. 301 resurfacing project. Construction lasted about 12 months, officials said. Jim Edwards, Pasco County Transportation planning manager, said the 4.5-mile extension was a difficult undertaking, due to the sharp, rolling hills along U.S. 301. “This terrain doesn’t make it any easier to construct this particular project,” Edwards said, during a grand opening ceremony on Oct. 27.“ It was challenging, and also a bit more costly than I think it was originally anticipated...” The multi-use trail was a collaborative effort among several local regional and state agencies, including FDOT, Pasco County MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization), the cities of Zephyrhills and Dade City, and the Dade City and Zephyrhills Chambers of Commerce. The 4.5-mile segment is a connector to a larger trail network planned for the U.S. 301 corridor that will eventually extend from north of Dade City to the Hillsborough
See FLAVORS, page 13A
See TRAIL, page 13A
Get all your favorite local news stories online. COURTESY OF UNION72 BARBECUE
General Manager John Hanley, left, owner Jeff Martin, and chef Geoff Zukosky are getting ready to open Union72 Barbecue at The Shops at Wiregrass.
Bringing ‘world flavors’ to The Shops at Wiregrass Auto Accident? Slip and Fall?
enthusiasm, which is what we expect in a presidential election.” More than 336,000 people are registered voters in Pasco, with nearly 131,000 regis-
Multi-use trail opens along U.S. 301
Ask about same-day appointments.
lakerlutznews.com
NOVEMBER 2, 2016
By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
A new kind of barbecue experience is coming to The Shops at Wiregrass. Union72 Barbecue will open on Nov. 7 with a tantalizing menu of ribs and barbecue, infused with sauces and spices from
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B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
Hockey complex to open in December By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
Florida Hospital Center Ice Facility overview
It’s almost here. The highly-anticipated Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex is slated to open in mid-December. According to Gordie Zimmermann, a developer with Z Mitch, the complex’s “soft opening” may occur somewhere between Dec. 10 and Dec. 15. The facility’s grand opening, he said, will likely be held sometime in early January. In May, officials said the 150,500-squarefoot complex would open in late October. But, weather setbacks and technological hurdles has delayed the $20 million project, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel. Now, the complex is undergoing a “fourto-five week” project-commissioning period. “There’s a lot of things that have to happen,” Zimmermann said of the commissioning period. “There’s a lot of flushing of the big, main pipes.Then they’ve got to test all the controls, and all the motors and compressors.” The complex operates off a single refrigeration package, which also serves as a dehumidification system.The process is multifaceted, Zimmermann said. “The whole system is connected,” Zimmermann said,“so in order for it to be running like a charm, everything has to balance — the ice on all the rinks, (and) the dehumidifiers.” Zimmermann, who helped develop the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, added it typically takes about three to four days to finish a sheet of ice for each rink. Described as the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States, the finished building will house five ice rinks, a
The 150,500-square-foot complex will be the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States.
COURTESY OF FLORIDA HOSPITAL CENTER ICE
The Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex is set to open in mid-December.
multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-squarefoot fitness facility and an indoor sprint track. The multipurpose floor will be used for several sports, including roller hockey, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse and soccer. There also will be a full-service family restaurant on the second floor and five party rooms totaling 17,000 square feet. Once the facility opens to the public, Zimmermann said the “Learn to Skate” program will be offered first, followed by various recreational and in-house youth leagues. Registration for those programs will soon be available on the Center Ice website, Zimmermann said. Meanwhile, other activities — public skating and pickup hockey games — will take place. “The first thing that’s really going to happen in a big way here is the skating,” Zimmermann said.“We have some big group events that are scheduling with us, and then shortly into the February timeframe, we have a lot of tournaments starting up and running all the way through July.” While membership and league fees are See HOCKEY, page 13A
• One Olympic-size rink (200 feet by 100 feet) • Two North American standard-size rinks (200 feet by 85 feet) • One multipurpose sports floor/ice pad-multipurpose pad conversion • A 2,600-square-foot fitness facility • An indoor sprint track and conditioning area • An onsite athletic trainers and sports performance program • Five corporate/birthday party rooms • A family sports restaurant • Private and public locker rooms • A hockey skills training area • A revolving entrance door to control inside temperature environment Florida Hospital Center Ice will have numerous programs and uses, including: • Local, regional, national and international hockey tournaments • University and high school teams’ practices and games • Recreational leagues • Hockey development programs • Roller and street hockey • Camps, clinics, multisport training • Curling • Figure skating • Public skating, birthday parties • Sled hockey • Indoor sports: box lacrosse, volleyball, basketball • Sports Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention programs • Corporate events, public meetings