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The Laker/Lutz News has new owner
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Street Media LLC — the parent company of the Village Voice, LA Weekly, Irvine Weekly and Bay Area Marina Times — has acquired The Laker/Lutz News. Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News for 21 years, announced the sale during a companywide staff meeting on Nov. 9. The newspaper and its website have a reach of 150,000 readers and followers in
See former Publisher Diane Kortus' farewell column on page 3A. the communities of Lutz, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Dade City and San Antonio. Brian Calle, Street Media’s publisher and chief executive officer, said he was attracted to the newspaper and its website because of its quality community journalism and its
tremendous potential to expand services. “I am super excited about the Greater Tampa area,” Calle said.“The Greater Tampa area is just growing. I feel like that this community, in particular, has the most potential for growth. “There are so many cool things that are happening. The opportunities are almost endless — you can see that just from driving around. You can see the construction See OWNER, page 9A
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Zephyrhills approves contract for Hercules Park design By Kevin Weiss
FRED BELLET
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
Planning for the redevelopment of Hercules Park in Zephyrhills continues to move forward. The Zephyrhills City Council has granted a contract for the park’s design and construction document services with engineering firm Kimley-Horn, in the amount of $292,985. The agreement, approved on Oct. 25, is within 10% of the park’s estimated probable cost, of $3,386,636. The scope of services includes creating construction documents and doing the permitting, surveying, architectural design and the construction phase services — to implement park elements depicted on the Hercules Park Master Plan, approved by the council. Penny for Pasco revenues are being used to pay for the Hercules Park design. City leaders have been talking for years about the need to spruce up the 12acre park property, at the corner of County Road 54 and Gall Boulevard. Leaders have been pressing for an action plan for vacant park land, which sits next to Zephyrhills High and Woodland Elementary schools.The area once had a popular aquatic center and swimming pool. “I’m kind of glad to get started on this project,” Councilman Lance Smith said, after the council vote. “It’s been a long time coming.” One of the more significant amenities proposed for the project is a BMX (bicycle motocross) track where mountain bike enthusiasts traverse jumps and obstacles, at still-to-be-determined heights and difficulty levels. A rough conceptual sketch plan shows a circuitous riding trail covering roughly 5.29 acres on the southwest corner of the park property. There also are plans to build a more traditional multi-use path that surrounds the perimeter of the mountain bike course to accommodate walkers, joggers and casual bike riders. During a June workshop, several city leaders expressed reservations about dedicating such a large portion of the park for BMX. Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield again raised objections to the BMX conSee HERCULES, page 9A
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Bowling for fun — and for veterans East Pasco Pin Chasers at 6816 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills, was buzzing with activity on Nov. 7, as veterans, family, friends and supporters turned out for the ‘Heroes In Our House BVL’ benefit. The gathering aimed to give people a chance to have good, wholesome fun, while supporting a worthy cause. The Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL) is a nonprofit that provides support for Veteran programs. Those joining the morning session, from left: Will O'Steen, of Zephyrhills, event emcee; Ken Kenyon, of Dade City; Cliff Tucker, of Land O' Lakes; Gene ‘Doc’ Stanek, of Zephyrhills; James ‘Tex’ Myrice, of Dade City; Paul Haney, of Zephyrhills; and Maurice Winpigler, of Tampa. See more photos, page 6A.
Geoff Hopkins, of the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, in Tampa, was delighted by the turnout at the ‘Heroes In Our House’ bowling benefit, at East Pasco Pin Chasers, 6816 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills, on Nov. 7.
A silhouette of Jackie Arnold is created against the bright lane lights, as he pirouettes and delivers his bowling ball in the pocket of a strike. Arnold lives in Zephyrhills.
Pasco clerk takes county to court over budget dispute By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
A budget controversy involving the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s office and Pasco County Commission has landed in court. Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles filed a petition for declaratory and supplemental relief on Nov. 12, in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court. The lawsuit wants the court to determine whether the county may phase-in funding for the multiagency criminal justice information system (CJIS) and whether the county should pay for the increased costs for duplicating court-related operations at the county’s annex court. Alvarez-Sowles reminded the Pasco County Commission, during the board’s Nov. 9 meeting, about a letter she’d sent to them on Oct. 27, asking them to reconsider their budget decisions. She noted that the board had not responded to her letter, had not put the issue on its agenda and had not raised the topic during the meeting. Having exhausted all other options, the clerk said she felt compelled to seek a legal
Nikki Alvarez-Sowles
determination over the issues. “I am confident that my budget request is supported by law,” Alvarez-Sowles said. She told board members:“This is not the conversation I hoped to have. The last thing I want to do is involve the courts
in our dispute. But,Alvarez-Sowles reiterated a position she has taken throughout the controversy: “The clerk’s office budget adopted by the board is inadequate.” Commissioner Mike Moore responded by saying,“I hate that we have to go through this.” Then, he said:“Just a question, if you look at the 2021 budget request, there was no local requirement in there, listed at all.There was no local requirement listed in the ’21 budget, so why was there in ’22?” Alvarez-Sowles said at the time she submitted the budget, she informed county administration that her office would be
doing a “deep dive” into Florida statutes to determine whether there was an issue with revenue sources coming into her office. “The results of that deep dive into Florida statutes was that local requirement in the budget for 2022,” she said. Moore persisted, asking why that wasn’t in the budget before. The clerk responded:“That would be a question for the prior elected officials that were in this position. I can’t answer that question for you.” The lawsuit notes that in December 2016, the clerk helped the county retire the mainframe system by upgrading the 1970s multiagency CJIS to a new system. Before January 2017, the county maintained and paid for the multiagency CJIS, the lawsuit says. After that, the clerk began bearing the costs. “The law is clear that the county is required to pay for the costs of the multiagency CJIS,” the lawsuit says. The county has acknowledged it is required to pay the costs, but County Administrator Dan Biles said the county See COURT, page 9A