 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Zephyrhills cloaked in more citified garb
© St. Petersburg Times As a newly minted "urbanized area," Zephyrhills tackled an array of big-city problems and issues during 2002. The city, which met the U.S. Census requirement of "densely settled territory that contains 50,000 or more people," welcomed a new police chief and a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Officials created strategies to accommodate new development and saw plans for a historic city center begin to materialize with the establishment of the first locally owned downtown restaurant in years. Residents faced tragedies such as the shooting death of a local jewelry store owner by a sheriff's deputy and a plane crash that killed two people. So much for a sleepy, small-town way of life. "I think we're still keeping the flavor of a small town, but I think we're definitely seeing some of the problems that come with the kind of growth we've been having," City Manager Steve Spina said. But he noted some advantages to the changes, too. "The positives are it brings more jobs and more opportunity for the people who do live here," Spina said. "I guess there's a little bit of give and take." The Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in September on U.S. 301 with great fanfare. The 205,000-square-foot store employs 493 people and sells all sorts of products -- from prescription eyeglasses to frozen food and bicycles. Sales started with a bang at the store's grand opening, and steady streams of shoppers continue to file in at all hours of the day. Hialeah police Capt. Jerry Freeman beat out 73 other candidates to become the Zephyrhills' new police chief after longtime leader Robert Howell retired in September. Development, always an issue in Pasco County, seemed to take on added importance this year among city officials. Knowing that rapid growth is on the horizon, the city held several visioning sessions to get residents' opinions about issues such as traffic and development concerns. City Council members got behind the idea of offering incentives to lure new businesses, and the Zephyrhills Main Street Organization commissioned a $40,000 study on ways to revitalize the downtown. The opening in September of Manolo's Italiano Ristorante on Fifth Avenue fit right into that vision. One restaurant chain took notice of growth in the city, too. Chili's Grill & Bar has expressed interest in opening a store on U.S. 301 -- not far, of course, from Wal-Mart. In May, a deputy dispatched to check on Sharleen "Sally" Jones, who was feared to be suicidal, shot and killed the woman in a standoff in a jewelry store. Pasco sheriff's Deputy Erica Fernandez found Jones, wife of Dan's Fine Jewelry owner Byron Jones, standing behind a counter, her arms by her side, holding a handgun. When Jones raised the gun, authorities said, Fernandez fired, and Jones died later at East Pasco Medical Center. Authorities cleared Fernandez of any wrongdoing, but Jones' family has taken steps toward suing. Some residents were awakened early on Sept. 1 when a plane bound for Pennsylvania crashed about a half-mile from Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, where it had just taken off. James Leroy Rex, 49, and his girlfriend Carrie Lee Wulf, 39, both of Lakeland, died instantly when their single-engine plane, flying in thick fog, slammed into the ground and exploded in flames. City officials conceded defeat in October after a long and heated battle with the county over fire protection. The county ended a lucrative agreement with Zephyrhills in which the city department provided fire protection in surrounding unincorporated areas. The county decided to pay for two more transition years. Zephyrhills will see $432,000 in 2003 cut down to $177,000 for fiscal year 2004. Randall Belcher, the longtime principal of Woodland Elementary School and a well-known member of the community, was accused in March and later cleared of fondling a female teacher in his office. Parents and teachers at Woodland rallied around the longtime principal, and prosecutors ultimately decided not to file criminal charges. In April, voters re-elected 12-year veteran Liz Geiger to the City Council and brought in newcomer Lance Smith, a developer and Zephyrhills native. In 2002, the area's growth netted at least one perk for residents. During the summer, a local airline began to offer commercial flights to the Keys out of Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. Seacoast Airlines charges $99 for round trips to St. Petersburg or one way to Key West or Marathon. The company's nine-passenger planes fly at low altitudes along the gulf beaches to give passengers a nice view.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From today's Pasco Times |
