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Work begins on new police station
By MOLLY MOORHEAD ZEPHYRHILLS -- On a bright afternoon the mayor called "a chamber commerce kind of day," the city broke ground on its new, 16,000-square-foot police station on Eighth Street. Chief Jerry Freeman led the brief ceremony on Monday, thanking his officers and the City Council. But the spotlight belonged to retired Chief Robert G. Howell, for whom the building will be named. Joking about his relief that the station won't be called the Robert G. Howell Memorial Building, the 40-year department veteran was moved by the city's gesture. "I thank you greatly," Howell said. "I am deeply honored. I cannot express to you how overwhelming this is to me and my family." The new station, slated to open in December, will have interview rooms, lockers and showers for the officers, an exercise room, holding cells and ample storage space. Howell, who oversaw construction of the current station, knows what a significant undertaking this is for Zephyrhills. "All of my adult life actually was spent working with the Zephyrhills Police Department," said Howell, who retired in October. "We have never had anything of this magnitude." The city awarded the $2.41-million building contract last year to Princeton Construction of Plant City. The company is owned by Tom MacLeod, a Zephyrhills High School graduate who has known Howell most of his life. "One of the greatest, most gratifying things to me is to get to build a building that's going to be named after Chief Howell," MacLeod said.
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From today's Pasco Times |
