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They're young, but they're in business

By TIMES WIRES
Published February 26, 2007

At age 20, he owns his own Subway

He went to Suncoast Elementary School, Powell Middle School and Springstead High School, and he has taken classes at Pasco-Hernando Community College. He went last year to the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce's annual 10-week Entrepreneurial Academy. Now he runs his own Subway sandwich shop franchise. Calder Simmons just turned 20. Simmons has had his Subway open since December in Seven Hills Plaza at Mariner Boulevard and Spring Hill Drive. "He's always been a determined and independent spirit," said his father, Scott Simmons, pastor at DaySpring Presbyterian Church on Mariner. Calder Simmons didn't know exactly what he wanted to be. But he did know he didn't want to work for anybody else. "At one point I thought it would be cool to own a go-cart place. I thought about going to school for working on NASCARs." But he took business classes at PHCC in the spring 2006 semester, and last fall, too, and he'll probably take more this summer, he said. He's thinking about eventually applying to the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of South Florida.

Hudson At age 17, he owns his own reptile shop

After English class at River Ridge High School, Nick Isabelle isn't headed to football practice or a burger joint to make some extra cash. He has flying geckos and ball pythons and a bearded dragon named Pebbles to tend to. At ReptiCenter, a 1,000-square-foot pet store on U.S. 19, 17-year-old Nick isn't just the stockboy and the cashier. He's the owner. "I would say it's incomprehensible compared to what other kids do, like being on time going to the mall," he said. "If I'm not here, an animal can die from not being fed." Spending too much time collecting reptiles caused Nick's grades to drop. His parents, who paid his $300-a-month car insurance with the stipulation that the honor student kept his grades up, put their foot down. "We said, 'You're going to have to flip burgers or something,' " his mother, Darlene, said. Nick had a better idea. He knew he wanted to work for himself, and he loved reptiles. So he decided to open a pet store. His parents gave him a $60,000 loan. The timing was right, too. The previous tenant was moving out of the U.S. 19 storefront his parents owned. "We figured we may as well set our son up there," Darlene said.

Lecanto

How close should mining be allowed?

Speaking before the Citrus County Planning and Development Review Board this month, residents who live near a lime rock mine operated by Cemex blasted the company for disrupting their lives and decreasing property values. They urged the officials to require a 3,000-foot setback. But Cemex employees told the board they wanted to expand mining operations there. They said limiting setbacks to 200 feet would protect residents and provide critical resources to builders. The board is slated to vote on the issue March 15. County commissioners will have the final say later this year. Betty Berger, an Inglis Town Council member, said she worried expanded mining would harm water quality. "I do appreciate what the county is doing to hold the line," she said. But Cemex officials said those comments were based on opinion, not facts.

Pasco County

County doesn't want big fish to get away

For a moment last year, Pasco County seemed close to the biggest coup in its recent history: snagging a major cancer research center. That moment passed. H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute announced it would build its facility in Hillsborough County, which offered more financial incentives than Pasco could. But the Pasco Economic Development Council is hoping to help lay more groundwork for the next time the big guys come knocking. President Mary Jane Stanley said her organization is working this year on revisions to the county's incentive ordinance. The goal is to establish clearer guidelines about when companies would qualify for such incentives as reimbursement of impact fees. The significance, she said, is that it would take out the guesswork; companies considering Pasco would know upfront whether they qualify for county assistance.

Largo

Spooky business needs to scare up permits

On a busy road lined with stores, repair shops and fast food takeout, one eye-catching building promises Halloween all year. Castel Bantuit, at 1751 Missouri Ave., is a small monument to horror. But before it can open, city officials say they've noticed some disturbing things that need to be addressed. And those will require something less supernatural and more bureaucratic - proper building permits. Inside is a huge room containing stacks of at least 100 7-foot-long wooden caskets. When the place opens, they'll rent for $100 a day. There are also 8-foot-long phony skeletons and other props. "I wanted to give it that creepy feeling," said co-owner Helene Urbin, 58, of Clearwater. Urbin and her boyfriend, Bert Beigel, 80, bought the property plus the lot next to it for more than $1-million, according to public records. City staffers have concluded the couple are in violation of a sign ordinance. A senior inspector issued a stop work order and notice of violation. Ken Andrews, Largo's assistant building official, said the couple have not pulled permits and "they have not let us inside." Urbin said she plans to have a sprinkler system installed, have an electrician make repairs to wiring and pull all proper permits. "We haven't done anything illegal," she said. "... We haven't done any construction other than painting, sheetrock, plugged holes (and) pulled out nasty carpeting."

[Last modified February 26, 2007, 01:16:29]