Growing closer in a growing area

By LISA BUIE

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 1, 2001

My husband and I recently did something that once couldn't be done in east or central Pasco.

We enjoyed dinner at an Outback Steakhouse.

In the old days, a hankering for an Outback Special sirloin meant a trip to Temple Terrace or Brandon -- enduring the traffic and endless red lights on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

By the time we got to the place and waited for our pager to signal that our non-smoking table for two was ready, we could have devoured every cut of beef in the place. Forget trying to do anything afterward. The distance and the wait left no time for a movie.

No more.

Now we can leave our house at Meadow Pointe and zip north right up County Road 581, hang a left on State Road 54 and another right onto Oakley Boulevard. The trip takes about 10 minutes. The wait is fairly minimal; the servers are courteous, and the grilled mahi-mahi is just as tasty as what I ordered in Hillsborough.

It's just part of the transformation I've seen during only 3 1/2 years in central Pasco. When we moved into our new house, State Road 54 boasted little, save for some gas stations, a citrus market, one Burger King and an aging Winn-Dixie. Anything other than antique shopping in Dade City meant a trek to Tampa.

How quickly things change.

Now, not only do I have a choice of grocery stores and a variety of restaurants, but I can get a haircut, check out the latest in home decor, rent movies and even buy fresh bagels and gourmet coffee within a few minutes of home. As I leave my neighborhood each morning, I see the gray concrete skeleton of a new SuperTarget rising and a huge banner that screams "Opening in March 2002."

No more trips to the Wal-Mart Supercenter that opened just over the Hillsborough line.

All of this makes life easier. But when does it become too much of a good thing? That's what our leaders are wondering. That's what I'm wondering. I'm sure that's what many of you are wondering, too. As the new editor of the east and central edition of the Pasco Times, I want to help explore those issues with you.

After five years of commuting to Brooksville as assistant editor for the Hernando edition of the St. Petersburg Times, I'm ready to come home. I'm eager to tell the stories of the people in my own back yard.

For starters, here's mine.

I'm a 35-year-old native of South Carolina, the daughter of a public school superintendent and a French teacher. Because of that background, I'm a champion of the public school system and am intensely interested in what is happening there.

I went to Winthrop University, a small liberal arts school just south of Charlotte, N.C. It was there I met my college sweetheart. We got married in 1993 and moved to Florida three years later.

We both love baseball. Visit me at the Land O'Lakes bureau and I'll show you my Atlanta Braves paraphernalia, including my Braves teddy bear. It was a farewell gift from my former boss, a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan mortified at the prospect of being seen holding a Braves item in public. Now I'll embarrass him further by showing it to all of you.

Or you can visit me at our Dade City office at 37951 Meridian Ave., where I plan to be a regular as well.

Now that you've heard a little about me, it's your turn.

I want to hear about your milestones. Graduations. Awards. Births and deaths. The story of the heirloom ring that was lost and then found. The sales clerk who goes the extra mile. All of what makes a community special.

My staff and I also will continue the government watchdog role for which the Times is famous. And I plan to continue the Pasco forum, our Web-based discussion that can be accessed at http://www.sptimes.com/pascoforum.

We want to hear about your problems and help find solutions. As a commuter for five years, I know the frustration of sitting behind a steering wheel and wishing that time could be spent with family or friends. I also pay taxes here, so I know what it feels like to rip open that notice each year and see the bottom number get bigger. And to hope that the extra money they want will be spent wisely.

I also have developed friendships with some of the folks here. Some I have prayed with at church. Others I have chaperoned at youth camp. All are relationships I value.

Now I want to get to know you. Feel free to drop by the Land O'Lakes office at 24038 State Road 54. You also can call me at (813) 226-3454 or e-mail me at buie@sptimes.com.

Who knows? Maybe I can even meet you at Outback, but only if the boss will pay.

Oh well, it's more likely you'll be seeing that Braves teddy bear after all.

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