Mayor Buckhorn Taking Fight To Mosquitoes & Zika

Zika virus
Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and could contribute to the spread of Zika.

While the federal government continued to dawdle over additional funding to fight the spread of the Zika virus, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has taken matters into his own hands.

Or rather, the hands of the city’s code inspectors, who have been tasked with finding abandoned pools and standing water in order to take the fight to the  mosquitoes, whether they carry the Zika virus or not.

On Aug. 22, Mayor Buckhorn held a press conference at an abandoned home in the Wellswood area of central Tampa. He announced that the city is going on the offensive with bricks, or “dunks,” that can be tossed into areas where there is standing water — prime breeding  ground for mosquitoes — to kill the pesky insects’ larvae.

“In light of what has been going on around the state of Florida, we decided not to wait for politicians in Washington, D.C., to act,’’ Buckhorn said at his press conference. “We’re going to take action ourselves. We can be proactive in terms of negating the environment in which mosquitoes breed.”

Stopping The Spread Of Zika

The Zika virus is spread by certain mosquitoes who become infected when they bite a person already infected. It also can be transmitted sexually, from one infected person to another.

Though most people will not feel any effects of the virus other than fever, headaches and joint pain, it is especially hazardous to pregnant women. It can cause severe brain defects — or microcephaly — in unborn fetuses. The virus can cause babies to be born with unusually small heads and underdeveloped brains, and lead to growth problems.

Tampa initially purchased 3,600 of the dunks, which cost roughly $5,000. The dunks contain BTI, or Bacillis thuringiensis israelensis, which is a bacterium that kills mosquito larvae. It has a range of 100 sq. ft. and can last for 30 days.

But, a week after Buckhorn’s press conference, the city announced 5,000 more dunks had been purchased, in anticipation of the rainy weather that was coming.

Tampa was hit hard by Tropical Storm/ Hurricane Hermine, which produced massive rains, which, of course, usually leads to standing pools of water.

“Our residents’ safety is our number one priority,” Buckhorn said. “With heavy rain comes standing water and we’re working around the clock to prevent the Zika virus from coming to  Tampa, If that means purchasing an additional 10,000 dunks, we will do just that.”

The dunks have been given to more than 80 city code inspectors and neighborhood workers to distribute to areas where they are needed. An emphasis is being placed on abandoned homes with pools and retention ponds.

Mosquito control is typically handled by Hillsborough County, rather than the city, but Buckhorn decided to take an aggressive approach to a problem that is growing, although it has mainly been confined to the Miami area. In particular, the Wynwood neighborhood north of downtown Miami has been hit hard.

Until recently, there hadn’t been any locally transmitted cases in Tampa Bay.

Hitting Close To Home

A day after Buckhorn held his press conference, however, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced the first locally transmitted case of Zika during a roundtable discussion about the disease in Clearwater.

According to reports, a Tampa Fire Rescue (TFR) firefighter who lives in Pinellas County has contracted the Zika virus.

“This person did not travel to an infected area with Zika; we are looking at a number of locations,” Gov. Scott said. “Hopefully, something good will happen and it will just be a single case. But (whatever) we do find out, what we will do is we will be very aggressive.”

The TFR firefighter works out of Station No. 3 on Kennedy Blvd. in south Tampa. Other firefighters at the station tested negative for the virus.

The state has emergency funds of $26 million to help fight the spread of and to treat Zika. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & Prevention said late last week it was almost out of money to fight Zika, even as three new state cases here were announced. Florida now has 46 cases of infection.

According to reports, the CDC already has spent $8 million fighting Zika in Florida. Congress, which has been in recess, returned to work this week and the $1.9-billion funding request from the White House to combat Zika is still awaiting action.

Zika originated in Brazil in 2015, but there are more than 2,200 cases of Zika to date in the U.S., and more than 8,000 reported cases in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.

WCCC’s “Excellence In Business” Awards Seeking Nominations

taylorThe Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) is looking for the best of Wesley Chapel and New Tampa.

The WCCC has begun accepting nominations for the its annual “Excellence In Business” awards banquet, which will be held on Thursday, November 10, at a site still to be determined, at least at our press time.

Nominations for the area’s best small and large businesses and business leaders will continue through Friday, September 16, and can be entered via the WCCC’s website at WesleyChapelChamber.com or by calling the WCCC offices at 994-8534 for more information.

Businesses nominated will then go through an application process, with applications due by Friday, October 7, with finalists in several categories announced at the banquet. The winners are chosen by a panel of their peers.

“This is the culmination of our year, where we get to celebrate the business accomplishments of our members,’’ says Hope Allen, the CEO of the WCCC. “It’s a great honor and very prestigious just to be nominated.”

Winners are chosen based upon their demonstrated commitment to the advancement of the Wesley Chapel business community and various other factors.

There are Excellence In Business categories for best Small Business (0-49 employees), best Large Business (50+ employees), Business Leader of the Year (for founders, owners, CEOs and presidents), New Business of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.

Last year’s “Excellence in Business” winners were Samantha Taylor and her Pure Health & Fitness Studios (Small Business), Wesley Chapel Nissan (Large Business), Troy Stevenson of Wesley Chapel Nissan (Volunteer of the Year) and John Jr. & David Williams of Wesley Chapel Toyota (Business Leaders of the Year).

Enter Our Dining Survey, Win Free Food!

ZMG_Lamb-ChopsWEB3Win $200, $100 or $50 In FREE Dining In Our 2016 Survey & Contest!

It’s baaaaack! 

Our ever-popular annual Reader Survey & Dining Contest returns and the 2016 edition is another opportunity for you to help yourself to one of three outstanding FREE dining prizes, as well as help our local restaurants find out where our readers enjoy dining out the most in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.

Just for filling out the entry form in our most recent issue, sending it by mail, fax or email (you can also enter below), you can win $50, $100 or even $200 in absolutely FREE dining at the restaurant of your choice, whether it’s located in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel or not!

Here are the rules to be eligible to win one of our prizes:

  1. You MUST vote for your FIVE favorite restaurants in BOTH New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.
  2. You MUST vote in every category.
  3. Please do not write in or vote for any restaurant more than once in any category, or your votes are disqualified.
  4. Please also do not write in a restaurant located in Wesley Chapel (zip codes 33543, 33544 & 33545) as your favorite in New Tampa (zip code 33647) or vice-versa, or your votes are disqualified.
  5. Only one entry per person will be accepted.
  6. The entry deadline is Friday, October 28, 2016. And, as always, no purchase of any kind is necessary to win any of our contests.

Now get going!:

Fill out my online form.

 

District 1 Winner To Help Shape The Future Of The ‘Connected City’

rachel_oconnor2
Pasco County Commission District 1 candidate Rachel O’Connor answers a question, as fellow candidate Ron Oakley checks his notes at a recent candidate forum in Zephyrhills

Three of the five Pasco Board of County Commissioners seats are up for grabs on Tuesday, November 8, the most interesting of which might just be District 1, which represents the Zephyrhills, Dade City and Wesley Chapel areas.

There are three Republicans on the ballot vying for votes in the Tuesday, August 30, primary election –

(in alphabetical order, as they will appear on the Aug. 30 ballot)

‱ Ronald Oakley, a 71-year-old Zephyrhills citrus farmer and former treasurer and chairman of the Southwest Florida Water Management District board;

‱ Rachel O’Connor, a 31-year-old Pasco County substitute teacher and former Republican Party of Florida field representative who also is a Wesley Chapel resident;

‱ Debbie Wells of Lake Jovita, 66, the director of sales for the Tampa division of Meritage Homes and ex-wife of Pasco Property Appraiser Mike Wells, Sr.

Wells’ son, Mike Jr., currently is Pasco’s District 4 commissioner.

O’Connor and Oakley both ran unsuccessfully for the same seat in the 2012 Republican primary, losing to four-term incumbent Ted Schrader, who this year running for property appraiser.

The winner faces Dimitri Delgado, 51, a no-party candidate, in the general election on Nov. 8.

The three candidates all present similar views on many subjects, with some differences on quite a few, like development, supporting police, improving the area roads and increasing tourism.

The Metro Question

However, at a Pasco County Commission Candidate Forum on Aug. 15, in front of roughly 25 potential voters at the Alice Hall Community Center in Zephyrhills, the biggest difference between the candidates’ views centered on Metro Development’s plans to build a “Connected City” on nearly 8,000 acres of land that sits in District 1.

Debbie Wells
Debbie Wells

Because Metro asked to delay consideration of its plans in front of the commission, originally slated for July, to sometime later this year, the winner of the District 1 race could now cast a crucial vote.

Recent attempts by Metro, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times, to stack an advisory board with hand-picked members while removing public and county representation, as well as a request for impact fee credits typically not afforded to other developers, has raised some eyebrows.

O’Connor is opposed to the project and says she will not vote for it.

“They propose taking the voice of the people away, giving them permission to do whatever they want with the land there,’’ said O’Connor, adding that giving Metro impact fee credits, “would not fly with another developer.”

Oakley and Wells both said they needed more information before deciding if they are in favor of the project, which includes a highly-anticipated “Crystal Lagoon” in the Epperson Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) off Curley Rd., as well as the promise of ultra-fast internet speeds in every home in the development.

“There’s a lot of issues and nuances that are unknown,’’ Wells said.

Oakley said he has had at least seven meetings with Metro Development, and has been unable to figure out “what they are holding back.”

O’Connor, however, questioned whether Oakley or Wells could vote against the project at all, based on the fact they have received a combined $20,000 in campaign contributions — $14,000 for Wells and $6,000 for Oakley — from Metro and its affiliated companies.

“I know Rachel said she was the only candidate that did not take contributions, but they were not offered to her,” said Wells, a claim O’Connor said was not true.

“I would never support that (project), which is why I have not taken the opportunities presented to me to take money from Metro Development,’’ O’Connor said.

Metro also has donated thousands to commissioners who are currently serving and running for re-election.

Oakley defended taking contributions from a development company that will need his vote.

“I did, I got a contribution from them for my campaign,’’ Oakley said. “That money was needed to run my campaign. Just like anybody else that has to run a campaign, it costs money. I can tell you that in that process, I didn’t sell my integrity, I didn’t sell my soul, and I didn’t sell my vote to Metro.”

O’Connor, who has railed against the ‘Good ol’ Boy Network’ during her campaign, said that is not a chance voters should take.

“When you take money from a developer or a builder, you are pretty much saying that they have an open door to you,’’ she said. “And, if they don’t have the door to you, they invest heavily in other county commission candidates. When you take $14,000 from one developer, that is pretty much buying your vote. No way you’re going to say no, I’m sorry.”

Other than the exchange over Metro, the three candidates did not disagree on much.

On the vastly expanding Wesley Chapel area, all three candidates agree that growth and development is a good thing.

Oakley said that the economic development on the east side of Pasco County, primarily in Wesley Chapel, was a “steamroller and it is running down that road” towards Zephyrhills and Dade City. He said that is a good thing, as long as certain controls are in place.

“It’s one of the better things we have going for Pasco County,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Wells, citing what she said was a 20-plus-year career in business leadership and boardrooms (mostly in real estate, where she is currently director of sales for the Tampa Division of Meritage Homes) said that to continue the growth, she would form a strong partnership with Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC) president and CEO, Bill Cronin. She stressed the need for Pasco to better market itself to continue to attract new businesses.

O’Connor presented a six-point plan for harnessing the growth, including streamlining permitting and updating the county’s technology for handling it, reviewing codes to make sure the county is open to all types of businesses, instead of just a few, creating competitive impact fees and evening the playing field by not playing favorites to certain developers.

All three candidates, speaking in front of a small Zephyrhills audience, said S.R. 56 was going to connect to their city and they needed to be ready and prepared for the growth that is likely to come with it.

Regarding the county’s current issues with homelessness and drugs, Wells said she was a proponent of helping, “but also to enable them to get jobs and get back on their feet.”

Oakley called for a bigger role by local ministries, while O’Connor said working with the sheriff’s office to help stop the drug problem would play a big role in settling the homeless issue.

All three candidates profusely praised both Sheriff Chris Nocco’s office and the county’s other first responders, and promised to help find more funding for those departments.

Asked what is one of the biggest issues facing the district and county, O’Connor said preparing for the upcoming development and population boom that would accompany it is a priority. Wells said the Zephyrhills Airport was a “jewel” and needed attention, and also stressed the need for better county infrastructure. Oakley said he was “very passionate” about improving Pasco residents’ quality of life.

Despite A New, Functioning Kidney, Joey Still Facing Challenges

Kidney for Joey
Joey and Mike Miller, his kidney donor
Joey and Mike Miller, his kidney donor

Dana Richman’s son Joey waited months for a kidney donor, and finally found one. Joey was on the mend after New Tampa resident and former MMA fighter Mike Miller stepped forward and donated a kidney, but then, he got sick again.

This time, though, it was cancer.

And, in the middle of a series of touch-and-go stays in the hospital, with Dana unable to work due to the volume of her son’s doctor’s appointments and wondering if Joey would even make it through the night, she received news that the home she shares with her sons Joey, Jason and Jake was headed for foreclosure.

“Can you give me five minutes to catch my breath,’’ Dana wondered aloud.

Once again, Joey, a Wiregrass Ranch High grad and hopeful University of South Florida Student, is in a life-altering battle, and his mother and brothers stand firmly in his corner, along with a good number of Wesley Chapel residents.

Joey, 22, whose #AKidneyForJoey hashtag campaign to help him find a donor drew a lot of attention earlier this year, including a story we wrote in our Apr. 8 issue. Joey got his kidney, thanks to Miller, at the time a New Tampa resident and fledgling mixed martial artist.

And, for a few days — especially the first few days after his April 20 surgery — Joey was feeling terrific, hopeful that he had beaten Allport’s Syndrome, a genetic condition that causes hearing loss and kidney failure. In fact, his new kidney had started functioning immediately, even before doctors had a chance to close him up.

But by June, he had started feeling fatigued again. His esophagus was bothering him, and he thought it might be related to ulcers. According to Dana, she was told that her son was fine, and that his body was still adjusting to the new kidney. His medications were tweaked, he was no longer on dialysis and Joey continued to recover, still confident he was inching closer to normal.

But, after helping his brothers fix a hole in the roof of their home, Joey says he felt dehydrated and weak.

“He spent the weekend curled up on the couch from pain,’’ Dana says.

He was taken to the hospital on July 5, where doctors found lesions on his esophagus. They were sent off for biopsies and Joey was sent home.

On July 9, the phone rang. “They just said he needed to get back to the hospital immediately,” Dana says.

When Dana and Joey returned to Tampa General, the news was bad — he had lymphoma, a form of cancer that affects the immune system.

Dana says the doctors told her the cancer was a quick and aggressive form, and a direct complication of the kidney transplant. Joey remained in the hospital the rest of the month, and he had to be taken off the immune suppressants he was on that prevented his body from attacking his new kidney.

Dana claims the kidney transplanted into her son was not a perfect match after all, and that it had the virus that causes mononucleosis. Because Joey was on immune suppressants, there was nothing to stop the mono from spreading.

“One doctor told me there was a 1 percent chance of something like this happening,’’ Dana says. “She said he hadn’t seen this in 20 years.”

Joey was crestfallen. “The diagnosis was pretty traumatic for him,’’ Dana says. He told me, ‘No matter what I do, I keep winding up on death’s doorstep.’’’

Dana says his condition quickly worsened, and it was “hour-by-hour” — his white blood cells had bottomed out and he wasn’t responding at one point.

The few moments of peace he and his family had enjoyed immediately after the surgery was now gone, after months of believing he was getting closer to being in the clear.

It was during this time that Dana says she was told a forbearance agreement she had gotten, which would have delayed the mortgage payments on her family’s home while she went through the kidney donation process, was no longer approved. The mortgage company told her she was $15,000 behind and in foreclosure. She says a lawyer stepped forward and is currently helping her resolve the issue.

The home, she said, means a lot to her and the boys. That’s why Joey was repairing the roof ahead of a big storm. She is going through a difficult divorce, she says, and this is where Dana and the boys have decided to rebuild a new life.

It Takes A Village

Dana wouldn’t want to be anyplace else, she says. The outpouring of support she received when Joey was in need of a kidney was breathtaking, but this time, it has been even greater.

Organized mostly through the 11,000-member Wesley Chapel Community Facebook page, a number of fundraisers have been planned by the likes of 900 Degrees Woodfired Pizza (see ad on pg. 36), with owner Steve Falabella agreeing to give 25 percent of all sales on Aug. 23 to the family.

Other Wesley Chapel businesses, some selling jewelry, massages, clothing alterations, shirts and aesthetics treatments, have all donated portions of their sales during August to the Richmans.

Pinot’s Palette (see ad below) is hosting an event Saturday, August 27, with 20 percent of sales donated. There is a GoFundMe page at GoFundMe.com/akidneyforjoey, and the community has pitched in to organize a “meal train” to bring daily meals to the family through the TakeThemAMeal.com site.

“It has been amazing,’’ Dana says.

And the news is getting better.

Joey now is undergoing chemotherapy. He is halfway through a six-round dosage, receiving one every three weeks. The tumors are shrinking; his hair has started to fall out.

“He’s doing good,’’ Dana says.

His new kidney is functioning at 100 percent. He is back on low-dose immune suppressants, and the mono is gone.

Dana says the doctors tell her that there is a good chance he will keep the kidney, and a 70-80 percent chance they will kill the cancer, although there is a higher risk from here on out he may redevelop it in the future.

Joey’s spirits are up and he hopes to take some online courses this semester at USF.

“He just wants to be healthy and normal again, it’s all he wants,’’ Dana says.

“He’s one tough cookie.”

If you want to donate, visit GoFundMe.com/akidneyforjoey. To visit some of the contributors to Joey’s recovery, check out the Wesley Chapel Community Facebook page.