Seven Things To Know Before Voting Today

The Washington Post recently published a story about a study that concluded that 25 percent of college students may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because of the 2016 election.

After checking to make sure it wasn’t actually a story from “The Onion,” only one conclusion can possibly be drawn from the study: You ain’t seen nothing yet.

Take a look around, people. These are crazy times. Bipartisanship and civility have been washed away by a flood of hate and conspiracies spewed on Twitter and Facebook, and depending upon your point of view — which is likely partisan and unbending — you’d probably say the same political bile also shows up on cable stations like FOX and CNN as well.

It’s ugly out there. Ugly, and sad.

Even so, here’s the seven things you need to know for Nov. 6:

1. National politics is a war zone these days — the 2020 election is going to be off the chain bonkers and drive us all insane, promise! — but don’t let it get you down. Remember, local politics, while not nearly as sexy, thrilling and cable-TV worthy, is where you can see real differences made in your community.

Guess what? Neither Mariella Smith nor Victor Crist are going to ever vote on President Donald Trump’s wall. Ken Hagan won’t get to help pick the next Supreme Court justice. Fentrice Driskell isn’t going to fix immigration, and Angela Birdsong, as far as we know, isn’t going to fix the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

What the local candidates who end up winning in the General Election on Tuesday, November 6, can do, however, is help fix our roads and solve our traffic issues, make our schools better and safer, keep our police and firefighters paid and help spur improvements in our local neighborhoods.

Do you think Trump or any senator has ever heard of Bruce B. Downs?

Don’t B. Silly. (sorry)

Focus and do your part to put the right people who you think can help your community the most into office on Tuesday.

2. Maybe if there was more polling on local races, there would be more interest, but know this — the most interesting race in our area is likely to be Driskell, potentially a rising star in the Democratic Party, vs. Republican incumbent Shawn Harrison, for the State House District 63 seat.

The seat, in a word, could be “flip-a-licious.”

Harrison won the District comfortably in 2010, lost it to Democrat Mark Danish in 2012 by 728 votes, reclaimed it from Danish in 2014 by 2,381 votes, and in 2016 held off Democratic challenger and fellow former Tampa City Council member Lisa Montelione by 1,363 votes.
In a district with more registered Democrats than Republicans, and potentially a prevailing wind at the backs of Democrats, the candidates are likely to be separated by a small margin of votes.

An SEA Polling & Strategic Design survey commissioned by Florida Democrats in September gave Harrison a 45-39 advantage, but voters with the highest level of interest tabbed Driskell by a 58-41 advantage.

If the blue wave is a real thing — and national polling suggests it might be — Driskell has a chance to flip the seat again.

3. Longtime Tampa Palms resident and Republican Victor Crist, who is term-limited out of his current District 2 seat, which covers New Tampa, on the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, is running for the District 5 county-wide seat. He also could be in trouble.

Democrat Mariella Smith, a local businessman woman and activist, has been able to keep fundraising pace with Crist, and is viewed as a serious threat to the continuation of his political career.

“It’s close. It’s really, really close,” Crist said this week when asked how the campaign was going.

4. Even though it’s a non-presidential year, the 2018 ballot is fire when it comes to statewide races.

It is topped by a number of key hotly-contested races that have transcended being merely statewide races — outgoing Republican Governor Rick Scott is trying to send longtime Democratic senator Bill Nelson into retirement, and if you haven’t found the Ron DeSantis-Andrew Gillum race for Governor entertaining, then you are just not paying attention. Which you should be.

Who do you want in control when the next hurricane or other natural disaster slams into Florida?

5. Your ballot this year has 12 amendments on it.

Twelve!

There’s not enough room to break them all down, but here’s a pro-tip: take a little time to dig them up on the web and read up on each before you show up to vote.

Some of the more discussed amendments, which require 60 percent of the vote to pass, are:

Amendment 1 — You can vote yes for an additional $25,000 homestead exemption for homes valued over $125,000, but that’s going to cut into your city and county money pot and could lead to cuts in services or even higher local tax rates.

Amendment 4 — Vote yes to grant felons — but not those convicted of murder or felony sex crimes — the right to vote after they have served their time. Vote no to make them keep waiting a minimum of five years before they can even apply to appeal those voting rights.

Amendment 13 — A vote yes would ban all dog racing in Florida by Dec. 31, 2020 (although the dog tracks would be allowed to continue to operate card rooms and slot machines). Vote no to let the dog racing continue.

(Note: Amendment 8 was stricken from the ballot by the Florida Supreme Court)

6. There are two referendums on the ballot in New Tampa, one for transportation and another for education.

The transportation referendum would increase Hillsborough’s sale tax by a penny for 30 years, generating $300 million a year. The money has been earmarked for road improvements and public transportation enhancements, and will be carefully managed by an oversight committee. Say what you will about the increase, but a solid, carefully thought out plan is certainly deserving of the voters’ consideration.

The same goes for the education referendum, which would impose a half-cent sales tax increase, but an aggressive marketing plan presented at a series of town halls, as well as a list of improvements the money will be spent on, appears well-reasoned.

Both referendums will be enticing to voters frustrated by Tampa Bay’s woeful transportation issues and schools that seem to be falling apart.

However, while organizers of both groups insist they aren’t hurting the other, voting for what is effectively two tax increases might be a tough pill for many locals to swallow.

7. Blue wave, red wave, no wave, grab your surfboard and get out there on Tuesday and vote.

 

Hunter’s Green Elem.’s New Marquee Sign Attracting Attention On Cross Creek Blvd.

This year’s school re-zoning brought a slew of new students to Hunter’s Green Elementary, as well as some cosmetic changes to the school.

Because of the influx of students, the school’s old drop-off line on Highland Oak Dr. in front of the school was no longer going to be sufficient, so the line had to be moved to the school’s rear entrance on Cross Creek Blvd.

That meant the school’s marquee, which is used to notify parents of upcoming events and recognize the accomplishments, and birthdays, of students, had to move as well, so that the majority of parents picking up or dropping off their children could now see it.

However, the original marquee was put up when the school was first built, in 1992. It did not age well.
“It was literally falling apart,” says PTA president Emily Milam. “The bottom was completely rusted out, the faux brick was completely rotted. Moving it wasn’t going to be an option.”

Because having a marquee is so valuable to the PTA, Milam said they asked that a new marquee be located on Cross Creek Blvd.

And not just any old marquee, with the interchangeable letters that you see at most schools. Instead, Hunter’s Green Elementary went all-in with a new, eye-catching digital board that can’t be missed by passing traffic (while also keeping its original marquee for traffic on Highland Oak Dr.).

“Because we use that marquee for so many things, we had a vested interest (in making it) as good as possible,” Milam said. “We thought an electronic one was the way of the future and thought in the long run it would be better for the school.”

The cost of the new marquee was $43,741.98, plus the of the additional electrical power that has to be run to the new signboard.

The PTA, which Milam says has done some robust fundraising at school events, contributed $3,800 towards the costs.

According to Tanya Arja, who does media outreach for Hillsborough County Schools, electronic marquees, which cost between $20,000-40,000 plus electrical power, aren’t widespread throughout the county, but some schools like Wharton, Durant and Brandon highs schools have them, and newer schools like Franklin Boys Prep Academy also have the newer electronic marquees.

The possibilities of its value make the cost of the marquee well worth it, says Milam.

“We feel like there is an upside to it,” she says. “It’s a great communications tool. We can communicate to our community, and it reaches so many people now that it is on Cross Creek.”

Milam says things like spirit nights, where the school receives proceeds from a local restaurant for advertising it, will be more fruitful, and it will benefit other school partners in the community.

Student birthdays, which are always popular, will be displayed (for a small fee), and events at the school will reach a much wider audience.

Instead of going out to manually replace letters on a marquee, which was done by a team of three volunteers, the sign can now be refreshed with a few taps on a computer keyboard inside the school.

“There’s a lot of potential,” Milam says.

WALK-N-BIKE: You can already see the effects of the larger population at Hunters Green Elementary due to re-zoning, as the school had its biggest Walk & Bike to School Day yet on October 10.

Roughly 300 students and parents participated, compared to around 50 in previous years, according to Ken Lewis of the Hunter’s Green Elementary PTA.

The re-zoning, and lack of busing options, have led to many more students biking and walking to school from Arbor Greene, Cory Lake Isles, Misty Creek and other neighborhoods along Cross Creek Blvd. that may have previously attended Pride Elementary off Kinnan St.

Turner/Bartels Capture First Sports Title

When Reggie Branch started coaching the boys basketball team at Turner/Bartels K-8 School in Live Oak Preserve, he knew he was building something special.

The team went 3-2 his first season in 2016. Last year, they made the county’s middle school semifinals.
And this year?

Turner/Bartels is the Hillsborough County Middle School Champion!

Behind big games from Karmello Branch, Chandler Davis and Sean Scott, the Tigers capped off an undefeated season with a 68-53 win over Shields Middle School from Ruskin in the county championship game, while also winning the first sports title of any kind for Turner/Bartels.

“It was a big moment for the kids, you could see it meant a lot to them,” said Coach Branch. “They gave me 100 percent all season right through the final game.”

Branch’s son, Karmello, led the way in the final with 27 points, while Davis scored 19 and Scott added 10. All three players are eighth-graders.

Karmello averaged more than 20 points in the three playoff games for the Tigers, who finished the season 8-0.

Despite losing four starters from last year’s semifinalists, Branch said his team was the best around without question.

“We were pretty dominant through the whole season, and the playoffs,” he said. “Every win we had was by at least 15 points.”

Karmello and Davis, both guards, led the team in scoring, while Scott played the point and hit some big 3-pointers. Branch said forward Alex Mejia was a defensive stopper for the team, while center Reggie “RJ” Bell was a top rebounder and shot-blocker.

Branch said his keys to the team’s success were simple — work hard on the court and harder in the classroom.

“Academics come first,” the coach said. “If you are a class clown…or a headache….or give your teachers a hard time, you can’t play for us.”

On the court, Branch preached a fast, high-pressure approach. The Tigers ran the ball on offense, played full-court pressure on defense and weren’t shy about putting up their shots.

“Up the court in four (seconds), score in five,” Branch says. “You had to be in pretty good shape to be able to run with us.”

The Tigers roster also included Charles Bent, Kaine Branch, George Danso, Chandler Davis, Tavoy Feagin, Connor Hodges, Elijah Horsey, Anthony Jones, Logan Lambert, Nicholas Mejia, Brodie Morris, Tre Pompilus and Caleb Thomas.

Changes Provide Minor Improvements In Front Of Wharton High School

Construction on “Segment D” of Bruce B. Downs is expected to wrap up by the end of the year. But, recent changes have made some safety improvements amongst the maze of orange barricades for students walking and driving to and from Wharton High. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

Traffic snarls continue to frustrate New Tampa drivers, as road construction is moving forward on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., but isn’t quite complete yet.

A persistent trouble spot on BBD is in front of Wharton High, where delays get particularly lengthy during morning drop-off and after school lets out.

The intersection of BBD and Oak Preserve Blvd. in front of Live Oak Preserve, at the north end of the high school, where student drivers and parents enter and exit the school, has drawn a lot of complaints.
“That intersection is ridiculous during drop-off,” said parent Paula Olson in a letter to Tampa City Council member Luis Viera. “People are turning left out of the wrong lanes, people are going straight from multiple lanes because they don’t want to wait — all with new student drivers in the mix.”

Olson and others voiced concern that while they have heard the situation will be better when the construction has been completed, something needed to change immediately.

Viera says he has heard his constituent complaints. Because students also are walking in that area, he says the matter is of particular importance. “Bruce B. Downs is a is a county road, not a city road,” says Viera, “so it’s a little bit out of my jurisdiction, but I jumped on it anyway.”

In road construction terms, that portion of BBD is part of “Segment D” – a 1.44-mile stretch from Pebble Creek Dr. to County Line Rd. It is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

Construction on Segment D began in October of 2016, when it was a four-lane divided roadway, and it will soon be an eight-lane divided roadway with a landscaped median, sidewalks, a multi-use path and upgraded traffic signals.

But although completion of the roadway portion should be as early as November, Viera says he set up a meeting with representatives from Hillsborough County to figure out what could be done quickly.
He reports that four issues were agreed to at this meeting with the county on Sept. 21, and have since been implemented.

First, an off-duty law enforcement officer now assists with directing traffic during the morning hours while students are going to school.

Viera says that three additional issues relate directly to pedestrian safety in the crosswalk across BBD.
The timing on the crosswalk has been changed to allow for more time for students and others to cross from Live Oak to get to the school.

Striping on the pavement was enhanced to more clearly mark the pathway.

It also was discovered that the pedestrian buttons were sticking, so that problem also was corrected.
Viera says this is a great example of different governmental entities working together across jurisdictional boundaries to get issues resolved for local residents.

Earlier this year in a school-wide email and phone call, Wharton principal Mike Rowan reminded parents that all students attending the school are provided transportation by bus, no matter the distance they live from school.

This is an exception to the Hillsborough County School District policy, which typically offers buses only for students who live more than 2 miles away from school. However, busing is offered at Wharton due to the “hazardous conditions” presented by roadway construction and then, once construction is complete, an eight-lane road.

“It has certainly been a challenging situation living through the entire BBD expansion project,” says Olson, who says she has lived in New Tampa for 17 years. She calls the changes “positive” and says she was pleased to see them implemented.

“Personally,” she adds, “I will just be happy when this project is completed, which hopefully will be soon.”

Where Is Everybody Going?

As nearby Wesley Chapel flourishes, New Tampa sees small & large businesses closing their doors.

The shelves inside the Bed, Bath & Beyond in Market Square at Tampa Palms, once filled with kitchenware, bed sheets, towels and candles, have been laid bare.

Yellow papers were hung in the final days, declaring that what once occupied the shelves were now 50- or 75-percent off. All that remained, it seemed, were cell phone chargers and knickknacks destined for your junk drawer.

But now, it’s all gone.

Another New Tampa store, another big business closing.

In recent months, a number of high-profile and seemingly popular local stores have closed up shop in the 33647 zip code. In stark contrast, a few miles north, across the Hillsborough-Pasco county line, Wesley Chapel continues to grow and expand at a breakneck pace.

So, what’s happening in New Tampa? Or rather, what’s not happening?

At Market Square — which is still anchored by BJ’s Wholesale Club and located on Commerce Palms Dr. — three “big box” stores have closed in the past two years alone.

HH Gregg, Staples and now Bed Bath & Beyond leave behind 79,471 square feet of now-vacant retail space.

Elsewhere in New Tampa, restaurants like Casa Ramos in Tampa Palms, Ruby Tuesday’s and Dairy Queen on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. have closed in the last year, and right next to old Dairy Queen, Oakley’s Grille has been sold twice.

While the Dairy Queen space is re-opening soon as a Jamaican restaurant, other local businesses have not been so quick to turn around.

The old Romano’s Macaroni Grill site has twice been reborn as a Mexican restaurant, but neither lasted a year. Behind Oakley’s Grille, the old Sweetbay Supermarket (next to Home Depot) has been vacant since 2013 and is now merely an eyesore with a parking lot that serves mostly as a motel for semi tractor trailers.

Further north, Beef O’Brady’s on Cross Creek Blvd. at Morris Bridge is empty two years after closing, and the old MidFlorida bank has laid dormant even longer.

Even non-chain restaurants, like popular Spanish restaurants Café Olé and Las Palmas, have shut down over the past six months.

“It’s not a joke,” says Said Iravani, an engineering and environmental consultant who has lived in New Tampa for 17 years. “I think there are a few problems.”

One of the most prominent, he says, is a lack of collective spirit, that begins in the local neighborhoods but extends to the commercial areas. New Tampa’s offerings also may be growing stale, he says, thanks to poor design and a lack of connectivity.

With the exception of popular smaller chain restaurants like Glory Days, Ciccio Cali and Stonewood Grill & Tavern, and the popular Fat Rabbit Pub, Iravani thinks better choices for a day of shopping or a night out for dinner currently exist across the county line in Wesley Chapel, which wasn’t always so.

“We seem disjointed,” says Iravani, who also thinks a lack of a town center, poor street exposure and lack of a destination such as a mall or something comparable to Florida Hospital Ice Center has created a series of one-stop-and-go plazas along BBD.

District 7 Tampa City Council member and Hunter’s Green resident Luis Viera, who has long argued for a less fragmented community and business district, agrees.

“You don’t see (as many failing businesses) necessarily in South Tampa,” Viera says. “It’s a problem we need to address. This is a place with significant purchasing power. So why are retail and commercial not lasting here? We should try to get to the root of that.”

Viera is quick to acknowledge that big-box stores around the country are struggling in the face of the growing trend towards e-commerce. Businesses like Ruby Tuesday, Staples and HH Gregg aren’t just closing in New Tampa, they are closing hundreds of locations nationwide.

Others, like Macy’s, JC Penney and Target, to name a few, have struggled as well in the face of the juggernaut called Amazon and other online sites.

Viera, however, doesn’t think a “Oh-it’s-not-just-us” approach is sufficient. He would like to seek out more ways to boost commercial and retail vibrancy.

“We need to be able to lure pioneers out to New Tampa,” he says.

Long-time Tampa Palms resident and current District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist says it’s not time to sound any alarms. He says the spate of closings in New Tampa is just part of the evolution of business and the economy, and brighter days are ahead for the area. He cites specifically the Hunter’s Lake project he and fellow commissioner Ken Hagan have championed for more than a decade, which could be the impetus for a New Tampa renewal.

“Our economy right now — in the country, in the state and in Hillsborough County — is very strong,” Crist says. “Those restaurants and businesses will soon be replaced by new ones that will come along and want to tap into our lucrative customer market. And, the new project will do exactly that.”

The Villages at Hunter’s Lake, which will be located right across BBD from the main entrance to the Hunter’s Green community, is expected to include a New Tampa Cultural Center, New Tampa’s first “green” grocer, a retail shopping strip with restaurants and a community park.

“Unfortunately, we have seen some traditional brick-and-mortar businesses close or move north recently,” Hagan says. “Much of this is due to competition from e-commerce and shifting consumer behavior. That is why investing in a New Tampa cultural arts center could not occur at a better time.”

The Villages of Hunter’s Lake has been described as a potential downtown or town center area for local residents.

“It will be new and different,” Crist says. “I am working with the developer and the county to attract new and different businesses that New Tampa residents want and would enjoy.”

Crist, Hagan and Viera have all voted for the project at every opportunity. It is expected to break ground later this year or in early 2018.

“People are putting a lot of hope in Hunter’s Lake, and I hope it moves the needle,” Viera says.

The store closings in New Tampa also may appear more dire in the face of the unimpeded growth of Wesley Chapel, as new malls, town centers, hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers — like FHCI — are being added at a dizzying pace. Pasco County residents have fewer reasons to drive down BBD as they did even five years ago.

But, is growth in Wesley Chapel responsible for causing New Tampa-area businesses to pack it in?
“I would say no,” says Hope Allen, the CEO of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, which serves the businesses in both communities.

“I think a lot of these closures are not just happening here locally; they are happening everywhere. Retail is evolving and big box stores are trying to adjust. I don’t think Wesley Chapel has an impact on that.”

Crist says that while Wesley Chapel may look like the more desirable location to spend your money these days, it’s only a matter of time before New Tampa adjusts to the changing landscape.

“There’s definitely competition between the Hillsborough side and the Pasco side of Bruce B. Downs,” Crist says. “They are fresh, they are new. But, it’s just a matter of time before we retool and compete and push back. It’s all part of the process. The economy and the patronage is there in New Tampa to compete.”

Allen agrees, and thinks that some out-with-the-old-and-in-with-something-new momentum could give New Tampa a new shine.

“This is an opportunity to come out bigger and better, with something more relevant to the people that live there,” Allen says. “They should take a page out of the Wesley Chapel playbook.”