Heavy Hitters Talk Up Wesley Chapel’s Future At Economic Summit

(L.-r.) Metro Development Group VP Kartik Goyani, Metler Toledo general manager Viggo Nielsen, Wiregrass Ranch’s J.D. Porter and Larry Morgan of ComPark 75. (Photos by Steven John Photography)

The idea behind the 2017 East Pasco Economic Development Summit — the brainchild of Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) CEO Hope Allen and District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore — was to get some of the county’s heaviest business hitters into one room to update local business leaders on what the future has in store for Wesley Chapel.

The outlook presented was more than just rosy, to say the least.

“I thought it was a big success,’’ said Allen, who was backed up by positive survey results indicating that the audience of roughly 75 would like to see more summits of this nature.

And, Allen said that is the plan — she is trying to organize something for next year on local innovation — after two panels of local business experts, sandwiched around a keynote address from Dr. Jerry Parrish, the chief economist and director of research for the Florida Chamber Foundation, provided three hours of local business news for those in attendance.

The event, held at Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC)’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, was moderated by Moore, who represents much of Wesley Chapel on the Board of County Commissioners (BCC).

The first panel had some of the biggest names in Wesley Chapel development today – J.D. Porter of Wiregrass Ranch, ComPark 75 owner Larry Morgan and Metro Development Group vice president Kartik Goyani. Also on the first panel, although not located in Wesley Chapel, was Viggo Nielsen of Metler Toledo, which manufactures scales and analytical instruments and is relocating from Hillsborough County to a 250,000-sq.-ft. facility to be built near the Suncoast Parkway in Central Pasco (and bringing 500 jobs with it).

Not surprisingly, each business leader agreed that business in Wesley Chapel these days is pretty good, thanks to a combination of land still being available for expansion, a local county commission that is very business-friendly and incentive programs that have attracted companies like Raymond James Financial to the area.

Morgan, whose ComPark 75 is located off Wesley Chapel Blvd. (aka S.R. 54), just south of the S.R. 54 exit off I-75, said that was not always the case. He said much of Wesley Chapel’s development has hinged on patience.

‘When I bought my land in 2007, Pasco was becoming a boom town and then, of course, the recession hit,” Morgan said. “I just had faith and confidence that when the day turned, Pasco County was going to be the spot. I’m not always real good at foresight, but in this case think I got it right.”

Porter echoed Morgan’s sentiments. His family has owned the 5,100-acre Wiregrass Ranch for 75 years, weathering the Great Depression, as well as the local (and national) economic rollercoaster since then.

But now, things couldn’t be more ripe for success. “It’s all about being patient and doing things at the right time,’’ Porter said. “Anybody out there can crush it right now.”

Porter cited infrastructure that is already in place, a higher median household income and lower median age as attractive benchmarks for major businesses interested in setting up in Wesley Chapel. He said the addition of more homes and schools, as well as the continuing business-friendly voting of the county commission and the streamlining of the permitting process, portend a bright future for the area.

“Everyone recognizes Wesley Chapel as a whole right now,’’ Porter said. “Our (old)slogan was, “We’re Open for Business,” but nobody saw Pasco County as being open for business. They saw a bunch of headaches that actually changing (those headaches) has set the stage for moving forward.”

Morgan and Goyani agreed that Wesley Chapel is part of a hot region at the moment when it comes to business and development.

Goyani said that when Metro Development approached Pasco officials four years ago about building its “connected city” project — which is being built from the internet up with giga-fast internet service, the first two Crystal Lagoons in North America (see story on pg. 6) and a high-tech infrastructure that will one day showcase autonomous vehicles — it received a positive response from the county immediately.

“We got a yes quickly,’’ Goyani said. “I don’t think we would have gotten that response from any of our other counties. It really made the choice easy for us. Time will prove it was the right decision.”

Porter agreed.

“Pasco County now has a seat at the ‘big boys’ table,’’ he said. “They have more land and more resources and better infrastructure than what you will find in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota or Manatee (counties).  That’s my opinion.”

(L.-r.) PHSC-Porter Campus Provost Kevin O’Farrell, PHSC provost Stanley Gianett, Pasco County administrator Dan Biles, Pasco EDC president Bill Cronin, Florida Trend publisher Andy Corty, Wesley Chapel Chamber CEO Hope Allen and District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

About the only things the panel did complain about were the state legislature’s battle with Governor Rick Scott over reducing incentives — Porter called it “pretty sad, pretty disgusting” — and the recent decision by the Pasco BCC to raise impact fees to help build more schools, a decision that has been lauded by the Pasco School District and Moore’s fellow commissioners on the BCC.

As for the future, the panel predicted more good things. Porter, continuing his diligent pursuit of “just the right fit” for Wiregrass Ranch, hinted at another big deal just around the corner. He said in the past month, he has talked to two companies with even more name recognition than Raymond James Financial about coming to Wesley Chapel.

Porter didn’t provide any details, other than to say Wiregrass Ranch is in the running for both, but he predicts he will at least land one of the two.

“I think everybody is going to be very excited with what’s coming in the next 12-18 months,’’ Porter said.

After Parrish gave his keynote address about the positive jobs outlook in Florida, a second panel featuring Florida Trend publisher Andy Corty, Pasco County administrator Dan Biles, Pasco Economic Development Council president Bill Cronin and PHSC provost Dr. Stanley Gianett continued the conversation, looking at the government’s role in luring businesses to the county, and the positive effect regionalism could have down the road.

Hot Dog! Wesley Chapel Man Takes Home $18K In Prizes From ‘Let’s Make A Deal!’

What do you get when you mix Wesley Chapel resident Christopher Moody with TV personality Wayne Brady and a hot dog costume?

Oh, about $18,000 worth of prizes, including a new dining room set and a 7-day trip for two to Greece.

That was Moody’s haul when he appeared on June 22 on the CBS-TV daytime game show “Let’s Make A Deal,” which is hosted by Brady.

The show didn’t air until last week, Nov. 10, allowing Moody to finally let the secret out of the, err, hot dog casing.

“It was a tough secret to keep,’’ said Moody, who works in the admissions department at USF and moved to Wesley Chapel five years ago from Carrollwood. “My parents were the most excited. I had to be coy and vague with them for four months.”

A longtime fan of the show — he and his wife Meredith DVR it daily and watch it together at night — Moody was able to extend a trip to a conference in California by one day to fit in an appearance in the studio audience during a taping of the show.

He had applied online for a ticket, and the day after his conference, after parking two blocks away — and yes, walking the rest of the way in his hot dog costume — Moody joined 150 other prospective “dealers” in a room and filled out the necessary paperwork.

Groups of 10 were then ushered off to meet with show producers for interviews.

“Let’s Make A Deal,” created in 1963, is probably most famous for its long-time host, Monty Hall, and often having contestants choose between prizes hidden behind doors number 1, 2 or 3.

Contestants still dress in zany costumes, the higher energy the better, and a series of deals are offered to those chosen.

“Everyone is at 110-percent energy level, some were hooting and hollering and doing all kind of things to get noticed,’’ said Moody, confessing to putting forth a little extra energy himself.

Seated in the first row, Moody didn’t have to wait long to appear on the show. The first contestant, a woman from Orlando, was called first, and then Brady, the host for the past nine years and best known for his stand-up comedy and years on “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” (which now airs on The CW network), then called for “The Hot Dog.”

“I knew I was the only person dressed as a hot dog,’’ said Moody, who had to take a circuitous route to Brady without tripping over any cords or camera angles. “I was definitely worried about that,’’ he says, laughing.

Brady interviewed Moody, asked where he was from and about the costume, and then riffed on his fond memories of eating hot dogs during the summer while visiting his grandmother.

Given the choice between a check or a box, the Orlando contestant chose the check. Brady then turned to Moody, and offered him $1,000 for the box.

“I turned it down,” Moody says. “It was just a gut feel. Right from the beginning I was hoping I’d win a trip, I had a good hunch that is what was going to be in the box.”

Brady offered $1,400, then $2,000, but Moody stood firm.

“I figured I’m in this far, why not keep the box?,’’ he said. “But I was wondering if he was trying to save me from something miserable, or is he trying to save the company from giving away an expensive prize?”

Moody finally got to see what was under the box – a video screen, which revealed that he had won a dining room table and set of four chairs, as well as a private dinner for up to nine people.

“At the very least,’’ Moody thought, “it wasn’t a terrible decision,” especially since his dining room set at home was 25 years old and Meredith had been asking him to get rid of it.

“But that’s not all,’’ the announcer bellowed.

That’s when it was revealed that Moody also was getting a 7-day Greek cruise, including two nights in Athens.

Hot dog! “You can tell by my reaction I was super pumped,’’ said Moody. “It was a great experience.”

Will You Be At This Year’s ‘Wiregrass Wobble’ 5K?

The Rotary Club of New Tampa, FITNiche at the Shops at Wiregrass and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel are excited to present the fifth annual Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot 5K (and 1-mile fun run), starting at the Shops at Wiregrass on Thanksgiving morning — Thursday, November 23, 7:30 a.m.

This year’s Wiregrass Wobble is presented by the Pioneer Medical Foundation.

With the help of the event’s sponsors and more than 7,000 participants total, more than $110,000 has been raised and distributed to local charities since the inaugural Wobble in 2013.

This year’s event will again feature:

‱ Race number bibs w/integrated timing chips

‱ 2017 tech shirt for all runners.

‱ ‘Ornamedal’ medals for all 5K finishers.

‱ School team competitions.

‱ Corporate & Friends & Family competitions

‱ 1st, 2nd & 3rd place awards for all 5K age groups.

‱ 1-mile Fun Run with finisher medals.

New in 2016 were our Friends & Family and Corporate Cup team competitions.  Both are based on most participants with the winners being awarded a cup-style trophy. See the team pages for more information and start recruiting your friends, family, and co-workers.

Wiregrass Ranch High won last year’s boys fastest time for the second year ($350) while Wharton High won the girls fastest time, also for the second year ($350).  The Lutz Elementary Lizards had the most participants ($350). The new Corporate Cup team competition (most participants) was won by Advanced Telecom Systems.  The Friends and Family Cup team competition (most participants) was won by Moms/She Runs this Town.

And, stick around for an expanded post-race celebration with the help of The Brass Tap at The Shops at Wiregrass again this year.

All proceeds from the Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot events go to local charities, including FITNiche Foundation, Feeding America Tampa Bay, the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Foundation and the Rotary Club of New Tampa Foundation, which provides funds for 25 local charities.

For info or to register to participate in the event visit WiregrassWobbleTurkeyTrot.com. To sign up to volunteer for the event, visit signupgenius.com/go/10c054cafae22a7f94-volunteers1 or call Jennifer Cofini at (813) 907-7800.

Most New Tampa Parents Happier With New Bell Times For 2018-19 School Year

District officials believe the new bell times will help keep school buses on schedule.

When the 2018-19 school year kicks off in the fall of 2018, all New Tampa schools will have new schedules.

District officials say the new schedules will allow school buses to run more efficiently, resulting in more bus-riding students getting to school on time each day.

It should also allow bus drivers who currently only take two “tiers” of students to be able to do three — elementary, middle, and high schoolers — resulting in a cost savings to the Hillsborough County School District of at least $2.5 million.

With the new schedule, elementary schools will start at 7:40 a.m. and finish at 1:55 p.m., which is 20 minutes earlier than the current school year and keeps the same amount of instructional time for students.

Middle schools will start at 9:25 a.m. and finish at 4:20 p.m. This means they start 25 minutes later, but end only five minutes later.

High schools will start at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 3:25 p.m. They begin nearly an hour later than the current start time and end 25 minutes later.

In our area, the most dramatic time change will happen at Turner/Bartels K-8 School, which currently starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Next year’s schedule has school starting at 7:40 a.m. and finishing at 2:35 p.m.

“It’s a drastic change,” says principal Cindy Land, “But, I’ve gotten mostly positive feedback from parents.”

She says many parents don’t like the current schedule, which was adjusted this school year to be an hour later than in 2016-17.

“Right now, kids who play sports or go to activities at the New Tampa Rec Center or other places don’t have any time after school,” Land says. “In that regard, it’s very challenging. Now, parents can drop off earlier and won’t need morning daycare, so I think it will be a good thing for our school.”

She also supports the district’s main reason for making the change.

“It will be good to have a bus schedule where the kids get picked up by their buses on time,” Land says, “so we’re not waiting on two or three buses every morning.”

Land also notes that the significantly earlier start time will make one big impact on kids’ mornings.

“My biggest concern is that at the beginning of the (2018-19) school year, kids will be at the bus stop in the dark,’’ she says. “We have a lot of kindergartners who ride the bus. Parents are going to have to rally together to make sure they’re safe, and then we have to get together as a community and be vigilant and be sure to be watching out for the little kids.”

Parents can’t say they didn’t see this coming. After negative backlash last spring to its first proposal for a revised bell schedule, the Hillsborough School District created options for parents, teachers, students and community members, who were invited to vote for new bell times.

The district was aggressive in communicating via text, phone and email that surveys were available, and reports that 57,000 people across the county responded to the survey.

The new schedule is the most popular option that was selected by survey participants, albeit adjusted slightly.

For example, the schedule that was voted on had elementary school starting at 7:30 a.m., but district officials studied the option and realized buses could still run on time if elementary school started at 7:40 a.m. instead.

This option was preferred by many people who cite the American Academy of Pediatrics in saying that high school shouldn’t start before 8:30 a.m., because insufficient sleep is a serious problem for teenagers.

Most parents seem to be taking it in stride. “It’s not a big deal,” says Ashley Cantin, a Hunter’s Green resident whose two daughters are in elementary school and will head to school a bit earlier. “It’s 20 minutes, so it’s not the end of the world.”

Cantin says she wishes the district would have added instructional time at the elementary school level.

“I do wish they would have made the day longer,” she says, “because it seems hard to fit in everything they’re mandated to do, including the 30 minutes of recess every day.”

As for lost time at middle and high schools, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document on the district’s website addresses it this way: “Students may lose a few minutes from middle and high school periods, which would be decided at the school level.”

Also, “The new schedule still exceeds state’s requirements for time spent in class and still allows our district to offer a seven-period day with more opportunities for advanced courses
and electives.” For more info, visit SDHC.k12.fl.us.

U.S. Women’s Hockey Kicks Off Four Nations Cup Tonight

U.S. women’s national ice hockey team defender Monique Lamoureux-Morando looks for a teammate during an exhibition win over the University of Tampa’s men’s team last month.

The U.S. women’s hockey team has a busy winter schedule planned as it trains in Wesley Chapel, and much of the activity will take place right off I-75 at Florida Hospital Center Ice, including the Four Nations Cup, which drops the puck tonight.

Canada plays Sweden this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. at FHCI to get the action started, and the U.S. takes on Finland at 7 p.m.

Formerly known as the Three Nations Cup before Sweden joined the United States, Canada and Finland in 2000, the tournament has featured the top national teams in women’s hockey since 1996. Although Canada won 11 of the first 15 Three/Four Nations cups, the U.S. has won four of the last six, including the last two.

Also at FHCI this week, the U.S. plays Canada on Wednesday, November 8 (the game is sold out) and Sweden on Friday, November 10.

On Sunday, November 12, the first- and third-place games will be held at Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa at noon and 3:30 p.m.

The match against Canada, winner of the women’s hockey gold medals at the last four Olympics, will pit the two top teams in the world. The U.S. has split games with Canada, winning 5-2 on Oct. 22 in Quebec City, and losing 5-1 in Boston on Oct. 25.

Although all eyes are on the Four Nations Cup, what is really driving the U.S. women is erasing the memory of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where they lost a 2-0 lead in the final four minutes to Canada in the gold medal game before falling 3-2.

The U.S. women have reasserted themselves as arguably the best team in the world, winning every world title since then, and seven of the last eight.

“The way we see it, pressure is a privilege,’’ says forward Meghan Duggan, a former University of Wisconsin Badger who won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to college hockey’s best female player, in 2011. “We are coming off three world championships, so we’re feeling pretty confident. I’m proud of this team, and we’re looking forward to showing the world what we have in this next tournament.”

That talent will be on display all winter long at FHCI, as the team continues to train at the not-even-one-year-old facility in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

So far, the members of the team are happy to have landed in Wesley Chapel.

“Honestly, it’s been fantastic,’’ said Duggan. “I think Wesley Chapel and a lot of the different pieces of the puzzle coming together for us is a big reason why we’re down here.”

Those puzzle pieces include an area that is ripe with off-the-ice activities that have included lots of golf, shopping and hanging out at the pool (and outstanding accommodations) at Saddlebrook Resort, plus a new hockey facility that Duggan says is state of the art.

The experiences in Wesley Chapel haven’t been limited to hockey and hanging out, either. The U.S. team, like the rest of us in the area, got to experience its first hurricane when Irma swept through town last month. Bad weather is nothing new for players from the snowy and cold north, but a hurricane was altogether different, as Irma’s approach made for some nervous hockey players.

“I’ve never been through anything like that, where trying to get water and stuff was difficult,’’ said Jocelyne Lamoureux. “That raised the anxiety a little.”

The team spent less than 24 hours in a shelter at Saddlebrook, which was only subjected to windy conditions that reminded Lamoureux of the straight-line wind storms she’s experienced in her home state of North Dakota.

Hurricanes aside, Duggan says Wesley Chapel has been an ideal spot for the team.

“We scoped (the area) out in April and May with wide eyes and excitement,’’ she said. “It’s going to be hard to leave after the Olympics to go back to our colder climates.”

For additional information, please visit TeamUSA.USAHockey.com