The Fourth of July weekend, traditionally one of the deadliest of holiday weekends, was tragically ushered in with a DUI car accident that killed a Leesburg family on July 2 when a Wesley Chapel driver allegedly sent their pickup truck into the waters beneath the Howard Frankland Bridge.
Joshua Burbank, 25, was driving his 4-door 2014 Honda Civic eastbound on I-275 near milepost 33 at approximately 9:30 p.m. when he swerved from the center inside lane into the inside lane and hit the truck, causing it to lose control and overturn multiple times before flipping over the southern concrete barrier wall and into the water below, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Burbank, says the FHP, was driving under the influence. He was arrested at the scene and faces three charges of DUI Manslaughter and another charge of DUI involving property damage., as well as careless driving.
Robert, Karen and Samuel Getter of Leesburg were inside the GMC truck, and perished.
The FHP says that the front left portion Burbank’s car clipped the rear right of the truck, causing it to go into a clockwise spin before tumbling towards the edge of bridge, and into two feet of water.
Robert Getter, 76, and his wife Karen, 73, sustained fatal injuries; their son Samuel, 52, sustained critical injuries and was transported to an area hospital where he died. All three were wearing their seatbelts.
The northbound lanes of the Howard Frankland Bridge was closed from 9:45 p.m. until 2 a.m. Saturday morning while the crash was investigated.
Burbank was released from the Pinellas County Jail on Saturday after posting bail.
Greg Lenners, the general manager at the Shops at Wiregrass mall, says pulling out of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club’s fifth annual Freedom Fest was one of the toughest decisions he’s had to make. But, because of safety concerns – namely young kids darting across S.R. 56 and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at 10 p.m. as cars whizzed by – he says it was the most prudent choice.
“We outgrew Freedom Fest faster than we expected,’’ Lenners said.
So where do locals turn now for their Fourth of July fireworks fix until, hopefully, Freedom Fest finds a new new home in 2017?
We have a few suggestions:
Avalon Park West in Wesley Chapel will host a Fourth of July celebration Monday beginning at 5 p.m. in its Amenity Center at 5216 Autumn Ridge Dr.
The festivities will include an apple pie bake-off, bike parade, wet/dry bounce park sponsored by Avex Homes, Tampa Bay Lightning mascot Thunderbug, food trucks, free 3D glasses for the firework show provided by Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel and fireworks at 9 p.m.
(It should also be noted that Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club does a fireworks display every year, but it is typically an event for members and requires reservations, though there could be some good parking spots in the area along Bruce B. Downs to catch a glimpse of the pyrotechnics Monday night if you try)
If you’re looking for something relatively close, Dade City is just a short trip and their Sparklebration gets good reviews. There will be eating contests, skydivers, bounce houses, pony rides and, of course, a fireworks display to cap it all off. The festivities kick off on Monday, July 4, 4 p.m., with the pyrotechnics starting at 9:15 p.m.
Temple Terrace is another short drive from the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa area, and the Greater Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 42nd annual Temple Terrace Independence Day Parade on Monday, July 4, 10 a.m.
The parade will begin on the corner of Whiteway Dr. and Gillette Ave., and head south on Gillette, west on Druid Hills and then south on Ridgedale. The evening festivities begin at 6 p.m. on the first fairway of the Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club and fireworks are at 9:15 p.m. Pro tip: find a nice parking spot on N. 56th street, and avoid the traffic on the way home.
Brandon also is hosting a 4th of July parade, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Monday. They bill it as the largest parade in Florida, and it begins at 101 E. Lumsden Rd.
If a longer drive doesn’t worry you, check out Cotanchobee Park across from Amalie Arena in the Channelside area on Saturday, where a host of activities are scheduled like an igloo drag race competition, DIY canvas painting and live jazz, all from 5-10 p.m., with fireworks at 9.
And, check out the “Land O’Liberty Salute,” sponsored by the WC Noon Rotary Club’s Land O’Lakes (LOL) satellite club, which is painting LOL Red, White & Blue. For more info, call 817-3011.
This was the top Phase I recommendation of the Vision 54/56 Taskforce, but the potential for toll roads in some of the other options is a concern to some Pasco County commissioners. Regardless, the Taskforce will begin its Phase II closer look at the various options for 54/56 in two months.
Pasco transportation engineer Ali Atefi has said almost from the beginning of the “Vision 54/56” Taskforce that he didn’t want the focus during Phase I to be on how any recommendations would be paid for.
That would come later, Atefi said. He simply wanted the best choices forwarded to the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), which would then send the Taskforce to Phase II.
But, it didn’t take long for the concern of how to pay for the top choice — which, along with a handful of other choices studied by the Taskforce, has a toll road – came up at the Taskforce’s presentation to the MPO.
The work of the 54/56 Taskforce will go on, however, as Phase II was approved by the MPO, but not before a few eyebrows were raised by Pasco’s Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
“I think, as a whole, we have to do something,’’ said District 2 commissioner and vice chairman Mike Moore. “Something has to be figured out, and it was great to see so many people involved in the process. I appreciate that. But, everyone wasn’t in total agreement (about) the options.”
Atefi said he was pleased the 54/56 Taskforce will remain together, but said District 5 commissioner Jack Mariano expressed concerns over any potential toll roads and District 1 commissioner Ted Schrader questioned whether or not the recommendation was from the Taskforce, and not the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
Mariano also has voiced his opposition to the Tampa Bay Express (TBX) project that would add an express toll lane to much of Tampa Bay’s interstate system.
“Commissioner Mariano thinks that this is the path that we are going (down), but at this time, I personally don’t even want to talk about how to fund this,’’ Atefi said. “First, we need to figure out what improvements are needed and how we want S.R. 54 to look. Then, we can worry about how to fund it. It’s too premature to talk about tolling. That’s why I didn’t want to get into the discussion.”
At its March 31 meeting, the East Task Force – which looked at S.R.s 54 and 56 from U.S. 41 to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. — concluded its survey results. It listed Alternative H — which calls for maintaining six general purpose lanes and an “At Grade” (ground level) exclusive lane for bus rapid transit or rail transportation — as its top recommendation.
But, other alternatives studied and suggested contained potential for toll roads to fund the building.
While choice No. 2 (Alternative J) called primarily for maintaining the current state road and enhancing the bus routes, choice No. 3 (Alternative F) would feature six east-west lanes, but be subject to either a toll lane or an express lane with high-occupancy rules. Another alternative did not score in the top 3, but might be the most ambitious of the alternatives, with six existing lanes and one additional express lane, which buses also could utilize.
“These are only recommendations to be discussed further,’’ Atefi said.
But, the word “toll” is not one to toss around the commission chambers lightly.
In 2014, a proposed elevated highway stretching from the west side of Pasco County all the way to the east — 33 miles along the 54/56 corridor from U.S. 19 to U.S. 301 — stirred a lot of dissent, which eventually helped scuttle the project.
Opponents said the elevated toll road would devastate small businesses along S.R. 54 and put a significant dent in property values.
Spanish firm OHL had presented the original $2-billion private project, which didn’t initially involve any public funds to build but later admitted it couldn’t be financed without a public investment.
“I think that left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths,’’ said Moore.
“But, that’s not the case with what we are doing,’’ Atefi said.
Moore said despite any reservations, the public participation in the current debate about what to do with the 54/56 corridor bodes well for the future success of the Taskforce, which will reconvene in two months and begin Phase II, which will incorporate a broader range of public input.
Check out the Premiere Episode of WCNT-tv Now at WCNeighborhoodNews.com!
If you somehow haven’t already seen the first-ever episode of WCNT-tv, I suggest visiting our website — WCNeighborhoodNews.com — right now, even before you read this article. The photos on this page and on page 3 are from the incredible Premiere Party we hosted at our Neighborhood News offices on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel on June 23 for the first-ever webcast dedicated to the residents and businesses in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area and there’s no doubt the premiere episode of our bi-weekly webcast has already captured the attention — and the imagination — of a pretty impressive list of major business owners and representatives who were on hand at the Premiere Party.
Among the people already talking about WCNT-tv — which has its own Youtube channel, but also can be accessed from the front page of our website, our Facebook page and/or by clicking on the “WCNT-tv” tab on the front page of WesleyChapelChamber.com — included our Premiere Party attendees Gordie Zimmerman of ZMitch, LLC, the developers of Florida Hospital Center Ice, our first video news feature; Tampa Premium Outlets GM Stacey Nance; marketing director Tracy Clouser of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, which is
the studio sponsor of WCNT-tv’s news segment; WCCC CEO Hope Allen and membership coordinator Jennifer Reightler; Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore; New Tampa’s State Rep. Shawn Harrison; Peter Gambacorta of the Private Chef of Tampa, which provided some of the food for the event (as did Little’s Italy’s Family Restaurant); and Troy Stevenson of Wesley Chapel Nissan and his Acme On the Go Movies (which provided the amazing 17’x9’ screen) technician Harry Wilkins, as well as many WCCC business owners & New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Rotary Club members.
Special thanks also goes out to John Fisher of The Polar Pod, which provided 50º comfort on a hot and humid night for all of our attendees, to my WCNT-tv co-anchor Susanna Martinez; Mike McDonald, who provided the entertainment; WCCC Featured Business host Jill Reilly (who also is my Neighborhood News billing manager), my WCNT-tv sales & production assistant Lauren McDonald, as well as asst. editor John Cotey (who took these great pictures at the event) and my entire staff at Neighborhood News, which have allowed me the freedom to pursue a dream; cameraman Brad Hall and especially, my partner and WCNT-tv executive producer Craig Miller of Full Throttle Intermedia.
Look for new episodes of WCNT-tv every two weeks and more to come!
Most Americans know that our nation’s Independence Day will again be celebrated on Monday, July 4. The bet here is that far fewer people in our area —and throughout the nation — know that Flag Day is celebrated on June 14.
Well, Shops at Wiregrass mall GM Greg Lenners is hoping that he has started a new tradition by unveiling a new, 80-foot-tall flagpole (and 8’ x 12’ American flag) on Piazza Ave. in the center of the Shops. Although the event didn’t have great public attendance (only about 50-60 total attendees), several local political dignitaries were on hand for the celebration and raising of the flag — to only half-staff, in honor and memory of the 49 people who were murdered in Orlando just two days before (on June 12). Lenners opened the event with several moments of silence for those who fell and prayers for the survivors and all of the families affected.
Lenners, who pulled the plug on the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club’s fifth annual Freedom Festival (see stories on pages 1 and 4) at the Shops due to safety concerns, said, “We had to kill Freedom Fest, but to show our patriotic support, we finally installed the flag right there at the valet circle. And, it only took 7-1/2 years to find the perfect spot for the flagpole.”
Among the dignitaries in attendance were Pasco County commissioners Mike Moore and Ted Schrader, State Reps. Danny Burgess and Shawn Harrison and Rotary District 6950 Rotarian of the Year (see page 10) Eric Johnson of the Williams Auto Group and the Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary Club, who sang the national anthem.
Also part of the event were local law enforcement officials on horseback, a beautiful color guard flag-raising ceremony and several active and retired U.S. military veterans.
“The Flag Day event isn’t a replacement for the Freedom Festival,” Lenners said. “But it is a nice little memorial and a patriotic nod and we hope it will become a popular annual event here.”
The Fourth of July weekend, traditionally one of the deadliest of holiday weekends, was tragically ushered in with a DUI car accident that killed a Leesburg family on July 2 when a Wesley Chapel driver allegedly sent their pickup truck into the waters beneath the Howard Frankland Bridge.
Greg Lenners, the general manager at the Shops at Wiregrass mall, says pulling out of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club’s fifth annual Freedom Fest was one of the toughest decisions he’s had to make. But, because of safety concerns – namely young kids darting across S.R. 56 and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at 10 p.m. as cars whizzed by – he says it was the most prudent choice.
Check out the Premiere Episode of WCNT-tv Now at WCNeighborhoodNews.com!
