INDEXChurch 5A

Classifieds 9B

Clubs/Parks 5B

Crime Reports 10B

Commentary 11A

Community Calendar 2A

Legals 10B

Sports 1B, 6B, 7B & 9B

T.V. Guide 11B

Crossword Puzzle 9A

Weather 3A

Zephyrhills News

SPORTSFor the second

time in four years, unbeaten

Pasco earned a berth in the state football

tournament. The Pirates, who lost in the 2008 state semifinals, visit Crawfordville

Wakulla Friday. Zephyrhills

drops its season-opening wrestling

match to rival Pasco. Bulldogs

place 17 male and female athletes

on the All-Sunshine Athletic Conference lists.

PAGE 1B

Thursday, December 8, 2011 100th Year - No. 11 Y o u r H o m e t o w n n e w s pa p e r s i n c e 1 9 11 50¢

ONLY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN ZEPHYRHILLS, “CITY OF PURE WATER”

I’m For A Friendlier Florida

Festival of Lights festivities make downtown brighter for many

Zephyrhills kicked off the Christmas season with an all-day event that featured games, elephant rides, food and fun.

All of that was culminated with the Annual Festi-val of Lights Parade that brought nearly 3,000 people to 5th Avenue in the historic district.

Ò This is the biggest parade and the most people IÕ ve seen in years,Ó said Nora Davis, who has been coming to the Zephyrhills event for six straight years. Ò I remember when the parade was over pretty quick.

Ò This year was absolutely wonderful. ItÕ s a great way to bring everybody together for the holidays.Ó

The event was presented by Zephyrhills Main Street and sponsored by GoinÕ Postal, The Zephyrhills News, Pasco Times, City of Zephyrhills, Progress En-ergy, CF Industries, Walmart, CraddockÕ s Air Condi-tioning and Heat and San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union.

Main Street events are to give back to the commu-nity while attracting people to the businesses in the downtown shopping district.

Main Street accomplished both as people milled around 5th Avenue all day taking in shopping and family fun until the parade started at 6 p.m. When the parade concluded, the crowds didnÕ t thin out very much.

’Tis the season in Zephyrhills

Handpick your own Christmas tree at Ergle’s

Ergle Christmas Tree Farm makes for wonderful holiday memories

Bringing home a sweet-smelling tree is only the half of it at the Ergle Christmas Tree Farm. Train rides, barnyard animals, Christmas cactuses and strawber-ries also are part of the memorable experience.

Rick and Ann Denz, a couple from Saint Leo, re-cently made their annual visit to ErgleÕ s to purchase a Christmas tree. Their children are grown now, but the DenzÕ s fondly recollected family trips there with daughters Eliza, now 22, and 21-year-old Rebecca when both were little.

Ò We love it,Ó Ann said. Ò It supports local busi-ness and the trees are always fresh and beautiful.Ó

Annual Tree decorating and lighting is enjoyed by thousands at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills

Mayor Cliff McDuffie and several thousand others counted down from 10. When they collectively hit zero, the lights of 53 Christmas trees glowed and the skies over Florida Hospital Zephyrhills lit up with fireworks Sunday.

The joyous occasion was the 27th Annual Tree Decorating and Lighting at Florida Hospital. Trees representing all 50 states along with an international tree, a Canada tree and a tree honoring our troops were decorated by local groups and individuals.

Ò IÕ ve been honored to do this nine times and it just kicks off the season in Zephyrhills,” McDuffie said. “It is a very valuable part of Zephyrhills and I am proud to be a part of it.Ó

For some it is a labor of love.Charlie Grigelevich and her friends

took their love for their home state of Rhode Island and put it into the Rhode Is-land Christmas Tree.

Ò Most of us lived in Rhode Island and others were from nearby Connecticut and Massachusetts. Last year we saw many

FHZ flips switch for Christmas season

➤TREE LIGHTING: See Page 6A

➤FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: See Page 10AThree of Santa’s Elves -- Cynthia Binka, Kaylin Miller and Madison Rogers -- marched in the downtown parade. DAVE WALTERS

By Dave WaltersNews Reporter

Four-month-old Mia Rose Summers meets Santa Claus for the first time at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Sunday afternoon. DAVE WALTERS

By Dave WaltersNews Reporter

COMMENTARYColumnist Dave Walters echoes

the sentiments of many Christians and other folks

when he wishes a Merry Christmas, instead of happy

holidays, to everyone.

PAGE 11A

By steve leeNews Reporter

➤ERGLE: See Page 2A

PUSH-UP FUNDRAISERWrestlers from

Zephyrhills High do push-ups for pledges to raise

money for Special Olympics and the school wrestling

program.

PAGE 8B

Dade Cityparade becomes a Magical Night

Thousands turn out to kick off the Christmas season

The Dade City Annual Magical Night Christmas Parade had it all Friday night.

Horses, dozens of floats, elves, monster trucks and Santa Claus made their way down 7th Street where thousands cheered through-out the 90-minute parade.

Stacked 10 deep along the sidewalks and intersections, the crowd was estimated to be nearly 7,000.

Frank VanScoyk was one of many who had a front row seat for the festivities that helps Dade City kick off the Christmas season.

Ò We got to see all of this stuff going on

By Dave WaltersNews Reporter

➤DADE CITY PARADE: See Page 7A

COLORING CONTEST

Hey kids, do your best in

the Christmas Coloring Contest

for a chance to receive a prize.

PAGE 8A

FEAST OF REMEMBRANCE

The Gulfside Regional Hospice

Bereavement Program recently

held a Feast of Remembrance for East Pasco

residents.PAGE 2B

Bentley Linville has yet to turn 2, but he already has helped pick out the family Christmas tree. The child and his family are among many folks who handpick their trees at Ergle’s. JAN LINVILLE

INDEXChurch 5A

Classifieds 9B

Clubs/Parks 5B

Crime Reports 10B

Commentary 11A

Community Calendar 2A

Legals 10B

Sports 1B, 2B, 6B, 7B,8B & 9B

T.V. Guide 11B

Crossword Puzzle 9A

Weather 3A

Zephyrhills News

SPORTSZephyrhills

High football team wins fourth

straight game to remain in the

playoff hunt. Unbeaten Pasco

junior varsity football team has yet to be scored upon. Four local teams fare well

in the SAC swim and dive meet.

Local golfer wins the Zephyrhills

Open.PAGE 1B

COMMENTARYColumnist Dave

Walters compares the tight security environment at Anclote for the

Zephyrhills High football game to a popular

movie. Student columnist Haley Freeland, who

has not attended many football

games, gets into the Bulldog spirit.

PAGE 11A

Thursday, October 20, 2011 100th Year - No. 4 Y O U R H O M E T O W N N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 11 50¢

ONLY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN ZEPHYRHILLS, “CITY OF PURE WATER”

I’m For A Friendlier Florida

Spirited week to be capped by parade, football game and dance

The big day for the Zephyrhills High School Home-coming is Friday. ThatÍ s when the community comes out in droves for a downtown parade traditionally followed by a night football game at Bulldog Stadium.

FridayÍ s parade is at 1 p.m. and the game against the Sunshine Athletic Conference rival Ridgewood Rams starts at 7:30 p.m.

Earlier this week, however, students and facul-ty got into the spirit of things with four special days to commemorate homecoming. Dress-up days for Monday through Thursday were as follows: Wacky Tacky Day, ThatÍ s Entertainment Day, Multiplicity Day and Orange & Black Day.

MondayÍ s theme featuring silly-patterned or gaudy clothing with outlandish accessories turned into a contest between teachers and students as to just how wacky and tacky everyone could get.

ñ TheyÍ re all dressed pretty tacky today,î principal

Special days for ZHS homecoming

Tax Collector’s Offi ce will not return to Zephyrhills

anytime soonMike Olson plans to

eventually fi nd a facility to serve Zephyrhills and

Wesley Chapel

More than 60,000 customers who used the Pasco County Tax Collec-tor’s branch offi ce in Zephyrhills that closed down earlier this year from storm damage will have to wait quite a bit longer to have local services again.

A storm ravaged the roof at the Tax Collector’s Offi ce on Allen Road, allowing severe rain damage and ul-timately a mold condition leaving the facility useless without nearly $100,000 in needed repairs.

According to Tax Collector Mike Olson, the fi scally responsible solu-tion was to close the offi ce, consoli-date staff into the Dade City and Land O’ Lakes offi ces and search for an al-ternate site to build a regional offi ce that would serve residents of Zephy-rhills and Wesley Chapel.

ñ I felt overall it was best thing to do,î Olson said Monday. ñ It was a wise decision. We had a clause in lease that allowed us to vacate.î

Olson said he had damage ex-perts in the facility immediately af-ter the April storm to dry everything out, but environmental consultants

reported that mold had formed in the building and the only way to make it usable again was to have the building gutted and completely renovated.

ñ There was some feedback and some of it wasnÍ t good,î Olson admit-ted. ñ It was an act of God. We made the only decision we could make to close its doors. We apologize for any inconvenience.

“That offi ce served 5,000 cus-tomers a month, I put that offi ce there nearly 12 years ago and it hurt me to close that out.î

Olson said he understands the inconvenience it has caused resi-dents of Zephyrhills who now have to drive to the Pasco County Govern-ment Center in Dade City to take care of their vehicle registrations, driverÍ s licenses and other services.

ñ When you open the doors you help the people,î Olson said. ñ When you close the doors, it inconveniences them. Again, it was the right decision. It would take $100,000 to replace ev-erything from air conditioning ducts to furniture to drywall.î

Olson said the search continues for an alternate space big enough for a regional facility to handle custom-ers from Zephyrhills and Wesley Cha-pel

ñ In a bad economy, itÍ s a good time to buy land, but it is also a bad time to put money into a big facility,î Olson explained. ñ IÍ m getting land of-fers, but weÍ re not in any hurry right now.

BY DAVE WALTERSNews Reporter

Small-town appealattracts thousands to

45th annual event

The population of San Antonio is just under 1,000 people, but for one weekend a year, that fi gure ex-plodes when nearly 10,000 people call this community home as they attend the 45th Annual San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival.

The otherwise sleepy town of San Antonio awakened last week-end to celebrate the rattlesnake and the gopher turtle with performanc-es, reptile shows, snake demonstra-tions, games, food and the ever-pop-ular gopher races.

The gopher race tracks were fi lled with children and later college students and adults trying to ma-nipulate the wooden gopher turtle to the fi nish line.

Crowds slither to Rattlesnake Festival

�RATTLESNAKE: See Page 6A

Wesley Chapel Chamber event lures thousands for

weekend of festivities

The Wesley Chapel Fall Festival had something for everyone „ kids and adults alike. Best of all, it was free.

Last weekendÍ s fourth annual event at the Groves in Wesley Chapel featured numerous events and activi-ties to attract shoppers and visitors on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Presented by the Wesley Chapel

Chamber of Commerce and Simpson Farms, the two-day festival has grown from a turnout of more than 5,000 at the initial event to about 25,000 this year.

ñ Wesley Chapel has grown and people know where we are now,î chamber board member Cindy Flem-ing said. ñ I think it went wonderful. We had as big a crowd as we ever had. Everybody loved the bands and the kidÍ s area was packed. WeÍ ll be back next year, bigger than ever.î

While the initial festival listed 50-60 vendors, marketing director and chamber member Christine Hope counted 145 sponsors, vendors and community partners for this yearÍ s

4th Annual Fall Festival held at the Groves

�FESTIVAL: See Page 4A

�HOMECOMING: See Page 7AZHS faculty who got into the spirit of things for dress-up days during homecoming week were: (left to right) Anna Crociatia, Barbara Czdec, Tara Rowe, Andressa Williams, Deborah Gillars, Richard Laity, Scarlett Swails and Dustin Rowe. STEVE LEE

JROTC HOSTS BATTLE OF

BATTALIONSAlpha Company

is the overall champion in a

battle of several field events at

Zephyrhills High SchoolÍ s Bulldog

Stadium.PAGE 9B

WHO’S NEWCheck out the

babies born at the Pasco

Regional Medical Center and

Florida Hospital Zephyrhillls.

PAGE 2A

COLORING CONTEST

Hey kids, donÍ t miss out on a chance to win

prizes by entering the Halloween

Coloring Contest.PAGE 8A

�TAX COLLECTORS: See Page 11A

BY STEVE LEENews Reporter

BY STEVE LEENews Reporter

The gopher races were close and a lot of hard work for the youngsters at the 45th Annual Rattlesnake Festival. DAVE WALTERS

Annalicia Ortega, a 5-year-old from Tampa Palms, makes her choice in the pumpkin patch at the Fourth Annual Fall Festival Saturday at the Groves. The two-day event atrracted about 25,000 visitors and has increased in attendance each year. STEVE LEE

BY DAVE WALTERSNews Reporter

INDEXChurch 5A

Classifieds 9B

Clubs/Parks 5B

Crime Reports 10B

Commentary 11A

Community Calendar 2A

Legals 10B

Sports 1B, 2B, 3B, 6B, 7B & 9B

T.V. Guide 11B

Crossword Puzzle 9A

Weather 3A

Zephyrhills News

SPORTSCentennial

Middle football team wins

championship and clinches undefeated

season. Wiregrass Ranch claims two

cross country titles. Zephyrhills

High football team wins

fifth straight, a homecoming victory over

Ridgewood, to remain in the playoff hunt.

PAGE 1B

COMMENTARYColumnist Dave Walters writes about all the

things happening in Zephyrhills.

As a Zephyrhills High School

senior, student columnist Rachel

Wise recalls four years of homecoming events and community

activities.

PAGE 11A

Thursday, October 27, 2011 100th Year - No. 5 Y O U R H O M E T O W N N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 11 50¢

ONLY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN ZEPHYRHILLS, “CITY OF PURE WATER”

Hundreds walk to support new breast health center

Imagine a woman just days before her vacation trip getting a report back on a mammogram that there was something suspicious that needed a biopsy, but the only appointment she could get would be in three weeks.

How could anyone enjoy their trip with that hanging over their head? A quick alternative from doctors at Flor-ida Hospital Zephyrhills got the biopsy done and let her know that the test was negative.

In an effort to support the Simpson Breast Health Center at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, honoring others who have survived breast cancer, battling breast cancer and someone who lost their lives to the disease, hundreds of people took to the track Sunday at FHZ for the Annual Sister Stroll.

Pink shirts, shorts and bras were the attire for those who marched lap after lap in support of the overall fi ght against breast cancer.

Ò I think it really shows the community support for

Sister Stroll raises funds and awareness

Residents sayBrownfi eld

designation will plunge values

Economic development plan could make the City of PureWater appear contaminated

Public outcry was heard Monday by residents in and outside the city limits pertaining to the pos-sibility of having land in their area deemed poten-tially contaminated.

Offi cials from the county are encouraging members of City Council to get on board with state-funded Brownfi eld Designation Project that would designate 7,500 acres of land as potentially contaminated.

While there is little to no evidence yet as to any contamination, having the Brownfi eld desig-nation would make the land attractive because of possible tax breaks to industries interested in mov-ing to the Zephyrhills area

Pasco County and Zephyrhills staff are co-operating with the Pasco Economic Development Council to encourage targeted industries to locate or expand existing operations into Pasco County.

What makes the area viable to industries thinking of moving to the Zephyrhills area is the

BY DAVE WALTERSNews Reporter

Halloween Howl event attracts thousands to

Fifth Avenue

Princesses, zombies, lady-bugs and baby chicks fl ood-ed Fifth Avenue for the annu-al Halloween Howl Saturday night presented by Main Street Zephyrhills.

From curb to curb, thou-sands of children and par-ents strolled through down-town to take part in the event that allows a family-friendly controlled trick or treat envi-ronment that featured games, pony rides, bounce houses and a costume parade.

Ò This is a great thing for my kids,Ó said Audrey Phil-lips, who brought her two-year-old son Jarred as Spider-man and four-year-old daugh-ter Molly as Tinkerbell. Ò We can come right here to down-

town and let the kids have fun and not have to worry.

Ò IÕ m sure weÕ ll still go trick or treating, but this is probably more fun for them. There wonÕ t be any games and pony rides on Halloween.Ó

Main Street Zephyrhills kept the Haunted House tra-dition going at the former Wachovia Bank Building where over 1,200 people crept through the maze of darkness, wild lights and zombies.

Ò We do this every year and it keeps getting better,Ó said Main Street Executive Di-rector Gina Granger. Ò We just want to bring the community together. ItÕ s an exciting event for the kids and itÕ s free. ItÕ s a controlled environment and it makes the parents feel that things are safer for their chil-dren.

Ò All in all, we just want to make something exciting for the kids and make sure they had a good time. I think we did that.

It was a ghoulish good time on Main Street

�HOWL: See Page 7A

Pep rally, football game and dance cap festive week for students and

community

Most high school football teams in America have homecoming games to drum up communi-ty support. Some schools have dances as well. Few, however, commemorate the annual occasion with a

parade.Zephyrhills does.A downtown parade culminated a week-long

celebration with the entire community coming out Ñ thanks in part to no school last Friday Ñ to sup-port Zephyrhills High School students and faculty.

Up the road on US 301, Pasco had its own pa-rade on Friday as well. And just like the Bulldogs, the Pirates had a football game that night followed by a dance on Saturday night.

Ò This is great,Ó said Jim Drumm, hired as the city manager in May and witnessing his fi rst down-town parade in Zephyrhills. Ò YouÕ re seeing more

Parade highlights ZHS homecoming

�PARADE: See Page 6A

�STROLL: See Page 4AClad in Pink, the participants of the Sister Stroll at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills stand ready at the starting line. DAVE WALTERS

CITY SIGN ORDINANCE

City officials intend to beef

up enforcement on the sign ordinance.

PAGE 2A

COLORING CONTEST

Hey kids, donÕ t miss out on a chance to win

prizes by entering the Halloween

Coloring Contest.PAGE 8A

�COUNCIL: See Page 11A

BY DAVE WALTERSNews Reporter

BY STEVE LEENews Reporter

Mandi Hartwig attended the Halloween Howl with daughters Mallory and Lindsey Hartwig. DAVE WALTERS

The freshmen’s hollywood-theme float was voted the best in the homecoming parade.NANCY KING

BY DAVE WALTERSNews Reporter

RED RIBBON WEEK

Local elementary schools celebrate

Red Ribbon Week by teaching students to say no

to drugs.PAGE 10A