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Lutz downtown now on fast track By Michael Hinman mhinman@lakerlutznews.com
Hillsborough County wants to bring parts of the Lutz community — especially land along U.S. 41 — into the 21st century with county water and sewer. But some vocal residents in the community are still giving the idea a big no. Officials want to make the Lutz Downtown Center Zoning District a reality,
which would not change the development pattern or density of parcels along U.S. 41, but instead create the infrastructure necessary that might help business grow more on the popular corridor connecting Pasco County with Tampa. “It’s the opportunity for parts of that area to receive water and sewer service,” said Yeneka Mills, a community planner for the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission. “We know that people there
don’t want this to turn into a Dale Mabry (Highway), with traffic, and water and sewer.They think that this is going to be a lot of growth that will make roads congested.” What it would likely create instead are amenities like restaurants and coffee shops, the kind of businesses that can’t operate off septic tanks without a huge financial investSee DOWNTOWN, page 11A
Good grief!
New Tampa Players prepare Charlie Brown musical
By Michael Murillo mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
One of the good things about performing the “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” musical is that the audience is familiar the characters. Everybody knows the “Peanuts” gang. Everybody, that is, except the actress who plays Lucy. FRED BELLET/PHOTOS “I’m very unfamiliar with Peanuts, unfortunately,” said The New Tampa Players sing during a non-dress rehearsal of ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ on stage Brooke Stinnett, who plays at the CrossPointe Church in Lutz. Cast members are, in front from left, Chelsea Orvis (Sally), John the unpopular character in Camacho (Linus), Robert L’Ecuyer (Schroeder), and Brooke Stinnett (Lucy). In the middle row are Abigail the New Tampa Players pro- Halvorsen (Freida) and Lance Rumowicz (Charlie Brown). Bottom row is Jarrett Koski (Snoopy). duction, which runs for two weekends beginning Oct. 10 at CrossPointe production of “The Sound of Music,” and he Church of the Nazarene, 919 Debuel Road thought she’d be a great fit for the Charlie If you go in Lutz.“I’ve seen the Christmas movie, and Brown musical. WHAT: ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie that’s it.” With just seven cast members, chemistry Brown’ from the New Tampa Players To be fair, the Lutz resident is just 21, so and camaraderie is important, Meekins said. WHEN: Oct. 10-11, Oct. 17-18 at 8 p.m., she was born well after the comic strip’s He feels like everyone fits in properly, with Oct. 12 and Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. heyday in the 1960s, when a series of televithe singing and acting talent necessary to WHERE: CrossPointe Church, 919 Debuel sion specials — and the original version of cover the challenges of each role. Road, Lutz the musical — began to add to its populari“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” is COST: $15 for adults, $14 for senior citizens ty. Stinnett had to do some catching up for both a familiar and different challenge for and students the role, learning Lucy’s bossy attitude and Meekins. He performed in the play in high INFO: (813) 386-6687, or crabby behavior, she said. school, and has directed it several times. But NewTampaPlayers.org But she thinks that not knowing Lucy in those cases, it was the original 1967 vertoo well allows her to add something fresh sion. to the character, and the musical gives This play is based off the 1999 revival Stinnett an opportunity to show Lucy’s sen- joined the cast. version, and Meekins chose that one besitive side. “She’s a very talented actress with an cause it has more exciting songs with a According to director G. Frank Meekins, amazing voice,” he said.The two worked toSee CHARLIE, page 11A Stinnett brought a lot to the table when she gether in the New Tampa Players’
Baseball complex could bring sport’s biggest names By Michael Hinman mhinman@lakerlutznews.com
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Has Gary Sheffield done something the late Hugh Culverhouse never could? The retired Major League Baseball star is excited about working with James Talton and Blue Marble Strategic in bringing a massive youth baseball complex to Wesley Chapel. But he is looking to bring in other big names too — especially those already associated with youth baseball — like former National Football League and professional baseball star Bo Jackson. The Culverhouse-owned Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Jackson, the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner, in 1986. But after a trip on Culverhouse’s private jet forced him to forfeit the rest of his collegiate baseball career, Jackson vowed he would never play a single down for the Buccaneers, and refused to sign when the team drafted him. But 28 years later, Jackson could end up in the Tampa Bay area after all, as one of several sports stars participating in Blue Marble’s proposed 20-field complex at Wiregrass Ranch. “Bo Jackson wants to be involved,” Sheffield told business leaders at a recent economic development event of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. “I just saw him two days ago, and they came down and met with us. All ex-athletes want to do is give back to kids.” Jackson, who runs his own baseball program in Chicago, was one of several names Sheffield mentioned as interested in participating in some way or another at the $70 million complex, that will be built in part using $11 million in Pasco County tourist tax money.Another one tied to youth sports is former Baltimore Orioles shortstop and third basemen Cal Ripken, whose youth
MICHAEL HINMAN/STAFF PHOTO
James Talton, the owner of Blue Marble Strategic, talks about his company’s idea to build a youth baseball complex in Wesley Chapel, while partner and retired Major League Baseball star Gary Sheffield listens in.
baseball program also has become quite popular in various parts of the country. “It won’t be a Cal Ripken facility, or a Bo Jackson facility, but we can always integrate all of those things into what we’re doing,” Sheffield said. “What it does is give us the ability to probably have 20 to 30 MLB players that (at) any one time your kid might bump into, and that ups the brand.” Talton wants to fill Pasco with 20 diamonds — baseball diamonds, that is. Many will have dimensions similar to Major League Baseball, but would include smaller fields as well for younger players. He wants to target teenagers, tapping into an amateur sports camp industry he says is currently worth $7 billion. “We could make between $18 million and $20 million, and that’s just in the sum-
Could the Atlanta Braves someday call Wesley Chapel its home? PAGE 3A mertime alone,”Talton said.“If we took the 13- or 14-year-olds, and we did nothing else, I could pay down my debt service of $54 million.” Several investors are ready to sign on the dotted line to fund the project,Talton said, but only after the county guarantees it will See COMPLEX, page 11A