The LAKER
ee r F
LAND O’ LAKES EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
A time to remember military sacrifice By Mary Rathman
clared an official federal holiday in 1971. To mark the holiday weekend, several events and ceremonies are planned for the region. Here is a listing of some of those events. • Lutz-Land O’ Lakes American Legion Post 108 will be placing flags at the Lutz cemetery May 27 and retrieving them May 30, both days at 9 a.m. The group also will
mrathman@lakerlutznews.com
Our nation is preparing to observe Memorial Day, in honor of the men and women who died while serving in the armed forces. The American holiday, which falls on the last Monday of May each year, originally was known as Decoration Day. It began in the years following the Civil War and was de-
No Fees Or Costs Unless You Win HOLLIDAY KARATINOS
M AY 2 4 , 2 0 1 7
See MILITARY, page 15A
LAW FIRM, P.L. HelpingInjuredPeople.com Call Attorney
JIM HOLLIDAY 813-868-1887 “I Will Aggressively Fight To Protect Your Legal Rights” 18920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 101 Lutz, FL (Corner of Sunlake & Dale Mabry)
Walk-Ins Welcome
check out the
ULTIMA T TE SUMMER CAAMP Director ry ry
Pa P age 3b 60O,v0e0r0 reade r Ads start at jus Weekly!s $41 per week!
FRED BELLET
A stop sign sits outside one of the exits from the Flying J truck stop, where workers are widening State Road 52.
Widening of State Road 52 and Interstate 75 nearing end By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
D AY C A M
P&
Nearly three years after dirt began flying, a $72.6 million project to widen State Road 52 and Interstate 75 is heading into its final phase. Completion is expected in summer 2017. Motorists have learned to navigate through construction cones, barricades and lane shifts — heading north or south on I-
OOL SCH ER MM SU
7 201
Su Su um m mm m meer er at at the tth he he Lakes La akkes kes
You Do the t Dishes
And mAny mor re... call rachel to res serve your spot toDa ay! ay
75, or east and west on two-lane State Road 52. Traffic flow has slowed, and sometimes halted, as construction workers twirled their signs signaling lines of motorists to go “slow” or “stop.” Construction work has greeted residents entering and leaving the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club on a daily basis. Amid the passenger vehicles, a steady stream of 18-wheelers rolled in and out of
813 909 28 813-909-28 800
the Flying J truck stop, just east of I-75. It became a routine of the daily commute. The work began in May 2014. The state department of transportation tried to minimize the impact to traffic by having road crews work at night, and scheduling lane closures after 9 p.m. “We will have added capacity to allow See WIDENING page 15A
Pasco students showcase their talents
Service the Way
it Oughta Be!
By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
SERVICE REPAIR A/C, Plumbing or Electrical LK/LZ
Must present coupon. cannot be coMbined.one per visit. exp. 5/31/17
FREE Water quality test Plus uP to $400 off comPlete Water treatment system Must present coupon. cannot be coMbined.one per visit. exp. 5/31/17
CAC1816647 CFC1428982 EC0001103
Same-Day Service Free 2nd Opinion* Free Estimates** 24/7 Emergency **Free estimates for new A/C, water heater, water treatment and electrical panel upgrade. *Free second opinion with written diagnosis from another company.
CORNERSTONEPROS.COM
813-990-0561
B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
several benefits, including reduced vehicle noise, cleaner emissions and cost efficiency. “We’ve tried to be good stewards of our natural resources,” said Kurt Browning, the district’s superintendent. Each bus is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 20,000 pounds a year, school officials said. Compared to clean diesel buses, they said the CNG buses would produce 13 percent less greenhouse gas, 95 percent less nitrogen oxide and 80 percent less hydrocarbon. The CNG station can fuel a bus within 3 minutes and can pump out the equivalent of more than 10,500 gasoline gallons a day. It also is a state-of-the-art facility with more than 10,000 linear feet of electrical conduit buried underground. More than 50 cubic yards of concrete encase those conduits; and, each CNG storage vessel weighs more than 6,500 pounds. All of the compression equipment was American-manufactured. Ray Gadd, the school district’s deputy suSee BUSES, page 15A
See TALENTS, page 15A
LK/LZ
$20 OFF
The talent was endless. The applause was, too. Special needs students from seven Pasco County schools displayed their unique skills on May 17 before more than 100 parents, peers and school faculty. The eighth annual Showcase for Exceptional Talent was held at the Wesley Chapel High School Center for the Arts auditorium. From dancing and singing/duets, to lipsyncing and comedy skits, there was no shortage of fun and entertainment. The two-hour show featured more than 30 routines from dozens of exceptional student education (ESE) students. Performers hailed from Wesley Chapel, Ridgewood, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills high schools; Seven Springs and Weightman middle schools; and,Watergrass Elementary. On the main stage, students exhibited passion and confidence with each act. The crowd responded with roaring applause and enthusiastic cheers. Everyone seemed to be sharing an enjoyable time. Wiregrass Ranch’s Nicholas Jones enlivened the audience as he jammed away at his guitar during a solo performance of “Wherever I May Roam” by Metallica. Wesley Chapel High’s Regan Black left observers awestruck when she belted out the catchy sing-along tune of “Don’t Worry About a Thing” by Tori Kelly. Acts such as a SpongeBob SquarePants reenactment and roaming “Comedy Chickens” generated hearty laughs.
COURTESY OF PASCO COUNTY SCHOOLS
Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, center, cuts the ribbon at the new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station as Chuck Warrington, left, of Clearwater Gas, and State Sen. Wilton Simpson watch.
Fleet of school buses to use alternative fuel By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County Schools is making history with a new, fast-fill station and a fleet of buses that runs on alternative fuel. The school district, in partnership with Integral Energy and Clearwater Gas System, is the first in Florida to own and operate a compressed natural gas (CNG) station to fuel its growing fleet of CNG buses. By the end of the 2018 school year, school officials estimate the district will own 65 buses that operate on natural gas, rather than diesel or gasoline. The fueling station, along with a new bus garage, is on about 24 acres at 13101 Interlaken Road in Odessa. School officials, school board members and representatives with Integral Energy and Clearwater Gas celebrated the occasion with a ribbon cutting on May 16. Guests at the event toured the buses and the fuel processing plant.The J.W. Mitchell High School jazz band entertained. The alternative fuel is expected to offer