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SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

Meeting set on U.S. 41/State Road 54

By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

Those interested in the future of the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54 are invited to attend a public meeting this week to discuss possible options for improvement.

The Florida Department of Transportation’s District Seven is hosting the meeting, which is set for Sept. 16 from

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Keystone Community Church, 21010 State Road 54, in Lutz.

Virtual attendance also is available, but registration is required to participate online.

To register, visit the project’s website: https://active.fdotd7studies.com/sr54/us41at-sr54/.

The FDOT is holding the workshop to give people who are interested the opportunity to provide comments concerning the

traffic patterns, design, and social, economic and environmental effects of the proposed improvements.

In addition to the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41, the project study will include areas adjacent to the intersection along the two major roads, according to FDOT materials.

State Road 54 is one of two existing See MEETING, page 11A

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Honoring the 20th anniversary of 9/11 There were many somber moments during the 9/11 Memorial held at The Tampa Premium Outlets. Here, from left, are Fainery Spelman, 12-year-old Matthew Spelman, 9/11 responder Stephen Spelman (a former New York City fire department EMT) and Chris Casella (a former police officer with the Queen’s South Taskforce). Casella, a witness to the 9/11 tragedy, was emcee at a 20th anniversary remembrance event on the morning of Sept. 11, at the outlet mall. The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon’s 1-mile Memorial Run/Walk was held in the morning and was followed by a ceremony, which began at 8:46 a.m. — memorializing the time when the North Tower of the World Trade Center was struck. Two plaques also were unveiled that day, recognizing the sacrifices of Deputy Michael Magli, of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and Master Police Officer Jesse Madsen, of the Tampa Police Department, who both died in the line of duty. See our video coverage of this event on our Facebook Page. To see The Laker/Lutz News “Reflect and Remember,” a special tribute to the 20th anniversary of 9/11, please turn to pages 6A and 7A.

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Marine Cpl. Ryan King, of Tampa, taps the bell signifying times on 9/11 when America was attacked. Chris Casella assists in the task.

The bell was tapped once at various times for a moment of silence, for those who gave their lives to save others.

Madison Lembo, of Land O’ Lakes, listens to Gary Bradford, of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, during remarks by dignitaries and guest speakers.

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Pandemic puts us in ‘strange time,’ Crews getting back State Sen. Danny Burgess says at it, on Diverging

By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

B INSIDE, PAGE 1B

With chairs socially distanced at tables, breakfast guests masked up, and servers dishing up food at the breakfast buffet — the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce resumed in-person business breakfast meetings in September.

State Sen. Danny Burgess, a Republican from Zephyrhills, was the featured speaker.

“It’s good to be here,” Burgess told the crowd. Obviously, this is your first time back in a long time.”

It’s no secret that the impacts of COVID19 have rippled throughout society, and Burgess addressed them head-on.

“We all have felt that separation, that isolation,” Burgess said.

“I think we’ve all realized just how significant the second- and third-order effects of COVID-19 can be, not just from the physical virus itself and its manifestations, but what it’s like to not be able to interact,” he said.

“It’s in our nature to want to get out and interact and socialize.

“So I think this has taken a huge toll on us,” the state lawmaker added.

The pandemic affects everyone, he said, “whether you’re a parent, or whether you’re taking care of your parents, as they get older.”

For employers, the question is: How do I keep my employees safe?

“We’re kind of in a strange time where some people are policing other people.We’re policing each other: ‘Oh, that guy just See PANDEMIC, page 11A

Diamond interchange

By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

Work on the diverging diamond project at State Road 56 and Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel was set to resume on Sept. 13, according to officials from the Florida Department of Transportation.

That news was part of an update released

by Kris Carson, department spokeswoman for FDOT’S District 7 office.

Work was halted in June, when D.A.B. Constructors notified FDOT that it was demobilizing from the project. The state See DIAMOND, page 11A

Hitting the links for a few friendly rounds The Laker/Lutz News Staff Report

I

dlewild Baptist Church ministers to both the body and soul, as seen through its recreation ministry, which wrapped up a coed summer golf league at Plantation Palms, in Land O’ Lakes, last month.

The league ran through Aug. 25.

Tee times at the golf course, at 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., began at 5:30 p.m.

Rounds involved a two-player scramble, consisting of nine holes.

There also was an optional free golf clinic, and a $15 buffet, available.

For more information, please visit Idlewild.org/recreation/, or call Griffin Shollenberger at 813-264-8737.

Golfer Steve Scrivens, of San Antonio, sports a hat given to golfers taking part in the Idlewild Baptist Church golf match.

Scrivens worked on straightening out his long drive during a golf clinic with Jesse Pratt, who is an instructor and also the Plantation Palms Golf Club general manager.

Tristan Kennedy of Land O’ Lakes works on getting more distance using a sand wedge during the Idlewild Baptist Church coed golf clinic and weekly golf match, at Plantation Palms Golf Course.

FRED BELLET

Jeanne Smith, of Lutz, has no problem driving the ball, despite an injury to her right leg she sustained playing pickleball. She says: ‘My husband thinks I’m crazy to play (today),’ but she went on to play the back nine holes with the rest of the golfers.

Pastor Wade Griffin talks to the golfers, who were preparing to compete.

Plantation Palms Golf Club starter Joe DeLuca, right, helped organize the beginning of the gold match. Sixteen-year-old Hayden Vincent, left, rode with Tristan Kennedy. The Land O’ Lakes residents are both members of Idlewild.

Frank Mutz, director of recreation at Idlewild Baptist Church, left, bows his head, as does Pastor Tim Hurless, seated, during some prayers offered by Pastor Wade Griffin, before the golf match began.

Allison McCoy, of Tampa, reacts with a laugh after over-shooting the cup outside the practice green at the Plantation Palms Golf Course. Allison’s husband, Brad McCoy, a seasoned golfer, was lending tips to his wife, a newcomer to the game. The couple was practicing before the tournament began.

Jim Willis, of Land O’ Lakes, watches and reacts as his ball comes up short while putting on the third green. Tim Hoelle, Jeff Ennis and Wade Griffin played along with Willis.

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Dade City author writes a chilling account of serial killers

By Joey Johnston

form friendships. So I thought maybe this book isn’t going anywhere.’’

A few weeks passed and Brett got a secDade City author Mary Brett spent four ond letter from Bowles.This one was more years researching and writing her latest raw, more honest, although it still didn’t combook,“Out Of The Mouths Of Serial Killers’’ pletely answer that basic question:Why? (WildBlue Press, 362 pages).

“It was a light-bulb moment, though, so I It clinically examines 75 psychopathic kept writing the letters and kept seeking rekillers — chapter by chapter — and pro- sponses,’’ Brett said. vides chilling insight. Her work revolves In all, Brett said she wrote to about 100 around a basic question. serial killers. She received 30 responses.

Why? Some were vulgar. One included Why did you kill? an order form for her to purWhen Brett, a retired medical chase a television and VCR for recruiter, moved to Dade City in the prison. Others delved into 2016, she remembered watching a their childhoods and backtelevision documentary about grounds. Many clung to their Gary Ray Bowles. He was on innocence.

Death Row in Starke after being “I wasn’t looking to sensaconvicted of murdering five gay tionalize the crime,’’ Brett said.“I men in a pattern of winning their just presented them and used trust, then beating and strangling their exact quotes. Bowles said them. Brett got hooked into the he had been a victim of sexual story, but left unsatisfied. abuse as a child. He had a horriMary Brett “It was a good interview, but I ble life. He saw himself ridding kept waiting for the woman (intersociety of evil (through his murviewer) to ask,‘Why?’” Brett said.“I knew the ders). story and why he was on Death Row. But “I tried to take the letters and tie it in to she never asked,‘Why?’ their background and the crime. I went “For me, that’s where this all started.’’ through media accounts, interrogations and Brett wrote to Bowles in prison and parole hearings to find the direct quotes, anyasked that same question:Why? thing that might give some insight into why She also sent a flurry of letters to other these serial killers did these things.’’ serial killers with this premise: She was planBrett also included accounts of the highning a book. Responses would be used in profile serial killers — the “rock stars,’’ as she their entirety with nothing changed or called them — because “you can’t do a book redacted. about serial killers without them,’’ referring Brett’s son was skeptical, saying there to the likes of Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. was no way Bowles would participate.

Trying to tie it all together, Brett inter“What else does he have to do?’’ Brett viewed psychiatrists and psychologists about said. potential motivations.

Bowles responded almost immediately.

“I don’t know if all the questions get com“He was a charmer and knew what to say,’’ pletely answered,’’ Brett said. “You look at Brett said. “He wrote, ‘You’re writing your nature/nurture and such.There are so many fourth book? Congratulations. You’re so variables and you can boil it down to one smart.’And on and on. commonality. It’s just a piece of humanity “He wanted me to come up and see him. that is not normal … and thank goodness for While I thought that might be an interesting that. life experience, I was not going to do that. I “But the psychologists suggested that was not looking for friendship with these these people will never stop killing until people. They are psychopaths. They don’t they are caught. And the reason is because

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

store and have no idea what it’s about,’’ Brett said. “It’s obvious what this book is about. It’s targeted to a market. Nobody is going to pick this up when they’d rather be reading a gardening book.

“This genre and the true crime genre, it just flies off the shelf.You can hardly find a Netflix documentary that’s not about serial killers. People just have a curiosity and fascination with the subject. I did, too, and that led me to pursue this book.There are many things I’m curious about.’’

Brett is nothing but an eclectic author. She has written books about vintage toys, the lives of sideshow freaks, and Victorian mourning customs. She’s currently working on a book about religious cults.

In her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia, Brett worked on her high school’s newspaper, magazine and yearbook. In passing, her senior English teacher told her she was a good writer. Brett never forgot that. In time, after having some articles about antiques and collectibles published in national magazines, she began pursuing books.

She has been a teacher and a medCOURTESY OF MARY BRETT ical recruiter, while also spending The cover of ‘Out Of The Mouths Of Serial Killers’ by time learning how to flip houses for Mary Brett, a Dade City author. profit.Writing is more of a hobby. But it’s also a passion. they liked to do it.’’

So is the Florida lifestyle.

Brett said she was “changed’’ by the reDuring a particularly bleak 2016 winter in searching and writing process. Before, she Virginia, Brett was reading “Bloody Mary,’’ a didn’t have a strong opinion about the death fiction novel about a female detective.There penalty. Now she’s a strong proponent. was a reference about her mother living in “These people don’t stop killing,’’ Brett Dade City, Florida, a place that “had so many said.“Bundy escaped jail twice and the sec- antique stores, you could throw a rock and ond time, his last victim was a 12 year old. hit one.’’

When they kill multiple people just for the That’s how Brett decided to move to sheer joy of it, I don’t see any reason they Dade City, a place that has fulfilled all her exshould have anything but the death penalty.’’ pectations and now serves as the backdrop Asked why she chose to wrote about a for her writing. Brett, the mother of two macabre subject, Brett said she was always adult sons, lives with her partner, Steve, and fascinated by the popularity of serial killers their three cats, a dog and a bird. as a storyline for books and documentaries.

“I’ve never regretted it, not one day,’’ Brett “You might pick up a novel in the book- said.“I love it here.’’

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Nominations open for recycling awards

By Mary Rathman mrathman@lakerlutznews.com

The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation is seeking nominations for its 2021 Recycling Champions Awards to recognize companies, organizations, governmental entities or individuals that have made a significant impact in recycling.

The group also is looking to recognize and celebrate new innovative programs in water reuse and recycling, energy efficiency, sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Nominations are open now; self-nominations are welcome.

Suggested award categories include: • Communication and Education • Waste Reduction, Reuse and Recycling • Water Reuse and/or Recycling

• Energy Efficiency • Environmental Stewardship • Innovation and other • Recycle Market Development Applicants can be a nonprofit; large business (more than 100 employees); small business; governmental entity; or educational organization.

The deadline for nominations is Oct. 1.

Notification of award decisions will be made in November, and awards are scheduled to be presented during Florida Recycles Week from Nov. 15 to Nov. 19.

The 2020 winners included AnheuserBusch, DAR PRO Solutions, Florida State University, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, and Sarasota County Solid Waste.

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September 15, 2021

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We pause, and remember

S

ept. 11, 2001, was a day that began for most of us, like any other — but the events that transpired that day forever changed America.

On that morning, 19 terrorists from alQaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes and deliberately crashed two of them into the North Tower and the South Tower of the World Trade Center. They smashed a third plane into the Pentagon. Passengers on the fourth plane overtook the hijackers and forced that plane to slam into an empty

field in Pennsylvania.

The attacks claimed the lives of 2,977, as well as the 19 hijackers.

In recognition of the 20th anniversary of that fateful day, we asked our readers to tell us where they were when they heard the news and how that day has affected them.

We share their compelling stories here in The Laker/Lutz News’ special 20th anniversary tribute, “Sept. 11, 2001: Remember & Reflect.”

—B.C. Manion, Editor of The Laker/Lutz News

On morning duty An air traffic controller heads into work at Denham Oaks As I was standing on morning duty outside the front office of Denham Oaks Elementary School, happy children passed by, waving and saying “Good Morning, Ms. C, see you in art class.”

The children were laughing and smiling on their way into school, with not a Cindy Smith care in the world.

Glancing over, I noticed a gathering group of staff in the office staring at the overhead TV. Moving closer, I began looking at the screen and saw in disbelief and shock the North Tower being engulfed with flames and smoke.

How is this happening and why?

I was witnessing people hanging desperately from the tower, and even jumping.

It was unbelievable and horrifying.

The thoughts of the potential loss of human life began to break my heart.

The near impossible challenges of rescuing those lives had me thinking about those who are brave and dedicated enough to be there to help.

My thoughts turned to the students who were too young to grasp the enormity of what was happening.

Tears filled my eyes as I thought of the families that would be broken apart.

As the day unfolded, a deep sadness settled in my soul.

I found myself praying for everyone who was affected and for rescuers to have strength.

I knew then, it would be a day and event we would always remember together — united as a nation, and we do.

—Cindy Smith, Land O’ Lakes

Watching the TODAY show, drinking coffee On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was having coffee, while watching the TODAY show at home in Lutz.

Breaking news interrupted the programming, with video of a plane crashing into the first of the Twin Towers.

I still recall the bright, beautiful blue cloudless sky in New York City and the horror of an assumed airline mishap hitting the building, but at the same time knowing that weather could not have been a factor.

Shortly thereafter, when a second plane tore into the second tower, I realized immediately that it was not a mistake or accident, but an actual attack — but from whom and why?

As details emerged, it became increasingly horrifying to realize the numbers of office workers, firefighters, police and bystanders who could not escape as both towers collapsed.

This catastrophic attack left an indelible imprint on my psyche, as an American and as a recently transplanted (upstate) New Yorker.

We all immediately became New Yorkers, and Pennsylvanians and D.C. citizens after the full impact of this terrorist attack was realized at all those locations.

Like with the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK, I will always remember where I was, that moment and the profound shock, sadness and anger that ensued.

Much like our parents’ generation experiencing the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and forever changing our lives and our history, we will never forget!

The following year on 9/11/02, as a member of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’Lakes Woman’s Club, we waved flags in commemoration of the first anniversary of the event.

Each subsequent year — up to and including this year’s 20th anniversary — our women have stood tall, waving flags along U.S. 41, in Lutz.

The event is typically accompanied by cars, trucks and 18-wheelers honking their horns, and bicyclists waving, as they pass by.

This flag-filled club event always brings tears to my eyes.

Let us never forget.

—Patricia Serio, Lutz

6A

September 15, 2021

I was driving to work for the early shift at Phoenix TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) when my wife, also on her way to work, called me and said that a local radio station had reported that an airplane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

As a pilot and air traffic controller, I told her that the pilot had probably encountered bad weather and crashed into the tower.

I arrived at work and my manager informed me that an air carrier had crashed into one of the towers.

This was unbelievable.

I thought it had to be a hijack or suicide, as it was a clear, cloudless day in New York City.

As you can imagine, our facility was buzzing.

I told my boss that I would stay in the breakroom and monitor the television to see what I could learn.A few minutes later I watched the second plane slam into the South Tower.

I ran into the TRACON and yelled that the South Tower had just been hit.

One of our controllers, a former New York TRACON controller, let loose with a swear word, followed by,“It’s a terrorist attack.”

COURTESY OF STEVE HADLEY

A view of the radar tower at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Everyone was so upset that the manager yelled “calm down and pay attention to your

traffic,” as we were in the early stages of a big arrival push from the East Coast.

As that horrible day progressed, the FAA shut down the U.S. airspace and we were tasked with informing the pilots that they had to land at the closest airport that would accommodate their aircraft.

Within just a few hours, all aircraft were on the ground without incident.

Phoenix airspace, which was always very busy, had no air traffic except law enforcement.

Not long after, I was working with an FBI agent by my side running intercepts with F16s on small aircraft that were observed in our airspace and apparently were unaware that U.S. airspace was shut down.

U.S. and Canadian airspace under heavy restrictions reopened on Sept. 13, but it was weeks before there was anything approaching normal air traffic.

Everything changed for us.

Our facility was now under heavy security— no visitors, no leaving for lunch.

We were later surprised to learn that one of the hijackers may have toured our facility from a local flight school where several of the hijackers trained.

—Steve Hadley, Land O’ Lakes

He was safe, but what about his sister? Flight attendant I was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, a crew chief on the C130Es at Little Rock AFB,Arkansas, at the time.

I was on the flight line, with my rear-end hanging out of the side window of a C130, sitting on the ledge leaning out and over — cleaning windows for that morning’s sortie when the expeditor truck pulls up.

He yells out of his truck, “SHUT ‘ER DOWN, GET INSIDE ASAP!” After hearing the command, the launch crew and I looked at each other puzzled that we should get a flight crew showing up soon. He yelled again. So we did.

We gathered our tools, made it inside and saw a crowd gathered around the breakroom television.

Almost immediately, I felt tension in the room.

I quickly learned why.

After watching for a few minutes, many of us were released to go home on stand-by.

After the initial shock, my thoughts turned to my sister.

She had been working in the CIA as an analyst for many years.

At the time I did not know exactly what she was doing, only that it had to do with terrorism.

I was getting concerned that the CIA headquarters building might be next.

After the fact, I learned that my sister and some of her coworkers had been tracking

the rise of Bin Laden and al-Qaida as a terrorist organization.

The warnings were sent up about a possible attack, but were ignored because they could not get the specifics. Bin Laden had a good grip on keeping his plans secret.

I was safe. My sister though — I was fearful.

As I watched the second tower get hit on television, I was still thinking of my sister.

I am sure she had watched it, too.

Thinking back now and knowing much more, I cannot fathom the emotions she must have felt at the time.

I really had no fear of our base coming under attack, but the CIA headquarters, certainly.

I obviously never got through to her that day.There was no communication from her for a couple of days.

I have no lasting effects, such as PTSD. My deployments were easy because of my job.

My sister, however, left the agency and now teaches, lectures on terrorism and extremism.

I retired after 24 years and am now working on a master’s degree for clinical mental health counseling.

I want to help those who did go through that which I escaped.

—Patrick Storer, Land O’ Lakes

New homeowners in Oak Grove On Sept. 8, 2001, which was a Saturday, my husband, Peter, and I moved into our new house in the Oak Grove community in Lutz.

We were very excited to be moving from an apartment in Tampa to our new home.

On Sept. 11, just three days later, Peter went to work in South Tampa, not far from MacDill Airforce Base.

He called me to tell me to turn on the TV, to see the news.

I asked,“What channel?”

He said:“It doesn’t matter.”

I turned the TV on just after the second plane hit.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

There was no doubt, at all, as to what was happening.

We soon heard of the plane hitting the Pentagon, along with scary stories of other possible attacks and of our military bases being targets.

Our families and friends began calling.

Parents, aunts, cousins — the calls were local and from different states, as we all checked on each other.

We kept saying that we could not believe what we were seeing.

I anxiously waited for Peter to come home, but it would be a while before his company closed for the employees to go home.

I was on the phone with my brother when the first tower collapsed.

I did, too. I just sank to the floor, my heart breaking for those still in or around the building and their families.

It was incomprehensible.

www.LakerLutzNews.com

COURTESY OF KELLEY CAPORICE

This photo was taken of Kelley and Peter Caporice shortly before they moved into their new home in Lutz, in 2001.

It still is.

I didn’t know anyone in New York or D.C., or that was near any of the attack or crash sites, but I believe we all were impacted by what happened that day.

For me, I knew that going forward, I would be sure to tell my family and friends, with words, how much I loved them, in case...well, you know.

Now, 20 years later, I continue to pray and ask God for comfort and peace for those who lost loved ones on 9/11/01, for the first responders and for their families, and for those who continue to suffer with health or emotional issues from that day.

I ask God to carry them through the hills and valleys, just as He has carried me.

—Kelley Caporice, Lutz

at home, awaiting shift that day

On Sept. 11, 2001, I was at home in Centreville,Virginia.

I was a flight attendant scheduled to fly a three-day trip out of Washington Dulles Airport at 4 p.m.

I first heard about the terrorist attacks when I turned on The TODAY Show, on TV. The broadcaster was reporting that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center.

He gave no other information at that time.

Tammy Hansen I was in disbelief as to how an airplane could be in that airspace and crash into the tower.

As more information came in, I found myself glued to the TV. I witnessed the second airplane crashing into the World Trade Center on TV. I couldn’t figure out what was happening. I was horrified!

I took a break from the TV news to walk my dogs.

We lived under one of the landing paths to Washington Dulles Airport.

I remember hearing airplanes overhead.

The airplanes were approaching and flying overhead two by two.

There were two parallel landing runways at the airport.

I had never seen so many airplanes landing all at once at Dulles Airport before.

I just couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

I returned home to learn a third airplane had crashed into the Pentagon.

A fourth airplane was heading back to Washington.This was the airplane that eventually crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

I just couldn’t believe that four airplanes could be hijacked all at once!

I never thought skyscrapers would be a target and eventually collapse to the ground.

The horror of all the innocent people, firemen, policemen who passed that day.

Unbelievable!

I didn’t fly my trip that day.All airplanes had been grounded indefinitely.

I still couldn’t comprehend it all.

Later, I found out that I knew some of the flight crew members on two of the airplanes.

I attended a funeral for two of them in Culpepper,Virginia.

There we all were, airline employees, proudly wearing our uniforms in support, standing with family and friends.

Such a sad, sad day!

When the airlines were allowed to fly passengers again, I was assigned a two-day trip out of Washington National Airport.

I was a bit apprehensive to fly so soon.

I completed that trip and many thereafter, before retiring from a 40-year career with American Airlines.

I will never forget that day and all the lives lost to terrorists.

I still can’t believe how vulnerable we Americans were that day.

Never forget!

—Tammy Hansen, Land O’ Lakes

First, helping others; then, overcome by dust and debris On Sept. 11, 2001, I was caught beneath Ground Zero on my way to work, on a subway train in a smoke- and debris-filled tunnel.

This rush hour train was full of passengers. We had no idea what was occurring above us. After about a half-hour of being stuck in the tunnel between stations, the train began filling with smoke.

The passengers began ripping pieces of cloth from their clothing to protect their noses, in an attempt to filter out the smoke.

Some passengers began crying.

The train motorman hurriedly passed through my train car.

I asked the motorman what was happening, he replied,“I don’t know.”

The motorman then headed toward the last car and left the train.

The passengers, not knowing what was occurring, started to panic.

The passengers began to rush toward the last car.

One passenger fell to the floor, gasping for air with an asthma pump in his hand.

At this point, a retired detective and I took control of the situation.

We had the passengers line up in an orderly fashion and head toward the last car of the train, where the conductor had opened the last door of the last car.

We also picked up the asthmatic man and

COURTESY OF EDWARD RADEMAKER

Former U.S. Army JAG Corps Captain Edward Rademaker.

led him out of the train to an emergency exit of the train tunnel.

After the last passenger left the train, I walked through the smoke-filled train to make sure all of the passengers had been evacuated.

I then left the train, walked the live tracks and climbed up an emergency exit ladder to the street.

Once at street level, I saw the aftermath of the first collapsed tower. I saw several police

officers assisting pedestrians. I advised the police officers that I was a member of the U.S.Army Reserve and asked if I could help.

The officers asked me to direct people in the street toward the Brooklyn Bridge, as lower Manhattan was being evacuated.

A short time later, as I was directing pedestrians toward the bridge, the second tower began collapsing.

I ran, but not fast enough.

The dust and debris blinded and covered me, and I could no longer breathe.

Fortunately, I was pulled from the debris and into a nearby building and resuscitated by an EMS worker.

After coming to, I went out of the building for medical assistance.

Several loud explosions were then heard and we all evacuated that building and ran toward the Brooklyn Bridge.

After walking across the bridge, I walked for several hours toward my home, as public transportation was unavailable.

I later caught a taxi home.

I had respiratory problems for several weeks from the dust that I inhaled.

Edward Rademaker originally wrote this for an U.S. Army newsletter in April 2002. (It has been slightly edited). He is a former U.S. Army JAG Corps Captain.

—Edward Rademaker, Wesley Chapel

Taking in 9/11 events, from Japan

COURTESY OF TANIA MARIZIANO

Tania Marziano holds a photograph of her friend Deanna Micciulli Galante, who perished during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

That’s strange, no calls are coming in I was working at the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) headquarters in Brooklyn on 9/11/01, as a desktop technician, and living in Bayport, Long Island.

My job was to take calls and assist the firefighters in the firehouses with any computer issues they were having.

On a typical day, the calls came in almost constantly.

Most of the firefighters weren’t very tech-savvy.

On 9/11/01, I took the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to work, and I remember it being a nice Tuesday morning.

When I got to the office, there were no calls coming in, which was very odd.

I asked my coworker Keith if he knew if we were having phone issues.

We started calling around to other departments.

That’s when we found out that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center buildings.

We looked online and we saw what looked like a small commuter plane had hit one of the buildings.

I said to Keith, “I hope nobody died in the building.”

Little did I know what was to come.

After the second plane hit, it became clear we were under attack.

We realized the reason our phones weren’t ringing was because every firefighter we worked with was at the Trade Center.

We were evacuated from our building because “911” calls came into that building and officials felt that if we were under attack, and terrorists wanted to immobilize the city, the building where all the “911” calls came in might be a target.

I couldn’t go home because all trains were stopped.

My coworkers and I found a restaurant where we could sit and watch the news.

That’s when I found out about the Pentagon and Pennsylvania attacks.

I was afraid I was never going home. I thought:“I might die today.”

Hours had passed, and we watched people coming into the restaurant that had just walked over from Manhattan on the Brooklyn Bridge.

They were covered in debris and they all looked shocked.

Many were crying.

When train service was finally restored, I rode on the train with these people.

They were crying because they couldn’t reach their family, friends and/or coworkers.

It was complete devastation.

When I got home, I called my mom to ask her if all of our family members that worked in Manhattan were accounted for and when she said, yes, I was so relieved.

A couple days later I found out that my friend — Deanna Micciulli Galante — who I had grown up with, was missing.

She worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 106th floor. She was eight months pregnant with her first baby (Matthew) and was two weeks away from maternity leave.

—Tania Marziano, Land O’ Lakes

On Sept. 11, 2001, my husband, John, and I were working in Japan as part of a Sister City program.

Because of the time difference, we watched events unfold in the evening, live on television.

I remember turning on the television and watching the replay of the first tower being hit, and thinking it looked like a Bruce Willis movie.And then the extraordinary shock of what was happening washed over us, while watching the second tower hit in real time.

The next morning, we went to work, representing the United States, on a paddlewheel, called the Michigan Boat.

We’re musicians who worked alongside U.S. students, representing the American experience.As we walked there, we were first afraid to set out on a boat that now felt like a target.

Then, we were both relieved, and upset, to see that the company had removed all of the American flags.

I can’t imagine ever feeling as patriotic or American as one does when representing their country abroad.

We stood on a stage, while the students lined up in front of us to greet the now non-

existent guests.

They had fear clearly etched on their faces and waited for us to start.

And so, we sang a song out of character for us.

John Denver and patriotic music wasn’t what felt right.

Instead, we played,“I get knocked down, but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down” (Tubthumping by the British band Chumbawamba).

And, we saw the Americans we knew again, as the fear left their faces and we all rallied defiantly.

The show began an hour into the cruise and, as we stepped onto the stage, we saw the only guests on the boat, and they all appeared to be from the Middle East.

You can imagine how long that 30minute show felt, and also our relief when afterward we met the United Nations ambassadors who had come on the boat as a show of support for our country.

It was an immediate reminder that the world is a community — and not everyone is suspect, even in what feels like the worst of times.

—Sheri Thrasher, Wesley Chapel

COURTESY OF LILLIAN CUCUZZA

Firefighter Michael Paul Ragusa, who perished on Sept. 11, 2001, was the brother of Lillian Cucuzza’s colleague. She and some business colleagues paid tribute to him and others, at the memorials.

At the heart doctor’s office We were living in Fort Lauderdale at the time, the home of many New York transplants.

That morning, while in my husband Dave’s cardiologist’s office, we saw the news about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center. Our eyes were still glued to the TV when the second plane hit.

Everyone gasped.

We knew, immediately, that we were under attack.

I asked the receptionist to turn the TV off so that their patients would not have heart events right there — because many had relatives still living and working in Manhattan.

When we got home from the doctor’s office, we were horrified and fell to our knees crying and praying as we watched the Twin Towers collapse.

One of my associate company’s build-

ings, 7 World Trade Center, also collapsed a few hours later — as collateral damage from the towers falling.

Many of my friends who worked there literally had to carry some employees to safety because they were frozen, in shock, under their desks because of what happened next door at the Twin Towers.

We later learned that the brother of one of those employees, Michael Ragusa, was among the firefighters who perished that day.

In March 2002, I had the opportunity to visit New York City on a business trip.

My business colleagues and I went to the site of the memorial pool and the new One World Trade Center that was being built.

It was a somber and humble visit.

I cried all day after seeing the name of Michael Ragusa at the memorial pool. He had been a firefighter in Engine Company 279.

Sept. 11, 2001 was one of America’s saddest days.

We have mourned for 20 years, and we will never forget that day.

—Lillian Cucuzza, Land O’ Lakes

News announced on Navy ship’s PA system I was in the Navy, on the way to the Persian Gulf.

I had a late watch, so I was trying to get some sleep.

But the captain kept coming over the PA system, talking about a plane hitting the World Trade Center.

When I went on watch at 12:45 in the

morning, I asked what was this about a plane hitting the World Trade Center.

They showed me the pictures.The next day we topped off our gas tanks.And, as we pulled away from the replenishment ship, we played “We’re Not Gonna Take It” — which I had provided for the occasion.

—Paul Snider, Land O’ Lakes

COURTESY OF WILLIAM HYER

Linda Hyer’s husband, William Hyer, captured this image of a cross formed by steel beams at the World Trade Center site, within months of the terrorist attacks.

Watching the Twin Towers, from across the Hudson On Sept. 11, 2001, I was on the 26th floor of my office building on the Jersey side of the Hudson River, right across from the World Trade Center.

I was aware, from a phone call, of the first plane hitting the Tower, coming from the East Side of New York.

I couldn’t see that side of the tower, so I went back to work.

Shortly thereafter, my office mate got up and looked out the window and said,“I see a ring of fire.”

I couldn’t imagine what she meant, so I got up and looked.

Literally a ring of fire encased the tower on the upper floors.

By this time, word had spread throughout our floor and everyone came to the bank of windows on the Hudson River side of the building.

Suddenly a deafening roar was heard coming from around the area of the Statue of Liberty.

As we watched, stunned, the second plane came around and banked it wings and slammed into the second tower.

Fire balls and debris erupted from the tower and our building shook on its foundation.

For months after the attack, I witnessed smoke and fire coming from the pit where the Twin Towers once stood.

—Linda Hyer, Land O Lakes

HUD workers ordered to evacuate their building On 9/11, 2001, I was working at the office of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, at One Newark Center Building in Newark, New Jersey.

About 9:10 a.m., a commotion started on the 12th floor.

Several coworkers Juan Bonilla started to run toward the windows to watch one of the World Trade towers being destroyed by the fire.

When I asked a coworker what was going on, he told me that he’d heard on the radio that a tower at the World Trade Center was accidentally hit by an airplane.

After watching the fire at the first tower for a while, with several coworkers, we saw an airplane coming around the second tower and hitting it — causing an explosion and another fire.

Immediately we determined that the striking of both towers by planes was no accident.

I called administration for instructions on how to handle this emergency.

They instructed me that I had to immediately leave the building, with all my coworkers and wait for instructions for when to return to work.

—Juan Bonilla, Zephyrhills

www.LakerLutzNews.com

September 15, 2021

7A

Pasco looks to update utilities ordinances

By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

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Pasco County is embarking on an update to its ordinances relating to natural resources and to the county’s potable water, reclaimed water and sewer system.

The Pasco County Commission last month approved a request presented by Sandra Anderson, utilities customer service director, who told commissioners the current codes need to be revised.

Chapter 62, which relates to natural resources, has not been updated since 2007, according to Anderson, so it needs to be retooled.

It needs updating, she said, to conform to changes to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s year-round water conservation rules.

She also noted that Chapter 100, which relates to the county’s potable water, reclaimed water and sewer systems has not been fully updated since its adoption in 1987, and needs to change to conform to current practice, new regulatory requirements, and references.

“The current Chapter 62 and Chapter 110 do not meet today’s best management practices as they relate to protecting water resources, enhancing customer service levels, and aligning with implementing long-range planning goals and objectives,” according to materials contained in the county board’s agenda packet.

Commissioners approved Anderson’s request to pursue the updates.

The utilities department will work with the county attorney’s office to revise the ordinances.The department also will meet with stakeholders, during the process,Anderson said.

Regarding Chapter 62, she said, the main focus will be on year-round watering restrictions.

“We want to get more in lock-step with what the (Southwest) Water Management District is doing, and upgrade a couple of the items in there,” she said.

Chapter 110 hasn’t been updated for some time, so there are multiple types of changes that will be explored, she said.

“We will not be doing this in a vacuum.

We will be doing it with all of the individual stakeholders. The builders that we work with now, the irrigation societies,

the developers, the HOAs, the golf courses, the community leaders, etc.

“We’ll make sure we meet with them, and they will hear what we’re thinking and we will hear what they are thinking,” Anderson said.

She added:“A lot of it is clarifying language.”

“We want to clarify the application of fines. Right now, we’ve been getting more aggressive about the last 18 months of ensuring that we have access to our meters at all times.That’s a requirement.

“We do, right now, fines for illegal connections and/or anyone tampering with our system. That’s a major health and safety issue, and we take that very seriously.

So, that’s one of the things we will look at — how we’re applying that and make sure everybody understands what you can and cannot do, when you sign up to be a customer of Pasco County Utilities.

“We also need to update some outdated policies. One of the things that we have in there now is the payment of the commitment fees.That policy actually sunsetted (expired) in 2010, and we are in 2021.

“The main thing about that commitment fee process put in there, they used to pay 50% upfront, when they begin development; and the second 50% of the fees would come in, when they had 50% build-out, or 18 months, whichever came first.

“The other thing we want to look at is when we release the deposits back to the accounts for the customers. Right now, we hold those for 24 months, and we’re looking at releasing those at 12 months, giving them back to the customers.

“The final thing is a housekeeping item.

“We did restructure within our branch.

We were three departments. We are now one, being utilities,” she said, so language needs to be updated, as does the delegation of authority.

“This is a two-part process,”Anderson told commissioners.

The first part, is to get permission to open up the process, and to work with customers and stakeholders, she said.

Staff expects to be back before the commissioners in about a year, with any recommended changes to the two ordinances.

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Attention gardeners: Pasco Extension has a plot for you

valon pplauds Celebrate Birthdays

The Laker/Lutz News Staff Report The UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension is offering free garden plots and opportunities to grow your skills at community gardens in Dade City, Land O’ Lakes, San Antonio, Zephyrhills and Shady Hills.

Pasco Extension pairs applicants for the free plots with the appropriate garden locations.

A new Wesley Chapel location also will be opening soon.

A community garden plot offers the opportunity to: • Grow and harvest your own food • Work with compost • Gain gardening experience in classes and seminars that are offered on site • Learn from experts Plots are offered on a first-come, firstserved basis.

If you know a student or nonprofit deserving of recognition, please email your nominee suggestion to kcarmack@lakerlutznews.com.

COURTESY OF UF/IFAS PASCO COUNTY EXTENSION

PROFILED NOMINEES RECEIVE A $50 GIFT CARD FROM A LOCAL BUSINESS.

Celebrate Birthdays' Co-founders Celina Saunders and Belinda Leto

For East Side Community Gardens, call 352-521-1255, or email kchristmas@MyPasco.net.

For West Side Community Gardens, call 813-996-2411, ext. 2458, or email ccarreiro@MyPasco.net.

The Pasco County Cooperative Extension Service provides practical, educational programs in environmental horticulture; sustainable agriculture; 4-H and youth development; and, family and consumer sciences.

To find out more, including how to volunteer, call 352-518-0156, or visit bit.ly/2I7gTs5.

CONGRATULATIONS to Celebrate Birthdays, a nonprofit based in Wesley Chapel, for being applauded by Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

Celebrate Birthdays’ mission is to ensure that every foster child and all children, ages 1 through 18, regardless of personal or financial circumstances, has the opportunity to celebrate their birthday. The nonprofit services Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Co-founders Belinda Leto and Celina Saunders are full-time nurses by trade who met 18 years ago. They discovered in 2017 a need to help children celebrate their birthdays when they delivered Christmas presents to children of incarcerated individuals.

A recipient’s grandmother asked Leto and Saunders if they knew anyone who could help her celebrate her grandson’s birthday, as she did not even have the means for a cake.

Heartbroken and eager to help, Leto and Saunders immediately started calling local places and couldn’t find any reliable resources.

“In our area there’s over 6,000 children in foster care and over half of them have never celebrated a birthday,” says Leto. “We realized we had plenty of room right here in our own backyard to make an impact.”

Leto and Saunders officially founded Celebrate Birthdays in 2019.

“We didn’t go into this intending that it was going to be a nonprofit, but we just realized a need that was out there in our community and we wanted to make sure that we could help fill that void,” says Leto.

Due to the COVID pandemic, Celebrate Birthdays now hosts a limited number of in-person parties a month,

as well as offers a ‘Birthday in a Box,’ which it created out of necessity.

“It’s a 10x10 box filled with 16 different items that includes everything a child would need to celebrate their birthday, wherever they’re at,” says Leto.

Leto and her team try to cater the boxes to what that particular child likes, and has about 19 different themes to choose from such as sports, movies, etc.

Items include streamers, candles, cake mix, etc. The nonprofit also sends a gift valued at $25 and a free book to help promote literacy.

Celebrate Birthdays delivers up to 100 boxes a month, and each box costs about $50.

“When you see the joy on a child’s face when somebody remembers them on their special day, I almost feel like this should be a basic necessity,” says Leto. She hopes these small moments will give them long-lasting memories.

Celebrate Birthdays also launched a program in August called Classroom Birthday Bins, for title one and low income schools, that include items like stickers, a birthday crown, notebooks, pencil, wristband, and more.

“We want to make sure that the child is celebrated…and it helps the teachers who don’t have a lot of resources,” says Leto.

Leto says there are numerous ways to volunteer, whether it’s packing birthday boxes, hosting a gift drive, or donating monetarily.

Stay up to date with Celebrate Birthdays at CelebrateBirthdays.org or follow them on Facebook (@celebrateBirthdays19) or Instagram (@celebratebirthdays). Donations can be dropped off at 611 N. New Jersey Ave., Tampa, FL 33609.

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Hardware company investing $7.5 million at industrial park The Laker/Lutz News Staff Report Harney Hardware, a logistics and distribution company, is setting up shop at ComPark 75, off Wesley Chapel Boulevard, according to a news release from the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc. The company is investing $7.5 million in a 45,000-square-foot facility.

It is expected to hire 20 employees, with salaries exceeding 198% of the average

Pasco County wage, the release added.

ComPark 75 is an industrial business park in Lutz, on 106 acres, between Interstate 75 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

It’s situated in an area where Lutz, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel come together.

Harney Hardware is a supplier of residential and commercial door and bathroom hardware, and direct ships to customers in all 50 states, the release said.

Harney Hardware has experienced

growth in its hardware business, especially in the home improvement sector and demand for products shipped directly to the company’s customers, the release added.

“I want to thank the Pasco EDC for their assistance in the site selection and permitting process,” Preston Copenhaver, CEO, Harney Hardware, said in the release. ”We distribute over 75% of our products outside of Florida, and the majority of our workforce lives in Pasco County, I am look-

ing forward to growing my business here,” Copenhaver added.

Bill Cronin, president/CEO of Pasco EDC, noted:“Harney Hardware is a great example of the target industries we are trying to strategically attract to Pasco County.

“They are in logistics and distribution, offer great wages, and they already knew we had the quality workforce they needed since many of their staff are already residents,” Cronin added, in the release.

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PANDEMIC, from page 1A

COURTESY OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

This aerial view shows the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54. During morning and afternoon rush hours, there are significant backups at the busy intersection in Land O’ Lakes.

MEETING, from page 1A major east-west arterials connecting eastern Pasco County to western Pasco County.

The need for this project has been established based on future traffic demands, future population and employment growth in the area, according to FDOT materials.

Improvements at the U.S. 41/State Road 54 intersection are included in the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2035 Cost Affordable Long Range Transportation Plan, as well as the 2035 Regional Long Range Transportation Plan Needs Assessment, which was developed by the West Central Florida MPO’s Chairs Coordinating Committee.

The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate various alternatives for the U.S. 41/State Road 54 intersection, which will improve the flow of people and goods through the project area by increasing roadway capacity and reducing traffic congestion.

The study will compare the effects each alternative may have on the environment and the surrounding communities, as well as the traveling public, according to FDOT materials.

Across Pasco County, State Road 54 provides connections to several regional north-south routes including U.S. 19, the Suncoast Parkway, U.S. 41, Interstate 75, U.S. 301 and U.S. 98, the FDOT materials note.

“The proposed improvements at the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54 will enhance the overall transportation network linking Pasco County with the Tampa Bay region,” according to FDOT materials.

The options being considered are: • Alternative 1:A single-point urban intersection (SPUI), providing an interchange with State Road 54, elevated over U.S. 41.

DIAMOND, from page 1A transportation department then defaulted D.A.B., on July 1.

D.A.B. Contractors had seven projects in FDOT District 7, including three in Pasco County.After D.A.B. was defaulted on the diverging diamond project, it self-defaulted on the other Pasco projects, which are on State Road 52 and State Road 54.

The surety company must now complete those projects.

Carson provided a Sept. 10 update regarding the status of the projects.

• Alternative 2: A parallel flow intersection (PFI), providing displaced left-turns, in all four approaches at grade.

• A continuous flow intersection (CFI), with elevated lanes of State Road 54 over U.S. 41, providing displaced left-turns in all four approaches.

There also is a no-build alternative.

Department representatives will be available at the in-person public workshop beginning at 5:30 p.m., to answer questions and discuss the project informally.

Draft project documents and other project-related materials also will be displayed, and a PowerPoint video presentation will run continuously during the workshop.

State Road 54 runs east-west, and had an average daily traffic count of 63,000 in 2019, according to FDOT figures; U.S. 41 runs north-south, and had average daily traffic counts of 69,000 in 2019.

In addition to existing traffic, there’s significant growth underway in Central Pasco, with more on the way. Plus, State Road 54 is an evacuation route when hurricanes threaten.

In evaluating alternatives, the state looks at the improvements based on such issues as traffic operations, safety, right of way needs and environmental impacts, among others.

Once a build alternative is selected, the next phase is the Project Design & Environmental (PD&E) Study phase, and then the design phase.

The PD&E would be conducted in 2021 to 2022; design, from 2022 to 2024; right of way acquisition from 2025 to 2026.

Construction of this project is not yet funded, according to the project web page.

For more information or to comment, please contact Kirk Bogen, an environmental management engineer for FDOT, at 813-9756448, 800-226-7220 or kirk.bogen@dot.state.fl.us. the interior slopes of the southbound on- and off-ramps.

A project-wide litter pickup cycle was completed.

STATE ROAD 52, FROM SUNCOAST PARKWAY TO U.S. 41 The surety received bids from prospective completion contractors on Sept. 9, and the bids are being evaluated.

The FDOT performed pothole and silt fence repairs, to address urgent needs.

An upcoming mowing cycle is planned to start in two weeks.

DIVERGING DIAMOND

STATE ROAD 54, FROM CURLEY ROAD TO MORRIS BRIDGE ROAD

The completion contract has been executed by Superior Construction and is with the surety for final signatures.

Superior Construction has been given a Notice to Proceed from the surety, and contract work is expected to recommence on Sept. 13.

Surveyors have been onsite gathering survey information to support the proposed Sept. 13 start date.

The interim maintenance contractor (DBI) performed mowing in the two ponds on the south side of State Road 56. Slope mowing was completed on the northeast quadrant adjacent to the northbound Interstate 75 on-ramp.

Slope mowing is currently underway on

The surety put out an advertisement for bids on Sept. 9, with bids expected to be received the week of Sept. 23.

The FDOT’s maintenance crews have repaired potholes throughout the project and at the following side streets and driveways: McDonald’s driveway, Lado Drive, Loury Drive,Ashton Oaks Boulevard and Foxwood Boulevard.

Drop-offs have been addressed projectwide by inspection staff and maintenance crews.

The FDOT’s asphalt maintenance contractor is schedule to pave the previously listed side streets and driveways beginning Sept. 16.

Traffic markings maintenance has been completed at Meadow Pointe Boulevard and

MacManus named Hall of Fame finalist The Laker/Lutz News Staff Report

Susan A. MacManus, of Land O’ Lakes, is among the list of 10 finalists selected by the Florida Commission on the Status of Women for the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, according to a news release.

The list has been sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who soon will select up to three women to be the 2021 inductees.

The distinction recognizes and honors women “who, through their works and lives, Susan A. MacManus

have made significant contributions to the improvement of life for women and for all citizens of the state of Florida,” the news release says.

The nominees “exemplify the great diversity of women’s contributions to Florida life,” the release says.

MacManus is a political scientist and distinguished professor emeritus from the University of South Florida.

This year’s inductees will be honored at a ceremony on Oct. 19.

sneezed.’

“These are weird times. I think it’s just good to take a step back and kind of have a breath of humility, and understand that we’re all, literally in this, together.We’re all trying to figure this out the best way possible.

“Think of some of the most contentious things that are out there, right now.

“Masks in schools.

“That’s probably about as controversial as it gets right now.That’s got to be No. 1 on the list.

“I’m not here to talk about my position on it.

“I’m just saying, no matter where you fall on that issue, I firmly believe, at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to navigate this the best way possible.

“And, if you believe that masks are detrimental to students in school, I think that’s coming from a pure place.

“If you think that masks should be in school, I think that’s coming from a pure place.

“We can have those disagreements.

“Again, there is no playbook for this.

“So, at the end of the day, we have to get back to that humanity. We all know that we’re trying to find the right answer.We’re all trying to get through this together, we just may have different ways of doing it,” Burgess said.

He said he’s glad that groups like the North Tampa Bay Chamber are taking precautions and meeting in person again.

“It’s good to be back out in public because these are the kinds of messages that I don’t think we get enough of — it’s the kind of messaging that I want to put out there.

“I don’t know what one state senator can do, you know, but I think if we all started to speak a little bit more in that tone and a little less of the rhetoric you see on whatever your preferred television station is, you know, maybe we could really start to come together and find some of these mutual solutions, to just getting over the hump here.

“This is likely an endemic virus. We get the flu shot every year. It didn’t eradicate the flu. It just helps us to deal with the flu.

“I think more and more, as time goes on, thank God for the vaccine,” Burgess said.

“I think the reality is, it helps keep us healthy and safe,” he said.

“But at the end of the day, this could be something that we live with for the rest of our lives,” Burgess said.

So, in addition to being appreciative for vaccinations, he’s also grateful for monoclonal antibodies that can help people who have become infected to avoid serious illness and hospitalization.

And, he expressed gratitude for those working in the trenches, in the battle against COVID-19.

“Thank God for our health care workers and everybody that’s on the front lines, doing so much every day.They didn’t have yesterday (Labor Day) off,” he said.

B.C. MANION

State Sen. Danny Burgess talked about COVID-19’s myriad impacts and applauded the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce for finding a safe way to hold its in-person breakfast meeting.

“I think we’ve come to that realization that this is a new normal, and that we can live with this.“We just have to do the right things

and take the right steps.

“We’ve got to balance the safety and the need to make a living.”

One way the Florida Legislature has stepped in to support that was through legislation involving COVID liability.

“In order for you all to get your business doors back open, you needed to know that you didn’t have to be looking over your shoulder, every single day, and wondering when that litigation might start,” Burgess said.

He said Florida’s approach to reopening received rave reviews from people around the country that he and his family met, while vacationing over the summer at national parks.

Burgess said they told him they wished they lived in Florida.

He attributed their attitude to the way Florida has responded to the pandemic.

“We are open for business,” Burgess said.

“In a lot of ways, we’ve trusted Floridians to make the right decisions.”

Florida also has led the way in making monoclonal antibodies available, Burgess said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has done something that no other state has done, by creating mobile labs, where people can get the treatments.

“It’s something that we need to make readily available to the public,” he said, but like many issues, it has become hyper-political.

“They’re actually wonderful. Nobody is promoting them as an alternative to vaccination. That’s the spin. The monoclonal antibodies are almost like miracle treatments.

We’re promoting tools in the toolbelt and we want people to have access to a lot of things,” Burgess said.

He also addressed some big issues that will be addressed in the 2022 legislative session, including redistricting, which he described as a once-in-a-decade process.

“I got the opportunity to chair the legislative portion of that for the Senate and House maps.

“We will have a constitutional map. No question about it. We’re going to do this above-board and absolutely right,” Burgess said.

“As you can imagine, it’s going to be very controversial, no matter what we do,” he said.

But he pledged: “We are going to follow the letter of the law in doing so.

“If there is spin out there, just trust me, we’re going to do this right,” Burgess said.

State Road 54.

Concrete barriers were adjusted at New River Road and State Road 54 and the Morris Bridge Road intersection, in front of CVS. Emerald Striping is being scheduled to install flashing beacon ‘school ahead’ signs at New River Academy.

While the FDOT continues to address the state road projects that are behind schedule, State Sen. Danny Burgess told members of the

North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce that the state is seeing what it can do to streamline, in some way, the process of road contracting.

That way, if something like this happens again, the DOT would have additional options, such as going to with Bidder No. 2 on a project, he said.

“We’re going to look at some outside-thebox opportunities,” Burgess said.

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September 15, 2021

11A

Community Sports Your Neighborhood Sports Source

Catch these locals during the 2021 NFL season

By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com

T

he 2021 National Football League (NFL) season and all its glory has just kicked off.

Reaching the highest level of America’s most popular sport is no easy feat, but a handful of athletes with deep ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have done just that, from Lutz to New Tampa to Wesley Chapel and in between.

Here’s a closer look at local NFL players to keep an eye on, as the gridiron season unfolds throughout the fall and winter.

COURTESY OF NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS MEDIA RELATIONS

Former Lutz Chiefs star Nelson Agholor is primed for a productive season with the New England Patriots.

NELSON AGHOLOR

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVER Local ties: New Tampa native, Lutz Chiefs, Liberty Middle School SKINNY: Nelson Agholor is coming off one of his most productive seasons in his six-year NFL career, hauling in 48 receptions for 896 yards and eight scores with the Las Vegas Raiders last season.

The 6-foot, 198-pound Agholor penned that output into a two-year deal worth up to $24 million with the New England Patriots.

Since entering the league in 2015 as a first round (20th overall) draft choice, the now 28-year-old has become a household name, compiling a combined 272 receptions for 3,411 yards and 26 touchdowns (and winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018).

Before launching his pro career,Agholor was making highlight-reel plays as a dualthreat quarterback for the Lutz Chiefs youth football organization, while attending New Tampa’s Liberty Middle School. He would emerge as one of the nation’s top football prospects at Tampa’s Berkeley Preparatory School and then an All-American at the University of Southern California.

AUDEN TATE

CINCINNATI BENGALS WIDE RECEIVER Local tie: Wharton High School

COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES CHARGERS MEDIA RELATIONS

Wesley Chapel native Tre’ McKitty is gearing up for his NFL rookie season as a tight end with the Los Angeles Chargers.

TRE’ MCKITTY

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS TIGHT END Local ties: Wesley Chapel native, South Pasco Predators, Wesley Chapel High School SKINNY: Tre’ McKitty heads into his rookie campaign months after being a third round pick (97th overall) of the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Though he had what some consider a quiet training camp, the Chargers have expressed optimism about his long-term traits as a pro-style blocking tight end and physical mismatch for linebackers and defensive backs, as he measures 6-foot-4, 246 pounds.

Working in his favor is the ability to pick the brain of Chargers starting tight end Jared Cook, a two-time Pro Bowl selection embarking on his 13th NFL season.

McKitty grew up playing youth football for the Land O’ Lakes-based South Pasco Predators (while attending Pine View Middle School), and played varsity football and basketball his freshman year at Wesley Chapel High School.

From there, McKitty transferred to Tampa Catholic High School and then Bradenton’s IMG Academy, where he established himself as one of the nation’s top tight end prospects in the 2017 recruiting class, with over 30 NCAA Division I FBS scholarship offers. He played major conference college football, first at Florida State University, then the University of Georgia.

Other notable locals: • Pasco High School/University of Florida product Joey Ivie IV (defensive end) was waived by the Buffalo Bills.

• Gaither High School/Florida International University product Alex McGough (quarterback) was waived by the Seattle Seahawks.

• Gaither High/Alonso High/University of Miami product Anthony Chickillo (defensive end) retired after six NFL seasons, most recently with the Denver Broncos.

FILE

Former Wharton High standout Auden Tate is a reliable pass-catching target for the Cincinnati Bengals.

SKINNY: Auden Tate has certainly made the most of his opportunities for the Cincinnati Bengals since being a seventhround draft pick in 2018 — hauling in a combined 58 catches for 760 yards and a touchdown across 28 games in three seasons.

On the whole, the 24-year-old has carved out a role as a reliable rotational receiver for the Bengals, advantaged by his large 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame, wide catch radius and aptitude for making acrobatic catches.

Tate now looks to rebound from a 2020 season where he missed seven games, in part due to a season-ending shoulder injury to repair a torn labrum.

The athlete prepped at Wharton High School, moving to the Tampa area as a 10thgrader from South Carolina.

Following a strong junior campaign where he posted 49 receptions for 815 yards and five touchdowns at Wharton,Tate went on to become one of the nation’s most coveted receiver prospects with offers from 20 Division I schools before ultimately signing and starring for Florida State University in 2015.

As a testament to the axiom that hard work pays off, Tate was once cut from his middle school team in South Carolina.

DETROIT LIONS CORNERBACK Local tie: Gaither High School

SKINNY: Amani Oruwariye enters his third season with the Detroit Lions, where he’s tasked with learning the intricacies of a fresh defensive scheme under new head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

The 25-year-old is primed as one of the Lions starting outside cornerbacks, following a consistent 2020 season where he played in all 16 games, registering 52 total tackles, one interception and seven passes defensed; and opposing throwers completed 55% of their passes when throwing his way for three touchdowns.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound corner also exhibited some versatility to his game, playing over 100 snaps in the slot.

Prior to living out his NFL dreams, Oruwariye was a three-year letterman at Gaither High School under former head coach Jason Stokes, and finished his career with 121 tackles and 12 interceptions combined.

Senior year he was named team MVP, earned first-team all-district honors and was invited to play in the Hillsborough County All-Star Game. Various recruiting services ranked him a three-star prospect and top100 recruit in the state.

Oruwariye went on to earn multiple AllBig Ten Conference honors at Penn State University, then was selected in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Lions.

He is believed to be the highest NFL draftee to come out of Gaither, where he graduated in 2014.

HOUSTON TEXANS CORNERBACK Local tie: Wharton High School

SKINNY: Vernon Hargreaves III has reupped with the Houston Texans on a one-year deal following a noteworthy 2020 campaign where he appeared in 16 games and registered 72 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and seven passes defensed.

A change of scenery to the Lone Star State seems to have done the 26-year-old favors, since being waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers midway through the 2019 season.

Hargreaves, 26, was originally taken in the first round (10th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft by the hometown Bucs.

But he didn’t quite live up to the hype, battling injuries, allowing big plays and regularly being targeted by opposing offenses due to his youth and smaller stature at 5foot-10, 204 pounds.

Hargreaves starred at Wharton High School.

FILE

Former Wharton High star Vernon Hargreaves III is a cornerback for the Houston Texans.

In 2012, he was named the Class 8A Defensive Player of the Year and the Guy Toph Award winner as Hillsborough County’s top senior football player, after he registered 110 total tackles, five interceptions, five pass-

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Gaither High product Amani Oruwariye enters his third year with the Detroit Lions, as a defensive back.

es defensed and five forced fumbles.

The accolades continued at the University of Florida, where he was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist, and consensus All-American and AllSEC selection.

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SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

Dade City was stop for troop trains heading to war Col. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt and his Rough Riders spent time in Tampa, before heading off for the Spanish-American War. Knowing Your History

By Doug Sanders Special to The Laker/Lutz News

T

he former Tampa Bay Hotel, now the University of Tampa — was erected as a winter retreat for the wealthy by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant.

During the Spanish-American War, however, it housed officers, including Col.Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, before they departed for Cuba.

Dade City also served a role during that 1898 military conflict, which is sometimes referred to as “The Forgotten War” or that “Splendid Little War.” Regiments from across the country made their way to the point of debarkation, in Tampa.

A nearly endless parade of troop trains passed through Dade City, as the soldiers headed to war.

“They made little stops along the way like they did in Dade City,” Joe Blunt said, during a recent presentation at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City.

It was obvious to those troops arriving in Tampa that preparations for war against Spain had overwhelmed the city of 15,000 residents.

Historian Gary R. Mormino, in a story published by The Tampa Tribune, offered this perspective: “It was the equivalent of 10 Super Bowls.”

The city,“had days, not years, to prepare for an avalanche of soldiers, horses, mules, equipment and ships,” according to Mormino’s account.

As the conflict with Spain was looming in 1898, Congress authorized the construction of coastal batteries under the $50 million Harbor Fortification Defense Act. The U.S. government previously had convened the Endicott Board in 1885 to upgrade old Civil War forts at every major harbor in the United States.

The nation was armed and ready for the Spanish-American War with rapid-fire guns, submarine nets, underwater mines, searchlights, concrete and electricity.

Cavalry units were used, Blunt says, but many horses drowned when swimming to the shores.

No American Navy ships were damaged or sunk during the conflict.

Spain didn’t have any battleships, but the U.S. had four new ones, including the “Iowa.”

That ship was described, by the U.S. War Department in 1898,“as nearly invulnerable as scientific naval architecture can make her.”

The Iowa was manned with 36 officers and 450 sailors.

It fired the first shot in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba on July 3, 1898.

Iowa’s firepower — which had never been seen in the world before — destroyed two Spanish cruisers and ran them aground within 20 minutes.

The U.S. landed 15,000 soldiers, southeast of Santiago de Cuba, including the 10th Cavalry from Montana under John J. Pershing.

That calvary, nicknamed the Buffalo Soldiers, was an African-American unit.

Pershing expressed his respect and admiration for the Buffalo Soldiers’ bravery and courage. Pershing would later serve as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. During the Spanish-American War, U.S. soldiers used smokeless rifles — which unlike the black powder ones used during the Civil War did not give away their positions.

President William McKinley’s call for troops to invade Cuba in 1898 prompted soldiers from Maine to California to arrive in large contingents in Florida, as shown in this photograph taken at the Port of Tampa.

Joe Blunt gave a talk about the SpanishAmerican War at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, and briefly touched on the role that Dade City played during that war.

Col. Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt and his Rough Riders fought in the most famous land engagement of the war during the Battle of San Juan Hill. Roosevelt went on to become the nation’s 26th president.

COURTESY OF DOUG SANDERS

Troop trains, including the 157th Indiana Volunteers, passed through Dade City on the Old Florida Southern Railroad as the main transportation route on land to Tampa. The trains carried field-artillery carriages and ammunition wagons, as well.

“The Spanish could not easily see where the shooting was coming from,” Blunt said, during his talk. “But they could hear what sounded like someone punching a cardboard box when one of their men was hit and suddenly fell to the ground.”

The German Mauser was a popular boltaction rifle used by American soldiers during the Spanish-American War. It later was the primary German combat rifle at the outbreak of World War I. After the fall of the Third Reich at the end of World War II, the Soviet Union captured millions of Mauser Karabiner 98k rifles.

From the beginning of his administration, President William McKinley was concerned about the growing insurrection in Cuba.The national security was at stake, much like it was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, in 1962, under President John F. Kennedy.

For Kennedy, it was threat of a nuclear attack from missiles based in Cuba by the Soviet Union.

In 1898, it was the last remnants of a 300year-old Spanish Empire that remained a threat to the United States.

On Feb. 15, 1898, the USS Maine was sunk while on an official visit to Havana.

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With headlines including “Who Destroyed the Maine? $50,000 Reward,”“Invasion!” and “Spanish Treachery,” America’s two leading newspaper publishers, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, played off the growing tensions between the two countries and drummed up public opinion to go to war with Spain.

“Remember the Maine,” was the battle cry — still widely recognized today, Blunt says.

The cause of the Maine’s destruction, leading to the deaths of 266 officers and sailors, remains a mystery.

The Spanish-American War was waged in the Spanish colonies of the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Spain couldn’t afford the conflict on three fronts.

Under a peace treaty signed in Paris on Dec. 10, 1889, Spain relinquished title to Cuba, and ceded Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines to the United States.

Unless otherwise noted, photos courtesy of “Photographic History of the SpanishAmerican War, 1898,” The Pearson Publishing Company (The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village owns a copy of this antique book.)

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at interstar1@juno.com.

LOCAL WILDLIFE SPONSOR:

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CATCHING A BREEZE

Karen Whitenton sees Great Blue Herons on a regular basis on the pond behind her house in Lutz, but this one caught her eye as it was drying its wings. The bird would shift and change position every 30 seconds or so.

Brody is affectionate and loyal

Brody is a 1-year-old Boykin Spaniel. These spaniels were bred to hunt turkeys and wild birds in the state of South Carolina. This breed was so loved, it was named the state dog of South Carolina. Boykins love to swim and have webbed feet. Of course they love to play fetch with any object you throw! Brody lives with his proud owners, Kevin and Karen Kelly, in Lutz.

COURTESY OF PASCO COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR OFFICE

A helping hand for seniors and their pets

PET OF THE WEEK FAMILIES RECEIVE A $30 GIFT CARD TO CHUY’S TEX MEX.

Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano and his staff raised $8,784.26 during the month of June to benefit Cindy’s Pets, a nonprofit that was created to help seniors and their pets, particularly the elderly who are part of Pasco County’s Senior Services Program and are recipients of Meals on Wheels. The goal of Cindy’s Pets is to provide nutritional food for animals in order to enable the elderly to enjoy their own meals knowing their pet is eating well, too.

Fasano, back row right, alongside Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector, joins employees of the tax collector’s office to present both a ceremonial check and a ‘real’ check to Dr. Missy and Mike Nurrenbrock, founders of Cindy’s Pets, and some of their volunteers. For information, visit CindysPets.org, or call 727-372-9333.

Send us a picture and information on your favorite pet!

Write a short paragraph about why your pet is special along with a photo and mail to: Pet of the Week, c/o The Laker, P.O. Box 479, Lutz, FL 33548 or email to mrathman@lakerlutznews.com, ATTN: Pet of the Week PLEASE NOTE: OWNERS NAME AND ADDRESS MUST BE INCLUDED FOR YOUR PET TO BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLICATION.

PET PAWS CLEAR THE SHELTERS

Pasco County Animal Services (PCAS) again will participate in the annual Clear the Shelters event on Sept. 18 from noon to 6:30 p.m., at 19640 Dogpatch Lane in Land O’ Lakes, in Building A (Adoption Center).

Adoption fees for all available dogs and cats will be waived that day.

Adoptions include spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations and microchipping.

Pasco residents will be required to purchase a county license for each pet adopted.

This year’s NBCUniversal Local’s Clear the Shelters campaign also will feature online donations through Greater Good Charities.

Those interested in donating to PCAS and other participating shelters can visit ClearTheSheltersFund.org.

DANGERS LURK ALL AROUND

Best Friends Animal Society encourages pet owners to protect their pets from potential ingestion of these household products: antifreeze; batteries (which can contain corrosive fluid); car care products, such as cleaners or oils; fertilizer; Gorilla Glue (or similar products); household cleaners; ice-melting products; nicotine products; pesticides for insects; and pool or pond products.

“Nobody wants to see their pets suffer in such a painful way or, worst-case scenario, have a fatal incident.That’s why it’s

important to make sure your home environment keeps dogs and cats as safe as possible,” Dr. Erin Katribe, veterinarian and medical director of Best Friends Animal Society, said in a news release.

Plants can be toxic and poisonous to pets, too, Katribe said.

“These plants include English ivy or holly, lilies, Chinaberry, iris, poinsettia, pokeweed and daphne. For cats, even contact with the pollen of some lilies can be severely toxic,” Katribe noted.

Signs of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, blood in stool, paralysis, loss of appetite, bruising, nosebleeds, irregular heartbeat or inability to urinate If a pet displays any of these symptoms, contact a veterinarian immediately.

SHARE YOUR PET NEWS

If you have pet news about adoptions, walks or other events for pet owners and their pets, you can let us know by sending us an email.We just need the basics: who, what, when, where and why.

The information should be submitted two weeks prior to the desired publication date. We also need a contact name and number, in case we have questions.

There is no guarantee of publication, but we consider each item we receive.

If you’d like to make a submission, send it to news@lakerlutznews.com.

Readers can now find Pets of the Week and Local Wildlife photos on our website at LakerLutzNews.com, under the Pets/Wildlife link.

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Prosciutto is social with other dogs and has done well with children. This loving boy is well-behaved and appears to be house-trained. At about 50 pounds, he is the perfect medium size. Prosciutto is a senior at 11 years old and has a few agerelated health concerns that Animal Services staff can discuss with you. Prosciutto is looking for a soft place to land and a couch to crash on for his golden years.

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Wiggins has a big personality Wiggins is a big boy at nearly 70 pounds, and he will need someone who can handle his strength and teach him what is expected. He would do best in a home without other pets or small children. This friendly, affectionate guy loves to chase after a ball and carry it around. Wiggins could learn how to take treats more gently and greet people without jumping. However, he is eager to learn and responds to the proper corrections. This 2-year-old would do well in a home with someone who is patient, and can provide him with lots of exercise, attention and training.

If you would like to adopt Prosciutto or Wiggins, be sure to make an appointment at Pasco County Animal Services at 19640 Dogpatch Lane in Land O’ Lakes, by calling 813-929-1212. The adoption center is open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6:30 p.m. All adoption fees include spay/neuter, microchip and vaccines. For more information, email adoptionpartners@pascocountyfl.net.

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www.LakerLutzNews.com

September 15, 2021

3B

What’s Happening

Your Community Calendar • Submit 2 weeks in advance to: news@lakerlutznews.com • All listings free of charge

COASTER CRAFT

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanch Drive in Odessa, will offer a DIY class on making coasters on Sept. 16 at 4:30 p.m., for teens and grades eight to 12. Coasters, paint pens and more will be provided. Masks are recommended.

Registration is required online at PascoLibraries.org.

JEWELRY CRAFT

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host a class on jewelry making on Sept. 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for ages 18 and older. Participants will learn to use the technique of Kumihimo, a Japanese method of braiding colorful cords across a disc to create a woven pattern.All materials will be provided.A safety waiver is required. Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org or by calling 727-8157126.

SHRINKY DINK ART

The New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, will offer an in-person Shrinky Dink Delights class for teens on Sept. 16 at 3 p.m. Participants can learn to make keychains, jewelry, suncatchers and more. Registration is required at PascoLibraries.org.

THEATER FOR THE YOUNG

The New Tampa Players will present “Akeelah and the Bee” on Sept. 17 to Sept.

20, at the Uptown Stage, at the University Mall, 2200 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa.The play follows Akeelah and her passion for words, which earns her a spot in the National Spelling Bee.The performance is appropriate for all ages. General admission is $20. For a schedule and to purchase tickets, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.

DANCE BATTLE

The University Area CDC (Community Development Corporation) will host a Prodigy Turn Up Dance Battle on Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at its community center, 14013 N. 22nd St., in Tampa.

Children and youth ages 6 to 18 can compete for prizes. Solo freestyle and group battles also will take place.

Participation is free. Registration is from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., followed by the battle from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Solo dancers should register on site the day of the event.

CCUFFLprogram.eventbrite.com. For questions, please call Steven Davis at 352-527-5708.

Fall yard sale The Dade City Woman’s Club will host its annual Fall Yard Sale on Sept. 18 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 39722 Palm Ave., in Dade City. There will be clothes, jewelry, artwork, home goods, electronics, small furniture, and more. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. The club also will be collecting, during that time, suitcases in good condition for the Pasco County Luggage of Love program, which provides suitcases for foster children and victims of domestic abuse. For questions and information, visit DCWC.org, or email dcwcmember2021@gmail.com, with “Suitcase Donation” in the subject line.

Preregistration is required for groups by emailing Dericka James at DJames@UACDC.org. For questions, call 813-558-5212, ext. 307.The public is invited to attend this free dance event.

Volunteers are needed for International Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon, at Zephyr Park in Zephyrhills.

Come alone or bring the family.Volunteer credit will be given for the day.

orientation, via Zoom, on Sept. 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sept. 23 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., for anyone interested in becoming a mentor/ volunteer. Mentors spend one hour per week, or two outings per month, participating in activities. Participants in the orientation can learn how to become involved, the programs offered, commitment levels, expectations and more. No RSVP is required.Visit Zoom.us/my/bbbstb/vbot.

DEMOCRATIC CLUB

CREATIVE WRITING

COASTAL CLEANUP

The East Pasco Democratic Club will meet on Sept. 20, via Zoom.The guest speaker will be Brian Staver, on the topic of environmental control legislation affecting Pasco County. Socializing starts at 6 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:30 p.m. For information, email eastpascodems@gmail.com, or call 813-3838315.

REPUBLICAN CLUB

The East Pasco Republican Club will meet on Sept. 21 at 6 p.m., at Shepherd of the Hills Church, 37015 Orange Valley Lane in Dade City.The guest speaker will be Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki AlvarezSowles.

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host a Big Brothers Big Sisters virtual

EDIBLE LANDSCAPING

UF/IFAS Pasco Extension will offer a class on edible landscaping on Sept. 21 at 3:30 p.m., at the New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel.To register, visit PascoLibraries.org.

ROSE SOCIETY

The Tampa Rose Society will meet on Sept.

21 at 7 p.m., at the Seminole Garden Center, 5800 Central Ave., in Tampa, to share tips and tricks on how to grow roses.There will be a raffle, too. Social distancing and face masks will be required.Admission is free. For information, call 813-933-6166.

MEDITATION GROUP

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host a “Cultivating Calm, Concentration and Connection Meditation Group” on Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. No experience necessary. Chairs will be set up. Participants can bring a towel or yoga mat for the floor if preferred.Those taking part in the group also should bring a journal or notebook.

Masks are recommended. Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org.

SUNSET STORY TIME

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will offer “Writer Wilderness: Creative Writing for Kids,” a biweekly program, starting on Sept. 21 at 4 p.m., for grades three to five. Participants should bring a notebook to practice skills, to tell stories, and to express themselves.

Registration is required. Masks are recommended.To register, visit PascoLibraries.org. For questions, email emilyb@pascolibraries.org.

GARDENING WORKSHOP

Citrus County Utilities Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program will offer a free, virtual gardening workshop, on Sept. 21 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.Topics will include lawn and landscape fertilization, soil testing, irrigation practices, and more.

Registration can be found online at

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will offer a Sunset Story Time on Sept. 22 at 6 p.m., for families. Once a month, the group will meet outside (weather permitting). Guests can wear their favorite pajamas. Masks are recommended.

Registration is required online at PascoLibraries.org. For questions, email emilyb@pascolibraries.org.

BLACK BEAR SEMINAR

The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, will host a Nature Brunch on Sept. 22, on the topic of the Florida Black Bear.A light meal and drink will be provided.The cost is $12 to $18 per person.There is limited seating due to COVID-19. Reserve spots by calling 813-789-0904. No-shows and cancellations within 48 hours of the event will not be refunded.

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WHAT’S

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WORLD CELEBRATION

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will host a “Celebrations Around the World” on Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m., on the topic of Oktoberfest, for all ages.

There will be music and food, and participants can learn about the customs and culture of this special occasion.

Registration is at HCPLC.org.

VIRTUAL TOWN HALL

The Straz Center will host “Voices of the Community,” a series of free town hall discussions, via Facebook Live and Zoom.

Each gathering is at 8 p.m.The next meeting is on Sept. 23 and entitled “Giving Voice,” about the evolution of the artistic and social power of the spoken word, hip hop, and its Caribbean elder, reggae. For information on upcoming events, visit StrazCenter.org.The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/s/83745518504.

TEEN BOOK CLUB

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host its first Teen Book Club on Sept. 23 at 4:30 p.m.This introductory meeting will include a discussion on a variety of topics, including general interests and what titles teens would like to read.

Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org.

ENTERTAINERS SOUGHT

The Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road in Tampa, is seeking entertainers for its live “Macabre & Mysterious” gallery opening and artist reception scheduled for Oct. 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.The center is looking for

will offer a “Weaving Class with Marilynn Ory” from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., on Oct. 16, Nov. 13 and Dec. 11.The cost is $25 in advance and $30 at the door, for the first class. Subsequent classes are $20. Family discounts are available. Minors will require adult supervision. First-time guests will receive complimentary admission to the museum. Register by calling Ory at 405-2505743, by calling the museum front desk at 352-567-0262, or by emailing pfmfrontdesk@gmail.com.

State Fair ticket deal The Florida State Fair has announced a onetime $5 admission ticket deal for the 2022 Florida State Fair (scheduled for Feb. 10 to Feb. 21). The ticket is valid for entry on any day at the fair. Ticket sales started Sept. 13, while supplies last. To purchase, visit FloridaStateFair.com.

Awards banquet postponed

SEEKING VENDORS

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce has postponed its “Award Winning Z’Hills” event that had been slated for Sept. 16. Details are being finalized regarding a new date and event particulars, and once they are known they will be shared by the chamber. The banquet is held to show appreciation for members and the community, and to bestow awards.

The 12th annual Harvest Festival scheduled for Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in downtown Zephyrhills, is seeking vendors.

Applications are being accepted for vendors/ministries, sponsors and food trucks. For information, call 615-440-2044, or email serving_the_lord@msn.com.

4-H PROGRAM BEGINS

Faith concert canceled The Xtreme Faith concert scheduled for Sept. 25 at The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City has been canceled.

volunteer entertainers whose art form or performance can fit within the theme, including, but not limited to, musicians, vocalists, performance artists, spoken word artists, contortionists, circus art, sideshow art, dance, speed painters, and live sculptures. Entertainers can perform either two 45-minute sets, or multiple smaller sets

throughout the event. For information, contact Derek Baxter, entertainment director, at derek@carrollwoodcenter.org or 813-922-8167.

WEAVING CLASS

The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City,

Pasco County Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program will run through Aug. 31, 2022.

Children ages 5 to 18 can participate in county, district, state, regional and national level 4-H clubs, events and activities. Members join community clubs where they work with fellow volunteers to complete projects, community service, camps and workshops. Project areas include: Leadership, environmental science, animal science, robotics, sewing, art, fishing and more.The cost to join is $15 for ages 5 to 7 and $25 for ages 8 to 18. For more information or to join a club, call 352-5180156, or email sreighter@mypasco.net. For more information about the Florida 4-H program, visit Florida4H.ifas.ufl.edu.

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September 15, 2021

5B

Health

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NAMI PASCO SEEKS DONATIONS

NAMI Pasco (National Alliance on Mentall Illness) is asking for donations of the following items, for its office: • School supplies • Fall décor • Holiday décor • A couch (it would need to be delivered) • Things on its Amazon Wish List For more information, please email info@NAMIPasco.org.

BRAIN ANEURYSM AWARENESS

The Trinity Love Hoblit Foundation announced that Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a proclamation recognizing September as Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month.

The mission of the foundation is to raise awareness, and support and fund neurological research, training and treatment for brain aneurysms, strokes, and other cerebrovascular conditions in honor of Trinity Love Hoblit who passed away in 2015 at the age of 14 from a ruptured brain aneurysm.

“We are honored that Governor DeSantis has issued the proclamation,” said Olivia Hoblit, president and founder of the foundation, in a news release.

“Compared to other conditions like cardiac arrest and stroke, most people have little awareness about the signs and symptoms of a brain aneurysm. Just like a heart attack or a stroke, a ruptured brain aneurysm is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. Awareness is the beginning of prevention, and we are tremendously grateful to Governor Ron DeSantis for his support in spreading awareness across Florida,” said Hoblit.

For the full proclamation and additional information, visit tinyurl.com/fv9srckx.

MEDICAL CENTER RECOGNIZED

The Medical Center of Trinity has been recognized by Healthgrades for: • 2021 Labor and Delivery Excellence Award • 2021 for Superior Performance in Labor and Delivery • Among the Top 10% of Hospitals Evaluated for Labor and Delivery in 2021

• Five-Star Recipient for Vaginal Delivery for Seven Years in a Row (2015-2021) • Five-Star Recipient for C-Section Delivery for Seven Years in a Row (20152021) “We are proud to offer expectant moms in the Tampa Bay area quality women’s services, which keep them close to home,” said Dr. Corbi Milligan, chief medical officer, in a news release.

“From Labor and Delivery, Level II Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU), Maternal Fetal Medicine and the continuation of these five-star awards, families can trust Medical Center of Trinity for the birth of their baby,” said Milligan.

To help consumers evaluate and compare hospital performance, Healthgrades analyzed patient outcomes data for hospitals across 16 states that provide all-payer state data for years 2017 through 2019.

Healthgrades found that the variation in hospital performance makes a significant difference in terms of clinical outcomes.

CONVERSE WITH A NURSE

The Alliance for Healthy Communities will offer two virtual groups,“Converse with a Nurse,” on these topics: • Sept. 22 at 1 p.m.: “Drowning Prevention,” by Terri Thompson, Florida Department of Health • Sept. 29 at 1 p.m.:“Building Emotional Intelligence,” by Eve Hosley, BayCare CHAT Registration can be found online at EmpoweredCommunities.org/event/.

‘DENYING GRAVITY’ PLAY

The nonprofit SAGES (Senior Actors Guild & Education Services) Theater will present two free live performances of “Denying Gravity,” an award-winning Play with Purpose, on Sept. 18 and Sept. 25 at 2 p.m., at The Palladium, 253 Fifth Ave., N., St. Petersburg, in the Catherine Hickman Theater.

The play introduces guests to Claire, a feisty independent retiree who gets tripped up in a twilight-like “Danger Zone” after she experiences a fall in the dark.

The cast of characters representing Claire’s family and friends show the true-life consequences and tug on the heart strings as it outlines how best to prevent falls in older adults.

All lead roles are played by seniors age 65 and older.

The Play with Purpose helps to raise public awareness and support healthy, independent living for older adults.

The event will include goody bags for the audience, and a chance to win a gift card after the show.

The hourlong play is family friendly for all ages.

For information, call 727-536-7076, or visit SagesTheater.org.

COURTESY OF SHANTEL MEYER

Supporting those in crisis

The GFWC Wesley Chapel Woman’s Club welcomed guest speaker Katie Rockman, from The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, to a recent meeting. Rockman, assistant director of development, spoke about the different ways the center helps people in need, including veterans speaking with veterans who suffer from PTSD, and assisting victims of violent crimes. Anyone in need of help can dial 211 on the phone and reach someone at The Crisis Center. The woman’s club also made a $500 donation to help with the center’s mission. From left: club treasurer Kim Hanscel, club president Cindi Nalon, and Katie Rockman.

ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITALS IN TOP 100

The group of five St. Joseph’s Hospitals, including St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Luz, was named among the nation’s Top 100 hospitals by Fortune/IBM Watson Health.

This is the fourth-consecutive year that St. Joseph’s Hospitals has earned the honor, and the fifth time overall.

The four other hospitals included in the recognition are St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, all in Tampa, and St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview.

“It is an honor to be recognized as one of the Top 100 hospitals in the U.S.,” said Tom Garthwaite, president of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, in a news release.

“This award speaks to the dedication of our medical staff and team members who work to improve the health care for our North Hillsborough and East/Central Pasco communities. The Top 100 award recog-

nizes quality care, great patient outcomes as well as our patient’s experience. By focusing on our patients, we provide true patient-centered care in a pleasant, healing environment,” said Garthwaite.

For the first time, this year’s ranking of top hospitals also introduced a measure of hospitals’ contributions to community health with a focus on equity developed by a team of experts at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity and the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

In BayCare’s most recent annual report, St. Joseph’s Hospital-North contributed approximately $12.1 million that went to charity care, unreimbursed care and direct community services. St. Joseph’s HospitalNorth has also provided essential items and holiday gifts to families at the San Jose Mission in Dover.

For more information on the Top 100 hospitals, visit 100tophospitals.com.

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NATURE NOTES

Milkweed bugs: Are they friend or foe?

By Nicole Pinson Special to The Laker/Lutz News

County Extension offices frequently hear from home gardeners who have questions about tropical milkweed plants and milkweed bugs.

Tropical milkweed plants are a non-native landscape favorite because they serve as a host plant for monarch and queen butterfly larvae.They are easy to grow and often are found in children’s butterfly gardens.

Tropical milkweed’s colorful red and orange flowers – along with its long growing and blooming season – make this a great plant for beginner gardeners.

While the plant — Asclepias currasavica — is popular, milkweed bugs are often found on it.

Milkweed bugs are orange and black, and they are considered a nuisance pest of tropical milkweed. Sometimes milkweed bugs are mistaken for a beneficial insect called the milkweed assassin bug.

When milkweed bugs infest tropical milkweed, gardeners can be unsure about what to do. Should they treat the bugs – which could harm butterflies and beneficial organisms – or leave them alone?

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Milkweed bugs are considered a nuisance, but they usually do not kill tropical milkweed plants.

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HANDPICK MILKWEED BUGS

Cutting off the tops of plants won’t eliminate these insects, as they may come back.

But handpicking them off the plant is an effective way to control them and handpicking doesn’t involve the use of pesticides.

If you’re not squeamish, you can handpick— knocking them into a bowl of soapy water. Leave them there for a little while.

Then pour out the water and dead bugs.

REMOVE THE SEED PODS

Interestingly, although milkweed bugs can feed on plants, they primarily feed on milkweed seed pods. Remove seed pods if you have them. This is an easy way to help control milkweed bug populations.

KNOCK THEM OFF WITH A JET OF WATER

Another strategy for dealing with milkweed bugs is to knock the bugs off the plants with a strong spray of water from the garden hose.You might need to do this for several mornings in a row to get some control and then check back every two or three days after that. It is a pesticide-free way to reduce pests.

LEAVE THE PESTS ALONE

Though it’s distressing to see them on the milkweed, they are harmless.

Milkweed bugs and aphids infest tropical milkweed in stages. Sometimes, there are a lot of them. Other times, they’re gone.

Many butterfly gardeners simply ignore the milkweed bugs and aphids – knowing their populations are cyclical and they usually don’t kill the plant. These gardeners tolerate some plant damage in exchange for not using pesticides on plants preferred by butterflies and other beneficial insects.

If you don’t want to remove them, just let them be. In time, they will move on.

However, they may be repeat visitors to your milkweed plants.

PLANT NATIVE MILKWEEDS

Our native milkweeds typically have less

This pilot program is funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) ( und der the provisions d of the CARES Act (P Public Law 116-136).

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Native milkweeds are less prone to pests.

pest problems. Consider planting native milkweeds in your landscape.These plants have pink to white flowers. Learn more about native milkweeds and visit a local native plant nursery, check out the Florida Museum of Natural History butterfly brochures or contact your local Extension office.

Another benefit of native milkweeds is they die back naturally in the winter here in Florida. This natural dieback may result in less parasites that can infect monarch larvae.

However, you can simulate this with tropical milkweed by cutting them back in winter, on or around Thanksgiving.

These references, which were used for this column, offer additional details: University of Florida. Florida Museum of Natural History Butterfly Brochures.

Retrieved from https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-butterflies/brochures/.

University of Georgia. Bugwood website.

Milkweed bug insect images. Retrieved from https://www.insectimages.org/search/action.cfm?q=milkweed+bug.

For more information, contact pinsonn@ hcflgov.net or 813-744-5519, ext.

54145.

Nicole Pinson is the Urban Horticulture Agent in Hillsborough County. Laura Barber and Jan Ignash, master gardener volunteers contributed to this column.

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FEE ADJUSTMENTS REVIEW

Send school news to news@lakerlutznews.com

HIGH SCHOOL FISHING PROGRAM

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) 20212022 High School Fishing Program offers high school fishing clubs or teams the opportunity to teach fisheries conservation, practice fishing skills and apply for the Florida R3 Fishing Grant Program.

The program is focused on recruiting new anglers to ensure the future of fishing in Florida.

The Florida Sport Fish Restoration R3 Fishing Grant will award up to 30 high school fishing clubs or teams $500 to assist with club expenses and the purchase of fishing licenses or gear for participants.

Participating clubs and teams will receive an updated educational curriculum comprised of lessons and activities on fisheries conservation and resource management, plus a chance to win prizes.

The grant program is open to freshwater or saltwater fishing clubs or teams at public, private and charter high schools throughout Florida.

To be considered for the grant, clubs or teams must have a minimum of five members and be represented by a school faculty member or parent who will follow the provided instructor’s manual.

The application can be found online at MyFWC.com/HSF, under “Florida’s R3 Fishing Grant Program.”

The deadline to submit an application is Sept. 17 at 5 p.m.

Pasco-Hernando State College’s (PHSC) District Board of Trustees (DBOT) will consider the approval of proposed adjusted course-related fees at its Sept. 21 board meeting, at 6 p.m., via Zoom.

Fee adjustment proposals are reviewed and approved for DBOT consideration by PHSC’s Council of Academic Affairs, a committee that includes representation by administrators, deans, academic department chairs, program directors, faculty and staff.

Many fee adjustments relate to vendor increases for workforce courses, laboratories, and program testing.

Some fees may be covered by financial aid, scholarships and grants.

For more details and information, please visit tinyurl.com/xxwss28a.

MAGNET SCHOOLS RECOGNIZED

Three Pasco County schools have been recognized as nationally certified magnet schools, which means they have met the rigorous standards that define high-quality magnet programs.

The schools are Bayonet Point Middle and Centennial Middle, both of which are STEM magnet schools, and Sanders Memorial Elementary School, a STEAM magnet school.

Magnet Schools of America, the national association of magnet and theme-based schools, created the national certification process to recognize the nation’s exemplary magnet schools and to help them continue providing high-quality magnet programs, according to a press release.

Magnet schools are those that offer specialized courses in themes that are designed to attract students from outside the traditional school boundaries.

“This is a tremendous honor for our magnet schools,” said Pasco County Schools

Superintendent Kurt Browning.

“The staff at each school should be very proud, and I know parents will be pleased to know that their schools have met the highest standards of excellence,” said Browning.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

• Austin Cambas, of Lutz, received a Bachelor of Science in Commerce & Business Administration from The University of Alabama,Tuscaloosa.

• Shane McBride, of Wesley Chapel, was named to the summer Dean’s List at Columbia College of Missouri.

EARLY RELEASE DAYS

Pasco County Schools again will utilize a monthly, early release time to allow for staff to engage in professional development aligned with student needs, and district and school priorities.

Upcoming early release dates are: Oct. 6, Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Jan. 12, Feb. 2, March 9 and April 13.

On each of these days, students will be released two hours early.

The bell times, including the early release times for each school, can be found online at Pasco.k12.fl.us/site/pcs_bell_schedule.

WORKING WHILE IN COLLEGE

Working while going to college can pay off in several ways, according to The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA).

The KHEAA states, in a news release, that earning money while in school, building a resume and learning to work well on a team can help a student after graduation.

One benefit is learning the importance of time management by having to juggle classes, study time, work and other parts of life in general.

Being employed can help to build a network of contacts and references that can aid in a future job search, too.

However, there can be possible drawbacks.

Working and going to school, especially if a student has a full-time job and a full schedule of classes, can cut into study time.

The combination of work and school also can reduce downtime, which is needed to stay healthy — an important part of being a good student and employee, as well.

Before signing up for additional work hours or additional classes, a student should make sure there is still time to take care of one’s self.

For more information, visit KHEAA.com.

EDUCATION AWARD

The Center for Education Reform (CER) will accept applications for and award a $1 million prize to an education provider, exceptional group of people, or organization that demonstrated accomplishment during COVID-19 and seeks to expand its work throughout the coming year, in the U.S. The STOP Award for Education will reward education that is Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless.

The application window is open now and closes on Oct. 6 at 11:59 p.m., EST. “We are on the hunt for great, successful entrepreneurs and innovators who have been educating our kids during COVID, and didn’t skip a beat to give parents what they want and children what they need during the pandemic,” said Jeanne Allen, CER founder and CEO, in a news release.

In addition to the $1 million prize, CER also is supporting several new microschools in underserved communities.

For more information, visit StopAward.com.

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Besides serving up comedy, the club features a full bar and stadium-style seating.

“We are very excited for the Wesley Chapel community to experience Side Splitters Comedy Club in a completely reimagined way,” Mark Gold, landlord and developer and partner in Mishorim Gold Properties, said in a news release.“This space is unique as it provides an intimate venue for the performers and audience.”

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit SidesplittersComedy.com/ locations/the-grove-at-wesley-chapel/.

Send business news to news@lakerlutznews.com

AWARDS BANQUET POSTPONED

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce has postponed its “Award Winning Z’Hills” event that had been slated for Sept. 16. Details are being finalized regarding a new date and event particulars, and once they are known, they will be shared by the chamber.The banquet is held to show appreciation for members and the community, and to bestow awards.

FREE SHRED DAY

San Antonio Credit Union is hosting a free shred day at its Zephyrhills Office, 7301 Gall Blvd., on Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. For additional information, call 352-588-2732.

NEW LOCATION FOR JEWELERS

Valentino’s Fine Jewelers has changed locations within the Tampa Premium Outlets. It is now situated in Suite No. 150, between Bath and Body Works, and Forever 21. For more information call Madonna Wilcox at 813-949-9800.

COMEDY CLUB IN THE GROVE

Side Splitters Comedy Club is opening a second location — this one will be in theater seven at the Grove Theater, Bistro & Entertainment center in the Grove at Wesley Chapel.

EMBROIDERY BUSINESS OPENS

Gasparstitch, a home-based embroidery business has opened in Wesley Chapel. For more information, visit Gasparstitch.business.site/.

ITALIAN ICE IN ZEPHYRHILLS

Orlando-based Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is now serving up its frozen treats in Zephyrhills — ushering in the brand’s first shop in the area.

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, at 7936 Gall Blvd., is owned and operated by Pete Patel and Dru Patel, according to a news release.

The duo also plans to open two other locations in Wesley Chapel, according to a news release.

Each Jeremiah’s boasts an upbeat atmosphere and offers over 40 flavors of Italian Ice, as well as rich and creamy soft ice cream.The Jeremiah’s Gelati, which features layers of Italian Ice swirled with thick, homemade soft ice cream, offers a multitude of flavor combinations and is a popular selection, the release says.

The roughly 1,200-square-foot Zephyrhills location features indoor dine-in service.

Third-party delivery options will be available in the future.

The Zephyrhills opening marks the next

Zaxby’s opens at Cypress Creek Town Center Zaxby’s has opened its newest restaurant at 2153 Sun Vista Drive in Lutz, near Costco.

The new Zaxby’s is owned and operated by Brad Harper, owner of Swamp Dawg LLC, and began operation on Aug. 30, initially for drive-thru customers only, according to a news release.

“Our team is thrilled to offer the Lutz community a new restaurant experience with delicious hand-breaded chicken and more,” Harper said, in the release.“We are tremendously excited to begin working with the community and to partner with local schools in the area.”

COURTESY OF ZAXBY’S

The 3,715-square-foot restaurant, located off Interstate 75 and the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, will have indoor seating available for 70 guests.

Third-party delivery will be offered at a later date.

step in the brand’s continued expansion throughout the Sunshine State. For more information, visit JeremiahsIce.com, or call 813-438-5754.

postpone existing travel plans, according to a new national survey conducted by Morning Consult, on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Despite an uptick in leisure travel over the summer, the new survey forecasts a dim outlook for business travel and events, which account for more than half of hotel revenue.

They aren’t expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024, the news release says.

The poll was conducted Aug. 11 and Aug. 12, among a national sample of 2,200 adults.

The interviews were conducted online, and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on gender, educational attainment, age, race and region.

Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2%, according to the release.

PASCO EDC MICROLOANS

If you’re looking to start or grow your business, the Pasco Economic Development Council’s microloan program may be able to help.

More information can be found at SmartStartPasco.com/about-microloans.

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September 15, 2021

9B

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advertising Lady L

CLEANING SERVICE

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in Best in Small Business TheLAKER / LutzNEWS

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DRYWALL SPECIALIST

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*Not to be combined with any other discount or coupon

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$

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70,000 READERS (813) 909-2800

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FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1972

Expires 9/30/21

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The LAKER / Lutz NEWS

ROOFING

specializing in reroofs & repairs

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813-892-0738

ROOFING

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EXPIRES 9/30/21

CARL MARTIN

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AY OD

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Support your local small businesses!

10B September 15, 2021

www.LakerLutzNews.com

Classifieds 813-909-2800 • classifieds@lakerlutznews.com

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Call JUDI @ HAIR PORT (813) 909-1432 WANTED

WANTS TO purchASe minerals and other oil & gas interests. Send details P.O. Box 13557, Denver, Co 80201

Euro Taste Grill Looking for an Experienced Cook’s Helper, Dishwasher, and Bus girl!

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813-948-0198

POST JOB HERE

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ADVERTISE with

The Laker/ Lutz News MEDICAL / DENTAL

SERVICES OFFERED

'!-% 0!'% !.37%23

OBITUARIES

AUCTIONS

In Loving Memory of Melissa Shutt

LIEN SALE NOTICE Notice is hereby given that StoreRight Self Storage VI will sell the contents of the following self storage units by public auction to satisfy their liens against these tenants, in accordance with the Florida Self-Storage Facility Act. The auction will take place at this location on

cmmdr.com $150 RE-CERTIFICATIONS BY PHONE. NO NEED TO LEAVE HOME.

813-756-0091

October 19th, 2021 AT 12:00PM.

Units are believed to contain household goods, unless otherwise listed.

StoreRight Self Storage

111 Crystal Grove Blvd – Lutz, FL 33548 Phone: 813-567-8100

DO NOT CALL STORE!!

Anthony Cuomo (3019) Fernando Reyes (5064) Alexis Pena (4070) • Anthony Cuomo (157) Auction is cash only. All purchased items are sold as is, where is and must be removed within 24 hours. Sale is subject to cancellation in the event of a settlement with the tenant.

Melissa Denise Shutt died on Sunday, September 5, 2021, with her husband Jason Ridings Shutt and her daughter Rinoa Faith Shutt holding her hands. She was surrounded by other family and friends who traveled far to be with her on her final journey. She died of invasive metastatic cancer. Diagnosed on Thursday, she was gone three days later. Melissa was 43 years old.

A native of Land O’Lakes, Florida, Melissa and her family moved to South Carolina three years ago to be near her husband’s family. She worked at Nephron Pharmaceuticals in quality assurance and loved her co-workers and was proud to be a part of the company’s mission to make life-saving drugs and devices.

Melissa will be remembered for her broad smile, her willingness to always help a friend, her unparalleled work ethic, and her complete devotion to her family. She loved the beach, gaming, sporty cars, a dodgy flea market, fishing with her Dad, New Kids on the Block, and a great roller coaster. Melissa and Jason actually met while working at Busch Gardens. She was predeceased by her parents, Esther and Jimmy Vickery, who both succumbed to Covid-19 last year. She is survived by her sister, Marla Garren (Chris), her niece Kayla Garren, nephew Daniel Garren, her in-laws Nekki Shutt and Francie Kleckley, John and Michelle Shutt, her niece Catherine “Katie” Shutt, Sheila Clause, Kris Shutt, Shelley Goldman, Brooke Gates, and treasured friends Chris Cooper, DeAnn Barton, Jennessy Smith-Messina, and Kim Moge.

At Melissa’s request, no service will be held. In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be sent to Habitat for Humanity www.habitatcsc.org/donate.

Fictitious name notice?

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!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. Call Toll Free 1-866-433-8277 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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New authors wanted! Page Publishing will help self-publish your book. Free author submission kit! Limited offer! 866-951-7214

Long distance moving: Call for a free quote from America’s Most Trusted Interstate Movers. Let us take the stress out of moving!

Speak to a relocation specialist 888-721-2194

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AT&T Internet. Starting at $40/month w/12-mo agmt. 1 TB of data/mo. Ask how to bundle & SAVE! Geo & svc restrictions apply. 1-888796-8850

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Call 866-499-0141

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BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

- FEATURED AD THIS WEEK -

GENERAC Standby Generators provide backup power during power outages, so your home & family stay safe & comfortable. Prepare now!

Free 7-yr extended warranty - $695 value! Request a free quote today!

Call for termsm& conditions.

1-844-334-8353

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Best satellite TV with 2 year price guarantee! $59.99/mo with 190 channels and 3 months free premium movie channels! Free next day installation! Call 844-842-4469

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HOME BREAK-INS take less than 60 SECONDS. Don't wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets NOW for as little as 70¢ a day! Call 866-409-0308

Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, CO 80201 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Formerly the NANI and CADNET Networks

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