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The LAKER EAST PASCO EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
FEBRUARY 8, 2017
‘Ranch Days’ debuts this weekend By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Less waiting where it matters most – our emergency room.
Little Everglades Ranch is rolling out the welcome mat this weekend for a new event called “Ranch Days.” Slated for Feb. 11, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the event features live music, tethered hot air balloon rides, hiking tours, tram tours, a balloon glow and exhibitions, including high-wiring walking, indigenous snakes and birds of prey. “The property is just such a stunner, we think it makes a great backdrop for an event like this,” said Kevin Campbell, facility event manager.
Over the years, people have visited the 2,100-acre ranch, owned by Bob and Sharon Blanchard, for all sorts of events, Campbell said. Little Everglades Ranch is at 17951 Hamilton Road in Dade City. Visitors have come for Savage Races, Steeplechase Races, equine events, track meets and other activities. “People always ask us if we do tours,” Campbell said.With “Ranch Days,” the ranch finally will. “The Boys Scouts are leading a mile-anda-tenth hiking tour,” Campbell said. There also will be tram tours and rides available in the LARC, an aluminum-hulled amphibious
Ranch Days WHERE: Little Everglades Ranch, 17951 Hamilton Road, Dade City WHEN: Feb. 11, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Feb. 12, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. COST: Admission is free; parking is $10 for cars, $25 for buses and RVs; vendor charges for food, rides and purchases. DETAILS: Live music on two stages, ranch tours, exhibitions of a high-wire act, birds of prey and indigenous snakes, tethered hot air balloon rides, a balloon glow, kids’ activities and more. INFO: Visit RanchDays.com
See RANCH DAYS, page 11A
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Business community buoyed by Trump administration
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By Kathy Steele
BayfrontDadeCity.com
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*Medical professionals may include physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
• Make the best choices you can everyday Her personal battle with cancer, along with her parents’ experiences in captivity, give her perspective regarding the challenges of daily life. “Things happen,” she said,“but, we can all find a way to keep going.” Perhaps the most remarkable element of Franken’s presentation was the retelling of the story of her mother’s survival of the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Europe. Franken’s mother, Sonja, was 15 years old when she was forced from her family’s home in the Netherlands and taken to the first of 11 different concentration camps. One of those camps was Auschwitz, arguably the most notorious extermination camp built and operated by the Third Reich. It was there where Sonja was tattooed on her left arm.The numbers read “78491.” “The living conditions were brutal,” Franken told the audience.“For people who weren’t killed in the gas chambers, they would die of starvation, malnutrition, infectious diseases, individual executions, or horrific medical experiments. “It was one of the most streamlined, mass-killing centers ever created in human history,” Franken said. Yet, Sonja survived Auschwitz. She, too, survived the poisonous gas chambers — three separate times. “There was either a malfunction in the gas supply, or, they had put so many people
The business community is mostly bullish about the Trump administration, and Trump’s plans to cut taxes and roll back regulations, according to Mark Vitner, managing director and senior economic advisor for Wells Fargo. The Pasco Economic Development Council featured Vitner as guest speaker at its annual Economic Forecast Luncheon at the Florida Hospital Center Ice on Feb. 3. President Donald Trump is shaking up the old way of doing business,Vitner said.“It’s a 180 degrees from policies we’ve been following and not what most people expected to be following.” But, Vitner said the business community generally likes Trump’s rapid-fire issuance of executive orders that are delivering on his campaign promises. Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco EDC, agreed. There has been an uncertain climate in past years with road blocks in getting loans to invest, particularly to build on speculation, he said. “The president said a lot of things during the campaign, and now he’s starting to do those things,” Cronin said.“Now it gives predictability and certainty in the market place. Whether you agree with him or not, you want certainty before you invest.” Vitner said tax cuts, fewer regulations and better trade agreements are “very, very good for growth.” He expects the Gross Domestic Product to rise 2.3 percent in 2017.The GDP is based on the total value of goods produced and services provided nationwide in one year. Some cities, such as San Francisco and Houston, are outpacing the nation’s growth, increasing their local GDP faster than the rest of the country. Florida also has a growing economy “from Pensacola to Key West,”Vitner said. He anticipates about 4 percent job growth in Pasco County, up from about 3.6 percent in 2016. But,Vitner also cautioned against expecting too much, too soon. “It takes time to formulate policies,” he said.“It takes time to impact the economy.” One of Trump’s campaign promises was to spend $1 trillion over the next decade on infrastructure. But,Vitner said,“I don’t think dirt will move for two to three years.” He anticipates court challenges that could delay those types of projects. The economy likely will see more immediate results from deregulation, he added. “The thing I’m most positive of is rolling back regulations,” Vitner said. “And, regulations are strangling small businesses.” Unemployment ticked up slightly from 4.7 percent to 4.8 percent.That’s technically
See LIFE, page 11A
See TRUMP, page 11A
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Roslyn Franken, the author of ‘Meant To Be: A True Story of Might, Miracles and Triumph of the Human Spirit,’ spoke at the Hugh Embry Library on Jan. 24.
Appreciating life, one moment at a time By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com #berryfest17
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Roslyn Franken doesn’t take life for granted. She understands its precarious nature. Her father was a prisoner of war in Japan, surviving the Nagasaki atomic bombing. Her mother was a Holocaust survivor, and later, a cancer survivor. And, in 1994, the then 29-year-old Franken also survived cancer. She shares what she has learned through her book, “Meant to Be: A True Story of Might, Miracles and Triumph of the Human Spirit,” and through inspirational talks. She spoke on Jan. 24, in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, at the Hugh Embry Library in Dade City. Franken, who lives in St. Petersburg, delivered a clear message:Take life as it comes, and be grateful for every blessing received. “As we’re going through our lives, it’s so easy to just coast along,” Franken said. “A lot of us are on automatic pilot, just so busy trying to get everything done on our to-do list that we neglect things that are most important and meaningful.” She offered guidelines to members of the audience, to help them live fulfilling lives. She advised them: • Choose to be happy now • Stop being a victim of past events and circumstances • Be grateful for what you have
Safeguarding seniors against scams By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
Awareness is key in protecting yourself against scams, according to Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater. Atwater launched Operation SAFE (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation) in 2014 to help protect Florida’s elderly population from financial scams and fraud. An Operation SAFE workshop, presented by the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, was held on Jan. 18 at Zephyrhills Cinema 10. There, a group of mostly senior attendees learned about spotting fraudulent behavior, common scams that target seniors and ways to fight identity theft.
Savannah Sullivan, a communications specialist for the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS), counseled the dozens in attendance to first be wary of odd behavior. She said seniors should tread carefully if someone is “becoming a little too friendly” or “shows up out of nowhere and wants to move in.” During the presentation, Sullivan pointed out senior women, typically, are more vulnerable than their male counterparts to becoming a scam victim. “A lot of women are a little more trusting, nurturing, caring, and may find themselves in a position where they want to help somebody more,” she explained. Those attributes, Sullivan said, makes them particularly susceptible to what’s
known as a romance scam. In romance scams, a con artist pretends to have romantic intentions to gain affection and trust, often claiming to be from another country. The scam artist will then begin asking for money, claiming it’s for airplane tickets, medical bills or other expenses. Those scams, Sullivan noted, are becoming more prevalent with the rise of online dating sites. It’s also becoming one of the most costly. Sullivan said romance scams wound up costing older Americans about $82 million in 2014; the average cost was over See SCAMS, page 11A