ee r F
The LAKER EAST PASCO EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
MARCH 23, 2016
Pigz in Z’Hills finds new home By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
Weight loss surgery can change your life. If you are severely obese, Naga Thatimatla, M.D., and Lee Grossbard, M.D., F.A.C.S., can help you find hope and discover a whole new – and healthier – you. To schedule an appointment, call 352-437-5971.
13933 17th Street, Suite 200, Dade City Patient results may vary. Consult your physician about the benefits and risks of any surgical procedure or treatment.
FREE Business Seminars Thursdays 7 to 8:30pm START YOUR OWN BUSINESS NO COLD CALLING PART-TIME OR FULL-TIME
CALL ED ORTIZ to Reserve your spot
813-546-9060 edortiz@primerica.com www.primerica.com/edortiz
8902 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Ste 117 CARROLLWOOD
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
No Fees Or Costs Unless You Win
After months of discussions and planning, the popular Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival will have a permanent home. The Zephyrhills City Council voted on March 14 to contribute $30,000 to build a new 14-acre event venue for use by nonprofit organizations at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, 5040 Airport Road in Zephyrhills. The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce helped raise an additional $30,000 to help cover the costs for the nearly $60,000 project. The venue is situated north of the Zephyrhills’ City Yard, stretching to Airport Road and backing up the southern bound-
COURTESY OF THE GREATER ZEPHYRHILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest will have a permanent venue, starting next January. The 14-acre location will have permanent staging, water and electricity, and enough room to accommodate up to 15,000 attendees.
ary of the Lincoln Heights subdivision. It will feature a 20-by-40-foot stage, along with 48 vendor spaces equipped with water and electricity. Additionally, there will be an office, and enough space for freestanding vendors, business expos and children’s activities. The property will be owned by the City of Zephyrhills, which will provide ongoing funds for site maintenance and staffing.To offset those costs, the city will likely create rental agreements for event hosts. About six months ago, the idea for a permanent venue was proposed by the chamber of commerce after determining a larger site was needed to house ‘Pigz in Z’Hills.’ See PIGZ, page 11A
Easter season brings spiritual celebrations By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
As Easter approaches, churches across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area are preparing for a host of spiritual activities. Some churches will be hosting Good Thursday, Holy Friday and Easter Vigil services, while others will be focusing primarily on Easter Sunday services. There will be community events, as well, to celebrate the season. In Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills-Wesley Chapel Ministerial Association will be leading the annual Good Friday Walk of the Cross. Adults and families are invited to the walk, which takes participants on a 1 ½-mile pilgrimage with stops outside seven Zephyrhills churches. Along the way, individuals take turns carrying the cross to different churches, and at each stop, a scriptural verse and reflection is shared. The first stop on the walk will be on March 25 at 5:30 p.m., at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, at 5316 11th Street. The walk concludes about 6:45 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church, 38635 Fifth Ave., where there will be a Good Friday service. “This is such an amazing event, to have people from all different faiths and all different styles and denominations of Christianity, coming together for something in unity,” said Dennis Harmeson, president of the ministerial association. Until he participated in the walk, he said,“I had never seen anything like it,” regarding people’s willingness to lay aside the things they disagree about, in a show of unity about the things they agree on. On Easter Sunday, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills will partner with the ministerial association to present an annual Easter sunrise service, on March 27, beginning at 7
HOLLIDAY KARATINOS
See EASTER, page 11A
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLORIDA HOSPITAL ZEPHYRHILLS
David Huff, pastor at Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, released the doves at the end of last year’s Easter service. A dove release is again planned for Sunday’s service.
LAW FIRM, PLLC HelpingInjuredPeople.com
Eighth-grader receives presidential honor
Call Attorney
By Kevin Weiss
JIM HOLLIDAY
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
“I Will Aggressively Fight To Protect Your Legal Rights”
813-868-1887 OR
352-597-0009
B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
An eighth grade student at Torchbearers’ Christian Academy in Dade City has received a presidential honor for her volunteer work at a local hospital. Fifteen-year-old Savannah Jones was awarded a President’s Volunteer Service Award for 2015 after she spent the summer will all sorts of tasks at Bayfront Health Dade City. The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes citizens who have achieved the required number of service hours for a particular age group during a year. For youths between the ages of 11 and 15, those volunteering for 100 hours or more reach the “Gold Level” status, and receive presidential recognition, a personalized certificate and a congratulatory letter from the president of the United States. Jones greatly surpassed the 100-hour qualifying figure by putting in nearly 175 volunteer hours between June 2015 and August 2015. The middle school student typically volunteered eight hours a day, for three or four days a week, during the summer. Jones said she was “excited” and “shocked” when she found out she was receiving the prestigious honor.
“I want to be a nurse or doctor when I grow up,” Jones said, so she thought volunteering at Bayfront Health would be a good experience. According to Amy Fort, volunteer coordinator for Bayfront Health, Jones was willing to help in any area needed throughout the hospital and had a “can-do” attitude. Jones’ duties included filing for the hospital’s accounting department, replenishing emergency supplies and greeting visitors at the facility’s front desk. “I was like a floater,” Jones said. “I really liked volunteering in the ER (Emergency Room), and before a patient comes in, I’d have to clean the beds and clean the rooms, and make sure that it was prepped for them,” she said. Fort said that Jones “took great pride and initiative with her volunteer duties at the hospital. She was great at communicating and a bright spot in many of our patients’ days.” Fort also noted that volunteers, such as Jones, serve as the “backbone” for the hospital. “They are the first people to greet visitors, and they are our cheerleaders in the community,” the volunteer coordinator said. “Volunteers have played a critical role in our hospital for years, compassionately suppleSee HONOR, page 11A
KEVIN WEISS/STAFF PHOTO
Savannah Jones, an eighth-grader at Torchbearers’ Christian Academy in Dade City, received a President’s Volunteer Service Award for her contributions to Bayfront Health Dade City.