The Laker-East Pasco-August 11, 2021

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Hospitals respond to COVID-19 surge

By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

A surge in COVID-19 cases has prompted AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and BayCare’s St. Joseph’s North Hospital in Lutz to temporarily halt elective surgeries.

BayCare also tightened its visitation rules, effective Aug. 3.

“No one takes any pleasure in having to limit visits from patients’ loved ones or

telling someone they will need to wait for their procedure,” BayCare Chief Operating Officer Glenn Waters said, on a hospital website posting.“But our first priority has to be to keep our facilities as safe as possible for our caregivers, so patients can recover and return home as soon as possible.”

AdventHealth continues to see a significant increase in COVID-19 cases at its facilities across West Florida and has surpassed its highest peak since the pandemic

began, according to the healthcare system’s website.

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Carrollwood have temporarily postponed any non-urgent elective procedures that require an overnight stay, according to media alerts from AdventHealth.

Dr. Doug Ross is chief medical officer of See HOSPITALS, page 9A

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‘Stuffing the bus’ for a good cause Florida Penguin Productions, the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and the Tampa Premium Outlets teamed up for a ‘Stuff the Bus’ event on Aug. 8, at Tampa Premium Outlets. The idea was to gather supplies for Pasco County Schools. A number of vendors also were there, in the courtyard of the outlet mall, and some lucky kids walked away with backpacks and other freebies. Above, the Florida Kid Care booth bustled as the organization distributed backpacks filled with school supplies, to those attending the event. More photos, page 6A.

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It wasn’t all about backpacks as Tim Crandall, a member of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, prepares to ‘stuff the bus’ with pens, colored pencils and various other classroom items that teachers need.

With the Pasco County Schools' bus reflecting in her sunglasses, Charane Groeller, president of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, waits with other members for walk-ups delivering school supplies to the 'Stuff the Bus' event.

Debate over masks continues, Dade City awards as a new school year begins infrastructure

By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

Students streamed back to school campuses this week to start the 2021-2022 school year in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

And, much like last year, the debate continues over mandatory face masks.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a firm stand on the issue. He signed an executive order banning school districts from imposing mandatory mask requirements — instead letting parents make the call regarding whether their child wears a mask to school.

The Florida Board of Education also has adopted an emergency rule that allows a child to transfer to a private school or another school district, under a Hope Scholarship,“when a student is subjected to harassment in response to a school district’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols.”

Masks are optional for students and staff in Pasco County’s public school district.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning repeatedly has said the issue

is closed, based on the governor’s actions.

In Hillsborough County, there’s a mandatory mask policy for students — but that policy allows parents to exercise an opt-out option for their children.

Masks are optional for the Hillsborough school district’s staff.

In media interviews, Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis has said he believes the district complies with the governor’s executive order because parents can choose to opt-out their children from the requirement.

Meanwhile, at least two lawsuits have been filed challenging DeSantis’ executive order, according to media reports.

While those debates play out, the Hillsborough and Pasco school systems have been busy preparing protocols for the school year.

During the Pasco School Board's last meeting, on July 27, Browning said he and his staff had spent considerable time going over the COVID protocols for the coming year, in See MASKS, page 9A

projects

By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com

The City of Dade City is moving forward on a pair of long-awaited infrastructure projects, as commissioners have awarded construction bids for the 10th Street sidewalk installation and the Howard Avenue drainage improvements.

Dade City commissioners approved both projects unanimously during their July 27 meeting.

In the 10th Street sidewalk project, approximately 2,600 linear feet of sidewalk, which is five-foot-wide, will be installed.

Sidewalk ramps conforming with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards also will be installed on the east side of 10th Street, between an existing sidewalk north of Camphor Drive and tying into an existing sidewalk at the intersection of Florida Avenue.

See PROJECTS, page 9A

Planning board recommends rezoning approval for Two Rivers The proposed 3,405-acre community — off State Road 56 near Morris Bridge Road — would include thousands of dwellings and office, industrial and retail uses. Plans also call for an 80-acre district park and a 77-acre school site.

By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

Two Rivers, a proposed new community off State Road 56, is approaching its final regulatory hurdle before work can begin to bring the plans on paper to life.

The Pasco County Planning Commission and the county’s planners have recommended approval of a rezoning for the sizable community.

Two Rivers is envisioned as a place that features a mixture of housing types, work opportunities, shopping, recreation and schools, according to county documents and testimony during previous public hearings involving the development.

The proposal, according to county records, calls for creating the new masterplanned community on the southern edge of Pasco County.Two Rivers would tie into a community that’s under the same ownership, just south of the Pasco-Hillsborough line.

Two Rivers’ master plan, county documents show, includes: • 6,400 residential dwelling units, including single-family, multifamily and age-restricted homes • 1,335,000 square feet of office/target industry • 1,355,000 of industrial

FILE

This land, along State Road 56, east of Morris Bridge Road, is now occupied by trees, ponds and open fields. It is proposed to become the future community of Two Rivers — a place that will feature homes, businesses, recreational options and schools, under proposals going through Pasco County’s regulatory process.

• 630,000 square feet of retail uses • 246 acres of conservation area The project has been in planning stages — off and on — for more than 10 years, and there have been a number of ownership changes.

The Pasco County Commission signaled support for Two Rivers, when it voted to transmit a proposed comprehensive plan amendment request to state officials for review.

The proposed rezoning for the masterplanned community is a companion to that previously review comprehensive plan land use request.

The land use change and rezoning both are needed before Two Rivers can proceed

with development.

At the Planning Commission’s Aug. 5 meeting, attorney Clarke Hobby represented Hickory Hills Land Company, the applicant for the Two Rivers master plan rezoning.

The planning board also heard from a handful of residents who raised concerns about potential flooding, increased traffic, possible loss in property value, and the likely noise that would arise from large machinery working on the proposed development.

Hobby told the planning board:“I think we’re all generally aware of Two Rivers and it’s a project that the county really has been planning for, and wants.”

Rezoning would allow 400 apartments

By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

The Pasco County Planning Commission and the county’s planners have recommended approval of a rezoning that would allow 400 apartments on approximately 43.42 acres at the southeast corner of Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Hay Road.

Denise Hernandez, the county’s zoning administrator, detailed the request at the planning board’s July 22 meeting.

The proposed multifamily project would be located between the recently approved Hay Road Townhomes project to the west

and Compark 75, to the east.

“Multifamily apartment uses create a transition from the industrial uses to the townhomes,” Hernandez said.

The request is consistent with the county’s land development code and its comprehensive plan, Hernandez added.

The site is currently zoned for agricultural and light industrial uses.

In addition to the rezoning, the applicants also are requesting a variance from the county land development code requirements relating to parking and park space, Hernandez said.

The planning board and county staff rec-

ommend approval of those variance requests.

The planning board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the rezoning, with the exception of Planning Commission Roberto Saez, who was absent.

No one raised objections about the request during the public hearing.

The Pasco County Commission is expected to take final action on the land use plan amendment, which is required for the rezoning, and on the rezoning itself, during its Aug. 24 meeting, according to Joel Tew, the attorney representing the applicants.

Although the request has the support of the planning board and county staff, it has

Two Rivers is the largest of three parcels that the county worked with when it created a surcharge to build two additional lanes for the State Road 56 extension, Hobby said.

Initially, just a two-lane extension was planned, but the county took out a loan from the Florida Department of Transportation’s infrastructure bank.

There’s $14.8 million in mobility fee surcharges from Two Rivers alone, to help pay back the county’s loan from the FDOT infrastructure bank, Hobby said.

The attorney addressed the concerns raised about potential flooding.

“As you all know, there are SWFMD (Southwest Florida Water Management District) rules and county rules to make sure we don’t flood our neighbors.

“The legal test that we must meet is that we can’t increase the rate of discharge, or the volume of discharge, from the pre-development condition, which we’re in now,” Hobby added.

“We have some of the smartest engineers in the (Tampa) Bay area working on this site, and I’m confident we won’t flood anybody,” he said.

Hobby also noted that the master plan calls for the creation of an 80-acre district park and a 77-acre school site.

While one neighbor expressed concerns about a potential decrease in property values, Hobby predicted just the opposite will occur.

He expects Two Rivers to “be a big benefit to this area.

“I actually believe it will raise property values considerably,” Hobby said.

The rezoning request now goes to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction on land use and zoning issues.

faced opposition in the past.

Commissioners were divided on the land use plan amendment, voting 3-2 to transmit the request to state officials for review.

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley, and Commissioners Kathryn Starkey and Christina Fitzpatrick voted in favor of the transmittal, while Commissioners Mike Moore and Jack Mariano were opposed.

Moore who ultimately persuaded his colleagues to allow a six-month moratorium, which affects only his district, has urged commissioners to ease up on rezonings for multifamily developments.

If it doesn’t, Moore predicts there will be a heavy price to pay in the future, when a glut of apartment buildings leads to high vacancy rates and buildings that fall into disrepair.

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At Wilderness Lake Preserve, here’s a man who really cleans up well

By Joey Johnston Special to The Laker/Lutz News

E

ach day for the past three years, Russ Filsinger’s afternoon routine hasn’t changed.

After hopping on his bicycle for his daily exercise, Filsinger covers every corner of his community at Wilderness Lake Preserve in Land O’ Lakes and the nearby shopping plaza.

He picks up litter.

He gathers the trash, whether it’s candy wrappers, soda cans, fast-food bags, straws, empty alcohol bottles, dog refuse, or even COVID masks (he’s up to 500 of those).

He collects it all and disposes of it properly, recycling, if necessary.

COURTESY OF JOEY JOHNSTON The work usually takes Russ Filsinger spends about two hours each afternoon about two hours, each day. picking up litter at his Wilderness Lake Preserve community For three years.

“Russ is one of those kind in Land O’ Lakes. people who cares about the earth and wants to keep his neighborhood Filsinger was riding his bike anyway for clean,’’ said Franca Carlino Anderson. fitness. He’s dealing with various physical She’s Filsinger’s neighbor and got to woes, such as foot neuropathy, severe osknow him because she was curious about teoarthritis and lack of function in his why he continually picked up trash. hands and fingers. No matter. He keeps “He’s an amazing part of our communi- going. ty. He’s not looking for accolades or even to “Doing this has made my bike ride be noticed. He just cares,” the neighbor said. longer, but more meaningful,’’ Filsinger said.

“I think it makes him happy to see the “And it’s not just trash. I take dead animals earth clean, the way God intended,’’ said off the roads. I don’t want kids going by on Filsinger’s wife, Jeanne. “His dedication is their scooters, seeing these carcasses being something. I pick up things, too, if I’m walk- taken apart by buzzards. I just want people ing by. But I’m not on the bike making sure to see green, bushes and flying birds, not every little thing is picked up. It makes our this endless plastic stuff that’s all over our whole area look so much better. People roads.’’ love what he is doing.’’

In addition to the area’s roads, sidewalks, Filsinger, 71, is a retired social worker pathways, ponds and green spaces, Filsinger from New Jersey. He has worked with has taken his work to Wilderness homeless, gangs and drug addicts. He re- Commons, a shopping plaza at the front of tired due to health reasons and moved to Wilderness Lake Preserve.The store owners Florida, where he toured with a Christian are appreciative. Filsinger combs the parkrock band, then became a minister. He has ing lot and also makes sure things are been a prison chaplain and a hospice chap- securely in the dumpster. lain. He has volunteered as a guardian ad “It only takes a few minutes to get it all litem for children. straight,’’ Filsinger said.“Now there’s noth“My bio is kind of interesting,’’ said ing there, not even one straw wrapper. I’m Filsinger, who now ministers at Grace pretty proud of it.This is very satisfying.’’

Family Church.

All the neighbors know about Filsinger It’s mostly about helping. now.

“It’s such an easy concept, but we all Cars honk their horns and people wave. can do something, even if it’s a very small He gets thank-you wishes from passersthing … and small things can add up,’’ by.

Filsinger said.

The Wildness Lake Preserve newsletter Three years ago, Filsinger grew weary of did a short write-up on Filsinger. incessant litter around his neighborhood; The final line:“His efforts are to be apmaintenance workers weren’t quick about plauded!’’ removing it. So Filsinger took matters into Filsinger isn’t stopping or even slowing his own hands — literally — and began down. If anything, he’s picking up speed. sweeping through the area with his trash “I think littering is getting worse,’’ bags.

Filsinger said.“One of my goals is to get all “Instead of getting mad at the people people to care about picking up litter. We who litter, I’m determined to beat them,’’ can really make a dent.

Filsinger said. “And the best way to beat “My philosophy has been,‘If I don’t do them is if I can pick it up faster than they it, who’s going to do it?’ So the job never recan throw it out of their car windows. ally stops. If I can do this at my age while “It became a challenge to me. You can having fun doing it … maybe others can throw out whatever you want — a box, a get the same type of satisfaction. carton, a Big Gulp cup — but I’m going to “I’d love others to join in. If we all did a pick it up and dispose of it properly. little something to help our world, Everyone wins and you lose.’’ wouldn’t this be a much better world?”

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Seeking first day of school photos The Laker/Lutz News Staff Report

The first day of school last year was anything but typical, as some students stayed home to learn and others headed off to traditional school campuses.

While it remains unclear what impacts COVID-19 and the delta variant will have on this school year, the vast majority of students will head off to traditional brickand-mortar schools for the 2021-2022 school year.

It has become a tradition at The Laker/Lutz News to share First Day of School photos we receive from families, with our readers.

That’s where you come in. We need your help.

Please send us your First Day of School photos.

The photos can be taken in your home, on your front porch, before or after school, near the school, at the bus stop, or at another FILE location you prefer.

This is Rose Beckett, who had her picture taken last year by Your child could be heading to prekindergarten, her family, as she marked her first day as a kindergartener at Bexley Elementary School. Her family shared her photo or heading off to college.

We welcome group shots with us, so we could share it with you. of siblings, but please identify each child in the photo, from left to Also, provide contact information, in right. case we have questions.

When submitting your photo, please tell We’d like to publish our First Day of us your child’s name and age, what commu- School photo collection on Sept. 1, so nity you live in, what school the student please submit them no later than Aug. 20. attends (or if the child is home-schooled) Please send your submissions to and the grade of the student. news@lakerlutznews.com.

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The LAKER / Lutz NEWS LUTZ, ODESSA, LAND O’ LAKES, WESLEY CHAPEL, NEW TAMPA, ZEPHYRHILLS, DADE CITY Serving Pasco since 1981 / Serving Lutz since 1964

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August 11, 2021

3A

What’s Happening

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

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB

for seniors and $5 for students. For information, visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasco County will be the featured charitable organization at all five Pasco County Tax Collector offices, for the month of August.The goal of the club is to help young people reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring members of the community.The club provides a safe environment for youth to socialize, and it assists in mentoring students who need academic assistance to succeed in school and in life. For information on how to donate, visit PascoTaxes.com.

starts at 6 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:30 p.m. For information, email eastpascodems@gmail.com, or call 813-3838315.

WORLD SUPERSTITIONS

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will present “Superstitions Around the World” on Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m., for all ages. Participants can learn the stories behind a variety of superstitions.

Registration is online through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. For information, call 813-273-3652.

CLASSIC MOVIES

YARN FOR A CAUSE

The New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, will host a “Yarn for a Cause” group on Aug. 12 at 6 p.m., to create projects (such as blankets) for nursing homes, and other fun and creative items.

Participants can learn new techniques and show off their own projects.The group will get together in the library meeting room.

Registration is required online at PascoLibraries.org.

Memorial Mile

The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel will host its third annual 9/11 Memorial Mile Run/Walk on Sept. 11, at the Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz, in remembrance of the heroes of 9/11.

Participants can take part in person or virtually.

The entry fee is $10 and will benefit the Rotary Club’s scholarship fund and other projects.

There is no day-of-event registration.

Participants can pick up their goodie bag (includes a shirt and bib), at the outlets in the Michael Kors pavilion on Sept. 10 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., or on Sept.11 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m.

The run/walk is scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m., followed by a ceremony, time of remembrance and a tour of the 9/11 Memorial Wall at 8:30 a.m.

Online registration (deadline is Sept. 10) is at RunSignup.com/Race/FL/Lutz/911MemorialMile.

MASTER GARDENING

The UF/IFAS Pasco County Cooperative Extension Service will offer a free Meet and Greet preview session on Aug. 12 at 3 p.m., for anyone interested in applying for the 2021 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Class scheduled to begin on Sept. 21.The Meet and Greet will take place at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.All potential applicants for the class must attend the Aug. 12 session. Preregistration is required online at bit.ly/eventbritepasco.

Center, 21030 Cortez Blvd., in Brooksville.

There are matinees at 2:30 p.m., as well as 7:30 p.m. show times. Seats are $15 for adults and $8 for children ages 13 and younger, when accompanied by an adult.

For a schedule and tickets, visit LiveOakTheatre.square.site/, email liveoakboxoffice@gmail.com, or call 352593-0027.

SPIRIT OF WOODSTOCK

The three-day, camping-optional Spirit of Woodstock event will take place Aug. 13 to Aug. 15, at the Sertoma Youth Ranch in Brooksville.The music festival includes children’s activities, such as hayrides, and arts and crafts; a Hippie Hound & Pooch Parade contest; Best Hippie Contest; Grooviest Campsite Contest; a free yoga class (Aug. 14); live music, food, merchandise, and more. Campfires will be allowed.This is a pet-friendly event. Singleday tickets and weekend passes are available. For information and tickets, visit SpiritOfWoodstock.org.

The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, will present “The Spanish American War and Florida” on Aug. 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Guests can view the museum’s collection of artifacts, including a Kragg-Jorgensen rifle.

The special guest will be historian Joe Blunt, dressed in Spanish American War regalia. Presentations will be made at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.Admission is $10 for adults, $8

Live Oak Theatre will present “Shrek Jr.”Aug. 13 to Aug. 15, at the Carol and Frank Morsani

NEW CLUB LOCATION

The East Pasco Republican Club meets the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m., now at its new location, at Shepherd of the Hills Church, 37015 Orange Valley Lane in Dade City. Refreshments are served at the meetings.The next meeting is Aug. 17, and the guest speaker will be pastor Gabriel Papadopoulos, who worked for Pasco County for 31 years.

Congregation Beth Chavarim, an unaffiliated congregation, is looking for a volunteer rabbi/learned-Jewish person in the Land O’ Lakes area to lead Zoom services on the first and third Friday of each month. For information, email familyfriendlytemple@yahoo.com.

EAST DEMOCRATIC CLUB

The UF/IFAS Extension Office will host “Right Plant, Right Place” on Aug. 17 at 3:30 p.m., at the New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, in the Discovery Garden. Participants can learn how to select Florida-friendly plants to achieve successful, healthy and low-maintenance landscapes. Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org.

CROCKPOT COOK-OFF

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club will host a Crockpot Cook-off Luncheon & Contest on Aug. 18 from noon to 2 p.m., at The Groves Golf & Country Club, 7924 Melogold Drive in Land O’ Lakes.The public can join this ‘fun’raiser to taste the dishes, in support of the club’s projects.The cost is $12 per person.There will be crockpot dishes, desserts and beverages. Reservations are required by calling 201-715-7638.

RESIN BOOKMARK

The Regency Park Library, 9701 Little Road in New Port Richey, will offer a class on making a UV resin bookmark on Aug. 18 at 4 p.m., for grades eight to 12. Each teen will get a bookmark to customize and cast in resin.The UV resin is safe for teens, and will be handled with gloves and protective equipment. Participants do not need a library card. Registration is required at PascoLibraries.org or by email at valeriea@pascolibraries.org.

SHARK STORY TIMES

The New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, will host these in-person story times about sharks:Aug. 18 and Aug. 20 at 10:15 a.m., for toddlers; and Aug. 18 and Aug. 20 at 11 a.m., for preschoolers.

Participants can learn about sharks through stories, songs and dance. Space is limited.

Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org.

For information, call the library at 813-7886375.

VOLUNTEER NEEDED

SPANISH AMERICAN WAR

SHREK JR.

The Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St., in downtown Tampa, again will host its Summer Classics Movie Series. Upcoming shows include: • “Young Frankenstein” (1974: PG: Comedy),Aug. 15 at 3 p.m., and Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

• “Casablanca” (1942: PG: Drama),Aug. 22 at 3 p.m., and Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

• “The Black Pirate Adventure” (1926: Not Rated: Silent),Aug. 29 at 3 p.m., and Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m., $13 at the box office, $15 online, and $10 for theater members.

Unless otherwise noted, all films are $10 at the box office, $12 online, and $7 for theater members. For information, visit TampaTheatre.org.

PLANT SEMINAR

The East Pasco Democratic Club will meet on Aug. 16, via Zoom.The guest speaker will be Allison Miller, candidate for state attorney for Pinellas-Pasco counties, on the topic of change and reform. Socializing

CENTRAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB

The Central Pasco Democratic Club will meet on Aug. 18, via Zoom.All members and See WHAT’S, page 5A

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Socializing starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:45 p.m. For details and a Zoom link, email centralpascodemocratcclub@gmail.com.

through third grade, to celebrate National Honeybee Day. Participants can learn about the importance of honeybees in the world.

Space is limited. Registration is required at PascoLibraries.org.

EVENING STORIES

GARDENING WORKSHOP

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will host “Evening Stories: Back to School Edition” on Aug. 19 at 6 p.m., for ages 2 to 6.There will be stories, action rhymes, songs and interactive activities online for this 20-minute program. Register through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org.

The Citrus County Utilities’ Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program will offer a free gardening workshop on Aug. 24 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., online.Topics will include the selection of the right plant for the right location, efficient irrigation, proper fertilization, and responsible pest management. Register online at CCUFFLprogram.eventbrite.com. For questions, call Steven Davis at 352-5275708.

KIDS MUSICAL The New Tampa Players will present “Polkadots:The Cool Kids Musical” on Aug. 20,Aug. 21,Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m., and on Aug. 22 and Aug. 29 at 3 p.m., for all ages.The show will be performed at Uptown Stage at the University Mall.The musical is an upbeat reminder to celebrate people’s differences.The cast and audience members will be masked for all performances.To purchase tickets, visit NewTampaPlayers.thundertix.com.

MOON MARKET The Tiki Cove, 2700 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, will host a Moon Market on Aug. 21 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.This family and pet-friendly event will include more than 20 local vendors, fresh produce, live music, cold drinks, made-to-order food, and more.Admission is free.

BEE PROGRAM The Regency Park Library, 9701 Little Road in New Port Richey, will offer “Bee Aware” on Aug. 21 at 2 p.m., for kindergarten

Hyatt W We esley C Chapel Seminar

NETWORKING GROUP The East Pasco Networking Group will meet on Aug. 24 at 7:30 a.m., at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, 6585 Simons Road, in Zephyrhills.The guest speaker will be Shane LeBlanc, Public Works director, City of Zephyrhills.

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THE BELLAMY BROTHERS The Bellamy Brothers will perform a fundraiser concert,“An Evening With The Bellamy Brothers,” on Aug. 26 at the Dan Cannon Auditorium, Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52 in Dade City, to benefit the Thomas Promise Foundation.Attendance is by table purchase only. Each table seats eight people (dinner is included). Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., for dinner, and the concert will start at 7:30 p.m.Table purchases are tax deductible. For information and to reserve a table, call 813-782-0000.

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KEEPS THE MOLD AWAY

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

So, schools are back in session.

What are mornings like at your house?

Chaotic? Stressful? A mad dash out the door so the kids don’t miss the bus?

While school mornings tend to be frantic, be sure to squeeze in some time for a healthy breakfast — whether it’s at a table at home, or in a container to go.

Dedicating this little bit of time will go a long way in helping your child have a good school day.

All meals are important, but breakfast plays a unique role in our diet.

When we wake up, we are in a fasted and dehydrated state — and, it’s important to start the day on the right foot.

A healthy breakfast offers a chance to get the much-needed vitamins, minerals, and fiber that we need daily.

Skipping breakfast means one less opportunity to get these important nutrients.

Numerous studies show that a healthy breakfast plays a role in school performance, and increases concentration and energy, and certain vitamins boost immunity, so an overall healthy diet can decrease sick days.

Fiber and protein are key to warding off hunger for longer periods.

Fiber delays gastric emptying of the stomach, so you continue to feel full, and protein creates the sensation of fullness.

Elementary schools often have a snack time in the morning, but middle and high school students don’t usually have a designated time of day to eat until lunch.

Algebra at 9 a.m. is hard enough, let alone on an empty stomach.

It’s normal not to feel hungry first thing in the morning.

Aim to eat breakfast within two hours of waking up if the kids aren’t hungry right away.

Cereal, frequently marketed as a good breakfast choice, isn’t a good selection if It is sugary and refined.

Look for a whole grain, and remember to look for high fiber and protein on the nutrition facts label.

Also, avoid “dessert-type” breakfasts such as doughnuts and breakfast pastries. Those contain too much sugar and not enough nutrition.

Here are some healthy and quick breakfast options that your kids may enjoy: • Plain oatmeal with milk, banana, raisins, walnuts, dried fruit, peanut butter, or other toppings • Cereal with banana or blueberries • Smoothies: Made with various fresh or frozen fruits, with milk or yogurt • Hard-boiled eggs sliced and topped with salsa (You can make these in advance and keep them refrigerated for 2 days to 3 days) • Whole wheat toast or bagel with peanut butter or hummus • Parfait: With a layer of yogurt, fruit, and granola or whole grain cereal • English muffin sandwich: Made from a toasted whole wheat English muffin, some deli meat and a slice of cheese, then heated up in a microwave. Add some spinach and sliced tomato, if you like those, too.

• Bagel and fruit: Whole wheat bagel topped with a choice of spread (yogurt, jam, peanut butter or light cream cheese) and var-

By Kelli Carmack

COURTESY OF MYPLATE KITCHEN

This omelet in a mug includes three food groups: protein, veggies and dairy.

Veggie omelet in a mug Ingredients 2 eggs 2 Tablespoons 1% low-fat milk (or nonfat/skim milk) 1 pinch salt 1 pinch pepper 1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms (or your favorite vegetables) 2 Tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese) Directions Wash hands with soap and water.

Lightly grease the inside of a 12-ounce microwave-safe mug.

Use a fork to combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in the mug, and stir well.

Mix in the vegetables and cheese.

Microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds.

Stir.

Return to the microwave and cook on HIGH until the mixture has puffed and set, 60 to 90 seconds.

The omelet may look wet on the top, but it will dry as it cools.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

ious fruit such as sliced banana, strawberries, pineapple or grapes • An omelet in a mug Don’t forget, the free breakfast program at school may be an option for your child as well. (Check your school district’s website to find out more.)

Just like reading is fundamental for education, good nutrition is essential for good health.

I wince when I think of the lack of nutritional quality in the breakfasts I ate as a kid.

My breakfasts typically included a packet of flavored instant oatmeal, containing about 12 grams of added sugar, or a sugary cereal.

On weekends, I would dunk Oreos in milk, or make a sandwich out of two waffles with vanilla ice cream, in the middle.

At the time, I suppose there wasn’t much awareness on childhood obesity and nutrition, but luckily, we know better now.

When you’re in a rush, this veggie omelet in a mug (recipe above) can be a quick and nutritious meal.You can prep the veggies the night before, to save time in the morning.

The recipe is courtesy of MyPlate Kitchen’s MyPlate.gov, from Oregon State University Extension.

Mold can be a huge problem for homeowners, especially during the summer months when humidity is higher than ever.

That’s where ASAP Pressure Cleaning comes in.

The company not only helps to get rid of mold and mildew growth, it also provides an array of other cleaning services, including gutters and downspouts, screen enclosures, exterior paint prep, fences (vinyl, wood and metal), brick/block walls, pavers, pool decks, lanais and patios, decks and stamped concrete.

“We offer a variety of services, for a variety of surfaces, from soft wash to high pressure,” says owner Austin Batchelder.

“We strive to keep your property looking clean and bright.”

Batchelder defines pressure-washing as the use of high-pressure water that is sprayed from a nozzle to remove dirt, grime, dust, mold, pollen and other unwanted contaminants from hard surfaces, such as driveways, wood decks, pool decks, sidewalks and other outdoor areas.

According to Batchelder, the amount of water pressure used depends on what the needs are. Typically, high pressure is used for driveways and sidewalks, whereas soft wash is used on shingles and tiles.

ASAP Pressure Cleaning has been in business since 2012, working with both homeowners and commercial customers

primarily in Pasco and Hernando counties.

Batchelder says what sets his company apart from other pressure-washing operations, besides being licensed and insured, is the level of expertise his team offers, and the equipment he owns.

“Our truck-mounted commercial grade pressure- and soft-wash equipment are commercial machines, not just basic units out of your local hardware store,” explains Batchelder. “We also have the ability to bring water to jobs, and can heat water up to 200 degrees for jobs that require very hot water.”

ASAP Pressure Cleaning has both day and night crews, giving it the ability and flexibility to accommodate when the customer needs the job done. Because of Florida’s high humidity, Batchelder recommends pressure cleaning your home every three months to six months to prevent mold and mildew buildup on walkways, decks, driveways and siding.

“I always make it transparent to my customers that my service is repeating.

It’s pretty much always going to rain and be humid in Florida, so new mold and mildew buildup will always occur,” says Batchelder. “My goal is to clean and maintain, so that mother nature doesn’t take back over.”

ASAP Pressure Cleaning is currently looking to add more pressure cleaning technicians for both day and night shifts. If interested, call Batchelder at 813-501-2010.

ASAP Pressure Cleaning 813-501-2010 • www.ASAPpressure.com

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August 11, 2021

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Send school news to news@lakerlutznews.com

BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH

The First United Methodist Church of Lutz, 960 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, will host a Back-to-School Bash on Aug. 13 starting at 5 p.m., rain or shine.

The event will include food trucks, bounce houses, make-and-take crafts, an indoor movie, and more. The Pixar movie, “Monsters University,” will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Guests should bring a lawn chair or blanket.

Popcorn and movie snacks will be available for purchase, as a fundraiser for the church’s youth mission trip.

Those attending also are asked to bring a nonperishable food item for the Christian Social Services Food Pantry.

RSVP by Aug. 6. Each preregistered child will receive a gift bag.

Sign up at tinyurl.com/59c6rnue.

LEADERSHIP FORUM

Saint Leo University will host the FBI National Academy’s Mass Casualty Response Leadership Forum Series on Aug. 16 and Aug. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the school’s Pasco County campus.

The forum is designed to provide those in attendance with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to improve initial re-

Slow down, stay alert

With schools back in session, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) reminds drivers to be on the lookout for students traveling to and from school, whether it be on foot, bike, scooter or by bus. Take a look at the graphic for a refresh on when to stop for school buses. Slow down and stay alert while driving. The PSO also is looking for school crossing guards. Check out JoinPSO.com to apply and for additional information.

sponse, emergency operations center procedures, and communications management during and after a crisis.

Key topics include: • Lessons Learned (a review of past incidents) • The dynamics of an active assailant situation

COURTESY OF CAROLINE JORGENSEN, SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY

University President Jeffrey Senese welcomes future and prospective Lions and their families to Saint Leo’s Super Saturday event.

SAINT LEO PUTS OUT WELCOME MAT Saint Leo University rolled out the welcome mat for nearly 1,000 guests — new and prospective students and their families — at its admissions event,“Super Saturday.”

Each of Saint Leo’s colleges provided a taste of what is to come for students who are enrolling in the more than 60 degree programs the university offers.

COURTESY OF MARIE THORNSBERRY, SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY

Super Saturday gave students a chance to meet faculty and engage in activities designed to introduce them to the degree programs, future classes and real-world learning experiences.

The event also provided opportunities for parents and family members to meet with university leaders during a Q&A session.

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

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

CONGRATULATIONS to Boy Scouts of America, for being applauded by Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is an international youth program that focuses on character development and values-based leadership training that is meant to prepare both young men and women for life.

Clarissa Castillo, the Suncoast District executive for the BSA since 2019, says the local western Florida council participates in many service projects in the area that helps give its young members a sense of community. These projects include community cleanups, food drives and much more.

“It’s quite impactful that everything that we’re doing for our community goes back into it,” says Castillo, “We help our community, which helps others around us... I feel like it's more along the lines of the ripple effect.”

Castillo’s main duties include recruitment, scouting and forming the committees that help run and maintain each district.

She also helps bring awareness to Friends of Scouting, which is an annual giving campaign that raises money for scouting programs across the nation.

According to Friends of Scouting’s website, it costs $240 to provide one year of quality program for each scout. This investment helps with camp scholarships, uniforms, registration fees, professional staff, and so much more.

“We talk to the local community about who and what we are, and a lot of that helps us continue to push forward the

scouting program. It helps us keep our five camps in the area regulated and maintained,” says Castillo.

According to Castillo, not only does the BSA teach young scouts confidence and leadership skills, but it also helps them get into colleges and get jobs when they are older.

“We help develop our scouts into the leaders of tomorrow,” says Castillo, “Because of all the volunteer experience and life skills learned from BSA, our scouts will certainly impress their future employers.”

Members who participate in BSA walk away with various skills and lasting memories, so much so that a lot of alumni come back to the program and volunteer in hopes to impact the current generation of scouts, Castillo adds.

To find a local unit near you, visit BeAScout.org. If you would like to contribute to support the Boy Scouts of America, Greater Tampa Bay Area Council, follow the link, tinyurl.com/4w7v6tws, and select “Suncoast” as the district. You also can find a list of upcoming events on the website.

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August 11, 2021

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• Multi-agency Response • Communications during and after an incident For information, contact Laura Masterton at lmasterton@fbinaa.org or 540-810-2725.

For cost and registration, please visit FBINAA.formstack.com/forms/mcrlf_fl.

Members of Saint Leo’s dance and spirit teams welcome future and prospective students to the university’s Super Saturday event.

valon pplauds Clarissa Castillo

COURTESY OF PASCO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Students also were able to get a jumpstart on the fall by registering for classes, housing and parking, attending financial aid sessions, and more.

Saint Leo will welcome new students on Aug. 28, and classes will begin on Aug. 31.

For more information about attending the school, contact the Office of Admissions at 352-588-8283.

STUDENT RESOURCES The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative offers educational resources to support student successes on the library’s website, HCPLC.org.

A few of the resources include: • HAAL Pass (Hillsborough All Access Libraries) — All students enrolled in a Hillsborough County public school, charter school or virtual school have access to public library resources, even if they don’t have a public library card. Students can use their seven-digit student ID number to borrow up to three items from any branch, download eBooks and audiobooks, and refer to study aids and reference resources.Visit HCPLC.org/HAALPass.

• Tutor.com — Get help with schoolwork, prepare for a test, send in a paper review, and connect with a live tutor. One-toone help also is available for Spanish-speaking students.Visit “Learning & Research” on HCPLC.org.

• Ask a Librarian — Chat with a local librarian about homework or educational needs, or ask a question via chat or email.

Visit the “Get Help – Contact Us” link at HCPLC.org, or call 813-273-3652.

• Online classes and events — Free, real-time programs continue virtually, including story time for little ones, youth book clubs, or technology tutorials. Find the listings under the “Online Events & Classes” tab at HCPLC.org.

For more information, please visit HCPLC.org/BackToSchool.

HOSPITALS, from page 1A AdventHealth Hospital Tampa, the largest AdventHealth Hospital in Tampa Bay. He shared updates for the West Florida Division locations during an Aug. 3 video interview, published on the hospital’s Facebook and LinkedIn Live event.

“In the Tampa Bay region, we’re well over 300 patients now,” Ross said, noting that number exceeds the hospital’s past surges.

“Greater than 90% of those patients are unvaccinated and our numbers continue to grow,” Ross said.

The health care system has seen patients ranging from a baby, to people into their 90s, he said.“But really the shift has been toward younger people because those are the people who have opted not to get vaccinated,” he said.“So, that’s what we’re seeing.”

“It’s the usual symptoms,” he said, including shortness of breath, flu-like symptoms such as congestion, headache, cough and runny nose.

Ross said the delta variant “is probably tied with some of the most contagious viruses we’ve ever known — measles and chicken pox being examples of that.”

“That’s very concerning because the amount of spread that is occurring is so much greater,” he said.

It went from one patient spreading it to two or three patients, in the early COVID cases, to now, with one patient spreading it to eight or 10, he said.

“The viral load seems to be so much greater in delta variant, probably a thousand times greater in the respiratory tract.

“That means when you cough or sneeze or whatever, there’s a lot more virus that’s being let out into your surroundings and makes it more likely that other people will pick up that virus,” Ross said.

He encouraged people who are not immunized to get immunized.

“You will have a lot less severity if you’re immunized and you get the delta variant than if you didn’t have it,” he said.“That, to me, seems a pretty compelling argument.”

The other argument, he said,“is that you want to protect other people.There’s a certain sense of community that I think we need to appeal to people on, because as we reach herd immunity, we’re actually protecting people that can’t protect themselves.”

That includes people who have immune deficiencies, as well as children who are 12 and under and can’t get the vaccine yet, he said.

Ross continued:“If we don’t get control of this virus and it’s continuing to mutate, there is some fear out in the scientific community that this virus could mutate to a point where it actually beats the vaccines. It comes to a point that it mutates in such a way that the vaccine is no longer effective to the virus and then, we are back to really Square One, with the entire population, because no one will be immune to that variant.”

Ross also advised both vaccinated and unvaccinated people to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations.

Those going to indoor public spaces should wear masks, Ross said, “to protect themselves from getting the infection and from spreading the infection.”

It’s been shown that people who have

COVID 19 statistics, July 30 through Aug. 5 Florida: New cases, 134,506; new case positivity, 18.9% Pasco: New cases, 3,404; new case positivity, 24.3% Hillsborough: New cases, 8,583; new case positivity, 22.8% Source: Florida Department of Health

been immunized can get infected, Ross said.

It may stay asymptomatic, but they are still able to spread it.

He also encourages people to maintain social distancing, to limit their chance of exposure, and washing their hands.

“Try to avoid spaces that are indoor spaces, with a lot of people,” he added.

Ross also touched on the impact that this new surge has had on health care workers.

“We’d gone through two surges,” he said.

“We thought we were sort of improving and getting better, and things were calming down.

“Now, all of a sudden, when we thought we were getting a handle on this whole thing, we had a surge and a surge bigger than any surge we’ve had so far. So that has really been a challenge emotionally to people because people were a little bit celebratory — in their own minds — because they had gotten through the worst of COVID, and that’s just not the case.”

While the hospital’s staff is very dedicated, he said,“we’re all a bit frustrated because of the fact that if more of the population had been vaccinated, we wouldn’t be seeing this surge and we wouldn’t be stressing our health systems out.”

Ross also offered another reason for wearing a mask:“One of the early reasons to wear a mask was to sort of dampen the curve, the rate of increase of the viral spread, so that it wouldn’t put a strain on our health systems.

“If this continues to rise, the way it’s rising, it’s definitely putting and will continue to put, a significant strain on our health systems,” Ross said.

To get the most current information relating to any changes regarding hospital policies, be sure to check with your local hospital.

In response to the surging cases, Hillsborough County has temporarily opened two COVID-19 testing sites, to help shorten the wait times for people wanting to check on their status, according to a county news release.

The county had anticipated administering 500 tests at each site but, in total, administered more than 2,000.

The sites are located at: • Palm River Community Center, 725 S. 58th St., in Tampa • Code Enforcement Complex, 1101 E. 139th Ave., in Tampa The sites are open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. , with testing done on a first-come, firstserved basis.

There is no charge to be tested and health insurance is not required.

If you have health insurance, however, bring your insurance card because federal guidelines require the collection of health insurance data.

TheLaker / LutzNews

www.lakerlutznews.com

MASKS, from page 1A terms of athletics, fine arts, social distancing, cleaning protocols and so on.

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd also told the school board that the district plans to have procedures that are “going to be considerably looser, as opposed to tighter than they were last year” as they relate to facilities, events and athletics.

Gadd told the board: “It’s only looking back, we’ll know if that’s a mistake. But going forward, we’re going to loosen up a little bit, so folks can attend ball games and dances, and things like that.”

Regarding procedures for quarantining students and staff, Browning said those rules are set by the Florida Department of Health and will remain the same this year as they were last year.

“All symptomatic cases will be sent home for 10 days. If you’re not vaccinated and you have come in contact with a positive case and the health department has made the determination that you’ll quarantine, then you’ll quarantine.

“If you are vaccinated and come in contact with a positive case and you are

asymptomatic — not showing any signs — then you can remain in school, either as a student or as a teacher,” Browning said.

The district was still working out the details regarding how to handle sick time for teachers, if they have to quarantine because of COVID. In Hillsborough, the district has posted its protocols for visitors on school campus or district offices. In short, it prefers visitors to have a scheduled appointment.

It also requires visitors to practice social distancing, and all in-person meetings must allow participants to be able to maintain a 6foot social distance.

Visitors also must complete a self-check before entering a school building.

They should check themselves for these symptoms: Fever or chills, fatigue, sore throat, cough, muscle or body aches, congestion or runny nose, shortness of breath, headache, nausea or vomiting, difficulty in breathing, diarrhea or new loss of taste or smell.

Also, those who are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, or who have a known exposure to COVID-19, should not visit the district’s campuses or offices, according to the district’s website.

PROJECTS, from page 1A The construction bid was awarded to Land O’ Lakes-based B.R.W. Contracting Inc., totaling $204,859.

B.R.W. Contracting was the lowest of six sealed bids received, with the others ranging from $258,903.75 to $332,189.

The bid award also is below an engineer’s estimate of $266,698.41.

The city has allocated $200,000 in Penny for Pasco funds, with the remaining balance paid for through transportation impact fees, according to a city memo.

The company has 180 calendar days to complete the project, upon notice to proceed.

Dade City Public Works Director Bryan Holmes told commissioners that city staff “investigated some past performance that arose in other counties” with B.R.W. Contracting. (One of the more publicized problem cases with the firm involved the Osowaw Boulevard resurfacing project in Hernando County in 2015.)

But Holmes said B.R.W Contracting addressed such issues at hand, adding his staff felt comfortable moving forward based on satisfactory recommendations from nearby Zephyrhills.

The firm has been involved on U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road, Simons Road and the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center in Zephyrhills, among other projects.

Said Holmes: “Staff confirmed with the City of Zephyrhills that (B.R.W. Contracting) has performed work on similar projects and they have been satisfied with their work.”

Mayor Camille Hernandez expressed enthusiasm that the “long-awaited” sidewalk project will soon be underway.

“Gosh, how many years have we been talking about that one?” Hernandez quipped.“I’m excited about this one.”

Holmes agreed that the sidewalk has been in the works for a long time.“I know this (project) predates me, so I know it’s been awhile,” he said.

The Howard Avenue drainage infrastructure project was awarded to Palmetto-based TLC Diversified Inc., in the amount of $215,000.

The project generally calls for drainage improvements at an existing stormwater pump station located on the Hardy Trail at Florida Avenue, to resolve washout issues

FILE

The City of Dade City is moving forward on a pair of long-awaited infrastructure projects, including the 10th Street sidewalk installation and the Howard Avenue drainage improvements.

along the trail.

The scope includes installation of a larger submersible pump with motor, an upgraded control panel, installation of a manhole at the concrete vault, installation of a fence with access gate, and the stabilization of disturbed areas around the location with sod.

The project, Holmes said,“will increase the pumping capacity to empty out that (Howard) pond to allow additional stormwater to flow in.”

TLC Diversified was the lowest of three sealed bids received, the others coming in at $249,500 and $250,150, respectively.

The project to upgrade the stormwater pump station is budgeted for $230,000 through a combination of Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant dollars ($150,000) and Penny for Pasco funds ($80,000).

The Howard Avenue drainage improvements is the second of a three-phase project.

The first phase included the expansion of the stormwater pond along Howard Avenue. Following this second phase project, the third phase calls for removal of ditch reinforcing, which is expected to be handled by city employees using locally sourced materials to save on costs, the public works director said.

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August 11, 2021

9A

Community Sports Your Neighborhood Sports Source

Local athletes ink pro baseball contracts

By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com

F

irst came the 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, then came the matter of signing the dotted line to become a professional baseball player — and officially make boyhood dreams become reality.

This was the scenario for several athletes with ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Five local ballplayers were taken in last month’s MLB first-year player draft, which spanned 20 rounds (and 612 picks).

All but one of the area selections inked contracts with respective baseball organizations by the Aug. 1 signing deadline.

Sunlake High alum Tommy Mace, a fourth-year junior from the University of Florida, was the highest selection and had the largest signing bonus, among locals.

Mace signed for $1.1 million with the Cleveland Indians, who took him 69th overall in Competitive Balance Round B between the second and third round.

The imposing 6-foot-6, 230-pound righthander received well-above the recommended slot value for the lofty pick (slightly under $929,800). The announcement was made official on the team’s website July 24.

The 22-year-old is noted for a respectable four-pitch mix — fastball, slider, curveball and changeup — highlighted by a sinking two-seam fastball that touches 96 mph.

Mace very well could’ve turned pro last year, but returned to school with hopes of further improving his draft stock following the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

This past year at Florida he posted a 4.38 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 113 strikeouts in 90.1 innings pitched, along with a 6-2 record.

Across his four-year college career, Mace compiled a combined 4.37 ERA, 1.279 WHIP and 258 strikeouts in 269.2 total innings pitched, with a 22-7 mark.

The long-limbed pitcher has been highly regarded since his prep days at Sunlake, where he was a three-year varsity letter winner.

As a senior, Mace tallied a 1.29 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 77.2 innings, with an 8-2 record in 11 appearances — guiding the Seahawks to the Class 7A regional finals.

He won 19 games during his high school career, posting a combined 1.65 ERA and 196 strikeouts in 165.2 innings.

Mace previously was drafted out of high school in the 12th round (347th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2017, but didn’t sign, in favor of college.

Other area ballplayers selected later in the draft also agreed to contract terms with MLB franchises, for varying dollar figures.

Gaither High senior A.J. Graham signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for $125,000 after being the first pick in the 18th round (523rd overall).

Graham has been assigned to the Pirates Florida Complex League. He was signed on July 30 by Pirates scout Nick Presto, according to a team news release.

The 6-3, 180-pound right-handed shortstop batted .346 with two homers, seven doubles, 18 runs scored, 14 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 78 at-bats across 23 games this season for Gaither.

Graham comes from an athletic family background.

His mother, Mindy, played volleyball at Ball State University and is a member of the Muncie, Indiana-based institution’s athletics Hall-of-Fame.

His father, Darrell, played defensive back in football at Syracuse University and Ball State University, respectively.

Also picked in the 18th round was Saint Leo University lefty pitcher Jimmy Burnette, landing 542nd overall to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Burnette signed with the club for

FILE

Saint Leo University left-hander Jimmy Burnette signed with the Toronto Blue Jays for $25,000. He was taken in the 18th round (543rd overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft.

FILE

Sunlake High/University of Florida right-handed pitcher Tommy Mace signed with the Cleveland Indians for $1.1 million. He was taken 69th overall (Compensation Round B) of the 2021 MLB Draft.

Locals from the 2021 MLB Draft • Sunlake High/University of Florida pitcher Tommy Mace — signed with Cleveland Indians for $1.1 million (drafted in Comp B, 69th overall) • Wharton High shortstop Zach Ehrhard — did not sign with Boston Red Sox (drafted in 13th round, 376th overall) • Gaither High shortstop A.J. Graham — signed with Pittsburgh Pirates for $125,000 (drafted in 18th round, 523rd overall) • Saint Leo University left-handed pitcher Jimmy Burnette — signed with Toronto Blue Jays for $50,000 (drafted in 18th round, 543rd overall)

FILE

Gaither High shortstop A.J. Graham signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for $125,000. He was taken in the 18th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

Gaither High/University of Texas third baseman Cam Williams signed with the Kansas City Royals for $25,000. He was taken in the 19th round (559th overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft.

$50,000 on July 21, according to the team’s website.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound redshirt senior led Saint Leo this season in innings pitched (45.0), wins (three) and strikeouts (53) to go along with a 5.80 ERA and 1.53 WHIP and a pair of complete games.

Burnette emerged in the inaugural MLB Draft League, a summer showcase for top draft-eligible prospects providing exposure to scouts, coaches and advanced baseball technologies.

Playing for the league’s Mahoning Valley Scrappers in Niles, Ohio, Burnette posted a 3.09 ERA, 1.4 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 23.1 innings pitched.

The league’s advanced statistical metrics underscored Burnette’s standout secondary offerings, including his slider (32.8% chase rate, 41.5% called strike plus whiff rate) and changeup (29% chase rate, 10 inches induced vertical break, 16 inches horizontal break).

Meanwhile, league metrics show a fastball that touches 95 mph, from a quasi-sidearm release.

A Chicago native, Burnette transferred to Saint Leo from the University of Illinois this past season.

Gaither High/University of Texas third baseman Cam Williams signed for $25,000 with the Kansas City Royals after being taken in the 19th round (559th overall).

The signing became official on July 15, according to the club’s website.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Odessa native starred for a Longhorns squad that had a third-place appearance at the 2021 College

World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

A fourth-year senior, Williams led Texas with 20 doubles and was second with 12 homers, along with a .295 average, 42 runs scored and 51 RBIs spread across 61 starts at third base.

Prior to college, Williams led Gaither to the 2016 7A state championship his senior year and was named Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American.

He originally was drafted out of high school in the 39th round by the Seattle Mariners, but didn’t sign, electing for Dallas Baptist University and San Jacinto College before transferring to Texas.

Williams joins a growing list of family members to play professional baseball.

His father, Reggie, played four MLB seasons with the Anaheim Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers throughout the 1990s.

Williams three older half-brothers all played professional baseball, too.

They include Reggie Williams Jr., who spent three years in the St. Louis Cardinals organization (2010-2012); J.D. Williams played five years in the Minnesota Twins minor league system (2010-2014); and Javier Reynoso spent two seasons in the Kansas City Royals’ organization (2013-2014).

Wharton High shortstop Zach Ehrhard was taken by the Boston Red Sox in the 13th round (367th overall), but didn’t sign by the Aug. 1 deadline.

Ehrhard theoretically could’ve received a decent chunk of change — as teams can give up to $125,000 to players drafted in rounds 11 through 20 before tapping into their bonus pool allotments.

COURTESY OF GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL

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National medalist

Lutz teenager Zac Myers finished third allaround for his age group at the USA Gymnastics Junior National Championships, in Daytona Beach — earning him a spot on the U.S. men’s U14 junior national team. The 13-year-old Martinez Middle School student medaled in three events: pommel horse (first overall), high bar (second) and parallel bars. Myers trains at LaFleur’s Gymnastic Club in Tampa. He is a Level 9 gymnast. Courtesy of Andy Myers

ACTIVE LIFE GAMES REGISTRATION

Athletes 50 and over can test their skills in various sports against others from all over Hillsborough County — with the return of Tampa Bay Active Life Games, following a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Registration is ongoing for the 40th annual event, which runs Oct. 4 through Oct. 12.

Active Life Games is hosted by Hillsborough County in partnership with the City of Tampa, City of Temple Terrace, and Friends of the County Parks and Recreation.

It allows athletes 50 years and older to

• Gaither High/University of Texas third baseman Cam Williams — signed with Kansas City Royals for $25,000 (19th round, 559th overall)

He instead will attend Division I powerhouse Oklahoma State University, which has made eight consecutive NCAA tournament appearances (the 2020 pandemic-shortened season notwithstanding).

Interestingly, Ehrhard was one of four Red Sox draftees that chose not to sign.

The others were second-round pick Jud Fabian (University of Florida), 15th- rounder selection Payton Green (North Carolina Pro5 Academy) and 20th-rounder Josh Hood (University of Pennsylvania).

Ehrhard was this year’s recipient of the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award, which honors a high school baseball player in Hillsborough County on the basis of outstanding athletic, scholastic and community achievements.

The a 5-foot-11, 175-pound switch-hitter batted .438 this season for the Wildcats, with three homers, 12 doubles, 29 runs scored and 21 RBIs, along with 26 stolen bases.

Ehrhard’s older brother, Drew, was a recipient of the prestigious award in 2017 and went on to play baseball at the University of Tampa.

Though just outside of The Laker/Lutz News’ coverage area in Pasco, Fivay High School/University of Mississippi product Gunnar Hoglund signed with the Blue Jays for $3.25 million, after being picked in the first round at 19th overall.

The signing bonus fell slightly below the recommended slot value of $3.36 million.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander from Hudson was viewed as among the draft’s most polished arms, but slipped slightly after having Tommy John elbow surgery in May, meaning the 21-year-old likely will be out of action through at least summer 2022. compete in Olympics-style events such as shot put and the 50-meter dash, as well as other games including darts and bag toss.

Local winners qualify to compete at the Florida Senior Games in Fort Lauderdale, in May 2022.

Registration for the competitions is open through Sept. 24.

Those competing must pay a fee. It is $25 for multi-day and $15 for one-day events.

The competition schedule and registration information can be found on the Active Life Games page, tinyurl.com/2etbvj28.

For other information, email Recreation_Admin@HCFLGov.net.

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August 11, 2021

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B

AU G U S T 1 1 , 2 0 2 1

This 105-year-old enjoys life’s simple pleasures

By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

R

egina Petrone will be the first to admit that she’s not as agile as she used to be.

After all, at 105, who is?

But the Land O’ Lakes woman still lives on her own, drives herself to the bank and grocery store, and makes scarves and hats for the homeless.

Recently, she celebrated her 105th birthday, at a party hosted by her son, Pete, who lives just minutes away.

“The party at Pete’s house was such a wonderful feeling,” Regina said.

It was a nice Italian meal, complete with special cupcakes.

“They had 105 balloons all over the floor.

They had balloons all over the ceiling,” Regina said.

Pete chimed in: “We had a big sign outside.”

That celebration, though, was small, compared to the party for Regina’s 100th birthday.

A limousine picked her up at her house to drive her to the party at Grace Family Church, in Lutz.

“That was the best party ever, ever,” Regina said.“I just had the feeling of peace and contentment.

“Everybody was happy.We had like 60, 70 people,” Regina said.

Pete interjected:“Try like 120.”

“All of my family were there. Nieces and nephews,” Regina said.

Friends came in from New York, too, Pete said.

But those were just two of the special birthday parties Regina has enjoyed through the years.

There was another one, in particular, that played a pivotal role in her life.

That was the party when she had her first date, with her future husband — John Anthony Petrone, whom she’d met a few months before.

“I worked in the library. He worked in A & P (grocery store), which was around the corner from the library,” she said.

“I used to go in there every day to buy some greens because that’s what my mother wanted. She made soup every night.

“I would go at lunchtime.

“That’s where I met him.

“I paid no attention to him.After a while, he started asking me out.

“I said,‘No, no, no.

“That went from February to July,” Regina said.

“He told me he was having a birthday party. I said,‘OK.’ “My mother said,‘Go, have fun.’

“So, I went to the birthday party, which was in Hicksville, and I met his family, who were terrific.

“They treated me so good — like a sister — right away,” said Regina, who grew up in Glen Cove.

John grew up in Hicksville, where he lived with his brothers and his sisters.They lived on their own because their parents had died.

Regina and John married in October, with the expectation that John’s military service would end in January. Instead, World War II broke out and John was assigned to help protect the Panama Canal Zone, where he served until the end of the war.

CREATING A HOME LIFE IN HICKSVILLE After John returned, the couple settled in John’s hometown.That’s where they raised their five boys: Chuck,Anthony, Pete, Bill and Timothy (who died in his 40s from a car accident).

John sold insurance and Regina ran the house — making meals from scratch, and canning fruits and vegetables from the family’s half-acre garden.

The days started early, Regina said.

“I’ve been getting up at 5 o’clock in the morning ever since the kids were small,” she said.

It took a couple of hours each morning to make the boys breakfast and get them ready for school, she said.

Though they grew up in a close-knit family, the boys are scattered now.

B.C. MANION

Regina Petrone models one of the hats she’s made to help others. So far, she’s completed about 300 hats and scarves, and she continues to make more. While her primary focus was on family life, over the years she has volunteered her time and talents in a number of capacities.

At 105, she’s still going strong Regina Petrone • Born July 3, 1916, in West Hampton on Long Island • Married to John Anthony Petrone, on Oct. 19, 1941 (She’d been married to John for 45 years, when he died on Nov. 22, 1986) • The couple had five sons: Chuck (Dallas, Georgia); Anthony (Anchorage, Alaska); Pete (Land O’ Lakes); Bill (New London, Connecticut); Timothy (deceased) • Regina has seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren

Pete lives minutes away from Regina.

Chuck lives in Dallas, Georgia; Anthony, in Anchorage,Alaska; and, Bill, in New London, Connecticut.

Regina talks frequently with her sons and other family members on the phone.

She also stays in regular contact with two dear friends — Debbi Lizza and Joanne Berger — who keep her posted on what’s happening in Hicksville.

“We write each other every week. Every once in a while, we call. But we’re old-fashioned, we like to write. They’re always sending me little goodies,” she said.

Regina moved to Florida in 2004, after living in Pennsylvania for four years.

Her sons wanted her to move closer to family, so she did.

She and her boys have rich memories of the life they had in Hicksville.

“They were wonderful kids. I have wonderful boys. None of them give me any problems,” Regina said.

The family garden was a source of food for the family, and a way to make money, too.

“You name it.We had it,” Pete said.

“From radishes to pumpkins. Broccoli.

Cabbage,” Regina said.

“Potatoes. Strawberries. Asparagus,” Pete added.

“All kinds of berries,” Regina continued.

“Apples. Pears. Peaches.”

And, corn and cucumbers, too.

Pete’s brothers share those vivid recollections of the family garden.

“We had just about everything you can think of — any kind of vegetable,” Chuck said.“We canned our own food.We made our own jellies and jams.

“We had a root cellar where we kept our potatoes and onions and carrots,” Chuck said.

The family raised chickens and sold eggs, too.

“The kids sold the vegetables that were left over, in a little farm stand.That was their allowance — from what they sold, the eggs and the vegetables,” Regina said.

Besides picking vegetables, the boys did

IT DOESN’T MAAT ATTER

COURTESY OF DEBBI PETRONE COSME

John and Regina Petrone had five sons, whom they raised in Hicksville, on Long Island in New York. Shown here, from left to right (front row), are: Bill, Pete, Regina (mom), Anthony and Timothy; and (back row), Chuck and John (dad).

She’s a woman with definite preferences Favorite foods: “American food. I like ordinary steak and potatoes. Pork chops. Hamburger.

American food. Soup.”

Dessert: “I do like lemon meringue pie. And I do like a nice, delicious — it has to be delicious — chocolate cake. It has to be delicious. It can’t be run-of-the-mill.”

Movies: “Movies? I didn’t have a favorite. We didn’t go to movies too much. I was not a movie-goer.”

Music: “My favorite singer was Nat King Cole. I loved him. After him, was Dean Martin. I loved him. Of course, Perry Como.”

Card games: “My favorite is pinochle, but nobody plays pinochle.”

other chores.

“In high school, we all started cutting firewood. We worked really hard doing that.

That’s how we made our money in high school,”Anthony said.

Work was such a regular part of their life — they didn’t see it so much as work but as part of their daily routine, Bill said.

Chuck noted:“All of us, when we started working — whatever job we did, delivering newspapers, peddling vegetables around the neighborhood — we had to give at least 10% to our mother for what she called ‘room and board.’ And then, when we became 18, she gave us all that money.And more.”

Family rules were crystal clear, Anthony said.

“It was a very disciplined household.

Dinner was every day at 5 o’clock,” he said.

And, when the church bells rang at 7 o’clock, it was time to be home.

But there was more to life than hard work, rules and responsibilities, the boys said.

THEY ALSO KNEW HOW TO HAVE FUN “We would go to the beach almost every day for an hour or two,” Chuck said.

Of course, Chuck added:“If we didn’t do what we were supposed to do, we didn’t go to the beach that day.”

Bill remembers the lively family gatherings.

“We’d have these big barbecues in our backyard. You’re having like 50 people or more — 25 kids running around the place.

“My mother cooked all of the food,” he said.

Her pies, he added, were legendary:“Her pies are still talked about today.”

The family had lots of pets, too.

“We had rabbits at one time,” Regina said.

“I had one snake in the house. And, I hate snakes. But one of my boys liked snakes and it got loose.”

There were dogs, too.

“My husband was a hunter,” Regina said, so they had golden retrievers, English Springers and all kinds of other dogs.

Regina had a turtle.

It was one of those turtles people used to buy for a quarter, she said.

Regina’s turtle lived for more than 50 years, moving freely about the house, just like a member of the family.

She called him Turtle.

“I was not imaginative,” she said, with a laugh.

Anthony added: “We had a big black cat called Mother Cat because she got pregnant every three months.”

The family sat together in front of the TV, to take in football and baseball games.

“I was an avid baseball and football fan, when my husband was alive and my children were all together,” Regina said. Her favorite teams were the Mets, the Jets and the Brooklyn Dodgers — before the Dodgers moved away.

Over the years, Regina said, she’s always enjoyed a good laugh.

She remembers Chuck coming home after school, with a joke for her he’d picked up that day.

“I always looked forward to them,” Regina said.

Now, he sends her five pages to six pages of jokes every month, that he finds by scouring the internet.

Throughout Regina’s life, most of her focus has been on the family. But she also has been active in charitable pursuits. She volunteered at a soup kitchen, and at a rock and butterfly museum, and in literacy efforts.

She still uses her talents to help others.

“I like to crochet,” Regina said.“I’m making scarves and hats for the homeless.”

She estimates she’s made about 300 pieces, which are distributed through Grace Family Church.

She still enjoys doing puzzle books and watches a limited amount of TV. “I don’t put the TV on until 5 o’clock.

Then I look at the news for an hour, at the most — the news is terrible.Then, I Iook at Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, and some of the game shows,” she said.

She likes card games and typically plays once or twice month, when a nephew and his wife come by.

Although she still drives, she sticks to daytime hours and never goes out on main roads.

But, Pete said, she’s not stuck at home.

“We go out at least three days a week, to get her out of the house.

“Whatever she needs, she gets,” he added.

Her sons marvel at their mom’s longevity.

Regina offers a simple explanation for her lengthy life:“If it wasn’t God’s will, I wouldn’t be here.”

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May always looks her very best May was born on Feb. 22, 2019, and is part poodle and part Bichon. She likes to go on walks and lay by the pool, and her favorite toy is Mr. Pickle. May loves when her dad, Reggie, gets home from work, so she can greet him with a 100-mph wagging tail and kiss him for at least five minutes.

May enjoys celebrating the Fourth of July, and is a huge Lightning fan. She says, ‘Way to go Bolts!’ May lives in Lake Bernadette, in Zephyrhills, with her parents, Reggie and Leighanne Rose.

August is an attentive boy August is learning to trust people and is becoming a friendly little guy. This 3-yearold likes to be petted, and will curl against you and purr. He also enjoys treats.

August lives with a few other cats and seems curious about new visitors, whether feline or human. He can be a little possessive when you show attention to other cats, so a slow introduction would help to make sure everyone is happy. Make an appointment today to meet him.

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

LOCAL WILDLIFE

Honey is as sweet as her name This calm, gentle girl just wants to sprawl out on the floor or in her bed and relax.

She walks beautifully on a leash and is just an easy dog to have around. Honey loves all people and will lean against you or give kisses. Although she weighs about 65 pounds, she thinks she's a lap dog. She is excellent with children, but would do best in a home without other pets. At about 9 years old, Honey is a senior and has a few health concerns that come with age; Animal Services staff can discuss these with you. Just one look into Honey's eyes and you'll fall in love.

Make an appointment today to meet her.

SITTING PRETTY

Darlene Raudabaugh snapped this silhouetted hummingbird through her front door window, in Carpenter’s Run in Lutz.

If you would like to adopt August or Honey, 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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PET PAWS RED TIDE AND PETS Red tide, or Karenia brevis (K. brevis), is a microscopic algae. It produces brevetoxins (neurogenic toxins) that can affect the central nervous systems of fish and other vertebrates, causing death.

As red tide blooms spread across the beaches, killing off fish and sickening birds, Dr. Erick Mears, medical director of BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital in Tampa, provided answers pet owner questions, in a news release: • During or after red tide, do not allow pets to play with dead fish or foam that may accumulate on the beach. If ingested, the K. brevis in the dead fish or foam can cause neurological, gastrointestinal, or respiratory damage resulting in seizures, vomiting and diarrhea, and/or coughing and wheezing.

• If pets get in the water with red tide, they should be washed immediately upon returning to land due to the likelihood of them cleaning themselves and ingesting the toxin. Waves and the foam which accumulates at the shorelines contain higher toxin concentration than the water itself.

• Do not expose geriatric pets with underlying respiratory diseases, such as tracheal collapse, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis, to areas around red tide. If you live close to

the beach or plan on visiting a beach during a bloom, consider keeping pets indoors to prevent respiratory irritation.

While it is best to keep pets away and off the beach during a red tide bloom, if you decide to take your pet along, Dr. Mears suggests wiping down your pet thoroughly after any exposure and consistently check for symptoms, and skin and eye irritation.

Visit MyFWC.com and click on the Red Tide Daily Sample Map for information on the occurrence of red tide blooms, before heading out to a beach.

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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.

Russell Adams Realty, Inc. 2502 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

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LAND O LAKES Completely renovated 4 bed/3 bath with view of beautiful East Lake in Land O Lakes! NEW, NEW, NEW Roof, Well, AC, Hardy Board, SS appliances, and marble counter tops. This unique layout has a master suite and bathroom downstairs with a second master suite upstairs. You still have 2 bedrooms and a bath to accommodate guests who come to visit. Plenty of space on 1.54 acres. Light and airy open spaces. Huge 14x47 Screened porch. Room to park your Boat and RV and other recreational toys! Additional adjoining parcel of .29 Acres also available. Call Cody Adams at 813-909-0712

PICTURESQUE WATERFRONT LOT Come build your dream home in the heart of Land O' Lakes! Beautiful High and dry lot on a canal. Canal connects to Green Lake. Ready for the Boat and Friends! Make watersports your passion and life style with skiing and fishing out your back door! Call Cody Adams at 813-909-0712

WILDLY POPULAR Promenade at Lake Park, the HIGHLY desired and Gated community located in Lutz has NO CDD! This 2600 Sq Ft home with 4 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, and 3 Car Garage features a gourmetinspired kitchen and large island which overlooks the great room. The Owner’s Retreat boasts Tray Ceilings, Dual Sinks, MASSIVE Shower with Sitting Bench and Three Shower Heads, and a Gorgeous Freestanding Tub. The abundance of large windows allows for beautiful light-filled spaces throughout the home. The Laundry Room features Upper and Lower Cabinets and Built-In Sink. Third garage is separate from the two car and has is own entrance near 2nd & 3rd bedroom. Situated in the Lutz area, The Promenade at Lake Park offers homeowners more than just a luxurious home. It offers the perfect location, elegant gated entry and being surrounded by everything you need and more. The convenience of nearby schools, parks and shopping.

Direct access to key thoroughfares and the Veteran’s Expressway. Plus, all the nearby shopping and restaurants of an active, upscale lifestyle. Call Cody Adams at 813-909-0712

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NO DEED RESTRICTIONS! Call Cody at 813-909-0712 HUDSON Vacant building lot located in a community.

Private boat ramp for residence. Canal goes directly to the Gulf of Mexico through Sea Pines Channel. No bridges. Near the New Sunwest Park. Call Ava Rossler at 727-992-4974.

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HOMES SOLD FAST! Find us on facebook www.facebook.com/lakerlutznews

AVERAGE CLASSROOM COURSE EDUCATION EXAM FAIL GOALS GRADES

GRADUATE HOMEWORK KNOWLEDGE LEARNING MEMORIZE PASS PROFESSOR QUIZ

RANKING REMEMBER REPORT RETAIN SCHOOL SUPPLIES SYLLABUS TRAJECTORY

SEE SOLUTIONS, PAGE 9B

The LAKER / Lutz NEWS WORD SEARCH & SUDOKU

To solve a SUDOKU, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

www.LakerLutzNews.com

August 11, 2021

3B

Health

&

Wellness Send health news to news@lakerlutznews.com

GUARDIAN AD LITEM

The child advocacy program Guardian ad Litem will host information sessions at the New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, on the third Wednesday of each month.The next meeting is on Aug. 18 at 1:30 p.m.

Anyone interested in becoming a voice for children can attend.

For information, contact Larnelle Scott at larnelle.scott@gal.fl.gov or 727-834-3493, ext. 3768, or visit HeroToAChild.org.

CONVERSE WITH A NURSE

The Alliance for Healthy Communities will host a virtual “Converse with a Nurse” series, for moms and moms-to-be.

These upcoming events will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.: • Aug. 18: “Breastfeeding,” by Sarah Forestal, Florida Department of Health • Aug. 25: “Mom Self-Care,” by Terri Thompson, Florida Department of Health After each presentation, there will be a Q&A session.

To register, please visit EmpoweredCommunities.org/event/.

RECOVERY WALK

The ASAP (Alliance for Substance Addiction Prevention) Recovery Committee will host a Stronger Together Recovery Walk on Aug. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon, at Sims Park in New Port Richey.

There will be T-shirts, vendors, speakers and prizes.Admission is free.

Applications for vendor tables are now available.

For general information, email asap@empoweredcommunities.org.

For vendor information, please email missy.coyle@baycare.org.

EYESIGHT PROGRAM

The Zephyrhills Lions Club, 5827 Dean Dairy Road, hosts its monthly Eyesight Program on the first Thursday of every month from 9 a.m. to noon, for any age.The next program is scheduled for Sept. 2.

Participants should bring a government ID, social security card, bills, proof of income, proof of government assistance and insurance information.

For details, call 813-395-5996.

COURTESY OF ADVENTHEALTH WEST FLORIDA DIVISION

Buccaneer visit helps to lift spirits Tampa Bay Buccaneer Joe Jones surprised several AdventHealth Tampa patients and team members during a recent virtual visit.

Jones is one of the newest linebackers for the Super Bowl Championship team and was eager to connect with the community. Ahead of training camp, Jones offered well wishes, and gave out some high-fives and a few thumbs-up. AdventHealth is the exclusive hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

FIRST RESPONDER WORKSHOP

The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will work together to provide first responders with behavioral health and suicide awareness, as part of NAMI’s wellness initiative.

A free virtual workshop is scheduled for Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., “Saving Those Who Save Others,” is designed for active and retired firefighters, EMS, chaplains and dispatchers.

The course is an in-depth behavioral health and suicide prevention/awareness class designed to edcuate attendees on warning signs/symptoms, communications, and emotional and physical behaviors.

There will be a group discussion, and a Q&A session.

The workshop is not intended for mental health professionals, doctors, or the news media.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/uhwwraaw.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT LINE

Tampa Bay Thrives has launched a free, confidential behavioral health support line in Hillsborough County.

The “Let’s Talk” call-in service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and connects callers with counselors, mental health services, and offers referrals to local providers.

Tampa Bay Thrives is an organization that brings together a coalition of Tampa Bay area hospitals, law enforcement agencies, local governments and community leaders.

Fetch a Few Fr iend ds and Join Us!

The new service was crafted “to complement existing resources and build upon the great work already happening in our community,” said Carrie Zeisse, president and CEO of Tampa Bay Thrives.

“The pandemic has exacerbated the need to address mental health in the Tampa Bay region, and this project will help connect individuals who require additional support,” said Zeisse.

The service is available for Hillsborough County residents and is set to expand across the region in coming months.

To access Let’s Talk, call 1-833-342-5111, or visit LetsTalkTampaBay.org.

DONATIONS NEEDED

The Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger is seeking donations and local volunteers for its Meals on Wheels for Kids program.

The program’s mission is to provide nutritious home-delivered, shelf-stable meal ingredients, produce and prepared meals to transportation-disadvantaged and/or homebound children and their families who lack adequate access to food distribution locations throughout the community.

Meals on Wheels for Kids provides a weekly delivery of meals and shelf-stable groceries, as resources allow.

All donations go to providing these deliveries to children enrolled in the program.

Donations will be accepted via, NetworkToEndHunger.org/mow4k/, or by calling 813-344-5837. If no one answers, please leave a message and someone will return your call within 24 hours.

HOMEBOUND VACCINES

The Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) has launched “We Will Meet You at Home,” to ensure that every older adult who wants a vaccine will receive one, according to a news release.

The initiative builds upon other programs throughout the state to provide homebound seniors access to COVID-19 vaccinations.

While many of Florida’s older residents have received a COVID-19 vaccination, not every senior is able to leave their home.

In these cases, the Florida DOEA and the state’s 11 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) are offering seniors access to transportation to go and receive a vaccine. Elders also have the option of having a health care worker bring the vaccine to their front door.

DOEA’s statewide initiative is distributing over 175,000 informational flyers to older homebound adults requesting more information about vaccines or vaccine access.

The AAAs made tens of thousands of outbound wellness calls over a two-month period to identify people requesting more resources.

The DOEA’s Area Agencies on Aging connect seniors with community providers to get a ride to a doctor’s office, a pharmacy, a grocery store, or another vaccination site.

The local AAAs also may assist in arranging a health care professional to come to the individual’s house to receive a vaccination.

If you or someone you know would like assistance with transportation in getting to a COVID-19 vaccination appointment or would like a health provider to bring a shot to your front door, call 800-963-5337.

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It’s time once again to get out your cameras and capture Pasco County’s beauty, as Gulfside Healthcare Services hosts its annual contest, to find photos to feature in its 2022 printed calendar.

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Pasco County School Board member Cynthia Armstrong is calling attention to a trend she finds worrisome relating to state funding for schools.

She made her remarks during the July 27 school board meeting, after she and her colleagues approved the tentative budget for next fiscal year.

Superintendent Kurt Browning provided an overview, highlighting some of the key points of the approximately $1.47 billion budget, which is a decrease of $53.5 million.

For instance, the budget includes $10.5 million in additional state funding, to accommodate the district’s projected growth of 2,277 students, and recurring expenses.

The operating budget, of $731.5 million, includes the allocation and operating costs for the opening of Starkey Ranch K-8 and the mid-year opening of the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation.

The budget also includes an allocation of nearly $1.6 million to continue to increase the minimum base salary for full-time classroom teachers, Browning said.

The $351 million capital budget includes the construction of the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, the construction of the 6-12 academy in the Land O’ Lakes area, and major renovations for Hudson and Gulf high schools, he added.

Olga Swinson, the district’s chief finance officer, said the district set aside $5.5 million for COVID-19 retention supplements, for employees who would not qualify under the governor’s bonus plan.

Swinson explained some of the steps necessary to balance the proposed budget.

For instance, she said,“we are moving 30 custodial units to be paid with the Department of Health grant.”

The district also plans to move 35% of the salary of its school psychologists to be covered by funding allocated for mental health needs.

The district additionally used Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief funding for the purchase of textbooks, which is allowed, but for this year only, Swinson said.

It also is transferring about $4.5 million from capital funds to the general fund to cover property insurance costs.Again, that’s for this year only, Swinson said.

Most of the new money received by the district resulted from an increase in property values, Swinson said. “The budget was built on about 6% property increase and we

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Pasco County Schools tentative 2021-2022 budget General operating budget: $731.5 million Capital budget: $351.1 million Tax millage rate: $5.810 Taxes on a $175,000 home, assuming a $25,000 homestead exemption, would go down $16.80, under the proposed budget.

actually saw a 12.4% increase,” she said.

School board member Cynthia Armstrong raised concerns about the level of state funding received by the district and steps the district was forced to take, to maintain a balanced budget.

“You can see that we did use a few nonrecurring funds to balance this budget, which is something that none of us like to do,”Armstrong said.“That just means we’re really going to have to dig in hard next year, unless the financial situation improves,” she said.

The board member continued: “I can only say, ‘Thank goodness property values went up, or we really would have been hurting.

“Because if you look at comparing this budget with last year’s, the money from the state that they give us was less than what we received last year,” she said.

The year before, the district received more money than it had the previous year — so it was on an upward trend,Armstrong said.

This year, she said, “despite what the Legislature (says) — how they spin it — when you look at the actual numbers, we actually got less from the state Legislature.

“Those are issues we need to be concerned with because, as we all know, the property values will not continue to go up at the rate that they’re going up,” she said.

She told her colleagues that she was raising the issue, as “kind of a cautionary thing.”

The district must remain fiscally strong to retain its high credit rating, so that it can borrow when necessary at the lowest cost possible,Armstrong said.

The district’s final public hearing on its budget is set for Sept. 14 at 6 p.m., in the board room at district headquarters, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

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East Pasco chambers pause merger discussions, for now

By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com

After several months of discussions regarding a potential merger between chambers of commerce in Dade City and Zephyrhills, those talks have been put on pause — for now.

“The conversation has definitely taken a back seat,” according to John Moors, executive director of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.“I can’t say that it’s shut down for good, that we don’t know, but the task force has stopped meeting currently.”

The boards for both chambers approved the formation of a task force last year to look into the logistics and possible benefits of merging the two organizations.

The task force involved about 20 stakeholders — 10 from each respective organization — representing hospitals, banks, and other small businesses and groups.

Randy Stovall, provost emeritus for Pasco-Hernando State College, chaired the task force. He’s been active with both chambers for years.

The group met about a dozen times, from October 2020 through April 2021, with groups split into a budget committee, a membership committee and a mission committee.

Its three main objectives were membership, community advocacy and economic development.

The task force generated enough progress to reach consensus on a proposed name for a merged chamber: Greater East Pasco Chamber Alliance.

But news that the merger talks have paused were announced in the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce’s August newsletter.

The newsletter indicated the Dade City chamber’s financial outlook exceeded expectations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so merging its organization with the Zephyrhills chamber wasn’t quite as pressing as originally once thought.

Melonie Monson, the CEO of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, said the task force on the whole had “put together very great reasons why a merger would be the right direction to go, and really had fleshed out the greatest perspectives from this and what advantage it would be for both communities.”

But she said various hurdles surfaced when trying to flesh out the finer details of a merger concept, she said.

Monson said “the biggest problem” re-

sulted from both chambers being content with their own current leadership, and not wanting either her or Moors to step down or take a less prominent role within a merged organization.

Monson put it like this:“We just felt like, until one of us is ready to retire, then this would be on pause. Doesn’t mean that (a merger) wasn’t the right thing to do, it’s that neither one was ready to say goodbye.”

Another sticking point, she said, came with determining locations of where a combined chamber’s main office and secondary office should be situated — Zephyrhills, Dade City, or vice versa — and how to best leverage economy of scale.

“We felt strongly there needed to be a presence in both communities of the chamber,” Monson said.

TASK FORCE SUPPORTS MERGER CONCEPT

The task force overall found a merged chamber “made sense” and could yield several benefits, Monson said.

Specifically, it suggested that a larger, combined chamber “would have a stronger voice and advocacy on the county and state level, and members would gain more of a value by expanding the geographic reach of the chamber,” Monson said.

It also suggested that merging the Dade City and Zephyrhills groups would better help navigate booming commercial and residential development in Central and East Pasco.

With that, Monson said the task force observed a merger “would really help us in the risk of losing our territory to other entities, and making a stand of, ‘This is East Pasco.’”

These were likewise important factors for leadership within the Dade City chamber, too.

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Moors detailed how the East Pasco area historically has been known as a more rural area, with less focus on business development and manufacturing.

This may not be the case for much longer, with rampant growth on the community’s doorstep.

“For the most part, there hasn’t been a lot of activity of companies moving into this particular area, but we do see that this may well change as the population increases and the density increases and the demographics change,” he said.

As East Pasco continues to grow, Moors emphasized the importance of being “in front of that wave of growth, rather than trying to catch up.”

PANDEMIC SPURRED INITIAL MERGER DISCUSSIONS

Both chamber leaders have casually discussed the possibility of combining their respective organizations for a few years now, but more serious talks didn’t begin until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020.

Ramping up those conversations was important for the Dade City chamber to prepare an action plan in a worst-case scenario, given uncertainty around the effects of the coronavirus on the area’s business and economic climate, Moors explained.

“With everything shut down, we just didn’t really know what anything was going to look like, we didn’t know what was going to happen with our membership, we didn’t know whether we were going to be able to have a Kumquat Festival, whether we were going to have any events, because at that point, everything was literally locked down. In fact, the chamber was closed for a period of time last year,” said Moors.

Since then, however, Moors said the Dade City chamber has experienced an upbeat financial outlook, with membership reportedly up 15% year-on-year, combined with a successful enough scaled-down Kumquat Festival.

Put another way, negative revenue impacts caused by COVID-19 never

materialized for the chamber, Moors said.

“So, the need to merge was not as urgent as we had feared,” he added.

Monson said the pandemic provided “a great opportunity” to form a task force to discuss the merits of a proposed merger, and garner various perspectives.

But she emphasized the Zephyrhills chamber didn’t need to enter the merger talks strictly out a concern regarding financial sustainability.

She said she was confident in her organization’s membership base and other efforts, even during the pandemic.

“You know, we’re a strong chamber no matter what, and we knew we were going to be,” she said. “We did not forecast the gloom and doom.”

Rather, joining forces with the Dade City chamber on a merger task force was more to vet the various benefits and outcomes of such an exercise, Monson acknowledged.

MERGER TALKS LIKELY NOT DONE

Monson said the merger concept — and its varied findings — will likely be revisited once she or Moors leave their current leadership posts, whenever that happens. She said the work of the task force could be revisited, once she or Moors moves on.

“I believe that we could come up with great ideas of location, I think that would be something that we would get worked out pretty easily, but the biggest thing was we were going to pause it until one or the other was ready to retire, or move on to another venture in life,” Monson said.

If a merger eventually occurs, it would be the third merger of its type among Pasco County chambers.

The North Tampa Bay Chamber is the result of combining chambers that previously represented Wesley Chapel, New Tampa,Trinity and Odessa.

The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce resulted from a merger between the West Pasco and Central Pasco chambers.

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www.LakerLutzNews.com

August 11, 2021

9B

OUR SHOPS ARE

OPEN!

VISIT VI V ISIT SInIcharm T ming, VINTAGE VINTA VI N T TA A G GE E ROW R RO OW O W d downtown San Antonio A SAN ANTONIO POTTER RY Y (352) 588-4228 • 11903 Curley Strreet www.SanAntonioPottery w. y..net

Next 6 w cla l ss b eek egins Aug. 3 1st 2021

Jack Boyle, Ar tist/Owner Handmade Potteryy,, Live Demonstrations, Events, E Lessons/Classes, Custom Orders, Great Gifts

TANGERINE HILL TA L (352) 588-1113 • 11 1855 Curley Strreeet www w..facebook.com/ttangerinehillfl

Rose Dukes, Owner Cool Salvage, Fun Rusty y Stuffff, Unique Finds, Gifts, Signs, Home & Garden Decor

GIFT ITEMS, HOME DECOR & MORE

SCHEDULE A 2 HOUR ‘JUST TRY IT’ POTTERY CLASS ON SATURD T AYS AFTER SEPT. 1

AL L’’S PIZZA SHOP (352) 588-442 588-4422 22 • 11931 Curley S Street Follow us on facebook/instagram

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For F mally Dragonfly Deesigns. esigns Same S great place, new name! n

Hand T To ossed Pizza a, Wings, Breaded Ravioli, Cheese Bread, Garlic Sticks, Calzones, S Strombolis, Salads, Beer an nd Wine by the Glass

((352) 588-2020 • 12150 Curley Street F Find us on Facebook k Childr C en's Boutique, Gifts s, Tr Treats

$6 LUNCH: 2 SLICES OF PIZZA A & A DRINK SAN ANTON NIO ANTIQUES (352) 588-200 01 • 11851 Curley Str S reeet www w..SanAnto S A onioAntiquesFlorida i A i Fl ida.com

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SALE

30% O FF!

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Y YOUR AD HERE! H Contact The Laker / Lutz News today C ssales@lakerlutznews.com 8 813-909-2800 • wwwlakerlutznews.com m

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TWO ‘OL LE HENS

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(813) 918-57 720 • 32745 State Ro oad 52 Like k us on Facebook/Instagram b k

(813) 541-9234 • 12409 Curley Strreeet Lik us on F Like Facebook b k/I k/Instagram t L

Mary ry Wa Warrffel, Owner

Laura Bloomerr,, Owner

Antiques to Shabby Chic, Vintage, Fa arm House Décorr,, Shabby Paints and Farmhouse Paint,, Collectibles, Furniture, Jams, Pickles, Baked Good ds, Rustic Stuffff and Saint Leo University Come see Merchandise. our Ge

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Handmades, General store, Great coffffee and so much more!

neral Store!

We accept most major credit cards for your convenience.

FREE COFFEE AND MUFF FINS DAILY

SPIRIT REALLTTY OF FLORIDA

Elite Retailer of Dixie Belle Paints and products, Sto ocks full line of Iron Orchid De esigns, also Zebra Brushes.

LAURA BLOOMER 813-541-9234

MONTHLY PAINTI NG AND CRAFT CLASSES

LESS THAN 30 MINUTE ES FR ROM WESLEY CHAPEL, LAND O O’ LAKES AND LUTZ

We e will be your FIRST F CHOICE, we will be your SECOND S OPINION or your LAST RES SORT Christopher Gleis, M.D. Medical Director • Ross University School of Medicine • Board Certified Anesthesiologist • Completed a fellowship in Pain Management • Specialist in Regenerative Medicine

Erica Williams, ARNP Faamily Nurrsse Practitioner RN, LPN and CPN • 2017 NP graduate of South University, Montgomery, y, AL • 26 years of nursing experience Erika Williams is providing family medical services for people of all ages, and is specifically treating patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, hearrt disease, minor cuts and falls, colds, allergies, and medication review and assessment.

Dr. Gleis employs a multimodal approach to pain management, treating his patients’ symptoms through p and interventional ppain procedures non-habit-forming medications if required, without the use of narcotics.

ALL YOUR MEDICAL NEED DS UNDER ONE ROOF! ACCEPTING NEW AND EST TABLISHED A P PA ATIENTS. FFaamily Medicine

Pain Management

Evaluations

Regenerative Medical (formerly known as stem ceell therapy)

2nd Opinions

Interventional pain management

Pre-op testing

Trigger point injections

Glucose testing

Caudal epidural steroid injections

EKG

Cervical facet joint injections

Urinalysis

Lumbar epidural steroid injections

X-rays

Lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injectionss

School Physicals

Medial branch block

Eyye exams

Radiofrequency neurotomy of the thoracic facets

Referrals

Sacroiliac joint steroid injections

THE GATEW AT WA AY A Y TEAM Drr.. Rober t Malhoit, D.C. D D ector of Chiropractic Medicine Dir • 2004 Graduate of TTeexas Chiropractic College • Advanced training in pain management and manipulation under anesthesia from the American Academy of Physical Medicine Drr.. Philli D Phillip C Coleman, l D D.C. C C Chiropractic Physician • Licensed since 2003 • Graduate of Life University • Previous owner of Coleman Family Chiropractic in Morristown, TN Dr Dr.. Carrie Coleman, D D.C., F. F.I.C.P.A. C Chiropractic Physician • Certified by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association ((ICPPAA)) • Provides specialized care for children and pregnant women • Former Enlisted/SrA for the Air Force; former natural fitness champion Betty Armengol McCurdyy,, PT T, DPT, PCSs Director of Physical Therappyy • APTTAA Board Certified specialist in pediatrics • Credentialed Clinical Instructor with 20 years of experience Tammy Fischerr,, LMT Licensed Massage Therapist/MA • Licensed Massage Therapist for 19 years • Physical Therapy Rehab Te Technician for 16 years • Experience in both hospitality and medical settings, the past 3 years at Gateway

AUGUST G S SP SPECIALS! C S

FREE CONSULT LTTA ATTION A FOR REGENERA ATTIVE MEDICINE (value $275) 10B

August 11, 2021

www.LakerLutzNews.com

SCHOOL PHYSICAL

$25..00

CASH CA ARDIAC EXAMIN NA AT TION

evaluation, chest x-ray and EKG

$175.00