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Museum remembers Pearl Harbor By Michael Hinman mhinman@lakerlutznews.com
Orthopedic care that’s close. So you can go far. To help you get back to your active life, we provide services ranging from general orthopedic care and sports medicine to minimally invasive hip, knee and shoulder replacements. To find an orthopedic surgeon, call 877-DOC-5321 (362-5321) or visit BayfrontDadeCity.com.
If you go
WHAT: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day History is filled with WHEN: Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. dates schoolteachers want WHERE: Zephyrhills Museum of Military their students to remember. History, 39444 South Ave., Zephyrhills But there is one that no one COST: Free can forget — Dec. 7, 1941. INFO: Call Cliff Moffett, (352) 206-1819 That’s when Japanese forces conducted a surprise air raid on American military installations at Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor.At the going in the morning, so we time, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said keep pushing back the the date would live in infamy, and 73 years time,” said Ted Johnson, a vollater, it’s still being remembered, including unteer and vice president of Dec. 7 at the Zephyrhills Museum of Military the board that runs the miliHistory. tary museum. “But that Part of an annual event at the museum, doesn’t stop them.They look 39444 South Ave., a few of the remaining forward to this every year, FRED BELLET/PHOTOS Pearl Harbor survivors make the trek to and are right here, even Granville Kinsman, 93, is one of just a handful of World War II vetshare their stories, and give visitors a chance though they are pushing erans that remain in the area. That makes events like the upcomto directly touch history. See PEARL, page 7 ing Pearl Harbor remembrance in Zephyrhills so important. “It gets harder and harder for them to get
13100 Fort King Road Bayfront Health Dade City is directly or indirectly owned by a partnership that proudly includes physician owners, including certain members of the hospital’s medical staff.
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Support the Troops director Mark Van Trees inspects care packages headed for Afghanistan. They contain basic items like coffee and toothpaste, which are precious cargo for troops stationed overseas.
Support the Troops remembers those serving overseas By Michael Murillo mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
Mark Van Trees received the Champion of Service Award presented by Gov. Rick Scott on Nov. 12 for his work with Support the Troops.And it would be a good story — except Van Trees doesn’t like talking about it. “It’s certainly not deserved,” the Wesley Chapel organization’s director said. Instead, Van Trees prefers to talk about the dozens of volunteers who stock, store and pack the steady stream of care packages that get shipped to military personnel overseas. He believes they’re the ones who
deserve to be honored. He also likes talking about Bob Williams, the founder of Support the Troops, who worked tirelessly growing the organization until an accident in 2012 left him unable to continue the project. Williams deserves the credit,Van Trees insists, as indicated by the hundreds of certificates of appreciation addressed to him that decorate Van Trees’ office and the walls of the facility, located at 29807 State Road 54, that ships the packages.Williams now resides at Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home in Land O’ Lakes, and Van Trees is now the person who works six days a week, raising money for the seemingly
endless postage expenses associated with shipping thousands of care packages overseas every year. The recipients live on military bases that don’t have the facilities for personnel to get the basic comfort items we take for granted in the United States, he said. And while receiving the award was a proud moment,Van Trees keeps a more personal kind of recognition in a box by his desk. “Thank you so much for the gifts. They are greatly appreciated,” reads one card from a member of the military.
NOW, MORE BIG NEWS IS COMING! Dunn deal: Surprise for new homeowner By Michael Murillo
Watch for it in the December 10th edition of
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mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
Mary Maldonado stepped into a driveway in Dade City on Nov. 7 expecting to take a few photos in front of a home she was preparing to buy. She got a lot more than she bargained for. Maldonado arrived with her infant son, Leonni, and was greeted by Warrick Dunn, former NFL player and philanthropist. His charity, Homes for the Holidays, helps single parents realize their dreams of owning a home. Partnering with Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco County, who helped Maldonado through the home-buying process and set her up with an advantageous loan, Dunn welcomed her into a fully furnished home with a well-stocked kitchen. From living room furniture to a bedroom set for Leonni, the home was move-in ready. She signed the ownership paperwork, received her keys, and accepted a ceremonial check for $5,000, which went toward her mortgage, courtesy of Homes for the Holidays. Not bad for a Friday morning.
See TROOPS, page 7
she had to put in 400 hours of volunteer work, which she scheduled around her full-time job. She also attended special classes on home maintenance and safety to prepare for ownership and help her navigate through unfamiliar challenges. The volunteer hours and classes are worth it when their customers finally see themselves as homeowners, according to Gloria Sadler, director MICHAEL MURILLO/STAFF PHOTO of family services for Warrick Dunn greeted Mary Maldonado and her son, Leonni, at Habitat for Humanity. the driveway of the house she was preparing to buy. He sur“They’re humble.They prised her with a fully furnished home, a fully stocked kitchen, can’t believe it,” she said. and $5,000 of mortgage assistance. “They can’t believe that I got them to this point.” Sadler teaches the homeowner classes “Seeing the house and everything, it definitely paid off,” Maldonado said. “It’s very and walks the homebuyer through each step in the process, explaining forms and exciting.” It also was Maldonado’s hard work that helping them get their paperwork together. paid off to get to this point. As part of See DUNN, page 7 Habitat for Humanity’s homebuyer program,
WELCOME BACK PARK RESIDENTS! CHECK OUT YOUR PARK NEWS, PAGES 8-12.