• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
    • Featured Video
    • Foodie Friday
    • Monthly ReCap
  • Online E-Editions
    • This Week’s E-Editions
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
    • Reasons To Smile
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Sponsored Content
    • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits
  • Public Notices
    • Browse Notices
    • Place Notices

Neighbors branch out to help neighbor

July 5, 2011 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By B.C. Manion

When the giant limbs from a laurel oak tree crashed onto the roof of Dorothy R. Brown’s home, the Zephyrhills woman said she was petrified.

“It sounded like a bomb exploded,” the 79-year-old woman said. “I leaped up and I was looked up at the ceiling – but I knew it was the tree. I’ve lived in dread of this tree since the day I moved here.”

Dorothy R. Brown stands in front of her house after most of the debris has been cleared away. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

Brown said she has been concerned about the tree since she bought her house “sight unseen” with proceeds from an accident settlement more than 20 years ago.

She’s never had the money to have it removed, said the widow, who lives on a fixed income of just over $600 a month, with $300 of that going to her mortgage.

Just a few weeks ago, another limb broke off the tree and landed on power lines across the street.

The broken limb knocked out power for hours to houses along Palm Grove Drive and also sparked a small fire, some of Brown’s neighbors said.

At the time of that incident, Brown said she was warned that the limbs that landed on her house on June 23 were most likely to go next. She said she asked the crews responding to the previous incident if they could take down the tree, but they said they couldn’t because it’s on private property.

When the giant limbs crashed on her roof, however, the community responded to help.

Barton & Sons Tree Service removed the heavy limbs from the roof and stacked up the debris in Brown’s yard. They also applied tarps on the roof to keep water out of the house.

“We try to give back to the community,” said Robert Barton, noting the tree service company has been in business for five generations.

The tree is in bad shape, he added. “It’s been breaking for years.”

The tree service diverted from another job scheduled that morning to help Brown, said Pop Barton, now retired. “We just wanted to get this done today,” he said. “They wouldn’t let her come back here until we got the hazard off.”

Members of the Zephyrhills-Wesley Chapel Ministerial Association also pitched in to help.

The American Red Cross helped, too, putting Brown up at a Quality Inn for a few days while the debris was removed.

Brown was pleased by the community’s response.

“I think it’s wonderful,” she said.

Her friend, Shirlene Grant, was sad that Brown’s home was damaged, but pleased that so many people came out to help.

“She needed to know that people really care about her,” Grant said.

 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Sponsored Content

New Community Garden Arrives at Del Webb Bexley 

March 28, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

Exciting things are happening at Del Webb Bexley, the 55+ active adult residential community just off Sunlake Boulevard, … [Read More...] about New Community Garden Arrives at Del Webb Bexley 

TPA-Parkview-Myrtle

Imagine More at Mattamy Homes’ Area Communities

March 28, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

With every new home community, Mattamy Homes demonstrates their dedication to thoughtful details and meaningful value … [Read More...] about Imagine More at Mattamy Homes’ Area Communities

More Posts from this Category

What’s Happening

03/29/2023 – Adult Tabletop Games

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host an Adult Tabletop Game Night on March 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., for ages 18 and older. Games will include: big Jenga, life-sized connect four, dominoes, playing cards, assorted board games, and more. For information, call 727-815-7126. … [Read More...] about 03/29/2023 – Adult Tabletop Games

03/30/2023 – Watercolor painting

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host “Tween Hangout: Watercolor Painting” on March 30 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., for free after-school painting in the courtyard. For information, call 727-815-7126. … [Read More...] about 03/30/2023 – Watercolor painting

04/01/2023 – Bunny Hop Eggstravaganza

The Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway, will host a Bunny Hop Eggstravaganza on April 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be bounce houses, games, music, food trucks, and scheduled egg scrambles. The event will be at the outside football fields and basketball court. Registration is required to participate in the egg scrambles. The cost is $3 per child. Children ages 2 to 10 can register with their age division and time frame at Secure.rec1.com/FL/pasco-county-fl/catalog. For questions, call 813-929-1220. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Bunny Hop Eggstravaganza

04/01/2023 – Cacti and Things

Kessler’s Cacti and Things will host its annual Spring Plant Sale on April 1 and April 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, at Bearss Grove, 14316 Lake Magdalene Blvd., in Tampa. The event features thousands of plant varieties, and an assortment of specimen and collector’s plants. For information, email . For questions and directions, call 813-264-5614. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Cacti and Things

04/01/2023 – Dade City Art Walk

The Downtown Dade City Art Walk will take place April 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be more than 20 art locations for guests to meet the artists and shop local artwork, as well as a little Pre-Casso Exhibit for young aspiring artists. There will be an opening ceremony at 5 p.m., along with a map distribution, at Florida Cracker Lunch on Limoges. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Dade City Art Walk

04/01/2023 – Easter Bash

Hope City Church, 5513 School Road in Land O’ Lakes, will host an Easter Bash on April 1, for the whole family. Admission is free. For information, call 813-948-7555. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Easter Bash

More of What's Happening

Archives

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Copyright © 2023 Community News Publications Inc.

   
%d bloggers like this: