The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Diane Kortus

Honoring our local graduates

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The Laker/Lutz News is once again honoring our local high school graduates by publishing their names in today’s newspaper.

Beginning on page 7A, we are recognizing more than 3,500 students from the 11 high schools in our distribution area. This is the 11th consecutive year we’ve published this edition, a popular keepsake for the families we serve.

It is an honor to acknowledge our community’s young people who have worked so hard to achieve this goal.

Graduating from high school is an accomplishment that sets our kids on a path to success as they enter adulthood, and one that is critical to their future.

We read and hear much today about how our youths are attached to their digital devices and out-of-touch with anything that does not directly involve them. But, I believe that perception is greatly exaggerated, and that today’s teens are no different in their interests, worries and aspirations than those of other generations.

Graduating from high school has always required commitment and perseverance. And, like the classes before them, the Class of 2018 consists of good kids who focused on their studies, listened to their teachers and parents, and worked hard to complete the many requirements needed for graduation. They dream, as other graduates before them — to live a fulfilling life and help make the world a better place.

High school graduation is also a testimony to parents, who kept their child focused on achieving this important goal. It was their support, encouragement and confidence in their son or daughter that kept their student going when they didn’t want to do their homework or go to school and, in some cases, had even considered dropping out.

Over the next few weeks, students will proudly walk across the stage and accept their diplomas as their parents watch from the stands. The emotional high both will experience is the culmination of 18 years of love between a parent and child, and the persistence, patience and prodding that comes with good parenting.

So, it will be with well-deserved pride that parents search the listings in our graduation section to find their child’s name. And, joining them in that search will be grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, friends, and, of course, the graduate, too.

For most members of the Class of 2018, this edition of The Laker/Lutz News will be the first time that the graduate will see his or her name in print. There is something innately exciting and very tangible about having your name printed in a newspaper that is also read by your family, friends, neighbors and people you know through church, community groups, and sports and recreational activities.

Many of you reading today’s newspaper will circle or highlight the names you recognize, and will proudly put the section aside to save with your most treasured items.

Offering public acknowledgement of each student’s achievement and providing families a keepsake of this important milestone, are among the reasons we continue our tradition of producing an annual graduation section.

The names of the graduates are listed by school, in alphabetical order, in our eight-page section. In Pasco County, graduates are from Land O’Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass and Zephyrhills high schools. In Hillsborough County, graduates are from Steinbrenner and Freedom high schools.

In your edition of the paper, will find graduate names from the two high schools closest to where you live, and also the names of valedictorians and salutatorians from these schools. In addition to graduates from our public schools, we also publish the names of graduates from three private schools in our community — Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic and Land O’ Lakes Christian high schools.

We are proud to contribute, in some small measure, to the emotional excitement that graduation brings.

We hope that one day the graduates listed in this section will pull it out to share with their children and grandchildren — so that future generations will be able to see a physical reminder of their loved one’s accomplishment, as printed proudly in their local community newspaper.

Published May 16, 2018

Learning how to ‘crisscross’ cookies with Grandma

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I am delighted that this column about love is being published on Valentine’s Day.

Let me begin by wishing you and all of your loved ones a lovely day.

When I was a young woman, I thought Valentine’s Day was just for couples. And, when there wasn’t someone special in my life, I pretty much ignored Feb. 14. I hadn’t yet figured out that romantic love is often the most tentative of all loves, and that other kinds of loves are equally worthy of recognition.

Zach, Grandma Diane and Connor take a little break from making some ‘crisscross’ cookies. (Diane Kortus)

Today, I celebrate Valentine’s Day to honor love of all kinds—my love for Vic, my family, friends, co-workers and even pets.

It’s the one day of the year that love is top of mind, and we take time to recognize those we love most with a phone call, a card and sometimes a gift.

I have loved many people in my life, but no love has been as endearing and long-lasting as the love I have for my children.

This past weekend, in fact, I celebrated my birthday by visiting my daughter, Rachel, in Tallahassee, where she is a graduate student at Florida State University.

When Andy and Rachel were born, I was surprised at the intensity of a mother’s unconditional love, and how much this love consumed most of my energy for the next 25 years.

When Andy became a father, he called me when Connor was just a few months old, marveling at how much he loved his boy, and how intense this love felt. He asked me if this was how I felt when he was born — and even seemed to doubt that I could have possibly loved him as much as he loved Connor.

That conversation made me smile, because I remember having the same talk with my dad after Andy was born. I, too, never understood the depth of a parent’s love, until I had children of my own.

My father died two years ago, and I greatly miss his love. But, I believe his unconditional love continues to flow through me to my children, and now my grandchildren.

One of my happiest memories of my father was at Connor’s baptism. Dad was so proud to witness his great grandson’s baptism, and I was even prouder to have him there to celebrate four generations of love.

When Connor’s brother Zachary was born this past June, it saddened me that I could not call my father with the good news. Zachary would have been Dad’s 10th great grandchild —a significant number, especially in our family, because my father also had 10 children.

I recently spent a week at Andy’s home outside of Louisville with his wife, Erin, and Connor and Zachary. I had forgotten how time consuming and exhausting it is to take care of a toddler and baby, and was astounded by my daughter-in-law’s energy, patience and ability to persevere with such a positive attitude.

I had it easy — mostly just playing cars and trucks with Connor, and then cuddling when it was time to settle down to read a book or play a matching game. It was wonderful to snuggle with 7-month-old Zachary, an exceptionally happy, inquisitive baby who already has a sense of humor.

I try to get to Kentucky every three or four months to visit Andy and Erin, and to enjoy my grandchildren’s amazing developmental changes. My last visit was in October, and a highlight was making chocolate chip cookies with Connor.

So, on this recent visit I wanted to continue our cookie-making tradition, and Connor and I spent an afternoon making peanut butter cookies.

Connor was so proud to learn how to crisscross the cookies before putting them in the oven. He couldn’t wait to plunk his fork into the bowl of flour before mashing a crisscross into the next cookie. Zach watched from his high chair as Connor spewed cookie dough and flour everywhere, and Patch, the family dog, happily cleaned up below.

I returned home from Kentucky on the second anniversary of my father’s death — a very sad day for me. But somehow the love for my grandchildren that was so fresh, helped me overcome my sadness.

My father would say that the world is designed so that new life and new love replace the pain of losing someone you love.

So, on this Valentine’s Day, I recognize the wisdom of my father’s words and feel truly grateful for having many people in my life to love, and for having many people who love me.

Published February 14, 2018

2017 was a good year; we expect 2018 to be even better!

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One of the pleasures of getting older is that during the holidays, I no longer fret about finding the “perfect” gift for those I love, or worry about which relative I’m obligated to spend Christmas with, or stress about hosting holiday parties.

This year, I celebrated Christmas with my daughter and Florida family over New Year’s, and will open presents in mid-January with my son’s family in Kentucky.

With family celebrations delayed a bit, I had time over Christmas to reflect on 2017 and to think about the many things I am excited about in the new year.

Since many of my achievements and aspirations involve this newspaper, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts with you.

Looking Back
The Laker/Lutz News continued to grow in circulation, content and advertising revenue in 2017. Not too many years ago, many people believed print was dead — especially newspapers. But, that certainly is not the case here at The Laker/Lutz News, as we continue to buck the downward trends reported by most daily newspapers.

This past year, we added more than 1,000 papers to our home delivery routes, bringing our weekly circulation up to 45,322. We continue to add circulation, so we can deliver to new households going up in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel.

New residents are keenly interested in their new community, and like you, look to us to keep them informed about their neighbors, things to do, government, schools, local sports, business openings, roads and growth issues.

Our newsroom expanded this past year with the addition of freelance photographers Randy Underhill and Christine Holtzman. They join longtime photographers Richard Riley and Fred Bellet as regular contributors to our papers.

Madonna Jervis Wise, a historian living in Zephyrhills, also began writing occasional columns for us, joining Doug Sanders, another local historian.

Other regular contributors are Betsy Crisp, who writes our What’s Cookin’ column and Nicole Pinson and Whitney C. Elmore, who write about gardening topics for Nature Notes.

I’m proud of our editorial team that received a total of 15 awards from the Florida Press Association and Community Papers of Florida.

This work has been accomplished by Editor B.C. Manion, staff writers Kevin Weiss and Kathy Steele, and editorial assistant Mary Rathman, as well as freelance contributors.

Matt Mistretta and Stefanie Burlingame have used their skills to present a well-designed newspaper, with outstanding content, to our readers every week.

We also earned many awards on the advertising side of our business, including Best of Show at the Awards for Excellence ceremony sponsored by Community Papers of Florida. This prestigious award recognized “Fun on 41 – Discover the Wonders,” a full-page ad that uses a hand-drawn map to illustrate shopping destinations and restaurants along U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

To stay on top of the many new businesses opening in our area, we added new sales staff in 2017 — Cheryl Michel in Land O’ Lakes and Anne Kibbe in East Pasco. Anne performed so well in Dade City and Zephyrhills that she was recently promoted to sales manager, and works closely with Cheryl and Rachel Thompson, our passionate classified sales person.

This sales team joins Terri Williamson, our longtime senior account manager who works with businesses in Wesley Chapel and Lutz.

Terri played a key role in the launch of our monthly section, There’s No Place Like Home, that’s written for folks looking to buy a new home in Pasco and north Hillsborough. Terri’s involvement with the Tampa Bay Builders Association has been instrumental in this section’s success, and is a tribute to her commitment and hard work.

Backing up Terri is team member Carolyn Bennett, whose superb organizational skills keep Terri moving forward. And, backing me up is Accounting Manager Mary Eberhard, whose financial oversight of our company keeps our cash flow maximized and my stress level minimized.

Looking Ahead
We’ve had a strong fourth quarter and expect business to continue at a brisk pace, as we enter 2018. We are well-positioned to grow along with our community, and we are excited about the New Year.

Why we printed your newspaper early

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As I write this column, it is Friday morning — two days before Irma arrives in Florida, and at least a full day before we know what kind of impact the hurricane will have on Tampa Bay.

In the aftermath of Harvey, everyone is on edge because of the stress getting ready for the storm, and the uncertainty of when and where Irma will make landfall.

In anticipation of Irma, one way we coped here at The Laker/Lutz News was to begin planning as soon as we got back from the Labor Day weekend.

Initially we decided to move up our production deadlines so we could print our papers and begin delivery on Saturday —before Irma arrived.

By Friday, that plan had changed. Irma’s arrival was moved up to Sunday, and there was no longer enough time to deliver before the storm. So, while our papers still will be printed early, we went back to our regular Tuesday and Wednesday delivery, after Irma is well out of Florida.

The other reason we chose to print our papers early was to ensure the safety of our employees. Like most of you, the people we work with are part of your family, and we care greatly about their well-being. I wanted my staff to be home with their families, and if necessary, have time to evacuate, when Irma hits.

This self-determination is one of the best things about owning or working for a small business. My team and I determine what’s best for our colleagues, customers and the business itself, and then go straight into implementation. There’s no chain of command, or lengthy review and approval process.

And, this ability makes me so appreciative of my group’s teamwork, outstanding ideas and smooth implementation. Together, we are able to develop and carry out plans that met our goals.

A weekly spin
First, it was the Lake Padgett Estate sinkhole in Land O’ Lakes. And now, it’s Hurricane Irma. Both were international news, and both happened in our backyard.

How does a small operation like The Laker/Lutz News manage to cover these big stories along with everything else we do (prep sports, city and government news, schools, business and community events)?

We almost always report on breaking news after the fact, and then do it with our unique weekly spin.

Our stories focus on how these events impact our local families and businesses. We let people know how they can get help, and also how they can help their neighbors.

There are plenty of news outlets that give you breaking news. But, only The Laker/Lutz News drills down to your community and reports how an emergency like Irma directly impacts the neighborhood where you live and your local businesses, schools and government agencies.

Even when there isn’t a sinkhole or a hurricane to cover, our goal every week is to be a trustworthy, community resource with professionally written, unbiased stories. Every story, every news brief, every photo in The Laker/Lutz News is tied directly to our readers in Pasco and north Hillsborough counties.

And, that’s why you read our newspaper — because our stories are relevant to your life, and answer questions about living in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

This week, our Hurricane Irma package aims to provide a glimpse of the impacts Irma has already had on our community and to help you recover from the damages Irma may leave in its wake. As always, our goal is to be a resource for our community.

Thank you for being our reader through good times and bad. I pray that you and your loved ones come safely through Irma. Let’s do the best we can to weather this storm and its aftermath together.

Published September 13, 2017

A good week to be a newspaper publisher

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Some weeks being the publisher of a weekly newspaper is more fun than others. And, the past week was one of them.

Let’s begin with the recognition we received at the annual meeting of the Florida Press Association. Led by editor B.C. Manion, our news department received 10 statewide awards for outstanding photography, news stories and feature writing.

These awards convey the quality of work my staff does reporting about issues, new developments and people in our community.

Awards also give our readers outside validation that our stories meet high standards, as compared to our industry peers.

Because we print a lot of papers every week — nearly 45,000 —  our entries compete in the largest circulation category of this competition. This means we are up against entries from large, corporate-owned newspapers with budgets and staffs that are much bigger than ours.

Here at The Laker/Lutz News, we have just four journalists, editor B.C. Manion, staff writers Kathy Steele and Kevin Weiss, and news assistant Mary Rathman. Working alongside our staff are freelance photographers Richard Riley and Fred Bellet, who are regular contributors to our papers.

It is significant that our small newsroom receives journalism awards every year, because it shows we consistently do good work. This year we had an especially strong showing, making us one of the best newspapers in the state. My staff is thrilled, and I couldn’t be prouder.

After the Florida Press awards, I thought things couldn’t get much better. But, they did.

At last week’s dedication of Heritage Stage at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park, The Laker/Lutz News was honored again by having our name engraved in the building’s dedication plaque.

Our part in this community project was small, especially when compared to that of the Heritage Park Foundation and its leader, Sandy Graves.

Throughout the years, The Laker/Lutz News has written many stories about the Foundation’s efforts to raise money for the stage. And, we’ve regularly reported on the group’s diligence to influence public officials to provide the money, property and construction oversight to build the stage.

Today’s story on the front of our B Section reflects on the 20 years it took for this stage to become a reality. The Laker/Lutz News has kept the community aware of the Foundation’s fundraising activities, and its ultimate success.

We were just one of many business owners and community leaders whose names are memorialized on the Heritage Stage dedication plaque. Many of us attending the ribbon cutting had an emotional high as we listened to the amazing sound of the Sunlake High School Band, and were led in the Pledge of Allegiance by students from Sanders Elementary. The stage’s acoustics were superb, and it’s exciting to finally have a place in Land O’ Lakes for people to gather for community events and concerts.

I believe there is a connection between these two recognitions. Both occurred because we want our newspaper to be a valuable resource in our community, documenting the happenings of Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

It is gratifying to receive accolades from our peers in journalism and from the communities we serve, but we recognize that the real prize comes from the satisfaction we derive from delivering stories and photographs that are important to you and your neighbors.

Published August 23, 2017

Celebrating babies and family

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My employees and I have worked together for a long time — some for as many as 15 years.

In the beginning, we shared stories about the challenges of raising children. We went on to celebrate their graduations and weddings, and have begun to rejoice, as some of us have become grandparents.

Most of us were in our 30s and 40s when we started working together and already had children, from second-graders to high school teenagers.

But, we never had a co-worker who became a parent while working for the newspaper.

Until now.

Ashley and Matt Mistretta are the proud parents of Luna Elselene. Matt is the art director of The Laker/Lutz News. (Courtesy of Ashley Mistretta)

I’m proud to report that Matt Mistretta, our art director of 10 years, and his wife, Ashley, welcomed their new daughter on March 4. Luna Elselene has the distinction of being the first Laker/Lutz News baby.

Now four months old, Luna is cuter than ever.  And, according to her parents, she is a perfect baby who is always happy and a delight to be around.

Please join me in welcoming Luna to our work community, and sending congratulations to her parents, Matt and Ashley.

Since we’re on the topic of babies, I’d like to share with you that I now have a second grandchild. Zachary Joseph was born June 28 in Louisville, Kentucky, to my son Andy Mathes and his wife, Erin.

Zachary joins his big brother Connor, who is now nearly 2 years old. Connor loves his dog Patch, dreams about bulldozers and garbage trucks, and says “grandma” with great clarity. He’s also learning to love his weeks-old brother, and not to squeeze him in a headlock, as he does Patch.

So, I guess you could say that babies are my biggest sphere of influence these days.

And that is a good thing, because babies keep you centered and remind you that the purpose of life is not our professional accomplishments, but what we do for those we love.

For most of us, those we love the greatest are members of our family — people we’re linked to through heredity and marriage, and those we include as family because of our close, trusting relationships.

The love Matt and Ashley have for Luna, and the love I have for my children and grandchildren, far surpass everything else we care about.

Connor Mathes holds his newborn brother, Zachary Joseph. The boys are the grandsons of Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News.
(Diane Kortus)

That doesn’t diminish the pride I have as owner of The Laker/Lutz News, and the positive impact this newspaper has on our readers and advertisers. Or the satisfaction I get from running a business that helps support 12 employees and their families.

I never worry that The Laker/Lutz News will not publish on time every week with relevant stories for our readers. I know our printer will get our paper back to us every Tuesday morning, so our carriers can deliver the paper to your home or pick-up location by end-of-day Wednesday.

Luna’s father, Matt, is instrumental in this process. Every week he is presented with stories and photos that he puts together in an inviting design, working around our advertisements.

Matt and I are both good at our jobs because we care about the papers, our colleagues and our readers. We work, as do all of our employees, to give you a community newspaper that you welcome into your home every week.

But, at the end of the day, Luna, Connor and Zachary are what matter most. And, I’m sure it’s the same in your family. It is a joy to wake up everyday knowing that the love we share with our family gives meaning to everything else we do.

Published July 12, 2017

10-Year milestone

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This marks the 10th consecutive year that The Laker/Lutz News has published the names of every high school graduate in our local communities.

The Class of 2017 amounts to more than 3,500 graduates in the eight high schools our community newspapers cover.

In Pasco County, these graduates are from Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass and Zephyrhills high schools. And, in Hillsborough County, our graduates are from Steinbrenner and Freedom.

Names of graduates are listed by school, in alphabetical order, in our Graduation Section beginning on page 5. You will find graduate names from the two high schools closest to where you live, and also the names of valedictorians and salutatorians from these schools.

In addition to graduates from our public schools, you also will find the names of graduates from three private schools in our community — Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School and Land O’ Lakes Christian School.

You don’t have to be a graduate, or relative of a graduate, to enjoy looking though our Grad Section. It can be fun, even rewarding, to find names of kids you know from your neighborhood, friends and acquaintances, church, community groups, sports teams and recreational activities.

And, when you find a graduate you know, honor them by sending a congratulatory text, or better yet, give them a personal call. Congratulate your graduate for accomplishing an important goal in his or her life — one that is an essential stepping stone, as they go on to achieve many more.

Graduates of the Class of 2017 have worked for years to fulfill the requirements to qualify for graduation.

And, they are why today’s paper is important.

Graduating from high school is a monumental accomplishment that will set these students on a path to success.

We applaud the Class of 2017.

Published May 17, 2017

Honoring my stepmother, Bettye

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My stepmother, Bettye, is a remarkable woman.

She was married to my father, Don Kortus, for over 36 years, until his death a little more than a year ago.

While I miss Dad every day, I would miss him even more if we didn’t still have Bettye.

A colorful bird perches on Bettye’s hand at Busch Gardens. (Diane Kortus)

I just spent a week with Bettye over the Easter holidays— the first time she visited me without my father.

To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive about Bettye’s visit because I thought we would be so sad without Dad, and would spend the week being constantly reminded of his absence.

But, that was not the case at all.

Bettye joyfully talked about Dad all the time, and always had a comment about how much he would have enjoyed, or resisted, the things we did.

Dad would have loved sitting down to Easter dinner with his Florida family, enjoyed a fabulous Parade of Homes gala at a $2 million home in Lutz, and would have been charmed by historic Dade City and our southern-style lunch at Lunch on Limoges (although he would have been clueless about the French Limoges porcelain).

And, Dad would have hated our day at Busch Gardens, strolling down Seventh Avenue in Ybor City and lounging out by the pool.

But, Bettye loved it all — even sitting in my lanai when I was at work.

It was snowing when she left St. Paul, and Bettye never tired of calling friends back home with daily weather reports from Land O’ Lakes.

We even laughed that if there was anything positive about Dad being gone, it was that Bettye and I could plan our activities without Dad’s standard objection: “We’ve already done that — why would you want to do it again?”

And truthfully, we never would have had such an action-packed week, if Dad had been here.

Which brings me back to the remarkable strength and ongoing love that Bettye extolls. At age 84, her positive outlook on life and her many memories of Dad that she warmly shares, help me to accept that Dad is really gone, and reminds me that life goes on, and I have much to be thankful for.

I am so grateful for Bettye.

I first met her when I was a college student and Dad introduced her to me as his new girlfriend. This was almost four years after my mother died from breast cancer at age 48, leaving behind 10 children, the youngest just 10 years old.

My father taught seventh-grade social studies, and Bettye’s daughter was one of his students. They met at a parent-teacher conference. Dad admired Bettye’s fortitude as a single mother, and was impressed by her commitment to her children and their education.

A few years after my mother died, Dad and Bettye reconnected at a bowling alley where they played on different leagues. They began dating, and married in 1980.

Bettye enjoys a bite to eat at Carmine’s in Ybor City.

I was 25 when they married, and had already moved to Florida. Dad and Bettye visited me every year, sometimes more than once. They were always here — at the most joyous and most difficult times of my life.

They were here for the births and christenings of my two children, Andy and Rachel. They were here for their graduations from high school and college. They helped my family make major moves from Florida to Chicago, and back to Florida again. And, they shared countless holidays and birthdays.

Dad and Bettye were also at my side during my darkest days, including a divorce after 25 years of marriage. They guided me as I rebuilt my business and encouraged me to open my heart to love again.

I always thought it was Dad who insisted he and Bettye visit every year, who made sure my children were loved as much as their grandchildren in Minnesota, and who helped me financially when I had nowhere else to turn.

I realize now that it was Bettye, as much as my father, who insisted on our close family connections through the years.

Bettye never took credit for their regular visits to Florida, or for forging the strong relationships between my children and their Minnesota grandparents.

She was the one who my father listened to, his partner for almost four decades, who quietly, behind the scenes, helped make Dad the man his children and grandchildren so admired and loved.

Today I want to honor and thank Bettye for being a marvelous mother to me, and endearing grandmother to Andy and Rachel.

She is a woman who influenced me more than I ever realized until this glorious Easter season that we shared together as mother and daughter, and as women who are working to overcome the almost unbearable loss of a husband and father.

Published April 26, 2017

The amazing attitude of my sister, Karen

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My younger sister, Karen, and I are three years apart. We typically see each other just two or three times a year, because Karen lives in my home state of Minnesota and I live in Florida — more than 1,300 miles away.

While there’s a great distance between us, Karen and I have always been close.

We share many common interests — traveling, gardening, dogs, cooking, outdoor activities, history and our faith. We have often talked of spending more time together when we retire.

Just a few years ago, we began seeing more of each other after Karen and her husband, John, starting wintering outside Thomasville, Georgia. They wanted to get away from Minnesota’s snow and cold, and they needed a warm climate where they could train their dogs to compete in AKC Retriever Hunt Tests.

Diane Kortus, left, and her sister, Karen, during a kayaking trip at a spring close to Tallahassee.
(Courtesy of Diane Kortus)

Thomasville, which is just north of Tallahassee, is a four-hour drive from my home in Land O’ Lakes — making it close enough for weekend visits.

The rest of the year, Karen is back in Minnesota.

She has a fulfilling and happy life there with John, their sons, three grandchildren and, of course, their beautiful dogs.

As we all know, though, unexpected things can happen that turn your life upside down.

In my sister’s case, that happened three years ago when she began having trouble with her vision and spatial awareness. When she was dressing, for example, she often put her tops on backwards. When she drove, she found it increasingly difficult to stay inside the proper lane and would sometimes drift onto the shoulder.

Karen assumed that a change in her vision was causing the problems.

So, she had her eyes examined and bought the best pair of lenses available.

The new glasses didn’t help, and Karen’s vision problems persisted. So, she went to another eye doctor for a second opinion.

The second optometrist told her the new glasses were right on the mark, and couldn’t explain why she was still having trouble with her sight.

Karen’s visual spatial and perception problems grew worse, and they became apparent to her husband and other family members.

In October, she saw her family physician and told her about these problems. The doctor referred Karen to a neurologist.

After a series of test to rule out everything from cancer to blood disorders, she underwent a CAT scan.

She was diagnosed in 2015 with Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA), described as a variant of Alzheimer’s and also known as Benson’s syndrome. The disease causes shrinkage of the back part of the brain, causing a decline in vision.

The disease usually affects people at an earlier age than typical Alzheimer’s cases, with initial symptoms often experienced in people in their mid-50s or early 60s.

Karen was 56 when she was diagnosed. Most cases of Alzheimer’s disease occur in people age 65 or older.

She was very surprised to learn that her vision was not the source of her problems after all.

Because her disability was getting worse, shortly after her diagnosis she gave up driving and resigned from her position as a registered nurse.

The disease is a progressive disease. Early symptoms include difficulty writing, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and problems with depth perception and navigating through space.

Additional symptoms include apraxia, a disorder of movement planning; alexia, an impaired ability to read; and, visual agnosia, an object recognition disorder.

Some studies have found that about 5 percent of all Alzheimer’s cases are diagnosed with PCA.

Like all Alzheimer’s diseases, there is no cure for PCA.

Medications are available to slow down the degeneration of the brain tissue, and studies show that such drugs can give Karen and other PCA patients 10 years or longer to live.

Instead of being distraught with her terminal diagnosis, Karen is excited about life.

She’s grateful her disease is progressive. She tells me it gives her great peace to be able to plan for the future, knowing how much longer she has to live.

Since her diagnosis, John and Karen have done many things that they had planned to do someday. But now, they do these things today.

It is the rest of the family that worries and mourns about what’s ahead for Karen and John. We marvel at how positive this couple of 33 years is about their future, and admire their attitude of “why wait — let’s do it today.”

It’s a philosophy we all should adopt —whether it’s estate planning and completing your will, buying new carpet and furniture, traveling to someplace you’ve always wanted to visit or reading Moby Dick.

It’s an attitude of living every day as if it was your last, and making sure the people you care about know how much you love them.

When I asked Karen about writing this column, she wanted to make sure I reported that PCA often goes undiagnosed for years, because many eye doctors are not aware of the disease.

Most people diagnosed with PCA first go to their optometrist because they believe they needed stronger glasses. When new glasses or contacts don’t eliminate their visual problems, they often visit other eye doctors — who often are unfamiliar with the symptoms of PCA.

If a PCA patient sees a neurologist sooner, it can be diagnosed and treated earlier, with the potential of slowing down the disease, and saving themselves and their family years of stress and anxiety.

So, next time you see your eye doctor, please ask him or her if he or she is aware of PCA, and if not, to please research the disease to understand how to respond if a patient complains about problems with driving, penmanship and spatial awareness.

Do this for yourself and those you care about.

And, do it for me, and my sister, Karen.

Published April 5, 2017

The story behind these matching Star Trek shirts

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In our family, we have a tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve.

Rachel insisted I open her gift — of matching Star Trek shirts — because she wanted us to wear them in the morning when we opened the rest of our gifts.

It was mother-daughter solidarity at its best, and symbolic of how our relationship has grown and matured.

To understand the significance of these shirts, you need a little background.

Rachel Mathes, left, and her mother, Laker/Lutz News Publisher Diane Kortus, on Christmas morning. (Diane Kortus)

When Rachel was a child, I wanted us to wear matching outfits for Christmas, Easter and other special occasions. We did when she was a toddler, but after Rachel turned 4, she would have nothing to do with my desire to wear mother-daughter dresses.

I never really gave up this quest, suggesting to Rachel until she was almost in middle school that we occasionally dress alike.

In time, my wish became family lore, and Rachel would roll her eyes whenever I pointed out how endearing it was when I saw other mothers and daughters in matching outfits.

So, when Rachel gave me the matching Star Trek T-shirts this year, it was a gift of love that only she could give.

It was Rachel’s idea that we wear our matching shirts to a movie Christmas evening. At age 24, she was no longer reluctant to publicly acknowledge that we were together, both in our love for Star Trek, and as mother and daughter.

Those of you with adult children know what I mean.

Through the teen years and into early adulthood, your child doesn’t want to spend time with you outside of family obligations, and when they do, are often embarrassed to be seen with you.

But in time, your conversations begin to change, and one day you realize you are talking to your child as an adult, even discussing topics where you can disagree without raised voices.

Rachel and I have arrived at that stage.

Our relationship has transitioned from the parent-child hierarchy, to one of a mother and her adult daughter — on a plane of mutual respect.

Our daily phone calls are an enjoyable two-way conversation, with Rachel asking me as many questions about my life, as I do about hers.

I must say, this transition feels very good. It’s climbing the top rung of parenthood — proudly watching your child become the caring, contributing, successful adult that you nurtured for so many years.

It also reminds me of when I first developed an adult relationship with my father after I moved from Minnesota to Florida, when I was 25.

I remember feeling so proud to be fully independent of my Dad, and sharing with him the excitement of moving to a new job in a new state.

As we talked about my experiences and challenges, Dad asked questions and shared stories of his youth that helped guide my decisions.

What Dad didn’t do was talk to me like a child. He didn’t lecture, tell me what to do or offer his financial help. He let me make my own decisions, learn from my mistakes, and assured me that if I worked hard and made the right moral choices, I would be OK and ultimately come out on top.

And so, now I am in this same spot with my daughter.

Isn’t it fascinating how life’s lessons evolve so naturally from one generation to the next?

I’m proud of the adult relationship that Rachel and I share. I enjoy our conversations, and value how accepting we are of each other’s goals, dreams and relationships with others.

Of all the phases that we’ve gone through as parent and child, this phase is the most fulfilling of all.

After all, it is the end game of almost 25 years of parenting.

Nothing could be more rewarding than seeing my daughter as the caring, committed and compassionate adult woman I hoped — prayed —she would grow up to become.

Published January 18, 2017