Diane Kortus

Giving thanks, not only on Thanksgiving

November 23, 2016 By Diane Kortus

Because we publish on Wednesday, and Thanksgiving is always on Thursday, this is the one week of the year that I’m guaranteed that my column lines up perfectly with what’s on the minds of readers.

And that, of course, is reflecting about what we’re most thankful for.

Like most of you, my greatest thanks is being with family to create new memories, reminisce about old times and talk about the future.

Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, poses for a photo with her daughter-in-law, Erin Mathes, her grandson, Connor and her son, Andy. (Courtesy of Diane Kortus) — Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, poses for a photo with her daughter-in-law, Erin Mathes, her grandson, Connor and her son, Andy.
(Courtesy of Diane Kortus)

My family actually celebrated Thanksgiving a few weeks back, because my niece was married in Gainesville earlier this month. After the wedding, my daughter, Rachel, and my son, Andy and his family, came to Land O’ Lakes to celebrate an early Thanksgiving dinner.

Because Andy lives in Appleton, Wisconsin, and Rachel is a graduate student in Tallahassee, distance has prevented us from celebrating Thanksgiving together in three years.

I took a few days off to cook, and even tried some new recipes. (I should have stuck with sweet potatoes and marshmallows, instead of the new healthy version I made.)

No matter the age, children love tradition, right down to green bean casserole with French’s fried onions and Publix pumpkin pie.

And, because my kids were home for several days, I also stocked my kitchen with some of their favorite childhood foods, including mint chocolate chip Klondike bars, Cinnamon Toast cereal and calorie-laden eggnog.

As young adults, my children are conscientious of their diet, and mostly eat healthy foods.

At least that’s true until they’re home with Mom.

It was amazing how quickly they found their favorite childhood foods in the pantry and freezer.

It was fun to watch Andy introduce his 1-year-old son, Connor, to his first Klondike bar. Believe me, that little guy caught on very quickly to the pleasures of mint ice cream covered in frozen chocolate.

Andy left home for college 10 years ago, and has not lived in the Tampa area since then. But, whenever he visits my home, he delights in discovering household items from his childhood he hadn’t thought of for many years — such as my retro-orange silverware organizer that has kept my spoons, forks and knives separated since before Andy was born. And, there are the holiday platters and bowls I received as wedding gifts 32 years ago, which only come out of the buffet once or twice a year.

Andy excitedly showed these “family heirlooms” to his wife, Erin, who I’m sure was grateful there was no room in their luggage to bring back any of these family treasures to Appleton.

That’s fine with me because I’m still attached to many of these items. They may be 30 years old, but there is no need to replace them.

Besides my family, I am thankful for so much more. I’m blessed to own this newspaper in an expanding local economy. I am grateful to have so many supportive advertisers and readers, and to have employees who are also my closest friends. I am also thankful for Vic Anthony, who came into my life five years ago, and for our two dogs, Buddy and Travis.

Tomorrow I will celebrate Thanksgiving with Vic’s family in Alabama — my second holiday dinner in three weeks.

Once again, I will reflect about the many blessings in my life. And it is my hope, that no matter how, where or when you celebrate the holiday that you, too, have people and memories to cherish.

Published November 23, 2016

Gratitude for two pups named Buddy and Travis

November 9, 2016 By Diane Kortus

I’m at that sweet spot in my life when my time is truly my own. My children are young adults with their own homes and families, and while we talk almost daily, I see my son and daughter just a few times a year because of distance, work and other commitments.

But, this does not mean I am alone. Instead of living with two children, I now live with two dogs — a beagle named Buddy and an Airedale terrier named Travis.

Travis, front, and Buddy lounge in their Land O’ Lakes home. (Courtesy of Diane Kortus) — Travis, front, and Buddy lounge in their Land O’ Lakes home.
(Courtesy of Diane Kortus)

Believe me, this was not how I envisioned my life after kids. In fact, I always believed after the family dogs that my children grew up with had passed on, I would live a dog-free life with no one depending on me for their daily existence.

I fantasized how luxurious it would feel to be out with friends and not worry about getting home to walk and feed the dogs. I relished the thought of sleeping late Saturday morning, without a dog’s cold nose nuzzling me to get up to feed him and let him out.

But, my fantasy was just that — a dream that fortunately was not meant to be.

My reality of a dog-free life lasted just two months after I lost Jonas a year ago. Jonas was my 10-year-old, much-loved Airedale that I had nursed through cancer treatments in the hope that he’d be with me for several more years.

But, when his cancer came back, it was just a few weeks before the tumors traveled to his brain, and I held him in my arms as he died.

If you ever lost a pet, you know how painful and empty that feels. And, you’ll understand why many people decide against getting another pet — because they don’t believe they can’t bear the pain of losing another four-legged companion.

Well, that was me.

After Jonas died, I had no plans to replace him. Instead, I wanted to give back to the Sunshine Airdalers of Florida — the rescue group that allowed me to adopt Jonas seven years earlier. I volunteered to transport dogs being surrendered, and offered to foster dogs for a week or two until their “forever” home was found.

It wasn’t long after agreeing to be a foster home that I was asked to take in Chomps, whose owner since he was a puppy was giving him up for adoption because of changes in his family.

Chomps was a handsome, 80-pound, 6-year-old who sat by my door patiently waiting for his master to return. After two days, Chomps finally refocused his attention on me, and within the week we had fallen for each other.

And, that’s how Chomps became my “foster failure.” I changed his name to Travis (could there be any worse name for a dog than Chomps?), and a year later there isn’t a sweeter, kinder, happier dog.

Except for Buddy, that is.

Two weeks before Travis found his way to my home, I had adopted Buddy, a 10-year-old beagle from the Humane Society of Tampa. I met Buddy at an adoption event and marveled at the dog’s good nature and air of confidence — despite the fact that all but one of Buddy’s teeth had been extracted because of terribly infected gums.

Between Buddy’s lack of teeth, and his very senior status, the folks at the Humane Society said Buddy had been in the shelter for several months because most people are looking for a young dog with no health issues. They said if I could open my heart and home to Buddy, there was no sweeter dog in their care that deserved a second chance.

After I was assured that a little warm water to soften his kibbles was the only special care Buddy needed, I brought him home to Land O’ Lakes. When Travis showed up a few weeks later, Buddy, with his shelter experience living with dozens of dogs, didn’t seem to mind. Within days, the two dogs settled into a mostly peaceful, co-existence routine.

I share my stories of Travis and Buddy in the hopes that it may encourage at least one reader to open their home and heart to adopting an older dog. As adorable as puppies can be, most people don’t realize how much time and work they are. Older pups, like Travis and Buddy, will be calmer, already housebroken and most likely trained to walk on a leash.

But, the biggest benefit is the unconditional love a hard-to-adopt pet will give you. My dogs show their affection and loyalty every day, and help keep my life centered and balanced.

Someday, I hope you will see the bumper sticker, “Who rescued who?” — and it will make your heart leap in gratitude, as it does mine.

Published November 9, 2016

My father loved this newspaper

September 14, 2016 By Diane Kortus

I never thought it would take this long to write a column about my father’s death. I’ve tried many times to share this news with you, but my sorrow was too raw to write more than a paragraph or two.

Donald Valentine Kortus died Jan. 26, in the home where he lived for 60 years in Maplewood, Minnesota. After deciding against treatment for late-stage cancer, he came home from the hospital on a cold winter afternoon to be cared for by his daughters, immersed in his family’s love.

My father’s death came fast, but he was good with that. He was already suffering from back pain when he fell down on Christmas Eve, while preparing for the annual Christmas Day festivities that he and his wife, Bettye, always host for their children and their families.

Don Kortus sits next to his grandson, Andy Mathes, and his great-grandson, Connor Mathes. Diane Kortus stands behind them. This is the final photograph taken of Diane and her father. (Courtesy of Diane Kortus) — Don Kortus sits next to his grandson, Andy Mathes, and his great-grandson, Connor Mathes. Diane Kortus stands behind them. This is the final photograph taken of Diane and her father.
(Courtesy of Diane Kortus)

The fall added to other pains our father kept from us, which he brushed off as normal for someone who was almost 88 years old. However, after Christmas his pain intensified and his mobility decreased, and Dad began to lose the independence he valued so much.

After his second hospitalization within two weeks, I decided to fly home on a Friday

afternoon to see Dad and help with his care. Just five days later, he was gone.

To lose a parent is always difficult. But, for me and my brothers and sisters, to lose our father was unthinkable. Our mother had died 40 years earlier when she was just 48, and our father was left to parent by himself 10 children between the ages of 10 and 24.

I sometimes wonder if our mother had not died so young, whether Dad would have become such a remarkable father — the type our cousins and friends envied, and one who became a surrogate father to so many.

In the 1960s and ’70s, he was a hardworking father who held down two jobs to support his family. He had little time to parent, outside of being the disciplinarian when our mother needed help. But, after Mom died, Dad seemed to seamlessly make the transition to becoming both mother and father.

His enduring love, patience, forgiveness, guidance, and unabated belief and support of our dreams, was the foundation that shaped the lives of his children, grandchildren and all the others whom Dad embraced as part of his family.

It’s important to know that my father’s Catholic faith was central to his life. So when his doctors told him he had no more than a few months to live, my father said with all certainty that he did not fear death and could not wait to enter the Kingdom of God.

Dad told us this on Saturday, and we brought him home on Sunday. Monday afternoon at 3 p.m., his parish priest gave him the last Sacraments, and his daughters watched him take his last breath Tuesday morning at 3:45 a.m.

Dad asked us not to mourn his death, but to celebrate his life and to pray for his entry into heaven.

But of course, we did mourn, and still do. We think about him every day — I often reach for the phone to call him with news about my children, or seek advice about the latest challenge facing this newspaper.

My, how my father loved this paper.

He read it cover-to-cover every week, and often remarked that he knew more about the happenings of Land O’ Lakes and Lutz than he did his hometown.

My father is the biggest reason why The Laker and Lutz News are such good community newspapers. Dad would often call me with comments on that week’s stories, and make suggestions on how we could make the paper even better — whether I wanted to hear that or not.

He would notice — and worry — when our ad count was down, and shake his fist in disbelief that every business in town wasn’t advertising in such a “fine newspaper that I’m sure everybody reads.”

My father was so proud that I was this newspaper’s publisher. I realize now that much of my drive and motivation came from wanting to make him proud.

One of my father’s last requests to me before he died was not to write a column about his death.

After I wrote about the birth of my grandson last summer, Dad told me that my publisher’s column had run its course. He said my readers were undoubtedly bored with my boastful stories about my children and family, and he said I needed some humility and should find other things to write about.

But today — eight months since my father left this world — I have decided to write this column after all. Because I want you to know about the good man who was my father, and of the love he had for this newspaper and me. That love will forever shape the person I am, and these newspapers that I lead.

Published September 14, 2016

Twice the love for Land O’ Lakes

September 7, 2016 By Diane Kortus

In early August, my family spent a week in a log cabin in northern Wisconsin. Two things were remarkable about this vacation — one that’s reflective about family transitions; the other that speaks to unexpected coincidences.

Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, at rear, enjoys a boat ride with her daughter, Rachel Mathes, and her grandson, Connor Mathes, on a lake in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin. (Photos courtesy of Diane Kortus) — Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, at rear, enjoys a boat ride with her daughter, Rachel Mathes, and her grandson, Connor Mathes, on a lake in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin.
(Photos courtesy of Diane Kortus)

This was the first time my adult children and I spent time together that was not centered on a major occasion — graduation, wedding, birth, Baptism or sadly, a funeral. We looked forward to being together without the hoopla of a special event, and reconnecting with no agenda to follow or emotional ups and downs.

This gathering included my son, Andy, my daughter-in-law, Erin, my 1-year-old grandson, Connor, my daughter, Rachel, my longtime boyfriend Vic, and our family dogs Buddy, Travis and Patch.

It was a glorious week on Lac Vieux Desert, a beautiful 4,200-acre lake whose southern shore is in Wisconsin, and northern banks in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The lake, famous for giant muskies and a proliferation of bald eagles, was perfect for idly exploring with a pontoon boat powered by a 50 horsepower Mercury.

With Andy’s family living in Appleton, Wisconsin, and Rachel attending graduate school in Tallahassee, it is only once or twice a year that we’re all together under the same roof. So, in addition to getting away from the office and Florida’s miserable August heat, I looked forward to observing the evolution of my children’s adult relationships.

One-year-old Connor Mathes and his dad, Andy Mathes, enjoy some time out on the water.

Those of you who have raised children know what I’m talking about — kids do not automatically leave behind their childhood conflicts and competition for their mother’s attention when they turn 18. Their childhood dynamics continue until the seeds of maturity take firm root in adult responsibilities.

In my family’s case, my kids are four years apart, which meant Andy grew up with a little sister who was always in the way, and Rachel grew up with a big brother who was forever picking on her.

Now that they’re 28 and 24, they’re finally settling into a sibling relationship of mutual respect, patience and support. Sure, they still pick on each other, and at times leverage to be Mom’s favorite, but overall I was proud to observe their relationship evolving into one of adult sibling love.

Another Land O’ Lakes

When I began my search for a log cabin, I looked in areas within three hours of my son’s home in Appleton. This led me to the Eagle River resort area, and ultimately the cabin we found 20 miles north on Lac Vieux Desert.

When I booked the cabin in May, I did not pay attention to the surrounding communities. But, as our week in August got closer and I began looking for things, I discovered that the closest town to our cabin was Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin.

That coincidence stopped me in my tracks. Land O’ Lakes is my home here in Pasco County. Of course I knew about the Land O’ Lakes butter made in Minnesota, but had no idea there was another unincorporated town in the U.S., also named Land O’ Lakes.

The chamber of commerce for Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin, is housed in a charming log building.

Except for an abundance of lakes in both communities, the name is about the only thing the two Land O’ Lakes have in common.

According to Wikipedia, the Wisconsin town has just 861 residents, compared to 31,145 here. The town’s geographic size in Wisconsin is huge, at 95 square miles. Here in Pasco, Land O’ Lakes encompasses just 18 square miles. Of course, the weather is dramatically different, and we’re much younger, more affluent and better educated here in the Land O’ Lakes where I live.

While I marveled at the coincidence, when I told people I met in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin, that I lived in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, they smiled politely, but were not overly impressed or even surprised. So I gathered that over the years, a lot of us local Lakers have made the trek to our sister city in the north woods.

And, that reminds me of another difference between our two towns. Here, we call ourselves Lakers, which is where this newspaper took its name when it was founded in 1981. In Wisconsin, Land O’ Lakes residents call themselves Landos.

But, we both use the acronym LOL when writing about our town, which for residents of both communities, will never mean “lots of laughs,” despite what everyone else in the world of text believes.

Published September 7, 2016

Reader complaints come with a silver lining

July 27, 2016 By Diane Kortus

A few weeks back I announced some changes to our home delivery to better match up our readers’ addresses with the edition of our papers that they receive.

At the same time, I also welcomed new readers in communities we were adding, including Long Lake Ranch in Lutz and Estancia in Wesley Chapel.

My staff and I spent weeks preparing for these changes. We also were mindful of how they would affect the zip code penetration that our national advertisers want to reach with their advertising circulars.

Well, it’s been four weeks since we implemented our changes, and I wish I could tell you it was smooth sailing. Sadly, it was not.

We received many, many calls and complaints from readers who did not receive the correct edition (we have four — Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and East Pasco); did not get their paper delivered by Wednesday; or, who simply did not get their paper at all.

Which is why I am writing this column— to apologize to our readers who have had problems with their home delivery, and to ask your patience as we continue to resolve these issues.

We are very sorry this happened, and are hopeful that this week’s delivery is going much more smoothly. Please accept our apologies for the confusion and delays.

While these distribution problems have been painful, there is a silver lining. If our implementation had gone as planned, we would not have heard from so many readers, who told us how much they look forward to reading our paper, and how upset they were that their paper did not arrive as usual.

Almost every call we’ve received in recent weeks came from people like this. And, as we heard again and again from callers how much they like The Laker or Lutz News, it warmed our hearts and made us feel needed and appreciated.

Understand, the calls we usually get about delivery come from people who do not want the paper. While most are polite, many are surprisingly angry, even foul-mouthed, and insistent we have no right to deliver “our trash” to their home.

Well, we do, thanks to the First Amendment. But we don’t tell them that, or suggest they may enjoy our stories about their neighbors and community. Instead, we politely ask for their address, and add it to our opt-out list.

As a free newspaper, we maintain an opt-out list of addresses from residents who do not want our paper — the opposite of a paid newspaper’s paid-subscriber list.

And, here’s what’s amazing about our opt-out list. Out of a total weekly circulation of 44,800, only 1,295 addresses are on our opt-out list — less than 3 percent of our distribution.

We already knew from our annual audit that most residents in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City read The Laker or Lutz News every week. Our readership score is 81 percent — which makes us one of the best-read newspapers in the country.

But, hearing directly from readers that we are wanted, and we are missed if their newspaper doesn’t arrive, energizes us to continue our mission to produce a quality community newspaper every week, with stories that matter.

Published July 27, 2016

If you’re getting a different edition today, here’s why

June 29, 2016 By Diane Kortus

With today’s edition, we’re realigning the distribution of our papers to better match up with the community where you live. The changes primarily affect two areas:

If you have a Lutz address and live in Pasco County, beginning today you will receive The Lutz News instead of The Land O’ Lakes/Lutz edition of The Laker. These families live north of County Line Road and south of State Road 54. At the same time, our 45 business locations and boxes on the south side of State Road 54 in Pasco County now will be stocked with The Lutz News.
If you have a Land O’ Lakes address and have been receiving the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa edition of The Laker, beginning today you will receive the Land O’ Lakes edition of The Laker. These families live north of State Road 54 along Wesley Chapel Boulevard in the subdivisions of Stagecoach Village, The Enclave and Cypress Estates.

People who live in Grand Oaks, who also have a Land O’ Lakes address, will continue to receive our Wesley Chapel edition because of their close proximity to the Interstate 75/Wesley Chapel community.

We view these changes as course corrections to our distribution, which will allow us to publish, more precisely, news stories pertinent to where you live. This means readers living south of State Road 54 now will receive more news about their hometown of Lutz, and readers living north of State Road 54 will receive more news about their hometown of Land O’ Lakes.

Welcome New Readers

In addition to adjusting these boundaries, this week we’re also welcoming several new areas to our home delivery.

In Wesley Chapel, we now deliver to families living in Estancia and and in the Silver Leaf area of Seven Oaks. In Lutz, we are welcoming families in Long Lake Ranch.

In Land O’ Lakes, we have increased home delivery in Ballantrae, have added The Woodlands and also have added two subdivisions in Connerton — Taylor Morrison’s Gardenia Glenn and Homes by WestBay.

Our new home delivery totals 1,000 households — an astounding, one-week increase in circulation, especially when contrasted to daily newspapers that regularly report double-digit circulation losses.

Adding in our East Pasco circulation, The Laker/Lutz News is now delivered to 44,800 homes and businesses. Surprising to many, 86 percent of our newspapers are delivered directly to single-family homes in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel.

Advertisers and readers both want home delivery — the more we have, the better we can serve our community with news, human interest stories and information you don’t find anywhere else.

My staff never worries if we’re going to be around in five, 10 or 25 years. We know we will be, because you confirm it every week with your loyal readership.

In our market area, eight out of 10 households read The Laker/Lutz News every week. According to research conducted by the company that audits our circulation, it doesn’t get much better than 81 percent household penetration in a suburban area like ours.

We’re told that we’re one of the best-read community newspapers in North America. Your loyal readership makes that so.

It is also the reason why we have advertisers whose revenue pays for the expenses of printing and delivering a 24-page, free newspaper to your home 52 times a year. Our advertisers understand that no other advertising medium connects them to you better, or more cost effectively, than The Laker/Lutz News.

So thank you for caring about what’s going on in your community, for sharing our stories with others, and most of all, for your loyal readership and appreciation of our work.

You are the reason why we have the resources to grow our circulation to reach new residents who are making our community their home.

Published June 29, 2016

Tiny dog’s barking saves family from fire

June 15, 2016 By Diane Kortus

Peanut, a tiny black Chihuahua, saved the lives of three generations of a Lutz family on June 3, when his insistent barking awakened family members at 3 a.m., alerting them to a fire in the rear of their home.

Fire ravaged the DeRolf’s family home in Lutz. Persistent barking by the family’s dog, Peanut, alerted the family to the fire. Peanut perished from smoke inhalation. (Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photo) — Fire ravaged the DeRolf’s family home in Lutz. Persistent barking by the family’s dog, Peanut, alerted the family to the fire. Peanut perished from smoke inhalation.
(Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photo)

Peanut’s barking from her crate awakened Jeff DeRolf and his 26-year-old daughter, Maria, who together started down the stairs to see why the dog was barking.

“When I was about halfway down the stairs, I heard my mother scream at the top of her lungs,” said Maria. “Our French doors leading to our back patio were engulfed in flames.”

Those screams woke up the rest of the family — Maria’s 22-year-old brother, Jeff, her 7-year-old daughter, Michelle, and a friend of Jeff’s who was spending the night. They all were able to get to the front of the house and get out safely.

Sadly, Peanut did not survive.

“My dad and brother started back into the house to get Peanut, but by then the smoke was thick and was pouring out of the house,” Maria said. “My brother actually had to hold my dad back to stop him from going back in.”

Peanut, just 6 pounds and still a puppy at a year-and-a-half, was technically her daughter’s dog, Maria said. “But, everyone loved Peanut. Her barking saved all of our lives — she is our hero.”

Seven-year-old Michelle DeRolf holds Peanut. (Photos courtesy of the DeRolf family) — Seven-year-old Michelle DeRolf holds Peanut.
(Photos courtesy of the DeRolf family)

The family escaped from the house with just the clothes on their backs.

“We were able to retrieve my grandfather’s ashes and a few pieces of clothing, but that was all,” Maria said.

That means everything else was gone — every treasure that a family of five has amassed after 30 years of living in one place.

Jeff and Carmen DeRolf moved into their two-story home at 17838 Morninghigh Drive in the Barrington subdivision before they had their children.

“This is the house that we lived in for our whole lives. It’s where we took our first steps, as well as the next generation’s,” said Maria.

A Go Fund Me Account under the DeRolf name has been established for the family to help with expenses not covered by insurance. As of June 13, more than $4,700 had been raised.

“The amount of love and support coming our way is amazing. Thank you to everyone who has donated. Whether it be money or physical items, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” Maria said.

The DeRolf family wants people to know the house had working smoke detectors.

The DeRolf family has lived in Lutz for over 30 years. Front row: Margarita Ruiz and Michelle DeRolf. Other members of the DeRolf family, in the back row, from left, are son Jeff Jr., mother Carmen, daughter Mariah, father Jeff and daughter Maria.

“The fire started in the back of the house and the smoke detectors were more towards the front, so the dog woke us up before the smoke detectors went off,” Maria explained.

The family’s homeowner’s insurance is paying for temporary housing at the Marriott Residence Inn in Telecom Park until a rental home can be leased.

Maria said the home is a total loss, and insurance company says it will be at least a year until their home is rebuilt.

Maria said the cause of the fire has not been found, and the fire marshal has begun an investigation.

In addition to suffering the loss of his home, Jeff DeRolf is currently undergoing chemotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Maria said her father’s cancer was first diagnosed in 2008, and occurred again just six months ago.

The family gathered the day after the fire to bury Peanut — the little dog that saved them all — in their backyard, next to Duke, a German Shepard they had before Peanut.

“When the firefighters retrieved Peanut’s body, her body was not burned, and we know she died of smoke inhalation,” said Maria. “We were thankful for that.”

Here are ways you can help
Monetary donations
GoFundMe.com, Search DeRolf Family Fire Recovery

Clothing for Michelle
Girls size 8
Shoes size 2-3
Maniscalco Elementary School Uniforms
Collared shirts in white, blue, grey and maroon
Jeans, pants and skirts in white, blue, grey and maroon

Questions?
Contact Maria DeRolf at .

Those wishing to contribute clothing or other items are welcome to bring them to The Laker/Lutz News office, at 3632 Land O’Lakes Blvd., Suite 102, in Land O’ Lakes. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, call (813) 909-2800.

Published June 15, 2016

Welcome 700 Dade City Families!

June 15, 2016 By Diane Kortus

With this edition of The Laker, we’re proud to welcome 700 Dade City families to weekly home delivery of our newspaper.

If you live in the downtown area, or in subdivisions south of town along Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue, you most likely found today’s paper in your driveway, and can look forward to receiving it every Wednesday.

In addition to this new home delivery, we’ll continue to distribute 2,000 Lakers every week to 60 newspaper boxes, business locations and public buildings in the Dade City – San Antonio area. In Zephyrhills, we have another 130 outlets and 6,300 papers.

Adding circulation is a big deal in the newspaper world, especially one that represents a 35 percent jump in one community, all in one week. And we do so without hesitation, and with much confidence, because Dade City readers and business leaders have been asking for home delivery of The Laker for some time.

So when The Tampa Tribune stopped publishing so suddenly and unexpectedly in early May, we decided there was no better time than right now to add home delivery in Dade City. With the help of the fine folks at The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, we selected neighborhoods with demographics that matched those of newspaper readers, and decided to take the plunge and add all 700 homes the Chamber was recommending.

Our goal is to fill the void left behind by the closing of The Tampa Tribune, which always had a strong following in east Pasco. Earlier this year, we began to step up our East Pasco news coverage when we hired Kevin Weiss as a full-time reporter assigned to Zephyrhills, Dade City and San Antonio.

Kevin, a 2014 graduate of the University of South Florida, has the enthusiasm, energy and passion about community journalism that make his stories easy to read and understand. He is a talented, hard-working young man I’m proud to employ, and one I hope you have an opportunity to meet.

Joining Kevin in our East Pasco news coverage is Kathy Steele, a seasoned journalist and excellent writer who covers transportation, growth and development, as well as Pasco County government. Kathy joined our staff a year-and-a-half ago after 15 years as a Tampa Tribune reporter.

Our newest journalist whose coverage includes East Pasco is Tom Jackson, another Tampa Tribune veteran who wrote a column about Pasco County politics and people for more than 18 years.

Tom began writing his column for The Laker two weeks after The Tampa Tribune shut down. His knowledge about Pasco County, and his genuine love for its people, passionately pours through his words. You’ll know what I mean if you read Tom’s column last week about the tragic bicycling death of Joe Hancock, a Dade City citrus farmer whose family has lived in Dade City for generations. It was a poignant column that was so well written that it brought me to tears, even though I did not know Joe or his family.

It’s Kevin, Kathy, Tom and editor B.C. Manion, who brings all this talent together, to give you an interesting and relevant news package every week. Their work makes The Laker different from other newspapers in East Pasco.

We give you a broader, county-wide viewpoint that includes news and stories about issues and people throughout central and east Pasco, including Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes and Lutz.

People in Dade City and Zephyrhills are a vital part of this larger Pasco community. It’s where you shop, work, attend school, meet friends for dinner or drinks, go to movies, practice your faith, and visit family and friends.

Because your interests go beyond the town limits of Dade City and Zephyrhills, The Laker will continue to bring you stories about this larger, vibrant community where we make our lives.

Published June 15, 2016

Good kids abound

June 1, 2016 By Diane Kortus

It’s easy to become jaded when hearing repeated media reports about our troubled youth — from drug addiction to repetitive crimes to disrespect of authority. Some days, one can’t help but wonder if there are any good kids left.

There are, of course.

This issue of The Laker/Lutz News is evidence that our communities are full of good kids.

It reaffirms that most teenagers obey the law, work hard, and have dreams and aspirations to make our world a better place.

Today, we publish the names of 3,000-plus high school seniors in the Class of 2016 who are graduating from area high schools. These are the good kids who don’t make the news because they respect their parents and their teachers, and meet all of the requirements to graduate.

There are many, many more of these good kids, than there are of those who go astray.

The newspaper that’s delivered to your home lists the graduates from the two high schools closest to where you live. If you receive the Land O’ Lakes edition of The Laker, your schools are Sunlake and Land O’ Lakes. In Wesley Chapel, they are Wiregrass and Wesley Chapel. And in East Pasco, they are Zephyrhills and Pasco. If you live in Hillsborough County, you receive The Lutz News and your schools are Steinbrenner and Freedom. Private schools pull from various areas, so these graduates are published in all our zones.

You don’t have to be a graduate, or relative of a graduate, to peruse through our pullout graduation section. We want you to look for names of kids you know from your neighborhood, church, recreational activities and friends.

When you find graduates you know, honor them by sending a congratulatory text or email, or better yet, pick up your telephone and give them a call.

This year, several elected officials are recognizing local seniors with advertising in our graduation edition. I find it heartwarming to see these politicians express their belief and confidence in our students, and encourage them to participate in the democratic process.

As publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, I want to thank Pasco County commissioners Jack Mariano, Kathryn Starkey and Mike Moore. I also would like to thank State Rep. Danny Burgess and State Rep. Richard Corcoran, Florida’s incoming Speaker of the House of Representatives. Also, thank you to Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano and Pasco Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley.

I also want to thank the many local businesses and civic groups who support our seniors with advertising in today’s newspaper. Many of these businesses have advertised in our graduation edition for many years, and never hesitate to step up and help with the cost of publishing this section.

The Laker/Lutz News is honored to recognize our graduates — an accomplishment that will forever play an important role in their future.

Published June 1, 2016

Tom Jackson’s commentary coming to The Laker/Lutz News

May 11, 2016 By Diane Kortus

The most important thing we do at The Laker/Lutz News is to identify and write stories you find interesting and relevant. Our goal is for you to be so engaged with your community newspaper that you read us cover-to-cover every week, and can’t wait for the next issue to come out.

One measure of the job we’re doing is our readership score, which is determined by an independent auditing firm. In an era when most newspapers report continuing circulation losses— and many are shutting their doors — our readership has grown to 81 percent.

The Jackson family during a family vacation in Scotland: Debbie, 17-year-old Chris and Tom. (Courtesy of Tom Jackson) — The Jackson family during a family vacation in Scotland: Debbie, 17-year-old Chris and Tom.
(Courtesy of Tom Jackson)

Simply put, this means if your neighborhood has 100 homes, 81 of your neighbors read our paper every week, just like you.

So why is our newspaper so successful when so many others are failing? Our formula is really pretty simple —we ask you what you want to read, and then our professional journalists go out and write these stories.

While we are certainly proud of our high readership, we don’t take it for granted, and are always open to ideas that add value to our paper. One area that we have not been able to include is commentary and opinion writing.

But that will change next week with the addition of Tom Jackson to The Laker/Lutz News.

Tom is a well-known local columnist who has written about Pasco issues, people and politics for close to 20 years. His varied journalism career includes working as a business reporter, feature writer, sports columnist and editor. Most recently, he was a conservative political columnist and blogger for The Tampa Tribune.

As a community columnist, Tom writes about the dynamics of Pasco County. He addresses conflicts between metropolitan newcomers and rural traditionalists, and low-tax enthusiasts versus infrastructure needs. His opinions are well researched, and his writing is respected, whether or not one agrees with his position.

Tom’s new column for The Laker/Lutz News will focus 100 percent on issues that impact Pasco and north Hillsborough counties. He will also profile local people with interesting stories, and organizations that make a difference in our community.

With the addition of Tom’s column to our editorial package, we have raised the journalism bar at The Laker/Lutz News. And because his local commentary will only be published here, it gives you one more reason to read us every week.

Whether or not your viewpoint aligns with Tom’s, we know his opinions will get you thinking. Please join me in welcoming Tom to our pages.

Published May 11, 2016