The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

Health News 07/01/2020

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Pelvic health for women
Dr. Vanessa M. Brockhouse,  a women’s pelvic health physical therapist, recently opened her practice in Wesley Chapel, Fruitful Womb with virtual and in-person sessions.

Dr. Vanessa Brockhouse

The practice emphasizes prenatal and postpartumin care, including preparation for birth, prenatal exercise and postpartum care to ensure good bowel, bladder and sexual health.

Brockhouse treats women with complex cases of pelvic pain, urinary conditions, bowel conditions, sexual dysfunction, orthopedic hip/pelvic pain, prenatal and postpartum conditions.

As an advocate for women, and a pelvic health educator, Brockhouse believes in addressing women’s health with a whole body approach, which allows identification at the root cause resulting in relief of symptoms.

Dr. Brockhouse’s office is at 2136 Ashley Oaks Circle, Suite 102, in Wesley Chapel.

For information, visit FruitfulWombPT.com, call (813) 607-8776, or email .

COVID-19 facility doubles beds
Hillsborough County is in the process of contracting for an additional 60 beds at an assisted living facility that is serving as a transition unit for senior care facility residents diagnosed with COVID-19, County Administrator Mike Merrill announced on June 15.

The decision to pursue additional transitional beds at The Inn at University Village is a proactive step, Merrill said in a news release.

The Inn is for senior care facility residents who were hospitalized with the virus, but who do not require hospitalizations. The facility is serving as a transitional unit between the hospital and their senior care community for those patients while they wait for final clearance to return to their previous residence.

The patients are temporarily residing in a separate wing specifically designed for COVID-19 cases.

Teens and sleep
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), sleep problems also are a concern for teenagers, and the average teen needs about nine hours of sleep a night.

Children and teens who do not get that much may have problems getting along with others, and they may feel angry and impulsive, have mood swings, feel sad or depressed, or lack motivation. They also may have issues with paying attention, and may get lower grades and feel stressed.

In addition to the sleep tips offered to adults, teens can try:

  • Avoiding screen time at least an hour before bed
  • Banning all-nighters (don’t leave homework for the last minute)
  • Writing in a diary or on a to-do list just before sleep, to reduce stress
  • Sleeping no more than two hours later on weekend mornings than on weekday mornings

Chalk Talk 07/01/2020

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(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Art competition winner
Wiregrass Ranch High School student Anna Speer has been selected as the 2020 winner of the Congressional Art Competition, which recognizes and encourages artistic talent among high school students in Florida’s 12th Congressional District. Speer’s oil painting, ‘Reflections,’ will hang in the U.S. Capitol over the next year. She was nominated by teacher Paula Roush-Smith.

Other award winners: Nathan Wang, Land O’ Lakes High: Award of Merit; and, Sarah Evans, Kara Galley and Kiley Gambrel-Groover, Mitchel High: Honorable Mentions.

Donation drive
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s five offices will be collecting donations during July for the Pasco County School District’s ABC (Assist, Believe & Care) Program, which was created to provide financial assistance to students and their families who are experiencing economic hardship.

Money donated goes into a fund that teachers can use when they see or learn of a need a child may have.

Cash donations may be made at any of the tax collector locations in Pasco County.

For information on the ABC campaign and other charitable giving programs, call Assistant Tax Collector Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

College-sponsored merit winners
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced more than 3,300 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities.

Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution.

The awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.

These area students are recipients of a college-sponsored award:

  • Steven Miltenberger, Land O’ Lakes, Land O’ Lakes High School: National Merit University of Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: computer science.
  • Emily Flinter, Lutz, Carrollwood Day School: National Merit Emory University Scholarship. Probable career field: medicine.
  • Rebekah Hurwitz, Lutz, Steinbrenner High School: National Merit University of Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: actuarial science.
  • Vivek Kondapavuluru, Lutz, Hillsborough High School: National Merit University of Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: medicine.
  • Zachary Melson, Lutz, Middleton High School: National Merit University of Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: undecided.
  • Rana Xen Scherer, Lutz, Steinbrenner High School: National Merit University of Central Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: electrical engineering.
  • Nicholas Gray, Dade City, Pasco High School: National Merit University of Central Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: computer science.
  • Riya Choski, Odessa, Gulf High School: National Merit University of South Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: medicine.
  • Bethany Bradshaw, Trinity, Mitchell High School: National Merit University of Central Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: aerospace engineering.
  • Dustin Rendell, Trinity, Mitchell High School: National Merit University of Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: medicine.
  • Shannon Chen, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes High School: National Merit University of Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: dentistry.
  • Mindy Do, Wesley Chapel, Cypress Creek High School: National Merit University of South Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: health care.
  • Achyudhan Kutuva, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes High School: National Merit University of Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: science/research.

• Stanley Moonjeli, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes High School: National Merit University of Florida Scholarship. Probable career field: mechanical engineering (robotics)

Back-to-school bash
Westfield Citrus Park, 8021 Citrus Park Town Center in Tampa, will host a Full Inclusion Back-to-School Bash on July 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event focuses on families with both neuro-diverse and neuro-typical children.

There will be a “Quiet Hour” when the ‘doors’ open an hour prior to the event for children on the spectrum or with sensory disorders. Both vendors and guests are asked to wear masks, but a DIY mask-making station will be provided. There also will be a touchless photo booth with characters, and plexiglass partitions on tables.

Families must register in advance for a child to receive a backpack. Some vendors will offer school supplies and take-home activities. Admission and all school supplies (while supplies last) are free.

For information and to register, call (727) 674-1464, or visit EventBrite.com.

Museum will continue to honor Blue Star program

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The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) has long been a Blue Star Museum, providing free admission for military families.

In April of this year, the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families decided to take a break from the Blue Star Museums free admission program for the summer, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, MOSI has announced that it will continue to honor the Blue Star Museum program, despite its earlier plans.

“In a community like Tampa, where our military has such a positive impact on all of us, we thought it would be the right thing to do as a resource for these families from an education and entertainment point of view,” said Rob Lamke, MOSI’s chief operating officer, in a news release.

The museum will provide free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families, from July 1 through Sept. 7.

Blue Star Museums is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums nationwide.

For more than 35 years, MOSI has been offering programs to all in the Tampa Bay community that focus on a variety of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Published July 1, 2020

Avoid risky celebrations for the Fourth of July

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The National Safety Council’s mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy, according to its website, NSC.org.

Fireworks can be beautiful, but the safest way to enjoy them is at public displays put on by professionals. (File)

While the summer season brings to mind barbecues, parades and fireworks, the NSC advises that “fireworks at public displays should be conducted by professionals, and fireworks should not be used at home.”

If consumer fireworks are legal to buy where you live and if you choose to use them, the NSC recommends following these safety tips:

  • Never allow young children to handle fireworks
  • Older children can use them, but only under close adult supervision
  • Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
  • Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
  • Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
  • Never light fireworks indoors
  • Only use fireworks away from people, houses and flammable material
  • Keep pets inside
  • Never point or throw fireworks at another person
  • Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
  • Never ignite devices in a container
  • Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
  • Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
  • Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire
  • Never use illegal fireworks

Sparklers pose a danger, too
Sparklers are a lot more dangerous than most people think, according to the NSC.

Sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals. They also can quickly ignite clothing, and children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, sparklers alone account for more than 25% of emergency room visits for fireworks injuries.

For children age 5 and younger, sparklers accounted for nearly half of the total estimated injuries.

To celebrate the Fourth of July, or any other occasion, consider having children use glow sticks, confetti poppers or colored streamers.

Published July 1, 2020

Watch out for COVID-19 scams

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has posted information on its website about how to avoid scams during the COVID-19 pandemic. The FTC offers this advice to consumers:

  • Don’t respond to texts, emails or calls about checks from the government. Read more at consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/04.
  • Be wary of ads for test kits. Most test kits being advertised have not been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and aren’t necessarily accurate.
  • Hang up on robocalls. Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from low-priced health insurance to work-at-home schemes.
  • Watch for emails claiming to be from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) or WHO (World Health Organization). Use sites such as Coronavirus.gov and USA.gov/coronavirus to get the latest information. Do not click on links from sources you don’t know.
  • Do your homework when it comes to donations. Never donate in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money.

To download a complete guide or watch videos on how to avoid scams, to read about how COVID-19 impacts finances, or to view consumer complaint data, visit FTC.gov/coronavirus.

Published June 24, 2020

Mason works on his tan

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Mason is a 10-year-young Norfolk Terrier. His hobbies include barking at birds, trying to eat frogs, chasing lizards and working on his tan. He has the eyebrows of a wise old man. Mason lives with the MacKay family in Land O’ Lakes.

A surprise greeting

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Marisol Fontanez snapped a photo of this turtle popping its head up out of the water, possibly to say hello, at the Blue Jay Mobile Home Park in Dade City.

Health News 06/24/2020

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Presidential awards

Joanne Van Atta

Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point (RMCBP) has announced that two of its volunteers have been awarded the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, which comes from the office of the President of the United States.

The award was initiated to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of volunteers and volunteering throughout the nation.

Recipients receive a certificate, an order of congratulations from the President, a pin and a gold medallion.

Carol Del Santo

Joanne Van Atta has been a volunteer at RMCBP for more than 17 years and has logged more than 16,000 hours of service. During most of that time, Van Atta assisted in the Outpatient Lab. She also received the Volunteer of the Quarter in 2011 and Volunteer of the Year in 2016.

Carol Del Santo began volunteering at RMCBP 30 years ago and has accumulated more than 16,000 hours of service. Del Santo began as a courier and now volunteers as a courier dispatcher. She also was selected as the Volunteer of the Quarter and received Volunteer of the Year in 2018.

Technology grant
A team of scientists from the University of South Florida has been awarded a Rapid Response Research Grant from the National Science Foundation (about $167,000), to advance its efforts to establish technology that can rapidly sterilize and electrostatically recharge N95 respiratory masks.

The technology, designed to fight coronavirus, uses corona discharge and low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma, and works to deactivate pathogens on a mask and restore its electrostatic charges.

Patient safety grade
AdventHealth Dade City has earned a Leapfrog “B” grade, from the Leapfrog Group, for patient safety.

AdventHealth acquired AdventHealth Dade City on April 1, 2018, and the hospital has worked to attain excellence in patient safety. The “B” grade shows the hospital does a better job at protecting patients from mistakes, injuries, accidents and infections than it did prior to acquisition.

According to a news release, leaders at AdventHealth Dade City continue to implement key strategies to enhance patient safety, including:

  • Tele-ICU, which provides critically ill patients immediate access to critical care intensivists and nurses, via tele-monitoring and direct communication
  • Electronic health records, which allow physicians to place the patient medication orders directly into the computer and allow nurses to scan a patient’s medications prior to administering them. This has shown to significantly decrease medication errors to the patients.
  • A full-time clinical quality analyst who reviews patient records daily to address any potential patient quality issues
  • A strong commitment to understanding the culture of safety with all care team members

 

Chalk Talk 06/24/2020

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(Courtesy of Jodi Ratliff)

Hip hip, hooray!
Primrose Schools at Collier Parkway hosted a drive-by graduation for its 57 VPK graduates and their families on May 29. From left: Laura Brennen and Robin Adams, VPK teachers, and parent Jamie Hart celebrate the students with bright, painted signs along the parade route.

 

 

Fine Arts award

Meagan Stringer (Courtesy of Heritage Arts Center Association)

The Heritage Arts Center Association awarded the Nereim Fine Arts Award to Meagan Alexis Stringer, a Class of 2020 Zephyrhills High School graduate.

Heritage Arts is a local nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the performing and visual arts in the community.

The award honors the late founding board members Gordon and Jean Nereim.

Stringer was inspired to draw by her father and by her elementary school art teacher. She continued working on her artistic talent throughout her childhood, and plans to enter the field of illustration at the Academy of Art University.

Stringer will be invited to display her art at next year’s “Moonlight and Ivory” concerts and art shows at the women’s club in Dade City.

For information, visit HeritageArts.org, and click on the Visual Arts link.

Camp Wow is open
Pasco County Schools’ summer camp program is now open at 14 school sites around the county. The popular program is available Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with several health and safety modifications in place, including:

  • Reduced staff-to-student ratios
  • Enhanced sanitizing procedures
  • Curbside drop-off and pick-up
  • Daily health screenings

To register for summer camp, to see a list of sites, or to learn more about the program, visit Camp Wow! web page at MyASEP.com/campwow/.

SONIC thanks teachers
SONIC Drive-In matched all donations to DonorsChoose on Teacher Appreciation Day in May.

To recognize the entrepreneurial spirit that drives teachers to meet students’ distance learning needs, these two Lutz teachers received funding for their individual projects:

  • Victoria Wilson, Learning Gate Community School (K-6 Campus): “A MacBook Pro for Educational Success”
  • Ingrid Osborne, Maniscalco Elementary School: “Circle Time Fun”

Through Limeades for Learning, SONIC donated $1 million to public school teacher requests across the country on Teacher Appreciation Day, supporting their endeavors to provide students with essential education resources.

Students ready for college careers
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club awarded its annual club scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each, to these four students: Steinbrenner High School graduates Brianna Sandner (Florida Gulf Coast University), Joseph Pereira (University of South Florida), and Maggie O’Shea (Florida State University), and Sunlake High graduate Morghan Copeland (University of Florida).

Joseph Pereira
Maggie O’Shea
Brianna Sandner
Morghan Copeland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graduation schedules
Traditional graduations for Pasco County seniors have been rescheduled to August.

The listed ceremonies are contingent on developments regarding COVID-19 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirements.

  • Aug. 5: Marchman Technical College at River Ridge High School (time to be determined)
  • Aug. 6: Pasco High School at Pasco High Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
  • Aug. 10: Pasco eSchool at River Ridge High School, 6 p.m.
  • Aug. 11: Wendell Krinn Technical High School at Wendell Krinn, 6 p.m.
  • Aug. 12: Cypress Creek High School at Yuengling Center, 7 p.m.
  • Aug. 13: Zephyrhills High School (3 p.m.) and Wiregrass High (7 p.m.), at Yuengling Center
  • Aug. 14: Land O’ Lakes High (3 p.m.) and Wesley Chapel High (7 p.m.), at Yuengling Center
  • Aug. 15 Sunlake High at Yuengling Center, 1 p.m.

 

Deadliest days ahead for teen drivers

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The combination of closed schools, canceled activities and COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, could prove deadly as teens take to the road this summer.

Nationwide, more than 30% of deaths involving teen drivers occur during the “100 Deadliest Days,” a period that runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, according to AAA – The Auto Group, in a news release.

Due to their inexperience, teen drivers are at a higher risk of crashes. According to the new AAA Foundation Traffic Safety Culture Index, about 72% of teen drivers, ages 16 to 18, admitted to engaging in at least one of these risky behaviors in the past 30 days:

  • Driving 10 mph over the speed limit on a resident street (47%)
  • Driving 15 mph over the speed limit on a freeway (40%)
  • Texting (35%)
  • Red light running (32%)
  • Aggressive driving (31%)
  • Drowsy driving (25%)
  • Driving without a seatbelt (17%)

To keep roads safer this summer, AAA encourages parents to:

  • Talk with teens early and often about abstaining from dangerous behavior while behind the wheel.
  • Teach by example to help minimize risky behavior.
  • Set up a parent-teen driving agreement with family rules.
  • Supervise at least 50 hours of practice driving with the teen.

To support parents to conduct practice driving sessions, AAA is providing a free four-page guide to help parents coach their teens. The guide, “Coaching Your New Driver – An In-Car Guide for Parents,” can be found online at TeenDriving.AAA.com/FL/.

The auto group website also offers other resources, including how to set driving parameters with the AAA Mobile app.

Published June 17, 2020