The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

Campgrounds reopen to reduced capacity

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As part of a phased approach, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has reopened all campgrounds throughout its 16-county region, as of June 3. The reopening of SFWMD campgrounds is consistent with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s reopening of camping at many Florida State Parks.

To help protect staff and visitors from the spread of COVID-19, the following guidelines will be in place at all SFWMD campgrounds:

  • Campgrounds will be limited to 50% capacity.
  • Groups of more than 10 campers will not be allowed.
  • There will be a required minimum of 25 feet between campsites.
  • Campers should continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on social distancing and the use of face coverings.

District staff will coordinate with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other local officials to ensure campers are enjoying the lands safely and responsibly.

For questions and information, call (800) 423-1476, or visit WaterMatters.org/Recreation.

Published June 17, 2020

A New York ‘snow dog’

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Photo by Alex Thompson

This 5-year-old hound named Aileron is a New York shelter rescue. He is a ‘snow dog’ that also spends time in Wesley Chapel. While in Florida, Aileron loves to sunbathe, go for walks and visit with the neighborhood kids. In New York, he likes to chase rabbits and play in the snow. Aileron’s parents, Tim and Alma Shutt, say his nose gets him in trouble, but Aileron just likes to feel useful and keep an eye on the house, and his toys. Girls call Aileron ‘cutie’ and ‘handsome.’ A neighborhood photographer even asked Aileron to model for her.

A fledgling trio

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This photo of three juvenile bluebirds huddled together was taken by Lorna Baker in her backyard, in Meadow Pointe 1 in Wesley Chapel. The birds seemed to anxiously scan the area for ‘mom,’ maybe wondering where the next meal is.

Health News 06/17/2020

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Team members at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel take a knee on June 5 for silent reflection in support of the ‘White Coats for Black Lives’ campaign. (Courtesy of AdventHealth)

‘White Coats for Black Lives’
AdventHealth physicians, nurses and other team members across West Florida took to bended knee together in solidarity with other health care professionals across the nation, for a moment of silent reflection as part of the ‘White Coats for Black Lives’ campaign.

The nationwide movement is centered on combatting higher rates of disease among black communities; high barriers of entry to the health care industry for black individuals; lower rates of black medical students; and, the fear among black individuals to seek medical care.

All AdventHealth team members were invited to join in kneeling for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, in remembrance of George Floyd and others.

Those who participated maintained social distance, wore masks, and were encouraged to share photos as an expression of support online with #WhiteCoatsForBlackLives.

People to People
AARP Community Connections offers its Friendly Voices program for those that may feel isolated and need a voice on the other end of the line to help in challenging times, or just to say hello.

To request a call for yourself or a loved one, call (888) 281-0145 and leave your information. A trained volunteer will call you back.

New BayCare doctors
BayCare Medical Group, 2529 Cypress Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, has welcomed two new doctors to its staff.

Dr. Radhika Ranganathan is board certified in pediatrics and accepts patients newborn to age 18. She is affiliated with St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa, and speaks Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and medical Spanish.

Dr. Steven Shechtman is board certified in internal medicine and accepts patients age 18 and older. His focus is long-term, comprehensive and complex illnesses in adults and in the elderly.

To reach either doctor at BayCare Medical Group, call (813) 920-1800.

Charity of the month
All five locations of the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office will offer opportunities for customers to donate to AdventHealth’s Care 360 Transportation Fund, during the month of June.

The Care 360 fund provides the cost of transportation services that help seniors and other patients in need get to and from the hospital for appointments, treatments and when they need a ride home upon discharge from the hospital.

For information about the AdventHealth Foundation and the transportation fund, call Connie Bladon at (813) 929-5497.

For information about the charitable giving programs at the tax collector’s office, contact Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector, at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

Alternate fundraiser for Old Lutz School

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The annual Lutz Guv’na campaign has become a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been canceled.

In lieu of that fundraiser, the Lutz Civic Association is sponsoring an alternative. It is offering Lutz-branded merchandise for sale to benefit the Citizens of the Old Lutz School. All profits will go to the support of the historic Old Lutz School.

This is one of several garden flag designs available for purchase. (Courtesy of Stephanie Ensor)

To view items available for purchase, visit bit.ly/LutzFundraiser.

Those interested can choose from can coozies, baseball-style caps, stickers, magnets, T-shirts (youth, women and men sizes), and garden flags.

Merchandise currently is being printed and first orders will be ready for pickup by June 15. Once the merchandise sells out, there will be a second run to fill orders.

Flags are not due to be in until the end of June or the beginning of July.

Citizens for the Old Lutz School raises money every year to pay for the upkeep of the Old Lutz School, where generations of Lutz children were educated. The money pays for such things as repairing termite damage, replacing windows and other essential maintenance.

The group also hosts popular holiday festivities for the community each year during Christmas season.

Besides losing a share of proceeds from the Lutz Guv’na race, Citizens for the Old Lutz School also suffered a setback in fundraising because of the cancellation of its Spring Market due to concerns about COVID-19.

Anyone who wishes to contribute for the upkeep of the Old Lutz School can donate through the organization’s website, at OldLutzSchool.com.

Published June 10, 2020

Smokie is super sweet

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Smokie is a 9-year-old Russian blue. He is very vocal, and sometimes it’s like carrying on an actual conversation with him. Smokie came to his owners, Peter and Kelley Caporice, five years ago when Kelley’s mom passed away. The family could not let him go anywhere else, and Smokie quickly made himself at home. He loves snuggling on the couch, in his own time, of course, and enjoys going outside on the screened porch to nap and watch birds. Smokie mainly just watches the birds, but lizards better beware, and squirrels that dare to get on the screen will be told off in no uncertain terms. Smokie lives with the Caporices in Lutz.

A silkmoth sighting

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The sweetbay silkmoth, named after the host tree (sweetbay magnolia), can be seen in Florida between February and October. This female made an appearance at the home of Meagan Rathman-Urena, in Lutz. This particular moth only has a lifespan of about two weeks, just long enough to mate and lay eggs. The female usually lays its eggs in short rows on the host plant leaves, but this one laid eggs on one of the homeowner’s window screens. Its habitat includes coastal swamp areas and moist areas in pinewoods.

Health News 06/10/2020

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Volunteers of the year
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point has selected its 2019 Female and Male Volunteer of the Year.

Pat Edington

Pat Edington has been a volunteer in the Emergency Department for 23 years, providing comfort to patients and families while assisting staff in a positive, professional manner. For the past year, she also has served as a member of the hospital’s Board of Directors.

Gene Hausladen

Gene Hausladen has been one of the most active volunteers since he began five years ago. He has been a courier, worked in the CPRU (Cardiac Procedures Recovery Unit), was one of the hospital’s first ER concierge volunteers, and also has worked in the lab organizing and filing slides, and performing other duties assigned by the staff.

 

Charity of the month
All five locations of the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office will offer opportunities for customers to donate to AdventHealth’s Care 360 Transportation Fund, during the month of June.

The Care 360 fund provides the cost of transportation services that helps seniors and other patients in need get to and from the hospital for appointments and treatments, and when they need a ride home upon discharge from the hospital.

For information about the AdventHealth Foundation and the transportation fund, call Connie Bladon at (813) 929-5497.

For information about the charitable giving programs at the tax collector’s office, call Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector, at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

Drive-thru COVID-19 testing
Premier Community HealthCare has expanded its COVID-19 testing capabilities with drive-thru testing, to provide a safe and efficient option for community members.

The drive-thru testing is done by appointment only, and is available at no cost to all Pasco and Hernando county residents, regardless of age or symptoms.

The Pasco site is at 14105 Fifth St., in Dade City, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The Hernando site is at the Brooksville Family Health Center, 300 S. Main St., on Thursdays and Fridays, starting June 11, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

To request an appointment, call (352) 518-2000, or visit PremierHC.org.

Testing results should be available within three days to five days via telephone and Premier’s patient portal.

All patients are advised to self-quarantine until results are confirmed.

Access health Care triage
In an effort to prevent the spread of infection, Access Health Care has established several locations throughout the Tampa Bay area as triage locations for those with symptoms of COVID-19.

If you are coughing, sneezing, feverish or have any other respiratory symptoms, and/or have traveled extensively in the last 14 days, call your doctor/primary care physician if you believe that you have symptoms, or go to one of the triage centers.

In Hillsborough County, visit the office of Dr. Brunel Joseph, 2137 W. Martin Luther King Blvd., in Tampa.

In Pasco County, go to the office of Dr. Jennifer Laman, 13235 State Road 52, Suite 108, in Hudson.

For information and other locations, call (352) 688-8116.

Tips for better sleep
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about one in three American adults do not get healthy amounts of sleep. Stress can make the problem even worse, too.

The NIH says adults need seven hours to eight hours of sleep each night, to stay in good mental and physical health, promote quality of life, and avoid an increased risk of injury.

The institute offers these tips to get a good night’s sleep:

  • Go to sleep at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, even on weekends.
  • Don’t take naps after 3 p.m., and don’t nap longer than 20 minutes.
  • Stay away from caffeine and alcohol late in the day.
  • Avoid nicotine completely.
  • Get regular exercise, but not within two hours to three hours of bedtime.
  • Don’t eat a heavy meal late in the day. A light snack before bedtime is OK.
  • Make your bedroom comfortable, dark, quiet, and not too warm or too cold.
  • Follow a routine to help you relax before sleep, such as reading or listening to music. Turn off the TV and other screens at least an hour before bedtime.
  • Don’t lie in bed awake. If you can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, do something calming until you feel sleepy, like reading or listening to soft music.
  • Talk with a doctor if sleep troubles continue.

Chalk Talk 06/10/2020

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Maddison Rametta

Students ready for college careers
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club announced $5,000 scholarships awarded to each of these students: Steinbrenner High School graduates Maddison Rametta (University of Central Florida), Noah Morrow (University of Florida) and Crystal Nwokoye (Florida A&M University). The scholarships came from the (decommissioned) Lutz Volunteer Fire Department Endowment Fund, administered by the woman’s club.

 

 

 

Noah Morrow
Crystal Nwokoye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fee adjustment review
Pasco-Hernando State College’s District Board of Trustees (DBOT) will consider approving proposed adjusted course-related fees at its June 16 board meeting, at 6 p.m., at the school’s North Campus in Brooksville.

Fee adjustment proposals are reviewed and approved for DBOT consideration by PHSC’s Council of Academic Affairs, a committee that includes representation by administrators, deans, academic department chairs, program directors, faculty and staff.

Many fee adjustments relate to vendor increases for workforce courses, laboratories, and program testing.

Some fees may be covered by financial aid, scholarships and grants.

For details regarding the proposed fee adjustments, justification for the fees and fee implementation details, visit tinyurl.com/y8u7wxzy.

Student achievements

  • Abigail Akers and Jacob Goetz, both of Odessa: spring President’s List at Tallahassee Community College
  • Madalyn Alston, of Dade City: spring Dean’s List at Anderson University in South Carolina
  • Roland Anthony Chacon, of Lutz: spring Dean’s List at Mars Hill University, North Carolina
  • Madeleine Hendron, of Odessa: spring President’s List at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Mississippi
  • Andrews James, of Lutz: spring Dean’s List at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia
  • John Martinez, of Wesley Chapel: spring Dean’s List at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee
  • Mary Moran, of Lutz: fall Dean’s List at Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia
  • Diana Perez, of Lutz, and Joseph Johnston, of Odessa: spring Dean’s List at Tallahassee Community College
  • Amy Stanton, of Odessa: President’s List at Georgia College in Milledgeville, Georgia

Degrees awarded

  • Jordan Kendall, of Odessa: Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas
  • Emily Lange, of Lutz: Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Berry College in Rome, Georgia
  • Renee A. La Sala, of Land O’ Lakes: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Brescia University in Owensboro, Kentucky
  • Jacob Leuthold, of Odessa: Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta
  • Joseph McCandrew, of Land O’ Lakes: Bachelor of Science in Integrative Studies from Clarion University in Pennsylvania
  • Kartheeka Pothumarthi, of Odessa: Master of Science in Information Systems Security from the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky

Saint Leo wins grant
Saint Leo University has received a $1.2 million grant to prepare high school math and science teachers for area districts.

The school will award scholarships to help as many as 18 undergraduates prepare to become biology or mathematics teachers in Pasco and Hernando county schools over the next several years.

The new scholarship program was made possible by the grant money received from the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.

Noyce (1927-1990) helped to change industry and technology worldwide with his inventions and discoveries, and co-founded Intel Corp., a major supplier of computer processors.

The Noyce program will help biology or mathematics majors with financial need earn the credentials required to become secondary teachers in their subject areas.

The scholarships will average more than $18,000 a year, and will be applicable to the students’ junior and senior years at Saint Leo.

Saint Leo offers a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics.

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.

A new home for Bodega

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Bodega is a 20-year-old orange tabby cat. Her owner’s co-worker was moving and could not take Bodega with her so Janna Rolfe, of Wesley Chapel, gave her a home. Bodega has fallen in love with her new family. Bodega’s favorite thing to do is watch the birds at the bird feeder, from the screened-in lanai. She does not like any cat treats or people food — only dry cat kibble.