The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

This bird is aptly named

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This pine warbler was trying hard to get to the bird feeder at Karen Whitenton’s home, but a squirrel got there first. A pine warbler is well-named as it spends most of its time in pine trees (in pine forests or in deciduous woods with pine mixed in). These warblers are found in similar habitats in winter, but also visit backyards and come to bird feeders to eat seeds and suet. Whitenton lives in the Willow Bend subdivision in Lutz.

Chalk Talk 05/06/2020

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Academy at the Lakes fifth-grade student Sam Baker takes part in a virtual science class, to help to build an elevated garden.

Creative engagement
Academy at the Lakes was ahead of the curve by closing its school before any local public school. It has received numerous positive messages from parents and they are finding creative ways to engage students through virtual learning.

The Academy hosted a “Virtual House Week Competition,” during which students did different challenges each day for points for their “House” in the school (there are four Houses). The first day, students sent in videos of themselves washing their hands to the tune of the school song, and the submissions were very creative.

Piper Kienast, a senior kindergartner at Academy at the Lakes, takes part in the school’s virtual learning. (Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teacher Appreciation Week
According to the National PTA, “teachers change the lives of millions of children every day—their immense work and impact moves us beyond words… And, with the abrupt end to the physical school year, our teachers have done even more to continue education with virtual classrooms and learning at home lessons. All to ensure every student has the tools they need to reach their full potential.
“It’s in these challenging times that we recognize and appreciate how our nation’s educators play such a pivotal role in our children’s lives—inspiring a lifelong love of learning and discovery, and making a difference in their well-being and long-term success.”

This year, Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4 to May 8.

For information and ideas, visit PTA.org/home/events/PTA-Teacher-Appreciation-Week.

Dream Award
Scholarship America has announced the 2020 recipients of the Dream Award, a renewable scholarship for students who have overcome challenges to pursue their college ambitions.

Local student Alexandra Joseph, a criminal justice major at Saint Leo University, is one of the recipients of the award. Joseph’s hometown is St. Leo.

A celebration to honor this year’s recipients is scheduled for May 7.

Scholarship America is the nation’s largest private scholarship provider. Since the Dream Award was created in 2014, 108 students have been awarded scholarships totaling nearly $2 million.

Community input needed
Pasco County Schools’ After School Enrichment Programs department (ASEP) is looking for input from the community through an online survey, as the district gets ready to apply for a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant from the Florida Department of Education.

The purpose of the grant proposal is to extend the district’s before and after school academic enrichment opportunities for students by providing a new and free academic support program at three select elementary schools and four select middle schools.

The new program will focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) curriculum and offer enriching hands-on experiences.

If the grant is awarded, the program would start next school year.

Families are encouraged to share their input to help identify specific needs and potential offerings.

Parents and students who wish to participate in the survey can visit MyASEP.com, and click on the Parent or Student icon next to the “thoughtexchange” logo.

Virtual commencement
Pasco-Hernando State College will continue remote operations, and all campuses will remain closed to students, public and most employees, through June 1.

Student services, advising, admissions, financial aid, library, tutoring and other college services remain available.

Employees are accessible via phone, email and virtual platforms.

A virtual commencement ceremony for spring semester graduates will be hosted on the college’s website on May 26.

Registration for online summer classes is underway and information about fall semester classes will be announced soon.

For information, visit PHSC.edu.

LearningExpress app
LearningExpress is offering test prep for college entrance and high school equivalency exams; workplace tools, such as reading, writing, math and science; and recommendations for further preparation, through the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC) and a recently released app.

To use the app:

  • Create an account through HCPLC at tinyurl.com/y9vado24
  • Download the app from Play Store or the Apple Store
  • Log into the app with the LearningExpress ID and password created through the website

Users must have a Hillsborough County library card to create an account to track their progress.

Hotline and informational website
Manisha Snoyer, co-founder of SchoolClosures.org, offers help and/or advice on a wide range of issues including: remote learning, finding meals, emergency childcare, live tech support, financial security, psychological support, and free tutoring, according to an email.

The informational website, along with a hotline, is a coordinated effort run by more than 150 volunteers and more than 80 partner organizations (including Khan Academy, Modulo, Revolution Foods, Class Dojo, Crisis Text Line and many more).

The hotline is staffed by volunteers with expertise in education and social services. Parents can call the hotline (1-855-264-2051) for help on planning a child’s education, planning healthy meals, or just to talk.

Teachers also are invited to visit the website or call the hotline, both of which are bilingual (Spanish).

Linny was an unexpected gift

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Linny was found seven years ago covered in lint in a dryer vent hose. Back then, he was only the size of his owner’s hand. Linny was born with a missing eye, but his family knew they had to keep him. Whether he is sleeping on the couch or chasing geckos outside, Linny has a quirky personality that always prompts laughter. Michele Wyatt and her family, in Wesley Chapel, are so happy that Linny chose them.

Mockingbirds like to sing, a lot

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This mockingbird found a place to perch and rest on a budding branch of a crape myrtle tree in Steve Vinik’s yard in Lexington Oaks, Wesley Chapel. The Northern Mockingbird (state bird of Florida) is common in backyards, but doesn’t often visit feeders. You can encourage mockingbirds to visit your yard by keeping an open lawn and providing fruiting trees or bushes, including mulberries, hawthorns, and blackberry brambles.

Health News 04/29/2020

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(Courtesy of Debra Ruyle)

Moffitt gets a boost from ‘friends’
Breast Friends Forever hosted ‘Pink Heals Hits the Links,’ a golfing fundraiser, at The Groves Golf and Country Club. With the support of sponsors and the community, $23,000 was raised for Moffitt Cancer Center. The funds were earmarked for breast cancer treatment and research. The event also included a putting contest, raffle drawings, an auction and entertainment. Breast Friends Forever, from left: Debbie Wright, Diane Wiley, Judi Miller, Pam Gerbig, Hilda Holt and Debra Ruyle.

(Courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division)

A police tribute for health care personnel
Members of the Dade City Police Department stopped by AdventHealth Dade City in a show of support for the team members and EMS workers at the hospital. The police department also set up digital signs out in front of the hospital that read, ‘AdventHealth team and EMS, thank you.’

 

 

Virtual grief support
To help those dealing with grief, Gulfside Hospice is offering a solution that allows for proper social distancing — virtual support groups.

These video conferencing groups are currently replacing the organization’s weekly in-person groups, and are open to the community to participate.

“We want to make sure people know that even though they are at home, they don’t have to go through their grief alone,” said Charlie Lowry, director of caregiver support services at Gulfside, in a news release.

In addition to participating in the virtual support groups, Lowry also recommends keeping up with regular phone calls to close family and friends, writing regularly about your thoughts and emotions in a journal, practicing self-care, and going through normal daily routines, like checking the mail, making the bed, and washing the dishes.

For information about the virtual support groups, call Gulfside’s bereavement department at (800) 561-4883.

Additional resources, including a grief support library, are available online at Gulfside.org.

These services are offered for free.

Premier recipient of award
Premier Community HealthCare (Premier) has been named the recipient of a $1.4 million award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to combat COVID-19.

The funding stems from the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and is part of the $1.3 billion awarding of funds by HHS through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to nearly 1,400 health centers nationwide.

The $1.4 million award will be put to immediate use, as Premier responds to emerging and evolving local needs, while continuing to deliver high-quality primary health care services to patients.

Specifically, it will support the ability to detect, prevent, diagnose and treat patients impacted by the virus, while also providing enhanced preparedness and response workflows.

Community health centers, like Premier, are on the front lines combating COVID-19 and providing essential care to those in need.

These centers serve the nation’s most vulnerable individuals and families, including people experiencing homelessness, agricultural workers, residents of public housing, and veterans.

For information about Premier and its mission, visit PremierHC.org.

Grai is lovable and smart

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Grai (Grigio) celebrated his seventh birthday in January. He is an extremely friendly feline that greets his family and friends when they come to the house. Nicole Magazu and her husband, of Land O’ Lakes, rescued Grai three years ago.

These geese are hybrids

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Sheila Spradlin snapped these shots of African Brown Geese at Zephyr Park in Zephyrhills. The African Goose or African Brown Goose is a breed of domestic goose, and is a hybrid of a Swan Goose and Chinese Goose, according to BeautyOfBirds.com. Two varieties are found in North America, the colored variety known as either grey or brown, and the white variety. The adult male makes a high, long double-syllable honk that is said to sound like a tug boat.

 

 

Health News 04/22/2020

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(Courtesy of Mariah Berberich)

A nightly tribute for those on the front lines
Molly Berberich started a new tradition in her Willow Bend community, to honor essential workers. Berberich and her family have been clapping every night at 7 p.m., at the corner of Willow Bend Parkway, in Lutz. The family has a daughter currently working as a nurse in New York City, so the cause is close to their hearts. Abiding by social distancing, a group of neighbors come out each night, too, to pay tribute to those serving on the frontlines. Other community members are encouraged to join, from a safe distance or from their own driveway.

 

 

(Courtesy of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North)

Reenactment echoes these trying times
Donna Banuelos, a clinical nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz, recreates the iconic Rosie the Riveter image (inset) from World War II. Rosie the Riveter represented the U.S. coming together during the war in the 1940s and the ‘can-do’ effort put forth by all citizens. Banuelos’ reenactment resonates today as the fight against COVID-19 continues.

 

 

 

 

(Courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division)

Essential workers get essential meals
Select AdventHealth hospitals are providing take-home meals and groceries for team members to help make sure they get what they need after working long shifts. At AdventHealth Tampa and AdventHealth North Pinellas, team members can select their meals at the beginning of their shifts and pick up the pre-prepared meals when they leave for the day. A couple of the hospitals are offering onsite groceries, too, for those team members who aren’t able to make it to the store.

 

 

(Courtesy of 3 Daughters Brewing)

Looking out for community employees
The motormen, bus operators and paratransit operators of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) are essential employees who provide a critical services to the community, like medical personnel, first responders, pharmacists and grocery store employees. HART recently received a ‘thank you,’ when 3 Daughters Brewing in St. Petersburg donated a 10-gallon supply of its hand sanitizer for all HART’s operators. The brewing company began bottling hand sanitizer in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Providing a necessary precaution
Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club have been busy for the past month sewing face masks for area hospitals and Lab Corp. The masks also were provided to all of the club’s 100-plus members, and husbands. Under the circumstances, the undertaking took a lot of coordination to make home deliveries of the pattern and material packets to the ladies, so they could work ‘at a safe distance.’ KarenSue Molis was one of the members sewing masks.

Chalk Talk 04/22/2020

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A variety of colorful rainbows are depicted through Primrose School at Collier Parkway to remind everyone of a ‘brighter’ future. (Courtesy of Primrose School at Collier Parkway)

Weathering the ‘storm’ at Primrose
Teachers at Primrose School at Collier Parkway are missing their Primrose Pals during the pandemic, so they worked hard to add joy by displaying rainbows throughout the building, to remind everyone that “The greater the storm, the brighter the rainbow.”

Students can create their own rainbow, too, and send it to the school on Primrose’s Facebook Page (in the comments section of the rainbow post), or by email to .

Submitted creations will be shared with the teachers on their ‘How You Doing?’ bulletin board.

Primrose also offers Online with Og! for at-home interactive learning activities.

Og the Bookworm represents caring and literacy, and is a Primrose Friend that helps to bring the school experience into the home.

Learn more about Online with Og! at Learning.primroseschools.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saint Leo sticks with online; postpones graduation
Saint Leo University will continue to offer its classes online through the summer.

“This decision was made out of an abundance of caution due to the coronavirus pandemic and the possible need for continued social distancing measures,” according to a news release from the university.

University officials also have postponed all scheduled commencement ceremonies and activities until later this year.

That decision also was made as a precaution in consideration for “all those who will be participating or might need to travel to attend. Health authorities are uncertain of when large-scale social gatherings can safely resume,” the release says.

This change affects numerous commencement ceremonies scheduled in various states, including the Florida commencement that had been scheduled for June 1.

University events planned on campus in June will be canceled or postponed, including all camps and conferences, the release says.

Virtual events planned online, however, will continue as scheduled.

The shift to online classes will apply to both the Summer 1 and 2 terms for all courses, including all accelerated summer courses taught at education centers and University Campus St. Leo. This also affects all other locations throughout Florida and the United States.

As soon as plans are finalized for commencement, students will be notified of the new date by email. Information also will be posted on the Saint Leo website at SaintLeo.edu/commencement.

Protect your vehicle while it sits unused

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Many cars will be parked in the driveway or garage for at least another month, as a result of the statewide Stay-At-Home Order urging residents to shelter in place, unless they are making essential trips, as outlined by the executive order.

According to a news release from AAA-The Auto Club Group, state figures show that residents already are driving less, in an attempt to ‘flatten the curve.’

“Leaving the car unused for an extended period of time could leave it vulnerable to problems with your battery, brakes and tires,” said Mark Jenkins, AAA spokesman, in the release.

“There are a few simple things you can do to make sure your vehicle is ready to roll when it’s time to hit the road again,” Jenkins added.

The auto group offers these tips for longer-than-expected parked vehicles:

  • Battery boost. Start your vehicle every couple of days to keep the battery at a full state and prevent deterioration. Let the engine run for a few minutes to recharge, then turn it off.
  • Tire pressure. Add 10 psi of pressure (more than usual) to each tire to prevent flat spots from forming on the tires. You can also move the vehicle a couple of feet periodically.
  • Windshield wiper placement. Prop up the wiper arms so the blades are off the windshield. This way the wipers will not get stuck to the glass.
  • No parking brake. Do not use the parking brake when storing the vehicle. The brake could become frozen, and the brake pads could rust the rotors or the brake shoes could distort the drums. For an automatic transmission, simply put the vehicle in park. For a manual transmission, put it in first gear or reverse gear and use wheel chocks to help hold the vehicle in place.
  • Sun shade. If your car is always outdoors and exposed to the sun, use a sun shade to prevent UV rays from deteriorating the dashboard and steering wheel.

Published April 15, 2020