The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

Ellis loves her ‘nummies’

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Ellis is a 3-year old calico rescued from a laundromat when she was only a couple weeks old. She loves to cuddle and take naps with her mama and really is not into hanging around any other people. Ellis loves trying to chase things she can see outside from the window, such as lizards, bugs and leaves. Her favorite toys are laser pointers and anything that makes noise or moves (like her human owners). She goes crazy over her “nummies” (cat treats) or wet food. Ellis gets the “zoomies” between midnight and 5 a.m., her favorite time to run wild around the house while loudly meowing at the night. Ellis lives with Jordan Glogowski in Land O’ Lakes.

A well-known songbird

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Lillian Cucuzza, of Land O’ Lakes, was excited to see a male Indigo Bunting (bright blue) and a female bunting in her backyard. Look for Indigo Buntings in weedy and brushy areas, especially where fields meet forests. These birds love edges, hedgerows, overgrown patches and brushy roadsides.

Health News 05/29/2019

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Frist humanitarians
The Medical Center of Trinity has awarded the Frist Employee Humanitarian Award to Kaitlin Dilluvio, RN.

Kaitlin Dilluvio, RN

Dilluvio has been with the hospital for three years. In addition to the care of her patients, she volunteers at the Good Samaritan Clinic, which helps provide free care to residents of Pasco County. She also volunteers as a grief support counselor through weekend retreats.

Dilluvio helped facilitate the hospital’s donation drive for the Panhandle Post-Hurricane Michael Relief Fund and helps the hospital with its back-to-school program.

Dr. Alene Wright was recognized with the Frist Physician Humanitarian Award.

Wright has been a member of the hospital’s medical staff for more than seven years. She is board certified in generally surgery and specializes in breast surgery.

Dr. Alene Wright

Wright also is an active participant in the Cancer Conference, which brings cases for review and discussions among committee members.

She also serves as a faculty member in HCA’s Graduate Medical Education Program, and partners with the Pasco County Health Department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer program.

Wright is a board member of the Good Samaritan Health Clinic.

In addition, The Frist Volunteer Humanitarian Award was given to Judi Geller, who has been a volunteer at the hospital for more than seven years and has provided more than 4,660 hours of service to the patients and staff.

Geller was elected by her peers to the Board of the Medical Center of Trinity Volunteers Inc. She has been the organization’s fundraiser for the last three years, helping to raise more than $10,000 in scholarships, and assists with the Special Olympics program.

Volunteers of the year
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point has selected Diane Ricca as the 2018 Female Volunteer of the Year and Jose Pasqual as the 2018 Male Volunteer of the Year.

Ricca has been volunteering at the hospital for more than 12 years and has accumulated 42,500 hours of service. She has served as chairperson for the volunteer gift shop, sits on a variety of committees for the Volunteer Association, and has served as the secretary of the Suncoast Health & Education Foundation. Ricca also received the Frist Volunteer Humanitarian Award in 2014.

Pasqual has been a courier at Bayonet Point for more than eight years with over 4,000 hours of service. Beyond his courier assignment, he serves on the volunteer awards committee and was the recipient of a Star Award in 2014.

New technology engages patients
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, in collaboration with Bioscape Digital, has launched an interactive, bedside, tablet solution to further engage patients during a hospital stay.

On the tablets, patients will have the ability to:

  • Educate themselves on relevant health educational content
  • Provide real-time feedback about their visit
  • Schedule an outpatient physician appointment
  • Access the patient portal
  • Stay entertained by playing games and listening to music
  • Sign up for various hospital services.

Bioscape collaborates with health systems to empower patients, staff, and doctors at the point of care.

 

Chalk Talk 05/29/2019

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(Courtesy of Jodie Ratliff)

Students’ dedication pays off
The students in VPK and Explorers at Primrose School at Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes, participated in a Read-A-Thon to purchase gardening benches and a Lil Library for the school’s Primrose Patch.

The school also invested in creating a butterfly garden to help the Monarch butterfly migration from Mexico to Canada, and added milkweed and other butterfly-friendly flowers, a butterfly bath and additional bushes for shelter.

Not long after, the students began spotting caterpillars and butterflies, and even chrysalises.

Due to the students’ hard work and dedication, the Primrose Patch was named a certified wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation.

In addition, the patch is now producing pumpkins, squash, zucchini, green beans, peas, eggplant, okra, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, spinach and radishes. There also is an herb garden for the school chef, Mr. Burgos.

Primrose Schools hopes to get approved for a mud kitchen and playground scale so students can pot, plant and wash the produce right in the garden.

Haul passes available
The Student Summer Haul Pass, which gives unlimited rides on PCPT buses (Pasco County Public Transportation), is now available for $20, and valid June 1 through Aug. 31.

The pass allows students to go to the beach, swimming pool, shopping, visit with friends, summer employment, and to save money.

Those interested must have a current student ID from a school or university, or a PCPT ID with a green background.

Students can purchase the pass at any county library; at the Pasco-Hernando State College New Port Richey, Dade City or Wesley Chapel campus bookstore; at the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Office, West and East Government Centers; or at the PCPT Administrative Office.

Summer food service program
The Pasco County Schools Summer Food Service Program provides free meals to kids and teens during the summer. Meals will be served at sites across the county from June 5 through July 31.

There are no income requirements or registration necessary, and anyone age 18 and younger can participate.

The Lakeview Café, adjacent to Land O’ Lakes High School, will be open all summer to serve free lunch to kids and teens. Adults can purchase a meal, too.

In addition to the school cafeterias that will provide meal service, six mobile feeding buses will make lunch stops at locations throughout Dade City/Lacoochee, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel, Spring Hill, New Port Richey, Hudson and Port Richey.

For a list of addresses and times, or to view the summer menu, visit SummerFoodPasco.net.

Student achievements

  • Emily Altier, of Wesley Chapel, graduated from Endicott College, in Beverly, Massachusetts, with a Master of Education, Athletic Administration.
  • Cole Dean Cooper, of Odessa, and Caroline Amanda Meisner, of Lutz, were named to the spring Dean’s List at Greensboro College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Meisner also graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre.
  • Thais Jacomassi, of Lutz, made the spring Dean’s List at Emerson College, in Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Julianna Mitten, of Odessa, was named to the spring Dean’s List at Cedarville University, Ohio.
  • Amber Morgan Orosco, of Tampa, received the Art History senior year prize at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Orosco is an art history and visual arts major.
  • Summer Solovitch, of Dade City, made the spring Dean’s List at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri. Solovitch also graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in exercise science.
  • Sarah Sprague, of Lutz, graduated from Berry College in Rome, Georgia, with a Bachelor of Science in exercise science. Sprague also was named to the spring Dean’s List.
  • Shareeq Syed, of Lutz, graduated from the University of the Cumberlands, in Williamsburg, Kentucky, with a Master of Science in information systems and security.
  • Zane Thomas Tarrance, of Odessa, was named to the spring Dean’s List at Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina.
  • Mariela Deynes Tofani, of Lutz, made the Emerson College spring Dean’s List. Emerson is in Boston, Massachusetts.

Local student participates in UN Model
Tallahassee Community College (TCC) student Samuel Goetz, of Odessa, attended the National Model United Nations in New York City.

About 6,000 students from nearly 50 countries participated in the simulation, which included discussions of issues facing the international community, aiming to overcome the obstacles diplomats face when addressing them.

The TCC students, representing the UN delegation from Libya, won three awards, earning a Distinguished Delegation Award for the overall team effort, and two Position Paper Awards, which are based on the quality of research and written positions submitted prior to the conference.

Students interested in participating in the TCC Model United Nations starting in the fall semester should email or .

Use a first job as framework for success
A recent survey by PayScale has found that only about 50 percent of managers felt that recent graduates were ready for full-time work.

The skills that managers often found lacking in graduates included critical thinking, problem-solving, attention to detail, and leadership.

In a release, Matt Stewart, co-founder of College Works Painting, gives these tips for that first job that can also be applied to a career path.

Start small, think big. Young people tend to look for a job at a prestigious big-name company, so don’t overlook small companies that would allow more freedom to take on a variety of different roles, which would add to your growth.

Find a mentor. Find a respected leader and reach out for advice. Pay attention to what they did to get where they are.

Do more than the job description. Move up or redefine your position by taking on more than the minimum expectations of the job. Volunteer for new projects, committees, training others, etc. Don’t be afraid to fail.

Find comfort in discomfort. The greatest self-growth is achieved when you challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone. Keep yourself in a state of constant growth and train yourself to handle stress while you are young.

In your first job, Stewart said to “be prepared to embrace and learn from things that may seem suboptimal on the surface, and even from some of your mistakes.”

Boaters can safely enjoy time on the water

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National Safe Boating Week is May 18 to May 24, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is encouraging boaters to focus on simple, effective steps that make boating safer.

Though Florida’s boating season never really ends, Memorial Day weekend marks the traditional start nationwide.

With nearly 1 million registered boaters in the state, people safely enjoy boating every day. However, each year, FWC officers respond to tragic and preventable accidents.

Maj. Rob Rowe, leader of the FWC’s Boating and Waterways Section, said in a release, “It (National Safe Boating Week) presents an opportunity to emphasize the importance of remaining safe while boating.”

These safety precautions are recommended by the FWC:

  • Wear a life jacket
  • Use an engine cutoff switch lanyard
  • Designate a sober boat operator
  • Pay attention and keep a proper lookout
  • Have an emergency locator beacon
  • File a boat plan
  • Take a boating safety class

“Inattention of the boat operator continues to be the leading cause of boating accidents,” Rowe said. “It is critical for operators to be aware of what is going on around them.”

The 2018 Boating Accident Statistical Report indicates there were 628 boating accidents last year, down from 766 in 2017.

To report people who are boating dangerously, call (888) 404-3922.

More information can be found online at MyFWC.com/Boating.

Published May 22, 2019

Foster is 9 years old

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Foster is a domestic shorthair cat that was adopted from the Broward County Humane Society at 2 months old. He was adopted alongside his brother, Coco. Through the years, the cats weathered the addition of three children, two dogs, and moving four times across state lines. Foster was a staple of the family until he disappeared in October 2018.

Searching went unanswered until 2 months later, when a woman found Foster after he had traveled almost 2 miles into a neighboring subdivision. The woman took him to the vet and had his microchip scanned, but the microchip included outdated information from three previous moves.

After making calls, mailing letters and eventually searching the Pasco County property appraiser’s website for the family name, Foster was returned safely to his home. Foster lives with Melissa Hernandez in Land O’ Lakes, who is very thankful to the woman who never gave up searching. Hernandez also wants to emphasize the importance of updating microchip information.

A creature from the black lagoon?

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Steve Vinik and his wife frequently see large plecos (plcostomus) rise to the surface of the pond in their backyard, in the Lexington Oaks community in Wesley Chapel. Vinik said the fish appear to be upside down with their mouths open to the air, giving it a ‘creature from the black lagoon’ appearance. Plecos are well-known algae eaters and scavengers, and will eat almost anything. The couple also sees a variety of birds from cardinals to sandhill cranes.

Going green for mental health

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The Medical Center of Trinity celebrated May as Mental Health Awareness Month by turning its Behavioral Health Center the color green for the month.

The hospital is using the month of May to call awareness to the many symptoms of deteriorating mental health, which include:

  • Changes in energy level and sleep patterns
  • Changes in appetite, eating habits or weight
  • Frequent thoughts of death or suicide
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
  • Noticeable restlessness or irritability
  • Feeling sad, empty, hopeless, worthless or guilty
  • Difficulties with concentration or decision-making

The Medical Center of Trinity also has opened its new Senior Behavioral Health Program dedicated to helping older adults with mental health concerns receive the skills they need for a strong foundation of recovery.

The new program allows seniors to work in partnership with caregivers, hospital staff and clinicians to receive high-quality care tailored to the senior’s needs.

Chalk Talk 05/22/2019

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Alumna of the Year
Pasco-Hernando State College recognized Heather Fiorentino, former Pasco County superintendent of schools, with the 2019 Distinguished Alumna Award during the Student Life and Leadership Program.

Heather Fiorentino

Heather Rose-Fiorentino (’78) was among the first students who attended the West Campus in New Port Richey, in 1976, the year the campus was established.

She co-founded the Pasco Deaf Education Center and taught sign language at the college starting in 1984, the same year she received a degree in elementary education from the University of South Florida.

Fiorentino taught at Mittye P. Locke Elementary School and was awarded Pasco County’s Teacher of the Year in 1994.

She has served on the New Port Richey City Council, served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives, and was elected Pasco’s first female superintendent of schools in 2004, a post she had through 2012.

In retirement, Fiorentino serves on volunteer boards and remains involved in civic organizations and events.

Carrollwood Day appointment
Carrollwood Day School’s Head of School Ryan Kelly announced the appointment of Sara Rubinstein as the school’s first assistant head of school for academics, beginning July 1. Rubinstein also will continue to serve as upper school head.

Sara Rubinstein

As assistant head of school for academics, she will oversee all aspects of curriculum, teaching and learning as set forth by the head of school and rooted in the school’s mission.

Rubinstein will be the school’s chief academic officer and will collaborate with other division heads to ensure Carrollwood Day is delivering academic excellence to all students.

Together with the division heads, department chairs and grade-level leads, IB coordinators and other administrators, she will have strategic oversight of the review, revision and delivery of mission-aligned curricular content; design and implementation of academic policies and practices; and evaluation of programs and activities.

Rubinstein also will be charged with oversight in collaboration with division heads of teaching practices, professional development opportunities and evaluation of faculty.

Students place in national competition
The high school students at Land O’ Lakes Christian School took part in the 42nd annual American Association of Christian Schools National Competition in Greenville, South Carolina.

Approximately 2,100 students and sponsors from 29 states participated in the competition, after capturing top honors in their state contests.

The students, representing 200 Christian high schools, competed in 76 categories in the five basic areas of Bible, music, speech, art and academics.

The winners from Land O’ Lakes Christian were:

  • Brianna Campbell, 12th grade: first place, original persuasive oratory
  • Allison Woodson, 10th grade: second place, creative writing essay
  • Orchestra/Band: third place, director, Sarah Peterson
  • Handbell Choir: third place, director, Mares Shelburne

Humanitarian efforts recognized
The Anne Frank Humanitarian Award was established in 2001 and honors outstanding humanitarian efforts by high school juniors in public and private schools throughout the bay area.

Students are recommended for the award for making a conscious decision to better the lives of other individuals or groups, both inside and outside of school activities.

These students were honored in May at the Florida Holocaust Museum:

  • Anthony Adrian Jr., Sunlake High School
  • Bayli Baker, Wesley Chapel High
  • Elijah Ferreira, Land O’ Lakes High
  • Karina Frey, J.W. Mitchell High
  • Paige Gray, Wendell Krinn Technical
  • Christina Johnson, River Ridge High
  • Madison Kachurak, Fivay High
  • Raghan Pickett, Pasco High
  • Kaitlyn Steward, Hudson High
  • Jorlyanys Suarez-Ayala, Zephyrhills High
  • Lori Tang, Anclote High
  • Tenee Taylor, Gulf High
  • Joseph Vreeland, Cypress Creek Middle High
  • Kara Weihman, Wiregrass Ranch

Science & engineering fair
Congratulations to the students who represented Pasco County Schools at the 2019 State Science & Engineering Fair.

  • Frederic Boylen, Charles S. Rushe Middle School: honorable mention, biomedical & health sciences
  • Kaori Martin, Charles S. Rushe Middle: honorable mention, biomedical & health sciences
  • Chase Olivanti, Wiregrass Ranch: Society for InVitro Biology award, plant sciences
  • Shurti Patel, J.W. Mitchell High: fourth place, plant sciences
  • Manahil Wajid, Cypress Creek Middle High: Michael J. Hansinger cash award, microbiology
  • Myka Wilks, Centennial Middle: Osceola Regional cash award, engineering

For more about the fair participants and winners, visit Smore.com/dem26t.

A model in the making

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Jiff Pop was given his name because he truly is a jumping ball of energy and fluffy hair. He was born in Brazil on June 2, 2017. Today, he weighs about 3.5 pounds. Jiff Pop is very obedient and charming, and loves to get all the attention when walking on the streets and beach. Jiff Pop performs a dramatic dance and gets excited every time he finishes using his toilet at home, to win his good boy prize. His mother, Marilena, would like to find him a bride someday and also for Jiff Pop to become a professional model. Jiff Pop’s proud owner is Marilena Cadais, of Lutz.