The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

Health News 10/28/2018

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

First phase of hospital’s expansion complete
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North completed the first phase of its $75 million expansion project with the unveiling of four new operating suites on Oct. 1. Construction on the rest of the project continues, expected to be finished in 2020. At completion, the hospital will have two additional patient care floors and will double the current number of patient rooms to 216 total. From left, front row: Kathy Myers, LuAnn Peters, Arlene McGannon, Nancy Medina, Lerma Eastty, Brian Morrison, Jessica Degele, Ieshia Jones, Joanne Murphy, Nicole Brunner and Charlette Nankovitch. From left, back row: Jeff Felice, Renata Barbora and Jim Wilson.

New VA outpatient clinic location
Congressman Gus Bilirakis announced the new location of the consolidated West Pasco VA Outpatient Clinic, which will be housed at 7932 Little Road in New Port Richey, north of the Pasco County Government Center and south of Ridge Road, on the east side of Little Road.

Bilirakis secured $11 million for the facility in 2014.

The newly constructed facility will be 114,000 square feet – more than double the current clinic’s size.

The site will offer more parking and provide expanded services so that veterans will have to travel less frequently from West Pasco to the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa.

The new outpatient clinic will consolidate health care services now administered at five locations.

The facility will offer services for mental health, primary care, vision, dental, home-based primary care, MRI and CT, ultrasound, X-ray, audiology, pharmacy, prosthetics, physical therapy, lab, eligibility and enrollment, release of information, library, police and canteen.

Chalk Talk 10/24/2018

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(Courtesy of Melonie Monson)

Students of the Month recognized
Nine students were honored as the The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Students of the Month, for October. Students are chosen by the teachers and administration of their individual schools for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community. Those receiving honors were: Joseph Nespoli, The Academy of Spectrum Diversity; Austin Ward, The Broach School; Julian Ortiz, Chester W. Taylor Elementary School; Jasmine Genton, East Pasco Adventist Academy;  Johnathan Dowling, Heritage Academy; Rachel Diaz, Raymond B. Stewart Middle School; Callie Carter, West Zephyrhills Elementary School; Matheo Cisneros, Zephyrhills Christian Academy; and Bryce Sanders, Zephyrhills High School.

Fall festival
Pasco Elementary School will host a Fall Festival on Oct. 26 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be bounce houses, games, prizes, face painting, free books, free child ID kits, a selfie station and more. No costumes or masks will be allowed.

To preorder a wristband ($10) by Oct. 24, call (352) 524-5200. The cost at the gate will be $15. Adult admission is free. A dunk tank, a cake walk, and some food and drink will be available for an additional cost.

Trunk or Treat will take place in the parking lot from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students can wear costumes for this event. A trophy will be given to the best decorated vehicle. For information, contact Alicia VanDusen at or (352) 524-5208.

All proceeds will go to purchase student and staff incentives.

Poster and poem contest
Paralyzed Veterans of America has launched its 15th annual Veterans Day National Poster and Poem Contest, to showcase the artistic talents and patriotic pride of young students for disabled veterans in their communities.

The theme for this year’s contest is “Help Our Veterans Be UnstoppABLE in Your Community.”

Participants are asked to draw a poster or write a poem showing or telling how they can help make their community more accessible for veterans who use wheelchairs.

The poster contest is open to students in first grade to fourth grade. The poem contest is open to students in grades five to eight.

Entries must be received by 5 p.m., on Oct. 29.

For information, including guidelines and how to enter, visit PVA.org/posterpoem.

Mathematics contest
Saint Leo University is looking for middle schoolers to participate in the American Mathematics Competition 8, on Nov. 13. The contest was developed by the Mathematical Association of America, and is free.

The purpose of the competition is to encourage students to develop positive attitudes about mathematics and analytical thinking by having them apply classroom learning to a 25-question, multiple-choice exam.

Students have 40 minutes to complete the questions. Learn more about the subject matter at MAA.org/math-competitions/amc-8.

Saint Leo will accommodate 30 students and mathematics faculty will monitor the contest.

Students are asked to arrive by 5:45 p.m., and go directly to Selby Auditorium in Lewis Hall. The test starts promptly at 6 p.m.

Advance registration is required. Parents should email Dr. Kevin Murphy at to reserve a spot, and include the phrase “AMC 8” in the subject line. Or, parents also can call (8352) 588-7192.

Prince loves his sister

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Prince is about a year old and loves water, going outside, playing with his sister, and playing with cat toys. He was found on the side of the road and given to his owner. Prince was very little, but healthy. He has a sister named Duchess, a Maltese-Pomeranian, who is his best friend. Prince’s proud owner is Abigail Wicker and her family, of Lutz.

Special deliveries from Skeeter

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Randall Grantham, of Lutz, has a cat named Skeeter that has a habit of bringing him captured or deceased ‘prizes.’ If it is a rat, it is usually dead. However, with other species, Skeeter somehow gets them to the doorstep fairly unharmed. He has delivered live lizards, swamp rabbits, flying squirrels, and even the fuzzy critter known as a round-tailed muskrat, a species common to the wetlands in the area.

A movement of color for battered women

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club hosted a fundraiser and luncheon to benefit the Sunrise Domestic Violence Shelter of Pasco County. The venue was awash in a sea of purple as members wore the color to bring attention to the topics of domestic and sexual violence. The luncheon raised more than $1,100, which was presented to the shelter, along with a truckload of donated items to assist the shelter’s residents. For information about the club, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org.

Chalk Talk 10/17/2018

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Student added to livestock judging team
Tierani Johnson, of Land O’ Lakes, will serve as a member of the Connors State College Livestock Judging Team in Warner, Oklahoma. Connors State is a two-year agriculture college.

Tierani Johnson
(Courtesy of Connors State College)

Johnson is a sophomore at Connors State and is pursuing an Associate of Science degree in animal science.

Judging team members evaluate both breeding and market animals for beef cattle, sheep, goats, swine and horses, to determine their value relative to current industry trends.

The team travels all over the state of Oklahoma and throughout the Midwest to practice and compete. Members visit ranches, university farms, and regional and national fairs and livestock shows. These visits allow members to meet and work with many elite animal operations and meet some of the top producers in the nation.

Johnson is the daughter of Danielle Lapsley, of Land O’ Lakes.

Mock elections
Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian E. Corley, in conjunction with Pasco County Schools Social Studies Department, will sponsor a districtwide student mock election.

The ballot with both the presidential candidate race and the U.S. Senate race will be available to more than 68,000 students countywide.

Students will cast a ballot using a web-based voting platform known as DoubleClick Democracy, which is supported by KidsVoting USA.

Participating students will receive an “I Voted” sticker, and can view the results on the Supervisor of Elections’ website, PascoVotes.com, after 7 p.m., on Election Day, Nov. 6.

Video contest winners
The IPO Education Foundation has selected its 2018 IPO Video Contest winners.

The contest, in its eighth year, encouraged contestants to visually illustrate how inventors play a critical role in growing the economy, and improving the general well-being of individuals and societies.

One winner in each category received a cash prize or scholarship and a trip to Washington D.C., for IPO’s annual awards dinner.

This year, a new category, Enter for Charity, was added, with the cash prize going to the charity of the winner’s choice.

Catherine Tomasello, of Land O’ Lakes, won a $3,000 cash prize for ages 13 to 15.

A total of more than $20,000 was awarded by the IPO Education Foundation.

Step Up For Students gets $25,000
Liberty National Life Insurance Company, a provider of life and supplemental health insurance, made a $25,000 contribution to Step Up For Students, funding three K-12 scholarships during the 2018-2019 school year.

The scholarships will allow lower-income children the opportunity to attend the school that best meets their learning needs.

For the 2018-2019 school year, Step Up For Students is serving more than 98,500 students throughout Florida with tuition scholarships valued at up to $6,519 per student for kindergarten through fifth grade, $6,815 for sixth through eighth grade, and $7,111 for ninth through 12th grade.

More than 1,750 private schools participate in the scholarship program statewide.

For information, visit StepUpForStudents.org.

Students meet with Rubio staff
Saint Leo University hosted office hours for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).

Jonathan Torres, Gulf Coast regional director for Rubio’s office, met with students, faculty, staff and members of the surrounding Pasco County community.

Several of Saint Leo’s social work students met with Torres to discuss issues such as immigration and human trafficking.

Freshman Amanda Baxter, a criminal justice major who is interested in political science, met with Torres to talk about careers in politics and government.

Berkeley Prep open house
Berkeley Preparatory School, an independent Episcopal day school for boys and girls, will host two open houses, at 4811 Kelly Road in Tampa.

  • Oct. 28 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., for grades six to 12. Registration begins at 1:30 p.m., followed by a program at 2 p.m., in the Lykes Center for the Performing Arts.
  • Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., for prekindergarten through fifth grade. Registrations begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by a program at 9 a.m., in the Seivold Center for Early Childhood Education, Casper Family Piazza.

For information, visit BerkeleyPrep.org/openhouse.

Poster and poem contest
Paralyzed Veterans of America has launched its 15th annual Veterans Day National Poster and Poem Contest, to showcase the artistic talents and patriotic pride of young students for disabled veterans in their communities.

The theme for this year’s contest is “Help Our Veterans Be UnstoppABLE in Your Community.”

Participants are asked to draw a poster or write a poem showing or telling how they can help make their community more accessible for veterans who use wheelchairs.

The poster contest is open to students in first grade to fourth grade. The poem contest is open to students in grades five to eight.

Entries must be received by 5 p.m., on Oct. 29.

For information, including guidelines and how to enter, visit PVA.org/posterpoem.

Take a swing at supporting Girl Scouts

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Members of Girl Scout Troop 148 of Zephyrhills are working hard to raise money for a final camping trip. (Courtesy of Tammy Whitworth)

Girl Scout Troop 148 of Zephyrhills is made up of young girls currently in high school. Its members are working hard to raise money for a final camping trip that will take them to the Florida Caverns, to Arkansas to mine for diamonds, and to the Georgia border for white-water rafting.

As part of its fundraising efforts, the troop will sponsor a golf tournament on Nov. 10 at Silverado Golf & Country Club in Zephyrhills, and is looking for prize donations and sponsors for the event.

The four-person scramble format is expected to draw 120 participants. The cost per player is $50.

Items also are being accepted to put into goodie bags, and a hole sponsorship is $50.

All proceeds from the tournament will benefit Girl Scout Troop 148.

For information and questions, contact Tammy Whitworth, troop leader, at (813) 510-8561 or ; or call Tracy Sullivan at (813) 679-6200.

Published October 10, 2018

Halloween events aim to include those with sensory differences

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The Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), The Florida Aquarium and ZooTampa at Lowry Park are collaborating to raise awareness for autism in the Tampa Bay community through “Day of Discovery” Halloween events.

The events will provide special-needs families with unique programming, special animal encounters, enrichment and hands-on activities.

Each venue makes unique modifications regarding the environment setting, to ensure surroundings have been adapted for those individuals with sensory differences.

ZooTampa hosted “Sensory Creatures of the Night” on Oct. 6, allowing individuals to explore the zoo’s Halloween-themed areas through scavenger hunts.

Next up is MOSI’s sensory-friendly Trick-or-Treat on Oct. 20 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Working with Believe It and Achieve It Therapy Services of Tampa, the museum will set up a low-stress environment of lights and sounds, and invite guests to trick-or-treat throughout the museum. Children also can meet MOSI’s astronaut, Moonbase Mike, and have treats that are organic, gluten-free and dye-free. For information, visit MOSI.org.

The Florida Aquarium will participate on Oct. 27 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., by offering a sensory-friendly “Guppyween.”  The event will allow families to trick-or-treat throughout the aquarium in a low-stress environment, which includes a meet-and-greet with Tango, the sea turtle mascot. The 501st Legion and Rebel Forces also will join in for photo ops. For information, visit FlAquarium.org.

All three attractions also are planning Day of Discovery events in December, to continue to support and positively impact children and families of all abilities, and celebrate the spirit of inclusion in the Tampa Bay community.

Published October 10, 2018

Lottie is a social butterfly

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Lottie is an 8-year-old Labrador Retriever. She is an ‘ambassador of goodwill’ in her neighborhood, as she always greets passersby with a wagging tail and a roll over onto her back to elicit a good belly rub! Lottie likes other dogs, but prefers people company. A little bit sneaky, she enjoys slinking onto her owners’ bed after they have fallen asleep for the night. Lottie owns Gary and Barb Clark, of Land O’ Lakes.

Every gardener’s nightmare

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Ritchel Klingensmith found this worm on a tomato bush. Tomato hornworms can’t sting, and the caterpillars are harmless to humans and can be picked off plants without danger.