The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

A friendly, unique pet

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Don Keeley and his pet skunk, Tazer, live in Zephyrhills and they both love the U.S.A.! Pet skunks can be trained to sleep during the night and be active during the day. When not sleeping, skunks need lots of love and attention.

Holding on, for a snack

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Lorna Baker had fun watching the acrobatics of this red-bellied woodpecker on the bird feeder in her backyard, in Meadow Pointe in Wesley Chapel. Red-bellied woodpeckers are primarily a bird of the southeast, but in recent years have expanded their range to the north, as they adjust to life in suburbs and city parks. Despite its name, the belly is not often visible in the field.

Peeta and Katniss are best friends

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These two felines — Peeta and Katniss — are 3-year-old siblings. They enjoy sharing toys and treats, and love washing each other’s faces, playing tag, wrestling, and curling up together for naps. Peeta and Katniss are the proud owners of Cathy and Roger Quackenbush of Land O’ Lakes.

Enjoying a local snack

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Dennis Smith, of Land O’ Lakes, snapped a photo of this beauty — a pileated woodpecker — just one of four that he said has been coming to his yard to eat berries from a cherry laurel tree.

Health News 07/05/2023

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AdventHealth teamed up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ operations staff for a no-cost CPR training and certification class. (Courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division)

Learning life-saving techniques
AdventHealth provided no-cost CPR training and certification to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ operations staff, a result of NFL player Damar Hamlin’s collapse during a January game due to cardiac arrest, according to a news release. Cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death in young athletes.

In addition to the team’s trained medical personnel, certification training was open to all members of the Buccaneers’ operations staff, including coaches, trainers and additional staffers who may be present during a medical emergency situation.

The CPR program provides hands-on training and instruction on how to recognize the signs of cardiac arrest, perform CPR, and use an automated external defibrillator (AED).

“We are thrilled to work with our valued partners at AdventHealth to provide all members of our football operations staff with the opportunity to participate in this critical training that could save a life someday,” said Brian Ford, chief operating officers for the Buccaneers, in the release.

“Player safety is always our top priority, and this type of additional certified training provides us with yet another level of preparedness should an emergency situation arise in the future,” said Ford.

Water safety education
Now that summer has begun, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) encourages citizens to educate their friends and family on water safety. As the summer heat draws people toward pools, lakes and oceans, the threat of water-related incidents increases.

The PSO offers these suggestion to prevent water incidents:

  • Learn to swim
  • Know your swimming limitations
  • Know the water conditions ahead of time
  • Do not leave children unattended in or near water
  • Keep a fully charged phone and first aid kit poolside
  • Learn to perform CPR
  • Don’t swim farther than or hold your breath longer than you are able to.
  • Always swim with a buddy
  • Complete a safety inspection on your boat
  • Ensure your vessel has safety equipment, including life jackets and flares
  • File a float plan before boating

Funding available to fight opioid addiction
The Pasco County Opioid Task Force is seeking applications for treatment, prevention and recovery programs aimed at serving people who are affected by the opioid crisis in Pasco County. The application period for funding has been extended through July 14. The funding available exceeds $8 million and can be used to provide opioid and substance-use disorder services in our community.

Applicants are required to watch a one of these two informational sessions before applying:

For more information, visit MyPas.co/AdvisoryBoardsCommittees.

Chalk Talk 07/05/2023

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(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation)

Scholarship donation
Lisa Yeager, Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) Foundation advancement coordinator, recently spoke to Dade City Sunrise Rotary. Acting Club President Jennifer Ferguson, foundation events and marketing coordinator, presented Yeager with a $1,000 scholarship donation to the foundation to aid a deserving student attending PHSC’s East Campus in Dade City.

Donation Drive
Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s five offices will collect donations in July for the Pasco County School District’s ABC (Assist, Believe & Care) Program. ABC was created to provide financial assistance to students and their families who are experiencing economic hardship, especially when those needs interfere with the student’s ability to be academically successful.

“While the impact of COVID may be lessening, there are still many other challenges caused by these uncertain economic times,” Fasano said, in a news release.

“The strain can be enormous on a family, especially when a parent loses a job, or a single parent is struggling to raise children while doing all they can to make ends meet. Children without food, adequate clothing or other unmet needs often suffer academically,” said Fasano.

Cash donations go into a fund teachers can use when they see or learn of a need a student may have.

The donations can be made at any of the tax collector’s five office locations in Pasco County, or they can be mailed to: Tax Collector Mike Fasano, P.O. Box 276, Dade City, FL 33526. In the check’s memo line, write “Pasco ABC Program.”

For information, call 727-847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

Piano Festival
The Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival (RPPF) will launch its 11th season at the University of South Florida School of Music, now through July 17. The festival’s continuing theme is “Legacy of Piano and Planet.”

Founded by Rebecca Penneys in 2013 as her legacy project, RPPF boasts a multi-generational, internationally renowned faculty together with the most talented students from across the globe.

The public is invited to enjoy the festival including master classes, soirées, and satellite concerts at various venues throughout Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater, plus two live WUSF radio performances and the “2 Piano – 8 Hand Extravaganza Event” on July 15.

All events are free and open to the public. To learn more about the festival, visit RebeccaPenneysPianoFestival.org.

Summer Reading Challenge
Pasco County Libraries has launched its Summer Reading Challenge, “All Together Now,” at all Pasco library locations, now through July 31. Requirements include 600 minutes of reading and record-keeping in the Beanstack app.

Readers who complete the challenge will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift card, courtesy of Friends of the Library. Other individual prizes also will be up for grabs at all Pasco library branches.

To learn more, visit MyPas.co/SummerRead2023.

New partnership
Covenant Journey Academy (CJA), a Christian online school for kindergarten through 12th grade, announced a new partnership with America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU), to provide families with education-related financial services, according to a news release.

The partnership will allow all families enrolled with CJA to access such resources as: flexible tuition financing; Biblical financial literacy training materials; and student checking and savings accounts.

CJA is a full-service online Christian academy offering more than 150 courses, all taught by certified teachers. Its programs are designed to ensure students have the knowledge and ability to apply God’s truth to make sense of cultural issues facing the world today, according to the release.

To learn more about the academy, visit CJ.Academy, or call 407-875-1967.

For more information about ACCU, visit AmericasChristianCU.com, or call 800-343-6328.

Summer Haul Bus Pass
Students can ride Pasco County Public Transportation (GoPasco) buses all summer through Aug. 31 for just $20.

The special student-rate passes can be purchased at these places:

  • GoPasco Administrative Office, 8620 Galen Wilson Blvd., New Port Richey
  • Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s Office, East/West Pasco Government Centers
  • Pasco-Hernando State College bookstores – New Port Richey, Dade City and Wesley Chapel
  • County libraries, various locations

For more information on the pass and GoPasco bus routes and schedules, visit MyPas.co/SummerBusPass.

Library reading program
The Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library will host its summer reading program with interactive events, reading challenges and prizes for all ages.

Join the Reading Challenge, through the registration portal of Beanstack, to log reading and activities to unlock digital badges and prizes. The portal includes themed suggestions for kids, tweens, teens and adults.

Reading during the school-year gap can help critical thinking skills and the ability to retain information, as well as encourage an interest in reading for pleasure.

Children can participate simultaneously in the Reading with the Rays program, too.

Pick up a Reading with the Rays game card at your library to be eligible for more prizes. Once a game card is completed, participants can turn it into their local library for a chance to win Tampa Bay Rays prizes, including tickets to a home game.

Visit MLB.com/rays/community/reading to download a game card.

A time to celebrate our freedom!

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Independence Day is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America.

The Laker/Lutz News staff wishes everyone a safe holiday, whether you are attending fireworks, family reunions, concerts, barbecues, picnics, parades or baseball games!

Best Maternity Hospitals named

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AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Tampa have both been awarded on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2023, according to a news release.

(Mike Camunas)

Three data sources were used for the evaluation:

  • Nationwide online survey — health care professionals and hospital managers with knowledge about maternity processes, e.g., neonatal and perinatal doctors, nurses and midwives were asked to recommend leading maternity hospitals in the United States
  • Medical KPIs on hospitals with a focus on indicators relevant to maternity care
  • Results from patient surveys

“Having two of our Tampa Bay area hospitals on this list is a tremendous honor and validates the exceptional quality of our maternity services across AdventHealth’s West Florida Division,” said Dr. Robin McGuinness, chief nurse executive, in the release.

“It reaffirms our commitment to providing comprehensive, compassionate, and whole-person care to expectant mothers and their families. We are proud to be recognized among the top maternity hospitals in the nation,” said McGuinness.

Both facilities have a robust offering of resources for new and expecting parents, including lactation consultants and classes, labor and delivery rooms, and private postpartum rooms.

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel also was designated baby-friendly, for having the highest standards of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

AdventHealth Tampa will begin an OB/GYN Residency program in Summer 2024.

Hazel is always happy, happy, happy

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Hazel is a 5 year old chocolate Labrador. She is a wonderful family pet who loves to swim, play frisbee and even sing along with the piano. She is friendly toward all people and animals, and even has a sign hanging by her room that truthfully says, ‘Beware of dog kisses!’ Hazel lives with Elisabeth Cordrey in Land O’ Lakes.

A way of life for this sailor

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David Andralouis (Courtesy of Communication Specialist 1st Class Josiah Trombley, Navy Office of Community Outreach)

Petty Officer 1st Class David Andralouis, a Wesley Chapel native, is one of the sailors supporting a 123-year tradition of service under the sea to help ensure the safety of Americans, according to  a Navy Office of Community Outreach news release.  Andralouis joined the Navy 12 years ago and today serves as a mission technician with Trident Training Facility Kings Bay. ‘Serving in the Navy is my way of life,’ Andralouis said, in the release. ‘It’s been a great challenge with great reward.’

Submariners make up only 10% of the U.S. Navy’s personnel, but they play a critical role in carrying out strategic deterrence, one of the most important roles in the Department of Defense, according to the release.