The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

Chalk Talk 05-13-15

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Students earn record number of recognitions at State Science and Engineering Fair
Of 25 Pasco County students earning the chance to compete in the state science and engineering fair, 16 received a total of 19 awards, the most in the county’s history.

Area winners were:

  • Pranov Warmen, Academy at the Lakes, first place mathematics
  • Roshan Warmen, Academy at the Lakes, second place physics
  • Nalin Mehra, Long Middle School, fourth place environmental
  • Anmol Warmen, Academy at the Lakes, honorable mention chemistry
  • Regan McCormick, Academy at the Lakes, honorable mention medicine
  • Kyla Huelle, Rushe Middle School, recognition zoology

Local students receiving scholarships and special awards were:

  • Regan McCormick, Academy at the Lakes, Florida Institute of Technology scholarship
  • Pranov Warmen, Academy at the Lakes, New College of Florida scholarship
  • Nura Abujbara, Wiregrass Ranch High School, Florida Museum of Natural History award
  • Kevin Cheng, Wiregrass Ranch High School, Palm Beach Regional Science & Engineering Fair award
  • Neto Coulibaly, Wiregrass Ranch High School, Florida Association of Science Supervisors award
  • Sarah Menard, Rushe Middle School, Palm Beach Regional Science & Engineering Fair award

Community Awareness Series at PHSC
Pasco-Hernando State College will offer its Community Awareness Series for the summer term. Guests can learn about health and human services programs provided by local agencies in Pasco County.

All sessions last about an hour and will be at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Deanna Krautner, health education program manager for Florida Department of Health in Pasco County, will present the first seminar in the series on May 21 at 4:30 p.m.

Upcoming seminars will be presented by Grace Maselli, president of National Alliance on Mental Illness Pasco County on June 11; and Sheri Lawrence, vice president of Pasco Mental Health Foundation Inc., on July 9.

For information, visit PHSC.edu/calendar.

Local students graduate Youth Leadership Pasco
The Youth Leadership Pasco Class of 2015 had its graduation ceremony at Heritage Springs Golf & Country Club. Thirty-five outstanding student leaders represented 16 public, private and charter high schools in Pasco County.

Youth Leadership Pasco is a leadership development program that informs, motivates and increases the awareness of selected high school-aged students through issue-oriented seminars and interaction with community leaders.

Class members participate in full-day program sessions, tours and candid conversations with community leaders on topics such as law enforcement, criminal justice, health care, government, economic development, media, education and career development

Local students in the 2015 graduating class were Ashley Allen and Spencer Brass of Wesley Chapel High School; Christopher Brown of Zephyrhills High School; Amy Deeb, Alicia Megnath and Torrie Pound of Sunlake High School; Sean Godinez of Land O’ Lakes High School; Thea Henry and Christian Rodriguez of Wiregrass Ranch High School; Nicholas Phillips of Bishop McLaughlin High School; and Maggie Plourde and Rebecca Taylor of Pasco High School.

Applications for the Youth Leadership Class of 2016 will be available in August.

For information, call (727) 534-4280, or visit LeadershipPasco.com.

Student Citizens recognized
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized Student Citizens at an April ceremony. Students are selected for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community.

Those honored were Bayllon Matson, Heritage Academy; Savannah Baptist, West Zephyrhills Elementary School; Andy Denton, The Broach School; Brooke Schulman, Zephyrhills High School; Johnathan Guy, Woodland Elementary School; Evan Burnside, Hope Learning Academy; Serenity Rommel, Taylor Elementary School; Aysia Sobers, East Pasco Adventist Academy; and Mariah Feliciano, Stewart Middle School.

Scholarship info for deaf students
Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida Inc., and Deaflinx, an online resource for information on deafness, deaf culture and American Sign Language, are teaming up to provide information on educational scholarships to persons who are hard of hearing.

For a listing of 30 scholarships and grants, visit Vicaps.com/scholarship-information.php.

GTE Financial accepting scholarship applications
GTE Financial’s Scholarship Program is now accepting applications from graduating high school seniors and college undergraduates for $2,500 scholarships.

Applications will be evaluated on the level of extracurricular community service involvement, essay content and academic achievements.

To apply, students must be a GTE Financial member and the primary account holder at the time of submission, and must be a graduating high school senior or an undergraduate student continuing to pursue an undergraduate degree.

Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater, and be attending courses full-time at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university, and demonstrate a commitment to community service.

Scholarship awards may be applied to tuition, fees, books, supplies and/or equipment required in the pursuit of a degree.

The deadline to apply is June 3.

For information and to apply, visit GTEFinancial.org/student.

Mitchell High class reunion
There will be a Mitchell High School class of 2005 reunion on June 6 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., at Jackson’s Bistro, 601 S. Harbour Island Blvd., in Tampa.

The cost of the cocktail reception is $75 per person and includes a three-hour open bar, hors d’oeuvres, sushi bar and a deejay. Also included is a complimentary wristband for an after-party at Backjack’s Lounge and Island bar.

All Mitchell High faculty, staff and alumni are invited.

For information, visit EventBrite.com/e/jw-mitchell-high-school-co-2005-reunion-tickets-13321140891.

Free summer VPK program
Primrose School at Collier Parkway, 23021 Weeks Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, is offering a free summer voluntary pre-kindergarten program for eligible families and their children. The program is for those who have not yet used their VPK voucher.

Applications are being accepted. Classes begin on June 15 and run through Aug. 10.

VPK hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an hour of rest at 12:30 p.m.

For information, call Angella Hart at (813) 242-7800.

GROCERY STORE NUTRITION TOUR

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Nutrition S’Mart of Wesley Chapel, 1821 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will host a grocery store tour May 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. There will be an aisle-by-aisle tour of healthier food choices by Megen Erwine, a registered dietitian nutritionist. Admission is free for members of the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Health & Wellness Center, and $5 for non-members. Preregistration is required. For reservations, call (813) 929-5252.

DEPRESSION AND AGING

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The Medical Center of Trinity, 9330 State Road 54, will have a seminar on Depression and the Aging on May 20 at noon. The guest speaker will be Elizabeth Statzer of Behavioral Health Services. Topics will include how to recognize signs and symptoms of depression as people age, and strategies for individuals to cope with the illness. Admission is free. A complimentary lunch will be served. Reservations are required. For information, call (727) 834-5630.

WATER SAFETY TUTORIAL

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The Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point will host a Tuesday Tutorial on Water Safety: Accidents & Drowning on May 19 at noon, at the Rao Musunuru MD Conference Center, 14100 Yosemite Drive in Hudson. The guest speaker will be Julio Vega, district vice president of YMCA of the Suncoast. A complimentary lunch will be served. Reservations are required. For information, call (727) 869-5498.

NUTRITION AND DIABETES

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The Medical Center of Trinity, 9330 State Road 54, will offer a class on Nutrition & Diabetes on May 19 at 10 a.m. Guests can learn the basic principles of nutrition, how meal timing works, how to make better food choices, and how carbohydrates, proteins and fats can affect blood sugar. Reservations are required. For information, call (727) 834-5630.

CUCUMBER SEMINAR

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Hillsborough County Aging Services will present a Florida Healthy Living Campaign seminar on the benefits of cucumbers May 15 at 11 a.m., at the Lutz Senior Center, 112 First Ave., N.W. For information, call (813) 264-3804.

GULFSIDE VOLUNTEER ORIENTATIONS

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Gulfside Hospice needs extra volunteers across Pasco County. There will be volunteer orientations at these locations:

  • May 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Center for Hospice Care, 5760 Dean Dairy Road in Zephyrhills, for all new volunteers in East Pasco.
  • May 18 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Lutz Thrift Shoppe, 1930 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., for new shop volunteers.

Volunteers must be at least 15 years old.

For information and reservations, call Tracey Thompson at (813) 780-1235.

CHATTERBOXES MEETING

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The Medical Center of Trinity, 9330 State Road 54, will host biweekly Chatterboxes support group meetings. The group assists those suffering from communication deficits as a result of a cerebral vascular accident or other neurological disorder. Caregivers and spouses are invited to attend. The next meeting is May 14 at 3 p.m. For information, call (727) 834-4445.

RECYCLE YOUR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

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The Disability Achievement Center, a nonprofit Center for Independent Living, is hosting a Medical Equipment Recycling Donation Drive May 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the parking lot of Home Depot, 8445 Little Road in New Port Richey.

The center assists persons with disabilities in Pasco and Pinellas counties, regardless of age or disability, to gain or maintain independence.

All donations are tax-deductible. Donations of mediations or edible products will not be accepted.

Donations must be in functioning condition and can include power chairs, scooters, porch lifts, manual wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, battery chargers, portable ramps and more.

For information, call (727) 539-7550, ext. 238, or email .

MOSI HURRICANE EXPO

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The Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa, will host the 2015 Tampa Bay Hurricane Expo on May 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The theme is Be Ready Tampa Bay. There will be activities for adults and children, educational displays, tips from experts, safety demonstrations, emergency vehicles displays, vendors, guest speakers and more. Admission is free, and includes access to MOSI’s permanent exhibit galleries. For information, visit TampaBayHurricaneExpo.com.