The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

Meet Fred and Jolene

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Fred and Jolene are Bengals, and bring smiles to their owners’ faces and laughter to the family every day. Both felines love to play fetch and love to chase milk rings around the house. Fred and Jolene live with their proud owners, Alan and Kris Fischer, in Lutz.

Honeybees are important pollinators

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Cathy Vitone spied this honeybee at her Ligustrum shrubbery in her front yard in Land O’ Lakes. Honeybees are important pollinators for flowers, fruits, and vegetables. There are three types of honeybees: Workers forage for food (pollen and nectar from flowers); the Queen regulates the hive’s activities by producing a chemical to guide the behavior of other bees; and Drones live in the hive during the spring and summer. All honeybees are social and cooperative insects. 

It’s a sweet season for picking

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Blueberry season in Florida has opened, giving family and friends an opportunity to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, while picking their own supply of the fruit.

Besides boasting a rich flavor, blueberries are packed with antioxidants — providing health benefits and giving people a chance to have fun while gathering the berries.

The Florida Agritourism Association offers the opportunity for added income, helping to ensure the next generation of Florida farmers, according to a news release.

Here is a sample of local farms that offer blueberry u-pick events:

For year-round information on agritourism events and a list of u-pick farms in Florida, follow the Florida Agritourism Association online at VisitFloridaFarms.com, on Facebook, or download the association’s free app in the Apple or Android app stores.

Published March 29, 2023

Health News 03/29/2023

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Grant funding
The Florida Department of Children and Families announced $21 million in available funding for essential programs to enhance mental health crisis services in Florida’s communities and the Recruit and Maintain Behavioral Health Professionals grant program through select managing entities, according to a news release.

Funding will be allocated for crisis services and supports that help to address specific community needs deploying a three-pronged approach focused on prevention, intervention and recovery.

The services provided include immediate triage, assessment, care coordination/case management, and crisis intervention for individuals with behavioral health challenges.

In addition, through the grant opportunity, funding will support increased recruitment and retention efforts for behavioral health professionals; professional development opportunities for the existing workforce that allow upward mobility; and the development of innovative workforce initiates, the release said.

Specifically, the grants will focus on recruitment and retention of these types of professionals: Social work, psychology, marriage and family therapists, mental health therapists, psychiatrists and certified peer specialists.

Nursing award
The Florida Association of School Nurses (FASN) has named Pasco County Schools’ Amy Ponce as the Excellence in School Nursing: School Nurse Administrator of the Year (2023). Ponce is the first recipient of the statewide award, according to a news release.

Ponce, who has worked for Pasco County Schools for 10 years, now oversees all School Health Services for the school district.

The FASN described Ponce as a dedicated and effective medical professional who has “consistently improved the practice of school nursing in Pasco,” and who has been instrumental in supporting school nurses around the state and increasing leadership growth among school nurses, the release said.

“Amy Ponce is a great supervisor and a great advocate for school health. We are fortunate to have her here in Pasco,” said Superintendent Kurt Browning.

Browning recalled when Ponce was a school-based nurse in 2018, she was instrumental in saving the life of a high school student by performing CPR after the student suffered a heart attack.

Chalk Talk 03/29/2023

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(Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Student Citizens honored
The East Pasco Chamber Foundation in partnership with The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized 10 students as Student Citizens of the Month for March. Students are chosen by the teachers and administration of their individual schools for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community. Students receiving recognition were: Blake Wable, Academy of Spectrum Diversity; Hayla Cowart, The Broach School; Amelia Baer, The Broach School Elementary Campus; Sofia Munoz, Taylor Elementary School; Sophia Moretta, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Isabella Payne, Heritage Academy; Ayden Morel, Stewart Middle; Jackson Gonzalez, West Zephyrhills Elementary; Luciana Cappello, Woodland Elementary; and Aiden Macumber, Zephyrhills High.

Campus celebration
Pasco-Hernando State College will host a free Spring Hill Campus Anniversary Celebration on April 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 450 Beverly Court in Spring Hill, in recognition of PHSC’s 50th anniversary and Earth Day and Sustainability Month. Guests also can visit a student art exhibit that focuses on sustainability at the Rao Musunuru M.D. Conference Center. To RSVP, visit tinyurl.com/4yjzbef4.

Financial Literacy Month
April is Financial Literacy Month and Pasco County Schools again will offer a Financial Literacy Experience that will include:

  • An in-person learning opportunity for staff, students and the community through the USF Stavros Center
  • A comprehensive website with resources and webinars for students, staff and the community on financial literacy and financial planning
  • Partnerships with local banks and Everfi to offer in-person and virtual lessons in schools

For information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/oll_documents/financial-literacy-month.

One-Act Plays
Saint Leo University’s theater program will present “Menagerie” on March 30 and April 1 at 7 p.m., and on April 1 and April 2 at 3 p.m. The performance consists of three one-act plays written, directed, staged and performed by the school’s seniors who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater, along with other Saint Leo students.

The show will be in the Black Box Theatre in Benedictine Hall, on the west side of University Campus, 33701 County Road 52 in St. Leo.

Advance tickets are $5 online and $6 on the day of the performance if seats are available. To purchase tickets, visit OnTheStage.tickets/show/saint-leo-university, and click on “Our Season.”

Paws to Read
The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host “Paws to Read at the Ranch” on April 1 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., for kindergarten through fifth grade. Participants can practice their reading skills by reading aloud to one of the furry friends from Sharing Our World Therapy Dogs. Bring your own book, or stop by early and check out something from the library. Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org.

Easter breakfast
The East Pasco Education Academy, 35830 State Road 52 in Dade City, will host Breakfast with the Easter Bunny on April 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. There will be a pancake breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., followed by an Easter Egg Hunt, games and a petting zoo area for children ages 12 and younger, who will receive an Easter bag. The pre-purchase ticket price is $10 per person. Free cinnamon rolls to the first 50 people who register. For information and to register,  visit tinyurl.com/4ek3a4n3.

Woman’s club scholarships
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club will award $5,000 Lutz Volunteer Firefighter Endowment scholarships to two Lutz resident students and three additional $2,000 awards, for a total of $16,000 in scholarship grants. The club is accepting applications from high school seniors with a Lutz or Land O’ Lakes home address. Applications can be found online at GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org. The deadline to submit is April 3. For questions, email Lucy Albury at .

‘Crack the Spine’
Join the staff of the Sandhill Review and the Department of Language Studies and the Arts as they “Crack the Spine” on the 2023 issue of Saint Leo University’s literary magazine on April 5, at University Campus, 33701 State Road 52, in St. Leo, in the Black Box Theatre in Benedictine Hall.

The event will include mingling and frivolity at 6 p.m., with readings from the new issue themed “The Unfamiliar” at 6:30 p.m.

Writers will read from their original works and artwork from the current online issue will be on display.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted in support of the Sandhill Review.

For information, contact Editor-in-Chief Gianna Russo at or 352-588-8282.

Reusable Art Contest
Hillsborough County Public Schools’ (HCPS) district energy program, powerED, is hosting its “Choose to Reuse” 2023 Reusable Art Contest. All kindergarten through 12th grade HCPS students can submit artwork, which can be created by individual artists or by a team of no more than two artists.

The deadline for submissions is April 7 at 4 p.m. Artwork must be submitted to , with the subject “Reusable Art Filename: (Artist Name/Names_Grade_School).”

For questions, contact your school’s Green Team lead, or email .

For information, visit Hillsborough County Public Schools on Facebook.

Celebrating educators
Irish 31 Pub House and Eatery, its iCare Foundation, and community partners are celebrating the I.R.I.S.H. (influential, reliable, impassioned, selfless, humble) in those who have an undeniable impact on youth.  The sixth annual iCare Foundation Cheers to Public Service Awards will reward 25 extraordinary local educators — teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade in Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas counties. Those chosen will receive $1,000 plus other gifts from friends of the program. For more information and to nominate someone, visit Irish31.com/cheers. The deadline is April 7.

Career & Tech Expo
Pasco County Schools will host a Beyond: Career & Tech Expo on April 18 at Fivay High School, 12115 Chicago Ave., Hudson; and on April 20 at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, 9100 Curley Road in Wesley Chapel. These expos provide graduating seniors with real-world connections to businesses, post-secondary institutions, on-the-job training, employment and more. Seniors from neighboring schools can attend the expo closest to them. Students must register with their school’s career specialist by April 11 to attend.

Student recognitions
The Rosen Plaza Hotel recently hosted the statewide annual Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Educational Foundation Hospitality & Tourism Management Program (19th year) and ProStart Culinary Competition (22nd year). A total of 340 Florida high school students from 46 schools competed.

Florida is the only state to host a statewide competition for the hospitality and tourism program. Students in that program competed in categories including: Hotel Operations, Hospitality Project and the Knowledge Bowl. ProStart students competed in categories including: Culinary, Management, Edible Centerpiece and Waiter’s Relay.

Winners will advance to the national ProStart Invitational in Washington D.C., in May, which is hosted by the National Restaurant Association.

These area students were recognized:

  • Payton Miller, Steinbrenner High School, Lutz: Edible Centerpiece Competition, third place
  • Sophie Lopez, Amaya Pollack and Julissa Teran, Steinbrenner High: Waiter’s Relay Competition, fifth place

The Steinbrenner students were instructed by Cheryl White.

At the Salute to Excellence Award ceremony, students were awarded for their respective competition categories and received scholarships.

Parent Network
Pasco County Schools will host a virtual districtwide ESE/504 Parent Collaborative Network on April 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The meeting is to provide an opportunity to share new or important information and initiatives related to students with disabilities with an Individualized Education Plan or 504 plan, and to present topics in parent-identified areas of need. This is not an individual student meeting. To attend, visit https://tinyurl.com/y3ts7xh8 and click on RSVP to indicate your intent to participate. For information and questions, email Jennifer Hykes at .

Living History Event
The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, will host a Special Field Trip Day for its World War II Living History Event on April 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only. Public, private and home-school students are welcome to attend. The field trip is not open to the public. Pre-registration is required at PioneerFloridaMuseum.org. Admission is $5 for students and chaperones. For information, visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org, or call 352-567-0262.

Awards of Excellence
Pasco-Hernando State College has selected its recipients of the 2023 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards.

Professor Rene Brioso, information technology; Jessica Hinds, associate director of curriculum support and education preparation institute; Assistant Professor Frank Mancuso, emergency medical programs; and Professor David Ratisher, information technology, will join the ranks of past distinguished award recipients and be recognized during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, May 27 to May 30 in Austin, Texas.

NISOD’s Excellence Awards recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues.

Recipients receive a specially cast pewter medallion hung on a burnt-orange ribbon. The names, titles, and colleges of all award recipients are included in a special booklet that features congratulatory ads from many of the recipients’ colleges.

In addition, presentations at the conference involving Excellence Award recipients are indicated in the Conference Program with a special icon.

Loving the Florida sunshine

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Musette and Jacques are Bichon Frises are sweet and loving, enjoy walks, and food and treats. Both dogs are happy that they moved from Minnesota to Florida three years ago. Musette and Jacques live with Janet Luick in Land O’ Lakes.

The smallest falcon

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Bonnie Caston, of Zephyrhills, sent in this photo of American Kestrels in her backyard. She said the pair has been mating and she is excited to see the babies in the near future. According to the Audubon Society, these kestrels inhabit any kind of open or semi-open space, from forest clearings to farmland to desert, wherever they can find adequate prey and some raised perches. During the breeding season, they may be limited to habitats that also provide appropriate nesting sites.

Local artists shine at fine arts show

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The Zephyrhills Art Club (ZAC) hosted a Fine Arts Show on March 10 and March 11, featuring the works of numerous local artists.

The show was held at First Baptist Church in Zephyrhills. In addition to the artwork, the event featured raffle baskets, silent auction items and a ZACporium that housed a collection of used frames, art books, canvas, easels, art supplies and other art-related items available for purchase.

The art club is an organization of artists who work together to enhance the appreciation of fine art in the communities and to provide for the promotional and educational needs of artists, according to its Facebook page.

Winners in various categories were:

  • Abstracts: Judy Rogers, first place
  • Abstracts: Sue Rhinehart, first show winner
  • Animals: Patricia Lynn Ashford, first place
  • Best of Show: Thomas Gale
  • Flowers/Still Life: Elaine Marisch, first place
  • People: Sally Yoder, first place
  • People’s Choice: Sandra Lallemand
  • Portraits/Miniatures: Kelly Colton, first place
  • Sculpture: Virginia Drouillard, first place
  • Seascapes: Thomas Gale, first place

Published March 22, 2023

Sally Yoder
Thomas Gale
Patricia Lynn Ashford

Health News 03/22/2023

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(Courtesy of Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department)

Painting for Purpose sparks creativity
Participants of the Painting for Purpose event last month, at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex, show off their take-home creations as part of the RECreate Your Mind Mental Health Awareness campaign aimed to use leisure services as a catalyst to promote mental well-being and stress relief. The class was led by Guava-Rose, also the complex’s yoga instructor. For more information about upcoming campaign activities, call 813-345-3145.

New hospital opens
BayCare Health System has opened its newest state-of-the-art hospital at 4501 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. The 86-bed, 318,000-square-foot hospital will provide comprehensive medical services and health care resources, including an emergency department, intensive care unit with virtual-monitoring beds, diagnostic services such as imaging and lab, and surgical services. For more information, visit BayCareWesleyChapel.org.

Trauma Center verification
HCA Florida Bayonet Hospital is a Verified Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT), a voluntary process designed to evaluate and improve trauma care, according to a news release.

The hospital is a designated Level 2 Trauma Center by the Florida Department of Health and the ACS process verifies that the hospital has the resources listed in the COT’s current Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual.

The Bayonet hospital is the only designated Trauma Center in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.

It recently opened a 30-bed Inpatient Rehabilitation Center to further support the rehabilitative needs of patients recovering from a wide range of illness and injury, including trauma.

Human Trafficking
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano has announced that 100% of the tax collector’s office employees are trained in human trafficking awareness — every active employee has completed an extensive training in the recognition of human trafficking, according to a news release.
The office is now part of Attorney General Ashley Moody’s “100% Club,” a designation that indicates the agency has taken the proactive steps needed to train employees to recognize the signs of human trafficking and have been given the resources to report the indications to law enforcement, the release said.

“I applaud Staff Development Manager Alicia Albanese and her staff for putting in the hard work to ensure that all 229 active employees of the tax collector’s office have been trained to recognize the red flags of this crime,” said Fasano, in the release.

“Utilizing curriculum created by the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking, we have taken the positive steps needed to make sure our employees are fully trained in spotting human trafficking in its many forms,” said Fasano.

New tumor treatment
Advanced Cancer Treatment Centers now uses a combination of imaging and motion management technologies from Varian Medical Systems to treat a wide range of cases involving moving tumors, according to a news release.

The treatment combines the use of Varian’s On-Board Imager device for automated, image-guided patient positioning with Varian’s respiratory gating for synchronizing treatment with the patient’s respiratory cycle, the release said.

Respiratory gating is a non-invasive technique for dealing with tumor motion during radiation therapy treatments for cancer. The computer-aided technique synchronizes the radiation therapy with a patient’s breathing patterns. This enables doctors to safely treat lung and other cancers of the chest and abdomen with radiation therapy, while exposing less volume of healthy tissue to radiation.

“Respiratory gating lets us treat during only part of the respiratory cycle and that allows us to minimize tumor motion so we will be aiming at a smaller area for treatments,” said Dr. Clayton Alonso, board-certified radiation oncologist, in the release.

For more information, visit ACTCHealth.com, or call 352-345-4565.

Chalk Talk 03/22/2023

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From left: One Community Now’s Patti Templeton; Brandie Grizzel, St. Vincent DePaul CARES; Saint
Leo student Reese Hathaway; and Saint Leo faculty member Khalilah Louis-Caines. Not pictured is Angie Bonfardino-Walesek, CEO of United Way of Hernando County. (Courtesy of Caroline Jorgensen, Saint Leo University)

Influential women honored
Saint Leo University’s second “Influential Women of Social Work” event on March 6 celebrated women who work in the field, community partners that aid those in need, and outstanding students who have chosen a career to serve others and advocate for change to make sure individuals have access to adequate food, housing and health care.

Those receiving recognition were:

  • Reese Hathaway — Social Work Student of the Year
  • Khalilah Louis-Caines — Social Work Educator of the Year
  • Angie Bonfardino-Walesek — Public Citizen Honoree Award
  • One Community Now — Rising to the Challenge Award
  • Brandie Grizzel — Social Work Trailblazer

Scholarships were awarded to these Bachelor of Social Work students:

  • Sylvia Chaney, Tampa
  • Karen Cummins, San Antonio
  • Yvenie Desrosiers, Lehigh Acres
  • Reese Hathaway, Shannock, Rhode Island
  • Magan Martinez, Apollo Beach
  • Brittany Pedraza, Spring Hill

Bounce Party benefit
The Union Park Charter Academy, 32775 Oldwoods Ave., in Wesley Chapel, will host a Pasco Kids Bounce Party on March 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., to benefit the academy, hosted by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel. The event will include 16 inflatables for kids with obstacle courses, bounce houses, slides, games and more. Food also will be for sale.

The cost is $20 per child for a play-all-day wristband. Parents are free and must supervise their children and be present at all times. To buy tickets, visit Pasco Kids Bounce Party on Facebook.

For information, call 813-358-7306.

One-Act Plays
Saint Leo University’s theater program will present “Menagerie” on March 30 and April 1 at 7 p.m., and on April 1 and April 2 at 3 p.m. The performance consists of three one-act plays written, directed, staged and performed by the school’s seniors who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater, along with other Saint Leo students.

The show will be in the Black Box Theatre in Benedictine Hall, on the west side of University Campus, 33701 County Road 52 in St. Leo.

Advance tickets are $5 online and $6 on the day of the performance if seats are available. To purchase tickets, visit OnTheStage.tickets/show/saint-leo-university, and click on “Our Season.”

Paws to Read
The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host “Paws to Read at the Ranch” on April 1 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., for kindergarten through fifth grade.

Participants can practice their reading skills by reading aloud to one of the furry friends from Sharing Our World Therapy Dogs. Bring your own book, or stop by early and check out something from the library.

Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org.

Easter breakfast
The East Pasco Education Academy, 35830 State Road 52 in Dade City, will host Breakfast with the Easter Bunny on April 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. There will be a pancake breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., followed by an Easter Egg Hunt, games and a petting zoo area for children ages 12 and younger, who will receive an Easter bag.

The pre-purchase ticket price is $10 per person. Free cinnamon rolls to the first 50 people who register. For information and to register, visit tinyurl.com/4ek3a4n3.

Woman’s club scholarships
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club will award $5,000 Lutz Volunteer Firefighter Endowment scholarships to two Lutz resident students and three additional $2,000 awards, for a total of $16,000 in scholarship grants.

The club is accepting applications from high school seniors with a Lutz or Land O’ Lakes home address. Applications can be found online at GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org. The deadline to submit is April 3.

For questions, email Lucy Albury at .

Reusable Art Contest
Hillsborough County Public Schools’ (HCPS) district energy program, powerED, is hosting its “Choose to Reuse” 2023 Reusable Art Contest. All kindergarten through 12th grade HCPS students can submit artwork, which can be created by individual artists or by a team of no more than two artists.

The deadline for submissions is April 7 at 4 p.m. Artwork must be submitted to , with the subject “Reusable Art Filename: (Artist Name/Names_Grade_School).”

For questions, contact your school’s Green Team lead, or email .

For information, visit Hillsborough County Public Schools on Facebook.

Celebrating educators
Irish 31 Pub House and Eatery, its iCare Foundation, and community partners are celebrating the I.R.I.S.H. (influential, reliable, impassioned, selfless, humble) in those who have an undeniable impact on youth.  The sixth annual iCare Foundation Cheers to Public Service Awards will reward 25 extraordinary local educators — teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade in Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas counties.

Those chosen will receive $1,000 plus other gifts from friends of the program.

For more information and to nominate someone, visit Irish31.com/cheers. The deadline is April 7.