The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

ROMANTIC STORY CONTEST

By

Craven Chiropractic, 5402 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Suite 105 in Land O’ Lakes, is inviting area residents to share their most romantic story and is giving a $50 multiple restaurant gift card to the winner. Submit your story to , or drop a copy off at the office. Be sure to include your name and address on the entry. Stories will be published on Craven Chiropractic’s Facebook page. If requested, names will be withheld. Deadline for entries is Feb. 9 at 9 a.m.

Gem Estates: Refreshed and remodeled

By

Activities at Gem Estates have not slowed down now that the Christmas Holidays are behind us. We’re busier than ever. Seems like all the activities have increased in attendance. It’s great to have “newer” people bringing their thoughts, knowledge and ideas to inspire and refresh our usual programs.

The Coffee and Doughnuts Social Hour directed by our president, Al Bennett, brings a lot of inspiration to join the club programs.

Mary Kay Lynch, in charge of bingo games every Wednesday night, announced our first bingo game was a little short in attendance, but still had enough people to make it interesting. Our games are open to the public. Early Bird starts at 6:30 p.m., and regular bingo at 7 p.m., so come out to our park, you bingo lovers!

Prayers were said for several of our members who are ill or having a trying time. Betty York, recently moved north and is recovering from pneumonia; Millie Smith and Joe Casey recovering from painful shoulder surgery; Les Hoover, Betty Wilson still in rehab; and Neva Roy recovering from back surgery. Sure hope everyone is soon on the road to full recovery.

Gem Estates got a commendation from the Marine Corps because of our full contribution with Toys for Tots.

We had lots of visitors that came for the holidays. Bev and Ernie Martin entertained their daughter, Brenda, and son-in-law, Horace Moody from Pittston, Maine. Some recent returnees were Paul and Sylvia Griffin from Ontario, Canada, and also Ellie and Keith Brookins from Michigan.

Winners for our Monday euchre game were John Raab for the men, and Mae Slipp for the ladies.

The park yard sale was touted as the best one yet, even though we had a lot of competition with Pigz in Z’Hills going on at the airport, and a lot of parks were also having yard sales, plus there was a memorial service for Les Ott, a past president of our association who was instrumental in us buying our park and being individually owned. The service was at the Lutheran church.

Mary Kay Lynch headed the blood drive scheduled for Jan.22. It is amazing to see the Big Red Bus all over town.

Mary Ann McGouldrick and Lois Sprague are keeping our library in top shape. What a pleasure to be able to look for a certain author and finding it quickly.

Ron Raymond, our maintenance chairman, is doing a wonderful job, and as usual, it takes a lot of volunteers to accomplish all that has been done. Our really nice white fence and clubhouse have been cleaned by Bill Files, Ken Mann, Keith Babbitt, Steve Files, Gary Coons, Lou McGouldrick and Wayne Macomber.

The brush and weeds around the perimeter and around the entrance were cut and picked up by John Brogan, Bill Stacy, Marlin Thomas, Dan Bluhm, Butch Skidmore, Bill and Steve Files, and Don Perdue.

Ed Littlefield finished all the last-minute work in our newly remodeled kitchen area, while Earl Sprague did a much-needed job of washing the street signs and yield signs.

Once the addition to our clubhouse was completed, it gave us a chance to clean out a lot of stuff from our storage shed that we could put in our park yard sale. Vic Botting and our president, Al Bennett, did a good job of sorting out and deciding what to keep.

Dick Thompson is doing a great job of helping us with some super computer knowledge.

There are a number of January birthdays, including Ray Mercer, Beverly Martin, Joe Casey, Jack Massoll, Paula Beck, Bill Mayer, Randall Smith, Mary Ann McGouldrick and Barbara Cleavenger. Happy Birthday to all!

Steve and Joann Files are celebrating an anniversary this month.

By Lee Heffelfinger

Published January 28, 2015

 

‘BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’

By

Sunlake High School will present Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” musical at 6 p.m., on Feb. 4 and Feb.5, and at 7 p.m., Feb. 6 at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel. Advance tickets for Feb. 4 are $8, and $10 at the door. Advance tickets for Feb. 5 and Feb. 6 are $10, and $15 at the door. For information, call (813) 346-1000.

Health 01-28-15

By

HealthParadise Lakes raises $1,000 for hospice
The residents of Paradise Lakes Resort in Lutz raised $1,000 to support patient care and bereavement services in Pasco County by hosting a Texas Hold’em poker tournament and bingo tournament. Celebrating the outcome are, from left, Erin Labbe, Gulfside’s special events coordinator; Linda Browning, a Gulfside thrift shop manager; and Barbara Hale and MJ McNamara who organized the event. (Courtesy of Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care)

NAMI offers support
The Pasco County Chapter of National Alliance on Mental Illness offers the following support groups:

Family & Friends Support Meetings for family and friends of those with mental illness:

  • Atonement Lutheran Church, 29617 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, first and third Tuesday of every month, at 7 p.m. This is a new location, starting Feb. 3.
  • Medical Center of Trinity West Campus, 5637 Marine Parkway in New Port Richey, second and fourth Monday of every month, at 7:30 p.m.

NAMI Connections for those living with mental illness:

  • NAMI Pasco Office, 6480 Jallo Plaza, 6480 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, every Tuesday, at 7 p.m.
  • Medical Center of Trinity West Campus, 5637 Marine Parkway in New Port Richey, every Wednesday, at 7 p.m.

For information, call (727) 992-9653.

Tobacco cessation class
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, 14000 Fivay Road in Hudson, will offer the IQuit tobacco cessation class Jan. 29 at 1 p.m.

Participants can learn the health risks of tobacco use, the benefits of quitting, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, and receive nicotine replacement therapy products.

The class is free.

To register, call Kadie Kluttz at (813) 929-1000, ext. 208, or email .

Access Health lecture
Access Health Care, 5350 Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill, will offer a lecture on “Weight Reduction: Smart Moves Make This Happen” Jan. 29 at 5:15 p.m.

For information, call Dr. Maria Scunziano-Singh at (352) 688-8116.

Health care reform help
The Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., will host a free event Feb. 2 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., for anyone who needs to see if they qualify for health care assistance.

There will be door prizes and light snacks.

For information, call (813) 995-0078.

Diabetes self-management
The Medical Center of Trinity, 9330 State Road 54 in Trinity, will have a diabetes self-management workshop on Monday mornings at 9 a.m., beginning Feb. 2 through March 9. The workshop is once a week, for six weeks.

The topics covered will include how techniques to deal with symptoms, appropriate exercise, healthy eating, use of medication, and working with health care providers.

For information and reservations, call (727) 834-5630.

Healthy eating workshop
Community Aging & Retirement Services will offer a healthy eating workshop every Monday at 6 p.m., starting Feb. 2 through May 11 at Hudson Wesleyan Church, 7208 Terrace Drive.

Participants can learn how to properly balance the right foods, set realistic goals, and cope with triggers for unhealthy eating.

There also will be tips for making better selections while food shopping and dining out.

Admission is free. For reservations, call CARES at (727) 862-9291, ext. 2008.

Gulfside orientations
Gulfside Hospice will host orientations for new volunteers as follows:

  • Feb. 2 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Gulfside Lutz Thrift Shoppe, 1930 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., for shop volunteers.
  • Feb. 5 and Feb. 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Gulfside’s Center for Hospice Care, 5760 Dean Dairy Road in Zephyrhills, for East Pasco volunteers.
  • Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Gulfside’s Bereavement and Community Outreach Center, 6230 Lafayette St., in New Port Richey, for West Pasco volunteers.

For information, call Kathie Poole at (727) 845-5707 for NPR class, or Tracey Thompson at (813) 780-1235 for East and West orientations.

Tuesday Tutorials
The Heart Institute at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point will present a series of Tuesday Tutorials with complimentary lunch at the Rao Musunuru Conference Center, 14100 Yosemite Drive in Hudson.

All programs begin at noon.

The first tutorial is Feb. 3 on “How to Prevent Your Own Heart from Attacking You.”

The focus will be on primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.

For information and reservations, call (727) 869-5498.

Arthritis seminar Feb. 3
The Health & Wellness Center at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, 2700 Healing Way, will offer a “Nutrition and Exercise Interventions for Arthritis” seminar Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m.

Participants can learn how to deal with chronic arthritis through diet and exercise, and find out which foods can reduce inflammation and which foods trigger joint pain.

The seminar is free for center members, and $5 for non-members.

For information and reservations, call (813) 929- 5432.

Heart healthy nutrition class
The Heart Institute at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, 14000 Fivay Road in Hudson, will offer a heart healthy nutrition class Feb. 3 at 1 p.m.

Participants can learn eating habits to help prevent and treat heart disease, food label reading and recipe modification. Food shopping will be discussed.

Handouts will be provided for take-home reference.

For information and reservations, call (727) 869-5498.

Senior Nights at FHZH
Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, 7050 Gall Blvd., will host upcoming Senior Nights during February.

The first night is Feb. 3 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., in Creation Café.

There will be dinner and a guest speaker on the topic of “Heart Healthfulness.” Guests can learn how food choices impact heart health.

The cost is $5.99.

For information, call (813) 788-0411.

Peripheral neuropathy clinic opens
A free, volunteer-run clinic is now open in Tampa for the education and support of those diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy.

The clinic provides education and support in coping with neuropathy, dealing with physical limitations, home safety, and symptom management.

Space is limited and available by appointment only.

For information, call Cindy Tofthagen at (813) 252-0475, or email .

Heart health seminar

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will host a heart health seminar Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at its Wellness Plaza.

Seminars include “Women’s Heart Health” at 10 a.m., “Chest Pains and Coronary Computer Tomography Angiography” at 11:15 a.m., and “Heart 411: The Insight on Radial Cardiac Catheterization” at 12:30 p.m.

Lunch will be provided.

For information and registration, call (813) 929-5432.

HONEST ABE 5K SCHEDULED FOR FEB. 7

By

The Fifth Annual Honest Abe 5K Race will be Feb. 7 at New River Elementary, 4710 River Glen Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. The event benefits the Boy Scouts of America. Registration runs from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. with the race starting at 8 a.m. Sponsorships are also available. For race information, visit Active.com and search for “Honest Abe.” For sponsorship information, contact Michelle Moreno at .

MUSTANG MAD DASH FEB. 7

By

The Mustang Mad Dash, a 5K and one-mile fun run event, will be Feb. 7 at the First National Bank of Pasco, 13315 U.S. 301 in Dade City. The event benefits the Academy at the Farm charter school. Participants are encouraged to dress up as a character from “Alice In Wonderland” or wear a “mad hat” while they run. The race begins at 8 a.m. Advanced registration is $35, or $40 after Jan. 30. For information, call (352) 588-9737 or visit FriendsOfTheAcademy.org.

LOL GARDEN CLUB

By

The Land O’ Lakes Garden Club will meet Feb. 3 at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. The guest speaker will be David Starwderman on the topic of vegetable gardening. For the time and information, call (813) 961-2697.

JEFFERSON COUNTY PICNIC

By

The 63rd Annual Jefferson County Picnic will be at the Lions Club, 5728 Dean Dairy Road in Zephyrhills Feb. 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests should bring a covered dish to share and their own beverage. Place settings will be provided. Activities include raffles, entertainment and door prizes. Admission is $2 per person. For information, call Jim Dashnaw at (813) 395-6871, or Cheryl Davis at (803) 420-6629.

GOODWILL BOOK DRIVE

By

Goodwill’s BookWorks children’s literacy program is hosting a book drive Feb. 1 through March 15, and asking Hillsborough and Pasco county residents to donate children’s books in good condition. To donate books, attach a note indicating “For BookWorks,” and drop them off at any Goodwill-Suncoast store or donation site. For locations, visit Goodwill-Suncoast.org.

COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER

By

The City of San Antonio Park in San Antonio will host a fundraiser to benefit Lewis and Diane Riggleman of Dade City Feb. 1 from noon to 5 p.m. Their home was damaged by smoke and fire on Dec. 23 and did not have homeowner’s insurance. The event will include live music, food, a silent auction, basket raffle and bounce house. Admission is free. To donate items or for information, call Joe Clifford at (352) 424-2571.