The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

A real ‘goal-getter’

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(Courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division)

Jennifer Koszewnik, Pasco County teacher and mother of two, was honored by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at a recent game as the AdventHealth Goal Getter of the Game. Koszewnik, during the pandemic, was diagnosed with breast cancer and is undergoing treatment. She and her husband enjoyed the full Bucs experience, and Jennifer was recognized during the game, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Making strides, against breast cancer

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club volunteered, as they traditionally do, at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at The Shops of Wiregrass. The club also manned an information booth and dispensed water to the walkers, as did its affiliate club, the GFWC Little Women of Lutz. The women dressed in shades of pink embellished with attention-getting headgear, tutus and boas. Members Linda Mitchell (Chair) & Debbie Cardona.

Chalk Talk 11/10/2021

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Essay contest winners
Home-schooled Land O’ Lakes fifth-grader Lee Ellis claimed first prize in the ninth annual Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Constitution Essay Contest, by “eloquently emphasizing the meaning and enduring importance of the famed opening phrase of the United States’ founding document,” according to a news release.

Land O’ Lakes student Lee Ellis won first place in this year’s constitution essay contest sponsored by the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s office. (Courtesy of Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller)

Ellis wrote in his essay, “Did you know that ‘We the People’ means everyone? The rich, the poor, the young, the old, whites, blacks, men and women are all a part of ‘We the People.’

The student noted, significantly, that the Constitution does not “give” rights, but, instead, it guarantees them. This distinction, vital to our governing philosophy, often is misconstrued.

An excerpt from Ellis’ essay states, in the release: “The Constitution is very important because it sets the framework that our government and legal systems still follow today. This framework protects the basic rights of ‘We the People’ and stops the government from having too much power. …It protects our right to privacy, our right to choose our religion, our right to vote, our right to do things we like, and so much more!”

Rounding out the top three winners are Oakstead Elementary’s Aubrey Ofoulhast Othamot (second place) and Christian Crossings Acacdemy’s Jake Whitman (third place).

The top three students will receive trophies and gift cards at an upcoming Pasco County School Board meeting.

This year marked the first time students other than those attending Pasco County district schools broke onto the medals stand.

Honorable mentions were given to Izabella Crockett, Emma Saclarides, Cody VanOpdorp, Treyson Workentin, Noa Ron, Paul Patrocinio, Rosaria Cage, Destin Martin, Amalia Esajas, Analise Ossa (Oakstead Elementary), Gianna Matos, Ayden Satnarain, Andrea Martinez Campos (Saint Anthony Catholic School), Nadia Koutereba, and Audrey Floyd (Christian Crossings Academy).

Read the top three essays online at PascoClerk.com.

Academy grand opening
The Prelude Academy of the Arts, 14249 Seventh St., in Dade City, will host a grand opening that will include these events:

  • Nov. 12 at 9 a.m.: Ribbon-cutting and refreshments
  • Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon: Open House with an instrument petting zoo
  • Nov. 14 at 4 p.m.: Concert in the Park (free, at Agnes Lamb Park), featuring the Homegrown New Music ensemble and the students of Prelude Academy

Virtual Pathways Expo
Pasco Pathways Innovative Programs and School Choice will host virtual expos on these dates, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.:

  • Nov. 15 for West Pasco schools
  • Nov. 18 for East Pasco schools

For a list of schools in each zone and for information on how to register, email .

Donate to AMSkills
The five Pasco County Tax Collector’s offices are accepting donations during the month of November for AMSkills, a nonprofit program created to prepare qualified individuals interested in learning skills to work in the manufacturing field.

Based in Pasco County, AMSkills offers programs from entry-level training to job placement assistance throughout the Tampa Bay area.

“AMSkills is bringing hands-on skills training to youth and adults in low- to mid-income neighborhoods through the use of our Mobile Workshop…,” said Tom Mudano, president and CEO, in a news release.

“Donations received will provide additional skills training to these individuals, free of charge, helping them launch a new career they may have never considered before,” said Mudano.

Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano noted, in the release, “I have long been a proponent of technical education as an alternative to college, especially for those with talents and abilities that are best suited to manufacturing and technology.”

For details regarding the charitable promotion, contact Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector, at 727-847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

For information about AMSkills, visit AmSkills.org, or contact Robyn Liska, director of development, at 727-301-1282, ext. 126.

(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

A plethora of goodies for Connerton
Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club donated a number of pies for Connerton Elementary’s Fall Festival, Halloween costume accessories for the children’s costume school parade, and volunteered to stuff more than 48 colorful, soft plush animals (pictured) for each of the kindergartners. Connerton Elementary is one of four schools that the club has taken under its wings and sponsors. For information about the club and membership opportunities, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org, or its Facebook page.

‘Happy as a clam’

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This is 2-year-old “Pouf,” a chunky, cute White’s tree frog. She loves to eat crickets and hang out with her Cuban tree frog friends. Pouf lives in Wesley Chapel with her caretaker Sam Provda.

A tender moment

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At certain times of the year, the male cardinal feeds his mate and it looks like he is kissing her. Karen Whitenton, of Lutz, enjoys watching the cardinals that come to her bird feeders throughout the year.

Sip and stroll, with a purpose

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The Dade City Garden Club once again will host its “Uncorked” fundraiser on Nov. 13 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the club, 13630 Fifth St., in Dade City.

Guests can sip wine, have appetizers and listen to music while they stroll through the Dade City Garden Club’s annual ‘Uncorked’ fundraiser. (Courtesy of Joan Hepscher)

This afternoon adventure is for ages 21 and older, and includes wine, food, music, and craft beer.

Guests can sip wine, taste beer, nibble on paired appetizers, win prizes and listen to festive music, all while strolling the club’s gardens.

Six stations will feature red and white wines, along with a station featuring craft beers from Dade City Brew House. Wines will be available for sale from Time for Wine. Guests can have their drinks poured by Dade City’s own “celebrity” pourers.

Looking to relax a bit? Take a seat on the Celebration Patio, a bistro setting in the gardens, and listen to the sounds of the Dennis Alfonso Combo.

Check out cooking demonstrations throughout the afternoon, and taste samples and take home new recipes, too.

Event tickets are $40 each, and can be purchased by emailing Debbie Parks at , or by calling 352-567-9003 or 813-714-5591.

Proceeds from the event will go toward the garden club’s 501C3, benefiting the historic building and garden maintenance and restoration.

Published November 03, 2021

Finn found his ‘pawrents’

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Finn found his way to his John and Kathy Goolsby’s home around February 2019, when he was about 6 months old. After the Goolsby family tried to advertise the cat as a ‘lost pet,’ Finn decided he already had found his ‘pawrents.’ Finn loves being inside but he does have a kitty door so that he can hang out on the porch and chase lizards, spy on the birds and squirrels, or just lay by the pool. Finn is the alarm clock in the household, too, and wakes his owners up at the exact time every morning to let them know it’s breakfast time. Finn lives with the Goolsby family in Land O’ Lakes.

Breakfast, lunch or dinner?

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Doris Moore likes to take photos of the wildlife that appears near the backyard pond, at her home in Wesley Chapel. Here, a great blue heron snatches a snake from the water.

Health News 11/03/2021

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(Courtesy of Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office)

Boot drive garners over $2,800 for MDA
The five Pasco County Tax Collector’s offices in September accepted donations on behalf of the Firefighters Charities of Pasco’s Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Boot Drive. Breaking with the tradition of firefighters standing on street corners, the tax collector offices instead served as donation sites for those wanting to support the cause. This year, staff and customers raised $2,808.13 to help the MDA fund its 150 research projects around the world. Boot drive coordinator Sean Messer and fellow firefighters joined Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano and members of the tax collector’s staff to deliver the donation.

Breast cancer donation
The Watson Clinic Foundation (WCF) presented a check in the amount of $100,000 to the Breast Cancer Foundation of Central Florida (BCFCF), an organization the provides financial resources and support to individuals and families impacted by breast cancer.

The WCF in 2019 committed to donating three $100,000 checks to the BCFCF over the course of three years, for a grand total of $300,000. This is the third installment of its donation.

“By easing the psychological and emotional burdens faced by patients and family members following a cancer diagnosis, the BCFCF creates an environment for the patient that’s free from unnecessary stress and more conducive to healing,” said WCF chairman of the board Dr. Steven G. Achinger, in a news release.

“Their goals fall right in line with the foundation’s mission to improve the health of our community through education, research and service, and that’s why we’re proud to support their efforts,” said Dr. Achinger.

For more information or to make a contribution, call 863-904-2656, or visit WatsonClinic.com/WCF.

Chalk Talk 11/03/2021

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Edwin Narain (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Board secretary named
Tampa executive and former Florida legislator Edwin Narain was named secretary of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Saint Leo University, for a two-year term. Narain earned two degrees from Saint Leo — a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 2007 and a Master of Business Administration in 2009. He has served on the university’s board since 2016. Narain also earned his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law.

Merit semifinalists
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced the names of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. The nominated student also must have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s performance on the qualifying test.

Semifinalists that will be designated to the finalist level will be notified in February.

National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2022.

Students that were named as semifinalists in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area are:

  • Devin T. Connerney – Gaither High
  • Sohan Malladi and Daniel J. Urbonas – Land O’ Lakes High
  • Kenneth P. Chew – Pasco High School
  • Louis E. Cohen – Sunlake High
  • Meryl A. Bentz, Andrea L. Burgess, Erin S. Kim and Vivian Rao – Steinbrenner High
  • Eric T. Reichard – Wiregrass Ranch High

For more information, visit NationalMerit.org.

Grant awarded
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that a project to build a technical training complex in Hernando County has been awarded a $6.1 million grant through the Florida Job Growth Grant, according to a news release.

The Citizen Success Center (the technical training complex) is a joint project between Pasco-Hernando State College, the Hernando School District, and Hernando County Government.

All three entities collaborated on the grant application.

The complex is set to be located on 17 acres at the Brooksville Tampa Bay Regional Airport, and has an expected completion date of fall 2023.

The grant funds will be used to prepare the county’s property and add the necessary infrastructure prior to the start of construction.

It will offer convenient, streamlined workforce training to prepare residents for direct entry into positions available in Hernando County.

“The college is excited to be involved in this joint effort to create a dynamic, student-centered educational facility with the mission of building specific skills to meet local employers’ needs in key career and technical fields” said Stanley M. Giannet, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief academic officer and college provost, in the release.

“Quality workforce training is vitally important to the economic health of our community and a significant component of our PHSC mission,” said Giannet.

Cox Elementary events
Staff members from the New River Library and the Hugh Embry Library will visit students at Rodney B. Cox Elementary School, 37615 Martin Luther King Blvd., in Dade City, for these upcoming events:

  • Fall into Reading Drive-Thru Festival: Nov. 4 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Students can receive goodies to encourage reading and learning.
  • Early Release Day Craft: Nov. 10

For more information, call the New River Library at 813-788-6375.

Rabbi to speak
The Saint Leo University Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies will host a free lecture on Nov. 4 starting at 7 p.m., at Congregation Schaarai Zedek, 3303 W. Swann Ave., in Tampa.

The guest speaker will be Rabbi Dr. David Novak from the University of Toronto, on the topic of “Is There a Universal Moral Law? Natural Law in the Catholic and Jewish Traditions.”

Another guest speaker, Dr. Vincent Lloyd, will follow Novak’s address and the two will share some reflections.

To attend, reserve a seat online at Zedek.org/ccjs.

Saint Leo food drive
Saint Leo University’s Tampa Education Center will collect food through Nov. 18 for Metropolitan Ministries, whose mission is to care for the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless, according to a news release.

Saint Leo University-Tampa is in the former Berriman-Morgan Cigar Factory building, at 1403 N. Howard Ave., in Tampa.

Canned goods and nonperishable food may be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For information, contact Rod Kirkwood at or 813-743-3228.

College honors
Saint Leo University was named as one of the best regional universities in the South, in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, according to a news release.

In addition, Saint Leo was named to the Top Performers on Social Mobility list.

About 1,466 U.S. bachelor’s degree granting institutions were assessed on 17 measures of academic quality.

Only regionally accredited institutions that enrolled first-year (freshmen) students to four-year bachelor’s degree programs are considered for the honors.

Among regional universities in the South, Saint Leo ranked 29th overall and 39th for social mobility.

The Top Performers on Social Mobility ranking measures the extent schools enrolled and graduated students who received federal Pell Grants (those typically coming from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000).

Early release days
Pasco County Schools again will utilize a monthly, early release time to allow for staff to engage in professional development aligned with student needs, and district and school priorities.

Upcoming early release dates are: Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Jan. 12, Feb. 2, March 9 and April 13.

On each of these days, students will be released two hours early.

The bell times, including the early release times for each school, can be found online at Pasco.k12.fl.us/site/pcs_bell_schedule.

Honor Society hosts fundraiser
The Martinez Middle School National Junior Honor Society will host a donation drive to benefit Hope Children’s Home, on Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Stonebrier basketball gazebo, 3741 W. County Line Road in Lutz.

Guests can bring a blanket or lawn chair, and eat, relax and listen to live music with local metal band, Actual Purgatory. The Bacon Boss food truck will be on site from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Kona Ice will be on site from noon to 2 p.m.

Accepted donations include: Nonperishable items (such as canned veggies, box/bag cereal, canned soup); household items (such as paper plates/bowls, aluminum foil, dryer sheets); school supplies (such as white board cleaner, binders, post-its); and, gently used clothes/shoes for boys and girls ages newborn to 18 years old.

For questions and a more detailed list of acceptable donations, email Annie Hayman at .

Free STEM DAY
Main Event announced its launch of an accredited, in-center educational program, Play Academy. Play Academy was created to help create the ultimate field trip experience for students.

In honor of National STEM Day on Nov. 8, Main Event will offer a STEAM curriculum from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m., free for all walk-in guests, accessible at all locations. This one day offering is the first and only time a small taste of Play Academy will be accessible to the public.

With any bowling purchase, customers will have the opportunity to try out the Play Academy Bowling Lab. Following the bowling lab, customers will be able to participate in more scientific experiments, including a DIY tie-dying T-shirt activity or a DIY ice cream creation.

Main Event has been working to transform games into problem-solving, captivating classwork for a fun and engaging learning experience.