The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

Kona is a sweet, sweet dobie

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Kona’s ear reflects her silly personality. She loves walks, treats, her people, and chasing lizards and squirrels. Kona enjoys attention and has to be near her family all the time. Kona lives with her mom Tracey Canard, dad and brothers, along with a cat, tortoise and gecko, in Wesley Chapel.

Good Morning!

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Egrets are herons that have white or buff plumage. Scott MacKay snapped this photo of an egret at his ‘retreat’ in Concord Station, in Land O’ Lakes. Who says humans are the only ones that have bad hair days?

Chalk Talk 09/29/2021

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Marilyn Pearson-Adams

Board reappointment
Gov. Ron DeSantis has reappointed Marilyn Pearson-Adams to the Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) District Board of Trustees (DBOT). Pearson-Adams is the president and owner of Century 21 Alliance Realty of Spring Hill. She is the current chair of the PHSC DBOT, chair of the Florida Realtors’ Legislative Think Tank, and a past chair of the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce. Pearson-Adams was inducted into the National Association of Realtors Hall of Fame in 2020.

Vaccination incentives
Hillsborough Community College (HCC) has rolled out a new incentive program that provides an opportunity for HCC students vaccinated against COVID-19 to receive $300 in rent credit to be used toward on-campus student housing and a $2,000 incentive, according to a news release.

“We want everyone on campus to feel safe, and that includes not just our students, but our faculty and staff as well. The vaccines have proven to be safe and the best defense against the virus. These new incentives are an added measure to ensure our students are taking every action available to keep not just themselves safe, but our entire community safe, too,” said Dr. Ken Atwater, HCC president, in the release.

All residents of Hawks Landing, the student-affiliated housing located on the HCC Dale Mabry Campus, who show proof of full vaccination by Oct. 31 will receive a $300 rent credit for the month of November.

Currently enrolled HCC students who show proof of full vaccination by Nov. 5 will be entered into a drawing to win an incentive of $2,000. Fifty students will be awarded through the raffle and will be notified by Nov. 30.

Instructions on how to submit proof of vaccination status will be communicated to students directly via their HCC student email, HawkMail.

Mini-seminar offered
Saint Leo University’s Tampa Education Center will host a free, hybrid mini-seminar about Social Emotional Learning (SEL), for parents and guardians of children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

The seminar, “Social Emotional Learning: Tools for Parents/Guardians of K-5 Learners,” will be on Oct. 1 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the center and via Zoom. A limited number of people will be able to attend in person.

Those attending can learn how to help children make good decisions and have positive classroom experiences.

Topics will include the use of children’s books/literature through the instructional practice of “Read-Alouds,” to engage children in conversation about social emotional learning topics.

There also will be discussion on the stages of learning to understand how children develop socially and emotionally, as well as hands-on culturally responsive activities.

Register for this free webinar at https:/saintleo.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_l487Wk-BTx2qdqaGEk5WcA.

For information, email , or call (813) 226-2777.

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: Oct. 6, 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.

Social work conference
Saint Leo University will host its seventh-annual Social Work Conference on Oct. 8, using a virtual platform, for both established professionals and those interested in the field.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Social Workers are Essential.”

Those attending can learn the ways in which social needs and social work practices have evolved and changed since COVID-19.

There will be a keynote panel at 9 a.m.

Other speakers and session presenters will share information on issues including: mental health and substance abuse; trauma and sexual assault response; social work and counseling needs in public schools; patterns evident in school shootings; food insecurity; improving cross-cultural connections; and more.

Sessions will end around 3:30 p.m.

Admission is $20. Admission and continuing education credit will be available for $40 (payment accepted online).

Saint Leo students and alumni will be admitted free, but must register.

To learn more and to register, visit SaintLeo.edu/annual-social-work-conference.

Substitute teachers needed
Pasco County Schools currently is hiring substitute teachers.

A high school diploma is required.

Apply at ESS Pasco County, Jobs.willsubplus.com/jobs?districtIds=1466.

Email Jenny Hacker at for additional questions.

Double groundbreaking dedicates homes

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Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco County (HFHECPC) on Sept. 8 hosted a double groundbreaking ceremony for two homes on Church Avenue in Dade City.

Crystal Lazar, Habitat CEO, MisIvy Rettie Housing Authority, left, joins members of the Hooks family at the groundbreaking for their new home. (Courtesy of Habitat for Humanity)

Habitat staff joined Bellvis Hooks and Sonja Wenzel, along with their family and friends, at the dedication.

From left: Jere Ferguson, Habitat director of family services; Sonja Wenzel, Habitat homebuyer; Anniyah Smith, daughter; Nevaeh Ford, granddaughter; Jamal Smith, son; Kenneth O’ Brien, son; Terena Jones, Habitat CFO; and Crystal Lazar, Habitat CEO, during the groundbreaking for the Wenzel home.

“We are so happy to start building these two homes,” said Crystal Lazar, CEO and president of HFHECPC, in a news release.

“They are the final homes in this five-home neighborhood in downtown Dade City. These families have worked very hard to have the opportunity to become homeowners, and we are so proud of how far they have come,” said Lazar.

Hooks and her four children acknowledged that this has been a long journey, but they are encouraged by the progress that the groundbreaking represents, and they are excited to work on their own home.

Wenzel brought her family so they could see the location of their new home.

Standing in the quiet residential neighborhood, Wenzel’s son Kenneth remarked, “I really like this area. I can’t wait to move in here and make it our home.”

Watching the homes become a reality is something Habitat staffers hope will become a cherished memory for the families.

Published September 22, 2021

Best friends, forever

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Meeka, left, and Mojito are best buds, along with their canine sisters. They like to groom each other, play, and then snuggle. Meeka and Mojito live with their proud owner, Carol Scharfeld, in Lutz.

Sky-high lookout

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The osprey, or more specifically the western osprey, is a large raptor also known as a sea hawk, river hawk or fish hawk. It is a fish-eating bird of prey with a dive speed of 30 mph. Sharon Thompson, of Wesley Chapel, saw this osprey apparently seeking a meal, in Country Walk.

Heart monitoring goes wireless

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AdventHealth Tampa has performed its first wireless monitoring sensor implant to help physicians manage heart failure patients remotely, according to a news release.

The FDA-approved procedure is designed to reduce hospital admissions by 58% and improve quality of life for patients.

The CardioMEMS HF System sensor is about the size of a paper clip. (Courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division)

“This innovative technology is opening up a new chapter in how we treat patients with heart failure,” said Dr. Oliver Abela, cardiologist at AdventHealth Tampa, in the release.

“We are committed to elevating cardiovascular care in our community and adding (the) CardioMEMS HF System allows us to treat heart failure patients from a distance and, proactively, personalize their medical needs,” said Dr. Abela.

The minimally invasive procedure allows physicians to insert a small sensor (the size of a paper clip) into the patient’s pulmonary artery.

Once implanted, the patient goes home with a queen-sized pillow device that connects wirelessly to the sensor, allowing physicians to monitor the patient’s heart failure status from anywhere.

Patients usually can be discharged from the hospital four hours after the procedure, and can make a full recovery in a week.

The sensor is designed to last the lifetime of the patient and does not require batteries.

Chalk Talk 09/22/2021

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Substitute teachers needed
Pasco County Schools currently is hiring substitute teachers. A high school diploma is required.

Apply at ESS Pasco County, Jobs.willsubplus.com/jobs?districtIds=1466.

Email Jenny Hacker at for additional questions.

COVID notices changed
Pasco County Schools has changed the way it notifies parents of positive cases being reported at the district’s middle and high schools.

As of Sept. 13, the district stopped sending daily notifications regarding a positive case being reported at its secondary schools.

“Given the nature of middle school and high school schedules, a handful of positive cases often resulted in notifications going school-wide, with some parents receiving multiple notifications of possible exposure,” according to the email the district sent to parents.

“This change pertains to middle school and high school only. Daily notifications will continue at the elementary school level,” the email added.

While the district stopped sending those daily notifications, anyone interested in finding out positive cases at any particular school can visit the school district’s COVID-19 Daily Report, which is listed on the district’s website, at Pasco.k12.fl.us.

The report lists each school alphabetically and provides the number of staff or student cases for that day.

Student attends space program
Rocco Pupello, of Lutz, attended the Advanced Space Academy at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, in Huntsville, Alabama.

The weeklong educational Space Camp program promotes science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), while training students with hands-on activities and missions based on teamwork, leadership and problem-solving.

Rocco spent the week training with a team that flew a simulated space mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the moon or mars.

Space Camp uses astronaut training techniques to engage trainees in real-world applications of STEM subjects.

Students also sleep in quarters designed to resemble the ISS and train in simulators like those used by NASA.

Student achievements
• These local students, all from Lutz, were named to the summer President’s List at Southern New Hampshire University: Joel Gomez Ruiz, Felicia Shingles and Allie Ungerecht.
• Nathan Shane, of Lutz, was recognized for his academic achievements during the spring semester at The Citadel. Gold stars are awarded to cadets and students who achieve a 3.7 GPA or higher. The individuals who achieve gold-star recognition also are placed on The Citadel’s Dean’s List.

Course review
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) is receiving excellent reviews of its college-readiness course called Journey to Success, according to a news release.

As part of the college’s reaccreditation effort with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, this Quality Enhancement Plan helps students with improving several key areas: Problem-solving, time management, intellectual openness, and persistence.

The planning and implementation of this student experience began in 2018.

Journey to Success is a first-year, first-semester experience currently open to all students, and in the future, will be a mandatory course in the Associate in Arts degree program.

The target student population includes part-time or full-time students who are attending PHSC for the first time, have earned six or fewer credit hours from an accredited institution of higher education, and are enrolled in coursework that leads to an Associate in Arts degree.

With Journey to Success, students have consistently indicated in three semesters of data that by the end of the semester, they feel better prepared than at the beginning of the semester in the four focus areas of college readiness.

To read the full, published article and learn more about Journey to Success, visit PHSC.edu, and click on the “In the News” section.

4-H program has begun
Pasco County Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program will run through Aug. 31, 2022. Children ages 5 to 18 can participate in county, district, state, regional and national level 4-H clubs, events and activities.

Members join community clubs where they work with fellow volunteers to complete projects, community service, camps and workshops. Project areas include: Leadership, environmental science, animal science, robotics, sewing, art, fishing and more.

The cost to join is $15 for ages 5 to 7 and $25 for ages 8 to 18.

For more information or to join a club, call 352-518-0156, or email .

For more information about the Florida 4-H program, visit Florida4H.ifas.ufl.edu.

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: Oct. 6, 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.

Nominations open for recycling awards

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The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation is seeking nominations for its 2021 Recycling Champions Awards to recognize companies, organizations, governmental entities or individuals that have made a significant impact in recycling.

The group also is looking to recognize and celebrate new innovative programs in water reuse and recycling, energy efficiency, sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Nominations are open now; self-nominations are welcome.

Suggested award categories include:

  • Communication and Education
  • Waste Reduction, Reuse and Recycling
  • Water Reuse and/or Recycling
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Innovation and other
  • Recycle Market Development

Applicants can be a nonprofit; large business (more than 100 employees); small business; governmental entity; or educational organization.

The deadline for nominations is Oct. 1.

Notification of award decisions will be made in November, and awards are scheduled to be presented during Florida Recycles Week from Nov. 15 to Nov. 19.

The 2020 winners included Anheuser-Busch, DAR PRO Solutions, Florida State University, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, and Sarasota County Solid Waste.

Applications can be found online at FLRecycling.org.

For questions, contact Keyna Cory at or 850-728-1054.

Published September 15, 2021

Brody is affectionate and loyal

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Brody is a 1-year-old Boykin Spaniel. These spaniels were bred to hunt turkeys and wild birds in the state of South Carolina. This breed was so loved, it was named the state dog of South Carolina. Boykins love to swim and have webbed feet. Of course they love to play fetch with any object you throw! Brody lives with his proud owners, Kevin and Karen Kelly, in Lutz.