The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

Soaking up the morning sun

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Theresa Sierra, of Lake Thomas, one recent morning was graced with the presence of this wood stork. The wood stork is a long-legged wading bird, whose height ranges from 33 inches to 44 inches. Its wing span can range from 59 inches to 65 inches. Wood storks are social birds who typically forage in groups and nest in colonies. When building a nest, both males and females collect sticks and form the nest in a tree, using greenery for the center. While clumsy and heavy-footed in water, wood storks fly like raptors effortlessly in the sky, despite their size.

Partners retire together

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Since 1996, Cpl. Joe Liddick has served the citizens of Pasco County as a member of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO). During that time, he spent more than 21 years within the PSO K-9 Unit, and served with his partners K-9 Nik, K-9 Ace and K-9 Chris, according to a news release.

Cpl. Joe Liddick and K-9 Chris (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

Cpl. Liddick has answered countless calls for service and has conducted thousands of tracks. The tracks resulted in the location of 764 suspects, missing persons and suicidal individuals throughout Pasco County.

Both Cpl. Liddick and K-9 Chris also have been established members of the Tampa Bay Regional Bomb Squad, as an explosive detection K-9 team. As members of this team, the partners conducted hundreds of explosive sniffs to ensure the safety of the citizens of the Tampa Bay area at large venues and festivals.

K-9 Chris began serving Pasco County in February 2016, and in addition to his service as part of the Regional Bomb Squad, he has helped recover numerous missing individuals in Pasco County, as well.

The German shepherd was born on Nov. 16, 2014, in Germany and was certified in patrol work and explosives detection.

Both Cpl. Liddick and K-9 Chris celebrated their retirements on April 5.

Symone lives a good life

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Symone is a 15-year-old chihuahua that was rescued from a house that had 60 dogs living in cages. Symone now is living the good life! When you ask ‘Want a cookie?’ she starts hopping around like a kid. Symone loves her daddy and is a good, little baby. Symone lives in Land O’ Lakes with Sharon Chmielewski.

Little Libraries can make a big impact

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A Little Free Library is a great way to connect to people in your neighborhood, as more and more of these freestanding, book-sharing boxes are popping up.

The little libraries offer a place for community members to pick up a book, for free, and to share or leave a book in return.

Shady Hills Elementary students were anxious to choose a free book from the Little Free Library at the school’s campus. (Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

The idea is to encourage and inspire others to get into the habit of reading. The boxes usually contain an assortment of books for children and adults.

Several local woman’s clubs recently have donated and installed Little Free Libraries.

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club collaborated with the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library and its Foundry to install a little library on the campus of Shady Hills Elementary School in Spring Hill.

Members of the GFWC Pasco Juniors and Tampa Bay Women’s Club take part in a ribbon-cutting for the Little Free Library at the Lexington Oaks Community Clubhouse.

Bill Nelson, a Land O’ Lakes library staff member, designed, built and painted the box, now located at campus entrance of the the elementary school.

To get the little library started, the woman’s club donated and stocked its shelves. The club will replenish the inventory, too.

The GFWC Pasco Juniors and the GFWC Tampa Bay Women’s Club hosted a ribbon-cutting on April 6 for the installation of a Little Free Library in front of the Lexington Oaks Community Clubhouse in Wesley Chapel. James King, of Kingworks, donated his time and labor to build and install the box.

The clubhouse library contains various books for readers of all ages.

To learn more about how to help build community, inspire readers and expand book access, visit LittleFreeLibrary.org.

Published April 21, 2021

‘Bee’ aware of helping the environment

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club got together to craft cute bumble bee bottles from recycled water bottles, to be distributed to children at the Earth Day Celebration set for April 24, at Crews Lake Park in Land O’ Lakes. The women always help children with crafts at this annual event, to raise awareness of the importance of conservation and saving the environment. Sandi Marrow shows off one of the upcycled bottles. For information, visit LutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org, or its Facebook page.

A nocturnal creature

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This armadillo was out for an evening stroll in the front yard of Sharon Thompson’s home in Wesley Chapel. Armadillo means ‘little armored one’ in Spanish. Armadillos prefer warm, moist climates, and thrive in forested areas and grasslands. Because they must dig for their food and shelter, they gravitate toward areas with loose, porous soil. These animals use their strong claws to dig several burrows in which to live and seek refuge from extreme weather or predators. An armadillo burrow is about 7 inches to 8 inches wide, and up to 15 feet deep.

Isolation Reduction Project

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The Florida Assisted Living Association (FALA) and Sunshine Health have launched the Isolation Reduction Project to help decrease the feelings of stress and sadness that may be the result of social isolation.

The FALA received a grant from Sunshine Health to provide tablets to dozens of long-term care facilities across the state in order to help reduce the social isolation of residents, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project aims to decrease the side effects, such as anxiety or depression and the use of anxiety medication.

More than 50 assisted living facilities and adult family care homes were chosen to participate in the program.

Ten-inch tablets were distributed to each of the select communities, and residents can use the tablets to communicate with family members via online platforms such as IMO, WhatsApp and Zoom. Residents also can access email and online games.

The following communities, within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, are participating in the Isolation Reduction Project:

  • Hillsborough County: Delince, Natacha – Adult Family Care Home; Stone Ledge Manor; Von’s Adult Family Care Home; and Weinberg Village Assisted Living Facility
  • Pasco County: Harrell, Terry – Adult Family Care Home; Rosecastle of Zephyrhills; Sunshine Christian Homes; and Trinity Place Assisted Living.

Chalk Talk 04/21/2021

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(Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

Showing up for students
With year-end events canceled due to the pandemic, Wendell Krinn Technical High School hosted a Formal Friday, in which students elected a king and queen, and listened to music during their lunchtime. School Resource Officer (SRO) Cpl. Locascio, of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, dressed for the formal occasion, in which he took part. SROs with the sheriff’s office do more than just provide a law enforcement presence at schools, as they help students in various ways, each day, and care deeply about the community they serve.

Virtual career fair
Saint Leo University’s Human Services Department will host its annual Virtual Career Fair on April 24 from 9 a.m. to noon. The fair’s theme is “Career Competency and Readiness,” and is free and open to the public.

The hosts for the event will be Dr. Amina Abdullah, chair of human services, and Dr. Michelle Boone-Thornton, associate chair.

In addition to professionals in the human services field, representatives from Saint Leo’s Career Services and the Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence will provide information.

The sessions will focus on:

  • Resume preparation: Categories and terms to use on a resume
  • Applicant tracking software: Strategies to advance a resume, through computer prompts
  • Interview preparation: Questions to ask during the interview
  • Interview practice: An opportunity to practice interview skills
  • Job search platforms: How to locate positions in human services

There will be open discussion time and an opportunity to ask the panel questions.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/4nkdna66.

For information, contact Dr. Abdullah at 412-229-7431 or , or visit SaintLeo.edu/online-human-services-bachelors.

Executive director named
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has named Lauren Baker Murray as the inaugural executive director for the school’s new Instructional Performing Arts Center. Murray joined PHSC on March 15.

Murray is a Tampa native, and has more than 20 years of administrative and academic experience in higher education and the performing arts.

She most recently served as the music chair at the Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center in Tampa. During her tenure, she doubled the enrollment in music programming, and worked collaboratively with higher education and secondary school leaders to create custom arts programming in the region.

Murray has served as an associate director of the School of Music at the University of Northern Colorado and as the coordinator of artistic programming in the School of Music at the University of South Florida.

She also has served as director of operations and education for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and is an accomplished oboe instrumentalist.

Murray has a Bachelor of Music Education from Stetson University, a Master of Music from Yale University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas.

Free VPK offered
Pasco County Schools offers free VPK for three hours a day, for the 2021-2022 school year.

Children must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, to be eligible.

For information, contact the Pasco Schools VPK office at 813-794-2672.

Students attend WrestleMania
AdventHealth, philanthropist Thaddeus Bullard (also known as WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil) and the Bullard Family Foundation joined forces to put smiles on the faces of several Hillsborough County students and teachers, with surprise tickets to WrestleMania 37, according to an AdventHealth news release.

AdventHealth and the Bullard Family Foundation consistently work together to provide services and resources, including free physicals and health screenings, to help underserved and underprivileged communities.

The WWE superstar hosted the two-night event at Raymond James Stadium on April 10 and April 11.

Bullard also recently visited Gulf Middle School in New Port Richey to unveil the school’s new Innovation Lab, which will provide opportunities for students to learn and play in a safe and fun environment during and after school.

Last year, Bullard approached Pasco County Schools with a proposal to partner with the school district to help kids. That partnership has resulted in Innovation Labs at both Gulf Middle and Pasco Middle.

All of the equipment, furniture and electronic devices were donated by Skanska and Microsoft in partnership with the Bullard Family Foundation.

Peanut loves the outdoors

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Bassett hound Peanut joined the Gleaton family in Dade City, last November. She loves to climb, pose, and play outside with her brother Percy (a Boxer mix) and sister Penny (a Corgi). Peanut is 8 months old.

An unusual guest

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Jackie Reyes was in her yard in Land O’ Lakes cleaning up her banana tree, when she found this spotted oleander caterpillar moth on one of the leaves. Reyes said she has never seen anything like it. The moth’s coloration and resemblance to a wasp may help it escape hungry predators.