The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Sporting a bit of Spring

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club celebrated National Hat Day on Jan. 15. The women sported a favorite or fun chapeau, choosing a variety of jaunty, floral, big brims and sporty hats to help to elevate their moods and bring a bit of cheer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The club has not been able to resume in-person meetings.

 

NAMI/Pasco addresses growing need for its services

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NAMI/Pasco County — part of the grassroots National Alliance on Mental Illness — is a 33-year-old organization that provides free advocacy, education, support and outreach for individuals with mental health conditions.

In the last year, it has named its first full-time executive director, Debbie Proulx.

And, the organization’s growth has been at warp speed.

It aims to reach all those who need help — a lofty ambition, for sure.

NAMI/Pasco is supported solely by private donations or grants.

Debbie Proulx is executive director of NAMI/Pasco County, part of the grassroots National Alliance on Mental Illness. (Courtesy of Debbie Proulx)

It hosts fundraisers.

It has a vision for a NAMI building, where meetings could be held and real-time aid could be provided.

Since Proulx’s arrival, the organization went from having one group meeting per week to having meetings every day of the week.

In 2019, 20 people participated in group meetings. Last year, there were 360.

“And that doesn’t count the emails, the texts, the referrals, the phone calls that we get,’’ said Proulx (whose name rhymes with “true’’). “We are marketing our services. We’re putting out a lot of educational materials, but we’re still not able to help everyone. The need in our area is so great. But we are growing, and we will be able to help more and more.’’

Proulx said NAMI/Pasco is constantly seeking to partner with community organizations, such as churches and youth groups, while finding community members to participate. Its board of directors includes community members from hospitals and civic organizations. Trained volunteers are certified to administer the various programs.

“We are trying to fill in the gaps,’’ Proulx said. “COVID-19 has had a major impact, obviously. We have Zoom programs, but some of the senior citizens don’t have technology, or they are afraid of it. “We have one in-person meeting to help cover that.

“We really want to make sure that people who aren’t being helped know of our service. Sometimes, people don’t have insurance. Sometimes, there’s a wait list of up to six months to see a therapist. “Even though we don’t provide actual therapy, we’re a great placeholder with our programs and support groups until someone can get to see a therapist.

“When we get calls, we refer them to a therapist, giving them three names at random. But, we understand the wait can be very long. In our support groups, you can find like-minded people going through the same thing. Our group members are so open and welcoming. People have told us, ‘This is like a family I’ve chosen.’ ”

What kind of assistance is provided by NAMI/Pasco?
One group member, wishing to be identified by the initials M.M., said the help has been immeasurable.

“NAMI/Pasco literally saved my life,’’ M.M. wrote in an email.

M.M. wrote about being taken in by the group and finding a quick fit.

“(Proulx) welcomed me and treated me like a family member,’’ M.M. wrote. “I have never felt more like I belonged in my life. … Now we have so many groups on Zoom (and) they are the highlight of my day. For many of us, they are the only reason we get out of bed on most days during COVID. I think that many of us would have a deep slide if not for these groups.

“I honestly can’t say enough good things about them. … They deeply care (and) that can’t be faked.’’

Proulx said she is heartened by the feedback.

“People come to us, get into a group the same day and in a week’s time, they’re a completely different person,’’ Proulx said. “They have hope again. It doesn’t mean they no longer need to be in therapy. It means that they’re safe until they’re able to get together (with a therapist). I’ve had people say, ‘I was thinking of suicide. But after coming here, that’s no longer a thought.’ So obviously, that makes you feel like we’re making a difference.

“My personal goal is to have a building where we can do drop-ins, where we can be immediately available for crisis. We can’t get that done right now — and COVID doesn’t help — but it’s in our future. But, what we are doing now is providing as many different programs as we possibly can.’’

NAMI/Pasco County can be reached by email at  or , or by phone at 727-994-9623.

NAMI/Pasco County offerings:

  • Zoom support groups for those with any mental health condition — Mondays, 3 p.m.; Wednesdays and Fridays, 6 p.m.
  • In-person walk and talk, Veterans Memorial in Hudson — Tuesdays, 8 a.m.
  • In-person support and friendship, Veterans Memorial in Hudson — Tuesdays, 9 a.m.
  • Zoom support groups for those with a loved one who has a mental health condition — first and third Thursday of every month, 6 p.m.
  • Zoom chat for everyone — Sundays, 6 p.m.
  • Zoom Peer-to-Peer — Free, eight-session educational program for adults with mental health conditions who want to better understand themselves and their recovery, Saturdays beginning in February, 10 a.m. to noon (registration required).
  • Zoom Family to Family — Free, eight-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people with mental health conditions. Saturdays beginning in February, 1 to 3 p.m. (registration required).
  • Basics on Demand — Free, six-session online education for parents, caregivers and other family members who provide care for youth age 22 or younger who are experiencing mental health symptoms (registration required, start any time).

By Joey Johnston

Published January 20, 2021

Don’t forget: This year’s Kumquat Festival is set for March 27

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In the years before COVID-19, both locals and visitors alike could look forward to the end of January for a chance to enjoy the annual Kumquat Festival in downtown Dade City.

But, concerns about keeping people safe have prompted organizers to postpone the 24th annual Kumquat Festival from its traditional last Saturday in January, to a March 27 date, instead.

Whether it’s kumquat marmalade, kumquat salsa or kumquat wine, you will likely be able to find it in downtown Dade City, during the community’s annual Kumquat Festival. (File)

“We felt it prudent to exercise extreme caution and move the date of the festival to ensure the health and safety of our attendees, our vendors, and the hundreds of people it takes to make this annual signature event a success,” John Moors, executive director of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release.

Moors said there will be some other changes to this year’s festival, as well.

For instance, there won’t be shuttle services to remote parking lots, according to the release.

As in previous years, however, historic downtown Dade City will be transformed into an open-air marketplace featuring local businesses, hundreds of specialty vendors and dozens of partner sponsors, the release notes.

The event also will feature the ever-popular Classic Car Show, Moors added.

The festival, which is attended by tens of thousands of visitors, showcases Dade City’s friendly, authentic, Old Florida feel, the chamber executive said.

The March 27 festival will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Published January 20, 2021

Hillsborough County’s Sunshine Line helps seniors get around

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Hillsborough County’s Sunshine Line provides door-to-door transportation and bus passes for elderly, low-income, and people with disabilities who do not have or cannot afford their own transportation, according to the Hillsborough County website.

Transportation is provided for medical and social service appointments, grocery trips, health and wellness, personal business and more.

Sunshine Line continues to provide service with COVID-19 precautions in place.

Trips are prioritized based on trip purpose and provided on a space-available basis.

Eligibility for the program is based on income, age, disabilities, available transportation and where the transportation is needed.

To find out if you’re eligible and to enroll in the door-to-door service program, call Sunshine Line at 813-272-7272, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (The same number and hours apply for making reservations).

When calling to enroll, be prepared to provide the following information: Name, address and telephone number, Social Security number, date of birth, type of disability and household income.

Reservations for the service must be made at least two days in advance, but can be made up to seven days early.

Return trips are scheduled when you make your trip reservation.

Callers currently are being screened for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure to protect all riders.

All vehicles are wheelchair accessible, but wheelchairs that are larger than 30 inches wide by 48 inches long, as measured 2 inches from the ground, cannot be transported.

The wheelchairs also cannot weigh more than 600 pounds when occupied.

Transportation is provided Monday through Saturday, and is provided to the nearest location available. The drivers will not go into the building to find the customer, but will offer to assist to and from the building and into the vehicle, including help with the seatbelt and securing the wheelchair.

Changes to return times will be accepted, when possible.

Seating is limited in vehicles, and masks are required for passengers and drivers to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Published January 20, 2021

The Big Shred IV helps people dispose of documents

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If you have some sensitive or outdated documents you want to destroy, The Big Shred IV may be just the thing for you.

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles directs traffic in the rain at the Big Shred event last year, in Dade City. (Courtesy of Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller)

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles has set two dates to give area residents the opportunity to safely dispose of documents they no longer need, according to a news release.

Last year, the event drew about 350 area residents who got rid of about 7.5 tons of documents. Over the three years the event has been held, more than 24 tons of documents have been shredded.

The times and dates for this year’s events are:

  • Jan. 30, 10 a.m. to noon: West Pasco Judicial Center, 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey
  • Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to noon: Robert Sumner Judicial Center, 38053 Live Oak Ave., Dade City

People who bring documents to be destroyed can watch while they are shredded.

Those wishing to take advantage of the service can bring in up to three copier-paper boxes or two tall kitchen trash bags of paper documents.

Staples, paper clips or other metal clasps must be removed.

“Last year, at New Port Richey, we had 5.5 tons of paper (shredded at the event),” Alvarez-Sowles said, at the Pasco County Commission’s Jan. 12 meeting.

She noted that 264 cars came through that line.

In Dade City, the event was held on a rainy day, reducing the turnout. At that event, there were 82 cars, which yielded 2 tons of shredded paper that day.

Published January 20, 2021

Enjoying entertainment, and sampling syrup

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Syrup-makers at ‘Raising Cane,’ an event at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, used the same techniques that were used in the 19th century to make sugar cane syrup. Here, Jerry Moates, of Zephyrhills, right, and Marcus Copeland, left, of Dade City, filter and skim the cane syrup juice as it boils down in the 80-gallon kettle. The Southern Syrup Maker’s Association also had a cane syrup tasting and competition at the event. (Fred Bellet)

For some, the chance to sample syrup was the big attraction.

Others wanted to watch a WW II reenactment.

Still others wanted to check out the traditional craft demonstrations, enjoy some food, or take a look at the model trains.

“Raising Cane,” an event held on Jan. 9 at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, in Dade City, seemed to have offerings that appealed to a diverse crowd.

The event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featured old-fashioned syrup making and tasting, music by Emett Stevens, and a chance to step back in time, while reenactors presented a battle from World War II.

Published January 20, 2021

World War II U.S. Army reenactor Joe Gibson, of Fort Myers, took part in the World War II battle reenactment at ‘Raising Cane.’ His wife, Tara Gibson, reenacted the role of a French Resistance freedom fighter.
Hannah Schultze, of Tampa, explains the major role that women in the service played during World War II.
Jennifer Pettys holds on to some stalks of cane sugar that she plans to plant at her Polk City home. She was the event with her friend, Lyle Combee, of Polk City.
Hannah Schultze, left, of Tampa, emphasizes the important role women in the service played during World War II. She and Hannah Hoffman, right, of Tampa, display a portion of a female Marine uniform.
World War II U.S. Army reenactor Joe Gibson, of Fort Myers, and Kevin Slaughter, of Brooksville, prepare a 943 GPW Jeep for a skirmish against German reenactors in a battle dubbed the ‘Raid on Renault.’
John Falls, of Dade City, made sure the fire was hot under the 80-gallon kettle used for syrup-making. Temperature readings showed the syrup reaching 200-degrees and more.
Mark Redden, 10, center, and his brother, Matthew Reddon, 8, right, both of Dade City, get a closer look at the boiling cane juice, as Jerry Moates, left, talks about the age-old process of making cane sugar syrup.
Mike Alvarez portrayed an American G.I., during a World War II battle reenactment at ‘Raising Cane.’ Here, Alvarez, wearing the U.S. Army uniform of a corporal in the 34th Infantry division, rests on a Browning heavy machine gun. He and others with the Florida Historical Preservation group took part in the reenactment designated as the ‘Raid on Renault.’
Dressed in 1800s-period clothing, Jeanene Fisher, of Zephyrhills, left, volunteered her time to make corn cakes. Here, she shows 7-year-old Raygan Mae Phillips, right, how to make the batter. The young girl was the event with her dad, Cody Phillips; her mom, Brandi Phillips; and, her little brother, Rhett Phillips, 3. In the background, smoke billows from the chimney over the syrup-making shed.

Talent showcase scales back due to COVID

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The show must go on — but this year it’s a scaled back version.

The 38th “Spotlight on Talent” competition will be held on March 6 — to give talented students a chance to show off their talents.

But this year’s crowd will be considerably smaller than usual — because of restrictions being followed to avoid the potential spread of COVID-19.

Only immediate family members may attend, social distancing and masking will be required, and the contestants will only come for their age category performances and awards, and then leave, according to a news release from the Heritage Arts Center Association, which puts on the competition.

All types of talent are welcome to compete, and there are several age categories for solos and group categories.

A student may enter as a solo and with a group.

Application fees are $40 for a solo, and $5 for each addition group contestant. The cap for a group is $85.

Participants are judged primarily on talent with additional points for stage presence and appropriate appearance, the news release says.

Those interested in competing can apply through Jan. 28, at heritagearts.org.

Participants will be rated by a panel of paid, professional judges, who will provide feedback and scores.

The contest includes $4,000 in cash and trophy prizes, and a $1,000 scholarship to the high school senior from Pasco County with the highest judges scores.

For more information, contact Barbara Friedman at  or by calling 352-567-1720.

Published January 20, 2021

Lower speed limit approved on South County Line Road

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The Pasco County Commission has approved reducing the speed limit on a stretch of South County Line Road, between Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Mansfield Drive.

Commissioners approved spending $1,000 for new speed limit signs for the road.

Currently, the speed limit is 40 mph. The new limit will be 35 mph. The new speed limit takes effect when the new signs are installed.

The action follows a review of three years of crash data and observations of pedestrian crossings on the street.

Transportation experts believe the lower speed limit should minimize run-off-the-road crashes, and will improve pedestrian safety, according to background materials in the Jan. 12 agenda packet.

Published January 20, 2021

Judges take on leadership roles at Boy Scouts

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Two Hillsborough County judges have been selected as leaders in the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, according to a news release.

Judge Thomas Palermo will serve as chairman of the Fort Brook District, one of nine districts in the council. Judge Michael Bagge-Hernandez will serve as vice chairman.

The district encompasses the western half and northern half of Hillsborough County.

Palermo, appointed as a judge in 2019, lives in South Tampa and grew up in the Carrollwood area. The former American University Student Body President and Jesuit High School alumnus earned his law degree in 2001 from Florida State University College of Law.

He is married to Brittany Palermo. They have one son, a Webelo Scout in St. John’s Episcopal Church’s Cub Scout Pack 23, where Palermo is an assistant cubmaster and den leader.

Palermo’s son’s love for Scouting was one reason he became the district chairman.

In his role as chairman of the district, which has more than 90 Scouting units and serves more than 2,500 youth, he hopes to recruit and rebuild units as participation has been affected by the COVID-19 virus.

Bagge-Hernandez  became a judge January 2020, after working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Puerto Rico and in the Middle District of Florida, the news release says.

A former Cub Scout at St. Mary’s Episcopal Day School, the Jesuit High School alumnus graduated from Stetson College of Law in 2007. A north Hillsborough County resident, he is married and has two young children, who he wants to enroll in Scouts when older.

“I accepted the position as vice chair in hopes to give back to the organization that did so much for me,” Bagge-Hernandez.

His goal, he said, is to support the organization in rebuilding from a difficult year.

The Greater Tampa Bay Area Council (GTBAC) is a local council in western Florida chartered by the Boy Scouts of America. The Council encompasses nine counties and serves more than 15,000 youth in 189 Cub Scout packs, 192 Boy Scout and Varsity Scout troops, 36 Venturing Crews and five Sea Scout Ships. In addition to the Lewis Hill III Service Center, located at 13228 N. Central Ave. in Tampa, the GTBAC maintains six camp properties: Camp Owen J. Brorein in Odessa, Camp Soule in Clearwater, Flaming Arrow Scout Reservation in Lake Wales, Sand Hill Scout Reservation in Brooksville, Big Foot Wilderness Camp in the Green Swamp, and Camp Alafia along the Alafia River in Lithia.

Published January 20, 2021

Law enforcement memorial receives donations

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Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s office raised $8,727.38 to support the construction of a permanent law enforcement officers memorial on the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, in downtown Dade City.

The tax collector’s five offices highlighted the Pasco Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial as the charity of the month in November.

The campaign had been begun pre-COVID, but was rescheduled to November because of the pandemic, according to a news release from Fasano’s office.

Staff and leaders from the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Pasco’s Back the Blue. (Courtesy of Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s Office)

Pasco County holds a memorial service each year to honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

However, Pasco County is the only county in Florida without a permanent memorial that can be visited year-round.

Local attorney Craig LaPorte has been heading up the effort to raise funds to build a permanent memorial, and he asked Fasano to help bring the fund drive to the finish line, the news release adds.

A check presentation was held in December, with Fasano joined by members of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and Bob George and members of Pasco’s Back the Blue, an organization created to help support law enforcement officers.

“On behalf of the board of directors of the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and Benefit Foundation we want to extend our sincerest thanks to Mike Fasano and his entire staff for making our foundation the beneficiary of the Pasco County Tax Collector Charities,” LaPorte said, in the release. “He was kind enough to select us for the April 2020 Charity of the Month, but unfortunately as COVID-19 jumped into our lives, he was forced to close in-person office visits for a time. So, in order to help us realize our goal of constructing a permanent memorial to Pasco’s Fallen Law Enforcement Heroes, he put us back on his queue for November. Thanks to the generosity of Pasco’s citizens, and Mr. Fasano and his charity, we raised enough funds to put us “over the top.” As a result, we are now in the process of the final stages leading to the construction of the memorial in front of the Pasco County Historic Courthouse in Dade City.”

“It has been such an honor to work with the fine men and women of our law enforcement community to help raise the funds that will help construct this long-needed memorial,” Fasano said, in the release. “For any one law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty is one too many. Unfortunately, many good officers have been killed in Pasco over the years. This memorial will honor their sacrifice and the good work they did protecting our county from lawbreakers of every sort. A very generous community stepped up to show their support for the members of our law enforcement agencies.”

Another local group also helped to put the fundraising efforts for the memorial over the top, according to Sandy Graves, president of the Land O’ Lakes Rotary Club Charities Inc., a charitable arm of the club.

The club’s charitable group contributed $2,000 for the permanent memorial.

Published January 13, 2021