The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Homeless Coalition seeking rental properties

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The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County is seeking available rental properties to provide residences for its Housing Surge, which will house 225 currently homeless households — singles and families — over the next 180 days.

Those knowing about a house, mobile home or apartment posted for rent should take a photo of the sign with the contact information, and send it along with the street name and address to the coalition’s housing locator, Kelly Miller-Funk, at .

Landlords should send their contact information and the number of units owned. A weekly list of available units will be provided to case managers.

For more information, call the Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County at 727-842-8605.

Published December 09, 2020

A little comfort can go a long way

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

On behalf of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, member Beth Nevel-Rader (right) delivered 17 stuffed animals to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Station 40 in Lutz. The animals are intended to bring comfort and calm to children when the Fire Rescue team arrives at a home during a time of emergency, and/or stress and anxiety for the family. Firefighter EMT Tarel Peralta accepted the donations. For information on the woman’s club, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org.

Bringing the blues to Wesley Chapel

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The Wesley Chapel Art & Blues Festival offered a weekend of family fun, art, food and live music, on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22, at the Grove at Wesley Chapel.

An artisan craft fair featured dozens of artists selling homemade items, such as artwork, candles, jewelry and clothing. Artisans created work while interacting with guests, and there were all sorts of fun activities, such as barrel painting and Nerf Wars, too.

Numerous food trucks and a beer garden rounded out the festival’s offerings.

Matthew Misener, shows off his impressive double axe throwing skills at the Molly’s Hatchet axe throwing experience at the Wesley Chapel Art & Blues Festival on Nov. 21. The Zephyrhills native is the operations manager and event coordinator for Molly’s Hatchet, a competitive axe throwing venue in downtown Zephyrhills. (Christine Holtzman)
Lena Blackwell of Lutz, works on an abstract painting that depicts the plight of the honey bee inside her booth at the Wesley Chapel Art & Blues Festival on Nov. 21. Blackwell said most of her art is inspired by nature.
Susan Gann, a school teacher from Eagle Lake in Polk County, paints a green metal barrel in a butterfly and vine motif at the barrel painting and maze exhibit.
During a friendly battle of Nerf Wars, Nathan Mueller of Odessa, jumps out from behind a metal barrel barricade to surprise his 9-year-old son Alex.

Pasco advises residents: Follow county parking rules

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Pasco County has issued a news release alerting owners of boats, RVs and commercial vehicles that the county is reactivating enforcement of its parking regulations, effective immediately.

The county had relaxed enforcement of its parking rules for those types of vehicles in residential areas, but it has resumed enforcement, according to the news release.

The grace period earlier this year coincided with Florida’s Safer At Home order in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the release says. The return to the use of citations to enforce county codes follows the Florida Supreme Court’s guidelines associated with COVID-19.

For questions or concerns, contact Pasco County Customer Service at (727) 847-2411.

Published December 02, 2020

Boy Scout council presents citizenship awards

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The Boy Scouts of America Greater Tampa Bay Area Council honored local sheriff’s offices with Participating Citizenship Awards in a virtual event on the evening of Oct. 26, according to a news release from the council.

Dwayne Jones, director of field services for the Boy Scouts of America Greater Tampa Bay Area Council, said the Scouts’ Participating Citizenship Award recognizes the selfless service of local heroes. (Courtesy of Boy Scouts of America Greater Tampa Bay Area Council)

The Participating Citizenship Award “recognizes the selfless service of local heroes,” including deputies of the Hillsborough and Pasco County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as all law enforcement canines, Dwayne Jones, the director of field services in the Boy Scouts’ regional council, said in the release.

Each tribute featured guest appearances by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers standout Ronde Barber.

“Trying times prioritize what is important and now, more than ever, tying as many threads together for a common cause is essential,” Barber told viewers during the live-streamed event.

He went on to express a sense of shared obligation between volunteers and law enforcement as “servants of the public” to better the lives of young people in local communities.

Scott shared some of his own experiences in the Scouting program. He became a Cub Scout in second grade, crossed over into Boy Scouts and eventually achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the organization’s highest honor.

“The lessons I learned as I became an Eagle Scout have helped me all my life,” Scott said during the virtual event.

Scott went on: “I want to thank all of the volunteers, all of the troop leaders and all of the law enforcement that help our Scouts. Keep up the good work, and never stop pursuing your dreams.”

Pasco County’s ceremony featured a brief acceptance speech by Sheriff Chris Nocco, who thanked the Boy Scouts of America for its partnership with the Law Enforcement Explorers Program. The program is active in both Pasco and Hillsborough Counties, and provides an experiential education of the criminal justice system with training and competitions.

“The Pasco Sheriff’s Office Explorers Program gives the opportunity for young women and men to learn what law enforcement really does and how to become leaders in our community,” Nocco said.

Jones concluded the program by asking viewers to donate to support local programs such as  Exploring and traditional Scouting, which — like other nonprofit organizations — have been experiencing a challenging time this year.

“Through all of this, we are excited to know that many of the tenets of Scouting, such as helping our neighbors, checking in on those in need, and putting others before ourselves, have strengthened our sense of community and civic duty,” Jones said. “Participating citizenship is at the foundation of the lessons learned in the Scouting programs.”

Published December 02, 2020

Life after Rehab and Home Health

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If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.

Life was good until you ended up in the hospital from an unexpected illness — perhaps from pneumonia, a urinary tract infection, an unexpected surgery, a scheduled surgery or even COVID-19. After your hospital stay, you thought you would be well enough to manage the rest of your life without any further health complications.

Morpheus Wellness co-founders, Dean Flores and Lynda Parks, have over 30 years of combined experience in the fields of physical therapy, fitness, health and wellness, working primarily with older patients. Dean and Lynda’s unique combination of holistic and clinical approach led them to create a program that molds personal preferences and likes around the wellness/ fitness program, turning it more into an experience than a workout. The Morpheus Wellness Team, from the left: Emily Maguire, occupational therapist; Dean Flores, physical therapist; Linda Parks, physical therapist and Brittany Wingo, speech pathologist.

When you were discharged, your doctors may have prescribed rehabilitation or home health therapy involving physical, occupational and/or speech language pathologists. These health care professionals taught you exercises to help you recover so you can return to your prior level of function. And, after your rehab was completed, you were given a home exercise program and were set to go.

This sounds pretty easy, right? All you needed to do was follow the plan and everything would be fine. Unfortunately, being consistent, safe and compliant with a home exercise program is not as easy as it sounds, and non-compliance is one of the main reasons affecting your recovery.

Adherence to home exercise programs after rehabilitation is a significant problem, with estimates of non-compliance as high as 50 percent. Even those who try to follow their program often have difficulties completing their exercises and the recommended repetitions.

Patients have many perceived barriers that prevent them from adhering to their exercise plans, including forgetting to exercise, not having time, not fitting into their daily routine, work schedules and transportation.

As rehab specialists, we understand that cognitive, behavioral and physical barriers affect a patient’s willingness to adhere to their prescribed exercise program. But we also understand its importance.

If you fail to adhere to your prescribed exercise program, it may extend the duration of your treatment plan, and also make it less effective. A number of studies have linked strong exercise adherence to improved treatment outcome in patients experiencing neck and back pain and osteoarthritis symptoms.

There is also lots of evidence that physical activity prevents disablement and disease in the older adult, and that physical activity reduces falls and fall injuries by 35 to 45 percent. The benefits of physical activity also extend to a reduction of risks associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity and anxiety/ depression. It can also delay cognitive impairment, improve sleep and prevent unhealthy weight gain.

So, how can you stick to your program? It begins with changing your attitude toward exercise. How many times have you heard, “When we’re young, we work out to look good. As we get older, we work out to survive.”

The good news is that you have options after rehab or home health to help you maintain consistency in your program.

At Morpheus Wellness, we provide a safe, holistic and effective means of continuing fitness after rehab and home health. We encourage and promote an active lifestyle as you age, while integrating your interests, hobbies and/or athletic activities into a personalized program. Physical activities often used for older adults include aerobic, strength, flexibility and balance exercises.

The staff at Morpheus Wellness incorporate a strategy of supervision, feedback and reinforcement provided by a wellness coach, private pay physical therapist or personal trainer.

By providing good feedback, motivation and sound coaching, there is increased adherence in home-based exercises, because patients know they are performing their task correctly.

While family members or home care aides are almost always well intentioned, they may not be trained and prepared to help perform or correct exercises established by the therapist. And, they may increase the risk of injury by not recognizing unsafe movements/mobility or not be able to identify poor technique.

Exercise and physical activity is one of the main pillars of healthy habits, in combination with sleep, nutrition and mental health. Like the poet Diane Ackerman wrote, “I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.”

Visit MorpheusWellness.com, or call 813-586-0542.

Published December 02, 2020

Kia of Wesley Chapel Partners With Avalon Park

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Kia of Wesley Chapel believes nothing is more important than supporting its community, and is thrilled to be the fireworks sponsor for Avalon Aglow on Dec. 12.

When asked why giving back to the local community is so important to him and his staff, Shawn Visconte, who is general manager at the dealership, says it’s the right thing to do.

“People like that we’re involved with the community —  for folks who haven’t done business with us in the past, they see us and understand who we are, what we do, and what we believe in,” says Visconte.

Most of Visconte’s employees live close to the dealership, which is located on State Road 54, just east of I-75 and a few miles west of Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

“Our employees call the Wesley Chapel area their home, and proudly contribute to our local community through their families’ involvement and support of area schools, community organizations and clubs, veterans groups and places of worship,” said Visconte. “We hope to sponsor many fun community events, such as Avalon Aglow, in 2021 and beyond.”

Know an organization that is looking for extra volunteers? Let Kia of Wesley Chapel know and they may be able to help! Email Emily Brun at or call (best number).

Shawn Visconte, general manager of Kia of Wesley Chapel, coordinated his dealership’s donation of 117 face shields to Advent Health Wesley Chapel.

Kia Gives Face Guards to Wesley Chapel Hospital
In August, Kia of Wesley Chapel received 117 face shields for staff to use while working and talking with customers. While thankful and appreciative of the corporate donation, employees at the local dealership preferred using traditional face masks, instead of the shields.

Rather than letting the face shields sit unused, General Manager Shawn Visconte had an idea.

“I thought to myself… our local hospitals could probably really use these face shields much more than us,” says Visconte.

So, he called AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and asked if they could use more face masks. “And they said, ‘Absolutely’,” says Visconte.

Visconte arranged for a meet-up with workers from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, and gave them all 117 face shields.

“They told me, ‘You should see some of the face shields we use.’ Basically, a lot of them were old and beat up, so this was perfect timing for them,” said Visconte.

Published November 25, 2020

Avalon Aglow Kicks Off A Magical Month of Holiday Joy

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Of the many things that sets Avalon Park Wesley Chapel apart from other planned developments is its long history of organizing special events for area residents to enjoy. This year, the Avalon Park Group is launching its first ever HOLIDAY WEEK, with safe, family friendly activities every day of the week from Saturday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 18. All events are free, buy do require registration to allow for social distancing planning.

Call (813) 783-1515 with questions, or email info@Avalon Park WesleyChapel.com. You must register to reserve your place at these events by going to the community’s website at AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com, or its Facebook page at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

Pictures With Santa
Saturday, Dec. 12 at 10 am:
Inside Avex Model Home
5263 Little Stream Lane

Avalon Aglow
Saturday, Dec. 12, 5 to 8 pm.
Fireworks begin at 8, but be sure to come out sooner to check out exhibitors and enjoy fun activities.
5060 River Glen Blvd.
Wesley Chapel

Cookie Decorating
Monday, Dec. 14, 6 to 8 p.m.
Frost gingerbread cookies with sprinkles and candy
Inside the Avex Model Home
5263 Little Stream Lane

Caroling Night
Tuesday, Dec. 15, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Join neighbors and visit homes in Cypress Village and Hawthorne
Meet at Avex Model Home
5263 Little Stream Lane

Ornament Night
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 6 to 8 p.m.
Two ornaments to choose from
Inside the Avex Model Home
5263 Little Stream Lane

 Sleigh Ride Party
Thursday, Dec. 17, 6 to 9 pm
Enjoy a lazy sleigh ride pulled by tractors (reindeers were too busy)
Begins at Avex Model Home
5263 Little Stream Lane

Movie Night
Friday, Dec. 18 at 7 pm
Every month there is Movies Under The Stars, with hit movies perfect for families of all ages. In December, the movie is ELF, one of the most endearing Christmas movies ever made. The show begins at 7 p.m. and takes places outside the community center.

Published November 25, 2020

Downtown Avalon Park Is Also Downtown Wesley Chapel

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Avalon Park Wesley Chapel soon will offer residents places to shop and work when its downtown center is completed. Infrastructure construction has begun on the first phase, which will include two office buildings, two mixed-use retail/residential buildings and a community park.

Rendering of office buildings planned for Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

“We will be building beautiful, multi-story buildings with commercial space designed for businesses our residents want close to home — restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, bars and entertainment, hair and nail salons, as well as activities like dance, gymnastic and karate studios,” said Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of the Avalon Park Group.

In addition to shops and markets, the community’s downtown area will have over 500,000 square feet of commercial space.

“We are not just developers— we are building a brand new town with family events all year-long,” said Lerret. “We’re bringing together everything a family needs to enjoy life today, and in the future.”

Few communities offer the recreational activities found at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, thoughtfully created for residents of all ages. New in 2019 was an expansive second amenity center with a zero-entry pool, splash pad, spa and picnic area. Avalon Park families also enjoy a wide array of other amenities, including another swimming pool, tot lot, basketball courts, pocket parks with mini-libraries, dog park, and trails and walkways that will interconnect with its planned downtown.

Already, 1,500 people call Avalon Park Wesley Chapel home, and over 750 homes have been sold since it opened in 2012. The community will continue to grow over the next several years and, at build out, will be home to 10,000 residents residing in 4,400 single and multifamily homes.

Published November 25, 2020