The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Retired Land O’ Lakes pastor receives special diocesan honor

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Monsignor Ron Aubin, retired pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, has received the 2021 Father Luis de Cancer Distinguished Priestly Service Award.

The distinction was presented by Bishop Gregory Parkes during the annual convocation for priestly renewal, according to an item published by Gulf Coast Catholic.

Every year, since 1998, the Diocese of St. Petersburg, has honored one priest who best exemplifies selfless and dedicated service to the people of God.

Retired pastor Monsignor Ronald Aubin — or Father Ron, as he was known around Our Lady of the Rosary parish — recently received a special distinction from Bishop Gregory Parkes, of the Diocese of St. Petersburg. This photo shows Aubin celebrating mass to mark his 40th anniversary. Aubin said he was raised in an environment ‘where Christ was the center of our lives.’ (Courtesy of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church)

This year, Aubin’s service was singled out.

During his active ministry in the St. Petersburg diocese, Aubin served as Parochial Vicar of Corpus Christi Parish, Temple Terrace (from 1986 to 1987); St. Jude Cathedral Parish, St. Petersburg (1987 to 1990); and Light of Christ Parish, Clearwater (1990 to 1994).

He was appointed pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, in Land O’ Lakes, on July 1, 1994, according to the Gulf Coast Catholic report.

He served at Our Lady of the Rosary for 27 years, until his retirement on July 1, according to a profile about the pastor published by The Laker/Lutz News shortly before Aubin retired.

In that story, the pastor talked about his time in the parish, which he led through two relocations, construction projects, rapid growth, the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

During Aubin’s time there, Our Lady of the Rosary grew from about 830 families to more than 3,000. It reached its peak in membership before the Great Recession, when many families were forced to relocate to find work.

Beyond high-profile events, Aubin tended to the more intimate — and more regular rituals — of being a parish pastor.

The First Communions he distributed. The homilies he delivered. The marriages and funerals that he officiated.

There were the visits, too, to nursing homes, hospitals and to the jail — where Aubin offered words of comfort and spiritual guidance to others, in a time of need.

He also was involved in a variety of roles in the diocese.

Aubin told The Laker/Lutz News, shortly before his retirement, that his moments of greatest personal joy as a pastor came when three of his parishioners — Israel Hernandez, Kyle Smith and Bill Wilson — were ordained into the priesthood.

Apparently, based on the recent recognition bestowed by Bishop Parkes, Aubin’s work did not go unnoticed.

Published October 13, 2021

Dade City seeks public feedback on Seventh Street improvements

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The City of Dade City is accepting public comments and ideas for conceptual traffic and beautification improvement plans for Seventh Street.

The City of Dade City is seeking public feedback on traffic and beautification improvements along Seventh Street. Shown here is a rendering of alternatives for a section on Seventh Street from Church Avenue to Meridian Avenue. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

City officials seek to create a downtown area that’s attractive, walkable and bikeable, and will appeal to everyone visiting it.

To that end, the municipality has obtained the professional services of Johnson Engineering to develop a streetscape improvement conceptual plan along Seventh Street, from Pond Avenue to Florida Avenue. The type of improvements being considered along the corridor involve a complete street concept — including reconfiguring the sections for traffic calming, and to accommodate sidewalks, bike lanes, landscaping and lighting.

Johnson Engineering has prepared first-draft renderings of the possible configurations of each typical section of the corridor.

They have been broken down into four sections:

  • Florida Avenue to Church Avenue
  • Church Avenue to Meridian Avenue
  • Meridian Avenue to Martin Luther King Boulevard
  • Martin Luther King Boulevard to Pond Avenue

To provide feedback on the streetscape strategy and view renderings, visit DadeCityFl.com/news_detail_T1_R37.php.

For more information, call project manager Tina Mauriello at 352-523-5050, ext. 420.

Published October 13, 2021

A mighty load, for this little one

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(Courtesy of Fred Bellet)

Four-year-old Lincoln Hollingsworth, decked out in his skeleton costume, carried the scarecrow that he and his parents, Scott and Lindsey Hollingsworth, made at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village’s Scarecrow Festival. Lincoln’s 1-year-old sister, Nora, helped, too. For more photos from the festival, see full story below.

This festival scares up a good, old-fashioned time

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Hundreds of kids and adults used hay, old clothing and imagination to create scarecrows during The Florida Pioneer Village & Museum’s annual Scarecrow Festival.

Besides making their own seasonal Halloween decorations, event-goers could compete in costume contests, grab a bite to eat, watch blacksmith demonstrations, and do a bit of shopping, too.

Blaise Bubble Magic, of America’s Got Talent fame, put on a show, too.

The museum is located at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, in Dade City.

Published October 13, 2021

One year-old Vivienne McAleenan notices as her mom, Ariana McAleenan, take her and her 4-year-old brother Declan’s photo. They’re sitting on a bale of hay that soon would become scarecrow stuffing. They were in Dade City, visiting their grandmother, Lisa Simon. (Fred Bellet)
Isabell Ayala, of Dade City, center, gets three bags of scarecrow wardrobe for her 13-year-old son, Ruben, left, and her 7-year-old daughter, Benito.
Pioneer Florida Museum & Village volunteer Alex Larkin, of Dade City, replenishes piles of hay for those making scarecrows.
Christofher Perez, of San Antonio, and Rosa Salgado, of Dade City, work together to create a scarecrow for Perez’s yard.
Thirteen-year-old Kenli Sparrow, of Ridge Manor, gets comfortable, using her scarecrow as a cushion, while waiting for her aunt, Paula Lasher, of Zephyrhills. Her twin brother, Kyle Sparrow, and Lasher’s great-granddaughter, 2-year-old Jacqueline Rene, were at the event, too.
After the children stuffed scarecrows with hay, they also could enjoy bubbles and suds filling the air at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village’s Scarecrow Festival.
Four-year-old Aaron Griffin, of Plant City, stuffs his scarecrow’s pants, one leg at a time. He and his grandfather, Randy Kreg, of Lithia, had fun at the festival.
With a serving of cotton candy that’s the size of a basketball, 11 year-old Lauren Kohl, of Riverview, prepares to enjoy it, one lick at a time. She came to the festival with her 9-year-old brother, Gavin. Their grandfather, George Wiggins, of Sun City Center, was treating them to a day of fun.
Six-year-old Myles Daley, of Zephyrhills, fervently gathers hay to stuff the pants of a scarecrow that’s being held by his dad, Alfred Daley. The pair was there with Myles’ older brother, 8-year-old Nolan, and the boys’ mom, Michele Daley. Myles named the scarecrow Gooseberg.
Scott Quick, owner of Cotton Kraze and maker of gourmet cotton candy, winds a cone with a huge globe of sweet stuff for a waiting customer.
Former Dade City resident, Nala Tookes, left, who now lives in Tampa, brought her 4-year-old daughter, Harmony Sylvester, “back home” to enjoy a Dade City seasonal celebration.
Four-year-old Aiden Trader patiently waits for a cup of lemonade, as his mom, Sabrienna Weldon, and friend Raymond Bouffier get beverages. They came to the festival from Inverness, to have some fun in the sun.
Dom Maug (in black T-shirt), of Dade City, stuffs the upper body of a scarecrow-to-be, as Billy Doty (grey T-shirt), of Zephyrhills, stuffs the head. The men planned to make scarecrows for their nieces and nephew.

 

Public service campaign targets human trafficking

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Law enforcement agencies and the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking have teamed up to launch a public awareness campaign to target human trafficking.

Three public service announcement videos highlight aspects of the problem.

One video focuses on traffickers; another, on sex buyers; and the third, on human trafficking victims.

The five law enforcement agencies in Pasco County — the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments in Zephyrhills, New Port Richey, Port Richey and Dade City — all joined in on the effort.

The videos feature Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco, Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer, New Port Richey Police Chief Kim Bogart, Port Richey Police Chief Cyrus Robinson and Dade City Police Chief James Walters.

The videos were set to be released on all participating agencies’ social media platforms on Oct. 7.

These PSAs highlight Pasco County law enforcement’s unified front in combating human trafficking,” Liana Dean, chair of the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking, said in a release.

“This crime will not be tolerated in Pasco, and if you’re trafficking or buying sex, law enforcement will track you down,” Dean said.

The PSAs also address human trafficking victims and survivors directly – assuring them that law enforcement cares about them and letting them know help and resources are available.

“The commission is honored to continue to work with our law enforcement partners on this project, and we are extremely grateful for its help and support,” Dean said.

To report human trafficking or to ask for help, call 911 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Here are the links to the PSAs on YouTube.

Published October 13, 2021

Ray Gadd named to state task force

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Ray Gadd

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, has been named to a state task force seeking solutions to address mental health and substance abuse issues.

Gadd told members of the Pasco County School Board, at their Oct. 5 meeting, that he had been appointed by Senate President Wilton Simpson to serve on the Senate Commission on Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

“It’s made up of people that represent education and community mental health from all across the state. We meet about once a month for the next two years,” Gadd said.

The task force has high hopes for improving the coordination of efforts by school systems and community mental health organizations in taking on these problems, rather than using a silo approach, he said.

“I’m hopeful that some really good things will come out of that task force,” Gadd said.

He also invited board members and district staff to bring issues to his attention that he can present in task force discussions.

Published October 13, 2021

New camping rules in effect on SWFMD properties

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New camping rules are now being enforced on lands within the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (SWFMD) jurisdiction.

The rules became effective on June 23, but were not enforced until Oct. 1.

The updated rules provide more fair opportunities for all users and create greater consistency with the other water management districts, according to a new release from SWFMD.

Changes include:

  • Reservations must be made at least 24 hours before the start of the camping permit. No same-day reservations will be accepted.
  • Campers may arrive no earlier than 3 p.m., on the first day of their reservation.
  • Campers must depart by 11 a.m., on the final day of their permit.
  • Camping is limited to no more than seven consecutive days and 30 total days per calendar year. Attempts to circumvent the seven-day maximum or 30-day total annual length of stay are prohibited.
  • Permittees can hold no more than two active camping reservations simultaneously.
  • The quiet period is 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., at all campsites.

The district may revoke a camping permit if the permittee fails to comply with the rules.

An updated mobile emergency contact phone number is required on each reservation.

More information about camping on district lands is available at WaterMatters.org/Recreation.

Published October 13, 2021

Take a fantastical trip into the surreal, at the Dali

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Few art museums in Florida – or most anywhere outside of New York City – rival the allure of the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.

The Salvador Dali Museum building, with its distinctive glass dome exterior, has been called rational and fantastical. (©2021 – Salvador Dalí Museum, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL)

On the southern end of downtown, on the waterfront, it boasts the largest collection of Dali’s art outside of a museum he founded himself in his hometown of Figueres, Spain.

Housed in what’s been described as “one of the top buildings to see in your lifetime,” the collection includes 2,400 works spanning Dali’s long career. Here, you can see his oil paintings, watercolors, drawings, books, book illustrations and manuscripts, prints, sculptures, photos, textiles and documents.

Dali, who died at 84 in 1989, was a prolific artist and a pioneer in Surrealism, known for his flamboyant personality as much as for his mind-bending art. Some called him a mad genius.

Many know him for his soft, melting clocks and watches, his self-portraits and his obsession with his wife, Gala. Others know him for his gigantic paintings, some with hidden images or imbedded mysteries.

Showcased in the Dali Museum, one titled, “Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea,” depicts his nude wife staring into the sea within a cross surrounded by brown squares. Step back and squint, or put on sunglasses, and you’ll see a portrait of Abraham Lincoln.

‘Daddy Longlegs of the Evening-Hope!’ reflects Dali’s Surrealistic style. Oil on canvas, 1940 (Collection of The Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg, FL (USA) 2021; Worldwide ©Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, (ARS), 2021; In the USA © Salvador Dalí Museum, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL, 2021)

It’s one of the most popular – among many – of his works in the museum.

It takes several hours to walk through the museum to see all the art and to read descriptions of each piece. To learn more, it’s a good idea to download the Dali Museum app and take a self-guided tour.

In addition to the permanent collection, special exhibits are hosted regularly. Currently on display through Jan. 2, 2022, is “The Woman Who Broke Boundaries: Photographer Lee Miller,” featuring her work in photojournalism and portraiture.

Visitors can see some of her self-portraits, and her photos of Dali and Gala, as well as her portraits of other artists and writers associated with Surrealism, including Man Ray and Pablo Picasso.

Another exhibit, “At Home With Dali,” features photos by five photographers of Dali and Gala at home in Spain in the 1950s and ‘60s.

From Jan. 29 to May 22, 2022, the museum presents “Picasso and the Allure of the South,” which will depict southern Europe’s influence on Picasso’s work. Many works he created in northern Spain and on France’s Mediterranean coast will be shown for the first time in the U.S.

A spiral staircase in the Dali Museum circles like a seashell, with views of Cafe Gala below and blue skies overhead. (Courtesy of Karen Haymon Long)

The museum building is a work of art itself, with its geodesic glass bubble enveloping parts of the exterior, and a spiral staircase winding gracefully upward inside.

Looking around you sometimes feel like you are within a Dali painting, or a seashell, especially while walking up the circular staircase and looking up at the blue sky and billowing white clouds or out to Tampa Bay.

The museum website says the building “combines the rational with the fantastical,” and that’s certainly true.

The fantastical continues outside, too, in the “Avant-Garden,” a green space that includes a ficus called the “Wish Tree,” dangling with strings of colorful admission bracelets marked with wishes of those who have left them, for health, love, world peace and even fame.

This photo of Salvador and Gala Dali, taken by Lee Miller, is among Miller’s works now on exhibit in the Dali Museum. (Copyright Lee Miller Archives 2021)

Dali, always the self-promoter and fantastically popular, would have liked that. In his autobiography, “The Secret Life of Salvador Dali,” he said, at 7, he wanted to be Napoleon. “And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since.”

In the garden, also, is a bench that appears to be melting, with a melting clock on it, and a huge Dali mustache sculpture that visitors like to stand in front of for photographs.

Due to COVID-19, the museum is not offering its usual docent-led tours, but it still offers private tours for groups fewer than 10, for a fee above admission.

The Dali museum store and Cafe Gala are both open. The store is filled with everything Dali – from jewelry to books, posters, melting clocks and clothing. The cafe features Spanish tapas.

Some have said Dali’s Surrealism is not their taste, so they haven’t visited the world-renowned museum. But Dali’s art is diverse and there’s probably something here for everyone. And who could resist the fantastical works of a mad genius?

Salvador Dali Museum
Where: One Dali Blvd., St. Petersburg
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except for Thursdays, when it closes at 8 p.m.
Tickets: Advance-purchase, timed tickets are required. Order at TheDali.org.
Cost: Ages 18 to 64, $25; 65 and older, as well as educators, law enforcement and military, $23; students 13 and older, $18; ages 6 to 12, $10; 5 and younger, free.
For self-guided tours and Dali facts, download the Dali Museum app and take headphones or buy ear-buds at the museum.
Covid update: Masks are required indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
Contact: TheDali.org; 727-823-3767

By Karen Haymon Long

Published October 13, 2021

Pasco wins prestigious tourism marketing honor

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From left: Cathy Pearson, Kathryn Starkey, Mike Moore, Adam Thomas, Ron Oakley, Christina Fitzpatrick, Jack Mariano and Dan Biles. Pearson is the assistant county administrator for public services, Thomas is the county’s tourism director and Biles is the Pasco County administrator. The others are members of the Pasco County Commission. (Courtesy of Ryan Hughes/Pasco County)

Pasco County’s Destination Management Organization, known as Florida’s Sports Coast, won a 2021 Flagler Award at the annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism, held by Visit Florida. The honor came in the Resource/Promotional Material-Consumer category for development and marketing of the Sports Coast Pilsner with Escape Brewing.

In an appearance before the Pasco County Commission on Sept. 15, Adam Thomas, the county’s tourism director, expressed his gratitude to his department’s staff, the county board, the county’s executive team, the Tourist Development Council board, to Elizabeth Blair of the county attorney’s office and to Escape Brewing.

Thomas said all of them have played a role in the county’s tourism success.

Besides congratulating Thomas, in a separate agenda item, the county board approved an item that supports the county’s tourism efforts.

The board approved a request to amend the county’s consulting services agreement with Downs & St. Germain Research Inc., to extend the research firm’s services for another year. The contract is for $48,000 for fiscal year 2022.

Published October 13, 2021

Starkey named state committee chair on federal issues

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The Florida Association of Counties (FAC) has reappointed Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey to serve as the chairwoman of the organization’s Federal Policy Committee, according to a county news release.

The appointment is for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

“It is my honor to serve another term as chair of the federal policy committee,” Starkey said, in the release.

Starkey also noted that the FAC “does an excellent job of uniting local voices across the state to develop a federal advocacy program to share with national leaders and lawmakers.”

As committee chair, Starkey will assist the FAC in leading the development process of policies that will guide the formation of the FAC’s agenda for the 2022 legislative session.

“Commissioner Starkey has demonstrated remarkable insight into counties’ needs, as well as a broad understanding of the various challenges facing Floridians today. Her voice is guaranteed to bring much-needed improvements for our communities this upcoming legislative season,” Ginger Delegal, FAC executive director said in the release.

“Having watched her commitment and service over the years, FAC is delighted to welcome her as a key player for rallying behind local voices,” Delegal added.

The statewide organization has represented the diverse interests of Florida’s counties for 85, with an emphasis on the importance of protecting home rule – the concept that government closest to the people governs best.

Published October 13, 2021