The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Top spots for outdoor workouts

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Fitness website Lift Vault released a poll of fitness enthusiasts that ranked the top 150 outdoor fitness spots in the country, which they describe as “destinations offering breathtaking views that elevate the fitness experience,” according to a news release.

The top five spots are:

  1. Chautauqua Park, Boulder, Colorado
  2. Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, Nevada
  3. Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine
  4. Olympic Discovery Trail, Olympic Peninsula, Washington
  5. Glacier National Park, Montana

Three Florida spots made the list:

  1. Fort De Soto Park, Tierra Verde
  2. Everglades National Park, South Florida
  3. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne

The full list can be found at liftvault.com/scenic-sweats.

Best soccer cities

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The personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on the Best Cities for Soccer Fans in 2024, comparing 300 U.S. cities with at least one college or professional soccer team across 52 key metrics, including minimum season-ticket price and performance on the pitch, according to a news release. Here are the top 20 cities:  

  1. Los Angeles, California
  2. Seattle, Washington
  3. Portland, Oregon
  4. Salt Lake City, Utah
  5. Orlando
  6. Washington, D.C.
  7. Kansas City, Missouri
  8. New York, New York
  9. Atlanta, Georgia
  10. St. Louis, Missouri
  11. Miami
  12. Cary, North Carolina
  13. Cincinnati, Ohio
  14. Houston, Texas
  15. Nashville, Tennessee
  16. Columbus, Ohio
  17. St. Paul, Minnesota
  18. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  19. Boston, Massachusetts
  20. San Jose, California

For the full report, visit WalletHub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-soccer-fans/14207.

Business Digest 05/29/2024

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Leading Ladies networking event
The North Tampa Bay Chamber Leading Ladies Network hosts a networking event at Florida Avenue Brewing, 2029 Arrowgrass Drive, Wesley Chapel, in the private event room, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., on the first Friday of each month. The next session will be June 7 and features author and motivational speaker Kiera Yore. Admission is $15 per person.

RISE ribbon-cutting
The North Tampa Bay Chamber will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening for RISE Dispensary, 28053 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Wesley Chapel, on June 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free to attend and will feature swag and food to the first 100 patients.

Career resource workshop
The University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will host a free career resource workshop at the One Stop Shop (formerly the Stallings Building), 15029 14th St., Dade City, on July 11 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/career-resources-workshop-tickets-810169999277.

Suncoast launches treasury management
Florida’s largest credit union Suncoast Credit Union is partnering with Tru Treasury, a treasury management provider, to launch treasury management services. Its suite of commercial products and services includes automated clearing house, remote deposit capture, and fraud prevention tools, according to a news release. For more information, visit Suncoast.com/treasury.

SBDC performance award winners
The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at University of South Florida (USF) announced on May 15 its 2024 performance award winners at the 2024 Florida SBDC at USF Annual Business Award, according to a news release. The winners were:

  • Team Spirit of the Year: Jenée Skipper
  • Performance Excellence Award: Yolanda Goodloe
  • Resource Partner of the Year: Michael Carlisle, Alternative Tax Services
  • Graduate Student Team Project of the Year: Dinner Done!
  • Undergraduate Student Team Project of the Year: Optimal Moments. LLC

For more information about the SBDC, visit SBDCTampaBay.com.

County Road 52 to be closed beginning June 5

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Pompanic Street is closed for roundabout construction from south of Pennsylvania Avenue to CR 52. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

The intersection of County Road 52, Pompanic Street and College Avenue in San Antonio is scheduled to close beginning the afternoon of June 5 (NOTE: original date of May 28 had been postponed) around-the-clock, to all CR 52 thru-traffic, according to a Florida Department of Transportation news release. The closure is needed for continued construction of a new roundabout at the intersection.

It is expected to reopen in approximately mid to late August, weather permitting, the release says.

Motorists will detour around the closed area of CR 52 using State Road 52 between Curley Road and Prospect Road.

There also are local detours in place for Pompanic Street and College Avenue, as these road currently do not have access to CR 52.

To access downtown San Antonio from CR 52, drivers can use Curley Street or Joe Hermann Drive.

More project information and map are available online at https://tinyurl.com/32r7pjn7.

Published May 24, 2024

Doing good for those in service

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(Courtesy of Deborah Erdahl)

Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club attended a Welcome Home Ceremony and Ribbon-Cutting at the Let Us Do Good Village in Land O’ Lakes in honor of Jenny, Caden and J.J. Williams. The family chose May 4, International Firefighters Day, to celebrate their husband/father Patrick “Pat” Williams who worked as a firefighter with the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department for 33 years until he passed away. The woman’s club joined the Williams family and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to recognize Patrick’s life, service, sacrifice and legacy as they welcomed the family to their new mortgage-free home. Club members Linda Mitchell, Dee Knerr, Darlene Choe, Shirley Wilhite, Jan King, Marsha Gibson, Jody Stewart, Nancy Taylor, Edna Gordon, Linda Buzzee, Darryln Caudill and Nancy Branham delivered gifts for the home to the family.

Lutz Guv’na Race for 2024 is underway

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Three candidates are vying for the coveted title of Lutz Guv’na in the annual fun-filled event that raises funds for community and nonprofit organizations.

The campaign, which kicked off on April 27 and has been held annually since the mid-‘50s, has been sponsored and overseen by the Lutz Civic Association since the early ’90s, according to Stephanie Ensor who was crowned Lutz Guv’na in 2010.

The event usually starts in early May but began sooner this year to accommodate the candidates’ schedules, according to Jennifer Rankin, the 2015 Lutz Guv’na.

Two of the candidates — Linda Mitchell and Joanne LaChance — are retired educators. The third hopeful is Rob Brooklyn, a local business owner. 

Each of this year’s three candidates is seeking to raise as much money as possible between April 27 and July 4.
“It’s all for the same goal,” Ensor said regarding the highly competitive event.

During each campaign season, candidates rally to raise funds totaling thousands of dollars for approximately 20 nonprofit beneficiaries in Lutz, which will be collected and disbursed by the civic association. Each candidate gets to direct 10% of the funds they raise to a charitable organization in Lutz of their choosing. 

Charities and nonprofit organizations that desire to receive grants can apply by sending a request to ; none of the funds will be disbursed until September, according to Ensor.

MEET THE CANDIDATES

Rob Brooklyn (Courtesy of Lutz Guv’na Chronicles/Facebook)

Rob Brooklyn
“The Guv’na We Love” is Rob Brooklyn’s slogan as he campaigns for the title of Lutz Guv’na 2024.

Brooklyn is the owner of Hardrock Landscape Services in Lutz. The business was founded in 1998 and has received many favorable reviews over the past 26 years.

Learning Gate Community School, 16215 Hanna Road in Lutz, is Brooklyn’s charity of choice.

He’s been married for 13 years and he and his wife have four children.

Although he was nervous during the candidates’ debate, Brooklyn said the event was still “a lot of fun.”

Online contributions to Brooklyn’s campaign may be made on PayPal: @ROBBROOKLYN.

Joanne LaChance (Courtesy of Lutz Guv’na Chronicles/Facebook

Joanne LaChance
“Everything is better with friends and family! And lots of $$$,” is Joanne LaChance’s slogan during her Lutz Guv’na crusade.

LaChance, who is a retired schoolteacher, has chosen the Lutz PK-8 School, at 202 Fifth Ave., S.E.,, as her charity of choice to receive 10% of the funds she raises.

She now owns and operates Lutz Pinch A Penny Pool Store at the intersection of Sunset Lane and U.S. 41. 

“I am running for the Guv’na of Lutz to help raise lots of money for our awesome community,” LaChance said in a post on the Lutz Guv’na Chronicles page on Facebook.

“Owning the local pool store has given me the opportunity to meet so many Lutz families! Seeing everyone and their children on a weekly basis has really made me fall in love with our wonderful little town!

“I am excited to run for Guv’na of Lutz to give back to my community and to show my support to the great people of Lutz. So please come stop by the store to donate and take part in all the exciting events we will be having to support our local Lutz charities,” LaChance said.

She and her husband Eric, who is a retired chief financial officer, are the parents of three children — Zachary, Erica and Emily. All of their children worked at the store at one time or another. 

“They are all now making their own way through life and visit us often,” LaChance said.

Online contributions to her campaign may be made through Venmo: @Joanne-Lachance.

Linda Mitchell (Courtesy of Lutz Guv’na Chronicles/Facebook)

Linda Mitchell
“In It To Win It” is Linda Mitchell’s slogan for this year’s Lutz Guv’na race. 

The 1st vice president of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club is a former educator who retired after working as an eighth grade Language Arts teacher at Adams Middle School for 25 years.

The club “is all behind its gal and will support her to the hilt,” said a post on the club’s web page.

The Woman’s Club is the nonprofit organization of Mitchell’s choice to receive 10% of the money she raises.

She’s a native of the Lutz area who moved to the community after she and her husband of 49 years, John, got married. They have two children — Billy (wife Tracy) and Kelly (husband Cameron) — and four grandchildren, Alexis, Alyssa, Ava and Jack.

In addition to coaching Lutz Chiefs cheerleading and the Lutz Leagurettes, she was also a member of the Ladies Auxiliary for Lutz Little League and a den leader and committee chairman for Cub Scout Pack 12. Also, she is an advisor for the Little Women of Lutz Juniorettes program and recently was honored as the GFWC Florida State Juniorette Advisor of the Year.

She received $100 to kick-off her campaign by having the most attendees in her favor during the annual “debate” held on April 27 at the Old Lutz School.

The Lutz Civic Association will announce the total amount of money raised in the race at the annual July 4th parade, as well as the amount raised by the winning Lutz Guv’na candidate. The winner will receive a colorful sash, a “key to the town” and will be “inaugurated” at the Old Train Depot on Lutz Lake Fern Road during the parade, Ensor said.

All of this year’s candidates are running for the first time for the one-year term as Lutz Guv’na. Only one person — Suzin Carr — has become Guv’na on two different occasions (2009, 2013).

Previous winners of the Lutz Guv’na Race are:
2023 – Jerome Smalls
2022 – Atlas Cortecero
2019 – Amy Lancaster
2018 – Domenic Difante
2017 – Kori Rankin
2016 – Greg Gilbert
2015 – Jennifer Rankin
2014 – Dr. Cindy Perkins
2013 – Suzin Carr
2012 – Karen D’Amico
2011 – Kevin White
2010 – Stephanie Ensor
2009 – Suzin Carr
2008 – Teri Burgess
2007 – Michele Northrup
2006 – Edwina Kraemer
2005 – Liz Iaconetti
2004 – Dean Rivett
2003 – Joni Cagle
2002 – Brett Montegny
2001 – Helen Kinyon
2000 – Vince Arcuri
1999 – Danny Neeley
1998 – Sandy Ruberg
1997 – Earl Smith
1996 – Ben Nevel
1995 – Kay Dahman
1994 – Lorraine Dabney
1993 – Leslie Dennison
1992 – Betty Neeley
1991 – Jo Van Bebber

Published May 22, 2024

Florida to bolster its anti-human trafficking efforts with new law

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(The Center Square) — Florida will beef up its efforts to stem human trafficking after legislation was signed into law on Monday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 7063, a bill that will make important updates on how Florida combats human trafficking and extends the lifetime of the statewide Council on Human Trafficking within the Department of Legal Affairs.

Under the new law, rest area service plazas, emergency rooms, massage parlors, strip clubs or other known human trafficking hotspots will be required to display human trafficking awareness signs with telephone numbers to both the national hotline and Florida’s hotline. Penalties are also being increased for entities who fail to comply.

Anti-trafficking billboard put up by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center in Mounds View, Minnesota. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The bill also requires entities with contracts with the Florida government to provide assurances to the state that they do not use coerced labor and prohibits a minor from being employed by an adult entertainment establishment in any role.

“The Legislature has over the years I’ve been governor, worked with us to combat human trafficking, and this is a really serious scourge in our society, and because we’re a state that’s a destination state…unfortunately that attracts human trafficking,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis said over the past three and a half years the Southern Border has been inundated with illegal migrants crossing into the U.S.. Because of this, the Mexican drug cartels are using this as an opportunity to drive human trafficking.

“So this is a big, big problem for the United States, and it’s a problem that we have worked to tackle in Florida and are continuing today with the announcement,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis stated that since 2019, more than 50,000 calls have been made to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. DeSantis pointed out that according to the Department of Justice, the average age of a trafficked individual is 13 years old.

“80% of those trafficked are girls, and of those girls, 80% are subjected to sexual exploitation,” DeSantis said. “We know that that is unacceptable, and we need to continue to work hard, and today we’re doing even more to uphold the law and to go after those who are trafficking these children.”

DeSantis noted that Florida has zero tolerance when it comes to the sexual exploitation of children, as the death penalty can now be given to those convicted of pedophilia in the state of Florida, even though the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed the practice in a 2007 decision in the Kennedy v. Louisiana case.

Published May 22, 2024

State regulators approve rate cut requests by two utilities

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(The Center Square) — Florida utility regulators approved requests this week to cut customer rates for two of Florida’s biggest electricity providers.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) held its monthly meeting Tuesday and approved Tampa Electric and Duke Energy Florida’s requests to lower electricity rates, citing lower-than-expected fuel costs. Duke Energy customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month, can expect a $5.90 reduction in their monthly bills.

Under state law, utilities can charge customers for increased fuel charges, but when prices go down, they’re also required to lower rates. 

(American Public Power Association/Unsplash)

These rates will take effect in June and are in addition to an existing 6% reduction in monthly costs that adds up to $11.29 in monthly savings from January. Duke Energy Florida supplies electricity to over 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in Florida, spread over a 13,000-square-mile service area.

On the company’s website, Duke Energy Florida state president Melissa Seixas said in a statement that the approvals are great for Duke Energy Florida customers.

“Today’s approvals are great news for Florida customers, especially as we get closer to our warmest months,” Seixas said. “Duke Energy continues to look for ways to pass on savings to our customers while providing the reliable, increasingly clean power our customers and communities expect.”

Tampa Electric customers using 1,000 kWh per month will have an almost $10 reduction in monthly bills, going from an average of $143.48 to $136.44 per month. The company provides services to over 840,000 customers throughout west-central Florida

Tampa Electric’s commercial customers will also have a reduction of between 4% and 11%. This is the second time rates have been lowered this year after Tampa Electric petitioned the PSC to decrease residential bills by almost $18 monthly. This cut could lead to potential savings of up to $175 for the remainder of 2024.

President and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric Archie Collins, said in a statement on the company’s website that they are pleased to be passing on savings.

“Tampa Electric is pleased to be in a position to reduce electricity bills again this year,” Collins said. “We are happy to provide customers with some welcome relief as the summer’s heat begins.”

Published May 22, 2024

Report details how state policymakers should use artificial intelligence

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(The Center Square) — A report on artificial intelligence provides guidance on how Florida policymakers can best deal with this emerging technology.

The James Madison Institute (JMI) released Bringing Government Into the 21st Century: Artificial Intelligence and State Government Operations this month and the report says that it is often thought that AI is a new technology, when it has been around for some time in many ways.

(Solen Feyissa/Unsplash)

The report outlines several ways lawmakers can use this technology to streamline and modernize state government operations and help deliver better services. It also noted some of the potential challenges that could be faced.

One of the biggest concerns is how this technology will affect jobs. The report points out that the International Monetary Fund has stated that around 60% of jobs in developed countries could be exposed to AI. However, researchers have found that early indicators show that instead of replacing jobs, AI is changing jobs.

Privacy and data security are also serious concerns, potentially putting state agencies at risk of cyberattacks. The report further notes that the time it takes for state agencies to procure AI technologies could present significant roadblocks to implementation, leaving those agencies lagging behind.

On the positive side, AI technology presents the opportunity to better streamline unemployment and reemployment benefits by screening applications and pinpointing instances of fraud. AI could also take up general administrative tasks, allowing government workers to focus on more important responsibilities.

Edward Longe, report author and director of the Center for Technology & Innovation at The James Madison Institute, said in a statement that the report’s purpose was to show lawmakers why they should be embracing AI.

“Artificial Intelligence has the power to streamline state government operations, not just here in Florida, but across the country,” Longe said. “In releasing this policy brief, JMI hopes to illuminate the ways emerging technologies can make government work better for citizens in the coming years. We also hope to show why state lawmakers should be embracing these technologies and not rejecting them.”

According to the report, policy solutions include procurement reform, establishing government task forces to study how AI can be incorporated into government services, implementing cybersecurity reform, retraining and reskilling employees and state government allowing state agencies to experiment with AI and use it in day-to-day operations.

Published May 22, 2024

Audit finds cybersecurity issues with Florida Department of Revenue

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(The Center Square) — A recent audit of the Florida Department of Revenue showed that improvements were needed to ensure the safety and privacy of data.

The Florida auditor general found a handful of issues with the department’s operations, including not appropriately maintaining public records, a lack of oversight around ex-employee access to certain accounts and not properly clearing data from surplus information technology equipment.

(Charles Deluvio/Unsplash)

The Department of Revenue has three main functions: Collecting and distributing state taxes and fees, overseeing Florida’s property tax system and providing child support enforcement services. The department was allocated over $717 million in last year’s budget.

According to the report, it was found that department management’s internal controls for ensuring that text and multimedia messages were not retained in accordance with state law. Communications are statutorily required to be retained for a period of three years for administrative correspondence and five years for policy development correspondence.

The auditor general recommended that the department make or obtain independent, periodic assessments, test the effectiveness of relevant internal controls and strengthen existing controls to ensure department devices with messaging capabilities are retained according to Florida statutes.

The audit also found that department controls over employee access to several different data systems — including the Florida Accounting Information Resource Subsystem, the Contract Accountability Tracking System and the Child Support Enforcement Automated Management System — needed to be improved to prevent unauthorized or improper use of access privileges.

Several instances occurred where ex-employees did not have their access removed immediately upon leaving the department. Further, some access reviews did not have supporting documentation to prove they had been carried out per statutory requirements.

The auditor general recommended that IT user access privilege controls be enhanced and that employee access privileges be deactivated upon leaving the department.

Lastly, department records between July 2021 and January 2023 showed that 1,871 items were identified as surplus IT equipment with data storage. Of the 25 selected for the audit, five iPhones, one iPad and a laptop computer lacked evidence to show they had been properly sanitized and wiped of potentially confidential information.

It was recommended that the department better document evidence that surplus items are sanitized or physically destroyed appropriately to ensure sensitive information is not disclosed.

Published May 22, 2024