The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Low gas prices might push Thanksgiving travel

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and dropping gas prices at the pump could convince many families to take to the road.

Gas in Florida dropped another nickel over the past week, bringing the average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded to $2.91, while the national average falls to $2.93. It’s the 42nd consecutive day gas prices have dropped nationally, and the 37th in Florida.

“Cheap gas prices couldn’t come at a better time as millions of Americans make travel plans for the holiday season,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said, in a release. “Prices are the lowest in four years, which should influence more people to take a trip, drive farther, or drive instead of fly.”

The average gas price is now below $3 a gallon in 26 states, including Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. South Carolina has the cheapest gas in the country at $2.68, with Tennessee not far behind at $2.70. Florida has the 20th cheapest.

The U.S. shale boom continues to have a major impact on the market, with domestic oil production the highest on record, dating back to 1983. The price for a barrel of oil fell below $79 for the first time since June 2012, settling at $78.65 on Friday, a drop of $1.89 from the previous week.

Land O’ Lakes has the cheapest gas in the area, with $2.75 reported at both the Citgo and RaceTrac stations in the State Road 52 area, according to GasBuddy. Zephyrhills was not far behind with $2.77 at a Shell station on Paul S. Buchman Highway and Central Avenue.

The Circle K on Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads checked in at $2.78 in Lutz, while the cheapest gas in both Wesley Chapel and Dade City was coming in at $2.79.

Two shell stations on Van Dyke Road in the Lutz area had the area’s most expensive gas at $2.99, while the Sunoco at Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards reported $2.93, in the Land O’ Lakes area. Wesley Chapel’s most expensive was $2.89 at a Shell station on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and State Road 56, not far from its cheapest gas at Sam’s Club, which was a dime lower.

 

Petry named principal of Sanders Memorial Elementary

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Pasco County Schools superintendent Kurt Browning will ask the school board to approve Jason Petry as the new principal of Sanders Memorial Elementary School, when it opens next year.

Petry
Jason Petry

Petry, who is currently the principal of Lake Myrtle Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes, has been with the school district since 2002, according to a release. He started as an intermediate grade teacher at Deer Park Elementary School, and spent time at Quail Hollow Elementary School before becoming the third-grade teacher at Double Branch Elementary School.

Petry was named the assistant principal at Veterans Elementary School in Wesley Chapel in 2008, and continued there until getting promoted to his current job at Lake Myrtle in August 2011.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of South Florida in 2002, and his master’s at Saint Leo University in 2005.

Petry will take over the school Jan. 6, in preparation for Sanders’ opening in the fall.

Sanders will emphasize science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics — known as STEAM. It will draw largely from the Land O’ Lakes area, relieving overcrowding at Connerton Elementary School, officials said. Remaining seats would be open for students living outside the school’s normal boundaries.

Sanders will be located at 5126 School Road, and be almost entirely new. Just three of the former school’s buildings remain — the rest were demolished.

The school board will make a final decision on Petry’s appointment at its Nov. 18 meeting.

Pasco government offices closed Nov. 11

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Many Pasco County government offices will be closed Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day.

All government offices will reopen Nov. 12.

The Pasco County Parks and Recreation Centers will be closed that day, but parks and beaches will remain open to the public from dawn until dusk.

Pasco County Animal Services’ administrative office, adoption center, shelter and field services will be closed that Tuesday,  but an animal control officer will be available for emergencies only.

All offices resume regular business hours Nov. 12, with the adoption center open from noon to 6:30 p.m., and everything else from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Buses will not run through Pasco County Public Transportation on Nov. 11, however, normal routes will resume Nov. 12.

The Pasco County Resource Recovery Facility and the East Pasco Transfer Station will close Nov. 11 to the public. However, they will remain open to licensed commercial haulers. Both will reopen to the public on Nov. 12.

For details on closings, visit PascoCountyFl.net.

MOSI to host digital classroom symposium

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The Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa will host a digital classroom initiative symposium Nov. 13 beginning at 8 a.m. It will bring together education professional and high-technology specialists who will discuss adapting technology for enhanced learning and student achievement advancements.

The symposium is being put together by state Sen. John Legg, and will cover an array of topics addressing the goals, challenges and needs of educators, students and employers.

Among those participating are technology administrators from area school districts, Pasco County Schools superintendent Kurt Browning, Bright House Networks’ Craig Cowden, Florida Senate president Andy Gardiner and Tampa Bay Technology Forum chairman Chase Stockon.

The Legislature has directed Florida’s Department of Education earlier this year to develop and implement a five-year strategic plan for establishing digital classrooms. The $40 million initial plan is to support individual school districts with their respective efforts of integrating technology in classrooms. The program seeks to merge educational practices with digital innovation.

Those who wish to register can do so at tinyurl.com/EdTechFl.

MOSI is located at 4801 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa.

CareerSource job fair attracts 315 people

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More than 300 people decided to “race to work,” taking part in a job fair through CareerSource Pasco Hernando.

RACE to Work — the Reemployment Assistance Community Event — attracted 315 job-seekers and 50 employers, according to a release. It took place at three sites in Dade City, New Port Richey and Spring Hill, and was designed to help pair people who have received or exhausted unemployment benefits, with employers with job openings.

“These events are the first step to developing relationships within the community,” said Rick Casey, the director of career and testing services at Pasco-Hernando State College, in a release.

Employers taking part included Target, Alumni Guard, Toys R Us, Communication Concepts and Sparton Electronics, as well as the county’s largest employer, Pasco County Schools.

Each industry was looking to hire between three and 70 new employees for both seasonal and permanent positions.

For more information on services provided to job-seekers and employers, visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com, or call Sunnye Fredia at (352) 247-0761.

Rabies alert in Land O’ Lakes after raccoon attacks dog

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The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County has issued a rabies alert in the Land O’ Lakes area, after an infected raccoon attacked a family dog.

The dog, officials said, was vaccinated, although the raccoon did test positive for rabies. That has compelled them to issue the warning that rabies is present in the wild animal population, and domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated.

Residents are asked to maintain a heightened awareness that rabies is active in the county, and while the health department has issued an alert for a specific area, they said the entire county should remain vigilant against the disease.

The current alert will run into the beginning of January and includes an area of Land O’ Lakes bordered by U.S. 41 on the east, Falling Rock and Lake Vienna drives in the south, Marchmont Boulevard in the west, and Mitchell Lane and Champions Avenue in the north.

An animal with rabies can infect other wild or domestic animals that have not been vaccinated against rabies. All domestic animals should be vaccinated against rabies, and all wildlife contact should be avoided, health officials said. That includes raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats and coyotes specifically.

Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm-blooded animals and humans. The only treatment for human exposure is rabies-specific immune globulin and rabies immunization.

Appropriate treatment started soon after the exposure will protect an exposed person from the disease.

Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

  • Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all pets.
  • Keep pets under direct supervision so they do not come into contact with wild animals. If a wild animal bites a pet, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.
  • Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter.
  • Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home.
  • Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals — wild or domestic — even if they appear friendly.
  • Precent bats form entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools and other similar areas, where they might come in contact with people and pets.
  • If an animal bites a person, seek care promptly. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water. Go to a family doctor ore hospital for immediate medical attention.
  • For bites and scratches, contact Pasco County Animal Services at (813) 929-1212, and reach out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at (863) 648-3203 for concerns about wild animals.

 

Company values define Bay Breeze Car Wash

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Howard Hogan, general manager of the Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube in Land O’ Lakes, wants every customer to know the company’s values of experience, fast service, high quality, and a friendly staff in a safe and clean environment.

BayBreeze110514“These are not just words you’ll read on a poster in our waiting room,” says Howard. “They are the principles our company is founded on. We look at these metrics every day and ask ourselves if we’re meeting them. If not, we correct the problem. That’s what makes us who we are.”

Bay Breeze Car Wash is a family owned business that views every customer as a member of the family. “We want our customers to trust us,” says Howard. “We can’t do business without them.”

Howard empowers his employees to resolve customer concerns immediately, without management intervention. They do everything they can to ensure their customers get consistent results that meet or exceed their expectations.

Every detail was considered when they designed the facility. It’s an express car wash set up for a fast ride-through wash. Customers simply pull up to the pay area, select the service they want on the touchscreen, and the system does the rest. Everything is automated.

Customers can purchase a monthly package, known as a VIP Membership, for as little as $19.99 and receive unlimited washes each month. A special pass is placed in their car window that recognizes their package, automatically opens the gate and delivers their service.

What more could you ask, other than perhaps cleaning the inside of your car, too? For that, Bay Breeze provides 20 vacuum stalls for free after your car wash. You’ll have to get out of your vehicle for that, but there’s no time limit. Take all the time you need to get the inside to match the outside of your superbly clean car.

Bay Breeze Car Wash is open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., even on rainy days.

They only close when they have a critical maintenance issue that could affect quality. They keep a large supply of spare parts on hand to be able to fix most problems immediately.

“We take great pride in our facilities,” says Howard. “We’re always trying to be innovative, to find ways to increase the value we provide to our customers. We recently added a new product to our car wash called Nano-RX. Never has a Nano-Polymer Sealant like this been applied in a carwash tunnel. This product is included in our new Ultimate Wash, which can also be purchased as part of our VIP Membership for $49.99/month. See and feel the difference!”

Want more service? How about a fast convenient oil change too? Bay Breeze is a member of the Automative Oil Change Association. All of their technicians go through AOCA training. “We don’t provide mechanical maintenance,” says Howard. “We’re here to prevent things from breaking so you don’t need a mechanic.”

Keeping in line with their desire to provide maximum value to the customer, they recently switched to Mobil 1 oil in the lube shop. “This is the best oil on the market,” says Howard. “All of the items we use in the lube shop, from oil to engine cleaning to transmission, are the best we can find.”

They now use fully synthetic transmission fluids to match original equipment manufacturer standards. All new cars are now coming off the assembly line with fully synthetic transmission fluid. “These are not cheap products,” says Howard. “We use them because they bring value to the customer. Everything we do has to benefit the customer.”

Bay Breeze recently added additional LED lighting to their parking lot to ensure a bright and safe environment for their customers during the evening hours. This is just another small example of the details they consider every day as they try to give more value to their customers.

Bay Breeze has locations at 24124 State Road 54 in Land O’ lakes, and at 17501 North Palms Village Place in New Tampa. Phone numbers are (813) 949-7297 in Land O’ Lakes, and (813) 615-1333 in New Tampa.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department. 

In Print: Martial arts, grief, and a horror movie

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Depending on your age, you have cheered either for Daniel Laruso or Dre Parker to bring home a karate championship. But that’s the movies.

In reality, for those living in Wesley Chapel, all eyes were on the Vo brothers — Derick, Jason and Andrew — who traveled all the way to Poland to represent the United States at the World Union of Karate-Do Federations World Karate Championship.

Derick Vo, left, battles an opponent from Portugal at the karate championship in Poland. His performance helped him earn bronze in the. (Courtesy of Duy-Linh Vo)
Derick Vo, left, battles an opponent from Portugal at the karate championship in Poland. His performance helped him earn bronze in the. (Courtesy of Duy-Linh Vo)

The three range in age from 11 to 16, and their luggage was a bit heavier with medals returning home to Florida.

“It was an amazing experience because it was the first time me and my brothers were all able to travel together and complete in the world championships,” Derick Vo, a Wesley Chapel High School junior, told reporter Michael Murillo.

The efforts of those brothers made their father, Duy-Linh Vo, proud. He traveled with his sons to Poland,which helped him appreciate the opportunities they have in America.

“In Vietnam, they were very limited in dojos (karate learning centers) in rural areas,” he said.

Want to hear all about the Vo family’s trip to Poland? Check it out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available now. Or read it all online for free by clicking here.

While the Vo brothers’ trip to Poland may not have been the subject of a movie, there are parts of Lutz that was … well, 40 years ago.

It was a B-movie called “Satan’s Children,” and key parts of it were filmed on a farm in Lutz — complete with quicksand made out of oatmeal.

“We bought up every case of oatmeal we could find in the North Tampa area,” John Mocsary, one of the special effects people on the film, told reporter Michael Hinman. “And we used every bit of it. I had to make a three-foot pit, and it had to look real.”

Whether it did look real or not, that’s up to the viewer to decide. And sadly, in 1974, there weren’t too many viewers of this film, despite the work by a local television producer named Joe Wiezycki, and members of the University of South Florida drama department.

However, that film will get its due next weekend when the Tampa Theatre celebrates its 40th anniversary with a cast and crew reunion, including people like Mocsary, who still live in the area.

“I first got to see it back in 2006, and even then, I noticed it was made in Tampa,” said Andy Lalino, a WUSF-TV producer who is organizing the reunion. “That piqued my interest, since I’m from the Tampa Bay area, and I toyed around with some ideas on what to do about that.”

The reunion also will include some of the actors involved, like Stephen White, Rosemary Orlando and John Edwards.

To get all the details on the film, and why you should attend Nov. 15, pick up this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, or read it all online in our free e-edition, right here.

Finally, it’s November, and that means big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. It’s a joyous time for many people, but not necessarily everyone, and bereavement counselor Dale Thien wants to help.

“Your grief is like you have a broken heart,” Thien told reporter B.C. Manion. “The thing is, we can’t really see that.”

How do you handle a friend or family member who might be struggling with their own loss this holiday season? Do you leave them be? Do you invite them out? Do you sit and listen? Or all of the above?

Thien, who works with HPH Hospice, shares her thoughts about all of it in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News. Find it on newsstands, or maybe by your front door. Or you can read it online for free by clicking here.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

Breast cancer gets tagged in Pasco

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The fight for breast cancer may not be won quite yet, but Mike Fasano was able to score a small victory thanks to the End Breast Cancer specialty license tag.

Throughout October, 79 specialty tags were sold at Pasco County Tax Collector offices, which sets a new record for the office on the number of specialty plates sold in a promotion, all for the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation.

“The staff of our offices worked hard to promote this extremely important specialty plate,” Fasano said, in a release. “The sale of 79 plates will go a long way towards supporting the efforts of the foundation to find better treatment, and hopefully one day, a cure for this disease.”

The foundation works to raise awareness of breast cancer, its symptoms, and treatments. October was national breast cancer awareness month, helping people throughout the country learn more about a disease that is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Florida, excluding skin cancer.

It is estimated that about 12,000 new cases will be diagnosed within the next 12 months.

Historically, sales of this license plate have raised more than $4 million to provide research and education grants throughout the state in an effort to find the most effective ways to detect and treat breast cancer.

Even though the promotion is over, drivers can still trade in their existing license plates for the End Breast Cancer specialty tag when their auto registration comes due. Customers also can purchase the tags for newly registered vehicles.

Proceeds from the tags go directly to the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information on the group, visit FloridaBreastCancer.org.

Zoo finds partner to help save penguins

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Only one species of penguins live along the temperate South African coast, but the number of African penguins is dwindling very close to endangered species status.

Because of that, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is working with Doubletake Studios with its Help Protect African Penguins campaign, an initiative to raise $300,000 to defend these seabirds from extinction by expanding the zoo’s penguin chick nursery.

The two organizations have worked together for more than 15 years to represent the diverse animal collection at the zoo, and its work to safeguard those species.

“Doubletake Studios has been an incredible partner for the zoo in strategically communicating our mission to the community — to connect people with the living earth,” said Jason Davis, the zoo’s senior manager of marketing, in a release.

The African penguin campaign prioritizes little known facts about the zoo’s penguin population. For example, the zoo maintains the only breeding group of the species in Florida.

Since 2001, the zoo has successfully hatched eight chicks. However, in the wild, there are less than 20,000 breeding pairs remaining, a staggering loss from the 141,000 pairs that were recorded only a half-century ago. A larger nursery is crucial to supporting a true penguin colony, officials said, that can give these penguins a “flipper up” from further loss.

Those wishing to donate to the cause can visit the zoo’s gift shop, located at 1101 W. Sligh Ave., in Tampa.