The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Don’t forget to set clocks back this weekend

By

There couldn’t be a better time to get an extra hour to sleep (or an extra hour to party) than late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, when clocks fall back an hour.

Nov. 2 marks the end of Daylight Saving Time, which began March 9. That means while the sun will rise earlier in the morning — beginning at 6:42 a.m. on Sunday. It also will set sooner as well, getting dark that same day at 5:45 p.m.

One of the things many firefighters recommend during the time change is to also check smoke alarms in homes. According to research from the National Fire Protection Association, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half. At the same time, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes without working smoke alarms.

On top of that, roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., according to the Hillsborough County Fire Marshal’s Office, when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, attempting to give everyone enough time to get out.

Some tips about smoke alarms include:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.

• Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do.

• Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.

• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old, or sooner if they do not respond properly.

• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm, and understands what to do when they hear it.

To learn more about smoke alarms, visit FirePreventionWeek.org.

Doctor to talk in Hudson about Ebola scare

By

What’s more scary than a witch or a haunted house right now for many people? It’s the threat of Ebola, which has now hit the United States in both Texas and New York.

But should it be that scary?

Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point is offering a lecture “Ebola: Facts & Fiction” Nov. 17 at 3 p.m., at the Rao Musunuru Conference Center, 14100 Yosemite Drive, in Hudson.

Dr. K.V. Sundaresh will conduct the seminar. He is a board-certified doctor in infection disease and internal medicine. He completed his internship in general surgery at New York Hospital Medical Center, followed by a residency in internal medicine at Bergen Pines Co. Hospital and Jersey Shore Medical Center, both in New Jersey.

He completed a fellowship in infectious disease at Finch University Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School in Illinois.

Admission is free, but reservations are required, with seating offered on a first-come basis.

To date, just four people have been diagnosed with the Ebola virus in the United States, two of them health workers in Texas who treated the first diagnosed case. Although there is a virus outbreak in parts of Africa, the ability to spread Ebola is still difficult, because it requires an infected person to show signs of the illness — like fever — and it requires direct contact with bodily fluids.

For more information on the lecture, call (727) 869-5498, or (888) 741-5119.

Drink too much this weekend? Get towed for free

By

When people plan ahead for that Halloween party, they figure they won’t drink very much, so why not drive? That is, until they do drink too much, and now they have to worry about getting home.

AAA and Bud Light once again are taking away the fears of driving home drunk this weekend with its Tow to Go service, which will get both a driver and a car home for free, whether they are a AAA member or not.

“We we kick off the holiday season, it is extremely important that everyone celebrates safely if they are away from home and drinking,” said Gerry Gutowski, senior vice presidency of automotive services for AAA, in a release. “Halloween presents an even greater danger than normal with all of the children out on the streets trick-or-treating.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on Halloween night in 2012, nearly half of all crash fatalities involved an impaired driver.

The Tow to Go service will be available anytime Friday and Saturday night this weekend, taking people home or somewhere safe within 10 miles. It’s a confidential and local ride that’s also being offered in Georgia and Tennessee.

Since its inception in 1998, Tow to Go has safely removed more than 23,000 impaired drivers from the road, according to a release. The service is designed to be used as a last resort, and is offered based on availability of AAA drivers and tow trucks during times of high call volume.

Anheuser-Busch Wholesalers have been a sponsor of the program since its inception. It’s provided funding for the service, as well as worked with local bars and restaurants throughout the south to help educate severs on the importance of not over-serving their customers.

To use the Tow to Go program, call (855) 286-9246.

Volunteers keep things moving at Grand Horizons

By

October finds many snowbirds back and activities increasing at Grand Horizons.

While they still have the everyday or every week activities such as mahjong, dominoes, shuffleboard, Wednesday coffee and doughnuts, and more, they also had a luncheon Oct. 7 hosted by Lynne-Rae Dyson.

Many helping hands went into hosting the annual Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale at Grand Horizons. (Courtesy of Annmarie Shackewyc)
Many helping hands went into hosting the annual Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale at Grand Horizons.
(Courtesy of Annmarie Shackewyc)

The luncheon was at T.G.I. Friday’s, and several women attended and had a great time. I spoke to Joyce Bell about this luncheon, and she told me that a number of women came here to dine and most of them stayed later to do some shopping as there was a mall nearby. In other words, they created an afternoon that they thoroughly enjoyed. Joyce went on to say that while some women went shopping, others went straight back to Grand Horizons.

There was a taco dinner Oct. 15 and from what Andy Castonguay mentioned, 99 residents attended this function.

He went on to say that there were six workers, and this consisted of Andy and Margaret Castonguay, Joyce and Ron Bell, and Annmarie and Chick Shackewyc. They have done several dinners together and work very well with each other.

According to the newsletter that we received, the taco dinner consisted of diced tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, olives and onions, which were all put in little bowls and could be added to the ground beef that is put in a taco shell.

All had a good time, and Andy mentioned that a few new neighbors attended which is something that we like to see.

On Oct. 16, Jeanne Bloomfield hosted another luncheon for the ladies at ABC Pizza House in Dade City. There were only a few in attendance because of previous engagements, but everyone who did attend had a nice time. The group all sat together, enjoyed themselves and had a delicious lunch.

I spoke with Jeanne, and she told me that she did things a little differently, as she had the ladies draw a piece of paper from a bag to determine who got a free lunch on her. This was a different and very clever idea.

Jeanne also told me that after lunch they went to a new gift shop where they had some lovely gifts, and they all enjoyed window shopping and browsing.

It was a special day at Grand Horizons Oct. 18, because there was the Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale. It is on this day that Grand Horizons gets volunteers to bake a cake, cookies or any other treat to donate to the bakery sale.

I am sure there were a variety of goodies being sold. When I am there, I usually bake a little something, and we usually buy some goodies. Everything is so good.

The sale was hosted by Cheryl and Ken Leone, Annmarie and Chick Shackewyc, and other helpers.

That is one thing about Grand Horizons — there are always several volunteers. Many people chip in so the bazaar and bake sale can run smoothly.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published October 29, 2014

Everyday tips to stay away from flu, other illnesses

By

Local efforts are under way to encourage healthy habits to avoid illness.

Everyday preventive actions can help slow the spread of germs that can cause many different illnesses, and may offer some protection against the flu.

“While a flu shot is the most effective measure against getting the flu, good prevention habits help reduce more than just the spread of flu,” said Kathleen Yeater, executive director of nursing at the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County, in a release.

The school district, government and health department in Pasco are pushing out reminders to practice healthy habits for prevention. Even Pasco County Parks and Libraries have teamed up with characters they developed named Nate and Wendy to get the message out about flu prevention. Thousands of people have watched the “Nate & Wendy” shows that address a variety of topics from the county government, according to a release.

The latest episode focuses on school children washing their hands and covering their mouths when they cough. That video can be found at Youtu.be/nPHV5mesjMY.

The messages, however, are the same for adults.

“If you do catch the flu, it’s important that you stay home and fight the illness,” said Randy TeBeest, assistant county administrator covering public safety. “We encourage our county employees not to spread the illness around by coming back to work. Stay home, get better, then come back.”

Some steps to help with everyday preventive actions include:

  • Stay home when sick. If possible, stay away from work, school and errands. This will help prevent others from catching it. Also, avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Cover nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue away after use, and wash hands. If a tissue is not available, cover mouths and noses with sleeves, not hands.
  • Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth. Germs can spread this way.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces or objects. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill.

Steinbrenner/Gaither game gets lesson in texting, driving

By

It’s a rare time to have football and Halloween on the same night, but AAA is going to make the best of it by sharing a true fright: texting and driving.

AAA and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office will attend Friday’s football game between Steinbrenner and Gaither high schools, where they hope to talk about the dangers teens face when they get behind the wheel. Of course, that becomes much more complicated when they decide to pull out their phone and text as well, according to a release.

The number of people killed in motor vehicle crashes by a distracted driver was 3,328, with another 421,000 people injured in 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

During the Steinbrenner/Gaither game, both AAA and the sheriff’s office will hand out “Don’t Txt n Drive” T-shirts, show a public service announcement about teen driver safety, and ask teens in attendance to make a voluntary pledge to not text and drive.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at Steinbrenner, 5575 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, in Lutz, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.

Steinbrenner (3-4-1) is looking to play spoiler in the game as Gaither (5-3-0) is looking for a way to break the three-way tie at the top of the Class 7A-District 7 standings it shares with Sickles and Tampa Bay Tech. Steinbrenner edged Freedom last week 7-6 to take them out of the district championship race, and dropping them to 4-4-0.

 

In Print: Growth at The Grove could get red light

By

It takes a lot to stand in the way of progress, but a popular shopping center just off Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel may have finally found its Achilles heel: A traffic light.

The Grove at Wesley Chapel has the room to grow, however new tenants are shying away from the complex because they say another traffic light is needed where Oakley Boulevard meets County Road 54.

“The challenge we have with all the major future development out of The Grove centers around the fact that the project lacks a traffic signal at the main entrance,” said Jim Mazzarelli, managing director at Genesis Real Estate Advisers, the company working with The Grove developers. “As our engineers say, we don’t have an ingress problem, we have an egress problem. You can get in, but you can’t get out.”

There is a traffic light for cars wishing to turn left from the shopping center, but that means traveling west to Gateway Boulevard before leaving. Oakley makes more sense, Mazzarelli said, because that’s considered the main drive out.

But getting that light won’t be easy. Although the main road past The Grove is now county-maintained, the Florida Department of Transportation still controls the intersection with I-75, and rules currently prevent the state agency from allowing a traffic light that close.

So what are The Grove’s options? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available on newsstands and driveways right now. Or you can read the free online e-edition by clicking here.

For those who feel jumping out of a perfectly good airplane thousands of feet above the ground with nothing more than a large piece of nylon isn’t exciting enough, Zephyrhills is bring the world to town with the World Canopy Piloting Championships.

Florida resident and reigning national champion Tommy Dellibac will be among the competitors vying for gold at the World Canopy Piloting Championships in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Randy Swallows)
Florida resident and reigning national champion Tommy Dellibac will be among the competitors vying for gold at the World Canopy Piloting Championships in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Randy Swallows)

It’s all about “swooping,” and it’s the first time the world competition has come to the United States. And unlike regular skydiving, this is something people can gather on the ground to not only watch, but also enjoy.

“All the action happens in the last 10 seconds of the skydive, close to the ground,” T.K. Hayes, president and general manager of Skydive City, told reporter Michael Murillo. “It is totally a spectator sport.”

It’s going to cost $100,000 for Skydive City to put on the event, which takes place Nov. 4-6, but the company did get a little help from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council, which contributed $15,000 to the cause.

And it’s not just jumpers from around the world. It also includes a Florida swooper who was the champion at the last world competition two years ago. Is he coming back? Can he defend his title?

Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available now both on newsstands, and in our online e-edition, which you can read for free right now by clicking here.

Several years ago, retiring Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri found herself at the Pasco County Animal Services shelter in Land O’ Lakes, and vowed she would never return. Seeing all the animals the shelter had to put to sleep tortured her soul so much, that she preferred it to be out of sight, out of mind.

However, Mulieri realized the only way to make a difference was to become involved, and she did just that in 2012. And now she’s looking to continue her very active role with the animal shelter on Dogpatch Lane even when she finally steps down from the government dais next week.

But despite all the efforts the shelter has done to reduce the percentage of animals that have to be killed each year, Mulieri believes real change will have to happen outside the shelter, not inside, to really make a difference.

“You’ll never be able to adopt them all out,” Mulieri told reporter Michael Hinman, “and you’ll never be able to cut down on the pet population until you change people’s ideas.”

That means encouraging everyone to spay or neuter their animals. Otherwise, it’s possible for one cat couple, for example, to be the top of the family tree of more than 420,000 cats … in just seven years.

How else can people help to save lives at the animal shelter? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available on both newsstands, and right here in our free online e-edition.

And finally, photojournalist Fred Bellet has some great pictures to share from the recent cut-a-thon at The Grove at Wesley Chapel’s Ulta Beauty location, all to help raise awareness about breast cancer, and at the same time, raise money for research. See it online 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.

Dr. Christina Gomez is new OB/GYN in North Pasco

By

Dr. Christina Gomez believes practicing medicine is truly a calling. Growing up in Tampa, she volunteered in nursing homes and hospitals as a teenager before attending USF.

My Gynecologist’s Pasco office staff are Kristina, Dr. Gomez and Doris.
My Gynecologist’s Pasco office staff are Kristina, Dr. Gomez and Doris.

During her residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Dr. Gomez gravitated toward obstetrics and gynecology. “It’s what I loved best during rotations,” she said.

Gomez approaches patients by focusing on their overall health and well-being. She believes patients should be educated about their health and be their own advocates. She encourages patients to ask questions about any and all health issues.

Before opening her new office on State Road 52 close to the Suncoast Expressway, the closest My Gynecologist office for Land O’ Lakes residents was in Spring Hill. Now, patients have convenient access to annual exams, contraceptives, menopause management and obstetrical care.

“I live three minutes away from my office,” said Dr.Gomez. “I shop here, work here and play here. I understand why it’s so important for women to have convenient access to the medical care they need.”

My Gynecologist provides patients with access to an online portal where medical information is available to them 24 hours a day. In addition, a medical liaison is available to answer any questions. These services set My Gynecology apart from other medical providers and allow patients to become their own health and well-being advocates.

My Gynecologist’s north Pasco office is staffed by Dr. Gomez and two assistants, and has the full support of the practice’s main office in Spring Hill. Tests and procedures can be performed at either location. Dr. Gomez has privileges at Bayfront Health Spring Hill.

“I feel like I’m fulfilling a need in the community, while doing what I truly love,” said Dr. Gomez.

Whether riding on the Suncoast Parkway Bike Trail,or visiting Lowry Park Zoo with her young son, Dr. Gomez enjoys living in the community where her patients also live.

“This is home. Getting to work so close to home is great. I love taking care of people, especially helping women understand the importance of good health.”

My Gynecologist accepts most major insurance plans, including Medicare. The Pasco office offers open extended hours during the week.

My Gynecologist is located at 14751 State Road 52, Suite A105, in Hudson, in the Hays Road Town Center. Learn more at MyGYN.net.

– Jenny Timms

This story is a feature of the advertising department.

Pasco libraries to tackle identity theft

By

The Pasco County Library System is offering a program to teach residents how to protect themselves from identity theft, and how to catch identity theft early.

The 45-program will be offered throughout November and part of December at library branches around the country.

It’s free, and also will explain what to do if someone feels they have become a victim of identity theft.

Upcoming programs include:

  • Centennial Park Library, 5740 Moog Road in Holiday, Nov. 4 at 11 a.m.
  • South Holiday Library, 4649 Mile Stretch Road in Holiday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.
  • Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m.
  • Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m.
  • Regency Park Library, 9701 Little Road in New Port Richey, Nov. 13 at 2 p.m.
  • Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road in Hudson, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.
  • New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m.

For information, visit PascoLibraries.org.

Diabetes November focus for tax collector

By

November is National Diabetes Month, and to help raise more awareness for the cause, Pasco County tax collector Mike Fasano is partnering with Terri’s Tears Charitable Trust Foundation to raise some money.

Throughout the month, all five branches of the tax collector’s office will collect cash donations, that will in turn be donated to Terri’s Tears, which Fasano says has a proven track record in diabetes research. It is estimated that more than 1 million Floridians have diabetes, and it’s further estimated that 30,000 children and young adults are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes annually.

“Our foundation’s mission statement is nine simple words: Because we have to find a cure for diabetes,” said Vince Garofolo, president and chief executive of Terri’s Tears, in a release. “The monies raised through this campaign will help us to fund research institutions in their pursuit of a cure. We appreciate the support Mr. Fasano, his staff, and the 200-plus employees who are willing to help us educate the citizens of Pasco about diabetes, and we thank them for their generosity to the cause.”

Terri’s Tears was founded to honor the memory of Mary Theresa “Terri” Garofolo, a Type 1 insulin dependent diabetic for more than 35 years. Terri’s Tears raises money to assist with research efforts to help people afflicted with this disease.

“There probably is not a person or family who has not been impacted by diabetes in some form,” Fasano said, in a release. “I venture to guess that everyone either has personal experience, or knows someone who is a diabetic.

“During November, I encourage our customers to drop a donation into our collection jars. Every dollar raised will bring diabetes research one step closer to finding either a cure, or better treatments for those afflicted with diabetes.”

Besides making donations at the tax collector’s office, people can send a donation to Terri’s Tears, c/o Florida West Coast Credit Union, 7200 Ridge Road, Suite 1, Port Richey, FL, 34668.

For information on where to donate, visit PascoTaxes.com.