The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

License-free saltwater fishing day set for Sept. 6

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Visitors and residents are being given an opportunity this weekend to try out saltwater fishing for a day without the need for a license.

The event on Sept. 6 is part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s saltwater license-free fishing days, where the requirement to have a recreational saltwater fishing license is waived. However, all other regulations — such as seasons, size limits and bag limits — will still apply to all fishermen, whether they have a license or not.

“The license-free fishing day is a great opportunity for families to enjoy the incredible saltwater fishing opportunities that Florida has to offer,” Gov. Rick Scott said, in a release. “Florida is the fishing capital of the world, and a license-free days is the perfect opportunity to try fishing for the first time.”

The FWC offers eight license-free days each year, with the next one set for the Saturday after Thanksgiving, on Nov. 29. After that, licenses will be needed until the April 4-5 next year.

For information, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing.

Florida Hospital stirring up ‘Bucs Fever’ across bay area

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Florida Hospital and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are spreading “Bucs Fever” across the Tampa Bay region with a series of community health events and a new television commercial featuring Bucs head coach Lovie Smith.

“We believe that Florida Hospital has an important role to play in creating a healthier community,” said Mike Schultz, president and chief executive of Florida Hospital West Florida Region, in a release. “We are excited to build on this partnership with the Bucs, and add new initiatives that will benefit communities that we serve.”

Florida Hospital officially launched its Bucs Babies program during the NFL draft in May, giving new moms and dads a “training camp” health and wellness package for their new little rookies, the hospital said. That program will continue on through the regular season as well, with all babies born at Florida Hospital campuses receiving a Bucs Babies T-shirt.

Florida Hospital will give away free Bucs bandanas at four locations outside of Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 14 when the Bucs take on the St. Louis Rams. In October, Florida Hospital will be one of the sponsors for the Buccaneers Treasure Chests 5k Run/Walk, which helps raise awareness and support patient treatment and research for breast cancer. This will be the first year where the Florida Hospital Foundation is a beneficiary of the proceeds raised at this event, which is expected to attract several thousand participants.

Florida Hospital also will be the presenting sponsor of the fitness challenge prior to the Nov. 9 game between the Bucs and the Atlanta Falcons.

To see the new commercial with Smith, visit CatchBucsFever.com.

Florida Hospital West Florida Region includes nine hospitals and 1,257 beds. That includes Florida Hospital at Connerton Long Term Acute Care, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. It’s part of the Adventist Health System, a network of 23 hospitals throughout Florida.

Fallen journalist moves flags to half staff Friday

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Gov. Rick Scott has ordered flags in Florida to fly a half staff Friday following the execution of an American journalist with state ties in Iraq earlier this week.

Steven Sotloff was a Time reporter who was once a journalism student at the University of Central Florida in Oviedo. He had been a prisoner of the militant group ISIS, which currently has control of parts of Syria and Iraq, and who have been the subject of air attacks by U.S. military forces in recent weeks.

“Ann and I join all Floridians, and Americans, in grieving with the Sotloff family today,” Scott said in a release. “Those who murdered Steven are evil, and evil must be confronted and destroyed.”

Flags will be flown at half staff at local and state government buildings, installations and grounds throughout the state. How all other flags are flown are up to the owners of those flags.

 

Beware of get-rich flipping money scam

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People who are desperate for cash may be easy prey for a get-rich quick scheme known as a “flipping money scam.”

These scams are showing up on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, according to the Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency, in the form of messages from people promising to flip money from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars.

Often, these people post pictures of themselves or others holding stacks of money, and stating how easy it was to make thousands of dollars in minutes, officials said.

One of the more common scams encourages people to purchase a refillable cash card, load that card with money, and send that card information — including the personal identification number or code on the back of the card — to them.

Users are then promised that once they complete their part, the card balance will increase and cash will be available in a few minutes or hours. However, many of these people go back and find nothing on the card, since the money is transferred off the cards into someone else’s personal account, officials said.

Once the money is received, the scammer blocks them from being able to contact them.

The National Consumer League offers the following tips to try and avoid such a scam:

• Before contacting someone making such claims, do a Web search for their username or phone number, to see if other consumers have posted warnings about that person.

• If asked to give out a control number or PIN for a card, do not respond. Instead, contact law enforcement.

• Anyone who claims they can turn small amounts of upfront money into a large amount in minutes is likely trying to scam.

• Those who suspect they are a victim of the flipping money scam should contact law enforcement and file a complaint with the NCL at Fraud.org.

To reach the Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency, call (813) 903-3430, or visit HillsboroughCounty.org/ConsumerProtection.

 

 

Heat doesn’t deter those returning to Gem Estates

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Some of you may remember when I wrote about the alligator we had in the park. Well now we see coyotes roaming through the park, as well.

Several people have seen evidence of the coyotes, and some even took pictures of them during the day. We’re warning our residents to keep their pets indoors or to be close at hand when they go outside.

What’s next? One of our residents recently returned from a fantastic two-fold trip to Anchorage, Alaska. Caroline Wagoner left from Tampa to Bakersfield, California, where she spent a week visiting her daughter, Yvonne.

From there, Caroline and Yvonne flew to Anchorage. There they were met by Caroline’s brother in an authentic 1968 Volkswagen bus restored by her brother, Charles Bates and wife Liz, who lived in Anchorage for many years since his stint in Vietnam.

Caroline was reminiscing about the wonderful time she had sightseeing in that VW bus.

The weather was wonderful with temperatures in the mid 60s, even though it can go as low as in the 20s in winter days, which makes it perfect for skiing, skating or dog mushing.  She explained how Anchorage is more affordable than a lot of U.S. cities because they have no sales tax.

Hundreds of bird species call Anchorage home, such as loons, pintail ducks and terns. Potter Marsh also is a good spot for beavers and moose, which can be seen along the Tony Knowles coastal trail that stretches 11 miles along Cook Inlet from downtown to Kincaid Park.

She also saw terrific views along Mount McKinley and Mount Susitna, also known as Sleeping Lady.

The day cruise she took was exciting when she heard a sharp crack followed by a long rumble and suddenly there was a massive piece of ice falling from the face of a glacier into the water below.

Among many of her highlights was the Alaska Native Heritage Center where you can hear storytelling, authentic song and dance routines, and see finely made crafts by skilled natives.

There are so many terrific places to fish in the area, and the drive north to Talkeetna will take you by several good salmon spots. The largest salmon caught in Alaska weighed in at 97 pounds, and the largest halibut was 459 pounds.

There are five kinds of salmon — chub, sockeye, king, silver and pink. I knew of only two, the king or red and the pink, because of the cans they come in.

They took a train ride to Talkeetna where they met the honorary mayor, a cat named Mr. Stubbs.

They went through the Whittier tunnel on the way to Kenai Fjords National Park, and took a 6.5-hour cruise and saw otters, five humpback whales, a pod of beluga whales, and lots of bird life. Caroline has told me she already is planning to go back in two years and stay a little longer, but no matter how long you stay, you can’t see it all. It’s just a beautiful state.

Now that September is here, we’re already learning of several of our residents planning to return. It’s still mighty hot and August “dog” days were brutal, but you just can’t stay away from Zephyrhills.

Loretta Green has returned from visiting family and friends in New York, and our president, Al Bennett, and wife Deanie are returning from Massachusetts in time to oversee  construction of the addition to our clubhouse.

I missed a couple of August birthdays for Vicki Bluhm and Brent Slipp. Sorry about that.  September birthday wishes go out to Madeline Macomber, Carol Farnsworth and Ron Plummer. Please let me know if I missed anyone.

By Lee Heffelfinger

Published September 3, 2014

Activities picking up as residents head back to Grand Horizons

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The summer months continue and activities are starting to pick up. They are still going strong with the many card games, bingo, dominoes, mahjong and much more.

In a short time, art, pinochle and other activities also will be on the agenda.

Annmarie Shackewyc painted doorstops to look like little girls in a recent craft class. (Courtesy of Annmarie Shackewyc)
Annmarie Shackewyc painted doorstops to look like little girls in a recent craft class.
(Courtesy of Annmarie Shackewyc)

The summer months bring so many of the people from Grand Horizons to the pool to cool off and refresh themselves. We had a pool party a little while ago, and that was a huge success. From what I heard, they had Wii Bowling in the community center after the party.

They also are continuing taking the photos of the residents to put in the new directory that will be coming out shortly. They took several photos during the summer months, and from what I understand, they will be taking more in the following months. So, for the people who have gone elsewhere during the summer, your chance is coming. Do not despair, as you will also get an opportunity to have your picture taken and put in the brand new telephone directory.

They still have the lunch connoisseurs once a month, and for the month of August they went to the Olive Garden. Bill and Pidge Elliott were the host and hostess for this gathering, and they did a superb job.

I spoke to Bill and he mentioned that while they were there previously, they knew what to ask for in the seating so people could be comfortable and, therefore, get to mingle with everyone else. So, they ended up having several booths with about 26 people altogether.

Everyone had a good time. I have gone to the Olive Garden before and they have delicious dinners.

On Aug. 10, there was an ice cream social. We have those several times in the winter months, but it seems like it is always on the calendar for the summer months. And I am so glad, as I understand the weather is so hot, humid and sticky they need something like this to cool off and look forward to.

I spoke to Judy Ellsworth, and she mentioned that it was a very rainy day, so not as many attended as had originally signed up. But they still had a nice turnout of 37 residents. I think that sounds like a good number to me.

There was lots of ice cream and homemade hot fudge for all. Just writing this, I can taste the ice cream and the toppings. Yum.

Bill and Judy Ellsworth, and Steve and Nancy Lay hosted the social with Mim and Terry Gardner helping out. So, our thanks go out to everyone who pitched in. It definitely was appreciated.

As previously mentioned, Grand Horizons has a craft class, hosted by Cheryl Leone, once a week. Recently Annmarie Shackewyc stated that in the class, they painted back paver doorstops and most everyone did them as animals. Annmarie created them as cute girls. Two girls were in pink while a third was in blue. The three girls standing together created a nice contrast.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published September 3, 2014

Free breakfast for all at nearly 50 schools

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Free breakfast is now available to all students in nearly 50 schools in Pasco County for the 2014-15 school year.

Reduced and free meals are typically available to lower income families. However, these schools have 60 percent or more of their students eligible for free or reduced price meals and also are part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Provision 2, according to Julie Hedine, director of food and nutrition services.

The schools now offering free breakfast for all students include:

• Anclote Elementary School
• Anclote High School
• Athenian Academy
• Baycare Behavioral Health
• Bayonet Point Middle School
• Calusa Elementary School
• Centennial Elementary School
• Centennial Middle School
• Chasco Middle School
• Cotee River Elementary School
• Crews Lake Middle School
• Fivay High School
• Fox Hollow Elementary School
• Giella Elementary School
• Gulf Highlands Elementary School
• Gulf High School
• Gulf Middle School
• Gulf Trace Elementary School
• Gulfside Elementary School
• Hudson Elementary School
• Hudson Middle School
• Hudson High School
• Irvin Education Center
• Lacoochee Elementary School
• Locke Elementary School
• Marchman Technical Education Center
• Marlowe Elementary School
• Moon Lake Elementary School
• Moore Mickens Education Center
• Northwest Elementary School
• Pasco Middle School
• Pasco High School
• Richey Elementary School
• Ridgewood High School
• San Antonio Elementary School
• Schrader Elementary School
• Schwettman Education Center
• Seven Springs Elementary School
• Smith Middle School
• Stewart Middle School
• Sunray Elementary School
• Taylor Elementary School
• West Zephyrhills Elementary School
• Woodland Elementary School
• Zephyrhills High School

For more information on the program, call Julie Hedine at (813) 794-2439, or email her at .

E-cigarettes can kill … your pet

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There is a lot of debate over how safe — or unsafe — electronic cigarettes are to people. But one organization says it’s important to make sure those same people think about their pets, too.

The Pet Poison Helpline says there is no debate on how such nicotine-delivering devices can hurt animals, to the point of poisoning a dog or cat. And the biggest problem, they say, is that many pet owners don’t realize it.

The helpline group has had a spike in recent calls concerning nicotine poisoning in pets that ingested e-cigarettes or liquid nicotine refill solutions. In fact, those calls have doubled over the past six months, reflecting what the organization believes is increasing popularity over the cigarette alternative.

Although dogs account for the majority of cases coming into the helpline, nicotine in e-cigarettes and liquid refills can be toxic to cats as well, the group says.

“We have handled cases for pets poisoned by eating traditional cigarettes or tobacco products containing nicotine for years,” said Ahna Brutlag, an associate director of veterinary services at Pet Poison Helpline, in a release. “But, as the use of e-cigarettes has become more widespread, our call volume for cases involving them has increased considerably.”

E-cigarettes are another way of delivering nicotine. They are designed to resemble traditional cigarettes, however the battery-operated devices atomize liquid that contains nicotine, turning it into a vapor that can be inhaled. The most recent craze is flavored e-cigarettes, which are available in an array of flavors from peppermint to banana cream pie, helpline workers said.

The aroma of liquid nicotine in e-cigarettes can be alluring to dogs, and flavored e-cigarettes could be even more enticing. The issue is the amount of nicotine in each cartridge — between 6 milligrams and 24 milligrams.

Each cartridge contains the nicotine equivalent of one or two traditional cigarettes, but the purchase packs of five to 100 cartridges multiply that amount many times over, posing a serious threat to pets that chew them.

For example, helping official said, if a single cartridge is ingested by a 50-pound dog, clinical signs of poisoning are likely to occur. But if a dog that weighs 10 pounds ingests the same amount, death is possible.

Dogs of any weight that ingest multiple e-cigarette cartridges are at risk for severe poisoning, and even death.

In addition to the toxicity of nicotine, the actual e-cigarette casing can result in oral injury when chewed, and can cause gastrointestinal upset with the risk of a foreign body obstruction.

Some e-cigarette users buy vials of liquid nicotine solution for refilling cartridges. The solution is commonly referred to as “e-liquid” or “e-juice.” The small bottles hold enough liquid to fill multiple cartridges, meaning they contain a considerable amount of nicotine, officials said. Pet owners should be very careful to store them out of the reach of pets.

Nicotine poisoning in pets has a rapid onset of symptoms — generally within 15 to 60 minutes following ingestion. Symptoms for dogs and cats include vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, elevations in heart rate and respiration rate, depression, tremors, ataxia, weakness, seizures, cyanosis, coma and cardiac arrest.

Because nicotine poisoning can happen so rapidly following ingestions, prompt veterinary care can mean the difference between life and death for a pet. Home care is not generally possible with nicotine exposure, officials said, due to the severity of the poisoning, even in small doses.

Owners should take action immediately by contacting a veterinarian, or calling the Pet Poison Helpline at (800) 213-6680.

In Print: A day on the links? Or maybe a good book to read?

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There has been a lot of bad news about golf courses lately, especially when it comes to places like Plantation Palms Golf Club in Land O’ Lakes — and more recently, some financial issues at Scotland Yards in Dade City.

GolfCourseIPBut are golf courses on the way out? Or is this simply a correction in the market?

“Golf was in its heyday 20 or 30 years ago, when that was the thing to do, both socially and sports wise,” Laura Sanderson, a pro at Meadow Oaks Golf & Country Club in Hudson, told reporter Michael Hinman. “Everyone built a bunch of golf courses because, back then, we could keep them full. But now people’s interests have changed, especially the younger generation. People just have better things to do with their time and money.”

But that doesn’t mean golf courses are down and out. In fact, the courses that survive and thrive will be the ones who adapt to the new realities, Sanderson said. And you can read all about it in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available on your local news racks or maybe even on your front doorstep right now.

If you can’t pick up a physical copy of the paper, you also can read our online e-edition for free. Just click here.

Every month, reporter B.C. Manion takes you on a journey with her Worth the Trip feature, exploring things that are beautiful and fascinating. This week, she takes readers to the only bookstore you’ll probably ever need — and it’s just a stone’s throw away.

But what if you just wanted to go somewhere inexpensive? Reporter Michael Murillo made a name for himself a few years back with a column known as “Cheap Date.” While that feature has been retired, there are still many low-cost outings people can take, and Michael explores that in a new column known as “On the Cheap.”

His first stop is the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, where the price of a double feature harkens back to the good ol’ days when bank loans weren’t needed to buy a movie ticket.

“Why sit at home, when for $7, you could take a friend or a loved one to a historic theater and see something you know you’ll enjoy?” Murillo writes. “Two somethings, actually. It’s a double feature, remember? That’s a great deal, and cheap enough that it justifies a little drive time to get there.”

Find out more on why this is such a great low-cost outing in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, or you can simply click here to read it in our free online e-edition.

Finally, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis has become a champion for veterans causes, especially in the mess that has become the Veterans Affairs health care system.

Good news, however, is coming for local veterans after President Barack Obama signed a bill that includes a Bilirakis provision that would add a consolidated full-fledged VA medical clinic in Pasco County.

But where will it open? The tug-of-war seems to be between New Port Richey, and east toward Land O’ Lakes or even Zephyrhills.

Lauren Price is an Iraqi war veteran who is one of the founders of the VeteranWarriors advocacy group. She joined nearly 100 other veterans last week in New Port Richey to share her thoughts on where a clinic should go, and what should be offered with it.

“Most people, especially disabled veterans, have financial problems, and transportation is a huge factor in their lives,” Price said. “We have some limited mass transit here in West Pasco, and there is much more minimal mass transit that gets out to Trinity. And before someone offers all that real estate out in Dade City or Zephyrhills, I will remind them that the only mass transit out there are the mud swamp runs.”

How will this turf war be solved? Get details in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, or read it online by clicking here.

Oh, and are you ready for some football? We wrap up more than a month of local gridiron previews this week from reporter Michael Murillo with the Freedom Patriots.

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.

And see The Laker XL with our brand-new video!

Cash tolls go obsolete on Veterans Thursday

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The future is here … at least when it comes to the Veterans Expressway.

One of the primary roads that helps take many Pasco County residents to jobs south will phase out its final cash booths beginning Sept. 5.

The conversion process requires construction crews to work overnight as they remove and demolish all cash tollbooths and coin baskets at the Sugarwood mainline toll plaza, as well as ramp toll plazas at Gunn Highway and Hutchison Road, according to a release.

By Friday, the conversion to all-electronic tolling will be complete, with motorists able to pay tolls using either SunPass or the state’s Toll-By-Plate system. Both will allow tolls to be collected without having to stop or wait in line.

As the conversion continues, drivers going both north and south on Thursday night should be on the lookout for overnight detours, beginning at 8 p.m., between Ehrlich and Hutchison roads. Northbound traffic will be diverted off the roadway at Ehrlich, and should use the posted detour to rejoin the Veterans at Hutchison.

Southbound traffic will be diverted at Hutchison, and should follow the posted detour to rejoin the Veterans at Ehrlich.

There will be some delays at the ramps, officials said, and all tolled ramps at Gunn and Hutchison rill remain open during the process. However, anyone using those ramps should be set to pay with either SunPass or Toll-By-Plate, as cash options will not be available.

The detours will end by 5 a.m. on Friday, officials said. This will create a new traffic pattern for motorists as they travel through the Sugarwood toll plaza. The removal of the toll plaza is expected to take several months.

Following the conversion to all-electronic tolling, all traffic will continue to flow through the deactivated tollbooths for some time. Motorists are asked not to stop, but they also should not exceed the 25 mph speed limit through the booths.

By 5 a.m., Friday, September 5, the detours will be lifted.  Motorists should be alert for a new traffic pattern as they travel through the Sugarwood toll plaza.  Complete removal of the toll plaza structure at Sugarwood is anticipated to take several months.

The Toll-By-Plate program photograph’s a vehicle’s license plate as it travels under the overhead toll gantry, and mails a bill for the tolls incurred. A $2.50 administrative charge per invoice is assessed, and those invoices will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.

Multiple transactions are bundled in a monthly invoice, so customers should only receive one invoice and one service charge per month.

Florida’s Turnpike officials estimate that up to 84 percent of drivers on the Veterans and Suncoast Parkway already use SunPass. More than 150,000 motorists use the Veterans each day.

The conversion is part of the $380 million widening of the Veterans. It’s the first major construction project on the Veterans since it opened in October 1994.