The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Lutz woman wins $1 million prize in Lottery scratch-off

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Yu Lin of Lutz said she got an early birthday present after she claimed a $1 million prize from The Florida Lottery thanks to a lucky scratch-off ticket she bought from a local grocery store.

Lin, 36, chose to receive a one-time, lump sum payment of $721,400 in exchange for the 100X The Cash Scratch-Off ticket she bought at Winn-Dixie, 18407 U.S. 41, in Lutz. The store will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the ticket.

“When I realized that I had won, I was completely shocked,” Lin said in a release. “What are the odds that not only would I win, but that I would win so close to my birthday?”

The scratch-off game was launched in February that range in price from $1 to $25 a ticket, and offers millions of dollars in instant prizes, lottery officials said.

Games like this are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, officials said. It comprises nearly 64 percent of ticket sales, and generates more than $640 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund this past year..

Farmers markets are growing in numbers locally

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Florida may not be the biggest state when it comes to farmers markets, but it — along with other states in the south — are certainly growing.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Farmers Market Directory now lists just under 8,300 markets, an increase of 76 percent since 2008.

The data reflects continued demand and growth of farmers markets in every region of the country, according to a release.

Because of that, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is developing three new local food directories that will expand USDA’s support for local and regional foods by providing easy access to the most current information about the local food market.

“Farmers markets play an extremely important role for both farmers and consumers,” said Anne Alonzo, the services administrator, in a release. “They bring urban and rural communities together while creating economic growth and increasing access to fresh, healthy foods.”

The National Farmers Market Directory is available at FarmersMarkets.USDA.gov, and provides information about market locations, directions, operating times, product offerings and more.

The data is collected through voluntary self-reporting, and is searchable by ZIP code, produce mix and other criteria.

The directory receives more than 2 million visits annually.

California has the most farmers markets with 764, followed by New York with 638. Florida has 234, with 11 of them within a 20-mile radius of Land O’ Lakes, according to the directory.

That includes Cheyenne’s Country Thangs in Lutz, Florida Estates Winery Market in Land O’ Lakes, and the Seminole Heights Sunday Morning Market in Wesley Chapel.

All geographic regions saw increases in their market listings, with the most growth in the south, according to the USDA. The states with the biggest increases included Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Arkansas, North Carolina, Montana, Florida and Nebraska.

Development of farmers markets is a cornerstone of the USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative, which coordinates the department’s policy, resources and outreach efforts related to local and regional food systems.

A happy Fourth of July celebration at Grand Horizons

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July started off with a craft class with several people creating a variety of crafts. This class usually gets together once a week with hostess Cheryl Leone. They have created many things in the past and still more to come in the future.

Ed and Joan Fisher celebrate Independence Day at a potluck July 4. (Courtesy of Annmarie Shackewyc)
Ed and Joan Fisher celebrate Independence Day at a potluck July 4.
(Courtesy of Annmarie Shackewyc)

Some of the crafts that they have worked on, or will work on, consist of magnet boards, mesh wreaths, poster boards, 3-D crafts, flowerpots, clay pot people, and so much more.

Just recently, Annmarie Shackewyc worked on creating a papier-mache box, and she placed it on a wood candlestick. It was lovely.

From one week to another, you never know what to expect, as Cheryl has lots of ideas and welcomes any suggestions. I would like to add that Cheryl has done a marvelous job and everyone thanks her for it.

July 4 arrived and 73 people were at the community center to celebrate Independence Day. The social club provided the cake and chicken, while all the cooks at Grand Horizons provided the rest. There sure was a nice variety.

Since I wasn’t there to celebrate with all my friends and neighbors, I did get some information from Annmarie. She told me that after the potluck, Cheryl hooked up her Nintendo Wii and people played some bowling. From what I understand, this is when you hook up the controls to the television, and you can play all types of games. I hope to have this when we return to Florida, as it sounds really interesting and lots of fun.

The hosts of the Fourth of July potluck were Dave and Barb Livingston, along with Chick and Annmarie Shackewyc, and Ed and Joan Fisher as helpers. Without these volunteers, they wouldn’t have had as great a time as they did.

On July 11, 30 residents from Grand Horizons attended the lunch connoisseurs at Ling’s Chinese Buffet. We have gone there before, and every so often they get the urge for more Chinese food, and this is where they usually go. They not only have every type of food imaginable, but the place is clean and has room for an enormous crowd like us.

Words can’t express how good this restaurant is. I heard from Judy Ellsworth that Fred Sage led the prayer before the meal. I also heard that the people sat in a back dining room so they were able to mingle and try the many varieties of food. It sure sounds that all who attended had a very good time.

A good portion of the rest of the month was filled with more activities like shuffleboard, mahjong, card games, dominoes and so much more.

On July 20, there was a pool party potluck. Considering the amount of people that have gone elsewhere for the summer months, there still was a good turnout. I spoke to Cheryl and she mentioned that 30 people showed up for this potluck.

Cheryl and Ken Leone were the hosts for this different and exciting event. They had pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans and a variety of salads.

Cheryl went on to say that after the potluck, they all gathered for another game on the Wii in the community center.

It is nice to host a gathering outside every so often, and it sounds to me like everyone had a good time.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published August 6, 2014

Keppel ‘uncontested winner in our eyes,’ principal says

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The community came together to vote for Kris Keppel, but in the end getting the most votes was just not enough for the Land O’ Lakes High School cross-country coach as he just misses winning a national award.

Instead, Brooks Running Co. named Renee Williams-Smith of Manhattan Beach, California, as its Inspiring Coach of the Year.

Williams-Smith joined what was then a male-dominated cross-country team at Mira Costa High School 40 years ago, and helped launch the girls program there that she coaches today. She has maintained an inclusive coaching philosophy and a steadfast commitment to daring girls to strive for greatness, according to a release.

“Running is a sport of firsts,” said Brooks Running chief executive Jim Weber, in a release. “Whether it’s your first step out the door, signing up for your first race, crossing your first finish line, or bringing home your first medal, achieving new things is in the DNA of our sport. Renee’s track record of firsts in the running world and her passion to create opportunities for all young athletes to experience success in cross-country and track inspired each one of us at Brooks.”

Part of the contest included a chance for fans to vote for their favorite coach through a Facebook campaign that Keppel ultimately won with more than 13,000 votes. He traveled to Seattle for the ceremony, which honored all the nominated coaches for the work they put into their sports.

“Coach Keppel did not win the Brooks award,” Land O’ Lakes principal Ric Mellin reported on Twitter. “He did win the national popular vote and is the uncontested winner in our eyes.”

Williams-Smith and her Mira Costa Mustangs receive $10,000 in Brooks performance running gear, and $2,500 cash to use for team expenses. She also will become a member of the Brooks Inspire Daily program comprised of coaches, elite runners and other running influencers, as well as a trip to the 2015 Brooks PR Invitational, a national track meet that showcases the fastest high school running talent in the country.

Finalists like Keppel received $5,000 in Brooks performance running gear, and $500 cash for team expenses, as well as membership into the Brooks’ Inspire Daily program.

Brooks chose Williams-Smith from a group of 25 finalists after current and former athletes, parents, fellow coaches, faculty and community members cast more than 45,000 votes via social media for the coach they found most inspiring.

Second Citizens Academy class now forming

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Pasco County is now accepting applications from the public to attend the second Citizens Academy class.

Applications will be accepted throughout August for a class that will begin Sept. 24, and run through December.

The first class formed in January, and finished in spring.

“We had a wonderful selection of candidates to choose from for the first class, and I’m hopeful we’ll have another top list of candidates to choose from for the fall class,” said Randy TeBeest, assistant county administrator for public safety and administration, in a release. “We’ve had applicants from all walks of life, from those currently in the work force to retirees, citizens who want to learn how their county government works.”

Participants will learn about all aspects of county government as well as Pasco’s constitutional offices. Some of the classes include subjects in emergency management, fire rescue, elections, the property appraiser’s office, libraries, tax collector, sheriff, public service, and development services and utilities.

Those who would like more information can visit tinyurl.com/PascoCitizenAcademy.

For information, call Paula Baracaldo at (727) 834-8115, or email her at .

 

This is one newspaper that keeps growing

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Are newspapers turning into dinosaurs?

It may appear the Internet is forcing a lot of newspapers to cut back, but the exact opposite is happening at The Laker/Lutz News.

The Laker/Lutz News publisher Diane Kortus holds up a brand new paper, which launched Aug. 6. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
The Laker/Lutz News publisher Diane Kortus holds up a brand new paper, which launched Aug. 6. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

During a special celebration Tuesday night at the Porter Campus of Pasco-Hernando State College, The Laker/Lutz News unveiled its new size and design, entering the world of broadsheet papers. The change makes the paper the same size as daily newspapers in the area, and provides even more room for local stories and photos relevant to the communities of Land O’ Lakes, Lutz, Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Odessa, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

Wednesday morning, The Laker/Lutz News publisher Diane Kortus appeared on “Your Wake Up Call” on WWBA-AM 820 with Alex Hinojosa and Jenna Laine to talk about the new Laker newspapers, and where the industry is going.

“The daily newspapers have had lots of challenges, both on the local level and national level,” Kortus said. “On the weekly level, the community newspaper industry is stronger than ever. We give readers the kind of news they can’t get anywhere else.”

Delivering news in the 21st century may mean having an online presence, like right here at LakerLutzNews.com, but true success at the community level is still making sure that there is a newspaper readers can hold in their hands.

“People who read community newspapers, whether it be weekly community newspapers or daily newspapers, they only go to that paper’s website once a month,” Kortus said. “People want to get this news in the traditional newspaper format.

“The news is important to them, but it’s not earth-shattering. They don’t need to know it immediately. They like to sit down with a cup of coffee and read it.”

To hear the entire interview on News Talk Florida, click here. To see a video featuring the new size, visit tinyurl.com/LakerXLVideo. For pictures of the launch event at PHSC, visit tinyurl.com/LakerXLPics.

In Print: Is living in Pasco but working in Hillsborough all that bad?

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It’s something it seems people hear all the time. There are a lot of places to live in Pasco County, but not really a lot of places to work.

That’s why so many people head south on Interstate 75, U.S. 41 and the Suncoast Parkway every morning, and local leaders are working hard to try and reverse that trend and lower commute times.

But not everyone thinks the daily commute is all that bad. Ken Littlefield, a former state representative who is now in a primary race for a spot on the Pasco County Commission, told an audience during a recent candidate forum that he’s not losing any sleep over the fact that Pasco residents typically work outside the county.

“A lot of people see 60,000 to 80,000 people leaving Pasco to go to work in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties as a negative. But I’m not sure about that,” Littlefield said. “It’s like they are working in the mine. They are bringing the gold back to Pasco, and they are spending that money here. When that money is spent here, there is economic growth that is taking place.”

How did county government and business leaders respond to Littlefield’s position? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker, now available in your driveway, at various places around the area, or in our free online e-edition by clicking here.

If that morning traffic jam is too much for you, then maybe that morning commute can be done by air.

Tom Warren piloted a hot air balloon from American Balloons over New Tampa on a recent Thursday morning. In the distance, another balloon company is giving passengers a ride. Neither balloon traveled far that day because there was very little wind. (Photo by B.C. Manion)
Tom Warren piloted a hot air balloon from American Balloons over New Tampa on a recent Thursday morning. In the distance, another balloon company is giving passengers a ride. Neither balloon traveled far that day because there was very little wind. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The Land O’ Lakes company American Balloons offers near-daily trips into the skies above Pasco and Hillsborough counties, providing a breathtaking view that, well, can only be seen by riding in a hot air balloon.

Reporter B.C. Manion was soaring on a recent trip, where she learned a lot about what motivates others to take to the skies.

“It was so calm,” said Kathy Rizzo of Wesley Chapel. “I’m afraid of heights, and I wasn’t afraid at all. It wasn’t at all frightening. It was a very smooth landing.”

Get the full story on a voyage through the skies in the print edition of this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, leading off our brand new B Section. That’s right, your community paper is not only bigger in physical size this week, but it now has two sections.

Go get that paper right now, or if you can’t wait to run to the driveway, read our free online e-edition right here.

Finally, it’s been three months since the golf course at Plantation Palms in Land O’ Lakes shut down. Golfers are missing out on acres and acres of links, but homeowners that live in Plantation Palms are feeling the pinch as the once popular spot now begins to rot.

No one involved with the property — the owners, the bank who financed it, not even the homeowners association — is talking. But neighbors are, and they’re not happy.

“If you’re a golfer, it affects your way of life,” resident Patty Stach told reporter Michael Hinman. “But even if you’re not a golfer, it affects the value of your home. Who would want to buy into a community where the golf course looks like this?”

What does the future hold for the Plantation Palms Golf Club? Find out in the print edition of this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, or read it right now in our online e-edition by clicking here.

Oh, and are you ready for some football? We continue our preview of all the local gridiron teams this week from reporter Michael Murillo with the Sunlake Seahawks and the Zephyrhills Bulldogs.

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!

Spaghetti dinner to help Molina family

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A Wesley Chapel family is still grieving after a single-vehicle car crash over the weekend on Interstate 4 in Seffner killed a mother and her infant daughter. But now members of a youth sports team some of the injured brothers in the crash played on wants to help.

The Wesley Chapel Bulls, a Pasco Police Athletic League youth football team and cheerleading squad, is hosting a fundraising spaghetti dinner Aug. 8 beginning at 7 p.m., at Sam Pasco Park, 39835 Chancey Road in Zephyrhills.

Tickets for the event are $5, and all proceeds will be donated to the Molina family as they try to recover from the weekend accident.

Ruben Molina had his entire family in his Hyundai Entourage on I-4 just after 1 a.m., toward Tampa, according to published reports. He lost control of the vehicle, and rolled several times before finally stopping in the parking lot of a recreational vehicle retailer.

Amanda Lynn Osborn and daughter Madilyna Molina were killed. Osborn’s and Molina’s sons, Ruben Molina and Elijah Molina, were seriously injured and taken to Tampa General Hospital, while the father and his sister, Marialena Molinda, suffered minor injuries. The sons are members of the Wesley Chapel Bulls.

To get tickets, email .

Pasco schools to keep valedictorians, salutatorians

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A seemingly unpopular idea to remove valedictorians and salutatorians from graduating classes in Pasco County Schools is now gone.

Superintendent Kurt Browning issued a letter to the media Tuesday night, saying he is abandoning any further efforts at this time to explore the place singling out the top academic performers in each class has in education overall.

“After much reflection and discussion, I have made the decision to preserve the valedictorian and salutatorian titles while we look at the underlying issues with our grading and grade weighting processes,” Browning wrote. “The (student progression plan) the school board will consider at next Tuesday’s final public hearing will not include the original recommendation to remove the val/sal titles.”

Browning said his position on the matter was mischaracterized on a local television station, which generated a number of emails coming out against it. The interview took place after the school board’s first public hearing on revisions to the student progression plan, which at the time included removing valedictorian and salutatorian titles.

“I want Pasco principals, school leaders and teachers to know that I still think changing how we honor our best and brightest is the right thing to do,” Browning said, “I believe there is a better way to recognize the highest achievers, encourage more students to strive for excellence, and eliminate the practice of recognizing only two students per school … year.”

Browning, however, wanted to make it clear that he did not advocate “giving a trophy to every student.”

The issue might be dead for now, but Browning said he plans to resurrect it next year when it comes time to talk about the 2015-16 school year. By then, he is hoping that a panel of academic experts will have weighed in with recommendations for improvement.

In the meantime, principals at Pasco schools have the flexibility to determine how valedictorians and salutatorians will be recognized and who will speak at graduation, Browning said. He also encouraged those principals to consider using titles similar to what colleges use like cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude, which he had advocated in his student progression plan.

The board will meet once again on the student progression plan Aug. 12 at 9:30 a.m., in Land O’ Lakes.

Extended school days lead to parent information nights

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Pasco County Schools will host information nights for parents at Lacoochee, Cox and Gulfside elementary schools over the next few days, to share details on how the extended school day is going to work.

The sessions are scheduled for Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. at Lacoochee Elementary School, 38815 Cummer Road, in Dade City, and at Cox Elementary School Aug. 11 at 6 p.m., at 37615 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Dade City.

The Gulfside Elementary School session is scheduled for Aug. 7 and Aug. 7 at 6 p.m., first at the school at 2329 Anclote Blvd., in Holiday, and then at Weston Oaks Apartments the second night at 1251 Weston Oaks Drive in Holiday.

The schools are required by the state to add an hour of reading instruction to their school day for fourth- and fifth-graders after it finished among the lowest 300 performing schools in the state when it comes to reading. Among those students, only those who scored lower than Level 5 on the FCAT reading exam will need to stay later.

Students in kindergarten through third grade already exceed the required 900 hours of instruction per year, so they will not need to be extended. However, the reaming students require a minimum of 1,080 hours of instruction annually.

All students will start at the time they started school last year, and most of the school will end at the same time as last year. However, those affected by the changes will see their school day extend by approximately 50 minutes.