Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Gary S. Hatrick

Laker Correspondent

ZEPHYRHILLS — Jerry Sterner received a Key to the City from Zephyrhills Mayor Cliff McDuffie during a Sept. 24 retirement party at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

McDuffie joked that Sterner got “the key to go out the back door, but if you want to come back again you can get back in.”

A long line of well-wishers congratulated Sterner, who for 19 years in public relations was the face of East Pasco Medical Center, then Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

“You’re looking at the end of an era,” said John Harding, the hospital’s chief executive officer. “To be able to go anywhere and hear Jerry’s name, you feel like you’re in the presence of a rock star. “It’s not often that one gets to associate with someone that has done as much as he’s done in this community.

Sterner was recently awarded the 2009 Alice Hall Community Award by the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce for his many accomplishments and spirit of volunteerism.

The most recent award highlights an extensive list of service for a man who also has been a member of chambers in Dade City and Wesley Chapel; along with rotary clubs in Zephyrhills and Dade City.

Sterner also has served with the American Heart Association, East Pasco Habitat for Humanity, Leadership Pasco, Main Street Zephyrhills, Raymond B. Stewart Middle School Advisory Council, Sunrise of Pasco Domestic and Spouse Abuse Shelter, and the San Antonio Boys Village Board of Directors, among other groups.

Additionally, he has worked with the Pasco Planning 20/20 Committee, Pasco County School Board’s Business & Industry Council, Pasco Economic Development Council and United Way of Pasco County.

Some lesser-known facts are that Sterner served for two U.S. Army tours in Vietnam, earning the bronze star, and was a missionary in Nairobi for six years.

Some community members may not know that Sterner has been the organizer behind the city’s annual tree lighting and Easter sunrise service.

“I’m sorry I won’t be putting the tree lighting together as I have in the past,” Sterner said. “This will be the 25th anniversary of the tree lighting and it should be a very fine event again.”

Sterner said that the past 19 years have been an incredible ride and explained why he became so involved in the community.

“I have such an incredible love for this community,” Sterner said. “When you spend almost 20 years in a community you just grow to enjoy and appreciate, and have a high respect for the people of the community. It’s people that make the community as great as it is.

Sterner and his wife, Martha, plan to move to Chattanooga, Tenn., as soon as their home sells. Once there, Sterner said he will join the rotary and chamber to begin serving that community.

His greatest involvement, though, will be serving as grandpa to his grandson, Luke.

“The joy I’ll have is watching Luke,” he said.

Soldier thanks Lutz Patriots for kindness to military

“To all at Lutz Patriots,

Received your letters from the children and the care package today and I wanted you to know how grateful I am for the thoughtfulness you have shown to me and all in the military. You truly are special people and yes, you have brightened my day.

“The package was received today, September 4th …again, thank you. I only wish I had time to write a personal letter back to you and all the children, hope email is OK. I am currently on a PSD (protective security detail) team that protects Major General Joseph Reynes, Air Force, director of FSEC (Force Strategic Engagement Cell). We work 15 hour days, 7 days a week in the IZ green zone area for now, so not much time.

“I am married with three children, Brittany (18), TJ (15) and Haley (8). All have birthdays coming up in November and December and I will miss them all, but we stay in touch through email and web cam. It works out really great when we can see each other.

“I live in Corbin, Kentucky and am a part of the Kentucky National Guard, and will return hopefully in May…Yea!! Might get to see the Kentucky Derby…and please send a cool ocean breeze my way from Florida.

“Anyway, it has been a very hot month here in Baghdad, Iraq, like 122 degrees average, so hopefully it will start to cool down a bit.

“Again, thank you and share this e-mail with all the little ones if possible.

God bless you,

SPC Tim Miniard”

By Eileen Kanter

Q: What qualities should I look for in a tutor?

A: Many tutors are certified teachers who are supplementing their salary. They may also be college students earning their teaching degree. The key to finding the right person for your child is to look for an individual whose training, personality, energy level, educational philosophy and proven success record meet the needs and goals you have for your child.

Q: What do tutoring services cost?

A: Tutoring rates vary and are based on one or more of the following reasons:

— The number of times per week your child is tutored and the length of each session

— The subject area being tutored. A tutor working with your child on chemistry will usually charge more than someone teaching a child the concept of addition.

— If the tutor comes to your home instead of taking your child to their place of business

— If you hire a tutoring center or have your son/daughter taught by a private tutor

— If your child is tutored in a small group setting verses a one-on-one setting

— Some tutoring centers and private instructors charge an assessment fee. This payment is in addition to your regular tutoring fee and a one-time assessment in most cases.

Q: When hiring a tutor, can I ask for references?

A: Absolutely! It is one of the best ways to find out if the educator or tutoring center you are considering is the right fit for your child.

Q: When should I see results from my child’s tutoring?

A: Seeing tangible results can vary, but will probably not occur immediately. All children learn at different rates. Once their learning style is targeted, a qualified tutor will customize lessons to meet your child’s needs. They can also give parents helpful tips in working with their son/daughter each day to solidify a deeper level of learning. Tutoring more than once a week, can expedite results, but there is still no guarantee.

Q: If I hire a tutor to work with my child, will I still need to help my child with their homework?

A: Yes, tutors and parents need to work together to encourage success. A tutor can provide strategies to use when working with your child.

Q: Is it better to have my child tutored at our house or outside of our home?

A: The No. 1 reason parents hire tutors to come to their homes is convenience. However, convenience does not increase your child’s learning potential. A child that is easily distracted will have trouble focusing during a learning session in their home. Parents cannot always control the phone ringing, siblings arguing, family members and pets wandering, etc. The more distractions, the less likely your son/daughter will be able to focus and receive the maximum benefit of working with a tutor in a one-on-one setting. If you know your child is not easily distracted and/or you can control the atmosphere in the house, home tutoring might be an option.

Q: When do I know that my child is ready to discontinue tutoring?

A:  That decision should be made between the parent, tutor and classroom teacher. A student should be showing consistent progress in the classroom that can be measured by the tutor and the classroom teacher before ending teaching sessions.

Tweety Pie loves Emeril Live

Tweety Pie is a 5-year-old male longhaired, white cat. He likes watching his owner play games on the computer and getting into yarn. When Emeril Live comes on TV, he puts his paws in the air. Tweety Pie sits for his food and begs for treats. He is not a lap cat. He carries his toy mouse around, and at night he can slide closet doors open. Tweety Pie is the best watch cat because when anyone pulls into the driveway or knocks on the door, he runs to his favorite hiding place. Tweety Pie’s proud owner is Judith Gurganious, of Zephyrhills.

By Ashley Dunn

Staff Writer

LUTZ — On Sept. 11, 2001, Wilson Morse wasn’t even two years old, but he still knows what happened on that tragic day.

“I know that there were terrorists and they crashed into the two Twin Towers,” said Wilson, a fourth-grader at Lutz Elementary.

On Sept. 11 this year, Wilson and the rest of the school’s student body celebrated Patriot Day with a special outdoor program. Each grade wore either red, white or blue and sang a patriotic song. The school also recognized the Lutz Patriots, military personnel, veterans and first responders. Lutz Elementary has put on the annual presentation since 2002.

Some students knew how Patriot Day originated. Others didn’t. It’s not something many classes talk about, said Mary Fernandez, school principal.

“Depending on their age, we do what’s appropriate,” she said.

Instead of focusing on the terrorist attacks, teachers convey the importance of police officers, firefighters and those in the military.

It’s a lesson that wasn’t lost on third-grader Mackenzie Young, 8. When asked why the school had the patriotic celebration that morning, she said, “To thank America for all the freedom and to thank the troops and the military, who are giving us freedom.”

Fourth-grader Leigh Dittman, 9, said she remembers her parents explaining what happened in 2001.

“It was just so sad to hear,” she said, adding she understands the jobs that soldiers and first responders do each day are dangerous. “They risk their lives to make sure that we are free — that we are one country — so it’s just important to show that we appreciate what they do for us.”

Wilson, 9, agreed.

“If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here,” he said.

By Steve Lee

Staff Writer

LAND O’ LAKES — Sniffing out drugs is among the numerous duties for a dog in the Pasco Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit and Missy answered the call in the largest drug bust in county history.

Scott Grant, a detective in the vice and narcotics department, and Missy teamed up to help get $1.8 million worth of cocaine off the streets. The Aug. 26 bust unearthed more than 114 pounds of cocaine and $200,000 in cash from under a shed off Duck Lake Canal Road in Dade City.

“I’m a fan of them for drug work,” said Sgt. Brian Brosnan, who supervises the sheriff’s K-9 unit. “She indicated where (the alleged drug dealers) had drugs buried.”

For Missy and Grant, it actually marked the second million dollar drug bust. The also were part of 2008 apprehension of a truck hauling $1.5 million in cash and 71 grams of marijuana.

Brosnan helps train the sheriff office’s 10 dogs, along with four police dogs in Dade City, New Port Richey and Zephyrhills. He knows first-hand how valuable the K-9 unit can be in the war on crime.

“It shows you they work,” Brosnan said of a dog’s role in busts like the one in Dade City. “The good ol’ dog nose just keeps going on. It’s a team effort. The dogs will tell you stuff using their bodies and their tails.”

As for team efforts, Grant has been paired up with Missy, a Malinos (pronounced mel-in-wah) for the past year and a half. He could not be more proud of his partner’s efforts.

“She’s done amazing things,” Grant said. “She actually located the money that had a narcotic odor on it, as well as the 52 kilos in the barn.”

Missy is Grant’s four and final dog. At 49 and with nearly 25 years in law enforcement, retirement is on the horizon. Until then, Grant and Missy will remain inseperable.

“The dog’s your best friend, other than your wife,” said Grant, who has been married to Jackie for 10 years.

Although the sheriff’s office has its full compliment of dogs, the county is down one dog, having lost Zephyrhills Police dog Gunner to a tragic accident in August. The black German Shepherd was struck and killed by an SUV while returning to handler Josph Rinaldo after responding to a burglary.

Zephyrhills still has Jenko, who is partnered with police officer Billy Adams, but Brosnan is assisting the department as it searches for Gunner’s replacement. Brosnan, who has worked with the sheriff’s K-9 unit since 1987, will help train Gunner’s replacement like he has with most of the other law enforcement dogs in the county.

“We’re a very tight-knit group,” Brosnan said. “We generally get together (once a week) to train.”