Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Suzin and Chandler Carr produced “I Choose”

By Steve Lee

Staff Writer

LUTZ — Suzin and Chandler Carr, of Lutz, have received plenty of recognition for “I Choose,” a book authored by the mother and illustrated by her 9-year-old son.

Their first writing award, however came on Oct. 24 at the Florida Writers Association conference in Orlando. The Carrs won a Royal Palm Literary Award, taking first place in the published children’s book category.

Needless to say, Chandler’s mother reacted to the news a bit more enthusiastically than her son. Upon hearing they won the award, Suzin literally dragged her son to the podium.

“I dragged him down the red carpet,” said Carr, the Lutz Guv’na. “Poor Chandler was like, ‘Would you please let go of my arm?’”

Chandler chuckled at that recollection.

“She took my arm and took me down the red carpet. Then she ran fast,” Chandler recalled. “I said, ‘Mom. Mom. Let go. I haven’t seen you this excited since the Guv’na thing.’”

Asked if he was nervous accepting an award in front of about 300 people, Chandler responded, “Not really, because I didn’t have to do a speech.”

Chandler, a fourth-grader at Learning Gate, a charter school in Lutz, plans to take his illustrations to another level.

“I want to be a video game designer,” he said. “Drawing’s a big part in making video games.”

Next up for mother and son is a Veterans Day appearance on Channel 10’s “The Morning Show.”

Carr said she will probably be a bit more subdued on television than she was at the writers conference in Orlando.

“I was known as the jumper and the screamer,” she said jokingly.

Already, the Carrs have been recognized by Fox News, Tampa Bay Parenting magazine and Dr. Laura Schlesinger.

“I r-e-a-l-l-y like this one for kids. Frankly, I like it for adults too,” Dr. Laura said last May on her nationally syndicated radio show.

Having his book discussed on the radio, Chandler said, “was really neat for thousands of people to hear

It wasn’t me!

Rylee is a Bassett Hound who will be five years old in December. She is extremely protective of her Sophie and sends out an alert if Sophie cries for more than two minutes. Sophie likes to crawl over Rylee, and her face shows that Rylee usually passes gas when she does! She has been known to push Sophie’s swing with her nose if her owner forgets to hit the reset button. If Rylee hears the word “bath” she howls and gets upset, but she sits perfectly still in the tub and acts like she enjoys it. Rylee was a gift to owner, Christina James of Wesley Chapel, from her husband Kipp.

Tank chews on everything that moves

Tank is a Bulldog puppy. He became a member of the Rogers family after the passing of their beloved English Bulldog, “Daisy.” Daisy was 12 years old and will be remembered by the many customers of Rogers Landscaping. Tank enjoys chewing on everything that moves. He is very sweet, so come by and meet him! His proud owners are Glenn and Cathy Rogers, owners of Rogers Landscaping Supply in Lutz.

Zephyrhills High lost its homecoming game, 29-7 to Gulf at Bulldog Stadium on Oct. 30. Nonetheless, the evening was highlighted by plenty of festivities including a parade down Main Street and announcements for King and Queen and the Homecoming Court. Photos by Gary S. Hatrick.

By Christine Powers

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Adult day care centers are an excellent alternative for working caregivers or caregivers that just need a little time off for themselves.

CARES operates two adult day health service centers — one in Dade City at the CARES Crescent Enrichment Center, 13906 Fifth Street, and the other in New Port Richey at the CARES Claude Pepper Senior Center, 6640 Van Buren Street. However, before entrusting their loved one to an adult day care center, most caregivers want to make sure that they will be safe and receive appropriate care. We’d like to address that concern.

CARES adult day care centers are licensed by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which requires that all adult day care facilities be licensed. Inspectors visit the centers on a regular basis checking the facility, the food storage and preparation and the fire and emergency plans.

The Department of Elder Affairs and the Department of Agriculture makes sure that the kitchens are clean and that an approved menu is offered. Every year, the food menus must be approved by a registered dietician. The Pasco Office of Emergency Management must approve the centers’ emergency plans. The fire plans, also, must be approved and regular fire drills are required.

The licensing procedures include a review of the participant’s charts to insure that they are receiving proper care. The staff and operation of the facility, are also observed. The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas conducts periodic surveys of the centers to insure that they are meeting the criteria for state and federal grant funding.

Adult Day Services have evolved over the last few years from social programs to medical models to meet the needs of the aging population. CARES centers provide quality care that is validated by our outstanding survey results.

CARES Adult Day Services centers are places for older adults, who may be challenged in their everyday activities, to have a whole lot of fun, to make new friends, to play a game of cards or to learn something new all in a well regulated and safe environment.

For more information, call Christine Powers at (727) 863-6868

Christine Powers is the director of Adult Day Care Services.

Karin King needs help and leftover Halloween candy for her cause

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

LAND O’ LAKES — Most people enjoy fresh-baked cookies, but that luxury is something the women and men of the U.S. armed forces do without daily.

That is, except when Karin King is baking.

“It warms my heart to be able to help make the troops’ lives a little nicer,” King said. “They do so much to keep our country safe, and have to do it in faraway places in bad conditions. If I can send some of them cookies and treats to make them smile, then it is worth it. It lets them know people still care about what they are doing.”

King has done more than send just some of them cookies. Over the last three years, she has baked 100 dozen, or 1,200 cookies, each week as part of the Treats for Troops program she established in Land O’ Lakes. The cookies cost a few hundred dollars per week.

King is unemployed, which gives her more time to bake cookies. Those cookies almost fill 17 boxes each week, and she fills the extra space with candy.

King said a few other people have helped in the past, but she is the only one baking now. She is asking anyone interested in helping bake cookies for the troops to call or e-mail her (see the box below).

Candy is used in place of packing peanuts to prevent the cookies from crushing, so King requests donations for unopened leftover Halloween candy. While she cannot send chocolate cookies from May to October due to the heat, there are no restrictions to the kind of candy that can be donated now.

“I don’t want anyone to buy extra candy just to give to me,” King said. “I know that people usually have lots of leftover candy that they don’t have a chance to give out on Halloween.

“So I’m asking anyone to donate what they aren’t going to use and to try and gather and donate other people’s leftover candy too. Parents can ask for leftovers at their kid’s schools, youth clubs, sports teams, day cares, churches and other places to make donations.”

Those interested in donating can drop candy off at The Laker/Lutz News, located at 1930 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Suite No. 14. King said people can also drop off candy at her residence, or she will meet them if they do not live close to her.

King collected 1,600 pounds of candy in 2007 and 2,000 pounds in 2008. This year’s goal is 5,000 to 10,000 pounds.

Her efforts were recognized in April with a certificate of appreciation from Multi-National Force-Iraq. Flags were flown in honor at bases in Al Qatar, Kuwait and Afghanistan. She also received letters and e-mails of thanks from troops, who share the candy with children who save troops’ lives.

“The kids have spared the lives of our troops by telling them where the enemy placed bombs more than once,” King said. “Many times the troops tell me the cookies are the first the kids over there have ever eaten.”

King sends the boxes of treats through Support Our Troops in Wesley Chapel. Bob Williams, who served on the USS Independent in Vietnam from 1964 to 1967, is in charge of that organization.

“Karin has been a huge help in sending things to the troops,” Williams said. “Getting a bag of cookies and candy from home makes all the difference in the moral of the troops. I want these boys and girls to have the respect they deserve because that wasn’t the case sometimes in the past. People like Karin help make life livable for them.”

Williams buys thing like small refrigerators, microwaves and televisions to send to the troops in large boxes, along with the treats from King. It costs hundreds to thousands of dollars to mail boxes to troops each year. Donations are welcome.

While the troops like the treats, there is one person that has to suffer through the baking.

“The only problem is I have is to smell all those cookies all the time, but I’m not allowed to eat any of them,” said King’s husband, Jim. “It really is incredible to me the dedication Karin has. I am just the guy who goes and gets stuff for her, to make it easy for her. She does everything herself.”

Jim King’s father, James C. King, was in the armed forces as the medical director for the U.S. Public Health Service.

“I’ll keep sending the treats as long as I possibly can,” King said. “It is the least I can do for those real heroes around the world.”

How to Help

Karin King with Treats for Troops

Call: (813) 746-1517

E-mail: or

Needed items: Leftover Halloween candy; help with baking; coffee; instant beverages (Kool-Aid, lemonade); tea; toiletries (body wash, shampoo, body lotion, sunscreen) and feminine hygiene products

Drop-off location: 1930 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Suite No. 14

Web site: www.TreatsForTroops.Info

Bob Williams with Support the Troops

E-mail:

Needed items: Checks or money orders payable to the Postmaster and sent to P.O. Box 7560 Wesley Chapel, FL 33545 to help pay for postage

Web site: www.ourtroopsonline.com