Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Tampa woman saves Wesley Chapel cat in Carrollwood

By Ashley Dunn

News Editor

WESLEY CHAPEL — It’s said that cats have nine lives. If that’s true, Zeke, an orange tabby, is down to eight.

After traveling 20 miles from home and being hit by a car, the fortunate feline is back home in Wesley Chapel.

Zeke’s adventure began Sept. 26. His owner, Nicole Johnson, was visiting family in Seattle and had left him in the care of her friend, Matthew Luckie. Zeke, an indoor cat, must have escaped from the comfort of his cozy home when Luckie took out the garbage, Johnson said.

When Luckie realized Zeke was missing, he felt terrible, Johnson said. He called her immediately and posted fliers around the neighborhood. Johnson flew home Sept. 28, a day early, in order to help find Zeke.

***

That same morning, Tammy Blackburn, of Tampa, was driving to work on Dale Mabry Highway in Carrollwood, preparing to turn onto Fletcher Avenue. When traffic began to move, Blackburn spotted something out of the corner of her eye. She looked closer. An orange cat hobbled along the road. It peeked around and meowed.

Blackburn is a self-described animal lover. She’s taken care of animals all her life. She’s trained horses and rescued helpless creatures. She has a 2-year-old dog that she rescued from the side of the road who’s “the best thing that ever happened” to her.

“I can’t help it,” she said. “I’ll stop for a squirrel if I see it’s still OK.”

“I just don’t like to see animals or children hurt,” she added.

Blackburn pulled over, ran across traffic and scooped the weak male cat up in a towel. She drove him to VetCare Village Animal Hospital, made sure he was in goods hands and headed on to work.

***

Dr. Nadia McLean examined the cat. He didn’t have a microchip, or any identification.

Animals with names seem have a better chance of surviving trauma than those that are unnamed. It’s a superstition, but the staff wasn’t about to take a chance. They named the fragile feline Fletcher after the location where Blackburn had found him.

McLean determined that Fletcher had been hit by a car. He was in shock and terrible pain. He had difficulty breathing, his face was swollen and there were cuts all over his body and on his tongue. He had bruising on his lungs and pulmonary contusions.

McLean took X-rays and blood work. She gave Fletcher oxygen, pain medication and antibiotics.

Six hours after she had dropped him off, Blackburn returned to check on Fletcher. She decided that she would attempt to find his owner. If she couldn’t, she was prepared to keep him.

***

In Wesley Chapel, Johnson arrived home. Two hours later, she was on the Internet, posting a lost cat announcement on Craigslist.

Johnson had had Zeke for four years. She rescued him as a kitten in Seattle. Her parents had found a litter of kittens on their property. A coyote had gotten all but one of them. Johnson’s parents called her and asked her if she’d take him. She didn’t have to think twice before saying yes.

“He was itty bitty,” Johnson remembered.

Zeke is her only pet and a lovable companion. He greets her when she comes home after a long day, and he even plays fetch like a dog. He has his “ornery” moments, but he’s a great cat.

“He’s real sweet,” Johnson said.

***

After visiting Fletcher at VetCare Village, Blackburn went home and got on her computer. At about the same time Johnson was posting her lost pet announcement, Blackburn was posting her found cat announcement on Craigslist.

It wasn’t long before Blackburn’s phone rang. Johnson was on the other end.

“I think you’ve found my cat,” she said.

Blackburn said she wasn’t sure. She had found Fletcher in Carrollwood and Johnson lived in Wesley Chapel.

Blackburn asked if Johnson’s cat, Zeke, was male of female. The answer was male.

She asked how much Zeke weighed. The answer was 13 pounds, same as Fletcher.

As they talked, it became clear that Fletcher and Zeke were the same cat.

“Everything matched up,” Blackburn said.

***

Johnson and Luckie went to VetCare Village the next day to see if Fletcher was in fact Zeke. Dr. Nadia McLean was there for the reunion.

“Their cat — as soon as they brought him in, he was purring,” McLean said. “It was very emotional.”

So how did Zeke get from Wesley Chapel to Carrollwood? McLean said he probably hitched a ride atop an engine in one of Johnson’s neighbor’s vehicles. The corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Fletcher Avenue was likely the car’s first stop, and Zeke hopped out unnoticed. Zeke’s whiskers were singed, which seems to corroborate the story.

“The cat would have been much easier to identify if it had had rabies tags, a color or a microchip,” McLean pointed out, stressing the importance of owners properly identifying their pets. “Microchipping would have been a huge benefit for the cat.”

Johnson and Luckie made a donation to VetCare Village for the care that staff had provided for Zeke. They also made a donation to Kitty City Rescue, an organization that helps stray cats and kittens find homes.

“They are amazing,” Johnson said of VetCare Village.

***

Zeke is now recuperating at home with Johnson. He’s still limping a little, but he’s on his way to a full recovery.

Johnson and Blackburn have never met in person, but they plan to stay in touch. Johnson said she would periodically e-mail photos of Zeke to Blackburn and keep her updated on how he’s doing.

“It’s not very often that you actually end up finding the owner,” Blackburn said. “I’m just so happy that he came back home.”

But likely no one is happier than Johnson — except maybe Zeke.

“It’s fate because who does that?” Johnson said of Blackburn’s kind actions. “I’m really, really grateful.”

Gov. Crist honors Land O’ Lakes High 11th-grader for work with Habitat for Humanity

By Ashley Dunn

News Editor

DADE CITY — In 2006, Matt Mooney set a goal to collect and recycle enough aluminum cans to build a house for a needy family through East Pasco Habitat for Humanity.

Three years later, Matt, 16, has collected more than 1 million cans — about a quarter of what he needs — and he has no plans to slow down.

“It’s just for a good cause so it’s a good thing to stick with,” said Matt, who lives in Dade City and is an 11th-grader in the International Baccalaureate program at Land O’ Lakes High.

On Oct. 7, Matt received the top prize from Gov. Charlie Crist’s Serve to Preserve: Green Schools Awards program, which recognized the environmental achievements of students, teachers, classrooms, schools and school districts. Matt was the student winner and received $1,500. More than 100 nominations were received in all.

Matt became involved with Habitat when he was in eighth grade, after a house was dedicated to a friend on his baseball team.

“Everyone’s pretty emotional because they’ve worked so hard… so they’re just really humble and appreciative,” Matt said of what it’s like to be at dedication ceremony. “Just everyone is really into the whole program.”

Matt decided then that he wanted to help Habitat, but at the time he was too young to help build a home. His parents, Wayne and Jane Mooney, had done volunteer work for Habitat and knew of a program called Cans for Habitat, a national partnership between Habitat for Humanity International and the Aluminum Association.

Matt and his parents began scouring their Lake Jovita neighborhood for cans. Several homes were under construction, and the family found that workers drank lots of canned beverages and left the empty containers at the construction sites.

Over time, word spread that Matt was collecting cans. Now, fire stations, golf courses, baseball fields, churches, businesses and the Wal-Mart distribution center in Brooksville are collecting cans for him. Businesses and other organizations can request that a small can house or box be placed at their offices, and the Mooney’s come pick up the cans left inside. Neighbors have also joined in the collection, adding to Matt’s tally. Lake Jovita sends out a homeowner’s newsletter, and it includes “Matt’s Can Count,” a section on how many cans Matt has collected.

“People want to recycle,” Wayne Mooney said. “If they’ve got a reason to recycle, then they’ll do it.”

When Matt began the project, 34 cans, or one pound of aluminum, were worth between 55 and 60 cents — about the cost of a nail. Now that the price of aluminum has dropped, the same amount of cans is worth 35 cents. That means the Mooney’s have to collect even more cans.

“We’re going to have to rally here,” Wayne Mooney said.

They’re hoping groups or individuals will be willing to save their cans for Matt. They’ll even provide the boxes and liners or the can houses.

“If communities, golf courses, trailer parks, businesses, etc. want to embrace the recycling of aluminum cans, and the recycling of building homes, and the recycling of families that may need a second chance just by collecting aluminum cans that they would ordinarily throw out, please have them call me on my cell phone (352-467-9808),” Wayne Mooney said. “Matt and I will come and pick them up and turn them into a home for a deserving family.”

As of Sept. 20, Matt had collected 1,006,379 cans or 29,853 pounds of aluminum. That equals $13,897.60 for Habitat.

“Matt has really been a force unto himself — he and his family,” said John Finnerty, executive director of East Pasco Habitat for Humanity. “… Matt’s very goal oriented… He’s just done an outstanding job for us.”

The Mooney’s have spent countless hours on the project, and Jane Mooney said she thinks Matt’s commitment to his goal is commendable.

“It’s pretty special,” she said. “I’m very proud of him. He could be doing a lot of other things with his time, but it’s good to see him working on this type of goal.”

When he’s not collecting cans Matt plays golf and baseball for Land O’ Lakes High. After he graduates, he said he hopes to go Stanford University and study medicine. He’s thinking about becoming an endocrinologist.

Right now though, Matt’s focused on the cans and what they mean for Habitat. Generally quiet, he perked up when he thought about being able to build a home solely from the proceeds generated by recycling the cans.

“It would be pretty amazing,” he said, “and it would just show that a lot of hard work for me and my dad would pay off and help a family in need.”

How to help

The Mooney family is willing to pick up aluminum cans wherever they can get them. Call Wayne Mooney at (352) 467-9808.

The Mooney’s take the cans they collect to Pasco Recycling Inc., 15641 US 301 in Dade City. If you recycle your aluminum cans there already and want the proceeds to go to Habitat, let them know and they’ll donate the money.

For more information about East Pasco Habitat for Humanity or Cans for Habitat, visit www.ephabitat.org.

Meet new columnists  –  Kyle and Derek

By Steve Lee

Sports Editor

LAND O’ LAKES — Kyle LoJacono and Derek Highley penned their first columns for The Laker/Lutz News in our Sept. 30 editions and I must say, “Thanks, guys.”

LoJacono came to us this summer and has worked his way up from correspondent to staff writer. Highley is a golf professional who enthusiastically answered the call to pen an occasional column on that sport.

Their initial forays into sharing opinions with you were well-written and had just the right amount of personality sprinkled in. Hoped you liked their debuts as much as I did, and please feel free to send us feedback.

Our new columnists in sports join yours truly, as well as fishing columnists Ric Liles and Scott Keith. As for the pages before the sports section, we have no less than five columnists.

Randy Grantham, an attorney from Lutz, writes on the topics of today with most of his, often humorous, material pertaining to the law.

Richard Wendlek, who along with his wife Connie transformed Academy at the Lakes from a day care to a prestigious private learning center, authors Family Life. He espouses on the virtues of family values and dealing with today’s issues. Eileen Kanter is another educational columnist who authors Successful Students.

Bill Riddle provides a tongue-in-cheek look at answering society’s most pressing questions. Well, not really, but his funny takes in a Q. and A. format sure do provide a unique perspective.

Lastly, wacky Dr. Dr. Thayer (yes, his name really is Dr. Dr.) takes readers back to the 1960s with his zany Zixties column. Thayer owns and hosts a radio show based in Zephyrhills.

Getting back to LoJacono and Highley, expect to see more of their columns. While they will not contribute on a weekly basis each plans to share his opinion as issues or matters arise.

In a very short time, LoJacono has proven to be a valuable member of our staff. In addition to sports, the 23-year-old writes features and news stories.

As for Highley, to say he is a golf enthusiast is an understatement. The 39-year-old Wesley Chapel resident owns Global Golf Marketing. He lives in Lexington Oaks, but often plays the Plantation Palms course in Land O’ Lakes.

Nearly $12,000 raised

By Steve Lee

Sports Editor

LUTZ — Suzin Carr wears the sash as Lutz Guv’na, but she is far from the lone winner in that annual fun-filled race that benefits community organizations.

Carr said the fund-raiser total of nearly $12,000 surpassed the expectations of many, including the Lutz Civic Association, which organizes the annual race.

“Those local businesses know they’re important and that the Lutz community supports them,” Carr said.

The money was recently dispersed to numerous community and nonprofit groups. The largest amounts of $2,500 were doled out to the Old Lutz School and Lutz Fire Department. Volunteers man both organizations.

“We are grateful that so many of the local businesses helped us out,” said Eleanor Cecil, of the Lutz Civic Association. “Actually, many local businesses get excited about the Lutz Guv’na race because it is local and adds a lot of fun in the community.”

As for the remaining money, increments of $300 went to several Cub Scouts and Girl Scout troops, as well as the Civil Air Patrol, Friends of the Lutz Library, Joshua House, Junior Master Gardeners, Learning Gate Community School, Little Women of Lutz, Lutz Leaguerettes, Lutz Patriots, Lutz Elementary and Maniscalco Elementary.

The Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Women’s Club, Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Lions Club and Sports Support Association each received $250.

Additionally, each candidate designated an organization to receive a percentage of money they generated. Taylor gave additional money to the Lutz Fire Department and Old Lutz School House; Carr chose Learning Gate; Mitchell contributed to Joshua House; and Morgan picked Martinez Middle School.

Public invited to learn about breast cancer and support the cause

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — Dr. Danielle Albritton, Doctor of Osteopathy, has never had breast cancer, but she will be thinking of all her patients who have on Oct. 17, during the Sister Stroll for Breast Cancer.

“Too many of my patients have had breast cancer because even one is too many,” Albritton said. “When I’m walking at the Sister Stroll, I’ll be thinking about all the women and their families that have been touch by this disease. If me walking gets more women to get tested and take steps to prevent it, then it is worth it.”

For the last six years, Albritton has been with Medical Group of Tampa, partners with the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, and is based out of Dade City. She is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association and is a board certified family physician.

Albritton, along with many other doctors, nurses and workers from the hospital and the medical group, will be participating in the Sister Stroll, which will benefit the new Breast Center at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

“This is the third year we have done the Sister Stroll,” said Erin Nieves, 10-year assistant director of imaging services at the hospital. “Anybody that wants to come out and support those they know who’ve had or have breast cancer, breast cancer survivors or people that just want to help can all come and participate. And the entire hospital staff has challenged each other to come out and help support the stroll.”

Nieves said the reason they started the stroll was they know some people want to participate in walking events like “Making Strides,” which also helps raise money and awareness for breast cancer, but could not because of the distance and time. So, they started the stroll, which is only two and a half hours of walking.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin with a presentation outside the hospital’s main entrance, located at 7050 Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills, from 8 to 8:30 a.m.

Albritton will deliver the first part of the presentation. As a D.O., Albritton does not specialize in cancer treatment but rather deals with patients as a primary care practitioner to screen for cancers and to help people prevent cancers altogether.

“I’ll be speaking about the role of primary care in preventing breast cancer,” Albritton said. “I’ll start by saying that breast cancer is one of the most significant health concerns in the United States. It is the most common form of diagnosed cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death. Then, I will tell people that the risk of breast cancer increases with age, being overweight, with alcohol and tobacco abuse and that white women have an increase risk, and I’ll close by giving people tips to reducing their risk factors.”

The second half of the presentation will be about diagnostics and treatment of breast cancer.

Then the stroll will begin at 8:30 and will run through 11 a.m. at the hospitals fitness trail.

“Brighton has donated 250 gift bags that will be given to the first 250 walkers,” Lyn Acer, hospital spokesperson, said. “There will be certificates for $49 mammograms and/or $20 bone density tests. We’ll also be raffling off one limited edition Brighton breast cancer bracelet.”

Those attending will also be able to buy event T-shirts for $15 and water and trail mix will be available for the walkers.

There is not a date set for the opening of the new center now, but it will be at the hospitals main building.

“I won’t be working in the new Breast Cancer Center, but I’ll be referring people there” Albritton said. “My goal is to prevent people from ever getting breast cancer, but if women are ever diagnosed with the disease, they will have good resources to get the best treatment.”

Everyone attending the stroll will be asked to sign a banner that will be brought back to the stroll next year to add more names.

“The banner will also be hung up at the ‘Hospital Gala’ on Nov. 19 at Saddlebrook Resort, and all the proceeds will be presented to the hospital foundation there,” Nieves said.

The resort is located at 5700 Saddlebrook Way in Wesley Chapel.

To register for the event or for more information on the hospital or the new Breast Cancer Center, call (813) 783-8378.

If you go

What: Sister Stroll
When: Oct. 17, 8:30 to 11 a.m. A special presentation will begin at 8 a.m.
Where: Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, 7050 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills
Benefits: the new Breast Center at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills
More information: (813) 783-8378

Central Pasco Chamber

events for mayoral race

LAND O’ LAKES — Fund-raisers for the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce’s mayoral candidates dot the calendar this month.

The three-way race features Bill Pearce, of Knight Pest Control, Salon at the Lakes’ Rita Greco and Amanda Malhoit, of Gateway Chiropractic Clinic. The winner will be announced Nov. 14 at the Family Fun Bike Ride Day.

Events, listed by dates and candidates, are as follows:

Oct. 15 — Pasco Bingo, Greco. Lake Padgett Estates East clubhouse, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Buffet, $5; bingo card, $5; three cards for $10.

Oct. 17 — Tea & Fashion Show, Malhoit. The Groves Ballroom, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door.

Oct. 18 — Mommy & Me Tea Party, Greco. Salon at the Lakes, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $20, $5 for each additional family member.

Oct. 23 — Golf Scramble, Pearce. Tournament at Heritage Harbor in Lutz had a 1 p.m. shotgun start. Registration is at noon. Cost is $75 per player.

Oct. 24 — Family Barbecue, Malhoit. Fraternal Order of Police lakeside campground off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Costs are $20 for adults, $10 for kids.

Oct. 31 — Family Fun Festival, Greco. Hungry Harry’s Barbecue, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pony rides, live music and more. Cost is $10.

For more details, call the chamber at (813) 909-2722.