The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Local projects receive federal funds

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Ten community project funding requests submitted this year by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis were approved and will bring a total of $13.79 million in federal funding to the Tampa Bay area, according to a news release from the congressman’s office.

Bilirakis received dozens of proposals seeking federal funding from local governments, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations throughout Florida, the release said.

Three of the projects receiving funding will have a direct impact on areas within East Pasco County. Those projects are:

Rural Northeast Pasco Community Park Site Acquisition: $1 million
Provides funding to allow Pasco County to plan, identify, and buy the new community park site, including appraisals, boundary surveys, closing costs, insurance and so on. In other parts of the county, impact fees support the purchase of parkland and developing of parks, but in rural northeast Pasco, less land is being developed resulting in less impact fees.

The Dade City Wastewater Treatment Plant: $1.75 million
This project involves the design and permitting of the city’s wastewater treatment plant relocation and upgrade.

The Zephyrhills Lift Station and Force Main Project: $1.5 million
This provides matching funds to the City of Zephyrhills to assist with wastewater system improvement that will allow the city to balance wastewater flow, provide water quality protection and support water supply needs in the Hillsborough River Basin.

The other seven projects submitted by Bilirakis that received funding will have direct impacts in West Pasco, in Pinellas County or across Pinellas and Pasco counties.

In the news release, Bilirakis, who represents Florida’s 12th congressional district, said: “While I am no proponent of big government spending, I have a duty to ensure my community receives its fair share of allocated federal resources and to be transparent about my efforts to prioritize these important projects. These projects will help strengthen our local infrastructure, benefit our community and assist local residents.”

Published March 23, 2022

Museum presents an homage to the cowboy way of life

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Sounds of cracking whips and old-time music filled the air at Cracker Cowboy Day at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road.

The event was held for its first time on March 5, on the property in Dade City.

As her proud father, Evan, looks on, 3-year-old Savannah Feller, of Lake Wales, achieves a decent lasso spin during calf roping at Cracker Cowboy Day at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village on March 5. Her mom, Rachel, and little sister Addison cheer from the sidelines. (Christine Holtzma)

Dade City Candy, Comics, and Collectibles presented the event, which took folks back to a bygone era of Florida’s early settlers.

It was a time that was rich with cowboys and cattle.

Many of the interactive demonstrations featured activities that actually would have taken place on the range.

Both children and adults could try their hand at whip-cracking, cow-whip braiding, roping, axe-throwing and wood plank branding.

Numerous speakers wore period clothing – many of whom were stationed inside authentic-styled cow camps. The speakers and their backdrops helped to create a feel for an earlier era, as they provided lessons about Florida’s pioneer days.

There was a petting zoo, a blacksmith exhibition and vendors catering to cowboys, as well as offering farm goods.

Cowboy poetry in the Mabel Jordan Barn rounded out the day.

Dade City rancher and cowboy poet Steve Melton spearheaded the one-of-a-kind event.

When friends urged him to do poetry at the museum, he didn’t think poetry was enough of a draw to attract crowds.

So, instead, he arranged an event that not only showcased, but celebrated the Florida cow hunter’s (knowns as the ‘Crackers’) way of life.

Melton said the need to share that history helped to inspire the event.

“No one has pulled out the true history of the cowboy story, so that is what we are trying to introduce and preserve,” Melton said.

By Christine Holtzman

Published March 23, 2022

Susan Krusee, of Plant City, straightens up a display of goods that she is selling inside the Country Store booth during the inaugural Cracker Cowboy Day event. Krusee is a historical seamstress that strives for historical accuracy with all the clothing and items that she makes by hand and collects.
Steve Melton, a Dade City rancher and cowboy poet, recites a poem he calls, ‘The Rain at Billy Goat Sink.’ Melton shared about a dozen poems and stories with the audience inside the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village’s Mabel Jordan Barn, during the inaugural Cracker Cowboy Day event.
David Riker, of Hawthorne, has a seat inside the replica cattle camp that he and his group set up during the inaugural Cracker Cowboy Day event at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village. Riker, along with his wife Lori, longtime friend Jim McAlister, and McAlister’s daughter Sheyenne, dressed in pioneer-era clothing and educated audiences on what life was like as a cattle farmer for the early Florida settlers.
Ed Collins, of Collins Cattle and Grove LLC, sits atop a wagon being pulled by his two Belgian Draft horses. The horses — 16-year-old Doug, left, and, 15-year-old Barney — were a big hit with the crowd. Some lucky guests got to go for a wagon ride, too.
Brenda Anderson, of Dade City, pets Sadie, a Charolais-Cross cow, who is more interested in the hay that Anderson had in her hand. Anderson, a fifth-generation Floridian, is a docent at the Cracker Country Museum – located at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
Jeanette Figueroa, of Tampa, helps with her 9-year-old daughter Madison’s wood plank branding. For a small fee, guests could create their own art, using real cattle brands.

Volunteers needed to help combat human trafficking

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The Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking is seeking 11 volunteers to serve on the advisory council to help combat human trafficking, according to a Pasco County news release.

The Pasco County Community Services team is accepting applications to serve on the committee from representatives of a variety of community sectors that have been identified as being critical to attacking the problem.

Applications are being accepted through April 8.

Here are the categories with openings:

  • Pasco Sheriff’s Office (2)/including a Child Protection Investigations Unit representative
  • Pasco County Schools
  • Community/victim services advocate
  • Tourism/hospitality industry
  • Medical and/or behavioral health profession
  • Faith-based community
  • Anti-human trafficking community advocate
  • Business sector
  • College or university professor/researcher
  • Member at large (from any sector identified above)

The human trafficking commission serves as an advisory council to the Pasco County Commission.

To apply, go to bit.ly/2gWcaXt.

To learn more about the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking, including the 2022 meeting schedule, go to bit.ly/PascoHTCommission.

Published March 23, 2022

Making smart choices when it comes to calories

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Since March is National Nutrition Month, I thought I’d share some food for thought, when it comes to making nutritious choices.

When making decisions about what to eat, it helps to know some fundamental facts about calories. For instance, did you know that it takes 3,500 calories to gain a pound?

That means, theoretically, it takes 3,500 calories to burn off that pound. (While that’s generally true, it’s not true 100% of the time because weight loss, among individuals, can vary).

In general, though, it’s good to know how many calories a particular food has.

Are you getting good-quality calories? While this quarter-cup of mixed nuts might not look like a lot, it has the same amount of calories as a cookie you would find in a vending machine. Unlike cookies, however, nuts have micronutrients, protein and fiber, which make them a nutrient-rich choice. (Courtesy of Shari Bresin)

It also helps to know the origin of the calories you’re consuming.

So, when you look at the food label, be sure to make note of the fat, protein and carbohydrates.

These are the macronutrients — and where calories are found.

Vitamins and minerals, which are micronutrients, don’t contain calories.

Protein and carbohydrates (including all those grams of added sugar) have 4 calories per gram.

Fat has 9 calories per gram. If a food item has 10 grams of fat, that’s 90 calories right there.

That’s why it’s important to know that when you go easy on the fat — such as baking versus frying, having low-fat milk, or using less cream-based salad dressing —  you can instantly cut down on calories.

Calorie intake, as you may have guessed, has increased over the decades.

A Pew Research study reported that Americans, on average, in 2010, were eating 2,481 calories a day. That’s 23% more than were consumed daily in 1970.

A lot of caloric intake comes down to food choices.

Are you choosing food that is nutrient-dense or calorie-dense?

Nutrient-dense foods are high in vitamins and minerals, and typically – but not always – low in calories and fat.

Calorie-dense foods are high in calories and yield low nutritional value.

Think about foods such as cookies, chips, soda and candy bars.

Those whose eating pattern consists of foods with “empty” calories may develop vitamin or mineral deficiencies, too, because filling up on these foods replaces eating foods that have more nutritional value.

For instance, indulging on cookies won’t have the same effect on your health as, say, snacking on an apple.

You can fill yourself up by eating calorie-dense foods, but your body won’t get much nourishment from the food.

Here are some easy side-by-side examples of calorie-dense versus nutrient-dense foods:

  • 6 ounces of strawberry-flavored yogurt (168 calories), compared to 6 ounces of plain yogurt with 3 ounces of freshly sliced strawberries (137 calories)
  • 1 cup Honey Nut Cheerios (190 calories), compared to 1 cup plain Cheerios (100 calories
  • 1 can of cola (140 calories), compared to water (0 calories)
  • Enriched bagel with cream cheese (259 calories), compared to whole wheat bagel with 2 tablespoons hummus (236 calories)
  • A 2-ounce bag of bite-sized cookies at the vending machine (280 calories), compared to a package of peanuts at the vending machine (333 calories)

Did you notice the cookies have less calories than the nuts?

Nutrient-dense foods don’t always mean fewer calories, but they do have more nutrition.

Even the healthier unsaturated fats still have 9 calories per gram, so something like oils, nuts, chia seeds and avocados will be high-calorie due to the fat content, but they still have plenty of nutrition to go along with it.

The peanuts have 2 grams of sugar, and plenty of fiber and protein, while the cookies are high in sugar (18 grams) and only have 2 grams of fiber.

A healthy diet doesn’t mean you have to obsessively count calories at every meal, but it’s a good idea to get into the habit of looking at food labels and reading the ingredients.

Fewer ingredients are a sign the food hasn’t been heavily processed and, therefore, has more nutritional quality.

It’s also good to remember that while the difference between one choice and another may seem negligible, those small decisions do add up.

So, if your choices add up to an extra 500 calories a day, then that adds up to 3,500 calories in a week, which equals 1 pound.

So, it’s easy to see how weight gain can creep up on you.

Here are some suggestions to modify recipes and substitute ingredients to make more nutrient dense meals:

  • Use reduced-fat dairy (milk, cheese) instead of full-fat
  • Whole grains (bread, pasta, brown rice) instead of enriched (white) grains
  • Use a leaner ground meat, or a plant-based protein such as beans or lentils
  • Use herbs and spices instead of salt
  • Use healthy cooking oil (canola, peanut, almond, olive, etc.) instead of butter or lard
  • Add more vegetables than the original recipe calls for, such as more onion, spinach, mushrooms and so on.

By Shari Bresin

Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County.

Published March 23, 2022

Sheriff’s office adds three K-9s

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Dep. Ryan Jackson and partner K-9 Blake (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) announced the addition of three new K-9s to its ranks —K-9 Blake, K-9 Ranger and K-9 Ripp.

The new teams recently completed the PSO’s K-9 patrol school, where they were trained in tracking, building searches, area searches, apprehensions and locating articles. These valuable skills will help deputies on a variety of calls, such as locating missing people and finding dangerous narcotics.
K-9 Blake is a German shepherd born in Slovakia on Aug. 28, 2020. He is assigned to the Highway Interdiction Team, where he assists deputies to stop the trafficking of illegal drugs on major Pasco roadways. Blake is partnered with Dep. Ryan Jackson, who started with the PSO in 2014 and became a member of the SWAT team in 2017.

K-9 Ranger is a Belgian Malinois born in the Czech Republic on June 6, 2020. He is certified in patrol and explosives detection, and is a member of the SWAT team. Ranger’s partner is Dep. Justin Case, who joined the PSO as a patrol deputy in 2021, and has been a member of the unified SWAT team since its inception.

K-9 Ripp is a Dutch shepherd born in the Netherlands on June 15, 2020. He is a patrol K-9 and will soon start work on his certification for narcotics detection. Ripp’s partner is Dep. Jeremie Garcia, who joined the PSO in 2014 as a patrol deputy and was assigned to the K-9 Unit in 2017.

K-9 teams would not be possible without the generous donations of community members. Funds to purchase, train and equip every PSO K-9 come from these community donations; no taxpayer dollars are used.

K-9 Ranger and partner Dep. Justin Case
Dep. Jeremie Garcia and partner K-9 Ripp

A splash of color, as garden work continues

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

The work that the members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club have done on its Sensory Garden has progressed and taken shape with a very colorful look — brightly painted plant containers fashioned into floral petal shapes from recycled tires, and newly planted with perennials, in the hopes of attracting butterflies and bees. This garden, established “from scratch,” is to serve as a fun, colorful, quiet place of enjoyment for autistic and special needs children on the grounds of Camp Idlewild in Land O’ Lakes. Club member Deb Cardona paints planters to give a vibrant look to the garden.

Festival offers fun for kids, and adults, too

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The 12th annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival had a new feature this year: Friday night festivities.

Lamar Marshall, of Lakeland, pit master for the Smoke Shack BBQ team prepares ribs and sausage to feed hungry patrons at the festival. (Fred Bellet)

Activities at the festival included a Kidz Grillin’ competition for fun and a more serious contest among adult pit masters, competing in the Florida Barbecue State Championship.

The event was held on the evening of March 4 and during the day on March 5.

Both days featured a chance to enjoy some succulent barbecue, to listen to blues music, to do some shopping, and to just hang out.

The Friday night activities were a big hit, said Melonie Monson, executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

The Kidz Grillin’ contest drew 25 contestants, who were split into five teams.

“They (the kids) had the time of their lives. We had five of our pit masters that mentored them,” Monson said.

“And, it was just fun for the parents, the siblings, the staff — everybody had a great time on Friday night with that,” she said.

It was all about the ribs for Gary White, of Dade City, as he chows down, under the dining tent, at the 2022 Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival. As he enjoyed his ribs, his wife, Lana White, sat nearby.

The bands draw a big crowd, too, she said.

The Friday festivities were “a real positive thing and probably something that we’ll continue doing,” Monson said.

The turnout the next day, however, was less than organizers had hoped for, Monson said. She noted the event was competing with the Florida Strawberry Festival, the boat show, the seafood festival and other events that day.

Still, Monson remained upbeat.

“We had a great day. The weather was beautiful,” she said.

She also said this year’s festival had some of the best bands that have played in the event’s history.

“They were just amazing,” Monson said.

Overall, the chamber executive said, “everybody seemed to have a great time. Our vendors did really well.”

Published March 13, 2022

Ed Wright opened the entertainment the morning of March 5, with his brand of blues at the 12th annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival. Performing from the AdventHealth Zephyrhills stage, other entertainers included Jimmy Griswold, The Kid Royal Band and Memphis Lightning.
Patrons patiently waited in line to pick up some ribs, chicken and sausage from the ‘Off the Bone’ vendor’s tent. The grilling crew was one of many vendors serving up barbecue during the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival. The tent is adorned with flags from some of the team’s past BBQ competition wins.
Lovey, a 5-pound Toy Poodle, may be overwhelmed by the aroma of barbecue, but can simply look on while being carried in Vonna Carmickle’s purse. The Poinciana woman said it was their second visit to Pigz in Z’Hills.
Patrons patiently waited in line to pick up some ribs, chicken and sausage from the ‘Off the Bone’ vendor’s tent. The grilling crew was one of many vendors serving up barbecue during the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival. The tent is adorned with flags from some of the team’s past BBQ competition wins.
Shawn Smith, right, of Land O’ Lakes, and his opponent Drake Denny, of Brandon, take turns testing their skills during the Corn Hole Tournament.
Scotty Claus, of Zephyrhills, usually stays busy around Christmastime. But the Santa look-alike was asked to help judge the Kidz Grillin’ contest. Before judging began, Claus said he would look for good taste, good presentation and tender meat.

Light industrial development proposed for Lacoochee

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a land use change that is expected to set the stage for a light-industrial development in Lacoochee.

The land use change, approved by the county board on March 8, converted a 33-acre site from a residential designation to one that allows consideration of light-industrial uses.

The site is south of Coit Road, west of Bower Road, east of the CSX Railroad and north of Cummer Road.

The proposed One Lacoochee Center is expected to generate jobs for the Lacoochee-Trilby area.

The application was submitted through the county’s Office of Economic Growth.

There is a 0.21-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Chapman Street and the CSX Railroad, which is not included as part of this comprehensive plan amendment.

To the north of the subject side is the Pine Products Road right of way, Coit Road and the First Baptist Church of Lacoochee.

To the south is Lacoochee Elementary, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Citrus Villas I and Cypress Villas, I and II.

To the east of the property is the Bower Road right of way and the CSX Rail Line.

To the west is the West Cypress Manor wastewater treatment facility plant, Pine Products Road right of way and the CSX Rail Line.

The applicant also has filed a companion request for a rezoning to convert the existing zoning to a light-industrial park district.

Published March 13, 2022

In Loving Memory of Jamie Sue Anderson Parsons

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Jamie Sue Anderson Parsons, 71, of Dade City, Florida, passed away on January 11, 2022.

Jamie was a lifelong resident of Dade City.  She graduated from Pasco High School in 1968.  She worked for Withlacoochee River Electric Company for 33 years as a Customer Service Representative until she retired in 2003.

She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Randy Parsons, a son, Jon Parsons, a daughter and son-in-law, Kelley and Scott Russell along with 4 grandchildren, Jacob Russell, Jayden Parsons, Tyler Helms, and Dylan Helms as well as a brother, William (Billy) Anderson.

She is also survived by two special cousins that were more like sisters to her, Polly Hamm and Sallie Epting as well as 2 nephews, Mike Blocker and Todd Anderson (Cindy) and one niece Bekkah Church (Jared).

She also had a special relationship with the Gibson/Russell family.   She was preceded in death by her father, James (Jake) Anderson, mother Vera Anderson, sister Lora Lee Blocker Patterson, and nephew Scott Anderson.

A Celebration of Life will be held on March 19, 2022 at the First Baptist Church of Dade City in the fellowship hall from 2-4 pm.

Originally Published 03/09/22

Avalon Park Applauds the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel

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Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel for being applauded by Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

This nonprofit organization helps support local and international causes. The club has helped raise money for high school seniors, first responders, families in need, and even an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) park in Wesley Chapel.

The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel has committed to devoting its efforts over the next three years to raise $500,000 to build a therapeutic home at the Bridging Freedom campus for young girls who are victims of sex trafficking.

According to the club’s website, the Bridging Freedom campus is at a secure location in the Tampa area, and it has approval for a total of seven homes. Two of these homes have already been built with the support of the Lazy Days Employee Foundation and the Chuck Sykes Foundation. The club’s goal is that the Rotary House will be the third home.

“Raising money for the home is a huge project. But when the club heard about the human trafficking issue, we made it our mission,”  says Charane Groeller, current president of the Rotary club.

If you or someone you know is a roofer, electrician, plumber, landscaper, and/or general contractor, or has building materials, Groeller encourages you to reach out to the Rotary club to donate your time/services for this project.

The main way the Rotary club is able to help support organizations like Bridging Freedom is through fundraising events.

The club’s next big event is at the sixth annual Pasco Blues Fest Benefit Concert, which is happening this Saturday, March 12, from noon to 8 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. Tickets are $20 at the gate, and 100% of the profits will go to the fundraising of the therapeutic home for sex-trafficking victims.

The Rotary club meets every Wednesday at Lexington Oaks, in Wesley Chapel, at noon. Meetings usually last about an hour and a half. The club currently has 78 members.

“We are a fun and vibrant club,” says Groeller. “We have bankers, realtors, insurance agents, accountants and lawyers just to name a few. We all get along pretty well. I think it’s because we all have one mission: to help the community.”

Groeller welcomes anyone interested to join. There is an application fee and quarterly dues.

For more information, go to WCRotary.com, email , or call 813- 493-1329.