The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Task force on traffic issues starts up again

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A 17-member volunteer task force will pick up where two previous task forces left off — drilling down into the details of tackling traffic issues along State Road 54/State Road 56.

Much of the discussion is expected to center on traffic issues at State Road 54 and Little Road, and at State Road 54 and U.S. 41.

Little Road is seen as more typical of congested intersections in the county.

The intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 is the county’s busiest with more than 100,000 vehicles a day. It will be a focus of a task force seeking solutions to ease congestion and improve safety along the State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridor.
(File)

The U.S. 41 intersection, however, stands out because more than 100,000 vehicles pass through daily.

“It’s the most congested one in the whole county that we have,” said Ali Atefi, transportation engineer with Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization.

This is the second of a three-part study to find traffic solutions to ease congestion, improve safety and increase mobility along a corridor that has been a magnet for new residential and commercial development.

The entire study area includes the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard on the east and U.S. 19 on the west.

Three meetings will be held in 2017, with the first on April 20 at Rasmussen College. Additional meetings will be scheduled in 2018 to fully complete the study’s second phase.

As part of these efforts, the Florida Department of Transportation is expected to fund a detailed analysis and evaluation of the State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection, likely in 2018.

It is the only segment with funding, but Atefi said additional money is being sought for other road segments, including Little Road.

Many members of this task force participated in the West Task Force and East Task Force that kicked off meetings in late 2015. They met separately to consider different segments of the roadway.

In April 2016, the task forces made almost identical recommendations after considering 19 alternatives.

At the April 20 meeting, Atefi said, “We’ll give them feedback on where we are now. And, we want to reconcile all of the alternatives and have one list moving forward.”

Initial solutions included redesigning roads at ground level, building flyovers, using frontage roads and by-passes, and a no-build option.

Three or four alternatives will be chosen from a recommended list of six major highway and transit alternatives, five complementary alternatives, and a no-build option.

Representatives from Pasco County Planning and Development, the county’s MPO, FDOT, and consultants from AECOM will be on hand to take comments and answer questions.

What: Vision 54/56 Phase 2 Task Force meeting
Where: Rasmussen College, 18600 Fernview St., Land O’ Lakes
When: April 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free, open to the public

Published April 12, 2017

Gaither High wind ensemble to perform at Carnegie Hall

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A group of Gaither High School band students are gearing up this week to perform in a major music festival at one of the world’s most historic venues.

The Gaither High Wind Ensemble, which consists of 50 students, is one of a select group of school band programs invited to the National Band and Orchestra Festival on April 15, at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

The Gaither High Wind Ensemble will perform in the National Band and Orchestra Festival on April 15, at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The adjudicated festival brings together high school bands and orchestras from across the country, giving them the rare invitation into one of the most prestigious music venues in the world.
(Courtesy of Penny Brickson)

The adjudicated, unranked festival brings together high school bands and orchestras from across the country, giving them the rare invitation into one of the most prestigious music venues in the world. About 70 other Gaither band students will also be making the trip, but won’t perform, according to third-year band director Luis Alvarez.

The students, along with the band director and several parent chaperones, leave for the four-day New York trip on April 13.

The wind ensemble, the school’s top performing band, was selected for the festival, thanks to an audition tape submitted in 2015.

The tape featured the ensemble performing a couple of selections, including two movements of Howard Hanson’s “Romantic Symphony.”

“The kids are incredibly gifted,” Alvarez said.

At Carnegie, the ensemble is scheduled to play three scores on-stage: “The Crosley March” by Henry Fillmore and Robert Foster; “Irish Tune from County Derry” by Percy Grainger; and, “Fanfare and Allegro” by Clifton Williams.

Following the performance, the ensemble will receive written and recorded comments from a group of renowned adjudicators.

They include: Frank Battisti, conductor emeritus at the New England Conservatory of Music; Craig Kirchoff, conductor and band director at the University of Minnesota; Charles Peltz, director of wind ensembles at the New England Conservatory of Music; and, Robert Reynolds, principal conductor of the Wind Ensemble at University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music.

The ensemble, along with Alvarez, also will meet with each adjudicator individually, providing a valuable learning experience.

“These are some of the largest—or most important—names in wind bands,” Alvarez explained. “It’s like if you’re going to a basketball camp and you have (Michael) Jordan and Magic (Johnson) working with you.

“The advice they give us will 100 percent be clinic to practice, and used for the future,” he said.

Members of Gaither’s wind ensemble, such as junior Raina Sparks, are also thrilled for the unique opportunity to perform at Carnegie, and “grow musically.”

“I’m really excited to share that experience with so many musical greats,” said Sparks, who plays the French horn. “It’s really cool that we have the opportunity to do that as a high school group.”

Since March, Alvarez said ensemble practices “ramped up quite a bit,” in advance of the festival, including two after-school rehearsals per week.

“The kids are wonderful—and that’s the fun part,” Alvarez said. “It would be tough to do if I had to pull teeth, but they’re so self-motivated. It’s been a very fun process.”

Besides Carnegie Hall, Gaither band students will also explore various parts of New York City throughout the trip.

The group is planning to visit a pair of museums — American Museum of Natural History, National September 11 Memorial & Museum — and see a Broadway show.

“We’re going to go to a few sightseeing things. We’ll get a chance to experience New York, in general,” Alvarez said.

Over the next several years, Alvarez said he’d like to take the high school band to other music festivals across the country, such as Bands of America in Indianapolis, or the Midwest Clinic in Chicago.

For the time being, his sole focus is the looming visit to Carnegie.

“There are goals that we have for the program,” Alvarez said, “and this is just one other building block towards it.”

Published April 12, 2017

New start times for some schools

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The Pasco County School Board has approved school bell times for the 2017-2018, and those times include some changes for schools within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Here’s a look at which schools are getting new starting times, along with an explanation that was provided in a news release from Pasco County Schools.

  • Bexley Elementary, 4380 Ballantrae Blvd., a new school, will begin its school day at 9:40 a.m. and finish the day at 3:50 p.m.
  • Cypress Creek Middle/High School, 8701 Old Pasco Road, also a new school, will begin its school day at 7:25 a.m. and finish it at 1:50 p.m.
  • Land O’ Lakes High School, 20325 Gator Lane, will begin its day at 7:25 a.m. and end it at 1:55 p.m. The school’s starting time is five minutes earlier to provide additional time for passing between classes. The additional time is needed because the school will be undergoing a large construction project.
  • Charles S. Rushe Middle School, 18654 Mentmore Blvd., will begin its school day at 7:25 a.m. and finish it at 1:40 p.m. Rushe’s school day previously started at 8:40 a.m. and ended at 2:50 p.m. The new starting and ending times are needed to balance routes associated with the opening of the district’s new transportation garage and compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station in Odessa.
  • Wiregrass Ranch High School, 2909 Mansfield Blvd., will have a starting time of 7:25 a.m. and ending time of 1:56 p.m. for all students. The school had been using dual bell times associated with a 10-period day, but the school will resume a normal schedule with the opening of Cypress Creek Middle/High School in August.

Published April 12, 2017

Nominations needed for 2017 Industry Awards

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Nominations are being accepted for the 2017 Pasco Economic Development Council Industry of the Year Awards.

The deadline for submitting nominations is close of business on April 28.

The awards recognize top companies in Pasco County that excel in technology, innovation job creation, growth, capital investment and community involvement.

Finalists will be interviewed prior to the awards ceremony on a range of topics related to their businesses and the community.

Nominees should be “for profit” business to business service, manufacturing or technology companies operating in Pasco County. Municipalities or affiliates, as well as previous winners in the past five years, are not eligible.

The awards will be separated into divisions based on the number of employees. Evaluations are based on job creation, increased capital investment and contributions to the community through civic involvement between January 2016 and June 2017.

Industry awards are given in the following categories:

  • Small (1 – 20 employees)
  • Medium (21 – 100 employees)
  • Large (101 or more employees)
  • Startup/New within past 24 months

Pasco EDC has partnered with Pasco County government for more than three decades to attract businesses and create jobs in Pasco.

The annual awards banquet is at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel. It is attended each year by more than 600 business and community leaders in Tampa Bay and Pasco County, including state legislators, county commissioners and city officials.

To submit a nomination online, visit tinyurl.com/kku4stc.

For information, call Pasco EDC at (813) 926-0827, or visit PascoEDC.com.

Published April 12, 2017

Festival features egg hunts, Easter Bunny and fun

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Michelle Guast’s family recently moved to the area from Long Island. Her sons, Justin, 7, and Christopher, 8, showed off their collection. (Richard K. Riley)

A giant Easter Bunny roamed the grounds, kids scoured fields for Easter Eggs, and there was lots of time to take train rides, eat treats and visit the petting zoo during the Jelly Bean Fling.

The event made its debut this year at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City.

Visitors could start out the day by having a pancake breakfast with the Easter Bunny, with $3 meals sold by the Kiwanis Club of Dade City.

The day also featured opportunities to have photographs taken with the Easter Bunny and a chance to check out model trains or take part in one of four Easter Egg hunts.

Kids could also wear bunny ears, have their face painted, play in a bounce house or partake in other activities.

 

 

Posing for a photo are 10-month-old Gracey Bruce with her siblings, 3-year-old Linley and 7-year-old Talin, all from Dade City.
Joey Wubbena and his grandson, Austin Greim, 6, watched the model trains permanent exhibit accompanied by Diane Maynard, a museum docent for the past five years.

Zephyrhills’ police unveil city’s crime statistics

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A report generated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation finds overall crime and arrests decreased in Zephyrhills last year, but violent crime and domestic offenses went up.

Zephyrhills police Capt. Derek Brewer presented the city’s 2016 uniform crime statistics, during a March 27 city council meeting.

The figures were generated through the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR), which the police department reports to semi-annually, to provide a useful barometer for addressing crimes citywide.

The city’s total crime rate, which incorporates violent and property offenses, decreased 4.7 percent in 2016, the report shows.

Violent crimes rose 3 percent (a total of 51 offenses). Property crimes fell 5.2 percent (a total of 879 offenses).

Among property crimes, the city saw the largest decrease in burglaries and motor vehicle thefts. Burglaries were down 19.6 percent (86 actual offenses), and motor vehicle thefts were down 16 percent (21 actual offenses), in 2016.

Meanwhile, the uptick in violent crimes, Brewer said, is oftentimes attributed to narcotics offenses. (In the UCR Program, violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.)

To address the issue, Brewer noted the police department is taking a proactive approach toward narcotics arrests, using a special response team for surveillance and intelligence gathering “to attack the problem at a broader level.”

“We’re going to focus on getting search warrants, as opposed to just controlled, street-level offenses, hoping that we get the bigger fish as opposed to the small ones,” Brewer explained.

The most staggering figure from the crime report, perhaps, is the jump in citywide domestic-related offenses.

Those incidents, which include simple battery and assault, skyrocketed 27.6 percent, with 125 actual offenses in 2016.

To tackle that problem, the police department has begun collaborating with Sunrise Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center, based in Dade City.

Both groups are working together to “break the cycle” of domestic incidents, via education and awareness efforts.

“We’re hoping to take a stronger approach to domestic violence cases,” Brewer said.

Besides crime rates, total arrests decreased 12 percent (832 total) in 2016.

Brewer pointed out the department, instead, placed a greater emphasis on reducing property crime and drug offenses, and working on code enforcement and the city’s homeless initiative.

Those arenas, Brewer said, “took away from some of the focus on the actual arrests.”

Following the presentation, councilman Charles Proctor expressed his support for the Zephyrhills police department, particularly for its ongoing initiative to combat narcotics-related offenses.

“I am excited…that we are getting into a more active, gathering intelligence about the drugs. That’s been a pet peeve of mine for a long time, and I believe that we’re making great strides in the area,” Proctor said. “I believe that will definitely help lower the crime rate, if we can get rid of (drug usage) going on in the community.”

Meantime, the city’s police force remains understaffed.

The department currently has three unfilled positions, including a detective vacancy.

In other business, City Manager Steve Spina suggested that regular city council meetings be held in the Zephyrhills Public Library’s conference room, once the current city hall is demolished and city staff takes up temporary quarters in the former police station.

Meetings were originally planned for the Alice Hall Community Center, 38116 Fifth Ave. But, Spina noted the library conference room is already wired for audio-visual capabilities and offers a more ideal sound system, Spina said.

Council members unanimously supported Spina’s suggestion.

Construction is slated to begin in June on a new City Hall complex, replacing the existing building, at 5335 Eighth St.

Council meetings will likely begin in the library this summer.

Published April 12, 2017

Expo offers summer camp lowdown

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The season of summer camps is just around the corner.

That means parents are facing a daunting task of sifting through dozens of options to settle on the summer camps that work best for them and their children.

This year, Family-Friendly Tampa Bay is launching its first Family-Friendly Camp Expo on April 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free event will be at Florida Hospital Center Ice, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Families attending the Florida-Friendly Camp Expo on April 8 will have a chance to explore Florida Hospital Center Ice, which opened in January. Expo attendees will receive a ‘Buy One Get One’ free skate offer from Florida Hospital Center Ice.
(File)

The complex is visible from Interstate 75, at the interchange for State Road 56, east of the Tampa Premium Outlets.

Families can meet one-on-one with Tampa Bay camp directors and staff members.

Event-goers will have the chance to review a range of choices, including sports camps, day camps, STEM camps, special needs/autism camps, art camps, performing arts and academic camps.

“I realized there wasn’t anything like this in Pasco,” said Miriam Cook, a Pasco County parent who founded Family-Friendly Tampa Bay in 2014.

The website, at FamilyFriendlyTampaBay.com, provides current information on affordable events, discount coupons and special deals for area families.

The first 250 families at the expo will receive goody bags.

Attendees also will get a printed list of available summer camps. This list will include expo participants, as well as summer camps that are unable to send staff members to the expo, Cook said.

The Easter Bunny also will hop through the expo, giving away candy and posing for free pictures.

Families get the added bonus of exploring the new Florida Hospital Center Ice. The complex, which opened in January, is the largest hockey complex in the southeast.

Expo attendees will receive a “Buy One Get One” free skate offer from Florida Hospital Center Ice.

In addition, there will be educational workshops, a parent-pamper section, health and wellness resources, live entertainment, a kids’ fun zone, and mini-sports clinics. Families can also enter to win free weeks of camp when they register online.

The hunt for summer camps is a yearly ritual that isn’t easy to decipher, Cook said. “It’s so hard. There’s so many.”

But, when parents can meet with the people who run the camps and ask questions, they can find the right fit for their children and their budgets, Cook said.

Where: Florida Hospital Center Ice
When: April 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Free admission
Details: Parents can learn about a myriad of summer camp options to help them sort out summer plans for their kids.
Info: FamilyFriendlyTampaBay.com

Published April 5, 2017

Passover begins April 10

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The holiday of Pesach, or Passover, is an eight-day festival celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan. This year, it runs from April 10 to April 18. It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Following the rituals of Passover allows the Jewish community to relive and experience the freedom of their ancestors.

Observances: Passover is divided into two parts. The first two days, April 10 and April 11, and the last two days, April 17 and April 18, are full-fledged holidays.  Candles are lit at night and feasts (Seders) are enjoyed the first two days. The middle four days are referred to as chol hamoed, or semi-festive “intermediate days.”

Seders: The highlight of Passover is the Seder, which is observed on each of the first two nights of the holiday. The Seder is a 15-step, family-oriented tradition and ritual-packed feast.

The eight-day festival of Passover runs from April 10 through April 18 this year. The highlight of Passover is the Seder, observed on each of the first two nights of the holiday. Symbolic foods of a Passover Seder include maror, saltwater, charoset, zeroah, beitzah and karpas.
(File)

The focal points of the Seder include:
Eating matzah, or unleavened bread
Eating bitter herbs to commemorate the bitter slavery endured by the Israelites
Drinking four cups of wine or grape juice to celebrate the newfound freedom
The recitation of the Haggadah, a liturgy that describes the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The Haggadah is the fulfillment of the biblical obligation to recount the story of the Exodus on the night of Passover.

Symbolic Seder foods:
Maror—bitter herbs, usually horseradish, to serve as a reminder of the bitterness of slavery
Saltwater—symbolizing the tears of the slaves
Charoset—sweet paste made of fruit and nuts, symbolizing the mortar the slaves used to build the Egyptian pyramids
Zeroah—shank bone, representing the Passover sacrifice
Beitzah—hard-boiled egg, symbolic of life and birth associated with the spring season
Karpas — a leafy green vegetable, usually a piece of lettuce, symbolizing hope and redemption

Some traditional Ashkenazi Passover dishes include gefilte fish, matzah ball soup, brisket, tzimmis (sweet carrot and fruit dish), and macaroons and sponge cake (made from matzah meal) for dessert.

Expanded Menu for Passover: In November 2015, the Conservative Jewish movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards issued a ruling allowing the consumption of kitniyot (legumes) during Passover. For thousands of years, Ashkenazi Jews have followed the tradition of not eating kitniyot on Passover. (The custom was not adopted by most Sephardi Jews.) Kitniyot includes beans, corn, rice, millet, peas, soybeans, peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, mustard and sometimes garlic.

Passover events
Where: Chabad at Wiregrass, 2124 Ashley Oaks Circle in Wesley Chapel
What: Community Passover Seder, complete with a gourmet Passover dinner and holiday rituals.
When:  April 10 at 8:15 p.m.
Cost: Suggested donation of $30 per person and $100 per family.
For information, call (813) 642-3244, or visit ChabadatWiregrass.com.

Where: Congregation Kol Ami, 3919 Moran Road, Tampa
What: Passover 2nd Night Seder
When: April 11 at 7 p.m.
Cost: $45 for adults, $32 for children (kids under 3 years old eat free)
For information, call (813) 962-6338, or visit KolAmi.org.

Where: Congregation Mekor Shalom, 14005A N. Dale Mabry Highway
What: Passover Services, with joyous songs and macaroons
When: April 11 at 9:30 a.m.
For information, call (813) 963-1818, or visit MekorShalom.org.

Where: Congregation Beth Am, 2030 W. Fletcher Ave.
What: Second Night Passover Seder
When: April 11 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
For information, call (813) 968-8511, or email .

Published April 5, 2017

Tour a $1.9 million home, enjoy a party, raise money for charity

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You don’t have to be among the rich and famous to dip into the lifestyle during the Party at Bella Lago, a charity event set for this weekend.

Waterford Designs is hosting a benefit for the American Cancer Society and breast cancer research on April 8, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The party will be at the Bella Largo Model Home, 18707 Cypress Shores Drive in Lutz.

A poolside view, looking back to Lake Cooper.
(B.C. Manion)

Party-goers will see distinct features wherever they look, in the $1.9 million house designed and built by Toliver Payne, on Lake Cooper in Lutz.

During a preview tour for The Laker/Lutz News, Payne pointed out some of the unique features in the Tuscan-style home, which has 7,720 square feet of space under roof, including 5,405 square feet of living space.

For instance, when party-goers walk through the front door, they will be greeted by a soaring 23-foot ceiling in the foyer and a faux-stone vault, which leads to the rear of the home and a beautiful view of the lake.

As they walk through the vault, they’ll discover a massive room that stretches across the entire rear of the house.

Talk about being spacious — there’s certainly plenty of room in the master bath’s shower at Bella Lago.

Though it’s one single room, he uses beams to create a sense of separation between the gathering spaces on both ends, and kitchen outfitted with high quality equipment, in the middle, Payne said.

On one side of the house, there’s a transition zone leading to a study, a huge walk-in closet, a master bedroom, and a master bath, which includes a giant walk-in shower, a soaker bath and other special features.

The first floor also has a formal dining room and a wine room. And, on the other side of the house, for privacy, a guest bedroom.

A single staircase leads to a second-floor landing, where separate staircases split off leading to bedrooms on both sides of the house. There’s also a room that seems to offer an ideal place for kids to play.

Outdoors, there’s a swimming pool, a baby pool and a Jacuzzi, as well as steps leading down to a fire pit area, closer to Lake Cooper.

There are plenty of spaces where people can have quiet conversations, or gather in larger groups all over the property, indoors and out.

This soaker tub will offer future residents a nice place to relax.

And, those are just a few of the highlights awaiting those attending the Party of Bella Lago, or checking out the house during the 2017 Parade of Homes, presented by the Tampa Bay Builders Association.

Beyond touring the home, those attending the Party at Bella Lago will be able to partake of an open bar, gourmet hors d’oeuvres, live music and dancing, a fashion show, a live auction, a 50/50 raffle and valet parking. Tickets for the soiree are $75 each.

Waterford Designs Inc., owned by Payne, is a luxury homebuilder with more than 200 custom homes in communities, including Eagle Crest in Lutz, Sanctuary on Livingston in Lutz, Brookside in Wesley Chapel, Saddlewood Estates in Wesley Chapel, Turnbury Tampa Palms and Stone Lake Ranch in Thonotosassa.

Other sponsors for Party at Bella Lago include Stone Saver Inc., Scarboro Design, Olde Town Pavers, Total Design Source, Belgium Diamonds Inc., Meares Plumbing, Beaute Savage, SaltBlock Catering Co., and Princess Boutique.

Party at Bella Lago
What: Benefit for American Cancer Society and Breast Cancer Research
Where: Bella Lago Model Home, 18707 Cypress Shores Drive in Lutz
When: April 8, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost: $75 per person
Details: Event-goers can explore a Tuscan-style $1.9 million home on Lake Cooper, featuring 7,720 square feet under roof and unique design details. The party includes an open bar, gourmet hors d’oeuvres, live music and dancing, a fashion show, a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and valet parking. RSVP: (813) 948-4160. For more information, bit.ly/partyatbellalago.

Published April 5, 2017

Egg hunts and services planned to celebrate Easter

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If you’re looking for a way to celebrate Easter season, you’ll find plenty of options across the region.

There are fun events, such as Easter crafts and egg hunts, solemn Good Friday events and Easter service celebrations.

Here are few highlights from around the area covered by The Laker/Lutz News.

They are presented here, in chronological order.

  • The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, has created a new event called the Jelly Bean Fling that will debut on April 8, and will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is $5 for anyone over 5 years old, and parking is free.

Natalie and Nolan Kassabaum pause for a photo op with Jasper the Easter Bunny, who will be one of the highlights at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village’s Jelly Bean Fling, set for April 8. The photo was taken at The Book Shack.
(Courtesy of Pioneer Florida Museum & Village)

The schedule begins with “Breakfast with Jasper, the Easter Bunny” at 9 a.m. A pancake breakfast, with bacon or sausage, will be served for $3 each. After breakfast, kids can make their own Easter bonnet, with hats provided to decorate, while supplies last. Then, they can march in the Easter Parade with Mr. Tommy.

There will be Easter egg hunts, with four different age groups, up to age 12, which will have staggered start times, beginning at noon.

Other highlights will include face painting, a petting zoo, touch a truck, a bounce house, a slide, train rides and many games to play. There also will be armbands for $5 each for unlimited selective activities. Individual pricing will be available as well.

Mr. Tommy will perform at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., at the Gazebo. The concession stand will be open with freshly made hamburgers and hot dogs. There also will be food trucks.

For information, call Brenda Minton at the Pioneer Florida Museum (352) 567-0262 or (352) 206-8889.

  • First United Methodist Church, 38635 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills, invites children through fifth grade to a free Easter egg hunt on April 8, from 10 a.m. to noon. To maximize fun and fairness for all, four separate hunts will take place. The groups are: Infants to 2-year-olds; 3- and 4-year olds; kindergarten through second-graders; and, third- through fifth-graders.

Additional activities will include a petting zoo, pony ride, jumpy house, games with small prizes, snacks and crafts. All activities are free and there is no event admission.

  • The San Antonio Farmers Market is offering a Spring Market on April 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at San Antonio City Park, 12202 Main St., in San Antonio.

The market will feature a basket chance drawing, with more than a dozen baskets containing everything from gift certificates to chocolates to Irish Coffee ingredients.

Vendors will sell fresh produce, free-range brown eggs, jams and jellies, wine, organic plants and seeds, old-fashioned roses, dried herbs and herbal oils, honey, jewelry, woodwork, dog treats, and several types of yard art. Jim’s Hot Dogs will offer hot dogs, coffee and sodas for sale, and there will be free Easter crafts and games for the kids. The event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Antonio. For information about the Farmers Market or the Rotary Club of San Antonio, contact President Winnie Burke at (352) 437-5161 or .

  • Saint Leo University’s Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and the First Year Experience team are hosting Easter Eggstravaganza on April 9, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Children of all ages from the community, as well as faculty, staff, and students, are welcome to attend the free event, which will be in The Bowl, behind Saint Francis Hall and the Daniel A. Cannon Memorial Library. The university is at 33701 State Road 52. Take Exit 285 off Interstate 75 and go 4 miles east.
This cross, shrouded in purple, is a sign of the Lenten season at Saint Leo University. Many area churches will be having Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter services, so check the local church’s bulletin or website for more information.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Activities will include an Easter egg hunt, egg toss, egg race, games, and more. Candy and snacks will be available. Tri Sigma also will have a tent where participants can make tie blankets for the March of Dimes. For information, contact .

  • Grace Community Church, in Wesley Chapel, is inviting area residents to celebrate Palm Sunday on April 9 at 10:30 a.m. Plans include an outdoor worship service on the church property, 7107 Boyette Road, with a large shade tent and comfortable church chairs. There will also be a full-length Grace Harbor program for kids from newborns to fifth-graders. After the service, there will be a hot dog lunch, bounce house and an egg hunt. For information, visit ExploreGrace.com.
  • The Tampa Bay Moms Group is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt and Craft event April 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Northdale Park, 15550 Spring Pine Drive in Tampa.
  • Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 20735 Leonard Road in Lutz, has scheduled Holy Week services, including Maundy Thursday on April 13 at 7 p.m.; Good Friday on April 14, at noon and 7 p.m.; and Easter Sunday on April 16, with a sunrise service at 7 a.m., and a worship service at 10 a.m. For information, call (813) 9494-7173, or visit HolyTrinityLutz.com.
  • Harvester United Methodist Church, at 2432 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, has scheduled its Holy Week services, including Maundy Thursday on April 13 at 7 p.m.; Good Friday on April 14 at 7 p.m.; a community Easter egg hunt on April 15 from 10 a.m. until noon; and Easter services on April 16, at 7 a.m., 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. For information, call (813) 948-2311, or visit HarvesterUMC.com.
  • Heritage Church, 1854 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz, has schedule Easter weekend services for April 15 at 6 p.m., and April 16, at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11: 30 a.m. It will have a kids’ egg hunt after each service, so be sure to bring baskets for the kids. There also will be live music and a special message of “Hope and Purpose.” Also, there will be children’s classes for all ages. The atmosphere is casual, and there will be free refreshments. To find out more, call (813)909-4080, or visit YesHeritage.com.

Many area churches have special celebrations planned for Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter. Check their websites or church bulletins for more information.

Published April 5, 2017