The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Photos of the Week

Teens make vehicles out of food at the New River library

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Teens recently used their ingenuity to make vehicles out of a food at the New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54, in Wesley Chapel. The library provided the materials for the challenge, to see which vehicle could go the farthest.

Fourteen-year-old Imani Thompson, of Wesley Chapel, right, glances at her 16-year-old sister Afiya, as they build vehicles using edible materials. The teenagers used marshmallows, candy, chocolate chips and other goodies to build their vehicles. (Christine Holtzman)
Fourteen-year-old Hailey Gilding, of Wesley Chapel, opens a package containing a brownie that will be used as the chassis of her edible vehicle. When the competition was over, the kids were able to eat their creations.
Fourteen-year-old Arielle Cooper, of Wesley Chapel, right, concentrates before launching her vehicle down the ramp, as Casey Abbott, New River Branch Library’s teen librarian, left, watches. Cooper, the president of the Teen Advisory Board, encourages new members to join their group. It meets at the library on the first and third Thursdays of each month.

Storyteller entertains children at Lutz Community Center

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Professional storyteller and puppeteer Katie Adams had children spellbound, as she told them a story about Anansi, a mischievous spider at the Lutz Community Center, 98 First Ave., N.W.

After the show, storyteller and puppeteer Katie Adams, of Katie Adams’ Make Believe Theater in Tampa, shows the children in the audience how they will be able to make their own spider puppet at home with supplies she provided. The event was made possible by funding to the Lutz Branch Library from the Tampa-Hillsborough County Children’s Library Foundation. (Christine Holtzman)
Anansi the spider hangs from his web on the great Baobab tree while talking to a pair of birds during a performance by professional storyteller and puppeteer Katie Adams at the Lutz Community Center. The show, on Feb. 25, which included puppets, came from a collection of three African tales about a mischievous spider.
Two-year-old Carolina Mellor, of Wesley Chapel, giggles with her mother, Alissa Rodriguez, after the Katie Adams’ Make Believe Theater performance of ‘The Red and Green Hat.’

Hundreds compete at Pasco Special Olympics Summer Games

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Athletes from 18 Pasco County schools converged on the campus of Wesley Chapel High School, 3651 Wells Road, to compete at the Pasco County Special Olympics Summer Games on Feb 22. Events included walks, runs, races, bocce ball, cycling, soccer, and softball and tennis ball throws.

The Thomas E. Weightman Middle School Special Olympics team walks around the track at Wesley Chapel High School during the opening ceremony of the Pasco County Special Olympics on Feb. 22. (Christine Holtzman)
Fourteen-year-old Jake Blocher, an eighth-grader at Dr. John Long Middle School, gets a high-five from Lucy Domenech, of Wesley Chapel, as he competes in a cycling heat. Domenech and her daughter, Melissa Aldajuste, left, were at the games to support Aldajuste’s daughter, Mikayla, who was competing in another event. Grady Beagle, the adaptive physical education coach at John Long Middle, is on the right.
Six-year-old Jayshawn Harris, left, and 6-year-old Michael Rodriguez bond over a cloud of bubbles from a bubble-making machine. Harris is in first grade at New River Elementary, and Rodriguez is in first grade at Sand Pine Elementary.

Check out the action at Betmar darts league

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Members in the Betmar Acres’ darts league know how to compete and have fun. The mobile home community is for residents age 55 and older. Betmar has dozens of fun activities,  social events and clubs for their residents.

Fred Leger, a resident of Betmar Acres and 13-year member of Betmar’s dart league, practices ahead of the evening’s darts contest. (Christine Holtzman)
Ruth Kilsdonk, right, celebrates with other members of Betmar Acres’ darts league players as her name and score are announced over the loud speaker. Any player that scores more than 100 gets a special mention. Kilsdonk scored a 104. Her teammate, Betty Jedra, is on her left.
Betmar Acres resident Harry Taylor intently watches as his opponent takes his turn. A league member since 1996, Taylor explained that if the player scored a ‘double two,’ the other team would win.

Taking the annual Polar Bear Plunge at Connerton

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This isn’t the first time that Connerton’s adventurous residents have jumped into chilly water at the Land O’ Lakes community swimming pool. The annual Polar Bear Plunge debuted in 2011 and attracts an assortment of brave souls every year. Those who took part were offered free hot cocoa to warm themselves up.

On the count of three, the participants of Connerton’s annual Polar Bear Plunge jump into the brisk 72-degree pool water on Feb. 16. (Christine Holtzman)
Eleven-year-old Emersyn Stroka, of Land O’ Lakes, enjoys a cup of hot cocoa after taking part in the Polar Bear Plunge on Feb. 16 at Connerton. The hot cocoa was the best part, she said.
The Ringger family, of Land O’ Lakes, with family friend 9-year-old Oliver Lopez in front, boldly stand under a large mechanical bucket that dumps gallons of water in a matter of seconds. From left, the Ringgers are Kent, who is the father, holding 5-year-old Beckett; 9-year-old Hans; 12-year-old Corbin; and, 11-year-old Indee.

Learning the skills and strategies involved in an ancient Chinese game

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If you want to learn how to play Mah Jongg (also known as Mahjong), there are weekly games for both beginners and intermediate players at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway. There is no cost to play and the library provides all the game materials. For more information, call (813) 929-1214.

Before picking their tiles at the start of a game, the players shuffle them, in a practice known as ‘washing’ the tiles. The players not only enjoy the game, but the social atmosphere the weekly gatherings provide. From left: Cathy Smolski, of Land O’ Lakes; Linda Maniscalco, of Land O’ Lakes; Colette Pollack, of Land O’ Lakes; and Marilyn Howell, of Wesley Chapel. (Christine Holtzman)
Colette Pollack, of Land O’ Lakes, teaches Mah Jongg (also known by the traditional spelling of Mahjong) at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway. The ancient Chinese decision-making game features tiles printed with Chinese symbols and characters. Players, typically in groups of four, rely on skill, strategy and luck to be the first to complete a winning hand. There are many variations of the game played around the world, but the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library follows the official rules of an Americanized version through the National Mah Jongg League Inc.
Mitsue Thompson, of Lutz, right, pushes her ‘wall’ of tiles into the center of the table, as Renee Glassman, of Wesley Chapel, watches.

‘The Big Shred II’ destroys documents to recycle and protect privacy

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Pasco County residents took advantage of ‘The Big Shred II,’ an event aimed at helping people dispose of sensitive documents safely — through a shredder. The free event was hosted by Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Paula O’ Neill to mark Data Privacy Day, which is Jan. 28. Large shred trucks turned the documents into recyclable confetti. The clerk’s office partnered with Pasco County Recycling & Education; Shred360, a mobile shred company;  and Covanta, a waste management company, for the free event. Shredding opportunities were conducted at the West Pasco Judicial Center on Jan. 26 and at the Robert Sumner Judicial Center on Feb. 2.

Kendall Garnett, of Tampa, left, an employee with Shred360, dumps the paper contents of a cardboard box into a recycle bin. Seventeen-year-old Seth Simonds, of Brooksville, center, and 11-year-old Nathan Grimes, of Trinity, also helped at the event. (Christine Holtzman)
Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Paula O’ Neil welcomes those arriving at ‘The Big Shred II.’ Here, she hands motorist Cindy Boda, of Dade City, an informational flyer, before directing her to the shred queue area. Boda said she likes taking advantage of the event because she trusts that her documents are going to be safely shredded and properly recycled.
Cam Caudle, the owner of Shred360, on left, accepts two bags of unwanted documents from David Wellons, of New Tampa. Caudle, a U.S. Army Veteran, said that 3 tons of paper were shredded during the event and hauled to Accurate Paper Recycling in East Tampa, to be recycled into paper products.
Shred360 owner Cam Caudle, of Wesley Chapel, right, places a pair of noise-cancelling headphones onto the head of 3-year-old Isaac Weber, of Wesley Chapel, who is being held by his mother Mallory. The headphones block out the noise of the motor, allowing the youngster a chance to see how the shred truck operates via a computer monitor at the control panel. Isaac’s grandmother, Kathy, on left, was glad Isaac got to see what was happening because she said he’s a curious child.

Creating sweet cards for their Valentines

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Children had a chance to create some Valentine’s Day cards in a make-and take-day at the Hugh Embry Branch Library, at 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City.

Kristine Johnson, of Dade City, left, watches as her 6-year-old granddaughter, Natalie, designs a Valentine’s Day card. Natalie made two handcrafted cards, one for each of her parents. The library had tables set up throughout the day with all the supplies needed to make a handmade card or a paper heart wreath, at no cost. (Christine Holtzman)
While making a handmade heart wreath for her grandfather, affectionately known as Papa Bear, 4-year-old Cadince Lethco, of Dade City, reaches for another brightly colored heart cutout to glue on her creation, as her father, Ashton, looks on. Cadince enjoyed making the wreath but said the glue made her fingers sticky.
Six-year-old Natalie Johnson, of Dade City, puts the finishing touches on the Valentine’s Day card she made for her father. She said she wanted to make cards because she loves her parents and wanted to give them something special from her heart.

Florists’ fingers fly, as they gear up for a very, very busy Valentine’s

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Rose’s Hub Florida on North Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz has played a role in brightening Valentine’s Day for recipients of the florist’s handiworks for decades. The business, which opened its doors in 1959, is best-known for its farm-fresh flowers and 70-cm long-stem roses. Rose Moore is the current shop’s owner. Her mother, Louise, opened it, and Rose’s daughter, Egan, is the third generation of floral designers to work there. They expect to be very, very busy with Valentine orders. Caroline the cat likes to hang out, there, too.

While Caroline the cat rests on the counter, Rose Moore, the owner of Rose’s Hub Florist, left, and her 20-year-old daughter Egan, who is a third-generation florist, create a long-stem rose masterpiece. Between deliveries and walk-ins, Moore said that during this time, her shop will create and sell hundreds of flower bouquets and centerpieces. (Christine Holtzman)
Caroline, a stray cat that stuck around to become the mascot of Rose’s Hub Florist, 18721 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., in Lutz, rests on the counter while watching shop owner Rose Moore and her daughter, Egan, prepare flowers for what promises to be a very busy Valentine’s Day.
Rose Moore, the owner of Rose’s Hub Florist, tidies a long stem rose that will be used in one of several centerpieces. Roses are the top choice by customers for Valentine arrangements, and they prefer the red, white and pink varieties.

Superheroes help at fundraiser

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Josiah’s Warriors’ fundraiser and vendor show on Jan. 26 at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, benefited the Abbott family of Wesley Chapel, whose 5-year-old son, Josiah is fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia. There was a bounce house, a DJ, games, face painters and a chance drawing for a television. The event was hosted by Jami Lynn Photography and the networking group ‘Pasco Ladies Wanna Have Fun.’

Four-year-old Ava Rose Arrington, of Land O’ Lakes, gets a fist bump from the Deadpool character, played by Tyler Kirchner of Hudson, right. She was dancing to ‘Watch Me (Whip and Nae Nae)’ with Spiderman, played by Austin Gomez, of Weeki Wachee. (Christine Holtzman)
Seven-year-old Shane Spence, of Wesley Chapel, gets some serious air in the bounce house, performing a move he excitedly called, ‘The Jumping Jack.’
Sixteen-year-old Ariana Orlando, of Lutz, smiles as she tosses a bright orange ball at a small cup containing tiny rubber ducks in a game called Duck Cup. The object was to keep the ball in the cup to win a prize.