The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Photos of the Week

Nutcrackers, nostalgia and Christmas cheer

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Take a step back in time to celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas at the Old Lutz School, 18819 U.S. 41 in Lutz.

The free attraction, hosted by the Citizens for the Old Lutz School, is now in its 22nd year.

Though there’s no charge for admission, donations are accepted for the upkeep of the historic building, and nonperishable food donations benefit the Christian Social Services ministry.

Citizens for the Old Lutz School is dedicated to preserving the school as a community asset and landmark.

Visiting the Old Lutz School during Christmas has become a family tradition for the Ceretta family from Land O’ Lakes. Here, they are enjoying the Christmas tree room. From left: dad Clinton, 4-year-old Galilee, 2-year-old Noelle and mom Erin. (Christine Holtzman)
The Christmas tree room features around a dozen trees representing a variety of organizations, at the Old Lutz School.
Seven-year-old Adrian Gatza and his 5-year-old brother, David, watch a miniature train pass by, in a room that’s devoted to model trains and Christmas villages. Ben Nevel, the chairman of Citizens for the Old Lutz School organization, said he and Wally Hoedt, and many community volunteers, begin setting up the displays in October to be ready for the Christmas season.

Who doesn’t love a Christmas parade?

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Dade City kicks off its holiday season each year with the Magical Night Christmas Parade, a parade that dates back to 1982.

The event was presented by The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, Florida Hospital Dade City and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

Santa arrived in a red mustang to conclude the parade. The Santa sponsor was State Farm Insurance, ‘Baldy’ Boyd agent.

Here are some scenes from the festivities this holiday season.

Santa’s suit hangs in the window at Quilts on Plum Lane, as Carol Roy, a resident of Ridge Manor, strikes up a conversation with Ren Wright, a snowbird from Michigan. The pair hadn’t met before, but shared a table, as they waited for the 2018 Magical Night Christmas Parade to begin. The friendly conversation between strangers was not unusual, Roy said. ‘It’s the Dade City way, to be friendly to all.’ Her grandchildren were taking part in the parade. (Christine Holtzman)
Felecia Harvey, of Dade City, second from left, shares a moment with her four girls before the start of the 2018 Magical Night Christmas Parade. From left, 10-year-old Roxy Howard, mom Felecia Harvey, 4-year-old Rosalie Espinosa on her mom’s lap, 12-year-old Matilda Howard, and seated on the ground, 6-year-old Serenity Harvey.
Enjoying a hot coffee at the Christmas Parade, Tyler Wrage of San Antonio, right, and his wife Elizabeth admire a quilt on display while window shopping at the Quilts on Plum Lane shop, on Seventh Street in Historic Dade City. Elizabeth said she has attended the parade every year since her parents began bringing her when she was 3.

Pets AND Santa — what could be better?

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The PetSmart store, at 6001 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, offered ‘Photos with Santa Claus’ on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9, allowing pet parents to have their pet’s photo taken with Santa. Those taking part were emailed a free digital photo from the store.

Eleven-year-old Chloe Meehan, of New Tampa, left, holds her dog Bailey, a maltipoo, as a PetSmart employee portraying Santa (Ciara-Diana Hayn, of Crystal Springs) greets her. (Christine Holtzman)
Two-year-old Brynlie Davis, of Spring Hill, reacts with delight as she gets kisses from a very excited 8-month-old pug named Millie while in line to meet Santa Claus during the ‘Photos with Santa Claus’ event at PetSmart. Brynlie was at the store shopping with her mother, Tessa. Millie is owned by Sue Reardon, of San Antonio.

Lake Padgett Estates holds its Golf Cart Parade

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Hundreds of decked out golf carts joined in the fun for Lake Padgett Estates’ 10th annual Golf Cart Parade on the evening of Dec. 8. Lake Padgett Estates has been sanctioned by Pasco County as an official golf cart community, meaning that golf carts can be driven on certain roadways within the community.

Five-year-old cousins Teagan Torres, left, and Kyleigh Harris, both of Land O’ Lakes, wait in the back seat of their uncle’s golf cart for the beginning of the 10th annual Lake Padgett Estates Golf Cart Parade. (Christine Holtzman)
The sun sets over East Lake as decorated golf carts line up to get ready to be in the golf cart parade. The nearly 5-mile parade began at the corner of Collier Parkway and Parkway Boulevard, and ended at Frank George Park, on Lake Saxon Drive, just in time for the boat parade on Lake Saxon.
Dressed as a festive Uncle Sam, Richard Rust, drives his cart to join the procession of decorated golf carts. The Rust family includes Richard’s wife, Amanda, 2-year-old daughter Faith and 9-year-old daughter Peyton, right. They recently moved to the community from Alaska and were excited to be taking part in the parade for their first time.

Academy at the Lakes does it again

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(Fred Bellet)

Academy quarterback Jalen Brown hoists the championship trophy and celebrates the win with the team. The Academy at the Lakes Wildcats notched its second straight eight-man football title, downing Miami Citi Christian Academy Fire 36-18 in the Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) state championship on Dec. 8, at Southeastern University in Lakeland.

A ‘winter wonderland of trees’

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Customers flocked to the Christmas tree stand, on the west side of The Shops at Wiregrass parking lot, off of Bruce B. Downs, in Wesley Chapel, to look for a perfect tree for their home for the holidays. Stand owner/operator James Diebold said the Fraser firs are the most popular. Diebold estimates that he will have had around 500 trees come through his tent this season. His trees come freshly cut from Michigan, North Carolina and Tennessee, and they come in many different varieties, such as Douglas firs, Balsam firs, Fraser firs, Black Hills spruce, and a hybrid tree called a Fralsam fir, which is a cross between a Balsam and a Fraser.

After dining at The Shops at Wiregrass during a recent evening out, the Squires family from New Tampa decided to take a stroll through the wonderland of trees, in a parking lot on the west side of the mall. Mom Stephanie touches the needles of a 7-foot Fraser fir, as her husband Brent, left, and daughters 13-year-old Samantha, center, and 8-year-old Siena look on. (Christine Holtzman)
Readying a tree to put on display, James Diebold, the owner and operator of the tree stand at The Shops at Wiregrass, uses a chainsaw to trim the trunk of the 5-foot Fraser fir in order to get it to fit its stand properly. Diebold and his wife, Jennifer, recently sold their Lutz home in order to live and travel in their R.V. In addition to Christmas trees, they are also the owner/operators of a fireworks stand during the New Years and Fourth of July holidays.
Corey Durham, an employee at the Christmas tree stand, carries a 7-foot Balsam fir for customer Cindy Brookins, of Tampa. Since Brookins, who is a nurse at nearby Florida Hospital, was working that evening, she took advantage of the stand’s delivery service to have her tree delivered to her home on the following day.

Finding the perfect Christmas tree

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Shoppers at Mike’s Christmas Trees, 2131 Brinson Road in Lutz, could look through a variety of Christmas trees to find the right one for their home. Manager Earl Van Haitsma, who travels from his home in Michigan to manage the stand, estimates that he will have had 1,500 trees come through his tent before the last day of business on Dec. 20. The stand sells trees that have been harvested in Michigan. They come in many varieties, such as the Douglas fir, White pine, Black Hills spruce, Concolors, and the traditional Fraser fir.

Searching for this year’s perfect Christmas tree, Theresa Mulroney, left, and Joyce Richardson, both from Lutz, thoroughly inspect a 7 ½-foot frosted white Black Hills spruce Christmas tree on a recent evening at Mike’s Christmas Trees stand located at 2131 Brinson Road in Lutz. (Christine Holtzman)
The Jones family, of Lutz, made a trip to the tree lot to find a tree to give a festive holiday feel to their home. They are, from left, 11-year-old twins Pierson and Parker, and parents Terry and Melissa. Melissa knew what she wanted: A tree between 8 feet and 9 feet tall, with soft needles and perfect, full shape. Oh, and most important of all: It must be fresh and smell wonderful.
Using twine, employees of Mike’s Christmas Trees stand Eddie Ferraro, left, and Jason Parzy, who both live in Lutz, secure a tree to a customer’s car to insure its safe journey home. Both men are working hard at the tree stand this season to earn extra money for the holidays.

 

The ‘Otter Olympics’ are a fun way to raise funds

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The PTA at Oakstead Elementary School, at 19925 Lake Patience Road in Land O’ Lakes, has an unusual way to raise money for the school. It hosts the Otter Olympics. The fundraiser obstacle course took place on Nov. 9.

The PTA organized the Olympics-themed fundraiser, which was made possible through the donations of more than 30 local businesses from Lutz and Land O’ Lakes. Jana Cash, PTA sponsorship chair, said she’s grateful for the generosity of the local business community. “We couldn’t have done this without them,” she said.

She also praised Oakstead’s students whose fundraising efforts brought in $20,000 in the first week of the drive.

PTA president Andrea Holley said nearly every dollar raised by students will go back to the school. The goal is to purchase iPads and other technology for classroom use. All of the school’s kindergarten through fifth grade students took part in the day’s events, whether they were able to collect pledges or not. The sponsors also provided a free T-shirt and bottle of water for each student. Oakstead Principal Tamera Kimpland called the event a great partnership between parents, and she said it’s great to see the school and the community come together.

With obvious pride, first-grade students Ezekiel Altamirano, left, and Layla Lowenberg, right, hold a banner representing Maria Mantzaris’s class. The students were asked to raise their hands if they were part of the first Otter Olympics, held in January. (Christine Holtzman)
As World Champion Center tae kwon do course volunteer Sean Morris, of Spring Hill, holds a board at his Gyeok-pa station, third-grader Valentina Tabora confidently kicks the board in half. Top sponsor World Champion Center organized and ran the obstacle course for the Oakstead Elementary School Otter Olympics.
As PTA member and event volunteer, Crystal Groger, of Land O’Lakes, right, watches as Jace Gould, a third-grader at Oakstead Elementary School, jumps over the brightly colored hurdles of the ‘Over Under’ station during the Oakstead Elementary School’s Otter Olympics.

A symphony in lights, and color

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Hundreds gathered to enjoy opening night of the 10th annual Symphony in Lights at The Shops at Wiregrass, at 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel.

The free family celebration, presented by Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, featured falling snow, performers, costumed characters, live holiday music, and the arrival of Santa Claus on the brand-new Wiregrass Express train.

Radio personality Mason Dixon was the master of ceremonies for the official tree lighting ceremony, which delighted the audience with a light show synchronized to the music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The night ended with a special opening night fireworks display, which was an obvious crowd-pleaser.

The Symphony in Lights continues nightly at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., through Dec. 31, with the choreographed light and music show, as well as guest appearances.

The spirit of the holidays was in the air at opening night of the 10th annual Symphony in Lights at The Shops at Wiregrass on the evening of Nov. 10. (Christine Holtzman)
As the sun sets on Paseo Drive, Liz Carroll, a stilt walker with Strictly Entertainment, doles out stickers to the crowd. The Zephyrhills woman has been a stilt walker for seven years, and she’s more than 7 feet tall when she’s on the stilts.
Four-year-old Brielle Kirkman, of Land O’ Lakes, sits on her father’s (Nathan) shoulders, to get a better view of the stage. She wanted to see ‘Late Night Brass,’ a band performing holiday music. The little girl’s mother, Kellie, said the family loves attending the event each year.

Celebrating Native American Heritage

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Students at Saint Leo University had a chance to learn more about the Native American people and culture during a week-long series of programs during Native American Heritage Month. Activities at the campus on State Road 52 in St. Leo included giving students a chance to make their own rain stick or dreamcatcher.

Trying to keep the exercise as authentic as possible, the group used natural hemp for the dreamcatcher web and followed the Ojibwe tradition for the stitches. Traditionally placed over cradles, the item is used as a protective charm, as well as a way to filter out bad dreams. The dreamcatcher web replicates a spider web — to catch anything that comes into contact with it. The Multicultural and International Services office provides aid and support for the university’s international and study abroad students.

Eighteen-year-old freshman Rashawnda Smith, of Tampa, left, places the finishing touches on her dreamcatcher as Paige Ramsey-Hamacher, the executive director for Saint Leo University’s Multicultural and International Services office, helps by holding it in place. (Christine Holtzman)
A closer look at 20-year-old sophomore Carla Sanchez’s hands, as she weaves yarn around the hoop of her dreamcatcher. Trying to keep it as authentic as possible, natural hemp was used for the web and the Ojibwe tradition for the stitches was followed.