The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Photos of the Week

Signs of support and appreciation

By

Expressions of appreciation for first responders and health care workers, and words of encouragement for the community are showing up in all sorts of ways during this coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Here are a few examples.

Drive-up customer Rylee Fitzsimmons, of Land O’ Lakes, received a free meal from server Emily Spedale, at Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar, 25372 Sierra Center Blvd., in the Cypress Creek Town Center. The restaurant, off State Road 56, had a community give-back day. (Randy Underhill)
John Bush, left, shift manager; Shelly Mathis, morning manager; and Mason Bragg, stand next to a red ribbon, symbolizing support for first responders. They work at the McDonald’s in Dade City.

 

Working through a pandemic

By

While some workers have been forced to stay at home by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order, others have continued working because their jobs are deemed to be essential. Here’s a look  at some of the work that’s been going on across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Miguel Hernandez secures shingles to a new structure on State Road 54, at Stonewood Professional Park in Land O’ Lakes. Hernandez, who lives in Dade City, has worked for Imperial Roofers for 12 years. (Randy Underhill)
Over the road driver Anthony Forrest, age 55, from Houston, Texas, fuels his semi tractor at the Flying J Travel in Dade City. He was on his way back to Houston last month, after picking up a load of plastics from Tampa.
Debbie Barthle, of St. Joseph, stops by a fresh produce stand operated by Vernon Jones, on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel. The stand has been busy, Jones said.

Having fun and exercising — in the great outdoors

By

There’s no doubt that many people have been feeling a bit cooped up in recent weeks, in the midst of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. But, there are ways to exercise and have fun, as seen around The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Six-year-old Eliza Nudo and her 4-year-old brother Everett Nudo go fishing for the first time with their new fishing gear. They used hot dogs for bait. Their dad, Joe Nudo, and mom, Jessica, help supervise the fun. The family lives in Connerton. (Randy Underhill)
Hitting the links on a recent Sunday afternoon were, from left: Janette Thibodeau, Meg Merritt, Rod Merritt and Ray Thibodeau. The retirees live in The Groves, in Land O’ Lakes.
Carol Moore, of Wesley Chapel, walks Annie, her 10-year-old Chihuahua, through the neighborhood on Saturday afternoon. The tiny dog goes for two walks each day.
Jogger Christa Lusk, 41, takes a 2-mile jog on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Connerton. She works from home and jogs five times a week.

Bicycling hasn’t been shut down

By

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has closed businesses, caused churches to livestream services, shut school campuses, and closed playgrounds and most parks — but it hasn’t put an end to enjoying the great outdoors by bicycling. Here are a few cyclists getting some fresh air and some exercise.

Tom Spock leads a trio of cyclists, as they complete their ride on the Suncoast Parkway Trail, on a recent Saturday. The Land O’ Lakes man is accompanied by 55-year-old Michael Russell and 59-year-old Leslie Spock. The trio rides the trail every Saturday, and Tom typically goes riding three times a week. (Randy Underhill)
Fifty-year-old Derick Sutton, Lutz, gets ready to take a 50-mile trek on the Suncoast Parkway Trail. Sutton has been biking the trail on Saturdays for the past 15 years.
Cyclist Bob Depue, age 75, cruises through the Wilderness subdivision, in Land O’ Lakes, on a recent warm, sunny Sunday afternoon. Depue typically treks 10 miles to 15 miles each day.

Celebrating Earth Day, in the midst of a pandemic

By

On April 22, we celebrate Earth Day, which originated in 1970 as a national day to focus on the environment. Take a drive out to the edge of Pasco County and it won’t seem like we’re in the midst of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. Rather, there’s a sense of peace and tranquility — while the fields of rye and the garden crops grow, and cows congregate contentedly in a pasture. There’s a splash of color, too, in the wildflowers popping up along the side of the road. Today, we celebrate Earth Day, which originated in 1970, as a national day to focus on the environment.

When it is ripened, this field of rye, on a farm belonging to the Melton family, reminds Steve Melton of the amber waves of grain, which are celebrated in ‘America the Beautiful.’ (Christine Holtzman)
A group of families share a garden plot here in East Pasco — growing sweet corn, okra, kale, squash, mustard greens, turnips, collard greens and broccoli. Meanwhile, the cows hang out nextdoor.
These wildflowers provide a glimpse of the wild and colorful beauty that nature provides.

When life gives you time, make art

By

Editor’s note: If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s likely this: When the routines of everyday life come to a screeching halt, we need to find creative ways to take care of ourselves and each other.

This trio of kids decided to celebrate the completion of an online week of school by doing some sidewalk chalk art. Fortunately for us, their grandmother, Sheila Withum, decided to send us the photos.

What are you doing? Please share your photos and blurbs, to help us tell our community’s story. Send your submissions to .

Front to back: Madi, Kenzie and Easton, children of Darrell and Sarah Seelochan, of Heritage Harbor, in Lutz, lift the tape they used to separate colors in their liquid chalk art design. (Courtesy of Sheila Withum)

 

Rock ‘n’ Roll concert cures isolation blues

By

With the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic changing the routines of everyday life, the Keystone Place at Terra Bella senior living community, at 2200 Livingston Road in Land O’ Lakes, came up with a creative way to safely engage and entertain its residents. To help reduce isolation during these challenging times, the community hired The Boomer Band to perform oldies from a flatbed trailer that was being pulled around the property. Many residents enjoyed the concert from the comfort of their apartment balconies.

From a flatbed trailer in the parking lot, The Boomer Band, a Pinellas County-based, two-piece pop/dance band, entertains the residents of the Keystone Place at Terra Bella senior living community on April 3. The senior living community hired keyboard/vocalist Kevin de Champlain and drummer/vocalist Vance Fontanella, to safely engage and entertain its residents, who have been isolated due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. (Christine Holtzman)
While practicing social distancing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, several residents of the Keystone Place at Terra Bella senior living community in Land O’ Lakes enjoy the parking lot rock ‘n’ roll concert from the comfort of their apartment balconies. The Boomer Band, based in Pinellas County, entertained residents from a flatbed trailer that was pulled around to perform a set list in different parts of the community.
The Boomer Band perform a Fats Domino hit for the residents of the memory care unit at the Keystone Place at Terra Bella senior living community. Many of the residents listened from the comfort of their apartment balconies. The community hired the band to safely engage and entertain the residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A place for friends, fun and food

By

Normally, the county’s senior centers are places for gathering, and having fun and food. Concerns about the potential spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) have caused a temporary halt to these activities, but we recently dropped in to the senior center on the grounds of St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Zephyrhills, before the threat of pandemic cast its shadow over daily activities. The Zephyrhills Senior Center, 5855 16th St., normally is an encouraging place where seniors can participate in a variety of enrichment activities that promote health, vitality, recreation and creativity. Other senior centers in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area are located in Dade City and Land O’ Lakes. Please check the county’s website to find out when activities will resume.

New River Branch Library customer service specialist Caille Branscombe, left, and Vera Greenwood, of Zephyrhills, both do a wall hanging craft, using old DVDs and yarn. The library employee, along with her co-worker Laura Covillon, were at the Zephyrhills Senior Center last month for one of the library’s weekly outreach programs. Such programs have been temporarily halted because of concerns about the potential spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). (Christine Holtzman)
Trying to keep his winning streak from the previous day alive, Mike Sims, of Zephyrhills, uses his hand to slide the puck to the opposite end of the tabletop shuffleboard, in order to score points. He is playing against his friend and frequent opponent, Joe Harvey, who is currently winning this round. The men both said that they come to the Zephyrhills Senior Center and play this game every day.
Holding a bunny made by finger knitting yarn, Linda St. Onge, left, and her friend Mary King, who is holding a macramé tree of life, admire some of the projects that the New River Branch Library’s outreach program was providing at the Zephyrhills Senior Center on that day. The ladies are both from Zephyrhills and say that they attend the center almost every day to play games, do activities and see friends.

 

Fair aims to find loving homes for pets

By

Feeling the need to find forever homes for stray animals, The Unity North Tampa church, 19520 Holly Lane in Lutz, hosted a pet adoption fair last month. Dozens of kittens and 14 dogs were at the event. The adoption fair also featured pet blessings, performed by the Rev. Virginia Walsh. People wishing to have their pets blessed, could bring them on leashes or in carriers. Or, they could bring a photo of their pet to be blessed. For more coverage, see full story.

Tia Bednarczyk, founder of the Plant City rescue group, Dachshund Seeking Forever Home, holds Sally, a dachshund that will be ready for adoption after she recovers from dental surgery. The nonprofit group brought three dogs that were available for adoption.
Jane Piesco, of Land O’ Lakes, and her 14-year-old son, Seth, attend the Unity North Tampa’s Pet Adoption Fair with their dog, Pip. The family was sitting in the shade, as they awaited a chance to have Pip blessed by the church’s reverend, Virginia Walsh. (Christine Holtzman)
Church member and event volunteer Eileen Ross, of Lutz, cuddles with a kitten named Vera inside the safety tent that was set up to contain the kittens during the Unity North Tampa’s Pet Adoption Fair. The kittens were brought to the fair by the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.