The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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She had just the right touch, and left a lasting impression

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Some people know when to listen, know when to help and know when a great big hug is precisely what’s needed.

That was Kelly Boyd.

At least that’s how the people who knew Boyd describe the 52-year-old Dade City woman — who died unexpectedly.

A candlelight vigil for Kelly Boyd, organized by her loved ones, brought people to share the joy of having known the 52-year-old and to grieve the pain of her sudden death. (Courtesy of Rodney B. Cox Elementary School staff)

Boyd was affectionately known around the school and community as “Miss Kelly.”

The Dade City woman worked for 31 years as the clinic assistant at Rodney B. Cox Elementary School, at 37615 Martin Luther King Blvd., in Dade City.

Her unexpected death on July 8 was met by disbelief and sadness.

Miriam Cosme, a data entry operator at the Dade City school, said Miss Kelly treated every child who came through her clinic as if he or she was her own. She knew the particular needs of individual children, Cosme said.

If a family needed an extra bag of food for the weekend, or if a child or a child’s brother or sister needed a pair of shoes, Miss Kelly met that need.

“She was our go-to person if we needed to find out anything about a kid or a family,” added Cosme, who knew Miss Kelly for 15 years. “If she didn’t have the answer, she would be on the phone making contact with parents to find out answers.”

Karen Lamar, the school’s bookkeeper, said she met Miss Kelly six years ago and they became instant friends.

These words on the marquee at Rodney B. Cox Elementary, in Dade City, express the sense of loss the school community feels at the unexpected death of Kelly Boyd, a clinic assistant at the school for 31 years.

“Kelly was the best hugger; I know the kids and adults loved how she would squeeze you and make everything OK,” Lamar said.

She made sure that kids were fed, clothed and that they had the things they needed.

She was uber-connected throughout the school and the community, her friends say.

“Kelly was a walking directory for our school family. Whenever you needed a phone number or to get in touch with a family, she knew that number, and knew where they lived and most of the family members,” Lamar said.

Principal Karen Natal said people gravitated to Miss Kelly because they knew she genuinely cared.

She had a remarkable memory, Natal said, noting Miss Kelly recalled not only names and faces, she also remembered people’s stories.

She would connect with them and check in on them, Natal said.

“She was just a safe person to talk to,” the principal added.

Even after students left Cox to go on to middle and high school, they would drop by the elementary school to talk with Miss Kelly.

Despite the integral role she played in many people’s lives and the extra hours she voluntarily gave to address others’ needs, Miss Kelly was not one to call attention to her good works or seek any kind of credit for what she did, Natal said.

This poster, including an array of photos, was created to honor Kelly Boyd. It is surrounded by candles, during a vigil at the school.

But the community knew.

And, when the school posted news of Miss Kelly’s death on its Facebook page, dozens responded with posts— many mentioning her kindness and compassion.

Courtney Wynn Loss couldn’t quite take it in.

“What!!! OMG this is so sad and heartbreaking,” she posted. “I’ve known Miss Kelly for years. She was/is so amazing and my daughter loved her.”

The clinic assistant’s loved ones organized a candlelight vigil at the school, and the principal asked the Pasco County School Board to rename Building No. 19 on Cox’s campus as the Kelly Boyd Center.

The building seemed a fitting choice, since Miss Kelly worked there for years and the building is used to offer both student and community services, Natal said.

In the letter to the school board, Natal described Miss Kelly’s contributions.

She served as community liaison for the Thomas Promise food program, she coordinated the East Pasco Toys for Tots and she collaborated with the community on the school’s clothes closet.

Beyond providing practical help, she was encouraging.

After Natal finished addressing  the school board, at its Oct. 5 meeting, Allen Altman, the school board’s chairman said he would be honored to step outside of his role as chairman, so he could make the motion to grant the request.

“I have been volunteering at that school for decades, and as a board member, I’ve been there 15 years, and I can absolutely verify everything that you said about Miss Kelly,” Altman said to Natal.

“She meant the world to that school and it meant a bunch to her, too,” Altman said.

Published October 13, 2021

Should Pasco ban the retail sale of pet rabbits?

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Pasco County outlawed the sale of kittens, puppies, cats and dogs from pet stores last year, and now animal advocates are urging the Pasco County Commission to halt the retail sale of pet rabbits, too.

A trio of speakers appeared before the county board during the board’s public comment portion of its Sept. 28 meeting.

Kurtis Marsh, of Holiday, explained the need for the change.

“Rabbits, if you don’t know, are the third most popular pet, which makes them the third most dumped pet,” Marsh said.

This bunny was kept in a loving home; unfortunately, rabbits often are ‘impulse buys’ and are abandoned on the streets shortly after their purchase, say some animal advocates who want to ban the retail sale of rabbits at pet shops. (Courtesy of Mary Rathman)

“This year alone, because of COVID-19, our small rescue has taken in 25 rabbits.

“Since the first of September, there have been a total of 66 rabbits we’ve been contacted about — either dumped, or someone is about to dump them. People call the rescues and threaten to dump the rabbits,” he said.

By prohibiting the sale of rabbits at pet stores, the number of rabbits being dumped on the street will decline, he said.

People are buying pet rabbits over the weekend and dumping them by Tuesday of the following week, he said.

“It’s just gotten that bad,” Marsh said.

Another speaker, Renee Rivard, reminded commissioners: “We worked with some of you on the dog chaining law for Pasco County.”

Now, the focus is on trying to end the sale of rabbits by pet stores, she said.

“We’re working on this issue with five counties that make up the greater Tampa Bay area: Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota. Not a single county-run animal shelter takes in pet rabbits. Only four nonprofit facilities accept pet rabbits,” she said.

She then recited some statistics for the county board.

“SPCA (the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in Manatee County took in 76 rabbits last year. The SPCA of Pinellas County took in 246 pet rabbits last year.

“We don’t have the statistics yet of the Humane Society of Pinellas, but we’ll get those to you.

“And the Humane Society in Tampa took in 190 pet rabbits, as of July this year.

“There are no facilities that accept pet rabbits in Pasco County,” she said.

A couple of good Samaritans began the Suncoast House Rabbit Rescue in 2019, Rivard said.

“Since then, they have taken in over 100 rabbits. They line up fosters to help them.

“They cannot keep up with the overwhelming number of calls they get from people who are turned away from the nonprofits because they have no space,” she said.

Just this month, the people who run the shelter said they had to turn away 60 rabbits.

“Pet rabbits are not native to Florida and they can easily die of temperatures below 50 degrees and above 80 degrees. They also do not know how to find food and shelter.

“Commissioners, we are asking for your help with this issue.

“As far as we can see, we have two options. Even provide a facility to take in unwanted rabbits, or ban the retail sale of rabbits.

“At the very least, consider a seasonal ban in March and April, to curb the impulse buys of rabbits for Easter,” Rivard said.

Nina Perino, of Palm Harbor, also asked the county board to address the issue.

“It’s a huge problem.

“People just leave them in their cages,” she said, where they get rained on.

“They’re diseased. Full of fleas. Anemic. Sometimes they can’t be saved,” she said.

“They don’t know how to find food, or shelter,” she said.

People will buy rabbits on an impulse and then dump them because they don’t know how to take care of them, or don’t want to take care of them.

“You can’t force people to be responsible,” Perino said, so, she added: “Don’t give them opportunity to buy rabbits.

“Their lives matter, and they only get one,” Perino said.

Published October 06, 2021

Pine View Middle’s SRO wins top state honors

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Corporal Elissa Elders, from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, said she was shocked upon learning she had been selected the 2021 School Resource Officer of the Year from a pool of 900 officers in the state of Florida.

Elissa Elders, Florida’s School Resource Officer of the Year is shown here with Edward Upthegrove, program administrator for the Florida Crime Prevention Training Institute. The FCPTI is part of the Bureau of Criminal Justice Programs in the Office of the Attorney General. (Courtesy of Pasco County Sheriff’s Office)

“Out of all those people, I’m the one who is selected?’’ Elders said. “I’m just doing my job, but so are all the amazing people I work with. I am honored and I am humbled. Next to marrying my husband, it’s the biggest honor in my life.

“But I still can’t get over it. Me? Why me?’’

When examining Elders’ eight-year body of work at Pine View Middle School in Land O’ Lakes and hearing from the students, administrators and parents, another question quickly emerges.

Why did it take so long for Elders to be recognized?

Cpl. Elissa Elders, who serves at Pine View Middle School in Land O’ Lakes, is the 2021 School Resource Officer of the Year for Florida. She received the distinction during the opening of the annual convention for the Florida Association of School Resource Officers. (Courtesy of Pasco County Sheriff’s Office)

“She really cares about the kids,’’ Pine View principal Jennifer Warren said. “She’s extremely relatable and they feel very comfortable in receiving her messages. She’s a huge part of our school and we’re all very excited to see this type of recognition.’’

Elders doesn’t seek recognition, though. Her rewards are seeing kids learn and develop.

“This isn’t a job, it’s her calling,’’ said retired law enforcement officer Bill Elders, Elissa’s husband of 14 years. “Whether something turns out to be frustrating or a great success, she has a tremendous way of separating the two, always keeping it in perspective, and never letting it take away from her purpose of helping the kids.

“I’ve listened to her cry when she sees kids hurting. I’ve listened to her laugh when they do outstanding things. She gets excited. She empathizes. She doesn’t punch a clock. It never stops. This is her life and her heart is completely in it.’’

Elders, who enlisted in the Army before a medical discharge, originally thought she wanted to become an arson investigator with the fire department. But after attending the police academy, she found her niche as Pine View’s SRO.

“My principal (Warren) is such a proactive person and she always encourages me to grow and train,’’ Elders said. “I appreciate working with such a strong leader, who has helped me process things and mature as a deputy.

“I wear many hats. I’m your friend, your counselor, your teacher, your go-to for advice. If you need something sewn for an outfit or a class project, I can do that. I’m here to help and I work for them, which makes them my boss. Whatever they need, I’m here. I want to take care of any needs or worries, so the families can concentrate on raising a good productive member of society.’’

School Resource Officer Cpl. Elissa Elders played the role of Keystone Cop in Pine View Middle’s production of ‘Annie.’ That’s just one example of how she gets involved with kids. (Courtesy of Pine View Middle School)

Elders’ biggest tool: Creativity
During the school’s “Pink Out Against Bullying,’’ she wore a large pink bow in her hair and pink socks.

She’s known to pop into classrooms and actively participate.

She had a role in the school’s production of “Annie Junior,’’ playing a Keystone Cop (of course). But nothing was handed to her. Elders auditioned for the role like any student.

On St. Patrick’s Day, she makes a pot of gold with prizes. At Christmas, she uses clues for a “Corporal Elders on a Shelf’’ contest with large candy bars going to the winners.

Playing the role of a seahorse, in ‘The Little Mermaid,’ Cpl. Elissa Elders demonstrates her willingness to do what it takes to connect with kids. (Courtesy of Pine View Middle School)

She has a “Walking Dead Fan Club,’’ so students and parents can converse and argue about the popular television series, while using that common interest to promote fellowship and togetherness. She also has started other clubs, such as Girls on the Run and the Craft Club.

She likes to poke fun at herself. At a dance class, she displayed some cop-themed exercises, such as running after freshly baked donuts. She carries a donut-shaped water bottle in the car line. She has passed out donuts to reward students who wear their seat belts.

“Cops and donuts — classic joke, right?’’ Elders said with a laugh.

All of Elders’ out-of-the-box ideas have the same goal.

“We do have days at school where kids make poor choices,’’ Elders said. “But I want to be as involved as I can be, whether it’s doing a play, being at a basketball game, helping in the classroom, anything to share what I can and have a positive impact on students.

“When you are involved in their lives, when you can show them the right way to do it, they will be less likely to do something wrong that could result in criminal charges.’’

There are tangible signs of Elders’ state award, such as the designation on her parking spot at Pine View Middle School (“Florida SRO of the Year Parking Only’’).

Sometimes, though, Elders doesn’t see the complete results until years later. But that’s when she realizes the full impact.

“I have seen it where she runs into a former student at a restaurant or a ballgame and they are so appreciative over something she once said or did for them,’’ Bill Elders said. “She puts her heart and soul into helping kids and it’s rewarding to see them on a good road in their lives.’’

She appreciates the community’s support.

“I have gotten so many notes and messages from people congratulating me,’’ Elders said. “Some of them don’t even have a kid at our school. They are saying how proud they are. It means a lot. These kinds of well wishes really show that people are aware and how much they care about the kids, too. That’s really the mission, getting kids on the right road.’’

By Joey Johnston

Published September 29, 2021

Considering options to ease traffic

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Three alternatives are being considered to improve traffic flow through one of Pasco County’s busiest intersections.

A community workshop was held last week for the public to weigh in on three proposed alternatives, as well as a no-build option, at U.S. 41 and State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes.

The intersection carried about 124,000 vehicles per day in 2019 and is projected to carry 176,000 vehicles per day in 2045, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s District Seven presentation materials.

Charts of various configurations of traffic patterns piqued the interest of many attending a workshop regarding alternatives being considered to improve the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54. (Fred Bellet)

State Road 54 runs east-west through Pasco County, providing connections to several regional north-south routes, including U.S. 19, the Suncoast Parkway, U.S. 41, Interstate 75, U.S. 301 and U.S. 98.

Meanwhile, U.S. 41 is a north-south road that traverses the entire length of Pasco County.

The roads are part of the regional transportation network, are used as hurricane evacuation routes, and are designated as regional freight mobility corridors.

They also play a role in the daily lives of commuters.

Motorists use U.S. 41 to travel from Hernando County through Pasco County to Hillsborough County.

When the traffic stacks up at the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54, traffic is impeded on both major arterial roads.

The situation has been a source of frustration for motorists, who have complained for years about being stuck in traffic through repeated light cycles, and there’s been considerable talk, too, about the need to fix the problem.

Besides being inconvenient, the crash rate at the intersection is higher than the state average, according to FDOT materials.

Paul Ketchum, who lives in the Oasis development off State Road 54, makes a point regarding one of the proposed plans to improve the flow of traffic through State Road 54 and U.S. 41, where Land O’ Lakes meets Lutz.

The options being considered are:

  • Alternative 1: A single-point urban intersection (SPUI), providing an interchange with State Road 54 elevated over U.S. 41.

This alternative would affect 62 parcels and would require 28 business relocations.

The anticipated need for right of way is 55.3 acres. The estimated present cost for this alternative is $222 million.

  • Alternative 2: A parallel flow intersection (PFI), providing displaced left-turns, in all four approaches, at grade.

This alternative would affect 30 parcels and would require 17 business relocations. The anticipated need for right of way is 22.2 acres. The estimated present total cost for this alternative is $108.9 million.

  • Alternative 3: A continuous flow intersection (CFI), with elevated lanes of State Road 54 over U.S. 41, providing displaced left turns in all four approaches.

This alternative would affect 65 parcels and would require 34 business relocations.

The anticipated need for right of way is 54.5 acres. The estimated present day total cost is $246.3 million.

Leslie Bush, of Tampa, used an electronic device to take notes regarding the proposed alternatives.

All three of the options would involve three residential relocations and would impact eight contaminated sites. None of them would have an impact on archaeological or historical sites.

There also is a no-build alternative, which will be dropped if and when an alternative is selected.

The workshop drew 94 people, with 49 coming to the workshop at Keystone Community Church, off State Road 54, in Lutz, and 45 taking part virtually, according to figures provided by Kris Carson, spokeswoman for the District 7 office.

The session included a video, that ran continuously, explaining the alternatives.

Those attending could check out displays and learn details about options being considered.

Representatives of the DOT were there, too, providing information and fielding questions.

A closer look at a proposed plan, showing a change of elevation on State Road 54.

Besides having the chance to become more informed, the workshop offered the opportunity for the public to fill out comment cards offering their views on the various alternatives and to address such issues as traffic patterns, project design, and the social, economic, and environmental effects of the proposed improvements.

The need for this project has been established based on future traffic demands, future population and employment growth in the area, according to FDOT background materials.

In evaluating alternatives, the state looks at the improvements based on such issues as traffic operations, safety, right of way needs and environmental impacts, among others.

Based on additional analysis and consideration of public comment, the project team will select a preferred alternative and complete the feasibility study.

The next phase is resuming the Project Design & Environmental (PD&E) Study phase, which will be done in 2021 and 2022; then the design phase, 2023 and 2024.

Right of way acquisition is expected to take place from 2022 to 2026.

This project is not yet funded for construction.

Published September 22, 2021

We pause, and remember (Part One)

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Sept. 11, 2001, was a day that began for most of us, like any other — but the events that transpired that day forever changed America.

On that morning, 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes and deliberately crashed two of them into the North Tower and the South Tower of the World Trade Center. They smashed a third plane into the Pentagon. Passengers on the fourth plane overtook the hijackers and forced that plane to slam into an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The attacks claimed the lives of 2,977, as well as the 19 hijackers.

In recognition of the 20th anniversary of that fateful day, we asked our readers to tell us where they were when they heard the news and how that day has affected them.

We share their compelling stories here in The Laker/Lutz News’ special 20th anniversary tribute, “Sept. 11, 2001: Remember & Reflect.”

–B.C. Manion, Editor of The Laker/Lutz News

First, helping others; then, overcome by dust and debris
On Sept. 11, 2001, I was caught beneath Ground Zero on my way to work, on a subway train in a smoke- and debris-filled tunnel.

This rush hour train was full of passengers. We had no idea what was occurring above us. After about a half-hour of being stuck in the tunnel between stations, the train began filling with smoke.

The passengers began ripping pieces of cloth from their clothing to protect their noses, in an attempt to filter out the smoke.

Former U.S. Army JAG Corps Captain Edward Rademaker (Courtesy of Edward Rademaker)

Some passengers began crying.

The train motorman hurriedly passed through my train car.

I asked the motorman what was happening, he replied, “I don’t know.”

The motorman then headed toward the last car and left the train.

The passengers, not knowing what was occurring, started to panic.

The passengers began to rush toward the last car.

One passenger fell to the floor, gasping for air with an asthma pump in his hand.

At this point, a retired detective and I took control of the situation.

We had the passengers line up in an orderly fashion and head toward the last car of the train, where the conductor had opened the last door of the last car.

We also picked up the asthmatic man and led him out of the train to an emergency exit of the train tunnel.

After the last passenger left the train, I walked through the smoke-filled train to make sure all of the passengers had been evacuated.

I then left the train, walked the live tracks and climbed up an emergency exit ladder to the street.

Once at street level, I saw the aftermath of the first collapsed tower. I saw several police officers assisting pedestrians. I advised the police officers that I was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and asked if I could help.

The officers asked me to direct people in the street toward the Brooklyn Bridge, as lower Manhattan was being evacuated.

A short time later, as I was directing pedestrians toward the bridge, the second tower began collapsing.

I ran, but not fast enough.

The dust and debris blinded and covered me, and I could no longer breathe.

Fortunately, I was pulled from the debris and into a nearby building and resuscitated by an EMS worker.

After coming to, I went out of the building for medical assistance.

Several loud explosions were then heard and we all evacuated that building and ran toward the Brooklyn Bridge.

After walking across the bridge, I walked for several hours toward my home, as public transportation was unavailable.

I later caught a taxi home.

I had respiratory problems for several weeks from the dust that I inhaled.

Edward Rademaker originally wrote this for an U.S. Army newsletter in April 2002. (It has been slightly edited). He is a former U.S. Army JAG Corps Captain. 

-Edward Rademaker, Wesley Chapel

The morning of Sept. 11, 2001, began as a normal school day for then Denham Oaks art teacher Cindy Smith. (Courtesy of Cindy Smith)

On morning duty at Denham Oaks
As I was standing on morning duty outside the front office of Denham Oaks Elementary School, happy children passed by, waving and saying “Good Morning, Ms. C, see you in art class.”

The children were laughing and smiling on their way into school, with not a care in the world.

Glancing over, I noticed a gathering group of staff in the office staring at the overhead TV.

Moving closer, I began looking at the screen and saw in disbelief and shock the North Tower being engulfed with flames and smoke.

How is this happening and why?

I was witnessing people hanging desperately from the tower, and even jumping.

It was unbelievable and horrifying.

The thoughts of the potential loss of human life began to break my heart.

The near impossible challenges of rescuing those lives had me thinking about those who are brave and dedicated enough to be there to help.

My thoughts turned to the students who were too young to grasp the enormity of what was happening.

Tears filled my eyes as I thought of the families that would be broken apart.

As the day unfolded, a deep sadness settled in my soul.

I found myself praying for everyone who was affected and for rescuers to have strength.

I knew then, it would be a day and event we would always remember together — united as a nation, and we do.

-Cindy Smith, Land O’ Lakes

An air traffic controller heads into work
I was driving to work for the early shift at Phoenix TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) when my wife, also on her way to work, called me and said that a local radio station had reported that an airplane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

As a pilot and air traffic controller, I told her that the pilot had probably encountered bad weather and crashed into the tower.

I arrived at work and my manager informed me that an air carrier had crashed into one of the towers.

A view of the radar tower at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. (Courtesy of Steve Hadley)

This was unbelievable.

I thought it had to be a hijack or suicide, as it was a clear, cloudless day in New York City.

As you can imagine, our facility was buzzing.

I told my boss that I would stay in the breakroom and monitor the television to see what I could learn. A few minutes later I watched the second plane slam into the South Tower.

I ran into the TRACON and yelled that the South Tower had just been hit.

One of our controllers, a former New York TRACON controller, let loose with a swear word, followed by, “It’s a terrorist attack.”

Everyone was so upset that the manager yelled “calm down and pay attention to your traffic,” as we were in the early stages of a big arrival push from the East Coast.

As that horrible day progressed, the FAA shut down the U.S. airspace and we were tasked with informing the pilots that they had to land at the closest airport that would accommodate their aircraft.

Within just a few hours, all aircraft were on the ground without incident.

Phoenix airspace, which was always very busy, had no air traffic except law enforcement.

Not long after, I was working with an FBI agent by my side running intercepts with F16s on small aircraft that were observed in our airspace and apparently were unaware that U.S. airspace was shut down.

U.S. and Canadian airspace under heavy restrictions reopened on Sept. 13, but it was weeks before there was anything approaching normal air traffic.

Everything changed for us.

Our facility was now under heavy security— no visitors, no leaving for lunch.

We were later surprised to learn that one of the hijackers may have toured our facility from a local flight school where several of the hijackers trained.

-Steve Hadley, Land O’ Lakes

Flight attendant at home, awaiting shift that day
On Sept. 11, 2001, I was at home in Centreville, Virginia.

I was a flight attendant scheduled to fly a three-day trip out of Washington Dulles Airport at 4 p.m.

I first heard about the terrorist attacks when I turned on The Today Show, on TV.

The broadcaster was reporting that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center.

He gave no other information at that time.

Tammy Hansen, a flight attendant for American Airline, was scheduled to work a later shift on Sept. 11, 2001. She knew some crew members who died and attended a funeral for two flight attendants, who were married, who were working on the airplane that crashed into the Pentagon. (Courtesy of Tammy Hansen)

I was in disbelief as to how an airplane could be in that airspace and crash into the tower.

As more information came in, I found myself glued to the TV. I witnessed the second airplane crashing into the World Trade Center on TV.

I couldn’t figure out what was happening. I was horrified!

I took a break from the TV news to walk my dogs.

We lived under one of the landing paths to Washington Dulles Airport.

I remember hearing airplanes overhead.

The airplanes were approaching and flying overhead two by two.

There were two parallel landing runways at the airport.

I had never seen so many airplanes landing all at once at Dulles Airport before.

I just couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

I returned home to learn a third airplane had crashed into the Pentagon.

A fourth airplane was heading back to Washington. This was the airplane that eventually crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

I just couldn’t believe that four airplanes could be hijacked all at once!

I never thought skyscrapers would be a target and eventually collapse to the ground.

The horror of all the innocent people, firemen, policemen who passed that day. Unbelievable!

I didn’t fly my trip that day. All airplanes had been grounded indefinitely.

I still couldn’t comprehend it all.

Later, I found out that I knew some of the flight crew members on two of the airplanes.

I attended a funeral for two of them in Culpepper, Virginia.

There we all were, airline employees, proudly wearing our uniforms in support, standing with family and friends.

Such a sad, sad day!

When the airlines were allowed to fly passengers again, I was assigned a two-day trip out of Washington National Airport.

I was a bit apprehensive to fly so soon.

I completed that trip and many thereafter, before retiring from a 40-year career with American Airlines.

I will never forget that day and all the lives lost to terrorists.

I still can’t believe how vulnerable we Americans were that day.

Never forget!

-Tammy Hansen, Land O’ Lakes

New homeowners in Oak Grove
On Sept. 8, 2001, which was a Saturday, my husband, Peter, and I moved into our new house in the Oak Grove community in Lutz.

We were very excited to be moving from an apartment in Tampa to our new home.

On Sept. 11, just three days later, Peter went to work in South Tampa, not far from MacDill Airforce Base.

This photo was taken of Kelley and Peter Caporice shortly before they moved into their new home in Lutz, in 2001. (Courtesy of Kelley Caporice)

He called me to tell me to turn on the TV, to see the news.

I asked, “What channel?”

He said: “It doesn’t matter.”

I turned the TV on just after the second plane hit.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

There was no doubt, at all, as to what was happening.

We soon heard of the plane hitting the Pentagon, along with scary stories of other possible attacks and of our military bases being targets.

Our families and friends began calling. Parents, aunts, cousins — the calls were local and from different states, as we all checked on each other.

We kept saying that we could not believe what we were seeing.

I anxiously waited for Peter to come home, but it would be a while before his company closed for the employees to go home.

I was on the phone with my brother when the first tower collapsed.

I did, too. I just sank to the floor, my heart breaking for those still in or around the building and their families.

It was incomprehensible.

It still is.

I didn’t know anyone in New York or D.C., or that was near any of the attack or crash sites, but I believe we all were impacted by what happened that day.

For me, I knew that going forward, I would be sure to tell my family and friends, with words, how much I loved them, in case…well, you know.

Now, 20 years later, I continue to pray and ask God for comfort and peace for those who lost loved ones on 9/11/01, for the first responders and for their families, and for those who continue to suffer with health or emotional issues from that day.

I ask God to carry them through the hills and valleys, just as He has carried me.

-Kelley Caporice, Lutz

Watching the TODAY show, drinking coffee
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was having coffee, while watching the TODAY show at home in Lutz.

Breaking news interrupted the programming, with video of a plane crashing into the first of the Twin Towers.

I still recall the bright, beautiful blue cloudless sky in New York City and the horror of an assumed airline mishap hitting the building, but at the same time knowing that weather could not have been a factor.

This photo was taken in 2018, when members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, and some others, stood out in front of the Old Lutz School, waving American flags in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The women gather each year to pay their respects. (Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Shortly thereafter, when a second plane tore into the second tower, I realized immediately that it was not a mistake or accident, but an actual attack — but from whom and why?

As details emerged, it became increasingly horrifying to realize the numbers of office workers, firefighters, police and bystanders who could not escape as both towers collapsed.

This catastrophic attack left an indelible imprint on my psyche, as an American and as a recently transplanted (upstate) New Yorker.

We all immediately became New Yorkers, and Pennsylvanians and D.C. citizens after the full impact of this terrorist attack was realized at all those locations.

Like with the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK, I will always remember where I was, that moment and the profound shock, sadness and anger that ensued.

Much like our parents’ generation experiencing the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and forever changing our lives and our history, we will never forget!

The following year on 9/11/02, as a member of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’Lakes Woman’s Club, we waved flags in commemoration of the first anniversary of the event.

Each subsequent year — up to and including this year’s 20th anniversary — our women have stood tall, waving flags along U.S. 41, in Lutz.

The event is typically accompanied by cars, trucks and 18-wheelers honking their horns, and bicyclists waving, as they pass by.

This flag-filled club event always brings tears to my eyes.

Let us never forget.

-Patricia Serio, Lutz

NOTE: Please see Part Two of reader responses in the story below.

Pasco steps in to help dogs rescued from Hurricane Ida

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Pasco County Animal Services stepped in last week to help with rescue efforts, of dogs that were endangered by Hurricane Ida.

Mike Shumate, who oversees animal services, explained the chain of events leading to the shelter’s involvement and described how it helped.

Waiting for a new home, Blaze, a 44-pound mixed-breed male, came to Pasco County Animal Services in a group of dogs rescued from Gulfport, Mississippi. The Pasco shelter took in the dogs to help the Charleston Animal Society, which pulled dogs from the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi, due to Hurricane Ida. (Fred Bellet)

“We were contacted by some of our network partners who asked if we could help Charleston as they were taking in dogs from the Humane Society of South Mississippi,” Shumate said, via email.

“We said we could take some of the animals they were going to pick up. We were then contacted by Charleston and made arrangements.

“Initially, we were going to meet them in Lake City since they were trying to get to Jacksonville to also drop off dogs.

“We discussed it with Charleston and offered to shelter all 50 dogs overnight at our shelter so they could rest up for the final leg of their journey.

“They were very appreciative. It worked out well, as Humane Society of Tampa Bay (HSTB) was also going to have to drive to Lake City.”

So, instead of traveling to Lake City, HSTB only needed to travel to Pasco to pick up 15 dogs, Shumate said.

This mixed-breed male vies for attention — hoping to entice a new owner to take him home. He’s trying to feel for something under the door.

Charleston transported a total of 50 dogs on Aug. 29, with HSTB taking 15; animal services kept 20 in Pasco; and 15 went to the Jacksonville Humane Society and Halifax Humane Society in Daytona Beach.

Most of the dogs that were transported were medium to large dogs, including pit bulls, hounds, shepherds and retrievers, Shumate said.

There didn’t appear to be any purebreds, he said.

This wasn’t the first time the shelter has stepped in to help out in response to a disaster, Shumate said.

“We have helped numerous shelters with disaster relief efforts, such as Santa Rosa County Animal Services after Hurricane Michael, and we also help other local shelters when they are overcrowded or experience staff shortages, or hoarding or cruelty cases,” he said.

Shumate also explained why the shelter got involved.

“We have been blessed here in Pasco with great resource partners in the local community and surrounding counties. We have a great team who is always looking to help where we can. For us it is a matter of paying it forward — especially for disaster relief or overcrowding.  There may come a time when we need assistance and we know our partners will reach out in our time of need to repay the favors,” Shumate said.

Published September 08, 2021

Waffle, a mixed-breed male, is awaiting his new family.
Amy Spann-O’Conner, branch communications coordinator of public service, looks in on one of the rescued dogs.
This mixed-breed male, standing on his hind legs, is curious to see if anyone is going to adopt him.

 

Where were you, Sept. 11, 2001?

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Some events clearly stand out from others.

They etch a permanent image in our minds, of where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news.

The day July 20, 1969 was like that for millions. Neil Armstrong walked on the moon that day.

When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on Jan. 28, 1986, it touched the collective soul of the nation.

And then, there was Sept. 11, 2001.

On that morning, 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes and deliberately crashed two of them into North Tower and South Tower of the World Trade Center. They smashed a third plane into the Pentagon. Passengers on the fourth plane overtook the hijackers and forced that plane to slam into an empty field in Pennsylvania.

While all of this was happening, most of us were simply going about our daily routines.

Where were you on Sept. 11, 2001, when you heard about the terrorist attacks?

How did you find out?

How did you react? How did it affect you? Has it had lasting impacts?

As the nation marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we want to pause to share the personal side of the story — as told through the memories of our readers.

We will be publishing a collection of essays, which will be edited for brevity and clarity.

Please be as concise as possible. Include your first and last name, and the community where you live, which will be published with your submission.

Please also include your email and telephone number, so we can reach back for additional information, if we need it.

If you have appropriate photos that you can scan and email, we’d love to consider those for our tribute, too.

Deadline for submissions is Sept. 10. Our planned publication date is Sept. 15.

Please send your submissions with the words — Sept. 11 Tribute — in the subject line,  to .

Published September 01, 2021

COVID-19 cases are straining hospitals, health care workers

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Hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 continue to rise, adding to the strain already being experienced by local hospitals.

Admissions for patients with COVID-19 are at their highest levels since the start of the pandemic in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon and Washington, according to statistics kept by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Things are so serious that Pasco County Fire Rescue Fire Chief Scott Cassin and EMS Division Chief Paula Coleman have issued a video, asking residents and guests to avoid using the 911 system unless they are experiencing a true emergency.

“Hospital emergency rooms are currently being inundated with patients, and the time it takes to be seen in an emergency room is skyrocketing across our community,” the fire chief says in the video.

“Many hospitals are at, or over, capacity and ambulances are currently holding patients at hospitals for hours at a time, due to a lack of available beds and hospital staff.

“This is causing an ambulance shortage across the county, and is causing long wait times for our 911 callers,” Cassin says.

Coleman adds: “Please help us provide lifesaving interventions for those who truly need them. If your 911 call is not an emergency that needs immediate medical attention — such as chest pain, shortness of breath, stroke symptoms, serious trauma or other life-threatening illnesses or injury — please consider contacting your primary care physician, or utilizing a walk-in clinic or urgent care center. This will get you the help you need in a timelier manner, while at the same time assist an overtaxed health care system,” she says.

“Let’s all do our part to save the ambulances and ER visits for those who urgently need those services,” Coleman says.

Michael Weiss, epidemiology program manager for Florida Health-Hillsborough County, gave a big-picture look at Hillsborough County’s COVID-19 situation during an Aug. 18 emergency meeting of the Hillsborough County School Board.

“Right around June into July, we started this steep increase,” Weiss said.

“We are trending upwards. We are at 1,622 cases per day in our county. Positivity is around 22%. During the pandemic, this is the highest for both of those values.”

“This recent increase has coincided with a few things. In July, we had relaxed community mitigation measures, and we also saw the introduction of the delta variant into our community.

“These two things combined really increased the case transmission and the case rate in our community,” Weiss said.

“Hospital visits and hospitalizations both related to COVID are both at the highest levels seen at any point during our pandemic — during the entire pandemic. Hospitals are recording twice the number of COVID patients they saw in 2020 winter peak,” the epidemiologist said.

“Pediatric hospitalizations are also increasing. They represent a small percentage of the overall COVID hospitalizations, but they are also increasing. We are seeing both admissions and emergency department visits for pediatric cases increasing.

“Hospitalizations generally lag behind the case increases, so we expect the hospitalizations to continue to increase in the near future,” he added.

“Across all of these age groups, the hospitalizations are overwhelmingly in the unvaccinated population. Hospitals are reporting anywhere from 80% to 90% of cases are in unvaccinated individuals,” Weiss said.

Hospitals are making adjustments as the COVID-19 caseloads increase.

AdventHealth has halted elective procedures at AdventHealth Carrollwood, AdventHealth Dade City and AdventHealth Zephyhrhills, and at its AdventHealth Sebring facility, according to a media advisory issued Aug. 20.

“This decision allows us to further plan for the increased need for hospital beds, resources, and advocate for patients and team members. Patients will be notified if their procedure will be canceled,” the hospital chain announced.

AdventHealth “continues to see a significant increase in COVID-19 cases at its facilities across West Florida and has far surpassed its highest peak at any point in the pandemic,” the advisory adds.

The hospital system’s 10 hospitals in its West Florida Division had 600 currently admitted COVID-19 positive patients, according to the Aug. 20 advisory.

BayCare, another health care system in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, paused all of its elective surgeries and procedures at its hospitals in Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties, regardless of whether they require an overnight stay, effective Aug. 14, according to the hospital’s website.

“This will help reserve resources for the urgent and emergent needs of severely ill patients,” the posting says.

“COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased 10-fold since the beginning of July, and today we have more than 1,000 COVID positive patients in our 14 acute care hospitals across the Tampa Bay area,” Glenn Waters, chief operating officer for BayCare, said in a website post.

“We’re making these operational adjustments to be sure we can continue providing safe, high-quality care to the recent influx of COVID patients, in addition to hundreds of other people in our hospitals with unrelated, serious medical issues,” Waters said.

In a new development, Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference last week to announce the opening of local sites to provide a new monoclonal antibody treatment for patients who are 12 years old or older. The treatment can prevent hospitalization or death in COVID-19 patients.

DeSantis presided at the opening of the site at the Fasano Hurricane Shelter, at 11611 Denton Ave., in Hudson.

Another site has opened in Hillsborough County at King Forest Park, at 8008 E. Chelsea St., in Tampa. The only access into the park is off Orient Road just north of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to a Hillsborough County news release.

Both sites will be open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For additional details, call the Florida Department of Health Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Support Line at 850-344-9637.

COVID-19 statistics: Aug. 13 to Aug. 19

Florida
New cases: 150,118
Positivity rate 19.8%

Hillsborough County
New cases: 11,161
Positivity rate: 22%

Pasco County
New cases: 4,223
Positivity rate: 26.4%

Source: Florida Department of Health

COVID-19 symptoms
Symptoms of COVID-19 may include:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Published August 25, 2021

Cummer Sons Cypress played huge role in Lacoochee

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Two events occurred in 1923 that would have a significant impact on the community of Lacoochee, in Northeast Pasco County.

Arthur and Waldo Cummer — as the grandsons of Jacob Cummer — brought the Cummer Sons Cypress Company to the county.

The fully electric cypress sawmill and box factory would go on to become one the largest sawmill operations in the United States.

The company also would play a role in providing jobs for survivors of the Rosewood Massacre, which occurred in January 1923.

Nearly a century ago, one of the largest sawmill operations in the United States was located in Lacoochee, in northeast Pasco County. (Courtesy of Bob McKinstry)

Contemporary news reports said that massacre — which destroyed the tiny Black community in Levy County — resulted directly from a white woman’s false claims that she’d been raped by a black man.

In his book, published in 2005, author William Powell Jones recounted how managers for Cummer “arranged for a train to drive through the swamps, picking up survivors of the Rosewood Massacre and offering them housing and employment in the brand-new colored quarters in Lacoochee.”

Arthur and Waldo Cummer’s father, Wellington Wilson Cummer, first arrived in town with his riding gear, complete with jodhpurs and boots, holding a riding crop under his arm.

“It was strange attire compared to the casual dress (of the day),” noted Nell Moody Woodcock, a long-time resident of Lacoochee and later a reporter for The Tampa Tribune.

Woodcock’s name is among nearly 100 links on the Pasco County history website, Fivay.org — featuring people sharing memories of the Cummer Sons Cypress Company.

Jacob Cummer, known as “Uncle Jacob” to family and friends, had vast timber holdings in several states.

Arthur Cummer explained why the company chose to locate in Lacoochee, in testimony given before the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission, in 1934.

“We located the sawmill plant at Lacoochee in order to be in reasonable reach,” Arthur Cummer said.

Described as a point of entry for what is now known as the Green Swamp of Florida, logs arrived at the new Lacoochee sawmill from land that totaled more than 50 square miles in Pasco, Sumter and Polk counties.

Bill McKinstry, a company manager for the Lacoochee sawmills, rides a logging train to Lacoochee on April 25, 1939. (Courtesy of Bob McKinstry)

The Green Swamp is one of the state’s largest watersheds as the headwaters for the Peace River, Withlacoochee River, Ocklawaha River and Hillsborough River.

In the 1920s it was “a vast reservoir of 100-year-old cypress trees,” as described by Woodcock, in her recollections on the Cummer mills in Lacoochee.

At its peak, workers lived in approximately 100 homes along sand streets with wood sidewalks in Lacoochee.

Cummer was the largest employer in Pasco County with more than 1,100 employees, and it was one of few employers across the country that provided jobs during the Great Depression.

Having the largest payroll in the county made the Lacoochee office a prime target — and the company fell victim to three masked bandits who escaped with $11,700 in cash.

The work was grueling.

Ronald Stanley, who was put on a logging train by his father one summer in the early 1940s, was among the workers.

He described the tough working conditions he faced, recorded on the Fivay.org website.

He awoke at daybreak and spent hours waist-deep hauling sawed-down cypress logs out of the swamp.

It was hot, and there were mosquitoes, and the danger of snakes and alligators.

“For all this summer fun, I was paid $.45 per hour (typically under $5 per day),” Stanley recalls on Fivay.org.

One of three steam shovels that had been used to dig out the Panama Canal later was purchased by the Cummer lumber company to haul logs at the Lacoochee sawmill. (Courtesy of Pioneer Florida Museum & Village)

During World War II, Cummer employed 50 German soldiers from the prisoner of war work camp in Dade City.

One POW was 18-year-old Arthur Lang, a tank commander from Erwin Rommel’s famed Afrika Korps.

He was smitten by a teenaged girl named Mildred.

He managed to exchange handwritten notes to Mildred when no one was looking. She worked with her mother at the Cummer’s crate mill.

“I regret it to this day that on the last day there, I could not shake her hand,” Lang wrote after he was back in Germany, after the war.

At Lacoochee, the Cummer operations were immense for this self-contained company town.

The sawmill alone measures 228 feet by 45 feet. The mill also included a veneer plant, which was 228 feet by 45 feet. It also had a crate factory, of 200 feet by 100 feet; and a lathe and shingle mill, with a capacity of 60,000 lathe per day, according to the story “Big Cypress Mill Completed at Lacoochee, Florida,” published in The Manufacturer’s Record on Nov. 22, 1923.

From 1934 to 1940, the Cummer mill in Lacoochee averaged 13 million board feet each year. The company set a record in 1937, producing 25 million board feet.

To make sure that it was not all work and no play, the company sponsored a semi-pro baseball team called the Lacoochee Indians.

That team won the Central Coast championship in 1947, in a league that also included San Antonio, Dade City and Brooksville.

James Timothy “Mudcat” Grant recorded memories of his father working at the Lacoochee mills. He later became the first black American League pitcher to win a World Series game in 1965.

Mudcat also recalls weekend movies starring Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.

“Every time I go to Angel Stadium, Gene (Autry) comes through, and we get a chance to speak,” Grant told the St. Petersburg Times on April 9, 1989. “The first thing he says is: ‘How is everything in Lacoochee?’”

Autry was the owner of the Angels Major League baseball team from 1961 to 1997.

Alyce Ferrell, who worked at the Lacoochee Post Office, met her future husband at a dance at the armory in Dade City.

He would fly low over Lacoochee in his Corsair F4U fighter aircraft and dip one wing of his plane. That was a signal to let Alyce know he needed to be picked up at the Army/Air base in Zephyrhills.

In 1945, Alyce married that instructor for Marine fighter pilots: Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr.

Years later ‘Ed McMahon’ would begin a 36-year career as the announcer and sidekick for television talk show host Johnny Carson.

During the decade of the 1950s, the Green Swamp was heavily logged by the Cummer Sons Cypress Company.

The company, which hummed along for decades, finally came to its end near the close of the 1950s.

“It took time to process all the logs which had been gathered at the Lacoochee sawmill, but the last cypress was finally milled on June 5, 1959,” wrote historian Alice Hall for The Tampa Tribune on July 14, 1984.

Although the community voted against incorporating as a town in 1954, several companies have attempted business operations at the old Cummer site including Wood Mosaic Corporation, Interpace, GH Lockjoint, and Cal-Maine Foods.

A precast concrete plant is currently up and operating as a supplier for major road projects in Florida. The Dade City Business Center bought this site in 2019 for $1.2 million and is leasing the land to the concrete plant. Nearly 100 new jobs are expected, once the plant is running at full capacity.

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published August 18, 2021

This 105-year-old enjoys life’s simple pleasures

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Regina Petrone will be the first to admit that she’s not as agile as she used to be.

After all, at 105, who is?

But the Land O’ Lakes woman still lives on her own, drives herself to the bank and grocery store, and makes scarves and hats for the homeless.

Recently, she celebrated her 105th birthday, at a party hosted by her son, Pete, who lives just minutes away.

This is a childhood photo of Regina Petrone, taken more than 100 years ago. (Courtesy of Debbi Petrone Cosme)

“The party at Pete’s house was such a wonderful feeling,” Regina said.

It was a nice Italian meal, complete with special cupcakes.

“They had 105 balloons all over the floor. They had balloons all over the ceiling,” Regina said.

Pete chimed in: “We had a big sign outside.”

That celebration, though, was small, compared to the party for Regina’s 100th birthday.

A limousine picked her up at her house to drive her to the party at Grace Family Church, in Lutz.

“That was the best party ever, ever,” Regina said. “I just had the feeling of peace and contentment.

“Everybody was happy. We had like 60, 70 people,” Regina said.

Pete interjected: “Try like 120.”

“All of my family were there. Nieces and nephews,” Regina said.

Friends came in from New York, too, Pete said.

But those were just two of the special birthday parties Regina has enjoyed through the years.

There was another one, in particular, that played a pivotal role in her life.

That was the party when she had her first date, with her future husband — John Anthony Petrone, whom she’d met a few months before.

“I worked in the library. He worked in A & P (grocery store), which was around the corner from the library,” she said.

“I used to go in there every day to buy some greens because that’s what my mother wanted.

“She made soup every night.

“I would go at lunchtime.

“That’s where I met him.

John and Regina Petrone (the couple in the middle) on their wedding day, on Oct. 19, 1941.

“I paid no attention to him. After a while, he started asking me out.

“I said, ‘No, no, no.

“That went from February to July,” Regina said.

“He told me he was having a birthday party. I said, ‘OK.’

“My mother said, ‘Go, have fun.’

“So, I went to the birthday party, which was in Hicksville, and I met his family, who were terrific.

“They treated me so good — like a sister — right away,” said Regina, who grew up in Glen Cove.

John grew up in Hicksville, where he lived with his brothers and his sisters. They lived on their own because their parents had died.

Regina and John married in October, with the expectation that John’s military service would end in January. Instead, World War II broke out and John was assigned to help protect the Panama Canal Zone, where he served until the end of the war.

Creating a home life in Hicksville
After John returned, the couple settled in John’s hometown. That’s where they raised their five boys: Chuck, Anthony, Pete, Bill and Timothy (who died in his 40s from a car accident).

John sold insurance and Regina ran the house — making meals from scratch, and canning fruits and vegetables from the family’s half-acre garden.

John and Regina Petrone had five sons, whom they raised in Hicksville, on Long Island in New York. Shown here, from left to right (front row), are: Bill, Pete, Regina (mom), Anthony and Timothy; and (back row), Chuck and John (dad).

The days started early, Regina said.

“I’ve been getting up at 5 o’clock in the morning ever since the kids were small,” she said.

It took a couple of hours each morning to make the boys breakfast and get them ready for school, she said.

Though they grew up in a close-knit family, the boys are scattered now.

Pete lives minutes away from Regina. Chuck lives in Dallas, Georgia; Anthony, in Anchorage, Alaska; and, Bill, in New London, Connecticut.

Regina talks frequently with her sons and other family members on the phone.

She also stays in regular contact with two dear friends — Debbi Lizza and Joanne Berger — who keep her posted on what’s happening in Hicksville.

“We write each other every week. Every once in a while, we call. But we’re old-fashioned, we like to write. They’re always sending me little goodies,” she said.

Regina moved to Florida in 2004, after living in Pennsylvania for four years.

Her sons wanted her to move closer to family, so she did.

She and her boys have rich memories of the life they had in Hicksville.

“They were wonderful kids. I have wonderful boys. None of them give me any problems,” Regina said.

The family garden was a source of food for the family, and a way to make money, too.

“You name it. We had it,” Pete said.

“From radishes to pumpkins. Broccoli. Cabbage,” Regina said.

“Potatoes. Strawberries. Asparagus,” Pete added.

“All kinds of berries,” Regina continued. “Apples. Pears. Peaches.”

And, corn and cucumbers, too.

Regina Petrone models one of the hats she’s made to help others. So far, she’s completed about 300 hats and scarves, and she continues to make more. While her primary focus was on family life, over the years she has volunteered her time and talents in a number of capacities. (B.C. Manion)

Pete’s brothers share those vivid recollections of the family garden.

“We had just about everything you can think of — any kind of vegetable,” Chuck said. “We canned our own food. We made our own jellies and jams.

“We had a root cellar where we kept our potatoes and onions and carrots,” Chuck said.

The family raised chickens and sold eggs, too.

“The kids sold the vegetables that were left over, in a little farm stand. That was their allowance — from what they sold, the eggs and the vegetables,” Regina said.

Besides picking vegetables, the boys did other chores.

“In high school, we all started cutting firewood. We worked really hard doing that. That’s how we made our money in high school,” Anthony said.

Work was such a regular part of their life — they didn’t see it so much as work but as part of their daily routine, Bill said.

Chuck noted: “All of us, when we started working — whatever job we did, delivering newspapers, peddling vegetables around the neighborhood — we had to give at least 10% to our mother for what she called ‘room and board.’  And then, when we became 18, she gave us all that money. And more.”

Family rules were crystal clear, Anthony said.

“It was a very disciplined household. Dinner was every day at 5 o’clock,” he said. And, when the church bells rang at 7 o’clock, it was time to be home.

But there was more to life than hard work, rules and responsibilities,  the boys said.

They also knew how to have fun
“We would go to the beach almost every day for an hour or two,” Chuck said.

Of course, Chuck added: “If we didn’t do what we were supposed to do, we didn’t go to the beach that day.”

Bill remembers the lively family gatherings.

“We’d have these big barbecues in our backyard. You’re having like 50 people or more — 25 kids running around the place.

This box contains numerous hats and scarves that Regina Petrone has made to help the homeless. They are distributed through Grace Family Church, according to Regina’s son, Pete, who lives minutes away from his mom. (B.C. Manion)

“My mother cooked all of the food,” he said.

Her pies, he added, were legendary: “Her pies are still talked about today.”

The family had lots of pets, too.

“We had rabbits at one time,” Regina said. “I had one snake in the house. And, I hate snakes.

“But one of my boys liked snakes and it got loose.”

There were dogs, too.

“My husband was a hunter,” Regina said, so they had golden retrievers, English Springers and all kinds of other dogs.

Regina had a turtle.

It was one of those turtles people used to buy for a quarter, she said.

Regina’s turtle lived for more than 50 years, moving freely about the house, just like a member of the family.

She called him Turtle.

“I was not imaginative,” she said, with a laugh.

Anthony added: “We had a big black cat called Mother Cat because she got pregnant every three months.”

The family sat together in front of the TV, to take in football and baseball games.

“I was an avid baseball and football fan, when my husband was alive and my children were all together,” Regina said. Her favorite teams were the Mets, the Jets and the Brooklyn Dodgers — before the Dodgers moved away.

Over the years, Regina said, she’s always enjoyed a good laugh.

She remembers Chuck coming home after school, with a joke for her he’d picked up that day.

“I always looked forward to them,” Regina said.

Now, he sends her five pages to six pages of jokes every month, that he finds by scouring the internet.

Throughout Regina’s life, most of her focus has been on the family. But she also has been active in charitable pursuits. She volunteered at a soup kitchen, and at a rock and butterfly museum, and in literacy efforts.

She still uses her talents to help others.

“I like to crochet,” Regina said. “I’m making scarves and hats for the homeless.”

She estimates she’s made about 300 pieces, which are distributed through Grace Family Church.

She still enjoys doing puzzle books and watches a limited amount of TV.

“I don’t put the TV on until 5 o’clock. Then I look at the news for an hour, at the most — the news is terrible. Then, I Iook at Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, and some of the game shows,” she said.

She likes card games and typically plays once or twice month, when a nephew and his wife come by.

Although she still drives, she sticks to daytime hours and never goes out on main roads.

But, Pete said, she’s not stuck at home. “We go out at least three days a week, to get her out of the house.

“Whatever she needs, she gets,” he added.

Her sons marvel at their mom’s longevity.

Regina offers a simple explanation for her lengthy life: “If it wasn’t God’s will, I wouldn’t be here.”

At 105, she’s still going strong
Regina Petrone
Born July 3, 1916, in West Hampton on Long Island
Married to John Anthony Petrone, on Oct. 19, 1941  (She’d been married to John for 45 years, when he died on Nov. 22, 1986)
The couple had five sons: Chuck (Dallas, Georgia); Anthony (Anchorage, Alaska); Pete (Land O’ Lakes); Bill (New London, Connecticut); Timothy (deceased)
Regina has seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren

She’s a woman with definite preferences
Favorite foods: “American food. I like ordinary steak and potatoes. Pork chops. Hamburger. American food. Soup.”
Dessert: “I do like lemon meringue pie. And I do like a nice, delicious — it has to be delicious — chocolate cake. It has to be delicious. It can’t be run-of-the-mill.”
Movies: “Movies? I didn’t have a favorite. We didn’t go to movies too much. I was not a movie-goer.”
Music: “My favorite singer was Nat King Cole. I loved him. After him, was Dean Martin. I loved him. Of course, Perry Como.”
Card games: “My favorite is pinochle, but nobody plays pinochle.”

Some facts about 1916, the year Regina was born
The U.S. population was slightly under 102 million
Monet painted his Water Lilies series
A stamp cost 2 cents
Sugar was about 4 cents a pound
The light switch was invented
The Boston Red Sox won the World Series
A house in the U.S. cost about $5,000; a car, $400
The first 40-hour work week officially began
Nathan’s hot-dog-eating competition got its start
Just 6% of Americans were high school graduates
The Eiffel Tower was the world’s tallest building
Just 8% of homes had telephones
Albert Einstein published his theory of relativity (in full mathematical detail)
The National Park Service was born
The Professional Golfers Association began*

Excerpts from a list compiled by Annette and Chuck Petrone, to mark Regina Petrone’s 105th birthday

*Regina told The Laker/Lutz News: “I walked a golf course once and I got freckles. I said, ‘No more.’”

Published August 11, 2021