It’s the kind of heroic scene that movies try to capture, but can never quite get right.
Baldomero Lopez is a name many residents might be familiar with locally, thanks to the veterans nursing home just off Ehren Cutoff. Reporter Michael Murillo, however, shares a lot more about the man behind the name in his regular history column, Presenting the Past.
There, we learn about Lopez, a first lieutenant with the U.S. Marine Corps, who worked directly under Gen. Douglas MacArthur in efforts to recapture the South Korean capital of Seoul. A photographer caught some of the final moments of his life at the Battle of Inchon, when he led the 3rd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines over the seawall at Red Beach — literally scaling the wall.
The moments after on that fateful day on Sept. 15, 1950, would be remembered fondly by history, where he would sacrifice his life to save his men. And it’s a story you don’t want to miss in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, which you can find on newsstands now, or you can read online by clicking here.
Pasco County has taken a hard stance when it comes to signs for businesses, but one type of sign they have overlooked a bit are loose, flag-like banners known as “feather signs.”
But not anymore. County commissioners were set last week to prohibit the temporary signs, especially after they started to dominate the landscape along major thoroughfares like U.S. 41. However, commissioners have agreed to hold off a bit, because homebuilders need something to grab the attention of motorists into their communities, and feather signs have been the way to go.
“We’re hoping that you’ll allow us to put together a policy that provides us a pathway for compliance,” said Jennifer Doerfel, executive vice president of the Tampa Bay Builders Association, which represents homebuilders locally. “We do not want to see blight, and we certainly don’t want to see tattered signs, and we’re part of this community, too. We want to make sure this looks great, because that’s what attracts buyers to our homes.”
Builders have worked with other communities to find a good balance between good advertising and eliminating blight, Doerfel said, and there’s hope that they can find that balance in Pasco as well.
Why are the signs so important to developers? Find out in reporter Michael Hinman’s story in the print edition of this week’s The Laker. Or you can read it online right now by clicking here.
The recent death of poet Maya Angelou hit many people who enjoyed her work over the decades quite hard, and Janet Watson of Wesley Chapel is no exception.
The local poet says she’ll miss the moving words Angelou put to paper, but expects her work will inspire artists for many years — and generations — to come.
“I’m so pleased that the world has paused for a moment to realize that poetry has value, and to mourn the passing of a great poet,” Watson recently told reporter B.C. Manion.
Watson does not want young people to miss out on the chance to have their own poetry recognized at the state level, and is working to spread news about one competition she feels ever aspiring creative writer should consider.
To find out about it, pick up this week’s The Laker, or read all about Watson and her work in our free online edition by clicking here.
All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.
If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.
