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The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

       

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In Print: This is not your typical Amazon summertime excursion

October 8, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Missionary work, especially the kind that takes you around the world, is very important. And that could include all kinds of jobs — educators, builders, doctors, you name it.

But what about hairstylists?

Mayra Santiago enlisted the help of fellow church member Mahalie Rivera to cut hair during a mission trip to a small Amazon village in Colombia. (Courtesy of Mayra Santiago)
Mayra Santiago enlisted the help of fellow church member Mahalie Rivera to cut hair during a mission trip to a small Amazon village in Colombia. (Courtesy of Mayra Santiago)

Mayra Santiago helps many customers at Ulta Beauty at The Grove at Wesley Chapel. But this past summer, she traveled to Colombia, where the 43-year-old made sure the people living in the Amazon had the best haircuts Florida can offer.

“I never, never, never in my life expected to cut hair in the Amazon,” Santiago told reporter B.C. Manion.

Santiago made the trip with her church, Vida Community Church, which is temporarily based in Land O’ Lakes, but draws from the region. It’s a bilingual congregation led by pastors Dwight and Lizania Miranda, which has a heart for missions.

Just like how Santiago has a heart for cutting hair. “It’s my passion,” she said.

What was the trip like? What kind of stories did Santiago bring back? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available on newsstands now. Or if you prefer the digital age, you can get our online e-edition absolutely free by clicking here.

The Sunlake Seahawks volleyball team is poised to accomplish no other volleyball team has accomplished at the school before: Make the playoffs.

Coach Deann Newton has led her team to its second year in a row with a winning record. And while the 16-10 mark last year caused them to just miss the postseason, Sunlake’s 14-4 record through last Friday may end up with a far different result.

“Before, it wasn’t as serious,” junior Gianna Basulto told reporter Michael Murillo. “But when Coach Newton showed up, it was like game on. This is how we’re going to do it. She was very straight-forward, and I love that about her because that’s the type of coach that I and the whole team need.”

So what does the future hold for the Sunlake Seahawks this season? Find out in the print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, or you can read it on your computer or tablet device by clicking here.

Finally, Dave Estabrook spent 35 years helping to mold minds and lead education programs in the Land O’ Lakes area. Now the retired principal is being honored by one of his former schools when Charles S. Rushe Middle School names its media center after him.

David Salerno, who succeeded Estabrook as principal of the school, said naming the media center after him made sense, because it completely matched Estabrook’s leadership style.

“Immediately, I observed a leader who made it his mission to seek input from many stakeholders — as many stakeholders as possible — when making decisions,” Salerno said. “Not only that, he specifically sought out people that he thought might have a different point of view. He believed in the importance of considering all aspects of problems before recommending a solution.”

And the praise didn’t stop there. Read it all in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, or get a peek at what it looks like coming from the digital realm 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.

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