Being neighboring towns and communities, Land O’ Lakes and Lutz will forever be intertwined in events, interactions, sports, outreach and more. This year, those areas saw a lot of change and happenings coming their way, so we’re taking a look back at some of the important stories that came out of Land O’ Lakes and Lutz in 2023.
Aaron and Andrea Barnes have shared the bond of love, being married for 20 years. However, the Wesley Chapel couple became closer than ever in February, as Andrea donated a kidney to Aaron, who has been dealing with chronic kidney failure (CKF) for decades. It extended and bettered his life, one filled with dialysis sessions three times a week and a year of health deterioration that has taken its toll on the family of five.
As co-owners of Tru U Fitness Studio in Lutz, the couple are hoping the major surgery will improve their lives, which has been filled with many life-and-death scares and medical procedures.
“No, not anymore am I scared,” Aaron told The Laker/Lutz News in January, referring to the impending procedure at the time. “After being in critical condition four times and almost dying four times, I’m not scared anymore.
“At this point, I can’t be scared anymore because this is what I need not to die.” (Mike Camunas)
New schools, it seems, are being announced, and opening, nearly every school year in Pasco County, and in 2023, it was no different.
On the first day of school on Aug. 10, the doors of Angeline Academy of Innovation in Land O’ Lakes were opened, marking Pasco County’s newest school. The $52.7-million, 6-12 magnet school, run by Principal JoAnne Glenn, will focus on technology courses and will also feature athletic teams.
“Literally, since November, I have been completely engrossed with the nitty gritty,” Glenn, who helped open Wharton High in 1997 and Pasco’s eSchool in 2009, told The Laker/Lutz News in August. “It was a lot of fun to look through it all, go over everything, from the equipment, to the teachers we wanted to hire.
“Kids here are going to be solving the world’s problems, I really believe that,” she added. “I’m excited that my teachers, in this setting, will be able to use their time and expertise a little differently than in a traditional setting.”
Additionally, the “town” of Angeline is well underway, with more homes being added to the budding neighborhoods that already have residents in homes. Also, in January 2023, Moffitt and Pasco County officials held the groundbreaking that symbolized the beginning of construction of the complex, including a 100,000-square-foot clinic and a research center sprawling 250,000 square feet, which is slated to open in 2025. (Mike Camunas)
Ukulele Brand’s, the longstanding, lakeside restaurant and bar at 4805 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., reopened on April 18, after a nearly three-month closure.
The restaurant, which has been serving loyal patrons for 25 years, welcomed back crowds and live music while returning to full service and its regular hours.
The popular dining spot sustained extensive damages on the night of Jan. 25, when an SUV and food truck plowed into an exterior wall, leaving a large hole, knocking into kitchen equipment and essentially forcing the business to shut down.
The incident required the restaurant to turn off the power, which resulted in food spoiling. It also needed to shutter its doors, while repairs were made.
“How no one died — I don’t know. No clue,” Ukuleke’s manager Jennifer Fischer told The Laker/Lutz News in February. “Our dishwasher flew 10 to 15 feet into my kitchen area, where there were staff members — it was horrible. When I watched the video, my heart was in my throat, and I don’t know how it wasn’t worse.”
During the closure, the community demonstrated an outpouring of support during a Feb. 18 support-the-staff fundraiser organized by local businesses and the Rotary Club of Land O’ Lakes.
The more than $20,000 raised went to help the temporarily unemployed 42 employees of Ukulele Brand’s. (Mike Camunas)
Coming with high anticipation and much fanfare, PopStroke Tampa, a new 36-hole, state-of-the-art, putt-putt experience with its courses designed by Tiger Woods, opened on Feb. 17, bringing with it hundreds of locals ready to try the new attraction.
The golfing venue, at 25297 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz, features an outdoor dining area with a full menu and craft beer, wine and signature cocktails. It also has an ice cream parlor, outdoor game area and a playground.
PopStroke’s two courses — Tiger Black and Tiger Red — were designed by TGR Design, a golf course design company owned by golf legend Tiger Woods.
“It’s been a long journey to getting here in Pasco County,” PopStroke founder and co-owner Greg Bartoli said at the grand opening. “We first discovered this site (near the intersection of State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard) about three years ago, and we have been welcomed with open arms from the Pasco community.
“I spend a lot of time in Tampa, as my kids play youth sports here all the time,” he added. “So, I know the facilities and communities here are second to none, and that’s what put this place on the market for a PopStroke.” (Mike Camunas)
After more than two years of reconstruction, U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes has more, much-needed lanes.
In early October, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) removed barrels and opened its new lanes on U.S. 41, or Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, beginning at Connerton Boulevard and heading north to State Road 52.
Now, U.S. 41 is a four-lane divided highway from Ehren Cutoff and ending at State Road 52.
The $16.9-million project began March 12, 2021 and added nearly three miles of new lanes past northern Land O’ Lakes subdivisions such as Tierra Del Sol and Asbel, and AdventHealth Connerton. The project also included drainage improvements and roadway signage and markings.
The new four-lane U.S. 41 will come in handy, as the county and FDOT readies to extend the Ridge Road Extension even further, bringing it from Sunlake Boulevard to U.S. 41 and Connerton Boulevard.
That project, which is Phase 2 of the Ridge Road extension, is slated for completion in late 2025.
As for State Road 52, the widening to a six-lane divided highway from the Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41 and approximately one-mile total of widening on U.S. 41 approaching the State Road 52 intersection in each direction is still underway. According to the FDOT website, completion on that $49.9-million project is tentatively set for early 2024. (Mike Camunas)
Boy Scout Troop 12 celebrated its 90th anniversary of camping, pine car racing, merit badge collecting, as well as community service projects and turning boys into men and men into leaders. According to former Scoutmaster and Troop Historian Paul Evans, the troop has had an uninterrupted charter since it was formed in 1933 and has produced dozens of Eagle Scouts, including the first: Ralph Combs in 1939.
“You can’t look around Lutz without seeing (an Eagle Scout project), and, of course, we always look at places close to us (for projects), from the K-8 School to the Old School House,” Troop 12 Scoutmaster Doug Tibbett told The Laker/Lutz News in September. “Those projects, they’re great, because they’re a part of Lutz and always will be.” (Mike Camunas)
