The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kelli Carmack

Taco festival offers flavorful fun

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Hundreds of people turned out recently for the Taco Festival at the Grove at Wesley Chapel.

The festival, held Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, gave event-goers the opportunity to listen to live music, taste mouthwatering tacos and drink refreshing beverages, such as margaritas and mojitos.

Homemade salsa and authentic Cuban cigars were available for purchase, and those attending could sample different types of tequila.

Food and drink were the highlight of the festival, but there were lots of fun, kid-friendly activities, such as hot air balloon rides, rock climbing, festival games and bounce houses.

Tomas Alzamora wears a taco-shaped hat and island-themed shirt — embracing the spirit of the day at the Taco Festival at the Grove at Wesley Chapel. (Kelli Carmack)
Orlando resident Gary Pherai, also known as the ‘Island Boy,’ prepares authentic coconut drinks for thirsty patrons at the Wesley Chapel Taco Festival. Pherai travels all over the country with his coconut business. ‘Thankfully I still have these,’ he says with a laugh — referring to his hands, while he holds a very sharp knife.
Bill, Adam, Savannah and Telicia Schroeder of Wesley Chapel strike a pose at the Taco Festival held at the Grove at Wesley Chapel.

CareerSource Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Libraries to hold Virtual Employability Skills Workshops

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CareerSource Tampa Bay (CSTB) and Hillsborough County Libraries are teaming up to hold Virtual Employability Skills workshops. The virtual workshops will be held on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 from 11:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. with four different employability sessions.

The workshop will feature four speakers who will hold 20-minute workshops on the various topics:
  • Modern Day Job Search for Mature Workers
  • Interview Preparation
  • Leveling Up Your LinkedIn Profile for Job Seekers
  • Navigating Employ Florida
Anyone interested in attending this virtual workshop can register by clicking on this link: https://www.careersourcetampabay.com/workshop

Pasco Announces Major Changes to School Meal Program

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Due to changes in the rules governing the federal school lunch program, Pasco Schools is making it easier than ever for students – and children 18 and under – to receive free meals.

Starting on Monday, September 14, students who attend class on campus will still be able to get meals in the school cafeteria, and now those meals will be free. Also starting on Monday, September 14, students who attend school remotely will still be able to receive school meals on a drive-through basis. Those meals also will be free.

Here’s how the program will work for students who are learning remotely through mySchool Online or Pasco eSchool:

    • Monday, September 14 through Thursday, September 17, the daily drive-through meal distribution will continue at the designated site time – and meals will now be free. Designated locations and times are listed here.
    • On Friday, September 18, the school district will serve a week’s worth of meals (breakfast and lunch) curbside to mySchool Online students, quarantined students, and children in the community 18 years and under. That includes Pasco e-School students. Pasco Schools will keep the same times already established for curbside feeding. Curbside meal distribution will continue once a week on Fridays.
    • Pasco Schools encourages families intending to participate curbside to complete the Meal Reservation Form so they can be best prepared for curbside participation. Parent/guardians no longer have to go to their child’s school; they can pick up meals from the site that is most convenient.

For more information on Pasco’s school meal programs, visit the Food and Nutrition Services web page at: https://connectplus.pasco.k12.fl.us/do/fns/

Movie-goers share laughter, and a sense of normalcy

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Floodgates Church hosted a drive-in theater night on Aug. 15 at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park. “We wanted to give some love and outreach to our community, and give people who have been cooped up in their homes a chance to get out,” said Pastor Kenton Brake, who leads the Lutz church. Families of all ages came out to watch the film.

Cannan Allen and his sister, Hayley, grab front row seats and settle in to watch the movie, ‘Up.’ (Kelli Carmack)

 

COVID-19 pandemic revives drive-in movie theaters

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While 2020 is becoming known as the year of COVID-19, it also is being associated with a revival in the popularity of drive-ins.

Once a mainstay of entertainment for families, couples and friends, drive-in theaters have mostly fallen by the wayside over the years.

The Allen family, of Lutz, including, from left, Joshua, Hayley, Cannan and Taylor, enjoyed watching a movie together at pop-up drive-in at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park. (Kelli Carmack)

But, Joy-Lan Drive-in and Swap Shop, in Dade City, has held on.

For nearly 70 years, it has given locals a chance to watch outdoor movies on a giant screen.

“Drive-ins are so fun because each one you go to is very different… It’s a unique experience for everyone who goes,” said Chip Sawyer, president of Sun South Theaters, which owns Joy-Lan, and Silver Moon Drive-In, in Lakeland.

Sawyer, a drive-in enthusiast, took over the business in 2017, after his grandfather Harold Spears — the original owner — passed away.

From left: Paige Atkinson, Nicholas Hazivasilis, Delaney Young, Matthew Hazivasilis and Makayla Legrand like getting together at the Joy-Lan Drive-In, in Dade City.

He’s thrilled to see so many people coming out to drive-ins.

Joy-Lan Drive-In, which is Pasco County’s last remaining drive-in theater, presents a slice of nostalgia. Music from the ’50s plays, as movie-goers pull into the lot and get ready to view the film.

Paige Atkinson, one of those patrons, has been watching movies at Joy-Lan for years.

“It’s a nice get together for my big group of family and friends,” Atkinson said. “Plus, you get to stay in the comfort of your own car and bring whatever you want.”

Families can bring snacks, spread out on blankets or settle into their lawn chairs — to escape to the world of the movies, under a starry sky.

While Joy-Lan is maintaining a long-held tradition, other drive-in movie options have popped up during the pandemic.

The drive-in movie screenings at the Walmart Supercenter in Wesley Chapel were ‘sold-out’ for two nights in a row. Registration was free, but the store capped the number of vehicles allowed to attend the event. The screenings on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19 were part of Walmart’s traveling tour to bring drive-ins to over 160 Walmart Supercenters nationwide.

Walmart is conducting a nationwide traveling drive-in theater tour to 160 Walmart Supercenters.

The tour included a stop at the Walmart Supercenter in Wesley Chapel on the nights of Aug. 18 and Aug. 19 to screen the movies “Spy Kids” and “Selena.”

The movies were free, but required guests to register, and the store capped attendance.

To keep people safe, Walmart strictly enforced social-distance guidelines, social-distanced parking spaces, and required those attending to remain inside their vehicles.

At another local venue, Floodgates Church hosted a drive-in theater night on Aug. 15 at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park.

Tom and Lisa McConnell, teachers at River Ridge High School, had a fun date night at Joy-Lan. Besides celebrating Lisa’s birthday, they scratched an item off their bucket list: They’d been wanting to come to Joy-Lan for several summers.

“We wanted to give some love and outreach to our community, and give people who have been cooped up in their homes a chance to get out,” said Pastor Kenton Brake, who leads the Lutz church.

Families of all ages came out to watch the Disney film “Up.”

Whether sitting in their cars, on the roof of their vehicles, or spread out on the grass with their dogs — the event had a communal feel, as movie-goers shared laughter and experienced a sense of normalcy — during the midst of a global pandemic.

The pastor said the church team wasn’t sure what to expect, so it was greatly encouraging, when they saw the parade of cars that arrived.

“All the positive comments we got that night was very rewarding,” Brake said.

Will the movies ever be the same?
When the pandemic forced movie theaters to go dark in March, it was unclear when — or if — they would reopen. AMC Theatres reported a $2.17 billion loss in the first quarter, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The national movie chain began reopening on Aug. 20, charging patrons 15 cents, for that one day only. It remains to be seen whether movie-goers will return in vast numbers, or if concerns about potential spread of COVID-19 keep them away.

Joy-Lan Drive-in and Swap Shop, offers outdoor movies that attract families, couples and groups of friends.
Where: 16414 U.S. 301, Dade City
When: Screenings are Wednesday through Sunday, with the first movie starting at 8:30 p.m.
Cost: Tickets are $6 for adults, and $2 for kids ages 4 through 9, and are good for two screenings.
Info: JoyLanDriveIn.com

Published September 02, 2020

Rockin’ a good time at music festival

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Families attending the recent Country Music Festival at The Grove at Wesley Chapel, had plenty of options for fun.

The two-day festival, held Aug. 22 and Aug. 23, offered a chance to do line dancing, go for a ride in a hot air balloon, do some rock climbing, jump around in bounce houses, pet some animals, do some shopping, play some games and grab a bite to eat.

And, of course, there was the music.

Country singers Angie Rey, Kelsey Lamb and Samantha Leigh entertained the crowd with their renditions of some classic country hits.

Kelly Gorgon-Snyder, owner of Mama G’s Pierogi, poses for a photo with Celine McPherson and her dog, Kaia.
Ali Trull rocks a custom vest from her family’s upcycling fashion company, Treasure Trulls. The company was among the vendors at the music festival. (Kelli Carmack)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Live music, of course, was the main attraction at the Country Music Festival, held at The Grove at Wesley Chapel. Performer Samantha Leigh, shown here, was among those sharing her talents.
You could step right up — and try to win yourself a prize, at the Country Music Festival, Aug. 22 and Aug. 23, at The Grove at Wesley Chapel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Festival-goers could purchase live crabs, or at least get a good look at one.
Families had plenty of choices for fun activities at the Country Music Festival, including bouncy houses, game booths, ax throwing, rock climbing and shopping.

Pasco Schools Launches Daily Tally of COVID-19 Cases

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Due to the tremendous public interest in COVID-19 in schools, the Pasco County School system has created a process that will enable them to provide a daily tally that will be posted to their website between 4:30 and 5 p.m. each school day.
The COVID-19 Latest Numbers will appear on their News page (http://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/news).
The COVID-19 Latest Numbers will include:
-The number of positive cases for students, along with the name of the school, and the date we were informed of the positive test result.
-The number of positive cases for staff, along with the name of the school, and the date we were informed of the positive test result.

Infinite HD — Experienced Home Remodeling

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Rob Howard got his start in the flooring business 35 years ago as a teenager, when he was working at a grocery store and his manager asked if he could finish the store’s floors when a contractor failed to show.

Rob agreed to help, discovered that he enjoyed the work, and has been in the flooring business ever since.

Over the years, Rob has expanded his skills to include painting, tile work and other skills needed for home improvements, and today works in both remodeling/restorations and new construction.

Experienced partners at Infinite HD, Jarred Howard (left), Rob Howard and David Rodriguez.

In 2014, Rob added new partners — his son, Jarred Howard, and longtime colleague David Rodriguez. The men named their new business Infinite Home Designs, which they abbreviated to Infinite HD.

Infinite HD has grown into a full-service home repair and installation company, with a focus on bathroom and kitchen remodeling, as well as flooring.

A recent trend that Rob has observed is that many people are calling about back porch installations.

“It makes sense. Many people who are working from home want a relaxing spot to unwind. Plus, with Florida’s abundant mosquitoes and gnats, having a back porch makes your home’s outdoor experience much more enjoyable,” said Rob.

Home repair shows, such as “Fixer Upper,” often inspire people to do their own home repairs, but David Rodriguez stresses the importance of hiring a licensed professional for most home repair needs.

“We have a saying in the business — ‘Cheap labor isn’t skilled, and skilled labor isn’t cheap,’” said David. “It truly matters who you hire.”

Infinite HD has seen its share of cases where people try to do their own home repairs, or hire unqualified people, and end up having Infinite HD finish the job.

“Those clients end up spending more money, time and stress by trying to do it on their own,” said David.

Infinite HD recently moved its office to Odessa to keep up with the company’s growth. The location is convenient to its customer base in Hillsborough and Pasco counties. Rob is excited to watch his company continue to grow and expand.

Infinite HD continues to operate as a family business, which Rob is reminded of every time he steps into the office, because his grandchildren helped install its floor. Having both his son, Jarred, and daughter, Janann, work for him is something Rob deeply treasures – a sentiment his son, Jarred, shares.

“It’s always nice to make those memories with my dad,” said Jarred.

For more information, or to book a free estimate with Infinite HD, call (813) 309-5211.

Published August 26, 2020