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Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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University Mall

COVID-19 vaccinations in high demand

January 12, 2021 By B.C. Manion

As the number of positive COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise, frustration is mounting among people eager to get vaccinated to protect themselves from the deadly virus.

So far, demand for vaccines is outpacing supply in both Pasco and Hillsborough counties — and when tickets are available to receive a vaccine, they are quickly snapped up.

Land O’ Lakes resident Jeff Cordover said he was finally able to get through, and he and his wife, Judy, were able to get their first dose of the vaccine.

Once there, the process went smoothly, Cordover said.

“The wait wasn’t bad. We had a 3 o’clock appointment, and we maybe waited 20 minutes or so,” Cordover said.

But his wife, Judy, said improvements are needed to make it less confusing to register for a vaccine.

“Getting the vaccine wasn’t the problem. The problem was getting into the computer to get the registration to get the vaccine,” she said.

The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County is offering vaccinations by appointment only to those age 65 and older.

Registering for the vaccine must be done through the department’s website.

Those wishing to obtain a vaccine are encouraged to check the website frequently for updates of when new registrations are being accepted. The sign-ups are based on vaccine supplies.

No new registrations were being accepted on the morning of Jan. 11.

Pasco County residence is not required, but snowbirds must remain in Pasco County for their second round — which is 28 days after the first appointment, the website says.

The health department’s current drive-thru vaccination clinic is at Sears in the Gulfview Square Mall, at 9409 U.S. 19 in Port Richey. However, efforts are underway to add a site in East Pasco, according to the health department.

To find out specifics for registering for a vaccine, check the website’s section on frequently asked questions.

Also, keep checking the website to find out if more vaccines have become available and more registrations are being accepted. The website is Pasco.FloridaHealth.gov.

Registration for vaccinations is free.

Pasco health department officials have issued a warning to make sure that people sign up on Eventbrite, using the link from the health department’s website.  Someone has set up a fake account, in an attempt to scam people, the website says.

Hillsborough County, in partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, will begin a second round of COVID-19 vaccinations this week for residents age 65 and older. Hillsborough has allocated 9,000 doses of the vaccine to be administered at three distribution sites from Jan. 13 through Jan. 15.

Appointments will be scheduled online by CDR HealthPro™ portal and by phone on Jan. 12. Residents age 65 and older can only make their appointments during the designated time frame specific to their age group.

Residents can visit HCFLGov.net/vaccine for additional information and updates.

Hillsborough has been using four distribution sites.

The two closest to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area are at: Ed Radice Sports Complex, 14720 Ed Radice Drive in Tampa, and at the University Mall parking lot, 2200 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa.

While vaccination efforts continue, concerns are rising over the increased spread of COVID-19, and the rising number of deaths.

The Washington Post reported last week that the United States had marked another milestone in the pandemic, recording more than 4,000 deaths in a single day. It also reported that research suggested that people who have no symptoms transmit more than half of cases of COVID-19.

CNN, reporting data from Johns Hopkins University, said it took about 90 days for the United States to reach its first 2 million cases of coronavirus in 2020; this year, it took just 10 days to hit 2.2 million cases.

While Americans were warned about avoiding indoor gatherings, officials said they did just the opposite during the holidays — gathering with friends or extended family, which has resulted in packed hospitals across the country, according to CNN’s report.

COVID statistics, available as of Jan. 11, 10:30 a.m.

United States: Positive cases – 22,102,069; deaths – 371,084
Florida: Total cases: 1,477,010; including positive residents, 1,450,620; Florida resident deaths, 22,912; non-resident deaths, 349
Pasco County: 24,712 positive residents; 230 positive non-residents; 406 deaths
Hillsborough County: 85,784 positive residents; 725 positive non-residents; 1,121 deaths
Pasco County Schools: 1,067 student cases (13,251 students impacted); 506 staff cases (1,153 employees impacted)
Hillsborough County Schools: 3,341 positive cases, including 1,265 employees and 2,076 students.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Florida Department of Health; Pasco County Schools and Hillsborough County Schools.

Published January 13, 2021

Filed Under: Health, Local News Tagged With: CDR HealthPro, COVID-19, East Fowler Avenue, Ed Radice Drive, Ed Radice Sports Complex, Florida Department of Health, Gulfview Square Mall, Jeff Cordover, Johns Hopkins University, Judy Cordover, Port Richey, Sears, The Washington Post, U.S. 19, University Mall

Tree house tutoring blossoms in nature

June 22, 2017 By Kathy Steele

Teaching is not a profession that Sarah Christiansen expected to pursue.

As a child growing up in the Virgin Islands, she hated going to school.

“I had a difficult time listening and writing. I struggled with comprehension.”

She couldn’t picture herself as a teacher.

Times change.

Christiansen, these days, lives in rural Pasco County where she tutors students – usually working with them on mathematics – inside a tree house in her backyard.

Sarah Christiansen, left, owner of Yes You Can Tutoring service, enjoys a moment with former student, Alexis Sandoval, outside Christiansen’s tree house. (Kathy Steele)

A few yards away, a second tree house is nearing completion.

The treehouses are taking her Yes You Can Tutoring service down a new path.

For nearly 10 years, she has taught in her home, at 13050 Curley Road, near Dade City.

Students could enjoy window views of the woodlands and open spaces, and sometimes a walk in the woods for a timely break in studies.

Christiansen now is moving students even closer to nature.

“There’s something about a tree house that everybody loves,” she said. “You’re right in with nature. It’s a really nice feeling.”

Research has found there is a link between nature and learning, she said.

“Environment plays a key part in the learning process,” the tutor said. “Nature reduces mental fatigue. I know it did for me.”

In addition to one-on-one tutoring sessions, the tree house will be the setting for a summer math retreat for girls in July.

It’s her third summer camp, but the first all-girls camp.

There is a stereotype that women don’t do well in math, Christiansen said.

“It saddens me,” she said. “We have to empower our girls. I just want to let them know they can do this.”

The tree house in her backyard is life coming full circle.

Traditional schools and home-schooling were never the right fit for her in St. Croix. But, as a teenager, she connected with her teachers at an alternative school with outdoor classrooms, in gazebos.

Sarah Christiansen tutors students inside a tree house in her backyard.

Teachers usually instructed only five or six students. The largest class size was about 15 students, Christiansen recalled.

“I loved the outdoors,” she said. “I was able to excel.”

She earned her high school diploma, and went to the University of Virgin Islands for two years. Her father, who taught marine biology, insisted she was meant to be a teacher. She didn’t agree.

Her life path included marriage, family and a home-based business as a clothes designer of sarongs. At one time, she had a kiosk at University Mall.

A life-changing event turned her life around.

Her son was diagnosed as borderline ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). She zeroed in on how to help him. She researched and studied the disorder, and then decided it was time to go back to school.

Christiansen enrolled in Saint Leo University in 2000, setting a goal of becoming a special education teacher. She worked in the Pasco County school system for nearly nine years.

Then, she returned to St. Croix to care for her father until his death.

While there, she taught at a small private school.

She was expected to teach subjects she wasn’t familiar with – health for one. And, administrators also tossed in drama.

“Because they said you’re dramatic,” Christiansen said. “I could sink or swim.”

She swam, and relied on some advice from her father.

“He told me always be kind to every child. You never know their background or what’s going on in their home.

“He treated every child with respect,” she said.

Back home in Pasco, Christiansen decided against going back into public schools. She wanted to do private tutoring.

Her attitude was: “Okay, God, I’m going to put this in your hands.”

“It was kind of a gamble,” she said.

Alexis Sandoval is one of her student successes.

She came to Yes You Can as a high school student before the tree house was built.

Sandoval appreciated the quiet rural setting of Christiansen’s home.

“I was failing, and I wasn’t going to graduate,” said Sandoval.

She gained confidence with one-on-one tutoring, and learned “to think for myself,” she said.

Today, she is at Pasco-Hernando State College where she makes A and B grades. “I was never like that in high school,” she said.

Long-range, Sandoval plans to open a restaurant.

Her older sister Karissa Sandoval, 25, also received tutoring from Christiansen after failing repeatedly to pass the reading portion of the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test). It is a requirement to earn a high school diploma.

She has since passed the test, and is in school now to become a nurse, Christiansen said.

Helping children find direction and purpose is part of the tutoring process, she added.

“We’re put here on this Earth for a reason,” Christiansen said. “You have to have a purpose, what you’re meant to do.”

For more information, visit YesYouCanTutoring.com, or call (352) 585-6327.

Published June 21, 2017

Filed Under: Local News, People Profiles, Zephyrhills/East Pasco News Tagged With: Alexis Sandoval, Curley Road, Dade City, FCAT, Karissa Sandoval, Pasco-Hernando State College, Saint Leo University, Sarah Christiansen, University Mall, University of Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands, Yes You Can Tutoring

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April 20, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

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What’s Happening

04/21/2021 – Democratic Club

The Central Pasco Democratic Club will meet on April 21, via Zoom, to discuss voting rights and current legislative issues. Socializing starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:45 p.m. For information, email , or call 813-383-8315. … [Read More...] about 04/21/2021 – Democratic Club

04/21/2021 – Financial wellness

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will present “Strategies for Short-Term Financial Wellness” on April 21 at 6:30 p.m., for adults. Participants can learn tips and information for building emergency funds, managing debt and increasing cash flow. Registration is through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. … [Read More...] about 04/21/2021 – Financial wellness

04/22/2021 – Coalition meeting

The University Area CDC Partners Coalition’s second quarter meeting presentation will be available on the University Area CDC’s  YouTube channel starting April 22 at 9 a.m. Viewers can learn about programs and initiatives happening in the uptown/University area. The presentation includes “Community Investment/Uptown Sky”; a panel conversation in juvenile and criminal justice; and “Small Biz = Big Impact.” For information, visit UACDC.org. … [Read More...] about 04/22/2021 – Coalition meeting

04/22/2021 – Virtual Earth Day

UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension will host a Virtual Earth Day Celebration on April 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. Educational sessions, with guest speakers, will include: Composting, gardening, getting outside, water conservation, forest services and recycling. To register, visit bit.ly/registrationpascoearthday. To join in on April 22, visit bit.ly/zoom2021earthday. … [Read More...] about 04/22/2021 – Virtual Earth Day

04/23/2021 – Improv Night

Live Oak Theatre will present an Improv Night on April 23 at 7:30 p.m., at the Carol & Frank Morsani Center, 21030 Cortez Blvd., in Brooksville. The family friendly event will feature the Conservatory’s Improv Troupe with games, skits and actor’s choices inspired by the audience. Doors open at 7 p.m. Seats are $10 per person in advance and $15 at the door. For information and tickets, visit LiveOakTheatre.org, call 352-593-0027, or email . … [Read More...] about 04/23/2021 – Improv Night

04/24/2021 – Butterfly release

Cindy’s Secret Place, 34953 Blanton Road in Dade City, will host a Butterfly Release on April 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the release at 1 p.m. (cost is $5). The event will include raffles, a plant sale, vendors and butterfly houses. Guests can bring chairs and blankets. For information, call 352-457-4030 or 352-424-4972. … [Read More...] about 04/24/2021 – Butterfly release

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