The Laker/Lutz News

Olivia Jenkins

Celebrating some of life’s big moments

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If ever there was a time when joy was needed, 2020 was the year.

Here’s a look, in condensed form, at some of the stories revealing big moments and happy times in The Laker/Lutz News region, during the year that was.

(File)

Soaring into the wild blue yonder
Olivia Jenkins flew her first solo flight from Tampa North Flight Center in Lutz, aboard a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, on Sept. 23. In doing so, she achieved a personal goal to fly solo before even getting a license to drive a car. She intends to get her private pilot’s license when she turns 17, on Feb. 10. She has big plans after that, too. She will seek a congressional nomination to a military service academy, and one day hopes to fly for the U.S. Air Force or perhaps to fly helicopters for the Army.

Superheroes give boy an epic parade
David Castle — an 8-year who loves superheroes, WWE, Fortnight, motorcycles, fast cars and

fishing — had a very special Halloween when hundreds of people joined in to put on an epic parade for him. Superheroes dropped by and bikers threw up smoke, giving David a day to get his mind off cancer and just enjoy being a kid. He’s had a hard battle — but on this particular day, he was surrounded by people who wanted to make him happy, and they did.

Making birthdays happy, despite COVID-19
When Kynlee Kuberski wasn’t able to celebrate her 11th birthday at Universal Studios, her mom, Jessi, took to social media inviting people to drive by to wish her a happy, socially distanced birthday. People responded, making the day a treat for Kynlee, who lives in Connerton. Kynlee, center, reacts as a Pasco County Fire Rescue truck drives by — adding to the fun. Her mother, Jessi, stands to her left, and her older sister, Kalyn, is on her right.

 

When original plans for Evelyn “Ev” Furman’s 99th birthday were canceled, her daughter came up with Plan B.
The plans were all set. Furman’s family planned to travel to Land O’ Lakes and to take her to the Rusty Pelican to celebrate her 99th birthday.
A birthday lunch with friends was planned, too.
Neither happened, thanks to COVID-19.
Instead, her daughter, Debbie Storts organized a party — inviting people to drive, walk or bicycle by the house to help Ev celebrate.
Storts used a 6-foot tray to hand out cupcakes. Those bringing gifts left them at the edge of the driveway, where they were collected and sanitized, before being delivered to the Birthday Girl.
Although the original plans fell through, Ev didn’t mind.
“It was the best party I ever had,” she said.

 

The Rev. Harold Thomas, and his wife, Bermice, enjoy lunch, during the “Birthday King’s” surprise birthday party.
Members of St. John Missionary Baptist Church, in Dade City, wanted to do something special for the Rev. Harold Thomas, who was turning 85.
So, they threw him a surprise celebration, complete with a drive-by parade with police sirens, and a luncheon with social distancing.
The finishing touches were a red robe and crown, for the “Birthday King.”
The pastor has led the church for 37 years.

 

Faithful woman has a national role
Michele Bowman, who lives in Zephyrhills, has achieved something attained by only three other Floridians in 117 years. She’s been elected as one of nine national directors for the Catholic Daughters of America.
The organization promotes spiritual growth, charitable giving, community service and sisterhood.
She wants to expand the membership and to attract younger members.
“It’s a problem when your membership starts to age out” she said, in a Laker/Lutz News interview. “We may have to change the way we approach things, and I’d like to have a voice in this because I believe it’s a big issue. We should be proactive.”

 

Gesture honors a Marine’s service
Otis Felder, a retired U.S. Marine, was already having a pretty good Veterans Day — even before he made his daily trek to the dog park at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, off Collier Parkway. But when he arrived, it got even better. That’s when he was surprised by a new bench at the park, which his friends had dedicated to him. ‘Holy mackerel,’ the 84-year-old said, when he saw the bench. ‘I never expected anything like that.’

 

 

Military veteran Francis Xavier O’Connell salutes the flag during a ceremony in his honor.

Venue changes, but dignity preserved
A date had been set to honor Francis Xavier O’Connell — a decorated military veteran and a former prisoner of war — during the legislative session in Tallahassee, but that couldn’t occur because of COVID-19.
So, new plans were made to provide a socially distanced ceremony at Angels Senior Living at the Lodges of Idlewild, in Lutz, where O’Connell lives.
Because of the COVID-19 lockdown, he had to watch the ceremony through glass doors, as it was performed outside.
O’Connell’s niece, Carolyn Matthews, who was involved in arranging the tribute, said members of two veterans groups stepped forward to help create a meaningful and dignified event.

 

 

First Day, learning in-person
Beyond requirements for masks, social distancing and frequent hand-washing, the first day of school in the 2020-2021 school year will stand out for Principal Tim Light for another reason, too. It was his first ‘First Day’ leading Cypress Creek Middle School in its newly opened home on Old Pasco Road. He’d been planning for the day for months, and he was ready. ‘I’m very excited,’ Light said. ‘Honestly, I never thought this day was going to get here.’

First Day, learning remotely
Five-year-old Brooklyn Holtzman, of Land O’ Lakes, had her first day of kindergarten at home — learning remotely through Pasco County Schools’ MySchool Online. She’s enrolled at Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School. She even had a special hat for the day.

 

Celebrating the Lightning’s Stanley Cup
The Tampa Bay Lightning injected joy and excitement in the midst of a global pandemic by defeating the Dallas Stars, to bring home the Stanley Cup.
Amelie Arena was open for a limited number of spectators and outdoor watch parties were socially distanced. Spectators wore masks. (They’re not masked up in the photo, but once the picture was taken they put their masks back on.)
When the Lightning won the cup, euphoria erupted.
Mary, David and Kimberly Eberhard are loyal Lightning fans.
When she’s not cheering on the Lightning, Mary’s financial acumen helps keep The Laker/Lutz News running smoothly.

She has lofty goals, and the will to achieve them

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After a lifetime of preparation, Olivia Jenkins was ready to fly.

She boarded a Cessna 172 Skyhawk — and her instructor stayed on the ground.

She took off from Tampa North Flight Center in Lutz on Sept. 23 and flew her pattern, soaring to 1,000 feet, then she touched down flawlessly to begin a run of three landings.

Olivia Jenkins stands near a plane at the North Tampa Flight Center in Lutz. (Courtesy of Olivia Jenkins)

Her quirky goal was complete.

“I flew a plane solo before I drove a car solo,’’ she explained.

Jenkins, 16, has many more goals in mind (including getting her driver’s license — one day). On her birthday — Feb. 10 — she intends to take her last check ride and finalize her private pilot’s license. Then she can fly without restrictions and even take some passengers aboard.

She’s a member of Mitchell High School’s Navy ROTC program and will seek a congressional nomination to a military service academy. One day, she hopes to fly for the U.S. Air Force or perhaps fly helicopters for the Army.

“I would not put anything past Olivia,’’ said Robert Crews, her flight instructor. “For a 16-year-old, she approaches it so professionally. When you ask her to do something, she does it and she understands it.

“You know how 16-year-olds are? They say, ‘Yeah, I got it, I got it.’ Then they don’t have it. When Olivia says she’s got it, she’s got it.”

Jenkins, whose family lives in Trinity, has a 3.9 grade-point average. She has honed her skills and training through the North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary unit of the U.S. Air Force. As a cadet commander, she has taken advantage of the opportunity to participate in orientation flights, where cadets fly with instructors and take the controls themselves, while soaking up knowledge.

“Beyond the flight experience, the Civil Air Patrol has allowed Olivia to build a lot of character and leadership skills, as she has progressed through the ranks,’’ said Rich Jenkins, her father. “I think it has all shown her raw ambition. Whenever we set a goal for her, she has always outperformed that goal. She takes it on and masters it, whether it’s schoolwork or anything else.

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Jenkins recently took her first solo flight.

“But, clearly, she has a passion for flying. And, she had it from a very early age.’’

Jenkins’ father helped with that. As a private pilot himself, he took Olivia on flights when she was still in a car seat. She doesn’t remember much from those early days. But, the father recalls when they were at the top of the old Pier in St. Petersburg. She had a clear view of Albert Whitted Airport. She spotted the landing indicator lights and knew if the planes were coming in too low. Olivia was 4.

She attended the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland annually with her father, but her flight interest really took off at age 10, when she participated in the Experimental Aircraft Association (EEA) Young Eagles program.

That’s when she set her goal. She wanted to fly solo before she could drive solo.

Mission accomplished.

“I just love the feeling of flying,’’ Jenkins said. “I always had an interest, I think, but the Young Eagles experience really showed me what it’s like to be in the air.

“I was a little nervous on my first solo flight, but I was prepared. I studied hard and was confident in what I was doing. When I flew the approach nicely and touched down nice and smooth, that was absolutely the best part. It’s like achieving a lifelong dream. I’m excited for what’s ahead,” she said.

Olivia Jenkins prepares her plane, at dusk.

Jenkins is nothing but prepared.

She served an internship last summer in the office of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who represents the 12th congressional district in Florida.

Jenkins is back in Bilirakis’ office for occasional work, some of which involves helping organize students who are seeking nominations to military service academies. By next summer, with her connections firmly in place, Jenkins will be seeking her own nomination.

She also has maximized her experience with the Civil Air Patrol, taking five orientation flights (almost mini-flight lessons), getting accepted into a summer flight academy and securing most of her Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examinations, the precursor to a private pilot’s license.

She has about 13 sessions remaining with Crews, her flight instructor, before the birthday flight that will make things official.

If the weather conditions are right, Jenkins can rent a plane at the Tampa North Flight Center for a brief flight. On a whim, she did that recently. It was after-hours, calm and quiet. Taking the plane up was a thrill. The landing was perfect.

“The sunset was amazing that night,’’ Jenkins said. “It was just awesome. I think I’m always going to love the feeling. I can’t wait for what’s ahead.’’

Off she goes into the wild blue yonder. She’s ready to fly.

By Joey Johnston

Published October 21, 2020