Community

by KENNETH ANTON
Photography by ALEX ANTON

This year marks the 10th anniversary of People Helping People (PHP), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable corporation dedicated to ending hunger and breaking the cycle of poverty in Hernando County.  A celebration was held on Tuesday May 7, 2019 to recognize this landmark in the organization’s  history and the grand opening of their Help Center.  PHP provides a myriad of programs providing warm food, dry goods and much needed supplies to those in need.

by SARAH NACHIN
HERNANDO SUN WRITER 

Seventeen year-old Matthew Laskoski recently accomplished something that many people only dream of.

The Nature Coast Technical High School senior has published his first novel. 

By SUE QUIGLEY

HERNANDO SUN

Nestled under a huge oak tree sits the cute cottage shop “41 & Bird” owned by Staci Lewis-White.

Already a successful business woman with her “The Wired Bird” store in downtown Brooksville, Staci Lewis-White said she was delighted to be able to find another venue to display her vintage, home and garden  finds.

On May 11, 1992, Robert Moore was born in a Tampa hospital. After giving birth, his mother wanted nothing to do with him. The boy’s father had abandoned him as well. Because he was left alone, Children and Family services were called and began frantically looking around to find someone to care for him. As the nurses fed him and changed his tiny diapers, the clock started ticking on who would care for him. The maternal grandparents were found and contacted. They didn’t want the baby either.   

BY HERNANDO SUN STAFF

Photography courtesy of Trevor Barlow, Monocle Design Solutions

On Saturday May 4, 2019 the Inaugural Farm to Table Fundraiser, 'Dining Under The Stars' took place on Main Street in front of the historic courthouse. Main Street was closed and tables and chairs were set up in the street.

Tickets for Dining Under The Stars cost $100.00 per person with proceeds going to benefit the MFCS, Inc. Children’s Advocacy Center of Hernando County.

Alexis Madrid is the recipient of the $1500 Stephen B. Fickett Jr. Scholarship awarded annually by the Hernando Audubon Society.

Statement from Dr. Augustiniak and Dr. Lu of Spring Hill Dental Associates regarding their retirement:

To All Our Patients:

We would like to thank you for your trust and confidence in allowing us to serve as your dentist  throughout the years.

For all of us however, life is filled with changes.  The time has come for a change in our lives.  It is with both happiness and regret that we announce our transition from active practice to retirement.  We will officially retire on May 28, 2019.  

The Second annual Brooksville Blueberry Festival was held this weekend, it was a smashing success. The Florida Blueberry festival left Brooksville in 2017 and many residents felt that they had lost something. John Lee of Coney Island and a group of dedicated people set out and created a local Blueberry Festival to replace the festival that had left Brooksville.

By LISA MACNEIL
Hernando Sun Reporter

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is commonly thought to affect military veterans, especially those close to combat situations.  Not often is PTSD associated with law enforcement and other first responders, medical personnel, or even emergency dispatch personnel.  

Former Major Crimes Detective Cole Brinson put this into perfect perspective, in his case, law enforcement.   “Here we are, you’ve got the same bullets flying by you.  You get hit by them sometimes.  (We) deal with death…”  

On May 1, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed Law Day to be celebrated on May 1 of each year. The American Bar Association chooses a theme to highlight an important issue in our legal system. This year's Law Day theme is Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society. Co-Founder of the Hernando Sun, Rocco Maglio was asked to be the keynote speaker of the Law Day Dinner at the Hernando County Bar Association.  These are some of the ideas that he spoke about.