New Fire Station Opens Doors

Posted Mar 16, 2007 by Stephen Hammill

Updated Mar 16, 2007 at 10:13 AM

COUNTRY PLACE FIREHOUSE SERVES CARROLLWOOD

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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The members of Company 42 are still getting used to their new home.

The 6,000 square-foot building, which opened Oct. 1 of last year, houses Tampa’s newest fire engine company. The station serves communities near Carrollwood Village plus homes and businesses along Ehrlich, Hutchison and Anderson roads, as well as the surrounding areas.

Country Place Fire Station, Paramedic Engine Company 42 is located at 5209 Ehrlich Road in Tampa, about one mile west of Dale Mabry Highway. The station is one of three that have recently been put into service in the Carrollwood/Northdale area in order to match the burgeoning population.

“Our goal is to have a 5-minute response time for our stations,” said Jim Glass, driver and engineer for Company 42. Glass has been a professional firefighter for 10 years, and was a volunteer fireman for six years before that. Station 42 is a paramedic engine company, meaning its firefighters are trained in advanced life support (ALS).

“We’re ALS certified, so we can administer the life-saving drugs people may need,” Glass said. “We’ve already got them on IV so by the time the ambulance comes, we just transfer them over.”

The company of Country Place 42 comprises transfers from the Westchase fire station. Station captain Anthony Escobia said the call load for some of the older stations nearby was too great, which created the need for the new facility.

“A nine, 10, 11-minute response time to someone having a heart attack is no good,” he said.

The station is responsible for a series of one-square-mile blocks, four of them in all, which jut out from the station’s base across from Ben Hill Middle School.
“We’re averaging about three calls a day here,” Glass said. Since Jan. 1, they have responded to 172 calls in all. He said it all comes down to response time, the most critical factor for a fire station.

“That way, we can bring ALS, the drugs; everything is on the scene in five or six minutes,” he said.

Currently, four full-time firefighters staff station 42 during a given shift. There’s one truck, with plans to add a ladder truck in the next three years. The new home contains nine private rooms for firefighters to sleep in, in accordance with guidelines set by the National Fire Protection Association, plus a workout room and spacious lounge area.

The Country Place station is the 42nd fire station launched by Hillsborough County. Northdale station 41 opened in August of last year.
“By 2015, we’d like to have 80 stations going,” Glass said. There are already plans to secure three more stations next year.

Glass said the types of emergencies a firehouse responds to can vary significantly from one station to another, with many stations in the northeast regions dealing in high call volumes from elderly-care facilities.

For more information about Hillsborough County’s fire station, visit http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/firerescue.

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Learning To See What The Camera Sees

Posted Mar 8, 2007 by Sherri Lonon

Updated Mar 8, 2007 at 03:12 PM

ALLIED PIXELS OFFERS FREE CLASSES

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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When Robert Rostick and Mark Komula began their business, they envisioned a place where photography lovers could come and learn something new.
Over the past few years, it has become a place where new people come to learn to love photography

Allied Pixels, 4325 Gunn Highway, offers a variety of graphic design and photography services in the commercial realm. In addition, it serves as a photography school of sorts, with classes that include introduction to digital photography, intermediate and advanced classes, studio photography, Photoshop and Web design.

A free introduction to photography class is offered – open to the public, with meetings twice monthly. The class explains how to utilize the basic features common to all digital cameras, and serves as an introduction into the more in-depth paid courses Allied Pixels offers.

Rostick, co-owner of Allied and its chief instructor, said the free course is useful for anyone who has a digital camera and wants to learn to take better pictures. No previous experience is required.

“These people just bought their cameras. We explain to them how digital is similar to film, how it’s different,” Rostick said. “I always open the floor with this question: you came here for a reason, so what do you want to know?”

Upon answering some of those questions, the class moves on to understanding the button functions on the camera.

“The idea of the free class is for people to get used to us first,” Komula added. “We talk about basics, but we also talk about some things that can be done in the other courses.”

Rostick concurred that Allied offers the free course for obvious reasons.

“We talk about what our other classes offer. Once they learn how their camera works, many of them want to learn how to make better pictures.” He said about one-third of the students from the free classes return for the paid courses.

Van ##### Farms resident Chris Volf became acquainted with Allied Pixels through The Tampa Bay Camera Club, of which he is a member. The club meets there each month. He signed up for the portrait-lighting class in an effort to further his studies.

“The students work together here,” he said. Photographers typically pair up during classes – one takes the photos while the other acts as an assistant. After some time, they switch places.

Volf has been taking pictures for years, but said he comes to classes because he is always looking for something to make him better.

“If you come to class like this you will pick up something,” he said.

Donald Smith is also in the portrait-lighting class. An amateur photographer since he was a teen, the Riverview resident said he wants to better understand the relationship to his subject.

“For me the hardest part is learning how to pose the models in a flattering way,” he said. “I’m trying to get more experience with that.”

In the more advanced courses, students learn about common mistakes and lighting challenges, and also learn how to color correct and manipulate photos on a computer, even how to e-mail or print digital photos. Rostick teaches file formats and what they mean, and how to prepare those files for printing, addressing the modern problem whereby digital photos do not find their way off the camera and into picture frames.

“I say to the class, ‘I bet you all of these pictures you take are still on that card!’ We show them how to take the CD and get tangible items they can share.”
Rostick gets a fair share of experienced film photographers in his classes. They’re often unsure about digital photography, and whether they should make the change. Some complain that they took better pictures with film.

“I always say to them, ‘no, you didn’t take better pictures. Wal-Mart threw the bad ones out for you!’”

Rostick has more than 25 years experience in photography and graphic design. As a teacher, he takes pleasure in demystifying the terms.

“The main thing we do is teach you how to see the way the camera sees,” he said. The former instructor at The Creative Circus Advertising School in Atlanta started attending the Tampa Bay Camera Club meetings when he first moved here five years ago. There he met Mark Komula.

“I got involved because I didn’t know anybody here,” Rostick said. The two started up Allied Pixels, an exclusively digital photography studio, a year later.  Both Rostick and Komula find steady work in commercial photography, which helps keep the teaching portion of Allied Pixels afloat.

“Anytime I learn something I want to tell others how to do it,” he said. “We explain file formats. We show them how to re-touch the images, or how to remove red eye.”

Rostick and Komula are the only staff at Allied. The other photographers who teach do so as volunteers. Many of them have taken classes there and are now passing on what they learned.

“We’re a training center, not a school,” he said. “We’re not trying to make professionals – you’re not committed for six months.”

The free classes take place on the first and fourth Monday of each month and last about two hours. People are asked to bring their cameras to the class.

Paid courses run from $99 to $300. The available classes are listed on Allied’s Web site. Class size is limited to 20. To register for classes or for more
information call 264-2633 or visit http://www.alliedpixels.com.
The Tampa Bay Camera Club’s Web site is http://www.tampabaycameraclub.org.

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A Chorus Of Voices At Lake Magdalene

Posted Mar 8, 2007 by Sherri Lonon

Updated Mar 8, 2007 at 03:10 PM

CHURCH HOSTS U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY CHOIR

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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The U.S. Naval Academy Gospel Choir is coming to Carrollwood March 10 for a one-night-only performance.

The concert, as part of the choir’s spring break tour, will be held at Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church, 2902 W. Fletcher Ave.

This isn’t the Navy’s first visit to the church. Kathy Drake, associate director of music ministries for Lake Magdalene, recalled that their pastor, the Rev. Richard Nussel, had a father who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy.

“I thought that was neat; plus, we hosted another Naval Academy choir in March of 2004, the men’s Glee Club,” Drake said. “They called us up this year, having had a history with the church. We’ve had a good association with them.”

Lake Magdalene church member Al Goins was himself a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Class of 1961. He originally contacted the Navy about doing the Glee Club concert three years ago. The response to that concert was quite positive, and laid the foundation for the upcoming gospel performance, according to Steve Swift, the Navy’s area coordinator for greater Tampa Bay. 

“I heard about the choir coming to this area and asked Al if the church might be interested,” Swift said. “It’s centrally located, has a diverse constituency and the church holds over 1,000 people. We know we’ll get a strong attendance.”

The choir was founded in 1985. From 1990 until 2006, it was under the direction of Joyce Garrett, followed by current director Karla Scott.

Swift said the choir is similar to an extracurricular activity in a civilian college. All students at the academy are required to take a sport or extracurricular activity. There are about 50 midshipmen in the gospel choir. Upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy, the midshipmen will be commissioned as officers in the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Marine Corps.

“We basically go out into the schools and talk to them about the Navy and Marine Corps.”

Swift added the church has been extremely supportive.

“They’re great people to work with.”

Nussel said, “our goal as a church is when there is something of this magnitude, to open up to the community. It’s a great opportunity.”

He added that the number of retired military in this area helps to lend support to the performance. Nussel’s father was a U.S. Naval Academy graduate himself, Class of 1955.

“I’m just a lonely Florida Gator,” he said. “But I grew up on Marine and Navy bases, so the academy is near and dear to my heart.”
He said the reasons for hosting the performance go beyond the music.

“It’ll be more than just a choir event. People will come to hear a really good concert, and we can help the military down here.”
Nussel expects the performance to be a sellout, yet the church will take no money from the event.

“One of the things I strongly believe is that the church is not just here for itself. Whatever we can do to accommodate things like this is a contribution to the community,” he said. “We’re really blessed.”

The U.S. Naval Academy will hold an information day at 5 p.m. with the performance to begin at 7.

Tickets for the performance are $10, with a $7 price for students and seniors. To purchase advance tickets, call 961-1254.

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HART Rides Into The Neighborhood

Posted Mar 2, 2007 by Sherri Lonon

Updated Mar 2, 2007 at 11:28 AM

SHUTTLE SERVICE TO AUGMENT BUS ROUTES

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority will introduce a brand new neighborhood shuttle, called HARTflex, this spring. The service will send smaller vehicles to circulate in specific neighborhoods.

The new HARTflex service will launch in parts of Carrollwood and Citrus Park, allowing riders to connect to HARTline bus routes or other neighborhood destinations.

“HART has spent the last couple of years growing our service,” said Jill Cappadoro, the director of public relations director for HARTline and Carrollwood resident.

Much of that growth has come from adding the suburbs into the equation. Cappadoro, who works on the Carrollwood service team, said HARTline has been asking the community what it needed, and one thing came up over and over again: circulation in the neighborhoods.

“The community has told us they’re looking for less reliance on a car to make short trips,” she said. The HARTflex shuttle will take riders to any destination within that same zone.

In selecting its candidate neighborhoods, HARTline looked for areas with high residential density and a balance of income levels.

“We also looked for a higher concentration of seniors,” Cappadoro said. “This kind of service can open up a lot of freedom for young people 12 and over all the way up to seniors. This could enhance quality of life. We identified five communities in which we’re proposing to launch the service.”

Those areas are Carrollwood/Citrus Park, Town ‘N Country, Temple Terrace, Seffner, and Brandon. The service may launch incrementally, one neighborhood at a time.

Cappadoro said for the HARTflex line to work, the service needs to be kept to around a five-mile radius.

“This way a dedicated van can go from there and back in an hour,” she said.

The vans will provide door-to-door service. The service is proposed to run Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“We will pick you up at your home and take you to where you need to go,” she said.

Riders will be able to call in a reservation from as far out as one week and up to two hours in advance. By using small vehicles, Cappadoro said HARTline will be able to get into neighborhoods that aren’t served by the bus lines.

“These vehicles can travel safely on neighborhood roads. The driver will have a lot of leverage. It’s almost like a taxi service,” Cappadoro said.
Every hour the HARTflex shuttle will stop at Timepoint, an intersection of multiple HARTline bus lines, allowing riders to transfer to and from them. The bus routes will include No. 39, running from Gunn Highway and Busch Boulevard to Temple Terrace, No. 7, traveling between Citrus Park and downtown Tampa, No. 36 traveling up and down Dale Mabry Highway and the express line into downtown Tampa.

The cost of a trip on the HARTflex shuttle will be $1.50 per trip, and half-price for seniors, students and the disabled. The fare structure compliments that of HARTline buses. There will also be unlimited ride passes made available.

“We’re excited about this. It can be as simple as a regularly scheduled medical appointment or a trip to the grocery store, or for people in a one-car household,” Cappadoro said.

The cost annually to operate the Carrollwood area HARTflex service is still being negotiated. HARTline community liaison Kathy Karalekas said officials estimate a budget of $208,320, which equates to $48 per hour at 14 hours per day running 310 days a year. HARTline is targeting a spring implementation if all goes as planned.

HARTflex will need to be approved by its board of directors at the next meeting on March 5. The meeting will take place at the county center in downtown Tampa at 8:30 a.m. and is open to the public, but Cappadoro recommends residents make their voices heard beforehand.

“Services like these continue to evolve,” Cappadoro said. “It’s important for people to let us know what they think and if they like it, it’s particularly helpful for us to get the OK from the board.”

“We’re encouraging community comments,” Cappadoro said.

Residents can call the HARTline information line to voice their opinions.

For information on routes and schedules, contact the HARTline information line at 254-4278 or visit http://www.hartline.org.

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Hi-Tech Maching Lures Car Lovers

Posted Mar 2, 2007 by Sherri Lonon

Updated Mar 2, 2007 at 11:25 AM

PERFORMANCE SHOP HOSTS MUSTANG OWNERS

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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Shyam Mundra, proprietor of S&R Performance in Carrollwood, thinks he has just the thing to attract car lovers from all over the city.

The car performance/repair facility located at 9507-A North Trask St. in Tampa features the Dyno-mite engine dynamometer made by the company Land & Sea. It is the only all-wheel drive Dyno machine in Hillsborough County.

On a recent Saturday morning, Mundra and the rest of S&R welcomed members of the ‘Stang Gang, a Tampa-based Mustang owners’ club, to test out the Dyno machine on their cars.

Mundra runs S&R Performance along with Robert Ralston. The four-man staff Ralston and Mundra brought in is highly experienced in high-speed performance cars.

“I handle the business side of operating the shop, while Robert and his team handle the mechanical side of the house,” Mundra said. “It’s a great team setup. We’re building on the strengths of each person’s skills.”

“With the state-of-the-art, all-wheel drive Dyno machine, we are able to do pulls and as a result provide tuning services for most types of vehicles,” he said. “Every weekend we host car clubs.”

Asked what he and Ralston look for in potential customers and clients, he responded, “anyone who wants to tinker with his or her vehicle and take it to the next level. We can assess where you’re at by hooking up a computer to your vehicle. The process aims to improve horsepower and torque,”

The Dyno machine is used primarily as a tuning and calibration tool. The machine’s step-up drive allows cars to rest on the conveyor-like tracks and run at a high RPM without the need for long stretch of road. Data taken from sensors in the machine are sent to a computer for detailed readout. The drivers are interested in those readouts.

Alex Daniel, 32, of Temple Terrace, recently joined the ‘Stang Gang, and was on hand to put his black 2004 Mustang on the Dyno machine.

“They let me know it’s running a little lean in the fuel mixture,” he said. Too much or too little fuel in a car’s air mixture is a common problem the Dyno machine can help identify and correct.

“One of the members saw me in traffic; that’s how I joined up,” he recalled.

The ‘Stang Gang was started in 2005 as place for Ford enthusiasts of all ages to gather and share a mutual interest in a laid back, family-orientated
environment. It now boasts a membership of more than 1,400, welcoming new members everyday. They typically meet once a week, however, they don’t take themselves quite as seriously as some other local car clubs.  While there are weekly races, most meetings are simple get-togethers; in fact, members don’t need to own a Mustang to join. The membership in some cases spans generations, with fathers attending meetings with sons and daughters.

‘Stang Gang President Tim Jordan said, “a lot of shops look for volume, not quality. At this place the guys treat the cars like their own, and our owners put a lot of money into their cars.”

Jordan said S&R made a good fit for the club due to its central location and its willingness to go the extra step.

‘Stang Gang member James Foskey found their Web site shortly after moving to Florida and began attending meet-ups. He brought in his 1999 Mustang to see if it was getting the right amount of horsepower.

“It’s something I can bring my daughter to,” he said. “The people here are very professional.”

Mundra said S&R’s business model looks for groups like the ‘Stang Gang to make connections.

“We wanted to be a speed shop, to attract the right group of people,” he said.

Since the shop opened in late December business has improved with each month, and according to Mundra, much of that business these days is tied directly to car forums on the Internet.

“The car owners are really well-connected now,” he said.

Mundra and Ralston also attend area car shows in order to get the word out about the shop and the Dyno machine.

S&R Performance is located in a large warehouse structure off Linebaugh Avenue in Carrollwood. The owners gutted the existing building to make room for the garage and the machine.

With a run on the Dyno machine, the computer system can pull about 55 distinct readings. Mundra said the garage charges about $85 for a run on the machine, while a full diagnostic can cost a few hundred dollars. The full cost to S&R for the Dyno system was $85,000.

Mundra said another advantage of the diagnostic service comes from calibrating custom parts. Many enthusiasts install custom parts on their own that don’t match up with the cars. The Dyno machine can help correct that.

The site also boasts an engine rebuild room, providing transmission and suspension repair as well as performance-car related work, such as turbo-charging.
“Most of all, we go out of the way to make sure the job is done right,” he said.

S&R Performance is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Information is available at http://www.sandrperformance.com

The ‘Stang Gang’s Web address is http://www.thestanggang.com.

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Gaither High Welcomes Special Olympics

Posted Mar 1, 2007 by Stephen Hammill

Updated Mar 1, 2007 at 03:07 PM

ANNUAL GAMES DRAW 300 AREA ATHLETES

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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On a chilly Friday morning, Gaither High School’s student body came out to welcome more than 300 athletic visitors to the campus.
The high school at 16200 N. Dale Mabry Highway hosted its annual Special Olympics Feb. 16 as athletes from nearly 20 different middle and high schools participated.

The special needs kids were partnered up with Gaither student-volunteers, called buddies, for the day.

Christina Franco, a Gaither senior, was a buddy to Crystal Cintron, an 18-year old Gaither student. Cintron competed in the wheelchair race.

“I worked at the YMCA for a few years in the adoptive program,” said Franco, whose cousin has Down syndrome and is also a Special Olympian. She takes pride in seeing her fellow students accept others who aren’t always accepted in society.

“Watching them when they cross the finish line is great, because it doesn’t matter whether they finish first or last,” she said.

Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization that allows mentally and physically-challenged students to compete in a variety of athletic events across the country.

The day before their games, Gaither High School held a school-wide pep rally to galvanize the student body.

“The athletes held up their Olympic torches,” said Gaither teacher Mary Granell, who has been involved with the Special Olympics for the past 10 years.

“They formed a tunnel for the Olympians. The band played for them as they came down through the tunnel to cheers. Some of the athletic coaches said some inspirational words. It was very emotional.”

The festivities began Friday morning with an opening ceremony on the football field. Athletes and their buddies took to the bleachers, sitting with fellow schoolmates as the Gaither band warmed up the crowd.

Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools MaryEllen Elia was on hand to welcome the athletes and to thank Gaither for hosting the games.
“This is a great event,” Elia said. “The Gaither students are spectacular to work this much for all of the athletes.”

During the games, athletes competed in various track and field events, which included the 800-meter walk and run, the 400-meter relay race, the long jump and tennis ball throw.

There was also a petting zoo on the grounds, plus various tents, run by different Gaither clubs, offering things like bead-making and a Hula-Hoop contest.

“Gaither kids have always worked really well with our special needs kids,” Granell said.

Sarah Kleiner runs the annual Special Olympics at Gaither. She is a teacher in the special education department.

“Despite the cold, everyone is having a good time,” she said.

The Best Buddies program is a subsidiary of the Special Olympics movement and pairs up students with their disabled peers in school.

Tom Denham has been the county coordinator for the Special Olympics for the past three years. He’s been a volunteer with the Special Olympics for the past 25. Denham’s mom is a special education teacher.

“I’ve been everything – a chaperone, a coach, you name it,” he said. “They’re just a great group of folks to be involved with.”

Kleiner and Granell believe it says volumes about their school, having the special needs kids integrated so well with the rest of the student population. Granell said every year, when they put out a request for volunteers, the reaction is overwhelming.

“We get 600 to 700 students who become involved,” she said.

Laura Garcia is a 17-year-old Gaither student. She competed in the softball throw.

“I’m excited to be here,” she said. Her buddy for the day was Danielle Magee, a junior at Gaither. This was Magee’s second year volunteering with the Special Olympics.

“The pep rally was so much fun. Everyone was excited for them,” she said.

Gayle Curtiss is head of the ESE (Exceptional Students Education) department at Gaither. She has noticed the entire school doing the job of making the games a success every year.

“There is so much the other teachers do – the sorting of the lists, the water donations. It’s a huge effort,” she said.

Eighteen schools partook in the games this year. Gaither alone sent 48 of its special-needs students to participate. About 350 athletes competed in all, and each received a Special Olympics T-shirt and cowboy hat. The annual event is funded primarily by the school’s Key Club.

After the awards were distributed to all the athletes who completed their events, photos were taken alongside their buddies.

Some of the athletes will move on from this event to the big Special Olympics, to be held at the University of South Florida on March 3 of this year.
While waiting for the buses to arrive, the volunteers, athletes and family members huddled in packs to keep warm.

For information about Gaither’s Special Olympics, contact Sara Kleiner at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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Commissioner Hagan Tours YMCA

Posted Mar 1, 2007 by Stephen Hammill

Updated Mar 1, 2007 at 03:04 PM

YOUTH, FAMILY CENTER TO OPEN IN SPRING

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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Officials from the Bob Sierra Family YMCA recently had a chance to thank County Commissioner Ken Hagan personally for his efforts on behalf of a new youth facility in the Carrollwood area.

Last week, Hagan visited the construction site for the YMCA Youth and Family Center at the Bob Sierra Complex at 4015 Ragg Road, where he was given a tour of the facility by YMCA officials, as well as an update on the site’s construction.

“This is a great opportunity for him to see his efforts in supporting the YMCA come to life,” said Ashley Packett of the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA.
“He was the board member who most supported the project,” said Mercy Powell, campaign coordinator for the YMCA.

“We’re here to thank him and give him an update on our progress.”

According to officials, the Youth Family Center, or YFC, will feature a fitness center, soccer fields, game rooms, homework stations, community meeting rooms, a basketball court and a preschool. Perhaps the most ambitious aspect of the plans calls for construction of a 28,000-square-foot water park, complete with a junior Olympic-sized swimming pool, and a zero-depth entry pool for younger kids complete with water slides.

Powell was accompanied by YMCA Executive Director Rob Wiggins as they took Hagan on the tour of the YFC’s construction site. Of the commission’s decision to fund the project, Wiggins said, “it shows their commitment to Hillsborough County. Not a lot of people look outside the box. What the county is doing, to have the support of them, speaks volumes for the community.”

“It was phenomenal the kind of response we got from the county,” Powell added.

Commissioner Hagan represents District 2 for Hillsborough County. He last visited the construction site in April.

“It looks a lot different than when I was last here,” he said, during the hard-hat tour of the site.

Hagan said the YMCA’s initial funding proposal was well-received by the commission.

“The county has partnered with the YMCA before,” he said. “The people in the county are going to be very well-served by this.”
Hagan said when the proposal first came in that the county had some extra revenue.

“The challenge was finding how to best use it,” he said. “They did an excellent job of making a case for it.”

He added that the YMCA has proved an invaluable asset to the community over the years.

“The unique nature of this project is that the county has never really been in the pool business before,” Hagan said, “but it’s provided an excellent opportunity to improve the quality of life for thousands of people in the area.”

The YMCA has enjoyed a presence in north Tampa with its Bob Sierra Family branch for the past 21 years, boasting over 13,000 members in that time. There are 15 schools both public and private, with nearly 40,000 students, within a 5-mile radius of the complex.

YMCA’s stated goal is to provide young people with tools and leadership skills to become future leaders of the community. Members are encouraged to step up and be heard. It will be no different at the new YFC, said Powell. In fact, the kids there will have more decision-making power than in any such project proceeding it.

“We asked our coordinators and staff for recommendations,” Powell said. “We had to give them a voice. If they own it we feel they’re going to embrace it.”
A teen advisory board, comprising students from area junior and high schools, will oversee certain day-to-day operations at the center. Some of the responsibilities will include running the concessions area.

“All money made from concessions, the teen advisory board can re-invest in to the center,” Powell said. “We’re empowering teens to learn life skills by encouraging a connection between the community and the kids.”

Powell stressed that the YFC will give voices to its young members at every level. Such independence placed in young hands is part of the pilot program at the YFC that Powell hopes to see implemented at YMCA facilities all over the nation.

“We really want this to have all the amenities a YMCA has, but we wanted to focus on teens,” Powell said. “We lose kids in their teenage years when they become mobile. We thought, let’s give them a place they can call their own.”

The YMCA has raised over $4 million for phase I of the center’s construction project, which includes plans to renovate the building’s interior, which will house new offices and four locker rooms, including one for families.

Phase II of the construction plans calls for the completion of the second-story mezzanine, which will be off-limits to children under 13 and to adults.  Powell said this space is to be allocated as a safe harbor for teens, away from the malls and streets.  She said they still need to raise $900,000 to complete Phase II.

On the tour of the construction site, Powell pointed out an elevator that will afford special-needs kids access to the second floor.
The overall plan is ambitious for YMCA standards – Wiggins recognized as much, but added that the community supported the Bob Sierra Complex in the past.

“If the community supports this one, we can continue to build and improve,” he said. “We’re trying to raise awareness and funding for the project.”
Wiggins said the YFC has already arranged partnerships with area schools, and that they’re looking for more.
The contractors estimate work will be finished by April’s end. The YFC should open in mid-May, according to Powell and Wiggins, with a grand-opening to take place soon after.

“There aren’t enough places like this anymore, where kids and their parents can meet,” Wiggins said. “The whole vision of this is to create that destination point for families.”

Membership rates for the YMCA run between $30 and $35 per month for ages 19 and under. The YMCA offers financial assistance for those unable to pay.
“The Y has no barriers,” Wiggins said.

“We can’t thank the commission enough for their support,” he added. “Things like this – it makes people want to live here.”

For information or to donate to the YMCA, contact Mary Powell or Rob Wiggins at 962-3220 or visit http://www.tampaymca.org.

Hagan can be reached at 272-5452.

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Carrollwood Attorneys Come Together

Posted Feb 22, 2007 by Stephen Hammill

Updated Feb 22, 2007 at 04:59 PM

CCBA PROMOTES AREA CHARITIES

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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The Carrollwood Community Bar Association has a bevy of activity surrounding it these days. Monthly meetings, lunches, golf tournaments – it’s all par for the course, according to its president, James Loper.

Loper, like most members of CCBA, is a sole practitioner of law. He said there are some small firms in the association, but for the most part the members are independent like him.

“It provides a great opportunity for us to connect with one another,” he said. “We’re networking among ourselves so we can provide quality legal services to the community.”

Forming CCBA has allowed the various members to refer clients to one another without lengthy searches.

“For matters we do not specialize in or we cannot handle, we just refer them to other attorneys,” he said.

CCBA meetings take place on the second Thursday of every month at the Piccadilly Cafeteria at 11810 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Carrollwood. Meetings are open to the public.

Pat Frank, Clerk of the Circuit Court for Hillsborough County, recently spoke to the membership at one of its monthly meetings. On March 8, CCBA will welcome a speaker certified in elder law who will advise in topics such as medical eligibility, assisted living facilities and veterans’ benefits.
Loper thinks it vital for attorneys to have a chance to know the laws that govern fields beyond their expertise.

“The meetings stress interaction and consultation,” he said.

Other speakers scheduled for 2007 include State Rep. Kevin Ambler, and Michael G. Williamson, a bankruptcy judge.

Loper, a Carrollwood resident himself since 1975, sees the value of having a resource like CCBA in his neighborhood.

“There are a lot of good, quality attorneys in this area without the need for people to travel a great deal. They don’t have to go downtown to get quality representation,” he said.

The Carrollwood Community Bar Association is a non-profit organization which aims to promote cooperation between local government officials and other civic or public organizations. It also encourages community and civic spirit for the general welfare of the Carrollwood community.

CCBA includes attorneys with offices in Northwest Hillsborough County, and associate members, including attorneys who may reside in the area but practice elsewhere, as well as individuals and businesses which support the association’s goals.

CCBA currently boasts 75 members, including attorneys and associate members.

Loper stressed that the CCBA is about more than just client referrals. In 2006, the association contributed more than $10,206 to various charities, mostly through its golf tournament. The monies from last year’s tournament went primarily to charities including All Sports and the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

The CCBA recently announced plans for its sixth annual Charity Courthouse Scramble to once again benefit the All Sports Community Service Scholarship Fund and the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. The event will take place Friday, May 4, at the Northdale Golf and Tennis Club located at 4417 Northdale Blvd., Tampa.

The $110 per-golfer fee will include play in the 18-hole tournament, green fees, lunch, food and drinks on the course and an evening awards dinner. Individual golfer slots and foursomes are available and CCBA is soliciting sponsors and donations for the auctions.

The Pediatric Cancer Foundation is an independent, Tampa-based organization dedicated to raising money for research into childhood cancer.  Since 1991, PCF has provided $2.7 million in grants to various research facilities.

All Sports Community Service was founded in 1993 by Tyrone Keys, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer. It aims to involve local students in community service activities and to help obtain for them academic and athletic scholarships and financial aid.

Since its founding in February of 2000, CCBA has raised more than $37,000 for charity. In addition, it purchased food packages from Cornerstone Family Ministries which were donated to the AMVETS organization.

The members of CCBA give back in other ways, too. The association conducts an annual clinic during law week whereby members offer free legal consultations to the public. These consultations are held at a local public library. The association has also co-sponsored with the Carrollwood Area Business Association for its candidates’ night, where the candidates for the local offices give presentations and answer questions from the general public. Many members conduct free legal seminars, some, like Loper, provide consultations.

They publish a directory each year to the public. CCBA is currently in the midst of a membership drive.

This year CCBA will sponsor a “CABA After Five” meeting on April 11, at Emerald Greens Golf and Country Club. The CABA After Five meetings take place on alternate Wednesdays at a member’s place of business in Carrollwood.

“The organization itself is a member of CABA,” Loper said. The Carrollwood Area Business Association, known as CABA, is a coalition of Tampa Bay-area business owners established in 1986.

Loper cited the CCBA’s Web presence, http://www.carrollwoodbar.com, as a useful tool for attorneys and clients alike. Many attorneys with their own Web-sites are linked up to the CCBA site, providing more networking opportunities for lawyers and clients alike.

For additional information on sponsorships or to donate an item or gift certificate for the auction contact golf committee member Bob Wise at 968-8668.

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Lettuce Lake Welcomes Park Ranger

Posted Feb 22, 2007 by Stephen Hammill

Updated Feb 22, 2007 at 05:07 PM

VISITOR CENTER OPENS FULL TIME

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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Senior park ranger Jason Chilson was raised in the Midwest, in Wellington, Kan., a small town outside of Wichita, population 8,000.
“It’s the wheat capital of the world,” he said with a chuckle.

Nature has always been a home to him.

This past November, Chilson was hired as the full-time ranger for Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa.

The park occupies 240 acres in Northeast Hillsborough, hugged by the Hillsborough River to the west and Interstate 75 to the east. It was first designated as a park in 1978 and was opened in 1982.

The visitor center will stay open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“The building wasn’t being used, and they wanted to put somebody here for the visitors,” said Chilson, who, before coming to Lettuce Lake, was a ranger at the Upper Tampa Bay Park.

Chilson, 26, has been part of the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department since moving here from Kansas two years ago.

“The weather is great,” said Chilson. “I love it here. Summers in Kansas can get to 110 degrees, and the winters are freezing.”

“I’ve always been around the environment,” he said. Chilson recalled working 16-hour days on farms before receiving his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University.

Chilson’s job at the visitor center is still taking shape. When visitors wander in they will ask questions, which he is happy to answer. He does his share of PowerPoint presentations, too. School groups come out on field trips – about one per week right now.

Most of the kids he sees are originally from cities, and Chilson notices a disconnect with the natural world around them.

“Most of them haven’t seen a snake up close,” he said. “But if they get an introduction in a positive way, they’ll understand that they’re actually good to have around.”

Chilson has some volunteers on staff to help keep the visitor’s center open during the weekends. The Audubon Society also uses the center on weekend afternoons.

This is the first time in many years the park has opened its visitors’ center full time, and the visitors are starting to notice.

“When we opened in November we had about 10 people a day come through; now we have 50 to 80,” he said.

Chilson encourages visitors to take photos of interesting flora and fauna in the park for display in the center. There is even a photography club that meets in the park on a regular basis.

He said the center needs some improvements, particularly to its aging dioramas and map displays, some of which date back to the birth of the park more than 25 years ago. They’re trying to get some grants to improve the facilities, but the budget is tight.

“Most of what we get has to be donated, which can be tough.”

Lettuce Lake Park is at 6920 E. Fletcher Ave. in Tampa.

Chilson can be reached for information on school trips, or for any park questions, at 987-6387.

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A First-Time Shot Goes Through

Posted Feb 22, 2007 by Stephen Hammill

Updated Feb 22, 2007 at 04:54 PM

CARROLLWOOD DAY SCHOOL GIRLS GO UNDEFEATED

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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The girls’ basketball team at Carrollwood Day School was as green as green could be coming into their first year in existence. Seventeen wins and no losses later, they were unexpected champions.

Karim Nohra is the head coach of the Patriots, the middle school girls’ varsity basketball team at Carrollwood Day School, 1515 W. Bearss Ave.

The school hired him to build the girls’ basketball program from the ground up. The school is in the process of creating its high school athletic program. Nohra began with the seventh- and eighth-graders in the hopes of carrying them through to the next level with a running start.

To the surprise of the coach and the school, the Patriots proceeded to go undefeated in all competitions this year. The feat is all the more noteworthy considering the lack of experience on the team. Only two of the girls had ever played organized basketball before.

“The sensational six – that’s what I called them,” said Nohra. The six are Abbigail Kaczmerek, Ganice Macho, Colby Maffei, Taylor Magnan, Maddie Peek and Taylor Tippett.

Eighth-grader Macho has been playing basketball since she was 9, but for most of the girls, this was a brand new experience.

“We were cheerleaders also, but it’s more fun wearing the shorts than skirts,” said Peek.

“It was a fun experience. I’d never played before,” said Taylor Magnan, who also plays softball during the year.

“I play one sport every year,” said Maffei, the team’s leader in steals. Two of the seventh-graders also play soccer.

In an effort to get the girls up to speed, Nohra held two-hour practices every day after school during the season, teaching the fundamentals.

“We focused on defense and running the floor,” he said. The girls all chimed in that the running drills were the toughest challenge.

The team’s motto this year was, “No doormats no more!” Despite the lack of game experience, the wins started mounting, and once the team saw the success, it became easier for Nohra to encourage them to strive for more.

“Part of the problem with girls is sometimes they get on the court and they’re too passive,” he said. “We taught them to be aggressive. They flew everywhere to get the ball.”

In fact, according to Nohra, the girls were competitive with the boys’ team at CDS. They also played games against a high school team from Tampa Adventist Academy in preparation for the championship run.

The Patriots belong to the Florida West Coast League, in the blue division. The league comprises 20 private schools in the area.

“Our championship game had a lot of people,” said Macho. A CDS pep squad made of second-, third- and fourth-graders, called the “squirt squad,” came out to cheer the team on during games, and rest of the campus soon followed.

“It was fun for everyone to watch them,” said Trudi Buscemi, the school’s principal. “The parents were amazed.”
As the team’s winning streak grew, so did their cohesiveness.

“When a group of six girls bond together like that, it’s something special,” said Bitha Wodrich, the school’s athletic director.
Nohra is a professor in the college of engineering at the University of South Florida, where he teaches civil engineering classes during the day. Coaching young kids is a love that dates back almost 20 years.

He started coaching girls’ basketball in 1990, at Tampa Catholic High School. Before that he had coached junior-varsity boys’ teams. The Carrollwood Day School athletic department came calling last year, recruiting him to head up the burgeoning girls’ basketball program.

Nohra thinks too many boys want to wow crowds and fellow players, while the girls are more interested in perfecting the fundamentals of the game.
“I’m a teacher by trade. The girls are like sponges; they want to absorb what you say.”

“We just needed to get players to come out and join us – to build a first-class athletic program to go with the great academics here.” Nohra said.
Headmaster Mary Kantor agreed.

“It’s been highly successful. We’ve brought coaches in with lots of experience,” she said.
Kantor also noted that the girls’ parents have been supportive.

“They’re all very excited about how much they’ve learned under him,” she said. “They played their hearts out.”

Mackenzie Vidonic is Nohra’s assistant coach. An education major at the University of Tampa, she’s worked with Nohra for the past five years.
“Coaching is something I want to get into in the future, and he’s the best,” Vidonic said.

“Did I expect us to go 17-0? Absolutely not,” Nohra said. “For us to go undefeated is a major accomplishment, and now that they have tasted some success, they know what it takes to succeed,” he said.

Macho, the team’s leading scorer for the year, said she plans on continuing with basketball in the future. The others are less sure, but they all relish the time spent together, as a team.

Founded in 1981, Carrollwood Day School, a secular private school, has grown to include elementary, middle and high school classes. The nonprofit school is governed by its own board of trustees.

The elementary and middle schools moved to the new CDS campus on Bearss Avenue in January. The grounds feature a 92,000-square-foot main structure that includes classrooms, labs and a tutoring center. The school is currently without a gymnasium. The Patriots used the Tampa Baptist Convention Center for its home games last year.

The high school classes currently reside in portables, as plans continue to build a new wing. Future planned improvements also call for a new media center and construction of a new gymnasium.

The high school itself plans to expand from about 40 students this year to 80 or 90 next year. Enrollment is currently open for next year’s high school classes.

Kantor and Nohra agreed that the young basketball program will provide an opportunity for incoming high school students who want to be on a team but don’t have years of experience playing for their middle schools.

The school’s football program is also under way. CDS fielded just a six-man squad last year, but with the hiring of a new head coach they aim to build it up to a full team in the near future.

Nohra hopes next year’s incoming high school girls will provide some depth to his squad, but he said he is ready to go back to work with his original six.

“We encourage character development here,” said Nohra. “If you want to be successful, there’s no other way to do it,” he said.

For more information on the school, visit http://www.carrollwooddayschool.org.

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Amateur Birdwatchers Welcomed

Posted Feb 15, 2007 by Sherri Lonon

Updated Feb 15, 2007 at 04:28 PM

GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT IN ITS 10TH YEAR

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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Bird lovers will have another chance to contribute to a greater understanding of the feathered population with the 10th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which gets under way Feb. 16 and runs through Feb. 19.

The study, co-sponsored by Cornell University and the national Audubon Society, aims to help better define bird ranges, populations, migration pathways and habitat needs.

Individuals, families and schools are invited to count birds at feeders and in backyards and at local parks. The tallies are reported online though the BirdSource Web site at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc.

In the past, more than 60,000 people have contributed to the study, with more expected this year.

“It’s a great way for people to contribute to our larger knowledge about birds,” said Greg Williams, owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop, 13140 N. Dale Mabry Highway.

The Wild Birds franchise has more than 300 shops throughout the U.S. and Canada. Williams’ Carrollwood store was one of the first, started 10 years ago.
Williams has been involved with the Great Backyard Bird Count since its inception, and his store is one of its sponsors. Visitors to to the Wild Birds shop can sign up to participate and have their questions about the bird count answered.

“Florida is usually in the top three in the variety of species and the number of birds reported,” he said.

According to Williams, the benefits of the program go beyond the statistical databases that are built. The volunteers usually see birds that they’ve never seen before, all because they are more open to what’s around them.

For more information, contact Wild Birds Unlimited at 961-2772 or on the Web at http://www.wbu.com.

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Putting Their Talents On Display

Posted Feb 15, 2007 by Sherri Lonon

Updated Feb 15, 2007 at 04:26 PM

STUDENTS PERFORM IN GAITHER HIGH REVUE

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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Gaither High School recently held its Star Revue Talent Show in the school’s auditorium to a packed house of more than 900 people.

The 2007 talent show, held Feb. 2, featured Gaither students performing in 24 different acts.

The revue is an annual talent showcase, with the proceeds going toward financing the Senior Splash Bash, when Adventure Island is rented out exclusively for Gaither’s senior class on graduation night to provide a safe, alcohol-free environment.

Gaither PTSA chairwoman Leigh Dawson has run the talent show for the last two years. She said she made several changes to the format of the revue in her tenure, namely altering the structure of competition. Instead of being judged during the performance itself, the students had to audition to partake in the show, freeing them up to perform for the audience with nothing on the line.

“I wanted the kids not to be under so much scrutiny and pressure when performing in front of their peers,” said Dawson.

Upon making the cut, they had to arrange their already busy schedules to include time for practice and mandatory rehearsals after school.

“Besides school work, band practice, cheerleading, preparing for dance competitions and jobs, these kids came to rehearsals for three weeks before the final week of the show,” she said.

Most of the audience comprises fellow students, according to Dawson.

“Our motto is ‘For Our Students, By Our Students,’” she said.

Gaither students also made up the masters of ceremonies and technical staff for the revue. The emcees worked together after school and on the weekends writing their own script, interviewing performers, deciding on costume changes and laying down music tracks.
Dawson has been struck by the sheer assortment of talents on display from the students.

“We have a real diversity of acts, from hip-hop routines to the martial arts, from classical dance pieces to poetry readings.”

Dawson, a volunteer, is an event planner by day, and has a daughter in her third year at Gaither; her son graduated last year.

Local company, Bay Sound, provided sound and lighting for the revue. The Rent-A-Center on Sheldon Road donated a big screen television for simulcast.

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Broadway Comes To Gaither High

Posted Feb 15, 2007 by Stephen hammill

Updated Feb 15, 2007 at 04:22 PM

NEW YORK CHOREOGRAPHER ASSISTS SCHOOL PRODUCTION

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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Gaither drama students received some dance lessons from one of the pros last week.

The Gaither High School musical theater department welcomed New York choreographer Shea Sullivan to aid in the production of its newest musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

Sixty-five Gaither students from grades nine through 12 make up the cast and crew of the play, a recent Broadway production adapted from the 1967 film starring Julie Andrews.

Sullivan met with parents and the community at-large at a reception Feb. 6 in the school’s media center. She spent the week choreographing five production numbers to the cast during school days.

Lee Ann Brown and Candace Newman are co-directors of the musical.

“We knew we had a lot of good dancers who are seniors, and we knew we had a Millie. So we started looking for a choreographer,” said Brown.

Gaither teacher Mary Frances Leto Granell also owns the Frank Rey Dance Studio in Tampa. Every year she takes a number of students to New York City to partake in classes at the Broadway Dance Center. And one of those sessions, a tap dance class, is taught by Shea Sullivan. Granell has also attended teacher workshops taught by Sullivan.

“She and I formed a relationship,” Granell said. “When the need arose for a choreographer here, she said she’d be happy to do it.”
Granell teaches in the social studies department at Gaither. Her daughter, junior Francesca Granell, is cast in the lead role as Millie.

The theater program was able to afford Sullivan’s services thanks to a grant given by the Student Advisory Committee. The SAC is the school’s fundraising club.

Sullivan said her job sends her all over the country, teaching choreography and various workshops to theater companies. She said the winter is an unusual time for her to work with a high school.

“But, there’s a lot of great talent down here,” she said.

Sullivan was born in Miami where she started dancing at the age of 5. When she was 12 she met her mentor, legendary tap dancer Henry LeTang, while visiting New York. She began the intense study of tap with LeTang and has enjoyed a long-term relationship with him as his student, protégé and assistant.
Sullivan’s been a choreographer for 10 years now. Some of her stage credits include choreography for New York productions of “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Music Man” and “Bye Bye Birdie.” She also runs SAS Productions and is currently at work producing an off-Broadway musical inspired by Mae West called “It’s Not What I Say,” which is in pre-production.

Gaither High School usually performs six plays per academic year, which, last year, included a children’s play in the fall, for elementary-aged school kids.
They perform their big musical in the spring, with ticket proceeds going back into the program. The rest of the budget for productions comes from fundraising and annual dues – not from the school itself. They average a budget $5,000 a year, according to Brown.

“We raise money mostly through fund drives,” she said.

According to Brown and Newman they had to pay a $1,700 royalty fee for rights to perform “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

“I really don’t know how the smaller schools do it,” Brown said.

The cast of the musical is made up of students from the musical theater classes. Typically Brown teaches the music and designs the sets, while Newman does the blocking.

The ratio of girls to boys in the school’s musical theater department is nearly 10-to-1.

“We could never do ‘West Side Story,’” said Newman.

Sullivan worked with the cast for one week, flying through dance routines for five musical numbers.
“Just seeing them go through the process – they come in with a different impression – they get a taste. I’ve noticed that the level has really gone up. I can tell that they really took the material home and thought about it.”

“To see the process they go through is the coolest part,” she said.

In addition to her stage work, Sullivan has also choreographed for film and television, and is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. She serves currently on the faculty at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City.

The performance of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” will take place April 26-27. Ticket sales will be announced at a future date.

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CITY HONORS WINNING DRAWING IN SCHOOL RECYCLING PROJECT

Posted Feb 7, 2007 by Stephen Hammill

Updated Feb 7, 2007 at 05:59 PM

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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Fifth-grader Louise Cardenas didn’t consider herself much of a drawer when she entered a city-wide T-shirt design contest meant to herald recycling.
When she was declared the winner, she couldn’t contain her surprise.

The City of Tampa Solid Waste department celebrated the winners of its inaugural America Recycles Day Poetry and T-shirt Design Project last week by presenting all participating students with shirts bearing the winning design.

Nina Stokes, Recycling Coordinator for the city of Tampa, was on hand at Cannella Elementary to present Cardenas with her award, which included a variety of gifts made exclusively from recycled materials, as well as a check for $100.

Cardenas attends Ms. Cox’s fifth-grade art class at Cannella Elementary. Her design was awarded first place in the elementary art category.

About her winning design, Cardenas said, “It was my idea. Ms. Cox supplied the paper. We had three lessons to learn to draw artistically.”

Linda Cox, the Art Specialist at Cannella Elementary, was responsible for getting her students involved in the project initially.

“I just loved her drawing,” said Cox. “When I first saw it I said ‘let’s expand this.’”

Cardenas’ drawing features swans silhouetted against a sunset, meant to convey the aspect of recycling being friendly to Mother Nature.

America Recycles Day occurs annually on Nov. 15 with the goal of encouraging Americans to recycle and to use recycled products.

The contest was designed to target elementary and middle school students in Hillsborough County, educating and informing them about the importance of recycling, waste reduction and protecting natural resources in an innovative way while showcasing students’ creative and artistic talents.

All submitted artwork was displayed in the City of Tampa Department of Solid Waste building. Employees were asked to cast votes for their three favorites.
Ms. Cox’s entire art class donned the T-shirts for the day as Cardenas received her award.

“The T-shirts themselves are made up of 50 percent recycled cotton and 50 percent recycled soda bottles,” said Stokes.

“We’re just trying to give the kids a chance to showcase their talents and also learn about the environment,” she said. “We practice what we preach.”

All of Ms. Cox’s students entered into the contest with a design of their own, while more than 800 students throughout the city submitted entries.
Participating students went to the department’s Web site and signed an online pledge form for which they received a pledge wristband, a recycling-information card and the winning T-shirt.

Stokes said the project was designed to drive home the message that recycling and waste reduction are very important and that all must do their part to protect and preserve natural resources.

The T-shirt features Cardenas’ design on the front, along with that of middle school first-place-winner Jenny Luong of Ben Hill Middle School, along with the winning poems on the back.

Cannella Elementary was featured as part of a Spotlight Tampa segment aired during the month of December on the City of Tampa’s CTTV.

The winning designs and poems can be viewed on the City of Tampa Department of Solid Waste’s Web site at http://www.tampagov.net/solidwaste.

For additional information or questions about recycling programs, contact Nina Stokes at 348-6507.

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McClain House Means Family

Posted Feb 7, 2007 by Stephen Hammill

Updated Feb 7, 2007 at 05:53 PM

DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED ADULTS FIND A HOME

By STEPHEN HAMMILL
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For the seven residents of 4041 Stall Road in Carrollwood, life goes on just as it does in other families. They get up in the morning. They go to work. They go on walks. They eat meals together.

Perhaps here, it’s more exceptional than typical.

The McClain house on Stall Road is an assisted living facility that has been around for more than a generation, becoming part of fabric of Carrollwood Village.
McClain Incorporated is a nonprofit ecumenical organization founded in 1977 through the joint efforts of parents and members of St. John’s Presbyterian Church in an effort to build a group home for adults with developmental disabilities.

There are three McClain group homes in Tampa: the Carrollwood house on Stall Road, a men’s home and two women’s homes, one located on Emerald Avenue near Jesuit High School and another on Woodlawn Avenue close to St. John’s Presbyterian Church.

Timeka Caleb has been on staff at the McClain house on Stall Road since 2001, and became resident manager this year. Caleb previously worked for Hillsborough County schools. Her motivation for working with the developmentally disabled is simple.

“It’s probably the residents that keep you here,” she said. “Seeing them happy and the progress they make – it’s inspiring.”

“They have a good rapport with her,” said Faye Gordon, program director for McClain Inc. “She’s like a member of their family.”

“We provide residential habilitation services for them – transportation services. We take them to their medical providers,” said Gordon, who has been providing services to less-heralded segments of society for years. She worked with abused and neglected children as a caseworker in New York City. After Sept. 11, commuting from her home in New Jersey to the city became too hectic.

“I encountered families with children with disabilities in that job, and it provided me with the groundwork to do this,” she said.

She sees it as her mission to go beyond basic services, to help integrate the residents of the homes into the community and enable them to function in the real world.

The hopes for the men and women of the McClain houses is independence. Gordon recalled a recent resident of the Stall Road house who, after years there, left to live alone.

“When you see a resident move out on his own, that makes you feel good,” she said. “It makes the staff feel good – that you can make a difference.”
The large house at Stall Road features a common area, with a television and a pool table. The dining room is big enough for everyone to eat together. The staff prepares meals from the kitchen every day. Most dinners at the McClain house are shared meals, according to Gordon. It is not an enforced rule, but a habit the residents embrace.

There are seven residents living there now, with room for one more. Each bedroom houses two residents. Jason Roche currently has a room to himself while the home looks to fill the vacancy.

“I’m looking forward to a roommate – I think I’d like to have that,” said Roche, who graduated from Gaither High School.

Resident Chris Spaulding is another Gaither graduate. He’s been going to work at the McDonalds in Northdale for 18 years now, Mondays through Saturdays. Spaulding likes to get his exercise, taking walks during the day. He also enjoys catching movies with his buddies.

“I like it here, it’s nice,” he said. Spaulding is a big Florida State University Seminoles fan, and his room is decorated with sports memorabilia. The residents of McClain house are encouraged to decorate the rooms to their liking.

Daniel Shanahan has been living at the McClain house since it opened. He’s a baseball fan, and an avid bowler, having competed in the Special Olympics.
Shanahan recognizes the challenges of trying to attain independence.

“I know that it’s hard outside. You have to pay the bills,” he said.

There are always staff on hand at the McClain house. They aim to do more than provide comfort for these men. They want to make them more self-reliant, and that means sending them out into the world every day.

“They either go to a day program or they go to a job – they all do something in the community,” Caleb said. “They’re working towards independent living skills.”

Whether or not each of them reaches that goal is less important to the staff than the journey they take toward it, incrementally gaining responsibility and some sense of independence.

The money they make from the jobs is theirs to spend, Gordon said, and they can do with it what they like. Gordon stressed that McClain focuses on assimilating residents into society, not in shielding them from it.

“You have to remember, we’re preparing them to become more involved in their own lives,” Gordon said. “Every one at our home during the day is off at work or an activity, not at the home.”

Paolo Guida is a full-time staff member at the Stall Road house. He moved here from Italy four years ago, where he served as a policeman. Now he’s a student learning English, and serving others once again. 

“In Italy I helped people – I do the same here,” Guida said. “It’s very fulfilling.”

Hilda Abreu works part time at the McClain Woodlawn Avenue women’s house. She moved here four years ago from New York.

“I have a history working with the disabled and homeless,” she said. “This is a passion. It’s something to do because you like it.”
The house on Stall Road shares property with St. Paul’s Church, and Gordon said the church has been actively involved in its upkeep. The donations they receive from it and various other private sources help keep the home going.

The homes exist on funding from the state, from community support and from personal donations.

McClain Inc.‘s history dates back to 1977, when church members of St. John’s Presbyterian with developmentally disabled children of their own were asked by their pastor what provisions they were making for their children as they grew older. The organization was born that year, and some of those same children reside at McClain house to this day.

There is a feel of a close family in the house, with communal dinners and group activities. The residents involve themselves in each others’ lives, sharing experiences over the course of years, all the while becoming a recognized part of the community.

The home is involved with the Best Buddies program. Over the holidays last year, the residents celebrated Christmas by opening gifts that came from private donations.

“In the past it was stigmatized; there were no services for them in place,” said Gordon. Residents of McClain houses now work in Publix Supermarkets, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A, while others train in area programs teaching computer and financial skills.

McClain Inc. is monitored by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities in Florida. In 2004, APD became a state agency separate from the Department of Children and Families. Prior to that time, it existed as the Developmental Disabilities Program.

Gordon said Social Security payments to the residents often cover their room and board, while private donations help with the home’s upkeep and secondary costs.

McClain’s board of directors is responsible for fundraising. Some of the board members are parents of residents.

“It’s a very small agency, but we have a lot of family involvement and support,” said Gordon.

Applicants to McClain houses often come to McClain Inc. through the APD.

“Then, we meet with the family and see if that person is a good fit for our home,” Gordon said.

“We take pride in our homes,” Gordon said. “We want to make a difference.”

The Stall Road home for men, along with the home on Woodlawn Avenue for women, can each house eight residents. Both currently have a vacancy. Gordon said anyone looking for a home for their developmentally disabled family member could contact her directly about McClain house.

Donations can be made to McClain Inc. by calling 930-0088 or via e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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