ASTON GARDENS HOSTS BOOK READING, PERFORMANCE

By STEPHEN HAMMILL

Bonnie Thomas Birdsall recently staged a performance of her new children’s book, “Earnest Took it with Him” at the Aston Gardens ballroom on Linebaugh Avenue in Westchase.

About 60 seniors, mostly residents of Aston Gardens, filled the ballroom for a multimedia reading/performance that featured song and dance routines.
Many Original Carrollwood residents know Birdsall as a long-time resident, local music teacher, and a tai chi and swim instructor. Fans of the soap opera “Guiding Light” might also remember her for her recurring role as nurse Delores Heldger. Birdsall moved here from New York 10 years ago, after her soap opera career ended.

The performance was to promote her first book, a children’s story about the perils of greed and the righteousness of sharing. In the story, a man named Earnest, recently deceased, attempts to take all his wealth with him on his journey to heaven. He is confronted by an angel who aims to show him that he was loved, not for the money he had accumulated, but for the man he was.

Her reading started with the first of several musical numbers. Four young dancers – swim and dance students of Birdsall – floated across the floor in ballerina costumes, as Birdsall sung the title song from her book.

Birdsall feels strongly that cuts in the funding of fine arts programs in many school systems makes it critical that communities find ways to supplement school courses with outside music, dance and literature classes.

“Earnest Took It With Him” is a self-published book, meaning there is no publishing house involved; Birdsall assumes the costs of printing herself. She recalled the time in her life when the book idea first appeared.

“I was alone with my son. I couldn’t perform anymore,” she said. “My dad was always a big storyteller. These stories, they just popped into my head.”
She took a class in self-publishing, and eventually applied for grant money from Hillsborough County, but was unable to garner the necessary funds. A former music teacher at the Bowman Academy, Birdsall has also written songs for Carrollwood Elementary. And as an acting coach, she assisted in a recent Carrollwood Elementary production of “A Christmas Carol.” Asking for help from people that she had volunteered for in the past turned them into patrons, and by raising the rest of the money teaching, she was able to put her story into print. She believes that the decision to self-publish was a crucial one, and a catch-22.

“You have total control of your book, but you really have to go out and promote it yourself,” she said. “You’re stuck with the advertising and the fees.”
Her brother donated the artwork for the book, which also features drawings from a second grade class at Carrollwood Elementary.
Birdsall recorded the accompanying music CD at a local production studio.

She says although the story is written for grades two through five, it is really meant to be enjoyed as a family book.
Birdsall had some trouble scheduling readings at public schools due to the book’s religious messages. She doesn’t see those messages as specific or overt.
“I don’t think it’s very religious,” she said. “It’s about caring and sharing. I knew it would press some buttons, but it was really important for me to tell the story.”
The lessons of the book derive from life experiences. There are many artists in Birdsall’s family, and as she recalled, “we don’t make a lot of cash, so I wanted to send the message to give back.”

Birdsall has recently performed at Barnes & Noble of Carrollwood, assisted-living facilities in Tampa, and local pre-schools and elementary schools, including Carrollwood Elementary.

The response to her first book has been good, and she is already working on another.

She mentioned that Shriners Hospital and the Moffit Center would be purchasing copies of “Earnest Took it With Him” for donations during the holidays.

Bonnie Thomas Birdsall is available to perform throughout Tampa Bay. For more information or to purchase copies of “Earnest Took It with Him,” call 932-2398.

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KIDS TAKE PART IN ANNUAL
“LUNCH WITH SANTA”

By STEPHEN HAMMILL

Seventy kids were given something to smile about Dec. 6, as the Carrollwood Kiwanis Club held an event for Hope Children’s Home called Lunch with Santa.
For the third consecutive year, Aston Gardens on West Linebaugh Avenue in Westchase played host to the event. The lunch was held in Aston garden’s ballroom.

After the dozens of well-behaved kids of all ages, dressed in red and green, finished their lunch, a Kiwanis member dressed as Santa strode in to loud applause. He called their names out one by one, as kids young and old went up for a hug and a personalized present.
“Let go of the button!” A young girl named Betanie eagerly shouted into her new walkie-talkie; her friend Brittany was yelling something back into the new toy from across the room.

Younger children scampered from one table to the next to compare presents with the older kids—there were toy guitars, clothes, stuffed animals. A young boy named Jeffery yelled out “Spiderman!” and then proudly help up two DVD’s for all to see.

The Kiwanis Club of Carrollwood is an organization of local business men and women, dedicated to improving the quality of life of children in the community.
The event for the children of Hope Home this year featured assisted funding from Bay Cities Bank, First Citrus Bank, the Gaither High School Key Club and residents of Aston Gardens. Aston Gardens provided the food for the lunch.

“The whole event is no cost to us, so we can spend it all on presents for the kids,” said Bob Silah, member and former president of the Kiwanis Club. “This (Hope Children’s Home) is our number-one charity.”

Kiwanis’ membership this year numbers in the 20s, and with so many children at Hope Home, Aston Gardens saw fit to provide some of the gifts this year.
“It’s worth it to see the kids faces when Santa comes,” said Beth Leto, Director of Community Relations for Aston Gardens. “The kids are so well-behaved; We’re thrilled to see them.”

Founded in 1968, Hope Children’s Home has rescued nearly 5,000 children between the ages of 2 and 18. Most of these children have been discarded, abused, unwanted or orphaned. The home takes the children in, and houses clothes, feeds and educates them. Hope Children’s Home is a Christian organization that blends religious teachings into all its programs.

The home is located on 45 acres of land near the Veteran’s Expressway in Tampa. Dormitories for the boys and girls can house 80 children. The children live in a family atmosphere with house parents who are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Hope Children’s Home receives no state or federal funding and is supported by various churches, private individuals, and organizations.
Dr. Mike Higgins, Pastor and Executive Director of Hope International Ministries, says the typical stay for a child in the program is about two years, but some stay much longer. One Hope Home member, Sharon, has been part of the family since the age of 23 months; she graduates high school this year.
The home looks to repair broken connections between the children and their families.
“But as I always say, they can stay as long as they need to,” said Higgins.

When asked what the home most needs this Christmas season, Higgins replied that their needs change from one day to the next. He recommends interested donors contact the home. Right now, the Hope Home’s Web site lists needs ranging from bathroom supplies like towels and toothbrush holders to property needs like wheelbarrows and shovels.

“But one of our biggest needs is trying to get funds for our kids to go to college,” said Higgins. “This time of year is our big push to raise financial support.”
All of the home’s staff lives on the property with the children.

“They’re up all hours to help the kids,” said Higgins. “They’ve literally walked away from career jobs to be with these children.”
The Hope Home is very much a family affair, with both Higgins’ wife, as well as his son, Matt, involved. Matt works at the Administrator of Children’s Affairs.
The Kiwanis Club and Hope Home have been working together on the Lunch with Santa for 28 years.
Jason Roberts is in his first year as President of the Kiwanis Club. He said the Lunch with Santa “is one my favorite events and probably the favorite of most club members … it’s certainly the best-attended.”

“I’m the one that does the cooking,” said James Hartley, Kiwanis Club member. Hartley’s been involved with Hope Home since joining Kuwanis Club in 1978. “It’s been a good thing over the years. Every year our main project is the Hope Home. Last year we raised over $1000 for computer software for the kids.”
After cleaning up, the children gathered near the Christmas tree in the ballroom to serenade members of the Kiwanis Club with renditions of “Go Tell It On the Mountain” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” It was a way to say “thank you” to these adults, most of them strangers, who had made their Christmas into something so many others take for granted, something normal.

Anyone with questions or donations for Hope Children’s Home should contact Chris Higgins or Candace Roberts at 813-961-1214 or visit http://www.hopechildrenshome.org.

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AMERICAN LEGION POST 147 WELCOMES NEW BROTHERS

By STEPHEN HAMMILL

A half-dozen denim-and-leather-clad men, sporting facial hair and no small number of tattoos, strode up to the bar and hastily ordered their drinks. Sal the barkeep served them up, one by one. Outside, the Harley-Davidsons, at the moment silent, kept watch.

At first glance this scene could pass for a biker-bar, or something out of a war movie; but this was neither.

The men inside represented the local chapter of The Nam Knights of America Motorcycle Club, and they had come to join American Legion Post 147 at 17413 Gunn Highway in Odessa after leaving their previous home, a veterans’ facility in Land O’ Lakes.

Sal the bartender is Sal Poliandro, the commander of American Legion Post 147.
Poliandro, and the rest of the membership of the American Legion post, held a breakfast Dec. 2 to welcome the Nam Knights to their fold.

“We’re going to try and get this place rocking and rolling,” said Pete Campbell.
Campbell is president of the local chapter of the Nam Knights, a club consisting of Harley-Davidson owners dedicated to honoring the memory of those who lost their lives during the Vietnam War and to assist American veterans of all conflicts in times of need.

A small group of Harley-riding combat veterans of the Vietnam War, some of whom were also police officers, started the Nam Knights in 1989.
“The club was formed to recapture the brotherhood its founding members shared while serving in Southeast Asia, and to help other veterans of all wars who are physically or financially unable to help themselves,” according to a quote on the group’s Web site attributed to founding member Jack Quigley, who served as a platoon sergeant during the Vietnam War.

The stated mission of the Nam Knights is to honor the memory of veterans and police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, to assist veterans and police officers in their time of need, and to promote community awareness through sponsorship and participation in various community and fundraising events.

In subsequent years, membership opened to non-law enforcement Vietnam veterans, then to law enforcement officers. Chapters may now have up to 25 percent of their membership filled by civilians.
“We get guys like mailmen, firemen,” said Campbell.

The men said the only adamant requisite for its members is that they “have to own and ride American-made motorcycles.” Campbell summed it up another way, “No weekend warriors … and no crotch rockets.”

The Nam Knights now boasts 26 chapters, nine of which are in Florida, with members made up of veterans from all eras, including the Iraq War.
Campbell stresses his group’s goal as a nonprofit organization.
“We do a lot for nursing of disabled veterans … and with helping U.S. veterans all over,” he said.
“We give what we get,” chimed in one of the members.

In their constitution, The Nam Knights state their goal to “help foster, encourage, and promote improvement of the condition of the Vietnam-era veteran.”
When the Knights went looking for new home in Tampa, Poliandro, a Vietnam veteran himself, called them back.
“We share a brotherhood – those who served over there – all of us,” he said.
The local chapter averages about 15 events and a dozen meetings a year. The Knig
hts will meet monthly at post 147.
The gruff exteriors belie a softer side to the men of Nam Knights. They get most charged up when talking about bikes, but when the subject ranges to helping others, and to their fellow veterans, more somber, reflective moods take hold.

Campbell added, “This year we’re joining the post to help some kids with a Christmas party on Dec. 16. We buy bikes for underprivileged kids. And we also do a lot for children with cancer.”

Another member expanded on the mission of the Knights in helping disabled veterans across the country, and in Tampa, “We just try to supplement what the government can’t do. We make a difference.”

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USF COURSES FOR SENIORS COME TO CARROLLWOOD

By STEPHEN HAMMILL

Carrollwood area seniors wanting to take part in an educational program designed especially for them won’t have to drive to the University of South Florida campus much longer.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and USF coordinate programs and services for seniors over the age of 50, and starting this winter courses in both programs will be in Carrollwood.

This Bay Area program for seniors, run through the University of South Florida, features the Learning in Retirement program, which offers courses and study groups for seniors in the liberal arts and sciences. Also offered is the SeniorNet program, which provides hands-on computer instruction and training.
The change in program this January will bring a portion of the classes to the Carrollwood area for the first time, at Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church, 2902 W. Fletcher Ave.

Up to 25 percent of the program’s classes will take place off campus in the upcoming year.

Prospective members can meet one another and learn of the offered programs at the open house at the church Jan. 5. Classes begin Jan. 16
Joseph McAuliffe administrates the senior program.

“We’re beginning to branch out into the community,” said McAuliffe, who says holding classes nearer to seniors’ homes will make a big difference. “Especially with seniors, if something’s brought to them, it can really stimulate the community.” McAuliffe is also an adjunct professor at USF.
McAuliffe takes particular pride in the SeniorNet program. “We emphasize the computer foundation classes,” said MaCauliffe. “It’s so important to be able to connect to family.”

Despite the uphill challenge, McAuliffe has seen a marked success in incentive-based training methods.
“It’s so exciting to see seniors work with computers,” he said. “We open their world up to them.”

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is a membership-based program where seniors pay an annual fee of $30.

Reaching out

Lake Magdalene church has quite a few groups from the community that use its facilities.
According to the Rev. Richard Nussel, pastor of the church, “We’ve got things going on here basically six and a half days out of seven. The church has a long history in various forms of outreach, with no strings attached.”
Nussel is excited to welcome the Learning In Retirement program to the church.
“It is an opportunity for us to serve the community through the university. I just threw the doors wide open,” he said. “There are a lot of folks in our area that take advantage of the program and I’ve got a number of them in my church.”
Nussel saw what so many other have seen, that LIR “keeps their minds active and gives them a local network … I said whatever we could do to help, we would do.”

Marge Cuesta is chair of the program’s membership committee, which organizes social events for each of the campuses in an effort to expand upon the program’s academic base. She is also an avid student in the program, having attended 85 courses in the four years she has lived here.
“I don’t stop,” she said with a laugh. Cuesta is a retired teacher and principal from Miami. “It’s really a wonderful organization. It literally saved my life. In 1999, I came here and had been ill. I had lost contact with everyone here. Since the program has started I’ve met so many friends.”
Cuesta stresses the program does far more than teach its respective subjects.

“It really provides a lot of opportunity for socialization,” she said. “We organize at least two social events for the seniors each year. This is a way of making new friends.”

McAuliffe agrees.
“The biggest enemy is routine, or rut,” he said “They completely lose the child within them. What I try to do is be a disruptive force. I want to disrupt them out of these staid patterns.”

McAuliffe sees it as his job to “motivate them to do new things, to get out of their habits.”
“I’m like a coach.”

Giving back

Retired teachers, generals, former executives, computer specialists and some active USF faculty comprise the program’s instructors.
Indeed, the breadth of knowledge and experience the instructors bring is something that would make many college-age university students jealous.
“We have one instructor, Dr. Fred Farrar, a professor emeritus from Temple University, who is 88 years old; and at 70 they told him to retire,” said Cuesta. “He says that this has saved his life. He just loves to teach and has so much knowledge. He is just wonderful.”
McAuliffe added his own insight on the older professors.

“I’m more inclined to go with retired faculty because there is the age connection,” he said. “I’m used to teaching 17- to 20-year-olds who may come to me because of a prerequisite, where our students are extremely motivated. They value the experience.”
One of the Learning in Retirement program’s most popular instructors, Susan Bottom, worked for the Department of Defense as a civilian before joining LIR. She retired from special operations command at MacDill Air Force Base in 2002. While there, she taught classes primarily in logistics.
Bottom will be teaching at Lake Magdalene this winter a course on colonial history of the first settlements of the 13 colonies. Past courses she has taught range from British history to building colonies on Mars.

Bottom has been involved with LIR for three years now.
“It is a very rich and incredible experience,” said Bottom. “The people involved are so alert and alive. So many of them have such rich backgrounds … I think I learn more from them than they do from me.”
Like many LIR instructors, she started as a student.

The program

At the Lake Magdalene church open house, visitors will be greeted with coffee and breakfast.
“We have the instructors come and discuss what their classes will be like,” said Cuesta, one of 15 people who serve on the membership committee.
There will be tables set up where most of the instructors will be available to answer questions about the available classes. Visitors will be told about membership, which costs $30 a year.

The Learning in Retirement program offers more than 30 classes, with subjects ranging from astronomy to politics (“Where Is America Going?” ), and from yoga to literature (“The Great Books” ). A typical eight-week class will run $50; additional classes after that will cost just $10 each. There are materials fees for some courses. Classes meet once a week, usually in the daytime.

The program is able to keep down its costs to seniors thanks to outside funding, including a large grant from Osher.
“Another aspect of our organization that is unique is we have a number of seniors volunteering. That has significantly contributed to us being able to keep our prices low,” said Cuesta. She hopes to garner more help this year from local businesses to help defray program costs. “We really appreciate any sponsorship from organizations to help with events.”

Learning new tricks

Caye Wheeler is an instructor for the SeniorNet program. She teaches a course entitled “Introduction to Computers II,” which deals with using word programs, spreadsheets and documents, e-mail and the Internet.
Wheeler acknowledges that while helping students become acquainted with their computers and making them more comfortable with the mouse and the keyboard are still important tasks, there has been a change in her students over the past few years.
“At first, there are a lot of gaps in their knowledge,” said Wheeler. “They just want to be able to keep up with the children and grandchildren.”
Wheeler recalls the story of a recent student, 86 years old, who, on a visit to Epcot Center, sat in front of a computer not knowing how to use it.
“A 6-year-old came up to her and said, ‘I know how to use this computer.’ After that, the woman said, ‘that will never happen to me again,’” she said.
The empowerment that comes from computer literacy is making itself evident in the new crop of SeniorNet students.
“We’re seeing a difference in students the past two years.  They’re coming with more knowledge than before,” said Wheeler. “They come in just wanting to learn e-mail, but by the end of the course they’re so excited to have made a greeting card or to have put numbers in a spreadsheet. We make them more comfortable, and they become more daring.”

Wheeler, like so many of the programs instructors, is also a student, and has been with SeniorNet both teaching and taking courses for four years. She again confirms the greater social impact of these classes.

“This is such an important aspect of the program,” she said. “I’ve gotten so much out of SeniorNet, and I hope others will, too. The impact SeniorNet has on the community – it brings enrichment to people’s lives.”
SeniorNet is observing its 20th anniversary this year by opening learning centers in the inner cities and even onto Native-American reservations, like Blackfeet Achievement Center in Montana.

Students make the story

Carrollwood resident and Vietnam veteran Ken Payant joined the Learning in Retirement program at the behest of friend, fellow student Robbins Denham, five years ago.

“I retired in 2000 and got in LIR right away,” said Payant. “The first course I took was on the Dead Sea Scrolls. A year and a half later we walked the grounds of the Qunran (on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea) in Israel.”
Payant and Denham usually take two courses at a time, and have worked out their own system.
“We take one course we have to think in, study in, read in, and then we take what we call a ‘no-brainer’ – sit back and listen to opera, jazz, Tin Pan Alley,” he said.

He is most interested in biblical history, and has also taken LIR courses on opera and most recently, one entitled “Media: American Revolution,” taught by Farrar.

“It’s really made my life worthwhile,” he said.
Payant is a member of Lake Magdalene’s congregation and looks forward to attending classes at his hometown church. He describes the program as “invaluable. You couldn’t put a price tag on it.”
He recalled how on a recent course in Greek Mythology, “Someone raised a hand and said, ‘How many people would like to go to Greece?’ Two weeks after classes ended we were in Athens!”

Seniors interested in enrolling in the Learning in Retirement program as well as volunteers looking to help should call 974-8036.
The north Tampa open house will be held Jan. 5 at 9:30 a.m. at Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 2902 W. Fletcher Ave., Tampa.

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By SHERRI LONON

As long as U.S. troops continue to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, Tampa-based Operation Helping Hand intends to assist the forgotten casualties of war.

Those forgotten casualties are the families of those who have been injured in the line of duty, said Bob Silah, chairman of Operation Helping Hand, a creation of the Tampa Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. Operation Helping Hand is a nonprofit group that provides assistance to the families of wounded active duty troops who are receiving treatment at Tampa’s James A. Haley Veterans Hospital.

The group, which is all volunteer, serves anywhere from 14 to 25 families at a time by providing the things they might need while living away from home. Gifts to families have included everything from gasoline, grocery and calling cards to lodging, cash, clothing and beyond.

While most branches of the military take care of housing concerns for the spouses and children of service personnel staying at the hospital, some are not eligible, Silah said. Also, family members, such as parents, might not receive any assistance.

The needs, he said, are great.

“It’s like a revolving door,” explained Silah. “They come in, they get treated and they either get discharged or sent to another hospital.”

While service personnel are undergoing treatments at the hospital, they tend to only receive their regular enlisted pay. But, they still have an obligation to pay for their permanent household while also taking care of any family that may come to town to help during the recuperation process. The pay situation generally improves a bit once they receive medical discharges, but it’s the in-between time that puts a major strain on finances, Silah said.

This is where Operation Helping Hand comes in.

“It’s that limbo time between treatment and medical discharge,” he said, adding that oftentimes the wounded and their families are forgotten. “It angers me. Nobody mentions these poor people who get wounded while they’re protecting us.”

Silah said it’s hard sometimes to find out exactly what the families need, because they generally won’t ask for assistance. The group relies on hospital staff to help find out.

“(There was one) family that was living in a car,” he said. “They wouldn’t tell anybody they needed money.”

It’s people like that, or the Herricks of North Florida, the group seeks to help.

Diana Herrick knows firsthand the importance of organizations like Operation Helping Hand. Her husband, Pete, was wounded May 2, 2004, while serving in the Navy in Iraq. A mortar attack left Pete, a petty officer third class, paralyzed from the neck down. The same attack killed five and injured 33, she said.

Since his injury, Pete has received treatment in Tampa off and on. At one point, he spent several months at the hospital while the couple’s two children stayed with Diana’s parents near the family’s North Florida home.

As Pete has undergone treatments, Diana said the members of Operation Helping Hand have provided a shoulder for her to lean on.

She remembers in particular an 11-month stay in Tampa, during which time she was spending about 10 hours a day at the hospital learning how to care for her husband.

“The Navy put me up in a hotel for 11 months and I just stayed here every day and learned how to care for him,” she said.

It was during that time that Operation Helping Hand offered to help.

“We started getting introduced to people who were giving us gas cards, phone cards, money for things we might have left home,” she said. “We were doing without, and just the little things to make you feel good.”

She recalls a dozen roses in particular.

“They make the family feel special, not just the patient,” she said.

During this time, the Navy did do a good job of helping provide for the family as well, she said.

“We were some of the luckier ones,” she said. “For us, it was more just the support. They wanted to do anything they could to help.”

She knows, however, of many families that haven’t been as lucky financially. It is for them, she hopes, that Operation Helping Hand succeeds in its mission to provide assistance.

“A lot of times, if it’s the mother for the fiancee and not the wife, they don’t get the same pay to be there with their family member,” she said.

Still, it’s important for the injured to have their family close, she said.

“It just makes such a difference for the families of the injured who have to be there for such a long amount of time,” she said. “It’s not unheard of for the severely injured to be in the hospital for a year or a half a year.”

Having family near “effects how well that person heals,” she said. “Because of (groups) like Operation Helping Hand, people are able to stay away from home longer and help that person heal.”

That’s exactly what Silah would like to continue doing. The organization, however, thrives on donations. Operating with only a small amount of overhead to pay for copies and postage, the group tries to put all of its funding in the hands of the people that need it, he said.

“People don’t know what’s happening out there and these kids are in a lot of pain and misery and we’re one of the few organizations that are helping them,” he said.

For more information on Operation Helping Hand, visit http://www.moaatampa.com/operation_helping_hand.htm. Tax deductible donations can be sent to PO Box 6383, MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa 33608, or call Silah at 963-1854 or vice chairman Bob Sawallesh at 654-3900. Checks should be made payable to MOAA Operation Helping Hand.

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CONSTRUCTION MAY RUN THROUGH HOLIDAYS

By STEPHEN HAMMILL

A new wave of paving began Nov. 26 on West Waters Avenue that may continue into the holidays.

The $2.4 million project to re-pave the road will be a 30-day job, said Steve Valdez, Hillsborough County spokesman.
“They (contractors) hope work will be completed before Christmas,” he said. “The contractor shuts down between Christmas and New Year’s. It really all depends on the weather and how things go.”

Valdez also addressed what construction may mean to local businesses leading up to the busy holiday season.
“The roads are in such bad shape now, even with construction, if the road is half-paved it would be in better condition than it is now and since work is being done at night it’s probably not going to adversely affect anybody,” he said.

The work will move westward over the coming weeks. Main construction work is to run from 9 p.m. through 6 a.m. nightly.

Some local businesses are worried, however, about remnats of materials and lane closures during the daytime. Silver Dragon’s Games, 7902 W. Waters Ave., located in Hunters Plaza, sits at the beginning of the new construction. Owner Ryan Michalski started noticing a drop-off in walk-ins shortly after work began. He is most worried about the blocked median strip.
“It’s terrible,” he said. “It’s really slowed things down.”

Bulldozers began removing pavement from the innermost lanes last weekend about a quarter mile west of the Veterans Expressway overpass.

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KEYSTONE CHURCH WELCOMES NEW LEADER

By STEPHEN HAMMILL

While November marked the beginning of Rev. Jim Warfel’s tenure as pastor of Keystone Presbyterian Church on Van ##### Road, he has already noticed a need for his presence.

“I feel to some degree they have been left as sheep without a shepherd,” he said. “They’re interested in making the church the presence of Christ in the area.”

Keystone Presbyterian’s congregation is made up of about 75 members, yet attendance at services typically numbers in the forties. According to Warfel, such modest support has a deeper meaning.
“Either we grow in three years,” he said. “Or, we close the doors.”

But don’t get him wrong, Warfel’s demeanor is anything but pessimistic.
“The pursuit of God – that’s what religion is about,” he explained. “The essence of a minister is not the sermons. They (the congregation) won’t remember them in a week. They’ll remember when they hurt if I’m there or if I’m not there.”

When asked whom the church most wants to reach, he had an answer for that, too.
“The church is a place where people who are hurting are supposed to get better,” he said. “We don’t need a whole lot of righteousness.”
Warfel admits to an almost selfish reason for the life he has chosen.

“To bring them into a relationship with God – it gets me closer to Him,” he confessed. “I can’t imagine someone attempting to be a minister who didn’t love people. You can’t love God if you don’t love people. And, you can’t do it for the pay.”

Warfel grew up in Sanford, where his father worked as a railroader and his mother served on the school board.
He attended Seminole High School, and then went on to receive his degree in chemistry from the University of South Florida. With the Vietnam War looming, Warfel remained in academia, teaching physics and math. But when his number was called, Warfel decided to enlist in Air Force officer training school.
“I thought, there’s something better than being drafted in the Army,” he said.

Not long after, he was flying airborne combat missions over Laos and Cambodia. He logged 59 missions in all.
When asked about what impact his military background has on his ministerial methods, Warfel paused and gave an all-encompassing answer.
“There is no aspect of life that doesn’t affect the way you minister,” he said.

In 1989, he and his first wife divorced.
“I floundered around for a few years and finally realized what I was to do,” explained Warfel. “I always said God makes you a minister when there’s nothing left to do. You can’t run from God.”

“I tell people, I’m not good, I’m forgiven,” he continued. “I’m a sinner, saved by grace – that’s the bottom line.”

Warfel remarried in 1995. His new wife was a former classmate. That same year, he was also ordained in the Reformed Episcopal Church in St. Petersburg. He has four daughters, all grown, and “scattered to the four winds.”

Warfel is adamant about the teaching nature of his position, and of Christianity itself.
“Your parents’ religion means nothing until it is your own,” he said.

The congregation elected its Pastoral Nominating Committee in March of this year. A month later they started meeting and the months-long search for a new pastor began. Warfel started out being the number-one candidate and remained that way.
Nominating committee member Muriel Rosas explained the process.

“We had a survey of the membership to try and find what they were looking for,” he said. “He had experience with small churches, and he came across as a very caring person. We were looking for someone who could nurture the congregation and also reach out to the community.”
According to Rosas, it looks like they got what they went shopping for.

“He’s only been here a few weeks but I feel really strongly he is what we need,” Rosas said. “He is a very loving person, and that’s very important.”
Warfel keenly senses the challenge of his new position as a pastor of his time, a call to inspire people who are left wanting for a meaningful message in their hurried and distracted lives.

“We’re trying to be faithful to the teachings of the church, while making it relevant to the 21st century,” explained Warfel. In a time when mega-churches are sprouting across the country, Keystone harks back to a simpler mode of worship, where the pastor knew his followers by name, and those people gather in a house of God.

Services run weekly on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m.. Keystone Presbetyrian Church is located on 7509 Van ##### Road, Odessa.
The church can be reached at (813) 902-5180.

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By STEPHEN HAMMILL

On a recent Saturday morning, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Lutz-Lake Fern Road welcomed volunteers to its grounds as construction began on a live nativity scene entitled “Night in Bethlehem.”

This is the first year the 5-year-old church will put on the event.

On the church’s grounds there is room for a small city, and Jennie Johnson, director of “Night in Bethlehem,” stresses this will be “not just a manger. It’s the whole scene.”

Johnson pointed out a shaded area that will be a re-creation of Bethlehem. Visitors will be guided through streets of Jerusalem, where they will be asked to pay “taxes” – a donation in this case.

“They pay canned goods to get in,” said Johnson. Donations will go to local food banks.
Johnson says the volunteers are doing their best to achieve historical accuracy.
“We’re trying for that,” she said.

The last stop will take visitors to the manger, where live animals will mingle with the three wise men.

“We have neighbors supplying a donkey, a pony, and three sheep,” commented James Gillen, media relations assistant for the church.
Congregation members Emily and Kevin Packard will play the roles of Mary and Joseph, respectively. Emily and her husband are both musicians and students. The two moved to the area from California two years ago and have been church members since their arrival.

“We did a smaller version of the nativity scene last year for just the congregation,” she said. “They asked my husband and I if we would do it.”
Emily said the point of the show is “not just to get people to come to our congregation. We want to show we have faith and belief in Christ ... and to celebrate a nice Christmas.”

“Night in Bethlehem” will run every half-hour beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 7-10.

“For the first year, we’re going to do it one weekend and see how it goes,” said Gillen.

For free tickets, the church can be reached by phone at 838-3497 or by e-mail at .

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located at 7851 Lutz-Lake Fern Road.

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By SHERRI LONON

While most toddlers relish hugs and kisses, stop on a dime when their name is spoken, and call for their mommies and daddies when they want out of their cribs, Emily Proctor does not.

But, the little girl with the wispy, light-brown curls can spell about 100 words and label just about anything. Give her a puzzle, and she’s likely to figure it out.

Emily Proctor has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. In short, it means Emily is likely to have one form of autism or another. This condition of unknown origin, with no known cure, strikes about one in 166 children in America today, according to figures presented by Autism Speaks, a nonprofit organization founded by NBC chief executive officer Bob Wright and his wife, Suzanne. The agency works to raise money and awareness for the fight against autism with a strong emphasis on funding research.

The neurobiological condition is complicated. So complicated, in fact, no two children with autism present symptoms in exactly the same way. Emily’s case is unique, as are all cases of autism.

That’s why Emily’s parents, Rob and Cyndi Proctor, are getting involved in the inaugural Tampa Walk For Autism Research Nov. 11.

“No one knows what causes autism,” said Rob Proctor. “That’s why we need to do the walk and to research it. I don’t want other parents to go through this.”

The Proctors’ little girl was diagnosed two days before her second birthday. The first signs of a problem showed up months before. At her 12-month checkup, for example, Emily failed to reach many of the developmental milestones most babies attain, said Cyndi.

Since Emily suffered from chronic ear and sinus infections, it was thought this could be the root of the problem, Cyndi said.

Then at 18 months, she hit “rock bottom,” Cyndi said. “It was almost like there was nothing there. She just completely withdrew.”

Emily would learn words and then lose them. She wanted books read in a certain way, things put up in the same manner every time, songs sung to a particular cadence. “You couldn’t play with her,” Cyndi recalled.

The couple, who lives in the Carrollwood area, took their daughter to several doctors with varying results and then watched a television program that featured an autistic child. At that point, they couldn’t deny there was something more wrong with Emily than chronic infections, said Rob. “We knew there was something really happening,” he said. Emily was taken to another specialist and received her diagnosis.

Since then, Emily’s undergone a host of early intervention programs to help her develop better adaptation and social skills. She’s learning to tolerate eye contact, socialize more and even is more accepting of physical contact such as hugs and snuggles. She will even, on occasion, share toys with her younger sister, Haley, 18 months. She still likes things done in a particular way, and the threat of a “meltdown,” which is much more severe than a typical toddler temper tantrum, is always on the horizon, the couple said.

“She’s trying to establish an order in her world,” Rob said.

What exactly the future will hold for Emily, the Proctors do not know. They believe Emily will fall in the mild range of the condition, but said only time will tell for sure. They also believe that early intervention therapy will play a big role in how well Emily adjusts to the world outside their neatly arranged home.

As they wait for the future to unfold, the Proctors don’t intend to sit by and do nothing. They are committed to making a difference, they said.

To that end, the Proctors have signed up to take part in the first-ever Tampa Walk for Autism Research Nov. 11 at the Museum of Science & Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave.
They have Web pages for Emily set up through Autism Speaks where supporters can help sponsor their effort. The site is accessible from the http://www.autismspeaks.org main page by clicking on “Donate,” and following the prompts to the Tampa walk’s own page and its participant listings.

Both Rob and Cyndi intend to walk for the cause.

Making The Walk A Success
As a mother of a son with autism and a therapist, Helyn Moore of Brandon knows firsthand the importance of raising not only money for research, but also awareness about the condition. The walk, in particular, is near and dear to her heart, she said. So much so, she’s serving as the volunteer chairwoman for the event.

Pointing to figures of recent diagnoses that put autism in the range of one child in every 166 born overall and one out of every 104 boys, Moore calls the condition an epidemic. It’s her hope the Tampa walk and other similar events get the word out that help is needed to tackle this problem.

Although many participants in the walk are impacted by autism on a daily basis, anyone is welcome to come out and support the event, she said. “At the rate we’re going right now, statistically you will know somebody (with autism),” she said.

The goal for the walk is $100,000, a figure Moore hopes to exceed. So far, about 2,000 people are expected, she said.

Fighting for research and assistance for families is a passion for Moore. “I don’t anticipate they’re going to find a cure for this for my son (Michael),” she said. “My hope is that they will discover things to improve the quality of his life.”

Finding a cause and a cure, however, are the ultimate goals. “I don’t want to be sitting, wondering if my grandchildren are going to have autism,” she said. “I’ve given enough to autism. We need to find out what’s doing this and stop it. It all comes down to research.”

Moore provides autism patients with specialized therapy to help them catch up where they’re lacking developmentally. Further information can be found on her Web site at http://www.rdcconnection.com.

The walk itself begins with a check in at 9 a.m. It starts at 10. The event will feature access to MOSI, the walk, clowns and much more, she said. “We would love to have everyone come out and support the walk,” she said. “It’s going to be a fabulous day.”

To learn more about autism, the walk and the early warning signs of the condition, visit http://www.autismspeaks.org.

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By SHERRI LONON

Wesley Partridge is proud to say he graduated No. 2 in Chamberlain High School’s first class.

Of course, Partridge was one of only two graduates during the 1956-57 inaugural school year. In fact, he and his fellow first graduate, Cliff May, had to wait and walk with the 1958 graduating class.

“It was a pleasure,” said Partridge of his year at Chamberlain.

Getting to Chamberlain took some work, too, Partridge said. Since the school wasn’t intending to have a senior class in its first year, Partridge and May had to request special dispensation to attend.

Why?

They wanted to play football for “Big” John Adcock, who had coached their junior varsity team the previous year at Hillsborough High School, Partridge said.
Following much discussion, principals Vivian Gaither of Hillsborough High and Ateo P. Leto, Chamberlain’s first principal, agreed and the two were allowed to go to Chamberlain.

“Mr. Leto was such a nice guy,” said Partridge. “Mr. Leto was close to all of us.”

May could not be reached for comment.

Partridge is not alone in having fond members of the school’s first few years.

Ray Seymour played on the 1961 state champion football team under Adcock’s direction and now teaches special education classes at the school.
He remembers playing on the school grounds before there was a school. The area, he said, was rural.

“Horses used to be here,” said Seymour, who graduated in 1962. Back when he attended Chamberlain, the school’s boundaries extended to Odessa and beyond, he said.

Seymour said his best memories of Chamberlain revolve around the championship football season. “It was the only time the school has gone undefeated,” he said. “At the time, you didn’t realize how special it was.”

Partridge’s wife, Pat, is also a graduate of Chamberlain. Her class is 1964.

Her best memories lie with the faculty, staff and students who filled the school’s halls.

“Over the years Wes and I could walk back in these doors and there were so many people (we knew),” said Pat Partridge.

The standout memory for Pat Partridge was being on the 1961 drill team, she said.

For Wesley, the biggest memory was when Leo Scarborough scored Chamberlain’s first-ever touchdown.
The three grads say the school remains dear to their hearts.

As for what’s changed the most. “I don’t see the school spirit we had,” said Wesley. “We were all a part of writing the alma mater, (picking) the school colors.”

Pat agreed. “There was a special spirit that went on here,” she said.

“We just fell in love with the place,” Wesley said.

Honoring the future

As the alumni remember their time at Chamberlain, the 50th Anniversary Committee is working to bring some of the old spirit to life.
Julie Quintana, a longtime teacher, is the chairwoman of the committee. The group is raising money to give the school a facelift of sorts during its anniversary year. The hope is to buy a wrought iron fence to encircle the campus.

Fundraising for the effort is ongoing. Supporters of the school can get into the act by:

u Submitting recipes to a 50th anniversary commemorative cookbook. Quintana is seeking recipes from former students, parents and friends of the school.

A minimum of five recipes per contributor is requested to ensure no duplication. The books will be sold later in the school year.

u Commemorative pins are now on sale for $5 each.

u Commemorative T-shirts are still available for $12 each.

uAds are being accepted for the anniversary newsletter that goes out every two weeks. Ads are business card size.

For more information, e-mail Quintana at or call 975-7677, Ext. 356.

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