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USF Engineers Show Off At Competition

Posted Feb 15, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Feb 15, 2007 at 01:55 PM

ACTION-PACKED ACTIVITIES PROMISED

By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT
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A chemical magic show, a laser light show and robot demonstrations are all part of the thrills guests can expect to see at the University of South Florida’s Engineering Expo.
The expo will be Feb. 16 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Feb. 17 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the school’s College of Engineering.
“We invite all the student organizations to have shows and provide activities,” said Monica Escobar, a graduate student who is the director of publicity for the event. “We have also invited companies in the Tampa Bay area with engineering-related positions. We want to show our students what to expect when they finish their degree and go out into their career.”
The expo serves a dual purpose in informing the community and students about engineering and as a recruiting tool.
“The main theme centers around engineering,” said Henrick Jeanty, instructor in the computer science and engineering department and faculty advisor for the event. “The expo shows what engineering is and how it helps us in our daily lives. We hope to appeal to our visitors. Maybe a high school student visiting the event will enjoy the expo and will become interested in becoming an engineer one day and then maybe they will choose USF.”
The expo is geared towards children through 12th-grade, but is free and open to anyone. The event will have a variety of demonstrations including a fun with physics show by the Society of the Physics Students, a chemical magic show from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, a laser light show from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a robot demonstration from the CRASAR Team.
“This will be a great event for anyone who likes science, math and engineering,” Escobar said. “There will be lots of interesting displays and demonstrations and lots of hands-on activities. TECO will be there with a bike attached to a light bulb. People can ride it and see how much energy it takes to turn on a light bulb.”
Many companies will be participating with demonstrations of what engineers do at their companies including MOSI, TECO, Honeywell and the Environmental Protection Commission.
“It is good for our own students and prospective students,” Jeanty said. “Any student who doesn’t know which branch or specialty they want to go into in engineering can come and check out the different areas of engineering. By going to the expo and getting to see these different areas, it can help them decide what they want to do.”
In addition to all the exhibits, visitors to the expo will get the chance to look at USF’s facilities.
“The expo will be mostly concentrated around the engineering college area with some spots outside being utilized as well,” Jeanty said. “There will be some open labs, so people can see what they look like. A tour of the nano-technology lab will also be given. A tour guide will take a small group of people through the lab at a time.”
Many of the school’s groups have each designed a display or demonstration for the event. A few of the displays will feature robotics including one robot nicknamed the Intelligent Scarecrow. The robot was created by four computer science and engineering students at USF and took second place in Microsoft’s Third Annual Windows Embedded Student Challenge, a worldwide competition.
A few area schools are participating as well, including Jamerson Elementary School and Middleton High School. Both schools will have displays and activities.
Expo organizers are also hoping to attract many of the students in the area for field trips.
For more information visit http://expo.eng.usf.edu.

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‘Masterpieces’ Abound At Tampa Shriners Hospital For Children

Posted Feb 12, 2007 by Joyce McKenzie

Updated Feb 12, 2007 at 05:32 PM

‘Masterpieces’ Abound At Tampa’s Shriners Hospital For Children
CLUB DISCOVERS ‘EXCEPTIONAL’ WORK

By JOYCE McKENZIE
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In the words of Mel Jurado, “It’s a da Vinci.”
She’s referring to the artwork of 10-year-old Christine Garner, a longtime patient of Shriners Hospitals for Children Tampa.
Christine’s illustration of a multi-colored rainbow – one among the 28 drawings from Shriners patients ages 3 to 13 who’d entered their drawings in the Temple Terrace Woman’s Club-sponsored art contest – was a creation that particularly caught Jurado’s eye.
Jurado, the club’s arts department chairwoman and contest organizer, likened the image to that of the hospital’s staff and Christine’s personas – cheerful and optimistic in all they do.
“You’ve gotta be positive,” said Christine, who along with all the other entrants was awarded a blue ribbon for her artwork.
Born with cerebral palsy, St. Petersburg resident Christine has spent much of the last eight years at Shriners, where six months ago she underwent double hip-replacement surgery.
“It’s going to be OK,” Christine said to her mother, Tricia, as she sensed Tricia’s apprehension prior to the procedure.
In fact, Tricia Garner said, Christine – the youngest of her five children who aspires to be a designer one day – always looks forward to her stays at Shriners.
Much of her excitement not only stems from being able to see her therapists and other “friends” there, but her desire to personally take care of many of her daily needs.
“I like that they try to make it easier for people like us – like we can make the doors open, the elevator doors open and make our beds go up and down,” she said. “They even have a whirlpool bath where we can give ourselves a bath and I like that they have a playground and a jukebox you can play.”
Tricia describes the staff’s treatment of the entire family as “exceptional.”
“They teach us how we can help them achieve and they always ask if we need help – they will give you a ride, let you eat free and give you anything you want,” Tricia said. “Without Shriners I wouldn’t know where to go. Here they show you what she needs to work on. Every staff member must be screened to be the perfect person.”
Many of the employees, Tricia said, come in on their own time for the patients’ pizza night on Fridays and for special occasions, including a Halloween party and prom night.
“I love this place, I can tell you that,” Christine said.
Woman’s club members who attended the art contest judging segment and stayed for the club’s monthly meeting that followed were welcomed by public relations director Bethanne Demas, who gave an overview of the facility’s function and funding sources.
“Shriners does a lot of fundraising, community groups do fundraising and some people name Shriners in their will,” she said. “But, unfortunately, our Shriners are aging and we’re not getting younger members.”
She also said the Tampa hospital – which opened in 1985 at 12502 Pine Drive on the University of South Florida campus – has treated more than 37,000 children.
It is one of 22 Shriners Hospitals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Following Demas’ presentation, club members unanimously voted in favor of contributing $500 to the hospital.
“Learning about their supportive and healing ways was very enlightening,” said club president Marge Groene. “We are most fortunate to have this facility in our area.”
Jurado concurred.
“Miracles happen there every day,” she said. “They are a jewel in our community just as our club is, so it’s a win-win situation all around.”

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Teacher’s Work With Robotics Reaps Rewards

Posted Feb 8, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Feb 8, 2007 at 02:50 PM

King High School teacher Steve Banister prides himself on taking his physics students to as high a level as possible.
Due to his hard work in starting a successful robotics club at the school, Banister recently received the Lignell Outstanding Teacher Award for Hillsborough County.
Every year the Florida West Coast Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a national society with more than 2,000 members in the Tampa Bay area, gives the award to a math or science teacher from Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties for going above and beyond the call of duty.
“I am real happy about winning,” Banister said. “I put a lot of free time and effort into the club. We don’t get a lot of recognition in this trade.”
Banister took a group of his physics students to the Florida Regional ROV Competition last year at Adventure Island in Tampa. The students and Banister worked on creating an underwater robot during club periods and after school.
The robot was successful in completing all the required tasks and the team won. This year Banister will work with mostly new students to create another robot for the next regional competition, scheduled for April.
“It all started when I went to district training and I brought back a kit to build a very simple robot,” Banister said. “After the class finished their work, I let the kids work on the robot. They became interested in it, so I bought extra parts and we ended up building three robots. They actually worked so we decided to create a robot and compete in the regionals.”
He said his students enjoyed the project and he thought it was a good way to keep science interesting.
“There is something in there for anybody to do,” Banister said. “While some of the students are more focused on building the robot, there are other tasks that have to be completed for the competition. One student may write the technical report while another might create the poster for the poster contest. It all depends on what the students want to do.”
He said the competition helps to keep the students’ interest while building their skills at the same time.
“There is a lot of teamwork involved at the competition,” Banister said. “While one student is looking only at TV monitors, another is on the side of the pool and another student is working the up and down controls while another is working the forward and backward. They have to communicate and work together.”
Banister said he helps the students learn the basics of robotics by letting them make their own mistakes.
“There is a lot of trial and error,” Banister said. “They come up with ideas that I know are not going to work. I let them do it. It is really important they get to try their ideas and dispel things that won’t work in their minds.”
The love of robotics is nothing new to the science teacher of 12 years.
“I have always been a hobbyist,” Banister said “I used to fix TV sets when they were just tubes.
“I used to be in the Navy. I was an electrician on a nuclear submarine. Four months is a long time to spend, so I would take electronic kits and create things.”
Since winning last year’s competition, 15 students have already signed up to participate in the club this year.
In fact, the club has been so successful the school was awarded a $68,219 grant from Succeed Florida to put together a program for robotics training.
Glenn Stewart, assistant principal for curriculum, is looking forward to the future with the possibility of King offering a robotics program.
“There is a huge industry out there,” Stewart said. “We are just in the beginning stages. We are going to try to build this into our curriculum and hopefully we will one day start an academy.”
He said he was really impressed by the students in the competition last year.
“They were doing the same thing as the astronauts were doing in space, but just on a smaller scale,” Stewart said. “They are using a lot of higher level thinking. It really engages the kids. I could see this one day being a major.”
Banister said there is a lot of opportunity for his students to continue working with robots in the future.
“USF and many other colleges have a robotics department,” Banister said. “It is a growing field being used in space and ocean exploration.”
For more information about the regional contests visit http://www.marinetech.org and look under ROV competitions.

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A Time For Tea

Posted Feb 8, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Feb 8, 2007 at 02:48 PM

By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT
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A night of live music and tea will be featured at the second annual Gifts of Love auction and tea tasting.
Festivities will include a tea tasting, a silent auction, a live auction and live entertainment at the Kaleisia Tea Lounge, 1441 E. Fletcher Ave., Feb. 11 from 7 to 10 p.m.
The auctions will not have just the usual items with gift baskets and gift certificates.
Many of Kaleisia Tea Lounge’s customers, including various artists and professionals, have donated something related to their skills such as one-on-one dance instruction, art, cooking, language and knitting lessons.
“All the auction items are attached to a person,” said Kim Pham, co-owner of Kaleisia Tea Lounge. “These are not typical auction items. We will have the people who are donating items there at the event. They will be wearing a number that corresponds with their silent auction item and people can walk up and ask them questions about the item.”
Pham is all planning to contribute something to the auction.
“I know how to perform different tea ceremonies,” Pham said. “I have donated a private Japanese tea ceremony.”
Tampa’s Seahorse Orchestra will be performing throughout the evening. Of the 150 teas the lounge offers, eight will be available for free tasting.
A $5-per-person-in-advance or a $7-at-the-door donation will include entry in a raffle with the winner receiving a $50 Kaleisia gift certificate.
Being that February is National Austism Month, all the proceeds from the event will go to the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the University of South Florida.
Pham said she thinks it is important to give back to the community.
“Throughout the year, we try to participate in as many community events as possible,” Pham said. “We always let the customers know if they have an event, we would like to help.”
“She is an incredibly wonderful human being,” said Karen Berkman, director of the center.
The center provides information and consultation to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and related disabilities in 14 surrounding counties.
“We provide training for families, professionals and educators,” Beckman said. “We help anyone who wants to learn more about people with autism. We will work with a family or an individual to provide technical assistance and direct assistance. We give them information and resources to help to improve the quality of life in their home.”
The overall objective of the organization, funded by the state Legislature, is to optimize the potential of the people it serves.
“With the right support, lots of good things can come to people with autism,” Beckman said. “We want to deliver a message of hope. We don’t believe people need to sit at home. They are only as limited as our perception of them.”
Beckman said the money raised at the event will be put in the foundation’s autism services fund.
“We have about 2,100 registered constituents across 14 counties,” Beckman said. “There are a lot of things we can do in the community based on where we see a need. We have two or three signature events we will do every year to give back to the community.”
Beckman said her organization has helped many people with autism who are also deaf and blind.
“I have seen a lot of success stories,” Beckman said. “We have had several of our constituents go on to college. We just work to be proactive in how we arrange a situation. We make sure the person is welcomed and comfortable.”
For more information about the lounge visit thetealounge.com and to learn more about CARD log onto http://card-usf.fmhi.usf.edu.

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Murderball Anyone?

Posted Jan 31, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Jan 31, 2007 at 02:02 PM

It was the morning of Jan. 19 and teams from across the world were meeting up at the Temple Terrace Family Recreation Complex for some murderball, an action-packed “killer” of a game.
Murderball, or quad rugby, is a sport with roots in wheelchair basketball and ice hockey. It was created in the early 1980s in Canada as a quadriplegic equivalent to wheelchair basketball.
The 15th annual Coloplast International Wheelchair Rugby Tournament attracted teams from as far away as Germany, Canada, Texas and Phoenix. Some – including the Sarasota Justin Stark, tournament director and member of the Tampa team, said he looks forward to the tournament every year. He’s been organizing the event in the Tampa area for the past five years. Stark is also the director of the Florida Spinal Cord Injury Resource Center at Tampa General Hospital in South Tampa.
“I love the game because it is so competitive,” Stark said. “It is a sport designed for quadriplegics. We invited four of the top five teams in the U.S. to the tournament this weekend.”
Wheelchair Rugby is not a sport for the faint at heart.
Four players are on the basketball court competing to get the ball through the goal. The goal is set up between two cones at each end of the court and sometimes the aluminum wheelchairs crash into each other and even flip over.
“It is a combination of football, basketball and hockey,” Stark said. “You see guys hitting each other or flipping over. You know you are going to get hit, but the chair absorbs a lot of the damage.”
Each player is securely strapped into his wheelchair designed specifically for that individual. Players are assigned points based on their mobility. Players with less mobility are given a number of two or less and play defense and players with more mobility are rated at two or more and play offense.
“Each player is rated based on their level of function,” Stark said. “There can only be a total of eight points on the court for each team. There is a lot of skill involved. It is similar to basketball, you have to match guys up or play a zone. The main thing is to stop the other team from scoring.”
Steve Allen, facility manager at the Temple Terrace Recreation Complex, said he’s glad the tournament has been held at the center the last three years.
“Every year the tournament runs smoother,” Allen said. “Before they came here, I had never heard of the sport. It is pretty intense. They bang into each other pretty good and they even flip once in a while.”
Allen said the sport is good for awareness.
“I like it,” Allen said. “It is a unique sport. I think it is good for our community, because it gives them something they have never seen. They can watch and find out these guys are not helpless. It gives people a different perspective of quadriplegics.”
Vi Vorasane, member of the Tampa Generals, said he loves the game because he stays active.
“I stay in good shape,” Vorasane said. “It is also good for socializing. I get to see and meet people from different states. The camaraderie is great.”
Coloplast International, manufacturers of disposable urinary products, has been the Temple Terrace tournament’s primary sponsor since its inception. Other sponsors include Tampa General Hospital, BlazeSports of Tampa Bay, Caspers Co. and Joto’s Pizza.
For more information about wheelchair rugby, visit http://www.quadrugby.com.

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Fire Chief Accepts North Carolina Job

Posted Jan 29, 2007 by Joyce McKenzie

Updated Jan 29, 2007 at 05:24 PM

Fire Chief Accepts North Carolina Job
WORKED FOR
CITY SINCE 1980

By JOYCE McKENZIE
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Someone’s loss is often someone else’s gain.
That’s soon to be the case for the city of Temple Terrace and the city of Kannapolis, N.C.
Fire Chief Clyde “Ernie” Hiers recently accepted a position as fire chief in Kannapolis, a 32-square-mile city with a population of 40,000 that is 10 miles north of Charlotte. The city also has recently become the home of the nation’s largest biotech research center, an organization that plans incorporate three college extension campuses and draw new residents.
He’ll oversee a staff of 52 full-time and 17 part-time employees within the city’s four fire stations. Another station is in the building process.
“I wanted to go to a place that’s growing and I did a lot of research in the process,” Hiers said.
He and his wife, Dora, have two sons, John, 22, and Scott, 16.
“We always go on vacations in North Carolina and we liked the city,” he said.
Hiers will begin his new job Jan. 31, leaving a void in the department he’s served in since Nov. 1, 1980 – six years as a firefighter, eight years as assistant fire chief and 12 years as chief.
“Leaving my comfort zone doesn’t bother me because Kim (Leinbach, Temple Terrace’s city manager) challenges us all the time,” Heirs said. “Whether it’s a small or large department, you face the same issues.”
But he will miss the people, whom Hiers said have made him and the city look good.
“I’ve seen a lot of the guys grow up, get married, have kids and watched them grow up and have kids of their own,” he said. “Also, seeing the community grow is something I’ve seen evolve. There wasn’t much past Whiteway (Drive) and the road from Fowler to Fletcher (avenues) was a dirt road when I started.”
Among those he’ll miss are Leinbach, whose feelings are mutual.
“We will definitely miss him. He’s been a vital part of our management team,” Leinbach said. “He’s very well organized, he gets along with people and he has a great outlook.”
It was Hillsborough County Fire Chief William “Bill” Nesmith who inspired Hiers as a teenager to seek a career in the field.
“We went to church together and he was the guy who got me involved,” said Hiers, 49, who was born and raised in South Tampa and still communicates regularly with Nesmith.
In turn, Nesmith has a tremendous regard for Hiers, whom he’s known for close to 30 years.
“He’s always been an outstanding individual and I count him as a personal friend, “he said. “We’ve had a great rapport between the county and the city so I hate to see him leave from both a professional and personal standpoint. It will be the county and city’s loss and North Carolina’s gain, but I wish him the very best.”
Interim Fire Chief Keith Chapman concurred.
“Chief Hiers has risen through the ranks in his 26 years here and he’s certainly one of the contributors of the department’s history that he’s passed along in an attempt to prepare us for the future,” Chapman said. “He’s definitely made himself available and he will be sorely missed.”
Hiers has a bachelor’s degree in fire safety and engineering and a master’s in public administration. He also is certified as a chief fire officer by the International Fire Chiefs Association – an honor bestowed on only 500 fire chiefs in the country – and as an emergency manager, a recognition that entails a long list of requirements he must maintain to be re-certified every five years.
Although Hiers admitted it’s difficult for him to talk about his accomplishments that helped qualify him for his new position, he cites the department’s 1996 launching of paramedic services and its receiving accreditation status in 2006 by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, an achievement reached by just 125 fire departments in the nation, as among them.
“Having paramedic services was a major step because you won’t find too many fire departments our size that do that – that was a biggie for our department,” Hiers said. “Also, a lot of work went into our accreditation status. It was a four-year process.”
In addition, he believes his growth management experience played a major role.
“They were looking for a person who could step in and keep the ball rolling,” he said.
Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg made the ultimate decision in hiring Hiers.
“We’re just thrilled to have him,” Legg said. “We’re going through a major change in our city and with Ernie’s experience in growth management he’s the perfect fit. He met with a group of our firefighters and they agree with me – he’ll do a remarkable job.”
A drop-in farewell party for Hiers is planned for Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon at Temple Terrace Fire Station No. 1, 124 Bullard Parkway.

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Greco Middle School Pupils Learn About Respect

Posted Jan 29, 2007 by Joyce McKenzie

Updated Jan 29, 2007 at 05:16 PM

Greco Middle School Pupils Learn About Respect
TEACHES IMPORTANT LIFE LESSON

By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT
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Greco Middle School student intervention specialist Theresa Farrington decided the children in her school needed to learn an important lesson in life.
She invited several guest speakers to her recent Success Summit for Students, where the focus was on teaching students about what respect is in hopes they will share what they’ve learned with other students. To help achieve Farrington’s objective, the students, in turn, engaged in several exercises in order to learn more about respect.
“We felt a need to try to reinforce what students are learning at home like respecting others, treating others the way they would like to be treated and understanding diversity,” Farrington said. “We are our brother’s keeper. We need to be a support system for parents and help the students become productive adults.”
Farrington picked out a number of students based on their leadership abilities to attend the summit.
“We asked students and teachers to suggest students who have leadership potential,” Farrington said. “We want to give them the right tools and have them go back into Greco’s population. We hope they will have a positive influence on everyone else.”
Students learned about how to accept others, how to make good choices and to have respect for themselves. Farrington said she hopes to have many more summits.
“We will have other schools come,” Farrington said. “We can spread the word not just here at Greco. It is serious what is going on with our youth. We have to try something different to ensure their success.”
In fact, Farrington doesn’t think students have to make straight A’s to be successful.
“We just need to let the children know if they respect themselves, then they need to do their best,” Farrington said. “A student’s best might be a C, but as long as they are trying to do their best that is what counts.”
Farrington is passionate about the issue. She believes it’s her duty to make sure her students grow up to become productive members of society.
“We have no choice but to succeed,” Farrington said. “We have to prepare them to become self-sufficient adults. There are many ways to go about it, but I think it is better to have peers teaching peers. We could tell them and it would go in one ear and out the other, but when peers are teaching them it works better.”
Students from almost every school club were present including students from the peer mediation club, the Program to Empower Teen’s club, the National Junior Honor Society, student government, gospel choir and the step team.
Barbara Bethel, director of BANDI Consulting Group Inc., engaged the students in activities. They were required to talk to other students and learn more about each other.
She instructed them on how to follow directions, treat others with respect, listen carefully when others are talking, let one person talk at a time and to share ideas.
Gregory Bell, vice president of the student government, said he thought the summit was a good idea.
“I think it is good to teach us how to respect others,” Bell said. “I learned a lot. I learned that other students are mostly doing the same things I am, like staying home and watching TV and eating on a Saturday.”
James Evans, founder and chief executive officer of Tampa Bay Academy of Hope, was also one of the guest speakers.
He taught a mix of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders about what he thinks respect means.
“Respect means to honor or to hold one in high regard,” Evans said. “You can’t make people respect you. Respect is thinking of yourself as being worthy of who you are.”
Bell said he was the most impressed by Evans words.
“He talked about using the alphabet to help you remember to respect peers and to treat others the way you would want to be treated,” Bell said. “In the future, I might tell others to treat each other better. I think it is not right to be disrespectful to other people.”
The student government president Lakeitha Hunter was also at the summit. “I learned being respectful can get you to a lot of places. I learned fighting isn’t always the way to go,” she said. “Through the summit, I learned about other people and their feelings. I also learned about my reactions towards problems.”
Janet Jackson, an eighth-grader, was not as hopeful as the other students about the effects of the summit.
“People want to be mean to other students,” she said.
Jackson said she sees other students being disrespectful everyday.
“I see how people are hurting this one girl’s feelings,” Jackson said. “She is not the best dressed and everybody picks on her. They don’t know what is going on at her home and they shouldn’t treat her the way they do. I think you shouldn’t judge people just because they are not like you.”
Nonetheless, Principal Judith Kenney is hopeful the message of respecting will be passed on to other students in the school.
“Bringing in Evans and Bethel was a good initiative by Ms. Farrington,” Kenney said. “Respect and peer pressure are important issues for children at this age. We will have at least one more summit this year.”
For information about a future summit, call Farrington at 987-6926, Ext. 258.

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Moffitt Center CEO To Give Talk At Prayer Breakfast

Posted Jan 29, 2007 by Joyce McKenzie

Updated Jan 29, 2007 at 05:07 PM

Moffitt Center CEO To Give
Talk At Prayer Breakfast
TICKETS MUST BE
PURCHASED IN ADVANCE

By JOYCE McKENZIE
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The present day affair is a far cry from what its original organizers ever envisioned.
The Temple Terrace Community Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by the Temple Terrace Woman’s Club, began as a occasion for members to gather for an informal breakfast of donut holes, orange juice and coffee, followed by brief time of worship, in a small meeting room at the former Tampa Savings and Loan on North 56th Street.
The 1974 event proved so successful it became a yearly affair, one that annually drew more and more participants. Its growth caused coordinators to move it to several other sites, including the Temple Terrace Presbyterian Church, the Woodmont Clubhouse and the Omar K. Lightfoot Recreation Center.
Since 1994, the Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club has been the official home of the prayer breakfast. Gone are the donut holes. The menu now features a formal buffet of bacon, eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, muffins and an array of juices. And, in addition to attracting up to 200 guests — including city officials — from throughout Tampa Bay, its program has brought such notable speakers as Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Lee Roy Selmon, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, 970 WFLA news radio host Jack Harris and WFLA Channel 8 anchorwoman Gayle Sirens.
“It’s something that people are happy to participate in and believe in,” said 2007 prayer breakfast chairwoman Betty Zistler, who’s served in the same capacity on three other occasions.
The 33rd Annual Temple Terrace Community Prayer Breakfast on Jan. 31 will feature H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute CEO/Director William Dalton and acclaimed vocalist Belinda Womack, recipient of the Tampa Bay Best Magazine’s Best Female Vocalist, the 2001 Woman of Distinction award by the Suncoast Girl Scout Council and the 2002 Soroptomist Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment.
Dalton, who’s served as Moffitt’s leader since 2002, holds a Ph.D. in toxicology and medical life sciences and is a medical doctoer, board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. He’s been involved in cancer research for more than two decades and has authored several articles. In addition, the Temple Terrace resident serves on numerous scientific advisory boards for cancer centers and research foundations.
“I am honored to be asked to speak at the breakfast,” Dalton said. “The city of Temple Terrace has been a staunch supporter of Moffitt through the years and I am proud to make my home in the community.”
The Rev. Jerry Johnson of the Temple Terrace United Methodist Church will begin the occasion — where breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. with the program following at 8 — with an invocation.
“It’s just an extremely quieting, comforting breakfast and a wonderful way to begin the new year,” said Temple Terrace Woman’s Club President Marge Greene.
Zistler agreed.
“I think it’s important for our community to come together and understand one another’s faith and to believe in the principle of honoring one another,” she said.
Eighty-one-year-old Helen Farr, whose idea it was to have the first prayer breakfast, for years personally prepared ham biscuits, mini cinnamon roles and country sausage for the event. In addition, she made all the centerpieces for the tables, an undertaking she now limits to the head table.
“I’m just so grateful and thankful it’s still going on,” said Farr, who’s still an active club member and plans to attend this year’s breakfast. “I’ve only missed one and that was only because of illness or a death in the family — I can’t remember which.”
Tickets are $10 each and must be purchased in advance. They are available by calling Zistler at 988-8368, Maryrose Owens at 988-2000 or at the Greater Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce, 9385 N. 56th St.

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Greco Middle School Pupils Learn About Respect

Posted Jan 25, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Jan 25, 2007 at 12:52 PM

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Life’s Simple Pleasures

Posted Jan 25, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Jan 25, 2007 at 12:47 PM

By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT
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Taking a few moments to reflect on the simple things is what brings joy to many people.
Temple Terrace resident Don Statz likes to relax by his koi pond. His koi aren’t your average koi though at chow time they eat from his hand.
“It took a lot of patience to train them,” Statz said. “It took a long time before they would trust me to feed them. It probably took about three or four months before they were really comfortable with me.”
Even though he has dozens of koi, his favorite is the one he has had the longest. Hoover was lovingly named for the way he sucks the food off of Statz fingers. He has been with Statz for 10 years.
“Some of the koi are more trained than others,” Statz said. “Hoover is well trained. When I get new fish they learn to come up and eat. If I can get one to start then the others are usually OK.”
After spending many hours with his koi, Statz began to question if they could hear him.
“I think they can either hear me or feel the vibration of my voice,” Statz said. “I would call them and wonder if they were coming to the surface because they could see me or if it was because they could hear me. I started calling to them from farther and farther away until I knew they were swarming and they couldn’t see me.”
Statz started collecting koi 10 years ago when he put in a pond at his old house.
“We wanted something in the back yard, but we didn’t want a pool,” Statz said. “Someone suggested a pond with koi. After I got my first koi, I kept adding more because I liked having them. They get to be just like pets.”
Statz loves his koi so much that when he bought the lot where he lives now, he made a deal with the person buying his old home.
“When we sold the other house, it was under the condition that the new owner would keep the koi until I had a new pond for them,” Statz said.
Statz said you can spend as much money as you want on koi.
The selling price of a koi is determined by its size, body shape, color, scaling and pattern. One koi fish can cost up to $1 million, Statz said.
“In Japan, selling koi is a huge industry,” Statz said. “There are some people who want only the best koi with the best coloring and scaling. There are a lot of people who are really into it.”
He is amazed he was able to train the fish to eat from his hand.
“It feels almost like a baby sucking on your finger,” Statz said.
Many people might know Statz from his general contractor business, Sun Pride Construction, which his son Jamie now runs. His wife, Cathy, owns Victorian Village in Temple Terrace.
Statz said he loves living in Temple Terrace and he wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
“I like the small-town atmosphere,” Statz said. “The golf course and the river are a real asset.”
Cathy loves having the koi pond in the back yard.
“It is just a relaxing place to be able to go to at the end of a hard day,” she said. “It is certainly entertaining. Whenever friends or family come over, that is the first place they want to go. It makes you appreciate the small things in life.”

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Fighting The Battle

Posted Jan 19, 2007 by Joyce McKenzie

Updated Jan 19, 2007 at 03:58 PM

RELAY FOR LIFE KICKOFF
IS SLATED FOR JAN. 23

By JOYCE McKENZIE
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Eleven-year-old Nicole “Nikki” Hawkins is a child her mother describes as “a girlie girl.”
“She loves to dance and sing, and for as long as I can remember she’s always loved her hair – styling it and even putting it in rollers,” said Nikki’s mother, Penny.
But for now, those pleasures have been put on hold.
Last April 14, Nikki, the daughter of Penny and Howard Hawkins of Tampa, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor. On April 18 she underwent surgery at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg to have the racquetball-sized mass removed.
In the month that followed, Nikki endured 30 days of radiation to her brain, a course of action that is being followed with year-long dosages of chemotherapy – each regimen consisting of one week of in-patient and two weeks of out-patient treatments. After a two-week break she starts the procedure all over again. As a result, she’s lost all of her long, shiny brown hair.
“We try to take it one day at a time,” said Penny, also the mother of two sons ages 2 and 8. “Right now, we’re just blessed to have her.”
Nikki’s illness, Penny said, manifested itself suddenly. At first, she and her husband noticed their daughter, who’s been dancing since the age 3, appeared to be one step behind the rest of her dance troupe.
“We thought maybe they’d just outgrown her so we decided to take her out of dance and just concentrate on her singing with the Tampa Bay Children’s Chorus – she sings like an angel,” Penny said.
But, shortly thereafter, on a day when she and her daughter were planning an Easter shopping trip together, Nikki informed her mother her right arm was numb.
“I said, ‘Don’t worry honey, it’s probably just fallen asleep,’” Penny recalls telling her.
Within minutes Nikki, who was then an honor student, was unable to speak in understandable terms.
Currently, in addition to dealing with her right side imbalance and battling the nausea and fatigue that’s been a byproduct of her chemotherapy, the 56-pound Orange Grove Middle Magnet School sixth-grader must live daily with the inconvenience of carting around a feeding tube, even to school on days she’s feeling up to it and to bed with her each night. She’s hoping to regain the 25 pounds she’s lost throughout the treatments.
“But she never complains,” Penny said. “She says it’s just a bump in her life.”
Tim McDonald of Temple Terrace, who’s serving on the 2007 American Cancer Society Relay for Life committee and for several years had been a board member of the Tampa Bay Children’s Chorus, has come to know Nikki and her family well and knows differently.
“I know it’s been really tough on all of them,” said McDonald, who won the committee’s approval to ask Nikki to serve as the honorary chair of the April 21-22 event at Greco Middle School.
“I just think it’s great because it puts a face on what Relay for Life is showing – that cancer strikes young people as well,” said McDonald, whose two daughters also plan to participate in the event.
Nikki is delighted, Penny said, but doesn’t normally like to be treated “special” because of her disease.
“It feels good that I’m doing it because I want other people to know cancer is something your can get at any age,” Nikki said.
How Relay For Life works
The event, which begins at 6 p.m. and runs through noon the following day, features teams of area service organizations, schools, families and friends who set up tents and enjoy an evening and early morning’s worth of games, entertainment and food.
“Greco Middle School is again proud to host Temple Terrace Relay for Life,” said Principal Judith Kennedy. “Active neighborhood involvement is important to our students, staff and parents and we are proud to be part of the Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce and the community.”
Team members are encouraged to collect donations, all of which are donated to the American Cancer Society. In turn, the money is used for research, education, advocacy and patient services such as housing, transportation, support groups, wigs, makeup and prosthetic devices.
David Long, chairman of the Temple Terrace Relay for Lif, got involved in the local event four years ago. This is his second time at the helm.
“Why am I a volunteer? A better question is why aren’t more people volunteering,” Long said. “Cancer affects us all. Whether a family member, friend, neighbor or co-worker, we all know someone touched by cancer.”
Co-chairwoman Mindy Devane, who’s also participated in the event for several years, has always been impressed with the community’s support. Each year, Temple Terrace’s Relay for Life has made its goal and accordingly, the ACS has raised it every year.
American Cancer Society community representative Cheryl Hedrick said that because last year’s Temple Terrace event brought in $111,000 – an amount that was among the county’s top-five in money raised – the goal for the 2007 event has been set at $119,000.
“I think our goal is 42 teams, but I’m hoping for closer to 50 teams and $150,000,” Long said.
Devane encourages more area businesses to sign on, either as sponsors or with teams.
“You don’t have to have 10 people in your business to have a team,” she said. “You can have two or three or five and have them enlist their spouses and children and make it a family event.”

Event kickoff Jan. 23
Additional suggestions on how to form teams will be addressed during the 2007 Relay for Life kickoff Jan. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Woodmont Clubhouse, 210 Woodmont Ave. Guests will also be given tools to start or join a team.
Information about the survivors’ lap and dinner, open to all who fought the battle and made it and those currently in the fight, as well as opportunities to contribute to luminaries that will line the school’s track and honor those lost to cancer, also will be discussed.
In addition, Nikki Hawkins will be on hand and 10-year-old Kelsey Oberbroeckling, a fourth-grader at Lewis Elementary School, will present her original speech about Relay for Life that won the school’s top honor in the 4-H Tropicana Public Speaking Contest.
Kelsey’s been a participant in the Temple Terrace event with her family since she was a 5-month-old.
“We’re proud that Kelsey is so involved and she hopes, as we all do, that one day we’ll find a cure for cancer,” said her dad, Russ, last year’s event chairman.
For more details about the event, call Long at 988-4656, Devane at 988-3453 or visit http://www.acsevents.org/relay/fl/templeterrace.

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Firm Helps Individuals Prevent Identity Theft

Posted Jan 18, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Jan 18, 2007 at 11:55 AM

By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT
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After helping businesses prevent identity theft for the last three years, Temple Terrace-based Rocket Ready will now be helping individuals.
The team at Rocket Ready, 10730 N. 56th St., spends their days hacking large and small companies trying to find their weaknesses. Todd Snapp, president of the company, said he and his employees focus on people and not software.
“We try to hack into a company to see what their weaknesses are,” Snapp said. “We don’t do computer hacking, we call and e-mail people. We call them on the phone and pretend we are managers in the same company or customers needing help.”
After spending years learning the hackers’ best techniques, Snapp and his employees have been busy putting their skills to work.
“The knowledge we have gained from helping businesses can help individuals,” Snapp said. “The same types of methods hackers use to attack businesses are used on individuals. People receive the phishing e-mails and the phone calls. We found there were a big set of individuals who are afraid of becoming a victim of identity theft, but they don’t know what they can do to prevent it.”
The company has just started to provide an identity readiness package for individuals. The Web-based package can be bought and accessed on the Internet. The package includes a web-based resource center with training courses, a newsletter and a hotline.
“The package will help individuals who are afraid of being a victim of identity theft,” Snapp said. “The reality is that identity theft methods are changing on a daily basis, so everything is updated regularly. We are taking the knowledge we have learned to educate others.”
The training courses will be available through the resource center Web site. New courses featuring the latest online scams will be updated regularly. These courses teach people about the different scams out there and how to keep from falling victim.
“The resource center site will be updated with news, new techniques and alerts,” Snapp said. “It will be updated regularly in order to keep it up to speed with the hackers.”
Individuals will be able to either e-mail or call and get advice about identity theft through the hotline.
Snapp said it is easy to become a victim of identity theft.
“There is a misconception that only stupid people fall victim to ID theft,” Snapp said. “ID thieves are really good at what they do. The most intelligent person can be duped by a phone call, an e-mail or by a piece of mail. I have seen some e-mails that if I were not in this business I would have been tricked.”
There are many tricks identity thieves use. For instance, identity thieves can use caller ID against people. If a person gets a phone call and on the caller ID it displays their bank name, they would naturally think it is their bank calling. Then the hacker would give the person a number to call back.
When the person calls the number, there is an automated message prompting a person to put in their account number and other personal information. Within minutes the hacker has all the information they need. This method is called vishing and is a relatively new scam, Snapp said.
“This is a very easy scam to do,” he said. “It only takes a couple hundred bucks. It is easily prevented by always only calling a number you know.”
Brent Bennett, Rocket Ready’s vice president of technology, said most identity theft occurs because people are not educated.
“There is lots of software out there to help,” Bennett said. “We recommend some anti-spyware programs, password management programs and e-mail spam filtering programs, but most identity theft is not really a computer problem. Computers are just a tool, most of the problem can be solved by just training people.”
Bennett cautioned people against leaving USB drives or CDs lying around. When a person finds it and puts it into their computer to see what is on it, they become a victim the moment it enters their computer.
“The worst part is they will never know,” Bennett said. “By putting it in the computer, they have given complete access of their computer to the identity thief.”
The team at Rocket Ready said they have been in places where even computer hackers have never gone.
“We have listened to conference calls, been in accounts we shouldn’t have and have even set up voice mail boxes in companies we never worked for,” Snapp said. “Sometimes people hack into the computer, but it is so much easier to just fool people. There are just little things a person can do that are not necessarily common sense. If you don’t know what scams are out there, then you can easily fall victim to it.”
Bennett said some basic things to remember is to never click on the link when receiving a strange e-mail. If contacting the bank or any other account, always call a number you know.
“There are just small changes to behavior that can help so much,” Bennett said. “Even if there is the best software, thieves will find a way to get around them.”
Just fixing a credit report after identity theft can be a hassle, Snapp said. It can take 35 to 40 hours to fix identity theft, which is why he and his team would like to help prevent it.
For more information, call 386-1996 or visit http://www.rocketready.com.

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Plenty Of Seedlings, But No Saplings

Posted Jan 18, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Jan 18, 2007 at 11:53 AM

By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT
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In order to keep the city’s beautiful tree canopy alive and thriving, the Temple Terrace Parks and Recreation Department will commemorate Arbor Day 2007 with a special program.
At Riverhills Park, 405 S. Riverhills Drive, residents of Temple Terrace and Hillsborough County are invited to come and grab a free tree Jan. 20 at 11 a.m.
Dana Carver, parks planner for the department, said Arbor Day is celebrated in April in many other places.
“We celebrate Arbor Day in January because the trees have a better chance for survival,” Carver said. “It is too dry here in April to plant trees.”
There will be about 500 trees of varying varieties including long leaf pine, southern red maple, bald cypress and red bud trees. Each seedling will measure from 12 inches to 2 feet tall.
Carver said the canopy of trees in Temple Terrace needs to be replenished.
“Here in Temple Terrace we have a great reputation throughout the state for having a beautiful tree canopy,” Carver said. “Trees are just like people, unless you replenish the supply the canopy will become old and thin out and then eventually it will be gone.”
“We just want to make sure the tree canopy continues,” Carver said. “If anybody in Hillsborough County wants a tree, we will be happy to take care of them.”
There are three reasons the parks department is working with T.R.E.E. Inc., which will provide all of the trees for the event.
“The first reason is to teach people the right tree for the right place,” Carver said. “The second is to have people plant native species of trees as opposed to exotic. The third is to continue to preserve and increase the tree canopy.”
Experts on tree care will offer presentations on tree care and planting.
“We will have two or three speakers give five- to 10-minute presentations,” Carver said. “They will talk about some aspect of tree or wildlife in or around Temple Terrace.”
Anyone taking a tree also will receive information about the culture of the tree including how much sunlight it needs, how big it will get and in what kind of habitat it grows best.
For more information, call the Temple Terrace Parks and Recreation Department at 989-7180.

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Displays That Delight

Posted Jan 15, 2007 by Joyce McKenzie

Updated Jan 15, 2007 at 03:14 PM

By JOYCE McKENZIE
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Since early childhood, Anita Long and Janet Castro have had a passion for creating objects with their hands.
Although they grew up at opposite ends of the eastern seaboard and have dabbled in a variety of mediums prior to becoming friends a few years ago, their enthusiasm for expressing themselves has never changed.
And both have been invited to exhibit their works at the Temple Terrace Public Library, 202 Bullard Parkway, throughout the month of January. Long’s acrylic paintings are featured in the Artist’s Corner and Casto’s scrapbooking and paper crafts are in the facility’s display case.
“We’re always happy to have artists display their work and these artists’ exhibits are especially nice and colorful,” said Armand Ternak, assistant director of library services. “It’s just great to know there are local people who can enlighten and brighten our surroundings.”
Long, who recently celebrated her 50th birthday and today makes her living as a graphic artist, readily recalls her fourth-grade painting of a vibrant purple-colored elephant. In fact, as a youngster raised in Miami she remembers taking advantage of every opportunity during her elementary, high school and college years to draw and paint.
“But, as time passed I was busy living life and being a ‘big sister’ to Erin, now 25, and really didn’t have the time,” said Long, who prior to assuming ownership of Business Ink Printing in 2000 with her husband, David, managed the Temple Terrace business.
Long also devoted many of her spare moments to spending time with her mother, whom she described as her “best friend.”
However, her mother passed away in 2002 and her absence created a tremendous void in Long’s life. To fill the “hole” in her heart, she decided to take an art class at the Temple Terrace Family Recreation Center taught by Pam Patton.
“Although I hadn’t picked up a paintbrush in years, she re-sparked the passion in me,” Long said. “If it weren’t for Pam Patton and her classes, I would probably not have kept painting – she is such a supportive and fun lady.”
Patton described Long as an individual who is inspired by the challenges put before her.
“She’s very creative, she knows how to put colors together well and she really tries hard,” Patton said.
So fueled by her re-found love of painting, Long has since joined the North Tampa Arts League, Tampa Realistic Artists and the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. In October she participated in Art-Out, an outdoor fundraiser in Dover that included about 50 artists and initiated a $100 donation from the Temple Terrace Woman’s Club, of which she has served as a board member since 2003.
“I’m a weekend painter. It’s totally freeing and when I paint I forget who I am,” Long said. “Dave has his Jetski and he does his thing while I do mine. That’s especially important when a husband and wife work together.”
Dave agreed.
“That’s her total respite from everything, and she’ll sit there hour after hour,” Dave said. “But she he does it strictly as a hobby and never intends to make a living at it.”
Casto, on the other hand, grew up in South Burlington, Vt., where she involved herself in a variety of hobbies including jewelry making, knitting, karate and swimming. In fact, she even earned her black belt in karate.
She’s an operating nurse by profession and spent four years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, where she met and married Rod, a native Floridian and her husband of nearly 25 years.
About a year ago she attended a party hosted by a Stampin’ Up demonstrator and was immediately hooked on the concept of using decorative rubber stamps and other accessories to create personalized greeting cards, scrapbooking applications and other home décor projects.
“I knew right then it was what I wanted to do,” Casto said. “I like to teach people, I like to be creative and I like to challenge myself.”
As a Stampin’ Up demonstrator, Casto hosts free workshops of her own at her home, as well as a monthly stamp club where participants are charged a fee to learn new techniques.
Castro is grateful to the library staff for allowing her to show a sampling of the cards and other crafts projects she’s made, as well as a showing of some of Long’s art.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to show our work,” she said.

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Seminars Can Help Folks Keep New Year’s Resolutions

Posted Jan 4, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Jan 4, 2007 at 03:55 PM

By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT
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Many people are making New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and quit smoking, which is a goal close to Rena Greenberg’s heart.
Greenberg helps people to lose weight and quit smoking through her company, Wellness Seminars Inc. Greenberg will have two seminars at University Community Hospital, 3100 E. Fletcher Ave., in early January.
The first seminar, which will be about losing weight, will be Jan. 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and the second seminar, focusing on how to stop smoking, will be Jan. 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The seminars are a combined approach of the power of hypnosis and behavior modification.
Greenberg said through her program, she hopes to help people work through the conflict in their subconscious and conscious mind.
“People might want to lose weight consciously, but in their subconscious they want to eat as they have in the past,” Greenberg said. “The conscious is always overrun by the subconscious. The subconscious is always stronger, that is why diets fail in the long run. As long as the conflict is there, they will always gain the weight back.”
Greenberg uses the power of hypnosis to help people get in touch with their deeper wisdom.
“I use heart-centered hypnosis,” Greenberg said. “I go beyond the limits of the conscious mind in order to achieve permanent weight loss. Heart-centered hypnosis is what I use because it is the most powerful way to really connect with the greater power inside ourselves.”
Greenberg will hypnotize the entire group at the seminar and then try to reprogram the subconscious to not have desire for fattening foods.
“I try to help their desire to look good, over power their cravings,” Greenberg said. “I give them suggestions and images to help reinforce their goals. I give suggestions to eat smaller portions, to eat healthier and to increase their activity level.”
Darryl Schumacher, a Plant City resident, said Greenberg’s program has worked so well he has lost 103 pounds in the past year.
He went to Greenberg’s seminar at UCH last January.
“She tells you she is going to plant the seed in your mind and let it grow,” Schumacher said. “I eat less and when I do eat, I eat right and I am more active now.”
With the one-time fee of $69 per seminar, each participant will receive a tape and booklet to help them stay on task. Each participant is also allowed to come back to as many seminars as they need to for free.
“I paid once, but attended her seminar many times,” Schumacher said. “It was really working and I wanted to keep going to reaffirm my goals to myself. I have tried most diets including the Atkins diet, the soup diet and I have counted calories. The reason why it wasn’t working is because it was just a diet. I couldn’t wait to get off the diet and go back to eating like I used to. I needed a lifestyle change.”
Schumacher said he went from wearing a XXX-size shirt to a large and he couldn’t be happier.
“I eat to live, instead of living to eat,” Schumacher said. “I am not even having cravings. I have been running 5K races. I eat things now that I never ate before. I crave salads and vegetables and those are things I would never have touched before.”
Greenberg also helps people to quit smoking with the same heart-centered hypnosis method.
“I help them to identify as a non-smoker,” Greenberg said. “One of the hardest parts about quitting smoking is believing in your ability to do so. Each person needs to be able to believe in their power to change.”
Greenberg became interested in heart-centered hypnosis after her own troubles with weight. When she was 25, she would exercise too much and eat a lot of sugar, carbohydrates and caffeine.
“I always needed a stimulant,” Greenberg said. “I went to the emergency room at the age of 26 with an irregular heart beat. The only thing that was keeping me alive was my age. I studied biofeedback therapy.”
Through her studies, she discovered that when a person is hypnotized and hooked up to machines reading their physiological response, the person is very relaxed.
“There is a different feeling that comes over you when you are hypnotized,” Greenberg said. “It became clear to me how I could help people work through their negative habits.”
The tape and booklet helps to reinforce the messages Greenberg suggests to a person’s subconscious.
“Repetition helps so much with hypnosis,” Greenberg said. “They leave with the ability to change their inner programming. Hypnosis is very powerful; they walk out of the seminar with something shifted in their mind.”
Greenberg has published “The Right Weigh: Six Steps to Permanent Weight Loss” and will soon publish her second book, “The Craving” in June.
Wellness Seminars Inc. is based in Bradenton. Greenberg gives seminars throughout the area.
For more information, visit http://www.easywillpower.com or call 1-800-848-2822.