Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

The Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library is set to undergo an expansion at the end of the month that will add more than 10,000 square feet to Hillsborough County’s most-used branch.

According to a release from the county, Jimmie B. Keel, 2902 W. Bearss Ave., will add a new children’s room, an additional community room for public meetings, a larger book store, extra seating for quiet study and a second entrance on the west side of the building for easier access to and from the parking lot.

The county estimates the cost of the project to be $2.08 million and will be funded by property tax dollars through the special library taxing district.

The expansion, along with additional seating for quiet study, excites Lutz resident Cory Puppa, who is also a USF student.

“I heard they’re spending a lot on the construction, and it’s supposed to be nice,” Puppa said.

Rita Mouradian, a student at the University of South Florida (USF), works with the Teen Advisory Board that has its meetings at the library. She said the additional meeting space is welcomed by the members, because the current rooms usually back up quickly and reservations must be made well in advance.

“They’re going to build another community room, which would be absolutely fantastic,” Mouradian said. “The community room we have now isn’t really enough to hold all of our events. Teen Advisory Board has to book the room well in advance in order to secure it for upcoming events.”

Mouradian said the area will be much easier for her to access with the additional space, especially during exam weeks.

“A lot of people come in around exam time to study,” Mouradian said. “If they expand the quiet study area, then that room will fill up less quickly and feel less crowded. I sometimes see private tutors book the community room. With another community room, we can hold more events without getting in each other’s way.”

Senior librarian Kurt Jasielonis said the branch, which has an annual circulation of more than 340,000, is expected to remain open for regular hours throughout the construction. The county estimates the project will be completed by the end of December, but until then there will be some noticeable changes.

“We have all been looking forward to this since last year,” Jasielonis said. “There’s going to be some different things going on with the expansion and the new entrance, and some meeting rooms will be inaccessible (temporarily). It may cause a little bit of nuisance to the public, but in the end it will mean more space.”

Patrons can also expect increased noise levels and temporary walls installed inside the children’s room while construction is ongoing. Some books will be moved to accommodate the renovation as well, but Jasielonis said library employees will help those who need assistance.

Outside the library, a small number of parking spaces will be blocked off and traffic patterns at the entrance may be redirected at times, causing minor congestion. For safety precautions, four disabled parking spaces will be relocated to the front of the building.

For more information, visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org.

 

 

By Don Trello

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

 

Sunlake athletic director Russ Schenk is poised to receive a national honor in recognition of his dedication of more than 30 years to the sport of wrestling.

Schenk, who stepped down this year as Seahawks wrestling coach, will receive the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame at an honors banquet in Stillwater, Okla. in August.

“I’m very honored and humbled to have this opportunity,” Schenk said. “I have a great wife, and I’ve been very fortunate to work with awesome coaches and assistant coaches. I’ve been blessed in a number of different ways.”

Schenk’s coaching career started in 1986 when he was hired to lead the wrestling program at Orlando Oviedo High. He went on to compile a 302-82-2 dual meet record at eight schools before leaving the head-coaching job at Sunlake.

Schenk’s accomplishments extend to his own time on the mat where he was an undefeated Florida high school state champion in 1982 wrestling for Tarpon Springs.

“I was Tarpon’s first state champ at 158 (pounds),” Schenk said. “I also finished fifth in the country in Greco Roman that year. One of the guys I lost to was Kevin Jackson (1992 Olympic freestyle gold medalist). I had wrestled him in high school nationals and lost by two points.”

Schenk went to the University of Central Florida on a scholarship after high school where he won a NCAA Regional title in 1984 and was an All-American. He also wrestled in the USA Olympic Trials in 1984 and 1992.

“I always believed wrestling is the greatest sport there is,” said Schenk, who came back from a 1988 knee surgery. “It teaches you to persevere and rebound and comeback. It builds character. It helps lay a foundation for future success.”

First-year Sunlake coach Eric Rapp was an assistant to Schenk last season.

“We are very similar as far as attitudes and personalities,” Rapp said of Schenk. “Our differences are life experiences. As far as wrestling goes, I can’t compare to him. He could easily coach at any college.”

Schenk is still involved in wrestling at Sunlake as an assistant to Rapp and is also the junior varsity coach.

“My son, Storm, was a freshman at Mitchell last year, so I sat in the corner and watched when we wrestled them,” Schenk said. “I didn’t want a conflict of interest. My son is going to compete at the high school level for three more years, so I stepped down as head coach at Sunlake.”

Schenk started and ran wrestling camps while at Culver Academies in Indiana. He continued them after returning to Florida and started the World Class Wrestling Club (WCWC) in 1998.

WCWC is a USA Wrestling sanctioned club with between 30 and 40 members, who are mostly in high school. The club doesn’t operate from Oct. 22 to the end of the state high school tournament.

“I think Florida wrestling isn’t bad, and I think this area is pretty successful,” Schenk said. “We set short-term goals, but the most important thing is to get a kid to buy in; run, watch their weight and show up for practice. Kids don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Schenk returned to Florida and spent two years as coach at River Ridge before coming to Sunlake in 2009.

“I’ve been very fortunate to walk into a lot of programs with awesome assistant coaches that were in the rebuilding stage,” Schenk said. “I think one of the dreams is turning programs around.

“Successful programs come from the quantity of your wrestlers,” Schenk continued. “The quality will come if there is discipline. There are no prototypes. Any type of body can be successful; strong, weak, heavy, skinny.”

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

The six-bay garage looks like any other place where motorists can get oil changes and other maintenance, but this shop is behind Wesley Chapel High, and the technicians are high school students.

The school’s Academy of Automotive Technology opened its new $1.4 million building for student use on Jan. 8, and a grand opening ceremony is planned for Jan. 28.

The 6,200-square-foot building includes lifts, a tool crib, an equipment crib, a classroom and teacher’s offices.

Though it hasn’t arrived yet, the shop will be equipped with a dynamometer — which allows diagnosticians to simulate what a car does under driving conditions. A vehicle can be strapped to the device and run at high speeds, for instance, giving technicians the opportunity to diagnose what is causing it to shake.

Jason Hallman and Jeff Corliss — the academy’s teachers — have extensive automotive industry experience.

Hallman, who was there last year, weighed in on the center’s design and made suggestions about the equipment. Corliss joined the staff this year because the program experienced an increase in enrollment.

“We replicate the industry better than anybody does,” Hallman said.

Hallman said the program seeks to prepare students to get jobs in the industry. It focuses on maintenance work that’s needed to keep cars on the road, such as oil changes, tires, brakes and batteries, he added. Students also learn about car detailing.

Hallman aims to make the students employable.

“We want to give them a leg up on their competition, which would be their peers,” Hallman said.

The academy introduces students to the various opportunities within the automotive industry, said Shelley Carrino, an assistant principal who oversees the program and advocated for the construction of the garage.

“There are more than just the people in the bays turning wrenches. There are people who are service managers. You have your finance people. You have your service writers. There are multiple facets of the program,” Carrino said.

The academy’s curriculum covers the ins and outs of why vehicles work or don’t work. Lessons are delivered through hands-on instruction, online materials and class lectures.

“We are preparing them for that on-the-job experience so they are able to be hired with the skill set that employers are currently looking for and they are up to date with their skills,” Carrino said.

Corliss, who worked in the industry for 13 years before joining the high school’s staff, is impressed by the new automotive center.

“It’s an amazing building. To be honest with you, this is nicer than most of the shops I’ve worked in,” Corliss said.

Students in the program face the same kind of challenge as they would encounter in a real-world garage, Corliss said.

They’re bound to make mistakes, but figuring out where they went wrong will make them better technicians, Corliss said.  “If you can learn from mistakes, you know not to make them again. It makes you successful.”

Students are thrilled with the new facility and with the automotive program in general.

“I love doing hands-on work,” said Morgan Kruck, 17, who is in his third year with the program and aspires to become a BMW mechanic. He added, “I’ve always been in love with automotive and the theory and how all those parts can come together and make something move.”

Deniz Kurtis, a native of Germany, also wants to work with BMWs.

Getting to work on cars through the automotive academy is a huge motivator, the 18-year-old said.

“I love it. It’s pretty much the reason I come to school,” Kurtis said.

He thinks the students in the program are serious about automotive technology.

“If you’re in here, you’re in here for a reason,” Kurtis said.

Jacob Vann, another student in the program, aspires to race for NASCAR.

He already has seven racecars that he and his dad maintain.

Norberto Rivera, 18, has set his sights on becoming a Porsche mechanic.

“It’s always been my dream car, ever since I was little,” said Rivera, who has been in the automotive program for three years.

Rivera not only wants to repair Porsches, someday he’d like to own one, he said.

The student credits Hallman, along with Carrino, for pushing hard to get the garage facility.

“If it weren’t for those two, I don’t think this would have been opened,” Rivera said.

At the moment, the students are primarily working on vehicles that belong to Wesley Chapel Elementary, Weightman Middle and Wesley Chapel High faculty members and their families. The program will eventually branch out and allow members of the general public to bring their vehicles in for repairs.

The program is available for students throughout Pasco County, under the district’s School Choice program.

Students need to have a genuine interest in the industry to become part of the program, Carrino said.

“This isn’t something that you just try out. You need to make a commitment to the program.”

 

Join the celebration

What: Grand opening celebration for the Academy of Automotive Technology at Wesley Chapel High

Where: Academy of Automotive Technology building at Wesley Chapel High, 30651 Wells Road

When: 6 p.m. on Jan. 28

Who: All are invited. Please RSVP by calling (813) 794-2204 or by emailing

 

Wiregrass Ranch High’s event honors family’s memory

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

The Wiregrass Ranch boys basketball program is making sure the memory of the Ulrich family is not forgotten.

Bulls coach Jeremy Calzone started the Ulrich Family Classic in 2010, a few months after Jeff and Ronni Ulrich, along with their children Carlie and Lexi, died in a single-engine airplane crash in Arizona while on a summer vacation. Carlie had just finished kindergarten at Seven Oaks Elementary, while Lexi would have been a senior at Wiregrass Ranch in the class of 2012.

“We started it because Lexi was a cheerleader and was a huge supporter of ours,” Calzone said. “She would always get the crowd energized, so when I heard what happened I went to her grandparents (Mikki and Stan Glantz) and asked if we could do something like this.”

The all-day event includes four basketball games. The Glantzs have attended the event the last two years. In 2011, the Bulls presented them with a basketball and T-shirt signed by the squad during a ceremony before Wiregrass Ranch’s contest.

“It’s really, I can only call it mind boggling that the school has continued to do this,” Stan said. “We were really happy when they told us that they were doing the event, but usually when things like this happen they’ll do it for a year or two, but coach Calzone has been amazing to keep it going, and the school has been great with their support. You don’t normally see that today.”

Calzone said he plans to keep the classic going every year.

“I want this to be the biggest event in Pasco County and for it to be something that teams all over the state want to be a part of,” Calzone said. “We’ve got teams from Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco, and we have the Pasco teams playing either a team from Hillsborough or Pinellas in all of them. We have some really good teams again this year, so it will be an exciting day.”

The classic, which is Jan. 19, starts with a contest between East Lake vs. Land O’ Lakes at 3 p.m., followed by matchups of Bloomingdale vs. Ridgewood at 4:30 p.m., Freedom vs. Wesley Chapel at 6 p.m. and Clearwater Central Catholic vs. Wiregrass Ranch at 7:30 p.m.

The event also raises money for a scholarship in the Ulrich name. For every $5 admission ticket that is bought, $2 goes to the fund.

The $5 grants admission to all four games, and the concession stand will be open through the event.

“Lots of great basketball, and it’s all for a good cause,” Calzone said. “Can’t get much better than that.”

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

The word ballywho means fanfare, hoopla or publicity, which is exactly what Elissa Nauful and Scott Plumley seek to achieve for clients of BallywhoSocial, the company they created nearly four years ago.

Nauful, who is knowledgeable about public relations and marketing, paired up with Plumley, who is an expert in information technology (IT), because they saw a need in the market they wanted to fill.

“We saw social media starting to really explode, so we thought, with our expertise and background, this would be a great business to start,” said Nauful, who is majority owner of the business based in Wesley Chapel.

“I think that the reason that we’re successful is because social is all we do,” Nauful said.

The company’s first-year revenue was around $20,000. Now, its annual revenues are in the millions, Nauful said.

“In the social media business there are a lot of ad agencies who will do social media,” Nauful said. “PR companies, the same thing. … What we realized is that a lot of clients really just need help with social (media). Large companies will hire us to manage everything social, and that’s all we do.”

Being focused on social media, employing a quality team and staying up on the latest technological tools and trends are key elements in the company’s success, Nauful said.

BallywhoSocial has done so well that it opened a second office in Austin, Texas and plans to open an office this year in Washington, D.C.

“We have a very flat organizational culture,” Nauful said. The company has 12 fulltime employees and about 20 freelance writers around the country.

BallywhoSocial helps companies figure out how to harness social media to support their goals, Nauful said.

“I think the first question you need to ask is, ‘Why am I doing this?’” Nauful said.

Companies need to tailor their social media efforts to match their specific needs, she said.

“Facebook isn’t for every business. Twitter isn’t for every business. Businesses don’t understand that,” Nauful said.

Social networks are like cable television channels, she said.

“It’s very important to make sure that you’re communicating on a platform the best way for the audience,” she explained.

For instance, Nauful said, a cable channel that focuses on professional football wouldn’t be the best place to pitch feminine hygiene products.

“Bad social media is worse than no social media. If you do it poorly, it’s worse than not doing it,” Nauful said.

Nauful said keeping abreast of new developments is important: “Social media changes every second.”

She described her company this way: “You know, we’re not experts, because no one is, because it’s changing so quickly. What we are are people who have been in the practice of doing (social media), and we understand it better than most people, and we are willing to stop and think through things and ask questions and not provide a cookie-cutter solution,” Nauful said.

BallywhoSocial helps companies address concerns they have about using social media

“Social media is wrapped in a lot of fear,” Nauful said. She added, “The fact is, that once you put something out there it’s always there. I think there are people that don’t want to hear bad (comments or reviews).”

But negative reviews will happen, she said.

“No company, no business, either small or large, is ever going to have 100 percent of customers that are satisfied all of the time,” Nauful said. She added, “The question is how do you deal with that situation, and do you deal with it?”

Negative feedback often yields valuable information, Nauful said.

She thinks the most effective response to negative feedback is to respond directly to the person making the complaint, apologize, take the conversation offline and address the issue.

“A lot of people don’t realize that social media isn’t just about talking,” Nauful said. “It’s absolutely about listening and then talking. I think that is lost. We talk a lot about social listening. Our answer always is be authentic, be who you are, don’t lie. … If you say you’re going to fix it, then you better fix it, because if you don’t you’re going to have an even bigger problem.”

She’s excited about the future of social media.

“I think we’re at the tip of the iceberg of all the ways that social can be used,” Nauful said. She added, “The biggest trend is mobile. Mobile is where it is going.”

 

How social are you?

BallywhoSocial has a new tool called a Ballywho’s Social Media eValuation. It’s a free evaluation of a company’s social media acumen, measuring such things as social media presence, audience engagement and social influence. Want to know more? Visit www.showmemyscore.com.

Dining with class

The Academy of Culinary Arts at Land O’ Lakes High partnered with the ACF Tampa Bay Chef’s Association chefs on Dec. 20 to host a black tie fundraiser to benefit the academy.

The fundraiser also helped raise money for a contribution to the families who lost children in the Newtown, Ct. school shooting.

After the dinner, Jeffrey Rotz, a consultant/trainer for the hospitality industry, sent a note of congratulations to chef Michael Rigberg.

In part, the note said, “The dinner was outstanding last night. Your students just did a fantastic job. You should be very proud of your accomplishment by putting this arduous event together. I have attended many academy dinners and high class — 5 star — properties and in my opinion, yours last night was the BEST!” (Photo courtesy of Rob Aguis, Pasco County Schools)

 

Computer skills for seniors

CARES is offering a computer course designed to help older adults become familiar with the Microsoft Operating System Windows 7. The classes are designed for people who are unfamiliar with how computers work. Those taking the class will be given an introduction to the keyboard and mouse and basic lessons on how to use email, surf the Internet, write a letter and perform other computer tasks.

The course will be taught in six two-hour sessions starting Jan. 21.

The cost is $99, which includes a textbook. Classes will be at The Commons on Pretty Pond, 38130 Pretty Pond Road in Zephyrhills. To register, call (727) 514-5002.

 

Saint Leo MLK events

Saint Leo University is offering a slate of special activities on Jan. 21 to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Brent Scarpo will deliver a presentation called Journey to a Hate Free Millennium at 3 p.m. in the Greenfelder-Denlinger Boardrooms of the Student Community Center on the university campus, 33701 SR 52.

The presentation will include a video, a discussion and a question-and-answer session.

After that, guests are invited to join students, faculty and staff for the dedication of the new sculpture titled A Spirit of Belonging created by Steven Dickey. It commemorates the integration of Saint Leo in 1898 with the admission of Rudolph Antorcha, a black student. The Benedictine monks, who founded Saint Leo, integrated the school even though it was illegal at the time.

For more information about the college, visit www.saintleo.edu.

 

Seeking talent show competitors

The Heritage Arts Center Association is preparing for its 30th talent contest and is searching for talented young people who wish to compete.

Several hundred students participate each year, with judges evaluating as many as 126 different acts. The deadline for applications is Jan. 31.

The regional competition gives more than $3,000 in cash prizes and trophies to winners in several age categories.

In celebration of its anniversary, the association will also award a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior who lives in Pasco County. The scholarship is made possible by the community support of the Moonlight and Ivory concerts as well as the Spotlight contest. The scholarship will go to the Pasco senior who has the highest total scores from the finals judges. The winner will be announced at the end of the final evening show and will be separate and in addition to the individual category winners.

Tryouts will be Feb. 16. Finalists will compete March 16 at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel High.

Applications and additional information can be found at www.heritagearts.org. Those interested in being a sponsor should email Barbara Friedman at or call (352) 567-1720.

 

PHCC honors MLK Day

Emmy winner Gwendolyn Briley-Strand will perform a one-woman monologue as part of Pasco-Hernando Community College’s (PHCC) 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture Series.

Briley-Strand will present Harriet Tubman: The Chosen One at each PHCC campus to honor the 100th anniversary of Tubman’s death.

Briley-Strand has performed this monologue at hundreds of schools and organizations nationally and internationally, such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

The schedule of her performances:

—10 a.m. Jan. 16 in Room E-130, East Campus in Dade City, 36727 Blanton Road

—7 p.m. Jan. 16 in Room B-105, Spring Hill Campus, 450 Beverly Court

—9:45 a.m. Jan. 17 at the Performing Arts Center, West Campus in New Port Richey, 10230 Ridge Road

—6:30 p.m. Jan. 17 in Room B-104, North Campus in Brooksville, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

The public is welcome and there is no charge.

 

New River Elementary kids fueled up

New River Elementary school Fuel Up to Play 60 team representatives attended the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Nov. 25 game and were part of the halftime celebration to raise awareness of the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. The Fuel Up program at New River, which encourages children to eat healthy and play for 60 minutes daily, is paid for with a grant from the National Dairy Council and the NFL in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.