Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

By B.C. Manion

 

The crowd was amped.

Kids and adults cheered, applauded and gave standing ovations.

It was the kind of atmosphere you might expect at a buzzer-beater of a championship basketball game, the end of a fiery speech or the finale of a fabulous concert.

But this was a school assembly, and the 17 rock stars here were teachers and staff who have worked at Academy at the Lakes for 10 years or longer.

The outpouring of love and respect came during the annual Founders’ Day celebration at the private, independent school on Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The event was an even bigger deal this year because it marked the school’s 20th anniversary, and some very special guests were on hand including the school’s founders, Richard and Connie Wendlek.

“We’re here to celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Wendlek’s incredible accomplishment,” said Mark Heller, head of school. “Academy at the Lakes exists because of Rich and Connie. It was they who took on the risk.”

Richard Wendlek expressed his delight at the school’s progress through the years.

“We’re thrilled to see the vision we had come to life,” Richard said when he took his turn at the podium. The school, he said, is evidence that “anything is possible if you put your heart and your mind and your hands to it.”

Kris Carlson began teaching at the preschool in 1988 and moved to what was originally called Academy at the Lakes Day School when it opened in 1992. It had 32 students.

She was pleased to join in the Wendleks’ quest.

“Rich and Connie had a love for the fine arts, music and drama,” Carlson said. “They were very passionate about individualizing a program so kids would be independent.”

Both of Carlson’s sons, Brian, 20 and A.J., 18, are graduates of the academy, and they surprised her by showing up at the 20th anniversary celebration to give her bouquets.

Carlson now works in admissions and coaches the girls middle school volleyball team.

When the school opened, Collier was a two-lane road and Carlson recalled one occasion when a cow wandered from its pasture and stopped traffic.

Twila Rodriguez, on the school’s staff for 17 years, recalls when she could look out her window and see a horse pasture.

The area looks much different now, and that’s partly due to the school’s growth.

Its enrollment has increased from 32 to more than 400 and now provides instruction for students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. School officials also expect to purchase more land for expansion when the timing’s right.

The Lower Division, for prekindergarten through fourth grade, is at the Wendlek Campus on the east side of Collier.

The Middle and Upper divisions are at the McCormick Campus on the west side of Collier. That site includes a lake, trees draped in Spanish moss and outbuildings designed to match the architectural elements of the main house. The McCormicks donated the house, which was originally built in 1959 and was based on George Washington’s Mount Vernon home.

Academy at the Lakes has high academic expectations.

All high schoolers must take a foreign language, and they’re challenged to conduct scientific research that goes beyond the bounds of a typical student’s experience.

The school draws students from many communities, including Odessa, Lutz, New Tampa, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel. Its base rate for tuition ranges from $8,925 for prekindergarten to $17,840 for high school. Some financial aid is available.

Besides its academic focus, the school also continues to help its students appreciate the arts and mature socially, placing an emphasis on character development, Carlson said.

The attention to the arts was evident during the 20th anniversary celebrations. Students at every grade level were engaged in singing, playing instruments or both.

“We help the kids to discover what their true potential is,” Carlson said.

As they enter a new decade of operation, school leaders are optimism about what lies ahead.

“Academy’s best and brightest days are still very much in the future,” said Cynthia Martin, chair of the school’s board of trustees.

For more information about the academy, call (813) 948-7600 or visit www.academyatthelakes.org.

 

Academy at the Lakes timeline

1982: Connie Wendlek opens Academy at the Lakes Preschool.

1992: Connie Wendlek’s preschool evolves into Academy at the Lakes Day School, which opens with 32 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade. Her husband, Richard, a former principal in Pasco County Schools, becomes the head of school. Connie is the music teacher.

1997: McCormick Campus opens to house a middle school.

1998-99 school year: The school adds ninth grade.

1999-00 school year: The school adds 10th grade.

2000: fifth graders move into new classroom suite on McCormick Campus.

2000-01 school year: The school adds 11th grade.

2001-02 school year: The school adds 12th grade.

2001: Academy at the Lakes Day School becomes Academy at the Lakes Inc., a nonprofit organization.

2002: The school has its first high school graduation. There are four members in the class.

2004: The new high school building opens. The structure has the same colonial touches as the middle school.

2006: Academy at the Lakes accepted into the Florida High School Athletic Association.

2008: School gymnasium opens, new sixth-grade classrooms added to the fifth-grade suite and the school introduces its fifth- and sixth-grade program.

2012: As Academy at the Lakes celebrates its 20th anniversary, it also reaches another milestone by welcoming its first Legacy students. Nicole Faulkner Armas, a member of the school’s first graduating class in 2002, enrolls her two children, Hunter and Isabella, at the school.

 

By B.C. Manion

 

The intersection of US 41 and SR 54 — familiar to more than 100,000 motorists each day — could be getting an entirely new look.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is looking at two options of elevating US 41 over SR 54 and two options of elevating SR 54 over US 41, said FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson. The elevated options are being considered because future traffic volumes are expected to be too great to leave the intersection as is, she said.

Besides the intersection itself, the study area includes areas adjacent to both US 41 and SR 54.

If the department decides to do an improvement, it will likely need to acquire property because of the limited amount of land it now owns at the location, Carson said.

According to the state’s traffic figures, 51,000 vehicles pass through the intersection daily on SR 54, while 52,000 do the same by using US 41.

The state’s study is in the project development and environmental (PD&E) phase of a five-step highway development process, according to a newsletter roadway officials distributed to more than 750 property owners and interested parties in the area.

The need for the project is based on future traffic demands as the area’s population and employment grows. The goal of the study is to identify ways to improve the movement of people and goods by reducing congestion and improvement roadway capacity, the newsletter states.

Besides being a primary hurricane evacuation route, SR 54 provides connections to several north-south routes, including US 19, the Suncoast Parkway, US 41, I-75, US 301 and US 98.

During the PD&E phase, feasible alternatives are developed and evaluated based on environmental, engineering and socioeconomic conditions, as well as safety needs and public input. The need for additional right-of-way purchases for stormwater and environmental mitigation are also considered, the newsletter states.

The study can lead to various alternatives, or could result in a decision not to make any changes.

Before choosing an alternative, the state does an evaluation to determine which alternative has the least impact on adjacent properties, Carson said.

If the decision is made to proceed, the next phase is the project design phase. After that, the right-of-way is acquired and the project is built.

Throughout the process, there are opportunities for public involvement. The first public meeting will be in summer 2013. Comments and questions are welcome.

For additional information, call Marian Scorza at (813) 976-6038 or email her at .

 

By Jeff Odom

 

From a young age, Zachary Milliron can remember football being a big part of his life.

The 23-year-old would spend Saturday watching his favorite college team — the University of Florida. From the stands at Ben Hill Griffith Stadium in Gainesville or the TV, he envisioned that he too, could one day suit up and lead a team to victory.

But he never took a single snap on a football gridiron.

When Milliron was born, doctors discovered a rare defect in his heart and informed his parents that he might not live because of the condition. He was under the watchful eye of specialists at St. Joseph’s Hospital for a year before he went home for good.

The heart condition forced Milliron to undergo four open heart surgeries and other procedures in order to save his life. Before he began middle school at Ben Hill, a physician informed him he would never be able to play a contact sport, thus ending his football dreams.

“A lot of my friends were trying out for the flag football team, and I really knew I couldn’t play because of my heart condition,” Milliron said. “So, I went and talked to the coach, and I asked if I could just be part of the team. It was at that point where it was just like, ‘Wow, this is really cool.’ … I didn’t really know anything (about football). I just liked watching the games.”

With the dream of playing out of the question, Milliron traded in the football for a clipboard. By the time he started his freshman year at Gaither High, he knew what he wanted to be — a football coach.

“As I was around it more and more, and as I kept learning about it more, and as I would spend my Saturday’s watching every game, it kind of all just fell into place to the point that I knew I wanted to coach football,” Milliron said.

Milliron worked with the Cowboys football team during its 2007 district championship season, volunteering as their video coordinator where he filmed practices and edited the footage for other coaches. He would also sit in on meetings and work with the team as coaches broke down film for their next opponent.

Milliron did this until he graduated later that year and moved to Boca Raton, where he enrolled at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

A unique job opportunity came his way from Olympic Heights High while in college.

“I contacted the head coach down there, and they were horrible,” Milliron said. “They had won like two games in five years, and I guess from talking to me he really thought I could help them and gave me the varsity wide receivers coach position.”

In his first year at Olympic Heights in 2009, Milliron helped lead the Lions to their first winning record and first playoff berth since 2002.

After two seasons, Milliron transferred to the University of South Florida (USF) to be closer to home while pursuing a degree in secondary education. He caught up with former Gaither coach Mark Kantor and was offered a position coaching quarterbacks until Kantor stepped down from the position in 2010.

“This, at the time, felt like a door had been slammed shut on me, but you know what they say, when God closes one door he always opens up another one; you just have to be faithful enough to walk through it,” Milliron said. “I started thinking, ‘Do I really want to be doing this for the rest of my life?’ It just wasn’t a good fit.”

Milliron followed his former boss to Wharton, where Kantor was hired as the defensive coordinator for the 2011 season. Milliron said Wildcats coach David Mitchell welcomed him to the program with open arms and made him the varsity offensive assistant and junior varsity (JV) offensive coordinator — his highest positions yet.

“In my first game (with the JV team), we played Tampa Bay Tech, and that was a major eye opening thing for me,” Milliron said. “I was like, ‘Wow, (former Gators coach) Urban Meyer makes it look easy calling plays.’ First play, a kid tore his ACL. Second play’s a pick six. Third play’s a fumble return for a touchdown. I’m like, ‘Time to regroup,’ but it was a great year and we had a lot of fun.”

Milliron was also an assistant on the Wharton baseball team that won a district championship last year and reached the Class 8A regional finals.

Once he finishes his degree at USF this year, Milliron hopes to join the Bulls’ coaching staff as a graduate assistant to continue his dream of being a Division I college or NFL coach.

He is preparing for the future by spending nearly 40 hours a week at Wharton while also waking up before dawn to study film of opponents and go over plays. Sometimes after a game, Milliron will only get three or four hours of sleep.

“I love coaching and know that I will make a career out of it, because I won’t let anything stop me,” Milliron said. “I might of been born with a ‘weak heart’ in the words of one cardiologist, but my determination and hard work makes me have the strongest heart in the world, and in my heart I know I will not only meet my goal but help a lot of people along the way.”

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

 

By Jeff Odom

 

From a young age, Zachary Milliron can remember football being a big part of his life.

The 23-year-old would spend Saturday watching his favorite college team — the University of Florida. From the stands at Ben Hill Griffith Stadium in Gainesville or the TV, he envisioned that he too, could one day suit up and lead a team to victory.

But he never took a single snap on a football gridiron.

When Milliron was born, doctors discovered a rare defect in his heart and informed his parents that he might not live because of the condition. He was under the watchful eye of specialists at St. Joseph’s Hospital for a year before he went home for good.

The heart condition forced Milliron to undergo four open heart surgeries and other procedures in order to save his life. Before he began middle school at Ben Hill, a physician informed him he would never be able to play a contact sport, thus ending his football dreams.

“A lot of my friends were trying out for the flag football team, and I really knew I couldn’t play because of my heart condition,” Milliron said. “So, I went and talked to the coach, and I asked if I could just be part of the team. It was at that point where it was just like, ‘Wow, this is really cool.’ … I didn’t really know anything (about football). I just liked watching the games.”

With the dream of playing out of the question, Milliron traded in the football for a clipboard. By the time he started his freshman year at Gaither High, he knew what he wanted to be — a football coach.

“As I was around it more and more, and as I kept learning about it more, and as I would spend my Saturday’s watching every game, it kind of all just fell into place to the point that I knew I wanted to coach football,” Milliron said.

Milliron worked with the Cowboys football team during its 2007 district championship season, volunteering as their video coordinator where he filmed practices and edited the footage for other coaches. He would also sit in on meetings and work with the team as coaches broke down film for their next opponent.

Milliron did this until he graduated later that year and moved to Boca Raton, where he enrolled at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

A unique job opportunity came his way from Olympic Heights High while in college.

“I contacted the head coach down there, and they were horrible,” Milliron said. “They had won like two games in five years, and I guess from talking to me he really thought I could help them and gave me the varsity wide receivers coach position.”

In his first year at Olympic Heights in 2009, Milliron helped lead the Lions to their first winning record and first playoff berth since 2002.

After two seasons, Milliron transferred to the University of South Florida (USF) to be closer to home while pursuing a degree in secondary education. He caught up with former Gaither coach Mark Kantor and was offered a position coaching quarterbacks until Kantor stepped down from the position in 2010.

“This, at the time, felt like a door had been slammed shut on me, but you know what they say, when God closes one door he always opens up another one; you just have to be faithful enough to walk through it,” Milliron said. “I started thinking, ‘Do I really want to be doing this for the rest of my life?’ It just wasn’t a good fit.”

Milliron followed his former boss to Wharton, where Kantor was hired as the defensive coordinator for the 2011 season. Milliron said Wildcats coach David Mitchell welcomed him to the program with open arms and made him the varsity offensive assistant and junior varsity (JV) offensive coordinator — his highest positions yet.

“In my first game (with the JV team), we played Tampa Bay Tech, and that was a major eye opening thing for me,” Milliron said. “I was like, ‘Wow, (former Gators coach) Urban Meyer makes it look easy calling plays.’ First play, a kid tore his ACL. Second play’s a pick six. Third play’s a fumble return for a touchdown. I’m like, ‘Time to regroup,’ but it was a great year and we had a lot of fun.”

Milliron was also an assistant on the Wharton baseball team that won a district championship last year and reached the Class 8A regional finals.

Once he finishes his degree at USF this year, Milliron hopes to join the Bulls’ coaching staff as a graduate assistant to continue his dream of being a Division I college or NFL coach.

He is preparing for the future by spending nearly 40 hours a week at Wharton while also waking up before dawn to study film of opponents and go over plays. Sometimes after a game, Milliron will only get three or four hours of sleep.

“I love coaching and know that I will make a career out of it, because I won’t let anything stop me,” Milliron said. “I might of been born with a ‘weak heart’ in the words of one cardiologist, but my determination and hard work makes me have the strongest heart in the world, and in my heart I know I will not only meet my goal but help a lot of people along the way.”

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

 

By Jeff Odom

 

After months of headache, Lutz resident Frank Muniz can breathe easier knowing his property is beginning to dry out.

Muniz’s yard, a drainage ditch and an unpaved roadway leading up to his home on Crooked Lane were underwater after Tropical Storm Debby dumped heavy amounts of rain in early July.

Across from his property at the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex, a small field flooded due to a damaged drain pipe, which prevented the water from receding. The standing water then spilled through a chain link fence dividing the two properties and into Muniz’s yard.

For months, Muniz made phone calls to Hillsborough County officials. Not only did he want the problem with drainage corrected, but also help in getting rid of the water.

But those pleas went ignored, and with each afternoon storm the situation grew worse.

Then, a day after The Laker/Lutz News detailed Muniz’s situation Sept. 27, county workers began draining the water from the field, moving it to a retention pond in front of the complex.

“The ground is just so saturated because of all the rain,” Muniz said. “It’s still puddling up, but they said they’re trying to work on it.”

County Public Works spokesman Steve Valdez said they had to change elevations in order to get the water moving in the opposite direction. He added, the workers had to get permission on where it could move the water to in order to protect Muniz’s yard.

Muniz said workers told him it’s a waiting process on where the water can go.

“They said as long as it’s in the front pond it should be okay,” Muniz said. “They did a good job, and they cleared out (debris) along the (complex’s) drainage ditch.”

Hillsborough is still 20 inches above the normal level for rainfall this year, which contributed to the problem.

“Everyone has been dealing with flooding problems,” Valdez said. “It’s the highest rainfall on record.”

Name: Terry Kemple
Age: 66
Residence: no response
Occupation: owns a management consulting business
Political affiliation: nonpartisan office

Political experience: none
Office being sought: Hillsborough County School Board District 7

 

What separates you from your competitors(s)?

I have new thoughts and ideas. My opponent has become part of the status quo.

An example is the difference in our views of the Empowering Effective Teachers program. All the teachers I know dislike it and teacher morale is at its absolute lowest. I think the EET needs a drastic rethink. My opponent continues to pander to the staff, ignore the problems and claim that it’s a wonderful program. Find out for yourself; ask a teacher or two.

We also differ dramatically in our view of parents’ rights to decide what students are confronted with in the classroom. I believe parents have the right to make important decisions regarding their children’s education priorities and practices. My opponent disagrees, apparently believing that she knows better than parents.

I think parents should be able to opt their children out of classes when people linked to terrorism will be speaking to the class. This is no joke, it has happened! My opponent disagrees, choosing instead to ignore the evidence of the need to address the situation.
What do you hope to accomplish in your first six months in office?

The most pressing difficulty we have right now is many parents’ lack of involvement in their children’s education. This lack creates many difficulties. Among the most serious are that students whose parents aren’t involved are more likely to drop out of school and before dropping out are more likely to cause classroom disciplinary problems that impair everyone’s education.

My opponent won’t acknowledge the problem. I think part of the reason for this avoidance is that if parents aren’t involved then the board majority can continue to make decisions that should be being made by parents. Another possibility is that it’s a difficult dilemma that’s difficult to address without ruffling some feathers.

We need to purposefully develop methods to encourage parental involvement. There will never be a perfect solution, but if there continues to be no effort there will for sure be no resolution.

What do you hope to accomplish by the end of your term?

1. Make sure that processes are in place to protect parents’ rights to make educational decisions regarding their children.

2. Develop measures that provide active accountability for the school board, staff, teachers, parents, students, and the community.

3. Bring transparency to the budget so that it’s simple for anyone to see where money is going, what bids are available and/or awarded, and so that there is clarity on the long term financial impact of accepting the “strings” that come with many grants.

4. Establish a more effective outreach to the community to encourage non-controversial community groups to help in the educational process.

5. Find ways to put more money in the classroom.

6. Dramatically revise or eliminate the EET program.

7. Bring visibility to the ESE program and be sure we’re in compliance with state guidelines.
List your political endorsements: United Christian of Florida Political Action Committee, News Times Journal – Editorial Board, 342 Individual endorsements on my website: Vote4TerryKemple.com