Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

A room brightens with the sound of music mixed with beaming smiles of several children as they try various instruments set to the tune played by their instructor.

For the participants the hour flies by like it is only a minute as they learn about the art form. Suddenly one of the students, Alex Lynch, turns to a classmate and says ‘hi.’

That one word seems insignificant, but to his mother, Jennifer, those small responses show her how remarkable the VSA Florida class is for her autistic son.

Alex is mostly nonverbal, but he speaks simple words regularly while at the program put on each Tuesday at the psychiatry building at the University of South Florida (USF).

“He loves music,” Jennifer said. “Because he’s nonverbal it gives him another avenue for expression. … He looks so forward to it. He loves it and responds so well to music. I think the arts have had a big impact on his ability to verbalize.”

The two make the 30-minute drive from their home in Land O’ Lakes to reap the benefits. Jennifer has seen improved focus in her 13-year-old son thanks to the class. He also has taken more interest in music and even joined the band at his school, Weightman Middle in Wesley Chapel, as a drummer.

The story is similar with Arwa Alamoudi and her 13-year-old brother Anas, who has autism and ADHD.

“He really likes the movement and the sounds of the music,” said Arwa, who is attending USF to become a teacher for special needs kids. “It helps him relieve his stress.”

Arwa said Anas, who attends Liberty Middle in New Tampa, has also been more verbal since attending the class the last two months.

Jennifer and Arwa are just some of the caregivers who have benefited from the VSA since its founding in Florida in 1985. The program also offers courses in dance, playwriting, creative storytelling, painting, pottery and almost every other art form. It focuses on teaching people with disabilities, but no one is turned away.

“All we really want is for people to sit at the same table with everyone else and to be treated the same,” said Marian Winters, VSA of Florida executive director. “People with disabilities don’t have those same opportunities. We need to level the playing field and let them learn about art. If they’re good at it they are and if they aren’t they aren’t, like anyone else, but they need to be able to sit at the same table and have that experience. They don’t have to be the best; they just have to be included.”

The VSA was founded in the 1980s with the name Very Special Arts at the same time Special Olympics was created.

“Our philosophy is different,” Winters said. “Special Olympics looks at the winning and getting that medal of accomplishment. VSA we’re not as interested in winning, but of course we like it when our artists win things. We’re interested in the process of making them see that the arts have value to their lives. So it’s not about a battle for winning. It’s about recognizing what’s within.

“We provide arts education and cultural opportunities for and by people with disabilities,” Winters continued. “It’s for and by because we show the art of our students to try and get their careers started.”

The program directly serves 15,000 people with disabilities annually. Add in the students who are taught by teachers who attend VSA trainings and that number jumps up to 250,000; all done by a staff of seven working throughout the state.

“We’re able to help that many people because of our partnerships with all the school districts in the state,” said Winters, who has worked with the VSA since 1999. “We’re funded by the state department of education. We also work with cultural organizations and other groups to get the education out there.”

Winters said teachers always see their students differently after using the methods taught by the VSA.

“A lot of times students with disabilities are stereotyped as bad students, and it’s amazing how wrong that is,” Winters said. “It just takes a different way of reaching them because we all learn differently.”

The VSA is also branching out to find different ways to deliver its education, such as the community program offered at USF. The weekly class, which is $10 per session, was the creation of Lutz resident Wendy Finklea, who became the organization’s education coordinator about two years ago.

Finklea worked as a clinical microbiologist before coming to the VSA. She said she was surprised at how effective the methods are at helping those with disabilities learn.

“When I heard about it there was something that made me say ‘this is what I want to do,’” Finklea said. “I’d done a lot of medical work and volunteering with the arts and this did both.”

People such as adjunct University of Tampa music instructor Linda Rodriguez teach the programs. Finklea said they also invite disabled artists whenever they can.

Winters said the classes don’t just benefit the students. They also give caregivers the feeling that they are not alone.

“It’s nice to meet other people who have a family member with autism,” Arwa said. “It made me feel connected to someone.”

Winters said one of her main goals is getting the word out about the VSA programs so more people take advantage of them.

“What I would like is a huge waiting list for people who want to participate in any of our groups,” Winters said. “I want to see people with disabilities at performances and on the stage giving performances. I want to see them there and the demand for the programs. … I know what we do has made significant changes in people’s lives.”

To learn more about the VSA, visit www.vsafl.org or call Finklea at (813) 974-0715 or Winters at (813) 974-0721.

By B.C. Manion

Imagine you could engineer a circuit board that would use less electricity and be easier to build.

Fifteen-year-old David Gamero, a student in the upper division at Academy at the Lakes, didn’t just imagine it. He built it.

And, his efforts are getting attention.

The young man from Trinity received an Intel Excellence in Computer Science award, which was accompanied by a $200 cash prize, at the 57^th annual State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida in early April at the Lakeland Center. That follows his first place finish at the Regional Pasco Science Fair in February. Other awards the high school freshman scooped up at the regional contest were:

–The Intel Excellence in Computer Science Award

–The Excellence in Manufacturing Engineering Principles Award

–The 2011 Regional Ricoh Sustainable Development Award

–The CH2M Hill Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Project

–The U.S. Army Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Science and Engineering

Next, he’ll compete at Intel ISEF International Science and Engineering Fair in Philadelphia in May.

Gamero designed a system that runs in a grid, using no central processing unit.

“All of the power goes straight to the display. All of it is done with simple, physical circuits. So, it takes up more space but uses less electricity,” he said.

The simplicity of Gamero’s engineering project is elegant, said Amy Jordan, who taught at Harvard before coming to Academy at the Lakes to teach science.

“That’s pretty sophisticated,” she said. “Often, when someone does something pretty interesting, people go, ‘Oh, that’s obvious.’

“That’s what makes it great. If it weren’t obvious, it probably wouldn’t be that great,” Jordan said.

It’s impressive that Gamero could take his idea and actually make it work, Jordan said.
“Thinking that you could do it — and doing it, is a big deal,” she said.

The teenager said he has always enjoyed tinkering.

“I’ve always loved to take apart stuff. My dad and I used to build things all of the time.

“The first thing I built – my dad and I put together an entertainment center,” he recalled, estimating he was about 4 years old at the time.

“I probably slowed him down,” he said, because his father had to stop and explain how to perform the tasks.

“I remember taking apart toys when they were broken,” Gamero said. He would cannibalize parts and use them in different ways.

Gamero said he has always enjoyed seeing how things work.

In third- and fourth grade he did physics-oriented projects involving eggs. Then he shifted to a catapult trajectory problem in sixth grade. He began developing an interest in electronics during seventh and eighth grades.

He’s not sure where his career path will lead, but suspects it will involve mathematics or engineering.

“I’ll find my way,” the young man said.

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

It’s no accident that Bridgeway Church is rising on a site across from an elementary, middle and high school in Wesley Chapel.

“We have a deep calling to serve young people. We really strongly feel that’s why the Lord put us here, across from three schools,” said Joel Eason, pastor of the church being built on Wells Road.

“We just feel God put us here, strategically. We want to be a blessing to the schools, their faculty. If there’s a way we can be of service, we want to help,” said Eason, whose congregation now meets at the New Tampa YMCA.

Bridgeway Church recently celebrated its 11^th anniversary and is preparing to move to its permanent home this summer. It has more than 400 members who come from Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Dade City and Brandon, and Eason expects the congregation to grow as it moves to its 21-acre site.

Construction crews are busy at the site, digging holes, putting up drywall, installing air conditioners and handling scores of other tasks.

The goal is to have the first service in the 29,000-square-foot building on Father’s Day. After everything is working smoothly, the church will hold a grand opening in August to coincide with the beginning of a new school year.

The new building will give the church more opportunities to serve the community, Eason said. “The game will change for us, immediately.

“Our mission statement is bringing people into life-changing relationships with Jesus Christ and each other. At the heart of who we are and at the heart of what we are doing, we want people connected with Christ and we want people connected with one another,” Eason said.

The church plans to allow organizations to use space for meetings. It also plans to be a hub to help organize emergency response during floods, hurricanes and other times of need.

The new facility features a 500-seat auditorium for services, rooms designed for children of various ages, and office space. The idea is to meet the needs of all ages, Eason said.

When talking to adults about their church experience, Eason said many have said: “I hated it. It was boring.”

Bridgeway intends to be a place where people want to go, Eason said.

“I don’t think church should be boring.

“We want this to be the most fun hour of the kids’ week, and our team works really hard on that,” he said.

The same goes for teenagers, he said.

“We want the youth service on Wednesday night to be the coolest, most relevant, most helpful hour that they have all week,” Eason said.

“I don’t think church services should be boring. I don’t think preaching should be hard to understand,” Eason said. “I don’t think that kids should not want to come to church. I don’t think that church is just a Sunday organization.”

In addition to its youth ministry, the church will have an area where kids can hang out to play pool, ping-pong and other games. There are two cafés in the new building, one on each floor to accommodate various groups.

Eason said he’s looking forward to seeing what develops in the new space.

“We feel that we’re supposed to help special needs’ families.

“What is it we’re going to do? We don’t know. We know we’re supposed to get involved with that, but how? We don’t know.

“There are probably organizations, let’s say it’s a special needs family support organization – they don’t have a place to meet. Well, we’ll unlock the door,” Eason said.

“Our mission statement is bringing people into life-changing relationships with Jesus Christ and each other. At the heart of who we are and at the heart of what we are doing, we want people connected with Christ and we want people connected with one another,” the pastor said.

For more information about Bridgeway, visit http://bridgeway.tv.

 

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

The owners of The Gathering Place are hoping the new restaurant in Lutz will live up to its name.

“We want it to be the local gathering place, whether you want to eat, whether you want to have a couple of drinks, a dessert, or just come see who is here hanging out,” said Chris Fuller, who owns the restaurant with his mom, Sandy.

With its sunflower yellow walls and its fun, funky signs, the restaurant at 16319 N. Florida Ave., has a warm, welcoming feel.

The Fullers have put together a menu they’re confident will appeal to all kinds of people. Pizzas are baked in a wood-fired oven with an array of toppings that goes well beyond traditional choices.

There’s a Hang Ten, featuring marinara, house-smoked bacon, pineapple and mozzarella. The Aphrodite has marinara, kalamata olives, local feta cheese, mozzarella, red onion, green pepper and rosemary. The Lutz Boy is topped with house-smoked chicken, barbecue sauce, drunken caramelized onions and mozzarella. And there’s the Pizza Verde, topped with fresh pesto, spinach, fresh local feta, pine nuts and scallions.

You can also build your own pizza, choosing from numerous ingredients.

The restaurant opened March 22 and already has fans.

“It has good food, a good beer selection, fair pricing, a good atmosphere and a friendly staff,” said Mike Blackshaw, of Lutz, who was there for dinner recently, with his wife, Claire, and their friends, Iain and Bea Rowell, also of Lutz.

The couples are repeat customers because they like the fresh food and the friendly service. They said the Lutz area has lacked this type of restaurant.

Fuller said the offerings go well beyond pizza.

“We have a selection of sandwiches and salads, as well,” he said.

There’s also a soup of the day, a burger of the day and dinner entrée specials based on ingredients available that day.

“I think the most important thing is providing fresh, tasty food,” Fuller said.

A pleasant atmosphere, friendly staff and affordable prices are important, too, the co-owners said. The appetizers range from $6 to $10 and dinner entrees go from $11 to $16.

So far, pizza is the most popular choice, but the gator bombs and Cuban nachos are big hits, too, Fuller said. The gator bombs are made from tender chipotle gator tail finely chopped, stuffed into peppadews with a cheesy mixture and beer battered. They are served with Chipotle Aioli. The Cuban nachos are crispy plantains topped with all natural pulled pork, black bean and corn salsa and a mojo sour cream sauce.

Appetizers are served tapas style, to make sharing easy, Fuller said.

Besides being a gathering place for patrons, the Fullers want the restaurant to be known for serving locally produced foods.

“What we really wanted to do was bring a concept to the area where we would use as many fresh, wholesome ingredients as we possibly could,” Fuller said. “The meat that we use here is just about as natural as you can possibly get, as close to the wild. We use free-range, organic grass-fed beef, locally farmed. Same with our pork. It’s pasture-raised, so it’s free range. There are no cages and they’re not all penned up.”

Some vegetables are grown locally, too, and the restaurant is expanding that supply, Fuller said.

The restaurant makes its own desserts, including rum cakes, which are Sandy Fuller’s specialty. It also serves ice cream from The Old Meeting House in South Tampa, she said.

The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, as well an intimate space – known as the cave lounge – which can be booked for small private parties.

One advantage of being independent is the ability to respond quickly to customers, Sandy Fuller said.

“We’re looking for feedback, good or bad,” she said.

“We want to know,” agreed Chris Fuller.

During the first week, for instance, they adjusted the menu based on customer response.

They’ve also changed the hours – using a go-with-the-flow approach. The restaurant now opens at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays, with variable closing hours, based on how business is going.

“As long as there are people here, we’ll be open,” Sandy Fuller said.

For more information, visit www.thegatheringplacetampa.com.

 

 

 

 

Honoring military children

Students and staff throughout Carrollwood Day School wore purple on April 13 in a show of support for children with parents in the military.

The school was taking part in a special event organized by the 4-H Youth Development program, which invited members of Operation: Military Kids across the country to take part in “Purple Up.”

The school became familiar with Operation: Military Kids and “Purple Up” because the students in Barbara Monty’s fifth-grade class are studying the impact of having parents in the military as part of an inquiry program they are doing. The inquiry program serves as a foundation to prepare students for Carrollwood Day School’s middle years program. Carrollwood Day is a private school offering an International Baccalaureate curriculum for children in preschool through high school. The school has two campuses in northern Hillsborough County.

 

Kindergarten registration

New River Elementary School is having its kindergarten registration from 8 a.m. until noon and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on May 7 in the school’s media center.

It also is having a kindergarten parent workshop from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the same day at the school.

Parents should bring the child’s original birth certificate, Social Security card, immunization records, a physical examination form dated within one year of starting school and proof of residency, such as utility bill or contract of sale. A child must be 5 on or before Sept. 1 to be eligible to register. For additional information, call (813) 346-0500.

 

Wesley Chapel High needs helpers

Wesley Chapel High needs volunteers to evaluate Senior Project Presentations at the school on May 3.

Volunteers watch graduating seniors give presentations on topics they have worked on through the year, and then offer the volunteers their reactions written on a form. The presentations take about 10 minutes each.

The evaluations are similar to filling out a comment card after a dining experience, according to Mathew Kirouac, the senior project coordinator at the school. The presentations are 7:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. Volunteers are especially needed from 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. If you would like to volunteer or would like more information, you can contact Kirouac at . The high school is at 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

 

Take a spin for Wharton

In conjunction with Wharton High’s golf tournament, Parks Ford will be contributing $20 to the school for every person who test drives a car, up to a maximum of $6,000. The event is at The Heritage Isles Golf and Country Club, 10630 Plantation Bay Drive in Tampa, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 27.

Those test-driving a Ford must be 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license. Each person who takes a test drive also will be entered for a chance to win a 2013 Ford Escape.

The money raised from the test drives will be used toward resurfacing the school’s track.

 

National Merit Scholarship winners

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. has released winners of corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards financed by about 200 corporations, company foundations and other business organizations.

Most of the awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $500 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

Natalie A. Meusling, of Lutz, who attends Land O’ Lakes High, was the only student in Pasco County among the recipients. She received a National Merit Alfred A. Davis/ASC Partners, LLC Scholarship. She lists her probable career choice as atmospheric science.

The two recipients from Hillsborough County high schools were Zachary Scott Dawson, of Hillsborough High, who received a National Merit BP Foundation Inc. Scholarship and Kyle A. Kizirian, of H.B. Plant High, who received a National Merit General Dynamics Scholarship.

 

Lutz student achieves honor roll

Ceciley “CC” Hooker, of Lutz, has achieved the dean’s list at Southeastern University in Lakeland. The dean’s list is reserved for those students who maintain at least a 3.6 GPA.  CC is the daughter of Roy and Jeanne Hooker of Lutz. She is a homeschool graduate.

 

 

Connerton Elementary carnival

Connerton Elementary is having its Champion Day Carnival on April 27, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The event, which includes food, games, facepainting and other activities, will be under the covered physical education area. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.

The school is at 9300 Flourish Drive in Land O’ Lakes.

 

PHCC business club excels at state competition

Members of the Pasco-Hernando Community College Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) Future Business Leaders of America club performed well at the 62nd annual Florida Phi Beta Lambda State Leadership Conference competition in March in Tampa.

The West Campus chapter of PBL in New Port Richey won three awards. Malcolm Lamprea, of Odessa, won second place in the sports management and marketing category. David Rossi, of Hudson, won first place in both the network concepts and computer concepts categories.

The students are eligible to compete at the Phi Beta Lambda National Leadership Conference June 24 through June 27 in San Antonio, Texas.

Sheridan Park, PHCC office administration assistant professor and North Campus PBL chapter adviser, received the Adviser of the Year award from the Florida Future Business Leaders of America/Phi Beta Lambda.