Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

When a girl decides to go to prom the first thing she asks herself is, ‘What am I going to wear?’

Unfortunately the cost of being transformed from high school kid to princess is high.

To help girls from all economic situations enjoy the big night, the Cinderella Project returns for its sixth year, supplying free dresses to Pasco County high school students.

The boutique will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 24 at 6321 N. Boulevard in New Port Richey. All girls need to bring is a student I.D.

In past years, there have been two boutiques, one for West and one for East Pasco. This year, things worked out differently.

“We depend on someone stepping up to donate a place and this year no one did in East Pasco,” said project co-founder Laurie Weiss. “We hope girls from that area will still make the trip to the boutique.”

Weiss and friend Allison Crumbley started the Cinderella Project to help parents and girls alike. They were inspired by the Pinellas version of the Cinderella Project, which dissolved a few years ago. When they brought the idea to Pasco, it was a labor of love. Both women are mothers of three girls and understood the cause.

“I know what it’s like getting girls ready for prom and how expensive it can be,” Crumbley said. “I also know the dress they wear is important to them. That’s why we try and collect dresses in every style and color.”

Collections for the Cinderella Project began in January. In February, business owners and prominent people throughout Pasco attended the Cinderella Ball, a fundraiser sponsored by the Pasco Education Foundation to collect donations. Monetary donations went to purchase dresses in uncommon sizes.

Clothing donations came from individuals, stores and groups. About 800 new and used dresses were sorted through for the final boutique.

Weiss said more than half should be usable.

Volunteer Jill Sellars was in charge of getting the word out in Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes. She has led the project in East Pasco for six years.

“I collected a lot of dresses this time,” she said. “Some of them still have the tags on them. They’re really nice. I know I would wear them.”

To promote the event and bring girls to the store, the Cinderella Project advertised at Pasco County high schools by passing out flyers and running promotions on the morning shows. Sellars went to Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass and Zephyrhills high schools.

“We rely a lot on word of mouth,” Sellars said. “Guidance counselors are a big help with letting the girls know about us.”

More than 150 girls used the service last year. Weiss said she hopes to see even more this time around. She said there is something for everyone.

“Just about every girl that comes in should be able to find a dress they like,” she said. “We’ve only ever had one or two girls leave without something.”

Girls can try on as many dresses as they like at the boutique, which is being set up like a high-end specialty store. The boutique will have more than dresses for shoppers to sort through.

“We have a room filled with dresses and a room filled with accessories from shoes to tiaras,” Weiss said.

The boutique is designed to make dress shopping a fairy tale. Volunteers will pamper the girls from the moment they walk in the front door.

“They’ll be waited on hand and foot,” Crumbley said. “We want them to have a good time with it.”

Sellars said it’s fun for everyone involved.

“Last year, after the girls were done shopping a bunch of us volunteers tried on the leftover dresses and had a fashion show for ourselves,” she said. “This event is really a lot of fun and it helps a lot of girls.”

The Cinderella Project in sponsored in part by the Pasco Education Foundation. For information, call (813) 794-2705.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

It is easy to see the difference in Wesley Chapel High School since Carin Nettles took over as principal this school year.

Many parents, students and teacher are happy with all the improvements she has made especially Heidi Bernaldo, PTSA president.

“She has a very positive energy,” Bernaldo said. “I have never seen a principal who attended PTSA meetings, but she is at every one. She gives us her full support. She is also at most of the student events at the school. It shows she really cares. I get the sense she really enjoys her job and these kids.”

When starting the school year, Nettles not only had to tackle learning about the school, the staff and the students, she also had to come in to try to inspire the faculty to not let the D grade let them down. She used New Orleans as an example since they went through devastation during Hurricane Katrina but now they are back better than ever.

“It is one of the first years the school was graded a D school,” Nettles said. “I flipped it around so we could get started on the right foot. I want us to come back even better than we were before. I pointed out that the D does not mean devastation, our D means dedication, drive and determination.”

Nettles said she never loses sight of the fact that she is here for the students.

“We want to produce exceptional young adults and in order to do that we have to build relationships with them,” Nettles said. “There is an amazing group of kids attending this school. I have never been around so many truly wonderful kids.”

Nettles decided to make reading the main focus academically this year. There are four strands in reading on the FCAT tests- reference and research, compare and contrast, main idea and words and phrases.

“We have had pre- and post-tests this year and we rewarded the class with the highest proficiency and the class who showed the most improvement,” Nettles said. “We also have all the teachers adding some reading activity to their classes so they either have a daily quiz question or some other activity.”

The school grades will not be coming out until November instead of the usual time in July because there are more factors being used to determine the grade than before.

Another program she started this year many parents and students are utilizing are the boot camps in math, writing, ACT and science. The school is also offering tutoring sessions with teachers to help students with math, English and reading.

Bernaldo said she loves the free boot camps.

“She brought in the ACT boot camp and that was great,” Bernaldo said. “My daughter, Katie, took it and it really helped her. There is such a focus on academics now that it is refreshing.”

The students who retook the FCAT the second time around also impressed Nettles with 41 percent passing the reading tests and 44 percent passing the math test.

“I have never seen such a high percentage of students do so well,” Nettles said. “The kids who were struggling were able to knock it out of the park. Usually maybe you see at most 20 percent passing the retakes.”

Nettles also changed the way students, teachers and school related personnel are recognized by adopting a more TMZ approach with cameras, lights and microphones thrust into the face of the unsuspecting winner.

“We always recognized people before, but I changed the titles and the way we let them know they won,” Nettles said. “We barge into the classroom and all the kids and teachers are always shocked. We give them this huge check that says they are priceless and we throw confetti at them. They get a T-shirt and give them a card. It is nice because they get recognition in front of their peers and friends.”

One of the most important things to Nettles is to stay visible and let the kids know she is available for them.
“I am in the classrooms a lot and I try to go down to all of the lunches,” Nettles said. “That is the best time because the kids have free time and they can talk to you. They have great ideas and they tell me a lot of things about what they want the school to be like. I want them to feel comfortable talking to me.”

Through talking to the students, Nettles has learned some things they wanted to see changed like the color of the paint on the walls.

“Everything was all gray before,” Nettles said. “We painted the front office and the cafeteria blue. It creates a nice atmosphere that I think the kids appreciate.”

Cathie Schwan, PTSA member, said she loves the work Nettles is doing.

“I like how she has been very open and accessible to the students and the parents,” Schwan said. “She is a wonderful person and she has done a lot of things for the high school.”

While taking a physical education class at Pine View Middle School, Nettles found her path, which lead her all the way to becoming the principal last August.

“I knew I wanted to work with kids since I went to school at Pine View Middle School,” Nettles said. “A teacher named Patsy Little came into my P.E. class looking for volunteers to work with the physically impaired kids. From that point on, I knew I wanted to help kids.”

Nettles started her career at River Ridge Middle School where she was a varying exceptional education teacher for three years before she moved on to be a teacher at J.W. Mitchell High School where she eventually became an assistant principal.

“I learned that a lot of people see a wheelchair and all the assistant tech devices and they are scared of it,” Nettles said. “I started feeling like I wanted to do more. I felt like I had a deeper desire to do something on a larger scale. That is what led me here.”

For more information, visit the school’s revamped Web site at wch.pasco.k12.fl.us.

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

David Bamberry, senior pastor at Heritage Christian Center, is a family man with a big heart and years of wisdom to share.

His blog, Life in the Eyes of a Pastor, offers advice on everything from marriage to finances.

“I’ve always liked to write and my teenage boys said I should start a blog,” Bamberry said. “It’s everyday issues presented from a pastor’s perspective. Through the years, I’ve talked to a lot of people and had a lot of experiences, so I have a lot to share.”

Bamberry grew up in Kansas, where he became fascinated with church as a young boy. He didn’t mind waking up on Sundays or staying awake during his pastor’s sermons.

“Even then I loved church,” he said. “I loved everything about church. I loved the people. I loved what church did for people. I saw how it made peoples’ lives better and I knew I wanted to be a part of that.”

To prepare for a career in ministry, Bamberry attended Rhema Bible in Oklahoma. He moved to Florida after graduation and met his wife, Natalie. He began his career as a youth pastor at Faith Covenant Church in Tampa.

In 1996, Bamberry decided it was time to start his own church and Heritage Christian Center was born. The church used different meeting spaces, including a day care center, until finding its home in Land O’ Lakes six years ago. The church currently meets at 21418 Carson Dr. off Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

“We loved the area and knew it was the place where people were moving to be,” Bamberry said. “We knew there would be a lot of growth.”

Heritage currently has 250 regular members and there are plans to build a larger worship center on property at County Line Road and Livingston Avenue.

“Costs have slowed the process down but we hope to build within the next couple years,” Bambery said.

Member James Watson describes Heritage as a family church built on Biblical principles.

“It has a real family feel about it and Pastor Bamberry is a great leader,” he said. “He is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.”

The pastor’s wife, Natalie, agrees.

“He is a great pastor because he loves the people,” she said. “He looks them in the eyes and he listens to them.”

Natalie said he is the same man at home.

“He is a wonderful dad to his children and he is a great husband,” she said. “To him, family always comes first.”

The Bamberrys have a daughter and son at Southeastern University in Lakeland, and a son at Steinbrenner High School.

Naturally, family life is one of the main topics on Bamberry’s blog.  Posts have had titles such as For the Kids Sake, Rules for Fair Fighting in Families and Church as the Perfect Family Activity.

“There is a fair and unfair way to fight in families and it is up to the parents to set these guidelines and enforce them,” reads a November 2009 entry.

The guidelines are then listed in easy-to-read format.

“I write a lot about raising kids,” Bamberry said. “I also write a lot about the importance of a healthy marriage and how to be a good example to your kids.”

In addition to writings, Bamberry posts links to helpful sites and lists books he reads to stay inspired. There is even a list of 100 Bible chapters he recommends everyone read once a year.

Watson reads his pastor’s blog whenever he gets the chance.

“The blog is a great way to reflect on Pastor Bamberry’s messages when we’re not at church,” James Watson said. “I hop on to stay connected.”

Bamberry said blogging is a way of reaching the people when he can’t be with them face to face.

“It’s a great way to communicate,” he said. “My sons had a good idea.”

For information on Heritage Christian Center, call (813) 909-4080. Visit Life in the Eyes of a Pastor at www.davidbamberry.com.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

Many of the students and staff at Sunlake High School agree they want to see Gary Walthall stay on as principal of their school.

Matt Penn, a media specialist at the school, said he hopes to see Walthall stay as principal.

“I think he is doing a great job providing stability and continuity between administrations,” Walthall said. “I think a large percentage of the school feels the same way. I like his enthusiasm. I think the kids have a certain amount of respect for him too because he is a triathlete.”

Lauren Pantoja, literacy coach, said she is rooting for Walthall as well.

“We are all hoping he will be principal,” Pantoja said. “I like that he is very visible. We were having a debate in the media center recently and when I looked up he was there.”

Marilyn Parker, media tech assistant, said she loves the work Walthall does.

“He is a very recognizable figure in the school and the kids know him and respect him,” Parker said.

When Angie Stone left to become principal of Fivay High School in March, it left a position to be filled. Three candidates have applied for the job in addition to Walthal including Rich Batchelor, assistant principal at Land O’ Lakes High School, JoAnne Glenn, assistant principal of Pasco’s e-School, and Shawn Hohenthaner, assistant principal at Ridgewood High School.

The position will be filled in June.

“The way it was explained to me, is that in June there will be a lot of people retiring,” Walthall said. “With all the administration changes happening, they want to keep their options open until summer. What I am hoping is they will realize I am the best fit for this job.”

Even though Walthall has only been the interim principal since March 1, he has already made changes to impact the student drop off points.

“We added an additional student drop off point,” Walthall said. “It can be very frustrating for folks when the traffic situation doesn’t allow for ease of drop off. The new drop off point has dramatically reduced traffic congestion.”

A new way of doing things is helping to reduce the numbers of student tardies.

“We implemented a new tardy system,” Walthall said. “It used to be that the tardies were handled by the teachers. Now we have the doors locked when the bell rings and students have to report to the tardy table before they can get in the class. We also make sure to enforce the consequences of the tardies consistently.”

There is already a school advisory council, but Walthall decided to start a principal student advisory council to keep in contact with the students. Walthall meets with three students from each grade once a month.

“It gives me a chance to talk to them about the issues they are concerned about,” Walthall said. “I can find out from them what needs to be changed and they can take the information from me that the students need to work on.”

Walthall said he is setting up programs with the idea that he will be principal next semester. With that in mind, he has started working on a program to help incoming freshmen adjust to life at high school.

“I have a skeleton structure of a freshman support team,” Walthall said. “I am very concerned about all of the students, but it is especially hard when you are an incoming freshman. I want to make sure to address the academic needs and social needs of the students as soon as possible.”

Walthall is also implementing other plans for the future with adding two new advanced placement courses- AP European history and AP art history.

“It will depend on if we get enough kids signed up,” Walthall said. “It is our ultimate goal to prepare these kids to be global citizens. We are now all connected and we want to make sure our kids are prepared for that.”

Many times Walthall said schools focus on the students doing very well or not so well, but the kids in between are forgotten about. As a result, he said he is trying to make sure every kid gets the level of instruction they need.

“All kids don’t get it at the same time or to the same degree,” Walthall said. “Sometimes you need to modify instruction.”

A tool his teachers use is the Pasco Student Testing Assessment Reports or STAR, a system that is constantly updating with students academic scores.

“In the years before, it was archaic with teachers having to pour over reports but now everything is available at the click of a button,” Walthall said.

Walthall is the type of principal who is always out talking to students and teachers. “I like to make connections with the staff and the kids,” Walthall said. “I like to develop a rapport with the kids not only as a principal but as a person too.”

In his personal life, Walthall is very committed to staying fit. He competes in triathlons, marathons and he works out. He will be participating in the Miles for Moffitt 5k run in May. He is also going to be participating in the St. Anthony’s Triathlon and the New York City marathon.

“We are calling it the first annual run with the principal to run down cancer,” Walthall said. “I am excited because kids are coming up to me telling me they want to run with me. I like the event because all of the money raised will go to Moffitt Cancer Center.”

Walthall also participated in the Iron Man competition at Panama City Beach last November where he completed 140.6 miles.

Before becoming a teacher, Walthall was in the military for 22 years. He was a chief master sergeant in the Air Force while he was getting his teaching degree.

“I flew all over the country evaluating and assessing maintenance organizations which lead to my interest in educating people,” Walthall said.

Walthall was a teacher at River Ridge High School before moving up to administration. He helped to open three high schools including Mitchell, Wesley Chapel and finally Sunlake as assistant principal.

For information, visit slhs.pasco.k12.fl.us.

By Joe Potter

Laker Correspondent

In March 1975, a well-equipped Chevrolet Impala cost $4,901, Gerald Ford was president and a gentleman named Ira Crook began working at Zephyrhills High School as a custodian.

In today’s market, that vehicle ­in pristine condition ­is worth up to $20,000. Zephyrhills got an even better return on its investment it made by hiring Crook.

More than 100 people recently helped celebrate Crook’s retirement during a party in the commons area of the school.

Crook, 63, a shy, humble man who prefers to work behind the scenes, found himself the center of attention at the party.

He is a unique employee in many ways. Crook is the last school resource personnel who began their career at the former site of Zephyrhills High, now Raymond B. Stewart Middle School. He is sure his starting date is March 15, 1975, but not so sure of the date in May 1975 the new location opened.

“I wish I had wrote the date down,” Crook said.

The new site might not have opened on time without the help of Crook and other employees who carried furniture and equipment into the building.

In 1979, Crook was promoted to assistant plant manager at Zephyrhills High. His 31 years at that position is unsurpassed by any other person in the Pasco County School District.

Crook never aspired to be plant manager. He was happy to work under four plant managers, among whom were Clay Durrett, George Scudder and Mark Steve, and six principals, James E. Davis, Raymond B. Stewart, Larry Robison, James T. Davis, Gerri Painter and Steve Van Gorden. He was happy with his job, which he said fit him the best.

“It’s best to have people in the position they’re best suited for,” Crook said.

He had not figured on working at Zephyrhills High for 35 years when he started in 1975.

“I must be doing a good job because they kept me on all these years,” Crook said.

It is estimated an employee works 72,800 hours over a 35-year career. Crook likely surpassed that mark by thousands of hours. He worked the afternoon and evening shift his entire career.

On many occasions he would be the last person to leave the campus. After all, the band or the football team might be getting back late from an event. It was his responsibility to make sure all the gates and doors were locked and all the lights were turned off

“So I always put in extra time,” Crook said. “You don’t get paid for it, but it’s something that needs to be done.”

He would also help set up the gymnasium for performances by the band or chorus. He made sure the doors and the lighting and the sound system were ready and working.

There were many things Crook did for the school on his days off. He would frequently stop by the school to see if anything was needed during special events.

Crook was not in it for the money. He drew a great sense of personal satisfaction from helping students, coaches, fellow employees, the plant manager and others.

Crook is proud of the way Zephyrhills High looks considering it is 35 years old.

“This looks like a new school,” Crook said.

Crook enrolled in the school district’s delayed retirement plan five years ago. When the five years was up, he had to leave the job. He sounded and acted as if he would have rather stayed on longer, but he acknowledged it probably was time for him to retire so he would have more time to devote to community projects.

One of those is the Neighborhood Care Center in Zephyrhills where he has been a volunteer for several years. He is also involved in Relay For Life and Special Olympics.

His last working day at Zephyrhills High was March 31.

“My first day of retirement is April Fool’s Day,” Crook said. “So what a day to have the first day of retirement.”

That does not mean you will not see Crook around the school. He said he did not know if he would take another full-time job anywhere after retirement, but he does know he is ready, willing and able to help out at Zephyrhills High if he is ever needed.