Wesley Chapel/New Tampa News

Wesley Chapel High senior ranks among state’s top 14

February 6, 2014 By B.C. Manion

She didn’t move on to the nationals, but Savannah Renberg was among 14 young women from across the state vying for that chance.

Renberg, a senior at Wesley Chapel High School, was one of 16 Distinguished Young Women in Florida selected to compete earlier this month in Winter Garden.

Distinguished Young Women is a national scholarship program in which high school seniors from across the country compete for scholarships. The competition requires contestants to interview effectively, demonstrate physical fitness, and perform on stage.

The young women first compete in local events to advance to the state competition, and then on to the national level.

While 16 qualified for the state contest, it turns out only 14 — including Renberg — made the trip to Winter Garden.

Renberg, who is a member of Suncoast Dance Theatre in Lutz and has been dancing since she was 1, showcased her dancing skills in the competition. While the 18-year-old wasn’t one of the top finishers, Renberg said she’s glad she took part.

“It was just a very unique experience,” said Renberg, who is the senior class president at her school. “Every day we would have rehearsal. I kept forgetting that there was a contest, that there was going to be a winner at the end because it just felt like, to me, like a performance.”

She also enjoyed meeting young women from across the state, and they became fast friends.

“There weren’t any cliques or anything. We all have the same desires,” Renberg said. The Distinguished Young Women requires its participants to be academically focused.

For her part, Renberg has a 3.9 unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale, and a 4.4 weighted GPA when college-level coursework is considered.

Renberg became aware of the program through a friend and decided to give it a shot. While she knows she eventually wants to be a college professor teaching literature classes, she’s not sure what college she’ll attend. So far, she’s been accepted to the University of North Florida and Winthrop University in South Carolina.

“I’m waiting for my acceptance to Troy University,” Renberg said about the college in Alabama. She wants to go there because it has a dance program, and she’d like to minor in dance.

Renberg credits her mom, Sharon Renberg — a first-grade teacher at Chester Taylor Elementary School outside of Zephyrhills — for helping to develop a love for teaching and learning. After volunteering in her mom’s class, Renberg said she thinks she would be suited for teaching older students.

She’s attracted to the university level because that would enable her to teach and to continue pursuing her love for learning at the same time.

The Winter Garden contest was friendly, Renberg said, and when it was over, the competitors planned to stay in touch.

“We all were swapping numbers and Instagrams and Twitters,” she said.

They’ve even talked of going on a road trip together to cheer on the young women who will represent Florida at the 57th Annual Distinguished Young Women National Finals this summer in Mobile, Ala.

The young women there will compete for more than $130,000 in cash scholarships.

Renberg hopes the Florida contestants make the trip to Mobile.

“I think it would be fun,” Renberg said.

Published Feb. 5, 2014

Outlet mall completion pushed to July 2015, officials say

January 30, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Dirt could turn soon for a planned outlet mall on State Road 56 near its junction with Interstate 75. But the final product will look quite different from the original designs when it was announced more than seven years ago.

This undeveloped land was once slated for a big box mall, but is now the subject of a planned outlet mall. Site plans have yet to be submitted to Pasco County, however, meaning the project may not be complete until the middle of next year. (File photo)

“It was supposed to be a big box mall,” Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker recently told an economic development committee of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. “Obviously, during that period, many of those (originally announced) tenants had to go elsewhere, so they have a new plan on how they want to be out in the marketplace.”

A lot of that is to move toward an outlet mall concept, which was part of developer Simon Property Group’s and landowner Richard E. Jacobs Group’s unofficial announcement last November when news the mall was back on track first started to leak.

Although the plans have been in the works for years, the modifications are taking a little more time since the project will essentially be redesigned, Baker said. And “presuming nothing really crazy happens in the economy,” the new Tampa Premium Outlets should be on track.

Whether it will actually open by the end of this year, as Simon told The Laker/Lutz News last November, is a big question mark at this point. Amanda Boone, development review manager for Pasco County, said her department is still waiting for a site plan.

“I’m not really sure of what their timetable is, because they control when they submit (their site plan) to us,” Boone said. “I did hear July of next year.”

Simon Property Group itself has remained mum on the mall outside of its initial statement in November. The mall has received barely a mention in public filings with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission since 2012. However, Simon has not released any public filings on its financials since August, and isn’t expected to do it again until the end of January.

When the mall does open, roads surrounding it will have to carry a lot more traffic. That could mean the widening of Wesley Chapel Boulevard leading into the mall is back on the fast track.

“That particular piece of road, down to State Road 54, is already designed,” Baker said. “When we balance our capital improvement budget, we look at the needs for the what and where, and we balance that. The road got pushed out because we didn’t have a mall there that needed it.”

In fact, the county had not planned to begin work on the road until 2022 at the earliest. With a mall now in play, however, it’s likely Simon and Jacobs will want that road operating at higher capacities, and will push for a start date to occur much sooner.

But that depends on what the developers are willing to contribute. The mall developers have around $46 million in unused proportionate share money that was supposed to be used to extend Wesley Chapel Boulevard south through their development, Baker said.

“We have been exploring on whether we can widen Wesley Chapel Boulevard instead, and we might be able to move that forward in our capital plan,” she said. “That’s, of course, depending on how negotiations go with the mall.”

Published Jan. 29, 2014

As classes begin, PHCC becomes Pasco-Hernando State College

January 30, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Pasco-Hernando Community College has changed its named to Pasco-Hernando State College.

The new name reflects the college’s broader mission as it prepares to offer bachelor degree programs. The college’s board of trustees approved the name change at its Jan. 21 board meeting.

Students fill the walkways on the first day of classes at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus for Pasco-Hernando State College. (Photo courtesy of Stephen John Photography)

The vote follows the December approval by board of directors of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to authorize the bachelor degree programs.

“Our new name signifies enhanced opportunities for our current and future students,” John DiRienzo Jr., PHSC district board of trustees chair, said in a release. “This is a pivotal moment in our college’s 41-year history. The transition to a state college is reflective of the college’s enhanced mission to provide accessible, affordable, quality higher education that meets the needs of our local residents and employers.”

PHSC plans to begin offering a bachelor of applied science degree in supervision and management, and a bachelor of science in nursing, both in August.

“These two baccalaureate degrees are in high demand fields that will provide advanced career opportunities in fast-growing, stable industries,” PHSC president Katherine M. Johnson said, in a release. “While the word ‘community’ no longer appears in our new name, the college’s commitment to serve the higher education needs of residents from all of our communities has never been stronger.”

The nursing bachelor’s degree is designed to prepare graduates of associate’s degree nursing programs — who already have a registered nursing license — to obtain additional skills in management, leadership, theory and research to succeed and be promoted within the nursing profession.

Prerequisite courses for this program will be offered at any of the college’s campuses. The bachelor’s degree in nursing program will be offered only online.

Published Jan. 29, 2014

The bachelor’s degree in supervision and management is designed to meet the needs of students with business, technology and workforce-focused associate’s degrees. Several courses in this program will be available at every campus and online, with the full program initially offered at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

Besides getting a new name, the college boasted an opening day enrollment of 1,600 students at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, according to campus provost Stan Giannet.

While classes have begun, construction work continues at the campus, Giannet said, adding that the ongoing construction work will not disrupt campus operations.

To learn more about Pasco-Hernando State College degree and certificate programs, visit PHSC.edu, or call (855) 669-7472.

Published Jan. 29, 2014

County waiting on feds to start Overpass Road expansion

January 22, 2014 By Michael Hinman

In just a matter of weeks or even days, federal officials are expected to give the final green light to an Interstate 75 interchange project that will forever change one rural country road in Pasco County.

Big changes could soon come to Overpass Road, especially with the point where it crosses Interstate 75. Plans are to expand the road to four lanes, and build an interchange, connecting it to the interstate. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Despite its proximity to Wesley Chapel District Park and the future site of a high school, Overpass Road is typically a quiet one, connecting Old Pasco and Boyette roads over the interstate. But work could begin as early as next year to turn it into an important Pasco County traffic corridor, alleviating some of the congestion at State Road 52 to the north and State Road 54 to the south.

“Over time, you’re going to see more access points coming into this portion of the county,” said James Edwards, transportation planning manager for Pasco County. “Overpass Road is a $50 million project, and the county is going to have to come up with a funding plan to make it work.”

Once the county receives approval from the Federal Highway Administration through the Florida Department of Transportation, it has just eight years to construct the interchange. If it fails, then the entire planning process would have to start again.

“When we get approval is when the clock starts ticking,” Edwards said. “You don’t want to miss that window, because basically you’d be starting from scratch with your planning studies. And that could put you back two or three more years.”

Immediate plans are to widen Overpass Road to four lanes, with the ability to expand to six in the future. Eventually, the county is interested in using an expanded Overpass Road to connect Old Pasco Road and U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.

The area might be quiet and rural now, but it’s not expected to look that way over the next 20 years, Edwards said. Studies show that the population will explode 400 percent to 218,000 people in 2035. Right now, just fewer than 60,000 people live in that area.

Capacity on I-75 also will increase through that area from the current 51,000 vehicles daily between State Roads 52 and 54, to 165,800 in 2040. That volume will completely clog up the existing interchanges in San Antonio to the north and Wesley Chapel to the south, and could even back up State Road 56 just north of the Hillsborough County line.

Some officials already have speculated that the State Road 54/56 corridor could some day be forced to expand to 20 lanes, which has prompted one private group to propose an elevated toll road to create express lanes between Zephyrhills and New Port Richey. While the expansion of Overpass Road would be just nine miles compared to the 33 miles of the elevated road, traffic going back and forth between the interstate and east Pasco could at least have another road alternative, Edwards said.

The county has a chance to have state and federal highway construction dollars offset the Overpass Road project, but first officials have to show they can fund it on their own, Edwards said. County officials use money primarily from gas taxes, Penny for Pasco and mobility fees to fund construction. But those funds have not necessarily been plentiful in recent years, especially after county commissioners rejected an expansion of the gas tax last year.

Raising money through bonds is another possibility, Edwards said. That could be more costly in the long run because the county would have to pay interest on the bonds.

Pasco County has already started to earmark funds for this particular project, however, with $15 million, Edwards said. And there’s a chance the new Penny for Pasco that starts in 2015 could generate some money for this project.

“Whether the state or federal government will put in any money, you can’t depend on that,” Edwards said.

Why we didn’t cover the Cobb shooting

January 22, 2014 By Diane Kortus

Just about every conversation I’ve had this past week with family, friends or customers quickly gravitated to reports of the shooting at Cobb Theatres/Grove 16 & CineBistro in Wesley Chapel.

And I bet it was the same with you.

Most of us here in Pasco and north Hillsborough go to movies at The Grove and can easily visualize the setting. We know the layout — theaters one through eight are to the left, and nine through 16 are to the right. We’ve eaten popcorn from the same popper that made the snack that is said to have escalated an encounter between two patrons into the deadly scene.

And if you’re like me, the thought crossed your mind that you could have been in the theater when it happened. You too may have been bothered at one time or another by someone close by using their cell phone in blatant disregard for the rules and for others.

There’s little I can add to the discussion of what happened and why, and how this tragedy could have been prevented if only some common sense had prevailed. We all feel horrible that this shooting happened in our community, and because it did, it feels personal and haunting.

You may have noticed that we do not write about the shooting anywhere else in this week’s paper. And you may wonder why that is. How could your local weekly newspaper ignore such a huge news event that has received national and international coverage?

Here’s why. It is not our role to regurgitate news that already has been covered 24/7 by every news organization out there. Within 48 hours of the shooting, you had all the reporting and analysis you’d ever want or need.

Sometimes we do write about state or national news originating in our circulation area if we can localize the story with information specific for our readers. An example is our story about the $590 million Powerball ticket that was sold to an elderly Zephyrhills resident last May.

Before the winner came forward, B.C. Manion wrote about problems that often arise from such instantaneous wealth, interviewing a local psychologist, financial planner and attorney. This story worked in our format because B.C. talked to experts who also are our neighbors.

And because winning the lottery is a fantasy we all share, B.C.’s story gave us helpful suggestions we could all dream about using someday.

My staff and I talked about to how best to cover the Wesley Chapel shooting in today’s paper, a week and a half after it happened. And we decided there really was no local angle that was not already covered by Tampa’s many news outlets in print, broadcast, cable and digital. In fact, we thought some of the stories pursued seemed forced, and we questioned their validity and the amount of attention they received.

So instead of a story, we thought this column was the best way to acknowledge the shooting and to let you know why it is not on our front page this week.

Arts and entertainment showcased at Suncoast Arts Fest

January 8, 2014 By B.C. Manion

If you’re looking to add an artwork to your home décor, want to pick up a piece of pottery, or are looking for some entertainment, the Suncoast Arts Fest may be just the thing for you.

If you’re looking to complete your personal art collection, or are just getting started, you’ll find plenty of choices at the Suncoast Arts Fest Jan. 18 and Jan. 19 at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.

The event will feature more than 130 juried visual artists and craftsmen. It is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 18, and from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Jan. 19 at The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive.

The shopping mall is in the heart of Wesley Chapel, just off State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, a couple of miles east of Interstate 75.

The event, now in its ninth year, is expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors, said Laura Knox, a member of the Fine Arts of Suncoast board, which produces the fest. The event is popular because of the venue and because of the high-quality artists that it attracts.

Art lovers will be able to browse through tents filled with fine art and crafts. Meanwhile, entertainers will set up at the mall’s Center Court, the same setting for interactive art, where volunteers will assist children with art projects.

The entertainment also helps draw a crowd, Knox said.

“A lot of times we give entertainers a chance to jumpstart their careers,” she said.

The entertainment slate this year includes a wide range of singers, dancers and actors. Julie Black, an area singer and songwriter, will perform on Saturday. Her music brings together elements of blues, jazz, soul and rock, and has been featured at music festivals, concert halls and select venues.

Her band includes Dave Eichenberger on guitar, Michael John on keyboard, Father Bill Spicuglia on bass and Frankie Timpanelli on drums.

In addition to promoting cultural awareness, the Suncoast Arts Fest benefits Arts for Kids, a supplemental arts education funding program for area schools.

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the event this year, too, Knox said. The chamber also is planning an Arts and Business Expo, which includes booths, an awards presentation and entertainment, with the expo beginning at 4 p.m., and festivities concluding at 9 p.m. on Jan. 18.

The Suncoast Arts Fest slate of entertainment:
Jan. 18
10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. — Pasco Schools youth music presentation
11 a.m. to noon — Timebandits
12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. — Richey Suncoast Theatre
1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Achobrother
2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — Julie Black
3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. —Pasco Schools youth music presentation
4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Hot Rod Hornets

Jan. 19
11 a.m. to noon — Tampa Bay Ukulele Society
12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. — Aaron Rutter Duo
1 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Amanda Lynn
2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. — Six Volt Rodeo
3:30 p.m. to 4:15 pm — Pasco Schools youth presentation
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Sarasota Slim
Bay’s best blues and swing dancers will celebrate the art of dance both days.

Arts and Business Expo
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will present the Arts and Business Expo on Jan. 18 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Expo will be on Piazza Avenue, a high-traffic area at The Shops at Wiregrass.
Thirty-five member businesses will have the chance to promote their businesses and show support for the arts. The evening also will feature live musical entertainment and a presentation of awards.
Businesses wishing to participate must bring their own skirted table and 10-by-10-foot canopy or market for shade. Electrical outlets are available, if needed, as is Wi-Fi connectivity. Setup begins at 3 p.m.
The charge is $175 per booth and the event is open to chamber members only.
Parks Fiat of Wesley Chapel is the expo sponsor.
For additional information, email , or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com/pages/ArtsBusinessShowcase.

Key to county growth: More public buses

January 8, 2014 By Michael Hinman

It was years in the making, and some said at least several years too long. But last spring, Pasco County Public Transportation — which manages the mass transit system in the county — finally connected Zephyrhills and New Port Richey with a bus.

The trip takes less than two hours, and riders can take advantage of it simply with a $3.75 day pass.

Bus stops like this one on State Road 54 will have to become much more commonplace in the coming decade as Pasco County works to lead the Tampa Bay region in smart growth.

But if Pasco wants to find a way to lead the suburban growth of the greater Tampa Bay area, it’s going to have to create a network much stronger than that, according to the Urban Land Institute.

“There is very little transit here in the county, as you all know,” said Bill Lawrence, managing director with T.R. Advisors in Boston, who joined the independent growth and development analytical group in a presentation to the county late last year. Yet, while some of that blame falls to county officials, it is part of a much broader problem.

“The transportation planning function in the region really is in disarray,” Lawrence said. “The (high-speed) train to Tampa has been defunded, and the transit initiative in Hillsborough has not been passed.”

The number of cars traveling Pasco roads is growing faster than the roads can be upgraded, Lawrence said. There already are daily traffic bottlenecks in areas like Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and State Road 54, as well as the interchanges around Interstate 75 and the Suncoast Parkway.

While adding lanes will help accommodate the traffic in a county that has grown 143 percent in the last 30 years — the key is an expanded mass transit system, which means changes must come to PCPT.

The system currently runs 10 routes, including the cross-county route along the State Road 54 corridor, compared to the nearly 50 routes operated by its southern neighbor, Hillsborough County.

But how would such expansions be paid for, especially with Pasco County facing a $14 billion shortfall in the current planning cycle?

Lawrence suggested that 5 percent of all transportation funding be earmarked to advancing public transit in the county.

“Most of this would be picked up by local development fees, and there is in place this mobility fee that is supposed to address some of that,” Lawrence said. “I am not sure how that would work, or how much money it would actually raise, although it provides incentives to offset land uses that are desirable, like transit-oriented development, which is a good thing.”

Mobility fees may have some problems getting traction in terms of additional revenue since county officials have waived or reduced such fees in the past to help attract new development to the county.

While jobs are growing in Pasco County by more than 3,000 per year, government officials can’t forget that many Pasco residents — around half by Lawrence’s projections — still travel into Hillsborough and Pinellas counties each day to work. Addressing this need could come through bus rapid transit, something that is now being tried in Hillsborough County, and could be expanded at some point into Pasco.

Transit will always remain a subsidized offering of the county, but the importance lies not just in moving the workforce around, but also in making Pasco an attractive place for business, Lawrence said. Transportation is one of the key issues businesses look at when trying to find business hubs for its operations, and many grants and other funding also hinge on the diversity and effectiveness of transportation options in an area.

Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch is ready for students

January 8, 2014 By B.C. Manion

When Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch opens its doors to students on Jan. 13, it will mark a new chapter in Wesley Chapel history.

It will be the first time that students in that community will be able to attend college, without having to commute.

Stan Giannet is the provost of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College set to open its doors to students on Jan. 13.

Stan Giannet, provost of Pasco-Hernando Community College’s fifth campus, is fired up about the campus’ inaugural day of classes.

“We’re ready. We’re poised to open successfully,” he said.

Porter Campus will have a beginning enrollment of about 1,300 individual students, which is within the college’s projections, Giannet said. Its inaugural staff consists of 48 full-time positions, including 15 faculty members and 33 staff members. There also will be a large number of adjunct faculty members.

Officials theorize students come from Wesley Chapel, choosing the Porter Campus over the college’s East Campus in Dade City and West Campus in New Port Richey. At the same time, the college also expects to pick up some enrollment from nearby counties.

“We also know that many students in Wesley Chapel might not have been going to school,” Giannet said. “There’s no doubt that we’ll be bringing in students from Hillsborough, maybe even Polk.”

Porter Campus officials won’t be able to pinpoint where the enrollment is coming from, however, until they do a ZIP code analysis, expected to take place after the semester begins, Giannet said.

The campus, at 2727 Mansfield Blvd., is situated off State Road 56, about two miles east of Interstate 75, in the heart of Wesley Chapel. It is across the street from the planned Raymond James financial services office park, next to Wiregrass Ranch High School, down the road from The Shops at Wiregrass and around the corner from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

In addition to offering a two-year degree program, the campus plans to launch two bachelor’s degree programs in the fall. One is a bachelor’s degree in nursing and the other is a bachelor’s in applied science, focusing on supervision and management.

In keeping with its new baccalaureate offerings, the Pasco-Hernando Community College board is scheduled to vote on Jan. 21 on a proposal to change the college’s name to Pasco-Hernando State College.

As it opens, the Porter Campus is offering about 160 bricks-and-mortar, face-to-face sections and about 15 hybrid sections, which includes online and face-to-face instruction, Giannet said.

“That’s not counting our nursing courses. We’ll have several courses in our nursing program, which is a limited access program,” he added.

Courses being offered run the gamut from microbiology and human anatomy, to psychology and sociology, to cinema and literature.

The campus also will be the only PHCC location to offer two new certification programs. Those programs are for surgery and pharmacy technicians, both fields where workers are in high demand.

Porter Campus has six buildings, including a seven-story classroom building — said to be the tallest structure in Pasco County. It consists of a three-story parking deck, topped by four floors of classrooms and labs.

The nursing lab on the fifth floor simulates a hospital ward. The equipment is so current that the mannequins there can talk and breathe, officials said during a November preview tour.

Porter Campus boasts a beautiful architectural design, Giannet said, but it won’t truly come to life until the students, staff and faculty are using it.

“We want to create a milieu, an ambience, that will be conducive to a totally meaningful experience — from the learning perspective and from the working perspective,” Giannet said.

He wants the campus’ staff and faculty to enjoy being at the campus, serving students and he wants students to enjoy being there, too.

“We have small classes, “ Giannet said, enabling teachers to know students by name.

He also plans to have an open-door policy.

“Students can come to the provost office at any time,” Giannet said. “If the student perceives that he or she is valued, they feel more invested in their education. The research is unequivocal: The more connected that students feel to the campus, to the faculty, to the events on campus, the greater the likelihood that they’ll be retained and will succeed.”

The college will work closely with guidance counselors at Wiregrass Ranch and Wesley Chapel high schools, he said. Besides being able to earn college and high school credits through dual enrollment programs, students also will have a chance to have their questions answered about degree programs available through the college.

Giannet said he’s gratified by the warm reception that the new campus has received.

“The community has shown a tremendous interest in the campus and in the programs we are going to have,” he said.

He expects the college to forge close relationships with businesses and organizations in the community. It already has established a relationship with Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

“We’ve developed a partnership for our students to have their clinicals on that site, for our nursing students and some of the other Allied Health. That’s already in the works,” he said.

Work also is under way to create opportunities for Porter students at the North Tampa Behavioral Health center, a new psychiatric hospital on State Road 56.

“As a psychologist, I’m very excited about that,” Giannet said.

The campus was named to honor the Porter family, which donated more than 60 acres for the facility. It is the same family that sold the land now occupied by The Shops at Wiregrass and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. The family also owns the land expected to become the site for the Raymond James office park.

Young cancer victim remembered through song

December 18, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Download Taylor Emery’s song, “Harris,” through Apple’s iTunes Store by clicking here.

Many stories will likely be written about Taylor Emery, a standout junior point guard on the Freedom High School girls basketball team, as she progresses her way through college and beyond.

But on a mournful day in mid-October, it was her turn to write.

Taylor Emery, a junior at Freedom High School, listens to the song she wrote and recorded about late classmate Jordan Harris. His battle with cancer helped inspire her on the basketball court, piquing interest from colleges around the country. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

A young man who had cheered the basketball team on from the bleachers, and who had become a symbol of hope for the school and his community, had just lost his long battle with primitive neuroectodermal tumors. And it was then the 16-year-old pulled out a tablet and a pen, and began to share her thoughts on the passing of Jordan Harris.

Unable to grasp this unbelievable news
Not quite being able to refuse
Eighteen years old, he shouldn’t have died
Just a kid living stride to stride

“I never thought about ever pursuing anything in the music industry,” Emery said. “But I felt all the pain from Jordan passing away. And the next day, I wanted to do something for him. I wanted to do something cool that he would’ve loved. And I know he loved music.”

The words flooded Emery’s paper, and it took a few days to organize her thoughts after that and turn her stream of consciousness into something lyrical. It was then Emery shared her work with a 16-year-old friend who played recreational basketball, Kellie Gaston, who also had a passion for singing. They both then turned to another teammate’s brother, Kyle Snelgrove, who even at 17 has his own recording studio in his Brandon home.

“We all got together one night, and did the recording,” Emery said. Gaston sang the chorus, Emery rapped her primary lyrics, and Snelgrove produced. “I had to record my part a lot of times, but Kellie got it on the first try. Kyle said he would have it done in a week, and he did.”

The trio got permission to use an original instrumental base they found on YouTube, and Emery uploaded the final product to Apple’s iTunes Store, offering the song for 99 cents. She won’t know until January how many people downloaded the song in the first wave, but Emery already plans to donate 75 percent of proceeds to the Harris family. The other 25 percent covers the costs of producing it.

“He has helped me and others in so many different ways,” Emery said of Harris, who died Oct. 16 at the age of 18. “He fought cancer three times, and the first two times, he never gave up and was just so happy with what he did. It taught us that no matter how hard things are, there is always a way to come out of it.”

Jordan may be gone
But I’ll never forget …
… I’ll never forget how he inspired me

The Freedom Patriots are locked in a tough battle to win their district, and Emery has been one of the keys to her team’s success. In just two games in December, she scored a combined 75 points. And she hasn’t had a game without scoring in double digits since her first year on the team.

A wall in her bedroom is filled with envelopes sent to her by colleges around the country interested in her hardwood skills. And Emery dreams of not only excelling in college, but possibly earning a spot in the Women’s National Basketball Association.

Her iPhone is filled with all kinds of music, ranging from hip-hop and rhythm and blues to rock, and maybe even a little country. Emery’s favorite musician right now is Macklemore, who she says “raps with a purpose” with songs like “Wing$” and “Same Love.”

Emery is an A student at Freedom, taking four Advanced Placement courses this year alone.

There’s not a lot of room in her schedule to create and produce a song, let alone promote it, but Emery knew sharing “Harris” with the rest of the world was something she had to do.

“I just wanted to help his family so much,” she said. “I know it’s hard to lose anyone to cancer, especially someone who is 18, and I felt this was the only way I could help them. I can’t bring Jordan back, but I hope I can at least help them with this.”

He wants no pain or struggle from us
Just happiness and memories
Loving the past and blinded by our future
A future he never knew

He is watching over us now
What a great thing to bear
Rest in peace, JHarr

Jordan Harris was symbol of hope at Freedom

The cancer Jordan Harris had was so rare, even today it’s difficult to remember its name: primitive neuroectodermal tumors.

Harris was first diagnosed with the condition in 2011 when he was an upperclassman at Freedom High School, and surgeries and treatment would sideline him from some of his favorite activities, like soccer.

“If nothing happened, I probably would have wanted to play college soccer on a scholarship,” Harris said late last year. “But it’ll all be about fun now.”

Harris graduated from Freedom in June, but his condition worsened not long after that. He succumbed to the cancer on Oct. 16.

“In my experience, it’s those with the hardest struggles who seem to persevere the most, and Jordan was no exception,” Freedom social studies teacher Katie Feldman told students, family and friends who joined in a candlelight vigil soon after Harris’ passing. “Talk to anyone who knew him, and they would undoubtedly mention his beautiful smile, the way he always wanted to put other people first, and his unyielding sense of perseverance.”

– Michael Hinman

Seniors once again find hundreds of Santas in community

December 18, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Wednesday is the last day that gifts can be collected for the Be a Santa to a Senior program, but there’s still lots of work to do before now and Christmas.

Home Instead Senior Care local franchise owners Lynelle Bonneville and mother Michele Bonneville look at ornaments listing needs from senior citizens in nursing homes with Sweet Darling Quilts owner Cathleene Tokish, right. Tokish’s store was one of several in Pasco County that hosted trees, collecting gifts for senior citizens in nursing homes as part of the Be a Santa to a Senior program. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The annual program, hosted by Home Instead Senior Care, brings gifts to senior citizens for the holiday season — a large segment of the population that is many times left out when it comes to Christmas.

“There are a lot of charities out there for the kids, and Christmas is for the kids, but far too often, so many are forgotten,” said Cathleene Tokish, owner of Sweet Darling Quilts on Wesley Chapel Boulevard, who hosted one of the gift-giving trees. “When I do my spreadsheet, I cry, because they ask for so little.”

Tokish’s store is one of the only non-chain stores participating in the program, run locally by Home Instead franchise owners Lynelle Bonneville and mother Michele Bonneville. Yet, she is one of the highest-producing, with many of her customers asking about what they should get for the nursing home residents as early as September.

Christmas trees go up in November at the Be a Santa to a Senior collection sites, with ornaments available displaying the wish list of an individual resident of facilities like the Edwinola Retirement Community and Heritage Park in Dade City, as well as the West Winds Assisted Living Facility in Zephyrhills.

Some of the ornaments handed out at Tokish’s store included a pack of cards, a package of batteries, and one that asked for just one snack.

“Once they hit the nursing home level, Medicaid only gives them $35 a month to spend on incidentals,” Michele Bonneville said. “And that’s why just the little things matter so much for them.”

And when someone gets an ornament with a request of something like just one snack, they usually come back with so much more, the Bonnevilles said. Usually, they’re filling an entire gift bag.

This year, the local Home Instead franchise hopes to hand out 1,000 wrapped gifts to senior citizens in assisted living facilities on Dec. 21. While nearly all the donations are provided unwrapped, volunteers will get together Dec. 20 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the home office of Home Instead, 29149 Chapel Park Drive in Wesley Chapel, to wrap gifts.

Home Instead’s clientele are typically still living in their own houses and apartments, and are usually doing what they can to stay out of an assisted living facility as long as possible. But the program targets those who are no longer in their own homes, and many times missing the companionship and family so many others take for granted on the holidays.

“When you take gifts to them and see their eyes light up, it can be very special,” Michele Bonneville said. “There are people who haven’t spoken in a month who will suddenly get so excited, and they will start talking.”

Be a Santa to a Senior is a nationwide program through Home Instead that has attracted more than 60,000 volunteers, and provided 1.2 million gifts to 700,000 senior citizens over the last six years, according to the organization’s website.

Collection sites were set up around the area, including the Florida Medical Clinic Foundation, T.J. Maxx, Bealls Outlet, the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office, and Village Inn restaurant in Land O’ Lakes.

For more information on how to volunteer or donate, visit BeASantaToASenior.com, or call (813) 991-7524.