Month: July 2016

Freedom Student Joins Ryan Nece To Help Flint During Water Crisis

Freedom senior Taylor Blair (second from the left, front row) went with 12 students and eight adults to Flint & Detroit, MI, with the Ryan Nece Foundation this summer to lend a hand.

Taylor Blair, a senior at Freedom High in Tampa Palms, recently traveled to Flint, MI, to work with local organizations trying to mitigate the city’s ongoing water crisis and help residents of the area.

Blair was part of a group of 12 students and eight adults from the Ryan Nece Foundation, including founder Ryan Nece and CEO Shelley Sharp, and several board members. Nece, who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beginning in 2002 and was part of team that won Super Bowl XXVII, started the foundation in 2006. Nece was released by the Bucs before the 2008 season, then played for the Detroit Lions for one season. The group from his foundation traveled to Michigan June 12-16 and, in addition to their projects in Flint, the students also volunteered in Detroit, about an hour away.

Blair says the first day in Flint, the group assembled rain barrels that collect and filter rainwater to make it useable for watering gardens. The next day, they delivered the barrels to residents affected by the water crisis and helped in community gardens by weeding and planting.

“It was eye-opening,” Blair says. “It was hard to believe, with all the luxuries that we have in our day-to-day lives, that in other parts of the same country, there are these types of communities where (so many) people are in need.”

Sharp says the students helped citizens and worked on sustainability projects, such as urban gardening. “We worked with a wonderful organization called Edible Flint that encourages gardening,” Sharp explains, including fundraising before the trip to buy all of the materials and supplies for the rain barrels.

Blair says that after two days in Flint, the group spent the next day in Detroit, and she and her fellow students were shocked at the conditions they experienced. “To an extent, some of the conditions were as bad as a third world country,” she explains. “For example, we were in a neighborhood where there weren’t very many grocery stores, because the people are so poor they can’t buy enough food (to support the store). So, we worked with a program called Greening of Detroit that’s helping people to start gardens to grow healthy food.”

Blair was touched by the examples of generosity they saw, such as the woman who appeared to be in need herself, however, “She said that if anyone is hungry, they can come and take something from her garden.”

The trip was the final event in a year of learning and service that Blair and the other students had just completed as part of the Ryan Nece Foundation’s flagship program, called the Student Service Program. “It’s a two-year program for high school juniors and seniors,” explains Sharp, who says students apply at the end of their sophomore year and are chosen based on their leadership skills and commitment to service.

“At the end of their first year, the program culminates with a service learning trip outside of our area,” Sharp adds. “It’s a real eye opener to the needs of the community.”

Blair says she heard about the program through the college and career counselor at her school. “It sounded like it was very similar to my personal interests,” she says. “So, I applied and, fortunately, I got in.”

Blair spent the last year learning about servant leadership and practicing skills she was taught through the Student Service Program at local service projects.

“We focus on leadership and service,” Blair explains. “Every month we have a class where we learn about one of the principals from the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (by Sean Covey, 1998). Business leaders from the community come in and teach us skills, and then we do community service projects.”

As a group, Blair says, “We look for opportunities to give back to the community and help people in need, and we talk about the power of giving.”

She says her favorite local project was when the group worked with The Spring of Tampa Bay, a residential facility for victims of domestic violence. “First, we learned about domestic violence with both adults and teens, and how to identify when it’s happening,” Blair says, explaining they were taught how to identify “little red flags” that indicate someone might be a victim of domestic violence. She says the group then worked in The Spring’s thrift shop to provide support to that organization, and filmed a public service announcement about teen dating violence.

Sharp says the highlight of each year is the annual trip outside of the Tampa Bay area. For the past couple of years, the foundation’s trip has been to the Dominican Republic. However, she explains that this year, concerns about the Zika virus prompted the group to plan a trip inside the U.S. instead.

“It was a surprise to learn that we were going to Flint instead of the Dominican Republic, and saddening because we had heard so much about that trip from the students who’ve gone in the past,” says Blair, “but then, we were excited because we would get to help people in a poorer community here in the U.S.”

When asked if the time she spent learning leadership skills and working on service projects was overwhelming for a busy high school student, Blair says, “It wasn’t too time consuming because it was so much fun and so interesting.” She adds that she’ll spend the next year serving as a mentor to the new students who were recently chosen for the program and will continue to participate in the foundation’s service projects.

For more information about the Ryan Nece Foundation, visit RyanNeceFoundation.com.

Freedom Ryan Nece Foundation

Newest Chick-fil-A Is Worth The Wait For Overnight Campers

Chick WEB — Robert Hutton and Barbra Spesak are the first two through the doors at the newest Chick-fil-A on S.R. 56.

If you are having trouble wrapping your head around why anyone would camp out in a parking lot on back-to-back nights for a free chicken sandwich, order of waffle fries and a medium drink weekly, Robert Hutto understands.

If you think it’s all about the chicken (although he says it’s really not), Hutto gets it.

And if you think Hutto is a little crazy for sleeping in an asphalt parking space off S.R. 56 and then hanging out there all day in 93-degree heat — for a few sandwiches — he doesn’t blame you.

Crazy?

“They are not too far from the truth,’’ Hutto says.

Hutto and Barbra Spesak, Brandon residents, were the first two people in line at the Grand Opening of the newest Chick-fil-A in our area, this one in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets off S.R. 56. Hutto arrived June 28 at 8 p.m.; he saved a spot under his 10’x10’ tent for Spesak, who arrived after work at 11:30 p.m.

Decked out in complimentary red and white Chick-fil-A t-shirts and paper hats, they were the first two in line and the first two through the door on Thursday morning, June 30. As cameras from two local television stations rolled — as well as our own WCNT-tv cameras recording footage for our second episode (see pages 44-45 and 51), Hutto and Spesak met the local Chick-fil-A franchise owner Britt Young, shook his hand and received their chicken “debit” card — stocked with 52 No. 1 combos — before being ushered out another door and back into the parking lot.

For those doing the math at home, it was 34 hours of waiting for about 30 seconds of picking up the reward.

“But, it’s about the experience,’’ Hutto said.

The experience is called the First 100, a Chick-fil-A tradition started 12 years ago to celebrate the grand openings of their wildly popular fast food chicken restaurants. Chick-fil-A has given away more than $27-million in free food since beginning the First 100.

For Hutto, it was the third time he had been one of the first 100. He also waited overnight at the Chick-fil-A openings on Waters Ave. in Citrus Park, as well as for the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. location in New Tampa.

CHICK2 WEB “I’ve made some friends at these things,’’ Hutto said. “They have a live deejay playing music. They feed you breakfast, lunch and dinner, so that’s not bad. It’s a good time.”

Both Hutto and Spesak admit that they probably won’t eat every No. 1 meal on their cards themselves.

“It really isn’t about the sandwich,’’ Hutto said. “When we are out and we see someone who needs a sandwich, like a homeless person or something like that, we’ll go hit the drive-thru and use the card for them. We’ll also use it for friends and family.”

Hutto, who transports RVs all over the country for a living, says he also sometimes uses his free meals as a pit stop when he’s on the road.

He said of all the First 100 events he has attended, this one might have been the toughest. It was blistering hot, the heat made even worse by his setup on black asphalt, and it rained three times. During one heavy downpour the last day, more than a dozen revelers seeking free chicken abandoned their posts, and the first 12 alternates were selected.

Nothing, however, was deterring Spesak, a certified nursing assistant. It was her first overnighter at Chick-fil-A.

“It was fun,’’ she said. “Everybody thought I was crazy, the people at work thought I was crazy, for taking days off to go camp out at a Chick-fil-A.”

And, she may have caught the fever. Asked if they had plans to do this again, Spesak said she is already scouting out the next opening.

“I hear they might be opening one soon on Dale Mabry,’’ she said, smiling.

You’re In Good Hands With Marino Cecchi Allstate Insurance

Marino Cecchi is more than just one of the “Good Hands People.” In addition to insurance, his Allstate office in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza Tampa Palms also offers investment services.

Marino Cecchi’s Allstate agency, located in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms (near Ciccio Cali and Koizi restaurants), offers a full range of personal and commercial insurance products, including homeowner and automobile policies, and additional products, such as life insurance, variable annuities and even money market funds.

The agency has been open since December 2014, and in just a year and a half, it’s grown quite a bit. “Our biggest source of business is referrals,” says Marino. “Our current customers are happy with their service, so they refer their friends, neighbors, and coworkers to us.”

Marino also says that most of his customers find him when they are looking for a quote for their auto or home insurance. Then, after they’ve learned about the agency and established a rapport with Marino, they often begin considering purchasing financial products through the agency, too.

“Recently, we’ve had more people looking for retirement accounts,” he says. “I think it’s a seasonal thing, as people do their taxes, they are looking for ways to reduce their tax burden, and we can help them with IRAs and other financial products. We’ve also recently helped families with college funds, too.”

He invites anyone doing their research about which insurance company or agency to choose to visit his website, which is accessible via the shortcut MarinoFS.com, to read the reviews his customers have written about him. You’ll see that nearly all are overwhelmingly positive reviews, but you’re still able to read the reviews that aren’t as glowing.

“It’s really a credit to Allstate that they don’t allow us to a remove negative review,” he says.

Marino holds a “Series 6” securities license, which means he can sell insurance, mutual funds, and variable annuities, but does not handle stock trades.

Most products are provided by Allstate, but some are brokered, Marino says, such as homeowner insurance and financial products.

“This means that customers can shop from companies that Allstate has already vetted and approved,” he explains, adding that some of these are large, multi-state or even international companies, such as Federated National Insurance, Prudential, Axa, and Voya, while others are based in Florida, such as Security First Insurance.

Experience Counts

Marino is originally from Chicago, and spent most of his life in the Windy City, although he also has lived in Wisconsin and Charleston, SC. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Organization Management from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL (near Chicago) in 1985. While in college, he began a career in banking that lasted more than 30 years. He has served as president of First Colonial Mortgage Corporation and Community Banc Mortgage, and he led the account management team at MortgageBot, a leading national provider of mortgage origination for banks and lenders.

“In the banking world, I worked as a trusted advisor,” he explains. “And, that’s what I want to be for my customers now. I have a ton of experience and knowledge that I’ve gained through my banking career, and I’ve realized that there is a lot of emotion when it comes to finances and making major purchases. It can be confusing and daunting to think about all these coverages, and there is a need for someone who can, with composure, look at your issues and give you sound advice. You need to find someone who is willing to do what’s in your best interest, not necessarily the best interest of the company.”

He says that his 30 years in the banking industry also have shown him that many people don’t really understand what they are buying, so they might not be protecting themselves from potential problems.

“Price is absolutely a factor, and we want to help you get the lowest price,” he says. “But, it’s not the only factor. We take a consultative approach to be sure that you understand how your current insurance products help meet your financial goals, and how your risk and exposure to financial loss might affect those goals.”

Customer Service, New Phone App, Texting & More

In addition to Marino, the staff includes account managers Johnathon Wofford, Donna Jones and Cortney Gonzalez.

“Everyone in Marino’s office is very helpful and friendly,” says Howard Lilienfeld, who lives in Tampa Palms and recently became a client of the agency. “I had a problem and needed insurance for my home, and Marino jumped right on it. I also got auto insurance very quickly, as well as an umbrella policy.”

Howard says he likes that he can call Marino anytime, and that he can stop in to see him because he’s close by.

“I highly recommend him,” Howard says. “He puts a lot of effort into his work and is very knowledgeable. If he treats everyone the way he’s treated me, they’ll be in good shape.”

Marino says his agency is ideal for people who want to understand and make educated choices about the insurance and financial products they buy. As an Allstate agency, all of his clients have access to a 24-hour call center, and he says they like the flexibility of using the website or even the Allstate mobile app (available for iOS and Android) to make payments and get information. But, Marino says that what really sets Allstate apart from the big companies that don’t have agents is, “Clients can come in and meet our staff and talk with the same person every time they have a question,” he says. “People often like to do their research online, buy their insurance or financial products in person, and then make payments easily through a convenient app on their phone.” Marino’s Allstate agency can accommodate all of those options.

Along those lines, Marino also recently added the option for clients to text his office phone number when they need something from their agent. “It gets used more than I thought it would,” he says. “A lot of times, I get texts from people at the car dealer, saying that they are buying a new car and are giving us the VIN number.” He says that’s an easy way to get information to him, and that he gets those messages on his phone, even when he’s not in the office.

Marino has recently joined the leadership team of a networking group that’s new in New Tampa, called Keep It Local. The group meets every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at A Dash of Salt ‘N Pepper (10353 Cross Creek Blvd.). “I like that it’s a more local business networking group,” says Marino. “There’s a lower membership fee than other groups, and it’s seat-specific, so there’s only one insurance agent. There’s also a volunteer component, so our members give back to the community.” He says the group is already meeting, but will have its official kickoff will be on Wednesday, August 3, 11:30 a.m., at A Dash of Salt ‘N Pepper.

Marino Cecchi’s Allstate agency is located at 17020 Palm Pointe Dr. and is open Mon.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-6 p.m., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Fri., and on Sat. by appointment. Call 513-9001 for more information, visit MarinoFS.com, or you also can “like” the agency’s Facebook page by searching “Allstate Insurance: Marino Cecchi” in the Facebook search engine.

Allstate Marino Cecchi

TIA Hopes $3.8-Million Tech Grant Will Speed North Tampa’s Transformation

TIA2WEB — Tampa Innovation Alliance CEO Mark Sharpe speaks at a recent CodaPalooza event, a “Hackathon” to develop a mobile application to help the homeless and those who serve them.

As the world speeds forward and embraces more of a technology-based economy, the Tampa Innovation Alliance (TIA) is hoping to do its part to help the area around both New Tampa and the USF area keep pace.

Last month, the Alliance got a pretty sizable helping hand.

On June 28, the federal government awarded TIA a $3.8-million TechHire Partnership Grant, one of 39 distributed across the nation and announced by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Department of Labor Secretary Tom Perez.

“There is no limit to what we can accomplish when we work together,’’ said TIA President and CEO Mark Sharpe in a press release the day the grants were announced.

The grant, the result of a partnership between TIA and CareerSource Tampa Bay, the University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC), Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay Technology forum — and championed by District 14 U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor — will help with programming and training for technology and healthcare jobs, for those in the North Tampa area who are unemployed, underemployed or merely looking for a career change.

The grant is a huge award for TIA, which was founded in 2014 by Sharpe (a former Hillsborough County commissioner) and area businesses with the intention of rejuvenating the North Tampa area around the University of South Florida. Sharpe hopes to transform the area economically through business innovation — and grants like this will help.

“When you think about us as a relatively new organization, taking our first attempt at a national grant, that’s a big deal,’’ said Kelley Sims, the senior vice-president of TIA.

TIA1 TechHire was launched in 2015 as part of a federal government initiative designed to build economic development through the growth of technology jobs nationwide.

Sims said she believes TIA was able to secure the grant because of its strong partnerships with more than 150 area businesses, many which have already declared an interest in hiring graduates of the Tampa Bay TechHire program.

“This is for an extreme variety of people, from those entering the workforce to those who just want to change their place in the workforce,’’ she said.

Applicants for the grant funds must be between 17-29 years old, with barriers to employment and training opportunities (e.g., lack of money, transportation or having to work full-time while training to support a family, etc.), says CareerSource Tampa Bay (& Pinellas) programs director Michelle Schultz.

CareerSource will partner with Hillsborough Community College (HCC), St. Petersburg College (SPC) and the UACDC to provide the tech training, and HCC, SPC and the Erwin Technical College (a vocational school in the Hillsborough County Public School system) for healthcare training.

The program also is designed to benefit “frontline incumbents,” Schultz said, as workers employed at IBM and BayCare Health Systems also will have opportunities for training to advance in their current positions.

USF will allow participants to earn certificates and associate degrees in customized programs.

“This can be transformational for the area,’’ Sims said.

Although the boundaries of TIA are between Busch Blvd. (to the south) and Bearss Ave. (to the north), and between I-275 (to the west) and I-75 (to the east), Sims said our readership’s proximity to the area means New Tampa-area residents and businesses also will benefit.

“As that (USF) area improves, so improves the jobs available for those who may be living in New Tampa or for (USF) graduate students who want to live in New Tampa,’’ Sims said. “The idea that a whole other area is being created around the north part of Tampa, which you haven’t been hearing about the last 10 or 20 years, means new opportunities for everyone living in the area. It’s really going to affect us all.”

For more information about the Tampa Innovation Alliance, visit Tampa Innovation.com.

Tampa Innovation Alliance

NTP’s ‘Beauty & The Beast’ To Be A Local Acting Family Affair!

On Friday, July 29, 8 p.m. (and running through Sunday, August 7), the curtains at the University Area Community Development Center (UACDC) on N. 22nd Street in Tampa will part for the New Tampa Players (NTP)’s production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”

Backstage, an entire family will run their lines through their heads, clear their throats and take deep breaths to calm their pre-show jitters. That family is not just the troupe of actors joined together for the show. Rather, it’s literally a biological family of five. It’s also not their first time performing together.

Husband and wife Adam Shoemaker and Amy Rothman first met at a singing group at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. Now, 20 years, two professional careers and three children later, Shoemaker and Rothman are still fulfilling their passions, which have been extended to their children.

“We have a family conference before any show we do,” Rothman said. “No one is forced into it and we’re clear that it takes up the whole summer.”

What began as a summer vacation idea has blossomed into a summer family tradition. And, the children aren’t just along for the ride, they’re all active participants. Claire is 11 years old, Gail is 8 and James is 6, and they already have a litany of shows longer than actors twice their age to their credit, adding to the vast wall of show bills in the Shoemaker home.

Claire recently graduated from Hunter’s Green Elementary and is planning to attend performing arts magnet school Orange Grove in East Tampa. She plays Chip in “Beauty and the Beast” the teacup son of Mrs. Potts, both cursed by the Enchantress and changed from their human forms into a teacup and teapot, respectively. Both Gail and James are in the ensemble and have both have choreography, lines and songs to memorize.

“A lot of people from the last show (“Mary Poppins,” which ran last August) are in this one and it’s fun to meet new people,” Gail says. “I also like how much people enjoy the shows. They say they like how they thought the show would be something more childlike and they’re surprised by how good it is.”

Sounds like lots of fun for parents who either work from home or don’t have full-time jobs. How else could they do this, right? Not so fast.

NTP WEB3 Shoemaker and Rothman are both working professionals. Rothman is a Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD) who was previously in private practice and now is a dentist and clinical instructor for dental assistants at Erwin Technical College on Hillsborough Ave. Shoemaker is an industrial/organizational psychology professor at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo. Yet, somehow, they find a way to pull it off.

Getting each family member involved was a key factor.

“At first they kids would just sit in the audience and wait for us, but it went to a whole new level when they started coming up on stage with us,” Rothman says.

That’s when some of the kids’ talents began to emerge.

“During ‘Mary Poppins,’ James was not even in the show but he would be backstage during rehearsals and he would learn the numbers and perform them,” Rothman says. “I never even knew it until another cast member videotaped it and showed me.”

Gail, who was seven during the run of “Mary Poppins,” was there to remind Rothman of some of the dance moves.

“The kids are better than the adults sometimes about memorizing numbers,” Shoemaker says. “I don’t know if it’s because their brains are still growing, but it’s cool to be able to see them doing these dancing scenes.”

Claire was bitten by the performing bug even earlier, and already has several credits to her name, including her first role as an orphan in NTP’s production of “Annie” in 2011.

“A lot of people and families say they would love to do something like this but they think it’s hard to get into,” Shoemaker says. “It’s community theatre, it’s laid back. The Tampa Bay area has dozens of community theatre (troupes) where average Joes can get involved.”

NTP WEB The Players currently operate out of the gymnasium in the University Community Development Center in the USF area between Bearss and Fletcher Aves. The facility is nothing to scoff at. The gym can be divided, making for a cozier auditorium and there’s also a catwalk filled with lights, a public address system, ample wings offstage and a scene shop that opens onto a loading dock.

A small army of volunteers make it go, and they produce three musicals a year. As hospitable as the UACDC is, the players long for a performance space actually in New Tampa. The Shoemakers live in Hunter’s Green, and plans for a theatre and cultural center across Bruce B. Downs Blvd. from the main entrance to their community are an exciting prospect for the family and for NTP.

“This community center has been great to us but it’s sometimes hard to get stage space,” Shoemaker said. “We want a space in New Tampa like the Carrollwood Cultural Center. We only run three shows per year here, but the Carrollwood Cultural Center is never dark.”

The development, tentatively called The Village at Hunter’s Lake, is a 17.6 acre parcel of land that’s sale has already been approved by the Hillsborough County Commission. However, because the property lies within Tampa city limits, there are zoning ordinances that have yet to be worked out.

New Tampa-area performers are excited about the 20,000-sq.-ft. cultural center and 300-seat auditorium, but for now, they are content with doing their best at the UACDC where many of the players also volunteer for charity work.

From their first production together (in the musical “1776”) as college sweethearts, to participating in Purim plays at their temple (Congregation Beth Am in Carrollwood), to standing onstage July 29 — Shoemaker as the Beast and Rothman as Madame de le Grande Bouche (the opera star turned wardrobe) — the acting bug has taken them on a fulfilling journey. It hardly gets any better, though, when the couple can look across the stage and see their own children in costume and makeup, taming the butterflies in their own stomachs.

They will be able to look at each other and say, “It’s going to be a great summer.”

Performances of the “Beauty & The Beast” will be held Fri., Jul. 29 & Aug. 5, 8 p.m.; Sat, Jul. 30 & Aug. 6, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.; & Sun., July 31 & Aug. 7, 2 p.m.; at 14013 N. 22nd St. For tickets & info, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.

new tampa players