The Chamber Expands

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more exciting or complicated for the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC), on June 28, the WCCC announced that it was merging with the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce (GPCC), which immediately increases the WCCC from nearly 600 to more than 900 business members.

The announcement, made at the Culinary Institute at Land O’Lakes High, featured (photo, top left, l.-r.) Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC) president and CEO Bill  Cronin WCCC Board chair Jennifer Cofini and CEO Hope Allen, as well as GPCC Board chair Michael Cox and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

Allen was excited to announce that the two chambers had formed an alliance back in January and “would become one Chamber of Commerce.” Under the agreement, current members of either chamber would have reciprocal membership in both.

And, even though Allen admitted the merged chambers didn’t yet decide on a name, the same joint task force that created the merger, “will continue to meet every two weeks to help make that decision. Our drop-dead date to come up with all the details is January 1.”

Other issues to map out include the fact that there are still other four other chambers also serving Pasco and how the new merged chambers will fit into that structure, as well as the fact that the WCCC also serves New Tampa, which is in Hillsborough County.

“I did some research and we actually have 160 business members located in Hillsborough,” Allen said. “We will continue to provide the same services and opportunities for those businesses as usual.”

Local Soccer Players Headed To England For A Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity

Tampa Palms resident Patrick Callahan (left) and former Liberty Middle School student Julio Plata both earned two-year scholarships to play soccer in England.

Like most serious soccer players, Tampa Palms’ Patrick Callahan has dreams of playing professionally, and there are few places better to do that than in England’s Premier League.

And, while he is still years away from playing at that level, the chance to play and study nearby in one of soccer’s hotbeds was too good for Callahan and recent Liberty Middle School student and Lutz resident Julio Plata to pass up.

Both players were recently awarded scholarships to Brooke House College football academy in Market Harborough, England, less than an hour north of London by train.

Brooke House College is similar to Bradenton’s IMG Academy and Saddlebrook Prep in Wesley Chapel, in that it attracts international athletes to board at the school while undergoing intensive training in their sport while maintaining high academic standards.

The two-year scholarships are valued at roughly $45,000 per year. That includes travel costs; the academy went to Budapest, Hungary, for a tournament last month.

“They have a lot of great facilities,’’ said Callahan, who completed his freshman year at King High last spring. “It’s a great school, they have a really nice gym and training facility. When you train, they have you wear a vest tracking everywhere you run, it’s state of the art. School is like 5-6 hours a day, with small classes, tutoring and you train like six days a week. That’s the amazing part, that you get to play that much.”

Callahan’s father, John, encouraged his son to accept the scholarship offer. John was pleased with both the athletic and academic aspects of the program.

“He will be SAT-ready when he’s done,’’ he said.

The 15-year-old Callahan currently plays club soccer for the Temple Terrace-based Florida Soccer Club (FSC) Spirit of Tampa Bay U16, and already has some experience playing soccer abroad. His mother, Grace Amparo Callahan, is from Ecuador, and on past family summer trips to her country, he would often practice and play with the college players there.

“That’s what I’m expecting at Brook House, a high level of play,’’ he said.

The first day of tryouts for this unique “futbol” academy consisted of soccer drills and scrimmages, with Brooke House College coaches Mickey Adams and Lawrie Dudfeld looking on.

Callahan, who is tall and fast for his age, said was nervous at first.

“I remember I messed up one or two times, and they were like, ‘All right, big guy, get back to it,’” Patrick said. “At first I was playing kind of iffy. But in the scrimmage, I felt I was doing good and standing out. I felt that’s what got me to the next day.”

Plata, 13, who has been playing for the FC Tampa Rangers club team, felt he did well in the drills. A midfielder, he said he just tried to keep the ball at his teammates’ feet.

“I really just wanted to pass the ball and not lose it,’’ he said, smiling.

Day 2 featured a number of games, and Callahan remembers scoring a particularly impressive goal — beating two defenders before depositing the ball into the upper corner — that caught the coaches’ attention

The coaches pared down the group, and announced they would be picking two players to receive the scholarships. Callahan and Plata were among more than 20 finalists at the final day interviews.

Callahan wasn’t sure he pulled it off in the interviews, but was relived to hear his name called.

“At first, I was so excited,’’ he says. “I called my grandma, she lives with my aunt, and I heard them screaming and excited on the other line. I posted a picture with the news on Instagram and, in an hour, gained like 100 followers. That was really cool, too.”

For Plata and Callahan, the Brooke House College football academy opportunity is a chance to hone their soccer skills with top, hand-selected competition.

Founded in 2008, the program boasts more than 70 players ages 13-19 filling four club teams that play in the Junior Premier League and other leagues, while also competing in various cups across Europe, and has produced 12 professional players.

Callahan and Plata, though, both say that if they can come back better players than when they left, it will help their chances to play collegiately in the U.S.

They are both awaiting their visas from the British Consulate in New York, and are eager to book their flights.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking,” Plata says, “but I’m excited to go.”

New Tampa Recreation Center Gets Roof & Playground Repairs

City officials say the New Tampa Recreation Center should be back to full speed following repairs to a roof leak that caused damage to the pit and TumbleTrak area.

On June 23, a portion of the ceiling fell through, closing a portion of the recreational side of the gym for repairs.

The damage interfered with summer camps and regular City of Tampa classes, forcing parents who have children in the NTRC’s popular gymnastics program to drive their kids to the Wayne C. Papy Center in Seminole Heights for two weeks.

“I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, but this is the best solution for all of the children in our program. If you need help with transportation, talk with some of the other parents to possibly set up a carpool,” read a text sent to parents following the issues with the roof.

The area of the roof that was leaking was repaired the same day, according to Ocea Lattimore, director of the city’s Logistics & Asset Management Department.

A couple of screws had started to back out of the metal roof at a joint in the metal panel, Lattimore wrote in an email to the Neighborhood News. That repair cost $300, and Lattimore says that the other areas in the roof with the same detail were inspected as well.

The insulation, however, must be repaired. The vendor that was scheduled by the city to do the repairs said the 5’ wide insulation was a special order with a two-and-a-half week wait time. Lattimore’s department was researching other vendors for the insulation in hopes of speeding up the process.

Tampa District 7 City Councilman Luis Viera, who represents much of New Tampa, says he was informed of the leak the day after it was discovered.

“If something happens out here, I want to know about it,’’ says Viera, a Hunter’s Green resident who offered to do what he could to nudge along the process. “I’ve always worked in the private sector. Things run a little bit slower in the public sector.”

This is the second significant repair done at the New Tampa Recreation Center in the last two months. In May, the turf under the outside playground equipment split at the seams, closing that area for a month.

The turf was replaced under warranty at cost of $16,500.

The rec center has been a point of contention for many New Tampa residents. It has been planned for expansion for five years, but twice has had the money earmarked for the project diverted to another project elsewhere in the city.

Last year, the City Council voted to provide funds for the Cuscaden Park pool in Ybor City instead of the $1.5-million, 14,000-sq.ft. NTRC expansion.

At a recent town hall meeting hosted by Viera at the rec center, local attorney Tracy Falkowitz drew loud applause when she complained to Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s chief of staff Dennis Rogero that the NTRC has been getting shortchanged by the city.

The recent inconveniences caused by the playground being closed and local parents having to drive to Seminole Heights for dance lessons is likely to raise more eyebrows.

“I can say that the way I looked at it, it’s symbolic of the rec center and the need for more attention to the New Tampa area,’’ Viera says. “It needs more attention.”

The City Council should receive Buckhorn’s fiscal year 2017-18 budget on Thursday, July 20. Prior to the need for these playground and roof repairs, however, the new budget was not expected to include any additional money for the NTRC expansion.

For more info, visit TampaGov.net and search “parks-and-recreation.”

Young YMCA Lifeguards Earn Kudos For Saving Teghan

Teghan Theile (center) with the New Tampa YMCA lifeguards who rescued her (l.-r.): Alfred Briceno, Emma Cutkomp, Aviana Jividen and TJ Hernandez.

On a sunny day just before school let out for the summer, the New Tampa Family YMCA pool was busy. Four teenage lifeguards were on duty as people enjoyed the pool and young synchronized swimmers were training for the upcoming Junior Olympics.

Teghan Theile, a 10-year-old who has been on the synchronized swimming team at the New Tampa YMCA for three years, was participating in the practice, doing what she does most afternoons, for several hours at a time.

As Teghan and her teammates were swimming laps, something about the way her legs were moving caught lifeguard Aviana Jividen’s attention. It didn’t look quite right. As Aviana watched, Teghan blacked out and sank to the bottom of the pool.

Aviana jumped into action, and TJ Hernandez, another of the lifeguards on duty that day, helped pull Teghan out of the water.

“We do practices every month,” recalls Aviana, “so when you actually see it happen, your adrenaline kicks in and you think of all the training that you went through.”

Assisted by lifeguards Emma Cutkomp and Alfred Briceno, Aviana and TJ began lifesaving procedures as 9-1-1 was called.

“They stayed calm, worked together and did what was needed to save Teghan’s life,” says aquatics experience director Lacey Boldman. “All the monthly drills and scenario practice was put into action and they remembered all the steps necessary to make the rescue quickly and efficiently. A life was saved because of their vigilance and quick action.”

Teghan’s mom, Brenna Fender, was in the shower when she got a call that something scary had happened to her daughter. She immediately headed to the pool.

“When I arrived, Teghan wasn’t moving, but they said she was breathing,” says Brenna. “Running out to the pool and finding it silent, with onlookers frozen against the fence while a small group huddled together over a figure that I knew was my daughter, was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Over the next couple of days, Brenna pieced together what had happened.

“Teghan did several laps in a row with very few breaths,” Brenna explains. “She then attempted a 50-meter zero under, trying to swim the distance without taking a breath.”

“I thought I could make it because the wall was just a few yards away,” Teghan remembers. “The next thing I remember, I was out of the pool, lying on a towel, and I was so confused.”

Tampa Y aquatics experience executive Amanda Walker explains that what happened to Teghan is called a shallow water blackout.

“With shallow water blackouts, you don’t even realize sometimes that you need to take a breath,” explains Amanda. “Your brain genuinely plays tricks on you and you pass out.”

Thanks to the quick action of the four lifeguards, Teghan was conscious by the time paramedics arrived, and was transported to the hospital, where she stayed in the pediatric ICU for a couple of days, while doctors ran tests to ensure that there was no underlying medical cause for her blackout.

When Brenna considers that the four people who saved her daughter’s life were all just teenagers, “it was stunning to think about,” she says. “They were so attentive. It was a pool full of people, so who thinks they need to be watching the experienced swimmers? The lifeguards were so prepared and obviously took their training seriously. I absolutely credit the YMCA for that — selecting the right people for the job and training them so well.”

Brenna says that on the way to the hospital, Teghan was already asking if she had to miss school the next day. She was given the all-clear to return to her fourth grade class at Lake Magdalene Elementary just in time for the last day of school later that week.

Within just a couple of weeks, Teghan was back in the pool again.

In early July, just barely a month later, Teghan and her team travelled to California to compete in the Junior Olympics.

Brenna says there was never a doubt she would get right back in and swim again.

“She’s worked too hard,” Brenna says, “I couldn’t keep her from competing at the Junior Olympics.”

Brenna says Teghan has always loved to be in the water. “She was the kid who thought she could swim before she was two years old,” she says. “I’d tell her to jump to me and she’d jump into the water next to me.”

Based on research she’s since done, Brenna understands that it’s unlikely to happen again, as long as Teghan makes different decisions. That doesn’t make the lingering anxiety go away, though, as her daughter continues swimming. “It’s been over a month now, so it’s getting easier,” Brenna explains, “but I’ve had a knot in my stomach that’s been hard to get rid of.”

Brenna is incredibly grateful to the YMCA lifeguards. To provide just a glimpse of the appreciation she and Teghan have for them, they hosted a thank-you pizza party with homemade brownies and goodies, where Teghan had a chance to talk with the lifeguards who saved her life. “It was really good for Teghan, especially,” Brenna says, “because she wanted to see them all.”

Now that Junior Olympics is over, Teghan is getting a brief break from her synchronized swimming practices. Her mom says she loves reading Harry Potter and making her own music videos, and is excited about joining her school’s safety patrol as a fifth grader in the fall.

But, when the swim season starts again, Teghan will be right back in that place she loves the most, practicing synchronized swimming in the New Tampa YMCA pool again.

Luckily for all of us, the New Tampa Y lifeguards will be there, too.

New Tampa DoE School Grades Are Still Among The County’s Best

School grades have been announced for the 2016-17 school year. Of the 12 public schools located in New Tampa, most maintained their grades from the 2015-16 school year. However, two schools — Liberty Middle School and Tampa Palms Elementary — improved by a letter grade, while just one school, Heritage Elementary, dropped a letter grade.

Letter grades are assigned by the State of Florida Department of Education, based on statewide standardized assessments. High schools also have a graduation component, based on how many students graduate in four years. The letter grades then reflect the percentage of points received, of the total number of available points.

Both New Tampa middle schools are now rated A, with Benito maintaining its A rating and Liberty improving from a B.

Turner/Bartels K-8 School maintained its B rating.

Congrats to Chiles Elementary in Tampa Palms, which earned an “A” grade from the State of Florida Department of Education for the 15th straight year, and scored the highest among New Tampa schools in English Language Arts Achievement, Mathematics Achievement and Science Achievement.

Of the elementary schools in the area, Chiles, Clark and Pride all maintained their A ratings, with Tampa Palms jumping up from last year’s B. Hunter’s Green maintained its C rating, and now Heritage is the second elementary school in our area to also be rated C.

Both high schools in our area, Freedom and Wharton, maintained the C grades they received last year.

While the school grading system has many critics, they are widely used by parents as a measure of how well their child’s school is performing.

“The school grades are a snapshot based on school grade calculations and assessments which are subject to change by the state,” says Tanya Arja, a spokesperson for Hillsborough County Public Schools.

“While we celebrate the successes and look for ways to improve,” she continues, “a parent really needs to look at how well their child is doing and if they are making gains. Parents can get a much clearer picture of the education their child is receiving at a school by touring a school, getting involved and talking with the teachers and administrators to see the hard work they put in every day to ensure student success.”