The Hunter’s Green Elementary PTA is hosting a professionally chipped, photographed and timed 5K road race on Feb. 9, which is the school’s primary fund raiser for the year.
On Saturday, February 9, the Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE) Parent Teacher Association (PTA) will host a 5K run and 1-mile fun run starting at the school and winding through the Hunter’s Green neighborhood.
“It’s two weeks before Gasparilla, so we’re inviting everyone to participate as a great training run to get your groove for Gasparilla,” says Emily Milam, HGE’s PTA president, who is one of the event organizers.
Having a chip-timed 5K race in New Tampa, which is open to everyone, is rare, says Milam.
Typically, she explains, these types of races can’t be held in our area because the City of Tampa won’t issue permits to close roads in New Tampa. The roads for the Hunter’s Green race are privately owned by the Hunter’s Green Community Association, which is partnering with the school to bring the race to its residents and the surrounding community.
The race will be professionally chipped, photographed and timed by FitNiche Events. Swag bags and t-shirts will be given to those who register, and medals and prizes will be awarded to winners.
The $35 race entry fee will go to support the school and also includes admission to the second part of the event — a music festival that will be held at Hunter’s Green’s Capt. Nathaniel Hunter Community Park for all residents and race participants from 4 p.m.-8 p.m.
The family-friendly music festival will feature three local bands — Celebrity Romance, Panic Fire featuring Gary Schutt and Chello Hollyday Band. There will be food trucks and bounce houses. While the music fest is being organized by the Community Association for residents of Hunter’s Green, everyone who runs in the 5K race that morning will be invited to come back for the music fest in the afternoon.
“It’s definitely a multi-faceted focus,” says Jenny Giraldo, the social director for the Hunter’s Green Community Association. “The music fest is a great time for the community to come together, take full advantage of our amenities and the wonderful park we’re fortunate to have, while enjoying the live entertainment.”
The Hunter’s Green 5K run and Music Fest will serve as the school’s primary fund raiser for the year. For the past two years, the PTA has hosted an extremely successful gala that raised about $30,000 each year. In addition, the school has held a “fit fest” that included a fun run the past two years.
This year, the PTA is replacing the gala with the expanded 5K run, hoping they can grow it to be as successful an event as the gala has been.
“The gala was great and does really well for us, but it’s an overwhelming amount of work,” says Milam. “We also wanted to move to something that’s really family friendly. Kids weren’t allowed at the gala. This is a more of a family-targeted event, so your whole family can prepare for it together and run together, then participate in the music fest together.”
She says reaching out to the Hunter’s Green community and the New Tampa area is an important part of the plans, as well.
“It’s a new era in our school,” Milam says. “We’re trying to reach beyond the walls of our school to impact a lot of the neighborhoods around us and support the school where funding (is lacking).”
She says the PTA spends the majority of its funding to go to technology in the school, where the goal is to have a 1:1 ratio of every child having access to a laptop computer at his or her desk.
The PTA also funds supplemental support for music and art, which Milam says are areas that consistently get cut in the School District’s budget, plus school beautification and teacher support.
For more information or to register for the race, which includes admission for your family to the MusicFest, visit HuntersGreenPTA.com/5k. Registrations will be accepted up until the morning of the race.
Pasco County’s Teacher of the Year Holly Mickler, center.Photos provided by Holly Mickler.
On the last Tuesday of school before the holiday break, one of the science teachers at Pasco Middle School (MS) in Dade City called fellow Pasco MS teacher Holly Mickler into her classroom to ask for some help judging science fair projects.
Mickler’s students were working on assignments with tutors, so she said she could leave her classroom for a few minutes to help.
That’s when Pasco County’s Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning, Pasco School Board member Megan Harding and several other officials from the school district and teachers union knocked on that other teacher’s classroom door.
The group was directed to the science fair, where they surprised Mickler with the news that among all of the teachers in Pasco County, she had been chosen as the District’s Teacher of the Year.
“It was a little embarrassing that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be,” Mickler laughs.
Mickler is a 14-year teaching veteran who commutes to work from Meadow Pointe each day. Although she lives in Wesley Chapel, she has spent her entire teaching career at Pasco Middle School.
Mickler is hugged by her classmates after finding out she was named Teacher of the Year.
She has taught exceptional education and language arts, and then served as the graduation enhancement and dropout prevention teacher before launching the school’s AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program about four years ago. As AVID coordinator, Mickler teaches students who choose to take the AVID elective class and coaches teachers on how to teach strategies for college, career and life readiness in their classrooms.
“Holly is a great example of what I look for in a teacher,” says Pasco MS principal Dee Dee Johnson, who was previously the principal at Wesley Chapel High. “She cares about her students, gets to know them, and believes in each of them. I’m extremely proud to have Holly as a teacher at Pasco Middle School, because she always goes above and beyond for our students, sets high expectations, and provides students with the resources needed to meet those expectations.”
Mickler says she thought long and hard about whether or not to complete the application for Pasco’s Teacher of the Year after being chosen as her school’s nominee.
“Once you’re selected at the school level, you’re given the option of deciding whether or not to take it to district level,” she says. “I don’t like bragging on myself, and that’s what it feels like, so I almost didn’t do it.”
But, Mickler says she also thought about her school’s reputation in the community, including things such as the recent removal of its previous principal, prompting Johnson’s move to the school.
“People need to recognize that we have incredible things going on here,” Mickler says. “I thought my application was a way to showcase that for others to see. I tried to respond in a way that people would see how awesome our kids are and how dedicated our staff members are.”
Ever humble, Mickler says she’s really no different than nearly all of the teachers in Pasco County, most of whom, she says, have great things happening in their classrooms, too.
“All of us are really working hard and are dedicated,” she says. “What we have in common and share is just a passion and a love for the kids.”
Mickler doesn’t have children of her own, so she calls her students her “babies,” making an emotional connection with them.
“They rely on me for academics, but also to help them through social issues and issues at home,” she says. “They trust me.”
Mickler is now Pasco’s nominee for the statewide Teacher of the Year, competition. That winner will be announced this spring.
Samantha Taylor Fitness has helped thousands of women change their lives by helping them not only lose weight, but keep it off.
In July, owner Samantha Taylor’s Wesley Chapel personal training studio moved from its former location on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (across from Florida Hospital/Advent Health Wesley Chapel) to its own building off of S.R. 56, near I-75, in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center (off Cypress Ridge Blvd.).
The new location is bigger, with a larger personal training room. It features upgraded specialty rubber floors, and Samantha says clients prefer the private, first-floor entrance.
Also this year, Samantha Taylor Fitness opened a location in Palm Harbor. Samantha now has five Tampa Bay-area locations, including nearby Land O’Lakes, plus Carrollwood and Westchase.
Each woman who walks through the doors of any of her fitness studios is someone whose life Samantha hopes to change. Samantha says women who come to her are often the heaviest they’ve ever been. They’re frustrated, and have a lack of energy and medical problems caused by being overweight. They tell her they have tried all kinds of diets and nothing has worked for them.
But, she says, the new year is a perfect time to do something different to lose weight and finally keep it off. This is especially true if every year you think you are going to make changes, but then the next year rolls around and you find yourself in the same situation, or worse.
“Everyone thinks they’re going to set goals and be focused and lose weight, but most people don’t,” Samantha says. “I want to encourage people to start this year different. We have a proven track record, so women can get results. When 2020 comes, they can look back and say, ‘Look what I did in 2019.’”
Kate Green is rightfully proud of the way that Samantha Taylor Fitness Studios has transformed her body, after dropping 60 lbs. and keeping it off.
Women who come to Samantha Taylor Fitness find 30-minute workouts and education about how to eat to lose weight and keep it off. They also find a community of support, which is proven to help women stay on track — and have fun.
Samantha herself is a Certified Personal Trainer who began her career 26 years ago and launched her own business 19 years ago.
“We’re teaching women a way to eat that they love,” says Samantha. “It’s not a diet, not a pill, not shots; just understanding how to eat, how to work out their muscles for tone, and develop a healthy lifestyle they can keep for life.”
She says that things like knowing how to cook and knowing how to eat in real-life situations — like at holiday parties or on vacation — is critical for long-term success, along with understanding why you gain weight, and then modifying your behavior so you don’t gain it back.
Whether a client wants personal training — the most customized and private option — or boot camp classes, both programs start with a completely free, no-obligation consultation called a “Body Transformation Analysis” to determine your goals help the professionals at Samantha Taylor Fitness and plan a fitness program.
Personal training can be done one-on-one, semi-private, or in small group sessions. In addition to personal training sessions, each client also meets with an assigned results coach monthly, to be sure they’re progressing.
Now, those monthly sessions include images taken by the new 3D body scan machine, which takes measurements and analyzes body fat digitally.
“Clients can see the changes visually with 3D images and printouts,” explains Samantha. “They can see how their body is changing and the progression of their measurements and their body’s shape.”
Clients who choose the boot camp option attend regular or beginner sessions, which vary in cardiovascular intensity levels. Several classes are offered every day, and women choose three or more times each week to attend.
“Our clients like that our workouts are only 30 minutes,” says Samantha. “They’re in and out and don’t have to be at the gym for hours.”
One of those clients is Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager’s fiancée Jannah McDonald, who had lost more than 13 pounds after only a couple of months attending the boot camps.
“I have more energy and feel great,” Jannah says, “and I like that there are different instructors who all get to know you and what you can and can not do. They give you lots of feedback and support, too.”
Like Jannah, Samantha says many of her clients see more than just weight loss — they’re getting healthier as well.
“They are preventing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes,” she says. “Some women no longer have to take cholesterol or blood pressure medication, and no longer suffer from muscle pains and aches.”
Where Are They Now?
A year ago, we wrote about Samantha’s clients Judy McFarland and Kate Green, who are both in their sixties. At that time, Judy had lost 31 pounds and 36 inches in just a few months, exceeding her goal of losing 25 pounds. Judy has now lost a total of 34 pounds. Kate (photos on previous page) not only lost the 50 pounds she wanted to lose, she dropped from 170 to 110 pounds, which remains her current weight.
Both say their lives are completely different, and they are now in the best shape of their respective lives. Neither has any fear of putting the weight back on.
Kate now spends most weekends zip-lining and completing obstacle courses at a local outdoor adventure park, and Judy just completed a half-marathon, running without stopping for 13 miles.
“This has transformed my life,” says Judy. “Not only my body, but my whole way of life, and I couldn’t be happier.”
She credits Samantha’s eating plan, high-quality workouts with excellent trainers, and the support she receives.
“It’s a very friendly, loving environment,” says Judy. “They are there to keep you motivated and hold you accountable. They’re like a family.”
Samantha says that sense of community is something that is intentionally fostered at her fitness studios, and is like nothing else women can find. There are monthly member socials, such as putt-putt golf, zip lining and pot luck dinners. There are webinars to encourage healthy eating and trainer-led support groups.
She emphasizes that anyone can do what Judy and Kate have done, even in their sixties.
“As people get older, they think life is declining and they can’t do these things anymore,” says Samantha. “These women are defying that. Their quality of life is affected in a positive way with the changes they’ve made.”
Kate says before she found Samantha Taylor, she had been retired for a year and was overweight and out of shape.
“I was miserable,” Kate says. “I didn’t want to do anything or go anywhere, which led to being sedentary and overeating. It was a godsend for me to find her and get into this program. This was the right program for me, and it works beautifully. I haven’t had this much fun in my entire life as I am right now.”
The Six-Week Challenge!
Beginning in late January, Samantha will start her next six-week “Body Transformation Challenge,” where she gives away thousands of dollars in prizes, including a Grand Prize of a cruise for two for the woman who loses the most weight (as a percentage of her total body weight).
To register, or for more information, go to 6weekBTC.com.
Samantha also does a regular segment on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” which airs on WFTS-TV, the local ABC affiliate. She brings guests on the show, sometimes clients, and shares nutritious recipes, which she says are delicious.
For recipes and to view segments of the show, including Judy and Kate’s stories in their own words from when they were Samantha’s guests on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” visit SamanthaTaylorFitness.com.
The Wesley Chapel Samantha Taylor Fitness studio is located is at 2609 Ridge Brook Dr., Wesley Chapel. For more information, call (813) 377-3739.
George Stark is a long-time resident of Wesley Chapel who expertly helps his neighbors who experience injuries due to motor vehicle accidents or the negligence of others.
When George Stark, a successful personal injury lawyer who has been based in downtown Tampa for since 1987, moved with his wife to Saddlebrook in 2007, he opened a satellite office in Wesley Chapel, next to Saddlebrook Resort in the Brookside Professional Center off S.R. 54.
For the past 11 years, Stark Injury Law has grown locally so that now, he says he spends most of his time in his Wesley Chapel office and is as familiar with Pasco County courts as he is the courts in Hillsborough County.
Stark Injury Law helps those who are injured because of someone else’s negligence, often because of car accidents, but also because of slip-and-fall accidents, defective products, medical negligence and other causes.
“All injuries are serious,” he explains, and he says he is knowledgeable and experienced in handling a variety of cases, “from sprain and strain injuries that are not disabilities, to those that are catastrophic.”
Stark also says that anyone who has been in an accident should consult with and — if appropriate — retain the services of an experienced lawyer.
“A law firm is needed to assist in the various activities necessary to successfully pursue a claim both prior to and, if necessary, after litigation,” he explains, “including investigating, documenting, evaluating and ultimately negotiating a settlement or filing a law suit.”
Stark is a graduate of California State University and Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.
He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1976 and first got started in the Tampa Bay area as an assistant public defender for Hillsborough County that same year. He was assigned to the felony division and continued to work as a public defender until 1981.
He also worked in a general civil practice before opening his own firm in Tampa 31 years ago.
Stark says he is proud that his practice has grown by word of mouth.
“As a referral practice, I’ve been in business long enough that now I have three generations of people I’ve represented,” he says.
Here’s One Such Referral
Wesley Chapel resident Michael Nowe is one of Stark’s satisfied clients who is now referring his attorney to others. While Nowe says he has mostly recovered from a car accident several months ago, his case has already been fully resolved to his satisfaction.
“He is a really great guy,” Nowe says about Stark. “He and his staff explained the whole procedure, so I knew exactly what was coming. They were very detailed and specific, very knowledgeable, and for every question I had, they had an answer.”
Nowe says Stark and his wife, Maxine, who has recently taken on administrative and bookkeeping duties for the office, after retiring as a teacher several years ago, came to his house after the accident for a consultation.
“They sat with me and it was very personal,” Nowe says. “It was almost like a friend coming over.”
George Stark and his staff at Stark Injury Law have decades of combined experience providing legal services to diverse communities and a Wesley Chapel office location in the Brookside Professional Center.
Stark says that’s what he wants people to understand about the difference between hiring Stark Injury Law versus some of the big advertisers you might see on TV.
“Most of those folks [who hire a large firm] never see a lawyer,” says Stark, “unless their case cannot be amicably resolved by way of settlement.”
He says that nearly all of the cases he takes on — and the vast majority of those who are taken on by all other firms, too —are resolved by settlement.
“I pride myself on my ability to be successful in trial,” says Stark, “but the reality is that personal injury cases rarely go to trial.”
He says the busiest trial lawyers, such as himself, are only in court one or two times a year.
In fact, he says, 95 percent of cases are resolved by settlement within six to nine months, often without even filing a lawsuit.
“That’s the norm,” he says, “and not just for my office.”
That’s what Nowe says he experienced, as well.
“I figured it would take at least a year to resolve my case,” Nowe says. “It turned out to be about four months. It was pretty quick and wasn’t a long, drawn-out process.”
Nowe also agrees that Stark is hands-on in maintaining a personal relationship with his clients, too.
“I advise all of my clients that they control my schedule,” says Stark. “My clients can speak with me at any time, and if I’m not available, they just schedule a telephone conference. No one is left hanging.”
In addition to being accessible to his clients, Stark says he makes no decisions without their personal involvement.
“I enjoy the dialogue with the clients,” he says. “It’s important for them to understand the process and make an informed decision. I hope they’ll listen to what I have to say, but ultimately it’s not my case, it’s their case.”
Helping You Help Yourself
Stark also says that helping people get the care they need is an important part of the role he plays.
“The average person comes in and they’ve been in an accident, they’re traumatized and they’re not sure who to seek for medical care and attention,” Stark explains. “We encourage people to maintain good relationships with their doctors. The most important thing before getting the case settled is getting good patient care.”
Stark says that, if a patient is unsure where to turn for proper care, he can refer them to physicians he has worked with before.
“We point people in the right direction, so that they get excellent care for their injuries and then, if necessary, get appropriate documentation in order to document those injuries,” he explains.
Stark adds that he welcomes calls from anyone seeking the assistance of an attorney, whether or not he is able to personally assist them.
“I’ve had a broad range of experience,” he says. “I can take questions that aren’t necessarily within my area of expertise — I know a lot of people — so I’m happy to assist in making referrals.”
Nowe says it’s worth the phone call to reach out to Stark Injury Law.
“They are super nice, too,” says Nowe. “I really want to stress how incredibly nice they are.”
Stark Injury Law is located at 29150 Chapel Park Dr. in the Brookside Professional Center. Stark’s downtown Tampa office is located at 400 N. Ashley Dr.
You can reach attorney George Stark by calling (813) 991-6161, by visiting StarkInjuryLaw.com, or see the ad on page 3 of this issue.
Wesley Chapel resident Randy Lewer has led volunteers in placing wreaths at the graves of thousands of U.S. military veterans buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell since 2006.
Before Christmas every year, volunteers across the country visit national cemeteries where U.S. military veterans are buried to honor them by placing a Christmas wreath on their graves, in an effort called Wreaths Across America.
One of the largest Wreaths Across America programs in the country takes place tomorrow morning just a short drive north of Wesley Chapel at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell (which is located in Sumter County, northeast of Brooksville).
Florida National Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 100,000 U.S. military veterans and 30,000 spouses.
Wesley Chapel resident and Vietnam veteran Randy Lewer has been leading the charge to honor the men and women buried at Florida National Cemetery since 2006. Back then, he and a couple of his buddies from the U.S. Military Vets Motorcycle Club held a small, brief ceremony, where just a few people gathered in the rain.
Now, Randy continues to spend his time, energy and resources every year to be sure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to live out the mission statement of Wreaths Across America, which is, “Remember our fallen U.S. veterans, honor those who serve, and teach your children the value of freedom.”
Last year, more than 8,000 volunteers helped Randy place 27,000 wreaths throughout Florida National Cemetery.
This year, he says, the goal is to place 30,000 wreaths, and up to 10,000 volunteers are expected to help place them on the graves, then participate in a ceremony that honors and remembers U.S. military service men and women.
Since Lewer hasn’t ever received enough wreaths to place one on each and every grave in the cemetery, ceremonial wreaths are presented during the ceremony to honor all members of the military. Seven ceremonial wreaths honor the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, POW (Prisoners of War)/MIA (Missing In Action) and Merchant Marines.
This year, an additional ceremonial wreath will be placed by “Gold Star” families, which are families who have lost a loved one during their military service. While the wreath will honor all veterans, it is a special tribute recognizing those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
Collecting the funds to purchase 30,000 wreaths is a year-round undertaking for Randy. As of our press time, about 28,000 wreaths have been sponsored.
“Since we started in 2006, we have always grown from the prior year,” Randy says. He says he wasn’t sure they would be able to top last year’s number, but this year’s sponsorships have now surpassed 2017’s.
Many local organizations and community groups, such as the Boy and Cub Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, and even companies, ask friends, family and neighbors to sponsor the wreaths for $15 each.
A Family Tradition…
Monica Riley is the coordinator for American Heritage Girls (AHG) Troop FL2212 at Faith Baptist Church in Wesley Chapel. Her troop sold 75 wreath sponsorships to support Wreaths Across America.
“Placing wreaths on the graves of soldiers is an amazing way to teach our girls to remember our fallen heroes,” she says.
Monica, who has lived in Wesley Chapel for 13 years, says she will be attending the wreath-laying event this year for the third time.
“My father-in-law was on the Battleship Texas on D-Day,” says Monica, explaining why her family first got involved with Wreaths Across America, “so it was important for us to teach our daughter, who was then 11, about his sacrifice by honoring him with a wreath.”
Randy says groups like Monica’s are essential to the massive effort that it takes to purchase that many wreaths for the graves.
“People think, ‘My one wreath won’t make a difference,’ but the one-wreath-at-a-time sponsorships account for at least 90 percent of what we bring in,” says Randy.
He says he gets a couple of corporate donations that purchase a thousand wreaths at a time, but most wreaths are purchased by individuals or groups that typically solicit sponsorships one or a few at a time.
Randy hopes that after people sponsor a wreath or two, they’ll come out to see the wreath-laying and the ceremony for themselves to help them really see what happens on this special day.
“When I was in the service, I was in the color guard and participated in funerals,” explains Randy. “The saddest ones were when there was no one there except a funeral director. That stuck with me.”
He adds that members of “the greatest generation” from World War II may be no longer remembered because they have no surviving family members, or that their families are too far away to visit them.
“So it’s kind of sad, but it’s also kind of cool that we can do this,” Randy says. “We can honor them so they are not forgotten.”
Wreaths can be sponsored year-round. Wreaths purchased now would start the fundraising toward the event in 2019, which Randy says would be a huge help to kick off the efforts and ensure the event is successful next year.
This year’s event takes place on Saturday, December 15, at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell (6502 SW 102nd Ave.). Wreath-laying begins at 10:30 a.m. and the hour-long ceremony starts at 11:45 a.m. Event organizers encourage guests to arrive between 9 and 9:30 a.m., due to heavy traffic into the cemetery.
For additional information about Wreaths Across America or to sponsor one or more wreaths, visit WreathsAcrossAmerica.org/FL0021.
