Author: Celeste McLaughlin

Special Needs Teens And Adults Walk The Red Carpet At St. James’ Annual ‘Prom’

On a Saturday night last month, they got ready like anyone else would for their prom. Tuxedos were buttoned, hair was styled, nails were painted. For some in attendance, it wasn’t their first prom – but it was just as special.

St James United Methodist Church hosted its seventh annual “Red Carpet Affair” under balloons, lights and the sounds of laughter. Nearly 280 special needs adults, ranging from age 16 to 52, attended the Red Carpet Affair with their caregivers for a night of fun, food and dancing. For some, it was also a night of hope.

“Many of us graduate high school and move on to new social structures,” said Carlene Barbeau, who started volunteering with the Red Carpet Affair in 2012 because of the joy it gave her brother Matt. “But, in the special needs community, graduating high school often leads to a lack of a social world.”

Carlene says St. James hosts the Red Carpet Affair to remind our friends that they are special, beautiful in their own unique ways, and can still have a whole lot of fun in life. “Plus, the volunteers have a blast, too,” she says.

Posing for prom pictures are (l-r) Eric Thompson, Lindsay Danner, Tristan Snapp and MacKanzie Conour.

Since January, a team of ten volunteers met multiple times to make the plans to make the Red Carpet Affair a night to remember. Their goal: to make their special needs friends feel like the celebrities they know them to be.

That evening, a “Diva Room” gave women a place to have their hair styled by professional stylists, and makeup done by makeup artists. They were offered shrimp and chocolate-covered strawberries while they were given a manicure. The church’s sanctuary was transformed with light walls, balloon sculptures and floral arrangements. Live Fusion Entertainment blasted some of the most popular songs on the radio and lights spun and flashed.

As the guests arrived, they were greeted by cheers as each walked into the event on the red carpet. Two professional photographers captured smiles in portraits the guests took home as souvenirs of their evening. But, that was all only part of the magic.

Chrissy Hoerner walks down the red carpet on prom night.

Liz McCafferty, director of communications at St. James, says, “The true beauty of the night was in the spirit of community.”

She explains that a community of 120 volunteers, ages 12 to 91, gathered together to cut carrots, dance, hug and create a community for those who are sometimes forgotten. “That community is rooted in love,” Liz says. “Love for our differences and love that we all enjoy a great conga line. And a great conga line it was!”

If you would like to be part of next year’s Red Carpet Affair, or are interested in events tailored for those with special needs, please contact Sally DePalma at specialconnections@stjamestampa.org.

—Submitted to the Neighborhood News by St. James UMC

Wharton’s Jared Bell Makes Class Valedictorian A Family Tradition

Jared Bell, the Class of 2016 valedictorian at Paul R. Wharton High has advice for those striving to finish at or near the top of their class.

Relax.

Have fun.

“Not too much fun,’’ he says. “But, don’t get too caught up in all the technical stuff and GPAs. It is important, but you should try to enjoy your time in high school, too.”

Sage advice from a guy who was following in the footsteps of his brother, 2014 class valedictorian Earl, and the son of two Wharton teachers — math teacher Dave and English reading teacher Diana Bell.

Pressure?

What pressure?

Jared, who will attend the University of Florida next year, finished high school with a 7.49 weighted grade point average.

“I didn’t really decide to be (class valedictorian), but after my freshman year I was first and my dad just said, ‘let’s try to stay in first,’” Jared says. “And we did.”

Having parents as teachers helped, although Bell says there really wasn’t any added pressure. But, he says the right frame of mind was instilled in him early on.

“We started at a young age with their education,” Dave says.

That included math games played in the car on long trips, no volume and closed captioning subtitles when they watched their favorite television shows, and plenty of reading time with their mother.

“They get their smarts from their momma,’’ Dad says.

Obviously, Jared not only had his parents as examples, he also had his big brother. Following in Earl’s footsteps certainly put a little charge into the process.

“I would say I put more pressure on myself than he did,’’ Jared says. “But my brother definitely helped me a lot.”

Earl was able to help Jared avoid some of the “prep pitfalls,” while also steering him clear of classes and teachers he didn’t think his brother would like.

Dave says both boys were, “typical teenage boys. They didn’t want to do homework. We pushed them a little bit. We stayed on them.”

Jared modestly declines to run down the list of all of his high school accomplishments, but says he was “active” in school. He joined several clubs, and was president of Mu Alpha Theta, a mathematics honor society.

He wrestled for three years, and says he worked with 15-20 clients as a private tutor to make a little spending money. He recently completed his final credits and will graduate with an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree in Business from HCC this summer.

For fun, he says, he enjoys exercise and working out, hanging out with friends, and playing ultimate frisbee.

Jared only makes being class valedictorian sound easy. He does describe it as “very, very tough,” and said the biggest key, and struggle, is time management.

A typical high school day his sophomore and junior year would generally start at 6 a.m., with school until 3 p.m., then wrestling practice until 6, and home by 7, where he would do homework for a few hours before going to sleep.

“Then, repeat,’’ he says.

Jared is undecided about what he will study at Florida. He is attending the university in Gainesville on a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship, and will serve four years in the Army following his graduation. He said he will probably focus on the sciences for a major.

And, he and Earl will live together in Gainesville.

“Both boys worked very hard,” Dave says. “We are proud of both of them. Super proud.”

And, while two class valedictorians from one family is impressive, consider that the Bells may not be finished.

Earl and Jared’s sister Victoria is wrapping up her freshman year at Wharton.

Wounded Warriors Project Shows Competitive Side At The YMCA

WoundedWarrior4 By Christen Caporali

The New Tampa Family YMCA in Tampa Palms is well known for its impact on the community. On April 29, it expanded this impact to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Wounded Warrior Project provides free programs and services focused on the physical, mental, and long-term financial well being of injured veterans, their families and caregivers.

As of April 1, 2016, this 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization has served 87,264 veterans as well as 17,872 family members.

The New Tampa Y hosted 40 warriors from all over the southeastern U.S. — as far away as North Carolina — for the project.

WoundedWarrior The warriors participated in games like “Capture the Flag,” rock climbing, basketball and baseball, and completed a water fitness & therapy class conducted by a YMCA personal trainer.

The warriors and their families also took classes regarding healthy eating habits and diabetes prevention. New Tampa YMCA executive director Tony Kimbrough, who also ran the Wounded Warrior Project event, says that the goal is to make this an annual event for the Warriors.

“We are definitely looking to expand this program in the future,” Kimbrough says.

For more information about the Wounded Warrior Project, volunteer information, or to make a donation, please visit WoundedWarriorProject.org. For more information about the New Tampa Family YMCA (16221 Compton Dr.), please visit TampaYMCA.org/locations/new-tampa.

Students Go For The Win Saturday In Cooking Challenge at One Buc Place

New River Elementary students and members of the school’s nutrition team (l.-r.) Cameron Keehn, Payton Furman, Payton Leidy & Charyn Maldonado will make their recipe, cheesy chicken and bacon quesadillas with Greek yogurt veggie dip, for the Dairy Council of Florida’s third annual Gridiron Cooking Challenge.

A team of students from New River Elementary was chosen as a finalist to compete in the Dairy Council of Florida’s third annual Gridiron Cooking Challenge this Saturday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the event, which is part of Fuel Up to Play 60, an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League to help encourage today’s youth across the U.S. to lead healthier lives.

New River Elementary is a recipient of a Fuel Up to Play 60 grant and has participated in the event for the past three years, since the competition’s inception. The school’s team won the first year it competed, and this year’s team members want to put their school back on top.

New River fourth grade students Cameron Keehn, Payton Furman, Payton Leidy and Charyn Maldonado will make their recipe — cheesy chicken and bacon quesadilla with Greek yogurt veggie dip, for the event’s judges.

“The kids got together to create this recipe,” says Kathy Gillooly, one of the team’s coaches, along with Holly Mitchell and Ryan Ketterer (all three are physical education teachers at New River). “They wanted it to be fun and creative, and kid-friendly.” She says the students made their quesadillas in the shape of footballs, and that they were surprised at how much they liked the veggie dip, which includes spinach, peppers and onions.

Gillooly explains that the students are part of New River Elementary’s nutrition team, which goes on the school’s morning show to give tips on healthy eating and sets up a table at school events to hand out free samples of nutritious snacks and smoothies. There are nine kids on the nutrition team, so Gillooly explains that they drew names out of a hat to choose which four students would be able to participate in the cooking challenge.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Gillooly says of the competition. “They go all out to make it a big deal for the kids.”

The competition will be held at One Buc Place on Saturday, May 14. For more information about the Gridiron Cooking Challenge, please visit FloridaMilk.com/FuelUpToPlay60.

First In Tampa Bay Real Estate Continues Mary Ann Diorio’s Legacy

(l.-r.) Astrid Coffey, Nick Diorio and Jolene Baldwin today run First in Tampa Bay Real Estate, which has a nearby office on N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace.

Mary Ann Diorio was one of the first advertisers in the New Tampa Neighborhood News. For two decades, she advertised her property management business on these pages. After a battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Mary Ann passed away in September 2015.

Her husband, Nick Diorio, and daughter, Jolene Baldwin, are continuing Mary Ann’s legacy through their business, which is called First in Tampa Bay Real Estate and uses the website MaryAnnRents.com, finding tenants for property owners in New Tampa and the surrounding areas, and managing properties for those owners.

Nick has been a licensed Realtor since 1987. When he retired from a 20-year career at Verizon in 2008, he got his real estate Broker’s license and opened First in Tampa Bay Real Estate. Mary Ann had been working at other area companies, and Nick says they “joined forces” at First In Tampa Bay Real Estate in 2013. Astrid Coffey, a Pebble Creek resident and licensed Realtor since 1998, has been with the company since 2014.

When her mom passed away, Jolene also became licensed as a Realtor and joined the company.

“If you’re a landlord and we manage your property,” Nick explains, “we act as your representative.”

So, for example, the tenant pays rent to First In Tampa Bay Real Estate, and calls the company to schedule necessary repairs. “It takes the emotion out of being an owner and having to deal with tenants.”

For example, he says landlords often give tenants the benefit of the doubt, so if tenants say they’ll be a “little late” on rent, they grant them extra time to pay.

“But then, all of a sudden,” Nick says, “it’s the middle of the month, then it’s the end of that month and that ‘slow pay’ turns into a ‘no pay.’”

He works with tenants whenever possible, but will start a 45-day eviction process if the tenant doesn’t pay as agreed. “We don’t want to evict,” he says, “and I would say less than three percent of our properties ever get evicted.” But, he adds, there’s a process in place to ensure that all rent is paid on time.

The Diorios’ friend (and former New Tampa resident) Linda Crenshaw, with Nick & Mary Ann Diorio.

A Pebble Creek resident named Joan says she started working with Mary Ann 18 years ago, when Joan became responsible for a property a family member owns in Tampa Palms.

“I had a camaraderie with Mary Ann for so many years,” Joan says, “but the company hasn’t changed. They’re very helpful and friendly, the rent is always on time, and they take care of business.”

Ernie Angelilli owns a townhome in Tampa Palms and had worked with Mary Ann for the past eight years.

“Mary Ann was always there, but over the past couple of years, Nick became more integrated with the business,” Ernie says. “The transition was seamless and you couldn’t even tell Mary Ann was getting sicker.”

Ernie also says that First In Tampa Bay Real Estate is “fabulous” and lists many reasons why he recommends the company. “They’re pleasant, easy to work with, and very responsive,” he says. “They properly screen tenants and I’ve never had any problems with payments. They always let me know in advance if there’s a problem and give me options to resolve it. Then, they give very detailed statements on anything they do.”

Nick says, “This business has always been Mary Ann’s business,” and explains that his role was always more behind the scenes. “For the two years she was sick, we began building trust with her clients, and our clients have stayed with us since she passed away.”

Mary Ann’s way of handling her clients set the standard for how Nick, Jolene and Astrid now continue running the business.

“Our tagline has been, ‘We manage your property properly,’ and that’s what we do,” Nick says. “Mary Ann was always honest and straightforward. For example, she’d rather give you her honest opinion, even if she risked losing the business when a client didn’t hear what they wanted to hear [about what their property is worth on the rental market].”

‘Priced Right & Shows Well’

“If a property is priced right and shows well, it’s going to rent right away,” Nick says, warning that asking for too much rent can backfire on a property owner. “If you let it sit for a month, you’ve lost that rent (for that month).”

First In Tampa Bay Real Estate recently listed a 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom home in Hunter’s Green for $2,950 per month. It was rented in 6 days for a monthly rent of $2,850.

“We’re coming into the busy season because people are starting to look now so they can move when school gets out,” says Nick. “But, even in the middle of winter, a house will still rent if the price is right.”

As for showing well, when the Realtors at First In Tampa Bay Real Estate take on a new client, they give their professional opinion as to what needs to be done, usually easy fixes such as painting or removing wallpaper.

“Making a small investment often makes a big difference,” Nick explains. “We give you advice to get the price you want. If you don’t want to do these things, you might get less, and your home might be the last one rented.”

When a renter moves in, a member of the First In Tampa Bay Real Estate team does a walk-through via video to record what the property looks like. When that tenant moves out, another walk-through is conducted to determine what needs to be corrected before the property goes back on the market. “This provides proof to both the owner and tenant of the condition of when they moved in and when they move out,” says Nick.

Someone from First In Tampa Bay Real Estate also checks on each property in person at least once every six months, to check on the property’s condition. Checklist items include being sure sprinklers are on, air filters have been changed, and there are no bugs, since pest control is normally the responsibility of the tenant.

First in Tampa Bay Real Estate currently manages about 90 properties.

“We’re not a large company,” says Nick, “so we’re able to offer personalized services, but we have the benefits of a larger company because of technology.” He says this includes a 24-hour emergency phone number that is always answered.

“It’s not about the number of accounts we have,” Nick says, “but about having accounts that are happy with us.”

First In Tampa Bay Real Estate is located at 9385 N. 56th St., #312. Hours are Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with other hours available by appointment. For more information, go to MaryAnnRents.com, call Nick at 417-9575 or email nick@nickdiorio.com.