Ninth Annual Tampa Fisher House Golf Classic

WEB-fisherhouse-valFor the ninth consecutive year, Arbor Greene resident and New Tampa Noon Rotary Club president Valerie Casey is putting on a charity golf tournament to benefit the Tampa Fisher House, the residence on the campus of the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (south of E. Fletcher Ave.), which houses (for no charge) the families and significant others of the wounded veterans being treated  at the hospital.

Valerie and her committee, led by her fellow New Tampa Noon Rotarian Barry Shuman, invite you to join them for a day of great food and golf on Friday, October 30, at Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park. Dr., off BBD).

The entry fee donation of $125 per player includes lunch, greens fees, golf cart, “goody” bags, multiple prizes for top teams, putters and drivers, and the opportunity to win some great silent auction prizes. Lunch & registration begin at 11:30 a.m., with the shotgun start at 12:30 p.m.

A big shout out to the tourney’s “Event Sponsors” — Paver Works, Patriot Divers, Pepin Distributing and Stay In Step SCI Recovery Center, as well as “Patriot Sponsors” Delta Airlines, Harder Law, AT&T, Sun Coatings, Charles Schwab and Vital Network Services. This publication is one of 14 “Honor Sponsors” for the event.

For more info, email Valerie at ValCasey3@aol.com or call Barry Shuman at (516) 523-2678.

For more info about the Tampa Fisher House, visit FisherHouse.org.

Former Wharton LB awarded $2-million

wharton-sliderThe family of former Wharton linebacker Sean McNamee and the Hillsborough County School Board agreed Tuesday afternoon to a $2-million settlement — believed to be the largest in district history — involving a 2013 accident that left him in a medically-induced coma for nine days as doctors worked to repair damage to his brain.

The McNamees will receive $300,000 from the county, the largest they can receive due to a sovereign immunity law that protects the state. The family’s attorney, Steve Yerrid, will petition the state legislature for another $1.7-million, and as part of the settlement, the school board will support the claims bill.

Both parties had attended a court ordered mediation on Sept. 14 and agreed to a settlement value of $2-million, provided the school board voted in agreement.

McNamee, a 6-foot-2 junior at the time, was injured prior to a Wharton practice on Oct. 9, 2013. He was playing catch with teammates when he fell to the ground and struck his head on the corner of an unattended paint machine that had been used to line the field for that week’s game. Because practice hadn’t begun, McNamee was not wearing a helmet.

The injury fractured his skull, and a trainer who tended to McNamee called his mother Jody to come pick him up. Somehow, he was still able to slip away from school and drive himself four miles home.

McNamee was taken to the hospital where doctors had to perform emergency surgery and reduce swelling and remove blood from his brain. Doctors called in his family and told them to say their goodbyes because they were unsure he would survive. He was placed in a medically-induced coma for nine days before pulling through.

Also in the agreement, the county agreed to implement new guidelines, called “The McNamee Protocols,” in dealing with the proper training and instruction in how head injuries are handled, addressing the fact that despite the fact McNamee was looked at by a trainer, he managed to drive home and that EMS was not called.

The county school board also agreed to purchase liability insurance coverage with minimum limits of $1-million as part of the settlement.

New Tampa tennis pro Allegra Campos wins national title

allegraHunter’s Green head tennis professional Allegra Campos was a two-time All-American at the University of Miami, and played professionally for a few seasons as well.

Helping win a United State Tennis Association (USTA) 40&over 4.5 adult league championship this past weekend at California’s Indian Wells Tennis Garden, however, will go down as one of her biggest career thrills.

Campos was one of the key players for Harbour Island — husband Jose, a former USF standout, is the head pro there — as it swept through the regular season, state sectionals and national championships with an unblemished record of 15-0, capping its run by defeating a team from Hawaii 3-2 in the final Sunday afternoon.

allegra2Campos, who earned her pro certification at Saddlebrook Resort and has been the head pro at Hunter’s Green since 2008, teamed up with Lisa Balsera to win 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles in the final against Hawaii, earning a vital point. Teams compete against each other in two lines of singles and three lines of doubles, in a best-of-five line competition.

Campos also posted a three-set win with Balsera in the final match of flight play against a Northern California team, and Harbour Island also defeated teams from Illinois, Colorado and Mississippi (in the semifinals) at Indian Wells.

 

 

 

Ninth Annual Tampa Fisher House Golf Classic Returns Oct. 30

For the ninth consecutive year, Arbor Greene resident and New Tampa Noon Rotary Club president Valerie Casey is putting on a charity golf tournament to benefit the Tampa Fisher House, the residence on the campus of the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (south of E. Fletcher Ave.) which houses (for no charge) the families and significant others of the wounded veterans being treated  at the hospital.Continue reading

Wharton’s Viloria Steps Up For Varsity Ahead Of Harvest Volleyball Tourney

Grace (1)
Wharton High freshman Gracie Viloria (left) has stepped up to varsity to serve as the Wildcats’ setter in place of the injured Tyler Sroufe. Photo: Cotey

By John Cotey

The Wharton volleyball team opened the season with a lofty goal — to compete for a State Championship. After winning their first nine matches, the Class 7A, District 8 Wildcats looked like a team determined to meet those expectations.
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