Donna Kriston Farley hadnât lived in Wesley Chapel long enough to expect her Heatherstone at Meadow Pointe neighbors, many she didnât even know yet, to rally to her aid when her house caught fire on New Yearâs Day.
But, thatâs exactly what happened.
Thanks to neighbors like Jessica Beagle and Alyssa Hall, who sprung into action almost immediately, Farley, the mother of a 17-year-old son and 8-year-old triplets, watched as a section of the community clubhouse soon filled up with tables piled high with childrenâs clothes, toys, scooters, bikes, toiletries and âa ton of gift cards,ââ Beagle said.
Farley was inside the home on New Yearâs Day when she smelled smoke and realized something was on fire. The blaze started in the garage, which served as a playroom for the kids, and soon engulfed the front of the house.
Beagle, who teaches 6th grade at John Long Middle School, was down the street playing outside with her daughter, who thought she saw fire. Beagle told her daughter since there were no fire trucks, they weâre okay.
âBut, thatâs when we heard the fire trucks,ââ Beagle says.
Neighbors tried to control the fire with extinguishers, and Beagle said she said a prayer for Farley and the family.
Soon after, she was asking what she could do to help.
âEverything just escalated from there,ââ Beagle said.
By Saturday, the help poured in.
Farley, who moved to Wesley Chapel from California three months ago, was in tears as she explained to Beagle how overwhelmed she was.
âThese people donât even know me,ââ Farley said. âIâve never even met any of my neighbors. I feel so bad now. I was questioning whether Wesley Chapel was the area for me. But no more.â
Thatâs the way every community should be, Beagle thinks. It didnât matter how many friends Farley had made, Beagle said she knew she had to do something and it wasnât long before dozens of others in Heatherstone had banded together with her. She reached out to Hall, who was able to reach even more people to help.
âThe most amazing thing is, there were kids who were bringing their Christmas presents, that they had just gotten, to the clubhouse to donate,ââ Beagle says.
The house is being rebuilt, and Farley says she plans to move back in to the neighborhood.
Sophia Contino, who lives in Meadow Pointe and attends Sand Pine Elementary, is an eight year old who wants to save lives. More specifically, she wants to save canine lives by providing the Pasco County Sheriffâs Office (PCSO)âs K-9 officers with bulletproof vests.
Sophiaâs dad, Jason, first heard about the need to supply vests for the Pasco Sheriffâs K-9 unit at the June 2, 2015, meeting of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC), of which he is a member. He told Sophia what he had heard, and she came up with the idea of having a lemonade stand, where all of raised the money would be donated to the K-9 cause.
âThe reason I am raising money is, I love dogs and I love people,â says Sophia in a video on her Facebook page, which already has been viewed more than 1,000 times at Facebook.com/SophiaPCSOK9(or search âSophiaâs PCSO K9 Association Campaignâ).
Her dad says the Continos donât currently have a dog at home, and Sophia may be trying to fill a void left by the loss of their beloved black lab, Payton, who passed away when Sophia was five.
Her first goal is to raise $2,500, which is the cost of one higher-end canine bulletproof vest that also measures the dogâs biometrics. Once she meets that goal, she plans to present the money to Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco in person. And, her dad says, âSophia asked me how many vests the Sheriffâs Office needs. I was told they need 11, so she really wants to raise enough money to buy 11 vests.â
According to the Pasco Sheriffâs K9 Association website, there are currently nine active K9 officers and Jason says he is aware of at least one more joining the Sheriffâs Office soon.
Sophia says she charges 50 cents for each cup of lemonade, but that she often receives much more, even $20, for one cup, once people know the cause theyâre supporting with their purchase.
Although her first lemonade stand made just a small profit, she has received much more financial support from her Facebook page. Her dad says they have received donations from as far away as New Hampshire and Illinois, and donations to her campaign had totaled more than $1,000 as we went to press with this issue.
Closer to home, Sophia has gotten support from local businesses, including Jefferson Bank, which set up an account where anyone can walk into any branch (including the one in Tampa Palms at 15302 Amberly Dr.) and make a donation to âSophiaâs Pasco County Sheriffâs K9 Fund.â She also has been invited to set up a lemonade stand at Wesley Chapel Nissan (located at 28519 S.R. 54, which she did for the first time on January 9).
Troy Stevenson of Wesley Chapel Nissan, a member of the WCCC who was instrumental in bringing awareness of the issue to the group, has helped the dealership (which is owned by Jay Rosario) raise $10,000 to donate to PCSO to get the ball rolling for the K-9 vests. He also got permission for Sophia to sell lemonade at the dealership.
âSophia is a dynamo,â says Troy. âI wish I had her selling cars for us. She could raise $10,000 herself before sheâs done.â
Want to support Sophiaâs efforts? Come out and buy lemonade at her next lemonade stand, which will be on Saturday, January 18, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. It will be held in conjunction with a free shredding event by local business Shred360 at the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce office (6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., #105, in The Grove at Wesley Chapel plaza). Or, check out her Facebook page, where youâll find a link to make a donation via PayPal. You can also make a donation at the Jefferson Bank branch in Tampa Palms.
Judging by all of the new âstuffâ thatâs still coming to Wesley Chapel (see page 14, current issue), itâs easy to understand why the longest continuously published (by the same owner) publication directly mailed to all of the single-family subdivisions (and many of the multi-family units in the same communities) in Wesley Chapel continues to break through barriers in terms of local advertising sales, readership, popularity and ability to help the local businesses who choose to advertise in these pages.
Although we have been directly mailed to Wesley Chapel since I purchased the Neighborhood News in February 1994, our separate (and separately-mailed) Wesley Chapel edition has not yet reached double digits in years. Even so, the reason I split it off from what used to be two issues per month mailed to both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel was because I saw how quickly the Wesley Chapel area was growing between 2005-08 and I was also the only local publisher regularly following â and providing updates in print and on-line about â everything that was still to come to Wesley Chapel, which once had a concrete barricade on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. separating Wesley Chapel from what is now called New Tampa at the Pasco County line.
Even so, I couldnât in my wildest dreams imagine the kind of growth Iâve seen while doing the same job since Feb. 1994 â much less the last ten years â in U.S. Postal zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545.
And yes, itâs still coming, which I know has many of us concerned about the traffic and other issues all the continuing growth will bring, but it certainly also has helped your direct-mail community news magazine continue to grow along with Pasco Countyâs fastest-growing community.
A case in point is this issue, which is the first time weâve had to expand to 48 pages in the shorter history of our Wesley Chapel issue â which we both split off from New Tampa and switched both editions from their one-time quarter-folded newspaper style to their current oversized magazine format â back in 2008.
In a little less than eight years, the Wesley Chapel edition has grown from its original 28 pages back then to average more than 40 pages the last two years, including our previous high page count of 44, a barrier we had reached several times in both 2014 and 2015, but had never had quite enough advertising to warrant a 48-page issue.
That is, until this edition. But, everyone who works with us knows that no matter how many ads we sell, if we donât continue to do the little things to help as many of you keep reading every page of every issue â and keep those advertisers as happy as we possibly can by continually improving and refining our finished product every two weeks (our next New Tampa issue will hit mailboxes in 33647 on Jan. 28-29) â it all can go away…in a hurry.
My 22-year commitment (as of next month) has been and continues to be to bring more news and information thatâs pertinent to the lives of our readers in both of our markets to keep you reading, not just the âadvertorialsâ that are still part of what we do, but certainly not the only or even the most important thing we do. Anyone can tell you about a local business, but we believe it takes theNeighborhood News to keep the people in both of our distribution areas informed about whatâs happening in those areas â and maybe even entertained a little.
As always, I thank you again for the unique opportunity and privilege I have to serve our wonderful readers and advertisers.
âTaste-yâ News Coming Soon?
I know Iâve teased this a few times before, but yes, there should soon be news about the return of what was once my favorite annual local event, the Taste of New Tampa! I canât say any more right now, but I will be involved and I will be excited to provide more info…as soon as next issue!
Pasco County District 2 Commissioner Mike Moore could barely hide his joy as the vote to approve funding to extend SR 56 neared.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said.
A few minutes later, the Pasco Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted unanimously to approve funding which will go toward extending SR 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard to U.S. Highway 301/State Road 41. What was once discussed as a two-lane road will now go forward as a four-lane project using State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) funds. The project is a complicated one, involving partnerships with the City of Zephyrhills and four corridor developer/land owners.
The BOCC will now submit the SIB Loan Agreement Package to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for approval.
Funding for the project, which will cost roughly $65-million, is being provided by FDOT, Pasco County, City of Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel Lakes, Wyndfields, River Landing, and Two Rivers Ranch. FDOT is expected to contribute $35.1-million.
The road, which is expected to be delivered in its entirety by 2019, was touted for its expected enhancement of economic development opportunities and tax base in Zephyrhills and southeast Pasco County, as well as relieving traffic and making access to I-75 easier.
Reggie Jennings lays two off the glass in the Wildcats recent 64-57 loss to Zephyrhills. (Photo: Andy Warrener)
As winter sports start to wind down their regular seasons, it’s time to take a look at some of the teams from Wesley Chapel High that have a chance at postseason berths.
Topping that list is the Wildcat boys basketball team. The Wildcats are now 14Â-4 after a heartÂbreaking 64-57 loss to Zephyrhills on Dec. 5. The Bulldogs are the current top seed in Class 5A, District 8 and while they’ve swept the Wildcats this season, the Wildcats have been agonizingly close to beating them each time they have played.
“It was 38-Â37 in the first game and we blew a big lead in the second,” Wildcat head coach Doug Greseth said. “The key (December 5) was Sam (Schneidmiller) fouled out. We have to stay out of foul trouble, learn to finish games and keep our composure. I think we’re right there.”
Schneidmiller has bounced back strong from an illness that cut short last season, averaging 10 points and six assists per game.
Point guard Sam Schneidmiller has been a pleasant surprise for the Wildcats this season (Photo: Andy Warrener)
He led the Wildcats to a 16-point lead heading into the fourth quarter against Zephyrhills with four assists, including a highlight reel play where he dribbled behind his back on penetration and sent a no-Âlook pass to Reggie Jennings for a dunk, before the team wilted.
“He has a great ability to drive and go hard to the basket,” Greseth said. “He’s been and pleasant surprise for us this year.”
Schneidmiller doesn’t do it alone. The Wildcats have one of the better big men tandems in the county in Jennings and Theo Williams. Jennings plays more of a forward position based on his ability to hit shots from the perimeter ; Williams is a few inches taller and plays center as much as forward.
Jennings has been great from all over the floor this season, leading the team with 19.7 points per game, bolstered by his 29 in the loss against Zephyrhills. He also surprisingly leads the team in steals, averaging 3.7 per game and having more than twice the number of steals (63) as anyone else on the team.
“Jennings has good anticipation and knows how to get in the passing lanes,” Greseth said.
Helping out under the basket is 6-Âfoot-6 senior Williams, who averages over 13 points a game and leads the team in rebounding. As a team, the Wildcats post 33.5 rebounds per game, always a Wesley Chapel strong suit .
“He (Williams) gives us a scoring option inside, he gets usually double figures in rebounds and scoring every night,” Greseth said. “He also helps us out on the back side on defense. He has been a key contributor for us this season.”
The Wildcats have some key contributors come off the bench, too. Seniors Malik Dillard and Ce’Vean Davis Payden get called in when the Wildcats need a spark. Payden has the best field goal percentage on the team and came up big during the Rotary Ram Classic at Ridgewood (in New Port Richey) over the holiday break, kicking in four rebounds and eight points in a win versus Countryside that put the Wildcats into the tournament finals.
Wesley Chapel coach Doug Greseth talks to his players during a timeout. (Photo: Andy Warrener)
Also over Christmas break, the Wildcats set down last season’s district champion Nature Coast Tech 42-Â35 at the Nature Coast Holiday Tournament and topped Hernando 56-Â41 at that same tournament. Both the Sharks and Leopards are now in Class 5A, District 7, the district that goes up against District 8 for the first couple rounds of the regional playoffs. Greseth likes his chances against any of them and doesn’t really care which one they play.
“We are going to take whomever is there,” Greseth said. “Nature Coast and Hernando aren’t as strong as they were last year and the bottom line is if you’re in the playoffs, you have to play a good team one way or the other.”
Right now, Greseth and the Wildcats have their sights set on the remainder of the regular season and the district tournament beginning Feb. 1. “We’d really like to have a rematch with Zephyrhills,” Greseth said.
The Wesley Chapel girls soccer team also looks like a contender to make the regional playoffs. They are the No. 1Â seed in Class 3A, District 7 starting today with a 14-Â4-Â1 record and a 10-Â1 record within the district. The one loss came at the hands of secondÂ-seeded Pasco.
Since that 9-1 loss on Dec. 7, the Wildcats are unbeaten, closing out the regular season 5-0-1.
Keep your eyes on junior Bailey Hern, who has a district-Âleading 24 goals for the regular season. Victoria Mitchell added 17 goals for the Wildcats.
Here’s the schedule for the girls soccer tournament, which is being hosted by Brooksville Nature Coast:
Monday
Zephyrhills (7) vs. Pasco (2), 4 p.m.
Weeki Wachee (6) vs. Spring Hill Springstead (3), 6 p.m.
Brooksville Hernando (5) vs. Nature Coast (4), 8 p.m. Wednesday Springstead-Weeki Wachee winner vs. Pasco-Zephyrhills winner, 6 p.m. Nature Coast-Hernando winner vs. Wesley Chapel (1), 8 p.m. Friday Championship game at 7 p.m.
Donna Kriston Farley hadnât lived in Wesley Chapel long enough to expect her Heatherstone at Meadow Pointe neighbors, many she didnât even know yet, to rally to her aid when her house caught fire on New Yearâs Day.
