Building on the momentum after finishing a strong first half, athletes at Durant High continued on in their athletic quest.

To start, Durant enjoyed some attention as it hosted the 12th Annual Cougars Wrestling Championship. It was a full house as the competition started off with a total of 30 schools participating from around the state.

The Cougar wrestlers had the potential for a big finish. But, while none were able to win the title, Alex Hamm, 103 lbs., Christian Reed, 125 lbs. and Derrick Hudson, 130 lbs. of Durant each recorded third-place finishes. Jamil Crespo, 145 lbs., placed fourth as one of two Hillsborough County wrestlers to place in the top four.

The Durant basketball season has also left behind some interesting highlights to look back on. After a tough start and the suspension of a key player, it was hard to predict the direction the program will take. But proving the value of discipline and A.J. Gardens’ strong commitment to improve his on-court behavior, the Cougars returned with a vengeance and won their next four games in a row, losing only to the Brandon Eagles.

The past season was also the year for the newly official competitive cheerleading program to prove its worth. The Durant squad made every effort to be recognized and after two seasons of settling for second place behind the Bloomingdale Bulls, it was time for a change. The Cougars won the coveted Western Conference title, dethroning the four-time defending champion Bulls during the championship held on February 8 at Armwood High School.

Last, but not least, the Cougars softball program turned on the heat to close the 2007-08 season with plenty of excitement. Patience and hard work seem to have paid off for the girls. After winning senior night as well as advancing to the regional line-up as the 2007-08 district champions for the second year in a row, Durant was able to overcome

one of its biggest hurdles of the last two years and defeated Clearwater’s Countryside, during the regional semi-finals, gaining a much needed boost and completing its run for the state final four.

“We just keep focusing on the basics which are repetition and muscle strength along with going out there and playing hard,” said Carter, adding, “This is what these girls have been doing all along.”

For more information and results, please visit www.fhsaa.org.

Josh Piascik signed his letter of intent to play football at West Virginia, Wesleyan. Josh and parents Jake and Debbie Piascik, (owners of Dream Limousine) and his sister Breana, all of Valrico, were all happy with his choice.  Josh was offered numerous scholarships to play throughout the nation and was accepted by several universities just on his academics alone with a GPA of 4.74.  “The hometown feeling and the academic options made it an easy choice,” Josh stated. “Knowing that the head coach was also going to be there for the next five years also helped me to make a decision,” he continued.  University of South Florida, Florida State University, Kentucky State, Carson Newman, and University of Central Florida just to name a few also accepted Joshua based only on his academics.  “When I was requested to visit 19 different colleges at the East Bay High School recruiting fair, I was just overwhelmed, I mean it was a great compliment. With the support of my family, a lot of hard work and the good Lord watching over me, it will be all worth it.”

A four letter letterman at Durant High School and coached by Cougars’ Ron Fussell,  Durant graduate Taed Moses was recently selected to play in the Hillsborough County All Star Game in Tropicana Stadium and earned Honorable Mention in the prestigious Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award.  He is a proud member of Chet Lemon’s Juice who last summer captured the Wood Bat World Series Champions in East Cobb, Atlanta and 2 AAU National Titles.

Moses will return to the Juice this summer to defend its titles before going to play for Coach Mike Nicholson at Seminole Community College, a decision he felt was a necessity in order to stay on the road to playing professional ball.

“I got into UF, academically. But after speaking with my parents, we decided I can go to college anytime, but I cannot always pursue my passion of playing baseball at the next level. Seminole has a very strong baseball program and will help me get stronger, bigger, and faster and be a better all around player, so I can reach my goal of playing D-1 Ball,”

Before baseball, Moses was good at playing soccer and played for a team that won a state title. But by the time he got to high school, made varsity as a freshman and became a member of the Bullets AAU travel baseball team, a decision had to be made.

Demonstrating his passion for baseball, Moses, who plans a pre-med major, recalls the outcome of a game he recently played at St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field Stadium. “Playing in that stadium was amazing. I went two for two, scored two runs and started two rallies that led to three runs in one and six runs in the other.  We won 11-6. But the best part was playing in Tropicana Field with some of the best players in the area.”

Moses will be missed by his coaches, fans and friends at Durant as he continues on his journey toward his goal of becoming a pro-baseball player.

For more information about high school sports, please visit www.fhsaa.org.

While success stories can be found daily and just about anywhere, most are not heard or seen by everyone. But enjoying such a privilege is precisely what local residents and owners of Interactive Education Academy (IEA) Bill Beer and his daughter, Laurie Spiegel, have the opportunity to experience on a regular basis.

While small in size, the academy, located within the Executive Plaza adjacent to Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, offers an intimate education experience focused on middle and high school students specializing in servicing teens with various learning disabilities, currently caring for about 50 students.

It is also the reason the father-daughter duo had the chance to help 18-year-old Jerrick Blue, a troubled teen who was essentially homeless having bounced from relative to relative after the death of an aunt that raised him.

In his fourth year of high school, yet unable to spell his name correctly or read simple words, Blue was labeled by teachers at Hillsborough High a “slow learner.”

Blue’s sad state but strong desire to change all that was what Spiegel of IEA needed to hear. Following the initial meeting between the two and covering the necessary steps which included an unwavering commitment, Blue began his journey toward success.

Of course, the academy is by no means cheap, and the almost $9,000 tuition would make most people think twice before applying. This was not something Blue had the luxury of having. The academy does accept students with a McKay Scholarship - a statewide program for students with disabilities. Spiegel’s help to apply for the money was just what Blue needed. “If it didn’t cover the whole thing,” Spiegel promised, “I would have waived the rest.”

The challenge seemed almost unreachable. But, Blue was ready.

“Jerrick had a lot of ground to cover to be successful,” said Beer, adding, “Those who know him think the world of him.”

Proving true to his commitment and desire to accomplish the monumental task at hand, Blue graduated from Interactive Education Academy in June, 2008.

Just prior to his big day at the academy, Blue commented, “When I walk out these doors, I am going to feel very happy. I stuck with it.”

Now 20, Blue reads well enough to fill out scholarship and financial aid applications for college. He hopes to attend Hillsborough Community College in the fall.

Success is a part of the curriculum at schools like IEA. It’s teachers knowing that what’s special about the students they serve is the fact that there is no cookie cutter approach to helping them as Beer admits, saying, “I have learned much from our students and Jerrick Blue is no exception.”

For more information about Interactive Education Academy, please visit www.interactiveeducationacademy.org.

Drama Team performs fast paced drama of Old Testament

St. Andrews United Methodist Church recently performed a funny drama of “The Complete History of the Old Testament in Twenty Minutes” written by Thomas Long.    The interesting part of the whole performance was the fact that nine actors played 40 different characters, sometimes over a 30-second transition.

“We worked really hard for six weeks,” said Brenda Gibbs, drama coach. “It definitely was a difficult project.”

Gibbs and her husband, Pastor Bob Gibbs moved in the area just a few months ago from Lakeland. She was very excited to get involved.

For information on upcoming performances, contact Benda Gibbs at 689-6849.

118,000 pounds of food sorted at ECHO

Do you remember receiving a plastic bag in your mailbox? That was the start of the Postal Workers “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive. In May, the postal workers collected donated food items left at mailboxes and brought them to local food banks like ECHO (Emergency Care Health Organization) as part of a national campaign. Stacey Efaw, executive director of ECHO, said that about 180 postal workers participated in collecting donations and 250 volunteers sorted and processed those donations at the Brandon location.

“It was a record year and this year we really needed it,” she said.

ECHO uses the food to prepare grocery orders for local families who need assistance.

Art Tidewell, a 13-year volunteer,  explained that throughout the year ECHO needs donations.

Tidewell said at St. Andrews, the second Sunday of the month is ECHO Sunday, the week before an announcement goes out to the congregation about what items are needed most. On ECHO Sunday, the congregation finds a shopping cart that is ready to be filled with food to be donated to the organization.

ECHO (Emergency Care Health Organization)  is one of St. Andrews’ oldest local mission projects.  ECHO is an all-volunteer organization that provides free clothing and groceries to local folks in need.  ECHO is located at 507 N Parsons Ave. in Brandon and is open Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

For information about ECHO, call 685-0935

For information about St. Andrews United Methodist Church, call 689-6849 or visit www.standrewsbrandon.org.

“Never, ever, ever give up, always strive to be better and the number one thing is to always have faith,” states former Valrico resident Danyelle Williamson, 24, regarding advice she would instill to aspiring actors, having recently obtained the role of Nala in Disney’s The Lion King.

Having scored the role of Nala, Simba’s future mate, Williamson, who has been preparing for the role since April, says, “I immediately started crying when I found out I got the part. I had prayed for a challenge…This was confirmation for me from God to take on a new role.” The talented, vibrant actress has worked hard to get where she is having graduated cum laude from the Boston Conservatory, and before that, gaining honors at Blake High School in Musical Theatre. From there, she moved to New York working daily to find roles, living off her savings which came to an end a month-and-a-half later when she was cast as Elphaba in the stage performance Wicked. But not before having to return home to live in Valrico. And from there, the rest is history, as she went on to play Nala a year-and-a-half later.

So what’s it like being onstage performing in The Lion King? “It’s awesome, so cool,” exclaims Williamson who reminisced about her past performance as The Lion King’s Rafiki at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center for the Eddie Awards, a teachers’ awards ceremony, held back in the day when she was a tenth grade student at Blake High School, pointing out the sense of fate in her life. “This is a great show. It has so much love and strength and sends out such a positive message,” says Williamson.

“Acting empowers me. Being able to change people’s lives, making them feel uplifted or encouraged some way by our performance, that’s what makes it great,” concludes the up and coming dancer, singer and vocalist. Besides spending time with family and friends, working out, singing, eating, computer playing, reading and writing, Williamson confesses that her number one hobby is sleeping. And who could blame her after the weekly stint of performing! The future aspirations of this persevering actress include one day gracing the corridors of a London stage.

The Lion King performance will take place until June 22 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center located at 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place in Tampa. Tickets can be purchased at www.tbpac.org.

For 25 years, Bob Williams has been sending care packages overseas to our service people. He says, “I can get a tremendous amount of products donated because of my connections, but the problem is I need help with the cost of sending it to the troops.”  Each week Williams says he sends 250 containers that each weigh almost 70 pounds, along with boxes to zip codes on the West Coast and also a lot of smaller boxes, which average about $8,000 a month to mail. Every morning Williams gets up about 2:30 a.m. to check his computer, which has up to 100 emails with wish lists from 300 different deployed units.  According to Williams, the biggest requests from the military are Starbucks coffee and cigars, with Williams adding, “I just picked up 25,000 stogies to send to the troops, and they like them not only for the relaxation factor, but it also keeps away the bugs.” One of Williams’ biggest fans is Valrico Starbucks Store Manager Audra Gapinski who supplies Williams with coffee, along with other things, and says, “My goal is to get more support for Bob and his efforts. Bob is an awesome guy and he is absolutely incredible; everything he does is for the troops.”  Gapinski goes on to say, “This has become a huge passion for Bob and me, and we are spreading it as far as we can.”  Gapinski explains that all the local Starbucks are participating in the coffee drive and adds, “Our store also has flags you can sign to send to the troops, and I collect things from our local schools to send overseas.”  As for why Williams is so involved in this, he says he was in Vietnam, and “I want these people today to come home as heroes and I don’t want them to feel like we did. I want them to know that people back home really care about them.”  If you would like to donate to the troops, you can mail a check to “Support Our Troops”, P.O. Box 7560, Wesley Chapel, FL 33545.  For more information about what Williams is doing, you can go to www.ourtroopsonline.com or visit the Valrico Starbucks at the intersection of Mt. Carmel Rd. and S.R. 60 in front of Lowes.

Twin Lakes community residents are ready to reap the rewards of a one-year long pond cleaning project. Residents banded together last summer to achieve a year-long cleanup project which has had stunning results.

Lake Sterns is now trimmed and decorated with various aquatic plants, and residents will now tackle Lake Michaela’s overgrown infestation.

Paula Gaudio, a Twin Lakes resident who lives on Lake Sterns, initiated the cleanup.

With the desire to improve her community and to address the invasive species, Gaudio did research and contacted the Environmental Protection Commission (EPC).

She first gained approval from the Home Owners Association (HOA), informed and rallied other residents who came together and privately invested a total of $18-$20,000.

“The goal was to create a wildlife habitat and beautify the lake for everyone,” states Gaudio.

Michael Albrecht, a Twin Lakes resident of seven years, joined the project with hopes to gain back his view of Lake Sterns that he once had before the overgrowth.

Playing major roles in the project, Albrecht and his 12-year-old son, Spencer, continue to offer their time and skills to the project.

“It’s a great father/son effort that has helped make a difference in the environment, community and our own family,” says Albrecht.

He owes much of his motivation for the project to his enthusiastic son.

“There’s no better motivation as a dad when your son wants to spend time with you while working together on a project that so many other families can enjoy,” Albrecht says.

Through the cleanup, Albrecht and Tom Mack, another resident of Twin Lakes, discovered two small ponds by Lake Sterns.

More than 4,000 various aquatic plants and 35-40 trees surround the lake front, giving new shelter to wildlife.

Pleased with the success of the cleanup, residents are moving the process across the street to Lake Michaela, the central lake of the neighborhood.

“Now that we have the knowledge and experience, we feel it is the right thing to do to,” states Gaudio.

The Lake Michaela project began April 2008 and is projected to finish in July 2008. Investing around $24,000 into Lake Michaela, residents are seeing great change and coming together.

Both of the lake projects will continue to require maintenance that the HOA board is currently researching.

“It’s a very educational process, and it adds value back into everyone’s property, and, hopefully, everyone in the community can enjoy it for years to come,” states  Albrecht.

For more information, go to http://www.tlbhoa.org/assessments.html.

Many agree that Edward Medard Park is one of the most popular freshwater fishing spots in Hillsborough County.  In order to welcome the summer season and to please the many visitors who come to fish and enjoy some boating, park officials were pleased to announce the completion of a number of projects the county has been working on since last summer.

Formerly known as Pleasant Grove, the 1,281 acre park and reservoir, operated by the Southwest Florida Water Management District located on Turkey Creek Rd., just south of S.R. 60 in eastern Hillsborough County, has recently finished construction on five new aluminum boating docks which now offer four new boat launching ramps.

Senior Park Manager for the last 20 years, Kent Newcomb, who now calls the park “my home,” proudly mentioned the number of improvements done recently in the park by the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Department.

“All five of our boating docks have been completely replaced by new aluminum ones, which not only looks better but is much safer now,” said Newcomb.

Besides fishing the park offers many amenities including 40 camp sites and two group sites that are specifically designed to accommodate large groups.

“Girl’s and Boy’s scouts and a number of church as well as school groups often enjoy these facilities which are of course well-maintained,” said Newcomb.

A small island within the reservoir that can be reached by the fishing pier or boardwalk is also a favorite spot for the younger crowd. The observation tower on the island is a popular attraction. ”Kids jut flock over to the tower as well as what we call here the ‘Hills’ and have a lot of fun hiking and running around,” Newcomb said.

Being true for the last 20 or more years, the park offers some of the best spots for day camps that are organized and directed by members of visiting organizations like schools and church groups. Edward Medard Park has seen between 5,000 and 7,000 visitors per day over the Memorial Day weekend clearly proving its popularity.

Park hours are Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-7 p.m., while on the weekends the park is open to the public until 8 p.m. Fishing permit holders are allowed to fish as long as they like even after dark either on the water or off the docks.

For more information about upcoming summer events, please call 757-3802.

For those who live in the Bloomingdale/Valrico area, you know the problems associated with Lithia Pinecrest Rd., amongst other roads in the area, which is why Hillsborough County officials Read more