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Hometown Pasco

What's happening

By TIMES STAFF WRITER
Published May 7, 2006

HIGH FIVES

SPOTLIGHT ON TALENT: A car pulled into the school parking lot, doors swung open, two young girls hopped out and grabbed garment bags. One girl called to her mother, the driver, to follow them with a third bag. The young teenage girls had their hair styled into neat buns and their makeup was somewhat elaborate. It was a safe guess the girls were participants in the 23rd Annual Spotlight on Talent recently at the Wesley Chapel High School Performing Arts Center.

Long before the doors opened for the show, more than 100 people gathered and waited to see performances by 41 acts of song, dance and instrumental music by about 100 talented young people ages 6 to 17.

Arriving from Pasco, Hillsborough, and Hernando counties, the performers had their acts practiced and polished. They were ready to vie for prizes, trophies and money awarded to top performances in the annual event that for 23 years has showcased outstanding young talent in the three counties.

The auditorium filled quickly, and by the time the first participant, Jake Darnell, 10, bowed to the audience and sat down at the piano for his presentation of Maple Leaf Rag, there was hardly a vacant seat. Directly in front of the stage sat a panel of five judges, and to the right and left were reserved seats for photographers and reporters. Barbara Friedman, producer for the talent competition, circulated, speaking calmly with a broad smile, making sure all the last minute details were exactly right.

Friedman officially opened the event, welcoming audience members and performers. She then introduced the master of ceremonies Charley Belcher, a well-known feature reporter for WTVT-Ch. 13 since 1998 and a Suncoast Regional Emmy award winner in 2000. Belcher was warmly welcomed to the stage.

He greeted the audience and brought a round of laughter when he announced to the crowd, "Please shut off everything that makes noise, all cell phones, pagers and small children."

The Spotlight on Talent participants were divided into four categories: Group I for students in grades first through fifth; Group II for students in grades sixth through eighth; Group III for students in grades ninth through 12th, and Group IV for group acts of two or more.

There were 32 individual acts and nine group acts. Awards were presented after each group. The first place winner in each category received $100; second place received $75; third place was awarded $50, and honorable mention received a special trophy award. Friedman reminded the audience that every participant was already considered a winner after a lengthy and rigorous audition was held in March to determine the performers for the final Spotlight event.

In Group I, Sydney Pashley, 10, a fifth-grader at Hernando Christian Academy, captured first place for her vocal presentation Big Time; Shelby Martin, 11, a student at St. Anthony's School, took home second place for her song and acrobatic presentation of If I Only Had a Brain; Jake Darnell, 10, from Brandon, received third place for his piano solo of Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag; and Charles Schiascia, 10, was presented honorable mention for his Italian vocal aria O Del Mio Dolce Ardor.

Other participants in Group I were: Courtney Graham, Noelle Diaz, Kailey Holyoke, Courtney Nathe, Harry Millison, Katie Ruffel and Grace Hernandez. In Group II, Leah Weightman, 13, a seventh-grader at Pine View Middle School, captured first place with her dramatic modern dance to The Minstrel Boy; Bianca Contrearas, 12, a sixth-grader at St. Anthony's School, was awarded second place for her piano solo The Magnificent Monarch; Elizabeth LaRue, 14, an eighth-grader at St. Anthony's School, earned third place for her vocal presentation, Don't Rain on My Parade; and Ana LaRue, 11, a sixth-grader at St. Anthony's School, received honorable mention for her acrobatic dance.

Other participants in Group II were: Maggie Sutton, Olivia Coscia, Kathleen White, Amanda Sarrett and Victoria Betz.

In Group III, Suzanne Hughes, 16, a student a Tampa Prep, captured first place with a vocal presentation in Italian of O Mio Babbino Caro; Lauren Farley, 17, an 11th grader at Pasco High, took home second place for a modern dance to Fragile; D. J. Trautman, 14, a ninth-grader at Land O' Lakes High, was awarded third place for his piano solo of Khachaturian's popular Sabre Dance; and Nerissa Moore, 16, a student at Tampa Bay Technical High School, was presented honorable mention for her piano solo of Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso.

Other participants in Group III were: Rachel Hernandez, Ashley Scharber, Alejandra Hernandez, Helen Johnson, Arianna Moore, Danielle Black and Samantha Maggard. In Group IV, Les Etoiles, a dance group of ages 13-17, with members Kirsten Coleman, Lauren Farley, Helen Johnson, Kati Pennington, Sabrina Scanga, Ashley Scharber, Jamie Stout and Leah Weightman, captured first place with a modern dance to Right On, Be Free.

Second place in Group IV went to Showstoppers, a show choir of 18 members ages 12-17 including: Stephanie Bires, Brianna Birmingham, Dani Black, Abbi Chaffin, Melissa Davis, Stephanie Davis, Alee Hernandez, Suzanne Hughes, Aryn Kelly, Lindsay Kelly, Ashley Lago, Ashley Larkin, Elizabeth LaRue, Shelby Mander, Kathryn Pitton, Ashlee Shireman, Maggie Sutton and Kathleen White. Showstoppers used Latin rhythms and maracas in their performance of Ay Carumba!

Third place in Group IV was awarded to Showtime, a show choir group of 18 members ages 8-13, including: Zoey Allison, Carlee Chaffin, Amanda Dempsey, Cheyenne Gordon, Michele Hernandez, Charlotte Lynn, Shelby Martin, Mary Beth McDougal, Courtney Nathe, Sydney Pashley, Sarah Randall, Emily Richter, Katie Sartain, Paige Shilling, Katie Sutton, Paulla Taylor, Rachel Wise and Amanda Wilcher. Showtime performed to Steppin' Out, which featured a unique section in which black lights made only the gloves of the performers visible.

Honorable mention in the Group IV category went to Moore sisters, Arianna, 14, and Nerissa, 16, who presented a piano duet Slavic Tales.

Other participants in the Group IV category were another sister act of Ava and Rachel Hernandez playing a piano duet; Dance Arts Center group of 6- and 7-year-olds, including Noelle Diaz, Stella Filipov, Taylor Forgas and Marlee Schiappa, performing a jazz dance; Showoffs, a show choir of 6-9 year olds, including Francesca Bottitta, Allie Felts, Courtney Graham, Kailey Holyoke, Kirsten Hunt, Kirsten Lingo, Avery Lockliear, Sylvia McDonald, Jenna Pavek, Lauren Pashley, Maggie Plourde, Riley Roberts, Rainey Tomkow, Jessica Twitmeyer, Gabrielle Tyte, Molly Verrill and Natalie White; and Company "B," a tap dance group composed of Cyndee Bennett, Carla Causey, Olivia Coscia, Erica Dutrow, Nikki Hamory, Anna LaRue, Allie Parrish, Courtney Ricardo, Chloe Yount and Rachel Nelson.

Rounding out the awards presented at Spotlight on Talent were awards presented for the visual arts. Best of Show went to Sachy Rodriguez for her Self Portrait on Papyrus as an Egyptian and two honorable mention awards were presented to Lacey Frazier and Briana Miller.

Other participants in the 2006 Spotlight on Talent Visual Artists persentation were Amanda Armatrout, Becky Connor, Lexie Delarue, Imani Harris, Brandais Austrino, Bianca Contrearas, Lillian Finnerty, Molli Gard, Kathleen White, Melissa Jaramillo, Brina Koohbanani, Celeste Martin, Devenie Wise, Nicole Cofino, Felisha Flores, Lauren Jaramillo, Angelina Gemmel, Amanda Gibbs, Ashley Hall, Alesha Hassard, Alex Lopez, Jeff Morrow, Francis Sellers, and Alli Spears.

The artwork of students was on display in the Performing Arts Center foyer, and guests enjoyed browsing during the intermissions between group acts.

Judges for the event were Nina Isadora, Susan Sisk, Sandra Walters, Richard Zielinski and Rebecca Groomes, who substituted for Paul Tune, who was unable to attend.

Assisting with the presentation of awards were Laura Klosterman, Miss Pasco County, and Ashley Hayden, Miss Pasco County Fair.

Heritage Arts Center Association produces Spotlight on Talent each year. A 15 member board of directors work for many months to make the event possible, and the final production team included many community members who assisted by volunteering many hours of their time. Members of the production team were: Friedman, Groomes, Alicia Guanio, Susan Noblitt, Jean Johnson, Judy Groomes, Cindy Ross, Kay Medwick, Linda Whitman, Kitty Piersall, Carla Shive, Judy Schaper, Ralph Evans, Linda Harris, David Groomes, Todd Lewandoski, Jacqueline Worthy, Julie Cotton, Deborah LaRue, Alison Graham, Steve Mayville, Charlotte Gibson, Michelle Sutton, Kay Roberson, Kent Ross, Gary Hatrick and Arts In Motion Children's Theater. Twenty corporate sponsors and patrons donated toward the $2,000 cash prizes, trophies and ribbons that were awarded and contributed toward the $7,500 cost of the show. Corporate donors were Greenfelder, Mander, Murphy, Dwyer and Morris; Tampa Electric Co.; Premium Title; Rotary Club of Dade City; A Friend of the Arts; Compton and Polk, P.A.; Wachovia Bank; Citrus Chrysler; Florida Medical Clinic; Grower's Fertilizer; Jarrett Ford; Johnson, Auvil, Brock and Wilson; Peterson Insurance; and San Antonio Credit Union. Patrons who contributed to make the event possible were: Charles Waller, P.A.; Educational Services; Larry Hersch, P.A.; Lynch, Gregg, and Lynch; Nationwide Insurance, Scott Black; and State Farm Insurance.

A thank you was also extended to the preliminary judges who sat through many hours of auditions selecting the top acts that appeared on the final night of competition. The preliminary judges were: Barbara Anderson, David Groomes, Lynda Lamirande, Rebecca Lane, Carole McBride, Ray Polk, Jen Regal Romanski, Bradley Stevens, Louise Voscinar, and Sandra Walters. Almost four hours after beginning, the show drew to a close, Belcher made his final remarks, costumes were packed back into garment bags, and more than 700 people in the Performing Arts Center began to find their way back to cars.

A small blond girl carried her yellow rain boots, part of her costume in Showoffs presentation of Singin' in the Rain, and her mother carried the yellow rain slicker. They opened their car doors and begin to stash the costume parts inside. Though her group did not take a prize, the huge smile on the child's face left no doubt of her delight with the evening. The 23rd Annual Spotlight on Talent had come to a successful end.

HUMANE SOCIETY SEEKS FOSTER FAMILY FOR ANIMALS: The Humane Society of the Nature Coast seeks a foster home for the cats of a community member who is being deployed to Kuwait. The length of time needed will be approximately 17 months. There are four cats in the family, but if necessary they can be separated.

The Humane Society is seeking help from the community in showing appreciating to military men and women by helping out with these family pets. Fostering the cats will help keep this "family" together until the owner returns from military duty. Appointments for an interview to exchange more information will be arranged. Anyone willing to help is asked to call Sharlene Morrell at SunTrust, (352) 666-4493.

HONORARY MAYOR PRESENTS DONATION: Faith Jordan-Masella, honorary mayor of Land O'Lakes, recently presented her campaign donation for the ABC Program of the Pasco County Schools to Chip Wichmanowski, executive director of the Pasco Education Foundation. Also attending the presentation were Dave Chamberlin, supervisor of Student Services for the local school system, and Kathy Dunkley, executive director of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

The ABC Program takes its name from "Assist, Believe and Care" and is committed to helping children and families that experience financial hardships, limiting their ability to provide activities or services that are needed for survival or to assist the child in school.

Each school has an ABC Committee that assists students within that school. When the request for help is greater than what the school's ABC Program can fund, the committee can request additional help from the District ABC Fund.

While running for honorary mayor, Jordan-Masella raised money for the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. For her efforts, a share of the money earned was designated for Jordan-Masella to donate to a favorite charity. She chose the ABC Program, saying, "I wish I could have donated more to this wonderful program. I am proud to be able to promote the ABC Program that is available to students in Pasco County. The work that I do - along with my husband, Anthony Masella Jr. - to help promote the good things that go on in our community, a lot of which has to do with schools, enables me to see a lot of the wonderful work that is being done through the schools.

But, unfortunately, there are many cases right here in our own back yard where our students need some extra support and that's where the ABC can help. This is definitely one of the best parts about being the honorary mayor."

Anyone can donate to the ABC fund. Individuals can donate directly to a school of their choice or to the district fund. To make a donation to the fund or to request services for a family or student in need, contact Chamberlin at 813 794-2442 or by e-mail at dachambe@pasco.k12.fl.us

Springstead High alumni work on reunion plans. Kim Reagan, Kelly McMurdo Garman, Carla King, Susan Graves Croft and Chris Coggburn Mowry, along with former guidance counselor Bill Newell and other Springstead Eagles from the classes of 1979 to 1982, gathered recently to work on plans for a reunion.

The group is putting the finishing touches on the June 23-25 event, which will include social gatherings, a tour of the school, a banquet and a Sunday afternoon picnic.

[Last modified May 7, 2006, 01:10:18]