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Shooting victim's zest for life, zeal to learn rewarded
© St. Petersburg Times, No one would have blamed Nikki Hart if she stayed down after she was shot in a McDonald's on E Hillsborough Avenue last July. Police say Nikki's stepfather, John David Wilson Jr., walked into the McDonald's where she was working and shot her in the head and shoulder. Wilson was separated from Nikki's mother and apparently was seeking vengeance. He then went home and shot himself. The bullet bounced off his jawbone and he survived. He is scheduled to go on trial later this month. Nikki, who was 16 at the time, survived too. She still has a bullet lodged in her brain and has lost sight in her left eye. Each night she has to remove her temporary glass eye and cleanse it to avoid infection. But there she was last Saturday, receiving a $1,000 scholarship to attend Hillsborough Community College at the Fortune Education Foundation Dinner. The foundation, which is headed by Lee Ware, gives scholarships to local female students, and no one was more deserving on Saturday than Nikki. "It's a miracle she's alive, and it's even more of a miracle she has a 3.5 grade-point average (at Tampa Street School)," said Ken Dandar, an attorney and family friend. "She could be sitting home crying for herself, but she pulled herself together." Both Dandar and private investigator Rick Spector have lent a helping hand. Spector helped Nikki apply for a Fortune scholarship and also put her in contact with the Lions, who are covering the medical costs for a permanent glass eye. After Nikki received her scholarship, Dandar brought her to the podium and told her story. Then he talked about what everyone at the downtown Hyatt already could see. "Isn't she beautiful?" Dandar remarked. "SoHo Pointe" developers now have a sign touting the new restaurant/retail/office center on the corner of Howard and Swann, but don't count out the Chatterbox just yet. If the deal goes through as expected, the new 24,000-square-foot project will cover the lots where the Chatterbox and Dr. Michael Dunn's office currently sit. But as proprietor Dan Lea, who holds the liquor license, said earlier this year, he's hopeful the Chatterbox will find a home in the new development. The idea would be to take the old-wood decor from the existing bar and place it in a new shell. Ginger Watters, you might think, would launch her new advertising and marketing firm in a downtown high rise, but that's where she was, not where she's going. The former managing director of Fahlgren Benito has opened the Watters Group in a 70-year-old house on Fifth Avenue in Ybor City. The house, which was renovated by Manuel Alvarez of Ybor Realty, is enchanting to anyone who likes the architecture of yesteryear. Watters has added a nice touch: She is allowing the office to double as an art gallery for local artists such as Martha Brooks Marshall. Robert Durst, one of the two servers who waited on President Bush at Bern's last week, called to clear up a misconception in my column. While one of Bush's aides did indeed call the restaurant later that evening to add to the tip the presidential party had left, the initial tip was substantial, not a small one. The impression I left with some of Robert's acquaintances is that Bush's aide was a cheapskate. He's been getting some playful ribbing at the restaurant, but he doesn't want the White House thinking he was not appreciative. No one wants to put a tax break in jeopardy. Theo Valentin and Friends performed at the Fortune foundation dinner, and I can attest they are well worth the price of admission. The jazz vocalists can be heard tonight and every Wednesday at Moet's, 3605 W. Hillsborough. - Ernest Hooper can be reached at (813) 226-3406 or Hooper@sptimes.com.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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Times columns today Howard Troxler Robert Trigaux Bill Maxwell Ernest Hooper From the Times Metro desks |
