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Brandon High Junior ROTC Cadets Thank Veterans

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By BARBARA ROUTEN

Tribune correspondent

Published: December 3, 2008

BRANDON - At the annual flag-raising and Veterans' Recognition Ceremony on Nov. 10 at Brandon High School, cadets in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps honored their relatives and Brandon dignitaries who have served the country in war.

"The kids did a great job, and our principal, Leslie Granich, was very pleased," said Lt. Col. Guy Walsh, senior Army instructor for the school's Junior ROTC program.

Among those honored were Frank Granich, U.S. Air Force, Desert Storm, and husband of Brandon High's principal; and Lt. Cmdr. Richard Bensing, U.S. Navy, a graduate of Brandon High School and a crew member of a Navy plane forced down by the Chinese in 2001; and Brandon High employees Zoraida Vazques, U.S. Army; Jose Valazques, U.S. Army; and Jim Hayford, U.S. Army, Korean War.

Also honored were Sonny Weber, U.S. Army, World War II; Patrick Mandolini, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam; Brian Butler, U.S. Army, Desert Storm; Anthony Minuto, U.S. Army, Vietnam; Scott Morath, U.S. Marine Corps, Desert Storm; Ken Ferrin, U.S. Marine Corps, Vietnam; Daniel White, U.S. Army, Vietnam; and Petty Officer Linda Heid, U.S. Navy, Desert Storm and Navy recruiter in Brandon.

After the ceremony, about two dozen cadets delivered a huge thank you card to veterans on the spinal injury ward at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital. The card was created by Heriberto Torres and Liliana Flores, students of Brandon High School art teacher Nancy Kirkpatrick.

Meeting veterans at the ward was "quite an eye-opener for our kids," Walsh said. "I think our kids get more out of these visits than the vets, though there were a few tears on both sides - again.

"The JROTC cadets know that the freedoms and the opportunities each of us has are all directly tied to the service and sacrifices made by our veterans, peacetime and wartime," Walsh said. "Freedom is not free. It must be paid for by our veterans, and sometimes good people pay the highest price.

"The kids also got to see how our taxpayer money was being spent," Walsh continued. "Every veteran we talked to said that the James Haley hospital, in particular the spinal injury ward, was fantastic. They were all very satisfied and felt very lucky to be there in that program."

Parent Learns To Be Principal

TAMPA - Brandon resident Stacy Feiler of the Legacy Venture Group gave Principal Walt Shaffner a day off when she presided over Progress Village Middle Magnet School of the Arts as principal for the day Nov. 7, part of the Presidents-to-Principals Day sponsored by the Hillsborough Education Foundation.

This was not the first time Feiler spent time in the school. She participates in the Great American Teach-in and is on the Student Advisory Council Committee.

One of her six children, Tony Feiler, attends Progress Village. He plays trombone in the jazz band, participates in musical theater and is a member of the basketball, track and flag football teams.

Her husband, John, is subject area leader for the science department at the school and is the seventh-grade team leader.

Stacey Feiler discovered that some things haven't changed since her days in grade school.

"The position still holds a high level of respect, or, as some might venture to say, fear," she said.

She learned that for her, being principal "would be a transition from a relationship of friendship to boss. It would be a difficult line to draw, but you can't be the kids' pal and their principal. You have to become a fair and firm leader, a guide, a mentor, but you need to stay a level above all those in your supervisory care - everyone from the teachers, the kids, to the administrative staff. Yet in your heart, you do think of them as your own kids and your friends.

"Tough, very tough," she said. "It certainly takes a unique person to fill those shoes."

Have Breakfast With Santa

The Greater Brandon Kiwanis Club invites children of all ages to a Breakfast with Santa from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 13 at Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center, 405 Beverly Blvd.

Pancakes, bacon and juice or coffee will cost $7.50 per person for ages 3 and older; children younger than 3 enter free if accompanied by a paying adult.

There will be games and a bounce house for children, photos with Santa, clowns and a drawing for a huge family gift basket.

Tickets may be purchased at the door or from Minute Man Press, 115 N. Kings Ave.

For information about Kiwanis, whose motto is "Serving the Children of the World," visit www.kiwanis.org.

Concert Features Orchestra Programs

More than 100 members of the Brandon High School Symphony Orchestra and two baroque orchestras - made up of members of the Brandon String Orchestra - will present the sixth annual Concerto Concert at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday in the school auditorium, 1101 Victoria St. Donald Langland will conduct.

The musicians will play the first movement of Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony," movement four of Tchaikovsky's "Symphony No. 4 in F Minor," a movement of Vivaldi's violin concerto "Winter," a Telemann viola concerto in G major and a holiday pick.

Featured soloists will be Ericka Cantor on viola and Jeremiah Riddle on violin.
Brandon High School has had an orchestra program for more than 40 years, one of the oldest in Florida. It has been awarded nothing less than superior ratings at four of the past five State Music Performance Assessments, an achievement reached by fewer than a dozen high school orchestras.

Langland said the program has earned "nothing less than straight superiors and overall champion in the past six years of national competition in New York, San Francisco and Chicago," a distinction shared with only one other high school.

Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 the night of the performance. For tickets or more information, contact Langland at Donald.Langland@sdhc .k12.fl.us or by calling (813) 744-8120, ext. 275.

3 Schools Present 'Pippin'

PLANT CITY - More than 60 students from the drama departments of Newsome, Durant and Plant City high schools will present Stephen Schwartz's musical "Pippin" at 7 p.m. Dec. 11, 12 and 13 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 14 in the Tomlin Middle School theater, 501 N. Woodrow Wilson St.

Drama sponsors Steve Austin of Newsome, Maxville Frost of Plant City and Edward Mason of Durant are co-directing the show.

Austin, Frost and their students developed a mutual respect last year. Frost's "kids were talented, dedicated and just plain good at what they did," Austin said, "and it showed in their productions."

Because Frost's students could benefit from working in a larger venue and Austin's "could learn on all kinds of levels from corroborating with another school," Austin said, they decided to produce a show together.

When Frost told Mason what they were planning, "long story short, he was in," Austin said.

"This is our first attempt at a cooperative show, and it has been quite the educational experience for all three of us," Austin said.

The directors have faced many logistical challenges regarding rehearsal locations, finances and schedules.

"Try matching up with the schedule of just a handful of over-committed students, then imagine doing it with 60-plus!" Austin said. "But we have always come out OK, and a little wiser."

Pippin will be played by Christopher Tousignant of Durant. Leading players will be Mackenzie Jenkins, Durant, and Alyssa Desoye, Newsome. Catherine will be double cast by Sara Villa, Newsome, and Mackenzie Winters, Plant City; the role of Bertha will be double cast by Emily Waska, Newsome, and Lindsey Mutert, Durant. Young Theo will be played by Chris Sheperd, Durant; Old Theo will be played by David Coovert, Plant City; and Louis, double cast by Mike Leal, Durant, and Taylor Frost, Plant City.

Tickets are $15 for orchestra seating, $10 for general floor and $7 for balcony. Groups of 10 or more receive $2 off individual ticket prices.

For tickets or information, contact Maxville.Frost @sdhc.k12.fl.us or call (813) 781-1285 or visit www.pippin .ticketleap.com.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampabay.rr .com or call (813) 657-4531.

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