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Girl, 8, Catches 8 Fish To Win Hooked On Fishing Event

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By BARBARA ROUTEN

Tribune Correspondent

Published: June 21, 2008

DOVER - More than 120 children, ages 2 through 13, cast their lines in the Brandon Elks Lodge's fifth annual Hooked on Fishing Not Drugs event May 17 at Doug Holmberg's property on Gallagher Road in Dover.

The kids, including 16 from Lithia, six from Riverview and two from Ruskin, caught 90 fish.

"We try not only to let the kids know that there are other activities besides doing drugs, but also to get the parents involved with the children," said Len Brown, public relations chairman for the lodge.

Grand prize for the most fish caught overall went to 8-year-old Brianna Hess, who caught her age in fish. Grand prize for the biggest fish of all went to 8-year-old Andrew Clyburn, whose catch was 20 inches long.

In the 2- to 5-year-old category, Nathaniel Jackson, 4, caught the most fish - four; Alyson Simmons, 3, caught the biggest - 15 inches.

Of the 6- to 7-year-olds, Joseph DeLally, 6, and Damion Neale, 6, tied with four fish each; Andrew Skidmore, 7, caught an 8-inch fish.

Krista Harrington, 8, caught three fish - the most in the 8 to 9-year-old group. Nikki Lubbers, 8, caught the largest, at 51/2 inches.

Jessica Williams, 10, caught five fish in the 10- to 11-year-old group, which was tops. Two in boys in the category caught large fish: Jack Hubbard, 10, reeled in a 16-inch fish, and Avery Brown, 11, nabbed a 14-inch one.

The most fish caught by 12- to 13-year-old fishers was five, brought in by 13-year-old Hayley Muley. The biggest was 9 inches, caught by Jimmy Rentz, 13.

All winners were allowed to choose something from the prize table, which held sporting equipment including rods and reels, footballs, basketballs and skateboards.

Included in a bag of take-home items for each child was a coloring book of student-made posters with captions like "Drinking is for people who aren't thinking," "Don't be a fuzz brain - don't do drugs," and "Say nope to dope." The kids also received pamphlets called "Elks Tips for Teens" with information about inhalants, tobacco, steroids, marijuana, HIV/AIDS and methamphetamines.

The event's message: was loud and clear. Everyone who stays away from drugs makes the best catch of all. For information about the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks of the U.S.A. or to take a drug-awareness quiz, go to www.elks.org.

Lions Club Gives Gift Of Sight

BRANDON - The Brandon Lions Club of District 35-R was honored by the Hillsborough County School Board May 20 for its year-long effort to screen South Shore and greater Brandon area children for vision, hearing and scoliosis problems.

Arthur Schmidt, project coordinator and the club's three-year director; Michael Kirk, club vice president; Howard "Bo" Hurley, club two-year director; and fellow club members Harold and Mary Elza spent more than 200 hours assisting registered nurses at nearly all of the public and many private schools in the county. They checked the height, weight, vision and hearing of 12,529 kindergarten, first-graders and third-graders and screened for scoliosis in sixth-graders.

Kirk learned that the National Association of School Nurses, in conjunction with the VSP Sight for Students project, would give 25 certificates for free eye examinations and glasses to each nurse who became a new member of the association. The certificates provide services for children whose families' incomes do not exceed 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines.

"When the nurses use up the 25 vouchers," Kirk said, "they may get another 25, and then another 25. It's almost too good to be true."

Joe Desmarais, immediate past-president of the Brandon Lions Club and chairman of the Greater Tampa Lions Sight Fund, arranged for a donation of $3,000 from the fund to pay membership fees for 30 registered nurses to join the association - resulting in the generation of at least 750 free eye exams and glasses.

"Through this donation, not only will many more children receive eye care through this process, but it would relieve the financial strain on many clubs should any of these children's parents contact Lions Clubs for financial support," Schmidt said.

As of May 1, about 40 percent of the 798 who had been referred for more eye exams had them and gotten glasses. However, only 82 of the 1,905 referred for further hearing tests "had reported corrective action," Schmidt said.

A June 4 letter to Schmidt from Marilyn P. Wissing, the volunteer school nurse coordinator of the Florida Department of Health, thanked him for "supporting our school nurses during the 2007-08 school year." She added, "as you know, the Volunteer School Nurse Program will be terminated across Florida June 30, 2008."

Because there no longer will be funding for a districtwide management of the school nurses as of July 1, Kirk and Schmidt hope to enlist the help of other Lions Clubs, especially at schools within each club's geographical boundaries, for the project. The Brandon Lions would coordinate between the nurses and the appropriate Lions Clubs, Schmidt said.

"Some years ago, that's how it was set up, and we'd like to reinvigorate that previous program," Kirk said. "We have an agreement to hash out with Dr. Maria Russ Health Services Coordinator of the Hillsborough County School District. Then we want to talk with other Lions Clubs and coordinate the volunteer work with them."

For information, contact Kirk at (813) 655-9343 or amk50@verizon.net.

Meeting Focuses On Coronary Artery Disease

SUN CITY CENTER - Coronary artery disease will be the topic presented by Robert Dewhurst, a cardiologist from Bay Area Cardiology and Associates, at the Sun City Center Emergency Squad Alumni Association meeting at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the Florida Room, 955 North Course Lane.

The association will not get together in July. Their subsequent meeting will take place at noon Aug. 15 at Ozzie's Buffet and Grill, 3074 College Ave. E., Ruskin. Reservations are not required.

For information, call Betty Eppich, (813) 634-1330.

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

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