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People & parties

CARES benefit dinner features films, awards

By JENNIFER STEWART
Published February 6, 2005

NEW PORT RICHEY - We think U.S. 19 can be challenging.

When the highway was nothing but limerock, James W. Mitchell and his brother, Jack, drove 49 head of cattle down it from Hudson to State Road 54.

"It wasn't too bad. It wasn't too hard ...," James Mitchell said.

Too bad folks in the cars behind them didn't feel the same.

"We heard some foul language," said Mitchell, who added that, at one point, his brother dismounted and approached a car that then quickly sped away.

Mitchell's story is one of the many caught on camera for Pasco Living History, a series of short documentaries on Pasco County pioneers that were made by students from Schwettman Education Center.

"Things have not always been like they are right now, and young people need to remember that, said Jay B. Starkey Jr., who also is profiled in the project.

The most recent films in the series debuted at the Community Aging and Retirement Services (or CARES) annual benefit dinners held Jan. 27 in west Pasco and Thursday in Dade City.

Young at Heart was the theme this year. Fittingly, CARES president and CEO Bill Aycrigg quoted Albert Einstein, who said, "Do not grow old, no matter how long you live."

About 130 people attended the benefit on the west side of the county, at Heritage Springs Country Club, raising about $20,000 for CARES.

Guests enjoyed chicken, beef and vegetarian dinners, followed by cheesecake with a raspberry topping for dessert.

And a couple of big awards were announced.

The guests were among the first to learn that Dr. Rao Musunuru, CARES board of directors chairman, was named Physician of the Year by the American Heart Association.

And Pastor J. Stephen Wright of First Baptist Church of Dade City was given the 2005 Phil Mishkin Award for his commitment to the elderly.

Two of the Schwettman students who worked on Pasco Living History, freshman Nanine Nguyen and junior Randy Allen, were also recognized for their work.

They attended with their instructor, Doug VanEtten, who teaches science and TV production at the school.

"My personal love for it is that I get to hear firsthand the stories I read about in history class," VanEtten said.

CARES board member Dr. Marc J. Yacht, director of the Pasco County Health Department, provides the overall direction for the project.

The films shown at Heritage Springs featured former County Commissioner David "Hap" Clark and his brothers Page and Jim, along with Mitchell and Starkey.

Master of ceremonies Tim Hayes made a joke based on the livestock incident mentioned in the film. He told the crowd, "If you hit them, they're Mitchell cows. If you don't, they're Starkey's, so let them back in the gate, please."

Other Pasco Living History films profile attorney and historian William Dayton, retired teacher Thelma Allen, ranchers Charlie Mack and Mark Overstreet and others.

VanEtten hopes the films will soon be available to the public in the form of videotapes at the West Pasco Historical Society and programs on Pasco County's cable television station.

While Randy clearly has a flair for doing on-camera interviews, he doesn't have plans to go into the business. "It's a lot of work," he said.

He did, however, enjoy interviewing his subjects in their own environments.

"(Mitchell) has like a Western room where we taped him," Randy said. "It was pretty cool."

Also among those at the benefit dinner:

CARES CFO Charles Sobel, Tampa; state Rep. Tom and Alice Anderson, Dunedin; Caryl Melancon, Hudson; Dorothy Mitchell, New Port Richey; Dominick and Judy DePetrillo, New Port Richey; Don and Danielle Peake, New Port Richey; Dr. Tom Anderson, Palm Harbor; Dewey Mitchell, Trinity; and Joel and Marilyn Dennison, New Port Richey.

Jennifer Stewart writes about social events and personalities in Pasco County. She can be reached in west Pasco at 727 869-6231. Her e-mail address is jstewart@sptimes.com

[Last modified February 6, 2005, 00:22:15]