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Hometown Pinellas for April 23

 
Selden J.P. Myers
Selden J.P. Myers
Published April 22, 2014

MILITARY NEWS: Navy Seaman Apprentice Tyler A. Shook, son of Alan W. Shook of Simi Valley, Calif., and Deborah A. Whittemore of St. Petersburg, recently reported for duty aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. Shook is a 2013 graduate of Simi Valley High School in California.

THERAPIST WINS AWARD: Northside Hospital has announced its 2013 Frist Humanitarian Award Winner, Heather Wood. Wood is an occupational therapist with special certifications in hand therapy and ergonomics and is also a licensed massage therapist. She has participated in educating interns and residents at Northside, given community lectures on common hand injuries and participated in stroke support groups. Additionally, she traveled to Nicaragua to train, teach and provide hand therapy. Wood also participated in a medical mission in September 2013 to China to educate hand surgeons on the role of hand therapists and to lay the groundwork for therapists to volunteer there and assist in establishing a functioning hand therapy clinic to support the great number of patients.

Volunteer project: Volunteers from Bauder Elementary School and Home Depot built a swing set for Seminole third-grader Josh Steijger, who has a tumor behind his eye. Josh is undergoing chemotherapy, and the rocking sensation of a swing soothes him. Home Depot in Seminole donated the building materials, West Coast Fence Corp. and PlayNation of Tampa donated swing parts, Mike's Pizza of Largo donated lunch and Dowling Graphics donated "Project Josh" shirts.

Boy Becomes Eagle Scout: Seminole resident Selden J.P. Myers achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in March. The 12-year-old is a lone Scout and completed his Eagle Project in August. The project, titled "Let's Know Our Surroundings," focused on identifying names of the flora at the Largo Nature Preserve though 12 QR codes on a self-guided tour. Selden has achieved several awards in his time with the Boy Scouts and earned 69 merit badges.

Painting takes top prize: St. Petersburg artist Jane Chapin won the Best of Show Award at the Third Annual Juried Exhibition of Women Painters of the Southeast. Her winning painting, Tangled Up in Blues, was selected from 148 juried entries for the top prize of $5,000. This year's Women Painters of the Southeast annual show was at Magnolia Art Gallery in Greensboro, Ga. The group promotes women representational painters in the Southeast and has more than 300 members. Chapin's paintings, as well as her event schedule, can be viewed at janechapin.com.