DWO 06 2021

DAYTONA WEST

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

VOLUME 2, NO. 10

Calvary Kids Center 4 FREE

YOUR TOWN GIVE KIDS THE WORLD

• JUNE 2021

Buc pride never dies Mainland High School’s Class of 2021 celebrates graduation at Ocean Center More photos at OrmondBeachObserver.com

Courtesy photo

Rotary Club of Daytona Beach West PresidentElect, Katie Widdison volunteers at Give Kids the World.

The Rotary Club of Daytona Beach West recently had a member volunteer with Give Kids the World, nonprofit resort village in Kissimmee that provides free vacations to families with terminally-ill children.

The club’s PresidentElect Katie Widdison and her mother Anne lent their time in the village’s kitchen, and as part of the club’s February Service project, the members donated board games and DVDs to Give Kids the World. The club also donated $200 to help the village reopen after the pandemic.

Mainland High School Commencement at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach

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Science supporters

Photos by Michele Meyers

The Lohmans fund new science program for VCS students

INSIDE

PAGE 2

Making noise Courtesy photo

Andrew Sandall, Jeremy Blinn, James “Zach” Zacharias, Dr. Carmen Balgobin, Jennifer Taylor, Nancy Lohman, Lowell Lohman, Carl Persis, Cynthia Ramirez, Jamie Haynes, Anita Burnette, Ruben Colon, Linda Cuthbert, Dr. Scott Fritz.

Matt Graifer, a local teacher, is the new emcee for the Tortugas.

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DAYTONA WEST OBSERVER

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DAYTONA WEST

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Lohmans fund new science program for VCS students

Volusia County Schools is pleased to announce the establishment of the Lohman’s Museum of Arts & Sciences Field Study – a fun and engaging day of science education at MOAS for all VCS fifth and eighth graders, approximately 10,000 students.

The program is being funded by a donation from Lowell and Nancy Lohman to the FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools. The Lohmans’ gift was presented at the School Board meeting on Tuesday, May 25, and the School Board honored them with an Inspiring Future Scientists Award.

The School Board also approved the formal agreement between VCS and MOAS to establish the new field study program, which will begin this fall.

“The Day at the Museum is designed to inspire future scientists to pursue their love of science education,” VCS Superintendent Scott Fritz said. “We are grateful to Lowell and Nancy Lohman, to the museum’s leadership, and our School Board for making this innovative learning experience possible.”

The VCS Science Department and the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach are collaborating to develop the academic program. Classes will take a bus to the museum for a planetarium show, science stage show, and other activities such as touring museum exhibits including the Giant Ground Sloth and the Charles

Courtesy photo

VCS Manager of Strategic Partners Kelly Amy, right, presents the Inspiring Future Scientists Award to Nancy and Lowell Lohman.

and Linda Williams Children’s Museum.

The field study will be aligned with state standards, reinforcing important concepts assessed on the 5th and 8th grade Florida Statewide Assessments.

The Lohmans said they are pleased to lend their support to the new initiative.

“We owe this opportunity to provide this program to our students completely to (School Board Member) Carl Persis,” Lowell Lohman said. “We started talking about how beneficial, memorable, and impactful a trip to the planetarium would be for students.”

“What I am truly most excited about is that no child will be left behind,” Nancy Lohman said.

“Financial ability will have no bearing on whether or not they get to go.”

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DAYTONA WEST OBSERVER

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JUNE 2021

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Y T I N U T OPPOR

S K C O R

emcee for w e n e h t is r e if Matt Gra all team. b e s a b s a g u rt o the Daytona T TYLN BEARD CONTRIBUTOR

M

Courtesy photo

Matt Graifer poses in one of his trademark suits.

att Graifer, known professionally as The Young Professor, doesn’t like making five-year plans.

“It’s unrealistic,” he said. “If you asked me five years ago, I would have never thought any of this would be happening.”

Graifer is quickly becoming a well-known voice in the local entertainment world, including his new role as emcee of the Daytona Tortugas games.

He was first recognized for his voice when he was in junior ROTC, he said. “They pulled me out and told me I would be the commander for our group,” he said. Later his team entered a national competition, and he took second place.

That was 2004. After JROTC, Graifer was the keynote speaker at his masters graduation, where he gave a speech titled, “Your Playlist for Success.” Embracing public speaking, he became a college professor in exercise sciences — until he was laid off.

By this time, Graifer had a wife and four children to provide for.

To make extra money, he started hosting trivia nights in the area.

Now, it’s a Palm Coast tradition: Every Tuesday at 7 p.m., for the last four years, The Young Professor has been hosting trivia nights at The Brown Dog, as well as other local bars, restaurants and events. While doing these trivia nights he was always told that his voice sounded great and he should get into sports announcing.

“As a simple question to myself, my wife and I wrote down things we wanted to do as a couple, in our home, and in our professions,” he recalled.

“I wrote down on that piece of paper: ‘start announcing in wrestling or sports.’”

Graifer has been a fan of pro wrestling for years, and the wrestling gods repaid him.

A few months after he wrote his goal on that paper, an ad was posted by the wrestling school in Daytona Beach. The ad said, “We’re looking for a new ring announcer. You need to be available on Saturdays, and you can’t suck.”

Graifer was available on Saturdays. He hoped he wouldn’t suck.

“I submitted a tryout video to the local wrestling company, and within days I was asked to come and try out,” he said. “I showed

up that Saturday; I walked in 15 minutes before the show, and they gave me the card with all of their names, and they told me to go and get their information, their names and their cities. I did the gig, and afterwards I got paid, which I wasn’t expecting, and they asked me to keep coming back.”

For three and a half years now, Graifer has continued to go back.

This has led to traveling to more shows and trying out for larger, nationally recognized wrestling companies.

Graifer is now a full-time teacher at Matanzas High School, which is where his wife also works.

This season, he is the emcee for the Daytona Tortugas, a minor league affiliate with the Cincinnati Reds.

“This is a massive opportunity for me,” he said, marveling at his good fortune, with apparently a gift for public speaking but no formal training in it. “I’m just some guy that grew up poor, in a not-so-awesome town in New Jersey, moved here, and didn’t really have a plan. I have just found ways to continue using my voice to entertain people.”

HOW TO ASK GOOD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Matt “The Young Professor” Graifer has learned some trick for asking good questions, as he has gained experience doing live interviews with pro wrestling stars at regional and national conventions.

1. Walk in overprepared: Do your homework by Googling the interview subject, and prepare more than you think you will need.

2. Fill in the gaps: Don’t just ask the same questions as other interviewers have asked. Contribute something new to the body of knowledge about your subject, through your interview.

3. Interview before the interview: Avoid embarassing moments by reviewing the material with the subject before you go live.

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DAYTONA WEST OBSERVER

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JUNE 2021

Ormond’s Calvary Christian Centers unveils new Kids Center The $1.5 million renovation was done debt-free, thanks to support from the church’s membership.

“We just wanted to have a building that looked like it was made for kids.”

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Bright colors. A playground. Dedicated classroom spaces. A brand new theater space.

Calvary Christian Center completed its $1.5 million renovation of its Kids Center last fall, and on Saturday, May 29, the church is finally celebrating its grand opening. Where there once stood a large open space with a stage, the church’s former sanctuary, has been evolved into a space to better suit the church’s purpose.

“We just wanted to have a building that looked like it was made for kids,” said Jennifer Woods, Calvary Kids pastor.

The project was a long time coming. The kids center was moved to the current building in 2010 when the new sanctuary was built, and Woods said they were thinking about renovating the building back then. But it wasn’t until four years ago that they began the process. The church broke ground in October 2019.

And then came 2020. Woods said there were a lot of question marks regarding the pandemic, but the church already had the money for the project lined up.

Members had pledged funds in the beginning of the year and

JENNIFER WOODS, Calvary Kids pastor

Jennifer Woods, Calvary Kids pastor; and Lauren Lebron, of Calvary Christian Center.

remained supportive.

“Our pastor said this is something that we know that we’re supposed to do,” Woods said. Calvary’s pastor is Jim Raley.

With the support in place, Calvary was able to complete construction in October 2020, and did so debt-free. Only the indoor playground and cafe didn’t open at that time due to COVID-19, which is why the church decided to wait to celebrate the center’s grand opening. The chilAd ID: 1993890 dren are excited, Woods said, since they walk past the indoor Advertiser: ABB - INSIDE playground every Sunday.

Next Run: Fri 05/28/21 Having dedicated classroom spaces has helped with the ministry portion as well, she added.

It adds a more intimate learning environment and lessens distrac-

SALES

Photos by Jarleene Almenas

tions.

Children, including Wood’s own, have a hard time going home every Sunday, she said. That’s how she knows they’ve achieved their purpose: building a space in which the kids are safe, having fun and can grow their relationship with God. “We can only say, ‘Look what God has done,’ because there’s so many challenges that came with 2020,” Woods said. “But it really brought hope that you could see something beautiful happening in the midst of a lot of crazy things happening.”

The center is open to the public for community and private events. Visit calvaryfl.com

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