Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 3-25-16 Edition

Features
Cuscaden Pool Expected
Grand Opening Of
To Open This Summer
New Center Honoring
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
City Council Chair, Frank Reddick, is proud to announce that barring any setbacks, Cuscaden Pool will be reopening for the sum- mer.
Former Mayor Pam Iorio shut the pool down in 2009 because it was leaking in excess of 450,000 gallons of water annually. That was just 4 years after the city got almost $3 million in federal funds to renovate the pool.
Aided by a $350,000 grant from the Division of Historical Resources, the city spent $1.8 million rehabbing the historic pool.
Among the problems at the pool were cracks in the pool surface, peeling paint and mold on the walls. No drainage was constructed around the pool’s outer walls
CUSCADEN POOL
and that meant when it rained heavily, the overflow collected on the deck and leaked into the rooms below.
In 2013, Council mem- bers were discussing demol- ishing the pool and replacing it with an Olympic size pool.
Council Chair Red- dick was adamant that the pool be repaired, and at the same time upset that the city had spent millions with a contractor who did shoddy work.
“A lot of mistakes were made with the initial repairs. The city didn’t get what they wanted the first time, and that’s why I’ve serve notice that the contractors will be held liable for any problems after the project has been completed.”
Council Chair Red- dick said there will be pro- grams offered for the kids the same as the city’s other
COUNCIL CHAIR FRANK REDDDICK
parks, and that will include swimming lessons.
“There will be structured programs at the pool and the park. We expect everything ready to go by the summer if the current schedule isn’t in- terrupted.”
“The entire community is looking forward to it opening again, and I can’t wait for the ribbon cutting.”
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
After a four-month delay, the Grand Opening Ceremony for a new Community Center in Progress Village will be ded- icated during the ceremony in honor of Mr. Emanuel P. Johnson, the unofficial “Mayor of Progress Village.”
The ceremony for the
Emanuel P. Johnson Progress Village Commu- nity Center and Gymna- sium, 5855 S. 75th Street, will take place on Saturday, March 26th, at 1 p.m.
The center complements the Larry Sanders Sports Complex that is located nearby. It offers an indoor gymnasium that will accom- modate athletic and recre- ational programs for youth and adults.
The new facility includes a 7,000 square-foot gymnasium and an additional 8,000 square feet of recreational space. The facility is equipped with a multi-purpose room, kitchen, exercise and weight training rooms, computer lab, game room, and an arts & crafts room.
The Emanuel P. John- son Progress Village Community Center and Gymnasium meets all re- quirements for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and costs $2.3 million.
The Progress Village Sub- division came into existence in 1959, designated as a home- ownership community for African Americans. When the homes became available for purchase, Mr. Johnson and his family were among the first settlers.
EMANUEL P. JOHNSON ... Unofficial “Mayor of Progress Village”
A native of Marianna, Florida, Mr. Johnson is a veteran of World War II. He was discharged in 1945, after serving his country honorably.
But, he couldn’t find em- ployment immediately. Even- tually, he found employment with the DeVoe Paint Com- pany, the first paint company in the United States. He re- mained with the company for 35 years.
When the homes became available, Mr. Johnson pur- chased his home with a $250.00 down payment, and a mortgage of $56 per month for 40 years.
Today, more than 50 years later, many of the original res- idents of the subdivision still live in the area.
Mr. Johnson is consid- ered the Historian of Progress Village as well as his home- town of Marianna, where fam- ily members still live. He possesses a wealth of informa- tion about the Progress Village community and its residents. He celebrated his 94th birth- day on October 14th.
When Mr. Johnson learned the structure would be named in his honor, he was humbled by the news. But he said, “I’m glad to get my flow- ers while I’m living.”
Pioneer Planned
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2016