Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 1-1-16 Edition

Year In Review
Cathedral, passed away Satur- day, February 14, 2015, after a brief illness.
Thousands of new laptop computers arrived at 128 Hillsborough County District Schools. The computers were the result of a $1.7 million grant to upgrade technology in classrooms.
The Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners sought nominations for the annual YEA! (Youth Excel- lence and Achievement) Awards.
Mrs. Grace Mitchell
was a native of Valdosta, Geor- gia, and lived in Tampa for 80 years, died. She was the widow of the late Rev. George W. Mitchell, former pastor of Mount Pleasant M. B. Church.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn
announced that programming for the summer would double at City Parks and Recreation Centers.
Members of the Hillsbor- ough County School Board ap- proved changes to troubled Sulphur Springs Elementary school by allowing it to be- come a K-8 began in the fall of 2015.
Gene Marshall, a retiree from the banking industry was chosen to serve on the govern- ing board of Tampa General Hospital. His appointment was for a 3-year term.
U. S. Rep. Kathy Castor honored Ms. Evangeline “Van” Best and the late Jetie B. Wilds by listing their accomplishments in the Congressional Records.
EVANGELINE BEST
Hillsborough County Branch President Bennie Small made plans to attend the 50th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Al- abama. The organization made it possible for Tampa residents to attend by obtain- ing buses.
Three Hillsborough County students wrote win- ning essays for Black History Month. The Student Essay Award recipients were Robert Joseph “RJ” Sim- mons, Fishhawk Creek Ele- mentary School, Lithia; Valeria Morfin, Oasis Mid- dle School, Bradenton, and Chyna Lindsay, Tampa Bay Technical High School. Each student received a 4-year scholarship to attend a Florida college or university.
Jefferson High School Boys’ basketball head coach, Eric Hayes, led his team to secure a spot in the state semi- finals in the Class 6A-Regional 3 finals.
Mr. LaMarcus Larry, Sr., 87, died. He was one of eight African Americans hired by the Tampa Police Depart-
ERIC HAYES
LaMARCUS LARRY
ment in 1954. He remained at the department for 21 years. He then began a second career in law enforcement working at the Hillsborough County Sher- iff’s Office as a Jail Deputy.
MARCH
The Grant Park Commu- nity held a fundraiser to help the family of ShaTayshia Brinson. The 11-year-old was injured in a traffic accident.
Mrs. Kim Moore, Prin- cipal of Middleton High School, hosted a Community Discipline Chat. The meeting was attended by representa- tives from 28 Area IV schools, district administrators, princi- pals, assistant principals, staff, teachers, parents and mem- bers of the community.
Clemmie Perry, CEO of Tampa’s Women of Color Golf (WOCG), was appointed to join the World Golf Founda- tion Women’s Golf 20/20 Task Force in 2015.
Ms. Wanda Kay John- son, longtime Manager of Stone’s Memorial Funeral Home, passed.
Mother Mozella Jack- son, known throughout the community as a gospel singer, and one of the founding mem- bers of New Progress Mission- ary Baptist Church, passed March 7, 2015. She was 93 years old.
Brandon Johnson was accepted as a cadet at the West
BRANDON JOHNSON
Point United States Military Academy.
Adia Hollist, a 10th grader at Howard W. Blake High School, was accepted into the Alvin Ailey Intensive Summer Dance Program.
Mrs. Gwendolyn Miller, who retired from City Council in 2011, was the recip- ient of the prestigious Josephine Howard Stafford Award. It was presented dur- ing Women’s History Month.
Several HART bus opera- tors, with nearly 115 combined years of service retired. The re- tirees were: Albert Perry, Thomas Mouling, Jr., Dan Mathis, Jr., Sandy Am- mons and Richard Wilson, Sr.
Tampa native, Ryan Jeter, departed for Costa Rica for a two-year stint as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Ms. Nakarri Jones, who was previously crowned, “Miss Florida Elk of the World,” set her sights on a different title. She competed as the first female from Tampa to be selected on Team USA Boxing.
Members of the commu- nity joined Mayor Bob Buckhorn for the ribbon cut- ting ceremony of the Kennedy Boulevard Plaza Segment of the Tampa Riverwalk.
APRIL
In a 4-3 vote, the Tampa City Council elected District 5 Councilman Frank Red- dick and the new Chair.
Ms. Keaira LaShae,
YouTube fitness star, has Tampa roots.
Willie L. Jackson was chosen as “Bus Driver of the Year.”
Mrs. Marie White- hurst, a popular educator, died.
Governor Rick Scott
appointed Tampa minister, Rev. Dr. Thomas Scott to serve on the Florida Elections Commission. The appoint- ment required legislative con- firmation.
Tampa Police Major Diane Hobley Burney re- tired to become the Chief of Police for the Fort Pierce Po-
REV. DR. THOMAS SCOTT
MAJOR DIANE HOBLEY BURNEY
lice Department. She was the first African American woman chosen to serve in that capac- ity.
A popular athlete who played football for H. B. Plant High School in the mid 1990s, passed suddenly Tuesday morning. Donte Williams was 43 years old.
The Barry A. Cohen Legal Team sponsored a town hall meeting to address race rela- tions and law enforcement and the African American community.
The Florida House of Rep- resentatives passed a bill to re- quire police officers to have extended training in diabetic emergencies. The bill was sponsored by State Repre- sentative Ed Narain and came about after the death of Mr. Arthur Green.
The Hillsborough County School Board appointed Jesse Salters to serve as the Principal of Blake High School. He replaced Ms. Jacqueline Haynes, who was promoted.
Ms. Felecia Williams, of Tampa, suffered a heart at- tack and was pronounced dead at St. Anthony’s Hospi- tal, in St. Petersburg. She was participating in the St. An- thony’s Meek and Mighty Triathlon when she became ill.
A group of civil rights groups and faith leaders are calling on Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and the City of Tampa to stop issuing bicycle citations until the program has been reviewed by the U. S. De- partment of Justice. The com- munity became enraged after it became known that the number of people stopped and cited riding bicycles were peo- ple of color.
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