Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 10-23-15 Edition

Features
Tampan To Receive His College’s Prestigious Alumni Award
The award will be pre- sented during the Home- coming Convocation on Sunday, November 8, 2015.
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Tampa resident, Rigoberto M. (Rigo) Garcia will receive the prestigious alumni award from Tuskegee University dur- ing its Homecoming Festivi- ties. Garcia will receive the Alumni Merit Award during the Homecoming Convocation on Sunday, November 8, 2015. Tuskegee will take on Miles College for the Homecoming football game on Saturday, No- vember 7th.
A graduate of Middleton Senior High School, Garcia went to Tuskegee Institute (now University) on a basket- ball scholarship and was cap- tain of the team. He is a member of the Tuskegee Uni- versity Athletic Hall of Fame.
He is an ardent supporter of Tuskegee University, having served as a student recruiter throughout the Tampa Bay Area for the university and member of the university’s Eminent Associates Program. For many years he also served as president of the Tuskegee University Alumni Club; and in 2013 was the recipient of the Southeastern Region Alumni of the Year Award. One of his sons and a grandson are grad- uates of Tuskegee University.
Professionally, Garcia served as a 6th grade teacher, a physical education teacher, basketball coach (Young Jun- ior High School), principal of Franklin Adult School and Gary Adult School, from which he retired.
A native of Ybor City, Gar- cia is also passionate about St. Peter Claver. He attributes any personal or professional ac- complishment he has achieved to his formative years at St. Peter Claver.
He has been a member of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church
RIGOBERTO M. GARCIA
since 1942, where he serves as Eucharist Minister and is a charter member of the Knights of Peter Claver, Council #379.
He’s a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and enjoys all sports competi- tions, but is loyal to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Yankees.
His Afro-Cuban heritage was shared with Susan Green- baum for StoryCorps (oral history project) in January, 2014.
Mr. Garcia is married to Sonja W. Garcia and they are parents of Robert Garcia (deceased), Rigo, II (wife, Marjorie), Renaldo (wife, Jodi); grandparents of Jor- dan, Rigo, III (wife, Quinn), Maya, Renaldo, II (RJ), Rico, Gianna; and great- grandparents of Rigo, IV.
About receiving the Alumni Merit Award, Garcia said, “I have always held Tuskegee University among the top in- fluences on my life. The pride in and value of hard work, re- spect for others without regard for their position in life, and outreach to ease the paths of those who will follow were Booker T. Washington’s legacy and reinforced daily through campus involvements. This award is a tribute to all of my mentors, coaches and fel- low students who shared in these life lessons.”
Newly Renovated Rubin Padgett Sports Complex In Palm River Will Open Oct. 24
The crack of a baseball bat and cheers from the crowd will again be heard at the Rubin Padgett Sports Com- plex in the Palm River com- munity of south Hillsborough County. The Parks and Recre- ation Department is adding to the recreational opportunities in the county with the revital- ization of three baseball fields. Activities will take place on the fields when County leaders hold an opening ceremony to celebrate the revitalized com- plex on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. District 3 County Com- missioner Les Miller, and former County Commissioner and complex namesake, Rubin Padgett, will be in at- tendance to officially open the fields.
Rubin Padgett was the first African-American elected to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commission- ers, and the first African- American Commission Chair. Now 84, he will throw out the first pitch on Oct. 24.
The three baseball fields were re-graded for better drainage, and received new
RUBIN PADGETT ...Park’s Namesake, former County C0mmissioner
sod, lighting and chain link fencing. New chain link dugouts for added visibility and safety were installed along with new score tables and bat- ting cages. ADA compliant sidewalks and covered bleach- ers were added.
Through a partnership with Brandon Sports and Aquatics Center, the facility is poised to take baseball to the next level by hosting travel ball leagues, baseball camps and clinics,
COUNTY COMMISSIONER LES MILLER ...District 3
tournaments, and special needs sports activities. Soft- ball and kickball can also be played on the new fields.
The renovations were done at a cost of $655,000. The re- vitalization ceremony is open to the public.
More information on the newly renovated Rubin Pad- gett Sports Complex in Palm River may be found online at www.HillsboroughCounty.org /PlayBall.
Citizen Concerned About Future Of West Tampa
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Mrs. Ruth McNair moved into her home in West Tampa during the mid-1950s. Al- though she wasn’t the first re- sident in the area, she does remember all of the changes the area has endured over the past 60 years.
With the Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park Project, the uncertainty of the future of the Oakhurst Apartments, the re- moval of the Presbyterian Vil- lage Complex, the plans to remove North Boulevard Homes, the West Tampa Re- development Plan, the West Tampa CRA, and the Citizens Review Board, West Tampa has a bulls-eye painted at its center, and residents are be- ginning to feel the community is under siege.
“There are so many projects going on at the same time, and every time you turn around, someone is holding a meet- ing,” said Morris Williams who represents the fourth generation of his family to live in West Tampa.
“I think the people behind
MORRIS WILLIAMS
all of this want to keep us con- fused, or are trying to see if we will get disgusted and just not care anymore. That’s not going to happen.”
Williams said with strong community leadership, he’s sure the community will be able to retain its historical identity.
‘We can’t sit back and allow what happened to Central Av- enue to happen to us. Every day, more and more of our history is being either lost or ignored. It’s up to us to stop that and make sure the next generation carries on the West Tampa tradition.”
Williams said no other
community in the city or county has undergone what West Tampa is dealing with now.
“It’s bad enough that the City Council has split West Tampa into separate districts. When the boundaries of the CRA were drawn, no consider- ation was given tof the area west of Armenia, going all the way out to the airport. That’s West Tampa as well.
“We can’t sit in meetings with elected officials or corpo- rate leaders and expect them to be honest with us about our future,” said Williams.
“We’ve been lied to so many times, it’s become second na- ture. We have to become more assertive, and take a stand.”
Williams, who retired 20 years ago because of his health, said he can’t speak for any of the community groups in West Tampa, but he does hope they will unite to save the community.
“Action has always spoken louder, and that’s what we need right now. No more meetings or planning sessions. It’s time for action.”
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