Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 3-16-18

Local
Activist:
‘We’ve Lost Unity In Our Community’
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Dwight Bolden feels that the West Tampa com- munity is “under the gun.” He feels that the once pre- dominantly African Ameri- can community is in jeopardy.
“Over the last 10 years, we have lost half of our African American commu- nity. And it’s not just in West Tampa. One of the problems is our lack of leadership.
“Our elected officials are to blame. It’s like the old say- ing, ‘you come off like a strong cup of black coffee. Then over time you get beaten down.’ And when this happens, the community does not back them. I’m just as guilty as the next person,” he said.
Living in the area, Bolden said he sees what’s going on. “The have a feeling of hopelessness. The people have given up. “They don’t feel like they are being repre- sented.”
Bolden said in order for
DWIGHT BOLDEN ... Community Activist
the people to be successful, they must come together. They must make people keep the promises they make and hold them accountable.
He stated that one of the things that needs to take place is cleaning up the area. “The funding could come from the CRA. The recycling funds should go back into the community and they could hire people from the community to work on the clean up team. But, when they do hire people, they hire from outside of the area.”
He further said that peo- ple in the community are not attending the meetings. Therefore, they are not in- formed and they don’t know what decisions are being made.
“The people need to get involved, but by us being so separated, many have lost interest. We have been ask- ing for economic develop- ment for the past 30 years. Now that we have it, all we are asking for is to be a part of it, he said.
Event
‘Friday Concerts In The Park’ Kicks Off April 6th
The return of spring means the return of Tampa’s longest running and most beloved concert series: Fri- day Concerts in the Park. Celebrating 31 years of high- quality entertainment, Fri- day Concerts in the Park is held every Friday evening, beginning, April 6 through May 25. The eight-week se- ries highlights music of dif- ferent genres to satisfy all tastes — from rock to blues to country to jazz.
Friday Concerts in the Park is a fun, family-friendly way, showcasing the area’s variety of musical talent. Concertgoers should bring low-back lawn chairs or blankets for seating. Pic- nics are welcome at the Con- certs, but local food trucks and vendors will also be on- site. Leashed dogs allowed. Thanks to sponsors, the con- certs are FREE. All concerts start at 7 p. m.
Concerts in April take place in Water Works Park, 1710 N. Highland Avenue, and this year the concerts in May take place in historic River Tower Park, located at 401 E. Bird Street.
Friday Concerts in the Park is produced by the Friends of Tampa Recre- ation, Inc., and the City of Tampa Parks & Recreation Department. Event sponsors include Tampa Bay Times\tbt, Q105, b98.7, 99.5 QYK, WFLA News Channel 8 and Clear Channel Outdoor.
Deadline To Apply For Neighborhood
Awards Is March 16th
The deadline for nomina- tions is 5 p. m. on Friday, March 16th for the Neighbor- hood Recognition Awards.
The winners will be an- nounced at the 15th Annual Hillsborough County Neigh- borhoods Conference on May 12th at the Sheraton Tampa East Hotel, 10221 Princess Palm Ave., Tampa. Winners must be present to accept the awards.
There is still time left for more neighborhood associa- tions and volunteers to show pride in their good works to improve the community.
Nominations are being ac- cepted in 10 categories de- signed to recognize individuals, groups, and or- ganizations that have en- riched the quality of life in
neighborhoods through out- reach, improvement projects, volunteer work, safety pro- grams, art, partnerships, and board leadership. There’s even a category set aside for outstanding contributions by a youth volunteer or youth group.
Neighborhood groups may nominate themselves, other groups, and/or individ- uals for their efforts to im- prove the quality of life in unincorporated Hillsborough County, or the cities of Tampa, Plant City, and Tem- ple Terrace. Each nomination should include supporting in- formation, such as samples of promotional material, web- site links, photographs, news clippings, and letters of sup- port.
PAGE 2-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2018