Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 5-2-17

Features
City To Host 3rd ‘InVision: Tampa Streetcar’ Meeting
WURK Community Radio Station 96.3FM Is Up And Running
The City of Tampa will hold its third public meeting to discuss “InVision: Tampa Streetcar,” phase one of a two-phase public transporta- tion feasibility study for the extension and moderniza- tion of the current streetcar system. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m., at the Hills- borough Community College campus in Ybor City.
The meeting is called a Results Roundtable, focus- ing on several alignment al- ternatives that have been identified as the best options for an expanded streetcar system. These alternatives were determined after exten- sive evaluation and public input.
The public input included comments received from nearly 200 people who at- tended two previous public meetings, along with over 800 surveys completed by the public.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn
said, “The streetcar has the potential to change how we
move around the downtown core and nearby neighbor- hoods – areas that demand more transportation options.
“Public input is playing an integral part in this proj- ect, and I am very pleased with the great amount of feedback the planning team has received from the public so far.”
During this project, the planning team has looked at a wide range of potential cor- ridors and technologies, in- cluding the possible use of autonomous transit vehicles, and will recommend feasible alternatives and funding strategies. The first phase of InVision: Tampa Streetcar is expected to be complete this summer. If the results of the feasibility analysis are posi- tive, the second phase will be initiated to select a preferred alternative and refine plans and strategies.
Free parking for the meeting is available in the North Fernando Noriega Jr. garage. Use the student en- trance on 9th Avenue.
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Back in December 2013, Dee Jackson of West Tampa and Horace Bailey of Brooksville talked with a Sentinel reporter about their idea of bringing a ‘much- needed’ community radio sta- tion to the Tampa community. They had been working on the idea since ear- lier in the year.
As of March 28, 2017, WURK has been licensed to operate on the frequency of 96.3FM. Currently, it’s very low power (10 mile radius in the City of Tampa), but it’s a start. They’re working on ex- tending to Progress Village and Clair-Mel.
In addition to educating and informing, the founders say they plan to do so much more, with the assistance of volunteers. The station will carry news, sports, public af- fairs, entertainment, music, traffic, amber alerts; teach the youth about broadcasting and journalism, teaming with Taming Housing Authority for the YoungStars Summer Program, as well as collabo- rating with Hillsborough Community College for in- ternships.
The pair is very much in- terested in preparing young people. One of their ideas is to cover local sports in an ESPN atmosphere for youth. “Information is power,” Bai- ley said, “and our young peo-
HORACE BAILEY ...Co-Founder of WURK
ple need role models.”
Local artists will also have
an opportunity to have their music heard.
When Jackson ap- proached Bailey 4 years ago about the community radio- station, he was reluctant to buy into the idea. But after President Barack Obama signed the 2011 Community Radio Act, the duo knew they had something to work with. “That gave grassroots organi- zations the power to move forward,” Bailey stated.
Over the years, the two have pulled several thousand dollars out of their pockets to make sure everything that needed to be done was done properly. “Yes, and we made many sacrifices along the way,” Jackson added, in- cluding, “staying up all night to make sure the tower worked.”
Currently, the station op- erates out of space being do- nated by the Tampa Housing Authority in West Tampa,
DEE JACKSON ...Co-Founder of WURK
and the transmittal is on Tampa St.
Jackson and Bailey are also looking for volunteers for the station and persons to serve on its Advisory Board.
As they’ve made it this far, the two men say they did not do it alone. So many folks have been with them from the very beginning: Carolyn Collins, James Green, Steven J. Zagony, Jr., West Tampa Alliance; Tampa Housing: Stephanie Brown Gilmore, Charise Calloway, Leroy Moore; and others.
“This has been a long, good road, educational and enlightening. We’ve learned a lot, too,” they both agree. “We’re not going to affect anyone else’s program – we’re putting our own foot- prints in the sand. The com- munity can claim ownership of this,” Jackson said.
To find out more about WURK, go to www.wurkra- dio.org.
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2017