Page 34 - Florida Sentinel 2-16-18

Local
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
It was a Leap Year, 58 years ago when the Tampa NAACP Youth Council and students from Middleton and Blake High Schools partici- pated in sit-in demonstra- tions in downtown Tampa.
Led by the then-NAACP Youth Council President, Clarence Fort, the group conducted the sit-in demon- strations on February 29, 1960 at the lunch counter in- side F. W. Woolworth’s on Polk and Franklin Streets.
As he sat at the counter, the waitress placed a “closed”
Sit-In Historical Marker To Be Dedicated
27th Annual Student Building Competition Planned
Man Trapped In Pipe At Construction Site Dies
Industrial Accident
Man Convicted
CLARENCE FORT
sign in front of him.
While a group demon-
strated at the Woolworth’s, others went to the lunch counter at Kress. The groups then began to go to the public
The students compete to see which bridge can withstand the most weight before it col- lapses.
The winners will be eligible for an S3 (S.T.E.M.) Scholar- ship grant by THEA in honor of the late Lee Roy Selmon.
Throughout the competi- tion, the bridges become real life example of how science, math, engineering, and tech- nology is integrated into the students’ everyday lives.
The purpose of the compe- tition is to encourage students to pursue S.T.E.M. degrees at USF.
The family-friendly event is free. The USF Engineering Expo seeks to educate stu- dents in grades k-12 about the importance of S.T.E.M. within their lives.
pools and beaches, and the ef- forts continued until the de- segregation of public schools.
As Fort says, “Our goal was to be treated as equal cit- izens.”
On Saturday, February 24, 2018, the community is in- vited to attend “A Mock Ded- ication of the Sit-In Historical Marker. The 10 a. m. event will be held in front of the old Woolworth’s Building Down- town Tampa.
Fort invites the commu- nity to join him and others who participated in the sit-ins to the event. He is especially asking parents to bring their children.
The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) and USF College of Engineering will host its 27th Annual Student Building Competition. The event will take place Saturday, February 17th, at the USF Chemistry Building, 4202 E. Fowler Av- enue.
The Regional Middle School and High School Stu- dents Battle for the Balsa Wood Bridge Building Com- petition will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The 27th Annual “Design It-Build It-Break It” competi- tion is held during USF’s En- gineering Expo. Sixty-four teams of middle and high school students design and build bridges based on estab- lished rules and guidelines.
3rd Annual Brakes For Food Donations Campaign Set
Of Gun Charges
An unidentified man died Wednesday at a construction site. The accident took place at U. S. Highway 301 and State Road 60.
According to the Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 5 p.m., Hills- borough County Fire Rescue and deputies responded to a person being trapped in a pipe.
When emergency person- nel arrived, they found the man inside the below grade
piping. HazMat personnel ventilated the area to allow first responders to enter the pipe. However, the man died before their arrival.
His body was recovered and transported to the Hills- borough County Medical Ex- aminer’s Office. Police have not released his identity pend- ing the notification of his next of kin, police said.
The investigation into the death is continuing.
DEVIN COLLINS
A 25-year-old man was found guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He is facing a minimum mandatory of 15 years in fed- eral prison.
According to evidence pre- sented at trial, Devin Fabian Collins, of St. Petersburg, drove recklessly through St. Petersburg, followed by a po- lice helicopter.
After he pulled into an apartment complex, officers arrived. Collins ran away, tossing drugs and a gun. At the time of the incident, Collins had been convicted of a felony and was not al- lowed to have a gun.
Collins was indicted on the charge on May 18, 2017. He is scheduled to be sen- tenced on May 15, 2018.
The Ice Cold Air® Dis- count Auto Repair Shop, 501 East Sligh Avenue, have launched their 3rd Annual Free Brakes for Food Dona- tions event. The company gives one free set of brake pads, including the labor to install them, to customers who bring in eight cans or boxes of non-perishable food.
Entitled, “Putting the Brakes on Hunger” cam- paign, it runs from Monday, February 19th through Satur- day, March 17th and is only valid at the Sligh Avenue lo- cation.
In two years the shop col- lected 1,609 pounds of food donations or 1,338 meals worth of food. The auto shop partners with Advance Auto Parts at 901 E. Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa who do- nates the brake pads used for the campaign.
The president of the Pinel- las-based Ice Cold Air® dis- count auto repair franchise, Tina M. Denham said, “We are very proud to partner again with Feeding Tampa Bay. It is a privilege to help assist our customer’s support of a local charity that con-
ducts challenging important work and creates positive im- pacts in the lives of our com- munity’s citizens and families.”
Aaron Turner, who is the franchise owner of the Sligh Avenue location said, “Our team has been looking forward to this year’s cam- paign. We usually collect right around 800 pounds of food and this year we are de- termined to reach 1,000 pounds.”
Customers are asked to make an appointment for their service and bring the non-perishable food donation with them when they drop off their vehicle for service.
The donations will only be accepted between February 19th and March 17th at the Tampa location on Sligh Ave. The food must be new, non- perishable food items; no homemade or unlabeled do- nations can be accepted.
Those interested in taking advantage of the promotion should call 813-231-0211, stop by the Sligh Avenue lo- cation, or can schedule an ap- pointment on-line by visiting www.icecoldair.com.
PAGE 22-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018