Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 3-28-17

Our Military Men & Women
1,300 Hillsborough Residents Unite Tonight For Action:
Stop Arrests Of Children, Create Affordable Housing, And Increase Elder Care Services
Tampa Native Serves Aboard Guided Missile Cruiser
More than 1,300 resi- dents are expected to unite Monday, March 27, 2017, at 7 p. m., to get com- mitments from local officials at Nativity Catholic Church, 705 E. Brandon Blvd., FL 33511. The residents are members, friends, co-work- ers and neighbors of the in- terfaith and interracial congregations of HOPE, the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality.
Residents will ask Public Defender Julianne Holt, State Attorney Andrew Warren, Chief Judge Ronald N. Ficarrotta, Tampa Police Chief Eric Ward, and Sheriff David Gee to ensure the Delin- quent Act Citation (DAC) 1- Year Pilot Program, becomes permanent policy for chil- dren caught with misde- meanor marijuana in the County's Civil Citation/Juve- nile Arrest Avoidance pro- gram.
This Pilot gave civil cita- tions instead of arrests to 139 children in the first seven months, while offering these children access to anti-drug
programs if needed. Perma- nent policy will redirect hun- dreds of children each year to non-arrest programs that greatly reduce their likeli- hood of getting in trouble again.
Action will also be taken to support Florida Civil Cita- tion SB 196 and seek changes to companion HB 205 to ex- pand the use of Civil Cita- tions so all children in Florida have equal access to life-saving arrest avoidance programs for misdemeanor offenses. SB 196 only deals with 12 misdemeanor of- fenses, where there is no se- rious injury, so police discretion should not be needed.
Residents will ask Com- missioner Victor Crist,
Commissioner Pat Kemp, and Commis- sioner Ken Hagan to alle- viate the economic burden of tens of thousands of working families and seniors in Hills- borough County because of the lack of decent affordable housing.
Residents are asking Commissioners to designate local funding that can gener- ate $10 million annually to develop and rehab decent, af- fordable housing.
The County Adminis- trator Mike Merrill will be asked to address the decrease in elder services in the midst of a growing senior popula- tion by identifying key serv- ices and steps to implement them in this county.
For further information contact Fr. Bob Schneider at 813-503-1909 or visit www.hillsboroughhope.org.
HOPE, founded in Sep- tember 1988, is a multi-issue justice ministry organization that currently consist of 22 interfaith, multicultural, and interracial member congre- gations throughout Hillsbor- ough County.
GUNNER’S MATE 2nd CLASS JULIO VARGASKERCADO
SASEBO, Japan --- Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Julio Var- gaskercado, of Tampa, sands the barrel of a Mark 45 5-inch gun aboard Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57). Lake Champlain is on a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group as part of the U. S. Pacific Fleet-led ini- tiative to extend the command and control functions of the U. S. 3rd Fleet in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Navy aircraft carrier strike groups have patrolled the Indo-Asia-Pacific regularly and routinely for more than 70 years. (U. S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan K. Serpico/Released)
Local
Airman Completes Basic Military Training
U. S. Air Force Airman Jeffrey G. Ferguson has com- pleted all requirements to graduate from basic military training. His graduation ceremony took place at the Joint Base San An- tonio-Lackland, in San Antonio, Texas.
Airman Ferguson completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and stud- ies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. He also earned four credits toward an As- sociate in Applied Science Degree through the Community Col- lege of the Air Force.
Airman Ferguson is the son of Jeff G. Ferguson, of Tampa, and he is a 2015 graduate of Robinson High School.
Army Specialist Deployed Overseas
Army Specialist Austen Uribe has deployed overseas in support of Atlantic Resolve. Atlantic Resolve is a demonstration of continued U.S. commitment to collective security through a series of actions designed to reassure NATO allies and partners of America's dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region in light of the Russian intervention in Ukraine.
Since April 2014, Army Europe has led land forces efforts on behalf of the U. S. military, by conducting continuous, enhanced multinational training and security cooperation activities with allies and partners in Eastern Europe. These activities are taking place in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. They training events improve interoperability, strengthen relationships and trust among allied armies, con- tribute to regional stability, and demonstrate U. S. commitment to NATO.
Atlantic Resolve demonstrates the U. S. commitment to the security of NATO allies on air, land and at sea. To ensure its own security, NATO must have strong, committed and capable allies, which is why the United States has fought, exercised and trained with our European allies for the past 70 years. The U. S.-Euro- pean strategic partnership is built on a foundation of shared val- ues, experiences and commitment to a Europe that is stable and prosperous.
Specialist Uribe graduated from Hillsborough High School in 2013.
PAGE 8 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017