Page 15 - Florida Sentinel 8-28-15 Edition

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‘Tribute Of Life’ To Be Held In Honor Of Former Olympic Star
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
If you were a member of a high school track and field team in 1969 or 1970 in Hills- borough County, you got to see a kid from Lakeland High School wearing orange track shoes burn up the track.
Rey Robinson was a phenomenal athlete in the 100 and 200 yard sprint races, and outclassed every sprinter in the state. He went on to attend Florida A&M University where he excelled as a football player and track and field star. In 1972, he was in Munich, Germany to repre- sent the United States at the Olympic Games. After getting a glimpse of his speed, he and teammate Eddie Hart were disqualified when they ar- rived too late for their quar- ter-final race.
As great as Robinson was, he even takes a bow to a woman he considers a super athlete.
On September 12th at the DoubleTree Hotel, a tribute banquet will be held in honor of Tampa legend, Theresa A. Manuel.
Ms. Manuel, now 89, will be on hand as well as sev- eral people from her storied history as an athlete at Mid- dleton High School.
Ms. Manuel was born on January 7, 1926. She attended the schools of Hillsborough County, graduating from Middleton High School in 1944. She later attended Tuskegee Institute where she
Ms. Theresa Manuel and a former Hillsborough High School basketball player she coached (1975-1977), Scala Harvin at a fish fry On June 29th.
REY ROBINSON (1972)
standing record by winning conference, district and re- gional titles. She was voted Coach of the Year for Hills- borough County in 1975 and 1976, and Coach of the Year for the State of Florida in 1976.
Ms. Manuel also worked as an instructor, coached swimming, majorettes, and dancerettes, both at Middle- ton and Hillsborough.
Ms. Manuel volunteered and coached the Girl’s Little League Softball Team for the community of Carver City for two years in addition to her school work. Ms. Manuel retired after 38 years in Jan- uary 1988.
At the banquet, Ms.
Manuel will be escorted by Robinson as well as mem- bers of the Middleton High School track and field team.
Middleton Alumni and anyone who was a part of her career is asked to attend the banquet. The idea is to give her the flowers now so she can smell them.
If there’s one thing Ms. Manuel never gets tired of hearing it’s the old Middleton cheer song, “Gimme that old Middleton Spirit.” She tears up every time she hears it, and can’t help but join in.
The festivities on the 12th will begin with a silent auc- tion/reception from 6 p. m. to 7p.m.From7p.m.to8:30 p. m. there will be the dinner and tribute program, and from8:30p.m.to10p.m. will be a time for socializing and listening to music.
The Master of Ceremony for the banquet will be Kevin D. Lofton and the guest speaker will be School Board member, Doretha Edge- comb.
Tickets for the banquet can be purchased at the Dou- bletree until September 5th. After that, call (813) 545- 0707, or (813) 471-8207.
majored in Physical Educa- tion and received her B.S. de- gree in 1949. She did her graduate work at New York University.
During her college years at Tuskegee, Ms. Manuel not only participated in the sport of basketball, where her team held conference cham- pion status for four consecu- tive years, but she also competed in track and field events, compiling record and victories that thrust her team to four championships. In 1947, she participated in a track meet at the University of Chicago where she set the record time for the 50-yard indoor dirt track hurdles that she still holds.
Ms. Manuel was later honored by being chosen as a member of the 1948 U. S. Olympic Track Team, thus making her the first African American Floridian to com- pete in the Olympic Games that were held in London. She
competed in the 80-meter hurdles and was the third leg in the 440-yard team relay.
Ms. Manuel and her teammates were received in the White House by Presi- dent Harry Truman when they returned to the United States.
Ms. Manuel became a physical education instructor at Middleton High School where she also coached girls’ basketball. Her team won three state championships.
After 21 years at Middle- ton, Ms. Manuel continued to coach basketball at Hills- borough High School for the next 14 years, earning an out-
Scholarships Available For Brownfields Conference
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The Florida Brownfields Association (FBA) will host their 18th Annual Conference in Tampa. The conference will take place Oc- tober 4th through October 7th at the Tampa Marriott Waterside.
This year, the FBA has a limited number of scholarships avail- able for those wishing to attend the conference. The scholarships are designated for members of the community who have an inter- est in Brownfields Redevelopment in Florida and other stakehold- ers who would otherwise not be able to attend. The scholarships will pay for the registration to attend the conference.
The scholarships are designated for the Community Day, which will be held on Tuesday, October 6th. Those interested in attending the conference must submit their applications by close of business on Tuesday, September 15th.
The FBA is a non-profit, volunteer, service organization dedi- cated to advancing the cleanup and redevelopment of Brownfields in Florida. Brownfields are sites for which their expansion, rede- velopment, or reuse may be complicated by actual or perceived contamination.
Working in cooperation with the Florida Department of Envi- ronmental Protection and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Florida Brownfields Associati9on is a group of envi- ronmental stakeholders and professionals who provide Brown- fields information, assistance, and redevelopment strategies to communities and the public in the interest of cleaning up and re- developing contaminated properties and revitalizing areas.
To apply, visit the website at http://www.florida-
brownfields.org/?page=20.
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