Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 1-27-17

Local
Hillsborough County Hires New Affordable Housing Director
Gasparilla: What You Need To Know
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Earlier this week, Hillsbor- ough County officials selected a new official to serve in their housing program. She will begin her new position in early March.
County officials have cho- sen Ms. Cheryl Howell to serve as the new Affordable Housing Director. She will be responsible for leading the County’s efforts to create and increase access to safe and de- cent affordable housing to res- idents. She will also be responsible for fostering com- munity development in the
City of Plant City, the City of Temple Terrace, and unincor- porated Hillsborough County.
Ms. Howell will serve as the liaison between the Afford- able Housing Program and contractors, developers, not- for-profit organizations, and very low, low, and moderate income families, County de- partments, and other govern- ment agencies.
Ms. Howell earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida. She continued her education at Webster University, where she earned her Master’s De- gree in Management and Leadership.
Ms. Howell brings to the position 11 years of experience in government housing and community development in Florida. She also has 13 years of experience in housing, homelessness, and 0ther social services.
Her previous experience includes expertise in federal and state funding sources, de- velopment of staff, and part- nerships with outside agencies.
In her prior position, Ms. Howell served in Lake County as the Housing Direc- tor.
Ms. Howell will oversee 21 full time employees and a budget of $32 million. Her an- nual salary is $128,000.
The City of Tampa wants you to be prepared for heavier than normal traffic on Satur- day, January 28, 2017 in down- town and south Tampa as several streets will be closed to prepare for great fun and high adventure during the 101st An- nual Gasparilla Pirate Fest!
Street closures begin on Friday evening, January 27th, at 10 p. m. and continue through Saturday, January 28th at 4:30 p. m.
The pirates arrive by sea as the fully rigged Jose Gasparilla sails into Seddon Channel and docks at the Tampa Conven- tion Center at 1 p. m. Then, the marauding buccaneers gather at the intersection of Bay to Bay Blvd. and Bayshore Blvd. for the Gasparilla Parade of Pi- rates, which steps off at 2 p.m.
The parade continues along Bayshore Blvd. to Brorein Street, turns east on Brorein Street, then north on Ashley Drive. The parade ends in downtown Tampa at Cass Street and Ashley Drive.
“No Parking” signs have been installed in the neighbor- hoods west of Bayshore Blvd. and will be in effect beginning on Friday, January 27, 2017 through Saturday, January 28, 2017. Any vehicles parked on
the streets in the affected neighborhoods will be cited and towed at the owner’s ex- pense. Tampa Police advise motorists not to park their ve- hicles in the “No Parking” areas to avoid having their vehicles towed.
See Something
Say Something
The Tampa Police Depart- ment would like to remind all celebrating pirates to report suspicious activity. If you see something, say something. No tip is too small. http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=9U7kLt Brsoo.
For access to the Gasparilla Parade of Pirates in South Tampa, consider using garages and lots in downtown Tampa.
HART Offers Free Service
HART will run extra street- car, bus and In-Towner service to accommodate the large numbers of anticipated riders on Saturday, January 28. (Routes are subject to change.)
To minimize traffic delays and parking congestion, HART encourages Mates and the community to leave their cars at home.
Exact change is the fastest way to get on buses and street- cars during the parade.
MS. CHERYL HOWELL ... New Affordable Housing Director for Hillsborough County
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017