Page 2 - 6-24-16 Friday's Edition

Features
TBX Project Looms:
Carver City/Lincoln Gardens Residents Negatively Impacted By Past Interstate Project
Teen’s Accidental Death Leaves Family Focusing On His Positive Imprint
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
High School Football Coach, Alonzo Ashwood, is a resident of Carver City, and said the Florida Depart- ment of Transportation’s (FDOT) project to widen I- 275 has impacted their com- munity a great deal.
“The project has caused a lot of problems. When it started, they made promises, and they didn’t keep any of them. I live right up against the interstate, and the so- called sound barrier wall doesn’t work.
“Only 15 yards separate my driveway from the bike trail, and it’s a joke. FDOT drags their feet and they’ve never given us a straight an- swer about our inquiries. They promised my street wouldn’t be turned into a dead end, and that’s exactly what it’s become.”
Ashwood said because the off ramp sits right on top of them, the exhaust fumes from the trucks has created an enormous health hazard.
“The bike path that was designed for pedestrians is being used by kids on dirt bikes. They speed up and down the trail, and it’s only a matter of time before some- one gets hurt or killed.”
James Jackson, who has lived in Carver City for 24 years said, the entire proj- ect has been horrible.
“The noise has kept us awake at night, and the bike path in front of our house has attracted a lot of strangers in
DR. MAURICE HARVEY
the area, and even more trash.
“We’re up every night be- cause of the noise coming from the trucks. There used to be houses lined up on both sides of my block, and now only 4 are left. It’s obvious FDOT doesn’t care about the residents.”
Carver City/Lincoln Gar- dens Civic Association Presi- dent, Dr. Maurice Harvey, said this is the sec- ond round for the commu- nity dealing with the interstate dating back to the 1970s.
“During that time, home- owners left and moved to ei- ther West Tampa or Progress Village. It probably started out as a racist thing until un- intended targets were im- pacted.
“This project has been an ongoing concern for resi- dents, although many have moved out and allowed oth- ers to move in. Over time, the children of the original resi- dents sold the homes of their parents and moved on. It’s really a matter of attrition.
COACH ALONZO ASHWOOD
The older residents still liv- ing in the area aren’t selling their homes, but their chil- dren are.”
Dr. Harvey said there are a lot of new homes being built in the community and African Americans aren’t moving into them.
“In hindsight, the area is getting better, because now they are getting the services they’ve been asking for from the city.
“I’ve talk to some of the contractors building the new homes, and they’ve told me they don’t like the term “low income housing.” They said that’s not who they are build- ing them for.”
Dr. Harvey said the point is, they are abandoning their neighborhood, and it’s not being done by force.
“I wish the community would have rallied the way the Seminole and Tampa Heights residents did. I had actually been approached to talk about the TBX project, but I declined, because I honestly don’t feel it would do any good.”
JACQUAN TUCKER
Jacquan Tucker re- cently turned 18, and having the ambition to serve the community, his family, and his country, he sparked a flame in the hearts of many children.
He often spent his time at Metropolitan Ministries Kitchen of Hope working as a dishwasher, and volunteering community service hours, as well as giving out packets of winter socks and toiletries to homeless men, woman and children.
Tucker learned these skills while attending Sheehy Elementary School, where he participate in their Gentle- man’s Club, and at Young Middle School, where he at- tended summer camps and was actively involved in their music department and tapped into his skills of music and science, often winning project competitions. He was also a member of Young’s Marching Band where he played the soprano saxo-
phone, and Boy Scouts. Tucker attributes the Hillsborough County School System for helping him de- velop his leadership and aca- demic skills, as well as his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Jimmy (Sandra) Tucker. Tucker was a born leader in the Youth Department of the Church of the Kingdom of God, where he was also preparing for the Summer Drumline Youth Outreach
Camp.
Tucker died after falling off the back of a car and striking his head. The family feels a deep loss, but they think about the positive impact he left for other young peo- ple to follow.
Family members said they don’t understand and don’t know why, but Tucker would want everyone to con- tinue to develop their leader- ship skills academic studies and serve the country with pride.
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016