Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 11-21-17

Features
Representative Chosen As School Board Vice Chair
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Every November, members of governing bodies change leadership. This year, the Hillsborough County School Board selected two of the re- cent additions to the board as leaders.
Ms. Sally Harris was chosen as the Chairperson. She was elected in November 2014, and is the representative for District 2.
Ms. Harris is the owner and operator of the Circle C Ranch Academy. A Tampa na- tive, she graduated from R0binson High School. She is the mother of 5, 2 of which were adopted, and has fostered more than 32 other children.
Ms. Tamara Sham- burger was chosen as the Vice Chair of the Board. Ms. Shamburger was elected to represent District 5 in Novem- ber 2016.
A Tampa native, she grad- uated from Bloomingdale High School and holds a Liberal Arts Degree from Hillsborough Community College. She con- tinued her education at the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Sci-
MS. TAMARA SHAMBURGER School Board Vice Chair
ence.
Ms. Shamburger also
holds a Masters of Business Administration from St. Leo University. She is the mother of 1 daughter.
Ms. Shamburger said, “I am honored to serve the Dis- trict and community as Vice Chair for the next year. We are going to continue our work on turning around our low-per- forming schools and focus on preparing all of our students for life.
“We have a lot of work to do and hopefully with the new Board leadership, we will start to make progress in our inner- city schools. It’s my goal to make sure our students have what they need to succeed.”
10-Year Sentence In Death Of Son Upsets His Mother
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Shortly before 2 p.m., on Wednesday, May 25, 2016, shots rang out in the Rivertree Landing Apart- ment Complex. When the shooting stopped one man was dead and another in- jured.
Christopher M. Riley,
23, survived his injuries. However, 25-year-old Zay- ronne Toussaint did not.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested 26- year-old Alton Demetrius Smith the same day. Smith was booked into the Hills- borough County jail on sev- eral charges including second-degree murder and attempted first-degree mur- der.
Recently, Smith was sen- tenced to 10 years in state prison. He entered the state prison system on November 7th.
Mrs. Delores Hill- man, mother of Toussaint is upset that Smith was given so little time for taking her son’s life. “I’m just disap- pointed. The system really
ZAYRONNE TOUSSAINT “Rasin”
failed me. People go to prison for life for just shoot- ing at someone and not even hitting them. He killed my son and they only gave him 10 years. My son is gone.”
Mrs. Hillman said she attended all of the court dates and was not aware that the State had offered Smith a plea agreement.
Toussaint was known throughout the community by his nickname, “Rasin.” His mother said he wrote music, designed tee shirts and loved the beach. At the time of his death, he had 4 CDs out. He rapped under the name of “Cash Addict.”
He was a diesel mechanic by trade and worked in the music industry.
A Tampa native, Tous- saint attended the public schools of Hillsborough County. He earned his diploma at Gary Adult.
“My son didn’t know him. No one even knows how he got into my son’s house. It seems like when Blacks shoot each other it doesn’t matter. This man was out on bond when he killed my
ALTON SMITH Sentenced to 10 years in prison
son.”
Attorney Rena Fra- zier, spokesperson for the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office said, “We sympathize with the family and loved ones of Zayronne Toussaint, especially his mother, Mrs. Hillman, who lost her son.
“Our office, including a Victim’s Assistance Coun- selor, have worked closely with her to guide her through the criminal justice process, keeping her updated on hearings and the status of the case as we prosecuted defen- dant Alton Smith. In our fight to seek justice on her behalf and keep the commu- nity safe, our prosecutors built the strongest case pos- sible based on the facts, the evidence, and the law.
“We obtained a felony conviction against Alton Smith for manslaughter with a weapon, for which he is sentenced to 10 years in Florida State Prison, fol- lowed by 5 years probation, ensuring that he is no longer a threat to the community.”
County Offices Closed For Thanksgiving
Most Hillsborough County offices and facilities will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
There is no collection of garbage, recyclables, or yard waste on Thanksgiving Day, and all disposal sites will be closed. Collection and dis- posal services will resume Friday, Nov. 24, on a normal schedule.
All libraries in the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Coop- erative will close early Nov. 20-22, and will be closed Nov. 23-24. For a complete list of library hours for the holiday week, call (813) 273- 3652 or visit hcplc.org.
All conservation parks will be closed on Thanksgiv- ing Day, but will be open Fri- day
FYI
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