Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 11-21-17

Features
Commissioners Select New Leadership For Upcoming Year
Popular Tampa Rap Artist Introduces New Single
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Willie Lee Hill, a.k.a. Oohwee has been absent from the scene lately. How- ever, the well known Tampa rap artist is back and ready to inspire others.
As part of his re-introduc- tion, Oohwee has created a new inspirational single called “The Bucs Way.” He created the single during the period when the Bucs were losing every game.
It has the names of all the players and was designed to support the team. “It’s a chant and dance song and part of my new mixed CD. It’s about cheering and chanting them on to victory. We want to pump them up to keep win- ning,” he said.
Oohwee said the single is available now and he will give a copy to anyone who wants it without charge. “You can’t sell everything. You have to give back to your commu- nity.”
The rapper said he is happy to be back in the com- munity and doing what he en- joys doing. He said sometimes you have to have “a minor setback for a major comeback,” the rapper who
WILLIE HILL A.K.A. OOHWEE
turned 44 last Saturday said. Oohwee said he is well known in the Tampa area for the hit, “My Neck, My Back.” He recorded it locally and it was later recorded na-
tionally by another artist. The Tampa native uses his own positive energy to in- spire, motivate, and make people happy. His current CD is entitled “Look Who’s
Ballin Now.”
When he came of age, Oohwee left Tampa to enlist in the Job Corps. When he re- turned to Tampa, he gained employment in road con- struction. He continues to work in that field today.
The rapper said of those who know him, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more im- portant to be nice.”
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commission- ers selected Commissioner Sandra L. Murman as Chairman, and Commis- sioner Victor D. Crist as Vice Chairman, during their annual organizational meet- ing. Commissioner Stacy White will serve as chaplain.
Murman was elected as a County Commissioner in 2010, representing District 1. She was re-elected without opposition in June 2012.
In 2014, she was elected by her fellow commissioners to serve as Chairman. She served as Vice Chairman this year.
COMMISSIONER SANDRA L. MURMAN
Prior to joining the County Commission, Murman com- pleted eight years as a mem- ber of the Florida House of Representatives, from 1996-
COMMISSIONER VICTOR D. CRIST
2004.
Commissioners also serve
on various boards, commit- tees, and councils on which they hold seats.
All-White Diner En Blanc Is An Internationally Exclusive Event
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
ORLANDO – Fashion rules dictate that white after Labor Day is a faux pas.
Luckily, Tampa residents Leonard and Jacqueline Jackson and Sukari Mitchell like to live danger- ously.
The trio was
among the 1,200
guests who donned
their best all-white outfits Fri- day for the 2nd Annual Diner En Blanc in downtown Or- lando’s Lake Eola Park.
The exclusive event – held worldwide on six continents – is a public dining occasion where everything, from the clothes, the table décor, to the dining accessories, are white.
Founded in 1988 in Paris, Diner En Blanc takes place in some of the world’s most iconic cities, including New York City, London, Nairobi, and Port-au-Prince. The loca- tion is held secret from guests until the day of the event.
Organizers already are scouting locales for next year’s event, said Tash Johnson, who shares event manage- ment duties with partners Christopher Abrahams, Fabie Reid, and Lisa Greenwood.
Finding the perfect spot to host the affair is serious busi- ness because it sets the proper
The Jacksons enjoying the 2nd Annual Diner En Blanc in Orlando.
LEONARD AND JACQUELINE JACKSON
mood, Johnson said. Equally important is gath-
ering feedback from guests to determine where improve- ments are necessary, she said.
“Our goal is to exceed ex- pectations,” she said. “We want to incorporate some- thing new, something fresh. People love that type of expe- rience when they are dining.”
Mitchell, who volunteers with the event, said she enjoys providing the ultimate per- sonal experience for guests.
“I try to remember names and I give a lot of compli- ments,” she said.
The latter includes recog- nizing guests’ creative table and fashion arrangements, which can run the gamut from classic and chic lace table- cloths and blouses to funky and over-the-top metal face coverings and hi-top hats.
“People want to know that the work they put into an event didn’t go unnoticed,” she said.
Leonard Jackson usu- ally dislikes surprises, but this year he indulged in not know- ing about the secret location because it added to the expe- rience.
“It was outrageous,” he said. “It was a great event.”
The event attracts a broad variety of people, which adds to the fun, Jacqueline said.
“It’s a nice way to meet people and it was fun to dress up,” she said. “It was differ- ent.”
Johnson said she expects next year’s party to be the best yet.
It’ll also be the biggest, with an estimated 1,500 guests in attendance, she said.
“Our goal is to continue to grow and make it a signature name in the region,” she said. “We look forward to seeing what happens over the next year.”
For more information about Diner En Blanc, visit www.dinerenblanc.com.
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