Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 7-11-17

Local
Local NAACP Elects New Officers
Newly elected officers of the Hillsborough County Branch NAACP were from left to right: First Vice President Albert Fields, Ms. Yvette Lewis, President, and Second Vice Presi- dent Joe Robinson.
Longtime Belmont Heights Little League Volunteer Dies On Way To Event
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
After a six-month delay, the Hillsborough County Branch NAACP held its elec- tion on Saturday.
The voters elected Ms. Yvette Lewis to lead the or- ganization for the next two years. Her term in office will last until November 2019. She defeated sitting presi- dent Bennie Small.
Ms. Lewis said, “A new broom sweeps clean. We are going to make sure that
everything gets back on track.”
She further stated that Gill Ford from the National Branch of the NAACP and Adora Obi Nweze, Presi- dent of the Florida State Con- ference of the NAACP, were on hand to ensure that the election was held correctly.
Her First Vice President is Albert Fields. Joe Robinson was elected as the Second Vice President. Ms. Lewis said she will ap- point the other officers in the near future.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
A longtime volunteer with the Belmont Heights Little League died on Saturday. Mr. Derrick Leggett was 45- years-old. He passed away at Florida Hospital.
Artis Gambrell, Jr.,
President of the Belmont Heights Little League said they had all gathered at Cyrus Green Park before the big game on Saturday. And Der- rick Leggett, a longtime vol- unteer and former player was among them.
“We were all talking and taking photographs and then we started to drive to USF Baseball Stadium for the game. We had a motorcycle expert. Derrick was riding with his girlfriend when he started having problems and she took him to the hospital where he died.”
His mother, Mrs. Shirley Black said her son had been diagnosed with having seizures at the age of 14. He had been on medication for them and was disabled. He had been in the hospital re-
DERRICK LEGGETT 5/24/1972 to 7/8/2017
cently, but told my husband, (Rev. Lloyd Black) who was his caregiver, that he was doing okay.
“He had started being able to do things for himself again. If we had known that he was sick, we would have tried to keep him from going.
“But that was all he was talking about and I don’t think we would have been able to keep him from that game. He lived and breathed Belmont Heights and had been a vol- unteer up there for more than 20 years.”
A Tampa native, Mr. Leggett attended the public
schools of Hillsborough County. He later earned his General Education Diploma.
As a youngster, he played for the Belmont Heights Little League. After reaching adult- hood, Mr. Leggett became a volunteer for the organiza- tion.
In addition to his mother and stepfather, Mr. Leggett is survived by his daughter, Derricka, father, Willie Marvin Leggett, several sib- lings, and other family mem- bers and friends.
Mrs. Black said Mr. Leggett’s condition was such that he was unemployed at the time of his death and did not have any life insurance. She further stated that her son weighed more than 450 pounds and will require a spe- cial coffin for his burial.
A fundraiser is still in the planning stages to help raise money at the Belmont Heights Little League on Sun- day.
Funeral services for Mr. Leggett were incomplete at press time. Jackson Funeral Home is in charge of handling arrangements.
Chamber Announces Finalists For 2017 Small Business Of The Year Awards
Last Wednesday, the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce announced the fi- nalists for the 2017 Small Business of the Year Awards, presented by BB&T & Frazier & Deeter CPAs and Advisors to be held on Friday, Septem- ber 8 at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts.
These awards highlight the impact of small business on the community and cele- brate the achievements of the best of the best in Tampa Bay.
COLLETTE GLOVER-HANNAH
Small business awards will be presented in three cat- egories based on the number
of employees, with a fourth category specifically for startup companies. Compa- nies are evaluated on opera- tional management, community involvement and ethical business practices.
Among the Startup final- ists is Hannah’s Shoebox, owned by Collette Glover- Hannah.
The winners will be an- nounced at the event on Sep- tember 8. For more details on the Small Business of the Year Awards, please visit www.tampachamber.com.
FYI
Temporary Lane Closures On E. 21st Avenue And N. 21st Street
To begin July 12, 2017 for Building Demolition
A portion of E. 21st Av- enue between N. 15th Street and N. 22nd Street, and a portion of N. 21st Street be- tween N. 22nd Street and E. 17th Street, will close on Wednesday, July 12, 2017.
A private contractor will demolish the former Capote’s Affordable Cleaners building located at 2935 N
21st Street.
One (1) eastbound lane
on E 21st Avenue between N. 20th Street and N. 22nd Street and one (1) south- bound lane on N. 21st Street between N. 22nd Street and Mallory Avenue will close at 9a.m.onJuly12,2017for staging of demolition equip- ment and transport vehicles.
Sidewalks along E. 21st Avenue and N. 21st Street will be closed throughout the
construction area. Pedestri- ans will be detoured to other available sidewalks with sig- nage.
It is anticipated that all lanes on E. 21st Avenue and N. 21st Street will open to traffic by 4 p. m. on Thurs- day, July 13, 2017, weather permitting.
The City of Tampa rec- ommends that motorists use alternative routes to avoid traffic congestion.
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017