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Features
Saunders Library Grand Opening Ceremony Planned
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Wednesday, August 12th, the residents of Hillsbor- ough County will gather for the Grand Opening of the newly constructed the Robert W. Saunders, Sr., Library. The event will take place at 1505 N. Nebraska Avenue. The Rib- bon-Cutting Ceremony will take place at 10 a.m.
Ms. Mary James, presi- dent of the Ada T. Payne Friends of the Urban Li- braries, and members of the organization will act as host- esses at the Grand Opening. They will provide refresh- ments during the event.
Mrs. Carrie Hurst will serve as the Principal Librar- ian and Branch Manager. Thirty-four years ago, Mrs. Hurst launched her career as a Library Para-Professional and served at Hillsborough Community College for the first 18 years.
Mrs. Hurst said, “Work- ing with libraries is my pas- sion. I’ve never done anything else.
“The Saunders Library is something different, it is unique. There are a lot of “first” there. It has what I call the Hall of History that con- tains a lot of information about Central Avenue and African Americans. It has things that other libraries don’t have. Everything about this library is different,” she said.
The New Library
The new, two-story build- ing covers 26,244 square feet.
ROBERT W. (BOB) SAUNDERS, SR. June 9, 1921 --- March 18, 2003
It includes a children’s library, special programming, circu- lating materials and a walk- way connecting the library with Booker T. Washington Elementary School. It has dis- plays of African American art, an African American Library, and a community room that can accommodate 350 people.
About Robert Saunders
The library is named in honor of the late Robert W. (Bob) Saunders, Sr., a Tampa native, Civil Rights ac- tivist, and author. He attended Bethune-Cookman College. After a stint in the military, he completed his B. A. Degree at Detroit Institute of Technol- ogy, and later entered the Uni- versity of Detroit Law School.
Mr. Saunders postponed his education in 1952 t0 be- come the first Florida Field Director of the NAACP, he ac- cepted the position after Harry T. Moore, the first Field Director, and his wife, Harriett, were fatally wounded when their home
was bombed on December 25, 1951.
During his tenure, Mr. Saunders led the organiza- tion through the desegrega- tion period that included the integration of restaurants, beaches, schools, and other public facilities.
Mr. Saunders returned to Tampa in 1976, and became the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity for Hills- borough County. He retired in 1988. Mr. Saunders died on March 18, 2003, several days after being injured in a car ac- cident.
History of the Library
On November 5, 2003, the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners voted to re- name the library the Robert W. Saunders, Sr., Library in his honor.
The original library opened in 1933, as the Ybor City Branch Library. Its home was a storefront donated by the local Italian American Club. A new building opened in January 1969, as part of the Model Cities Maryland Av- enue Urban Renewal Project.
After several years of fundraising, that included the efforts of the Ada T. Payne Friends of the Urban Li- braries, Hillsborough County Commissioners approved funding for the construction of a new building in February 2012.
The demolition of the building took place in Decem- ber 2013, and a groundbreak- ing ceremony for the new structure took place in March 2014.
Man Who Perished In House Fire Identified
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner has posi- tively identified a man who died in a house fire early Sat- urday morning. The Tampa Fire Department, the Tampa Police Department, and the Arson Task Force responded to the scene.
Everyone in the home evacuated with the exception of one person. The man who perished in the fire has been identified as 56-year-old Lee E. Kelly, Jr. The Arson Task Force is currently conducting the investigation into Kelly’s death. Arson investigators will determine the cause of the fire and if foul play was involved.
According to a spokesper- son for the Tampa Fire De- partment, firefighters responded to 110 W. Ida Street, in reference to a house fire early Saturday. Upon ar- rival, the first fire crew bat- tled heavy smoke and flames coming from the back of the structure.
Officials said the primary search of the home became difficult because the floor in
LEE KELLY, JR. ... Died in house fire early Monday
one area was unstable. Once the search was completed, firefighters found Kelly’s re- mains inside of the home.
A spokesman for the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office said Kelly’s mother, Mrs. Mae Kelly, resides in Benton Harbor, Michigan and has been notified of his death. However, no funeral arrange- ments have been made. No additional information was available at press time.
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