Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 12-8-15 Edition

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Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association Gets Grant For Community Garden
Bike Safety Initiative Moves To Citation Phase
Kitty Wallace (right) helps Arianna Simmons in the Tampa Heights Community Garden.
Over the past month, the Temple Terrace Police Department has been conducting high-visibility enforcement and education as part of Florida’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Focused Initiative to promote traffic safety and reduce bicycle and pedestrian-related accidents.
During the first 30 days, officers were issuing warnings to violators, while distributing educational material. Officers now will be issuing citations to violators, and will continue to distribute safety infor- mation.
The Police Department was awarded a $10,032 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in November to conduct this enforcement and education effort as part of the state’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Focused Initiative. The program runs through May 2016.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles, traffic crashes in Florida resulted in 498 pedestrian fatalities, 7,467 pedestrian injuries, 135 bicyclist fatalities, and 6,520 bicyclist injuries in 2013. Officers hope to reduce those numbers through this enforcement initiative.
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association Director, Patrick Sneed, came up with an idea a year ago to de- velop an entrepreneurial pro- gram for the kids who attend their community center.
To help facilitate that process, Sneed felt their community garden was the best tool to use so the kids will learn how to be entrepreneurs and also create healthy eating habits.
“In June of this year, I ap- plied for a grant through the Aetna Foundation, and we were granted $25,000. Those funds will be used to purchase a vegetable cart so the kids can visit different areas to sell the vegetables they grow.”
Coordinating the 15 kids who are a part of the commu- nity garden project is Kitty Wallace, President of the Tampa Garden Club. She’s taught the kids about soil, plants and harvesting.
“I’m a retired educator and I love kids and gardening. As president of the Garden Club, our mission is to help beautify the community. We
also have a program called Youth Gardening.
“This is my first experi- ence with a community gar- den. Most of the kids involved in the garden live at the Mob- ley Park Apartments. I even pick a couple of them up on my way to the garden.”
Wallace said there are two separate gardens, and the kids are excited to see some- thing grow they planted.
“There is also an entrepre- neur garden where the kids grow vegetables for sale. In that garden we have collard greens, beans, and lettuce.”
Wallace said it’s always been their vision to make sure the kids enjoy gardening, and at the same time, demon- strate healthy eating habits.
“It has been Coach Sneed who promotes the concept of showing the kids how to become entrepreneurs for more than a year. We’ve taken them to some local businesses so they can see how it works and ask ques- tions.”
Wallace said the grant will be a big plus for the kids, and they will be overjoyed when they get their vegetable cart.
Testing, One, Two, Three
Lord, grow me up in Your ways and lead me in Your will. Help me to become so strong in You that I will not waver or doubt. Make me understand Your Word and Your directions to me. “Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for our love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth” (Psalm 26:2-3 NIV). I want to pass successfully through any time of testing You bring me to so that I might be refined.
You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. PSALM 17:3
Lord, I don’t want to wander around in the wilderness of life, going over and over the same territory because I haven’t learned the lesson. I pray that I will always have a teachable heart that recognizes Your hand in my life and soaks up Your instruction. Help me to trust Your timing. Establish in me an unwavering faith to I will know that when I walk with you, even the refining fire provides the perfect light for the sep I’m on.
Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. PSALM 66:8-10 NIV
Lord, I know that we are often put to our most difficult test just before the greatest work of God in our lives is about to be accomplished. Help me to remember that when I am going through a time of testing and trial. May my attitude in the midst of such times always be one of praise and worship and great faith and trust in You. Guide me through it and help me to her You when You speak to my heart.
When He, the Spirit of truth, has come. He will guide you into all truth. JOHN 16:13
Lord, help me to count it all joy when I go through trials, because I know that when You test my faith it produces good things in me. I want to have the confidence and as- surance that because of You, and all You have done and are doing in my life, I am com- plete and not lacking anything. Help me not to fail the tests of my obedience, faith and love for You. I want to be perfected in those areas because I know it will be for my great- est blessings. I praise You in the midst of all that is happening in my life.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. JAMES 1:2-4
FYI
Additional Seats Available For Special Needs Children, Caregivers
Sisters Carol Sands- Poole and Stephanie Sands-Trussell are hosting a Christmas party for special needs children and their caregivers on Saturday, December 12, 2015.
There are 20 seats available to be filled for the 12-4 p. m. event that will be held at St. Luke M. B. Church in Plant City.
To sign-up please call, (813) 408-2605 or (813) 758-4211.
PAGE 8 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015