Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 10-6-15 Edition

Features
Divers Locate Body Of Missing Child Who
Council Chair Says Mayor Still Refuses To Compromise On Citizens Review Board Process
Disappeared Saturday
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Last Thursday, City Council members agreed that Council Chair Frank Reddick should meet with Mayor Bob Buck- horn and the two work out a compromise on the Citizens Review Board (CRB) selection process.
On Friday, Chair Reddick met with Mayor Buckhorn, and said they both put it all on the table.
“We both talked about our positions as it pertains to the selection process for the CRB. He told me why he wanted to do it his way, and not increase it to 15 members.
“The Mayor is sticking with his plan to appoint 7 of the
Chair Reddick said no agreement was reached, and they plan to meet again before Thursday.
“Mayor Buckhorn
strongly believes in his power as Mayor to appoint whomever he pleases to sit on any board. He absolutely doesn’t agree with each Council member se- lecting a representative.
“We plan to meet again be- fore Thursday, but I honestly don’t believe we will reach an agreement between now and Thursday. I’m fine with all as- pects of his Executive Order except the selection process.”
Since Mayor Buckhorn will be in Denver, Colorado Wednesday, Chair Reddick said they will discuss a com- promise by phone.
The search for the body of a missing 9-year-old came to a close on Monday. Divers lo- cated his body about 8:30 a.m. Law enforcement officials began searching the waters around St. Petersburg Beach on Saturday after 9-year-old Cameron J. Bullard disap- peared in the water. Police launched the search and res- cue mission after being noti- fied. The U. S. Coast Guard, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Marine Units, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Con- servation Commission were all involved in the search.
The search for the child con- tinued through the night. However, on Sunday, it be- came a recovery operation.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Cameron was at St. Petersburg Beach with family members on Saturday. Police said he was in ankle deep water with his brother and other family members when they were all struck by a large wave.
Cameron was pulled un- derwater and was last seen drifting out to deeper water before going under. The child was not a good swimmer, and officials believe the rough seas, strong current, and poor weather conditions all played a role in his disappearance.
CAMERON J. BULLARD
Officials said a witness at- tempted to rescue the child, but he never resurfaced and could not be located.
Detectives said Cameron’s uncles, Glenn Robinson and Wrojay Russell, were both monitoring the group of chil- dren at the time Cameron disappeared, and there was no evidence to indicate that there was a lack of supervision or neglect on their part.
Cameron was a 4th grade student at Gulf Beaches Ele- mentary School. Grief coun- selors were on the campus of the school on Monday.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said “this is a very unfortunate in- cident.”
COUNCIL CHAIR FRANK REDDICK
CRB representatives and the remaining 4 come from the Council’s single member dis- tricts.”
TOBA Board Member Talks About Channelside Development And Inclusion In The City
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Tampa Bay Lightning owner, and businessman Jeff Vinik, has plans to redevelop 40 acres around Amalie Arena. The billion dollar proj- ect will become the world’s first health and wellness fo- cused city district, dedicated to the well being of employees, students, residents, tenants, and guests expected to live and work in the area.
Although official site plans have not been released, the Vinik project will feature de- sign and technology strategies including enhanced walkabil- ity, abundant green space in- cluding low pollen trees, sound barriers to support acoustic comfort, access to healthy foods, green infra- structure, daily monitoring and reporting of district air quality, and access to the amenities of an urban water- front.
Tampa Organization for Black Affairs (TOBA) Board Member, James Ransom said they are very excited about the opportunity for African American businesses to prosper with what’s going on at the airport, and he hopes that opportunity will also avail itself on Channelside.
“We always want to know how much of the city’s budget is spent on African Americans. When we see projects like the one Vinik has, keep in mind he’s giving away $50,000 a game to local heroes. African Americans have benefitted from his generosity.
“When diversion and in- clusion were made a not de- batable topic we wanted someone on their team with expertise in those areas.”
This is a rendering of Jeff Vinik’s plans for the area around the Amalie Arena.
Ransom said if Vinik’s plan is going to be a place for everyone, TOBA wants to make sure there is inclusion when it comes to African Americans.
“We want to be more than just consumers. We want to live, work and play in the area where all these dollars are being generated.
“We need to bring forward the people in our community who can make it happen. As we get to know the Vinik group better, it seems they are sincere. We just need to main- tain that relationship and make sure things stay as they are.”
Ransom said it’s impor- tant to make sure there is no status quo, and they’re posi- tive from what they’ve seen on the surface that the process will go smoothly.
“We will look more closely at what the city is doing. We want to find out what the city’s total annual budget is, and what they spend out the door for goods and services.
“We want to know if there’s a list of companies that do business with the city, and whether or not they’re African American. We also want to find out by race and gender
JAMES RANSOM
how those dollar are spent and on what goods and services.”
Ransom said he seriously doubts if the percentage of revenue the city spends on African American owned com- panies is in the double-digits.
“I think less than 1/10th of 1% is being spent at the most. I don’t think the Mayor can find anything he’s done that would justify his actions, espe- cially the disdain he has for the City Council.
“People get frustrated and express themselves in differ- ent ways. We need to stop and start asking questions, espe- cially as it pertains to account- ability. Jeff Vinik is a private business owner, and when he says he’s going to do it, he usu- ally does.”
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015