Page 2 - 3-20-15 Friday's Edition

Features
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Planned For Riverwalk Segment
Acting Superintendent Excited About The Future
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Although the role of Act- ing Superintendent of the Hillsborough County School District is challenging, Jeff Eakins is ready. In fact, he is excited about and looking forward to the future.
“I was the liaison between the board and I have forged a great relationship with all of the board members. The last few months have been very emotional and very challeng- ing. I feel I will be able to align the vision and carry out and execute the mission of the school board. It is an honor to lead the 8th largest school district in the nation,” he said.
Eakins was appointed as Acting Superintendent in February after the board voted 4-3 to dismiss MaryEllen Elia as the Su- perintendent without cause. Mrs. Elia will remain the Superintendent of record until her contract ends on June 30th. However, her offi- cial last day was March 5th.
Eakins said his attorney is working with the School Board attorney to devise his contract. But, he said he
JEFF EAKINS Acting Superintendent, Hillsborough County Public School District
doesn’t expect a lengthy process. Once the contract is agreed upon by all parties, Eakins will officially begin serving on July 1st.
One of the areas Eakins is overseeing is the transition of Sulphur Springs Elemen- tary School to a K-8 institu- tion.
In the fall, Sulphur Springs will add the 6th grade class. Eakins said the school will still be able to carry out its STEM Program and con- tinue working with its com- munity and business partners. Adding the 6th grade will increase the popu-
lation by about 65 students, but will not result in over- crowding.
“We will then assess the remaining space and develop the best plan. It will be a very manageable K-8 school. It is unique in its services and will keep its community school feel,” he said.
The change may cause the boundaries of surrounding schools to change, but he said the total number of stu- dents will increase by about 200 students when the three grades are added.
Eakins said he grew up in Ohio and after graduating from college taught school for two years. Then he and his wife, Peggy Eakins, re- located to Tampa as class- room teachers. Mrs. Eakins is still a classroom teacher.
They both worked as a teacher at Cypress Creek El- ementary School and Eakins later returned as its principal. During his 26-year tenure with the district, he has overseen the Title I Pro- grams and served as the Gen- eral Director of Federal Programs, Assistant Superin- tendent for Performance Management, and Deputy Superintendent.
MAYOR BOB BUCKHORN
DICK GRECO Former Tampa Mayor
Mayor Bob Buckhorn
is inviting members of the community to join him for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Kennedy Boulevard Plaza Segment of the Tampa Riverwalk. The ceremony will take place on Friday, March 27th, at 5 p.m., at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
Mayor Buckhorn said, “The Riverwalk has been in the making for 40 years, and it has taken the efforts of six mayors and the support of the Obama Administration to be completed. Its construc- tion represents the impor- tance of the Hillsborough River as our best natural asset. This will be a historic day, and I want the entire community to come celebrate with us.”
At approximately 6 p.m., following the formal ribbon cutting ceremony, Mayor Buckhorn will be joined by former Mayors Pam Iorio, Dick Greco, Sandy Freed- man, and Bob Martinez.
The Kennedy Boulevard Plaza Segment spans 1,460 feet of water on the eastern side of the Hillsborough River, running underneath Kennedy Boulevard Bridge.
The segment links MacDill Park to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, and pro- vides pedestrians and cyclists 1.8 miles of continuous, com- pleted Riverwalk.
The total project cost for the Kennedy segment is $9.2 million, which was partially paid for by a Transportation Investment Generating Eco- nomic Recovery (TIGER) IV grant awarded to the City of Tampa in June 2012 by the U. S. Department of Transporta-
PAM IORIO Former Tampa Mayor
SANDY FREEDMAN Former Tampa Mayor
BOB MARTINEZ Former Tampa Mayor and former Florida Governor
tion.
The TIGER grant will also
go toward constructing the Doyle Carlton Segment of the Tampa Riverwalk as well as the Tampa Hillsborough Ex- pressway Authority Selmon Greenway. The City of Tampa recently received the permit by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers allowing construc- tion to begin on the Doyle Carlton Segment of the Tampa Riverwalk in Summer 2015 with completion in Summer 2016.
Residents of all ages are invited to stroll the Tampa Riverwalk before enjoying a special screening of “Dol- phin Tale,” at 8 p.m., in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
Food truck vendors and other entertainment, includ- ing special guests from Lowry Park Zoo and Florida Aquar- ium, will also be onsite. Blue Bell Ice Cream will be serving free cups of hand-dipped ice cream, including its signature Homemade Vanilla flavor.
The grand opening cele- brations are being sponsored by Magic 94.9, Tampa Bay Times, and Clear Channel Outdoor.
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015