Page 15 - 4-10-15 Friday's Edition

Features
New City Council Chair Comfortable In Role
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
In a 4-3 vote, City Coun- cilman Frank Reddick was elected as the new Council Chair. Voting in favor of Coun- cilman Reddick were Coun- cil members Mike Suarez, Yolie Capin, and Guido Maniscalco.
Council Chair Reddick
said being Chair of the CRA prepared him for this, and he feels comfortable in his new position.
“I have more responsibili- ties now. I nominated Coun- cilwoman Capin to replace me as Chair on the CRA Board, and our colleagues agreed.
“It makes me feel good to look back at the legacy other African Americans who’ve served on the Council have left behind. Being only the third African American (Gwen Miller and Thomas Scott previously) to serve as Council Chair makes it even more spe- cial.
“As Council Chair, I will still keep my eyes on what’s going on in District 5, and I’ll also be able to better address issues in my district. Now, I feel I’m a step closer to being more in- volved in city government.”
Council Chair Reddick
said he’s currently working on evaluating his position on sev- eral boards he serves on.
“My priorities remain the same. Now that I’m Chair, those priorities have been en- hanced.”
COUNCIL CHAIR FRANK REDDICK
County Administrator Reorganizes Key Positions
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Hillsborough County Ad- ministrator, Mike Merrill has decided to reorganize two critical positions.
Ron Rogers is no longer Chief of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, and Sharon Subadan is no longer in charge of the county’s Homeless Recovery program.
Former Fire Chief, Den- nis Jones will take the place of Rogers, and with the demotion of Subadan, that department is no longer under her direction.
“Rogers came up through the ranks and has done a great job. However, I felt we needed someone who could accomplish some things Rogers wasn’t expe- rienced with.
“There was a budget shortfall, but that had noth- ing to with the action I took against Rogers and Sub- adan.”
Merrill said he did meet
SHARON SUBADAN ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
with both before announcing his decision, and the changes are not disciplinary.
“As far as Rogers is con- cerned, we’re now looking at training issues, more urban fire services, and building more stations. I think Jones would be better in getting those things done.
“As far as Sharon is con- cerned, she asked a year ago for a reduction of her duties. I did that for her, and part of her new duties were to over- see the fire department,
MIKE MERRILL COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
homeless services, and other programs. For the purpose of reorganization, I removed most of the department’s that were answering to Sharon.”
Merrill said Subadan’s title hasn’t change and her pay hasn’t been affected.
“The funding for her cur- rent position will run out in September. This is a tempo- rary assignment for her, and we’re working on the details now on what will happen after that.”
East Tampa Laundromat Remodeled With Several Upgrades
Manager, Tyrone Williams stands in front of the renovated Grand Wash Laundromat.
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Whether it be at home or at a facility, laundry day has not been an experience a lot of peo- ple enjoy or look forward to. The advantages of having a washer and dryer at home is one of privacy and cost. Since the majority of people don’t have that luxury, they look for a laundromat that is clean and where they can relax.
The Grand Wash Laundro- mat has taken all of that at heart, and the new owners have stepped in and completely re- modeled the building.
The Grand Wash Laundro- mat is located at 5308 North 34th Street, one block south of Hillsborough Avenue. The manager, Tyrone Williams, said he’s sure the customers will appreciate all of the up- grades and other features that have been added.
“The new owners com- pletely remodeled with new machines, flooring, restrooms, and parking area. It’s all in- doors, and we’re open from 7 a.
m. until 10 p. m., with the last wash taking place at 9 a. m.
“I think the location is great and since we put in the im- provements, we’re getting more customers. We’re focus- ing on this facility being a great asset to the community and we hope it will be a sign of progress for the entire commu- nity.”
Williams said he remem- bers the laundromat being open in 1964, and during that time it was a small place.
“Now, it is among the largest in the area.
“Now, we have flat screen televisions, air conditioning, and comfortable seating. We really appreciate the customers helping us keep the place clean.”
Williams said they will continue to reach out to the community, and always recog- nize their customers, because without them, there would be no laundromat.
Grand Wash Laundromat is owned and operated by Coin Laundry on Hillsborough Av- enue and 47th Street.
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-B