Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 10-30-15 Edition

Local
West Tampa Residents Feel Their Future Is In Doubt
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Regardless of which side of Interstate 4 you live on in West Tampa, the entire area from the airport traveling east to the river has an assortment of different proj- ects going on and all of them have direct impact on African American communities.
“In the Carver City/Lincoln Gardens area, you have the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and the city with projects going on as well as private devel- opers,” said Dee Jackson, Vice President of the West Tampa Alliance (WTA).
“Coming further east, we have the West Tampa redevelopment plan, the CRA, re- location of public housing residents, the future of the Presbyterian Village site, the future of the Oakhurst Square Apartments, the Julian Lane Riverfront Park, and what’s going on along Cass Street.”
Jackson said when you add the inva- sion of University of Tampa students into rental housing in the area, you get the im- pression that West Tampa has become ground zero.
“The people around here are scared, and don’t know what’s going to happen next.
“As a neighborhood and community organization, it is our responsibility, and the responsibility of other community or- ganizations, to stay on top of everything, and let the people know what’s going on.”
The West Tampa Alliance will be hold- ing a series of meetings next month in an
DEE JACKSON
effort to update the community on what’s going on, and how they will be impacted.
“In the past, residents looked to their elected officials for help and to keep them informed on what’s going on in their neighborhoods,” said Jackson.
“It’s still a good thing to do that, but even elected officials need the help of com- munity organizations. That’s our mission, and we want to be THE information source for the residents. We also are preparing to launch an initiative to draw more African American owned businesses into the area.”
Jackson said he and WTA President, Heem Baisden, are collecting informa- tion and talking to as many agencies and private interests as possible, and they vow to deliver the truth to the residents on what steps they may want to take to make sure they aren’t bulldozed with the rest of the community.
Rainbow Heights Leader Wants To Unite Community
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
In the three years Ms. Frankie Jones has been president of the Rainbow Heights Crime Watch and Neighborhood Association, she’s seen her community go through a roller coaster ride of changes.
“I’ve seen the community become a safer place to raise a family, and I’ve also seen it as a place where people just want to hangout.
“I think the major problem in Rainbow Heights is the people who are hanging out don’t live in that community.”
Ms. Jones has vowed to con- tinue her efforts to get a community center erected in Rainbow Heights, and the corner of 34th Street and Chelsea Avenue has been targeted for development.
“I want to see the people in this community have more pride in where they live, and take a more active role in making things better.
“There are a lot of areas in East Tampa under siege by outsiders, and it’s up to the residents of those areas to force them out.”
Ms. Jones praises the efforts of the Tampa Police Department in rid- ding Rainbow Heights of a place for drug dealers and users.
“We’ve done a lot of things to bring people closer like community cleanups and other ventures. We have more things planned for the fu-
MS. FRANKIE JONES
ture, but it’s going to take some sac- rifice and dedication on behalf of the residents to make it happen.
“Right now, we need to establish partnerships to keep things going in a positive direction. Those partner- ships can come from working closely with the East Tampa Community Re- vitalization Partnership, the City of Tampa, Tampa Police, and other neighborhood organizations.”
“The Rainbow Heights Associa- tion meets consistently every month, and in those meetings we give resi- dents an opportunity to say what’s going on.
“The major problem we’re having right now is the loitering.
The Rainbow Heights Neighbor- hood Association and Crime Watch meets every third Saturday of the monthfrom4p.m.to5p.m.atthe C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. Library.
PAGE 2-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015