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A ROUNDUP OF LOCAL SPORTS See page 7
East Central Florida’s Black Voice
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www.daytonatimes.com
APRIL 19 - APRIL 25, 2012
YEAR 37 NO. 16
Center expected to open despite budget cuts
PEOPLE SPEAK
Midtown Education and Cultural Center still on schedule; city eliminates jobs, sports programs BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com
Chairs, tables, jump ropes, bowling balls, hurdles and other equipment soon will fill the Midtown Education and Cultural Center, which is expected to open the end of May. Daytona Beach city commissioners approved the purchase
of about $100,000 in equipment for the new center earlier this month. The center, which was constructed to replace the former Campbell Recreation Center on the corner of George Engram Boulevard and Keech Street in Daytona Beach, also includes a gymnasium named in honor of the late educator and popular coach T.R. Faircloth, Leisure Services Director Percy Williamson said this week. Cuts to the city’s budget affected the Leisure Services Department, but Williamson said the cuts will not affect the opening of the new center.
No track and field, boxing, flag football City commissioners voted in March to eliminate four positions in the Leisure Services Department, including two office specialist positions and recreation leaders. Williamson admitted that losing these staffers has led to his department eliminating the track and field, boxing and adult flag football programs. He has reorganized the department and shifted his staff around to deal with the vote by the commissioners. DANIELLE GARRETT/SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES “We are moving in a different The Midtown Education and Cultural Center recently approved Please see MIDTOWN, Page 2
about $100,000 in equipment for the new facility.
NAACP’s Slater weighs in on Chitwood, Cusack flap BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAYTONA STATE COLLEGE
Olivia Maultsby, Yolaunda Harrison and Natalie Wilcox, all employees at Daytona State College, want to help others excel through the College Access Retention and Enrichment (CARE) program.
Women’s educational experiences lead to CARE at Daytona State College BY ANDREAS BUTLER DAYTONA TIMES butleramj@yahoo.com
T
here is a new program at Daytona State College that could help many get into school and succeed. The College Access Retention and Enrichment (CARE) program is designed to assist non-traditional college students such as single parents, low-income residents and public housing tenants get an education.
Difficult circumstances The program is an initiative of three women employees
at Daytona State College who earned their degrees under difficult circumstances. Natalie Wilcox is an academic advisor, Olivia Maultsby a financial aid counselor, and Yolaunda Harrison a financial aid specialist at the college. “We established this program because we were inspired by our experiences in education,” Wilcox said. Wilcox is a Daytona native and 2003 Mainland High School graduate. She has a bachelor’s degree in gerontology from the University of South Florida and is pursuing a master’s degree in Leadership and Education at Nova Southeastern University.
Almost gave up During her first semester of school, Wilcox almost dropped out. Wilcox recalls, “My first college experience was bad. I didn’t know what resources were available. I got lost and almost gave up. I was able to get help and succeed.” Harrison is another Daytona native and a 1997 Mainland High graduate. She has an associate’s degree in psychology and is pursuing a bachelor’s at the University of Central Florida. Pregnancy slowed her educational process. “I was basically a teen parent. I had a child my senior year of high school. I tried college for a
Volunteers sought for walking tour of Midtown May 2 workshop will focus on health, safety and environmental issues BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com
The Volusia County Health Department in conjunction with the Volusia Transpor-
tation Planning Organization and the City of Daytona Beach will be hosting a workshop that will focus on short-term and long-term improvements to sidewalks and streets in Midtown. The workshop will be held at the Dickerson Activity Center on May 2 from 8:30 to 3 p.m. The workshop will have a maximum of 30 participants and residents interested in participating must contact organizers by April 25.
The Daytona Beach NAACP president has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the local police chief’s comments about Volusia County Councilwoman Joyce Cusack’s appointment of an Indian American to the Halifax Area Advertising Authority (HAAA). Cynthia Slater calls Daytona Beach Police Chief Michael Chitwood’s comments about Cusack’s appointment of Pravin Patel to the HAAA board “out of place.” “He should respect the councilwoman’s judgment and be open to work with the county council and the Halifax Area Advertising board in order to correct any issues that the board needs to address,” Slater stated. “It sounds like Mr. Patel has instituted a zero tolerance campaign as it relates to unlawful activity happening in and around his establishment,” she continued.
Reminded of B-CU comment
year, but I got pregnant again. I had a high-risk pregnancy and had to be on bedrest. I had to drop out. It really affected my self-esteem,” Harrison told the Daytona Times. “I suffered depression and had to get counseling. I was a single parent with three kids and no income. I often cried. I tried again and again but obstacles remained. I moved back to Daytona in Caroline Village. I went to Daytona State and spoke with Admissions. I got started. I got help, which gave me the strength and motivation to go to college. It took 10 years for me to get a degree,” Harrison added.
Slater was president of the organization in 2009 when it sent a letter to Daytona Beach officials asking for an investigation into Chitwood and the Daytona Beach Police Department over comments he made in a newspaper article about BethuneCookman President Trudie Kibbe Reed and the university. In October 2009, he was quoted in the Daytona Beach News- Journal calling Bethune Cookman University President Trudie Reed an “inept leader who has lost control of her students.’’ The letter sent by the NAACP said that the police department, including Chitwood, repeatedly made inflammatory and racially tinged statements, issued a “sham subpoena” and made false statements to the media alleging a cover-up on the part of B-CU officials involving a disturbance at a dormitory involving students and school employees.
Please see CARE, Page 6
Please see NAACP, Page 6
Participants of the workshop will take part in an actual walking tour of Midtown, which will go west down Orange Avenue, south down Keech Street, and then east down South Street. It will start at the Dickerson center and end at Turie T. Small Elementary.
Transit on list of concerns Dr. Celeste Philip, assistant director of Public Health, Volusia County Health Department, said this study will help improve nutrition and physical activity options for residents as well.
“The walking tour is a great opportunity to work with the community to identify conditions in our environment that we can improve,” Philip said. Discussion during the workshop will center on land-use and transportation connections, creating Dr. Celeste linkages and gateways, use Philip of public space, connections with transit, safety issues and accessibility concerns. Other issues for discussion will include Please see VOLUNTEERS, Page 2