GEORGE E. CURRY: Rodney King symbolized police brutality PAGE 4
Daytona Alpha Kappa Alpha to present debutantes on Saturday SEE PAGE 2
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PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit #189 Daytona Beach, FL
LOCAL PLAYERS PARTICIPATE IN HOUSING AUTHORITY TOURNAMENT SEE PAGE 7
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www.daytonatimes.com
JUNE 21 - JUNE 27, 2012
YEAR 37 NO. 25
Weekend of support for foster parents
PEOPLE SPEAK
Conference to draw thousands statewide to Daytona June 22-24 BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com
Showing support to foster parents is the main priority of the Florida State Foster/Adoptive Parent Annual Conference, which takes place in Daytona Beach this weekend. John Harrell, spokesman for the Northeast Region of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) said this week that hundreds of foster parents
would be attending this conference. “They are our partners in raising children in foster care to be successful, contributing adults,” Harrell said. Harrell said there are thousands of foster parents statewide, but there is always a need for more.
More needed In Volusia County, as of May 31, there were 811 children in foster care. Of that number, 205 are Black, 624 White and 70 Hispanic. In Flagler County there are 136 in foster care – 108 Whites, 33
Blacks and two Hispanics. “We need foster parents as diverse as the children that we serve, of every ethnicity and many languages. It is so important to be able to offer a foster home with the same cultural and language background for our foster children to feel safe and be understood,” Harrell continued. He said the greatest need is more foster homes interested in sibling groups and teens.
Race not tracked Because of the federal Multiethnic Placement Act that was put in place in the late 1990s, Please see FOSTER, Page 2
PEDRO PORTAL/EL NUEVO HERALD/MCT
Lisa and Jorge Alvarez, with their family, from left, sitting, granddaughter Noemi, daughters Natasha and Vanessa, granddaughter Mya, back, daughter Kathy Remos and her fiancee, Brandon Phillips, at home in Kendall on May 23. The Alvarez family has fostered 90 children in 12 years, some with difficult medical issues.
A Daytona Beach resolution urges all local retailers who sell tobacco products to cease the sale and marketing of all flavored tobacco products. An example of the products are shown above.
Daytona urges stores to stop selling flavored tobacco Young smokers
BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com
Daytona Beach commissioners voted on a resolution this month urging retailers to stop the sale and marketing of flavored tobacco products within city limits. Susan Cerbone, Daytona Beach public information officer, said one of the reasons the commissioners supported the resolution is because “tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the United States and nearly 90 percent of users start before the age of 18.” “While the resolution is not an outright ban on sales, it sends a clear message that Daytona Beach cares about its youth,” Cerbone said.
According to information obtained by the Daytona Times, in Volusia County, 12.2 percent of middle school students and 26.3 percent of high school students reported using some form of tobacco one or more times in the past 30 days. Also in Volusia County, 7.4 percent of middle school students and 16 percent of high school students report having smoked cigarettes one or more times in the past 30 days.
Health department pleased Dr. Bonnie J. Sorensen, director of the Volusia County Health Department, says the agency is pleased that the city has adopted a resolution urging tobacco retailers to stop selling and marketing candy-
flavored tobacco products. All of the convenience stores surveyed sell the candy-flavored products stores in Volusia County. “Daytona Beach joins a growing list of municipalities taking a stand against candy-flavored tobacco products. There are 88 people dying daily in the state of Florida from tobacco-related illnesses. Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States,” said Sorensen, who also spoke before the city commissioners voted on the resolution.
Impact on Blacks Stefany Strong, spokesperson for the Volusia County Health Department, said each year approximately 45,000 African-
Americans die from a preventable smoking-related disease, which represents more than 10 percent of the estimated yearly smoking related deaths in the U.S. Strong also noted that smoking is responsible for 87 percent of lung cancers. African-American men are at least 50 percent more likely to develop lung cancer than White men. Blacks disproportionately suffer from chronic and preventable disease compared to White Americans. And of the three major causes of death in AfricanAmericans – heart disease, cancer and stroke – smoking and other tobacco use are key contributors to these illnesses, Strong elaborated. Please see TOBACCO, Page 2
Deltas ‘Remembering the Times’ at June 30 Jabberwork BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com
A musical variety show consisting of music, song and dance will take place during this year’s Jabberwock 2012. The theme for the event sponsored by the Daytona Beach Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, is “Remembering the Times.”
Jabbberwock 2012 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 30, at the Mainland High School Performing Arts Center starting at 7 p.m. Contestants this year include Dwan Wilson, Aireil Redding, Amariya Lopez, Saniya Times, Asaunte’ Williams, Ja’Niya Hawkins, Mercedes McMillian and Corrianna Favors.
Dates back to ‘Wonderland’ Alma Glover Smith is one of the organizers of this year’s Jabberwock and said the title is an adaptation of the character Jabberwocky in Lewis Carroll’s classic “Alice in Wonderland.” “Such characters summoned members of his kingdom to come together once a year to present a colorful pageant. This concept
was adopted by the sorority as an evening of entertainment to generate funds for scholarships and other Delta projects,” Smith explained.
More than pageantry The eight contestants will be competing for Little Miss, Junior Miss and Miss Jabberwock. Smith said the contestants have undergone a series of pre-
liminary activities that included a kick off orientation, a career exploration in government and law, and an etiquette workshop appreciation luncheon. “Their debut of elegance and Nubian beauty while competing for the titles will culminate their Jabberwock experience,” Smith continued. Twenty-two little misses ages 3 Please see DELTAS, Page 2