Daytona Times, May 3, 2012, #18

Page 1

Daytona Palm Coast Deltas host first Jabberwock Pageant See page 5

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit #189 Daytona Beach, FL

EE FR

GEORGE CURRY: Every Republican In the 112th Congress has failed Blacks Page 4

A ROUNDUP OF LOCAL SPORTS See page 7

East Central Florida’s Black Voice

www.daytonatimes.com

MAY 3 - MAY 9, 2012

YEAR 37 NO. 18

Arrests thrust hotel owner back in spotlight

PEOPLE SPEAK

Two charged with running meth lab at inn owned by HAAA member appointed by Cusack BY ANDREAS BUTLER AND ASHLEY THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES

ANDREAS BUTLER/DAYTONA TIMES

Daytona police say the Heritage Inn was the site of a meth lab operation.

The newest member of the Halifax Area Advertising Authority (HAAA) was back in the spotlight this week after his hotel was accused of being the site of a methamphetamine lab. Two people were arrested on April 29 by Daytona Beach po-

lice at the Heritage Inn at 1100 S. Ridgewood Ave. Methamphetamine, commonly referred to only as meth, speed or a variety of other street names is a white or yellowish crystal-like powder or pill that can be snorted, smoked, injected or swallowed. Rich Haney, 42 and April Martin, 41, were arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, according to a police report. The incident brings back into the spotlight comments made by Daytona Beach Police Department Chief Mike Chitwood over Volusia County Councilwoman Joyce Cusack’s appointment of Heritage Inn owner

Pravin “P.M.’’ Patel to the HAAA board. The HAAA board is an 11-member volunteer board appointed by the county council that spends roughly $6 million on tourism advertising each year and advises the council.

‘Hotbed of criminal activity’ Patel was mentioned in recent articles in the Daytona Times and other local media after Chitwood referred to the hotel as “a hotbed of criminal activity” and questioned Patel’s appointment to the board. Please see ARRESTS, Page 6

Powers will become first Black principal of Catholic school BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com

Betty Powers, the former principal at Turie T. Small Elementary, has been chosen as the new principal of the Basilica School of St. Paul in Daytona Beach. At the end of this school year, Powers will replace Yvonne Toro, who served for five years. Toro has taken an administrative position within the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Orlando. Powers will be the first Black principal at the Catholic school, which was founded in Daytona Beach in 1925. She served as principal for 16 years at Turie T. Small before retiring. She was with the public school system for 38 years.

Longtime Catholic Powers said her goal at St. Paul will be to prepare students to meet the growing and challenging demands of the 21st century. “Most importantly, it is to ensure Christian leadership according to Diocesan and local school policies, rules and regulations,” she said. For the past two years, Powers has been serving at St. Paul’s as a tutor and substitute teacher. She has been a member of the Catholic church for 47 years. Powers said she is honored to be the first Black principal at the school. “In today’s society, many school districts are experiencing rapid growth in the number of diverse students. I am committed to being an exemplary role model for each student at the Basilica School of St. Paul,” Powers stated.

Easy transition The school serves more than 200 students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Powers expects an easy transition from being a principal at a public school to a private school. “I expect it not to be different that much at all because taking care of kids in any setting is the epitome of true education. The Basilica School of St. Paul is a faith- based learning community and, Please see POWERS, Page 2

ASHLEY THOMAS/DAYTONA TIMES

Dr. Denise Avent of Emporia, Va., visits the location of the newly erected Liberia sign in Ormond Beach.

Ormond Beach pays tribute to African ties Signs erected at areas referred to as Liberia and Sudan BY ASHLEY THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com

T

wo welcome signs have been erected near the police station on Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach to pay tribute to the African ties of the area. The signs welcome visitors and

residents to Ormond areas referred to as Sudan and Liberia, reminding them of the history that lies within the area. Although some questions still remain, former Ormond Beach resident Michael Gibson is trying to unearth answers about years gone by. “For generations people referred to the area North of Granada Boulevard on Washington Street as Sudan and the area South of Washington Street as Liberia,” Gibson said, adding that no one really knew why. Granada, a main thoroughfare, is

divided by Washington Street. On one side of Granada is called Liberia and the other side is referred to as Sudan. While doing a bit of research, Gibson found a newspaper clipping about the neighborhood that explained that in the late 1800s and early 1900s, descendants of slaves brought to America from Africa settled in Ormond Beach. They named their community after the countries their ancestors came from – Liberia and Sudan. Please see TRIBUTE, Page 2

Black fraternities, sororities come together as one organization Pan-Hellenic Council of Volusia County established in 2009 BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com

Shown above are members of the Pan-Hellenic Council of Volusia County.

Johnnie D. Moore, current president of the Pan-Hellenic Council of Volusia County, says the organization is the best-kept secret in Daytona Beach. First organized in 2009 by Al Bouie, an employee at BethuneCookman University, the Pan-

Hellenic Council is composed of members from what’s called the “Divine Nine” – Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi Beta Sigma, Omega Psi Phi and Iota Phi Theta fraternities along with Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, Delta Sigma Theta and Sigma Gamma Ro sororities. “We are a 501 (c)(3) pending organization and are looking to partner with any individual or organizations in the area that are looking to make a difference to the people and living situation throughout the county,” Moore said.

He explained that there are several hundred members in the individual organizations who have pledged financially and physically to support the Pan-Hellenic Council and its initiatives. The Pan Hellenic Council meets on the second Monday of each month at Uno’s restaurant on International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach at 6 p.m.

Supporting events, causes of others The council’s first mission was Please see COUNCIL, Page 2


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