New Smyrna, Ormond teams win Black History Brain Bowl
EE FR
WALTER FIELDS: Obama’s one-sided responsibility lecture far from impressive See page 4
Flagler youth get Black history lesson in St. Augustine SEE PAGE 3
East Central Florida’s Black Voice
SEE PAGE 3
MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2014
YEAR 39 NO. 10
www.daytonatimes.com
Charter Review board to residents: Show up Meeting in Midtown draws low turnout; irks members of commission BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Only about 25 people attended the first Charter Review Commission town hall at the Midtown Cultural and Educational Cen-
ter on Tuesday night. The common theme: More people need to show up. The March 4 meeting was the first of three scheduled around the city before the commission returns to City Hall in mid-April. The purpose of the local meetings is to allow the commission an opportunity to go into the various communities within Daytona Beach and hear residents’ concerns. Residents give input on what changes they would like to see on
the Nov. 4 ballot concerning the charter of Daytona Beach.
Ponder: Gain insight The charter is the document that states how the city is run and lets residents determine their own structure of government within state-prescribed legal limits. In this way, the charter can reflect the community’s values and allows the local government to control its own destiny. “I understand there are a lot of
things you can’t do. We are small in number but we want you to listen,” former Midtown Redevelopment Area Board Chair Johnnie Ponder said as she addressed the commission. “If you drive around and you are proud of Daytona Beach, something is wrong. I’m not proud of this city,” Ponder added, referring to the amount of vacant homes, lots and buildings, which need more attention or code enforcement. “Everyone has an opinion, whether we like it or
Stetson student steals scene at Oscars
not, but we may gain insight from just a little nugget that someone offers just by listening.”
Charter outdated “It is our charge to do our best,” Charter Review Commission Chairman Glenn Ritchie said, adding that the current charter is not bad but that it is outdated. “We are gathering the information for the city commission and then that recommendation will Please see CHARTER, Page 2
Counts helping Daytona beef up customer service BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Revamping the city’s website, adding a customer advocate, making physical changes to City Hall, and offering another action-packed Citizen’s Academy are all ways the City of Daytona Beach is improving the communication and service for residents. “We are constantly seeking ways to be better with our service delivery and customer experience,” said Susan Cerbone, spokesperson for the City of Daytona Beach. “The city is addressing customer service at many levels and several significant actions have been taken recently that are a good indication of the city’s commitment.”
Counts named ombudsman
Peter Nyong’o, right, beams in the star-studded selfie that crashed Twitter on Sunday night.
Peter Nyong’o captures worldwide attention in selfie with celebs FROM STAFF REPORTS
His sister snagged an Oscar on Sunday for her gripping portrayal of Patsey in “12 Years A Slave,’’ but Peter Nyong’o captured his share of the spotlight when the star-studded selfie he posed in went viral and temporarily crashed Twitter. Peter, a 20-year-old freshman at the DeLand university, escorted his sister, Lupita, to the Academy Awards. During the ceremony, he jumped in a selfie photo featuring his sister and Hollywood celebs Ellen DeGeneres, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie,
Bradley Cooper, Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Lawrence. In the photo, Peter smiles broadly in front of his sister and Jolie. The selfie was orchestrated by DeGeneres, who hosted the Academy Awards. Peter is a first-year student in Stetson’s College of Arts and Sciences. He has not declared a major yet although he has shown interest in acting. Until last year, he was a student at St Andrews, one of East Africa’s elite boarding schools. On his Facebook page, his profile reveals that he has spent time working at Hebron, a Christian school in Tamil Nadu, India and his interests include a love of the British soccer team Arsenal and a rap group, The Flat 4 -1, that he launched with some friends while at school.
More selfies Peter also scored selfies at the Academy Awards with Spacey, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Travolta, Pitt and Jolie, Gabrielle Union and Piers Morgan. Lupita joked to Ellen DeGeneres on Monday that she isn’t surprised her brother’s been so forward with Alisters, saying he “lives life in an exclamation point.” In her acceptance speech for best supporting actress for “12 Years A Slave,’’ Lupita referred to him as “Junior’’ and called him her best friend. Peter and Lupita have four other siblings. Their father is Peter Anyang Nyong’o, a member of the Kenyan senate and a former minister for medical services in the government. Mother Dorothy runs a communications consultancy in Nairobi.
One such example is the addition of an ombudsman to help citizens and developers navigate the city’s permitting process, Cerbone said. Emory Counts, the city’s economic and community development director and fair housing coordinator, is the new ombudsman. As part of his duties, he will help facilitate communication between interested parties and staff. Additionally, he is available to answer development questions, provide support and help streamline the process of obtaining approvals and permits. “Typically when people run inEmory to problems, they give me a call. I Counts get involved and see if it is a matter of semantics or what the problem may be,” Counts told the Daytona Times. Counts will provide residents and business owners with an identifiable point of contact to help resolve utility problems and code enforcement issues that have failed to be addressed through traditional channels.
Customer advocate Additionally, the customer advocate is tasked with identifying problems on behalf of residents and taking concerns to involved parties – from front-line workers up to department heads, Cerbone added. Please see COUNTS, Page 2
Runners sought for Easter Beach Run BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
More than 1,200 participants are expected at the sandy finish line on the World’s Most Famous Beach. Celebrating 47 years, the five-part Daytona Beach Easter Beach Run will start at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 19. The Easter Beach Run was established in 1967 by the Daytona Beach Leisure Services Department. First held on Easter Sunday afternoon to provide an activity for visiting college students, this event has developed into one of the favorite fun races in Florida. “Our team is looking forward to this year’s Easter Beach Run. We have added
ALSO INSIDE
some new features to keep our runners engaged prior to, during and after the race,” Jacqueline Paquell, Athletic Manager for the City of Daytona Beach shared. “We have already received registrations from two U.S. Olympians, several local students, families and spring breakers, from as far as Germany. This race is truly for everyone.”
All fitness levels Each event will start and end at the Daytona Beach Pier with a half way turnaround point. The entire family can enjoy the Forest Gump-themed activities with races for all levels of fitness and ages. Awards ceremonies will be held following each race. Each Kid’s Race par-
ticipant receives a participant medal. Custom “finisher” medals will be given for the first 1,200 runners and walkers completing the race. Awards will go to the top male and top female finishers in the two and four-mile races. Awards also will be handed out to first-place winners in various groups – from children to adults. Registration can be accomplished online at www.easterbeachrun.org or in person through April 16 at the Leisure Services offices of City Hall, 301 S. Ridgewood Drive, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.easterbeachrun. org.
Above: Medals like those shown from last year will be given at the finish of the race to top performers at the Easter Beach Run. Left: Male and female runners are seen taking to the sand at the 2013 Easter Beach Run. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CITY OF DAYTONA BEACH
COMMENTARY: RAYNARD JACKSON: REDEFINING TRUTH HAS CONSEQUENCES | PAGE 4 ENTERTAINMENT: RAPPERS’ DISRESPECT OF BLACK ICONS RAISES CONCERNS | PAGE 5