Dr. Henry to speak at Stewart Memorial SEE PAGE 3
East Central Florida’s Black Voice
EE FR
DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX: Black women killed by police officers are ignored SEE PAGE 4
A NATIONAL POP WARNER HONOR FOR MALANA JACKSON SEE PAGE 7
APRIL 30 - MAY 6, 2015
YEAR 40 NO. 18
www.daytonatimes.com
Black elected officials team up New group will mentor locals interested in running for office BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Minority elected officials in Volusia County have teamed up over the past few months to organize a powerful group. The eight charter members of the Minority Elected Officials of Volusia County are Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, DeLand Commissioner Jessica Davis, Lake Helen Commissioner
Vernon Burton, Volusia County Council Woman Joyce Cusack, Volusia School Board Vice Chair Ida Wright, Daytona Beach Commissioners Patrick Henry and Paula Reed and West Volusia Hospital Authority Member Barbara Girtman. The group will give its formal announcement and host a banquet June 27 at Bethune-Cookman University’s Center for Civic Engagement. The event will detail the group’s intent and purpose to the public. “We have 18 municipalities in Volusia County and we only have four bodies that have minority representation,” Cusack told the Please see MENTORS, Page 2
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSUNIVERSITY.COM
Charter members of the Minority Elected Officials of Volusia County hold a roundtable discussion.
‘Let all your life be music’
Thomas retires after 38 years with the city BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSUNIVERSITY.COM
Dr. Gregory Broughton, a tenor soloist and head of voice at the University of Georgia Athens, is pictured left of Dr. Adolphus Hailstork, eminent Scholar at Old Dominion University. They were at the Southeastern African American Chorale Festival held Sunday.
Chorale festival features voices from HBCUs BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
In partnership with the Southeastern African American Chorale (SEAAC) Festival and the Mary McLeod Bethune Cultural Heritage Arts Festival, the Community Performance Series at BethuneCookman University presented its last
performance of the season on Sunday at the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center in Daytona Beach. The performance featured one of America’s leading composers – Dr. Adolphus Hailstork, in the performance of his work, “I Will Lift Mine Eyes.’’ Tenor soloist Gregory Broughton and B-CU Director of Choral Studies Damon Dandridge also performed. The SEAAC meets once a year and is primarily made up of historically Black colleges and universities in the southeast-
SWAT billboards make call to action BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Billboards soliciting support for SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) initiatives are posted all over Volusia County. Signs reading, “The tobacco industry targets youth with flavored tobacco, don’t let them trap our kids,” are part of the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County’s tobacco prevention program. “The signs have been placed in eight different locations
ALSO INSIDE
throughout the county,” explained Charles Bethune, Florida Department of Health in Volusia County SWAT coordinator. “We are bringing about awareness to the tobacco issue and dealing with how our kids are being targeted by the tobacco industry.” Bethune says the colorful packages used on cigars and other tobacco products are designed in such a way that attracts young people. “The packaging is used to entice the child. They use the same type of packaging that a lot of
ern United States. “These are students from Alabama State University, Allen University, the College of the Bahamas, Winston-Salem State University, Edward Waters College and the Jackson State University-string ensemble,” Dandridge explained. “Our theme was ‘Let all your life be music,’” Dandridge added. The schools came together to participate in the 21st annual SEACC festival. It was B-CU’s first time participating in the event as well as hosting.
candy products are packaged in, so it’s kind of like giving them the notion that it is safe. They are used to buying candy with that type of package.”
‘Alarming increase’ Candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes were banned under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in 2009. However, menthol cigarettes, non-cigarette smoked tobacco products and smokeless products were not included in the ban. According to a fact sheet provided by Bethune, “Nationwide, there has been an alarming increase in the use of non-cig-
arette smoked tobacco products. The use of these dangerous smoked tobacco products increased by 123 percent from 2000 to 2011.” These products include cigars, cigarillos and little cigars. The design and contents of tobacco products make them more attractive and addictive than ever before, according to the 2012 Surgeon General’s report. Additionally the data shows, “The flavoring and lower costs of these non-cigarette smoked tobacco products and of smokeless tobacco products make them especially appealing to Please see BILLBOARD, Page 2
EDUCATION: EVERY HIGH SCHOOL IN U.S. TO GET FREE DVD OF ‘SELMA’ | PAGE 5 SPORTS: RAY LEWIS, BALTIMORE RAVENS WEIGH IN ON PROTESTS | PAGE 7
After nearly four decades of service to the City of Daytona Beach, Jennifer Thomas will not be prepping for her day at City Hall come Monday morning. This is the last week for the retiring city clerk who has worked for Daytona Beach for 38 years. “I’ve been really really blessed over the years,” she told the Daytona Times this week. As the city’s records custodian, Thomas’ office maintains official records, provides support for the city commission regarding agenda prepara- Jennifer tion and coordi- Thomas nation, coordinates municipal elections, and provides notice of public meetings. The West Palm Beach native has been in that role since 2003. Thomas sat down with the Times on Tuesday to talk about her years working at the Ridgewood Avenue office. Her bookshelves were removed of handbooks and manuals and a single plant sat on her desk.
From college to the city She officially began with the city in 1977 after graduating from Bethune-Cookman College (now University) following an internship with Daytona Beach’s Community Development Department. “It has been something that I probably didn’t dream would end up this way, but it was something that I worked hard for a long time. I finished school in 1977 and they offered me a job as a financial specialist after graduating.” In that role, Thomas worked to prequalify homeowners for assistance with housing. “I did the paperwork to justify their assistance and determine how much they would get from the city to repair their homes,’’ she recalled.
Seeing improvements Thomas went on to work in several positions within the Community Development Department, including a housing coordinator and deputy director. Managing city-owned and private property infrastructure improvements were part of her duties. She oversaw a band of emPlease see THOMAS, Page 2
7 FOCUS
R2
APRIL 30 – MAY 6, 2015
Florida Senate weighs legal action against House for early leave BY BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – Senate leaders are considering legal action to try to force the House to return to the Capitol to finish out the workweek as the slow-motion collapse of the regular legislative session appeared to near its end Wednesday. With the Senate completing the business it could after the House’s abrupt decision to leave town Tuesday amid a health-care and budget dispute, Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, sent a letter asking House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, to call House members back to Tallahassee. Gardiner cited an obscure portion of the state Constitution saying that “(n)either house shall adjourn for more than seventy-two consecutive hours except pursuant to concurrent resolution” --- meaning, he said, the House could not end its session on Tuesday without the Senate’s consent. “The course of action you have taken is not only unconstitutional; it is unprecedented under our present state Constitution,” Gardiner wrote.
Crisafulli responds The Senate will be ready to re-
turn to session up until 11:59 p.m. Friday, Gardiner said, though there appeared to be no plans for the upper chamber to return if the House does not. If the Senate does not formally return for a final adjournment, the session would lapse at 11:59 p.m. without ceremony. The House and Senate have not ended a regular legislative session on different days since at least 1971, when state records on adjournment times begin. Crisafulli swiftly responded to Gardiner’s letter with one of his own. The House, he said, isn’t returning. “We can have disagreements on policy issues, each year the House and Senate have plenty,” the speaker wrote. “At the end of the day, if the two sides don’t agree, bills die. That is how the process works.”
Court action? The House says the 72-hour provision doesn’t apply to adjourning “sine die” – from the Latin phrase for “without day” – the official end of the legislative session. “This provision deals with temporary adjournment during session, not adjournment sine die. ... They are separate parliamentary procedures, initiated by distinct
motions,” House general counsel Matthew Carson wrote in an explanation sent to reporters Tuesday. Speaking with reporters after Wednesday’s session, Gardiner said the Senate is considering taking the House to court to resolve the dispute – even if it didn’t end the current standoff between the two. “I think that that’s why at some point, whether it’s this week or in the future, there will need to be a discussion before a court to exactly interpret what that is,” Gardiner said. “We certainly believe that they have an obligation to be here.”
Increasing bitter rift Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, conceded that it’s “unlikely” the Florida Supreme Court would rule on the issue before the Friday deadline. The current, increasingly bitter rift between the House and Senate, both of which are dominated by Republicans, has grown out of the June 30 expiration of the state’s $2.2 billion Low Income Pool, or LIP, program. LIP is largely used to cover the expenses of uninsured, low-income Floridians who show up at hospitals needing treatment.
LIP review
Scott’s draft
The Senate wants to use $2.8 billion in Medicaid expansion funding to help lower-income Floridians purchase private health insurance. Supporters of Medicaid expansion, including the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, say that could help lessen the state’s dependence on LIP. Federal officials have also suggested that how much the state gets in LIP will be affected by how much of that funding could be offset if the state expanded Medicaid. House members touted a new statement from CMS spokesman Aaron Albright, issued late Tuesday, which they said marked a reversal of the federal agency’s previous position – in a letter dated April 14 – that LIP and Medicaid expansion are linked. “We will work with Florida and each state that has an uncompensated care pool regardless of its Medicaid expansion status, to support access to health care for low-income residents that works for individuals, hospitals and taxpayers, taking into account the state’s specific circumstances,” Albright said Tuesday. “CMS will review proposals regarding uncompensated care pools based on the same principles whether or not a state has expanded Medicaid.”
On Wednesday, Crisafulli credited a lawsuit filed by Gov. Rick Scott to force the decoupling of the issues for the purported change of heart. “We applaud CMS for their statement, and agree that the (Medicaid) policy preference of the Obama administration should not be used as leverage for the Low Income Pool,” he wrote in a memo to House members. But Gardiner and other supporters of a Medicaid-funded coverage expansion said the statement Tuesday was nothing new. “Obviously, some over there (in the House) are trying to pounce on that,” he said. “But I think if you read a little bit deeper down, it really doesn’t say anything different than what the April 14 letter did.” With the two chambers at odds, Gov. Rick Scott’s office released the draft of an outline for work to be done by his proposed “Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding,” which Scott said he would announce if a special session was required to break the budget impasse between the House and Senate. Such a special session will be needed before the July 1 start of the state fiscal year.
BILLBOARD
MENTORS
from Page 1
from Page 1
youth; that flavored tobacco products are widely considered to be starter products; and that studies have shown youth erroneously believe flavored tobacco products are less harmful than their non-flavored counterparts.”
Daytona Times.
‘Recruit, mentor, groom’ Cusack, chair of the group, says one of the prime purposes of the Minority Elected Officials of Volusia County is to “recruit, mentor, groom and encourage minorities to run for public office.” Cusack has an extensive background in city and state government and serves as the current at-large representative on the Volusia County Council. She also was twice elected as a member of the Florida Legislature’s House of Representatives serving in that capacity for eight years. “We will be bringing in other minorities. However, the charter members are all African-American,” she added.
ALA agrees The American Lung Association sent President Barack Obama a letter last week signed by parents and grandparents from all 50 states, asking him to protect the nation’s children from all tobacco products. The letter asks Obama to “direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move forward with oversight over the manufacture, sales and marketing of all tobacco products including cigars, ecigarettes and hookah.” “It’s been a year since the FDA issued its proposed rule regulating all tobacco products and four years since FDA first announced its intention to regulate e-cigarettes,’’ said Harold P. Wimmer, national president and CEO of the American Lung Association. “The American Lung Association and concerned parents and grandparents across the nation are calling for an end to the delays and for FDA to assert its authority to protect our kids from tobacco products and marketing aimed at addicting our children,’’ he added. In February, Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) petitioned the Senate to introduce a bill to require child-resistant packaging on liquid nicotine. It was unanimously approved by the Senate Commerce Committee. ‘Fruity loops, Peppermint Patty’ Said Nelson, “Just one tea-
THOMAS from Page 1
ployees whose work resulted in necessary sidewalk and paving improvements, including those in minority majority areas such as Fulton and Lane Streets. “I remember there were a lot of streets unpaved in Daytona Beach at the time. One of the main things I recall is going out on Lane Street and Fulton Street and actually surveying the residents. I had to convince them that change was really coming. ‘This is real, the city is really going to help you,’” she recalled telling residents. … Some of them had doubts of what government would provide them.” “It gave you a lot of good feelings, gratitude for the people,” she continued. “And we did what we said we were going to do. They are nice, beautiful paved streets now.”
In action In 2003, Thomas had just completed 25 years with the city when she decided to apply for the clerk’s job. “It was really, really exciting.
More to come ASHLEY D. THOMAS/DAYTONA TIMES
SWAT Coordinator Charles Bethune stands in front of a billboard against marketing tobacco products to children. The sign is erected in front of a convenience store on the corner of Mason Avenue and Bill France Boulevard. spoon of highly concentrated liquid nicotine – sold for use in ecigarettes and vaping devices – is enough to kill a small child. Yet this stuff is sold in brightly colored packages bearing enticing names like Fruity Loops, Peppermint Patty and Gummi Bear. You can see how kids could easily mistake this potentially lethal substance for candy – and in the easy-to-open packages it currently comes in, it’s all too easy for them to ingest.” “And tragically, last December a one-year-old boy in New York
became the first child to die from liquid nicotine poisoning. With calls to poison control centers spiking, he may not be the last. “It’s clear that something needs to change to keep our kids safe and healthy – and here in DC, we’re working on a solution,” Nelson added.
One of the first things I had to do was attend the (city commission) meeting. I had the good fortune that the lady who was the deputy clerk came back and was the clerk in the interim before they made the decision of hiring me and I shadowed her for a little while. “The first meeting that I was supposed to do I was supposed to watch her in action and she was not able to attend my first meeting! I had to actually conduct the meeting without sitting back and watching her, so it was kind of exciting, because I was ready,” she continued. And as city staff can attest, Thomas really was ready, receiving accolades from then City Manager Rich Quigley, for her on-the-spot performance. “I’m a planner. I like to have things all in place. I’m not last minute. I’m an early bird, and I’m usually here at 7:15 in the morning or 7:30. I want to come in, get myself settled, I want to be ready for 8 o’clock,” she said. “I always say, ‘if you’re on time, you’re late.’” “So my first couple of weeks were exciting. I really got a lot of my education in regulations from my time in community development, federally. A lot of the things we had to do were regula-
tory. Coming here as the clerk, they were more geared toward Florida statues as well as local code and the City Charter.”
More local clubs Locally, Bethune is working within the Volusia County School System with students from all over Volusia County to start their
Voting change Thomas also directly oversees the municipal elections in Daytona Beach. She explained how the city now saves upward of $150,000 for moving elections to be held the same time as state and presidential elections shortly after she became the clerk. “What it did for our city was two things,” she explained. “It saved us money… and gave us better voter turnout.” Having those municipal elections run on the presidential and state ballot caused a much larger turnout for local elections. Thomas said she enjoyed the actual process of elections from start to finish. “I really like the end of elections,” she stated. “I like the part of getting my calendar in order, informing the candidates, trying to make sure they follow all the rules and regulations, letting them know my office is an open door for them to do the elections correctly and not to get themselves into any type of trouble as it relates to not following the rules.”
own SWAT clubs. There already are a dozen such clubs in the county. “They (students) are responsive to what I share with them as far as the dangers of using tobacco. They are excited about sharing that information with their peers and also other members of the community,” Bethune remarked. He urges high school or middle school students interested in joining SWAT to contact their school guidance counselor or call 866-241-7928.
Patrick Henry will serve as vice chair for the group. Henry is the second-term Zone 5 commissioner of Daytona Beach. Davis, who will serve as secretary, recently made history in DeLand as she was elected the first Black female in her post in the seat’s more than century-long history. Burton, Lake Helen’s Zone 2 commissioner, is the treasurer. “We are going to be asking others to join us,” Cusack added. “We are looking to encourage and prepare other minorities who wish to hold office as well.” More details on the June 27 meeting and banquet will be available as the date approaches.
Education stressed
‘Very good job’
Thomas grew up in a large, close family that stressed education. She was one of 10 children – five sisters and four brothers. She spoke of her Bahamian father’s strong work ethic and how he worked three jobs to take care for his family. Thomas’ mother passed away of multiple sclerosis (MS) when she was 15. “My father and three older sisters impressed upon me going to college and the value and importance of getting an education,” she remarked. Her father died in 1998. “As a child, I loved to read. I will read and read again until I know for sure I have it,” she added.
Daytona Beach Assistant City Manager Betty Goodman reflected on Thomas’ career and job as clerk. “Jennifer has had a very successful career with the City of Daytona Beach and has done a very good job for the city,” stated Goodman. “She will really be missed, but we all wish her well as she enters in the next phase of her life. Whatever she decides to do, I’m sure she will enjoy and be very successful at that,” Goodman added. Daytona Beach Assistant Clerk Letitia LaMagna will take the helm as city clerk starting next week. “She has been with me seven years,” Thomas shared, adding that she is confident that LaMagna will continue to serve the city clerk’s office in a timely and efficient manner. “I have really been blessed to have some really good managers who have allowed me to do my job efficiently and allowed me to manage my team,” Thomas concluded. “I’m just really blessed.’’
Grandma-to-be Thomas has been married to her husband, Herbert, for 34 years and they have one son, Herbert Jr. She expressed her excitement over the arrival of her first grandchild, who is expected to arrive this fall. Thomas will continue her service as a Sunday school teacher at her church, New Heart Christian Center, and will take some time off for vacationing and visiting family in the Bahamas.
3 7
APRIL 30 – MAY 6, 2015 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
M A YNEWS OR
Yacht Club’s fashion show to help victims of violence An annual fashion show, sponsored by the Palm Coast Yacht Club, was held at the club on April 15. More than 100 persons attended, and the fashions were the ultrawearables from Macy’s Department Store in the Volusia Mall of Daytona Beach. Flagler County Commissioner Nate McLaughlin and Brenda Damiani of the Palm Coast Yacht Club shared the spotlight as masters of ceremonies. A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Flagler County Family Life Center. The movers and shakers at Flagler Auditorium donated two free tickets for a special drawing for the Flagler County Family Life Center, a private, not-for-profit socialservice organization. The center provides no-cost services to individuals and families experiencing domestic or sexual violence. “We were thrilled to have such a large and enthusiastic crowd,” said Candyce Schmidt, “and even more proud that we were able to make a donation to the Family Life Center from the proceeds. And, we want to thank Commissioner McLaughlin, in particular, for adding so much humor and pizzazz.” Schmidt is the Commodore of the Palm Coast Yacht Club. “We are very grateful to the Palm Coast Yacht Club (PCYC) for extending their hand of friendship and offering support to our services,” said Executive Director Trish Giaccone of the Family Life Center.
Fashions by top designers The models were PCYC members Bob Bescher, Donella Crawford, Ken Damiani, Maurine Murphy, Mike Norris, Candyce Schmidt, Lloyd Smith, Linda Taillon and Jackson Wertz. The fashions were designs by Ralph Lauren, Inc., Polo, Tommy Bahama, Club Room, Alfred Dunnar, Nautica, S. L. Fashions, Alfani Spectrum, MSK, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Geoffrey Beene, Perry Ellis, and Jessica Howard. The Palm Coast Yacht Club offers a 180-foot fixed dock, 25-foot floating dock and a wide variety of social activities for boaters and non-boaters alike. The club provides opportunities for day trips, extended flotilla journeys, dinners, dock parties, and picnics. The club was established in 1979, and offers each month the possibility for new members to join.
Another successful tournament for Eagles Benefits extended beyond and thanks outstretched to Bob Duquette, Palm Harbor PGA professional, his cart and pro-shop staff and the restaurant personnel for excellent support and services to the Eagles Golf Club of Palm Coast. Members and friends recently took part in a round of golf at the home course of Palm Harbor. It was an 18-hole stroke play, in-flight, “No Alibi (substitute par for three worst-gross scores)” tournament, along with closest to the pin par 3 competition. Congratulations to the following:
Stewart Memorial schedules Women’s Day events Women’s Day at Stewart Memorial United Methodist Church is set for Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 4 p.m. Dr. Stephanie Pasley Henry, an international educational consultant and the wife of Daytona Beach Mayor Derek Henry, will be the speaker. The theme Dr. Stephanie is “Let Go, and Henry Praise the Lord.” During the service, local pastors’ wives will receive recognition. Four events leading up to Women’s Day are planned at the church’s location, 317 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., Daytona Beach. The public is invited.
Thursday, May 7 “Worship in the Yard,” from 6 to 8 p.m., will feature a message by the Rev. John T. Long, pastor of Tubman King Community Church. It will include music, giveaways, refreshments and games.
Saturday, May 9 A Mother’s Day Brunch begins
PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY
First Place Flight A, Ralph Lightfoot, net score 66; Flight B, Nat Harris, net score 61; Flight C, Nate Wells, net score 54; Flight S1, Russ Whyte, net score 60; Flight S2, Vern Stallings, net score 60. Second Place Flight A, Harry Davis, net score 68; Flight B, Brian Philbin, net score 62; Flight C, George Latimer, net score 57; Flight S1, Rick Hill, net score 62; Flight S2, Marshall Brown, net score 61. Third Place Flight A, Bob Daniels, net score 69; Flight B, Doug Coleman, net score 64; Flight C, Vicky Arthur, net score 65; Flight S1, Foster Vestal, net score 65; Flight S2, Byron Stewart, net score 62.* *Won on card off over John Reid on No. 1 handicap hole (15) with a 6 vs. a 7. Hole No. Winner (green tees) 2 None 8 Harry Davis 11 Harry Davis 17 Harry Davis (Wow!) Hole No. Winner (white/pink tees) 2 Bob Ottley 8 Russ Whyte 11 Columbus Thomas 17 Bill Gorham The next Eagles outing will take place at Halifax Plantation in Ormond Beach on May 16. An 8:30 a.m. shotgun start is in the works and playing a “Chicago Points” 18-hole stroke play tournament and CTP Part 3 competition. This will be the final “warmup” tournament before the two-day club championship on May 2930. If you plan to participate, you must contact either one of the committee members no later than May 11, or sign up at the club meeting, which is the same date of May 11. The pairings will be developed on May 12. The Golf Activities Committee members are Bill Gorham, chairman, 386-446-9982; Vicky Arthur, 386-446-1965; Jim Dupuy, 386246-3198; Bill Pickett, 386-4464767, and Dave Pokigo, 386-4461479.
AACS seeking phenomenal women Yumeka Carey, Cultural Center administrator for the African American Cultural Society (AACS), elicits support paying tribute to the women of Central Florida, who have led exemplary lives. Carey requests that you nominate a phenomenal woman of your choice to be honored at the African American Cultural Society’s “Pathways to Success Awards Luncheon.” Applications for nominations and sponsorships are available by calling the society at 386447-7030, or email AfricanAmeric955@bellsouth.net. Moreover, AACS President Stephanie Ecklin writes: The African American Cultural Society, Inc. is proud to announce the Phenomenal Woman “Pathways to Success” Awards
at 11:30 a.m. in the church’s fellowship hall.
Saturday, May 16 A “WIG” event is scheduled at 3 p.m. WIG stands for “Work It Girl.” A wig can be worn if desired. This is scheduled to be a fun afternoon of relaxation and fellowship. Included will be a brief message on stress reduction techniques. For additional information and tickets to the brunch, call the church at 386-255-7222.
Palm Coast to offer lifeguard class, job fair for summer jobs The City of Palm Coast is preparing for summer job hiring for Parks & Recreation’s summer camp counselors and lifeguards by offering a lifeguard certification class and job fair. Registration is underway for the American Red Cross Lifeguard Class, to be held Friday through Sunday, May 1-3. The class will be 4-8 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the City of Palm Coast’s Frieda Zamba Swimming Pool, 339 Parkview Drive. The class offers the most current training in lifeguarding, first aid, CPR for the Professional Rescuer, and AED (automated exter-
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PALM COAST YACHT CLUB
Taking part in the fashion show were Commissioner Nate McLaughlin, who was a co-host; cochairs Sarah Ulis and Peggy Bescher; models Candyce Schmidt, Bob Bescher, Maurine Murphy, Lloyd Smith, Linda Taillon, Jack Wertz, and Donella Crawford, co-host Brenda Damiani; and models Ken Damiani, Mike Norris; as well as Macy’s Sales Manager Richard Rabin.
Commodore Candyce Schmidt, left, presents a $500 check to Executive Director Trish Giaccone of the Family Life Center. At right is Sarah Ulis, who helped to organize the affair. Luncheon to take place June 5, 2 p.m., at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 U.S. 1 North, Palm Coast. The society’s mailing address is P. O. Box 350607, Palm Coast, FL 32135. “Pathways to Success” is a celebration of women whose talents and triumphs are driven by purpose, principles, power and passion. AACS seeks to ensure that women of color are recognized and rewarded for their successes. This event promises to inspire and empower women of all ages. Kindly nominate a phenomenal woman of your choice so you can help us pay tribute to the women of Central Florida, who have led exemplary lives. During our celebration, we will honor 10 women from the Central Florida area nominated by you. Criteria for nomina-
tion include community service, mentorship, professionalism, entrepreneurship, and leadership. The women will be honored and their photographs featured at the awards luncheon. Each honoree will receive press recognition, a brief bio in our Martha commemorative Cooperjournal, a one-ofHudson a-kind phenomenal woman’s pin, certificate of achievement, and a gift bag. Our keynote speaker will be Mrs. Martha Cooper-Hudson, who’s a life coach, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and the host of “I’m Possible,” The Martha Cooper-Hudson TV show.
nal defibrillator), and is open to ages 15 and up. The fee is $160. Register at www.palmcoastgov. com/register. Then, from 1-4 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, the City will hold a job fair for summer camp counselor and lifeguard positions at 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B106. Starting pay for the summer jobs is $11.20 per hour. For more information, visit www.palmcoastgov.com/jobfair or 386-986-2323.
derworld forces, but gains superhuman abilities that allow her to strike back. Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman star. Rated R, 89 minutes. • “The Remaining”: 2 p.m. May 22. The rapture disrupts a young couple’s wedding, leaving them to fight for their lives in a world decimated by God’s wrath. Rated PG-13, 83 minutes. • “The Song”: 2 p.m. May 29. An aspiring singer-songwriter’s life and marriage suffer when the song he writes for his wife propels him to stardom. Rated PG13, 129 minutes. For more information, call the library at 386-424-2910, option 4.
New Smyrna Beach library showing free movies this month The New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, 1001 S. Dixie Freeway, will show free movies every Friday in May. They include: • “Fury”: 2 p.m. May 1. Determined to strike a victory for the Allies during World War II, a sergeant leads his five-man tank crew on a treacherous mission behind enemy lines. Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf star. Rated R, 135 minutes. • “Exists”: 2 p.m. May 8. Five friends camping in the Texas Big Thicket are terrorized by an evil force seeking murderous revenge. Rated R, 86 minutes. • “Lucy”: 2 p.m. May 15. A woman falls prey to sinister un-
Volusia’s Community Assistance to hold public workshop Volusia County’s Community Assistance Division will hold a public workshop to discuss and receive comments about the county’s housing, community development and other service needs at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, in the first-floor training room of the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center, 123 W. Indiana Ave., DeLand. Residents and agencies are asked to participate in discussions about the Community Development Block Grant, Home
You may ask, “How will this benefit my company?” According to the 2012 census, women make up 46.9% of the labor force; they comprise 51.5% of management, professional, and related positions. Your support of the Phenomenal Woman “Pathways to Success” Awards Luncheon will reinforce the respect and value you place on the women in your organization. Your nomination of a phenomenal woman will not go unnoticed! Nominations are due no later than May 16. Moreover, AACS is actively seeking sponsors for the event. We invite you to participate as a sponsor. Sponsorship levels include the Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories. We also invite you to forward your nominees’ names for the phenomenal woman award. Information regarding nominations and sponsorship levels is available upon request at 386447-7030, or email: AfricanAmeric955@bellsouth.net. We look forward to receiving your favorable response as a sponsor. Thank you, and we look forward to your participating and working with our Phenomenal Woman “Pathways to Success” Awards Luncheon. ••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted and bereaved.
Celebrations Birthday wishes to David Eurie, May 1; Joy Ragoonan, May 2; Carl Davis, May 3; Shirley Day, Gloria L. Benjamin, May 4; and Pat Brown, May 6.
Investment Partnership Plan and Emergency Solutions Grant programs during the workshop. Staff also is seeking feedback regarding fair housing awareness and housing discrimination as part of its analysis of impediments to fair housing choice. Comments will be used in the development of the division’s five-year consolidated plan. For more information, call Corry Brown at 386-736-5955, ext. 12970.
Refuge house to present financial forum May 9 Abraham Daughters House of Refuge will present a community forum titled “BuildingWealth for The Next Generation Of African Americans” on Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. The forum will be at Fifth Third Bank, 1030 W.International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach. Topics will include Stopping the Capital Drain in Our Community, Black-owned Businesses and Developing Strategies for Group Economics. For more information, call 386215-0552.
R4
7 EDITORIAL
APRIL 30 – MAY 6, 2015
Blacks split over Obama Since the moment that he announced his candidacy in 2007, through to this day, there have been two debates over how to understand President Barack Obama. There is the larger social debate, which includes the hysterical and racist assaults on the First Family. There is also a separate debate, one that only occasionally appears in the mainstream media, one that is rooted in Black America. The first Black debate, during his run for the presidency, revolved largely around whether Obama was truly Black, in large part as a result of his mixed blood. As his candidacy proved substantial, voices in Black America began to shift. There remained, however, many of us on the left end of the spectrum who had varying degrees of concern about what Obama truly represented, and specifically, who he represented.
Voice of the critic There was no consensus in these criticisms from the left, we should note. Some critics were most concerned about whether he would truly represent Black America; others were concerned that he would be a continuation of the Bill Clinton administration. In either case, the voices of the critics were drowned out by the rising levels of excitement in connection with the campaign. Upon Obama’s election, Black America went through a new stage in its relationship to the president. There was exuberance and pride in connection with his election. There was also – and this was not limited to African-Americans – a
BILL FLETCHER, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST
tendency by many to turn Obama into whatever we happened to hope that he would be or become. This almost magical tendency resulted in the eternal search for clues as to what Obama really meant by various statements and actions.
Largely silent Very quickly, within Black America, there emerged a resistance, if not hostility to any criticisms being raised of the president. This was quite understandable in that the racist right-wing began its assaults on Obama almost immediately and it was more than clear that rather than being in a “post-racial” environment, the election of Barack Obama brought with it the emergence of just about every fear that right-wing Whites had about the danger of a ‘Black planet.’ Yet, this resistance to criticism of the president meant that Black America placed almost no pressure on the Obama administration. Fearing that any criticism of Obama would lend support to the political right, there was largely silence. And when the silence was broken, as in the criticisms offered of the president by Cornel West and Tavis Smiley, the critics – regardless of the relative merit of the criticism(s) – were and are
frequently attacked for breaking ranks.
Missing the point While you may disagree with the rhetoric and/or tactics of West and Smiley, that must be separated from the fundamental content of the criticisms. West and Smiley were looking for Obama to be a strong advocate for the poor; against racial injustice; and a less belligerent foreign policy. I agree with their sentiments. To the extent to which President Obama is targeted personally, e.g., questioning his Blackness or commitment to Black people, we miss the larger point. Obama is the president of the strongest capitalist power on this planet. His job is to make capitalism work and to ensure that the system functions. He is the head of an administration and is not an absolute monarch, regardless of what the racist right suggests. As such, to get a different and progressive behavior, we, the people at the base, have to alter our behavior and demonstrate that the status quo is unacceptable. We will demonstrate that through public, constructive and hard criticisms of the administration, but more importantly we will demonstrate that when we exert power at the ballot box, in the workplace and in the communities.
Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the host of The Global African on TelesurEnglish. He is a racial justice, labor and global justice activist and writer. Click on this article at www.daytonatimes.com to write your own response.
Clamoring to enter housing’s poor door More than 88,000 people have applied to enter the “poor door” at a new luxury condominium tower on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Only one in 1,600 will win the lottery to live there. Some months ago a New York developer made headlines with the plans for this building, which takes advantage of zoning rules encouraging affordable housing by including some low-priced rental units along with the luxury condos for sale. A separate entrance for the people living in the low-income apartments continues with segregated living inside. Low-income tenants won’t be allowed to use the pool, gym, private theater, or any of the other amenities reserved for the wealthy owners.
country are finding themselves on the wrong side of the poor door. Housing is the single largest expense for most families and for far too many is growing increasingly out of reach. The number of families with worst-case housing needs increased from 6 million in 2007 to 8.5 million in 2011, including 3.2 million families with children, and the number of homeless public school students was 85 percent higher in 2012-2013 than before the recession.
‘Modern-day Jim Crow’
Negative consequences
Critics immediately pounced on this design as a modern-day form of Jim Crow. But the need for affordable housing is so overwhelming that when the deadline came this month to participate in a lottery for the spots behind the “poor door,” tens of thousands applied. Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that most of the 219 luxury condos on the other side of the building have sold, some for more than $25 million. The contrast between the haves and have-nots might be especially stark at that New York building, but millions of families across the
Homelessness and housing instability can have serious, negative consequences on children’s emotional, cognitive, and physical development, academic achievement, and success as adults. Federal rental assistance, including public housing and vouchers for private rentals, helps about 5 million of the neediest low-income households afford a place to live. But because of funding limitations only about 1 in 4 needy families with children receives assistance. To add insult to injury, the Republican House and Senate budgets are proposing severe cuts
MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN NNPA COLUMNIST
to already inadequate and desperately needed housing subsidies. The White House estimates that compared to the president’s budget proposal, the Republican House budget would cut housing vouchers for 133,000 families and housing assistance for 20,000 rural families. This is on top of the 2013 sequestration cuts that led to 100,000 fewer families receiving assistance by June 2014. The Urban Institute found that providing enough housing subsidies to serve eligible families would reduce child poverty by 20.8 percent and lift 2.3 million children out of poverty. More than 2.5 million more households would receive a subsidy, worth an average of $9,435. We could easily pay for this housing subsidy expansion by making fairer and common sense reforms to close corporate accounting tax loopholes, saving $58 billion a year. Cutting back on already inadequate help to those most in need to give more tax welfare subsidies to those least in need is not the answer and is profoundly unjust. Families should not have to win a lottery to live in segregation just to get a roof over their heads.
Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind®. Click on this article at www.daytonatimes.com to write your own response.
Death row’s other killers Glenn Ford, 64, convicted of murder in 1984, spent a quartercentury on the death row of Louisiana’s notorious Angola prison before his conviction was overturned and he was freed last year. Anthony Ray Hinton, 58, convicted of murder in 1983, spent 30 years on Alabama’s death row before his murder conviction was overturned earlier this month and he was freed. That means that Glenn Ford and Anthony Ray Hinton join the growing number of individuals convicted of capital murder and other serious crimes who’ve been proven innocent only after years in prison – and whose exonerations underscore how widespread are the terrible flaws of American’s criminal justice system, and especially its ultimate evil: the death penalty.
Criminal penalty For Hinton and Ford, as with others convicted of murder, their convictions were once declared to be proof of the competence of the nation’s structure of justice. Since 1989, according to data compiled by The Innocence Project, which seeks to exonerate the wrongfullyconvicted, 329 inmates convicted of capital murder, murder, or rape have been exonerated via DNA testing. The exonerated had served an average of 14 years in prison.
LEE A. DANIELS NNPA COLUMNIST
Equally horrifying are the conclusions of a 2014 study that determined that at least 4 percent of the 3,000 inmates now on the nation’s death row are probably innocent; that a “comparatively low” percentage of innocent inmates have been executed since 1973; and that there is a greater percentage of innocent people whose death sentences have been commuted to sentences of life without the possibility of parole. Whenever I read of another death-row exoneration, four considerations immediately come to mind.
Thoughts on exoneration The first is, having been convicted of a capital crime, how does it feel to sit awaiting execution on one of America’s death rows and know that you are innocent? How does it feel to know that men and women, inhabiting offices of power and clad in the trappings of respectability, are going to kill you so they can keep pretending the American criminal justice
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: POLICE
system is just? The second thing I think about whenever another exoneration is announced is the studied silence of the get-tough-on-crime crowd and the death penalty advocates who are always complaining that the appeals process of capital sentences is too drawn out. If those now exonerated had been executed “on time,” this crowd would have declared: justice done. The third thing I think about is the injustice to the crimes’ victims of these wrongful convictions. Finally, I’ve come to think that all these cases prove there are four kinds of souls inhabiting America’s death rows. There are the correction officers, of course. There are the men and women who actually are guilty of murder. There are the men and women actually innocent of the crime they’ve been blamed for or whose guilt was not actually proved at trial. And there are, in spirit, the death penalty advocates, hanging around like vultures waiting for the next execution so they can pull the tattered rags of their self-righteousness every more tightly around them.
Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. Click on this article at www.daytonatimes.com to write your own response.
DAVID FITZSIMMONS, THE ARIZONA STAR
Black women killed by police are ignored You know their names – Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice – because these AfricanAmerican men were unarmed and killed by “law enforcement” officers. Their names have been part of a litany invoked when police shootings are discussed. Their deaths have been part of the impetus for the Black Lives Matter movement, especially because the police officers that killed these men (and a little boy) have paid no price for their murders. You are far less likely to know about Rekia Boyd, shot by an off-duty police officer in Chicago. While the officer who killed Boyd was acquitted, her killing sparked few protests, and little national attention.
15 women Kate Abbey-Lambertz of Huffington Post identified 15 women who were killed during police encounters when they were unarmed, including Tanisha Anderson (Cleveland), 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones (Detroit), and Yvette Smith (Bastrop, Texas). The killing of another woman, Miriam Carey, was especially egregious. Carey, a dental hygienist, drove her car into a security checkpoint near the White House. The Secret Service fired multiple shots at Carey, killing her and putting her 13-monthold daughter at risk. Meanwhile, a White man scaled the White House fence without a shot fired. Another made it into the White House residence without encountering a gun. A few people protested Carey’s death, but the protests fizzled.
Little has changed AlterNet and Clutch Magazine, online sources such as Huffington Post, reported on some of the unarmed Black women who were gunned down. Again, these killings were barely protested, and garnered no national attention. Little seems to have changed since Gloria Hull, Patricia Bell-Scott, and Barbara Smith wrote But Some of Us Are Brave: All the Women Are White, All the Blacks are Men. The book, written in 1993, addressed the invisibility of African-American women. While the majority of the un-
DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM
armed African-Americans killed by police officers are men, about 20 percent of those killed are women. Contemporary African-American women are not the only ones who history has swallowed. Fannie Lou Hamer was beaten so many times, and so severely that she developed a blood clot and lost much of her sight in one eye. One kidney was injured and her entire body covered with welts and bruises. She never regained her health, yet when people call the roll of civil rights leaders and icons, her name is too often excluded. There is a historical precedent for the invisibility of African-American women. Fannie Lou Hamer is but one of many women whose lives and sacrifices are often ignored.
Even the president Public policy also ignores the plight of African-American women. President Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative is well-meaning, but ignores the status of young African-American women. While young Black women are more likely to go to college than young Black men, those who do not go to college face some of the same job challenges as men do. Young women can benefit from the same efforts that young men are offered through My Brother’s Keeper, such as mentorship and initiatives to develop pathways to education and employment. The Black Lives Matter movement must recognize the killing of Black women as well as Black men. To do any less, to ignore the unarmed Black women who are shot, suggests that only Black men’s lives matter. Any AfricanAmerican who is shot and killed by police officers deserves our attention.
Julianne Malveaux is a Washington-based writer and economist. Click on this article at www.daytonatimes.com.
Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.
THE CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that Americans can best lead the world away from racism and national antagonism when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person. The Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief...that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.
W W W.DAY TONATIMES.COM Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, Fl 33646, publishes the Florida Daytona Times on Thursdays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@ flcourier.com.
Charles W. Cherry, Sr. (1928-2004), Founder Julia T. Cherry, Senior Managing Member, Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC
Subscriptions to the print version are $69 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, Fl 33646, or log on to www.daytona.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.
Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher
SUBMISSIONS POLICY SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO NEWS@DAYTONATIMES.COM. Deadline for submitting news and pictures is 5 p.m. the Monday before the Thursday publication date. You may submit articles at any time. However, current events received prior to deadline will be considered before any information that is submitted, without the Publisher’s prior approval, after the deadline. Press releases, letters to the editor, and guest commentaries must be e-mailed to be considered for publication. The Daytona Times reserves the right to edit any submission, and crop any photograph, for style and clarity. Materials will not be returned.
Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Cassandra CherryKittles, Charles W. Cherry II, Managing Members
Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Sales Manager Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources Cassandra Cherry Kittles, Willie R. Kittles, Circulation Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Angela van Emmerik, Creative Director Ashley Thomas, Staff Writer Delroy Cole, Kim Gibson, Photojournalists MEMBER National Newspaper Publishers Association Society of Professional Journalists Florida Press Association Associated Press National Newspaper Association
5 7
APRIL 30 – MAY 6,DECEMBER 2015 ENTERTAINMENT 14 - 20, 2006
MAYOR
Every high school to receive free copy of ‘Selma’ SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
Through the Selma for Student initiative, more than 300,000 young people saw the movie for free.
In celebration of the home entertainment debut of director Ava DuVernay’s i“Selma,” Paramount Home Media Distribution has announced that every high school in the U.S., both public and private, will receive a copy of the DVD free of charge. In addition, teachers can receive free companion study guides to help further illuminate the remarkable historical events depicted in the film. “Our ‘Selma’ filmmaking journey has had many highlights, but to me, the response from students and educators has been the most magnificent part of the experience. To think that this triumphant story of dignity and justice will be available to every high school in this country is a realization of many dreams and many hopes,” said director Ava DuVernay. “I applaud Paramount on this extraordinary effort, and salute the teach-
ers who will provide classes and context on the work of Dr. King and his comrades to the young minds of our nation.”
Reaching new voters “The response from students and teachers to our ‘Selma for Students’ initiative was overwhelmingly positive and we are delighted to be extending the campaign,” said Megan Colligan, president, Worldwide Distribution and Marketing, Paramount Pictures. “During the film’s theatrical run more than 300,000 young people were able to see the film for free. By providing DVDs to all of the high schools in the country, we hope to reach all 18 million high school students with the film’s powerful and inspiring story. With many of these students preparing to vote for the first time in next year’s elections, it is especially fitting that they witness the bravery and fortitude of those who fought to
establish the Voting Rights Act of 1965.”
How to get copy Teachers who would like to receive a copy of the “Selma” companion study guide can visit http://bazaned.com. The movie won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for “Glory” by Common & John Legend. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture and Golden Globe Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director. The film tells how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the epic march from Selma to Montgomery to secure equal voting rights in an event that forever altered history. It’s available now on Digital HD and will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on May 5. For more information on Selma for Students, visit www.selma4students.com.
Jackson kids reportedly getting $8 million a year allowance BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM
Must be pretty nice, if you’re one of Michael Jackson’s three kids. According to the New York Post, Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson take home an allowance of $8 million a year. The publication adds that the $8 million is separate from the $1 million-plus Katherine Jackson receives to watch over the kids. Expenses include Prince’s $30,000 yearly tuition at a private school and the six-figure yearly payout to house, educate and treat
Paris at a therapeutic boarding school in Utah following her 2013 suicide attempt. A family insider tells the Post that Prince has put his money toward a personal cause with more than $50,000 in custom-made jewelry and other gifts on at least three different girlfriends.
First-class everything The Jackson siblings shell out about $350,000 to vacation in Hawaii and Vegas annually after paying for bodyguards, relatives, chauffeurs and first-
class airfare, among other things. While Paris buys gifts such as footwear and athletic gear for her friends at school, Blanket pays $200 an hour for karate lessons and more for a personal trainer. “These things that they’re doing they are mostly paying for themselves, with their own money.
More frugal than dad Look, they also get $15,000 to $20,000 every month just in walking-
If you already quit, tell us your story. If you want to quit, try Tobacco Free Florida’s 3 Free & Easy Ways To Quit and double your chances of success. 126,000 people Join the 126 that already did it with our help. Becoming a quitter is a story worth sharing. SHARE YOUR STORY AT tobaccofreeflorida.com/quitandtell Your story won’t be used, shared or published without your consent.
Blanket, Paris and Prince are the children of the late Michael Jackson. around money. No one else has that kind of dough around here,” a source shared with the Post. “This
is why you have had so much of the fighting going on in the family. But the battles have calmed since
their uncles have finally found consistent work and everyone has pretty much left [Katherine] alone about money.” While Michael’s kids aren’t shy about using their money to get what they want, Jackson family members believe Prince, Paris and Blanket are a lot more frugal than their legendary father. “They’re not [as bad] as their father . . . They also seem to have more of a sense as to when they may be going overboard,” the source told the Post
7 CLASSIFIEDS
R6
APRIL 30 – MAY 6, 2015
COME SUPPORT LOCAL NEW BUSINESS.... Caskets For Less 877 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd., Daytona Beach, Florida Supplying our community with high-quality burial caskets & urns at affordable prices. Please call 386-256-5554.
These homeowners were helped by
This is personal.
the program. To hear their story, go to MakingHomeAffordable.gov
She was the cornerstone of our family. But my mother died of colon cancer when she was only 56. Let my heartbreak be your wake-up call.
If you’re struggling to keep your home, there is help. Photo: Andrew Macpherson
Colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading cancer killer in the U.S., but screening helps prevent this disease. Terrence Howard, actor/musician
If you’re 50 or older, please get screened. Screening saves lives. 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) • www.cdc.gov/screenforlife
Today, many people are at risk of foreclosure through no fault of their own. Making Home Affordable is a free program from the U.S. government that has already helped over a million struggling homeowners. The sooner you act, the better the chance we can help you.
MakingHomeAffordable.gov
|
1-888-995-HOPE (4673)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
YOUR BIKE CAN HELP OTHERS
MOVE FORWARD. YOUR DONATIONS TO GOODWILL® HELP FUND JOB PLACEMENT AND TRAINING FOR PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
DONATE STUFF. CREATE JOBS.
TO FIND YOUR NEAREST DONATION CENTER GO TO GOODWILL.ORG
7
M SPORTS AYOR
APRIL 3014– -MAY 6, 2015 DECEMBER 20, 2006
Another successful tournament turnout The fourth annual Jimmy Huger Scholarship Golf Tournament was held Saturday at the Daytona Beach Golf Club. The funds raised at the event will go to area high school seniors in Volusia and Flagler counties. “We were able to raise enough money to fund six $1,000 scholarships,” said John Leland Huger Sr., facilitator of the event. Students interesting in applying for the scholarship have until May 7 to contact their high school guidance counselor or Huger for an application. Huger can be reached at 386-566-8393. PHOTO BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ/ HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Ray Lewis, Ravens weigh in on Baltimore BY AARON WILSON BALTIMORE SUN/TNS
As the violence and unrest continues during the Baltimore riots in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray after being arrested by Baltimore City police, several Ravens and former Ravens players have weighed in on the situation via social media. “If you’re going to engage in civil disobedience, it needs to be nonviolent,” defensive end Chris Canty told The Baltimore Sun. “Violence is unproductive. It’s our responsibility to speak out. It’s a part of our obligation. We have to have some resolution. It has to start with peace and getting people off of the streets and unify the community and we can affect positive change through peaceful protest. “There is social injustice. The police brutality has been well-documented. The Department of Justice isn’t investigating the police for no reason. There needs to be a shift in policy. This isn’t the way, though, with the few individuals trying to force that change through violent means.”
‘We must come together’
KARL MERTONERRON/BALTIMORE SUN/TNS
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil (58), wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) and wide receiver Steve Smith (89) watch the AFC Divisional Playoff action against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Jan. 10. Torrey Smith and Steve Smith both had comments about the rioting in Baltimore.
Honors athlete to receive national scholar award SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
DAYTONA BEACH – Campbell Middle School student Malana Jackson will travel to San Diego, Calif., to accept the 20142015 Pop Warner All-American Scholar Award on Saturday, May 23. She also is a participant in the local Food Brings Hope Honors (FBHonors) program. Malana has been a Pop Warner cheerleader since she was 6 years old. The special recognition is a result of her academic achievements last school year where she received all As. To qualify for the national award, the student-athlete needs to rank academically in the top 2 percent of approximately 350,000 children that participate in Pop Warner nationwide.
Young role model “We are extremely proud of Malana’s achievement of being selected as a national scholar,” expressed Aimee Shank, a Food Banks Honors sponsor. “She is a very dedicated and focused student. Malana is a positive role model for others academically and socially. She shows great citizenship consistently.” Food Brings Hope (FBH) states that it is a 501(c)(3) charity that provides collaborative solutions for families with children who experience hunger due to homelessness, poverty, or unfamiliarity with community resources.
Retired middle linebacker Ray Lewis reacted to the situation. “No way, No way this can happen in our city,” Lewis wrote on his Twitter account. “Violence is not the answer. We must have #peace in our #city, we are a city that’s built on #Believing in each other. #BaltimoreRiots. “We must come together, we can stop the violence as a #community. These kids
have to have real leaders, we need everybody to join this #movement.” Lewis also posted a video on Facebook with the same type of message. His sentiments were shared by several other players who called for a peaceful resolution. “Baltimore this isn’t the answer!!!” former Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith wrote on Twitter. “I don’t know how I can help but I promise I’ll try to help the city.” Added kicker Justin Tucker: “Praying for this city and this country. Please be safe & peaceful out there. #PrayForBaltimore.”
More tweets Running back Justin Forsett had a similar message. “Violence is not the answer!” Forsett wrote on Twitter. “Lord give this city a peace that only you can give a peace that surpasses all understanding. #Baltimore.” Wide receiver Steve Smith said the looting isn’t going to do anything to find answers about what happened to Gray as the investigation into the circumstances of his death continues. “Prayer is needed 4 Baltimore today,” Smith wrote on Twitter. “rioting and looting our city is only punishing ourselves Getting A Answer why a young man lost his life.” Frustration and disbelief has been a common response. “I can’t believe what I am watching in Baltimore,” defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore wrote on Twitter. “Man… This is not the answer.”
Future doctor The sixth-grader has participated in FBHonors since she was first selected as a fourth-grader attending Westside Elementary. FBHonors students attend after-school programs for three hours every school day. Through FBHonors, Malana is exposed to STEM-related activities and lessons that her mother, Melissa BurkeJackson, believes have helped her gain a greater love for math and science. “Malana’s dream is to become a pediatrician,” said Mrs. Burke-Jackson. “I believe that the foundation she is building at FBHonors is propelling her to accomplish this goal. I am appreciative of the opportunity that she has to participate in the program.”
About the program The FBHonors program, consisting of fourth and fifth graders from Westside and middle school students from Campbell, Holly Hill, and Hinson, meet for three hours everyday after school. The program is specially designed for Food Brings Hope’s highest achieving pupils and provides educational opportunities in STEM fields and organized activities to further enrich and challenge students. FBHonors is administered by Westside principal Judi Winch and teacher Aimee Shank. They are backed by a dedicated team of volunteer teachers who share a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and the development of young minds. “This is an incredible accomplishment for such a young lady,” said Forough B. Hosseini, FBH founder and chair. “She is a bright student who has worked very hard for this achievement. We will continue to foster her talents through FBHonors and keep her on this path to success.”
Malana Jackson is flanked by Pop Warner region representatives.
R8
7FLORIDA
APRIL 30 – MAY 6, 2015 gap at $125,000 for death and bodily injury per person. The gap coverage would also require $250,000 for death and bodily injury per incident, and $50,000 for property damage, the same as for cabs and limos that are regulated by local governments. The House has lower limits for the gap of $50,000 for death and bodily injury per person, $100,000 for death and bodily injury per incident and $25,000 for property damage. Gaetz contends the commercial policy shouldn’t be in place until a passenger is in the car. An Uber or Lyft vehicle is only being used when requested, he said. That is unlike a taxi, which is used to drive around finding passengers when it is not transporting people.
Background check
NUCCIO DINUZZO/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS
Sean Williams freelances as a Uber driver in Illinois. The transportation business Uber expanded to the Daytona Beach and other Florida cities last year. Drivers use their own vehicles to transport riders.
State legislators appear to be stalled on creating new Uber insurance requirements BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – Proposals to create new insurance requirements for app-based transportation services like Uber and Lyft appear to be idling as the legislative session nears the end. The House and Senate have moved forward with bills that have differences, including about whether
local governments should be prevented from regulating the services. The House bill includes what is known as “pre-emption” of local regulation. “There is no indication that the Florida Senate is interested in the preemption provisions of the House bill,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican who is sponsoring the House measure. “And without those I don’t know if we’ll be able
to move any meaningful legislation regarding rideshare.”
Liability talk The House on April 24 and Monday postponed Gaetz’ measure (HB 817) as the two sides continue to seek common ground on the fast-growing “transportation network companies.” Both the House and Senate proposals would re-
quire the companies to provide at least $1 million in liability coverage for death, bodily injury and property damage while passengers are in the vehicles, which are not owned by the companies but by the drivers. But the House and Senate remain apart in terms of overall insurance coverage and other aspects of the services. Senate sponsor David Simmons, R-Altamonte
Springs, expressed optimism on April 23 about the chances of advancing the “Uber” bill after the Senate voted 28-12 to approve his version (SB 1298). “The most critical issue is to insure that citizens on the road are protected with insurance coverage,” Simmons said.
Gap coverage Both bills address a “gap” period, which involves the time between when a driver is notified about a having a customer to pick up and the actual pickup. The Senate bill would set the minimum automobile liability insurance during a
The House effort would prohibit local governments or special districts from imposing taxes or license requirements, as taxi and limo companies now face. “We aren’t removing regulations,” Gaetz told House members on April 23. “As a matter of fact, this 28-page bill sets forth a series of regulations that will apply uniformly across the state.” The House bill would require people who want to drive for Uber or Lyft to undergo a type of background check known as a “level 2” screening and would prohibit drivers who have one major moving violation in the prior three years or are listed on a national sex-offender public website. Another difference remains that the Senate bill would require the coverage come from carriers that are members of the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association. The House proposal would allow coverage to be provided by lightly regulated surplus-lines insurance companies. Simmons called that a “technicality.”