Daytona Times - May 14, 2015

Palm Coast moms reflect on their special day SEE PAGE 3

East Central Florida’s Black Voice

EE FR

CHARLENE CROWELL: Financial predators still target active duty military SEE PAGE 4

B-CU WOMEN GOLFERS WIN COLLEGIATE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP SEE PAGE 7

MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2015

YEAR 40 NO. 20

www.daytonatimes.com

‘You have to finish what you start’

AME men to lead Friday march in Midtown COMPILED BY DAYTONA TIMES STAFF

Hundreds of men from Florida and the Bahamas are planning to participate in a march in Daytona Beach Friday as part of a “Save Our Sons’’ event.

The May 15 march is one of the events scheduled this week during the 14th Annual Sons of Allen Retreat hosted by the Allen Chapel AME Church of Daytona Beach. Sons of Allen is the official men’s ministry of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church. Men are inspired to worship, study, and have fellowship and relationship with God and their fellowmen.

Through the ministry, men develop leadership skills and serve as role models for youths.

Speeches at center

PHOTOS COURTESY OF B-CU

Bethune-Cookman University graduates prepare to file into the Ocean Center on Wednesday.

Mom, daughter among graduates at B-CU’s spring commencement COMPILED BY DAYTONA TIMES STAFF

T

here were plenty of laughter, cheers and tears at Daytona Beach’s Ocean Center on Wednesday afternoon as proud family and friends watched hundreds of their loved ones fulfill a dream that was years in the making. It was graduation day for 325 BethuneCookman University students.

Tangela Major-Finley did more than just proudly watch her daughter graduate Wednesday from Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU). She graduated with her. Tangela and Eboni Finley were among the graduates at BCU’s noon commencement.

Mom Tangela was a liberal studies major and works full time as a referral coordinator in a Miami doctor’s office. Eboni was a nursing student and has accepted a position at a local nursing home.

‘A blessing’ Twenty-two years ago, Tangela left Bethune-Cookman during her senior year to have her daughter, Eboni.

She moved back to Miami and never returned to finish her degree.

Eboni was a standout student and received a full scholarship to the University of Florida. Her heart wasn’t there so she decided to follow the family tradition and become a B-CU Wildcat.

“This is a blessing. My mother stopped for me and now she is finishing with me. It’s truly a blessing,” Eboni said.

Added Tangela, “I am extremely proud of my daughter. I want to set the example for my girls and show them that you have to finish what you start. This was a great opportunity for me to do just that.’’

The keynote speaker was the Rev. John W. Harrington, chairman of B-CU’s board of trustees.

Information from B-CU was used in compiling this story.

Eboni Finley poses with her mom, Tangela MajorFinley.

According to information provided to the Daytona Times, the men will leave Allen Chapel AME Church, 580 George W. Engram Blvd, Daytona Beach, at 4:45 p.m. and proceed to the Midtown Cultural and Educational Center, 925 George W. Engram Blvd.

At the center, Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, Police Chief Mike Chitwood and Dr. Edison O. Jackson, president of Bethune-Cookman University, are scheduled to speak.

The coordinator of the march is the Rev. Jeffrey Dove, pastor of Allen Chapel AME in New Smyrna Beach.

The Rev. Nathan Mugala, pastor of Allen Chapel AME, is inviting others to participate.

“We want to bring awareness to the community to save our young men. It is the responsibility Rev. Nathan of the church Mugala and community,” he said. “We also want to show solidarity with those in other cities protesting the death of young Black males. We invite those wanting to support this effort to do so by coming out and marching with us,” Mugala added.

For more information about the march, call Allen Chapel AME at 386-255-1195.

Volusia Teachers Organization celebrates 25th year with awards program COMPILED BY DAYTONA TIMES STAFF

Russell and others.

The Volusia Teachers Organization (VTO) celebrated its 25th anniversary on Monday with a program at its office, 1381 Educators Road, Daytona Beach.

On May 24, 1990, VTO became the bargaining unit for the instructional staff of the public school system in Volusia County.

“Although last week was nationally recognized as Teacher Appreciation week, VTO believes that educators should be celebrated all year long,” said Andrew Spar, president of VTO. VTO welcomed special guests at the event, including many charter members. Among the guests were Suzy Smith, the first president of VTO, approximately 300 current members and retirees, school board member Linda Cuthbert, Superintendent Tom

#RU4ED campaign

ALSO INSIDE

Celebrations included the awarding of the Heart of the Union Awards for activism and dedication during a #RU4ED campaign, which stands for “Are you for Public Education?’’ The campaign focuses on and advocates for the needs of students and people who work in public schools.

The awards were presented to John Darby, River Springs Middle School; Cindy Martin, Sweetwater Elementary School; and Mary DiPadova-Garcia, Freedom Elementary.

“It really fills me with pride to see the hard work and dedication each of our educators bring to our students every day and yesterday’s event marks a small token of appreciation,” Spar said Tuesday.

PHOTO BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Above are the charter members of the Volusia Teachers Organization, which was organized in May 1990.

NATION: BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DIPS BELOW 10 PERCENT | PAGE 5 NATION: TSA TO STOP SINGLING OUT SISTERS FOR HAIR SEARCHES | PAGE 5

7 FOCUS

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MAY 14 – MAY 20, 2015

Local moms were treated by the City of Daytona Beach to a free concert on Mother’s Day at Daisy Stocking Park in Daytona Beach. The 7th Street Band from Jacksonville performed. Enjoying the music were Charles and Janet Bryant.

The Daytona Regional Chamber May Business After Hours event will be hosted by WyoTech Daytona, 470 Destination Day-

Embry-Riddle students win $75,000 EPA grant SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students in aerospace, electrical and mechanical engineering have returned to the Daytona Beach Campus as one of seven collegiate teams to win a cash prize of $75,000 in the 11th annual U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Prosperity and the Planet competition (EPA P3), held recently near Washington, D.C. The team of four students from Embry-Riddle’s Clean Energy Systems Laboratory will use the funding to continue the development of a Diesel Emission Test Stand to research selective catalytic reduction (SCR) exhaust after treatment for hybrid electricdiesel engines.

Last year, the team received a $15,000 award to begin the initial Diesel Emission Test Stand design that led to this year’s award.

Hands-on experience The EPA’s P3 program challenges college teams to create solutions for a sustainable future, offering a quality handson experience that brings science, technology, engineering and math classroom learning to life.

The Embry-Riddle team’s project was one of seven selected from 42 competing teams following two days of judging by a panel of national experts convened by the American Association for the Advancement of Science during the 2015 National Sustainable Design Expo.

The local team was composed of junior Joe Noto, senior Josh Ferreira and graduate students Athul Radhakrishnan and Ye Sun, advised by Embry-Riddle professors Dr. Sandra Boetcher, Dr. Marc Compere, Dr. Patrick Currier and Dr. Yan Tang.

“This conference was a major stepping stone in our team’s research and we are

Poetry Slam series ends May 30 at Cinematique

The New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, 1001 S. Dixie Freeway, will show free movies every Friday in May. They include: • “Lucy”: 2 p.m. May 15. A woman falls prey to sinister underworld 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.

Henry to speak at Stewart Memorial

DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./ HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

WyoTech to host chamber event Tuesday

New Smyrna Beach library showing free movies

The Daytona Beach arts cinema, Cinematique concludes its current Poetry Slam series on May 30. The competition, which begins at 9:30 p.m., is open to all spoken-word poets. First prize is $50, while second prize is a $25 Cinematique gift certificate. Admission for the evening is just $5.

Poetry slams are an opportunity for poets to show off their talent in competition. The first 12 poets to reserve a spot will be allowed to compete, but the general public is welcome to come and read a poem at the open mic that follows.

Joining the competitions will be Kevin Campbell, director of MACDeLand Slams, who will offer winning poets the chance to join his team and travel to national competitions. Local poet David B. Axelrod, director of the Creative Happiness Institute, will be there to emcee.

Cinematique is located at 242 South Beach St. For competition rules, visit http://www.cinematique.org/ spoken-word/. To compete, contact Axelrod at 386-337-4567 or email Axelrod@creativehappiness.org.

Music for moms

BRIEFS

3675 or visit daytonachamber. com.

tona Lane, on Tuesday, May 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

“WyoTech Daytona is delighted to host our second Chamber Business After Hours on May 19, “ said Kareena Salter, president. We are pleased to inform the chamber and its members that we are now a non-profit institution having recently been acquired by Zenith Education Group, a subsid-

iary of ECMC, Inc. “We look forward to sharing our institutional values and programs with everyone as we strive to highlight our commitments to our active students as well as the students of our next class start on June 30, 2015.”

For more information, contact Jacqueline Hayman, special events coordinator at 386-523-

Dr. Stephanie Henry, an international educational consultant and the wife of Daytona Beach Mayor Derek Henry, will be the Women’s Day speaker at 4 p.m. May 17 at Stewart Memorial United Methodist Church, 317 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., Daytona Beach.

A “WIG” event is scheduled at 3 p.m., Saturday, May 16. 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.

honored to be involved with the P3 program,” said Noto, an aerospace engineering student. “We will continue to work hard to make a real difference in global emissions with our design. Hybrid electric-diesel engine emissions will be a problem in the future that needs to be addressed.

We are actually looking ahead and working on a solution today with our advanced SCR system.”

The work continues In the last five years, student teams from Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus have received over $315,000 from the EPA P3 competition for the development of a portable solar water purification system (now in commercial production); a solar thermal energy storage device; a solar power cooling system; and this year’s test stand and control system for hybrid electricdiesel engines.

“The Clean Energy Systems track in Mechanical Engineering has gained a lot by working with the EPA’s P3 program,” said Compere, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Embry-Riddle.

“The P3 competition gives our students the opportunity to work with cutting-edge, high-technology issues directly related to an economic approach that results in reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities, and that aims for sustainable development. Our Clean Energy Systems graduates are the next generation of top-quality engineers entering this new green economy. It pays to engineer systems that are both environmentally and economically beneficial.”

The Embry-Riddle team will continue to refine and test their Diesel Emission Test Stand with the help of students from the university’s engineering physics department and GFS Corp., a world leader in natural gas and diesel conversion technology. The intent is to study and improve SCR controls with the ultimate goal of discovering novel improvements in the control system, exhaust flow layout and system operation with hybrid electric vehicles.

KEITH LANE/MCCLATCHY DC/TNS

Nurse practitioner Blen Abdi injects Jessica Carpenter with an immunization at the CVS in Pentagon City in Arlington, Va., on May 6.

More turning to walk-in clinics for convenience, cost

BY TONY PUGH MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU/ TNS

WASHINGTON — The tradition and inconvenience of appointment-based health care is under attack across America.

A growing number of walkin health clinics, with late-night and weekend hours, on-site prescription drugs and cheaper prices, are proving a hit with busy patients who’ve grown tired of getting medical treatment when it’s most convenient for doctors.

Walk-in clinics include the nation’s 1,900-plus retail health clinics and more than 6,400 urgent care centers.

Most urgent care centers are freestanding facilities run by private equity investors, hospitals, insurers or small independent outfits with one or two locations.

Larger corporate groups, like Concentra and US Healthworks, operate several hundred outlets.

Retail clinics, located in pharmacies, supermarkets and bigbox retailers, are dominated by a few large corporate players like CVS Health’s MinuteClinic, Walgreens’ Healthcare Clinic and The Little Clinic located in Kroger, King Soopers and other food stores.

Services offered Urgent care centers handle non-life-threatening ailments and usually have a doctor on site.

They provide X-rays, apply orthopedic casts and typically treat injuries like sprains, falls, broken

bones and wounds that require stitches.

Retail clinics, staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants, provide non-emergency care, including vaccinations, physicals and screenings for routine illnesses like colds, skin conditions, strep throat and sinus infections.

Some retail clinics also help manage chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure, a development that has drawn the ire of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

“This kind of foray into chronic disease management is problematic because it really fragments patient care” by utilizing multiple caregivers that may not share patient information, said Dr. Wanda Filer, the academy’s president-elect.

The American Academy of Pediatricians has advised parents not to bring their children to retail clinics, saying they don’t provide youngsters with “high-quality regular preventive health care.”

The group also said that urgent care centers should only be used to compliment a child’s primary caregivers, not replace them.

‘Medically homeless’ Part of the problem is that 40 percent to 50 percent of retail clinic patients don’t have a primary care physician.

“The reality is there’s a lot of people who are medically homeless,” said Dr. Andrew Sussman,

Stevenson, Hutson ready for re-election bids Little more than a month after winning special elections, state Rep. Cyndi Stevenson, R-St. Johns, and Sen. Travis Hutson, RElkton, have opened campaign accounts to run for re-election, according to information posted Monday on the state Division of Elections website.

Stevenson will seek another term next year in House District 17, which includes the northern part of St. Johns County. She won an April 7 special election to replace former Rep. Ronald “Doc” Renuart, who unsuccessfully ran in Senate District 6.

Hutson won that seat after serving earlier in the House.

Senate District 6 includes St. Johns, Flagler, Putnam and part of Volusia counties and opened up after former Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, became president of Florida State University.

– News Service of Florida

president of MinuteClinic and associate chief medical officer at CVS Health. “So when they get sick, even when they get sick with a relatively routine problem, they don’t have someone they can easily go to.”

Tine Hansen-Turton, executive director of the Convenient Care Association, which represents more than 95 percent of the nation’s retail clinics, disputed the claim that her member clinics don’t work well with local caregivers.

She said most do inform doctors when their patients come in for treatment, and the clinics try to connect patients without doctors to local physicians and pediatricians who are taking new patients.

“We think it’s important that people have a medical home that they can go to and get their primary care needs filled,” HansenTurton said. “Because we’ve never said that we wanted to be the ongoing primary care provider for patients. We’re there for acute minor illnesses.”

Expansion, growth At urgent care centers, which debuted in the early 1980s, about 63 percent of patients already have primary physicians, according to the Urgent Care Association of America. But they often can’t get appointments when they need to, said Dr. John Kulin, an association board member who owns several urgent care centers in New Jersey.

“The primary system is overloaded,” Kulin said. “They’re filled up for the episodic stuff already. They can’t get patients in immediately. So were just serving as an extension of their office while (freeing up) the emergency departments to take care of the more acute needs.”

With a national shortage of doctors, higher rates of chronic illness and more people with health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, it’s no surprise that walk-in clinics are booming.

Kulin said the number of urgent care centers are projected to grow by 20 percent a year for the next several years. The average center handles 14,000 patient visits a year and more than 80 percent of centers expect to expand their services, according to the association.

Retail clinics have grown from 258 in 2007 to more than 1,900 this year.

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MAY 14 – MAY 20, 2015 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006

M A YNEWS OR

Mothers reflect on sacrifices made and the acts of appreciation received On Mother’s Day – celebrated last Sunday and every day – we’re thankful for our mother’s love, wisdom and the lessons that were learned. It is said that “God could not be everywhere, and therefore, he made mothers.” Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) Lyricist Julia Ward Howe, who penned “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” saw a need during the Civil War to celebrate peace and motherhood. Anna Jarvis, determined to honor her mother, wrote to Congress, and a bill passed in 1914 that proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Among the familiar expressions, it is said that mothers are known to have the tenacity of hanging in there. They make sacrifices. They are compassionate, caring and supportive of their children. The same is true of Shirley Davis, who answered my questions after service on Mother’s Day at the First Church of Palm Coast.

“I needed to be strict, and I didn’t take ‘nothing,’” said Davis. “I worked two jobs; one of the jobs was at the sheriff’s department and the other at the New York Telephone Company.

I raised two boys by myself. Jeffrey (Murphy) graduated from Morehouse, where he now teaches. Michael (Murphy) graduated from New York University. It got rough, but they didn’t give me any trouble. God has been good to me,” said Davis.

Michael “Mic” Murphy, producer/songwriter/guitarist, is the lead singer of the two R&B/pop performers, The System, earning accolades and acclaim for “Don’t Disturb This Groove” and “You Are In My System.”

Cards, flowers and much more Even while trials and tribulations may rage, mothers muster

PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY

up hope from on high to navigate the lives of their children on course – and these mothers are natural mothers, foster mothers, step-parented mothers, adoptive mothers, grandmothers, aunties, and mother figures. Their sons and daughters are grateful.

Husbands, who are sometimes part of the mix, have been known to celebrate their wives as the mother of their children. Breakfast in bed is served by children to their mothers, and children also show their love by making their mothers gifts.

Grown children visit, and phone calls are made. Mothers are taken to dinner and Mother’s Day sentiments are sent. Flowers and other gifts of love are destined for the mothers.

“I got a call from my son and daughter, and each one of my grandchildren,” said Naomi Hargrave during our conversation the next day. “I got beautiful cards and flowers. I went to the Stonewood Grill for dinner, a restaurant in Ormond Beach, and then friends stopped by in the evening.

It was altogether enjoyable.”

Hargrave’s daughter, Carmen Caldwell, is a youth care director in addition to an associate minister at Cathedral International in Perth Amboy, N.J. Hargrave’s son, Kevin Royster, is a field engineer.

Moreover, mothers have made impact, contributing to the foundation of who their children will become. In the long haul, our mothers have become our friends, having had our best interest at heart. They are appreciated. They are needed.

JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY/DAYTONA TIMES

Taking their picture before dashing off to celebrate Mother’s Day were Ruthie Saunders, Rose Williams, Naomi Hargrave, Shirley Davis and Wanda Brinson White.

Food trucks making stop at Central Park Cindi Lane, Communications & Marketing Manager for the City of Palm Coast, sent a release that “Food Truck Tuesdays” are the calling card to good food on May 19, 5 to 8 p.m. in Central Park at 975 Central Avenue, Palm Coast.

Stop by, if you are in the area, for free entertainment and gourmet food available for purchase from a variety of specialty food trucks: Monsta Lobsta, London Fishy & Chippy, It’s All Greek To Me, Flaming Pizza, Magic4urplate, El Cubanito Subs, Mama’s Foods, Corl Concessions, Chi Phi, and Bruster’s Real Ice Cream.

The May proceeds will benefit the Flagler Sheriff’s PAL. For further details, contact Parks & Recreation at 386-9862323.

Essence columnist speaking at June health fair A Community Health Fair will team up a partnership among the Flagler NAACP Health Committee, VITAS, Natural Nubian, Inc., and the African American

Cultural Society. That’s a free health fair on June 20, 11 a.m. 4 p.m., at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 North U.S. 1, Palm Coast.

A special presentation will be made by Dr. Gwendolyn Golsby Grant on “Safe Sex and Life After Menopause.”

Grant is a media psychologist, counselor and advocate for sex education. She has a following of 25 years as a columnist for Essence magazine.

Health Committee Chairman Orjanette Bryant announced that the fair will promote wellbeing and health education for the community. Dental, hearing, medical and preventative screenings will be provided during the fair. They will unpack giveaways; a Blood Mobile also will be set up on site.

In addition, the committee is looking for vendors to provide the community with information regarding their special offerings and sponsors to assist with defraying the expenses of the event.

Please contact Bryant before June 1 if you are interested.

For information on sponsorship or vendor registration, call 386-446-7822, or email OBryant@FCBNAACP.org.

Cultural Council to review grant applications May 27

If you think you can can spot a person with HIV, consider this: Did you even spot the error in the first six words of this headline?

ANYBODY CAN HAVE HIV. USE PROTECTION.

Right now, AIDS is the leading cause of death among African -Americans aged 25 to 44. If you’re having unprotected sex, you’re at risk.

Be smart: Use protection, and get tested. For a testing site near you, text your zip code to 477493.

The Cultural Council of Volusia County will hold a special meeting to review applications for the fiscal year 2015-2016 Community Cultural Grant program.

The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, in the thirdfloor meeting room of the Volusia County Lifeguard Headquarters and Administration Center, 515 S. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach.

The meeting is open to the public.

Thirty-two nonprofit organizations will present their applications for funding. Each organization will be given a brief opportunity to update Cultural Council members about their programs and respond to members’ questions.

Applications will be reviewed in alphabetical order. Organizations applying for the grant are: • African American Museum of the Arts • Art League of Daytona Beach • ArtHaus Foundation • Atlantic Center for the Arts • Bel Canto Singers • Black Heritage Festival & Museum • Cinematique of Daytona Beach • Commemorative Air Force • Creative Happiness Institute • Daytona Beach Choral Society • Daytona Beach Sym-

United Evangelical church to host women’s conference The United Evangelical & Missionary Outreach Church – the Rev. Norris Henry, pastor – is extending its reach, calling women everywhere for a women’s conference titled “Women Pursuing God’s Will.”

It will take place at the church on May 30, 9:30 a.m., at 99 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast.

First Lady Bonnye Henry says that the program will be lovely.

The donation is $10, and breakfast and lunch will be served.

For further details, call 386503-7448.

••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted and bereaved.

Celebrations Birthday wishes to Gillard S. (Tre’s) Glover, III, May 18; and Joy Eurie, May 19. Happy anniversary to David and Joy Eurie, May 16; Stanley and Phyllis Henderson, along with Arthur and Loretta Pete, May 19; and Sidney and Violet Honeyghan, May 20.

phony Society • Daytona Blues Festival • Daytona Playhouse • DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts • Gateway Center for the Arts • Halifax Historical Society • Heritage Preservation Trust • IMAGES: A Festival • Iranian American Society • Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach • Museum of Arts & Sciences • Museum of Art – DeLand • Ormond Beach Historical Society • Ormond Memorial Art Museum • Pioneer Settlement • Sands Theater Center Inc. • Shoestring Theatre • Southeast Volusia Historical Society • Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre • USA Dance – Greater Daytona Chapter • Volusia Community Symphony • West Volusia Historical Society Grant scores will be announced, but recommended award amounts will be determined after the county’s budgeting process is completed. Final approval rests with the Volusia County Council. Funding for this grant program comes from Volusia County Government’s general fund allocation for cultural and heritage programs.

For more information

On May 23, at 7:00 pm in the Presidents Banquet Hall on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University, the Beta Iota Sigma chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority will be honoring Dr. Cleo S. Higgins. Dr. Higgins has won countless awards for the many accomplishments she has achieved through her academic endeavors. This gala will honor our esteemed charter member by raising funds for a scholarship fund that’s in her name. The theme is the roaring 20s and tickets are $35. You can purchase tickets by going online at www.eventbrite.com and searching “Rhomania 2015”. You can also contact Priscilla Pringle at 863-458-0811.

contact Mike Fincher, cultural coordinator for Volusia County’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Division, at mfincher@volusia.org or 386-736-5953, ext. 15872.

Alpha Kappa Alpha foundation to present jazz brunch The Tau Chi Omega Foundation of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will host its first jazz brunch, “All That Jazz and Pearls” on Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Sandhill Golf Course, 800 East Euclid Ave., DeLand.

The event will feature “Mr. Daniel “ Saxman” Fuqua.

For tickets and information, contact TauChiOmega1908@gmail.com. Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com: All That Jazz and Pearls or by contacting Juanita McNeil at 386-736-6281.

Tips available Saturday about lawn care, fertilizer ban Joe Sewards will offer tips on lawn care and fertilizers from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 16, at the Volusia County Agricultural Center, 3100 W. New York Ave., DeLand.

Sewards, an urban and residential horticulturist with the University of Florida/Volusia County Extension, will explain how to prepare your lawn for summer in light of the county’s fertilizer ordinance.

Under the ordinance, residents and businesses may not use fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorous from June 1 through Sept. 30, during flood watches, and on saturated soils.

The $5 program fee can be paid at the door. Light refreshments and handouts will be provided.

Reservations are requested and may be made by calling the University of Florida/Volusia County Extension at 386-822-5778.

R4

7 EDITORIAL

MAY 14 – MAY 20, 2015

Financial predators still target active duty military The men and women who wear our nation’s uniform are expected to defend our nation at home and abroad. Yet, when it comes to financial services, service members are not always being protected in return.

The 2006 Military Lending Act (MLA) was enacted with broad and bipartisan support as a remedy to predatory lending that diminished military readiness. The first major step to provide financial protection to our armed forces was to limit interest rates and fees to no more than 36 percent rate cap for consumer credit. This rate cap initially applied to just three types of products: tax refund loans, and both payday and auto title loans. The law also prescribed limits of indebtedness for payday loans less than 90 days and auto title loans with terms less than 180 days.

Loophole in the law MLA’s specific lending prescriptions had the unexpected result of lenders changing loan terms beyond the MLA’s provisions, sometimes by as little as an extra day. While technically observing the letter of the law, these profiteers exploited a lending loophole to continue entrapping active duty service members in predatory lending products.

Last fall, the Department of Defense (DOD) proposed MLA broaden proposed amendments to existing regulations that would better ensure against evasive practices of predatory lending.

These proposals are supported by the military community, Congressional leaders, state attorneys general as well as consumer and civil rights groups across the country.

CHARLENE CROWELL NNPA FINANCIAL WRITER

Even so, this year some members of Congress inserted into the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act a short clause that would have given predatory lenders the opportunity to prolong their exploitative practices and also delay in implementing new regulations by the Secretary of Defense.

The surprise move also undermined DOD’s previous findings that predatory lending is a threat to our national security.

Stronger regulations Fortunately, and largely through the leadership of a veteran, Illinois’ Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, offered an amendment to the proposed authorization to preserve DOD’s regulatory plans. After 18 hours of debate, enough support was gathered to remove the harmful language.

A 32-30 vote by the House Armed Services Committee removed the harmful language as the measure proceeds to the House floor for a final vote. The Duckworth amendment will enable stronger regulation to move forward. The goal of ensuring effective regulation of predatory lending aimed at active duty military families and will include new safeguards affecting credit cards, high-cost installment loans and payday loans offered by banks that are termed ‘deposit advances.’

Working with the Office of Ser-

vice Member Affairs, CFPB published a December report that found: • Some depository institutions extended millions of dollars in deposit advances to service members with APRs that typically exceeded 300 percent. As openended lines of credit, the loans were not bound by the MLA; • In Illinois, a 12-month auto title loan of $2,575 carried a finance charge of $5,720 plus a $95 lien fee. The loan was technically legal because its duration was beyond 181 days; • In Texas, a lender sold a $485 installment loan to a service member with a 584.72 APR for a period of less than six months. In addition to the borrower’s $1,428 repayment, the borrower was charged a separate credit access business fee and 9.75 percent interest on the loan.

“The products that have been marketed and extended to service members while the current Military Lending Act regulations have been in place underscore the limitations of those regulations in protecting service members and their families across the credit marketplace,” states CFPB’s report. “This issue is of substantial concern to the Bureau and we will continue to use the tools available to us to address the consumer financial challenges affecting the military community.”

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending.

She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org. Click on this article at www.daytonatimes.com to write your own response.

Closing the chapter on Vietnam In December 2009 the airliner I was on touched down in Hanoi, Vietnam. That was my first time to Vietnam. As the plane approached the field, I thought about how this very territory had once been a battleground with dogfights taking place between North Vietnamese planes and U.S. planes high overhead, and U.S. bombers dropping their payloads, incessantly trying to convince the Vietnamese that they – the Vietnamese—could not win a war with the USA. Vietnam is, today, a very different place than in the 1960s and 1970s. It has a growing economy, tourism, and an ever-increasing educated population. Yet, while many people in the USA know of Vietnam as, at best, a moment in history, the war that the U.S. brought to the Vietnamese is very much part of the continued reality of the people of Vietnam.

BILL FLETCHER, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

where between 2 million and 5 million people to the war, of which approximately 1 million were combatants. While not minimizing the loss of U.S. lives, the loss of Vietnamese lives was nothing short of catastrophic as a percentage of their overall population. Additionally, Vietnam, Cambodia/ Kampuchea, and Laos suffered the on-going effects of Agent Orange, the toxin poured from U.S. airplanes on the jungles to destroy the foliage. The illnesses and birth defects from Agent Orange haunt those three countries, and they also haunt the U.S., where many veterans brought this demonic subCommemorations abroad stance back, having been contamiThis May there are commemo- nated when it was used against the rations in many parts of the U.S. “enemy.” of both the 1965 U.S. escalation of involvement and the May 1975 fi- No apology What remains striking is that the nal end to the war. There are many families who lost loved ones to U.S.A. has failed to apologize for the war. Some 58,000 U.S. service- the war, let alone truly own up to men and women were killed in the its genocidal consequences. For war, and many more were injured years, we have not even wanted to physically and/or psychologically. have a serious conversation about the war. The U.S. government reSome have never fully recovered.

The Vietnamese lost some- neged on its promises to the Viet-

JINEEA BUTLER NNPA COLUMNIST

tive on the problem of police brutality. It’s succeeding out loud. It’s about making our money speak for us.

‘Back to the drawing board’ It’s about going back to the drawing board to see what part we play in making America a better place for ourselves. The generation before us changed their status by getting educated, by changing their style of dress and their manner of communication. They outsmarted their opponent.

We have to change how we are living. Point blank. Stop fronting like these killings are not exposing a bigger problem. We can’t expect to be treated fairly when we don’t even treat each other fairly. We turn up our noses and look down on our own people the same way these cops and the rest of America does. We just don’t kill people

ADAM ZYGLIS, THE BUFFALO NEWS

State NAACP rigs local elections in Ohio You won’t believe the latest tactics being used by the folks at the national and state levels of the NAACP. Then again, those of you who are familiar with their evil doings in the past will believe it.

You may recall the Cincinnati branch won a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the national office for voter suppression in our local election process. Since that time, the Cleveland and Columbus branches have had similar run-ins with the national and state office, headed by Sybil McNabb, a lackey of Gill Ford, the national representative who has left a “trail of tears” across this country in various branches, by interfering with local elections and trying to “select” the candidates of his choice.

The Cincinnati branch is still in court, after several delays caused by the national NAACP and their local attorney. The final hearing on the matter will now take place in August, after depositions are taken from National President Cornell Brooks and Gill Ford, in Baltimore and St. Louis, respectively.

namese after the withdrawal, and though there has been a near demagogic obsession with finding prisoners of war and MIAs, so little has actually been done to address the on-going needs of the U.S. veterans who returned home after putting their lives on the line. The hypocrisy is both amazing and frightening.

In failing to have a real national discussion about Vietnam, we fail to address not only why the U.S.A. got involved in the first place, but the brutality with which the U.S. fought a war against a people who sought independence.

While we must understand what led to the U.S. intervention in Vietnam in order to not repeat that course—as we have in several subsequent wars—more importantly we must face a very uncomfortable fact: the USA must be held accountable to and by the people of Southeast Asia for an extent of devastation that should never have been visited upon humanity.

New election

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the host of The Global African on TelesurEnglish. He is a racial justice, labor and global justice activist and writer. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr.com. Click on this article at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

Speak up

Planning for our own success Are we living in the last days? If so, what are we doing about it? It seems the world is coming apart at the seams. The Muslims are attacking the Christians, the Christians are attacking the Muslims; Africa is under siege, the Earth is shaking, the United States is waging war on its African-American citizens, but why are you surprised? Yes, we live in the land of the free and home of the brave and are still not equal. Now what?

Do you think we can make people care about us before we can care about ourselves? I am proud to see our people finally coming together and standing as one unit. Now what?

Now that we all agree that we are not going to let anyone come into our communities and kill our people without a fight, we need to use the moment to improve who we are and how we are perceived. Our action plan has to include more than threatening a march, pointing a finger and waiting to see if the Department of Justice is going to convict officers for their crimes.

That is a distraction. It’s more than tearing up buildings, throwing rocks and dancing in the street for minor victories. It’s not about being interviewed for your perspec-

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: BULK DATA COLLECTION

in the exchange. We have become complacent with a part of the community that is underperforming.

Everybody is toting signs saying “Black Lives Matter,” but who are we trying to convince? The world around us or ourselves? My beef is while we are rallying for justice we are leaving out a few key factors that are necessary for growth and development. How are we jumping out in the streets fighting the establishment, but not changing how we spend our money? Why is that not #1 on the agenda?

Furthermore, if we are asking them to grow then we have to grow. We can’t spit in the face of our oppressor and then ask them to help us in the same breath. We have to have a plan for our own success.

It’s deeper than officers abusing the law, the war been going on and we have known it.

Jineea Butler, founder of the Social Services of Hip Hop and the Hip Hop Union, can be reached at jineea@gmail.com or Tweet her at @flygirlladyjay. Click on this article at www. daytonatimes.com to write your own response.

The latest attempt to circumvent the judge’s order in Cincinnati, and to get around similar issues in Columbus and Cleveland, comes from Sybil McNabb, who a couple of years ago during the state of Ohio NAACP election, in Chillicothe, Ohio, lost her bid to remain in that office.

A young lady named Jocelyn Travis won, fair and square, but the election was overturned by Ford and McNabb, who refused to relinquish her office to Travis.

A new election was held, in which ineligible people and even children, I was told, were allowed to cast votes. Well, wouldn’t you know it? McNabb won. So now, I suppose in return for Gill Ford’s assistance to keep her on as state president, McNabb sends a letter out to Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, saying she will conduct an election in all three “prospective” (her word, not mine) cities on May 23, 2015, ignoring the judge’s order in Cincinnati.

If that doesn’t take the proverbial cake. Why do the state offi-

JAMES CLINGMAN NNPA COLUMNIST

cers, local branch officials, and local members allow this kind of nonsense to go on without saying or doing anything about the likes of McNabb, Ford, and other NAACP leaders? What can they do to you? Fire you? How do you fire a volunteer? Members need to stand up and speak up against these wrongdoers. A cryptogram: “Never Accept Alibis from Corrupt People.”

If the three largest Ohio cities and I would add Dayton, Toledo, and Akron as well, cannot or will not stand up against corruption in the NAACP’s state and national offices, what’s the point of being a part of it all? If they can pull off what would be the biggest “back-down” and branch intimidation in their 106-year history, what will happen to the smaller, less-funded branches around the nation? They don’t stand a chance.

As if that sham of an election in Chillicothe, Ohio was not enough, we now have a tainted state president, operating under the aegis of Gill Ford, attempting to usurp the authority of a sitting judge in Ohio. I thought it was bad when Ford’s attorney suggested an election be held in Cincinnati anyway, despite the TRO, with only one candidate on the ballot – Ford’s. I was right, but shortsighted.

Now they have stooped to a new level with McNabb saying she will hold elections in the three largest branches in Ohio. A corrupt official holding honest and fair elections? Let me think about that for a second. Nah, I don’t think so.

Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people.

He can be reached through his website, blackonomics.com.

Click on this article at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

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.

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M ANATION YOR

MAY 14 14 – MAY 20, 2015 DECEMBER - 20, 2006

ment rates, Wilson found that the African-American unemployment rate was “lowest in Virginia (7.4 percent) and highest in the District of Columbia (15.8 percent) in the first quarter of 2015, surpassing Michigan, which had the highest Black unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2014.”

Wilson also noted that, “although 7.4 percent is the lowest Black unemployment rate in the country, it is still over 1 percentage point above the highest White unemployment rate (Tennessee). Virginia was one of only eight states where the African-American unemployment rate was below 10 percent in the first quarter of 2015.”

Wilson’s research also revealed that the Black unemployment rate, “is at or below its pre-recession level in six states: Connecticut, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. But this numerical recovery must be put in proper context because each of these states also had Black unemployment rates that were among the highest in the nation before the recession.”

FREDDIE ALLEN/NNPA NEWS WIRE

Valerie Wilson, director of the Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) speaks jobs and the economy in the Black community during an event at EPI.

Black unemployment rate dips below 10 percent

BY FREDDIE ALLEN NNPA NEWS WIRE

The Black unemployment rate fell to single digits (9.6 percent) in April, for the first time since President Barack Obama was elected in 2008.

Despite the improvement, the Black jobless rate is still double the unemployment rate of White workers, which has remained flat since February at 4.7 percent.

Valerie Wilson, director of the Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy at the Economic Policy Institute, a progres-

sive think tank focused on low- and middle-income families, said that the gradual decline in the Black unemployment rate is the result of strong job growth over the past year.

As the economic recovery in the United States continued its slow, uneven climb in April there were still clear disparities, even among adult Black workers.

More males working Wilson said that since December Black men have enjoyed most of the larger employment gains compared to Black women.

The unemployment rate for Black men over 20 years old was 11 percent in December 2014 and 9.2 percent in April 2015, while the unemployment rate for Black women increased 0.6 percent over the same period.

Since last April, the labor force participation rate, which is the share of the population that is either employed or looking for work, increased from 66.5 percent to 68.7 percent in April 2015 among Black men. The labor force rate for Black women only increased 0.7 percent since April 2014.

Wilson said that a renewed focus on targeted jobs programs and infrastructure investments would enable the economy to get closer to full employment, but cuts to public sector employment, especially at the state and local levels, may prolong the sluggish recovery.

Wage growth slow According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy group that designs policies aimed at reducing poverty and inequality, the economy has shed nearly 570,000 gov-

ernment jobs, more than 360,000 jobs in local government alone, since February 2010.

“The other part of that is that wage growth isn’t anything to cheer about,” said Wilson, adding that wage growth is still below any indication that the economy has really heated up.

According to the Labor Department, average hourly earnings have only increased 2.2 percent since April 2014.

During recoveries in the past, falling unemployment rates meant that companies were forced to raise wages to compete for available workers This recovery is different, Wilson said, in part because there’s still a decent amount of slack in the labor market.

Lowest in Virginia In a state-by-state analysis of the unemploy-

5.4 national rate The national unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in April down from 5.5 percent in March and the economy added 223,000 jobs in April for a threemonth average of 191,000 jobs per month.

In a recent blog post for EPI, Josh Bivens, the research and policy director at EPI, wrote that returning the labor market to preGreat Recession levels is too unambitious a goal.

“After all, 2007 could hardly be described as a year with the kind of highpressure labor market that would boost wages across the board,” said Bivens.

Bivens continued: “Instead, we need to target the kind of high-pressure labor market that we haven’t seen since the late 1990s.

Anything less than this will leave the majority of American workers frozen out of sharing in economic growth through wage gains.”

Follow Freddie Allen on Twitter at @freddieallenjr.

TSA to stop singling out Black women for hair searches BLACKNEWS.COM

TSA, the nation’s Transportation Security Administration, has agreed to stop searching through the hair of African-American women who wear all natural hairstyles.

The agency said, “TSA has reached an informal agreement with the ACLU to enhance officer training. Racial profiling is not tolerated by TSA. Not only is racial profiling prohibited under DHS and agency policy, but it is also an ineffective security tactic.”

The agreement, announced back in March, also promises to keep a record of complaints from Black women to “assess whether a discriminatory impact may be occurring” at specific airports across the country.

Multiple searches The issue became big earlier this year after two Black women, Malaika Singleton and Novella Coleman, filed complaints about having their hair arbitrarily searched at airports.

Both women were reportedly wearing their natural hairstyles when they were stopped and searched in the airport.

Coleman, whose hair was styled in dreadlocks, said that that TSA work-

ers “singled her out” several years ago and searched her hair three times. On one occasion she asked why her hair was being checked and she was told that agents search hair that has “abnormalities.”

Singleton also had a similar experience when she was stopped and the TSA searched through her hair, and en route back, her hair was searched again during a layover.

Nothing new Singleton comments, “The first time I was shocked. I just did not expect that. I felt violated.” She said that she was never given a reason why her sister locks were singled out and searched.

Such claims that TSA agents discriminate against Black women are not new. Solange Knowles, for example, the sister of Beyonce Knowles, also said that she was profiled back in 2012.

Recently, in response to the complaints, TSA has launched an internal Disability and Multicultural Division, which is responsible for ensuring that their security screening policies, procedures and practices comply with all applicable civil liberties and civil rights laws.

KENNETH K. LAM/BALTIMORE SUN/TNS

A child from the Gilmor Homes neighborhood plays near the area where Freddie Gray was arrested on April 12, 2015, is now marked with a mural.

Baltimore college student leads efforts to raise funds for neighborhood

BY ROBERTO ALEJANDRO NNPA NEWS WIRE

The riots that struck Baltimore on April 27 brought out the best in many Baltimore residents.

Countless efforts to provide food, medicine, supplies and assistance with cleaning sprung up around the city.

Having awakened Jazmyn on April 28 to a city in Thompson need of aid, Jazmyn Thompson, a University of Maryland, Baltimore student

transplanted from New York, set out to assist her new home.

“A few of my friends got together on Tuesday (April 28) and decided we really wanted to support Baltimore and raise – our goal was to raise $5,000 in 48 hours for Baltimore,” she said.

Over $10,000 raised Thompson reached out to Baltimore Bloc and the One Baltimore United coalition and told them about the effort. With the two groups on board, Thompson began to push the fundraising effort on social media.

By May 2, Thompson had reached

the initial goal, and she and her friends handed out bagged lunches, household supplies like toilet paper, as well as drinks and fruit to the residents of Gilmor Homes.

Freddie Gray was injured on April 12 in a videotaped encounter with Baltimore police near Gilmor Homes.

He died on April 19.

“As of [May 2], I think we’ve raised a little over $10,000,” said Thompson.

“We really wanted to get supplies, and food, and things that the community really needed.”

This story was special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspaper.

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7 CLASSIFIEDS

MAY 14 – MAY 20, 2015

NOW THAT MOM LIVES WITH US, MORE THAN EVER. Only those who care for others know what it’s really like to care for others. That’s why AARP created a community with experts and other caregivers to help us better care for ourselves and for the ones we love.

aarp.org /caregiving or call 1-877-333-5885

7

M SPORTS AYOR

MAY 14 –14MAY 2015 DECEMBER - 20,20, 2006

B-CU’s women golfers win PGA championship Minority collegiate event featured 200 players from 50 colleges, universities

yesterday, but thankfully, I got it back. I love this golf course; it sets up perfect for my game.”

Alabama State’s national champions traveled 10½ hours by bus from the campus in Montgomery, Ala., to PGA Golf Club. “I had a birthday on the way down,” joked Clark. “Well, it felt like a birthday, because it was a long ride. Our expectations were high this week after having basically the same group last year.”

Cal State Dominguez Hills (Division II) and University of Texas at Brownsville (NAIA), the respective 36-hole division leaders, were declared champions when inclement weather forced a suspension of play at 2:51 p.m. Championship officials determined that both divisions would not have been able to complete their final rounds.

SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES

PORT ST. LUCIE – BethuneCookman University raised the bar it has set in women’s golf by earning a record 12th title while Alabama State University’s men’s quintet captured its first team crown Sunday in the 29th PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship at PGA Golf Club.

Bethune-Cookman, behind senior Jennifer Hide’s closing 2-under-par 70, recorded an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship by a 33-stroke margin over the University of HoustonVictoria. The Wildcats finished their three days’ work on the Ryder Course with a total of 880.

“It never gets old to win the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship,” said BethuneCookman Head Coach and PGA Professional Loritz “Scooter” Clark. “I was glad that we had a little bit of a comfortable lead for once. We’ll celebrate today and look to hopefully repeat next year.”

Hide, a 21-year-old senior from Norfolk, England, had a 70, and 3-over-par 219 total, to lead the Wildcats.

“We work for this tournament throughout the year, and when we get here, we know that we have made the right preparations,” said Hide. “I really liked this course; it’s my favorite course to play.”

LPGA aspirations

PHOTOS BY MONTANA PRITCHARD/THE PGA OF AMERICA

Bethune-Cookman wins first place in the Women’s Team Division at the 29th PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship. In the center is Coach Loritz “Scooter’’ Clark.

Alabama State men defeat FAMU Alabama State entered the Division I men’s final round with a 14-stroke cushion over Florida A&M University, and finished at 893, seven strokes better than University of Incarnate Word of San Antonio, Texas. Tennessee State was third at 910, followed

by Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, which tied for fourth at 912.

The Alabama State Hornets were led by Canadians Branson Ferrier, the Division I medalist, and Francis Bethiaume.

Ferrier posted a 2-under-par 70 that included six birdies and two double bogeys, for a 54-hole total of 10-under-par 206. Berthiaume, a junior from Montreal, closed with a 71 for insurance, while teammates Andrei Collins of Trinidad-Tobago (80) and Jose Rodriguez of Puerto Rico (80) struggled coming in.

“It feels great after being here several years and being so close before, with some seconds and thirds, to finally win,” said Alabama State Assistant Head Coach Robert Clark. “As a PGA Professional, this means a lot for our program, for our kids and for our school.

“Branson is a very good player.

He has aspirations of playing on the PGA Tour one day, and if he continues to work at his golf maturity, I think he will get there.”

Cal State Dominguez Hills of Carson, California, had a 610 total, two strokes better than Texas A&M International.

The University of Texas at Brownsville had cruised to a 31-stroke lead over University of Houston-Victoria after two rounds, with a 4-under-par 580 total.

Tiana Jones, now a freshman in the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s PGA Professional Golf Management University Program, turned in a 72 and 223 total for a second straight Women’s Individual Invitational title. Last year, she was victorious while playing for South Carolina State University.

“I want to play on the LPGA Tour, and also want to own my own academy and build my own golf course, and give back to the community,” said Jones. “I want to see more African-Americans in golf.”

Cathleen Wong of Florida Gulf Coast University and Grace Chua of the University of Delaware shared runner-up at 225.

Borrowed dad’s driver

Above left: Tiana Jones of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s PGA Professional Golf Management University Program, wins her second Women’s Individual Invitational title.

Above right: Alabama State University contestants congratulate each other during the final round.

Left: Men’s Individual Invitational first-place winner Dominique Worthen of LeMoyne-Owen College, poses with Anthony Stepney, PGA member and coordinator of a diversity initiative in golf program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

‘A long ride’ University of Houston-Victoria sophomore Heather Shake of Pearland, Texas, fired a 67 to finish at 4-under-par 212 to claim her second-consecutive Division

I medalist honor. The 20-yearold earned a berth in next week’s Symetra Tour’s Mission Health Wellness Classic at the Country Club of Asheville in North Carolina.

“It’s really cool to win here again,” said Shake. “Before I came here, I was struggling with striking the ball but something just clicked, and I finally got to throwing darts. I had problems putting

LeMoyne-Owen College senior Dominique Worthen of Flint, Mich., captured the Men’s Individual Invitational after a long journey. He lost a 2013 playoff while attending Texas Southern University, then was third last year. He held on Sunday for a 74 and 217 total, defeating Siyan Liu, a Palm Beach Atlantic University freshman from Beijing, China, by two strokes.

“It was tough for me today, but I knew if I could hit good drives, I could win,” said Worthen, who had a two-putt par on No. 18. “I borrowed my dad’s driver after the first round, and it feels good to win.”

The championship featured 220 players representing 50 colleges and universities, 12 countries and two U.S. territories.

The PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship has elevated golf in minority colleges and universities by providing opportunities for players to compete in a national championship. In 2006, the PGA of America was granted complete ownership and management by the National Minority Collegiate Golf Scholarship Fund.

Softball team takes runner-up in MEAC title SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES

After a 2-0 victory, forcing a game-two on Championship Saturday, the Bethune-Cookman softball team fell short during the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title game, dropping a 2-0 decision to cross-state rivals Florida A&M as the Rattlers secured their second consecutive title on May 9 in Ormond Beach.

A battle on the mound took place during both games as Bethune-Cookman’s Sabrina Anguiano and FAMU’s Kenya Pereira each only allowed one earned run during the two game series and both teams combined eight runs apiece over the two-game span.

During game one, B-CU got out to an early 1-0 lead after senior Calesha Shelley scored from second on a throwing error from the Rattler’s third baseman with two outs.

The Wildcats added their second run to the board when a RBI single to left center from Sophia Ortega scored rookie Mariah Davis from second.

22-29 season finish After the early 2-0 lead for the ‘Cats, FAMU was unable to challenge the B-CU lead as the Wild-

cats forced an “if necessary” Championship Title Game with the 2-0 victory.

Game two was a mirror image of the first game, at the hands of the Rattlers.

FAMU scored a solo run in the bottom of the second on a RBI single from Alyssa Weaver.

Back-to-back errors in the field for B-CU opened the third inning, allowing the Rattlers to use a sacrifice fly to push them ahead of the ‘Cats 2-0 after three complete.

B-CU was unable to respond in the final four innings, as the FAMU earned its second-consecutive MEAC championship with the 2-0 win.

The Lady Wildcats finished the 2015 season 22-29 overall and 11-3 in MEAC play.

Top MEAC players Calesha Shelley, Sabrina Anguiano, Sophia Ortega and Shamaria Engram were named to the 2015 MEAC All-Tournament team.

Shelley finished her career-finale tournament run going .474 at the plate during the six championship games. She collected nine hits, five runs and was a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen bases.

B-CU’s softball team ended the season on May 9 with a loss to FAMU. Anguiano threw all 38.0 innings for the Wildcats with a 0.37 ERA during the weekend. She struck out 11 batters during the six games while allowing only two earned runs and four walks.

Ortega finished .438 at the plate with seven hits, four RBIs, a double and four runs while Engram earned four hits for B-CU including a double, a triple, four

RBIs and three runs.

Calesha Shelley’s 30 stolen bases this season marks the most in a year during her career, and moves her to second place alltime at Bethune-Cookman with 98 while her 73 hits this season also moves her into second place all-time at BCU in career hits with 249 behind B-CU Hall of Famer Amber Jackson.

Last week, Anguiano, a Hacienda Heights, Calif. native was named the MEAC Pitcher of the Year as voted on by the league’s head softball coaches and sports information directors.

This story is courtesy of B-CU Athletics. For the complete listing of 2015 All-MEAC winners, visit www.meacsports.com.

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