HOMELESS
Founder of Controversial Homeless Shelter Recovers from Spinal Meningitis
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orn in the Bahamas and adopted at an early age, Frank St. Fleur had a hard family life with no brothers or sisters. He threw himself into school where science was his favorite subject. He had always wanted to be a doctor, not really for the money, but for the scientific end of it. The study of the brain and body was fascinating to him and as far as he was concerned there was no better job than helping people. When St. Fleur was eighteen he decided to leave his small island and travel a little. His journey took him to South Florida where he moved around working as a cook and as a demolition construction clean-up worker. His ties to his family were cut and he focused on trying to make a better life for himself. After an argument with the person he was staying with he decided to leave. He came into some trouble and ended up with nothing. He had nowhere to live, no money, and no family. A church group found him on the streets and decided to pick him up. With (continued on page 6)
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ean A. Cononie, the founder of a controversial homeless shelter in Hollywood, was released Tuesday from a Jacksonville hospital after Sean Cononie struggles as he fights being treated for back for his vision and hearing. spinal meningitis, a life-threatening illness, his family and tion. On Dec. 27, his temperature rose to associates said Tuesday. Cononie, 39, 105.5 degrees and he experienced flu-like became delirious. Cononie was symptoms and lapsed into a coma over the rushed by ambulance to Christmas holiday while St. Luke's Hospital in visiting relatives in Jacksonville. Cononie northern Florida, said said he was assured that Ginny Dangola, director residents and workers at of operations for the the shelter were not in shelter, called the CO- danger of contracting the disease, given the parSAC Quarters. Cononie's sister, ticular strain he has. According to the Carlyce Cononie, reached at her home in federal Centers for DisJacksonville on Tuesday, said her brother has pneumococcal meningitis, a bacterial form of the disease that can lead to death or brain damage couple of weeks if not treated quickly. ago, I received a Meningitis is an infec- call from Michelle Gibtion that causes inflam- son, a professional mation of the mem- singer all the way from branes covering the Sydney Australia. She brain and spinal cord. explained that she was in In a brief phone town working on a tour interview Tuesday, throughout South FlorCononie said he fell ill ida to promote her new Christmas night and CD when she came went to the doctor the across one of our News next morning, where he Papers. Feeling touched was told he likely had by one of the articles in the flu or an ear infec- the paper she decided to
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ease Control and Preven- organizations, Cononie tion, some forms of bac- serves as the ruleterial meningitis are con- enforcer, public spokestagious, but "none of the person, counselor, troubacteria that cause men- bleshooter, and financial ingitis are as contagious manager. Dangola, howas things like the common cold or the flu, and ever, insisted: "The opthey are not spread by eration of the place is casual contact or by sim- continuing with no probply breathing the air lems. Nothing has fallen where a person with apart yet." The foundation meningitis has been." Cononie's ab- is in the midst of an acrimonious sence has the Cononie, 39, experienced l a w s u i t potential flu-like symptoms and filed by city to comlapsed into a coma over the of Hollyplicate the Christmas holiday wood for the dayto-day while visiting relatives violating zoning managein northern Florida rules by ment of relocating the shelter. As the director and the shelter in March chairman of the COSAC 2002 to 1203 N. Federal Foundation, and a dozen (Continued on page 4) other related charitable
call and offer a free concert for the shelter. I thought to myself, what day could be more perfect for a concert than New Years Eve? But to ask somebody to John and Michelle, as they perform for do that seemed over 150 homeless –both individuals and families- on New Year’s Eve like too much. So sheepishly I (Continued on page 8) said, “How about New