Florida Sentinel Bulletin

On Friday, April 1st, a crowd of more than 300 UPSers and guests welcomed President Barack Obama to the Chesapeake District’s Landover, Maryland facility.

Among the UPS executives that greeted the president was Tampa’s Myron Williams, Vice President of Business Development for the Eastern Region of UPS.

Earlier in New York City, Williams was awarded the New York Mentor of the Year award by The 100 Black Men of New York City. The awards were presented at the 100 Black Men’s Annual Black Tie Gala that was held at the Marriott Marquee in Manhattan.

Tampa’s Myron Williams (left) greets President Barack Obama after he spoke to employees at the UPS Center in Maryland.

At the gala, Williams was accompanied by his wife, Rose Abrams Williams, and his oldest brother, Morris Williams.

Williams is the son of Ernestine Williams Carr and Morris Williams, Sr.

A panel of national health experts, physicians and educators will share their thoughts about the causes of and remedies for obese children and adolescents at a town hall forum on childhood obesity prevention at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 15 at the Glazer Children’s Museum, 110 W. Gasparilla Plaza.

The event is sponsored by members of the Tampa Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and their community partners – Boys & Girls Clubs, Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, General Mills, HealthyState.org, Publix and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

Southern Area Director Mary F. Currie, who has called childhood obesity “one of the most critical health problems affecting thousands of children,” will attend Friday’s event.  Doretha Edgecomb, chairperson of the Hillsborough County Public School Board, is one of the panelists and WFLA Ch. 8 news anchor Rod Carter will moderate the session.

The Tampa Chapter was one of seven chapters from the Southern Area of The Links to receive a grant to implement a childhood obesity prevention curriculum to address the underlying causes of childhood obesity.

Patricia E. Miles, chairperson of the Tampa chapter’s National Trends and Services committee, said the forum will address the issue of childhood with a larger audience.

Reverend Pauline Cole, an ordained minister, heard the voice of the Lord saying that it’s time to let go. That was in late 2009. This past October, she was led to a pastor and his wife who were more than willing to carry on the organization of the Women of Zion, International.

Apostle Timothy and Evangelist Gloria Chiles, Pastors of Dominion and Power Worship Center: Better Life Crusade, will continue the Kingdom building for the Lord. The couple came to Florida in 2005.

Rev. Cole was called into the Five Fold Ministry (Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, Pastors and Teachers) as an Evangelist in 1987. She was licensed by the New Hope Apostolic Holiness Church and Pentecostal Assembles of the World. Since then, she has been licensed by Freedom Ministries of the Assemblies of God and World Christianship Ministries. Her area of expertise has been intercessory prayer, deliverance, counseling and outreach.

For additional information, call (813) 237-1350.

On Monday Tampa Police arrested a second man in connection with a shooting that injured a teenager and a woman 8 months pregnant last month.

The shooting occurred at a block party at Jackson Heights Apartments on March 13th. A fight broke out and three people started firing guns.

James Wade, 15, and Tawanna Williams, 18, were hit. Wade was shot in the leg, and Williams in the lower back. In an emergency caesarean section after the shooting, Williams gave birth to a healthy 8 pound, 7 ounce baby boy.

QUINTON THOMPSON…..already in custody.

ALONZO JONES…..arrested

Russell Lee Porter, Jr. (pictured right), 22, was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery after he was identified by the victims. One of his co-defendants, Quinton Thompson, 21, was arrested March 15th and charged with attempted murder. The third suspect, Alonzo Jones, 18, was arrested Wednesday and charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief.

On Sunday, April 10th, at 5 p.m., members of the community will host a fundraiser to aid the victims of last week’s inclement weather.

The Solidarity Concert will take place at the First Baptist Church of Progress Village, 8722 Progress Blvd., Tampa.

Pastor Moses Brown, founder of Feed Our Children, Inc., said, “I’m pulling the community together to try and help. It has been brought to my attention that many of those who suffered losses didn’t have insurance. Others can’t find certain paperwork they need. And others have other issues going on.”

Ms. Twanda Bradley, a product of Progress Village said, “The losses of some are greater than others, but the feeling of devastation is shared by everyone out here. I hope that people will continue to have as they have since the first day of the storms and that they will support this fundraiser.”

Zelma Washington said of all the things her mother has been accused of, the only thing she’s truly guilty of is having a kind heart.

For more than 20 years, Ms. Gertrude Murray has lived in her home on 26th Avenue near Nebraska Avenue. Over that period, Ms. Murray has housed family members and homeless people. She’s asked for little or nothing in return, but Ms. Washington said law enforcement officers continue to treat her like a criminal.

Ms. Washington said the reason she feels race is behind these intrusions is because the face of the community has changed over the past two decades.

“They have a neighborhood association (VM Ybor Neighborhood Assoc.) in this area, but it consists only of whites who have only recently moved into the area. They want my mother gone because of what she does for others and because she attracts people in need. They don’t want those kind of people in the neighborhood.”

Last Friday, Ms. Washington’s daughter, Nakendra Newsome, was arrested by vice squad officers led by Kenny Morman at Ms. Murray’s home. Again, Ms. Washington said officers came in with guns drawn and started throwing things everywhere.

“They (the police) put holes in the walls inside my mother’s home looking for drugs and found nothing. Every week, it’s either the police, Code Enforcement, or some other city agency coming around here.”

Tampa Police District III Lieutenant, Brian Gant, said they did get the address of the residence from the neighborhood association.

“It is possible the residents at that house have been targeted by that group. We’ve done a lot of work in that area dealing with prostitution and utility thefts among other things.

BY LEON B. CREWS
Sentinel Staff Writer

Last Friday, two representatives for 10 independent kickball teams met with the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department. The meeting was to clarify under what rules the teams would be allowed to play, and to arrange a schedule.

However, Betty Stewart, a member of the N-2-Deep Kickball Team out of Robles Park, said the meeting was not what they expected.

Ms. Stewart said the city outlined three options for the teams to be able to play. They are for them to either pay insurance, get a permit, or join the city league. Ms. Stewart said the biggest push was for them to join the city league.

“We put this together so we could have something that belonged to us,” said Ms. Stewart.

“These teams were put together in the community, and all we asked is permission to practice and play at the city parks.”

City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Team Supervisor, Alvin Holder, said they did meet with the kickball representatives, and gave them three options. They were supposed to come back with their decision and we haven’t heard anything.”

“We told them they can practice, but they have to pay a fee of $10-per-hour. They also have to coordinate a schedule as to where the games will be played. They are supposed to present us with a schedule, and we haven’t gotten that yet.”

“If they haven’t secured a permit and put the games on anyway, they will be shut down by law enforcement.”

Sunday night’s murder victim, Sabrina Broxton, 24, became the city’s first African American murder victim of 2011.

Antonio King

Tampa Police have arrested Antonio King, 31, and charged him with first-degree murder. He was briefly hospitalized and later medically cleared.

According to Tampa Police, officers received a 9-1-1 call about a disturbance at the intersection of West Grace Street and North Hubert Avenue in the Carver City community.

When officers arrived, they found Broxton’s body in the street. Witnesses gave a description of the man who may have been involved and he was later found at the Marathon Gas Station at Cypress Street and Lois Avenue.

The witnesses said Broxton’s brother, Oris, arrived on a moped and pulled her (Broxton) off of King, who ran into his house. Moments later, he came back out with a gun and everyone started running. King was seen firing into a crowd of people as they fled the area.

Broxton is a 2005 graduate of Richard Milburn Academy Charter School and was employed by UPS. She stopped working last year to care for her mother who has Lupus.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office located a 4-year-old reported missing early Monday. The child had been missing since shortly after 8 a.m. He was located safely just before 1 p.m.

According to police, Ms. Sasha Earnest, contacted police shortly after 8:30 a.m., Monday and reported that her son, Jaiden Henry, was missing. Ms. Earnest told police that she had gone to take a shower and when she finished she discovered the front door open and the child missing.

Police responded to The Landings Apartment Complex, 6904 St. Johns River Drive, (across from King High School), and began searching for the child.

Ms. Debbie Carter, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office said the deputies have gone door-to-door in the apartment complex. After not locating the child, they included the K-9 Units, Aviation, and the Dive Team in the search for the missing child.

Ms. Carter said the babysitter had come and taken the child, but had not informed the mother.

She further said that one of the detectives contacted the babysitter by telephone and learned that the child was in her care.