Florida Sentinel Bulletin

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

A popular Tampa educator who continued to work for youngsters long after her retirement passed suddenly. Born March 4, 1935, Mrs. Mary Montgomery Bryant was 75 years old.

Her son, Edward, said Mrs. Bryant called him on Sunday complaining about her back hurting. He called 9-1-1 and when he arrived at his mother’s home, she was being transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital. She suffered an aneurysm, he said.

“This was not something expected. She was not ill other than the usual problems that come with her age. She attended the Excellence in Awards program Thursday night and talked with friends on Saturday night,” he said.

During her tenure as an educator, Mrs. Bryant became a pioneer in the Hillsborough County Public School District. In 1986, Mrs. Bryant was appointed as the Area Director of Area II, becoming the first African American woman to hold this position. In 1992, Mrs. Bryant accomplished another first when she was chosen as the Assistant Superintendent for Support Services.

[private]A Tampa native, Mrs. Bryant attended the public schools of Hillsborough County. She graduated from Middleton High School in 1951. Mrs. Bryant received an undergraduate degree in Education from Bethune-Cookman College, her Master’s Degree from Florida A & M University; and her Ph.D. Degree from the University of South Florida.

Mrs. Bryant’s career in Hillsborough County began in 1968 as a Learning Specialist at Henderson Elementary School.

She continued her career as an educator, becoming Principal of Philip Shore Elementary School and Principal of Roland Park Elementary School.

She retired as an educator in 1997. In 2002, Mary Bryant Elementary School was named in her honor.

Mrs. Bryant and the late Dr. Sam Horton were the founders of the Hillsborough Alliance of Black School Educators, Inc.

Her concern for the education of children never ended. “She was always giving advice relating to education in the community. She has also mentored many educators. She never stopped, she was always busy,” Edward Bryant said.

Mrs. Bryant was married to the late Theodore O. Bryant, who passed in November 2006, and they were the parents of three sons, Carl, Edward, and Lionel. They also have 5 grandsons and 4 granddaughters.

Mrs. Bryant was a founding member of Agape Christian Church and was very proud of their new facility. The church marched into the new building, corner of N. 43^rd Street and E. Osborne, in December 2010.

Funeral services for Mrs. Bryant were incomplete as of press time. Ray Williams Funeral Home is in charge of handling arrangements. [/private]

BY TAMECA JOHNSON Freelance Writer

Most of the students at Andrew Ferrell Middle Magnet School were just toddlers when Coach Tony Dungy reigned as the beloved head football coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  However, that didn’t stop the kids from

taking in all he had to say about life, choices, and the importance of working towards a brighter future.

One of the keys to it all, Dungy told the crowd, is the ability to read.  “When I was in Middle School, I used to dream about being a professional basketball player. I never thought I was going to be a professional football coach, much less the first Black football coach to win a Super Bowl.  But I definitely would not have been able to follow that path and do those things had I not been able to read.”

Coach Dungy spoke passionately about the importance of reading to Ferrell’s 6th, 7th and 8th grade students Friday during the school’s Literacy Week celebration.

Many of the students asked questions about Coach Dungy’s educational and football career.  Some even expressed their desire to one day, play in the NFL.  Coach Dungy’s response to them: read, read well, read everything, read often.   “There are thousands of guys who can run fast, and play, and lift weights, and jump, and catch, but you have to be able to do all of that and read the material, (play books and scouting reports) and process that information.  That’s why some guys make it and some don’t.”

In addition to the importance of reading, Coach Dungy also touched on the importance of making good choices     and used the case of [private]Hydra Lacy, Jr., as an example.

Lacy was the 39-year-old St. Petersburg man accused in last week’s shooting deaths of two St. Pete police officers and wounding a U. S. Marshal.  Authorities later found Lacy dead in the attic of his estranged wife’s home.

Lacy is the older brother of World Champion Boxer Jeff Lacy. “Both brothers took two different paths,” Coach Dungy told the students.  “I’m going to suggest there were two reasons for this.  Number one, goals.  What are your goals in life?  What do you want to do.  It’s very important, because I don’t think you can end up here [gestures on top] if your goals are down here.”

Coach Dungy went on to say, “Jeff Lacy had high goals.  Jeff Lacy knew very early what he wanted to do.  He wanted to be a boxer, he wanted to be the best in the world.  He worked at it and that goal was always in his mind.”

Coach Dungy assured the students that even if they don’t know what they want to do in life, the best way to stay on track is to set goals, associate with people who share their goals, and find role models who will keep them inspired to reach those goals.

Gwen Luney is Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Hillsborough County.  She attended Friday’s event and says she hopes students realize just how much the community supports them in their educational success.

Coach Dungy is the author of several books.  Most recently, he and his wife, Lauren, co-authored You Can Be A Friend, a children’s tale that teaches the importance of being a good friend. [/private]

At 1:30 p. m. Monday, Tampa Police report that a vehicle was traveling south on 15^th Street with a marked police cruiser traveling directly behind.

Police spokesperson, Laura McElroy, said the officer saw the vehicle cutting off other vehicles in traffic, and attempted a traffic stop at Bougainvillea and 15^th Street.

McElroy said the vehicle traveled another block before it pulled over. The officer ran the driver’s name through their system to check for warrants.

The officer said he discovered the driver had a warrant for driving with a suspended license.

“The officer called for backup, and he and a second officer approached the driver’s side to make an arrest, ordering the driver out of the vehicle.”

“Initially, the driver acted like he was complying, then suddenly attacked one of the officers. A violent struggle began and the driver managed to get his hand on one of the officer’s weapons. He was yanking at it in an attempt to pull it from its holster when the officer yelled, ‘gun, gun, gun!’ The second officer warned the man to stop or he’d shoot, and at that point, the suspect was shot.”

McElroy said the driver was shot once and transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital. He is reported to be in critical condition.

The driver was identified as 26-year-old Alex Perez.

A little less than a year ago, James Randolph took on the task of helping inmates with their speaking skills. He knew that as inmates transitioned into society they also needed assistance with jobs.

For Randolph, it’s not a task – it’s what he enjoys doing as a member of Toastmasters International. He started the Toastmaster’s Class at Zephyrhills Correctional Institution last year in June at the request of warden, Gus Mazorra. Randolph is a certified (gold) Toastmaster. Professionally, he is President of Carolina Consulting Solutions, Inc.

[private]Twice a month, Randolph goes to the facility to help about 20 inmates get prepared for jobs and parole interviews. The goal is to help the inmates with their communication skills. They learn vocabulary and speaking skills.

Besides Toastmasters, Randolph is active in several organizations. He has 28 years of experience as a Business and Information Technology Professional and works closely with the School District of Hillsborough County.[/private]

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

The U. S. 2^nd Court of Appeals recently ruled that a former Police Captain did not have to resign his post to run for mayor. Attorneys representing the City of Tampa will ask the panel of judges to review their decision.

City Attorney, Chip Fletcher said, “We will be taking action during the specified time frame. We are asking the Court to take another look at the case.”

Attorney Jerry Gerwirtz, Chief of Litigation with the City of Tampa said, “This is unusual for cases to take this long. It’s not unusual for a case to be appealed.

The case of Marion Lewis vs. the City of Tampa began in November 2006 when Lewis decided to run for the Office of Mayor. His supervisors said he had to resign as a Captain with the Tampa Police Department, under the “Resign To Run” law. The law contends that an employee must resign if he is going to challenge his boss during an election.

Lewis stated that he inquired at the Elections Office in Tallahassee and was told the law didn’t apply to him. “The law means that if I were a deputy, I would have to resign if I wanted to run for Sheriff. But in this case, the Chief of Police is my boss and not the Mayor.

After Lewis qualified in January 2007, he contends that he was forced into retirement.

In his first lower court appearance, Judge Marva Crenshaw ruled in favor of Lewis. However, the City filed an appeal and the trial court entered a partial [private]summary judgment in favor of the City. The trial court also denied Lewis’s motion for summary judgment on an amended counterpetition.

The Justices also wrote, “We conclude that the trial court erred in entering the final judgment that determined Lewis automatically resigned from his employment by filing his Oath of Candidate form. We therefore reverse the final judgment and remand with instructions that the trial court enter a final judgment on the City’s complaint consistent with this opinion and consider the remaining allegations of Lewis’s counterpetition.”

Lewis stated that the City has ten calendar days to respond to the ruling. He further stated that the three-member judicial panel had reached a unanimous decision and that they could review their decision or chose to allow the ruling to stand.

Prior to the ruling being handed down, Lewis withdrew from the 2011 Mayor’s race, stating that he wasn’t able to devote his undivided attention to the election because of the lawsuit.

Attorney Gerwirtz said that because the city is using in-house attorneys, the City has spent approximately $1,700 in legal fees on the case.[/private]

BY TAMECA JOHNSON

Freelance Writer

Recession, low property values, modifications, foreclosures.  Despite all you’ve heard, the time to buy is now!  Right now!  That’s according to real estate guru Kenny Rushing.

Across the city of Tampa, the Rushing name is synonymous with housing and profits.   Rushing founded the multi-million dollar company Rehabber’s Superstore more than ten years ago.  Over the years, he helped thousands of people break into the lucrative real estate market.  Then, the mortgage bust hit.  Banks folded, foreclosures hit an all-time high and mortgage prices plummeted.

Some may have assumed Rushing and his real estate business took a nose dive as well.  He was hit hard by the recession, as were millions of others, but Rushing says he found a way to bounce back.

“Just five years ago, everybody wanted to be a real estate agent,” he says.  “There were a lot of guys in business.  I don’t even know where most of those guys are anymore, because they didn’t know how to make the adjustments.  They didn’t understand the history of real estate economics and cycles.  But fortunately for me, I’m an avid reader, so I paid close attention to those things and have been able to play this other side, which is buying distressed assets from banks and teaching others all over the world how to do the same thing.”   Rushing says he’s teaching those lessons through his latest business venture, Rush Capital Fund.

According to the company’s brochure, Rush Capital acquires distressed real estate portfolios from lenders, servicing companies and other financial institutions for below market value.  It then re-sells those portfolios at sub-wholesale prices to investors. Rushing says, “Just [private]like you can make money when there’s a boom, you can also make money when there’s a bust.  You’ve just got to understand how to play that side of the fence.”

Rushing believes potential homebuyers and investors should seriously consider buying now because prices are at an all time low.  “You can buy a condo for less than $10,000 in the Tampa area,” he says, and he’s found deals in Brandon, Carrollwood and Temple Terrace.  “During the real estate boom,” he says, “those condominiums were selling for 40 to 50 thousand dollars.  Now, you can pay for that condominium cash and never have a mortgage for the rest of your life.”

Rushing suggests that people who are expecting a tax refund should really take note.   “You know, you buy a condo for $8,000, put $3,000 down, you owe five, your monthly mortgage payment is about $100 a month.”   However, the total monthly payment will be slightly higher once taxes, insurance and condo association fees are factored

in.

If your credit isn’t the best, Rushing says there’s still a deal for you out there.  “Your interest rate may be a little more expensive than someone who may not be as credit challenged,” but, he says, “If you don’t have any credit, there are people out there who will give you a private loan or a hard money loan.  You may pay a higher interest rate, however, when it all averages out, you’re probably still going to be paying a lot less than you are in rent.”

Although Rushing strongly encourages buying at this time, he stresses this is not the time to sell, unless you absolutely have to, because the only one benefiting in that case is the bank.

For more information on Kenny Rushing and Rush Capital Fund call (813) 675-7040 or log on to

www.RushCapitalFund.com.[/private]

BY LEON B. CREWS
Sentinel Staff Writer

You will never hear Yvonne Hodges say her sons, Vanord Rutherford and Oliver Hodges, or her nephew, Milton Smith are innocent.

Ms. Elizabeth Thompson said the same thing about her son, Dannon Wilson.

All three young men, and seven others, are being tried in court under the RICO statute as alleged gang members.

Ms. Hodges said in her opinion, her son is being unjustly targeted by detectives.

“How can they say my son is the leader of a gang? They have no proof, and he has never done anything in his life that made him part of a gang. I don’t know where they get their information from or how they draw these conclusions.

“The public needs to know how the system is treating our young Black men. It’s unjust and they’re getting away with it without any justification.”

Rutherford, Hodges, Smith and seven others were in court Friday for a bond reduction hearing. Ms. Hodges said the bonds were reduced, but are still too high.

[private]“My son’s bond was a million dollars. They reduced it to $100,000. That’s still ridiculous.”

Ms. Hodges and Ms. Thompson were both asked to leave the courtroom Friday after they spoke out in support of their family members.

Ms. Thompson said her son is being railroaded, plain and simple.

“They are trying to charge him with a murder that occurred in 2007 without any proof. I read the arrest report, and it has a lot of false information in it.

“He was in prison when a lot of these things were going on. They just won’t listen to any of us trying to speak on behalf of our children, and I don’t think it’s right they do whatever they want to do to our children without fear of anyone stopping them.”

Ms. Hodges has hired Attorney William Knight to represent her sons.

According to the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office, the case is being tried by state prosecutors.[/private]

On Sunday, Alaina Riggins, 26, was arrested by Hillsborough County deputies after a traffic stop.

According to reports, Riggins was stopped after failing to use a turn signal. Deputies found a handgun, 72 bullets, marijuana and crack cocaine in the vehicle. Riggins now faces more than 70 felony counts, including charges for each of the 72 bullets found on her.

Riggins is the cousin of Dontae Morris, who is being held in jail for the murder of five people, two of them Tampa Police officers.

Riggins was being investigated during the summer of 2010 because of her relationship with Morris and she was later arrested with Morris’ brother, Dwayne Calloway, at a motel on drug charges.

[private]At the time, detectives were investigating whether Riggins was in touch with Morris while he was being sought by authorities.

Riggins is the daughter of former civilian Tampa Police employee, Carolyn Riggins, the aunt of Dontae Morris.

Last year, Tampa Police Chief, Jane Castor, fired Carolyn Riggins after an internal investigation found she hindered the search for Morris by not revealing her daughter’s relationship with the suspect.

Alaina Riggins is currently being held with her bond in excess of $614,000. [/private]

BY LEON B. CREWS
Sentinel Staff Writer

There are hundreds of not-for-profit groups in the area, as well as government organizations that are supposed to help those who need help.

However, one woman feels those groups aren’t reaching the people who really need the help.

“We must make sure the people not only know where to go for help, but what they need to bring with them,” said Angela Moore.

Ms. Moore is the founder of a support group that helps victims of sexual abuse. Her mission is to create a comfortable environment where girls, young women, and adult women can go and feel comfortable talking about their situation.

“I discovered that most victims of sexual abuse are either scared or too embarrassed to tell anyone what’s happening to them. That’s why it continues, and I [private]believe someone has to be stronger than they are to get them to deal with this problem.”

Ms. Moore said incidents of sexual abuse and incest occur more often than people think, but the stories aren’t publicized, and the incidents are kept quiet by the victims.

“I appeal to all the victims out there to not be scared to tell someone what’s happening to you. You have a right to protect yourself, and no one has the right to take anything from you. As females, we must remember that sometimes the only protection we have is each other. You’ve got to trust someone.”

Ms. Moore invites anyone interested in working with her as a volunteer or someone interested in telling their story to contact her at (813) 770-2083. [/private]