Neighborhood News Bureau

Category: Community & Family

  • Residents want action, not promises, for Midtown

    Residents want action, not promises, for Midtown

    Story and Photos BY INDHIRA SUERO
    NNB Reporter

    ST. PETERSBURG – Equality. Infrastructure. Employment training.

    Without a doubt, Midtown women demonstrate that they are aware of the needs of their community. Most of them do not hesitate when addressing them, especially with upcoming elections Nov. 3.

    Some of them — like Angela Rouson, the president of the National Council of Negro Women of St. Petersburg  — wish that elected officials continue work to make the city a level playing field. So, someone living in South St. Pete does not have to travel downtown to take advantage of shopping and entertainment resources.

    IMG_1694
    Advocates. A group of Midtown women during the reunion of the National Council of Negro Women in St. Petersburg, Fla.

    “That there are no barriers for you to go to see a movie, or go to the library. South St. Pete didn’t even had a post office at one time and in the last few years they have established one,” said Rouson. “The community rally for us to keep it. Simple things like that make a huge difference. That you can take a four minute trip to go to the post office, not a 15-minute trip to have a package delivered.”

    Dianne Speights, vice-president of the Negro Council, considers education issues extremely important and demands help for the vast percentage of African American students who are failing.

    “Whatever that route is that is hindering our children’s success, we must find where it is and fix it,” said Speights.

    Others, as Negro Council member Katheryn Read, agree.

    Everything starts with the school system and by providing adequate education for children, she said.

    “One of the focuses is educating our children and giving them same opportunities as others individuals,” said Read. “They don’t have the same resources or the adequate teachers so just sharing a will, going into the school system because we know if they’re not adequate educated that could affect the community, eventually.”

    Read — who also works in employment training — highlights the importance of job placement training.

    “I know they have the 2020 Plan, but we need to go out and partner with different businesses so they can go out and take some young people under their wings and train them for their jobs, or let them go there for the summer to work. If they can’t work or sustain their way of life then Midtown isn’t going to change,” said Read.

    Churches

    For Deborah Green, the first African-American female to pastor a Missionary Baptist church in St. Petersburg, the candidate who wins should care about Midtown and to continue city efforts to renew 22nd Street South.

    “The way they implemented and upgraded Downtown St. Pete is what they have to do with Midtown,” Green said.

    One other thing that the pastor addresses is juvenile delinquency and the need for more work programs for students who are out of school in the summer.

    IMG_1638
    Growth. Women of South St. Petersburg, FL, highlighted the importance of education and economic development for their community.

    “The new chief is trying to find ways to pardon some of these minor offenses that some of the kids are getting because if a kid ends up with a charge they can’t go to college,” Green said. “College is not accepting children with certain types of charges.”

    Bishop Clarice Pennington, of Christian Generation Center of Hope Church, would like to see more educational and recreational opportunities available in Midtown. He said children have to go to the north side of the city for activities such as a skating rink. Pennington also sees a disparity in the types of recreation centers and amenities available.

    Promises

    Candidates in the upcoming election include Lisa Wheeler-Brown, Winthrop “Will” Newton for District 7; and Philip Garrett and Steven L. Kornell in District 5.

    Residents don’t want to be left with empty promises.

    “A lot of times, too often, we see the politicians out there, campaigning and coming to the churches, yet when the campaign is over and it’s time for them to work they disappear,” said Read. “So we need someone that will represent the community from the beginning to the end and a lot of times we don’t have that.”

     

  • Referendum no. 2 asks voters to change district lines

    BY CARLY ROMANO
    NNB Reporter

    ST. PETERSBURG— Residents get the opportunity to vote on a referendum that could change district lines.

    Referendum question no. 2 reads:

    “Shall the City Charter be amended to provide that Council Districts do not need to follow voting precinct lines when it is not practical due to the need for the Council Districts to be compact and contiguous and the requirement that boundary lines follow centerlines of streets, railroad lines or other natural boundaries where possible?”

    “What they are proposing is to rather than follow voting precinct lines, putting along natural borders, is for those districts let that be natural border to make it more clear for constituency to reach out to the council members,” said Chan Srinivasa, City Clerk of St. Petersburg. “Because they don’t know which council individual is representing them in that particular district.”

    If approved the changes would not take effect until a redistricting commission is established, said Srinivasa.

    “Normally they are done around the time censuses are done,” he said.

    The City Council does not have the power to change lines. The Citizens Redistricting Commission only has the power to do so, which is composed of nine members. The mayor and each council member appoint members from the community, non-elected officials, who are residents of the district they represent.

    The districts would consist of contiguous neighborhoods using the centerlines of streets, railroad lines and other natural boundaries.

    “The boundaries shall follow voting precinct lines to the extent that it is practical,” according to the referendum.

    Ordinances referencing Referendum Questions on the ballot will be made available at all polling locations during the election for individuals who need clarification.

    Residents questions the lack of effort to educate voters about these potential changes.

    “I have received several phone calls regarding dissection of referendum questions,” said Maria Scruggs, president of the NAACP’s St. Petersburg branch.

    Scruggs is not alone.

    “I think it would be responsible of district leaders to ensure their constituency, educate or make awareness on changes of ballot questions,” said Brittany Harris, a St. Petersburg resident. “The irresponsibility on part of city leaders to make sure, that me as a voter, actually understands what exactly is being put on the ballot, because I believe that is part of being a public servant, gives me the impression that there could be some ulterior motives.”

  • Resource Center Reinvigorating Lives

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    BY BRIGITTE TOULON and CHOYA RANDOLPH
    NNB Reporters

    MIDTOWN– Nearly 21,000 people have walked through the doors of the Pregnancy and Family Resource Center in Midtown, and received help with more than they anticipated.

    Originally built in 1992, the center received grants and donations from the community and Suncoast Baptist Church to help them help the community.

    The Resource Center is a place where individuals can receive information on preventing pregnancies, contraception, alternatives to abortion and general counseling for individuals in these kinds of situations.

    “The center is orientated around the value of life, parents understanding their roles and love for babies, before and after the womb,” said Carole Alexander, director of the center.

    Before becoming a resource center, it was a condemned house that was donated to the Suncoast Baptist Association. The church allowed the fire department to use the home for fire drills. After being burned down, the land was cleared and built into the center in 1992 and began serving the community in 1994.

    Prior to the building being completed, the center began serving people through Pleasant Grove Baptist Church off 9th Ave S, for about a year. The center went from serving roughly 600 people in its first year to now almost 1,000 people a year.

    The center now offers programs such as the Gaining Opportunity and Achieving Life Success (GOALS). This program teaches families about hard work by having members earn points through activities including group activities, one on one’s, watching DVDs and participating in other programs. The points earned could be used at the Mother’s and Baby’s Boutique for parents to buy diapers and other necessities.

    Another program offered is the Baby Love Support group which is a six-week program for parents to bond with the child and each other and learn about prenatal care. For parents that have received abortions and may have lingering feelings about the experience, the center provides the Post Abortion Recovery Ministry.

    In 2010, the center began to struggle fiscally and was about to shut down because of the economic recession. Due to a letter the center sent out to the community which stated their financial needs, they were able to keep their doors open due to the flood of support and donations they received.

    “We give to the church, and the church gives to us,” said Alexander.

    The church provides help by way of financial donations and by encouraging their members to volunteer at the center. In turn, the workers of the center give back by volunteering for the church at different functions, in particular by giving vital information to the members of the church.

    Alexander, has a personal connection to the centers’ work, partly because she was faced with an unplanned pregnancy in her youth. Due to the lack of resources prior to her pregnancy, she is now committed to helping others understand the importance of life.

    “Here’s our vision, when we’ve accomplished and done all that we’ve been called to do, we want to see vibrant families in communities, whole and complete lacking nothing through Christ,” said Alexander.

    For more information:

    What: The Pregnancy and Family Resource Center

    Where: 1210 22nd St. S

    Contact: (727) 896-9119 or email: pcenter1@msn.com.

     

  • Family raises money for St. Pete man who walks miles to mow their lawn

    John Joyce, 83, walks 2.5 miles to mow the lawn at the Norton’s house. They started a GoFundMe to get Joyce a truck. Photo GoFundMe.

    John Joyce is getting a truck.

    Joyce, 83, has mowed the lawn at Robert Norton’s house for eight years and after recently getting sick and spending three months in the hospital, his truck broke, according to USA Today.

    When his daughter is not able to give him a ride, Joyce walks the 2.5 miles to mow the Norton’s lawn.

    “That broke my heart, especially when I found out how he was getting here to do what he was doing,” Nikki Norton said to WTSP.

    So the Nortons set up a GoFundMe to buy a truck for Joyce. The account has raised more than $6,200, more than the $4,000 goal, since it started two weeks ago.

    “I think anybody who is 83 years old who works as hard as he does, as loyal and faithful as he is, his work ethic and character, should have a vehicle to drive and do his work in,” Robert Norton said to WTSP.

    Read more at WTSP.

  • Childhood cancer shaped his work and outlook on life

    Childhood cancer shaped his work and outlook on life

    Lauren Hensley | NNB Glass artist Jake Pfeifer spent a month as an artist-in-residence at the Duncan McClellan Gallery in Midtown.
    Lauren Hensley | NNB
    Glass artist Jake Pfeifer spent a month as an artist-in-residence at the Duncan McClellan Gallery in Midtown.

    BY LAUREN HENSLEY
    NNB Student Reporter

    ST. PETERSBURG – When he was 5, Jake Pfeifer got a grim diagnosis. He had a malignant, inoperable tumor behind his left eye.

    Doctors told his parents he had a 5 percent chance of surviving the next three years.

    “The cancer was a very rare childhood malignancy and the prognosis for that particular cancer was very, very poor,” said his mother, Sonya Pfeifer. “We made funeral arrangements for Jake three times.”

    Her son underwent aggressive radiation and chemotherapy treatments and spent much of his childhood in the hospital. But he beat the odds. He was pronounced cancer free when he was 15, although he still has side effects from the treatment.

    Now 27, Pfeifer is a glass artist with a keen appreciation of life and a remarkable portfolio. He has studied under several renowned glass masters and his work has appeared in galleries across the country.

    He spent May as an artist-in-residence at the Duncan McClellan Gallery at 2342 Emerson Ave. S in St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts District. His exhibit will be on display there through July 6 and then become part of the gallery’s general collection.

    His childhood illness shaped his outlook on life, Pfeifer said. On his website, he compares himself to the Phoenix, the bird of mythology that arises from the ashes to new life.

    “I feel I have emerged from the fire, and I am living the life I love; and as chance would have it, I now find myself working with fire,” he said. “From the fire emerge beautiful things – first, my life and, second, the art that I am able to create.”

    Glass blowing is hot, delicate work. The artist shapes a mass of glass, which has been softened by intense heat in a furnace, by blowing air into it through a tube, adding color and then cooling it slowly.

    Pfeifer graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2010 with a bachelor’s in fine arts and completed a two-year residency at a glass studio in Louisville, Ky. He has been an intern or apprentice at hot shops and galleries around the country, and he has a business – Hot Glass Alley LLC – at a shop in Reading, Pa.

    Pfeifer said cancer taught him the value of commitment and determination, and he compares his work with glass to his cancer treatment.

    When he is working on a piece of hot, molten glass, he said, he has to stick with it to the end, “even if the outcome is not what I desired.” The piece “undergoes many changes … (and) can almost be lost” but usually turns into something beautiful.

    Pfeifer’s diagnosis was a malignant, stage 3 rhabdomyosarcoma – an inoperable tumor behind his left eye that was penetrating his brain.

    He was so ill that his doctors sent him on a “Make-a-Wish” trip with his brothers and sister. By the time he was 10, he had attended the funerals of many children whom he had befriended during his long stays in the hospital.

    His mother is a nurse and his father, Michael, is an endocrinologist. Their experience in the medical field affected the way they approached their son’s diagnosis and treatment.

    “We decided early on, just from watching other patients and families with this disease, that this could either destroy our family or bring us closer together,” said Sonya Pfeifer. “We circled our wagons and made sure that we grew together as a family.”

    Pfeifer’s parents were determined that he would not only survive, but thrive. Despite the intense cancer treatments, their son kept up with his education.

    “We never allowed Jake to use his illness as an excuse for anything,” Sonya said. “He was never held back in school even though he was in the hospital.”

    The radiation made reading a little more difficult, but Pfeifer excelled in other areas.

    Lauren Hensley | NNB Cancer taught him the value of commitment and determination, Pfeifer says.
    Lauren Hensley | NNB
    Cancer taught him the value of commitment and determination, Pfeifer says.

    “He was a math genius and he was very good with his hands,” his mother said. “He just naturally gravitated towards things that were comfortable to do. Glass has a component of science in math in it. He has to be able to understand the chemistry and the measurements; that was easy for him to grasp.”

    Pfeifer says his interest in glass was sparked at the age of 14 when he saw glass artists at work in Bermuda. His mother recalls his creative inclinations beginning much earlier than that.

    “He always liked Legos and coloring and building blocks. Most of the things that he liked to do were three dimensional, like glass is,” Sonya said. “He has always been very good with working with his hands. He has a lot of fine motor skills and is very agile.”

    Michael Rogers, one of Pfeifer’s professors at RIT, said the faculty is proud of his accomplishments in art.

    “I was aware of some health issues, but Jake didn’t talk about it,” Rogers said. “He’s a guy who didn’t want to be defined by an illness” and refused special treatment.

    “It’s great to see Jake being successful and doing what he loves,” Rogers said.

    During his month at the Duncan McClellan Gallery in St. Petersburg, Pfeifer devoted attention to his latest project, a series inspired by his heritage.

    “My grandfather was 25 percent Cherokee. I know I’m only Native American by a small percentage, but it really shaped the way that I grew up,” Pfeifer said. “Mom always had Native American art in the house, and it was something we talked about regularly.”

    The vases and bowls in this series feature bright colors and patterns.

    “Traditionally, Native American art wouldn’t have all of the bright colors that my pieces do, but that’s my interpretation of my heritage,” said Pfeifer. “I like to think of it as a combination of who I am and where I came from.”

    Now that his stint in St. Petersburg is over, Pfeifer said, Florida may well figure in his future. He is considering moving to Florida and opening a studio in Sarasota.

    “I love the South,” he said. “I grew up in Kentucky and I’m really looking forward to building my business in an area that I love,” Pfeifer said.

    Want to know more?

    Jake Pfeifer’s work will be featured through July 6 at the Duncan McClelland Gallery, 2342 Emerson Ave. S in St. Petersburg and then go into the gallery’s general collection. His website is at hotglassalley.com.