Neighborhood News Bureau

Category: MIDTOWN NEWS

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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.”

October 26, 2015
Midtown barbershop makes the cut

Story and photos BY ERIC VAUGHAN
NNB Reporter

ST. PETERSBURG –A look around Chago’s Barber Shop and it’s apparent owner Chago Diaz stands firmly behind his mission of acceptance in Midtown.

In a sofa near the entrance, awaiting haircuts, sits a gay couple chatting and laughing with one of the other barbers as if they were all old childhood friends.

“It is a safe place to come and be yourself,” said Andrew Winchell, a regular customer. “Everyone treats you with respect here, and it is good to have a place where they know your name.”

Diaz, 32, said when he first opened he was unsure if Midtown would welcome a Cuban-owned business into what he learned was a historically African-American neighborhood. Diaz soon realized that assumption could not have been further from the truth

“Midtown has embraced both my business and myself,” Diaz said as he wrapped a warm steamy towel around a client’s head.

What separates his salon from others in town?

“We accept everyone in here,” Diaz said. “It doesn’t matter if you are black, white, Hispanic, gay, or straight. Everyone gets an amazing haircut and five-star treatment.”

Barbers Shawn Oliveras, Derek Fraley, and Kevin Rix cutting hair at Chago’s Barber shop.

Acceptance spreading through a Barber shop may seem insignificant, but historically barber shops, specifically minority-owned, have been a place for heterosexual male bonding, where “guys could be guys” discussing topics such as sports, cars, and women. Chago’s Barber Shop offers the same ideology as those with the exception there is no restriction on the term “guys.”

Diaz, a Tampa Bay area native, said he was inspired to invest in Midtown because there were no other similar barber shops.

“We give the community a place to go, hang out, watch some TV, or just plain gossip,” Diaz said.

Looking into Chago’s Barbershop, Kevin Rix cutting hair.

The barber shop conversations ranged from local politics and sports to the Nicki Minaj/Miley Cyrus beef.

Kevin Rix, 31, a master barber, who towers over seated clients at 6’8, said the central location in Midtown offers a chance to meet and interact with people from all walks of life. Offering discounts to students helps Rix and the other barbers connect with the community.

Before the barber shop opened its doors in late 2013, a marketing and advertising firm, Revital Agency occupied the space.

Diaz said because of how Midtown functions as a community and the dependency of business to business relations, he still uses the firm for marketing and help with signage.

“It is very important to us to use local businesses. Midtown is a special place, the history of businesses that were here before me, is just as important as my shop,” Diaz said. “I don’t just feel like this is my shop. This is the community’s barber shop.”

Chago said that a few business had come and gone since the building has been erected, but he hopes his business will remain in Midtown.

“We have found a home in this community, and it means a lot that Midtown has accepted us.”

Chago Diaz (Shop owner) and master barber Shawn Oliveras stopped cutting hair to pose for a picture.

October 22, 2015
Influential Impact The Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum Has On Society
By Carly Romano

NNB Reporter

ST. PETERSBURG— With a group of like-minded friends, Dr. Carter G. Woodson started work to educate and bring equality to unite residents of Midtown in 1915.

He wrote more than 30 books including The Mis-Education of the Negro in 1933. Woodson developed the idea in 1926 to observe noted accomplishments made by African Americans for a week. His celebration grew to eventually become Black History Month.

A museum to honor and commemorate Woodson opened in 2006 and continues to grow his legacy.

“We celebrate, we remember, we embrace the history of the past, as well as cater to the present,” said Cranston Cumberbatch, Office Manager/Curator/Docent of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum.

Inside, there are displays of significant artwork symbolizing highlights of African American culture and history. The display is also a part of Art Walk, a festive monthly tradition, held throughout Midtown and downtown.

In order to maintain the non-profit museum, it accepts donations as well as hosts special events to help bring in money. These special occasions and events are held inside the museum or outside in the nature reserve garden.

The museum was part of the Jordan Park housing project upgrades and financially funded by a multimillion-dollar federal grant in 2005. The space formerly served as the Jordan Park Community Center and Management Office.

In January, there was a protest to keep the museum when concerns came up that the property would be sold back to the St. Petersburg Housing Authority. By March, due to the landmark’s sentimental value, the city of St. Petersburg started negotiations for the space. Ownership by the city is being finalized which will allow the building to remain in the same location.

African Americans played a crucial role in the expansion and development of St. Petersburg since the late 1800s. Exhibits show the hardscrabble lives of early black families and cultural artwork. Their purpose is to uphold the value of diversification, equal rights and social justice.

“We are a progressive museum, we don’t keep static exhibits,” said Cumberbatch. “There are constant changes displaying narratives from the past to the present.”

If you go:

What: Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum

Where: 2240 9^th Ave S, St. Petersburg

When: From 12-5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday; Saturday, by appointment

Contact: (727) 323-1104
October 22, 2015
Reporting on politics, science, law, money, orchids and people: The lyricism of the environmental beat

Award-winning journalists Cynthia Barnett and Craig Pittman shared their experiences covering environmental issues with NNB reporters Wednesday.

About Neighborhood News Bureau

Neighborhood News Bureau is a working newsroom, staffed by University of South Florida St. Petersburg undergraduate and graduate students under the guidance of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies faculty members. The newsroom opened in Midtown, St. Petersburg March 2006. Its mission is to serve the Midtown and surrounding communities of St. Petersburg. For more information, visit http://www.nnbnews.com/ or email nnb@usfsp.edu.

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October 21, 2015
Seagrass beds, Tampa Bay water quality and St. Pete Referendum No. 1

BY DANIELLE VON DREELE
NNB Reporter

St. Petersburg residents are reasonably concerned with the city’s questionable water supply. The history of Tampa Bay’s warm, shallow waters is murky with pollution from dredging, industrial emissions and wastewater. A question up for vote on the city election Nov. 3 is addressing the issue with increased protections to seagrass beds.

Referendum question No.1 asks residents to decide if the City Council should be allowed to establish permanent development restrictions over city-owned, aquatically-located lands near North Shore Park. The restrictions would prevent any development or construction projects near or on the area’s seagrass beds. These protections are intended to support and enhance seagrass beds that can be used to improve the city’s water quality and surrounding ecology.

Tess Chibirka, a volunteer at the Suncoast chapter of the Florida Sierra Club, said that poor water quality is a result of overdevelopment.

“That’s great that our city is growing, but we don’t have enough infrastructure to handle it,” said Chibirka.

Currently, any decisions regarding the placement of protections on seagrass beds must be approved through a referendum. Christian Haas, a member of the Old Southeast Neighborhood Association, said if the referendum passes, the City Council will no longer have to wait annually for each election to add future protections for seagrass beds.

“Every time they (City Council) want to change (add protections), they have to go through referendum,” said Haas. “This is a permanent reservation, so changes can happen without a city-wide referendum.”

Researchers are noticing a correlation between seagrass bed populations and water quality. Carlos Frey, an engineer for the City of St. Petersburg, says seagrass beds and water quality benefit from each other in different ways.

“One of the things that we use as a measure of our success is the amount of seagrass out (in Tampa Bay),” said Frey.

According to Haas, seagrass beds filter out toxins in the water and aid in erosion and filtration. The Bay’s water clarity also allows for sunlight to reach seagrass beds rooted deep below the surface.

“Seagrass needs light,” said Nanette Holland O’Hara, the Public Outreach Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. “If it doesn’t get light, it can’t grow.”

Groups like the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and The Nitrogen Management Consortium are already working to increase the number of seagrass beds in the Bay. According to O’Hara, the amount of seagrass beds grew from 20,000 acres in 1990 to 40,295 acres this year. The number exceeds the 38,000 acres of seagrass that existed in the 1950s.

The ordinance for the referendum does not clarify which parts of North Shore are protected. While some speculate the referendum only applies to seagrass beds between the Coffee Pot Bayou Canal and the Pier, Haas believes the initiative will affect the city’s overall water supply.

“It doesn’t help a specific district, it helps all of St. Petersburg,” said Haas.

Though referendum one may enhance the city’s water quality, the full impact of the ballot will only be determined when its perimeters are clearly established.

October 19, 2015
Resource Center Reinvigorating Lives

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.

October 18, 2015
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.

October 18, 2015
Times Talk: Finding the ‘body’ using data and investigative journalism

St. Petersburg, Fla. (Oct. 5, 2015) Tampa Bay Times investigative journalist, Michael LaForgia and data and digital director, Adam Playford shared some tips about finding stories, collecting useful data, and the importance of patience in regards to investigative journalism with Neighborhood News Bureau students Wednesday, Sept. 30.

“Find a body and discover why it’s there,” said LaForgia.

LaForgia and Playford admit that investigative journalism isn’t easy. It takes time, focus, and organization for the story to come together. While discussing Failure Factories, their current investigative project dealing with systemic deficiencies at some Pinellas County schools, LaForgia mentions finding and poring over records can be the most time-consuming element, but is also the most important. Getting the documents can also become expensive.

Tampa Bay Times Award Winning Journalists Adam Playford and Michael LaForgia. Photo by Eric Vaughan.

“We requested millions of records for this story. We have spent $8-$9,000 in records requests and will probably spend more,” said LaForgia.

When it came to gathering personal stories of affected students for the Failure Factories project, LaForgia and Playford admitted getting parental buy-in was tough. Parents weren’t as forthcoming as they had hoped, especially given the controversial topic of the schools their children attended being labeled as “failure factories.”

So how did they get the families to go on the record?

“We just kept showing up,” said LaForgia. “We appealed to their sense of justice and righteousness.”

Eventually their patience and persistence paid off as they were able to gather compelling stories from multiple families.

Investigative journalists must remain patient and thorough throughout working on any assignment. Understanding that some details require a bit of persistence and endurance is key to gathering important data, and eventually having a successful story to tell. There are a lot of stories that still need to be told, LaForgia said.

“All you have to do is think about what might exist in the world,” LaForgia said. “Everybody has to live someplace, everybody makes and spends money.”

View the entire discussion here.

LaForgia and Playford discuss the importance of data collecting to NNB students

About Neighborhood News Bureau

Neighborhood News Bureau is a working newsroom, staffed by University of South Florida St. Petersburg undergraduate and graduate students under the guidance of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies faculty members. The newsroom opened in Midtown, St. Petersburg March 2006. Its mission is to serve the Midtown and surrounding communities of St. Petersburg. For more information, visit http://www.nnbnews.com/ or email nnb@usfsp.edu.

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October 8, 2015
Just A Little Love to Restore A Stronger And Diverse Community

BY ZENENA MOGUEL
NNB Reporter

ST. PETERSBURG – It was just another night where the sound of music and laughter filled the air of this vibrant community. It was Midtown in the 1940s bringing out the African-American culture. But, it was not always that way. It took brave and valiant individuals to build the lively and joyful culture of Midtown. Then, Sidney Harden and his grocery store was one these individuals, and today, it is Elihu and Carolyn Brayboy.

Sidney Harden’s advertisement on the outside of the grocery store’s wall. Published in St. Petersburg Historic 22nd Street South by Peck and Wilson, 2006, 68.

In 1942, Harden opened ‘Sidney Harden’s Grocery Store’ on 22^nd Street South. It was the place to get cultural food and resources throughout the community, according to the St. Petersburg Times. The grocery store also served local residents in times of need and comfort.

Harden was a neighbor and hoped the best for his community. According to a staff report from the City of St. Petersburg Community Preservation Commission, when local residents didn’t have enough, he gave and was known to hire residents for minor labor in exchange for food. He is remembered for his donations to different charities in the hope to make Midtown a better place for those in the community.

In the 35 years since the closing of Sidney Harden’s Grocery Store, that same passion and determination can be seen in Elihu and Carolyn Brayboy, better known as Mr. B and Mrs. B, and their hope to build a stronger and diverse Midtown. Despite a tough start and individuals’ perception of Midtown as being a rough place, the Brayboys decided to start their own business. They even have a reply for those with a misconception of Midtown.

“We’re putting the neighbor back into the hood,” said Elihu Brayboy. “Therefore it is a neighborhood.”

The café was renovated to meet modern day demands while keeping the design and layout of the historical Sidney Harden’s Grocery Store.

Although it was not what they intended, it became a place they now hold dear and true. Like Harden, the Brayboys are trying to invigorate the community. With just the start of a café, the Brayboys hope other businesses will see the opportunity Midtown has to offer.

“We value it and our view is it’s a great area and all it needs is love,” said Elihu Brayboy.

Named after Elihu Brayboy’s mother, Mary ‘Chief’ Brayboy Jones, a native of South Louisiana who catered to many celebrities such as Teddy Pendergrass, the Chief’s Creole Café serves a taste of Creole dishes including shrimp and grits, spicy jambalaya and Creole gumbo. Along with a delicious meal, customers have a choice of a spacious, elegant and vintage dining room or the outdoor patio setting to enjoy.

Chief’s Creole Café celebrates their first year anniversary on Nov. 1. The celebration starts with a momentous ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 30 with Mayor Rick Kriseman. The event leads into the ‘Masquerade Under The Stars’ with live entertainment and dancing.

“We are ready for the storm,” said Kenny Roberts, a restaurant employee. “We know it’s coming.”

This is just the start of a new and diverse Midtown. The Brayboys and their employees are definitely excited, but so are those in the community.

Cranston Cumberbatch, office manager of Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum, has been a regular at Chief’s Creole Café since its opening.

“I really think that it’s a real treasure to this community,” said Cumberbatch. “For what (the Brayboys) are providing I think it’s really something good to help in the resurgence of this community to getting back to those memorable iconic places that so many residents in this community are familiar with.”

September 19, 2015
She processes the evidence that helps put accused criminals away

Alexa Burch | NNB
Because their work is sensitive, Charity Jackson and other technicians in the property and evidence unit had to pass a rigorous background check and a polygraph test.

BY CAITLIN ASHWORTH
NNB Student Reporter

ST. PETERSBURG – On the floors above Charity Jackson’s department at the St. Petersburg police station, all is commotion and bustle as sworn officers and civilian employees move through their day.

But on the windowless bottom floor, things seem more subdued as Jackson, 40, and other property and evidence technicians process and store the bodily fluids, drugs and ominous looking instruments of mayhem that are key to numerous cases, some going back five decades.

Five technicians and a supervisor, Melvin Brathwaite, work in the property and evidence section. To be hired, they must go through the same rigorous background check, including a polygraph test, as sworn officers.

“Just Be Nice,” reads a sign over the counter that Jackson stands behind.

She handles so-called “general evidence,” such as hats and watches, and has been a civilian employee at the Police Department for 12 years.

The evidence is housed in several rooms, and Jackson walks through them, describing each one.

When she unlocks Room 3, there is a faint whiff of marijuana. Instructions posted on the wall describe how to test and handle drugs. Blue lockers lining one wall contain drug-related evidence. A small refrigerator keeps urine and blood samples fresh.

Guns have a room of their own, from assault rifles to BB guns.

General evidence is stored in gray lockers down the hall while “bulk evidence,” such as lawn mowers, sits in a garage unit awaiting pickup by a private company that buys and sells booty that was seized by police and is no longer needed in the prosecution of crimes.

“I have one more room,” says Jackson. “The homicide room.”

That is Room 8. When she unlocks the door, chilly air seeps out. This room is kept much colder than other evidence rooms to help ensure that DNA left on the evidence is preserved, Jackson says.

A collection of murder weapons sits in an organized but jumbled fashion. Amid brooms and mops lined against a wall is a black samurai sword, an icon of Japanese history that is often dramatized in movies.

This sword is not mounted on the wall in prestige and glory, however. It is just another piece of evidence, with a case number written on the brown paper wrapping.

According to the department, St. Petersburg police closed 86 percent of the city’s 2014 homicides, ending the year with three cases unresolved and evidence waiting.

The department’s property and evidence staff processes and stores more than 22,000 new items and disposes of more than 17,000 items each year, according to the department’s website.

Items that have been cleared for release by the investigating officers sometimes go back to their owners. Some items are sold to the private company that then resells them. All firearms are destroyed.

On rare occasions, evidence is lost, said police spokesman Mike Puetz. “But it is extremely rare; there are a number of checks and balances that prevent that from happening.”

In June, the department created a full-time “cold case” team of five officers and civilian investigator Brenda Stevenson to focus on 213 unsolved murder and missing person cases going back as far as 1968.

A month earlier, the department finally identified a 16-year-old runaway from Virginia who died in 1973 after she was pushed in front of a vehicle in the 800 block of 11th Avenue S.

Stevenson persuaded the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner’s Office in 2010 to exhume the unidentified teenager and two others from their unmarked graves to get DNA samples – a staple of modern investigations that did not become widely available until the 1990s.

The DNA helped the department determine the teen’s identify and notify her younger brother in North Carolina. The brother, who had searched for his sister for years, told reporters he planned to have her remains shipped to him so “she will finally be with me.”

Information from the Tampa Tribune and Tampa Bay Times was used in this report.

July 21, 2015