WWW.GADCOTIMES.COM GADSDEN COUNTY TIMES • THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016 - 5A

friend-of-the-court brief, it writes they’re concerned the “expansion of gambling devices” will “encour-age casino-type gambling contrary to public interest.” They also wrote they plan to offer legal analysis and public policy arguments to the court to help with interpreting the law.

The Florida Supreme Court de-cided in December to decide the fate of Creek Entertainment’s slot machine hopes. In May, the First District Court of Appeals approved slots being added in a 2-1 vote, but then reversed that decision in an-other 2-1 vote in October.

The October ruling decided a 2012 referendum where Gadsden County voters approved slot ma-

chines at the facility wasn’t enough to begin the implementation of the slots, and that slots would have to fi rst be approved by the state Leg-islature. In Gadsden County’s re-quest to fi le a friend-of-the-court brief, it writes the matter address-es Gadsden County’s ability to call and conduct a legal referendum.

Gretna Commissioner Clarence Jackson said after the May ruling that successful implementation of slots could bring 2,000 jobs to Gretna. Board of County Commis-sioners Chairwoman Brenda Holt has put the number closer to 800.

The projected, created jobs would include additions to Creek’s staff and new jobs created once Creek’s owners, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, proves the area to be a viable market.

SLOTS Continued from Page 1A

-Janet

Gadsden County Sheriff’s Offi ceArrest Report

January 4, 2016

1. Christopher Rashod Fain: VOP/Burglary2. Jermaine Terrell Hadley: Aggravated Battery3. Brittany Dianna Harrison: Felony Theft4. Daltonica Wilson: Burglary and Grand Theft of a fi rearm

QUINCY — The Gadsden County Chap-ter of National Hook-Up of Black Women Inc. in partnership with the FAMU Na-tional Alumni Associ-ation – Gadsden Coun-ty Chapter will host a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and legacy.

This is the 10th an-nual Unity in Commu-nity Breakfast Cele-bration. The public is invited to attend — a

full breakfast will be served.

The event will be Monday, Jan. 18. The schedule includes: Q 7:45 a.m. Free-

dom Walk starts at Joe Ferolito Recreation Center, 122 N. Graves Street, QuincyQ 8 am. to 10:30 a.m.

“A Day ON — Not a Day OFF” —A Day of Service!

Community Cel-ebration & Breakfast at the Joe Ferolito

Recreation Center in Quincy features key-note speaker the Rev. Dr. Torrey Phillips, pastor of Saint Marks Missionary Baptist Church in Quincy.

P e r f o r m a n c e s include solos by students(s) of Legacy School of Performing Arts in Quincy.

For informa-tion, contact Lau-ren S. Wright at lauwright944@gmail.com or 860- 874-8137.

Annual MLK celebrationincludes walk, breakfast

ty years of planning and construction, the Quincy Bypass opened in February at a ceremony attend-ed by local and state legislators from Gads-den County. The By-pass cost $13 million to construct. It was offi cially named in May for the late Julia Munroe Woodward.

Commissioners vot-ed to allow The Quin-cy Municipal Airport to build two new han-gars on their facility

under the condition that new hydrants are installed at the air-port during the 2016-2017 fi scal year and that pipes for the new hydrants are installed now. The city had told the airport to install new hydrants in 2008, and decided to allow the airport to build the new hangars al-though it hadn’t in-stalled new hydrants so business wouldn’t be stifl ed.

Two offi cial meet-ings were held in Quincy to receive public opinion on the

proposed Arts Trail. No one spoke in fa-vor of the trail at the meeting held in May while a few attend-ees spoke in favor of the trail at the meet-ing held in Novem-ber. At both meetings, at least 10 people spoke in opposition of the trail, which is expected to make right-of-way acquisi-tions from at least 30 residences and two businesses. The trail would connect Ha-vana and Quincy with a path for biking and walking.

QUINCYContinued from Page 1A

TALLAHASSEE

— In observance of

Florida First Responder

Appreciation Week,

Tallahassee Commu-

nity College will have a

ceremony to recognize

fi rst responders at 11

a.m. Thursday, Jan.

7, at the Florida Pub-

lic Safety Institute in

Havana.

Governor Scott de-

clared the week of Jan.

4 to 8 as Florida First

Responder Apprecia-

tion Week. This is the

second year Governor

Scott has made the

proclamation.

This event will be

an opportunity to show

appreciation for local

law enforcement of-

fi cers, fi refi ghters and

EMTs who protect and

serve the community.

The event is open to the

public.

For information or to

RSVP, contact Kim Allen

at 850-201-7964 or

allenk@tcc.fl .edu.

TCC to honor fi rst responders

Farm Bureau fundraiser to fi ght hungerGainesville — Florida

Farm Bureau’s Women’s

Leadership Program has

partnered with the Florida

Department of Agriculture

and Consumer Services

(FDACS) and the Ameri-

can Farm Bureau Wom-

en’s Program to host a

Chef’s Night on Jan. 8 to

help citizens in need at

the Second Harvest Food

Bank in Orlando.

The benefi t gala will

feature an array of fresh

dishes prepared by

Chef Paula Kendrick of

FDACS. Guests will en-

joy a menu that includes

a blue crab and tarragon

salad, a Florida beef fi let

with vegetables and a

strawberry coconut trifl e,

among other delights.

Chef’s Night is a

true Farm-to-Fork Fresh

from Florida experience.

Food products will be

locally sourced from

Florida farms. Farmers

and ranchers will be on

hand to meet with event

attendees to share their

story of American agricul-

ture and where their food

comes from.

All proceeds will sup-

port the Second Harvest

Food Bank’s operation

and benefi t its Culinary

Training Program, which

provides students with

the skills and inspiration

they need to obtain entry-

level positions in food

service establishments.

More than 50 million

Americans – that’s 1 in

6 – including nearly 17

million children, are food

insecure, meaning they

live at risk of hunger.

Throughout the year,

farmers and ranchers

across the nation donate

food, funds and people

power to create a hunger-

free America.

The Chef’s Night will

kick off the American

Farm Bureau Conven-

tion, Jan. 8 to 12, at the

Orange County conven-

tion center. More than

8,000 farmers and ranch-

ers from across the coun-

try are expected to attend

the national conference.

Second Harvest Food

Bank is located at 411

Mercy Drive. Chef’s Night

will begin at 6 p.m.

The fi nal school board meeting of 2015 touched on serious issues facing Gads-den County’s public school leaders.

Attention was fi xed on the Florida De-partment of Educa-tion’s (FDOE) pro-jection that Gadsden County will see a de-crease in student en-rollment in 2016, and teachers gathered to voice their concerns about needing higher pay and better work-ing conditions.

Assistant Superin-tendent of Business and Finance Kim Ferree reviewed the school board’s budget and shared her con-cern about the dis-trict’s future fi nances after receiving pro-jections of a decline in student enrollment for 2016.

Since 2015, fi ve Head Start centers

have closed due to lack of enrollment. According to FDOE, Gadsden County will lose approximately 121 students, but Fer-ree projects the coun-ty will lose more than 200 after the dust settles.

“We have the pro-jections, so it’s time to plan for the worst and hope for the best,” said Ferree. “Our biggest problem is budgeting. We need to think long-term, plan and manage our fi nances.”

Ferree attribut-ed low birth rates, students attending schools in different counties and people moving to different counties for more em-ployment opportuni-ties as factors affect-ing projected school enrollment.

Due to the project-ed enrollment drop, the county would re-ceive less funding, which could lead to

the closing of some Gadsden County schools.

School Board Mem-ber Charlie Frost Sr., is in favor of giving teachers raises, but believes the district cannot survive if stu-dents continue to leave.

“We are losing stu-dents because par-ents are sending them to different counties. We lost approximate-ly 80 students to the opening of a charter school this year. We can’t keep all of these schools open with no students in them,” said Frost.

Ronte Harris, pres-ident of the Gadsden County Classroom Teachers’ Associa-tion, is a proponent of closing down schools in order for students to receive a quality education and teach-ers to receive an in-crease in salaries.

Critical issues, opportunities

face school district leaders

ASHLEY E. SMITHCorrespondent

See DROP/Page 9A

Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Kim Ferree presents the

Florida Department of Education (FDOE) projections for a decreases in stu-

dent enrollment in Gadsden County. Photo by Ashley E. Smith

Candidate introduction for Education Now in Greensboro

Good afternoon, my name is Kimblin NeSmith. It is great to see you all here today at Education Now. Thank you Pine Bloom Missionary Baptist Church for hosting such an amazing event to prepare our parents and children for an awesome school year! I am running for county commission for district three (3). Why vote in your local election or for me at all? Because I plan to focus on three (3) key issues in this community: One (1), recreation, building and enhancing our parks and community activities. We want and need to live in a better maintained community. Two (2), better roads, allocating funds to repave and resurface our roads. No more of these broken roads throughout our district and neighborhoods. Three (3), community development. Partnering with local businesses to create and end the food desert in our community and steady jobs for our families. In order for us to be a successful district we need good jobs to provide a better future for children and ourselves. Things CAN and WILL be better for us. No more delayed growth! My hope, with your help at the polls, is to become your commissioner and together we unify our district and bring about change for a BETTER DAY HEAD. If you would like to ask me any questions, voice your concerns, or would like to sign up to volunteer, please stop by to see my team and I at our booth. (Point to the table) Have a great day Greensboro!

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DiversityandInclusionPlan

Research:(A) TheLeMoyneChainofParks(CoP)ArtFestivalmustimplementdiversityamongstthe

fineartsfestival.Thecollectedfeedbackhasdiscoveredthefollowing:

1. Obtainedinformationontheneedfordiversityandinclusionfromthefestival

director.

2. Minorityartists,entertainers,andvendorsintheBigBendareaareeither

hesitanttoparticipateduetopreconceivednotionsofacceptanceorunawareof

theartfestival.

3. MetwithformerminorityoutreachcoordinatorwiththeCityofTallahasseeto

evaluatethebestdevelopmentstrategyofthediversityandinclusionplan.

ProblemStatement:CoPneedstoenhanceitsoutreachtovariouscommunitiesintheNorthFloridaandSouth

Georgiaareastoincreasediverseparticipationtoitsyearlyartfestival.

SituationAnalysis:Thefestivalbeganwithlocalartistsinterestedinhavinganopportunitytoparticipateinan

outdoorfineartfestivalinourregion.ThefestivalhasgrownintotheLeMoyneCenterforthe

VisualArts’top fundraiser.

However,recentresearchhasshowntheartfestivalcanreachmorecommunitiesintheBig

BendArea.In2017,thefestivalplanstobroadenitsmarketingandpublicrelationsstrategyto

mergeminoritygroupsinparticipationwiththeartfestival.

Goals:(A) BrandCoPasthefestivalforeveryone.(B) Createandexecutefieldinitiativestotargetlocalminoritybusinesses,organizationsand

communitiestoformrelationshipswiththesegroupswhocontributetothecultureof

Tallahassee.

MeasurableObjectives:MinoritycommunitiesintheBigBendArea

(A) ApproveandimplementadiversityandinclusionplanbyJanuary2017.

(B) Increaseawarenessofthefestivalinminoritygroups/organizationsbyfive(5)percent

byApril2017.

(C) Increaseminorityattendanceatthefestivalinminoritygroups/organizationsbyfive(5)

percentbyApril2017.

2

(D) Havethree(3)minorityentertainmentgroupsaddedtotheentertainmentline-upby

April2017.

(E) Havetwo(2)minorityvendorsparticipateinthefestivalbyApril2017.

Media:(A) AttaincoveragefromminoritymediaoutletsinTallahasseeareafortheartfestivalby

April2017toinclude:

1. Three(3)articlesinlocalminoritynewspapers.

2. Interviewwithone(1)minorityradiostation.

3. Interviewwithone(1)localtelevisionshow.

TargetAudiences:Minoritybusinessesandcommunities

Minoritymediaoutlets

Youngprofessionals

Foodvendors

FloridaA&MUniversity(FAMU)(studentsandartists)

FloridaStateUniversity(FSU)(studentsandvolunteers)

TallahasseeCommunityCollege(TCC)(studentsandvolunteers)

Sororityandfraternityorganizations

Graduateandundergraduateorganizations(JackandJill,TheLinks,etc.)

Keymessages:(A) TheLeMoyneChainofParksArtFestivalcontinuestoaddlayersofculturalenrichment

bybeingthefestivalforNorthFloridaandSouthGeorgia.

(B) TheLeMoyneChainofParksArtFestivalcontinuesourcommitmenttoprovideand

expandeducationalawarenessoftheartstoNorthernFloridaandSouthernGeorgia

residents.

Strategy:(A) Fosterrelationshipswithminoritybusinesses,organizations,andcommunities.

(B) Createawarenessaboutthefestivalthroughminorityoutlets(groups,organizations,

andmedia).

Tactics

MinoritycommunitiesintheBigBendArea:(A) Compilecontactlistofminoritybusinessesandorganizationstoreach.

(B) Partnerwithminoritygroupstocrosspromoteartistsandthefestivalonwebsites,

socialmediaplatformsandothermediumsofoutreach.

(C) UseLeMoyne’slistservtopromoteminorityartiststotheartcommunity.

(D) Distributefestivalflyerstominoritybusinesses,organizationsSetFridayatFAMUand

MarketWednesdayatFSUinMarchandApril.

3

(E) Postartfestivaleventonminoritycommunitycalendars.

(F) SendvolunteerannouncementstoTCCanduniversities.

(G) Draftmarketingmaterialstobedistributedtominoritybusinessesesandorganizations

topromoteandincreaseawarenessofthefestival(email,newsletterarticles,social

mediaposts,etc.)

(H) Partnerwithorganizationsandbusinessownerstopromote,attendandsponsortheart

festival.

(I) Directpotentialentertainersandfoodvendorstotherespectivechairs.

Media:(A) Createmediacontactlist.

(B) Developmediamaterials(pressrelease,mediaadvisory,etc.)

(C) PitchtotheFAMUAN,CapitalOutlook,HavanaHeraldNewspaper,Conexión,andtheGadsdenCountyTimesNewspaper.

(D) Set-upinterviewwitharadiostationtoeducatetargetedlistenersontheartfestivalandthediversityandinclusioncomponentfortheartfestival.

Socialmedia:(A) Highlightminorityartists,entertainersandfoodvendorsthathavebeenapprovedto

participateinthefestival.

(B) PostartistsviaCoPsocialmediachannels:FacebookandInstagram.

(C) One(1)“FacebookLive”broadcastshowcasingthefestival’sdiversification.

Evaluation:

MinoritycommunitiesintheBigBendArea:(A) DidthediversityplangetapprovedandimplementedbyJanuary2017?

(B) Howmanygroupsandorganizationspartneredtoadvertisethefestival?

(C) Howmanyminorityvendorswereaddedtothisyear’sfestival?

(D) HowmanyartistsmadetheCoPEntertainmentlineup?

(E) Didwehaveafive(5)percentincreaseinattendance?(F) Basedonthesurveygiventoattendees,howmanyminoritiesattendedthefestival?

Media(G) Didwesecurethree(3)mediahitsinminoritymarkets?

(H) Didwesecureone(1)minorityradiointerview?

(I) Didwesecureone(1)localtelevisioninterview?