May 2023

Dear Girlfriend,

I am a 35 year old educated female. I have no children and a good job. I know I am cute but I have never had a real relationship or boyfriend for any length of time. I do not date much and rarely do I see anyone I am interested in. Well, I finally met someone who I thought was a nice guy. We even seemed to be equally yoked. We both graduated from the same University. He is five years older than me but we still know quite a few of the same people. However no one knew we were dating because I did not want anyone all up in my business. Well, to make a long story short, my guy friend’s organization had a very nice party and I sold tickets for him. I actually sold a table. When I arrived he was at the door and we spoke. He had one of the hostesses show me and a couple of my guests to our table. It was up front and had my name on it. He sent me a drink but he never came over to my table and he never came to dance with me. I felt a bit slighted. At the end of the evening when my coworker and I were leaving, I saw this woman all over him. I just looked, played it off and went on to my car. I was so dumbfounded and hurt.

Why would he allow her to do that knowing that I was there? I have not spoken to him since. He has called a few times but I have not answered. I thought we had something special. He had been over more than once for dinner and I had cooked. He even spent the night on a few occasions. What did I do wrong? Why do all my relationships end up like this? I am so disappointed. Taking it Easy in Tallahassee

Dear Taking it Easy in Tallahassee, Check yourself, you may be acting like the side chick and thus being treated like one. The side chick is always a secret and the main chick is seen everywhere. The one thing you did wrong was to not want anyone all up in your business. Well, now there is no one all up in y’all business because y’all don’t have any business. The other chick acted like the main chick, approached her man and claimed him. While you sat back and watched.

The first rule of dating is that you are no one’s secret. Even if you are just friends. Your girlfriends are not secrets, so your guy friends are not secrets either. If you are cool with a guy (let alone sleeping with him) he should be known to your family or friends. If not, he may end up dating a coworker, sister or friend. That may happen anyway, but they can’t say they didn’t know. Besides, if you come up missing we need to know where to start looking.

Were you trying to be slick? Did the player get played? If so, you slicked yourself out of a relationship. You were willing to do everything and be a secret. Most men don’t respect slick. They associate it with cheater or booty call, not wifey. Men are not that much different from women, they want to be claimed and introduced to your family and friends too, if they really like you. When you introduce a man and brag on him, it makes him feel good and loved. The woman who treats a man who is pursuing her, like that, usually does not have any problem keeping him. When you do not introduce them, they assume you just want a friend with benefits and that’s what you seem to be getting. There are plenty of men who want to play the game that you have been unconsciously playing. If you are cute with it all together as you say,,

they will secretly play with you as long as you allow them.

I hope you are not running your men off being too mean. Nobody wants to be miserable with you. Men like the company of pleasant women who make them feel good about themselves. They are as insecure as we are (if not more) and they need constant reassurance that they are loved.

At your age, you should know that if a man is not comfortable with you in public, you should not be comfortable with him being all up in you in private. Everyone you meet will not be a love connection. If they are... that’s a real problem. Allow a man the opportunity to yearn to stay with you. If your relationship is not public, Do not let him spend the night. He needs to inconveniently get up and take his azz home before daylight.

Remember men talk more than women, bragging on their escapades and no man wants to claim an easy piece that everyone has had. I have heard young ladies say the dating game has changed. Don’t be fooled. It hasn’t changed that much, ask the girls who are in relationships that are not a secret. They are doing something right. The T.H.O.T. is still “That Ho over There” You must respect yourself first without boring a man to death. So in the future STOP acting like the side chick. As for now, answer the phone, talk and deal with your feelings. If you don’t like what you hear, say, “Boy BYE!”

You Heard It From ME

Men, who are you? Are you a husband, father, entrepreneur, employee, or employer? Do people say you are a good man or a bad man? Are you respected, feared or despised? Are you a man of integrity or a snake slithering through the world doing low down and dirty things waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of anyone not paying attention? Who

dynamics. In other words, finding where they belong? After a young man leaves the covering of their parents, that’s when life as we know it, really starts. Controlling your own life could start right after high school, right after college, right after med or law school or right after trade school, basically when you get a grown man’s job with benefits. Whenever it starts,

By Publisher Daryl Johnson

to my friend, “I’m going to work there.” As life would have it and as you speaketh, so it is, I was working for the United States Postal Service at age 18. Words have power and when said with intent and emotion, words can take on a life of its own, even unbeknownst to you. So be careful of the words you speak over your life. Stay away from negative words that you might say just playing around. If you say something negative, change it to something positive. Keep your life on a positive path and you do that by speaking positivity on yourself throughout your life.

So men, you are who you say you are. If you are saying things that are good, that are honest, that are pure and that are true, then other people know who you are. On the contrary, if

you are saying things that are lies, dishonest and bad then other people know who you are as well.

Men, prepare your lives to be like an older, family man that you admire. Reach out to get advice from one that has a proven track record. Meticulously choose a life partner to share your struggles with and build something together: a family, a business, and financial stability. Surround your life with love, happiness and find peace with yourself as you grow older. Be a man of integrity, constantly evolving with the times, conscious of your health, securing wealth, spewing wisdom and a life others would want to emulate. Speak it, believe it and it will be so.

Group

Kappa Derby Day

If it’s not in N-Touch News, it aint all that!

Kappa Derby Day

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City of Tampa Political & Social Changes

On May 1st, Jane Castor, the newly re-elected Mayor of Tampa Bay was sworn in along with the new and old city council members. The shakers and movers of Tampa Bay were on the scene to witness the historical event.

Tampa’s surge of growth and development has put a great deal of pressure on residents and city resources to keep up with the demand and challenges of daily living. Councilmen and city leaders are constantly inserting new and fun things to make Tampa Bay appealing to the masses. Electing the right person with a love for all people is of high priority

With only 2 female city council representatives and only 1 African American on the council, diversity is still a challenge of high consideration.

Girl power is at the forefront of the country with women rights being constantly in the news. Since Tampa is being governed by a woman and her right hand, Janelle McGregor, being a black female, we are excited to share that more opportunities for women are coming to the bay areas.

Press releases have been sent announcing a Women’s Professional Soccer team is set to kick off in Tampa Bay in August 2024.

As part of the USL Super League, the new Tampa Bay franchise will compete at the highest level of women’s professional soccer. The team will bring top-tier women’s pro sports to the region for the first time, joining 10 to 12 clubs in the league’s initial markets.

“When I stepped onto the court in high school as a female athlete, there

weren’t a lot of role models out there for me to look up to,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, a star basketball and volleyball player at Chamberlain High School and the University of Tampa. “Today, women’s sports are exploding in popularity, and our new team will put Tampa Bay at the forefront. This announcement is the start of something special—for our city, for our region, and for so many girls and boys who’ll get to see amazing new role models right here in their hometown.”

USL Super League will be the highest level of professional women’s sports and once it is sanctioned by U.S. Soccer as a Division One league, it will rank on par with other top professional sports leagues and feature players who represent their countries in international compe-

titions such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Olympic Games. Because USL Super League will play from fall through spring, allowing players to balance commitments to their club and their country.

The USL, whose headquarters are in Tampa, also oversees the USL Championship men’s professional league, which includes the Tampa Bay Rowdies. SuperLeagueTampaBay.com.

EmpoweRed WOMEN Walking in Wholeness

Nearly 21 years ago, on November 2, 2002, Pastor Vanda Moody Jacobs had a vision to continue the legacy of her dearly beloved mother, centurion, Ms. Mary L. Diggs, who transitioned at the wise age of 101.. The Legacy is now a reality through EmpoweRed Women Walking in Wholeness, Incorporated.

EWWiW, Inc., whose mission is to help women improve their positions in life and provide them a safe forum to address issues unique to

women using various resources such as: Transitional Housing, Educational Workshops, Life Skills, Spiritual Guidance, and Personal & Professional Development opportunities.

This organization also collaborates with community partners to ensure they are able to wrap their arms around the whole woman in meeting her needs.

The event was held on Sunday April 30th. Elder Terry Parker Roe was the Mistress of Ceremony. Real

estate guru, Ann Thompson, of Ann Thompson Realty, lovingly introduced Minister Vanda Jacobs.

Vanda is the silhouette of a Kappa man, Rochester Jacobs Sr., senior pastor of The Refreshing Church in Tampa. Vanda was born and raised in Tampa Bay. As the mother of 4 and grandmother of 12, Vanda’s maternal roots, and love of Tampa Bay runs deep. Her life experiences and daily struggles has evolved her to this profound position of ministry.

Pastor Vanda Jacobs

Ann Thompson

Pastor Rochester Jacobs

CDC Presents it’s 2nd Annual

Uptown Jazz & Arts Fest 2023

Uptown Jazz & Arts Fest

Pieces Of A Dream

Real Estate

Innovative Program That Helps Homeless Hillsborough Residents Receives National Recognition

The National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA) honored the Hillsborough County Housing Finance Authority with the Award of Excellence during the NALHFA Annual Conference held in Tampa. The NALHFA Award of Excellence is the most prestigious national award in the local affordable housing finance community. The award recognized the agency for its efforts to help homeless residents move to permanent housing.

The National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies honored nine innovative programs across the country that have come up with creative ways to deal with the shortage of affordable housing. The Housing Finance Authority of Hillsborough County was recognized for its Up & Out program that provides rental assistance to families and the elderly who have been homeless. The aim of the program is to fill the gap where formerly homeless fami-

lies often lose government assistance as they enter the workforce. That loss of assistance often leads to a cycle where a family is homeless, then has shelter, then becomes homeless again.

The program works with numerous nonprofits that act as a bridge between the residents and the developer and can serve up to 53 families a year. The average income of the families in the program has been less than a third of the area median income. The Housing Finance Authority of Hillsborough County was created in 1985 to provide incentives to the private sector to relieve the shortage of affordable housing. The seven-member board is appointed by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.

The awards were announced May 4 during the annual meeting of the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies, which this year was held in Tampa.

Go Ahead And Get Your Laugh On

The Ten Commandments School Teacher Mexican Cab Driver

A Baptist preacher and a Methodist preacher lived in a small town. Being very young ministers, they rode their bicycles to the town’s only service station every Sunday morning to eat breakfast and discuss their sermons before riding off to preach to their respective congregations.

One Sunday morning, the Baptist preacher rode up on his bicycle, but the Methodist preacher walked up on foot. The following conversation ensued:

BP: “Brother, what happened to your bicycle?!”

MP: “Brother, I believe a member of my congregation has stolen my bicycle.”

BP: “Brother, that is a shame. But I know what we ought to do. I’m gonna help you get your bicycle back. When you get into your pulpit, I want you to forget what you were going to preach on. Instead, I want you to preach on the Ten Commandments.”

MP: “The Ten Commandments, Brother?”

BP: “Yes, Brother, the Ten Commandments. I want you To make them feel the fire, and I want you to make them feel the brimstone, and when you get to ‘Thou shalt not steal,’ I want you to bear down on it, and whoever stole your bicycle will get to feeling bad and bring your bi-

cycle back.”

MP: “Alright, Brother, I can do that!”

With that, the young pastors went their separate ways. The next Sunday, both men arrived at the service station at the accustomed time on their bicycles. The Baptist preacher was ecstatic at the apparent success of his strategy.

BP: “Hallelujah, Brother! A miracle has occurred! Did you take my advice? Did you preach on the Ten Commandments like I told you to?”

MP: “Yessir, Brother, I did!”

BP: “Amen, Brother! And did you make them feel the fire, and did you make them feel the brimstone?”

MP: “Yessir, Brother, I did!”

BP: “Amen, Brother! And when you got to ‘Thou shalt not steal,’ did you bear down on it, and whoever stole your bicycle got to feeling bad and brought your bicycle back?”

MP: “Well, Brother, not exactly.”

BP: “Well, do tell, Brother!”

MP: “Well, brother, when I got to the pulpit, I did preach on the Ten Commandments. And I did my best to make them feel the fire and smell the brimstone. And I fully intended to bear down on it when I got to “though shalt not steal. But before I got that far I came to ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery,’ and I remembered where I left my bicycle.”

Fifty Dollars

Morris and his wife Esther went to the state fair every year, and every year Morris would say, ‘Esther, I’d like to ride in that helicopter.’ Esther always replied, ‘I know Morris, but that Helicopter ride is fifty dollars, and fifty dollars is fifty dollars.’

One year Esther and Morris went to the fair, and Morris said, ‘Esther, I’m 85 Years old. If I don’t ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance.’ To this, Esther replied, ‘Morris that helicopter ride is fifty dollars, and fifty dollars is fifty dollars.’

The pilot overheard the couple and said, ‘Folks I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take both of you for a ride, and if you

can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say a word, I won’t charge you. But if you say one word, it’s fifty dollars.’

Morris and Esther agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word.

When they landed, the pilot turned to Morris and said, ‘By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn’t. I’m impressed!’ Morris replied, ‘Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Esther fell out, but you know, fifty dollars is fifty dollars.’

A former Sergeant in the Marine Corps took a new job as a high school teacher.

Just before the school year started, he injured his back. He was required to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body.

Fortunately, the cast fit under his shirt and wasn’t noticeable.

On the first day of class, he found himself assigned to the toughest students in the school.

The smart punks, having already heard the new teacher was a former Marine, were leery of him and he knew they would be testing his discipline in the Classroom.

Walking confidently into the rowdy classroom, the new teacher opened the window wide and sat down at his desk, when a strong breeze made his tie flap, he picked up a heavy duty stapler and stapled the tie to his chest.

Dead silence...

The rest of the year went very smoothly.

Donations

A priest, a rabbi and a minister are in a bar…

Talk got around to how they handle their respective donations from the collection plates.

So the bartender decidded to be bold and ask

“Well,” says the priest, “to be fair, I draw a chalk circle on the floor, and toss all the money in the air. What falls inside the circle goes to the Lord; what lands outside, I keep.”

The minister nods appreciatively. “Very similar here - but what lands in the circle, I keep. Still rather fair, I think.”

Then they both look at the rabbi who has remained silent.

“So, how do you divvy up the synagogue’s donations?”

TheRabbi replied, “Eh… I don’t go for all that stuff with chalk and circles. I just throw the money up in the air and what the Lord wants, he takes.”

A drunken, totally naked, woman jumped into a taxi near the Mexican Border. The Mexican driver shook his head, opened his eyes wide and stared at the woman. He made no attempt to start the cab.

“What are you staring at, haven’t you ever seen a woman with no clothes on before?”

“I’m not staring at you lady. Where I come from, that would not be proper.”

“Well, if you’re not staring at me, what are you doing then?”

“Well, I am looking and looking, and I am thinking and thinking to myself, where is this lady keeping the money to be paying me?!”

Cures

Johnny was a clerk in a drugstore but he really wasn’t very good at his job. However hard he tried, he could never find the item the customer wanted. His boss, Bert, had really had enough of him and he gave Johnny a warning that unless he started making sales immediately, he’d have to let him go.

As luck would have it, within minutes, a man walks into the drugstore with a cough and he asks Johnny for their best cough syrup. Though he tried hard, Johnny couldn’t find the cough syrup. However, with Bert’s warning still ringing in his ears, he sold the man a box of Ex-Lax with the recommendation that he consumes the contents all at once.

The customer did as he was told and then walked into the street and promptly leaned up against a lamppost.

Now Bert had been observing Johnny’s performance from afar and he came over and asked him what had transpired.

“Well boss, he wanted cough syrup but I couldn’t find it, so I substituted Ex-Lax and told him to take them all at once,” said Johnny.

“That’s absurd! Ex-Lax won’t cure a cough,” Bert reacted angrily.

“Sure it will,” said Johnny.

“Look at him now, leaning on that lamppost. He’s too afraid to cough.”