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Vol. 37, No. 45: Section 01
Tallahassee, Florida
Nov. 10 - Nov. 16, 2011
Special to the Outlook
Passion for work Person of the Week
Mayor Derrick Elias By Crystal Jordan Outlook Contributor
Growing up as the second oldest among his siblings in Quincy, Fla., Derrick Elias did not always dream of being a politician. Instead, he had aspirations of becoming a professional athlete. “It was my belief that I would actually play in the NBA,” said Elias, mayor and city commissioner of Quincy.
Eunice Nuekie Cofie is a graduate of FAMU and former Miss Black Florida USA.
Jennifer Berrian is a senior at Rickards High School and this year’s Girls Nation president.
dous achievements and dedicated service.” Cofie is a graduate of FAMU with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry/molecular biology. The former Miss Black Florida
USA is the president and chief cosmetic chemist of Nuekie – an ethnic dermatology company. “It is a true honor to be recognized by the Florida Commission on the Status of Women,”
See WOMEN, Page 2
Eric Friall announces candidacy for Tallahassee City Commission seat 1 Special to the Outlook Promising to bring a fresh approach to leading the way forward in the capital city, Eric Friall said,” It’s time to have a conversation with our citizens and become a community again.” Friall said his goal is to restore trust and the partnership between community and government in order to succeed during these difficult times. Friall was raised by parents who encouraged him to take advantage of life’s opportunities. And he did. As the first family member to graduate from college, he assumed leadership roles as an undergraduate at Florida State University. Eric served on the Union Board, Student Senate and was a member of the Seminole Torchbearers and Order of Omega. As a young professional, Friall was vice president of sales at New York based LegalKey Technologies, director of sales at the Philadelphia based Law Manager Inc. He was the director of sales, handling global sales and marketing at Solution6, now Ad-
Inside LOCAL / NAT’L. 3 OPINION / 4 EDUCATION / 5 RELIGION / 6 COMMUNITY NEWS / 8
Briefs
Pension lawsuit could cost the state $860 million A lawsuit challenging the Legislature’s decision to pay 3 percent of their salaries for their retirement plan could punch an $860 million hole in the state budget if it is upheld by the courts. The lawsuit, filed by teachers and other unions, is now pending in circuit court in Leon County, with a ruling expected shortly from Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford, who has expressed doubts about the validity of state’s effort to make public employees pay a share of their of their retirement costs and to limit cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for retirees. Generous small business tax
Eric Friall, Tallahassee City Commission candidate for seat 1, announces his intent to run flanked by his wife Dr. Andrea King Friall, daughter Camille and longtime friend and classmate attorney Ben Crump who endorsed Friall. erant, where he was responsible
See POW, Page 2
for sales, marketing and business See COMMISSION, Page 2
Florida State University cadets stand ready By Ashley Hogans Outlook Staff Writer
Every day someone in America is training in an effort to learn the core values for serving in the United States military. Those values are taught in various programs, such as the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and the ROTC in college. At the Florida State University (FSU), students are able to join the Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC programs offered at the institution. Students at FSU can still join the Navy ROTC Program which is offered through Florida A&M University. Maj. Joseph Golemboski is an assistant professor of Aerospace at FSU and continues to teach his cadets the fundamentals before entering this elite force in the U.S. military.
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The Florida Commission on the Status of Women recently honored two young local leaders – Eunice Nuekie Cofie and Jennifer Lauren Berrian – with its Florida Achievement Award for being positive role models and improving the lives of women and families in their communities. In September, the Commission honored 11 women throughout Florida, including Cofie and Berrian, with the Florida Achievement Award. “The Florida Commission on the Status of Women is dedicated to empowering women in achieving their fullest potential and to recognizing women’s accomplishments,” said Commission Chair Nancy C. Acevedo in the Commission’s press release. “We are proud to honor these outstanding women for their tremen-
said Cofie. “It is my passion to continue to empower women to live out their God-given purposes. It brings great joy to me!” Cofie is the founder and executive producer of Moving Closer to My Dreams: A Young Women’s Empowerment Conference, an annual event designed to empower young professional women to realize their dreams. Because of her deep commitment to social causes worldwide, Cofie spent her summers working in a village community in Ghana, implementing a Save a Million Lives HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention Program. During her Ms. Black Florida USA reign, she spent a year promoting her platform Preventing Childhood Obesity and Diabetes through Education and Life Transforming Habits. She was able to contribute greatly to her community by
Honoring our Legacy 1363 E. Tennessee St, Tallahassee, Fla. 32310
Tallahassee women Cofie and Berrian honored by Florida Commission on the Status of Women
deduction is shrinking Two generous tax breaks that small business owners got during the recession are going to shrink dramatically in 2012. That makes year-end tax planning more important than usual. The changes affect the deductions for purchases of equipment. One is called the Section 179 deduction, a name taken from a provision of the Internal Revenue Code. The other is called bonus depreciation. Congress approved the breaks as an economic stimulus move – they were intended to make it easier for small businesses to expand and hire workers. Although the economy is still slow, the breaks are being scaled back. Because of these impending changes, it’s time to sit with your accountant or tax planner and decide whether it makes sense to buy equipment sooner than later.
This Week’s Word “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (KJV)
Florida State University Air Force ROTC cadets. See VETERANS, Page 2