Capital Outlook

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Unity after 9/11 . . . Page 4 50 Cents

Vol. 37, No. 37: Section 01

Tallahassee, T allahassee, Florida

www.capitaloutlook.com

Sept. 15 - Sept. 21, 2011 2011

The American Jobs Act Special to the Outlook

Person of the Week

1363 E. Tennessee St, Tallahassee, Fla. 32310

Finding the Florida Memorial University: The fun soul of South Florida

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PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Tallahassee, FL Permit No. 562 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

To create more jobs now, President Barack Obama is sending Congress the American Jobs Act – a set of ideas supported by both Democrats and Republicans that Congress must pass right away. The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: put more people back to work and put more money in the pockets of working Americans. Here’s how: •First, it provides a tax cut for small businesses, not big corporations, to help them hire and expand now and provides an additional tax cut to any business that hires or increases wages. •Second, it puts more people back to work, including up to 280,000 teachers laid off by state-budget cuts, first respondOfficial White House Photo by PETE SOUZA ers and veterans coming back President Barack Obama delivers an address on jobs and the economy to a Joint Session of Congress from Iraq and Afghanistan, and in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Sept. 8. Behind the president are Vice construction workers repairPresident Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner. ing crumbling bridges, roads and more than 35,000 public schools, with projects chosen by need and impact, not earmarks and politics. And, it expands job opportunities for hundreds of See JOBS, Page 2

POPS Honors

Inside FAMILY/YOUTH / 3 OPINION / 4 EDUCATION / 5 RELIGION / 6 COMMUNITY NEWS/ 7

Briefs

Clock ticks on future of jobless benefits

Tommy Daymond By Terrika Mitchell Outlook Staff Writer

Miracle Hill Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center was “founded on Good Samaritan principles” in 1968. According to its website, it operates with approximately 150 dedicated employees. One of those employees, the center’s activity director and volunteer coordinator, is Tommy Daymond, a Winter Haven, Fla. native. For 20 years he has provided service to residents and patients of Miracle Hill. Daymond was awarded for his tremendous efforts and named Activity Professional of the Year for 20102011 by Florida Health Care See POW, Page 2

FMU President Lewis (third from left) poses with members of the FMU Board of Trustees and descendants of A. L. Lewis after dedicating the recently restored A. L. Lewis Archway Plaza during a ceremony celebrating the school’s former entryway and historic roots in St. Augustine, Florida. By Terrika Mitchell Outlook Staff Writer

A melodious, choral rendition of “Lift Ev’ry Voice” sounds through the phone as the caller holds. It is abruptly interrupted when a university official answers. Florida Memorial University (FMU) is not just South Florida’s only historically black university or Florida’s third oldest institution of higher learning. When it was still Florida Baptist Academy in Jacksonville, the school became most popular for being the birthplace of the black

national anthem. The song was written by James Weldon Johnson, who was assisted by his brother J. Rosamond Johnson, a faculty member at the time. Florida Baptist Academy and Florida Baptist Institute in St. Augustine, Fla. merged in 1941 and became Florida Normal and Industrial Institute – which became FMU in 1963. Tradition, coupled with dedication, is at the root of the university’s core values. According to fmuniv.edu, “The University was established by, and remains closely affiliated with, the Baptist Church. However, our motto,

‘Leadership, Character, and Service,’ emphasizes Christian values. Strong moral character, mutual respect, freedom of worship and a commitment to serve are the hallmarks of what it means to be a Florida Memorial Lion.” According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, recruiters at HBCUs are breaking the mold. In attempts to increase enrollment numbers, they are reportedly equally targeting nonblack students to attend their universities. “Colleges are showcasing unique programs. Florida Memorial University in Miami GarSee FMU, Page 2

Gardens of Weems committed to service By Ashley Hogans Outlook Staff Writer

During the late 1990s, Gardens of Weems Plantation neighborhood, known for its community service and friendliness, was developed. The neighborhood is located off of Weems Road between East Mahan Drive and Southeast Capital Circle. “They have provided for the Second Harvest Food Bank for the last two years and they have also put out bells for the food banks,” said Cheri Lewis Garbark, property manager of Gardens of Weems Plantation and owner of Lewis Property Management. Gardens of Weems Plantation has a homeowners association, which oversees the community. The volunteer board members have hosted events for the neighborhood to bring everyone closer together. “We have an annual garage sale, Easter egg hunt and an endof-the-year pizza party for the

Photo by ASHLEY HOGANS

Gardens of Weems Plantation neighborhood, known for its community service and friendliness kids of the neighborhood,” said Garbark. The neighborhood encompasses 371 homes, and has a diverse community, which ranges

from different age groups. The homeowners association is very active in the community and is preparing for their annual Octoberfest Picnic, which will be

held October 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will have food, games and a live band. “This year the Tallahassee Police Department will be there to give children finger print cards in case they are abducted,” Garbark said. The association meets once a month to keep residents informed concerning neighborhood events and programs. The board feels that it is important to let the community know what is going on in the neighborhood. One thing the association strongly believes in is community service. The neighborhood has teams known as the Women of Weems and Men of Weems, who helps fund money for projects such as providing a playground for the children, benches, beautifying the neighborhood and helping others. “We have people who are elderly who cannot afford to keep their homes maintained and the See NEIGHBORHOOD, Page 2

For more than 240,000 Floridians getting federal unemployment benefits the next few months will be uncomfortably familiar. Funding for the payments ends in January unless Congress reauthorizes a program that’s been a financial lifeline for the long-term jobless. And it’s not yet clear how that will play out. Lawmakers from Tallahassee to Washington, D.C., have discovered the political potency of fiscal restraint, and there is little stomach for more spending – in this case $45 billion for the unemployed. More Floridians suing debt collectors for cell calls Florida consumers aggravated by annoying “robo calls” on their cell phones from debt collectors are fighting back – suing the companies that make the calls and often collecting cash settlements from the lenders. Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott D. Owens has filed dozens of civil lawsuits against lenders and debt collection agencies. He says they have been violating the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act by using “autodialers” – services that automatically store and call phone numbers, then play a pre-recorded message that says something like, “This is Debt Collector X calling for John Jones. If this is John Jones, please press one, if not, press two.” If the companies don’t play by the rules, the law says they can be forced to pay the consumer $500 in damages per call or $1,500 per call for “knowing or willful” violations.

This Week’s Word “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 (KJV)


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