The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) local dignitaries, and people with disabilities cut the ribbon today to officially open Hawkins Recreational Park in Santa Rosa County. Hawkins Park is an accessible park for people with disabilities and their families. Park visitors can now enjoy picnicking, fishing, bird watching, and other activities.
The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) manages Hawkins Park. The park entrance is on Munson Highway, just past 5550 Bubba Lane, in Milton, Florida.
APD has worked for a year to replace playground equipment and make repairs to the restroom building due to damage caused by vandals. People with disabilities will maintain the park through an agreement APD has with RESPECT of Florida.
APD Director Barbara Palmer said, “We are excited to reopen Hawkins Park and make it available to people with disabilities and their families. It is an accessible recreational area for people to use in Northwest Florida. We want Floridians with disabilities to come and enjoy this beautiful environment.”
RESPECT of Florida Executive Director Ryland Musick said, “We commend the work APD has done to provide an accessible recreational area for individuals with disabilities and their families. RESPECT is proud to be a part of the maintenance of Hawkins Park. Our partnership with APD, through this contract and several others, allows us to help individuals with disabilities find meaningful employment and receive needed supports.”
The park is open to visitors who are Floridians with disabilities, their families, and caregivers. The park is only closed three days out of the year: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
The 23-acre parcel was donated by the Hawkins family to the state of Florida in 1977 with the requirement that people with disabilities have access to the land. The state completed construction on the recreational park in 1979. It was originally named Round Pen Bayou Park due to its location on the bayou. It was renamed Hawkins Recreational Park in September 1986 in honor of the donor’s father, Herman Calvin Hawkins.
About $93,000 in repairs and renovations have been completed at Hawkins Park recently. The playground has been refurbished and the facilities are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. There are also pavilions with grills that can house special events for large family gatherings.
The festivities today included a performance by Pyramid singer Betty Wells who sang the National Anthem. Remarks were made by APD Director Barbara Palmer, Senator Doug Broxson, RESPECT of Florida Executive Director Ryland Musick, and Hawkins Park user and parent Richard Fennel.
APD supports people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities. The agency annually serves more than 50,000 Floridians with autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome. For more information about the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, visit APDcares.org or call toll-free 1‑866‑APD‑CARES (1‑866‑273‑2273).
Featured
Entrepreneurship, networking highlights of Flagler College’s ‘Business Week’
Student winners: Lion’s Cage winners: Colin Kosco, Matthew Lane,
Scott Babbitt (second place); Prof. Paula Holanchock; Keynote speaker
Craig Dickman; Gabrielle Walters (third place); Jose Mizrahi (first place)
Photo credit: Monarch Studio
Thirteen students experienced first-hand the intense scrutiny of pitching a business idea last Thursday when they competed in Flagler College’s “Lion’s Cage,” an event based on the popular TV show “Shark Tank.” Four business leaders served as the judges. Senior Jose Mizrahi, who pitched the idea of an “Uber for tutoring” app called Brighter Future, emerged victorious, claiming the top $1,000 prize.
“I’m very excited to have won,” the Business major said. Mizrahi, the last of five finalists to enter the “cage,” proposed an app that connects people who want to learn with people who want to teach. Those who want to teach become tutors in exchange for community service hours, while people who receive the tutoring have to make a donation for every hour of tutoring they receive. All proceeds from donations go into building schools in third world countries.
“I feel like my pitch went pretty well but the first question they asked me had two parts and I was so nervous I completely forgot the second part of the question,” Mizrahi said. “Thankfully they repeated the question and I was able to answer the questions that followed. I learned that it requires a great deal of courage to present an idea you are passionate about to people who will ultimately criticize it. This was a great experience because it gave me a taste of what it’s like to actually pitch an idea for potential investors. I honestly really enjoyed it.”
Other winners included second place Tubed Surf Wax and Sunscreen (by Scott Babbitt, Matthew Lane and Colin Kosco) and third place No Sympathy Swimwear (by Gabrielle Walters).
The judges for the event included: Craig Dickman, founder of Breakthrough Fuel; Ryan Dettra, co-owner of St. Augustine Distillery; Chris Kaminski, CenterState Bank president and sponsor of Business Week; and Isabelle Rodriguez, president of St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce.
“Lion’s Cage” was part of a series of activities for the college’s inaugural Business Week, a multi-day event designed to give Flagler students real-world experience by inviting business leaders to campus to share their professional experience and wisdom.
Other events included a business leaders panel, etiquette dinner and business marketing and networking sessions. On Thursday evening, Dickman delivered a keynote address during the Week’s “CEO Dinner,” hosted by the college’s Business Advisory Board and sponsored by CenterState Bank. Dickman’s company has been recognized as a leader in transportation energy management and has won innovation awards from major companies. The event was an opportunity for Business students to network with professionals in various industries.
Craig Dickman presented with a gift by Dr. Allison Roberts, chair of the
Business Administration Department. Photo credit: Monarch Studio
“Business Week was a great team effort from all across campus, with our Business Advisory Board, administration, Board of Trustees, community leaders, alumni and students,” faculty advisor and Assistant Professor Paula Holanchock said. “It was a great opportunity for our students to network but also to expand and apply their knowledge in the business world with the support and guidance of so many great business leaders and alumni.”
Holanchock was assisted by student organizers Mary-Jo Lendering and Nicholas Pappas.
“This is by far one of the biggest things I was able to accomplish at Flagler,” Lendering said. “Seeing students enjoying, learning and showcasing this week has been the absolute best.”
Based on the success of the week-long event this year, Holanchock said plans are in the works for another “Business Week” next year.
Let Florida 511 Coach You to Orlando City Soccer’s Home Opener
Download the Florida 511 mobile app, visit FL511.com or follow #FL511 on Twitter
Orlando City Soccer’s first home game of the 2017 season is also the first game in its new downtown stadium, and the event is sure to draw a big crowd. Let the Florida 511 Traveler Information System guide you to the Orlando City Stadium, where the Orlando City Soccer Club will host the New York City Football Club at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 5. It is also the first game of the season for both teams.
Operated by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), FL511.com can help fans minimize delays by using the real-time traffic information provided by the system. Before heading out, fans can plan their routes by visiting the interactive roadway map on the user-friendly FL511.com website for traffic incident alerts. They also can view roadway cameras showing current nearby driving conditions.
Locally, Florida 511 offers motorists free, real-time traffic updates about important roadways from Twitter feeds (#FL511), including @FL_511_I4, @fl511_TURNPIKE and @FL511_CENTRAL.
In the Orlando metro area, Florida 511 also offers information on traffic congestion and traffic speed, as well as views from traffic cameras on roads and intersections leading to the downtown stadium. Cameras offer views of parts of Interstate 4 (I-4), Florida’s Turnpike, State Roads 408, 528, 417 and 429. There are even three high-definition, live-streaming cameras at the I-4 interchanges with SR 408, Maitland Boulevard (State Road 414) and Kirkman Road.
Fans can also register on the website or mobile app for a free My Florida 511 personalize services account to create door-to-door routes to Orlando City Stadium and other favorite destinations. Each route includes travel time estimates, traffic incident information and the ability to set up custom email or text alerts.
Before leaving the stadium, motorists can call 511 toll-free or check the free Florida 511 mobile app, available on Google Play or the Apple App Store, to check traffic or select an alternate route.
FDOT encourages all drivers to check Florida 511 to travel safely and experience fewer delays. Check before leaving or have a passenger check to avoid using a phone while driving.
FWC continues seagrass research and conservation with new status report
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) continues its conservation of valuable seagrass beds in Florida’s coastal waters with a second edition of its statewide report.
Scientists and collaborators from agencies across Florida, including researchers with the Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program of the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, published new information this month on seagrass health and status. Each of the 23 regional chapters includes color-coded status reports of seagrass health, as well as maps of the distribution of seagrass beds in each estuary or subregion.
More than 40 scientists from agencies across Florida work to map and monitor seagrasses statewide and report assessments of seagrass health online.
Using available data, researchers estimated there are approximately 2.5 million acres of seagrass in estuaries and nearshore waters of Florida. These are the largest beds of seagrasses found in the continental United States. Florida seagrass beds are extremely valuable marine habitats. Many economically important fish and shellfish species depend on seagrass beds for their survival. Seagrasses provide food and shelter for endangered mammals and turtles, and also play a vital role in the ecosystem.
The seagrass monitoring program was developed in 2009 to protect and manage seagrasses in Florida by providing a collaborative resource for seagrass mapping, monitoring and data sharing. The statewide report provides a summary of the status of seagrasses in Florida.
The report’s second edition was funded by grants from the FWC’s State Wildlife Grants Program and the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program’s statewide report and copies of individual regional chapters can be downloaded by going to MyFWC.com/Research, clicking “Habitat,” then “Seagrasses,” “Seagrass Projects” and “Active Projects.”
Harvest Real-Time Strawberry Festival Traffic Info with Florida 511
Motorists can download the free mobile app, visit FL511.com or follow #FL511 on Twitter
Whether they come for the live music, food contests, livestock shows or endless baskets of strawberries, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) encourages residents and visitors attending the 2017 Florida Strawberry Festival to use the Florida 511 Traveler Information System for a safe arrival and fewer traffic delays.
Florida 511 can help motorists find the best route to and from the 82nd festival, which runs from Thursday, March 2, through Sunday, March 12, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds in Plant City.
The interactive road map on the user-friendly FL511.com website provides real-time information about congestion, crashes, construction, closures and more so attendees won’t be late for the live entertainment.
The free Florida 511 mobile app, available on the Apple App Store or Google Play, features an interactive map showing traffic speeds and incidents on roadways around the festival grounds.
Festivalgoers also can register on the website or mobile app for a My Florida 511 personalized services account and create custom door-to-door routes to the festival or other favorite destinations. Each route includes travel time estimates, traffic incident information and the ability to schedule email or text alerts.
Additional ways to receive traffic information from the Florida 511 system include calling 511 toll-free from any phone in the state and following one or more of the statewide, regional or roadway-specific Twitter feeds (#FL511), such as @FL511_TampaBay, @FL_511_I4 and @FL511_75.
Florida 511 is the state’s official source for traffic and travel information. Check Florida 511 before leaving or have a passenger check during a commute to avoid using a phone while driving.
Media Advisory: Governor Rick Scott to Hold Media Availability in D.C.
Today, February 27, Governor Rick Scott will meet with President Trump and members of his Administration. He will then be available to media to discuss his trip to D.C.
WHAT: Media Availability
WHEN: 2:10PM
WHERE: The intersection of Louisiana Avenue NW and North Capitol Street NW
Washington D.C., 20001
Florida National Guard to premiere "Camp Blanding: Florida's Hidden Gem From the Beginning"
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHAT: A movie screening of the documentary “Camp Blanding: Florida’s Hidden Gem From the Beginning”
WHEN: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Tuesday, Mar. 7. Video presentation begins at 7 p.m.
WHERE: WJCT Studios 100 Festival Park Ave., Jacksonville, Fla. 32202
This short documentary gives viewers a modern day high tempo view of the current training and capabilities of this little known post. It also provides a rustic historical telling of how the post came into being, its ties to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, the Empire State Building, and German POW’s.
Some of the people who appear in the movie worked at Camp Blanding as teenagers, trained there before entering World War Two, were held as German POW’s, and one woman who was born there, tells the story of her father who worked in the post hospital as a doctor.
The movie was written, directed and produced by Mr. A.J. Artley.
Contributors: Col. Matt Johnson, Commander, Camp Blanding Joint Training Center
Mr. Greg Parsons, Historian, Camp Blanding Museum
Doctor George Cressman, Historian, Camp Blanding Museum
Mr. Carlos Bouvier, WJCT Producer
John Delaney Announces Retirement from UNF Presidency
University of North Florida President John A. Delaney announced today he will be retiring from his current position at the end of his contract, May 30, 2018. Delaney is the longest serving president in UNF’s history.
“Over the past 14 years, I’ve had the honor of working with a truly remarkable team of people committed to providing the highest quality education to our students and to making our region stronger,” said Delaney. “Every time a student crosses the stage at commencement and I hand them their diploma, I recognize the life-changing impact UNF has made on them and the lives they will touch. The personal pride I have for each and every one of these students runs deep.”
“John’s leadership has propelled UNF beyond all expectations,” said Joy Korman, chair of the UNF Board of Trustees. “His accomplishments are far and wide, ranging from academic enhancements to community outreach. He always puts students first.”
Since being selected president by the UNF Board of Trustees in the summer of 2003, Delaney has made huge improvements to the University’s academic programs and the quality of students who graduate from the school:
- The average high school GPA of incoming freshmen in fall 2003 was 3.6. This past fall, it was 4.17. The average high school SAT score of incoming freshmen in fall 2003 was 1145. This past fall, it was 1208. UNF is now the third most competitive among Florida public universities, attracting some of the brightest students from the state and beyond.
- Diversity in the student body is up 63 percent from 2003.
- The number of doctoral degrees awarded has increased 76 percent.
- There were only 37 accredited programs in 2003. Now there are 54, a 46 percent increase.
- Many of UNF’s signature programs are being nationally recognized including Nursing, International Business, Music, Transportation & Logistics, Coastal Biology and Nutrition & Dietetics.
- In 2009, UNF acquired MOCA, providing new opportunities for UNF students and giving UNF a strong downtown presence.
- Thanks to an increase in scholarships supporting global experiences, UNF students now study abroad at twice the national average.
- Since 2003, overall enrollment has increased 14 percent, to 15,985.
- When he retires from the presidency, Delaney will have awarded 55 percent (52,544) of the 95,459 total UNF degrees granted since the university opened in 1972.
- UNF’s graduation rate is 24 percent higher than the national average.
- UNF has the sixth highest graduation rate among public, urban regional universities in the entire nation.
- UNF tops the schools in the State University System when it comes to graduates being employed in Florida.
- A quarter of UNF alums earn more than $49,400 in their first year.
- The average salary of a UNF alum 10 years after graduation is 23 percent above the national average.
Under Delaney’s leadership, the campus has undergone the biggest expansion in its history:
- The building space on the campus is 168 percent larger than when Delaney first became president. That’s an increase of two million square feet of labs, classrooms and other spaces.
- The campus was 1,121 acres in 2003. Because of campus expansion and the donation of wetlands for research, the campus is now 2,431 acres, a 116 percent increase.
- Since 2003, 13 new or renovated buildings have received the prestigious LEED certification for green construction, including the Social Sciences Building, Osprey Fountains, Tom and Betty Petway Hall, the Biological Sciences Building, the Student Union and the Student Wellness Complex.
- Newly constructed buildings have won prestigious awards. The Biological Sciences Building is ranked No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 9 in the world for most impressive environmentally friendly university building.
- Since 2003, the University has acquired five major buildings from private companies, including those now known as Alumni Hall and Ann and David Hicks Hall.
- Since 2003, Delaney has secured $187 million in construction funding from the state.
Since 2003, President Delaney has also dramatically increased UNF’s regional and national recognition:
- In 2003, UNF had one national ranking. UNF now has 11 national rankings.
- Organizations such as U.S. News and World Report, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and Princeton Review have cited UNF every year for nearly a decade for providing a quality education at an affordable price.
- UNF received the prestigious Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation. The classification is given to institutions committed to providing leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement, as well as programs promoting civic engagement.
- An estimated 18 million viewers tuned in to watch UNF play host to the 2012 CNN Presidential Debate. In addition to the debate itself, the publicity before and after boosted UNF’s profile across the nation.
Delaney is UNF’s chief fundraiser:
- Nearly $250 million has been raised since 2003.
- The endowment has grown to $100 million, two and a half times what it was in 2003.
- Delaney secured 28 leadership gifts and commitments of $1 million or more, including significant donations from George Hodges, Brooks Rehabilitation and David and Ann Hicks, a UNF alumnae. These fundraising successes led to the naming of the Brooks College of Health and the creation of UNF’s sixth college, the Hicks Honors College.
- Delaney led the most successful capital campaign in Northeast Florida, the Power of Transformationcampaign, which exceeded its goal, raising more than $130 million for the University. The campaign was publicly launched in 2009, in the middle of the recession, with an ambitious goal of $110 million.
President Delaney has made UNF an economic driver in the region and been a leader in the state:
- UNF now has an annual economic impact of more than $1 billion.
- In 2015, Delaney served as chair of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, the organization charged with leading economic growth in the region.
- He helped create and is a board member of the Jacksonville Civic Council, an organization focusing on defining Jacksonville’s future.
- Delaney is the past president of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities, an organization representing 70 private and public institutions.
- He was tapped to serve as the interim chancellor of the State University System from 2008-09, while the State Board of Governors conducted a search.
President Delaney has created a student-focused campus:
- He led the smooth transition to NCAA Division I athletics beginning in 2005. North Florida advanced to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2015.
- Nearly 4,000 students now live on campus, transforming UNF into a traditional college setting.
- He created programs and services to assist special populations including the LGBT Resource Center, the Military and Veterans Resource Center and the Disability Resource Center.
President Delaney has worked hard to ensure hallmarks of a UNF education remain intact:
- In 2003, the student-to-faculty ratio was 22:1. It is currently 19:1, giving UNF students the advantage of individualized attention.
- The average class size at UNF is still only 32 students.
Delaney’s contract allows him to lead a center at UNF following his retirement as president. He has not yet decided if he will pursue that option or other opportunities.
This spring, the UNF Board of Trustees will discuss the search process for a new president.
Delaney served as mayor of Jacksonville from 1995 to 2003, leaving office due to term limits. During his time at City Hall, Delaney is credited with launching The Better Jacksonville Plan and the Preservation Project. His approval rating reached 90 percent, with support from both political parties.
Delaney received both a bachelor’s and law degree from the University of Florida. He and his wife Gena have four children and helped raise a niece and a nephew. In addition, they have three grandchildren.
The University of North Florida is a public university in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. UNF has six colleges, which offer 55 undergraduate degree programs and 35 graduate degree programs. The University is located on an environmentally beautiful campus, which includes a nature preserve.
Environmental Groups Announce Lawsuit Against World’s Second Largest Chicken Producer for Illegal Pollution of Suwannee River
WHAT: Members of the citizen-based environmental groups Environment Florida and the Sierra Club (Suwannee-St Johns Group) will be joined by their attorneys to announce the filing of the groups’ federal lawsuit to stop violations of the Clean Water Act that are polluting one of Florida’s Outstanding Waters, the Suwannee River. The groups will describe the poultry processing facility’s alleged violations and speak about the pollution’s effect on the Suwannee River.
WHO:
Jennifer Rubiello, Environment Florida Director
Whitey Markle, Chair of the Sierra Club Suwannee-St Johns Group
Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, Sierra Club Organizing Representative
Heather Govern, Attorney, National Environmental Law Center
Andrew Bonderud, Attorney
WHEN: Wednesday, March 1, 2017 – 10:00 am
WHERE: In front of the Hogan Street entrance of the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse (Jacksonville’s Federal Courthouse)
300 N Hogan St, Jacksonville, FL 32202
Op-Ed: By Working Together, Northwest Florida Has Chance for Brighter Future
By Bryan Parker
One region, one voice. One united goal.
When millions of gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico in the country’s worst environmental disaster, Northwest Florida was devastated. It was an overwhelming punch to the gut for the people and economy of our region.
Now, seven years later, that heartbreak can be replaced by opportunity. It’s up to us to work together, as a unified region, to make sure it becomes a reality.
A $300 million payment from BP, a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, is a first step to help Northwest Florida recover and rebuild stronger than ever. We are all grateful that Florida’s legislative leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to steer the promised funds to our region this year – but we also know that nothing is truly done until the ink is dry.
There is much work ahead to secure these initial funds for Northwest Florida and the remaining $1.2 billion in the future, and to guarantee that decisions related to how the money is allocated are made by Northwest Floridians. We all believe that Northwest Florida is most successful when it has the authority to determine its own economic future.
Northwest Florida economic development advocates have long known that the entire region benefits most from working together – one region, one voice – to attract more jobs, training and business opportunities. Whether it’s launching a job-training program at a local college, winning a federal grant or drawing an entire industry to the area, those unified efforts create positive impacts that ripple across all of Florida.
The anchors of the Northwest Florida economy historically have been tourism and the military, but this new money will help our region build beyond our traditional economic engines to create a more diverse economy and job base. Tens of thousands of area residents will see their lives, and their communities, transformed.
Florida’s Great Northwest, the economic development organization representing the entire region, has worked with more than 860 of the region’s business, government and community leaders to develop a regional strategy that identifies the most promising opportunities for transformative economic growth in the region. Our hope is that the regional strategy will serve as the framework for prioritizing projects and allocating resources across the region.
Our wonderful corner of Florida is blessed with so many natural jewels, from our incomparable beaches and emerald-green water to spectacular rivers and forests. Add the hard-working spirit of our residents and the incredible talent and technology associated with our many military installations and private sector businesses, and you have a recipe for economic vitality and prosperity.
The BP money gives us the means to diversify and develop hubs of business and industry; train a modern workforce that will attract companies with higher wages and stable jobs; establish a state-of-the-art economic infrastructure that connects communities throughout our region; encourage innovative ideas to become reality; and build stronger communities.
Northwest Florida’s state lawmakers are working together on this, recognizing the importance of ensuring that this money goes to critical short-term and long-term efforts. Together, our region will use the funds as the impetus to create new and wide-ranging opportunities – ones that will make Northwest Florida appealing to a whole new generation of creative, talented and hard-working citizens.
Where tar balls once blotted our sugar-white beaches, wiping out jobs and our economy, we now have the opportunity to help boost education and training, business competitiveness, infrastructure, innovation and placemaking strategies that will benefit everyone.
We’re all in this together. Unified, we can ensure a much brighter picture for Northwest Florida.
Bryan Parker is Economic Development Representative for PowerSouth Energy, where he directs the company’s economic and community development initiatives in Northwest Florida. He is a member of the Executive Board of Florida’s Great Northwest and serves as chairman of the organization’s Advocacy Committee.
