vol. four - no. seven “a little newspaper with big …thecommunitypressfla.org/07 a section cpress...

Vol. Four - No. Seven “ A L i t t l e N e w s p a p e r W i t h B i g N ew s ! ” July 2018

SERVING LEE & COLLIER COUNTIES

INSIDE THIS ISSUE OF THE COMMUNITY PRESS

Marvin Davies IntoFlorida Civil RightsHall of FamePage 22 A

The Naples ConnectionPage 21 B

**** DELTA S IGMA THETA’S “50 YEARS & MORE” * * * *

Delta Sigma ThetaCelebrates “50 Years & More” Pages 16-17 A

Continued on Page 31

Tre Boston, surrounded by some of the youth who attended his camp.Photo courtesy of Tre Boston’s Facebook page; https://www.face-book.com/TreBoston33/posts/1717315721680093

The new credit card chips make itharder for scammers to steal your pay-ment information, so con artists havecreated a different technique called"shimming."

How the Scam WorksRemember skimming? That's the

con where scammers inserted a deviceinto ATMs or other terminals, harvest-ing your payment information as youswipe your credit or debit card. Scam-mers succeeded with this tactic for awhile, but skimmers don't work forcards with newer chip technology. Inaddition, card skimmers are easy tonotice because they are often bulky orwobbly.Con artists' new way to steal pay-

ment information is called "shim-ming." Scammers insert a shim -- apaper-thin, card-sized device with anembedded microchip and flash storage-- into the slot where you enter the chipside of your credit or debit cart. Whenyou insert your card at a gas pump,ATM, or another card reader, it copiesand saves your payment information.Then, scammers return with a specialcard that collects the stolen informa-tion, such as your PIN and card num-ber. They use this information to makepurchases with your account informa-tion.

Protect Yourself from Shimming• Keep a close eye on your bank

and credit accounts. Check your onlinestatements regularly to make sure thereare no suspicious charges. If you seeany, report them to your bank or creditcard company immediately. Use thecustomer service number on the backof the card to be sure you are reachingthe real company and not an imposter.Make sure you contact the bank, mer-chant and your card issuer if you ever

Better Business Reports “Shimming” IsThe New “Skimming”

National Football LeagueSafety and University of NorthCarolina Alum, Tre Boston,hosted his first annual TreBoston Beyond Belief Founda-tion Football Camp on Saturday,June 30th at North Fort MyersHigh School. The camp quicklyreached its capacity with morethan 200 youth participating in aweekend most will remember forthe rest of their lives. NFL safetyJaylen Watkins also joinedBoston for the event.Boston attended North Fort

Myers High School. As a junior,he posted 41 tackles with 16 solostops, 4 interceptions on defenseand caught 43 passes for 736yards and 5 touchdowns on of-fense. He was named first-teamall-area at defensive back hisfinal two seasons. He was namedMVP of the John Carrigan Ro-tary South All-Star Classic in Ft.Myers in December, 2009. Hescored 17 touchdowns as a sen-ior, including 11 rushing, five re-ceiving and one on defense. Heled his team with 103 carries for

841 yards, and also had 24 re-ceptions for 364 yards. Defensively, he picked off six

passes for 119 yards and recov-ered one fumble. Considered a

three-star recruit by Rivals.com,he was rated as the 80th best cor-nerback prospect of his classTre Boston Beyond Belief

Foundation, Inc. is a newly es-

tablished Florida Nonprofit Cor-poration with the mission and de-sire to make the world a betterplace by meeting the needs forthose that are in need in the com-munity. Supporting the develop-ment of self-confidence, healthfulliving, good judgment, and char-acter, Tre Boston Beyond Belief,Inc. will provide many strugglingindividuals and families with athorough foundation for futuresuccess.Boston gave a heartfelt thanks

to all the numerous volunteers,coaches, speakers and supportersof the event including MerrillLynch, Safe Kids SouthwestFlorida Lee County Coalition fora Drug-Free Southwest FloridaHanley Foundation, Donate LifeFlorida, Alliance for the Arts,HealthyStart SWFL, Lee CountySheriff's Office, Lokai, Panini,Kind Snacks, EA sports, domestic,Fanatics, Strideline, Power Handz,Around the Clock Fitness - Corpo-rate-Boyscout, Publix Super Mar-ket at Santa Barbara Centre, andSunbelt Rentals.

Tre Boston's First Youth Football Camp A Big Success For Local YouthH O M E T O W N H E R O E S

"Unity In The Community" was thetheme a local non-profit, law enforcement,first-responders and event sponsors used tobring the community together under onecommon cause, "unity."With the goal of fostering trust and posi-

tive relationships between the badge and thepeople, local film-maker and event vision-ary, Curtis Collins wanted his vision to be-come a reality in the Dunbar community.

Collins said, " police officers need toknow the people and the community theyserve," adding he grew up in a communitywhere officers knew your name, your fam-ily and had no problem calling you out andsending you home for acting up.Hosted at the stars complex, the day was

filled with a fun-filled activites for all toenjoy. Local officers and community resi-dents teamed up for a day of kickball, good

food, giveaways, music, dancing, and lots ofsmiles and laughter. The entire day, includ-ing the food was free for all to enjoy.Collins extended his sincere thanks to the

Fort Myers Police Department, Lee CountySheriff's Office, Florida Highway Patrol,First Responders, Sponsors, the communityand all who helped make this a wonderfuland very successful event.

STARS Complex Celebrates “Unity In The Community”

Local citizens came out in force to support the third annual “Unity In The Community” Day at the STARS Complex in Fort Myers.

S A FER B YCHO I C E

PAGE A 2 JULY 2018T H E C O M M U N I T Y P R E S S

AFCAAM/Michigan Ave.

All Plus Beauty Store/Fowler Ctr.

American Legion Post 192/MLK Blvd.

American Legion Post,/Downtown

Bethel A.M.E. Church/Naples

Boyd Funeral Home/MLK Blvd.

Bryson Insurance Bail Bonds/ MLK Blvd.

Carrie Robinson Center/Edison Ave.

CCMI/MLK Blvd.

Chaney's Barbershop/MLK Blvd.

Charleston Park Center

Chelles Restaurant at QLC

City Fish Market/ Edison Ave.

Christ Centered Bookstore

Covenant Crab Co./ Fowler Ctr.

Crab Trap/Fowler Ctr.

Crouches Gas/Edison Ave.

Darryl & Dave's Barbers/Fowler Ctr.

Dunbar Jupiter Hammond Library

Downtown Library

Dr. Ella Piper Center

Edward Jones Investment/Lehigh

Farmer's Market/Edison Ave.

First Assembly Cornerstone/MLK Blvd.

Followers of Christ Fellowship Min.

Ft. Myers Housing/Admin/Mich. Ave.

Ft. Myers Housing/Sen Ctr/Mich. Ave.

Ft. Myers Police Department

Friendship Baptist Church/MLK Blvd.

Hickson Funeral Home/MLK Blvd.

Hodges University /Ft. Myers

Hodges University /Naples

Hook's Fish & Chicken/MLK Blvd.

Jeans Plus & More/Carrell Corners

Kappa Dev. Ctr./P. Beach Blvd.

Lee Co. Black History Society/MLK Blvd.

Lee Co. Library/Downtown Fort Myers

Lee Physician's Group/MLK Blvd.

Lehigh Community Center/Lehigh

Lias Grocery/Michigan Ave.

Looking Good Fashion/Fowler Ctr.

Macedonia M. B. Church/Naples

Maximum Hair Care/Carrell Corners

Melvin Morgan Building

Mt. Hermon Church/MLK Blvd.

Mt. Olive AME Church/Orange Ave.

Mt. Pleasant Church/Harlem Lakes

Nations Association/P.B. Blvd.

Neighborhood Discount/Ford St.

New Image Tabernacle/N. Ft. Myers

North Law Firm/Colonial Blvd.

N'Trigue Beauty Salon/Carrell Corners

Oxford School of Music/Evans Ave.

Palmetto Church Of God

Peaceful Garden Funeral Hm./Fowler St

Premiere Int. College/Central Ave.

Quality Life Center/MLK Blvd.

Red Bones Liquor Store/MLK Blvd.

Royal Palm Lodge # 512/MLK Blvd.

R&R Barbershop/Fowler Center

Sam's Food Market/Lincoln Blvd.

Sister’s Beauty Salon/Palm Ave.

Shoemaker Florist/MLK Blvd.

St. John First M.B. Church

Stars Complex/Edison Ave.

UFMBC/Naples

Unity Christian Church/Naples

Utopia Restaurant/MLK Blvd.

Utopia Barbershop/MLK Blvd.

WaWa Store/Colonial & So. 41

WaWa Store/Del Prado Blvd.

WaWa Store/South 41

Wellcare/Palm Beach Blvd.

WHERE TO FIND US

James A. Middlebrooks, Jr.Chairman / Publisher / Advertising Director

1540 Raleigh St., Ft. Myers FL [email protected]

239-332-1073Veronica Barber

Vice Chairman/Managing [email protected]

Jacquie Matthews WilliamsSocial Media/Photography Editor

[email protected]

P.D. WilliamsArt Director

[email protected]

Website:www.thecommunitypressfla.org

E-mail: [email protected]

The Community Press is published the first Thurs-day of each month and distributed FREE throughoutSouthwest Florida.Deadline for advertising, church news, business di-

rectory, and general news items is 5:00 p.m. the lastFriday of each month for the next issue for the firstThursdays publication.For advertising rates and information call

239-332-1073. MAILING ADDRESSs: 1540 Raleigh Street, Fort

Myers, Florida 33916-1925. EMAIL ADDRESS [email protected] Community Press Of Florida, Inc. welcomes all

contributions which can be delivered to the Editor viaemail at thecommunitypressfla@ gmail.com. All submissions become property of The Commu-

nity Press Of Florida, Inc. The Community Press Of Florida, Inc. will some-

times receive more articles and columns than availablespace can accommodate therefore not all submissionscan be acknowledged or printed. Articles should not be longer than 350 words and

must include the name and contact information of theauthor and observe formal rules of spelling and gram-mar. The Community Press Of Florida, Inc. reserves the

right to edit all material.

Submission Guidelines & Editorial Policy

BOARD OF D IRECTORS

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

One-year mailed subscriptions: $30.00 in-county,$35.00 in-state and $40.00 out-of-stateCall Publisher, James A. Middlebrooks, Jr, at 239-

332-1073 for more information.

GUEST EDITORIAL

GUEST EDITORIAL

“A Little Newspaper With Big News!”

When a person inFlorida is convicted of afelony that person loses theright: (1) to vote ;(2) to siton a jury;(3) to hold publicoffice and (4) to possessfire arms. In Florida andthree other states (Ken-tucky, Iowa and Virginia)convicted felons’ voterrights are permanently re-voked. Laws in these states,however, give their Gover-nor’s authority to restorethose rights.For several years, many

civil rights groups,churches and fraternal or-ganizations collected vot-ers’ signatures on petitionsrequesting the state to re-store felon’s rights to vote.January 23, 2018 the group,

Floridians for a FairDemocracy, announced thatthey had collected morethan enough signaturesneeded to get a Constitu-tional amendment on the2018 November ballot.Florida voters will get todecide whether to changethe Florida Constitution toautomatically restore vot-ing rights to all felons ex-

cept those convicted ofmurder or felony sexcrimes. The proposal willappear as Amendment 4. IFTHE AMENDMENTPASSES IN NOVEMBEROVER 1.5 MILLIONFLORIDIANS WILL BEABLE TO REGISTER TOVOTE. A hopeful development

in the fight to restore votingrights to felons came in alawsuit (Hand v Scott, et al)filed in Federal DistrictCourt (FDC) Northern Dis-trict of Florida by the FairElections Legal Networkagainst Governor RickScott (as Governor) and theClemency Board (made upof the Governor, the Attor-ney General, the Commis-sioner of Agriculture &

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed in these editorials are those of the authors anddo not necessarily reflect the views of the The Community Press Of Florida, Inc.



Jack Levine, Founder4Generations Institute

Janice Cass

I strongly believe thatsome the best sermons aretrue stories that teach usimportant life lessons.These vignettes were sentto me by a dear friend whosays they are based on trueincidences submitted to acall for spiritual lessons bya religious organizationsome years ago. Theirmessages are universal andspan the ages and stages oflife. Some are sad and eventragic, but provide a lifelesson which I hope willedify and encourage you topersevere despite life'schallenges.• I interviewed mygrandmother for a researchpaper for my psychologyclass. When I asked her todefine success in her ownwords, she said, "Successis when you look back atyour life and the mosttreasured memories are theones that make you smilebecause you helped some-one else succeed in reach-ing their goals." • I asked a very success-ful business man in his late70's for his top three suc-cess tips . He paused for asecond and said, "Readsomething no one else isreading, think somethingno one else is thinking, anddo something no one elseis doing." • After I served a 72-hourshift at the fire station Istopped into a grocery

store for a few items. Awoman ran up to me andgave me a hug. When Itensed up, she realized Ididn't recognize her. She letgo with tears of joy in hereyes and the most sinceresmile and said, "I will neverforget your face....on 9-11-2001 you carried me out ofthe World Trade Center." • After I watched my dogget hit by a car, I sat on theside of the road holdinghim and crying. And justbefore he gasped his lastbreath, he licked the tearsoff my face. • At 7AM, I woke up feel-ing ill, but because I needthe money, I went intowork. At 3:00 that after-noon I got laid off. On mydrive home I got a flat tire.When I went into the trunkfor the spare, it was flat,too. A polite man in a newcar pulled over, and politelyasked if I needed a ride. Itrusted him and acceptedthe offer, we chatted, andthen after hearing about my

office skills he offered me ajob in his company. I startnext week. • As my father, threebrothers, and two sistersstood around my mother'shospital bed, my mother ut-tered her last coherentwords before she slippedinto a final coma. She sim-ply said, "I feel so lovedright now. I wish we wouldhave gotten together moreoften to say how we feelabout each other." • I kissed my dad on theforehead as he passed awayin a hospital bed in a Vet-eran's Hospital. About fiveseconds after he passed, Irealized it was the first timeI had given him a kiss sinceI was a little boy. • In the cutest voice, my8-year-old daughter askedme to remember to recycle.I chuckled and asked,"Why?" She replied, "Soyou can help me save theplanet." I chuckled againand asked, "And why doyou want to save theplanet?" "Because that'swhere I plan to keep mystuff and then give it all tomy kids," she said.• I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patientlaughing hysterically at her2-year-old daughter's an-tics, I suddenly realized thatI need to stop complainingabout my life and start cel-ebrating it again.

The Best Sermons AreReal Life Stories

Distribution ManagerErnest “Bodie” McMillan

Contributing Photographers

Yvonne Hart [email protected]

239-6725072

Cedric [email protected]

239-823-7083

Broderick HallP.O. Box 2012, Ft. Myers, FL 33902

239-440-5214

Stepanie Stephens

By Janice Cass

Report On The Fight To Restore Voting Rights To Ex-Felons

JULY 2018 PAGE A 3T H E C O M M U N I T Y P R E S S



LOC ALMichele Hylton-Terry on

“Lee Pitts Live”

L-R Lee Pitts and Michelle Hylton Terry

Vladimy Bellefleur, Sales Consultant, O’Brien Auto Park

Dr. Martha Bireda, Dir., The BlanchardHouse Museum of African American

JULY 8

JULY 29 AUGUST 8

JULY 22

Jaha Cummings, City Councilman, City of Punta Gorda

Jacqueline Black, Owner,JB’s Cleaning Services, LLC

To be a guest or advertise on Lee Pitts Live, visit LeePittsLive.com or call 877-830-0391

To be a guest or advertise on Lee Pitts Live, visit LeePittsLive.com or call 877-830-0391

On July 22nd at8:30am, Michele Hylton-Terry, newly-appointed ex-ecutive director, FortMyers Community Rede-velopment Agency will goone-on-one with Lee Pittson the award-winning “LeePitts Live” on FOX 4. Sheis the first African-Ameri-can to hold this positionand has major responsibil-ity under her direction. The

revitalization of the city’sCRA areas is entering itsmost critical period withthe mid-town developmentproject moving forward atlight speed and the expan-sion of the MLK Blvd Re-development area in fullbloom. We remember herfor the great work she hasdone in Dunbar with therenovation of the historicMcCullom Hall for manyyears. She says McCullomis still a very high priority.

By Lee Pitts

Longest Running Local TV Show in Southwest Florida (28 Years)Five time Recipient of the “NAACP Image Award”Recipient of the Southwest Florida “People’s Choice Award”Recipient of the Talladega College "Stars of Magnitude Award”

“Michele represents atrue professional and rolemodel in her position. Sheis very knowledgeable, ex-perienced, and connected toour diverse community”,stated Lee Pitts, host andexecutive producer of "LeePitts Live". “This is an in-terview all should watchand judge for themselveswhy, in my view, the CRAcommittee made the bestchoice for the job", Pittscontinued.


LOC AL

Second Annual “Dunbar Taste of Culture” Event Held

“Stretch It Out Enter-prise”, in partnership withthe City of Fort Myers,celebrated its second an-nual Dunbar Taste of Cul-ture Event.

The event, sponsoredby the City of Fort Myersfor the Dunbar communitywas created to help diver-sify to surrounding com-munities and bring the

people together. It was alsocreated to target small andupcoming business. Stretch It Out Enter-

prise sponsors states, theywould like to see more of

the "old home grown citi-zens to become more in-volved. This event toencourage culture diver-sity. We hope to change thestereotype of the Dunbar

community and at thesame time, promote thebeautiful Clement park ofHenderson Avenue." Formore information onStretch It Out Enterprise,

visit their website atStretchItOutEnterprise.Org Photos by Jacquie

Matthews Williams.


SERVICE CALL $85.00

MAINTENANCE TUNE-UP SPECIAL (Reg. $139.95) $99.95

MAINTENANCE CONTRACT Starting At $149.95

NEW SYSTEM INSTALLED As Low As $3,250.00

WWW.SOLOMONS-AC-APPLIANCES.NET490 PROSPECT AVE SUITE 10, FORT MYERS, FL 33905

[email protected]

WWW.SOLOMONS-AC-APPLIANCES.NET490 PROSPECT AVE SUITE 10, FORT MYERS, FL 33905

[email protected]

(239) 693-1569 Toll Free 1-877-634-1304

First To Offer Community Air Conditioning Grants

Family Owned & Operated Since 1995

*(239) 693-1569 Toll Free 1-877-634-1304*

JUNE 2018 PAGE A 7

d u n b a r h i gh sc h oo l n ew s

Tim Maloney

Kevin Dimaculangan (third from left) is surrounded by his family

Tim Maloney Named Head Boys Basketball Coach At Dunbar High

Dunbar High School Announces Microsoft National Champion

Tim Maloney has beennamed the head boys bas-ketball coach at DunbarHigh School to replace thelegendary Coach AndreMcGill who retires in Juneof 2018. Carl Burnside, Dunbar

High School Principal,made the announcementthis morning. “Mr. Maloneyhas had an impressive ca-reer not only as a basketballcoach but also as a lifecoach. We look forward tohaving him lead our boysbasketball program for theyears to come.” He hascoached in the college ranksfor the last 21 years afterhaving a very successfulhigh school coaching stint.

Prior to joining the col-legiate ranks, Maloney ex-perienced national exposurein prep school basketball.Named head coach ofMariner High School inCape Coral in the summerof 1993, he took over a

team that went 7-18 theprevious season and turnedthe team around to the tuneof an 18-7 mark. In histhird season, Maloneyguided Mariner to a bestever 33-3 record and aberth in the state finals.That season, the Tritonsranked No. 1 in the state ofFlorida, rose to No. 16 inthe nation, and ranked thirdin the south by the NationalPrep Boys.For his efforts, Maloney

was named SouthwestFlorida Coach of the Yearand Conference Coach ofthe Year after each of thoseseasons at Mariner. In1996, he was also namedGulf Coast All-SportsCoach of the Year and BoysBasketball Coach of theYear in Southwest Florida.

Over the years, Mal-oney has acquired addi-tional experience coachingdomestic and internationalteams during the summer.

He spent the summer of1996 as associate headcoach for the Long Islandsquad in the Empire StateGames, a team that featured

future NBA players WallySzczerbiak and SpeedyClaxton. The team went onto capture Long Island’sfirst gold medal in 18 years.

Maloney has also beenrecognized for his work asa "Life Coach," most re-cently being featured in aNew York Times article byZach Schonbrun entitled"For the Court, a HeadCoach. And for the HeadCoach? A Life Coach." Hisnetwork in the college andhigh school coaching frater-nity is extensive. CurrentSouth Carolina men's bas-ketball head coach FrankMartin mentioned Maloneyduring his NCAA Sweet 16news conference and howmuch their friendship hasmeant to him. I heard fromseveral Division I CollegeHead Coaches: Scott Drew(Baylor), Travis Ford (St.Louis), Tim Cluees (Iona)and Tim Cohane (Buffaloretired) who all raved aboutnot only Maloney’s basket-ball knowledge but moreimportantly the phenomenalhuman being he is and thedifference he makes in the

lives of young people. A 1982 graduate of

Manhattanville College,Maloney competed in 4sports. Maloney earned hismaster's degree in counsel-ing from Hunter College in2004. He and his wifeJoanne have a son, ThomasJoseph (TJ).

Maloney’s CollegeCoaching At A GlanceNCAA Division I

Coaching Experience: 21years with an OverallRecord: 450-213Between 1996-2017 he

was a member of severalbasketball programs whichtook part in the NCAAChampionship, Final Four,Several Sweet Sixteen,NCAA tournaments andvarious conference champi-onships. The schools were:Baylor, UMass, Eastern

Kentucky, University ofFlorida, Buffalo Universityand Iona University.

Congratulations to Dun-bar High School freshman,Kevin Dimaculangan, whowon the 2018 Microsoft Of-

fice Specialist U.S. Na-tional Championship forExcel 2016. Kevin com-peted against more than

320,000 total entrants. Heearned a $3000 grand prizeand an all-expenses-paidtrip to compete against

challengers from over 120other countries in the 2018MOS World Championshipin Orlando, Florida, July 29– Aug. 1, 2018.“Kevin is a perfect ex-

ample of a young man whois driven towards success,”says Principal Carl Burn-side. “I am a believer thatthe exceptional staff wehave here at Dunbar, cou-pled with our acclaimedtechnology programs andthe International Baccalau-

reate courses, that you willsee more students fromDunbar accomplishingmany other extraordinary

achievements.”Kevin is the ninth Dun-

bar High School student toplace in the top three in theMicrosoft National Cham-pionship, and he is thefourth contender for theMicrosoft worldwide com-petition. Dunbar HighSchool has already hadthree top performers for theMicrosoft WorldwideChampionship, includingTyler Mills, who placedfirst in 2014.

DUNBAR HIGH TIGERS


3220 Martin Luther King BlvdFt. Myers, FL 33916Office 239-337-4140

Sunday Service - 9 and 11 AMWednesday Bible Study - 7 PM

First Assembly Cornerstone

Pastors Gregory & Marjorie Ford

2856 Douglas Ave. Ft. Myers, FL 33916239-334-8075

Dr. William and First Lady Cheryl Glover

"Having a Redeeming Influence!"

WORSHIP SERVICESSundays 11:00 am

Youth Church 11:00 amFamily Bible Study: Wednesdays 7:00 pm

2044 Brown St. Ft. Myers, FL 33916Admin Building: 2929 Price St. Ft. Myers, FL 33916

Phone: (239) 334-0591 or (239) 334-7531Fax: (239)334-7564

Email: [email protected] Worship Services

7:30 am & 11:00 am (Sunday school 9:30 am)Wednesday Evening

Prayer Meeting & Bible Study 7:00 pm

Rev. & Mrs. James C. Givens, Pastor & First Lady Roberta Givens

Rev. Leon Williams, Pastor

Mt. Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church

St. John First Missionary Baptist Church

Mount Hermon Ministries

Add Your House Of Worship To Our Directory For Only $25 Per Month

“The Church That Cares”2754 Orange Street, Fort Myers, FL 33916

Sunday7:30 am - Early Morning Worship

9:30 am - Church School11 am - Morning Worship

Wednesday6 pm - Intercessory Prayer7 pm - Family Bible Study,(Children, Youth & Adults)

81 Pondella Road in North Fort Myers, Fl 33903Phone: (239) 464-0991 or (727) 365-9325

New Image TabernacleA non-denominational Christian Church

Empowerment Academy Sunday: 8:45 AMWorship Service Sunday 10:00 AM Wednesday Prayer Service Wed. 6:00 PMBible Study Wed. 7:00 PM

[email protected]

Service Times:

Pastors: Alan &Mary Stockton

3105 Douglas Ave., Ft. Myers, FL 33916239-204-9346 Church Phone

239-204-9347 Church Fax

SCHEDULE OF SERVICESSunday School - 9:30 a.m.

Morning Service - 11:00 a.m.Youth Church ea. Mon.@ 6 p.m.

Prayer Meeting / Bible Study each Wed. @ 7 p.m.

Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, Inc."The Church Where We Give The MASTER Charge Of Our Life"

Dr. Benny McLeodPastor

Of Lee & Collier Counties

239-244-6073

Weekly Ministry ScheduleSunday: Breakfast For Guests/Members................. 8:00amSunday: Church School (Classes for all ages).......... 9:00amSunday Worship........................................................ 10:30amTuesday: Worship Prayer - Bible Study....................7:00pmWednesday: Youth Ministry...................................... 5:00pm

Grace United Methodist Church2979 Lincoln Blvd,

Fort Myers, FL 33916Phone: (239) 334-3160

SERVICE TIMESSunday School - 10am

Sunday Worship - 11:30amPastor Heather Evans



Pastor Alfred D. & First Lady E. Mae Jones2935 64th Street SW Naples, Florida 34105-7315Phone/Fax: 239-261-0719 "Pray, and let God worry." Martin Luther

Phone/Fax: 239-261-0719E-mail: [email protected]: www.bethelnaples.com

Bethel A.M.E. Church of Naples, Florida

1006 3rd Ave. No. , Naples, Florida 34102Phone (239) 262-4877

Sunday School - 9:30amSunday Worship - 11:00amPrayer Meeting Tues & Thurs - 7-8pm

Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church

Lonnie E. Mills, Pastor

PALMETTO CHURCH OF GOD1123 Veronica Shoemaker Blvd.

Ft Myers, FL 33916239-693-6162

WORSHIP SERVICES

Sunday School 9:30 amMorning Worship 11:00 am

Sunday Evening Worship 6:00 pmMonday Evening Prayer Service 8:00pm

Bible Study Wednesdays 7:30 pm

Bishop Egbert May and First Lady Georgia MayBishop Egbert May and First Lady Georgia May

Sunday Service.................................................................... 9:30amWorship Service.................................................................. 11:00amWednesday Bible Study........................................................ 7:00pmDiscovery Ministry for Youth................................ 5:30pm Wed Eve.

(Except 1st and 5th Wed.)

ZION HOPE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Rev. Samuel B. Watkins

2250 Palm Ave., Fort Myers, Florida 33916Email:[email protected] Number: 239-851-1536

Schedule of ServiceSunday School/Orientation........................................ 9:30 A.M.Morning Worship:.........................................................11:00 A.M.Monday Evening Prayer Service and Bible Study..... 7:00 P.M.

Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church

Rev. Larry D. Wimbush, Pastor& Sister Ruby Wimbush

Rev. Larry D. Wimbush, Pastor& Sister Ruby Wimbush


3845 BECK BLVD., NAPLES, FL. 34114Mailing Address: P.O. Box 990397, Naples, Fl. 34116

239-601-6100

1620 39th Street SW, Naples, FL 34117Mailing Address: P.O. Box 990639, Naples, FL 34116

Phone: 239-353-6604Midweek Bible Study

Family Fellowship 6:00P.M. - Bible study 7:00P.M. Sunday Worship 10:15A.M.

Sunday Worship Service...11:00am - Mid-Week Bible Study...Wed. 7:00pm

Pastor R.L. Neal &Lady Tami Neal

Pastor Irvin and Lady Pamela Stallworth

Unity Faith Missionary Baptist Church

2424 BroadwayFort Myers, FL 33901

239-337-7677


2112 Mitchell Court, Ft. Myers, Fl. 33916Phone: (239) 332-4411

[email protected] * [email protected]

Sunday School: 9:30amSunday Morning Worship: 11:00am

Monday Night Brotherhood Meeting (For Men): 7:00pmWednesday Night MId-Week Service: 7:30pm

Last Friday of the Month Corporate Prayer: 7:00pm-8:00pmIf you need transportation please call us at 239-332-4411 and

we will pick you up. Leave us a message and we will call you back.

Church School On Sunday Morning at 10:00amSunday Mornings Worship Service at 11:00am

Wednesday Night Prayer and Bible Study at 7:30pm

House of Prayer Apostolic Faith Church of God, Inc. Grace New Testament Church In His Blood



Pastor Judy W. Sykes

Each One,Bring One

New Address2087 Fountain St. Ft. Myers, Fl. 33916

Grace Pastor Cecil Hendley: (239) 222-3338Grace Pastor A. Addison: (239) 321-1868

Pastor A. Addison

Pastor C. Hendley

4901 Palm Beach Blvd. Unit 310-320 Fort Myers, FL 33905Phone: (239) 689-1442

SERvICE TIMES:Early Morning Worship 1st & 3rd Sundays – 8:00am

Sunday School – 10:00amMorning Worship- 11:00amBible Study- Tues. 7:30pm

Mid-Week Service-Thursday Nights 7:30pm

New Apostolic Faith Grace Ministries Inc.A non-denominational Christian Church

Apostle Luke A. Green-Founder/Overseer

Pastor Leslie and FirstLady Robin Green

Full Gospel Pentecost Missionary Baptist Church

Sunday School Class...................................................................... 9:45 amSunday Morning Worship Service.............................................. 11:00 amTuesday Morning Prayer Band Meeting.................................. 9:00 amWednesday Evening Prayer/Bible Study................................ 6:00 pm2nd Saturday Men/Women Ministry........................................ 4:00 pm4th Saturday Youth Discussion................................................. 4:00 pmPastor Willie Troy Green - Founder Willie C. Troup

Matthew 16:18 - “UPON THIS ROCK”

2021 Lincoln Blvd. Fort Myers, Florida 33916 * 239-281-3715

Sunday Service - 12:30pmBible Study Tuesday - 7:00pm

True Temple of Faith Missionary Baptist Church

2651 Evans AvenueFort Myers, Fl, Unit 104, 33916

239-440-8864

Second & Fourth Sunday Evening Services Start at 6:00pmSunday School at 9:45am

Sunday Worship Service at 11am

Bible Study eveery Tuesday night at 7:00pm.We would like for you to come out and join usin service where God is moving in our life!

Pastor RobertFletcher & FirstLady Fletcher

“God Bless”revfletcher7873@

gmail.com

Trinity Christian Outreach Ministries

Location: Pine Brook Suites 12995 So. Cleveland Ave., Suite # 174 & 175

Fort Myers, Fl. 33907

ORDER OF WORSHIP

Sunday School- 9:30am Church Service - 10:30am

Monday Nights– Choir Rehearsal 7:00pm Tuesday Nights– Bible Study 7:00pm

205-246-9709 or 205-246-9773

PastorsEddie

& AprilSmith

1648 Palmetto Ave.. Ft. Myers, FL [email protected]

[email protected]

Ronnie Battles, Pastor * 239-218-7203Princess L. Battles, Co-Pastor * 239-209-8076


OUR FA ITH BASED COMMUNITYMt. Olive A.M.E. Church Celebrates “Children’s Day 2018”

The second Sunday in June isknown as “National Children'sDay” in the United States. The observance is set aside to

honor the children in our lives. OnJune 10, 2018, at the 11:00amworship service, the Mt. OliveAME Church honored its ownyouth. The opening procession,"Every Praise", was led by Mt.Olive A.M.E.’s 2018 “King andQueen”, Master Messiah Nasir

Richardson and Little MissKhaliya Couture Zy'ire Ludgood.Marching in on "Pomp and Cir-cumstance" was their high schoolgraduate, Bobby Cheon Bethea.Bobby, affectionately called“Buddy”, graduated from East LeeCounty High School.During the worship service, the

academic and Christian serviceachievements of the their youthwere recognized with certificates

and tokens of love. The chirch’s Pastor, Rev. James

C. Givens, expressed delight in“the willingness and perseveranceof our students to participate in thevarious academic and athletic av-enues open to them.” In addition,he prayed for them "individuallyand collectively for the continuedsuccess of each student from VPKto college level." The worship service continued

with a powerful message byBrother Darias Gregory Bowers,who is a student at Florida Agri-cultural and Mechanical Univer-sity (FAMU) and currently servesas Youth Minister at New Mt.Zion AME Church, Tallahassee,Florida under the leadership ofRev. Dr. Anton G. Elwood. The scripture was St. Luke

18:37-39 and the sermon topicwas "I Need Help." Bro. Bowers

stated, "when you need help, callon Jesus and when others try toblock you, call Him even more." After the worship service, a

repast was served which includedlots of hugs, kisses, congratula-tions and encouraging remarksgiven to the youth. Photos by Jacquie Matthews

Williams.


OUR FA ITH BASED COMMUNITYTen Reasons To Attend Church This Sunday

“Let us hold tightlywithout wavering to thehope we affirm, for God canbe trusted to keep Hispromise. Let us think ofways to motivate one an-other to acts of love andgood works. And let us notneglect our meeting to-gether as some people do,but encourage one another,especially now that the dayof His return is drawingnear” (Hebrews 10:23-25).The following ten obser-

vations are not original;they crossed my desk viaemail (Source: MinistryTech) and I think they areworth sharing with you. Inrecent years, unprecedentednumbers of Christians havebecome “dropouts” fromchurch attendance. Theirreasons for quitting vary.But in light of this trend, itmight help to consider thesereasons for maintaining reg-ular church attendance.(1) Church goers are

more likely to be marriedand express a higher satis-faction with life. Church in-volvement is the mostimportant predictor of mar-ital stability and happinessaccording to the HeritageFoundation.(2) Church attendance

boosts the immune systemand decreases blood pres-sure. It may add as many as2 to 3 years to your life ac-cording to the New YorkTimes.(3) A 2010 Child Trends

review indicates that kidswho attend church are lesslikely to be involved in vio-lence, theft, and vandalismor to struggle with sub-stance abuse problems thantheir peers.(4) Teens with church-

going fathers are morelikely to say they enjoyspending time with Dad andthat they admire him ac-cording to a recent Univer-sity of North Carolina atChapel Hill study.(5) According to the Pew

Research Center, frequentchurch goers are happier.Those who attend churchservices weekly or more,are happier than those whoattend less often. Thosewho seldom or never attendservices are the least likelyto say they are very happy.(6) Church involvement

moves people out ofpoverty. It is also correlatedwith less depression, moreself-esteem, and greaterfamily and marital happi-ness according to the Her-itage Foundation.(7) According to the

Hartford Institute, churchparticipation leads men to

become more engaged hus-bands and fathers.(8) A special report by

the National Survey ofChildren’s Health indicatesthat church participation byan intact family is associ-ated with lower risk of de-velopmental and behavioralproblems in school age chil-dren.(9) Here’s a quote from a

recent study: “Those whogo to church more thanonce a week enjoy betterhealth than those who at-

tend only once a week.Overall the reduction inmortality attributable tochurch going is 25%. Thisis a huge amount in episte-mological studies.” Re-searchers thought thatperhaps this was simply dueto having strong supportiverelationships, but non-church centered groups did-n’t experience that sameeffect.(10) Couples who at-

tend church together reportbeing more happily marriedand are less likely to di-vorce. Drawing upon threenational surveys, Universityof Virginia sociologist W.Bradford Wilcox found thatmarried church-goingAmericans across all racialand denominational classi-fications were more likelyto describe themselves asvery happy in their mar-riage than non-church-going respondents.PONDER THIS:I can’t say that I agree

with everything recorded

above; however, to neglectmeeting with other Chris-tians for Bible study andworship is to give up the en-couragement and help offellow believers. We gathertogether to share our faithand to strengthen one an-other in the Lord. As we getcloser to the day whenChrist will return, we willface many spiritual strug-

True Temple of Faith Missionary Baptist ChurchTrue Temple of Faith Missionary Baptist Church

Pastor Robert Fletcher &First Lady Fletcher

Pastor Robert Fletcher &First Lady Fletcher

Church Worship Service

Sunday School 9:45amWorship Service 11am2nd & 4th Sunday Eve.

Service @ 6:pm

3651 Evans Ave. Ft. Myers, Fl, Unit 104, 33916 * 239-440-8864

Second & FourthSunday EveningService Starts

at 6:00pm

gles, and even times of per-secution. Anti-Christianforces will continue to growin strength. Personal diffi-culties and demands of sec-ular organizationalaffiliations should never beexcuses for missing churchservices. Rather, as difficul-ties arise and demands aremade on our time commit-ments, we should make an

even greater effort to befaithful in our church atten-dance. Think about it. Nowgo do the right thing!James A. Bing, Pastor,

Friendship MissionatryBaptist Church, 2030 PalmAvenue, Fort Myers,Florida 33916. E-Mail: jabing@com-

cast.net or [email protected].

By James A. Bing, Pastor, Friendship Missionatry Baptist Church

A DevotionalBy James A. Bing, Pastor


OUR FA ITH BASED COMMUNITYFriendship M.B. Church Celebrates 106th Anniversary

On an early Sunday morningin June of 1912, God ordained theFriendship Missionary BaptistChurch. The combining of two(2) three room houses were joinedtogether and thus worship began.One hundred and six years

later, Friendship Missionary Bap-tist Church is still a vital part ofthe Fort Myers Florida commu-nity. The month of June, 2018 ush-

ered in a grand and glorious cele-bration of “Friday Night Live”

with Praise and Worship, Com-munity Youth Service, Movienight and “Friendship’s Got Tal-ent”. In addition to Friday Night

Live Worship services, a clothingand wares giveaway was con-

ducted, healthy cooking classeswere held and a fantastic Familyand Fun Day was enjoyed by all.The celebration theme of “The

Loving, Sustaining and MercifulPower of God” was created tobring to light the importance of

delving deeper into God’s wordand thereby producing a congre-gation with singleness of the mindand unity of the spirit. We praise God and acknowl-

edge His Glory for all He hasdone.


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(Photo one) Members of the 50 Years and More Committee: Monique Campbell, Kathy Dupuy-Bruno, Chair, NettieMorgan and Cheryl McPherson-Davidson. (Photo two) Kathy Dupuy-Bruno, 2nd Vice-President and Chair of 50 Yearsand More Committee: Cynthia Butler-McIntyre, 24th National Past President and Vivian Watkins, Chapter President.

50 Years And More: A Celebration Of Sisterhood, Service And Leadership

Delta’s Golden Legacy Recognitions in Media and Business

(Photos from left to right) Kathy KB Dupuy-Bruno, Esq. with Cynthia Butler-McIntyre, the 24th Na-tional President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Golden Legacy Business Leadership Award;Victor M. Arias, Esq., Golden Legacy Business Leadership Award; Lee Pitts, Golden Legacy MediaAward; Tricia K. Prado, Esq., Golden Legacy Business Leadership Award; Golden Legacy MediaAward to James Middlebrooks and Pablo Williams of The Community Press .

On June 15, 2018, theFort Myers Alumnae Chap-ter of Delta Sigma ThetaSorority, Inc. began their 50Year Gala Weekend festivi-ties. This was the culmina-tion of their yearlongcelebration, which beganduring their last chaptermeeting in June 2017.Throughout the year, theSorority celebrated pri-vately and publicly, begin-ning with their Juneserenade of their chartermembers, followed by theirGolden Legacy Retreat(where their 50 Year pinsand 50 Year T-shirts weredistributed), attendance andspeaking at a DecemberCity Council meeting, hold-ing a December Remem-brance CharteringBreakfast, participating inan anniversary interview onLee Pitts Live, having acharter member table at theMartin Luther King Jr.Alpha Phi Alpha Unitybreakfast, conducting thePresident’s HOPE 50 YearsCommunity Service Projectand Legal Clinic, awardingthe Charter Members’$1,300 Golden LegacyScholarship during MayWeek to a high school sen-ior, and ending with the 50Years Gala Weekend. Inaddition, the Sorority main-tained a presence in com-munity print and TV media,appearing in The Commu-

Fort Myers. The event waslight, with a wonderfulspirit. Lee Pitts of Lee PittsLive was the media sponsorand conducted countless in-terviews regarding the his-torical event. The Gala began with a

procession of the membersof the Sorority, entering tothe song “We are Family”by Sister Sledge performedby the live band, Nette andthe Soul System. There-after, the Lee County Sher-iff, all woman color guard,accompanied the flag, andthe national anthem wassung. Lena Rodriguez, akaLuna Muni, entertained theaudience with her soothing

nity Press and on Lee PittsLive throughout the year,displaying their sisterhood,public service, and leader-ship.The epic 50 Year Gala

Weekend began on Friday,June 15, 2018, at Mimi’sCafé, when members of theSorority and out of townguests fellowshipped withthe charter members, remi-nisced about the past, andparticipated in a Delta raf-fle. On June 16, 2018, theSorority celebrated their 50Years and More in grandstyle at the much antici-pated 50 Year Gala Lunch-eon. The gala attracted apotpourri of Who’s Who in

violin. City of Fort MyersMayor Randy P. Hendersondemonstrated his wonderfuldancing skills. The mem-bers of the National PanHellenic Council of SWFLbrought greetings, with thePresident of the NPHC andthe Black History Society,Jarrett Eady, giving a mov-ing tribute to the chartermembers. Nette and theSoul System band contin-ued to entertain with liveMotown classics through-out the event. The Soror-ity’s youth group, DeltaAcademy and DeltaGEMS, presented the char-ter members with a specialgift and displayed their or-

atory talents. Led by Dr.Sybil Knight-Burney, thecharter member legaciesgave the charter membersbouquets of 13 red andwhite roses. Thereafter, theband, accompanied by the50 Years and More GalaChoir, sang “This is Me”from the movie, The Great-est Showman. In addition,there were multiple presen-tations that explained thehistory of the Sorority andthe local chapter. The eventconcluded with an inspira-tional, well receivedspeech, by the keynotespeaker, Cynthia Butler-McIntyre, the 24th Past Na-tional President of Delta

Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.,who challenged the audi-ence by asking where theywould make a differenceand leave their thumbprintin this world. Thereafter,Mayor Henderson be-stowed on Mrs. Butler-McIntyre the City of FortMyers Pin. Each guest re-ceived a wonderful histori-cal souvenir journal to takehome. The weekend cele-bration continued for mem-bers of the Sorority as theyand their past national pres-ident attended a private af-terglow party on Saturdaynight, wherein the chartermembers were presentedwith the forever violet bythe 50 Years and Morecommittee. On Sunday, thepast national president andmembers of the Sorority at-tended services at St. JohnFirst Missionary BaptistChurch.The 50 Years and More

committee, Nettie Morgan,Monique Campbell, CherylMcPherson-Davidson, andKathy Dupuy-Bruno, Esq.,began planning the extraor-dinary celebratory year inMay 2017. The Chair ofthe committee, KathyDupuy-Bruno, Esq., stated,“Our Chapter President, Vi-vian Watkins, wanted tohave a commemorativeyear that concluded with

The Fort Myers Alumnae Chap-ter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,Inc. is happy to present fourGolden Legacy Awards to individ-uals and businesses who haveserved the southwest Florida com-munity as leaders in the media andas leaders in business for numerousyears. These individuals were se-lected for their commitment to thecommunity and their excellence intheir respective fields. In addition, these individuals

Golden Legacy Media Award. Congratulations to Bruno &

Prado, PLLC, Tricia K. Prado, Esq.and Kathy KB Dupuy-Bruno, Esq.on their Golden Legacy BusinessLeadership award. Congratulations to Arias Law

Firm and Victor Arias, Esq. whowere the recipients of the GoldenLegacy Business Leadershipaward.Photos by Jacquie Matthews

Williams.

have demonstrated their commit-ment to civic service by supportingcommunity enhancing programs,including support of the FortMyers Alumnae Chapter in its pub-lic service initiatives. Congratulations to Lee Pitts

Live and Lee Pitts who wereawarded the Golden Legacy MediaAward. Congratulations to The Com-

munity Press, James Middlebrooksand Pablo Williams for their



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Around The TownWith

The Community Press


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More than 60 ladies attendedthe June 23rd, "Get Your F's To-gether" Power Brunch, hosted byVisionary, Toya Bryant-Felston,co-founder of FitSistaz FortMyers.The one-of-a-kind, powerful,

impactful and life-changingbrunch, was designed to help par-ticipants learn how to transitioninto living their best life. "Get Your F's Together," fo-

cused on the power of Faith,Freedom, Finance, and Fitness.Power of F's presenters were:FAITH (Can Turn Things

Around) by Cheryl Glover, Exec-utive Administrator of Mt. Her-

mon Ministries Inc. & Co-founder of Redeeming InfluencerCommunity Outreach.

FREEDOM (Lies In BeingBold) by Citrenia Hood, Owner& CEO of Steel Bleu Manage-ment and Consulting Firm of

Small Businesses and Non-prof-its.

FINANCE (Mental, Emo-tional & Educational Process) byTiffany Allen-Smith, Vice Presi-dent of the 740 Club.

FITNESS (The Human Body

Is The Best Picture of the HumanSoul) by Cherline Louissaint,CEO of increase the Peach, Inc.,Fitness and Nutrition Specialist& Personal Trainer.Photos by Jacquie Matthews

Williams.

Local Event Teaches Women To “Get Your F’s Together”

munity.” She further stated,“Although our chartermembers did not want all ofthe accolades, we are sohappy that they allowed us

to move forward with ourvision—and cooperatedwhen we told them what towear and where to be; theyearned this recognition and

deserved every bit of the at-tention. It was long over-due.” The Fort Myers Alum-

nae Chapter was estab-

lished on December 18,1965, at the Howard John-son’s Restaurant on Cleve-land Avenue in Fort Myers,Florida.

The chartering officerwas Regional DirectorMaggie McDowell ofMemphis, Tennessee. Therewere thirteen charter mem-bers, namely, Marie Mal-lory Ackord, CharterPresident, Theora HamiltonAustin, Ida Speed Baker **,Annette Johnson Booker,Alma Livingston Cam-bridge, Mary Gillings Leon**, Richardeen Ellis Jones,Dr. Ann Murphy Knight,Melvin Smallwood Mor-gan, Gwendoyn JonesPrimus Mosley**, Geral-dine Simpkins Ware, Con-stance White-Davis andCelestene JohnsonWilliams.** Of the 13 charter mem-

bers, 7 of the 9 living mem-bers were in attendance atthe 50 Year Gala. The entire weekend was

preserved in photographsby Jacquie MatthewsWilliams, and the gala wasvideotaped by Jessie Dortchof Community TV 1.(**Deceased)

our 50 Year Gala becauseour charter members arenot only pillars of ourSorority, but are pillars ofthe Southwest Florida com-

“DELTA’S 50 & MORE CELEBRATION” FROM PAGE 15


On January 20, 1961,John F. Kennedy chal-lenged every American tostop asking what our coun-try could do for us, and in-stead ask what we could dofor our country. Americahas given every one oftoday’s citizens the right tovote, the right to voice theiropinions, and the right to befree. Every citizen of thiscountry is living the Amer-ican Dream that so manydon’t get to experience.None of this was simplyhanded to our nation, how-ever; we fought for all of it. In 1776, our Founding

Fathers asked what theycould do for our countryand answered their ownquestion by signing theDeclaration of Independ-ence, granting us freedomfrom England and allowingus to truly celebrate ourrights to “Life, Liberty, andthe pursuit of Happiness.”From the moment the Dec-laration was signed, Amer-ica stood as its own nation,one where all men werecreated equal. America be-came its own legacy, hold-ing promise for a strongfuture.

The Founding Fathersthen continued to improveour country’s well-being bycreating the Constitution in1787, which was composedof seven articles and estab-lished a foundation for leg-islative, executive, andjudicial branches of govern-ment, state relations,amendments, and presiden-tial laws. Between the 85federalist papers written topromote the ratification ofthe Constitution, the articlesthemselves, and all theother work put into creatingthe Constitution, countlesshours were devoted to cre-ating a “more perfectunion.” Just a few years after the

Constitution was enacted,we saw the first ten amend-

ments ratified, granting sep-aration of church and state,the right to bear arms, andthe right to a jury, amongother things. With theseamendments, we saw thatthe Constitution did not endour fight to become the bestnation possible. We sawthat, while the Constitutionlaid a base for our country,there remained a need forfurther laws. Since then, we’ve seen

other amendments thatabolished slavery, allowedfor African-American vot-ing rights, allowed forwomen’s voting rights, etc.We can look back throughour history and see the fightto become a nation thattruly does honor our “lib-erty and justice for all”stance. Through the upsand downs of history, free-dom for all American citi-zens has proven to be thebackbone of this beautifulcountry. This Independence Day,

as we celebrate our free-dom, we must rememberthat the fight is still notover. Every day is anotherday we must ask what wecan do for our country.Every day, we must wakeup and honor the work thatwas put into making this

By Kaitlyn Prado-Barker

Happy Birthday, America!country a land for all. Free-dom is a privilege ourcountry fought hard for,and we must continue tofight for. Whether you take ad-

vantage of your right tovote or use your right to

speak out against injustice,keep fighting for our coun-try. Happy Birthday Amer-

ica! Kaitlyn Prado-Barker is

an intern at the law firm ofBruno & Prado, PLLC, lo-

Kaitlyn Prado-Barker

COMMUNITY LEGAL CORNER

cated at 10970 S. ClevelandAve., Suite 303, FortMyers, Florida.Bruno & Prado, PLLC

can be reached by loggingon to www.bpalawgroup.com or by calling (239)337-1460.


HEALTHY BY CHOICE

By Stephanie Watson – WebMDGenetics isn't the only

factor in aging. Here's howto break the mold. When itcomes to aging, Bebe Shawdidn't hit the genetic lottery.Her mother died from con-gestive heart failure, her fa-ther of a heart condition.The younger of her twobrothers had a heart attackat age 52, and her youngersister is on the verge of con-gestive heart failure. Shaw,69, has high cholesterol -- aserious risk factor for heartdisease.

With such a checkeredhealth history, she's not tak-ing any chances. "I am anadvocate of exercise anddiet," says Shaw, whoworks as a paralegal inOcala, Florida. "I play ten-nis three days a week, go to[indoor cycling], Zumbaclasses at the “Y” twice aweek and try to ride mybike on a nearby trail everyday." She also eats well, takes

a statin drug to control hercholesterol, and visits herdoctor regularly for check-

Healthy Aging: What Can You Control?

ups and screenings.Aging: Nature or Nurture?

Looking at your rela-tives' medical histories islike peering into a crystalball. You get a glimpse atyour future but not thewhole picture. You can'tchange the genes you inher-ited, but you can avoidhabits that contributed toyour family's health prob-lems.Take preventive action

now to help make sureyou're healthy into your

60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond.“You must remain activeand engaged. By that, Imean physically and men-tally active and socially en-gaged,” says Pacala, who isalso president of the Amer-ican Geriatrics Society. Heticks off the necessities: aer-obic and resistance exer-cises, a balanced diet that'slow in saturated fat andhigh in fruits and vegeta-bles, and brain games andsocial outings to keep yousharp.You also want to try to

avoid diseases. “Get yourimmunizations, your cancerscreening tests, your cardiacand osteoporosis risk fac-tors assessed before youhave those problems,”Pacala says.

Staying Forever Young

We've all seen 70- and80-year-olds who look andact decades younger. Howdo they do it? Pacala sharesa few secrets.• Refuse to take it slow.

“There's a sort of societalexpectation that you're sup-posed to slow down as youget old, and I think youshould fight against that,”Pacala says. “Don't let yourgrandkids get up and mowthe lawn for you and getyou a glass of water. Get upand do it yourself.”• Take a daily walk.

Even if your pace is gentleand the distance is short, thetime spent on your feet willhelp keep your bonesstrong.• Read the newspaper

with your morning bowlof oatmeal. Keeping your

mind engaged could wardoff the brain changes thatlead to Alzheimer's andother forms of dementia,while the whole grains inyour bowl help preventheart disease.• Downsize your por-

tions. Overeating leads toobesity and diabetes, whichcan shorten your lifespan.An overstuffed plate hasalso been linked to memoryloss in people 70 and older. Lifestyle was a big fac-

tor in Shaw's family: Herfather was overweight, andher younger brother, asmoker.Photo courtesy of

https://transformgov.org/articles/national-and-local-recognition-importance-healthy-aging


Marvin Davies Inducted Into Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame

City Seeking Citizen Advisory Board Members

Marvin Davies

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On June 7, 2018, the lateMarvin Davies was in-ducted into the FloridaCivil Rights Hall of Fame.Governor Rick Scottchoose Mr. Davies from alist of 10 distinguishednominees, selected by theFlorida Commission onHuman Relations, for mak-ing significant contribu-tions to the improvement oflife for minorities and allcitizens of the State ofFlorida.Mr. Davies was born in

Bradford County in 1934and died on April 25, 2003.After serving in the UnitedStates Army, Davies attended Florida

A&M University where he

hassee, St. Augustine, andMontgomery, Alabama. Mr. Davies also worked

as a coordinator of voca-tional counseling and jobdevelopment and place-ment in a training programsponsored by the UnitedStates Department ofLabor. But he is wellknown for his work on thefrontlines as the field secre-tary of the Florida StateConference of the NationalAssociation for the Ad-vancement of Colored Peo-ple (NAACP), to which hewas named in 1966. Hewent on to become the ex-ecutive director of theFlorida NAACP.He also served as a spe-

received his degree rankingsecond in his class. Duringhis time at Florida A&M,he joined civil rights lead-ers such as Dr. MartinLuther King Jr., and partic-ipated in protests in Talla-

The City of Fort Myersseeks knowledgeable,community-minded citi-zens to serve on its CitizenAdvisory Boards. Thesevolunteer boards provideadvice and recommenda-tions to City Council onnumerous topics.The City is looking for

qualified volunteers withan interest in communityimprovement. Typically,board members must re-side, work or own prop-erty within the City of FortMyers, although someboards have parametersthat are more specific.The following boards

have vacancies:Beautification Advi-

sory Board: Advises onlandscaping and beautifi-cation of city propertiesand along streets, parks,and right-of-way. Mem-bers should reflect knowl-edge in landscaping,plants, or beautification.Bicycle and Pedestrian

Advisory Board: Makesrecommendations on mat-ters pertaining to pedes-trian and bicycletransportation. Membersshall have knowledge inthe area of bicycle andpedestrian patterns.Board of Adjustments:

A quasi-judicial body thatreviews decisions made inrelation to enforcementand interpretation of theCity’s land developmentcode. Members shall be ei-ther a resident of the cityor own property in thecity.Citizens Police Review

Board: Reviews citizencomplaints about potentialpolice misconduct. Mem-bers must be City resi-dents, U.S. Citizens orresident aliens, and mustpass a city backgroundcheck. Members may notbe related to a member ofthe Fort Myers Police De-partment.Code Enforcement

Board: Presides over en-forcement proceedings re-lated to City codeviolations. Members mustbe City residents, andshould be experienced inarchitecture, business, en-gineering, construction orrealty.Historic Preservation

Commission: Responsiblefor identifying and main-

taining the City's historicresources for the benefit ofCity residents. Membersshould have experience oreducation in architecture,history, construction, plan-ning or archaeology.Members should be resi-dents or property/businessowners in one of FortMyers’ historic districts.Local Affordable

Housing Advisory Com-mittee: Provides recom-mendations on policies,procedures, ordinances,land development regula-tions and other actions orinitiatives related to af-fordable housing. Seeksmembers with experiencein residential home build-ing, mortgage banking,housing advocacy, or oth-erwise interested or con-cerned with affordablehousing.Nuisance Abatement

Board: A quasi-judicialbody that hear evidencerelating to the existence ofdrug-related public nui-sances located in the city.Members must reside ormaintain a business withincity limits. Two membersmust have experience astrial attorneys.Planning Board: Con-

ducts a comprehensiveplanning program andmakes recommendationsto City Council regardingrezonings and develop-ment agreements. Mem-bers should have abackground in architec-ture, business, planning,real estate and/or civil en-gineering.S.T.A.R.S. Manage-

ment Advisory Board:Provides recommenda-tions toward developingcomprehensive educa-tional success through theS.T.A.R.S. academicrecreation support pro-gram.The Mayor and City

Council members typi-cally appoint board mem-bers. Application formsare available on the City’swebsite at www.cityftmy-ers.com/266/Board- Ap-plications-Forms. Formore information aboutCitizen Advisory Boards,please contact GwenCarlisle, City Clerk, at239-321-7040 [email protected].

cial assistant to GovernorBob Graham and was statecoordinator of the MartinLuther King, Jr. Founda-tion.Following 1996 civil vi-

olence in St. Petersburg, hejoined other community ac-tivists to form the Coalitionof African-American Lead-ership. The Coalitionpressed the case for eco-nomic development in theneighborhoods where thedisturbances occurred. Helater served on the CitizensAdvisory Commission ap-pointed to supervise federalassistance to the city afterthose disturbances. While working from his

home base in Fort Myers,

Florida, Davies spear-headed successful efforts todesegregate the Fort MyersCountry Club, and the Wal-greens lunch counter indown town Fort Myers.

Although he taughtschool in Lee County, he al-ways said that the classroom was too confining; heneeded to be out and aboutto help people.


3531 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.Fort Myers, Florida 33916

Phone NumbersCell: 404-809-7084 * Office: 239-277-2091

Fax: 800-681-7891E-Mail:[email protected]: https://www.247bailbondsfortmyers.com/optin

Lead AgentJarvis P. Idlette


A trusted name in the funeralindustry for over 90 years.

Family owned and operated

In Memoriam

Allen Troy Perkins06/04/18

Willie Williams II06/20/18

Glenda M. Chisholm06/05/18

Alice S. Osborne06/11/18

David Turner06/19/18

vinell Linton Hills06/22/18

Anthony Brown06/19/18

Luc Datus06/08/18

Annette Marie Davis06/23/18

Lucan Charles Bellot06/25/18

Wanda Arrow-Brown06/28/18

Wilson Anfield II06/28/18

Aron Jones III06/18/18


LOC ALYou May Be Able To Save $1,608 Or More In Medicare Costs!

SHINE counselors can help seniors apply for cost savings programsMore than 2 million

older Americans are receiv-ing letters from the SocialSecurity Administrationabout programs that couldhelp pay their health careexpenses. Recipients ofthese letters are likely eligi-ble for Extra Help, a low-in-come subsidy program forMedicare Part D prescrip-tion benefits, or otherMedicare Savings Pro-grams. The Area Agency on

Aging for SouthwestFlorida (AAASWFL) wantsto reassure seniors thatthese letters from the SocialSecurity Administration arelegitimate. Recipients areencouraged to contact theSHINE (Serving Health In-surance Needs of Elders)program to determine ifthey are eligible and receiveapplication assistance.SHINE Medicare coun-

selors provide free, unbi-ased, and personalizedassistance with Medicare,Medicaid, prescription drugplans, and long-term careinsurance. Offered locallythrough the Area Agency onAging for SouthwestFlorida, SHINE empowersseniors, their caregivers,

and family members tomake informed decisionsabout health care coverage.SHINE is a volunteer pro-gram of the Florida Depart-ment of Elder Affairs andpart of the national SHIPProgram. “About 12 million peo-

ple nationwide use one ofthese programs to helpcover the costs of medica-tions, copays, deductibles,and Medicare premiums,”explains Camilita Aldridge,SHINE Liaison withAAASWFL. “About 5,700people in Lee County willreceive these letters. If youfound one of these letters inyour mailbox, SHINE maybe able to help you savehundreds or even thousandsof dollars on your healthcare. With healthcare costscontinuing to rise, theseprograms can be a lifelinefor older adults with limitedincomes.”AAASWFL provides

SHINE counseling servicesat locations across South-west Florida. To make anappointment with a SHINEcounselor, callAAASWFL’s toll-freeElder Helpline at 1-866-413-5337. A list of counsel-

ing sites can also be foundon the SHINE website:www.floridashine.org. The Area Agency on

Aging for SouthwestFlorida is a nonprofit organ-ization serving Charlotte,Collier, DeSoto, Glades,Hendry, Lee, and SarasotaCounties. AAASWFL isthe state’s designated Agingand Disability ResourceCenter for SouthwestFlorida. The organization iscommitted to helping adultsages 60 and over and peoplewith disabilities to live withindependence and dignity in

their own homes and com-munities. More informa-tion is available atwww.aaaswfl.org or bycalling the toll-freeHelpline at 866-413-5337(866-41-ELDER).You May Be Able To Save$1,608 Or More InMedicare Costs!If you can’t afford

Medicare premiums orother medical costs, youmay be able to get help.Medicare Savings Pro-grams may help payMedicare Part A (HospitalInsurance) and Medicare

Part B (Medical Insurance)premiums, deductibles,coinsurance, and copay-ments.Am I Eligible For AMedicare Savings Pro-gram?To qualify for a

Medicare Savings Program,your monthly income andtotal resources (like moneyin a bank, stocks, or bonds)must be at or below theamounts shown in thistable: 2018 Monthly Income

Limit• Married $1,872 (living

together)• Single - $1,386 2018 Total Resource

Limit• Married $11,340 (liv-

ing together)• Single $7,560 The income limits are

higher in Alaska andHawaii. Many states allowyou to have more incomethan the figures listedabove. If you or yourspouse work, some of yourearned income will not becounted in determiningyour eligibility. Some statesallow you to have more re-sources. Your house, car,and up to $1,500 per person

in burial expenses don’tcount as resources. How Do I Apply ForMedicare Savings Pro-grams?Call your State Medical

Assistance (Medicaid) of-fice to apply for a MedicareSavings Program. To get thephone number for yourState Medicaid office, visitMedicare.gov/contacts. First, choose your state

under “Choose your loca-tion for contact informa-tion,” and then, under“Choose an organizationOR topic of interest,” select“State Medicaid AssistanceOffice” at the bottom of thelist of options, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users cancall 1-877-486-2048.If you have questions,

visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE. YourState Health Insurance As-sistance Program (SHIP)also can help answerMedicare questions. To get the phone number

for your SHIP office, seethe back cover of yourMedicare & You handbook,visit shiptacenter.org or call1-800-MEDICARE.


LEE HEALTH NEWS

The Regional CancerCenter has experienceddouble-digit growth eachyear since opening in 2008.To continue providinghigh-quality, comprehen-sive care to our growingcommunity, the centeradded a 24,000-square-foot, two-story building toits 62,000-square-foot facil-ity. Southwest Florida’s pri-mary cancer-caredestination, Regional Can-cer Center offers patientsleading-edge treatment fornearly every aspect of theircancer care. For more information,

call 239-343-9500.

Expanded Regional Cancer Center Opened In June

Lee Health Convenient Care Offices Offering Sports, School Physicals

Services at the new lo-cation include:• Welcome desk, cancer

rehabilitation, palliativecare, cancer data center,and multi-disciplinary/navigation services• Adult oncology and

medical oncologyRegional Cancer Center

provides patients with ac-cess to the latest cancertreatments and targetedtherapies, early phase clin-ical trials, timely referralsfor second opinions andimproved coordination ofcare under one roof.

By Clayton Luz, Lee HealthSpecial to The Community Press

Survival rates at the Regional Cancer Center meet or exceed the national average for all cancer treatmentfacilities.

Lee Health’s Conven-ient Care Urgent Care of-fices are offering $25sports, camp and schoolphysicals with no appoint-ment necessary. Physicals available be-

tween now and Sept. 30,2018 and includes:* Height and weight* Vital signs* Allergies* Medications* Review of any past

* Page Field, 4771 S.Cleveland Avenue, FortMyers, Open 7 a.m.-7 p.* Summerlin, 16230

Summerlin Road, FortMyers, Open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.* Pine Island, 1682 NE

medical and surgical history* Physical examThis easily accessible al-

ternative for school andsports physicals is availableat all four Convenient Carelocations:

Pine Island Road, Ft.Myers, Open 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.* Metro, 13340 Metro

Parkway, Fort Myers, Open7 a.m. - 9 p.m. For more information,

visit www.LeeHealth.org/Urgent.


This month on theMindset TransformationRadio Show and podcast, Ibegin a series called the“Millennial Playbook toAdulting,” with authorArika L. Pierce.Arika is a generational

strategist and we have con-versations around unpack-

ASK THE EXPERTS

“Ask Coach Myrna”

“Emotional Health”

Myrna Young, Life Coach and CEO of Myhelps Consulting LLC

By Ellie Peterson

Do you believe thatyour emotions are a pow-erful part of your healthequation? When I read thebook, You Can Heal YourLife by Louise Hay, shestated that every diseasehas a corresponding emo-tional component. When Igot appendix cancer, a can-cer survivor told me to

look at my anger. As Ipaid more attention to mydaily interactions, I beganto see that many of my re-actions were stemmingfrom frustration and irrita-tion. My habitual behav-ior pattern was to denythese emotions. At thistime, I decided that thecancer was inviting me to Ellie Peterson

A Year To Get Rich With

Purpose

My mind and body areconnected. If my mind fos-ters unhealthy thoughtsand emotions, my body isimpacted. If an abovestatement is bothersome toyou, I invite you to spendsome time exploring why. Ideally, when we need

healing, we would followthe medical protocol whileintegrating some comple-mentary and alternativemedicine practices (CAM). Meditative Move-

ments™, a new CAM

technique, is designed torelease the harmful emo-tions from your bodywhile strengthening andenergizing your body,mind and spirit. Massage,acupuncture, tai chi, medi-tation, and drinking greentea are other examples of aCAM practice. For more information,

you can contact Ellie Pe-terson at [email protected] or visitthe website at www.pp-workouts.com.

ing limiting beliefs; howMillennials can find theirpurpose; how to brandyourself and how to findthe career that is right foryou. Be sure to tune in on

iTunes or Google Play.Today I want to give you 4strategies to shift your

mindset and attract wealthin one year. 1. Redefine your money

story. Become aware of themind/body/spirit connec-tion to your bank account.Tap into the Universalflow of money: Giving andReceiving. Learn to givefreely. Recite this mantradaily "I am fearless in let-ting money go out, know-ing that my Higher Poweris my immediate and end-less supply" 2. Uncover and trans-

form self-imposed finan-cial limits. You are the lid.You can only go as far asyou believe you can. Step

out of your comfort zoneand believe in the possibil-ities. Dream big. God gaveyou a big purpose, some-thing that can change theworld. 3. Develop simple and

easy financial habits thatwill create life-long, steadyprogress towards financialgoals. What are you finan-cial goals? Would you liketo purchase a home? Payfor college tuition? Pay offyour car note? Whatever the goal, you

need a plan. The best planis to form a habit. A habitis something you do with-out thinking. An easy habitto cultivate is to save 10%and tithe 10%. If you can'tdo 10% you can bring thenumbers all the way downto 1%. But you must save

and you must give. A sec-ond habit to cultivate is tolimit spending on clothingand entertainment. 4. Will Smith said "If

you stay ready, you ain'tgot to get ready!" Prepareyour mind by getting your-self ready to impart yourunique contribution to theworld. Ask yourself. If Ihad all the financial secu-rity in the world: • What would my per-

fect living quarters look

like? • What car would I

drive? • Where would you va-

cation? • What designer labels

would you wear? • What charities would

you support and how muchwould you give? For more tips to Living

you Best Lives Now, checkout Myrna’s Life coachingblog and podcast @www.blog.myhelps.us.

learn how to honor diffi-cult emotions and releasethem in healthy ways. • How do you feel about

the following statements? • I have a choice in how

I feel.• I can release harmful

emotions.• I can cultivate positive

emotions.

[email protected]

[email protected]

Louise WatsonOwner


Consumer Services and theChief Financial Officer). InHand, FDC, Judge Mark E.Walker, ruled that theFlorida Clemency Board’s“unfettered discretion”(power to do whatever theywant without oversight) vi-olates the 1st and 14thamendments to the U.S.Constitution. Judge Walkerblocked Florida from usingthe Clemency Board to re-store voting rights. And heordered Scott and theClemency Board to comeup with a new process forrestoring voting rights tofelons by April 26, 2018. Gov. Scott (and the

Clemency Board) appealedto the U.S, Court of Ap-peals, 11th Circuit sitting inAtlanta, Georgia. The Gov-ernor, requested a ”Stay”(pause/halt) to enforcing theFederal District Court’sOrder until their appeal iscompleted. The 11th CircuitCourt granted the Gover-nor’s request and halted theenforcement of the FDC or-ders. In other words, theymaintained the status quountil the appeal is complete.One Judge writing for the11 th Circuit said that it’svery likely the Governorwill win the appeal. Priorcourt cases demandingrestoration of rights havegone in favor of the Gover-nor. The hope is that the 11th

“VOTING RIGHTS RESTORATION” FROM PAGE 2

Circuit Court will view thelaw differently. If not, thebest chance for gettingfelons voting rights restoredwill be if ConstitutionalAmendment 4 passes. Oth-erwise, felons will have torely on the discretion of theGovernor and the ClemencyBoard. In Florida, therestoration process is deter-mined by Clemency Rulesmade by the Governor.Florida’s felony disen-

franchisement law s(lawswhich take away a person’sability to vote) trace theirroots back to the racism ofthe Deep South during Re-construction and Jim Crow.When Charlie Crist wasgovernor, he revised theRules of ExecutiveClemency and created auto-matic restoration of voterrights to felons who hadcompleted their sentencesfor certain felonies. WhenRick Scott became gover-nor, he abolished GovernorCrist’s reforms and createdadditional barriers forfelons trying to have theirvoting rights restored.Scott’s current rules areharsher than those of sev-eral past governors. Since

Scott became governor inan estimated 1,686,000 peo-ple have been disenfran-chised. More than 1 in 5black people in Florida aredisenfranchised. In fact,Florida has the highest dis-enfranchisement rate in theUnited States. So the bottom line is this

:(1) the petition campaignworked. The desiredamendment is on the ballot;(2) the Federal DistrictCourt for the Northern Dis-trict of Florida found prob-lems with the way Floridarestores voting rights to dis-enfranchised Floridians.The FDC ordered GovernorScott to stop using the cur-rent system and to create anew system ;(3) The U.S.Appeals Court, 11th Circuitstayed the FDC’s ordersfrom being carried out untilthe Governor’s appeal iscomplete. And unfortu-nately, the 11th Circuit sug-gests it will be ruling in theGovernor’s favor. So what can the people

do? GET OUT THEVOTE! The people andgroups who have faithfullyworked to get an amend-ment restoring felons’ rightsto vote on the ballot have tocontinue working. The ef-forts now must be to get outthe vote to change the law. THE GREATEST

POWER A CITIZEN HASIS THE VOTE!!!

JACK LEVINE EDITORIAL FROM PAGE 2

“shimming” is the new “skimming” from front page

• A young man in awheelchair saw me des-perately struggling oncrutches with my brokenleg and offered to carrymy backpack and booksfor me on his lap. Hehelped me all the wayacross campus to myclass and as he was leav-ing he said, "I hope youfeel better soon." • I was feeling downbecause the results of abiopsy came back malig-nant. When I got home, Iopened an e-mail thatsaid, "Thinking of youtoday. If you need me,I'm a phone call away." Itwas from a high schoolfriend I hadn't seen in 10years. I felt my healing

process had begun.• I was walking througha depressed area of a largecity and met a street beggarwho said he hadn't eatenanything in two days. Helooked extremely thin, hag-gard and grossly unhealthy.I asked him to wait aminute, I slipped inside aconvenience store andbought him two packagedsandwiches. The manlooked my in the eye say-ing, "Thanks....I'll just eatone. I know another guyaround the corner who is inreal bad shape and I'll givethis extra one with him." The best sermons are

lived, not just preached.Perhaps we spend toomuch time focusing on the

problems instead creat-ing the solutions. We don't control muchexcept our attitudes. Ourresponses to life's eventsinclude putting our life'slessons to work.How about this as acredo? “I'm going to dowhat I can to assist oth-ers and by doing so I'mpaving a positive pathfor myself and those Ilove.”All my best, JackJack Levine, Founder,

4Generations Institute.For more informationabout the 4GenerationsInstitute, log on toJ a c k @ 4 G e n . o r g .http://4Gen.org.

suspect your card hasbeen compromised.• Be wary if your card

gets stuck in a chipreader. If the readerseems to have a tighterthan normal grip on yourcard, there could be ashim inside. You maywant to cancel yourtransaction and notify thebusiness.• Use contactless pay-

ment methods. Contact-less payment methodsare not vulnerable toshimming. Try using

"tap-and-go" features onyour credit card instead ofswiping or inserting yourcard. You can also use con-tactless mobile servicessuch as Apple Pay or Sam-sung Pay to tap and pay.• Go inside to a teller to

withdraw cash at a bank.• Use ATMs in banks

rather than more vulnerablestandalones.• Cover the keypad with

your hand when enteringyour PIN.• Don’t proceed with a

transaction if your card en-

counters resistance whenit is inserted.

For More Information

Read more aboutcredit card scams atBBB.org/ScamTips. Ifyou've fallen victim tothis type of scam, helpothers avoid beingscammed by filing a re-port withBBB.org/ScamTracker.Learn more about spe-cific kinds of scams andhow to avoid them atBBB.org/ ScamTips.

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