Newtown Centennial: Tell Your Story
Newtown is celebrating its 100 year birthday
April 17, 2014- April 17, 2015
100 Years of Community/365 Days of Celebration
Its Your Community. Tell Your Story. Share Your Memories. Determine the Path of Newtown’s Future.
View A Message From Centennial Historian Mrs. Dorothye Smith and Others Captured During Our Opening Ceremony
YES! Awareness 2nd Annual Youth Empowerment Symposium added to Newtown Centennial Line-Up of Community Events
Yes! Awareness is presenting its 2nd Annual Youth Empowerment Symposium on 
Saturday, October 4, 201411:30 am to 2:00 pm
Michael’s on East
1212 East Avenue South
Sarasota, Florida
Doors open at 11:00 a.m. Advance registration begins on 8/9/14 and tickets are $29 for youth attendees/$35 for adults and can be purchased on line at http://www.sandrawashingtonevents.com. Registration forms can also be downloaded from the site or picked up at several sites around town and mailed in with your payment.
This interactive and educational event is especially for girls ages 9 to 18 seeking opportunities to excel in life though adults attending will appreciate and grow from the event’s positive message.
Produced by Sandra Washington and Youth Empowerment Symposia, Inc., the mission of YES! is to empower youth through awareness and relevant growth experiences to become confident and self-sufficient individuals.
Attendees will enjoy Lunch, Door Prizes, Entertainment, and a Scholarship Awards presentation. Featured speakers include Sarasota Chief of Police Bernadette A. DiPino, and Dr. M. Tina Dupree, Founder of Professional Speakers Network, Inc. Additionally, in recognition of the Newtown Centennial, YES! will make a special presentation honoring the eldest female in Newtown.
Show your support for Sandra Washington and our area’s young ladies by spreading the word, attending the luncheon, or becoming a sponsor of the event. Details at http://www.sandrawashingtonevents.com or by calling 941-993-7971.
Donations to the scholarship fund can be made throught this link:
https://www.cfsarasota.org/bGivebforcurrentfuturedonors/GiveOnline.aspx
July 24th Community Political Forum Seeks to Educate and Engage
Women of Action is collaborating with Newtown’s Faith Based Leaders to present a Community Political Forum on Thursday, July 24th, 6:00 p.m., at Bethlehem Bible Church, 1680 18th Street in Sarasota. The Forum is the first in a series that provides an opportunity for members of the community to learn and share important information, meet the candidates, and discuss the issues that are important during the upcoming mid-term elections. During the series of forums, anticipate meeting candidates running for local seats on the Sarasota County Commission, Charter Review Board, and Sarasota School Board as well as representatives from Federal and State campaigns including the gubernatorial race.
The July 24th Forum will feature candidates running for Sarasota County School Board seats in Districts 1,4, and 5.
Women of Action is a non-partisan coalition with a mission to educate, inform, and engage the community in the political process via the vote. Recognition of the 50th Year Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (July 2, 1964) shines a light on the continuing battle to end voter suppression and discrimination at the polls. Let’s support Women of Action and our Faith Based Leaders as they work to educate the community and ensure that we are ready to vote.
What a great way to empower Newtown during this Centennial year by increasing our knowledge of the political process. Let’s learn together. Pass the information and bring a friend to this special event.
For more information on Women of Action and the Community Political Forum call 941-955-8834 or 941-228-8191.
6th Annual Greatness Beyond Teen Summit: Rising To Greatness 8/1-8/3
Greatness Beyond Measure (GBM) brings its 6th Annual Teen Summit to the community with more than 16 activities for youth ages 12-19. Each year The GBM Teen Summit supports and celebrates the “Greatness” that resides within every teen and young adult . GBM endeavors to create and promote rewarding opportunities that foster growth and maturity in the lives of the young, talented and gifted. And its a 
lot of fun, too.
Events include the GBM Idol; Interactive Workshops; Career Mixer and Lunch; Shark Tank Competition; Stomp the Violence Step-Off; Basketball Tournament; and Praise in the Park Cookout, Scholarship Awards, Book Give-Aways and more.
This year’s celebrity guests include Actor/Educator/Activist Lamman Rucker known for his roles as T. Marshall Travers on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, and as Will Brown on the TBS sitcom Meet the Browns. Also on the celebrity roster is the Atlanta based R&B duo The CraigLewis Band
Registration fee for the weekend event is $5.00. Parents are encouraged to attend. Summit locations include Ringling College of Art + Design and the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex. For more info check our event calendar or log onto http://www.gbmteensummit.webs.com and don’t forget to like them on FaceBook.
Greatness Beyond Measure Teen Summit – leading Newtown into its Next 100 Years.
Dr. Ben Carson Salutes The Newtown Centennial
Birthday wishes for Newtown continue to flow in, most recently from world renown pediatric surgeon and author, Dr. Ben Carson. During the Sarasota stop of his national book tour, Dr. Carson presented the Newtown Centennial with a signed copy of his New York Times Best Seller One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future. We thank Dr. Carson for his generosity and Newtown Centennial Volunteer, “A.J.” Janson for making it all happen.
NEWTOWN ARTISTS EXHIBITION JOINS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION LINE-UP
Two venues will host exhibitions of multimedia works in celebration of the Newtown Centennial, June 20 – July 2, 2014.
All of the artists participating in the juried shows have a connection to Newtown via their creative work and/or service to the community and a special highlight of the exhibits focuses on artists that live in Newtown. The artistic expressions of students from the Booker elementary, middle & high schools, and youth participants in the Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club after school programs are included in the exhibit.
Professional and Amateur Artists Exhibit June 20 – July 2
Selby Gallery at Ringling College of Art + Design
Opening reception with the artists: Friday, June 20, 5-7pm.
Reception and ongoing exhibit free and open to the public
Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Phone: 941.359.7563 or 941.351.5100 Web: http://www.ringling.edu/selbygallery
Selby Gallery is located on the Ringling College of Art and Design campus, one-half block east of 2700 N. Tamiami Trail on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way in Sarasota.
Youth Artists Exhibit June 21-July 2
North Sarasota Library
Opening reception with artists: June 21, 1:30-3:30 pm.
Reception and ongoing exhibit free and open to the public
Monday –Saturday 10 am – 5pm Tuesday & Thursday til 8 pm
Phone: 941-861-1360
North Sarasota Library is located at 2801 Newtown Estates Blvd. (SCAT Route #7)
The Newtown Artists Exhibits are the result of a collaboration spearheaded by County Commissioner Carolyn Mason that includes local artists, Ringling College of Art + Design, and the North Sarasota Public Library and are an expression of congratulations to Newtown on its 100th Anniversary!
4/22/14 Earth Day Event Rescheduled
The Living With Trash documentary screening planned for Tuesday, April 22, 2014 has been canceled and will be rescheduled for a later date. Please visit our site for updates on that event. Thank you.
Newtown Centennial 100 Hour Kick-Off
All are invited to birthday celebrations during the Official Newtown Centennial Opening Ceremony, Thursday April 17, 2014 at Fredd Atkins Park from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Newtown elders, elected officials, community residents and a host of well wishers will gather to commemorate 100 years since the initial platting of the neighborhood. Events continue through Monday, April 21, 2014 with a “100 Hour Kick-Off” featuring family-oriented activities organized by neighborhood groups, that are free and open to the public. Check out the calendar for more information.
Booker High School Closes BHM Events with Campus Grand Opening
Friday, February 28th marked the grand opening of the reconstructed Booker High School Campus. The event capped off a month long Black History Month series hosted by Booker High School that included artist James Pate speaking on his traveling exhibit “Kin Killing Kin”, a panel discussion on Local Black History, and A Celebration of African American History Through the Arts. All events featured performances by the wonderfully talented Booker VPA Students. All BHS classes received a guided tour of the school’s Historical Room, which highlights the legacy of Principal and Educator Emma E. Booker, along with significant historical moments for Booker High School. The tours continue and may be scheduled by calling 941-355-2967.
The Newtown Centennial presented the Sarasota School Board and Booker High School Principal, Rachael Shelley with a certificate of appreciation for registering their Black History Month activities as a Newtown Centennial event, generating much enthusiasm and anticipation for the upcoming commemorative.
Thank you Booker High School for your support!
Multicultural Health Institute Event Includes Newtown’s Centennial
The MultiCultural Health Institute and the Friends of the North Sarasota Library presented a health rights and culture event that tied the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act with today’s current issue of the Affordable Care Act.
Students and adults were treated to a presentation by Dr. Lisa Merritt, Director of the MHI who spoke of the importance of the Health Care Act and the opportunity it presents for equity in the delivery of healthcare in the United States. Manatee County Rural Health Services was on hand to guide the audience on how to sign up for healthcare and navigate the Health.gov website. Cast members from Florida Studio Theatre’s Thurgood stage production based on the life of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and his influence on the Civil Rights Act presented an excerpt from the play. Genesis Health Services offered free health screenings.
Members of the Newtown Centennial Committee were in attendance including Euline Myrick, who is also the President of the North County Community Organization. He spoke of how the tragic death of a child at play, turned young and old in his neighborhood into advocates. Through action and collaboration Lime Lake Park was built, providing young people with a safe place to play and the entire neighborhood with a beautiful fresh air space for exercise and social gatherings; basic health rights that we should all have access to.
Che Barnett, Chair of the Newtown Centennial Committee, commented “ Mr. Myrick’s presentation was a great message for the younger members in today’s audience, helping them understand that public service and advocacy is not just the work of our elected officials; they too can initiate and successfully achieve positive change in their communities. It’s a story that resounds throughout Newtown’s 100 year legacy; people achieving against the odds. And, it mirrors the revolutionary spirit championed by Thurgood Marshall.
The event concluded with comments from Lovette Harper from Friends of the North Sarasota Library, citing the importance of both pieces of legislation. Mrs. Harper and Dr. Cheryl Smith then lead the group through a tour of the new Cultural Resource Center housed at the library pointing out many items related to the Civil Rights era as well as Newtown’s history and the Centennial observance.
Much appreciation to Dr. Lisa Merritt and the MultiCultural Health Institute for organizing a great Black History Month event and for inviting the Newtown Centennial to participate.
Newtown Centennial at Sarasota MLK Celebration
Sarasota’s 2014 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration was a partner event of the Newtown Centennial. Check out the neighborhood rallying community spirit around the centennial while giving tribute to Dr. King on this special day.
Register your group’s event today!
Newtown Centennial: 100 Years of Community... 365 Days of Celebration 