Zephyrhills wants to show its commitment to unity on Founders Day.
By MOLLY MOORHEAD
Published February 19, 2004
ZEPHYRHILLS - A festival celebrating the city's history will have the added feature this year of recognizing its diversity.
The Zephyrhills Unity Initiative - the committee formed to address racial divisions revealed by a street renaming last fall - plans to march in the Founders Day parade March 6 and run a booth where people can sign a statement committing to unity.
The group met for a third time Tuesday and developed a mission statement. It reads: "We want to live in a community that embraces cultural differences and encourages the individuality and abilities of all people to contribute to the fabric of the community."
Those words will be painted on a poster, under which people can sign their names.
The group plans to make the poster available to sign at service clubs, schools, the Zephyrhills Senior Center and in City Hall.
"A lot of people want to participate and want to sign," said Daniel Hill, the group's chairman and the city's only black police officer.
The unity group came together after the uproar that resulted from City Council renaming Sixth Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in November.
The group includes several police officers, city officials and residents from both sides of the street debate. Hector Silva, a Puerto Rican city employee, and City Council candidate Gina King attended for the first time Tuesday.
Founders Day, the annual daylong celebration of Zephyrhills' roots, typically includes fancy floats, patriotic displays, classic cars, entertainment, food, crafts and games.
This year's theme is Horse and Buggy Days. The event draws thousands of people to downtown.
The unity group's participation won't have any frills: "No floats," police Chief Russell Barnes said. "Just walking together is all."
Member Jim Tenney, who owns a downtown saddle shop, will provide tables to display the posters where people can sign.
Blanche Benford plans to solicit local businesses to donate poster board, markers and other supplies.
Members plan to wear and hand out lapel ribbons - they chose blue to represent the "City of Pure Water" and its commitment to unity.
- Molly Moorhead covers news about east Pasco cities. She can be reached at 352 521-6521 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6521. Her e-mail address is moorhead@sptimes.com
