The newest Golden Crust Caribbean Bakery & Grill in Florida held its grand opening event on Saturday June 16.

Lauderhill Mayor, Richard Kaplan, said the developments around Lauderhill were part of the renaissance of the city, which has a high concentration of Caribbean residents. He congratulated franchise owners, Keith and Bernadette Clayborne and their sons Kishon and Kendrick told them they have an excellent location and should do good business.

Founder and C.E.O of the company, Lowell Hawthorne told the gathering he was proud to be there, celebrating yet another opening of a Golden Crust franchise.

Hawthorne said Golden Crust has generated over $100 million and has become a staple in states like New York, where there are locations in Central Park, Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building and other locations. He said they also supply schools and even the penal system, with their products.

Golden Crust is also tapping into the Florida market, according to Hawthorne, who said currently, there were 17 stores being built in Florida, including in Orlando.

Keith Clayborne, former owner of the Broward Times, told CNWeekly News he had read about the franchise in a Black businesses article and thought based on the demographics of Broward with the increasing West Indian population it would be a good idea. He said he went to New York and checked out other stores in the franchise and was satisfied that it was lucrative.

Florida Atlantic University was ranked as one of the top 50 four-year colleges in the nation for conferring bachelor's degrees to African-Americans according to a survey in "Diverse: Issues in Higher Education," a magazine published bi-weekly that informs leaders from academe, industry and public policy about current trends and issues that are going on in the United States.

"Florida Atlantic University is very proud of its diverse student body," said FAU President Frank T. Brogan. "Being recognized in several disciplines and among many ethnicities for great achievements is exciting for the whole university."

For the 2005-06 academic year, FAU conferred a total of 1,755 bachelor's degrees in all disciplines for all minorities and ranked 32nd, up 25 percent from the previous year. Among traditionally white institutions, FAU was ranked eighth overall in conferring bachelor's degrees to African-American students.

Every single homeowner in South Florida may finally be getting some relief on their property taxes. After months of feuding, Florida lawmakers struck a deal on what could be the largest property tax cut in state history. Members of the House and Senate agreed on the package on Friday, June 8. Your tax bill could roll back to last year's levels, and local governments could make additional tax cuts of up to 9%. Cities and counties would also be prohibited from raising future tax rates.

The tax cuts could get even more substantial with the second component of the proposal – a constitutional amendment. It would exempt 75% of the first $200,000 of assessed value of a home. So, someone with a home valued at $200,000 would pay taxes on just $50,000. "I applaud the Florida Legislature for putting together a plan to bring meaningful property tax relief to the people of Florida," said Governor Charlie Crist. "The property tax relief plan proposed today includes the largest tax cut in Florida history."

The proposed tax cut plan is music to homeowners’ ears; however, city and county officials say they may have to lay off thousands of employees across Florida, if the legislature approves steep property tax cuts during the special session from June 12-22.

Sarasota county Sheriff William Balkwill has been asked to chop ten million dollars from his next budget in anticipation of the tax cuts. He says it scares him. Governor Crist has led the tax relief charge saying" it's such comments by fellow republican Balkwill and other local officials that are scary, even despicable."

With half of Florida’s population still unprepared for hurricanes, according to the recently published Mason-Dixon poll, this year in anticipation of what is expected to be an active hurricane season, Mystik 1400, NBC6, Caribbean National Weekly and WalMart SuperCenter created a new way to get the community prepared.

Against the backdrop of Tropical Storm Barry, Broward residents turned out in large numbers for the Hurricane Preparedness 2007 event held under the theme, “Working Together To Save Lives” at the Wal-Mart SuperCenter in Lauderdale Lakes, last Saturday.

The Mason-Dixon poll pointed out that one in three Floridians does not have a hurricane survival kit. NBC6 Meteorologist Trina Robinson reminded the audience of the importance of hurricane preparedness, and assisted people in overcoming their apathy or, in some cases, ignorance, concerning the dangers of hurricanes.

The event was held on June 1, the official start of the 2007 hurricane season, which was marked by the birth of Tropical Storm Barry. The storm dumped inches of rain over South Florida last Friday and early Saturday morning, and traveled up the west coast to Tampa.

Coinciding with the event was the tax-free holiday on hurricane preparedness supplies, sponsored by the state government, which began on June 1. This tax free holiday will last until June 12, and includes, flashlights priced at $20 or less, gas or diesel fuel containers costing $25 or less; AAA, AA, C and D, 6 and 9 volt batteries costing $30 or less; cell phone chargers for $40 or less; two-way and weather-band portable radios - $75 dollars or less; portable generators -$1000 or less; tarps- $50 or less; non-electrical food storage coolers -$30 or less; storm shutters - $200 or less and carbon monoxide detectors priced at $75 or less. Patrons at the event had the opportunity to capitalize on the tax-free holiday at the WalMart SuperCenter.

Sport and festivity will abound as the RuJohn Foundation’s Annual Sports Camp returns to Jamaica during the final week of June. This highly anticipated 7-day event merges celebrity and community in the attempt to encourage solid citizenship amongst Jamaica’s youth. Kicking off June 23rd, celebrity athletes are paired with their youngest fans, Jamaica’s impressionable youth, for a week promising to be not just fun but inspirational. The line up includes current and former professional players of The NFL and NBA who will team up in Jamaica for an island-wide tour, participating in various community building affairs.

The Sports Camp’s roster of events boasts a myriad of activities aimed at promoting academic achievement through sportsmanship. The week’s highlights involve scheduled visits to area schools; NFL/NBA sport training camps at Independence Park in Kingston, Jarret Park in Montego Bay, and Kool Runnings Water Park in Negril; and an excursion to the acclaimed Jamaican attraction, Dunn’s River Falls, as well as much more.

The RuJohn Foundation is a South Florida Based 501-(c)(3) Non-Profit organization, founded by siblings Andrew and Christina Bachelor in 2003 to commemorate the philanthropic ideals of their grandparents Ruth and John Tulloch. Since then, The Foundation has facilitated numerous community oriented projects designed to expand educational opportunities in Jamaica.

The RuJohn Foundation Annual Sports Camp is supported in part by Ingrid Bachelor and Associates, and through strategic partnerships with Super Clubs, Air Jamaica, MPACT Services, Courtleigh Hotel and Spa and Whitsyms Nursing Services.

For more info Andrew Bachelor This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 954.752.2758.