IHS Student Becomes First Volleyball Player to Receive a Scholarship
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BULLETIN Serving Immokalee, Ave Maria and Eastern Collier County Vol. 51 No. 18 Thursday, May 3, 2018 Invitation for all Immokalee to Immokalee get aid under Christians EPA Brownfields By Rick Heers Grant Program Special to the Immokalee Bulletin Special to the Immokalee Bulletin We, in our community of Immokalee, have been suffering so much The U.S. Environmental Protection Agen- heartache the past few cy announced grants to 144 communities weeks with a cloud nationwide, including five in Florida, at a of death and de- news conference in Atlanta on Wednes- pression blan- day, April 25. The projects being financed are part of the Brownfields Redevelopment keting our area. Program, which will give these cities and re- There have been gional agencies money to conduct environ- two suicides of stu- Submitted photo/Carica Astrel mental assessments and cleanups in locally dents enrolled at Estfania Louis was joined on stage by her mother and uncle who helped her designated areas. the high school since celebrate her scholarship A grant of $600,000 funneled through the Christmas break, plus Southwest Florida Regional Planning Coun- the suicide of another student who cil will finance hazardous substance and graduated less than five years ago, the unex- petroleum cleanup projects in Immokalee, pected ‘heart failure’ death of a 14-year old IHS student becomes Clewiston and Moore Haven, and a $300,000 girl a few weeks ago, the life sentence re- allocation will be spent for similar projects cently given for murdering a former student in Pahokee. a few years ago, another recent graduate the “EPA’s Brownfields Program expands the victim of an unsolved murder on the East first volleyball player ability of communities to recycle vacant and coast where the young lady was attending abandoned properties for new, productive college...on and on, the incidents continue reuses, using existing infrastructure,” said to pile up. We’ve also witnessed the pass- EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt in announc- ing of several godly former employees of to receive a scholarship ing the grants. “These grants leverage other the Collier County Schools... Mrs. Florence public and private investments, and improve Jelks, Mrs. Phyllis Fryson, and most recently By Carica Astrel career and that sense of security wasn’t of- local economies through property cleanup Mrs. Beverly Pringle. Special to the Immokalee Bulletin fered at other schools.” and redevelopment.” I know that many of you have been and Going off to college is a joyful moment Administrator Trey Glenn of the EPA’s “It feels good knowing that I successfully are continuing to pray for our Immokalee but can also be a difficult transition for some Region 4, which includes Florida along with completed all my years of high school and families, but, as co-director with T.W. Mal- students including Louis. “I’m nervous Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, now I’m on the road to college. Knowing lory of the Immokalee Ministerial Alliance, about keeping up with school and volleyball North and South Carolina, Tennessee and that I have something good going for myself we are calling on all our churches in town and I’m nervous about playing volleyball at the sovereign lands of six Native American feels great,” says Estfania Louis, who will be to join together and have a united ‘PRAYER a level that I’ve never played before, but I’m tribes, noted that $8.9 million of the to- graduating from Immokalee High School excited to start a new chapter in my life and tal $54.3 million awarded is coming to the WALK’ around Immokalee High and Mid- in a few weeks and will be attending North I’ll be working towards my major and my Southeast. dle Schools. I believe we need to reclaim Carolina Central University where she will career which makes me happy. I’m excited “Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup the peace, health and prosperity that GOD be the first Immokalee volleyball player to intends for us to enjoy. It’s time for us to lay to experience college life and of course vol- grants target communities that are econom- recieve a scholarship. leyball!” ically disadvantaged and provide assistance aside any denominational differences and “I never pictured myself in this position, take back all that the Enemy is trying to do Volleyball was just a fun hobby for this where environmental cleanup and new job to be getting my college education at NCCU star athlete, but after spending countless opportunities are needed,” he said. “These to us. feels good and I’m ready to further my vol- Today, Thursday, May 3 is the National hours on the court, her love for volleyball funds mean a great deal to these commu- leyball career,” Louis added. grew rapidly. Besides volleyball, the I.H.S nities.” Day of Prayer, and we are asking that ev- It took Louis an entire year to decide that eryone in the Immokalee community that senior has participated in travel volleyball, “Florida has been very successful with NCCU was the right school for her. After vis- basketball, track and has always been eager our Brownfields Redevelopment Program believes in GOD and the power of prayer iting the university and meeting her soon to join with us at the Immokalee Parks and Rec to try softball. Louis has been playing sports (BRP) over the years, and our efforts have be coaches she knew that becoming an ea- been strengthened through funding re- pavilion on 1st Street for a walk of prayerful for seven years and gained interest in athlet- gle was the right choice. “NCCU just felt like ics after hearing numerous comments about ceived from EPA Brownfields grants,” Carrie victory around the middle and high school home, the coaching staff brought me in like her height and constantly being asked if she Kruchell, Florida BRP manager and liaison, campuses at 5:30 p.m. There are plenty of I was part of their family, they let me know played sports. said. “We are extremely pleased to learn Biblical examples that could be used when that they would help me with anything I Jokingly, Louis said, “Let me give it a that once again Florida’s communities will united community prayer brought about need from my academics, tutoring and they shot, I don’t want to be like my sister, tall benefit from a total of $1.2 million that has positive changes. If you are unable to join provided me with an academic advisor that with us, you can do the same individually. would be with me throughout my college See Valleyball — Page 2 See Program — Page 2 2 Immokalee Bulletin May 3, 20t8 clear that she would miss her family, her sure all my school work was done, I never Volleyball coaches, and friends once she goes off to wanted sports to be a reason as to why 1 college, but waking up at 6 a.m. and eating wasn’t doing my best in school.” Continued From Page 1 the questionable cafeteria food were a few With graduation quickly approaching a To Reach Us things that were not going to be missed. for nothing, so 1 started plaving sports and few last words Louis would like to say to her Mailing Address: P.O. Box 518 Louis really encourages athletes in high I liked it." La Belle. FL 35975 school to focus on their academics and notcoaches are “Thank you so much for all the Volleyball became one of Louis’s favor Physical Address: 22 Fl. Thompson Ave, only sports because school is just as imhelp that you guys provided me with and all ite sports to play because of all the doors it Phone: (239) 657-6000 portant. “It was hard for me to balance two the doors you opened for me and always opened for tier and basketball because her sports and school. Sometimes [ was getting Fax: (863) 675-1449 pushing tne to be a better person, athleti Websi te: www.immokaIeebuTletin.com coach Bridgette Toombs pushed tier to be off flights at 2 a.m. and had to be up at 5 the best athlete, student, and person she a.m. for school. Even though 1 was exhaust cally, academically and socially and not only To Submit News could be. ed I did my best not to miss school because 1being around for sports but being around The Immokalee Bulletin welcomes submissions The soon to be graduate made it very didn’t want to deal with credit denial. 1 made when 1 was going through stuff.” from its readers. Opinions, calendar items, story ideas and photographs are welcome. Call (239) can generate jobs and spur economicexample, EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving 657-6000 to reach our newsroom. The deadline growth. A study analyzing 48 brownfields for all news items is 11 a.m. on Monday prior to Program Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving the following Thursday's publication. sites found that an estimated $29 million to Fund can be used, under certain condi Continued From Page I $97 million in additional tax revenue was E-Mail: ibnewsfg newszap.uom tions, to address the water-quality aspects generated for local governments in a single been awarded for environmental site assessyear after cleanup. This is two to seven timesof brownfield sites and the assessment and To Place a Display Ad ments in fiscal 2018-19. These assessment more than the $12.4 million EPA contribut construction of drinking water infrastructure Phone: (239) 657-6000 grants support this important first stage ofed to the cleanup of these brownfield sites.