UF quietly starts Loring Monument public discussion (HCN)

Thanks to Jill Pacetti and Michael Gold for alerting the public to UF's effort to discuss the Loring monument without inviting local residents.


UF quietly starts Loring Monument public discussion 
Historic City News
March 14, 2018

Sunshine Week couldn’t have come at a more opportune time in St Augustine as the UF Historic St Augustine, Inc. direct service organization, managing the lease on Florida’s state-owned properties here, attempts to hold a controversial public Special Board of Directors Meeting in a not-so-public way. More sunshine, please.

A legally required notice of the meeting was posted on the DSO’s website; and, even though it is a special unscheduled meeting to discuss a single topic of great public interest, the public would have no way of knowing, from reading the notice, what the Board was going to discuss.

Unless a member of the public requested a copy of the agenda by contacting Billy Triay at the UF-HSA, they would have no idea that this Friday would be their first opportunity to address the Board on the single most controversial topic to capture local news in the last year — the demands of Ronald Rawls, Jr. to take down the Loring Monument in the west plaza.

What makes the shade afforded this “public” meeting so egregious is the fact that Rawls is one of only six invited speakers for the Friday meeting. The speakers in order of their appearance, are Dr. James G Cusick (jamcusi@uflib.ufl.edu), Dr. Timothy J. Johnson (johnsont@flagler.edu),
Rev. Lee, Dr. Floyd Phillips (floyd6928@att.net), Rev. Ronald Rawls Jr (ronrawlsjr@gmail.com) Mayor Nancy Shaver (nshaver@citystaug.com).

In documents obtained from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Historic City News learned that the wife of the St Paul AME Church in St Augustine, Meshon T. Rawls, is Director of UF Gator Team Child Juvenile Law Clinic and legal skills professor at the University of Florida Law School. She is reported to be a “salaried lecturer” on the UF Educational and General payroll being paid $89,925.00 each year, plus benefits. It is not known if her employment with the University has contributed to this unusual attempt to suppress the public from being clearly noticed.

If there had been a published “agenda” for the meeting, it would have been clearly titled “Loring Monument Agenda” and you would have immediately known what to expect. After a welcome, introductions and instructions on the process from Ed Poppell, the six invited speakers will have 6-minutes each to present to the Board. Members of the public who have “registered their intent to speak at the meeting” will be allowed 3-minutes each, followed by closure and adjournment.

Based on the level of participation afforded the public, and the opportunity taken by local residents to attend meetings and speak to this topic as it related to the Civil War memorial owned by the City of St Augustine in Constitution Plaza, the UF Historic St Augustine, Inc. Board should have anticipated heightened interest and desire to participate in what will no doubt be another bone of contention.

Comments

Edward Adelbert Slavin · 

Bete noir at Community Activist

1. UF lacks transparency. Thanks for reporting this, Michael.
2. UF is allowing Pat Croce to eviscerate Spanish Colonial Quarter with sports bars -- inauthentic. UF's mismanagement is a stench in the nostrils of the State of Florida. I hope Kathy Fleming and the Lighthouse bid for the contract, which expires in some 18 months. Pat Croce, be gone!
3. Let's change the name of "Loring Park" to "Stetson Kennedy Park," honoring our late KKK-busting hero and neighbor.
4. But let's preserve and protect the Loring Monument, adding MORE history and context -- perhaps a monument to the victims of slavery and "Jim Crow" segregation, AND an evocative statue of Dr. Robert S. Hayling, D.D.S., Barbara Vickers and Stetson Kennedy seated on a park bench, looking at the Loring Monument in peaceful contemplation of the progress we've made, next to the water feature. 
5. We need to promote healing and learning here, not hatred.
6. I attended RAWLS' August 2017 meeting on the monuments, a hate rally held in an historic A.M.E. church. I saw NO resemblance to MLK's work in St. Augustine. MLK told civil rights "foot soldiers" here NOT to march with him unless they have "love in their hearts."
7. There's NO love in RAWLS' message on the monuments, and no healing. I see a resemblance to hater "Rev." RAWLS' other obsession -- anti-Gay marriage hatred, spewed on YouTube. RAWLS reminded me of former UNESCO Ambassador Alan Keyes' March 15, 2005 anti-Gay mrriage hate rally at our WGV County Convention Center.
8. Breaching his fiduiary duty to City Commission Rev. RONALD RAWLS, JR. sold off the Echo House roof tiles, then destroyed 2/3 of Echo House, an historic 1923 African-American building in Lincolnville.
9. RAWLS does NOT speak for our community. Be not afraid.
10. RAWLS does NOT speak out on true social justice issues, like environmental racism or the local Establishment's ongoing coverup of the September 2, 2010 fatal shooting of Michelle O'Connell in the home of St. Johns County Sheriff's Deputy JEREMY BANKS, a coverup involving St. Johns County Sheriff DAVID SHOAR, State's Attorney RALPH JOSEPH LARIZZA and two special prosecutors, without any action being taken by so-called "Justice Department." Justice for Michelle O'Connell.

Like · Reply · 1h · Edited

Roy Hugo · 

Editor and Publisher at Town Crier

Excellent reporting Michael

Like · Reply · 1 · 14h

Dana K. Williams · 

Lake Worth, Florida

Much thanks to Michael Gold and the Historic City News for getting the word out. I hope the meeting on the 16th will be well attended by St. Augustine residence who would like to see our history preserved.

Like · Reply · 2 · 17h