The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 82

CENTRAL FLORIDA Orlando Sentinel MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2001 B3 Giving does not require money Graham wants to ask voters to abolish system Jk Jr-f UNIVERSITIES FROM Bl If 1 'nil. 1 i V1 'tl. J. 4 1 GEORGE SKENEORLANDO SENTINEL Not for me. Kelvin Monroig, 4, carries a bag full of presents he selected recently for his family at the annual RSVP Santa Shop at Marks Street Senior Recreation Complex in Orlando.

The need for volunteer help fits neatly with a depressed economy. By MARTIN E. COMAS SENTINFX STAFF WRITER Kelvin Monroig paused for a moment in front of a table filled with hand-knitted baby clothes at the Marks Street Senior Recreation Complex. It was an important decision for the 4-year-old Orlando boy. He wanted to make absolutely sure he would select the very best for his sister, Ashley.

He went with a crocheted yellow sweater. Kelvin was among 450 Head Start preschoolers who spent time last week selecting gifts for their families as part of the annual Santa Shop organized by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. "The idea is to teach them early in life in the rewards of giving," said Joan Hansen, director of RSVP. But giving may be a bit harder for some folks this year, in light of the economic downturn. "Sure, many people sent their money up North, and we've had a sharp decline in financial giving.

But many people still want to do something to help and get involved," said Robert Stuart, executive director of the Christian Service Center. His organization is looking for canned goods for its holiday dinners, art supplies for its craft sessions with Alzheimer's patients, or children's toys for its KidsFOCUS program. It also needs volunteer drivers, mentors and food servers. Here are some ways to help: Toys For Tots, the Orlando Marine Corps Reserve's perennial favorite, is looking for toy donations. New and unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the Reserve Training Center, 595 N.

Primrose Drive, Orlando, at any Orange County Fire and Rescue Station, or at any Best Buy store. Call 407-898-2028. Adopt a family at the Orlando Coalition for the Homeless by providing them with food, gifts, a holiday tree, decorations, gift certificates or a family trip. The deadline for boards of trustees to get most of the power, but just never got the task finished last spring. They are waiting to ask the Legislature to finish the job.

Gov. Jeb Bush, Education Secretary Jim Home and Phil Handy, chairman of the Florida Board of Education, have publicly stated support for much of the devolution. Graham, a former governor, predicts this winter's legislative session will prove them all wrong, and that Florida's universities will be stuck with trustees who have little power. That's one reason Graham is directing a statewide campaign to get a proposed constitutional amendment before voters next November. "What they designed is not accidental.

That's the purpose of this new system, to unite control, by the political side, of the universities," Graham said. 56,000 signed petition The Orlando-based Education Excellence Initiative has gathered more than 56,000 signatures in its first two weeks of the petition drive, Graham said. The committee needs 488,000 valid signatures to put a proposed constitutional amendment before voters in November 2002, but first the committee needs 10 percent of that total 48,000 valid signatures to ask the Supreme Court to review the proposed amendment to see if it meets state requirements. Graham said the committee already is asking county elections officials to certify the signatures so that the court can conduct that review. "I hope he's wrong," said Florida Atlantic University President Anthony Catanese, who is president of the State University Presidents Association and overseeing the presidents' united effort.

Catanese said the universities only were asking for the authority they were promised last year when they signed off on the reorganization plan. "It's my sense," he said, "that the governor and Phil Handy and, I think, Jim Home support this." Scott Powers can be reached at spowersorlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5441. might not agree with us," he said. Last summer the 1 1 university boards of trustees and the new Florida Board of Education took over control of the university system after the Legislature abolished the Florida Board of Regents, which ran the schools centrally for decades. Under a blueprint drawn up last year for the change, the boards of trustees were supposed to get most of the regents' power.

When the Legislature decided not to address many details in last spring's session, though, most university authority wound up in the board of education's hands by default. In recent weeks, the presidents have sought support from their boards for a list of five general areas of power the presidents want transferred. They'll meet Dec. 17 in Tallahassee to finish the details. Tops on the list is "devolution of those powers held by the board of regents" to trustees.

Also on the list is a power the regents never had. Item 3 states, "Flexibility in the setting of tuition should be given to the boards of trustees. Each university should establish its fair tuition to meet its mission." "What we can't live without is devolution of power," Hitt told his board. "What we can't live with is a seven-member board of education that decides everything from kindergarten through graduate school, and this board being able to hire and fire me and do very little else. That won't work." Graham predicted problems Most university presidents have expressed frustration similar to Hitt's, putting them in the awkward position of acknowledging problems predicted by U.S.

Sen. Bob Graham, who is the center of opposition to the new university system. Graham is leading a petition drive to try to get the system overthrown by voters next fall. The presidents and trustees officially support the new system and most have publicly repudiated Graham's efforts. They say state political leaders intended all along for the its Red Kettle campaign through Dec.

23 at various shopping locations. Call 407-423-8581. Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Homes and Cemeteries is sponsoring its annual toy and food drive to benefit The Children's Rights Foundation, in an effort to prevent child abuse. Call 407-695-8222. WESH-Channel 2 television is hosting its annual "Share Your Christmas" food drive.

Through Dec. 13, individuals, businesses and schools can donate nonperish-able food and personal products at area drop sites. The food benefits Second Harvest Food Bank and the Salvation Army units throughout Central Florida. Call 407-645-2222. Meals on Wheels in Seminole County is looking for help in handing out meals to home-bound senior citizens on Christmas morning.

Call 407-333-8877, Ext. 120. Community Care for the Elderly has a variety of volunteer opportunities to help seniors, including wrapping donated items and assembling food baskets for holiday delivery. The organization is also looking for donations of food and clothing items. For more information, call 407-628-2884.

Martin E. Comas can be reached at mcomasorlandosentinel.com or the program is Dec. 2 1 For details, call Roberta Bloom at 407-872-5784. The coalition also is looking for sponsors to pay the monthly rent of $200 for their nine transitional apartments at the shelter campus in downtown Orlando. You can also buy housewares, furniture and bedding for the apartment or offer gift certificates and food baskets for a resident family.

Call Thais Dennis at 407-426-1261. Hispanic Lions Club needs school supplies to hand out to needy children at the Coalition for the Homeless on Jan. 6. To donate items, call Yolanda Franco at 407-872-3411. The Orlando Union Rescue Mission will set up a room where parents can select gifts for their kids.

To help, you can donate new and unwrapped gifts for children of all ages. Call 407-422-4855. BETA Center is looking for volunteer wrappers for its booths at Orlando Fashion Square. Shifts are available during the day, night and on weekends through Dec. 24.

Call Diane or Lauren at 407-644-2300. Restore Orlando needs volunteer wrappers for its booths at the Florida and Alta-monte malls. Call 407-246-0061. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is raising money to brighten the lives of children with life-threatening diseases. They've partnered with the Bank of America to raise $250,000 that will go toward fulfilling 70 children's Christmas wishes.

As each $10,500 is raised the amount needed to grant wishes to three children a floor of the 28-story downtown building will be illuminated. Contributions in any amount will be accepted at any Bank of America branch in Central Florida. The campaign runs through Dec. 21. Call 407-622-HOPE or 1-888-874-9474.

Check donations can also be mailed to Make-A-Wish Foundation, 1053 N. Orlando 32751. Food for Families is looking for volunteers to unload, sort and pack boxes from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Christmas Eve at West Orange High School, 1625 Beulah Road, Winter Garden.

More folks are needed starting at 8 a.m. on Christmas to deliver the food boxes to needy families. Call 407-826-5088. The Salvation Army has its Angel Trees up at Orlando Fashion Square, in the Christian Inspirations Bookstore at the West Oaks Mall and at the WKMG Channel 6 studios at 4466 N. John Young Parkway.

The trees are adorned with paper angels that have the names of needy children in the area and their clothing sizes. Shoppers pick a name, buy a gift and then return it to the tree's attendant. The organization is also looking for bell ringers for Sentinel Santa Donors Please give generously to Sentinel Santa Make your check payable to Sentinel Santa. You can charge your donation by phone with American Express, Mastercard or Visa at 1-877-387-2682 ($25 minimum donation by phone). Donate online at OrlandoSentinel.com.

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