Synopsis   |   Music   |   Links   |   The People   |   Producers   |   Photo Gallery   |   Historical Maps
   
   

   
Welcome to "The Long Road: From Poverty to Prosperity in Bradford County," an 89 - minute documentary that examines one of the poorest regions in the state and asks the question, "What Can Be Done?" This program was produced for broadcast at WUFT-FM & WJUF-FM by Claudia Hickey and Bill Beckett, with Donna Green-Townsend as executive editor.

The straight stretch of Highway 301 spanning the distance between Gainesville and Jacksonville hosts fleets of cars and tractor trailers sounding off and speeding through rural North Central Florida on their daily slog.  And despite the roar of eighteen wheelers careening along the corridor, Bradford … is a sleepy little community. Some want their town to wake up, while others resist the change they see coming.

During this special, we’ll travel across Bradford County and visit many victims of poverty. We'll visit the county jail and meet some inmates who say they’re happy to be there compared to their life on the streets.  We’ll speak with educators who are trying to encourage young parents to provide their kids with a better life than their own.  We'll look at the schools, health care system, job and business opportunities, and examine the potential for, and obstacles to, growth. Throughout the journey, we’ll see the toll poverty takes on the most vulnerable.

Host Claudia Hickey travels with you down “The Long Road: From Poverty to Prosperity,” Bradford County's continuing quest to deliver itself from hard times to good times.
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Synopsis

"Poverty is the mother of crime," and "hunger will make a thief of any man."  These are the words of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Nobel prize winning author, Pearl S. Buck, spoken relatively 1800 years apart. These words frame our story.

Poverty in Bradford County, like in many parts of North Central Florida, is endemic. The causes go further than Census Bureau statistics alone. Drug abuse and crime often result from lack of education and a desperate effort to supplement income by any possible means. Poor health, lack of insurance, and difficulty navigating an ever-more complicated health care system further frustrates the poor. In this special, we'll talk to those who suffer under the weight of poverty and many others who are searching for solutions.
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Music

Hard Times by East Mountain South
Sweet Little Bluebird by Grey De Lisle
Bring 'Em All In by The Wallin' Jennys
Doin' Without by the Ebony Hillbillies
Take The Long Way Home by Po' Girl
Employee X by Migrants
Malaise by Po' Girl
The Cider House Rules by Rachel Portman
One More Dollar by Gillian Welch
Jimmy Was by Daniel Lanois
Hard Times by East Mountain South
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Links

Bradford County Florida Home Page
Santa Fe Community College
SFCC's Displaced Homemakers Program
The Andrews Center at SFCC
The Bradford County School District
Meridian Behavioral Healthcare

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The People

Some of the interviews included in this documentary are:

Jimmy Alvarez
Bradford County Property Appraiser
Virginia Autry
Owner, Strawberry Tea Room, Starke
Thomas Barber
Starke Pharmacist
Barbara Cannon
Rainbow Center parent, Starke
Cheryl Canova
Director, Andrews Center, SFCC's Starke Campus
Dr. Chris Cogle
Oncologist, Shands Hospital
Jim Crawford
Bradford County Manager
Terry Crawford
Bradford County resident
Darius and Tora
Rainbow Center parents, Starke
Brian Davis
Bradford County Sheriff's Deputy
Rick Ezell
Assistant Superintendent, Bradford County Schools
Clarence DeSue
Director, Bradford County Vocational Technical School
Cindy DeValerio
Director Rainbow Center, Bradford County Schools
Irlene Gillian
Curtis Recycling worker, Hampton
Nancy Griffin
Coordinator, SFCC Displaced Homemakers Program
John Hodges
Hampton Police Chief
Cameron Karl
 
Addictions Counselor, Meridian Behavioral Health for Bradford
and Union Counties
Ron Lilly
CEO, Bradford County Chamber of Commerce
Lisa MacMillan
Director, Bradford County Recreation Department
Larry Noegel
Owner, Noegel's Auto Sales, Starke
June Neats
 
Bradford County Manager Administrative Assistant,
single mom, Starke
Michelle Riggins
Bradford County resident
Jackson Sasser
President, Santa Fe Community College
Carolyn Spooner
Starke Vice Mayor
Ken Teal
Teal Tile, Starke
Barbara Walter
Volunteer Ministry, Grace Community Fellowship Church
Patty Williams
Bradford County resident
Greta Willingham
Bradford County visitor
Ullysses Woods
Assistant Principal, Bradford County High School

 

 Send us your comments about "The Long Road" to radio@wuft.org

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The Producers

Donna Green-Townsend
 Claudia Hickey
Bill Beckett

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Photo Gallery
click on the thumbnail to view full picture


Highway 301

Near Hampton

Hampton RR Crossing

Entering Starke

Historic Downtown Starke

Historic Call Street in Starke

Chamber of Commerce in Starke

SFCC Andrews Center in Starke

Bradford High School

Old Gulf Station

"Corner of Culture"

Wal-Mart moves in

Downtown business

North on 301

Curtis Recycling

Z.Z. at work

Irlene Gillian's hauling trailer

Bags of cans to be emptied

Bradford Co. Health Dept.

The Rainbow Center playground

Vocational Tech. Inst.

Water tower

Noegel's Auto Sales

Downtown cinema

 

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Historical Maps


Maps and History of Bradford County

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© 2006 WUFT-FM
Web site design by Bill Beckett, Jason Farmand, Claudia Hickey, & Donna Green-Townsend
Photography by Claudia Hickey