Pillars Of The Community - From time-to-time the Clearwater Gazette will provide a column titled Pillars of the Community.
We were most pleased to have had Larry Dimmitt Sr. as our selection. I'm confident you found Mr. Dimmitt as interesting a person as we did. For the many people who have personally known him, the column barely touched the many wonderful things he has done to help the local community.
Clearwater Days Inn Demolition - The demolition of the old Days Inn on Clearwater Beach has been stalled due to the finding of asbestos in the building.
Talk about an expensive "clean-up" problem, the finding of asbestos at the Days Inn will create new, and expensive, demolition problems.
Until the asbestos issue is resolved, enjoy the protective wire fence past the building sidewalk.
Clearwater Rotary Kingfish Tournament - It is approaching the time of year for the kingfish to make their annual run through our local area.
Kingfish season is something many local anglers enjoy for about two months.
Fun?
Just ask members of the Clearwater Rotary about their upcoming kingfish tournament.
The home base of this year's Rotary tournament will be at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater.
"Bigger tournament than last year," proudly proclaimed one Rotary member.
Traffic Jams - When you think of traffic jams, US 19 in Pinellas County comes to mind. However, US 19 is not even close to matching the most infamous areas for traffic jams.
Worst?
Places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, Detroit and Orlando.
It's amazing that Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was not listed as one of the worst places for traffic jams. Pittsburgh has a maze of one-way streets (to nowhere) with potholes that swallow small cars. Six lanes of traffic merge to two lanes just before a tunnel where you pass through a mountain and pop-out on an old bridge in downtown Pittsburgh.
Traffic jams?
US 19 is nothing compared to the places listed above.
As the Next Governor Of Florida, How Would You Protect Our Borders? - The above is a question for gubernatorial candidates Tom Gallagher and Charlie Crist.
How would they protect our state's borders from continued illegal immigration?
As you might guess, they will avoid answering the question or might say it is a federal, not state, problem.
Of course, the governor has the power to protect the state's borders by use of the National Guard.
Rule of law.
Of the two candidates, Gallagher and Crist, Crist is the chief law enforcement officer of our state. Crist could opine more strongly in favor of the rule of law in this matter. Yet, like most other politicians, he avoids the confrontation.
Is illegal immigration a huge problem in America?
Most Americans say, yes.
Sell Advertising On The Side Of Police Cars - In Massachusetts, the home of Ted Kennedy, a small town is selling advertising on the sides of police cars.
Talk about ideas to raise money for local government!
I guess the novel idea is not much different than "adopting a roadway or adopting a public park.
Let's see, what ads could go on the sides of local police cars ?
Police car ads? Perhaps fire trucks are next.
Spring Break - "Exactly when is Spring Break?" asked a local reader.
Some folks might respond by saying Spring Break is that time period from the end of February until the week after Easter (April 16 this year). However, other folks might state another date. The simple fact of the matter is that there is no firm date when Spring Break starts or ends … all schools have different schedules.
In the Clearwater area it lasts about two months. How do we know when it is over? We look at the traffic on the Clearwater Memorial Causeway. (Imagine the traffic this year with a new, no more bridge openings, bridge in downtown Clearwater, and no new parking on Clearwater Beach!)
Lead Poisoning - There is a new wave of potential lawsuits by those New York lawyers who specialize in class action litigation.
Lead poisoning litigation.
Did a manufacturer's paint product have lead?
Look out for the lawyers.
Lead paint at dump sites?
Look out, they are going after paint companies that sold products with lead (base) paint.
Hey, didn't all of us buy paint with lead in it at one time or another?
Feel sick?
It's probably the lead paint you once used to paint your house, boat bottom, barn, bikes, etc.
Lead poisoning - the new asbestos (for lawyers).
Many Thanks To Our Out-Of-State Readers - It might surprise some folks to know how many visitors to the Clearwater area buy a subscription to the Gazette. (One retired lady in Syracuse, N.Y. actually passes the paper throughout her neighborhood for all to read; same for a retired gentleman in Madison, Wisconsin).
Some of the visitors buy the paper to keep-up with local Clearwater news, other visitors subscribe to read something that is fair and balanced (let's say, more moderate in views of our U.S. government and national leaders).
The many e-mail messages we receive at the Gazette are appreciated. (Even from those few of you who disagree with views published in the Gazette).
What I have observed from our readers (over the years of writing this column) is that most of you are proud to be Americans and favor moderate/conservative political positions on important national issues, such as modern tax reform, securing social security, stopping late-term abortion, support protecting our nation's borders, support placing term limits on politicians, and so forth.
I've noticed that most people do not think politicians listen to voters and that both major political parties are out-of-touch with voters. Of course, many of you have said that when you find a politician that listens to voters and votes accordingly, much like our U.S. Congressman Bill Young, you feel blessed . . . and want to keep him for as long as possible.
Our web site has indeed helped to encourage more e-mail from you readers. ClearwaterGazette.com
Thanks again for all of your support and e-mail messages.
What is important about having a local "independent' community newspaper?
It is not owned by a media conglomerate, like most every other local paper.
History - Not to know what happened before one was born is to remain a child. - Cicero