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© St. Petersburg Times, published April 24, 2002
Re: College, city set to build new library, April 16.
The article about the proposed new library at St. Petersburg College states, "A library boom is under way in Pinellas County." This is exciting for all of us who read and those with school-age children in particular. However, the largest, most booming, blooming library in the county seems to have disappeared faster than the great library of Alexandria.
The Nelson Poynter Memorial Library at the campus of the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg is already 84,000 square feet and has almost 200,000 volumes compared with the planned St. Petersburg College library, which, if completed by 2005, will have 50,000 square feet and 150,000 volumes. The Poynter Library grows by about 4,000 volumes per year, and by 2005 should have 212,000.
The Media Center contains approximately 5,500 VHS, DVD and audio materials for entertainment, as well as a vast array of educational and scientific items.
Statistics don't begin to tell the whole story. The special collections department has books published as far back as 1553. It houses one of the premier collections on ichthyology, first writings of Mark Twain and signatures of every president except George W. Bush (and that one is expected soon). The library is a treasure house of local history, including a recently acquired 16 mm film taken by a visitor to the city in 1929, donated by his daughter-in-law.
The Poynter Library welcomes local readers to enjoy the vast array of materials while enjoying a beautiful view of Tampa Bay. For a small membership fee in the Society for Advancement of the Poynter Library, residents can check out books and audio-visual materials and at the same time help support the library.
The Poynter Library has formal affiliations with St. Petersburg College, and students from SPC may be found doing research there on almost any day. It is also affiliated with Eckerd College, St. Petersburg and Palm Harbor high schools, Shorecrest Preparatory School and the U.S. Geological Survey nearby.
Your readers should know what a wonderful source is available. USF-St. Petersburg is now open to freshmen and sophomores. Parents and students looking forward to attending a fine university should be aware of the excellence and size of the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library and the educational opportunities available right here in Pinellas County.
-- Oscar Blasingame, St. Petersburg
Re: Parade, fireworks end with ticket, letter, April 14.
Recently I have read a few letters complaining about receiving parking and speeding tickets in St. Petersburg. I also have a story.
On a recent weekend, my girlfriend and I made our way to downtown St. Petersburg to have dinner at BayWalk. We found a great parking spot on the street and noticed the 90-minute parking sign. We had dinner and returned approximately one hour later. Guess What? We didn't have a ticket on our windshield. Imagine that. We followed the rules and didn't receive a ticket.
I am so tired of reading letters from people who broke the rules and are mad that they got caught. I also have received tickets for speeding and illegal parking, and I deserved every one of them. Was I mad? Yes, but I couldn't blame anyone but myself.
All of these letters seem to end with the writer stating that he or she will no longer come to St. Petersburg. I say great. That's one more empty parking spot for me.
-- Bradley J. Reuscher, St. Petersburg
Re: Downtown parking.
There have been a few complaints in your letters recently regarding downtown parking tickets. I would like to applaud the city for enforcing a reasonable policy that was well thought out and planned by the appropriate city agencies in conjunction with neighborhood associations.
The well-marked 90-minute residential and 120-minute business time limits should be adequate for free parking downtown. St. Petersburg is experiencing a significant surge of growth. This evolution is mixed use, which means downtown must have some form of time restraint for visitors. Otherwise, a lack of parking for residents would be a huge disincentive for moving downtown.
There is an abundance of paid parking downtown, an overabundance in the eyes of many. We have been spoiled by a dormant city core with unlimited free parking. Those days are, fortunately, past and a vibrant rebirth is here. A minimal parking fee is a small price to pay for the multitude of events, many of which are free.
-- Bill Stokes, St. Petersburg
I am one of the physicians who volunteers at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, where patients are assisted by physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other auxiliary volunteers.
During the past year, the need for our health care services has increased immensely. After Sept. 11, many people lost their jobs and insurance. Many of them had pre-existing conditions, e.g., diabetes and high blood pressure. Added to this burden was the downsizing of social services and the poorer economy. We also encountered an influx of refugees from Eastern Europe and the Middle East as well as the Caribbean. We do our small part in helping the 45- to 50-million people in this country who have no medical help.
The number of physicians and nurses volunteering is not able to meet the need. The Free Clinic also needs more physicians willing to donate their sample medications and money to purchase pharmaceuticals. Perhaps if this message goes to print, we will receive offers of help, which are badly needed.
-- R.A. Stubbins, M.D., St. Petersburg
Whatever happened to the good old days when the St. Petersburg Times printed a special section, or at least a couple of special pages of beautiful color photos of the Festival of States parades and various events? We always looked forward to these and saved them in our scrapbooks for a lifetime of memories.
As a proud member of the Second Time Around Marching Band, I thought surely this year we would get several beautiful, large photos we could save and reminisce over for years to come.
This was the 20th anniversary of our band, and we were the host band and cornerstone of this year's Festival of States celebration. We had the best field show ever at Florida Power Park as well as a concert at BayWalk and Vinoy Park, plus two parades. Our grand finale at Florida Power Park with all the other performing bands joining us on the field would have made a splendid photo! Come on, St. Petersburg Times, have a heart!
Boy, do I ever miss the good old Evening Independent. It always came through.
-- Gladys J. Stout, St. Petersburg