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Letters to the EditorsNew stadium needs different entrance© St. Petersburg Times published April 25, 2002 With U.S. 19 on one side and Drew Street on another, why would the city of Clearwater put the primary access to the new baseball stadium on Old Coachman Road? Use one of those other roads and discourage drivers from using Old Coachman. Old Coachman is inadequate to handle the volume of traffic proposed without major improvements, which would cost the city more money. We had terrible problems in our neighborhood with cut-through traffic when the Home Depot was at this location. Do you think it will be less severe with this type of facility? I'm not just talking about stadium events, but also the proposed restaurant, fitness center and memorabilia shop, which I'm assuming will be open year-round. I know the city promised some form of traffic control during spring training games and concerts, but what will the city do to discourage drivers leaving these other facilities and after minor league games? Please take these issues into consideration before committing to a decision that will, whether directly or indirectly, affect our quality of life.
Police Web site was not newsworthyRe: Officers air morale complaints on Web site, story, March 25. I would like to respond to this article regarding the Web site managed by the Clearwater police union (Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 10). This information was hardly newsworthy and was never meant to be displayed in the arena in which it is playing out. Staff writer Chris Tisch's so-called news article was hardly newsworthy and was, for the most part, simply one large quote. The Web site created by the union's executive board -- a board upon which I currently sit -- was created for no other purpose than to convey information to its members in a timely and technologically modern fashion. I doubt that many people find the inner workings of a police union and the opinions of its board members very interesting, let alone newsworthy. I was given the opportunity to comment for Tisch's so-called news article but declined, as I felt it was inappropriate, and I am not willing to air the union's laundry in such a forum. Every police union in the United States will, at one time or another, be in a position to disagree with its police chief or city management team. That is nothing that needs to be parlayed into a news story. The union enjoys a very good working relationship with our chief of police. I personally feel that Chief Sid Klein is a skilled, competent and fair police executive. I have the utmost respect for Chief Klein; however, due to my position on the union's executive board, I know there will be times when we will be on the opposite ends of issues involving the Police Department and its rank-and-file officers. It's simply the nature of the business. I would hope that Chris Tisch's editor(s) would encourage him to go out and seek noteworthy stories that would carry more interest and/or appeal. The only people who are possibly affected by this information are the members of the union and the city officials with whom they must deal. As for Mr. Tisch, I view him as not much more than an ambulance chaser with a press pass.
Ridiculous idea for an intersectionRe: Seminole to improve dangerous junction, story, April 15. When the ill-conceived and misguided plan for the Clearwater Beach roundabout was first revealed, my letter to the Times suggested the problems that it would produce. Since it has been in use, experience has demonstrated what a boondoggle it is. Now Seminole has presented a ridiculous plan to "improve" the 102nd Avenue/Old Ridge Road intersection. Traffic traveling west on 102nd Avenue toward the intersection will still be obliged to merge, only sooner and at greater risk. Drivers traveling north or south on Old Ridge Road will be forced to turn right, and then seek an opportunity to make a U-turn on 102nd Avenue, and then return from the east or west on 102nd Avenue to make a right turn at the intersection to continue north or south on Old Ridge Road. If this moronic scenerio promotes safety, what world are the "planners" living in?
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