Letters to the Editors

Man with a giving heart deserves an award

Re: A giving heart, by Donna Winchester.

This is such an outstanding example of how each of us should "pay our dues" to help those in need.

The young man, Tim Medeiros, should be recognized with a most worthy award. I know not which organization would award this young man a meritorious citation, but surely there are several that would qualify.

Thank you for your courtesy. May the good Lord bless you and yours with good health and happiness.
-- Donald E. Sloan, Clearwater

Every gift makes a difference

I really enjoyed Donna Winchester's article on Tim Medeiros and his work with the needy, although I would have preferred to see it on Page 1!

I am reasonably sure I am not the only one to wonder whether my small check to the Salvation Army or the toy I drop in the "Toys for Tots" bin really makes a difference. Tim has removed any doubt about that, since he says it was a Salvation Army-provided dinner and Christmas gifts for him and his family that motivated him to work so hard to help others.

Every gift counts, and we can never know how many recipients are motivated to help others in return.
-- Jim Becker, Clearwater

A different take on South Pasadena

Re: South Pasadena has made great strides, Dec. 4.

It is extremely unfortunate that while this letter was clearly politically motivated, it included a reference to dozens of volunteers who gave freely of their time to help residents express their opinion in a democratic process. The statement "686 people were coerced into signing a petition" is offensive to those volunteers, and insulting to the hundreds of residents who freely signed the petitions in order to expose what was under way.

The petition expressed the outrage against a political payoff by one commissioner to another for his support in the March election, by trying to overturn the election results that had taken place just 63 days earlier. This shameless attempt to thwart the will of the overwhelming majority of residents, who were not silent, was another tawdry chapter in the political history of a certain element in the city.

As concerns the so-called mural, residents expressed their opposition to hiring an "artist" from Iowa at a cost that will eventually exceed well over $100,000 for a construction project that was rejected by the city's own beautification committee. In addition, the 1999 "Visioning" exercise never contemplated erecting a sign of this magnitude (43 tons of concrete) at what was described in the Visioning report as the most dangerous intersection in the city.

Finally, there are many longtime residents (30-plus years) who do not recall the pre-1990 backwater conditions described in the letter. As a result, it is clear that some residents are incredibly naive and prone to respond to prompting from that element in the city that thrives on misinformation.
Dan Calabria, South Pasadena

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright