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A year of issues and inspiration comes to a close
© St. Petersburg Times Best story of 2002: Jan Gentry on Survivor: Thailand. No contest. Who could not have been moved when the 53-year-old Hunter's Green schoolteacher, bumped from the game after making it to the final three, told young viewers everywhere: "Don't listen to the words 'you can't do something.' " Why it worked: Gentry kicked much-younger-butt all over the island without moving a Thai-noodle's-width away from her moral imperatives as an educator. Why it matters: Everybody needs a hero. Most important story of the year: From our pages, I'd select the story of Henry Echezabal, a land surveyor who was turned away from a public road in Odessa while trying to retrieve his wife's dress from a seamstress. Echezabal, who had run upon an over-zealous gatehouse guard, complained to the county. Word traveled to the Department of Planning and Growth Management, where a manager was also hassled at the gatehouse. Why it worked: It didn't take much digging to uncover a problem: Members of the public -- you, I, everyone -- were led to believe we did not have the right to travel our public streets. Echezabal's action, and the coverage that followed, alerted readers to their basic civil rights. The County Commission also noticed. As a result, future Hillsborough developments will not be granted the right to gate off public streets. Why it matters: Elitism, exclusivity, the desire to keep outsiders at bay -- these are recurring themes in our suburbs and issues that should provoke healthy dialogue. We fear crime. We fear the unknown. Fair enough. But at what point do those fears become obsessive, destructive and just plain ugly? You might have missed it: Bill Najmark's tale ran in our Metro section on Nov. 28. Hunt it down on the Internet; it's well worth the effort. Najmark lives for two things -- pizza, which he sells ready-to-cook, and golf. A motor-mouth, he pushed things too far in a tirade against a city golf operations director over poor playing conditions at the Babe Zaharias course. The Tampa Sport Authority interpreted his rant (which alluded to a shotgun) as a threat and banned Najmark temporarily from city greens. Why it matters: Najmark makes excellent pizza. No, seriously. It concerns free speech, a concept turned on its head in the greater axis-tilting of Sept. 11. And golfers will appreciate Najmark's assessment of ongoing renovations at "the Babe." The story we loved to publish: Two of our area high schools, Jefferson and Wharton, sent football teams to the state finals this year, and Wharton did it after being open only six years. Why it matters: Nothing succeeds like success, and a winning football team pleases crowds like little else. While West Tampa has a distinct history and culture, New Tampa is land of the transplant, the executive transfer, the out-of-town-owned business. It got a much-needed sense of self when those Wildcat fans rode to Tallahassee. A story we're still dogging: Community Development Districts. These taxing districts are popular with Florida developers, who control them in their early years. They also are vehicles to borrow money for fancy finishing touches that help the builders sell houses. You move in, the developers move out and the debt remains, for you to pay through taxes and fees. Homeowners in Heritage Harbor have woken up to these sobering realities. More Floridians -- particularly those planning to trade up to new homes -- would be wise to wake up too. A story that will make you think: Tim Grant took us to Hope Children's Home, a sort of modern day orphanage just south of Gunn Highway. The trip was a metaphysical journey, if you will. Child after child described the very tangible powers of prayer, which they credited for everything from breakfast cereal to acne cream. Christianity is so central to the program that directors do not take money from the state. Such spirituality soothes the children, who often come from tragic circumstances. But separation from the state also enables Hope Children's Home to employ methods the government might not tolerate -- including corporal punishment. Why it matters: The Bush family, who are firmly entrenched in the White House and Governor's mansion, love faith-based initiatives. We might share the infatuation, but we must be realistic about the consequences as we weave them into the social safety net. A sign of the times: The Westchase Community Association oversees some of the toughest homeowner rules around, everything from pool enclosure colors to errant basketball goals. A bunch of meanies? Not necessarily. They are, after all, enforcing contracts that all Westchasers entered when they moved in. But when board members disagreed with one another this year, that's when things got ugly. There were acerbic e-mail insults, four board members faced removal and two were tossed unceremoniously from their posts. A sign of things to come: New Tampans began the year anticipating a little road project with big promise: The extension of Cross Creek Boulevard from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to Morris Bridge Road in sleepy Branchton. The goal was to ease traffic on Bruce B. Downs. At year's end, motorists were complaining about traffic on both Bruce B. Downs and Cross Creek. What do most of these stories have in common? They speak to the good life so many are seeking in these new and not-so-new neighborhoods. Have we succeeded? Does home live up to the hype? To our expectations, even? Not always. Sometimes we are unrealistic. Sometimes we are duped by the swamp-peddlers and their descendents. Sometimes we just need someone to keep score. See you in 2003.
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