Letters to the Editors

Woman's heartlessness is appalling

Re: Todd urges task force deal with homeless, Dec. 22.

An east Lealman resident is quoted as referring to the homeless in her neighborhood as being "like maggots;" "We live with scum... It's a cesspool," she said. May I remind her that each of them is someone's child, parent, sibling, and so on.

As Americans, we bristle at the treatment of the underclass in foreign countries. Our servicemen have fought and died for the freedoms we have, and also to restore freedoms in foreign countries worldwide. As a nation, we work to rebuild and improve the lives of millions throughout the world.

The woman quoted embodies the attitude of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). Who would be next? People in wheelchairs moving about her neighborhood? Other races? Other religions? Perhaps she should contact a real estate agent and move to a deed-restricted community.

As the Bible teaches us, "What ye do for the least of my people, ye do also for me." If this woman has no compassion to help the homeless (who are also members of her community), maybe it's time for her to move on.
-- Mrs. D. Feasel, Pinellas Park

Brother's death won't be forgotten

Re: The long-term affects of drinking and driving.

With the holiday season upon us, drinking and driving will be talked about in the media, as it should be. This is not a letter about the legal troubles a person caught drinking and driving will encounter. This isn't even about the immediate trauma the victim's family will have to endure.

In the wee hours of Nov. 22, 1976, my 22-year-old brother was killed by not one, but two drunk drivers. He and five friends, including our 15-year-old brother, were walking across Park Boulevard. One of his friends and my 15-year-old brother made it across to the median. My 15-year-old brother turned around to tell James, nicknamed Buzzy, to hurry up. He witnessed the first and second cars run over our brother. The first car stopped -- he admitted to have been drinking for several hours before the accident -- but the second one didn't. The second driver was turned in a few days later by his passenger. He didn't stop because he was intoxicated at the time.

I was 10 years old at the time of my oldest brother's death. Not only was he the best big brother a girl could have, he was only 22. He never had the chance to have a family or any of the things the rest of us take for granted. Our mother never fully recovered from the horror of losing her child. My brother, who saw this happen, never truly put those images behind him. I grew up and named my son after my big brother.

It's been 26 years, and my family still misses him. The other young men there that night have to live with seeing their young friend killed right in front of them.

Before you get behind a wheel this holiday season, or any time for that matter, don't just think of the legal troubles you will face. Think of the family you will turn upside down emotionally and ask yourself, "Will I be able to forget the death I cause right now, 30 years down the road?" His family and friends have not.
-- Lisa Allen, St. Petersburg

Thank you notes are a lost tradition

Why have people quit sending thank you notes to those who buy gifts? This, to me, is very rude and thoughtless. I was not brought up that way. If it's worth the effort to get it to me, then it's worth my time and effort to send a proper thank you note to that gracious person.

I love the holiday season and the giving of gifts, but after the season is over, I always look forward to the thank you notes that we receive (or should receive) from children and our friends -- just how they liked that very special gift we looked for in 10 different stores until we found that one special thing we knew they wanted. Shopping is fun, but when we are older, it can be a chore.

So that's why it's such a disappointment when the thank you notes don't appear after the season is over. Why have parents stopped teaching their children the proper things to do? And it isn't only the children and Christmas gifts, but birthday, anniversary and even wedding gifts. All should receive a thank you note before they are even used. It takes five minutes and a postage stamp to do the proper thing. And, no, an e-mail or a phone call is not the proper way to say thank you.
-- Fran Glaros, Clearwater

Weekend market was a delight

I had such a great time recently at the green market in downtown St. Petersburg that I need to tell someone. Not only did they have free coffee, I was also very well fed with the vendors selling breads and juice and a bunch of other things that hit the spot. The best, though, was getting a free hand and foot massage from a massage therapist who had her table set up there. What a treat. My overall impression of the market is very positive, and I hope others read this and stop on by as we as a community need to support downtown.

Growth starts with us so try something new and go downtown on Saturday mornings.
-- Michael J. Martin, St. Petersburg

College not accessible to bus service

Academic institutions, museums, historic sites and tourist attractions all need to be connected to give our great city a sense of pride and enjoyment. Isn't that why we visit cities like New York, San Francisco and Chicago? Of course, public transportation plays a crucial and important role in achieving this goal. St. Petersburg has done a pretty good job in this respect, except for one major academic institution: Eckerd College. As a new resident to this great city, I was quite surprised to discover that no buses went to Eckerd College. Eckerd College is "the only private national liberal arts college in Florida."

This puts it in a very special category, and of course the city in a very distinctive category, too. But although the college is unique and special, this uniqueness cannot be shared with the citizens of St. Petersburg. Academic and cultural institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts, Dali, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg College and the History Museum are all accessible through public transportation. Why not Eckerd College? The closest bus stop is 2 miles away from the campus. The national and international students of Eckerd College are literally "trapped" in their campus, not being able to enjoy, grow and learn from our cultural city. Of course, this goes both ways: our citizens are not able to enjoy the many cultural programs the college has to offer to senior citizens and the general public.

I have sent letters to the college's president, our mayor and PSTA. Some responses to my letters have been positive and others quite irresponsible, with the usual statement, "It's not our problem." As citizens who love this beautiful city, we all have to be involved in making sure that our city is accessible to all its citizens. City, county, PSTA, the college and St. Petersburg residents, we all have to bring our extraordinary Eckerd College into the city's life. I hope this will soon happen; it will be beneficial and empowering to all.
-- Benito Pastoriza Iyodo, St. Petersburg

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