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Award for civic duty; payoff for innocence
© St. Petersburg Times The first thing local developer Al Austin tried to do after winning the Tampa Metro Civitan Club's Outstanding Citizen of the Year award was give it away. Don't get me wrong. Austin certainly was grateful and surprised after receiving the prestigious award at Monday's annual Florida State Fair Governor's Luncheon. But his highest marks of appreciation were directed toward his wife, Beverly. "She is my guiding light," Austin said. "I have to give her all the credit because if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have done any of these things. "She should be standing here because she's the one who should have gotten the award. She's a fantastic person." Austin went on to explain that when they were first married, he told a certain group he couldn't serve on its board. Bev made him call back and say yes. Since then, he's been saying yes to a lot of people. Austin, the finance chairman for the state Republican Party, has played key roles in a number of organizations. One of his biggest contributions was chairing the MacDill Response Team, which helped keep the air force base and home of Central Command open. Austin also is chairman emeritus at the University of Tampa, as well as the founder of Tampa Prep. He also served on a number of health organizations, including the Hillsborough Red Cross, the Hillsborough Easter Seals and the American Heart Association. Considered the pioneer in the development of West Shore, Austin now finds his name among a veritable "who's who" among the city's longstanding civic leaders. Past winners of the Civitan award include Olin Mott, Hinks Shimberg, Monsignor Laurence Higgins, George and Leonard Levy, Shirley Ryals and Abraham Brown. Anne Murphy, who presented the award to an unsuspecting Austin, said the pioneer of West Shore's development is every bit as deserving as those predecessors. "He has enriched the economic and civic life of Tampa immeasurably," Murphy said. WTVT-Ch. 13 reporter Secily Wilson is tad bit richer after receiving a $100,000 settlement from the Florida Highway Patrol. Wilson was arrested and accused of kicking and scratching a trooper. She was found not guilty, but pursued a civil suit to help clear her name. "It was more vindication for me," Wilson said. "There has not been a moment when someone didn't come up to me and say, 'Aren't you the reporter who beat up the cop?' I was constantly trying to defend myself over that drama. I wasn't guilty then, I'm not guilty now and this just solidifies it." Most impressive has been Wilson's perseverance in the face of the allegations. To have that cloud hanging over her for four years was not easy for Wilson or her husband, Eric Orr. "It was stressful and trying on our finances, but we weren't going to give up," Wilson said. "We knew that we were right and we were not going to drop the ball on this. If I had to go to court, I would have taken my chances in court." Perhaps most telling is Wilson's ability to laugh again. She turned down my request for a loan and said anyone else needing money needs to call a bank. For all of those who enjoyed a rain-free Monday afternoon, please send thank-you notes and other tokens of appreciation directly to me. You see, a cloud burst enveloped Tampa as I made my way to the fairgrounds Monday morning. Silly me, I found myself traveling in this state without umbrella. So instead of showing up on time and soaked, I opted to stop and get an umbrella. Of course, when I walked out of the store, the rain immediately stopped. By Monday afternoon, the sun was shining. Like I said, feel free me to thank me. That's all I'm saying. -- Ernest Hooper can be reached at (813)226-3406 or hooper@sptimes.com .
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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