When growth kills natural beauty, it's not progress
Published April 14, 2004
I tuned in to the Pinellas County Commission meeting televised on March 30 to hear the residents of Palm Harbor tell the story of destruction done in their neighborhood by our county.
The county mowed down numerous oaks, pines and palms "in the name of progress."
The residents were told that the county planned to replace some of the trees with palms. The average man knows that you cannot replace an oak with a palm. There is no comparison.
The very next day I was driving on Park Boulevard past the site where the Holiday Campground used to be. What a horror. Holiday Campground resided on this land for many, many years, but now that the land has been sold and the developer is in, the trees are gone. It's all about money and how we can squeeze as many homes as possible in one area.
Is it just me that feels hurt when I see this? Is it just me that finds it sad to drive Gulf Boulevard and not be able to see the gulf? Is it our commissioners' goal to cover the entire county in concrete?
I understand there have been improvements made by the commission, but I think the commissioners need to take a look at the pace of this county. Our priority seems to be how fast we can get from one part of town to the other. Maybe we should all slow down and enjoy some beauty before they take it away.
Just remember, we have all the control come election time.
Cathy Culp, Seminole
Reporting, editorial were both off the mark
Re: Snub halts tribute to friend on council, story, March 27, and Mayor turns moment of honor to indignity, editorial, March 31.
Your coverage of Clearwater news does a disservice to the Tampa Bay area. The recent ridiculous coverage of the Bill Justice harmonica incident is a specific example.
On March 9, Clearwater voters were asked to decide, once again, what to do about their waterfront property downtown. Once again, your newspaper features this as a small-town tussle between two groups: Save the Bayfront, a group of well-meaning but stuck in their ways residents of Clearwater, and the new generation that wants progress. It's like reading something out of Mayberry when you feature such characters as Bill Justice - ain't he sweet - playing his harmonica at a farewell to City Council member J.B. Johnson.
Yet, the impact of the two "no" votes has meant major negative financial and quality of life outcomes for all of us who live in this area. The truth of the matter is that your paper has never gone after Save the Bayfront and revealed it for what it truly is. This group, built on the foundation of bitter hatred for Scientology, does not ever want to see one penny spent on any progress or improvement to the downtown because of that group's presence. In tandem with that is a prejudiced and complete, not reasonable, distrust of any action of our local government. Many other voters in Clearwater secretly share these two highly destructive beliefs.
Save the Bayfront has only harmed this city, county and area. The real hero in this community is Clearwater Mayor Brian Aungst, who has patiently and methodically continued to work for progress in a city with a group that openly and covertly espouses the demise of its own downtown. What makes this group so frustrating to deal with is that a few of its members remain visible, however many others follow their path of fear and remain elusively destructive.
In Gone With the Wind, Dr. Meade said, "Good heaven's woman, this is war, not a garden party!" to Aunt Pittypat, a woman who truly lost her perspective. For your paper to present Bill Justice as just a wronged, cute old man with a harmonica is horrifying. This is a person who has worked intentionally with others to tear down the future of our city. Your reporting and editorial were a disgrace.
-- Jill Rommel, Oldsmar
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