Fellow Belleair residents, we've seen on TV and read in the newspapers about the horrific hurricane damage from Punta Gorda to Daytona Beach. We've heard about the thousands in the hurricanes' paths who were without electricity.
Before the storms hit, Progress Energy, TECO and Florida Power & Light called for help from out of state, with each company asking for 2,000 to 3,000 workers to help resurrect their downed infrastructure.
If Belleair were on its own in such a scenario, where would we get the necessary help to rebuild our tiny infrastructure, competing with three giant electricity providers?
Belleair residents, please remember what you saw and heard when you go to vote in March 2005 on whether we should sever ties with Progress Energy, because there but for Punta Gorda, Lakeland, Lake Wales, and on and on go all of us when the big one hits Pinellas County.
-- Tom Vourlos, Belleair
Writer is uninformed about storm
Re: Feeling forgotten and powerless without power, letter by Andrew Williams, Sept. 9.
Well-informed citizens of Pinellas County knew that Frances was an emergency for our area. Lucky you - your working-class neighborhood in Clearwater was fortunate to be free of downed trees and power lines. Many Floridians have lost more than their air conditioning, cold water to drink and hot water to bathe in.
Many of the neighborhoods in Palm Harbor went not only without power, but also had trees down and homes damaged. After the storm many neighbors were out helping each other with the cleanup, and the ones with power opened their homes to the ones without. It's a shame your neighbors would not have done the same for your family.
I personally would like to thank Progress Energy and all of the out-of-state power companies from Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico and Texas that have been working long hours to restore power not only to our county, but to the state.
Mr. Williams, where are your priorities? I hope your family never has to face true suffering.
-- Jane B. Wynnick, Palm Harbor
Elevator rescuers deserve praise
I want to commend Clearwater Fire Rescue for their outstanding response time, professionalism and prompt rescue of my administrative assistant, who was trapped in an elevator in an office building in downtown Clearwater.
The incident was on Sept. 9 after business hours when few people were in the building. Fortunately, my assistant had a cell phone and could reach me. Because it appeared a significant amount of time would lapse (and it did) before a representative of the elevator company arrived, I called 911.
The three-man crew arrived in a matter of minutes, secured the site and within 15-20 minutes had my badly shaken assistant out of the elevator, which had been moving up and down but not stopping. Throughout the event, the workers were professional and courteous and seemed to have the situation always under control.
Their conduct during this emergency was exemplary and I believe the least thanks I can offer them is to publicly acknowledge their exemplary conduct.
-- Julie Scales, executive director, Pinellas
County Community Foundation, Clearwater
Thanks to store for great service
Largo's Home Depot did an excellent job of handling the crowd waiting for plywood Saturday morning, Sept. 11. Many of us arrived well before its 6 a.m. opening time. We had ample space to wait in line away from the flow of traffic. There was a good flow of communication relating to the anticipated arrival of wood from other parts of the country. We were given free water while waiting.
Once the sun started heating up the area, we were allowed to wait inside, where employees had set out lawn chairs from the store's inventory for us to sit in. There was even an announcement about observing a moment of silence in memory of those whose lives were taken by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001.
When the wood arrived, an efficient distribution system was in place to help us get our wood, pay, have the wood loaded and leave in a timely manner.
That's what I call great service, which will be rewarded with many return shopping trips.
-- Michael Kirkpatrick, Clearwater
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