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This year's Clearwater Jazz Holiday was too successful. With more than 20,000 people turned away on Saturday, it is way past time to move the concerts to another venue. The new baseball stadium is a perfect choice.
At the stadium the stage area could be set up in center field with festival seating all around it (just as in Coachman Park). With the additional permanent stadium seats, an entirely fresh approach to the concerts could be realized. In fact, the concept of a free Jazz Festival should be readdressed by charging a small fee, say $3 to $5. In this day and age that's virtually free!
As for "free," the Jazz Festival is anything but that for Clearwater citizens who travel anywhere near downtown during this period. For many of us this is not a time of festival, but one of dread of traffic jams, congestion and plain old hassles.
The Jazz Festival made a place for itself many years ago on the nation's musical landscape. After 25 great years it's time to change the concept for the betterment of the festival, fans and citizens.
This letter is in response to the death of 16-year-old Rebecca McKinney, who was struck and killed by a pickup truck while crossing McMullen-Booth Road from her bus stop.
About six months ago the media was contacted to investigate potential safety issues at one school in particular. The hope was to bring attention to the safety issues countywide. The Times was one of them. Nobody responded, because nobody cared. It was not big news.
I find it absolutely amazing that the media cares now because a child was killed. If people had gotten involved six months ago and did some investigating, this child could still be alive. It may have forced transportation to take a good hard look at their system.
Furthermore, how dare the school transportation department point the blame in the direction of the bus driver? I have had many dealings with the Pinellas County Transportation Department, Pinellas County School Board and superintendent, for personal issues with my own children as well as safety issues for the school my children attend.
My heart goes out to the mother of Rebecca McKinney. Many attempts had been made to have the transportation department re-evaluate its routing, to no avail. They believe their computer system is flawless. Obviously, it is not flawless. That poor mother asked for help. Her daughter was being harassed by another student, and the best they could do was to make her cross the street. Amazing. That was the best transportation could do - knowingly place a child in danger.
If a person cared to look at the routing instead of leaving it to the computer, then someone would have seen she had to cross McMullen-Booth. All they care about is the money and what it would cost to reroute anything. It all comes down to money and their budget. (I guess they forgot to factor the life of a child into their budget).
Instead of transportation relying on their computers, maybe they should go visit some of the more dangerous areas to see exactly what happens on a day-to-day basis. We were told that the safest place for our children to be is on a bus while traveling to and from school. I stopped believing that after a few incidents on the bus my children rode. I made a decision to drive my children to school. I do not trust the School Board or transportation to make any decisions on my children's behalf in regards to safety.
When my granddaughter was a freshman at Countryside High School, I was upset to find out she had to cross McMullen-Booth Road and State Road 580 because she did not qualify for bus service. The intersection is dangerous for adults or teens. I complained to the principal who retorted, "We haven't lost a student yet."
What a meaningless reply. So, we are to wait until we lose a child or grandchild, as did the McKinneys, before something is done?
Re: Fight for a name ends with a fight for life, story, Oct. 9.
First and foremost, my blessings to the citizen who, for a moment's time, was by all accounts clinically dead. Second, and not to be forgotten, are the city employees who came to the aid of the victim in need. They are to be congratulated for their willingness to rush to the side of a citizen and render what aid they could to calm an unstable cardiac patient as many others watched in fear.
Last, but not least, was the ever-important phone call to 911. This call brought the city firefighters. As always they responded with complete professionalism and on arrival quickly gathered information from witnesses and initiated the supportive care needed. The firefighters without hesitation shocked the patient three times out of the critical heart rhythm into what is considered a normal one. Supportive care was continued from all who touched the patient until he was turned over to the attending physician in the hospital.
The firefighters, my brethren, are not looking for kudos, but I feel they deserve it. I am proud of the job they have done. This stressful life-saving event and many others like it happen every day in Clearwater but often go unnoticed by many, other than those directly involved. This time was different; this event took place in front of Clearwater City Council members and the fire union nemesis, City Manager Bill Horne, the very people who for 24 months have said that the city's firefighters are not worth what is to be considered fair and equitable.
My question to the council and Horne: How did you feel as you sat frozen, the victim in front of you clinically dead, as you watched two city employees and my brother firefighters revive a cardiac victim? I have an idea. Does helpless, empty and frightened sound familiar? Bet it does.
Re: Billboard supporting president doesn't tell the whole story, letter, Oct. 20.
I had the same reaction when I saw the billboard that said that Florida women support Bush.
It is just another misleading statement by the Republicans to make people think that everyone is backing Bush. The sad thing is that Bush really believes that everyone is going to vote for him. I hope that everyone that is against Bush will go vote and prove him wrong. If we have four more years of Bush as a lame duck president, he could get this country in such a mess that America will never be the same again.
Due to an uncertain travel schedule, I decided to take advantage of the chance to vote early at the Pinellas County Courthouse. I have to say, the people who are working there during this early election process are saints!
The line was long. Many of the people in line had physical conditions that made standing uncomfortable. A few voters were simply impatient and let everyone around them know it. But the staffers at the courthouse were courteous, offering to help in any way they could. They tried their hardest to make the best of a tough situation and deserved more thanks than they were receiving. So from one citizen who voted early, thank you!
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