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Honeymoon cove is no place for public boat ramp

Re: House proposal just might float your boat, story, April 16.

Float your boat from some place already developed - please!

In response to comments in the April 16 article about the (indisputable) need for boat ramps in Pinellas County, I'm sorry to hear that anyone thinks that using state parks as locations for these ramps is a "no-brainer."

The article mentioned the park managers' objections to adding a boat ramp to Honeymoon Island: unmanageable traffic and sensitive habitat disruption. These issues don't make much impact on the brains of some folks, but many county residents think them important, especially when you consider details of the Honeymoon Island case.

The cove being looked at on Honeymoon Island is a shallow water cove where pontoon ferries launch. To handle the public use proposed, it would require extensive dredging and an expansion of available parking. These actions would simply remove the cove as it exists, which supports numerous species of wading birds, sea grasses and fish.

The cove is in constant use by both humans and wildlife. Visitors from all across the world take that ferry out to Caledesi Island. Fishermen in shallow draft boats and kayaks can be seen there at all times of the day, as can green herons, night herons, plovers and pipers (to name just a few species of birds). We co-exist there in an almost ideal way. It's a model we could choose to be proud of and to which we might assign a high value.

Back up the road from Honeymoon Island Park, on the other hand, is a marina for sale. Marker 1 will, I've been told by locals, go for prime condo dollars. Note that this is already a boat launching spot and would require no dredging or disruption of habitat. (Traffic onto the Dunedin Causeway would still be an problem.) I'm not suggesting this as an ideal solution, but it demonstrates the basic issue.

We have miles of disrupted and developed coastline in this county. Let's re-use that before we even consider touching the relatively few acres of remaining managed habitat.

County Commissioner Susan Latvala's suggestion of the Stauffer site is excellent for this very reason. If we don't start thinking this way, our entire county will be developed. There will be no shallow coves, no seagrass, fewer fish, fewer birds and much less to attract visitors or residents.

Honeymoon Island State Park as it is today offers natural beauty, viable habitat and well-managed recreational opportunities. Go stand on the ferry dock at dawn and it will tell you all you need to know about turning this spot into a public boat launch.

Boat launch sites will harm state park environment

Re: House proposal just might float your boat, story, April 16.

State parks should keep their focus on protection of the natural environment and recreational uses that have a low impact on natural resources. Boat ramps will put a lot of stress on the environment in the state parks. We should focus on finding areas that are already developed to locate new boat ramps rather than the few areas protected as state parks.

At existing ramps with limited parking, perhaps off-site parking could be made available with a bus back to the ramp. Many of the ramps in Pinellas County are used very little during the week and only have overcrowding problems on weekends and holidays. It would be a shame to pave over a natural environment for a handful of weekends.

Resignation costs Clearwater a competent planning director

Cyndi Tarapani, Clearwater planning director, was given a choice by City Manager Bill Horne: resign or be fired. The people of Clearwater have lost the talents of an intelligent, competent official.

Mrs. Tarapani did an exceptional job as planning director. So exceptional that the wrath of influential developers, in my opinion, forced her resignation. Watching the director at City Council meetings, I appreciated her knowledge of city codes and her flawless presentation of facts.

Mayor Frank Hibbard said, "We will continue to follow those codes and enforce them." Are these the same codes that allowed developers David Mack and Mike Cheezem 15 stories on their latest condominium project? And will these codes allow towers of 25 stories on the bluff? Without Mrs. Tarapani to represent the taxpayers, I believe the answer will be yes.

Credibility necessary for judges to do their jobs

Re: Judge briefly denies new charges, story, April 14.

What right does Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge John Renke III have to pass judgment on defendants brought before him if he too is guilty of misconduct? When our own judges are self-serving and use sly maneuverings to skirt the law that they impose on others, they then lose their credibility to hold anyone else accountable for their misdeeds. The lame theory of "Do as I say, not as I do," has no business in a court of law.

Application for police officer won't get past police chief

Re: Tear up that application for a badge, letter, April 21.

In response to the letter writer's advice to tear up the application of the ex-Georgia police officer who was arrested after being accused of handcuffing his girlfriend's daughter and then hitting her over the head with a shovel: When the Times asked for a quote, police staff chose to give a politically correct response and say that the application of someone facing criminal charges would be put on hold, hoping that people would read between the lines.

Allow me to say that in the first place, anyone can walk through the doors and pick up a job application. In this case, no such application has been submitted to our office.

Rest assured, this particular application would never make it through the initial screening phase. Should it ever make its way to my desk, I will personally either shred it or find a bird cage to line with it.

Airpark has lots of experienced, older pilots flying overhead

Re: Airpark's record belies its defenders, editorial, April 8.

Come on, enough is enough. If you guys are going to report facts, get all of the facts.

The age of pilots at the airpark is older than most: Gee, who would have thought that in Florida?

What about the experience of the older pilots? Most have advanced ratings - commercial, multi-engine, instruments - plus more hours as pilot in command than most of the younger pilots. Who would you rather fly with or have flying overhead? A bunch of 20-year-old, 100-hour private pilots, or a 60-year-old commercial pilot with a few thousand hours?

The age of a plane should have little to do with its condition if it is in license and has had all of the required inspections and modifications.

Regarding the reference to how only "one-third of the 101 pilots on file live in Clearwater," that does not surprise me. The airpark might be owned by and in the city of Clearwater, but it is a regional airport serving a lot of Pinellas and surrounding counties. You don't have to be a Clearwater resident to keep a plane there.

Also, what about the use by transient pilots? I read in one of the opinion letters that the reader did not think many executives used the airport. Check it out. Many people use the airport who are not based on the field.

As for not making a profit, why not build more hangars? They rent for three to five times what a tie-down space does, and there is a considerable waiting list for hangars.

Considering all, I would fly any day that I could rather than drive.

[Last modified April 25, 2005, 01:04:14]