Judge orders union honcho back from fire convention

By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER
Published June 10, 2005

Thursday afternoon, the Hillsborough County fire union's acting president cut out early from a weeklong firefighters convention in Jacksonville to drive back to Tampa.

Why the sudden return home? Because Hillsborough Circuit Judge Rex Barbas said so.

Richard Sawyer, acting president of Hillsborough County Fire Fighters Local 2294, came back to open up the union hall for ousted union president Karl Schmitt - whose future with the union is the subject of a two-day recall election next week on Thursday and Friday.

Schmitt, suspended from his post in April after a dispute over more than $4,000 in legal fees, needed to get into the hall because that's where the union keeps mailing addresses and mailing labels for its members.

Schmitt's attorney argued in court Thursday morning that his client was denied access to the labels when he requested them Monday. Attorney John D. Goldsmith suggested delaying the election by a few days to give Schmitt time to get his message out.

"I just want the election to go forward," Barbas replied. "I want it to be finished."

Barbas ruled last month that union leaders must let Schmitt use the mailing labels so that he could send out campaign materials before the recall election. It was understood, Barbas said, that Schmitt would send out his fliers a week or so before the election.

"Any candidate knows, timing is everything," he said.

But union attorney Joe Weissman faulted Schmitt for waiting until Monday to request access to the labels, saying that Schmitt knew the only union leaders with keys to the hall would be leaving for this week's Florida Professional Firefighter's state convention.

"We believe he wants to concoct an excuse to delay this election," Weissman said. "Someone would have to come back from Jacksonville to get him into the hall. They're the only ones with keys."

To which Barbas replied: "Call them and see if they can get here today."

And that's how Sawyer found himself on the road south Thursday afternoon.

CHILDREN GET SAFETY LESSON: When parents started signing their children up for the Police Athletic League of Tampa's summer program, many of them wanted to know what PAL's procedures are for keeping the children safe.

Specifically, they mentioned the recent child murders and abduction attempts in Tampa Bay, said Sgt. Phil Ray, executive director for PAL.

Parents, anxious over news stories about the murders of Sarah Lunde of Ruskin and Jessica Lunsford of Homosassa, asked about sexual offenders and predators living in the area around the nonprofit group's campus at 1924 W Diana St.

PAL leaders subsequently discovered that nearly six dozen registered sex offenders live within 4 miles of PAL's campus.

"So we sat down and talked about whether we were lacking anything as far as security and safety," Ray said.

Their solution? A self-defense course for all 170 children in the summer program, taught by longtime police officer and martial arts instructor Sgt. Eric Diaz, a father of two.

Diaz gave his first training session Wednesday morning at PAL's headquarters, before about 30 children from 9 to 14 years old.

"These are basic techniques that are, more than anything, designed to give them more time when they are being attacked," Diaz said. For example, he showed the group how to drop to the ground and lock their arms and legs around an attacker's legs like a pretzel as they scream, You're not my mommy! or You're not my daddy!

Ray said PAL's summer program has always included lessons based on the long-standing "stranger danger" approach, which tells kids not to talk to strangers and not to approach strange vehicles.

"But now these people are going up to kids and being more aggressive," Ray said.

Ray said there are 30 children on the waiting list to get into the summer program. This year, 175 kids are enrolled in the program - 50 more than last summer.

PAL leaders would like to expand the facility, built in the 1940s as a pistol range for Tampa police. The organization gets 60 percent of its funding from the city, but organizers are seeking corporate sponsors to help with expansion costs.

Call PAL at (813) 876-9363 for more information.

TELL IT TO THE SHERIFF: Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee and his staff will hold a town hall meeting from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Northdale Recreation Center, 15550 Spring Pine Drive.

Can't make it? Go online at www.hcso.tampa.fl.us to fill out an online questionnaire.

--Contact Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler at 813 226-3373 or svansickler@sptimes.com

[Last modified June 10, 2005, 06:20:31]