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Fond memories of a man, his motel

Re: Treasure Island motel developer, mayor dies, Nov. 16.

This article brings forth personal memories for me of when I moved to St. Petersburg in 1958. Like most every other "snowbird," I was seeking the tropical weather of this southeastern peninsula.

As a preacher's kid of a rural New England Methodist minister, I found a desk clerk's job at the Surf motel, owned by Herbert Dowling, to help me pay for my attending Stetson University's law school in Gulfport.

One of the beauties of this job was that the Surf was one of the most popular motels on the "Golden Mile," and because it was generally full by the time I got there to work, I had plenty of time to study my law lessons. I was lucky to have Herb Dowling as my employer. He treated me like a member of his family all the time I worked for him.

I spent many Sunday mornings attending Pasadena Community Church, which was incidentally affiliated with the United Methodist Church, with his family and after church going to a local cafeteria for lunch and back to his home to watch "color" TV and spending enjoyable hours with his family.

Herb Dowling also owned property in Sunset Beach, where he had several cottages, one of which he graciously allowed me to stay in to help defray my living expenses while attending law school.

If my memory at 77 serves me well, Herb told me he installed separate electricity in each unit in the event the property did not go well as a motel.

Time has proved his venture was wise and the Sands was, as well as the Surf, one of the most popular motels in Treasure Island.

Visit Old Florida charm at Bay Pines

I would like to invite your readers to visit Bay Pines Mobile Home Park. We have no guards at the entrance to stop your entry, so drive right in.

It is a unique park that is a part of what made Seminole the community that people used to find so charming. It is not new and modern with the sleek look that is now becoming the "new" Seminole.

Here you can sit for hours feeding the different varieties of birds and wildlife. You drive along streets lined with Florida oaks and palm trees which have survived for years without the interference of modern development. This is not a park for the rich.

We have no gated entrance, no pool, no tennis courts. Our rent does not include lawn maintenance, garbage pickup or cable. All we have is middle-income senior citizens and war veterans who fought long and hard for their country. Now they need help!

The developers have already taken their share of the tourist industry by buying the hotels and everything that used to be a part of the waterfront beauty of this area. Leave this part of our heritage and natural habitat alone. When Mr. Bickley purchased this park, it was for people to have a home, not for future profits. When developers come in and offer twice the assessed value, it makes it hard to refuse.

We ask the people of Seminole for their help and support in this battle. Thank you.

Thank you for assisting a car theft victim

I am a recent car theft victim. It seems to be a big crime here in this city. I want to thank the St. Petersburg police for a very quick recovery. I called early in the morning last Tuesday and it was found later that morning, wrecked. I want to thank my insurance company for the quick response and Dayton Andrews Dodge for the work they are about to do. I really hope our returning mayor takes a closer look at this issue because it is definitely out of control.

Thanks again, St. Petersburg police, especially Officer R. Lord.

Response to vehicle accident too slow

Recently we were driving north on a busy four-lane street when a car shot out of a side street into a car going south, pushing it into our lane and forcing us nearly onto the grass.

Relieved that we weren't hurt, we went to the car smashed in the middle of the road and found three occupants totally stunned, having been pretty severely impacted. We called 911 and stayed with the people until the ambulances arrived (four of them, in about five minutes). The driver who did the hitting pulled over and waited, also.

After 25 minutes, one police officer showed up. The EMTs told him we had witnessed the incident, and he came to speak to us. We gave him a card with our contact information to facilitate what we thought would be form-filling. He thanked us, said he'd call us, and sent us on our way.

We left, confident that we'd hear from him shortly but still a bit dismayed at how slow the response was, seeming to provide an ample window for hiding possible drugs, or for a suspect's blood-alcohol level to drop, or for stories to be concocted.

A week later, still no one has called us. That means the three people taken to hospital, who doubtless have a very fuzzy recollection of events, are likely to be hassled by insurance companies, absent an accurate police report.

Their car is wrecked, their jobs maybe lost and their bills piling up. Their only offense that day was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but they'll be paying for a long time.

No one else had the view of the event that we did, but no one in authority heard our account - though we hung around for 25 minutes to give it.

Tell me again how well-managed the St. Petersburg Police Department is?

Live with downtown's inconveniences

Re: Ribfest serves up side of annoyance, letter, Nov. 16.

As a witness to the changes for the best that St. Petersburg, especially downtown, has seen over the last decade, I would like to ask the writer:

Why did you move here? Do you long for the "old" St. Petersburg? Will you return your profit on the sale of your home when you leave? If it was to be near all the cultural, artistic, gourmet and visual benefits of downtown, well, not everybody's idea of what those words mean is the same as yours.

Much as those who don't like the noise, crowds, inconvenience, etc. of the open-wheel racing that happens near their side of downtown, I suggest that you go away for the weekend. But please, for the benefit of all, including yourself, don't kill downtown St. Petersburg . . . again.

It took too much hard work by too many devoted citizens and dedicated public servants to make this town the kind of city we are all proud of!

[Last modified November 27, 2005, 01:18:21]