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Grocery's parking lot anything but a pleasure

Re: Shopping center overwhelmed by success, Feb. 17.

Thank you for your recent expose of the parking nightmare at Publix. As a working mother of two, my time is a priority.

Every Saturday when I shop, I have to waste precious time looking for parking. Shopping at Publix is no longer a pleasure, it's an aggravation.

As soon as there is a good alternative, perhaps Fresh Market or Wild Oats, I'll be shopping elsewhere. I guess you didn't need to hear this, but Publix sure does.

Tampa has never had a vibrant art scene

Re: Buying art for art's sake, Feb. 24.

Your column was very accurate and concise. But for many local artists like myself, as well as gallery owners, it was hardly real news.

Tampa, a town of considerable size and affluence, has never supported or promoted the visual arts - nor has it sought to acquire a status as an art market. I was born and raised in the town 56 years ago and can assure you that we've never had an "art scene" of any relevance.

I owned my own gallery in the Bay to Bay district in 1985. I was open less than six months and sold maybe three paintings. I learned a hard lesson about the art business here, the importance of location and the grief of breaking a lease.

I've also exhibited in the Gasparilla show on three occasions, the last time in 1980 (when I actually sold a piece for $150). I happen to know that most of those select artists in the Gasparilla show do not cover their expenses selling their work. They are here primarily for the prize money.

Dick Greco and Pam Iorio are the first two mayors this town has elected who have shown any interest in the arts.

Unfortunately, we still have city and county officials who would rather fill potholes than spend a dime toward an art museum or an art district. It's this pothole mentality that has stymied a cultural renaissance in Tampa.

We will always have potholes, but will we ever have culture here? And why does little St. Petersburg across the bay have more art museum square footage than big brother Tampa?

Hopefully, things will change with the announcement of a new art museum site, etc.

Any change will be positive, but many talented local artists know what I know: The community must change, too. People must support visual art - and buy it. That's a long shot for Tampa.

City should do more to make U.S. 41 safe

Re: Woman's death at corner prompts neighbors to act, Feb. 24

Only four accidents in three years - what is their quota to declare Florida Avenue, U.S.41, a deadly racetrack? What I want to know is, how fast was the driver traveling?

Since becoming a resident/business owner in Old Seminole Heights, I've witnessed more than three accidents within a few blocks from where I live on Powhatan and work on Florida.

Walking to and from would be delightful. However, I dare not take the risk of crossing Race Track U.S. 41, especially during rush hour. It's suicidal. The streets are definitely not pedestrian-friendly.

What is perplexing is the strong-handedness the city of Tampa's Code Enforcement is exercising with regard to what they consider code violations, such as xeriscaping and other minor, vague cosmetic violations.

Since moving here in 1999, I have been cited for overgrown lawn twice (the property at 5805 N Florida Ave. is xeriscaped), a small fence that's on the same property in the alley and signage.

I pointed to the only existing sign on the property and asked the inspector if the citation was for "lack of signs," the most common complaint from my customers.

Meanwhile, I pointed out to the inspectors the potential danger of the existing fences that surround the used car lots and the death-defying feat of trying to get onto Florida from streets east or west of Florida.

The response was, "File a formal complaint" with blah, blah, blah.

As a resident and business owner of Old Seminole Heights, I demand the City Council and the mayor do something to make life safer on U.S. 41.

Get these businesses to remove their obstructing fences, enforce speed limits and discourage auto racing on U.S. 41. I'd like to see my overtaxed dollars used to make my neighborhood a pedestrian-friendly one.

[Last modified March 2, 2006, 13:56:08]