Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Dunedin naysayers need to forget past, focus on future

It seems that every time I read the editorial section, someone is writing a letter chastising the Dunedin City Commission for not hiring Maureen Freaney as the new city manager.

In a recent letter to the editor, A.J. Voiland suggested that I, along with several other former elected city officials, might be suffering from "disgust and heartache when viewing the inept manner of this present group" (meaning the present Dunedin City Commission).

Let me assure everyone that I do not think the present Dunedin City Commission is inept, nor am I disgusted with its actions.

The present City Commission inherited the appointment of Mo Freaney as interim manager and was trying to find the best person to serve as the permanent city manager. This time is not different except for the hiring of a consultant. When several applicants chose to withdraw their names, a new process was started.

Obviously, this has irritated some people, especially after Mo Freaney chose to leave the city for a higher paying job with the county. Some residents have said the city has lost a valuable employee, which it has, and they feel the city will not ever be the same, which it probably won't .

The city hasn't been the same since the widening of State Road 580, since the revitalization of downtown. The city hasn't been the same since the Sheriff's Office took over patrolling the city, and guess what, the city hasn't been the same since the approval of all of the new residential projects that have been constructed and the building of new city facilities such as the Community Center.

As an elected official, I never once felt that anyone, including myself, was indispensable. The city will carry on with its business. It will continue to serve the citizens and will continue to offer quality services in the future as it has in the past. Let's just hope it is at an affordable price.

In my opinion, people should put the past election results to rest. The outcome may have been disappointing to some, but the results are in and it's time to start working with, instead of against, the City Commission. Writing letters to the editor criticizing people doesn't offer a solution. What it does is compound the problem. Mo Freaney had the right to do what she did, and she also has the right to reapply for the city manager job if she so desires. I am sure she would be considered in a fair and impartial manner.

Trust me when I say that it takes a lot of dedication and hard work to be a good city official. It takes a lot of fair-minded citizens willing to work with their officials to make for a great community. It was that way in the past and there is no reason for it not to happen in the future.

Manuel (Manny) Koutsourais, Belleair Bluffs (Dunedin mayor 1988-94)

Police need training to handle psychiatric situations, not Tasers

Law enforcement is killing people recklessly. They need more training in how to handle people with psychiatric problems. Drug addiction and abuse of alcohol are psychiatric issues. Officers need to read the signs before shooting someone full of electricity, treating them like hardened criminals.

That Taser is cruel and inhumane treatment. Why was the electric chair stopped?

John Moore, Dunedin

Were Brooker Creek Preserve's wells kept secret for a reason?

Re: Brooker Creek Preserve wells.

After years of reading and listening to the news flashes that Pinellas County has water problems, I have programmed myself to be more conscious of the water use in our home.

What a joke! Contractors can keep building and filling in our wetlands, people can keep watering their lawns, and I don't have to feel guilty about letting the water run in the bathroom sink while I brush my teeth.

Were officials keeping those sealed wells in the Brooker Creek Preserve a secret to use at a later date when pumping water to private interests would pump more money into their pockets?

Phyllis I. Heinly, Tarpon Springs

Graduation rates skewed, but GED test provides second chance

Re: State gets another dunce cap in study, story, June 21.

Your article on high school graduation rates was right on target. Those of us who teach have often believed that the data on graduation rates are skewed. The success rate has never been as high as reported.

What happens to all of these young people? The reasons for not graduating are as varied as the people that I am referring to. Fortunately, when a student finds himself in this situation, he has another path he can take: the GED test.

In the state of Florida (and most states), the GED (General Educational Development) is recognized as a high school diploma. After obtaining a GED, a person may go on to pursue vocational training or higher education at most colleges.

Those people who live near Clearwater High School may want to call or visit us at the Arcturas Annex to find out the details. The teachers working at the annex are considerate, caring and committed. Because our student population is small, we can give each student the attention, the flexibility and the constant encouragement he needs.

I sincerely hope all of the people who do not have a high school diploma will realize that this could be the time to get one.

Gregory Lord, Clearwater

YOUR VOICE COUNTS

We invite readers to write letters for publication. To send a letter from your computer, go to www.sptimes.com/letters. If you prefer, you may instead fax your letter to us at (727) 445-4119, or mail it to Letter to the Editor, St. Petersburg Times, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756.

Letters should be brief and must include the writer's name, city of residence, mailing address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length. We regret that not all letters can be printed.

[Last modified June 28, 2006, 07:13:09]