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Dispute turns into a success

A "Hispanic" town hall meeting brings out a diverse crowd.

By JACKIE RIPLEY
Published April 13, 2007

TAMPA - If attendance was an indicator of success, then Thursday's Hispanic town hall meeting in Town 'N Country was a triumph.

More than 500 people, most of them Hispanic, packed the auditorium at Incarnation Catholic Church to learn more about county government and to have face to face conversations with their county commissioners.

"I've never seen so many people want to be part of fixing the problem and more enthusiastic and more interested since I've been on the board," said Jim Norman, chairman of the Hillsborough County Commission.

Enthusiasm was clearly evident as an eager crowd, Hispanic and Anglo-American, aired concerns on matters as varied as ditches, potholes, speeding and taxes.

And so that everyone could follow, questions and answers were bandied back and forth in Spanish and in English.

The concerns were universal, but it was the bilingual nature of the meeting that still rankled some in the community.

"It would appear to me that we should have our Hispanics learning English," said Stan Krick, a 37-year resident of Town 'N Country.

That drew a sharp response from Elizabeth Saldana, president of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce and a resident of Town 'N County.

"We all are trying to speak English here. It's not that we don't want to, and it's not that we're lazy. We're trying," Saldana said. "We ask that you be tolerant of us just as we are tolerant of you."

Earlier this month civic leaders swapped e-mails among themselves, and with Hillsborough County Commissioner Rose Ferlita, over a meeting touted as a "Hispanic town hall meeting."

Many felt its implied exclusive nature would divide the community. And, despite the seeming success of the meeting, that feeling was still being expressed by some.

"It was a well intentioned idea, but it was the way it was presented," said Bill Browne, president of the Town 'N Country Alliance. "It was the marketing."

Jackie Ripley can be reached at ripley@sptimes.com or at 813269-5308.

[Last modified April 13, 2007, 00:56:16]