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City seeks patent for its traffic control device

By TIMES WIRES
Published June 27, 2007

CLEARWATER - Clearwater City Hall is getting into the invention business.

The city is seeking a patent on a remote-control device that lets a police officer in a cruiser control a traffic signal from up to 1, 000 feet away.

The device was created to ease traffic at the beach roundabout in 2006, during the first spring break after the new Memorial Causeway bridge opened.

At the time, officials say, police Lt. Wayne Andrews and city traffic operations manager Paul Bertels decided they needed something better than having an officer at the corner use a control connected to the signal by a cord. The city's traffic operations division designed and developed the gadget.

Lawsuit challenges corps' decisions on new mall

WESLEY CHAPEL - Opponents of the proposed Cypress Creek Town Center mall filed a federal lawsuit in Tampa on Tuesday afternoon, challenging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' decision to permit the project and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for agreeing with aspects of the corps' findings.

The challenge focuses on the corps' decision to allow the mall's developer to fill 56 acres of wetlands on the site.

Cypress Creek spokeswoman Deanne Roberts said she had not seen the suit and therefore could not comment.

One of the more welcome trends in this early, high-priced presidential race? Fundraising events for normal people.

Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama had a $25-per-person fundraiser in Ybor City in April, and on Friday night Democrat John Edwards is holding a $15-per-person fundraiser/rally in Tampa.

The "Small change for big change" event is at 7 p.m. at the Saunders Pavilion, by Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, 1101 W Sligh Ave. For tickets, go online to johnedwards.com/events.

On Saturday, Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is scheduled to be in St. Petersburg campaigning at the St. Pete Pride Fest.

Accident victim sues bridge builder, designer

CLEARWATER - Calling Clearwater's Memorial Causeway unsafe, a man severely injured on the city's signature bridge last year has sued its designers and builders.

The suit, filed June 20 in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court, contends that the lack of a barrier separating the eastand west lanes contributed to the multiple injuries of Frank Urino, 54, who was hurt after a car crossed the bridge's low median and hit his vehicle in April 2006.

A teenager, who was later charged with drunken driving, jetted her car over the 6-inch-tall concrete median and sent both of them to the hospital.

The lawsuit names PCL Civil Constructors Inc. of Canada and Earth Tech Consulting Inc. of California. Officials with PCL did not return calls seeking comment. Earth Tech declined comment.

Elsewhere

ROAD CONSTRUCTION: Traffic on Pasadena Avenue South will be reduced to one lane all the way to St. Pete Beach for the next three weeks for sewer line work.

PASCO DEPUTIES, FIREFIGHTERS PROTEST: About 200 Pasco deputies, firefighters and their supporters joined forces for an unprecedented protest against Sheriff Bob White and Pasco County government Tuesday afternoon. Sheriff's deputies are at an impasse with the sheriff over contract negotiations. As for the firefighters, there's a federal lawsuit accusing the county of shorting them overtime pay, two unfair labor practice complaints pending and a hearing Friday on their contract impasse.

CITY MANAGER WANTED: After failing to reach a deal with their top choice for city manager, Dade City commissioners on Tuesday voted to re-advertise the position and move forward on a compressed time line.

[Last modified June 27, 2007, 00:12:48]