Today's Letters: Jazz Holiday is now drunk fest
By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published October 23, 2007
My name is Justin Palyswiat and I'm 16 years old. The Clearwater Jazz Holiday has been a tradition in my family for years now, but unfortunately, thanks to the events that took place Saturday night, I believe that traditional has just been obliterated.
My family and I arrived at the festival around 1 p.m. Saturday for what we hoped to be a fun day. The festival started off great with terrific entertainment and a group of happy people, but as the day progressed you could sense that the younger audience was taking it to another level. By the time the final band took its place on stage, drunken idiots came surging to the front of the crowd, not even slightly worried about who they had to step on to get there.
I personally had beer spilled all over me. My aunt was flipped off several times for asking people who hadn't been there all day like we had to move back to where they were originally. I saw two elderly women who asked kids to sit down being pushed and cussed at.
After storming out of the mess, we confronted not one cop, but a whole line of cops nonchalantly standing there talking amongst themselves. My aunt decided to voice her opinion to them, and they laughed at her.
What is wrong with people today?
Justin Palyswiat, Dunedin
Let us bring in water, not buy it
Overzealous security and outrageous capitalism have combined forces to make it difficult, if not impossible, to bring personal drinking water to public events and places. Authorities make no effort to insure individual hydration requirements are met, let alone freely and conveniently.
Water bottles and canteens are not a danger to anyone and are not a luxury. Forcing people to buy "unopened" containers is usurious. Water is life itself and these officials have no right to restrict our access to it. Distributing water this way instead of allowing reusable containers and traditional fountains is an absurd waste of resources, only benefiting a greedy minority.
Chris Clement, Palm Harbor
Dunedin needs a Hooters, too!
Now that we may be getting an international coffee company like Starbucks in downtown Dunedin, how about our very own Hooters, a Florida original?
Yes, Dunedin, you can have hot, juicy wings, too. Hooters with its scantily dressed waitresses, awesome wings and cold beer.
Can't wait to see you here, too! I love this town. Congratulations Dunedin, keep thinking international.
Manny Bizanos, Dunedin