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Letter to the editor

Today's Letters: Outpouring providesan ample Thanksgiving

The response to our St. Vincent de Paul Thanksgiving appeal was overwhelming. Our thanks to the St. Petersburg Times and especially reporter Waveney Ann Moore and photographer Lara Cerri, whose coverage produced remarkable results.

For two solid weeks, day after day, the good people of St. Petersburg and surrounding communities sent their checks and came bearing gifts - by carry-alls, by cases, by cartons ... and by carloads. Our walk-in freezer had never accumulated as many turkeys, and we could almost hear our pantry shelves groaning under the weight of the canned goods and comestibles that were delivered to our food center. Because of the generosity of so many, we were able to fill and distribute 325 baskets of food to the needy families of our area - a new record. Those baskets fed at least 1,300 indigent men, women and children.

In addition, on Thanksgiving Day, our dining room saw a steady stream of 475 guests - another record - who savored a grand traditional turkey dinner and all the trimmings prepared by Chef Bill and his staff and served by our 48 volunteers, who arrived early and stayed late to clean up.

It was a special day. While the delicious aromas that filled the air satisfied the senses, it was the smiles and words of appreciation of those who shared the feast that afforded the most memorable moments and left indelible impressions on all who were there.

As the new executive director, I found this Thanksgiving at St. Vincent de Paul to be an unforgettable personal experience.

I witnessed firsthand a genuine outpouring of care and concern for those who, because of myriad circumstances, lead desperate lives on the streets of our city, and for those who are shackled by the chains of poverty and for whom the reality of today often clouds the dreams of a better tomorrow.

On behalf of all those who experienced the warmth and fellowship of a wonderful Thanksgiving Day because you cared, thank you. May God bless all of you for your kindness.

Patricia L. Waltrich, executive director, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, South Pinellas Inc., St. Petersburg

The gift of a warm fuzzy feelingNov. 21

Children's pj's pour in

What a Thanksgiving blessing. The St. Petersburg chapter of the Pajama Program had its launch event, "Jumpin 4 Pj's, on Nov. 16, and it was a thrilling success.

Thank you to our families, friends and their kids who showed up at the Ultimate Party and Play Zone to donate new pajamas and books and, of course, to play!

Special thanks to Mark and Cheryl, owners of the Ultimate Party and Play Zone, for donating their time and St. Petersburg facility, the Phillip A. Bryant Melanoma Foundation for donating all drinks, and Paisano's pizza for donating pizza for everyone.

Pajama Program is a national 501c3 program that strives to collect, through drives, events and donations, new pajamas and books for kids of all ages who are in children's homes and in foster care. Many of these children arrive at the facilities with nothing more than the clothing on their backs. Imagine children going to bed without a pair of cozy pj's.

Pajamas and books from this event have been donated to the Children's Home Society of Florida's Family Visitation House here in St. Petersburg. Not only do we want to collect pj's and books, we want to help raise awareness of the huge needs in our community.

If you would like more information about the Pajama Program and how you can help, please visit our Web site, www.pajamaprogram.org, or e-mail Clarissa Hughes at clarissa@pajamaprogram.org

Clarissa Hughes, Pam Raml, co-presidents, Pajama Program, St. Petersburg Chapter

Fort De Soto Bridge toll

$2.50 toll is outrageous

As a fisherman and future resident of St. Petersburg, I'll be hanged before I pay $2.50 one way to Fort De Soto Park to fish or use the boat ramps. And I really doubt that many people will cough up that amount to visit that county park either. Going from a 35-cent toll to $2.50 is outrageous, and if it's approved, it will spell the demise of that park.

I can still go down I-275 for free and launch my boat at Maximo Point for free. A toll of 75 cents or $1 would be more acceptable.

With gasoline at $3 a gallon and up, the state figures to stick it to the consumer to rebuild the bridges. It'd probably be cheaper to revamp the bridges that are already in place.

Harry Rainey Jr., Minneola

Keep beaches butt-free

I was at the beach one morning just after it had been raked, and I saw a cigarette butt in the sand. I began to wonder how long it would take for it to decompose.

When I got home I did some research. According to the National Park Service, a cigarette butt takes one to five years to decompose.

Another thing about cigarettes is that they smell really bad. I love to go swimming in the ocean. The only problem is when I come up for a breath of air, I get a whiff of that gross smell, even when the smoker is more than a hundred feet away.

There was a recent article I found online that said Chicago had passed a law making smoking illegal in parks, beaches and playgrounds. The fine for doing so is $500.

I believe we should do the same and outlaw smoking in the same places. We have beautiful beaches here in Pinellas County, and a simple law like this could keep them beautiful for generations to come.

Mark Traester, sixth grade, Westlake Christian School, Palm Harbor

Bicyclists hog the streets

Painting bike lanes on city thoroughfares was a waste of money. Bikers think the streets belong to them alone. They ride two abreast, one in the bike lane and one in the traffic lane.

The other day I nearly killed a biker who ran a stop sign at full speed. I blew my horn to admonish him. In return I was given the digit of universal admiration, along with an epithet containing the "F" word.

Bikers should be made to take written tests and road tests, and police should enforce traffic laws when bikers break them.

Jack Vanderbleek, St. Petersburg

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[Last modified December 1, 2007, 22:15:30]