The week in words

By Times Staff Writer
Published December 16, 2007

Editor's note: The following is a recap of the week's news events, in the words of the newsmakers.

"The outpour from Pasco County is like living back in the '50s and '60s, when people used to help people anytime."

Eddie Suggs, of Hudson whose wheelchair was stolen after it fell off his wife's truck. More than 80 residents offered to help Suggs, who wound up with two wheelchairs.

"David told us we better get in the house because we aren't going to like what's going to happen."

Ruth Heynis, who witnessed sheriff's deputies shoot her neighbor David Wayne Foley twice in the chest.

"You never want to hear anything negative or bad about your former players. Hopefully it's not true."

Perry Brown, former head football coach at Pasco High School, referring to a federal indictment that charges local football legend Troy Hambrick with selling crack cocaine.

"The bottom line is, we are losing a lot of water. And that equates to a lot of money. So we want to find it, fix it and stop losing money."

Port Richey Mayor Richard Rober after learning that the city has for at least three years been losing a quarter of its water supply worth an estimated $500,000 a year.

"Halkitis said it best. To convict the devil, you have to go to hell to find your witnesses."

Robert Benjaminafter Assistant State Attorney Mike Halkitis repeated his often used line to help convict Christopher Wright of murdering Benjamin's twin brother John in 2005.

"Help me. My mother is drunk, and she just crashed the car."

Eight-year-old daughter of Angela Atkinson of Palm Harbor who was arrested on DUI and child abuse charges after crashing into vehicles on U.S. 19 in Holiday.

"He's not getting a Christmas."

Jessika Bland, holding up a picture of her 7-year-old son. Bland was a server at Mel's Diner on U.S. 19, which closed abruptly this week.

"When you're on a host committee, I guess I can see how it can be perceived that way."

Bill Bunting, chairman of the Pasco County Republican Party, after being questioned by a reporter about whether he was endorsing New Port Richey Mayor Dan Tipton for Clerk of the Circuit Court. Bunting is a member of the Committee to Elect Dan Tipton, who has an opponent in the GOP primary, Deputy Clerk Paula O'Neil.

"My consultant told me in the beginning, we run our own plan. We're not going to worry about what the opponent is doing."

Paula O'Neil

[Last modified December 15, 2007, 20:24:00]