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Letter to the editor

Veteran official to lead Pinellas commission

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 9, 2008

CLEARWATER

Pinellas County Commissioner Bob Stewart was named commission chairman for 2008 as expected Tuesday. He takes the place of County Commissioner Ronnie Duncan, who remains a sitting member.

County Commissioner Calvin Harris was tapped to be vice chairman.

Stewart, 70, is the commission's veteran. Elected in 1996, he also served as chairman in 1997 and 2000. Stewart told colleagues that in 2008 he expects to focus on the county budget.

He said he also wants to guide the search for permanent replacements for acting county administrator Fred Marquis and acting county attorney Jim Bennett.

CLEARWATER

WildSplash to leave for Ford Amphitheatre

Once again, Clearwater is losing an annual - and controversial - concert to Tampa.

This time, WildSplash, the popular, daylong hip-hop event, is leaving the Coachman Park waterfront for the Ford Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds, where promoters feel they can bring in larger crowds and make more money, Clearwater officials said.

WildSplash is following the Next Big Thing, the hard-rocking concert that in late 2006 made the same move.

Clearwater city spokeswoman Joelle Castelli said she believes the concert will be held sometime in March, but so far it has not been promoted on the Web sites of the sponsor or the amphitheater. Representatives of WLLD-FM 98.7, which hosts the event, did not return calls seeking comment.

LARGO

Scientology-related school to expand

A Clearwater private school that uses study methods created by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard is planning to add a new campus in the Largo area.

Clearwater Academy International purchased the 2.8-acre lot at the corner of S Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Wyatt Street in August 2006 for $995,000.

Enrollment went from 150 students in 2002 to 270 in 2007, headmaster Jim Zwers said.

The school is licensed by Applied Scholastics, a nonprofit organization founded by Scientologists in 1992.

Students are schooled in a primary tenet of Hubbard's "tech," which is never to read past a word they don't understand so they won't miss the meaning that follows.

Elsewhere

PRESERVATION AWARD: First lady Laura Bush has recognized the city of Tampa for its historic preservation efforts, declaring it "a great example for others" with neighborhoods like Hyde Park and stately jewels like minaret-topped Plant Hall. Tampa joins a handful of other Florida cities named to the nation's Preserve America Communities, including St. Petersburg, Dunedin, Miami, Kissimmee and Sanford.

SYSCO FUNDING ON HOLD: Pasco County on Tuesday put the brakes on spending any money to aid Sysco Food Services until the company green-lights construction of a food distribution center in Zephyrhills. To lure the company, Pasco agreed last year to spend $400,000 to improve roads and give $1.5-million over 10 years to the company for building the project, which would employ about 250.

[Last modified January 8, 2008, 23:48:50]