Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Today's Letters: Ballroom dancing is hot!

Ballroom dancing could energize city

If the city wants to continue attracting people of all ages to St. Petersburg, they must pay attention to the fact that ballroom dancing is riding a huge wave of renewed popularity across America.

There's a reason why Dancing With The Stars draws millions of viewers. (Do you think it's only senior citizens casting votes each week?) Ballroom dancing schools are at capacity.

Here in San Antonio (also a city whose primary business is tourism) you can choose from several different kinds of venues to dance every night of the week if you want to. My husband and I meet people on vacation no matter which place we choose to go.

We vacation in St. Petersburg whenever our work schedules allow and hope to retire there someday.

We love the beach but, for us, a vacation destination must offer more than that. Among other things, we always look forward to including a dance at the Coliseum during our stay.

Who decided that the Coliseum is "just another place for old people to go" and, therefore, spending city money to support it is a waste? What a shortsighted viewpoint.

Get with it, St. Petersburg! Don't waste the fabulous Coliseum.

Instead of reducing its dances, you should be taking advantage of this jewel and publicizing more opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy it.

Like us, maybe they will decide to move to the area because of all the exciting leisure activities available ... including ballroom dancing.

Sandra Asher, San Antonio, Texas

Dancer: "Why take it away from us?" Dec. 26

Keep dances despite loss

In reading the article, I became very frustrated. No, I do not attend the tea dances. Yes, I am a senior citizen, age 68. What frustrated me most was that the city claimed a current deficit of some $28,390, stating, I believe, that there was a lack of participation. The city is only singling out the tea dances. What about all the other events that take place in the Coliseum? Surely they bring in money to the city.

I remember some years ago my daughter's office held its employee party at the Coliseum. I am sure the company paid to rent the Coliseum. And, recently, I believe I read of a gem show there. Truly, all the other events that the Coliseum is used for, if combined, would show a profit. The city is just trying to single out the tea dances as operating in the red.

What is the total amount of revenue collected from all events? Surely it is enough to absorb the $28,390 the city is claiming it lost on the tea dances. The city dribbles away a lot more money than $28,390 on pet projects that we residents of this fine city hear or read about from time to time and are annoyed with.

This is not one of them. I really don't care if the Coliseum did lose money (again, I don't think it does); it is a landmark and should be preserved and used. It is a beautiful old building and is part of St. Petersburg's history - past, present and future.

The article states: "Last year, the city lost nearly $30,000 hosting the dance."

If you divide $30,000 by 52 weeks (the dances were held weekly in 2007), you will come up with a deficit of roughly $576.92 a week - just a drop in the bucket. I think the city can handle that.

Consider, if you will: People go to the tea dances to do just that - dance. I am sure they do not go there to get drunk, buy drugs, cause fights, etc. To me, this is a breath of fresh air, housed right there in downtown St. Petersburg. Let it alone. Would it be too much of an imposition on the city to actually do something for the people who live in the city and those who travel to the city to attend the tea dances? Shame on you, St. Petersburg.

Marlene Turner, St. Petersburg

Emergency vehicles and proper driver behavior

Emergency road etiquette

When an emergency vehicle passes traffic that has stopped for it, it will, of course, pass the traffic furthest to the rear of each group of pulled-over vehicles first.

People to the rear, although passed first, should not try to pull out and pass vehicles in front of them in that same group. This should be illegal and result in a fine.

Be courteous and patient and allow the emergency vehicle to pass the entire group, then pull out in the same order as you pulled over. This is to avoid accidents and for the safety of all.

No one who does the right thing and pulls over for an emergency vehicle should have to worry about an accident when pulling back out into traffic again once it passes.

Paul Janson, Indian Rocks Beach

Saturday Morning Market

The shock of $5 parking

Mom and I love coming downtown to Saturday Morning Market in downtown St. Petersburg. We had company going in for the weekend and had decided to take them downtown for the event. We headed to the parking garage next to the market, where we have parked in the past. We were shocked to find that the cost has been raised to $5 per car.

In the past I seem to recall that parking at the garage was $1 or $3. As the weekend makes the garage seemed like such a ghost town, it would seem like a great business practice to offer discounted rates. Perhaps there could be a system where the vendors stamp a parking ticket after making a purchase. Then with a stamped ticket, the parking could be $1 or $2.

Vicki Chrzanowski, Indian Shores

A ridiculous roundabout

The roundabout at Park Street S and Villagrande Avenue S is totally ridiculous. That intersection is too small for a roundabout.

It is not needed there, and someone is going to get hurt. I suppose the next step will be to plant trees in the middle of it so that all cars in the roundabout are blind to each other!

If traffic on Villagrande Avenue has difficulty getting onto Park Street, a four-way stop would have cost less and made much more sense.

Ann Still, St. Pete Beach

SHARE YOUR VIEWS

We invite readers to write to us. Letters for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. They can be sent by fax to (727) 893-8675 or through our Web site at: www.sptimes.com/letters/. They should be brief and must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Please include a handwritten signature when possible. Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length. We regret that not all letters can be published.

[Last modified January 22, 2008, 22:56:20]