Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Today's Letters: Aquarium requests rent, not debt, break

Aquarium asks city for break on debt Feb. 17, story

We welcome the coverage detailing the Pier Aquarium's request for rent forgiveness at the Feb. 14 Budget, Finance and Taxation Committee meeting, but clarification is in order.

The headline, Aquarium asks city for break on debt, is not correct. The request was for "rent" forgiveness. The Pier Aquarium leases its space in the Pier from the city of St. Petersburg, and we pay a monthly fee to the city. We are not behind in our rent; we are not in debt to the city of St. Petersburg.

In addition to $20,223 for 2008 rent, we are also requesting we be allowed to retain a percentage of our admission fees for this year, roughly about $8,000, which brings the total to $28,223. The Pier Aquarium is a nonprofit organization that has leased the second floor 2,000-square-foot aquarium facility, third floor administration offices and classroom space for almost 20 years.

These monies are what we typically paid every year. The request was made to make up for the $91,000 loss in 2008 funding due to the City Council's budget cuts.

The impact of the loss of $91,000 in nondepartmental funding means the potential loss of educational programs that we provide seven days a week, 364 days a year.

These include the Touch Tank Experience; FISH-ful Saturdays, featuring special hands-on activities for families; and Ocean in Motion, a traveling aquarium program where students learn about water, habitat, feeding and maintenance of a 40-gallon saltwater tank at their school - but first they "catch" their animals from their ocean environment.

If you haven't had a chance to see for yourself, we invite you to visit the Pier Aquarium. Please see for yourself that we are a community resource and good stewards of city funding.

E. Howard Rutherford, executive director, Pier Aquarium Inc., St. Petersburg

Retailers misled

The business owners of St. Pete Beach are being deceived. The leaders of SOLV (Save Our Little Village Inc.) have owners believing if large resort hotels are built, it will increase their business. The opposite is true: They will lose business. Think about it. Large resort hotels are built in such a way that all the amenities their guests want are available within the hotel campus. There are various types of restaurants, entertainment, gift shops, spas, activities, etc. The hotel does not want their guests going outside the campus to spend their money. Do you really think guests who pay $300 a night for a room are going to eat at a diner or get a slice of pizza?

The only way the current businesses will make more money is if they change their business to a Gap, Benetton, Starbucks or any other trendy overpriced store that wealthy, pretentious people like. That is, of course, if these stores are not already part of the hotel campus.

Jeff Gavern, St. Pete Beach

Duck compromise back for vote Feb. 13

Educational ducks

Muscovy ducks, considered "feral domestic ducks," are not the cutest of the species, it's true, but ...

For five years, our family lived in the Netherlands in a big house on a small canal. The canal was home to several dozen ordinary ducks. We all liked to watch them.

The few times when the water iced over, we'd laugh to see them land on the ice, skid to a slippery halt and find themselves much farther along the canal than they'd wanted. Sadly, we saw one duck get his feet frozen in the ice but, in the sun, the ice melted and he was free.

Our children got a real sex education when mating season arrived. I was amused to see that it always took two males to hold onto one squirming, squawking female. The result, of course, was ducklings. First, they appeared as tiny balls of fluff, then they became leggy, and finally they were grown. Once, charmed by the balls of fluff, I opened the door to my patio and let them in. And, yes, that was a mistake!

But, all in all, those ducks gave us a lot of pleasure year-round. They fertilized the garden, too! So I don't know how it really is with the "feral" Muscovies, but those ducklings in the photo sure look cute.

Oh, yes - we never fed our ducks (unless a few crumbs of cake fell to the ground during a birthday party. We just enjoyed them.

Janis Benson, Treasure Island

Eco-friendly encouragementFeb. 20, photo

City's lip service

Did anyone else laugh (or groan) at the irony of the city of St. Petersburg signing a contract to advertise the importance of recycling?

Could this be the same city that refuses to invest in curbside recycling? The city that prefers to send its taxpaying citizens on a search for a convenient recycling dropoff that accepts all recycled items? St. Petersburg an eco zone? Ha!

It's time the city put action behind its words and provided every citizen the opportunity to recycle curbside. More people would recycle and the city as a whole would benefit.

Carol Dahlquist, St. Petersburg

Officer cleared in french fry flap Feb. 5, story

Great job, officer

Well, well. Now we've heard the other side of the story. Okay, all of you Monday morning quarterbacks (i.e. lawyers and former and current criminals who just hate law enforcement officers). Let's sit down, take a deep breath and stop pointing fingers at the Clearwater Police Department.

And to attorney Steven Andrews, who had the nerve to say there was no probable cause to arrest this mouthy woman: Mr. Andrews, there were many witnesses to this incident. Could that be one of the elements of disorderly conduct (breach of the peace)?

Also, I expect Clearwater's mayor to apologize to Officer Matthew Parco and at least show some support for law enforcement.

You did a great job, Officer Parco, and be safe out there!

Bill Burnett, St. Petersburg

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 February 23, 2008, 23:12:23]