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Letter to the editor

Spring Haven property won't go on market

By Times Staff Writer
Published March 5, 2008

SAFETY HARBOR

Safety Harbor city commissioners Monday night unanimously decided not to sell a 102-foot-long, 371/2-foot-wide plot of city land in the Spring Haven subdivision. Some residents were outraged when the land, which is part of the grounds of the Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History, was put up for bid. City officials began looking into a possible sale after Owen Pierce, who lives on Short Street, asked if the city could sell him the vacant property so he could build a garage. In response, commissioners asked for sealed bids for the land and got three. Pierce offered $21,600. Stephen Ham, a software sales manager who lives near McMullen-Booth Road, bid $10,100, and Jeffery Vogt bid $50,000. But with a crowd in the room, commissioners backed away from the idea with no discussion.

COUNTYWIDE

Catch some history at the ballgames

Spring training baseball games in Dunedin and Clearwater Saturday and Sunday will feature a family fun fest offering kids' activities and exhibits on baseball history. The 4,000-square-foot exhibit, sponsored by the Principal Financial Group, will be set up outside the main gates at the Toronto Blue Jays game Saturday and the Philadelphia Phillies game Sunday. The exhibit opens at 10 a.m., and admission to the fun fest is free. The fun fest also will offer fans an opportunity to contribute to the nonprofit organization Pitch In For Baseball, which collects new and used baseball and softball equipment for poor kids. The Blue Jays play at Knology Park, 311 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, and the Phillies play at Bright House Networks Field, 601 Old Coachman Road, Clearwater. Both games start at 1:05 p.m.

Guardian ad Litem needs volunteers

Pinellas County's Guardian ad Litem program is scheduling its next round of training for volunteers willing to be the voice of abused, abandoned or neglected children and teens in the court system. Guardian ad Litem volunteers spend an average of four to six hours a month visiting a child, learning about their case and making recommendations to the court to help ensure that the child has a safe, caring and stable environment. More than 900 children in Pinellas need a volunteer guardian ad litem. The next round of training, which totals 30 hours, starts April 1 and will meet 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for five Tuesdays at the Criminal Justice Center on 49th Street in Clearwater. The Guardian ad Litem program provides staff and attorneys to support the volunteers. Call (727) 464-6528 to arrange to attend a one-hour orientation or visit www.guardianadlitem6.org to learn more.

[Last modified March 4, 2008, 21:24:42]