A sincerely gifted Santa [Times photo: Lisa DeJong They don't come anymore authentic than Tom Carney, who's spent each night since Dec. 2 in Straub Park listening to the wishes of little children.

South Pinellas County news

Frustrated architect returns to job
His brief resignation was a blow to St. Pete Beach's city hall project, which sits under a cloud of threatened lawsuits.

New trolley system will get rolling in 7 days
For $1 a ride or $2.50 for a day, riders can travel between downtown St. Petersburg and cities along the beach.

'They have a right to live'
A new organization spays and neuters feral cats and then returns them to the wild, a plan that may meet with controversy.

Chief denies any 'clash over turf'
Re: Zealous trooper, chief clash over turf, Dec. 6.

Athletic Zone tries to cut the drive time
The owners hope to bring in people in southern St. Petersburg before they make that long drive to a mall or outlet.

Planned Parenthood fills public affairs post
LaWanda L. Walker has been named public affairs coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida.

With service project done, Boy Scout earns top honor
After 11 years in the scouting program, a teen is one of the few to become an Eagle Scout.

Home's residents receive a very special Christmas
The residents don't have much money to spend on extras, so the holiday gifts made all the difference.

Resident pitches disc golf proposal for Maximo Park
Advocates say building a course for the Frisbee-based game would make the park safer and friendlier for families.

Local teacher experiences Christmas a world away
While in Japan, a local exchange teacher learns to appreciate new Christmas customs while sharing some of her own.

Could two-way streets be one way to fix traffic?
We're not sure this is such a hot idea. On the other hand, we could be wrong.

Homeless, friends go a-caroling
Visits to BayWalk and the Yacht Club are meant to draw attention to a lack of shelters in the city.

Bicycle Club donates three new bikes, helmets for kids
ST. PETERSBURG -- Thanks to the St. Petersburg Bicycle Club, three youngsters will have new bicycles and helmets for Christmas.

Holiday closings
The following is a list of holiday closings and schedule changes for south Pinellas County for Monday, Dec. 25.

East-West Trail to begin evolution
The often-overlooked East-West Trail connects 11 parks. Now a state grant and city funds will allow Clearwater to make the path more traveled.

Schmidgall will see fruit of hard work in Peach
This week's trip to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta is a dream come true for senior David Schmidgall.

Schedule keeps many competitors on the run
Area runners had a wide range of opportunities to chose from over the past two weeks.

Season rolls by with highs, lows
Looking back on 2000, Tampa Bay's bowling community endured a year of positive accomplishments, a couple of milestones and a few negatives.

CDs, TVs, candy bars and a fancy telescope
These are a few of kids' favorite things, a peek at Santa's mailbox reveals.