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A Times Editorial
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 23, 2001
While some other cities in mid and north Pinellas County have been having their problems in the last couple of years -- city staff turnover, overruns on projects, declining downtowns, political intrigue -- Seminole has been sailing a calm sea.
That doesn't mean nothing has been happening. On the contrary, Seminole has been on a growth and development streak.
Recent voluntary annexations have almost doubled the size of the city and show no sign of slowing. Take a drive through town and you will see the signs of change everywhere: land cleared for new homes, the fledgling Seminole campus of St. Petersburg Junior College, a sign announcing the coming of a new community library, a bustling Seminole Mall, businesses being built and renovated.
But at Seminole City Hall, there is a quiet sense that everything is under control. That is in large measure because a few years ago when Seminole voted to abandon its dysfunctional strong-mayor form of government, the city was fortunate enough (or wise enough) to hire Frank Edmunds as its first city manager. Edmunds brought professionalism to city government.
But rightly sharing the credit is a City Council, which set the course and stayed true to it, made up of members who were open to learning a new way of governing. A city doesn't make such a smooth transition to a new form of government without careful, competent leadership that can set and reach goals. The seven-member Seminole City Council has proven it can do so.
That is the primary reason Seminole residents who go to the polls March 6 should return the three incumbents to office.
Four candidates are running for three seats on the City Council. The incumbents are Pete Bengston, 65, a local floral shop owner and former part-time city employee who was appointed to the council in October to fill the unexpired term of Penny Rasmussen; Pat Hartstein, 53, a county educator who has been on the council since 1994; and Paul Trexler, 54, a machinist who was first elected in 1993.
The challenger is Leo Mutchler, 62, a retired insurance agency owner from Racine, Wis., who has lived in Seminole three years.
Mutchler's resume lists a term on the Racine City Council in the early 1970s and other community involvement there. Since moving to Seminole, he has been an active resident of Seminole Gardens apartments.
Mutchler says he is not running because he is unhappy with city government but just because he wants to get involved in local politics. He makes a good impression in interviews, but some of his ideas are controversial. For example, he thinks Seminole should be talking about creating its own police department -- a huge expense and undertaking for a city of less than 20,000 and an unnecessary one, since the Sheriff's Office provides adequate service to the community under a contract.
He also thinks Pinellas County needs an elected, rather than professional, county administrator.
As Mutchler becomes more familiar with his new home, his ideas might more closely reflect the city's priorities. For now we suggest that Seminole does not need council members who would rock the boat, but instead members who are well-informed and would stay the course.
Hartstein is a quiet member of the council -- "I'm not the talker of the group, I'm the listener," she says -- but she does her homework and has the training and experience to be a consensus-builder as the city grows. Trexler is known as the council member who most regularly votes no in council meetings, but he usually has a reason and refuses to support initiatives that trouble him. His questions sometimes lead to good changes in projects. Bengston has experienced a steep learning curve, perhaps because he worked for the city as part-time annexation coordinator before being appointed to the council, and is fully informed on city issues.
All three incumbents say they want to continue Seminole's voluntary annexation program without getting into an annexation war with any other city and while carefully monitoring Seminole's ability to provide service to new areas.
All three candidates say some recent miscommunications with the county government indicate a need to do more networking with county officials.
The candidates say that while they are concerned that Seminole is not getting its fair share of countywide library co-op money and while they intend to join other cities in the ongoing debate about whether the funding formula should be revised, they would not support withdrawing from the co-op. They point out that co-op dollars that have come the city's way have benefitted the city library.
The Times recommends votes for Pete Bengston, Pat Hartstein and Paul Trexler in the March 6 election.
WHEN: March 6
AT STAKE: Three seats on the Seminole City Council
TERM, SALARY: Council members serve two-year terms. The top three vote-getters in this election will win seats. Council members are paid $5,400 a year.
Candidates not recommended may submit a written response for publication. Responses should be limited to 300 words and may not attack opponents. Responses must be submitted by noon Monday to Opinion Page, St. Petersburg Times, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756, or they may be faxed to (727) 445-4119 or e-mailed to steinle@sptimes.com.
Headline: Fick, Warner strike success in tournament of champions
Mike Fick and Edmund Warner each won two titles, and Jamie Potter and Kelly Fecke tied for the scratch singles championship as the Upper Pinellas Junior Bowling Association's Tournament of Champions ended Sunday at Dunedin Lanes
Fick captured the Class AA scratch singles crown with a 701 series, then teamed with Brandon Derry to win the Class AA scratch doubles championship with a 1,348 pinfall. They represented Rainbow Lanes.
Warner won the Class B handicap singles with a 722 series, then helped Strike Stealers of Rainbow Lanes capture the Class A handicap title with a 2,741. His teammates are Kevin McCaffrey, Jose Espino and Charles Egnor.
Potter and Fecke, top-notch scratch players in the Countryside Lanes' youth leagues, each rolled a 619 series to share the Class AA singles championship.
Other girls singles winners were Crystal Goeller, Heather Brady, Aleese Bell and Keisha James. Fecke rolled a 266 game during her series.
Countryside Lanes' Don't Be Afraid won the Class AA scratch team championship with a 2,560 total. The team comprises of Stephen Rodriguez, Shawn Ryan, Nick Gates and Billy Kitchens.
Gates fired a 298 game in his singles competition, but didn't win. Other boys singles winners were Tim Powers, Mathew Uelmenn and Randy Denamen.
Highlights of the tournament were more than two dozen 200-plus games by boys and girls, including a 269 by Jon Wilson, 244 by Crystal Stutler, 266 by Ryan and 246 by Potter.
Rodriguez fired a 738 series and Heather McManus a 614.
MEREDITH HOT: Matt Meredith of Sunrise Lanes rolled a 682 series to take the A Division singles lead.
Then Meredith teamed with Ryan Shumar for a 1,392 pinfall and the doubles lead in the Greater Pinellas YABA Championship Tournament at Twedt's Lanes.
Meredith sparked Sunrise Lanes No. 1 to the B Division team lead with a 2,748. His teammates are Eric Chambliss, Monika Morris and Shumar. Twedt's Lanes No. 5 and The Strikers and Hot Peppers of Ten Pin Lanes are the other leaders.
Ernie Trembath, Jason Sigmarovicg, Dan McLaughlin and Keevan Taplock are the other singles leaders.
TEAM LEADERS: With six weeks left in the season, the Fireballs, Striking City and Team No. 2 lead the Countryside Lanes' youth leagues.
Corin Agoris' 93-194 led teammates Vincent Sadowski, George Petersen and the Fireballs to a 44-12 points mark for the 8-and-under Young Olympians.
Joseph May rolled a 200-541 to keep Striking City in first in the Junior Olympians 9-11 division. His teammates are Matthew Helmer, Louis Sadowski and Anthony Kinney.
Stephen Farlekas nailed a 222-543 for the week's high in the Olympians, but Team No. 2 maintains the lead with a 47-9 mark. Greg and David Lindberg, Brandon Kilpatrick and Brian Bright are Team No. 2 in the 12-and-over competition.
Shawn Ryan rolled a 258-695 to push Team No. 1 to a 39-17 mark in the Countryside Elite for 12-and-over high-average players. His teammates are Billy Kitchens, Scott Meredith and Jamie Potter.
Ryan leads the Elite Scratch Singles with a 128-33 mark, followed by Meredith at 101-60. Ryan heads the Gold Singles with a 114-30 record. Potter relinquished her Gold Singles lead to Kelli McManus with a 102-45 record.
Team No. 13 -- Regina Mowbray, Brandon Alipour, Ben Zold and Cliff Barnes -- holds the B.C. Junior Gold League lead at 88-32. Kevin Hindin of Team No. 5 rolled the week's high 259 game, and Meredith recorded a 653 series.
WORRALL WINS: St. Petersburg's Kent Worrall won this seventh NABI title and $500 Sunday, beating St. Petersburg's Craig Willner 248-191 at Seminole Lanes. St. Petersburg's John Lewis was third. Clearwater's Al Falsone took fourth and St. Petersburg's Marketta Davis placed fifth.
AROUND THE LANES: Loy Pryor rolled an 837 scratch series that is a men's record at Twedt's Lanes. ... Pat Wall recorded a 300-708 at AMF Kenneth City Lanes. ... Bob Jones fired a 290-738 at Dunedin Lanes. ... Paul Victory managed a 299 at Liberty Lanes.
-- Phil Gulick can be reached at xerxes6@aol.com or xerxes6@juno.com.