Letters to the Editors

Animosity sidelines work of council

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 27, 2000

If the Kenneth City council meetings and workshops were televised as is done in some municipalities in the area, Regis and his wanna-be millionaires would have a hard time keeping up in the ratings.

How can a council ever expect to get anything accomplished for the good of the city when there is so much animosity among its members?

It is Jack Knox's responsibility as mayor to encourage this council to work together on issues instead of encouraging the animosity with his own continual comments. Those in attendance at last week's workshop felt Knox was much more out of line than council member Chuck Webber, who received the mayor's usual "you're out of order" comment. Also, the mayor should be careful what he says when in a fit of rage. He almost acknowledged breaking the Sunshine Law when he lashed out at Webber concerning his spending more time in the office to know what is going on.

I see signs all over the city for candidates seeking a seat on the next council, which is to be elected in March. I hope those elected to serve on the next council come in with the attitude of working together for the good of the city and not for the good of his or her ego.
-- Bill DeBusk, Kenneth City

It's an honor to be part of JFK exhibit

One of the most interesting exhibits in St. Petersburg this season is the John F. Kennedy exhibit at the Florida International Museum. It rivals the ones in Boston and Dallas, according to those who have visited the other sites.

As volunteers, my partner and I are stationed at the exit and talk to all the visitors as they leave the museum. Almost 100 percent of them have said it is the most informative and interesting exhibit they have seen. Many are there not just for JFK but also for the great history the exhibit imparts. We feel privileged to be a part of this great historical event and hope many others will come and view it.
-- Elsie Yates Bouvier, South Pasadena

PSTA drivers are examples of kindness

I have been a winter visitor to St. Petersburg for many years and have always enjoyed your newspaper.

I feel I must say how considerate the drivers of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority buses are. They fasten the wheelchair passengers in and help those with walkers and lots of shopping bags.

One day a passenger had an epileptic seizure. The driver at the time was a lady. She helped the passenger and stayed with him until he was feeling well enough to sit and go on with his journey again. Many more times I have noticed that kindness in the drivers. I would like to thank them.
-- Mary Braun, St. Petersburg

Volunteers see good side of teens

Three other volunteers and I spend two hours each week at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg working with some of the students.

We go through the halls at class-change time and are delighted with the students' behavior. Although they are in a hurry to get to their next class, they are polite and well behaved and, at times, have broken a trail for us as we have one person using a walker.

In these days when teens are severely criticized it is only fair to take the time to thank them for their courtesy.
-- Virginia R. Gildrie, St. Petersburg

For cats' protection, keep them home

Downtown St. Petersburg is bustling with people, businesses, new construction and automobiles. Every day I am amazed at the number of family pets (cats, in particular) that I see trying to weave their way in and out of traffic. Worse yet, I am appalled to see at least one per week lying dead by the side of the street.

A litter box is an effective and inexpensive way of taking care of any reason your cat may need to go outdoors. Your pet is counting on you to do what's best for him, and statistics show that the life span of an indoor cat is almost twice that of a cat let outdoors.
-- T. Billig, Clearwater

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