Letters to the Editors

Demotion needs some explanation

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 2, 2001

Re: Change shocks Seminole principal, April 12.

In a time when the only publicity we hear concerning high schools pertains to student shootings and bomb threats, our Pinellas School Board demotes one of the finest, most dedicated leaders at one of the county's most popular schools.

My wife and I have three children. Our oldest graduated two years ago after spending four years at Seminole High, our middle graduates from Seminole High this year and our youngest begins Seminole High this coming year. Having been involved seven years, we have attended each and every open house hosted by Richard Duncan and his staff. Never have there been any questions avoided or problems diverted during these most informative discussions.

Duncan has managed to run a very sound, successful high school, even through the trial periods of 4X4 classrooms, voucher programs and overcrowded classrooms.

If the School Board has any real reasons to demote Richard Duncan, it would only be proper for them to inform the parents and students involved with Seminole High School. If the real reason for demotion is only due to poor landscaping, call me and I'll bring my lawn mower!
-- Bob Serata, Seminole

Trashy roadways need attention

I have lived in the Clearwater-St. Petersburg area for over 23 years and am continually amazed at the deplorable conditions that exist on Pinellas County roadways.

There is trash in every gutter, piles of dirt and debris, broken glass scattered every place, aluminum cans, paper blown up against the fences along Interstate 275, and it all remains. The weeds grow in all the expansion joints of the medians and never get cleaned out.

I drive to Tampa to work everyday and Hillsborough streets and gutters are fairly clean.

I see "Adopt A Mile" all over but I think someone should "Adopt Pinellas County." Does Pinellas County own a street sweeper? Do we not have prisoners whom we could utilize to help pay back some of the funds that taxpayers pay to maintain them?

I suggest we have an "Adopt Your County Roadways" and ask for volunteers to clean up. Ask the mayors of the cities to organize certain days each month, all year long, each year. The winner's reward will be to be able to just look at the beautiful and clean streets and know they contributed.

Pinellas County is in dire need of some serious cleanup!
-- Deanna J. Murray, Palm Harbor

Bump in the road worth lives saved

Re: Speed bump is more like a mountain, letter, April 25.

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill! Any resident living near First Street North and 25th Avenue will tell you that this speed bump is not big enough. We feel very sorry for those of you who have to interrupt your cell calls, put down your cafe lattes and actually pay attention while you're driving to negotiate Mount Everest in your spiffy new four-wheel-drive SUVs. Many of our neighbors have had pets killed in the past few years by inconsiderate drivers flying down First Street at well over the posted speed limit. If you want to tool along at a higher speed, please feel free to utilize the interstate. It should also be noted here that commercial Fourth Street is the "major street" through this area. First Street is residential. We congratulate the NSNA for not waiting until a child was seriously injured (or worse) to make the decision to install this traffic-calming crosswalk.

It is absolutely amazing to see how many drivers fail to see or heed the bright yellow signs warning them of their "impending doom." Pretty soon we will have to call the sanitation department to remove the ever-increasing collection of hubcaps deposited by airborne cars piloted by their oblivious drivers.

If you have nothing better to do some afternoon, bring your lounge chair and a bag of popcorn to First and 25th. We guarantee that you will be thoroughly entertained!
-- Dave and Chelley Tighe, St. Petersburg

Let users pay for reclaimed water

As every resident on Treasure Island knows, the city is about to undertake another massive capital improvement for supplying reclaimed water throughout our city. Many of us feel the proposed reclaimed water system with the pay one price for all you can wet is not warranted due to various reasons, including "free irrigation water." This will promote planting of invasive and non-native vegetation, mitigate the positive aspects of residents who practice xeriscaping and is just about worthless to some residents who basically have a sandy beach as a yard. The cost of the reclaimed water system is just another transfer tax enforced on everyone for the benefit of some residents and businesses.

Like most residents, I am 100 percent for promoting businesses on Treasure Island, but let the businesses make their own economical decisions. And let the residents decide what type of yard they want, not what the city thinks they should have.

In an effort to more equitably allocate the community's initial capital cost and ongoing volume charges for reclaimed water, the city should consider water submetering (individually billing each owner or resident) for reclaimed water service. A private submetering company is responsible for water-meter installation costs and service. Each property utilizing reclaimed water receives a bill from the submetering company based on actual usage, the same as phone and electric bills. Thus, excessive water used by other properties is not borne by residents electing to forgo reclaimed water.

Nationwide, submetering to individually bill the end user for water use is becoming the norm for all types of applications. Simply stated, individually billing for water service promotes water conservation. Overall community water-volume usage reductions of 20 to 30 percent are common. With submetering, individual owners and residents will not be planting fewer trees in their yards; however, prompt irrigation system repairs, commonsense landscaping and overall water conservation still remain a part of everyone's life.
-- Dan Helton, president Southern Water Management, Treasure Island

Enforce rules before making new ones

I have lived in Pinellas Park for over 20 years, and all I have ever read or heard talk of is improving the image while, at the same time, no great effort is made to enforce the rules we presently have.

Now the mayor wants to allow commercial vehicles the right to park on our residential streets.

If this law passes, Pinellas Park will look like a huge industrial park instead of a residential area. We have laws to prohibit trucks and that allow only one recreational vehicle per house. Start enforcing this law. Allowing trucks of any kind to park in the driveways, etc., will only degrade our homes more; instead of increasing the value, this will decrease it.

You should also pass a law prohibiting parking in the streets. We have so many homes that have more than two cars -- so put in a double driveway.
-- Lewis Hughes, Pinellas Park

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