The week in review

By Compiled by Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 18, 2000

COUNTY LIFTS FIREWORKS BAN: A pair of thunderstorms and the prospect of more to come prompted officials to lift Hillsborough County's ban on the sale and use of fireworks Friday, as other counties upheld their bans and, in some cases, faced lawsuits.

In Hillsborough, representatives from the county and the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City followed the recommendation of their fire chiefs in choosing not to renew the ban, which started June 2.

"We're in a pattern with summer rains now," said Chief Bill Nesmith of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. "I felt comfortable that we could go ahead."

A thunderstorm dumped more than two inches of rain and hail on parts of the area Tuesday. Six days prior, on June 7, the region saw its first substantial rainfall of the season.

Neither storm was enough to sway officials in Pinellas, Pasco, Citrus or Hernando counties, all of which are still banning the sale and use of fireworks.

PIONEERING FBI AGENT, CARROLLWOOD LEADER, DIES: Joseph F. Santoiana Jr., the FBI agent who oversaw the bureau's exhaustive surveillance of reputed Tampa mob boss Santo Trafficante Jr., died Thursday, shortly after a monthlong hospital stay. He was two weeks shy of his 90th birthday.

Mr. Santoiana opened the FBI's Tampa field office in 1960. His tenure spanned the regime of J. Edgar Hoover, whom Santoiana sometimes hosted on vacation, and the more modern FBI. He saw Tampa grow from a town of roughneck mob dealings to a city of office towers more likely to be menaced by white-collar crimes.

After Santoiana retired from the FBI in 1973, he embarked on another career of civic activities in Carrollwood. He became general manager of the Carrollwood Village Golf & Tennis Club, where he and his wife, Celeste, would play golf on Sunday mornings.

His friend, builder Matt Jetton, asked Mr. Santoiana to be on the board of the Carrollwood Bank.

Mr. Santoiana was also a founding member of St. Paul Catholic Church in Carrollwood in 1963, said Eleanor King, the parish secretary.

"It would take him so long to get from the parking lot to the church because he'd chit chat with everyone," Mrs. King said. After Celeste died in 1995, the church became a primary focus of his time. Driving had recently become difficult for Mr. Santoiana, so Mrs. King picked him up at home last Christmas Day to take him to Mass.

"He had a box of chocolates, all wrapped up," King said. "He said, "These are for you and the girls.' He was always thinking of someone else. I will miss his smiling face and his strong handshake. He was a beautiful man."

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS' PAY MAY RISE: The Hillsborough school district has proposed raising substitute teacher pay by 5 percent, bumping the pay of a substitute teacher with a bachelor's degree up from $8.50 an hour to $8.93.

The pay raise, which would be the first for substitute teachers since the 1994-95 school year, must be approved by the school board.

Last month, the school board approved a 5 percent salary increase for full-time teachers.

Substitute teachers are an increasingly scarce bunch, leaving schools scrambling to find fill-ins for absent teachers.

The total cost of the increased pay for substitute teachers would be $248,000.

Under the proposed pay raise, a teacher with a high school diploma would be paid $7.09 per hour rather than the current range of $6.75 to $6.25. Substitutes with an associate's degree or 60 hours of college credit would make $7.42 per hour rather than $7.07.

The district also proposes creating a new pay category: $10 an hour for substitutes who are retired teachers and/or who hold a Florida teaching certificate.

The board is expected to vote on the salary increase at its meeting Tuesday.

THIEF STEALS WHEELS ONLY: New Tampa's quiet Lake Forest neighborhood attracted a different kind of car thief Tuesday morning -- the kind who leaves cash. Sometime after midnight, a thief managed to slip into Kathleen D. Brady's driveway, silently put her 1995 Honda Prelude up on blocks and steal the wheels. The thief left the car without tires or rims, but with several $20 bills tucked under a windshield wiper.

Brady, an 80-year-old VA hospital volunteer, doesn't know what the thief was thinking. "I saw at least three twenties, but the Sheriff's Office took them away because they thought they might be counterfeit," she said. "It's all so strange. If it was real money, it's even stranger."

Brady's son lives just around the corner from her house and passes it each morning on his way to work at about 7 a.m. "I was still sleeping when my son came in and woke me up," Brady said. "He said, "Mother, you don't have any wheels.' "

The thief removed Brady's wheels with barely a peep, she said. Her bedroom window faces the driveway, and she didn't hear anything. Neither did a next-door neighbor who was up past 2 a.m.

"RAVE' OPERATOR ARRESTED AGAIN: Less than a week after going to jail on similar charges, a Carrollwood man was arrested early Friday and charged with operating a dance club without a permit. Elias Abusaid, 37, was arrested at 4:15 a.m. after Hillsborough deputies said they discovered 25 patrons in his west Carrollwood club, AV-02.

On June 3, 25 people were arrested on numerous drug, alcohol and firearms charges in a raid at the club. Abusaid was charged with operating the club without a permit and serving alcohol illegally. He posted $8,500 that afternoon.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said no alcohol was found at the club, at 5226 Gunn Highway. Abusaid, of 11212 Elmfield Drive, was released from jail on $250 bond before noon.

Abusaid said AV-02 is a private club, and he has a license to operate it.

USF RAKING IN MONEY: The University of South Florida has surpassed its $220-million fundraising goal. Officials said the goal was met more than a year ahead of schedule, thanks in large part to the almost 50 donors who gave $500,000 or more.

Campaign co-chairman Mandell "Hinks" Shimberg said more than 88,000 donors have opened their wallets in the five years since the drive began. "USF has developed a national presence. And it's time we started sending that message to Tallahassee," said Shimberg, who noted that rival Florida State University received more funding this year from state lawmakers than USF.

USF officials say they aren't done yet. Their fundraising drive still has another year to run. Incoming president Judy Genshaft said the campaign now will focus on improving graduate research and education, especially in areas where USF can quickly gain national prominence.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.