Letters to the Editors

Timing of fireworks show endangered crowd

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 8, 2001

I think the city of St. Petersburg made a dangerous mistake July 4 at the waterfront.

By delaying the fireworks instead of setting them off early or postponing them altogether, the city endangered the lives of thousands of people. When the sky began to turn black and green (around 8:15 p.m.), my wife, son and I, along with four other family members, made our way back to our vehicle parked near the Fine Arts Museum. We sat in our car for an hour watching countless lightning strikes hitting around and within the waterfront area.

We repeatedly asked police officers stationed nearby if the show had been canceled. It never was. Once the rain began coming down and the lightning became more intense, and hordes of people began leaving, we left. Around 9:30 p.m., sitting back at home, we began to hear the fireworks.

I counted more than 30 lightning strikes during the show alone. We were lucky enough to be able to watch the fireworks out of a second-story window in our home.

The city was very lucky that no one was struck by lightning. There were thousands of residents and countless city workers and volunteers out and about under a lightning-filled sky.

The city of St. Petersburg set a very poor example to its residents and employees about lightning safety.The decision to postpone the fireworks -- although it would have been unpopular to those who waited -- would have been the right decision.
-- Brian Arndt, St. Petersburg

Retiring principal is a talented man

Re: Seminole High School principal to retire, June 29.

I commend Richard Duncan for his sense of personal honor. I enthusiastically agree that he retires on a high note for Seminole High School. His contributions to numerous objective measures of success cannot be denied, and whoever must sustain or enhance these standards will be the first to properly and fully appreciate Duncan's legacy.

I have found public speculation over his relationship with the school district deplorable, but since it continues, it would be unconscionable for me not to state categorically, and with firsthand knowledge, that Duncan was in no way whatsoever accountable for the incident cited, but acted most responsibly and sensitively in resolving it.

I wish Richard Duncan personal happiness. The community should be grateful that he will remain here and bring his considerable talents and energies into a new domain.
-- Pat Byrne, Seminole

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