Last month, New York became the first state to prohibit the on-the-road use of cellular phones. Now Largo could become the first city in the Tampa Bay area to adopt such an ordinance.

Police applaud the idea, but they note a pitfall. The same telephone conversation that was legal outside the city would become illegal inside the city. Ticketed motorists could argue they didn't realize they crossed the border.

City Manager Steven Stanton does not see the problem. He thinks other cities would enact similar bans. "It's a public safety issue," he said.

Bullfighting mural can't be counted out yet

INVERNESS -- A high school mural showing a bullfight in action was slated for a whitewash.

But before the animal rights activists who fought the image could cheer, students, staff and community members stepped into the ring to say the image is a part of Spanish culture.

[Times photo: Ron Thompson]
This mural in a Spanish classroom disturbs some animal lovers.

A review committee dispatched by Citrus High School principal Michael Mullen took anther look at the mural, which shows a matador, sword in hand, confronting a bull.

The committee reviewed the information submitted by animal rights activists, including graphic pictures of actual bullfights, and examined other materials from the Spanish class including textbooks.

The committee ruled that the mural should stay, and Mullen said Monday that he will back that recommendation.

But the battle of the bull probably won't be resolved until the Citrus County School Board's Aug. 14 meeting, where it will be debated again.

Mullen maintains that the mural can serve as a lesson for students on cultural differences, animal cruelty and censorship.

Parade will go on despite Bucs game

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH -- The annual holiday parade in Indian Rocks Beach will march on as planned Dec. 9, even though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a home game that day.

The small town's parade made news around the bay area when its mayor declared he would be a no-show if the parade conflicted with his beloved Bucs. "My wife and the Bucs come first," Mayor Bob DiNicola declared.

Though annoyed by all the publicity he got, DiNicola, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers season ticket holder, said he isn't changing his game plan.

"Am I going to change my mind? No. I'm going to the Bucs game."

City volunteers who plan the parade were unhappy with DiNicola's push to change the date.

"When you have situations like this, someone has to sacrifice," said Commissioner R.B. Johnson, who sided with the volunteers. "I believe citizens believe that commissioners are elected to serve citizens and not citizens to serve commissioners."

Bottler told to tap lake, but not spring

CRYSTAL RIVER -- The sparkling blue waters of Three Sisters Spring will remain untouched, but a company will be able to bottle thousands of gallons per day from a nearby lake under a controversial settlement approved by state regulators.

The agreement was praised by some as a rare collaboration between business, environmentalists and state regulators that will protect endangered manatees, which flock to the spring in the winter.

Others denounced it as having little value because, they said, the lake is fed by the same aquifer as the spring, and they fear the efforts would limit public use of the spring.

Harvey Goodman's Three Sisters Springs Water Co. had planned to take water from the spring, drawing concern from officials at the Southwest Florida Water Management District, also known as Swiftmud, and Save the Manatee Club because it could reduce warm water flows that are crucial to manatees.

In a settlement approved Tuesday, the company was awarded a six-year permit by agreeing to withdraw water from an 8-acre lake on the property, not from the spring itself. The agreement also reduced the daily withdrawal asked for and obtained a donation of 1 acre of land for a manatee observation deck.

Dunedin kicks in extra money for Blue Jays stadium

DUNEDIN -- After striking out in its attempts to lower the cost to renovate the Toronto Blue Jays spring training facility, Dunedin city commissioners agreed to contribute another $500,000 to the project.

Now they will turn to the state and county for another $1.5-million.

Despite securing $12-million in combined city, state and Pinellas County funds, Dunedin officials say they don't have enough money to complete all the renovations they promised the Jays. And because the city has spent more than $2-million on the project so far, there's no turning back.

Dunedin will find itself in a difficult position if it can't get the extra money from the county and state, Mayor Tom Anderson said.

Blue Jays officials have already agreed to cutbacks such as substituting real grass for the planned artificial turf and switching to metal lockers instead of the requested wooden ones, but they drew the line there.

Junior college sheds 'J' for senior status

ST. PETERSBURG -- Who are you calling Junior?

Carl M. Kuttler Jr., president of St. Petersburg College, playfully tossed the J from one of the signs marking the school formerly known as St. Petersburg Junior College on Wednesday.

About 50 exterior signs at 11 sites in Pinellas County must be changed because a bill signed June 6 by Gov. Jeb Bush allows the college to offer four-year degrees.

Along with the symbolism of the name change came some real money to transform the institution -- the first community college in Florida to award four-year college degrees.

In 2002, SPC will begin offering bachelor's degrees in education, nursing and technology. The college also will continue its partnerships with 10 colleges across the state that offer undergraduate- and graduate-level degrees to students at SPC campuses.

In the meantime, the school has to undo a name 74 years in the making for a school that alumni and students refer to as simply "JC."

Coming up this week

A computer expert will be poring over the computers in Secretary of State Katherine Harris' office this week looking for evidence of missing or destroyed material from last fall's tumultuous presidential recount. In addition, Florida newspapers have hired their own experts to review the expert's work.

There is a lot of development pressure on State Road 54 in Pasco County as huge housing developments turn from blueprints to reality in the next few years. With this in mind, county and regional planners are holding an open house Thursday to talk about signs, landscaping and traffic circulation in hopes that SR 54 won't become another U.S. 19. The open house will be from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Land O'Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O'Lakes Boulevard.

- Compiled by Times staff writer Sharon Kennedy Wynne

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