Northpinellas: Save front page for reporting noteworthy news

As taxpaying citizens of Belleair for more than 22 years, we feel compelled to challenge the bias of the article published this past Friday in the St. Petersburg Times concerning our small town's police force.

We have to wonder why a small town such as Belleair deserves front-page attention concerning its 11-person police force.

Though the article appears to come off negatively toward the Belleair Police Department, it actually proves just the opposite. The categorical crime statistics only prove that the $1-million price tag is worth all of that to the citizens.

The assumption that the police are "bored" really is an unsubstantiated opinion -- of whom, we're not sure. We ask, what police officer doesn't want to serve in a low-crime community?

Approximately two years ago, our immediate neighborhood was threatened by a troublesome family with juvenile delinquents and it was with Lt. Marlene Toledo's and Lt. Chester Kowalski's persistence and hard work that the problem was resolved. Both Lt. Toledo and Lt. Kolwaski were instrumental in helping to form what is now a very strong Neighborhood Watch. They have also helped in such community service as the Belleair Kids' Safety Day/Firemen's Chicken Dinner.

Everyday involvement with our community makes our town a wonderful place to live. We are all human beings and will, of course, make personal mistakes in our lives. However, the mistakes noted in the article have not affected the town's citizens in any adverse way.

We think the front page of the St. Petersburg Times would be better utilized by more noteworthy news instead of the small-town politics and internal problems of Belleair, its town manager and new police chief.
-- Harry and Virginia Zimmerman, Belleair

No scandal to report so paper just nit-picked

Re: It's a badge and boredom in Belleair, Nov. 3 story.

Staff writer Deborah O'Neil is at best a muckraker of the first order. She discovered nothing of any more serious consequence in Belleair than she would find in any other police jurisdiction that surrounds us. Are any of these jurisdictions that squeaky clean?

God help those who attempt to get the sheriff into Belleair under the guise of saving money. What other police department in Pinellas County can boast a 2 1/2- to 3-minute response time? Certainly not the sheriff. His deputies do not even patrol Mehlenbacher Road, which is a county road in their jurisdiction, nor do Largo officers in their portion of the road. The only police department one sees is Belleair, so nit-picking is really of no earth-shattering consequence.
-- Tom Vourlos, Belleair

Times sinks to new low with article on police

Re: It's a badge and boredom in Belleair, Nov. 3 story.

Just how "Florida's Best Newspaper"' can sink to fish wrapper in less than 32 square inches of prime print real estate is aptly demonstrated on your Nov. 3 front page. Is Deborah O'Neil the editor's favorite or what? What prompts a fine newspaper like the Times to waste ink and pulp on such news?

By the way, you forget to mention a certain fine young officer who gave his life while performing preferential treatment to the well-connected. The complaint, ". . . Pooped . . .," should be on your shoes for this one.
-- Robert W. Pauley, Belleair

Mayberry gang missing from Belleair police story

Re: It's a badge and boredom in Belleair, Nov. 3 story.

After reading Deborah O'Neil's excellent article on the Belleair Police Department, I am left with only two questions.

Why was there no mention of Andy and Barney? And does Aunt Bee deliver homemade pies to the police station?
-- Jim Westerkamp, Indian Rocks Beach

Editorial plucked a threatening note

Re: Belleair residents should turn to Sheriff's Office, Nov. 7 editorial.

As a Belleair resident, I find a portion of the last paragraph very peculiar: "But if Belleair residents insist on keeping their local department, they should be prepared for more embarrassing publicity as its dirty laundry is aired." Sounds more like a threat than unbiased reporting, especially in light of the Times' front-page article last week about the department.

Regarding the last sentence, "And they should be ready to pay higher taxes to buy the kind of department that will do the job right," since when is this newspaper concerned about higher taxes?

Things in Pinellas County must be good if this "scandal" makes your front page.
-- Michael Wilkinson, Belleair

Teaching students for tests is not preparing them for life

Re: First day of school may come sooner, Oct. 29.

I have been reading about all the changes being made in the local school system. I am concerned. My son will be out of the system in 31/2 years, apparently just in time. My wife teaches in the system at an elementary school. I was a school resource officer in high school for almost 10 years.

I hear about the massive amount of paperwork that teachers must confront each year and how it takes them away from really teaching the students. The Florida Writes testing and the FCAT testing have our teachers pulling their hair out trying keep up.

Now the new idea is to start the school year earlier in August, on the 9th, so that more time can be devoted to the preparation of the students for these tests. They all come early in the year and affect the school report card rating (another thing for teachers and administrators to worry over).

Have I missed something? Aren't we supposed to be educating our children and preparing them for life? Aren't the teachers supposed to be teaching them the basic skills to get a better education and job after their schooling is complete? Instead, the school system is prepared to adjust its entire program to be able to spend more time preparing the students for testing. Enough!

We need to get away from testucation and get back to education. Let the teachers teach. Get rid of the half-baked ideas and paperwork. Let them get back to the basics and watch the grades soar.

Get rid of the proposed school choice busing mess while you are at it.
-- Dave Krieger, Clearwater

Apologize to Tarpon manager or lose editorial credibility

Re: "Fixation' on youth curfew took slight time on city clock, Oct. 31 letter.

Tarpon Springs City Manager Ellen Posivach's rebuttal presented facts and explanations, whereas your editorial, although wordy, contained little related to Tarpon Springs that was worthy.

Now that you have been apprised of the true situation, fairness asks that you extend to her an immediate and open apology. To not do so could cause your readers to read your editorials in the future with a doubtful eye, or not read them.
-- Clinton N. Kaminis, Tarpon Springs

R.E. Olds' impact felt long after his passing

Re: A great Floridian?, Oct. 22 story.

Thank you for the front-page story on R.E. Olds. We on the Oldsmar City Council are very proud of what is happening today in our great city.

R.E. Olds' dream did not work out for him, but he is very much with us today. All you have to do is drive down one of the streets downtown and notice the names of the streets -- State Street, Park Street are the names of the original platted streets -- the design of the library and the many homes that are in our downtown.

R.E. Olds also designed very wide, paved streets for the town and installed 20 miles of sidewalks for the public's safety.

Oldsmar has that hometown feeling. As you drive down the streets, you will notice there are hundreds of 80- to 100-foot oak trees that R.E. Olds planted throughout the city. Olds himself invested more than $4.5-million in the 1920s.

Oldsmar continues to make improvements for the benefit of all its residents. I am very proud R.E. Olds is and has been noted for being one of the great Floridians of our time and I look forward to serving the people of Oldsmar.
-- Brian S. Michaels, Oldsmar

Bridge funds could be used to build fire stations

I was pleased to read of Clearwater's recent financial windfall of millions of dollars to go toward paying for the much-needed bridge to the beach.

Not long after I was very disappointed to read of the issue of the fire services fee being raised again. I would like to know why the funds previously set aside for the bridge cannot be used at least for capital improvements (such as building needed fire stations) if not for general operating funds.

It seems our city leaders know that the voters will not vote yes on unneeded expenditures so they want to spend the money they will save on the bridge on those items and hope the people will agree to the fire services fee as a necessity.

Let's get our priorities in order.
-- Randall Gill, Clearwater

Letter writer seems unfamiliar with federal aviation rules

Re: Truth should be told about airpark expansion, Oct. 26 letter.

That this letter writer is a "former pilot" is a good thing! If he thinks longer runways and displaced thresholds will make landing and departing aircraft lower over houses he obviously failed ground school and would probably have killed himself and/or others had he continued to fly.

The letter writer's knowledge of Federal Aviation Regulations is also lacking.

Because of runway/taxiway proximity, Clearwater Airpark cannot be licensed for aircraft larger than the current 12,500-pound limit. Any pilot utilizing an airport should be aware of that facility's layout and limitations. These facts are published in the Airman's Information Manual and Airport Facilities Directory -- the old and new testaments of pilot training.

Misinformation often causes more conflict than does an untruth.
-- Dennis G. Roper, vice chairman Clearwater Airport Authority

Trash, roundabout enough to make one say goodbye

We have been in Clearwater now for more than 32 months. It seems that Florida law says when buying a car you don't get any turn signals or ashtrays and the more trash you have in your car, the more trash you can throw out the windows. The people who maintain the beautiful grass just cut up the trash.

So we are leaving, so long Clearwater, the trash bin you have become. The roundabout landscaping is the catcher for most of the trash. And the trash doesn't start there, it starts at the bridge and goes all the way to the roundabout.
-- Richard Haddad, Clearwater

Littering is just as bad as not picking up after pet

Now that the dog days of summer are behind us and the weather has cooled off, I find myself taking longer walks around our magical Tarpon Springs bayous.

This morning I was thinking about all the recent publicity concerning pet owners not picking up after their pets. Cities are enacting ordinances concerning this messy matter, as well as enforcing the ordinance by imposing fines, etc.

Well, it is my opinion that the people who don't pick up after their pets are the same mindless creatures who toss their garbage, beer bottles, half-eaten food and more onto the streets, sidewalks and into the bayous. I must continually bypass this litter, as well as making sure that my dogs (Ajax and Annie) don't cut their feet or eat someone's leftovers.

Cities need to wake up and start enforcing the ordinances about littering, impose fines and put up signs. Littering is a crime. Make citizens responsible for their lack of respect for others.
-- Nancy G. Dively, Tarpon Springs

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