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As they sit under a tree at Straub Park, a man asks his companion to videotape a plane's banner. It said: "Linda, will you marry me?''
By AMY WIMMER
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 20, 2000
ST. PETERSBURG -- Jorge Figuerdo had a plan.
With a question on his mind and an engagement ring tucked out of sight, he took girlfriend Linda Hurtado to the offshore boat races Sunday afternoon on the St. Petersburg waterfront.
He took along all the necessities for a proper question-popping: a videocamera, a card, a poem he composed. The card and poem would have to suffice as Plan B, just in case Plan A didn't work out.
He shouldn't have worried.
At 11 a.m. Sunday, as Figuerdo and Hurtado picnicked under a tree at Straub Park, Figuerdo noticed a banner plane taking off from Albert Whitted Airport.
He urged Hurtado to videotape the plane as it came into view. She found his suggestion odd -- she didn't know he was so interested in planes. But then, she also didn't understand why he wanted to spend Sunday afternoon at a boat race.
Through the camera, she saw the plane fly overhead and read its banner. "Linda, will you marry me? Love, Jorge?" it read. Her mouth dropped open. "Oh, my gosh."
When she lowered the camera and turned around, he was on one knee, the ring in hand.
Hurtado, 33, a news anchor for WFTS-Ch. 28, admitted she knew something was up, especially considering their recent shopping trips to look at diamonds. And Figuerdo, 34, who works in international sales, came up with a unique response to his young daughters' questions about when he was going to marry Hurtado.
He told Jessica, 9, and Jenna, 7, to write why-he-should-marry-Linda essays.
Even with all the clues, Hurtado said his very public proposal caught her by surprise.
"That's one of the things that made me fall in love with him, though," Hurtado said. "He's very creative."
The answer to the banner plane's question, incidentally, was yes.