Northpinellas: New commissioner finds way to seat of power

As new County Commissioner Ken Welch made his way toward the public bathroom on the fifth floor of the courthouse Tuesday, colleague John Morroni gently grabbed him by the elbow and guided him to the commissioners' private bathroom inside their chambers.

"Isn't this fun? I get to show the new commissioner where the bathroom is," said Morroni, brand spanking new himself.

As Welch thanked him for his help, Morroni offered one more observation.

"It's a one-seater, so we both can't do our thing at the same time," Morroni said.

WHAT'S MY LINE?: Placing one's hand on the Bible and repeating an oath after a judge isn't as easy as it looks. Four of the five Pinellas County commissioners sworn in Tuesday stumbled a bit during the ceremony.

Incumbent Bob Stewart and new Commissioner Susan Latvala had to ask fast-talking Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Irene Sullivan to slow down so they could repeat their oaths correctly.

"I've done this before," Stewart said. "You'd think I'd know it."

"I had notes," Sullivan said. "It was easy."

Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge George Greer also repeated a few lines for a tongue-tied Commissioner Karen Seel. While Commissioner John Morroni got the words right, he held his left hand up in the air while his right hand rested on the Bible.

"Now do it with your right hand up," someone yelled from the audience after Morroni finished his oath.

In contrast, Commissioner Ken Welch, who was sworn in last by County Judge Myra Scott McNary, had no problems with his lines or his hands.

"I guess going last has its benefits," Welch said later.

I KNOW MY LINE, BUT WHERE'S THAT FLAG?: Oldsmar City Council members and city officials were the victims of a flag switcheroo at a meeting Tuesday night.

Typically, the Stars and Stripes hangs on a pole on the left side of the council's chambers. The state flag of Florida is on the right side. Both flags are behind the council's seats.

But someone switched the flags before Tuesday's meeting, placing the U.S. flag on the right side instead of the left. When it came time for the Pledge of Allegiance, it took some council members and city officials a few moments to realize that they were pledging to the wrong flag.

"Old habits are tough to break," said Mayor Jeff Sandler. "I want to know who moved that flag. The state of Florida needs more than just a pledge right now."

* * *

AND WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF PATRIOTISM: After the pledge, the Oldsmar City Council's discussion got a little thick with scientific jargon when a consultant tried to explain the finer points of having a water-treatment plant that could pump, filter and distribute drinking water to residents.

Steven Duranceau, Boyle Engineering's director of Water Quality and Treatment, talked about national safe drinking legislation, microbial levels, contaminant removal and membranes used to filter water.

"Membrane technology has many different suppliers," Duranceau said. "The Koreans make membranes. The Japanese make membranes. The Americans make membranes. The Canadians make membranes. The Europeans make membranes. All these are available on the market."

When Duranceau finished, council member Ed Richards pointed out that he had been doing some research, and he had one request.

"I understand how the system works," Richards said. "But do me a favor, don't buy no Japanese membranes. Buy American-made."

* * *

IT'S NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST ANYMORE: When Seminole City Council members and the St. Petersburg Junior College board of trustees met Tuesday to choose an architect for a joint-use library, they decided it was time for a toast.

Even if it was only orange juice.

The juice symbolized the fact that the college campus in Seminole was once the site of orange groves.

"We're a dry campus, I guess," joked Richard Johnston, SPJC's chairman of the board.

Quipped Seminole Vice Mayor Jim Dunn: "We can change that."

As everybody giggled, Johnston said, "We can vote right now."

No vote was taken. No recount. No hand count.

Everyone enjoyed the orange juice.

- Times staff writers Edie Gross, Maureen Byrne and Ed Quioco contributed to this report.

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