From July to December, there's much to remember

TROXLER E-mail: Click here Archive

© St. Petersburg Times
published December 28, 2001

The year in review, Part II:

JULY 1: Florida's state university system is abolished and replaced with the heralded "Alabama-Mississippi" model.

JULY 2: Treated-wood industry counters bad publicity with new, loveable cartoon figure "Andy Arsenic."

JULY 4: First man receives totally self-contained, artificial heart. Hired by Gov. Jeb Bush to preside over state budget cuts.

JULY 10: St. Petersburg City Council attempts to raise own salary, increase entertainment budget for skybox at Tropicana Field. Several citizens admitted to hospital for laughter-related hernias.

JULY 12: Pinellas Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark is stunned to learn her husband has ties to a voting-machine company bidding for Pinellas's contract. Says Clark: "I didn't even know I was married."

JULY 12: Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Charles W. Cope takes a moonlit walk.

JULY 28: Tampa Bay Devil Rays trade away veteran Fred McGriff, citing "too many durned home runs."

AUG. 1: A Hillsborough sheriff's deputy is charged with walking out of evidence room with drugs on his last day. Says a spokesman: "What are we supposed to be, detectives?"

AUG. 12: Number of black freshmen at University of Florida plummets in post-affirmative action era. Remaining black students are asked to pose twice for yearbook.

AUG. 22: Eight nabbed in rigging of McDonald's contests. Hired by Tampa Mayor Dick Greco to hand out housing grants.

AUG. 29: Masked gunmen pull off bank robbery in front of Greco, who urges citizens "not to prejudge these folks. I mean, my gosh, they have feelings too."

SEPT. 1: Fancy new International Plaza agrees to run shuttle to nearby bus stop "for people whose Lexus is in the shop."

SEPT. 4: Florida Power Corp. blames problems with accurate meter-reading on "all them little dials and numbers."

SEPT. 5: Janet Reno announces plans to get Gov. Jeb Bush re-elected.

SEPT. 8: Mack Vines, asked to help St. Petersburg find a police chief, is chosen as the new police chief. Says Vines: "I'm stunned."

OCT. 10: New company wins management contract at the Pier in St. Petersburg by secretly promising to cut out "the fun stuff."

OCT. 22: Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy announces new strategy of trying to score more points than the other team.

OCT. 26: Florida Legislature meets in emergency session. House complains Senate won't stay on its own side. Senate wets bed.

OCT. 27: In an amazing, astounding development, considering that the selection committee arrived in summer and during a tropical storm, Tampa misses the cut for 2012 Olympic Games.

OCT. 31: Pinellas County delays decision on new voting machines after finding out the representative of the leading company is under indictment in Louisiana. Official statement from County Commission: "Whoopsie."

NOV. 5: Arizona Diamondbacks, who joined the majors with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, defeat New York Yankees in the best World Series in years. Devil Rays explain the Arizona team "did it wrong."

NOV. 6: Lawsuit to examine contents of FCAT standardized tests thrown out when plaintiffs fail to use No. 2 pencil.

NOV. 9: St. Petersburg City Council prohibits feeding of birds within city limits. No action on proposal to prohibit feeding of City Council members at Tropicana Field.

NOV. 12: Extensive vote recount sponsored by consortium of U.S. newspapers confirms Truman beat Dewey.

NOV. 14: New results show that Florida lost ground in many categories during the 1990s. Gov. Jeb Bush announces plans for "a really big arena where we could have chariot races and lion fights and other cool stuff."

DEC. 12: Pinellas schools chief Howard Hinesley gets new contract. Compromises on gold-plated toilet seat.

DEC. 18: St. Petersburg police Chief Mack Vines fired after just 10 weeks on the job. Says Vines: "I'm stunned."

-- You can reach Howard Troxler at (727) 893-8505 or at troxler@sptimes.com.

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