Letters to the Editors

Investigation is in order to clear the air

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 28, 2000

Mary Horrell's letter to the editor July 17 regarding the Toronto Blue Jays is right: An impartial and complete investigation is in order, but my reasons for suggesting it are not the same as Ms. Horrell's.

Isn't it wonderful to be living in a city that has so much to offer people of all ages? Isn't it great to have a Senior Center? Isn't it wonderful to have the luxury of two state parks in the city limits that offer a tremendous amount of recreation and relaxation? Isn't it great to have a Fine Arts Center and a championship golf course?

What a tremendous asset our downtown and business community are for both residents and visitors. What a great place to raise a family and also to retire. Dunedin is a balanced community that has a little something to offer everyone who wants to participate.

So what's wrong with having major league and minor league baseball in our community? I wonder if Ms. Horrell would feel the same if the team playing in our community was American-owned. As a reminder, at least 50 percent of the teams that play in the spring are American-owned, so the money involved is not all Canadian.

Maybe Commissioner Cecil Englebert does have an ego, and obviously he does care about the Blue Jays, but he also cares about Dunedin and probably knows more about what's going on around town than the city manager and the mayor.

I'm not going to defend the interests of baseball ownership because, obviously, I can't. As a baseball fan I don't agree with high salaries for players and high prices for fans, but it IS a business.

If, in fact, the city manager, mayor or any other member of the City Commission knew what was going on, then they, too, should be scrutinized in order to determine if a violation of the Sunshine Law did occur. An investigation is in order, if for no other reason than to clear the air.
-- Manuel Koutsourais, Dunedin

People too quick to judge

Amidst all of the criticism regarding Cecil Englebert's supposed mishandling of Dunedin's negotiations with the Blue Jays, I think people of reasonable intelligence should look at the man's record of service to Dunedin and Pinellas County.

After serving in the Navy during World War II, he came to Pinellas County and has been in public service for more than 50 years. He was mayor of Dunedin, a member of the Florida Sports Authority and now one of our commissioners.

He was responsible for bringing the Blue Jays to Dunedin, where a bond of mutual trust between him and the team was the catalyst for them staying here. This is way before the present city administration was even in the picture. He has long been tried and true to Dunedin.

People who are ready to jump on the bandwagon and criticize him for having prior knowledge of the mindset of the Jays should wait until all the facts are divulged before being so quick to judge him. He is a man of integrity and an asset to this community. It makes me wonder what kind of political agenda these people have.
-- Karen Weibel Burton, Dunedin

Stand behind Dunedin and Jays

In response to the Blue Jays' request for a new stadium, they don't seem to be asking for anything more than any other ball club. And they are only asking for a complex that can meet their needs.

The Blue Jays have given immensely to our city in many ways. How many high school teams get to play on a professional field at no cost to them or the city? Dunedin is a thriving and coveted community. Had anyone heard of Dunedin 20 years ago before the Blue Jays came here?

Yes, we have done a lot to help ourselves become a vibrant city, but could any of the businesses have survived the long, hot summers before our revitalization without the great spring training and the tourists they brought here every winter? I have personally benefited from the Blue Jays. Would I still be in business if it wasn't for the Blue Jays? No. And many businesses feel the same way.

Let's stand behind our city and the Blue Jays and let them know they are wanted.
-- Tamara Helms, Dunedin

Clearwater needs more parking

When I visit Clearwater Beach, I don't think much about the name. Clearwater's, Clear Water, whatever. I am not drawn to the beauty of the new fountain. I just want a place to park.

Merchants, restaurant owners and residents, if you want more money flowing in, then give us a place to park. Before the famous roundabout opened, there were traffic tie-ups every busy weekend. Why? 'Cause there's no place to park.

Wake up, it's simple. I'll take my family to your lovely beach only if I have a place to park within reasonable walking distance of the beach. I don't want to ride a shuttle; shuttles are a pain. I'll spend money, I'll pay for parking, I'll eat lunch, I'll rent a Jet Ski, I'll buy sunglasses and a T-shirt.

In the off-season you can use all these extra parking spaces for an art show or a crafts fair and draw people in on those slow weeks. I just want a place to park. So tear down the silly fountain, pave over the roundabout and put in some parking.
-- James Rhodes, Palm Harbor

Bob Henderson will be missed

Re: Community remembers Bob Henderson, July 25 story.

What a shock to read about the death of Bob Henderson, former Mr. Clearwater, former Times editor and columnist. He helped so many people and so many good organizations with his columns.

I still have his Dec. 18, 1991, column which covered the first competitive grant made by the Pinellas County Community Foundation and the major gifts from Theodore and Marian Tonne which had doubled the size of the foundation.

He wrote about the very young children who would benefit from the new playground at the Child Development Center, thanks to a $16,836 grant from the foundation. Many people responded after reading the article, and PCCF grew from a foundation of about $8-million to one of more than $30-million in a few years.

Bob was very pleased with what PCCF has done for the community, and not long ago he wrote to me about the community foundation in Henderson County, N.C., where he and his family moved three years ago. He was still on the PCCF mailing list.

We all missed him when he moved away. Now many people in North Carolina will miss him. But he will be remembered as a friend, a strong supporter of his communities and a person whom many admired and respected.
-- Tom Bruckman, executive director, Pinellas County Community Foundation

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