As 2015 draws to a close, a few of our favorite things:

This week, a bit of a departure for our now 21-month old blog, as we look back at some favorite entries from the year just passed – and a couple, “wish we hadn’t said that” moments. Plus we say a final goodbye to some incredibly good people and things. And a thanks to you for stopping by every week or so!

Our favorites from Around Tampa Bay:

1. Apparently we are not the only ones wondering why the heck CENTCOM has a Twitter account - to keep in touch with Tampa’s version of the Kardashians?

2. Factoid: For many years, the editorial page of “Florida’s Best Newspaper” carried a quote from its long time publisher Nelson Poynter. It read “The policy of our paper is simple – merely to tell the truth.” The quote was dropped several years ago.

3. More than one political pundit is forecasting a Rick Baker – Charlie Crist race for the District 13 Congressional seat being vacated by David Jolly. As polarizing as Baker and Crist are, “None of the above” could stand a very good chance in that race.

4. Tampa International Airport decided not to include a Bloomin’ Brands (Outback, Carrabba’s etc.) restaurant in their upcoming renovation saying the Tampa-based chain had grown so big they lost the local flavor the airport was seeking. So Carrabba’s is being replaced by a P.F. Chang’s – now there’s some local flavor!

5. From January 2015: Another touch of Clearwater history: 52 years ago this month, WTAN Radio celebrates its 15th year on the air by constructing one of the first FM stereo stations in the market – WTAN-FM. Young guy working a weekend gig at a St. Pete station decides to give this FM thing a brief try and sticks around for 20 years. Sorry, forgot the guy’s name.

6. You’ve lived in the Bay Area (or anywhere else) a long time if you remember when pizza wasn’t delivered but milk was. Thanks to the brighter sibling in our family for this one.

7. Florida Senate passes a bill that makes it illegal for law enforcement agencies to set traffic ticket quotas. Good news for Florida and visiting motorists; bad news for Waldo, Lawtey, Inglis and Brooksville among others.

8. Thanks to the Gassman Law Firm on Court Street in Clearwater for always bringing a smile to our face with their catchy marquee. It is truly a Sign of the Times.

9. Does anything define sleaze better than the circus involving the lawyers who worked both sides of the Bubba – Todd Schnitt lawsuit?

10. You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if the two businesses you patronized most on North Fort Harrison Ave. were Merz Record Shop and Pete’s Pizza.

11. Recent poll said 31 per cent of people living in Florida would like to live elsewhere. Let’s see, there’s I-75 on this coast and I-95 to the east. Safe travel!

12. Always remember that if someone uninitiated asks you what Clearwater is famous for, you don’t have to lower your head and mumble something about a cult. Instead, stand proud and declare we are the home of the very first Hooter’s Restaurant!

13. Several local policy wonks express great optimism in David Jolly’s Senate run. Wish we could join them. Jolly is a little too fresh out of the box to win statewide. Would love to see him prevail – particularly for what it would mean for the Bay Area, but as betting people, would have to put our money elsewhere.

14. A recent news item concerning a Confederate Stars and Bars flag flying over the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) building in Clearwater provoked two thoughts: (a) we’d wager that fifty per cent or more of the American population would not recognize the “nationality” of that flag and (b) it was mentioned that the UDC building was close to the new Clearwater monument which brought to mind that monument cost more than the entire UDC building and the grounds surrounding it.

15. Open primaries in Florida where left leaning independents could throw some crap in the game in a GOP primary or far right independent voters do the same in a Democratic primary – now what could possibly go wrong with that?

16. Do two 75-story residential towers fit the Tampa landscape? You’re right, they don’t. Any sort of review board that would rule otherwise has to be looked at with suspicion.

17. It is way past time for the Florida legislature to pass some fair to all concerned legislation regarding Lyft and Uber service. Otherwise, you are going to have about three dozen Florida counties doing their own thing creating total confusion for the public that relies on such transportation.

18. Again, proof that this blog writes itself – a proposal by Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection that hunting be allowed in state parks. Don’t think that’s what we mean by “environmental protection.”

19. A couple walks out of a Pinellas county movie after a man carries a duffel bag in making the wife very nervous. In Tampa, a guy’s gun falls out of its holster onto the floor prompting another theater patron to call police. Come on theaters, we can’t carry our own bottle of water into most movies, but guys are carrying duffel bags and revolvers in? And you wonder why attendance is down?

20. You’ve really lived in Clearwater a long time if you enjoyed one of the incomparable Philly Hoagies at the Philly Hoagie shop across from what was then Cleveland Plaza. And if you know prominent Clearwater attorney Charlie Robinson, ask him about his favorite Philly Hoagie story.

Favs from the diamond, the media and elsewhere:

1. This first appeared in this space almost a year and a half ago (Rants – May 25, 2014) and we still believe it. The answer to the Ray’s attendance problems could best be solved not by a new glitzy stadium on either side of the bay, but moving the franchise to the National League which has many more followers in the bay area than the American League and nationwide by 4 million fans annually. Houston switched leagues, why not Tampa Bay?

2. Our Rants and Raves focus group (comprised of three old, cranky people) reminds us that too often the inventions we take for granted are the most important. Case in point: It’s five o’clock, pouring rain and you are about to leave the office for your car located two football fields away. Which would you rather have –an Apple 18.5 smart phone or an umbrella? (Margin of error – 50 per cent or so).

3. This item appeared in the January 4 issue of Rants and Raves: As we frequently do, we “borrow” a classic from the local 5:05 newsletter regarding the passing of the founder of Topps baseball cards: “Sy Berger, the designer of the modern baseball card, has died. He will be laid to rest in a shoe box somewhere in an attic”. More than one person has suggested to us that there should be an addendum to the piece – “And after five years, your mother throws the shoe box away”.

4. You can probably understand a team that consistently wins nine games a year occasionally hitting up their ticket holders for more money or a bigger contribution. But USF that has won nine games in three years? (Full disclosure they did do better this year but 16 wins over four years doesn’t exactly make them the Crimson Tide).

5. Our Rants and Raves focus group (composed of three old, cranky people) wants to know what Hillary Clinton has to say that is worth $200,000. (Margin of error – plus or minus 50 per cent).

6. Don’t know about you, but there wasn’t a dry eye in your HB (Humble Blogger’s) home during Channel 8’s send off for Gayle Sierens. What a class act.

7. The Tampa Bay region is again pursuing a Super Bowl (2019 or 2020). We are up against some tough competition, but the area already has a plum – the 2017 national college championship game which, in many eyes, will become more prestigious than the Super Bowl as time goes on.

8. Remember how old you felt when there were no longer any major league ballplayers older than you? How about when there are no major league managers older than you?

9. From July of this year - Fifty years ago this week, riding the top of the charts in America was a song, which legend has it, was written at the pre-cult Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater – the Stone’s (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – the biggest hit of 1965.

10. Memo to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred: if you are truly concerned about the younger generation’s lack of passion for the game, start the marquee games (All-Star and World Series) more than an hour before their bedtime.

11. The NHL is “doing the dance” with Las Vegas (as well as Quebec City) regarding an expansion franchise. This brings up two questions – will a major (sort of) sport finally locate in Sin City and can you name a dozen NHL franchises if we spot you the original six?

12. From October: New York City’s first Chick-fil-A opened last week. As you would expect, there were animal rights, gay rights and pro-abortion protesters on hand – as well a few city dwellers telling the folks in the kitchen, “This is the way we do it up north.”

13. Give a little man/woman a job with the slightest hint of authority and they often become Nazis. A few examples – ticket takers at entertainment venues, crosswalk guards and the ultimate job sure to turn a nobody into a Nazi – a condo or HOA board.

14. Our Raves and Rants focus group (comprised of three old, cranky people) suggests timers in the grocery store in front of items. You have twenty seconds to ponder an item and then either put it in your cart or move on.

15. Okay, we think we get it now. With PolicaFact, or whatever they call it, if a liberal says the sun rises in the east, it ranks “True”. The same statement from a conservative ranks “Half True”.

16. Just a guess, but we suspect the Tennessee Titans are happy with who they ended up with in the first round of the NFL draft.

17. We know he was polarizing and blatantly plain spoken (always loved that Auburn coloring books line), but Steve Spurrier will go down as one of the 5 or 10 best coaches in college history. Hard to think of many coaches who took three mediocre college programs and made them relevant. And yes, his timing was unfortunate.

18. Really? Five-win teams going to bowls? It’s time for the NCAA and some communities to bite the bullet and get rid of about half a dozen of these “nobody but alumni cares” bowls.A few suggestions – Bahamas Bowl, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (we’re not making that up), Camellia Bowl and the Miami Beach Bowl (and, yes, we know our alma mater is going there). Each of these bowls drew 20,000 or less last year. They cannot be making money.

19. Takeaways from the Miss Universe fiasco – it wouldn’t have happened on Donald Trump’s watch, just ask him. And Steve Harvey will be lucky to be asked to emcee the Miss Yeehaw Junction pageant.

20. Our Rants and Raves focus group (which consists of three old, cranky people) suggests a cash register that automatically shuts off at ten items for those in Publix’ ten item aisle who cannot seem to be able to count. One stronger suggestion from the group is a trap door that opens on the 11th item. Margin of error: 50 per cent or so.

And what we meant to say was….

1. This year, hope does not spring eternal for Tampa Bay area based spring training teams. The Phillies are in a rebuild mode; Toronto plays in the toughest division in baseball and the Yankees, in that same division, need everything, repeat everything, to go right for them to reach the post season. Seems like two of those three teams did pretty well.

2. The odds of David Jolly running for the U.S. Senate and the Rays advancing to the World Series this year are virtually the same. Again, we had at least one of them right.

3. It’s quite possible the Cubs will become the next Mets or Dodgers – spending millions with negligible results. Actually the Cubbies exceeded expectations. And the Dodgers and Mets not so bad either.

4. Focus is on six teams – two who are not as bad as they seem and will be back in the hunt before too long. That would be the Seattle Seahawks who had some early season turmoil and the Baltimore Ravens who are simply just too good to be at the bottom of the AFC North. The Seahawks picked it up quite a bit but the Ravens were bloody awful.

Our Last Song Together (apologies to Glenn Yarbrough)

Not all of these people made headlines when they passed this year but all left a very special mark on this community and, in some cases, this nation:

Former University of Florida coach and Clearwater resident Ray Graves.

Another Gator, Jack Russell Jr., Past President of the Clearwater Chamber of Commerce, long time Clearwater Rotarian and a man with a passion for sports cars.

David Rulison – the “Can Man” who recycled cans at the Clearwater Marina for over two decades.

Bobby Quinn, an artist on the mound for the 10-time World Champion Clearwater Bombers.

Ernie Banks, whose “Let’s play two” personified his love for the game.

Ben E. King, whose soulful stylings for the Drifters defined the late 50s and early 60s R&B music.

Dorothy Bowes-Nee, the smiling face at the front desk of Clearwater High School for so many years.

Gary Owens, whose rich voice made KFWB radio in LA a rock and roll giant in the 60s and 70s and whose quirky style set the tone for the hit comedy show Laugh In.

Windell Middlebrooks, who captured mainstream America with his portrayal of Miller High Life’s no nonsense delivery man who suffered no fools gladly.

Father Hugh Mullin, a plain spoken, devoted priest and servant of his country.

Jack Larson, multi-talented, but best known as the guy who played cub reporter Jimmy Olson in a childhood favorite – Superman.

Don Seaton, who operated the Sea Wake and Sea Stone resorts on Clearwater Beach – one of Clearwater’s tourism giants - and just a great guy.

Our boyhood baseball hero, Lawrence Peter Berra, who drove us to wear baseball uniforms two sizes too big or way too small just as long as they had an “8” on the back.

And a few things that were special to your humble blogger:

The Belleview Biltmore, the stately Queen of the Gulf, that played host to Kings, Presidents, Sultans of Swat and ordinary folks like you and me.

The Country Harvest, a family style restaurant on Missouri Avenue – a place where you met friends after church on Sunday, had great servers and just plain good food.

And who among us is not going to miss NBC’s Willard Scott? Darn, was hoping he’d stay around several more years until our 100^th birthday!