We’ve been at this dining suggestion thing for a couple months now and no mention of pizza thus far. One of our favorites is Capogna’s on Gulf-to-Bay at Duncan. Not just great pizza, but terrific salads and one of their best kept secrets – their burgers (featured every Tuesday night). And Al, Stefani and their staff treat you like family.

Shall we call it E-meter Mall?

So the noble Church of Scientology wants to take over the retail development of downtown Clearwater. On one hand, you have to salute them, where you see a void; an opportunistic entity will try to fill it. And if nothing else, the downtown Clearwater cult is opportunistic. But do they really think Mr. and Mrs. Average Clearwater Resident would patronize some cult-created shopping experience? Hell, nobody goes downtown now, they certainly will not go down to patronize some boutique or restaurant offering L. Ron Hubbard’s writings at the checkout counter. It was pointed out that neither voters nor appointed/elected officials can do anything to derail E-meter Mall or whatever they want to call it, but they can and will vote loudly with their pocketbooks. The sad part is that will only make downtown Clearwater even more isolated to the average citizen. In the weeks ahead, we will review three junctures where all this could have been avoided but wasn’t.  

Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

1. We’re certain that Circuit Judge Susan Barthe ruled against ex-cop Curtis Reeves for all the right reasons. But had she bought Reeves’ explanation he felt his life threatened by a cellphone and some popcorn, her judicial career would have been over by the next election – or sooner.

2. From Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy’s fascinating book – The Presidents Club – “In 1960 after one of the closest elections in history, both Hoover and Eisenhower quietly told Nixon not to contest the results, even as rumors spread of Chicago precincts where machines registered 121 votes from 43 voters … to protect the presidency from a crisis of legitimacy”. Regretfully, the same message was not delivered to Hillary Clinton and her minions.

3. Brace yourself beach dwellers and beach goers, spring break is this week with virtually every county school system in the bay area shut down.

 4. Did you know that Pinellas County’s newly minted tax collector is named Charles W. Thomas? Do you care? He must, as he has it emblazoned on his return envelopes in 36 point type – about the same size as the average newspaper headline.

5. You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you remember the Universal Cigar plant on East Avenue in downtown.

The diamond, the media and other stuff:

6. Quote of the week: I'm sure some who have been the focus of my stories will be happy I am leaving.' – retiring Channel 10 reporter Mike Deeson. Mr. Deeson flatters himself. He scored some hits, yes, but many of his targets were low hanging fruit that a sophomore journalism student could have nailed. But more than anything, he was just mean-spirited in his reporting.

7. We covered MLB’s rules changes last week (Rants – March 5). In a few short weeks, baseball writers will record for posterity just who will be the first batter to get an automatic BB and who the pitcher was. Just like DH Ron Blomberg and Luis Tiant back in 1973. We suspect if Tiant knew then what he knows now about the DH, he would have drilled Blomberg. For the record, he walked him – not intentionally.

8. Spring training attendance in 2016 was down about 100,000 fans from 2015 and early returns this year aren’t projecting much better. The reason is $30, $40 and even $50 tickets to see one or two regular players on the visiting side. MLB used to have a pretty firm minimum of four regulars traveling to each away game but that has been widely ignored – particularly with the ridiculous World Baseball Classic this spring. Water down the lineups if you wish, but at the same time water down the steep gate prices.

9. In this era of protesting everything from nuclear weapons to cat litter, our Rants and Raves focus group is staging a “water with lemon” protest at restaurants in response to the continuing price escalation of staples like coffee, tea or soda. Things that cost about forty cents to make are often topping out at three bucks or more – just ridiculous. But do tip your wait staff as though you had a beverage. It wasn’t their idea to jack up the prices.

10. We pay scant attention to the Oscars, but the La La Land – Moonlight snafu makes us think Steve Harvey was somehow involved.

Dick Fitzgerald: mourning the loss of another Clearwater leader

It was exactly a year ago this week (RANTS – March 13, 2016) that we profiled eight leaders who have served the city of Clearwater so well during the past quarter century. Sadly, while preparing the article, we learned of the passing of one of those eight – J.B. Johnson. Now twelve months later, we mourn the death of another of those stalwarts – Dick Fitzgerald. Of the eight we profiled, no two were more alike than J.B. and Dick. Both personified senior statesmen who were voices of reason during the turbulent times of the 1990s in city government. Both proudly served their country in the Armed Forces – Dick a career Army officer. Both were the antithesis of career politicians – gentlemen who served their terms and quietly returned to retired life – although both were the source of wise counsel to many others who followed them on the Clearwater City Council. Dick, like J.B., will be greatly missed.

SNEAK PEEK AT NEXT WEEK: CLEARWATER CONTINUES TO PLAY THIRD FIDDLE IN JOB CREATION