During a nearly half-years’ worth of dining suggestions (Back story in RANTS – Jan. 1) to lead off the blog, we’ve pretty much avoided chains. But the breakfasts, the lunches and the dinners at Cracker Barrel are wonderful. In the last couple decades, they have replaced Howard Johnson’s as the go-to place on the interstates.

A city misstep that lead to more Scientology influence

In the middle 1990s Clearwater’s city commission (they weren’t called a council back then) made a great real estate investment – buying the Sun Bank building at the corner of Cleveland and Garden in downtown. The city’s plan was simple – use the tower to replace an aging city hall and consolidate all but first responder activities in the building while reserving the rest for future expansion and continuing to collect rents to finance the project. The building was nearly 100 per cent occupied at the time. The city would eventually move in as leases expired. A year later, due to term limits, faces changed on the council and the body, inexplicably, voted 3-2 to sell the building – at what proved to be a large loss. Now, years later, the Scientologists control the building – one of the two best business towers in downtown. Had the original decision prevailed, you would have a city hall in center city and the attendant businesses it would have attracted around it – instead of a bunch of scientology controlled store fronts that no one but the Ft. Harrison navy patronizes. Huge opportunity missed. We conclude this three-part series next month with the second opportunity missed to avoid being known as Hubbardville.

Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

1. Related to our lead item: For what it’s worth, two of the three votes that pushed to sell the valuable downtown tower were swept out of office the next time they faced some very angry voters. The third vote read the tea leaves correctly and chose not to seek reelection.

2. Quote of the week: Donald Trump on the annual correspondent’s dinner: “a large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in our nation’s capital right now."

3. Following up on the correspondent’s dinner, it seems somehow fitting that some guy named Hansan Minhaj keynoted the event.

4. Wacko of the month: U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D, CA. You listen to this woman and you wonder what is she is drinking – or smoking or both.

5. Two more gubernatorial candidates made it official last week. Adam Putnam, who at the moment, might be considered the GOP frontrunner and former Democratic Rep. Gwen Graham. The projection here is neither wins the prize. Putnam will likely be swept away by another Rick Scott-type Republican. Graham’s only real qualification is her last name.

The diamond, the media and other stuff:

6. Looks like a good haul for the Bucs in the 2017 draft. But then every team’s fans think that this time of year.

7. What is it with former Dallas quarterbacks? Being under center for the Cowboys seems to be an instant qualification for entry into the broadcast booth. Granted, “Dandy Don” Meredith was sensational. Troy Aikman, depending on your outlook, is somewhere from ok to awful. And now Tony Romo with absolutely no experience joins the CBS lead team?

8. Just an idle thought: Is the Tesla this generation’s DeLorean?

9. Hard to argue with several pundits’ observations that last week’s Red Sox-Cubs series could be a World Series preview.

10. You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you dined or stayed at the elegant and timeless Clearwater Beach Hotel on Mandalay Avenue.

The facts behind ESPN’s Black Wednesday

Over 100 people at ESPN lost their jobs the last Wednesday of April. There have been numerous reasons floated as to why it became necessary to jettison so many folks. You’re really old if you remember the beginnings of ESPN. Its first launch was as a radio network which failed. Then came cable TV with the network’s flagship show – Sports Center. With local stations giving maybe three to five minutes to sports, a thirty minute highlight show made lots of sense. Today with all the sources available to a sports fan, that model just doesn’t work anymore. That is the main reason for ESPN’s struggles. Yes, there are contributing factors like increasing rights fees, a perceived liberal agenda and a bunch of shows that just aren’t that good. But ESPN is much like the VHS, the Plymouth and Blockbuster. It has just outlived its usefulness. April’s Black Wednesday won’t be the last for the network.

SNEAK PEEK AT NEXT WEEK – A LOT OF GOOD RENEWAL NEWS FOR MAJOR SITCOMS