TBRR beginning its fifth year – a retrospective

This week marks the start of our fifth year of Tampa Bay Rants and Raves (TBRR). We open this edition with a look back at the beginning and subsequent anniversaries. Four years ago (2014) the blog was launched pretty much by outrage at carpet bagging Alex Sink strutting into Pinellas County to save us from ourselves. She was defeated for a U.S. Representative seat by a much more qualified David Jolly. In 2015, we were comparing a sensible Lyft-Uber regulation plan in St. Pete with a return to the old days in Tampa – fortunately statewide regulation has come to Florida eliminating fiefdoms like Tampa. In 2016, TBRR proved we never take ourselves too seriously by paying tribute to Tampa’s Sportatorium and its assembled characters like Eddie Graham, Haystack Calhoun and Gordon Solie. And a year ago, we questioned the viability of a Scientology backed shopping experience in downtown Clearwater - haven’t heard much about that lately.

Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

1. Related to the lead item – as we move through our fifth year, we’ll do occasional flashbacks to a previous year’s edition over the past four years.

2. Almost as scary as the threats to our schools are, just as scary are some of the knee jerk reactions mostly from the left – including one internet newsletter advocating the repeal of the second amendment. Hey, while we’re at it, let’s repeal the first amendment – at least the part about freedom of the press which isn’t liberal or religions with which the left might have issues.

3. Related to the above: hope you caught the column by respected journalist Bill Maxwell on the folly of turning our educators into an armed militia.

4. Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. circle of life: Pep Boys is back on Gulf-to-Bay after several years’ absence. Had they waited another six months they could have had their old location back which was recently abandoned by West Marine with their move into part of the old Kmart location.

5. You’ve lived in the bay area a long time if you remember the Ellis Bank chain.

Sports, the media and other stuff:

6. Friday, March 2, 2018 marked some sort of record for NBC Nightly News. Due to a world class winter storm and a double murder on a college campus, the nightly news went eight whole minutes before finally trashing President Trump – keeping it classy.

7. We turn our clocks ahead today (3/11) hopefully for the last time. Both chambers of the state legislature have passed the bill making Daylight Savings Time the year-round time for Florida. It now goes to Congress which should not be a great hurdle.

8. It appears that Phillies star shortstop Jimmie Rollins is going to call it a career and perhaps have some sort of advisory role with the Phils. Is the former MVP, three-time All Star and four-time Gold Glover a Hall of Famer? It’s a tough call as middle infielders usually don’t need as gaudy offensive numbers as other position players.

9. Two passings of note from the past week, Roger Bannister the first man to crack the seemingly impossible four minute mile died at 88. And Charles Ogden Stiers, one of the dozen or so regular and recurring actors who made M*A*S*H the great show it was, passed away at age 76.

10. From the 5:05 Newsletter going where no man has gone before: In a major scientific discovery, NASA announced that a star system 39 light-years away contains seven Earth-size planets, at least three of which appear to have Starbucks.

A throwback to Clearwater’s ancient drawbridge

Over a decade ago, Clearwater finally bid adieu to its outmoded drawbridge leading to the Memorial Causeway and its best in the world beach. Now, the merry crew down at City Hall has decided to place a crosswalk at the entrance to the beach complete with red light to gum up traffic – and just in time for spring break. The city already has a underground cross walk at the east end of the marina – not 500 feet from the new one. If, the city was hell-bent to put in another crosswalk, wouldn’t an elevated one make a whole lot more sense? Granted, it would have cost more, but it would have been about 10,000 times more effective.

UP NEXT: Where to retire; Roberta and Elvis; Los Novedades