TOP OF THE WEEK:

The recent promotion of Major Dan Slaughter to replace Tony Holloway as Clearwater police chief generally seems like a good move. It didn’t come with the hoopla that Holloway’s hiring brought to the city but that’s okay. Slaughter’s hiring did raise a point that has been debated over the years in Clearwater and elsewhere – his residency. Slaughter lives in Trinity – a good 35 miles from Clearwater. Many folks in Clearwater think that high ranking officials like the city manager and the city attorney, to name a couple, should live in the city – and they do. They also ask, “Shouldn’t the police chief also have some skin in the game - or at least live in the same county as the city he or she serves”? We vote yes.

Around the Bay –

1. Incredible failure last weekend by Verizon that left hundreds of 911 callers with busy signals. In this age of back-ups and double back-ups, this is inexcusable.

2. While on the subject of Verizon, something not nearly as important but every bit as frustrating – why can’t they standardize calls from Pinellas to Hillsborough? Some you must dial 1, others – no. Are callers supposed to guess which is which?

3. If we’re spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the U.S. 19 overpasses, why do you still wait two or three minutes for the light to cycle at Ulmerton and 19?

4. With just over a week to go before the seven-person Republican primary to fill County Commissioner Susan Latvala’s seat, it looks like Dunedin Mayor Dave Eggers is the leader heading into the stretch.

5. In reference to our Top of the Week concerning the new police chief, you’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you remember when the chief’s name was Willis Booth – and the fire chief Peter Treola.

The Diamond, the Media and Other Stuff –

6. Which is the bigger lie –“I’ll respect you in the morning”, or “Please hold, your call is important to us?” Our Rants and Raves focus group (comprised of three old, cranky people) says the latter by a landslide. Margin of error – 50 per cent or so.

7. In the 21^st century, if ever there was a model for planned obsolescence, it’s Apple with a new device coming out what – every 90 days? And even if you like the older technology, it usually breaks within a year. And you thought it was a great idea to get a law or medical degree!

8. Think of things that were here a quarter century ago and now gone forever (i.e. the Pontiac and VHS). Think ahead twenty five years about things that now exist and will be gone then. Two candidates – AM radio and the daily newspaper.

9. Observation from a recent visit to the Florida Keys – spectacular landscape, interesting things to do but boy they sure could use some restaurants on the caliber of what we have here in Pinellas County.

10. Our crack sports analyst Achmed Walled (pronounced wall-ED) forecasts a 7-9 season for our local professional football squad.

IN CLOSING:

With full credit to the 1970’s rock band Orleans:

You're still the one

That makes me laugh

Still the one

That's my better half

We're still having fun

And you're still the one

You're still the one

That makes me strong

Still the one

I want to take along

We're still having fun

And you're still the one (yes you are)

Happy 45^th anniversary TC!