TOP OF THE WEEK:

What to do about downtown Clearwater? The most recent hired guns suggest creating a master plan for the downtown. That has possibilities. The master plan, Beach by Design, was an unqualified success for Clearwater Beach. There are, of course some significant differences. The beach had people coming – always has. Downtown, save for some uniformed personnel, is a ghost town. The issue at the beach was to control the growth. Downtown needs growth. And Beach by Design was fostered by a stronger leadership group than now exists both on the staff and elected sides of the city. But if done right by the right people, there could be hope for downtown Clearwater.

AROUND THE BAY:

1. It is gratifying, when ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, to hear the stories of help rendered from the persons or relatives of persons who received it. Particularly touching are the testimonies from veterans of WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the more recent wars.

2. The 2016 presidential election is almost two years away, but it’s not too soon for “Florida’s Best Newspaper” to begin its kamikaze attacks on Jeb Bush.

3. Our Rants and Raves focus group (comprised of three old, cranky people) wonders why with some 50 miles of Pinellas Trail in the county, our roads have to be choked with races and/or biking events every other weekend. (Margin of error 50 per cent or so).

4. A huge tip of the cap to the police officers of New York and Tarpon Springs who showed great restraint in commenting on the murders of three of their brethren - a lesson to be learned by the pro athletes of the world.

5. You’ve lived in the Bay Area a good while if you remember when the University of Tampa used to field a football team and sent some pretty good players to the NFL like Freddie Solomon and John Matuszak.

THE DIAMOND, MEDIA AND OTHER STUFF:

6. Factoid: George Diller, the long-time voice of the NASA space program, began his illustrious career as a weekend announcer at Clearwater’s WTAN.

7. There are so many deserving broadcasters not in the baseball Hall of Fame, but it is impossible to argue with this year’s selection – the Padre’s Dick Enberg. We can just imagine him getting the call saying he was selected and replying with his signature “Oh my”!

8. The Dodgers are this decade’s New York Yankees - trying to buy and trade their way to a championship. It may work for a season but as model franchises like the Cards, the Giants and the Braves have proven over the long haul, you win consistently by building a strong farm system then adding a piece here and there.

9. The rumored move of USF to the Big 12? For so many reasons, ain’t gonna happen.

10. As we ended the year 50 years ago (1964), the top three songs in the nation were an eclectic mix of Bobby Vinton’s Mr. Lonely (3); Come See about Me by the Supremes (2); and appropriately, in a year dominated by the Beatles, I Feel Fine at the top of the charts.

IN CLOSING:

If a book store gift certificate was in your Christmas stocking and you’re a music buff, you might consider Carole King’s autobiography A Natural Woman. It’s a compelling look at a very complex, yet in some ways, simple woman. The focus is on her musical journey from a teenage writing phenom along with first husband, the late Gerry Goffin, through her incredibly successful Tapestry album to her later efforts with stalwarts like Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan and, of course, James Taylor. Wish we could have had just a little more of the early days with Goffin but there was a lot of ground, husbands (four) and music to cover in the some 450 pages. A must read if you grew up with the music of the 60s, 70s or 80s.