HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Remember officers, we are a tourism–driven region

We dealt with the proliferation of foot races that gum up Clearwater Beach traffic last week (Rants – November 15). But even more troubling than these events that produce little if anything in tourism dollars is the reaction of Clearwater Police during the November 8 race to baffled drivers trying to reach destinations like the Clearwater Marina – telling them the marina parking was closed (it wasn’t); directing them to park at the Hilton (where they couldn’t) and berating them with things like “There have been signs up for two weeks” (they were not) – often speaking to tourists who had been here two days not two weeks. If our cops can’t be knowledgeable and courteous, then we need to get others who are – or better yet, get rid of these non-revenue producing races.

Around Tampa Bay:

1. We seldom agree with Mayor Rick (”Let’s Spend Some Money”) Kriseman but his stepping in and preventing the city of St. Pete from getting into the auto race business was the right move. Cities rarely run entrepreneurial things well. At the same time, the city council’s shot across the race promoter’s bow was not necessarily a bad thing. The race people need to remember they serve at the pleasure of the city – not the other way around.          

2. Again, proof that this blog writes itself – a proposal by Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection that hunting be allowed in state parks. Don’t think that’s what we mean by “environmental protection.”

3. So a theater patron, an ex-cop no less, felt threatened by a cell phone? The defense being put up by Curtis Reeves’ attorneys is going to be interesting to follow through the court system.

4. The proposal to allow PSTA buses to use the shoulders of major highways during gridlock is not as off the charts as it seems. Been done in other metro areas and is done every heavy traffic weekend on the causeway to Clearwater Beach by motorcyclists and some even dumber motorists.

5. You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you remember some of its downtown auto dealerships – Crown Chrysler-Plymouth, Kennedy-Strickland Ford, Stone Buick, Thayer Dodge and White Pontiac to name a few.

The diamond, the media and other stuff:

6. At the beginning of the season, you would not have given a plug nickel for Lovie Smith or Willie Taggart’s chances of returning next season. Now the Bulls are going to a bowl and the Bucs have doubled their win total. Taggart will be back for sure and Smith better than even money barring a second half collapse.

7. Guess it will take more than a high-priced general manager, a high-priced manager and a bevy of young sluggers to make the Cubs anything but the Cubs.

8. Many baseball observers are comparing the Atlanta Braves trade of slick fielding shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Padres’ ill-fated trade of Ozzie Smith to the Cards back in 1981.

9. Speaking of the Cards, they have been on the winning end of arguably the two most lopsided trades in the past half century – the above Ozzie Smith for Garry Templeton trade and getting another Hall of Famer, Lou Brock, for pitcher Ernie Broglio.

10. When you give thanks this week, don’t forget a small thank you for the paradise we are lucky enough to call home.

How good or great would he have been?

It is hard to fathom that it’s been 52 years since our nation lost John F. Kennedy. The first few years of his administration had been promising – the pledge, later fulfilled, to reach the moon; the Peace Corps; staring down Khrushchev to name just three. If nothing else, it would have been great to have him see his most ambitious promise becoming fact on that magic night in July of 1969 – even though, again hard to imagine, he would have been out of office by then. Like Lincoln and McKinley before him, so much promise never to be fulfilled.