Tampa Bay Raves and Rants is a weekly airing of national and local politics, sports, lifestyles and nostalgia items from a very politically incorrect viewpoint. As always, beware - much of what is printed here should not be taken literally.

Clearwater has two sets of huge shoes to fill

In the next few months, the city of Clearwater will lose their two top appointed officials to retirement – City Manager Bill Horne and City Attorney Pam Aiken. Combined, these two stalwarts have 50 years of service and experience in Clearwater. Replacing them will not be an easy task. Consider, the average shelf life of a city manager is roughly five years; Horne has served over 20. For a city attorney, the term of service is slightly longer. Ms. Aiken has been with the city for 27 years. Worse, there are no heir apparents for either job. Clearwater has been blessed with the competent leadership of Horne and Aiken for over two decades – an incredible run for public servants always subject to the whims of ever changing elected officials. To say well done, would be very faint praise to two outstanding individuals.

Great Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

Sadly, this week would have marked the 100^th birthday of Great Britain’s Prince Philip who passed away in April.

Number of the week: 8000. That’s the number of cancelled hotel reservations in Atlanta due to major league baseball’s move of the All-Star game out of the city. The figure was part of evidence presented in an Atlanta small business group’s $100 million suit against major league baseball for lost revenues plus a billion dollars in punitive damages.

Idle question: At what time does a political regime have to own their problems, rather than continually blame the prior administration for its troubles? We would guess six months. Time is running out Joe.

TBR&R is always on the prowl to bring you the information you may or may not want to know. For instance – what is going on with the old East Clearwater Library? The parcel was sold by the city and is going to become an adjunct to the Florida Spine Institute across Drew Street.

Five Years Ago in TBR&R (June 5, 2016) - We wish the best to Seth Taylor who comes on board as the new head of Clearwater’s Community Redevelopment Agency. He brings a good resume to a big job. Clearwater, particularly its downtown, has foundered since the departure of redevelopment guru Bob Keller many moons ago. (Update – it didn’t work out well. Taylor was fired after a little over a year on the job for drunkenly driving a golf cart on a Cleveland Street sidewalk.)

Sports, media and other stuff:

Something our Saintly Wife shared with us recently: (1) Going to bed early (2) Not leaving my house (3) Not going to a party. My childhood punishments have become my adult goals.

From the always relevant 5:05 Newsletter: Publishing Op-Ed: If I understand this correctly, you can buy Mein Kampf on Amazon but not six Dr. Seuss books? One might say, "Horton Hears the Horst Wessel Song."

Speaking of the best publication in the Tampa Bay area, with the pandemic winding down, the editor-in-chief of the 5:05 Newsletter has announced another hiatus. You almost want to ask China to reopen that lab.

Second number of the week: 1.5 million – the number of people who passed through Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport last (Memorial Day) weekend. Hartsfield remains the world’s busiest airport.

Answer: WFLA Channel 8. Question: what is the only local TV station with the same network affiliation (NBC) as when they signed on the air – in February of 1955?

Topping the charts 60 years ago this week was Travelin’ Man by Ricky Nelson. It was the last number one song for the teen idol.

A tough week in the entertainment business

The music and television industries lost several long time favorites last week. Of most concern to local folks was the passing of legendary Channel 13 weather man Roy Leep. Roy was with WTVT for 40 years. He was, in short, the weather source for the Tampa Bay area. Roy Leep was 88. Gavin MacLeod graduated from bit parts in Mr. Lucky, Peter Gunn and Hogan’s Heroes to meatier parts like Murray Slaughter on Mary Tyler Moore and then his promotion to the captain of The Love Boat during its nine-season run. He also was the goodwill ambassador for the Princess Line – the setting for the show. Gavin MacLeod was 90. The music industry also lost one of its greats with the passing of B.J. Thomas. He was probably best known for his signature Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He followed that up with another #1 tune, Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song a few years later. That song was one of two B. J. Thomas songs to go to #1 on the Country charts along with 26 tunes to hit the Billboard pop charts. And it was a 1971pop hit Mighty Clouds of Joy that lead him to another aspect of his career – songs of faith. B.J. Thomas was 78. And we failed to note the passing last month of one of the last remaining stars of the TV classic Your Hit Parade. Songstress Jill Corey was part of the show during its later years. She was also married to the late baseball star Don Hoak. Miss Corey was 85.

NEXT WEEK: A piece of sanity; Johnny & Bob; Downtown Penney’s

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