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OBJECTIVE
A full-time metro reporting position.
EXPERIENCE
The Teen Forum Show, Columbia, SC 08/08-Present
Co-Host
• Co-hosted a weekly teen debate radio show
• Developed columns and blog content
St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, Fl. 05/08-08/08
Reporting Intern
• Wrote more than 30 news and feature articles including in-depth budget reporting and sports features
• Collaborated with the web desk to bring higher user functionability to the website
• Covered cops and crime, producing content every day for 6 weeks
The Daily Gamecock, Columbia, SC Oct., 2005- Present
Editor in Chief
• Recruited over 100 new contributors
• Implemented the use of breaking news online
• Advocated increased usage of graphics and boxes to provide more entry points for readers
• Filmed, edited and posted several news videos on a breaking news deadline
News Editor
• Increased contributing writers by 400 percent
• Shifted news focus to enterprise reporting
• Created foundation for an investigative team and started a news video team
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC May 2007 - August 2007
Metro Reporting Intern
• Covered breaking news and crime news effectively and under strong deadline pressure
• Produced more than 40 articles in a 10-week period
• Researched information for ground reporters following the Charleston Super Sofa fire
The Charleston Post and Courier, Charleston, SC 05/06-08/06
Reporting Intern
• Wrote content for new community zone section
• Wrote general assignment stories and feature articles
EDUCATION
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
Bachelor of Art in Print Journalism, May 2009
• Minor: Media Arts
• Cumulative GPA: 3.68
SKILLS
Software: Windows, Macintosh, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe
InCopy, Flash, Final Cut Pro, Audacity, Soundslides
Web: CSS, Java, HTML
2406 Glenwood Road
Columbia, SC 29204
T 770-820-9878
[email protected]
jalexander.info/blog
JACKIE ALEXANDER
SUMMER CAMP,
MINUS THE BUGS
AND SUNBURN
Ever envy the kids for the
goofing off they get to do
during the summer? This
week offers several oppor-
tunities for grownup goofing
off. One is Summer Camp, a
phrase that takes on a whole
different meaning at Stu-
dio@620 in St. Petersburg.
Thursday through Saturday,
this “event of semi-epic
proportions” includes
live music, spontaneous
theater, carved tikis, exotic
fashion and a Camp Film
Festival featuring perfectly
awful movies like Beyond
the Valley of the Dolls and
Plan 9 From Outer Space.
Find information at www.
studio620.org.
‘Championship’
for 26 points
Many of us whiled away
summer afternoons over
board games, but some
people take such things
seriously. A horde of those
cutthroats will gather at the
Royal Pacific Resort in Orlan-
do on Friday through July 29
for the National Scrabble
Championship. Live cover-
age can be found at www2.
scrabble-assoc.com.
Funny how the
subjects stay same
Late-night goofing off is on
at American Stage, with
An Evening Wasted With
the Songs of Tom Lehrer
at 11 p.m. Wednesday
through Saturday. The
show celebrates one of the
best musical satirists of the
1960s, who took on subjects
like nuclear proliferation,
racial discrimination and
politics with the sharp edge
of humor.
Can they take the
calories out of cake?
Three performers associ-
ated with special powers
have birthdays this week.
On Wednesday, the movie
incarnation of wizard Harry
Potter, Daniel Radcliffe,
turns 19. Lynda Carter, who
to us will always be Wonder
Woman, is 57 on Thursday.
And on Saturday, Mick Jag-
ger, whose superpower is
simply being Mick Jagger,
turns 65.
By Colette Bancroft, Times staff
writer, cbancroft@sptimes.
com or (727) 893-8435.
Forward
thinking
.
tampabay.com
People are talking
about . . .
Prince Charlie: Out
of town, out of touch
(The Buzz, July 18)
The news: The governor
and his fiancee hobnob with
Prince Charles while state
economy tanks.
“Why has it taken so long
to see that our esteemed
governor wears no clothes?
Stop calling him an empty
suit. The naked truth is that
he does not have a suit to be
empty.”
“Since when do fiancees
attend meetings with for-
eign dignitaries? Now I am
beginning to think it is more
of a vacation then an actual
business trip.”
“As I’ve been saying all this
time, he is a photo-op gov-
ernor. All he cares about is
how good (yuck!) he looks
in the pictures.”
Timeout for you
(Whoa, Momma!, July 18)
The news: A 2-year-old boy
has new habit of hitting his
mom.
Dan had one word for our
mommy blogger: “Spank.”
Another reader says: “2’s
are tough? Wait until he
tells you he wants to go to
Harvard, needs a car, a pad,
some folding and those
dukes are at eye-level.”
After watching Texas outfielder
Josh Hamilton redecorate Yankees
Stadium with his 28 wall-crushing
home runs in the All-Star Home
Run Derby, I’m convinced the
Rays need to trade for him.
I want to be fair about this, so I
say we go beyond players and pros-
pects. I say we offer the Rangers …
… the ring Charlie Crist gave
Carol Rome (he can get another
one).
… Debra Lafave and Stepha-
nie Ragusa.
… Buddy Johnson’s cattle.
… The Hogan Family (you can
have them even if the trade falls
through).
… plans for a new waterfront
baseball stadium.
… naming rights to the St. Pete
Times Forum.
… one Canadian mullet hair-
cut and the profits from Saw IV
and V.
… enough sand and saltwater
to create your own beach.
… Dinosaur World.
… one gigantic Confederate
flag.
… government in the Sunshine
manuals (they’re collecting dust
in St. Petersburg).
… the Trump Tower Tampa
penthouse.
… exclusive membership to
Caliente.
… a Sun Pass with a $25 limit.
… one semifunctioning desali-
nation plant.
… a bitten fingertip recently
found in a Tampa meat market
(when we say meat market, we
don’t mean the Hyde Park Cafe).
… the french-fry lady.
… Don Wallace’s sister.
… Brian Blair’s original Killer
Bee wrestling trunks.
… one classic rock station (we
have 16, so we can spare one).
… and finally, Forever Plaid!
By the way, we’ ll throw in a
crazed sex master if you give us
Brad Richards back.
That’s all I’m saying.
For All-Star Josh Hamilton, bay area has much to oer
ERNEST HOOPER
[email protected]
Antennas
Lightning
arresters
Meterological
instruments:
Barometric pressure
Relative humidity
Air temperature
Wind speed and direction
12-volt
rechargable battery
Mooring chain Anchor
Surlyn foam
buoy
COMPS station
As part of the Coastal
Ocean Monitoring and
Prediction System, an
array of offshore
buoys measure such
things as current,
temperature, salinity
and meteorological
conditions. The data is
transmitted to the
shore by satellites.
Sources: Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System, University of South Florida/College of Marine Science; buoy illustration by Rick Cole Times
ST. PETERSBURG
A
fierce wind, a blanket of fog, rain spraying like bullets. ¶ The sud-
den squall that whipped over Tampa Bay on May 9, 1980, became
an indelible part of this region’s history. Inside the storm, the
freighter Summit Venture veered o course, a section of the Sunshine
Skyway collapsed, and 35 people fell to their deaths. ¶ What’s less well
known about the Skyway tragedy is one of its legacies: a network of sen-
sors, buoys and computers that now watch over Tampa Bay. ¶ Another
network monitors the wind and waves of Florida’s Gulf Coast, and it’s a
legacy of the 1993 no-name storm. ¶ While little known, the two systems
provide a surprisingly public way of watching subtle changes and urgent
dangers o the Tampa Bay area’s shores.
BY CURTIS KRUEGER | Times Staff Writer
But a loss of funding soon
could make it difficult to
find equipment and staff
to keep the wind and
wave sensors operating.
Gulf monitors gauge
potential for disaster
Times files (1980)
A car stopped on the edge of the Sunshine Skyway in 1980 after the Summit
Venture, right, hit the bridge, causing its southbound span to collapse.
See for
yourself
For a closer look at the
information provided
by the COMPS West
Florida Shelf Observing
Stations, go to comps.
marine.usf.edu .
To get information from
the PORTS monitors in
Tampa Bay, go to the
COMPS site above and
click on PORTS.
. See MONITOR, 7B
Room,
board,
books
and debt
Schools and students
face higher hurdles
to pay for college.
BY TOM MARSHALL
Times Staff Writer
Students and families trying to
pay for college are facing a com-
plex financial puzzle that rou-
tinely requires a dizzying com-
bination of grants, loans and
money earmarked for retire-
ment.
“It’s crazy,” said Trisha Brew-
ton, a Tampa beautician who has
been trying to find the money
to send her daughter, Brialle, to
Florida A&M University this fall.
It’s no cakewalk for schools,
either.
Over the past year, about 120
lenders have suspended all or
part of their federal loan busi-
ness, citing the loss of federal
subsidies or an inability to resell
loans. Others have cut discounts
or ended their participation at
certain schools.
At least one local school, Stet-
son University College of Law in
Gulfport, has lessened its reli-
ance on private lenders.
And students who began their
college years with traditional
lenders have been forced to look
elsewhere.
Brewton and her daughter
have cobbled together all but
$4,000 of a total annual bill she
estimated at $17,500. They’re
using federal Pell Grants, schol-
arships, and Stafford Loans,
and can tap into savings if they
must.
“I didn’t want her to have the
responsibility to have to pay
money back,” she said. “Why pay
for that the rest of your life, if you
don’t have to?”
The Brewtons are in good
shape compared with some of
the families Congress targeted
for help last spring.
Under emergency legislation
passed in May, parents who fall
behind up to 180 days on mort-
gage or medical payments can
still qualify to take out college
loans under the federal PLUS
program.
That’s an improvement on the
previous limit of 90 days. But it’s
cold comfort for families already
head over heels in debt, said Bil-
lie Jo Hamilton, director of stu-
dent financial aid at the Univer-
. See COLLEGE, 5B
Lawmaker criticizes fellow Democrats’ politicking at Raytheon meetings. 3B
tampabay.com * * * * Monday, July 21, 2008 | 1B
Troubled dad, deadly end
BY JACKIE ALEXANDER,
RITA FARLOW AND DOUG CLIFFORD
Times Staff Writers
PINELLAS PARK — From
inside his Shadow Run apart-
ment, Edwin Nunez heard a man
cry for help Saturday night.
Why me? Why me?
An unidentified neighbor heard
the screams of a man deranged.
Kill me. Just kill me.
Neighbor Glendale Stephens
heard the shouts of a man in pain.
Stop, stop, you’re hurting me.
They all heard deadly gunfire
late Saturday when their neigh-
bor, 44-year-old Dallas Carter,
stepped out of his apartment, a
pistol and a rifle in hand, to con-
front the police.
• • •
Pinellas Park police came to
Shadow Run Apartments at
12001 Belcher Road, apartment
B28, after a caller told a 911 dis-
patcher at 10:58 p.m. that he was
disturbed and armed with a .40-
caliber pistol. His said his two
children, 8- and 13-year-old boys,
were in bed. He hung up when
asked his name.
Police tried Carter’s cell phone,
but their calls went to voice mail.
As officers arrived minutes later,
and as a negotiator attempted to
get in position to speak to him,
Carter fired at least 30 rounds
from the pistol and a .30-30
hunting rifle. Police said he fired
from inside his apartment in var-
ious directions.
Soon afterward, the chil-
dren ran from the apartment. At
11:32 p.m. Carter came out of his
apartment with the guns point-
ing at officers in the breezeway,
according to police. The officers
ordered him to drop his weap-
ons. When he did not, three offi-
cers reportedly fired 10 rounds,
killing him.
Pinellas Park police Officers
Michael Erwin, Adam Smotrich
and Alexandro Aguilar have been
placed on administrative leave
while investigations by police
and the Pinellas Pasco State
Attorney’s Office continue.
With debts and eviction looming, the man calls 911 and dies in a shootout with police.
. See SHOOTOUT, 7B
* * * * St. Petersburg Times | Monday, July 21, 2008 | 7B
Based at the University of
South Florida’s College of Marine
Science in St. Petersburg, the sys-
tems can provide instant infor-
mation to emergency managers,
boaters and windsurfers. Web
sites show the water levels beside
the Skyway or the wind speed at
Picnic Island Park, as they are
changing.
But state and federal budget
woes are creating stormy seas for
the network that monitors the
gulf.
Because of a loss of funding,
it soon could be difficult to find
equipment and staff to keep the
wind and wave sensors in good
operating condition, said USF
marine science professor Mark
Luther.
“We’re hanging on a precari-
ous thread,” Luther said.
• • •
Giant freighters chug under
the Skyway bridge, and follow
the 600-foot wide shipping chan-
nel that extends for miles up
Tampa bay to the Port of Tampa.
Some of the ships are two foot-
ball fields long. Some of them
draft 42 or 43 feet in a channel
that can be less than 45 feet deep,
Luther said.
The Tampa Bay monitoring
system, called PORTS, can help. It
features wind and wave-checking
devices at locations such as the
Skyway, Egmont Key and near
the Port of Tampa. Data on tides,
currents and winds is fed into
computer models which helps
harbor pilots know when a big
ship can safely pass or is likely to
get stuck. A paper Luther recently
co-authored said ship groundings
have dropped 60 percent since
PORTS was created.
The data provided by ther-
mometers, sensors, wi nd
gauges and other devices also
has allowed scientists to learn
more about the movement of
water through Tampa Bay. It has
helped in such diverse tasks as
following spills of sewage and
other hazardous materials, track-
ing the movement of fish larvae
and evaluating flooding dangers,
Luther said.
“It’s a system that provides
real-time environmental infor-
mation for better-informed deci-
sionmaking on all aspects of
what people do in and around
the water,” he said.
• • •
When Hurricane Ivan churned
up the Gulf of Mexico in 2004,
Tarpon Springs Fire Division
Chief Rick Butcher could detect
a slight surge in the city’s coastal
waters.
Butcher, who also serves as the
city’s emergency management
director, was looking at the Web
site for COMPS, which is the net-
work that monitors wind and
water up and down Florida’s Gulf
. MONITOR continued from 1B
From the front page
>

tampabay.com for the latest news
Monitors gauge
disaster potential
Coast.
“It’s a wonderful resource,”
Butcher said, because the data
from stations on or near shore
allow him to fine-tune informa-
tion about nearby storms that he
already receives from the Nation-
al Hurricane Center and Pinellas
County.
The system is not just for emer-
gency managers. The same data
is available to the public on the
COMPS Web site.
The COMPS system also has
helped scientists paint a picture
of how water circulates in com-
plex ways up, down and across
Florida’s Gulf Coast. It has helped
with studies of Red Tide, with
safe navigation and other issues.
“What we’re trying to do is
build a comprehensive coastal
observing system,” said Robert
H. Weisberg, USF marine science
professor.
Weisberg recalls a hot July day
when he was standing in water
off Sanibel Island and felt cool
rivulets at his toes.
Because of his studies with
COMPS data, Weisberg knew the
cool water at his toes had come
from the Panhandle and down
along the gulf floor toward Sani-
bel. “We’re able to trace the origin
of that,” he said.
In recent years, COMPS has
received regular appropriations
of $750,000 from the federal
government and $200,000 from
state government to maintain
the system. But the state’s budget
crunch and the increasing fed-
eral reluctance to approve “ear-
marked” funds from Congress
means those monies have largely
dried up at this moment, Luther
said.
Luther said COMPS does have
an adequate supply of spare sen-
sors but needs more money for
such hardware as batteries, solar
panels and connectors, plus staff
time to fix the devices.
“We’re kind of in dire straits,”
Luther said.
Curtis Krueger can be reached at
[email protected] or (727) 893-
8232.
The children are in the cus-
tody of Florida Department of
Children and Families. Sunday
morning, their bikes, one red
and one green, were parked on
the patio in the broken glass.
“He was just trying to do the
best he could by his kids,” said
Melissa Harper, a resident of the
apartment complex. “My heart
breaks for those boys.”
Carter left a note, but police
have not released its contents.
• • •
Neighbors said Dallas Carter
was a single dad who constantly
struggled to pay the bills and
put food on the table. He had a
pronounced limp from a dis-
abling back injury that forced
him to use a cane to get around,
they said.
“He always talked about need-
ing help — financially and help
with the kids,” said neighbor
Kevin Luster, 23.
Carter lost his job several
months ago after he reinjured
his back while working, said
neighbor Melissa Velez.
Recently, he seemed even
more upset. He told neighbors
his food stamps had been cut
back and he couldn’t pay his
water bill.
On Saturday , Carter came over
to see Velez, 27, who lives across
from him. He had an eviction
notice with him, she said.
Velez and Luster said the
apartment complex requires
tenants pay their water bill with
their rent.
A few times over the past year,
Carter’s electricity had been
shut off, though he still had
power at the time of the shoot-
ing, Velez said. When it was
off, Velez would let him use her
microwave to heat up meals for
the children.
Velez said she tried to help the
family, most recently bringing
over a chicken and rice dinner.
This past Christmas, she and her
mom bought presents for the
kids. They delivered them anon-
ymously, she said, to make sure
the boys had a present to open.
“I haven’t slept very much
because of this,” she said.
Neighbor Kna Krajan, 24, said
Carter’s sons were at her house
almost every day to play with
her children. Carter was a dot-
ing father, she said.
“He wants what’s best for his
kids, he just doesn’t have the
finances to do it,” she said.
Krajan was home at the time
of the shooting and heard the
gunshots — one of which hit her
screen door.
“He’s just been so depressed,”
she said. “He kept telling us he
doesn’t know what to do.”
Nei ghbor Laura Mi l l er
reached the same conclusion.
“He seemed very, very down,
and like he didn’t know where to
turn next. He didn’t know what
to do,’’ said Miller, 42.
Edwin Nunez said he sat
awake with his wife and 6-
year-old son, George, as gun-
fire erupted below them. He told
George that the screaming man
went to the hospital.
“He’s too young to explain it
to,” Nunez said. “I don’t know
how to.”
. SHOOTOUT continued from 1B
Troubled dad dies in shootout
DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
Melissa Velez, 27, peers into the porch of her neighbor, Dallas Carter, who was killed by Pinellas Park police in a shootout late
Saturday. His two children were in bed when he called 911. Carter fired at least 30 rounds from his home, police said.
SeII your stuff.
877-321-SELL






INDEX
Abby F Etc 2B
Astrology 4F Lottery 2A
Classified F Movies F
Comics 3F Puzzles 4F
Crosswords F Television 2F
Editorials 12A Weather 6C
.
tampabay.com
Grillin’ and chillin’
Memorial Day is
just around the cor-
ner, and you might
want to picnic in a park.
Find one near you in our
new Attractions search at
events.tampabay.com.
.
TODAY’S WEATHER
SEN. KENNEDY
DIAGNOSED WITH
BRAIN CANCER
The prognosis
for the sec-
ond-longest
serving U.S.
senator is
not good,
although doc-
tors report that he is walking
and hasn’t suffered any
more seizures. Times 2, 4A
For Rays late score,
see tampabay.com
The Tampa Bay Rays played
a late-night game in Oak-
land on Tuesday night. For
the result and details on the
game, see our coverage at
rays.tampabay.com.
Yamaguchi wins
‘Dancing’ finale
Figure skat-
ing cham-
pion Kristi
Yamaguchi
becomes the
first woman
to win Danc-
ing With the Stars since the
show’s first season in 2005.
Hollywood, 2A
Likely Civil War relic
found in Hillsborough
A marine archaeologist
thinks he has found what’s
left of the Kate Dale, a Con-
federate ship, sitting on the
bottom of the Hillsborough
River. Tampa Bay, 1B
Iraqi troops take
position in Sadr City
About 10,000 troops enter
the Baghdad enclave, which
has been under the control
of Shiite Muslim militias
since 2003. No problems
are reported. Times 2, 4A
The best sports
jobs, and the worst
There are jobs that a sports
fan would kill for. And there
are others that, well, you
could be killed in. Tom Jones
gives his Two Cents on the
best and the worst. Sports, 1C
Wii Fit hits the
shelves today
Nintendo’s $90 offering into
fitness gaming will probably
not appeal to hard-core gam-
ing, but likely will appeal to the
company’s core demographic:
everyone else. Business, 5B
Our columnists
dish out advice
Carolyn Hax, Dear Abby and
Action Line weigh in on pick-
ing up the check, hair loss
and some hot cotton candy.
Inside BayLink, Section F
IsoIated storms
75º 84º 87º 81º
20% rain chance.
8 a.m. Noon 4 p.m. 8 p.m.
In the
know
© Times Publishing Co.
Vol. 124 No. 302
tampabay.com FLORI DA’ S BEST NEWSPAPER * * * * Wednesday, May 21, 2008
• Weekly restaurant reviews and
a new star rating system
• Taster’s Choice in a new, handy chart form
• Signature Dish, featuring local cooks and
their favorite recipes
A better, bolder Taste
check out
the comics
3F, 4F, &
INSIDE
BACK
PAGES
BY DAVID ADAMS
Times Latin America Correspondent
MIAMI — In a speech marking Cuba’s
independence day, Sen. John McCain told a
cheering crowd of supporters Tuesday that
if elected president he would “not passively
await” the arrival of democracy in Cuba.
Nor would he sit down with Cuban
President Raul Castro until Cuba emptied
its jails of political prisoners and held free
and fair elections, he said in Miami.
“Make no mistake, Cuba is destined to
be free,” he said, drawing chants of “liber-
tad, libertad” from the crowd of 400.
There was little new in what McCain
said, except he pledged that he would “vig-
orously prosecute” Cuban officials found to
be involved in the shoot-down in 1996 of
two civilian planes off the coast of Cuba.
That won him a standing ovation, but some
Republican activists noted that the Justice
Department had already investigated the
incident and brought no charges.
ON THE CUBAN EMBARGO: Distancing
himself from his Democratic rivals, Sen.
McCain swipes at Obama
over U.S. policy on Cuba
GOP hopeful urges democracy and extension of embargo.
Associated Press
Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP
presidential nominee, visits Cafe Versailles
while campaigning in Miami on Tuesday. . See MCCAIN, 2A
Winning here won’t
come easy to Obama
Hispanic voters
McCain is a proven vote-
getter among Hispan-
ics, who could account for
15 percent of the elector-
ate. Obama has struggled
to win over Hispanics in
places like California and
Texas, and unlike Clin-
ton, he has no history with
Florida’s diverse Hispanic
community. On tap:
Town hall meeting today
in Orlando targeting non-
Cuban Hispanics. Also,
he’s speaking Friday to the
Cuban American National
Foundation in Miami.
Jewish voters
Republicans have been
cutting into this once
overwhelmingly Demo-
cratic bloc, which is about
5 percent of Florida’s elec-
torate. Obama has to con-
tend with an Internet
smear campaign depict-
ing him as a closet Mus-
lim, bad for Israel and
the preferred candidate
of Hamas. On tap: Cam-
paigning with Rep. Rob-
ert Wexler, D-Boca Raton,
including a stop with Jew-
ish voters in Palm Beach
County.
Uncounted votes
Many Clinton support-
ers remain genuinely
livid about Obama refus-
ing to acknowledge
votes from Florida’s dis-
puted primary. “He’s dug
his heels in the sand,
and it’s hurting him
here,’’ said Millie Her-
rera, a Clinton supporter
who leads the Demo-
cratic Hispanic Caucus
of Florida. On tap: Rally
Friday night in Bro-
ward County, a Clinton
stronghold.
North Florida
Democrats lose Florida
when they get crushed
in North Florida, and so
far there’s little sign of
enthusiasm for Obama
(or Clinton) among white
Panhandle voters. If he
can’t at least get near 40
percent in places like
Escambia County, he’ll
lose the state.
On tap: It will have to
wait for another trip.
Rally in Tampa today
Get there early if you want to
park and get a seat inside the
St. Pete Times Forum. Tips, 5A
The delegate leader
Clinton wins big in Kentucky,
but Obama claims a majority
of pledged delegates. 5A
BY ADAM C. SMITH | Times Political Editor
If anyone doubts that Barack Obama is shifting his attention from Hillary Rodham Clinton to John McCain and
the general election, just consider where he’ll be the next three days: Florida, Florida, Florida. Obama must over-
come real challenges to win Florida’s 27 electoral votes, and his tentative schedule seems to acknowledge that, as
he’s reaching out to key demographics. Here are four of Obama’s hurdles, and what he’s doing to address them:
BY HELEN HUNTLEY
AND JACQUELINE ALEXANDER
Times Staff Writers
CLEARWATER — The Fed-
eral Trade Commission zeroed
in on Pinellas County as a hot-
bed for fraudulent telemar-
keting schemes Tuesday as it
announced the largest telemar-
keting sweep in its history.
The federal agency filed three
lawsuits in U.S. District Court in
Tampa against Pinellas companies
selling advance-fee credit cards
targeting consumers with poor
credit. The agency said the cards
were misrepresented as general
purpose cards, similar to a Mas-
terCard, but in reality, they could
be used only to order items from
the companies’ own catalogs.
In each case, the FTC says the
company got consumers to reveal
their bank account information,
then debited their accounts for
upfront fees of $200 to $300. The
FTC said some of the companies
also debited consumers’ accounts
for $30 quarterly maintenance
fees without their knowledge,
and some required consumers
to pay 35 percent of each catalog
purchase in cash in order to use
their cards. Consumers found it
difficult to impossible to cancel
and get a refund.
The FTC filed lawsuits and
obtained temporary restraining
orders against:
•USA Financial LLC of Clearwa-
ter, American Financial Card Inc.
of Largo (formerly Capital Finan-
FTC raid
snags
Pinellas
outfits
Three telemarketers
are sued, accused of
misrepresenting the
credit cards they sold.
Getty Images
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama speaks to a crowd at a rally recently in Eugene, Ore. He will be in Florida today.
. See SWEEP, 8A
Questions for Obama
A Times editorial outlines Flo-
ridians’ concerns. Opinion, 12A BY SUSAN TAYLOR MARTIN
Times Senior Correspondent
HANOI, Vietnam — For cen-
turies, Vietnamese have worn
the non la, the distinctive coni-
cal straw hat that shields the face
from tropical sun and monsoon
rains.
But now the non la is being
supplanted by another type of
headgear: the motorcycle hel-
met.
In a country gone crazy over
motorbikes and motor scooters,
Vietnamese have shown remark-
able compliance with a new law
requiring all drivers and passen-
gers to don helmets.
“I think when you wear a hel-
met it is for your safety,” says Lam
Thanh Manh, a 23-year-old deliv-
eryman who gets around on an
ancient Sym motorbike made in
Taiwan. “It is a little hot, though.”
While the car is the vehicle
of choice in many develop-
ing nations, motorbikes have
Everybody, it seems,
rides scooters. And
head gear is the law.
The new
‘look’ for
Vietnam:
helmets
. See SCOOTERS, 10A
8A | Wednesday, May 21, 2008 | St. Petersburg Times * *
in the morning. A prosecu-
tor said Blackwelder, 25, tried
to kick in the door of the home
where George Anthony Stewart
Jr., 24, and his wife, Brittani Key
Stewart, were with their toddler
twin daughters last year.
Blackwelder fired one shot
into Stewart’s chest with a gun
that belonged to his mother’s
boyfriend, Assistant State Attor-
ney Jalal Harb said. He fled to
Georgia with Stewart’s wife in
her van.
Littman said his client was not
the shooter and only a “specta-
tor” to the crime. He didn’t say
who he thought killed Stewart.
He asked jurors to scrutinize
the testimony of Brittani Stew-
art, who married her husband
in February 2007, but began a
sexual relationship with Black-
welder soon after. She contin-
ued that relationship and indi-
cated plans to start a new life
with Blackwelder in another
state even after obtaining a
restraining order against him,
the defense attorney said.
“While Brittani Key certainly
cared for her husband, George
Stewart, she loved Mr. Black-
welder,” Littman said.
Before the prosecution played
the 911 tape, the judge warned
Stewart’s family members that
they might not want to hear its
dramatic contents.
They stayed put.
George Stewart had placed his
first call to authorities Dec. 7 at
3:42 p.m. He sounded calm as he
reported that Blackwelder was
violating the restraining order
by standing on the back porch of
the home where Stewart’s wife
had been living.
On Tuesday, Tampa police
spokeswoman Laura McElroy
said the call was not designated
as top priority at that point.
Things became more urgent
when Stewart called back at 3:47
p.m. He said Blackwelder had
just stolen his wife’s van. While
Stewart was still on the phone,
Blackwelder returned.
Stewart said he was going to
beat up Blackwelder, but the 911
operator told him to stay inside.
“He’s threatening,” Stewart
said.
“We’ve got an officer on the
way,” the operator said.
“He better not step one foot in
this house,” Stewart said.
The operator urged him to be
patient. “Don’t do anything stu-
pid,” she said.
“Now he’s got a gun pointing
at me!” Stewart said.
“Oh, my gosh,” the operator
gasped.
Stewart yelled twice more
that Blackwelder had a gun. The
operator asked if Blackwelder
was inside or outside of the
house and — bang — a gun fired.
Stewart’s agonizing screams fol-
lowed.
“He just shot me!” Stewart
said.
Jurors were cleared from the
courtroom before hearing the
tape end with his moans and
labored breaths.
McElroy said officers arrived
at the scene four minutes after
the call was dispatched. Stew-
art was dead; the toddlers,
unharmed.
Foster asked the 14 jurors
individually whether the chaos
would affect their ability to
remain fair and impartial. He
dismissed one woman from the
panel, the only juror who said
her opinion might be affected by
what she had seen.
The defense will argue for a
mistrial this morning. Foster
seemed disinclined to grant the
motion, leaving the issue vulner-
able to appeal.
The judge refused outright Lit-
tman’s request for Joshua Stew-
art to be held in contempt of
court, but banned him from the
rest of the trial.
Pamela Sansom, Joshua and
George Stewart’s mother, tried
to make sense of her living son’s
actions.
“All I can tell you is he’s hurt-
ing,” she said. “He lost his only
brother.”
Colleen Jenkins can be reached at
[email protected] or (813) 226-
3337.
. EMOTION continued from 1A
Emotion erupts as
911 tape is played
Timothy
Blackwelder
is on trial for
first-degree
murder for
the death
of George
Stewart.
also debited consumers’ accounts
for $30 quarterly maintenance
fees without their knowledge,
and some required consumers
to pay 35 percent of each catalog
purchase in cash in order to use
their cards. Consumers found it
difficult to impossible to cancel
and get a refund.
The FTC filed lawsuits and
obtained temporary restraining
orders against:
• USA Financial LLC of Clear-
water, American Financial Card
Inc. of Largo (formerly Capital
Financial Inc.) and principals
Jeffrey Deering, Richard Gua-
rino and John Buschel Jr. The
company is still operating and
says the three men no longer
work there.
• Integrity Financial Enter-
prises LLC of Clearwater, which
also did business as Infinite
Financial and National Bene-
fit Exchange; National Benefit
Exchange Inc. of Indian Rocks
Beach and officer Robert James
Fischbach. The company could
not be reached.
• Financial Advisors and Asso-
ciates Inc. of Largo, which also
operated as Freedom Financial
and MyUnsecuredCreditCard.
com, and company president
James Sweet. The company
could not be reached.
The three lawsuits were
among 13 FTC actions and more
than 180 cases across the country
announced Tuesday in “Opera-
tion Tele-PHONEY.” The FTC
said the actions in the United
States and Canada involve more
than $100-million in fraud.
FTC regional director Brad
Elbein said the American Finan-
cial Card scheme alone defraud-
ed consumers out of as much as
$15-million and the two other
Pinellas cases involved similar
large sums.
Why would Pinellas County
attract so many schemers?
“The answer could be as sim-
ple as this is a beautiful place to
live,” Elbein said.
Although the telemarketers
operated in the area, officials
said there were no local victims
identified.
“They don’t hunt where they
live,” said Elbein, explaining that
they target out-of-state consum-
ers.
Half of the 180 cases the FTC
cited were in Florida, brought
by Florida Attorney General Bill
McCollum, Florida Agriculture
and Consumer Services Com-
missioner Charles Bronson and
local law enforcement. The cases
include a dozen arrests for illegal
telemarketing announced last
month, including seven people
in Pinellas County.
“This was just the tip of the
iceberg,” said Victoria Butler,
chief of the attorney general’s
economic crimes division.
Other agencies involved in the
effort include the Pinellas Coun-
ty Department of Justice and
Consumer Services, the Clearwa-
ter Police Department and the
U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Helen Huntley can be reached at
[email protected] or (727)
893-8230.
Avoiding scams
Protect yourself from tele-
marketing fraud:
•Get all offers in writing and
read them carefully before
giving someone your credit
card or bank account num-
ber.
•Watch out for common
scams such as lotteries,
free trips, credit offers and
work-at-home opportuni-
ties.
•Put your phone number
on the government’s do-
not-call list by going to
www.donotcall.gov or call-
ing toll-free 1-888-382-1222 .
On the Web
For more on scams and
how to avoid them, go to
money.tampabay.com
Nation
>
tampabay.com for more national news
. SWEEP continued from 1A
FTC raid snags Pinellas companies
More jobs.
More places.
More wow.
To place an ao call toll-|ree. 877-321-7355
Monster, the Monster louo and the Trumµasaurus are trademarks ol Monster (Calilornia) ínc.
University Board of Governors to push for more power today. 3B
tampabay.com * * * * Thursday, June 19, 2008 | 1B
G
asoline that costs $4
a gallon is the wrong
reason for Florida
to change its mind about off-
shore oil drilling.
Offshore oil drilling is a
long-term proposition. It is
not going to do much about
our short-term pain of $4-a-
gallon gasoline — it will not
keep it from $5, or $6.
Neither is this election-year
stuff about U.S. “energy inde-
pendence” any reason for
Florida to change its mind.
Offshore oil drilling is not
going to make us “energy
independent.” Not even the oil
industry claims such a thing.
Only politicians do.
And yet, Florida suddenly
seems on the verge of aban-
doning a firm bipartisan con-
sensus against offshore drill-
ing that has governed this
state for decades.
John McCain, the Repub-
lican presidential candidate,
says we ought to do it — citing,
yes, gas prices and “energy
independence.” The current
president says so, too.
So now Florida’s governor,
Charlie Crist, has weakened
his own long-term opposition,
presto, change-o! He has set
off a chain reaction of lesser
copycats, too. Yet these still
are the wrong reasons.
They are pandering rea-
sons. They are sloganeering
reasons. They are short-term,
political exploitation.
Is there a case for expand-
ing offshore drilling? You bet.
The U.S. uses something
like 20-million barrels of oil a
day and imports most of it.
If we import less, the trade
deficit gets better. There are
more jobs, more investment.
States get royalty checks, too.
But we ought to use that
breathing room to get better.
We have to have a comprehen-
sive strategy to move us away
from what we do now.
If we just foolishly burn up
what we’ve got, in the name
of cheap energy, we end up in
the same boat, except worse.
Independence? Phooey.
The estimated U.S. offshore
reserves are 86-billion barrels.
Assuming we could actually
get to it, it would be enough to
run the place “independently”
for, say, 11 years.
And even if the U.S. policy
changed today, it would take
years to produce new oil.
So this is neither a quick
fix for today’s gas prices, nor a
path to “independence.”
This ain’t just whiny me
saying this. The oil industry
itself and the American Petro-
leum Institute are careful
not to make such claims. The
institute says there are many
good reasons to drill and to
expand domestic production,
but it also should be part of a
bigger strategy.
“We’re going to need more
energy of all types,” John
Felmy, the institute’s chief
economist, told me. “We can’t
just stand still. We have to
be going forward with a bal-
anced energy policy. Supply is
one component of that policy.”
Agreed. Yet this still brings
us back to Florida and its
unique situation.
What has changed, really,
in this debate? Only the short-
term political clamor.
The tradeoffs that Flor-
ida faces today are the same
as always — the same that led
every previous leader, Repub-
lican and Democrat, to say
Florida can’t afford the risk.
Drilling advocates from
some other states sometimes
accuse Florida of thinking
that it is special.
You know what? It is. Yessir.
It is too special to succumb
to false promises of cheaper
gas and “energy indepen-
dence.” Florida is too special
to sell out its coast for a roy-
alty check.
So, let’s go ahead with it.
Let’s pander, let’s make fake
promises. And let’s drill, for
the benefits that we do get.
Just not here.
Drilling?
Maybe.
Florida?
No way.
HOWARD TROXLER
[email protected]
BY JACKIE ALEXANDER
Times Staff Writer
LARGO — Olga Miladinovic
heard a whistle about 3 a.m.
Wednesday but couldn’t figure
it out. Then her boyfriend went
outside and saw smoke.
Their building at the
Belleair Oaks condominiums
was in flames. The whistle was
the fire alarm.
“I didn’ t even grab my
things,” she said. “My mom was
my main concern.”
Miladinovic, 32, ran from
her first-floor condo upstairs
to her mother’s place. But thick
black smoke forced her to her
knees. She went back down-
stairs, where she called her
mother on the phone and told
her to get out.
Nina Miladinovic, 61, said
she grabbed her Yorkie, Moose,
and opened the door to smoke
“so hard and thick on my face
I couldn’t breathe.” So she cov-
ered her face with a towel
before feeling her way out.
About 30 residents of the
complex on West Bay Drive
were left homeless after
a three-alarm fire ripped
through their building.
Largo fire Chief Michael Wal-
lace said firefighters responding
to a report of a porch fire found
the unit’s roof ablaze.
Firefighters focused on evac-
.


Mayor’s choice goes before council
The St. Petersburg City Council this afternoon is scheduled
to decide whether to support Mayor Rick Baker’s choice of
companies to redevelop Tropicana Field. Developers Arch-
stone and Madison Marquette propose to build more than
1.1-million square feet of retail and almost 2,000 apartments
as part of a $1.2-billion overhaul of the site if a new water-
front stadium for the Rays is built. Follow the City Council
debate starting at 3 p.m. at the Times’ online stadium blog,
Ballpark Frankness, at blogs.tampabay.com/ballpark.
Don’t fill that bill, even if bird begs
Feeding the birds isn’t a pastime
anymore. It’s a crime. The Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Com-
mission has made it illegal to feed
brown pelicans, which can become
so dependent on humans that they
abandon their winter migration pat-
terns. The law, which takes effect July
2 and makes the act a second-degree
misdemeanor, is directed at large
operations like fish houses that dis-
pose of large amounts of scraps. “Our
officers aren’t going to be sitting out
there watching for little Timmy with
his grandfather to feed a pelican,” said
FWC spokeswoman Karen Parker.
Talk of the Bay
YBOR CITY SITE PICKED
FOR OBAMA CAMPAIGN
Officials with the Barack Obama cam-
paign this week signed a lease to house
the campaign’s state headquarters
in Ybor City. Offices will fill space in
Centro Ybor once occupied by Big City
Tavern. “We’re going to take over Cen-
tro Ybor,” said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor,
who cochairs Obama’s Florida cam-
paign. Meanwhile, two new polls show
Obama leading Sen. John McCain in
Florida. A new Quinnipiac University
poll has Obama at 47 percent, McCain
at 43 percent. And a poll by the Ameri-
can Research Group, also out today,
has Obama at 49 and McCain at 44.
Correction
Kirk Lyons, an attorney and co-founder
of the Southern Legal Resource Center,
was married by Aryan Nations founder
Richard Butler to the daughter of anoth-
er Aryan Nations leader, Charles Tate.
A June 14 story about the Sons of Con-
federate Veterans identified the bride’s
father incorrectly.
BY MARIANA MINAYA
Times Staff Writer
The young woman standing
at the door of East Lake Fire Sta-
tion No. 56 needed help.
Do fire stations still take
unwanted babies?
Yes, said Lt. Doug Stryjew-
ski, who followed her to a car,
where a newborn was wrapped
in a towel on the front seat. The
woman, pale and in her 20s, had
given birth that morning.
As he took the baby, he asked if
she was okay.
“I’m fine. I just can’t handle
this right now,” she said. Then she
got in the car and drove away.
That May 30 exchange was
remarkable for firefighters, who
took turns holding the infant
until hospital workers arrived.
But it also was a landmark for
the state’s Safe Haven for New-
borns program.
“Nicholas” was the 100th baby
to be dropped off at a fire station
or hospital in Florida since the law
was passed in 2000 amid numer-
ous reports of babies discarded in
trash bins and bathrooms.
At the time, Florida was one
of 15 states to create such a law.
Now, every state has one. Flor-
ida recently expanded its law to
allow mothers to leave babies up
to 7 days old without fear of crim-
inal prosecution. Previously, the
limit was three days.
The baby left at the Pinellas
County fire station was named
after Nick Silverio, who created a
nonprofit foundation in 2001 to
In 8 years, 100 babies saved
Group works to make sure people know where to take unwanted newborns.
JOSEPH GARNETT JR. | Times
Investigators with the Largo Fire Department and the Largo
Police Department sift through the debris after the fire.
Fire rips through condos
One resident of the Largo complex is hurt; dozens are left homeless.
Trump
builders
file for
Chap. 11
The developers of the
stymied condos owe
up to $50-million.
BY JAMES THORNER
Times Staff Writer
Harried by creditors and
lashed by lawsuits, the develop-
ers of Trump Tower Tampa have
sought the haven of Chapter 11
bankruptcy.
Though SimDag-Robel LLC
has yet to give up on building the
52-story condo tower, the bank-
ruptcy all but ensures the luxury
skyscraper is a long shot.
Bankruptcy papers filed Tues-
day mention debts of up to
$50-million spread among more
than 200 creditors. Among the
biggest: Colonial Bank, which
holds a $3.2-million mortgage
on the building lot at 111 S Ash-
ley Drive, and New York tycoon
Donald Trump, owed more than
$1-million in overdue licensing
fees from SimDag.
SimDag bankruptcy attorney
Jeffrey Warren said clients Jody
Simon and Frank Dagostino will
try to maximize the value of the
lot for creditors. They include
dozens of condo buyers who
placed 20 percent deposits on
units costing from $700,000 to
$6-million.
“It could be a sale, it could be
development of Trump Tower
Tampa,” Warren said. “The filing
of the bankruptcy doesn’t stop
any of the other activities.”
Chapter 11 was the crown-
ing blow to three jarring years
for Trump Tower Tampa. Trump
formally launched the project in
early 2005 when he rolled into
Tampa with his new bride on
his arm. A licensing deal with
the New York real estate big shot
would give the 190 units instant
Crist recovering after
operation on ailing knee
It’s from an old high school football injury.
BY JENNIFER LIBERTO
Times Staff Writer
Gov. Charlie Crist’s weak left
knee forced him to give up gov-
erning Florida for roughly 90
minutes Wednesday, while he
underwent minor emergency
surgery under anesthesia.
The governor had to officially
give Florida’s reins to Lt. Gov.
Jeff Kottkamp from 12:30 to 2:10
p.m.
It’s the same knee he injured
playing quarterback at St. Peters-
burg High School at 16. The knee
that ended his football career as
a walk-on quarterback at Wake
Forest University. The knee that
made him a swimmer instead of
a runner.
“He should be fine, he’ ll just
be on crutches for a couple of
days,” said the governor’s father,
Dr. Charles J. Crist, who got a call
from his son Tuesday afternoon
about the ailing knee.
The whole episode was a sur-
prise. The governor didn’t fall or
hit his knee, Crist’s father said.
He felt something “sort of stick”
in his knee and to clear it up,
he popped it. “Over-extended his
knee violently,” his father said.
After that, there was lots of pain
and instability, Crist’s father said.
So the governor saw radiolo-
gist Dr. Manuel Rose at his Palm
Harbor office late Tuesday night
JOSEPH GARNETT JR. | Times
Michelle Mann, left, and Jocelyn Kelder, in the white shirt, comfort friend Nicole Vitadamo, whose home was damaged by
fire at the Belleair Oaks condominiums in Largo on Wednesday. Vitadamo and her fiance were asleep when the fire started.
. See SAFE, 8B
. See TRUMP, 5B
Gov. Crist
“over-
extended
his knee
violently,”
said his
father, Dr.
Charles Crist.
. See FIRE, 5B
By the numbers
2000: Year Florida’s Safe Haven
for Newborns law was passed
100: Babies who had been
surrendered safely as of May 30
39: Babies who have been
abandoned in unsafe places
since 2000
15: Number of those who survived
7: Days a woman has to surrender
a baby, recently expanded from 3
. See CRIST, 5B
* * * * St. Petersburg Times | Thursday, June 19, 2008 | 5B
OBITUARIES OBITUARIES OBITUARIES OBITUARIES
NORTH PINELLAS NORTH PINELLAS NORTH PINELLAS NORTH PINELLAS
SOUTH PINELLAS SOUTH PINELLAS SOUTH PINELLAS SOUTH PINELLAS
MEMORIALS MEMORIALS MEMORIALS MEMORIALS
AND TRIBUTES AND TRIBUTES AND TRIBUTES AND TRIBUTES
PINELLAS PINELLAS PINELLAS PINELLAS
VALLEE,ȷPaulȷEƳ
ʙį,ȸofȸLargo,ȸdiedȸJuneȸ1į,
2ƔƔͧƴȸSurvivedȸbyȸsonŐ
daughterŐȸʙȸsiblingsŐȸwifeƴ
AbbeyȷAffordableȷCremation
Largoȷȷį2į-ʙ1į-2ɯľƓ
BEHRENS,ȷDonnaȷLƳ
ʙľ,ȸofȸStƴȸPeters-
burg,ȸdiedȸFriday,
MayȸɰƔƴȸSurvived
byȸdaughter,
ChristinaȸThomas,
ofȸLargoŐȸaȸsister,ȸRosemary
Campbell,ȸandȸbrother,ȸButch
Mason,ȸbothȸofȸNobleton,ȸFLƴ
CelebrationȸofȸLifeȸatȸ11ȸam,
JulyȸǬ,ȸatȸDemen´sȸLandingƴ
View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits
BLUE,ȷLeeander
ľ1,ȸofȸStƴȸPetersburg,diedȸJune
1ľƴȸHeȸisȸsurvivedȸbyȸrelatives
&ȸfriendsƴȸMemorialȸȸSaturday
atȸɰȸpmȸatȸȸAbundantȸHarvest
WorshipȸCenterƴ
ȷWilsonȷFuneralȷHome
BUSH,ȷGregory
ľǬ,ȸofȸStƴȸPeters-
burg,ȸdiedȸatȸhome
onȸJuneȸ1ʙƴȸHeȸis
survivedȸbyȸɰ
daughters,ȸSha-
toya,ȸShatinaȸandȸShakiyaŐȸ2
sisters,ȸJaniceȸMerrillȸand
TammyȸMaherŐȸľȸbrothers,
Johnny,ȸStevenȸandȸMichael
WhaleyȸandȸTonyȸMerrillƴ
VisitationȸwillȸbeȸFriday,ȸJune
2ƔȸfromȸǬ-ͧȸpmȸatȸ Morning
GloryȷFuneralȷChapelƳ ȸFuneral
servicesȸwillȸbeȸSaturday,
Juneȸ2Ɣȸatȸ11ȸamȸatȸUnion
MissionaryȸBaptistȸChurchȸat
11ƔƔȸľʨthȸStreetƴ
View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits
CANTOR,ȷRoseȷEllenȷ
LongȸtimeȸGulfport
resident,ȸpassed
awayȸatȸtheȸageȸof
ͧįȸonȸMayȸ2Ǭ,
2ƔƔͧƴȸRoseȸwasȸa
trailblazerȸasȸaȸcareerȸwomanŐ
sheȸworkedȸforȸtheȸSarah
CoventryȸJewelryȸCompanyȸas
districtȸmanagerȸcreatingȸthe
NewȸEnglandȸTerritoryƴȸThen
sheȸbecameȸaȸhead-hunterȸfor
theȸemploymentȸfirmȸof
SnellingȸandȸSnellingȸin
ConnecticutƴȸAfterȸretiring,
Roseȸenjoyedȸlaunchingȸnew
productsȸasȸaȸsupermarket
demonstratorƴȸHerȸmissionȸin
lifeȸwasȸtoȸuniteȸandȸstandȸby
herȸfamilyƴȸSheȸwasȸmarried
forȸǬʙȸyearsȸtoȸWilliamȸAbra-
hamȸCantor,ȸwhoȸdiedȸJulyȸ1Ɣ,
2ƔƔįƴȸTheirȸgrandsonȸBenja-
minȸprovidedȸlovingȸcareȸtill
theȸendȸofȸtheirȸlivesƴȸRose
wasȸdevotedȸtoȸherȸidentical
twinȸsonsȸPhilipȸandȸFranklin
andȸherȸyoungestȸsonȸJames,
andȸsheȸjoyfullyȸcelebratedȸthe
livesȸofȸherȸʨȸgrandchildren
andȸǬȸgreat-grandchildrenƴ
Herȸfamilyȸandȸfriendsȸwill
alwaysȸrememberȸherȸplayful
senseȸofȸhumorƴȸSheȸwould
haveȸappreciatedȸleavingȸthis
lifeȸonȸMemorialȸDayŐȸasȸshe
usedȸtoȸsayȸonȸherȸwayȸtoȸthe
emergencyȸroom,ȸƵI´llȸdoȸany-
thingȸtoȸgetȸattentionƴƵȸShe
willȸbeȸcremated,ȸinȸaccord-
anceȸwithȸherȸwishesŐȸbut
Ƶplease,Ƶȸsheȸtoldȸherȸfamily,
ƵmakeȸsureȸI´mȸdeadȸfirst.Ƶ
Thereȸwillȸneverȸbeȸanother
Roseƴ
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DUBUQUE,ȷCharlesȷPƳ
Ǭ1,ȸofȸRogersville,ȸTN,ȸdied
Juneȸ12,ȸ2ƔƔͧ,ȸinȸYankestownƴ
Survivorsȸincludeȸhisȸwife,
Sara,ȸRogersville,ȸTNŐȸhis
motherȸTheresaȸDubuque,
RhodeȸIslandŐȸstepdaughter
MaryȸJaneȸFlake,ȸNorthȸCaroli-
naŐȸstepsonȸEdȸSkinner,ȸFlori-
daŐȸgrandchildrenȸShannonȸEƴ
Skinner,ȸHeatherȸSkinner,
JacksonȸDƴȸFlakeȸandȸspecial
granddaughterȸAlexȸGeiserŐ
brothers,ȸMichael,ȸFranȸand
BillȸDubuque,ȸofȸRhode
IslandŐȸsistersȸMaryȸAnn
Conlan,ȸFloridaȸandȸBetteȸCall-
ahan,ȸMassachusetts,ȸandȸsev-
eralȸniecesȸandȸnephewsƴȸHe
wasȸprecededȸinȸdeathȸbyȸhis
father,ȸCharlesƴȸCharlieȸwasȸa
USȸArmyȸveteran,ȸhaving
servedȸinȸVietnamȸandȸwasȸa
commercialȸfishermanȸoutȸof
MadeiraȸBeachƴȸHeȸdiedȸdoing
whatȸheȸlovedȸbest,ȸfishingƴ
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DAWSON,ȷJavonȷMaurice
ƴHollyȷHoodƴ
1į,ȸofȸStƴȸPeters-
burg,ȸdiedȸSatur-
day,ȸJuneȸį,ȸ2ƔƔͧƴ
Heȸwasȸaȸjuniorȸat
GibbsȸHighȸSchoolȸandȸattend-
edȸNewȸShilohȸPrimitiveȸBap-
tistȸChurchƴȸSurvivedȸbyȸhis
motherȸYolandaȸBakerŐȸhis
fatherȸDavidȸDawsonŐȸstepfa-
therȸEddieȸJoinerŐȸstepmother
OllieȸGodfreyŐȸľȸsisters,ȸĿtwinŌ
JameshhaȸDawson,ȸTashar
Dawson,ȸCierraȸJoinerȸand
CammieȸDawsonŐȸįȸbrothers,
Davontae,ȸDevin,ȸKeon,ȸDean-
gelo,ȸDavid,ȸandȸKameron
Dawson,ȸandȸEddieȸKeyshawn
JoinerŐȸpaternalȸgrandmother
JanieȸMaeȸLeshoreŐȸmaternal
grandparentsȸCharlieȸBaker
JrƴȸandȸVeraȸBakerŐȸpaternal
great-grandmotherȸRuth
Dawson,ȸallȸofȸStƴȸPetersburgŐ
maternalȸgreat-grandmothers,
KatieȸMaeȸThomasȸofȸTampa
andȸBennieȸWilliamsȸofȸStƴ
PetersburgƴȸVisitationȸFriday
ľ-ͧȸpmȸatȸtheȸMortuaryƴ
Funeralȸservicesȸ1ȸpmȸSatur-
dayȸatȸAllȸNationsȸChurchȸof
GodȸByȸFaithƴ
Onlineȸguestbookȸņ
zionhillmortuaryƴcom
ZionȷHillȷMortuaryȷɯ2ͨ-Ɠľǫǫ
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DURHAM,ȷMarcus
ɰʙ,ȸofȸStƴȸPetersburg,ȸdied
Juneȸ1ʙ,ȸ2ƔƔͧƴȸSurvivedȸby
mother,ȸCheryleȸDurhamȸof
Indianaƴ
HollowayȷFuneralȷHomeȷIncƳ
Oldsmarȷͨ1ɯ-ͨʙʙ-2ľɯʨ
EMMERICH,ȷEdgarȷJƳ
ͧʙ,ȸformerlyȸofȸStƴ
Petersburg,ȸpassed
awayȸMonday,
Juneȸ1ǬƴȸBornȸin
Foley,ȸMN,ȸhe
movedȸhereȸinȸ1ʨǬ2ȸfrom
MinneapolisƴȸHeȸwasȸa
plantȸmanagerȸforȸFederal
Stamping,ȸStƴȸPetersburgȸand
aȸWWIIȸveteran,ȸMerchant
SeamanƴȸHeȸisȸsurvivedȸby
2ȸdaughters,ȸJanetȸWillis,ȸJean
HoustonŐȸɰȸsons,ȸMichael,
PatrickȸandȸDaleȸEmmerichŐ
2ȸsisters,ȸFritzyȸSwan,ȸZita
PeakŐȸaȸbrother,ȸMaxȸEmmer-
ichŐȸʨȸgrandchildrenŐȸɰȸgreat-
grandchildren,ȸTheȸfamilyȸwill
receiveȸfriendsȸFridayȸfromȸǬ-ͧ
pmȸatȸtheȸfuneralȸhomeƴȸThere
willȸbeȸaȸmassȸcelebratedȸSat-
urdayȸ1ƔȸamȸatȸSacredȸHeart
CatholicȸChurch,ȸPinellasȸParkƴ
Memorialȸdonationsȸmayȸbe
madeȸtoȸAlzheimer´sȸAssocia-
tion,ȸFloridaȸGulfȸCoastȸʨɰǬʙ
USȸHwyȸ1ʨȸN,ȸSuiteȸB,ȸPinellas
Park,ȸFLȸɰɰįͧ2ƴ
MossȷFeasterȷFuneralȷHome
SerenityȷGardensȷChapel
Largoȷį2į-ʙǫ2-2ƓͨƓ
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FILLMON,ȷFredȷAllen
Devotedȸhusband,
fatherȸandȸgrandfa-
therȸpassedȸaway
Juneȸ1į,ȸ2ƔƔͧ,ȸin
Dallas,ȸTXƴȸBorn
Julyȸ2ʨ,ȸ1ʨľƔ,ȸinȸStƴȸPeters-
burgƴȸFredȸwasȸaȸgeneralȸcon-
tractorȸinȸtheȸconstruction
businessƴȸHeȸhadȸtrueȸsinceri-
ty,ȸalwaysȸhadȸaȸzestȸforȸlife
andȸgaveȸgreatȸhugsƴȸFred´s
lovesȸinȸlifeȸwereȸhisȸwife,
daughtersȸandȸtheirȸfamilies,
nature,ȸanimals,ȸandȸhisȸcock-
atiel,ȸKuiipoƴȸPrecededȸin
deathȸbyȸmother,ȸMaxine
Townsendȸandȸsister,ȸBetty
AdamekƴȸSurvivedȸbyȸwife,
GloriaŐȸdaughters,ȸKimberly
Fillmon-Smithȸandȸhusband
Larry,ȸCindyȸThompsonȸand
husbandȸJeffreyŐȸbrothers,
DonaldȸFillmonȸandȸRobert
TownsendŐȸgrandchildren,
ZacheryȸWilson,ȸTigerȸSmith,
RoryȸSmith,ȸCaseyȸThompsonŐ
niece,ȸSherryȸAdamekŐȸand
nephews,ȸStanȸAdamek,
DonnieȸFillmonȸandȸRobbie
FillmonƴȸVisitationȸwillȸbeȸfrom
Ǭ-ͧȸpm,ȸThursday,ȸJuneȸ1ʨ,
2ƔƔͧȸatȸRestlandȸFuneral
HomeƴȸServiceȸwillȸbeȸheldȸat
ɰ:ɰƔȸpm,ȸFriday,ȸJuneȸ2Ɣ,
2ƔƔͧ,ȸatȸRestlandȸWildwood
ChapelƴȸPallbearersȸwillȸbe
LarryȸSmith,ȸJefferyȸThomp-
son,ȸTigerȸSmith,ȸZachery
Wilson,ȸTomȸMooney,ȸJrƴ,ȸand
JohnȸCortelyouƴ
RestlandȷFuneralȷHome
ʨį2-2ɯͨ-į111
wwwƳrestlandfuneralhomeƳcom
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FEATHER,ȷGeorge
ͧǬ,ȸpassedȸawayȸJuneȸ1Ǭ,
2ƔƔͧȸatȸKindredȸHospitalƴ
Thereȸareȸnoȸknownȸsurvivorsƴ
ALifeȷTributeȷFuneralCare
GulfportȷChapelȷį2į-ɯľį-ʙʙ21
HARDING,ȷTerry
ľʨ,ȸofȸDunnellon,ȸdied,ȸJune
1Ǭ,ȸ2ƔƔͧ,ȸinȸLecantoȸunderȸthe
lovingȸcareȸofȸherȸfamilyȸand
CitrusȸCountyȸHospiceƴȸTerry
wasȸprecededȸinȸdeathȸbyȸher
sister,ȸAndreaȸHardingȸandȸis
survivedȸbyȸherȸchildren,ȸRyan
Reavis,ȸofȸRedȸLevel,ȸReneé
ArnettȸofȸLecanto,ȸEvanȸand
BrookeȸParmenterȸof
CitronellelŐȸmother,ȸGinny
HardingȸofȸHomosassa,ȸand
herȸcompanionȸofȸmanyȸyears,
WilliamȸParmenterƴȸPrivate
cremationȸwillȸtakeȸplace
underȸtheȸdirectionȸofȸBrown
FuneralȸHomeȸ&ȸCrematoryȸin
Lecantoƴ
BrownȷFuneralȷHomeȷand
Crematoryȷɯʙ2-įʨʙ-Ɠ111
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MUNDORFF,ȷDouglass
ǬǬ,ȸofȸStƴȸPetersburg,ȸdied
Mayȸ1ʙ,ȸ2ƔƔͧƴȸHeȸwasȸaȸUƴSƴ
ArmyȸveteranȸofȸtheȸVietnam
warƴȸGravesideȸserviceȸJune
1ͧȸatȸ12:ľʙȸatȸBayȸPines
NationalȸCemeteryƴ
PERRY,ȷAnthonyȷJƳȷƴTonyƴ
ʙį,ȸbornȸinȸGeneva,
NYƴȸLivedȸinȸFlorida
mostȸofȸhisȸlifeƴ
Passedȸawayȸin
TexasȸonȸJune
1ľthƴȸHeȸwasȸlovedȸbyȸmany
andȸaȸveryȸgenerousȸmanƴ
SurvivedȸbyȸhisȸsonȸTonyȸJoeŐ
motherȸEleanorȸDorganŐ
brotherȸDominickȸPerryȸJrƴŐ
sistersȸSandraȸBaldwinȸ&ȸLinda
Sylvesterȸandȸgrandchildren
Alexiaȸ&ȸJosephƴȸVisitationȸwill
beȸheldȸatȸReeseȸFuneral
HomeȸJuneȸ2Ɣȸbetweenȸľ-Ǭ
pm,ȸservicesȸtoȸfollowȸatȸǬȸpmƴ
EƳȷJamesȷReeseȷFuneralȷHome
Seminole,ȷFLȷɯʨ1-ʨʨʙľ
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PITTMAN,ȷJean-Pierre
Antonin, ȸʙʨ,ȸofȸStƴȸPeters-
burg,ȸdiedȸJuneȸ11,ȸ2ƔƔͧȸat
homeƴȸHeȸwasȸinȸtheȸUSȸArmyƴ
Thereȸareȸnoȸknownȸsurvivorsƴ
ALifeȷTributeȷFuneralCare
LargoȷChapelȷį2į-ʙʙʨ-įįʨɯ
POWERS,ȷHarryȷDƳ
ͧį,ȸdiedȸonȸTues-
dayȸJuneȸ1į,ȸ2ƔƔͧ
atȸBayȸPinesȸVA
MedicalȸCenterƴ
MrƴȸPowersȸwas
bornȸinȸMartville,ȸNYȸonȸJulyȸľ,
1ʨ2ƔƴȸHeȸservedȸhisȸcountry
proudlyȸandȸsacrificiallyȸasȸa
TechȸSgtƴȸduringȸWWȸIIȸinȸthe
UƴSƴȸArmyȸAirȸCorpsŐȸ1ʨľ2-
1ʨľʙƴȸHisȸB-1įȸwasȸshotȸdown
overȸSchweinfurt,ȸGermanyȸon
Octƴȸ1ľ,ȸ1ʨľɰ,ȸandȸheȸwas
takenȸprisonerȸbyȸHitlerȸYouthƴ
Afterȸspendingȸ1ʨȸmonthsȸin
Stalagȸ1įBȸinȸKrems,ȸAustria,
andȸbeingȸmarchedȸɰʙƔȸkm
withoutȸfoodȸorȸshelter,ȸheȸand
hisȸfellowȸPOW´sȸwereȸfreedȸby
GeneralȸGeorgeȸPatton´sȸarmyƴ
HeȸreturnedȸtoȸtheȸUƴSƴȸin
June,ȸofȸ1ʨľʙ,ȸandȸmarried
VirginiaȸFosterƴȸHeȸworkedȸas
aȸcarpenterȸoutȸofȸCarpenters
UnionȸLocalȸįľį,ȸOswego,ȸNY
forȸľƔȸyearsƴȸHeȸwasȸaȸʙƔȸyear
memberȸofȸHannibal,ȸNY
MasonicȸLodgeȸʙʙƔƴȸHarry
retiredȸinȸ1ʨͧ2,ȸtoȸStƴȸPeters-
burg,ȸwhereȸheȸwasȸactiveȸin
theȸFLȸGulfȸCoastȸChapter
AmericanȸEx-POWȸservingȸas
Commanderȸandȸendingȸas
ChaplainȸforȸmanyȸyearsƴȸIn
addition,ȸheȸwasȸaȸlongstand-
ingȸmemberȸofȸClearview
MethodistȸMenƴȸHeȸisȸsurvived
byȸhisȸwifeȸofȸǬɰȸyearsȸVirgin-
iaŐȸľȸchildrenȸGloriaȸĿJackŌ
Scott,ȸJohnȸĿBonnieŌȸPowers,
ShirleyȸBaldwinȸĿMikeȸGu-
thrieŌ,ȸThomasȸĿJoanŌȸPowersŐ
ͧȸgrandchildren,ȸJohnȸ&ȸJason
Scott,ȸAlanȸ&ȸKellyȸPowers,
JenniferȸMarrinerȸ&ȸSaraȸBald-
win,ȸ&ȸSondraȸ&ȸDavidȸPowersƴ
Heȸalsoȸisȸsurvivedȸbyȸɰȸgreat-
grandsons,ȸGrantȸ&ȸGriffin
Marriner,ȸandȸCalebȸScottƴ
Friendsȸandȸfamilyȸareȸinvited
toȸgatherȸforȸaȸMemorialȸserv-
iceȸonȸMonday,ȸJuneȸ2ɰrdȸat
1ȸpmȸatȸClearviewȸUnited
MethodistȸChurchȸlocatedȸat
ɰͧthȸAveȸ&ȸľʙthȸSt,ȸStƴ
Petersburgƴ
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RODGERS,ȷElizabethȷBƳ
ͧį,ȸofȸStƴȸPetersburg,ȸpassed
awayȸpeacefullyȸonȸSunday,
Juneȸ1ʙ,ȸ2ƔƔͧ,ȸatȸʨȸam,
surroundedȸbyȸherȸlovingȸfami-
lyȸinȸPlumȸBoro,ȸPAƴȸBeloved
daughterȸofȸtheȸlateȸJacobȸand
CatherineȸKressȸBissertŐȸloving
wifeȸofȸtheȸlateȸSheldonȸRodg-
ersŐȸmotherȸofȸJudithȸMeyer,
JohnȸSheldonȸRodgers,ȸJoanne
GibsonȸandȸSrƴȸJeanneȸRodg-
ersŐȸsisterȸofȸFredȸBissertƴ
Alsoȸsurvivedȸbyȸͧȸgrandchil-
drenŐȸʨȸgreat-grandchildrenŐ
numerousȸniecesȸandȸnephews
andȸgreat-niecesȸandȸgreat-
nephewsƴȸFriendsȸreceivedȸ1-ͧ
pmȸFridayȸatȸtheȸ JohnȷSyka
FuneralȷHome,ȷͨɯɯȷKennedyȷDrive,
Ambridge,ȷPAȷ1ʙƓƓɯ ƴȸFuneral
serviceȸwillȸbeȸFridayȸatȸǬ:ɰƔ
pmȸatȸtheȸfuneralȸhomeƴ
Privateȸentombmentȸwillȸtake
placeȸinȸtheȸRoyalȸPalmsȸCem-
eteryȸMausoleum,ȸStƴȸPeters-
burgƴȸInȸlieuȸofȸflowers,ȸdona-
tionsȸmayȸbeȸmadeȸtoȸSisters
ofȸStƴȸJosephȸDevelopment
Fund,ȸ1Ɣ2ƔȸStateȸStƴ,ȸBaden,
PAȸ1ʙƔƔʙȸorȸForbesȸHospital,
11ʙȸSouthȸNevilleȸStƴ,
Pittsburgh,ȸPAȸ1ʙ21ɰƴ
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ROONEY,ȷGladys
Augƴȸͧ,ȸ1ʨɰƔǣJuneȸį,ȸ2ƔƔͧ
Ourȸbelovedȸmotherȸpassed
awayȸafterȸaȸbriefȸillnessȸat
HospiceȸatȸWoodsideƴȸSheȸis
survivedȸbyȸľȸchildren,ȸKaren,
Therese,ȸBobbyȸandȸKellyƴȸA
FuneralȸMassȸwillȸbeȸheldȸin
herȸhonorȸatȸStƴȸJohnȸVianney
CatholicȸChurchȸatȸ11:ɰƔȸam
onȸJulyȸ12thƴȸTheȸfamilyȸasks
inȸlieuȸofȸflowersȸthatȸallȸdona-
tionsȸbeȸsentȸtoȸHospiceȸat
WoodsideƴȸSheȸwasȸaȸgrand
ladyȸandȸwillȸbeȸsorelyȸmissedƴ
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STRANG,ȷMargaret
Clements
ƴMaggie,ƴȸǬǬ,ȸof
NorthȸRedington
Beach,ȸpassed
awayȸsuddenlyȸat
homeȸJuneȸ1ľ,ȸ2ƔƔͧƴȸAȸloving
motherȸandȸgrandmother,
MaggieȸwasȸbornȸinȸLakeland,
onȸOctƴȸ1,ȸ1ʨľ1,ȸandȸwasȸa
graduateȸofȸLakelandȸHigh
SchoolȸandȸConverseȸCollegeƴ
Maggieȸwasȸanȸeducatorȸin
NorthȸCarolina,ȸaȸmodelȸand
fashionȸbuyerȸinȸLakeland,ȸand
aȸRealtorƴȸAfterȸraisingȸher
devotedȸdaughters,ȸsheȸwas
ableȸtoȸfulfillȸherȸlifelong
dreamȸofȸlivingȸatȸtheȸbeachƴ
Maggieȸwasȸpredeceasedȸby
herȸfather,ȸRayȸClements,ȸfor-
merȸtaxȸcollectorȸofȸPolkȸCoun-
ty,ȸandȸherȸmother,ȸMargaret
ClementsƴȸSheȸisȸsurvivedȸby
herȸdaughtersȸMargaretȸTaylor
CourtneyȸĿPatrickŌȸandȸCourt-
neyȸClementsȸHoeningȸĿEricŌ,
allȸofȸTampaŐȸherȸgrandchil-
drenȸMargaretȸGraceȸCourtney
andȸWilliamȸCharlesȸHoeningŐ
herȸsisterȸPatriciaȸLasherȸof
ScottsȸValley,ȸCAȸandȸher
brotherȸRayȸClementsȸJrƴȸof
Tulsa,ȸOKƴȸMaggieȸalwaysȸhad
aȸsparkleȸinȸherȸeyeȸandȸwill
beȸdeeplyȸmissedȸbyȸthose
whoȸknewȸherƴȸƵLifeȸshouldȸnot
beȸaȸjourneyȸtoȸtheȸgraveȸwith
theȸintentionȸofȸarrivingȸsafely
inȸanȸattractiveȸandȸwell
preservedȸbody,ȸbutȸratherȸto
skidȸinȸsideways,ȸchocolateȸin
oneȸhand,ȸmartiniȸinȸtheȸother,
totallyȸwornȸoutȸandȸscreaming
´WOOȸHOO,ȸwhatȸaȸride!´ƵȸIn
lieuȸofȸflowers,ȸdonationsȸmay
beȸmadeȸtoȸtheȸcharityȸofȸyour
choiceȸinȸherȸnameƴȸAȸprivate
beachsideȸserviceȸwillȸbeȸheldƴ
TaylorȷFamilyȷFuneralȷHome
Ŀį2įŋȷʙľʙ-ʨͨʙͨ
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TOMPKINS,ȷRichardȷA
ͧį,ȸofȸStƴȸPeters-
burg,ȸpassedȸaway
onȸTuesday,ȸJune
1įȸatȸtheȸLexington
HealthȸandȸRehabili-
tationȸCenterƴȸBornȸinȸPresque
Isle,ȸME,ȸheȸrelocatedȸtoȸSouth
Meridan,ȸCT,ȸinȸ1ʨľʨȸandȸto
StƴȸPetersburgȸinȸ1ʨͧͧƴȸHe
servedȸľȜȸyearsȸinȸtheȸUƴSƴ
NavyȸduringȸWWIIƴȸHeȸisȸsur-
vivedȸbyȸhisȸwifeȸofȸǬ1ȸyears,
MillicentȸThompkinsŐȸdaughter,
ChristineȸGuraȸofȸWallingford,
CTŐȸsister,ȸZelmaȸWrightȸof
HainesȸCityŐȸɰȸgrandchildrenŐ
Ǭȸgreat-grandchildrenƴȸPre-
deceasedȸbyȸhisȸson,ȸRichard
DƴȸTompkinsƴ
AbbeyȷAffordableȷCrematory
ʙ1į-2ɯľƓ
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SHANER,ȷEdwardȷJƳ
ʨɰ,ȸpassedȸawayȸonȸJuneȸ12,
2ƔƔͧȸinȸStƴȸPetersburg,ȸFLƴ
Dearlyȸbelovedȸhusbandȸofȸthe
lateȸEthelȸHelen,ȸandȸfatherȸof
theȸlateȸHarryƴȸSurvivedȸbyȸhis
children,ȸFrances,ȸJon,ȸEd-
ward,ȸandȸEthelȸMae,ȸandȸby
hisȸgrandchildrenȸandȸgreat-
grandchildrenƴȸAȸprinterȸby
trade,ȸaȸproudȸmemberȸofȸthe
BigȸSixȸTypographicalȸUnion
andȸanȸequallyȸproudȸmember
ofȸtheȸAmericanȸCivilȸLiberties
UnionŐȸaȸpastȸCommanderȸof
theȸFloydȸBennettȸAmerican
LegionȸPost,ȸBrooklyn,ȸNYŐ
andȸaȸmemberȸinȸgoodȸstand-
ingȸofȸtheȸAndyȸAndersonȸPost
ĿAmericanȸLegionŌ,ȸGulfport,
FLƴȸEd´sȸintegrity,ȸintelligence,
concernȸforȸothers,ȸandȸhis
senseȸofȸhumorȸendearedȸhim
toȸallƴȸAȸprivateȸmemorial
serviceȸisȸplannedȸforȸearly
JulyȸinȸStƴȸPetersburgƴȸContri-
butionsȸinȸhisȸmemoryȸmayȸbe
madeȸtoȸTheȸHospiceȸofȸthe
FloridaȸSuncoast,ȸClearwater,
FLƴȸĿwwwƴthehospiceƴorgŌƴ
Onlineȸguestbookȸat
wwwƴdavidcgrossƴcom
DavidȷCƳȷGrossȷFuneralȷHomes
ǫɯǫǫȷCentralȷAveƳȷȷɯͨ1-ľʨ11
View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits
STIFFLER,ȷLarryȷJƳ
ʙʙ,ȸofȸStƴȸPeters-
burg,ȸpassedȸaway
Thursday,ȸJuneȸ12,
2ƔƔͧȸinȸStƴȸPeters-
burgƴȸHeȸwasȸborn
inȸWichita,ȸKSȸandȸmovedȸto
theȸareaȸinȸ2ƔƔɰȸfromȸWichitaƴ
HeȸwasȸemployedȸatȸAutoȸWay
ChevyȸinȸClearwater,ȸand
workedȸforȸBoeingȸinȸWichita
forȸ1ʙȸyearsƴȸLarryȸwasȸa
lovingȸfamilyȸmanȸandȸis
survivedȸbyȸhisȸwife,ȸDorothyŐ
daughters,ȸShellyȸWilliamsȸof
Texarkana,ȸTX,ȸCandyȸWilliams
ofȸGulfportŐȸmother,ȸAnnaBelle
StifflerȸofȸWichitaŐȸbrother,
JohnȸStifflerȸofȸWichitaƴ
ServicesȸwillȸbeȸheldȸSunday,
Juneȸ22,ȸ2ƔƔͧȸatȸ11ȸamȸwithȸa
gatheringȸofȸfamilyȸandȸfriends
beginningȸoneȸhourȸpriorȸto
servicesȸatȸ BeachȷMemorial
ȷȷȷȷȷȷȷȷChapel,ȷStƳȷPeteȷBeach,ȷFL
į2į-ɯǫƓ-ʙʙįį
View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits View Guest Book at www.tampabay.com/obits
YOKOM,ȷMarkȷRaymond
ʙį,ȸofȸGulfport,ȸdiedȸJuneȸ1Ǭƴ
SurvivedȸbyȸbrotherȸScott,
sisterȸDianeȸandȸmanyȸnieces
andȸnephewsƴȸObitǣGuestbook
atȸdavidcgrossƴcom
DavidȷCƳȷGrossȷFuneralȷHomes
HappyȷAnniversary
ƴMyȷSpecialȷAngelƴ
ItȸwouldȸhaveȸbeenȸɰǬȸyears
onȸMonday,ȸJuneȸ1Ǭth,ȸbutȸour
Godȸhadȸanotherȸplanȸforȸmeƴ
It´sȸimportantȸforȸyouȸtoȸknow,
evenȸthoughȸI´mȸgone,ȸIȸwas
soȸblessedȸtoȸhaveȸbeenȸloved
andȸcaredȸforȸbyȸaȸwonderful
wifeȸlikeȸyouƴȸIȸdidn´tȸgetȸthat
finalȸchanceȸtoȸsayȸhow
thankfulȸIȸwasȸtoȸhaveȸhadȸyou
asȸmyȸdevotedȸwifeȸforȸallȸof
thoseȸyearsƴȸWhatȸaȸblessing
youȸwereȸinȸmyȸlife!
-Yourȸlovingȸhusband,ȸBob
Remembering
>
tampabay.com/obits to search our obituaries database
clout. In return, Trump would
get half the profits.
But as SimDag pressed
bankers and investors for a
$200-million loan, the Florida
condo market was collapsing.
Construction deadlines passed,
and buyers, many of them spec-
ulators keen on quick returns,
began to drop off.
The partnership fractured in
May 2007 when Trump, frus-
trated by unpaid licensing fees,
sued SimDag. The parties are in
mediation.
Tuesday’s bankruptcy filing
listed creditors with the 20 larg-
est claims, but a more exhaustive
list is due in about two weeks.
SimDag has already refunded
half of some buyers’ deposits.
Tampa Bay
. TRUMP
continued from 1B
Bankruptcy
for Trump
developers
. FIRE
continued from 1B
3-alarm fire
rips through
Largo condos
uating residents, who cried as
their homes went up in flames.
More than 60 firefighters bat-
tled the fire for nearly two hours,
cutting a trench in the roof to
stop the blaze from spreading.
Wallace said the fire, presumably
started by a discarded cigarette,
spread through a common attic
that did not have fire walls.
The building, constructed in
1970, was up to code and was
not required to have sprinklers,
Wallace said. Each unit had fire
alarms.
One resident, 81-year-old
Wilma Bayer, suffered a bro-
ken shoulder, hurt her back and
breathed in smoke during the
fire. She was taken to Sun Coast
Hospital in Largo.
No one else was hurt. But five
units were destroyed, Wallace
said, and the 16-unit building
won’t be habitable for months.
“It appears that the building
will end up being demolished and
… will have to be rebuilt,” said
Debbie Reinhardt, an owner of
Resource Property Management,
which manages the complex.
Times staff writer Jon Abel contrib-
uted to this report. Jackie Alexan-
der can be reached at jdalexander@
sptimes.com or (727) 445-4167.
. CRIST
continued from 1B
Crist recovering
after operation
on ailing knee
and had an MRI, which revealed
he had torn some cartilage in his
knee, his father said.
On Wednesday morning, Dr.
William Lowry of All Florida
Orthopaedic Associates examined
Crist’s knee and decided he need-
ed surgery immediately. They
headed for Columbia Center for
Special Surgery in St. Petersburg.
Doctors removed “tears in
both his medial and lateral
meniscus,” according to the gov-
ernor’s press office. The menis-
cus is the cartilage in the joints
that buffer bones that join at the
knee. It distributes body weight
across the knee joint.
“The doctor told us he antic-
ipates a very expeditious recov-
ery,” said Crist spokeswoman
Erin Isaac.
Times Staff Writer Steve Bousquet
contributed to this story.
Condo fire
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Indian Ave N.
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W Bay Dr.
Belleair Oaks
condominium
500 ft
A fire on Wednesday morning
destroyed five units in a
building at the Belleair Oaks
condominium complex.
8 | Sunday, June 22, 2008 | St. Petersburg Times R LAR
BY JACKIE ALEXANDER
Times Staff Writer
Before Wednesday m
everything she needed.
Maxie, her talking p
while she watched her
collection.
But Wednesday nigh
her condominiumat Be
Maxie is dead. Inch
belongings.
“Now, this” is the on
said, looking down at
body.
Bayer, 81, whom po
of her burning condo,
der, injured back and
is just one of 30 reside
lives back together afte
destroyed five condos a
at 1975 West Bay Drive i
“When I heard the p
was half asleep,” she sai
Largo Times
>
JIM DAMASKE | Times
Salvage crews board up damaged units Friday and assess the damage of a fire that gutted units at the Belleair Oaks condominiums.
Before Wednesday, W
it’s all gone, including
Fire
Wilma Bay
“There’s never go
LAR R St. Petersburg Times | Sunday, June 22, 2008 | 9
morning, Wilma Bayer had
parrot, kept her company
r Charlton Heston movie
ht, a fire ripped through
elleair Oaks.
hes of ash cover Bayer’s
nly thing she has left, she
her broken and bruised
olice officers pulled out
suffered a broken shoul-
d smoke inhalation. She
ents trying to piece their
er the early-morning fire
and left 11 uninhabitable
inLargo.
pounding on the door, I
id.
As she struggled to get out of bed, she fell and
crawledthroughthe smoke-filledcondo.
Bayer said she could hear people, but she just
wantedto sleep.
“I wanted to lie down and get away from
everything,” she said.
The American Red Cross is working with sev-
eral fire victims.
Mary O’Geary, a volunteer case worker, said
she can relate to their plight. When she lived in
North Carolina, her home was hit eight times by
hurricanes.
“When you see people in need, you have to do
something about it,” O’Geary said.
O’Geary said she overheard an 88-year-old
woman, who had nothing but a nightgown, tell a
friendshe didn’t want to get dinner.
“So I went shopping and got her a pair of
slacks and a shirt so she could go to dinner,”
O’Geary said.
Kenneth Niami, Bayer’s son, said he doesn’t
know where his mother will go once she leaves
the hospital.
Niami said he would have to buy a bigger
house to make room, but Bayer said she prefers
living alone.
“She wakes up one day and everything is
gone,” Niami said.
Going home won’t be an option for several
months. Rob Smith, project manager for Bay
Area Disaster Kleenup, said it will likely be at
least six months before repairs are done.
Debbie Reinhardt, an owner of the complex’s
property management company, said the group
doesn’t have a final determination on the build-
ing’s status.
“To us it appears that the building will end up
being demolished and the building will have to
be rebuilt,” Reinhardt said. “(But) it has not been
determinedyet.”
Reinhardt said the group estimates the loss at
$1.7-million. Homeowners with insurance will
be fully covered. She said only four units were
uninsured.
But money won’t bring back everything that
was lost.
Niami said a woman who saw Bayer on TV
after the fire wants to give her two songbirds.
“But there’s never going to be another Maxie,”
Bayer said.
The Rev. George Hubbell, a chaplain at Sun
Coast Hospital, stopped by Bayer’s roomFriday.
The hospital has a clothes closet to help disaster
victims like Bayer.
“We have everything youneed,” he toldher.
Bayer said now she has to focus on recovery,
not the things she lost.
“I can’t think about it,” she said. “I don’t want
to thinkabout it.”
It was a busy week for the Largo Fire
Department, said Chief Michael Wallace.
Hours after the blaze at Belleair Oaks, a
lawn care business at 204 Woodrow Ave. NW
caught fire.
“We have several fires a day,” Wallace said. “It’s
unusual to have themso dramatic.”
Jackie Alexander canbe reachedat jdalexander@
sptimes.comor (727) 445-4167.
pinellas.tampabay.com for more Pinellas County news
JIM DAMASKE | Times
Wilma Bayer, 81, had all she needed. Now
g Maxie, her beloved pet parrot.
survivor puts focus on recovery
yer, 81, lost everything — even Maxie, her talking parrot. But she can’t think about that.
EAMONN KNEESHAW | Special to the Times
Residents said they had only moments to scramble to safety as a fire ripped through their condominiums Wednesday.
oing to be another Maxie.” Wilma Bayer, fire victimwho lost everything, referring to her parrot.
Walk. Run. Swim. Pick an event and get out there. Sports, Page 4
pinellas.tampabay.com Wednesday, July 23, 2008 CLW
CLEARWATER
BLOCKBUSTER
THIEF STILL FREE;
POLICE NEED TIPS
A robber with a knife hand-
cuffed the manager of a
Blockbuster video store
during a holdup Tuesday
morning, police said. The
25-year-old manager,
whose name the Times is
withholding because the
robber has not been caught,
was unlocking the store at
2045 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. about
9:30 a.m. when the robber
forced him inside, locked
the door, handcuffed him
and put him in a back room
while the robber tried to get
into a safe. Investigators
think the robber may have
had some “indirect contact”
with customers at the front
door because the business
was scheduled to open at
10 a.m. The robber removed
the handcuffs before fleeing
with an undisclosed amount
of money. The manager
called police at 10:44 a.m.
Police described the robber
as a clean-shaved black
man 22 to 26 years old,
standing about 6 feet, 2
inches tall, weighing 175 to
180 pounds and wearing his
hair in a short Afro about an
inch to an inch and a half
long. He was wearing a blue
dress shirt and khaki or gray
pants. Police ask anyone
with information about the
robbery to call their tip line at
(727) 562-4422.
MID PINELLAS
Man, 78, accused
of soliciting minors
Pinellas County sheriff’s
deputies Thursday arrested
a 78-year-old mental health
counselor,
accusing him
of arranging
for the sexual
abuse of two
children.
Charles J.
Friedlander
of Fort Myers
was charged with seduction
of a child using the Internet
and traveling to meet a
minor. Friedlander used an
Internet chat room to solicit
another person to engage in
physical and sexual abuse
of two boys, ages 10 and
11, according to an arrest
report. Friedlander was
chatting with an undercover
investigator who played
the role of the boys’ parent.
Friedlander was arrested
Monday after driving to
an unspecified location
in Pinellas to carry out the
plan and bringing along
unspecified “implements”
of physical abuse, officials
said. His arrest culminated
a monthlong investiga-
tion by the Pinellas County
Sheriff’s Office and Florida
Department of Law Enforce-
ment. Friedlander, who was
released from jail Tuesday
after posting $20,000 bail,
could not be reached for
comment Tuesday.
TARPON SPRINGS
SCORE with a free
business seminar
Thinking about starting
a small business? Mem-
bers of the Service Corps
of Retired Executives are
offering a free seminar on
“Ten Steps to Starting Your
Own Business” from 7 to 9
p.m. July 29 at the Tarpon
Springs Library, 138 E Lemon
St. Registration is requested.
Materials and handouts will
be provided. To sign up, call
the library at (727) 943-4922.
Pinellas deaths
Apergis, John
Brady, Richard H .
Byford, Ruth M.
Conforti, Margaret
Davis, Gloria J.
East, Harold L.
Freborg, Florence
Gold, Sandra Bea
Hooper, Matthew Leonard
Line, Richard F.
Medves, Albert J.
Novak, Elizabeth L. “Betty”
Orellano, Kaylinn M. “KK”
Riddle, Nina M. (Flink)
Schwartz, James H. “Jim”
This list is from detailed obitu-
aries published in Section B.
In the
know
Friedlander
BY SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Times Correspondent
The Belleair Causeway Bridge
— a major route to the gulf
beaches — will be completely
closed to traffic Saturday in a
move that officials say could
significantly reduce the time
needed to complete construction
of the new bridge.
“We are closing the causeway
to shift traffic to the north side
of the newly constructed relief
bridge,” said Tony Horrnik, proj-
ect manager for the Pinellas
County public works department.
The causeway will close at 7
p.m. Saturday and will reopen
to traffic 24 hours later at 7 p.m.
Sunday , when motorists will be
driving over the north half of the
new relief bridge.
The complete closure was pro-
posed by the project contractor
to reduce future traffic delays
caused by construction.
“While this closure is a tem-
porary inconvenience, it will sig-
nificantly decrease the need for
future one-lane closures on the
relief bridge,” Horrnik said. “The
24-hour closure will keep con-
struction time as short as possible,
keep workers and motorists safer
during construction, and reduce
the number of lane closures that
would otherwise have been neces-
sary to complete construction of
the new relief bridge.”
When completed, the $72.2-
million, fixed span bridge will
rise about 75 feet above the Intra-
coastal Waterway.
The project includes several
public leisure enhancements:
water access, docks, a recon-
structed boat ramp facility, a dog
beach and parking.
The north side of the bridge
will have several floating docks
and a new water access area for
vehicles that is ideal for loading.
The 300- by 28-foot water access
area will be laid with articulated
block, allowing grass to grow
through for a more natural envi-
ronment.
A new parking area will be
constructed on the east side of
the causeway, next to the future
bait house concession.
“The project is now about 50
percent completed,” Horrnik
said. “All 30 piers and the two
end bents have been erected,
and the last 30 feet of the east
approach are nearly finished.
Work on the northern half of the
relief bridge, including slabs, is
wrapping up.
“The project is on time and on
budget.”
Construction of one-quarter
of a mile of the road is using an
innovative incremental launch
method, the first to be used on a
concrete structure. Horrnik lik-
ens it to a slow rocket launch.
The bridge is scheduled to
open in the fall of 2009.
The idea is to decrease future one-lane closures during construction.
Belleair Causeway
to close for 24 hours
JIM DAMASKE | Times
Crews are completing the last 30 feet of the east side of the Belleair Causeway. All the piers are completed and the bridge is now 50 percent complete. When
finished, the $72.2-million, fixed span bridge will rise about 75 feet above the Intracoastal Waterway. The bridge is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.
.
BY THE NUMBERS
1.5 miles Total project length
2,748,741Pounds of reinforcing steel
21,937 Cubic yards of concrete
3,350 feet Length of main bridge
100 feet Horizontal navigational clearance
BY JACKIE ALEXANDER
Times Staff Writer
The original medical examiner who
did the autopsy on the victim has been
dead for 20 years. The supervising
police officer has retired to a cabin in
Montana. And the primary officer now
works somewhere else.
But those who know the case best
came to a Pinellas County courtroom
Tuesday to testify at the trial of a man
Largo police spent 18 years investigat-
ing before arresting.
And although it has been two
decades since Susan Heyliger died,
her relatives filled nearly three rows of
seats behind the prosecutors’ table.
The night of June 7, 1987, Hey-
liger, 42, was cleaning up after clos-
ing the Country Club Lounge on East
Bay Drive. Unknown to her, someone
was hiding in the ceiling above the
men’s bathroom. He hit her, strangled
her and slit her throat, authorities say,
before getting away with $600.
Two years later, Largo police found
a prime suspect, Jeffrey Lobik, now
41. He had been drinking at the bar
that night. He had no alibi for the
early morning hours. His tennis
shoes matched a shoe print found at
the scene. And his criminal record
included a charge of burglary.
But it would take another 16 years
and a slipup in his story before Lobik
was arrested, officials said.
At first, Lobik consistently denied
that he was in the crawl space. When
questioned in 2004, however, Lobik
told a detective he had gone into the
crawl space to smoke crack that night.
Two-decade trail finally leads to trial
A shoe print, a change in story, and a suspect faces a judge in a bar worker’s killing.
. See SLAYING, 4
JIM DAMASKE | Times
Jeffrey Lobik, 41, is on trial in the 1987 murder
of Susan Heyliger, whose throat was slit, at the
Country Club Lounge in Largo.
Land sales may go to voters
The County Commission plans a meeting Aug. 5
on a charter change to protect sensitive preserves.
BY THERESA BLACKWELL
Times Staff Writer
CLEARWATER — Pinellas
County commissioners moved
closer Tuesday to giving voters
the authority to kill any future
sales of the county’s environmen-
tal lands.
The commission voted to hold
a public hearing Aug. 5 on a pro-
posed charter amendment that
would be on the ballot in Novem-
ber.
If approved by voters, it would
require a referendum any time
county officials wanted to sell,
convey or transfer more than
1 acre of the county’s environ-
mental lands.
At that Aug. 5 hearing, com-
missioners could decide whether
to go forward with the amend-
ment.
“Hopefully, this will pass and
this conversation can be put to
rest once and for all,” Commis-
sioner Susan Latvala said.
Latvala first proposed an ordi-
nance to protect park and envi-
ronmental lands after an uproar
from environmentalists about
projects the county had pro-
posed in the Brooker Creek Pre-
serve. But last year the commis-
sion scrapped the ordinance in
favor of a charter amendment.
If the amendment is passed as
now written, county commission-
ers would have to ask the voters for
approval before disposing of more
than an acre of any environmen-
. See LANDS, 4
ATOYIA DEANS | Times
Brooker Creek is home to many flowers, including Nymphaea
odorata, commonly known as the American white water lily.
4 | Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | St. Petersburg Times CLW
Sports
>


The West Florida Y Runners
Club had another healthy crowd
— 203 runners — for the second
installment of the Sunsets at
Pier 60 Summer Series at Clear-
water Beach on Friday night.
Seventeen-year-old Wes
Reynolds, who will start his
senior year at St. Petersburg
High in August, ran the fastest
5K in 17:02.
Kenneth City’s Mark Benja-
min, 19, an assistant cross coun-
try coach at Dixie Hollins High,
finished second in 17:24. Round-
ing out the top three was Thomas
McGrath, 17, of Largo in 17:43.
In the women’s ranks, Christa
Benton, a five-time high school
Florida state champ and former
All-American for USF, had the
fastest time in 17:56. The 18-year-
old is the only woman ever to run
a sub-18:00 at any of the West
Florida Y’s beach races.
Other male winners included:
Rayce Peters, Belleair, 33:32 (10
and under); Hunter McCann,
Treasure Island, 21:00 (11-12);
Cameron Wheeler, St. Peters-
burg, 19:31 (13-14); Rick Pluta,
Clearwater, 18:12 (15-19); Joe
Palmer, Palm Harbor, 18:56
(35-39); Daryl Mullholand,
Clearwater, 21:11 (40-44); Keith
Sawayda, Clearwater, 17:45 (45-
49); Dennis Byron, Palm Har-
bor, 18:39 (50-54); Duncan Cam-
eron, Palm Harbor, 21:17 (65-69).
Female age group winners
included: Julia Siegel, Tarpon
Springs, 27:58 (10 and under);
Bobbi Marie LaBrant, Largo,
27:17 (11-12); Ashley Forn-
shell, Clearwater, 22:06 (15-
19); Nika Merta, Palm Harbor,
22:16 (20-24); Ali Smith, Clear-
water, 22:06 (25-29); Christy
Ford, Clearwater, 28:53 (30-
34); Pamela McCann, Trea-
sure Island, 25:09 (40-44); Patti
Spence, Belleair, 22:09 (45-49);
Vickie Krivacs, Palm Harbor,
29:51 (50-54); Karen Alexeev,
Gulfport, 26:36 (55-59); Millie
Hamilton, Redington Beach,
28:42 (60-64); Annette Frisch,
St. Petersburg, 27:50 (65-69).
Traveling triathletes
Patricia and Tom Hoffman,
two triathletes from Pinellas
County, recently made a trip to
Fort Lauderdale to compete in
the Publix Family Fitness Triath-
lon. Patricia, also an avid open-
water swimmer, finished first
in the 55-59 division in 1:19:18,
despite losing five minutes to a
bike crash. Tom finished sixth in
the 40-44 division in 1:03:17.
Traveling runners
Madeleine Zolfo, 43, of Trea-
sure Island was the first female
finisher on July 12 at the E.L.
Bing Beat the Heat 5K in Thono-
tosassa. Zolfo finished in 19:12.
Swimming news
Tim Kennedy, 51, of St.
Petersburg traveled to Man-
hattan on July 5 for the annual
28.5-mile swim around the
island. The event’s organizers
limit the field to the fastest 25
swimmers who apply. Kennedy
said that at the pre-race meeting,
one of his fellow contestants told
race officials, “It’s harder to get in
the Manhattan swim than it is to
get into college.”
Kennedy’s goal was to com-
plete the counter-clockwise cir-
cumnavigation of Manhattan in
eight hours or less. He finished
in 7 hours, 51 minutes, 28 sec-
onds — just 20 minutes behind
the winner.
The performance put him in
sixth place overall — he was the
third male and first in his age
group. His secret: just zone out.
“You try not to think too much.
Otherwise, you know how far you
have to go and how cold the water
is,” he said. “So I just zoned out, let
time go by and kept my rhythm.”
The St. Pete Mad Dog Triath-
lon Club member and St. Mas-
ters Team swimmer was accom-
panied by his daughter Lauren
and girlfriend Carolyn Kiper.
Do you have running, swimming,
biking, triathlon or adventure rac-
ing news? Send it to Terry Toma-
lin at [email protected]
or call (727) 893-8808. You can
also submit news online at
community.tampabay.com.
Reynolds, Benton
continue 5K success
.
FAST FACTS
Upcoming events
Today
• Take the First Step, Sum-
mer Series No. 4, 5K, 6 p.m.,
Al Lopez Park, Tampa. Call
Lynn Gray at (813) 453-7885
or (813) 398-2217.
Friday
• Picnic Island Adventure
Run No. 3, 5K, 6:45 p.m., Pic-
nic Island, Tampa. Call (813)
232-5200 or visit active.com.
Saturday
• Gaither workout (for
experienced bikers), 7:45
a.m., behind Gaither High.
Call Richard Johnson at
(813) 238-2464 or visit
tbfreewheelers.com.
• Marathon training,
various group runs, 5:30
a.m., Downtown YMCA,
Tampa. Contact Fred
Vasconi at (813) 222-1334 or
[email protected].
• Stanley Breakfast Ride,
7:45 a.m., Seffner Elemen-
tary, 109 Cactus Road,
Seffner. Contact Terry
Farrell at (813)684-3503 or
[email protected], or
visit tbfreewheelers.com.
• West Florida “Y” Runners
Club, 6 a.m. at City Hall
Plaza in Clearwater, 7 a.m. at
John Chesnut Park in Palm
Harbor. Call Michael Weiss
at (727) 644-7702 or visit
wfyrc.com.
Tuesday
• Progressive Training
Team, track workouts, 6:30
p.m., Coleman Elemen-
tary, Tampa. Contact Dror
Vaknin at (813) 846-5021 or
[email protected].
Aug. 1
• Sunset at the Pier Series
No. 3, 7 p.m., 5K, Pier 60,
Clearwater Beach. Contact
Michael Weiss at (727) 644-
7702 or [email protected].
Aug. 2
• Top Gun Triathlon, 7:30
a.m., quarter-mile swim,
10-mile bike, 3.1-mile run,
Fort DeSoto, St. Petersburg.
Call (813) 874-7223 or visit
topguntriathlon.com.
TERRY TOMALIN
Run, bike, swim
DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
Swimming toward triathlon success
From right, Dylan Powers of New Port Richey, Jessica Henslee of Clearwater Beach, Cody
Downes of Barstow, Calif., Noah Snare of Tarpon Springs, Nicole Winter of Sarasota and
Breanna Lifand of Tarpon Springs demonstrate swimming with their fitness coach, Celia
Dubey, left, at Total Fitness Health Club and Spa’s children’s triathlon clinic. Kids were
taught the fundamentals of swimming, cycling and running for triathlon competitions.
FOR THE RECORD
Baseball
Tampa Tarpons
The adult 18-and-over Clearwater
team is looking for former high
school, college and minor-league
players for the summer league.
Please call Kevin Minto at 742-
6192.
USA Patriots
The 9-and-under AAU team is
looking for players. For informa-
tion, call coach Mike Galinski at
556-3200.
Basketball
City of Largo Camp
The city of is offering a summer
camp Aug. 4-8 at Indian Rocks
Baptist Church. For more infor-
mation call 460-1904 or visit www.
largoyouthbasketball.com.
Miscellaneous
SYAA meeting, elections
The Seminole Youth Athletic
Association will hold a general
membership meeting and elec-
tions Aug. 3, 2 p.m., at the conces-
sion stand at 12100 90th Ave. N.
Any family associated with foot-
ball, soccer or baseball is encour-
aged to attend. For more informa-
tion, call Steve Kemp at 391-8679.
SYAA is a volunteer organization
that depends on donations to
maintain the facility. To make a
donation, contact Bob DeKorte at
397-3928.
Soccer
SYAA soccer
Registration dates for the Semi-
nole Youth Athletic Association
are Aug. 6 from 6-8 p.m., Aug. 9
from 11-2 p.m., Aug. 13 from 6-8,
Aug. 16 from 11-2 p.m., Aug. 23
from 11-2 p.m., Aug. 27 from 11-2
p.m.) and Aug. 30 from 11-2 p.m.
Registration takes place at the
SYAA Field, 12100 90th Ave. N.,
Seminole. For more information,
visit www.syaa-soccer.com or call
398-3699.
Submissions
Announcements should be
mailed to Times Sports, P.O. Box
1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731-1121
or e-mail [email protected].
That inconsistency led author-
ities to charge him with first-
degree murder a year later.
Defense attorney Kandice
Friesen said Lobik, who lived in
Largo at the time of the killing
but later moved to Ocala, never
confessed to police or in letters
to family.
On Tuesday, medical exam-
iner Jon Thogmartin testified
instead of John Gallagher, who
performed the autopsy in 1987
but died a year later.
Thogmartin said Heyliger
was hit behind the head and on
the forehead, leaving bruises
and cuts.
But it wasn’t enough to kill
her.
Thogmartin said Heyliger
was choked so hard, her neck-
lace left an impression in her
skin.
But it wasn’t enough to kill
her.
It was the three slashes to the
throat that killed her, Thogmar-
tin said, but not before she took
a few breaths and bled to death.
“She was alive after the stran-
gulation and she was alive after
the throat cut,” he told jurors.
Allen Kough, who has 11 fel-
ony convictions, said in his tes-
timony that he was in the van
transporting him and Lobik to
jail. Lobik told him about Hey-
liger’s murder “like he didn’t
care at all,” he said.
“They couldn’t prove it then
and they’ll never prove it now,”
Kough said Lobik told him.
The trial is scheduled to con-
tinue today.
Jackie Alexander can be reached at
[email protected] or (727)
445-4167.
. SLAYING continued from 1
Two-decade trail finally leads to trial
JIM DAMASKE | Times
Retired Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime scene
technician Joel Carey goes through evidence during the trial of
Jeffrey Lobik. Some involved in the case have died.
From the front page
>


tal land the county owns in the
Brooker Creek, Mobbly Bayou,
Shell Key and Weedon Island pre-
serves and in
15 other man-
agement areas
throughout
the county.
But the
Friends of
Brooker
Creek, a non-
profit group
organized to
advocate for
and support
the Brook-
er Creek Pre-
serve, say
the charter
amendment
doesn’t go far
enough.
The rea-
son: Voter ap-
proval would
not be need-
ed before leas-
ing preserve
lands, as com-
missioners
did when they
leased 38.5 preserve acres on Old
Keystone Road to the East Lake
Youth Sports Association for
youth sports fields.
Will Davis, the county’s direc-
tor of environmental manage-
ment, confirmed the Friends’
take on the charter amendment
in a discussion with Tom Reese,
a St. Petersburg attorney, and
Barbara Hoffman, a member of
Pinellas County’s advisory Envi-
ronmental Science Forum and
vice chairwoman of the Friends
of Brooker Creek Preserve.
“It stops the sale of the land
— period,” Davis said of the
charter amendment.
Hoffman said the Friends
want to see a vote required for
leasing, donating or licensing
environmental lands as well as
selling them.
And she said the vote should
be required for any interest
to be transferred, not just the
transfer of “fee simple” inter-
est — in essence, the transfer
of all property rights — as the
amendment now reads.
The ordinance abandoned a
year ago contained six excep-
tions that would have allowed
commissioners to take big
steps affecting parks and
environmental lands without
getting voter approval first.
Commissioner Calvin Harris
and residents objected to the
loopholes.
Opponents of the ordinance
hoped the charter amendment
would include language pre-
venting commissioners from
unilaterally approving proj-
ects — like an equestrian cen-
ter and the ballfields — once
proposed in the Brooker Creek
Preserve.
Last year, environmental
activist Lorraine Margeson of
St. Petersburg gave commis-
sioners a proposed charter
amendment based on the provi-
sion in St. Petersburg’s charter
that gives city voters there sim-
ilar authority over the down-
town waterfront.
The charter amendment now
under consideration is not the
one she proposed, she said, but
it’s much better than the coun-
ty’s discarded ordinance.
Charter amendments put vot-
ers in the driver’s seat, she said.
“With the stadium, if we had
not had the charter amend-
ment protection, we’d probably
already be building a baseball
stadium,” she said.
Theresa Blackwell can be reached
at [email protected] or
(727) 445-4170.
ATOYIA DEANS | Times
ATOYIA DEANS | Times
Brooker Creek offers visitors an array of
landscapes, such as the xeric hammock,
left, and a field of the Xyris species,
commonly known as yellow-eyed grass.
. LANDS continued from 1
Future land sales may go to voters
Commissioner
Susan Latvala
backs the
idea of an
amendment.
Activist
Lorraine
Margeson is
supporter too.
.
FAST FACTS
If you go
When: 9:30 a.m. Aug. 5
Where: Commission
assembly room, fifth floor,
Pinellas County Court-
house, 315 Court St., Clear-
water
What: A public hearing
on whether to amend the
county’s charter to require
a referendum before selling
more than an acre of the
county’s environmental
lands. It will be the only
public hearing if commis-
sioners vote on the issue
that day. If commissioners
move ahead, county voters
would consider the charter
amendment during the
general election Nov. 4. If
passed, the charter amend-
ment would take effect
Jan. 1.
Coke to outsource 15% of jobs at Brandon accounting center. 7B
tampabay.com R * * * * Friday, July 11, 2008 | 1B
T
heir stories, bound
by a single, terrible
thread, kept coming.
A woman and two friends
shot dead by her estranged
husband on a Saturday morn-
ing in a quiet Carrollwood
neighborhood.
Another who never made
it to a court hearing for an
injunction meant to protect
her from her ex-boyfriend,
found strangled in her West
Tampa home.
A mother and her two small
children, murdered on Moth-
er’s Day in their mobile home
in Lutz — and later, detectives
say, a confession from her live-
in boyfriend.
To most of us, they were
headlines that played out over
the last two months. To some
who work daily in domestic
violence, they may seem like
something more, even a grim
sign of the times.
Advocates will tell you they
don’t have hard numbers, just
a feel for it. Calls to their hot-
lines are up. The level of bru-
tality they hear about — the
rapes and threats and beat-
ings — seems worse.
Maybe it’s too simple to
blame the economy, or the
way the world feels right now,
but some things seem ele-
mental. People are dealing
with foreclosures and gas and
food prices and paycheck-to-
paycheck choices that surely
ratchet up frustration and
anger, at least in some quar-
ters.
And always, victims of
spouse abuse have stayed
because they had no money
to go.
“We have a perfect storm,”
says Joanne Olvera Lighter,
president of the Spring
domestic violence shelter in
Tampa.
The 102-bed Spring was
emergency shelter to more
than 1,000 people last year,
more than half of them chil-
dren. Usually, the place is 60
to 70 percent full. But since
late April, it has been near
or at capacity — though they
would want me to say very
quickly that there is always
room, always help at the end
of the phone line.
Lighter, who runs a shel-
ter in a county with a domes-
tic violence rate second only
to that of Miami-Dade County,
has the most fitting analogy
I’ve ever heard about who the
victims really are.
Spouse abuse is as indis-
criminate as cancer, she says,
its victims poor and not. More
than once at a fancy fund-
raiser or luncheon, a well-
heeled attendee has whis-
pered in her ear about help
she once got when she needed
it.
“The old adage, why do
we hurt the ones we love?”
Lighter says. “Well, they’re the
ones in the room.”
We can even blame the
heat. Linda Osmundson, exec-
utive director of the CASA
shelter in St. Petersburg, says
summer brings a jump. It’s
hot, and kids are home. Par-
ents, too, particularly if they
can’t find work.
“The climate is so ripe that
anybody who’s inclined to be
abusive has more excuses,”
she says.
So they try to move road-
blocks that keep people from
getting help. The Spring has
a K-12 school. Advocates
know some people will not
leave their pets — not for
a hurricane, and not for an
abuser who would use some-
thing you love as leverage or
worse. Shelters on both sides
of the bay have pet foster
families or animal shelters
willing to temporarily take
them in until the owners are
back on their feet.
So here’s the word they
want out there to fight head-
lines no one wants to see:
Help is there.
The Spring: (813) 247-SAFE.
CASA: (727) 895-4912.
Florida’s domestic violence
hotline: 800-500-1119.
For abuse
victims,
help is a
call away
SUE CARLTON
[email protected]
BY KEVIN GRAHAM
Times Staff Writer
TAMPA — A former employee
of a St. Petersburg check verifica-
tion company was sentenced to
nearly five years in federal prison
Thursday for stealing millions
of Americans’ personal financial
information from a database and
selling it.
William “Gary” Sullivan, 54,
of Largo also was ordered to pay
more than $3.97-million in resti-
tution.
Sullivan pleaded guilty in
November to one count of conspir-
acy to defraud the United States
and one count of fraud activity
connected with computers. U.S.
District Judge Steven D. Merryday
gave Sullivan 57 months for each
count but ordered that he serve
the sentences concurrently.
Sullivan worked for nine years
as a database analyst for Certegy
Check Services, which advises
retailers whether a customer’s
check is likely to bounce. From
about 2002 until June 2007, Sul-
livan stole customer information
and resold it to others, including
telemarketers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas
Palermo said investigators never
uncovered information to suggest
that third parties who bought the
data used it to incur credit charges
under the victims’ identities.
“Well, Mr. Sullivan, you’ve cre-
ated quite a stir, and over a long
period of time caused a lot of peo-
ple a lot of trouble,” Merryday said.
“I’m certainly glad that the offense
was not worse and its victims
were not more seriously penalized
than they were.”
Prosecutors said Sullivan
made nearly $600,000 by sell-
ing the personal records. Sulli-
Data thief gets 57 months
The Largo man is ordered to repay $3.97-million in a case that spawned seven suits.
BY MIKE DONILA
Times Staff Writer
CLEARWATER — Criss Angel,
often described as a postmod-
ern Harry Houdini, is in talks to
bring his hit cable TV show to
Clearwater Beach for a spectacu-
lar live stunt.
His goal: apparently to survive
the implosion of the old Spyglass
Resort, known for its 100-foot-
tall mural of a hot-air balloon.
The vacant nine-story hotel is
scheduled to be demolished on
July 30.
Clearwater officials and
Angel’s representatives will
meet this morning to discuss the
details. If everything goes well,
the Las Vegas illusionist would
perform the televised act live on
his show Criss Angel Mindfreak.
It would be the latest in a career
of death-defying feats, some of
which he barely survived.
A goth figure who sports
rings, necklaces and bracelets,
Angel, 40, has set himself on fire,
walked down the side of a build-
ing and flown across a desert
hanging from a helicopter with
hooks pierced in his back.
Mindfreak’s fourth season
debuts on the A&E network on
July 23, when Angel is expected
to walk on water.
Earlier this month, the Globe
and Mail, a Canadian newspaper,
reported that at the end of the
month “he will do a dice-with-
death stunt … entitled ‘Implo-
sion,’ in which he will be locked
inside a building that is about to
be blown up.”
That could be the Spyglass,
built in 1971 on S Gulfview Bou-
levard near the Clearwater Beach
roundabout.
“They’re looking seriously at
the site to feature on their show,”
said Eric Fordin, vice president
of development for the Related
Group, a partner to Tampa’s Dr.
Kiran Patel in the planned Clear-
water Beach Resort.
Builders want to raze the Spy-
glass to make way for a mega
hotel.
Fordin said the groups have
held extensive talks, but “noth-
ing’s been signed.”
Although some city officials
Will he
survive
death of
hotel?
A TV illusionist wants
to be inside when
Clearwater implodes
the Spyglass Resort.
She is acquitted after being embroiled in a flareup with a cop at McDonald’s.
ATOYIA DEANS | Times
Jean Merola reacts to a not-guilty verdict at the Pinellas County criminal courthouse on 49th Street. She was charged with
violating a city ordinance by obstructing a public place Jan. 17 while waiting in a McDonald’s drive-through for french fries.
BY JACKIE ALEXANDER
Times Staff Writer
The judge said Jean Merola was loud, ill
mannered and abusive.
But not guilty.
“If rudeness and inconsideration of oth-
ers were a crime, this would be a felony,”
county Judge Patrick Caddell told the
grandmother of eight Thursday.
But they aren’t, and after a one-day trial,
Caddell found Merola, 76, of Clearwa-
ter not guilty in a controversial case that
started with an order of french fries.
Merola had faced an $88 fine on a
charge of violating a Clearwater city ordi-
nance in January when she parked her car
in the drive-through lane of McDonald’s,
blocking police Officer Matthew Parco’s
cruiser.
It took a moment for the verdict to sink
in for Merola.
“Did you say I’m not guilty?” she asked.
“You’re guilty of a lot of things, ” Caddell
said. “Just not this.”
McDonald’s employees had asked
Merola to pull her car forward to wait
for a special order of unsalted fries on
Jan. 17.
Parco, who was behind her getting an
iced coffee, asked her to move her car far-
ther because he couldn’t get by. Parco
said Merola cursed at him and called him
names. Merola said the officer blasted his
horn and harassed her.
Merola was arrested, initially on a
count of disorderly conduct, handcuffed
and booked into the Pinellas County
Jail. Later the charge was changed to
violating a city ordinance by obstructing
a public place.
Assistant State Attorney Robin Allweiss
said that although the fine was small and
the violator elderly, the state had to prose-
cute when Merola refused to pay.
“We don’t selectively prosecute,” she
said. “We’re just doing our job.”
During the trial, six state witnesses tes-
Associated Press
Criss Angel has held talks with
the company that owns the
Spyglass site, but “nothing’s
been signed.”
.


Fleeing car kills 1, hurts 4
One person was killed and four others
were hospitalized Thursday night in a
police drug bust that went bad. Pinel-
las Park police were conducting an
undercover drug arrest about 9 p.m.
when the two male suspects fled in
a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, said Capt.
Sanfield Forseth. Police were unable
to stop the car but did not chase it,
Forseth said. The Monte Carlo sped
south on U.S. 19 and slammed into a
Ford Taurus traveling on 70th Avenue
N. The car was carrying two adults
and three children. The driver, whose
name was not released, was killed.
The female passenger and three
children, ages 8, 9, and 12, were taken
to local hospitals. The suspects fled
on foot. Police believe they have cap-
tured both men. The crash blocked
southbound traffic on U.S. 19 for more
than an hour.
Correction
A visitation for the late Velma Mims
will be today from 5 to 6 p.m. at Bethel
Community Baptist Church, 2901
54th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. A prayer
service will be today from 6 to 8 p.m.
The address for the church was incor-
rectly reported in a story Sunday.
SHORT OF MONEY, SHERIFF
CUTS JOBS OF 25 DEPUTIES
Pinellas County will be short 25 more depu-
ties this summer after Sheriff Jim Coats
announced a new round of layoffs Thurs-
day. The layoffs, effective Aug. 8, will slash
22 patrol deputies and three court deputies.
Officials say the deputies with the least time
at the Sheriff’s Office will be the ones laid
off. The Sheriff’s Office plans to cut 275 cer-
tified and civilian positions. The cuts come
at the request of county commissioners
who asked Coats to trim his budget by 10
percent — roughly $26-million. Coats said
Thursday that restoring $3-million of that
planned cut would undo much of the dam-
age to public safety.
Attacked
biker back
Bicyclist Rich-
ard French is
healed from
getting hit
with a base-
ball bat and is
riding again.
But he wants
his attacker
caught. 5B
Talk of the Bay
French fry grandma wins
BY MEG LAUGHLIN AND KEVIN GRAHAM
Times Staff Writers
CAIRO — The family of Sami Al-Arian reacted
with joy Thursday to news from Virginia that a
federal judge had granted the
former University of South
Florida professor bail as he
awaits trial on contempt
charges.
“We’re almost afraid to
have hope,” said Leena, Al-
Arian’s 23-year-old daughter,
“because every time we do,
we get knocked down. But,
maybe, this time will be differ-
ent.”
But their joy was tempered
by subsequent news that
immigration officials would
keep Al-Arian in custody for the time being. Al-
Arian has been held in prison since February
2003, when he was charged with multiple ter-
rorism-related counts.
Al-Arian granted
bail, but not
yet his freedom
He has remained in custody
since ’06 despite his plea deal.
Sami Al-
Arian was
acquitted on
eight counts
in 2005.
“If rudeness and inconsideration of others were a crime, this would be a felony.”
Patrick Caddell, the county judge who acquitted Jean Merola in the french fry case.
. See SENTENCING, 8B
. See MINDFREAK, 8B . See ALARIAN, 8B
. See FRIES, 8B
Photo by Donna French
8B | Friday, July 11, 2008 | St. Petersburg Times * * * *
van said he did it because he was
desperate. His wife was unem-
ployed and he had no money in
his 401(k), he said.
“I (in) no way intended to cause
anybody any grief or hardship,”
Sullivan said in
court. “Every
week it hap-
pened, I regret-
ted it … but it
didn’t stop me
from doing it.”
Sullivan’s
actions caused
Cer t eg y t o
notify about
8.4-million Americans — includ-
ing 460,000 Floridians — that
their data had been methodically
stolen over a five-year period.
Seven class-action lawsuits
resulted, and six remain, which
are in various stages of being set-
tled, Palermo said.
The people who sued Certegy
over their information being sold
have won a judgment for attor-
neys’ fees of about $2.35-million,
according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said victims
included residents of all 50 states,
the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico
and military personnel overseas.
57 months
for data thief
. SENTENCING
continued from 1B
have talked about today’s meet-
ing, Angel’s representatives this
week performed their own disap-
pearing act. Contacted Wednes-
day, they said they would call
right back. They never did. They
also didn’t return calls Thursday.
Asked about the secrecy, Mayor
Frank Hibbard said, “They don’t
like divulging what they’re doing
for preparation purposes.
“They don’ t want people
watching the process, watching
what they do,” he said.
Hibbard, who has long wanted
the rundown building removed,
said he is not concerned with the
methods, only the results.
“All I care about is that the
Spyglass disappears,” he said.
“Whether it’s a bulldozer, dyna-
mite or an illusionist, it better
disappear.”
City officials say they aren’t
quite sure how the Clearwater
made the list of cities the enter-
tainer is considering. They only
know an A&E producer con-
tacted them about it recently.
The show would reimburse
any city costs to stage the event,
city spokesman Doug Matthews
said. He said he understands
that A&E wants to start promot-
ing the show’s fourth season in
the next week or so.
“It would be extraordinary
publicity because it’s a popular
show,” Matthews said. “To do it
live and feature Clearwater and
the new BeachWalk and all the
things we’re doing — you can’t
put a price on that.”
Times researcher Caryn Baird con-
tributed to this report. Mike Donila
can be reached at mdonila@sptimes.
com or (727) 445-4160.
.
BIOGRAPHY
Criss Angel
(Christopher Sarantakos)
Age: 40.
Residence: Las Vegas.
Career: Learned his first
magic trick from his aunt
at age 6. Performed at par-
ties and restaurants, a local
cable TV show and some
television specials before
staging 600 off-Broadway
performances in New York.
Then created Criss Angel
Mindfreak, which debuted
in July 2005. Last season
the show attracted 2.7-
million viewers. Also has
appeared on late-night talk
shows, Larry King, Oprah
and CSI: New York.
Quote: “I consider myself an
artist who uses many differ-
ent paintbrushes to create
the image I want, whether
it’s using illusions, magic,
mentalism, hypnosis,
escapes, performance art
or music.” (Chicago Tribune,
Aug. 6, 2006)
From the front page
>


tampabay.com for the latest news
Will he
survive
the blast?
. MINDFREAK
continued from 1B
tified that Merola was visibly agitated and ver-
bally abusive to Parco.
Parco told the court Merola said she hoped
he was Christian because he was “pure evil and
going to hell.”
Merola did not testify, and the defense did not
present any witnesses.
Sue Cushell, whose daughter videotaped the
arrest, said Parco was very calm throughout the
ordeal.
Merola, on the other hand, “wagged her fin-
ger in his face and gave him a piece of her mind,”
Cushell said.
McDonald’s shift manager Sarah Curtis said
she had to deliver food for nearly an hour to
stuck patrons. And it took her two tries to get
Merola to take her unsalted fries.
Police Cpl. Carl Conyers said he advised Parco
to arrest Merola, despite his repeated attempts
to defuse the situation.
“He did not want to take her to jail,” Conyers
said.
Parco was later cleared by police supervisors
of any policy violation in the way he handled
Merola’s arrest.
But in May, Parco resigned from the Police
Department during an internal affairs investi-
gation of allegations that he behaved inappro-
priately March 29 when responding to a child-
custody call.
Witnesses told investigators that he offered a
15-year-old girl chewing tobacco, fired his Taser
into his cruiser windshield to demonstrate how
it worked and showed the teen a computer video
of a cow being Tasered. He denied doing those
things, but electronic usage logs on the com-
puter and Taser indicated otherwise.
Defense attorney Steven Andrews said he and
Merola learned a lot throughout the trial and
felt sorry for Parco in the end.
“There’s no winners here,” Andrews said.
After the verdict, Merola said little herself and
was cut off by her attorney several times when
she began to speak.
. FRIES continued from 1B
French fry
grandmother
is acquitted
In late 2005, a Tampa jury acquitted
him on eight of the charges and dead-
locked on nine others. In May 2006,
Al-Arian accepted a plea agreement
for helping associates of a terrorist
organization with nonviolent activi-
ties. He finished serving his 57-month
sentence in April.
Under the terms of the plea deal,
Al-Arian would have been deported
“expeditiously” as soon as the sen-
tence was done, but a federal prosecu-
tor in Virginia wanted him to testify
before a grand jury investigating an
Islamic think tank in Herndon, Va. Al-
Arian refused, saying it violated the
terms of his plea agreement.
Al-Arian’s trial on the criminal
contempt charges is scheduled for
mid August. If found guilty, he could
remain in prison for years.
Al-Arian’s attorney, Jonathan
Turley, said, “The government has
painted itself into a corner with Dr.
Al-Arian. … Either it must release him
on bond or deport him very soon.”
What “soon” means is not clear.
Arturo Rios Jr., a St. Petersburg
lawyer specializing in immigration
issues, said it’s not uncommon for a
judge to grant bail and then for immi-
gration officials to take custody of an
individual.
Once Al-Arian is in the custody of
ICE, authorities will have 48 hours
to give him a notice to appear, which
Rios described as a summons to begin
the deportation process. He said
deportation could happen within 60
days from that point or take up to a
year, depending on the case.
In a separate order from Al-Ari-
an’s conditions of release, which
include him posting $340,000 he has
in his retirement pension, U.S. Dis-
trict Judge Leonie Brinkema said
that ICE has filed an immigration
detainer with the U.S. Marshal Ser-
vice. Brinkema ordered that once Al-
Arian posts bail, he must be released
into the custody of ICE. Officials are to
make Al-Arian available for all hear-
ings in his criminal case.
After court Thursday, Turley called
the contempt case is “a ruse.” Al-Arian
has spoken with prosecutors about
the think tank and has even agreed to
take a polygraph test. What the pros-
ecutors really want, said Turley, is Al-
Arian to answer questions about the
Florida case, “which is a clear viola-
tion of the plea agreement.”
Prosecutors in Virginia could not
be reached for comment.
Linda Moreno, who represented
Al-Arian at his 2005 trial, cheered
the judge’s ruling. “I’m so happy that
Judge Brinkema restores the confi-
dence that Americans are due in our
system of justice ,” she said.
Becky Steele, regional director for
the American Civil Liberties Union of
Florida, said the judge appears to be
holding the executive branch account-
able.
“The heartening thing for me here
is that the system seems to be working
and that the judge is making an inde-
pendent assessment of what seems to
be persecution by the government,”
Steele said.
But lawyer Eddie Suarez said he
doesn’t think the ruling does much.
“At the end of the day, I’m not sure
we’ve accomplished a whole lot,”
Suarez said. “He’ ll still be held on
these immigration issues.”
If Al-Arian is released on bond, his
wife, Nahla, 47, said she and two of
her children will return from Cairo to
the United States to reunite with her
husband and their three other chil-
dren.
On the other hand, the family will
wait to reunite in Cairo if Al-Arian is
deported soon.
“Either way, it looks as if we will
finally be a family again,” Nahla said.
Meg Laughlin can be reached at
[email protected].
MEG LAUGHLIN | Times
Nahla Al-Arian and Leena Al-Arian, Sami Al-Arian’s wife and daughter,
who live in Cairo, react with joy to a federal judge granting bond.
. ALARIAN continued from 1B
Judge grants Al-Arian bail
Sullivan
pinellas.tampabay.com Sunday, July 27, 2008 CLW
Pike Place Market provides a one-stop shop for all that is Seattle. Latitudes
PALM HARBOR
MAN ARRESTED
IN BURGLARY,
SEXUAL ASSAULT
Deputies have arrested a
man suspected of slipping
into the home of a 57-year-
old Palm Harbor woman
around 2
a.m. Friday
through an
unlocked
door, binding
her hands,
beating and
kicking her
in the face
with enough force to break
bones, and raping her.
Christopher Lee Granado,
40, of 706 Sparrow Ave.,
Palm Harbor, was arrested
about 9 p.m. Friday near
the Pinellas-Pasco county
line. He was charged with
sexual battery with intent
to commit great bodily
harm, burglary and false
imprisonment. The victim’s
adult daughter was also
struck after walking in on
the assault, Pinellas County
Sheriff officials said. Gra-
nado was being held in the
Pinellas County jail, with bail
set at $500,000.
CLEARWATER
Event for homeless
needs 500 helpers
Organizers of Project
Homeless Connect are
looking for 500 volunteers
to participate in a one-day
effort Sept. 27 to help those
on the street and those in
need. The one-day service
fair will run from 8:30 a.m. to
3:30 p.m. at the Harborview
Center, 300 Cleveland St.
Its goal is to connect the
homeless and others in
need with professionals
who can provide services
such as medical and dental
screenings; job and housing
assistance and social, legal
and transportation services.
Volunteers must attend one
of six training sessions prior
to the event. Visit www.
pinellasconnect.org for the
schedule or to register as
a volunteer. For informa-
tion, call Betty Moran at the
American Red Cross, (727)
446-2358.
LARGO
Green Armada
needs helpers, too
If you’d rather volunteer for
an environmental cause, the
nonprofit Green Armada,
along with the city of Largo
and River Quest, is looking
for people to help clean up
the shores of the Largo pad-
dling trail Aug. 9. The event
is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the
Largo Central Park Nature
Preserve, 150 Highland Ave.
SE, south of East Bay Drive
and behind Everest Univer-
sity. Volunteers are urged
to bring their own kayaks or
canoes, but organizers do
have 77 seats available on
vessels for those who don’t
have their own. All volun-
teers are asked to register
at www.GreenArmada.org.
To reserve a seat, call Joe
Gonzalez toll-free at 1-800-
496-9161; press 1 for Tampa
Bay, then 3 to volunteer.
CLEARWATER
Saturday picnic
celebrates cultures
The city of Clearwater is
hosting a multicultural back-
to-school picnic that will
combine school supplies,
hot dogs and traditional
cultural arts into an exercise
in community-building. The
free picnic will be from 10
a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at
Glen Oaks Park, 1345 Court
St. One of the goals is to
celebrate the diverse popu-
lation of the East Gateway
District, which is between
Drew and Court streets
and Highland and Missouri
avenues. The picnic will fea-
ture performances by Sun-
drummers drumming circle
and the Folklorico Mexico
dance troupe. Children’s
activities will include the art
of papel picado, or paper
cutting, T-shirt tie-dying and
games. School supplies will
be distributed to children
while they last and there will
be drawings for prizes. For
information, call (727) 562-
4047 or visit www.myclear
water.com/eastgateway.
In the
know
Granado
BY RITA FARLOW
Times Staff Writer
A decade ago, during his first
campaign for the state legisla-
ture, a volunteer came up with
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ slogan:
Gus is for Us.
It may not be the sexiest motto,
but Bilirakis said he’s kept it
because it speaks to his primary
mission: remembering the con-
stituents back home each time
he steps on the House floor to
cast a vote.
“ I want to continue to live
up to that because it means I’m
fighting for the people in my dis-
trict,” Bilirakis said.
In the freshman incumbent’s
bid to retain his seat, Bilira-
kis has name recognition on his
side. His father, Mike, held the
seat from 1983 to 2006.
But Bilirakis, 45, could have
some heavy competition this
year in U.S. House District 9,
which covers northern Pinel-
las, western Pasco and suburban
Hillsborough counties.
John Dicks, 55, has caught the
attention of Democratic Party
strategists .
First the former Plant City
mayor will take on Tampa law-
yer Bill Mitchell and Hispanic
advocate Anita de Palma in next
month’s primary. But Bilira-
kis’ name recognition — and the
money he’s been able to collect
— could prove to be the greatest
hurdle for challengers in this his-
torically conservative district.
Based on the June 30 cam-
paign reports, Bilirakis has
raised $1.05-million in contribu-
tions.
Dicks has brought in $104,651
and loaned himself another
$320,000.
Mitchell has collected about
$70,000 in contributions and
loaned his campaign another
BY LORRI HELFAND
Times Staff Writer
Two weeks ago, Pinellas
County officials said full fund-
ing for paramedic services next
year was in jeopardy because of
Amendment 1.
Last week, county commission-
ers solved the problem by voting to
tap into about $970,000 in emer-
gency medical services reserves.
With the bump from reserves,
county funding for first respond-
ers next year is about $41-million,
which is generated by a separate
EMS property tax.
Commissioners didn’t stop
there.
To make the system more effi-
cient and less costly, officials
plan in coming months to review
the first-responder program and
EMS transports and start talk-
ing about consolidating services,
interim County Administrator
Fred Marquis told commission-
ers last week.
And in October 2009, the
county plans to terminate all the
five-year contracts it signed with
cities last October
and renegotiate future contracts.
Paramedics respond to med-
ical emergencies from 19 fire
agencies, and Sunstar Emer-
gency Medical Services has
an exclusive contract with the
county for its ambulances to take
people to the hospital.
The St. Petersburg Times
reported in April that officials
acknowledge that the current
system of sending both fire-res-
cue and private ambulances to
virtually every medical call is
costly. Sending fewer fire units
to minor medical calls could save
up to $10-million over a decade,
advocates say.
The possibility of changes
— especially the idea that fire
Interim
County
Administrator
Fred Marquis:
A review and
talks about
consolidation
are planned.
Consolidate fire departments?
For the sake of efficiency, fire chiefs and county
officials appear to be more willing to compromise.
. See FIRE, 5
Courtesy of Zach Railey
Railey, who is 6 feet 4, will go up against 24 other sailors on Finns, heavyweight
single-man boats. He says he’s lost 20 pounds in preparation for the Olympics.
Courtesy of Zach Railey
Zach Railey, 24, who first learned to sail at the Clearwater Yacht Club, will represent the United States at the Olympics in China this summer.
I
n the U.S. Olympic sailing trials, there are only two
options. ¶ Win or go home. ¶ At Olympic tri-
als last October in Newport Beach, Calif., Zach Rai-
ley won, realizing a dream he first had a dozen years ago.
¶ Now the 24-year-old Clearwater native is in Qingdao ,
China, making final preparations to compete in the Finn-
class sailing race on Aug. 9.
The race before the race
Bilirakis (R) de Palma (D) Dicks (D) Mitchell (D)
Three Democrats in the August primary fight
to run against Gus Bilirakis in November.
Congressional District 9
. See PRIMARY, 6
Setting his sights on the gold
At age 8 his dad put him in a sailing class to keep him out of trouble, now this 24-year-old is …
BY JACKIE ALEXANDER | Times Staff Writer
Only the top American sail-
or in the Finn, a heavyweight
single-man boat, gets an Olym-
pic berth. Railey will face a
field of 25 sailors from around
the world, including 2004 gold
medalist Ben Ainslie of Eng-
land and current world cham-
pion Jonas Hoegh-Christensen
of Denmark.
Railey said a dozen sailors
have the mettle to win one of the
three medals.
And he thinks he is one of
them.
• • •
Railey’s sailing career started
at age 8.
His father, Dan, said he was
sitting in the chair of the family
dentist.
“What are the children doing
for the summer?” dentist Pete
Crawford asked Dan Railey.
. See SAILING, 5
CLW St. Petersburg Times | Sunday, July 27, 2008 | 5
Today
Swap stories: The Tampa Bay
Storytellers Guild Story Swap
meets at 3 p.m. today and the
fourth Sunday of every month
at Park Station, 5851 Park Blvd.
Come and hear tall tales and
interesting yarns. The Story Swap
is free and open to anyone who
wants to listen or come and share
a story. Call Billie Noakes at (727)
647-8057.
‘The King and I’: This is the
last weekend for Rodgers and
Hammerstein’s opulent musical
The King and I, featuring fan-
favorite songs like Hello, Young
Lovers; Getting to Know You; and
the resounding Shall We Dance?
at the Tarpon Springs Perform-
ing Arts Center, 324 Pine St. The
show is 2 p.m. today . Tickets are
$18 for adults, $12 for students,
$16 for center members, reserved
seating. Call (727) 942-5605.
‘The Fantasticks’: The Eight
O’Clock Theatre presents The
Fantasticks, the classic musical
about two meddling, matchmak-
ing fathers who scheme to get
their children together, at 2 p.m.
today at the Largo Cultural Center,
105 Central Park Drive. Tickets are
$26 for adults, $16 for students
19 and younger, and $23.50 for
group rates. Call the box office at
(727) 587-6793.
Sunday bingo: Games start at
12:30 p.m. every Sunday at the
Knights of Columbus, 1251 San
Christopher Drive, Dunedin. Free
coffee and doughnuts with sign
in, hot dogs and sloppy joes $1.
Chips and drinks available. Smok-
ing and nonsmoking halls. Call
Jerry at (727) 216-3859.
Monday
Lacrosse camp: Boys ages 6-15
will learn how to play lacrosse at
a week-long camp from 8 a.m.
to noon Monday through Friday
at Canal Park, 3120 Tampa Road,
Oldsmar. Cost is $50 with a rec
card, $75 without. Bring a snack,
lunch and water. Register at
Cypress Forest Recreation Cen-
ter, 650 Pine Ave. N, Oldsmar,
call (813) 818-0149, or visit www.
ci.oldsmar.fl.us .
Family Movie Night: Bring the
family, relax in bean bag chairs
and watch a movie on Fam-
ily Movie Night at 6 p.m. in the
Largo Public Library’s Children’s
Program Room, 120 Central Park
Drive. Popcorn included. Call
(727) 587-6715.
Sing along: Palm Harbor Men’s
Barbershop Chorus meets at 6:45
p.m. Mondays at the Palm Harbor
Senior Activity Center, 1500 16th St.
Tenors, leads, baritones and bass-
es needed. Call (727) 771-6000.
Trace your roots: Free genealogy
help with volunteer genealogist
John Kiwala from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. at the Tarpon Springs Public
Library, 138 E Lemon St. Call (727)
943-4922.
Dixieland dance: The Bayside
Banjo Band plays Dixieland and
old-time songs from 7:30 to
9:30 p.m. every Monday at Ameri-
can Legion Post 7, 1760 Turner St.,
Clearwater. Call (727) 447-9204.
Tuesday
Gardening course: Learn Florida-
friendly landscape design and
maintenance principles from 6:30
to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Pinellas
County Extension, 12520 Ulmer-
ton Road, Largo. Classes also
offered Aug. 19 and Sept. 9 and
23. Tuition $15 per class. Call (727)
582-2673.
Dinner dance: Indulge your con-
tinental tastes with a pasta dinner
and dance from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
every Tuesday at the Italian Ameri-
can Club of Greater Clearwater,
200 McMullen Booth Road. $7
members, $9 nonmembers. The
Club also hosts dinner and danc-
ing from 6-10 p.m. every other
Saturday. $13 members, $16 non-
members. Call (727)791-8698.
Trace your roots: Free genealogy
assistance with volunteer gene-
alogist Ken Nichol from 10 a.m.-4
p.m. at the Tarpon Springs Public
Library, 138 E Lemon St. Call (727)
943-4922.
Double art openings: Dunedin
Fine Arts Center will host opening
receptions for “Wearable Art: The
Exhibition” and “Down the Rab-
bit Hole: Vivian Ruegger’s Alice
Project” from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at
1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin. Call
(727) 298-DFAC (3322) or visit
www.dfac.org.
Business advice: The Pinellas
chapter of SCORE will host a free
seminar on “Ten Steps to Starting
Your Own Business” at 7 p.m. at
Tarpon Springs Public Library, 138
E Lemon St. Register at the library
or call (727) 943-4922.
Out & About
Art explained
Special to the Times
Today
The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art offers a docent tour at
2 p.m. every Sunday. Meet in the lobby of the museum, which
is on the Tarpon Springs campus of St. Petersburg College, 600
Klosterman Road. Admission is free on Sundays. For information,
call (727) 712-5762.
Clearwater Times
>

tampabay.com for more Pinellas County news
Coast Guard Seaman Eric T.
Foster, brother of Derrio D. Fos-
ter of Largo, graduated from the
U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Train-
ing Center in Cape May, N. J.
During the eight-week pro-
gram, Foster completed a train-
ing curriculum consisting of aca-
demics and practical instruction
on water safety and survival, mil-
itary customs and courtesies,
seamanship skills, first aid, fire-
fighting and marksmanship .
Foster is a 1997 graduate of
Parker High School, Birming-
ham, Ala.
• • •
Airman 1st Class Blake T.
Borrack, a 2004 graduate of
Clearwater Central Catholic,
graduated from basic military
training at Lackland Air Force
Base, San Antonio, Texas.
During six
weeks of train-
ing, the airman
studied the Air
Force mission,
organization
and military
customs and
courtesies, per-
formed drill
and ceremony
marches and received physical
training, rifle marksmanship,
field training exercises and spe-
cial training in human relations.
He is the son of Ted Borrack of
Palm Harbor.
• • •
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca
S. Kaiser has retired from the
Navy after 24 years of military
service.
Prior to retiring, Kaiser was
the country director for Tajiki-
stan, U.S. Central Command at
MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa.
She is the daughter of John
and Tamara D. Badders of
Largo, and wife of Jack G. Kai-
ser Jr.
The lieutenant commander
graduated in 1980 from Largo
High, and received a bachelor’s
degree in 1984 from the Univer-
sity of Florida. She earned a mas-
ter’s degree in 1997 from the Uni-
versity of South Florida.
• • •
Army Pvt. Richard J. Bush,
son of Richard Bush Sr. of
Largo, graduated from basic
infantry training at Fort Ben-
ning, Columbus, Ga.
During nine weeks of training,
the soldier received training in
drill and ceremonies, weapons,
map reading, tactics, military
courtesy, military justice, physi-
cal fitness, first aid and Army his-
tory, core values and traditions.
Additional training included
development of basic combat
skills and battlefield operations
and tactics.
Military news
Borrack
. FIRE continued from 1
Zach Railey was playing base-
ball and tennis. He was a good
kid, but he had his run-ins with
his mom and dad, Dan Railey
said.
Crawford suggested the Rai-
leys send their three children to
sailing camp at the Clearwater
Yacht Club.
Zach fell in love the first day.
“It was the attraction of being
near the water that pulled me
toward sailing,” he said.
But his life changed in a
golden flash on a track far from
home.
In 1996, when Michael John-
son sprinted his way into history
with those golden shoes, Railey
stared in amazement along with
millions of other TV viewers
watching the Atlanta Olympics.
He called a meeting with his
parents. He was only 12, but he
announced his goal: the Olym-
pic Games.
In setting his sights high and
devoting his teenaged years to
sailing, Railey said he missed
out on movies with friends and
homecoming dances.
“I was so concentrated on my
sailing that I didn’t have a lot of
free time,” he said.
Railey graduated from Clear-
water High School and headed to
the University of Miami. He con-
tinued sailing while in college,
but not with the ’Canes. The col-
legiate boats were too small for
Railey, who stands 6 feet 4 and
weighed 215 pounds in college.
He graduated in May 2006 with
a degree in sports administra-
tion and business management
— tools Railey said have helped
him raise the money necessary to
continue his racing career.
His family, including sisters
Paige and Brooke, have been
there every step of the way.
Paige Railey, 21, also sails,
rising quickly in the ranks of
female Laser sailors. She quali-
fied as the alternate for the Bei-
jing Olympics. In 2006, the Inter-
national Sailing Federation and
Rolex named her women’s World
Sailor of the Year.
Her twin sister, Brooke, sailed
in her childhood, but now serves
as Railey’s anchor, grounding
him when necessary.
Zach Railey credits his mother,
Ann, with much of his success.
“She does everything we have
to have done behind the scenes
before we go on the water,” Rai-
ley said. “It’s her full-time job.”
Ann Railey said raising two
world-class athletes is simply
a matter of keeping organized,
which can be hard when her chil-
dren are on different continents
competing.
Zach Railey said he spends a
lot of time away from home, but
his natural friendliness helps
him along the way.
“It gets pretty lonely pretty
quick,” he said.
On the racing circuit, Railey
passes time with his competi-
tors, going out to dinner with
them and comparing schedules.
And because of his demand-
ing schedule, Railey, who is sin-
gle, said he rarely dates.
But when he does get a chance
to go home, Railey said he tries
to be as normal as possible.
“Outside of all this Olympics
stuff, yeah, I’m a normal guy,” he
laughed.
• • •
The Olympics will be anything
but normal. Only a few seconds
separate the winners from the
losers. Sometimes, it’s mere
inches.
But Railey said his plan is to
sail a focused, disciplined race.
“In sailing you have to be very
consistent,” he said. “You don’t
have to win every race to do well
in the regatta.”
Finn-class sailors are the big-
gest in the games. Light-wind
courses like Qingdao favor boats
that weigh less and make racing
tough.
“It’s a mental game for sure in
light wind,” said Railey, who has
dropped about 20 pounds to pre-
pare for the Olympics.
But Railey said he’s more than
ready. He follows a strict train-
ing regimen, starting with an
hour of cardio exercise in the
morning, three to five hours out
on the water and ending with
a two-hour session in the gym
before bed.
When he gets back from
China, Railey said he’s going to
take a few months off. He’ll start
with catching up with college
friends in Miami.
Then, his sights will be focused
on 2012 and another Olympic
berth.
“My sister and I are definitely
going again,” he said.
But first, he plans to come
home a winner.
Jackie Alexander can be reached at
[email protected] or (727)
445-4167.
. SAILING continued from 1
Setting his sights on the gold
departments could transport
some people to hospitals —
appeals to some local officials.
They’re ready to talk.
“It’s an opportunity for us
to sit down together and put
together a plan that works for
everyone,” Largo fire Chief
Mike Wallace said.
• • •
A few years ago, Marquis’
comments about consolida-
tion might have riled local
fire chiefs. But not now.
“I don’t know that consolida-
tion is a bad word from a gen-
eral perspective,” said Seminole
fire Chief Dan Graves, presi-
dent of Pinellas County Fire
Chiefs Association.
Chiefs have been talking
about the possibility of regional
consolidation, maybe grouping
area departments or smaller
departments with larger ones.
But despite being open to
some concessions on consoli-
dation, fire officials still oppose
creating one countywide fire
district, an idea floated time
and time again by county offi-
cials.
“If you were to look at mak-
ing Pinellas County one fire
department, you end up with
a money-guzzling behemoth,
kind of like the School Board,”
Graves said.
Fire chiefs say they felt the
concept was forced on them in
the past.
In 2005, as part of the county
charter review process, the
county asked for the third
update of a previous study on
fire service. That update found
that the county could save more
than $15-million a year by con-
solidating into one district.
But the chairman of the
review commission, Alan Bom-
stein, said such a system might
cost hundreds of millions to
implement if it required the
consolidated district to buy the
assets of the municipal depart-
ments.
• • •
Now fire officials say Mar-
quis and other county leaders
are making more of an effort
to include them in discussions
about fire service.
“It’s the first time I’ve heard
a willingness to discuss the
transport issue at his level. It’s
the first time I’ve heard the
consolidation talk go from all
or nothing to a more concep-
tually practical approach,” said
St. Petersburg fire Chief James
Large.
“Nobody until now wanted
to be a partner in trying to fix
this,” Graves said. “The winds
are changing and the county
administration has some new
people and they’re very inter-
ested in trying to fix it.”
While both sides appear in a
mood to compromise, Graves
acknowledged that there may
be some past animosity to work
through.
“You can’t take years of get-
ting beat up and turn that off
in one day,” Graves said. “We’re
moving in a good direction,
but I’m sure there’s going to be
some speed bumps.”
Lorri Helfand can be reached at
[email protected] or (727)
445-4155.
“It’s an opportunity
for us to sit down
together and put
together a
plan that
works for
everyone.”
Mike
Wallace,
Largo fire
chief
“Nobody until now wanted to
be a partner in trying to fix this.
The winds are changing and
the county administration has
some new people and they’re very
interested in trying to fix it.”
Dan Graves, president of Pinellas County Fire
Chiefs Association
Consolidate fire
departments?
HappĔ Hoār has beeh eētehded
Cālf & BaĔ
eđerĔ FridaĔ
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