Metro I-4 News

You are browsing the archives of 2008 February.

The Detroit Tigers officially open spring training today with a game against the New York Mets. The weather won’t e as warm as yesterday, but hopefully we’ll have no rain.

The Mets are bringing their A team to the game today. Unfortunately, I mean their Single-A team. MLB requires spring training teams take at least five players from the major league roster to every away game. That’s exactly what the Mets are doing today: Ryan Church,Ramon Castro, Pedro Feliciano, Jorge Sosa and Mike Pelfrey are the MLB players scheduled to appear in Lakeland.

When you go to the park be prepared for a couple of changes: parking went up to $7 and don’t try to turn left onto Lakeland Hills Blvd. from Al Kaline. That’s a right turn only now. You can solve both problems by getting to the game early and parking at the church at the corner of Grenada and Lakeland Hills. Parking there was just a $3 donation last year.

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For those who read Lakeland Local on email or through a feed…remember there all all kinds of spring training maps and links on our home page special Spring Training column.

“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge — myth is more potent than history — dreams are more powerful than facts — hope always triumphs over experience — laughter is the cure for grief — love is stronger than death.”
Robert Fulghum

Longtime WTSP-10 chief meterologist Dick Fletcher passed away early this morning. He had been hospitalized since suffering a stroke February 18, and he had not been responding to treatment as doctors and friends had hoped. The station announced Mr. Fletcher’s passing on it’s Website, noting that his wife, Cindy, and members of his family were with him.

Here in the I4J household, our thoughts are with Dick Fletcher’s family, friends, and co-workers.
RIP, old friend.

The station is announcing that the family is asking that instead of flowers, please consider a gift to one of two educational foundations of which “Fletch” was especially fond of:

The Dick Fletcher Memorial Fund:
Pinellas Educational Foundation
12090 Starkey Road
Largo, Florida 33773

The Dick Fletcher Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of South Florida:
The University Scholarship Fund
Attn: Julie Benson
4202 East Fowler Avenue - CPR 107
Tampa, Florida 33620

Please make sure you place the appropriate fund name on the check.

Tampa Bay’s 10 long time weatherman Dick Fletcher has passed away. The 65-year-old meteorologist had a stroke on Feb. 18, and died this morning.
He joined WTSP in 1980, and has been a significant part of this community since then.
Eric Deggans has more information, including where and how to make memorial donations in Fletcher’s name.
Two [...]

Yes, it’s true. Starbucks will close today from 5 pm to 8:30 pm. Evidently it’s time for a little retraining.

In an effort to help those who need coffee to navigate I-4 at rush hour, Dunkin’ Donuts will offer 99-cent small lattes, cappuccinos and espresso drinks today from 1 pm until 9:30.

I’m not including a map of all Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donut shops. The afternoon drive is too wired as it is.

This information has been presented as public service announcement. With caffeine.

Far be it for me to criticize a Ledger article, but what were they thinking with the piece headlined Proposed Rail Facility Is ‘In the Middle of Nowhere? You might have missed it since it ran in the East Polk news section of the paper. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Consumer advocate and corporate critic Ralph Nader announced his intent to run for President as the Green Party candidate on this morning’s chat show “Meet the Press”.
Many people would say that his candidacy eight years ago gave the election to George W. Bush, and I would say that if he continues — which would be Nader’s third campaign for the White House — he has a very real chance of doing it again, this time to the likely GOP nominee-apparant John McCain. Many national polls are showing that regardless of if the eventual Democratic nominee will be Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, a face-to-face showing would be very close against the McCain, and if Nader enters the fray, he vote total will be very small but enough to solidify a GOP victory.

C’mon, Friends: Does ANYONE truly believe that ANY third party candidate can win the nation’s highest office, especially Nader? The man seems to be so full of himself that he’s come to truly believe that he is America’s great saviour. He did a lot of good for a lot of people “back in the day”, but it seems as though he’ll end up as the butt of late night jokes on network and cable TV. Nader needs to come to the realization that should now be obvious to the Ron Pauls, Mike Huckabees, and Alan Keyes of the world: The chance of their winning the White House is zero, so the best they all can do is simply go back to their day job and stop chasing this far-fetched dream.

Here are quotes from the Democratic presidential candidates in reaction to Nader’s announcement:

“I don’t know what to say. Wow, that’s really unfortunate. I remember when he did this before. It’s not good for anybody, especially our country…I didn’t know that he had said that this morning. Obviously it’s not helpful to whoever our Democratic nominee is. But it’s a free country…you know his being on the Green Party prevented Al Gore from being the greenest president we’ve ever had.”

— U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D - NY)

“Ralph Nader deserves enormous credit for the work he did as a consumer advocate, but his function as a perennial candidate is not putting food on the table of workers…He seems to have a pretty high opinion of his own work…”

“I think his view is if, unless it’s Ralph Nader, that you’re not tough enough. I mean that’s been his view. He thought that there was no difference between Al Gore and George Bush, and eight years later, I think people realize that Ralph did not know what he was talking about, and so, I mean honestly I’m, at this point, obviously much more concerned with winning the Democratic primary than I am to responding to those issues.”

U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D - IL)

Anyone who watches American Idol will know that singer/dancer and judge Paula Abdul rarely says anything negative regarding a contestant’s performance, no matter how much of a flop he or she is.

We saw a touch of that Paula Abdul attitute Friday from Florida’s senior U.S. Senator, Bill Nelson, when he appeared before the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club. Speaking only a day or so after The New York Times printed an article stating that Republican presidential nominee-apparant and fellow senator John McCain had a especially close relationship with and did favours for a female lobbyist, Nelson endorsed his friend and collegue as a man of integrity.

But the Democrat, not wanting to give the impression that he was somehow favouring McCain’s candidacy, made sure he also mentioned U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the two main candidates in his own party’s race for the White House.

As noted by the St. Petersburg Times‘ political blog The Buzz, Nelson responded to a question from a Times executive this way:

“All three of them are people of great integrity…My personal opinion is that any one of the three would make a good president.”

Cue Ryan Seacrest and bring up the Idol theme music…

We have the latest in Lakeland crime maps over at our sister site, Lakeland Crime. As usual, thanks to the Lakeland Police Department for the information.

You can always get the latest crime maps delivered by email or in your feedreader.

There is a RaceTrac convenience store on U.S. 98 North near my apartment that I shop at nearly every morning, and while I am not allowed to drive in Florida due to health issues, I make a point to check the price of gas. During the past two weeks, I’ve noticed the cost there — usually one of the less expensive stores in North Lakeland — has shot up nearly 20 cents. Of course, everyone else has raised their prices as the cost for a barrel of oil jumped to nearly $100 a barrel before heading down slightly.

When one considers the voices predicting gas prices to continue heading upward — the latest Lundberg Survey suggests prices will reach as high as $3.50 a gallon for regular by summer — one alternative will likely be for people to discover mass transit.

In Polk County, we have the Lakeland Area Mass Transit System, which manages the Citrus Connection here and also operates Winter Haven Area Transit under contract with the city. Many of us who ride regularly have complaints: A couple of routes (especially the Winter Haven-to-Lakeland and the U.S. 98/Duff Road runs) are constantly late, the system needs to operate later, the drivers need to be trained in customer service, and it needs to better promote it’s various pass options and make it more convenient for customers to purchase.

Those things said, the bus option is something that more people should consider. While some advance planning is usually needed, the savings to the pocketbook could be substantial. You’ll usually get to meet some interesting people, too!

You hear the numbers on the news. Banks and mortgage companies counting revenues lost. Economists writing about recession, upticks, and downturns.

Suzanne is moving to Lakeland. She knows the story firsthand:

We’ve all heard about the astronomical numbers of foreclosures currently clogging our courts. All over the US, people are in dire straights and losing their homes. Folks, count us in those numbers. Today, I’m going to tell you our story to put a face on what is happening everywhere. - Suzanne Sez

ABC NEWS / This Week with George Stephanopoulos: There has been a LOT more than politics to talk about this week, with Fidel’s stepping aside in Cuba (sort of), the electoral defeat of Pakastiani President Pervez Musharraf, and the storming of the American embassy in Serbia. On to discuss all that…and, of course, politics, two members of the U.S. Senate leadership: Joe Biden (D - DE) and Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R - TX). And, as usual, there will be a discussion of politics at the roundtable with E.J. Dionne, Jr. of the Washington Post, Cokie Roberts of ABC News, Wall Street Journal columnist and author Peggy Noonan, and conservative columnist George Will of the Washington Post Writers Group.

BAY NEWS 9 / Political Connections: Bay News 9 no longer provides advance notice of who the guests or topics will be for Political Connections.

CBS NEWS / Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer: As of Saturday morning the guests and topics have not been announced. We have to assume they simply forgot.

FOX NEWS / Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace: Today, a look at who the presidential candidates could select as their vice presidential running mates. Four governors will discuss the possibilities, including if they could make the cut: Tim Pawlenty (R - MN), Mark Sanford (R - SC), Tim Kaine (D - VA), and Jon Corzine (D - NJ). After the interviews, the weekly roundtable discussion featuring Fox News Washington Managing Editor Brit Hume, Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard, and Juan Williams and Mara Liasson of National Public Radio.

NBC NEWS / Meet the Press with Tim Russert: Could he actually run for president yet again??? Veteran consumer activist and three time candidate Ralph Nader could answer that question during his visit with Tim. Then a political roundtable featuring NPR All Things Considered co-host Michelle Norris, NBC News Political Unit Director Chuck Todd, presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, and New York Times columnist David Brooks.

SYNDICATED / The Chris Matthews Show: The questions for this week: With the important primaries in Texas and Ohio coming up a week from Tuesday, can Hillary possibly take the nomination without winning both? And will John McCain’s clean image survive the story in the New York Times questioning his relationship with a female lobbyiest? The panelists: HDNet Global Correspondent Dan Rather, Gloria Borger of U.S. News & World Report, MSNBC Chief Washington Correspondent Norah O’Donnell, and Newsweek Chief Political Correspondent Howard Fineman.

WEDU-TV 3 / Florida This Week with Rob Lorei: WEDU does not provide advance notice of the panelists or subjects to be discussed.

WFTS-TV 28 / Flashpoint with Brendan McLaughlin: Oops! It’s late Saturday morning, and Brendan apparantly forgot to post who his guest or subjects would be!

Flu and deadlines have kept me from pointing out some recent articles in the always fun “main steam media.”

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You must read Fasano has concerns about CSX proposal

Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, told the Buzz this morning he has “concerns” over the proposed $490-million deal that would have the state buying rail lines from CSX, and over proposed legislation that would exempt CSX from any liability as they operate.

Don’t miss the comments:

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Yesterday Billy Townsend, re-introduced Polk County to the fine readers of the Tampa Tribune:

You know Polk’s rap.

It’s the county of oranges, phosphate mountains and trailer parks. It’s where they spread hepatitis through meth use, once elected a white supremacist sheriff, and often find themselves in perp walks on Orlando or Tampa Bay TV.

If that lead doesn’t convince you to read his story, you’re a lifelong Lakeland resident and consider that old news. Townsend takes a good look into the perception though. (Read his blog for a point that didn’t make it into the article.)

Three years ago, when I was looking to move here, I made a few inquiries about Lakeland. I didn’t hear about the sheriff, but meth was mentioned. However, I was moving from the Northern meth capital and it didn’t seem to be a big change. I heard much more about how boring I’d find life in Lakeland.

Well, if Lakeland is boring, I don’t want to be excited. I like life here. I’m just afraid we’re in a rush to join Tampa or Orlando.

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“There’s an old police saying,” Judd said. “No people, no problems; a few people, a few problems; a lot of people, a lot of problems.”

Who knew Sheriff Grady Judd was so hip? That had to be a reference to The Notorious B.I.G’s most famous quote, “The more money you make, the more problems you get.”

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Remember when Wired noticed Polk County? Well, they’ve kept an eye on Florida. Their blogger, Brandon Keim, was pleased with this week’s Florida Board of Education vote:

The 4-3 vote was obtained by including a last-minute amendment to the standards. Suggested last Friday by religious conservatives and dubbed the “academic freedom proposal,” the amendment required that the curriculum’s references to “evolution” be replaced by the “scientific theory of evolution.”

The amendment’s supporters called the language change a victory — and it is, though not in the way they imagine.

Not only will Florida’s students learn about evolution; they’ll also learn that the scientific definition of a theory is different from the everyday definition, referring not to wild-eyed speculation but to a vast body of observation and testing that confirms a hypothesis so strongly that it might as well be considered fact.

A big thank-you, then, to religious critics of evolution education. The language change will better help Florida’s children understand not only evolution, but science itself.

How many times have you heard or watched a Polk County Sheriff cruiser zoom down the road lights ablaze? Now, how many times have you wondered what was their destination? Or who were they chasing?

You could buy a scanner to listen to their calls or you could surf over to Scan Polk County, That site present live and recorded radio communication from the Polk County Sheriffs Office and Fire/Rescue calls. It’s a labor of love from an unknown Polk County resident who hooks up a scanner to the Net and a Georgia resident who hosts the hardware for Scan Polk County and 11 sister sites.

There is a handy chat room to discuss current events and police business. A link to the Polk County Dispatch and Status Codes so you understand the lingo. They even maintain links to interesting articles about police business and crimes.

I know I couldn’t leave the scanner on as background music, but it will be useful the next time we have a major crime event. I wonder if someone has plans to add Lakeland Police Department?

I mentioned here Tuesday that WTSP-10 Chief Meterologist Dick Fletcher was hospitalized after suffering a stroke at his St. Petersburg home, his second in nearly five years. The last time, the man known by friends as “Fletch” recovered quickly and returned to work within three weeks.

If you live in or keep up with events here in Polk County, there is a must-read front page article from today’s Tampa Tribune for your consideration. It is written by the paper’s Polk reporter Billy Townsend, who also does a Polk County News Blog on tbo.com.

The piece focuses on how several major news events which have occured during a six week period in December and January play into longstanding perceptions that some people tend to have about our area.

I’ve been here since 1990, and have heard them all. Polk County is pictured by some as a Mayberry-esque place, filled with Jed Clampett-type simpletons where the streets are rolled up at sunset…if not a bunch of meth-filled thugs in a lawless enviroment.

All wrong.

While maybe 30 years or so ago Polk may have been a place with little more than phosphate mines, citrus groves, and Cypress Gardens, it has come a long way since then. My question is this: What kind of job have we done in telling the story of Polk County and it’s quality of life today? Certainly we are not at the level of a Tampa or Orlando in many areas, but our county has much to brag about.

One problem tends to be with the Central Florida media. For example, it is very rare that you see a feature on either the Tampa/St. Petersburg or Orlando/Daytona Beach television stations focusing on an event or person from Polk, and only two TV stations (WFLA-8 and WTVT-13) even bother basing a reporter here. That is an area that needs to be addressed.

But the main job in improving our image needs to start right here at home.

Thanks for bringing it up, Billy! Great job!