Jackie Alexander Portfolio

Lawmaker criticizes fellow Democrats’ politicking at Raytheon meetings. 3B

Forward thinking 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 opportunities for grownup goofing off. One is Summer Camp, a phrase that takes on a whole different meaning at Studio@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 Orlando on Friday through July 29 for the National Scrabble Championship. Live coverage can be found at www2. scrabble-assoc.com.

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Can they take the calories out of cake? Three performers associated 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 Jagger, whose superpower is simply being Mick Jagger, turns 65. By Colette Bancroft, Times staff writer, cbancroft@sptimes. com or (727) 893-8435.

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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 foreign 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 governor. 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.”

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Troubled dad, deadly end With debts and eviction looming, the man calls 911 and dies in a shootout with police. BY JACKIE ALEXANDER, RITA FARLOW AND DOUG CLIFFORD

Times Staff Writers

PINELLAS PARK — From inside his Shadow Run apartment, 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 neighbor, 44-year-old Dallas Carter, stepped out of his apartment, a pistol and a rifle in hand, to confront the police. ••• Pinellas Park police came to Shadow Run Apartments at

12001 Belcher Road, apartment B28, after a caller told a 911 dispatcher at 10:58 p.m. that he was disturbed and armed with a .40caliber 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 various directions. Soon afterward, the children ran from the apartment. At 11:32 p.m. Carter came out of his apartment with the guns pointing at officers in the breezeway, according to police. The officers

Gulf monitors gauge potential for disaster Antennas Lightning arresters

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.

* * * * Monday, July 21, 2008

Meterological instruments: Barometric pressure Relative humidity Air temperature Wind speed and direction

12-volt rechargable battery

But a loss of funding soon could make it difficult to find equipment and staff to keep the wind and wave sensors operating.

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.

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.

BY CURTIS KRUEGER | Times Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG

A

fierce wind, a blanket of fog, rain spraying like bullets. ¶ The sudden 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 off 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 sensors, 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 off the Tampa Bay area’s shores. . See MONITOR, 7B

Mooring chain

Anchor

Sources: Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System, University of South Florida/College of Marine Science; buoy illustration by Rick Cole

Times

ordered him to drop his weapons. When he did not, three officers 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. .

See SHOOTOUT, 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 complex financial puzzle that routinely requires a dizzying combination of grants, loans and money earmarked for retirement. “It’s crazy,” said Trisha Brewton, 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 business, 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, Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, has lessened its reliance 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, scholarships, 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 mortgage 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 Billie Jo Hamilton, director of student financial aid at the Univer.

See COLLEGE, 5B

For All-Star Josh Hamilton, bay area has much to offer 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 prospects. I say we offer the Rangers … … the ring Charlie Crist gave Carol Rome (he can get another one). … Debra Lafave and Stepha-

ERNEST HOOPER [email protected]

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 haircut 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 desalination 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.

****

From the front page>

St. Petersburg Times | Monday, July 21, 2008 |

7B

tampabay.com for the latest news

. MONITOR continued from 1B

Monitors gauge disaster potential Based at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg, the systems can provide instant information 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 precarious thread,” Luther said. ••• Giant freighters chug under the Skyway bridge, and follow the 600-foot wide shipping channel that extends for miles up Tampa bay to the Port of Tampa. Some of the ships are two football 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 thermometers, sensors, wind 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, tracking the movement of fish larvae and evaluating flooding dangers, Luther said. “It’s a system that provides real-time environmental information for better-informed decisionmaking on all aspects of what people do in and around the water,” he said.

Coast. “It’s a wonderful resource,” Butcher said, because the data from stations on or near shore allow him to fine-tune information about nearby storms that he already receives from the National Hurricane Center and Pinellas County. The system is not just for emergency 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 complex 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 Sanibel. “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 federal reluctance to approve “earmarked” 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 sensors 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) 8938232.

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.

. SHOOTOUT continued from 1B

Troubled dad dies in shootout The children are in the custody 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 disabling back injury that forced him to use a cane to get around, they 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 network that monitors wind and water up and down Florida’s Gulf

“He always talked about needing 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 shooting, 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 anonymously, 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 doting 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.” Neighbor L aura Miller 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 6year-old son, George, as gunfire 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.”

A better, bolder Taste

In the know

• 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

SEN. KENNEDY DIAGNOSED WITH BRAIN CANCER The prognosis for the second-longest serving U.S. senator is not good, although doctors report that he is walking and hasn’t suffered any more seizures. Times 2, 4A

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Rally in Tampa today

For Rays late score, see tampabay.com

Get there early if you want to park and get a seat inside the St. Pete Times Forum. Tips, 5A

The Tampa Bay Rays played a late-night game in Oakland on Tuesday night. For the result and details on the game, see our coverage at rays.tampabay.com.

* * * * Wednesday, May 21, 2008

F L O R I D A ’ S B E S T N E W S PA P E R

The delegate leader

Clinton wins big in Kentucky, but Obama claims a majority of pledged delegates. 5A

Winning here won’t come easy to Obama

Yamaguchi wins ‘Dancing’ finale Figure skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi becomes the first woman to win Dancing With the Stars since the show’s first season in 2005. Hollywood, 2A

Likely Civil War relic found in Hillsborough

Times Staff Writers

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 gaming, but likely will appeal to the company’s core demographic: everyone else. Business, 5B

Getty Images

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama speaks to a crowd at a rally recently in Eugene, Ore. He will be in Florida today.

BY ADAM C. SMITH | Times Political Editor

Our columnists dish out advice

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 overcome 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:

Carolyn Hax, Dear Abby and Action Line weigh in on picking up the check, hair loss and some hot cotton candy. Inside BayLink, Section F

check out the comics 3F, 4F, & INSIDE BACK PAGES

TODAY’S WEATHER

 
 
  
 










20% rain chance.

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Hispanic voters

Jewish voters

Uncounted votes

North Florida

McCain is a proven votegetter among Hispanics, who could account for 15 percent of the electorate. Obama has struggled to win over Hispanics in places like California and Texas, and unlike Clinton, he has no history with Florida’s diverse Hispanic community. On tap: Town hall meeting today in Orlando targeting nonCuban Hispanics. Also, he’s speaking Friday to the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami.

Republicans have been cutting into this once overwhelmingly Democratic bloc, which is about 5 percent of Florida’s electorate. Obama has to contend with an Internet smear campaign depicting him as a closet Muslim, bad for Israel and the preferred candidate of Hamas. On tap: Campaigning with Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, including a stop with Jewish voters in Palm Beach County.

Many Clinton supporters remain genuinely livid about Obama refusing to acknowledge votes from Florida’s disputed primary. “He’s dug his heels in the sand, and it’s hurting him here,’’ said Millie Herrera, a Clinton supporter who leads the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida. On tap: Rally Friday night in Broward County, a Clinton stronghold.

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.

Memorial Day is just around the corner, and you might want to picnic in a park. Find one near you in our new Attractions search at events.tampabay.com.

BY DAVID ADAMS F

Etc

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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-

Astrology

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Lottery

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Classified

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Movies

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Puzzles

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Comics Crosswords Editorials

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Television

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Vol. 124 No. 302 © Times Publishing Co.

tad, libertad” from the crowd of 400. There was little new in what McCain said, except he pledged that he would “vigorously 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. .

See MCCAIN, 2A

See SWEEP, 8A

The new ‘look’ for Vietnam: helmets

A Times editorial outlines Floridians’ concerns. Opinion, 12A

BY SUSAN TAYLOR MARTIN

GOP hopeful urges democracy and extension of embargo.

INDEX

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Questions for Obama

McCain swipes at Obama over U.S. policy on Cuba

Grillin’ and chillin’

CLEARWATER — The Federal Trade Commission zeroed in on Pinellas County as a hotbed for fraudulent telemarketing schemes Tuesday as it announced the largest telemarketing 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 MasterCard, 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 Clearwater, American Financial Card Inc. of Largo (formerly Capital Finan-

Everybody, it seems, rides scooters. And head gear is the law.

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Abby

Three telemarketers are sued, accused of misrepresenting the credit cards they sold. BY HELEN HUNTLEY AND JACQUELINE ALEXANDER

A marine archaeologist thinks he has found what’s left of the Kate Dale, a Confederate ship, sitting on the bottom of the Hillsborough River. Tampa Bay, 1B

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FTC raid snags Pinellas outfits

Associated Press

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, visits Cafe Versailles while campaigning in Miami on Tuesday.

Times Senior Correspondent

HANOI, Vietnam — For centuries, Vietnamese have worn the non la, the distinctive conical 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 helmet. In a country gone crazy over motorbikes and motor scooters, Vietnamese have shown remarkable compliance with a new law requiring all drivers and passengers to don helmets. “I think when you wear a helmet it is for your safety,” says Lam Thanh Manh, a 23-year-old deliveryman 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 developing nations, motorbikes have .

See SCOOTERS, 10A

8A

| Wednesday, May 21, 2008 | St. Petersburg Times

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Nation >

tampabay.com for more national news

. SWEEP continued from 1A

. EMOTION continued from 1A

FTC raid snags Pinellas companies Emotion erupts as Avoiding scams Protect yourself from telemarketing fraud: •Get all offers in writing and read them carefully before giving someone your credit card or bank account number. •Watch out for common scams such as lotteries, free trips, credit offers and work-at-home opportunities. •Put your phone number on the government’s donot-call list by going to www.donotcall.gov or calling toll-free 1-888-382-1222.

On the Web For more on scams and how to avoid them, go to money.tampabay.com

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 Clearwater, American Financial Card Inc. of Largo (formerly Capital Financial Inc.) and principals Jeffrey Deering, Richard Guarino and John Buschel Jr. The company is still operating and says the three men no longer work there. • Integrity Financial Enterprises LLC of Clearwater, which also did business as Infinite Financial and National Benefit Exchange; National Benefit Exchange Inc. of Indian Rocks Beach and officer Robert James Fischbach. The company could not be reached.

• Financial Advisors and Associates 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 “Operation 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 Financial Card scheme alone defrauded 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 simple 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 consumers. Half of the 180 cases the FTC cited were in Florida, brought by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner 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 County Department of Justice and Consumer Services, the Clearwater Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Helen Huntley can be reached at [email protected] or (727) 893-8230.

911 tape is played in the morning. A prosecutor 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 Attorney 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 “spectator” to the crime. He didn’t say who he thought killed Stewart. He asked jurors to scrutinize the testimony of Brittani Stewart, who married her husband in February 2007, but began a sexual relationship with Blackwelder soon after. She continued that relationship and indicated 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. Blackwelder,” 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.

Timothy Blackwelder is on trial for first-degree murder for the death of George Stewart.

“He better not step one foot in this house,” Stewart said. The operator urged him to be patient. “Don’t do anything stupid,” 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 followed. “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. Stewart 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 vulnerable to appeal. The judge refused outright Littman’s request for Joshua Stewart 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 hurting,” she said. “He lost his only brother.” Colleen Jenkins can be reached at [email protected] or (813) 2263337.


 
 
            


               
   

University Board of Governors to push for more power today. 3B

HOWARD TROXLER

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[email protected]

Drilling? Maybe. Florida? No way.

G

asoline that costs $4 a gallon is the wrong reason for Florida to change its mind about offshore oil drilling. Offshore oil drilling is a long-term proposition. It is not going to do much about our short-term pain of $4-agallon gasoline — it will not keep it from $5, or $6. Neither is this election-year stuff about U.S. “energy independence” 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 abandoning a firm bipartisan consensus against offshore drilling that has governed this state for decades. John McCain, the Republican 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 reasons. They are sloganeering reasons. They are short-term, political exploitation. Is there a case for expanding 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 comprehensive 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 Petroleum 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 balanced 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 shortterm political clamor. The tradeoffs that Florida faces today are the same as always — the same that led every previous leader, Republican 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 independence.” Florida is too special to sell out its coast for a royalty 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.

* * * * Thursday, June 19, 2008

| 1B

In 8 years, 100 babies saved Group works to make sure people know where to take unwanted newborns. BY MARIANA MINAYA

Times Staff Writer

The young woman standing at the door of East Lake Fire Station No. 56 needed help. Do fire stations still take unwanted babies? Yes, said Lt. Doug Stryjewski, 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 Newborns 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 numerous 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. Florida recently expanded its law to allow mothers to leave babies up to 7 days old without fear of criminal 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 .

See SAFE, 8B

Fire rips through condos

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

Trump builders file for Chap. 11 The developers of the stymied condos owe up to $50-million. BY JAMES THORNER

Times Staff Writer

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.

One resident of the Largo complex is hurt; dozens are left homeless. 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 downstairs, 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 covered 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 Wallace said firefighters responding to a report of a porch fire found the unit’s roof ablaze. Firefighters focused on evac.

See FIRE, 5B

JOSEPH GARNETT JR. | Times

Investigators with the Largo Fire Department and the Largo Police Department sift through the debris after the fire.

Harried by creditors and lashed by lawsuits, the developers 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 bankruptcy all but ensures the luxury skyscraper is a long shot. Bankruptcy papers filed Tuesday 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 Ashley 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 crowning 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 .

.

Talk of the Bay YBOR CITY SITE PICKED FOR OBAMA CAMPAIGN Officials with the Barack Obama campaign 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 Centro Ybor,” said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, who cochairs Obama’s Florida campaign. 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 American 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 another Aryan Nations leader, Charles Tate. A June 14 story about the Sons of Confederate Veterans identified the bride’s father incorrectly.

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 Archstone 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 waterfront 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 Commission has made it illegal to feed brown pelicans, which can become so dependent on humans that they abandon their winter migration patterns. The law, which takes effect July 2 and makes the act a second-degree misdemeanor, is directed at large operations like fish houses that dispose 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.

See TRUMP, 5B

Crist recovering after operation on ailing knee It’s from an old high school football injury. Gov. Crist “overextended his knee violently,” said his father, Dr. Charles Crist.

BY JENNIFER LIBERTO

Times Staff Writer

Gov. Charlie Crist’s weak left knee forced him to give up governing 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. Petersburg 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 surprise. 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 radiologist Dr. Manuel Rose at his Palm Harbor office late Tuesday night .

See CRIST, 5B

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ND@G>kaw…qȸazjȸMkqabrwrê …a…r{zȸ3kz…kƴȸ1{zȸrzȸKkƒ€Šk @ƒwk„ȸD8„ȸqkȸkw{da…kjȸ…{ȸO{Š…q Dkrjaz„ȸ3R„ȸrzȸÛʨľʨȸazjȸ…{ O…ƴȸKk…kƒbŠoȸrzȸÛʨͧͧƴȸ>k ƒk‹kjȸľȜȸ‘kaƒȸrzȸ…qkȸSƴOƴ Ga‹‘ȸjŠrzoȸVV@@ƴȸ>kȸrƒȸƒŠê ‹r‹kjȸb‘ȸqrƒȸrmkȸ{mȸǬÛȸ‘kaƒ„ Drwwrdkz…ȸRq{y|vrzƒŐȸjaŠoq…k„ 3qrƒ…rzkȸ<Šaȸ{mȸVawwrzom{j„ 3RŐȸƒrƒ…k„ȸZkwyaȸVroq…ȸ{m >arzkƒȸ3r…‘ŐȸɰȸoazjdqrwjkzŐ Ǭȸoka…êoazjdqrwjkzƴȸKkê jkdkaƒkjȸb‘ȸqrƒȸƒ{z„ȸMrdqaj 5ƴȸR{y|vrzƒƴ -^^gȷ-iiw}f]^sgȷ0}gu]w} ʙÙįèBɯľƓ 
    


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UD>D@€ȷ@]}rȷI]uwvf ʙį„ȸ{mȸ<Šwm|{…„ȸjrkjȸAŠzkȸÛǬƴ OŠ‹r‹kjȸb‘ȸb{…qkȸOd{……„ ƒrƒ…kȸ5razkȸazjȸyaz‘ȸzrkdkƒ azjȸzk|qkƒƴȸHbr…ǣ<Škƒ…b{{v a…ȸja‹rjdo{ƒƒƴd{y 2]‡nfȷ0Ƴȷ8}wȷ7†vg}]sȷ:wug

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continued from 1B

Bankruptcy for Trump developers 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 speculators keen on quick returns, began to drop off. The partnership fractured in May 2007 when Trump, frustrated by unpaid licensing fees, sued SimDag. The parties are in mediation. Tuesday’s bankruptcy filing listed creditors with the 20 largest claims, but a more exhaustive list is due in about two weeks. SimDag has already refunded half of some buyers’ deposits.

Condo fire A fire on Wednesday morning destroyed five units in a building at the Belleair Oaks condominium complex. Indian Ave N.

Belleair Oaks condominium

20th St. NW


    



    


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Remembering >

St. Petersburg Times | Thursday, June 19, 2008 |

Ind

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. 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 battled 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 broken 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 contributed to this report. Jackie Alexander 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 needed 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 governor’s press office. The meniscus 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 anticipates a very expeditious recovery,” said Crist spokeswoman Erin Isaac. Times Staff Writer Steve Bousquet contributed to this story.

Largo Times >

pinellas.tampabay.com for more Pinellas County news

JIM DAMASKE | Times

Before Wednesday, Wilma W Bayer, 81, had all she needed. Now it’s all gone, including g Maxie, her beloved pet parrot.

EAMONN KNEESHAW | Special to the Times

Residents said they had only moments to scramble to safety as a fire ripped through their condominiums Wednesday.

Fire survivor puts focus on recovery Wilma Bayyer, 81, lost everything — even Maxie, her talking parrot. But she can’t think about that. BY JACKIE ALEXANDER

Times Staff Writer

Before Wednesday morning, m Wilma Bayer had everything she needed. Maxie, her talking parrot, p kept her company while she watched herr Charlton Heston movie collection. But Wednesday nigh ht, a fire ripped through her condominium at Beelleair Oaks. Maxie is dead. Inch hes of ash cover Bayer’s belongings. “Now, this” is the on nly thing she has left, she said, looking down at her broken and bruised body. Bayer, 81, whom po olice officers pulled out of her burning condo, suffered a broken shoulder, injured back and d smoke inhalation. She is just one of 30 resideents trying to piece their lives back together afteer the early-morning fire destroyed five condos aand left 11 uninhabitable at 1975 West Bay Drive in i Largo. “When I heard the p pounding on the door, I was half asleep,” she saiid. 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.

8

| Sunday, June 22, 2008 | St. Petersburg Times

R

LAR

As she struggled to get out of bed, she fell and crawled through the smoke-filled condo. Bayer said she could hear people, but she just wanted to sleep. “I wanted to lie down and get away from everything,” she said. The American Red Cross is working with several 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 friend she 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.

“There’s never gooing to be another Maxie.”

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 building’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 determined yet.” 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 room Friday. The hospital has a clothes closet to help disaster victims like Bayer. “We have everything you need,” he told her. 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 think about 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 them so dramatic.” Jackie Alexander can be reached at jdalexander@ sptimes.com or (727) 445-4167.

Wilma Bayer, fire victim who lost everything, referring to her parrot. LAR

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St. Petersburg Times | Sunday, June 22, 2008 |

9

Walk. Run. Swim. Pick an event and get out there. Sports, Page 4

In the know CLEARWATER

BLOCKBUSTER THIEF STILL FREE; POLICE NEED TIPS A robber with a knife handcuffed 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.

pinellas.tampabay.com

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

CLW

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 environmental lands. The commission voted to hold a public hearing Aug. 5 on a proposed charter amendment that would be on the ballot in November. 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 environmental lands. At that Aug. 5 hearing, commissioners could decide whether to go forward with the amendment. “Hopefully, this will pass and this conversation can be put to rest once and for all,” Commissioner Susan Latvala said. Latvala first proposed an ordi-

nance to protect park and environmental lands after an uproar from environmentalists about projects the county had proposed in the Brooker Creek Preserve. But last year the commission scrapped the ordinance in favor of a charter amendment. If the amendment is passed as now written, county commissioners 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.

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 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 investigation by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Friedlander, who was released from jail Tuesday after posting $20,000 bail, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

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.

Belleair Causeway to close for 24 hours The idea is to decrease future one-lane closures during construction.

.

BY THE NUMBERS

1.5 miles Total project length

2,748,741

Pounds of reinforcing steel

21,937 Cubic yards of concrete 3,350 feet Length of main bridge 100 feet Horizontal navigational clearance

TARPON SPRINGS

SCORE with a free business seminar Thinking about starting a small business? Members 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

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, project 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 proposed by the project contractor to reduce future traffic delays caused by construction. “While this closure is a temporary inconvenience, it will significantly decrease the need for future one-lane closures on the relief bridge,” Horrnik said. “The 24-hour closure will keep con-

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”

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 environment. 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 likens it to a slow rocket launch. The bridge is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.

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. BY JACKIE ALEXANDER

Times Staff Writer

JIM DAMASKE | Times

This list is from detailed obituaries published in Section B.

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 necessary to complete construction of the new relief bridge.” When completed, the $72.2million, fixed span bridge will rise about 75 feet above the Intracoastal Waterway. The project includes several public leisure enhancements: water access, docks, a reconstructed boat ramp facility, a dog beach and parking.

Jeffrey Lobik, 41, is on trial in the 1987 murder of Susan Heyliger, whose throat was slit, at the Country Club Lounge in Largo.

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 investigating 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, Heyliger, 42, was cleaning up after closing 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. .

See SLAYING, 4

4

| Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | St. Petersburg Times

CLW

From the front page >

Sports >

ATOYIA DEANS | Times

ATOYIA DEANS | Times

. LANDS continued from 1

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.

Future land sales may go to voters tal land the county owns in the Brooker Creek, Mobbly Bayou, Shell Key and Weedon Island preserves and in 15 other management areas throughout the county. But the Friends of Brooker Creek, a nonCommissioner profit group Susan Latvala organized to backs the advocate for idea of an and support amendment. the Brooker Creek Preserve, say the charter amendment doesn’t go far enough. The reason: Voter approval would Activist not be needLorraine ed before leasMargeson is ing preserve supporter too. lands, as commissioners 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 director of environmental management, 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 Environmental Science Forum and

.

FAST FACTS

If you go When: 9:30 a.m. Aug. 5 Where: Commission assembly room, fifth floor, Pinellas County Courthouse, 315 Court St., Clearwater 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 commissioners 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 amendment would take effect Jan. 1.

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” interest — in essence, the transfer

of all property rights — as the amendment now reads. The ordinance abandoned a year ago contained six exceptions 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 preventing commissioners from unilaterally approving projects — like an equestrian center and the ballfields — once proposed in the Brooker Creek Preserve. Last year, environmental activist Lorraine Margeson of St. Petersburg gave commissioners a proposed charter amendment based on the provision in St. Petersburg’s charter that gives city voters there similar authority over the downtown waterfront. The charter amendment now under consideration is not the one she proposed, she said, but it’s much better than the county’s discarded ordinance. Charter amendments put voters in the driver’s seat, she said. “With the stadium, if we had not had the charter amendment protection, we’d probably already be building a baseball stadium,” she said. Theresa Blackwell can be reached at [email protected] or (727) 445-4170.

. SLAYING continued from 1

Two-decade trail finally leads to trial That inconsistency led authorities to charge him with firstdegree 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 examiner 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 necklace 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, Thogmartin said, but not before she took a few breaths and bled to death. “She was alive after the strangulation and she was alive after the throat cut,” he told jurors.

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.

Allen Kough, who has 11 felony convictions, said in his testimony that he was in the van transporting him and Lobik to jail. Lobik told him about Heyliger’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 continue today. Jackie Alexander can be reached at [email protected] or (727) 445-4167.

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.

Reynolds, Benton continue 5K success 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 Clearwater 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 Benjamin, 19, an assistant cross country coach at Dixie Hollins High, finished second in 17:24. Rounding 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-yearold 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. Petersburg, 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 (4549); Dennis Byron, Palm Harbor, 18:39 (50-54); Duncan Cameron, 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 Fornshell, Clearwater, 22:06 (1519); Nika Merta, Palm Harbor, 22:16 (20-24); Ali Smith, Clearwater, 22:06 (25-29); Christy Ford, Clearwater, 28:53 (3034); Pamela McCann, Treasure 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

.

Upcoming events

TERRY TOMALIN Run, bike, swim

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 Treasure Island was the first female finisher on July 12 at the E.L. Bing Beat the Heat 5K in Thonotosassa. Zolfo finished in 19:12.

Swimming news Tim Kennedy, 51, of St. Petersburg traveled to Manhattan 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 complete the counter-clockwise circumnavigation of Manhattan in eight hours or less. He finished in 7 hours, 51 minutes, 28 seconds — 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 Triathlon Club member and St. Masters Team swimmer was accompanied by his daughter Lauren and girlfriend Carolyn Kiper.

Patricia and Tom Hoffman, two triathletes from Pinellas County, recently made a trip to Fort Lauderdale to compete in the Publix Family Fitness Triathlon. Patricia, also an avid open-

Do you have running, swimming, biking, triathlon or adventure racing news? Send it to Terry Tomalin at [email protected] or call (727) 893-8808. You can also submit news online at community.tampabay.com.

FOR THE RECORD Baseball

mation call 460-1904 or visit www. largoyouthbasketball.com.

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 7426192. USA Patriots The 9-and-under AAU team is looking for players. For information, 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-

FAST FACTS

Miscellaneous

SYAA meeting, elections The Seminole Youth Athletic Association will hold a general membership meeting and elections Aug. 3, 2 p.m., at the concession stand at 12100 90th Ave. N. Any family associated with football, soccer or baseball is encouraged to attend. For more information, 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.

Today • Take the First Step, Summer 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., Picnic 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 Elementary, 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 Elementary, 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) 6447702 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.

Soccer

SYAA soccer Registration dates for the Seminole 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].

Coke to outsource 15% of jobs at Brandon accounting center. 7B

SUE CARLTON

tampabay.com

[email protected]

R

* * * * Friday, July 11, 2008

| 1B

For abuse victims, help is a call away

Data thief gets 57 months

heir stories, bound by a single, terrible thread, kept coming. A woman and two friends shot dead by her estranged husband on a Saturday morning 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 Mother’s Day in their mobile home in Lutz — and later, detectives say, a confession from her livein 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 hotlines are up. The level of brutality they hear about — the rapes and threats and beatings — seems worse. Maybe it’s too simple to blame the economy, or the way the world feels right now, but some things seem elemental. People are dealing with foreclosures and gas and food prices and paycheck-topaycheck choices that surely ratchet up frustration and anger, at least in some quarters. 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 children. 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 shelter in a county with a domestic 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 indiscriminate as cancer, she says, its victims poor and not. More than once at a fancy fundraiser or luncheon, a wellheeled attendee has whispered 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, executive director of the CASA shelter in St. Petersburg, says summer brings a jump. It’s hot, and kids are home. Parents, 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 roadblocks 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 something 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 headlines 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.

BY KEVIN GRAHAM

T

The Largo man is ordered to repay $3.97-million in a case that spawned seven suits. Times Staff Writer

TAMPA — A former employee of a St. Petersburg check verification 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 restitution. Sullivan pleaded guilty in November to one count of conspiracy 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, Sullivan 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 created quite a stir, and over a long

period of time caused a lot of people 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 selling the personal records. Sulli.

See SENTENCING, 8B

“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.

French fry grandma wins She is acquitted after being embroiled in a flareup with a cop at McDonald’s. Associated Press

Criss Angel has held talks with the company that owns the Spyglass site, but “nothing’s been signed.”

Will he survive death of hotel? A TV illusionist wants to be inside when Clearwater implodes the Spyglass Resort. BY MIKE DONILA

Times Staff Writer

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.

in the drive-through lane of McDonald’s, blocking police Officer Matthew Parco’s The judge said Jean Merola was loud, ill cruiser. mannered and abusive. It took a moment for the verdict to sink But not guilty. in for Merola. “If rudeness and inconsideration of oth“Did you say I’m not guilty?” she asked. ers were a crime, this would be a felony,” “You’re guilty of a lot of things,” Caddell county Judge Patrick Caddell told the said. “Just not this.” grandmother of eight Thursday. McDonald’s employees had asked But they aren’t, and after a one-day trial, Merola to pull her car forward to wait Caddell found Merola, 76, of Clearwa- for a special order of unsalted fries on ter not guilty in a controversial case that Jan. 17. started with an order of french fries. Parco, who was behind her getting an Merola had faced an $88 fine on a iced coffee, asked her to move her car farcharge of violating a Clearwater city ordi- ther because he couldn’t get by. Parco nance in January when she parked her car said Merola cursed at him and called him BY JACKIE ALEXANDER

Times Staff Writer

.

Talk of the Bay SHORT OF MONEY, SHERIFF CUTS JOBS OF 25 DEPUTIES Pinellas County will be short 25 more deputies this summer after Sheriff Jim Coats announced a new round of layoffs Thursday. 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 certified 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 damage to public safety.

Attacked biker back Bicyclist Richard French is healed from getting hit with a baseball bat and is riding again. But he wants his attacker caught. 5B

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. Pinellas 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 captured both men. The crash blocked southbound traffic on U.S. 19 for more than an hour.

Correction

Photo by Donna French

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 incorrectly reported in a story Sunday.

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 prosecute 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.

See FRIES, 8B

Al-Arian granted bail, but not yet his freedom He has remained in custody since ’06 despite his plea deal. 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, AlArian’s 23-year-old daughter, “because every time we do, we get knocked down. But, Sami Almaybe, this time will be differ- Arian was ent.” acquitted on But their joy was tempered eight counts by subsequent news that in 2005. immigration officials would keep Al-Arian in custody for the time being. AlArian has been held in prison since February 2003, when he was charged with multiple terrorism-related counts. .

See AL-ARIAN, 8B

CLEARWATER — Criss Angel, often described as a postmodern Harry Houdini, is in talks to bring his hit cable TV show to Clearwater Beach for a spectacular live stunt. His goal: apparently to survive the implosion of the old Spyglass Resort, known for its 100-foottall 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 building 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-withdeath stunt … entitled ‘Implosion,’ 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 Boulevard 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 Clearwater Beach Resort. Builders want to raze the Spyglass to make way for a mega hotel. Fordin said the groups have held extensive talks, but “nothing’s been signed.” Although some city officials .

See MINDFREAK, 8B

8B

| Friday, July 11, 2008 | St. Petersburg Times

****

From the front page > . FRIES continued from 1B

French fry grandmother is acquitted tified that Merola was visibly agitated and verbally 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 finger 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 investigation of allegations that he behaved inappropriately March 29 when responding to a childcustody 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 computer 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.

tampabay.com for the latest news

. AL-ARIAN continued from 1B

Judge grants Al-Arian bail In late 2005, a Tampa jury acquitted him on eight of the charges and deadlocked on nine others. In May 2006, Al-Arian accepted a plea agreement for helping associates of a terrorist organization with nonviolent activities. 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 sentence was done, but a federal prosecutor in Virginia wanted him to testify before a grand jury investigating an Islamic think tank in Herndon, Va. AlArian 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 immigration 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-Arian’s conditions of release, which include him posting $340,000 he has in his retirement pension, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said that ICE has filed an immigration detainer with the U.S. Marshal Service. Brinkema ordered that once AlArian posts bail, he must be released into the custody of ICE. Officials are to

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.

make Al-Arian available for all hearings 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 prosecutors really want, said Turley, is AlArian to answer questions about the Florida case, “which is a clear violation 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 confidence 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 accountable. “The heartening thing for me here

is that the system seems to be working and that the judge is making an independent 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 children. 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].

. MINDFREAK

continued from 1B

Will he survive the blast? have talked about today’s meeting, Angel’s representatives this week performed their own disappearing act. Contacted Wednesday, 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, dynamite or an illusionist, it better disappear.” City officials say they aren’t quite sure how the Clearwater made the list of cities the entertainer is considering. They only know an A&E producer contacted 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 promoting 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 contributed 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 parties 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 2.7million 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 different 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)

. SENTENCING

continued from 1B

57 months for data thief van said he did it because he was desperate. His wife was unemployed 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 happened, I regretted it … but it didn’t stop me from doing it.” Sullivan’s actions caused C e r t e g y t o Sullivan notify about 8.4-million Americans — including 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 settled, Palermo said. The people who sued Certegy over their information being sold have won a judgment for attorneys’ 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.

Pike Place Market provides a one-stop shop for all that is Seattle. Latitudes

In the know PALM HARBOR

MAN ARRESTED IN BURGLARY, SEXUAL ASSAULT Deputies have arrested a man suspected of slipping into the home of a 57-yearold Palm Harbor woman around 2 a.m. Friday through an unlocked door, binding her hands, beating and kicking her Granado 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. Granado was being held in the Pinellas County jail, with bail set at $500,000.

pinellas.tampabay.com

Sunday, July 27, 2008

CLW

Consolidate fire departments? For the sake of efficiency, fire chiefs and county officials appear to be more willing to compromise. BY LORRI HELFAND

Times Staff Writer

Two weeks ago, Pinellas County officials said full funding for paramedic services next year was in jeopardy because of Amendment 1. Last week, county commissioners 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 responders 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 efficient and less costly, officials

plan in coming months to review the first-responder program and EMS transports and start talking about consolidating services, interim County Administrator Fred Marquis told commissioners last week. And in October 2009, the county plans to terminate all the five-year contracts it signed with

Interim County Administrator Fred Marquis: A review and talks about consolidation are planned.

cities last October and renegotiate future contracts. Paramedics respond to medical emergencies from 19 fire agencies, and Sunstar Emergency 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-rescue 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 .

See FIRE, 5

At age 8 his dad put him in a sailing class to keep him out of trouble, now this 24-year-old is …

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 information, 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 paddling 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 University. 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 volunteers are asked to register at www.GreenArmada.org. To reserve a seat, call Joe Gonzalez toll-free at 1-800496-9161; press 1 for Tampa Bay, then 3 to volunteer. CLEARWATER

Saturday picnic celebrates cultures The city of Clearwater is hosting a multicultural backto-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 population of the East Gateway District, which is between Drew and Court streets and Highland and Missouri avenues. The picnic will feature performances by Sundrummers 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) 5624047 or visit www.myclear water.com/eastgateway.

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.

Setting his sights on the gold BY JACKIE ALEXANDER | Times Staff Writer

I

n the U.S. Olympic sailing trials, there are only two options. ¶ Win or go home. ¶ At Olympic trials last October in Newport Beach, Calif., Zach Railey 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 Finnclass sailing race on Aug. 9. Only the top American sailor in the Finn, a heavyweight single-man boat, gets an Olympic berth. Railey will face a field of 25 sailors from around the world, including 2004 gold medalist Ben Ainslie of England and current world champion 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

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.

The race before the race Three Democrats in the August primary fight to run against Gus Bilirakis in November. BY RITA FARLOW

Times Staff Writer

A decade ago, during his first campaign for the state legislature, 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 district,” Bilirakis said. In the freshman incumbent’s bid to retain his seat, Bilirakis 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 Pinellas, 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 lawyer Bill Mitchell and Hispanic advocate Anita de Palma in next month’s primary. But Bilira-

Congressional District 9

Bilirakis (R)

de Palma (D)

kis’ name recognition — and the money he’s been able to collect — could prove to be the greatest hurdle for challengers in this historically conservative district. Based on the June 30 campaign reports, Bilirakis has raised $1.05-million in contribu-

Dicks (D)

Mitchell (D)

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 .

See PRIMARY, 6

CLW

Clearwater Times >

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 fanfavorite songs like Hello, Young Lovers; Getting to Know You; and the resounding Shall We Dance? at the Tarpon Springs Performing 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, matchmaking 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. Smoking and nonsmoking halls. Call Jerry at (727) 216-3859.

Monday Lacrosse camp: Boys ages 6-15

. FIRE continued from 1 old-time songs from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. every Monday at American Legion Post 7, 1760 Turner St., Clearwater. Call (727) 447-9204.

Art explained

Tuesday

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. 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 Center, 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 Family 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 basses 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

Clearwater Central Catholic, graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. During six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization and military customs and courtesies, perBorrack formed drill and ceremony marches and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises and special training in human relations. He is the son of Ted Borrack of

Palm Harbor.

Gardening course: Learn Floridafriendly landscape design and maintenance principles from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo. Classes also offered Aug. 19 and Sept. 9 and 23. Tuition $15 per class. Call (727) 582-2673. Dinner dance: Indulge your continental tastes with a pasta dinner and dance from 5 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Italian American Club of Greater Clearwater, 200 McMullen Booth Road. $7 members, $9 nonmembers. The Club also hosts dinner and dancing from 6-10 p.m. every other Saturday. $13 members, $16 nonmembers. Call (727)791-8698. Trace your roots: Free genealogy assistance with volunteer genealogist 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 Rabbit 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.

Military news Coast Guard Seaman Eric T. Foster, brother of Derrio D. Foster of Largo, graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Training Center in Cape May, N. J. During the eight-week program, Foster completed a training curriculum consisting of academics and practical instruction on water safety and survival, military customs and courtesies, seamanship skills, first aid, firefighting and marksmanship. Foster is a 1997 graduate of Parker High School, Birmingham, Ala. ••• Airman 1st Class Blake T. Borrack, a 2004 graduate of

••• 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 Tajikistan, 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. Kaiser Jr. The lieutenant commander graduated in 1980 from Largo High, and received a bachelor’s degree in 1984 from the University of Florida. She earned a mas-

ter’s degree in 1997 from the University of South Florida. ••• Army Pvt. Richard J. Bush, son of Richard Bush Sr. of Largo, graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga. During nine weeks of training, the soldier received training in drill and ceremonies, weapons, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid and Army history, core values and traditions. Additional training included development of basic combat skills and battlefield operations and tactics.

Consolidate fire departments?

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 consolidation might have riled local fire chiefs. But not now. “I don’t know that consolidation is a bad word from a general perspective,” said Seminole fire Chief Dan Graves, president 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 consolidation, fire officials still oppose creating one countywide fire district, an idea floated time and time again by county officials. “If you were to look at making 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 consolidating into one district. But the chairman of the review commission, Alan Bomstein, said such a system might cost hundreds of millions to implement if it required the consolidated district to buy the

“It’s an opportunity for us to sit down together and put together a plan that works for everyone.” Mike Wallace, Largo fire chief assets of the municipal departments. ••• Now fire officials say Marquis 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 conceptually 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 interested 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 getting 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.

“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

. SAILING continued from 1

Setting his sights on the gold Zach Railey was playing baseball and tennis. He was a good kid, but he had his run-ins with his mom and dad, Dan Railey said. Crawford suggested the Raileys 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 Johnson 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 Olympic 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-

5

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Out & About Today

St. Petersburg Times | Sunday, July 27, 2008 |

water High School and headed to the University of Miami. He continued sailing while in college, but not with the ’Canes. The collegiate 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 administration 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 qualified as the alternate for the Beijing Olympics. In 2006, the International 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,” Railey 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 children 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 competitors, going out to dinner with them and comparing schedules. And because of his demanding schedule, Railey, who is single, 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 biggest 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 prepare for the Olympics. But Railey said he’s more than ready. He follows a strict training 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.

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