Clearwater Sec a 9-8-11 Layout 1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Crossing flags disappearing About 580 flags per month at the 42 crossings vanish ... Page 5A. Hardy, Edgerton fight in ‘Warrior,’ Damon stars in ‘Contagion’ Read about all the movies opening this week in theaters. See Diversions ... Page 1B. Volume XXIII, No. 36 www.TBNweekly.com September 9, 2011 Remembering a tragedy Clearwater residents reflect on their own 9/11 stories at the 10-year anniversary By ALEXANDRA LUNDAHL CLEARWATER – The world Many delicious foods were served at A stopped for most of the coun- Taste of Clearwater at Ruth Eckerd Hall. try. Mouths hung open and ... Page 3A. eyes fixated on the horrible im- ages on television screens. Peo- CORRECTION ple walked around in a daze, unable to believe any of it was Free clinic story happening. But for some, it was far too real. Workers stand before the A story in the Sept. 2 edition of the Ten years ago on Sept. 11, destroyed part of the Clearwater Beacon about the Willa Car- Clearwater firefighter Kent building of the Pentagon. son Health and Wellness Center in Watts and Clearwater resident Kent Watts, now the Clearwater made an error calling it the Elyse Van Breemen experi- Clearwtaer Fire and only free health clinic in the county. enced the terrorist attacks Rescue special operations There is also the St. Petersburg Free much more personally than chief, was among the first Clinic and the Clearwater Free Clinic anyone would wish for. firefighters to arrive at branch. the Pentagon after the Firefighter Kent crash on 9/11, 2001. COUNTY Watts – The Pentagon Beach erosion Watts currently is the spe- cial operations chief for Clear- plans OK’d water Fire and Rescue, but in 2001, he was Rescue Squad CLEARWATER – Pinellas County com- Officer at Fairfax County Fire missioners adopted a resolution Aug. 23, and Rescue Department. He approving beach control projects includ- had joined the mass shock ed in a 2012-2013 long-range Florida when he heard the news about Beach Management Program. the airplanes hitting the World Beach nourishment projects at Sand Trade Center, but he was couldn’t think about any of Key, Treasure Island and Long Key are working. He had to focus. Be- that. His job was all he could part of the Federal Shore Protection Pro- sides, soon he was being rout- focus on. gram. Costs are shared between the ed to New York to help fight For the first part of the county, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the fires and help victims. search, they could not use and state Department of Environmental Then they got the call. their radios. Since the Pen- Protection. Nourishment projects at Hon- Another airplane had hit the tagon is a secure building, there are no radio transmit- eymoon Island are cost-shared between Pentagon. And that was only Kent Watts feared a the county and the state. eight miles away from him. ters, so it was extremely diffi- cult to receive or transmit secondary collapse ... Page 5A. Watts was part of one of the from this section of the 28 FEMA National Rescue important messages, Watts said. Pentagon. When it did OUTDOORS Teams that were diverted to collapse, fortunately the Pentagon. His group was “About two days before this happened, something told me the shoring he had the first FEMA squad to enter helped build did not Dolphin Watch the building and assist with to buy waterproof paper and a waterproof pen,” Watts said. budge when this debris Columnist Ann the primary search for victims. “And the only way I could com- slid into it. Weaver writes about “I’d lived in D.C. all my life,” municate with people outside seaside sons of Flub- Watts said. “We always joked was to write it on waterproof ber. around that we lived at ground paper, tie it onto a piece of de- … Page 11A. zero, and if there was some sort of attack, it wouldn’t mat- bris and throw it out the win- ter to us because we would al- dow at them. Talk about going ready be dead. But in reality, it from high tech to low tech real ENTERTAINMENT didn’t play out that way and quick.” Photos courtesy of KENT WATTS we were like, wow, this is really There was an incredible happening.” amount of damage to the Pen- Watts’s first job was to tagon. The building has 14-foot search for victims. They tall ceilings, and debris could searched as close to the fire as be 10 feet high, or even up to they could, searching all the the ceiling, he said. offices on all five floors of the “You’re climbing on top of Pentagon around the collapsed burning rubble to get to a por- section where the fires were. tion of the building where you “That took about five hours think you may have survived or so under very punishing the attack, but it’s dangerous conditions,” Watts said. “It was and could collapse at any very, very smoky. As we time,” Watts said. searched, the areas near the Watts had been trained in fire and portions of where the doing structural shoring for fire had burned itself out were buildings, and as he looked very hot. And portions of the around, he did not like what The Clearwater Jazz Holiday welcomes he saw. Dianne Reeves to its 2011 lineup. Reeves floors were damaged, so there was a possibility that we could “I’m looking at the building will perform Oct. 16 at Coachman Park. thinking, holy cow, there’s ... Page 6B. fall through the floors.” Watts has been sent to in- nothing holding up this build- tense situations all over the ing,” Watts said. VIEWPOINTS world, including embassy Girders and beams were bombings, earthquakes, and missing. There were 92 Tom Germond later a tsunami, so the teams columns damaged or de- were used to working under stroyed. Of those, 33 were All about the Gators, such extreme conditions. completely gone, 13 were Gusties and burrowing “But this was on such a stripped, 12 were bowed, and owls. large scale that it was very tax- seven had minor damage. … Page 9A. ing,” Watts said. There were holes in the floors All the while, news reports that firefighters were crawling were going crazy with confused on. He was sure that there information – planes were fly- would be collapses. Photo by ALEXANDRA LUNDAHL Elyse Van Breemen made booklets of pictures and memories of her sister, Myra Joy Aronson that she ing into the Capitol Building. collected from family and friends. Aronson died on Sept. 11, 2001 when the plane she was on was the Attacks everywhere. But he Features See 9/11, page 4A first to hit the World Trade Center. Business . .8A Classifieds . .3-5B Community . .2-3, 7, 12A City Council scraps parking ticket dismissal fee County . .5A Entertainment . .1-2, 6B By LESTER R. DAILEY ask that the ticket be dismissed. Eight percent of peo- missal fee includes accusations that the city is inten- Just for fun . .2B ple receiving tickets seek dismissals but, until recently, tionally targeting visitors and knowingly operating a Lifestyles . .6A CLEARWATER – Imagine that you park your car, get there was a catch. Even if they proved they had already scam/racket,” a parking department memo to the Outodoors . .11A a receipt from the multi-space parking pay station and paid the parking fee, they had to pay a $10 “dismissal council said. That’s a reputation this tourist town does- Pet connection . .10A properly display it on your dashboard but, unbe- fee” to have the ticket dismissed. n’t need, and it can spread like wildfire. knownst to you, the wind blows it off the dashboard “Even if they’re correct, they would have to pay the “For every complaint you get, they tell 20 or 30 peo- Viewpoints . .9A and onto the seat as you exit the car. When you come $10…,” Councilman Paul Gibson said at a recent City ple who tell another 20 or 30 people,” Councilman Gib- back, there’s a $20 “failure to display” ticket under your Council work session. “That just isn’t right.” son said. Call 397-5563 windshield wiper. “I wouldn’t call it a dismissal fee,” Councilman John For News & Advertising Your choices are to either pay the fine or present the Doran agreed. “I would call it a stupid fee.” receipt as proof that you had paid the parking fee and “A review of the complaints concerning the $10 dis- See TICKET, page 4A ★★★ Bob Evans Hearing Centers Voted Best $ 02336 Sushi We Pay Cash For Gold & Silver! Refreshments! 090811 5 OFF Door Prizes “Movie Time” Any Purchase of $30 or More Watch Together-Listen Separately Excludes Tax. Dine In Only. Not Valid With any other offer. Limit 1 coupon per table. ONE Try Our New Technology ADMIT Expires 10-6-11. Visit Our New Location: Catering & Delivery Available “FREE Movie” 6206 54th Ave. N. 3209 Tampa Rd, Palm Harbor ★★★ Voted Best Thai Cuisine 2004-2011 ★★★★★★★★★★ ★★★★★★★★★★ 8411CW St. Pete • 544-6464 Shoppes at Cloverplace • 727-785-6464 CALL RSVP 393-3775 1280 Missouri Ave., Clearwater • 441-1650 090111 2A Community Beacon, September 9, 2011 Belleview Biltmore’s Golf Club shows off new look By BRIAN GOFF Sand Key. So far only the Golf Club has reopened better than BELLEAIR – The sign on the before. The fate of the hotel, a banner outside said it all: “Wel- place that many feel defines the come to the new Belleview Bilt- town of Belleair, remains up in more Golf Club.” the air.