Clearwater Sun” Author Mark Sableman Date January 29Th, 1976
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Category Newspaper Article Title Armed Hotel Men get Church Review Source “Clearwater Sun” Author Mark Sableman Date January 29th, 1976 Contents: The security guards at the Fort Harrison and old Bank of Clearwater buildings - recently a major object of criticism from Mayor Gabriel Cazares - will come under review, the Church of Scientology spokesman has promised. While Arthur Maren appeared unwilling Wednesday to remove the guards, he agreed to review the situation after Cazares pressed him repeatedly on the subject. The guards, who are armed with billy clubs and mace, patrol in and around the Fort Harrison and old bank buildings, as well as on the property of the King Arthur Court condominiums in Dunedin, where some apartments are leased by United Churches of Florida. The security guards were the object of a dramatic scene during a Wednesday afternoon discussion in Cazares' office between him and Maren. “A prized institution has become an armed fortress,” Cazares said of the Fort Harrison. “When it was a hotel, there was never an appearance of an armed guard. But right from here in city hall we saw the armed guards on regular patrol.” A few moments later, Cazares jumped up from his desk and pointed out the window of his third-floor city hall office demanding that Maren look as he narrated the guard’s predictable clockwork-like patrol, leaning over a second-floor balcony, looking first to the east and then to the west. “It’s really the Fort Harrison! It's really an armed camp. From city hall. I think it’s horrible,” he said. He said the Clearwater police could handle security for Fort Harrison residents. “I just don’t think it’s that horrible,” Maren replied, saying one of the residents was attacked recently in the building’s garage, and the guards prevented a robbery. “It’s still very offensive,” Cazares insisted. “It would be like seeing armed guards across the street. There's a church across the street, and I’ve never seen armed guards there.” Reluctantly, Maren agreed to review the situation. Category Newspaper Article Title Mid-Day Blaze hits Scientology-owned former Bank Office Source “Clearwater Sun” Author Stephen Advocat & Linda Parker Date May 18th, 1977 Contents: Fire struck the old Bank of Clearwater building at lunchtime today, growing stubbornly as firefighters struggled to extinguish it. Yellow-brown smoke poured from the roof of the building, a Scientology outpost since late 1975, and clouded Ft. Harrison Avenue at the noon rush hour. Ft. Harrison was closed to traffice north of Cleveland Street. The Scientologists attempted to fight the fire themselves while a member was sent to call the fire department. But 20 minutes elapsed between the time the first Scientologist reached the fire and the first call to the fire department. At 1:30pm, two hours after the fire broke out, an expanse of roof had caved inand firefighters had punched holes elsewhere in the roof in an effort to reach the fire. Largo firefighters were called in at that time and a call went out to block westbound traffic on Cleveland Street. No injuries were reported, and few Scientologists were in the building when the fire broke out at 11:50 am. Most of them had left for lunch at the former Ft. Harrison hotel, the other major Scientology outpost in Clearwater. The fire, believed to have been caused by a short in the air-conditioning system, seemd to be minor at first, but it flared again and again as firemen fought from inside the building and out. Scientologists, their eyes watering from the smoke inside, scurried in and out of the building lugging metal file boxes as heavy smoke poured from the doors. More than 100 bystanders milled about watching the fire. Among them was Mayor Gabe Cazares. Several onlookers walked up to shake hands with the mayor. “I’m just glad nobody was hurt,” said Cazares, a staunch critic of the Scientologists. He also said he had come out because he was concerned for the rest of the downtown area. The extent of the damage was unknown, but a Scientology spokesman said the fire broke out in a part of the top floor used as offices. “It (the air-conditioning system) was defective, but we were given no specifics of why,” said Scientologist Nancy Reitze, adding that the air-conditioner was linked to other units on the roof. “When one caught fire, it went right through the others,” she said. Ms. Reitze said that although as many as 100 Scientologists were in the building when the fire started, most of them were on their way out and apparently left without noticing it. “We were very lucky no one was stuck inside,” she said. Ralph Hilton, 23, was the first Scientologist to reach the fire. “I was in the reception area,” he said. “Somebody in the office saw smoke and got me. I went to the roof and grabbed the fire extinguisher. In the meantime, the security guard called the fire department.” Also on the scene early was Scientologist Brian Charleton. “I was told about 11:30 there was a fire,” he said. “I went up to see what it was and all we found was smoke - smoke and the cackle of fire.” “We think it started in an air-conditioning unit. So we took the unit apart. And inside we found fire. We had one extinguisher and we used that. And I called for some others (extinguishers.)” “A receptionist called the fire department while we hooked up a hose (on the east side of the building from the first floor to the roof).” At approximately 1:30, Capt. John Jacobs called for help because many of the Clearwater firefighters were suffering from exhaustion. “We need help,” he shouted to Largo Fire Inspector Dan Freeze, who had just arrived. “We got men who are just worn out.” Freeze said Largo had already sent one unit and a rescue truck to the scene. One fire official said battling the blaze was complicated because of a false ceiling on the second floor. CLEARWATER SUN Sunday. March 21, 1978 Defectors Paint Unnerving Picture Of Scientology By STEPHEN ADVOKAT ' A SECOND Sun Staff Writers • LOOK AT SCientology •' Nancy McLean draws deeply on one of many cigarettes she smokes when she discusses her experiences with Scientology. CLEARWATER SUN Sunday, March 2i, 1976 Nan Maclean (left) feels the power of Scientology over its subjects is 'literally evil' Her son John (right} says, I feel that I duped myself.' Perhaps her harshest experience came when she was forced to mete out punishment to a man responsible for disgracing the organization because of his physical illness, AS she recalls it, the man was or dered put in the org's "brig"-- damp, dart, rat-filled space Held there. for several days. he was fed only bread and water and told to write letters of apology every few hours. Eventually a letter was accepted and he went home and committed suicide, she says. After several years in Scientology, the Floridian joined the staff of Scientology's Sea Org in her early 30s. She was given a good job as an ethics officer, but was revolted by some things she saw. Hard work and strict discipline had always been a part of her experience with Scientology. They also fabricated testimonials about the miraculous advances they had made and sent these to Hubbard. Mrs. McLean says. The McLeans now believe they are targets for the Guardian office, a se-- cretivc. high-level branch of the or- ganization designed to stifle criticism. Shortly_ after they left the Church. their neighbors began receiving phone caJlls from strangers asking about the family finances. Some callers intimated that Mrs. McLeans husband Eric was an em- bezzler, others that he was having an affair. John McLean's wife also received a call from a woman who implied she was having an affair with him and Eric McLean received an intimate Christmas card in 1972 signed "Darlene." A man who claimed he was a fellow defector stayed with the McLeans and later tried unsuccessfully to bring criminal charges against the couple.. A mock funeral was held for the McLeans in 1973 by members of the To- ronto branch. They were called "lost souls" who "harass religious people with their irreligious attitude." Process R2-45—-An Inside Joke Or The Ultimate Retribution? Through "auditing" (counseling), a Scientologist strives to His mother Nan, also a former Scientologist, said she was separate the spirit from the body. told R2-45 "was taking a Colt .45 and putting it to a guy's head The most mysterious—and potentially most macabre- and pulling the trigger and blowing his brains out" auditing process is R2-45. According to a policy statement given the Clearwater Sun Though a Scientology spokesman savs it should not be taken seriously, auditing process R2-4S is a special order by members of the Fort Harrison group, R2-45 does not mean directing scientologists to shoot disruptive foes. killing anyone. John McLean, a former Scientologist, said he saw the order Scientology spokesman Arthur Maren acknowledged that while a member and believed that is what it meant. meaning, however, although he said Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard first suggested the practice as a joke during a jokes Hubbard used in his writings, although be acknowl lecture in the 1950s. edged some may not find it humorous.. .Mrs, McLean said that though it may have started as a According to Scientology tenets, adherents try to free their joke, many Scientologists now consider it policy. She pro- "thetans." or souls, from their bodies, allowing them to ''ex- vided the Sun copies of documents branding 16 Scientologists teriorize," or 'roam free.