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Commissioners praise Largo manager Most say he is doing a good to excellent job. ... Page 2A. Crooks kidnap pizza delivery guy in ‘30 Minutes or Less’ Also opening in theaters this weekend is ‘Final Destination 5.’ ... Page 1B. Volume XXXIV, No. 4 www.TBNweekly.com August 11, 2011 INSIDE Bluffs fire station gets high priority By TOM GERMOND cies since it is a converted gas station, a city memo ney on such issues. They believe that on more than one said. occasion Belleair Bluffs officials said they would be will- LARGO – City officials will discuss with Belleair “It lacks accessibility within the station around the ing to work with Largo staff on some type of arrange- Bluffs officials the possibility of relocating the Bluffs fire vehicles. It has improper ventilation, etc.,” Assistant ment. station off Indian Rocks Road to another location in City Manager Michael Staffopoulos said, at the commis- “We have not discussed any details as to whether that municipality. sion work session Aug. 9. they would own the land, whether we would purchase Belleair Bluffs officials have approached the city staff The city of Belleair Bluffs hopes to return the proper- the land, whether it would be joint participation on con- about the possibility of a joint partnership by which ty to the commercial tax rolls. struction or one or another paying for the construc- Largo could relocate Station 43 to Bluffs property locat- “I have no objection to what you propose doing,” tion,” Staffopoulos said. “We have not gotten into any ed on Bayway Avenue. The property was originally pur- Commissioner Curtis Holmes said. “Go talk to Belleair details other than wanting to bringing the option of en- chased by the Bluffs to reconstruct Fire Station 43. Bluffs. I think that’s a wonderful idea.” tering the discussions with Belleair Bluffs to the City City officials rank Station 43 their top priority for re- Commissioner Mary Black asked about the legalities Commission.” construction and rehabilitation among three stations of the city spending public funds to build a fire station because of its age and condition. That station has sub- in another governmental entity. stantial National Fire Protection Act standard deficien- City officials will seek an opinion from the city attor- See CITY, page 4A LARGO Celebrate V-J Day Family fishing fun City may let private at ’40s style dance Largo Recreation is planning a special enterprise operate 1940s style dance on Saturday, Aug. 13, 7 to 11 p.m., to commemorate V-J Day, the end of WWII, Aug. 14, 1945. The dance will take place in the Good- Largo Golf Course man Ballroom at the new Largo Commu- nity Center, 400 Alt. Keene Road. By TOM GERMOND “We have put a Participants are encouraged to dress in 1940s attire, and dance to the sounds LARGO – City officials want to make significant emphasis on of recorded Big Band music throughout sure that the golf course gets tender marketing the course the evening. All WWII veterans in uni- loving care if they decide to let private form will be the guests of honor with free enterprise run it. to see if we can make admission. In the next several months, city offi- the course more This special V-J dance is part of the cials will seek proposals from an experi- Community Center’s ongoing Swing enced golf course management financially viable.” Dance Saturdays, every Saturday night company to operate the golf course, lo- from 7 to 11 p.m. Each dance begins cated on Vonn Road. They expect to – Henry Schubert with a beginner-friendly swing dance les- have a short list of companies prepared son from 7 to 8 p.m., followed by a DJ by April 1, 2012. Assistant city manager dance from 8 to 11 p.m. Admission is $7 But they made it clear that the pro- and includes the lesson at 7 p.m. Con- cess will involve a lot of legwork. golf course self-sustaining. In recent cessions will be available. For more infor- “In particular because you would be months city commissioners have raised mation, call 518-3131 or visit Largo potentially handing over the operation concerns over annual subsidies to the CommunityCenter.com. of a very valuable city asset to a private golf course from the city’s general fund. entity,” Schubert said at a budget work The course was expected to receive a session Aug. 5. subsidy of $150,000 in the next fiscal COUNTY He said the process would require a year; it has been operating at a deficit lot of background checks of the poten- for the past few years. PTSA proposes tial management companies to make A staff person from the city’s Com- sure “what they say they will do they munications and Marketing Division actually will do – that they have a good has been assigned part time to promote millage rate hike track record.” the golf course. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authori- City officials plan to visit golf courses “We have put a significant emphasis ty joins a growing list of government operated by the companies that submit on marketing the course to see if we can agencies approving tentative millage in- proposals. make the course more financially vi- creases for fiscal year 2011-2012. Also in April, city officials will report able,” Shubert said. The PSTA Board tentatively approved on the financial results of the golf Mayor Pat Gerard said it is important a proposed rate of 0.7305 mills at its course operations through that date, for the city to look at courses that are July 27 meeting. which will encompass the traditional being managed by private enterprise to ... Page 6A. busy season of the course that ends “see what kind of shape they are in.” around Easter. Shubert said “it is extremely impor- The City Commission then would de- tant that a decision be based not just OUTDOORS cide whether the city should continue on the financial items that are in the to run it during fiscal year 2013 or con- contract, but also someone’s track Dolphin Watch tact with a private company to operate record as to the quality of care they give Photo by JIM LAYFIELD the course. to the courses that they manage. Vidalia’s Erin Joyner, 8, of Seminole, casts her line out during Family Fun Fishing Day Aug. City officials also will consider leasing Gerard said that the city recently pight – fishing 6 at Taylor Park, in Largo. The event was sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of the course as an alternative to coming line snags baby Seminole Breakfast. up with a management contract dolphin. See GOLF COURSE, page 4A ... Page 12A. The goal of the plan is to make the Volunteers tireless PET CONNECTION in helping run park Speaking of Pets By BRIAN GOFF “Week after week we would go to the meetings and object to the closing,” she Kim Donovan D.V.M. LARGO – For the past 23 years the said. “Then somebody advised us to do of Oakhurst Veterinary George C. McGough Park has been oper- more than just complain; we had to Hospital says there ating in Largo. And thanks to an army of come up with a solution. So we did, and is no such thing as volunteers known as “Friends of the we managed to save the center.” giving your veteri- Parks,” the facility continues to operate Now volunteers are on deck every narian too much at full capacity despite recent budget morning to open the center and get information. cuts that threatened to close the Nature things going until a staff member comes … Page 8A. Center, the nerve center of the park. on duty sometime later in the morning. Eight years ago Pat Edmond became The volunteers conduct tours, operate interested in the park and after attend- day camps and camp-outs and last year Photo by BRIAN GOFF Features ing several naturalist programs signed even organized a 5K race to raise money. Volunteer Pat Edmond conducts an environmental class for young participants at a on as a volunteer. Since then she has be- Money raised through those activities day camp at the McGough Nature Park. Business . .10A come the president of the Friends group is paying for necessities, which the city Classifieds . .4-7B and continues to spend hours each week cannot afford. Just this past week a them all. It has been a year and he is the Nature Center, far from it. Community . .14A teaching young people about the impor- complete new video alarm system was seen occasionally flying around Mc- “I don’t know of any other community County . .5-7,9 tance of nature and why they should installed at the Park. Vandals had been Gough Park, thriving in the wild. that offers as much as Largo in terms of Entertainment . .1-3,8B care. breaking into the center in recent weeks; Inside the Nature Center are other live outdoor programs and allowing residents Health & fitness . .13A “Education Outreach is the most im- the alarm system is expected to stop creatures which visitors can read about, to do things in nature. Our green space Just for fun . .2B portant thing we do here,” she said. that. and children who attend day camp dur- is important and it does have an envi- Largo . .2-3A “Budget cuts have made it impossible for Just a year ago vandals released the ing the summer get to learn all about the ronmental impact in that it keeps prop- Outdoors . .12A the schools to send the children here, so great horned owl, J.R., who was kept in importance of being “green”.

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