Boston comes to Clearwater See details about the rock group in the top five diversions ... Page 1B. Time to celebrate: Fireworks, concerts, ball games and more Largo’s July Fourth celebration begins at 6 p.m., Largo Central Park ... Page 8B. Volume XXXIV, No. 49 www.TBNweekly.com June 28, 2012 ENTERTAINMENT Good riddance, Debby Tropical storm causes problems throughout Pinellas County By SUZETTE PORTER Center Sunday night and opened its Citizen Information Tropical Storm Debby stayed Center the next morning. well offshore of Pinellas Coun- The National Hurricane Cen- ty’s coastline, but that didn’t ter issued a tropical storm stop it from causing a myriad of warning for Pinellas County problems. Monday morning. Soon after, For some it was nothing more County Commission Vice-Chair than an inconvenience, but to Ken Welch signed a resolution Movie review others Tropical Storm Debby declaring a local state of emer- has caused a heck of a mess. gency to allow a more rapid re- Visually, “Brave” follows Pixar’s long Tropical Storm Debby made sponse to the situation. Gov. tradition of exceptional CGI animation, the record books June 23 as Rick Scott declared a state of delivering a feisty barrage of action se- the earliest fourth-named storm emergency for the entire state quences punctuated by gorgeous high- ever to form during the Atlantic Monday afternoon. land scenery. Hurricane season. Pinellas ... Page 3B. County and the west coast of Record rainfall Florida can thank Debby for According to the National one of the wettest June’s on the Weather Service, the most rain Photo by JIM LAYFIELD COUNTY A vehicle sends water spraying on Starkey Road near the intersection of Walsingham Road June 24 at books. ever reported in June at the Al- about 5 p.m. Officials say the storm is bert Whitted Airport in St. Pe- Love of rocketry proof of their message that it tersburg was 6.38 inches. Dan day in Pinellas due in part to A retired scientist enjoyed 35 years at doesn’t take a direct hit from a Noah, warning coordination dry air that had wrapped itself Honeywell aerospace plant in Clearwater. tropical storm or hurricane to meteorologist with the National around the tropical storm; how- Some of the projects that Ed Collum cause problems. Weather Service office in ever, local residents shouldn’t worked on were the X-15 rocket plane; So far, Sunday’s weather was Ruskin, said June 2012 would be surprised if rainbands, the U-2 and Baby Bird surveillance the worst of it with high winds definitely set a new record. bringing winds of 40 to 55 mph planes, the Apollo space capsule, a main buffeting the area and torrential Noah read off some of the and showers continued off and engine controller for the space shuttle, rains continuing until about 3 four-day totals as of 2 p.m. on until Debby made landfall. and the so-called Star Wars missile de- a.m. Monday. Eight to 10 inch- Monday from NWS reporting Latest forecast from the NHC fense system. es of rain fell within a 24-hour stations around Pinellas: 14.28 calls for the storm to come ... Page 6A. period. Low-lying areas and inches in Tarpon Springs, 13.66 ashore along the northwest coastal communities experi- in Largo, 12.60 in Oldsmar, coast sometime in the next cou- enced flooding. Roads were 12.28 in Pinellas Park, 12.27 in ple of days. closed. Tornado warnings were Dunedin and 10.61 in St. Pe- Debby remained stalled Mon- Gas prices drop frequent. Thousands were with- tersburg. day night and forecasters ex- The national average price of regular out power. Mariners were “Storms like Debby is the pected it to begin moving gasoline has dropped 41 cents since warned to stay ashore. Beach- reason I have flood insurance,” erratically to the northeast in April 2, according to the U.S. Energy In- goers were advised to stay out Noah said, although he lives in- the next couple of days. formation Administration’s This Week in of the water. land, well away from the coast. Photo by WAYNE CATHEL Petroleum June 20 report. Pinellas County partially acti- Noah said Monday’s weather Waves crash ashore at Clearwater Beach Sunday afternoon. County See DEBBY, page 4A The average price per gallon as of June vated its Emergency Operation was much improved over Sun- officials are inspecting local beaches to check for erosion damage. 24 was $3.42 – down 9 cents from last week, 24 cents from last month and 18 cents from a year ago, according to AAA’s Wind and rain Fuel Gauge Report. ... Page 7A. pummel Largo LARGO By TOM GERMOND City OKs increase The city experienced an average of 12.5 inches of rainfall June 24, with some local areas receiv- ing more. in drainage fees City Public Works Director Brian Usher said City commissioners approve ordinance June 25 the city is doing a detailed damage as- on first reading raising stormwater fees. sessment based upon calls still coming in, as well The increase in the fees is the first as known areas of problems from the storm June since April 1, 2008, and was discussed 24. Tidal waters were on average 3 feet above at the commission’s May 8 work session normal, with some tributaries seeing levels ap- and at other city meetings. proaching 3.5 feet above normal, Usher said. ... Page 2A. Wind damage was reported near the area of Walsingham Road, Hamlin Boulevard, Josephine and 145th Street. OUTDOORS Localized flooding from June 24 persisted as the higher than normal water levels in Tampa Dolphin Watch Bay, as well as along the Intracoastal Waterway, is inhibiting the drainage of water from many The warmer the waters become, the storm water drainage systems. more active our local bottlenose dolphins “This condition will not improve until the winds become. One form of that greater activity from the south and southwest abate, predicted to is the appearance of new arrivals. happen sometime [June 26]. Until then, drainage See Dolphin Watch by Anne Weaver. in many lower areas of the city will be very slow, ... Page 10A. and additional rainfall could again lead to local- ized street flooding,” Usher said. City owned buildings suffered some minor VIEWPOINTS Photo by CHARY SOUTHMAYD damage, which has been provided to the fire de- A billboard and plaza on Walsingham Road in Largo just east of the Walsingham Bridge sustain damage from Tropical partment for the overall damage assessment re- Tom Germond Storm Debby’s strong winds Sunday. port, which will be provided later. Thank goodness for the rabbit’s foot, colum- nist says. Sand Key nourishment project placed on hold … Page 11A. By SUZETTE PORTER 90th Avenue southward, erosion has cut an addition- A preliminary report of some of al 10 to 15 feet into the existing sand dune at some CLEARWATER – Work on the Sand Key beach locations. nourishment project is on hold for now. the most-damaged areas include • Sunshine Beach on Treasure Island, erosion in Andy Squires, Pinellas County’s coastal manager, the last mile of Sunset Beach, the area of 126th and 125th avenues. said work stopped Friday, June 22, due to the ap- As of early Monday afternoon, the inspection was proach of Tropical Storm Debby. As of Monday after- near John’s Pass, and the south not complete at Sand Key Beach and Squires did not Features noon, Squires had no estimate as to when work might end of the beach at Pass-A-Grille. know the condition of the recent addition of 85 feet of begin again. new sand from the nourishment project. Squires said Business . .12A “We won’t know until this system moves out of the citizen reports had indicated that sand had been lost. Classifieds . .4-7B area,” he said. other locations. Squires said although it was unfortunate that sand Community . .13-15A Officials spent most of Monday and Tuesday sur- A report from Dr. Ping Wang with the University of was lost so soon after it was replenished, it was possi- County . .3,5-7A veying damage from Tropical Storm Debby. South Florida’s Geology Department listed some pre- ble that the new sand might have protected areas that Entertainment . .1-3,8B Heavy rains, high winds, above-normal tides and liminary observations. Wang’s report said the most might have been affected if the beach had been nar- Just for fun . .2B high surf buffeted the county all day Sunday and severe erosion had taken place at the following loca- rower. Storm protection is one of the primary reasons Outdoors . .10A Monday, hitting area beaches very hard. tions. for beach nourishment projects. Wider beaches create Pets of the week . .14A “We lost a lot of sand,” said Squires. • On Long Key (St. Pete Beach) at Pass-A-Grille a bigger buffer between the land and rising seas and Police beat . .5A A preliminary report of some of the most-damaged Beach south of the snack bar wave action that accompany hurricanes and tropical areas include the last mile of Sunset Beach, near • Long Key at Upham Beach, erosion to the seawall storms. Viewpoints . .11A John’s Pass, and the south end of the beach at Pass- on northern extreme fronting condominium buildings. Squires said after the initial inspection was com- A-Grille, where the water has cut into the existing Wang reports that Upham public beach received con- plete, staff would begin actual measurements to make Call 397-5563 sand dune. siderable erosion but a wide beach remains in the a determination of how much beach had been lost.