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Letters To The Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 6, 2008

Glad To See Him Go

Regarding "The Angel of Escape" (Nation/World, July 31):

Is there anyone out there who really cares what this idiot does? Is Criss Angel really someone our children and young adults can look up to? I don't think so - at least I hope not.

We were bombarded for days with updates on this stunt. Please, Tampa Tribune, move on and maybe now "anxious watchers" can get a life. Hopefully, he is out of here - and not a moment too soon.

MARY B. ROLFE

Oldsmar

Shame On Us

The overload of testosterone that Criss Angel, the so-called entertainer, suffers from could be much better utilized protecting our troops in Iraq. If he wishes to take chances getting himself blown up, then why has he not joined the military?

I assume the reason is that being in a war is far more-risky and unpredictable, without a finite "escape" date. Mr. Angel is no hero, but rather a hedonistic fool.

Additionally, the public and press who have covered this absurd event should be ashamed of themselves for doing so, especially during wartime. It shows no respect for our troops, who are in far more danger daily than Mr. Angel pretends to be.

I hope Mr. Angel has reimbursed the police officers who had to work overtime to protect spectators from getting killed during this debacle.

MARY SHOFI VOLPE

Tampa

Nothing To Brag About

I try to avoid reading all negative articles in my daily newspaper - rape, murder, extortion, bankruptcy etc. However, your headline "UF Is No.1 With A Beer" (front page, July 29) caught my eye and has compelled me to respond.

I find it inconceivable to put into print an article so demeaning to one of the finest academic universities in our country. What has become of responsible journalism? This is not a rhetorical question and perhaps someone can provide an answer.

JOHN FALCONE

Spring Hill

A Father's Thrill

About a month ago, I decided that it was time to teach my 7-year-old daughter, Lauren, to ride her bike without training wheels.

We gave it one shot and it seemed Lil' Ms. Uncoordinated was going to need some time to master this feat. Since then, that little pink bike lay to one side of the garage abandoned and forgotten while the days of our lives seemed to be more important than taking the time to learn how to ride, which is definitely one of life's necessary endeavors.

After reading "When The Student Is Ready, The Bicycle Will Appear" by community columnist Sandra Webber (Other Views, July 30), I asked my daughter if she would like to give it another try. The day prior she had just lost her first front tooth, so when she toothlessly smiled with excitement, I realized that these moments are fleeting and won't last forever.

We grabbed the bike out of the garage and it was amazing. She rode that bike as if she had been practicing every day over the past month. It must have been the right time - who knows? I do know that I'm happy I was there to see her take that ride, as well as being there next to her when that tooth came out.

DENNIS CADLE

Brandon

Many Riverwalks Now

I am saddened as I drive down many streets of Tampa, and was especially saddened as I drove through the streets of Carver City where three to five inches of standing water was down several streets after a rainstorm. Drainage ditches were flooded and not flowing. I took pictures of the horror and immediately thought of Mayor Iorio's dream of the "The Riverwalk."

Mayor Iorio should come drive or better yet walk the intersection of Clark Avenue and Nassau Street to the intersection of Clark Avenue and Arch Street to see that one of several "riverwalks" already exists.

F. WELLS

Tampa

Dubious Rating Source

Recently I saw a billboard that pronounced University Community Hospital as "Tampa Bay's best hospital in orthopedics." I found this most interesting as I had recently read that Tampa General Hospital had made the list of top 50 hospitals in seven categories - including No. 26 in the nation in orthopedics - by U.S. News & World Report.

Curiosity led me to do some research. UCH's claim in orthopedics is from a for-profit company known as Healthgrades. I checked into this outfit and found little credibility there. The methodology is most interesting because it is vague and seems to be based on its own previous ratings as its chief metric. Another curiosity is the lack of teaching hospitals in Healthgrades listings. Are we to believe that Massachusetts General Hospital is not one of the best hospitals in the United States?

Furthermore, UCH was not ranked in any category by U.S. News & World Report, which has been in the hospital ranking business a lot longer than Healthgrades.

KEN DeROCHE

Tampa

Keep Quiet About TT

Regarding "City Has PR Problem" (Letters, July 24):

Uh, a few words of advice from a 40-year Temple Terrace resident: shut up. Logic 101 tells you that Temple Terrace is not regionally known, yet a wonderful place to live precisely because people are not aware of its charms as I am, having lived in several different Tampa locales and always having moved back to "the Terrace." Do you really want what I witnessed happen to Carrollwood, New Tampa, Brandon and now, what is going on in the south county?

Insofar as your comparison to south Tampa, that area is quaint, as is the Terrace, but pricey, more so than the Terrace and a far more "chic" place to live than Temple Terrace. Do you really want Temple Terrace to "compete" with Brandon, New Tampa and Carrollwood, in addition to south Tampa, whose stormwater problems are epic? Or do you want to keep our little community quaint and a pleasurable place to live without the constraints of aforementioned communities' problems?

CHRISTOPHER CHAPMAN

Tampa

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