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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 18, 2008

Shifting Responsibility

Regarding "Plenty Share Blame For Gary's Demise" (Our Opinion, Sept. 10):

I find your editorial on the demolition of the Gary Adult High School to be seeded with false information and is truly based on "your opinion" and not facts.

First, this building was 95 years old. Second, this property was owned by the school board of Hillsborough County since 1900. Last, JVS Contracting owned this property and structure since 2007. To put into perspective, JVS Contracting Inc. was responsible for the building for 1/95th of its lifetime. This is like comparing a 1-year-old to a 95-year-old.

I find it ridiculous that much of the spotlight on who is responsible for the deterioration of the building has been placed in the wrong direction.

APRIL HEYDER

Tampa

Historic Preservation

I, again, read with interest the possible "loss" of four of Tampa's historic buildings, the Kress Building being one. I worked there in the 1950s when I was a teen. Please! Do not let us lose one of the few memories of old Tampa that we have left.

Have the owner of the building get with Mayor Pam Iorio and discuss the possibility of turning Kress into a historic museum - photographs, artwork, anything that takes us back into Tampa when it was truly a wonderful city. This might be a way for the city of Tampa to help in restoration.

We once had Fort Brooke and an Indian settlement where the Fort Brooke parking garage is now. Are you able to stand outside of the garage, look at it, and have it take you back into time? I don't think so.

Where is everything going, and why?

MARY CARROLL

Lutz

Is Water Available?

Regarding "Tampa's Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park Gets Gift Of Fountains" (Metro, Sept. 8):

While I do love fountains in public areas and I admire the generosity that is providing fountains to the new Curtis Hixon Park, I am somewhat perplexed because I was under the impression that fountains were currently banned due to the water shortage situation.

There is a fountain/pool that the FDOT installed by the 22nd Street ramp to Interstate 4 which I understand was turned off due to insufficient funds to maintain it. How then are we to install and maintain a fountain at the Riverwalk while maintaining the philosophy that fountains are not compatible with water conservation?

L. CAMPBELL

Tampa

A Deadly Silence

Regarding "Mom Charged In Boy's Death." (Metro, Sept. 10):

This story is beyond heartbreaking and made me sick to my stomach. My first question is where was this family living? In a cave on a deserted island? No, they lived among neighbors and bystanders. It is unbelievable to me that people who were in some kind of contact with this innocent baby stood by and did nothing. No calls to DCF, no calls to the police, no calls to anyone.

The agony this child endured in a house so full of abuse, neglect and mental illness is unfathomable. What has happened to us as a society that this kind of thing goes on and no one does anything to stop it when they heard this child's cries?

BARBARA FORBES-MOORE

Plant City

Questionable Curriculum

Regarding "Column Is A Springboard Revealing Depth Of Teachers' Dissatisfaction" (Metro, Sept. 8):

My thanks to Steve Otto for having the tenacity to question the SpringBoard curriculum. I learned that the SpringBoard program is funded to Hillsborough County by $30 million in federal grant money as part of a "high school reform" program.

As a federal income tax payer, I want to know why this program was chosen when our students in Hillsborough County are showing great gains in FCAT reading and math - using methods that have been proven.

As a teacher, I am disheartened to know that I must teach a curriculum that I seriously doubt will reflect the 80 percent gains my students made in FCAT reading last year.

Part of the reasoning behind the program, we are told, is that it will prepare more students for college. Even if this were the case - and I can't see how honors freshmen swooning to an "Every Ghetto, Every City" rap would accomplish this - isn't it ironic that we're pushing kids to "prepare for college" when it's becoming more and more difficult for students to be accepted into colleges?

JANICE SHORT

Tampa

Renew This Rivalry

After perusing your editorial "A Finale (?) To Remember" (Our Opinion, Sept. 11), I, too, grieve over the University of South Florida refusing to continue its series with the University of Central Florida, and I am deeply disappointed in Coach Leavitt and AD Doug Woolard's decision to end "The War on I-4." There were rarely more fans in the stadium for any game on USF's schedule than for the UCF game, and it has the makings of an intense rivalry. Yes, last year the Bulls clearly outclassed the Knights from Orlando, but they were fortunate to eke out a win in overtime on Sept. 6.

Are not Leavitt and Woolard aware that it was only a mere half century ago when the University of Florida first met FSU on the gridiron; but, only following several years of the Seminoles' pleas to schedule Florida fell on deaf ears in Gatorland? Ergo, the FSU contingent then campaigned in the Florida Legislature, which finally mandated the teams play every year, and thus the series commenced in 1958. Although the series is only 50 years old, it competes with Ohio State vs. Michigan, Notre Dame vs. USC and Texas vs. Oklahoma as the biggest rivalry in the country today. USF vs. UCF surely could not be too far behind if Leavitt and Woolard would come to their senses

EDWARD C. PRANGE

Tampa

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