Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

I’m not really sure what to make of this “extra” day. Does it mean anything to you?

This weekend is BIG for us; Tommy and I have been married for 5 years as of Saturday, March 1st. The little one will be at her mom’s house so we can do whatever we want! Well, kind of. The band plays Friday night so we only have Saturday and Sunday.

I looked over some of the lists out there, but have not found much that I feel like doing here locally. I already have plans Friday night with a girlfriend so I think Tommy and I will just disappear on Saturday and see where it takes us. Sometimes having a plan is not always the way to go.

Here’s what I will be doing Friday and then I wanted to mention an event on Saturday that is being held in Clearwater for The Spring of Tampa Bay. A very close friend of mine works for The Spring, and will be at this event collecting all the donations that go to a great cause. If you have the time and the $50/$60, please join them for their event.

Friday February 29 Don Rickles and Joan Rivers at Ruth Eckerd Hall. I won these tickets from 105.5 the Dove this week, so my girlfriend and I are heading out for some laughs. I have heard this show will have adult language and adult content some even say pretty raunchy! You can go online to purchase tickets at http://www.rutheckerdhall.com.

Saturday March 1 the 3rd Annual VIP Mardi Gras Charity Party will be held at the home of founder J. Michael Pinson with the proceeds to benefit The Spring of Tampa Bay. There will plenty of special guests from the who’s who list of Tampa Bay. All inclusive: New Orleans style crab & lobster claws, French baked scallops, seared tuna, shrimp gumbo, pasta, shrimp, prime filet and more. 3 Full Open Bars with New Orleans Rum Runners & martinis. Get there early the food and drinks are while supplies last. This is a Mardi Gras Party so bring your beads! Cocktail Dress Recommended. Men, no ties are required. Dress to be comfortable to have a relaxing and enjoyable evening.

Since 1977, The Spring of Tampa Bay has provided sanctuary and services to more than 30,000 abused adults and their children. The Spring is the largest of Florida’s 41 certified domestic violence shelters and the first in the United States to have an accredited school on site. Nearly half of the operating budget comes from private sources including: individuals, corporations, and foundations.

This is a great charity event and is one of the premier events of the year. They only sell 250 tickets to this event due to limited space, you may call the Pinson office at 813-855-3663 until Friday February 28th at 12 noon to purchase advance tickets at $50. After that time, all ticket sales will be at the door at $60 per person. The Pinson website with all the info is http://www.pinsonfoundation.org

There is another video making its way around the world. Instead of a wheelchair dumping, this time Tampa Police Officer Kiet Truong was dragged down the street for blocks. How scary is that? He could have been killed. Because of the very real dangerous situations they are often in, I tend to give cops the benefit of the doubt, as I did with the wheelchair incident.

Now let’s be clear here. Street cops have to be alert to many more variables than jail cops. But I don’t think you can say that those jail cops have an easy job, either. Still, I’m beginning to feel very foolish for simply suggesting we wait for all the facts.

Ever since the worldwide outrage toward the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for tossing a paraplegic from his wheelchair, the law enforcement agency has been inundated with phone calls from people who claim they too were treated abusively during their stay in the hoosegow. A handful of those have found video that supposedly backs up their story, and have been featured in your local news outlets.

• While under arrest for grand theft and drug related offenses Tammy Lynn Mojica says Deputy Marshall-Jones roughed her up in a jail bathroom Jan. 10. HCSO says Mojica tried to swallow some drugs, and the deputy was simply trying to get the evidence.
• Charlana Irving was busted for DUI, and says a deputy broke her arm while at Orient Road. HCSO says detention deputy Milton Fassett had to physically remove Irving from a cell after repeated attempts to calm her verbally failed.
• In November of 2006, Marcella Pourmoghani was booked for driving on a suspended license, which was a violation of probation stemming from a previous DUI arrest. She says a detention deputy grabbed her by the hair and yanked her out of a chair, and punched her repeatedly with a closed fist. HCSO says Pourmoghani was being disruptive during the booking process and continued causing problems after “being counseled several times,” and that Pourmoghani grabbed the deputy’s leg, and that the deputy had to use force.

Because of all of that, the HCSO is “looking at ways to better train deputies.” But the accusations keep on coming.

The latest is another handicapped man who was also dumped from his wheelchair. But in this incident, HCSO says the dumping was justified, because the guy threw a crack pipe at deputies. Besides, they say, this guy shot someone earlier, so “the use of force was justified…”

It is becoming clear that the original incident was simply the tip of the iceberg. In that first video, remember looking at the reactions (or really, the lack of any reaction) by the nearby deputies? That suggests that this kind of thing goes on every single day. Prisoners are treated as the scum of the earth, whether they are guilty or innocent.

And look at the official responses for each of the above incidents. Basically, “the use of force was justified,” “the use of force was justified,” “the use of force was justified,” and “the use of force was justified.” Mostly against drunks and drug users.

By using that excuse every time, and with folks like myself giving law enforcement the benefit of the doubt, it could very well be that these institutions think they can get away with murder. In fact, in the hands of these jailers, it’s not too surprising that some folks have died in there.

Of course it’s not just here in Hillsborough County. Polk County jailers have similar problems. There are deaths in jails all over the country.

But who is upset? Not many. Complaints have been made against law enforcement, but they are dismissed with “appropriate use of force” arguments. Maybe it’s because they are just (alleged) criminals. People think “even if they are innocent of this charge, they probably deserved it.” And video cameras don’t show everything. So with not much proof, media shrug their shoulders, and just move on to another story. Steve Otto ALMOST admits it, and says the allegations are “easy to dismiss”:

I’ve been almost as guilty. Not too many days go by I don’t get an envelope stuffed with pages of handwritten material from an inmate in Hillsborough County. The pages are filled with detailed references to that inmate’s experiences in jail, along with the news that he has been unfairly charged.

When I get these I go back and check the records and usually find that the writer has been locked up for multiple reasons and generally for a string of violations.

I received one this week from an inmate who wrote that he is diabetic and went on to describe how his treatments have been messed up in jail, and he identified correctional workers and how they had abused him.

These are letters that are easy to dismiss, or at best taken to an editor to deal with it or not.

But when evidence is overwhelming, the editorial boards are aghast. St. Pete Times: Punish Now Severely. Tampa Tribune: casual cruelty is an outrage.

Which brings me to another question. If the deputies are guilty of just standing around doing nothing while inmates are treated as punching bags, what are we to say about the media?

Sarah Williams and Nisreen Swedberg were kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight for being verbally abusive and threatening toward both the airline staff and other passengers. But they say they were denied a flight cuz they are hotties:

“I think they were just discriminating against because we were young decent-looking girls. I mean, nobody else on the plane looked like us except us,” she said. “[The flight attendants] were like older ladies. We were younger. Who knows, they could have been just jealous of us because we were younger.”

Um… I’m not so sure about that. Watch the video story from Channel 10, as well as a video response from Southwest Airlines on YouTube. Also, here’s Sarah Williams’ myspace page.

I don’t know what the girls’ parents have told them, but I’m guessing they might have laid it on a little thick. And here is your result - a couple of spoiled brats - conceited, condescending tramps accustomed to getting their way. When the passenger didn’t jump up out of the bathroom right away, and flight attendants took their time with their requests, they threw a fit.

Girls - you didn’t get treated with disdain because of your looks. You got treated that way because you are jerks.

Miami (19-7) : beat Duke, Maryland

No team in the country (not even Tennessee) did more to help themselves than the Canes did last week. The Canes’ RPI shot up from 36th to 25th best and went from being just outside the bubble to firmly in. Barring a late season collapse the Canes should be in the NCAA Tournament and as of right now Stewart Mandel has them as a 7 seed and the highest seeded ACC team not named UNC or Duke.

UP NEXT: @ Clemson (Wed, 7:30), UVA (Sat, 2:00)

Florida (20-7) : lost to Vandy, beat South Carolina

The Gators road woes will likely cost them a tournament spot, this team is just 1-6 on the road. After their 22 point win over Vandy the Gators looked like the second best team in the SEC but as often happens with young teams they have struggled on the road. Random side note, for some reason after having the Gators OUT of the tournament last week Joe Lunardi now has the Gators IN the tournament….even though the Gators RPI dropped from last week. I have no rational explanation for this.

UP NEXT: @ Georgia (Wed, 7:30), Miss St (Sat, 4:00)

South Florida (11-16) : lost to Cincy, Seton Hall

Kentrell Gransberry might be the best player on a bad team in the country. Gransberry averages the fourth most rebounds a game in the NCAA (11.2) while averaging 16.8 points and 1.4 blocks a game. Gransberry’s height, 6′ 9″, will likely prevent him from being a lottery pick in the draft but he will be playing in the NBA next season.

UP NEXT: @ Rutgers (Sat, 7:30)

Florida State (16-12) : beat Clemson, Boston College

Not a bad week for the Noles, it was the first time since late December they strung together back-to-back wins. Plus they have the best free throw percentage in the nation, would which actually mean something if this team could even sniff the NCAA Tournament.

UP NEXT: @ NC State (Wed, 7:00)

THE SMALLS SPOTLIGHT
Jacksonville (15-11) : beat Mercer, Kennesaw St

With the second best record in the Atlantic Sun, the Dolphins have a very good shot at getting into NCCA Tournament. To do that the Dolphins have to win the Atlantic Sun Tournament, which begins next week in Nashville.

UP NEXT: @ Florida Gulf Coast (Thu, 7:15), @ Stetson (Sat, 8:15)

After a successful debut in 2007, the Gasparilla Film Festival has bigger and better plans for this year’s festival, which opens tonight, February 27. At a recent press conference, festival executive director John Rosser and president Eric Odum presented the film line up, announced guest appearances, and listed the panels, receptions and special events planned for this year. 81 films from ten countries will be screened over five days, with at least 20 of the selected films having a connection to the Tampa Bay area.

By the way, Shane West, star of TV’s ER and the GFF selection What We Do Is Secret, will be at the Gasparilla Film Festival this year. I’ll post more details when I get ‘em.

Here’s a glimpse at some of the special events and screenings planned for this year:

Wednesday, February 27:

• Opening Night VIP Reception at the Tampa Theatre
• Opening night film Kabluey, a “hilarious, unique and heartfelt comedy” starring Lisa Kudrow, Chris Parnell and Christine Taylor. **Executive producer Jeff Balis is a Tampa native.**

(more…)

Tampa Bay’s 10 long time weatherman Dick Fletcher has passed away. The 65-year-old meteorologist had a stroke on Feb. 18, and died this morning.

He joined WTSP in 1980, and has been a significant part of this community since then.

Eric Deggans has more information, including where and how to make memorial donations in Fletcher’s name.

Two foundations have been selected by Dick’s wife, Cindy, for those who wish to make donations in memory of Dick.
The Dick Fletcher Memorial Fund
The Pinellas Education Foundation
12090 Starkey Road
Largo, FL 33773
Note on the check: Dick Fletcher Memorial Fund

The Dick Fletcher Memorial Scholarship Fund at USF

Make checks payable to:
The USF Foundation, Inc.
Attn: Julie Benson
4202 East Fowler Ave.-CPR 107
Tampa, FL 33620
Note on the Check: Dick Fletcher Scholarship Fund

Tampa Bay’s 10 will air a special hour-long tribute to Fletch tonight at 8pm, and there are already a bunch of video tributes on Tampa Bay’s 10 dot com, including thoughts from WFLA weather guy Steve Jerve and Fox 13’s Paul Dellagato.

A trip to New York City almost always includes a visit to Central Park.  When in San Francisco, you might swing into Golden Gate Park.  Likewise, you may take a walk through Lincoln Park when visiting Chicago.

Not every city has a "signature park," but many do, and Mayor Pam Iorio says that Curtis Hixon Park will become "Tampa’s central park."  Even with local governments facing an incredible financial challenge, Iorio is still insisting we spend $15 million on upgrades to an existing green space.  But let’s play along for a minute, and accept the idea that Tampa should have a "Boston Common."  Why is Curtis Hixon Park being chosen for Extreme Makeover:  City Park?

There are some pretty good parks throughout the City of Tampa, and a few of them might want to make a claim to be Tampa’s best park.  The first place that comes to mind is Al Lopez Park.  Immediately after that I think of Lowry Park and the band shell.  Sulphur Springs Park has the potential to be a lot bigger than it is currently.  Rowlett Park is another nice sized park, although somewhat nearer to Temple Terrace.  And imagine if adjacent Rogers Park Golf Course were to be included in the parcel.

But size isn’t everything.  Tampa Bay and other waterways wrap around much of the city, and Picnic Island offers great views of the Bay, but has a less than central location.  Tiny Ballast Point Park and adjoining Yacht Club offer beautiful views of the bay, as well as the downtown skyline.  DeSoto Park is small too, but on McKay Bay, and near Ybor City.  Bayshore Linear Park is limited in size, but one of the most recognizable parts of town.

If none of those catch your attention, perhaps you feel that our "central park" needs to be closer to downtown.  What about Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park?  That is a great park, and is underutilized as it is.  Plant Park is just west of the river, too.  Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park is downtown south, right between the Marriott Riverside and the forthcoming History Center.  Of course, there is also Perry Harvey Park, located in the conveniently named Central Park neighborhood of Tampa.

But then again, Snow Park is just west of downtown on Kennedy and was once in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the smallest park in the world.  With Tampa’s small-minded leadership, perhaps this is as "signature" as it gets around here.