Talk about a teachable moment. Over at Hillsborough High School, the principal stepped in to censor a story in the school’s newspaper. It had to do with achievement gaps on the FCAT among white, black and Hispanic students. According to Hillsborough Principal William Orr, the content – a story and a chart — was inappropriate [...]
Among those taken aback by the recent public speculation about former Mayor Dick Greco making a political comeback was – Dick Greco. Greco, who has been elected four times (1967, ’71, ’95, ’99) as mayor of Tampa, dismisses most of the talk as predictable “political season” palaver. “It’s not at all abnormal for people to [...]
A month ago this column bemoaned the fact that many members of the media had pointed to a loss of “swagger” as a reason why the University of Miami football team was not winning as before. More to the point, there was considerable sentiment in favor of UM regaining that very dubious quality. As if [...]
Normally I wouldn’t side with the equivocating politician on the subject of campaign debates. But when it comes to next Monday’s (Oct. 30) gubernatorial debate between Charlie Crist and Jim Davis (seen locally on Channel 8 at 7 p.m.), Crist was right to have held out for a more appropriate forum. The debate, which will [...]
It certainly wasn’t a coup along the lines of a big convention or prominent sports event, but the recent 10th anniversary drop-in by roving Fox News Channel anchor Shephard Smith was the sort of exposure chambers of commerce – and city halls — die for. In front of the magnificent backdrop that is the Don [...]
Steeven Knight is absolutely in his element right now. He loves boats, and he thinks big. He slavishly obeys the law of supply and demand. His mantra is service. Back in July, the animated, 49-year-old Fort Myers resident shelled out $42 million for land in Tampa’s hot south West Shore area – on Old Tampa [...]
After that hail of bullets riddled the body of cop-killer Angilo Freeland, some questions were begged. It makes sense that the family of Freeland wanted to know why it took a Bonnie and Clyde fusillade of 68 bullets (out of 110 fired) to kill their son. And it makes sense that they were not pleased [...]
As anniversaries go, it won’t draw any commemorations or memorials. It’s no 12/7/41 or 9/11/01. But 1/29/02 certainly grows in infamy and fallout. That was the day President George W. Bush, enamored of a coinage by speech writers David Frum and Michael Gerson, spoke of an “axis of evil” that the U.S. – and the [...]
On tour for the first time in a dozen years, Barbra Streisand made up for lost time last week when her 20-city show played Madison Square Garden. By all accounts, New Yorkers still love their quintessential diva. At least most of them. Some didn’t care for a low-brow skit involving Streisand and a President Bush [...]
Maybe it’s cultural. Then again maybe it’s generational. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s a matter of right and wrong, and I’m right – however un-hip. I’m talking about the recent noon-to-10 pm Sunset ’06 concert in Vinoy Park on downtown St. Petersburg’s waterfront. It was billed as the Bay Area’s first electronic music festival, which [...]
