Free Republic

Had Enough! Wake Up America! It's Tea Time and You're Invited! Save America Tea Party, Clearwater Chapter, is having another meeting on Monday, September 14, 2009 from 6:45 - 10 PM at the Holiday Inn Express - U.S. 19 and Gulf-to-Bay, Clearwater, FL in the Grand Ballroom The topic for this meeting? Cap and Trade. Please come if you can and bring a guest. Our goal is to fill Ruth Eckerd Hall in January. Get the news out and hope to see you there!

CLEARWATER — Stung by fierce criticism, the Clearwater City Council on Monday canceled a plan to remove about a dozen flagpoles and American flags from city property to save money. "We're going to leave all the flags as is," Mayor Frank Hibbard said after a lengthy and contentious discussion of the topic at a council meeting Monday morning. Council members criticized City Manager Bill Horne for not telling them about the flag removal plan that city staffers had come up with. Instead, the council first learned about it from the St. Petersburg Times. Council member George Cretekos said Horne had...

The Clearwater council on Monday canceled staff plans to take down flagpoles and American flags at some parks and facilities. Clearwater won't lower flags Stung by fierce criticism, Clearwater has canceled a plan to remove about a dozen flagpoles and American flags from city property to save money. After the story appeared on tampabay.com on Friday, nearly 300 readers posted comments, with many calling for Clearwater officials to be summarily fired. City leaders also got what the mayor described as "an unrelenting volume of phone calls." For full story: http: //www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article1024460.ece

The city today scrapped plans to take down some of its 60 odd flags after the mayor and city council members received a barrage of angry emails and telephone calls over the weekend, some of them from veterans. City Manager Bill Horne's staff had recommended slightly more than a dozen flags – out of 59 – be removed to save the city money. Some flags were on property no longer maintained by the city. Others were at maintenance buildings or the like that were far out of the public eye. Mayor Frank Hibbard and city council members were rankled that...

CLEARWATER — The Clearwater City Council plans to discuss the removal of several American flags, an act that has drawn widespread ire, during a work session this morning. Kevin Dunbar, Clearwater's parks and recreation director, ordered the removal of 13 flagpoles from across the city last week. He said budget cuts made it impossible to properly care for the flags. So Dunbar had city workers pull the poles out of the ground. The last flagpoles were removed Friday. City Council members and Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard were never consulted before the removal. Public reaction to news of the flag removal...

City Manager Bill Horne didn't think taking down Old Glory at a few city properties would be a big deal. He was wrong. Several weeks ago, city workers started removing American flags from city properties. In all, 13 of the city's 50 flags came down, according to Mayor Frank Hibbard. But the cost-cutting measure has sparked outrage, especially among veterans groups, prompting city leaders to revisit the decision at a workshop this morning. "It's a knock at our country," said John Smith, canteen manager at the Hercules VFW Post 2473. "It's the only city in the United States that has...

CLEARWATER (Bay News 9) -- Money is so tight in Clearwater that the city can no longer afford to fly the American flag. The city's parks and recreation director ordered the removal of more than a dozen flagpoles from across the city this week, saying that budget cuts make it impossible to properly care for the flags. According to Bay News 9's partner paper, the St. Petersburg Times, the city says lighting flags at night and removing them if they are damaged are tasks the city cannot afford to worry about anymore.

CLEARWATER — Here's probably the most bizarre casualty of shrinking government budgets you'll hear. The city of Clearwater can no longer afford to fly the American flag. Clearwater's parks and recreation director ordered the removal of 13 flagpoles from across the city this week saying budget cuts have made it impossible to properly care for the flags. "Over the last three years, the parks and recreation staff has been reduced by 25 percent,'' explained director Kevin Dunbar. "When you have a flagpole, you have certain responsibilities. The flag has to be lit at night, if a flag has a rip...

Good turnout for Clearwater Florida Tea Party at the Perkins Restaurant corner of US19 and Gulf-to-Bay. Estimate at 300+ (unofficial) and good spirits for all participants on a hot day. I know that there are/were other Tea Parties in the Tampa Bay area so 300+ is probably a good turnout. Lots of horn honking and thumbs-up signs.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The leader of the Church of Scientology struck his subordinates numerous times and set an example for physical violence among the tightly controlled religion's management team, four former high-ranking executives told a newspaper for a story published Sunday. The executives who have since left the organization told The St. Petersburg Times that they witnessed David Miscavige, chairman of the board that oversees the church, hit staff members dozens of times. "It was random and whimsical. It could be the look on your face. Or not answering a question quickly. But it always was a punishment," said Mike...

We had a successful tea party that was put together in a short period of time the Saturday before tax day in Clearwater, Florida. Video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f9WOXapfBc

CLEARWATER, Fla. – It's a fish story that's turning into a whale of a legal tale. The owners of a Florida bait and tackle shop have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Clearwater to defend their right to display artwork of marine life on the outside of their business along with a banner of the First Amendment to the Constitution. The salty dispute started in December 2007 when Herb and Lori Quintero invested their life savings to purchase and renovate a dilapidated building they turned into the Complete Angler, selling fishing accessories such as rods, reels and live...

CLEARWATER - Thousands of people turned out early this morning for a lively rally with the Republican vice-presidential candidate, Gov. Sarah Palin. Lines formed outside Coachman Park before 5 a.m. for the Alaskan governor's speech -- two hours before sunrise and four hours before the speech itself. Palin's stop was the first of several in Florida, a key battleground state that polls say is still too close to call in the race between Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama. Palin will also be rallying support in Ft. Myers, Boca Raton, Jacksonville, and Pensacola. In her last Florida stop a...

So why is Sarah Palin coming to town? "Why not?" said Mario Diaz, a spokesman for the McCain-Palin campaign. "The bay area is not only a must-stop in any election, but it's also a must-see. What better backdrop than in Clearwater?" With Tampa Bay shaping up to be a major political battleground, Palin will speak at a rally Monday morning that's expected to draw a good crowd at Coachman Park, which holds about 12,000 people. That means rallygoers and others around downtown Clearwater will be dealing with traffic, parking, closed streets and tight security. The city is preparing for the...

10/06/2008 Road to Victory Rally: Monday October 6th in Clearwater, FL Please join Governor Sarah Palin & Your Florida Ticket for a Road to Victory Rally in Clearwater, FL on Monday October 6th. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/06/2008 Road to Victory Rally: Monday October 6th in Ft. Myers FL Please join Governor Sarah Palin for a Road to Victory Rally in Ft. Myers, FL on Monday October 6th.

Gov. Sarah Palin’s public rally in Southwest Florida on Monday may be moving to a bigger venue.

Please join Governor Sarah Palin & Your Florida Ticket for a Road to Victory Rally in Clearwater, FL on Monday October 6th.

CLEARWATER, Fla. (Sept. 25) - Sure, says Mayor Frank Hibbard. It can be a little unsettling sometimes - throngs of Scientologists wandering Clearwater's streets in their blue or khaki trousers and crisp dress shirts. Sometimes, it makes the neighbors a bit uneasy. "When you come to downtown, no one likes being a minority," Hibbard says. But mostly, folks in this picturesque Gulf Coast city have come to accept that Clearwater is to Scientologists what Salt Lake City is to Mormons, what Mecca is to Muslims. Though not everybody is happy about it. "I think there's been a slow shift from...

Clearwater-Two young men were injured, one critically and the other seriously, when their vehicle careened out of control and hit a palm tree in Clearwater Sunday evening. Preliminary investigation indicates the car was traveling at a high rate of speed. Both of the occupants were flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. Their conditions are unknown at this time. Tune into Tampa Bays 10 News at 11pm for the latest details on the accident.

Source: http://ocmb.xenu.net/ocmb/viewtopic.php?t=20957&postorder=asc&start=30 Breaking Rumors: My Clearwater (Florida) source claims that Rep. Mark A. Foley is undergoing a phony detox at Clearwater Narconon because he is not an alcoholic. This source claims that Foley got hammered and then showed up drunk and paid the ~$15,000 "No Refund" Narconon fee for detox. (Narconon is the Scientology "Rehabilitation" program). Paparazzi with boatloads of cash have been spotted cruising Clearwater in search of Foley's whereabouts. Reporters are also snooping around. Security at Flag (Scientology HQ at the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida) is reported to be heavier than normal. The Foley tie-in appears...

SPC suspect jailed in Michigan The man, who tried to buy St. Petersburg College vehicles, has terrorist ties, police say. By NORA KOCH, Times Staff Writer Published October 28, 2004 A former Clearwater man who tried to buy an old ambulance and two surplus police cruisers from St. Petersburg College in August is an "affiliate of a terrorist organization," according to police documents obtained Wednesday. Abdalla Deiab, 51, was arrested in Michigan on Wednesday on a warrant charging him with failing to return a hired vehicle, a Largo rental car, Pinellas County sheriff's and Largo police officials said. In a...

While not specifically calling it "revenge," Michael Schiavo has fired a shot over the bow at the "Bible-thumping politicians" whom he claims used his wife, Terri Schiavo, as a political football last spring. Schiavo has announced the formation of a political action committee, called Terri PAC, in hopes of raising funds to defeat the politicians who tried to intervene in the seven-year court battle over the life of the 41-year-old brain-injured woman.

TAMPA - It's Monday night, and 13 teenagers gather at the Glorious Church of God in Christ, a predominantly African-American church in a working class neighborhood of East Tampa. The teens bow their heads and pray Jesus will make this a productive evening. Then one hands out pamphlets titled The Way to Happiness.

CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (Sept. 20, 2005) -- Some people say the Marine Corps is a small community in a small world. Three Clearwater, Fla., natives who live less than five minutes from each other are proof of that theory. Sergeant Chris Whitman, 23, Cpl. Matt Orth, 22, and Lance Cpl. Benjamin Hallstrom, 22, are all deployed here with the same unit, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment. The three Marines are all graduates of Clearwater High School; Whitman in 2000, Hallstrom in 2001 and Orth in 2002. Whitman and Orth were in Junior Marine Corps Reserve Officer Training Corps together...

An urn containing Terri Schiavo's ashes was buried in Florida, ending a bitter right-to-die battle that had galvanized the United States this year. Michael Schiavo, Terri Schiavo's husband, attended the quiet ceremony Monday at a Clearwater cemetery, but her parents, who had fought the court-ordered removal of her feeding tube, had not been informed of the funeral service and were outraged, media reports said Tuesday. The parents' attorney, David Gibbs, told U.S. media outlets that Bob and Mary Schindler were especially angered by the inscription that Michael Schiavo placed on their daughter's headstone. The plaque reads, "I kept my promise,"...

Ashes of Terri Schiavo buried 12 minutes ago The remains of Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged Florida woman whose fate sparked a highly politicized right-to-die battle, were buried on Monday in Florida, her husband's lawyer said. The interment of Schiavo's ashes took place nearly three months after she died and five days after pathologists released results of an autopsy that showed her to have had massive brain damage and no hope of recovery. Her condition resulted from a collapse in 1990 that deprived her brain of oxygen. The burial at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater, Florida, was held in the...

This is news/activism. Terri Schindler Schiavo is still in the headlines. The death lobby shouldn't kid themselves. We are not going to forget... LIVE THREAD of Terri Schiavo Autopsy Press Conference. It begins at 11:00 pm est from Clearwater, Florida at the Medical Examiner's Office right down the road from where Terri was starved & dehydrated to death. The ME will have to address that hmmmmmmmm? John Throgmartin, ME, here he goes. Dr. Steven Nelson joins him. HERE WE GO.

CLEARWATER - The room is packed with computer consultants, real estate agents, home financing professionals, Web site designers, accountants, hairstylists, artists, interior designers. All based in Clearwater. All Scientologists. Guest speaker Mark DeEulio bursts in. "How are you doing?" he booms. "Great!" comes an enthusiastic chorus. "Who could use more money?" DeEulio teases. Without pause, he launches into the basics of financial planning - as taught by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. It is the weekly meeting of the Clearwater chapter of the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises, business people using Hubbard's business techniques. Akin to a chamber of commerce...

Scientology's town As Scientologists launch unprecedented expansion, downtown Clearwater's identity is at stake. A two-part special report   [Times photos: Scott Keeler] Scientology’s new Flag Building is the centerpiece of a $160-million construction campaign. “I get chills when I see that building,” says Scientologist Randy Poletz. But its sheer size — it commands a full city block — makes some non-church members nervous. CLEARWATER - The room is packed with computer consultants, real estate agents, home financing professionals, Web site designers, accountants, hairstylists, artists, interior designers.All based in Clearwater. All Scientologists.Guest speaker Mark DeEulio bursts in."How are you doing?" he...

Scientology, The Clearwater Bar Association, and Judge Greer Judge George W. Greer presides over Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit Court. He is known internationally for the Terri Schindler Schiavo guardianship case. Pat Anderson, former attorney for the Schindlers, characterized Judge Greer's unprecedented rulings as "The Rule of Terri's Case." The Clearwater Bar Association is delighted with Judge Greer's performance in this particular case. They presented the John U. Bird award to the Pinellas-Pasco Circuit judge on May 15, 2004. This prestigious award, which is the Clearwater bar's highest honor for a judge, was granted to Judge Greer for the way he...

Sonic Boom over Clearwater, Florida 5km down. Anybody in Clearwater or Tampa heard it ?

"Clearwater, Florida - It's been two weeks since Jessica Lunsford’s father discovered his daughter was missing from her room. The family is holding out hope the nine-year-old girl will be found safe, despite days of searching that turned up nothing.The case is a lot like that of Zachary Bernhardt who disappeared on September 11, 2000. Like Jessica, the eight-year-old Clearwater boy was home at bedtime, but gone by morning. As with Jessica's disappearance there was an all-out search, still Zachary remains missing....

CLEARWATER POLISHES ITS ALL AMERICAN PRESENTATIONThe city has become a finalist for an award that recognizes cooperative efforts to make progress. Clearwater is one of 30 cities that have been named finalists for the designation of All-America City. The award is passed out every year by the National Civil League, a Denver-based think tank that promotes efficient government. Ten winners will be declared in mid June. Before then, the city has to convince the NCL judges that they are the best in the bunch, which includes South Florida's Lauderhill, Pembroke Pines and Pompano Beach. Other finalists include Stamford, Conn., and...

<p>The glass on a Clearwater, Fla., office building will be replaced next week, but there will be no attempt to restore the image of the Virgin Mary.</p> <p>The glass was shattered by vandals last weekend. Last week many people said they saw the image of the Virgin Mary in the glass.</p>

Windows With Virgin Mary Image Broken 03/01/04 CLEARWATER, Fla. - Office building windows that thousands of visitors believe bear the image of the Virgin Mary — but experts said is just corrosion — were discovered broken Monday, police said. The three top panes that showed what appeared to be the Virgin Mary's veiled head were destroyed, with just shards of glass remaining in the window frames. The damage was discovered when a worker arrived Monday morning and it is believed the damage was done overnight, police spokesman Wayne Shelor said. Investigators were trying to determine who was responsible. The image...

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) -- Office building windows that thousands of visitors believed bore the image of the Virgin Mary were discovered broken Monday, police said. The three top panes that showed what appeared to be the Virgin Mary's veiled head were destroyed, with just shards of glass remaining in the window frames. The damage was discovered when a ministry worker arrived Monday morning and it is believed the damage was done overnight, police spokesman Wayne Shelor said. Investigators were trying to determine how the windows were broken. The image first appeared a week before Christmas in 1996 in what was...

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) -- More than 15,000 people packed a waterfront park Saturday, many waving American flags and patriotic signs, as speakers including Gov. Jeb Bush showed their support for the troops fighting in Iraq. The military men and women are "the next greatest generation," Bush said. "Each generation has its defining moments," said Bush, the president's younger brother. "This generation's legacy is being written now, on the seas and in sands of the Middle East." The Rally for America was the latest in a series of such gatherings across the country inspired by syndicated radio talk show host Glenn...

For troops, only love An estimated 20,000 turn out to support U.S. troops in Iraq - and one another - at a rally at Coachman Park in Clearwater. By AMY WIMMER, Times Staff Writer © St. Petersburg Times published April 6, 2003 CLEARWATER -- Barbara Gibb wore a "Marine Mom" T-shirt, carried an American flag and held a placard with a photo of Lance Cpl. Shawn Bosel, who turns 20 today somewhere in Iraq. To the thousands of people at Coachman Park in Clearwater on Saturday morning, she was the next best thing to a hero in their midst. "Thank...

<p>CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) More than 15,000 people packed a waterfront park Saturday, many waving American flags and patriotic signs, as speakers including Gov. Jeb Bush showed their support for the troops fighting in Iraq.</p> <p>The military men and women are ''the next greatest generation,'' Bush said.</p>

I'm probably the first person from Free Republic who attended the Coachman Park Flag Fest that's already home. I selected the front page for this report because those of us in attendance from Free Republic invited rally participants to visit us here. It will be much easier for them to be welcomed on the front page. Welcome. I will have pictures from the rally and will be posting other links here. Flyers were flying in addition to all the American, British and military flags. There were some great signs too. I was interviewed for local television but as time is...

WHAT: 970 WFLA and Glenn Beck present Rally for America! WHEN: Saturday, April 5th 10AM WHERE: Coachman Park, Clearwater WHY: A celebration of this great country and those who serve the nation. Come hear patriotic music and speakers, including 970 WFLA's Glenn Beck. Show your support for our troops and honor veterans who fought to keep us free and safe. Stay tuned to 970 WFLA and check back to this page for the very latest information on Rally for America.

CLEARWATER -- Want to support the troops overseas? Or let others know your opinion on the fighting in Iraq? WFLA-AM 970 Radio is bringing nationally syndicated talk show host Glenn Beck's "Rally for America" to Clearwater's Coachman Park on April 5. "It's not prowar," said Jeff "Jeffy" Fisher, a member of Beck's production team. "It's pro-America-support-the-troops." The free event, one of several Beck has orchestrated across the country, is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to noon. WFLA's special projects manager Debbie McCarthy said she expects at least 7,500 people to come to the rally. "At other rallies, people have...

CLEARWATER - A fire at a chemical plant spawned explosions and kept Pinellas County firefighters at bay for hours late Monday night. No one was injured, a fire rescue spokesman said. The alarm at the Brenntag plant, 1575 Sunshine Drive, came in at 10:42 p.m., the spokesman said. By midnight, firefighters were battling the blaze defensively, meaning they were trying to keep it from spreading and not aggressively trying to put it out by entering the complex, the spokesman said. The combination of heat and hazardous chemicals inside the plant was too dangerous, he said. Authorities early this morning began...