Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 161

2 TIMES FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2004 PAS EDITORIAL Loss off; A shouldn't die rani Dadl If you want to catch a passenger train in Dade City, act fast ends its 14-year run of twice-daily service Sunday. Beginning Monday, rail fans will have to take a bus to Lakeland to catch a southbound train or to Jacksonville for northbound travel. The end of the passenger service is tied to Amtrak ending its contract to carry mail for the U.S. Postal Service. Ocala, Waldo and Wildwood also are losing direct service.

Though Amtrak's service to Dade City never evolved into an economic boon envisioned by city leaders in 1990, it did help bring about a renaissance at the 1912 rail depot at the end of Meridian Avenue. Amtrak's return to the city helped rekindle interest in saving the dilapidated building that had fallen into disrepair after passenger service ended in 1968. The city acquired the building in 1992 and applied successfully to put it on the National Historic Register two years later, making it the first building in Pasco County to make the list Grant money, dollars intended to benefit low- and moderate-income people, for station amenities, thinking it would bolster ridership and the city's image to visitors. It was an ill-conceived idea considering the more pressing needs confronting a city with a high rate of poverty and a previous lawsuit for failing to provide the appropriate infrastructure in black neighborhoods. Though the loss of Amtrak service to Dade City diminishes the melancholy notion frequently associated with train travel, there is little reason for remorse.

Dade City has a downtown restaurant and antique district that attracts tourists by the busloads. Since Amtrak resumed service, the city also has become home to nationally recognized steeplechase racing and bicycle events, a kumquat festival and other downtown events. Even without twice-daily passenger trains, there is plenty about which Dade City can toot its whistle. The city refurbished it with $250,000 in state and federal grants and reopened in 1996. City leaders correctly identified it as the unofficial gateway to downtown from the south and east Unfortunately, the renovated building remained closed to Amtrak's passengers who were unable to purchase train tickets onsite.

The red brick building is used as office space for CSX and as an annex for the Pioneer Florida Museum. This week, Amtrak said an average of fewer than four people a day boarded trains in Dade City, or less than a third of what city leaders envisioned in 1990 when Amtrak resumed service amid big fanfare. City Manager Harold Sample acknowledged to Times staff writer Chase Squires that losing the train service would have little effect on the city. From a practical standpoint, that is true. The resumption of Amtrak service in 1990 came with overblown expectations.

The city even proposed to use its share of Community Development Block LETTERS Pasco should belauded for deciding to recycle Editor: Kudos to Pasco for finally going for recycling. Big thanks to Monica Dear, founder and president of RESORCE, local recycling club, for her diligent behavior concerning this subject. Monica and her club members can often be seen in Pasco conducting recycling duties for the county's events. This is all done on a volunteer basis; including placement of recycling containers and monitoring of the containers for the times when unwanted garbage finds its way into the recycle bins. Without citizens like Monica, the subject of recycling may have been left on the back burner for another 10 years, costing the residents of Pasco another outlandish invoice of $300-mil-lion! Jackie Hartley, Holiday If time to say enough to development Re: Cypress Creek Town Center Editor: When does it stop? Tell me when do we all say enough? How much more can this delicate balance between nature and man take before it begins to crumble? Over the years man has destroyed forest after forest, farm after farm, meadow after meadow, river after river.

Our clean air and clean water has been permanently compromised and yet we don't stop. Our greed pushes us ever forward. Soon we will not see the wild deer at the side of the road. We will wonder where all the turtles went or we will sit in our overstuffed sofas and try to describe to our grandchildren what it was like to run with the grass against our bare feet chasing fireflies or catching toads. We already have enough malls and yet not enough truth is this: Pasco County is hell bent on destroying long established neighborhoods, taking property, homes, easement, viable wetlands and wildlife habit, to make way for the hundreds of thousands of new homes already approved in violation of the existing comp plan.

The two new superstores at our apex in Land O'Lakes will generate 40,000 to 60,0000 more car trips daily. This is precisely where our county engineers have said the intersection will melt down and cease to function. This would happen even if the superstores are not approved. That not likely folks. Edward Moore, Land O'Lakes Maybe residents should pick up storm waste Editor: I recently had an experience in my neighborhood while contractors were picking up storm damage, etc.

Trucks partially blocked the streets and caused traffic to slow or stop. Some drivers were getting upset, even making obscene gestures. No one wants another storm, but if it happens, let residents pay for their own cleanup. We've tried in this area for over 15 years, and for the first time traffic actually slowed down toor below the posted speed limit Wayne Foshee, Holiday Play's quality excellent, despite what review said Editor: This was the first time my husband and I were at the Richey Suncoast Theatre in New Port Richey and we saw Wife begins at 40. We thought the production of this play was excellent The play was done in good taste, was very entertaining and was funny.

All cast members did a great job in their performance in this play. We have very good local talent We definitely disagree with Barbara Fredricksen's cruel review. Judy Lynn, Holiday schools. Our environment is already stressed by the strip malls that sit empty! I say it is now time to say enough. Stop! Leave this land in its beauty.

Leave this land to be home to the critters that will die without it Leave this land to guarantee a future to our grandchildren to know nature as we did. Deborah DiBona, Port Richey County seems intent on lowering quality of life Editor: I must say I was somewhat amused to see we have a proposed Super Target and a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter sharing what many know as the apex in Land O'Lakes U.S. 41 and Dale Mabry Highway. I was at a Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting in Tampa recently, and I saw the ratings predicted for the roads in Pasco for the year 2015. State Road 54 from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S.

41 will rate an or or worse. I spoke with an MPO traffic engineer to confirm this. He said "Pasco County is a little loose when it comes to proper planning." At a recent meeting in Land O'Lakes, our Pasco County traffic engineer, James Widman, said the intersection at SR 54 and U.S. 41 will melt down and cease to function by the year 2010, Assistant County Administrator Bipin Parikh recently said if only 25 percent of the new homes already approved along SR 54 are built, the highway will become gridlocked and not function properly. Pasco Commissioner Ted Schrader said last week commissioners should be flogged for allowing all the new developments in Land O'Lakes and Wesley Chapel.

Several years back, when citizens were staging a huge battle against Oakstead, Pasco Commissioner Steve Simon wrote a memo saying the current comprehensive land use plan will allow 5-million new residents into Pasco County; I find even 3-million unacceptable. For all of our new residents moving here for tranquility and improved quality of life, the sad TIMES RECOMMENDS WHALEY Commission, District 3: ANN HILDEBRAND (R) Commission, District 5: PETER ALTMAN(D) Supervisor of Elections: KURT BROWNING (R) Circuit Court Clerk: ROBERT ALTMAN (D) Circuit Judge, Group 22: JACK DAY For the Nov. 2 election, the Times has published detailed recommendations, which are available online at wwwiptimes.com. Click on Election 2004 and then Times recommendations. Here is a summary: U.S.

House, District5: GINNY BROWN-WATTE (R) State Senate, District 1 1 MIKE FASANO(R) State House, District 44: DAVID RUSSELL JR. (R) State House, District 45: TOM ANDERSON (R) State House, District 46: DEE THOMAS (D) Pasco County Sheriff: BOB WHITE (R) School Superintendent: HEATHER FIORENTINO (R) School Board, District 2: MARGE www mmmmmmmmmmmmimMMhmKmmmmmmimmim jjmimmn TV 0 X. fc 3 At i I Christ Fellowship Presents 2004 Fall Festival Horse Show October 30th at 10:30 am Top Call Farm 12714 Tyler Run Road, Odessa, FL 4 Miles East Of East Lake Road Off Of Keystone Road. Horse Show Only $5 Entry Fee Per Class: Spoon, Ride-A-Buck, Carrot Race Many, Many More! Fall Festival Games Prizes Concessions Raffle Drawings Music Fun For All Ages Ribbons For 1st Through 4th Place rvrr 1 GDWIElE amym Mrijo Lh I Ln in Overall Grand Champion Prize! Classes for non-riders, too! Bring; the GAT fYff rk4-t Kicis tor Their FREE Trick or us Mwy- Jurt Sou OS 5.K. 51 For Horse Show Entry And Information, Call (813) 792-8171 Entries Also Accepted At The Gate.

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