(Continued from page 1) for the NFL Experience or for the
Earl Lennard, former superin- corporate tents. I felt that if the
tendent of Hillsborough County TSA could give the property for
School District, will enter one of free to one of the richest groups
the school board races. We talked in American, the NFL, surely we
to Dr. Lennard about the rumor could do the same for one of the
and he said that there is not a lot poorest groups.
of time left to launch a campaign. My motion to the TSA board
He added that it's unlikely that to do just this failed to even get "Copyrighted Material
he'd run, but he wouldn't rule a second.
anything out. Ifyou'd like to contribute to the S diatd Cnt
 ***** cause, call Patrick Manteiga at ^Syndicated Content
 We hear that the referendum 248-3921. ** Available from Commercial News Providers"
to create an elected county mayor
mightface a local challenge con- Ashley Smith has dropped out
cerning The Voting Rights Act. of the school board race for district
 **** 6. This leavesApril Griffin, David
 z, c r s Schmidt, Alene Atkins and Ken
 Karen Prez, candidate for state Allen vying for the most votes.
representative district 60, will*****
have a fundraiser titled "Berries
and Bubbly" (that sounds intrigu- The decline ofYbor City was in.
ing) at the Plant City law office of stages that came like hard blows
Joseph W. Williams on Thursday, to a boxer's face. The first right him in prison forever under some oil by driving gas guzzling SUVs,
April 27 from 6:30 8:30 p.m. that staggered Ybor City was the vague and never fully explained living in the suburbs with long
 Membersofthehostcommittee are decline of the cigar industry. This immigration reasons. commutes to work and sacrifice
SandraAcevedo, Herb Berkowitz, was followed by a sneaky left that We are not saying Al-Arian is nothing in their daily lives to
Andrea Brunais, Mary Figg, Dr. was the movement of the young innocent, although a jury found conserve energy. Why can't they
Ron Kaplan, Sara Romeo Delia families to the suburbs after him not guilty on most of these be more like us?
Sanchez, and Frank Sanchez. WWII. The punch that caused charges months ago. But, his **
 *a** Ybor City to wobble on its feet admittance of guilt is tainted We salute the Hillsborough
 Scame from the Federal Depart- and looks like an effort by federal County School Board for reject-
 April Griffin, candidate for ment of Transportation, which prosecutors to save face. ing a plan to close the A-rated
School Board district 6, wil hold demolished blocks and blocks of Faced with permanent impris- Dickerson Elementary School and
her campaign kickoff on Wednes- houses and businesses and cut onment, most anyone would have make it into a school for kids with
day April 26 from 6:30 9 p.m. the community in half with the swallowed their pride and made a behavioral problems.
at the Seminole Heights Garden building of Interstate 4. The knock deal in order to gain their freedom We editorialized against such a
Center, 5800 N. Central Ave. The out punch, the one that changed and reunite their family. closing two weeks ago. The staff
title for this one is also cute, "Cel- Ybor forever, was the cruelest of At one time, Al-Arian was re- at Dickerson is delivering a high
ebrate April. all, for it came with promises of ported to be the most powerful quality education to their stu-
 ***** rebirth that went unfulfilled. The man in the world of Palestinian dents. It would have been a shame
 Businessman, city councilman punch was Urban Renewal, which Islamic Jihad, according to the to break up the "A" team.
and family man Sam Mirabella occurred in the mid-60s and de- federal government, and that *
passed away of natural causes at molished over half the structures organization was central to ter- School media specialist Bart
the age of 79 on Tuesday, April 18. in Ybor City, displacing 1,200 rorism in the Middle East. Well, Birdsallsayshe llfilehispapers
 He co-owned the od local land- families. if any of this was close to true, f. ~ nr r ~;o ,i;rr
marks, Mirabella's Seafood Res- Urban Renewal is the subject why is our government agreeing against incumbent Candy Oson
taurant and Mirabella's Fish Mar- of a fascinating exhibit that will to deport Al-Arian back to the who is also facing 17-year-old
ket, which were located downtown open Saturday, April 22 at the Middle East, where he could carry student Logan Cobb Mr Birdsall
on the river. He also served his Ybor City State Museum, 1818 on these terrorist activities? was an outspoken critic ofthe
community on City Council from E. 9th Ave. The exhibit examines The plea has us confused and Hilwas an outspgh County Publcritic of the
1960- 1972. why Ybor was the target of Urban disillusioned with America's han- brary System wChn it removed th
 Mr. Mirabella will be deeply Renewal, what was lost, and how dling of "terrorists." Hundreds of dsplay ysn gay pride week.
missed by his friends and family. Urban Renew-al has influenced "terrorists" rot in jail in Guan- d y n g
 **.*** just about everything you see or tanamo and have never gone to
 On Tuesday I asked the Tampa don't see today in Ybor City. court. The government has not The organizers of the immi-
Sports Authority (TSA) to lower The exhibit willbe displayed all shown one shred of evidence grant march in Fort Myers that
their quoted price to an immi- summer, but Saturday's opening why they should be there. In the attracted 75,000 protestors will
grant group that wanted to use will be a part of a larger event, Al-Arian "terrorist" case the fed- be fined over $50,000, which is the
the TSA's south parking lot to "HistoricYbor City Neighborhood eral government showed a jury overtime cost for the police, who
hold a rally on May 1. Immigrant Expo," from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. a mountain of evidence and still had to deal with the protest.
groups across America are calling There will be a vendor fair in couldn't prove anything. It makes***
for a walkout on Monday, May 1 the museum garden that will us wonder if their case against Hillsborough County Class-
from work and- school to protest feature Frank Lastra signing those in Guantanamo is just as room Teachers Union endorsed
anti-immigrant bills in Congress and selling his exciting new book, shaky. Les Miller for Congress district
and to show the importance of "Ybor City: The Making of a Land- In the end, Al-Arian will spend 11 and Michael Scionti for Florida
this community to America. This mark Town."You can tour the new some time in prison and then be House district 58.
means that thousands are likely condo developments and historic deported. The feds could have *****
to gather somewhere in Tampa to buildings on a trolley tour ofYbor done this years ago without pros- We are sorry to report the
be heard. City. The museum will also host ecuting him and saved us millions passing of Joe "Jose" Ranon on
 I thought it would be best for a preservation workshop by Del of dollars. Thursday, April 13. Mr. Ranon
 our town to prepare and to work Acosta, who will explain the value We are glad this case is almost was the CEO of the construction
 with the immigrants so their of historic preservation and help over. firm Ranon and Jiminez. He was
 protest wouldn't impact our down- owners of historic homes learn to ***** active in associations related to
 town, block traffic, or disrupt the better care for their properties. Our condolences to former La his trade. Mr. Ranon was a gentle-
 business community. This group Call 247-6323 for more infor- Gaceta Italian editor Fortune Bos- man who was proud of his roots
 needs a place to be visible and mation. co on the passing of his brother, and his family.
 respectfully protest. The TSA ***** Mario Bosco, who died after a long ****
 wants $3,000 to rent the empty lot The media reports were quick to and painful illness on April 6 at The Centro Asturiano de Tampa
 for the afternoon, $2,000 for the say SamiAl-Arian's a proven liar, the age of 85 in Lanciano, Italy. will hold the Spring Verbena- on
 rental and $1,000 to pay person- that he is a moral and academic Fortune tells us Mario was Sunday, Aril 23 from noon to 5
 nel to assist in parking. I wanted fraud based on his plea agreement a partisan leader in World War
 the TSAto waive the profit, which with federal prosecutors where in II and was wounded fighting p.m. Dinner is from 12:30 1:30
 is $2,000, and charge only for the he pleaded guilty to basically one the German troops on October m Scalione will provide live2 5 .m.
 cost, which is $1,000. The reason count of the 51 he was originally 6, 1943. A kind nun gave him a music.
 was that these immigrant groups charged. shawl to cover the bleeding of his Cost is $17.50 with a cash bar.
 represent the poorest of the poor. Anyone can see his admittance injured leg. All proceeds benefit the historic
 Money is in short supply for of guilt was under duress. Al- MariowasknownasanAbruzz- Centro Asturianode Tampa Cali
 people who make their living with Arian is in prison and was facing ese poet and was a song lyricist. 933-1646 for more information.
 their backs. being there indefinitely under *****
 There is also a precedent for the the present situation. The feds There is a lot of talk that one *****
 TSA to give this property away. refusedto release him after ajury of the reasons for our excessive GilbertRodriguezisoneofthe most
 Last Super Bowl the TSA did found him not guilty and they gas prices is that the Chinese are popularfirefightersinHillsborough
 not charge the NFL for using the didn't seem to be moving to retry consuming more oil. County's history. Find out why in
 same parking lot for three days him. Instead, they wanted to keep How dare those Chinese waste this week's Silhouettes.
 Pa.ge12L/A ACETA/Friday, April 21, 2006