Posted on 05/05/2004 11:36:12 AM PDT by cyn
CLEARWATER POLISHES ITS ALL AMERICAN PRESENTATION
The 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 Cottage Grove, Ore.
"It's an effort to recognize communities where people are working together in a proactive, thoughtful and constructive way," said Chris Gates, president of the NCL.
All finalists are asked to send a delegation to the June 10-12 final selection competition in Atlanta. Judges will hear each group's pitch and then decide winners on June 12.
Clearwater is poised to send 17 or 18 people - possibly including a spoken-word poet from North Greenwood - to convince the NCL that they are the best.
"It's a three-day process that consists of a community expo where you showcase your city," said Doug Matthews, the public communications director for Clearwater. "Obviously, you want to have representatives indicative of the breadth of the partnership. You want to have the right people."
Clearwater hopes to win by focusing on three things: the Hispanic Outreach Center, the library's GOALS program (a youth reading and tutoring effort) and the revitalization of the North Greenwood area.
Each of those programs relies upon the joint efforts of businesses, city government employees and volunteers, a major criterion for award-winners.
"It's how the community as a whole gets together as a whole to solve a problem," said Matthews.
The National Civil League was created by Theodore Roosevelt in 1894 and has been giving out the All-America City Award since 1954. In addition to the awards, the NCL promotes good government by conducting research and publishing a quarterly journal.
The NCL designation does not mean a community is perfect, said Gates. But it is a boon to the city.
"This is a boost both internally and externally," said Gates. "This is the Good Housekeeping seal of approval for a community. It says this is a place where people worry more about solving problems than who gets the credit. Internally, it's a helpful reminder to a community that as tough as their challenges might be, that somebody from outside has recognized they are making progress and doing good things."
---------------------------------------
FV SAYS: "they are making progress and doing good things?" Not in the rule of Terri's case. Clearwater doesn't deserve the equivalent of a good housekeeping seal of approval.
Terri's rehab money is gone and she's in isolation. What, 37 days now, since MARCH 29 / Monday pm
[cyn -- This is NOT the Mother's Day present this city should be giving one of it's most patient mothers.]
"George H. Gallup, one of the award's founders, described the program as " a Nobel prize for constructive citizenship." As such, communities that have won the All-America City Award have realized numerous benefits, including national recognition and enhanced community pride.
Many All-America City Award winners also have realized significant economic impacts, including new grants, improved bond ratings, increased tourism, and greater economic activity.
FV says: The City of Clearwater SHOULD REALIZE Terri's existence before they receive monetary awards for being a leading standard bearer for civil rights and policing.
TURNED AWAY...
TORN APART...
Meanwhile, this morning on C-Span the U.S. House of Representatives is expressing OUTRAGE about prisoners in Iraq because "It's not the American Way."
Please TAKE LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES TO CONTACT THE CITY OF CLEARWATER and to CONTACT THE NATIONAL CIVIL LEAGUE.
As long as Terri's civil rights are denied as well as her family's, Clearwater is NO ALL AMERICAN CITY.
Clearwater, Florida is an All American "Pity".
Here's the email I just sent to gchandler@ncl.org:
Greetings from Fresno CA where we were an All American City in 1967 and in 2000. Regarding Clearwater, Florida, which is being considered to be awarded the title All American City - please deny their request. Clearwater is the scene of a great crime against humanity. Terri Schiavo, who is a severely disabled woman, was almost starved to death.
If it hadn't been for Gov. Jeb Bush's emergency intervention, Terri would be dead now, having sufferred a hideous painful slow agonizing death by being deprived of food and water. For the record, it is a crime to withhold food and water from farm animals. Does this sound like something that would be done in an All American City?!
The Pope has declared it an act of great sin to remove the feeding tube from a person who depends on it for sustenance. Are the Catholic residents of Clearwater aware that the Pope has condemned the practice of starving people to death by removing their feeding tubes?!
Is the general population of Clearwater aware that Terri Schiavo is being treated in an inhuman, cruel manner? Terri is not in a coma; she is not brain dead; she is not on a respirator. She is a living, breathing human being. Her "husband in name only" Michael Schiavo treats her like an animal. He has tried for about ten years to kill her by dehydration and starvation.
Anyway, Clearwater, Florida, is a place I want to stay as far away from as I can. There are people living there who think it's okay to starve Terri Schiavo to death. I think most people don't know the facts. If they did, they'd be as outraged as I am. The media has done a pretty good job of keeping people in the dark.
Please do NOT recommend Clearwater Florida for this award. Please! They don't deserve it. It would make a laughing stock out of that city. Many protesters would converge. The word is spreading far and wide. We detest any place where people like Terri Schiavo are treated worse than animals.
Thanks for listening.
Saundra Duffy-Hawkins Fresno, CA
Please visit the HYPERLINK below and you'll see why I am AGAINST the City of Clearwater being voted an All American City. I may not having voting rights but if your selection is based upon civil rights and respecting every human life, it's a poor fit. CLEARWATER has not done anything to support this innocent woman!!!!!!!
Our hospitals, police dept., judges, attorneys, local media and some politicians very much want an innocent woman STARVED TO DEATH. They've already tried to kill Terri Schindler-Schiavo "twice". She didn't have a living will but they want to kill her anyway. The husband's attorney got Terri's rehab money for legal fees spent on trying to kill Terri. That's over a half a million dollars.
Florida's Terri's Law HAS NOT AFFORDED TERRI ANY PROTECTIONS EXCEPT THAT HER FEEDING TUBE WAS RESTORED after October 21, 2003. The hospital hesitated to admit Terri into their hospital to save her life that evening.
All American DISASTER WINNER is Clearwater, Florida, not appropriate for your esteemed competition.
HYPERLINK FOR YOUR PERUSAL:
http://websearch.cs.com/wm/boomframe.jsp?query=new+york+times+terri+schiavo+vigil&page=3&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26amp%3BrequestId%3D24d18387084806a9%26amp%3BclickedItemRank%3D28%26amp%3BuserQuery%3Dnew%2Byork%2Btimes%2Bterri%2Bschiavo%2Bvigil%26amp%3BclickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.propertyrightsresearch.org%252Farticles4%252Fterricnts.htm%26amp%3BinvocationType%3Dnext%26amp%3BfromPage%3DWMTNextPrev&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.propertyrightsresearch.org%2Farticles4%2Fterricnts.htm
Clearwater, All American Disaster is USING the police force to keep an innocent disabled woman from her family that loves her. DAY 36...
This matter has also been reported to Amnesty International and is covered regularly by worldnetdaily.com, weeklystandard.com,coasttocoast with George Noor, lifenews.com,cnsnews.com,johnsipos.com,freerepublic.com,Fox News Channel, renewamerica.us,CNN, MSNBC, and many more.
Sincerely,
xxxxxxxxxxxxx, resident of Pinellas County (I'm Watching My Back freepers - telling the truth in this town may be hazardous to our health)
Just the fact along that Michael torments a woman whom he wants dead through starvation and prevents her parents from even visiting her reveals his sadism. That the system lets him get away with it is inexcusable.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.