Pinellas Park High School - Occurrences Yearbook (Largo, FL)

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U L LJ .v - HEARTY PESTS called Medflies plagued the nation, including Florida. Aerial spraying, first used in California, began in Pinellas County on July 10, to combat local infestation. The Medflies hindered the citrus fruit industry until the spraying solved the problem. THE CROWNING GLORY of Americds space program was the space shuttle Columbia, which set off from Cape Canaveral and became the first fixed wing space vehicle to land when it touched down at Edwards Air Force base in California 54V2 hours later. QCN-N W5 Close to Home ews events that occurred 'close to home' were of an increased intensity and in- spired immediate concern. Un- fortunately most of the leading state and local headlines described tragedies and crimes. However, there were a few words of good news, a few glimmers of light in a dark tunnel. ln March, eyes and ears turn- ed to Cocoa Beach after the Harbour Cay Condominum that was under construction collaps- ed, killing 11 workers and injur- ing 23. Equally as tragic, a record drought struck Florida in the spring, turning lakes into sand- boxes, making water restric- tions necessary, and causing water officials to say the effects of the dry spell would be felt for years. The bodies of four young women were unearthed in March and April in Hernando County in property owned by convicted sex offender William Mansfield. Also killed in tragic crimes were Joye Chapin and her 11 year old daughter Jennifer, who were stabbed to death in their Palm Harbor home by Ira Amazon. ln two air related tragedies, panic set in at Tampa Interna- tional Airport. Once, as local air traffic controllers joined 12,000 of their professional peers nationwide in a strike that began August 3. President Reagan fired the controllers, who broke the law by striking. Panic set in again as Air Florida flight 90 crashed into the icy waters of the Potvfnac River from national Airport in Washington D.C. bound for Tampa. 70 passengers were killed. Miami, a city described by TIME magazine as the City of Hell, battled a sky rocketing crime rate and was the home of a heated controversy con- cerning , the acceptance of foreign refugees. On October 26, residents of Hillsboro Beach, north of Fort Lauderdale, watched as 33 Haitians washed up on the beach after their 25 foot sailboat sank in rough seas. The spotlight turned to Ar- cadia when NATO officer Brigadier General James Dozier was kidnapped by ltaly's Red Brigades. Dozier was held for six weeks and was finally released by Italian police disguised as plumbers. Even though they were few and far between, positive reports were heard. The Tampa Bay Bucanneers were NFC Central champs in the National Football League and traveled to play the Dallas Cowboys in a game playing on national television. The legislature and Governor Bob Graham moved ahead in 1981 toward replacing the Sun- shine Skyway Bridge, which was destroyed in a 1980 ship- ping accident, with a cable- stayed bridge worth 252 million dollars. Unfortunately the state and local news scene was dotted with crime, tragic accidents, and human suffering. The idea no news is good news was supported by continual reports of unfortunate accidents which happened 'close to home.' STATE AND LOCAL NEWS I 53

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l INFLATION caused a negative response to a proposal for a local tax increase. ln March a crowd gathered in front of the St. Petersburg Courthouse to protest the proposal. 4 AN EMPHASIS ON ANIMAL CRUELTY began when Puff, the three legged dog, was found tied to a bowling ball along Courtney Campbell Parkway on June 30. Puff's owner was found guilty ofa cruelty to animals charge. KEEPING UP TO DATE. many studer' including James Needham, read the Petersburg Times doily. Social Stud teachers encouraged this by ossigni current event work. SINKHOLES invaded Florida m sterious . y - ly swallowing up trees, cars, and buildings. One of the hardest hit areas by the phenomenon was Winter Park. 52 I STATE AND LOCAL NEWS

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Global elevision news repor- ting informed students in minutes of events occur- ring around the world. 'Global echoes' of national and international news stories were heard immediately. Assassinations and as- sassination attempts were shots heard 'round the world. On March 30, Presi- dent Reagan was shot in Washington D.C. On May 13, Pope John Paul ll was shot in St. Peter's Square. And on October 6, Egyptian Presi- dent Anwar Sadat was shot and killed as he watched Egypt's Armed Forces Day Parade. Tragic killings of 28 young Atlanta boys were reported over 23 months. Green rib- bons were worn and displayed in honor of the boys and their families. ln June Wayne Williams was charged with two of the murders, and the chain of killings seemed to have been broken. NA TIQNAL NA T ION Echoes S X Fighting for human rights was a major issue. On June 12, professional baseball players began a 50-day walkout over salary disputes and free agent rights. Mean- while, IRA hunger strikers fasted in hope of receiving political prisoner status in Ireland, and in Poland, Mar- shall Law tortured Poles, driving them to breadlines. Walter Cronkite ended over 20 years of broad- casting the CB5 Evening News, which had won con- sistent first place ratings. Dan Rather, of 60 Minutes fame, took over as head anchorman. On August 4 economic echoes were heard as the Dupont Company bought Conoco for 7.9 million dollars. It was a year of startling beginnings and shocking ends. Violence dominated the 'global echoes' that were heard around the world. A SPECIAL GUEST to Mr. Joe Toumey's 2nd period CPS class was Mr. Keith Car- michael, the economic advisor to England's Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. He gave a lecture and answered students' questions. A CAMPAIGN PROMISE was fulfilled by President Reagan with his nomination of the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor. TRAGEDY STRUCK in Missouri as floors in Kansas City's new Hyatt Regency Hotel collapsed onto a dance floor killing 113 and injuring 186. 54 X NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS