Occupied Clearwater - News Archive

Continued from the Occupied Clearwater front page

Scientology hearing founders in jabs, jeers
St. Petersburg Times
Jan. 14, 2001
"The McPherson Trust has an office downtown just 30 feet from a major Scientology building. Tension simmers daily between the groups. They videotape each other's comings and goings. They glare at each other across sidewalks. Trust members regularly picket church properties."

Scientologist withdraws bid for church
St. Petersburg Times
Jan. 10, 2001
"City officials were worried that negative publicity about Scientology may scare some businesses away from setting up shop in downtown Largo. 'When you envision a redevelopment of a downtown, you envision businesses that will spur economic growth,' said Commissioner Mary Laurance. 'I just want to stick to that, and hearing about a Scientology mission couldn't have been further from what I envision for downtown Largo.' "

Beware of Scientology's expansion into Largo
St. Petersburg Times
Jan. 3, 2001
"Largo residents should beware of the expansion of Scientology into their city. Scientology wants to be a presence in Largo's redevelopment district. If you don't think that is bad, just ask the citizens of Clearwater. Kathy Feshbach says she wanted to buy the church so they could keep it a religious spot. Scientology has nothing to do with religion. It would have been more appropriate if she had bought an old bank, since the only thing they worship is money. Beware, Largo, don't let your city become another Hubbardsville."
-- David Rodman, Dunedin

A baker's dozen from a "Battlefield" survivor
St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 29, 2000
"And, the undisputed worst waste of film in 2000 was:
1. Battlefield Earth -- Celebrity Scientologist John Travolta bankrolled this sci-fi epic, based on a book by the religion's founder, L. Ron Hubbard. A simple tithe would have sufficed. Effects weren't special, and the plot was impenetrable. Travolta, playing an ersatz Klingon, ended each sentence with absurd cackles in his poorest performance ever. Director Roger Christian sharply tilted the camera for nearly every shot, appropriate for a movie constantly zooming downhill. Boredom without end, amen."

Counting, recounting days of our lives, 2000
St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 27, 2000
"The year in review, Part 1:
...
May 17: Kirstie Alley buys mansion in Clearwater, but does she ever pick up the phone or even drop a sweet little note? Noooooooooo.
...
June 13: State Attorney Bernie McCabe drops Scientology case, wearing a navy blue uniform and speaking in a calm, pleasant monotone."

Reaction mixed to plan for church
St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 21, 2000
"In interviews, some who have read and heard about the difficult history of Scientology in neighboring Clearwater said they were wary about a mission near West Bay Drive, where city officials and community leaders have struggled to spark economic redevelopment."

Brained
New Times L.A., Dec. 21, 2000
"Between 1987 and 1996, their complaint says, Raul Lopez spent nearly $600,000 for Scientology products and services that can be documented. Much of the money went to pay for months of auditing sessions at Oxnard, which took place up to six times a week, before he was passed up the bridge for more advanced auditing at both the church's Celebrity Centre International in Hollywood and at its sprawling Flag Service Organization (commonly referred to within the church as Flag Land Base) in Clearwater, Florida... In addition, the lawyers contend that their brain-impaired client forked over hundreds of thousands of dollars to people connected with the church for other purposes."

Scientologist to buy downtown Largo site
St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 20, 2000
"A prominent Scientologist is leading an effort to buy an 86-year-old church in downtown Largo, where she plans to open a Scientology mission, a development that has raised concerns among some city officials."
Starbucks seen as welcome jolt to city
St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 5, 2000
"Starbucks first became interested in Clearwater's downtown as a result of efforts by Scientology to attract them to open a shop in a Scientology facility here. Starbucks ended up agreeing to supply Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel with coffee, but the deal fell through to open a separate store downtown in a Scientology building on Cleveland Street. The length of the proposed lease and concerns that protesters against the church might disrupt the shop were among the issues, said Tom DeVocht, who oversees the church's real estate and construction projects."

Scientologists, protesters keep their distance
St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 3, 2000
"Members of the Church of Scientology stayed out of sight Saturday during a daylong demonstration downtown by church critics."

Scientology critics plan protest this weekend
St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 2, 2000
"Critics of the Church of Scientology will take to downtown streets this weekend and march in a protest that has become an annual ritual... The protesters target this weekend each year, they say, to commemorate the death of Lisa McPherson, the 36-year-old Scientologist who died Dec. 5, 1995, after a 17-day stay at the church's Fort Harrison Hotel."
Clearwater figure to sell downtown land
St. Petersburg Times, Nov. 22, 2000
"Former city commissioner Fred Thomas, a longtime critic of the Church of Scientology, has offered to sell some of his downtown land to the church, a Scientology official says... Thomas would not confirm that he contacted church representatives. He did say he would consider any interested buyer, including Scientology -- because, he said, 'Downtown belongs to the Scientologists.' "

Still no decision on autopsy photos
St. Petersburg Times, June 28, 2000
"Pinellas County Circuit Judge Crockett Farnell did not reach a decision Tuesday about whether autopsy photos of Scientologist Lisa McPherson should be made public, saying he needs more time to review documents."

Scientologist accident victim is identified
St. Petersburg Times, June 28, 2000
"A woman killed on the Church of Scientology's film studio grounds near San Jacinto is 20-year-old Hemet resident Stacey Myer, according to the county coroner... The cause of Myer's death will not be confirmed until toxicology reports are received, which could take about eight weeks, Feinstein-Portales said. The young woman's body was badly burned in the accident."

Injunction on LMT was cancelled in Court today
alt.religion.scientoogy, June 28, 2000
"Judge Pennick lifted the injunction following brilliant arguments by Twils (John Merrett), our attorney and Bruce Howie, Minton's attorney. Mary Story of Scientology was our star witness. She testified that the injunction should be kept in place because she didn't want the LMT people to harass Scientology. On cross examination by John Merrett as to what exactly the harassing behavior was, she said she didn't want Scientologists to see the picket signs. John brought this up in his closing argument, pointing out to the judge that what Mary Story was really saying was that Scientology wants to halt free speech if it is critical of Scientology."

Who'll save the serfs in the land of the lost?
St. Petersburg Times, June 27, 2000
"Any day now, the town will undergo a name change and be declared a city-state of that surreal worldwide kingdom founded by L. Ron Hubbard. Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner Joan Wood will be crowned Chef Alchemist and Soothsayer. Anybody else smart and stable enough to be an unbeliever will be reduced to serfdom -- except for City Manager Mike Roberto, who has already learned, and even appears to enjoy, kissing up to leaders of this Jonestown-for-the-rich."

Woman's death probed by state
The Press-Enterprise (San Jacinto, CA), June 27, 2000
"State work-safety officials are investigating the electrocution of a Church of Scientology member at its film studio near San Jacinto. The young woman, whose identity has not been released, died Sunday in an underground transformer vault, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department... The general manager, Ken Hoden, said the woman, interested in helping animals, was concerned about the death of a squirrel in the vault a few weeks earlier, went to investigate and, apparently, fell on the wires."

Able medical examiner needed
St. Petersburg Times, June 23, 2000
"Medical examiners are vital to the criminal justice system... They should be competent medical professionals, managers and witnesses. In each of those areas, serious questions have been raised about Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner Joan Wood. Before Gov. Jeb Bush decides whether to reappoint Wood to another three-year term, he should consider the consequences. Wood was at the center of a controversial decision by State Attorney Bernie McCabe to drop charges against the Church of Scientology in the death of Lisa McPherson."

No confidence in medical examiner
St. Petersburg Times, June 22, 2000
"The Medical Examiner's Office mishandled this case from the beginning. But I have never heard of a medical examiner, at the request of a defendant in a criminal trial, changing the results of an autopsy or cause of death on the death certificate. If the conclusions of the Scientologists' forensic 'experts' on cause of death differ from those of the Medical Examiner's Office, present them in court and let a jury decide."

Wood has to go
St. Petersburg Times, June 22, 2000
"Given the way Wood has acted, she will have no credibility in the future and could cause much deeper problems for the prosecution in future cases. She should not only resign, there also should be a formal investigation of her handling of the Lisa McPherson case. Did the Church of Scientology and it's members finally get to her, too? If she did act inappropriately in any way, she should be terminated."

It looks like a bribe
St. Petersburg Times, June 22, 2000
"The situation described in this article smelled terribly of bribery! David Miscavige, Scientology's worldwide leader, offered a 'deal' to State Attorney Bernie McCabe: a $500,000 donation to the county's emergency medical system and an additional payment of $15,000 (which the church would have been fined if it had been convicted) if McCabe would drop the charges in the Lisa McPherson case!"

Clearwater proposal is too much, too fast
St. Petersburg Times, June 22, 2000
"Scientologists swarming the streets deter many from wanting to go downtown. We can have a vibrant, bustling downtown, but a rush job isn't the way to get there. If this plan passes, we'll regret it almost immediately."

Clearwater plan is not very well thought out
St. Petersburg Times, June 22, 2000
"Major beneficiaries -- the Scientology folks who hurry to classes and meals would seem to be the real winners with the projected shops and theaters at their disposal. A question here is: How much are they contributing to this expensive project?"

Twin condo towers to rise over harbor
St. Petersburg Times, June 21, 2000
"The Community Development Board on Tuesday unanimously approved construction of the $100-million Osceola Bay Club overlooking Clearwater Harbor on the 300 block of Osceola Avenue... 'We think it will help supply a good residential base downtown,' said developer Gerald Ellenburg, who was happy after Tuesday's planning board meeting at City Hall. 'And that supports all of the (city's) downtown plans.' "

Wood says she should keep her job
St. Petersburg Times, June 17, 2000
"Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner Joan Wood acknowledges she is nervous. Within two weeks, Gov. Jeb Bush will decide if she should be reappointed. For Wood, the timing could not be worse. Pinellas prosecutors say her 'serious forensic error' ruined their criminal case against the Church of Scientology. On Monday, they dropped their case against Scientology and bluntly laid the blame on the veteran pathologist."

Photos of McPherson autopsy stir new conflict
St. Petersburg Times, June 16, 2000
Now that the criminal case against the Church of Scientology is over, a judge must decide whether the public should have access to a key piece of evidence: the autopsy photos of Scientologist Lisa McPherson.

Development plan filled with uncertainty
St. Petersburg Times, June 15, 2000
The individuals who will profit most from the development are the downtown property owners and the Church of Scientology. Neither of these is making any concessions to help the development. In fact, most of them have already gone up on the price of their properties.

Slumping downtown is due for a change
St. Petersburg Times, June 15, 2000
With the initial complaint addressed, I hear complaints that this will benefit the Scientologists, and I hear questions about putting a movie theater so near the water. As for the Scientologists, if this redevelopment is not adopted, we might as well give downtown to them, as it will allow them to buy up all downtown at distressed prices. Then they will own our waterfront while the rest of Clearwater foots the bill.

Many call on city, church to move on
St. Petersburg Times, June 14, 2000
"Even if the major recent controversy goes away, Garvey and others said that longtime residents of Clearwater are unlikely to forget past conflicts between the church and the city. The trouble began when the church moved to Clearwater in 1975 with a plan, later revealed in FBI files, to smear local critics and stifle opposition by infiltrating local institutions, including newspapers, businesses and the state attorney's office."

A case so different from all the others
St. Petersburg Times, June 14, 2000
"The distinction was important. To McCabe, the issue was never about the Church of Scientology as a religious institution. It was about whether a corporation of the church had illegally abused a member named Lisa McPherson, and whether it practiced medicine on her without a license, in the days leading to her death in 1995."

Scientology leader wanted a deal
St. Petersburg Times, June 14, 2000
"Alarmed at the 'massive impact' of two criminal charges, the Church of Scientology's worldwide leader quickly offered Pinellas County's top prosecutor a deal. Drop the charges, David Miscavige told State Attorney Bernie McCabe in November 1998, and the church would make a $500,000 donation to the county's EMS system. It also would pay the nearly $200,000 in expenses incurred in what then was a three-year investigation into Lisa McPherson's 1995 death while in the care of her fellow Scientologists. In addition, Miscavige offered to pay the $15,000 the church would have been fined if convicted of the charges."

State drops charges against Scientology
St. Petersburg Times, June 13, 2000
"Stories about McPherson's death have appeared on major television networks and in newspapers across the world, damaging Scientology's recruitment efforts, even straining its hold on some existing members who questioned their church's role in her death. Over time, the death of Lisa McPherson, who was 36, mushroomed into one of the major crises in Scientology's 44-year history -- a problem so consuming many top church officials spent nearly all their time building a defense."

McPherson case expected to haunt medical examiner
St. Petersburg Times, June 13, 2000
"Defense attorney Jay Hebert noted that to convince Wood to change her mind and undermine the prosecution's case, Scientology spent thousands of dollars hiring high-profile experts. 'It's unfortunate that the average defendant in the average criminal case doesn't have the wherewithal and resources to put Joan Wood and her staff under the microscope like that,' " he said.

State drops Scientology charges
Tampa Tribune, June 13, 2000
"McCabe said he did not believe Wood changed the autopsy as a result of anything unrelated to the case. But he said Crow's written comments on the matter speak for themselves. ' The church had suggested that, if forced to litigate the issues, the proceedings would reveal information extremely damaging to Wood's office and her career,' Crow wrote. ' It is apparent that this unique set of circumstances coalesced to put what Wood characterizes as tremendous pressure upon her and may have impacted the quality of her judgment.' ''

Residents have right to be wary
St. Petersburg Times, June 4, 2000
"The city seems to be equivocating on city codes concerning the number of parking spaces required for the Scientologists' new building; that will cause Scientologists to use the parking designed to benefit merchants and new residents in the downtown area. And we wonder why the citizens have some misgivings about this grandiose plan?"

As bluff vote nears, the pressure builds
St. Petersburg Times, June 4, 2000
"The man on the phone Thursday night was a pollster from Birmingham, Ala., and his questions caught Rae Larsen off guard. He asked the Countryside resident what she thought about the plan to redevelop downtown Clearwater and how she felt about the 99-year lease the city would be giving the developer. He wanted her opinions on Mayor Brian Aungst, City Manager Mike Roberto, City Commissioner Ed Hooper and the Church of Scientology."

Seeking dismissal of case, Scientology says official is biased
St. Petersburg Times, May 27, 2000
"McCabe's office began to review its case against the church in February after Wood officially changed the manner of McPherson's death to 'accident.' Previously, she had called it 'undetermined' and blamed the death on ' bed rest and severe dehydration,' but those words no longer appear on the death certificate. Though Wood did not explain the change, it appeared to support the notion that Scientology was not at fault in the death. Not so, say prosecutors, who have since talked to Wood and contend the veteran medical examiner maintains McPherson died of 'medical neglect,' in part because of dehydration."

Opponent of church acquitted of battery
St. Petersburg Times, May 24, 2000
"De Vlaming said Scientology staffers choreographed the incident in an ongoing attempt to get Minton arrested and ruin his credibility. He put Frank Oliver on the stand, and the former member of the church's Office of Special Affairs testified that he received special training to go after church critics."

Man who hit Scientologist acquitted of battery charge
Tampa Tribune, May 24, 2000
"As he lay sprawled on a sidewalk after Minton struck him, Howd could be seen on videotape peeking through one eye, de Vlaming said. Then, when a policeman asked for identification, Howd pulled something out of his pocket and handed it the officer before resuming his horizontal pose, the lawyer told jurors."

2 attorneys clash over tale of tapes
St. Petersburg Times, May 23, 2000
"But Minton's attorney, Denis de Vlaming, said Minton was the victim of a Scientology plan to choreograph the incident and discredit his client. De Vlaming said church staffers followed Minton that day after he arrived at Tampa International Airport and, later, as he arrived to check in at the Belleview Biltmore Resort Hotel and Spa in Belleair. De Vlaming linked those actions to a 1967 Scientology directive known as ' Fair Game.' Written by church founder L. Ron Hubbard, it stated that an enemy of Scientology 'may be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist' and 'may be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.' "

Church critic's defense up today
Tampa Tribune, May 23, 2000
"A key defense witness in the case is former Scientologist Frank Oliver, who held a job investigating the background of church critics in the same department in which Howd now works. Testifying outside of the hearing of jurors so that Pinellas County Judge Robert Morris Jr. could rule on what would be allowed during the trial, Oliver said members of the Office of Special Affairs are rewarded for discrediting church critics and punished if they fail in that mission. A reward might include higher pay or a choice assignment, Oliver said. Punishment might be having to scrub all the toilets in the Fort Harrison Hotel, he said."

Residents to decide fate of Clearwater redevelopment
Tampa Bay Business Journal, May 8, 2000
"Downtown Clearwater currently is home to a smattering of small businesses and restaurants, and business and professional office space. But large retail outlets long ago left the area. The city is probably best known as the international headquarters of the Church of Scientology."

Bluff plan has officials' support
St. Petersburg Times, May 18, 2000
" ' I think it's time. I really do,' Mayor Brian Aungst said. ' I'm just terrified if we don't do this, downtown is going to die' or become associated mainly with the Church of Scientology, which is undergoing a major expansion of its headquarters there, Aungst said."

Kirstie heads to Hubbard hub
New York Post, May 18, 2000
"It seems Kirstie Alley, upset by NBC's cancellation of her lingerie-laden but skimpily rated ' Veronica's Closet,' is going back to the bosom of Scientology for solace and career guidance. Alley, 45, has just bought a $1.5 million waterfront home in Clearwater, Fla., where some 10,000 Scientologists live and where the controversial movement has a campus and training center."

Lack of enthusiasm for redevelopment is no surprise
St. Petersburg Times, May 18, 2000
"Since their arrival in the 1970s, Scientologists have made little or no effort to integrate themselves into our city. High-end shopping and condos downtown will not change that."

Downtown could become showplace
St. Petersburg Times, May 18, 2000
"Once those citizens who used to travel to Ybor City, Hyde Park or the malls see this, and those of us who want to live in a downtown setting move in, the Scientologists will be hard to distinguish from non-Scientologists."

Growth will let Scientology blend in
St. Petersburg Times, May 18, 2000
"I totally agree with the letter writers who said we cannot abandon our city to any one organization. When I hear people say we are building only for the Scientologists, it is the most depressing, hopeless thinking I have ever heard."

Kirstie Alley buys Presley mansion
St. Petersburg Times, May 17, 2000
"[Kirstie] Alley's Los Angeles publicist, Nancy Kane, did not respond to questions about why her client was interested in purchasing property in Clearwater. Neither did Presley's publicist when Presley moved to the city four years ago. One clue, however, is the home's proximity to the Church of Scientology's campus in downtown Clearwater, just a few blocks away. Both women are longtime Scientologists and highly visible advocates for the church and its causes. They also are part of what the church says is a major influx of Scientologists to the area over the past four years."