Empty Seats On BoardBy Vicki JacksonIt was a slim crowd at the February meeting of the Islands Estates Civic Association (IECA) Board, but a quorum was eventually mustered and outgoing President David Muzio called the meeting to order. The offices of President, Vice-president, and Secretary remain unfilled. A new board member, Gayle Wetherell, was elected Treasurer. Following the election of the treasurer, the other directors gave their reports. The director of Beautification, Diane Welter, reported that bids are being finalized for landscaping a sample median along Island Way. A comprehensive beautification plan was recently designed by visiting students from France. The Board plans to complete one of the medians (#17) for everybody to see. They are optimistic about the program and plan to seek Penny for Pinellas funding toward the landscaping of additional medians. Chris Sullivan, reporting on the Jolley Trolley, said there had been a revision of their by- laws. The Jolley Trolley board will now consist of "people representing businesses in the Clearwater Beach area and representatives of the community--and not from specific civic associations." When asked how the trolleys are funded, Mr. Sullivan indicated that approximately half of the revenue is generated by fares, with the remainder coming from private charters and Pinellas County. Lee Tetrault, speaking for Neighborhood Watch, gave a brief report on petty crime activity. Updates will be posted on the website. Some discussion followed regarding re-instituting the Street Captain neighborhood-monitoring program. Arnie Shal, Publicity director, volunteered to serve as moderator for the upcoming IECA-sponsored City of Clearwater Candidate Forum to be held on March 2nd at St. Brendan Catholic Church on Island Estates. The Website Administrator, Mary Reinhardt, encouraged board members to check out the new website being developed, www.myislandestates.org. Currently, it includes a brief history of the organization and their pledge, "From the beginning, our goals have been: Improved safety and property security." For over forty years this volunteer group has served residents of the community, kept watch over its citizenry, and implemented and facilitated programs to enhance and maintain their quality of life. The Christmas Boat Parade, the Christmas Decorating Contest, the beautification of the entry way and a dozen other things are products of successive efforts by Island Estates leaders. Now, who will step up to lead the island into the new decade?
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