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Nov 7, 2009
Letters to the Editor // Stories reveal the inner workings of Scientology — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Nov 3, 2009
Man overboard: To leave Scientology, Don Jason had to jump off a ship — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Oct 31, 2009
Chased by their church: When you try to leave Scientology, they try to bring you back — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Joe Childs ,
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) For years, the Church of Scientology chased down and brought back staff members who tried to leave. Ex-staffers describe being pursued by their church and detained, cut off from family and friends and subjected to months of interrogation, humiliation and manual labor. One said he was locked in a room and guarded around the clock. Some who did leave said the church spied on them for years. Others said that, as a condition for leaving, the church cowed them into signing ...
Jul 31, 2009
Scientology expert describes how the church recruits and controls its members — Overnight America
Jul 9, 2009
Allegations against Scientology's leader out there, but all else is normal — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
David DeCamp ,
Mike Brassfield Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) CLEARWATER — Allegations of physical abuse, destruction of evidence and punishment rituals in the upper echelons of the Church of Scientology left some local political leaders saying they were shocked and disturbed. But among leaders who have reached out to the church, those contacted by the St. Petersburg Times say they aren't ready to distance themselves from Scientology and its sizeable membership after a recent Times series detailing accusations from former church executives. While some in the community saw potential for ...
Jun 23, 2009
Scientology (Part 3 of 3): Ecclesiastical justice — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: Leaving the Church of Scientology: a huge step
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin ,
Joe Childs Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The four high-ranking executives who left Scientology say that church leader David Miscavige not only physically attacked members of his executive staff, he messed with their minds. He frequently had groups of managers jump into a pool or a lake. He mustered them into group confessions that sometimes spun into free-for-alls, with people hitting one another. Mike Rinder, who defended the church to the media for two decades, couldn't stomach what was happening on the inside. The tactics to keep executives ...
Jun 22, 2009
Scientology (Part 2 of 3): Death in slow motion — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: Lisa McPherson case: events leading to the death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin ,
Joe Childs Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The night after Lisa McPherson died, the leader of the Church of Scientology sent word for one of his top lieutenants to wait by a pay phone at the Holiday Inn Surfside on Clearwater Beach. When Marty Rathbun answered the ringing phone in the lobby, David Miscavige let him have it: Why aren’t you all over this mess? The police are poking around. Do something. "Yes sir," Rathbun said. McPherson, a 36-year-old parishioner in apparent good health, had spent 17 days ...
Jun 21, 2009
Scientology (Chapter 1 of 3): The Truth Rundown — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: A letter from David Miscavige , David Miscavige bio, and bios of Scientology officials who defected
Type: Press
Author(s):
Joe Childs ,
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Part ONE of THREE The leader of the Church of Scientology strode into the room with a boom box and an announcement: Time for a game of musical chairs. David Miscavige had kept more than 30 members of his church's executive staff cooped up for weeks in a small office building outside Los Angeles, not letting them leave except to grab a shower. They slept on the floor, their food carted in. Their assignment was to develop strategic plans for the ...
Mar 29, 2009
Letters: Scientologists could put money to better use — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Luxury lifts up church hotel March 22 story Money could go to better use In this time of recession, when people are losing jobs, houses are going to foreclosure and times basically are tough all over for everyone, it's nice to see the cult of greed spending $40 million on renovations to its lair — not for the good of the community or to help those less fortunate, but to add to its own excess. As a "religion" and a "church," ...
Mar 22, 2009
Scientology church gives Clearwater's Fort Harrison Hotel a $40M makeover — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Mike Brassfield Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) [Picture of interior]
[DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times]
[Caption:] The Crystal Ballroom at the Fort Harrison Hotel houses a 12,000-crystal chandelier. The hotel opened 82 years ago as the New Fort Harrison Hotel, and was a focal point of the community during the Great Depression and World War II.
CLEARWATER — Marble floors from Spain. Gold leaf painted on elaborate crown moldings. Richly colored carpets from South Africa. Decorative plaster cornices. A 12,000-crystal chandelier for the ballroom.
The Church of Scientology ...
Dec 14, 2008
Clearwater business owner focused on growth amid gloom — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Jeff Harrington Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Joy Gendusa spins through the converted NAPA Auto Parts warehouse; Lulu, her white Maltese, scampers at her feet in a valiant effort to keep pace. Over the din of ringing phones, she dishes updates about dozens of employees, many of them related. "And that's her stepmother over there," she gestures. "The girl next to her, her mother works here too." PostcardMania, a direct-mail company that prints and ships postcard advertisements on behalf of businesses nationwide, is 10 years old with 160 ...
Aug 7, 2008
Scientology buys prime parcel in Clearwater — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Robert Farley Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) CLEARWATER — In one of its biggest purchases in years, the Church of Scientology has added 5 acres to its already defining downtown presence. The $10-million cash purchase signals the demise of an ambitious waterfront condominium project proposed by a group of Scientology parishioners who assembled parcels immediately north of downtown four years ago and shared visions of turning downtown Clearwater into another Naples. Despite having no experience in condo development, Triangle Development partners Ben Kugler and Ron Pollack hoped to ...
Aug 4, 2008
Clearwater Sun alum says city desk clerk was a spy for Scientology — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Blog
Author(s):
Eric Deggans Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) All acknowledgement to Poynter's Jim Romenesko, whose blog [http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45] alerted me to the Reporter's Notebook Web site [http://www.reportersnotebook.net/article.php3?id_article=57], which contains a compelling collection of memories by alums of the long gone Clearwater Sun newspaper. While I'm not so sure about the contention that a newspaper 25 miles away can't provide comprehensive coverage of a community, it is illuminating and sobering to read about the Sun's glory days.
A particular standout is the essay crafted by Mike Pride [http://nenews.org/stories/639.html], a well-regarded, recently-retired ...
May 20, 2008
The Sun sets on Myrtle Avenue — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
May 15, 2008
Clearwater council right to leave Scientology protests alone — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The Clearwater City Council took mere seconds Tuesday to deliver a powerful message: that people have the right to peacefully assemble and speak their minds, and the city won't even consider trying to tread on that right. Thirty-four downtown merchants and two residents signed a petition calling for the city government to take action against Anonymous, a loosely organized, Internet-based group that has been conducting worldwide protests against the Church of Scientology for months. Since the first of the year, the ...
May 14, 2008
Clearwater merchants upset over anti-Scientology protests — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Mike Donila Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) CLEARWATER — About three dozen downtown business owners are upset with a group of anti-Scientology protesters and want the City Council to do something about them. But city leaders Tuesday said there's little they can do. "Suspending the First Amendment is something we shouldn't spend a whole lot of time on," Councilman Paul Gibson said. The loosely organized group Anonymous has held several recent demonstrations against the Church of Scientology. Many Cleveland Street businesses say the masked protesters and the constant ...
May 3, 2008
Scientology's upgrades to boost taxes in Pinellas — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Robert Farley Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) CLEARWATER — Marble floors with patterned inlay. Plush carpeting. Mahogany paneling. Decorated crown moldings. Marble sinks. Hi-def TVs. A 32-station fitness center. An elegant restaurant. Luxury touches abound inside downtown Clearwater's newest waterfront hotel, the gleaming 240-room Oak Cove. But don't rush to pack your bags. Oak Cove is just for Scientologists. Recently opened after a $26-million renovation, the hotel is Scientology's newest lodging option in Clearwater, the church's international spiritual headquarters. Oak Cove also is the first in a series ...
Mar 15, 2008
Group called Anonymous protests Scientology policies in Clearwater — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Robert Farley Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) CLEARWATER — While thousands of college kids on spring break enjoyed a gorgeous Saturday on Clearwater Beach, another group of young people descended on the otherwise-deserted downtown wearing surgical masks, fake beards and bandannas. A group of about 150 people, mostly college-age, spent the sun-splashed day protesting the Church of Scientology outside its spiritual headquarters. Timed to coincide with Scientology's celebration of founder L. Ron Hubbard's birthday, it was the second major protest in Clearwater by a loose-knit Internet activist group ...
Mar 13, 2008
Court again rebuffs Scientology's lawsuit — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Robert Farley Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) [Picture / Caption: "A bomb squad robot heads into the alley behind the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center at 336 First Ave. N in St. Petersburg on Thursday after the Scientology headquarters in Clearwater received a bomb threat. A large suitcase found in the alley behind the St. Petersburg office did not contain a bomb."] CLEARWATER — The Church of Scientology was told again Thursday it could not have a court order restraining Anonymous protesters this weekend, largely because the ...
Mar 13, 2008
Judge denies petition by Scientologists to limit protest — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Robert Farley Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The church filed a suit for an "injunction for protection" from a group called Anonymous. [Picture / Caption: "Anonymous protesters walk south on Fort Harrison Avenue in front of the Church of Scientology's new Super Power Building on Feb. 10 in downtown Clearwater."] CLEARWATER - After weeks of enduring Internet video taunts from a group called Anonymous, the Church of Scientology posted a YouTube video of its own Wednesday. It includes what Scientology claims are video snippets from Anonymous, threatening phone ...
Mar 13, 2008
Second Scientology suit rejected — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Robert Farley Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) CLEARWATER – Circuit Judge Douglas Baird today denied a motion for a temporary injunction sought by the Church of Scientology to prevent protesters from getting within 500 feet of Scientology buildings. A group of protesters calling itself Anonymous plans demonstrations against Scientology Friday and Saturday, coinciding with the church's birthday celebration of its founder, L.Ron Hubbard. This is the second of two similar suits filed by the Church of Scientology this week. The first was rejected by Circuit Judge Linda Allan ...
Mar 12, 2008
Scientology fights back in court — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Robert Farley Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The church is seeking a restraining order to stop a new round of protests. CLEARWATER - With the Internet activist group Anonymous threatening a second round of protests against Scientology this weekend, the Clearwater-based church went to court late Tuesday, filing a petition for a temporary restraining order. The petition was filed just before the close of court Tuesday afternoon, and the St. Petersburg Times could not obtain a copy of the petition. Pat Harney, a spokeswoman for the Church of ...
Feb 10, 2008
Scientology protest in Clearwater — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Jan 9, 2008
School using Scientology methods will expand to a new campus — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Dec 20, 2007
Neighbors upset over Goodwill's intent — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Goodwill wants to house a work-release program in a former motel that backs up to a mobile home park.
[Picture]
"It's a bad element, and it's right next to us," said Daniel O'Connor, who lives in the Embassy Mobile home park in Largo. About 200 park residents lined up along the U.S. 19 frontage road north of East Bay Road Wednesday, in protest of a work-release facility Goodwill administrators want to put nearby.
An estimated 200 residents of three mobile home ...
Dec 16, 2007
Goodwill plan meets opposition — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Lorri Helfand Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) A longtime dormitory for Church of Scientology staffers will become the site of a work-release program for more than 200 nonviolent inmates if Goodwill Industries-Suncoast buys the property near East Bay Drive and U.S. 19.
But that's a big if, said Goodwill spokeswoman Michael Ann Harvey.
"As the minutes tick by and days tick by, more problems are occurring with the condition of the building and what it would require financially for Goodwill to bring it up to requirements," Harvey said. ...
Oct 19, 2007
Slow sales, more time // The Island View condos get a one-year extension to start construction — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Mike Donila Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Construction of the Island View condominium and retail complex on the northern edge of downtown won't begin by the end of the year as initially planned because of slow sales and a slight change to the project's design. But officials with Triangle Development of Clearwater say sales have steadily picked up and construction will begin by Dec. 31, 2008 - the new deadline the City Council unanimously approved Wednesday night. Triangle executives asked the council for a one-year extension on their ...
Sep 29, 2007
Scientology has big plans for landmark // Church leaders say the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater will have an extensive overhaul. — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Jacob H. Fries Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) CLEARWATER — The Church of Scientology is in announcement mode again, this time saying it will spend $20-million on a major upgrade of its iconic Fort Harrison Hotel. But what church officials aren't saying is exactly when the work will start. So, expect some eye rolls. That's because across the street from the Fort Harrison is Scientology's seven-story Super Power building. Stuccoed, trimmed and painted on the outside, the huge building is unfinished and vacant on the inside. And, remarkably, it's ...
Sep 10, 2007
$385-million later, a new Clearwater core — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Mar 3, 2007
Creativity helps keep roof over your head — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Scott Barancik Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Thousands of bay area homeowners are fighting foreclosure suits. Most will be swiftly expelled, their lender stuck with a house it never wanted. There are exceptions. Palm Harbor resident Sandra Mann-Stack hasn't paid her monthly mortgage since 1998, the year Homeside Lending Inc. sued her and husband Peter Stack for default. Over time, the couple has thwarted at least 10 scheduled auctions, twice by filing for bankruptcy protection the day before. They've gone through at least four judges and watched the ...
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