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My Father's 40 years in Sarasota were filled with public service and civic pride. In 1945 the city voters changed from a city council with an elected mayor to a city commission with a paid city manager form of government. Being popular and well thought of, my Dad was elected to our first city commission.

I came home after school one afternoon and found him on the bathroom floor on his hands and knees where the toilet and water tank should have been. I said, "Daddy what are you doing?" He replied "The toilet backed up and I'm trying to unclog the drain pipe."  "Why didn't you call a plumber?" I asked. "Son", he said, only slightly agitated, "I called several plumbers, but none of them would come, not even one of my fellow Rotarians."

He went on to tell me that he also could not get any local carpenter or electrician to do any jobs for us. In early 1946 the Federal Government was constructing houses and apartments at Florasota Gardens on Wood Street, to alleviate the post-war housing shortage.

Low bidder was a Tampa based contractor who brought Tampa based tradesmen with him on chartered busses. The locals insisted that the City Commissioners fight the U.S. Government or suffer the consequences.

Moral of the story?  Illegitimi non carborundum.  Life was/is good.