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Jun 13, 2010
Inside Scientology: No kids allowed — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: Church of Scientology response , Church spokesman Tommy Davis' letter to the Times , Declarations from Scientology members
Type: Press
Author(s):
Joe Childs ,
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Laura Dieckman was just 12 when her parents let her leave home to work full time for Scientology's religious order, the Sea Organization. At 16, she married a co-worker. At 17, she was pregnant. She was excited to start a family, but she said Sea Org supervisors pressured her to have an abortion. She was back at work the following day. Claire Headley joined at 16, married at 17 and was pregnant at 19. She said Sea Org supervisors threatened strenuous ...
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 18, 2004
Scientology's footprint in downtown Clearwater — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Jul 18, 2004
Scientology's town — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Dec 20, 2001
Scientologists buy high-rise in Clearwater — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Christina Headrick Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The church pays $5-million for the 13-story downtown property, which the church tried and failed to purchase years ago.
CLEARWATER – The Church of Scientology has purchased a vacant 13-story high-rise downtown that will house more than 600 new staff members in another step in Scientology's unprecedented expansion in the city.
The church last week closed the deal to buy the nearly 2-acre property for $5-million from a nonprofit corporation, BEF Inc., which does business as the Oaks of Clearwater.
Scientology ...
Jan 30, 2001
Scientology adds quietly to holdings — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Jan 26, 1994
Scientology, county settle tax suits — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Jan 23, 1994
Scientology Files — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Ned Seaton Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) They never broke into church buildings or planted electronic bugs, but for the past 13 years, undercover Clearwater police detectives have investigated the Church of Scientology. They never developed a case against the church that was prosecuted. The work ranged from gathering Scientologists' names to seeking refunds for dissatisfied parishioners. Police once stormed Scientology headquarters after hearing anonymous allegations - unfounded, it turned out - that Scientology children were being strapped to gurneys and given electric shocks. The investigation boils down ...
Oct 28, 1993
Clearwater to see changes — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: link , pqasb.pqarchiver.com
Type: Press
Author(s):
David Dahl Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) WASHINGTON — Since coming to Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has grown into a dominating presence in the city and now owns 11 properties in the area. Clearwater, known as Flag Land Base in Scientology jargon, is considered the international spiritual headquarters of the religion. The church has 750 or so staff members based in Clearwater, and hundreds more come from around the world to take part in Scientology religious services. Even before the IRS granted tax-exempt status to ...
Oct 28, 1993
Scientology has $297-million growth plan — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: link , pqasb.pqarchiver.com
Type: Press
Author(s):
David Dahl Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) A new six-story training and counseling center is planned for Clearwater. WASHINGTON — Hoping to expand to "every city on earth," the Church of Scientology plans to spend $185-million during the next five years to renovate and acquire properties, plus another $112-million on a campaign to spread its message around the world. The Scientologists' spiritual headquarters in Clearwater would get the biggest chunk of construction money over the next few years, the Church of Scientology said in documents filed with the ...
Oct 14, 1993
Ruling may doom Pinellas tax suit against Scientology — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: news.google.com , link
Type: Press
Author(s):
Wayne Garcia Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The IRS' exemption of the Church of Scientology may doom the county's effort to collect a tax bill exceeding $7.9-million. CLEARWATER — Pinellas County's property tax lawsuit against the Church of Scientology is badly wounded by an Internal Revenue Service ruling that exempts the organization from federal income taxes, Property Appraiser Jim Smith said Wednesday. The two sides are headed back to mediation that likely will result in many, if not all, of the Scientology properties being removed from the property ...
Apr 20, 1992
Scientologists cited for crowded apartments — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: link
Type: Press
Author(s):
Curtis Krueger Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The church says it will move some residents of Hacienda Gardens to satisfy the Clearwater building code. CLEARWATER — The Church of Scientology has been cited by city building officials for overcrowding in apartments. In recent inspections, city officials determined that 34 apartments were overcrowded at Hacienda Gardens, a complex at 551 N Saturn Ave. used mostly for church staff. James Bond, the church's director of renovations, said some of the residents would be moved to different apartments, so that no ...
Nov 11, 1991
Scientology's children: On education — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: whyaretheydead.info , pqasb.pqarchiver.com
Type: Press
Author(s):
Curtis Krueger Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Like the church he founded, the teaching methods espoused by L. Ron Hubbard create controversy. And they are spreading, across the United States and around the world. L. Ron Hubbard wrote science fiction stories and founded a religion — but he didn't stop there. He went on, according to his followers, to achieve tremendous breakthroughs in education. There are now more than 150 Hubbard-method schools around the world. They achieve superior results, according to supporters, and are free of drugs and ...
Nov 10, 1991
Scientology's children: Saving the world — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: link , pqasb.pqarchiver.com
Type: Press
Author(s):
Curtis Krueger Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Scientologists believe they are saving the world from insanity, war and crime. "Saving the world is an understatement," said former member Kenneth Wasserman. "Saving the universe" is more like it, he said. This intense sense of purpose explains why some Scientologists are willing to work 12-hour days for $30 a week. Others pay up to $800 for an hour of counseling, and one couple brought a $35,000 counseling package. Critics say this sense of mission has another consequence: Next to saving ...
May 7, 1991
County, Scientology continue tax talks — Tampa Tribune (Florida)More: link
Type: Press
Author(s):
Kevin Shinkle Source:
Tampa Tribune (Florida) CLEARWATER — No end is in sight in negotiations between Pinellas County and the Church of Scientology over the church's $5 million tax bill. Neither side would talk about the negotiations taking place in front of a court-appointed mediator. Mediator William Fleece adjourned the talks Monday, and the two sides may not meet again for months. "If we had reached something, obviously we wouldn't have adjourned," Pinellas Property Appraiser Jim Smith said. "I don't think we will lose anything by talking, ...
Mar 21, 1991
County, church talking secretely — Tampa Tribune (Florida)
Jan 1, 1991
Scientologists are sued for $127,000 — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: pqasb.pqarchiver.com
Type: Press
Author(s):
Curtis Krueger ,
Teresa Burney Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Five companies are suing the Church of Scientology for more than $127,000, claiming that the organization has failed to pay its bills for construction work and equipment. Besides those lawsuits, the Scientologists have settled five others within the past two years from companies that claimed they were owed more than $39,000 for items ranging from travel services to construction materials. Scientology was founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, the author of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Scientologists ...
Dec 31, 1990
Church of Scientology facing suits / Five companies say Scientologists haven't paid their bills. The group denies it is having financial difficulties. — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: news.google.com
Dec 23, 1988
Changing strategy: Scientology now steps right up to controversy — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: pqasb.pqarchiver.com , link , link
Type: Press
Author(s):
Stephen Koff Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) After years of sparring with the townsfolk and veiling itself in secrecy, the Church of Scientology has succeeded in turning Clearwater into its spiritual mecca. Scientologists quietly run teen nightclubs, schools, day-care centers, management consulting firms and other businesses, records and interviews show. Now the strategy of the organization, longtime observers say, is to confront controversy, gain converts and make money - lots of it. Scientology's Clearwater operation brings in $1.5-million to $2-million a week, say church watchers who include Clearwater ...
Mar 3, 1988
Debate over sect fades — Clearwater Sun (Florida)More: link
Type: Press
Author(s):
Debbie Long Source:
Clearwater Sun (Florida) CLEARWATER — In 1975 the Church of Scientology, cloaked in secrecy, made this waterfront city its international headquarters. A lengthy outcry ensued when the public became aware the sect — under another name — bought a Clearwater landmark, the Fort Harrison Hotel. The Scientologists subsequently bought many other parcels of downtown Clearwater property, posting guards to keep the curious at bay. When the public and press asked questions about the aims of the Church of Scientology, sect leaders became mum about ...
Jul 31, 1986
Sect's purchase ousts tenants — Clearwater Sun (Florida)More: link
Type: Press
Author(s):
Lesley Collins Source:
Clearwater Sun (Florida) CLEARWATER — The Church of Scientology paid $4.6 million Friday for a 200-unit Skycrest apartment complex to house its growing staff. The church now owns 11 pieces of property — five of which are used as dormitories. And while sect staff members are getting new lodgings, residents at Hacienda Gardens Apartments, 551 N. Saturn Ave., are being shown the door. They can stay at the complex until their current leases expire — but no longer. "We purchased it to provide additional ...
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