Playboy Playmate of the Month (November 2005) Joseph W. Hatchett, Florida Supreme Court Justice Hulk Hogan, professional wrestler Howard Johnson, 1986 World Series Champion with the New York Mets, Major League Baseball third baseman Evel Knievel, stuntman Nigel Mansell, 1992 Formula One World Champion, resident during early 1990s Clark Mills, creator of international Optimist dinghy (first sailed in Clearwater) Kirstjen Nielsen, former United States Secretary of Homeland Security Tilian Pearson, musician, lyricist, and vocalist for post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance Lisa Marie Presley, former resident Jimmy Roselli, singer-pianist, WWII veteran Melanie Safka, singer-songwriter Juliet Simms, musician, Scientologist, contestant on The Voice, resident from 1994 to 2006 Lynn D. Stewart, co-founder of the Hooters restaurant chain Elsie Thompson, supercentenarian Keith Thurman, professional boxer Church of Scientology Beginning in the 1970s under the code-name Project Normandy, the Church of Scientology began targeting Clearwater in order to "establish area control" of the city and county. The operations were exposed in a Pulitzer Prize winning series of articles in the Clearwater Sun. Gabe Cazares, who was the mayor of Clearwater at the time, went so far as to call it "the occupation of Clearwater" and later characterized it as a "paramilitary operation by a terrorist group". The Church of Scientology targeted Cazares, attempting to entrap him in a sex scandal. Scientology also staged a phony hit-and-run accident with Cazares in an attempt to discredit him. Cazares and his wife sued the Church of Scientology for $1.5 million. The church settled with Cazares in 1986. The Church of Scientology's "spiritual headquarters" are located in downtown Clearwater. The Church refers to Clearwater as its "Flag Land Base". Sister cities Clearwater has city partnerships with the following cities: Nagano, Japan Kalamaria, Greece Wyong, New South Wales, Australia References Bibliography 1973 ed. Hampton Dunn. Yesterday's Clearwater. Miami: E.A. Seeman Publishing, 1973. External links City of Clearwater official website Clearwater Beach Tourism website with live webcams Items related to Clearwater, Florida, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America) Cities in Pinellas County, Florida Populated coastal places in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico Populated places on Tampa Bay County seats in Florida Seaside resorts in Florida Populated places established in 1842 Cities in Florida 1891 establishments in Florida