Tampa Tribune (Tampa, FL) articles from October 2004

Tampa Tribune (Tampa, FL) archives from October 2004

Number of EPA suits drops under Bush.
October 31, 2004... Byline: Mike Salinero Oct. 31--TAMPA, Fla. -- At least five top enforcement officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have resigned during the past three years, frustrated over what they see as the Bush administration's lax...

Strapped for cash, Florida universities revive tech fee idea.
October 31, 2004... Byline: Gary Haber Oct. 31--TAMPA, Fla. -- Fees for swatting tennis balls on school courts. A charge for riding the campus parking shuttle. Next up for Florida's public university students: a possible fee for technology improvements....

Automobile insurer to bring 500 jobs to Clearwater, Fla., area.
October 31, 2004... Byline: Baird Helgeson Oct. 31--CLEARWATER, Fla. -- An automobile insurance company's success in Florida will result in the creation of 500 jobs, as it opens a regional headquarters in the Clearwater area. Mercury Insurance Group,...

Chevrolet's hybrid pickup is new model at Tampa, Fla., auto show.
October 30, 2004... Byline: Alan Snel Oct. 30--TAMPA, Fla. -- Stroll near this truck at the Tampa Bay International Auto Show and you'll find it hard to keep walking by. First, its bright green color catches your eye. Second, this 2005 Chevrolet...

Tampa Tribune, Fla., business briefs column.
October 30, 2004... Oct. 30--1,200 REFUNDS RECEIVED: Twelve hundred people have received a total of $1.7 million in refunds from two Clearwater-based automotive dealers, state officials said. The Department of Financial Services said customers at Clearwater...

Largest investor in Tampa, Fla.-based Walter Industries ends stint, cashes out.
October 30, 2004... Byline: Dave Simanoff Oct. 30--TAMPA, Fla. -- Walter Industries Inc.'s largest investor is cashing out. Kolhberg Kravis Roberts & Co., the New York equity firm that took Tampa-based Walter Industries private in 1987 and returned it to...

More Florida voters supporting measure limiting lawyers' fees.
October 30, 2004... Byline: Jerome R. Stockfisch Oct. 30--TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Support for a constitutional amendment limiting attorneys' fees in medical liability cases has surged, while a campaign that could eventually allow slot machines in South Florida...

Tampa, Fla., officials want public's ideas for vacated armory.
October 29, 2004... Byline: Dave Simanoff Oct. 29--TAMPA, Fla. -- Got an idea for breathing new life into an aging Tampa landmark? City officials want to hear from you. The city's economic development chief has put out a call for ideas to...

Delays on Tampa, Fla., freeway project cost as much as $100,000 per day.
October 29, 2004... Byline: Tom Brennan Oct. 29--TAMPA, Fla. -- It will come down to the cash. Transportation experts believe the state has it, and they aren't sure the local expressway authority has the ability to raise it. That could put the...

Colorado grocery union says supermarket chains refuse latest offer.
October 29, 2004... Byline: Kristi Arellano Oct. 29--Union workers said the big three supermarket chains rejected their latest contract proposal Thursday as a negotiation deadline looms less than a week away. Supermarket representatives would not...

Battle over high-speed rail in Florida to turn on Amendment 6.
October 29, 2004... Byline: Allison North Jones Oct. 29--TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Nov. 2 ballot offers many choices for voters to consider, and at least one to reconsider. The Legislature wants voters to overturn their decision four years ago to build a...

Tampa, Fla., newspaper's circulation shows 6-month growth.
October 29, 2004... Byline: Guy Boulton Oct. 29--TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Tribune led Florida's metropolitan newspapers in daily and Sunday circulation gains for the six-month period ended in September. The Tribune's daily circulation increased 1.9...

Progress Energy gets approval to acquire St. Petersburg, Fla., museum site.
October 29, 2004... Byline: Stephen Thompson Oct. 29--ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- For years, the historic Maas Bros. department store stood on the site. Then the 60-foot-tall building, in the heart of the city's downtown business district, was transformed...

Boston Red Sox team had help from Tampa, Fla.-based software company.
October 29, 2004... Byline: Alan Snel Oct. 29--TAMPA, Fla. -- When Theo Epstein, the whiz-kid general manager of the Boston Red Sox, popped champagne corks Wednesday to celebrate the team's World Series title, Richard Nicholas and Michael Morizio beamed...

St. Petersburg, Fla., waterfront redevelopment plans collapse.
October 29, 2004... Byline: Stephen Thompson Oct. 29--ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- There was a pink elephant in the room at a city council workshop Thursday, and his name was William Edwards. Last month, Edwards, chairman and chief executive officer of St....

Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla., announces plan for the 1st U.S. diving coaster.
October 28, 2004... Byline: Randy Diamond Oct. 28--TAMPA, Fla. -- Busch Gardens said Wednesday it plans to open the first diving roller coaster in North America by May, and hopes that a ride offering a 200-foot straight vertical drop at 70 miles per hour...

Retired GTE executive to run Tampa, Fla., port on interim basis.
October 28, 2004... Byline: Baird Helgeson Oct. 28--TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Port Authority commissioners replaced the agency's interim director at an emergency meeting Wednesday, naming Bill Starkey, retired president of GTE of Florida, as the new interim...

Florida to vote on minimum-wage amendment to state constitution.
October 28, 2004... Byline: Jerome R. Stockfisch Oct. 28--TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- With lawmakers at the national, state and local levels showing little interest in raising minimum wages, advocates for low-income workers are taking matters into their own hands....

Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla., is expected to unveil plans for new ride.
October 27, 2004... Byline: Randy Diamond Oct. 27--TAMPA, Fla. -- For months executives with Busch Gardens have tried with limited success to shroud in secrecy the details of a new ride they have under construction. That has fanned flames of interest...

Interim leader of Tampa, Fla., port seeks return to old job.
October 27, 2004... Byline: Baird Helgeson Oct. 27--TAMPA, Fla. -- Zelko Kirincich, the embattled interim director of the Tampa Port Authority, has asked to return to his old job of deputy port director and chief operating officer, a post he held for nine...

ATA files bankruptcy, makes deal with AirTran Airways.
October 27, 2004... Byline: Ted Jackovics Oct. 27--CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The parent company of ATA Airlines, the busiest carrier at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday and agreed to sell assets that...

Insurers in Florida face storm claim deadlines.
October 27, 2004... Byline: Jerome R. Stockfisch Oct. 27--TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- With Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher saying he wants "to make sure they realize we're serious," the state Cabinet on Tuesday imposed deadlines on insurance companies to...

Florida racetracks bet on slot machine plan.
October 27, 2004... Byline: Steven Isbitts Oct. 27--ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- It's clear that states can make a lot of money taxing slot machines played at parimutuel outlets. Profit from state-regulated racinos such as those in West Virginia, where machines...

Board replaces director of Hillsborough County, Fla., highway project.
October 26, 2004... Byline: Tom Brennan Oct. 26--BRANDON, Fla. -- The seemingly ceaseless problems with the reversible highway being built over the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway cost the man who conceived and championed the project his job Monday. The...

Cargill, IMC Global get their fertilizers together with Mosaic Co.'s IPO.
October 26, 2004... Byline: Baird Helgeson Oct. 26--TAMPA, Fla. -- A merger that was made final over the weekend created the second-largest fertilizer company in the world. Cargill Crop Nutrition and IMC Global merged their operations to form the publicly...

Developer plans to raze Rocky Point, Fla., inn.
October 26, 2004... Byline: Dave Simanoff Oct. 26--TAMPA, Fla. -- Rocky Point's oldest hotel will be replaced next year with luxury condominiums and a four-star hotel. The Impact Group, a Tampa company that develops and manages hotels, says it will raze...

Moving jobs abroad has little impact on Tampa, Fla., economy.
October 26, 2004... Byline: Michael Sasso Oct. 26--TAMPA, Fla. -- The moving of jobs to foreign countries probably accounts for less than 2.5 percent of all job layoffs in the Tampa Bay region, a researcher for the University of South Florida said Monday....

Plant City, Fla., commission approves zoning for controversial subdivision.
October 26, 2004... Byline: Kathy Steele Oct. 26--PLANT CITY, Fla. -- A controversial proposed 1,370-acre subdivision got a boost Monday night from Plant City commissioners when they approved a rezoning request for developers who want to build a...

Top British soccer club sends American sports mogul's takeover bid to bench.
October 26, 2004... Oct. 26--TAMPA, Fla. -- Manchester United, the world-famous English soccer club worth $1.25 billion, has stopped takeover talks with suitor Malcolm Glazer, but sports marketing experts expect the Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner to continue his...

Florida lawyers debate merits of advertising.
October 25, 2004... Byline: Thomas W. Krause Oct. 25--TAMPA, Fla. -- Four years ago, Dan Davis' wife died from a blood clot after knee replacement surgery. When friends heard that her doctors ran only limited tests and missed the clot, they recommended...

Youth hockey is big business in Tampa, Fla., area.
October 25, 2004... Byline: Alan Snel Oct. 25--BRANDON, Fla. -- On a recent Saturday, the weekly ritual between parents and children at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon began about 7:30 a.m. Parents helped their children don shinguards and shoulder pads....

Tampa Tribune, Fla., technology column.
October 25, 2004... Byline: Doug Stanley Oct. 25--RETAKE SPACE FROM XP SERVICE PACK SOFTWARE: If you've installed Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, you may have noticed your computer's hard drive has considerably less free space than before. That's because...

'Irritating' attack ads play vital role in political campaigns, experts say.
October 24, 2004... Byline: William March Oct. 24--TAMPA, Fla. -- Lynne Lawson, a Temple Terrace retiree, calls it "a river of sludge." Clay Christian, a Valrico apartment complex owner, calls it "irritating." Even Adam Goodman, a Tampa political...

Casino cruise ship's inaugural voyage has trying tie-up at Florida port.
October 24, 2004... Byline: Steven Isbitts Oct. 24--ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The maiden voyage of the massive Ocean Jewel casino ship began smoothly Friday night but ended ugly at the Port of St. Petersburg about 5:30 a.m Saturday, four hours later than...

Boston Red Sox ring up cash registers in Tampa, Fla., area.
October 23, 2004... Byline: Alan Snel Oct. 23--TAMPA, Fla. -- This might be New York Yankees country, but Boston Red Sox fans are snapping up caps and T-shirts to celebrate their team's American League pennant. At a Lids cap store in the Tampa area, Red...

Tampa, Fla.-based utility records profitable third quarter.
October 23, 2004... Byline: Will Rodgers Oct. 23--TAMPA, Fla. -- TECO Energy Inc. shrugged off three hurricanes in August and September to post third-quarter earnings of $41.3 million Friday. The profit was a big turnaround from the same period a year...

Tampa, Fla., airport aims to peg travel trends.
October 22, 2004... Byline: Ted Jackovics Oct. 22--TAMPA, Fla. -- Louis Miller created an experiment on a recent Tampa-Atlanta journey by planning and flying his entire round-trip without speaking to a single person. The director of Tampa International...

Downtown Tampa, Fla., gets greener with 2 new waterfront parks.
October 22, 2004... Byline: Dave Simanoff Oct. 22--TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa is planting two parks along its downtown riverfront, hoping the new green spots -- and the two-mile Riverwalk that will eventually run through them -- will entice people to put down...

Tampa, Fla., mayor has replacement for port's interim director.
October 22, 2004... Byline: Baird Helgeson Oct. 22--TAMPA, Fla. -- Mayor Pam Iorio said Thursday that she wants to replace the beleaguered interim director of the Tampa Port Authority with Bill Starkey, a former president of GTE of Florida. Iorio, who...

Panel's plan could mean tuition rise in Florida.
October 22, 2004... Byline: Gary Haber Oct. 22--SARASOTA, Fla. -- Some of Florida's public university students will take a hit in the wallet if the Legislature approves a package of tuition changes recommended by the Board of Governors. The board, which...

Former officials of Florida-based defense instrument supplier face charges.
October 21, 2004... Byline: Ted Jackovics Oct. 21--CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Securities and Exchange Commission filed fraud charges Monday against the former chief executive and former chief financial officer of Aerosonic Corp., alleging the company...

Investors dump Outback Steakhouse stock after profit report.
October 21, 2004... Byline: Michael Sasso Oct. 21--TAMPA, Fla. -- Investors punished Outback Steakhouse Inc. on Wednesday, sending the company's stock down $1.74 per share after the company reported sharply lower profits. Outback on Wednesday announced...

Concepts keep Outback Steakhouse's talent challenged.
October 21, 2004... Byline: Michael Sasso Oct. 21--TAMPA, Fla. -- Outback Steakhouse Inc. has a novel reason for creating its new restaurant concepts, and it has nothing to do with appeasing Wall Street. In part, the company is trying to keep its own...

Firings put heat on Tampa, Fla., port chief.
October 21, 2004... Byline: Baird Helgeson Oct. 21--TAMPA, Fla. -- The interim head of the Tampa Port Authority fired two top staff members a day after port tenants accused staff of ignoring or misleading them in an effort to make way for commercial...

Transportation chief to receive airline award in St. Petersburg, Fla.
October 20, 2004... Byline: Ted Jackovics Oct. 20--ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta will be honored tonight in St. Petersburg with the 2004 Tony Jannus Award for contributions to the commercial airline industry. A noon...

Casino ship prepares to leave St. Petersburg, Fla.
October 20, 2004... Byline: Randy Diamond Oct. 20--TAMPA, Fla. -- The Ocean Jewel casino ship is expected to sail Friday from St. Petersburg after hurricanes and a slowed inspection process delayed its maiden voyage in August. Howard Steffes Jr., chief...

Florida ranks second for new business.
October 20, 2004... Byline: Dave Simanoff Oct. 20--TAMPA, Fla. -- Florida is open for business -- specifically, for new business. The Sunshine State boasted nearly 183,500 more businesses at the end of 2003 than it did at the end of 1998, representing a...

Tampa, Fla., port votes to extend project deadline.
October 20, 2004... Byline: Baird Helgeson Oct. 20--TAMPA, Fla. -- A proposed $400 million development at Tampa's port that would include the city's first five-star hotel appears closer to becoming a reality. The Tampa Port Authority on Tuesday agreed...

Students spending more for college experience.
October 20, 2004... Byline: Julie Pace Oct. 20--College costs aren't rising as quickly as they were, but students are forced to find new ways to pay as grants fail to keep pace with tuition, surveys out Tuesday reveal. This year, the national average...

Florida education officials to link money to university success.
October 20, 2004... Byline: Gary Haber Oct. 20--TAMPA, Fla. -- Florida education officials are expected to finalize a significant overhaul of how the state funds its public universities. When the Board of Governors meets at Sarasota's New College on...

TECO Energy's gas, electric divisions reorganize.
October 19, 2004... Byline: Ted Jackovics Oct. 19--TAMPA, Fla. -- TECO Energy announced a reorganization Monday that includes splitting the leadership of its Tampa Electric Co. and Peoples Gas System subsidiaries and the early retirement of senior Vice...

Tampa, Fla., airport to gain 7 US Airways flights.
October 19, 2004... Byline: Ted Jackovics Oct. 19--TAMPA, Fla. -- US Airways Group Inc. said Monday it will add seven daily round-trip flights serving Tampa International Airport on Feb. 6 as part of the carrier's efforts to overhaul its business and become...

Tampa Tribune, Fla., business briefs column.
October 19, 2004... Oct. 19--TAMPA, Fla. -- TAMPA NEIGHBORHOOD EYES GROWTH CONTROLS: Ballast Point residents will vote today on a neighborhood plan three years in the making. "We've seen no serious opposition," said Jerry Miller, the neighborhood planning...

Without Tampa Bay, Fla., Buccaneers team facility, land may get protection.
October 19, 2004... Byline: Laura Kinsler Oct. 19--TAMPA, Fla. -- The 70-acre site that once was slated for the Buccaneers' training facility is the only tract nominated by Hillsborough County this year to qualify for protection under the state's...

University of South Florida researcher uses stem cells to treat stroke.
October 19, 2004... Byline: Gary Haber Oct. 19--TAMPA, Fla. -- For the 700,000 Americans each year who suffer a stroke, the clock is their enemy. A clot-busting drug called tPA, or tissue plasminogen activating factor, can reduce damage from the most...

Nextel gets heat over cell phone storm flop in Polk County, Fla.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Cheryl N. Schmidt Oct. 18--BARTOW, Fla. -- Dependable communication between public agency employees in Polk County is one reason many of them turned in recent years to Nextel Communications Inc. for cellular phone service with a...

Controversy surrounds medical discount cards issued by Clearwater, Fla., firm.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Guy Boulton Oct. 18--The e-mail promises a health plan for $85 a month. "Health Care for the Entire Family," it proclaims. "ALL pre-existing conditions accepted! NO limitations on usage! YOU can not be singled out for...

Florida theme parks cash in on Halloween theme.
October 17, 2004... Byline: Randy Diamond Oct. 17--October used to be a slow time for business at Busch Gardens, the nationally known theme park in Tampa, but Halloween is changing that. Like other tourist destinations in Florida and elsewhere,...

Mars Rovers' longevity, work ethic delight NASA scientists.
October 17, 2004... Byline: Kurt Loft Oct. 17--TAMPA, Fla. -- America's space program has taken its share of lumps, but not for the latest adventure on the Red Planet. The Mars Exploration Rovers project has been a mind-boggling success, scientists say,...

More Tampa, Fla.-area homeowners finds themselves buried in housing costs.
October 17, 2004... Byline: Dave Simanoff Oct. 17--TAMPA, Fla. -- More than five years into an extended housing boom, some homeowners may be discovering their new homes have become financial headaches, hassles or even hardships. Call it the ugly side of...

Storm season bedevils plant growers in Hillsborough County, Fla.
October 17, 2004... Byline: Jim Sloan Oct. 17--DOVER, Fla. -- Jim Joyce walked along the tidy rows of potted ferns at Wetherwood Nursery, surveying piles of torn plastic and metal sheeting that once covered his greenhouses. Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne...

Florida short on rental cars.
October 16, 2004... Byline: Randy Diamond Oct. 16--TAMPA, Fla. -- If you need a car rental anywhere in Florida in the next few days and don't have a reservation, you're probably out of luck. Industry giants Hertz and Avis and other companies say there...

Gerdau Ameristeel U.S. steps into stock market.
October 16, 2004... Byline: Baird Helgeson Oct. 16--TAMPA, Fla. -- Gerdau Ameristeel U.S. Inc., which has its executive offices in Tampa, has made its first venture into the U.S. stock market. The company announced Friday that it will offer 70 million...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner ups his stake in soccer franchise.
October 16, 2004... Byline: Bill Ward Oct. 16--TAMPA, Fla. -- Hours after Manchester United officials confirmed for the first time that Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer is the investor attempting to take over the storied soccer club, Glazer...

Hillsborough County, Fla., college eyes development that ties into curriculum.
October 15, 2004... Byline: Dave Simanoff Oct. 15--TAMPA, Fla. -- Hillsborough Community College said Thursday that it will open up a swath of prime real estate on Dale Mabry Highway to private developers, but with two significant caveats for the land:...

Black journalists to gather in Tampa, Fla., for 2009 convention.
October 15, 2004... Byline: Randy Diamond Oct. 15--TAMPA -- Tampa has been selected by the National Association of Black Journalists as the site for its 2009 annual convention, city officials announced Thursday. The conference is considered a major coup...

Florida forum offers deals for NBA fans tonight.
October 15, 2004... Byline: Alan Snel Oct. 15--TAMPA, Fla. -- The operators of the St. Pete Times Forum have rolled out several ticket deals to lure sports fans to tonight's preseason National Basketball Association game between the Shaquille O'Neal-led...

Colorful cigar box exhibit recalls bygone industry of Tampa, Fla.
October 15, 2004... Byline: Kurt Loft Oct. 15--TAMPA, Fla. -- Most of the hand-rolled jewels of Tampa's cigar industry went up in smoke years ago, but their colorful boxes continue to serve as a mirror to the city's past. Those boxes framed eloquent...

Tampa, Fla., approves redevelopment plan touted as city's next great gateway.
October 15, 2004... Byline: Michael H. Samuels Oct. 15--TAMPA, Fla. -- A St. Petersburg developer received approval Thursday from the Tampa City Council to build 750 residences as part of his $350 million redevelopment of the Imperial Yacht Basin. The...

University of South Florida, faculty union announce contract agreement.
October 15, 2004... Byline: Gary Haber Oct. 15--TAMPA, Fla. -- The University of South Florida and its faculty union announced a tentative agreement Thursday on a one-year contract that would raise salaries by as much as 5 percent. If approved, this...

Sweetbay supermarkets in Florida to drop Kash n' Karry loyalty card.
October 14, 2004... Byline: Michael Sasso Oct. 14--TAMPA, Fla. -- Kash n' Karry Food Stores' new supermarket brand, Sweetbay, will not carry the company's popular loyalty card program, a move that gives clues to Kash n' Karry's future strategy. The...

After hurricanes, St. Petersburg, Fla.-based insurer seeks rate increase.
October 14, 2004... Byline: Randy Diamond Oct. 14--ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- American Strategic Insurance Co. has become the first home insurer serving Florida to ask for a rate increase because of the recent hurricanes, an occurrence likely to be repeated...

Storms extend pristine sand along Caladesi Island State Park in Florida.
October 14, 2004... Byline: Steven Isbitts Oct. 14--CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Frances took the sand away. Ivan put it back. Jeanne moved it around. That's how Scott Robinson, manager of Caladesi Island State Park, described the formation of the new...

Airline may relocate Clearwater, Fla., operations if it loses contract.
October 13, 2004... Byline: Ted Jackovics Oct. 13--CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Southeast Airlines is warning that it could be forced to relocate employees and offer fewer local flights if the carrier loses its sublease on two maintenance hangars at St....

Tampa, Fla., panel approves proposal for gallery, schools at old courthouse.
October 13, 2004... Byline: Ted Byrd Oct. 13--TAMPA, Fla. -- A city advisory panel gave preliminary approval Tuesday to health care executive Pradip Patel's plan for renovating the shuttered downtown federal courthouse. City staff will begin negotiating...

Florida not reaping drug research rewards.
October 13, 2004... Byline: Guy Boulton Oct. 13--The pharmaceutical industry directly employed a scant 6,493 people in Florida in 2003, about 28 percent of the national norm, according to a study released by the industry's trade group Tuesday. But the...

Tampa, Fla., commercial complex project seeks financial service tenants.
October 12, 2004... Byline: Dave Simanoff Oct. 12--TAMPA, Fla. -- Fishermen talk of casting a wider net when they're trying to get the best catch. Josie Vitale, fishing for tenants for a proposed $350 million office, retail and hotel complex, would rather...

Securities firm to relocate many workers to Tampa, Fla., office.
October 12, 2004... Byline: Laura Kinsler Oct. 12--TAMPA, Fla. -- Depository Trust & Clearing Corp., the big Wall Street securities clearinghouse, said Monday that more than half of the initial jobs for its new Tampa office will be filled by current...

Tampa, Fla., highway board sees conflict in project repair.
October 12, 2004... Byline: Tom Brennan Oct. 12--The local expressway authority has decided that the company supervising construction of the elevated lanes of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway should not also be in charge of deciding what work is needed to fix...

Florida anticipates insurance mediation.
October 12, 2004... Byline: Garrett Therolf Oct. 12--TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- With about 2 million Floridians expected to file insurance claims for hurricane-related property damage, the state is preparing to dispatch mediators to help resolve a record number...

Trump may get involved in Tampa, Fla., condo project.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Dave Simanoff Oct. 11--TAMPA, Fla. -- Donald Trump, the New York billionaire with a presence in office buildings, luxury condominiums, casinos, reality television, bestseller lists and even men's fragrances, could soon extend...

Plucky guitar maker, 87, still turns out instruments in Winter Springs, Fla.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Jim Tunstall Oct. 11--WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. -- Manuel Velazquez made his first guitar out of a cheese crate. That was 75 years ago in his native Puerto Rico. A trucker bought it for $12. "I got $2 down," the silver-...

Florida's hurricane season proves to be boom for some, bust for others.
October 10, 2004... Oct. 10--You might say Hurricane Charley, which slammed into Florida's southwest coast in mid-August, found Mark Wark at the right place at the right time. Laid off from the Home Shopping Network in March, Wark went into the hurricane...

National Cuba summit explores effectiveness of U.S. sanctions.
October 9, 2004... Byline: Dave Simanoff Oct. 9--TAMPA, Fla. -- Business leaders, economists and politicians from the United States and Europe convened in Tampa on Friday for a lengthy and sometimes heated discussion about U.S. relations with Cuba. ...