The Ledger (Lakeland, FL) articles from September 2007

The Ledger (Lakeland, FL) archives from September 2007

Market to 'correct itself,' says realtor.(Interview)
September 4, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 4--LAKELAND -- More Polk County home buyers are sitting on the fence these days rather than hopping into a new yard and ownership. The market just isn't the hot bed it was nearly two years ago. Arthur...

Ledger's Web site to offer more on Tuesday.(Website overview)
September 4, 2007... Byline: Kyle Kennedy Sep. 4--LAKELAND -- The Ledger's online readers will see a number of changes and improvements when the newspaper's redesigned Web site launches Tuesday afternoon at www.theledger.com. The site is being revamped...

His Ideas Don't Shock, They Electrify.
September 10, 2007... Byline: Rick Rousos Sep. 10--LAKELAND -- George Lindsey isn't a political powerhouse. But when he talks, Lakeland city commissioners listen. Lindsey, 60, develops real estate and builds homes. He spent 14 years in electric-utility...

His ideas don't shock, they electrify.
September 10, 2007... Byline: Rick Rousos Sep. 10--LAKELAND -- George Lindsey isn't a political powerhouse. But when he talks, Lakeland city commissioners listen. Lindsey, 60, develops real estate and builds homes. He spent 14 years in electric-utility...

New Lakeland, Fla., realty firm seeks niche with new homes.
September 10, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 10--LAKELAND -- Todd Knaack understands opening a new real estate office in downtown Lakeland is sure to furrow a few eyebrows. At first glance, it doesn't look like the most sound business decision. ...

New realty firm seeks niche with new homes.
September 10, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 10--LAKELAND, Fla. -- Todd Knaack understands opening a new real estate office in downtown Lakeland is sure to furrow a few eyebrows. At first glance, it doesn't look like the most sound business decision....

Utility status to jolt chamber retreat.
September 11, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 11--The Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce has a busy agenda planned at its annual retreat next week. Its No. 1 topic, however, is its opinion that the city needs to hire an outside independent consultant to...

His ideas don't shock, they electrify.
September 11, 2007... Byline: Rick Rousos Sep. 11--LAKELAND, Fla. -- George Lindsey isn't a political powerhouse. But when he talks, Lakeland city commissioners listen. Lindsey, 60, develops real estate and builds homes. He spent 14 years in...

Landscaping Workshop in October.
September 15, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 15--Here's a way to get an edge on the new Florida Friendly landscaping category for the 2008 Spring Parade of Homes: The Polk County Builders Association will hold a landscaping workshop next month to help....

In report on Florida counties, Polk County leads in citrus-acreage loss.
September 15, 2007... Byline: Kyle Kennedy Sep. 15--LAKELAND -- Citrus grove acreage in Polk County and around the state continues to dwindle rapidly in the face of disease and development, according to an update of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's biennial...

Outparcel strip mall to be built at historical shopping center.
September 15, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 15--Gifford Contracting Inc. is building an outparcel for Lakeland's historical Southgate shopping center. The retail strip center at 2645 S. Florida Ave. will have four bays at 1,150 square feet each. ...

Today's soft economy makes cars hard to sell.
September 16, 2007... Byline: Kyle Kennedy Sep. 16--LAKELAND -- Who would envy auto dealers at a time like this? U.S. sales were flat in August following a 12 percent drop in July, the housing downturn seems to be having a ripple effect, and gas prices...

Polk County Business Journal aims to reach Florida executives.
September 16, 2007... Byline: Kevin Bouffard Sep. 16--LAKELAND -- Just as Polk County is growing, so is the number of businesses in it. To keep up with that growth, The Ledger on Monday will kick off its newest publication, the Polk County Business Journal,...

Economic Downturn Is Cited as Ledger Cuts 14 Jobs.
September 19, 2007... Byline: Kyle Kennedy Sep. 19--The Ledger will cut 14 positions as it faces declining revenues and an ongoing harsh economic climate for newspapers, Publisher Jerome Ferson announced Tuesday. Ferson said The Ledger has struggled with...

AAA suggests Florida drivers take care as insurance law expires.
September 19, 2007... Byline: Kyle Kennedy Sep. 19--Florida motorists might want to spend the next couple of weeks reviewing their insurance coverage. That was the message from AAA representatives Tuesday night as the agency held a PIP information session...

Building permits are up in some cities.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 20--LAKELAND -- Better news could be on the horizon for Polk County's new home builders. While the total number of building permits pulled in August is 21 percent lower than the year before, several cities...

Officials: Insurance Rates Still Too High.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Lloyd Dunkelberger Sep. 20--TALLAHASSEE -- Florida officials promised consumers that their property insurance rates would drop by 24 percent after the Legislature passed a sweeping new law that greatly increased the state's role in...

Polk is still on top in citrus production.
September 21, 2007... Sep. 21--LAKELAND -- Polk County continued for another season as the state's top citrus-producing county with almost 22.4 million boxes of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and specialty citrus fruit, according to the preliminary 2006-07 Citrus...

Greening found in Polk County.
September 21, 2007... Byline: Kevin Bouffard Sep. 21--The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has confirmed four cases of citrus greening in Polk County. Greening was found on a single orange tree at its own Citrus Arboretum on U.S. 17...

Polk's unemployment rate edges up.
September 22, 2007... Byline: Kyle Kennedy Sep. 22--LAKELAND -- Job growth continued to slow in August and Polk County's unemployment rate inched up to 4.9 percent, according to the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation. August's rate was up from 4.1...

East Polk President: Election year brings opportunities for realtors.
September 22, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 22--Carol Platt understands the coming year will be anything but easy for the members of the East Polk County Association of Realtors. Platt, 50, was inducted as EPCAR's president last week at the...

LAR's New Board Ready for Work.
September 22, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 22--The ballots have been cast and the results are in for the Lakeland Association of Realtors board of directors election. Last week, the association held a three-day online election for 10 of its board...

TV venture marks 10 years.
September 22, 2007... Byline: Kevin Bouffard Sep. 22--Get the candles ready: Bay News 9 marks its 10th anniversary at 6:59 p.m. Monday. The seven-day, 24-hour local news channel went on the air at that time 10 years ago with a lot of optimism among the...

Battery USA adding new Lakeland warehouse.
September 22, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 22--Battery USA Inc. is building a new warehouse and expanding another. The Lakeland-based company is adding more than 10,000 square feet to its facility at 1840 S. Combee Road. The first phase of the...

Gamers Anticipate Launch of Microsoft's Latest Version of Popular Series.
September 24, 2007... Byline: Kyle Kennedy Sep. 24--Plenty of video games have cyborgs and aliens. Intergalactic warfare? Been there, played that -- hundreds of times. So why is the gaming world breathlessly awaiting yet another title that revolves around...

Wholesale plant business began with three teens and a lawn-care service.
September 25, 2007... Byline: Kyle Kennedy Sep. 25--Imagine being a teenager just out of high school, trying to get your fledgling nursery business off the ground. Your fellow executives are your younger brother and a friend from school. The three of you used...

Banker shares secrets of rise to success.
September 25, 2007... Byline: Rachel Pleasant Sep. 25--Today, John Santarpia is "the guy" at Community First Credit Union in Mulberry. But way before the title president/CEO followed his name, Santarpia was a newspaper boy entrusted with collecting money from...

Water plentiful in Polk County, Fla., but restrictions sure to stay.
September 25, 2007... Byline: Mike Grogan Sep. 25--It's no surprise that water would be a major part of any discussion about growth in Polk County. What is something of a surprise to many is that there is no lack of it. "There's really plenty of water in...

Polk County, Fla., housing market keeps sliding in August.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 26--Marred by inflated prices, a glut of new home inventory and indecisive buyers, Polk County's housing market continued its decline last month. Existing home sales dropped nearly 32 percent from 499 in...

A&G Restaurant to expand Greek cuisine to second location.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Kevin Bouffard Sep. 26--Restaurant veterans Markos Hirakis and George Paragios plan to open a second location of their popular Winter Haven eatery, A&G Restaurant, next week at 1520 S. Combee Road in Lakeland. The 90-seat...

Deal to keep PIP likely faces opposition.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Joe Follick Sep. 28--A deal to keep the state's "no fault" auto insurance requirement may face bipartisan opposition if lawmakers try to revive the controversial mandate next week. "It's about taking our system from (one) that...

Polk's August jobless rate rises to 4.9 percent.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Kyle Kennedy Sep. 28--A familiar story played out last month as unemployment rose and the housing market continued to see annual declines, according to The Ledger's monthly Polk County Business Barometer. Tourism revenue was the...

Church plans to move into former theater.
September 29, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 29--WINTER HAVEN -- The Bridge Community Church is getting a new home. The Winter Haven-based church recently bought the former Boulevard Triple Theater at 2701 Havendale Blvd. Bridge Community, which...

Video e-mails add new dimension to real-estate marketing.
September 29, 2007... Byline: Jeremy Maready Sep. 29--WINTER HAVEN -- Getting a customer's attention is one of the hardest aspects of a business. And in Polk County's buyers market, attention spans are short and competition is widespread for a home sale....