Tallahassee Democrat (Tallahassee, FL) articles from July 2001

Tallahassee Democrat (Tallahassee, FL) archives from July 2001

`Ennobling war' concept requires a closer look.
July 2, 2001... Byline: Leo Sandon "I think we were on God's side. The United States has done some foolish things, but in that war, I knew we had God with us." This observation, offered by a surviving member of Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation,"...

Cleanup of Florida's Lake Munson Takes A Step Backward.
July 2, 2001... Byline: John Fleming Jul. 2--They're having a fishing tournament at Lake Munson, the joke used to go. Whoever brings the biggest fish wins. Lake Munson, a cypress-rimmed lake southwest of the intersection of Crawfordville Road and...

Tallahassee, Fla., Museum Seeks Credit, Donations.
July 3, 2001... Byline: John Fleming Jul. 3--The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science is asking the city for a $250,000 line of credit to alleviate what the museum's president calls "an urgent cash flow problem." The request for a loan comes only...

Federal Government Scales Back Offshore Drilling Sale.
July 3, 2001... Byline: Bill Cotterell Jul. 3--Gov. Jeb Bush and two Republican coastal congressmen said the federal government's retreat on offshore oil drilling Monday was "a win for the people of Florida." Democrats weren't so sure. While...

Retail Spending Remains Steady in Tallahassee, Fla.-Area.
July 3, 2001... Jul. 3--Retail spending in Tallahassee was pretty steady in the first quarter, said Wayne Harris, vice president of technology and development at the Tallahassee Area Chamber of Commerce. In March, the most recent month for which figures were...

Declare your independence from excessive worry.
July 4, 2001... Byline: Jeff Herring Declare your freedom from: _Excessive worry. No, I'm not saying "don't worry, be happy." Well-used worry can alert us to areas in our lives that need attention and change. It's just that most folks don't use worry...

Florida Budget Cuts Shut Down Leon County, Fla., Shelter for Abused Children.
July 4, 2001... Byline: Paige St. John Jul. 4--Legislative cuts to state Medicaid bills have shut the doors of an emergency shelter for abused children in Leon County. The Tree House closed one of its two Tallahassee homes for rescued children on...

Tallahassee Democrat, Fla., Business Bazaar Column.
July 4, 2001... Byline: Alice Coale Jul. 4--OLDIES ARE GOLDIES FOR TRAVELING GUITAR MAN: OPENING THOUGHT: "I'm back from Thailand; I'm back from Boston; I'm back from Nashville." -- Andy Eder SHOP TALK: He's back, but for how long? Even Andy Eder...

Balance key to preventing falls among elderly.
July 5, 2001... Byline: Janie Nelson TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ You feel dizzy. You lose your balance. You fall. If you're elderly, you're also likely to seriously hurt yourself and rack up some hefty doctor bills. Just take a look at these statistics...

Tallahassee, Fla., Customers Glad Pilots' Strike is Over, Flights are Back.
July 6, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 6--Comair is now taking reservations for Tallahassee flights, and local travel agents say customers are responding. "We've already made quite a few reservations on Comair," said Charlie Hunter, president of...

Florida Highway Dept. Executive Names New Director of Motor Vehicle Division.
July 6, 2001... Byline: David Twiddy Jul. 6--A 17-year veteran of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles was named Thursday as the new head of the division that regulates car dealers and maintains the state database of registered cars, trucks...

Florida Environmental Agency Investigates St. Marks, Fla., Oil Refinery.
July 6, 2001... Byline: Bruce Ritchie Jul. 6--ST. MARKS, Fla.--The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has begun a criminal investigation of the St. Marks Refinery after officials found possible hazardous waste violations there. One DEP...

Wal-Mart Plans to Build in Tallahassee, Fla.
July 6, 2001... Byline: Bruce Ritchie Jul. 6--Wal-Mart has submitted plans to the city for a proposed "supercenter" in the Bull Run development. The company submitted the proposal after developer Byron Block signed an agreement earlier this year with...

Tallahassee, Fla., General Dynamics Plant has a New $22 Million Job.
July 7, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 7--General Dynamics' Tallahassee plant will handle a $22 million component of a $712 million contract awarded to the company by the U.S. Marine Corps. The company will design and build Advanced Amphibious...

Committee Gives Suggestions for New Tallahassee, Fla., Homeless Center.
July 7, 2001... Byline: John Sevigny Jul. 7--A new shelter and service center for the homeless should be built inside city limits, on or near a main road and no more than two miles from the downtown bus terminal. Those are the recommendations made by...

Young Tallahassee, Fla., Mayor Ponders Future Options, Projects.
July 8, 2001... Byline: Bill Cotterell Jul. 8--Scott Maddox is at an awkward age, politically. The Tallahassee mayor's ambitions extend far beyond Capital Circle. His name identity doesn't. His age, 33, gives him time to wait out a popular...

Former Florida State Senator Dies at 79.
July 8, 2001... Byline: Bill Cotterell Jul. 8--Former state Sen. Dempsey J. Barron, the Panhandle rancher who ran the Senate like a gruff trail boss through two decades of Florida's greatest growth, died early Saturday. He was 79. "There was laughter...

Federal Agency Reduces Coastal Supervision, Protection of Threatened Bird.
July 9, 2001... Byline: Bruce Ritchie Jul. 9-- Federal wildlife officials have reduced the amount of coastline subject to increased oversight from what was originally proposed last year to protect a threatened shorebird. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife...

Despite recent attack, marine experts say shark attacks are rare.
July 11, 2001... Byline: (EDITORS: Corrects graf 13, which adds first name of Hueter) By Gerald Ensley y Gerald Ensley TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ Dave Volk rents beach chairs, umbrellas and surfboards to tourists visiting St. George Island. So he is...

Tallahassee, Fla., Chamber to Refine Vision for City at Retreat.
July 11, 2001... Byline: Juana Jordan Jul. 11--Last year, Tallahassee Area Chamber of Commerce leaders went to their annual retreat in Panama City Beach on a mission -- to sell the community on supporting the passage of the 1-percent sales tax initiative....

Tallahassee Democrat, Fla., Have You Heard Column.
July 11, 2001... Jul. 11--BILL WILSON AND DAVE FURRIE have launched The Gulf Coast Reef Company at 1972-1 Crowder Road. They offer a full line of saltwater fish and a small freshwater selection. Call 514-3474. PKV MANAGEMENT CONSULTING INC. has relocated...

Faith-based ministries are just that.
July 12, 2001... Byline: Leo Sandon It was 44 years ago this summer that I first visited Koinonia Farm outside of Americus in Sumter County, Ga. The building I was put up in was close to the highway, and bullet holes were in the wall above the bed. In...

Florida Officials Inspect St. Marks Refinery.
July 12, 2001... Byline: Bruce Ritchie Jul. 12--ST. MARKS, Fla.--Florida Department of Environmental Protection officials Wednesday inspected several storage tanks at the St. Marks Refinery as liquid was being emptied into trucks. DEP officials said...

Tallahassee Democrat, Fla., Business Bazaar Column.
July 12, 2001... Byline: Alice Coale Jul. 12--OPENING THOUGHT: "One customer brought me a washstand that had been in grandma's barn for years and years. We had to chisel out chicken manure." -- Bill McRae. SHOP TALK: As Bill McRae thinks back over all...

Learn smart moves to transform dumb marriage.
July 13, 2001... Byline: Jeff Herring Here are dumb moves people make in their marriages: _Think short term. Many people enter marriage with the same mindset they have when buying a car. A car is designed with something called "planned obsolescence" in...

First Black President of Tallahassee, Fla., Rotary Club Stresses Service.
July 13, 2001... Byline: Juana Jordan Jul. 13--Leon Gilchrist doesn't think his recent accomplishment of being named president of the Downtown Rotary Club is a big deal. And it probably wouldn't have been had Gilchrist not become the first black to...

French leaders say U.S. should try `harm-reduction' drug policy.
July 14, 2001... Byline: Tony Bridges PARIS _ When it comes to mandating treatment for drug addicts, French leaders have a tip for Americans: They've been there, done that and found out it's not the answer. Not by itself, anyway. "We tried that in...

Businessman Urges More Private Funding for Florida Sports Ventures.
July 14, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 14--In an age when the sports industry in America is bigger than the gross national product of some countries, Americans need to re-evaluate what sports mean to us -- and what we're willing to pay for them. ...

Learn smart moves to transform dumb marriage.
July 16, 2001... Byline: Jeff Herring Here are dumb moves people make in their marriages: _Think short term. Many people enter marriage with the same mindset they have when buying a car. A car is designed with something called "planned obsolescence" in...

Florida Internet Service Provider, Sprint Battle Shows Conflict in Telecom Act.
July 16, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 16--As the competition to offer high-speed Internet access heats up nationwide, Tallahassee is seeing some of the action. ElectroNet filed suit against Sprint in federal court last year, saying the company...

Telecommunications Act Still Poses Problems for Florida Phone Firms, Customers.
July 16, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 16--Once upon a time, Congress passed a sweeping law. The law, members hoped, would increase competition in the telecommunications industry, giving Americans across the country lower prices and more choices for...

Small Florida Towns Still Seek Funding from State for Water, Sewer Projects.
July 16, 2001... Byline: David Twiddy Jul. 16--When Gov. Jeb Bush first used his veto pen in 1999, among his targets was $18 million to improve crumbling water lines and failing sewer systems. Bush acknowledged that some of the projects were...

Gadsden County, Fla., Wins Grant To Promote Savings among Residents.
July 17, 2001... Byline: Juana Jordan Jul. 17--For years, Gadsden County has been one of Florida's poorest counties. In 1990, at least a quarter of its residents were living below the poverty line. Many of them still do. But a $200,000 grant from the...

EPA Approves State's Request to Help Speed Mill Cleanup in Port St. Joe, Fla.
July 17, 2001... Byline: Bruce Ritchie Jul. 17--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved Florida's request aimed at speeding possible cleanup of a closed paper mill site in Port St. Joe. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection...

Florida Company To Sell Tallahassee, Fla., Nursing Homes.
July 17, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 17--Two Tallahassee nursing homes are among several in Florida being sold by national health care company Beverly Enterprises Inc. to NMC of Florida, LLC. Heritage Health Care Center and Capital Health Care...

CDC encourages health care providers to administer vaccine early this year.
July 18, 2001... Byline: Jaquetta White TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ With more flu vaccine delays expected this season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is encouraging health care providers to administer the vaccine as early as September to people...

Tallahassee Democrat, Fla., Business Briefcase Column.
July 18, 2001... Byline: Bjorn Morton Jul. 18--Briefcase is a roundup of changes, promotions and accomplishments in the business community. It appears on Wednesday. ASSOCIATIONS: The American Lung Association of Florida/Big Bend Region installed the...

Tips on protecting home electronics.
July 19, 2001... _Air conditioners. When a storm's coming: Turn off the unit at the thermostat. Then go to the circuit breaker box and turn off the air-conditioner breaker as well as the breaker marked "air handler" or "heat." After a storm: If air...

Florida Monthly Honors Tallahassee-Area Businesses.
July 19, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 19--It's always nice to be recognized. And that's just what happened for several Tallahassee-area businesses when Florida Monthly magazine released its Best of Florida 2001 list last month. "I'm gratified and...

Tallahassee Democrat, Fla., At Work With ... Column.
July 19, 2001... Jul. 19--Opening Thought: "We sell food for any kind of animal there is." -- Jimmy Young. Shop Talk: Got a hungry horse, a monkey with the munchies, a famished fish or a gluttonous gerbil? How about a picky polar bear or finicky flamingo,...

Independent Naples, Fla., Bank to Expand into Two Other Counties.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Christopher Cole Jul. 20--MANATEE, Fla.--An independent bank based in Naples is expanding into Manatee and Sarasota counties. Gulf Coast National Bank plans to open its first Bradenton-area location, probably next spring, in...

Critics Question Florida Speaker's Use of Redistricting Software, Staff.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Nancy Cook Lauer Jul. 20--House Speaker Tom Feeney's not known to be quick with computers. But he can be quick with a sharp word to employees who don't toe the line. That's why when Feeney, R-Oviedo, had trouble installing the...

Tallahassee, Fla., Technology Alliance Takes Slow, Certain Steps.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Juana Jordan Jul. 20--Tallahassee has to compete with at least 40 other communities in its bid to get on the radar of semiconductor companies looking to expand their operations within the next two years. With that in mind, area...

Be a participant in life, not a spectator.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Jeff Herring One of the things I've noticed working with people and their struggles is that most folks are either spectators or participants in life. Spectators live as if this life is a dress rehearsal, while participants know...

Housing Group, City of Quincy Win Florida Economic Development Grants.
July 21, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 21--The city of Quincy and Mt. Olive Housing and Community Development Corp. have received grants from Florida's new "Toolkit for Economic Development" program. Gov. Jeb Bush last month designated 15...

Biting back: Knowing the enemy is first step.
July 21, 2001... Byline: Gerald Ensley You hate mosquitoes. They bite you and annoy you and lately they've scared you when you hear stories about mosquito-borne illnesses such as West Nile virus and Eastern Equine encephalitis. Andrew Spielman? He...

Fewer Flights, Light Loads Mark Comair's Return to Tallahasseee, Fla.
July 23, 2001... Byline: John Sevigny Jul. 23--Three-and-a-half months after the airline was grounded because of a pilot strike, Comair resumes service in Tallahassee today with 11 flights each day to locations including Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale....

Downtown Tallahassee, Fla., Businesses Wait for Projects to Lift Off.
July 23, 2001... Byline: Daniel Carson Jul. 23--With a new Challenger Center and three downtown hotels planned for construction, downtown Tallahassee would seem primed for a resurgence after decades of decline. However, there is a question of where all the...

Florida Legislature Removes Sales Tax During Back-to-School Days.
July 23, 2001... Byline: David Twiddy Jul. 23--Every year, the beginning of school means the same things -- new rules, crowded halls, confusion. And that's just trying to navigate the sales-tax-free holiday. For the fourth year in a row, the...

Tallahassee Democrat, Fla., Have You Heard Column.
July 23, 2001... Jul. 23--TECH COMPANIES VIE TO PITCH PROSPECTS: Despite the gloomy news these days about high-tech business prospects, especially for entrepreneurs just getting started and in need of venture capital, there's still some high-tech energy in...

Leon County, Fla., Tourism Council Aims to Boost Awareness.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Gerald Ensley Jul. 24--You're heading out the door to work on a summer day. Your sister-in-law, visiting from out of town with her three children, flags you down and wants to know what she and the kids can go see in Tallahassee...

Workshop to Help Tallahassee, Fla., Businesses Cope with Flooding.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 25--Years ago, heavy rains in Tallahassee meant flooding at the Watkins Engineers & Constructors building on Airport Drive. Tropical storms brought deluges that sent employees' cars floating out of the parking lot...

Florida to Give Community Development Grant to Tallahassee Group.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 25--A grant from a new state government program will help Tallahassee's Mt. Olive Housing and Community Development Corp. continue its work of helping disadvantaged Tallahasseeans turn dreams of owning their own...

Tallahassee Democrat, Fla., Have You Heard Column.
July 25, 2001... Jul. 25--MS. ORGANIZED is a new business specializing in organizing and controlling household clutter, including bathrooms, kitchens, closets, cabinets and paperwork. Contact Jan Lawrence at 386-2629. SPRINT HAS INTRODUCED ITS "SIMPLY 0"...

State Grant Gives Chipley, Fla. an Economic Boost.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 26--The city of Chipley has received a grant from the state Economic Development Transportation Fund that will bring a new business and about 40 new jobs to town. Sandco, a Tallahassee-based asphalt...

Broadcasting Company to Purchase Tallahassee, Fla., Station, Change Format.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 26--Triad Broadcasting Company has contracted to acquire Tallahassee's 106.1 FM radio dial position from Cumulus Media Inc. The $1.725 million acquisition will give Triad four radio stations in Tallahassee,...

Tallahassee Democrat, Fla., Business Bazaar Column.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Alice Coale Jul. 26--OPENING THOUGHT: "Catherine loves ice cream, I love old cars, so we put the two together and this is what we got." -- Bob Cornelius. SHOP TALK: Take one owner of a `37 Chevy, one dental hygienist with a...

Tallahassee, Fla., Provides Online Payment Options for Utility Customers.
July 26, 2001... Byline: John Sevigny Jul. 26--Pay your utility bill, get the electricity in your new apartment or house connected or track your home power usage for the past 12 months, all from a personal computer. City officials are giving...

Florida Lawmakers Have Second Thoughts about State Technology Office.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Nancy Cook Lauer Jul. 27--Just three months ago, both houses of the Legislature unanimously passed a bill transferring 1,760 technology employees and a $600 million budget to a new centralized State Technology Office. On Thursday,...

Florida Program Employs Students to Learn Everyday, Business Skills.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Andrew Dunn Jul. 27--Life is the core curriculum at the About Face program, and during its graduation ceremony Thursday, Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan thanked the 24 student participants. "Those of us who are older remember what this...

Recipe for successful family reunion includes acceptance, boundaries.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Jeff Herring I just got back from my first experience of a large family reunion. My wife's Uncle Darwin and Aunt Barbara turned their 40th wedding anniversary into a multigenerational four-day extravaganza. Participating in the...

Tallahassee, Fla., Construction Workers Voice Asbestos Concerns.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Bill Cotterell Jul. 28--Department of Management Services executives assured construction work crews Friday that they will be consulted before renovation work and advised of any asbestos hazards in state buildings. Several of...

Tallahassee, Fla., Consulting Firm Opens Fourth Regional Office, Plans Fifth.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 28--Tallahassee-based management consulting firm MGT of America Inc. has opened a fourth regional office. The new office in Columbia, S.C., joins offices in Sacramento, Calif.; Olympia, Wash., and Austin,...

Florida Economic Development Agency Denies Improper Use of Funds.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Bill Cotterell Jul. 29--Officials of Florida's privatized economic development agency have denied that state money was "recycled" into a private bank account that was used for executive bonuses, private club memberships or junkets....

Florida Reinvests in Tobacco Stocks, Gains 42.7 Percent of Previous Holdings.
July 29, 2001... Byline: David Twiddy Jul. 29--A month and a half after Gov. Jeb Bush and other state officials voted to lift the state ban on investing in tobacco, the state's stockbrokers have recouped almost half of what the state owned when it sold off...

Science, politics, religion and stem cells: Values in conflict.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Leo Sandon In 1998, scientists reported that they had successfully isolated and cultured human embryo stem cells. In the initial breakthrough, the stem cells were obtained from two sources: surplus embryos from fertility clinics...

West Nile Virus Spurs Run on Mosquito Repellant Products in Tallahassee, Fla.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 30--Business is buzzing. Since the West Nile virus showed up in North Florida, many local businesses have seen a run on any and all products designed to battle the mosquito. The first human case of the virus in...

Florida State University Seeks $5 Million To Buy Property.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Melanie Yeager Jul. 30--Florida State University's new money wish list for building and land improvements includes $5 million to purchase property. Nonexistent on its list last year, the request headlines at No. 2 on its $85.8...

Values in conflict in stem cell debate.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Leo Sandon In 1998, scientists reported that they had successfully isolated and cultured human embryo stem cells. In the initial breakthrough, the stem cells were obtained from two sources: surplus embryos from fertility clinics...

Florida Probes Splitting BellSouth into Retail, Wholesale Operations.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Rachel Sams Jul. 31--The Florida Public Service Commission is holding a workshop this week to gather information about the possibility of splitting BellSouth into separate retail and wholesale operations in Florida. AT&T filed...

Tallahassee, Fla., Tax Preparers Field Rebate Questions.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Juana Jordan Jul. 31--It's not every day that Uncle Sam opens his wallet to give money back to his nieces and nephews. In fact, it's hardly ever. That's one reason why his sudden act of kindness -- giving taxpayers an advance...