The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, FL) articles from March 2005

The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, FL) archives from March 2005

Some citrus showing effect of hurricanes.
March 31, 2005... Byline: Susan Salisbury Mar. 31--This spring, Florida's signature scent is harder to find. While the aroma of citrus trees in full bloom is still around, that sweet, powerful fragrance can't be found in some places where it...

Insurers told to clarify claims owed for homeowners' hurricane damage.
March 31, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 31--Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher is asking insurers to contact customers who might not have collected all the money they're due from a hurricane claim because of what he called confusing policy...

Gas rise drops Floridians' confidence.
March 30, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 30--As gas prices rise, Floridians' confidence in the economy falls. So says the latest Florida consumer confidence index, which fell to 94 in March from 97 in February, the University of Florida's Bureau...

Bills requiring data firms to disclose thefts introduced in state Senate, House.
March 29, 2005... Byline: Stephen Pounds Mar. 29--Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, has introduced legislation that would make Florida the second state in the nation to require data brokers to notify residents if their personal information is stolen. ...

The Palm Beach Post, Fla., Lori Becker column.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Lori Becker Mar. 28--CENTEX LANDS PALM CITY'S LAST LARGE UNDEVELOPED TRACT: Centex Homes is making more inroads in Martin County. The Dallas megabuilder has grabbed the last large undeveloped tract in Palm City, after another...

The Palm Beach Post, Fla., Moving Up column.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Mary Thurwachter Mar. 28--NAME: Cynthia C. Spall PLACE OF BUSINESS: West Palm Beach. RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Cynthia C. Spall couldn't imagine herself arguing in a crowded courtroom. She prefers working behind the...

Opportunistic Duffy's again takes over where others failed.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Paul Owers Mar. 28--Another failed restaurant, another opening for Duffy's. The popular sports bar is taking over the old Glory Days space at Hypoluxo Road and Congress Avenue in Boynton Beach. Look for a May 22 opening. ...

FPL: Springtime right time to save energy.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Kristi E. Swartz Mar. 28--Clear your air-conditioning filter monthly. Run your dishwasher only when it's full. Turn off the ceiling fan when you leave the room. Those are some of the ways consumers can be more...

Small furniture business Hay Loft makes big comeback after storms.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Lori Becker Mar. 28--STUART -- A framed collage hangs next to Colette Hester's new desk like a badge of honor. It's not an award or a college diploma. It's not the first dollar she ever made at her 6-year-old furniture store...

IBM still tech heavyweight in South Fla.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Stephen Pounds Mar. 28--IBM isn't the behemoth employer in Boca Raton that it was during the 1980s heyday of the personal computer. But it's not small potatoes, either. According an internal survey of its local operations...

Suit, tie optional at PBCC online job fair.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 28--For job seekers, a visit to a job fair usually requires breaking out your best suit and shining your shoes. No need for that sort of primping and preening at Palm Beach Community College's job fair...

Special needs, special advice for parents of disabled children.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Horvath Mar. 28--For most parents, saving for their child's college education is challenging. Those with a disabled child face an even more daunting financial task: figuring out how to provide for their child long after...

More people seeking online medical advice.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Horvath Mar. 28--More people are doing their own research, rather than relying solely on experts, before making big choices from what car to buy to which college to attend, and now health care decisions are no...

The Palm Beach Post, Fla., real estate column.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Paul Owers Mar. 28--RENOVATOR WANTS TO CULTIVATE NEW RETAIL ALONG ANTIQUE ROW: Richard Danton wants to see more quaint shops dotting Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. And, no, they don't necessarily have to sell antiques. ...

Florida law reins in health discount cards.
March 27, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Horvath Mar. 27--When Sam's Club rolled out a medical discount card this month to help its customers cut health care costs, it entered an industry that has been both lauded for saving consumers money and reviled for...

West Palm hedge fund operators' assets to remain froze.
March 26, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 26--The Securities and Exchange Commission has won a court order that keeps frozen the assets of the three principals of a defunct West Palm Beach hedge fund firm that allegedly defrauded investors of at least...

New jobs in region lauded.
March 26, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 26--The national job picture is partly cloudy, but Florida's employment climate remains among the sunniest in the nation, according to state employment numbers released Friday. Even after weathering two...

St. Lucie wants grants back as Convergys exits early.
March 25, 2005... Byline: Lori Becker Mar. 25--St. Lucie County gave Convergys Corp. $300,000 over the past three years for creating jobs at the company's Fort Pierce call center. Now that Convergys has announced plans to shut down the 4-year-old...

House looks to curb Citizens premiums.
March 25, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 25--Customers of Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state's homeowner insurer of last resort, could catch a break in the pocketbook if a House bill unveiled Thursday becomes law. In theory, at least. ...

Amid slight fizzle, houses still sizzle.
March 24, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 24--Existing-home prices took a bit of a breather in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast in February, falling 2.5 percent from January. The median price -- half sell for more, half for less -- in Palm...

Proposed bill aims at cities' Web plans.
March 24, 2005... Byline: Kristi Swartz Mar. 24--The city of Boynton Beach is trying to get the downtown wireless Internet project it announced last month up and running before some lawmakers get in the way. The Florida Legislature is considering...

Citizens sees $525 million deficit.
March 24, 2005... Byline: David Secore Mar. 24--The latest numbers from Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has the state-sponsored homeowner insurer of last resort running a $525 million deficit, meaning homeowner coverage statewide will be more expensive...

Glades-area businesses try to broaden customer base.
March 23, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 23--BELLE GLADE -- Kathy Cross is a small-town entrepreneur who has landed her share of big-city clients. Cross' Belle Glade company, Everglades Trading and Office Supply, has sold furniture and equipment...

Despite Convergys exit, call centers strong in St. Lucie.
March 23, 2005... Byline: Lori Becker Mar. 23--During the past decade, call centers have become a major employer in St. Lucie County -- creating thousands of jobs and providing a much-needed boon for a county with one of the highest unemployment rates in...

FPL asks state for $430 million rate hike.
March 23, 2005... Byline: Kristi E. Swartz Mar. 23--Florida Power & Light Co. formally asked state regulators Tuesday for permission to raise what it charges its customers for basic electricity. The $430 million annual rate hike, which would tack on...

200 to lose jobs as Convergys shuts center.
March 22, 2005... Byline: Lori Becker Mar. 22--Call center giant Convergys Corp. is shutting down its 4-year-old operation at Fort Pierce's Orange Blossom Business Center. The Cincinnati-based telemarketing and customer-service company will close the...

Study finds tort reform not the answer for medical malpractice crisis.
March 22, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Horvath Mar. 22--In Florida, paid malpractice insurance claims have not increased and most million-dollar malpractice payouts aren't awarded by juries, according to a new study. The study's authors suggest that tort...

Debate heats up over trade pact.
March 22, 2005... Byline: Susan Salisbury Mar. 22--A battle is heating up over the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement, which could come before Congress for a vote as early as this spring or summer. The nation's 19-state cane and beet sugar...

'Business matchmaking' enterprise aims to give Glades' economy boost.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 21--While much of Palm Beach County enjoys bustling job growth and soaring home prices, folks who live out here on the county's western edge can be forgiven for feeling the boom has passed them by. The...

Entrepreneurs favor Dell over Gates.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Lori Becker Mar. 21--They like Michael Dell more than Bill Gates. They think Bernie Ebbers should spend at least a decade in prison. And they'd put the most confidence in Dick Cheney to run their company. They are the top...

Finding storm-friendly features can cut home insurance tab.
March 21, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 21--It's not a particularly pleasant thought, especially after last August and September, but Hurricane Season 2005 begins in less three months. And there's nothing better to jack up the pain than thinking...

Businesses buying rather than renting office space.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Paul Owers Mar. 21--If you lease an office or an apartment, with only rental receipts to show for it, you can't help but feel for VIP Properties of Distinction. The real estate firm rents office space for $34 a square foot in...

The Palm Beach Post, Fla., real estate column.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Paul Owers Mar. 21--BEN'S STEAKS GIVING WAY TO OFFICES: If you despise development and believe things were better back in the 1970s, stop reading right now. OK, we warned you. The 30-year run for Ben's Steakhouse in Palm...

Boca firm's software helps taxpayers find closest H&R Block outlet.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Kristi E. Swartz Mar. 21--The tax clock is ticking. And H&R Block tax service is using software developed by a local company to help frenzied taxpayers, and itself. With voice-activated software developed by Boca...

Florida in top 10 for woman-operated farms.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Susan Salisbury Mar. 21--Florida ranks in the top 10 states for farms that have a woman as principal operator, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. In observance of Women's History Month, the agency is...

Lack of qualified workers may slow Florida biotech growth.
March 19, 2005... Byline: Stephen Pounds Mar. 19--When biotechnology in South Florida is sized up against the Southeast's largest hub, the Research Triangle in North Carolina, it comes down to a case of haves and have-nots. That's because South...

Senate OKs condo storm-deductible options.
March 19, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 19--Hundreds of condominium associations would be able to choose whether they want an insurance policy with a single seasonal hurricane deductible or with the traditional "per storm" deductible under a bill...

Seisint and ChoicePoint tighten rules to thwart ID thieves.
March 19, 2005... Byline: Stephen Pounds Mar. 19--In the wake of security breaches at two large information brokers with data centers in Boca Raton, the companies have placed new limits on the disclosure of Social Security and driver's license numbers....

Business lobbyists want to look at FPL storm charge.
March 19, 2005... Byline: Kristi E. Swartz Mar. 19--The Florida Retail Federation has asked to take part in the case of Florida Power & Light Co.'s proposed hurricane surcharge, saying it wants to make sure the utility used fiscally sound judgment when...

Rain takes wind out of boat show's sails on first day.
March 18, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Horvath Mar. 18--Leaden skies and steady rain on Thursday thinned the crowd on the first day of the Palm Beach Boat Show. Marine salespeople stood in small clusters, usually under cover from the rain, with their...

Researchers unveil weapon on wheels for canker fight.
March 18, 2005... Byline: Susan Salisbury Mar. 18--Bring out two new pieces of high-tech equipment that are the first of their kind, and scientists and other curious minds will brave heavy rains to see them. Despite the inclement weather, there was a...

Senate likely to pass condo bill.
March 18, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 18--The Senate on Thursday "rolled over" for a final vote a bill making seasonal hurricane deductibles optional for condominium associations. The action all but assures that the Senate will pass the bill...

KL Financial hedge fund official agrees to cooperate.
March 18, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 18--A key figure at a failed West Palm Beach hedge fund has agreed to cooperate with authorities and to turn over $1 million in cash and real estate, federal regulators said Thursday during a court hearing...

Florida sets deadline for storm claims.
March 18, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 18--Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Cabinet on Thursday ordered insurers statewide to settle all outstanding hurricane claims within 30 days -- by April 18 -- or provide detailed reasons explaining why any...

FPL hires GOP pollster for Treasure Coast focus group.
March 18, 2005... Byline: Kristi E. Swartz Mar. 18--A pollster better known for his work on behalf of the Republican Party will be in Port St. Lucie on Monday to conduct a focus group for Florida Power & Light Co. Frank Luntz, whose Luntz Research Co....

Senate bill allows rate hike to spur renewable energy.
March 17, 2005... Byline: Kristi E. Swartz Mar. 17--Florida utilities wanting to use renewable energy sources such as solar, waste or wind would be allowed to charge customers extra for their trouble under a bill making its way through the state Senate....

Nurses lobby to improve staffing.
March 17, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 17--More than 90 nurses from throughout Florida rallied in the Capitol on Wednesday in support of a bill that would set limits on the number of hospital patients under the care of an individual nurse at a given...

House committee backs stronger building code.
March 16, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 16--TALLAHASSEE -- A House panel on Tuesday gave its stamp of approval to a bill that would bring the hurricane provisions of the Florida building code in line with the latest engineering standards. The bill...

Hope floats at Palm Beach Boat Show.
March 16, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Horvath Mar. 16--WEST PALM BEACH -- Bruce Siler, a 20-year boat captain, watched as a $2.59 million, 75-foot yacht backed slowly into its parking space for the next week along the temporary docks in the Intracoastal...

Ranking Catalfumo Construction executive leaves for Rendina.
March 16, 2005... Mar. 16--A top executive at Catalfumo Construction and Development Inc. is leaving, only months after taking on a more visible role as head of the $300 million company. Harry Darling starts work in early April with developer Bruce...

Data broker's CEO says he's sorry about security breach.
March 16, 2005... Mar. 16--WASHINGTON -- ChoicePoint Inc.'s chief executive apologized Tuesday for the data broker's slow response to last year's theft of about 145,000 customers' private information. But amid sharp questioning from members of both parties...

Identity theft victims tell Sen. Nelson their stories.
March 15, 2005... Byline: Stephen Pounds Mar. 15--Last year Raquel Lopez was turned down for bank loan, and it wasn't because her own credit was bad. The 31-year-old teacher from Tamarac called the nation's three credit bureaus and found that for two...

Principal of KL Financial investment firm apparently has fled country>.
March 15, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 15--A West Palm Beach money manager under investigation for fraud fled the country last month for South Korea one day after being interviewed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Won S. Lee, one of...

Office Depot chooses new CEO.
March 15, 2005... Byline: Paul Owers Mar. 15--Two months after announcing a sponsorship deal with NASCAR, Office Depot has turned to former auto parts executive Steve Odland to rev up the company's drive to overtake rival Staples. Odland, who headed...

The Palm Beach Post, Fla., Lori Becker column.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Lori Becker Mar. 14--BOAT SHOW SHIFTS OUT OF WATER TO INFIELD: The St. Lucie County Boat Show is coming back after a three-year hiatus. And this time it's going inland, dropping anchor at Tradition Field. Boat show...

Class of students is switching to biotech at Florida Atlantic University.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Stephen Pounds Mar. 14--Mallik Kotamarti toiled as a computer engineer at Nortel Networks for 17 years. He briefly tried his hand at starting a company in Silicon Valley. He holds a master's degree in business administration from...

Palm Beach Boat Show now only click away.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Stephen Pounds Mar. 14--The Intracoastal meets the Internet. This week, as the Palm Beach Boat Show docks along Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach, the public can check out what's available at www.marinepbc.org before...

Cold Stone warm to Treasure Coast area.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Lori Becker Mar. 14--Cold Stone Creamery is living up to its record as the nation's fastest-growing premium ice cream chain as it makes its move into the Treasure Coast. The ice cream parlor will launch its first Treasure...

Company helps doctors find record-storing programs.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Horvath Mar. 14--A local orthopedic surgeon says that his company is to doctors and electronic medical records programs what eHarmony.com is to lovelorn singles. A matchmaker. Dr. Eric Fishman of West Palm...

The Palm Beach Post, Fla., real estate column.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Paul Owers Mar. 14--HOW TO 'DO' YOUR CONDO FOR $5,000: With a straight face, the editor of Architectural Digest asked John Loring to transform your basic West Palm Beach condo into a stylish pad on $5,000. That might sound...

New artificial sweetener to enter market.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Susan Salisbury Mar. 14--Just as Big Sugar -- which has three major cane producers in the Glades -- faces increased competition from the likes of alternative sweeteners such as Splenda and Neotame, along comes yet another new...

Luxury toilet maker TOTO USA opens in Wellington mall.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Alexandra Clough Mar. 14--Planning a trip to the mall for a new blouse? How about a new toilet instead? That's the hope of TOTO USA, which Sunday opened what it bills as the world's first store featuring its Neorest toilet in...

Bush budget slashes health care money for uninsured.
March 13, 2005... Byline: Phil Galewitz Mar. 13--With the number of Americans without health insurance increasing, the federal government has shifted much of the burden for their medical care to states and counties. Now President Bush wants to...

Convention center expects new hotel to boost events drawing visitors.
March 11, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 11--Now that a convention center hotel is near, the manager of the Palm Beach County Convention Center hopes the $84 million building finally can live up to its promise as an economic engine. Since it...

Spike in gas price likely to get sharper.
March 11, 2005... Byline: Susan Salisbury Mar. 11--What do people think about gasoline prices jumping almost 10 cents a gallon inside a week? "It's really disgusting," Palm Beach Gardens retiree Rita Thompson said as she pumped $2.09-a-gallon regular...

Insurers split on storm fund.
March 11, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 11--The House Insurance Committee unanimously passed a far-reaching hurricane insurance bill that puts in place some consumer protections and lowers the bar for insurers to tap into the Florida Hurricane...

State CFO seeks 30-day deadline for insurers to settle storm claims.
March 11, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 11--State Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher said Thursday that he will ask the Florida Cabinet to give insurance companies a 30-day deadline to wrap up property damage claims from last year's hurricanes. ...

State adds 266,400 jobs in past year.
March 11, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 11--It's a good time to be a job hunter in Florida, according to state employment numbers released Thursday that show strong growth in a variety of industries. Florida added 266,400 non-farm jobs from...

Agriculture producers who got no hurricane aid can seek relief.
March 10, 2005... Byline: Susan Salisbury Mar. 10--Beginning Monday, agricultural producers in Florida who got no aid after the hurricanes of 2004 can apply for a $3 billion national pool of federal cash set aside for weather-related crop losses. The...

State Senate panel backs condo insurance proposal.
March 10, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 10--A Senate panel took the first step Wednesday toward dealing with the state's homeowner insurance crisis by moving to undo a change lawmakers passed just two months ago. The Senate Banking and Insurance...

Vavrus developer sticks to plan.
March 10, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 10--Although Tuesday's election appeared to deliver a setback to a plan to build 9,000 homes on a cattle ranch at the western edge of the city, the developer says it will keep pitching its proposal for the...

FPL plans clean-coal plant in St. Lucie.
March 9, 2005... Byline: Kristi Swartz Mar. 9--Florida Power & Light Co. wants to build a "clean-coal" power plant in St. Lucie County that could open in seven years and would address the increased demand for power in the western reaches of the county....

Trade officials says Europe tops China for businesses.
March 9, 2005... Byline: Susan Salisbury Mar. 9--Small and mid-size American companies thinking about doing international business should consider Europe rather than China, a top U.S. trade official said Tuesday. Eric Stewart, deputy assistant...

Trade gap to shrink as rivals age, Fed official says.
March 9, 2005... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Mar. 9--One of the nation's leading economists has a new twist on the old question of whether trade deficits matter: Graying populations in Europe and Japan could cut the U.S. trade deficit over the long haul. ...

Canker to claim 35 acres of trees in Loxahatchee.
March 8, 2005... Byline: Susan Salisbury Mar. 8--A portion of a Palm Beach County citrus grove already under contract to be sold to a developer for millions is the latest casualty in the state's war against citrus canker. The 4,400-acre Indian Trail...

Health district sets aside $30 million for Belle Glade hospital.
March 8, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Horvath Mar. 8--The Health Care District of Palm Beach County has taken a big step toward building a new hospital in the western reaches of the county. The health district's board unanimously decided to set aside...

Record phone rate hike heads to state's high court.
March 8, 2005... Byline: Kristi Swartz Mar. 8--The largest telephone rate hike in state history will have its day in court this week. On Friday, lawyers from the state attorney general's office, the Office of Public Counsel and the AARP will tell the...

The Palm Beach Post, Fla., Lori Becker column.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Lori Becker Mar. 7--HYDROPONICS FIRM HEADING TO ST. LUCIE RESEARCH PARK: St. Lucie County has a second taker on its developing research park. Pure Produce Greenhouses Inc., a 1 1/2 -year-old start-up hydroponics company in...

Survey: Business customers happier with electric utilities.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Kristi E. Swartz Mar. 7--Business customers are happier about the service they're getting from electric utilities. A new survey by J.D. Power and Associates credits the higher level of satisfaction to better customer service....

Risk-big, lose-big firm a shambles.
March 7, 2005... Byline: David Sedore Mar. 7--Won Sok Lee and John Kim were gamblers at heart, poker players who risked it all at the casino tables in Las Vegas. Win big, lose big. The two men, managers of a West Palm Beach hedge fund investment...

Enterprise Florida to push renewal of job-growth tax refund.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Stephen Pounds Mar. 7--Enterprise Florida President Darrell Kelley is looking for a thumbs-up for state job-growth incentives. Kelley will press state lawmakers in the legislative session starting this week to reapprove the...

The Palm Beach Post, Fla., real estate column.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Paul Owers Mar. 7--EMERALD LINKS FETCH $20 MILLION: Ray Finch built Emerald Dunes Golf Course in 1990. Not long after the opening, then-Gov. Bob Martinez breezed into town to proclaim Emerald Dunes the 1,000th course in Florida....

Lake Park firm testing pump that lets patients spray on medicines.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Horvath Mar. 7--For people who hate needles as much as Kenneth Kirby does, he might soon have an alternative as pleasant as spritzing on perfume. Kirby and his Lake Park-based company, TransDermal Technologies, are...

Students initiate bill to make orange official state fruit.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Susan Salisbury Mar. 7--For those who think they know it all, here's a Florida trivia quiz. 1. Name the state flower. 2. Now name the state beverage. 3. What's the state fruit? The answers are 1) the orange...