Florida Trend articles from December 2003

Florida Trend archives from December 2003

The courting of Scripps.(corner office)
December 1, 2003... When we got a call from Florida Atlantic University a few months ago requesting extra copies of our May 2003 Research Florida special section, we weren't surprised that the university had run out of its supply. As we had expected, the colleges...

Law.(readers)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... The column "When a Lawyer is Not a Lawyer" [Of Counsel, October, FloridaTrend.com] incorrectly states that the Florida Bar is not following the American Bar Association's (ABA) lead in creating more flexibility for other multi jurisdictional...

Citrus vs. boating.(readers)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... In the Executive Lifestyles section of the September issue, there is a statement that reads: "Recreational boating in Florida has twice the economic impact of the citrus industry." I know that formal research through the University of...

Education.(readers)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... I want to comment on several issues in Editor Mark Howard's September column, "Content." As the new dean of education at the University of Florida, I believe it is important to respond to thoughtful and provocative critiques. Howard's...

Water.(readers)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... I believe Florida water law should reflect regional jurisdictional users and owners of water ["Water Fight," October, FloridaTend.com]. The separate counties should control the water resources within their political boundaries. We do not need a...

Corrections.(readers)(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2003... Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Miguel Diaz de la Portilla--not his brother Alex--is running for county mayor. Spherion has 310,000 leased employees. How to Reach Florida Trend LETTERS TO FLORIDA TREND Mail: FLORIDA...

Florida Lottery partners with state tourism industry.
December 1, 2003... For the second year in a row, the Florida Lottery is joining with the state's tourism industry in a partnership expected to benefit both. The Florida Lottery's VACATION CASH game rewards its players not only with $6 million in cash prizes, but...

Latin charm.(Executive lifestyles: jewels and gems)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... It's not the Tiffany heart, but a diamond-studded teddy bear charm has the same kind of following in Latin America as the well-known pendant from America's famous jeweler. Designed and manufactured by Tous, a family-owned business in...

Rio world.(Executive lifestyles: jewels and gems)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... A new design center featuring the works of Brazilian craftsmen and artisans opened last month in Miami. Its purpose: Boost Brazilian imports--and introduce Brazilian jewelry design into the U.S. Along with furniture from Brazil, the Terra...

A gem of a write-off.(Executive lifestyles: jewels and gems)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Last month Port Royal Jewelers in Naples hosted a touring collection of celebrity jewels from the likes of Clark Gable, Eva Gabor and Howard Hughes. The tour is hoping to get the word out about an innovative program being offered by the...

Belle & Jax--and Saks.(Executive lifestyles: jewels and gems)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Jewelry designing partners Erica Domesek and Jackie Trebilcock never thought their fledgling business would take off the way it has. The twenty-something owners of Miami-based Belle & Jax have signed a deal with Saks Fifth Avenue, which now...

Web of diamonds.(Executive lifestyles: jewels and gems)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... When it comes to jewelry, diamonds never go out of style. That's a good thing for Alan Lipton, whose online jewelry store, Diamond.com, will post $50 million in sales this year. The site, one of the first online jewelry stores, boasts a...

Liquid assets.(Ocean Optics)
December 1, 2003... Marine scientist Mike Morris and his wife, Linda, had a "nice little product" that tested the pH of water in home aquariums. It kept fish robust but not the Morris' finances; their take was only 50 cents apiece. Morris had grander...

Shedding light on exports.(Lighting Components And Design)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Light maker Jon Cooper has a problem with Chinese imports--not the imports themselves, but the mindset that domestic manufacturers can't compete against them. He supplies manufacturers; he wants his customer base to stick around. Cooper...

Cookin' on no burners.(Profire)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... In a 1,000-sq.-ft. sheet metal shop in Miami, high school student David Zisman and his father, Jack, kept busy filling orders for gutters, ducts and sometimes large steel barbecue grills. Word-of-mouth on the grills was so good that they...

Colonial Bank.(Banking)(promoted Israel Velasco to CEO of its south Florida region)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... BANKING--Israel Velasco has been promoted to CEO of Colonial Bank's south Florida region. Velasco was most recently the Montgomery, Ala.-based bank's executive vice president of retail banking. He replaces Jose Valdes-Fauli.

IPSA International.(Consulting)(named Marc A. Cabrera managing director and head of its Miami/Latin America regional office)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... CONSULTING--San Francisco based IPSA International, a security consultant firm, has named Marc A. Cabrera managing director and head of its Miami/Latin America regional office. Cabrera was most recently managing director of Miami-based Pinnacle...

Steel Hector & Davis.(Law)(Amelia "Mel" Rea Maguire has been named a partner in firm's corporate securities and finance group)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... LAW--Amelia "Mel" Rea Maguire has been named a partner in Miami-based Steel Hector & Davis' corporate securities and finance group. Maguire most recently headed up Holland & Knight's client development and partnering program.

Galaxy Nutritional Foods.(Manufacturing)(Angelo S. Morini has resigned as vice chairman and president)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... MANUFACTURING--Angelo S. Morini, founder of Orlando-based Galaxy Nutritional Foods, has resigned as vice chairman and president. He will remain a director. The company, which manufactures alternative dairy products, did not announce a...

Kforce.(Professional Staffing)(named Derrell E. Hunter CFO)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... PROFESSIONAL STAFFING--Tampa-based Kforce, an online staffing firm, has named Derrell E. Hunter CFO. Hunter was most recently president of Greenville, S.C.-based iOnosphere, a telecom company. He replaces Bill Sanders, who remains COO of...

Identitech.(Technology)(named Steve Quehl president and COO)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... TECHONOLOGY--Steve Quehl has been named president and COO of Melbourne-based Identitech, a producer of management software. Quehl was most recently an executive with Newton, Mass.-based Marcam Solutions, also a software company. He replaces...

IBM.(Technology)(Dwayne Ingram named company's Florida senior state executive)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Dwayne Ingram has been tapped as IBM's Florida senior state executive. Ingram was most recently vice president of travel and transportation for IBM and replaces Steve Evans, who retired in September. IBM has 4,000 employees in Florida.

Progress Energy.(Utilities)(promoted Jeff Lyash to senior vice president/energy delivery for Florida)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... UTILITIES--Progress Energy Florida has promoted Jeff Lyash to senior vice president/energy delivery for Florida, a new position. Lyash takes on the new role following a blow to the energy company by Winter Park residents, who voted to buy out...

William C. Cramer, GOP Pioneer.(Obituary)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... William C. Cramer, who in 1954 was the first Republican from Florida to be elected to Congress since Reconstruction, died Oct. 18 from heart problems. He was 81. Cramer grew up in Largo and St. Petersburg, where he attended St. Petersburg...

Where's the beef? Winn-Dixie shares are at a 18-year low. Should investors be shopping their stock?(Retail)
December 1, 2003... In his 1990 memoir, "Don't Make A&P Mad," the late J.E. Davis, one of the founders of Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. and an enthusiastic stock picker, offered this investment tip: "Be suspicious of low-price common stocks (those less than $10). There...

Culture clash: a private-sector superintendent rankles the education establishment in Monroe County.(Education)
December 1, 2003... Like previous Monroe County Schools superintendents, Mike Lannon served at the will of voters--Monroe elects its school district's chief administrator. But when Lannon resigned in midterm earlier this year to accept a similar position in St....

University of Miami.(Coral Gables)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... CORAL GABLES -- The University of Miami has kicked off a four-year, $1-billion fund-raising campaign, the largest in school history. Officials say more than half that amount has already been pledged, including a $33-million gift to the School...

Foreign language.(Hialeah)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... HIALEAH -- More people in Hialeah speak a foreign language at home than in any other large U.S. city. The findings, released by the U.S. Census, reveal that nine out of 10 people ages 5 and older in the city of 230,000 speak a language other...

Cadbury Schweppes.(Hialeah)(will cease production of Yoo-hoo beverage products at its Hialeah plant)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... London-based Cadbury Schweppes has announced it will cease production of Yoo-hoo beverage products at its Hialeah plant, laying off 30 workers. The company will shift operations to a similar facility in Opelousas, La.

Ivax Pharmaceuticals.(Miami)(will lay off 83 workers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... MIAMI -- In a cost-cutting move, drug manufacturer Ivax Pharmaceuticals (AMEX-IVX) will lay off 83 workers in Miami after shifting production of its soft-gel pills to an out-of-state facility.

Radio Unica Communications Corp.(Miami)(to sell its 15 AM stations to New York's MultiCultural Broadcasting Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Radio Unica Communications Corp. (OTCBB-UNCAQ.OB) has agreed to sell its 15 AM stations to New York's MultiCultural Broadcasting Corp. for $150 million. Company executives say they also hope to shed other assets before filing for Chapter 11...

Four Seasons Hotel and Tower.(Miami)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Four Seasons Hotel and Tower has officially opened on Brickell Avenue in downtown Miami, claiming the distinction of Florida's tallest building. At 70 stories and 794 feet, the skyscraper eclipses the nearby Wachovia Tower (formerly the...

MIA Shoes.(Miami)(will relocate its headquarters from Delaware to Miami)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Shoe wholesaler MIA Shoes has announced it will relocate its headquarters from Delaware to Miami.

Three Miami-Dade companies are recipients of the inaugural Governor's Business Diversification Award, recognizing community investment and efforts to diversify the economy.(Miami-Dade)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... MIAMI-DADE -- Three Miami-Dade companies are recipients of the inaugural Governor's Business Diversification Award, recognizing community investment and efforts to diversify the economy. Medical supply manufacturer Pharmed Group won in the...

American Airlines.(Miami-Dade)(to boost service from its Miami hub)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... American Airlines has announced it will boost service from its Miami hub, increasing daily flights to 229 at Miami International Airport. The airline, which has extensive service to Latin America and the Caribbean, will add six destinations and...

British Petroleum/Castrol.(Miami-Dade)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... British Petroleum/Castrol will expand the Miami headquarters of its Latin American Lubricants subsidiary. Executives expect to hire about 50 employees.

Global Entertainment Inc.(Miami-Dade)(will open a Miami office)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Global Entertainment Inc., a Curacao-based software development firm, will open a Miami office, employing about 40.

Traffic congestion.(Miami-Dade)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... A recent study on traffic congestion by the Texas Transportation Institute found that Miami-Dade drivers were stuck in traffic an average of 33 hours each during 2001, up from just 15 hours in 1996. The findings place Miami-Dade 10th among U.S....

Canyon Ranch Living.(Miami Beach)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... MIAMI BEACH -- Canyon Ranch, the luxury resort and spa based in Tucson, Ariz., has teamed with WSG Development Co. to build and operate a resort and condo project on Collins Avenue. Canyon Ranch Living will include a spa, 457 condos and 151...

Readjustment: Mayor Jim Naugle takes aim at costs as Fort Lauderdale faces a credit downgrade.(Finances)
December 1, 2003... The weather outside may be beautiful this time of the year, but the financial forecast in Fort Lauderdale is mostly cloudy. Expenses are out of control, reserves are depleted and commissioners have to replace the city manager they forced out in...

The Tolly Group.(Boca Raton)(has moved its headquarters to Florida Atlantic University's research park)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... BOCA RATON -- The Tolly Group, which conducts independent testing of information technology products, has moved its headquarters from Manasquan, N.J., to Florida Atlantic University's research park.

U.S. Geological Survey.(Davie)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... DAVIE -- The U.S. Geological Survey will open offices at Nova Southeastern University as part of an agreement that may include a collaboration with Florida Atlantic University and the University of Florida to conduct research and environmental...

Downtown Achievement Award.(Delray Beach)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... DELRAY BEACH -- The Washington, D.C.-based International Downtown Association has awarded the Delray Beach community redevelopment agency a Downtown Achievement Award for its master plan.

Supervisor of Elections Miriam Oliphant.(Fort Lauderdale)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... FORT LAUDERDALE -- Supervisor of Elections Miriam Oliphant has asked Attorney General Charlie Crist to look into the county's purchase of touch-screen voting machines last year. Oliphant is seeking an inquiry into the lobbying fees paid by the...

Hollywood Fashion Center.(Hollywood)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- The Hollywood Fashion Center, vacant for 10 years, has reopened as Hollywood's City Place, a nearly 1-million-sq.-ft. discount shopping center. Plans call for an entertainment area, including an ice rink, carousel and bumper cars...

Avianca Airlines.(Hollywood)(to begin offering daily flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Bogota, Colombia)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Avianca Airlines has announced plans to begin offering daily flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Bogota, Colombia.

Lubavitch synagogue.(Hollywood)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The U.S. Department of Justice has begun an inquiry into the long-running dispute between the city and a Lubavitch synagogue operating in a residential neighborhood. City officials responding to neighborhood noise and parking complaints have...

Most expensive homes for sale.(Palm Beach)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... PALM BEACH -- A Forbes magazine survey of the country's most expensive homes for sale found three of the top 10 in Palm Beach, led by the Maison de l'Amitie, owned by entrepreneur Abe Gosman and priced at $48 million. The 43,000-sq.-ft....

DHL.(Palm Beach County)(is looking to locate new headquarters in south Florida)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... PALM BEACH COUNTY -- County business development officials are hoping to lure a new headquarters for Belgium-based express delivery company DHL, which is scouting south Florida for locations. The company's relocation is expected to create 600...

Tri-Rail commuter train service.(Palm Beach County)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The county transportation board has agreed to contribute $24 million of the approximately $160 million needed to expand the Tri-Rail commuter train service to Jupiter.

Sugar producers.(Palm Beach County)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... As the sugar harvest got under way in mid-October, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials were projecting a record 2,135-ton harvest when the season ends next spring. Sugar producers say warm, wet weather that extended into fall produced an...

South Florida -- two south Florida companies, Rent Rite and Cross Match Technologies, are among Inc. magazine's top 10 fastest-growing companies.(South Florida)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... SOUTH FLORIDA -- Two south Florida companies, Rent Rite and Cross Match Technologies, are among Inc. magazine's top 10 fastest-growing companies. Rent Rite, a retailer based in Boca Raton, is ranked No. 4, with a five-year sales growth of...

ABN Amro.(Sunrise)(plans to add 500 employees to its Sunrise, Florida, office)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... SUNRISE -- Netherlands-based mortgage lender ABN Amro plans to add 500 employees to its Sunrise office to handle increased demand as the result of a new program that provides guaranteed closing cost estimates. The new hires would double the...

Flanigan's Enterprises.(Stuart)(plans to open an 18th Flanigan's Seafood Bar and Grill outlet)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... STUART -- Fort Lauderdale-based Flanigan's Enterprises plans to open an 18th Flanigan's Seafood Bar and Grill outlet on U.S. 1 at the beginning of the year.

West Palm Beach -- Chris Curbello, former vice president of Paragon Golf Construction, a subsidiary of Golden Bear Golf Inc., has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in federal prison for securities fraud.(West Palm Beach)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... WEST PALM BEACH -- Chris Curbello, former vice president of Paragon Golf Construction, a subsidiary of Golden Bear Golf Inc., has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in federal prison for securities fraud. Curbello and Paragon President John Boyd are...

Florida Institute for Girls.(West Palm Beach)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has sent in three state employees and is closely monitoring the privately run prison Florida Institute for Girls following two cases in which inmates' arms were broken while under restraint. In late...

Grove prices.(Agriculture)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The value of Florida's citrus land declined for the second consecutive year in 2002 while all other agricultural land continued to increase, according to a University of Florida study. The drop is attributed to a decrease in prices that growers...

Paving the way for Scripps.(Economic Development)
December 1, 2003... PALM BEACH COUNTY -- County officials have agreed to buy a 1,920-acre orange grove for $57.6 million--with a 100-acre parcel slated for a branch of the California-based biomedical concern Scripps Research Institute. The county has offered the...

Common scents: flavors are big business in Lakeland.(Manufacturing)
December 1, 2003... Decades ago when the Florida citrus industry was centered in central Florida, it spun off several small companies that made flavors from citrus byproducts. Today, the flavor industry has grown to become a worldwide billion-dollar business. The...

Charlotte County Sheriff William E. Clement.(Charlotte County)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Charlotte County Sheriff William E. Clement was suspended by Gov. Jeb Bush and arrested in October for allegedly lying on a campaign finance report in 2000, a third-degree felony. Clement is accused of accepting a $5,000...

Citrus growers.(Lakeland)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... LAKELAND -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the state's citrus growers will produce a record 252 million boxes of oranges, a 24% increase over last season. Grapefruit may also have a banner season, with expectations at 8.5% higher...

Deteriorating sewer, reclaimed water and waste-water drainage systems.(Palmetto)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... PALMETTO -- The city must come up with $12 million to fix its deteriorating sewer, reclaimed water and waste-water drainage systems. City officials are applying for a state loan of $3.9 million and may ask residents to approve a half-cent sales...

Coronet Industries.(Plant City)(is representing some residents in Plant City, Florida, in a suit against Coronet Industries)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... PLANT CITY -- Masry & Vititoe, the California law firm that employs Erin Brockovich, is representing some residents in Plant City in a suit against Coronet Industries, which has a large plant that turns phosphate into animal feed. Residents...

Tom Patton.(Polk County)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... POLK COUNTY -- Polk County commissioners have named Tom Patton the county's new economic development director, a position that has been vacant for two years. Patton was most recently executive director of Haines City's economic development...

A local non-profit group, Urban Development Solutions, and a private developer, Sembler Co., are teaming up to build a Kash n' Karry supermarket in the city's low-income Midtown area.(St. Petersburg)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... ST. PETERSBURG -- A local non-profit group, Urban Development Solutions, and a private developer, Sembler Co., are teaming up to build a Kash n' Karry supermarket in the city's low-income Midtown area. The city, which has been trying to bring a...

Covanta Tampa Construction.(Tampa)(has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... TAMPA -- Covanta Tampa Construction, the company hired by Tampa Bay Water to build and run its long-delayed desalination plant, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Tampa Bay Water had threatened to fire Covanta if the company had...

Tampa Bay Shipbuilding & Repair Co.(Tampa)(has asked the Tampa Port Authority for a $7-million expansion loan)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Tampa Bay Shipbuilding & Repair Co. has asked the Tampa Port Authority for a $7-million expansion loan. The company hopes to add about 300 employees over five years. Because the company leases its site from the TPA, it could not apply for...

TECO Energy.(Tampa)(has laid off more than 200 employees at some of its subsidiaries)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... TECO Energy (NYSE-TE) has laid off more than 200 employees at some of its subsidiaries, including Tampa Electric Co., as part of a reorganization.

University of South Florida.(Tampa)(Robert Daugherty, dean of USF's medical school, ordered to resign)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft ordered Robert Daugherty, dean of USF's medical school, to resign amid allegations that he asked at least 25 of his employees to contribute up to $2,000 each to state House Speaker Johnnie...

St. Joseph's Women's Hospital.(Tampa)(has broken ground on an $11-million, 50,000-sq.-ft. physicians office building)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... St. Joseph's Women's Hospital has broken ground on an $11-million, 50,000-sq.-ft. physicians office building. The building will serve as a new entrance to the hospital and will add 32,000 square feet of office space.

Final departure.(Aviation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... FORT MYERS -- Southwest Florida International Airport's beloved border collie named Jet, which herded birds away from runways, has died of a degenerative heart condition. Jet was the first dog in the nation to participate in a wildlife...

A screeching halt: Orange County voters reject a $2.6-billion tax plan to benefit transportation.(Transportation)
December 1, 2003... Salivating at the prospect of up to $2.6 billion in additional funding for transportation projects, Orange County leaders had only one regret when the referendum for a half-cent local option sales tax was completed: Voters didn't agree. ...

Awards.com.(Altamonte Springs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... ALTAMONTE SPRINGS -- Awards.com laid off 100 of its 135 workers after its deal to build trophy shops inside Kinko's copy centers fell apart. A subsidiary of Awards.com called inspire Someone LLC signed a deal with Kinko's last year to put shops...

Ocean Walk Village Shoppes.(Daytona Beach)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... DAYTONA BEACH -- A partnership controlled by Los Angeles developer Bill Geary has taken over 93% interest in Ocean Walk Village Shoppes and reduced the stake owned by a partnership headed by Gerald Fincke, one of the original developers, to...

236-acre mixed-use development.(Howey-In-The-Hills)(Holston Properties & Development)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS -- Holston Properties & Development of Orlando announced plans to build a 236-acre mixed-use development that would include up to 650 single-family homes as well as town houses and commercial space. Also included would be an...

Convention center and hotel.(Kissimmee)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... KISSIMMEE -- Faulkner USA, the Austin, Texas-based company planning to develop a convention center and hotel in Osceola County, missed a financing deadline for the $325-million project and paid the county a $1-million penalty. The company says...

Port Canaveral selected as hub for lumber distribution throughout Florida and South Georgia.(Special Advertising Report)
December 1, 2003... Interest in home improvement projects has never been greater--and Port Canaveral now is playing an important role in supplying materials for all those do-it-yourself remodelers. The Port has become a hub for lumber distribution for two major...

Tupperware Corp.(Kissemmee)(to lay off an undetermined number of people at its headquarters and at a manufacturing plant in Hemingway, South Carolina)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Tupperware Corp. (NYSE-TUP) plans to lay off an undetermined number of people at its headquarters and at a manufacturing plant in Hemingway, S.C.

Wal-Mart Supercenter.(Kissammee)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Osceola County commissioners approved plans for a 203,000-sq.-ft. Wal-Mart Supercenter across from the proposed convention center on State Road 535.

Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort.(Lake Buena Vista)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Nickelodeon says it will invest $20 million to convert the Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort into a mini-attraction featuring Nickelodeon characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and Rugrats. The project...

Liberty Aerospace.(Melbourne)(two-seat piston engine airplane)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... MELBOURNE -- Liberty Aerospace says the Federal Aviation Administration has completed flight testing of Liberty's two-seat piston engine airplane, which will lead to FAA approval by the end of the year for the company to begin building and...

Rosen School of Hospitality Management.(Orange County)($100,000 endowment from Marriott Foundation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... ORANGE COUNTY -- The University of Central Florida's new Rosen School of Hospitality Management has received a $100,000 endowment from the Marriott Foundation to support scholarships and faculty grants at the school, which is scheduled to open...

Florida High Speed Rail Authority.(Orlando)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... ORLANDO -- The Florida High Speed Rail Authority handed Walt Disney World a victory by selecting the Central Florida GreeneWay as the preferred route for a proposed high-speed train. Disney promised to direct park visitors to the train but only...

Canaveral Port Authority.(Port Canaveral)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... PORT CANAVERAL -- Entrepreneurs David Hattaway and David Starr have gotten preliminary go-ahead from the Canaveral Port Authority for a $65-million marina that will accommodate yachts up to 110 feet long as well as provide dry storage for up to...