Florida Trend articles from February 2007

Florida Trend archives from February 2007

The new FloridaTrend.com.(Corner Office)
February 1, 2007... On Jan. 30, Florida Trend goes live with our redesigned website. If you're one of the 100,000-plus visitors who click on FloridaTrend.com each month, let me assure you it will be a totally new online experience. If you've never visited the...

Property taxes.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... Florida is rapidly getting the reputation of being a greedy, outrageously property-taxed state to its countless second-home owners ["Tax Squeeze" December 2006, FloridaTrend.com]. In 16 years, our taxes have increased on one parcel we own in...

Charter schools.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... Thank you for putting forward the facts about charter schools and the struggles and successes we have, always with less funding and more hurdles ["Charters' Place," December 2006, FloridaTrend.com]. Jon Hage President/CEO, Charter...

Florida's new CEO.(Readers)
February 1, 2007... Gov. Crist believes the 1 million or so illegal aliens in Florida are none of his concern, saying it is a "federal issue" ["Florida's New CEO," January, FloridaTrend.com]. These uninvited illegal aliens are here not because of their love for...

An executive getaway.(Executive Lifestyles: CEOs at Home)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... Roy and Julie Norton happened upon Cedar Key several years ago while driving home from a business trip to Alachua County. What they discovered was a picturesque if shabby downtown surrounded by sea grass, marshes and a bayou. They were taken in...

Over the office.(Carey O'Donnell's residence amidst offices)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... For the past eight years, Carey O'Donnell and her husband, Stephen Barry, have lived in a three-level, 5,100-sq.ft. condominium at the top of the Esperante office building in downtown West Palm Beach. She has only four neighbors--if you don't...

Show of appreciation.(Oscar Rodriguez's house)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Oscar Rodriguez wanted a typical "builder's half-acre" when he went house-hunting five years ago. The problem: Land was at a premium in residential neighborhoods close to Miami. His search took him to unincorporated Miami-Dade County, where...

Dimensions of the heart: new techniques give doctors insight into possible problems.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Heart Health)
February 1, 2007... The 64-slice CT scanner is quickly becoming the gold standard for diagnosing heart abnormalities. The machine gives doctors a 3-D view of a patient's chest cavity, capturing clear multiple images of the beating heart. This latest...

Resort R & R: from offbeat to old-timey, Florida resorts cover the spectrum. Some are well-known; others are off the beaten path.
February 1, 2007... Old Florida Resort Manasota Beach Club Englewood manasotabeachclub.com With a clubhouse dating to about 1915 and some of its 12 cottages built in the 1920s, this 25-acre gulf-to-bay property near Sarasota offers an authentic...

Water attraction.(restaurants)
February 1, 2007... River House 301 S.W. Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale 954/525-7661; ftlauderdaleriverhouse.com The River House enters another season brighter and more beckoning than ever before in its long and varied presence smack on the shore of the...

Harris Rosen: president and COO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, age 67.(Icon)
February 1, 2007... The reason I'm in it is because when we do a good job--and we do that fortunately fairly often--it's so nice to hear people tell you how much they enjoyed their stay and how much they relaxed and how much they accomplished at their meeting or...

Talent show.(Trendsetters: IT Software and Networking)
February 1, 2007... Harvard MBA Harold Mills came to Florida in 2000 to lead a startup staffing outfit that had little more than a concept and one customer. Six years later, his ZeroChaos--he took control in a 2004 management buyout--has $360 million in gross...

Virtual conferences.(Trendsetters: IT Software and Networking)
February 1, 2007... Maurice Heiblum Elluminate USA President, Fort Lauderdale Bachelor's: Finance and marketing, NYU, 1983 Maurice Heiblum, a grad of Beach High on Miami Beach, started in computers by selling PCs at an IBM retail store while at New...

Deterring computer abuse.(Trendsetters: IT Software and Networking)
February 1, 2007... It's easy to see when Doug Fowler's startup software company launched toward the big time. Fowler was working in obscurity making software that allowed companies to monitor their employees' internet use and parents to track their children's...

Safe harbors.(Trendsetters: IT Software and Networking)
February 1, 2007... When not yet 10, young sailor Baird Lobree would set out upon the waters alone--a challenging thing for a youngster to do, knowing that getting back depended on his ability to work the wind and boat. Making it back, he says, built confidence....

CEO and co-founder Gary Langton and his Quadrant Software, Tampa, plan to hire 6 people in the next three gears in Florida to add to the 14 here and 60 it has elsewhere.(Trendsetters: IT Software and Networking)
February 1, 2007... CEO and co-founder Gary Langton and his Quadrant Software, Tampa, plan to hire 26 people in the next three gears in Florida to add to the 14 here and 60 it has elsewhere. Quadrant specializes in document management software for its 3,500...

Winning teams: Florida universities consistently place high in merchandise sales.
February 1, 2007... The University of Florida's twin national championships in basketball and football will only enhance the school's dominance of licensed memorabilia sales among state schools. Annual sales for college-themed merchandise--everything from...

Remedial work.(first-time college students)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The number of first-time college students in Florida needing remedial courses has held steady since 1997. In 2003-04, 55% of first-time college students (110,633) required remedial courses in mathematics, reading and/or writing, according to...

Florida CFO Alex Sink has selected Jim Cassady to serve as her chief of staff.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Florida CFO Alex Sink has selected Jim Cassady to serve as her chief of staff. Cassady worked in the banking industry for 33 years, including a stint as Bank of America's Broward County president. He is also former chairman of both the board of...

Pay back--insurer Brown & Brown will reimburse cities and counties in Florida $4.8 million it collected in undisclosed fees or commissions.(INSURANCE)
February 1, 2007... PAY BACK--Insurer Brown & Brown will reimburse cities and counties in Florida $4.8 million it collected in undisclosed fees or commissions. The refunds are the result of a two-year state investigation of insurance broker activities. Brown &...

Autism--the Florida Department of Education awarded $700,000 for the creation of an autism education center of excellence near Tampa.(EDUCATION)
February 1, 2007... AUTISM--The Florida Department of Education awarded $700,000 for the creation of an autism education center of excellence near Tampa. The non-profit Florida Autism Center of Excellence will apply for a charter to serve students in Hillsborough,...

Fed funds--the Department of Labor awarded $7.2 million to four Florida community colleges for workforce training.(WORKFORCE TRAINING)
February 1, 2007... FED FUNDS--The Department of Labor awarded $7.2 million to four Florida community colleges for workforce training: Broward Community College gets $1.9 million for transportation sector training; Florida Community College at Jacksonville, $1.9...

Economy.
February 1, 2007... $674.05 billion $60,803 8.329 million Gross state product Median income for Total employed in (2005) a family of four in Florida (2005) Florida (2006) ...

Cleaning up.(Miami-Dade county)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Could Miami-Dade be winning its war on mismanagement and public corruption? As evidence of progress, county officials point to a series of high-profile cases in 2006, among them: A multimillion-dollar affordable housing scandal, a scheme to...

Stiefel Laboratories. (CORAL GABLES).
February 1, 2007... Privately held Stiefel Laboratories, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies specializing in dermatological products, has acquired California drug maker Connetics for $640 million. After the acquisition, Stiefel will have more than...

A high-profile public corruption case involving former County Manager James T. Hendrick has been dealt a blow with the death of former Monroe County Attorney Jack London at age 68.(KEY WEST)
February 1, 2007... A high-profile public corruption case involving former County Manager James T. Hendrick has been dealt a blow with the death of former Monroe County Attorney Jack London at age 68. London, long one of the region's most colorful characters, pied...

Florida Keys Marathon Airport.(MARATHON)
February 1, 2007... Scheduled commercial airline services will return to Florida Keys Marathon Airport for the first time since 2000. Delta and Continental will launch service to Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa early this year after receiving approval from...

PBS&J.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2007... Miami-based engineering giant PBS&J is the target of a federal probe into alleged violations of campaign laws. For years, investigators say, executives funneled money to political candidates by reimbursing employees for their individual...

Robert J. Strudler.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2007... Lennar Corp. Chairman Robert J. Strudler has passed away at age 64.

Jackson Health System, the county-owned public health network.(MIAMI-DADE)
February 1, 2007... Jackson Health System, the county-owned public health network, has announced it will acquire Parkway Regional Medical Center in North Miami Beach from its parent, Tenet Healthcare Corp.

Miami Herald Executive Editor Tom Fiedler is retiring.(Players)
February 1, 2007... Miami Herald Executive Editor Tom Fiedler is retiring. Anders Gyllenhaal, 55, editor and senior vice president of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, will replace Fiedler.

Port of Miami.(Players)
February 1, 2007... Former Assistant County Manager Bill Johnson has been named director at the Port of Miami. Johnson has served in an interim capacity since June.

Seabourn Cruise Line.(Players)
February 1, 2007... Cruise industry veteran Pamela C. Conover has been named president and CEO of Seabourn Cruise Line, the Miami-based luxury line owned by Carnival Corp.

Florida International University College of Medicine.(Players)
February 1, 2007... John A. Rock has been named founding dean of the Florida International University College of Medicine. Rock has held administrative posts at Johns Hopkins and Louisiana State University.

Ron Saunders.(Players)
February 1, 2007... Former state Rep. Ron Saunders has filled the District 120 House seat vacated by Rep. Ken Sorensen, who couldn't run again because of term limits.

Algae alert.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Researchers are tracking a stubborn algae bloom in southern Biscayne Bay and the northeast corner of Florida Bay that is killing sea grass beds and choking other plant and animal life. Fishing guides say the bloom has grown steadily over the...

A blow to fast growth?(Marc Sarnoff election as city commissioner)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Neighborhood activist and attorney Marc Sarnoff easily defeated former city administrator Linda Haskins in a District 2 runoff election to replace City Commissioner Johnny Winton, who is awaiting trial on police battery charges. Miami District...

Game plans.(RETAIL)
February 1, 2007... In January, Framingham, Mass.-based Staples, the largest office products company in the U.S. with 1,800 stores and more than 36,000 employees, announced plans to open 20 stores in south Florida by the end of this year. Staples signed up a local...

Office Depot's new global headquarters.(BOCA RATON)
February 1, 2007... Flagler Development Group and TIAA-CREF Global Real Estate Group will develop Office Depot's new global headquarters at the Arvida Park of Commerce.

First NLC Financial Services.(BOCA RATON)
February 1, 2007... First NLC Financial Services is moving 450 jobs from Deerfield Beach. The non-prime residential mortgage banker plans to add 200 jobs at its new headquarters at the Boca Corporate Center and Campus.

International Center for Leadership and Development.(BOCA RATON)
February 1, 2007... The International Center for Leadership and Development is scheduled to open this spring after a $9-million renovation of the former Sony Corp. manufacturing plant. Area police and firefighters will use the facility, which was renovated with...

Bieger International Gymnastics.(DEERFIELD BEACH)
February 1, 2007... Bieger International Gymnastics has established its advanced training and coaching center for gymnastics in Broward County. The operation will focus on international gymnastic competition for World Cup and Olympic candidates.

Starmark International, an advertising agency that made the Inc. 500 list seven times, has merged with Chicago-based Marc USA, an independent marketing communications network.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
February 1, 2007... Starmark International, an advertising agency that made the Inc. 500 list seven times, has merged with Chicago-based Marc USA, an independent marketing communications network, with offices in Dallas, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Miami. Marc's...

Cruise Lines International Association.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
February 1, 2007... The Cruise Lines international Association has moved its headquarters from New York City. North America's largest cruise industry organization migrated south to be closer to most of its member cruise lines.

Riverbend Corporate Park.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
February 1, 2007... Riverbend Corporate Park is transforming 75 acres at the Broward Boulevard/1-95 exchange into an office park with 2 million square feet of space.

Royal Poinciana Plaza.(PALM BEACH)
February 1, 2007... Dawsco Realty Corp. and the Brennan Group are planning a commercial project on a 3.5-acre waterfront parcel of the Royal Poinciana Plaza. Plans call for a five-star hotel and a state-of-the-art theater complex.

Palm Beach Princess.(PALM BEACH)
February 1, 2007... Each of the seven companies involved in operating the day-cruise gambling ship Palm Beach Princess filed for Chapter 11 reorganization, listing about $30 million more in debt than assets. Palm Beach Princess' operators include Riviera...

Outpatient facility.(PALM BEACH)
February 1, 2007... Yale University School of Medicine is developing plans for a major outpatient facility in Palm Beach County to meet the needs of snowbirds and others.

City Centre on PGA Boulevard.(PALM BEACH GARDENS)
February 1, 2007... CFO2 Palm Beach II of Houston purchased more than 10 acres for an office tower at City Centre on PGA Boulevard for $30.78 million.

Claire's.(PEMBROKE PINES)
February 1, 2007... Costume jewelry and accessory retailer Claire's has hired Goldman Sachs to help the 3,000-store chain explore strategic alternatives to enhancing shareholder value, including a possible sale of the public company.

Memorial Hospital Pembroke.(PEMBROKE PINES)
February 1, 2007... Aventura-based Sky Development has bought Memorial Hospital Pembroke for $32 million. Sky plans to build an office building on a nine-acre neighboring site.

Kramer Professional Staffing.(PLANTATION)
February 1, 2007... Boston-based Stephen James Associates has purchased Kramer Professional Staffing. Kramer's clients include Office Depot, Burger King and Bacardi. It already has offices in Boca Raton and Miami. Financial terms were undisclosed.

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution.(PORT ST. LUCIE)
February 1, 2007... The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution received a grant from ResearchChannel.org to produce "Corals at the Crossroads," a documentary that will examine the threats modern life poses to coral reefs worldwide.

Visiting Nurse Association of Florida.(STUART)
February 1, 2007... The Visiting Nurse Association of Florida plans to build an independent- and assisted-living facility to serve 110 seniors.

I-95 between Indrio Road and State Road 70 in St. Lucie County will be expanded from four lanes to eight beginning as soon as 2010.(VERO BEACH)
February 1, 2007... I-95 between Indrio Road and State Road 70 in St. Lucie County will be expanded from four lanes to eight beginning as soon as 2010. The project is expected to take three years.

Wachovia Bank has named Costas Liatsos its new Broward County regional president.(Players)
February 1, 2007... Wachovia Bank has named Costas Liatsos its new Broward County regional president. Liatsos takes over for Jorge Gonzalez, who became regional president for Miami-Dade and Monroe counties last July.

Christopher Pollock resigned as president and CEO from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.(Players)
February 1, 2007... Christopher Pollock resigned as president and CEO from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. Pollock accepted a management position with a new, unnamed resort venture in Fort Lauderdale. The chamber is searching for a replacement.

Bristol West Holdings.(Players)
February 1, 2007... Bristol West Holdings has promoted Robert Sadler to senior vice president and CFO. He replaces Craig Eisenacher, who left the automobile insurer to serve as executive vice president and CFO at Everest Re Group, a reinsurance firm headquartered...

The Economic Council of Palm Beach County.(Players)
February 1, 2007... The Economic Council of Palm Beach County has appointed Robert "Budd" Kneip its 2007 chairman. Kneip founded The Oasis Group and served as a senior executive of The Wackenhut Corp. for more than 20 years.

FAU-IBM Alliance.(EDUCATION)
February 1, 2007... Boca Raton's Florida Atlantic University is joining with the IBM-led Latin American Grid to bolster information technology opportunities for Hispanics and advance research in life science, weather modeling and prediction. The alliance gives FAU...

Judgment call.(POLITICS)
February 1, 2007... The Florida Supreme Court has recommended adding one circuit court judge to the Treasure Coast in 2007. The 19th Judicial Circuit includes Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties.

Drawing board.(ARTS)
February 1, 2007... Under former Mayor Dick Greco, Tampa began planning a facility to replace the 22-year-old Tampa Museum of Art. And in 2002, New York architect Rafael Vinoly unveiled a design for a larger, more contemporary building that the city hoped would...

Dual effort.(tie-up between University of South Florida College of Engineering and Bethune-Cookman College)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The University of South Florida College of Engineering and Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach are teaming up to offer a dual bachelor's degree program in math and engineering. Sunil Saigal, dean of the USF College of Engineering, says the...

Limestone mine. (CITRUS COUNTY).
February 1, 2007... The owner of a limestone mine near Inglis is seeking to expand the mine over the city's objections that it could pollute the city's water.

Condo-style RV resort. (CITRUS COUNTY).
February 1, 2007... A condo-style RV resort with 130 sites has broken ground on 50 acres adjacent to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge.

Tech Data.(CLEARWATER)
February 1, 2007... Tech Data (Nasdaq-TECD) signed a deal to distribute products for Raritan Computer of New Jersey and also has teamed up with Samsonite to sell an array of laptop cases, bags and women's designer totes.

Average annual wage.(COLLIER COUNTY)
February 1, 2007... The average annual wage in Collier County grew to $37,686 in 2005--10.2% higher than in 2004 and eighth-highest in the state, according to the Agency for Workforce Innovation. The state average is $37,625.

Retreat del Sol at Port of the Islands.(FORT MYERS)
February 1, 2007... SunStream is developing a luxury condo community, Retreat del Sol at Port of the Islands, that overlooks the Everglades, with prices starting at $379,000.

FineMark National Bank & Trust.(FORT MYERS)
February 1, 2007... FineMark National Bank & Trust will open this year with Joseph Catti, a former Northern Trust executive, as president and CEO.

Duratek Precast Structures.(HERNANDO COUNTY)
February 1, 2007... Duratek Precast Structures in Brooksville, which manufactures wall panels, is building an $11-million, 90-employee facility in the Hernando County Airport RailPark.

Flora & Ella's restaurant.(HENDRY COUNTY)
February 1, 2007... The Bonita Bay Group has purchased Flora & Ella's restaurant in LaBelle, where the developer is building several communities. The Trask family will continue to operate the eatery.

Tourist development tax revenue.(HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY)
February 1, 2007... Tourist development tax revenue eclipsed the $20-million mark for the year ending last August thanks to a steady rise in average hotel room rates. In October, room rates increased 12% to an average of $96.21 while occupancy held steady at...

Betty Castor.(Players)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Former University of South Florida President Betty Castor will head the school's Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions. As executive director, Castor will shepherd the center's goal of contributing solutions to global problems. During...

Laura Spencer.(Players)
February 1, 2007... Tervis Tumbler has named Laura Spencer CEO. She previously served as COO for the Notch Venice-based insulated cup manufacturer.

Valpak.(Players)
February 1, 2007... Direct marketer Valpak has named Rex Burr vice president of business services, promoted Frank Hay to vice president of its southern region and named Mary Kay Johnson vice president of retail sales initiatives.

Homes Discovery Real Services.(Players)
February 1, 2007... Brian Lamb, former CFO at Homes Discovery Real Estate Services, was named CFO of Fifth Third Bank's Tampa Bay region.

Tampa Bay Partnership.(Players)
February 1, 2007... The Tampa Bay Partnership promoted Chris Steinocher to COO and senior vice president of marketing and business development and moved Karen Raihill up to senior vice president of policy development and advocacy. Jennifer Taylor was promoted to...

Park place.(Florida state parks)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... State parks generated more than 16,000 jobs and contributed $813 million to local communities over the past year. Two southwest favorites, Lover's Key and Honeymoon Island, had the biggest economic impact, according to the most recent list. ...

Publix Super Markets has bought two former Bi-Lo stores in Tennessee.(LAKELAND)
February 1, 2007... Publix Super Markets has bought two former Bi-Lo stores in Tennessee, giving it 14 grocery stores in that state.

Compete to be vendors for county purchases.(PINELLAS COUNTY)
February 1, 2007... Employers with fewer than 50 full-time workers and annual gross revenue of less than $2 million are now eligible to compete to be vendors for county purchases valued at between $2,000 and $10,000.

ASC Geosciences.(POLK COUNTY)
February 1, 2007... Lakeland-based ASC Geosciences, a geotechnical engineering firm, has opened offices in New Delhi and Jaipur, India, under its affiliate ASC Geosciences Consultancy Group.

Pelican Man Sanctuary.(SARASOTA)
February 1, 2007... A 25-year-old bird-rescue operation, Pelican Man Sanctuary, has closed.

New College.(SARASOTA)
February 1, 2007... New College has received a $2.7-million donation from Ulla Searing, 94, the widow of financier Arthur Searing.

Allegiant Air.(ST. PETERSBURG)
February 1, 2007... Discount airline Allegiant Air begins flying twice weekly this month from St. Petersburg-Clearwater international Airport to Fort Wayne, Ind.