Florida Trend articles from July 2007

Florida Trend archives from July 2007

Looking to the horizon.(Corner Office)
July 1, 2007... The Florida Chamber Foundation routinely focuses on trends and research concerning the competitiveness of our state. Last fall, the foundation's research committee and trustees had a big "ah ha!," noting every initiative, from housing to...

Hector Alcalde.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Your article about Alcalde & Fay ["Ayes and Earmarks," May, FloridaTrend.com] erroneously referred to Hector Alcalde as "semi-retired." Mr. Alcalde maintains a full and vigorous schedule at the firm. He continues to manage the firm's largest...

Desal.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I have followed desalination methods and uses for many years since my experiences with the stills in the old diesel fleet-type submarines. As a longtime resident of Florida and a researcher, I am really baffled why we would desalinate seawater...

Macaws.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... There is no such word as McCaw ["Pet Projects," May, FloridaTrend.com]. The correct spelling is macaw. Also, there is no such thing as a gold macaw. The bird with the yellow chest in the background of the photo is called a blue and gold macaw,...

Correction.(Readers)(Correction notice)
July 1, 2007... The St. Johns River Water Management District led the effort to develop central Florida's water coordination plan in partnership with the Southwest and South Florida water management districts.

Going vertical.(Executive Lifestyles: Luxury Yachts)
July 1, 2007... Aqua Marine Partners is changing the marina business in Florida. The Aventura company is buying marinas and redeveloping them into vertical yacht dubs, using a lift system to handle more and larger yachts than a traditional marina. The...

Great escape.(Executive Lifestyles: Luxury Yachts)(Mark Pordes and his travel in 73-foot Ferretti yacht)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Mark Pordes has been cruising to the Bahamas a lot lately. He is overseeing Turnberry's hotel/ condo development at Paradise Island called The Residences at Atlantis, Once there, Pordes, director of sales of high-end residential properties in...

Miami-style.(Executive Lifestyles: Luxury Yachts)
July 1, 2007... Italy's award-winning Rodriguez Yachts is bringing its luxury yachts to the south Florida market through an exclusive partnership with Coral Gables-based BRB Yachts. Typically, says BRB owner Daniel Berrebi, European manufacturers will...

Filling a void: professor's discovery offers a lifetime of cavity protection.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Dental Care)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Working in his research lab in 1976, Dr. Jeffrey Hillman accidentally discovered a mutant strain of Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria that causes tooth decay. Unlike typical Streptococcus mutans, this strain was lactose-deficient, meaning that...

Pearly whites.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Dental Care)(natural teeth-whitening tips: )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry offers these natural teeth-whitening tips: * Strawberries and apples contain malic acid, a natural stain remover. The citric acid in lemons can also brighten teeth. * Chewing on raw fruits and...

State of dentistry.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Dental Care)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
July 1, 2007... Florida counties with the most licensed dentists and dental hygienists County Dentists Hygienists Miami-Dade 1,415 961 Broward 1,152 1,011 Palm Beach 941 834 Hillsborough ...

Island retreat.(Executive Lifestyles: Travel: Business and Leisure)(Grove Isle Hotel & Spa)(Brief article)(Hotel review)
July 1, 2007... Grove Isle Hotel & Spa, a private resort on a 22-acre island in Miami's Biscayne Bay, is sporting an updated look after two years of renovations. Located in Coconut Grove, the private resort is owned by Seattle-based Noble House, which operates...

Travel aid.(Executive Lifestyles: Travel: Business and Leisure)
July 1, 2007... BieEars antimicrobial earplugs Website: bioears.com Price: $8.98 for six reusable pairs The soft silicone earplugs manufactured by Cirrus Healthcare block noise--plus they come with an antimicrobial agent that fights bacteria and...

The Jetsons inn?(HOTEL OF TOMORROW)
July 1, 2007... What will the hotel of tomorrow look like? Picture a spalike bathroom with a one-step body drier that eliminates the need for bath towels and pads on the bathroom floor that read your vital signs and signal a dispenser to produce a vitamin gel...

Hilton.
July 1, 2007... Hilton has broken ground on a 1,400-room hotel at the Orange County Convention Center.

Hyatt.
July 1, 2007... Hyatt has broken ground on a 127-room hotel near Jacksonville International Airport that will carry the chain's newest brand, Hyatt Place.

Universal Orlando Resort.
July 1, 2007... Universal Orlando Resort has opened its Blue Man Group show at the refurbished Sharp Aquos Theatre in CityWalk.

Kennedy Space Center.
July 1, 2007... Kennedy Space Center has opened its $60-million attraction Shuttle Launch Experience, which simulates a trip into Earth's orbit.

AbZorba the atmosphere.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)
July 1, 2007... * Taverna Kyma 6298 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton 561/994-2828, Tavernakyma.com Boca Raton and the Gold Coast are not suffering from a lack of Greek restaurants, but there's now one more to consider when you hunger for some souvlaki, a...

Ferdie Pacheco: physician, "Fight Doctor" to Muhammad Ali, sports broadcaster, writer, artist, 79.(Icon)
July 1, 2007... I found a doctor who wanted to sell me his office in Overtown. They weren't paying him, and I said I didn't care about that. Whoever can't pay can't pay. They'll pay me when they can. I found a stupendous nurse. She really knew how to collect...

The law on his side.(Trendsetters: Professions)(African-American Sidney Calloway falsely accused of stealing )(Occupation overview)
July 1, 2007... As a community college student in Virginia Beach, Va, Sidney Calloway was falsely accused of stealing from a Wendy's he co-managed. The only African-American to have risen to that level locally, he felt the management was trying to get rid of...

Jamie Billottte Moses.(Trendsetters: Professions)(Orlando appellate and real estate attorney)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Fisher Rushmer Werrenrath Dickson Talley & Dunlap Partner, Orlando "It's just absolutely stimulating to be arguing about the law and how it applies to a particular case," says Orlando appellate and real estate attorney Jamie Billotte...

Eyewitness.(Trendsetters: Professions)(Gary Sasso, a lawyer and his experiences in this field)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Lots of lawgers can complain they took a beating figuratively from a judge, but how many can say a sitting U.S. Supreme Court justice literally gave them a black eye? Gary Sasso can. While clerking for Justice Byron White, once the NFL's...

A career by design.(Trendsetters: Professions)
July 1, 2007... Suzie Ormento was in art school at age 8, persisted in studying art even as her anesthesiologist father worried about how she would make a living, double-majored in art at the University of Miami and ran an art school. Naturally, she works...

Up and coming.(Trendsetters: Professions)
July 1, 2007... UM law grad Andrew Reiss, 38, partner, Cherry Passidomo Wilson & Johnson, Naples. A Missouri native raised in Hollywood, the one-time middle school English teacher focuses on commercial and business litigation with an emphasis on employment law...

Election results.(MEDIA)(presidential primary results)
July 1, 2007... Political operatives worry about how to play Florida's new, early Jan. 29 presidential primary date. For Florida TV station owners, the worry may be finding enough wheelbarrows to haul off the windfall in an off year. Unlike cozy New...

Bank of America.(Players)
July 1, 2007... Robb Hilson, president of Bank of America Florida, is leaving the state for a position with Bank of America in California. A replacement hasn't been named.

PBS&J.(Players)
July 1, 2007... Monica M. Cepero joined PBS&J as manager of strategic positioning and public affairs for Florida. Cepero had been a member of former Gov. Jeb Bush's executive office team.

Broward Community College.(Players)
July 1, 2007... Florida Community College System Chancellor J. David Armstrong Jr. becomes Broward Community College's president this month, replacing Larry Calderon, who resigned in November. The state Board of Education is seeking a replacement for...

Sunshine State Conference.(Players)
July 1, 2007... Florida Institute of Technology President Anthony Catanese will serve as president of the Sunshine State Conference, an NCAA Division II multisport organization, for the next two years, NASCAR Vice Chairman Bill France Jr.

NASCAR Vice Chairman Bill France Jr.(OBITUARY)
July 1, 2007... As president of NASCAR for three decades, Bill France Jr. transformed his family's auto racing empire from a regional player into a worldwide phenomenon. He expanded the sport's corporate sponsorships and eventually built multibillion-dollar TV...

Eating out.(CONSUMER PREFERENCES)(visits to fast-food restaurants analysis)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
July 1, 2007... Orlando area consumers lead the nation in sit-down restaurant patronage at a rate of about 4.5 visits per month, according to Scarborough Research. By comparison, the average American visits sit-down restaurants such as Applebee's or TGI...

Hollywood East.(FILM)
July 1, 2007... Florida boosted incentives to lure movie, TV and music video production to the state. House Bill 1325 increased funding from $20 million to $25 million and, for the first time, allows unused funds to roll over. The bill also offers a 5%...

Tracking the boom.(HOUSING)(home price up)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Florida experienced a mild boom in home prices in the early 1980s. By 1996, aside from the effect of overall inflation, prices were about the same as they were in 1980. In 1996, home prices in Florida started rising but not as quickly as those...

Report card.(HIGH SCHOOLS)(statisitics of graduation rates and academic achievement )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The Alliance for Excellent Education provides a statistical snapshot of Florida's high schools in its updated Florida State Card. Information on graduation rates and academic achievement is included. Among the findings: > 44% of Florida...

Residential building permits.(Building)
July 1, 2007... Residential building permits in the first quarter of 2006 per 1,000 non-farm jobs: 8.66 Florida (No.1 in U.S.) 6.64 N. Carolina (No.2 in U.S.) 6.6 Georgia (No.3 in U.S.) Source: Dr. Phillips Institute for the Study of...

Against the tide.(CONDOS)(Fontainebleau Hilton Resort and Spa plans to convert trophy destinations to condos)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Against a backdrop of falling condominium sales and high-profile failures in the hotel/condo market, two iconic Miami Beach hotels--the Fontainebleau and the renamed St. Regis Bal Harbour on Miami Beach--are marching forward with plans to...

BBU Bank.(Players)
July 1, 2007... A. "Buster" Castiglia resigned as CEO and president of Continental National Bank of Miami and has been hired to assume those posts at Coral Gables-based BBU Bank.

Perry Ellis International.(Players)
July 1, 2007... George Pita, CFO of Miami-based Perry Ellis International (Nasdaq-PERY), a designer and distributor of clothing and accessories, has resigned. Thomas D'Ambrosio, senior vice president of finance and controller, was named interim CFO.

Homestead Hospital.(HOMESTEAD)
July 1, 2007... Homestead Hospital, an acute-care facility, opened in Miami-Dade County. It replaces the original Homestead Hospital, which was built in 1940 and closed in May.

Key West International Airport and the Florida Keys Marathon Airport will receive baggage and passenger screening services from Raytheon Technical Services Co. as part of a $16.3 million.(KEYS)
July 1, 2007... Key West International Airport and the Florida Keys Marathon Airport will receive baggage and passenger screening services from Raytheon Technical Services Co. as part of a $16.3 million, four-year contract that runs through September 2011...

Twin-Star International.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... Trivest Partners, a Miami investment firm, acquired a majority stake in Twin-Star International, a rapidly growing consumer products company based in Delray Beach with revenue of about $100 million.

Miami lawyer Roland Raymond St. Louis.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... Miami lawyer Roland Raymond St. Louis, whose law firm had accepted $6.4 million from DuPont while representing clients who were suing the chemical giant for damages linked to a DuPont fungicide product, has been disbarred by the Florida Supreme...

Metrorail.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... The Federal Transit Administration has approved Miami-Dade Transit's plan to acquire property along Northwest 27th Avenue in Miami needed to build a 9.5-mile northern expansion of Metrorail, the first new corridor of the commuter train line...

288,000-sq.ft. homeless facility.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... Miami commissioners unanimously approved revised plans for the development of a 288,000-sq.ft. homeless facility--roughly four times larger than an original proposal--for Camillus House, which is just north of downtown Miami.

Max Mayfield, former National Hurricane Center director, and Bryan Norcross, Miami hurricane analyst for CBS News and WFOR-TV, have joined forces with Global Security Systems, based in Mississippi, to create the nation's first comprehensive emergency alerting and multimedia communications system.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... Max Mayfield, former National Hurricane Center director, and Bryan Norcross, Miami hurricane analyst for CBS News and WFOR-TV, have joined forces with Global Security Systems, based in Mississippi, to create the nation's first comprehensive...

Effective in December, American Airlines will add 14 weekly round trips.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... Effective in December, American Airlines will acid 14 weekly round trips between its Miami hub and Colombia.

For the first time in over two decades, Tishman Speyer, an international real estate developer and investment firm, has purchased property in Miami.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... For the first time in over two decades, Tishman Speyer, an international real estate developer and investment firm, has purchased property in Miami with the acquisition of the Courvoisier Centre, a 335,000-sq.-ft., two-building, mixed-use...

Miami International Airport.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... Miami International Airport has unveiled an eight-lane security system designed to save time and money by speeding the progress of travelers through the screening process.

Homekeys.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... Miami-based Homekeys has expanded its commission-saving service for home sellers and now operates in 50 Florida counties.

Loft One.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... Dozens of affordable housing units in the Loft One, a downtown project built by the Related Group--were funded with $1.3 million in public money but sold to investors who flipped them for a profit, according to a draft of a city audit that was...

Terremark Worldwide.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... Terremark Worldwide, an information technology infrastructure company previously listed on the American Stock Exchange, has begun trading on Nasdaq under the symbol TMRK.

Dolphin Mall.(MIAMI)
July 1, 2007... Dolphin Mall is partnering with Alabama-based Cobb Theatres to offer the first premium movie theater in Miami-Dade County, featuring a 20,000-sq.-ft. cinema, a restaurant, an outdoor patio, bar and five digital screens. The venture represents...

Mount Sinai Medical Center recently broke ground on a medical office building in Miami Beach, and in Aventura, the Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center has recently opened a medical facility.(MIAMI BEACH)
July 1, 2007... Mount Sinai Medical Center recently broke ground on a medical office building in Miami Beach, and in Aventura, the Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center has recently opened a medical facility. The expansion coincides with published reports...

Unemployment rate.(MIAMI-DADE COUNTY)
July 1, 2007... At 3.2% in April, the county's unemployment rate is holding steady at record-low levels.

Former state Rep. Ralph Arza.(MIAMI-DADE COUNTY)
July 1, 2007... Former state Rep. Ralph Arza--accused of using a racial slur to discuss Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Rudy Crew--was sentenced to 18 months of probation after pleading guilty to witness tampering.

Abner Diaz.(MIAMI LAKES)
July 1, 2007... The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida charged Abner Diaz, president of All-Med Billing Corp. in Miami Lakes, and his wife, Mabel, manager and operator of the company, of using nearly 40 medical equipment companies to cheat...

Dry counties.(ENVIRONMENT)
July 1, 2007... Brown golf courses. Record low levels in Lake Okeechobee. For the first time, once-a-week lawn watering restrictions in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Twice-a-week watering in Martin and St. Lucie counties. Saltwater threatening freshwater...

Price hike.(INFLATION)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
July 1, 2007... The cost of living in south Florida is rising faster than the national average. Economists blame gas prices and housing costs. 3.5% annual cost of living increase in south Florida 2.6% annual cost of living increase nationwide 6.0%...

Broward Alliance.(Players)
July 1, 2007... The Broward Alliance has named Kathy Koch chairman. Koch is president of Fort Lauderdale-based public relations and marketing firm Ambit Marketing.

Dorothy "Dottie" Mancini.(Players)
July 1, 2007... Imperial Point Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale is looking for a successor to CEO Dorothy "Dottle" Mancini, who has retired.

Devcon International.(Players)
July 1, 2007... Robert Farenhem will serve as president of Boca Raton-based electronic security services firm Devcon International, replacing Ron Lakey. Lakey will remain in an advisory role during the transition. Robert W. Schiller is the company's new CFO,...

Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies has agreed to allow Florida Atlantic University students.(BOCA RATON)
July 1, 2007... Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies has agreed to allow Florida Atlantic University students to use its compounds to research anti-cancer drugs and therapies.

Medical Staffing Network Holdings.(BOCA RATON)
July 1, 2007... Medical Staffing Network Holdings is acquiring InteliStaf Holdings, an Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based healthcare staffing company, in a $155-million deal.

Nabi Pharmaceuticals.(BOCA RATON)
July 1, 2007... Nabi Pharmaceuticals sold Aloprim to Belleville, Canada-based Bioniche Teoranta. Nabi negotiated $3.7 million and 15% royalty on net sales for its treatment for chemotherapy side effects.

DayJet Corp.(BOCA RATON)
July 1, 2007... DayJet Corp., the on-demand air taxi service, has received its first three Eclipse 500 jets. Operations will begin this summer.

Proton Beam Therapy System.(BROWARD COUNTY)
July 1, 2007... The Comprehensive Cancer Centers at North Broward Hospital District are adding a Proton Beam Therapy System, the most advanced form of radiation treatment for cancer. The center becomes the second location in Florida, after Shands in...

Lost a net 12,000 jobs.(BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES)
July 1, 2007... The two counties lost a net 12,000 jobs in April, according to figures released by the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation. Statewide, the building and real estate sectors led to payroll cuts. More job cuts in these industries are expected...

New-home starts.(BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES)
July 1, 2007... According to Metrostudy, Palm Beach County saw 836 new-home starts during the first quarter, up from 522 units in the fourth quarter of 2006. Housing starts in Broward declined to 508 units in the first quarter from 569 units in the fourth...

Skybus Airlines.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
July 1, 2007... Startup carrier Skybus Airlines has begun service to Fort Lauderdale, offering at least 10 seats at $10 on every flight.

Ener1 Group.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
July 1, 2007... Ener1 Group has completed a $2-million bond sale to an institutional hedge fund. The alternative energy company will use the money to develop and manufacture its lithium ion batteries.

Indian River Community College.(FORT PIERCE)
July 1, 2007... Indian River Community College is offering new courses in biotech and enrolling students in a new biotechnology associate's degree program as it prepares its first class of students from a biotechnology certificate program.

Former site of Regal Cinemas.(LAUDERHILL)
July 1, 2007... The Sembler Co. is redeveloping the former site of Regal Cinemas at Commercial Boulevard and University Boulevard with a mix of neighborhood services and retailers.

Sky Development.(PEMBROKE PINES)
July 1, 2007... Aventura-based real estate developer Sky Development plans to build two four-story medical/ professional office buildings on a site adjacent to Memorial Hospital Pembroke, which Sky purchased in December for $32 million.

Sheridan Healthcare.(SUNRISE)
July 1, 2007... Sheridan Healthcare, a physician staffing firm, has agreed to be acquired by affiliates of private equity firm Hellman & Friedman in San Francisco. Terms of the deal were undisclosed.

Mortgage.com.(SUNRISE)
July 1, 2007... Citigroup is closing the offices of Mortgage.com, which employed 225.

Opera Place.(WEST PALM BEACH)
July 1, 2007... Slow sales have prompted BAP Development of Miami to revise its Opera Place project, replacing plans for a twin-tower condo with a project including a five-star inn with ground-floor retail, offices and a few high-end condos.

TV chopping.(RETAIL)
July 1, 2007... Fifteen months after IAC/InterActive Corp. hired former Nike executive Mindy Grossman to pull the HSN out of a sales slump, the St. Petersburg company is still disappointing investors with flat sales and high merchandise return rates. ...

Changing tides.(ENVIRONMENT)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Sea level rise associated with climate change could significantly reshape the coastal habitat over the next century. The tidal flats around Tampa Bay are projected to nearly disappear by 2100. To see the possible effects of climate change...

WellCare Health Plans.(Players)
July 1, 2007... WellCare Health Plans named former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham a director. Graham has also joined the board of advisers of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research institute.

Communications Equity Associates.(Players)
July 1, 2007... Tampa-based Communications Equity Associates has appointed John Turner COO of its investment banking group.

Bonita Bay Group.(BONITA SPRINGS)
July 1, 2007... The Bonita Bay Group has cut 30 positions.

Coca-Cola Enterprises.(BRANDON)
July 1, 2007... Coca-Cola Enterprises is hiring 200 employees at its Brandon Shared Services Center.

Westfield Brandon mall.(BRANDON)
July 1, 2007... The 12-year-old Westfield Brandon mall underwent a $80-million makeover, adding a 150,000-sq.-ff, wing with 13 new stores.