Florida Trend articles from May 2006

Florida Trend archives from May 2006

Read on.
May 1, 2006... This year's Celebration of Reading fund-raising event in Naples marked another successful gathering filled with some particularly memorable moments. It began on a "high quote" from Barbara Bush who said the following: "Can you imagine how...

Jeb's legacy.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I share in your article's assessment that the governor's passion and commitment to changing Florida for the better have made him an extraordinarily effective governor ["Jeb's Legacy," March, FloridaTrend.com]. I am, however, puzzled by the...

Class acts.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... We were delighted to see your coverage of outstanding Florida college students ["Class Acts," March, FloridaTrend.com]. The examples of student leadership you feature align with the mission of Florida Campus Compact to promote student...

Eye opener.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... We appreciate the "Eye Opener" feature ["Executive Lifestyles: Health," March, FloridaTrend.com]. As president of the Florida Association of Agencies Serving the Blind (FAASB), I know that the growing incidence of severe vision impairment is...

Safe farms.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I am a tomato grower in Florida with farms in the Quincy, Tampa Bay and Immokalee growing areas. I was pleased to see the announcement of the new SAFE program for social responsibility in your March issue ["Around the State/Statewide,"...

Trans-Atlantic dreams.(Wayne Lee's classic yacht "Glory Days")(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Dr. Wayne Lee, chief medical officer with Phoenix Physicians in Fort Lauderdale, hopes to one day sail his "Glory Days" across the Atlantic. His Hinckley Bermuda 40 is a classic yacht with a yawl rig (two masts) often referred to as the...

By land or sea.(Joel Stewart fascinated with Amphicars)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... What resembles a Fiat, has an English-built Triumph engine, seats four and floats? The Amphicar. a 1960s. German-made vehicle that's half-car, half-boat. Miami immigration lawyer Joel Stewart says Amphicars fascinated him since he first...

Cruise ships.(Executive Lifestyles: (Cruising))
May 1, 2006... Royal Caribbean is slated this month to debut what will be the largest cruise ship in the world. Named "Freedom of the Seas," it can hold more than 4,000 guests, has 15 passenger decks and a surf park complete with a wavemaking machine. The...

Yacht shopping.(Executive Lifestyles: (Cruising))
May 1, 2006... Clearwater-based MarineMax, the largest boating and yachting retailer in the U.S., opened a yachting center last fall in Pompano Beach. Dedicated entirely to the luxury market, it features the largest collection of Ferretti brand yachts....

Promising developments.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Skin Cancer)
May 1, 2006... When he attends the Nasdaq-100 Open tennis tournament in Miami, Sorrel Resnik wears long sleeves, long pants, a hat and a towel to cover his hands. In addition, he uses SPF 45 sunscreen. He might look overdressed for March, he says, but he...

Coming up Rosewood.(Rosewood Hotels and Resorts Inc. )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... A new resort in Sunny Isles Beach brings the ultraluxury Rosewood brand to Florida. Acqualina's biggest draw, says Managing Director David Kurland, is its location on a pristine stretch of waterfront away from the traffic of Miami Beach and...

Best seat pump-and-valve cushion.
May 1, 2006... Best Seat Pump-and-valve cushion Website: Masellans.com Price: $25 A patented cushion uses alternating pressure point technology to lift and shift your body, enhancing circulation so you don't get tired of sitting. It measures 18...

Adventure Lodge-Lakeport.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Brevard County entrepreneur and land developer Timothy James has received zoning approval to build an all-inclusive sportsman's waterfront resort along Lake Okeechobee in Glades County. Adventure Lodge-Lakeport will cater to tourists who want...

WaterSound Beach.(RESORT NEWS)
May 1, 2006... In Walton County, St. Joe Co. is developing WaterSound Beach, a 256-acre resort and residential community along the Gulf of Mexico on Highway 30A between Camp Creek Lake and Deer Lake State Park. A sister property of WaterColor Inn & Resort, it...

Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa.(RESORT NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Luxury homebuilder ICI Homes has broken ground on the first fractional ownership development of its kind in the Orlando area. Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa, west of Walt Disney World on U.S. 192, is aimed at vacation home buyers and will include...

InterContinental hotel.(RESORT NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Construction is set to start this fall on central Florida's first InterContinental hotel, the chain's largest worldwide, on the shores of Lake Bryan near the Orange County Convention Center. Hospitality Development Group of Fort Lauderdale is...

Westin Imagine Orlando Residences.(RESORT NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Also near the convention center, Intrawest's Village of Imagine has broken ground on the Westin Imagine Orlando Residences, part of a condo-hotel complex with 470 units expected to open in early 2008.

The Lexington.(Vantage Hospitality Group)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Vantage Hospitality Group has been renovating the former Holiday Inn at Interstate 4 and Colonial Drive in downtown Orlando, scheduled to open this month as The Lexington, a 14-story, 227-room luxury hotel within walking distance of the T.D....

Miro Hospitality Properties.(RESORT NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Miro Hospitality Properties of Winter Springs plans to start construction this year on a $10-million five-story hotel with 120-plus rooms expected to open in 2008 at Orlando Sanford International Airport. The facility is part of a $40-million...

Mona Lisa at Celebration.(RESORT NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Mona Lisa at Celebration, a five-story, 240-unit luxury condo-hotel under construction in Celebration, is expected to be completed in summer 2007 and will include an upscale restaurant. It features an environmental-friendly architectural...

Medure's magic.(Directory)
May 1, 2006... * Matthew's at San Marco 2107 Hendricks Ave., Jacksonville 904/396-9922; thesanmarcogroup.com * Restaurant Medure 818 N. A1A, Ponte Vedra Beach 904/543-3797; thesanmarcogroup.com * Matthew's Market & Catering ...

Janet Reno: former U.S. Attorney General, State Attorney General, age 67.(Icon)(Interview)
May 1, 2006... I'm focused on one issue that is very important to me--that is how we prevent the conviction of the innocent... through post-conviction DNA testing that causes charges to be dropped against innocent people. It's not just getting people off....

Supporting survivors.(Karen Dow )
May 1, 2006... University of Central Florida Professor, Beat M. & Jill L. Kahli Endowed Chair in Oncology Nursing, School of Nursing Orlando Her dad: "I consider my dad a survivor." Traveler: "Just about everywhere"--Australia, Korea, the...

W. Gregory Sawyer.(Notables)
May 1, 2006... W. Gregory Sawyer, University of Florida associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, has devised a very wear-resistant and low-fiction lubricant designed for the military....

Aswani Volety, Florida Gulf Coast University marine and ecological sciences chair.(Notables)
May 1, 2006... Aswani Volety, Florida Gulf Coast University marine and ecological sciences chair, uses oysters as indicators of ecosystem health, while colleague Greg Tolley, director of FGCU's Coastal Watershed Institute, leads a scientific team addressing...

Michael Zager.(Notables)
May 1, 2006... Grammy-nominated producer and Florida Atlantic University eminent scholar Michael Zager founded the university's commercial music program four years ago. It now has 90 students majoring and its own unique, student-run record label, Hoot/Wisdom...

Research with teeth.(Trendsetters)
May 1, 2006... Following dental researcher Peter Murray around his laboratory is far easier than following what he's saying about tooth pulp stem cells, scaffolds and the metabolic dyes in the tissue culture flasks he examines. This much becomes clear:...

Psyched.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Degrees: Bachelor's, 1985, SUNY-Geneseo, psychology; Ph.D. in psychological development, 1991, University of Rochester Task: Lead Embry-Riddle's push into securing more private corporate money and government funds for research and...

Military support.(Trendsetters)
May 1, 2006... "The overarching theme is developing chemical and biological sensors that would be effective in homeland security and combating terrorists and also supporting the military in battlefield situations," says the University of North Florida's Jay...

A Great Wall of tourists.(TOURISM)
May 1, 2006... The China-Florida tourism connection is somewhat tenuous. One tangible link snapped in 2003, when the Chinese government closed the Splendid China theme park it operated near Walt Disney World and sold the 73-acre park site. Meanwhile, compared...

Associated Industries of Florida.(Barney Bishop III made chief executive officer)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Barney Bishop III, president of Associated Industries of Florida, has been named chief executive officer of the organization. Bishop has sewed as president of AIF since 2005. Jon Shebel has retired as CEO after 37 years at AIF, which he built...

Bank of America's Florida.(Players)
May 1, 2006... Robb Hilson has taken over as Bank of America's Florida president after Tim Laney was promoted to the bank's global corporate sales division in Charlotte, N.C. Hilson had been south Florida market president.

Jorge L. Arrizurieta has left his position as executive director of Florida FTAA, the group that's seeking to land the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas for Miami.(Players)
May 1, 2006... Jorge L. Arrizurieta has left his position as executive director of Florida FTAA, the group that's seeking to land the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas for Miami. He is now a consultant for the Akerman Senterfitt law firm and...

1000 Friends of Florida.(Players)
May 1, 2006... Lester Abberger, senior consultant at Kirkpatrick Pettis investment banking firm, takes over as president of 1000 Friends of Florida. Tim Jackson, president of Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin Lopez Rinehart community planning consulting firm,...

Florida Home Builders Association.(Players)
May 1, 2006... J. Emmett Reed is executive vice president of the Florida Home Builders Association. He takes over from Paul M. Thompson, who assumes the new role of senior vice president.

Out-of-field teachers.(non certified teachers)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
May 1, 2006... In 2004, the percentage of newly hired teachers in Florida who were not appropriately certified dropped to 10.7%, the lowest level in recent years. School districts cite several reasons: An emphasis on hiring "highly qualified teachers" under...

Fast facts.(Around the State: State News)
May 1, 2006... 499 Average SAT verbal score, range 200-800 (No. 44 nationally) 400 Average SAT math score, range 200-800 (No. 46) $41,313 Average teacher salary (No. 28) Source: A Statistical View of the 50 United States. Figures for 2004

Targeting solutions.(Progress Energy Florida Inc., University of Florida )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... TARGETING SOLUTIONS--Progress Energy and the University of Florida have teamed up to launch a Water Institute designed to find solutions to Florida's water problems. The Progress Energy Foundation has donated $1.2 million to establish an...

Critical concerns.(key economic drivers for Florida's competitiveness identified)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... CRITICAL CONCERNS--The Council of 100 has identified eight key economic drivers that state leaders must focus on to boost Florida's competitiveness, economy and quality of life: Education; income, jobs and business climate; growth management...

Home prices.(Real Estate)
May 1, 2006... HOME PRICES--The median price of existing single-family homes in Florida dosed out last year at $235,100, up 29% from the year-earlier period and more than double the median price of $115,900 in the fourth quarter of 2000. Statewide, Realtors...

No change.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... For drivers on Miami-Dade's five toll roads--more than 500,000 on a good day--scrounging for loose change will be a thing of the past. Transportation officials have announced an ambitious plan to replace all toll collection plazas on the...

Falling short.(Incomes not keeping pace with housing costs)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
May 1, 2006... Incomes in Miami-Dade are not keeping pace with housing costs, causing county officials to worry that an "income gap" wile prevent the county from attracting and retaining professional talent. You can reach David Villano at...

Miami-Dade Sen. Alex Villalobos, once the front-runner to become Senate president following the November 2008 term.(Players)
May 1, 2006... Miami-Dade Sen. Alex Villalobos, once the front-runner to become Senate president following the November 2008 term, has been rebuffed by fellow Republicans in favor of North Palm Beach Sen. Jeff Atwater. You can reach David Villano at...

Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.(Players)
May 1, 2006... Former AT&T executive Barry Johnson has been named president and CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. You can reach David Villano at villanotrend@yahoo.com

Builders Association of South Florida.(Players)
May 1, 2006... Lani Kahn Drody, executive vice president of Lowell Homes, has been named president of the Builders Association of South Florida. She is the first woman to lead the association. You can reach David Villano at villanotrend@yahoo.com

State Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla.(Players)
May 1, 2006... An administrative law judge has ruled that state Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla should pay $8,750 in fines for election law violations during his 1999 campaign, rejecting arguments that the Republican lawmaker is too poor to pay. You can...

David Lawrence Jr.(Players)
May 1, 2006... The University of Florida has created a $1.5-million endowed professorship in early childhood studies in honor of former Miami Herald publisher David Lawrence Jr. A UF alumnus, Lawrence is president of the Miami-based Early Childhood Initiative...

Thumbs up on med school.(Florida International University granted permission to open a school of medicine)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Florida Board of Governors has granted Florida International University permission to open a school of medicine. Plans call for the first class to graduate in 2012. FIU must now convince the Legislature to help foot the bill for startup...

University of Miami.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The University of Miami joins a prestigious list nationally as one of the only institutions to raise $1 billion in a single fund-raising campaign. The school's three-year Momentum campaign goal is to reach $1.25 billion. Most of the funds are...

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.(FLORIDA CITY)
May 1, 2006... Two environmental groups have sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, challenging its decision to issue permits to fill more than 500 acres of wetlands outside the county's urban development boundary where developers are proposing a 6,000-home...

National partitions.(HIALEAH)
May 1, 2006... Citing high real estate costs and other business expenses in south Florida, National Partitions, a manufacturer of office partitions and other modular building products, will move its headquarters to Knoxville, Tenn. About 60 employees will be...

Caja de Ahorros de Galicia.(MIAMI)
May 1, 2006... Caja de Ahorros de Galicia, one of Spain's largest savings banks with $42 billion in assets, has received Federal Reserve approval to open an international banking agency in Miami. It will be the bank's first in the U.S. You can reach...

Miami-based Ocean Bank has pledged $1 million to the United Negro College Fund to benefit Florida Memorial University.(MIAMI)
May 1, 2006... Miami-based Ocean Bank has pledged $1 million to the United Negro College Fund to benefit Florida Memorial University, south Florida's only historically black college. You can reach David Villano at villanotrend@yahoo.com

Flamingo South Beach.(MIAMI BEACH)
May 1, 2006... MCZ/Centrum has purchased the south tower of the Flamingo South Beach, a 562-unit waterfront property, for $163.5 million and plans to turn the units into condos. It has also purchased an option on the remaining two towers. You can reach...

Florida International University.(MIAMI-DADE)
May 1, 2006... After nearly three years of testy negotiations, Florida International University faculty have approved a new collective bargaining agreement. The new pact calls for a minimum 3.6% pay raise, a six-month maternity leave policy and the right to...

"Correct the public record".(MIAMI-DADE)
May 1, 2006... The Miami-Dade County Commission failed to override a veto by Mayor Carlos Alvarez of a controversial measure that would have allowed officials to "correct the public record" when commissioners believe residents and other speakers make...

Alienware.(MIAMI-DADE)
May 1, 2006... Computer maker Dell is buying Alienware, a maker of high-end PCs for video gamers, for an undisclosed price. Dell executives say Alienware will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary under the direction of company founders Nelson Gonzalez and...

Miami International Airport.(MIAMI-DADE)
May 1, 2006... Hoping to upgrade its image and boost retail revenue, Miami International Airport will add 19 stores to its central terminal. Among them: Brookstone, Mindworks, Borders bookstore and Ron Jon Surf Shop. You can reach David Villano at...

Bank boom.(FINANCIAL SERVICES)
May 1, 2006... In just the first three quarters of last year, banks opened 57 branches in southeast Florida--30 in Palm Beach County alone. Deposit growth in the six-county region has jumped 64% over the past five years. Among local banks, Palm...

O.R. Colan Associates.(Players)
May 1, 2006... O.R. Colan Associates, a provider of land acquisition and relocation services with corporate offices in Fort Lauderdale, has appointed Stephen Toth COO. Toth most recently was O.R. Colan's regional manager in Cleveland. You can reach David...

John Koch.(Players)
May 1, 2006... John Koch will oversee more than 200 sales offices, seven customer monitoring centers and 22,000 employees in his new role as COO for ADT North America. Koch was president of wireline services for Alltel before joining the Boca Raton-based...

Cruzan International.(Ola Salmen appointed)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Ola Salmen is chairman of West Palm Beach-based rum and brandy maker Cruzan International. Salmen was previously senior vice president of finance at V&S Vin & Spirit AB, owners of Absolut Vodka. Cruzan is in the process of merging with...

West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority.(Players)
May 1, 2006... Melissa Galluci Wohlust is replacing Peter Armato as executive director of the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority. Wohlust had been the authority's associate director. Armato has left to become executive director of the Central...

Teacher timeouts.(elementary school teachers to take mandatory breaks)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... In a move that could force complicated scheduled changes, Palm Beach County elementary school teachers will take mandatory breaks next school year. The daily timeout is for "personal relief time, planning, attending conferences and other...

CondoMax USA.(BOCA RATON)
May 1, 2006... Real estate veterans Izzy Ashkenzay and Jonathan Agus have launched CondoMax USA aimed at converting apartment complexes into condominiums. CondoMax has conversions under way in Boynton Beach, Royal Palm Beach and Orlando. You can reach...

iPhone2.(iPhone2 announced distribution agreement with Exit Realty Consultants )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Boca Raton's iPhone2 announced a distribution agreement with Exit Realty Consultants worth nearly $12 million over the next year. The company's product, ImagePhone2, allows callers to make and receive video and voice calls on and off the...

Sol Sotheby's International Realty, which specializes in luxury residential properties in Miami-Dade, has entered Broward County.(BROWARD)
May 1, 2006... Sol Sotheby's International Realty, which specializes in luxury residential properties in Miami-Dade, has entered Broward County through a merger with luxury waterfront specialist The Elmes Group. You can reach David Villano at...

Downtown Davie.(DAVIE)
May 1, 2006... Nob Hill Partners is planning almost 300 condo units, 18 townhomes and 100,000 square feet of retail and office space in a $50-million, 18-acre project dubbed Downtown Davie. Completion is expected to take about 20 months. You can reach...

Nova Southeastern University.(plans to set up a research building)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... In the wake of the Scripps Research Institute's location decision, Nova Southeastern University is planning a 208,000-sq.-ft. research building on its main campus to expand its medical research programs. NSU has allocated $25 million for the...

IGEL Technology.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
May 1, 2006... Germany's IGEL Technology has established its U.S. headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. The manufacturer and marketer of Linux- and Windows-based terminals says it will hire between five and eight employees this year. You can reach David...

Park Place Car Condo.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
May 1, 2006... Park Place Car Condo has opened a storage facility offering climate-controlled secure individual garages in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Park Place Car Condo plans to take the concept national this year. You can reach David Villano at...

Steven Berrard, former chief executive of Blockbuster and co-founder of AutoNation, announced plans to acquire San Francisco-based nutritional shake chain Jamba Juice for $265 million.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
May 1, 2006... Steven Berrard, former chief executive of Blockbuster and co-founder of AutoNation, announced plans to acquire San Francisco-based nutritional shake chain Jamba Juice for $265 million. The chain has 532 locations, including 10 in south Florida....

Florida Conservancy and Development Group.(INDIAN RIVER)
May 1, 2006... The Florida Conservancy and Development Group, a joint venture of homebuilders Lennar Corp. and Centex, is building a new town on 7,400 acres of old citrus grove on the Indian River/St. Lucie County line. You can reach David Villano at...

Land reserved for high-tech and biotech.(PALM BEACH)
May 1, 2006... Northern Palm Beach cities from Jupiter to Riviera Beach approved measures to protect land reserved for high-tech and biotech companies from shopping center and subdivision developers. The limitations are intended to preserve land for...

The Provences.(ST. LUCIE COUNTY)
May 1, 2006... Devcon Development of Tequesta plans a 600-acre mixed-use development called The Provences on the northwest corner of Midway Road and Interstate 95 just north of Port St. Lucie. You can reach David Villano at villanotrend@yahoo.com

Florida Retail Land Bank.(ST. LUCIE COUNTY)
May 1, 2006... Miami's Adler Group has purchased 28 acres in St. Lucie County, the company's first acquisition for its Florida Retail Land Bank, a venture the company launched late last year. With almost 90,000 homes planned in St. Lucie County over the next...

Mixing meth.(John Walter's plans )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Last fall, the country's drug czar, John Walter, announced a plan to target methamphetamine production and use in 23 U.S. cities. High on his list are communities along the I-4 corridor, beginning with the Tampa Bay region, which has become the...

Great American Marine.(CLEARWATER)
May 1, 2006... Champion drag racer Scott Kalitta sold his marina on Gulfport Boulevard, the Great American Marine, to MarineMax and Illinois-based Brunswick Corp. You can reach Amy Keller at akeller@floridatrend.com

Throgmartin Co.(FORT MYERS)
May 1, 2006... The Throgmartin Co. plans a 1,327-acre, $500-million resort and residential community at Annaly Bay in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. You can reach Amy Keller at akeller@floridatrend.com

Lee County Port Authority.(FORT MYERS)
May 1, 2006... The Lee County Port Authority voted to offer additional financial incentives to airlines inaugurating service between Southwest Florida International Airport and eight underserved cities--Kansas City; Dayton, Ohio; Grand Rapids, Mich.;...

Publix Super Markets.(LAKELAND)
May 1, 2006... Publix Super Markets leads the nation's grocery chains in customer satisfaction, according to a survey by the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. You can reach Amy Keller at akeller@floridatrend.com

Florida Tile Industries.(LAKELAND)
May 1, 2006... Italian tile maker Panariagroup Industrie Ceramica has acquired Florida Tile Industries. You can reach Amy Keller at akeller@floridatrend.com

Pinnacle Medical Group.(MANATEE COUNTY)
May 1, 2006... Pinnacle Medical Group in Bradenton is undergoing a two-part expansion that will include a new two-story building along Cortez Road and a 16,000-sq.-ft. expansion of the group's existing Urgent Care Center along 75th Street West. You can...

Empire Builders.(NAPLES)
May 1, 2006... Empire Builders plans to break ground on a 234-unit development in September on 32 acres surrounding the Naples Grand golf course it recently purchased for $36 million from Blackstone Real Estate Advisors. You can reach Amy Keller at...