Florida Trend articles from October 2008

Florida Trend archives from October 2008

New ideas for the year ahead.(Corner Office)
October 1, 2008... Several times this gear we published an ad with a photo of a cute, smiling baby and this headline: "50 Years Old And Still Brand New." The ad was part of our 50th anniversary celebration promotion, and the baby was a real attention-grabber....

Charlie's way.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... You write that Gov. Crist "leads from the gut" ["Charlie's Way," August, FloridaTrend. com]. Gov. Crist makes decisions based wholly on watching which way the wind is blowing and then jumping from behind a closed door with the announcement that...

Backup measures.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... "Humidity's Silver Lining" [FloridaTrend. com] falsely stated that "orders to boil water were issued in much of Miami-Dade" after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Parts of Miami Beach were indeed briefly under a boil-water order, but for most of...

Two wheeling.(Executive Lifestyles: Exercise Equipment)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Mitch Lewandowski was a competitive cyclist and speed skater in his 20s. Today at 42, he rides for pleasure, fitness and to stay sharp on the job as U.S. managing director for Montag Windows and Doors. Lewandowski cycles three times a week on...

Treading lightly.(Executive Lifestyles: Exercise Equipment)
October 1, 2008... One of Perdue Office Interiors' newest pieces is a combination treadmill and workstation. The Walkstation can be outfitted with a computer so employees can work while exercising--at a maximum speed of 2 mph. It is designed by Details, a...

Home work.(Executive Lifestyles: Exercise Equipment)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Online fitness equipment retailer Smooth Fitness, based in Pennsylvania, says Florida is one of its stronger states thanks to the number of Baby Boomers, retirees and second-home owners. Since March, year-over-year...

Nip and tuck: new procedures are making surgery less intrusive.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Cosmetic Surgery)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Miami recovery room nurse Martica Canizares describes herself as a thin woman who eats healthy and stays active. But she just wasn't satisfied anymore with the way her body looked in her clothes or a bikini. She...

Florida by paddle.(Executive Lifestyles: Getaways: Outdoor Adventures)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The winter migration has started to Florida's endless lakes, rivers, inlets and estuaries. Not birds or snowbirds, but a large companion flock that takes to the waters just as happily: Thousands of paddlers in canoes...

Prime cuts.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bear market or no, Florida diners are bullish on beef and could move higher on the steer, especially in south Florida. This time with truffles, fennel and beets. And chimichurri and wasabi on top. Modern chefs...

Chateau Ste. Michelle, 2005 Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon.(Wine & Spirits)
October 1, 2008... RED Chateau Ste. Michelle, 2005 Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon Washington state $20 If you're not ready to pop $50 for Washington state cabernet, this 2005 from Ste. Michelle's midlevel series will give you a fast start on a...

Casa Lapostolle, 2006 Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay.(Wine & Spirits)
October 1, 2008... WHITE Casa Lapostolle, 2006 Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay Chile $25 This 2006 Chilean wine has a charming French accent and balance, a nose of flowers and river rocks, with lemon and honey added in the mouth, and a texture...

Alvear, 2003 Pedro Ximenez de Anada.(Wine & Spirits)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... DESSERT Alvear, 2003 Pedro Ximenez de Anada Spain $15 (375 ml) It can't be called sherry since it was born in Montilla; you can call it luscious. Alvear makes a rich amber sweetie and true sticky from the same PX grape that...

Epcot's all-month starry feast of food and wine.(Tasting Menu)
October 1, 2008... Fest season picks up the pace with Epcot's all-month starry feast of food and wine: The Paul Bocuse culinary championship, tastes of Marimar Torres, Ming Tsai and Stag's Leap, and sounds of Los Lobos and more.

International Wine Fair.(Tasting Menu)
October 1, 2008... Miami has its massive International Wine Fair Oct. 25-27.

New entrees debut in the arrival of New Orleans legend Commander's Palace in Destin.(Tasting Menu)
October 1, 2008... New entrees debut in the arrival of New Orleans legend Commander's Palace in Destin (following the Brennan's Royal B) and the flash of cool technology in Orlando at Icebar, frozen solid from walls to cocktail glasses.

Dining picks.(Dining and Spirits)(Directory)
October 1, 2008... Dining Picks ORLANDO Flying Fish Cafe Disney's Boardwalk 407/939-3463 Freshness galore in this strikingly designed and enthusiastically cheffed stunner with a display kitchen creating such temptations as...

Eugene Patterson: former editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and St. Petersburg Times, author, 85.(Icon)
October 1, 2008... * When I was a boy, I learned the value of land. My father was a small-town bank cashier, and of course with the Depression, the bank closed its doors. My mother had a small farm that she bought with money her father had left her, and that...

Power Hitter.(Trendsetters: Utilities/Telecom)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As Florida Power & Light develops new power generation in the state, whether nuclear, solar or gas, Eric Silagy will be behind it. In November, the 43-year-old became the utility's chief development officer charged...

Verizon's voice.(Trendsetters: Utilities/Telecom)
October 1, 2008... * On an August morning, in the midst of unpacking her family from the move from Atlanta to Tampa, Michelle Robinson can't find the bath towels. Such are the frustrations in relocating to become president of Verizon's five-state southeast...

Being Green.(Trendsetters: Utilities/Telecom)(Orlando Utilities Commission)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... * Clint Bullock, 37, vice president of strategic planning and renewables at the Orlando Utilities Commission, leads a program to offer incentives for solar water heating and photovoltaic systems for customers. He's at work on a 1-megawatt solar...

Sand trap: another storm, another round of beach erosion and another round of questions about renourishment.(FLORIDA'S BEACHES)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As Tropical Storm Fay danced around the coast this summer, making a record number of landfalls, it also did a number on Florida's beaches. The storm eroded sand from south Palm Beach and Lantana in Palm Beach County,...

Florida Municipal Attorneys Association.(Players)
October 1, 2008... St. Petersburg city attorney John C. Wolfe has been named president of the Florida Municipal Attorneys Association. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

American Association of Neurological Surgeons.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Troy M. Tippett, medical director of the Neurosurgical Group in Pensacola, is president-elect of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

American Association of Public Health Physicians.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Dr. Kevin M. Sherin, director of the Orange County Health Department, is national president of the American Association of Public Health Physicians.

Florida Economic Development Council.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Ray Gilley, president and CEO of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, has been named chairman of the Florida Economic Development Council.

Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Vivian R. Myrtetus and Stephen A. Schlow to the Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council. Myrtetus is a vice president at Core Message in Tallahassee. Schlow is interim chairman of UCF's Florida Film...

Statewide exhibit.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sculptor John Henry, known for his large steel sculptures, is planning an exhibition in seven Florida cities starting this month. Local museums will host accompanying exhibits highlighting the works of Henry. The...

Information warehouse.(INSURANCE)
October 1, 2008... INFORMATION WAREHOUSE--Florida State University's Florida Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Center has launched stormrisk.org, a clearinghouse for information about Florida's property insurance issues, especially as it relates hurricanes.

'Voluntourism'.(TOURISM)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... 'VOLUNTOURISM'--More convention-goers are opting to volunteer in their spare time during conventions rather than taking in the sights or lounging at the pool, according to a new new University of Florida study. Tara Schickedanz, who conducted...

Capital injection.(INFRASTRUCTURE)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... CAPITAL INJECTION--Gov. Charlie Crist launched a program designed to pump billions of dollars into Florida's economy through construction and economic development projects, including roads, schools and waterway improvements. Accelerate Florida...

Rush jobs.(ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Miami-Dade leaders hope to create thousands of jobs by fast tracking nearly $650 million in county construction projects. The economic stimulus plan, approved by county commissioners in July, will allow the mayor and...

Artful designs.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Wolfsonian--FIU museum in Miami Beach is showcasing "American Streamlined Design: The World of Tomorrow" from Oct. 23-May 17, 2009. The exhibit--which makes a case for the vigor of streamlining in today's...

Crew steps down.(EDUCATION)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Miami-Dade County School Board voted to buy out Superintendent Rudy Crew's contract, paying him $297,000 and benefits worth another $71,000. Crew was hired in 2004 to lead the fourth-largest school district in...

Miami Herald.(MIAMI)
October 1, 2008... The Miami Herald will cut 250 full-time jobs--about 17% of its workforce--through layoffs, early buyouts and retirement.

Live Nation.(MIAMI)
October 1, 2008... Concert promoter Live Nation has signed a long-term contract with Miami to refurbish and operate the 6,000-seat Bayfront Park amphitheater downtown.

The percentage of adults who volunteer.(MIAMI-DADE)
October 1, 2008... The Miami metropolitan area ranks last among the largest 50 U.S. cities for the percentage of adults who volunteer. The Corporation for National and Community Service cites Miami's high poverty rate, long commute times and low education levels...

Florida International University.(MIAMI-DADE)
October 1, 2008... A Miami-Dade jury has ruled in favor of a former Florida International University employee who says he lost his job because of a pattern of bias against African-American employees. The school was ordered to pay $2.5 million to a onetime...

Urban Development Boundary.(MIAMI-DADE)
October 1, 2008... The Florida Department of Community Affairs has rejected a hotly contested decision to allow a school and a Lowe's home-improvement store on land outside the Urban Development Boundary on the county's western fringe. County commissioners signed...

Kohl's.(MIAMI-DADE)
October 1, 2008... Wisconsin-based department store chain Kohl's will hire up to 900 employees for the six stores it plans to open this fall in south Florida.

Massive healthcare fraud investigation.(MIAMI-DADE)
October 1, 2008... A Hialeah police officer, a Department of Children and Families worker and more than a dozen public school bus drivers are among 52 public employees named in a massive healthcare fraud investigation involving the painkiller OxyContin. Law...

$3 billion in public funding.(MIAMI-DADE)
October 1, 2008... A closely watched lawsuit challenging a plan to use almost $3 billion in public funding for a host of construction projects, including a downtown Miami baseball stadium for the Florida Marlins, is on hold pending a ruling later this year by the...

Florida International University's Metropolitan Center.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio has accepted a position as visiting distinguished service professor at Florida International University's Metropolitan Center, which provides research, policy and technical support to the public and private...

Arcos Dorados.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia V. Manuel Rocha has been named director of government relations/ Latin America for Arcos Dorados, a consortium of companies that owns 1,800 McDonald's restaurants in 21 countries.

Bacardi.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Bacardi, the world's largest spirits company, has named Colgate-Palmolive veteran Seamus McBride president and CEO. Bacardi's U.S. headquarters is in Miami.

Head winds.(TRAVEL)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DayJet, the on-demand, small-jet air carrier, has retooled its growth strategy, trying to accommodate both a slower economy and the learning curve customers face in using its service. The company has scaled back...

Nicklaus Cos.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Peter Rummell is the new CEO of Nicklaus Cos., a North Palm Beach-based golf and licensing company. Rummell retired as CEO of St. Joe Co. in May. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Broward Health.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Dawn Javersack is the new CFO at Broward Health, replacing interim CFO/controller Debbie Breen. Javersack was previously CFO of 724-bed Allegheny General in Pittsburgh.

Business education.(JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT)
October 1, 2008... The world's largest Junior Achievement education center is coming to Broward College's north campus. The 59,500-sq.-ft. Huizenga Center is slated for completion next year and will include South Florida Junior Achievement offices. The center...

1st United Bank.(BOCA RATON)
October 1, 2008... 1st United Bank has closed on its purchase of Vero Beach-based Citrus Bank, with six branches, about $90 million in deposits and $44 million in loans.

Mizner Trail Golf Club.(BOCA RATON)
October 1, 2008... A Palm Beach County circuit court judge ruled that the owners of Mizner Trail Golf Club may not build residential units on the property. The judge said the property must be used only as green space. Developers had sought $40 million in damages....

ThinkSmart Inc.(BOCA RATON)
October 1, 2008... Australia-based ThinkSmart Inc. has opened its U.S. headquarters in Boca Raton. In collaboration with Office Depot, ThinkSmart will provide financing options for small-business owners who purchase equipment from Office Depot stores. The company...

Boynton Pinehurst.(BOYNTON BEACH)
October 1, 2008... Boynton Pinehurst, owner of the Aventine, a 216-unit residential complex undergoing condo conversion, has received a yearlong reprieve on a $37.2-million mortgage from Corus Bank.

South Florida Beach Properties.(FORT LAUDERDALE)(KeyBank)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... South Florida Beach Properties, former developer of the II Lugano condo/hotel, is suing KeyBank, alleging the bank pulled the plug on $38 million in construction loans, leading to foreclosure and a $2.87-million loss in the project. The project...

Home Diagnostics.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
October 1, 2008... Home Diagnostics says it received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration to sell TRUE2go, what it calls the world's smallest blood glucose meter and the company's latest advanced performance, no-coding meter for at-home testing.

BankAtlantic.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
October 1, 2008... BankAtlantic, hit by slumps in the housing market, reported a loss of $19.4 million for the second quarter, compared with earnings of $11.7 million a year earlier,

SeaEscape.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
October 1, 2008... SeaEscape has ended its gambling boat day cruises out of Port Everglades amid high fuel prices and competition for casino gambling at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Ener1.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
October 1, 2008... Ener1, a maker of hybrid vehicle batteries, has moved its headquarters to New York City. Some administrative offices remain in Fort Lauderdale.

FPL Group.(JUNO BEACH)
October 1, 2008... FPL Group reported a 48% drop in net income because of a 98% profit drop at its FPL Energy renewable energy subsidiary. The state closed FPL's Sunshine Energy Program after discovering that money collected from customers was used for marketing...

Point Blank Solutions.(POMPANO BEACH)
October 1, 2008... Hedge fund Steel Partners II won a proxy battle for armor manufacturer Point Blank Solutions, winning five board seats. The company had previously rebuffed the fund's often New directors say they may consider selling the company.

Bioheart.(SUNRISE)
October 1, 2008... Bioheart, a heart monitoring and diagnostic device company, is planning to buy MedicAlgorithmics and the worldwide rights to the Pocket ECG wireless heart monitor and diagnostic system. It also received a $1-million unsecured loan from Rogers...

Drafting Designs.(STUART)
October 1, 2008... Drafting Designs, a 3-D computer-aided design and prototype company, has expanded its offices and merged with Reality Medical and New Frontiers Technology. With expanded lab and space, the company plans to manufacture a human cardiac simulation...

Piper Aircraft.(VERO BEACH)
October 1, 2008... Piper Aircraft, which decided to keep its headquarters in Vero Beach, tested its single-engine, six-passenger Piper Jet this summer. The jet, which will sell for $2.2 million, flew for one hour and reached 10,000 feet.

Marriott International.(WESTON)
October 1, 2008... Marriott International is moving its Caribbean and Latin American regional headquarters to Weston Pointe I in the Weston Park of Commerce, from smaller quarters elsewhere in the city.

Realigned.(RESEARCH)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From its inception, the Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute carried heavy political baggage. The center was ramrodded into existence by former House Speaker Johnnie Byrd Jr. in 2004 amid...

Morton Plant Mease.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Glenn D. Waters is the new president of Clearwater-based Morton Plant Mease, a four-hospital medical group that employs 7,300. Waters had been COO of the Moses Cone Health System in Greensboro, N.C. He replaces the retiring Phil Beauchamp.

Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.(Players)
October 1, 2008... Patrick Conran has been promoted to vice president of operations at Owen-Ames-Kimball Co., a Fort Myers general contracting firm.

The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce.(Players)
October 1, 2008... The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce has appointed Thomas Hoolihan its 2008-09 president.

Festival of reading.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The University of South Florida at St. Petersburg will host the 16th annual Times Festival of Reading 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25. The day of author appearances will include Dennis Lehane, Susan Orlean,...

Manatee Community College.(BRADENTON)
October 1, 2008... Lars Hafner, president of Manatee Community College, says the school might begin offering four-year degrees as early as next year.

Foreclosure rate.(CAPE CORAL)
October 1, 2008... RealtyTrac reports that the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area had the nation's highest foreclosure rate in July, with one in every 64 homes in foreclosure.

Southwest Florida Workforce Development Board.(CAPE CORAL)
October 1, 2008... The Southwest Florida Workforce Development Board has opened an office in the City Centrum Business Park.

WorkNet Pinellas.(CLEARWATER)
October 1, 2008... WorkNet Pinellas has won a $1-million "clean energy" grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to create a program to train 450 welders over the next three years to help build nuclear power plants and other major industrial projects across the...

Robb & Stucky.(FORT MYERS)
October 1, 2008... Furniture retailer Robb & Stucky has created a resorts division to focus on the hospitality industry.

The Forum at Fort Myers.(FORT MYERS)
October 1, 2008... The 480,000-sq.-ft. retail component of The Forum at Fort Myers has opened, with anchor stores including Target, Home Depot and Staples.

U.S. Green Building Council.(FORT MYERS)
October 1, 2008... The U.S. Green Building Council has opened a southwest Florida branch.

Valpak.(LARGO)
October 1, 2008... To reduce debt and help support its struggling newspaper properties, including the Palm Beach Post, Cox Enterprises says it will sell Valpak, a direct mail business that earns $260 million a year and employs 1,200 in Pinellas County.

The Ledger in Lakeland laid off 36, and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune laid off 33, including longtime humor columnist David Grimes.(LAKELAND AND SARASOTA)
October 1, 2008... The Ledger in Lakeland laid off 36, and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune laid off 33, including longtime humor columnist David Grimes. Both newspapers are owned by the New York Times Co.

The Village on Venetian Bay.(NAPLES)
October 1, 2008... More than $4 million worth of renovations are under way at The Village on Venetian Bay, a 20-year-old, high-end retail center.

M&I Bank building downtown.(SARASOTA)
October 1, 2008... The Triton Cos. of Michigan has defaulted on a $40-million loan it used to purchase the M&I Bank building downtown.

Progress Energy Florida.(ST. PETERSBURG)
October 1, 2008... Progress Energy Florida announced plans to buy 100 megawatts of power from two central Florida power plants. One plant will make electricity from garbage and the other from waste leftover from creating ethanol from sorghum. The St. Petersburg...

Rapid Web Services.(ST. PETERSBURG)
October 1, 2008... Rapid Web Services says it will create 54 jobs over the next three years.

Derby Lane.(ST. PETERSBURG)
October 1, 2008... Derby Lane, the city's greyhound racetrack, will get a new card room as part of $2.5 million in renovations.

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center.(TAMPA)
October 1, 2008... U.S. News & World Report has ranked H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center as the 16th-best cancer hospital in the country.

Saddlebrook Resort owner Tom Dempsey.(WESLEY CHAPEL)
October 1, 2008... Pasco County's Tourist Development Council has voted to partner with the Saddlebrook Resort owner Tom Dempsey to manage the county's planned $7.9-million, 5,000-seat tennis stadium, to be located on 24 acres next to Saddlebrook.