Florida Trend articles from September 2007

Florida Trend archives from September 2007

Nurture young professionals.(Corner Office)
September 1, 2007... In June, Forbes magazine published the "Best Cities For Young Professionals." Miami and Orlando came in at No. 32 and No. 35 respectively, mostly because of their low salary-to-cost-of-living ratio. Tampa was ranked No. 40 because of its low...

Med schools.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... While it was informative to read such a thorough article about the allopathic (M.D.) medical schools in Florida ["Med School Startups," July, FloridaTrend.com], no reference was made to the fact that there are two osteopathic (DO.) medical...

Kudos.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... I consider the July 2007 issue of FLORIDA TREND magazine to be the best I have read. There were articles of wide interest--all well-written and informative. The Editor's Page was also thought-provoking and very timely. I hope this issue marks a...

Correction.(Readers)(Correction notice)
September 1, 2007... Gregory J. Johansen's name was misspelled in July's Of Counsel.

Ocean drive original.(Executive Lifestyles: Historical Hangouts)(The Tides)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... An Art Deco classic, The Tides has presided over South Beach's Ocean Drive since 1936. The hotel, popular among celebrities and international travelers, was designed by Lawrence Murray Dixon, one of Miami's most prolific architects during the...

Speakeasy.(Lifestyles)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Roxy's Pub at 309 Clematis St. is the oldest bar in West Palm Beach, predating Prohibition. The 130-year-old establishment and former speakeasy has the distinction of acquiring the first liquor license in Palm Beach County after Prohibition was...

Island history.(Lifestyle)(Bimini Bay Resort)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Bahamian island of Bimini, a top spot for big-game fishing, is also host to a few historic sites that you may not be aware of, says local historian and author Ashley Saunders, whose family ties to Bimini date back to the island's original...

Beaming: UF institute offers proton therapy.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Prostate Cancer)
September 1, 2007... After a diagnosis of prostate cancer last year, 68-year-old Charles Cook sought out prostate cancer survivors and investigated many kinds of surgery and radiation treatments. From one of his neighbors at The Villages, he heard about proton...

Fat chance.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Prostate Cancer)
September 1, 2007... Doctors are zeroing in on another reason for men to avoid a fatty diet: Prostate cancer. Dr. Mark Soloway, chairman of the urology department at the University of Miami School of Medicine, says medical researchers haven't proved the link...

By the numbers.(Health)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... > 218,890--Projected number of new cases of prostate cancer this year in the United States > 27,050--Projected number of deaths from prostate cancer this year in the United States > 2,117--Number of Floridians who died from prostate...

Exec-minded.(Executive Lifestyles: Travel: Business and Leisure)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Bag Point Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Panama City Beach is one of the few Marriotts in Florida with rooms designed specifically for executives. Rooms feature a movable desk and a flatscreen TV that uses splitscreen technology to double as a...

An online hit.(Executive Lifestyles: Travel: Business and Leisure)(Panama City Beach )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Known for its white-sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay, Panama City Beach ranked among top three beaches nationwide most researched by potential visitors, according to Yahoo! Buzz, a division of the online search engine...

Travel gadget.(Executive Lifestyles: Travel: Business and Leisure)
September 1, 2007... SideWinder Charger istdesigns.com $24.95 Manually charge a cell phone battery without an electrical outlet or car lighter by using the hand crank on the 2.5-ounce device. Two to three minutes of cranking provides six minutes of talk time or...

400-foot-tall rotating observation wheel.(Attractions)
September 1, 2007... Singapore-based Great Wheel Corp. plans a 2009 opening for a 400-foot-tall rotating observation wheel on International Drive that can hold 960 visitors in a half-hour ride in airconditioned pods.

Top 10 family friendly beaches.(Attractions)
September 1, 2007... Bowman's Beach on Sanibel Island and Bathtub Beach in Stuart have been named among the top 10 family friendly beaches in North America by TripAdvisor.com.

Marriott Vacation Club.(Hotels/Resorts)
September 1, 2007... Marriott Vacation Club is building a resort on Marco Island set to open in 2009 with 219 villas.

Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront.(Hotels/Resorts)
September 1, 2007... Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront has applied to be the first hotel in the city certified as "green" through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Peabody Orlando.(Hotels/Resorts)
September 1, 2007... The Peabody Orlando plans to break ground this fall on a long-planned 750room expansion that will double the capacity of the International Drive hotel near the Orange County Convention Center.

Grosvenor Resort.(Hotels/Resorts)
September 1, 2007... The Grosvenor Resort near Downtown Disney is set to wrap up $25 million in renovations this month on the 626-room property.

Online group booking tool.(Hotels/Resorts)
September 1, 2007... Hilton has launched an online group booking tool, e-Events, which lets event organizers reserve guest rooms, meeting spaces, food/beverage and audio-visual equipment over the internet up to a year in advance.

Renovations fit for the ritz.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)(Ritz Carlton Hotel Company L.L.C.)
September 1, 2007... > Ritz-Carlton 4750 Amelia Island Parkway, Amelia Island 904/277-1100 > 100 S Ocean Blvd., Manalapan 561/533-600, ritzcarlton.com "Putting on the Ritz" has been so successful for the Florida links in the golden chain that the company...

Wine & spirits.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)
September 1, 2007... WHITE Clos du Bois Chardonnay 2004 California $9 Hints of pear and apple balanced with a suggestion of vanilla. RED Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2004 Australia $10 An excellent example of the...

Tolf's picks.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)(Tampa Jasmine Thai)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... TAMPA Jasmine Thai 13248 N. Dale Mabry 813/968-1501 Devoted staff diligently follows the strictures of fresh, be it cilantro, chilies, lemongrass, mint or the vegetables in the masaman and panang curries--some of the best Thai tastes...

Mary Ann Carroll.(Icon)(information about her work and life)(Personal account)
September 1, 2007... (Florida Highwaymen painter, 68) > I met Harold Newton by the road in Fort Pierce. He was one of the first Highwaymen. It was his car that attracted my eye. There were flames painted on it. He did that for attention. He told me what he did,...

Big fish.(Trendsetters: Environment / Engineering)
September 1, 2007... A native of upstate New York, where his family had farmed for six generations, Steve Miller came to Orlando in 1964 as a teenager with his family to get his father, a disabled Marine veteran of World War II, out of the cold. "It was a Huck...

Harvesting the land.(Trendsetters: Environment / Engineering)(Loretta Cockrum of Foram Group Inc.)(Occupation overview)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... In the develop-it, sell-it and forget-it world of Florida real estate, Brickell Financial Centre developer Loretta Cockrum is unusual. For 17 years, her Foram Group, more an investment manager than a developer, held the Miami land on which...

Fast lane.(Trendsetters: Environment / Engineering)(HNTB Corp. looks into transport development)
September 1, 2007... Maybe it's genetic. As the son of a highway engineer in New Jersey, Jack Finn saw lots of roadway construction. Now at 51, he's head of the national toll way practice for HNTB, the same Kansas City-based firm for which his father worked. ...

The highland life.(Trendsetters: Environment / Engineering)(career of Jennifer Porter Boyle Engineering Corp.)(Occupation overview)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Those summer career-exploration opportunities for high school students really work. Aspiring architect Jennifer Porter went as a high school junior to the University of Florida for a summer class in the field. She found that architecture didn't...

All bets are off: increased competition is raising the stakes for pari-mutuels.(GAMBLING)(allowing slot machines in florida)
September 1, 2007... Miami-Dade County voters will decide in January whether to allow Vegas-style slot machines there. The Seminoles are poised to expand their impressive gambling operation. Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming's Dania Jai-Alai in Broward County expects to...

Play dough.(Statewide)
September 1, 2007... Investment in University Research 2005 2006 Patents issued to Florida 132 156 university researchers Licenses 321 337 Licensing income $43.3...

Investment boost.(RESEARCH)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Public and private investment in research at Florida's major universities totaled more than $1 .6 billion in 2006, according to a survey by the technology transfer directors of 13 Florida research universities coordinated through the Technology...

Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development.(Players)
September 1, 2007... Gov Charlie Crist has appointed Brice Harris military defense coordinator with the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. Harris previously was CO0 of Pensacola-based Ceryph.

Film Florida.(Players)
September 1, 2007... Graham Winick has been appointed president of Film Florida.

Floridians for Smarter Growth.(Players)
September 1, 2007... Ryan Houck, former community relations liaison for Lynx transportation authority in Orlando, has been named political director for Floridians for Smarter Growth, a statewide campaign committee that opposes constitutional amendments. He will...

Florida wages.(Statewide)
September 1, 2007... $11.14 Median wage in 1979 (84.9% of U.S. median) $11.55 Median wage in 1990 (88% of U.S. median) $13.42 Median wage in 2005 (94.3% of U.S. median) Source: Research Institute for Social and Economic Policy at the Center for Labor...

The biggest.(MINORITY BUSINESS)
September 1, 2007... Eleven Florida businesses are among the 275 biggest black-owned companies nationwide, according to Black Enterprise magazine. Orlando-based Boyland Auto Group ranks No. 4 among auto dealers; Coral Gables-based Peebles Corp. ranks No. 13 among...

Selling sunshine.(BRANDING)
September 1, 2007... Florida is one of the most famous brands in the world, according to a survey of attitudes about U.S. states by The Anholt Brands Index. The survey covered 9,000 Americans and 12,000 foreigners. In response to the question "Where do you want to...

The case against incentives.(ENTERPRISE ZONES)(job creation)
September 1, 2007... What is Miami-Dade getting in return for public-money incentives to private businesses? Very little, according to a report by Florida International University. Based on data from the Office of Community and Economic Development, FIU...

Carnival Cruise Lines.(Players)
September 1, 2007... Gerry Cahill, executive vice president and CFO of Carnival Corp., has been named president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines. He replaces Bob Dickinson, who will retire at year end. Dickinson will remain on Carnival's board. Carnival also...

SunTrust Banks.(Players)
September 1, 2007... Robert "Bob" Coords has retired as chief risk officer for SunTrust Banks. Coords was chairman and CEO of SunTrust Bank in Miami in 1990 and became chairman and CEO of SunTrust Bank/South Florida in 1996.

Terremark Worldwide.(Players)
September 1, 2007... Marvin Wheeler, COO at Terremark Worldwide, has been named president of the company's U.S commercial business unit, a newly created position. He will remain COO. The company has also hired Agustin Abalo to fill the newly created position of...

Watsco Inc.(COCONUT GROVE)
September 1, 2007... Watsco Inc. (NYSE-WSO) will acquire Houston-based ACR Group in a cash deal valued at $6.75 per share. With annual sales of $240 million, ACR is one of the largest distributors of air-conditioning and heating products in the U.S. Watsco will...

County Inn & Suites By Carlson.(KENDALL)
September 1, 2007... Minnesota-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide has opened a Country Inn & Suites By Carlson with 97 rooms in the Kendall section of southwest Miami.

Top 10 dog-friendly resort regions".(KEY WEST)
September 1, 2007... DogFriendly.com ranked Key West fourth on its 2007 list of "Top 10 dog-friendly resort regions" in the U.S., based on the availability of parks, beaches, restaurants and accommodations for travelers and their pets. Portland, Maine, ranked...

Airgroup Corp.(MIAMI)(expanding operation in Miami)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Airgroup Corp., a subsidiary of Radiant Logistics, a domestic and global logistics services company, will expand its North American operations by launching international gateway services in Miami. The new Airgroup-MIA office will offer domestic...

Martino Tire.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2007... American Tire Distributors of Charlotte, N.C., is buying the wholesale distribution centers of Miami-based Martino Tire, which has five wholesale locations--Miami, Pompano Beach, Fort Myers, Tampa and Daytona Beach. Martino Tire's 27 retail...

Nelson Valdes.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2007... A federal jury in Miami convicted Nelson Valdes, owner of Florida Pharmacy, of participating in a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud scheme.

Opko Health.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2007... Opko Health (AMEXOPK) has begun phase three trials of Bevasiranib, a drug designed to prevent vision loss and to stop the growth of lesions in the retina.

Total Bancshares.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2007... Banco Popular Espanol bought Miami-based Total Bancshares for $300 million. Total Bancshares adds $1.4 billion in assets to the $120-billion asset Madrid bank.

XChange Communications.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2007... XChange Communications, a telecommunications company based in Miami, has acquired Reliable Telecard and INTC Communications, prepaid telephone card companies.

X-Ray Equipment Co.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2007... The U.S. Labor Department has ordered X-Ray Equipment Co. to pay $1.2 million plus interest to the company's profit sharing retirement plan. The department also removed the company, which is facing allegations of mismanagement, from its...

Lazaro Uvina Salazar.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2007... Lazaro Uvina Salazar, owner of Miami-based MV Research, a medical equipment company, pleaded guilty to filing more than $2 million in fraudulent bills to Medicare.

Carnival Center for the Performing Arts.(MIAMI-DADE COUNTY)
September 1, 2007... The County Commission unanimously approved an additional $4.1 million to cover greater-than-anticipated operating costs for the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts.

Monroe County School District's self-insurance healthcare program.(MONROE COUNTY)
September 1, 2007... In an effort to maintain the solvency of the Monroe County School District's self-insurance healthcare program and cover a possible shortfall of $1.6 million, the school board voted for a 15% hike in insurance payments. The board will cover...

Permit-ready.(COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE)(Martin County's industrial park)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Martin County shows signs that it's loosening strictures on commercial development. Five new industrial parks in the traditionally development-averse county are now either seeking approval or vying for clients. The Indiantown Commerce &...

BioQuest Technologies.(Players)
September 1, 2007... BioQuest Technologies selected Arne Rotne II as its president and CEO. Rotne was director of new product development at Blue Star Food Products before joining the Jupiter-based antimicrobial product developer.

Fort Lauderdale's Premier Aircraft Sales.(Players)
September 1, 2007... Fort Lauderdale's Premier Aircraft Sales has named David M. Pomerance COO. Pomerance previously was general partner of Martin Magnetic Imaging in Stuart and CEO of Lake Mary-based Dynamic Healthcare Technologies.

First Southern Bank.(Players)
September 1, 2007... Boca Raton-based First Southern Bank has appointed Franklin Burnside president and CEO. Burnside previously held several executive positions at Citibank. He succeeds Peter Mottek, who plans to return to international banking at a European...

JM Family Enterprises.(Players)
September 1, 2007... JM Family Enterprises, based in Deerfield Beach, has promoted Forrest Heathcott to president of JM&A Group and executive vice president of JM Family Enterprises.

Bank of Florida.(Players)
September 1, 2007... Naples-based Bank of Florida has named Jorge H. Garcia, founder and CEO of architecture firm Garcia Stromberg, Palm Beach County chairman.

Calling it quits.(DIVORCE)
September 1, 2007... Lauderhill has the highest rate of divorce among all adults. The percentage who are divorced in four south Florida cities and the national rate: Divorce Rates Location Rate Lauderhill 18% Deerfield Beach ...

Investing in South Florida.(VENTURE CAPITAL)
September 1, 2007... Venture capitalists invested 50% more in south Florida companies in the second quarter of 2007 than they did in the year-earlier period. > $37.6 million--south Florida deal volume in second quarter of 2007 > $64.2 million--deal volume...

Smart for Life Weight Management Center.(BOCA RATON)
September 1, 2007... Smart for Life Weight Management Centers, a "cookie diet" franchisor with 36 locations in the U.S. and Canada, plans to open 17 outlets by the end of the year while defending against a lawsuit over the use of the term "cookie diet."

Sun Capital Partners.(BOCA RATON)
September 1, 2007... Sun Capital Partners has acquired 75% of the Limited Brands' clothing chain. Terms were undisclosed. The Ohio-based retailer owns Victoria's Secret, The Limited and Bath & Body Works.

Florida Health Plan Admistrators.(BOCA RATON)
September 1, 2007... Bethesda, Md.-based Coventry Health Care is buying Florida Health Plan Administrators, the parent of Vista Healthplan, for $685 million.

West Boca Chamber of Commerce.(BOCA RATON)
September 1, 2007... A group of executives has launched the West Boca Chamber of Commerce to serve areas west of Florida's Turnpike, from the Broward county line north to the Delray Beach city limits. Chrissy Piazza of Re/Max Advantage Plus will be chairwoman.

ScriptLogic.(BOCA RATON)
September 1, 2007... Irvine, Calif.-based Quest Software has acquired computer administration software maker ScriptLogic in a $90-million cash deal.

Broward Bank of Commerce.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
September 1, 2007... Veteran banker Keith Costello, Miami Dolphins player Ronnie Brown and E. Clay Shaw are planning to start Broward Bank of Commerce downtown.

New River Dry Dock.(FORT LAUDERDALE)(Steve Israel and Strategic Capital Partners purchased marine facilities)
September 1, 2007... A joint venture of New York marine operator Steve Israel and Chicago-based private investment fund Strategic Capital Partners has purchased New River Dry Dock. One of the area's oldest marine facilities, the six-acre site will be renamed Marine...

Riverside Hotel.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
September 1, 2007... The Riverside Hotel is planning a 135-room addition that could also more than double retail space at the Las Olas Boulevard property.

Spirit Airlines.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
September 1, 2007... Spirit Airlines will start daily nonstop flights to Ponce, Puerto Rico, from Fort Lauderdale beginning Nov. 1. Ponce is the island's second-largest city.

Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
September 1, 2007... The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale is launching two new degree programs: A bachelor's in photography, an extension of its longstanding one-year diploma, and an associate's in baking and pastry.

Inkeepers USA.(PALM BEACH)
September 1, 2007... Innkeepers USA's shareholders approved the $1.5-billion sale of the hotel real estate investment trust to New York City-based Grand Prix Holdings, an affiliate of Apollo Investment Corp.

Foundation for the Advancement of Cardiac Therapies.(PALM BEACH GARDENS)
September 1, 2007... The Foundation for the Advancement of Cardiac Therapies decided not to build a $20-million cardiac research institute. The Jupiter-based non-profit instead will focus on its program to reduce childhood obesity.

Midtown.(PALM BEACH GARDENS)
September 1, 2007... Five new restaurants are planned for Midtown, a village-like, mixed-use community, in the next few months. A Mexican diner, a quick casual salad and sandwich shop, a contemporary fine-dining establishment and a Japanese restaurant are among the...

Stuart Towne Center.(STUART)
September 1, 2007... Belk Inc., Barnes & Noble, Talbot's, Coldwater Creek and J. Jill have signed leases with Stuart Towne Center. The 320,000-sq.-ft. center, which is now about 75% leased, is scheduled to open by October 2008.

Stuart Key Developers.(STUART)
September 1, 2007... Lake Park-based Stuart Key Developers is planning a $27-million professional center on 20 acres.

Oculina Bank.(TREASURE COAST)
September 1, 2007... Oculina Bank has hired Bill Casey and Chris Russell to launch six or seven branches in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties by the end of 2008. The Fort Pierce-based bank with $60 million in assets specializes in small-business loans.

The Treasure Coast Building Association is launching a Green Building Council to educate local builders.(TREASURE COAST)
September 1, 2007... The Treasure Coast Building Association is launching a Green Building Council to educate local builders about green practices.

Palm Beach Furniture & Accessory Market.(WEST PALM BEACH)
September 1, 2007... The Palm Beach Furniture & Accessory Market debuts in November. The 500-exhibitor show is expected to add between $4 million and $6 million to the regional economy.

Mayor Eric Hersh is suing to block the Jan. 29 special election ballot on property tax reform and invalidate recent legislation that offers tax breaks to homeowners.(WESTON)
September 1, 2007... Mayor Eric Hersh is suing to block the Jan. 29 special election ballot on property tax reform and invalidate recent legislation that offers tax breaks to homeowners. Hersh contends that the reforms are not legal are misleading and are not in...

Numbers game.(GROWTH)(real estate industry in Port Charlotte, Florida)
September 1, 2007... Two years ago, amid the real estate frenzy, lots in North Port sold like hot-cakes, and homes sprouted by the score. Located off I-75 just north of Port Charlotte, the city had encouraged growth with low impact fees and taxes. In 2005, it...

Health Management Associates.(Players)
September 1, 2007... Health Management Associates named Kelly Curry executive vice president and COO. Curry had been a consultant to HMA and served as the company's CFO from 1 987 to 1994.

McGarvey Development Co.(Players)
September 1, 2007... James DeCuzzi has joined McGarvey Development Co. in Fort Myers as COO. He replaces Bill Price, who is now asset manager.