Newspaper Clips - Monday, January 5, 2009

Break the Time Barrier at Family Fun Afternoon at Heritage Village
(East Lake Blister © 01/05/2009)
By East Lake Blister Staff Published Jan 05, 2009 Families, individuals, educators and community organizations will have a blast exploring the past at a free, fun afternoon on Saturday, Jan. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Heritage Village. The community will get connected with the past while learning about programs for children, adul

Disney and Goliath
(Florida Times-Union © 01/05/2009)
 Safari Todd -- the professional name that Todd Drever goes by -- gave us a tour of Jungle Adventures, starting of course with Swampy.  If you're driving west from Titusville on SR 50, you can't miss Swampy. He's on the north side of four-lane road, shortly before the sign that says you've entered a town called Christmas.  And, to me, the most surprising part about Swampy isn't that

Shuttle replica re-launches city pride
(Florida Today © 01/05/2009) (Registration Required)
CAPE CANAVERAL -- A shuttle replica stood outside City Hall as a landmark, a tourist beacon and a backdrop for television reports for more than 15 years -- until time, weather and vandals wrecked it more than six years ago. Now, it's back. The city is completing the installation of a new 15-foot-long fiberglass model of the shuttle in front of City Hall. "We're just thrilled that it's back," ci

Event: Our Body: The Universe Within
(Florida Trend © 01/05/2009)
“Our Body: The Universe Within’’ featuring nine polymer-preserved human bodies and 75 organs, opens Jan. 17 at Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science in Tallahassee. The exhibit displays the art and complexities of the human anatomy. The Brogan showing, the exhibit’s first in northwest Florida, will run through May 25. Admission ranges from $12 to $24, plus $5 extra for an audio guide. Information: t

Florida CEO Trends Survey Analysis: Challenges Ahead
(Florida Trend © 01/05/2009)
Findings from this year’s Florida CEO Trends survey confirm that 2008 was a difficult year for Florida’s economy. Many of the chief executive officers of Florida’s largest corporations say 2009 may be just as bad. They expect the U.S. economy to deteriorate in the year ahead and Florida’s economic growth to be hampered by the national economy, a soft housing market and the global financial squeeze

Gulf Drilling Endorsement -- with Strings
(Florida Trend © 01/05/2009)
The Florida Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus has endorsed state and federal energy policies allowing production of oil and natural gas from existing leases at least 30 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, if certain conditions are imposed by lawmakers. Those conditions: Make offshore drilling part of a comprehensive energy policy dedicated to reducing America’s dependence on foreign

Lowry Park Zoo Moves On Despite Controversy
(Florida Trend © 01/05/2009)
Lowry Park Zoo Moves On Despite Controversy By Art Levy - 1/1/2009 The zoo’s $4.5-million, 17,000-sq.-ft. Safari Lodge opened in December amid controversy surrounding Lex Salisbury. Lex Salisbury, the longtime leader of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, gets a lot of the credit for helping the zoo evolve from one of the worst in the nation 20 years ago to one of the best. But Salisbury, embroiled in

Miami-Dade Business Briefs - Jan. 2009
(Florida Trend © 01/05/2009)
Miami-Dade Business Briefs - Jan. 2009 By Rochelle Broder-Singer - 1/1/2009 Aventura — Miami-based Ocean Bank will have a receiver take over the 438-unit Terzetto at Aventura after Merco Group indicated it could not finish the development. » Real estate developer Turnberry is partnering with Miami-based Group 24 to develop a $300-million, 40-story condominium in San Francisco called Turnber

Southwest Florida & Tampa Bay Business Briefs - Jan. 2009
(Florida Trend © 01/05/2009)
Dade City— Pasco County native Patsy Nathe, co-owner of R.J. Nathe and Sons Logging and Tall Timber Cattle and Grove, has won the state’s 2008 “woman of the year in agriculture” award. ? Dunedin — The Florida League of Cities gave Dunedin its top award for 2008, naming it a “Florida city of excellence.” ? Lakeland — Gtech Printing plans to open an instant-ticket printing facility this

Tourism 2009
(Florida Trend © 01/05/2009)
An economic slowdown, a drop in consumer and corporate confidence and reduced airline capacity have combined to create the most challenging business environment the tourism industry has faced since just after the 2001 terrorist attacks. “I think people are just very skittish and very afraid to make a lot of travel plans and do a lot of travel with the uncertainty of the economy,” says Paul Cato

Gators soak up South Florida atmosphere
(Gainesville Sun © 01/05/2009) (Registration Required)
MIAMI - As Jason Watkins, a 6-foot-6, 310-pound football player, walked down the grand steps at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, he paused for a moment to gaze at the aqua blue Atlantic going on forever under a partly cloudy sky. With a look of wonder on his face, the big man from Lakeland raised his cell phone and snapped a picture. He and the other University of Florida players and coa

Road to Victory Military Museum will debut in Stuart this weekend : TCPalm.com
(Jupiter Courier © 01/05/2009)
STUART — A new museum dedicated to preserving the memory of America's modern military history is scheduled to open this weekend with the sights and sounds of war re-enacted in the comfort and safety of Memorial Park. On Saturday and Sunday, the Road to Victory Military Museum will celebrate its grand opening with exhibits of military artifacts and memorabilia and re-enactments at its locatio

Confederate sub slow to surrender secrets; Scientists hope crusted hull will solve mystery
(Minneapolis Star Tribune © 01/05/2009)
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - It could be one of the nation's oldest cold case files: What happened to eight Confederate sailors aboard the H.L. Hunley after it became the first submarine in history to sink an enemy warship? Their hand-cranked sub rammed a spar with black powder into the Union blockade ship Housatonic off Charleston on a chilly winter night in 1864 but never returned. Its fate

Key West wants to tinker with hotel tax
(Orlando Sentinel © 01/05/2009) (Registration Required)
A plan to let the Florida Keys spend a fraction of its hotel-tax collections building work-force housing has resurfaced in Tallahassee. A broad affordable housing bill filed last week in the Florida House of Representatives includes the provision, which is being pushed by housing activists and political leaders in Key West. The state currently prohibits counties from spending almost all of the

Costume ball, concert among Saturday events
(St. Augustine Record © 01/05/2009)
Saturday relive the old tradition of celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany with a costume ball at Government House. Participants must be dressed in 18th century costume of any nation, as well as bring one pot luck dish and wine, if so desired. Each attendee should also provide his or her own antique plate and eating utensils. Turkey, ham and punch will be served. Festivities begin at 7 p.m. Tick

Letter: Fountain's restoration model for 450th event
(St. Augustine Record © 01/05/2009)
Editor: I read with great interest your article in Friday's Record, "Sprucing up downtown," about my friend John Valdes and his decision, in partnership with other businessmen Wayne Ferrell, Duane Gilrie and Tim Wine, to restore one of the three remaining historic Flagler-era fountains. The fountains, including one behind the Lightner Museum and one near the downtown fire station on Malaga Street,

Newspaper rivals cooperate as jobs are cut
(St. Augustine Record © 01/05/2009)
NEW YORK -- Just a dozen years ago, newspapers on either side of Arlington, Texas, fought fiercely for every reader in the fast-growing city, spending millions of dollars to expand their staffs and cover the smallest meetings and sporting events. So it came as a surprise that The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram started sharing photos and concert reviews in November. But th

This time, Gasparilla and Super Bowl won't conflict
(St. Petersburg Times © 01/05/2009) (Registration Required)
TAMPA — Those naughty Gasparilla pirates and partiers. In 2001, they turned Tampa's Super Bowl weekend into a traffic nightmare, clogging the streets so badly on Saturday that people trying to get to NFL events were stuck in their hotels. "I was on the phone with some of the bus drivers and they were having a hard time getting downtown to get some of their clients," said Mike Witte, vice presi

Area hotels fill up fast as football fans book rooms
(St. Petersburg: WTSP (Ch. 10) © 01/05/2009)
Tampa, Florida -- The countdown begins today with only thirty days until the big day, when the Super Bowl comes to Raymond James Stadium, where preparations are already underway. A few miles from the stadium, the Tahitian Inn is ready to rumble. "We're fortunate to have the Super Bowl here at such a crucial time," said manager Hani Haddad. The Tahitian has newly renovated rooms that are spec

Spending Cuts Threaten Bay's Key Wildlife Refuge
(Tampa Tribune © 01/05/2009)
TAMPA - Geographically, Egmont Key is hardly significant; a speck of an island dwarfed by nearby Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. But Egmont's diverse wildlife, sandy beaches and rich history make the square-mile island one of the area's treasures. "I like to think of Egmont Key as being the jewel in Tampa Bay that most people don't know about," said Jim Spangler, president of the Egmont Key

Tourism industry busy convincing Canadians that Florida's still affordable
(Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel © 01/04/2009) (Registration Required)
By Doreen Hemlock South Florida Sun-Sentinel January 4, 2009 Winter is bearing down on Canada, but don't expect a surge in Canadian visitors to South Florida in the months to come. America's northern neighbor also is suffering from a recession, and its currency has lost val

Shopkeepers hope for snowbird post-holiday bump
(Lehigh News Star © 01/04/2009)
For the past couple of weeks, Great Clips employee Sara Curry has enjoyed the benefits of the holiday rush. Whether it be for Christmas or New Year's parties, customers streamed into the Cape Coral business for a new look. But now that the holiday spending season has come to a close, Curry, like most employees at area businesses, is hoping for a post-holiday snowbird surge to help av

Cape Coral looking to avoid holiday hangover
(Ft. Myers News-Press © 01/03/2009) (Registration Required)
For the past couple of weeks Great Clips employee Sara Curry has enjoyed the benefits of the holiday rush. Whether it be for Christmas or New Year's parties customers streamed in to the Cape Coral business for a new look. But now that the holiday spending season has come to a close, Curry, like most area businesses, is hoping for a post-holiday snowbird serge to help avoid a holiday hangover. ?