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Vol. 14 No. 19 Thursday, July 11, 2002 NewsObserver@netscape.net
Ground breaking for new police museum draws throngs of supporters
By BOB SOCKS
The facility will also bring with it 40 new jobs with several executives moving to the area from Miami. The facility is scheduled to open in the spring of next y ear, and is located just west of the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Other local dignitaries attending were: State Rep. Bob Allen; wife of State Rep. Tom Feeney who is campaigning for the new 24th House District; Corkie Fields, assistant to Sen. Howard Futch; Mayor Ron Swank; Vice-Mayor Jeff Rainey, City Manger Tom Harmer and his wife Dede; and Canaveral Port Commissioner Ray Sharkey. Speakers spoke glowingly and positively about the efforts involved leading to the decision in the relocation process. "This is a great day for Titusville, and shows what teamwork within the community can do," said Walt Johnson. Developer Michael Gaich added his comments saying that Titusville "is the city of the future," and was happy for what today brings. However, Ray Sharkey was more pragmatic, saying "This will bring more jobs and put the spotlight on Titusville." He also opined that the project would lift moral and (should) bring lots of business to Titusville.
City welcomes renters for moderately priced gated community
By BOB SOCKS
This project consists of 160 units; 128 two-bedroom and 32 three bedroom apartments for those who qualify due to income levels. What is interesting about these apartments is that they are not - I say not, subsidized. They are privately owned by the developer, Landmark Companies, and pay taxes to the city. The complex will be gated, maintained by the developer for 50 years, will have a pool, clubhouse, computer room, and classes will be offered to the residents in financial planning, computer, and other areas where residents require help. So how does the developer make his money? They get tax credits for building to low and medium income families. That's it. Period. Incidentally, this is the first multi-family apartment project to be built in Titusville in more than 10 years. Receiving special recognition at the ground breaking were the following; Marie Engblom, CDBG coordinator for the City of Titusville for her spearheading of the project; City Manager Tom Harmer, Mayor Ron Swank and the entire city council for their support; City Planner Randy Stevenson, and Janet Elrod and Rod Honeycutt for their engineering services. This project has taken over four years for various approvals to arrive at this phase. Valued at $12 million dollars, the project should be completed by the end of this year.
Help researchers track manatee's movement
From STAFF REPORTS
Downtown street party proves people will come out for events
From STAFF REPORTS
The Southern Room, a local bistro that has been a mainstay of the area for more than 35 years was jamming. Of course it's also the only watering hole downtown close to the action. The karaoke was loud and the atmosphere was exuberant. It was also party time at Kloiber's Restaurant (recently given a rave review by Florida Today Dining Out reporter Carol Jose in the recent TGIF magazine) whose food larder was depleted quickly when they set up sidewalk tables for convenience. One antique store did more business that one evening than they normally did in the entire month of June. Visitors also looked over the new chocolate shop, as well as a new art gallery, both located in newly remodeled store fronts in the historic Walker Hotel, both owned by the Davis family who have invested a considerable amount of money in the downtown area. By 10 a.m. everyone as tired as merchants rolled back the carpet and everyone took a needed breather - customers and owners alike. I have a suggestion. If the downtown area conducted a party every month (instead of quarterly ) ... perhaps on the last Friday of the month and the word gets out that it's a "good time" suitable for families and friends, it would not be long before at least two or more streets might have to be closed to vehicular traffic. Several bands could play simultaneously in the different areas and thousands, not hundreds, would make their way downtown. I believe that over time major changes will take place. If you would like to see a monthly downtown celebration party I suggest you call your councilmember and let them know how you feel......
The power of thinking negativelyOP-EDI could not help but to chuckle over something I remembered after absorbing all of the news about all the rotten apples in the American corporate pie. It concerned a certain philosophy some of us had several years ago - particularly when serving local government. Today it blows my mind when we espoused the political mantra that government should be run like a business. Some of us (although I had my doubts having worked for some crooks in my time) really believed that many city services should be considered for privatization.We also believed that bonuses of some type would be in order for hired city guns to approve efficiency, never considering that avarice and greed might come into play and prove our whole theory a bunch of horse manure. In fact, I particularly recall during one interview listening to people say that local government could not be run like a business at all, and gave me some pretty good reasons why. One of them is now clear. By various incentives and bonuses, stock options, market price, we could be creating crooks of honest men and women by dangling bait in front of them. Tax paying citizens are essentially the investors and stockholders of their city and don't need to be treated like stockholders of Enron, WorldCom and the other dozen companies going down the tube and other scandals yet to be unearthed. Come to think of it there was one particular person I served with who was one of the major promoters of privatization of some (or all of) city services. I now wonder if she still believes government should be "run like a business?" No, I think I've discovered that the secret for eternal optimism is negativity. Not necessarily withdrawal, but a healthy skepticism is appropriate. For example, I know there are many people who do things much better than I - like golf, for instance. Although one day a few weeks ago a shot 11 pars and had a bird out of a sand bunker on one hole, I know that I can't perform this feat all the time. I don't suffer depression as a result. That's all behind me at my age. Just driving to the tee boxes gives me a thrill. When I now do something badly all I'm going to think about is the larger number of people who could have done worse. I'm going to concentrate on the people who are worse than me and forget about the rest of them. Recently I read that almost 15 percent of people can't read or write. So now when I worry about how inadequate my writing is I'm going to think of the illiterates. I know I can write better then them. Another example is that I enjoy cooking and think I do it well. Usually I'm flattered when people leave my house without heartburn. However, when I shop at Petty's Meat Market down in Melbourne and try some of their items at home I'm ready to quit the kitchen. These people are really good cooks. I realize that I'm a mediocre cook with high ambitions and no real talent. I'm through comparing myself with gourmets and master chefs. However, when I peer into peoples shopping cart at the store, filled with junk food, sugar-coated cereal, frozen tarts and non-kosher brand X hot dogs made with turkey, liver, unidentified pork droppings, and some of those cheap TV dinners, by comparison to them I think I'm Craig Claiborne or that finky, cheap, obnoxious Julia Childs. Like on the golf course, which while not a joke, I watch some of the seniors on the tour slam the ball 300 yards, while I, on the other hand, although in the middle of the fairway, can rarely achieve over 220 yards from the tee box. My golf score next to Tiger Woods is what Einstein's mathematics is to my arithmetic. But I don't complain, because with my new theory of negative thinking I'm not going to watch them anymore but to concentrate on those guys who play golf worse than I do. And there are legions of them. In fact, I believe there are some well known old professional players than I can beat up within 100 yards of the green. If there was a national ranking for people over the age of 70 I'm sure I could compete. and I can sure as hell hit the ball off the tee longer than Sam Sneed did before he died. If there was a ranking of men over 70, shrinking to under five foot 9, weighing under 135 pounds, half crippled, sick and tired, nauseated and cranky I bet that I'd be in the top 25. Maybe the top 10. All of us should start thinking about all those who do things worse than we do. The whole country is filled with them who we should measure our own achievements. If we want to feel better that is. Strawberry has lost its taste after recent news item about fellow columnistOne morning last week I awoke about midnight, reached into the frig and decided to prepare a small strawberry shortcake with the fruit, topping and shell I found. About two hours later I fell asleep, contented.The following morning I came alive with the following news that John McAleenan, who writes a biweekly column (as I do for the News Observer) for all the Florida Today weekly newspapers diagnosed with acute leukemia. Treatment, including chemotherapy, has already begun. I only met John a few times in the pursuit of our jobs and never knew him well, other than what I learned from his columns. I always believed that we must have had a similar background, experiences in our businesses that would lead to laughter, and some sadness. I'm certain we've both engaged in some harmful pursuits that may have shortened our life. John wrote that in over a month he lost his voice, considerable weight, much energy and his body played host to a collection of lingering infections. I know what he's talking about. I'm going through a similar medical situation, although it has been diagnosed a bit differently - but with the same eventual result. While I've been aware of my condition for a couple of years, I know what a shock it must of been for John when he found himself in the oncology unit instead of being discharged with a positive diagnoses and being treated with antibiotics. John, after being diagnosed said he thought of the "strawberry" story. I won't repeat the whole story but you can get a copy of his column that appeared in the July 3 issue of the Star-Advocate in the op-ed page. It contains a message about a monk about to be eaten by a tiger that pretty much sums up how John thinks of his future journey. During his absence from the office he intends to continue to write his column from either the hospital or his home. I do know that he'll have plenty to write about because by being home he will have the time to remember things, and to explore subjects he would have never thought about approaching otherwise. But then there will be times when he finds himself incapable of summoning the energy to write his name. When I stopped by the hospital to see him one morning last week after seeing my own oncologist, I found they had no record of him. I learned later that I visited the wrong hospital and that he was at Holmes, not Wuesthoff where I believed. If I do talk to him I'll give him the same advice I gave myself: Keep doing the things you love; in my case playing golf and writing - in his , surfing and writing - as long as you are able to with minimal pain. Anyone who lies down and dies without a fight and stops doing the things they love ahead of time makes a terrible mistake. Like eating that last strawberry, John McAleenan ......... I know what you're saying man. Just keep juking and jiving as long as God lets you. See you in cheeseburger paradise you old hippie....
By BOB SOCKS The average investorWith the stock market in the doldrums, just who are these people they call investors?The average investor:
*multiple responses included because Hispanics can be on any race SOURCE: Investment Company Institute & Security Industry Association. Titusville Business License Report: June 2002Total business licenses issued - 28. Breakdown as follows:
History MakingKennedy Space Center awarded a two-year contract to two prominent historians and authors—Dr. Kenneth Lipartito and Dr. Orville Butler – to write the history of the space center.Lipartito is chair of the department of history at Florida International University and author of three Books. Butler is an independent scholar from Auburn, Washington, and author of a book on the history of telecommunication manufacturing. The new text will be the first ma jor work to document the center's history since 1976, when MOONPORT: A History of APOLLO launch facilities and Operations was published. KSC is 40 years old this year. Real estate transactions
Port Canaveral newsNorwegian Dawn to make regular calls at Port in 2003.The Dawn, which wil1 be homeported in New York from May through October, will offer seven-day, round-trip cruises calling on four ports in the Bahamas, and Florida, She will be the only ship sailing from New York to the Bahamas that will also offer stops in Florida. Passengers wil1 have a full day at Port Canaveral to enjoy attractions, shopping, restaurants and the beach. The ship also will take on passengers at the Port for the remainder of the cruise, which includes stops in Miami, Nassau and the cruise line's private island, Great Stirrup Cay. The Norwegian Dawn will be a luxurious vessel accommodating 2,240 passengers. Local tourism officials expect the addition of the new ship to boost area businesses. How is tourism doing so far this year?
Florida Tourism Economic Indicators:
Welcome Center April/May 2002 visitations
Strictly my opinionMy crystal ball on the stock market, projected at the end of last year is way off the mark and I apologize to all my investor friends, who listened to my procrastinations. For your information, according to the Federal Reserve Board, total household wealth in the United States, adjusted for inflation, fel1 12.3 percent from the first quarter of 2000 to its most recent low in the third quarter of 2001—a drop of more than $4 trillion, that's 12 zeros behind the 4. Our national debt is only $6 trillion, and that's taken decades to build up. Anyway, stick with it for the bull is beginning to snort.Where is the $35 million dollar lotto winner? No one has come forward with the winning ticket. That leads me to think that a tourist may have purchased the ticket and it may never be cashed in. Based on calculations on interest rates, at 5% on the cash value of the $35 million dollar ticket tells me the ticket holder is losing $2,602.73 a day in interest only. Cash it in. Economic development in Titusville has been incredible the past two weeks. By my calculations, $39 million in transactions have taken place since June 20th. Knight's Enterprises-$20 million, Park Apartments-$12 million, Police Hall of Fame-$5 million, Kids Kingdom-$1 million.
Quote of the Week
Beat the heat at Coastal Glass & Tint with $10 off for any complete auto tint.
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