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Vol. 14 No. 32 Thursday, January 23, 2003 NewsObserver@netscape.net
Putting the Past on a Pedestal
By Scott Cook
Rocket supporters on track in rehabilitation efforts for Titan
By Fred Krupski
City Council grants tax breaks to two new firms
By Fred Krupski
Port sails beyond previous cruise passengers recordFrom STAFF REPORTSMore passengers sailed from Port Canaveral during 2002 than at any other time in the history of the world’s second busiest multi-day cruise port, an indication that the cruise industry is in economic recovery from the 9-11 terrorist attack. According to Port figures almost four million revenue passengers cruised from Port Canaveral between Oct. 1, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2002. This exceeds previous records in both those years and represents a one percent growth in 2000 and a 5.4 percent growth in 2001. The cruise industry at the Port has an $2l76 million economic impact on Central Florida, according to a 1999 economic impact study. “The biggest growth occurred in our longer cruise options with the influx of cruise lines offering a seven-day itineraries,” said Robert Giangrisostomi, Deputy Executive Director of Business Development for the Port Authority. “We have been very successful in our efforts to attract drive-market vacationers to the Port for the cruise lines to fill up their ships.” The Port has recovered from the loss of the two smaller cruise lines that went out of business two years ago. Last year’s income from cruise business totaled a record $22.7 million. Though a record year, the cargo operations at the Port have been affected by the sagging economy. It had a total cargo volume of 4,215,801 tons, down 7.7 percent over the previous high in 2001. Cargo related revenue is 14 percent of the Port’s total revenue while cruise revenue is 70 percent. The remaining 16 percent comes from leases and miscellaneous non-operating revenues. Several projects are on the agenda for this year, including refurbishing terminals and parking areas to accommodate continued growth of the cruise industry. New cruise line brings back two-day cruises: After a two-year absence, two-day cruises will return to the Port in March with the arrival of Ocean Club Cruises which will offer two and three day cruises to Key West and the Bahamas. The M/V Magic 1, which will be renamed when it arrives, is the first ship the cruise line will bring to the U.S. The vessel will accommodate nearly 900 passengers and will operate on Mon., Wed. and Fridays year-round. Ocean Club Cruises has already moved into its new headquarters at the Port. This line now operates with 35 employees but that number will increase to 100. This line fills the void left in the shorter cruise vacation market since the departure of Premier and Cape Canaveral Cruise Lines two years ago.
Historic Titusville Gets Proposed New Year’s Resolutions
By Scott Cook
“It’s a good idea,” Swank said. “If we are advertising, then we are talking about our economic development here.”
Catholic School week being celebrated at St. Teresa's
Catholic school week will be celebrated around the country from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1 and St. Teresa's has planned several activities around this year's theme; "Making a World of Difference."
Header - KaleidoscopeRemembering my unwilling participation in Vietnam protests in nation's capital A number of reader's recall my articles written over a dozen years ago concerning my arrest surrounding some county good old boy going's on over in Viera. I also wrote about my conflict with the cops at Oak Hill. And, I think I said I had been arrested twice.Technically, I was wrong. I forgot Washington, D.C. in 1969 when I jaywalked on Constitution Ave. and was mistaken for a war protester by cops because I was trying to push my way to the other side of the street through a throng of marching hippies and got stuck in the middle. I probably could have avoided the bust, which sent me and 800 others to the Armory for the night, had I dressed more like a nerd with black horned-rimmed glasses and worn a pocket protector in my shirt pocket. I remembered this today as a result of the national publicity given the current crop of peacenicks protesting President Bush's mideast policies. Constitution Avenue is very wide as you know so that negotiating it, even absent of traffic takes awhile. With a dozen marchers abreast and hundreds of rows of them I felt like a broken field runner being asked the question; "Why does a chicken cross the road?" This chicken was in the center of the parade when the DC cops converged and threw everyone into the big vans for a trip to the tank. Their guitars , beads ...and everything. In some cases, less than nothing. I was selected not because I knew the words to 'Hell no, we won't go,' or that other lyric to LBJ that I can't repeat, but because I wore a black leather coat, jack boots, and had a beard. I also had an attitude. We were told to disperse, but there was no place to disperse because everybody sat down and sang. I considered it rude to leave the concert. Also dangerous. Thinking back on that today and having to choose between the shortcut and walking up to 14th Street and circling back I south to the restaurant where I was meeting friends for lunch I would chose the latter route. Spending eight hours with 800 protesters wasn't a load of laughs. These people took their protest seriously. Also their pot. I hadn't seen so much smoke since the Chicago fire. The only good thing that came out of it was a few phone numbers I was given from some lovely ladies that lived in Georgetown. Incidentally, I was never really arrested in the strict sense of the word, because I was never actually booked. To accomplish that would have taken the cops at least a month. They just wanted the kids off the streets so that traffic could resume and the politicians could continue their shopping on F Street without being hasseled. My guess is that we will all see a lot more of this anti-war protest in the future, but nothing locally on a scale with our nations capital. There's no place like Washington. Photo tells the story better than words ...
A while ago I penned a column that dealt with the width of the streets in old downtown Philly. Several readers, who were reared in rural areas found it hard to believe. Well, seeing is believing. This photo taken of me by my brother on a recent trip was shot just a couple blocks away from my boyhood home but is almost identical to an early house on North 10th Street. As you can see by the span of my reach I wasn't exaggerating one bit. One car, one way, was all their was - and is 'till this day. As you can see we had zero lot lines and neighbors had no secrets. Don't look for decision from Augusta's Hootie this year - and other trivial pursuitsAugusta's Hootie Johnson will not bow down to Martha Burk this year. The boys will still be able to smoke, cuss and walk around in their birthday suit in the locker room with impunity.What also bothers me about Burk's quest to have a lady as a member is that nobody is saying a word about Pine Valley in New Jersey. Why doesn't her group attack all other courses that are 'men-only' and only pick on Augusta? I admired Helen Alfredson's remark, a respected pro golfer and member of LPGA who said this; "Men should have a right to do it, and women should have the right to have their private club too." Laura Davies, on the other hand, is sticking with Burk. I know a lot of guys don't look to jazzy in their golf attire but can you imagine Fat Laura in a bikini as part of your foresome? Between you, me and the fencepost I have yet to find a woman who objects to a group of boys (old ones) having their own club. It's all about the X and Y chromosomes and missing rib . I'm talking about those chinless members of the ultra liberal, zealous blowhard feminists. Martha Burk should take on serious issues ike equal pay and domestic abuse. More about another, if not ancient game. Last September I predicted that the Raiders and Eagles would be in the Superbowl . I was half right. This Sunday it will be the Raiders all right, but playing the Bucs instead. My last football prediction will be that the Raiders will be wearing the ring... Speaking of predictions.... Does anyone believe that Walkabout will ever open? I've played the course twice at the personal invitation of its manager, and was convinced it would be open by the end of last year. The other day I called to verify rumors I'd heard about a layoff of employees, but no one answered. My guess now is that the rehab of the rocket will happen faster than the opening of Walkabout. I just hope it wont have the fate of the Cougar. My prediction? I don't have any; except that I'm as perfect as I'm ever going to be, but I hope to rack up my third hole-in-one this year. I don't care at which course it happens but I suspect it will be at Willow Lake. I'm shooting well there lately and at my age my short game is about all I have left. Oh, and did area golfers know that the 18 hole layout north of Titusville on Carpenter Rd. has changed its name. Again! Initially Sherwood, then Bent Oak, then Space Coast National - it is again Sherwood Golf Club. Finally, on the subject of flog (golf spelled backward and more descriptive of the game) I found the putter of my dreams. At last. No kidding, it works and many pros are now using it. Made by Odyssey and called the "2-Ball" putter (pictured) it's strange looking but for any golfer with an alignment problem it will take strokes off your score. About two weeks ago I took 14 puts on the front 9 and l3 on the back, for a total of 27. I can't remember the last time, or ever, I putted under 30 for the round. Generally you figure on 36 puts a round if you 2- put every green. That 27 included a 45 foot chip in with a 3-wood and several one puts, but I've never putted so accurately and felt more confident about my line. Understand, it took me about 9 holes to gauge the length because of the putter's weight, but once you get the hang of it and buy one you'll thank me for it. And instead of paying the retail price of $169, I know of some knock-offs you can by for less than half that price. Once you try it you can take all of your excess putters (and I know you've got more than three) to the Salvation Army Home of Retired Hackers and Over 25 Handicappers. Have I ever lied to you?
By BOB SOCKS Sanford Orlando InternationalPan American Airways announces that they are increasing their flight time-tables at Sanford airport starting Feb. 14 with flights to Bangor, Maine, Portsmouth, New Hampshire and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Then in March they will begin flying to Aquadilla, Puerto Rico on the islands northwest coast, and Santo Domingo and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.Pan Am has parked its entire fleet over this month due to historically slow, post-holiday travel period. At its peak, Pan Am had as many as 16 flights a day out of Sanford. Real Estate transactions (residences):937 Grande Haven Drive sold for $300,000 (Great Outdoors); 635 Pine Ridge Court sold for $284,428 (Great Outdoors);5470 Canvasback Drive sold for $280,000 (Fawn Lake); 4036 Arlington Ave. sold for $182,000 (Mims); 3135 Knox McRae Drive sold for $160,000 (Titusville); and 4430 Londontown Road sold for $159,428 (Sherwood).About those Bucks!A huge victory and the Tampa Bay Bucks are going to the Super Bowl. After 26 years in existence the Bucks now get their chance to make history. Here is my prediction. Krupski says “not so” in his column on page 5.I say there will be a hard fought battle with the Raiders leading 17 to 14 at halftime. Our team comes back in the 4th quarter and overtakes the Raiders to win the game, 31-27. Strictly my opinionAs the years pass the same old buildings in Titusville seem to stay empty. The two malls in town are both half empty so maybe it’s time to have an all out assautl on these eyesores.There is a two story office building on South Hopkins that’s been vacant for years. I believe it was formerly the Grumann building back in the 1970s, then became office facilities for several small businesses, realtors, etc. It later became the headquarters for the North Brevard Charities. When they left it became vacant again and is has been in this condition. It will probably cost a small fortune to fix; the roof leaks and the interior must be a mess. Perhaps it would be prudent for the city to force the owner to tear it down and sell the property for whatever reasonable they can get. Another building empty for years is the Gooding’s building on Harrison. It’s been painted and appears to be maintained on the exterior. There must be a way to offer tax incentives high enough to cause a company to take over, bring jobs and fill it up. The two malls are another story and may be too late for them. With the new proposed mall in North Cocoa slated to begin construction late this year; the expansion of Merritt Square, the expansion and rejuvenation of Melbourne Square; the proximity of Waterford Lakes and the new plaza in Viera it may be a case of just too much - too close. As I’ve suggested in the past, combine the two malls; lease out the remaining one to a college, hi-tech start-up company, training school for the un-employed, and I’m sure there are other ideas out there to consider. Maybe the City Council can put these items on their agenda for discussion, put some pressure on the powers that be and let us fill up these empty spaces. It will be for the good of the community and any concessions given should bear fruit.
Quote of the Week:
Valentino’s Family Restaurant at 3241 Garden St. has coupon specials on 14 inch & 16 inch pizzas. Stop in for lunch or dinner.
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It's more than just an aging, rusted relic, but a landmark that must be preserved. That has been the hubris of the group of people who have been working diligently for the past two years to save the rocket from the junkpile. 
