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Vol. 14 No. 33 February 6, 2003 NewsObserver@netscape.net
Tragedy Over Texas Hits Home
By Scott Cook
Challenger astronauts remembered
By: Fred Krupski
Real men wear kilts
Not only is this headline the sentiment of the more than 230 Scott's who showed up for the recent Ceilidh at the Seasons in the Sun Resort recently, but the mantra of a singing g roup called "The Rougues," one of the marvelous groups who provided the ethnic, Galic entertainment for the evening. What real men wear under the Kilts ranges upon the weather, as one curious guest discovered. According to the wearer it depends on the weather and can range from standard briefs, Joe Boxer's, or even 1930's vintage snuggies. It was a nicht night to celebrate their cultural hero, Robert "Robbie" Burns with the Clan MacRowdy, easily identified by their brightly colored clan plaids, knee socks and tams. There may have been some Irish participants, which I suspect made up a minority of the crowd - which by the way exceeded by more than 75, that according to the invitation and acceptance list. It turned out to be standing room only. If you arrived late you missed out on the Haggis, and that special stew, whose name I've forgotten but was excellent. And so too was the four piece band, "The Rouges,"from Vero Beach who had the packed room rocking. Group members consisted of Noel Trew, on a variety of instruments, including the pennywhistle; brother Brian Trewon bodharon, doumbek and other instruments; David Olson, on fiddle, and MIchael Fowler on acoustics. If I remember correctly almost all did vocals as well, (all pictured in photo). I especially remember the lads doing "Finnigan's Wake" and "Black Velvet Band" before I left the merriment and headed home. Should they return to our area again I suggest you become a Scott for a night . It will be the best $7.50 you ever spent.
Phil Donahue comes to Titusville
By: Bob Socks
Tickets selling for Las Vegas theme event to benefit Titusville PlayhouseTickets selling for Las Vegas theme event to benefit Titusville Playhouse. Linda Fliss reports that tickets are selling now for the high-energy Las Vegas theme event "Steppin' Out at the Starlight Club," which takes place Saturday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Brevard Community College, Titusville Campus. Admission is $45 per person and includes a Las Vegas Revue with; the Show Girls, Sterling "Starz on Stage," impersonator's; Greg Phillips magician/comedian; Fleet Easton, national entertainer; Ken Varone, Show Dance Band, as well as gourmet food and dessert stations. There will also be a silent auction, 50/50 drawing, Stargazing (buy a star and win a surprise gift, and cash bars. Dress is nightclub attire. The funds generated from the annual event will benefit all theatre education programs, scholarships for more students pursuing a career in the arts, and beginning the repair and replacement of the theatre's original roof. For tickets, information, or to reserve a table for 8 or 10, call the Playhouse at 268-3711, or 268-1125. Office hours are Tue. to Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office is closed on Mondays.
Rail way historian to talk at Garden Street DepotSeth H. Bramson, Company Historian of the Florida East Coast Railway, and author of "Speedway to Sunshine: The Story of the Florida East Coast Railway" will present a history of the railroad and autograph copies of his recently published Revised and Enlarged Edition at The Garden Street Depot, 490 Garden St. at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6. The announcement was made by Garden Street Depot owner Clayton Maynard. Bramson, nationally known as the leading authority on the history of Transportation in Florida, and the owner of the nation's largest collection of FEC Railway and Florida transportation memorabilia, is one of only two people in the United States who bears the official title of "Company Historian" with a railroad. Bramson, who has been featured on A & E, Discovery Channel, History Channel, Florida Public Broad-casting and Fox FX: The Collectables Show will begin his talk on what he refers to as the history of America's most exciting railroad at 7:30 and following the talk and a question and answer period, he will sign copies of his book. Published in December, 2002, his book was sold out in less than two weeks, unheard of for a railroad history book. For the last three years his book; "Speedway to Sunshine," published in 1984, ha been the single most requested book on the internet, with copies selling for as much as $38.50. Garden Street Depot will have copies of the book available for sale at the cover price. The book is considered the authoritative tome on the complete history of the railroad, beginning with the first predecessor in 1859 and continuing through to the present.
Council should take hard look at reinstating impact feesEDITORIALBy: Fred KrupskiThe Titusville City Council is a step closer to making a decision on whether to reinstate impact fees for new development. They are considering the results of a report provided by an impact fee review committee that suggests reinstating the fees for residential growth in the city. These fees are charges imposed on new construction in order to offset the cost of improving the infrastructure, including roads, parks and public service. However, today, in the aftermath of the Columbia accident there should be no argument that the timing is wrong. The report by the city appointed committee proposed that the city begin imposing the fees starting Oct. 1, affecting those who build new homes, or add to existing ones, including mobile homes, condos, town houses and apartments. Although they did not suggest the fees be assessed on commercial or industrial properties, the idea is a bad one. Bad because no one knows what the effects will be as a result of the Columbia catastrophe that occurred last Saturday morning over Texas when seven astronauts were lost in the pursuit of space. Proof of the benefits of the dropping of impact fees by the council in 1995 are obvious, not only in Titusville, but in other communities that had the foresight to eliminate the fees in order to encourage growth. Melbourne is one of those. But to do so today in the wake of the tragedy on Feb. 1 should be obvious. No one knows what the short, or long term effects the explosion will have on "Space City, USA." What we do know is that when the Kennedy Space Center catches a cold - Titusville catches pneumonia. Everyone is infected. And while it may be true that in the emotional experience immediately following this most recent disaster that over 80 percent of Americans believe we should continue the course and direction of the space program, we suspect that when cooler heads prevail and further evidence is discovered that indicates that this flight, STS 107 was not that vital to the space program, nor the experiments that terribly important, more Americans will begin to question the necessity of the current flight schedule. In terms of human life lost, others may question the policies of administrators of permitting men and women with families to be permitted in the astronaut program. This risk factor of 175 to one may no longer be acceptable by many Americans who nominally support our efforts in space. After the space shuttle Challenger disaster 17 years ago, the local economy took a direct hit and it took more than three years to recover. For some businesses even longer. And some business never recovered and closed their doors. Home sales plummeted 40 percent. Currently home sales are at an all time high. One must acknowledge that much of the increase can be attributed to the absence of any impact fees that makes the area competitive with surrounding communities. It would appear to be a no-brainer to scrap any consideration of reinstatement until our elected officials can determine what affect the recent tragedy will have upon Titusville. If the past tells us anything it is that it may again be belt-tightening time once again. While the fate of the space program is unclear, there are several scenarios that could be taken. One of them could be extreme and rock the economy. Others will assuredly have an impact. One things is almost certain. With the absence of the Columbia from the fleet, the 25 percent reduction from four to three shuttles could indicate a work force reduction. After the Challenger blew up shortly after liftoff due to faulty O-rings, the area took a dramatic economic hit. There was more than a two-year halt on launches and the space center lost over 2,000 job. With what could be a major tile problem this time it is possible that until insulation problems are identified and fixed the delay in scheduled flights could be significant. It is true that the city is in better economic and financial shape than it was in the two and a half years of post-Challenger, but much of that progress was due to the decisions made by council in 1995. Now is certainly not the time to impose additional burdens on prospective home buyers. Many of those new residents are also those who may be considering locating their businesses to Titusville. We sincerely hope that our city fathers do not consider adding insult to injury by any such reinstatements at this time, or in the foreseeable future. The item on the agenda should be tabled for further discussion or dropped from consideration.
Good neighbors don't need fencesA few nights ago I watched a made for TV move called Monty Walsh, starring Tom Selleck. In the movie there was a scene in which he paid a small boy two dollars to paint the office door of a craggy old lawyer who obviously didn't like kids. After the boy had finished half the painting the old man came out and went berserk. Monty Walsh, chuckling that his duce was well spent went riding out of Dodge with a smile.I was reminded of the incident when I learned of another 'paint' story; this time in downtown Titusville. Here is what happened - and where. One Sunday morning about 8:30 a.m. Francis, the manager of the Southern Room along with her husband Vince left the bar on the corner of Julia St. and US 1 in downtown historic Titusville and walked next door to Kloibers Cobbler with buckets of beige paint, brushes and a ladder. Not telling the owners, Joe and Pixie what they had in mind beforehand, the pair spent the next three hours painting the front of the restaurant from pavement to the canopy. Why did they do it? Said Francis; "Just because Joe is so good to us, and everyone else down here. He always brings something over to us from the restaurant and we just that we should return the favor." So what did the proprietor of the eatery say when he saw what was accomplished? Actually, he said nothing for two days because he always enters the building from the rear, not the newly painted front entrance. No one said anything about the improved appearance because the naturally assumed he did it, or had it done and was aware. It would have been interesting to photographically record the reaction on his face when he finally walked out front. Just goes to show how nice 'towney' people really are. I can't imagine McCotter Ford going over to Wal-Mart and painting their Garden Center. Can you? Speaking of historic downtown, I have a bone to pick with the people who manage the city's Housing Authority who, among other properties, manage the high rise downtown on the river.
What bothers me, and certainly should irk many downtown merchants is what has been going on behind the Titusville Commons and the parking lot of the high rise. It seems some one decided the building needed a paint job. Okay. However they informed the residents of the place that they had to park their cars in the Commons lot because of danger from dripping paint. Emeritus who?I see that Publisher Autumn Smith changed my title on the masthead. When I was retired it probably made sense, but since I'm back on a semi-regular schedule at the paper to perform some editorial assignments and writing my column I guess "emeritus" was not really accurate.The other reason the appellation made no sense is that I don't think more than 20 people in the city know what it means in the first place.
By BOB SOCKS High Rollers Are Coming!A new sub-division has been announced for Titusville. Named Hidden Oaks, this upscale housing area is located west of the Sanctuary II and will have an entrance off Knox-McRae. With only 15 exclusive home sites, the custom homes will be for only the most exclusive of Titusville residents. The developer has told me that the entrance will cost $100,000. It will be a private, gated, and deed-restricted community. Lots will run from $75,000 to $105,000. Homes will be a minimum of 2,500 sq. ft. under air, with a 3-car garage and barrel-tile roof.Titusville Business License Report - January 2003Total licenses issued: 31Breakdown as follows: Home-based business - 15; Tax preparation - 1; Pre-school - 1; Redfish tournament - 1; Entertainment /Drinking Establishment - 1; Pet grooming - 1; Occupational therapy - 1; Marine repair - 1; Beauty salon - 1; Doctor - 1; Real-estate office - 1; Real-estate agent - 1; Real-estate broker - 1; Retail sales - 3; Restaurant - 1 What’s New for Titusville?Material provided by Space Coast Economic Development Commission.
Port Canaveral NewsRoyal Caribbean International plans to regularly sail its new vessel, the 3,114-passenger Mariner of the Seas, from Port Canaveral when the ship is delivered in October.Port Canaveral Dockside Cooler Warehouses Keep Grapefruit in Top Condition for Japanese MarketJapanese consumers demand the finest-quality fresh grapefruit, as Japanese wholesale buyers will reject any fruit that doesn’t meet their customers’ expectations. Maintaining this fresh-picked quality during the time it takes to go from Florida groves to Far East breakfast tables is what makes Port Canaveral the port of choice, according to the Japanese shippers.Great American Lines’ Executive Vice-president Gunther Keitel cited Port Canaveral’s range of modern facilities, Atlantic coast location and helpful officials as its main advantages. “Great American Lines has been shipping grapefruit to Japan for 24 years and it (Port Canaveral) saves us transit time by going out of the East coast, rather than going around the (Florida) peninsula. We have to use a deep-water port and the expense is less when calling at Port Canaveral. We have to try to reduce expenses whenever possible,” he says. The Great American Lines’ ship, Sunbelt Spirit, discharges Japanese automobiles at Baltimore, Newark, and Jacksonville, then heads to Port Canaveral to load the citrus cargo for its return trip through the Panama Canal. The grapefruit is loaded at packing houses in Vero Beach and delivered via refrigerated trucks to Mid-Florida Freezer Warehouses, Ltd. dockside facilities at Port Canaveral, where it is stored a specific temperature and humidity levels to maintain optimum freshness. During storage, shippers can monitor their cargo over the internet via digital cameras positioned in the warehouses. In addition, whenever the product is moved, a computer bar-coding system keeps track of it whether it is located in a truck, in storage, on the dock or in the ship. It is imperative that the grapefruit be moved from the cold stores to the ship’s hold as gently and as quickly as possible if the integrity of the fruit is to be maintained. At Port Canaveral, stevedores use exclusive, soft-ride tram trains and precision timing to accomplish the loading process much more efficiently than would be possible with conventional cargo handling methods. For additional information, contact Canaveral Port Authority Business Development Department at 321-783-77831 or visit their website at www.portcanaveral.org ---Roger Wolf Space NewsSpace Exploration Technologies Corp. says it will use Cape Canaveral’s launch facilities for its Falcon commercial rocket, which is slated to make its maiden flight in 2004. The company, which goes by the name SpaceX, says the Falcon will be able to launch 1,000 pound payloads for a third of the cost of existing launch vehicles.How Important are Retirees to Florida?Retirees:
Strictly My Opinion...It’s time to clean up Titusville. With the report issued last week by Keep Brevard Beautiful, we need help up here. Here’s a way to start: Team Titusville, the organization appointed by the Titusville City Council to coordinate the ‘curb-appeal’ of the city, has selected February 15 as the official clean-up day for Titusville. Call them at 269-3221 for details, or just get your neighborhood volunteers together and clean up around your neighborhood. It’s time to clean up this town.I couldn’t help but notice that the fastest-growing segment of our Brevard County economy is the government. All other major indices of employment were negative. What’s interesting is that government is having difficulty not running deficit spending. Times have changed so dramatically over the past year and a half, with the decrease in taxes coming into government coffers that I feel that government will have a difficult time making budget this year and next. Impact fees are back on the table. Let’s put a stop to the impact fee discussion right now. Impact fees kept this city from growing for years. Look at what has happened since 1995 when impact fees were dropped. The town is starting to move forward. Don’t stop the growth now. Let common sense prevail. The next discussion on impact fees will take place at City Council on February 25.
Quote of the Week:
Join the merchants in downtown Titusville and the Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce Fri., Feb 7th from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for their first 2003 annual street party presenting “Titus Nites” Island Fever. There will be specials at all the other shops and restaurants during the street party. * * * * * * * * *
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