A 26-acre commercial tract in the southeast quadrant of U.S. Highway 27 and Dunson Road in Polk County sold for $7 million. Opus South Corp. was the buyer. The seller was Dunson Road LLC. Don Deligman of the Quest Co. represented the seller in the transaction.
Looking at the Opus web site will show you they do some pretty big projects all over the US. Some recent examples are: 400 Beach Drive and Parkshore Plaza in St. Petersburg, FL.
The property is in the northeast corner of the county (think Four Corners) - north of Interstate 4 and east of US 27 new Ritchie Brothers.
News.com reports that the House Judiciary Committee voted 20-13 to approve a net neutrality bill:
By a 20-13 vote Thursday that partially followed party lines, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would require broadband providers to abide by strict Net neutrality principles, meaning that their networks must be operated in a "nondiscriminatory" manner.
All 14 Democrats on the committee (joined by 6 Republicans) supported the measure, while 13 Republicans opposed it.
That vote is a surprise victory for Internet companies such as Amazon.com, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo that had lobbied fiercely in the last few months for stricter laws to ensure that Verizon, AT&T and other broadband providers could not create a "fast lane" reserved for video or other high-priority content of their choice.
However this does not end the issue:
It's not clear what will happen next in the House. Often the House leadership, in this case the Republicans, will try to meld similar proposals together into one package before a floor vote. Alternatively, the Republican leadership could permit both bills to go to the floor for votes.
Net neutrality has been an operating principle since the Internet's inception. But since the Federal Communications Commission changed its enforcement rules last year, says Common Cause, "there is now no rule or regulation that will prevent the phone and cable companies from doing what they've said they want to do: charge content providers for the right to be on their Internet pipes, and make special deals with some companies to ensure their sites and services work faster and are easier to find by Internet users."
Congress should pass this act and preserve Net neutrality. Unfettered Internet access has opened up a whole new virtual world. Profit-motive censorship is no less despicable than the ideological sort.
A loyal EP reader sent in some photos of Mulberry's new 'welcome' signs. Many of the cities in Polk County now feature these signs as you enter their city limits. What makes Mulberry's unique is their slogan: Where the Past Feeds the Future. Does that remind you of Soylent Green?
Our older readers will know what Soylent Green refers to, the younger ones will have to check out the wikipedia entry.
The final Polk County memory I'll share actually did not happen in Polk County. It happened in Orlando. On a soccer field. At Bishop Moore High School, my alma mater.
One of the most memorable soccer games I ever played in was against Lakeland High School.
A bill approved overwhelmingly by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor will stop communities from using eminent domain to help developers build projects, and that sounds fine to most people. What taxpayers don't know is that the adoption of this law will raise the cost of government for everyone.
Very often communities are required to use eminent domain to purchase right-of-way for roads and land for other public purposes. A part of single lot may need to be acquired, but if the government only acquires a part the damage to the remainder may result in the community paying for essentially all of the land. This is true in older parts of our community where lots are smaller. The taking of a few feet for a road right-of-way may leave too little land to develop. Generally, the cost of these projects are reduced by acquiring the entire lot, repackaging the remaining land (which is not used for the public project), and selling these repackaged portions for redevelopment.
This process is no longer available to Florida cities, at least not without holding the land for a minimum of ten years, undeveloped, and off of the tax roles.
Read the rest here. Perhaps others that are a bit more up on this topic can comment.
Do you remember the first concert you attended? I do. It was in Polk County.
While I've been to better concerts since then, I will always remember that concert at the Lakeland Civic Center. And I won the tickets on the radio, which made the experience even better.
While Josh is goofing off in New York, he asked me to be a guest writer for Empirical Polk. I don't know why. I don't live or work in Polk County (I live in Seminole, work in Orange). Perhaps he asked me because he knows I read EP every day. Or perhaps he enjoys reading my blog. Or maybe he couldn't find anyone else in Polk County who owned a computer.
All kidding aside, I think Polk County is a great place with a very, very bright future. But it also has a wonderful past - and I want to share with you some of my fondest childhood memories of Polk County.
On Monday, Marshall Goodman's first day as the University of South Florida Lakeland's new chief, he already had 179 meetings and appointments scheduled.
Join us for lunch at Grasslands Golf & Country Club featuring Dr. Marshall Goodman, the new CEO of the University of South Florida-Lakeland Campus, on Wednesday, May 31st at 11:30am. EMERGE will be one of the first community groups to meet with Dr. Goodman.
Bob asks people to identify the most important person in this picture when it comes to Florida politics.
Hint, they're from Bartow. Oh, wait that only narrows it down to two people. They are a current member of the U.S. Congress....oh wait that's not a good hint either.
As part of a new series I will occasionally look at other local Florida blogs from around the state. First up is Urban Jacksonville, a blog run by Joey Marchy of Jacksonville, FL.
Urban Jacksonville covers news and events taking place in Downtown Jacksonville and the surrounding urban neighborhoods. Those neighborhoods include Downtown Jacksonville, Springfield, Brooklyn, LaVilla, San Marco, and the Southbank.
Last time I was in Jacksonville I spent some time in the San Marco area, very nice old-style Florida with a revisionist twist. Joey works for nGen Works a Jacksonville-based web development firm. While hanging out with the nGen gang I talked to Joey a bit about UJ:
On my way to work I ride through four of the neighborhoods I cover so I will write about anything interesting I see. New stores, restaurants, construction, etc. With a decidedly new urbanist slant (less sprawl, more density, downtown living, sustainable growth etc.)
The blog is an excellent resource for those select neighborhoods, featuring photography of new developments, social events and other items of interest. Joey's blog can really be considered hyper-local since he only focuses on specific areas of Jacksonville and not the whole city (which is the same as Duval county).
A close source has informed me that Dennis Ross just turned around in Lake City, FL and is driving home. He was on his way to Tallahassee, FL to possibly file for the U.S. Senate race against Katherine Harris. That doesn't mean that Katherine will not face challenger(s) in the Republican primary. William McBride and Peter H. Monroe have both qualified to run.
Currently the Division of Elections web site only lists Monroe as being qualified, but my source says the McBride will soon be there (unless some last minute party action takes place).
"Dennis was ready to step up to provide leadership within the party, but to do so in a three way race would be defeating that goal."
Of course this is just round one, there is still Bill Nelson to face after the Republican primary. But for now we can still speculate. I've created a new poll to reflect the updated options.
It's possible. Republican state Rep. Dennis Ross of Lakeland, a lawyer and chairman of the House Insurance Committee, tells The Buzz he's thinking about making a longshot bid for the U.S. Senate in the primary against Katherine Harris.
"I just don't think Republicans are in a position to win that race right now," said Ross, 46, a Lakeland native who went to high school with Harris. "If my phone rings in the next 24 hours, and there's sufficient support, I would look at it."
The News Chief reports that David Hallock has withdrawn from the District 2 race for the Polk County Commission. His recent arrest on a domestic violence charge was the major cause of him leaving the race. That just leaves Betty Hill and Randy Wilkinson in the running. This should be good news for Betty since there are now longer other candidates that could splinter her vote.
I e-mailed Jeff Amero, Circulation Director, to inquire about the paid print circulation numbers for the News Chief, but have not received any response. I've heard numbers anywhere from 3,000-4,000 to 'around 10,000' for their print news product.
I think the general focus at the 'Chief has moved from the news product to the number of other publications they produce which are mostly advertising driven.
The Ledger's average weekday circulation during that period fell to 75,217 copies, down 0.7 percent from the average 75,772 issues for the same period in 2005. Sunday circulation fell to 91,228, down 3.2 percent from 94,351 a year earlier
Bookending Polk, the Tampa Tribune endured a 1.1 percent drop in weekday circulation to 236,376 issues and a 1.7 percent drop Sundays to 309,916 copies. The Orlando Sentinel experienced one of the biggest circulation drops in the state, down 8.3 percent weekdays to 229,368 and 7.5 percent Sundays to 341,024.
Of course not factored into any of these numbers are web site stats. Sure print readership might be down but online readership is up. It's just a changing business model.
Polk County has an interesting, but little-known, shell game it plays when a new subdivision is in the works It's called "density bonus points," and by accumulating them, a developer can shoehorn more homes into a subdivision than could have gone there in the first place.
Yes, it is an editorial, but the topic is something we should be looking at.
Retailers are establishing self-contained creative divisions to develop individual private label products and foster their growth. Publix, for instance, has a small in-house army of packaging designers, promotions personnel, copywriters and advertising staffers devoted solely to private label extensions.
"The real focus of our brand is to offer items that are as good as, if not better, than national brands," said Publix representative Maria Brous. "There's competition between national brands and private labels across the board. We're all competing for the consumer's loyalty. We each spend big bucks on packaging and advertising to raise consumer awareness."
Often the question is who is making the products?
That the contents of store brands are increasingly indistinguishable from that of their marquee-name competitors is no accident: In many cases, the same manufacturer makes both brands. While some chains opt to produce various items themselves, it's become increasingly common for retailers to turn to the major brands that are cranking out their own products under the same roof and, often, with the exact same ingredients. For example, Publix makes its own dairy items and pies but outsources other products to national brand manufacturers.
Yep, many times the 'Publix Brand' is made by the same manufacturer as a competing brand. For example Publix Premium Orange Juice is made by Florida's Natural and sells for less.
Significantly, customers won't find a clue on-pack that the brands side-by-side on shelves may be made by the same producer. "If I'm a consumer and I know that Publix deodorant is manufactured by the same company that makes Ban deodorant, I'm always going to purchase Publix, which isn't a win for the brand," said Publix's Brous. Not the Ban brand, at any rate. The advantages of this arrangement for the store brand are obvious: It allows them to provide not only high-quality ingredients, but ones that are indistinguishable from those of the fancier name because they are, in fact, exactly the same.
Gone are the days of the lame yellow, generic packaging, and luckily the poor quality products that lived in those boxes.
As a previous annual pass holder at Cypress Gardens I receive the standard e-mail 'updates' from Adventure Parks (the parent company). I don't hold a pass anymore but the rest of my family does, so my wife also receives the same updates. On January 12, 2006 I received a bulk e-mail message from Cypress Gardens. I followed the instructions at the bottom of the message and asked to be removed by e-mailing mailer@adventureparksgroup.com.
Since the passage of the CAN-SPAM act all commercial bulk-email must offer the ability to opt-out as well as some other provisions. According to just one portion of the CAN-SPAM Act:
It requires that your email give recipients an opt-out method. You must provide a return email address or another Internet-based response mechanism that allows a recipient to ask you not to send future email messages to that email address, and you must honor the requests. You may create a "menu" of choices to allow a recipient to opt out of certain types of messages, but you must include the option to end any commercial messages from the sender.
Any opt-out mechanism you offer must be able to process opt-out requests for at least 30 days after you send your commercial email. When you receive an opt-out request, the law gives you 10 business days to stop sending email to the requestor's email address. You cannot help another entity send email to that address, or have another entity send email on your behalf to that address. Finally, it's illegal for you to sell or transfer the email addresses of people who choose not to receive your email, even in the form of a mailing list, unless you transfer the addresses so another entity can comply with the law.
Violating this will bring:
Each violation of the above provisions is subject to fines of up to $11,000. Deceptive commercial email also is subject to laws banning false or misleading advertising.
On March 24, 2006 I received another bulk e-mail message. I once again asked to be removed and also e-mailed pr@cypressgardens.com to let them know that they had not honored my previous (Jan 12, 2006) request.
You know where this is going right? Well yesterday, May 4, 2006 I received yet another bulk e-mail from Adventure Parks. On the surface it's a violation of the CAN-SPAM act. So what should I do?
I can only assume there is a disconnect between the operations here (Winter Haven) and home base in Valdosta.
Kara Monaco, 23, an aspiring actress from Lakeland, Florida, received a check for $100,000, a car and a sports motorbike from Playboy Enterprises Inc., company founder Hugh Hefner announced at the Playboy Mansion.
The school year in Florida could start no earlier than two weeks before Labor Day, under a bill approved Thursday afternoon by the Legislature and headed for Gov. Jeb Bush’s desk.
The later start date would go into effect for the 2007-08 school year.
Over the past few years the start of the school year has been slowly creeping forward to the complaint of many parents. (and kids). In Polk County the 2006/2007 school year is scheduled to start on August 7th...ouch!
While the Winter Haven attraction is not naming the film, or its "well-known" lead actor and Oscar-winning actress, a March report describing the film "Grace is Gone" in the trade publication Variety matches the description in the Cypress Gardens release.
Polk County Sheriff's deputies flew to Maryland to bring him back to Polk County to face a total of 23 third-degree felony charges, according to Sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers....
..His first appearance is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, in Judge J. Dale Durrance's courtroom.
"We had two outstanding proposals for the tournaments from which to choose," FHSAA Commissioner John A. Stewart said. "But Lakeland had an advantage in that they continued to offer their facility for both the girls and boys finals. We are pleased to renew our relationship for these events with them."
Said Mike LaPan, Director of The Lakeland Center: "The Lakeland Center has a long and successful history of hosting the girls and boys basketball finals. We look forward to the opportunity to build the event for the FHSAA and our community. Our interest is to grow the partnership well into the future and have Lakeland become the recognized destination for the student-athletes to strive for as they compete for a coveted state title."
Starbucks in Winter Haven...it's not if, it's more when and where. The question is where is the where? One source told me they were considering some space in the Winter Haven Corners plaza on U.S. 17 which also houses Atlanta Bread Company. Currently the only space available is at the very end.
Another suitable location would be somewhere in the southeast area of WH, perhaps the new development at 9th ST SE and Cypress Gardens BLVD. Going further out would get you closer to State Farm and target-demographic rich homes around Lake Eloise.
A long-shot would be somewhere downtown, but stranger things have happened. Where do you think that Starbucks should build? (Shown below is the Winter Haven Corners retail area.)
Update: As a commenter pointed out a CVS sign has gone up in front of the building.
A few weeks ago I posted about a new development in Winter Haven at the corner of 9th ST SE and Cypress Gardens BLVD. In that post I first thought that the main building design didn't match a standard CVS or Walgreens look, but now that more construction is completed I am going to take back that statement.
My guess is that the building is for a Walgreens. The main entrance is on the corner at a slight diagonal like the Walgreens near Cypress Gardens. There is also a small opening in the concrete block on the back corner, perfect for a drive-thru. Looking at the site plan you can also see the drive-thru on the building.
A caller to Real Radio 104.1 in Orlando claimed that Starbucks is buying out Barnie's Coffee. The major issue was the numerous mall locations that Barnie's had and Starbuck's inability to move into the same malls. In the end it's probably just easier to buy them out.
Barnie's operates two stores in Polk County, both of them in malls:
Eagle Ridge Mall
761 Eagle Ridge Drive
Space #323
Lake Wales,FL 33853
(863) 676-5770
Lakeland Square
3800 US Hwy. 98 North
#732
Lakeland,FL 33809
(863) 815-7703
We'll wait to see if the rumor is true, or if we see anything over at Starbucks Gossip. If it is true then that will bring the total number of Starbucks in Polk County to five (seven counting the locations in Target or Barnes & Noble). Add to that the new drive-in location in South Lakeland and we'll have six. Next stop? Winter Haven?
From a personal perspective I was glad to see a recent Ledger article about vegetarian dining options in Polk County. The article mentions a few locations that I frequent, but here are my usual spots, and what I order:
Winter Haven Score's Cafe - Veggie wrap
Tsunami Sushi - a number of veggie only sushi options
Mama Dilo's Deli - I make my own veggie sandwich
Pasquale's - White pizza
Lakeland Black & Brew - Veggie panini
Mitchell's - Veggie burger
Cafe Roti - A number of Indian vegetarian dishes
Palace Pizza - White pizza
Panera Bread - Veggie sandwich
Peking House - forget the exact name, but it's a spicy eggplant dish
Bartow Birch Tree Cafe - Mushroom quiche
Any other plant eaters out there? What are your favorite spots? My favorite things are the 'hidden' items you can create at many spots. When Bistro 253 was open in Lake Wales you could call ahead and request a vegetarian option. When you would eventually arrive with your party and get your food it was always the best dish on the table, eliciting many, "hey can I order that?" comments from your friends.
In a previous post I talked about some upcoming myregion.org events in Polk County. Well the dates have been set. You can visit the myregion.org site for all the specifics and to RSVP but here are the basics:
What is a Community Input Session? Citizens, Community Leaders and Elected Officials from throughout the Central Florida Region (Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk Seminole and Volusia Counties) are now involved in an intensive regional visioning process. The goal of this effort is to create a shared vision... and we need you!
Why is it important to attend a Session?
Community Input Sessions are being held in each county and are designed to gather citizen input in creating a shared vision for Central Florida.
Who should participate in the Session? These Community Input Sessions are open to everyone, and everyone is welcome to attend. You are invited and so are your Neighbors and Family Members. Leaders from your Place of Worship are welcome, as are Servant Leaders from any and all Community-Based Organizations and Civic Groups. Your Business Colleagues are invited as well as Government Leaders from our Cities, Counties and State of Florida.
Community Input Session Key Information In concert with its Community Partners, myregion.org will host a series of meetings in each of the seven Central Florida counties to gain participation and feedback on the question, "How Shall We Grow?"
These Community Input Sessions are divided into two parts and your attendance at both is crucial. For your convenience, you may choose to attend any of the meetings outside of your county of residence if your are interested in doing so.
Part One will provide an overview of why it is important to build a regional vision. Participants will then work together to make recommendations regarding where our region could best accomodate the addition of four million people by the year 2050.
Part Two will present two meeting opportunities on different dates and at different meeting locations in each county to make it convenient for citizens to participate. In this session, attendees will be asked for ideas on how they would like to see their particular sector of the region grow. Participation in only ONE of these two meetings is required.
I encourage you to attend at least one of the sessions.
A hyperlocal blog about Imperial Polk County, Florida. It is written by local residents that wish to provide an alternative to traditional media sources. The focus is commentary and open discussion of the issues that face Polk County, FL.
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My guess is that the building is for a Walgreens. The main entrance is on the corner at a slight diagonal like the Walgreens near Cypress Gardens. There is also a small opening in the concrete block on the back corner, perfect for a drive-thru. Looking at the 
