Lakeland Local
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Earth Hour
Posted: 29 Mar 2008 07:33 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/260194532/earth-hour.html
For one hour tonight communities, companies, and concerned citizens will go dark. From 8 pm to 9 pm local time those participating will shut off all lights and non-essential electrical devices. The goal is to raise awareness about electricity conservation and lower carbon emissions.
The first Earth Hour was held last year in Sydney, Australia. with 2.2 people reportedly taking part. This year the event is international with communities in most developed nations taking part. Locally, Manheim Lakeland will turn off non-essential lights around its auction facilities. Those working with Lakeland Local have also promised to shut down lights and other electrical devices (save the refrigerator) for the hour tonight.
Google has made their home page black today to take part in the event. Lakeland Local will also go dark tonight during the hour. Turning the pages black actually saves no energy, but doing so shows support of those who are killing lights, tvs, and other devices to make a difference.
You can read more about Earth Hour at the organization's website, USA site, and here.
Lakeland Local
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Colonial Bank on Bartow Road
Posted: 28 Mar 2008 05:34 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/259876460/colonial-bank-on-bartow-road.html
Police and the Crime Scene Investigation van are at the Colonial Bank at Bartow Rd and South Edgewood. I wonder if there has been another robbery?
I don't see anything on the LPD blog.
Update: I must have driven by just after it happened. The Ledger is now quoting LPD as saying there was a robbery.
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Local Moving Slow
Posted: 28 Mar 2008 09:01 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/259629675/local-moving-slow.html
Forgive the introspection, but you'll have noticed posts have been less frequent as of late. I'm working on a major change for this site. The downside to being a one-person operation is that you sometimes must let some areas glide while you work on others.
We're having the next Polk County Bloggers meeting Monday night (6:30 at Mimi's Cafe) and I'm hoping to announce the change there. If I'm not finished, it may have to wait a day or two.
The area's major continuing story, CSX and The Little Rail Hub that Shouldn't, has been in the news and on the blogs. I hope to write a bit about the situation on Sunday, but you should take a look at Aikane Leo, a well-written Lakeland blog that is keeping up with the latest news.
The Phillies and Tigers got of town pretty quickly yesterday, and in an interesting way for the Phils. Check out the story in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
If you like chicken wings, check out Wingsday, a locally produced blog that critiques local wing establishments.
Ok, back to work. Enjoy your weekend.
Lakeland Local
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Lawsuit, Lawton, & a Coot
Posted: 25 Mar 2008 06:56 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/258341363/lawsuit-lawton-coot.html
Lawsuit seeks to evict rent rules -- New Orleans Times-Picayune
A group of out-of-state investors who bought and renovated 80 flood-damaged homes in St. Bernard Parish has filed a lawsuit to overturn a parish ordinance requiring special permits to rent the homes.
The 25 investors, most of them Florida residents, contend the ordinance is an unconstitutional infringement upon property rights that also violates their right to due process with an application process that is "intimidating, irrational, oppressive and indefensible."
...
Rodney Brenneman, an investor who lives in Lakeland, Fla., said the group has poured more than $8 million into Hurricane Katrina-ravaged St. Bernard Parish, drawn by the investment opportunity and a desire to help solve the parish's housing crunch.
"We might look like a big company, but we're really a bunch of ordinary folks who saw this as a way to plan for our retirements and do some good at the same time," he said.
Brenneman said the investors, who do business as Your Home Solution Louisiana, hoped to renovate the homes and sell them for $135,000 to $165,000, but they were unable to do so because of the national mortgage crisis and skyrocketing insurance costs.
They decided to rent the homes until the housing market recovers, but they did not obtain permits required by the parish ordinance for all homes that were not rentals before Katrina.
John DP Coggin, a graduate student studying public polic, has taken time off to write a biography of Lawton Chiles, the Lakeland native who a three-term senator and two-term governor of Florida. Coggin is documenting his work on his blog, Walkin' Lawton
This blog details Florida's only highway with as many turkeys as people: the Walkin' Lawton Chiles trail. From Century to Tallahassee to Jacksonville to Orlando to Fort Lauderdale to Miami to Key Largo, you'll find milestones of his famous walk across Florida posted in the ground: state-issued, metal signs about as high as a stop sign. In Chiles' long career, he left tracks all across the state, and the ones without signposts are often the most interesting. Walking the trail, taking photos, studying boxes of archives, talking to friends and colleagues, recording old stories--these will be my passport to history.
Country Captures took a nice photograph of a Coot on Lake Parker.
Lakeland Local
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Lakeland Crime Week of March 17, 2008
Posted: 24 Mar 2008 08:41 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/257022388/lakeland-crime-080310.html
You can always find the Lakeland crime maps at Lakeland Crime. The latest map is up, or you can find the full size map at: LakelandLocal.com Crime Map 03/10 to 03/16 2008
44 This week's stats:
02 Business Burglary
01 Business Robbery
00 Gang Grafitti
03 Personal Robbery
12 Residential Burglary
01 Residential Robbery
01 Attempted Stolen Vehicle
01 Recovered Stolen Vehicle
08 Stolen Vehicle
15 Vehicle Burglary
Lakeland Local
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Cool day for baseball
Posted: 23 Mar 2008 01:18 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/256595597/cool-day-for-baseball.html
The Tigers host the Indians on EasterCool day for baseball CC by Chuck Welch.
Lakeland Local
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City Commissioners Send 'Clarification Letter'
Posted: 21 Mar 2008 11:54 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/255905939/city-commissioners-send-letter.html
Next week city officials are traveling to Tallahassee to discuss CSX and other issues. Arriving ahead of the group is a letter from the Lakeland City Commissioners to the Polk Legislative Delegation. It's an interesting missive. On the face, the Commissioners seek to clarify some issues. The meta-text is that the Commission is willing to bend, but they'd like the State and CSX to bend in return.
The complete letter is presented after the jump. However, I found this paragraph most interesting:
while the City’s adopted resolution stated that no funds should be released prior to the completion of a comprehensive statewide study, we now recognize this position could jeopardize the Orlando metropolitan area’s effort to move forward with the CFCRT system. Given the potential leverage of Federal Transit Administration funds, we would accept a written commitment from the state to re-route freight rail out of our downtown by a date certain as an alternative. 03/20/08 Letter to Polk Delegation
That paragraph is going to be seen by many as caving in to CSX. Groups such as the Downtown Lakeland Partnership have stated the project's origins are circumspect and it should be canceled. I've not read or heard that the groups are anti-commuter rail, but are against this project. The Lakeland City Commission is obviously not on board with canceling the project.
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Road Runner Opts to Force a Change
Posted: 21 Mar 2008 11:41 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/255881882/road-runner-opts-to-force-a-change.html
Bright House Cable customers who use Road Runner Internet service might have recently noticed an odd page occasionally pops up. The page looks like a Road Runner branded search page. There is a notice that mentions the page is "powered by Yahoo."
It probably means you've entered an incorrect web URL. Without asking customers to opt-in, Road Runner recently enabled their "non-existing domain landing service." That means Road Runner hijacks your normal error page to show you their advertiser-supported page.
I found a professor in Texas who had a problem with the Road Runner "service":
I probably never would have noticed this service had it not malfunctioned on my computer. I still don’t know why it did, and Road Runner seemed both unable to tell me, and uninterested in finding out. The problem is that I wasted quite a bit of time trying to figure out what was wrong with my Internet just to find out that my ISP quietly launched a new service that still seems to have a few bugs. Why not just contact customers and let them know that this new service is about to go into effect and that they can opt out? -- Corinne Weisgerber
You can opt-out both the Web Address Error Redirect Service and the Typo Correction Service at the Road Runner non-existing domain landing service preferences page.
Tonight, I disabled all options and everything returned to normal in just a few minutes.
Lakeland Local
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USF Lakeland Campus Moves Closer to Reality
Posted: 20 Mar 2008 10:40 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/254955807/usf-lakeland-campus-moves-closer.html
In a world where perception is often considered more important than truth, the USF Lakeland campus scored a coup with a simple pronouncement from Governor Charlie Crist:
"You don't have to sell me; I'm sold."
There was a lot of confusion last year when Crist killed money for the campus. It was mistakenly added to a list of projects deemed "turkeys" by Florida TaxWatch. The group advertised their error too late for the Governor to approve the cash.
What followed was a months long campaign to convince Lakeland and Polk County politicians, and area citizens, that the project will be a boon for the metro I-4 area.
It seems to have worked. Both the Lakeland and Polk County Commission have pledged funds to help construct the campus.
The new campus is a good idea. We need a full, four year university for one of the faster growing parts of the state. There is no doubt about that.
However, in the world of politics as usual, one of the main supporters of the campus sounds willing to throw it under the bus in an effort to promote a poorly planned project -- the CSX Rail Hub.
However, another booster for the project at the meeting, Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Winter Haven, said afterward that Lakeland supporters of the project should stop fighting a deal with CSX to bring commuter rail to Orlando and reroute more freight through Lakeland.
"I think it's important for everybody in the community to understand it all goes together. It's all important," he said.
Alexander was asked by a reporter if he was suggesting that the USF campus funding could be trade-bait with Lakeland lawmakers to drop opposition to the rail deal.
"They're not connected," he said. "But folks ought to understand that all these things are important." -- Orlando Sentinel
"They're not connected, but..."
If Alexander doesn't want the projects connected in the perception of the press and the voters...why bring up CSX at all? If he wanted to talk about how "all things are important" then why not use the opportunity to discuss water conservation, gas prices, or the population boom's impact on our infrastructure?
Alexander has publicly allied himself with that hub. He seems willing to taint the wonderful work he has done for education because he's in the middle of a political fight over CSX.
There is no connection between USF Lakeland and CSX Winter Haven. To put that perception into the public mind is an example of the worst of deal brokering.
For those who are not regular readers of Lakeland Local, my wife is the Librarian at USF Lakeland. I don't run USF articles or editorials past her. She doesn't ask me to write any. We have had disagreements over the proposed USF Polytechnic campus. (Gist: She's for the idea. I don't think it's the best option.) Please read this personal statement about bias.
Update: 5:44 pm. At 3:19 pm the Orlando Sentinel blog, Central Florida Political Pulse reported that JD Alexander released the following statement this afternoon:
"Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting with Governor Charlie Crist, along with Rep. Seth McKeel, University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft, and Dr. Marshall Goodman, about proposed funding for the USF Lakeland campus. I am very pleased to see the Polk County community rally around this crucial project and present a united front of support for the USF Lakeland Polytechnic campus ... With the Governor’s backing and the support of our community, we look forward to seeing this dream become a reality." -- Orlando Sentinel
Aaron Deslatte headlined the article Alexander clears up the record on CSX, USF-Lakeland. Unless Deslatte left something pertinent out of the statement, I don't see that comment pushing the genie back in the bottle. If Alexander wants to clear up the record how about: There is no connection between USF Lakeland and CSX Winter Haven.
Lakeland Local
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Lakeland Dispatches to the Cold North
Posted: 18 Mar 2008 09:39 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/253648435/lakeland-dispatches-to-the-cold-north.html
On their way into Marchant Stadium on March 3 to watch the Tigers take on the Tampa Bay Rays, Gunnell popped the question to Cowhy.
"I asked Erin to marry me in the parking lot," said Gunnell, who grew up in Fargo and graduated in 2000 from Grosse Pointe North High School. "She was so surprised. We have been dating for six years, and she probably thought I wasn't going to ask her for another six years." -- Tigers fans catch faves in Florida -- Port Huron, MI
Saturday, we drove over to Lakeland, Florida, winter home of the Detroit Tigers, to watch The Yankees vs. The Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. The weather was perfect. The seats were amazing. The game was close. Just what the doctor ordered to dispel the last of Old Man Winter. We went over to Florida Southern College after the game, where we walked around the Child of Sun, a rather odd name given to one of the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings -- Mouse Journal -- Parts Unknown
Lakeland Local
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Ledger Accident Reports
Posted: 17 Mar 2008 08:56 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/252993610/ledger-accident-reports.html
I don't have any stats, but over the last few weeks it seems the Ledger is featuring more accident reports in their Breaking News feed.
That's a feed to check just before heading out the door, or on your Blackberry.
I've previously mentioned I believe the Ledger's Breaking News contains some fluff, but it has gotten tighter since the first of the year.
I do wonder why it is called "Latest News" on the front page, but "Breaking News" on the RSS feed page.
Now that I think of it, wouldn't an Accident Report feed be really useful?
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It's Crime Time Again
Posted: 17 Mar 2008 06:26 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/252924251/its-crime-time-again.html
There isn't a pot of gold under the rainbow of pins on this week's Lakeland crime map, but there is a wealth of local crime information at Lakeland Crime.
44 This week's stats:
05 Business Burglary
01 Business Robbery
01 Gang Grafitti
01 Personal Robbery
14 Residential Burglary
00 Residential Robbery
02 Attempted Stolen Vehicle
02 Recovered Stolen Vehicle
07 Stolen Vehicle
11 Vehicle Burglary
44 crimes listed
I'm half-Irish, so this was a half-hearted attempt to throw a little St. Patrick's Day flavor to today's crime post.
Lakeland Local
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Spring Training Photos
Posted: 16 Mar 2008 09:35 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/252465878/spring-training-photos.html
I'm still away on my mini-vacation, but eagle eye readers will have noticed the last two Spring Training photos were by a photographer new to this site, Thomas Hagerty. If that name sounds familiar, you read the current news coming out of USF Lakeland.
Just because we've had a couple of pics from Tom, doesn't mean Roger DeWitt isn't still at Joker Merchant almost every day. You can see his photos at his Flickr site.
Speaking of Flickr, you can always find interesting photos from residents and visitors to Lakeland. I list many local photographers in the links column (below right on the home page). For visitors, you can do a search at Flickr to find Lakeland photos. For example, Yankees fan Ron Davis was in Lakeland to see yesterday's game.
