Lakeland Local

nobody@vox.com(LakelandLocal) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:04:31 -0700

Lakeland Local

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Ladies & Gentlemen -- USF Polytechnic

Posted: 28 Apr 2008 03:42 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/279599450/ladies-gentlemen----usf-polytechnic.html

The USF Board of Trustees just voted unanimously to change the name of USF Lakeland to USF Polytechnic.

The name will officially change with the passage of the HB1143 which gives USF Polytechnic autonomy from USF Tampa.

From Rep. Seth McKeel's website (pdf):

HB 1143 University of South Florida Lakeland
Establishes & designates University of South Florida Lakeland campus; requires Board of Trustees to appoint Campus Board; provides that university is administered by Campus Executive Officer; provides that students enrolled at branch campus of university have same rights as other students; requires university to provide for a system of student registration that meets certain conditions.

In the House, I have sponsored HB 1143, a bill entitled University of South Florida Lakeland. This bill creates autonomy for USF Lakeland from its sister campus in Tampa, FL. This is on par with the USF regional campuses in both Sarasota and St. Petersburg. If it passes, USF Lakeland will have control over its daily affairs and be able to shape a unique vision for its own future. This legislation is critical to allowing USF Lakeland’s day to day operations to flow smoothly. Consequently, I will be working hard in the Florida House of Representatives to see that this bill passes. In the coming weeks, your Legislative Delegation will be calling on you to also do your part to see that the USF Lakeland Polytechnic Campus is established. It is important that public leaders in our state know what impact that this project will have on our community and it is up to you to share your thoughts with them. Every Polk County resident must stand together behind one message, “Lakeland deserves a Polytechnic Campus!”

Update: The official USF press release is after the jump.

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We still have the Lakeland Crime Report

Posted: 28 Apr 2008 06:31 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/279303621/weve-still-got-the-lakeland-cr.html

Yes, here are the links to yet another Lakeland Crime Map. You can always find the small maps at Lakeland Crime, and this week's full page map at LakelandLocal.com Crime Map 04/14 to 04/19 2008

43 This week's stats:

05 Business Burglary
00 Business Robbery
03 Gang Grafitti
02 Personal Robbery
18 Residential Burglary
01 Residential Robbery
00 Attempted Stolen Vehicle
02 Recovered Stolen Vehicle
04 Stolen Vehicle
08 Vehicle Burglary

Update: Anyone interested in an unpaid position as proofreader...let me know.

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nobody@vox.com(LakelandLocal) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:01:21 -0700

Lakeland Local

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The Trib & USF Lakeland

Posted: 27 Apr 2008 08:14 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/278786348/usf-lakeland-tribune.html

It seems the last couple of years have proved one fact to this new resident of Lakeland.

Tampa and Orlando media are afraid of Polk County.

To the Orlando Sentinel we're often "rural Polk County" or "Orlando-area."

To the Tampa Tribune we're evidently a drain on their campus.

In today's Tribune is an unsigned editorial, USF Lakeland Campus Driven By Political, Development Ambitions

I'll sum up the editorial for you, "Dear Lakeland, We got ours. Stay small. Wait for us to annex you." It's the same thing we hear from Orlando. Both cities look to Polk County as land for their growth.

The editorial starts with the statement: "One of the smartest things Gov. Charlie Crist did last year was veto funding for a regional campus of the University of South Florida in Lakeland."

Now we well know that Crist was new to the job, and pulling the funding was a matter of misinformation. The campus money...unlike the commuter rail funds...was a matter of long public debate.

The Money:

As you read the editorial, notice how the writer wants you to believe USF Lakeland is taking money out of the hands of USF Tampa.

"and weighed against the cost to USF's aging campus in Tampa" "A new university in Lakeland shouldn't be built at USF's expense."

The fact of the matter is that Polk County and Lakeland officials have pledged much of the money to the campus. Money matched by other funds. And none of the funds would or could go to USF Tampa. The Tribune's lone reporter based in Polk County, Billy Townsend, recently wrote:

Only $15 million in state money is currently budgeted to begin construction of a single building at the proposed I-4 site. Polk County and the city of Lakeland have both pledged $5 million, which makes the campus eligible for an additional $10 million in state economic development funds.

The Land:

The Tribune editorial writer can't determine if holding the campus off a year would keep or lose the donated land. That's an important point to remember. The campus would be built on donated land.

"As much as anything, this campus is about helping a large landholder build a new community." The implication is that the company thinks having a university close by would be a good thing. Guess what? It is. I am sure if I went t the Tribunes archives I could find all kinds of editorials arguing against USF Tampa getting donated land and grants.

What's worse is the writer is confused about the land grant. On one hand they warn if the university doesn't attract a certain number of students the land grant is revoked. The Tribune claims "USF Lakeland says it expects just 1,522 students by 2014-15," but the USF Lakeland Educational Plant Survey states: "Projected student headcount enrollment for the 2009-10 academic year will be 3,472 with 1,736 FTE and in 2014-15 headcount is projected to be 8,688 with 4,344 FTE." (FTE = the number of Full Time students plus a percentage of the part-time students)

Then the editorial writer counters with "However, it's hard to believe the company will walk away if the deadline is not met, given the money it stands to make on the development."

The corner of I-4 and the Polk Parkway is a perfect central for an university in as growth blooms along the freeway in Polk County. A company wants to give USF Lakeland the land. And Tampa thinks USF Lakeland should walk away. The Tribune opines that some other landowner would donate land. Does that make sense to you?

You'd get the impression that the editorial writer has an argument with the Williams Company. The Tribune editorial writer says, "Problem is, USF has said the Lakeland campus will not focus on research, but on extending the university's reach to people who can't make the drive to Tampa. So why build a research park?"

First, USF Lakeland faculty do perform research. Second, companies like to have research parks next to campuses.

Isn't that a novel idea! A place for USF Lakeland students to intern and get good jobs. Right here in Polk County.

Of course, the Tribune has argued against USF Tampa having a research center located near the campus. Wait, no, they haven't. In a recent editorial they argued that USF Tampa should run next door neighbor Byrd Alzheimer Center "The Byrd center should become part of USF, where scientists are doing great work on Alzheimer's research. It's a natural fit."

We've got ours. You get yours on your own.

The Buildings:

The Tribune editorial writer was also under the belief that money for USF Lakeland could be spent on improving infrastructure at USF Tampa, "money that will not be spent for upgrades at the Tampa campus' less-than-new facilities." USF Tampa started in 1956. I went to a university much older than that. They had buildings a lot older than 50 years. I can't seem to remember that classes held in older buildings were inferior.

The Tribune counters with crowding, again in Tampa, "where professors face overcrowded classes and students sometimes have to sit on the floor."

We have overcrowded classes because the Florida voter is more concerned with saving pennies in taxes than funding salaries for more teachers.

Admission Standards:

The writer claims that USF Lakeland admissions standards will be lower. The fact is USF Lakeland would be able to set their own standards. But what if they do allow more students to attend?

"Especially since the admissions standard for the campus will be lower than in Tampa, which means a USF Lakeland degree will hold less standing." the writer claims.

Under that logic an USF Tampa degree holds less standing than those from hundreds of universities in the US. How elitist. When you decide which Media General editorial writers to keep, do you decide based on their alma mater?

Finally:

In true editorial fashion the writer ends with a bevy of unanswered questions. I thought I'd help out with a few answers.

The manner in which USF Lakeland is being built isn't good public policy.

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Lakeland Local

nobody@vox.com(LakelandLocal) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:02:11 -0700

Lakeland Local

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Not an Article to Read at the Family Breakfast Table

Posted: 25 Apr 2008 10:26 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/278013439/not-an-article-to-read-at-the.html

You may have read that Florida state senators have been hard at work on an issue that affects us all. Of course, I'm talking about trucksticles. The dangly-bits of male trucks.

You didn't know trucks had genders? Well, many a state senator has spent the past few weeks lifting tail gates to determine the sex of their trucks. They determined that Florida was the center of an epidemic of aggressive male trucks. Faced with the growing population of such trucks in the state the senators decided to fine the owners of male trucks $60.

To help rid the state of these trucks the state senate also hired a recently retired celebrity known for his work on population control. A source at a local public relations firm emailed me the following print ad:

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Lakeland Local

nobody@vox.com(LakelandLocal) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:06:13 -0700

Lakeland Local

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The Web is Again Abuzz with Talk of Lakeland

Posted: 24 Apr 2008 12:04 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/276653181/the-web-is-again-abuzz-with-ta.html

First it was "We ran out of bullets," then "Nude Male Alligator Baiting." A breather before it was the "All Teen Beating All the Time with the Mulberry 8." Now the net is afire with word of the Word.

They're all stories focused on a Lakeland event that took the Internet by storm. Posts are made, emails sent, and resent. A large segment of the Internet population focusing on Lakeland.

In the past couple of weeks all my Lakeland searches turn up new posts about a preacher who came to Lakeland for a short revival. According to the posts, it became something more:

There have been documented healings. One woman was telling that she had seen 350 people saved in the past six weeks. People are standing in line in order to get into the meetings for hours. Some are even sleeping in the parking lot. One woman with MS flew in from England for 3 days so she could receive prayer for healing. -- Rahab's Place

The preacher connected to the revival is Todd Bentley:

Right now we are having meetings in Lakeland, Florida, where are experiencing a real outpouring! The reason for writing you today is because I wholeheartedly believe that this is a fresh move of God. At this moment, we are in our second week of extended meetings and planning a third week. Without any hype, I can say that I have never experienced something like this in our ministry, until now. -- Revival Report

Saturday, the Ledger's Cary McMullen had a good story on the revival. I get the feeling it is going to be weeks before the Internet buzz dies down.

"People are going out into the community during the day and hundreds are being saved at Wal-mart, in the hotels, in the restaurants and on the streets. Todd said reports are coming in that people are feeling this anointing all over town. As I'm sitting at the hotel computer right now, I can hear a conversation about the revival from the two women working at the front desk. One woman had a headache and I've prayed for her twice already. She's feeling better. -- Breaking Christian News

Hey y’all I have been listening and watching the most incredible revival going on in Lakeland , Florida. It was supposed to be for 5 meetings. Okay, well it seems God has other plans and it is SO amazing the incredible healings and the Presence of God is beyond amazing! Yes, the meetings started last week and is still going on!! -- elainebarnett.com

A Healing Revival has been going on in Lakeland, Florida since April 2nd and will continue until April 20th....unless the Lord extends it some more!!! The Lord has done great things with amazing healings, signs and wonders, an open heaven with angelic visitations. I have received numerous impartations and the atmosphere is electrifying. -- injesus.com

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Does USF Need a Lakeland Campus?

Posted: 23 Apr 2008 06:12 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/276598170/does-usf-need-a-lakeland-campu.html

If you missed the article, the St. Petersburg Times recently wrote about the proposed USF Lakeland campus, Budget is tight, but USF wants to build in Lakeland.

One of the reporters teased the article on her blog:

In a year when colleges are laying off staff and freezing enrollment, University of South Florida officials are strongly lobbying the Legislature for $15-million to kick-start a large new campus in Lakeland.

With a price tag of up to $200-million, the branch campus is slated to serve an eventual population that would make it larger than four of the state's 11 four-year universities.

But is the demand really there?

The turning point of the article is an apparent conflict between USF departments about the current USF Lakeland student population and future growth. Specifically, the article implies that USF Lakeland is using fudged numbers to claim faster growth.

I called USF Lakeland to speak to campus officials about the raw numbers, but haven't received those yet. I did get a copy of a response sent to local officials. You can read the full text after the jump.

Billy Townsend has covered the USF Lakeland for the Tampa Tribune. He has a well-reasoned reaction to the St. Pete article. I believe he addresses two important points: this isn't an effort to build a full campus in one fell swoop. It's one building at a time as the demand warrants. Also, the university has not approached the state for all the funds to build the campus.

There is also another reason Lakeland needs to take a strong look at university education. Take a look at something Cat Carter recently posted at YLakeland:

We stumbled across this study in our office today that I found interesting. The study, completed by the bizjournal, is entitled “Brainpower rankings of 100 top metros.” Lakeland comes in at number 95.

Less than 20% of Lakeland residents have a bachelor's or graduate degree. Obviously, we haven't done enough for college education in the past. It's time we step up our game.

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Lakeland Local

nobody@vox.com(LakelandLocal) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:04:00 -0700

Lakeland Local

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Mobile Safe Places on PGTV

Posted: 22 Apr 2008 01:05 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/275545871/mobile-safe-places-on-pgtv.html

The rolling shelters I wrote about last week are being dedicated today. Here's a PGTV program on the topic. (Thanks to DarbySea)

Polk Place

Host- Joan Davies (and PGTV Program Director)
Guests: Jim Simms, Development Director for Youth & Family Alternatives
Danny Ours, Citrus Connection Executive Director

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Lakeland Local

nobody@vox.com(LakelandLocal) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:02:04 -0700

Lakeland Local

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Main Street Creamery For Sale

Posted: 21 Apr 2008 08:05 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/275042242/main-street-creamery-for-sale.html

It looks like Main Street Creamery on Main Street is for sale. According to the ad on BizQuest.com the reason for selling is "Business ventures in home state - family illness."

The shop was last in the news as the Lakeland stop for Rudy Giuliani's failed presidential bid, but it is a shop Lakeland natives have frequented for years.

The BizQuest ad has photos of the shop, and lists an asking price of $67,900.

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Today's Rally in Links & Pics

Posted: 21 Apr 2008 05:49 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/274988098/todays-rally-in-links-pics.html

If you missed today's rally against the CSX project, I'm sure you caught it on one of the news stations, in the Ledger*, Tribune, or Sentinel. Better still you read about it at Tales from the Delk Side or on YLakeland.

I did a quick head count of about 250 and I am sure there were more as people moved in and out. The Sentinel reporter counted about 200 a little later. Don't let anyone believe that was a small number. A last minute rally without a celebrity, held on a Monday, during lunch, isn't going to attract Martin Luther King numbers. The Downtown Lakeland Partnership had a very healthy showing.

I thought telling was the fact CSX held up trains away from the rally so no stations could get video of the trains traveling past the speaker's podium. You have to give them credit for hiring smart public relations people. Maybe PR people are filling the 8500 200 less than 150 jobs CSX used to claim we'd get for the project?

The photo I had on during the rally was a quick cameraphone shot. Here are a few others:

* - The Ledger didn't bother to write up the rally in their breaking news. I guess it wasn't as locally important as "U.S. Tourist Killed After Plunging Off Cliff In Bolivia"

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Anti CSX Rally

Posted: 21 Apr 2008 12:32 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/274821128/anti-csx-rally.html

Part of the more than 200 who attended

Anti CSX Rally CC by Chuck Welch.

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Lakeland Local

nobody@vox.com(LakelandLocal) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 03:02:04 -0700

Lakeland Local

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Rally on CSX Issue

Posted: 21 Apr 2008 03:15 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/274523672/rally-on-csx-issue.html

People with gather today at Noon in Munn Park to meet about the CSX Project in Winter Haven. There will be speakers at 12:30 and the rally will be over before 1 pm.

If you'd like to know why this issue is important take a look at a recent post from Lorrie Delk Walker: CSX Information Presented at Downtown Lakeland Kiwanis Meeting.

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Lakeland Crime Week of April 7 , 2008

Posted: 21 Apr 2008 03:08 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/274515227/lakeland-crime-week-of-april-7.html

The weekly crime map is over at Lakeland Crime:

LakelandLocal.com Crime Map 04/07 to 04/13 2008

48 This week's stats:

08 Business Burglary
01 Business Robbery
01 Gang Grafitti
00 Personal Robbery
13 Residential Burglary
00 Residential Robbery
00 Attempted Stolen Vehicle
00 Recovered Stolen Vehicle
10 Stolen Vehicle
15 Vehicle Burglary

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nobody@vox.com(LakelandLocal) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 03:02:15 -0700

Lakeland Local

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Linksters on Main Street

Posted: 19 Apr 2008 11:01 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/273858877/linksters-on-main-street.html

It's a new feature on Lakeland Local. A pair of photos and a short write up on a Lakeland business.

Our first? Linksters on Main Street. 46-foot bar, 15 50" Plasma screens, all sports programming, a pool table, 250,000 songs on the jute box. (Yes, you read that right.), 10 draft bears (import and microbrews), and five smoke eaters.

The bar is the company's tenth and is managed by Eric "Bro" Belvin. It opens daily at Noon and close at 2 am (except Sunday at Midnight)

The bar allows smoking, and doesn't offer food. However, two doors down is Black & Brew. Give the B&B folks a call and they'll walk your order over.

Misty at Linksters -- Photos (c) by Lakeland Local

If you know a business I should feature please leave a comment.

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Lakeland Local

nobody@vox.com(LakelandLocal) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:01:14 -0700

Lakeland Local

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Lakeland Saturday Night

Posted: 18 Apr 2008 07:13 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/273245138/lakeland-saturday-night.html

The last time Black and Brew had Sangria Saturday the place was packed. So you might want to get downtown early tomorrow night to hear Nathan Herrera play flamenco guitar, and sip a glass of sangria.

The sangria and special appetizers start at 6 pm, the music at 8 pm., and Chris & Mike close the doors at 11 pm. Walk home, take two aspirin, a glass of water, and you'll be up early Sunday morning for a walk around Lake Hollingsworth.

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Linksters

Posted: 18 Apr 2008 03:11 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/273088984/linksters.html

A sign at the new Linksters sports bar on Kentucky Ave. (Two doors down from Black & Brew)
Linksters CC by Chuck Welch.

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Who says American reporters don't see class issues?

Posted: 18 Apr 2008 09:28 AM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/272907611/over-at-the-polk-county.html

I've had a Lakeland official decry that the videotaped beating became a "Lakeland" story. After all, the students went to Mulberry, and the home was closer to Highland City than anywhere. I believe one key was the original arrest report. The home's address shows a Lakeland ZIP code. We are the biggest town to the event, but I'm surprised more media people didn't go for the obvious Mulberry and Mayberry metaphor.

Over at the Polk County News Blog Billy Townsend points to a sentence in the New York Times about the Mulberry 8:

They and two male classmates were charged as adults with battery and kidnapping in the March 30 attack in Lakeland, a lower-middle-class town in Central Florida. -- NYT

You wonder why the Times didn't use a story from the Ledger. After all, they own the paper. Anyway, Cave is the Times Miami bureau chief and I guess there just isn't enough news coming out of that sleepy town.

I like this from the late 2007 memo announcing Cave's promotion from Baghdad correspondent:

It will be Damien Cave's turn to stock up on bottled water and batteries.

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Lakeland Local

nobody@vox.com(LakelandLocal) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 03:04:43 -0700

Lakeland Local

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DLP Hosts Anti-CSX Project Rally

Posted: 17 Apr 2008 03:48 PM CDT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LakelandLocal/~3/272396923/dlp-hosts-anticsx-project-rall.html

The Downtown Lakeland Partnership is hosting a rally against CSX this coming Monday April 21, at Noon. The rally, held in Munn Park, will feature speakers starting at 12:30.

Several speakers will address the crowd. Do your part to protest the state's deal to give over $500 million to CSX, a company whose revenue rose 12 percent to a record $2.7 billion, at a time when the state is seeing record shortfalls and budget cuts.

The plan is bad for the state and great for CSX. There is a better way to provide commuter rail for the entire I-4 corridor, not just Orlando. There is a way for CSX to build the ILC without damaging Polk cities. We need to put this project on HOLD and explore these other options! Help us help YOU! -- From a DLP email

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