Metro I-4 News

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Monica Kile opens the seminar in Lakeland.

Ethics & Issues in the Press CC by Chuck Welch.

USF Lakeland officials just received word that Governor Crist signed the legislation giving the campus autonomy. There will be an official press release in the morning, but word is the Governor was strong in his endorsement of the move.

The campus board previously approved the autonomy issue, name change and related issues. That means the campus is ready to move and will officially be known as USF Polytechnic on July 1st.

Note that the Governor has yet to sign the budget, but the belief is that the USF money will be approved this year.

Look here tomorrow for additional information.

Update: It looks like the Ledger finally added the story to their site. Bill Rufty gave a couple of quotes from the Governor’s press release or you can read the whole thing here:

Statement by

GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST

Regarding Senate Bill 186

“I am pleased to sign into law today Senate Bill 186, establishing the University of South Florida Lakeland campus as the University of South Florida Polytechnic. This step forward for higher education will place this campus on the same level as other campuses of the University of South Florida.

This developing campus currently offers more than 20 undergraduate and graduate degrees and serves more than 2,000 students each year, with plans to double enrollment in the next few years. With this legislation, the institution will become the state’s first polytechnic campus, strengthening our commitment to higher education, training a highly-skilled workforce and increasing economic benefits for the growing Central Florida region.

“I thank Senators J.D. Alexander and Carey Baker as well as Representatives Seth McKeel and Ed Homan for their leadership on this issue. I look forward to the great work and continuing commitment to research and education from this promising institution.”

Major League Baseball is reporting that the Detroit Tigers have optioned Dontrelle outright to the Class A Lakeland Flying Tigers.

In Lakeland, Willis will work with the organization’s pitching coordinator, Jon Matlack, and Lakeland pitching coach Joe Coleman to iron out severe control problems that have plagued the 2005 Cy Young Award runner-up since Spring Training.

Willis, who signed a three-year, $29 million contract after arriving in a December trade with Florida, has walked 21 batters this season in 11 1/3 innings.

If he gets back on track the Flying Tigers should have some very interesting games with Willis pitching. Not too many, as the Tigers would bring him back in a heartbeat if he regains his form.

If you didn’t catch the small map at Lakeland Crime, you might want to try the Full Page LakelandLocal.com Crime Map 05/26 to 06/01 2008

If you use a feed reader, you can get the crime maps delivered.

53 This week’s stats:

05 Business Burglary
00 Business Robbery
01 Gang Grafitti
04 Personal Robbery
09 Residential Burglary
01 Residential Robbery
00 Attempted Stolen Vehicle
02 Recovered Stolen Vehicle
09 Stolen Vehicle
22 Vehicle Burglary

On May 31, 2008 the Ledger published a letter from State Senator Paula Dockery on her views regarding commuter rail and the failed CSX deal.

Today, the Tampa Tribune published the same letter. But not quite the same letter. In the intervening days Dockery has changed a few sentences.

We’ll save you the trouble of comparing the two letters. Here are the major changes. (Minor word changes such as “FDOT” versus “The FDOT” aren’t included here.)

The skyrocketing cost of gasoline, coupled with the frustrating congestion along the Interstate 4 corridor, has made commuters’ patience grow thin, and understandably so. The people of Florida deserve an alternative to the crowded roads. — The Ledger

The skyrocketing cost of gasoline coupled with the frustrating congestion along the I-4 corridor have made commuters’ patience grow thin, and understandably so. The people of Florida deserve an alternative to the crowded roads, and a statewide commuter/passenger rail system has the potential to be an important part of a viable solution. — Tampa Tribune

Why not just have CSX retain ownership and let us pay the company the $2.5 million to $10 million to run commuter rail on its tracks? — Ledger

If this is a fair price to allow CSX to use our tracks for 12 hours a day, why not just have CSX retain ownership and let us pay them the $2.5 million to $10 million to run commuter rail on their tracks? - Tribune

If we are asking taxpayers to spend more than $1 billion and shift endless freight trains into neighboring communities, shouldn’t we make sure that people would actually utilize it in the first place? — Ledger

If we are asking taxpayers to spend more than $1 billion and shift endless freight trains into neighboring communities, shouldn’t we make sure that people would actually utilize it in the first place? Shouldn’t commuter rail stations be located at tourist attractions and the airport? — Tribune

CSX has been unwilling to budge on the issue of indemnity, the most potentially devastating price to the Florida taxpayer. CSX demands that Florida taxpayers pay the damages in accidents even when CSX is at fault. Even if a jury awards punitive damages intended to punish CSX for grossly negligent behavior, CSX wouldn’t have to pay — Florida taxpayers would. — Ledger

If all this failed to trigger the alarm bells, CSX has been unwilling to budge on the issue of indemnity, the most potentially devastating price to the Florida taxpayer. CSX demands that Florida taxpayers pay the damages in accidents even when CSX is at fault. Even if a jury awards punitive damages intended to punish CSX for grossly negligent behavior, CSX wouldn’t have to pay and be punished - Florida taxpayers would have to pick up the bill. — Tribune

School is out and you’re spending all day listening to the kids squabble over who gets the TV remote, who took the last apple juice, and if first in the shower mans you get all the hot water.

It’s the perfect time to go to a forum on the proposed Polk County Growth Cap Amendment.

Join other weary parents and homeowners tonight at 6 p,pm. in the LTB auditorium at the Polk Community College/University of South Florida Lakeland Polytechnic campus.

Polk Vision will present information on the amendment. The word is they’ll cover various viewpoints about the amendment seeking to moderate growth in Polk County. Representatives from the development industry, land use planning, and the Growth Cap Coalition will be featured on the panel.

In the audience will be a resident whose family has been in Polk County for 100 years and doesn’t see why he can’t develop his land the way he likes. Also in attendance will be someone who moved here a fews years ago and wonders why we can’t manage growth as well as they did in Portland. Oregon or Maine. It doesn’t really matter which.*

If you’d like more information try calling Polk Vision today at 646-0439. But I bet they’ll be busy getting ready.

* - Resident profiles do not reflect you, your neighbor, or that eccentric person your sister told you about.

Tampa Tribune reporter Billy Townsend announced today he is leaving the regional newspaper’s Polk County desk for a new position outside journalism.

That’s really too bad. Townsend’s early work on the CSX Project was the first actual reporting done on the story. Without those first forays into the heart of the story Florida tax payers might be stuck for a 1.2 billion bill with no outside review.

There is good news in the brief note:

I am also planning to remain in reporting and commentary as an amateur, taking advantage of the some of the excellent online media infrastructure that has been built here over the past two years. I hope that will allow me to maintain a voice in Polk politics and media.

That’s great news for regional citizens. Billy, welcome to the ranks of ex-journalist. The grass really is greener over here, even if the money isn’t.

The rumor is that starting today Starbucks will offer free wi-fi access. There’s a catch though:

“Complimentary Wi-Fi for Starbucks customers When you register your Starbucks Card and use it at least once a month, you’ll receive two consecutive hours a day of complimentary Wi-Fi, courtesy of AT&T.”

Can any of you coffee addicts tell me if this is true?

An interesting press release from the City of Lakeland flew across my desk today. I’ll quote the whole thing, but the fun is in the map.

CommunityWalk Map - Magnolia St. Closing

LAKELAND, FL (June 2, 2008) — Starting Wednesday, June 4, 2008 West Magnolia Street at Martin L. King Jr. Boulevard (*) will permanently close due to the second phase of construction of the Lakeland In-town Bypass. After the closure, West Magnolia Street can be accessed by turning east on Peachtree Street just north of Lake Wire Road and then north on Virginia Street.

The first phase of the In-Town Bypass from the terminus of Bartow Road at Main Street to SR 35 (North Florida Avenue) opened on February 25, 2004. (*) The second phase of construction includes the westward extension of the In-Town Bypass to SR 600 (George Jenkins Boulevard), with an elevated railroad crossing near the old Florida Tile location. The project also includes the re-alignment of SR 539 (Kathleen Road). Kathleen Road is being re-aligned as part of this project to create a more direct “north-south route” between Interstate 4 and southern Lakeland.

OK, I need to find exactly which of those properties was the “old Florida Tile” location. I do see that tying in the In-Town Bypass to George Jenkins Blvd is sure to affect any opportunity to realign those CSX tracks. In one meeting that sharp turn (*) was blamed for slowing down freight traffic. Removing that left turn from Sikes Blvd. Northbound to Kathleen Rd. Northbound is sure to make many drivers happy.

It was a week of residential and vehicle burglaries. The latest Lakeland crime map is at Lakeland Crime Week of May 19, 2008 or the Full Size LakelandLocal.com Crime Map 05/19 to 05/25 2008

56 This week’s stats:

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

Subscribe to Lakeland Crime

You can barely see the man in this cameraphone photo but he figured in an interesting show this morning.

My wife and I were at the light at Beacon Road and Harden Blvd. while we watched that man take two political signs from the ground on from the west side of Harden. He carefully crossed Harden to toss the signs in the drainage basin in front of the bank.

I’m guessing he isn’t a fan of Polk County Commissioner candidate Stan Goudy. At least, that looked like the name on the two blue signs the man threw away.

TheLedger.com is getting a new design today according to Managing Editor/Digital Barry Friedman.

Yes, it was just a mere 8 months and 25 days ago that TheLedger.com 3.0 debuted. Friedman received 77 reader comments on that redesign. I’m betting he gets fewer this time. Readers are getting used to design changes affecting their daily news perusal.

What will the new design look like? I’m glad you asked. If you’ve read the News Chief online lately you’ve already seen the Ledger’s new design. You can also see it at the Gainesville, Ocala, Wilmington (NC), Santa Rosa (CA), Houma (LA), and Thibadoux (LA) online sites.

Yes, the Ledger’s parent company, the New York Times, wants to have similar online sites for all the papers it owns. Well, except for the New York Times. With their teaser paragraph heavy front page, the New York Times readers must expect something more than a lot of lonely headlines.

However, headlines are what you’re going to get with the new Ledger site. The page is bursting with headlines. Headlines for local news, features, sports, and AP news. Headlines for forum posts, columns, reporter blog posts, and national news.

One or two important stories rate teaser paragraphs. The rest of the page is chock-full of headlines the Ledger hopes will lure readers inside.

Why?

According to a Standford-Poynter project, it’s because you multi-task:

In contrast, online readers are catching up with their news between answering e-mail, conversing with colleagues, or answering phone calls. The need for quicker access to information is much more prevalent online.

In addition to headlines, video will literally be the centerpiece of the new site. For good reason: younger readers want it.

“We’re talking about a generation that doesn’t just like seeing the video in addition to the story — they expect it,” said Danny Shea, 23, the associate media editor for The Huffington Post (huffingtonpost.com). “And they’ll find it elsewhere if you don’t give it to them, and then that’s the link that’s going to be passed around over e-mail and instant message.” — New York Times

Why cater to younger readers? Advertising. We old folks aren’t buying enough dead tree editions of the paper, nor is anyone placing enough classified advertisements. So, The Ledger, and other newspapers, are tweaking online until they can re-capture their audience. Well, at least a piece of it.

I admit I’m one of those old folks, and I’m also leaving behind the paper version of the Ledger. Every morning before breakfast I buy a copy of the Ledger at a paper box. Soon I’ll join the young crowd and go all digital. Coincidently, I just purchased a huge monitor that lets me see the entire Ledger front page in one glance. I’m sure that’s how I’ll probably read it — with a glance over the headlines and a click or five to read some stories within.

I think the Ledger’s headline writers are going to become the paper’s new stars.

(Standard disclaimer: My wife works at USF. She likes the USF Polytechnic idea. I’d rather it was a Liberal Arts college. However, I believe strongly that this area can support a locally managed university in the USF network. See today’s editorial in the Ledger. The following is a press release from Thomas Hagerty at USF.)

(Lakeland, Fla., May 28, 2008) — University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft announced the university’s acceptance of a major gift from Lakeland Regional Medical Center to support the development of the new USF Polytechnic campus on I-4.

Lakeland Regional Medical Center CEO Jack Stephens confirmed his institution’s gift to USF of $500,000 — a gift that the university anticipates will be eligible for state matching dollars and, in the words of USF Lakeland CEO Marshall Goodman, “help to literally transform the landscape of our community.”

In making the presentation, Stephens emphasized LRMC’s interest in developing “a world class community.” According to Stephens, “Our Board is very excited about what this new campus will mean to Lakeland in the coming decades. This is a huge opportunity for our community.”

Stephens, Genshaft and Goodman spoke of shared interests in developing degree programs in healthcare-related professions and observed that, as Goodman put it, “Our institutions share a passion for serving this community.”

The new USF Polytechnic campus is expected to open in 2010 or 2011 with over 4,000 students and an ultimate build-out target of 16,000 students. The state legislature has already approved the first $15 million in funding for Phase 1 of the campus, and Governor Charlie Crist has personally assured Genshaft and Goodman that he will add his approval to that funding.