The period from May 3 to May 28 is the final opportunity for student applications to Polk County magnet and choice schools for the 2010-2011 school year. Applications can be submitted online only at www.polk-fl.net. Individuals without computer or Internet access can complete the application on school district computers at any magnet or choice school or by visiting the Office of Magnet and Choice Schools at the school district administrative office, 1915 South Floral Avenue, Bartow. Applications will be processed according to the date received. For more information: (863) 534-0631.

froint photo credit: Tom Hagerty for Metro I4 News

However, this last week I got myself caught up in a bit of a political/religious dialogue at the Hookah Palace in downtown Lakeland. Passing a Hookah pipe around a group of friends, conversations arise that might not ever find space or time in the “small talk” world of most of our daily lives. One of the quaint niceties of the Hookah Lounge is that each little table/couch setting is sectioned off by a partitioning curtain. The curtains give the idea of privacy but give little actual seclusion from anyone else.

As I sat reading the other day in my little couch area, the group next to me was discussing the recent words of Virginia State Delegate Bob Marshall, Republican from Manassas.

The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the firstborn of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children. — Bob Marshall, R-Manassas

Apparently he really believes that children born with disabilities are God’s punishment for abortion. Mr. Marshall based his understanding of God’s punishment off Exodus 13:2.

Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal.

In all honesty the conversation would not have bothered me enough to say something normally. People are always warping scripture to put God on the side of their power and control issues. What surprised me was that the group of college students started naming other tragedies, illnesses and disasters that they believed could be caused because of God’s wrath. I think I actually laughed out loud though, when I heard one person say that they thought that the earthquake in Haiti could have been God’s response to Obama becoming President!

I would like to tell you this misinformed conversation of the group that day was the simply the result of classism, racism and bigotry, though I want to blame schools, media and the literalist babblings of right winged bible thumpers. I fear the blame needs to fall on our churches, synagogues and other religious bodies who have either not taught their members how to love or taught them to love and then allowed them to keep their light –under a bushel.

It is easy for open minded, educated, loving people to turn the other cheek, in essence saying “I know God loves me…to hell with you!” I think this is one of the reasons why when Jesus talked about the spiritual gift of tongues, he focused more on the interpreting of tongues rather then the gift of speaking them.

5I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[c] but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues,[d] unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. (1 Corinthians 14:5)

It has been convenient for liberal minded, educated Christians to blame the moral, ethical and spiritual brokenness of society on close minded churches and believers. However, I fear the injustice and misunderstanding are more likely a consequence of the apathy of educated, Christian minds. Our society listens to Fox News, Rush Libaugh, Pat Robertson and Virginia State Delegate Marshall because they are the ones who are willing to teach and share answers to people’s questions.

It is of no good to anyone to have love, knowledge or inner peace if you are not willing to share it — fight for it — teach it — and when it comes to justice, sometimes even die for it.

Do your friends, family, co-worker and church know what you believe in — what you stand for? With all your education, years of church, bible reading and services attended, are you living a gospel of grace or just talking one?

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photo credit: Zooopreme

Of course, since the offices are closed, you’ll have to pay through www.PolkTaxes.com by 11:59 pm February 28, 2009.

But, wait, there’s more! You can walk-in to one of the Polk County Tax Collector’s Offices tomorrow and get the 1% discount. You have to get there before 5 pm. Yes, there’s a deadline after the deadline.

For more information, call (863) 534-4721… on Monday. They’re closed today.

For years, officers have trained by shooting at stationary targets. A big step was popup targets as officers moved through training buildings. Today training can be more realistic.

The Polk County Sheriff’s office spends considerable time training officers. Just before the Thanksgiving holiday the department added a tool to improve that training. Imagine a room with a wall size video screen. Like a videogame on steroids, videotaped actors move through scenarios, responding or not to a live trainee’s commands and weapon fire.

You’re a deputy with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. You’ve standing in front of a mini-van as a father explains why he has pulled to the side of the road. He’s upset, but attempting to explain his predicament. A teen sits fidgeting in the front seat. Younger children in the back seat are yelling at the teen. You’re watching inside the van as you glance back at the father. His hands are down at his side, palms open and facing you. The children are agitated. You start to step toward the minivan’s passenger side as the teen opens the door. You shout for him to stay seated. He continues opening the door.

You see his hand come up. Is that a smile? Is he angry? Does he have a gun? You have less time than it takes to read this sentence to decide. Decide while his father is yelling. Decide while children are jumping in the back seat. Decide while the teen continues out of the car.

One-third of a second has passed. You take too long to decide. You’re shot and killed.

In the facility, officers use standard weapons and tools outfitted with sensors instead of bullets. Cameras track officers as they work through real-life, real-time scenarios. Instructors use interactive media to alter the scenarios to respond to the skill level of the trainee. After the training scene is over, instructors can replay the video and show officers where they did well, and where they could improve.

Running though a scenario quickly starts to feel real. The actors fall when shot. They shoot back when they’re missed or only wounded. Trainees don’t feel the return shots, but the video turns red if the officer would have been killed.

Lieutenant Rick Wright is the training supervisor at PCSO Burnham McCall Training Center, “We are the first in this area to bring this simulated training to use.”

Wright points out how little an officer know when responding to a call. They know the location and a very brief description such as “shooting” or domestic disturbance. “Deputies don’t really know what they’re getting into,” Wright says. He says the department uses the video facility to train officers to make informed situation-based decisions.

Scenarios are about two minutes long with branching options that allow a single scenario to have various outcomes. The videos are guided. An officer can’t choose to open a door or not. Though some scenarios seem to start slow, action happens lightening quick.

Trainer Sgt Larry Traylor, points out that the methods is realistic. “In these scenarios, we’re training action and reaction all at real-life speed.” Wright says the scenarios are short for a good reason, “We’re focusing on the decision-making process.”

In addition to the realistic training, Wright finds the system cost effective, “It was half the cost of most simulators on the market.” He added that the department will see significant savings, “A case of 1000 rounds (of ammunition) is approximated $260. A case of the CO2 cartridges (to power the training weapons) is $340.“ A quick bit of math, and Wright figured the Sherriff’s Office gets around 45,000 rounds out of that CO2 case.

Wright says the training isn’t only for new officers. Veteran deputies spend time in the facility. “You can never get enough training,” says Wright. He expanded on the cost effective aspect of the facility, “We need just one instructor in here versus seven in an old-fashion simulation training. Weather is also a big factor. We can now operate during inclement weather.”

Lt. Rick Wright prepares to fire as Sgt. Larry Traylor manages the training scenario.

That’s because of the interactive nature of the training facility. An instructor sits at a computer behind the trainee. He watches and listens and can alter the direction of the scenario based on the responses of the trainee. If the deputy uses the proper language to handle an explosive situation, the instructor can show the video actor calming down. Improperly handle the scene, and the actor gets belligerent and the situation escalates.

Wright explains that they focus on two major training procedures: analytic and intuitive. Classrooms are big on giving analytic training – ask the right questions and learn the right answers. “We train the intuitive thought process through this training,” Wright says of the facility, “It paints a cognitive map in the deputy’s mind. In the field the deputy now has an idea in his mind what he should do.”

The training facility has proved very popular with the deputies. “I haven’t heard one negative comment. Once they start they don’t want to stop,” Wright said.

With over 150 scenarios, each with numerous branching options, the facility offers something new each time a trainee use it. If one were to run through each scenario, Wright is prepared, “We automatically receive video updates at no cost.”

The department can also build scenarios using Polk County locations and actors. Using simple built-in tools, Sheriff’s Office video is imported, potential targets are identified, and branching options programmed. Wright says they have already constructed a simple scenario of the department shooting range.

Training isn’t all video and shooting though. Instructors can display department policies, case law, constitutional amendments, and outside video and photos to help a deputy understand the particulars of a scenario.

One aspect of the training that Wright highlights is the video of the trainee during training. An unobtrusive camera records the trainee and the screen. After the scenario, the instructor can show the trainee where he or she performed well or missed an important clue.

“We’re trying to teach them to see beyond the obvious. You get that thorough experience and that is what this (facility) does,” says Wright.

The department’s training isn’t the cutting edge of the technology. The next step is 3D to allow a trainee to step into the middle of scenarios. It adds another level of realism to the training, “It is just like me and you looking at each other,“ Sgt Traylor says. He did the yeoman’s work to find the present system and has studied the new 3D equipment. He pointed out that the department’s current system can be easily upgraded when the 3D projector is released from the manufacturer.

Lt. Wright can’t wait, “3D is going to open a plethora of training opportunities.”

Below is the full text of a press release from the WIlliams Acquisition Holding Company. Is the name unfamiliar? They’re the owners of the Williams Development of Regional Impact (DRI). That’s the largest landholder in the area around the USF Poly campus at I4 & the Polk Parkway. The Williams DRI is a plan to use the land to develop something akin to the Lakeside Village plus a research/development park, considerable housing and commercial space. The release includes some figures on the proposed plan.

The announcement also mentions a proposed high speed rail station in the area:

The Williams group is currently in negotiations with P3 DevCo for development of the property surrounding the proposed future High Speed Rail station site.

The release makes it clear that Williams finds the Eastern Polk County HSR station location to be a good bet. However, they’ve not yet finalized any deals.

The terms of any joint venture or potential sale of any portion of the Williams property for development will not be completed until the High Speed Rail station location is determined.

According to Gray, if the station is located on the Williams property, Williams is prepared to make available a 20-acre site for the station.

It looks those favoring the Eastern Polk station location have another ally.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 10, 2010

MAJOR DEVELOPER WEIGHS IN ON HSR STATION SITE

Lakeland, Florida—As Polk County’s chambers of commerce, governmental units and planning organizations focused increasing attention on the regional implications of the recently announced Tampa-Polk-Orlando High Speed Rail plan, a major landowner on Florida’s High Tech Corridor announced major plans for one of the leading sites proposed for Polk County’s HSR station.

The site, at the eastern intersection of I-4 and the Polk Parkway, is adjacent to the new USF Polytechnic campus and minutes from the Polk Commerce Centre and the county’s new Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, is located within the Williams Development of Regional Impact (DRI). More importantly, according to USF Polytechnic CEO Marshall Goodman, “This site is central to all of Polk County. It’s the most accessible location being considered.”

Through it’s local spokesman, Charles Gray, of Gray Robinson PA, Attorneys, the Williams Acquisition Holding Company, Inc., owner of the DRI, plans to develop the site as the USF Poly campus opens its doors for 5,000 students in 2012 on a Calatrava-designed campus expected to ultimately host 16,000 students. The DRI project is planned to include 4,300 residential units, 1.3 million square feet of commercial space, a research/development park with 2.9 million square feet of space, 350 hotel rooms and a village center, similar to the successful Lakeside Village development on Lakeland’s southwest side, 240,000 square feet of retail space, 200,000 square feet of office space, 400 residential units and a 100-room hotel.

The Williams group is currently in negotiations with P3 DevCo for development of the propertysurrounding the proposed future High Speed Rail station site. Williams also previouslynegotiated with several national community developers for the development of the entire Williams DRI. Negotiations, however, were postponed pending completion of the construction of the Polk Parkway interchange, the East/West road and Phase I of the USF Polytechnic campus.

Williams sees 2012 as a pivotal year for the site and the region, Gray said. That year will see the completion of the Florida Turnpike Enterprise’s massive Pace Road interchange project on the Polk Parkway and completion of the 5.8 mile 4-lane highway (the East/West road) connecting the Pace Road interchange on the east and State Road 33 on the west. The County has completed construction of the 4-lane Pace Road from Berkley Road to the interchange.

This regional roadway will serve the University, Polk County and the county’s 17 municipalities. With the location of the High Speed Rail station at a site in the center of Polk County’s segment of I-4, the new transportation mode will be positioned to serve the USF Poly campus, the Williams DRI, the Polk Commerce Centre DRI, the Lake Myrtle Complex, Fantasy of Flight, and Merlin Entertainment’s recently announced LegoLand theme park in Winter Haven, as well as the major population hubs in Lakeland.

The terms of any joint venture or potential sale of any portion of the Williams property for development will not be completed until the High Speed Rail station location is determined.

According to Gray, if the station is located on the Williams property, Williams is prepared to make available a 20-acre site for the station

photo credit: colodio

But, as I see it, we’re on the cusp of killing the goose before we ever get a golden egg. These two stories unfortunately foretell what amounts to a food fight over where a proposed Polk County High Speed Rail stop should be located.

• Officials Differ Over Best Location of Polk County Stop for High-Speed Rail

• Haven Chamber Backs USF For High-Speed Rail Stop

The fact is that we’re lucky we’re even getting a stop. As you know, the Federal government didn’t give us enough money to build the entire system. And California’s application was also partially funded. Already pitching for the next round of funds, Gov. Schwarzenegger touts its system as the only “true” high speed rail. And the trouble is, he’s correct. Ours won’t go as fast as his. Why? There are too many stops for it to achieve speeds over 200 mph on such a short route. But we are fighting with ourselves about where our stop – one that will slow the system down – will be. That just doesn’t seem smart to me.

My perspective: We need to respect and thoughtfully participate in a process with FDOT through which we carefully analyze the available alternatives for the rail stop. We should foster a timely, yet analytical process that details the costs, benefits, advantages and disadvantages of every proposed alternative. We should respect the outcome of a contemplative process and be thankful that we’ll benefit at all from a stop on the region’s bullet train – no matter where it is.

photo credit: SAsqrd

This afternoon, the players at Joker Marchant Stadium looked younger than usual.

More than 150 of the nation’s top high school baseball players have gathered in Lakeland to put their talent on display today through Tuesday at the annual East Coast Pro Showcase.

The Detroit Tigers and five other major league organizations sponsored teams this week. Scouts lead the players through skill testing including batting and infield practice. The six teams also play games each day.

Organized by Major League Baseball scouts, the event is not open to the public. However, you can see a game between the Tigers and the Astros televised live by Bright House Sports Network at 7 p.m. Monday.

Shane Rowland
More than 200 professional scouts and 100 college coaches are on hand to watch players like Shane Rowland, 17, a senior at Tampa Catholic High School. “It’s awesome,” says Rowland, returned this year for his second showcase. He plays on the Tigers, a team of players from throughout Florida. “I know a lot of these guys, so this is a good chance to play with them again and get to know some other kids on the team.”

Entering his senior year, Rowland isn’t sure whether he’ll sign with a major league team or go to college. “I’m open to either college or the [Major league Baseball] draft,” he says. “Whichever comes first.” If he chooses college, he’s looking at Vanderbilt, Georgia tech, Arizona State, Miami or South Carolina.

Dylan Brown from Clayton, N.C., says playing with wooden bats instead of aluminum requires an adjustment. “I try for more of a line-drive swing,” he says. Attending his first showcase, he says, “I love it!”

Nick Castellanos & Family
Along with players and scouts, many family members made their way to Lakeland for the event. Jorge and Michelle Castellanos drove up from Davie, Fla., to cheer for their son Nick. The 17-year-old senior from Archbishop McCarthy High School is playing in his first showcase. Michelle, a Detroit native, found it exciting to see her son play in a Tigers uniform.

Other parents offered advice to their sons. As Jake Foley of Port Charlotte left the field after Saturday’s game, his mother told him, “Eat some vegetables. And stay away from the junk food!”

Yordy Cabrera
Players with ties to Polk County at this year’s showcase include Lakeland High’s Yordy Cabrera, who participated last year; Auburndale pitcher Kyle Ryan; former Lakeland catcher Eric Arce; and former Bartow pitcher Karsten Whitson.

(More East Coast Pro Showcase photos by Tom Hagerty)

photo credit: Tom Hagerty

That will also be true of our coverage of the Polk Neighborhood Stabilization Program (Polk NSP). Congress passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 to give $4.92 billion dollars to local communities to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties. Approximately $14.5 million was given to Polk County to purchase and rehab at least 61 homes in the county. That program became Polk NSP. This week the organization announced they were open for business. Familiar with the process to this point, we met with the two principles to discuss the project.

The Goal

The goal of Polk NSP is to remove foreclosed, empty, or blighted homes from the market and place these homes in the hands of homebuyers who can afford to live in them. No one can purchase the inexpensive homes and flip them. The homebuyers must agree to live in the homes for a set number of years. Polk NSP will target 10 areas of the county that are in greatest need of help. These are low to moderate income communities hit hardest be the recent recession.

The Companies

The county commissioners chose not to implement Polk NSP on their own, but instead brought in development experts to manage and implement the program. They allowed various organizations to apply to manage the funds. In the end, they chose the process offered by a team of two Polk County organizations.

Swan Development Advisors will manage the program. The company, headed by Bruce Lyon, will undertake all of the paperwork needed to satisfy U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The company managing home rehabilitation, and handling training prospective home owners will be the Keystone Challenge Fund. Since 1991, Jeff Bagwell, President and Executive Director of the Fund, has worked in Polk County to provide education and affordable financing to low and moderate income homeowners.

To insure proper management of the funds, the two organizations proposed a unique method. HUD sets strict limits on how much of the money is used for administration and how much for home purchase and rehabilitation. Rather than mix the two amounts, Swan will simply get the administration funds, and Keystone the rest. The company will use a third-party, Baylis & Company CPA, to manage fund distribution.

The Homes

Polk NSP has already started the home buying process. They are bidding on the purchase of homes in 10 targeted areas in Polk County. Those areas were chosen as they exhibit a greater than average number of foreclosures, financed through a higher numbers of subprime loans, and are likely to face further foreclosures through loan defaults.

Homes can be purchased only if they meet certain criteria of location, condition, and price. Polk NSP hopes to demolish only a few “blighted” homes. The rest will be rehabbed to specific standards. Lyon mentioned they will replace roofing and appliances if the items have only a few years of life left. He and Bagwell emphasized they want to make sure new homeowners aren’t faced with such large replacement expenses in their new homes.

In addition to selling homes, Polk NSP will purchase and rehab a certain number of dwellings to be offered as rentals. The cost of the rentals will be based on the Fair Market Rents (FMR) index. Currently, Polk County FMR for a two-bedroom dwelling is $720.

The Polk NSP goals for the dwellings are:

Acquisition/Rehabilitation/Financing/Resale for Homeowners (Activity 1):
20 units for moderate-income households (≤ 80% Area Median Income — AMI)
41 units for middle-income households (≤ 120% AMI)
Timeline is January 2009 through July 2013.

Acquisition/Rehabilitation/Financing/Resale for Single- or Multi-family Housing (Rentals) (Activity 2):
50 units for low-income households (≤ to 50% AMI)
Timeline is January 2009 through July 2013

Demolition of Acquired Foreclosed Upon Homes and Redevelopment (Activity 3) (Includes demolition and redevelopment strategies)
22 units for low-, moderate-, and middle-income households (≤ to 120% AMI)
Timeline is January 2009 through July 2013

When a home is sold, the purchase price is returned to the Polk NSP coffer and used to purchase and rehab another home for sale. Lyons said that the lower-than-expected prices of the homes will enable Polk NSP to purchase, rehab, and sell more than the expected 61 homes.

The Targeted Areas

The following 10 communities are the target areas for Polk NSP. The links lead to PDF maps of the areas.

Auburndale, Combee / Eaton Park, Inwood / Jan Phyl Village, Kathleen, South Lake Wales, Poinciana, Wabash, Wahneta

The Financing

Homebuyers who meet income eligibility requirements are given considerable help by the program. First, the homes are sold at the lower of the appraised value or amount Polk NSP has put into the home (purchase price plus rehabilitation costs). Lyon mentioned they are bidding for homes that are far below the normal costs. This enables Polk NSP to sell the houses are a greatly reduced price.

Bagwell also mentioned that the program allows Polk NSP to help homeowners with funds for principle reduction. This gets the lower income buyers in with little personal up-front funds. This doesn’t mean the program is placing people in homes they can’t afford. Polk NSP will target low (<%50 of AMI) to moderate (<%80 of AMI) income households, but will use standards to place people with home payments that are affordable for their inclome level.

It also doesn't mean anyone can buy a home and flip it for more than they paid. According to Lyons, the County will maintain a second mortgage on each home to forestall that option.

In addition, Bagwell said the prospective homeowners must attend education classes that cover every aspect of home purchase and loan repayment.

The Sellers and the Vendors

In addition to helping the low-to-moderate income families, Polk NSP is geared to help area banks and contractors. Banks are able to move forclosed homes off their books, and area contractors will be given the opportunity to bid on rehabbing the Polk NSP homes.

Conclusion

Polk NSP is just beginning. Their proposal looks strong, and the goals are lofty, but achievable. Over the next few weeks, we will continue to follow Lyon, Bagwell, and the Polk NSP staff to report on the progress of the project. Longer articles on the details of the home purchase and rehab process will follow. Expect a detailed article on the numbers of Polk NSP. What income levels are needed for approval. We’ll sit in on the education program for home buyers. Like the red light camera story, we’ll see Polk NSP evolve over the next few months.

We’re starting coverage at both Lakeland Local and Metro I4 News, but expect the majority of the articles to publish at Mi4.

For almost two years now I’ve been preaching the gospel of micro irrigation. Estimates are that 50% of our total potable water consumption goes towards lawns and gardens. The use of micro irrigation is a valuable tool conserving our water resources.

But here’s the catch – I’d never actually installed or used a micro system, and was thinking it was about time to rectify that situation. Then I spent a week sharing a booth at Sun n Fun with Jo Reese, the charming sales rep for the Dundee company that manufactures one of the most popular brands of micro irrigation products . I learned that the concept for micro irrigation was born in Polk County, as an option for the citrus industry. The residential use of micro was an offshoot of that commercial use and the product is still manufactured right here in Polk, and distributed nationally.

Last week I realized the time had come. I enlisted a ‘supervisor’ and we traveled over to my local retailer. I only have three beds that needed to be watered, but I purchased the starter kit plus extras because I really wasn’t sure how many misters I’d need. The kit comes with a very useful DVD that explains the installation process, and we took the time to watch that first, while leaving the large supply tube unrolled in the yard, softening up in the sun.

I’m always a little nervous when a project involves the cutting of materials, so it was with great trepidation that I lifted my tool to make the first cut of the supply tube. My ‘supervisor’ assured me that it was the right thing to do so I snipped away. We fed the tube under the house behind the front steps, and then stretched it around to the end of the beds. The kit comes with a handy dandy gizmo that clamps of the tube, but leaves you with the ability to extend the system if desired. Now we realized that I’d probably want 90* elbow connectors so the tube would follow the lines of the house, so back to my local retailer went.

Armed with the new fittings it only took about twenty minutes to get the supply tubing in place and connected. Now came the fun part – time to hook up the individual misters. Everything needed to do this, including the hole punch tool, is included in the starter kit. To my surprise I only needed one of the extra misters that I bought, for a total of 6 along a 50’run. After my ‘supervisor’ demonstrated on the first one, installing them went quickly. Adjusting the spray heads took a few minutes more. I’d estimate total time involved for this part was about 30 minutes.

I had so much material left over that it warranted a third trip to my local retailer. I returned enough items to pay for a pack of drippers and a timer. I didn’t want to think I was too lazy to walk outside and turn on the faucet, so I had considered the timer to be a luxury item – once installed I realized it made sense. I used the drippers for potted plants, including a new potted herb garden. Now, when I go on vacation, my garden will continue to be watered regularly and I won’t come home to find dead plants.

Total time spent on this project was about 4 hours. Most of that came from the three trips to the store. Actual time spent on the actual installation was maybe an hour, and the only tool I needed was a pair of scissors. As for water conservation, this system uses ten gallons/hour. I have the timer set to water for 20 minutes every other day, so I’m only using about 10 gallons/week. This is probably about 25% of what I used when I was watering everything with a hose. The system comes on at 4:00AM, so the water has a chance to sink in slowly before the heat of the day. The timer has a manual mode so if/when the summer rains begin I can turn it off.

For minimal effort and reasonable cost I’ve made a great improvement in my garden, while at the same time doing my part to conserve water…truly a win-win situation. And now when I talk to people at events and workshops I can speak from personal experience, making my message more effective.

A total of 44 homes were sold in Winter Haven, showing a 25% decline from December 2008, but reflecting similar totals from this time last January.

Winter Haven, Florida’s Absorption Rate

We’ve talked about absorption rate before.  Basically, the absorption rate reflects that time it would take to sell the homes currently on the market if all other construction and listing activity were to immediately come to ta halt.  Absorption statistics are useful in that they give us a firmer understanding of how bloated or lean our Winter Haven housing market is at any given time.

At present, with more than 1,260 properties currently for sale and pending, we are experiencing a 31 month of supply for the regular homes and distressed homes. In other words, it would take us about 2 years and 7 months to clear out our current inventory.

A Closer Look at Regular vs. Distressed Winter Haven Homes Currently on the Market

• Regular properties – The current inventory of active and pending homes is at 932, resulting in an unprecedented 58 month supply.

• Distressed properties – our present inventory of active and pending homes is at 330, resulting in a 14 month supply.

Distressed properties are homes in pre-foreclosure, foreclosure, are bank-owned, are are in the process of going through short sales.

Of the 44 homes sold last month here in Winter Haven, 25 distressed homes were sold with an average sales price of $97,213 ($59.99 per sq.ft.) compared to only 3 homes that were sold the previous as either short sales or foreclosures.

Take a look at my spreadsheet below. I’ve separated the report by zip code instead of school zones; it gives you a more accurate report in my opinion. The data for this report was obtained from the Mid-Florida Regional MLS, it is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This report does not include “For Sale By Owner”.

Winter Haven, Florida Homes Sold for January – Interactive Map

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As a matter of fact, I do mention the News Chief. I promised to count the locally written stories in the same manner as I did for the Ledger. However, I found a mere four local bylines in today’s News Chief. That’s what you get for your quarter.

On to what I wrote about the paper of record for Polk County…and by example…your paper.

Today is “Buy A Newspaper Day.” The effort is an attempt to get readers offline and back to purchasing their local newspaper. The fact the campaign was conducted entirely online doesn’t escape me.

Nevertheless, I bought a newspaper today. In fact, I purchased two. The Ledger and the News Chief. The former, based in Lakeland, covers Imperial Polk county and cost $.75. The News Chief boasts that it is “SERVING EAST POLK COUNTY MORE THAN EVER.” Obviously a Winter Haven operation, it was a mere $.25. Both newspapers are “an affiliate” of the News York Times Company. The News Chief is nice enough to also call the Ledger an “affiliate,” but the Ledger doesn’t return the love.

What did I get for my $1? My true test of a newspaper is: how many articles by their own reporters versus how many articles pulled from wire services and out-of-town affiliates. The Ledger was 36 pages in three section: Main, Polk & Florida, and Sports. In the main section, which tends to cover national and international news, the Ledger had two stories by local reporters, and one of them was really a sports piece. I counted 14 Associated Press and other service stories. That doesn’t count the editorial pages. Other than Letters to the Editor, the rest of the content was written out-of-town. Well, maybe the 11 paragraph editorial on President Obama’s “sea change against secrecy” might have been locally written, but it’s too general to tell.

I turned to the Polk & Florida section with a good feeling I’d find plenty of locally written stories there. I found three written by Ledger staff or local freelance writer, four Ledger-produced columns, and eight out-of-town pieces and columns. One of the local pieces was actually about local fans attending, you guessed it, the Super Bowl. I did also find two reader poems and the obits. Strange thing about the obituary these days. If you want more than seven lines, you have to pay for it. Unless you’re famous or died in a hail of bullets.

Sports were the thing where we found the conscience of the Ledger.(1)There were seven Ledger produced articles; almost all on the Super Bowl. Make it 7.5 as there was a column of Super Bowl tidbits by “Ledger staff.” A page of Super Bowl photos included just one by a Ledger photographer. Add two AP basketball stories and we’re ready for the final tally:

The Ledger falls 16.5 to 24(2). Sorry, I fell into that Sports mode. It’s difficult to even say it was that close as more than half of the Ledger produced pieces were on the Super Bowl and related stories. There can’t been a lot of Super Bowl content special to Imperial Polk county. Most of the Ledger articles focused on the game and the star plays and players. Good sports writing, but considering the Super Bowl is the most covered and watched American sporting of the year, I doubt most readers couldn’t have found similar articles in most any newspaper in the county.

What does this all mean?

Gone are the days when you’d heft the paper onto the breakfast table and learn about your community and how it relates to the state, nation, and the world. The sad fact is that newspapers have become blogs.

Yes, blogs.

You see, blogs started as individually crafted sites that almost exclusively pointed to interesting items found on the Internet. It seems our Ledger is much the same thing as an editor, or editors, finds the best of the other newspapers and wire services and puts it in a easy-to-read format for your breakfast reading.

The daily newspaper most of us remember from our youth is dead. There is no saving it. Readers never really supported newspapers, advertisers did. We were just the eyeballs newspapers needed to convince advertisers to place ads. The economy is hurting, advertisers are pulling back like turtles into their shells, and newspapers are laying off experienced reporters. The future is bleak to black.

But, I’ve come to praise newspapers, not to bury them. (3)

The future of the local newspaper is to return to the Wild West years and focus on the local community. Forget the stories of celebrities smoking bongs, and drop filler such as articles about a Texas family looking to clear the name of a relative(4). Use a local reporter to cover the story of a local Representative deciding to run for Agriculture Commissioner. Find the local angle for every story. If you really want to send reporters to the Super Bowl (party) then find a player that attended a local college, see if there is a cheerleader who once yelled “Give Me an L!.” or a concession vendor who will feed his family for a month on what he made in tips from over-served fans.

The newspaper I purchased today I could have watched on television last night. There was precious little I couldn’t have found online this weekend.

So why buy a newspaper?

Cary McMullen, Rick Rousos, Gary White, the Browns: Lonnie and Rick, Cindy Skop, Rick Runion, Michael Wilson, Scott Wheeler, Sarah Stegall, Suzie Schottelkotte, Tom Palmer(5), Bill Rufty, Jeremy Maready, Rachel Pleasant, John Chambliss, Shoshana Walter, Robin Williams Adams, Glenn Marston, Bill Blocher, Del Milligan, Trent Rowe, Kyle Kennedy, Kevin Bouffard, Heidi DeVries, Merissa Green, Michael Freeman, and Dick Scanlon (6).

Those are (most of) the reporters and photographers you’ll find in the Ledger, with apologies to those I’ve left off the list. All live and work in the area. All have an understanding of our community, our politics, and our history. They’re supported by editors, sales reps, clerks, and other locally based(7) staff. All (8) are the reasons to buy the Ledger.

Maybe we can convince Ledger publisher Jerome Ferson the secret to reversing the readership and advertising loses is to pull back and focus on Polk County talent and stories. It’s fine if that means cutting back to once or twice a week publication. We’d understand. No one reads the paper for breaking news anymore. Take your time to craft stories with insight and community pertinence. We’d buy that newspaper and keep it on the breakfast counter for the weekend. (And wouldn’t you love to tell your advertisers the paper stays around until every page is read by every family member? Who throws away a weekly magazine before it is finished?)

Today wasn’t the last Ledger I’ll buy, but I really hope I’ll get more McMullen,Rousos,White,Brown,Skop,Runion,Wilson,Wheeler,Stegall,Schottelkotte,Palmer,Rufty, Maready,Pleasant,Chambliss,Walter,Adams,Marston,Blocher,Milligan,Rowe,Kennedy,Bouffard,DeVries,Green,Freeman and Scanlon (9) for my money.

(1) Apologies Bard.
(2) I didn’t include the comics at all. There hasn’t been a locally produced comic strip in years.
(3) Sorry Bard. Again.
(4) Both articles were in in today’s newspaper.
(5) Yes, Tom Palmer
(6) Yes, even Dick Scanlon, though he apparently doesn’t think Mark McGwire deserves a Hall of Fame vote.
(7) I do not count the staff for operations the Ledger has outsourced.
(8) See #6 and add Tim Raines
(9) See #6 and add Andre Dawson
(10) What about the News Chief? This is a Lakeland-centric site. You’ll have to read about the News Chief later this afternoon over at Metro i4 News.

photo credit: Chuck Welch for Metro i4 News

The Federal Bureau of Investigation doesn’t totally agree with the school board’s assessment.

What happened? Well, two months ago the feds raided McKinzie’s Facilities and Operations Division, the division which doles out hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to a limited number of contractors, monies intended for school projects.

The top man in this division, Bob Williams, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities, his son Rob, Project Coordinator, and Terry Collins, Director of Maintenance, each resigned earlier this month.

Just before they were to be fired.

Ron Ciranna, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, confirmed that Bob, Rob, and Terry were to be dismissed, but would not reveal the reasons why.

As if we have no clue to what the reasons might be.

Here’s the saddest part. Responding to news reporter’s questions, Dr. McKinzie said she was not to blame. That she had, “Repeatedly asked Williams for information, which he failed to deliver.” She followed those comments with, “Our oversight of the Facilities Division will improve in the following months, and we will be more objective in selecting contractors.”

McKinzie, who has had the watch for over four years, and has repeatedly asked Williams for weekly information concerning the status of school projects, which he failed to produce, and yet she considers herself blameless? If the feds hadn’t raided the joint, when do you suppose McKinzie might have suspected something?

When will the School Board react to this situation? Her managerial skills have been sadly exposed, at a cost to the taxpayer of…how much? Big money, certainly.

Dr. McKinzie, please resign. Leave quietly. If not, and if the School Board fails to act they, too, will feel the brunt of voter’s disdain. Maybe. The voters of Polk County are…very often…um…what’s the word?

Am I too harsh? If so, what culpability should be assigned to our Superintendent?

Even a �mere� 12% annual return was enough to attract the well-endowed, and billions of dollars flowed into Madoff�s investment vehicle.

Where did Madoff go wrong? When and why did Madoff�s name become forever linked to Ponzi? As yet we don�t know the when or why, but certain truths can be introduced into the analysis. The beginning of the end occurred before Madoff announced the distribution of a $100-$200 million dollar bonus plan, a plan opposed by his two sons, both operating managers of the company�s trading firm. Faced with their strong opposition Madoff, realizing the �Time� had come, admitted to his boys that he was paying investors �returns� not earned, but were made possible by incoming cash flow. A Ponzi scheme.

In retrospect, the impact upon Madoff�s sons must have been catastrophic. Nevertheless, they both went immediately to Federal authorities, revealing the multi-billion dollar fraud.

But! Did that confrontation between father and sons actually occur? Can it be reasonably assumed, without question, that Madoff�s sons, operating managers of the firm, had no clue, no knowledge of the monies coming in, the actual trading returns being earned, and monies being disbursed? Did Madoff, alone, without accomplices, without accountants, without secretarial staff, have sole access to cash control? With $50 billion dollars, and thousands of investors involved, can it be reasonably assumed there was only one felon on the premises?

How about this scenario: father and sons acted in collusion, each with separate responsibilities. Madoff, the frontman, the friend of nobility, selling the company�s success to willing listeners. Number One son managing the cash inflow from a location separate from where Number Two son managed cash disbursements. With limited ability of personnel to communicate outside of their operating location any irregularities would be difficult to uncover. Within each operating section everything would appear normal and above board.

If such a scenario was, in fact, the operational situation at the time all three recognized the end of their Ponzi scheme – namely, current investors were withdrawing their funds as cash inflow was dropping as fast as the stock market � Bernard made the paternal sacrifice.

�Boys,� he might have said, �no need for the entire family to go under the bus. You two go to the Feds, tell them I duped even you, and your doing what is required for God, Country and Apple Pie. Anyway, I�m an old man, with limited time available. Go!�

And so it might have been.

Do you think the Feds look at the sons as persons of interest? What are your thoughts?

•

James MacMeekin served in the US Air Force during the Korean conflict, earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in economics and finance at Michigan State University, worked his way through Wall Street as stock analyst up to CEO of his own venture capital firm. Retired to Winter Haven, MacMeekin taught school in Polk County for eight years before turning his attention to writing. After a pair of biographies (Abraham Lincoln, Richard O’Kane), MacMeekin has turned his attention to the short essay form. Metro I4 News is happy to commence online publication of a variety of MacMeekin’s essays of interest to residents of the I4 corridor.

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