Biologists Rescue Key Largo Manatee

KEY LARGO – Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, with the help of the Miami Seaquarium and the Dolphin Research Center, rescued a manatee on Wednesday from Tarpon Basin in Key Largo.

More than two years ago, FWC biologists learned of a manatee with a front flipper severely entangled in monofilament fishing line. The biologists made several attempts to rescue the adult female manatee. They were concerned about the manatee’s chance for survival, because fishing line can cut off circulation, leading to amputation of the flipper and possibly death.

Earlier in the week, a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey was able to spot the animal and place a tracking device on the tail. This device allowed FWC biologists to later track the manatee and follow it to an area suitable for rescue.

Because of the severity of the entanglement, FWC biologists transported the manatee to the Miami Seaquarium for removal of the monofilament line. The animal will be released back into the wild once it is medically cleared by veterinarians.

To report a dead or distressed manatee, call the FWC Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

See http://research.MyFWC.com/manatee

IKEA Opens In Tampa

TAMPA – Get a Schmed or a Klippen or a Billy.

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, opens on May 6. And those are the some of the first names that come to the top of our heads when we think of IKEA.

IKEA Tampa is the Swedish company’s 3rd store and restaurant destination in Florida; its other locations in Orlando and near Fort Lauderdale in Sunrise. Read more

Nordstrom Rack to Open in Coral Gables

CORAL GABLES – Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE:JWN) said it would open a 33,000-square-foot Nordstrom Rack, a unit of the company’s off-price retail division, at Miracle Marketplace located in Coral Gables in spring 2010.

“This center has evolved over the years and we are excited to be a part of its redevelopment into Miracle Marketplace,” said Scott Meden, president of Nordstrom Rack. “We’ve been very happy with our Nordstrom stores in Coral Cables and Miami and look forward to offering our customers in the area a Nordstrom Rack store to shop as well.”

This will be the retailer’s fourth Nordstrom Rack in Florida, which includes two new Nordstrom Rack’s that will be opening prior to the Miracle Marketplace Rack; one at Millenia Crossing in Orlando in fall 2009 and another at The Palms at Town & Country in Kendall in spring 2010 as well as an existing store at Sawrass Mills in Sunrise. The company also operates nine Nordstrom full-line stores in Florida.

“Nordstrom Rack will be a great addition to the already strong retail mix at Miracle Marketplace,” said James Schlesinger, CEO of AWE Talisman Companies.

“We are very excited with this announcement. We are proud to welcome Nordstrom Rack to Miami,” said Miami City Commissioner, Tomas Regalado.

A redevelopment of the former shopping center known as Paseos, the new Miracle Marketplace will have 250,000 square-feet of retail and restaurants spanning three levels when completed in 2010. Miracle Marketplace is located in the heart of Coral Gables and sits along the section of Coral Way referred to as the Miracle Mile. Its existing tenants include Bally’s Total Fitness, Bed Bath & Beyond, DSW, Marshall’s and Petsmart.

AWE Talisman Companies is based in Coral Gables, Florida and owns and operates such other notable developments as Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas in Primm, Nevada, Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls in Niagara Falls, New York and Fashion Outlets of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

See www.nordstrom.com

Great Florida Icons: Ximenez-Fatio Caracava Cross

ST. AUGUSTINE - One of the best known historic houses in St. Augustine is the Ximenez-Fatio, built starting in 1798. The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America‘s state chapter bought the house in 1939, and together with the National Park Service, the state, Carnegie Foundation and other groups, helped begin St. Augustine’s historic preservation programs.

One of the most extraordinary items found on the site is the Caravaca Cross, which is believed to have become popular in the 17th century to celebrate the end of the plague. In July of 2002, archaelogists found the cross in a trash pit. Named for a hillside town in southeastern Spain, it was found with other artifacts from around 1650, which dates it from early Spanish occupation and made it a candidate for one of the great early icons of Florida.

Leslee Keys, executive director of the Ximenez-Fatio House, told the local papers at the time that the cross was found on the “10th dig on the property. We didn’t expect to find anything that unusual,” Keys said. “The greatest value to all of us is that it’s so rare and so early.” She said the cross predates the Castillo de San Marcos which was begun in 1672 and the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine begun in 1793.

Contact: Ximenez-Fatio House, 20 Aviles Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, 904-829-3575; if you like the cross you can Order a replica online

Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival May 21

Snook Season Closes May 1

The recreational harvest season for snook will close beginning May 1 in all of Florida’s Gulf of Mexico, Everglades National Park and Monroe County coastal and inland waters. The harvest season for snook will remain closed until Sept. 1 in these areas.

Seasonal harvest closures protect Florida’s valuable snook populations and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future.

The recreational harvest season for snook will remain open until June 1 in Florida’s Atlantic coastal and inland waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River. Anglers may keep one snook between 28-32 inches total length per day from these waters.

TradeWinds Hosts Rays “Away” Game Beach Parties

ST. PETE BEACH – The TradeWinds Island Grand, the Official Beach Resort of the Tampa Bay Rays, are inviting baseball fans to head out to St. Pete Beach for fun-filled, family-friendly game watching parties all season long. The games will be broadcast on a huge screen directly on the beach. Radio station 620 WDAE “The Sports Animal” will broadcast live starting with their pre-game show and during the party and will be doing prize giveaways, including a certificate for a Beach Getaway at the TradeWinds per game. Food and beverages including grilled burgers and chicken sandwiches, wings and bratwurst with sauerkraut will be available for purchase. TradeWinds souvenirs will also be available for sale.

Thursday, May 7 – 7:05 p.m. – vs. New York Yankees
Sunday, June 7 – 1:05 p.m. – vs. New York Yankees
Sunday, July 19 – 2:10 p.m. – vs. Kansas City Royals
Sunday, August 30 – 1:05 p.m. – vs. Detroit Tigers
Sunday, September 13 – 1:35 p.m. – vs. Boston Red Sox

Free and open to the public at TradeWinds Island Grand, 5500 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach. Complimentary event parking will be available at both TradeWinds properties – the Island Grand and the neighboring Sandpiper Suites, until lots are full.

Better Angels Songwriting in Key West

KEY WEST - The Better Angels Key West Songwriters Festival will take place from April 28, 2009 through May 3, 2009. The 14th annual event, sponsored in-part by BMI and FURY Key West, will feature more than 130 performing songwriters in over 30 shows.

In connection with the festival, a limited edition CD will be sold to benefit the Nashville-based Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation. The proceeds will be used by the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation to support educational programs and to foster opportunities for young, aspiring songwriters.

The limited edition CD is a collection of eclectic songs by multi-hit, performing songwriters. The CD features Desmond Myers and Kelsey Mula, alumni of Heart & Soul’s Noise! Camp, which is an annual two-week summer camp held at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, that aims to give students a first-hand look into the music industry. The CD also features several current number-one hit singles including:

• Kylie Sackley and Gary Burr — Nothin’ Bout Love Makes Sense — as
  made famous by LeAnn Rimes
• Jamey Johnson — In Color
• Tim Nichols — That’d Be Alright — as made famous by Alan Jackson
• Bob Dipiero — Till You Love Me — as made famous by Reba McEntire
• David Lee and David Turnbull — Lucky Man — as made famous by Montgomery Gentry.

Only 1,000 copies of the CD will be sold at the festival. The cost will be $20 per CD, while supplies last, and all proceeds will go towards the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation. Any remaining quantities of the CD will be available for purchase on the Heart & Soul Foundation’s website, heart.muzak.com, beginning May 5, 2009.

“We are deeply honored to be the first-ever charity partner for the Better Angels Key West Songwriters Festival,” said Bob Cauley, President of the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation. “This is a unique event that, like our limited edition CD, highlights the talents of songwriters. The CD, which will be available at the festival, features hit songs audiences know, sung by the songwriters themselves. We are excited to be working with Better Angels Music and to be a part of the Key West Songwriters Festival. Our foundation also looks forward to giving back to the Key West community with a surprise on the stage of the Big Show on Saturday night.”

Stephen P. Villa, Chief Executive Officer of Muzak and member of the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation Board of Directors, said, “The Key West Songwriters Festival is an opportunity for Muzak and our Heart & Soul Foundation to celebrate songwriters and their music. It is also the perfect venue to increase awareness about the importance of music education. In our 75th year of operation, Muzak is dedicated to continuing the success of the Heart & Soul Foundation in order to give back to the communities we serve and to advance the foundation’s mission of redefining and supporting music education.”

About Muzak Heart and Soul

Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to redefining and supporting music education. Heart and Soul helps students channel their passion for music into real world opportunities by providing educational programs on all aspects of the music business. Established in 1998 by Muzak, a leading provider of business, music, and other sensory branding services that believes in the power of music education to change and better lives, the foundation grants over $100,000 annually to school music programs around the country.

About Muzak

Muzak creates experiences that reach more than 100 million people daily. Some of the biggest brands in business work with Muzak to enhance their brand image. More than 80 core music programs and an endless variety of custom programs are distributed through a national network of sales and service locations, from Muzak’s library of approximately 2.5 million tracks. For more information, visit www.muzak.com.

Renaissance Offers SeaWorld Discount Luxury Packages

ORLANDO – The ride Manta opens this summer at SeaWorld Orlando, and The Renaissance Orlando Hotel at SeaWorld has opening vacation packages:

• The Kids Eat Free Package allows children 12 and under to eat all meals free off the children’s menu with a
  paying adult in Tradewinds Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner or in Boardwalk for dinner
• The Two-Room Package includes two deluxe oversized guest rooms  and breakfast for two adults and two children. These hotel rates range from $149-$329. Both deals are valid through September 17, 2009 using promotional code MAJ appears in the Promotional code box when making your online reservation, or call 1-800-380-7917 in the US and ask for promotional code MAJ.

Manta will glide, swoop and dive at a rate of up to 60 mph on over 3,000 feet of track. Riders will become the manta ray as they take flight and travel through air and water, face-down, in a horizontal position, underneath the belly of the coaster train that is shaped like a giant manta.

See Marriott’s Renaissance Hotels

See Bacardi Building In Miami

MIAMI – In Miami, the headquarters of Bacardi could be made into a historic landmark.

Bacardi USA will be moving out of the buildings and into a new headquarters in nearby Coral Gables. While the buildings are not yet 50 years old, they could be listed because of historic merit, reports the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Visit them at the corner of Biscayne Boulevard and 21st Street. Read more

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