New Board for Friends of Florida State Parks

TALLAHASSEE – The Friends of Florida State Parks, Inc. today announced its new officers and board members for the 2009-10 fiscal year. FFSP is the statewide citizen support organization for the Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service.

“The Friends of Florida State Parks is a non-profit support group dedicated to enhancing and promoting Florida’s state parks,” said Florida Park Service Director Mike Bullock. “I would like to welcome the new additions to the Board, who I am confident will play a vital role in preserving Florida’s natural and cultural resources.”

The unanimously elected FFSP members include:

• President – Elaine McLaughlin, Bokeelia, Florida, University of Florida, Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sports Management
• President-Elect – Virgie Thompson, Freeport, Florida, Retired
• Secretary – Tammy Gustafson, Orlando, Florida, Universal Orlando Resort
• Treasurer – Don Jung, Winter Park, Florida, Retired CPA
• Board Member – Harvey Campbell, Lake City, Florida, Columbia County Tourist Development Council
• Board Member – Jon Friedrichs, Jupiter, Florida, JLA Geosciences, Inc.
• Board Member – Sally Hess, Dunedin, Florida, Retired
• Board Member – Liza McFadden, Tallahassee, Florida, Volunteer USA Foundation

“The mission of the Friends of Florida State Parks, Inc. is to preserve nature based recreation opportunities for future generations,” said President Elaine McLaughlin. “We are all truly proud to be serving as board members for such a commendable organization.”

For more information and a complete list of board members, or to join the FFSP, see www.friendsoffloridastateparks.com.

Visit Palm Beach Restaurants for September Deals

PALM BEACH – Flavor Palm Beach, the second annual Palm Beach County restaurant month is coming this September. For the entire month, the county’s finest restaurants, will offer a special three course Flavor menu for the fixed price of $19.09 for lunch and $30 for dinner. Flavor Palm Beach is poised and ready to excite, tantalize, and satisfy your every craving.

Flavor Palm Beach was established to allow residents and visitors alike to try many wonderful restaurants at lower prices, while the restaurants benefit from more patrons in a traditionally slower traffic month. The area benefits from increased commerce and tourism. Flavor Palm Beach truly is a win-win situation and an epicurean’s delight.

Some of the restaurants participating in Flavor Palm Beach include: Seasons 52, III Forks, Capital Grille, Forte, and Ironwood Grille that will offer 2 for $19.09 lunch and 2 for $30 dinner specials. Prices are per person and exclude beverages, tax, and gratuity. A complete list of participating restaurants and menus will be available at www.FlavorPalmBeach.com .

A kick-off event will be held the evening of August 28th at Centennial Square on Clematis Street benefiting The Palm Beach County Red Cross. This event will feature some of the participating Flavor restaurants, entertainment, gift bags, and more. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 at www.flavorpalmbeach.com or for $20 at the event. Last year this was a sold out event.

Reservations can be made at www.FlavorPalmBeach.com or by contacting the restaurant directly. Due to the popularity of this event, advance reservations are strongly encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome.

Flavor Palm Beach is proud to partner with Zagat, Downtown Development Authority, SouthFloridaDines.com, Opentable.com, Store Self and Wine Storage, and the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Flavor Palm Beach is still accepting applications from restaurants and seeking partnerships for this event. Please contact Briana at BB@FlavorPalmBeach.com, 561-315-8803 or visit www.FlavorPalmBeach.com for more information.

Briana Bournique, Founder of Flavor Palm Beach, is a fifth generation Floridian. She studied Hospitality Management at the University of Florida and has worked for the Brazilian Court Hotel in Palm Beach and the Shore Club and Delano Hotels in Miami Beach. During her time in Miami, she enjoyed the fare and fun of Miami Spice and wanted to bring a similar event to Palm Beach palettes. It is now a mainstay on the South Florida calendars. Bon Appetit!

Holiday Inn Revamp for Lake Buena Vista

LAKE BUENA VISTA - Holiday Inn is bringing its global relaunch to WALT DISNEY WORLD. The minute guests step into the glass-ceiling atrium of the Holiday Inn in the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort, the citrus scent, harmonious sounds, lush foliage and floor-to-ceiling views of the zero-entry tropical pool will guarantee that guests are set to experience a new Holiday Inn. Read more

American Adds Dallas-Tallahassee Flights

FORT WORTH – American Eagle Airlines announced today that it will add a second flight between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Tallahassee, Fla. (TLH), beginning Aug. 1, 2009.

American Eagle will operate the service with 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 jets.

“We have received a very positive response from our customers to our first daily nonstop flight from Dallas/Fort Worth to Tallahassee,” said Peter Bowler, President and CEO of American Eagle. “So we’re delighted to double our service from Texas to Florida’s capital.”

“This new schedule allows Tallahassee customers the ability to fly into Dallas to conduct business meetings and be home that same day,” Bowler said. ” It also offers even more convenient connections throughout American’s vast network, especially to the West Coast, Hawaii and Asia.”

The schedule for the Tallahassee service follows (all times local):

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Tallahassee Regional Airport (DFW-TLH)

Flight Departs Arrives Days

3237 9:50 a.m. 1:10 p.m. Daily
3259 5:55 p.m. 9:20 p.m. Daily

Tallahassee Regional Airport To Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (TLH-DFW)

Flight Departs Arrives Days
3258 7:15 a.m. 8:35 a.m. Daily
3238 1:35 p.m. 2:50 p.m. Daily

Dove Hunting Permits on Sale July 1

TALLAHASSEE – Five special-opportunity dove fields will be open to the public this season through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s special-opportunity Dove Club Program.

Beginning 10 a.m. (EDT) July 1, sportsmen can purchase Dove Club permits by submitting a completed Special-Opportunity Dove Club Permit Worksheet to any county tax collector’s office or authorized license agent. Permits also are available online at www.wildlifelicense.com or by calling toll-free 1-888-HUNT-FLORIDA (486-8356). Worksheets are on the Web at MyFWC.com/hunting under “Limited Entry Hunts.”

Dove Club permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and as long as they remain, the deadline to purchase them is 11:59 p.m. (EDT) Sept. 9.

The permit allows one adult and one youth (under age 16) to participate in all scheduled hunts (up to eight days) for a designated dove field. These Saturday half-day hunts cost $150 and enable both the permit holder and youth to take daily bag limits of birds.

The five special-opportunity dove fields are: Allapattah Flats Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Martin County, Caravelle Ranch WMA (Putnam County), Combs Farm Public Small-Game Hunting Area (PSGHA) (Baker County), Hilochee WMA (Lake County) and North Newberry PSGHA (Alachua County).

Dove hunting opportunities are in high demand, and these special hunts provide the perfect social setting for friends and family to hunt together. Interested hunters are encouraged to purchase permits early because the most popular fields sell out fast, and hunters who purchase these season-long permits save more than half the cost of buying individual daily dove permits for the season.

Daily dove permits cost $35 and enable one adult and one youth (under age 16) to hunt together on one half-day hunt but allows only one bag limit of birds between the two hunters. Daily dove permits do not go on sale until Sept. 17.

For more information on these great public land dove hunting opportunities, click on MyFWC.com/dove.

Sarasota School Open House; Paul Rudolph Icon Open This Weekend on Siesta Key

SARASOTA – Admirers of modern architecture might want to be in Sarasota Sunday June 21 for an open house to see a Paul Rudolph gem. No, not the remnants of Riverview High School but the Cohen House.

The Cohen House was designed by Paul Rudolph in 1955, and it is back on the market and priced at $1.1 Mil. Read more

Jet Blue Adds Lauderdale Flights

FORT LAUDERDALE – JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) today expands at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport with two international routes linking its South Florida focus city with Cancun, Mexico, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Earlier this month JetBlue relocated from Fort Lauderdale’s Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 to offer customers easier connections and to provide the additional gates needed to serve the value airline’s growing roster of destinations including recent additions San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Nassau, Bahamas. JetBlue currently offers 37 daily departures – increasing to 49 per day during the winter season – to 17 nonstop destinations across the United States and Caribbean.

“JetBlue is proud to continue our international expansion from Fort Lauderdale by expanding south of the border to Cancun and Santo Domingo,” said Scott Laurence, JetBlue’s vice president of network planning. “These two destinations are key markets for JetBlue and we’re pleased to be linking them to our growing South Florida focus city. We look forward to welcoming our loyal customers aboard these new routes to once again prove that at JetBlue, low fares come with higher standards.”

“We are delighted that JetBlue has added a new direct flight into Cancun from South Florida,” said Jesus Almaguer, Director of Cancun’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Cancun is one of the top destinations for North American travelers, and Fort Lauderdale’s proximity to Cancun makes it even more attractive for those who are seeking excellent service, culture, beautiful beaches, great gastronomy, first class hotel infrastructure and lots of fun — all within an hour’s flight time and with the best value.”

Travelers looking for a value-priced vacation package to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or other top destinations need look no further than JetBlue Getaways. Customers can create customized packages that include air travel on JetBlue, a selection of JetBlue-recommended hotels and resorts to choose from, and a car rental. Book yours online at www.jetblue.com.

Briefly: Florida Dermatologist Meirson Honored

JACKSONVILLE – Dan Meirson, MD, was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery at its 2009 Annual Meeting in Boca Raton on May 23. Dr. Meirson was selected for the award in recognition of outstanding leadership and dedication and extraordinary contribution to the society and the dermatologic profession.

Dr. Meirson is a leading Mohs micrographic surgeon and cutaneous oncologist. A graduate of Ohio State University’s College of Medicine, he completed his residency in dermatology at New York University Medical Center. He has won numerous academic honors, is an active member of national Dermatologic societies, and has served in various elected positions with FSDDS over the past decade.

Dr. Meirson is the 14th recipient of this honor, first awarded in 1995. The Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery is the State’s oldest and largest association of dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons www.fsdds.org.

Florida State Park Fees Go Up, Weeki Wachee Fees Go Down

TALLAHASSEE – In order to continue to offset state tax revenues, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service will increase park fees beginning Wednesday, July 1, 2009, in conjunction with the state’s fiscal calendar.

“Florida’s award-winning state parks provide inexpensive, high quality recreation in an unmatched natural setting,” said DEP Deputy Secretary of Land and Recreation Bob Ballard in a release. Read more

Palm Beach Dripdrop Brand Batik; Great Florida Colors

WEST PALM BEACH - Batik, cool batik, is back.

Here, a kids shirt from Dripdrop batik; we spotted their booth at the craft fair on St. Armand’s Circle in Sarasota, but most weekends, they can be found at many a Florida city square.

Cool stuff, and while there are some peace signs, its more prep-batik than hippie batik.

Find out more at dripdropbatik@hotmail.com

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