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.

Eleven Reasons To Move The Family to Florida Now

SARASOTA - Yes, the economy stinks. And it stinks in Florida. But Florida has been in recession longer than the rest of the nation.  In recent months the state seems to have stabilized, employment-wise. That makes it the perfect time to consider that dream move to Florida. Our 11 reasons:

1. Universities are nearly free. We exaggerate a bit but … if your child does well in high school, the Bright Futures program allows them to go to state schools almost tuition-free; it was free until last year. This program does sound too good to be true, and has been slightly cut back, but still, it’s very popular in Florida and some sort of large state discount is bound to survive. Even wealthy parents take advantage of it; it helps them afford top graduate schools for students elsewhere. Even if your kids don’t get the grades, Florida has some of the least expensive college-level education in the U.S. Read more

Investor Wilbur Ross Bets on and Boosts Florida

CORAL GABLES - Investor Wilbur Ross is bullish on Florida.

“We think the long term outlook for Florida is good,” said Ross in an interview with Neil Cavuto on the Fox Business cable network. The interview came on the night of his purchase of Bank United in an Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-sponsored sale.

That same day, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that Florida was one of only a half-dozen states to have a drop in unemployment rates for the month.

Ross said that his optimism came out of the fact that Florida was a low tax state, with no state income tax, and would continue to attract tax refugees. While the state had problems, including a large amount of highly mortgaged property in foreclosure, Florida would gain in the near future because of these new residents.

Ross invested in BankUnited, a newly chartered federal savings bank, which acquired the banking operations, including all of the non-brokered deposits, of BankUnited, FSB of Coral Gables in a transaction facilitated by the FDIC.

BankUnited’s 86 offices make it the largest independent bank in Florida. The management team is headed by John Kanas, a veteran of the banking industry and former head of North Fork Bank.

“Florida still is undergoing huge amounts of foreclosure,” Ross said, “It’s a court directed system.” While the system is slow, the state, Ross believes, is far enough into the problem to know the extent of it.

Catch I-95 Traffic Info on Trafficland.com

Florida’s traffic video is now on Trafficland.

Similar to public-private partnerships TrafficLand has across the country, the Fairfax, Virginia-based company will install its IP video equipment at FDOT Operation Centers in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Orlando. Live video from the FDOT cameras will be available to the public on TrafficLand’s free website www.trafficland.com.

The addition of Florida cameras will extend TrafficLand’s national traffic camera network to over 67 markets throughout the U.S., including extensive coverage along one of the nation’s most heavily-traveled routes; I-95 from Connecticut to southern Florida. Additionally, critical evacuation cameras along the Florida Keys will become part of the network.

“Our DOT partners recognize the importance of reliable access to real-time traffic video through a scalable, redundant network that can handle the demand spikes typically seen during extreme weather and other emergency events,” said TrafficLand CEO Lawrence Nelson in a press release.

The TrafficLand public website uses interactive maps showing traffic camera locations, which users click to view live video streams. Users can save customized camera displays, schedule emails with live images from selected cameras, access cameras by Web-enabled mobile devices and even set up traffic camera Widgets on personalized home pages or blogs.

Cubavera opens at Miami International

MIAMI - Perry Ellis International (NASDAQ:PERY) announced the grand opening of its first Cubavera retail store in the United States. Located in the international terminal of Miami International Airport between concourses H and J, the store will invite travelers from around the world to sample the Cubavera lifestyle when visiting this gateway city.

“Miami’s fusion of cultures and influences makes it the ideal location for the first Cubavera domestic retail store,” said Gary Rubin, President of Retail for Perry Ellis International, in a press release. “We look forward to expanding brand recognition via this highly visible venue as well as providing visitors with a one-stop destination for apparel, accessories and gifts with Latin flavor.”

See http://www.pery.com.

Brief: Automated Self-Storage Opens

DELRAY BEACH – Automated Self Storage Systems, LLC, a subsidiary of real estate developer The Pugliese Company, will unveil the first patent-pending, fully-automated self-storage facility in Coconut Creek. The 145,654 square foot facility will leverage Westfalia Technologies’ Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) technology, which will fully automate the facility. Previously, this technology was used in industrial warehouse and manufacturing plants, marking a new era in the self storage industry.

El Al Considers Reinstating Miami Route

NEW YORK – At a press conference in New York, EL AL President Haim Romano today reiterated the airline’s commitment to offer service from Tel Aviv to Miami International Airport.

The release said that the airline was “reviewing the possibility of reinstating nonstop flights between Miami and Tel Aviv and would utilize the newly purchased 777 extended range Boeing aircraft (acquired for approximately $250 million in late 2008).”

Service to the Americas continues to increase. The airline continues route expansion and has just launched nonstop service between South America (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Tel Aviv, which also allows for convenient connecting flights from Sao Paulo (and other Latin American cities) to various destinations across the continent including Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia and Ecuador.

See more at www.elal.co.il

Florida Crystals Supports Everglades Project

WEST PALM BEACH – Florida Crystals Corporation supports the $96 million from the Federal Government announced this week that will be used for immediate construction of Everglades restoration projects.

“We are encouraged to see the Federal Government living up to its commitment to Everglades restoration,” said Gaston Cantens, Vice President of Florida Crystals, in a press release. “And, more importantly, with so many restoration projects on hold, we are optimistic the money will go to the construction and implementation of planned projects that will not only restore the Everglades but create critical jobs in these tough economic times.”

Instead of simply buying more land, the federal contribution will pay for the construction of two CERP projects — a reservoir next to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and for restoration of Picayune Strand, an 85-square-mile area that was over-drained in the early 1960s as part of a failed housing development.

Florida Crystals is encouraged to see some restoration projects may get back on track. The company is hopeful future dollars will be put toward projects that will address the source of pollution in the watersheds north of Lake Okeechobee, as present phosphorus loading to the lake is nearly five times higher than the limit that must be met by 2015.

Florida Crystals is the leading domestic sugar producer and North America’s first fully integrated cane sugar company, guiding its sugar from the field to the table. Florida Crystals Organic and Natural sugar products are the first sugar products certified CarbonFree by Carbonfund.org. Florida Crystals’ renewable energy facility is the largest of its kind in North America and provides clean energy for its sugar operations and tens of thousands of homes, reducing America’s dependence on fossil fuels by one million barrels of oil each year.

See www.floridacrystals.com/

Orlando Airport Fast Lane Succeeds

ORLANDO – In the last four years, the airport security fast lane Clear has “cleared” one million travelers. Orlando International Airport was the site of the first Clear operation, launched in July of 2005, and is the Clear site that has served the highest number of members in the Clear network.

The Orlando Clear operation allows members to receive enhanced processing services including staffed, Clear-designated lanes where Clear Concierges help cardholders with their belongings so they move even faster and more directly through the checkpoint.

Clear’s network of fast lanes includes Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Washington, DC’s Reagan and Dulles, Indianapolis, New York’s LaGuardia, Orlando, Salt Lake City, and the Bay Area’s San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland Airports, among others.

“I always knew that Clear would achieve widespread use at Orlando International – the first airport in the nation to offer the Clear card.” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in a press release. “I am delighted that our residents and the Airport’s customers value their Clear card as much as I do when I travel though Orlando International Airport.”

Steve Gardner, Executive Director Orlando International Airport said in a press release that, “because of our strong focus on customer service at Orlando International Airport we were pleased to be the first airport in the nation to launch the Clear registered traveler program. And with its growth over the years, passengers value the service as they are able to better schedule their time and benefit from the convenience and efficiency expedited by a biometric security screening process.”

Clear, operated by Verified Identity Pass, Inc., has signed up more than 260,000 travelers nationwide and has processed more than two and a half million fliers through the Clear lanes. Clear cards are accepted at 22 U.S. airports: Albany, Atlanta, Boston’s Logan (Terminal A), Cincinnati, Denver, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, LaGuardia (Central Terminal B and Terminal D), Little Rock, Louisville, New York JFK (Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7), Newark (Terminal B1 and B2), Oakland, Orlando, Reno, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Jose, Washington, DC’s Reagan and Dulles, and Westchester.

Clear members have their identities authenticated and are provided with a high-tech card which allows them to access designated security lanes nationwide for an annual fee of $199. Clear members pass through the security checkpoint faster, with more predictability and less hassle. Applicants start their enrollment at flyclear.com and complete the process at a Clear enrollment location where their fingerprints and iris images are captured and their identification is validated. Clear’s registered traveler program has been operational since July 19, 2005. For more information, please visit: www.flyclear.com/.

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