Palm Bay Road project on schedule

By George White
Florida Today

QUESTION: Is the project to widen Palm Bay Road on schedule, and when will it be completed?

ANSWER: The project widening Palm Bay Road from four to six lanes for 4.5 miles between Minton Road and Robert J. Conlan Boulevard is on schedule for a fall 2010 completion date, said Stephanie Evans, public involvement coordinator for the Florida Department of Transportation.
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Brevard Art Museum head steps down

From Florida Today
By Pam Harbaugh

After 13 months as president and CEO of the Brevard Art Museum, Karl Hollander resigned Monday. He handed his letter of resignation to Sue Hopkins, chairwoman of the museum’s board of trustees.
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Weak rules cripple appraiser oversight

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – As soaring home prices set the stage for America’s great housing meltdown, a critical step in making sure those home sales were a fair deal – the real estate appraisal – was undermined from within.

After the nation’s last major banking disaster, Congress set up a system to catch rogue appraisers. Their game: inflating the value of homes at the direction of equally unscrupulous real estate agents and mortgage brokers, whose commissions are determined by the size of the deals.
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Nelson fears for space program

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said he fears Russia’s aggressive action against Georgia may have some serious consequences on the American space program.

If Russia fails to hold back military action in the former Soviet republic, it could hurt U.S. chances of accessing the International Space Station once NASA retires the space shuttles in 2010, the Democrat from Orlando said Tuesday.
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Democrats set new date to vote electors

The Florida Democratic Party has finally nailed down a time and place for its do-over meeting to select a slate of 27 members of the Electoral College.   

It’s set for 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the IBEW union hall in Orlando.   

A problem arose over the weekend when the Democratic State Executive Committee met in Tampa to choose 27 electors, but couldn’t get a quorum. State law requires both parties to submit certified lists of electors to the governor’s office before Sept. 1.   

Party leaders initially called for an Aug. 18 meeting, time and place to be determined. But Democratic National Committeeman Jon Ausman of Tallahassee pointed out that the date didn’t allow 10 days notice, as required by party rules.   

Ausman said that if Sen. Barack Obama carries Florida but his electors are not chosen with strict compliance to every rule and law, the Republicans might go to court and challenge those 27 votes — maybe even affecting the national outcome in a close race. Remember 2000, Ausman said, recalling the 36 days of court fights and recounts over Florida’s then-25 electoral votes.   

So today, the party set the new date. Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff said lawyers have assured the leadership that notifying executive committee members by e-mail, fax and phone ought to be legally sufficient.   

“We expect a large turnout at the meeting because the members of the State Executive Committee are understand it is their duty to approve the slate of electors, so when Barack Obama wins Florida, there will be no question about our electors,” said Jotkoff.   

Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer marveled at the Democratic disarray. Last spring, the party fought for a couple of months over seating of Florida delegates to the national convention, which was resolved after a long and divisive fight between Obama supporters and backers of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.   

“The continued inability of the Florida Democrats to get their act together simply amazes me,” said Greer.
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Palm Bay reworks adult club ordinance

The city council decided Thursday to reconfigure its adult entertainment ordinance, after a lengthy debate about protecting private schools, as well as protecting the sites of parks currently on the drawing board.

“You’re looking for certainty in an ordinance,” said special counsel Michael Kahn. He further explained that any vagaries “will not pass constitutional muster.”

The city council is trying to create an ordinance restricting the locations of adult entertainment businesses throughout the city. The measure, however, also would allow at least 16 additional adult businesses into the city.
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DiPatri gets $18,801 in bonus pay

Brevard Public Schools leader Richard DiPatri will receive an $18,801 bonus this year, the district said Tuesday. DiPatri received $204,940 in base pay for the 2007-08 school year and was eligible for $20,494 in bonus money, or 10 percent of his pay.
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Brevard park projects may be finished by 2010

Before voters agreed in 2006 to borrow up to $85.7 million to finish more than 20 park referendum projects, Brevard County officials said they hoped to complete the parks within two years.
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Palm Bay proposal would give locals 1st shot at work bids

Palm Bay officials are looking to give a break to local businesses wanting to work with the city on everything from cutting grass to building new water systems.
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Titusville gets money to develop new park

A recently received state grant will allow the city to embark on its first riverfront park development project.
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