Tuesday's Daily Pulse

Will Short Gorham | 5/8/2012

Florida Trend Exclusive
Perspective born out of nine generations in Florida

Four generations of family (from left): Charles DeFoor (my grandfather, 1900-1966), C.L. DeFoor (great-grandfather, 1868-1963); Len DeFoor (uncle, 1939); and me upfront (1953) — circa 1956 at the family home in Coral Gables. [Photographs courtesy of Allison DeFoor]

It is "the end of Florida." So said the Natives when the first Spanish conquistadors set foot on "La Florida." And so said the Spanish when the English took over in 1763, and then so said the English when they gave Florida back to the Spanish 20 years later. So said the central Florida Crackers when a wave of English folk settled into Fort Meade, tricked into citrus farming in central Florida in the late 1800s.

So said the Old Miami (pronounced "miamuh") crowd in the 1950s when waves of northern Jews began to take over Miami Beach, until then a WASP stronghold. The Jewish immigrants would make the same cry when the Cuban émigrés arrived.

Perhaps you get the point.

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CEOs bullish on Florida, unlike workers, who rank it 47th

If we care only what CEOs think about Florida, then Mission Accomplished. Let's go celebrate. Surely Florida's economy soon must roar like a lion when news spreads that chief executive officers see the Sunshine State business climate as superior to those in 48 other states. Now broaden that pinhole view. Look at the well-being of Floridians based on their own responses. It's not a pretty sight. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

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Univision, ABC News to team up on English-language network

The new network, which has not yet been named, will be the first English-language network specifically aimed at “English dominant and bilingual Hispanics.” Univision and ABC hope the menu of news stories and lifestyle and entertainment features with a Hispanic focus will appeal to a segment of the population that has grown to more than 50 million. [Source: Miami Herald]

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Housing starts up in South Florida

Home builders in South Florida started work on more homes in the first quarter than they did a year ago, according to the Metrostudy research firm. Broward County had 257 housing starts from January through March, up 67 percent from a year ago. In Palm Beach County, there were 255 home starts in the quarter, a 22 percent increase from a year earlier. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

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Photo studios find way to evolve in the digital era

It’s no snap earning a buck in photography. That’s especially true now that nearly everyone has a camera in their cellphone. Still, the number of photographers in this country is forecast to grow by 13 percent between 2010 and 2020. And new players, such as Naples’ StillMotion Studios, are making a big splash, with niche specialties. [Source: Fort Myers News-Press]

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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida Aquarium halfway to $15 million goal after three donations [Tampa Bay Times]
The Florida Aquarium was expecting a $1 million donation Monday, but came away with more than double that after two anonymous donors pitched in atop a gift from Publix's founding family. This money puts the aquarium halfway toward its Rising Tides Campaign fundraising goal of $15 million, said foundation chairman Tom Hall.

› Dangerous termite arrives in South Florida [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
A uniquely dangerous termite that tunnels up the sides of houses has turned up in South Florida, leading agriculture officials to organize a campaign to wipe it out before it can spread.

› Lee County leaders trying to bring high-paying jobs [WZVN]
Lee County leaders rolled out their plan to turn the area around Southwest Florida International Airport into an area ripe with high-paying jobs. While it doesn't look like much now, within 10 years it could be the land that takes Lee County into the future with high-paying jobs in the fields of technology, clean energy and bio-medical.

› Miami-Dade growth plan is complete [Miami Herald]
Now the hard work begins, as community leaders on Monday laid out a blueprint to create 75,000 targeted industry jobs in Miami-Dade County over the next five years.

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