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<br /> () <br /> <C <br /> w <br /> !Xl CIl <br /> "C <br /> en co <br /> W C <br /> ...J it; <br /> ~ !Xl <br /> >- - <br /> CIl <br /> Z - <br /> co <br /> Z - <br /> ::J en <br /> en "C <br /> IL. c: <br /> 0 <C <br /> 0 <br /> ~ ... <br /> - <br /> CIl <br /> U :::ii: <br /> CIl <br /> c <br /> 0 <br /> N <br /> -- <br /> CIl <br />CIl Cl <br />E ...: III c <br />0 <br />III CIl a.. :a <br />z C/) C <br />c :e ,Q 'C <br />CIl tl u <br />~ > C/) <br />"C CIl CIl <br />() <C (f) 0 <br />.... .... <br />0 0 <br />...... ...... <br />...... ...... <br />ClO ClO It') 3: <br />en en an <br />It') It') ol:l <br />N N >< <br />ClO ClO N !Xl <br /> ...: <br /> CIl <br /> .c <br /> E <br />...: ::J <br />CIl Z CIl <br />.c c.. <br />E c >. <br />0 I- <br />::J :e L.. <br />Z CIl CD 0 <br />"C C/) N 0 <br /><( E U5 () <br /> <br />METRO & STATE <br /> <br />SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2008 I 5B <br /> <br />D1 <br /> <br />THE "IAMI HERALD I MiarlllHerald.com <br /> <br />TECHNOLOGY <br /> <br />State's gearheads are tinkering, tapping grid <br /> <br />sound like works in progress. <br />There's a "neighborhood <br />electric vehicle" on the mar. <br />ket called the Zenn (zero <br />emissions, no noise), but its <br />top speed is only 25 mph. It is <br />sold at the Transportation <br />Station in Clearwater. <br />There's a high-perfor- <br />mance electric sports car <br />ca1l~ the Tesla, which can be <br />yours for $109.000. Chevrolet <br />is preparing to roll out an <br />electric car called the Volt. <br />but it's not available yet. <br />A Tarpon Springs shop, <br />Black Bay Technologies. <br />hopes creative designs will <br />set it apart. <br />Company president <br />George Keramas proudly <br />points to an elegant black. <br />three-wheeled chopper with a <br />distinctive look: no motorcy- <br />cle engine mounted on its <br />(rame. This is the "electric <br />trike,M powered by an electric <br />motor and batteries that sit in <br />a cube-shaped case between <br />the rear wheels. <br />The electric trikes retail <br />(or $19,900, and Keramas said <br />a dealer bought the fltSt two. <br /> <br />estimated that about 56,000 <br />electric cars were on the road <br />in 2004 - less than one-tenth <br />of 1 percent of total U.S. cars, <br />not counting hybrid vehicles. <br />RebirthAuto says it has <br />sold 10 o( the $7,000 conver- <br />sion kits. To Bourgeois, elec- <br />tric cars make so much sense <br />that he said he wonders why <br />they aren't common. <br />"It blows me away," Bour- <br />geois said. "Why don't we <br />have more cars that are elec- <br />trified?" <br />Electric cars date to the <br />late 1800s, and once were <br />more common than gasoline~ <br />powered cars. <br />To the average driver, they <br />are still an oddity, but some <br />believe that will change. <br />Surely, gas prices will go up <br />again. And advocates say <br />electric cars cause far less air <br />pollution, e\'en when pow~ <br />ered by electricity irom coal~ <br />fired plants. <br />So besides the hobbyists <br />converting old cars in their <br />garages, some big manufac~ <br />turers are rolling out electric <br />vehicles, as well. But some <br /> <br />llobbyists across Florida are in their gamyes <br />converting old cars to run c()mplete~v on <br />electricity. And some hupe expanded into <br />small husinesse,,;; ready Jor (] new economy, <br /> <br />tack. <br />They're fashioning their <br />own electric can, one battery <br />at a time, without waiting for <br />Detroit or Japan to catch up. <br />Some of their friends say <br />it's crazy to pour their dreams <br />and sweat into cars that go <br />only 25 to 50 milcs before <br />they need to be plugged in for <br />severnl hours to recharge, <br />But Cronin, 47, says he <br />loves saving money on gas <br />and helping to preserve the <br />environment. "It.s so simple, <br />it's so clean," he said. He's <br />proud of what he put together <br />with his own hands. "I'm <br />looking forward to building <br />another one. M <br /> <br />. For some crafty <br />Floridians, eledric cars are <br />hands-on creations that <br />don't require a Detroit <br />automakerto build. <br />BY CURTIS KRUEGER <br />The St PeIOfSb!J'VTimes <br />ST. PETERSBURG - Cor- <br />nelius Cronin bought a $900 <br />Chevy 5-10 pickup and spent <br />several weeks removing <br />things he didn't like - mainly <br />its dirty, gas-guzzling engine. <br />He titted an electric motor <br />and batteries under the hood <br />and now purrs around Olds. <br />mar in a red truck that uses <br />no gas and emits no air pollu- <br />tion. <br />A dOC\lmentary ftlm asked: <br />Who killed the electric car? <br />Maybe a better question is: <br />Who built the electric car? <br />At a time when the federal <br />government is investing in <br />hydrogen fuel.cell research <br />and big automakers are work. <br />ing on more sophisticated <br />hybrids, a growing number of <br />creative tinkerers and small <br />businesses around the Tampa <br />R;,y area are taking a different <br /> <br />- <br />I: <br />.. <br />C <br />o <br />u <br />>- <br />I: <br />... <br />.. <br />III <br />o <br />e- <br />" <br />c. <br />2! <br />o <br /> <br />teries: He figures he's paying <br />about 2.5 cents per mile, or 75 <br />cents per recharge. <br />He also has started selling <br />the conversion kits through a <br />new company, RebirthAuto. <br />The 57,000 kits include the <br />motor mount that they <br />designed, and soon will <br />include a specially designed <br />controller that regulates thc <br />electric power. <br /> <br />pool heaters, TL'Chno-Solis, he <br />had access to a full machine <br />shop and some clever col- <br />leagues, and an itch to try <br />something new. <br />So he bought two 1965 <br />Volkswagen Beetles for <br />52,000 each and spent some <br />time poking inside them and <br />taking measurements. After <br />the engines came out, he and <br />his colleagues custom-built a <br />special mount and installed <br />an electric motor and batter- <br />ies. The entire process, from <br />design to driving, took about <br />three months. <br />Now Bourgeois drives an <br />all-electric Beetle to work <br />each day and said he doesn't <br />mind that it needs recharging <br />every 25 or 30 miles or so. <br />That's less than his daily com~ <br />mute, He also doesn't mind <br />the cost o( recharging his bat. <br /> <br />'0 <br />is. <br />>< <br />.. <br />>- <br />... <br />~ <br />>- <br />I: <br />... <br />.5 <br />.. <br />o <br />.n <br />'" <br />o <br />~ <br />.. <br />~ <br />... <br />.2: <br />~ <br />'tl <br />.. <br />,. <br />2! <br />u <br />'0 <br />I: <br />>- <br />... <br />E <br />" <br />o <br />> <br />,; <br />.. <br />,. <br />U <br />;; <br />.5 <br />.. <br />Cl <br />... <br />C. <br />'tl <br />I: <br />... <br />.. <br />,. <br />'tl <br />.. <br />oS <br />I: <br />o <br />'tl <br />ili <br />~ <br />J: <br />E <br />... <br />~ <br />.. <br />.I: <br />I- <br />.5 <br />'tl <br />2! <br />... <br />.. <br />c. <br />c. <br />... <br />'tl <br />... <br />.. <br />oS <br />- <br />... <br />oS <br />.. <br />U <br />I: <br />.. <br />'tl <br />'> <br />.. <br />.. <br />> <br />'iii <br />" <br />U <br />I: <br />o <br />U <br />III <br />... <br />'tl <br />.. <br />'tl <br />'> <br />o <br />Ii <br />!!! <br />g <br />Qj <br />.. <br />.I: <br />Ul <br />W <br />III <br />:E <br />I- <br /> <br />AN ODDITY TO MANY <br /> <br />Parts like these are scarce, <br />which might explain why <br />there are so few homemade <br />electric cars. "This business <br />has sort of been stuck in its <br />infancy (or years," said Jef. <br />(rey Jenkins. He's a partner in <br />a business with Bourgeois to <br />develop and sell electric con- <br />version components. <br />The U.S. Census Bureau <br /> <br />LOOKING FORWARD <br /> <br />Car buyers seem increas- <br />ingly willing to try new tech- <br />nologies like the hybrid Toy- <br />ota Prius. But hybrids rely on <br />gasoline even though they use <br />electric power, as well. <br />Some people are looking <br />beyond the gasoline era. <br />Like Sebastien Bourgeois. <br />As president of a St. Peters- <br />burg manufacturer of solar <br /> <br />TALLAHASSEE <br /> <br />E-mails detail behind-the-scenes college deal <br /> <br />face an enormous task in cov- <br />ering a cash shortage in the <br />billions. It may not have been <br />a good time to launch a pilot <br />program in the education <br />system. <br />The chancellor of Flori- <br />da's community college sys- <br />tem, Will Holcombe, sup- <br />ports the new program tbat <br />allows some community col- <br />leges to o{(er Bachelor's <br />degrees. But he worries that <br />the traditional two-year <br />schools will be competing for <br />iewer dollars with the new, <br />expanded colleges. "It may <br />well be we can't expand <br />bachelor's access in the short <br />term," Holcombe said. <br />Herald/Times staff writer <br />Steve Bousquet contributed to <br />this report. Alex Leary can be <br />reached at lear- <br />y@sptimes.com <br /> <br />Sansom's close ties to Richburg emerged <br />three weeh's ago when thc spcah'cr took a <br />SJ/O,OOO.iob lVorking]il/' Richbarg as vice <br />president Jor planning at the collef/l', <br /> <br />for the school has surfaced. <br />Besieged by newspaper edi- <br />torials calling for him to qui! <br />Ihe job, Sansom has denied a <br />quid pro quo. <br />But the job, which was not <br />advertised. was only offered <br />to Sansom and it seeln.~ writ- <br />ten to match the very pro- <br />grams he helped create. <br />"Make recommendations <br />10 the college president on <br />the transition to the State <br />College System," reads one <br />o( his responsibilities. <br />lie has a master's degree <br />in education and said getting <br />state money (or hometown <br />institutions is common <br />among lawmakers. <br />The backdrop of the San- <br />som story is a state budget in <br />crisis. The weak economy <br />has dried up the now of tn <br />revenues and now lawmakers <br /> <br />Legislature did, too. <br />On June 12, Gov. Charlie <br />Crist traveled to the Nicev. <br />ilIe campus of Northwest <br />Florida State College. A pha~ <br />lanx of elected officials and <br />educators watched as Crist <br />signed the bill and then <br />handed the Sharpie to San. <br />sam as a memento. <br />"We expect these pro- <br />grams to be more a(fordable <br />and cost.ef(ective than those <br />at the state university level <br />- and that's another benefit <br />to both the taxpayers and the <br />students:' Sansom said at the <br />time. <br /> <br />'COUEGE. FROM lB <br /> <br />that other college presidents <br />were concerned. <br />"The bottom line is a <br />request for you to help shore <br />up support of the speaker:' <br />Richburg wrote on March 28. <br />"If 1 am meddling, (orgive me <br />- otherwise message deliv. <br />ered." <br />Sansom quickly replied, "I <br />will get right on this." <br />Neither Sansom nor Rich. <br />burg responded to numerous <br />requests (or an interview. <br />Sansom asked for written <br />questions and did not <br />respond to those. <br />The idea behind the stale <br />college legislation was sim- <br />ple: Create more four-year <br />degree programs to meet <br />shortages of teachers, nurses <br />and other professions while <br />allowing students with jobs <br />and families to stay close to <br />home. <br /> <br />Odom's private airport man- <br />ager said Odom planned to <br />park jets in the building, but <br />Odom dillputes that. College <br />officials insist the facility will <br />be used to train emergency <br />workers. <br /> <br />(or an emergency training <br />center at Destin Airport. <br />A Herald/fimes story last <br />week raised questionll about <br />the airport project, funded by <br />a 56-million appropriation <br />Sansom steered to the col- <br />lege in the 21107 budget. <br />The project seems nearly <br />identical to one proposed by <br />Sansom's friend, developer <br />and Republican donor Jay <br />adom. Odom sought state <br />money (or an emergency <br />operations center at the air- <br />port that he could use to <br />store his jets between disas- <br />ters. <br />Odom wasn't able to <br />secure funding for his pro- <br />ject, but soon after, Sansom <br />got money for a hangar-sized <br />building at Destin Airport to <br />be owned by the school. <br /> <br />COMING TO LIGHT <br /> <br />Sansom's close ties to <br />Richburg emerged three <br />weeks ago when the speaker <br />took a $110,000 job working <br />for Richburg as vice presi- <br />dent for planning at the col- <br />lege. There is speculation <br />Sansom, 46, will take over as <br />president in a (ew years and <br />Sansom has done little to dis- <br />courage such talk. He has <br />said that's an issue to address <br />later. <br />Since then, Sansom's <br />record of getting state money <br /> <br />ROUGH ROAD <br /> <br />Getting there wasn't easy. <br />Beyond the flurry of e.mails <br />and lobbying lawmakers, <br />Sansom and Richburg set up <br />a meeting o( college trustees <br />last March to sell them on the <br />idea. <br />"Think about a meeting in <br />Tall. with you, the trustees of <br />[Okaloosa-Walton College), <br />and me to talk about the pro- <br />posed college change and the <br />system questions:' Richburg <br />wrote Sansom on Feb. 12 <br />The two men then collab. <br />orated on a powerPoint pre. <br />sentation Sansom would give <br />the eight-member board. <br />Sansom e-mailed the presen- <br />tation to Richburg, who <br />oUered extensive feedback. <br />The meeting with trustees <br />was scheduled for March 24, <br />the day after Easter. As a <br />public school, a meeting of <br />the trustees must be open to <br />the public, which requires <br />advertising the time and <br />place so people can attend. <br />The college did provide pub- <br />lic notice. with an ad that was <br />published one week before <br />the meeting, in a newspaper <br />in Okaloosa County, 150 <br />miles (rom where the meet- <br />ing would take place. <br />That was Richburg's idea: <br />"It's probably the only way <br />we can do it in privacy but <br />with a public notice here," he <br />wrote in his e-mail to San- <br />,om. <br />Sansom's rapid response: <br />"That would be greatll We <br />can get a private room on the <br />6th floor at FSU," <br /> <br />CRITICISM <br /> <br />An (Jpen government <br />expert criticized the action. <br />"J still think it's a problem <br />regardless of the notice pro. <br />vided," said Barbara Petersen <br />of the First Amendment <br />Foundation, which advocates <br />for open government with <br />5upport (rom newspapers. <br />"Look at Richburg's state. <br />ment 'it's the only way we <br />can do it in privacy but with <br />public notice hl!!re' - sl!!l!!ms <br />to me that's a fairly clear <br />statement of intent to avoid, <br />as much as possible, public <br />attendance and/or over- <br />sight.H <br />Just before that meeting, <br />Sansom and Richburg <br />swapped e-mails over <br />another matter. Richburg <br />suggested that when they all <br />were together Sansom <br />should thank the board for <br />"accepting responsibility" <br /> <br />+ <br /> <br />MIAHJ!!', <br />tmlii'liiil <br />PUBLIC NOTICE <br /> <br />LIMITED ACCESS <br /> <br />The program was at first <br />limited to three politically <br />connected schools. They <br />were St, Petersburg College, <br />which was the first to offer <br />bachelor's degrees in 2001; <br />Richburg'S Okaloosa-Walton <br />College, as it was called then; <br />and Indian River Community <br />College, which had a strong <br />ally in then-Senate President <br />Ken Pruitt, R.Port St, Lucie. <br />The bill caught some col- <br />lege presidents by surprise, It <br />was not on a list o( policy ini- <br />tiatives by the Department o( <br />Education and it set o(f a <br />scramble by others wanting <br />to get in on the special deal. <br />,oining the outcry last <br />April was Eduardo Padron, <br />president o( Miami Dade <br />Colll!!ge, thl!! state's largest <br />community college. which <br />wasn't one of the original <br />three schools. "What is hap- <br />pening is a shame because <br />this college has a majority of <br />Hispanic and black [stu- <br />dents] throughout the state," <br />Padron told EI Nuevo Herald <br />in an April 8 story. The <br />school ultimately was <br />included. <br />Lt. Gov. Jef(Koukamp lob- <br />bied successfully to include <br />Edison College, near his <br />hometown. <br />"It (elt like the whole thing <br />was intended to surprise us <br />and put us 00 our heels so we <br />couldn't respond," said <br />Sandy Shugart, president o( <br />Valencia Community College <br />in Orlando, which is one o( <br />the nation's largest produc- <br />ers o( associate's degree5.. <br /> <br />NOTICE IS GIVEN that a meeting of Ihe Miami-Oade Board of CoUlty <br />Conmssionf!rs will be held at 9:30 NIt 00 Tuesday. [)e(2ntler 16. 2008.11 <br />the Commission Chambef!,. located on the Second Floor oflhe Stephen P. <br />Oart Center, 111 NW. First Street. Miami, F1ori:1a. wherel1, among other <br />matten 0 be amsdered. a public: heamg wiI be held on the following <br />proposedordtlanceslresolution$: <br /> <br />CITY OF SUNNY ISLES BEACH <br />NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING <br /> <br />NonCE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Commission. also sitting as <br />1M Local Planning Agency, of thlt City of S~y Isles Beach, FIorid8, <br />will hold a plbIic hearing in Ihe Surny Isles Beach Government Cenler, <br />OavidP. SamsonCommission~, 18070 Collins Averoe, Sunny <br />Isles Beach, florida, on Thursday. December 18, 2008, et 11:30 p.m., <br />10 conslder adoption of 1M following proposed (lnjinarce: <br />AN ORDINANCE OF THE CrTY COMMISSION OF <br />THE CITY OF SUNNY lSUS BEACH, FLORIDA. <br />AMENDING SECTION 265.5 OF THE lAND <br />DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS RElATING TO <br />OEFlNlTl()I\I$: AMENDING SECTION 265.37 OF THE <br />lAND DEVELOPMENT REGUlATIONS RELATING <br />TO ADULT ENTERTAINMENT REGUlAT10NS IN <br />THE TOWN CENTER DfSTRICT (TCD) AND THE <br />AMORTIZATION OF NONCONFORMING ADULT <br />ENTERTAINMENT USES LOCATED THEREIN; <br />PROVIDING FOR REPEALER; PROVIDING FOR <br />SEVERABILrT't, PROVIDING FOR NClUSION IN THE <br />CODE; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. <br />Inquiries lllQan:ling lhis item may be din!lcted to the City Cler1o; at <br />305.792.'703, A ropy of lhis document Is availatH for public inspection <br />Wring l'\Ofl'I'lal buslfless hoo..rs., City Hall. <br />JBnlIA.Hines. CMC,CityCleril <br />N.___Ced"'_._~orr..__by..--..",,,,._ <br />1""'_.. ....C"'lI _...,hltCllyeo.nn- cIol"'Ct, CloR. cCr aI StIw1t' <br />....e-:...l..roColo'lS...._.s..-r_e-:...~33l1l(J....",.~__ <br />IO_""'Cllyeo.r-_.putIIic -.no ......,II>~""O>"'" CiI,on <br />byoornpllOl"'ll.P<A*__.ca-dpnorlOl........bIOtnlI_n..~""'_ <br />.......-r bit llOI'll""'" .''-..-ng _ .......""""~_ __109M <br />__nolbit~r._...,.....kl"'I><l'II___by,hltC_r <br />eonvn-.on..IltIOMpooctklany......._IlIlIO<dl_"'lI.,"""...._._ <br />DI_~.....s.IorIO<dl~.onar_l<I_INIl._...._Dl_ <br />~."'-.......",_"""--IhItI..""""'___.......,.,.... <br />,OJll>Ul....bit_ n.,.,.,._nDl~.--.lby....ClrI"'_""'''' <br />_DlOl__or_.._.__._..-.g.", <br />__nDl..__by.... <br />1n.......-.o...."'hIt__...h~A<:I..._........__...... <br />_opoalII~to~"lIlllI_"'lI~aI'l'>a~-"'>JId <br />cotUCl....C.~Mon_.XI5-'iM1.0808.""_'_..""'"_klll..~;1 <br />~_-.,-....-'...TTV.....IlIl:JO!t.7t:!.'lolIOlor_...... <br /> <br />OrdlnancH and RKoIlItlons' <br />'Resdution co-desIqnalilg SW 167th Avenue from SW 88th Street to <br />SW10(1h S1reetas "ArdlbishopColeman F.CanoIAvenue" <br /> <br />,Resdution re~1iIg 10 an applicali:ln by Blue Palms Develqllnent, <br />LLC for a Oass I Pemll to fill 0.509 acres of wel1ands for Ihe <br />construction 01 a resktenlial development located along the OIeta <br />River at 16375 Bisalyne Boulevard. Nor1h Miami Beadl. Miaffii.Oade <br />Cou<<y."""" <br /> <br />. ResoIulion codesignalilg S,W. 122ndAvenuofrom SW. 8th Street 10 <br />S,W.10IhStreetas"RodolfoSantayanaAwnue" <br /> <br />e CO <br />0 <br />0 <br />~ N <br />- <br />~ ~ <br />e "'C"'"" <br />- <br />N <br />W "'C"'"" <br />:+t . . <br />Q) <br />. .... ... <br />~ CO <br />C <br />. .... s::: <br />Ii 0 <br />.- <br />... <br />CO <br />W CJ <br />.- <br />..c - <br />.c <br />Ie> ~ <br />a. <br /> <br />Ordln.nces crutlna and M1tAhllshlna SDflctal Tarlna Districts and <br />Resolutions adoctlna Dnlliminarv ISSflument roD. for. <br />. Saynlef SI..lbdMsion Mullipurpose Mainlenarlal and Street Lightr,g <br />Special <br />A' neresled parties may I1ppeBf and be heard st the lime and p/8aJ <br />spedood. <br />A persoo who dM:ides to appest any dedsioo made by arty board. agency. ot <br />ammiss.ion wlh respect 10 &'IY matter CfJtISideted at its meeting ot hearing, <br />wi' need a reoord of pl'OCeedngs. Such p6fSOfIS may need /0 eM.re fhst a <br />vertlBtin reooni of the proceedngs is made, iJdudng the teslimatly and <br />evidenc;e upon which theappeBlis fobebased. <br />Mami-Dade Coc.r1/y provides eqllBllICCeSJ IJIld eqllBl oppatunIy IJIld does <br />noItisctilWlale on the basis oftisabilyittils plOgl8ffl1 ot seM:es. Fcx <br />material in /ll/em/lte klrmal. tJ sign language inlefJNl!Ier ot oIOOf <br />accoImlOdation. please ca' 305.375-394J. <br />HARVEY RWiN, CLERK <br />KAY SllliVAN. DEPUTY a.ERK <br /> <br />DO YOU HAVE A WILL? <br /> <br />WE KNOW ESTATE PLANNING CAN BE CONFUSING <br /> <br />'A BROADER APPROACH' <br /> <br />While Shugart and others <br />agree more bachelor's degree <br />programs arc needed, they <br />want a broader approach. <br />Shugart said the inclusion of <br />nine schaab was haphar.ard <br />and "odd:' His school wasn't <br />among them. <br />"Nobody is going to move <br />to Okaloosa to go to college:' <br />he said. "It's a 19th century <br />solution and we have a 21st <br />century problem." <br />But as tbe program <br />expanded, support in the <br /> <br />LET US SEND YOU A FREE, NO OBLIGATION BOOKLET ON WILLS, <br />LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A WILL... WHY YOU MAY NEED A TRUST... AND MUCH MORE. <br /> <br /> <br />Please send me your FREE, NO OBLiGATION booklet on Wills. <br />The Salvation Anny, Planned Giving Department, 5631 Van Dyke Rd, Lutz, FL 33558 <br />1.800.758.2769 Ext 5706 <br /> <br />Namt! <br />Addrellli <br />City. State, Zip <br />lJatl'(Il) of Rirth <br /> <br />Phom' <br />~} Mail: r.!uPlllnm.uGivlng@usll.sulvutillnnrmy.org <br />