Things To Do In SW Florida

A Pembroke Pines condominium’s governing board thought it moved quickly to get in line for a roof replacement grant when the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program opened to applications last November.

Now, the association is being told that it’s ineligible for a grant under terms of a new bill just passed by the Florida Legislature that, among other revisions, now limits eligibility to condominiums over two stories.

Pierpointe V Condo III is a small complex of 24 units in three two-story buildings. It’s one of 165 condominium properties in Florida told they were approved for windstorm mitigation inspections and, depending on what the inspections identified, generous grants for storm-hardening improvements.

But now those approvals are uncertain. A new law that awaits the governor’s signature includes several tougher qualifying provisions that could put Pierpointe V and a number of others out of the running.

“It’s really unfortunate, and it’s a little bit disappointing,” said Dawn Munera, Pierpointe V’s treasurer, who submitted the condo’s application. The property still awaits its initial inspection nearly six months after it was approved in December, she said. “I was also surprised that none of the condo condominiums that applied for this have been been approved for grants yet.” read more

Faced with choosing a hotel proposal from four competing developers, Kissimmee’s Board of Commissioners told all the bidders to go back to the drawing board and come back in June with a new plan.

Hospitality workers cloaked in union T-shirts packed the room and coalesced behind the proposal from Kissimmee Place Development Group for a 300-room Hyatt Place hotel and convention center adjacent to the Toho Square parking garage, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.

But Mayor Jackie Espinosa said there wouldn’t be enough parking at the garage to accommodate the project. “The Hyatt is beautiful …the lighting, the gazebos, everything they’re planning on doing is magnificent,” she said. “It does bring that class, but my concern is that it’s too much.”

None of the commissioners strongly endorsed any of the concepts, although the city has long sought to build a hotel in its downtown area. The proposals from KPDG and Azure Hotel International Inc. were too lavish, while the ones from Skyview Companies and IHRMC Hotels & Resorts weren’t ambitious enough.  And it became clear that a majority wanted a residential component at the Toho Square site. read more

Grocery bills are straining wallets across the country — and it’s no wonder. Food costs are predicted to rise 3.2% in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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  How a Chinese delicacy got caught in the crossfire of Trump’s trade war

If you’re concerned, you’re not alone. Tariffs and rising prices were among the concerns referenced in the Conference Board’s latest Consumer Confidence Index report, which aims to measure how U.S. consumers feel about the economy. The index fell 7.9 points in April to 86 — the lowest it’s been since the onset of the pandemic.

Separately, the Conference Board, a nonprofit economic research group, said that the number of consumers expecting a recession in the next 12 months has hit a two-year high. read more

By SALLY HO and MANUEL VALDES

SUQUAMISH, Wash. (AP) — For over two decades, Suquamish tribal member Joshua George has dived into the emerald waters of the Salish Sea looking for an unusually phallic clam that’s coveted thousands of miles away.

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George is a geoduck diver. Pronounced “gooey-duck,” the world’s largest burrowing clam has been harvested in tidelands by George’s Indigenous ancestors in the Pacific Northwest since before Europeans arrived.

In recent years it has also become a delicacy in China, with Washington state sending 90% of its geoducks there, creating a niche yet lucrative American seafood export. read more

Cultural arts

Jennifer Deery was appointed executive director of the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park.

Hospitality

Steven Goldsmith has joined Westgate Resorts as vice president of communications and public relations.

Law

Jennifer Powers has joined Dean Mead, Orlando, as an attorney for the firm’s real estate and financial institution teams.

Real estate

Jon Chapman was appointed area vice president at Bainbridge, Orlando.

Other

Kevin Klauer was appointed president and chief executive officer of Shepherd’s Hope, which provides free, quality healthcare for uninsured children, women and men in Central Florida.

Submit professional appointments, management-level promotions and significant awards for individuals, along with photos as .jpg attachments, to peopleonmove@orlandosentinel.com.