Within seconds the newly refurbished Limpkin glided back into the water. Folks from around Wakulla County came aboard to witness the maiden voyage of the river boat. The Limpkin is one of eight boats that have been getting tourists up close and personal with wildlife around Wakulla Springs for 40 years. “When Ed Ball had this property he eventually replaced the boats in the 1960′s with these boats.

The Gadsden County Chamber of Commerce will conduct a ribbon cutting this morning at 9 for Kaleidoscope Limited, a business that has moved to 1185 Commerce Blvd. in Midway.

Capital Regional Medical Center, the new operator of the former Gadsden Community Hospital, is recruiting up to 50 staff members for the medical facility, which is expected to reopen around the middle of June.
A job fair takes place there Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Capital Regional Medical Center – Gadsden Memorial Campus, as it is now called, is at 23186 Blue Star Highway in Quincy.

As local businesses work to regain momentum and enhance their prospects for long-term success, it is becoming increasingly evident that for many, the key will be tied to a concept known as regionalism. “Regions represent distinct geographical areas that share social, economic or natural characteristics and experience a certain amount of interrelatedness or interdependence,” said Rob Palmer, projects director for Our Region Tomorrow (ORT), a regional visioning and long-range action planning effort representing 10 north Florida and South Georgia counties. “ORT has long recognized these connected traits along transportation corridors and environmental/natural systems.
Since its creation in 2007, a program of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, ORT has been dedicated to reaching across state and county lines to encourage elected officials, business owners and community leaders to take a bigger-picture view of what it will take to maximize the region’s potential.

“Our goal is to ensure sustainable economic growth and protection of our natural resources in order to strengthen the quality of life enjoyed by residents and visitors,” said ORT Chairman Randy Hannah. “The efforts of this venture will result in strengthening a sense of confidence in the marketplace that our region is a place to do business. It will ensure regional competitiveness in a global economy while offering quality opportunities, services and amenities that are important to all who live here.”

During the past few months, ORT staff has been visiting many of the region’s communities to gather information on recent local initiatives and to better understand their priorities for 2010. “Whether it’s Leon County, Apalachicola, Madison, or Wakulla County, we are reminding all our stakeholders that it is our individual and collective strengths that will make the difference,” Palmer said. “Working toward improving the communications within and outside of the ORT region remains a priority.”

Another priority is bringing those key leaders, as well as interested citizens, together to update them on progress and set future agendas. The next such meeting will be the Regional Infrastructure Forum, presented by ORT, in partnership with the Urban Land Institute North Florida District Council, and the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee-Leon County. The meeting is open to the public and scheduled for June 9 in Tallahassee.

The keynote speaker will be Tom Murphy, ULI Senior Resident Fellow and former mayor of Pittsburgh, Penn., who initiated a public-private partnership strategy that leveraged more than $4.5 billion in economic development. The forum also will include a panel of regional experts in infrastructure, including green infrastructure, according to Palmer. “Our panel will be presenting updates on our region’s assets, their relationship to economic development and how we can best utilize these assets to position ourselves for emerging markets while sustaining our unique quality of place,” Palmer said.

The developer of the proposed Chason Woods subdivision intends to cut by about half the number of planned home sites from nearly 500 on a sanitary sewer to 232 on septic tanks. Danny Miller, a spokesman for and investor in the project with property owner Tom Gould of Longboat Key, said the change was made in response to concerns expressed by the public and Leon County staff members. They are worried about the impact of such a large development outside the urban service area just north of Wakulla Springs.

The Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the partnership with Florida Commerce Credit Union. Florida Commerce is celebrating their 70th birthday throughout 2010 and is positioned to be a strong ally for all businesses and their needs in our community.

The Leon County Commission will be hosting the Sustainable Communities Summit 2010 to engage residents and businesses on developing a sustainable community, county officials announced Friday. The summit will be held May 6 and 7 at the Florida State University Turnbull Center. Guests will include consultants, independent produce growers, businesses, entrepreneurs and representatives from government, education and civic groups, officials said.

Starting Monday, residents will be able to travel back and forth between Leon and Gadsden counties through the “Gadsden Express Transit Service.”

The new service is provided through a federal grant, and the goal is to reduce commuting costs for Gadsden County residents by 80 percent, according to the county’s Planning and Community Development Department.

Ken Armstrong, United Way of the Big Bend president, had a sigh of relief last week when the community campaign came to an end. However, Wednesday evening he was filled with excitement to announce the final total dollars raised from the 67th Annual United Way of the Big Bend Community Campaign.

The Sunshine State has an untapped industry close to home, says a University of Florida researcher studying how rural areas can attract Floridians hungry for relaxation away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

Other states have developed prosperous tourist trades by enticing city dwellers to natural and historic places, said Tina Gurucharri, a UF landscape architecture professor, who is leading a team that is exploring similar prospects in Florida.