Central Florida Congressional Candidate Paul Partyka on Record in Favor of Fair Districts

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. --- Former two-term Winter Springs Mayor Paul Partyka, a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for U.S. Congress in Florida’s 24th District, says he favors the “Fair Districts” congressional apportionment plan proposed by FairDistricts.org, a non-partisan citizens group.

“The purpose of fair districts is to draw congressional district lines as practically and compactly as possible without hurting minority groups,” Partyka said.

“Fair districts is the logical way of establishing congressional representation for our communities, insulated from the whims of political fortune,” Partyka said.
“Our congressional representatives should be able to travel their districts efficiently and represent all their constituents, not just the population centers, interest groups and party organizations,” he said.

“Without fair districts, we have regular political distortions that aren’t fair to anyone,” he said.
Partyka said gerrymandering---the practice of drawing district lines to favor the political party that holds the majority of seats in the state legislature---is an outmoded policy that should be disbanded.

“Gerrymandering should have no role in good government and the democratic process,” Partyka said. “We Americans know how to govern ourselves, and we should be able to do that without the interference of imbalanced districts,” he said.

Paid for and approved by the Paul Partyka for Congress Committee

For more information please contact:

Paul P. Partyka, 407-341-0805 PaulPartykaforCongress@Gmail.com

Bruce Pronovost, Campaign Manager 407-375-1578 Bapjap@cfl.rr.com

Lennar to Host Grand Openings in Six Communities Jan. 23-24 to Showcase New Lower Pricing Starting From the $80s

TAMPA, Fla. --- Lennar’s Central Florida Division will host grand opening events in six Tampa Bay-area communities on Saturday and Sunday Jan. 23 and 24, to showcase new lower pricing that starts from the $80s for town homes and from the low $100s for single-family homes.

Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said the home builder has retooled its new homes to bring the lowest possible prices to the market for new home buyers.

“With up to $8,000 in tax credit incentives and our new lower pricing structure this is truly the best time ever to buy a new home,” Metheny said.

Grand Opening events are scheduled at:
Cobblestone Landing in Lakeland, town homes priced from the $80s;
River Bend in Ruskin, priced from $116,990;
Creekside in Mulberry, priced from $119,990;
Hampton Hills in Lakeland, priced from $124,990;
The Verandahs in Hudson, priced from $139,000;
South Fork in Riverview, priced from $145,000.* * *

For more information contact:
Francine Miller, Director of Sales & Marketing Lennar-Tampa Region, 727-479-1747
Mark Metheny, Lennar Division President-Central Florida, 727-479-1700

Lennar Reports it Sold More Than 150 New Homes in 2009 at Stoneybrook at Venice

VENICE, Fla. --- Lennar’s Southwest Florida Division reported it sold more than 150 new homes in 2009 at Stoneybrook at Venice, a gated community located on North River Road at Center Road, west of I-75 in Venice.

Matt Devereaux, director of sales for Lennar’s Southwest Florida Division, said community amenities and low pricing with exciting new home styles at Stoneybrook at Venice proved to be the biggest draws in 2009.

Lennar builds single-family homes priced from the mid $100s at Stoneybrook at Venice.
Community amenities at Stoneybrook at Venice include a large recreational campus and community center with resort-style pool, kid’s splash pool and state-of-the-art health club with an on-site activities director; four lighted tennis courts, basketball court; two sand volleyball courts; a multi-purpose sports field and an in-line skating rink.
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For more information, contact:
Matt Devereaux, Director of Sales, Lennar-Southwest Florida 239-278-1177

Data Transfer Solutions Awarded Contract from State of Texas to Develop Web-Based Portal for Wildfire Risk Information

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Data Transfer Solutions (DTS), based in Orlando’s downtown Avalon Park and a leading provider of geo-spatial software solutions and services, has been awarded a contract from the Texas Forest Service to develop a web based portal to support the distribution of wildfire risk information to the public, government agencies, and other stakeholders.

The Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (TX_WRAP) will be the next step in making wildfire risk information more readily available and usable for risk management, mitigation planning and prevention efforts, said A.M. “Trey” Fragala III, AICP, PMP, chief operating officer at Data Transfer Solutions.

Tom Spencer, manager of Predictive Services for the Texas Forest Service said “Increasing the availability of wildland fire risk assessment information to all potential users across the state of Texas is a high priority for the Texas Forest Service. The Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal will accomplish this, and we look forward to working with Data Transfer Solutions on this important project.”

Fragala said DTS will develop a web mapping portal for the Texas Forest Service that will integrate the latest in GIS web mapping capabilities with recent assessment information developed by the state to support proactive fire protection planning efforts.

Data Transfer Solutions provides geographic information systems (GIS), transportation planning and engineering, asset management, web design, custom applications development, and video and multimedia production services to local governments and regional and state agencies throughout the U.S. The firm has offices in six states.
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For more information, contact:
A.M. “Trey” Fragala, III, AICP, PMP, Chief Operating Officer, Data Transfer Solutions, 3680 Avalon Park East Blvd., Suite 200, Orlando, 32828; 407-382-5222; tfragala@edats.com

Lennar Reports Sales of More Than 350 New Homes in 2009 at Heritage Bay in Naples, Bella Terra Estates in Estero

NAPLES, Fla. --- Lennar’s Southwest Florida Division reports it sold more than 350 new homes in the Naples/Fort Myers area in 2009 at Heritage Bay in Naples and Bella Terra in Estero.

Matt Devereaux, director of sales for Lennar in southwest Florida, said Lennar sold more than 200 new homes at Heritage Bay, a gated golf and country club resort community located four miles east of I-75 on Immokalee Rd. in Naples. Lennar sells terrace condominiums, town homes, coach homes, executive homes and classic luxury homes at Heritage Bay priced from the $100s to the $500s. All homeowners at Heritage Bay enjoy free country club membership that includes tennis and a 27-hole Gordie Lewis-designed championship golf course.

Lennar sold more than 150 new homes at Bella Terra in Estero, a gated golf and country club community located east of I-75 on Corkscrew Rd. in Estero.

Lennar builds villa homes, manor homes, executive homes and luxury estate homes at Bella Terra priced from the $100s to the $300s. Amenities at Bella Terra include southwest Florida’s largest swimming pool, bocce ball courts, a tot lot, beach volleyball, inline skating rink, baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts, clubhouse, fitness center and banquet room.
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For more information, contact:
Matt Devereaux, Director of Sales, Lennar-Southwest Florida 239-278-1177

Villages of Royal Palm reports Christmas Holiday Home Sales Valued at in Excess of $1 Million

PORT ORANGE, Fla. --- The Villages of Royal Palm, the luxury community located west of I-95 off Williamson Road between C.R. 400 and C.R. 421 in Port Orange that was voted one of America’s best 100 master planned communities by Where To Retire Magazine, reported it sold new single family and villa homes valued in excess of $1 million during their year end holiday sale.

Winston Schwartz, president of Winston-James Development, Inc., which is developing the Villages of Royal Palm, said one ready-to-move-in villa home and six single-family homes remain for sale at the Villages of Royal Palm.

The villa home offers 1,300 square feet of living space with two bedrooms and a one car garage priced in the low $100s.

Single family homes at the Villages at Royal Palm range in size from 1,500 square feet of living space to 2,300 square feet priced from the low $200s.

Schwartz said 90 homes are planned in the next phase at the Villages of Royal Palm.
All ready-to-move-in homes at the Villages of Royal Palm qualify for up to $8,000 in federal tax credit incentives.
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For more information about this press release, contact:
Winston Schwartz, President, Winston-James Development, Inc. 386-760-2555
Charles N. Kasza, Vice President Winston-James Development, Inc. 386-760-2555

Taylor Morrison Acquires 425 Home Sites at Las Calinas in St. Augustine, To Start Development of New Phases this Month

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. --- Taylor Morrison has acquired 425 home sites at Las Calinas, located on U.S. 1 near Palencia at International Golf Parkway (Nine Mile Rd.) four miles south of C.R. 210 in St. Augustine.

Kristin Vuckovic, marketing manager at Taylor Morrison in the North Florida region, said the homebuilder will start development of new phases at Las Calinas this month.

Presales of new three, four and five-bedroom single-family homes priced from the $150s will start in March, Vuckovic said.

“In the short term we are conducting presales for Las Calinas at the sales and information center at Austin Park at Nocatee,” Vuckovic explained. Austin Park at Nocatee is located off Coastal Ridge Blvd. just east of U.S. 1 in the Town of Nocatee.

Taylor Morrison will feature its new Heritage Series of one and two-story designer homes at Las Calinas with spacious family rooms, dining nooks, lanais, lofts and dens.

New homes at Las Calinas will range in size from 1,442 square feet of living space to 3,284 square feet.

Vuckovic said Las Calinas home owners will enjoy a wide range of amenities, including a community swimming pool and children’s water park with cabana and tot lots, a basketball court, tennis courts, a sand volleyball court, sports field, covered pavilion and fishing pier.

“St. Johns County’s highly-rated schools will be a big draw at Las Calinas,” Vuckovic said. “In addition, Las Calinas has no CDD fees, which represents an additional savings.”

Taylor Morrison plans to host a grand opening of Las Calinas in the spring, Vuckovic said.
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For more information, contact:
Kristin Vuckovic, Marketing Manager, Taylor Morrison, Inc. North Florida Division 321-397-7510, kvuckovic@taylormorrison.com

CFCAR Seeks Sponsors for 2010 Real Estate Outlook Conference on Jan. 27, Speakers Include Crossman & Company President John Crossman

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The Central Florida Commercial Association of Realtors (CFCAR) is seeking sponsors for the 2010 Real Estate Outlook conference, scheduled for Wednesday,
Jan. 27 at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Orlando.

John Crossman, president of Crossman & Company, the Orlando-based company that ranks as one of the largest retail property firms in the southeast, will be a featured panelist at 2010 Real Estate Outlook.

Dr. Sean Snaith of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Competitiveness will be the keynote speaker.

A panel discussion that includes the region’s top commercial real estate brokers will include moderator Robin Webb of Coldwell Banker Commercial, Crossman, David Murphy of CB Richard Ellis, Jay Ballard of Cushman & Wakefield, and Greg Morrison of Morrison Commercial Real Estate.

A second panel discussion on financial trends will include moderator David Patten of Commercial Mortgage Advisors, G. Geoffrey Longstaff of Mercantile Capital Corporation, Susan G. Hostettler of CNL Bank Central Florida, and Andy Johnson of RBC Bank.

Registration for the conference will start at 7 a.m. breakfast will be served at 7:30 a.m. and the program will start at 8:30 a.m. at the Marriott located at 400 W. Livingston St.

Crossman said sponsorship opportunities include event sponsorship, table sponsorship and program advertising opportunities.
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For more information, contact:
John Crossman, CCIM, President, Crossman & Company, 407-581-6218, jcrossman@crossmanco.com

Justin Greider, Senior Associate, Crossman & Company/ICSC Florida Next Generation Chair, 407-581- 6225; jgreider@crossmanco.com

About Crossman & Company:
Crossman & Company is one of the largest third-party retail leasing and management companies in the Southeast with over 16 million square feet under leasing and/or management. Founded in Orlando in 1990, Crossman & Company is a full service commercial real estate firm that advises its clients in leasing, management, development and investment sales of retail and office properties and serves clients including Publix Super Markets, Inc., Lake Nona, PREIT, and LaSalle Investment Management. Please visit www.crossmanco.com, or call 407-423-5400 for more information.