By Chris Parker, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
Aug. 29--The owner of a Jim Thorpe bed-and-breakfast has withdrawn his criminal complaint against Carbon County commissioners over courthouse tower carillon that rings endless repetitions of the same tunes, saying he fears a lawsuit.
Robert Handwerk withdrew the complaint against Commissioners Charles Getz, Wayne Nothstein and Chairman William O'Gurek on Monday.
He had filed the complaint, which said the recorded bell music constitutes harassment and disorderly conduct, both summary offenses, on Aug. 16 with District Judge Edward Lewis of Jim Thorpe.
But Handwerk plans to appeal again to the commissioners at their public meeting tomorrow to scale back the music.
"I found out what they had planned to do -- to hire a high-priced lawyer and if they lost, keep appealing it and then come back and sue me for legal fees," Handwerk said Wednesday. "I'm not stupid -- that's what they did to those people with the Packerton building."
Handwerk referred to a suit filed in Carbon County Court against Thomas Zimmerman IV, who repeatedly challenged the demolition of the old Packerton Yards. Zimmerman in April was ordered to pay the county $8,114 for money it spent defending its actions.
"I'm glad that he's withdrawn it. The countersuit never came up with any of the commissioners. Where he's getting that, I don't know," Getz said. "I'm not too happy with those remarks. And as for Packerton Yards, that is like comparing apples and oranges.
"I just wish he would let it go. Everybody we talk to enjoys those bells," Getz said.
Handwerk said none of the commissioners told him they would sue him, but that he had heard it from other people.
Handwerk, owner of the historic Harry Packer Mansion overlooking the downtown, has publicly complained to the commissioners for weeks that the music from the tower's computerized carillon, which plays a series of tunes five times a day, is driving him crazy.
Handwerk's home, an 1874 mansion he runs as an inn, is atop Packer Hill, a few hundred feet behind and level with the courthouse clock tower.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Plan is to clean it up, tear it down
This probably won't get printed, because editors usually cut out things like this, but here it goes:
Hardly a day goes by without someone calling Sound Off and daring the Sun Herald to print their opinion or others saying "I bet my comment" spends eternity in a dark basement with thousands of other Sound Off rejects, instead of being printed in the A-2 column.
Some callers suggest the newspaper has a personal grudge against them -- even though the calls are made anonymously -- such as in the recent call regarding the old Best Western Hotel property on the beach in Gulfport.
"I am sure this won't be printed because you never print anything I call in, but here it goes: I think everyone in Gulfport knows who owns that property downtown on the beach that was the Best Western Hotel by the power company," the caller said.
It's unclear whether the caller was hinting at the prominent Salloum family, which owns several prime pieces of Coast real estate, including, at one time, the old Best Western property.
However, the family recently sold the beachfront land to the state Department of Transportation, which is buying property along the route of a potentially elevated roadway linking the state port to Interstate 10 through downtown.
Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown has said MDOT is "only buying property from willing sellers."
With public support for a raised connector at an all-time low and changes to the South Mississippi landscape since Katrina, MDOT officially placed the downtown project on hold earlier this year. The agency said it could be six or seven years before it even considers that part of the plan again.
"Why hasn't anybody said anything about that mess?" the Sound Offer asked. "When they have dogged everybody else about cleaning up and moving their FEMA trailers, and the people who have the money to clean up aren't. They are weighing all their many options."
Brown said MDOT has received a contract to have the building demolished, but he said, "Unfortunately, I think there are some people living in it and under the law, we have to give them time to find other arrangements."
So when will MDOT get to cleaning the land? "The sooner the better, is my answer to that question," Brown said.
Hardly a day goes by without someone calling Sound Off and daring the Sun Herald to print their opinion or others saying "I bet my comment" spends eternity in a dark basement with thousands of other Sound Off rejects, instead of being printed in the A-2 column.
Some callers suggest the newspaper has a personal grudge against them -- even though the calls are made anonymously -- such as in the recent call regarding the old Best Western Hotel property on the beach in Gulfport.
"I am sure this won't be printed because you never print anything I call in, but here it goes: I think everyone in Gulfport knows who owns that property downtown on the beach that was the Best Western Hotel by the power company," the caller said.
It's unclear whether the caller was hinting at the prominent Salloum family, which owns several prime pieces of Coast real estate, including, at one time, the old Best Western property.
However, the family recently sold the beachfront land to the state Department of Transportation, which is buying property along the route of a potentially elevated roadway linking the state port to Interstate 10 through downtown.
Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown has said MDOT is "only buying property from willing sellers."
With public support for a raised connector at an all-time low and changes to the South Mississippi landscape since Katrina, MDOT officially placed the downtown project on hold earlier this year. The agency said it could be six or seven years before it even considers that part of the plan again.
"Why hasn't anybody said anything about that mess?" the Sound Offer asked. "When they have dogged everybody else about cleaning up and moving their FEMA trailers, and the people who have the money to clean up aren't. They are weighing all their many options."
Brown said MDOT has received a contract to have the building demolished, but he said, "Unfortunately, I think there are some people living in it and under the law, we have to give them time to find other arrangements."
So when will MDOT get to cleaning the land? "The sooner the better, is my answer to that question," Brown said.
City lawsuit against Mush Inn Motel is dismissed
Anchorage's lawsuit seeking to declare the Mush Inn Motel a public nuisance has been dismissed, the city said today.
The owners of the East Anchorage motel near the Merrill Field airport have improved security at the site, and the number of police calls to the business has fallen, the city said.
In March, Anchorage sued the motel and its owners in state Superior Court under the state's new nuisance laws. The downtown motel drew more police calls -- 535 -- than any other single Anchorage building last year, according to the city. A 36-year-old man was shot and killed in a room there in February.
The city and motel owners jointly petitioned the court this week to dismiss the lawsuit.
In recent weeks, Mush Inn owners have upgraded video surveillance cameras and installed new ones, removed junk vehicles, fixed broken windows, installed gates, improved door locks and modified policies for patrons. The motel also contracted with a private security firm to have a guard onsite in the evening and early morning, the city said.
Before the lawsuit was filed, police were averaging 54 visits a month to the motel, the city said. They have averaged 30 visits a month since April -- most were security checks, welfare checks, follow-ups and general disturbance calls. Sixteen were serious, the city said.
Return to adn.com for updates to this story, and see tomorrow's print edition of the Daily News for full coverage.
The owners of the East Anchorage motel near the Merrill Field airport have improved security at the site, and the number of police calls to the business has fallen, the city said.
In March, Anchorage sued the motel and its owners in state Superior Court under the state's new nuisance laws. The downtown motel drew more police calls -- 535 -- than any other single Anchorage building last year, according to the city. A 36-year-old man was shot and killed in a room there in February.
The city and motel owners jointly petitioned the court this week to dismiss the lawsuit.
In recent weeks, Mush Inn owners have upgraded video surveillance cameras and installed new ones, removed junk vehicles, fixed broken windows, installed gates, improved door locks and modified policies for patrons. The motel also contracted with a private security firm to have a guard onsite in the evening and early morning, the city said.
Before the lawsuit was filed, police were averaging 54 visits a month to the motel, the city said. They have averaged 30 visits a month since April -- most were security checks, welfare checks, follow-ups and general disturbance calls. Sixteen were serious, the city said.
Return to adn.com for updates to this story, and see tomorrow's print edition of the Daily News for full coverage.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Brand Strategist Dennis Marzella Joins Restaurant Consulting Firm
ORLANDO, Fla. — One of the leading hospitality strategists and consumer behavior experts has accepted a position at the nation’s largest full-service restaurant consulting firm. After 18 years with Y partnership, previously YPB&R, Dennis Marzella has resigned his partnership post as executive vice president of strategic planning, branding and research to spearhead similar functions at Quantified Marketing Group, an Orlando-based restaurant marketing firm that has represented more than 3,000 restaurants around the world.
Headquartered in Orlando, Y partnership is one of the most accomplished integrated marketing firms in the U.S. specializing in the travel, leisure and entertainment industries.
Regarded as one of the foremost travel experts, Marzella was co-author and developer of the annual YPB&R/Yankelovich, Inc. National Leisure Travel Monitor and the National Business Travel Monitor, acclaimed barometers of the changing lifestyle, attitudes and travel preferences of Americans.
A periodic columnist for Travel Marketing Decisions and Hotel & Motel Management Magazine, Marzella is also a frequent speaker at travel industry symposia throughout the country, including ATME Annual Conference, Crown Luxury Collection, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, American Express Travel Agent Partners Conference, the National Ski Area Association Conference, Hotel Design Conference in Las Vegas, Hilton International General Managers Conference, Relais & Chateaux General Managers Conference and the LA Real Estate and Investment Conference. He also served on Getty’s Hotel of Tomorrow task force in 2006 and 2007.
Marzella, who developed a story-based approach to brand strategy with a team at i.d.e.a.s. at Disney MGM Studios, cut his teeth at Leo Burnett Worldwide, one of the largest advertising companies in the world with a client portfolio that has included McDonald’s and Walt Disney. He also played a key executive role in corporate development for Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Viking Line.
Marzella was a founding faculty member and a tenured associate professor of marketing for the School of Hospitality Management at Florida International University where he also served as a consultant to hotels, cruise lines and destination promotion boards.
The foundation marketing research Marzella completed during his time at Florida International University was a prelude to the development of South Beach.
At Quantified Marketing Group Marzella will lead development of robust marketing intelligence systems, including consumer behavior tracking studies and custom research. These programs will help restaurant clients adjust to changing market conditions and identify consumer receptivity to new restaurant concepts offering innovative cuisine.
He will also help the restaurant-specific firm venture into the hotel arena by cultivating a new division focused on enhancing food and beverage operations, categories and price points within hotels around the world.
“Typically, a hotel directs great effort and financial resources into marketing the hotel, but they have outdated F&B operations and poor internal marketing,” said Aaron Allen, founder and CEO of Quantified Marketing Group and a former marketing executive with The Breakers Palm Beach. “Dennis’ deep understanding of consumer trends and the hotel industry coupled with our expertise in the restaurant consulting arena helped us identify an underserved market for hotel F&B. We intend to help hotels create destination restaurants on hotel properties - a dream many hoteliers have had unfulfilled for decades.”
Launched in 2001 by third-generation restaurateur Allen inside his two-bedroom apartment, Quantified Marketing Group in a six-year period has grown into the nation’s largest full-service strategic marketing and public relations firm specializing exclusively in the restaurant industry.
Quantified Marketing Group meets the diverse needs of high-volume independent restaurant operations and regional and national restaurant chains through a menu of services that includes public relations, concept development, design, marketing strategy, culinary development, beverage development, training, local store marketing, business planning and grand opening programs.
Headquartered in Orlando, Y partnership is one of the most accomplished integrated marketing firms in the U.S. specializing in the travel, leisure and entertainment industries.
Regarded as one of the foremost travel experts, Marzella was co-author and developer of the annual YPB&R/Yankelovich, Inc. National Leisure Travel Monitor and the National Business Travel Monitor, acclaimed barometers of the changing lifestyle, attitudes and travel preferences of Americans.
A periodic columnist for Travel Marketing Decisions and Hotel & Motel Management Magazine, Marzella is also a frequent speaker at travel industry symposia throughout the country, including ATME Annual Conference, Crown Luxury Collection, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, American Express Travel Agent Partners Conference, the National Ski Area Association Conference, Hotel Design Conference in Las Vegas, Hilton International General Managers Conference, Relais & Chateaux General Managers Conference and the LA Real Estate and Investment Conference. He also served on Getty’s Hotel of Tomorrow task force in 2006 and 2007.
Marzella, who developed a story-based approach to brand strategy with a team at i.d.e.a.s. at Disney MGM Studios, cut his teeth at Leo Burnett Worldwide, one of the largest advertising companies in the world with a client portfolio that has included McDonald’s and Walt Disney. He also played a key executive role in corporate development for Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Viking Line.
Marzella was a founding faculty member and a tenured associate professor of marketing for the School of Hospitality Management at Florida International University where he also served as a consultant to hotels, cruise lines and destination promotion boards.
The foundation marketing research Marzella completed during his time at Florida International University was a prelude to the development of South Beach.
At Quantified Marketing Group Marzella will lead development of robust marketing intelligence systems, including consumer behavior tracking studies and custom research. These programs will help restaurant clients adjust to changing market conditions and identify consumer receptivity to new restaurant concepts offering innovative cuisine.
He will also help the restaurant-specific firm venture into the hotel arena by cultivating a new division focused on enhancing food and beverage operations, categories and price points within hotels around the world.
“Typically, a hotel directs great effort and financial resources into marketing the hotel, but they have outdated F&B operations and poor internal marketing,” said Aaron Allen, founder and CEO of Quantified Marketing Group and a former marketing executive with The Breakers Palm Beach. “Dennis’ deep understanding of consumer trends and the hotel industry coupled with our expertise in the restaurant consulting arena helped us identify an underserved market for hotel F&B. We intend to help hotels create destination restaurants on hotel properties - a dream many hoteliers have had unfulfilled for decades.”
Launched in 2001 by third-generation restaurateur Allen inside his two-bedroom apartment, Quantified Marketing Group in a six-year period has grown into the nation’s largest full-service strategic marketing and public relations firm specializing exclusively in the restaurant industry.
Quantified Marketing Group meets the diverse needs of high-volume independent restaurant operations and regional and national restaurant chains through a menu of services that includes public relations, concept development, design, marketing strategy, culinary development, beverage development, training, local store marketing, business planning and grand opening programs.
Race a Porsche with Hyatt
Racing at Porsche driving school and a Bang & Olufsen home stereo system are among new items available, through Hyatt Gold Passport Exclusives™ Auction.
Beginning July 9 through July 18, 2007, Hyatt Gold Passport members will have the opportunity to use their points to bid on Hyatt Gold Passport Exclusives™ auction packages featuring some of the world’s finest products and most extraordinary experiences. This is the sixth Hyatt Gold Passport Exclusives auction since the program’s inception in November 2005 and features the most elaborate and lavish packages to date.
Available packages up for bid on www.Goldpassport.com/exclusives include:
Porsche Sport Driving School at the Barber Motor Sports Park (Birmingham, AL)
Thrill-seekers can master their driving skills with instruction from racing professionals at the Porsche Sport Driving School. This two-day high performance driving experience begins with classroom training outlining vehicle dynamics and driving technique, followed by time on the track and an off-road course.
The package includes:
* A two-day high-performance driving course for one participant
* The ability for a guest to join in classroom sessions and course time as a passenger during the track sessions
* All meals for both attendees during the two-day session
* Two-night accommodations at the Hyatt Place Birmingham/Inverness in Birmingham, AL.
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts® is an official sponsor of Porsche Motorsport and the Alex Job Racing Team. Learn more about the program at www.porschedriving.com.
Bang & Olufsen Home Stereo System
Bring home the world-class sound of Bang & Olufsen. The BeoSound 9000 six-CD changer integrates an AM/FM radio and the possibility for digital music playback. The sounds of the BeoSound 9000 can also be enriched with a set of unique BeoLab 6000 speakers. Both components are designed to adapt to a variety of placement alternatives, different ways of use, as well as to physical changes in the surrounding environment.
Bang & Olufsen products are available in select Park Hyatt® Hotels worldwide and Hyatt hotels in Asia and Europe.
Southern Hemisphere Ski Vacation (Santiago, Chile)
Hit the slopes of the Andes Mountains during a getaway for two people to Santiago, Chile. The trip includes two days of skiing at two of Chile’s finest ski resorts, plus a spa treatment to soothe aching muscles at AKO, the hotel’s spa\. This package also includes continental breakfast and evening cocktails in the Grand Club lounge, featuring stunning view of the snow-capped mountain range. At the end of the evening, unwind in the luxury of your Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt Santiago.
This package includes:
* Two lift tickets and round-trip transportation to Valle Nevado Ski Resort
* Two lift tickets and round-trip transportation to Portillo Ski Resort
* Choice of a 60-minute spa treatment per person: Swedish Massage or Lymphatic
* Treatment at AKO Spa
* Three-night accommodations at Grand Hyatt Santiago in the Presidential Suite
* Breakfast and evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the Grand Club lounge
* Roundtrip airport transfers
Indulge at The Barai at the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin, Thailand
Relax and unwind at one of Hyatt’s newest spas, The Barai at Hyatt Regency Hua Hin in Thailand. The spa, recently featured in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2007 Hot List, has been designed to ensure that guests enjoy the ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation of the mind and body. The Barai offers a selection of treatments based on the Thai belief of maintaining the vitality and balance of the four elements: Water, Earth, Air and Fire.
The package includes:
* Two consecutive nights accommodation in a Barai Balcony Suite for up to two guests
* One hour in-suite spa treatment per person per day: Aromatherapy or Thai Traditional
* Daily healthy breakfast at McFarland House or in-suite
* All-day tea and healthy beverages, and evening cocktails at McFarland House
* In-suite herbal steam bath
* Daily fresh tropical fruit and flowers
Barista for the Day with the Ultimate Starbucks Coffee Experience (Seattle, WA)
Unleash an inner barista with this package in Seattle, WA and enjoy a unique opportunity to get an insider look into Starbucks, coffee tasting and training as well as a chance to explore the magnificent Pacific Northwest.
This package includes:
* Three hours of coffee tasting and training with Starbucks Coffee specialists to learn how coffee is selected and tasted
* A behind-the-scenes tour of a Starbucks roasting plant with a Senior Coffee Education Specialist where guests can follow the beans from their arrival in burlap bags to the packaging of your favorite Starbucks coffee
* Starbucks Home Espresso maker complete with syrup and accessories to take home
* Two-night Executive Suite accommodation for two at the Grand Hyatt Seattle
* Full breakfast for two each day
* $100 gift certificate to a Tom Douglas restaurant
Beginning July 9 through July 18, 2007, Hyatt Gold Passport members will have the opportunity to use their points to bid on Hyatt Gold Passport Exclusives™ auction packages featuring some of the world’s finest products and most extraordinary experiences. This is the sixth Hyatt Gold Passport Exclusives auction since the program’s inception in November 2005 and features the most elaborate and lavish packages to date.
Available packages up for bid on www.Goldpassport.com/exclusives include:
Porsche Sport Driving School at the Barber Motor Sports Park (Birmingham, AL)
Thrill-seekers can master their driving skills with instruction from racing professionals at the Porsche Sport Driving School. This two-day high performance driving experience begins with classroom training outlining vehicle dynamics and driving technique, followed by time on the track and an off-road course.
The package includes:
* A two-day high-performance driving course for one participant
* The ability for a guest to join in classroom sessions and course time as a passenger during the track sessions
* All meals for both attendees during the two-day session
* Two-night accommodations at the Hyatt Place Birmingham/Inverness in Birmingham, AL.
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts® is an official sponsor of Porsche Motorsport and the Alex Job Racing Team. Learn more about the program at www.porschedriving.com.
Bang & Olufsen Home Stereo System
Bring home the world-class sound of Bang & Olufsen. The BeoSound 9000 six-CD changer integrates an AM/FM radio and the possibility for digital music playback. The sounds of the BeoSound 9000 can also be enriched with a set of unique BeoLab 6000 speakers. Both components are designed to adapt to a variety of placement alternatives, different ways of use, as well as to physical changes in the surrounding environment.
Bang & Olufsen products are available in select Park Hyatt® Hotels worldwide and Hyatt hotels in Asia and Europe.
Southern Hemisphere Ski Vacation (Santiago, Chile)
Hit the slopes of the Andes Mountains during a getaway for two people to Santiago, Chile. The trip includes two days of skiing at two of Chile’s finest ski resorts, plus a spa treatment to soothe aching muscles at AKO, the hotel’s spa\. This package also includes continental breakfast and evening cocktails in the Grand Club lounge, featuring stunning view of the snow-capped mountain range. At the end of the evening, unwind in the luxury of your Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt Santiago.
This package includes:
* Two lift tickets and round-trip transportation to Valle Nevado Ski Resort
* Two lift tickets and round-trip transportation to Portillo Ski Resort
* Choice of a 60-minute spa treatment per person: Swedish Massage or Lymphatic
* Treatment at AKO Spa
* Three-night accommodations at Grand Hyatt Santiago in the Presidential Suite
* Breakfast and evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the Grand Club lounge
* Roundtrip airport transfers
Indulge at The Barai at the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin, Thailand
Relax and unwind at one of Hyatt’s newest spas, The Barai at Hyatt Regency Hua Hin in Thailand. The spa, recently featured in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2007 Hot List, has been designed to ensure that guests enjoy the ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation of the mind and body. The Barai offers a selection of treatments based on the Thai belief of maintaining the vitality and balance of the four elements: Water, Earth, Air and Fire.
The package includes:
* Two consecutive nights accommodation in a Barai Balcony Suite for up to two guests
* One hour in-suite spa treatment per person per day: Aromatherapy or Thai Traditional
* Daily healthy breakfast at McFarland House or in-suite
* All-day tea and healthy beverages, and evening cocktails at McFarland House
* In-suite herbal steam bath
* Daily fresh tropical fruit and flowers
Barista for the Day with the Ultimate Starbucks Coffee Experience (Seattle, WA)
Unleash an inner barista with this package in Seattle, WA and enjoy a unique opportunity to get an insider look into Starbucks, coffee tasting and training as well as a chance to explore the magnificent Pacific Northwest.
This package includes:
* Three hours of coffee tasting and training with Starbucks Coffee specialists to learn how coffee is selected and tasted
* A behind-the-scenes tour of a Starbucks roasting plant with a Senior Coffee Education Specialist where guests can follow the beans from their arrival in burlap bags to the packaging of your favorite Starbucks coffee
* Starbucks Home Espresso maker complete with syrup and accessories to take home
* Two-night Executive Suite accommodation for two at the Grand Hyatt Seattle
* Full breakfast for two each day
* $100 gift certificate to a Tom Douglas restaurant
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