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Business Briefcase

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By TONY HOLT

Published: July 28, 2008

Bright House surpasses 600,000

ORLANDO Bright House Networks recently announced that the total number of digital phone customers grew by more than 50 percent during the past year and now has surpassed 600,000 residential customers. The company's network processes more than 200 million calls per month. Those calls consist of more than 670 million subscriber minutes. Bright House Networks is the nation's 6th largest multiple cable system operator with 2.4 million customers in several large markets in California, Alabama, Michigan, Indiana and Florida. The high-growth Tampa/Central Florida markets are contiguous and form one of the country's largest cable clusters. Bright House Networks corporate locations are in Syracuse, N.Y., and Orlando.

Verizon Wireless completes $75 million network enhancement

TAMPA Verizon Wireless recently announced it invested nearly $75 million on new cell sites, network facilities and other technologies to enhance services and coverage throughout Florida in the first six months of 2008. Since 2000, the company has spent more than $1.8 billion on network enhancements in Florida and more than $45 billion throughout the country. Last year, Verizon Wireless invested more than $178 million in its Florida network.

Young Farmers and Ranchers meet in Orlando

ORLANDO More than 150 of Florida Farm Bureau's Young Farmers and Ranchers gathered July 19-20 at the Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista. This year's conference offered programs on financial management, handling interpersonal conflict and generational succession – that is, the process of transferring ownership of family farming operations to the next generation. Patrick Grady, a popular motivational speaker and trainer from Wahoo, presented programs on personal organization and stress management. The event was hosted by the state YF&R Leadership Group. The annual conference welcomes Farm Bureau leaders between the ages of 18 and 35 from across the state. The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state's largest general-interest agricultural association with approximately 140,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, the federation is an independent, nonprofit agricultural organization. More information about Florida Farm Bureau is available at http://FloridaFarmBureau.org.

AT&T Navigator goes global

DALLAS AT&T customers can remain on the beaten path not only in the U.S., but when traveling abroad. The company recently announced the availability of AT&T Navigator Global Edition, the only GPS-based service available from a U.S. wireless carrier to provide international navigation capabilities. AT&T Navigator Global Edition can be used in 20 countries on AT&T-powered smartphones featuring built-in GPS capabilities. The coverage area includes most countries in Western Europe, North America and the U.S. Caribbean as well as the six cities in China that will host the Beijing Summer Olympics. The new international navigation service is available in conjunction with the domestic AT&T Navigator solution on the AT&T TiltTM, BlackBerry 8800, BlackBerry 8820, BlackBerry CurveTM 8310, BlackBerry PearlTM 8110, BlackJackTM II and MOTO QTM 9h global smartphones. The Navigator, which includes domestic service, is available through AT&T retail stores nationwide and AT&T direct business sales channels for $19.98 per month. For more information on AT&T Navigator Global Edition, visit www.att.com/locationbasedservices. For a complete listing of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

Ribbon cuttings are scheduled for this week

The Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce will have the following ribbon-cutting ceremonies this week:

Travland & Associates – 11:30 a.m. Monday, July 28, at the Spring Hill Chamber Office. For more information, call David A. Travland at 232-7032.

Simply Self Storage – 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 30, at 2465 Anderson Snow Road in Spring Hill. For more information, call Misty Ray at 540-4663.

Christmas in July event to be held today

BROOKSVILLE The Hernando Builders Association is holding its Christmas in July for the Troops General Membership Meeting (GMM). The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, July 28, at Silverthorn Country Club. This special GMM is dedicated to the men and women who have served or are currently serving in the military. This is the second year HBA has held the event. The entrance fee to attend is $25 plus an item to send to the troops overseas. The group will collect items during the month of July at its office, located at 7391 Sunshine Grove Road in Brooksville. Reservations are required. For more information, call the HBA office at 596-1114.

Artist reception scheduled for Wednesday

BROOKSVILLE The Rising Sun Café will host an artist's reception for three local artists. The event will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30. The café is located at 10 S. Main St. The artists are Joe Starkey (acrylics), Strat Simon (photography) and Jana Withers (plein air paint). The public are invited. Coffee and appetizers will be served. For more information, call the café at 848-0090.

Kid Station will offer free VPK Wednesday

SPRING HILL Kid Station, a local childcare and preschool facility, is celebrating its newly completed renovation with a "Free VPK" (voluntary pre-kindergarten) sign up from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 30. The event is for 4 and 5 year olds. Parents must bring birth certificate and proof of residents. The business, located at 10508 Northcliffe Blvd., also is enrolling 1, 2 and 3 year olds. For more information, call 683-6018.

SEBC will begin Thursday

ORLANDO The 30th annual Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) will host 10,000 construction professionals from throughout the Southeast July 31 through Aug. 2 for its premier building industry tradeshow and education conference. The event will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The tradeshow will feature the best and latest in new home construction products and services. Educational programs feature professional designation courses, intensive construction training, seminars, continuing education classes and a panel of state housing experts discussing the region's housing market statistics and trends. For more information, visit www.SEBCSHOW.com.

Book Fair offers gas card drawings through July

SPRING HILL The Book Fair has continued to celebrate its 25 years in business. This month, it is offering a weekly drawing for a free gas card. For more information, call Ruth Wharton at 686-1682. The Book Fair is located at 1219 Kass Circle.

Leukemia Support Group won't meet in July or August

SPRING HILL Florida Cancer Institute–New Hope will not hold its Leukemia/Lymphoma Support Group either in July or August. The group usually meets from 5 to 6:30 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of every month at the institute's Spring Hill Center, located at 10441 Quality Drive next to Spring Hill Hospital. Meetings will resume in September. For more information, call Jeff Haight at 688-7744. Florida Cancer Institute–New Hope is affiliated with US Oncology, the nation's largest health care services network dedicated exclusively to cancer treatment and research. US Oncology provides extensive services and support to its affiliated cancer care sites nationwide to help them expand their offering of the most advanced treatments, build integrated cancer care centers, improve their therapeutic drug management programs, and participate in many of the new cancer-related clinical research studies. Florida Cancer Institute–New Hope has six locations throughout Pasco and Hernando counties. For more information, call 1-888-206-0054 or visit www.FloridaCancerInstitute-NewHope.com.

Caregiver Support Group will meet Aug. 14

SPRING HILL Florida Cancer Institute-New Hope will hold its Caregiver Support Group at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14. The group meets the second Thursday of every month at the Florida Cancer Institute-New Hope's Spring Hill Center, located at 10441 Quality Drive, Suite 203 in the Medical Arts Building next to Spring Hill Hospital. For more information call Dorothy Hiller at 688-7744.

Dixon to be guest speaker at Aug. 18 Support Group

SPRING HILL Oak Hill Hospital recently announced Karen Dixon, physician's assistant-certified, will be a guest speaker at Oak Hill Hospital's bimonthly Healthy Hearts support group. Dixon is a P.A. in cardiovascular surgery and has been with HCA-The Health Care Company for more than 16 years. She came to Oak Hill Hospital from Regional Medical Center, Bayonet Point. She has been with Oak Hill since the opening of the Heart Institute. Dixon is a graduate of Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her topic of discussion will be "Cardiovascular Anatomy and Disease." The Heart Institute at Oak Hill offers a bimonthly support group open to anyone looking for information on cardiac disease. The meeting will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Enrichment Center at Oak Hill Hospital, located at 11375 Cortez Blvd. The purpose of the support group is to provide information and answer questions about all aspects of the heart. For more information, call 597-6331 or visit www.OakHillHospital.com.

Annual Truck Night Explosion to be held Aug. 23

SPRING HILL The Hernando Builders Association will present its Annual Truck Night Explosion at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Palace Grand, located at 275 Della Court. There will be a variety of prizes, including a 2008 truck, 2008 car, Harley Davidson motorcycle, Wave Runners, all-terrain vehicles or $20,000 in cash. There will be other prizes given away all night valued from $50 to $800. Tickets are $100 each, which includes dinner for two and entry into the reverse drawing for the grand prize. The maximum number of tickets sold is 450. Seating is limited so ticket holders must RSVP to attend the event. For more information or to purchase a ticket, call the HBA office at 596-1114.

Exhibit space available for Sept. 18 Job Fair

BROOKSVILLE The 13th Annual Hernando County Job Fair "Opportunity 2008," hosted by Hernando Today, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at Heffernan Hall in St. Anthony Church, located at 20428 Cortez Blvd. The event will run until 8 p.m. and will feature the area's various employers. Exhibit space is available for $89 per table if registration is received prior to Aug. 15. Space is limited. For more information on sponsorship, registration or attendance, call Denise Nohejl at 544-5206.

Chamber will offer 'Assertiveness Training' course

BROOKSVILLE The Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce recently announced it is offering a course in "Assertiveness Training" to its members and the general public at large. The course consists of five weekly sessions from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 22, 29 and Oct. 13, 20 and 27 in the Capital City Bank conference room at 14203 Spring Hill Drive. It will be conducted by Vince Vanni, who has provided a wide range of training programs to countless business professionals and public officials. Topics will include the comparison of assertive and aggressive behavior styles, learning how to take criticism and knowing when to walk away. Assertiveness training is used by countless corporations to produce positive communications professionals. A certificate of completion will be awarded to those who attend 80 percent of the course (four of the five classes). The fee is $60 for chamber members and $120 for nonmembers. For more information, call the chamber office at 796-0697, Ext. 18 to register.

Sponsorships still available for Oct. 18 Health Fair

BROOKSVILLE Sponsorships are still available for the fourth Annual Hernando County Health Fair, which will be held Saturday, Oct. 18. The annual event has drawn as many as 2,000 visitors. Various sponsorship packages are available starting at $500. The Health Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brooksville Elks Lodge 2582, located at 14494 Cortez Blvd. More than 65 local health care businesses share information, give demonstrations and provide free health screenings for the community. In addition, flu and pneumonia shots are available. Attendees may sample complimentary items from local food establishments and some of Hernando County's best entertainers perform free of charge. For more information on becoming an events sponsor, call Denise Nohejl at 352-544-5206.

Chamber accepting registrations for Oct. 30 reception

WEEKI WACHEE The Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce is accepting registrations for the Oct. 30 New Residents Reception at Weeki Wachee Springs. Participants will get to market their businesses to more than 300 new Hernando County residents. This deal is being offered to chamber members only. Tables are reserved on a first-come-first-paid basis. For more information, call 796-0697.

Rotary Club of Spring Hill Central meets every Thursday

SPRING HILL The Rotary Club of Spring Hill Central meets every Thursday throughout the year at the Wellington Clubhouse, located at 400 Wexford Road. Past Rotarians always are welcome to visit. Those interested in becoming a member are encouraged to have lunch with group members at 11:45 a.m. every Thursday. For more information, call Brooks Edwards at 666-4107 or Josh Kelly at 666-0068. The Web site is located at www.shcrotary.com.

Chamber offers marketing opportunity

SPRING HILL The Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce is offering its members the opportunity to market their business with table top space at any of the upcoming monthly membership meetings. The cost for the table top is $50. For more information, call the chamber at 796-0697.

Dawn Center offers free speaker's bureau

SPRING HILL The Dawn Center, Hernando County's domestic and sexual violence shelter, has a free speaker's bureau available to organizations that are interested. Advocates at the center can offer seminars on domestic and sexual abuse and keys to prevention. .For more information, call Morgan Moeller at 592-1288.

Local women's business network meets twice per month

SPRING HILL The Hernando County Home Business Women's Network group meets twice a month. The Spring Hill Chapter meets on the first and third Wednesday and the Brooksville Chapter meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. This is a non-compete group for women who are home-based, own their own store or office and are entrepreneurs. The members network to help one another promote products and services as well as helping in the community. For more information on meeting times and locations, visit www.hchomebusinesswomensnetwork.com.

Business Briefcase, compiled by Tony Holt, is published each Monday. News releases must be received by the Wednesday before the desired publication date. Items of interest include employee promotions, company openings, closings, expansions and relocations

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