Crown Prince to Work in Sarasota

Crown Prince is the Palmetto based contractor infamous for pushing the upward growth of Florida. At some point, I am sure that you have all wandered down roads rich in his archtectual achievements. Prince has completed many projects some of which include: premier golf courses, community site development projects, stormwater management projects, public roads, landfill construction and port construction. "Florida is the boom state and we have grown with that boom," said Jimmy Walker, president and chief operating officer at Prince. "We do a little bit of everything."

Prince was recently selected as the general contractor for a more than $30 million Center Road project in Sarasota. The company will widen the two-lane road into four lanes and reconstruct more than three miles of roadway from Jacaranda Boulevard east to River Road. In addition, Prince also will add sidewalks, bicycle lanes, landscaped medians, street lighting, roadway drainage, signals and stormwater-management facilities.

The Housing Bubble

T-shirtHumor.com's latest t-shirt design is one that has stirred quite an audience in the real estate world. "Mr. Housing Bubble" has become it's biggest seller in the last few weeks as it pokes fun at the real estate market.

Anthony Phipps, T-shirtHumor.com communications director, said, "I think it's pretty clear that there are a lot of people in fear over the potential of a housing bust. A lot of individuals have made some interesting moves financially with interest-only mortgages and the idea of suddenly having all that equity disappear is something that scares home buyers and policy-makers alike."

But the Realty Times newsletter chafed at the notion that real estate prices have reached unsustainable levels, declaring in a headline, "Mr. Housing Bubble T-shirts Indicate Market Confusion."

Alan Greenspan, the Federal Reserve Chairman, recently talked about the real estate market claiming he had not seen the US housing markets reach such omnious heights. Phipps' response to Greenspan's comments? "If this thing does pop, a lot of people are going to need an affordable shirt to wear."

New School Opens in East Manatee

Braden River High School proudly opened their doors to students today. The new school became the 6th high school to open in the area staking its claim on the corner of State Road 70 and Caruso Road in East Manatee. The school opens with an enrollment of 650 freshmen and sophomores and about 900 King Middle School students, displaced by demolition and rebuilding of their school. The University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center once resided where the new high school now sits.

"If you looked all over Manatee County, you couldn't find a more ideal site for the next high school," said then-Superintendent Dan Nolan.

The school opening helped to relieve the stress and frustration of over-crowding which existed at Lakewood Ranch high school. "What this all means is that classes will not be overcrowded and we will not have double sessions at Lakewood Ranch High School," Nolan said.

The 8 academic buildings making up the campus took a total of 16 months to build. Even though the athletic fields and other areas were not done, the classrooms were ready and a need arose to use them. King Middle School students began attending Braden River High in April this year while their school was being torn down. As students return to class today, those at Braden River High School will begin a new adventure with more than just a new building to collect in their box of changes for the school year. School will be starting earlier this year.

Elementary school, 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Middle School, 9:30 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.
High School, 8 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.

If you have any questions about the academic year call the school hotline at 708-4976 or visit their website www.manatee.k12.fl.us.