Would-be town in Pasco is for sale

Connerton, an ambitious plan to convert thousands of acres of Pasco County pasture into a new town of 20,000 people, is the latest casualty of the great real estate unwinding.

It's for sale. Cheap.

Cited as a national model for less automobile-dependent development, Connerton, on the suburban fringe north of Tampa, suffered disproportionately from the housing market implosion.

Its privately held developer, Dallas-based Terrabrook, wants to shed 3,500 acres it paid tens of millions of dollars for in 2002.

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Iguana-Rid -- just $16.99 for a 32-ounce bottle

We kid you not.

Now, if you are a regular follower of Bizarre Florida, you know that iguanas frequently show up in posts here, and not usually in a flattering way.  They may look cool, but they have an evil reputation -- for being vicious, destructive to foliage, and for breeding prolifically.

Figuring that many people would prefer not to have iguanas in their yards, a Boca Raton man has come up with a unique new product called Iguana-Rid, "the spray that keeps the iguanas away."  According to Mark Streisfeld, Iguana-Rid is basically a brew of nasty substances -- including garlic and red pepper extracts -- that are believed to repel the unwated reptiles. ""It works as a form of harassment. To get the iguanas to leave, you have to make them uncomfortable," Streisfield said.

Scott Hardin, an exotic species specialist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, isn't so sure. "All I can say is when it comes to iguanas, it will take continuous management," he said. "You can't do one application and walk away."

Other removal alternatives -- trap the animals yourself or call a licensed professional trapper.  But, said Hardin, remember that it's illegal to release the pesky reptiles anywhere but on your own property.

Goal is longest cigar ever

A Tampa cigar maker hopes to set a new Guinness World Record by rolling a stogie 180 feet long.

Longtime cigar maker Wally Reyes started Thursday and will finish the nearly block-long smoke during the city's Cigar Heritage Festival on Nov. 21.

Reyes says he and his wife, Margarita, are building the cigar in 18 sections — each 10 feet long.

An official from Guinness will be on hand at the festival to certify the record.

Reyes held the record before when he and his wife completed a 101-foot cigar, but a roller in Havana, Cuba, outdid them last year with a cigar that was 148 feet long

Associated Press

Zephyrhills store offers drive-through weddings

ZEPHYRHILLS — Lining the main drag through town, signs advertise drive-though restaurants, drive-through ATMs and now, drive-through weddings.

The Rev. Sharon Burnett opened Mother Earth Goddess metaphysical store in a former dry-cleaning business on Gall Boulevard in early July.

Unsure what to do with the sliding glass doors where customers used to pick up their pressed and cleaned garments, Burnett, a notary public and minister, decided to officiate behind-the-wheel nuptials. Couples with a marriage license, a witness over the age of 18 and $20 can exchange vows without turning off the engine.

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Read the full story @ Tampabay.com.

Man sets fire to Wal-Mart after unsuccessful attempt to return merchandise

OK. so you approached the customer service counter at a Bradenton Wal-Mart Supercenter and tried to return some items.  Alas, something apparently smelled fishy to the clerk, who refused to refund your money.

Granted, this sort of thing can be upsetting.  But setting fire to the store -- which caused about $500,000 in damage -- was not the smartest thing to do.  Especially since there are surveillance cameras everywhere in Wal-Mart.  So no surprise that you were quickly arrested and charged with arson, according to the Bradenton Herald.

Additional information available from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Fake 'no parking' sign case to be reviewed

A Tarpon Springs city commissioner wants to see what recourse the city has against a man who put up fake "no parking" signs that resulted in 233 city-issued tickets.

In an e-mail Friday, Commissioner Peter Dalacos asked the city attorney to research and advise the Tarpon Springs City Commission about its legal options in dealing with developer Mike Bronson, who told police he put up 22 unauthorized signs near Jack Willie's Tarpon Turtle, a busy restaurant in the area.

Dalacos wants City Attorney Jim Yacavone to determine if Bronson can be held responsible for reimbursing the people who received the tickets, the cost for the process of refunding money, the Police Department's time and attorney fees.

"I feel we need to have our legal team research all avenues to recover those monies," Dalacos said.

-- Demorris A. Lee, Times Staff Writer

Pasco County man convicted of failing to pay more than $110,000 in child support

TAMPA - A federal jury has convicted a Pasco County man of willfully failing to pay child support.

Mauro A. Martissa, 45, owes more than $110,000 and has failed to make a single voluntary payment since October 2000, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. A jury convicted him late Wednesday.

The office says Martissa is the director of a debt-consulting business.

Chocolate covered ... moths?

Two Tampa Bay chocolate businesses are battling it out in court. And the crux of the case isn’t so tasty.
A Largo chocolate wholesaler, Mar-len Confections , says it wasn’t paid after selling a Port Richey business more than $4,500 worth of chocolate.

The Port Richey business, Chocolates by Michelle, countersued, alleging the chocolates were laden with unexpected goodies — namely moths.

“They sold me bad chocolate,” said Michelle Palisi, 62, who has been in the chocolate business for about 25 years.

Candy, particularly chocolate candy, can get infested with a variety of moths, said Philip Koehler, professor of entomology at the University of Florida. Immature moths, or caterpillars, are known to feed on stored food products, he said. And infestation can occur when moths mature and lay more eggs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sets limits for insect parts and other materials in food. Chocolate must have less than an average of 60 insect fragments per 100 grams (which is about one-fifth of a pound), according to the guide.

To avoid critters in your chocolate, Koehler recommends checking chocolate packaging for holes, debris and insect webbing.

Lorri Helfand, Times Staff Writer

Rats! Inflatables draw attention during morning commute

CLEARWATER – Giant rats invaded Roosevelt Boulevard this morning, but these weren't sewer-dwelling vermin.

They were 20- to 30-foot-high inflated rats, blowing in the morning breeze in front of GE Aviation as part of a union protest.

Some drivers looked a bit confused as they rounded a curve near St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and saw the rodents. A few cars honked in support.

The rats were the work of Sheet Metal Workers Local 15, which was protesting in the right of way in front of the business at 14200 Roosevelt Blvd.

“We have a dispute with GE Aviation because they use a company called Comfort Systems USA and we urge GE Aviation to use union contractors and provide full family health care and benefits that are fully paid for by the company,” said union representative Sam McIntosh, 61.

McIntosh agreed to remove the inflatables at the request of a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy after the state Department of Transportation determined they posed a hazard to motorists. The deputy told McIntosh the infraction violated a state statute and was “an arrestable misdemeanor.”

McIntosh said he was consulting with his attorney, because, he said, federal law allows him to protest on public land without a permit.

“I’ve been doing this six, seven years and I’ve never been threatened with arrest. I think they just made a big mistake and it was ignorance on their part.”

Rita Farlow, Times Staff Writer

X-treme generosity with golf privileges may have cost course director his job

Our colleagues at nwfdailynews.com report that Jim Frazier, director of golf at the Fort Walton Beach Golf Course, was shoved into forced retirement after city officials claimed he'd given away more than 20,000 free rounds of golf since 2005.

For his part, Frazier called the situation a "witch hunt" by the city manager, prompted by a city councilman who, according to records, played about 40 free rounds himself.  Frazier said the golf course's accounting system sometimes caused complimentary rounds to show up where they shouldn't, such as when foursomes get booked but not filled, or during "buy one get one free" promotions.  Also, he said, golf course employees are allowed to play for free.

City officials say the course has been a financial drain for years.  Since a round of golf costs $20-$40, 20,000 free rounds would add up to $400,000 to $800,000, which is not chump change.  Frazier said he did not know how city officials came up with the 20,000 figure.  A pending official audit may well solve the mystery.