News Traffic Safety Administration, 11 teens die in texting-related accidents every day. The National Safety Council found that 1.6 million accidents are caused every year by drivers typing out text messages; that’s nearly a quarter of all accidents. Sen. Altman said that his personal attachment to this bill has kept him motivated. “This has been a very big priority of mine on a personal level,” Altman said. “Car accidents are the number one killer of teenagers. It’s touched me and just about every person I know in some way or another personally.” Florida wouldn’t be the first place where a law like this one has been passed. Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky have laws forbidding drivers younger than 18 from using their cellphones while on the road. The numbers clearly reflect the dangers of using our cellphones while driving, so why just focus on those younger than 18? State Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, said in an email interview that he supports the bill, noting there is a difference between legislating for children versus adults. “As a father of three boys, one who is currently licensed to drive, it does concern my wife and me that distracted driving accident rates are highest amongst teenage drivers,” Bean said. “As for it being a stepping stone to make it illegal to use cellphones, as adults we have to be responsible for our own behavior and know when it is appropriate to use a cellphone when driving.” Bean also said he’s glad the issue is being brought up for discussion and that it’s the legislators’ responsibility to protect our society, but not to a point where micromanagement of individual behavior begins. According to a poll conducted in 2011 by the Jacksonville-born firm of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, 71 percent of Florida voters supported a potential ban on driving while texting. The poll found that 77 percent of senior citizens were in favor, while 62 percent of voters 18 to 34 were in support. The 16-year-old Schemer agrees with the portion of the bill that would outlaw texting and driving for minors, but disagrees with restricting the number of passengers.
“I think if you are a responsible driver and use what you have learned, carpooling shouldn’t be a danger to teens,” Schemer said. “Of course, it all depends on the driver and their focus.” A study done by the Center for Injury Research and Policy in Maryland found that the risk of injury nearly triples for a teenager when he or she has three or more passengers. Amanda Rhyne, 17-year-old senior at Englewood High School, said the proposed law is unfair and stereotypes teens. “Not everyone my age is an irresponsible driver,” Rhyne said. “It’s an unfair generalization that all minors are dangerous and distracted when driving.” Exceptions to Altman’s bill are that it wouldn’t apply to calls in case of emergency. The bill’s restriction on the number of passengers wouldn’t apply to family members. Altman’s proposal was postponed until early February to be heard by the transportation committee. During this year’s legislative session, Altman and supporters will push to add Florida to the list of 39 other states that have already placed some sort of ban on using wireless devices while driving. Others will oppose the legislation, claiming that the law will infringe upon individual rights. Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, opposes Altman’s legislation. He and others who have opposed similar bills in the Senate over the years have not voiced a particular disdain for the ban, but rather an aversion to additional government imposition in general. “I’m voting ‘no’ again,” Negron said in a story for Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers. “We already have a law on the books against careless driving. If a driver is texting and not operating their vehicle in a safe and prudent manner, that’s already against the law.” Florida House Rep. Daniel Davis, R-Jacksonville, said he looks forward to discussing this proposed policy in the upcoming weeks. “I believe the parents have the ultimate authority and responsibility in this area,” Davis said.
What $10,000 Will Get You Florida Community College at Jacksonville and St. Johns River State College have agreed to join all of Florida’s other state colleges and accept Gov. Rick Scott’s challenge of developing bachelor’s degrees for $10,000 or less. SJRSC President Joe Pickens said he was committed to offering a $10,000 degree starting in fall 2014. FSCJ’s Interim President Will Holcombe said the college is still developing a logistics degree for less than $10,000. FSCJ still needs the state education board’s approval.
Stork Saviors An exposed power line and a retention pond proved too much for young endangered wood storks learning to fly, but the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens and JEA had some novel ideas to prevent them from electrocution, according to a JEA news release. At first, the JEA thought the best solution was to bury the power line, but quickly realized it would take too long. Instead, it installed flight diverters. A JEA senior environmental scientist said the diverters are like a little dartboard with a reflector in the center. They’re designed to make the power line visible to young wood storks. The zoo planted a heritage long-leaf pine forest in a part of the new parking overflow lot, to make the pond less attractive to the birds. The wild birds have used the zoo as a rookery since arriving in 1999.
Apple TV or Roku Box? Q: I’ve been considering getting an Apple TV or a Roku Box. Which one is better? A: Both are great devices that are simple to set up and use, have a lot of good content on them and are around the same price, $89 to $99. The Roku Box is backwards compatible with older TVs, whereas you must get an adapter for the Apple TV if you don’t have HDMI, which costs at least $30. All of the music, photos and videos on your iTunes account can be played on an Apple TV. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can control your Apple TV and show anything on them on your TV with AirPlay Mirroring. Both boxes have YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vimeo, NHL, NBA and MLB, but the Roku Box also has Amazon Instant Video and Pandora. The Roku box has a USB reader for video, music and photos. In the end, it’s all about personal preference. If you’re invested in iTunes, you may want Apple TV. If you have an older TV or you want to watch Amazon Instant Video, you might want the Roku Box.
Ask Deemable Tech a Question Ray Hollister and co-host Tom Braun answer technology questions on their podcast (deemable.com). They also answer questions each week on their blog at folioweekly. com/deemable. Call (888) 972-9868 or email them at questions@deemable.com
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THE SPECKTATOR
Bouquets & Brickbats Bouquets to J.P. Morgan and the staff at Mellow Mushroom on Fleming Island for making a soldier’s birthday wish for his wife a rousing success. Shawn Fulker, who’s deployed in Afghanistan, went to the Mellow Mushroom website to order a pizza and a gift card for his wife’s birthday. He promised to call back with credit card information. Fulker’s wife sent him an email saying that Mellow Mushroom had just delivered a special heart-shaped pizza, along with a $50 gift card and some balloons and flowers. Later, Fulker received an email from Morgan saying, “We got you, bro.” Fulker posted a message on Facebook, and it went viral. Bouquets to Jeanette Forrester of Peb’s Books for keeping much of Jacksonville in the read since 1971. City Councilmember John Crescimbeni has called her Arlington store a neighborhood institution. She’s working to liquidate some 100,000 volumes of new, used and rare books before she moves to rural South Carolina for much-deserved rest and relaxation. Brickbats to Flash Foods and the Nassau County Commission for the destruction of ancient oak trees along A1A on Amelia Island. Flash Foods plans to expand its building to add a sandwich shop and parking lot. To make room, some 100-year-old oaks were knocked down. While apparently perfectly legal, the loss of these majestic oaks should result in the county revisiting its tree ordinance. Bouquets to history teacher Daniel Flint for requiring his students at A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology to know the personalities behind the historical figures. For two years, Flint has won the Tom and Betty Lawrence American History Teacher Award from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. 8 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2013
DEEMABLE TECH
Gov. Scott’s Twitter Faux Pas
Sign of a Community’s Life Visitors to Jax Beach driving on South A1A will see a new, modern welcoming sign. The best part? It didn’t cost the city too much. The attractive new sign was placed near Paradise Key South Beach development, where HGTV is building its Smart Home. Architect Thomas J. Mnich designed the sign with 36-inch letters, but Jacksonville Beach City Council didn’t have the funds for the $10,000 fee. According to the Planning Commission’s Terry DeLoach, locals bought letters for the sign at about $621 each. The City Council bought three letters; two letters are still up for grabs. Harbinger Sign placed all the letters. If you want to pay for a letter, call DeLoach at 651-1673.
JaxPort CEO Search Begins The Jacksonville Port Authority’s board of directors is paying a Chicago-based search firm $99,000 plus expenses to hire a new chief executive officer. Heidrick & Struggles, chosen from a pool of 11 applicants, said it will try to find a replacement for Paul Anderson by the end of April. Anderson resigned the JaxPort post in November to be CEO at the Port of Tampa.
In the Twitterverse, it’s all about numbers, and Gov. Rick Scott’s following of nearly 34,000 is certainly respectable in relation to the state’s population (New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo, for example, has 73,391 followers; Illinois’ Gov. Pat Quinn, 21,563). What’s strange about Scott’s Twitter account, though, is the number and types of people, businesses and organizations he follows. Cuomo and Quinn follow fewer than 375 – Scott boasts 25,163 (as of press time), ranging from the predictable (Lou Dobbs, Team Romney) to the bizarre (multiple colon-cleansing companies and a “panda that wants to be a turtle”), but the most shocking – and disturbing – of all is his following of a teen porn website. What does the governor’s office have to say about his connection to such a site, as well as his other surprising follows? Check out The Specktator blog on folioweekly.com/specktator
Read the Specktator Blog Kerry Speckman shares her unique perspective and observations on people, places and events around the First Coast and beyond. She’s also the 2012 winner of Jacksonville Dancing With the Stars, so she’s got that going for her. Contact her at thespecktator@aol.com