Florida Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line's 128,000-ton, 2,500-passenger Disney Dream will debut on January 26, 2011. A sister ship, Disney Fantasy, will launch in April 2012. The vessels, both products of Germany's Meyer Werft shipyard, are the first new cruise ships to debut from the line since Disney Wonder entered service back in 1999.

The ships will be considerably larger than the 83,000-ton, 1,760-passenger Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. They'll be two decks higher and will carry 2,500 passengers, double occupancy. Remember, however that Disney's load factor is the highest in the industry at about 150 percent (due to the abundance of kids). The ship can carry up to 4,000 at full capacity; currently, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder can carry a full capacity of 2,400.

The Disney Cruise Line has released details of its cruise ship named Disney Dream that will set sail in 2011. The ship's design offers a blend of Art Deco style and Disney whimsy. Some of the unique features on the ship include;

• The AquaDuck, a water coaster that sends guests racing above the upper decks of the ship.
• A sophisticated lounge where the sun sets over the skyline of a different world-famous city each night.
• Rooms contain a Virtual Porthole that provides guests with a real-time view outside the ship. High-definition cameras placed on the exterior of the ship feed live video to each Virtual Porthole.
• Disney's Oceaneer Lab lets children feel as though they are embarking on a great seafaring adventure in a room filled with maps, maritime instruments and swashbuckling artifacts
• The Edge Edge is a lounge for tweens (ages 11 to 13). The tween pad is filled with hi-tech entertainment including the ability to create and star in photo postcards and video karaoke using green-screen technology.
• Animator's Palate is a signature Disney Cruise Line restaurant that brings Disney animation into the dining room.
• Royal Palace is a restaurant inspired by the classic Disney films Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty.
• Enchanted Garden is a whimsical, casual restaurant inspired by the gardens of Versailles and featuring a dining environment that magically transforms from day to night.
• The ship will also have attractions just for adults including The District, a nighttime entertainment area, and the Senses Spa & Salon

The Disney Dream is scheduled to depart on its maiden voyage Jan. 26, 2011, and will sail alternating three and four night cruises to the Bahamas and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.

Together, the Dream and the Disney Fantasy — which Meyer Werft is also building and which will debut in April 2012 — will more than double the passenger capacity of Disney Cruise Line. The Dream and Fantasy will each have room for about 1,300 passengers more than Disney's existing Magic and Wonder cruise ships.

The twin ships carry an estimated combined price tag of about $1.5 billion.

Chinese Drywall Complaint Center in Florida

Chinese Drywall Complaint Center Says We Fear Most Florida or Gulf States Residents Do Not Realize They Are Living with Toxic Chinese Drywall

The Chinese Drywall Complaint Center is saying, "we fear 100,000's of homeowners in 2001-2008, new or remodeled homes in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, or Southeast Texas are living with toxic Chinese drywall everyday-but have yet to connect the dots." They say, "if you have had constant air conditioning coil failures, black copper pipes, bizarre electrical issues, combined with possible severe allergy type symptoms, we need to talk to you about the problem potentially being toxic Chinese drywall." The group is also saying, "it is absolutely vital we identify all Florida, or all Gulf States homeowners, who may have Knauf Tainjin, or Taishan toxic Chinese drywall homes now-as time could be running out to get the victims identified, and we can help." For more information, worried, or concerned Gulf States homeowners can call the Chinese Drywall Complaint Center anytime at 866-714-6466, or contact the group via their web site at http://ChineseDrywallComplaintCenter.Com

Chinese Drywall Complaint Center Says We Fear Most Florida or Gulf States Residents Do Not Realize They Are Living with Toxic Chinese Drywall

Nation's first underwater park celebrates its 50th birthday

America's first underwater park turns 50 this Saturday, and Florida Keys visitors can celebrate with free admission and an expo featuring a presentation by renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle.

Key Largo's John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, about 60 miles south of Miami, offers nature trails and exhibits, guided canoe and kayak tours through a mangrove swamp, and a visitors center with a recently refurbished saltwater aquarium. But the biggest draw is the continental USA's only barrier reef, accessible via snorkeling, scuba and glass bottom boat tours. The reef's marquee attraction: a bronze, coral-encrusted Christ of the Abyss statue, four miles offshore and anchored about 25 feet below the surface.

A half century ago, Key Largo-based photographer Stephen Frink told the Miami Herald, "nobody was thinking about protecting the ocean because not many people put their head under the water with a facemask."

The Florida park -which served as a stage set for the popular TV show Flipper - inspired underwater preservation elsewhere, and "as Pennekamp succeeded with artificial reef programs, mooring buoys, repopulation of corals and other initiatives to enhance the specific environment, other places started to get smart,'' Frink said.

Today, the park draws more than 700,000 visitors a year. Saturday's birthday celebration includes children's activities and an evening boat parade, and several lodgings, restaurants and tour companies are offering anniversary discounts.

Soure

Will Florida Govenor Charlie Crist pardon Jim Morrison

Read Here New York Times

As Charlie Crist walks on down the hall to the end, beautiful friend, of his term as governor of Florida, he still has a few items on his agenda. Among them: the possibility that he could pardon Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the Doors, for convictions stemming from a 1969 concert appearance in Miami.

In an interview with The Hill, Mr. Crist, a Republican turned independent who was defeated last week by Marco Rubio in his bid for a United States Senate seat and whose term as governor ends in January, said “stay tuned” when asked if he would consider pardoning Morrison.

Morrison, the bohemian rock star who held the self-appointed title of Lizard King, was arrested after a March 1, 1969, concert in Miami and charged with drunkenness and lewd and lascivious behavior after some concertgoers said he exposed himself during the show. He was cleared of those charges and instead convicted of indecent exposure and profanity and sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay a $500 fine, though he never served any time.

Asked about a potential pardon, Mr. Crist told The Hill: “Candidly, it’s something that I haven’t given a lot of thought to, but it’s something I’m willing to look into in the time I have left. Anything is possible.” In a 2007 interview Mr. Crist — who, like Morrison, attended Florida State University — said he might consider a pardon, adding that “there was some doubt about how solid the case was.”

The Hill said that Florida’s Board of Executive Clemency, which handles pardons, would meet on Dec. 9 before Mr. Crist and three other board members leave their offices.
Either way, a pardon for Morrison would be purely ceremonial, as he died in 1971.

Florida Republicans already pitching Medicaid overhaul

TALLAHASSEE -- The wheels are already turning in a legislative plan to craft a Medicaid revamp that would include major limits on lawsuits, something that is firmly in line with Governor-Elect Rick Scott's proposed plan to make it more difficult for patients to sue doctors.

Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, told the News Service Friday that he and fellow Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, will meet in the coming days to examine last year's legislation aimed at steering Medicaid patients into a managed care program, an expansion of a five-county pilot program......

Read more: Source

Florida Republicans already pitching Medicaid overhaul

TALLAHASSEE -- The wheels are already turning in a legislative plan to craft a Medicaid revamp that would include major limits on lawsuits, something that is firmly in line with Governor-Elect Rick Scott's proposed plan to make it more difficult for patients to sue doctors.

Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, told the News Service Friday that he and fellow Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, will meet in the coming days to examine last year's legislation aimed at steering Medicaid patients into a managed care program, an expansion of a five-county pilot program......

Read more: Source

Tim Tebow draws fans like no other in NFL

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – They arrived like pilgrims this summer, each looking for something different and yet ultimately searching for the same thing: a hero, an inspiration, somebody to believe. It was, as the woman, a nurse and mother of six said, they were tired of “the garbage” of “the gunfights and murders and dogfights.” She wanted someone her children could admire.

So it would be Tim Tebow

As the summer wore on and the Denver Broncos training camp stretched through August, the lines of cars inched along Arapahoe Road, winding around the office park and delivering fans to a hill beside the Broncos’ practice fields. And they came devoted, wearing his jersey, No. 15, despite the fact he was the team’s third-string quarterback.

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Facebook photos lead to charges in deer skinning

The Associated Press

INVERNESS, Fla. -- Florida wildlife officials have cited two central Florida residents after uncovering photos on Facebook of an illegal deer skinning.

Twenty-one-year-old William Andrew Buchanan and 27-year-old Tara Anne Carver have both been cited with possession of wildlife taken illegally, a second-degree misdemeanor.
Investigators say they found photos of the skinning picturing both suspects on Facebook.
According to authorities, Buchanan confirmed he had helped skin the deer, but wouldn't admit to shooting or being present when it was killed. Investigators say Carver also admitted to skinning the animal.

The deer was reportedly killed in May, outside of the permitted hunting season.
The suspects could be fined up to $500 and face up to 60 days in jail.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/07/1812105/facebook-photos-lead-to-charges.html#ixzz0ysAW04hi

Florida Releases July 28, 2010 Gulf Oil Spill Situation Update...

Source: Governor of Florida Posted on: 28th July 2010

On July 28 NOAA shows the BP oil plume 60 miles from Pensacola and 140 miles from Panama City.

While NOAA oil trajectories forecast oil patches to remain well south and west of Florida, with no direct oil impacts through at least Friday, scattered tarball fields already nearshore may continue to be carried onshore along the Panhandle coast.

Winds and currents may also push pockets of light sheen or tarmats eastward and the uncertainty line for possible oil extends east to around 25 miles south of Perdido Key by Friday. Offshore, no oil has been observed within or moving towards Eddy Franklin for over 4 weeks and there is no clear path for oil to enter the Florida Straits.

Winds over Florida waters are expected to be out of the northwest in the morning, shifting out of a general west direction in the afternoon from Wednesday through Friday. Winds should be 15 knots or less within 60 miles of the coastline each day, with waves less than 3 feet.
Mostly dry conditions are expected for much of the Panhandle today, though a few isolated afternoon showers will be possible over eastern areas. Rain chances will begin to increase again on Thursday and Friday to around 30-40% each day through the weekend.

Heat indices will be near 100-105 degrees along the shoreline through the next several days, though some isolated areas may reach as high as 108.

Also, significant tropical activity is not expected through Thursday.

Read More

Solar-Powered Schools in Florida's Future

Solar-Powered Schools in Florida's Future

By UCF Staff
Feb. 18, 2010

The Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida's Cocoa campus will administer a $10 million state program to install solar energy systems on 90 public schools.
The SunSmart Schools E-Shelters (Emergency Shelters) program, unveiled this week by Gov. Charlie Crist, is expected to boost Florida’s clean energy sector by providing job opportunities to local installers and vendors. The grant money will come from federal economic stimulus funds.
The solar electric systems, also known as photovoltaic (PV) systems, will provide power during outages, offset electricity costs to the school during normal operations and reduce greenhouse gases.

“Not only will these systems provide a vital energy resource to an emergency shelter,” said Bill Young, the SunSmart technical manager at FSEC, “they will also provide noise-free power with no air pollution or fuel supply issues.”

Nearly 800 schools in Florida are designated as Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area (EHPA) shelters. The selection process will be highly competitive. Schools will be selected based on demographics, emergency shelter needs, partnerships and existing renewable energy education and outreach plans.

“The SunSmart School and E-Shelters program will help protect our environment for future generations,” Crist said. “Educating Floridians and utilizing energy efficient technologies will strengthen our economy by increasing Florida's energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” Teachers and students alike will benefit from the systems. Energy curriculum workshops for teachers will be provided, and students -- as well as the public -- will be able to analyze the performance data that will be uploaded to http://www.energywhiz.com/. The program will also provide operation and maintenance workshops for facility managers.

Each participating school will receive a 10-kilowatt solar energy system with a battery back-up -- complete with installation. The system will provide enough power for critical energy needs such as lighting, communications and essential medical equipment.

“Our goal is to have PV systems spread throughout the state, ideally at least one SunSmart E-Shelter in every county,” said Susan Schleith, SunSmart program manager.
Those interested in participating in the program should visit www.fsec.ucf.edu/go/sunsmart for more information.

Department Partners With Waitrose Stores To Promote Florida Pink Grapefruit In England

Shoppers in England will have the opportunity to “taste the warmth of Florida sunshine” during January and February when Florida pink grapefruit are featured in 220 Waitrose stores in and around London. The promotion builds upon a multiyear marketing relationship between Waitrose and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

“We are very happy to again partner with Waitrose so that shoppers can enjoy Florida’s world-famous pink grapefruit,” Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said. “In addition to helping brighten the winter for many Londoners, the increased sales generated by this retail marketing campaign will be good news for Florida’s growers.”

As part of the Waitrose promotion, the upscale chain will feature in-store product signs produced by the department touting the theme “Taste the Warmth of Florida Sunshine.” Recipe cards for Florida pink grapefruit will also be available to Waitrose shoppers. In addition, the Florida pink grapefruit promotion will be featured in a half-page ad in “Waitrose Magazine.”
The promotion was originally planned for the month of January, with FDACS providing marketing and advertising dollars. However, Waitrose marketing executives decided to extend the promotion through February, absorbing all costs for the second month, to help maximize the exposure of the Florida pink grapefruit marketing initiative.

EPA offers Fla. water pollution limits

EPA offers Fla. water pollution limits

Standards set in effort to prevent algae blooms, ‘dead zones’

updated 8:49 p.m. ET, Fri., Jan. 15, 2010

MIAMI - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday proposed the first numeric limits in the nation for farm and urban runoff polluting Florida's waterways, limits supporters say could set precedent and lead to similar federal standards in other states.
The agency released its proposed rules after reaching a settlement last year with environmentalists who sued EPA in 2008. They claimed the agency was failing to force Florida to meet requirements under the Clean Water Act, and sought the numeric standards for runoff such as fertilizers and animal waste that are causing toxic algae blooms and poisoning ecosystems.
Friday's proposed rules mark the first time the EPA plans to force numeric limits of so-called nutrient runoff on any state. A handful of other states, at the urging of the agency, have already acted to set their own standards. The remainder have vague limits on waste and fertilizer pollution, while some are in the process of developing their own numeric limits.

"It's actually pretty good," said David Guest, an attorney for Earthjustice, which represented environmental groups in the lawsuit, including the Sierra Club, Florida Wildlife Federation and others.
'Huge leap forward'While noting the standards "aren't as stringent as we'd like," Guest called it "a huge leap forward in getting effective controls on sewage, fertilizer and animal manure."
"This is the beginning of a very serious effort nationwide, and Florida is going to be a model," he said.
The new water standards "will help protect and restore inland waters that are a critical part of Florida's history, culture and economic prosperity," Peter S. Silva, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water, said in a statement.
Silva also noted that the state "has led the way with rigorous scientific analysis and data collection needed to address nutrient pollution."
The Don't Tax Florida coalition, a group of state associations and businesses, including the Florida Agriculture Coalition and the state Chamber of Commerce, called the proposed rules "a de facto water tax from Washington." The group said they "will impose major economic hardship on Florida's battered economy with questionable benefits," and will lead to significantly higher water and sewer bills.
"It simply makes no sense to force Florida to spend billions of scarce dollars in excess of what is necessary to meet an arbitrary federal regulation," said Mark Wilson, president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
The state Department of Environmental Protection said Friday it was still reviewing the proposal.
Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, who along with state Attorney General Bill McCollum previously objected to federal rules being imposed only on Florida, also was still reviewing the proposal.
Agriculture Department spokesman Terence McElroy said Bronson wasn't opposed to "reasonable efforts" to clean Florida's waterways.
Florida waterways suffering"He wants a science-based approach, which he was concerned that this may not be, and he was also concerned that the numbers ... not be exceedingly expensive and ultimately unattainable," McElroy said.
In a 2008 report, the state DEP concluded that half of the state's rivers and more than half of its lakes had poor water quality.
The numeric standards proposed Friday set pollution limits for Florida's lakes and rivers, as mandated in the settlement. The rules are now open for public comment, and a final rule is due before Oct. 15, 2010. The agency plans to propose nutrient limits for estuaries and coastal waterways by Jan. 14, 2011, with those final rules due by Oct. 15, 2011.
Click for related content
Study sees parking lot dust as a cancer risk
The EPA acknowledged more than 10 years ago that Florida needed to promptly develop runoff standards to meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act, enacted in 1972 "to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation's waters."
The agency notes that nutrient pollution is among the leading causes of impairment in lakes and coastal waterways nationwide, and has been linked to so-called "dead zones" deprived of oxygen and life in the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida temporarily bans catching of certain fish

Florida temporarily bans catching of certain fish

TALLAHASSEE - The state has temporarily banned the catching of certain saltwater fish because the recent cold snap killed too many of them.

The state canceled the upcoming snook season and banned the catching of bonefish and tarpon until April.

The cold snap killed thousands of fish.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto called the ban "a proactive, precautionary approach." He said it is warranted to preserve the state's population of snook, bonefish
and tarpon, which are among Florida's most popular game fish species.

Florida temporarily bans catching of certain fish

EERE News: DOE to Invest $8 Billion in Weatherization and State Energy Grants

DOE to Invest $8 Billion in Weatherization and State Energy Grants

DOE announced on March 12 that it will invest nearly $8 billion in state and local weatherization and energy efficiency efforts as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funds will be divided between the Weatherization Assistance Program, which will receive nearly $5 billion, and the State Energy Program, which will receive up to $3 billion. This will help families save hundreds of dollars every year on their energy bills, while creating approximately 87,000 jobs. To jump-start the job creation and weatherization work, DOE is releasing $780 million in the next few days, and will release more as the states demonstrate that they are using the funding effectively.

To read more of this article please click on link below:



EERE News: DOE to Invest $8 Billion in Weatherization and State Energy Grants

South Florida set to get $48M in green energy incentives - South Florida Business Journal:

South Florida set to get $48M in green energy incentives

When it comes to green energy, it’s difficult to find someone in South Florida who can’t potentially take advantage of the federal stimulus package.

Utilities, municipalities, universities, homeowners and small businesses all stand to gain from stimulus incentives for renewable energy and energy conservation.

The energy provisions are still evolving, but there are some certain impacts to local business:

To read full article click on link below

South Florida set to get $48M in green energy incentives - South Florida Business Journal:

Boley Centers receives $2.3 million to promote green jobs - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

Boley Centers receives $2.3 million to promote green jobs

St. Petersburg nonprofit Boley Centers Inc. is the recipient of a $2.3 million grant through U.S. Department of Labor’s Pathways Out of Poverty program.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis discussed the $150 million national stimulus program in a Wednesday morning media teleconference that also featured U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa.
The grants are designed to help people living below the poverty level, people with criminal records, high school dropouts and others find employment in green industries, Solis said.
Boley will use the money for on-the-job training to help people land jobs in plumbing, electricity and other trades critical to a clean economy, Castor said.
“St. Petersburg is a leader in green technology, but now we will be able to create new jobs and build on our community’s success,” Castor said.

Rest of the article

Boley Centers receives $2.3 million to promote green jobs - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

Whooping Cranes reach destination

Whooping Cranes Reach Destination


Operation Migration staff on Monday led the 2009 class of 20 whooping cranes 46 miles from Decatur, Ga. to Jefferson County, Fla.

Later in the day, workers divided the flock into two cohorts — one that will fly to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Wakulla County, and the other that will head toward Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge.

The group has now completed 1,085 miles of its 1,259-mile journey. They have had 79 days of migration — one day ahead of last year’s trek.

Once the first flock reaches St. Marks, the second group will begin its trek to a preserve in Marion County where visitors can watch the flyover at the Dunnellon Airport. Before reaching Marion County, the group plans stopovers in Madison and Gilchrist counties.

In 2001, Operation Migration’s pilots led the first whooping crane chicks, conditioned to follow their ultralight aircraft surrogates, south from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge to Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. Each subsequent year, Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership biologists and pilots have conditioned and guided additional groups of juvenile cranes to Chassahowitzka NWR. Once led south, the cranes are able to migrate on their own, without assistance, in following years.

Rest of the story: Click Here


Chronicleonline.com: news, sports, classifieds, real estate from the Citrus County Chronicle

Dozen Trees, Well Swallowed By Sinkhole - Orlando News Story - WESH Orlando

FROSTPROOF, Fla. -- A sinkhole forced the evacuation of residents in three homes in the area of County Road 630 and U.S. Highway 27 South in Frostproof Monday.

The massive sinkhole, which measures 30 yards in diameter and is 40 to 50 feet deep, has swallowed about a dozen trees and a well. The car port that was once connected to the home that is directly in front of the sinkhole is teetering on the edge of the hole.

Fearing homes in the Southern Pines Mobile Home Park could be consumed by the sinkhole, authorities with the Polk County Sheriff's Office evacuated residents as a precaution. The mobile home park is next to the home closest to where the sinkhole opened up. A reverse 911 call was issued to the other residents in the mobile home park who were not evacuated.



Dozen Trees, Well Swallowed By Sinkhole - Orlando News Story - WESH Orlando

Orlando Florida is first city to switch to Google Mail

By Mark Schlueb, Orlando Sentinel, 1/9

Orlando City Hall is gaga over Google.

In a multimillion-dollar move being watched by government agencies across the country, Orlando this week became one of the first cities in America to switch all of its employees to Google e-mail.

The implications are vastly bigger than simply changing the icon that Orlando workers click on their computer desktops. For city officials, it means cutting annual e-mail costs by two-thirds, saving taxpayers an estimated $262,500 a year.

For Google, the deal provides another toehold in the $20 billion-a-year market for office software. For years, that market has been dominated by Google's archrival Microsoft and its Office software,including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

In contrast, Google doesn't rely on software saved on users' computers but is a so-called "cloud computing" system in which applications are Internet-based and run on remote Web servers. With government budgets squeezed, Google hopes other cities will follow Orlando into the "cloud." "The contract with Orlando is very important to us," said Michael Lock, vice president of sales in America for Google Enterprise. "They're going to be on the leading edge of doing this, not the
bleeding edge. It's not the biggest contract, but Orlando is a very well-known city."
Orlando will no longer need the City Hall servers it uses to run its current Lotus Notes e-mail system, or pay for the electricity those servers consume, the extra data storage to archive employee mail or the two network administrators who oversee it.
"It made more sense to me given my budget. I had to look at a different way of doing business," said Chief Information Officer Conrad Cross, whose IT department was whittled from 84 workers to 69 this year.

If Orlando were to keep its current system, city officials estimate it would cost $133 a year for each of its 3,000 employees — or $399,000 — including annual software licenses. Google is charging $45.50 per user, or $136,500. In return, everyone from city planners to police officers will use a Web-based e-mail system similar to Google's popular Gmail, but without the advertisements that support the free consumer version. Google servers will store all city e-mail and run the application, and Google technicians — not city employees — will make sure it runs smoothly.

"The costs and IT support are someone else's nightmare, and that's what we're paying for," Chief Financial Officer Rebecca Sutton said. A half-dozen Google techs scurried around City Hall on Thursday and Friday, trying to make sure the transition went smoothly.

Orlando's contract includes Google Docs, which includes word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation software meant to compete directly with Microsoft Office. But Cross said the city will stick with Office for now to avoid the expense of retraining employees. Thousands of businesses and universities have switched to Google, according to the company. But so far, few cities other than Orlando have.
Los Angeles became Google's crown jewel in October, when that city approved a $7.25 million e-mail contract with the Internet giant, but Los Angeles has not yet moved its 30,000 employees to the Google system.

Google cited its deal with Orlando, which had already been signed, in its pitch to Los Angeles. The vote there culminated a yearlong battle between Google and microsoft, whose lobbyists warned that Google wasn't ready for the security implications of handling public e-mail for such a large work force.

Lock said Google will archive Orlando records, which must be kept and accessible under state publicrecords law, in "super-secret data centers." And Cross said he's confident city records, including sensitive law-enforcement and legal documents,
will be safe from loss or cyberattack. Google has greater security resources, from people to money, than Orlando could muster on its own.

Besides, Cross said, the city last year contacted other e-mail providers, including Microsoft and IBM, about moving to the cloud. "They gave us pricing that couldn't compete with Google," he said.