SBWire

While not renowned for its single-family abodes, the South of Fifth neighborhood boasts an extraordinary collection of opulent, peerless condos, a remarkable number of which boast three or more bedrooms, perfect for accommodating a growing brood. A splendid public elementary school graces the neighborhood, and for those with older offspring, the city's finest private schools lie just beyond the causeway, a mere hop, skip, and jump away.

Therapy-IV, a deep sea charter fishing boat in Miami Beach, is offering flexible options for those looking to explore the seas of South Florida. Whether you’re a first-time angler or a seasoned pro, Therapy-IV has a charter that’s perfect for you.

Celebrating the bicentennial of The War of 1812, thousands of sailors will descend on Fort Lauderdale for a week of R &R. Fleet boats will include the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima, guided missile cruiser UUS Normandy, guided missile destroyer USS Ross, the submarine USS Annapolis and a Coast Guard Cutter. Twenty-five hundred sailors total and millions of tourists will celebrate the event officially titled “Broward Navy Fleet Week”.

The Continental Group, a FirstService Residential Management company, received numerous recognitions at the Fourth Annual Florida Communities of Excellence Awards.

The Design and Architecture Senior High (DASH) 12th Annual Phantom Film Festival will continue its tradition of student cinematic excellence at The Historic Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts located at 174 East Flagler Street, Miami on May 12, 2012 at 7 P.M. Tickets are $10 pre-sale at the school, $10 at the door the night of the screening or available through Ticketmaster, ticketmaster.com.

The Continental Group (TCG), a FirstService Residential Management company, will host the “De-Mystifying Condo Insurance” expert panel seminar about insurance issues for Condo Associations in 2012; presented by FirstService Financial and Willis of Florida, for condominium board members and residents. Registration for the “De-Mystifying Condo Insurance” seminar will start at 6 p.m. and the panel discussion will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18th at the Bristol Tower located at 2127 Brickell Avenue, Miami, Florida.

The South Florida Interactive Marketing Association, the region’s top forum for interactive marketing professionals, will present its next monthly program entitled Combining Digital Media and Customer Interactions for ‘Connected CRM’ on Thursday, April 12, 2012, at 6:30pm at The Riverside Hotel, 620 Las Olas Blvd., in Fort Lauderdale. The event is free for SFIMA members with paid membership, $39 for non-members who register in advance and $49 for non-members at the door.

Fleet week which comes to Fort Lauderdale at the end of April means that sailors in the US Navy will be enjoying the sun for one week before returning to active duty. One official activity planned for that week is the “Take a Hero Fishing Tournament” which requested volunteer boats and captains to host this epic tournament. According to the flier, “Help make a difference in a Sailor's life by donating your time and boat for a half day of fishing!”

Should a wife let her husband handle all the finances, stop giving her opinion and have sex whenever he wants to so they can have a better relationship? Yes, according to Heart’s Desire International, who is hosting a free orientation brunch on April 21st to introduce The Sweet Surrender Workshop for Wives and Girlfriends, as well as a one-day workshop on April 14th how to Attract and Marry the Man Who’s Right for You. The organization bases its workshops, coaching and retreats on the work of New York Times best-selling author of “The Surrendered Wife” and “The Surrendered Single” Laura Doyle. Doyle will travel from Los Angeles to speak at these two events in South Florida.

A recent prediction from the National Association of Realtors shows a 7 to 10 percent jump in sales in 2012. This prediction is congruent with an uptick in real estate sales across the country over the first three months of 2012. According to NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, “The spring home buying season looks bright because of an elevated level of contract offers so far this year,” he said. “If activity is sustained near present levels, existing-home sales will see their best performance in five years. Based on all of the factors in the current market, that’s what we’re expecting with sales rising 7 to 10 percent in 2012”.

Time Magazine published an article recently titled, “Why Hotel Rates Spiked in February” on record increases in hotel rates across the country. Hotel rates hit a record number last month since the recession began which is a positive sign for the hotel industry as this is a direct response of increased occupancy. This is good news not just for hotels but hotel employees and other businesses in the hotel industry.

Veras Fitness is proud to announce the new 1,000 Pound Melt Down Challenge in Miami, Florida. This plan is designed to help Miami residents become strong, healthy and lean using the signature Veras Fitness Boot Camp workout program. It is the goal of Veras Fitness to help over 10,000 Miami residents experience the healthy lifestyle by 2020.

Concept II Cosmetics, a bath & beauty household name in over 40 countries, named “Manufacturer of the Year” by the South Florida Manufacturers Association (SFMA) in the 1-25 employee category during the 33rd Annual Recognition of Excellence Awards Banquet.

Teach English in China program offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to individuals and can get them placement in leading institutions for short term and long term positions.

Independent record label As I Am Records today announced the release of a new single, “99%,” from internationally acclaimed hip hop artist Absoloot. The single is part of his new four-track EP, “Our Way,” which is slated for release on March 23, 2012. The highly anticipated “Our Way” marks Absoloot’s third studio release since 2006.

The challenges faced by industry today are immense; a stalled economy, uncertain outlook and a market that doesn’t seem sure as to exactly what to expect next. For this reason, that which supplies a sense of security and dependability to companies across the nation is vital. In this way, commercial insurance products are being examined by firms with more scrutiny than ever before.

Howard R. Miller, President of Howard R. Miller Communications (HRMC) and Chairman of the Synergy Entertainment Group, has been appointed to the foundation Board of Directors of the City of Miami Arts and Entertainment Council.

The City of Miami Arts & Entertainment Council presents its second annual art competition “Paint Me Miami” and invites talented Miami artists, from art students, up and coming artists to art aficionados, to get inspired by the Miami urban scenes and landscapes.

World Trademark Review, the first and only definite guide exclusively dedicated to identifying the world’s leading trademark service providers, has ranked the law firm of Espinosa | Trueba, P.L. as one of the best trademark law firms in the world, and has named Board Certified Intellectual Property attorney Jorge Espinosa, one of the firm’s founding members, as a top trademark law attorney. For the second consecutive year, both were top ranked and praised for their substantial experience of trademark prosecution and licensing. Espinosa is one of only three attorneys in Florida to receive this distinction.

Dick Sandhaus, a healthy and fit 62-year old, says he never gave his balance a thought until he lost it.

Konie Cups, an internationally recognized manufacturer of disposable paper cups, announces the debut of their new conical paper cup, the Snow Konie.

The City of Aventura in conjunction with The Continental Group (TCG), a FirstService Residential Management company, are presenting the “Go Green Expo and Symposium” on Thursday, March 29th, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the City of Aventura Government Center located at 19200 West Country Club Drive.

Matrix Renovations, a hotel renovations company, announces its support for recent Asian American Hotel Owners Association’s (AAHOA) initiatives including the launching of free webinars, a new TV channel and ambitious legislative priorities. As a hotel renovations company, Matrix Renovations deals with many different hotels, owners and associations and has announced its approval for AAHOA and its initiatives.

netTALK.com, Inc. ("netTALK"; OTCBB: NTLK), a telecommunications and consumer electronics company, announced today that it has signed-on to help attendees of the International Home & Housewares (IHA) Show stay connected with the office, family, and friends from abroad, while attending the annual trade show. The event is vital to the global economy and is the world's premier housewares marketplace, featuring 2,000 exhibitors from 34 countries, and more than 20,000 buyers from over 100 countries around the world.

Travelpro is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the invention of Rollaboard by introducing a record number of new products at the 2012 Travel Goods Association Show from March 6 to 8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

A South Florida-based hotel renovations company, Matrix Renovations, has seen a recent surge in business on the heels of a recovering post-recession economy. This influx of work has contributed to the local job economies of multiple metropolitan areas including Miami, Detroit and Cincinnati. Specifically, their projects include renovating hotel lobbies, guest rooms, restaurants, gift shops and more.

It is always difficult to completely quantify the positive impact of large local events like the South Beach Wine and Food Festival (also known as the SOBE Wine and Food Festival. February is a particularly hot month for Miami Beach local events last weekend was the International Boat Show which drew record numbers of boat enthusiasts to South Beach. This weekend’s festival is likely to boost the local economy even further with the only downside to locals being bumper-to-bumper traffic because of the event’s popularity and island location.