Sour grapes drench Southwest Florida: If Meritage were a wine varietal, the taste would be pretty sour.Politician makes both sides happy: Keith Fitzgerald has only been a state legislator for one session, but the Democrat who doubles as a political science professor at Sarasota-based New College is making friends in some surprising places.Chico's Chairman to the rescue: Michael Weiss, the chairman of Chico's FAS, is coming to the rescue.Jabil Circuit stock rises on rumors: On Tuesday, July 10, shares of Jabil Circuit surged 5.3%, or $1.17, to $23.39, amid speculation that a private-equity firm was interested in the company.Homebuilder parties like it's 2003: Lakewood Ranch-based homebuilder Pat Neal is one of several Gulf Coast executives who have been saying for a few months that the cyclical real estate market is showing signs of beginning to make a positive turn in the cycle.Fighting the hometown scam: Florida Chamber of Commerce executives are fanning across the state to push a new Web site to fight the Hometown Democracy movement, www.thehometownscam.com.Entrepreneur finally gives up on convention center: Oscar Parsons, the crotchety 85-year-old entrepreneur who has spent the past five years trying to make a go out of a privately owned convention center - think using a garden hose to extinguish a raging warehouse fire - is finally admitting defeat.
