Business

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce will be very involved in the fundraising efforts at Mother Music Fest on May 8.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The Ocean Center has many exciting events on the calendar in early 2010, including the Lipizzaner Stallions Jan. 2, Harlem Globetrotters Feb. 23 and Jeff Dunham’s “Identity Crisis Tour 2010” March 17. Buy tickets at the Ocean Center box office or through Ticketmaster(800-745-3000) today.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport increased 12 percent in November 2009 compared with November 2008. The traffic increased from 29,300 to 32,853 passengers.

November’s traffic increase reflects the first month of passenger growth since June 2008, and may be an indicator of increased demand for commercial air transportation in the new year, according to airport officials.

Additionally, passenger loads were strong in November. Delta Air Lines filled 92 percent of available seats and US Airways filled 84 percent.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Are we going to climb out of this recession anytime soon? Not anytime soon, judging by local and national unemployment figures.

Though the national jobless rate dipped slightly from 9.4 percent in July from the 9.4 percent in June, according to Department of Labor Statistics reported by CNN with 247,000 net jobs lost, locally in Volusia and Flagler counties, July's jobless rate was 11.7 percent. That's almost double June's 6.8 percent and closer to May's 11.7 percent, according to Florida's Agency for Workforce Innovation.

FAST FACTS:
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June 1-17

New Smyrna Beach:

# KB Home Gold Coast LLC, 521 Aeolian Drive, single-family, $303,007.

# KB Homes, 537 Aeolian Drive, single-family, $303,007.

# Old Smyrna Land Co. LLC, 2665 Old Smyrna Circle, single-family, $284,763.

# John L. and Cheri D. Bennett, 650 Hidden Pines Blvd., single-family, $297,013.

# KB Homes, 536 Aeolian Drive, single-family, $189,277.

# Phyllis A. and James Le Tennyson, 545 Josie St., single-family, $129,655.

June 1-5

Edgewater:

# Terrance and Yvonne Cornelis to Delwyn F. and Vicki L. Cummings, Unit 8, part of lot 7, block 1, Riveredge Acres, $227,500.

# Daniel F. Ruth Sr. to Joshua P. and Anne M. Faucher, lot 25, part of lot 24, block I, Pelican Cove West, $142,000.

# Carl Avan and Sherry Alissa Mayo to Kevin and Linda Costain, lots 3877-3878, block 108, Florida Shores, Unit 5, $130,000.

# Glen and Denise Paternoster to Scott L. and Ruth A. Strayer Sr., lot 129, Coral Trace, $127,500.

New Smyrna Beach:

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mayor Sally Mackay congratulated Mullinax Ford Mercury during Tuesday night's City Commission meeting for its "2008 President's Award" as among the top Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealerships in the country.

"This is great for New Smyrna Beach," the mayor said, "We really appreciate our businesses."

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Resort tax collections in March declined 7.1 percent over the same period last year in greater New Smyrna Beach, even with Bike Week, though the downward trend was less severe than in Daytona Beach and other areas of Volusia County.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Total passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport (DBIA) decreased 34 percent in November 2008 compared with he same month a year earlier, said Vickie Pleus, a Volusia County spokeswoman.

During November, 29,300 passengers arrived and departed through DBIA, compared with 44,622 in November 2007. For the 12-month period ending Nov. 30, 608,912 passengers traveled through the county-operated airport, compared with 704,786 recorded during the prior 12-month period and representing a 14-percent decrease.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is now under $2 a gallon at most stations in Southeast Volusia, cheaper than a gallon of milk or a pack of cigarettes.

Still, motor vehicles aren't lining up at the pumps.

April Brown had the pumps all to herself this afternoon when she filled her Mercury Grand Marquis for $40. Back in July, that same tank fill-up would have cost her $80 when a gallon of unleaded gasoline was more than $5.

"These prices are reasonable now," the 39-year-old New Smyrna Beach resident said. "They are very beneficial. I can now go more places like Deltona and work another job."

Though gas prices are down, other necessary commodities such as bread and milk are not.