QUOTE:
Our recession may fester like a stubborn flu, but here are 20 reasons for praise in these difficult times. Congratulations, with thanks, go to:


20. Charles Rehwinkel, who represents consumers in utility issues for the state Office of Public Counsel, for arguing a recession is the wrong time to give Progress Energy Florida a $500 million rate increase.

19. Tim Tangredi, CEO of filter maker Dais Analytic Corp. in Odessa, for cutting a deal with a Chinese firm that could bump Dais' employment from 18 now to nearly 1,000 in the years ahead. Booyah!

18. Joseph House, chairman of the advisory board for Tampa's Beck Group, for receiving this year's Tampa Bay Ethics Award from the University of Tampa Center for Ethics.

17. Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe, the Tampa Bay Partnership and others for publicly backing regional mass transit when naysayers are so in vogue.

16. First National Bank of Pasco County and Valrico State Bank, for being the two area banks to earn top "5-star" rankings for financial health in a rough economy.

15. Innisbrook Leadership Institute — created by Innisbrook Resort, USF and ActionCOACH — for offering corporate leadership skill-building.

14. Seven Tampa Bay businesses, for making the Inc. 500 annual list of fastest-growing private companies.

13. Tony Little, the unstoppable infomercial veteran of St. Petersburg, for his soon-to-be published book, There's Always A Way.

12. Clearwater airplane parts maker Aerosonic Corp., for rebounding from a fire and last year's treacherously low 24-cent share price to today's stock topping $4.60.

11. Verizon, for admitting its service is poor and publicly committing to improve. (If they don't, call them on it.)

10. Rhea Law, CEO of the Fowler White Boggs law firm, for receiving the 2009 Woman of the Year award from the Tampa Bay Business and Professional Women group.

9. Tampa company Inner Four, for its Mirror Free joke app (with a blank screen and a frame) becoming such a quirky hit on Apple iPhones.

8. Carl Kuttler, forever-president of St. Petersburg College, for concluding the kind of career of growth and expansion that legends are made of.

7. Wayne Garcia, for his wit and wisdom as Creative Loafing political editor and firebrand author of the alt paper's Political Whore column — until the bankrupt paper changed owners.

6. Draper Lab, the MIT spinoff, for expanding cutting-edge nanotechnology operations to both USF Tampa and St. Petersburg.

5. Tampa Bay homes prices, for rising 1.4 percent in July from June. Is it sustainable?

4. Hyundai of New Port Richey, for selling more new vehicles in August than any other bay area auto dealer.

3. BB&T, for buying Alabama's failed Colonial Bank from the FDIC and thus removing another big zombie bank from the Florida market.

2. Two retail newcomers, electronics retailer HHGregg for opening five area stores, and the Aldi food chain for plans to nearly double to about 20 area stores in the next few years.

1. FSU, for letting USF handily beat the higher-ranked football team, thus giving hungry USF yet another means to raise its state university profile — and Tampa Bay's.