Florida Diver Finds Millions in Sunken Treasure

People have always had pipe dreams and desires about sunken treasure and finding it. The thoughts of pirates burying their loot have been played out in literature, movies, and fantasies for centuries. While it might not seem like it, Florida is actually one of those perfect spots for treasure hunting and it’s been paying off. This has been quite the month for Florida and the treasure hunters who dive its coasts in the search of ancient artifacts that can be sold for lots of money. Under a month ago, it was announced that the Schmitt family had found treasure that is worth $1 million. And now, a man named Brent Brisben has announced that he has found sunken treasure that is worth $4.5 million.

The S/V Capitana crew of Dan Beckingham, Jonah Martinez, William Bartlett and Brent Brisben show the treasure (Photo: 1715 Fleet/Queens Jewels LLC)

So why is Florida such a hot spot for sunken treasure with massive payoffs? Florida used to be owned by the Spanish Empire during the height of its power. The Spanish used to send massive treasure fleets to all of their colonial holdings to pick up gold, silver, and the various spices and other luxury goods the colonies produced before traversing the globe to Spain itself. Due to the dangerous nature of ocean travel at the time, many of these treasure ships were lost off the coast of Florida, leading to a literal wealth of treasure that is up for the finding.

Brisben and his crew just happened to come across one of those wrecked ships and it has paid off. They found over 300 coins that have a combined value of around $4.5 million, a massive haul for such a small find. The coins are linked to a treasure fleet of 11 Spanish ships that had left Havana for Spain before being sunk on July 24th, 1715 with all hands lost — over 1,000 people died. Brisben owns the exclusive salvage rights to the ships that sunk during the 1715 hurricane but even he didn’t expect a haul like this. Luckily for him, he was also part of the earlier Schmitt haul (they had contracted his company), leading to the possibility that the ships he has salvage rights for having even more treasure waiting to be found.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

from Bryan Lockley’s General Site http://ift.tt/1JqRJvo

Glorya Kaufman School of Dance Adds a New Dimension to Arts in Los Angeles by BRIAN SEIBERT

By BRIAN SEIBERT

Classes began last week, and the 55,000-square-foot center at the University of Southern California will open next year.

Published: August 29, 2015 at 08:00PM

from NYT Arts http://ift.tt/1IgHhmj

Oh Squat

The Upper West Side for a Lifestyle Change by JOYCE COHEN

By JOYCE COHEN

Gail Reiken Tuzman went looking for a one-bedroom to rent on the Upper West Side.

Published: August 22, 2015 at 08:00PM

from NYT Real Estate http://ift.tt/1UUww24

Paid Notice: Deaths MURRAY, SUE by Unknown Author

By Unknown Author

MURRAY–Sue. Age 76 of Wayzata, MN and Naples, FL, passed away August 7, 2015. Preceded in death by her mother, Helen Laird, and her sister, Nancy Sweeney. Sue was born May 2, 1939 in Elizabeth, New Jersey and grew up in Point Pleasant where she…

Published: August 11, 2015 at 08:00PM

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Florida Expects More European Tourists

Florida’s tourist economy is doing quite well for itself. The industry is worth $25 billion continues to rise as tourists from around the world decide that Miami is more worth their time and money when compared to other, more traditional destinations. So what has lead to this most recent tourism boom and why are hordes of Europeans deciding that Miami is more worth their time than other places? The answer is complicated and has a lot to do with the current state of global affairs, both political and economical. With Miami is one of the few places in the world that has an international tourist population that makes up literally half of all visitors a year, these sorts of events are vital to its success.

So where do the Europeans who are now going to Miami usually vacation? Two of the most popular tourist destinations for Europeans are Greece and Tunisia, both of which are undergoing the sort of chaos that will drive tourists away very quickly. Both Greece and Tunisia are close enough to mainland Europe and have weak enough economies that they were prime vacation spots for Europeans in the past. Both are exotic locales with different cultures, centuries of impressive history, and lax and liberal attitudes towards foreigners coming in and having a good time.

However the Greek economic troubles are leading Europeans to fear future political instability and the recent terrorist attacks in Tunisia are forcing Europeans to look at different countries and cities to get away to. Miami has consistently been at the top of the list and now, it seems to be moving higher as people both want to visit the United States as well as enjoy some truly world class beaches in a world class city. While the recent instability in parts of the world that were traditionally tourist speaks to the increased interest in Miami vacations, it should be noted that it isn’t the only cause. Foreign tourism to Miami has been steadily rising over the past few years and seems like it’s going to continue to do so. With beaches, nightlife, food, and culture to rival (if not top) most other major hubs in the United States, Miami seems like the place to be taking your next vacation to.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

from Bryan Lockley’s General Site http://ift.tt/1JcPlFd

Paid Notice: Deaths MURRAY, SUE by Unknown Author

By Unknown Author

MURRAY–Sue. Age 76 of Wayzata, MN and Naples, FL, passed away August 7, 2015. Preceded in death by her mother, Helen Laird, and her sister, Nancy Sweeney. Sue was born May 2, 1939 in Elizabeth, New Jersey and grew up in Point Pleasant where she…

Published: August 11, 2015 at 03:57PM

from NYT Paid Death Notices http://ift.tt/1N2uZWg

Indonesian Court Rejects Sex Abuse Suit Against International School by JOE COCHRANE

By JOE COCHRANE

The plaintiffs had claimed that janitors and educators repeatedly abused a 6-year-old boy at a prestigious private school popular with expatriates.

Published: August 10, 2015 at 08:00PM

from NYT World http://ift.tt/1KZ41vB

‘Body’ Report Cards Aren’t Influencing Arkansas Teenagers by JAN HOFFMAN

By JAN HOFFMAN

A study raises questions about the effectiveness of the body mass index letters that the state started sending home more than a decade ago.

Published: August 10, 2015 at 01:45AM

from NYT Health http://ift.tt/1gWKv95

Teacher Shortages Spur a Nationwide Hiring Scramble (Credentials Optional) by MOTOKO RICH

By MOTOKO RICH

Just a few years after the recession caused widespread layoffs for teachers, school districts now find themselves with numerous job vacancies and few qualified candidates to choose from.

Published: August 9, 2015 at 08:00PM

from NYT U.S. http://ift.tt/1MVcDq3