See if you know the correct answer to today’s brainteaser; also know as, “our-research-department-has-too-much-spare-time.”

Question: What (or who) is Cherokee Park?

1. A legendary power forward for Duke basketball (’91-95) who was a first round NBA draft pick by Dallas in 1995.
2. A 400-acre city park in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as the name of parks in cities and towns across America.
3. A residential area in Madison, Wisconsin, primed for timeshare development.

Answer: All of the above, if you allow Cherokee Parks (the person) to add the “s” to his name.

College basketball fans, will no doubt remember Duke’s somewhat bohemian, power forward, Cherokee Parks. Or perhaps you caught this shaggy-haired, tattooed California boy during his playing days with the Mavericks, the Timberwolves, or one of the half-dozen other NBA teams for whom he played between 1995 and the 2004 playing season.

And if you grew up in central Kentucky or southern Indiana, you most likely have spent a few pleasurable days picnicking, chasing Frisbees, or enjoying an outdoor concert in Louisville’s beautiful Cherokee Park. Even if you haven’t, it is such a common name, you have probably visited a Cherokee Park in some city in the United States.

But if you are familiar with the lovely wooded neighborhood on Madison, Wisconsin’s north side, known as the Cherokee Park Development, you already know that the area includes a golf course, country club, condominiums, townhouses, and single-family dwellings. Moreover, golf pro and developer Dennis Tiziani and other partners are working on plans to add retail shops, timeshares, and additional recreational facilities. 

Tiziani has been named by Golf Digest to the list of Best Golf Instructors in Wisconsin in numerous years and was formerly the golf coach at the University of Wisconsin. He has long been involved in the growth and development of the Cherokee Park area.

The January 17, 2006 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal reported, “…City officials are pleased that a master plan with an emphasis on preserving open space is being prepared for the area, (Cherokee Lake and Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park) which has been under development for about four decades.”

The State Journal quoted City Planning Unit Director Brad Murphy as endorsing the project with this comment, “We view this as a very positive step,” and added that the towns of Burke and Westport’s involvement will be needed to complete the effort.

New website helps to coordinate search and rescue efforts

Here’s an update on last week’s post about the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse, a 24-year-old Orlando woman employed by Westgate Resorts.

Police released two photos taken by a surveillance camera on the day of Jennifer’s disappearance. Police are asking for help identifying the person in these photos. Visit http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_orlandocrime/2006/02/police_want_to_.html for more information.

Family and friends of the missing woman have created a website to help with search and rescue efforts. Please visit this site at http://www.jenniferkesse.com.

See Also

• Orlando Sentinel News Blog – Jennifer Kesse
  Police want to speak with the person in these surveillance photos
• Jennifer Kesse
  Website created by Jennifer’s friends and family to help find her.

Tiny Bahrain must put in place legislation to regulate timeshare sales, because the scams have already begun.

East of Saudi Arabia, in the Persian Gulf, lies the archipelago of Bahrain. This semi-arid country, with 161 kilometers (100+ miles) of coastline, draws 60% of its national income from petroleum and petroleum related products, but like so many countries in the Middle East, Bahrain is seeking to increase tourism as it looks toward a time of reduced dependence on the oil market.

In 2004, Bahrain signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, the first agreement of this type between the US and a Persian Gulf state. And as we in the timeshare industry have seen, when the door is opened for commercial relations between the US and any country, development of timeshares can’t be very far behind.

While there are presently no timeshare properties in Bahrain, timeshare hustlers have already made their presence know. According to a January 28, 2006, article in the Gulf Daily News, a leading periodical published in Manama, Bahrain, “A new law regulating the sale of timeshare properties in Bahrain has been proposed…The move follows some alleged incidents by Bahrainis who purchased properties that did not exist…The MPs (Members of Parliament) want clear rules which would prevent such incidents from occurring in the future and which would clearly regulate all contracts.”

Good for them. The Bahrainis have put out the welcome mat for timeshare developers in their country, but are making the smart move of putting laws in place to regulate it even before the first developer has broken ground.

Keep your eye on Bahrain. The United Nations World Tourism Organization reports that tourism in Bahrain increased by 11% to 4.8 million visitors in the first nine months of 2005, with most of the visitors coming from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, the United Kingdom, the US, and Ireland.

Central Florida Police continue an all-out search for clues to the disappearance of Westgate employee.

Jennifer Kesse is a 24-year-old financial analyst for CFI Investments (Westgate Resorts) in Ocoee, (Orlando) Florida. She has been missing since January 23, 2006 when she failed to report to work. Authorities in Orlando continue an all-out search, and have classified this as a missing and endangered person case.

On January 27, law enforcement officials reported finding her car parked about a mile from her home, the last place she was known to be before heading to work on Tuesday morning. A spokesperson for the Orlando Police Department declined to comment on what evidence the car revealed.

An anonymous donor is now offering a $115,000 reward for information leading to Jennifer’s safe return. If you know anything that could be of help in finding Jennifer, please call 1-800-423-TIPS. We join her friends, family, and her extended family at Westgate in our prayers for her safe return.