Dole's fresh flowers unit to be based in Miami

Dole Food Co. has opened a new headquarters in Miami for its fresh flowers subsidiary. The 328,000-square-foot facility will house processing, warehousing, shipping and corporate offices for Dole Fresh Flowers. The new facility, on 17 acres in Miami's International Corporate Park, also will feature a large rose garden, merchandising room and a tech- nical laboratory. Dole's entry into the floral business was created with the acquisition of several floral businesses. The new facility was built to accommodate the merger of those businesses into Dole, the firm said.

Junior Achievement seeks Job Shadow participants

Junior Achievement is looking for enthusiastic employers and professionals who are willing to spend two to three hours with one or two students who want to learn about different careers. Its fifth annual Groundhog Job Shadow Day is Feb. 1.

The mentoring activity prepares students for the world of work by making the connection between the skills they are learning in the classroom and the reality of the workplace, according to Junior Achievement.

Many mentors already have signed up, but the organization is still looking to match students interested in becoming: an animation artist, a biomedical researcher, a corrections officer, a forensic file detective, an oceanographer, a private investigator and a physical education teacher. It also is looking for mentors in the areas of movie and film production, and fashion design. Volunteers need to sign up by Friday to receive training. Mentors are encouraged to go about their normal duties with their young charges on hand. Students are required to dress appropriately for business. To volunteer, or for more information, call Tanya Goodwin-Maslach at 544-1777, ext. 11, or e-mail jobshadow@jahawaii.com.

Microsoft's plan to settle class suits rejected

Baltimore >> Microsoft Corp.'s plan to settle class-action lawsuits by giving public schools in poor neighborhoods $1 billion worth of computers was rejected by a judge who said it would help the No. 1 software company dominate the education market.

The decision by U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz to deny preliminary approval forces Microsoft to defend or find new ways to settle dozens of class-action lawsuits accusing it of using its Windows monopoly to overcharge customers for software. Motz concluded that the settlement would favor the installation of personal computers powered by Microsoft's Windows operating system over Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintosh computers in one of the few software markets where the software giant faced rigorous competition.

"To put it bluntly in the words of the opponents of the proposed settlement, the donation of free software could be viewed as constituting 'court-approved predatory pricing,"' Motz said in a 22-page opinion.

Still, Motz rejected arguments by opponents -- lawyers representing California class-action plaintiffs and the attorneys general of Minnesota and Massachusetts -- that he lacks authority to impose a settlement on dozens of cases in state courts. If Microsoft and plaintiffs reach an otherwise acceptable settlement, Motz said he has authority to put it into effect.