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GAZETTE VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 20 OCTOBER 14, 2021
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WILTON MANORS
Pride Factory Storefront Moving to Wilton Manors By Kendall Little After two decades of business in Fort diverse population and attractions. Deak said that the new location would likely Lauderdale, fashion apparel store Pride Factory is relocating to Wilton Manors to be closer to accumulate more foot traffic as people walk its customer base. Store owners plan to open through the area. Pride Factory will be located in the Shoppes of Wilton Manors the new location later this year on Wilton Drive, which is home on Wilton Drive. to Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar Pride Factory specializes in and Hunters Nightclub. men’s swimwear, underwear, “I think moving will definitely and apparel that appeals to the help us see more walking traffic,” LGBT community. It opened in Deak said. the ‘90s and quickly became a Wilton Drive is also home to staple shopping experience for over 30 restaurants, clubs, and the LGBT community. stores, according to the Wilton The storefront has been in Manors website. Deak hopes business in Fort Lauderdale for that Pride Factory will be a 15 years, but owners made the welcomed new addition to the call to sign a long-term lease Wilton Manors community. in Wilton Manors to increase “We wanted to be closer to our business and be closer to its customers,” Deak said. “I hope clientele. that we are welcomed with open Moving to Wilton Manors arms.” felt like the best move for Pride Factory owners Pride Factory staff so when Vice President of Operations attempted to create an online their lease ran out in Fort shopping experience, but Lauderdale, they took the quickly learned that their customers preferred opportunity to relocate. “We’ve been looking at options for the last visiting in-person. Deak says that 90% of Pride year,” Lori Deak, vice president of operations, Factory income is from customers who stop by the store to shop. said. “We’ve been working on getting our website The U.S. Census named Wilton Manors the second gayest city in America in 2010 and the together but with the move, it’s been hard to city takes pride in the title every day with its find time,” Deak said.
“We wanted to be closer to our customers. I hope that we are welcomed with open arms.” - Lori Deak
Pride Factory’s previous location in Fort Lauderdale. Photo via Facebook.
The store’s Instagram account (@ pridefactory) has received over 2,500 followers since it was created in 2018. It primarily showcases the men’s swimwear that the store offers, but also highlights underwear and other products that are
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available in the shop. Deak mentioned that she does not have a lot of information about the move since the process has just begun, but that she would keep SFGN updated as Pride Factory makes its move to Wilton Manors.
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WILTON MANORS
OPINION
The Bridges Of Our Lives The mating habits of Northerners
2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305
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Sal Torre • James Oaksun
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complaining about paying their fair share of taxes and protecting their tax havens, but there it was in the morning paper. Other headlines telling of abortion bans in Texas, of states enacting laws that restrict voter access, of COVID conspiracy theories, increase in drug overdose deaths, and of growing poverty rates leaves me a bit bewildered. Where am I? It just doesn’t seem right, but unfortunately it is all too real. This sense of strangeness seems to have also penetrated local news. Recent collaboration by local groups to bring art into public spaces has been met with a bit of resistance by some in our city government. Granted, placing art in city parks needs to be vetted and not pose a safety hazard. However, the excuse that children might play on it as a reason not to install a particular sculpture seems a bit of a stretch. Children are going to play and interact with mostly anything. Just remember when we were kids playing in city parks. We climbed over statues, played in fountains, stuck our heads through openings in park sculpturesthat’s the nature of being a child. Using safety concerns as criteria pretty much excludes any art installation in a city park. Unfortunately in today’s litigious culture, we are forced to live in a society where excessive precautions are taken in most public spaces. Those of us who want to bring art into public spaces might just
have to look elsewhere and perhaps not blame city staff for having to make decisions based on such realities. Another local news story leaving me a bit off kilter was the announcement this week of the new Three Bridges Neighborhood Association of East Wilton Manors. What happened to the other neighborhood association already on the Eastside? Perhaps the new organization should be called Four Bridges, cause you might need to build another bridge to span the gap between the residents in that community. On a serious note, I understand the many years of frustration by Eastside residents who have been prevented from fully participating in the East Neighborhood Association due to the roadblocks of a select few individuals. Hopefully the community will take this as a wakeup call and come together more openly, to respect a difference of opinions from neighbors and work together. Here on the Westside, as President of the Westside Association of Wilton Manors, I welcome all to come to our meetings, to get involved, to voice your opinion and to volunteer serving on our board of directors. Please do it in a timely manner so that this soon to be 60-year-old can fade into the sunset knowing that current and newly energized leadership will keep the Westside Association moving ahead into the future, right along with our city, our Central Area Neighborhood Association and hopefully just one but possibly two of the Eastside neighborhood associations. This love and commitment by so many throughout our city is what makes life just better here…
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October 14, 2021 • Volume 8 • Issue 20
Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com
Each and every day we are born anew to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately at 60, it might take a bit longer to make that difference, but we can still do it!
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GAZETTE Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943
By Sal Torre This time of year, my calendar is full of birthday celebrations for many friends and family. October begins this birthday marathon with celebrations continuing straight through to New Year’s Eve. Seems like most of my family and close friends have birthdays that fall within this three-month time frame. Makes you wonder how people were staying warm during those cold winter nights back up north in January, February, and March many moons ago. My own birthday falls in the midst of this marathon in early December. I have never really been bothered by turning a particular age — 30, 40, 50 … but this year, it’s hitting me like a brick — 60!! A recent newspaper cartoon caught my eye and pretty much sums it all up to a tee. Picture two people walking down the block chatting with the caption reading, “40 might be the new 30 and fifty might be the new 40, but 60 is still 60!” I will spare you the drama of my personal journey coping with this milestone birthday. The end result for us all is that we are alive, which is a darn good reason to celebrate and enjoy every moment we have with loved ones, friends, and those around us. Each and every day we are born anew to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately at 60, it might take a bit longer to make that difference, but we can still do it! So let us move past me singing the birthday blues and let’s see what is happening here in our Island City and beyond our borders. News headlines continue to surprise me during my morning cup of coffee. It’s as if we woke up from a dream into a strange new world where everything is a bit off kilter. In a Wall Street Journal article this past week, the wealthy 1% were complaining about plans to strengthen the IRS, which was gutted under the previous administration. This is the same wealthy 1% that has seen their wealth and income grow at staggering rates but yet complain about poor folk getting government handouts. Never mind that the U.S. Treasury is losing billions in uncollected annual revenue from this unreported and hidden wealth. A strange world where such greed is so openly displayed by a wealthy few
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Sales Manager • Justin Wyse justin.wyse@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Associate • Edwin Neimann edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. MEMBER
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Wilton Drive at night. Photo credit: Brendon Lies.
NEWS
OAKLAND PARK
WILTON MANORS
COMMUNITY
Friends Keep Wilton Manors Library Open and Independent By John McDonald
Battalion Chief Monica Maldonado (center) with her EMS Educator of the Year plaque. She is flanked by Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Krivjanik (left) and Fire Marshall John Preston. Photo courtesy of the City of Oakland Park.
Oakland Park’s First Female Battalion Chief Gets Statewide Honor By Christiana Lilly Oakland Park Fire Rescue Battalion Chief resuscitations have increased. Maldonado and the team trained more than Monica Maldonado was honored by the Florida Department of Health with its EMS Educator of 500 pre-hospital and hospital professionals and more than 100 instructors in this the Year. The award was presented to her in Orlando technique. During the awards ceremony in Orlando, it was noticed that “it on Sept. 29, where she was has been noticed that no other applauded by her fellow fire previous award of a team has rescue colleagues. accomplished so much.” “It’s been an honor to be “I can’t even think of a better able to represent Oakland Park person to have recommended not only with our diversity, for this than Chief Maldonado, but also to help and improve and we stand here in support of our community,” Maldonado her and her award,” Fire Rescue told the Oakland Park City Chief Stephen Krivjanik told the Commission during its commission. “With special folks Wednesday meeting. “So being like this, I am blessed to have able to represent [us] for the them working in my command.” state of Florida was amazing Maldonado, who has Haitian, and to put OP on the map, it Lebanese and Puerto Rican was absolutely a humbling ancestry, became the city’s experience.” first female battalion chief in The award was given to her Oakland Park Fire Rescue October 2020. According to the and five other Resuscitation Battalion Chief nonprofit Women in Fire, that Academy team members who makes her one of just about were hand selected to travel throughout Florida to teach the “pit crew 150 women in the state who have the rank of technique” when conducting CPR on a patient. district chief, battalion chief, division chief or Not unlike a pit crew at a race track, each assistant chief. There are about 6,200 women person has a specific role; with this technique, working in fire rescue in Florida.
“... To put OP on the map, it was absolutely a humbling experience.”
- Monica Maldonado
Taking her children to the library is something Arlene Lancaster fondly recalls as a mother. “I took my kids when they were little to the library all the time for storytime,” said Lancaster, a retired school teacher who first moved to Wilton Manors in 1973. Decades later Lancaster remains involved as president of the Friends of the Wilton Manors Library. The private charitable corporation is composed of volunteers dedicated to keeping the library operational and independent. “We want to make sure we keep our little library in the city,” Lancaster said. “It’s one of the places a city should have.” Wilton Manors is one of five cities in Broward County with its own library — independent of the county’s system. The library, named in honor of Richard C. Sullivan, a generous benefactor, is known for its cozy personal feel where visitors are warmly recognized as opposed to treated like a number on a library card. “It’s like an old-fashioned general store where people meet to talk,” said Paul Kuta, who serves as vice president of the Friends of the Wilton Manors Library. The coronavirus pandemic, however, put a halt to those gatherings and health guidelines that require visitors to wear masks and keep physical distance remain in place. “We’re hoping pretty soon to get back to normal,” said Library Director Rick Sterling. Sterling has served as Library Director since 2004. The Library Division is under the Leisure Services Department. The division has three full-time and seven part-time employees with an annual budget of $777,952. It’s money well spent, said Sterling. “It’s what the people want,” Sterling said. “The library is emblematic of the pride in our community.” Past efforts to consolidate the library into the county system were met with fierce local resistance. The library was formed by an ancestor “Friends” organization in 1957 with the city taking control a year later. The Friends group, Sterling said, provides up to $15,000 annually in financial support by raising money through book sales and memberships. Kuta, a retired Pentagon budget officer, said the organization’s mission is two-fold — advocate for the capabilities of the library’s assets and supplement the city budget. Tech support is a top priority. The computers used by the public are provided by
Wilton Manors Library. Photo via Facebook.
the Friends of the Library. With its collection of books, magazines, newspapers and videos, the library carries a significant historical benefit, Kuta said. Lancaster agreed and said she anticipates more children will find their way to the library as the coronavirus pandemic subsides. “Our kids are coming back,” Lancaster said. “Some don’t think there are any families here, but I know there are families in the city.” A 2019 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau showed there were more than 800 people under the age of 18 living in Wilton Manors. Sterling said interest in children’s books has increased, an indicator of more homeschooling. Lancaster said additional parking near the library is needed, but upgrades come at a cost and money is tight after the facility was shuttered for more than a year due to the pandemic. This year’s budget is projecting a $3,000 increase in fines. “We encourage people to get their books back on time,” Sterling said. National Friends of the Library Week is celebrated Oct. 17-23. Memberships for the Friends of the Wilton Manors Library range from $10 to $40 for a Friends Patron to $100 for Benefactors.
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
WILTON MANORS
Hey, Holy Mackerel: I’m Sorry Holy Mackerel. Photo via Facebook.
If there was any doubt that social media sows discontent and division, media coverage of Facebook cleared that up for us this past week. An ex-Facebook employee came forward as a whistleblower, making a strong argument that Facebook knew its recommendation algorithm exacerbated divisiveness and would potentially elevate false content aka fake news. Sadly, Holy Mackerel learned firsthand just how quickly rumors can go viral and just how hard it can be to get the truth out there. For those that may not be aware of what happened to Holy Mackerel, let me provide a quick summary: During the pandemic, the restaurant received a booking request for a party of 30, which they could accommodate in a COVID-19 compliant way given the size of their restaurant. The individual booking the reservation said they were all going to be wearing Hawaiian shirts, as the group had been planning to go to Hawaii but their trip was canceled as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions. There was no mention of it being connected to any political party or hate group. Word spread to other Trump supporters, and a second individual called to book the venue a week later. Again, there was no mention or indication of the group’s intention. Ehab, the owner of Holy Mackerel, learned of the groups’ real purpose when he received a copy of a flyer advertising the two events. He was understandably horrified, and he immediately had both reservations canceled and told both parties they would be refused service. In a perfect world, that would have been the end of the story. Unfortunately, the Boogaloo group decided to show up anyway. After getting by the group of protesters gathered in the parking lot, the group entered the restaurant where they were immediately reminded that their reservation was canceled and asked to vacate the property. The group tried to linger but Holy Mackerel called in the Wilton Manors Police Department who escorted them off the property. There were numerous members of our community who were dining in at the restaurant that day who heard and saw Holy Mackerel’s proper handling of the situation. You might think, a year later, that
everyone would know the real story by now. Unfortunately, this past weekend, Holy Mackerel was once again attacked online for their supposed willingness to host Trump supporters associated with the Boogaloo movement. I came across a post online complimenting Holy Mackerel on their new menu and inviting fellow residents to check it out. It didn’t take long at all for people to chime in, attacking Holy Mackerel for being Trump supporters and liars. Thankfully, a few informed residents joined me in correcting the facts. I am immensely grateful to those residents who did the right thing: putting their own names and reputations on the line to stand up for Holy Mackerel. I completely understand how so many people quickly came to believe the stories that circulated on social media. Word spread so fast in so many places, there was nothing the staff at Holy Mackerel could do to respond to it all. Knowing this, I want to publicly apologize to Ehab and his entire team as I recognized I failed to act when I could have slowed the story before it got out of control. As a political candidate when the story broke, I immediately just knew that something didn’t make sense. I had booked a half dozen fundraisers or gatherings at venues for my own campaign, and not a single restaurant asked me the purpose (or political affiliation) of my party. In my heart, I felt confident that Holy Mackerel was like every other restaurant — grateful for any business they could accept during the pandemic and not in the practice of asking the political views of their patrons. While I had not personally posted
The group tried to linger but Holy Mackerel called in the Wilton Manors Police Department who escorted them off the property.
anything about Holy Mackerel, I regret that I did not proactively try to correct the facts. I could have and should have shared my own experience booking these sorts of events in order to bring perspective to the story. Earlier this week, I personally apologized to Ehab. He responded as he always has when we’ve discussed the matter: by reiterating how excited he is to be a part of the Wilton Manors community and how optimistic he is we can put this all past us. Ehab clearly holds no grudge or resentment over what happened, instead, his love for what he
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— Chris Caputo
WILTON MANORS CITY COMMISSIONER
Chris Caputo is City Commissioner in Wilton Manors and can be reached via email at ccaputo@wiltonmanors.com or by text at 954.557.2801.
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does, his staff, and our community shines through. Having seen my fellow residents defend Holy Mackerel this past weekend, I am confident that our community is eager to put this behind us as well. Next time an individual or organization in our community is being attacked on social media, I will certainly do my part to try and get all the facts before speaking, and I’m confident others will as well.
OCTOBER 14, 2021
NEWS
WILTON MANORS
Wilton Manors City Hall. Photo credit: Carina Mask.
Wilton Manors Creates Historical Preservation Board By John McDonald Wilton Manors Commissioners gave the go ahead to form a new city board to preserve historic properties. The ordinance, approved at Tuesday night’s regular commission meeting, creates a Historical Preservation Board composed of at least five members who will designate and review properties under the criteria set forth by the National Register. Other notes from the meeting: Vice Mayor Paul Rolli conducted the meeting as Mayor Scott Newton was out of town. Commissioners passed a new charitable donation policy. The commission observed a moment of silence in memory of realtor Pat Burnside, city employee Bria Parker and former assistant community development services director Ann Barnes. Proclamations were issued to the Fort Lauderdale Community Emergency Response Team and longtime city activist Paul Kuta, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday. Broward County Property Appraiser Marty
Kiar gave an in-person presentation focusing primarily on exemptions, fraud investigations and property values. Title fraud and fake deeds, Kiar said, have become a big problem. “South Florida is the title fraud capital of the world,” he said. Randall Luechauer, manager of Broward County’s Tourist Development Tax Division, gave a remote presentation centered around vacation and short-term rentals. Luechauer said Wilton Manors had generated $696,478 in revenue for the Tourist Development Council with one month left in the fiscal year. The money comes from a 6% tax on short-term rentals. City Manager Leigh Ann Henderson noted city hall will be lighted in pink this month in recognition of breast cancer awareness. Police Chief Gary Blocker warned of spoofing and phishing scams in the form of unsolicited text messages or emails. Blocker also reported a significant decrease in pickpocketing crimes at bars and nightclubs. The meeting lasted 1 hour and 14 minutes. There were no public comments.
City Manager Leigh Ann Henderson noted city hall will be lighted in pink this month in recognition of breast cancer awareness.
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