WMG Volume 7 • Issue 9 April 16, 2020
Wilton Manors Gazette FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/WMGAZETTE
COMMUNITY
34 Cases of COVID-19 in Wilton Manors, 39 in Oakland Park By Jason Parsley According to the Florida Department protective masks and/or gloves and of Health at least 34 people have tested keeping appropriate social distance,” she positive for the coronavirus in Wilton said. “These actions will help the Island Manors as of Sunday. That’s up from 31 City flatten the curve.” In order to help mitigate the impact of a week ago and 23 two weeks ago. While Wilton Manors saw only three new cases the shutdown Carson said the city has this week Oakland Park surged to 39, up cancelled code enforcement fine accruals; parking fees in metered lots have been from 29 last week. suspended, and online As of Sunday, 2,865 have convenience fees have tested positive in Broward been waived. She also said County up from 1,886 a there will be no utility week ago. shutoffs. “During this crisis, The numbers in the City is continuing parenthesis are from last to provide essential week. Looking at the four services, and most individual zip codes that City staff members include some portion of are working remotely. Wilton Manors 33305 has Police are patrolling the 19 (14) cases; 33306 has neighborhoods, and the five (no change); 33334 has Community Services 45 (34), and 33311, which Department is facilitating includes a portion of Fort necessary building permits - Julie Carson Lauderdale has 178 (137). and property inspections WILTON MANORS All of the zip codes include electronically, where COMMISSIONER portions of neighboring possible,” Wilton Manors cities. commissioner Julie Carson In comparison to Wilton Manors told SFGN last week. “Residents are hunkered down for the next phase of this there have been 653 (442) cases in Fort pandemic, leaving homes only to walk Lauderdale, and 39 (29) in Oakland Park. the dog or make a trip to the grocery or Meanwhile there are 19,895 (12,350) confirmed cases in Florida, more than pharmacy.” Carson said she believes the city’s 560,000 (350,000), and globally more residents are taking the pandemic than 1.8 million (1.3). So far there have been 461 (221) deaths in Florida, 22,100 seriously. “Most are responsibly wearing (10,300) in the U.S. and globally more
“DURING THIS CRISIS, THE CITY IS CONTINUING TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES, AND MOST CITY STAFF MEMBERS ARE WORKING REMOTELY."
Few are outside right now on Wilton Drive. Photo credit: Carina Mask. than 116,000 (72,600). Florida is now under a stay-at-home order and in Broward only essential businesses are allowed to operate. Additionally this week Broward County issued an order mandating the use of face coverings when visiting essential businesses for services, or
are providing essential services during inperson interactions with the public. Carson also encouraged those that have the ability to donate money to give to the GoFundMe account set up to assist the employees of Wilton Manors businesses. So far it has raised $3,400. WMG
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OPINION
We Are Wilton GoFundMe launched for servers and bartenders in Wilton Manors By Sallie James A Wilton Manors based non-profit is raising money to provide financial help for bartenders and servers who lost their jobs when COVID-19 forced the closure of restaurants and bars. “We are trying to assist the employees of Wilton Manors businesses who have now found themselves unemployed,” said Toni Taha, marketing coordinator for the Wilton Manors Entertainment Group (WMEG), which provides resources, guidance, and continuity for city-sponsored cultural, social, and educational events. Earlier this month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed all restaurants and food establishments in Florida to suspend all dine-in food and beverage consumption for customers, but is allowing restaurants to operate for take-out and delivery orders amid the coronavirus pandemic. The directive put legions of workers in the service industry out of work. Approximately 30% of the city’s workforce, or more than 7,300 workers, relied on tips for more than half their income, Taha said. Bars and restaurants line Wilton Drive from Dixie Highway to 19th Street with more scattered throughout the city. He is hoping the online fundraiser will help some of the struggling wait staff. “It’s great that people are stepping up to try to find ways we can all help and support each other. Everyone wants the government to fix the problems, but we are not incapable ourselves. We have plenty of resources,” said Julietta Wenzel, president of Wilton Manors Business Association (WMBA), which has a membership of about 200. WMBA is running the fundraiser along with WMEG. “When we come out on the other side of this everyone is going to want these businesses to be there for them. The only way we can do this is to step up and help them survive,” Wenzel said. Mike Connell, owner of the Pub, said any
Photo via GoFundMe.
WMG April 16, 2020 • Volume 7 • Issue 9 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943
Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com Chief Executive Officer • Pier Angelo Guidugli piero@sfgn.com Associate publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com Copyeditor • Kimberly Swan
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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
assistance is good news. Connell, who bought the landmark bar at 2283 Wilton Drive two and a half years ago with co-owner Alex Sadeghi, had to lay off about 38 bartenders and servers. The bar’s closure also put about 20 drag queen performers out of work as well. And although his business is open for takeout, the amount of money he’s been bringing in barely covers the salary of a cook. “It’s very, very tough for people in our industry right now. That is their livelihood and most people live paycheck to paycheck, which makes it even harder,” Connell said. Connell said he will be promoting the WeAreWilton initiative on his website in hopes that more people will donate to the cause. Interested in helping out? Go to WeAreWilton.Love and click on the donate button to begin the process. The fundraiser
INTERESTED IN HELPING OUT?
GO TO WEAREWILTON.LOVE AND CLICK ON THE DONATE BUTTON TO BEGIN THE PROCESS.
is powered by the crowdfunding site GoFundMe so if at any time a donor cannot access the website’s donation link, they can go directly to the donation page itself by searching gofundme.com/f/we-are-wilton. All donations are 100% tax deductible. The fund has raised $3,800 to date, with a long-term goal of $200,000. The fundraising site WeAreWilton.Love urges donors to “help support the employees that make up the Wilton Manors experience and remind us why ‘Life’s Just Better Here.’” It notes that “workers in resorts, bars and restaurants that rely heavily on tips need your help to replace lost wages.” To apply for assistance, laid-off workers must complete a short application, that asks where in Wilton Manors they were employed, how long they worked there and if they are currently employed. The online application also requests that applicants upload a pay stub and provide bank account information needed for direct deposit. For now, organizers are just hoping people will contribute. “We want to get as much as we can to help,” Taha said. WMG
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A male brown anole. Photo credit: Web Crawley, Wikipedia.
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April 16, 2020
NEWS
COMMUNITY
Facebook Group Launches to Help Those in Need in Wilton Manors By Sallie James
Wilton Manors City Hall. Photo credit: Carina Mask.
Wilton Manors Distributes Unemployment Applications at City Hall By Christiana Lilly The City of Wilton Manors now has a dispenser for the public to retrieve unemployment applications outside of Commission Chambers. The announcement was made Wednesday and the applications are available in English, Spanish and Creole. “Many businesses and their employees in Wilton Manors have been devastated by the required closings due to COVID-19,” said Wilton Manors Assistant City Manager Pamela Landi. “We heard about the frustration in other communities in attempting to get a copy of the required form, and believed this simple gesture would be appropriate.” The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has come under fire for its faulty website as droves of newly unemployed Floridians attempt to file for unemployment benefits as a result
of COVID-19. It has been so glitchy, the state introduced paper applications that can be mailed in. However, for those without a printer, this only added another challenge. In Hialeah, an application distribution site at a library got out of hand as hundreds of people lined up to get an application, not practicing social distancing. Landi said that staff have been keeping an eye on the dispenser and so far “have not observed any violations.” The DEO rolled out a new website, floridajobs.org/ raapplication, with the promise that it is more user friendly. For those who prefer to use the paper application and have access to a printer, it can be accessed online. According to the city of Wilton Manors, participating FedEx locations will mail the completed forms at no charge. WMG
ACCORDING TO THE CITY OF WILTON MANORS, PARTICIPATING FEDEX LOCATIONS WILL MAIL THE COMPLETED FORMS AT NO CHARGE.
Need help walking your dog, picking up prescriptions or doing the grocery shopping because you’re not feeling well? A new Facebook group that targets the LGBT community in Wilton Manors has been created to direct help to those who need it during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Wilton Manors COVID-19 Mutual Aid” went live on March 30 to help people who are sick in isolation and need assistance, said site administrator Omar Sanabria, a former Wilton Manors resident who created the group. “The idea was to really involve the community. Luckily we have not been engulfed by the coronavirus like New York City or Miami. This is a great time to get the word out there and really network so we can just help people,” Sanabria said. “We are hoping to increase the members.” The Facebook group had 30 members shortly after its launch on March 30 and continues to grow. Volunteers who can provide help do not have to reside in Wilton Manors. The Wilton Manors COVID-19 Mutual Aid Facebook group is described as a “group where people in Wilton Manors can ask for help if they are sick or in isolation. Where people who are well and willing to help can offer. Because we can all help each other.” Here’s how it works: A person in need goes to the group and basically states what type of assistance they are seeking. Then Sanabria, the group’s moderator, finds someone in the group who can help. “Things like shopping for others, cooking food, food delivery, walking a dog or simply just a friendly phone call,” Sanabria explained. “When people are isolated we are going to experience a lot of depression and anxiety.” The site also includes a printable PDF that people can pass out in their neighborhoods, with detailed information about the Facebook group, how to join and what sort of networking assistance it can offer. The PDF includes a list of coronavirus symptoms, suggestions on when to call your doctor, when to isolate yourself, and tips on how to
Photo via Pxfuel.
avoid spreading the coronavirus. One resident posted, “Love this! I’m able to help walk dogs, pick up prescriptions or help with grocery shopping for those in need.” Sanabria said that’s what the site is all about. “We have two purposes: For people that need help and for people who are willing to support those who are asking for help,” Sanabria said. “I will make sure we see through the requests and that someone in the community is helping that person.” He added, “You are basically matching the needs to local residents with the support of the community. This is not about asking for monetary donations. This is about connecting people who can help with people in need.” WMG
THE FACEBOOK GROUP HAD 30 MEMBERS SHORTLY AFTER ITS LAUNCH ON MARCH 30 AND CONTINUES TO GROW.
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