WMG Volume 7 • Issue 13 July 9, 2020
Wilton Manors Gazette FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/WMGAZETTE
COMMUNITY
COVID-19 Skyrockets in Oakland Park Up to 343 Cases By Jason Parsley “As of yesterday we have been advised As COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed across the state in the last month, that with the increase in numbers our Oakland Park has seen its own numbers biggest concern is we do not have the hospital staff to continue to support the dramatically rise. “It’s with great concern that I hear the number of increasing cases,” Sparks said. reported number of cases of COVID-19 “The State is receiving Federal support significantly increased to 343. We continue by the way of 1,500 additional nurses but that is 1,500 for the entire to educate our residents on State.” the need to consistently Over the past 30 days social distance and wear the number of cases has their masks,” said Tim tripled in the city. Lonergan, Oakland Park At the end of May new City Commissioner. “This weekly cases in Oakland is the temporary new Park had slowed to a normal, for the long-term, trickle. Now they’re on the until the pandemic is rise again. under control.” “Until we all respect the As of Tuesday, according severity of the situation to the Florida Department at hand and consider our of Health, the total number individual actions on the of cases in Oakland Park health and well-being of now stands at 343. A week ourselves and others, we ago that number stood at continue to risk passing on 227 – more than a 50% - Matthew Sparks the virus and requiring the increase. MAYOR OF OAKLAND PARK potential need for another “We are pleading with shut-down,” Lonergan the public at this point, if we can’t reduce the spread we will be said. As Broward County and the rest of forced to return to a more restrictive phase 1,” said the Mayor of Oakland the state have reopened, Florida has set Park, Matthew Sparks. “I believe we will multiple records for the number of daily see another Emergency Order from the coronavirus cases in the last 30 days. “When visiting and supporting our County on Wednesday.” Sparks said he participates in a weekly local businesses, I ask our residents to phone call with the mayors of other please be sure to adhere to the safety Broward County municipalities and guidelines,” Lonergan said. “Please they’re worried about how the increase don’t put them at risk of being fined and in COVID-19 caes will impact the local temporarily closed.” According to FDOH as of Tuesday, hospitals.
"IF WE CAN’T REDUCE THE SPREAD WE WILL BE FORCED TO RETURN TO A MORE RESTRICTIVE PHASE 1."
A volunteer for the City of Oakland Park helping with a food distribution several months ago during the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis. Photo credit: Carina Mask.
22,595 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Broward County, almost triple the number from 30 days ago. In Fort Lauderdale there have been 4,971 up from 1,784, 30 days ago. Next door in Wilton Manors, meanwhile, has seen a more moderate rise in cases from 30 days ago, 159 today, compared to 118, 30 days ago. There are 213,794 confirmed cases in Florida, more than 3 million in the U.S., and globally more than 11.8 million. So far there
have been 3,841 deaths in Florida, 133,000 in the U.S. and globally more than 543,000. “The public must be vigilant in following the CDC Guidelines, mask up, socially distance, and wash your hands,” Sparks said. “It is a reality that you are safer at home.” WMG Visit Facebook.com/groups/ WMGazette to join the Gazette’s community Facebook page.
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OPINION
WMG
Where Does the Buck Stop?
July 9, 2020 • Volume 7 • Issue 13 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943
By Sal Torre SFGN file photo.
I have long given up hope that the current occupant of the White House would climb the stairs to the attic, dig out Truman’s old desk sign, and finally take some responsibility for the mess our world has become. “The Buck Stops Here” has been taught throughout the years in American History classes to school children. We have grown up expecting that our leaders and those in a position of power have a duty and a responsibility to take direct responsibility and not look to pass the blame unto others. However, my thoughts on where the buck should stop did not originate from the daily blame game that has become the norm of this current presidency. My thoughts on this topic are much more local and have to do with the recent article published in the Wilton Manors Gazette, written by Sallie James, having to do with our local elections and residency requirements. Sallie’s excellent article deals with the false claims of residency by City Commission candidate Joseph Sansone. Inquiries made by the reporter to both Wilton Manors City Clerk’s Office and to the Broward Board of Elections made it clear that there are no plaques stating “The Buck Stops Here” on any of the desks in these two offices. It appears that city staff blindly accept all qualifying papers as long as they are signed and dated, without any interest as to what is stated within. Just doesn’t sound right now, does it? Why have forms where nobody actually verifies the accuracy of the information? The more you think about it, the more it gets under your skin, especially if you are one of the other candidates who does everything correctly and abides by the “rules.” Not being able to wrap my head around all this, I made inquiries myself. Certainly, some piece of this puzzle was missing. It now appears that this seasoned veteran of city facts and tidbits has still much to learn and can still be shocked by the news from our City Hall. According to our City Clerk, their office serves just an administrative function of
Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com Associate publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com Webmaster • Kimberly Swan wemaster@sfgn.com
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accepting and publishing the candidates’ forms. It is not their job to validate if a candidate qualifies or has given truthful information or not. WOW! That is shocking to me. In the case of Mr. Sansone, who clearly does not reside at the empty shell of a house on NW 25th Street, he also failed to properly fill out the Financial Statement that is part of the qualifying packet that nobody actually checks. The Financial Statement asks for Source of Income and to list interest in other businesses, none of which Mr. Sansone felt a need to disclose, showing no source of income or interest in other businesses such as the LLC which actually owns the property he is claiming as his residence. All the other candidates listed income sources and other required information. So how fair is this whole process to these individuals? Our city is established and governed by the Wilton Manors City Charter. Within this charter, Article lllA, Section 2 states that, “A commission candidate shall be domiciled in the city for six (6) months prior to qualifying for office.” Now you think that someone in our city government would have the responsibility to ensure that all aspects of our city charter are being legally monitored
WE ARE ON OUR OWN TO ASK THE QUESTIONS, TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH AND TO DEMAND THAT OUR CITY CHARTER BE UPHELD.
and adhered to. We have a requirement stated clearly in our city’s charter, along with Financial Statements requiring specific information, all not being reviewed by anyone in our city government. Even if we look past whose responsibility it is to validate the information, we should at least expect the forms to be filled out without any missing information, whether to be correct or not. Unfortunately, that is not the opinion of our City Clerk’s Office, whose stated remedy falls to residents’ actions and the courts. “Anyone has the right to retain counsel and challenge false claims in court,” was the answer I received. Not what I was expecting. Oh well, guess it’s up to us residents of our Island City to be on the lookout for charlatans, carpetbaggers, and others who come out of nowhere seeking to run for office. We are on our own to ask the questions, to uncover the truth and to demand that our city charter be upheld. Perhaps a group of residents will need to start a GoFundMe page each election cycle so that funds are available to retain counsel and go to court in order to have a candidate actually tell the truth, meet residency requirements, and properly and completely fill out required forms. This is another example of why a local newspaper is so vital to protecting our community. Thank you once again, SFGN, for publishing the Wilton Manors Gazette. Support our local business community that supports our local newspapers. All of us together make life in Wilton Manors just better here. WMG
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Don’t forget it’s hurricane season! Keep your eyes on the weather, have a plan prepared and be sure to follow any local alerts. Photo via PxHere.
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COMMUNITY
POLITICS
House Candidate Alleges Attack In Wilton Manors
Mickel Park in June 2020. Photo courtesy of the City of Wilton Manors.
Organic Dreams! Equality Garden Club launches green initiative By Christiana Lilly A local garden club is using their green thumbs to help the cities of Wilton Manors and Oakland Park turn their parks organic. The Equality Garden Club, with help from Beyond Pesticides in D.C., is working with both cities on a pilot program to stop the use of harmful pesticides. They are currently studying the soil in four parks before making the switch, and the club is paying for more than half of the cost of the project. “We wanted to put our money where our mouth was,” said Gary Petonke, chairman of the club’s Green Initiative. “We want to get that ground back to its natural state. Its natural state will take care of itself.” Beyond Pesticides has been training staff on making the switch from synthetic pesticides to organic means, and the club is analyzing the biology of the soil at Mickel Park and Colohatchee Park in Wilton Manors, and Wimberly Fields Park and Stevens Field Park in Oakland Park. Prior to the pandemic, the parks were used by families, athletes and pets — for dogs and small children in particular, they receive the most exposure to the pesticides since they are lower to the ground. “You see these people putting the chemicals down on the ground and they’re in all this protective gear and face masks and everything else, and then in three hours it’s ok
to go use it? I don’t think so,” Petonke said. Petonke said when the club reached out to both cities, they were met with enthusiasm and excitement for the project. The project to study the soil and switch all the parks from synthetic to organic could take up to five years. “This is an impactful way to continue the successful implementation of our Climate Action Plan with our neighbors in Wilton Manors. A win-win for our residents and our planet,” Oakland Park Vice Mayor Jane Bolin said in a release. In the same release, Wilton Manors Vice Mayor Tom Green noted that the project complements the city’s goals for “environmental resiliency and energy.” The Equality Garden Club has about 150 members, and prior to the pandemic, had about 80 people attend their monthly meetings. The club plays host to nursery rambles, potlucks, its annual Tropical Plant Fair, and also partners with local charities. For one, they planted a vegetable garden with Kids in Distress so kids could watch the growth cycle from seed to vegetable, then eat the food they harvest. The club is also working with Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami for the Million Orchid Project, a plan to repopulate Southeast Florida with 1 million orchids in five years. WMG
For more information about the Equality Garden Club in Wilton Manors, visit equalitygardenclub.com.
By John McDonald
Elijah Manley. Photo via Facebook.
A political candidate was attacked while canvassing in Wilton Manors on Sunday. Elijah Manley, a candidate for the Florida House of Representatives, said he was treated rudely outside of an apartment complex close to NE 28th St. and NE 8th Ave. “A horrible guy,” Manley told SFGN. “He came up from behind and started pushing me, following me...it was getting out of control.” On Twitter Manley tweeted to his 12,000 followers: “I was just attacked by a racist white guy while canvassing in Wilton Manors today. I filed charges because this behavior is unacceptable.” Manley said he intends to press charges against the man, Robert Breakell, 49. “He pushed me, tried to drag me and verbally harassed me,” Manley said. On Facebook Breakell denied the accusations saying “I asked a guy hanging door hangars to leave the premises. Apparently they want to politicize it and make it a shit show. Anyone who knows me, knows better.” He also denied ever putting his hands on Manley. Manley and Breakell both said on Facebook security footage would back thier stories up.
Wilton Manors Commissioner Julie Carson and human rights activist Michael Rajner quickly came to Manley’s defense and according to Manley police responded to his call in two minutes. SFGN has not yet received a copy of the police report. Manley, 21, is seeking to upset incumbent Representative Bobby DuBose (D-Fort Lauderdale) in the Aug. 18 Democratic primary. Manley identifies as a queer black man. “I am running for office because I want to help people,” he said, adding he is focused on matters of LGBT rights, infrastructure improvements and health care disparities. WMG
COVID-19
Weekly COVID-19 Increase in Wilton Manors and Oakland Park 343
300
200
182
114 107
121 121
JUNE 2
JUNE 10
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242
227
127
142
159 129
136
140
100
JUNE 17
WILTON MANORS
JUNE 24
JUNE 29
JULY 1
JULY 7
OAKLAND PARK
Statistics via the Florida Department of Health.
July 9, 2020
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COMMUNITY
NEWS
Winners Selected for LGBTFriendly Housing Complex for Seniors in Wilton Manors By Sallie James The waiting has begun. One hundred fifty names were picked today during a Facebook live event to find out who gets to live in Broward County’s first LGBT-friendly affordable apartment complex for seniors. Those selected for consideration during the bingo-like lottery will be notified in about two weeks. Wilton Manors’ applicants will receive first consideration for five of the 48 units at the Residences at Equality Park, a $15 million project. “I know I’m going to be cracking a bottle of champagne when we get the first resident moved in,” said Robert Boo, CEO of the Pride Center, as Vice Mayor Tom Green spun a wire bingo barrel and then pulled application numbers out of it. From start to finish, the affordable housing project at 2040 N. Dixie Highway has taken about eight years of planning and work, he noted. “We’re very happy in Wilton Manors this is finally coming to fruition,” Green said. The lottery took place at the Pride Center at Equality Park, which adjoins the new complex. Carrefour Supportive Housing Inc., which built the complex, received a whopping 1,501 applications from people in Florida and other states. The 48-unit complex has 21 studio apartments, 21 one-bedroom apartments and six two-bedroom apartments. Of the 48 units, five will be reserved for Wilton Manors residents, Boo said, noting that 53 of the total applications were from Wilton Manors residents. Thirty-four of the apartments, or 70%, will go to applicants who are considered disabled, he added. All occupants must be 55 years or older, Boo said. The applications were divided into two groups: Those from Wilton Manors residents and those from people who live elsewhere and the lottery took place in two steps. During the first round, all the Wilton Manors applications were placed into a hand-operated wire cage and 25 were randomly selected for consideration for five of the available apartments. Afterwards, the other remaining applications were placed into the wire cage, with 150 being chosen for consideration. Each application was identifiable only by a number, which was assigned to the application when it was submitted. Applicants do not know what number was assigned to their application. All the applications received will be kept on file. Carrfour President Stephanie Berman, who attended the lottery by video call, said
Wilton Manors City Hall. Photo credit: Carina Mask.
COVID-19 Tops 150 Cases in Wilton Manors By Jason Parsley The drawing as it took place over the live stream. Image courtesy of The Pride Center.
they picked so many applications during Wednesday’s lottery because some applicants may drop out, while others may not meet income or other guidelines when they are reviewed. Carrfour has been building affordable housing in Florida since 1993 and currently oversees more than 1,700 housing units in Miami-Dade County. The project at the Pride Center is its first in Broward County. Boo said 1,500 applications is the largest number that Carrfour has ever received for any of its housing projects before they opened up. One reason may be that applications were made available online, he said. Paper applications were also available at the Pride Center during the application period. Boo said FPL is hooking up power to the complex today so the air conditioning units can be turned on and the flooring installed. Some painting, tilework and the installation of appliances will follow, he added. “This was a community-driven identified project that was needed,” Boo said. “So here we are seven-eight years later getting ready to open it up. It’s pretty exciting.” The developer is receiving $11.2 million in low-income housing tax credits from Florida Housing Finance Corporation, an FHDC loan of $550,000 and $955,866 in deferred development fees. The city is contributing $50,000 from its Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The county contributed $450,000, Boo said. WMG
As COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed home as much as possible, wear a mask and across the state in the last month, Wilton stay six feet away from everyone who is not in Manors has seen a moderate rise in new cases your immediate family!” As Broward County and the rest of the compared to the county and state. “The number of positive tests from our state has reopened, Florida has set multiple city has remained relatively stable in recent records for the number of daily coronavirus weeks and I believe our residents are taking cases in the last 30 days. “The Code Enforcement team is out the precautions seriously,” said Paul Rolli, every day and night to ensure businesses are Wilton Manors City Commissioner. compliant with social distancing, As of Tuesday, according mask-wearing and disinfecting. to the Florida Department of With the exception of a few bad Health, the total number of cases AT THE END actors, I’ve been pretty pleased in Wilton Manors now stands with our City’s collective efforts at 159. A week ago that number OF MAY NEW virus-free,” Rolli said. stood at 140 – a 13% rise. WEEKLY CASES IN to stay According to FDOH as of Over the past 30 days there’s been a 36% rise in confirmed WILTON MANORS Tuesday, 22,595 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in cases. In May there were 30 new HAD DROPPED Broward County, almost triple the cases. In June, 22. Meanwhile in number from 30 days ago. this month, there have already TO JUST 1. NOW In Fort Lauderdale there have been 19 new cases. THEY’RE ON THE been 4,971 up from 1,784 30 days At the end of May new weekly ago. Meanwhile next door in cases in Wilton Manors had RISE AGAIN. Oakland Park, COVID-19 cases dropped to just 1. Now they’re on have skyrocketed to 343, up from the rise again. “Unfortunately, the climbing numbers in 115 30 days ago. There are 213,794 confirmed cases in our region mean we need everyone to be extra vigilant and it is possible Broward County may Florida, more than 3 million in the U.S., and follow recent Miami Dade actions regarding globally more than 11.8 million. So far there curfew hours and closings, although that is have been 3,841 deaths in Florida, 133,000 a county,” Rolli said. “With the resurgence in in the U.S. and globally more than 543,000. cases, everyone needs to be flexible and stay WMG
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