WMG Volume 6 • Issue 14 July 17, 2019
Wilton Manors Gazette Facebook.com/groups/WMGazette
community
Bungling Burglar Arrested! Alleged thief caught in Chicago By Sallie James
A bungling burglar who tried Wilton Drive next door and stealing cash unsuccessfully to heave a cement block and merchandise, and attempting — through the door of a popular candy store is unsuccessfully — to break into the New in police custody, charged with burglarizing York Grilled Cheese Co. at 2207 Wilton Drive. three downtown businesses. Both incidents were captured on Raheen Clinton Clay, 24, was arrested on June 9 in Chicago by Chicago’s Fugitive surveillance cameras, which Dumas posted Apprehension Unit. Police from multiple on his store’s Facebook page. The videos jurisdictions tracked Clay down after went viral. Dumas attributes the suspect’s arrests Wilton Manors police identified him in partially to the power of store surveillance videos. social media. Charges against Clay “People kept sharing include the Wilton Manors the videos,” he said. burglary cases, a burglary News of the suspect’s warrant out of Iowa and a arrest elicited a slew of probation violation in Illinois. comments on To the It was sweet news to Ralph Moon’s Facebook page. Dumas, whose store To the “Donate candy to the Moon was struck twice by detective who cracked the accused burglar. In the the case. Congrats,” first instance, the suspect posted Sean Parkoff. jimmied the lock on a rear “Great job to police in door and took $600 from the both states,” said Richard cash register. In the second Kelley. instance, the suspect threw a “I bet his mom is cement block at a glass door 27 proud,” wrote Lisa times, cracking the tempered - Ralph Dumas Riviello. glass but failing to get inside. To the moon owner Wrote Sarah Gaynor, Store video shows the man “He was very busy! attempting to heave a cement block through the back door of Dumas’ Stupid! Glad they caught this nut.” Dumas said he’s happy to move on. He business at 2205 Wilton Drive over and over said the double break-ins cost him about in the wee hours of the morning of June 27. The same man was also captured on $3,000. “It’s a little scary but nothing has store video early on June 17 rifling through the cash register and making off with $600. happened in 15 years. I think this was an The suspect is also accused of breaking isolated incident,” Dumas said. “It’s better into RockHard Lovestuff at 2205A than a bullet in my head.” WMG
“It’s a little scary but nothing has happened in 15 years. I think this was an isolated incident.”
CCTV footage via Facebook. Mugshot courtesy of Chicago Police Department.
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Opinion
Patience in a High-Speed World By Sal Torre Photo credit: Justin Musial.
Everything today seems to be based on speed. How fast is your data plan? How fast can my food delivery be at the front door? How soon will my Uber be pulling up? How quickly can Starbucks get a triple venti half soy no-foam latte placed in front of an impatient, multitasking customer. Speed has become our latest addiction. This driving need for instant gratification, for quick results, to have things done at a faster and faster pace does not mix well with long-term planning, state and local government agencies, and the reality of municipal budget restraints from year to year. The road resurfacing and striping phase of the Wilton Drive project has not even had a chance to dry, and people improvements come at different stages. This are already expecting trees, landscaping, prolonged time frame does not sit well with and a finished product. Unfortunately, those craving the quick gratification that many some things take time, more time than have become accustomed to. However, major we would like perhaps, but still worth projects such as Wilton Drive take time to reach completion, but once that goal is achieved, the waiting for. In a perfect world one might expect long wait will reward our city with much to be trees, landscaping, art installations, proud of along this vital main corridor of our signage, new lighting and other Island City. One benefit of this whole process is that amenities to have been installed over the past year while road construction the cost of all the roadway improvements was taking place. Unfortunately, Wilton such as drainage, curbing, wider sidewalks, medians, bike lanes, Drive is a far more complex and road resurfacing reality. have been funded by the Wilton Drive is known Residents and Florida Department of by another name, SR 811. businesses Transportation (FDOT) and This designation means the Broward Metropolitan that the roadway is owned will just have Planning Organization. and controlled by the The huge cost burden of State of Florida and falls to wait a bit these road improvements under the guidelines of longer as the on our municipal budget the Florida Department of would have made this Transportation (FDOT). improvements project prohibitive in the This reality has made time frame we are currently it far more challenging to come at witnessing, too slow for bring about long-awaited different stages. some, but actually very changes along this stretch quick in the budgetary and of roadway. The good real-time world. news is that the state is Until the state FDOT finalizes this initial nearing the completion of Phase One of this project. At that point, our local phase in the next few weeks, some items that government can begin the eagerly seem odd and a waste of money will have to awaited Phase Two of the project, the be endured. The dying sod tossed into place landscaping/streetscaping phase for to cover gaping holes along the street is not the new and improved Wilton Drive the final landscaping that is fueling much of the complaining and snickering. It is simply a corridor. Residents and businesses will means to complete Phase One so that our city just have to wait a bit longer as the can begin Phase Two, which will go a long way
WMG July 17, 2019 • Volume 6 • Issue 14 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 • Kerri Covington
Editorial
Art Director • Brendon Lies artwork@sfgn.com News Editor • Sallie James
Correspondents
Sal Torre • James Oaksun
Staff Photographers
J.R. Davis • Carina Mask • Steven Shires
Sales & Marketing For ad placement in the Wilton Manors Gazette, contact 954-530-4970
toward transforming the Drive into the state of grandeur many in our community have planned and worked for over many years. The City of Wilton Manors has set funds aside in previous budgets and has proposed future funding for the landscaping and tree installation planned in the next phase of improvements. Over time, we will begin the much anticipated streetscaping, art installations, and so much more. The Drive will be a continuing work in progress for some time, but soon much will be happening to move beyond the sod that some are complaining about. Along with the planned landscaping, the city is also ready to move ahead with a very detailed wayfinding sign project that will introduce new signage along our entranceways and throughout the Wilton Drive Improvement District, bringing a fresh look to our Island City. Funds are also being budgeted to bring a new look to Jaycee Park. This small public park located across from City Hall on Wilton Drive will get a complete make-over to transform the space into a spectacular gathering place along the new and improved Wilton Drive. Our elected officials and city management team are fully committed to bringing about the wondrous transformation of Wilton Drive from a four-lane state roadway into the vital, beautifully landscaped, main city corridor serving as the centerpiece of our great Island City. Patience, proper planning, overcoming hurdles, responsibly budgeting and the transformation of a dream into the new and improved Wilton Drive is what makes life just better here. WMG
Sales Manager • Justin Wyse justin.wyse@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Associate • Edwin Neimann edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Associate • Clark Rogers clark.rogers@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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Hurricane season is here! You can sign up for the city’s emergency notifications through CodeRED. Register on the City of Wilton Manors website under “Connect with Us.” bit.ly/WMCityWebsite
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Real Estate
Second Quarter Results:
A New View By James Oaksun
In my previous three columns, I demonstrated that: 1. “Price per square foot” was an imprecise estimator of property value in Wilton Manors 2. Statistical analysis found a better estimator using several inputs including square footage 3. Compared to commonly-used metrics, the new model produced superior results Additionally, we are able to utilize the model to analyze true overall pricing trends in the Island City. First, actual sales back to 2012 identify characteristics of the “typical” WilMa home sold:
Three bedrooms, two baths No garage Has pool, but not on a river or canal Just under 1,800 “adjusted square feet” of living space 8,300-square foot lot
Now, we know the characteristics of homes sold in a particular quarter. To the extent the homes sold differ from that typical home, we are able to use the dollar weights for these and
other factors to make an “apples to apples” comparison across timeframes. For example, suppose the median sale price increased by five percent compared with a prior period. Further analysis indicated that in the prior period, the typical home sold was 1,600 square feet (i.e., smaller) and did not have a pool (an attractive amenity for WilMa buyers). We could then hypothesize that the lower price was not entirely due to underlying economics, but to some degree based on different characteristics of the home sold. With the weights the statistical analysis found, we are able to adjust prices over time to “true up” valuations and obtain an estimate of actual price activity. For the three months ended June 30, 2019, the median sale price of a single family home in Wilton Manors per MLS (no condos or townhomes included) was $507,500. This is a 13 percent increase from the second quarter of 2018, when the median sale price was $447,750. Compared with the first quarter of 2019, median sale price increased by 8 percent. For the first six months of 2019, the median sale price was $488,750, an 8 percent increase
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compared with the same period in the prior year. Now we get to the fun part. The chart included here has a blue line showing actual median sale price per MLS back to 2012. Then I calculated “adjusted median price” based on differences across periods in the characteristics of the homes sold — the dashed red line. Although they track similarly, there are obvious differences in certain quarters. On this adjusted basis, the median sale price in 2Q19 was $511,120, a slight increase from the actual median of $507,500. However, due to differing characteristics of the homes sold, this was just a 6 percent
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increase over second quarter 2018, when the adjusted median price increased from $447,750 to $482,800. Perhaps an analytically motivated and somewhat geekish person could apply this methodology to other cities and neighborhoods, especially as concern grows regarding trends in the marketplace. WMG James Oaksun, Florida’s Real Estate Geek(SM), is Broker-Owner of New Realty Concepts in Fort Lauderdale. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI).
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community
Gym Drama
Challenge Fitness Fined for Noise Complaints Gym’s attorney accuses magistrate of holding “kangaroo court;” judge calls lawyer “nasty” and “disrespectful” By Sallie James Score one for the Townhomes of Riverside Homeowners Association. The HOA was the temporary winner of a long-simmering feud with a noisy neighborhood gym. The outcome? Special Magistrate Thomas J. Ansbro on July 3 ordered Challenge Fitness to pay a $500 fine and $150 costs after a contentious hours-long hearing at City Hall over code violations. The issue of noise violations has been ongoing for more than a year due to numerous case delays. The issue? Nearby homeowners complained that the gym’s loudspeaker system was so intrusive it affected their daily living. The gym leases its property from the Pride Center at Equality Park, which has also sparred with the same HOA over drainage issues, lighting issues, and parking and code enforcement issues. The hearing about noise complaints at the gym at 2036 N. Dixie Highway was confrontational from the start. Challenge Fitness attorney Paula J. Campione had filed an emergency motion to delay the July 3 hearing because an earlier noise complaint was still on appeal and had not yet been resolved. That case involved a $250 fine. Ansbro refused to grant the delay. At one point during the hearing, Campione accused Ansbro of holding a “kangaroo court” and described a complaint from a homeowner as evidence of “practicing law without a license.” An irritated Ansbro called the gym’s attorney “nasty” and “disrespectful” and
Challange Fitness’ lawyer, Paula J. Campione. Photo courtesy of the Florida Bar.
threatened to remove her from the case because of comments she made during her presentation. At another juncture, Campione asked Ansbro why he didn’t take into account numerous documents she had submitted earlier that day for consideration. Ansbro told her he had received them only hours earlier and the file was too “voluminous” for proper review. “That would not be tolerated by a court and it’s not going to be tolerated by me despite the fact you may think I run a kangaroo code court,” he said, referring to comments Campione made in pleadings. “You are extremely disrespectful and not a service to your client, quite a disservice to your client to be nasty. It doesn’t work here and it won’t work in Circuit Court. You might need to go back and take some training on what it takes to do some legal work.” As the hearing proceeded, the barbs continued. Campione subsequently argued that Ansbro was “unduly “That would not biased” and “un-neutral” and should not be handling the case. be tolerated by Ansbro disagreed. a court and it’s Riverside Homeowners Campione requested not going to be Association President Matt an inspection of the gym’s tolerated by me Dreger recalled how he premises. She told Ansbro and other residents in his the gym had made several despite the fact neighborhood could “hear the improvements over the past you may think I at the gym inside year, including installing air run a kangaroo instructor our homes and on our front conditioning in September code court.” porches,” as well as at the pool 2018, and is in the process of and waterfront. replacing a metal rolling door - Thomas J. Ansbro “I have no particular bad with an enclosed concrete wall Special Magistrate feelings toward the gym. We to help curb noise in an effort to just don’t want to hear them,” be a good neighbor. Ansbro repeatedly noted that the July 3 Dreger told Ansbro. “If someone just grabbed hearing focused only on a noise complaint the volume and turned it down, this would all stemming from an April 4, 2019 incident, and go away.” Campione requested Ansbro use noise from told Campione that anything else she presented the nearby railroad tracks as a baseline, which was irrelevant. “We’re here on a case to determine whether he promptly declined. “He is talking about the noise generated a violation was committed on a certain date. A motion to inspect the premises, which has from this property. That’s why I’m here, that’s nothing to do with the case before me has no why everybody is here,” Ansbro said. An irritated Campione asked Ansbro at one relevance. Denied,” Ansbro told Campione. During his testimony, Townhomes of point, “I’m sorry magistrate. Do you represent
SFGN file photo.
the city now?” When Ansbro said he didn’t, she replied, “Sure seems like it.” Ansbro shot back, “I’m going to disallow you to represent these people if you don’t stop the snark. You understand me, do you?” Ansbro called Campione “disrespectful” and Campione told Ansbro he was supposed to be “unbiased.” After Dreger told Ansbro that Challenge Fitness had turned down the volume “insufficiently.” Campione then accused Dreger of “purposely filing complaints against the Pride Center for ulterior motives.” At one point, Campione’s co-counsel referred to Dreger as “hyper-sensitive.” Ansbro said he didn’t think Dreger’s complaints about the gym were unreasonable. “My intent is to get compliance. That’s all we want to do,” Ansbro said. After imposing the $500 fine, he added, “I want to make it clear: I don’t want to see this back here.” WMG
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