Gazette
Volume 2 • Issue 24 December 16, 2015
Wilton Manors
Twice-Monthly Neighborhood Outlook
Business Business
Economic Development Task Force Renewed For Two More Years Spared from the proverbial chopping block, city commissioners extended the life of the Economic Development Task Force by two years at their Dec. 8 meeting. Created in July of 2011 and made up of two business owners, one commercial property owner and six residents, this was the fourth time the Task Force was renewed. The Task Force objectives include finding ways to retain businesses, attract new developers and industries, find parking solutions and grow the city as an LGBT vacation destination. “They have unfinished work,” said Commissioner Justin Flippen. Part of that unfinished work also includes the creation of wayfinding signs to help visitors and tourists find their way to certain locations in the city. Nick Berry, chair of the Task Force, said the
group’s greatest accomplishment so far has been inspiring the creation of the Wilton Drive Business Improvement [BID]. The BID is a seven-person board of property owners, business owners and one resident who will advise the city on improvements to Wilton Drive. Money for improvements will be raised by additional taxes levied on Wilton Drive’s property owners. Recently, the BID unanimously voted to support the Two-Lane Initiative which seeks to reduce Wilton Drive from four lanes to two. The commission will have the final say on whether or not the road is narrowed. Commissioner Julie Carson said she was concerned with the overlap of duties of the BID and the Task Force. The justification for both is that the BID is focused on Wilton Drive and the Task Force is supposed to be looking at the entire city. At some point in the future, members of the Task Force will have to reapply for their seats. WMG
Photo: Facebook.
By Michael d’Oliveira
Police
Police to Work Overtime for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
Photo: Facebook.
By Michael d’Oliveira Armed with a grant from the University of South Florida, the Wilton Manors Police Department will fund overtime hours to officers to focus on pedestrian and bicycle safety. The program to improve roadway safety will be divided into three phases: education, warnings and citations. In response to the recent deaths of pedestrians on Wilton Drive, police have already begun a pedestrian safety program. “This enhances what we’ve been doing since June,” said Chief Paul O’Connell. When the ticketing phase begins, everyone will be subject to possible fines; pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers, said Commander Gary Blocker. He declined to say exactly when the education and warning phases would end and when police would begin issuing tickets. “We’re just trying to get the info out there,” Blocker said. Police will focus on Wilton Drive, Andrews Avenue, Powerline Road, Northeast 6 Avenue and Oakland Park Boulevard “on any
given day between 12 p.m. and 12 a.m.,” Blocker said. The initiative is modeled after Florida’s “Alert Today - Alive Tomorrow” campaign. According to state officials, 1 in 5 traffic fatalities is a pedestrian and 1 in 20 traffic fatalities is a bicyclist. According to the Wilton Manors Police Department, there have been three fatalities on Wilton Drive since 2009. One in 2009, one in 2014 and the most recent in July of this year. Three occurred on Oakland Park Boulevard in 2009, 2011 and 2013. Oakland Park Boulevard had the most accidents, fatal and nonfatal, with 32 since 2009. Wilton Drive had 18, Andrews Avenue had 21, Northwest 9 Avenue had 14 and Northeast 6 Avenue had 12. WMG For more information about how to improve safety as a bicyclist, pedestrian and driver, visit WiltonManors.com/alert.
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Opinion
Christmas 2015
Gazette Wilton Manors
DECEMBER 16, 2015 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 24
By Sal Torre
2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943
As we all begin to get caught up in the holiday spirit here in Wilton Manors, my attention keeps going back to the song playing on the radio, “Do they know it’s Christmas?” Originally produced back in 1984 in response to the tragic draught and starvation in Africa, the words have a much different meaning for me today. “There's a world outside your window and it's a world of dread and fear” ring out with a reality that is hard to grasp. Outside our world of plenty here in Wilton Manors is an ever increasing right-wing attack that has not been seen since the Brownshirts started their campaign of hatred in Germany in the 1920’s. Demagogues such as Donald Trump, along with almost all the Republican presidential candidates, have based their campaigns on hatred, fear, racism, religious extremism, and an attack on women’s right to choose. Where will it end? Today it’s hard-working Mexican Americans, Muslims, and Planned Parenthood. Tomorrow it could be gays and lesbians. “Oh no,” you say. Well, I am sure that was the feeling of many Jews and gays living in Berlin during the 1920’s. We know the history, and what I am seeing today in the news, discussed openly by presidential candidates, debated in the media, and accepted by so many American voters frightens me far more than I have ever been. All the game playing of the National Republican Party, with their talk of a brokered convention to prevent Donald Trump from becoming the nominee, will not change the reality of Trump’s popularity and those who support his call to criminalize large portions of our fellow citizens. Trump is not alone in the field of candidates. One notable standout for the LGBT community is Senator Ted Cruz, who boasts about the radical Christian leaders who have endorsed his campaign. Radicals such as Philip Benham, who likens Muslims and LGBT people to the devil, and Kevin Swanson, a pastor who believes LGBT people should be executed. We are only a short step away from these demagogues gaining a majority of support. A terrorist attack on U.S. soil, a health scare similar to Ebola, a continued immigration crisis from war-torn Middle East, or some other major world event can put one of these extremist very close to gaining a victory in the next Presidential election. So, while we busy ourselves hanging Christmas decorations, baking holiday goodies, and enjoying this special place we call Wilton Manors, it's also time we start paying much more attention to the world outside our windows! As we look to real community leaders standing against the onslaught of hatred and fear, I have to ask, where are the Log Cabin Republicans? What does this gay and lesbian Republican organization
Community By Michael d’Oliveira
PUBLISHER • NORM KENT NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER • PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR • JASON PARSLEY JASON.PARSLEY@SFGN.COM
Editorial
ART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES ARTWORK@SFGN.COM ONLINE PRODUCER • DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ DENNIS.JOZEFOWICZ@SFGN.COM EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • JILLIAN MELERO JILLIANMELERO@GMAIL.COM NEWS EDITOR • MICHAEL D’OLIVEIRA
Correspondents
NATALYA JONES • JOHN MCDONALD • JAMES OAKSUN
Staff Photographers
J.R. DAVIS • POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES
have to say about all the hatred? On a national level we hear a lackluster response from the Log Cabin President, stating that Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering our country is just as possible as a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. We need to hear a clear and loud response from our community against these extreme attacks on our freedoms and liberties. All in the LGBT community, including those who align themselves with the Republican Party, need to make it clear that hatred, racism, religious persecution and attacks on civil liberties will not be tolerated. Bono’s verse, “Thank God it's them instead of you,” sounds way too selfish in today’s environment. We need to understand that “them” can easily become “us” and that we are not isolated from all the turmoil taking place in the world. We can still spread a smile of joy, spread our arms around the world, and enjoy the holiday season but it's also time to become united as a community and start fighting the rising tide of extremism right here in our own country. Do not let those like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz become the Grinches who stole Christmas! Why, because life’s just better than that! Happy Holidays! WMG
City Hires Engineering Firm to Design New Parking Lot The city’s newest parking lot isn’t technically a parking lot yet. It’s a vacant lot near Wilton Drive where people park their cars when they patronize businesses on that street. On Dec. 8, commissioners took the next step and hired engineering firm Chen Moore & Associates to design the lot, located behind Bona Pizza at 1008 NE 23 Drive, and oversee its construction for $30,070. In addition to the parking spaces, estimated between 18 and 24, designing and building the lot includes adding lighting, fencing, drainage, landscaping and sidewalks. Per the agreement, Chen Moore & Associates will present its proposed design to the commission within 30 days. The city purchased the empty lot for $447,879. The estimated cost to pave it is between $180,000 and $240,000. WMG
Sales & Marketing
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING • MIKE TROTTIER MIKE.TROTTIER@SFGN.COM
SALES MANAGER • JUSTIN WYSE JUSTIN.WYSE@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • EDWIN NEIMANN EDWIN.NEIMANN@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • CINDY CURTIS CINDY.CURTIS@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • JIM ALBRIGHT JIM.ALBRIGHT@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.
Associated Press
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December 16, 2015
Water, Water Everywhere!
Real Estate Geek
By James Oaksun Yes, we have extremely strict building codes here, but we have seen the waters rise even absent major storms. An ongoing issue in south Florida is the existence (and timely renewal) of the federally subsidized flood insurance program. The Feds socialize (ooh that naughty word) the risk faced by people in low lying areas and spreads it over the whole country. Now, this program comes up for reauthorization periodically. The GOP majority in Congress is inclined to let the program expire. If that occurs, some homeowners here will face annual premium increases into the tens of thousands. Although the program was reauthorized until 2017, the GOP is widely expected to retain at least the House, and new Speaker Paul Ryan is an extreme fiscal conservative chary of all big government programs. Lest you think this does not affect Wilton Manors and adjacent areas, the latest flood map from FEMA indicates that about 20 percent of the Island City – and nearly all of Poinsettia Heights and Middle River Terrace – are at elevated risk of rising water. .WMG
Photo: Facebook.
Had enough of the rain yet? It certainly seems we have had our share in December. And as anybody who has driven around town knows well, the waters do rise. No, this isn't a column about global warming. It's about our specific vulnerability in Wilton Manors and throughout parts of south Florida to existing issues. We have been lucky the last 10 years, having passed another summer without any major storms. But exceptions do not prove rules. As a member of the Government Affairs committee of Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors, I attended a meeting in Miami with then-Congressman Garcia (defeated in 2014) and the state director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Both emphasized that south Florida has not been tested recently in respect of a major weather event or flood. Two examples were offered. Many remember Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and what happened to Homestead. Had Andrew made landfall just seven miles to the north, the damage would have been catastrophic – well beyond the resources and reserves of FEMA. The other example was the (unnamed) hurricane of 1926. One day, Coral Gables was there. The next day, there was nothing, and the original developer of Coral Gables ended his career in a low level job with the city of Miami.
James Oaksun, Broward's Real Estate GeekSM, is a Realtor with the Wilton Manors office of RE/MAX Preferred. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a graduate of the Realtors Institute (GRI).
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Community
Government
Dog Owners Up In Arms Over Dog Park
Wilton Manors to Restrict Marijuana Dispensaries By Michael d’Oliveira need for the restrictions. In relation to the decriminalization of marijuana passed by the city, she said dispensaries are important and asked why the commission felt the need to pass zoning restrictions on something that doesn’t exist yet. “Are we going to do this for everything [that could be legalized]?” she asked. Marijuana Decriminalization Finalized At the same meeting, commissioners approved a final vote to decriminalize the possession of marijuana. The vote was initiated after the county passed its own decriminalization program. Instead of arresting people found in possession of marijuana, police will issue citations if the amount is 20 grams or less. The first citation results in a fine of $100. The second a fine of $250 The third $500. When a person is caught a third time, they must consent to a drug screening or face the possibility of jail time. Depending on the result of the screening, the recommendation could be treatment, an educational course or a fine. If a person is caught with marijuana a fourth time they are subject to arrest. Elkin Alfred, prevention specialist for the United Way of Broward County, applauded the commission for decriminalizing marijuana. She said communities were being adversely impacted by the arrests stemming from minor marijuana possession. That impact is a big reason why commissioners approved decriminalization. “It shouldn’t ruin somebody’s life,” said Resnick. WMG
Business
Andrews Diner gets remodel Courtesy of Food Network By Michael d’Oliveira Thanks to the Food Network, Wilton Manors’ Andrews Diner has a new look. On Dec. 7, Ty Pennington and Amanda Freitag, hosts of American Diner Revival, visited Andrews Diner, located on Andrews Avenue, to reveal the finished remodel of the 24-year-old restaurant. The show documents the efforts of Pennington and Freitag as they “revitalize diners in need of help all across America,” reads the show’s website.
By Michael d’Oliveira
The owner of Andrews Diner said he wasn’t allowed to speak about the remodel until after the episode airs. A Food Network producer also declined to discuss Andrews Diner but said the episode would air sometime between Jan. 22 and 25. To mark the occasion, the city issued a proclamation. “It will be fun to watch just because it’s in Wilton Manors,” said Commissioner Justin Flippen. WMG
Submitted photo.
Wilton Manors commissioners haven’t expressed any opposition to medical marijuana dispensaries. But they don’t want one opening in their neighborhoods either. With a particular strain of medical marijuana, Charlotte’s Web, now legal in Florida and five dispensaries already approved at various locations throughout the state, commissioners want to place restrictions on where dispensaries can be located. Two voter initiatives to legalize marijuana have also been approved to collect signatures for potential placement on the 2016 or 2017 ballot. “This is a relatively fast-moving train,” advised City Attorney Kerry Ezrol. “I want to control where they are,” said Mayor Gary Resnick. He cited the opening of an unwanted pawn shop on Andrews Avenue as an example of what can happen when the city doesn’t have the right zoning codes in place to control where certain businesses can be located. Previously, the city had no zoning restrictions on pawn shops. After the Andrews Pawn shop opened, commissioners revamped their zoning code to limit the areas pawn shops could be located. Resnick said he wants to have zoning restrictions ready to vote on by the end of March. “We will expedite the process,” responded City Manager Leigh Ann Henderson. “I’d rather see it in a drug store. Let’s get onto this. I see no reason to wait,” said Commissioner Tom Green who praised Lauderdale-By-The-Sea for already passing zoning laws dealing with dispensaries. Carson, the only no vote, questioned the
Calls to suspend the dog park registration fee until improvements were made to the facility have been rejected by commissioners. Commissioner Julie Carson raised the issue at the Dec. 8 city commission meeting but only Commissioner Justin Flippen supported her. Mayor Gary Resnick, Vice Mayor Scott Newton and Commissioner Tom Green voted no. “So many things are in the process of being corrected,” said Carson, who suggested the fee, $30 for residents and $60 for nonresidents, be suspended for six months or until improvements were made. The commission vote came two weeks after resident Michael Rajner shared his concerns over the state of the dog park, located at Colohatchee Park. Patrick Caan, Leisure Services Department director, said the fee was instituted in 2008 because residents were complaining that non-residents were crowding them out. Cann added that the fee was already suspended for a year because of the construction of the apartments next to the park. That development, said Cann, has prevented the city from doing a lot of maintenance because construction crews are blocking the access road used to get trucks into the park. One resident, Ralph Borrelli, said he has paid the fee three times in the past but refuses to pay now. “If it was kept up, I’d pay it. They don’t replace things when they break.” He also complained about the park becoming a place where men come to have sex with each other. “People don’t come here [gay and straight] because of the cruising.”
To address that issue and help manage the park better, the commission voted earlier this year to hire a full time park ranger. Other planned improvements include re-sodding grass in the dog pens and trimming trees. He estimates the work would be finished by the middle of January. But park users want to see more done. “They should just turn this whole thing into a dog park,” Rajner said. He wants to see water stations, new trashcans and larger pens so dogs have more room to run and play. “You get eight dogs [in the large dog pen] and it gets crazy.” Water bowls were previously available but Caan said concerns about bacteria resulted in their removal. Andy Ryan, a Fort Lauderdale resident, said users are pretty good about cleaning up after their dogs and called the bacteria concerns unwarranted. “It seems like a lot of the stuff here is not based on fact.” Rajner also wants the city to find a way to re-sod without closing down the pens and keep the park open more like other dog parks. Wilton Manors’ park is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Pompano Beach’s dog park is open every day except Tuesdays. Caan said he would look into creating a temporary dog pen to be used while one is closed. He also said he would meet with Rajner to review Rajner’s request to have a space set aside for dogs at Island City Park Preserve. Cann said dog park users would be able to voice their concerns during a focus group that will begin in February. An exact date has not yet been determined. WMG
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