Wilton Manors Gazette 2/1/17

WMG Volume 4 • Issue 3 February 1, 2017

Wilton Manors Gazette

Community

Longtime Wilton Drive Restaurateur Honored by Commission

By Michael d’Oliveira Carol Moran may hold the record for the most bars and restaurants opened on Wilton Drive. In her 18-year history here, Moran opened Kicks Sports Bar, New Moon, and 13 | EVEN. Her last restaurant, 13 | EVEN, closed in December and was located only a few feet from her most successful venture – New Moon. For her 18-year run as a business owner in the city, Moran, who said she closed her doors to spend more time supporting her wife, Nancy Goldwin, in New York City, was honored with a proclamation by the city.

Jan. 24 was proclaimed as “Carol Moran Day” for Moran and Goldwin’s years of hosting “fundraisers for charitable organizations” and for serving countless “smooth cocktails and amazing entrees” as well as “their selfless support and unconditional friendships.”

Commissioner Julie Carson praised Moran by tweaking the city’s tagline – “Life’s Just Better Here.” On her Facebook page, Carson wrote “Life’s Just Better with Carol Moran in Wilton Manors.”

When she accepted the proclamation, Moran said she was “sad to be a part-time person now. I believe in this community.”

It’s a community she’s seen go through some changes. Unfortunately, she said, not all for the better. In an interview with The Gazette, Moran said she doesn’t like the trend going on right now with bars on Wilton Drive.

“I’ve been around a long time.

Carol Moran (center) poses with the Wilton Manors Commission. Submitted photo.

Almost 20 years doing business in this town. Honestly, it’s too much of a bar fight with the bars trying to compete and undercut each other. We just have so many bars. They have to compete.

You may be packed but when you’re giving away drinks, what good is that doing you?” Moran said. “I don’t know if it’s overcrowded but it’s definitely a saturated market for sure.”

But she is happy to see more variety of restaurants coming to Wilton Drive.

Years ago, she said, there were basically just a couple Thai places. “Not that any restaurants are doing a bad job but you need variety. But that’s changing now with other restaurants coming in. I was the first one to open a tapas place.”

And she sees more variety in the future. “You want to become something like Las Olas.”

As for Moran’s future in the restaurant industry, she said she will be taking a break and supporting her wife. “She’s always supported my endeavors. It’s time to support hers. She really has been uber, uber supportive. I’m going to take some time off. I’ll be the hippie chick in the produce section. I don’t know what I’m going to be when I grow up.”

But New York City won’t have all her time, especially when it gets too cold for Moran’s thin native Floridian blood. She plans to visit Florida regularly. “People leave there to come here and I’m going there. I’m going opposite. I’m going to freak out up there. I’m sure of it.”WMG

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Opinion

Wilton Manors: We Need A Vision

WMG FEBRUARY 1, 2017 • VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 3 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943

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place for city management to implement its many findings.

Wow, a very busy few weeks here in and around Wilton Why does our City Commission vote for such studies in the Manors. Weekend before last we had the Annual Fort Lauderdale first place, costing the city a lot of money, utilizing enormous staff Orchid Show, Music at Mickel Park, the Tree Giveaway, Document time issuing Requests for Proposals along with all the follow-up Shredding event, Pride Center 5k Run, and the Art Walk along work for the development of such a document only to choose not Wilton Drive. to adopt and utilize the results?

Add to the mix the many friends coming into town for the This 100 plus page report contains an amazing wealth of 25th anniversary of the Atlantis Cruise, with all the pre-cruise information, including one item that might be the roadblock for festivities at local establishments. If the weekend wasn’t busy moving forward due to the pettiest of reasons. Within the report enough, the week showed no signs of slowing down. Monday are the results of resident surveys and input. Listed as a major was a classical music concert at Hagen Park, Tuesday a City weakness and threat to Wilton Manors economic Commission meeting, and then Thursday the Friends development is the lack of vision and focus. of the Wilton Manors Library held a wonderful Hmmm, now who do you think is responsible for lecture series on the Birds of Wilton Manors. such a weakness?

Local resident John Strohsahl did a fantastic job ONLY BY Our City Commission is elected to steer us educating us on the local birds here in our Island ADDRESSING OUR forward with a vision and a focus on the policies City, along with the migrating birds that stop by for WEAKNESSES that are needed to safeguard the future vitality of a visit and the few rare vagrants who have surprised us with their brief stay at Richardson Park. If this AND OUR FAULTS our city. City leaders need to address their role for lack of vision and the continued failure to address busy schedule keeps up for the rest of the year, my ARE WE THEN specific issues of importance. Nobody likes to hear events calendar will short circuit from over activity. about their failures, their role in negative behavior.

Over activity was not the worry at our last City ABLE TO MAKE However, this is the most vital part of the whole Commission meeting. Since the Mayor was going THE CHANGES report. Only by addressing our weaknesses and our to be out of town, perhaps he thought it best to keep the agenda brief until he was back holding the NEEDED TO MOVE faults are we then able to make the changes needed to move ourselves forward. gavel at the February meeting. Since the meeting OURSELVES Many items listed in the report are not new and adjourned so early we had the great benefit to rush FORWARD. have been discussed over and over again at many over to our local watering hole and order drinks city meetings. Now we find ourselves in a new year before Happy Hour pricing ends. Unfortunately, still waiting for vision and commitment by city the benefit is only temporary. One short, brief City leaders.

Commission meeting usually is followed by one with a Our Code Enforcement Department, along with Community very busy agenda and a much later finishing time.

Services Department have done much over the past year in During that brief meeting my mind drifted back to the addressing many issues and deserve recognition. Perhaps it’s time commission agenda back in December which kept us there for our City Commission to follow suit and give clear direction to till a much later hour. The agenda included a very important city management and adopt the Economic Development Strategic Resolution in which our commission failed to act upon. The Plan. Giving credit where credit is due, Vice Mayor Justin Flippen Economic Development Strategic Plan, drafted by the Strategic wanted to have the Commission take more decisive action that Planning Group, Inc., was before the commission to adopt and night but was not joined by his colleagues. then be used by city management as a roadmap necessary to Only by taking this vital report off the shelf and firmly bring about the future economic vitality of our city. This very committing to action will make life for our residents and important report was not adopted by our commissioners that businesses just better here. WMG night, but merely voted to be accepted with no real mechanism in

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Let’s Find Some Communities!

Real Estate Geek

By James Oaksun Having defined community and argued for its importance, let’s go the next step and take a look around east Broward (for starters) and see if we can find some areas that might be good candidates for creating community, assuming that communities do not already exist there.

Population densities are different in South Florida than they are in many other places. Broward County didn’t really develop in earnest until after the Second World War – the 50s and 60s east of I-95, and even later west of the interstate. Cheap energy and the automobile fostered growth; public transportation was an afterthought, walkability was rarely considered.

Of course recent developments have brought new ideas to the table. The notion of some degree of a town core is desirable, and having services within reasonable walking (or electric vehicle) distance is a positive attribute.

So when I think about the quest for community, the two places I would start would be the websites publix. com and walkscore.com. As the ubiquitous grocery chain in Florida, Publix is a familiar stop for most residents and many people would like to live close to one. Walkscore. com is a neat site where you can plug in any address and get a score for that location’s walkability from 0 to 100 – a rank of how many of your typical errands could be done on foot.

Now of course there are three or four months here where you would not be advised to walk too far except perhaps early in the morning, certainly not without consulting a health professional. Yet those 3-4 months would prove to be the exception, potentially, within an activity core that could develop within a community.

After compiling the information from the Publix and Walkscore sites, we can add information from other sources – for example, the U.S. Census to get population, economic and demographic data. I can then add additional information on the number of single family homes within, say, roughly three-quarters of a mile of that spot, and how pricey (or not) those homes tend to be.

Then as we move forward with the review, we can loop back to that Grant Cardone question with which we began the series: Is buying a single family home to live in yourself a bad idea?

The accompanying table begins the analytical process that we will continue fleshing out over the next several columns. I have identified several Publix stores thoughout East Broward, and placed next to them the Walkscore associated with their locations. The higher the Walkscore, the more activities there are nearby that can be accomplished on foot (as opposed to having to drive there).

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I’ve rank ordered them high to low, the higher ones being potentially more desirable as “community cores” as we have discussed. Next time we will take a look at some more data and then dive in a bit deeper. WMG James Oaksun, Broward's Real Estate Geek(SM), is BrokerOwner of New Realty Concepts in Oakland Park. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI).

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Business

Dr. Dominic Riganotti and Jaquelin Fernandez. Credit: Broward Sheriff’s Office.

Wilton Manors Doctor Arrested!

Faces charges of distributing HGH

By Michael d’Oliveira A Wilton Manors doctor and his medical assistant have been arrested and charged with multiple counts of distribution of controlled substances.

Dr. Dominic Riganotti, owner of Wilton Manors Center for Infectious Disease, located at 1881 NE 26 St., and Jacquelin Fernandez were both arrested on Jan. 11.

According to a document provided by the U.S. Department of Justice Southern District, Drug Enforcement Agency [DEA] agents learned that Fernandez was “prescribing an unusually large amount of testosterone and Schedule 11 narcotics and is possibly involved in medical fraud.”

In September of 2016, the DEA used

a confidential source to begin investigating Riganotti. That source used hidden audio and video surveillance devices to record interactions with Riganotti and Fernandez.

The DEA claims that their confidential source was able to make multiple purchases at Riganotti’s office and the Coral Springs home of Fernandez.

On Jan. 11, agents searched the Coral Springs home of Fernandez and found multiple boxes of HGH. According to the DEA, Fernandez admitted she was selling HGH out of her home without a license. Later that day, DEA agents searched Riganotti’s business. According to the DEA, Riganotti also confessed to agents. He also informed agents of the location of about 20 grams of methamphetamine inside of a wall socket in his office.

Riganotti was charged with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute human growth hormone, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, and possession of methamphetamine.

Fernandez was charged with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute human growth hormone (HGH) and unlawful distribution

of HGH. DEA agents also claim that she used her underage daughter to help her sell and distribute HGH. WMG Both Riganotti and Fernandez have both been released on bail. Calls to their attorney were not returned in time for publication.

Community

New Lesbian Bar to Open in Wilton Manors Last one closed three years ago

Photo: Facebook.

By Michael d’Oliveira Since New Moon closed in March of 2014, it’s been three years since Wilton Manors has had a lesbian bar.

Now, G Spot Bar will take up the mantle. Located on Wilton Drive in the former Sidelines, 2301 Wilton Drive, G Spot’s grand opening will be Friday, Feb. 3 from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.

One of the owners, Lisette Gomez, was a regular at New Moon and is proud to be bringing back a bar dedicated to women meeting women. “The lesbians have been kind of displaced. New Moon was my regular Friday night spot for many years,” Gomez said. “Once Carol closed, there was nowhere else for us to go.”

Opening G Spot was a “no brainer,” she said.

“We’re pretty excited to get everyone in one location where they can always go to. But it took a little while to find the right location and the right partner as well.”

The announcement of the grand opening is already getting praise from women on the bar’s Facebook page.

“I’m glad that there will be somewhere again for women to go out and have a good time with all our ladies! WOO HOO!” wrote Danielle Colucci.

“The 954 Lesbians and Gals will be at your grand

opening. We are pretty excited that we have this new location to meetup in Wilton Manors. Thank you. Bring on the fun---Let’s party!” wrote Syl Davis.

Karyn Symone, a friend of Gomez, said she’s looking forward to the bar opening and having somewhere to go after softball games. “It’s been a little bit hard because there hasn’t been a place to call home. Not having that place, that unity, it’s been hard. New Moon was home. That was family. When that closed, that was like devastation.”

But while the bar is a dedicated space for women to meet women, Gomez said everyone is welcome. “We want to label ourselves as a bar for girls who like girls but there are a lot of gay boys who like to hang out with the lesbians. We’re not discriminatory. There will be Sunday football, drag king shows, as well as [a place for] our straight allies. We want it to be open to everybody.”

One of those straight allies is Gomez’s business partner and co-owner, Kat De La Torre.

De La Torre has a lot of previous experience working in bars, including places in South Beach, Boston and the Elbow Room and Chili Pepper in Fort Lauderdale.

“I’m very good friends with Lisette. She’s talked to me in the past [about opening a bar]. Recently, we started talking and the ideas started rolling. It’s a great opportunity. I think we can make a great spot for the girls and make everybody happy.”

Gomez and De La Torre also want to host Friday night dance parties, live music and other things that few or no other bars on Wilton Drive are doing. “We want to bring the singer-songwriter artist thing to Wilton Manors,” Gomez said. WMG

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Community The Friends of the Wilton Library book tent in 2014. Facebook.

Friends of the Library

Continue Fundraising Tradition

By Michael d’Oliveira For the last 15 years, Paul Kuta has manned The Friends of the Wilton Manors Library book tent event.

For Kuta, vice president of The Friends, being involved in the book tent and the rest of the organization is a way to have purpose in retirement and a way to export his love of reading.

“Well, bottom line, it’s my love of books and my pleasure at people of all ages finding the books or music, or DVDs they like. It’s because I believe in libraries and I believe in learning and I see what reading comprehension can do for one’s enjoyment and one’s career. Now, I may be an old dinosaur, but I think it’s still true today,” Kuta said.

The book tent is also one way the organization raises money to support the city’s library, one of the few independent libraries in Broward County. Other sources of fundraising come from the members of the organization, grants, and posthumous donations from individuals who have left money to the group in their wills.

This year alone, The Friends has donated $13,000. Their financial support this year, and in year’s past, has been used to buy computers, electronic books, electronic magazines, books on CD, software programs, large print books, acoustic panels to reduce the noise

coming from the children’s area of the library, and programs for children and adults.

“Their fundraising is very important to the library and the community. All the programming is paid for by the friends,” said Rick Sterling, library director. And there’s at least one item The Friends have always funded. “The city has never spent any money buying those computers,” Sterling said. “Without The Friends, the city would either have to cut the budget or remove the number of books we buy to pay for audio/video stuff.”

And if they aren’t funding items or programs, said Sterling, they’re helping to organize events.

“What really excites us are the children’s programs,” said Benjamin Little, The Friends’ treasurer. There are “magicians, science camps, reading contests, coloring book programs, Spooktacular . . . 19 different programs for the kids,” Little said. “[The children are] discovering and thinking and looking for alternative solutions to things. And, [in doing that they learn that] books are a great way to do that.”

The next Friends book tent event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hagen Park during the Island City Yard Sale. Books, videos, CDs and other items will be on sale. WMG

For more information, call Paul Kuta at 954-566-9019.

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Community

Photos: Facebook.

Business

Check out what’s happening

Around Town

By Michael d’Oliveira

Island City Open returns The 7th Annual Island City Open, the city’s annual tennis tournament, will be held Saturday, Feb. 4 and Sunday, Feb. 5 at Hagen Park. The tournament is open to men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles in Levels A, B and C. The entry fee includes barbecue on Saturday, a shirt and an awards ceremony. Pre-registration is required. To register, visit wiltonmanors.com/documentcenter/view/2520, print out the registration form and drop it off with the registration check ($25 for singles players, $40 for doubles teams) at Hagen Park. Make checks payable to Donna Kocyba. For more information, call 954-390-2130 or email donnatennis1@aol.com.

False alarm at Wilton Manors Elementary A response by Wilton Manors police to an unidentified individual on the campus of Wilton Manors Elementary School turned out to be a false alarm. On Jan. 26, the school was put on lockdown and police units responded to the call of an unidentified individual at the school. But according to police, the unidentified individual turned out to be a member of the school’s staff. Police say there was no threat and the school was removed from lockdown shortly thereafter. WMG

Resident Worried About Construction Getting Too Close

RE/MAX Office Replacing Convenience Store The former Kwik Stop store located next to Starbucks on Northeast 26 Street is under renovation and will be used as a RE/ MAX real estate office when renovations are complete, according to the building’s owner Joe Pallant. WMG

Resident Raymond Carrier likes living in his neighborhood behind the Shoppes of Wilton Manors. But he wants a setback in case a developer builds something in the shopping center that Carrier isn’t as enthusiastic about.

At the Jan. 24 commissioner meeting, Carrier asked the commission to create a setback in its code between commercial and residential properties. Right now, none exists between the homes that abut the Shoppes of Wilton Manors.

He’s worried about a higher building being constructed right next to his property overlooking it.

There’s also no setback between The Manor Complex and the residences behind it.

Robert Moore, director of Community Development Services, said there is some preliminary talk about The Manor expanding its facilities but nothing has been submitted yet. She said that developers who submit plans before a setback is established would not be bound by it and could build right up to the property line. WMG

Volunteers needed for Art Gallery 21 Wilton Manors’ Art Gallery 21 is seeking volunteer docents for its upcoming Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit “The Way We Worked” which will be on display from March 24, 2017 through May 6, 2017. Those interested should send an email to artgallery21wcwm@gmail.com or call 954-6614740. “The Way We Worked” is a traveling exhibit which showcases American workers from all walks of life. WMG

It’s Official: Humpy’s Gone For Good

By Michael d’Oliveira Those hoping to get another cupcake or slice of pizza from Humpy’s Pizza should look elsewhere.

Dennis Godfrey, one of the owners of Humpy’s, confirmed to The Gazette that they have no plans on reopening.

“The final word on that is that we are completely, permanently and irreversibly done!”

Godfrey owned Humpy’s with Steve DeJong. The two closed their popular restaurant, which had been open since February of 2007, after Halloween of last year.

In a previous interview DeJong said the closure was because of a predatory Americans with Disabilities lawsuit designed to get money from Humpy’s over an ADA violation in the restaurant’s bathroom. “It’s really just a shakedown of small businesses and we’re being bullied.

It’s just too much potentially for us to bare,” DeJong said. He said the lawsuit was dismissed, but only because he’s closing the business.

The other reason was due to a rent increase by their landlord.

DeJong said the proposed rent increase by the landlord made it “unmanageable and not feasible to stay in business. And they’re going to raise it every year for the next 10 years. They’re playing hardball.

It just baffles me they’re not willing to negotiate. We have a third of the shopping center empty.”

In a previous interview, Jonathan Gaines, principal with Rivercrest Realty, which owns the Shoppes of Wilton Manors where Humpy’s was located, said he was disappointed he and Dejong couldn’t come to terms on the lease.

Since then, said Godfrey, “There’s been no attempt or outreach by the landlord to renegotiate the lease” and that he and DeJong have moved on. WMG

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City

Submitted photo.

Replica of Wilton Manors Gateway Presented to City

By Michael d’Oliveira The Willingham Gateway Towers are long-gone. But reminders of their existence can still be found in photographs and a mosaic at Jaycee Park. And now, there’s a replica of the Towers on display at city hall.

The Wilton Manors Historical Society presented the restored replica to the city commission on Jan. 24.

Benjamin Little, Historical Society secretary, said his organization was “pleased to present” the replica to the city. He also provided a brief history of the Towers.

The Towers were formerly located at Five Points. The larger one sat where Wells Fargo is now. The smaller was where the triangle-shaped open space is. The Limestone used to construct

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them came from the pit in Lazy Lake. At one point, the Towers were also an attraction for school field trips.

The large one was torn down in 1957 to make way for an A&W Root Beer stand. The smaller lasted until 1964 and was replaced with a gas station. WMG

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