Opinion
Summer in the City WMG Maintaining a successful business is hard, but lucky for us we have several that continue to thrive here in the Island City
2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943
By Sal Torre Photo via the City of Wilton Manors, Facebook.
However, smart restauranteurs who This past week was the annual Summer Break for our City Commission. The know how to secure a good lease, create a first meeting of August has become the theme, deliver on good food and service unofficial summer holiday for our elected and who are just plain lucky can still call officials. However, this past week had no the Drive home. Carol Moran is back in shortage of activities to keep Manorites town and working on opening yet another from getting their regular fix of city-related successful eatery for us to enjoy. An additional obstacle is the many years business. The Wilton Manors Business Association of denial by our city officials that parking hosted a Roundtable with business owners is not a prob-lem. We should have had a to discuss the needs of this vital community. municipal parking structure constructed Recent rumblings of high rents along the years ago. We looked to create a thriving Drive and recent business closings have Arts & Entertainment District without set off some alarms. Not to worry, there are a large-scale parking plan in place from many very successful and highly profitable the beginning. City officials now look to business operating along the Drive and alternative options and residents should make use of the Uber and Lyft discounts throughout our city. These businesses are thriving because offered on weekend nights. Check the city’s they have invested in their business, created website for additional information. Later in the week, the three neighborhood a valuable product to offer consumers, looked to solve and create parking solutions associations hosted our U.S. Congressman, that work for their customers, and don’t Ted Deutch. The turnout was surprisingly waste valuable time running around town low, perhaps due to clever residents choosing to get some free making excuses of why pizza and beverages at the their businesses are not Dolphin Democrats meeting doing better. Have you joined where the Congressman was Hunter’s Nightclub head-ing after our meeting offers a first-class the Gazette’s at Hagen Park Community experience for their Facebook page? Center. patrons in a clean and wellThe intimate crowd led maintained establishment. Do so today the Congressman to ditch Rosie’s is consistently the to join the his prepared remarks and place to be seen at lunch hold a very infor-mative or Sunday Brunch, with conversation. Q &A with membership. valet parking making We also had the unique your arrival hassle free. opportunity to enjoy the Alibi’s loyal customer Facebook.com/ Congressman playing base keeps coming back groups/WMGazette the grand piano and for great cocktails and entertaining us. Mayor entertainment. Infinity Flippen was on hand Lounge and Dyrnk have to introduce the Conestablished themselves amongst those seeking a more upscale gressman, and Commissioners Carson and cocktail lounge experience, and The Pub al- Rolli were also in attendance. Many thanks ways looks busy when I am walking by on to Con-gressman Deutch for the great job my way to the Wilton Creamery for some of taking care of the needs of his district. In closing I would like to take a moment the best ice cream in South Florida. Yes, there are some major problems to acknowledge the passing of a true along the Drive. One large property owner American icon this past week, Toni who refuses to upgrade properties as he Morrison. Toni Morrison demonstrated the continues to charge higher and higher rents power of the written word to challenge us might be the greatest one. Restaurants and to become a better America. In a time of rising hatred, discourse and innovative small businesses cannot make it with a high rent payment every month. extremist attacks throughout our nation, That’s a known reality, and many new Morrison’s legacy of work assures us all that restaurants fail under the best of circum- the imagination can bring about a world of peace, love, justice and stability. stances.
August 21, 2019 • Volume 6 • Issue 16
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
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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
Back in 1977, my high school English Lit teacher handed me a new copy of the “Song of Solo-mon” to read and report on. My young mind was quickly taken on an eye-opening journey from my young white male existence to the world of such rich and troubling complexity of a young black female. I remember naively asking my teacher to explain why a black woman needed to oil her skin with olive oil. I remember her smiling as she described the meaning of the scene in the book. I am sure the smile was also from the joy of successfully educating a young student with the power of words and reading. Reading about other people’s fears, hopes, troubles, wishes and dreams made me understand that those around me who I saw as different were really just as screwed up as I was. Thank you, Miss Lynch, for being a great high school teacher and thank you, Toni Morrison, for such wonderful words that still challenge us to become better human beings. Teaching young minds and reminding old ones as well, to imagine, to learn, and to dream be-yond their immediate world to a place of amazing possibilities will always make life just better here. WMG
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The iguana population in Florida is still on the rise. Photo via PxHere.
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If Not WilMa, Then Where?
Real Estate
By James Oaksun With the median sale price of single family homes in Our Fair Island City now crossing the $500,000 barrier, this column will compare pricing in competing nearby neighborhoods. In addition, since many people have been totally priced out of the Wilton market due to the escalation in pricing, I thought it might be helpful to compare more affordable options to being within Wilton’s boundaries. My statistical analysis from a few columns back showed we could break WilMa into two parts, due to their different pricing characteristics. The first part would be West Wilton (meaning west of Andrews) plus the area in Center Wilton north of 26th Street. The other area (obviously) would be East Wilton (east of the train tracks) plus the area of Center Wilton that’s south of 26th. I demonstrated that, holding everything else constant, pricing in the latter section was roughly $100,000 higher. Of course, amenities such as house and lot square footage, presence of a pool and whether the home was on waterfront,
Have you joined the Gazette’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/ groups/WMGazette)? Do so today to join the conversation.
would also contribute to additional value variation. Take a look at the table included here to see the disparity in these two segments. Because we are dealing with smaller lists of eligible properties, I report the numbers on a six-month basis ending at the end of June, in this and the preceding two calendar years. We see a median sale price in the West/ Center North sector at $407,000, with pricing in the East/ Center South sector at an eye-popping $566,500. And that’s median – meaning half the sales were above that price, and half below. Now move down in the table to see median price history in the most directly-competitive areas (price-wise) to WilMa. The East/South Center sector leads the pack, and has over the comparable periods in the last two years, as well. West/ Center North sandwiches the WilMa competitors at the other end. You should note the brisk price increases in the Oakland Park Corals neighborhood (meaning the area bounded by the train tracks, Commercial, Federal, and Oakland Park Boulevard. Perhaps the commercial development along and nearby “Main Street Oakland Park” is assisting valuations – and might indicate a lesson for other areas in the County. Now, understanding that many buyers cannot afford the $400,000 plus price tag in Wilton and competing neighborhoods, I’ve included the more value-based options that we Realtors typically suggest when buyers have sticker shock in Wilton.
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Note the wide variation in price changes over the one-year and two-year comparative timeframes. That’s why when people ask me (as they often do) what’s going with pricing, I always ask them to be more specific. Real estate here in East Broward is hyper-local, and different neighborhoods have different sale and pricing characteristics. Can we determine how much of the pricing variance in these neighborhoods is due to things like home and lot size, pool etc., and how much due to location? Stay tuned. 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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EVENT
Monthly Music Walk Launched on The Drive
Readers React Naked Bicyclist Causes Stir in Wilton Manors
By Denise Royal Music is in the air in Wilton Manors! Visitors to Wilton Drive can now enjoy live music the second Wednesday of every month. If you’re shopping, dining, or just walking around, you’ll hear the sounds of performers in the area of Wilton Drive and 6th Avenue. Now known as ‘Vibe on the Drive,’ the event will add another layer of unique entertainment to the area. The first ‘Vibe’ took place Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. ‘Vibe’ events will have the same feel as the monthly art walks on the Drive. “This is musical entertainment for individuals that are strolling on the drive that are eating on the drive or the just of visiting art galleries.” said Shawn Palacious of the Wilton Manors Entertainment Group. “We wanted to make this opportunity available and that is what five on the drive is about. The artists for the inaugural were J.D. Danner and Sista Marybeth. “These are really brilliant musicians,” Palacious said. “They have special artists
A naked bicyclist was arrested in Wilton Manors recently. The incident causes quite a stir in the Island City and our readers had plenty to say online. Here are just a few comments.
coming to jam out with them for the two-hour period.” J.D. Danner’s music is a combination of country and rock. She describes it as a combination of Gretchen Wilson and Melissa Etheridge. Sista Marybeth music is a blend of soulful R & B, jazz and pop that has been enjoyed by fans from the world over. WMG
Eric T Ormsby
Robert Hadley No helmet?
It is weird that he was riding his bike without shoes.
Lee Hager
Henry Pabian
Is that all female officers arresting him?
Community
Have You Joined the Gazette’s Community Facebook Group?
Nice looking from the backside!
Bob Taylor
I’m dying, I can’t believe this actually caused a stir in Wilton Manors of all places. Multiple calls because of a naked bike rider.
By the WMG Staff The Wilton Manors Gazette launched a Facebook group a year ago to keep readers up to date with the latest happenings and news in the city and to distinguish itself from its parent company, South Florida Gay News. “What started out as a supplement to SFGN has really taken on a life of its own. Because of that we felt the Gazette needed a voice of its own, separate and apart from SFGN,” SFGN Publisher Norm Kent said. “We realize there is a community here in Wilton Manors that does not necessarily want all of SFGN’s news from around South Florida and the world, so the Gazette will focus on just hyper local news.” By targeting just the Wilton Manors community SFGN’s staff will be able to highlight even more relevant news, stories and events geared towards locals. More importantly the Facebook group gives those who live in and care about Wilton Manors a voice in their community. WMG
Community
Michael C. Wesner We encourage that here in Seattle. you can go naked anywhere you want.
James Sigmon He was too hot Visit Facebook.com/groups/WMGazette to join the discussion. The Gazette welcomes feedback for its new community initiative. Email Jason. Parsley@sfgn.com with comments, suggestions, etc.
Robbie Shore
I hope he had an extra cushion on the bicycle seat.
Luke Kahlich Just cooling off.
Sign up to the Wilton Manors Gazette Facebook group to let your voice be heard!
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