Month: February 2014

       The Howard Johnson’s restaurant had been on the Fort Lauderdale Beach for decades, but had closed some years back and began to deteriorate.

     Beach residents were apoplectic. They demanded it be torn down, and yesterday, it finally was.

                                       Here is the aftermath

                 

         If you missed the implosion (and my post yesterday), or if you just can’t get enough, click on the link below !

                                                
Watch HoJo’s Go Boom Boom!

     Finally  …. Hojo’s goes boom boom at the beach !!!

           (If a picture with YouTube arrow doesn’t appear below, click on this link instead – blog.timsmith.com – and turn up your speakers!)

                                ……. it’s worth it !

                             

  

     
            

      ………. The race is on for the Florida House of Representatives District 94.

      The seat is currently held by Perry Thurston, but he is term limited, and running for Attorney General.

                                                        
                                                                  Thurston 

        I live in that District, and have made some noise about possibly running for the seat, but for now, I’m just blogging about it!

       It is an interesting race. The District runs from Lauderdale Lakes down through Fort Lauderdale, up into Wilton Manors, and finishes in Oakland Park. Currently, these two men are running.

                             
                                         Bobby Dubose and Levoyd Williams

        Dubose is a Commissioner in Fort Lauderdale, Levoyd a Commissioner in Lauderdale Lakes.

        The District is almost 60% black, and nearly 90% democrat ! So, the winner will be decided in the primary in August, as no republican has a chance of winning in the November General election.

       But here’s the rub – whichever candidate can capture the white (and considerably gay) Wilton Manors and Oakland Park vote, could win.

        They had a debate at last week’s gay Dolphin Democrat meeting, and here are the highlights –

                         

         Dubose says he is in favor of gay marriage, as does Williams. That is significant, as the black community has long opposed it.

                     

           And Williams is in favor of medical marijuana, as is Dubose!

          Both men also state that they will be there to fight for the gay issues, but Dubose admitted to a somewhat strained relationship with his colleague, famous gay politician Dean Trantalis.

                                   

           Williams tried to separate himself from Dubose by saying that the difference between he and Dubose was that he “was a fighter”, grew up in North Florida, and “knew how to talk to them”. He told the group he grew up in the civil rights era and “felt their pain”.

           Dubose said the Pledge of Allegiance called for justice for all, and said he was committed to that. He pointed to support for “family recognition”, and “hospital visits”, and said he would be “championing those issues”.

          The men differed somewhat on juvenile crime. Dubose favors a “holistic” approach, concentrating on the “front end”., but Williams, pointing to the current problem with juvenile burglaries, said “there has to be a limit”, and that you can’t “placate and pamper them”.

               I’ll keep you informed …. Tim
 
      

                     

 
                                        CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE
                                           POLICE DEPARTMENT

                                                PRESS RELEASE

February 5, 2014

HOMICIDE

                         

     The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th shortly before 8:00 A.M. The incident took place in the 1200 block of Northeast 4th Avenue in the City of Fort Lauderdale.

     The Fort Lauderdale Police Department received a report of shots fired at this location.
When the officers arrived, they discovered a male victim lying in the roadway.
The victim has been identified as Pierre Akeem Gustave, B/M, 04/11/90, a resident of the City of Margate.

     Gustave was recently released from Florida State Prison on August 13, 2013 and known to frequent the area.
This is an active and on-going investigation. Investigators are encouraging anyone who may have witnessed this shooting or who may have information about the incident to contact Detectives Mark Shotwell at 954-828-5517 or Jim Jaggers at 954-828-5970.

      I could tell it was something serious.

                          

     Just a few blocks north of Home Depot, on NE 4th Avenue, the Police vehicles were thick. Squad cars, Sergeant Cars, the Crime Scene Unit, an Ambulance and a Fire Truck.

     The yellow Police line was stretched around the perimeter, no way to see what was happening. I walked into my friend George Fortney’s appliance store and out to the back lot where George and his grandson, George, were standing. From there you could see all the carnage.

 
                   

     
          Right away it was apparent to me that another kid had been shot, gang style. The two bicycles littering the crime scene were the dead give-a-way. Another murder in South Middle River.

                      

       And there he was. Word has it that he was shot in the head while on his bike.

       Senseless…..