Author: commtims

This is an update to a post we did some months back about a lawsuit against a civic group, ( the Central Beach Alliance)  that represents the residents of the Fort Lauderdale Beach.

The CBA is being sued by a developer that is trying to build a condo on the beach, but is being thwarted by some beach residents that don’t want it to be built.

The odd thing is –  the group that is trying to stop the new condo is not the CBA, but a condo adjacent to the proposed condo that fears losing views, having  heavy traffic, etc.,  – the RRG.

That group, that named itself the  RRG, (residents for responsible growth), is represented by Roth Davies, LLC, and has been reported to say that they can sue and hold up the new proposed condo for 3 to 5 years just by filing a lawsuit.

Schiller

So, the CBA has been brought into the suit,  and is crying foul, because although they initially joined the suit as a complainant, dropped their involvement just days after joining the suit.

Their President, John Weaver, has asked the City Commission to hold up a request by the developer, to deny an extension to the developers approvals at this Tuesday’s CC meeting,  unless the lawsuit against the CBA is dropped  ….

…… lots of drama, and confusion  – I’ll keep you informed   ….  Tim

 

 

        It happens monthly on the streets of Fort Lauderdale.

                            

                        click here to watch 500 bikes out for an evening ride!

       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…..

     There are some Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods with little -to- no home burglaries.

     (A burglary is where some criminal climbs in your window or door and steals your things. Hopefully, you are not home when that happens.)

                                     

     Our City Managers’ neighborhood, (Bal Harbor), has had one burglary so far this year, Galt Mile has had one, Idlewyld one, Sunrise Key and Sunrise Intracoastal,  none.

     Then there is my neighborhood ! ……  The list below is the long list of my neighbors who had burglars climb in their windows (or doors) so far this year. There have been more burglaries in my neighborhood so far this year than any year on record. (The list is entitled South Middle River, but that is the PD’s mistake, it is actually a list of the burglaries in Middle River Terrace...)

                                    …………   Just not right !

      Today was a very good day for 13th Street in Fort Lauderdale.  It is $1.5 million dollars better !  ……..  I’ll tell you how in a moment.

            

       The 13th Street area comprises about 15,000 Fort Lauderdalians in four neighborhoods and a substandard business district.

     It has been fighting for years to bring itself back to the splendor it once was before crime, crack, and County traffic “fixes” nearly killed it off in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

                                          
                                                           crack cocaine

     The area has a strong alliance of volunteers that has painted murals, marched against crime, pestered the City leaders, installed fancy sculptures in the medians –

                              

                         ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

                           

                        ………………………………………………………………………………………………..

                                          

      But today the area hit the jackpot – $1.5 million in County Redevelopment money, intended to bring the business district back to a “Complete Street”.

     In a year or so, the roadway will be converted back to what it used to be – a user friendly road for businesses that includes nice sidewalks, lighting, parking, and a whole array of niceties.

     Boy that feels good !