Author: commtims

     We all see them – the Homeless Voice collectors.

     You can’t miss them, in the intersection, with the yellow vests and the plastic collection tubs. We hear stories about who they are, why they are there, etc..

              .

      Well, this morning after b-fast, I decided to stop and chat up a couple of the collectors, and see if I could understand it all a little better.
 
     That’s Cathy and Laura above, they were working the intersection at SE 17th Street and Federal Highway this morning. They say they usually work the intersection about 8 hours a day. Their cans usually have between $30 and $80 at the end of the day.

     Their stories of why they are homeless are sad, but they don’t seem to be.


             

      I first met Cathy, when she pleasantly asked me if I would like to donate to the cause. I said “no, but I’m going to come back and interview you after I have my new blueberry oatmeal at McDonalds across the street”.

     Cathy looked perplexed, gave me a big smile and waved me off.

     After b-fast, I walked over to the intersection where the two ladies had been hard at work. Cathy had just stopped for a break, bought a Red Bull at the gas station, and was looking for a lite for her cigarette.

     She said ” let’s go over there and talk”, pointing to a bus bench across the Causeway. She introduced me to Laura, her collector compadre, and the three of us talked for about 10 minutes. 


                   

      Laura, 55,  has been living in the Sean Connonie homeless shelter in Hollywood since August.

      She  came here from Michigan after meeting a guy online. She says the relationship “never took off”, and she found herself at the shelter of last resort.
  
     I asked her what life was like at the shelter. She says after she got a padlock for her fanny pack, life at the shelter has been OK.

      Cathy, 43,  isn’t currently living at the shelter. She had lived there for six months, after her boyfriend became abusive after falling back into a crack habit. She’s a native Floridian, and moved home with her mother recently , who might have cancer, to help care for her.

      Turns out you don’t have to live at the homeless shelter to work the intersections for it. If you don’t live in the shelter, you get 60% of the money you collect, if you do live at the shelter, you get 60% minus $26 a day for the room and board. Connonie furnishes his collectors with bus passes to get to Fort Lauderdale.

      Both girls seem to have hope. Cathy has met a new guy, and Laura is hoping to get a full time job and move out of the shelter.

     It was the last of Tim’s Citizens’ tours of the season, combined with the last Jog with Jack ( the Mayor) for the season (until September)..

     We went over to Holiday Park,  where trained professionals (from L.A. Fitness) were there to give us pointers of how to use the park’s many exercise stations.

     It was less painful than you thought – you should’ve come!


         

      Here we are on our opening stretches, (that’s Commissioner Bruce Roberts’ assistant – Robbi Uptegrove, throwing her hands in the air when she couldn’t understand the beginning exercises!) 


                                        

      Much of the kudos for the success of the event goes to Malena Mayea, the “onsite wellness coordinator” for the City, who did most of the organizational work. Here she is … just looking good!


     I took my lessons from the experts from LA Fitness, as prescribed!…Here I am, at age 55, learning the proper way to do a push up!


                               


     Most of the group paid key attention to the program, but some proved you can work-out, and work, both at the same time!


                     guess who?

    
      In the end, we were all sweaty and feeling proud of ourselves…..   Fortunately, the neighborhood of Middle River Terrace was waiting for us at the finish line with some ice cold water!


                     

                … so how is it that Commissioner Bruce Robert’s assistant Robbi Uptegrove is seen here with a water in a silver can marked Coors? ….. hmmmm

     It’s the umbrella organization for the neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale – the Fort Lauderdale Council of Civic Associations, and it’s President, Doug Sterner, was just forced out of office.

                               
                                  Sterner

                  Here’s the sordid tale – follow closely!

     The coup to oust Sterner as the associations’ head had it’s roots a few years ago, when he and Ron Centamore, another well known neighborhood activist, got mixed up in the City’s Homeless problems.

                                            
                                         Ron on right

      Ron and Doug initially told the Fort Lauderdale Mayor and Commissioners that the neighborhood they both owned propery in, Progresso Village, would approve of the City placing a homeless feeding facility there.

     Only problems was – they forgot to ask their members!

     Well, the feeding camping didn’t end up coming to Progresso, but most of the association’s members didn’t forget the slight. When they had a chance to remove Sterner as Progresso’s President, they did, and the Council of Civic association’s by- laws say the President must be the appointed person from a neighborhood.

     Exit Sterner! Sterner reportedly resigned without any “drama”.

     The Council’s Vice President, Marily Mammano, will be acting President until an election is held June 12th. Mammano says she will be running for the position.

                                      
                                        Mammano
     
    

     We decided about a decade ago, that our politicians should only serve for about a decade!

     Unfortunately, some politicians at the Broward County level decided they knew better than all the rest of us, and sued at the Florida Supreme Court level, to overturn the term limits that were voted in by 80% of the citizens, so they could try to serve as long as they wanted.

    Today, they lost!   … Our term limit’s law was upheld at the Florida Supreme Court!  ….   YEA !


                     

                           

     No,  …. you wait one minute John …..

     John Rodstrom is one talented guy  ….  I hope he finds a way to give back without being an elected official……

                                          Tim

                                          

                                     

     This year’s Citizens Tours ( I like to call them Tim’s Tours, since I organize them!), have been very interesting, educational, even a blast. These are tours meant for YOU, so you can see things that the ordinary citizen seldom sees.

     The intricate Sewage Treatment Plant, going deep inside the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, getting tipsy on the veranda of the Bonnett House, just as the Bartletts did in the 1920’s, how do we deserve so much fun ? 

                    
                                   the Sewage Plant had it’s challenges!

     Anyhow, the last tour (until the fall), will take place next Wednesday, May 16th at 6:30 p.m., at Holiday Park.

     I want you to go over to your calendar right now and put it on there, even before I tell you about it  …..  because it might scare the dickens out of you and I want you to commit!   …… scroll down slowly !!




                     

     that’s right, we’re going to exercise! …. YIKES!

     We’re going to be joining up with Mayor Jack Seiler, and his last Jog with Jack until the fall. You have seen how skinny Jack has gotten haven’t you?
 
     City Manager Lee Feldman will also be joining us, as will some City employees, as part of their “Get Fit” City Program.

     And don’t worry, there will be professionals there to help us with the exercise stations. And you can do as little or as much of the grueling work out as you are comfortable with.

     Wear good shoes, and work-out attire.

     We did a short run through with some of the drill sergeants last week!


          
         That’s the Mayor’s assistant, Safea Ali, leaning on the push up bar!

    
     So get ready for the fun, I been getting some private coaching to make sure I look good on the 16th!


                


     See you at Holiday Park, at the first exercise station ( over by the football fields/ Social Center/ gym)  ……

                                    6:30 p.m. May 16

      ….. call me if you need more info … 954-822-4727

                                                Tim

     

    

     You might remember that Las Olas merchant Robin Merrill began a mission to save the little Las Olas Post Office from closing last year.

     The U.S Postal service is in trouble (mostly due to e-mail), and needs to close down offices. Closing some Post Offices makes good sense. Offices in Muddy Ill. and Odd, W.Virginia, for example, are set to close, probably for good reasons!
 
     But Fort Lauderdale Fla.? 

     Well for now the Fort Lauderdale Las Olas branch is still open, but is still on the chopping block, so Merrill is not giving up.


 Merrill 

     Merrill’s next big effort to save the station is tomorrow, when she’s planned a rally, unlike no rally I’ve seen!

                    

     Merrill has pulled out all the stops. She’s got a Seminole Chief, alligators, barefoot mailman re-enactors etc. !

     I’m half expecting the President to show up!

     The rally starts at noon at the Stranahan House, where the mail will be taken down river by the Seminoles, just like the old days.

     For more information, call Robin at her store – Mission Gifts Fair Trade & Upper Room Art Gallery on Las Olas.
    

     Two items on Tuesday’s City Commission meeting of interest!


     1.) Extending terms for the elected officials ?

                     


     The Charter Review Board is recommending that each term of office for Mayor and City Commissioners be extended from 3 to 4 years.
 
     Currently, the terms are three years long, and the Mayor and Commissioners can serve for up to three terms ( nine years total). The Advisory Board ( I’ll get to their make – up in a minute), says the City Charter should make the terms 4 years long ( which will give Mayor/Commissioners a possible total of up to 12 years).

  Also, the Board says the current Commission’s term should be extended 20 additional months, so that their terms will go to the next Presidential election in 2016, instead of expiring in March of 2015 as it says now.

     Now changing the elections to November is a good idea, there will be a much larger turn out of voters, but making the elected officials terms longer is a very bad idea. 

     Fort Lauderdale finally enacted term limits in 2000. Before that, Mayor/Commissioners could serve forever ( and some did!). Nine years of service on the City Commission is plenty. As the saying goes –  

     Politicians are like diapers, and need to be changed often for the same reason!

     The Board recommending these changes had only 4 members – here are three of them  ….

                               
                                  Clay Shaw – former politician


                                   
                                Alain Jean – works for politicians



                                   
                                            Judy Stern !            
     
                                           (need I say more ? )

     2.) Red Light Cameras


     The Red Light Cameras are back on the City Commission agenda to add a whole bunch more of the little bastards!

                                    

     There are about 8 of them now, and I got snagged at the one just east of I95 on Sunrise Boulevard..  I ( just barely) cruised through that red light, costing me about $150.

     The stats on the cameras are troubling.

     Although it’s called the Red Light Safety Program, accidents at the Red Light Camera locations have actually gone up!

     And the financials are ridiculous. The cameras grossed $1,062,000, but after the State gets its share, the company gets its share, and the costs for the program are taken out, the City only netted $74,000 so far.

     If we are going to keep them – and get more – at least drive a better bargain!

     Popeye has moved.

               

     But it’s not like he has to fill out a change of address form for the Post Office.

     He has been booted out of his old home – the outdoor elevator at the Home Depot. He says the new boss at H.D. “is a ball buster”.
 

               

     He says his life has gotten tougher. He says he spends most nights out on the corner of Sunrise Blvd. and NE 4th Avenue with a tarp over him and his wheelchair….

     I worry for Popeye. But he’s the “Man that won’t come in from the cold”!

     He has tried the shelters, says they are dangerous. His life fell apart years ago, and there doesn’t seem to be any forward progress.

      I always expect the next thing I hear about him
won’t be good. 



            

     Popeye only has one good foot, the right one. Last time I wrote about him, some good samaritan brought him a pair of shoes. He says that right shoe now has a big hole in it.  He says he wears ten and a half, but if you bring him a left shoe only, make it an eleven  ..

      As I drove away he yelled ” and I need a shirt!”

     People have called me lots of things    …..   but one that I actually like is

                                  Neighborhood Activist

     Little did I know, until I looked through that box that Mom sent me long ago, that I was 

                                       Predestined

    to be one of those “activists”  …..  Check out the following writings from “Timmy”,  when he was just aged seven !


                              
                                     Timmy at 7, musings below !

                                                                                  November, 1963
       
       
        

          Predestined !
     
     
     

     Almost.

     Earlier in the week, it looked like Sistrunk Blvd. had made it all the way to Federal Highway!


                   

     You see, lots of efforts have been put into our most needy part of the City for the last few years, including this multi- million dollar road project on Sistrunk Blvd.

     And this week, the new signs went up for that project, but inexplicably, Sistrunk Blvd. crept eastward, all the way to Federal Highway (Sistrunk used to stop at Andrews Ave.) 


                 


     But that didn’t last long.

     Victoria Park resident and rogue activist Charles King saw it and sent an e-mail inquiry to Commissioner Rodstrom’s office.


                                     
                                              King

      Here are some excerpts from King’s inquiry –

     It must be a mistake or a conspiracy at this point so late in the game, one or the other. It isn’t just one sign, there are a bunch of permanent ones along those streets through there. I just think if they were going to change addresses and rename the street for 3 blocks, they should have told people first, publically….
 
     From my point of view as a 39 years old native, Sistrunk Boulevard is probably the scariest street in Broward County, a place where terrible crimes, drugs and prostitution went on for decades without anyone caring……
 
     Saddling Flagler Village with that baggage would be highly counterproductive to getting young professionals who might be living with their parents right now out in the western suburbs to move to an area bordering Sistrunk Blvd. The young people might not care but the parents most certainly will. …. 

      …. doing it as a giant secret if this isn’t a mistake is really wrong…..
 
     I keep re-hearing Commissioner Dubose’s words in my ears from the late night you guys voted to give that government subsidized low income developer $125,000 in taxpayer CRA dollars. He gave a little speech about “being the most offended he had ever been in his entire life that night” and that the government subsidized low income high-rise towers proposed being part of the process of “finally crossing the tracks in this city.”
                                 ……………………………………….

      Well King can worry no longer – according to the City, the Sistrunk street signs were a mistake, and the signs have been removed – east of Andrews …


                       

     ….. the signs remain, over by the RR Tracks, where many think Sistrunk still belongs!