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     Once again, County Mayor John Rodstrom’s friend, no-shame lawyer Bill Scherer, is suing to try and help a Rodstrom win another election.

      Rodstrom             Scherer

     Last time around, Scherer sued to overturn term limits, so that John Rodstrom could continue to hold office, ( Rodstrom has already been in elected office about 30 years, and reportedly has over a half million dollars in pension funds due him from the taxpayers).

     Scherer first won that term limit case in local court, having another friend, Judge Carol Naugle,  side with them, but lost when Judge Naugle was overruled at the Florida Supreme Court.

     This time around, Scherer is trying to overturn the election laws, so that Republicans can vote in the Democrat primary next month, in order to help John Rodstrom’s wife, Charlotte, win husband John’s current Banana Republic – err, uh – County Commission seat!

                                                    
                                                   Charlotte Rodstrom

     And what makes this new case the foulest of all,  guess which Judge has just been assigned this case?

    To find out, click on this link below to read Sun-Sentinel’s Brittany Wallmans’ whole sordid story….

                                               click here for wretched tale!

      The Broward County Supervisor of Elections office,

                                
                                Supervisor Snipes


has sent the City of Fort Lauderdale an estimate on the cost of the Special Election to replace Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom.


                                         


                                    $108,000.00

     NOTE: This is not a blog site specializing in tree killing issues…. it has just turned out that way this month ! …

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


      Anyhow, this is another interesting update about the Oak Tree that someone is trying to kill on Las Olas Boulevard, by drilling holes in it, and filling the holes with diesel fuel.

     First news is, the reward is growing, (leading to the conviction of the tree killer/driller perp!)

                                  

     
     The reward was $100 yesterday, now the reward is $400, ( details in a second) and the reward is probably destined to increase again as ….

                    

                 …… TV has picked up the story!


     ……   for a refresher, the suspects in the tree killer/driller case were the Bridal Shop, whose sign was blocked by the Oak,

    …. the Bridal Shops’s next door shop owner, who had complained to the city in January about the overgrown Oak, 

   …..   and to a lesser degree, the Valet parkers  from Rocco Tacos, and the church….
 
                ……………………………………………………………………..

      Today, I talked to all …..
 
    …  not only do all of the known players confess innocence, but they all have contributed to the escalating reward pot, and they all agree to taking a polygraph test! ( to prove their innocence).

                   

      ……. and, just to elevate this story to a rather weird kind of reality show/ day time soap level,

     ….. a wonderful local business woman named Robin,  is praying for the tree’s recovery ( pictured above)…

       And, … the church, (First Pres), who actually owns the tree, has followed the City’s prescription for the tree’s recovery,  and flushed the drilled holes to get rid of the diesel fuel, filled the holes with dowels and a put on a covering, and fertilized!


       Will someone please come forward and let us know who done it??
       



    

                           
     When we last talked, we were wondering what kind of noodlehead would do this to a perfectly good Live Oak tree?



                                

     
     It’s apparent that somebody wants it DEAD!  These holes were drilled in it, and diesel fuel was poured in the holes.

     After some snooping, here’s what I know so far

     First off, though the tree is on the grounds of the First Presbyterian Church, (just off Las Olas), the church had nothing to do with the trees’ damage and is quite upset.

                                                     
                                                          First Presbyterian

     Second, there is a reward leading to the tree killer/driller!

                     
                                         A reward ($100) leading to the tree killer/ torturer!

     So who done-it?

     Everybody has a theory.

     One neighbor says it is the Church (it isn’t). Another theory says it must be the shop just to the east of the tree – ( Bridal Shop) that has recently put up a new expensive sign that is blocked by the tree’s canopy.

                      
                                                           sign is on wall is behind tree’s canopy

     That shop says “no way”, they had nothing to do with it.  Their neighbor across the street  (Formal Wear store), says the owner is “too good” a guy to do such a terrible thing.
 
     Another theory is that the shop owner next door to the Bridal Shop, (owned by Brad Minto), did it. He had sent Gene Dempsey- the City’s Urban Forester, an e-mail about the tree’s bushy canopy months ago – Here is Dempsey’s response to Minto. 

     From: Gene Dempsey [mailto:GeneD@fortlauderdale.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 12:48 PM
To: Bradley Minto
Subject: RE: Follow Up

Brad – I looked at the trees this morning. The two trees are live oaks and can be pruned to provide the desire clearance. The shrub by the building is a Podocarpus and can be removed without permit. These are all private trees and would need to be handled by the property owner, which appears to be the church from info on our GIS system.

Gene Dempsey, City Forester
Environmental Services 

     Minto says no way did he do it. He says that the trees were trimmed after he contacted the City, and he was happy with the results.

     Lastly, some think that the Valet parkers across the street at Rocco’s Tacos are responsible. They say they park cars in that lot and somehow it would help them if the tree was gone ( I don’t see that).  I asked the Valet staff that was on duty today, and they said they knew nothing about it, but their ears did perk up when I mentioned the $100 reward !).

     All I know for sure at this point – somebody done it-  and somebody knows something!

     And the good news is – the Urban Forester described a treatment for the tree to the Church, they are doing it, and they think they can save the Oak!

     I’ll let you know if there is any progress in the case!  ….

                                                  Tim


    

                                                                                                                                                                      

     
     Yup, it’s what it looks like …..

      On Las Olas – the empty lot owned by First Presbyterian  …

           I should know more tomorrow !

     Here’s a few items of interest – will be looking for your comments!

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

     1.    

     Forbes magazine does lots of lists! And last week, one of their lists was not kind to Fort Lauderdale – their ranking of Cities with the best/worst climate for business.

      The list of 200 Cities put Fort Lauderdale at #192, just barely above the bankrupt City of Stockton, Calif., who came in #196. The listing was titled Fort Lauderdale, but actually included all of Broward County.

     This poor showing incensed the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance ( the County’s business group), who disagreed with the county ranking, and sent out a list of talking points, meant to argue the point. Most of the City’s leaders were sent the “points” which then drew this response from long time civic activist and lawyer John Wilkes –

                                      

                                                     actually John Wilkes Booth, all I could find

                                              “Having
just returned from New Jersey – when Newark and Camden (having driven
through each) are ranked above our fair City, it is a sad day indeed!
While State and local efforts in each have focused on a plan for
recovery, with the window dressing of public arenas, they have a long
way to go from advisable to avoid to desirable to live.

     As for Fort Lauderdale, it is time for a real self – evaluation, not self-laudatory recap”.

     I agree with John!

     2.

    The Fort Lauderdale City Commission  backed a change to the city’s Charter to allow future Commissioners to extend their possible time on the Commission to 12 years, (currently they can only serve 9 years) . The change will have to be approved by the voters.

    Only Commissioner Rogers spoke against the plan, saying the 12 years were too many, but he ultimately joined the rest of the Commission in the unanimous vote.

     When you see the proposed change on the ballot – You Should Vote NO! (12 years is too many!)

     3.

             

      The Fort Lauderdale City Manager Lee Feldman says they are still taking the Broward County Schools to the “Special Master” for building violations uncovered when they butchered multiple healthy, large Mahogany trees, but the hearing has been postponed. The School Board lawyers requested a 30 day continuance, so the hearing is now scheduled for  Aug. 16.

         

       Hopefully, they can take away all their chain saws until then!

    

     If you haven’t been the victim of a crime as of late, consider yourself lucky.

     And if you have been the victim of a crime, this year, you might remember this!

                  

     Apparently, the Fort Lauderdale Police now routinely take the victim’s  DNA at a crime scene.

                       
                        
                        current and former Fort Lauderdale Chiefs
    

     That happened a month ago to Spirit Airline’s pilot Tim Helms, when a burglar broke into his screened back porch and stole tools and his lawn mower.

     When the Cops arrived, they took Helm’s DNA. Though the Police Officer got Helm’s written permission for his DNA sample, Helms was still taken aback. Helms called me and asked – “what’s up with that, Tim?”

     Turns out the Police are taking an “exclusion sample” to rule out the homeowners’ DNA from a possible suspect’s. Helms didn’t remember the explanation, but seemed somewhat relieved when told.

     And last week, Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom was also swabbed, when her car was broken into in her driveway overnight.

     Rodstrom says she also found the procedure “odd” and plans on asking some questions about the new procedure at the next Commission meeting like …..   “is my DNA on file?”

    …..  Much to the chagrin of Broward County School’s Development Division, the annihilation of  Fort Lauderdale High School’s nearly century-old Mahogany trees controversy  is not going away any time soon.

            

     Now, Fort Lauderdale City Manager Lee Feldman, has instructed the new Broward County School’s Administrator, Robert Runcie, that he will see him in court – City Court!

                      

     The tree violation will be heard on July 19th, at 9 am, in front of the City’s Special Master.

     So far,  the Fort Lauderdale Mayor  has weighed in, two School Board members are making inquiries, (Leach and Dinnen) and the neighborhoods are up in arms.

     And just a bit ago, after possible District II candidate Steve Glassman wrote County Commissioner La Marca asking for the County Commission to weigh in, LaMarca is now looking into new procedures to preclude it from happening in the future!
    

     Mayor Jack Seiler says it’s one piece of City Business that has frustrated him – the City’s Homeless problems.

     While Broward County is lauded for it’s Homeless Assistance Center on  Sunrise Boulevard, the chronic homeless, either because of substance abuse problems, or their distrust of help centers, can’t get help there, and have continued to live off the land, mostly Downtown.

     These chronic homeless have also frustrated lots of citizens, mostly downtown residents and business people, but some of this years’ actions of the City Commission seem to be working!

                  

     Stranahan Park at South Andrews and Broward Blvd., once ground zero for the chronic homeless, is no longer the destination of choice by the area’s  homeless and their feeders.

                  

     The City “temporarily” closed the park, which was in deplorable condition, and 100’s of volunteers have turned the park into a tropical oasis – leaving little room for homeless to use as their makeshift camp.

      The City Commission has struggled with other ways to limit the negative effects caused by this hard to help group, like busing some home to their real homes up north, and ticketing some for aggressive panhandling, but the retaking of Stranahan Park seems to have had the biggest effect.

     But as always, when you squeeze the balloon in one place, it pops up somewhere else!

              

     Here is where it has popped up!. Ironically, this is the location of the City’s infamous Tent City of the early 1990’s, where the chronic homeless lived under tents and sometimes shot and raped each other.

     None of that should happen here, as there is no tent, only a fraction of the population, and the ones that now call this square of blacktop “home”, are much better managed.

     These folks pictured above told me they slept here last night, but that the Police “came at 6am and turned on their sirens until we got up”.

    

    

 

     Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom is used to attending her arranged crime meetings she holds for her District constituents.  They are usually held on 13th street in a FLPD substation, to address crime in all parts of her District, (the highest crime rates are mostly in the neighborhoods that run along Sunrise Boulevard)…..

                                              
   
      But what Rodstrom is not used to addressing is crime in her own neighborhood, Nurmi Isles, (because there basically isn’t any!)
     
                       

     And that means Rodstrom is not  used to addressing crime when it’s on Nurmi Isle, with her own car in her own driveway burglarized!

     But yesterday she had to address just that. Her car, a 2002 Suburban, with 150,000 miles on it, was busted into. She says they didn’t take any of her campaign materials that stocked the car, but did take her “driving eyeglasses and her prescription pills for headaches.” She said the burglars were probably sorely disappointed in the take.

                                                    
                                                         Suburban

     She said the Police took fingerprints and DNA samples.

     There was only 1 vehicle burglary reported in Nurmi Isles last year. By contrast, in Rodstrom’s largest neighborhood, South Middle River, there were 146.