Homeless “Mayor” Ted

     Meet homeless person Theodore Adams.

                  
                                                             “Mayor” Ted

     I met Ted today in Stranahan Park. One of the City’s neighborhood Presidents called me this morning and wanted to see what all the fuss was about in Stranahan Park, and asked me to take him down for a look.

     We met Ted shortly after arriving. Ted said I should probably remember him from Tent City. Tent City was the open air frenzy of a homeless camp just north of Broward Blvd. and just west ( outside the windows) of City Hall.

     Thankfully, Tent City closed at the end of the 1990’s.
    
     Ted lived there back then and says he was the leader of the pack. He said he marched into the Mayor’s office one day and demanded toilets for the camp. He said former Mayor Jim Naugle just said “OK”, and Ted was shocked to see the toilets being trailered in a few weeks later. He says he became “Mayor Ted” of tent city from then on.

    
      Naugle said OK

     Ted hasn’t been homeless the whole time since then. He was living indoors for awhile, courtesy of the State, for a conviction of armed robbery (Ted says he was innocent).

     Ted’s intelligent. He says he can’t work due to lots of physical problems ( he mentioned diabetes), and can’t get into an apartment,( with first last and security) on his meager $651 a month in social security payments. 

     Ted says there are quite a few like him there. He says there are also many who “don’t want to change”. He says there are also quite a few with drug and alcohol problems. And some with mental problems –  “that’s a whole different story”, he said.

     Ted says if the current Mayor would give him a call, he could fill him in on the situation and a few good solutions. Ted’s phone number is 954-687-3325.