http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/ en Copyright 2009 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:33:52 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss A Child Is Missing has helped locate more than 600 missing people around the country, and the number keeps growing. The group announced its 600th successful assisted recovery last month. The missing persons recovery group, with only 12 full-time and 19 part-time staffers, has been operating out of the 2,500-square-foot building on Southeast 17th Street for six years, while working off an annual budget of $900,000 provided mostly by donations and grants. Founder Sherry Friedlander said the idea for the nonprofit came to her in 1996, when a project for an advertising and marketing firm she owned fell through. “I was sitting there with four high-speed computers,” she said. “Suddenly the thought came: look for missing children. Like a lightning bolt.” From the beginning, Friedlander had national ambitions, and the timing was right. She traveled to Tallahassee and met with former Sen. Howard Forman, who guided her through the creation process. Within minutes of a missing persons report, the group can begin sending out a description to residents of the search area. They can also make dozens of alert calls from a database of 130 million phone numbers, according to Vice President Claudia Corrigan. By utilizing geomapping and satellite systems, workers can then use maps to develop a better search area, said Ron Bannis. Friedlander said she is pushing the Legislature to pass U.S. House Bill 1933, known as A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Act. Introduced by Rep. Ron Klein, the bill passed the House of Representatives in July and if it passes the Senate, would provide annual federal grants to the group. Even with additional funding, Friedlander said, the organization would likely open 10 smaller offices around the country and hire 95 additional workers. We're on Facebook! Go ahead, become a fan. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/10/local_missing_child_recovery_g.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/10/local_missing_child_recovery_g.html Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:33:52 -0500 Fort Lauderdale residents enjoy the Super Bowl experience without alcohol? They may not have to. City commissioners are considering whether to relax local ordinances banning open containers of alcohol near the beach in anticipation of city-organized events celebrating Super Bowl XLIV Feb. 7 in Miami. One idea under consideration would allow alcohol to be carried in plastic cups near the beach. Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom commented on the city’s open-container ban during a City Hall meeting Monday, saying she favored loosening the alcohol ordinances in an effort to boost city revenue. “Bring in alcohol, and you bring in more money,” she said. “We’re doing these events for economic development.” During a meeting in the Middle River Terrace neighborhood in September, Rodstrom said the current commission is “a new City Commission. We’re way into partying at the beach.” At Monday’s meeting, Rodstrom echoed comments she made in September in support of city events that could bring residents and visitors downtown and create revenue for the city. “If you’re having fun, you might spend a few dollars at a restaurant you like,” she said at the September meeting. Mayor Jack Seiler told the Sun Sentinel in May that he, too, wants to loosen the city’s strict ban on open containers around the beach in anticipation of four major events on the calendar: the Super Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Pro Bowl and the Boat Show. Rodstrom mentioned the Boat Show as a major event, and said she was eager to move forward. “We’d better hurry up and approve the Super Bowl party,” she said. “It’s a precedent.” Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/10/alcohol_at_the_beach_officials.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/10/alcohol_at_the_beach_officials.html Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:01:32 -0500 Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida is moving from its rented home on North Andrews Avenue to a new site at 2204 N. Dixie Highway, and some in the South Middle River neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale are wondering what opportunities the void will bring. Bruce Tanner, a former secretary for the neighborhood’s civic association, said he is concerned the abandoned area might attract crime. “When the GLCC moves, we’ll have a significant stretch of dark avenue,” said Tanner, who lives in a condo on the top floor of Drake Tower, across Andrews Avenue from the Gay and Lesbian Community Center. The issue is the latest in a long battle to clean up the South Middle River neighborhood. The North Andrews Avenue site is a low white building with worn gray trim, edged with grass and shrubbery, fronted by a half-acre parking lot, and is owned by the Tarragon Corp., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January. Rick Gibson, a former president of the civic association and a former vice president of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center, described the area where the center currently sits as a stable neighborhood in the process of improving. But residents such as Tanner are still worried about what might happen after the community center is gone. “Will Tarragon turn out the lights?” he said. “Also, there are five trees on one side of the building with branches reaching down to the ground. If someone is up to no good — like a drug dealer or a mugger — the trees will provide a perfect place to hide.” Tanner said he is merely being proactive and trying to avoid creating an environment in which crime could occur. In addressing the other association members, Tanner suggested they begin “working with people to suggest types of perimeter lighting, making sure that after the Gay and Lesbian Community Center is gone, there will be enough light to discourage the criminal element.” Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/empty_lots_raise_crime_concern_1.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/empty_lots_raise_crime_concern_1.html Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:20:05 -0500 Planning and Zoning Board recommended granting approval to LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels for a requested zoning change involving the $500 million Bahia Mar Park project. The approval brought the developer closer to what LXR Vice President Peter Henn called “shovel time.” Much of the crowd at the meeting was divided into two opposing camps. Some residents said the new project, which will include luxury condos, a hotel, a hidden parking garage and retail stores and restaurants, will bring increased revenue to the city and attract larger events. Others said the new buildings will negatively impact the beach skyline and surrounding environment and cause major traffic problems. Henn said the enterprise has taken “two and a half years of my life.” This time, Henn and his team reconfigured the buildings to create a “wow” effect. LXR had previously offered to shrink two residential building by three stories. Fort Lauderdale’s Central Beach Alliance, on whose turf the project sits, voted in its favor in May. The recent Planning and Zoning Board meeting was to consider LXR’s request for a Planned Unit Development zoning change that would let the developer build taller buildings than current law allows. The meeting lasted several hours. Some residents voiced concerns that the project would block their views and disfigure the beach, while others praised its scope and potential to help revitalize the city. The fate of the Bahia Mar project is now in the hands of the City Commission. Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom, who has opposed the project, appeared to suggest the board might postpone its vote, leading Central Beach Alliance member Sadler James to call out, “I strongly protest a city commissioner standing in front of this board.” Kathleen Ginestra, a Harbour Inlet Association board member, said she was disappointed that developers continue to build in ways that impact traffic. Mike Ferber, a longtime Fort Lauderdale resident, said the Bahia Mar issue is a replay of a clash nearly four decades ago, when developers built the present Bahia Mar Beach Resort. Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/bahia_mar_project_moves_closer.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/bahia_mar_project_moves_closer.html Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:26:23 -0500 Fort Lauderdale the nation’s spring break capital. Commissioners are working to organize a “Where the Boys Are” reunion weekend, Mayor Jack Seiler told a crowd of about 50 residents of the Middle River Terrace Association. “We’ve got Connie Francis on board, [and] we’re working to get George Hamilton,” Seiler said. “We’re actually going to celebrate 50 years of that movie.” “Where the Boys Are” was a 1960 film directed by Henry Levin that followed four college students who spend their spring break in Fort Lauderdale, which helped put the city on the Spring Break destination map. The reunion idea is part of an effort to bring a more mature crowd down to the beach. “This is a new city commission,” said Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom. “We’re way into partying at the beach. People are watching the dollars now, so beach events are going to happen for free. We want you out of your homes and down there. If you’re having fun, you might spend a few dollars at a restaurant you like.” Seiler told the Sun Sentinel that such festivities often draw tourists and dollars. The city has suffered $17 million in losses plus mandated obligations, he said during the meeting. “We have a $30 million hole to plug,” Seiler said. “We’ve tentatively put in some of the reserve funds.” Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/where_the_boys_are_star_connie_1.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/where_the_boys_are_star_connie_1.html Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:42:46 -0500 Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/las_olas_market_awaits_october_1.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/las_olas_market_awaits_october_1.html Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:08:46 -0500 Riverside Park residents were far from happy when the Southwest 11th Avenue swing bridge closed down on Aug. 11 for repairs that would take a full year to complete. For them, the closing means two things: more traffic and more hassles. Mark Hill, president of Riverside Park Residents’ Association, said the closing means that he and his neighbors can’t get downtown and back so easily now. The bridge is expected to reopen in August 2010 after a complete overhaul is completed. City commissioners were told in April that the swing bridge needed repairs more urgently than any bridge in the state, including significant structural and mechanical work, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. The structure is a movable bridge with a center ring that allows the span to pivot horizontally. It is one of only three swing bridges in the state, according to Merrilyn Rathbun, research director of the Fort Lauderdale History Center. Last year, the bridge was scheduled for a $3.4 million restoration, said city spokeswoman Shannon Vezina. About $300,000, Vezina said, is being funded by a historic preservation grant from the state, while the rest will be picked up from city funds. With the bridge sitting closed for a year, drivers to the south of the New River may find it harder to get downtown. City officials suggest drivers use Southwest 18th Avenue and Broward Boulevard, or Southwest Fourth Avenue and Davie Boulevard. A series of commissions from city officials culminated in the construction of the 11th Avenue swing bridge, originally named the Snow/Reed Bridge in honor of two of Fort Lauderdale’s mayors. The bridge was operated by a hand crank until the 1950s, when an electric motor was installed. But the steel trusses are corroded and cracked, and retaining walls at the north and south are deteriorating, according to Historical Society documents. The wooden walkways are also rotting and unsafe. Last month, Florida Department of Transportation officials also announced it wanted to replace four other bridges along Las Olas Boulevard, including bridges that lead to Isle of Venice, Fiesta Way, Nurmi Drive and Royal Palm Drive. The department has classified all the four bridges as “structurally deficient.” Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/11th_avenue_swing_bridge_closi.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/11th_avenue_swing_bridge_closi.html Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:44:55 -0500 Fort Lauderdale officials are considering borrowing millions of dollars from the city’s abundant reserve fund to cover a budget shortfall caused by falling property taxes, shrinking franchise fees and low revenue citywide. Property taxes in the city are down about 8 percent, while franchise fees, which allow utilities to operate within right-of-ways, have also fallen significantly. But hope now lies in the city’s $85 million reserve fund that City Auditor John Herbst called the “rainy day fund,” which consists mainly of funds set aside for budgeted items that were never purchased. “We can meet the budget shortfall by taking $10 million out of the reserve fund,” Herbst said, “and that’s OK, because the balance is too high.” Dipping into reserve funds is nothing new. Last year, the city used $25 million from reserves, City Manager George Gretas told the Sun Sentinel in July [Click here for that story]. Reserve funds, though, are a one-time source for a one-time situation, Herbst said. “We don’t take the money out unless we’re pretty certain we can put it back,” he said. “We could spend another $30 million as long as we have a plan for next year. We don’t, [and] we’re continuing to drop. We can’t go another year mandated not to raise taxes and reduce staff.” Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/bloated_rainy_day_fund_could_b.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/09/bloated_rainy_day_fund_could_b.html Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:07:32 -0500 Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/opposition_says_bahia_fight_fa_1.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/opposition_says_bahia_fight_fa_1.html Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:55:13 -0500 Poinsettia Heights residents are just looking for a little power, but no one is sure where the problem is. For the time being, about 55 homes and residents have been experiencing plenty of trouble with outages, according to Mike Vonder Meulen, president of the Fort Lauderdale neighborhood's community association. “We have residents who’ve been experiencing outages almost on a weekly basis,” Vonder Meulen said. “On a nice day, the power will all of a sudden go out for hours.” And with it goes a neighborhood full of appliances, computers, and maybe worst of all in the South Florida summer, air conditioning. For resident Joyce Reynolds, who operates a management consultant business out of her home, her power outage problems began in August 2008. “The power goes out – [I] call FPL on their automated line and somebody says, ‘We’ll be there,’” Reynolds explained. “So the power comes back on. Then, in an hour or so, it’s out again and the whole thing starts over.” FPL spokeswoman Sharon Bennett acknowledged the irregularities in the Poinsettia neighborhood and said the utility’s representatives have visited with Vonder Meulen and others. Bennett also said FPL representatives have arranged to attend another homeowners association meeting in September or October. “The people in charge of the system’s reliability will talk about how best to make this work,” Bennett said. Vonder Meulen said the problem stems from residents’ efforts to conceal power lines using landscaping, and others that refuse to let FPL onto their property to trim tree limbs that could interfere with power flow. “There are people here who are trying to hide the ugly power lines by planting trees, and they put in invasive, fast-growing types like bamboo,” he said. “The branches put weight on the lines and short them out. Then we have residents who won’t allow FPL to come onto their property and trim their trees.” Vonder Meulen said the community association is preparing to put pressure on owners who deny FPL the access it needs to trim tree branches. Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/poinsettia_heights_residents_q_1.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/poinsettia_heights_residents_q_1.html Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:52:30 -0500 The Pantry of Broward Inc., a Fort Lauderdale-based agency that provides support services to low-income seniors, employees also took the opportunity to celebrate Tejeda’s 96th birthday. A former doctor from Guatemala, Tejeda was The Pantry’s first client when it opened a year ago, said Bruce Harris, director of development. The agency, founded by philanthropists Elizabeth Buntrock and Catherine Loughan, operates out of a building on Northwest Third Avenue in the city’s Progresso neighborhood. The long, low building, across the street from the Gospel Arena Day Care, is covered with white paint so clean and fresh it practically gives off light. At the rear of the building is a bay for delivery vans and a walk-in refrigerator and freezer. Shelves are lined with donated food: ramen noodles, rice, chicken and peanut butter. “[The founders] saw all these seniors standing in long lines at other organizations, just waiting for food, and thought, ‘This is uncivilized,’?” said Cindy Mallay, development coordinator. “There are over 30,000 seniors in Florida living below the poverty line,” Mallay said. Many seniors, she said, receive Social Security, but the amount is based on their incomes from decades ago. Most have also outlived their savings. Six paid staff members and about 200 volunteers work to provide food, medical help, and eye care services, as well as assistance in obtaining government services such as Medicaid and food stamps. Working out of The Pantry’s 8,000-square-foot office, case managers meet with clients and evaluate program eligibility. The agency currently serves about 350 seniors around Broward County, many of whom are on a fixed income of less than $800 a month or are economically challenged grandparents who are the principal care providers for grandchildren. “I get to meet every client who comes in,” said Bernie McGlinchy, 51, of Hallandale, manager of The Pantry. “Sometimes it’s heartbreaking. Most of the time it’s rewarding. Often they come in crying but leave happy.” Volunteers prepare boxes of donated food weighing about 55 pounds, of which clients receive one box each month. The agency can also help provide legal aid and access to cash assistance programs. As for Tejeda, he still manages to keep himself involved in The Pantry’s work. “He offers emotional support and medical guidance to others,” Harris said. “He gives back.” Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/pantrys_first_client_turns_96.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/pantrys_first_client_turns_96.html Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:59:12 -0500 Fort Lauderdale, recycling can not only be character building; it can also be profitable. In 2008, the city handed out more than $30,000 to 19 neighborhood associations for their efforts in the RecycleWorks program, a 20-year-old initiative that allows volunteers to help keep the city clean, and in return earn cash. South Middle River led the group for the second year, hauling in $4,485 last year. A city recycling coordinator develops specific activities for each neighborhood as part of each year’s Recycling Incentive Grant. Each of the activities is worth a set amount of points to associations. Volunteers pitch in during community events such as the Starlight Musicals or the Scottish Festival. “It’s sweat equity,” said Donna Mergenhagen, a Harbordale Civic Association board member. Her neighborhood brought in $4,355 last year through the RecycleWorks program. “[It is] hard, physical work. Once the recycling bags are collected, city workers sell them to a recycling contractor like Choice Environmental Services of Broward County Inc., public information specialist for the city’s Public Works Department Monique J. Damiano said. The contractor pays us by the pound, and the money is turned over to the neighborhoods with no tax involved. “It’s a great program,” Mergenhagen said, “because there are multiple angles. It gets citizens involved, it cleans up public areas, and the neighborhoods get money for things that will benefit them.” Mergenhagen also said the neighborhood is considering using some of the recycling money to install medians onto Southeast 15th Street. For many years, Harbordale was the annual leader in recycling points. Lately, however, top honors have gone to the South Middle River neighborhood. The neighborhood has earned $10,945 the past two years and will likely put the money into scholarships and sidewalk improvements. Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/officials_hands_out_more_than.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/officials_hands_out_more_than.html Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:02:10 -0500 LXR Luxury Resorts and Hotels recently said it sees no reason to shrink the project any further. “The fact that I’ve set [the buildings] back as far as I have — they’re currently lower than the code allows — there’s really no reason to [make them smaller],” LXR vice president Peter Henn said. On July 13 — just two days before the Bahia Mar Park project was scheduled to go before the city’s Planning and Zoning Board — Henn met with Idlewyld president Mary Fertig at the Country Kitchen restaurant in Asheville, N.C., while both were vacationing. At the meeting, Henn offered to shrink two of the project’s residential buildings by three stories. Henn said his offer would reduce the buildings up to 20 percent. “Unfortunately, that’s when [Fertig] made the comment, ‘remove all the buildings completely,’” he said. “But everything was nice and civil.” Last week, Fertig confirmed the civility of the meeting, but not the demand to remove buildings. “We’ve asked a lot of questions we haven’t gotten answers to,” she said, citing issues concerning traffic, parking and the project’s environmental impact. Henn said Idlewyld’s concerns have been addressed. “Just because the neighbors don’t have a working knowledge of the facts doesn’t mean the facts aren’t there,” he said. Both sides, however, remain willing to talk even if their demands remain the same. Fertig said recently that LXR’s offer to remove three stories from the project is hopefully the beginning of more meaningful dialogue and added that the communication channels are still open. “I’ve continued to talk to [Henn],” she said. But even if the Idlewyld neighborhood nixes Bahia Mar Park, Henn said, it may not matter. “We’ll continue to explore all reasonable issues our neighbors in Idlewyld have,” he said. Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/developer_says_no_reason_to_sh.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/developer_says_no_reason_to_sh.html Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:43:10 -0500 Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/city_mails_out_more_than_100_e_1.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/city_mails_out_more_than_100_e_1.html Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:41:25 -0500 Fort Lauderdale are on guard after two people were arrested recently for stealing more than $600,000 from two area condominiums. Pamela Lyn Csolkovits was arrested last month on charges of stealing nearly $500,000 over four years from the Surf Rider Condominium in Pompano Beach, while Mark R. Hilton III was arrested on charges of taking $166,646 from Casablanca Isles Condominium Association in Boynton Beach. The arrests have given rise to concerns that associations, which are typically run by volunteers, are at risk of being defrauded. Said Donna Berger, executive director of the Community Advocacy Network, “Community association boards sometimes present a particularly attractive target to those wishing to perpetrate a fraud.” There are steps associations can take to lower their risk. One step is to require board members, management companies and newly elected boards to insure that each deposit and withdrawal is accurate. Also, speaking to the association’s bank about fraud prevention can add protections for management companies. Each check should require two signatures, and a monthly examination of the association’s accounts can detect any early issues. “In bad times, employees who might not otherwise be tempted to commit fraud may become so worried about their jobs and personal finances that they might be tempted to exploit any weaknesses in your association’s financial controls to steal money or association property,” Berger said. Bill Raphan, assistant condo ombudsman in the state's Fort Lauderdale office, said he cautions overzealous board members against accusing others of fraud. Board members must present hard evidence to police, he said, as authorities hear often of these types of crimes and have limited resources. Become a fan on Facebook. Just click. ]]> http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/associations_wary_after_two_ar.html http://blogs.trb.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/forum/2009/08/associations_wary_after_two_ar.html Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:12:00 -0500