“LIEN” ON ME …..FORWARDING CERTIFIED MAIL ….

At the Jan. 26, 2010 commission meeting Vice Mayor McIntee was still on his politically motivated Greenfest bent…going after $33 …He leaned into the mike with such vigor to rant about Terry Arthur and the message it would send if we let him the hook…The Mayor again the voice of reason, said the Town Manager has been in receipt of everything she needs to reconcile this issue…But McIntee insisted on paying more hourly fees to our still not on a retainer Town law firm…A certified letter was sent out on Jan 11,2010 and came back with no response…Good reason…The recipient Mr. Arthur is in Kabu,l Afghanistan!…OOPS!.. Seems he has been there for quite some time now, well over a year….so we hear…and he is said to concur with the Mayor that all required paperwork needed to rectify the issue were turned over long ago…So how far does the Special Magistrate’s jurisdiction go?…By the way…we also hear Mr. Arthur has been working with the kids in an orphanage …and isn’t it ironic that VM McIntee who consistently used the dais to speak about anything for the “kids”would want to go after Mr. Arthur for $33 and take him away from those kids who need him so very far away…GULP!….

……………………………………………

IT’S ALL ABOUT SUPPORTING THE BSO POLICE …… INSIDE AND OUTSIDE TOWN LIMITS….

A situation has reached its boiling point in Pompano Beach. The City Commission and newly hired City Manager are planning on getting rid of the Broward Sheriff’s Office as the law enforcement provider and re-start the Pompano Beach Police Department.

Now, with the input from two ex BSO employee’s the City Manager will recommend on February 9th (next Tuesday) re-starting the Pompano Beach Police Department.Those in the know say there will never be the old Pompano Police, it’s only alive as a website.

The City Commission is advertising the reason for this change is money; this is only part of the story. The real reason is local control and egos. Your involvement and support for BSO is needed.  Many cannot  wrap their heads around this recommendation.Has anyone thought about public safety , or is all money? What will the NEW police department being proposed to be like?

Come to the City Commission Chambers next Tuesday at 7:00PM to support the BSO including one longtime BSO member and Pompano Beach resident who will be speaking as a resident, former LBTS- BSO Chief, Captain Scott Gooding. The meeting is being held the Pompano Beach City Commission Chambers, across from City Hall at 100 West Atlantic Blvd. (Dixie and Atlantic )

First Pompano Beach…then Lauderdale -By-The-Sea…in 2011?….

Show your support inside and outside Town limits ….

………………………………………
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SIGNS …..

So let’s see if you’re a business and you hang the political signs up of Silverstone-Couriel- Evans the Town and Code put their blinders on? … It certainly looks that way at Keese’s who has done just that! Out in from are benches and tables for outdoor dining..with outdoor diners observed…While at other establishments in town such as Lilacs and Lilies are prevented from putting mannequins out in front …the ice cream shop by the pier on Commercial is still on hold and prevented from putting her bench back out in front…and certain businesses with the opponents signs are continually cited for tables that are a few inches over on their own property!…Talk about special treatment…YIKES!…

…………………………..

CLUELESS CLOTTEY CAN’T CATCH A BRAKE ….

Doesn’t look like 2010 is going any better 2 months in for the Commissioner who has commonly now called “Clueless”…We all heard about her brand new car being vandalized…she blamed it on politics and gave an ominous warning to candidates Sasser and Vincent…before we found out she never filed a police report!…Well now she has more trouble as the Prius is being recalled for brake problems and software problems…OUCH!….

……………………………….

CLUELESS TIMES TWO ….

We hear these two have become fast friends…and both are wining about “The Chief Blogger”  not being  fair to them on this site……UGH!… We hear there’s great concern among the voters…One Clueless Commissioner is one Clueless Commissioner too many!….Looks like “Clueless” #2…didn’t rate the Clottey Furth photo-shop treatment!… OOPS!…

…………………………………….

HEADING TO HAITI….

Chief Perkins gave this writer the heads up last Friday…the LBTS- VFD is donating a fire truck to Haiti!… The Chief said they don’t need 5 trucks…”that was McIntee’s thing”… Question now for the VFD…which truck?…A VFD owned truck or a Town owned truck?… In any event it looks like the VFD is getting rid of some of their excess baggage…McIntee and having 5 trucks!…OUCH!…

………………………….

MESSING WITH METAL?….

Residents are hitting the roof …(pun intended) ….over the Town Manager’s unilateral decision to spent $15,000+ on a metal roof for the Chamber of Commerce building…. The only way to make it palpable at this late date if the contract is signed and the permits are in process as we hear they are … is if the roof she picked was a metal roof that imitates the tiles….Speaking of this purchase… we hear again that the Manager was informed last year of an alternative that came with a 4 year guarantee that cost about $3,000 ….Hmmm….. I’d say the Town Manager was “fiscally irresponsible”…and perhaps she needs to be “terminated”…ala Chief Scott Gooding?… GULP!….

……………………………..

more to come……

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Candidate Marjorie Evans, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale By The Sea liens on a samaratin overseas, Lauderdale By The Sea Metal Roof On Historic Building, Lauderdale By The Sea Political Signs Keep Code At Bay, Lauderdale By The Sea support for Pompano BSO Police, Lauderdale By The Sea VFD Donates Fire Truck To Haiti, Scoops
Posted in Local Politics, Public Safety, Scoops, VFD, local government

A FINAL LOOK BACK AT 2009 …..

Dear Readers …as promised the real retrospective of what happened in LBTS in 2009…Informed readers know that repetition of “fearmongering” by the “gang” cannot pass muster this time around…because nothing goes unchallenged ….What has been posted from daily is an accurate account their own actions and in their own words …

IN 2009….

We heard Calypso’s time was running out prior to the presidential election and in the end it was a no go after communities came together to speak out against it… We saw that the pavilion had a permit problem at the end of 2008 and the start of a unilateral decision made by the Town Manager to change the Forbes design seen only when a rendition was put up causing quite a ruckus that continued on throughout 2009…and continues still…We saw fees increasing at an alarming rate brought forth by the Town Manager and staff through codes and code sweeps…Moe McIntee went “Truth Deflector”…and tried unsuccessfully to remain anonymous as she “slapped” those who called it like it is …Vice Mayor McIntee made a scene at Athena By The Sea and was called out in a letter …with fallout to come…A drowning victim was found on the beach…The CIC called for members to re-up and found their re-up efforts were re-down…Vice Mayor McIntee was now VFD Deputy Chief McIntee despite promises made after his last turn in the same role and breaking the VFD By-laws…The Pelican Hopper was hopping out of money and needed an influx of taxpayer cash…it would come unilaterally from the TM…Height referendums  were discussed at workshops …Palm Club residents were called to come to Jarvis Hall with Vice Mayor Mcintee “pulling a Parker” on them…with false hopes of ” Gold Shovel” federal funds for the sewers…Vice Mayor McIntee went after the Pier sign to take it down …Athena By The Sea owner Louis Marchelos caught his hypo-Crissie on tape and played to a “hissing” response from the Vice Mayor’s wife…In the infamous “Cockroach” exchange…an encounter after the meeting with Mr Marchelos.. a filed McIntee  police report ..The incident was published in and outside of town limits in local newspapers…and in Feb. Moe McIntee had a different version at the podium…(like husband like wife)…Decorum special meeting…The Master Plan Steering Committee began talk of the medians for the south per the Manager’s continued instruction the Oriana million could only be used for that part of El Mar….only to find at years end she was wrong…and the “Gang would” vote in Dec. to spend the million on it anyway…no matter walkers of El Mar and the MPSC do not want it!…

The ribbon cutting for the $2 million dollar Public Safety building…despite the BSO not in…and VFD not allowed to sleep there …Bags finally came off the meters throughout town…The new VFD-ATV  broke …Vice Mayor was caught in the “purchasing” on the repairs /new  apparatus despite a letter to the Fl. Ethics Comm. he did not have any such role…Comm. Silverstone began frequent his freedom of speech “Norm Crosby”/ answering the public comments made act…Joe Couriel thrown out of the meeting called VM McIntee “God”…Vice Mayor McIntee was now called a “Vigilante” in town for patrolling and calling out code violations…Vice Mayor McIntee was proposing his VFD referendum to make the VFD a lifetime public safety provider…Vice Mayor McIntee, Comms. Clottey and Silverstone  wanted to put bathrooms in the alleyway…This writer found out Deerfield Beach was asking for the annual performance review for their Town Manager and began the search to see if TM Colon was to have on as well…The pre-proposal meeting took place for the Waste contract RFP …This writer found a seriously flawed contract brought to the table by the Town Manager and poorly presented by her Asst. TM Olinzock..it contained a requirement for a toter per unit and warnings given verbally that day and posted of the up-rise that would ensue fell on deaf ears…This writer received the Manager’s contract to find an annual performance review was indeed required before the budget was adopted each September…This was just the beginning for that portion of Esther Colon’s contract and for what else she put in it….

We saw 2nd readings of ordinances …go back to the drawing table numerous times…$$$$…boats and Tennis and more…because some commissioners could not do their homework..Comm. Dodd offered up a code of Ethics based on the Miami/ Dade ordinance…and it died as a “2-hats” ordinance from the dais majority…contents buried in it would come back into play later in 2009 with the “cone of silence” lame excuse by the TM who erroneously after she used it to imply the Town had such it on the books …and it wad found we do not…… Broward Commissioner Ken Keechl gave the Welcome Center $20,000 and the TM, and Comm. Clottey tried to take it away from the Chamber’s annual amount for 2010… as the Chamber had to jump through hoops to get the check from the Town…. A look into the audit for this writer brought forth the news that the Town Manager had unilaterally accepted a 3 year $200,000+ contract with the (way too) long Town Auditors after a look back at the video and the minutes showed she was “informing” the commission of her actions never getting a vote and she supplied them with the prior contract with the prior amounts made to the previous commission although the Town had a current packet at that time…Comm. Dodd chased this one down…leading to an ongoing RFP/ITB conflict that later boiled over in July…The new RFP for audit went out at the end of the 2009…Looking forward to the 2010 election and needing new blood in the CIC the majority CIC dais member voted for spending over $50,000 for blacktopping N. Tradewinds despite protestations from other area residents that said there’s was worst……The recipient became a CIC member and a writer to the BTSTimes Editor…. Bel Air and Terra Mar residents were at odds over the way Bel air got its new signs and Terra Mar’s bridge is again pushed to the future…(in the budget for over 5 years).On March 10, 2009 this writer posted an article from the Miami Herald Business section that Mayor Minnet and family had sold a warehouse for $416,340 stating maybe the Mayor could help the Town with their still unsold and never brought back to the dais west side warehouse sale …The Mayor’s warehouse would pop up at the last meeting of 2009 with the Vice Mayor and his anonymous letter where he lied and said she flipped a house for that amount and he had a letter from the not so anonymous letter writer…There is no letter…and the Mayor requested it on Dec. 9th with still no response from the VM…because this was the sale..and again McIntee screwed up his “investigation”…RFP bids were opened for the Waste contract bids..no problems at all reading them “aloud” after being “publicly opened”…but that would change in July anyhow…The last sight of any real number of CIC members were directed to Jarvis Hall after a CIC meeting to “parade” to the podium and support the TM and thwart an annual performance review…..The CIC tried again to have a Town Hall meeting after failing with the 1st one…and failed once more……it was the last one…Planning and Zoning finally sat on the dais to get to some land regulations…(Chap. 30) …and found as the year went on most went un-noticed by the dais..at the end of 2009 another portion is in the works for 2010…ISO had a workshop for the community and no one came except this writer, and the Sentinel and a few commissioners…..Waste Management after the bid opening sent out a last ditch letter to longtime customers…Choice Environmental won the contract …and the “toters” this writer warned about early on…came into play just as predicted..an uprising with the increase of fees as well as cans…The pavilion saw a sinkhole and flooding…renamed “Lake Colon”…..A police chase took place..SWAT teams were in place and a BTSTimes newsflash was at odds to give way to the rumblings of a LBTS Police Dept. from the Mc-Furths…A semi tractor trailer came a rushing down Commercial and ended up at the pavilion and in the news…Later in the year it would be a car chase from Radio Shack and a car on its side at the pavilion….Suddenly majority on the dais began a new “mantra”…”we’re in the black”…although numbers from the multitude of Sun Trust Bank accounts would not be brought forward until right before the 2009-2010 budget in September…A fire in a kitchen condo and a few incident reports at odds with the VM/ Comm. Silverstone’s dais accounts for pats on the back to the Dep. Chief… … McIntee again sat on the dais and spoke of the end of his and Comm. Silverstone’s 2006 Fl. Elections complaint investigation..whitewashing the many “probable cause” findings…

McIntee went after the Mayor still on the Mayor’s  problem with Greenfest…all for a paltry $33 …the cost to the Town must be tenfold at the very least……This continued on even as late as Dec. through  McIntee/ Furth  “minion” and former candidate for Mayor /P&Z Chair Peanuts Wick at 2 public comments …He was “outed” on his intoxication by Comm. Clottey after his “slanderous” comments concerning the Mayor were repeated at public comments in a recap of the Chamber’s Holiday party …The Pier and Athena By The Sea made the New York Times Travel section…along with La Spada  winning Zagats 2009 award later in the year…The Beach Pavilion had their ribbon cutting…and Comm. Clottey though she had no part in the project became the MC…This writer sent her an open letter  to that effect…The project shut down within hours due to faulty siding and continued problems…Thanks to PIO D’Oliveira the backup material for meetings was not to be online on the Town website until the next meeting…Former Mayor Oliver Parker showed up in the news to perhaps run for County Commission against Ken Keechl…Parker would rise up again in the news concerning his run against Bogdanoff…a possible 2nd run for that seat…and later in the year as a BFF to the Furths and Clottey and Moe Mcintee… who sang his praises for keeping decorum as Mayor …and again as a nominee for the Hillsboro Inlet by fast food pal Clottey after she threw Comm.Dodd under the bus……and then he changed his mind per an interview in the Pompano Pelican?…Easter By The Sea took place as a drowning arose and the ATV’s were stationed in the park with the Dep. Chief’s sign front and center…it included mandatory VFD participation at the Mc-Furth led event…July 4th fireworks on the beach began and this years event was filled with appearances of breaking sunshine…non-RFP fireworks…and we hear an accusation by the VM that threw the then-Fire Marshall under the bus for a “Kick-back” to “job” the appearance of bidding on the display from the beach…Turtle and environmental groups were mortified…TM Colon assisted in lack of public notices etc….The noise ordinance began with Comm. Clottey and more “claims” on phone calls of complaint…although no one ever came forward to verify them……and ensued for some months…bringing lots of angry residents and businesses to the podium…and hilariously videoed “field trip” to do a “gotcha” on the entertainment providers… The Vice Mayor went after the Mayor in an orchestrated display with the BTSTimes for her removal from her condo board ……it backfired ..Jay Leno did his “headlines” using the By The Sea Future’s “Town’s Colon wins an award”…The Furths through “besotted, clueless” Clottey had the Anglin monument moved across A1A in order not to interfere with their July 4th extravaganza…McIntee Free Zone signs went out to keep the unwanted first responder on scene for medical/fire calls outside their door…

The Hyperbaric explosion took place while the VM was out of town…BSO had a real hero and the VFD was heroic as well as AMR in an event that touched us all…  The Dep. Chief came back with his usual P.R. overload that was embarrassing  considering the devastation of what took place…Aruba canceled it’s Beach Bash..due to the ongoing noise ordinance /code invasion…The VFD was still feeling their oats when they went on a mutual aid-McIntee free…A suicide took place in Bel Air and the VM broke the VFD By-laws/ first responder and changed the story later in the year when the 1st investigation was posted and printed…It would be active at the end of 2009 still…A ceremony would be held to Hero BSO Deputy John Melbourne for his role in the Hyperbaric explosion…The ISO report came out and the Town retained the same as BSO with a dismal training score under McIntee’s training direction…… The power went out in downtown with 2 electrical fires.in one day…..McIntee faced with a crowded Jarvis Hall withdrew his  call for a permanent VFD referendum…..5 near drownings More riptide encounters brought a flurry of beach incidents..and VM McIntee and his photog Marc Furth put together a powerpoint to show the Beach Patrol in action…another near drowning followed …Bert J.Harris came into play serving the Town with 4 north end properties lined up with lawsuits…Comm. Clottey had her 1st concert series at the Community Church…Marc Furth was tagged as the VM’s personal photog…Chief Gooding came to the podium to address Comm.Clottey’s charges of residents fearing to contact BSO and did not know  then that his days were numbered…Kite surfing was put on the forefront…bringing forth quite a number of agenda item discussions and groups with input for regulations and fees pro and con that in the end went nowhere…Same scenario for lifeguards on the beach…The Mc-Furth gang was talking of  replacing  BSO police……The VFD “Bee Foam” incidents took place ….Beach access was  being used to keep the alleyway closed ….it was introduced yet again in a flawed “traffic study” wrapping that was payback to the Marchelos brothers…and made the news in and outside town limits in print…Doubled up another year with dueling Hurricane events…and a dismal turnout for the Town sponsored one where the soon to be terminated Fire Marshal was thwarted from his speech due to TM fears of questions about the fireworks on the beach…The Scenic Highway was approved for LBTS and neighboring coastal towns……Manatees were beached en’masse and an overzealous Deputy Chief wanted to assist…told to stand down by the experts…he had his 15 minutes to embarrass us all with crass statements made on and off the dais… BSO Chief Gooding was thrown under the bus by TM Colon with a big assist by Clottey, Silverstone and McIntee…after the TM pulled the plug on the long agreed upon BSO renovations… A special meeting was called by the Mayor to a packed room of Chief Gooding supporters… The Town Manager stood her ground…The Vice Mayor was asked for his e-mails in the matter by resident Yann Brandt…Some weeks later  McIntee told constituents from the dais he deleted all 3 1/2 years of emails..He further lied about writing e-mails…and this writer posted many from his past…The VM  proceeded to ask for email from his opposing dais members Mayor Minnet and Comm. Dodd…for payback…going to the State Atty. to get them, the same State Atty. looking into his own lack of e-mails produced…It ended later in the year with the state not wanting to get involved…and only Mayor Minnert turning over the PRR made by the VM through the Town Manager…..the other 2  Mcintee and Dodd are still in a holding pattern…The fallout from the TM termination of Gooding resulted in a talk radio interview “Th Banana Republic of LBTS”…The Furths put on the July 4th event…They were the CIC “Citizens” of the year…small participation by non -CIC members (the few left)…and mandatory for VFD… smaller turnout for the parade/ event in El Prado park…The fireworks were on the beach…with highly accessorized ATVs and VFD Seadoo taking up the center of Town’s fenced of El Prado beachfront…The numbers for the event were “jobbed” something seen again with the Halloween event………Clottey resorted to pull out her “degrees” to stand up against her mounting lack of support in her role to oust the Chief…The TM assisted in buying VM/Dep chief McIntee a brand new red command car…which was as it turned out only his til the year ended…The Town Manager’s contract was posted on this site to show she had a guaranteed $250,000 addition to it if she was fired…unlike the “as is” she required for her staff including the soon to be terminated Fire Marshal Alex Stevenson…The VFD Fire Inspector was given a 2 titled job…Also posted was a side by side comparison of Colon’s contract and her predecessor Baldwin…showing they were nothing alike as she/McIntee and Silverstone insisted for 2 years!….The VFD purchased a $150,000 102′ ladder truck with a big “purchase” assist from the Dep. Chief….and multiple attempts and removals  on the agenda with an offer to the town  to buy it a a reduced rate…after the fact…. Fire assessment and millage were addressed and a unilateral Sun Trust acct. for the VFD Beach Patrol was put in place by the TM after it was found to not be allowed to come from the fire assessed funds as was being done…A goodbye party at Village Grille for outgoing BSO Police Chief Scott Gooding…with Sheriff Lamberti  to sing his praises…No longer were RFP’s read aloud after publicly being opened…in an effort by the TM to stop transparency and accountability in the process…with the info being posted by this writer ….A fallout would ensue after a room full of vendors came and were turned away in Jarvis Hall…with calls of “backroom deals”….Adding to further RFP problems seen in faulty and substandard TM practices for putting out the parking RFPs …resulting in a new low in dealing with “Who’s the Boss” and insulting interested vendors like Chris Hood …with untruthful assertions made   by the “tag team” McIntee and Colon…Fishing from the beach started with an assist from this writer to a comment sent in for help and a directive to come to Jarvis Hall and speak at public comments……the Broom Boys took it as a sign of a new voter and a way to cause yet more trouble for the Marchelos…and eventually despite it was voted in 3-2 despite the will of the people…The Manager left her Finance Director here and went to partake in a basic course at the very place that gives her kudos for her presentations of budget (not the budget itself)…Later in the year after the 1st quarter the new Furth assisted budget book would appear to give her another presentation award in 2009…This writer through a PRR obtained (finally) TM Colon’s resume…in fact 2 were found that showed why she hires from within…it was familiar territory ..as she did not meet the requirements for her 1stposition as well… Another PRR and we found the Manager’s contract was in the 2007 backup…or was it?… Still questionable…leaving the Broom Boys either complicit in the contract or accountable for lack of due diligence…

The old BSO Chief was gone…New BSO Chief  Oscar Llerena was brought in to work with Lt. Angelo Cedeno…..The RFPs went out for the slimmed down BSO renovation…with again the results not being read aloud…extra time and money spent to keep all in the dark with Ocampo and the deadline missed as was required…again swept under the rug……The administration went ahead and changed out the windows in the existing BSO headquarters…The TM bought new vehicles for town and tried unsuccessfully to sell the old…also unsuccessful in selling the development trailer…on its way out…as Minto is allowed trailers across the way with no expiration date…We still we have the warehouse in the west…and no updates on the dais…We finally learned about the money for capital improvements…thanks to Comm.Dodd/Resident Yann Brandt  persistence and the hefty pre-payment penalty thanks to Finance Director Colon’s past direction……we took a financial hit due to the TM secrecy and lack of response for the requests…despite Comm. (He’s not a CPA) Silverstone’s bait and switch attempts to give the TM cover…In a 4-0 vote at the 1st Sept. budget meeting …Clottey was M.I.A. ..the direction was pay it off…TM Colon paid it off the next morning.. with no negotiation… We had the adoption of the annual budget scheduled on Yom Kippur…with fallout and the “slights” spoken by  McIntee and Silverstone that cannot be wiped away…despite McIntee’s action of trying to appease the Town’s Jewish residents by enlisting a  Chabad Rabbi to give the invocation thus  bypassing protocol and going behind the Town Chaplain’s back…There was a unilateral action by Town Administration using a Wilton Manors copied Townwide survey…It out with the politically driven and factually inaccurate question for the townwide height of 33′……The expected dismal response came in…It was used as P.R.in a slanted Town Topics entry at the end of the year…. Comm. Clottey and TM Colon put out an RFP for the Senior Center…bypassing the rest of the commission and treating the center’s Director very badly…In the end the Director was re-upped…there was alot of bad P.R. and less than truthful response for their actions on the dais…and payback from the Manager with not allowing under 60/non- residents from attending after 9 years…at the end of the year petitions are in the works once again……Fees for town went up 5% in 6 months rather than a year…The “Gang” brought some back down to appease their upset supporters…The Town Manager fought back often from the dais saying she will be the “browbeater” of her staff and will not be the “browbeatee”…The TM went after a early candidate for McIntee’s seat early on with a questionable and unconvincing use of the BSO to undermine his podium claims…it failed…The Manager’s performance review consisted in the end of 2 round tables…a special meeting with a “Range Rider” brought in though unfamiliar with the town…and a borrowed  Lauderhill based evaluation  done by 4 of the 5 commission members of the dais…More Referendum workshops …. heights and ethics and lifeguards…Halloween came with alot of unnecessary Mcintee noise …literally…and more “jobbed” numbers of the cost……… Esther’s evaluations of her staff proved she evaluated THEM annually …McIntee tried to get the sewers in front of his house fixed  “anonymously”…and withdrew the item when caught…A number of candidates came forward for the 2010 municipal election to run against the “Broom Boys”….Unite Our Town now the largest growing Town PAC had a fundraiser at Athena By The Sea and an overflowing crowd….The CIC’s was not so plentiful except in the propaganda published after the “it’s a fundraiser …it’s a dinner…it was a fundraiser after all” event in the Surf and Yacht Club whose Board has asked the CIC Chair/BTSTimes Editor Bob Roberts to stop the CIC use.. A meeting set for Jan. 3, 2010 shows Robert’s does not abide by the rules either……Bonnet House was the sight for the ribbon cutting ceremony for A1A scenic Highway….McIntee again tried to get the cul-de-sacs back and go after the “developers” of Garden Court…The VFD sent out a colorful mailed plea for Booster Fund donations claiming they needed the money and saying it was tax deductible…which it is not…a big problem for longtime VFD Registered Agent Comm. Jim Silverstone… McIntee went on a cruise and left the Furths high and dry…as the vote for heights and ethics  went down…and off the 2010 March ballot…It happened in a preview of a whatt a McIntee -free dais can be like…Commissioner Clottey accused political opponents of vandalizing her car…and later it was found she made no police report…McIntee came back and returned to the dais on Dec. 8th with an anonymous ( or was it?) letter accusing the Mayor’s occupation …and ended up with the majority voting to allow for anonymous letters being accepted as long as one commissioner knew the identity……A 1960s evaluation was posted about a certain “Quack” at the beginning of his chosen occupation…. Upon his return from the sea …McIntee chose to throw his Chief of the VFD under the bus…and ran for Fire Chief position himself ready to resign from the commission ( or was he going for both?)……He lost in a landslide… as a complaint made against him for his altercation in Mexico was read and put with 5 others in his permanent file…He is said to have made threats and then went underground…although he attended the CIC- Carribean Christmas party and was promptly welcomed back into the Furth Town East fold…He went away for Christmas only to return a few days before New Years Eve with a TM “oversight” assist to go after the  VFD ….and take down what he said he built… The VFD are seeing support everywhere without him…knowing now his threats were empty and when all said the “problem” was not with the VFD ..it was with their leadership…They really meant it was with McIntee!… The new candidates, Scot Sasser and Chris Vincent were busy going door to door .. Chris had  a Boat Parade fundraiser…and they are way ahead of whomever they run against…The CIC has yet to announce…with word going around McIntee is over…or McIntee is in…Silverstone is not yet finished…or Silverstone will finally put his Fiancee’s wishes first and not run…And Cristie Furth is still trying to ascend to the commission…… Christmas brought a weekend of overflowing garbage /recycling cans…due to a change in the Choice contract…and a myriad of calls that despite the Colon negotiated contract brought Choice out to deal with the lack of oversight…New Years Eve was last night…it was another McIntee- free event.. Fireworks and warm wishes were the universal theme of the night….as the ball dropped and shouts were heard in Pelican Square…”Happy New Year!”..

As the sun finally sets on what looks to be the end of the last year of a 4 year reign of McIntee terror…This writer looks forward to a much different…much shorter year in review next December…coming from a newly elected commission that provides me with nothing much to write about…due to representing the will of  all of the town’s people …openly, honestly and transparently… as the sun rises in 2010!…

more to come….

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea 2009, Lauderdale By The Sea BSO, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Stuart Dodd, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissionr Jim Silverstone, Lauderdale By The Sea Mayor Roseann Minnet, Lauderdale By The Sea Town Maanger Esther Colon, Lauderdale By The Sea VFD, Lauderdale By the Sea Vice Mayor Jerry McIntee, Scoops
Posted in Boards, Civic Organizations, Local Politics, Public Safety, Scoops, VFD, local government

IT’S A WRAP …

Dear Readers …As we countdown the days til Christmas and New Years Eve..it appears to be the calm before the storm… The town as of Sunday…was a little too quiet with patrons, diners and tourists … At Town Hall…the sign on the Senior Center is still in place…and the disdain over it is  far from growing old… The more residents in the south part of town that hear of the McIntee-Silverstone-Clottey vote for the Oriana million for those few south-end medians…are not expected to remain quiet come election time in March … The car burglaries have moved north…last night it was Silver Shores…LOCK  EM’ UP…call BSO and check if anyone has cameras that record ….The renovations are in the works for the BSO portion of the Public Safety Building… Mr. “never met a change order he did not use.”…Walter Keller, the former Town Planner is back with the Broward County Planning Council letter to our Town…and is to address the re-certification process …Thought he was done in this town per McIntee -Silverstone and Colon?… The last day for the commission to put anything on the Jan.12, 2010 agenda is Dec. 30th… In the Dec. 10, 2009 Sentinel was what we too might see in the future with the new VFD leadership in place …an RFP for Pembroke Pines  for “Fire Department Rescue Truck RFP# Fl-09-10…Yep, that’s how it’s done…Public notices in the papers show on Dec. 13th in the Sentinel Request For Qualifications RFQ 09-12-01 for a qualified engineering firm or individuals to submit letters of interest/statement of qualifications for consideration to provide general civil engineering and landscaping services for the design of the FDOT program for the enhancement project FM-418022-1 on SRA1A from Pine Ave to Terra Mar Drive. They have until Jan. 14, 2010 at 2pm at which time they will be publicly opened in Town/Jarvis Hall … but not read aloud …Looks like we have company for March 9, 2010…with Pompano Beach having municipal elections for 3 commissioners  Districts 1,2 and 3…to serve for 2 yr. terms and a Mayor- At Large who serves 3 yr term…In the Dec. 20, 2009 Public Notices in the Sentinel LBTS has 3 …(Invitation To Bid ) ITB 09-12-04 sealed bids for plumbing services agreement 2010 “to be publicly opened and read soon thereafter” on Jan 21st at 2 pm Town/Jarvis  Hall… The second ITB 09-12-03 same as the plumbing…same time to be opened and read…and the 3rd is a RFQ 09-12-02 (Thanks to Commissioner Dodd-to hopefully replace the longtime company we have -prev. posts…and the $200,000 TM unilateral 3 yr. contract) for “proposals from certified public accountants to conduct the Town’s annual audit and its statements and the annual audit and financial statements of the Volunteer Firefighters Pension Fund  notification of interest no later than Jan 7, 2010…sealed bids opened publicly and of course again, not to be read aloud at 2pm Town/Jarvis Hall…This one should be out on the internet as well….BSO arresting a man behind Sea Ranch Club this afternoon…on beach patrol with 2 officers that came from the front of the building…BSO keeping our beaches safe!…In the new Town Topics-AGANDA …Putting a Mc-Silverstone Colon-Furth “spin” on the dismal response to the Townwide survey they actually say by a margin of 2-1 the people are happy with the Town…get real!…They must have used the Comm. Silverstone-(Not a nice guy or a CPA) spread sheet!….The League of Women Voters request for all candidate questions to go directly to them was followed through on cssmith@att.net (prev. post) SORT OF …they still allow them to Town  but…they cannot be anonymous…so therefore the Town will know what your question is !…… The TM went ahead and got a second date for the debates…The 2 dates February 16th and 25th at Jarvis Hall…She did it without the candidates (who do not qualify until Jan 4-11, 2010) input or agreement!..YIKES!…Here’s another question being asked …what has happened to the McIntee memorabilia hung up as an homage to the man in charge in the Public Safety building now that he is down for the count but not completely out?…Was it taken down?…Another one that follows suit……the $1000  Dep Chief ATV sign. has been out of sight…..Perhaps a bon-fire on a cold and chilly night?….Brrrrr..And finally…putting out the fire…with a call today to Pompano Beach Fire Department to the Asst. Fire Chief John Jurgle to ask about the Mc-Truth Deflector led- rumor ( we hear) of a “fear” by Pompano Beach to offer LBTS “mutual aid” now that McIntee has been dethroned …He gave a chuckle and emphatically stated it is not so! …They offer mutual aid to anyone unless they cannot due to being too stacked…and it matters not to them who is in charge of the VFD!… He added I can say I got that straight from the horses mouth!..and that dear readers is a wrap!…

more to come…..

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea ITB, Lauderdale By The Sea RFQ, Lauderdale By The Sea Town Topics, Lauderdale By The Sea VFD, Lauderdaler By The Sea BSO, Laudrdale By The Sea RFP, Scoops
Posted in Local Politics, Public Safety, RFP/BIDS, Scoops, VFD, local government

WITH A CLICK OF THE FOB ….

Dear Readers … Unlike a certain “Clueless” Commissioner….Commissioner Dodd called the LBTS-BSO and made a report after finding his car was vandalized yesterday….Commissioner Dodd did not assume it was from political opponents or their supporters…He apparently had a lot of company in his neighborhood…. The BSO sent out the Cybervisor alert today…… If you don’t have the alerts coming to you….sign up at the link below…If you are unlucky and get an unwanted “visit” to the inside of you vehicle…follow Comm. Dodd’s lead…and call the LBTS-BSO at the number below…and remember LBTS- residents…”Lock em’ up”…

LBTS-BSO CYBERVISION ALERT … sent this afternoon…

“Please help BSO’s LBTS District in combating crime by locking your car doors. We have recently experienced a rash of thefts of small items from unlocked cars in the south side of LBTS. Please report any suspicious persons in your neighborhoods immediately. If you have any questions, contact the district office at (954) 491-3920.”

http://www.sheriff.org/apps/cybervisor/

more to come….

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea BSO, Scoops
Posted in Public Safety, Scoops

A DO IT YOURSELF INVESTIGATION? …

Dear Readers… On Dec. 1st, at the first LBTS Commission meeting of the month Commissioner Clottey hit a new low (even for her) in her Commissioner comments… She made some accusations aimed at the two new candidates for commission and their supporters either due to a complete mental breakdown or at the coaxing of her Town Hall east mentors…. They are left to politically sling mud in the face of something they have not seen in a very long time and they just can’t wrap their warped minds around… opponents with “no guard” attached to their names.. There is nothing to take their political gloves off to demonize…So all that is left for this “Gang” is an all out down and dirty onslaught of fearmongering…at it’s Mc-Furth worst!… This evening started with the opening shots, right out of the gate  with Crisite Furth and her “Hypo-Crissie” public comments (prev. post) and Peanuts (call me Larry) Wick and his incredibly lame attempt to go after the Mayor and Greenfest once again…knowing full well it was put to bed by the dais long ago…and it ended up costing more to taxpayers in Town Atty. legal bills than the amount in question!…But those two were just the opening act for Commissioner Clottey’s comments…

Comm. Clottey ” Ah, election time is good , but it’s also unfortunately in this town and I presume some places else. You know there a lot of strange things that happen. I’m not running for office, but I sure had ah, a lot of strange things happen to me and strange conversations with people. Um, the low point , what I had thought was the low point for me was when I was called a name, a name from a bar room dictionary went not that long ago. But I was wrong, ah there’s a few people that is kind of singling me out for stuff and I don’t think you realize the consequences of your action. I had told ah, people before I was going to be out of town the week before Thanksgiving and I was. And last Tuesday morning I came out and my brand new car which is only a few months old was vandalized and um, what can I say other than my pocketbook is a little lighter. Cause I just went ahead and I paid for that. Ah, to have the damage repaired.”

“Um, the two gentleman sitting in the audience who are running for office, um please, I ask you would you have liked this to happen to your wife, your daughter? Ah, I know that ah, these things happen and it’s not really the candidate’s fault but I’m not running for office folks, I’m not running. I’m not running for office. Um, and it’s really frustrating when something like this happens. I know that all of us who ran last time ah, you know I had over a hundred of my signs disappear. Part, some of them disappeared for just pure kids, I’m sure. But ah, let’s put a stop to this. Let’s everybody who’s running for office let’s kind of tell people you know let’s not engage in this type of activity.Cause I really, you know I was angry for a few days and I told some of my friends what’s next a brick through my window some night! I don’t think it’s gonna get to that but please, let’s please put a damper on it so that things don’t happen like this anymore and with that I yield.”

BC-I turned to Candidate Chris Vincent and saw he was quite shaken by such accusations, and he said he was insulted. I told him she was crazy. I wrote a public records request for a police incident report for this “vandalism” and went to the staff table in the rear of the hall and gave it to the BSO Police Chief. I later told Commissioner Clottey after the meeting that her comments were disgraceful and despicable to accuse the candidates and their supporters. Commissioner Clottey said she did not do that. I told her she needed to go home and watch herself on tape!… What a leap to accuse people of vandalizing her car…She has been on the record and off the record in many conversations with this writer complaining about the late night goings on in her neighborhood. She has complained about perceived illegal activities late at night when she customarily “soaker-hoses” her lawn…She spoke to former Police Chief Scott Gooding about her observations…and was perturbed  by the response she said she received. This writer knew she “had it in” for Chief Gooding long before the Town Manager joined her  and terminated him…Just this evening the Commissioner complained of the weekly renters and what it brings to her neighborhood…Did it not enter her mind that it could have been due to them?… The BSO has had car vandalism incidents throughout the town…Could it have been a random act done to the commissioner’s car as it was to the others?… Perhaps  Commissioner Clottey did not know or think of it for two reasons…She did not read her backup from the Dec 1st meeting showing an increase in the BSO monthly report and Commissioner Clottey NEVER called the LBTS-BSO police to report the “vandalism” to her car!…The e-mails and Town memo below will confirm this elected official who is known for her past embarrassing and ridiculous dais statements about people being afraid to call the BSO and her own pleas for people to do so, did not follow what anyone who was impacted with such a “crime” would do…call the local police to come to the scene, take a report and investigate!…

…………………………………………………………………..

From: ” LLerena, Oscar ”
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 15:26:04 -0500
To: Barbara Cole
Cc: Cedeno, Angelo
Subject: Public Records Request

Ms. Cole,

In response to your public records request given to me on 12/01/09, we have no record of any reports made to the BSO LBTS District involving damage to Commissioner Clottey’s vehicle.

Please contact me if you require additional information.

Chief Oscar Llerena
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea District
Broward Sheriff’s Office
(954) 491-3920 Office
(954) 650-0069 Cellular

From: barbarafcole@yahoo.com [mailto:barbarafcole@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 3:46 PM
To: LLerena, Oscar
Subject: Re: Public Records Request

Thank you Chief,
I would like to follow up with a question and two requests.
My question is should a Commissioner- resident report car vandalism to the BSO as a standard practice in order to allow an investigation?
My first request is for any request or inquiry from any member of the Town Administration/ staff to look into the matter as was done in the Malkoon situation a few months ago.
I also request any request or inquiry now or in the future from Comm. Clottey.
Thank you, Barbara Cole

From: “LLerena, Oscar”
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 15:59:10 -0500
To:
Subject: RE: Public Records Request

We have always strongly encouraged any resident to report any incident they believe is suspicious or criminal in nature. Town administration directed me to ensure that I was aware of her statement at the commission meeting and that the issue be handled appropriately. I will satisfy your last request if any public records are generated as a result of this incident.

Chief Oscar Llerena
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea District
Broward Sheriff’s Office
(954) 491-3920 Office
(954) 650-0069 Cellular

Re: Public Records Request
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 4:08 PM
From:
“barbarafcole@yahoo.com”
To:
“LLerena, Oscar”
Thank you for your prompt response.
I appreciate the difficulty placed on the BSO when you are not properly informed of such an occurrence in town.
I am sure it is more so when an elected official is involved and is the one who does not inform or rely on your expertise to assist in a crime within your jurisdiction.
Please know the majority of the residents in town know the important role you and your department play each and everyday in providing us first class public safety.
Barbara Cole

…………………………………………………..

A memo was sent on Dec 3, 2009 from the Town Manager to the commissioners concerning Comm. Clottey’s car…

“Please note that there is no record of any reports made to the BSO LBTS District involving damage to Commissioner Clottey’s vehicle. Thank you EC/mi”

……………………………………………………

Dear Readers, we have a serious problem here. We have an elected official who has falsely accused her constituents of a very serious act while on the dais. We have an elected official who has lost all credibility in casting such aspersions while not following through by reporting this incident to the proper authorities to get to the bottom of it. Did anybody see the damage? Was there an insurance claim made by Comm. Clottey?… I have many doubts about her ability to sit on the dais,…and I can also tell you emphatically, candidate Clottey may have lost a few signs, as did the candidates on both sides …but her claim…”I had over a hundred of my signs disappear.”…is pure fantasy…There was no police report on that one either!…

Where do we go from here?… Unfortunately, in my opinion, we can expect much more of the same strange behavior…..Comm. Clottey will no doubt continue to embarrass us and be be truly clueless…

As she said, she’s not running…she’s not running, folks….but she will still be up there for two very long years to come…

more to come…

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Casting Political Aspersions, Lauderdale By The Sea Commission meeting 12-1-2009, Laudrdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Scoops
Posted in LBTS Agendas/Meetings, Local Politics, Public Safety, Scoops, local government

KEEPING OUR TOWN SAFE AND INFORMED …

From the left: Col. Bill Johansen (COP program),Maj. Louis Barbara (COP program),Chief Oscar Llerena, Lt. Angelo Cedeno, Sgt. Doug Brown

Dear Readers…The scoop was “reported” by many of those who participated in the BSO Police Town Hall Forum Thursday evening…It was not a very big crowd, 20 +….most likely due to 3 days of events…back to back and a political event in Fort Lauderdale taking place at the same time … The Dept. put on a very informative presentation, covering I.D. theft, Cybervision, lock security tips, bicycle safety, “slam the door on scams” for those strangers that appear at your front door, personal property safety tips…don’t leave anything in the car, and gentle reminders for always being aware of your surroundings…It is most unfortunate it was not being televised for those who were unable to attend  and to re-broadcast for a larger audience to see and hear their local public safety provider…Those who did attend were  comprised of Town Manager Colon, ( Did she stay at an unknown local motel, paying out of her own pocket?)…4 out of 5 LBTS elected officials …Mayor Minnet, Comm. Silverstone, Comm. Dodd, and  Comm. Clottey …(yep, Clottey came)……We heard she tried to find something nice to say about the police after her less than stellar accusations of fear  residents have in calling the police and “those people”…the homeless …( she tripped over one of “those”)… who she says are sleeping in our parks on the benches and sleeping on our beaches…..She needed to go back 12 years to recount “a snake in her kitchen” with BSO coming to save the day!…Vice Mayor McIntee made his whereabouts apparent with the lights shining toward Jarvis Hall from the VFD Thursday night drill across  A1A…..Candidates for Commission Chris Vincent, Scot Sasser, and Edmund Malkoon, came to support their support for the  BSO ……..The local newspaper Editors from both LBTS papers were there, to write, take photos and we hear participate in the Q & A… BTSTimes Editor Marc Furth was said to have talked more than anyone recalls in quite a some time …(prev. post from a past MPSC meeting may have been the last such occurrence)…What was he up to?…Consensus was…perhaps he bending over backward to show support for the BSO?…Uber political posturing…Don’t believe it!…This is the same Marc Furth who told a resident the BSO would be out and was said to be “enlisting” several BSO officers to go private in the near future!…We hear BTSFuture Editor Mark Brown asked about the panhandling he sees at the intersections throughout Broward County and was interested in why we have none here in town…Apparently to counter him, his local news advisory, Marc Furth said something to the effect that he makes a point to give money to the homeless at the intersections…believing it keeps them stealing!…(Well, it’s not quite an Arsenio Hall comment!)…We also heard that BTSTimes Editor Cristie Furth asked a Clottey type question about the motel behind Town Hall East (where do you all think Clottey comes up with her “material”?)….. Someone from the Mc-Furth contingency …”gang”…or “patronage army” buddies took it upon themselves (we hear)  to remove the Mayor’s nameplate from sight on the dais…showing more of what we witnessed from the public comments lineup last Tuesday night…poor form and the start of political mischief after the Mayor declared she’s going for 2 more years!..Also in the hall were some residents… and local business owners…

In spite of some apparent  pre-election posturing and the overbooked week of nightly events definitely cutting down on the expected attendance for this evening…one thing all who reported back to this writer agreed upon, our LBTS BSO Police Dept. certainly does serve this town with “pride in service with integrity”!

more to come….

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea BSO Police, Scoops
Posted in Local Politics, Public Safety, Scoops, local government

ONE SIZE FITS ALL ….

Dear Readers … Hot off her senseless browbeating of Mr. Hood from IyeTek …(red light tickets, red light tickets, red light tickets)…and her sudden interest in rotating the appointment on the Hillsboro Inlet, Clueless Commissioner Clottey has truly gone awry in her items placed on the November 10, 2009 Regular Commission meeting…

First up under the Consent Agenda …12a. is the award of the newly named Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Recreational and Senior Center Services…which went out for RFP due to Comm. Clottey (prev. post)… We are left after this colossal waste of time and money with the same well liked and appreciated Director we have had in charge of the Senior Center Service being the only respondent…The Director thanks to Clottey-Colon was treated very badly…He was put in the position of  putting together the RFP, after he was asked by the Town for a “job description” ..basically, the Town “lifted” it to look for his potential replacement!… Also the Director is now  left with running the  additional recreational program with no extra pay!…. Not only was the Director put through this stressful and demeaning situation for no reason (excuses made of RFPs required  for everything are just a  “payback to Comm. Dodd”  ploy)… …The last time Commissioner Clottey spoke about this she said the center was supposed to be for those 65 and older, with a certain percentage to be in need, economically  and there is supposed to be field trips…One resident in the hall was astonished at her declarations and said…”She’s going to kill the Senior Center!”… The Director has a Broward County audit each year and is following the guidelines…The dual funding allows for 62 and younger and there is no wrongdoing of any sort…except …what he has endured!…

Next comes Consent Agenda item 12c.  “Place an announcement on the website and channel 78 requesting residents who are interested in serving on the Hillsboro Inlet Commission to submit their application by December 1, 2009 (Commissioner Clottey)”…A look at her opening  comments on Oct. 27th show Comm. Clottey saying she has heard from a couple of people who are interested in the position!… She  said this position should be “rotated” …..comparing it to the AMR/ Broward County League  of Cities positions……something that has not been done with the Hillsboro appointment in the past!… It looks like Clottey is having more of those loony BSO -like calls when she said people were afraid to call the police!… We hear even her supporters have called her on this action of “payback” on behalf of  the Mc-Furths… OUCH!… Comm. Clottey chose to use this embarrassing item to further embarrass herself with a new business item….

New Business item 16h. “Discussion and or action regarding: At the last Commission meeting when I was speaking on the last item, Mrs Barbara Cole called me “inappropriate words”. This goes way beyond a person’s freedom of speech rights. People acting like this should be removed from the meeting immediately and asked not to return to the next meeting”. (Commissioner Clottey).. OY VEY!…I suppose she is speaking of the Hillsboro Inlet Appointee…. I never said anything “inappropriate”…No profanity …NOPE!.. I shook my head in disbelief… I did say  “shameful”…and “despicable”…but in light of Comm. Clottey’s treatment of  Mr. Hood, Mr Smith and Mr. Dodd…in this writer’s opinion, I would say the responses were well within my “freedom of speech” and 100% “appropriate”!… Hmmm…..I feel like Fox News to the Obama Administration….. I must be doing something right!… And the Commissioner must be getting some of that Colon thin skin!…In 2007 former Town Atty. Cherof advised Commissioners are to put on agenda items that are dealing with Town business…Why no such advice from the present Town Atty.?…

Old Business items brought back by Commissioner Clottey …encroachments on public property…Comm. Clottey, last go round thought it was ok for the planter in front of the news stand business but the table and chair in the breezeway on Commercial…nah, they should have to pay!… Now thanks to the business code sweeps it will be a pick and choose for who is allowed the “privilege” of “encroaching” on town property… “Shades” of who you gonna vote for in 2010 comes to mind as a criteria…YIKES!…Up  in front of the Commission again is Garden Court and Shore Court ( a look at the archives shows these developments  have  been going in front of the town commission since 2007)….Also making a return Atty. Grant Smith…who as many noticed in the Sentinel was front and center in the Rothstein case sitting with Rothstein’s Partner in the Broward County courtroom… One can only imagine the tone to come from Clottey  and Vice Mayor McIntee… Ear plugs may be required…and for this writer I’ll bring my neck brace to keep from “inappropriately” having whiplash!…

New Business item 16g…”Discussion and/ or action regarding homeless people in our beach access areas, especially in Washintonia Beach Park. LBTS should have posted signs indicating how long and when people can linger a each of the portals and Pavilion. No sleeping should be allowed on the benches (commissioner Clottey)”… WOW!… Someone should contact the advocates for the Broward’s homeless… It was only last month when discussing the fishing on the beach ordinance that Comm. Clottey said she had nearly “tripped over one of THOSE people” when speaking of the homeless…and now she says they’re sleeping in our town!… Great P.R. Comm. that’s gotta help our tourism!… Wait a minute though, Hmmm…. At the last commission meeting Town Manager Colon told us all of the new 10 hour shifts for the BSO Police and how the town was successfully being covered…Hmmm… Perhaps Comm. Clottey is going for another round of LBTS-BSO bashing.. WHACK-O!…. One reader had a great idea… I shall pass on…How about putting parking meters in the parks and in the portals…timed and ticketed!…LOVE IT!…

New Business item 16 i “Discussion and/or action regarding a contest for a new slogan (Commisioner Clottey)… Yet another Furth -induced item on this agenda……This past year the BTSTimes tried to get this “LBTS Slogan contest” off the ground in their “Flashback” newspaper… those who are not so easily besotted…in the wee hours of the night at Town Hall East…were not amused!… The Town has a slogan…But  listen folks…perhaps Comm. Clottey inadvertently came up with perfect new slogan without even knowing it from her NB item g…..new LBTS slogan for LBTS in 2010….”LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, WHERE PEOPLE COME TO LINGER”!…or….”LINGER -BY-THE-SEA”!…

Boy, do I wish I could go back in time…I ‘m wishing for a do-over….We could have changed history..Yep, we could have… If only… we (Candidate Stuart Dodd and I ) had listened to MacMillan  et al….and followed through with their directives to tell Birute Clottey, she needed to step aside for Bob Eckblad… If we had and she had walked away… after Mr. Eckblad had his change of heart…and the reality of not having a CIC member in sight to run from the north end of town….It would have been an uncontested win for former Commissioner Clark… If only I knew then what I knew now….it could have been so different……

2 more years of this Commissioner…without a new majority on the dais…Somebody get the straitjackets, one size fits all!…

LBTS Nov. 10, 2009 back-up agenda… http://www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov/town/backup2009.htm

more to come…

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Senior Center RFP, Lauderdale By The Sea BSO, Lauderdale By The Sea Commissioner Birute Clottey, Lauderdale By The Sea Hillsboro Inlet Appointee, Lauderdale By The Sea Homeless, Lauderdale By The Sea Nov.10 2009 Commission Meeting, Lauderdale By The Sea Town Manger Esther Colon, Scoops
Posted in LBTS Agendas/Meetings, Local Politics, Public Safety, RFP/BIDS, Scoops, local government

“SNAKES”  AND LADDERS ….

Snakes and Ladders originated in India as a game based on morality called Vaikuntapaali or Paramapada Sopanam (the ladder to salvation).This game made its way to England, and was eventually introduced in the United States of America by game pioneer Milton Bradley in 1943.

The game was played widely in ancient India by the name of Moksha Patamu, the earliest known Jain version Gyanbazi dating back to 16th century. The game was called “Leela” – and reflected the Hinduism consciousness around everyday life. Impressed by the ideals behind the game, a newer version was introduced in Victorian England in 1892, possibly by John Jacques of Jacques of London.

Moksha Patamu was perhaps invented by Hindu spiritual teachers to teach children about the effects of good deeds as opposed to bad deeds. The ladders represented virtues such as generosity, faith, humility, etc., and the snakes represented vices such as lust, anger, murder, theft, etc. The moral of the game was that a person can attain salvation (Moksha) through performing good deeds whereas by doing evil one takes rebirth in lower forms of life (Patamu). The number of ladders was less than the number of snakes as a reminder that treading the path of good is very difficult compared to committing sins. Presumably the number “100″ represented Moksha (Salvation).

The squares of virtue on the original game are Faith (12), Reliability (51), Generosity (57), Knowledge (76), Asceticism (78); the squares of evil are Disobedience (41), Vanity (44), Vulgarity (49), Theft (52), Lying (58), Drunkenness (62), Debt (69), Rage (84), Greed (92), Pride (95), Murder (73) and Lust (99)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_and_ladders

Dear Reader … Hmmmm…..”SNAKES”…. We hear Vice Mayor McIntee has turned over a partial payment for the Dodd e-mail (the fishing expedition as Comm. Dodd refers to it)…that was only the cost of the paper but not the hours of labor it took…the charges for labor are appropriate and coincide with hours charged by the town itself to this writer and others making public records requests…it is in line with state statutes… Comm. Dodd has complied with his duty to this political “payback”…and now the ball is in McIntee’s court…pay up or go back to the State Atty. and let them decide!… Comm. Dodd is all on board with either choice the Vice Mayor makes…but Dodd will stand his ground until either option is taken!….

The lights are finally on in El Prado Park…but if residents and tourists felt safer with the brightness…forget about it!… Why?… Well let’s start with this…If you had a 102′ ladder truck and you were going to use it for a drill …where would you take it?… No idea?…How about using it on the Minto sales trailer…then get a bunch of your guys up there on the trailer roof …and start shooting the water from the hose in the park!… We saw a few park passerbys…..run for safety!…

Lots of talk about the VFD shed to be placed on the beach  for the Seadoo (s)….The Vice Mayor spoke about last commission meeting and many wonder where …how …and why?… A look at the powerpoint presentation the Vice Mayor gave when we had the beach rescue showed the Seadoo was of no help at all in the rescue!…

The 102′ Tower Ladder truck is back with new lettering (now that the 2nd year checks are filling the VFD diminished coffers once again)…and it is sticking out in front of the canopy due to the incredible number of VFD  apparatus in the first year alone…acquisitions of apparatus and upgrades (sirens, lights, signs) are a monthly event that keeps that VFD credit card sliding through the credit card machines at a record pace…

We hear the Dep Chief (McIntee) carries his own…for gas…BJ’s and other “purchases”he makes riding around in his new commander car… despite his pre-election for VFD Officer letter last year to the Fl. Ethics Commission that his position would have nothing to do with purchasing!… (He admitted such involvement on the dais with the trucks …and we saw his name on invoices for the canopy and the ATV repairs)….And many voters wonder why the Fl. State Ethics Commission is not enough for local ethics enforcement!…

Still awaiting the answer for how you average response time to fire call in 15 seconds…that is what the VFD Fire Chief had for the month of September….Maybe that’s why McIntee is trying to replace him?… We hear McIntee has someone else in mind to be Chief to his re-election for Dep. Chief…Hmmm. could it be due a faster response time than McIntee…some funny averages that don’t add up to the CAD reports…or maybe the bloom is off the rose for Perkins being “Little Chief”…because “Little Chief” has been caught with “Big Mouth” when out of earshot of “Big Chief” McIntee?…

It’s quiet in our town…at the restaurants…and the hotels… and it is up to the businesses to unite and realize that they need to join together for the next election… If we have a “Broom Boys” clarify the 33′ height limit re-election…the town will continue to decline… and not just in the townwide height limit……Don’t be afraid of the dwindling CIC-Mc-Furths…be afraid of the dwindling downtown and tourism!…

Tomorrow is the 1st Saturday of the month and the Chamber of Commerce will have its 2nd Beach Cleanup at 9 am at the Beach Pavilion… gloves and bags provided…and supporters of the Chamber… the businesses …and the beach will be there ….

Have you seen the BSO out on their new ATV…it’s a presence on El Mar and on the beach that more than makes up for the void witnessed from the VFD ATVs!… And guess what people comment on the most….the BSO doesn’t stop to politic or hand out business cards and lollipops!… People are pleased!…Nice!…

BIG….BIG… BIG….The BIG By-The-Sea-Future is out today BIG TIME ….and full of some BIG…BIG  surprises!… And its grown…to 16 BIG pages…due to what it offers…in BIG time-ly concise reliable content…BIG advertisers…and a BIG readership 4 months away from this BIG all important election in town!… (more on this to come)….It’s BIG!…

The Town Agenda is out later today…for the one and only commission meeting in November …on Tuesday the 10th at 7 pm……a day after the Master Plan Steering Committee/ Commission workshop on  Monday November 9th at 5:30….The UOT Fundraiser is on Wed. November 11th at Athena By The Sea 6-9 pm….BSO  Lauderdale by the Sea Police Town Hall Forum November 12, 2009 …….

The March 9, 2010 Referendum dates…1st Ordinance reading is Dec. 1st at the 1st Reg. Comm. meeting of the month / 2nd Ordinance reading is Dec. 8th at the 2nd Reg. Comm. meeting of the month ….Very quick turnaround between the 1st and 2nd…leaving the Town commission majority with a big assist from the Town Atty and Town Manager to skew those all important 75 words…This writer again holds out hope…NO REFERENDUMS!… Let the “Broom Boys”…run on their record…no “clarification”…no “ethnics”..(Jimmy-boy speak for the ethics referendum)… just accountability for their actions on  and off the dais!….

more to come….

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea 2010 Referendums, Lauderdale By The Sea BSO, Lauderdale By The Sea By-The-Sea- Future, Lauderdale By The Sea Chamber Of Commerce Beach Cleanup, Lauderdale By The Sea Commisioner Stuart Dodd, Lauderdale By The Sea e-mails, Lauderdale By The Sea VFD, Lauderdale By the Sea Vice Mayor Jerry McIntee, Scoops
Posted in Local Politics, Public Safety, Scoops, VFD, local government

Candidate Chris Vincent and daughter Paige Halloween 2009… Jarvis Hall

Chris and Paige as they entered the Halloween Trick or Treat maze in the park….

Paige Vincent and Debbie from Village Grille at the Grille’s table in the Halloween Maze…

Candidate Edmund Malkoon at Halloween with the “Gorilla Fireman”

Candidate Malkoon with Judge Shapiro and wife at the 11th annual LBTS Craft Festival

Dear Readers…while many residents were none to pleased by the booming noise from half past 6 to almost 9 pm…(about that noise ordinance?)  rudely coming to their neck of the “village” last night …and this writer previously posted of the underhanded political insertion of the CIC (PAC)/ BTSTimes/ Commissioner Silverstone banners that went along with  the Vice Mayor’s noise pollution and the overwhelming and disturbing VFD truck lights glaring towards the park……luckily the kids were oblivious to the Mc-Furth political antics…and were pleased as punch by the abundance of candy handed out in the maze……the scary sights in the Jarvis Hall, the face painting…the games on the portico  (the scary white “IT”  provoked some immediate hand holding by parents but out of the costume “IT” produces the same result by many adults)…the cookies,  the haunted house, Count Dracula and of course the contests for best costume… all first rate …for the kids of all ages…

We were quite surprised by the numbers of those in Jarvis Hall which exceeded the allowed numbers per fire code…and outside beyond the fun and games…some pre-planning was amiss on behalf of those who put on this event… Something to consider for the next year…As we left the event and walked towards El Mar Drive…we faced darkness…But at least we were familiar with the area…For the visitors it was scary alright …The were cast into another unexpected maze …the maze of leaving the town…Why are there no lights in El Prado Park?…I’ve posted this before…Those orange lights were supposed to be turtle friendly…(they are the same as Minto/Oriana, who had lights on)… People leaving the El Prado parking lot turned right  on El Mar Drive …only to find themselves blocked off from the craft fair …..as they were approaching the square…and being just as dark there and the tight turn to go back…confusion ensued… It would have been nice if the event coordinator and the event chairs would have used the VFD  members (their attendance was mandatory per DP 12 [McIntee] )…to cover traffic flow…as it seemed the Town and the event chairs/coordinators did not work out a plan with BSO to provide traffic control…..On top of that we hear parking patrol was giving out tickets for metered parking last night…very confusing…free parking along El Mar Drive and tickets at the meters…This should have been a free parking weekend.. Expect a lot of disgruntled visitor complaints coming from those who received the tickets…Hmmm…. seems writing them out by hand did impede this parking officer in the least!…( despite the assertions made at the Parking Citation  Processing RFP on the 27th)… The Craft Festival needs to be on a different weekend next year… Besides the traffic snafu, it did decrease business at the restaurants and their Halloween events…That’s an easy fix we assume…

In conclusion, this writer is all for the Halloween event to continue next year…but with a few changes…No politics… No closing the hall for 3 weeks….it’s unnecessary if the Haunted hallway and rooms were mapped out and put up a the same…( even Disney World sticks with the same set-up, and the kids don’t even notice)….No weeks of decorations in the hall to mar the commission meetings forever on video that precede the event in October……The hall can be put together in a couple of days…(just like the VFD Ball a few years back)…No VFD  except to have a table and help voluntarily….They too were used “politically”by the “Gang”……The LBTS-VFD  will remain the town’s fire department no matter who wins in March …They are a non- political issue in this election… (ethics referendum or not)…. …The only one who wants to make them an issue is the Vice Mayor to ensure he keeps control of the department by using fear of their demise ……The VFD  did not need to pull out all their equipment…with the blinding lights….it had nothing to do with Halloween..Nothing!…(4th of July …yes…..Halloween, get real!)…

And one last comment…to the voters…Halloween went on before the last 2 years and the new Mc-Furth “Gang” majority…and Halloween will continue on with a change in the majority on the dais…just as Easter, Christmas and 4th of July…No one …and no one group is ever irreplaceable….anyone who thinks otherwise…well, that folks…is really scary!….

more to come…

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Candidate Chris Vincent, Lauderdale By The Sea Candidate Edmund Malkoon, Lauderdale By The Sea Halloween 2009, Scoops
Posted in Local Politics, Public Safety, Scoops, VFD

BSO PATROL ON LBTS BEACH … (below)

BSO LT. ANGELO CEDENO CHECKS OUT THE NEW BSO ATV (below)

LBTS- BSO received their new ATV yesterday….another way to protect our beaches …

more to come….

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea BSO, Lauderdale By The Sea Lt. Cedeno, Scoops
Posted in Public Safety, Scoops