‘THIS IS TOO MUCH”…Town Manager Esther Colon 4/13/10…
Dear Readers … one day after the April 13th Regular Commission Meeting and there’s a buzz going around…Last night Town Manager Esther Colon became the “Incredible Shrinking Woman”…on the dais…She tried all her bag of tricks……she was evasive…she passed the buck onto her staff……she played the victim…and she got combative…but still she had no traction…This time she was not in the cat bird seat this night…She certainly wasn’t the cat that ate the canary…if anything she was finally “caged” and made to face the music…in needing to respond to questions asked!…. As the evening wore on it was as though she was shrinking in her seat at the far end of the dais…right before our eyes…no longer in control!…Last time we saw this happen was with the demise of her pals McIntee…Silverstone…and Furth….It’s time for her to go…in this writer’s opinion … with these latest revelations…revealed the Audit Committee…the Audit RFP…and the Consultant’s Competitive Negotiation Act….. one month into the new commission’s term!…
No response yet from the newly named “external Finance Director” who was said to be the 3rd participating member of the LBTS Audit Committee for the Audit RFQ…(Finance Director Christopher Wallace of West Park)…A PRR must be answered and from his Town bio…(prev. post)…I cannot believe he would disregard it…
Also in the aftermath… we heard lots of questions about the Public Safety statements made by Steve Paine VFD Volly-Code Official-Fire Inspector-Marshal…and VFD Chief Bob Perkins…along with the report concerning the gas leak on April 7th…Some in the know say Chief Perkins may have gotten himself in hot water by stating at the podium he passed on command to Paine during the Hazmat call…We are being told that it is required that the senior officer is the highest ranking officer in a Hazmat event!… Other questions arising from the presentation were on the Hazmat call itself…Was it an over reaction to a smell?..Why no report of the level of gas found by the Hazmat team and no BSO Hazmat report?… What kind of gas was it?..First it was propane according to the LBTS “Media Release”..and then it was methane according to Inspector Paine last night…We are being told the building would have natural gas … As for the chained doors we are told that should never be allowed …that there is a principal in fire inspections that even burglars and arsonists should be able to open an exit door!…There should have been a key located in a knox box as required by code…(the VFD is supposed to have a list with such entry infofor all buildings in town)…The flimsy cardboard left on the broken door was also wrong to allow when securing a building..Tthere are contractors on call with a rotating list like tow trucks who come and board up a scene…And finally those who know say the VFD and the Fire Marshal need to be required to show the Commission the protocol they are operating under …as a department…along with Town and County protocol …None of that was forthcoming in the presentation…… The Davie incident Paine spoke about was from welding gasses, acetylene and oxygen… Oversight should have been in place from the non-voting member of the VFD Board…Town Manager Colon…
Speaking of the VFD …it was sad to hear today that a longtime former member and former Chief wanted to return and we are told some leftover McIntee followers voted to keep him out…It is a loss for the department …a loss for the Town and a loss of confidence to those who support and donate to the VFD…who believed them when they said all are welcome to join and serve their Town…Where was former Comm. Silverstone when this went down?… It was he who spoke loudest of giving back to the Town….Reconsideration should be done on this one!…….
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Tomorrow is the funeral for Costantino Marchelos….
“Marchelos, Costantino, of Lauderdale by the Sea, FL, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family April 10. 2010. Constantine was known as Costas, Gus, and Papou, Charlie, Taki. Costas was born on the beautiful Island of Cephallonia, Greece, July 26, 1926. He was the breadwinner and protector of his family since he was 10 years old. Costas survived the German invasion of Hitler and the Italian invasion of Mussolini on Cephallonia. Constantinos was a freedom fighter and transported ammunition and supplies in the night to save his island from the German invasion. Costas was a superior tank commander training to be a captain at sea. Costas decided to start a new life in America. Costas was a master chef, owner and operator of numerous restaurants in the metropolitan area of NYC. Retired to Lauderdale by the sea. After 40 days in retirement he decided to use his expertise and knowledge and opened the Sea Ranch Diner with the help of family and tradition continued in the family business. The expansion contributed to the opening of Athena by the Sea, with his expertise in cooking and knowledge of training his family the secrets of cooking and caring for his customers, Costas legacy will survive in the New Anglins Beach Caf located on the Anglins fishing pier. Costas is survived by his wife, Vasiliki, of 55 years; and his children, Adrianne, son-in-law, Nick, Spiro and Nikki, Elias and Martha; grandchildren, Irene and Tommy, Vasiliki Victoria, Marionna and Stephanie; and his brothers, in Greece, Captain Gerassimos his wife Eftrepi; Vasilios and wife Joya, Panagis and Popi; his brothers-in-law, John and Jerry Bekios and his sister-in-law, Helen Vasilakis; and extended family throughout New York and Greece. Gus will be greatly missed by his whole family and all his close friends. Viewing April 15, 2010, 9 to 11 a.m., at the Baird Case Funeral Home, 4343 N. Federal Hwy., Oakland, FL 33308. Prayer service and funeral to follow at St. Demetrios Church, 815 15th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Constantine & Helen Church in Karavados, Kefallonia, Greece. Please send donations to Athena by the Sea, 4400 Ocean Dr., Lauderdale by the Sea FL 33308, so we can process it and send it to Kefalonia, Greece.”
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sunsentinel/
more to come…..
Tags: Constantine Marchelos, Lauderdale By The Sea Gas Leak Incident Questions, Lauderdale By The Sea Town Manager Esther Colon, Lauderdale By The Sea VFD Not Welcoming Former VFD Back To Serve?, LBTS Agendas/Meetings, local government, Local Politics, Scoops, VFD
