GADSBY GIVES TOWN GOBS OF VISITORS TO TOWN YET AGAIN ….
BC-Looks like Dave Gadsby’s Village Grill & Pub Event for the Patriots vs the Dolphins…brought the die-hard fans in town once again in large..large numbers… A plus for all …
We hear Vice Mayor Dodd has put on the Oct. Roundtable agenda for Oct. 26th the Entertainment District he put on when sitting on the dais as a lone supporter while Comm. …. With the VM’s record thus far since the March 2010 election and the new Comm./Admin. it’s a sure bet …he will be a winner on this one just as he has been for all the other agenda items shot down prior and now either in place or in progress!… Reader’s may recall …BSO was supportive of this idea as well… And with a future that should include … wider sidewalks…an easier wider turn around at the end of Commercial by the pavilion…the new permanent access from the Pier parking lot…..wider sidewalks…sidewalk cafes…the possible removal of business parking requirements….and the correct drainage to remove Lake Colon (VM Dodd has put the drainage back on to address as well after seeing Lake Colon a few weeks back) …it makes sense…
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LBTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL FISH FRY … REELS IN THE RESIDENTS /BUSINESSES ….
Residents Loyola Gray, Regis Brady,Vito Chiarello, Ex. Director of the Chamber Judy Swaggerty, Asst. Town Manager Bud Bentley & wife,Diana & Ken Kuglar
Chamber President Paul Novak addresses the crowd
BC- next up for the Chamber of Commerce …the LBTS Art/Craft fair at the end of the month …Oct. 30 & 31st….
Statistics for Sept….
Sept./ YTD /9/09
Walk-Ins 737/ 12,787 /638
Visitor Guides Mailed 90/ 2,010 /180
Various Ad Responses 6/ 114
Diving Inquiries 20/ 505/ 43
Relocation Inquiries 17 /188/ 26
Car Rental Inquiries 32/ 579/ 48
Room Inquiries 98 /1,323 /128
Total Traffic 1,000/ 17,506/ 1,063
Website Hits 8,166 /90,007 /8,023
Memberships Renewed 205
New Memberships 5/ 37/ 3
Non-Renewals 40
Pre-paid 2009/10 /11
Businesses Closed 9
Total Membership 204
Want more info/ or a LBTS-Chamber of Commerce gift online? …. http://www.lbts.com/chamber.html
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LBTS-VFD CHANGES LEADERSHIP …. BUT RETAINS OLD HABITS? …..
On Oct. 1st the leadership of the LBTS-VFD changed over to those voted in last month…. or did it?… We hear former Deputy Chief Joe Padder may have been appointed by the new Chief as Asst. Chief of the VFD despite the fact the members voted for his opponent John Louvaris to be Deputy Chief.. Hmmm. While there are questions on Louvaris being able to be a leader while still facing a court appearance (unless charges were dropped) …we were informed by past VFD he could return as a member while awaiting that trial…but not back in his former post as Bazillion Chief…In any event …his opponent is now placed above him in the chain of command?… Not only that but how can you be Asst. Chief and Pres. of the Board?… That’s not all…we hear that while the ladder truck has come back ( the “Big Kahuna” has been removed we are told) ….after a long time out for service…last Thurs. night while training one member (Rosa the Tomato lady’s son) who is also a Town employee (parking enforcement) was injured while on the ladder and taken to the hospital …He was there for a few hours and released we are told… On Friday, residents were taken aback to see a new truck by the VFD and lots of picture taking… Quite alarming to taxpayers who had just read (prev. post) that the Town appointed auditor stated the LBTS-VFD did not need any new trucks as well as those of us who sat through the budget last week and were told there would be an apparatus account for future purchases of trucks…VM Dodd made it clear the Commission did not want any more surprises from the VFD of purchased new trucks ala former Chief Perkins & VM McIntee’s purchases sprung on us in the past… We hear the VFD wants to lease the new truck on their own…What’s wrong with this picture?… Bad P.R. if they did so or are planning to do so….especially when you add to the above reasons…a sunk boat we still have no update on the insurance for…and asking for us to buy another ATV in the new budget… Add to that the new Chief stating he had a 5 year plan and informing the Comm./taxpayers after being set-up to do so by Comm. Clottey (prev. post) at the Sept. Comm. meeting membership would be capped to keep costs down… The VFD income/expense quarterly’s do not show a large Booster Fund or donations that would be along the lines of the big bucks once received from their deceased benefactor used to buy the other VFD owned trucks over the past few years since they were re-instated as the Town’s fire department…
One more thing about the VFD being bandied about …NO ONE is talking about getting rid of the VFD as the CIC may be planning to hang their “hats” on for the next election …(this writer received 2 e-mails from CIC member former Mayor,Ken Wardlaw with an old BSO removal of the VFD e-mail he sent out in 2008 in the last 2 wks)…The talk is perhaps making the VFD the Town Fire Dept. rather than a contractor as they once were… OOPS!… I hear a CIC political balloon being popped …big time!…
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NOW OPEN FOR DINNER …..
We are told the Anglin’s Beach Cafe is now open for yet another place in town to go for dinner….Bon Appetite …
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SHE CLAIMED IT FOR WHAT? ….
This writer made a PRR for the discrimination case former HR Mgr. Kathy O’Brien made and against the Town and was dismissed (prev. post)… After receiving it 2 things popped up that are quite an eye-opener… Ms. O’Brien put down for her “particulars” she is a “white female and I am 59 years in age”…she stated she was hired on Jan 31, 2005 and placed on Administrative leave on April 27, 2010…She went on to state Finance Di. Kaola King was never subjected to any disciplinary action…and that former Asst. TM John Olinzock was fired “because he didn’t stop the incorrect payment which I had process”… She stated under #2 “On May 28, 2010, I received a letter stating my termination for incompetence in performance of duties based on my actions and decisions in making payouts to the former Town Manager, as well as alleged overpayment to myself./ #3 I believe I was discriminated against in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1984, as amended.”.. On another page which the discrimination circumstances were to be check off were…race and age…HUH?… This writer has sent a request to the Town for follow-up info on why Race/Age would be checked off..and what were the alleged overpayments Ms. O’Brien states she is was charged with for making to herself and was never mentioned on the dais or in any backup prior…will post upon receipt…
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Next up…Tomorrow the backup and reports for updates to come for the 10/12/10 Regular Commission Meeting…Should include updates for the Coral Reef Project/ BSO Halloween & Easter Investigation for missing props etc….
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more to come…
Tags: Former Employee Disicrimination Suit Dismissed, Lauderdale By The Sea Anglin's Beach Cafe Open For Dinner, Lauderdale By The Sea Chamber of Commerce Annual 2010 Fish Fry, Lauderdale By The Sea VFD New Leadership-New Truck?, Lauderdale By The Sea Village Grill & Pub Patriots/Dolphins Event, local government, Local Politics, Scoops, VFD
