12/26/08….
A late start on this the 1st Sunday of 3..thanks to Christmas being on Thursday…and providing that 3- day Sunday feel…of relaxation…for most…
Don’t ask…don’t ell…(except here)…a lucky Frisbee flying dog….on the beach…among the beachgoers…sitting on the sidelines..or strolling up and down…no alarming reactions……just looked like all enjoyed the entertainment..no harm…no foul…no ticket…
Also lots of ocean swimming enthusiasts…holidays tourist…all ages…all sizes…what is missing from this idyllic picture though…no VFD- ATVs…they are certainly called for non-stop…shifts…on a choppy sea day like today…along with jelly fish…galore!…
Walking into town…by the VFD station…4 members sitting on the back of the truck…their vehicles parked up on the grass… plenty of parking around…no ATVs…in sight…
Assistant Manager Olinzock…was walking around…Town Hall…and a smattering of municipal workers…on duty…
Took in breakfast at By The Sea Diner…eggs…bacon…sausage…and conversation…both from the friendly staff…and those filling the seats and the booths…
None too pleased were many over Christmas- By- The- Sea…being a non-event…they think it gave the town a black eye…and needs extra attention next year….that people would have paid for the hayrides…
Talk of some” lousy Commissioners”…some dirty politics…living in a “police state”…with codes that are un-neighborly…were brought up…(with no instigation from this writer)…just a handing out of my card after hearing the consensus……and a nod of being in agreement…
The food … along with the atmosphere are definitely worth a return visit…. especially since this time around…we did not order the special deep fried- french toast we hear is to die for……and the lively input heard…hearkened back to the “Louies” of old…where this writer always heard…the movers and the shakers…sat around talking of politics and “lousy Commissioners!”…
Sad to say a peak inside the soon to open Wings…produced a slumping of the shoulders…no Macks Groves will this be…no upscale Wings version of what is on the Galt…much of the same already seen from competing stores neat to the circle….what a letdown!…
The restaurants were hopping…again…benches around the square were occupied…and the beach was packed!…
Again…as in the morning…no ATVs…and lots of swimmers…lots of jelly fish…and lots of questions about the Dec.16th assertions of the VFD taking on the beach …to oversee and assist…
We do need lifeguards …around the Pier…and those ATVs on a schedule that makes holidays weekends…a top priority…
From the Hi-Riser/Sentinel…by Fallon Patterson….http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/lauderdale_by_the_sea/sfl-flhrbguards1225hrbdec25,0,5154409.story
Ran into Master Plan Steering Committee Chair…Paul Noak standing outside his hotel…business is good…and he confirmed what we had heard…the Fort Lauderdale Art Institute is going to make a return…with students getting involved with the El Mar medians…Sandra Booth must be thanked…big time…especially while we are still in the midst of the fallout of the major changes made from the Ft. Laud. A.I.-Forbes design winning pavilion …tabs need to kept on any winning design…in this next go round…in no uncertain terms……
The scene walking back…home…north from the pier…a full crowd as far as the eye could see…the construction from the backside…Minto…Whitecap…and addresses on the most buildings…not difficult to read…while waiting for “improvements”…
I guess we are still waiting for the paint to dry on those 8 ft. wooden-posts?….
more to come…
Tags: Boards, lifeguards, Local News, Places To Go, Scoops, VFD
