HERE’S THE SCOOP….I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING…. LIGHTHOUSE POINT VS LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA BUDGET….
HERE’S THE SCOOP….CRYING UNCLE!…..WHERE HAVE ALL OUR PROACTIVE COMMISSIONERS GONE?….
HERE’S THE SCOOP…..TOWN OF LBTS SHOPPING SPREE…..
HERE’S THE SCOOP…. WHICH CAME FIRST…THE LANDMARK RESTAURANT OR THE PLAZA?…..
HERE’S THE SCOOP…. THIS WRITER LEAVES THE GREEN TEAM….
HERE’S THE SCOOP….MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS….SHARPEN THOSE SHARPIES…
HERE’S THE SCOOP…..ARUBA BEACH CAFE A LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA LANDMARK….
HERE’S THE SCOOP….WHEN IS A TOWN NO LONGER A TOWN?….. WHEN IT BECOMES A CITY!….
HERE’S THE SCOOP….WHAT HAPPENED?….SIMPLE WAS THROWN OUT THE WINDOW!….
September 30, 2008 by Barbara
FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW….
the latest…the history…the research ….all things…. Calypso…
The site that has it all and more….I LOVE THIS SITE!!!!!!
The Galt Mile….it’s a kick!…
June 24, 2008 by Barbara
THE PORT….THE PORT…..(imagine Fantasy Island….)
Fred Grimm…
‘Energy-greedy Floridians say no to oil wells”….
Hats off to Fred….on calling our NIMBY neighbors for wanting the benefits without participating….
Comparisons …..to where our fuel comes from now……from places like the Niger Valley……..to Texas,Louisiana,Mississippi, and Alabama….
Final paragraph..
‘Heck Of A Ruckus”….
the play by play of the Galt opposition…the exaggerated fears…of terrorists…explosions…and obstructing the views….
ending with this…. ‘The claim that Florida deserves an exemption from the unseemly aspects of energy extraction seems at odds with its careless approach to energy conservation. Or renewable energy.’
‘(The Sunshine State has yet to make the top 10 in use of solar energy.)’
‘I wonder if the residents of the Niger Valley, flames spewing overhead, complain about their views.’
INDIANA JONES CAME TO LBTS….
‘Undersea Studies’….Ely Portillo….
A group of South Broward High School students came to LBTS last week…they learned Marine Archaeology was not quite Indiana Jones…meets Aquaman…
The used snorkels…to see relics 15-20 feet off the coast of LBTS….
Workers with the conservation organizations Vone Research ...www.voneresearch.org and Florida Public Archaeology Network ……. www.flpublicarchaeology.org…..instructed the kids…who are incoming freshman to the South Broward High marine science magnet program in Hollywood…..
a list of shipwreck sites…included in the article…
LBTS…snorkel trail..includes swimming over a replica galleon debris field and cannons and a real anchor…
Offshore….Pompano Beach…SS Copenhagen…325 ft. steamship that sank in 1900 off Pompano Beach and now lies in 15-30 feet of water….
Great……… LBTS…press!……..
June 23, 2008 by Barbara
6/23/08…..
Topic 1…The drilling debate…the front page debate…with a few interesting points…one…from the NYTimes…. www.nytimes.com reported this week that the world’s existing drill ships are booked for the next 5 years…and companies are postponing exploration while waiting for a drilling rig…
Gov. Crist’s Climate Change Summit this week in Miami ..will address…a switch in the energy conversation back to a more well-rounded debate on the challenges and opportunities facing Florida’s energy future…
BCbythesea…Calypso/Suez anyone?….
Topic 2…..Florida Fortune 500 Companies….www.cnnmoney.com
a breakdown of companies…including 14 from Florida….tied with North Carolina at number 11 among the states with the largest Fortune 500 companies….(Publix … # 107/AutoNation…#164/FPL….#168)…
Topic 3…Salmonella Scare….Florida is the nations largest producer of tomatoes….after the the FBI investigation …looking for the origin of the tainted veggies…. from which farms …the FDA opined they came from Florida and Mexico….than back- peddled and said Mexico was not involved….causing a media “egg- on their -face” for the department…
The FDA will hopefully find the source…and if they are in error once again…will clear Florida as well….
Topic 4….Crime in the Sunshine State...www.floridaperforms.com
a state website that provides a running scorecard 0n broad range of issues/initiatives…reflecting trends in key areas of concern in the Sunshine state….shows crime is slightly on the rise….
Topic 5…Supreme Court on Allstate….a follow-up to previous Lemieux report on Allstate and Office of Insurance Regulation…..the First District Court of Appeal held the OIR had the authority to suspend Allstate from conducting new business in Florida for failing to produce documents under subpoena…after the OIR lifted the ban further judicial review became moot….last week however…the Florida Supreme Court declined to accept jurisdiction in an order of the dismissal…by denying the review of the petition …the ruling by the First District Court of Appeal will stand… thus confirming the OIR has full access to the insurers’ books and records….in its effort to protect consumers…
Things to Watch….last Friday was the last day to qualify to run for office website to see who qualified/who is unopposed/how much has been raised/or spent…www.on3pr.com
Age discrimination…US supreme Court ruled employers have burden of proof when laying-off older workers….
Civil Rights…Florida Dept. of Corrections and Florida Parole Commission have reviewed all pre-2008 cases of ex-offenders eligible for automatic restoration of civil rights…115,232 have had those rights re-stored since Gov. Crist introduced a change to the rules last April….
Supreme Court to Rule on Ballot….Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments regarding ballot access for 2 citizen initiatives….one set of standards designed to prevent gerrymandering in legislative redistricting, while the second limits annual property taxes 1.35% of the highest value, a petition advocated by Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio. As of right now neither amendment will be placed on the ballot until 2010, unless the courts rule in favor of a challenge against this year’s Feb. 1st petition deadline…
Full text online…with subscription….
June 23, 2008 by Barbara
HIS TURN….
Opinion page in Sentinel today…
‘Another safe source of power’….’Deepwater port will help meet state’s needs’….
Dan McGinnis the Project Manager for Calypso/Suez …gas port take a stab at responding to the current local opposition of the gas port…as he did recently in LBTS and other municipalities…and an alternative to the oil drilling that is front and center in the news…and the presidential candidates with …..www.calypsodwp.com
BCbythesea…previous posts….it should be approved…now or after November election…
One concern of this writer…
not the safety…not the environmental impact……am satisfied with both…
the concern read online yesterday…that liquid natural gas companies have diverted their shipments meant for the states when offered 30-40% more from foreign countries….if accurate…this is cause for alarm and some sort of iron clad clause needs to be in place at the inception of approval…. to protect what we signed on to… (Google lng diverted from us)….
PUBLIC NOTICE…
full text in Sentinel…today…
NOTICE….
Water Savings Incentive Program (WaterSIP)…FY2009….
announcing the below meeting….regarding the FY2009 WaterSIP Funding Program….
1. Selection Committee meeting Mon. 7/7/2008….1-5 pm…at SFWMD District Headquarters ….3301 Gun Club Rd. West Palm Beach Fl….Bldg. B-1…Richard Rogers Conference Room….
BCbythesea….does this tie-in with agenda item…15G under New Business …Mayor Minnet?….
IT PAYS TO BE A TOWN ATTORNEY…
The Editorial …
‘Scrap sweetheart deal’
Our Opinion; Sunrise doesn’t need a $432,000-a-year city attorney…
You read it right….well known…attorney Stuart Michelson…is set to be hired by the Sunrise Commissioners for the big bucks….he of course is married to Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman…and also represented 2 of the sitting commissioners in the past…
It’s an increase from their previous counsel of $264,868 dollars!…
BCbythesea…Mr Michelson…is only one of the numerous attorney/politician marriages in Broward….that have confounded many observers who have questioned the ethics of the relationship by nuptials overlapping with politics….over the years…
It actually makes the recent LBTS…Town Attorney single bid RFP…and questionable relationship of the Special Magistrate with our new counsel…pale in comparison….
Although…LBTS should still rectify this situation………
June 19, 2008 by Barbara
WEATHER WORRIES….
‘We’re really getting socked’…Sentinel…Ken Kaye…unusually turbulent…not the norm…a predictor of what’s ahead?….
‘Lightning record: 7 strikes in a day’….Herald….Tim Chapman/laura Isensee…..
BCbythesea…Still feel the LBTS Hurricane Fair was a waste of bucks/staff time to repeat what is known by the majority living here….but the retiring guest from Broward County did give us the heads up on tornadoes coming closer to home…she could have been on to something….and as previously posted the transformer across the road from the BCbythesea abode on Washingtonia went out earlier than in past years after being hit by lightning….
I’M WITH THE PINES….
‘Pines breaks with BSO to field local calls to 911″…Herald…..Jasmine Kripalani…
Pembroke Pines hopes to answer and dispatch emergency calls faster now that it will operate its own 911 center….
BCbythesea…. With all the budget talks about pavilion…promenades…refurbishing hotels…building departments….this is one we could wrap our teeth around…this is a pressing piece of the puzzle….missing in the new direction of LBTS public safety that has not been addressed….the 1st line of defense to make the other two…VFD/AMR succeed or not….and as most residents know…from Comm. Clottey… revealing her startling observations upon visiting the center providing our present service…as she began her term….and previous posts about the abysmal 911 call center responses over the recent months……it begs to to be included!….. the monetary costs are not outrageous…with a possibility of recouping part of it from the County…
BCbythesea….Could somebody in the administration…on the Commission…call Pembroke Pines…and get the lowdown?……….
BUILDING DEPT. SLIGHT OF HAND….
Building Dept. director hands in his resignation…Herald…
Dirty dealings in the Miami Beach Building Dept…apparent bribery for expedited reviews of projects and some lowering of fees …with a certain developer…
BCbythesea….coming off the Oriana fiasco…(not insinuating bribery was involved)…….just lots of questions…for how plans were changed…allowances made…shoddy inspecting throughout the initial pouring of cement etc…. and mis-communications with Broward…that led to it being overbuilt….a new building dept. in LBTS ….whenever it comes to fruition will be looked at with a jaundiced eye… so if this Commission goes ahead with this idea…this budget year…
Do not let the Town Manager/Head of Development be in charge…they are up to there necks with duties…spread too thin already…
Listen to Comm. Clottey….she put forth the idea of hiring a building dept. director…(multiple RFPs please)….and letting them do the building of the department…pun intended…
No need for a full- time dept……..having been through the process many times…if folks know the dept. will be open 2-3 days widely published….a time certain…they will make use of it…if the residents can be assured that on 2-3 days of the week they will have an inspector appear…as promised…it will be a huge step forward…… a small part-time dept. ….. like an alternate Adopt-A- Street Program…(previous post)…might just fit the bill….pun intended…..
FADE TO GRAY….
Sentinel….15A…back to gray…the 2nd time for Calypso/Suez no color ad….having plenty of company with the abundance of oil drilling articles…and Chad Lowe cartoon…..
Sentinel…today…poll for drilling off the coast…53% for it….
Editorial exposes some little revealed points…the amount The U.S. Minerals Management Service estimates….the amount of oil and gas lying under the banned Gulf of Mexico regions…for meeting the nation’s demands… for oil….just 179 days…for natural gas…11 months…WHOA!!!!….
BCbythesea….How close are they to getting the final permits….once again…it will not produce until 2011…and might be the best choice for the interim …until the nuclear…solar plants are up to snuff in 15-30 years…previous post….under LBTS agenda/meetings…6/11/08….
June 17, 2008 by Barbara
HE’S “EVOLVING”…..
Beware NIMBY LNG gas port opposer’s….
Governor Crist says he is “evolving” on drilling off our coast….
HMMM….maybe is does want that V.P. spot…. badly…..
coming right on the heels of McCain…doing his own “evolving” yesterday…… previous post…
BCbythesea….I can see them now….
2 white-haired guys…riding high on a float somewhere ….between 2 oil rigs….this 4th of July…..
can’t get more American than that!…..
Guess that Veto for Calypso/ Suez may not be so assured….after all!….
June 14, 2008 by Barbara
Well they missed a few days…..but they’re back….. with the 2nd installment….
Calypso/Suez…black and white ad in Sun-Sentinel….
page 21A… Friday…..6/13/08
Rising above the grayish -black water….
CLEAN…………….ENERGY…………(previous ad….SAFE……..ENERGY)
(no color …..bad move……black water?….the detractors to the project can find all sorts of symbolism in it….)
Below…a light bulb being held…………(no more happy Mother and child)
grayish black sky…………..no sun….(again…detractors are gonna have a field day…..)
The text…running along the side….
The proposed Calypso Deepwater Port (DWP), is a safe environmentally- friendly project that will provide a much- needed new supply of natural gas for South Florida. Using ships and proven under-water buoy and anchoring system,the port would be located approximately 8 to 10 miles offshore of Broward County northeast of Port Everglades, far from the shoreline and practically unseen.
Here are a few of the most important facts you need to know:
(this ad keeps the liquid gas drops…..)
Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel available on the market
Natural gas is the cleanest burning of all the fossil fuels and will help our community produce less harmful greenhouse gases.
Coal and oil are declining
Governor Crist has mandated that we look towards alternative, cleaner sources of energy. While renewable options are developed, natural gas can help maintain our energy needs.
Rising energy prices are everyone’s problem
Florida continues to grow and need more energy. Demand for clean natural gas will grow by 40% over the next 10 years. By diversifying our natural gas supply beyond our sole Gulf Coast sources, we can help prevent price increases and shortages, as seen in the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons.
BCbythesea….previous posts….for the project….in my back yard….it has a window …to be productive while the solar/ nuclear is 15- 30 years off…..
the ad answers this…but the lack of color….big blunder…..
NOTE: full page black and white 1st version of the Calypso ad in this weeks Times….
Also back……. Chuck Lanza….previous post….
County puts free ice on ice….Scott Wyman…6/13/08
after the hurricane…the public is on its own for ice….as announced at the LBTS hurricane fair…
and reported here by former LBTS BSO Chuck Lanza…in his new position as Broward Emergency Management Chief…
the choice now…….. Publix or the VFD……..
June 9, 2008 by Barbara
CALYPSO/SUEZ …..DAY 3….
The 3rd ad is in both Sun-Sentinel/Miami herald….today…
We’re talking big bucks…for 3 full-page ads in 2 newspaper…(we know of)….
#4….#5…..to come?…
first up…Tuesday Broward Commission meeting to file the Fort Lauderdale Commission’s opposition to the gas port….. Resolution…… previous post…
Followed by…. Wednesday’s LBTS Commission meeting….previous post….
BCbythesea….
Talking of big bucks….and the primary “stakeholder”….. of the gas port….. FPL….
Sunday’s edition…’Solar still a tough sell’….by John Dorschner….a must read….
about FPL……natural gas/ coal/solar power…and the cost….
Sunday edition….. ‘ Executive Privileges’…..Marcia Heroux Pounds……check it out….
FPL group… Company Revenue….$15,263,000,000.
Lewis Hays III ….Chairman/ CEO…..Total pay…..$10,385,045
James L. Robo….Pres./COO…Total pay….$4,155,276
and the consumers…another increase….coming….
June 6, 2008 by Barbara
Pavilion Grant Date Different….scroll down!……
Items of interest on the Broward County Commission Agenda….
Which will meet on June,10,2008….
(again the Jewish Holiday….NOT…. observed by any government……except the mis-informed LBTS local government!)
County Commission…
Item 51….
Commission to file Resolution 08-111 adopted by Fort Lauderdale to oppose the deep water port (Mayor Wexler)
THE SHOCKER…..
Item 52….
A. motion to approve 1 year extension …beach pavilion…. set to expire OCT. 19/2008!… Not Dec. as has been stated to LBTS citizens and those who came to pre-bid conference…previous post…
Grant No. BTS-C-001…(Comm. Keechl)
B. 4th amendment to agreement between Broward County and LBTS to extend term….
OCT.19/2008 to OCT.19/2009….NOT DECEMBER!
with no change to the amount….
BCbythesea…sent an e-mail to Assistant to the Manager…John Olinzock….
Which is wrong?….The Town Administration…or the Broward Agenda item?
BCbythesea….if indeed it is an OCT. expiration date…with no allowable 4th extension….
the grant portion of the pavilion is dead in the water!….
more to come
June 5, 2008 by Barbara
Some answers came by phone to Comm. Clottey this morning from the Director of Gov. and Regulatory Affairs….and V.P. of Suez….
To their credit they responded …and answered all of the questions she had asked and more that she asked in this second round…
Citizens……whatever their personal views are on this project ….should be assured and impressed by the level of input that is coming from all involved in this pressing issue…
Just a few of the highlights…with details and specifics …sure to be addressed by Comm. Clottey at the 6/11/08 commission meeting…when Calypso/Suez will be on the agenda…
according to the gentlemen …
State and national officials were aware of this project from 2002…
40 organizations were informed of this project…from 2002/2003….
Initially they indicated they were not aware of Hollywoods approval for the pipeline….from the Bahamas…stating it was not them….
later in the conversation…they did discuss the very project with its approval in 2004…previous post…
The present location for the port is due to….
it being a industrialized area…not heavily populated….
BCbythesea… the Comm. took issue with this …stating the opposite is fact….we are definitely heavily populated…
It can not be in Miami-Dade…because the government would not approve it….due to the Biscayne Aquatic Reserve….
It can not be north because FGT…(Florida Gas Transmission)…and FPL did not want it that far away…with less industrial customers…
Wind tests were done at 2.6 meters per second…producing a bigger burn …with a 3.9 mile radius….
the lower the wind speed…keeps the gas cloud together…
the higher the speed …disperses the gas quickly…
example used…blowing out a match….
more to come…..