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GAZETTE VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 6 MARCH 23, 2023
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WILTON MANORS
WILTON MANORS FIGHTS WITH COUNTY OVER DEVELOPMENT OF 26TH STREET By John Hayden After years of debate over development, city codes, consultant studies and more, Wilton Manors seems poised to see groundbreaking along 26th Street east of the railroad tracks. But the use and accessibility of the road is still being debated. At the city commission meeting on Feb. 28, commissioners were updated on several projects that are either planned, underway, or completed. The only one that raised their eyebrows, and their ire, was how to proceed at 26th Street. The plan has been debated and tweaked for months and calls for it to be a “Complete Street,” which is a set of standards for accessibility ranging from width of sidewalks, bike lanes, and more. The area set to be developed will bring about 300 new units plus street level shops to that plaza. The problem: there’s no place to cross the street between 15th Ave. and Five Points. A person from the engineering consulting firm and a Broward County engineer were on hand to explain the ins and outs of road improvements. The circular reasoning goes like this: to get a crosswalk, you need to do a study to see if there are enough pedestrians crossing there, but since there’s no crosswalk, the study will show it’s not needed. Commissioner Chris Caputo, who jokingly admitted he jaywalks there, pointed out the most extreme solution. “Do we need to just go
and have a whole bunch of people run across the road back and forth and some of them get hit? This is absurd.” Mayor Scott Newton says dangerous crossings are already an issue and it’s going to get worse. “I see people walk across there all the time. If we get 300 units there a lot of people are gonna walk straight across. It’s dangerous. If a new project comes up there should be a traffic light there.” Commissioner Paul Rolli pointed out that for planning purposes, the county looks at past use and doesn’t consider the future. Vice Mayor Mike Bracchi got the engineers to admit very few of the suggestions made in public forums were considered or incorporated. “I think we have to go back and take public input, hear what the residents want and what the residents don’t want.” He also pointed out that if the city is going to get a crosswalk there, it’s now or never. “Once we finish this project, Broward County is not going to look at it again for … years. If we don’t get it right now, that’s our future for the next 20 to 30 years on 26th Street.”
OFFICERS HONORED Also during the meeting, WMPD Chief Gary Blocker recognized the hard work and bravery of some officers. The Life-Saving Award was
Photo via Pixabay.
given to Acting Sergeant Loughran, as well as Officers Cox, Leone, and Martinez. On Jan. 14 at about 5:30 a.m., they were called to a possible rollover accident at 7th Ave and 20th St. When they didn’t see the car, they searched nearby and found it in a nearby canal. On one of the coldest nights of the year, they went into action and freed the driver and got them
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to aid at the seawall. Officer Leone was also presented with Officer of the Year 2022. Other honors presented were Officer of the 4th Quarter to Sylvie Fils. Civilian Employee of the 4th quarter went to Records Specialist Tishelle Todman, while Civilian Employee of the Year 2022 went to Code Supervisor Abel Alberro.
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NEWS
OAKLAND PARK
LETITIA NEWBOLD APPOINTED TO OAKLAND PARK CITY COMMISSION
“Even after my loss I continued to stay active, stay out in the community, and stay involved.” - Letitia Newbold
March 23, 2023 • Volume 10 • Issue 6 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943
Publisher/Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com Associate Publisher•Justin Wyse justin.wyse@sfgn.com Assistant to the Editor • Kimberly Swan webmaster@sfgn.com
Editorial
Oakland Park Editor • Christiana Lilly Wilton Manors Editor •John Hayden john.jmhcreative@gmail.com
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Advertising Sales Associate • Edwin Neimann edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Co-founders• Norm Kent & Piero Guidugli Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.
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Letitia Newbold. Photo via Facebook. Copyright © 2023 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.
candidate a win. Just two months later on Jan. 9, Sparks tendered his resignation due to moving out of state with his family, leaving the commission with an empty seat. His resignation went into effect on Jan. 18; candidates for a special election in March would have had to qualify by Jan. 23. The commission voted to instead appoint a new member to the commission — Lonergan and Arnst dissented, believing the city charter called for a special election — to serve until March 2024. Thirteen residents applied and spoke before the commission
on Feb. 22 with one dropping out and recommending that Newbold be appointed. The commission then narrowed the field down to five candidates. On March 1, the five had a final chance to speak before the commission and also fielded two questions from Lonergan — he asked each candidate if they believed there should have been a special election. They all said yes, with one calling Sparks’ resignation “selfish.” Newbold was appointed to the commission and was sworn in during the March 15 meeting.
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By Christiana Lilly Almost three months after she narrowly lost a spot on the Oakland Park City Commission, Letitia Newbold was appointed to a vacant seat at the dais on March 1. The four-member commission chose her from a pool of 13 candidates after a seat was vacated by former Commissioner Matthew Sparks in January. “Even after my loss I continued to stay active, stay out in the community, and stay involved,” Newbold told the commission before she was selected. A senior intellectual property patent paralegal, Newbold has lived in Oakland Park for 15 years. She said in her application that she would like to see further development in the Westside Corridor, promotion of economic empowerment through community programming, and business grant opportunities. She currently serves as the vice president of the Oakland Park Lakeside Neighborhood, a board member for Eternal Light Ministries, Inc. (where she also is a Sunday School teacher), and a member of the Oakland Park Kiwanis Club, American Legion Post 222 and the NAACP. During the Nov. 8 general election, residents voted in Commissioners Tim Lonergan and Steve Arnst, both of whom have previously served on the commission, to fill two vacancies. Newbold came in third with only 38 votes behind Arnst. As the commission is at-large, the top votes grant a
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WILTON MANORS
WOMEN OF COMEDY SHOWCASE GOES DOWN THIS SATURDAY By John Hayden An unusual lineup will take the stage in an unusual spot this weekend in Wilton Manors. The Women of Comedy Showcase is going down this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The all-female lineup will be led by host Natalie Tyler and feature some of the funniest comedians in South Florida. The lineup was hand-picked by Tyler, who’s been performing in the area for nearly a decade, and says she knows the comedy community. “I know who will bring the funny. We are one big comedy family and when I make the call to a fellow comedian, if they are available, they will come to do a set.” The event will happen at the Hotspots! Happening Out Art Gallery with Dennis Dean, on Dixie Highway just south of Five Points. “I expect the audience to get a chance to see some truly funny female comedians who will each deliver a different comedic genre,” Tyler said in an exclusive preview of the event. “To have an all-female lineup is something wonderful to see in celebration of Women’s Month. The beautiful thing about making
SFGN file photo.
people laugh is the ability to turn what we see every day into something very funny that the audience can relate to.” Holding the comedy night during Women’s History Month is a conscious choice. Tyler believes it’s a perfect opportunity to raise up funny female voices. “A woman’s perspective is extremely important and funny because women truly rule the world. We just let the men think they do,” she joked. Tickets are $5 and doors open at 7 p.m.
NEWS
WILTON MANORS
CIRCUIT SHIFTING HOURS IN WILTON MANORS By John Hayden Circuit rolled out (literally) in Wilton Manors in October. The open-air vehicles that look like limo-sized versions of a golf cart carry passengers between any two points within the city limits. After about five months of serving Wilton Manors, they are re-evaluating the needs of passengers. Effective immediately, Wednesday and Thursday service will run through 11 p.m. Previously, they stopped service at 9pm on those nights. The new schedule: Weds.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.-Tues. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. The news was shared with SFGN by one of the drivers.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING The service launched to great fanfare last autumn, after Wilton Manors city
Photo via ww.ridecircuit.com.
commissioners agreed to a $250,000 subsidy. Company officials said they would track peak usage and demand, and adjust as needed. “We’re always looking at that,” Circuit executive Karen Jurnigan said. “We have a robust data algorithm in our platform. We look at maps and ridership, we follow scheduled busy patterns, so hours get adjusted from time to time.” Circuit is in Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale, and seven other South Florida cities. In Wilton Manors, the fare is $2 per passenger, and you must use the app to call a ride.
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NEWS
WILTON MANORS RECOGNIZES WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH By John Hayden Women make major contributions to Wilton Manors and South Florida’s LGBT community. Too often their work is in the background and goes unrecognized. Under the auspices of Women’s History Month, the city is shining a light on a few of the many amazing women who make life ‘just better’ in Wilton Manors. During the city commission meeting on March 14, proclamations were presented to five women who make important contributions. Some are public figures; others work more in the background. Legendary activist and performer Tiffany Arieagus was honored as a show business legend as a dancer and singer of jazz, disco, and blues as well as for her work with the transgender community since 1972. She is a case worker at SunServe, working to make sure no one is forgotten or left behind. Kim Clarke-Campbell and Lisa Cassanelli, co-owners of Little Flower Montessori School, were recognized for their work as teachers for over 18 years. Pamela Landi seems to be involved in
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Photo courtesy of Wilton Manors City Commission.
everything everywhere all at once. As Assistant City Manager, she’s been at the forefront of many projects through the years. From the city’s climate action plan to sea level issues to planning the city’s 75th anniversary celebration, Landi’s dedication knows no bounds. A compassionate and caring outlook on life sets Deacon Kelly Graham apart. Besides being an ordained clergy member of Holy Angels Catholic Community, she is CEO Care to Share, a nonprofit supplying medical devices to those in need. She also volunteers delivering food and visiting invalids.