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soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 . 22.2015 // 25

Stonewall Festival OnJune 20

Wilton Manors hosts inclusive festival to celebrate history

Page 5

Concerns OverShopping Center

Page 4

Twice-Monthly Neighborhood Outlook

1 • April 22, 2015

GazetteWilton Manors Volume 2 • Issue 8

April 22, 2015

Page 2Thank You

Wilton Manors

Page 3Real Estate

Geek

Page 6House Fix-Up

Underway

Page 8Calendar

Page 7Bike SafetyAwareness

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Stonewall at Miami Pride. Facebook.

26 // 4.22.2015 // SFGN.com // soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews

APRIL 22, 2015 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 82520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305

PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943

PUBLISHER • NORM [email protected]

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER • PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR •JASON PARSLEY

[email protected]

EditorialART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES

[email protected]

ONLINE PRODUCER • DENNIS [email protected]

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • JILLIAN MELERO

[email protected]

CorrespondentsMICHAEL D’OLIVEIRA • CHRISTIANA LILLY • DENISE ROYAL •

NATALYA JONES • JOHN MCDONALD •JAMES OAKSUN

Staff Photographers J.R. DAVIS • POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES

Sales & MarketingDIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING • MIKE TROTTIER

[email protected]

SALES MANAGER • JUSTIN [email protected]

ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • EDWIN [email protected]

ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • CINDY [email protected]

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 offi ce, at [email protected]. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

Copyright © 2014 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

Associated Press

GazetteWilton ManorsOpinion

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •2 • April 22, 2015

After a busy week of work, community meetings and social engagements, I am grateful to be home tonight writing this column and having a chance to relax. As I sit and wonder what to write about, the two words that keep coming into focus are community and thankfulness. A few diff erent words might have been used earlier in the week as I scrambled to accommodate all that needed to be done.

This community we call Wilton Manors has so much to off er, along with many wonderful people from all diff erent paths that grace us with unimaginable energy, history, generosity, and hope. From people who serve on City Boards and Committees, to sports leagues, neighborhood associations, social groups, the Pride Center, and much more, we engage on a daily basis with so many diff erent people who are very happy to call Wilton Manors home.

Last Thursday night at the Westside Association meeting, we did not have angry residents showing up to complain and look for city offi cials to blame. We had residents coming together to hear about the positive changes taking place in our neighborhood, thanks to the hard work of so many in our community and the commitment by our city leaders and staff . We received updates on the re-purposing of a neglected facility to the new Mickel Park for all city residents to enjoy, updates from Code Enforcement on changes recently implemented to make the department more responsive to residents’ concerns, a very enthusiastic update from our Police Department on how recent initiatives have decreased criminal activity and made noticeable diff erences throughout the Westside. All of this is a direct result of community activism, of a community coming together to fi nd ways of moving forward, and not by just pointing fi ngers and laying blame. That is why I fi nd myself tonight

feeling very thankful; because this community has come together with a common goal of making this place we call Wilton Manors the best community in South Florida.

As we all look ahead to enjoy the upcoming weekend, let us not take this whole process for granted. Community service and community activism take time, commitment, frustration, and a lot of hard work. It also requires each and every one of us to become involved in some manner. However, the rewards one reaps are far greater than the labor put forth. I urge residents to join their neighborhood association as a fi rst step in becoming an engaged citizen of our community. There are three diff erent neighborhood associations depending on where you live: East Neighborhood Association, Central Area Neighborhood Association and the Westside Association of Wilton Manors. You can get more information on the neighborhood associations from the city’s website, www.wiltonmanors.com. While you are visiting the city’s website, take a few minutes and look at the various boards and committees residents serve on, what is happening around town, and all the great information that the site has to off er.

A community is not just people who live in a defi ned area. Community is the interaction of various kinds of individuals who share a common interest while living together in a defi ned area. With so many residents volunteering, participating, and taking an active interest in our city, this community we call Wilton Manors has a lot to be thankful for. WMG

The Goals and Objectives Workshop begins at 6:30 pm on April 7. Meetings are held in the Commission Chambers at City Hall, and all are welcome to attend. Parking is free during all city meetings.

Thank you .Wilton Manors…By Sal Torre

City of Wilton Manors. Facebook.


In my last column I began a multi-part series on aff ordable housing. Let's be honest – valuations in the “demand” neighborhoods of South Florida are high, driven in large measure by people relocating here from even stronger real estate markets or from outside the U.S. I suggested a two-pronged strategy of fi nding areas that might be poised for price appreciation above the market average, and investing “sweat equity” in making certain improvements that will increase the property value by more than the cost of the improvements.

Let's start with macro neighborhood evaluation. Understand that I'm not going to give away my trade secrets. (There is always a price, of course. Let me know.)

Because of my long background in analyzing very large datasets, I have constructed a proprietary database of neighborhoods at a very granular level (much more specifi c than city, or even zip code). I constantly work at refi ning this data, adding variables, seeking better information, better predictions.

Considering Miami-Dade and Broward Counties as a whole, there are roughly 850 neighborhoods in my dataset. Some of these, in my opinion, represent excellent long-term values for buyers and investors, based on the fact that they share certain common

characteristics with neighborhoods that already have relatively stronger valuations.

Oftentimes, all one has to do is buy and wait. The catalysts of appreciation are present, and in my opinion will be recognized by the market, eventually.

No it's not a “sell in six months for big profi t” strategy. It can be rewarding, however, to get there fi rst, and be part of a renaissance that probably will be coming.

The fi rst and most important point is that in my opinion Broward County has the best long term appreciation potential in southeast Florida. Parts of Palm Beach County are workable, but I think the potential in Broward is greater. It's not that I dislike or disapprove of Miami-Dade; quite the contrary. I spend a lot of time there. But my quest is in fi nding value and potential, and I think the opportunities in select parts of Broward are superior.

Of course Miami-Dade is an easier sell, particularly to international buyers. This is changing, though, and that change will accelerate.

I have found that, all other things being equal, prices of comparable properties can be 30-50 percent higher in Miami-Dade than in Broward. Unless one is independently wealthy, that adds pressure to aff ordability that can be mitigated with consideration

of Broward. Let's consider another factor useful in

identifying diamonds in the rough – proximity to the water.

What “sells” Florida for many people is the nearness to the ocean (or Gulf, if you're on the Left Coast). All other things being equal, people are going to want to live closer to the water than farther from it. But it's a balancing act.

I say this for two reasons. When you are east of Federal, for example, many of the properties have deep-water access and no fi xed bridges to deal with. Consequently they are desirable for people with large yachts and large checkbooks. As I constructed GeekVal(SM), my proprietary pricing model, I found a huge premium for waterfront properties with no fi xed bridge access. A waterfront home east of Federal can

sell for several hundred thousand dollars more than a comparable home down the street that does not have water access. There is also the matter of fl ood risk to consider. No, I'm not going to get all political with you, just to say that reasonably-priced fl ood insurance for at-risk areas comes to us through the continued good graces of the Federal Government, with the “assistance” of the National Association of Realtors. And political winds can be, well, variable.

Still, my research suggests there is a “sweet spot” where properties are close enough to the water to be attractive to a wider resale market, but without necessarily having to pay the premium for ocean access or bear extraordinary fl ood risk.

So in wrapping up, we have the fi rst two ingredients in the Broward's Real Estate Geek(SM) Guidebook for Great Values in South Florida Real Estate: Focus on Broward County; and don't get too far away from the ocean. The next column will describe the three other ingredients. WMG

James Oaksun, Broward's Real Estate GeekSM, is a Realtor with the Wilton Manors offi ce of RE/MAX Preferred. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a graduate of the Realtors Institute (GRI).

How to IdentifyEmerging Neighborhoods

Real Estate Geek

By James Oaksun

3 • April 22, 2015

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Flickr User: WoodleyWonderWorks.

City of Wilton Manors. Facebook.

28 // 4.22.2015 // SFGN.com // soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews4 • April 22, 2015

Mayor Calls Shopping Center An “Eyesore”

No plans in the works to fi x up property By Michael d’Oliveira

A lack of landscaping, degrading pavement and fading parking striping at the shopping center on Northeast 26th Street and Northeast 15 Avenue has caught the eye of city offi cials.

“The property is a tremendous eyesore and it’s causing businesses not to relocate in the city. We’ve got lots of calls from residents complaining,” said Mayor Gary Resnick at a previous commission meeting.

Vice Mayor Scott Newton disagreed with Resnick that the shopping center’s condition was causing businesses not to open in the city. “I wouldn’t say that. It hurts the businesses located there now,” Newton said.

Either way, Resnick said he’d like to try and “put some pressure on them” to fi x-up the property.

But pressure is all the city can do for now.

According to Roberta Moore, director of Community Development Services, the shopping center, offi cially known as Manor Gates, predates the city’s code rules and city offi cials can’t force the owner to make improvements.

“We can’t cite them because they’re grandfathered in,” Moore said. She added that the only way the city can force improvements to be made is to deny building permits if the owners apply for them.

Lori Cobb, property manager for Manor Gates, said there are no plans for redevelopment of the property.

Originally built in 1959, the shopping center is home to Lotus Chinese Kitchen, Jimmie’s Chocolates and the Wilton Theatre Auction Gallery. It was sold in July of 2014 for $4.2 million to Martin and Constance Silver. Old Florida Seafood was also located there until it closed recently. WMG

Business

• • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • •

soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 . 22.2015 // 29 5 • April 22, 2015

Community

Residents and business owners who spoke out against a proposed 11 a.m. start time for this year’s Stonewall festival parade will get their wish. It’s now scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Scheduled for Saturday, June 20 along Wilton Drive, attendees can start checking out the vendors at 1 p.m. and stay for the 6 p.m. parade. The festival, normally two days, was scaled back to one day this year.

At the March 24 commission meeting, the Stonewall Entertainment Committee, a group of residents and business owners appointed by the city to help organize the event, originally suggested an 11 a.m. start time for the parade.

Other business owners and residents disagreed and suggested 7 p.m. was a better time.

Nick Berry, co-owner of Shawn and Nick’s Courtyard Café and Rumors, both on Wilton Drive, said 7 p.m. is a “great time” to have the parade. Having it earlier, he said, could mean less participation because people might go home after an earlier parade and not stick around to patronize the bars, restaurants and other businesses along Wilton Drive. “Do you want people drinking for fi ve hours or seven?” he asked commissioners.

Victor Sepka, owner of Boardwalk in Fort Lauderdale, said an earlier parade would mean his bartenders, who work late, and make up an important part of his parade entry, would not be able to participate. “[Having it at 11 a.m.] it’s just too long of a day for everyone,” said Paul Hugo, owner of The Venue on Wilton Drive.

Resident Doug Blevins said the heat and weather would also be a factor for an earlier parade and proposed keeping it at 7 p.m. “Having worked on a couple of these events, it’s the best time.”

The cost of parking is also changing, from $10 to $15.

Commissioners approved the increase 4-0 at their April 14 meeting. Commissioner Tom Green was absent.

Originally, it was suggested by the committee that the cost of parking might be doubled to $20 but commissioners were uneasy with such a large increase.

“$20 sounds high but that’s up to you,” said Mayor Gary Resnick in March. Parking will be available at Richardson Park, 1937 Wilton Drive, and Hagen Park, 2020 Wilton Drive. Private lots will also off er parking.

Wilton Drive will be closed from 4:30 a.m. on June

20 to 4 a.m. on June 21. To close the street, the city has budgeted $4,000 and is waiving the $2,000 event permit fee and the $2,500 building permit fees. The cost to provide security is about $15,000.

Business, non-profi ts and other organizations can rent booth space.

As for the event itself, Sterling said the entertainment acts would be announced within a couple weeks.

Jeff Sterling, executive manager of the Entertainment Committee, said he’s very positive about the event and, as a resident and business owner, he’s glad the city is organizing it. WMG

For more information, visit WiltonManorsStonewall.com.

Stonewall Festival Set for June 20By Michael d’Oliveira

Parade will begin at 6 p.m.; parking will cost $15

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Business

Dilapidated House Sees Improvement

By Michael d’Oliveira

ADVERTISE IN THE

GAZETTEAS LITTLE AS $75EACH ISSUE!

The windows are still boarded up, wires hang unsecured and trash is strewn in front of and around the sides of the house here at 832 NW 30 Ct., located near the corner of Oakland Park Boulevard and Powerline Road.

But with a new roof and cleaned-up pool, neighbors and nearby residents say they’re glad to see some progress fi nally happening after years of neglect.

“That [new roof is] a start. Hopefully, that will not be the end of it,” said John Bell, who lives across from the house. He added that a lot of homeless people loiter on the property. “It’s a nice piece of property, if it were done right.”

Sal Torre, president of the Westside Association of Wilton Manors, said he’s ecstatic that, after years of neglect, the house is fi nally being fi xed-up. “It’s moving along. No longer will it be an eyesore.”

That optimism is in stark contrast to statements made at a commission meeting last year.

At that meeting, residents of the northwest section of the city complained that city offi cials had ignored the house’s problems and their entire area of the city. One resident even threatened to sue the city if it didn’t take action.

Commissioner Julie Carson said the

house’s neglected state was something found elsewhere in the city and not unique to the western portion. “Our goal is to make sure it happens nowhere,” she said.

Offi cials promised action and directed the city attorney to start foreclosure proceedings to force the sale of the home to a new owner who would make it habitable and more aesthetically acceptable. The city fi led a foreclosure complaint with Broward County in May of 2014.

In January, the house was purchased by Jazbrowhomes for $140,000. The new owners have also fi led a permit for electrical work. As for further improvements, Lori English, a representative for Jazbrowhomes, declined to give details. WMG

6 • April 22, 2015


Residents have been complaining for over a year


Community

Bike Safety Day on May 2City pushes to become more bike-friendlyBy Michael d’Oliveira

When Isaac Brooks experienced his third near miss of a bicyclist, he knew it was time to try and do something about it.

“I had been in the area and almost hit two or three people at night that didn’t have lights on their bicycles,” Brooks said.

So Brooks, a resident and member of the Wilton Manors Community Aff airs Advisory Board [CAAB], suggested CAAB hold an event to promote bicycle safety.

“We’ve got to at least try and do something to get the residents to follow the law and make it safe for them to ride their bikes.”

Out of that, Bike Safety Day was organized and will be held on Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Hagen Park parking lot, 2020 Wilton Drive.

The event coincides with National Bike Safety Month and includes an obstacle course, bike safety inspections, presentations, helmet and light giveaways and bike registration by the police department. Participants must be Wilton Manors residents and provide a driver’s license or city utility bill.

Michael Rajner, chairman of CABB, said the event is “a great way to highlight what’s going on in the city” in terms of the new bike lanes that were added recently along Dixie Highway north of Five Points.

The city has received $1 million to improve Dixie Highway south of Five Points to the Middle River and

preliminary approval for $1 million to improve Northeast 26 Street between Andrews Avenue and Five Points. Both projects will include improved bike lanes along with improvements for pedestrians. The Dixie project has already been approved but the Northeast 26 Street project has to receive fi nal approval from state offi cials.

But rather than create wider bike lanes to make the road safer for bicyclists, state offi cials have, as they did with Dixie Highway, added shared lane markings to the road. The markings, a bicycle symbol with two lines above it, mean bicyclists have the right to use the entire traffi c lane. WMG


ADVERTISE IN THE

GAZETTEAS LITTLE AS $75EACH ISSUE!

7 • April 22, 2015

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Calendar of Events

"Tip a (WMPD) Cop" at Courtyard Cafe to Benefi t

Special Olympics

April 3, 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Shawn and Nick's Courtyard Café hosts Wilton Manors Police Offi cers as celebrity waiters to benefi t the Special Olympics Florida in their "tip-a-cop" fundraising drive. Join our amazing Offi cers as they give new meaning to

"protect and serve"!

Wilton ManorsGreen Market

April 4, 5 & 11, 12 & 18, 19 & 25, 26 — 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wilton Manors City Hall / Hagen Park

Wilton Manors Green Market every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.– 2 p.m. in the Wilton Manors City Hall / Hagen Park parking lot. The Market features Organic Produce, Regular Produce, International Baked Goods, specialty items, spices & herbs, soups, cheeses, coff ees & tea, bagels, Nuts & dried fruits, baked goods, and various other international and local vendors. The Market gives residents and visitors to Wilton Manors an exciting shopping alternative and a chance to view, sample and purchase products. For more information on The Market or to become a vendor, visit GreenWilton.com or contact Frank and Ron at 954-531-5363.

Free Tax AssistanceApril 4, 11 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at

Richard C. Sullivan Public Library

Free face-to-face tax help for those of low to moderate income from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly

programs.

Island City Foundation - Entertainment

Committee MeetingApril 4, 11, 18 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at Sterling Tax and Accounting

Services, Inc.

The Island City Foundation Entertainment Committee will meet to discuss planning of the Stonewall

Parade and Street Festival.

Westside Association of Wilton Manors (WAWM)

Annual MeetingApril 9, 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Hagen

Park Community Center

Friends of the Library Book Tent Event

April 11, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Hagen Park

At the Friends’ Book Tent Event, part of the monthly City Yard Sale, you’ll fi nd used books, CDs, audio books, DVDs, and videos in exchange for a small donation. Top sellers range from books-on-tape to children’s DVDs, from cookbooks to gardening manuals. All donations benefi t the Richard C. Sullivan Public Library of Wilton Manors. The Friends will also take your donations of books and audio and

video materials.

Island City Yard SaleApril 11, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Hagen

Park / City Hall

The City of Wilton Manors sponsors seven City-Wide Yard Sales each year at Hagen Park, 2020 Wilton Drive, on the second Saturday of November 2014 – May 2015. For space reservations at Hagen Park and information, please call the Leisure Services Department at 954-390-2115 or 954-390-2130. Each

yard sale is free to the public.

City Commission Meeting

April 14, 7 p.m. at City Hall Commission Chambers

2020 Wilton Drive

Economic Development Task Force

April 15, 5:30 p.m. at City Hall Commission Chambers

2020 Wilton DriveWilton Manors, FL 33305

Central Area Neighborhood Association (CANA) Meeting

April 15, 7 p.m. at Hagen Park Community Center

Wilton Manors Historical Society

April 16, 7 p.m. at CityCommission Chambers

Compiled from the Wilton Manors website

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Photo: J.R. Davis

4/22/15 V2i8

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