FOLLOW me on my popular Twitter feed. Just click this photo! @hbbtruth - David - Common sense on #Politics #PublicPolicy #Sports #PopCulture in USA, Great Britain, Sweden and France, via my life in #Texas #Memphis #Miami #IU #Chicago #DC #FL 🛫🌍📺📽️🏈. Photo is of Elvis and Joan Blackman in 'Blue Hawaii'

Beautiful Stockholm at night, looking west towards Gamla Stan

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

"Hello Broadwalk my old friend. I've come to talk to you again..." - #HollywoodBeach's #Broadwalk to reopen with limited hours tomorrow, and I'll be there. Will you? 🏖️🌴🌊 But the beach remains CLOSED for now! :-(

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Above, my September 2019 photo of Hollywood Beach, looking east on Johnson Street towards the Bandshell, the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, and, on the right, the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort. Looking at it now, it seems like 100 years ago, not 7-8 months ago.

now,
NBC6 South Florida You Tube Channel
The Hollywood Beach Broadwalk is expected to open with limited hours for exercise only starting Wednesday. NBC 6’s Amanda Plasencia reports.
Uploaded May 7th, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrUNTxqS7eM&t=7s


 "Hello Broadwalk my old friend. I've come to talk to you again..." -  #HollywoodBeach's #Broadwalk to reopen with limited hours tomorrow, and I'll be there. Will you? 🏖️🌴🌊  
But the beach remains CLOSED for now! :-(





•⁣ You’re convinced you’re in a dream⁣ ...for this reality could not be true...⁣ The sky above in watercolors,⁣ of orange, pinks and blues. ⁣ •⁣ Feel the sand beneath your feet, ⁣ the morning sounds that sing of new...⁣ And know this day as a gift from God;⁣ a dream only dreamt up⁣ FOR YOU. ⁣ 💖⁣ ⁣ ✨Make it a good day my friends.✨ ⁣ #TuesdayMood #PoetAndSheDidntKnowIt⁣ •••••••••••⁣ 📍Hollywood Beach, Florida⁣ 📸 iPhone8+⁣ 📲 @adventure.seeker.archives ⁣ ⁣ •⁣ •⁣ •⁣ ⁣ #latergrams #hollywoodbeach #beautifulsunrise #morningpoetry #poetryporn #watercolorsky #palmtreesfordays #beachlovers #hollywoodbeachflorida #beautifulbeaches #hollywoodbeachfl #mybackyardview #floridabeaches #exploreflorida #roamflorida #floridablogger #flogrown #staysalty #floridagirl #sunshinestateofmind #sunrises #girlswithsleeves #sunrisesofinstagram #beachsunrise #beachesofinstagram #southflorida #floridagirls #sunrisechaser ⁣
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"No one goes there nowadays, it's too crowded" 
-Yogi Berra.


I miss the beach! 
Some people you run into at the beach are friendly, nice, and Kara cute.
Some are not, of course, but in South Florida, the odds are that occasionally you can run into someone who is nice and Kara cute and prefers Chicago Deep Dish-style pizza, Ibsen and Strindberg, and peace, like me!
So why would you want to to be in the desert or in a canyon when you could be with someone like Kara at the beach?
The question answers itself.
End of lesson.

Now that I have your attention, in case you didn't know -and not many do- the City of Hollywood is interested in extending the city's iconic Broadwalk south to city line with Hallandale Beach.
(Or, should I say, pre-COVID19 they did.)
Hardly anyone in HB seems to know anything about it.

So far, despite hearing about everyone's general sense of malaise and boredom, alternating between simmering and overdrive, whether in my own neighborhood in Hollywood Hills or via local, national or British TV newscasts, I have not yet personally seen anyone walking around South Florida with shrubbery to hide behind in order to get somewhat closer to some area that's currently prohibited.

As is ACTUALLY happening in the UK -like something out of "Gilligan's Island"- as you can see from my tweet Saturday night to the ever-adorable Amy Kaufman, film and entertainment reporter at the LA Times, long one of our personal favorites, and best-selling author of "Bachelor Nation."



Which of these Beach personalities are you, via Cameron Dallas and his girlfriend Madisyn Nenchaca.




Last Friday, this was the not-so-happy state of affairs a week ago when my friends and I turned on local South Florida TV newscasts and saw something that lots of people in Hollywood, whether civic activists or regular citizens alike, were NOT at all happy about.
Correct, having to wait for Hollywood parks and recreational areas to reopen this past Wednesday when Hollywood re-acted AFTER many other local cities had given the okay for similar facilities under on their turf. 

Trust me, I've received LOTS more angry and negative emails and phone calls from people I know and even from some new readers of the blog or my Twitter feed, than you'd know from what I've been tweeting about recently, including the bad, near-Ghost Town situation in Downtown Hollywood, sometimes even at 6:30 pm. 
D-E-A-D.

 "Why wasn't the City of Hollywood ready to go?," I keep getting asked over-and over.
But then I remind them that's more of a question for the Hollywood City Commission to explain and rationalize, no?
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Because I have a very good knowledge of how so many of the decisions and judgments around here are usually made, who and what gets considered, early on, I gave the benefit of the doubt to Hollywood city employees being extra... something. 
What, dutiful?
Paying more attention to detail to make sure everything was as clean as could be before opening up?

But in this particular case, thus far, I have yet to hear any elected Hollywood official or anyone in the City Manager's office give a credible explanation for why it's taken Hollywood so much longer to get going on recreational sites.
And for those of you who don't live in the area, the context for all of the discontent here in Hollywood is that it opened some of its most popular parks on Wednesday MANY days after other nearby cities like Aventura and Fort Lauderdale did.
Class-conscious Aventura, typically, made people show ID, and only allowed Aventura residents into its parks, while Hollywood is not requiring IDs.

I'll be posting something here on the blog in the near-future based on those emails, phone calls I referenced earlier, plus many face-to-face talks with Downtown Hollywood stakeholders who, in some cases, feel like they've been abandoned and left to fend for their own, given how little they have seen from the Hollywood CRA and Hollywood Chamber of Commerce that was anything more than fluff and dross.

 No, clearly not everyone is as calm and measured about this matter as my friend, Cat Uden, celebrated Stand Up Paddle Board aficionado and Hollywood civic activist for increased recreational activity along Hollywood Beach, and, not least, the South Florida Campaign Organizer for Oceana, focusing on ocean and coastal conservation.
And as you regular readers of the blog would know, articulate and enthusiastic Cat has been a subject of several fact and photo-filled blog posts the past two years, starting here:
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/so-proud-of-two-of-my-newer-friends.html

Here's an excerpt from Cat's interesting April 1st Instagram post that I thought of a lot the past 5 weeks, as one person in Hollywood after another told me of their personal displeasure with what was going on here, whether about the lack of access to the Broadwalk for exercise purposes, the closed parks, or what they feel is the city's short-sighted ideas/plans for rejuvenating Downtown Hollywood.

(I will be blogging about that subject later this week, as businesses in that part of the city have literally fallen off a cliff, with many concerned stakeholders I've spoken to the past two months saying that, even more than usual, they believe the Hollywood CRA and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has behaved more like incurious spectators than active participants.
Lots of people are angry and not afraid to point fingers at the people they hold responsible.
And in an election year, that can have tangible consequences.)

Cat's full Instagram post is below this excerpt.
"I miss going to the beach in the mornings. I had accepted that it was necessary to close the beaches (because people were idiots and took advantage). Last week, I made the mistake of looking at the beach webcam, and when I saw the ocean was blue and flat and glassy and beautiful, I admit I cried for a good half hour. But I’m not going to sit around and whine about my beach closure on social media or bug my elected officials. They have much bigger problems right now...."










I miss going to the beach in the mornings. I had accepted that it was necessary to close the beaches (because people were idiots and took advantage). Last week, I made the mistake of looking at the beach webcam, and when I saw the ocean was blue and flat and glassy and beautiful, I admit I cried for a good half hour. But I’m not going to sit around and whine about my beach closure on social media or bug my elected officials. They have much bigger problems right now. Have you seen the number of projected infections, hospitalizations, and deaths? As much as I love my mornings at the beach, it would be horrible to complain about beach access when hundreds of thousands of people in my country could die very soon. At least we’re still allowed to have outdoor exercise. (Some nations have banned that already). We can walk and bike in the sunshine. I can still get on the water, I just can’t go to the beach. None of my friends or family have died. My husband and I are still employed. My kids are safe. We have food. I should really be extremely thankful. There is no immunization or cure for this virus, there is only change of behavior. I can only avoid trips to indoor spaces, avoid stores, and keep my family away from others. We’re all experiencing some sort of disruption in our lives. Let’s hope we flatten the curve sooner rather than later. This photo popped up on my Facebook memories the other day. I always appreciated my morning paddles and never took them for granted. I felt so lucky every time. I hope that you all are staying safe and finding things to be thankful for. ✌🏾❤️ #Aloha #flattenthecurve #weareallinthistogether #perspective #thankful #smile #breathe #thankyounurses #thankyoudoctors
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WPLG Local 10 News You Tube Channel 
Beach-side cycling access differs from Fort Lauderdale to Hollywood. 
Reporter: Hatzel Vela. Uploaded May 1st, 2020. 
https://youtu.be/6AUgzSLXMTc

 On Friday the City of Hollywood posted information to their website regarding recreational activities, i.e. what's opening and what -besides the public beach- is STILL closed. Here is the updated info as of today, Monday the 11th.
Like it or not, it's what's permissible, even if not optimal for keeping residents content, if not happy.
My emphasis below in red.

Limited Reopening of Broadwalk and Additional City Parks and Recreational Facilities Wednesday, May 13th
Select City Parks and Recreational Facilities Now Open

In the continuing effort to protect the safety and well-being of our community, those visiting parks and recreational facilities must follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Florida Department of Health, including wearing facial covering and social distancing. Detailed information on those restrictions can be found here. 
City-operated parks and recreational facilities will remain open contingent upon visitors’ compliance with these recommended guidelines. 
Provided the data continues with a downward trend, and we have compliance with social distancing and capacity restrictions related to existing park/recreational facility re-openings that started on Wednesday, May 6th, another phase is set for Wednesday, May 13th that may include the Broadwalk.

Parks Currently Open for Passive Activities

The following parks are open for passive activities only. Passive activities include walking, biking, running and individual enjoyment of the natural surroundings. No courts or playgrounds are open at this time.

ArtsPark at Young Circle - 1 Young Circle
Charles Vollman Park - 2933 Taft Street
Jefferson Park - 1501 Jefferson Street
Joe DiMaggio Park - 1001 Three Island Boulevard
John Williams Park - 6101 Sheridan Street
Oakridge Park - 5200 SW 35th Avenue
Zinkil Park - 5451 Washington Street

Park hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Boat Ramps

Hollywood Marina - 700 Polk Street
Boat Ramps open to motor-powered craft only. (One boat on a ramp at a time)

Holland Park - 801 Johnson Street
Boat ramps open for rowing boats, canoes, kayaks or stand-up paddle boards only.

Ramp hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
(If the parking areas reach capacity, the ramps may be closed.)

(Note: No other areas of Holland Park will be open on Wednesday the 13th, like the Observation Tower, one of my favorite places in all of South Florida. 
It's a great place for taking photos that capture the wide variety of people, Stand Up Paddle Boards, kayaks, boats and yachts that one can see, to say nothing of the beautiful variety of shades of blue and green water under sunny skies on the Intracoastal and North Lake.

Without getting too far ahead of my story, with more details to come in the coming weeks, once that Observation Tower opens again, don't be surprised to see me over there a lot more frequently than I've been the past year. And this time with some... yes, models. 
Hmmm... a mystery! 
Stay tuned!!!)

Golf Courses:
Golf courses at Hollywood Beach Golf Club, Eco Golf Club and Orangebrook Golf Club are open for play with restrictions. View restrictions by clicking here.

Planning for the Next Phase on Wednesday, May 13th

Providing that the numbers continue to trend downward and compliance with social distancing and capacity restrictions are observed at current park/recreational facility re-openings, the City has another phase set for Wednesday, May 13th with restrictions. 
Compliance with the restrictions is critical to keeping these facilities open.

Parks:
Bob Butterworth                  
Earl Crofford
Emerald Hills Lakes                          
Lions Park      
Oak Street                            
Sailors Point
Three Islands            
Harry Berry                          
Keating
Water View

Open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for passive use only. 
No use of restrooms or water fountains. 
Social distancing of at least 6 feet between individuals. 
No groups larger than 10 people. 
No active organized team sports allowed. 
Facial coverings must be worn at all times. 

The Community Garden at Oak Lake will require anyone working in garden to wear a mask. Allow Artist in residence return to work at ArtsPark. Artist studio work only. 
No tours, lessons or private engagements.

Hollywood Broadwalk

6 a.m. to 9 a.m. for exercising only including walking, jogging and bike riding
No rollerblading, skating or skateboarding
No loitering
Social distancing of at least 6 feet between individuals
No groups larger than 10 people
Facial coverings recommended when social distancing is difficult to maintain
Beach remains closed

Skate Parks:
Hollywood West
Stan Goldman

Will require social distancing of at least six feet. Everyone in a skate park must be wearing a mask. One person per element. No more than 10 people in skate park at a time.

Tennis Courts:
Jefferson Park
Driftwood Community Center

Singles play only. Only two players per court inside court area. Must adhere to social distancing of at least six feet.

Pavilion Rentals:
Cathy and Bob Anderson Park    
Eppleman Park              
Holland Park
Jefferson Park                                                      
Oak Lake Park
Poinciana Park  

Only parties less than 10. Must adhere to physical distancing and all parties must wear facial covering. Venues times will be limited 1 per day to allow for cleaning.

Limited Restrooms Available:
Jefferson Park                  
Sailors Point              
Stan Goldman Park
Zinkil Park
Holland Park                    
Charnow Park                    
Johnson Street on Hollywood Beach
Harry Berry Park    
Keating Park

Open facilities will be cleaned and sanitized twice daily, seven days a week per CDC guidelines. Please, only one customer at a time in the restroom facility.

 Do you remember that time I was at the beach 🌴☀️, either down here in South Florida or out in California, and a drop-dead beautiful woman in a bikini was there but I didn't see her because her bikini was camouflage?
Nope! 
Me either.









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FYI: So, if you STILL haven't figured out the meaning of the headline of today's blog post, it's a riff on Simon & Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence, which became a breakout hit in part because it was used extensively throughout one of the most iconic films ever, The Graduate.


Dave
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Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Goodwill South Florida desperately needs your help. Right now! Be A Part of the Solution

Goodwill South Florida needs your help


Here's a copy of Goodwill's email to me today, as a past supporter of their's.
Please see my additional comments below their message.

Goodwill Must Survive. The workers we employ need us to succeed and thrive. They need a special place; with the social services and programs we provide. For them, Goodwill is their family, their livelihood, their place to belong.  

Please consider donating to the "Goodwill Employee Emergency Fund." With a gift of $25 or more you can help our financially neediest employees with a variety of necessities - from healthcare coverage to other specific needs - that will help them get back to recovering as soon as it is safe. Every dollar counts.
7,000+ People are Served each year at Goodwill S. Florida
Where would they go? Goodwill MUST survive for them. They Need Us. We Need You. 
We have all suffered greatly on so many levels due to the effects of the COVID-19 crisis. Unemployment is seeing unprecedented numbers and we, as a nonprofit, are no exception. We have been forced to lay off 2,400 of our workers and are at risk of laying off more. 

While the CARES Act has relief programs, they have not gone far enough to ensure larger nonprofits will be able to meet the needs of their communities as our nation recovers from this crisis. Because we have more than 500 employees, we are not eligible for many of the federal aid packages, but we are working hard to have our voices heard to speak up for those who can't.

Many of our employees are part of the most marginalized work force; working under a triple threat of disabilities, limited work skills and living paycheck to paycheck. These characteristics make it difficult for them to find a job elsewhere. 

Goodwill Must Survive. The workers we employ need us to succeed and thrive. They need a special place; with the social services and programs we provide. For them, Goodwill is their family, their livelihood, their place to belong.  

Please consider donating to the "Goodwill Employee Emergency Fund." With a gift of $25 or more you can help our financially neediest employees with a variety of necessities - from healthcare coverage to other specific needs - that will help them get back to recovering as soon as it is safe. Every dollar counts.

Be A Part of the Solution. 
Make Your Emergency Fund Gift!


 If you prefer to chat via telephone call us at 305-326-4120

Goodwill Industries of South Florida, 2121 NW. 21 ST., Miami, FL 33142
Video above can also be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7bghMHteJI

More information on the reality that Goodwill is facing is at:



Today I wanted to discuss a wonderful South Florida organization that helps LOTS of often overlooked people in our community that other non-profits don't help, and I mention them now specifically because they could really use any help you can offer: Goodwill of South Florida.

 When I lived and worked in Washington, D.C. for 15 years, until returning to South Florida in late 2003, part of my job, the non-writing, non-analysis/strategy part, often consisted of spending lots of time working for some well-known and well-heeled clients at endless (often-neverending) meetings on Capitol Hill with staffers and Members of Congress, or representing my clients and showing the collective flag at seminars or workshops at very nice Washington hotels/convention centers put on by well-known Think Tanks, and powerful trade associations.

 Then, the following morning or afternoon, going to very nicely-appointed law firms and telling those clients and their attorneys in conference rooms with great views, often over catered meals with great coffee and sandwiches with all the fixings, exactly what I had heard and learned that would be helpful to us in the future. And, what other people who were there seemed most interested in.

 It wasn't always like that, of course, but I worked very, very hard, and when I had those moments, I made sure I got my share of delicious roast beef or Club sandwiches and Starbucks coffee before I made my exit.
One of the things that helped me keep my sanity -besides going to over 20-plus Baltimore Oriole baseball games a year, roughly 25% of their home games- was the time I spent on behalf of groups that gave me a lot of very emotionally-rewarding experiences from helping in ways most of the people I knew at the time -or folks down here in South Florida- never knew about.


One of those groups was the D.C. Chapter of the American Cancer Society. Another was the local D.C. chapter of Goodwill.

My hard work on behalf of ACS at a series of very successful events around Washington eventually led the top administrators and charitable giving people of the DC chapter to recommend that I be put on their Board of Directors for their Young Adults division.
Apparently, they needed to be be making more of a positive difference than had been the case, for whatever reason, and you know me, I'm a problem-solver. I fix things.

 I was happy to do it for a few years, specializing in -surprise- creating and organizing fundraising events and event management, because of my extensive campaign experience nationally, in Florida, and in Miami-Dade County.
Except here, the opponent was high costs, irrational expectations, and an inability of some to accept that sometimes the answer is no, no matter how many times you try to reframe a proposal.

Unlike many non-profits at the time, in large part due to the national United Way scandal some years before, we operated under very strict rules with respect to what was allowed in the way of overhead, i.e. the actual costs of throwing.
Fees, rental expenses, minimums that must be spent in order to use certain catering firms that had contracts with that site, etc. Yes, these costs could often be much higher than you might imagine, even when hosts understood that we were a non-profit with a thin line for actually making more money than we spent.

 So, after awhile, despite my own fondness for brainstorms and great ideas, I got to be the person in our group who had to say no a lot, no matter how good the idea sounded in the abstract, because I simply couldn't put the ACS in a bad position by having a successful event where too much money was spent on costs and labor.

 With help from smart and influential friends I had around DC, and especially relying on good contacts I had at the German Embassy, we were able to have some events at their beautiful and quite extensive grounds on Reservoir Road that raised a considetable amount of money for the parent ACS.

 While living and working in D.C. and Arlington, because of my involvement with so many people at not just ACS and Goodwill but lots of other charities and non-profits, too, I was fortunate enough to have personally met LOTS of people in DC who personally benefitted greatly as a result of their efforts.

So, that all said, it should not come as a surprise to you that the American flag that proudly hung on the front porch of my Arlington, VA home, both before and after the deep trauma of 9-11 and the deaths of so many people in Arlington at The Pentagon 4 miles away, was one that was made with care and precision by the employees of Goodwill.

 My friends at the time knew how constant I was about imploring them to purchase their U,.S. flags from Goodwil instead of at Home Depot or at Lowes or some other hardware store.
I took it personally.

 In comparison to the D.C. area, for obvious reasons, I see considerably less American flags flying in front of homes or businesses in South Florida, even when they have extant flagpoles or flagholders on the property. But no flag, which, me being the way that I am, is very disappointing.

 I suppose I should be used to it by now, yet when I'm walking around the area and see a flagpole or flag staff without a flag, I just shake my head.

 In my opinion, there are far too many businesses that fall into this category in Hollywood and Hallandale Beach, and Downtown Holllywood in particular. This is perhaps nowhere more self-evident, in the opposite way, than at the NE corner of Young Circle, in front of The Circ Hotel.

 There, for several months, a number of severely-ripped, torn or otherwise falling apart American flags have been allowed to be whipped around or lay limp high above walking passersby on the sidewalk, without anyone calling them out publicly and insisting they do the right thing.
Until now, that is.

 So I'm here to ask whether you're in a place to directly help Goodwill financially now with the Goodwill Employee Emergency fund.or perhaps by placing an order NOW, in advance of Labor Day or July 4th for some new American flags to hang in front of your home or your business, please know that every little bit helps.

I only wish that i could do much more than I plan on doing now and next week.

Dave 
David B. Smith 

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