BrowardBeat's Buddy Nevins zeroes-in on Broward pols' hypocrisy over red-light cameras -and Angelo Castillo's name comes quickly to mind among some

Where's that red-light camera warning sign?
Looking west on W. Hallandale Beach Blvd. approaching N.W 10th Terrace, Hallandale Beach, Florida. About 6:50 p.m. on April 24, 2011.
Photo by South Beach Hoosier.

Where did you say that red-light camera warning sign was, again?
No, it's not that silver-colored one next to the curb, that the Merge/Bike lane sign. Looking west on W. Hallandale Beach Blvd. & N.W 10th Terrace, Hallandale Beach, Florida. April 24, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.


Oh, there you are, red-light camera warning sign, intentionally placed right between two trees!
You only see the sign above because of the reflection of my camera flash, there are no street lights nearby. You'd almost say they were hiding it, yes?
Looking west on W. Hallandale Beach Blvd. & N.W 10th Terrace, Hallandale Beach, Florida. April 24, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.


My own comments about Buddy Nevins' new post on red-light cameras at BrowardBeat, which I first read about around 10:15 p.m. Monday night, follow his own critical comments.

I read it while watching a new episode of NBC-TV's terrific and re-configured Law & Order: Los Angeles, which had a common element of the real-life murder last November of noted Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen thrown in, which I immediately caught despite not having read about the episode online or in print, but still felt uncomfortable about.
Chasen was the victim of a random shooting by a guy on a bicycle; in the episode, it was a hit.

Still, it was a hell of a compelling story well-told and is exactly why everyone I know is watching this show after the recent cast changes were made, with cast regular Alfred Molina sent from the DA's office to the detective squad, replacing the departed Skeet Ulrich, whose character was killed on the show a few weeks back after it finally returned to the air.

Dick Wolf Must Really Hate Skeet Ulrich
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/04/dick_wolf_must_really_hate_ske.html

Watching LOLA after Fox-TV's The Chicago Code is definitely a habit I could grow accustomed to. http://www.fox.com/chicagocode/

TheWrap
Ronni Chasen Laid to Rest, but Hollywood Can't Shake the Shock
By Sharon Waxman & Dominic Patten
Published: November 21, 2010 @ 10:31 am

They came by the hundreds from all across the country and within Hollywood. Every senior PR professional and most entertainment journalists but also composers, executives and movie stars -- to pay respects to Ronni Chasen, laying to rest the beloved publicist just five days after she was killed.

The primary message at the packed midday funeral service in the bright, fall air was of shock and loss. Elegant eulogies conveyed how fresh the grief was -- not yet a week removed from her senseless killing at the hands of a person or people still at large.

Read the rest of the post at: http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/indignation-hollywood-friends-set-bury-ronni-chasen-22675

-------
Broward Beat
TV Highlights Hypocrisy Over Red Light Cameras
By Buddy Nevins

Channel 6-NBC Miami proved tonight that elected officials who support red light cameras are hypocrites.

The report by Willard Shepard featured the red light camera Pembroke Pines has installed westbound at Pembroke Road and SW 129^th Avenue. This is at the southern entrance of Century Village.

I want to see any official claim how these particular Pembroke Pines cameras are being used as a safety measure. Their nose is growing.

Read the rest of the post at:
http://www.browardbeat.com/tv-highlights-hypocracy-over-red-light-cameras/

There was no video of this story on NBC-6 website as of 11:30 p.m. Monday night; I'll re-check Tuesday and post it on the blog if found so you all can see it for yourselves.

See also:
Broward Politics
Red light camera spokesman didn't like yesterday's post
By Brittany Wallman April 19, 2011 10:37 AM
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2011/04/red_light_camera_spokesman_did.html

Per the above, I should mention that every time I have posted something on my blog about the mendacious red-light camera situation in Broward County or Florida, esp. anything that is at all critical of them -which is each post on red-light cameras!- I quite suddenly get lots of hits from the home of American Traffic Solutions Inc., i.e the Phoenix area. Hmm-m...

Also, per the arrogant, condescending and patronizing tone of the note above in the Brittany Wallman post from Pembroke Pines Comm. Angelo Castillo -did I leave out an adjective?- as I stated recently to some of you via email, I'm really starting to fully grasp the full-dimension of my misplaced positive words about Castillo last year, as he has increasingly become for me the poster boy for the pro-govt., know-it-all Nanny State in Broward County that brooks no disagreement from its citizens.

Castillo's 'my way or the highway' attitude expressed in that note above is precisely the opposite of what an elected official should be saying right now in Broward, and, again, is about the last thing I'd have thought I'd be hearing out of him, based on his comments to me a year ago.
But make them he does, and with increasing frequency!

In one new story after another on Pembroke Pines -where my youngest sister lives- he somehow keeps finding himself on the side of everyone but the average taxpayer, having supported one pink elephant or govt-funded fiasco after another, and thus far, at least as the stories have been reported, there never seems to be even the slightest amount of doubt on his part about his actions, words or votes.

It must be great to be so sure of yourself, despite the observable, quantifiable facts all around you. General Custer must've had those traits in spades I think.

Frankly, I've wondered for the six months since Election Day why the Miami Herald never gave his truly disastrous County Comm. run last year the full Quincy, M.E. post-mortem it deserved, the sort that we have become accustomed to in other cities, since Castillo seems by most accounts to have run THE single-worst election campaign of any Broward candidate last year, esp. for one so well-financed and known.

The final totals for that three-way primary: Sharief 6,973 Castillo 2,415

Despite he and I having exchanged several friendly emails early last year, Castillo never once contacted me on when he was actually coming into HB to talk to the residents of the city living in that District 8, which had formerly been represented by Diana Wasserman-Rubin, until she was FINALLY arrested.

(Frankly, I don't know that he ever visited, since nobody I know ever heard about such a thing, which explains a lot in retrospect.)

I'd have been more than happy to post the meeting info here and remind people in emails, just as I would've been for (eventual winner) Barbara Sharief as well, because I wanted HB residents to take full advantage of the opportunity, however fleeting.
But despite having all my contact info, he never did anything to communicate.

-----
REMINDER: Don't forget that Comm. Barbara Sharief will be speaking at HB Comm. Keith London's Resident Forum at the HB Cultural Center Tuesday at 6 p.m.
http://www.co.broward.fl.us/Commission/District8/Pages/Default.aspx

Sharief has been a voice of logic, reason and sanity on the red-light camera issue, and has refused to be intimidated, or swallow whole the laughably bogus claims of local officials like Hallandale Beach and Pembroke Pines' mayors, Joy Cooper and Frank Ortis, that fall apart as soon as you examine them for facts, not spin.

It's telling that like Buddy Nevins says in his post, if there are problematic intersections that are responsible for a larger number of speeding-related accidents than seems reasonable, why aren't local city managers and mayors directing local police resources there to make their presence felt and change the dynamic?

The sort of thing that would have been common sense years ago in other cities I have lived in like Bloomington, Evanston and Wilmette, and which is still probably the first thing that happens in the cities and towns where many of you reading this now live.

That doesn't happen here in South Florida, though, for the very same reason that the HBPD doesn't care about all the speeding on U.S.-1, esp. at night, and while you are more likely to see someone pulled-over there by an Aventura policeman than you are a HB one. They don't want to do what's simple and necessary.

Instead, as I've mentioned so many times here, with photos, what happens is that rather than locate the second red-light camera in HB somewhere where it might actually do some public safety good, it's deliberately placed in a location, one block east of I-95, in order to nab drivers eager to get onto I-95 and out of the daily HB gridlock.

So tell me -since Mayor Cooper and City Manager Mark Antonio won't say publicly- why are there NEVER any HB police cars stationed near there if it really is a problem?

If Mayor Cooper were really interested in public safety, as she said she was a few weeks ago in her laughable performance with Mayor Ortis before the Broward County Commission, to cite but one example, why is it that for well over a year, despite everyone in the city seemingly knowing about it, for a few blocks on one of the three streets that directly lead to the HB Police Dept, it's pitch-black at night?

Yes, pitch-black, just like the Police Dept. and City Hall parking lots were so frequently for 6-9 months at a time, numerous times over the past few years, a subject I frequently mentioned at City Commission meetings and which the myopic and mendacious HB Police Chief at the time, Thomas Magill, completely ignored, along with the mayor and the city commission.

(The same way Magill continually ignored the broken parking lot light nearest the ONE security camera in front on the U.S.-1 side of the municipal building, having been out 99% of the time since the security camera were installed over three years ago. It's still out as of last night. And what about the city's liability in case something unfortunate happens? City Attorney David Jove takes the who-cares route, ignoring that possibility. month-after-month, year-after-year. Personally, I don't think the city's insurance company will take such a happy-go-lucky view, which is sure problematic for city taxpayers in the future in the event of a lawsuit.)

That pitch-black street would be Old Dixie Highway, the same street that's right near the city's largest park, Blusten Park, which many kids walk to and ride their bikes to and from everyday. The park's lights are usually turned off about 9:15 and then it's every man -or kid- for himself.

Safety is not what they care about in HB, revenue is.

Above, (diagonal) Old Dixie Highway looking north from S.E. 7th Street towards the Hallandale Beach Police Dept. HQ and parking lot on the right, two blocks away. The lights you see on the left are the auxilary lights at the city's municipal pool at Blusten Park. Hallandale Beach, Florida.
April 24, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

The photo above was taken WITH a flash, otherwise you'd see nothing but arc lights emanating from the pool area.

My prior posts on red-light cameras can be found at
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/search?q=red-light

Because of the number of posts I've written on the subject, and the particular template and design I use on my blog, after you click the URL and go to the most recent one, continue to the end and right below the Google Ad Sense ad you will see "Older Posts."
Click that to see prior post on the subject in reverse chron order.

Robyn - Be Mine! (Live From The Cherrytree House)

Robyn - Be Mine! (Live From The Cherrytree House)
http://youtu.be/OCtvP0pdPoA


Slight change in original plans, as the promised triple-dose of Robyn performing will be posted here on Monday, owing to lots and lots of frustrating HTML problems with the last post.

It appeared fine in Preview, but kept layering text over photos and graphics -and vice-versa- no matter how many times I went into EDIT to fix it.
After lots and lots of frustration, I finally copied the whole thing it over and simply reposted it as a new separate post, deleting the original version that appeared online, but I'm mentally exhausted, so... until then, here's something of Robyn's that I haven't posted yet to tide you over until I have the time to post all three separate Robyn-related posts in a row.

http://www.youtube.com/user/RobynVEVO

http://www.robyn.com/

More Robyn performances at The Cherrytree House at
http://www.cherrytreerecords.com/CherrytreeHouse

http://www.cherrytreerecords.com/

Revisionism: Nearing 4th anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance, Anorak pokes holes in Portuguese town's attempted airbrushing of blame

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre -A Minute for Madeleine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=979u-xbPHrQ

Above, Madeleine McCann, the-then three year-old Everton fan missing from Praia da Luz, Portugal now for four years.

This afternoon, Anorak has posted a scathingly tart rejoinder to the blind acceptance by many about what has been reported and broadcast thus far on this tragic story, particularly about the supposed depth of feeling by the people of the seaside Portuguese town from which this young girl disappeared. Of what, yes, 'it all means...'

It takes aim and fires!
In my opinion? Bulls-eye!
Bulls-eye times ten.

It's rightful target? This morning's story in The Sunday Telegraph, which had a teaser photo of Maddie at the bottom, just below the front page photo of Queen Elizabeth and former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Read the story so you'll better understand the spot-on criticism and analysis from Anorak:



Madeleine McCann: time to forget?
As the fourth anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance approaches - and coincides with a new book written by her mother, Kate - Olga Craig returns to Praia da Luz to see how the Portuguese resort has put the incident behind it
By Olga Craig 7:00AM BST 24 Apr 2011
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/8469932/Madeleine-McCann-time-to-forget.html

-----

The Anorak piece quite correctly thinks that the whole tragic episode is being airbrushed out of memory and that it's not just the Portuguese doing the convenient forgetting -since they want to keep the European tourists coming back and spending their Euros- but even some British journalists who are abetting this deliberate attempt to make the public's concern and the resulting media attention, appear frothy, frivolous and misplaced.

There's little doubt that some but not all of the reporting was.
I've read that sort before and so have many of you, but in casting such a wide net, these latter reporters only show their own profound lack of perspective, sincerity and humanity.

Without getting into all the details or naming the guilty, to me, it sounds suspiciously similar to the smug patronizing attitude I heard in-person at nice places throughout Washington -and later read in print- by some liberal reporters and columnists about Chandra Levy's disappearance and murder.
Who said that it was, you see, oh dear, 'much ado about nothing.'

Yes, we were reassured, it was just another summer story in The Beltway that would soon disappear once Labor Day rolled-around and the big-time journalists returned from The Cape or Aspen or wherever the new in-spot was, as that story would then be squashed into nothingness by WaPo editors with a love for lengthy stories about the budget.

Yes, I was told, reporting on Chandra Levy was almost beneath some of them, a graduate of a top-tier school said, who surely imagines that they'll be running the Washington Post some day when right-thinking people are making the grave decision.

I kid you not, Washington is absolutely full to the gills with people like that.
It's not just the elected officials who have an extraordinary sense of grandeur about themselves and their future dates with destiny, it's the reporters.

Is there anything worse than journalists who are openly contemptuous of average people and their interests, lecturing everyone else in sight about what things "really" mean, from the vantage point of their f-ing high horse?
I think not.

In case you forgot or never read it here the first time, while she was not someone I personally knew, Chandra Levy used the same exact gym I did in downtown Washington.
I actually saw her from time-to-time, just as I saw lots of people there who, after awhile, became familiar faces of a sort, even if I didn't know their entire back-story.

Those ubiquitous fliers of her that you saw on the news stories so many hundreds of times were the very one I passed everyday on my way into the gym.
My two previous post on Chandra Levy are at the bottom of this post.

Here's the piece from Anorak that shoots and scores!

Anorak
Madeleine McCann: Fourth Anniversary Tour, With Robert Murat
Read this great post at:
http://www.anorak.co.uk/279312/madeleine-mccann/madeleine-mccann-fourth-anniversary-tour-with-robert-murat.html

----

Sky News' updated links to videos, photos, articles and Life of Crime blog by Sky's crime correspondent Martin Brunt at http://news.sky.com/skynews/madeleine while those of The Sun are at http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/maddie/

The official site to find Madeleine McCann
http://www.findmadeleine.com/home.html


I don't get them in the mail in Hallandale Beach like I did for the 14 years I lived in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., but a good reason why you should always look at ADVO's "Have you seen me?" fliers:



Because sometimes the kids seen on them do turn up. Above, Elizabeth Smart. I still remember the day that she was found alive, and quite unexpectedly, having kept the mailer above in a dresser drawer, knowing that I'd never run into her around D.C., finding myself crying the moment MSNBC broke the news that she'd been found ALIVE.


The Daily Mirror
Madeleine McCann search: JK Rowling helps Maddy's mum Kate write book on
by Greig Box-Turnbull, Daily Mirror
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/04/11/madeleine-mccann-search-jk-rowling-helps-maddy-s-mum-kate-write-book-on-115875-23052492/


February 13, 2011
As predicted here, McClatchy & Miami Herald never refer to illegal alien status of convicted killer of Chandra Levy in article. Shocker!
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/as-predicted-here-mcclatchy-miami.html

February 11, 2011
Killer convicted! Illegal immigrant from El Salvador sentenced to 60 years in prison by D.C. jury for 2001 murder of Chandra Levy
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/killer-convicted-illegal-immigrant-from.html

Young Swedish school kids prance about in Halmstad in Easter costumes, while U.S. adults wait for the next great YouTube video sensation

TV4 -Nyheterna Halland: Påskfirande på Trollberget i Halmstad, April 21, 2011

http://www.tv4play.se/nyheter_och_debatt/nyheterna_halland?title=paskfirande_pa_trollberget_i_halmstad&videoid=1607328&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=permalink&utm_campaign=tv4play.se

This past week, in anticipation of Easter, TV4 News in Sweden's Halland bureau -not Hallandale Beach!- sent a crew to the town of Halmstad to watch a bunch of cute kids at school dressed up for Easter -the Superman outfit confuses me, I'll admit, but it's better than a Chade Henne Dolphins jersey.

As if on cue, the kids acted genuinely amusing, precious and droll the way that little kids can do for years before they get older, harder and bitter about the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
But for now, they're just proving that the only thing cuter on TV than a bunny is a cute kid dressed up as a bunny, with or without floppy ears.

(Given the current state of corruption here, I'm going to guess that those smallish school buildings depicted in the video at the top would cost about $5 million a piece if built in Broward County!
You have to charge a lot for everyone to get their share of the payoffs!

BrowardPalmBeach NewTimes
The Daily Pulp blog
School Board Construction Chief Tried to Give Contractor $100,000 Break
By Bob Norman, Thu., Apr. 21 2011 @ 3:54PM
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2011/04/school_board_tom_lindner.php)

I discovered this otherwise obscure video late Saturday night while perusing the TV4 Play website and watching some TV4 news segments while waiting for the videotape of last night's episode of Körslaget to be uploaded so I could watch it.
More on that infectious singing competition show later in the day.

Speaking of music, I expect to have some musical surprises here on the blog later in the day, including a triple dose of some video of Robyn performing that I know with certainty that most of you living outside of Sweden the past six months have NEVER seen.
In it, she is -shocker- AMAZING and AMUSING!
You will be very pleased!

Happy Easter/Glad påsk to the thoughtful and well-informed readers of the Hallandale Beach Blog all around the world!

-----

http://www.nyheterna.se/

http://www.tv4.se/

http://www.tv4play.se/

http://www.tv4play.se/nyheter_och_debatt/nyheterna_halland

Photos of Halmstad, Halland's largest town, where this video was shot:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=172084

Beguiling Alyona Minkovski zeroes-in on TIME's "100" list and fillets some particularly dubious celebs we're supposed to admire -but DON'T!

Russia Today America video - Alyona Minkovski zeroes-in on TIME's "100" list and fillets some particularly dubious celebs we're supposed to admire -but DON'T! http://youtu.be/nHkWwtnwa58

This week, TIME magazine's annual embarrassment to journalism, their "100" list, came out.

"Meet the most influential people in the world..."

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,1984685,00.html

Yeah, I know, I know, Breakling News... same old tired MSM faces and Usual Suspects, with the lovely Blake Lively's tossed in for a wild-card.

Supposedly, this list is comprised of some of the most influential people around, but RT America -formerly Russia Today America- host Alyona Minkovski throws a red flag on the whole embarrassing enterprise by simply highlighting the fact that MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, self-promoting author Amy Chua and actress Blake Lively are on the list.

I like Blake, but admittedly, it's hardly anyone's Murder's Row of deep thinkers!
http://justjared.buzznet.com/2011/04/22/blake-lively-chris-colfer-times-100-most-influential-people/

I wrote about Blake here on March 24th, 2009 with the title, Blake Lively: A Smile That Can Fill a TV Screen!



Above, screenshots I took of Gossip Girl star Blake Lively on CBS-TV's Late Show with David Letterman, March 24th, 2009.
My photos are larger at http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/blake-lively-smile-that-can-fill-tv.html

No, not the professor or researcher or historian whom you've never heard of who is doing some amazing and revolutionary work in an esoteric area you otherwise think little about, but whom within a year or so, will absolutely rock our world view, dumbfound us with their discoveries or create an antidote or cure for something that we think is a death sentence now, but will seem self-evident years from now.
Someone who could use some kudos to get over the hump.

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, the DWS pal?
Really?
She's not even the most influential politician in her own state -Gov. Jan Brewer is.

And not that it has anything to do with the video, but I would absolutely pay money to watch the lovely and personable Alyona -who is really looking better than ever- absolutely pummel some of the more exasperating female reporters, experts and consultants that currently get trotted out on TV with regularity now, both verbally and physically.

She can start with the distaff crew at MSNBC, since I don't watch it at all anymore but recently heard yet another eye-rolling story about Contessa Brewer that just reaffirms my decision.

At this point, it hardly matters if it's true, Contessa's hopelessly smug and unctuous eye-rolling attitude over so many years, her refusal to believe something that conflicted with the Beltway MSM orthodoxy, and her cuteness being completely negated by her vacuousness and self-deception, means nobody I know takes her seriously.
And neither should you.
If you put your ear up to her ear, you can hear what sounds like a wind tunnel.

Alyona Show YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlyonaShow

You can watch RT America here LIVE:
http://rt.com/on-air/rt-america-air/

Elaine de Valle's Political Cortadito blog channels Sherlock Holmes and catches the crook red-handed: FL Rep. Frank Artiles. Blogger 1, Lying Pol 0

Elaine de Valle's Political Cortadito blog channels Sherlock Holmes and catches the crook red-handed: FL Rep. Frank Artiles. Blogger 1, Lying Pol 0

Elementary, my dear Watson!
http://politicalcortadito.blogspot.com/2011/04/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html



Above, Florida Rep. Frank Artiles, the guy who couldn't find a place to live since the election of November 2nd. How could you trust someone who was both so unethical and so stupid?
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/sections/representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4529&SessionId=66
Score so far: Blogger 1, Egregiously-unethical legislative rep 0.


After reading the Marc Caputo story below that was posted online just before midnight Thursday morning, why-oh-why is there STILL no movement on the Joe Gibbons campaign registration/residency issue?

BrowardPalmBeach New Times
The Daily Pulp blog
House Pro Tem Investigated for Homestead Fraud
By Bob Norman
November 15 2010 @ 10:15AM
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2010/11/joe_gibbons_investigated_homestead_fraud.php


Naturally, it being the Herald, they didn't have an online link to Elaine de Valle's
blog, http://politicalcortadito.blogspot.com/

Common sense dictates that State Rep. Frank Artiles should've been expelled weeks ago.
To soon be followed by Gibbons if rules and laws mean anything.

Now THAT would set an example for the future: when you register to run for office, the information you write on the documents filed with the State of Florida are true and legally-binding, and you actually LIVE at the address you write down -in the District.
Otherwise, why abide by the rules?

That's why all the other legislative members ought to just pile-on these guys and ruin their political careers.
Seriously, why would you want to have such low-lifes in your group?

Could you have any faith or confidence in someone who'd shown themselves to be incapable of appreciating that what they were doing was reprehensible?

It's NOT really too much to ask that the Florida legislature enforce the State Constitution and the public's right to be represented in Tallahassee by someone who ACTUALLY lives in the legislative district.
In fact, that should just be the bare minimum one expects.

State Representative: an elector and resident of the district upon taking office and a resident of the state for at least 2 years prior to election.

Above, from website of State of Florida Dept. of State, Frequently Asked Questions,
Residency requirements for Florida House of Representatives.
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/gen-faq.shtml#link5


And yet, here we are in the Florida of 2011, with Mike Haridopolos, the ethically-challenged Senate president and U.S. Senate wannabe, and Dean Cannon, the Florida House Speaker so little known outside of his own family and a small clique of Tallahassee-based reporters.

Lightweight legislators and junior-varsity crime-fighters are the "leaders" of the fourth-largest state in the U.S.A. and so far, they seem unable to even police their own minions and occasionally throw one smelly fish out before he infects the whole bunch.
It sure explains a lot in the Sunshine State, doesn't it?

------

Miami Herald
Busted by a blogger for not living in his district, Rep. Frank Artiles said he’ll move to his West Kendall district soon. But he could pay a hefty fine.
By Marc Caputo Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
April 21, 2011

TALLAHASSEE -- More than 170 days since Republican Rep. Frank Artiles was elected, he still hasn’t moved to the west Miami-Dade district he represents in the Florida House — a potential Constitutional violation that could cost him 5 months’ pay.

Artiles was caught living in his Palmetto Bay home two nights ago when a Miami political blogger knocked on the door of his Palmetto Bay home.

Wearing gym shorts and socks as he watched the Miami Heat basketball game, Artiles admitted to blogger Elaine de Valle that he didn’t live in his district...

Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/20/2177854/state-rep-artiles-could-face-hefty.html

New water restrictions on tap tonight: HB City Hall wants stricter water restrictions despite NEVER issuing a single citation past 2 years. Why?

Reminder: Tonight at 6 pm in Hallandale Beach is Mayor Joy Cooper's ham-handed effort to tighten water restrictions here to once-a-week despite the fact that the city NEVER issued a single ticket the past two years under existing rules.
Also on the agenda is one item that bears close watching, 8G, City Manager Performance Evaluation.

The agenda for tonight's 6 p.m. meeting -note NEW time!- is here:
http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/files/2011-04-20/Agenda%20Outline%20for%202011-04-20%2018-00.htm

I have copied and pasted the staff report for 8G at the bottom. That is to say, the City Manager's staff's progress report on their boss, Mark Antonio.
Spoiler Alert: They (he) thinks he's doing a good job thus far.

He clearly has a very different definition of what good is then what many of you and I have.

The proposed water restrictions are nothing more than feel-good legislation that is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist here, even while she and her Rubber Stamp Crew ignore longstanding, real problems all over the city, and Cooper, the President of the Florida League of Cities, hopes you won't notice the startling incongruity.

An Andy Reid story about what I believe is similar short-sighted policy is in today's
Sun-Sentinel's new Green South Florida blog
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/blogs/green-south-florida/

Tougher South Florida watering rules resisted, despite drought concerns By Andy Reid, Sun Sentinel 11:21 p.m. EDT, April 19, 2011

Despite lingering drought conditions, South Florida water managers are so far resisting environmentalists’ call for tougher watering restrictions to try to stretch supplies. A drier than normal start to the November-to-May dry season already prompted the South Florida Water Management District in March to impose emergency watering restrictions limiting all residents and businesses across the region to twice-a-week landscape watering.

Read the rest of the story, along with graphs and previous stories, at:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/blogs/green-south-florida/sfl-tougher-south-florida-watering-rules-resisted-despite-drought-concerns-20110419,0,7759353.story

-------------------

Item #8G.

April 20, 2011

CITY OF HALLANDALE BEACH, REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING

Date: April 12, 2011

Director’s Name: Mark Antonio, City Manager

Department: City Manager’s Office

Subject: City Manager Performance Evaluation

____________________________________________________________________________

Pursuant to Section 2.B. of my Employment Agreement with the City of Hallandale Beach, performance evaluations are to be conducted on a regular basis, with the first City Manager Performance Evaluation to take place six months after appointment and then conducted annually thereafter.

Accordingly, the six-month performance evaluation is to take place in April 2011. To facilitate the process and consideration by the City Commission, I have attached a list of my accomplishments during the past six months. As it have been a busy six months thus far, with many projects and issues on the table, I truly believe feedback and input from the Commission on my performance and that of the City at this time is in the best interest of the City to ensure all expectations of the Commission are being met and all concerns are afforded the opportunity to be resolved.

Additionally, as the City Commission might be interested in formalizing a City Manager Performance Evaluation process/policy, I will be forwarding, under a separate cover memo, sample City Manager Performance Evaluations for your consideration, review and discussion – as you might direct – during a City Commission Workshop.

In the meantime, I am looking forward to this six-month evaluation for I believe any good Manager would welcome suggestions to improve his/hers performance, as well as that of the City.

As always, should you have any questions, do not hesitate to call me.

April 20, 2011 City Commission Meeting – Agenda Item 8.G. – City Manager Performance Evaluation – List of Achievements

Pursuant to Section 2.B. of my Employment Agreement with the City of Hallandale Beach, performance evaluations are to be conducted on a regular basis, with the first City Manager Performance Evaluation to take place six months after appointment and then conducted annually thereafter.

The following is a list of the last six month’s accomplishments, which are based on City Commission’s established goals. Since this is a mid-year report, some projects have not been completed, however in all cases we are right on track, and in some instances we are even ahead of the game.

Livable Community

1. The Citywide Parks Master Plan is well on its way, with final presentation and recommendations to the City Commission and the public scheduled for the May 16, 2011 City Commission Workshop. It is expected that after this presentation, the Final Plan will be adopted in July 2011, with implementation thereafter. BP# 012/08

2. Capital Projects that have been on hold or delayed were given priority and are now either complete or on their way to construction:

1. City Marina – Ground Breaking Ceremony has been scheduled for May 20, 2011, with construction expected to start in early May 2011. CAD# 031/03
2. North Beach Facility Community Center - the renovations have been completed, and the center is now available for rentals. BP#023/08.
3. Foster Park Community Center – the project has been bid and staff is now conducting the bid analysis, with and expected day of May 18, 2011 for Bid Award by the City Commission/CRA Board of Directors and construction to start soon after. BP#022/06.
4. Curci House – renovations have been completed and the building is now open to the public for tours and as a small museum. This project has received awards from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation and the Broward County Historical Commission. CAD#047/03.
5. PBA Hall – renovations are on the way and should be complete by the end of this year. BP#009/06
6. A1A Safety Improvements – a LAP Agreement between the City and FDOT for the landscaping phase of this project is being executed, with an expected starting date of August 2011. The triple RRR portion of this Project has been scheduled by FDOT for FY13/14. CAD#015/06
7. Drainage Projects at the Northeast and Southeast communities have been prioritized and are well under way. BP#013/09 & CAD# 038/06

3. Staff researched the possibility of updating the City’s Ordinance requiring condominiums to install generators to make it consistent with state statute and to provide financial relief to condo units that meet the state requirements – as a result, changes to the ordinance were presented to and adopted by the City Commission on First Reading during the April 06, 2011 City Commission Meeting.

4. To continue to encourage diversity within the City and the workplace, and to encourage volunteerism and participation in the City’s safety training programs, Chapter 21 of the City of Hallandale Beach has been revised, and its amending Ordinance adopted on First Reading to facilitate the inclusion of City volunteers, participants in the City’s mentorship program, and provide veteran’s preference within the City’s list of eligibles for entry level firefighter position, entry level police officer position and entry level community services aide condition.

5. During the FY11 Budget Process, staff was directed to implement a Capacity Building Program to assist in the sustainability of community partners. This program is well under way and will be implemented for the FY12 Budget process as the City’s Community Partnerships Program. BP#006/11

6. To continue to encourage a sense of community and diversity within the City, and to encourage volunteerism and participation in the City’s programs, coordinated the Community Visioning Workshop. This workshop, facilitated by David Hunt has brought members of the Community together with a common goal – Foster Park Community Building.

7. During FY11 Budget process, staff was authorized to negotiate and execute an agreement for street furniture, which will assist in sustaining the Hallandale Beach Area Chamber of Commerce while providing for updated street furniture and maintenance. This agreement has been executed and the contractor is in the process of replacing and installing new street furniture. BP#005/11

8. Staff held a City Commission Workshop on Traffic Calming Devices, and as a result will be implementing the City Commission’s directives regarding the installation of traffic calming devices throughout the community. Furthermore, as a result of said workshop staff has been directed to revise the proposed conversion of NE 8^th and 10^th Avenues. This review is currently underway and staff expects to provide a report to the City Commission within a month. AR#004/11 and BP#009/09

Excellence in Government

1. Completed Labor Negotiations with Police, Fire and General Employees, resulting in improved employee morale. For new contracts, Labor negotiations are currently underway.

2. Instituted a 401(A) Pension Plan for General Employees.

3. Instituted a 457 Loan Program for City Employees.

4. The City’s website redesign project has been completed and staff expects to go “live” by April 15, 2011. As previously directed by the City Commission, this redesigned website includes information regarding newly adopted ordinances, registered lobbyists, monthly reports, and development projects. CMD#008/04

5. Regarding City Commission/staff relations, my philosophy has been for staff to cooperate with City Commissioners as long as Protocol is being followed. I believe this has improved the City’s efficiency and timely delivery of information to the City Commission. Furthermore, it has facilitated and expedited the review of many agenda items as now directors are allowed to brief the Commissioners on any questions they might have prior to a Commission/Workshop Meeting.

6. Agenda Format has been revised and implemented per City Commission directive. Furthermore, all agenda items are being provided 7 days before the City Commission Meetings and/or City Commission Workshops with complete backup information.

7. Draft Action Minutes from City Commission Meetings and City Commission Workshops are being provided for consideration and approval by the City Commission at the following Commission Meeting.

8. Implemented new format for the City Commission City Manager Forums. Furthermore, staff continues to meet with the Community as needed and/or as requested by the Community.

9. The Office of the City Manager has been open and accessible, not only to the City Commission, but also to the public, developers and business partners.

10. Holds monthly departmental meetings with each Director to provide discuss pending issues and provide directive as needed. Hold departmental meetings with all directors to foster communication amongst colleagues.

11. Coordinated and held the City Commission Visioning Session, which resulted in updated City Mission Statement and Strategic Priorities, thus giving staff and the Community a sense of direction. Also resulting from this visioning session, the City Commission/City Manager Workshops, City Commission retreats and resident and business survey. CMD#011/03

12. Hired new Development Services Director, Director of Community Redevelopment Agency and Chief of Police.

13. At the directive of the City Commission, outside auditors are conducting a Special Report on Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) activities and City Manager’s office: report is 90% complete.

14. To inform our Community of on-going projects, established policy where all construction, landscaping and/or rehabilitation projects are posted with uniform signage advising of the project, its purpose, cost and contact person for further questions.

15. With staff’s support, prepared and adopted FY11 Budget: in preparation for said budget, held a Special CRA budget workshop and streamlined CRA budget to ensure all CRA-related programs were active and properly funded. Per policy, continue to review budget expenditures to ensure these are completed within adopted budget.

16. With staff’s support, in the process of preparing FY12 Budget.

Environmental Sustainability

1. Continue to work with consultant, County and state agencies to obtain permits for the City’s Beach Renourishment projects. CAD# 035/97

2. Relocation of the City’s Well Fields – a requirement for the City’s to obtain its water consumption permit, project is well underway: the economic impact study has been completed and the City will now enter into negotiations with the City of West Park. BP#008/10

3. Revised Water Conservation Ordinance has been adopted on First Reading.

4. Implementation of the Forest Health improvement Grant at Joe Scavo Park to prune and replace dead and diseased trees. Project is expected to start within the next two weeks and be completed by end of summer. CAD#006/10

5. Implementation of City’s Recycling Program as well as implementation of services contracts for solid waste disposal which decreased costs by decreasing the travel time to disposal sites. Furthermore, staff is working with a consultant for the development of either a Request for Proposal or Request for Bid for the City’s long term disposal of its solid waste. CAD#018/10

Economic Development

1. Implementation of the City’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP1) through partnerships with Broward County and Habitat for Humanity. CAD#006/09

2. Negotiated the approval of redevelopment and development agreements for the expansion of Wal-Mart and Hallandale Investments/TD Bank. CAD# 001/11 and CAD# 002/11

3. Through CRA, working with businesses to assist them to comply with City’s minimum property maintenance code, be it by demolishing old, dilapidated structures and/or removing pole signs.

4. Settlement agreement between the Set Enterprises, Inc., and the City of Hallandale Beach and Rix Video Emporium and the City of Hallandale Beach.

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Ann Murray being Ann Murray? That's NEVER a good thing! Bob Norman asks if Ann Murray is "Targeting Whistleblower for Firing?"; Iceland inspires

Visit Iceland 2011
http://youtu.be/yz6GpX3_CQE

On a very warm and miserable day in South Florida with no breeze to speak of, there's nothing like a story from ace sleuth Bob Norman detailing even more of the sordid and slimey behavior that I (we've) come to expect from Ann Murray of the Broward School Board -who represents my corner of S.E. Broward- to make me feel like it's already the first week of August. Miserable, miserable August.

That time of the year where I have to go somewhere far cooler (in more ways than one) to chill out and recharge my batteries.
To get away from both dysfunctional South Florida and Dolphin head coach Tony Sparano's nonsensical annual training camp prattle about Chad Henne's great potential.

Someplace like Iceland?
Could be!

Inspired by Iceland Video from Inspired By Iceland on Vimeo.

In case you missed it earlier, my own comments about the Broward School Board from earlier today are here:
Passing the hat, but ignoring what's in plain sight! Broward School Board's Community Budget Task Force meeting at 5 p.m.; equivocating Bartleman
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/passing-hat-but-ignoring-whats-in-plain.html

BrowardPalmBeach New Times
Daily Pulp
Is School Board Member Ann Murray Targeting Whistleblower for Firing?
By Bob Norman, Wed., Apr. 20 2011 @ 9:03AM

Broward School Board member Ann Murray claims she is trying to tighten the district's purse strings by laying off building inspectors.

Building inspector Michael Marchetti -- a whistleblower who exposed massive corruption by Murray's board -- told Murray during a meeting last week that she's on a "personal vendetta" to fire him. ​

Murray didn't answer Marchetti's charge, but I'm sure he's right.

Read the rest of the post at:
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2011/04/michael_marchetti_ann_murray.php




Yoko Ono - Inspired by Iceland (2010)
http://youtu.be/ABoAMKOPfBc

For more information:
www.inspiredbyiceland.com

http://www.icelandnaturally.com/

http://goiceland.org/usergallery/

http://www.icelandtouristboard.com/index.php?page=Dateline-April-2011