Tim Smith's Fort Lauderdale

Give 'em hell Tim!

Tim Smith — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:44:00 GMT

     Give 'em hell Harry is historically known.

     Give 'em hell Tim is my attempt at a local version!

As you might recall, I have been battling some of the Downtown Power Structure that want to solve their problems with aggressive vagrants in Stranahan Park by shipping them up towards my neighborhood off Sunrise Boulevard.

     Well it came to a head last week at a meeting of the Downtown Development Authority. The Sun-Sentinel was there to capture the battle.



     Click here http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/03/downtown_developers_protect_ur.html to see Brittany Wallman's take on the meeting and the video.

Congratulations Jack Seiler

Tim Smith — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:23:00 GMT

     Mayor, you done good !


                                            Seiler and Parade Grand Marshall - Governor Charlie Crist

     Yesterday's Saint Patrick's Day Parade was a blast. And it was Seiler's blast!

     Seiler wants a happy city. Yesterday it was. The Mayor had been the Parade's biggest cheerleader, pushing it wherever he went. Today I'd bet he's Smilin' Jack!

     The Parade should have made everyone smile. It was good old fashioned fun. The line-up was chocked full of neighborhood associations, local school bands, floats, loud music, local politicians finding face time ....... and would you believe ..............

                                                     .........   the Pope

                                                     .........   the Easter Bunny

                                                     .........   a Leprechaun



     Geez Jack, if you could just add Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar, Santa Claus, and Ben Franklin next year, maybe we could make you ...........

                                                          the Governor !

Commissioner Dubose ... Fix Up That Wall !

Tim Smith — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:11:00 GMT

       It's known as the "Junkyard Wall".



        It's located at Sunrise Boulevard and Interstate 95, an important gateway to our City.

     It's in Commissioner Bobby Dubose's political district, and was artistically painted about a decade ago by some 200 volunteers, one of the first projects of the City's Citizen Volunteer Corps.


                                                     Commissioner Dubose at his desk at City Hall

    The sprawling mural, some 300 feet long and 10 feet high, has a mixed 'tropical and under the sea' theme.



     The painting  took place on a Saturday, and was a fun community-wide effort, and of course one volunteer made sure to put their own particular "signature" on it.


                                                                                get it ?

      But unfortunately, more and more areas in the mural are looking like this....





     So, it's time for a new effort. ...... Let's clear the canvas, Commissioner Dubose, let's get 'er done!

     Since it's our City's 100th birthday, just a year from now, here's one idea to chew on.

     A Happy Centennial Birthday theme - we have had quite an interesting 100 years, and I bet we could come up with one interesting mural!

     The volunteers will be there for you. Here's a stunt I used to get the 200 volunteers signed up last time around...


                                     Smith wouldn't come down until 200 people signed up to help!

      Commissioner Dubose .... let me know when to bring the ladder over !

Horrific Crime, Tough Victim

Tim Smith — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:01:00 GMT

     This is going to be a tough story to report, and an even tougher one to read, but the victim wants it told, and thinks it's important. If you have a weak stomach, you may want to skip this one.

     It's about Fort Lauderdalian Kathy Young, a victim of a crime so vicious, so terrible, that it might haunt you.

     Kathy's torture happened in 1993, but this week's arrest of homeless child - murderer Gary Kerpan got Kathy reengaged in her anti-crime activism that she started after that horrific night.


                                                             child murderer Kerpan

     When Kathy read about the Fort Lauderdale City Commission's plans to move the homeless feeding out of Stranahan Park and into the Downtown fringe, she decided to tell the City not to make the same mistakes that contributed to her vicious attack in 1993.


                                                                   Kathy before the attack

     It was in the early 1990's, and Kathy lived in a modest bungalow a few blocks from the infamous Tent City.

     Tent City was one of Fort Lauderdale's most failed experiments. The problem of large populations of homeless filling the Downtown were escalating every winter, and the citizens wanted action. The City decided an open air, tented parking lot across from City Hall was the solution. It was a wild place, few rules, little control. People were found dead under the tent, crime reports were an everyday occurence, and it was far too scary for many of the homeless to stay there.

     Bad as Tent City was, it was just the ticket for Rodney Wayne Jones. It was July 1993, and Jones had just been released from a Washington State Prison, where he had served 7 years of a 13 year sentence for abducting and raping a nurse from a city bus stop. He hopped another bus bound for Tent City, Fort Lauderdale, a place that had gained national notoriety among the country's chronically homeless population. . He settled in, no questions asked.

     A few weeks into his stay in Fort Lauderdale, Jones found an odd job repairing the rentals where Kathy lived.

     Kathy says Jones was a " deaf and dumb crackhead" who creeped her out from the moment he began working around her little cottage. " He was looking in my window, and I told the landlord about it and made plans to move, but it wasn't soon enough".

     Kathy says on that fateful night, "she heard her front deadbolt turn", and knew she was in trouble. Jones had a key he had gotten from the landlord. He attacked her with such viciousness, that she says the crime scene photos clearly showed "human tissue on the wall". The crime was defined as "sexual torture", because she wasn't raped. Kathy says his crack addiction kept him from performing, and that frustration led to a more vicious attack.

     Seventeen years later, Kathy is able to describe the shocking crime without emotion. She says he "stabbed me in the vagina 14 times", which also ruptured her intestines. He "smashed my face with the butt of a rifle he brought along with the knife". He then sodomized her with the barrel of the rifle as Kathy screamed and fought with all she had. Her neighbor, unable to get in to help, smashed the window with his fist, and that helped scare the attacker off.

     Kathy says the original call to 911 classified it as a homicide, no one thought she could survive.


                                                              an hour after the attack

     Kathy says the aftermath was nearly as bad as the crime. Much of the evidence was thrown out due to a lack of warrants, and Jones's original confession was thrown out, as his Miranda rights were violated due to his deafness.

     Eventually, Jones accepted a plea agreement that offered him a 23 year sentence. Though he qualified for release March 1 2008 (Kathy says that date is burned into her memory), the Jimmy Ryce Act has him still civilly committed.

     Kathy seems OK now. She embroiled herself in anti-crime activities when she had recovered enough, trying to make some sense of the brutality she endured. She joined the City's Volunteer Police Academy, the Homeless Task Force, the Broward Sheriff's Victim Advocate Program, and the Citizens Crime Alert, and bought her first home in a new area she says " doesn't have any crackheads".

     Kathy says she hasn't been active lately, but that she decided to "step back into the ring" to try and contribute to the City's plans for the homeless feeding programs. If it has to be done, she says she "wants it done right this time".

     Expect to hear more from Kathy. She can be reached at 954-689-7571.

Smith's Sixth Theorem

Tim Smith — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:53:00 GMT

     Proving that it is entirely possible to push a very heavy object up a very steep hill........

     ......former Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Tim Smith (that's me), finished his sixth half-marathon Sunday at the Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon.




                                                         Smith rounding the turn to the finish line

     After the race, Smith said that the effort was a "walk in the park", but then quickly added that he was lying through his teeth!

     Smith also said that he finally figured out, after finishing 6 half-marathons and 2 full marathons, why his wife always prepared a T-Shirt for him to wear during the runs with POPS emblazoned across the front.

     The onlookers, whenever Smith began to slow down or even think about walking, kept yelling out

                                           "GO POPS"

       and Smith would pick up the pace. Smith said that as soon as he can walk again and chase his wife down, he was going to "have a chat with her about that"!

Operation Smoking Gun

Tim Smith — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 03:24:00 GMT

     Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley has had a tough year.

     Today, he had an exceptionally good day.


                                                                                    the Chief

     Adderley's Department jointly announced today the culmination of a successful year-long undercover operation it conducted with Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the US Marshal's Service, and the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

     The operation, named "Operation Smoking Gun", was aimed at "crime and violence associated with gang activity".

     Here's just a snapshot of some of the results:

     ...... 320 guns seized, including a machine gun and 3 sawed- off shotguns

    ...... 2956 Oxycodone pills seized

    ...... 1616 Percocet

    ......   7762 Ectasy pills

    ......   stolen personal I.D.'s of 300 theft victims

    ......   1.5 kilos of crack cocaine

    ......    100 violent gang criminals arrested

     Adderley celebrated the good news tonight by going out on Patrol. Adderley is known to patrol the city after dark, (usually on Fridays) after a full week of Police administration and mind-numbing city politics.

     He says he has fond memories of his work "on the streets as a Patrolman and Raider " ( the Police street crimes unit), and enjoys these night patrols.

     Tonight, I rode with Adderley and clicked a few pictures of him checking out the streets.


                                                      Adderley checking on his house off Sistrunk Boulevard


                                                               Chief checking in on a recent crime victim


                                                   Adderley yucking it up at the local Haitian barbershop

Can You See It?

Tim Smith — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:42:00 GMT

                                                                         the future of Fort Lauderdale

     The City Fathers (and Mothers) hope you can see it. As a matter of fact, there are counting on YOU to tell them what the future of Fort Lauderdale should look like, act like, be like!


                                                          key city fathers and mother!

   The Fort Lauderdale City Commission has appointed a group of citizens to .....................................

          " develop and recommend to the City Commission an initial model plan that outlines a process to seek the perspectives of under-represented individuals so that a citywide vision will reflect the hopes and viewpoints of all residents in the City of Fort Lauderdale; and to organize a broad-based, community focused process and produce a vision plan for the next century that will guide the City Commission in their policy and decision making.”

     That's government speak for ...... figure out how to get input from all the Citizens, to produce a Vision for the Future, so the Commission can have an idea of what the peeps really think! ( and then make it happen!)

     The Visioning Committee, ( which some are now calling VisCom!) is clearly a capable group. It is made up of well known local figures, leaders in their fields. Included in the group are some notables, a pillar, a business baron, a couple of big shots, a bigwig, and a nabob.

     Not to mention a charming and capable Chairperson! (see pictured below)

              Chairperson Smith
   ( Jeez, I wish I still looked like that!)

     The panel has held their first meeting and planned their second.

     The second meeting will feature experts in the field of Visioning, and then the Committee will hear from local experts that will give them the current conditions in the City on major topics like Public Safety, Economic Development, Waterways and Beaches, Neighborhoods, Green Initiatives, and the like.

     You should attend. The public is welcome, meeting to be held on the 8th floor of City Hall on Tuesday March 9th at 4 p.m. You can always call me if you have questions at 954-822-4727

                                 See you there ......   Tim

"No Crap Jack"

Tim Smith — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:07:00 GMT

     Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler has had about enough of some of Fort Lauderdale's zaniest citizens.


                                                                                       Mayor Seiler

    Local politics can be difficult, and stepping in as Mayor of Fort Lauderdale after 25 years of Jim Naugle must make it that much harder.

     Naugle did little, but he did suffer his citizenry, regardless of their insane rantings. Naugle would smile, thank them for their input, and shake their hand (unless they were gay, then he'd do the above, but wash well afterwards!)

     Seiler just can't do it.

     The Sun-Sentinel reported today about a terse back and forth with beach Hi-Rise resident and anti-Hi-Rise activist Mel Rubenstein. To see that, read Brittany Wallman's blog at http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/02/mayor_seiler_to_beach_resident.html .

     Now, Seiler has had about enough of Earl Rynerson, who unsuccessfully ran for Mayor against Seiler, and has made it his business to jab at Seiler at every turn. Here's what Jack wrote back to Rynerson supporter Ray Dettman this week.
                                                      ....................................
     "Earl's political website is always spreading false information about our City and our Commission, and you (along with 3 or 4 others) always forward his fiction to me. Quite simply, your friend is a frustrated former candidate for public office (losing and receiving 15% of the vote after spending a hundred thousand dollars of your own money will cause that frustration) and he has a bad habit of publishing incorrect, inaccurate, and misleading stories about our City. Most people know Earl's history and thus ignore his emails and website, but it seems there are still 4 or 5 of you who continue to follow him despite the facts.

Best wishes, and have a Super Sunday!"

                                                      .....................................

     By my count, Fort Lauderdale has at least 100 or so more wingnuts - could be a long three - term run for Seiler!

Chief Adderley Cleared

Tim Smith — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:17:00 GMT

     Fort Lauderdale's Office of Professional Standards has cleared Fort Lauderdale's Police Chief Frank Adderley of wrong doing, in relation to the accident involving Scott Rothstein friend Moe Sohail.


                                                              Chief Adderley

     An investigation was started after a picture emerged showing Adderley standing with convicted swindler Rothstein on the sidelines of the violent August crash.


                                                Adderley in background with Rothstein


     The investigation concluded that there was " no evidence of misconduct on the part of Chief Adderley" in relation to the accident scene.

     Adderley admits he got a call from Rothstein informing him that their mutual friend, cigar shop         owner Moe Sohail had been involved in a crash on NE 3rd Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Adderley testified that he had been just blocks away and arrived at the scene quickly, concerned about his friend.

     Thirty three witnesses were questioned including 15 Public Safety personnel and other bystanders and none testified that Adderley "interfered or directed" the accident investigation.

      One unsolved question is the report from Fire Lt. Connor that testified seeing "upwards of a half dozen stacks of cash"  on the passenger floor of the crashed Bentley. Conner reported seeing Sohail pick up the cash and put it in a white bag. No other witness reported seeing the cash, though reports verified that the Bentley had left a bank prior to the crash.

     Adderley says he was "confident" that he would be cleared in the crash investigation, as he had "done nothing wrong".

Humor Me ?

Tim Smith — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:28:00 GMT

   I've been gone.

     You see, I'm allergic to bad weather, (whether too hot or too cold!)


                                                      no tan beach!

     So when balmy Fort Lauderdale headed to record freezing temperatures last week, I headed


                                                     South of the border .... Cancun, Mexico -

     I had talked the wife (Cindy) into a four day educational / research trip.

     The trip had only two simple objectives -

                          * Find the lost Mayan tribe of Tullum

                    * Define current Mexican culture

     Objective #1 - The ancient Mayan villagers of Tullum mysteriously disappeared somewhere around 1500 AD. The people just disappeared into thin air. No explanation for it has ever been found. I figured I'd go find them!


                                                        the Ruins of Ancient Tullum

     I'd like to report that I hiked through the jungle for days, beating back malaria filled mosquitoes and bands of indigenous Indians, but that'd be a stretch.

     Actually, with a fairly good tour map and a two hour bus ride - there it was!

     Now, if I could just find those darn Tallumians!

     I looked everywhere, under every rock (and there's a lot of rocks there!) But they were nowhere to be found!

     I decided to hike down the cliffs to the Caribbean Sea to see if they were hiding there.

     Nope, no Mayans there! I interviewed some locals on the beach to see if they had any info.


                                                               local interviewee!

     So, then Cindy suggested ( rather strongly!) that I move quickly over to -

          Objective #2 - Mexican culture. Quite interesting. I decided to get up close and personal with it.


                                             Mexican sensation - three guys and a gringo!

     Now, all that research work can really work up and appetite, and, after all, food and beverages are culture!


                                            education and research purposes only

     So I'm back home and declare my trip a 50% success. I didn't find the Ancient tribe, but I found plenty of Mexican culture.

     Maybe I'll return someday if it gets really cold here again - if I can only remember how to find that sensational Cantina!

Panhandling ...Feeding .... Nuisance.... Solutions?

Tim Smith — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:37:00 GMT

     This week, it's the Downtown Development Authority complaining about the chronically homeless.

     Last week, the downtown residents and the downtown merchants were crying foul about the homeless feeding camps taking place in downtown parks. They say the feedings are creating all sorts of problems, and they petitioned the Fort Lauderdale City Commission to move the chronic homeless out of the downtown, by designating feeding camps somewhere on the outskirts.


                                                           The City Commission

    At this week's meeting of the DDA, they talked about the heavy - handed panhandling that has been unnerving customers throughout the downtown streets.( To hear Brittany Wallmans' report of the discussions, go here http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/ .)

     So everyone's looking for solutions to this age old problem - how about this for a start ?

     1.) First, we need to stop the cash flow! Develop a City Wide Program that attempts to stop folks from giving to the panhandlers. Other cities do that by locating donation meters on city streets. This way, folks can give, but the money goes towards helping the homeless, not fueling their substance problems.

              These converted "parking meters" dot many city's downtown sidewalks with explanations that they are for homeless programs. Other signs ask pedestrians "please don't give to panhandlers", but to feed the homeless meters instead.

     2.) Get more Homeless Social Service professionals on the streets. A portion of the homeless, even the chronically homeless, can be helped and persuaded back into society. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department  has been recognized nationally for their programs that deal with the homeless, but their resources are very limited - beef them up!


                                                               Cops and the Homeless

      3.) Get creative ! Start a new program that hires and trains Downtown Authority Ambassadors that can cover the streets of downtown, dressed in an official looking capacity, equipped with cell phones that merchants can call to report aggressive panhandlers. The Ambassadors can be trained to find beds for the homeless, gently encourage them to move along, or get Police to the scene quickly - if necessary.

     4.) Think comprehensively. Just pushing them off here or there will not solve the problem. Let's become the model that other cities follow!

     5.) Remember that soon it will be warm again up north, and the problem will slow to a trickle, until next winter!

Wanna Buy Rothstein's Stuff ?

Tim Smith — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:21:00 GMT

     Fort Lauderdale's very own infamous ponzi-schemer Scott Rothstein's expensive stuff will soon be available, to you!


                           how about a poster with Rothstein's slogan of Passion, Integrity, Commitment!

     Rothstein is in jail for a long time, most suspect. His investors are decimated, his partners in flux, and his stuff in storage - at AMC Liquidators, a furniture liquidator owned by Fort Lauderdale citizen Mike Grimme.

     Grimme, a mover-shaker who once owned hotels on the Fort Lauderdale beach, started his furniture liquidation business a few years back. He has already liquidated another famous ponzi schemer's goods, Alan Stanford of Standford Financial.

     So when Rothstein fell, Grimme says he already "knew the drill", and swooped in and proposed the deal to auction off Rothstein's holdings.

      Grimme says Rothstein's 35,000 square foot offices were "pretty elaborate", with classy office furniture, fancy accessories, and loads of technology ( Grimme says the computers have "swapped out hard drives ", so don't expect any juicy leftovers!)

     The Auction, run by Fisher Auction will take place on Saturday, January 23rd, at 10:00 am at AMC Liquidators. You can preview the bounty on Thursday the 21st and Friday the 22nd, but here's an early preview !


                                                                       fancy leather


                                                                       stocked bar


                                                                even the fish tank!

     Grimme says the best stuff, Rothstein's personal office and the memorabilia ( pictures of Rothstein and Charlie Crist, Rothstein and Governor Bush, Rothstein and Sarah Palin etc. ), will be on display for all to see at his store next week.

     You can call Mike for more details at 954-735-5777.

Crime, But Not Enough Punishment?

Tim Smith — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:39:00 GMT

     It was a very well attended anti-crime march in the Fort Lauderdale neighborhood of Progresso Village Friday night.


                                                  Neighborhood President Doug Sterner

        The neighborhood, on the edge of the Northwest part of Fort Lauderdale, butting up against Sunrise Boulevard, looked like it was going to be redeveloped during the last land boom, but only a few blocks of pretty townhouses got built before the boom went bust.

     Today, crime is the issue. Police Department statistics show the relatively small neighborhood bursting with crime in 2009. It ended the year with a 6% uptick over 2008 and logged 211 major crimes (29 robberies, 34 burglaries, 93 car break-ins, 16 cars stolen, and 39 business burglaries).

     Compare those stats to similarly sized safe neighborhoods like Riviera Isles with 2 total crimes (both car break-ins) and the beaches' Dolphin Isles with 5 total crimes (all burglaries).
[ Ironically, Progresso Village is on a list of possible locations to move the Downtown Vagrant Feeding Camps to.]

     Impressively, four of the five City Commissioners attended, only missing a full quorum with the absence of Commissioner Romney Rogers.

                   Here's some of last night's action!


                                         Commissioner Rodstrom and Chief Adderley - still friends


                                Commissioner Bobby Dubose and Housing Authority Scott Strawbridge


                      Townhouse builder Rene Lepine with Mayor Seiler and Commissioner Roberts



     The local residents sent out an e-mail last week saying they were "mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore. Looks like the powers -that- be might have heard them.

                                                                      Stay Tuned!

Former Commissioner Smith Face Saved

Tim Smith — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:14:00 GMT

     Just a few weeks before Christmas, in the Smith House, not a creature was stirring, especially the dog that tried to bite his lips off!

     In a horrific case of pound dog-gone crazy, former Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Tim Smith, (that's me), rushed himself to the Broward General Medical Center holding most of his upper lip in his left hand and driving with his right.

     Smith had been trying to help leash a bull terrier/german shepard mixed mutt that his son Tim ( not junior) had rescued from the Humane Society. The dog had apparently been beaten by a former owner and was very neurotic, bordering on psychotic. When Smith tried to leash the mutt, he leapt toward Smith's lips and carnage ensued.


                                                Smith's lips hours after leaving Broward General's specialist surgeons


     Only minutes after arriving in the Emergency Room, I was taken to an observation room. The attending physician took one look at my kisser and exclaimed "Yikes, let's get the specialists (Maxillofacial) called in on this one".

     After a rather lengthy wait in the observation room, a most dedicated and efficient surgeon got to the scene. He took a look at my chewed up lips and called the nurses for supplies - "lets see if we can make these look like lips again" he chirped. "Give it your best shot", I mumbled incoherently.

     I've been pretty miserable the last few weeks, but amazingly, the stitches (tons of them) are out and I'm looking almost handsome again ( maybe I should have asked for a full face lift while lying there!)

     With my catastrophic, worthless Blue Cross/Blue Shield medical insurance, we expect an astronomic bill will arrive in the mail any day now, but my lips are worth it!

     I know you're asking, so I'll tell you, the dog no longer resides at the Smith house.

Chief Adderley's Side of the Story

Tim Smith — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:38:00 GMT

     I just got off the phone with Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley.


                                               Adderley in happier times

     Adderley is agitated. He is known as a smooth character, but not today. The blogs have been merciless. His association with Scott Rothstein threatens to bring him down, and he wants his side of the story out.

     I asked Adderley if he missed any clues that Rothstein was a bum, somebody he shouldn't have associated with. "Am I the only guy that got fooled by this guy", he asks, "is Frank Adderley the only one that knew Rothstein?" Adderley is perplexed why he is the only one on the hot seat.

     Adderley says the who's who of Fort Lauderdale knew Rothstein, wined and dined with him, helped with Rothstein's charities, got fooled by him. Adderley says that by the time he met Rothstein (July 2008), the mega-rich attorney was already super successful, already deeply ingrained in the community, his firm employing over 150 people.

     But how did Frank Adderley, who worked his way up from a street patrolman to become the Police Chief, and who grew up in a modest home in one of the poorest sections of town, end up on a private jet with arguably the most infamous and richest lawyer in Fort Lauderdale's history, the owner of a Cadillac dealership, and other high society types?

           Here's how Adderley tells it:

     "You gotta realize Tim, I had been married for 17 years, and all the sudden I'm single". [Adderley was estranged from his wife, who had been arrested for firing a gun at Adderley over issues of Adderley's infidelity]. Adderley had initially hired an attorney from the Rothstein firm to represent his wife in the matter, until Adderley's wife's brother moved her case to another firm. He says that was how he began to know Rothstein. ( Ironically, Adderley says he also got ripped off by Rothstein, when the $5000 retainer/estimate he paid for his wife's bond hearing unexpectedly ballooned in the end to $14,000.!)

     " I had to eat somewhere". Adderley says.  He says he started hanging out at Bova Restaurant ( a Rothstein business venture) with a group of buddies. He says he liked the restaurant "especially for the happy hour". He says he could "get two appetizers for the price of one", and just got kind of comfortable there. Adderley says it was a place to network, to hobnob with the city's professionals. He says "judges, politicians, all kinds of notable names went there regularly" . Rothstein was there often, always the star, bigger than life.

     Adderley's friend Moe Sohail, owner of Ultimate Cigars, and Bayview Cadillac owner Ted Morse were part of Adderleys "group of buddies" that hung at the restaurant. On Saturdays, the group would hang at Moe's Cigar shop "to watch college football". He says he believes Morse owned the jet, not Rothstein, and Morse invited him to go along to New York." I looked at it like [an expensive] car ride to the game", Adderley explained. He says he was offered the tickets to the game for free, but declined. "It was understood that I would pay ", he says. " I am not a mooch", Adderley barked.

     Then there's the now famous car accident.


      Adderley, with Rothstein, at accident scene

     Adderley says he was heading out " to ride around the community" ( as he is known to do) in the late afternoon when he got a call from Rothstein about their mutual friend Moe's accident. He say he was just blocks away and went there "just because a friend of mine was seriously hurt". He says he didn't participate in the accident investigation " in any way", other than asking the reporting Officer if he " had everything he needed". He said the investigation will bear that out.

     Adderley says the FBI and he have an understanding that he is a witness in Rothstein investigation and that there are some things he should not talk about, but he thinks the story is getting out of hand and he had to try and set some things straight. He says he believes the FBI has all the phone records of his calls with Rothstein.

     I asked him, in retrospect, if he should have passed on that jet to New York, maybe passed on the whole relationship with Rothstein. No, he responded quickly, but then added, I guess that's yet to be determined.

     Adderley finished by saying he's confident that, "in the long run , people will see that I did nothing wrong".

A Fort Lauderdale Christmas Tune

Tim Smith — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:43:00 GMT

          .......... a "holiday song"



                                                ..... from Tim, and the

                                                   political overtones


                                   sing to - Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

                                      Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way
                                             don't you tell a single soul, what I'm about to say
                                        Christmas Eve is coming soon, now you dear old man
                                           Whisper what you'll bring to them, tell me if you can

                                     Mayor Jack wants peace and calm, Charlotte wants a change
                                      Romney's on the learning curve, Bruce's about the same
                                        Bobby's got the hardest job, trying to fix the hood,
                                      I'm hoping that you'll lend a hand, tell me if you could

                                       The condo folks want ocean views, others want no crime
                                      We all know what GG wants, a contract with more time
                                      For Genia and her syndicate, neighborhoods their cause,
                                  Pack your bag with lots of grants, dump 'em on their lawns

                                      Don't forget the Cops and Fire, try and make their day,
                                     please be special, very good, but short of Harry's pay,
                                     And for the pundits like myself, Brittany, Earl and Deal,
                                     Help us keep the discourse fair, help our City heal!


                                               May your holidays be merry ! .......       Tim

Gretsas Mania

Tim Smith — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:05:00 GMT

     City Manager George Gretsas draws fanatical fans and furious foes.

     Seems many either love him or hate him ! His fans turned out in big numbers at the last Commission meeting, extolling his many talents and city management prowess!

     Many in the opposition, on the other hand, generally stay in the shadows, grumble behind his back, whisper about his ouster.

     One detractor is the exception.  And his smoldering anger might be bordering on Gretsas Ouster Obsession, hereafter known by the acronym GOO !

     See what I mean below -



     Seventy-eight pictures of Gretsas. Activist Cal Deal digitized the tape of the meeting showing Gretsas every 5 seconds during Gretsas's attempt to save his job. He posted them today on his new web site, built with the express purpose of seeing that the Gretsas contract isn't ever renewed.

     Here's a sample of that web site.



     If you have GOO, or are just curious, Deal's site is at FortLauderdaleObserver.com

     No action is expected on the Gretsas contract at tomorrow's Commission meeting.

Crist Decision Sets Off Odd Chain Reaction

Tim Smith — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:06:00 GMT

     You'll remember that disgraced former County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion

    was removed from office by Governor Charlie Crist for all sorts of devilish behavior.
   297184732

     Crist's gubernatorial duties then called for him to appoint a replacement to fill the empty seat, and community activists have been quite angry that Crist was stalling in choosing the Broward County District 9 fill- in Commissioner.

     Crist had a problem. In a nearly all black, democratic district, Crist needed to find a black republican!

     Crist got creative. He chose a black republican that lived elsewhere, even though the law called for the seat to be filled with a resident of District 9. Crist chose Dania Beach Commissioner Al Jones.


                                                                         black republican
                                                                                             ( who lived elsewhere)

     That action set off an unbelievable chain reaction over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Seeing that the residency rules had apparently been suspended by the Governor, pols began to move!

     Former Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Dean Trantalis announced his candidacy for Mayor of Wilton Manors, even though he lives in Fort Lauderdale.

      On the heels of the Trantalis announcement, former Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson, not to be outdone, and looking for a new opportunity, threw her hat in the ring for Mayor of Tallahassee. Hutchinson says she will move there "soon"!.


     And in the oddest of announcements, City Manager George Gretsas, still smarting from last week's Fort Lauderdale City Commision decision, threw himself a fundraiser for the position of Mayor of White Plains, New York, "just to hedge my bets",. he opined !

     .... Some suggest that Governor Crist should run for Governor of Alaska!  ... and move there today!    ......   Tim

Seiler and Gretsas Dispel Buddy Nevins Rumor

Tim Smith — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:37:00 GMT

     So what happens now with City Manager George Gretsas?


                                Mayor Jack Seiler and City Manager George Gretsas

     Rumors have been running wild.

     A published rumor,at the end of last week , on the blog of former Sun-Sentinel political reporter Buddy Nevins, seemed to have the scoop! It quoted unnamed "sources" as saying Gretsas could be out of town as early as "next week".


Nevins

         The story went on to say that Commissioners were working the phones "overtime" to find a
replacement. It even named possible replacements! And in a tone reminiscent of Nevins style while at the Sun-Sentinel, warned the City Commission against making "back room deals". He ended his blog telling the Commission that it " only takes hitting the send button to file an ethics complaint".

     The only problem with all the tough talk is both Seiler and Gretsas say it's all incorrect.

     This evening, Seiler and Gretsas called the reporting bunk and Gretsas sent me the following statement, along with Seiler's comment to Buddy Nevins.

Tim,

Got your message about the Nevins piece. Below is a statement that the Mayor just posted on the Nevins site which hopefully corrects the record. I was at City Hall working on Friday. Work continues as normal. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with the entire Commission. I love my job and will continue to work hard as long as I am welcome to do so.

George

                                                           -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from Jack Seiler to Buddy Nevins
Buddy:
Although you have been one of the best and most reliable members of the local media and you have generally been accurate in your coverage, I must dispute the above post.
First, I am not an “anti-Gretsas” Mayor. Based upon the reasons already discussed and debated in public, I decided not to give George a three (3) year renewal of his employment contract. It was an extremely difficult decision to make, as I had to consider numerous factors beyond his past job performance (which had been generally solid).
Second, I have not made any telephone calls concerning George's exit or George's replacement. I also have not had any communications with Hoffman, Bentley, Witschen or anybody else (including Tim Smith) about becoming the next City Manager. Further, I have not had any “backroom” discussions about the City Manager position with any elected member of our City Commission. My impression has been that our City Commissioners fully understand the meaning, intent, spirit, and significance of our Sunshine Laws.
Third, as I previously stated, I will be sitting down with George in the near future to discuss where we go from here, and where the City goes from here. George has a contract through next summer and I would expect that George and the City would honor that contract. George has been a professional and responsible City Manager, and I have no reason to believe that George will not remain a professional and responsible City Manager. When the time comes to make a final decision about George's future, I can assure the public and you that the City Commission, George Gretsas, and I will all put the best interests of the City of Fort Lauderdale first.
Thanks for the opportunity to set the record straight.

     So for those of you that thought the Gretsas employment matter was resolved - think again!

                                           Stay Tuned !   ....... Tim

A Reader - on Gretsas Meeting

Tim Smith — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:07:00 GMT