Deerfield Beach bought off the lease holder of a city-owned restaurant for $80K to settle a lawsuit and make him go away. Deerfield Beach recently gave Pete Boinis $525K ($325K in grant money…every Floridian’s tax dollar plus $200K from Deerfield Beach) to make him go away. Please note that Peggy Noland was a commissioner when they voted to let Boinis buy this piece of beach for $200K. As mayor, she used her tie-breaking vote to give Boinis $525K to get this piece back! Note the economic times we’re in (nice to make such a profit, isn’t it?) Also of note; this piece of beach land is virtually useless. If Boinis had realized his dream for a monster restaurant at the beach, only then would this piece be useful to an entrepreneur. His plan was defeated by the outcry of concerned citizens. Another note: JB’s was in favor of Boinis building a monster restaurant. If JB’s acquired this “temporary” lease, I have no doubt there would be a JB-Boinis association at the Pier. In fact, Commissioner Sylvia Poitier recently looked at the Boinis plans for his “now dead” restaurant.
The question now is what to do with a restaurant that will be vacated Aug. 31. Although proper procedure may have taken place, (and I use may lightly) a vote at Tuesday night’s commission meeting [Aug. 18] had the commission voting for a temporary lease holder. This came as a surprise to the watchful citizens of Deerfield Beach. Once again, the same two commissioners plus the mayor voted to give the lease to JB’s on the Beach. Of special note, the mayor worked for JB’s as a hostess. Plus her son, the fireman who got a slap on his wrist for stealing campaign signs of his mother’s opponents, also worked and/or works for JB’s. Noland says she has no conflict. I beg to differ. Our City Code of Ethics states that JB’s needed to declare any association with commission members and they did not. It also states that officials need to disclose any dealings they have with people coming before the commission to do business with the city. Neither one did.
Caryl Berner
Deerfield Beach
Editor’s note:Considered action of the bid awards for the Pier Restaurant Operation is the subject of a Special City Commission Meeting on Aug. 27. [see pg. 7]
City of Deerfield's Drama Camp is a Waste of Time
Dear Editor,
My child attended the city's drama camp this year and I was deeply disappointed. The camp had approximately 150 kids enrolled and was held during the weekdays at the Deerfield Beach Middle School. They spend all summer learning a play/musical, which culminates in a final performance for the parents and friends. What they do not tell you is that the camp is divided into the "have" and "have-nots". Basically, there are 7 main characters and then "the rest". During the final performance, the main characters wore microphones and are 90% of the show. The remaining kids are delegated to insignificant presence on the stage, or kept completely off the stage for most of the play. My kid, and apparently many others, actually watched a movie backstage for most of the final performance. Unless your child was one of the lucky ones to be chosen as a main character, it appeared that this camp was a waste of time for the remaining 90% of the children.
Not surprisingly, the camp director's child got the lead role in the play. From what I understand, this is not the first year this has happened. Her child got plenty of acting experience and stage presence. I wonder if she would be willing to be camp director next year if the city told her that her child couldn't be one of the main characters. It may sound like I am crying sour grapes, but actually my kids have been in the drama camp since its first year - approximately 8 years ago. Some years they have gotten better roles than others, and that has always been acceptable. However, for the first few years of the camp, less than 50 kids were enrolled and the previous director was able to involve ALL kids actively into the program. With 150 kids, I do not believe that is possible. The city needs to limit this program to 50 kids or do three summer sessions each with 50 kids. In the meantime, I will not be reenrolling my child back into this camp, and am grateful that I did not win the drawing for free tuition into next year's camp that was handed out at the end of the performance.
Travis Papagno
Cycling Doesn't Have to be Ugly
Dear Editor,
The ugly incident that occurred between cyclists and a motorist along A1A on Aug. 13 should serve as a wake up call to all involved.
I wasn't there and can't attest to who is at fault. More important than assessing blame is that all of us who enjoy the roads need to adopt a more forgiving and peaceful attitude, especially the cyclists.
Emotions are too close to the surface these days and we allow them to boil over too quickly.
Virtually everyone is a motorist and only a few of are cyclists. To me that means that cyclists are the ones with a broader perspective towards sharing the road. We should be the "smarter ones". A tap on the horn behind you doesn't mean "I want to fight".
Bicycles enjoy the protection of the motor vehicle statutes but with that comes responsibility to obey traffic laws and drive "without rage".
Police enforcement of traffic laws on cyclists has increased dramatically over the past year in towns from Boca Raton to Ocean Ridge. The message is clear, if cyclists don't share the road as they demand that vehicles do, the riding experience on A1A will become less fun over time.
Since my favorite place to ride my bike is on A1A between Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach, I hope to see conditions improve.
For cyclists, I suggest that you don't partake in group rides where the leaders don't wear helmets and ride aggressively, inviting danger.
For motorists, not all cyclists are hot-headed and impulsive. Be patient with us.
I invite cyclists to take the first step in creating peace along A1A and I implore motorists to follow suit.
