Momma Duck and Her Chicks at M.E. DePalma Park

When you place a natural habitat near water, you're going to get water fowl.

That's a good thing.

It means that you live in a city that is Progressive enough to understand that Nature belongs where people do.  It means that your city is actively taking part in keeping a bit of the environment natural.  It also means that they're watching out to make sure that you aren't "Cheek-to-Jowl" with one tacky house slammed up against the next one.

Nobody likes that except for the real estate developers. 

I'm lucky enough to have this little gem near my own house.  M.E. DePalma Park.  I have the knock-off effect that the butterflies that I love to watch float over to my own yard and do whatever it is that Butterflies Do.

I suspect it has something to do with the nectar in my Bougainvillea wall, and the other flowers that I have here.  That and the Monarchs that are aggressively keeping my Mexican Milkweed trimmed down to sticks. 

Silly butterflies, but that is what I plant the stuff for.

It was one of those Dog Walks.  I seem to see the most interesting things on these walks, from natural to the human-space, as well as quite a lot of quirky things that go on here.  It's an entertaining city to live in, Wilton Manors, Florida.

We walked past the little park that evening.  Me and my sidekick, Rack, the McNab SuperDog (TM).  If you want to get to meet the neighbors, get a dog and go for a walk between 5 and 7 any evening.

I was gathering my act together and Rack had spotted them.  My being self-absorbed in the work of tying a knot in a "dog bag", and we all know how enthralling that can be, allowed Rack to pay attention to the hissing in the underbrush.  I stopped what I was doing and paid attention.

Momma Duck had taken up residence in the park under some trees in a partial thicket.  She's been there long enough this year for me to believe that she laid the eggs there and would waddle down to the South Fork of the Middle River that keeps us happily separate from Fort Lauderdale, and find food.  She would then return and tend to her own flock.  There isn't enough wildlife that would want to turn those eggs into an impromptu omelet here in town, so I'd say she's safe where she is at.

Momma didn't like my standing there getting my camera ready, and the babies wandered off one after another.  Finally Momma left, hissing at me. 

Seemed a little half-hearted, but these Muscovy Ducks are the distant descendants of pet ducks that had been brought in many years ago.  They've never been a nuisance that I have seen, and they do keep some of the other pests at bay. 

Or at least at river.

Having gotten my pictures, I told her goodbye and got ready to leave  She stopped hissing as soon as I made my comments, and went back to the business of tending to her little brood in the little corner of the little park in the middle of the little Island City.

What To Do When Stuck In Traffic

I don't often leave the quirky little island.  That is, the Island City.  Everything is here, I generally don't have to go further than I can walk, and if I do, it's usually only because we have to carry more than is comfortable.

If that sounds like Small Town America, it is.  In this case, I'm smack dab in the middle of the giant sprawl called South Florida, in a little city called Wilton Manors.  Kind of a cross between Mayberry, a Beach Party, and a lot of things.

Idyllic, well not entirely, but I will say that every time I read the police blotter, most of the "Perps" are not residents.  I am not fond of that sort of import.

We'd had a house guest over the weekend, and we also had a number of errands that simply had to get run.  Unfortunately that also meant being in traffic.  This being South Florida, there were a lot of really insane moves on the street.  I have to say I could never be a traffic cop, I'd spend all my free time sitting in court listening to how this case needed a delay for some trumped up reason by a shyster connected with a traffic "school" after having written a ticket to someone who made a right turn from the left lane across four lanes of traffic.

Snowbirds, please don't forget that the Universal Vehicle Code also is in force here too, just like back in Ohio, or Quebec, or some other colder spot.

After being stuck in traffic at the beach, twice in one day, and on I-95 in a 3 mile tailback, I pulled out the camera.  It started innocently.  I took a picture of the back of a sealed tractor trailer and emailed it to my sister, still infatuated with the newness of having a new phone with an excellent camera, and the 1 GB of wireless data to use it with. 

"Hi Pat, this is what South Florida Looks Like Today".

I sent her pictures of flowers and so forth later on after I calmed down.

But that is what I tend to do when I am in the Navigator seat.  I'm now fiddling with mapping programs, predicting traffic, making video, and taking pictures.

After the second day of this I now understand why Millennials are constantly fidgeting with their phones when they're "idling".  Traffic is never exciting for anyone.

But add a passing eye for a pretty shot, some incredible weather, a good conversation with the driver, and I managed to fill up the chip with lots of shots.

I also learned that I could silence the lens.  Night shots from a moving car with a silent shutter meant that I got about 5 times more pictures than I expected.

Coming back past the mall, I passed by the Pompano Beach Municipal Golf Course and even my jaded eye was surprised at the sunset. 

As I got shot three, I heard "Boy that is a beautiful scene!  Did you get any pictures?"

Great minds think alike.

Yes, from a moving car, with a cellphone camera, and night photography.  No tripod needed, the software has gotten that good when coupled with a fast processor.  It's even easier than the old film days and the ASA 400 nonsense.

Unfortunately, you still get blur from motion.  A Fast Processor helps but it isn't perfect.

But it does help to keep you from being bored when you are stuck in traffic.

Singing Birds and Vibrating Pockets

I stood near the pond this morning.  

Feet firmly planted on the ground, I had my morning meal.

Sharing a spoonful of oatmeal and peaches with my faithful sidekick, I watched as shadow and light painted its way across the pond.  Breezes hadn't started yet, but there were waves on the surface.  Dragonflies hovered in for a drink and disturbed the millpond stillness of the morning creating ripples that echoed their presence on the surface of the otherwise still water.

In the distance floated a small bird, also still, also hardly moving.   It kept a still eye pointed at me watching me in my morning repast.

The birds sang over top of the distant sounds.  Their chattering accompanying the tapestry of the scene, enhancing the beauty of the morning.

On the ground there were small lizards warming themselves, recharging for their day.  Soon they would leave their station in the sun, sliding down leaves of the pineapple plant, leaping to the ground, and going on their business of creating and losing territory and dining on choice bits of insect life.

The gentle breezes were almost still at this time of day.  There was just enough wind to make the magenta and pink blossoms of the paper thin bougainvillea nod their heads in acquaintance, accepting you into their beauty and their presence.

This was framed by the thick tropical foliage around the small pond, deep greens offset by the scent of jasmine coming from their almost zinc oxide whiteness capturing the sun of the early morning.

The hustle and bustle of the semi-urban life seemingly brushed away by the chattering of the song birds came rushing in with one motion.   I shifted to lean on my right leg when I noticed that there was a vibrating in my pocket.  Reaching in I found the old phone that was sending off an alarm, this was the cause of the singing birds, and the vibration was the alarm clock on the phone that I just couldn't bear to turn off.

Reverie broken, I readjusted my headphones to make sure that the noise canceling was turned on.  The amigos from Quintana Roo were next door with their blowers again, and I stepped away from the Kitchen window where my day dream was ended.  No longer standing by a tropical pond, I was instantly transported back to my house, in front of the kitchen sink, in the middle of 100 miles of human habitation.

But for a brief moment, all was peaceful, all was full of nature, and full of song birds and beauty.  I guess I really should cancel that alarm clock.

5AM Symphony

The first note is the soprano singing of the crickets.  There is no one else around.  It is still dark, the world is not yet awake.  Even the sun is sleeping somewhere, yet to rise over the islands and the mainland. 

There is the percussive beat of the footfalls of man and dog, the dink of the aluminum tags on each other.  Heading east toward the ocean, they move onward to do their business.

Few stars in the skies, the air is humid and still.  The morning breezes have hours yet to step up and create their own magic when they will lift leaves and butterflies and caress skin and fur reliably.

An undertone from the distant highways drone on.  A bass note from the few that have arisen before the dawn.  Wheels on pavement, motors forming a glissando toward tenor.  The four four beat of a motorcycle is faint but audible.

Clicking of pads on pavement add a bit more to the sound poem.  Crunching of gravel under foot speaks of movement. 

An alto sound of someone's air conditioning compressor firing up joins the mix.  There is a problem with that particular apartment's motor, a metallic grind whining its voice asking for attention.

Moving away from the homes, the crickets fade, sounds become more mechanical and artificial.  Large tires screaming their way over the intersection make a loud deep note as they pass by.  The shushing of a vehicle approaching the few open businesses ready for the morning.  Over the distance there is a thump as a car door is slammed, a chirp of a car alarm, and feet move toward the gym glowing in the predawn gloom.

Returning home, the symphony ends.  Passing by one last schefflera tree, an applause sounds drown out the crickets as the first few morning breezes lift the leaves and clap them together while the palm fronds accompany with a background rustle.   Time to start the day.

Flowers in Bloom at M.E. DePalma Park

The other day I was walking through the neighborhood with Mrs Dog and these caught my eye. 

I guess its a "Stop and Smell the Roses" moment here, except they aren't roses and I can't smell all that well - never could being the kid who grew out of his asthma at age 23. 

In the middle of the small park near my house, there's a plinth.  The park is a preserve, semi-natural slice of Old Florida Native Flowers and trees.  These are most likely Natives since I know M.E. DePalma well enough to know that she just would NOT have invasives in that little park. 

From my height, they didn't look all that showy, but for some reason I did something different.  I got close and took a second look.   Close up, as you can see in the picture, they're quite pretty.  Tiny little things in comparison to the flowers that many people grow here, the blooms were smaller than your pinky finger nail, so it really does prove that if you stop and take notice you can find beauty everywhere.

I've always been a fan of parks.  Coming from Philadelphia, I had access to the nation's largest municipal park in Fairmount Park.  It was within 3 blocks of the house and I was there almost every week at least once.  The manicured sections were where I skated, but when you stepped back you got to wonder if this was what it looked like before someone put their hand on this land and guided it to its present form. 

One day I walked off the trail in the middle of a workout and headed toward a thicket and thought how naturally beautiful this little tree with the undercover was.  I thought it was all native and beautiful, then I realized that it was a Golden Delicious Apple Tree right in the middle of the park. 

May not be natural, but it was a great snack!

The View from Inside of a Tropical Mayberry

I am involved in this City.   I have always said that I wanted to live in a small town, get involved, learn about my neighbors, do my own thing and help out where I could.  I guess I watched Mayberry on TV too many times but the idea of being able to go out to the river and fish and walk all over town, get intimately acquainted with everyone on the way seemed like the way to live a life. 

I never picked up a fishing pole in my life, but it is nice to know that I could.   The kids down the block go out to the Middle River, two blocks away, and have Family Time there fishing and have some success while doing it.  I watch the entire family, from the smallest to Mom and Dad walk past the house on the weekends using an old red wagon full of bait and fishing gear on their way down to the river spend some time and walk past the house on the way back home.  They almost always have a cooler with them, so I can imagine that this is their own little weekend picnic lunch. 

These folks are intimately involved with the upbringing of their children.  It truly is the way it should be, children get so much back from having parents take an active part of their lives.  Better than being parked in front of the TV watching old cartoons or playing the latest game on the console, these children are going out and seeing what life is about. 

I know I won't see this scene today since their pickup truck rolled past the house early with the Air Boat in tow.   They will go out to the west side of the county and float around for a while doing some more fishing and having some family time, Mom, Dad and the boys enjoying the Florida Sun out in the Everglades.   This is more of the Journey being worth more than the Destination, but it is nice to know that people still get out and see the natural side of life. 

South Florida is densely urbanized.  In this part of the county, there are more than 6600 people per square mile.  Once you get past the western expressway, the Sawgrass, the urbanization abruptly stops and the River of Grass that is the Everglades begin.   Since that is a heavily protected environment, there will be opportunities for people to get out and experience it again in the future.

I used to have a river that ran past the house when I was small.  I'd get out and go exploring every so often, find myself by The Pond or back in The Swamp looking for frogs or turtles.  I didn't have a very clear idea of what I'd do with them when I caught them so generally I'd just annoy them by moving them out of their home, take them to mine, then release them out by the river before nightfall.  We couldn't eat any of the catch from those polluted waters so we didn't bother fishing. 

I am glad children still do that sort of thing.  It makes me feel like my childhood wasn't that out of the ordinary.  If you listen closely you may hear someone whistling a tune with a 10 year old boy walking by, fishing pole up on his shoulder as he heads back into town...

Parking hours discussed at the Commission Meeting

Last night, I was at the Commission Meeting.  I had missed a couple of them in a row and was there specifically because I was asked to be there by two of the up and coming candidates, Joe Angelo For Mayor and Celeste Ellich for City Commissioner.

I also was there because as a member of Wilton Manors Main Street I felt it was important to be there to show my support.   We had presented a Business of the Quarter award to the owners of the Alibi last night, Jackson Padgett and Mark Negrete.  Great bar!  It has the best burger in Broward County, a wonderful restaurant with those rolly picnic tables outside under the awning, and some of the friendliest staff around.   A place where everyone is welcome. 

Among other business, the City Manager Joe Gallegos was picked up for another two year term. The law firm that the city works with was renewed for another two year term so we'll get to work with Kerry Ezrol as City Attorney.  I have had discussions and worked with both on the various boards that I am a part of and have nothing but good things to say from my experiences.   Good luck to both of you.

The discussion later in the evening turned to the ongoing saga of parking in the City of Wilton Manors.  The hours of enforcement will be cut back to 6PM to 2AM, 7 days a week.  The meters will still be there, but enforcement will be limited. I am not against this idea, after all, the business district is very lightly used during the day time, and this does cover the sweet spot.   The problem is that the original agreement assumed that we were going to have enforcement 24 hours a day.  In an economic downturn, and in a small business business district like ours, this is not a reasonable assumption.  This thought was realized by the Commission and hours were excluded. 

Unfortunately there's a problem there.  The problem is that the contract with Lanier Parking Systems states that they will get the first $350,000 of parking revenue as a management fee.  Yes, I'm simplifying that but basically the idea is that if the parking in the City does not bring in the needed $350,000, then the City Government will be stuck for the difference.  Add to that the costs of installing and maintaining all that equipment and you see the problem.  I don't disagree with cutting back the hours to the evening, but I don't have a good answer for the alternative. 

There is a situation that has come to my attention and that is that of fees.  I have been told, and I have not confirmed, that the fees for the tennis courts are lower than nearby cities.   Fort Lauderdale has tennis courts and does not charge for parking to use them, however their fees are higher.  The answer there is to forget about this particular fatted calf and raise the fees for the Tennis Courts equal to that of neighboring Fort Lauderdale or higher.  After all, the courts at Wilton Manors are meant to be a Premium surface, and therefore more desirable to be played on. 

I personally don't see why we are subsidizing tennis in the city of Wilton Manors.  It is only one sport among many, and while we do not have room to have facilities for every sport here, it is one that is practiced by a minority, and a well heeled one at that.  It is a rather expensive perk for those who have extra money to burn to have them here and pay less than other places.   If you doubt that, drive by the adjacent parking area and look at the luxury cars parked there.   These few parking spaces are stacked with Mercedes, BMW and Lexus cars every day.  They can afford to pay for parking. 

Unfortunately, the Beach Volleyball which is an open court, is right next to it and that is a much less intense use of the space requiring much less maintenance.  To the best of my knowledge, the Beach Volleyball court is free for all, and not charged by the city so charging for parking may be a good way to reclaim some of the expenses of maintaining that lot, minimal though they are.  The place still has to be raked smooth at the end of the night.

Bring Me ... A SHRUBBERY!

Monty Python References aside, I was out with the camera again.

There is something called The Golden Hour.  This is right after sunrise or right before sunset where the colors change.  This is known as the time to go and get your favorite camera and take pictures.  There will be more gold and orange and fiery highlights at that time of day than at any other.   It is especially apparent here in South Florida because at "High Noon" everything is brilliant and the colors have a surreal technicolor quality that I'm still kind of getting used to.

Taking the pictures at that time means that you get a broader palate of color with the right subject.  This one picture worked out well enough that I dropped it into my background shots directory and will cycle in as time allows. 

I'm not sure what the name of this particular shrub is.  They're very common and very popular here as an accent plant.  They don't get very tall, this specimen is about a foot tall.  People put them in for a bit of color, and they excel at that.   They don't put out any fruit, I've never heard that they spread and I haven't even seen any flowers on them.

Do they really need flowers?

I didn't think so.

This one is next door to M.E. DePalma Park in Wilton Manors, but you can see them all over South Florida outside Banks, Restaurants and other commercial buildings where slow growth is prized.  I've even seen them inside malls up North.  Christiana Mall in Delaware had a row of Palm Trees indoors and a few of these things... basically a plant prison but they looked interesting there.

Here we can let our crazy plants roam free until someone gets a wild hair and says that they're invasive.  Invasive?  Talk about an artificial environment, almost everything that grows here that is showy is imported from somewhere else.

It does make a nice background though...

Update:  I was told by Diane Cline of the Wilton Manors Main Street and Wilton Manors Historical Society that this particular plant is called a "Croton".

Thanks, Diane!

What to do with a Sunken Yawt

It began with a phone call at 8:30AM.  One of the neighbors called me up on the cell phone and started talking.  I almost hung up, he spoke so fast I couldn't fathom what he was saying.  When I finally realized who it was, I begun to understand what he was trying to tell me.

At 8:30 on a Monday Morning, I'm usually sipping my second mug of half caff coffee while going through the Job Boards online looking for a Project Management or Business Analysis job.   I've normally got on some soft music in the background and I'm going through about 100 web pages, one after another.  It takes me until Mid Morning.  The last thing I'd expect is a phone call at 8:30 but since it was this person, it was pleasant.  Nice guy, he walks his ancient Black Labrador past the house a couple times a day and we've chatted a few times about goings on on our quaint little sandbar that is Wilton Manors, Florida, 33305.

I had to use my line on him though once he got started talking.  "I'm not a politician and I don't play one on TV".  I'm a volunteer here in the city and I'm on a number of boards, but my opinion really only counts when I tick the box next to a name.  I can advise the officials but I would never pretend that I have influence.

My neighbor started talking about the G Resort that was going in on the East Side of town.  The deal had just fallen through and it made it to the Pelican and then to the Sun-Sentinel a week later.  This had been discussed at the Commission Meeting last Tuesday.  The resort was to be a massive hotel and spa complex built on a particularly run down and blighted trailer park, the last of its kind in the City.   The Resort is to be a jewel for Wilton Manors, full of high end accommodations and would help us continue to be a destination for people on vacation.

I say "Is To Be" because while the original deal at the Yawt Property had sunk due to the foot dragging of the four trustees, the G Resorts people found another site at NE 15th Avenue and NE 26th Street on the grounds of the Church there. 


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That leaves what to do with the derelict Yawt Property.

It has many code violations due to improper construction, shoddy landscaping, and trash piles laying around.  The place is a badlands where the crime rate spikes when you cross into it.  It still has downed trees from Hurricane Wilma back in 2006.

On the other hand, if you remove the trailers, the trash, and the trailer trash, it is one of the few open spaces you have left in Wilton Manors.  It also is adjacent to the FEC railroad right of way, Colohatchee park, and near Five Points. 

The neighborhood was so rough looking that the street view camera did not even go in there.  The inset below shows the close up satellite view.  If you zoom out, Colohatchee is due South, Five Points is North and a block West.


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My neighbor, Tim, insisting that I had some sort of influence decided to tell me that what he wants for that property is a park.  I want it!  Its the last open space in Wilton Manors!  Its next door to Colohatchee!  Its just a great idea!  Don't you agree?!?!?

The thing is, I do agree.  I don't see how it can be paid for. 

Tim got restless and insisted that he and everyone else would want to pay a few dollars more in taxes for the property and so forth.  This is an election year, Tim, you're not going to get someone to vote for a tax increase.

I do agree though that this should be grabbed by the City.  The only other use for it would be low density housing and in this day and age, nobody will do that sort of thing, its just not economic in this business climate.

We then got onto some good old fashioned blue sky thinking.  What we came up for that property would be the following:

1) Float a 30 year bond at 3% to buy the property to be paid out of an earmarked increase of taxes.  Enough of a term to stretch the payments so that the impact on a single taxpayer per year is "nominal".

2) Negotiate with the Yawt family to sell the property at a deep discount.  If they get too demanding, send in the code enforcement officers and cite them on any and every violation that they can find within the current settlement for the prior violations and lien the property.  Bring this up to the Court that had heard the situation and ordered that the property be sold immediately.

3) When the city has the property, clear it out.  This cost should have been taken into account on the purchase price.  Remove all the trash and downed trees, the trailers and the trash. 

4) Assess the situation for the best use for the property.  The suggestion is a mostly undeveloped "ecological" park to showcase what we can do for the environment and to mirror what is available at the other parks.  Keep it as simple as possible.  Add a multiuse trail on the property for running and biking and skating.  All the other parks in this city are chock full of things - keep this one as open as you can!

5) Place a surface parking lot at the corner of the property sufficient for visitors but allow for expansion. 

6) Since we're next to and probably within the Transit Corridor Overlay District, reserve room for a larger parking lot and a train station sufficient for commuter rail.  We're getting a train station when the new FEC light rail line goes in, we need the space.

7) When you put in lighting, consider making all lighting Solar and add in a Windmill Power Generator.   There are significant discounts and rebates for doing such a thing.  The power generated will help lower Wilton Manors' electricity bills.  The site can become a showcase for Green Technologies.  It can also become a place where children can be educated on how we will be lighting our homes in the future - Oil will not last forever!

Granted, this is all Blue Sky.  The property will cost between 1 and 2 Million.  There are costs to the County to get them to drop or reduce their Liens for taxes not paid.  There will be a cost to clear out the property of all the trash and bring the property up to code.  There may be pollutants that need to be abated.  I would be surprised if there weren't years of old motor oil poured into the ground there.

Once all that is done, it might be the best use possible for an eyesore of a property and retain some needed greenspace.

Commission Meeting Overview July 13 2010

Sometimes the most important comments to a neighborhood are made in the Comments at the end of the meeting. 

It was announced at the end of last night's meeting that the proposed "G Resort" for the Yawt Property on the east side of town, just over the tracks from Five Points has been withdrawn.  This means that the resort will not be built, the plans have been canceled.  For the owners of the Yawt Property, the liens on the property due to non compliance of code will continue to apply and interest will continue to be charged at a rate of 8 percent. 

Unfortunately for Wilton Manors and the neighbors on the East Side, the Yawt property will continue to be a wart on our city until someone comes in and cleans up that land.   It does not look like the owners will do so.  The intent of the City will be to watch over the plot for additional code violations and to prosecute them fully when they have a chance.   Old violations have been "settled" and can not be expanded, but new ones will be applied.  I would be surprised if Code Enforcement has not already been over there having a look around.

The Planning and Zoning Board (PnZ) has approved an amendment to the specification of the sidewalks for new construction in the city.  It is the intent of the Mayor, the Commission, and City Government to have Wilton Manors become an "New Urbanist" oasis of safely walkable shaded streets and the new PnZ amendment will be a great help to achieving our goals.

Wilton Manors has granted the permit to Wilton Manors Main Street to proceed with the street closing for "Wicked Manors" on Saturday October 30 and into Sunday Morning October 31.  The party has been a Halloween success for our city for the last couple of years, and this year will be no different.  Come in costume or not, you can enjoy our city.  The hours will be announced later.  Alcohol will be served until Midnight when Music will stop, at 1AM the street will be cleared and 6AM on Sunday the Drive will be open for traffic.

The status of Old City Hall is that a workshop was to be held to define what will happen.  The City Staff is instructed to make a plan to be presented to the Commission prior to any action.  The recommendation from the Commission is that any buildings on the corner where old City Hall stands is to have ground floor commercial space.  For now, Commissioner Green is suggesting a temporary paved lot that will be built to last 2 to 3 years that would be up to the minimum of city code.  Mayor Resnick instructed that Lanier be consulted on this matter.  The idea is to place a lot there to hold the space until we can get construction going on any other permanent expansion on that plot.

On top of Old City Hall there is a Fire Siren that was well loved by the residents that were here when we had a Volunteer Fire Department.  If the Siren on top of City Hall went off, it would be so loud that it would stop business in City Hall, including the Commission Chambers until it was done.  This gave us some of that quirky Small Town Charm that a larger city would lack.  There was a discussion of it being given to Fort Lauderdale for their Fire Museum and Commissioner Scott Newton has said that there was no reason why we should give it to Fort Lauderdale.   As the President of the Wilton Manors Historical Society, Diane Cline said, "we have given too much of our history away and lost too much to Fort Lauderdale" in the past to want to lose this.  With Commissioner Newton's insistence, we will find a home for our siren.

There was a long discussion of our park system here in Wilton Manors.  The plan had been presented and the information was well received by the Commission.  There is a list of ten items that should be followed so that the residents will get the most out of the park budget dollars.  In a tight budgetary era, it will be difficult to implement any changes, but now the Commission knows what the people here would want first if they are to improve the park system.

Tying together with the long discussion of the park system, there was another detailed discussion of the Two Lane Initiative and how it fits with the Old City Hall site.   If all the pieces fall together with grants, the majority of the Two Lane Initiative can be done without local taxpayer funding.   There are some grants that the city can apply for that will allow some significant work to happen if we get matching money together.   The minimum amount that we can apply for would be 10 million dollars, and that would require that the city have a matching fund of 2 million dollars.  The Commission has instructed the City to work toward applying for these grants and to do so with the help of Wilton Manors Main Street since there is not enough manpower on the part of the City government to achieve this goal without Main Street's help.

That being a summary of what happened, there are a lot of pieces that got glossed over. I will endeavour to complete these and your knowledge of them over the next few days.  It all ties together nicely.

Friendly Wildlife or how a Nature Park has Results

Sometimes walking around the neighborhood is like being in a Disney Movie.

Yesterday I got up early and knew it would be a strange day when I got to the corner and a bat flew by.  

Not only did the bat fly by once but twice.  I guess at the end of its day, it wanted to know why this moose was walking his dog before six in the morning.   I'm not sure why since bats are not terribly common here.   I've only ever seen two before and one of those was years ago in the porch of my house in Philadelphia. 

Later after finishing my morning rituals and lunch I decided I had seen quite enough of these four walls.   I have a great view of some Screw Palms of various colour and there's a large shade tree accompanied by some tall Palms across the street but that wasn't quite enough for me.   I walked out the door, up to the drive and decided to hit the thrift stores.  

It was the peak of the afternoon, 2 PM, the sun was so bright as to cause the place to look surreal in a riot of intense colour that it hardly made sense.   Normally the birds are roosting in the trees and wilting in the heat like the locals at that time of day but there was one moderate sized flock of parrots that flew by and landed in the parking lot.  Parrots here are about as common as sparrows are back in Jersey, they are always nearby and you can hear them almost every time you go out your door.  This particular flock of a few mated pairs landed and watched the goings on for a while before getting bored to go on to find another place to land.

On the way back from the thrift stores, in front of The Gables on Wilton Drive I got to see the results of M.E. DePalma Park.  I started getting buzzed by butterflies.   There was a small group of them following me along like I was in that Disney Movie I was talking about earlier.  I noticed something on my left shoulder and realized that I had picked up a hitchiker.  I had a Monarch Butterfly sitting on my shoulder taking a rest.  The little critter was flapping its wings and breathing and I was too surprised to consider how unlikely it was until now.  By the time I reached the Shoppes, the Butterfly went in search of some Mexican Petunias to munch and I went on my way on home alone.

I swear all I needed was Bambi and Thumper and some orchestral music in the background and I'd be cited for copyright infringement.

This morning it started again.  I let myself sleep in until all of six in the morning... or rather Mrs Dog allowed it, and I set out the door.   Today was the day of birds.

By the time I reached the midpoint of the walk, that flock of parrots was back behind Hagen Park.   There was one in particular that seemed to take an interest in my dog and I because it flew to the fence behind the conference room there.   The rest of the flock was not happy with it doing that because you could hear them yelling to that one as if to say "Get Back Here, he's Scary!".  Needless to say, I ended up having a conversation with a green bird with a red patch over its nose for a couple minutes.  It wasn't completely one sided.  That bird seemed happy to chatter at me as long as I stood there.

Mrs Dog decided that she liked my chattering to strange birds as much as she likes me talking to my own parrot, Oscar, so she towed me along to the Drive to head back home.

The day of wildlife was not yet at an end.   I got across the street from the little Veteran's Park and there was a small flock of Sparrows that were in the tree near the corner and stop light there.   Most of them had decided that I was coming this way and that was a bad thing.   There was one particular male that thought that he was far enough away that he could leave any time he wanted so he chattered at me.   Wild Birds will sing, but it is usually not so much of a sing as a territorial warning.   I suspect the little guy was trying to tell me to leave his tree so he could have at it.   Every time he whistled, I did a poor imitation back. When he'd hear that he'd cock his head as if to say "You have a lousy accent but lets try again".  Then he'd get a little closer.

By the time we were through with all this singing and chattering, he was within two feet of my head. 

I finally broke this little wildlife encounter up.   It reminded me of the sparrows in Provincetown, MA that would hang out near the little mall they have there.   They'd get fed by the passer's by when they'd land at their feet and chatter.   I fed them myself most lunches when I'd have some chinese food on fried rice while they almost ate out of your hand.

The day's still young, I could have another encounter.   I know the monarchs like my back yard and I watch them flutter past the front window all day.

A Post Card from Diane

South Florida Cities are very fond of their Entrance Features.  The City of Wilton Manors had a feature that is depicted in this monument up until the thing fell down due to Neglect back in or before the early 80s.

The picture you see here, er inside the picture, is a depiction of the original feature and is the same feature that is on the City Seal that sits behind the Mayor and the Commission in the chambers in the new City Hall.  It is rendered in Ceramic Tile and the tiles were placed on a waist high wall by the volunteers and children of the local schools.  

The Post Card is the first stage of a feature that if it comes off will be quite nice for the people who come to use that little vest pocket park.  It will have a bench that is made to look like interlocking hands and should grace our city for decades to come.

The little Jaycee Park feature will be created in the vision of a fascinating group of people, but in particular through the energies and vision of another one of our strong and fascinating women here, Diane Cline.  Diane was a former Vice Mayor, the first one when we went to the current Mayor/Commission version of government and was recently appointed Commissioner.   She's President of the Historical Society, on many other boards such as Wilton Manors Main Street where I am honored to be able to see her in action.  She's showing no signs of slowing down, thankfully, because this City needs her vision and energies to help guide us toward the future.

Did I say I am honored to know her?  I did, good, it needed to be said again.

I had promised to get Diane a picture of the monument, and this one isn't quite good enough since while it looks great on my laptop, it won't print out well due to the darkness of the shot.   I'll get out there before Lunch some day and retake it.

Wilton Manors is blessed by many strong women who are here to help guide us.  There are many strong men who stand with them.  The spirit of Volunteerism here in this City make it so very much more than the playground of bars that some think that it should be.  The reputation of the City would be much less stellar if it weren't for the many Volunteers here, and the Mayor and City Commission tp complete the picture.  Agree or disagree with them, people like Diane Cline are a very positive aspect of living in Wilton Manors.

Success in Butterflies Renders a Stumpy Garden

In my neighborhood, a block away from my house, there's a little "Vest Pocket" park.  I've spoken of it before, it is named after one of the more entertaining people that I have met in this town, M.E. DePalma.  On an Island of entertaining people, to be at the top of that particular list is indeed a feat.

The other day I was walking Mrs Dog past the park and there was someone weeding the park, and a dog tethered to that ugly FPL Fibrenet warning post that they put there so I started to weave into the park.  Being horrible with names and not seeing his face, I walked a wide circle around the person manicuring the ground cover past the remnants of the Mexican Milkweed and toward the far part of the park so as to let the very friendly golden retriever have her space.

When I passed he looked up and looked familiar, and being abysmal with names, I knew I knew him but was admittedly sheepish.  I had passed him and was on the way out of the park and ran into M.E. DePalma getting ready to do some more weeding.  She and I were talking about various City events and we both commented on the Milkweed. There are so many Monarch Butterflies in the neighborhood that those plants are constantly down to stumps.  Skip, Her Partner, and the person who was on the other side of the park was saying at a loud voice "Go away Butterflies, let those plants grow!".  Amusing and ironic that in a butterfly park you have a problem with too much of a good thing. 

My Milkweed on the other hand are doing quite well.   The monarchs are finding that the butterfly park has tastier nectar and pollen and are laying their eggs there while flying through my yard to get there.   I sit in my living room and can see a parade of monarch butterflies float past the front window on the way to the park. 

We've got a good thing going there.  It was a property that was too small to be "economic" to develop, and given to the city for this park.  I'm glad it is there, and so are the butterflies.

Thoughts on Wilton Manors Up Coming Parking Meters and Ordinance

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that I am one of those people who will drive miles out of my way to avoid parking at a meter or paying for parking.  It just seems like a money generating boondoggle to me and whether that is the intent or not, it has always struck me that if you want someone to come to your shops, towns, or events, you have to make it easy for them.  I'd sooner drive to a mall than drop a quarter into a meter.

Don't even get me started on Valet Parking!

I wrote the body of this text below while sitting in the Commission Chambers listening to the Commissioners and the Mayor of the City of Wilton Manors do their best to hammer out the fairest regulations to draw people to our city and make it easy on the residents who watch the tide of Humanity flood in to enjoy our bars, parks, public spaces and events on a weekly basis.   They did seem to come quite close but there were some things that I think just may have been missed...



The new parking ordinance as proposed places a limit of 2 hours,
modified to 4 hours.  As it stands, that means that it will be illegal
to park and then pay in the city, then get in your car and move to
another spot that is metered in the A&E district.

The problem with that is that if you go to a bar or restaurant and
truly want to stay, there will be no legal way to remain a patron of
the A&E district.

In short the Ordinance tells the patrons that after 4 hours, you have
had enough and to go home.

I know that I personally have spent more than 4 hours in one specific
bar.  That kind of limitation will make me reconsider coming back,
despite the fact that I find paying for parking to visit a venue
offensive.

For the parks and city hall the commission thinks that it is
reasonable to expect a resident to pick up a parking pass for every
six to twelve months to have access.  Of course you will have to pay a
'nominal' fee for this pass after you have paid access fees to be able
to drive there in this Not-Very-Pedestrian-Friendly city.

That is needlessly complex.  I have seen other cities put a bag over
the meter in order to designate it as being free and not in service.
If the intent is to 'free up' adequate spaces for the gym, simply bag
the needed meters and now you have free spots!

If you want to set aside parking for the Commission Meetings and the Tennis Courts and the other amenities that Hagen and Richardson Parks have, you can either bag the meter, or since the parking lots adjacent to Richardson Park and City Hall are computerized multimeters, set the thing not to charge until after the park closes or in the case of the Commission Meetings after 1030PM.   Personally I have never seen a Commission Meeting go quite that late and I have missed only three of them since I have moved to this wonderfully quirky City.  The Multimeters in Downtown Fort Lauderdale have given me "free hours" when I went and dropped a quarter in the dreaded meter.  I went downtown for an interview that started at 2pm and put a quarter in the meter.  The time that the meter told me that I had until ended up being 730.   I paid for the half hour between 7PM and 730PM.  I arrived at that particular lot just after 130PM.   If Fort Lauderdale can pull this sort of programming together, I am sure that we can too.   If we can't do it, then we have a Prospective Parking Contractor that certainly can help.

There you go, two tweaks Free Of Charge, unlike parking at a meter.   If you use them, be sure to credit where you got the idea!  ;-)

Rollerblading on Schuylkill River Trail Review

Looking at this picture, its not a very pretty scene is it.   To me that is a view of fun.  What you're looking at is a section of the Schuylkill River Trail in Conshohocken PA.   

This trail runs roughly from the Art Museum in Center City Philadelphia at the Rocky Steps for 22 miles out through Conshohocken, Norristown, and Valley Forge to the Perkiomen Creek Trail in Montgomery County, PA.   I skated that trail for about 10 years, and a total of over 20,000 miles to date.   

The trail is continuous through the length and is a jewel for the region.   I was fortunate enough to be close enough to skate a segment of it whenever I wished.  No cars, few intersections to worry about, very few bad spots with gravel.   This was 22 miles of Black Ice.   There were a few rough spots where there was a sharp incline or a curve, and one hill in particular that was at a railroad style incline for about a mile.  That was my definition of fun, skating down that over 15 miles per hour with some Armin van Buuren "A State of Trance" podcast DJ set running on the head phones on a clear crisp day with little wind.

One of the days when I get back to Philadelphia, my plans are to drive back to my old parking area and skate this section again.   The trails here are nowhere near as long and comprehensive as this.   The best one I've found in Broward County was at Pompano Airpark and that one is only a 5 mile loop.  Every time I get a chance to speak with someone in command of a Parks and Recreation budget I put my two cents in for a "multipurpose asphalt paved trail of a minimum length of a mile".   Why not?  It's worth your life here to try to cross the street on foot let alone on Rollerblades 8 or 10 wheels.