Croissant Park General Meeting May 2013

Croissant Park General Meeting May 2013

Hi Neighbors,

Our May meeting opened at 7:10 pm with a crime report from FLPD Officer Stevens.  Over the last two months there have been 10 residential burglaries that resulted in 3 arrests, 4 vehicle burglaries, 2 vehicle thefts, and 3 business burglaries that resulted in 4 arrests.  FLPD is working on an information base that links the perpetrators  who are repeat offenders.

Our President Pat Rathburn led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.  All Board members were present and we had a large turnout of Croissant Park neighbors, approximately 48 people, for what turned out to be a rather lively meeting.

Our District Commissioner Romney Rogers was our keynote speaker and he brought City officials with him.  Comm. Rogers first addressed Code Enforcement issues.  There is currently a discount being given to any violations of Code if, and only if, the violation is brought up to compliance.  So, if you have been cited for any code violation and received a fine or a lien, you are eligible for a discount on that fine if you fix the problem.  This discount ends June 30, 2013.

Next, there was a heated discussion concerning halfway houses, sober homes, etc. that fall under the term “community residential homes”.  The Association had previously been informed that these homes could not be closer together than 1000 feet, or they would be in violation of Code.  Board member Joe Russell located and mapped the known homes  in Croissant Park and it seems that they are all in violation of the1000 foot rule, and some are suspected to be unlicensed. Pat asked if the City has a list of locations of these homes and was told that there is no list.  After much discussion Director of Dept. of Sustainable Development Greg Brewton,  tells us that this problem exists throughout our City and State.  The City of Ft. Lauderdale tried to set legislation but it did not make it out of committee.  We are told that this must be dealt with at the State level, and that we can help by talking with our State Representative and State Senator. A motion was made and seconded to make it our primary legislative agenda to encourage the State legislature and City to pass laws and regulations on “community residential homes”.  Loren will see if she can invite our State Senator Maria Lorts Sachs to our September meeting.

Third on Comm. Rogers’ agenda was the paving of our streets. The City will be using new software that will input the age, use, and condition of our streets, then it will prioritize as to when paving will take place in each area, attacking the worst areas first.  We feel like we are long overdue in Croissant Park, so stay tuned.

Fourth issue was the WAVE, the proposed light-rail transit system. This transit system will be paid for by a Federal, State, County, and City 25-year bond issue, with an assessment for businesses and some residential properties on the route. Public hearings scheduled for June 4 and July 9. Check City website for more info.

Loren raised the issue of heavy rush hour traffic bleeding onto our residential streets and it was suggested that we re-visit speed humps in those areas to discourage cut-throughs. A member in the audience suggested that we reconsider some through-street closures that we rejected in the past. We should also bring speeders who cut through to the attention of Officer Stevens at our next meeting. Comm. Rogers stated that the commission is aware of the east/west corridor traffic issues and they are looking into it.  City Manager Feldman reported that there is a proposal to run Tri-Rail on the FEC railway corridor, thereby alleviating some of the traffic in the area.  

Loren’s second question referred to the impact of the increase in density brought on by the

 

 many new rental apartments and condos proposed on the south side of the New River and asked what the impact will be on traffic and what they plan to do about it.  The answer given is that the builders have to have an impact mitigation proposal.  The possible solution to the heavy traffic suggested by Mr. Feldman, was the WAVE for ease in getting around downtown, connecting with the Tri-Rail station and the FEC commuter rail proposed for 2016 or 2017, the “grand plan” for the near future.  Diane S.  asked why we need the WAVE, the proposed commuter rail AND Tri-Rail, the answer is that the WAVE will be local and the others are regional.

The Transportation Manager for the City, Eric Czerniejewski, will look into the walkability of 15th Street from 6th Ave to Andrews.  As it exists now there is no safe area to walk, and if the WAVE comes to be, that would be the gateway route from our neighborhood.  Safety zones, green bike lanes, speed limit lowered to 35 mph, safe and navigable streets for pedestrians, bikes, and cars are all in the works for his department.  Two of our Board members have brought up the problem of parking on streets, in yards, across sidewalks.  Code enforcement has been called, the problem goes away for a few days, then returns.  There seems to be no follow up.  Comm. Rogers indicated that there will be increased enforcement in the future.

Trees for swales: our City Forester, Gene Dempsey tells us that a street with sidewalks must have a minimum 12 foot swale with no overhead utility wires to accommodate the live oaks being offered to Association members.  If you don't have a sidewalk and only have street light wires, you will probably qualify for a tree. The Association is paying the $250 cost plus 1/2 the cost of installation - $130 (too large to plant yourself) leaving an investment of $65 to the homeowner for their 1/2 of the installation cost.  However, City Manager Feldman reminded us that FPL is offering trees that can be planted almost anywhere you choose if you sign up for electronic billing (paperless).  Look for the flyer in your bill or log onto www.FPL.com 

A member asked if anyone else besides her has brown water coming from the tap.  No answer to that inquiry.

The Ice Cream Social and Cookie portion of the meeting was enjoyed by all.  Thank you Board member Michelle and helpers for organizing the event. Thanks also to the neighbors who brought home baked cookies to share at the meeting and to send to our troops in Afghanistan. Pat will be packing those cookies to send overseas.

The man with the big smile and fist full of cash was the winner of the 50/50 drawing!

See you at our next meeting in September.  Have great summer!

Meeting adjourned 8:50pm.

Minutes by Virginia-Secretary

  

  

Memorial Day Celebration in Croissant Park

May Neighborhood Meeting & Ice Cream Social

Commissioner Romney Rogers and Cookies and Ice Cream Headline May 28th CPCA Meeting - Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. in the Community Center 245 West Park Drive (south side of school next to pools)

Commissioner Rogers has confirmed that he will attend our May meeting on Tuesday the 28th. We have asked him to come prepared to answer questions about the half-way house situation in the neighborhood, the lack of enforcement in the code enforcement department, the "Wave" streetcar, paving the streets throughout the neighborhood, installation of sidewalks on at least one side of 15th Street - and of course - any other subject that interests you, or him, so come prepared for a lively discussion.

I had no idea as to the depth of opposition to the Wave until people started talking about it in water aerobic class the other day.  As most of you know, properties in a fairly narrow band adjacent to Andrews are going to be specially assessed to pay for a portion of the project costs. The way it was presented to me at a recent meeting with Downtown Development Authority staff -the funding proposal didn't seem to have a big impact on our membership.  There were only 3 or 4 residential units that were affected and the tax increase for them was around $90 per year. The rest was going to be assessed on businesses and that seemed manageable- at least on the surface. Once we started discussing the concept while treading water (a true mind and body workout) the potential flaws in the proposal started to surface.

First of all, there are a lot of small businesses that will be affected and their cost will be much higher than the residential assessment. Secondly, the basis for the assessment is that these properties will be "specially benefited" by the project - thus justifying asking them to pay for it. That concept seemed to make less sense the more we talked about it.  Don't get me wrong, I (personally) am totally on board (are you tired of my bad puns yet?) with the Wave.  I love the idea of being able to get downtown without driving and the hassle of parking but the discussion made me think more about who should pay for it. Why should a resident nearby who may not ever use it pay for it? How will they be specially benefited? A business such as Tap 42 may be benefited with downtown workers taking the Wave there for Happy Hour, but how would a business like the Farm Store or dentist office receive a special benefit?

It raised a lot of questions and was a good reminder that we tend to view things based on how they affect us.  I like the idea of the Wave partly because I foresee using it and, since I'm not being asked to pay for it, it sounds like a great idea. Then I put  the shoe on the other foot and started  thinking about  how big of a supporter I would be if I were the one paying for it.

As I said - come prepared for a lively discussion.

The "putting the shoe on the other foot" line is a perfect segue into another part of our May meeting agenda- the cookies.  As with our annual "pie night" we are asking you to bake and bring some of your favorite cookies to share with your neighbors. We will be providing ice cream and toppings and Susie from Expresso Coffee on Andrews Ave. will, once again, be providing coffee (keep her business in mind when you need a jolt of java to start your day!) but are relying on you all for the cookies. What, you may ask, is the link between cookies and thinking of others? It's taking me awhile but I will eventually get there.

When we started talking about cookies for the meeting I was in the process of sending another package of goodies including homemade cookies to Afghanistan. My faux (it's a long dull story) son-in-law is a Captain in the Army serving in a small and very  remote forward operating base (FOB) base near the Pakistan  border- FOB Spin Baldac in Kandahar Province. I bake a couple of big batches of cookies every few weeks to send off to him to share with all of his "guys" (and girls).  The cookies are generally a big hit and have in the last few months become even more than a reminder of home and an unexpected treat because they are drawing troops down at these forward bases.  They have stopped serving lunch so pretty much the only thing available is MRE's (meals ready to eat) or chips or other packaged foods from the PX . There is a U-tube video from 2011  www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-N1HvH8BCU that is pretty interesting – though with the draw down – the days of 4 hot meals a day and a pastry chef are long gone. Homemade cookies make a good alternative.

Since this weekend is Memorial Day - what better way for us to remember our troops than by baking an extra batch of cookies to send? Hey - you know it is going to rain - it pretty much always does - so while you are stuck inside looking at your rained out picnic fire up the oven and bake 2 batches of cookies- one to bring to the meeting to share, and one for me to pack up and ship on Tuesday. If you are going to make cookies to send, keep in mind that they go through some temperature extremes and a lot of bouncing around so nothing with icing or very perishable, nothing too fragile, and nothing with alcohol. You can pack them in a tin, a box – or simply put them in a baggie and I will take care of the rest. What a nice easy way to feel like you have done something that will make a difference to some young person a long way from home. As the guy on the video says – they all love getting mail and there are some that simply don’t receive too much – so this is a nice way to spread the wealth.

Now doesn’t that beat sitting on the couch watching a Law & Order marathon all weekend ?  See you all at the meeting on Tuesday night!

Pat Rathburn

CPCA  President

Just to give you all some ideas- these are a few of the recipes that I’ve made that have gone over really well – but don’t let me influence you – they adore chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies.  My last shipment was Snickerdoodles and triple chocolate chip. Make whatever your favorite is.  I’m sure they will be appreciated!

This was my first effort in baking cookies to send to Afghanistan. It was also a learning experience as I previously had no idea what the difference was between Dutch processed and non-Dutch processed chocolate - although you see the command in recipes all the time - “not Dutch processed”. Turns out it really does make a difference and if you are looking for it in the grocery store you may not see it right away.  Look for Hershey’s Extra Dark Special in one of those boxes next to regular Hershey’s cocoa- then in little print it will say “Dutch processed”. Don’t use the regular stuff- it will not turn out.

Cherry Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried sour cherries
• 2 cups shelled pistachio nuts
• 1 3/4 C. flour
• 1 3/4 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 3/4 c. unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder ***** SEE NOTE ABOVE
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3 large eggs, room temp.
• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 1/2 Tbs. coffee extract
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 8 ounces extra bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks

Directions

• 1. Place the cherries in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn of the heat and let cool. Drain the cherries (this can be done up to several days in advance, and you can also plump them up with a little rum instead of water- when you drain the cherries- save the rum and have a cocktail).( I know I said no alcohol – but if you want to use it- this is so little – and it burns off).                                                                                                                       
• 2.  Preheat the oven to 325. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in oven, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly golden- about 5-7 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool. Keep the oven on.                                                                                                           
• 3. In mixer with paddle attachment, mix at low speed flour, sugars, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the butter and extracts and mix to combine. Stir in nuts, cherries and chocolate. After mixing,            let the dough rest for 5 minutes.                                                                                                                       
• 4. With wet hands, divide the dough in two and form 2 logs, each 2 inches in diameter. Place logs on parchment lined baking tray and bake until firm, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack.                                                                                                                       
• 5. Lower the temperature to 200. Use a bread or other serrated knife and slice the logs on the diagonal into 1/4 inch thick slices. Arrange the biscotti slices on parchment lined (you may need 2-3) baking sheets and dry them in oven until firm and crisp- about 1 hour (or up to 1 1/2 hours- depends on humidity, oven, etc.) Transfer to wire rack to cool                                   
• 6.  I made these first when George’s daughter- a nurse in Army – was in Afghanistan – now it is her husband who is there and he and his friends seems to like them as much as she did.  She said they turned out really well (actually - I knew that as we tasted them – a lot- before shipping)- but I wasn’t sure how they would hold up- and was glad these did.
•  

Pistachio Brittle

I’d been trying to come up with some different ideas for homemade treats to that could withstand the rigors of travel and thought of peanut brittle - but that seemed a little too ordinary. It turns out though -  that no matter how they get knocked around in shipping - home made treats are everyone’s favorite. A slight change up of the nuts made these ideal - they are really simple and last forever.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts (try and get the un-roasted/unsalted kind- but use whatever you have on hand in a pinch.
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp. PLUS 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

If using raw nuts, preheat oven to 350. and spread the nuts out in one layer on a baking sheet and bake until they are golden brown- about ten minutes, stirring from time to time. Let cool.

Butter a baking sheet or line it with a Silpat. Set the pan on a cooling rack or trivet. Grease a spatula and set aside.

In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, corn syrup and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring at first to dissolve sugar, until the mixture is light caramel in color- about 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on it!! Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in baking soda, salt and nuts.

Working very quickly (it is hot and it hardens really fast - so be careful) spread the mixture on greased pan with the greased spatula. Spread it out as much as you can - and again - be careful -this stuff is HOT!. Let cool completely and then break into pieces. Keeps quite a while in a cookie tin - but not really - since it is irresistible - it really never lasts that long.

Farewell Maurice deVerteuil

The neighborhood and lovely Betty lost a true treasure this month - Maurice deVerteuil - born in Paris, June 29, 1930 and died in Ft Lauderdale May 7, 2013. Maurice and wife, Betty have led an eventful life full of delightful tales.  Here is just one that we published in the Croissant Park News back in 2008.  Enjoy.

The Travels of the DeVerteuils

 

Dear Friends:

 

We have just returned from a 7500 mile jaunt which took us to 13 states and 3 provinces.  We left Fort Lauderdale on June 2nd and promptly rant into a hailstorm around Fort Pierce.  So we started off with a nice clean van that we call Inertia, bound for Fort Benton, Montana.

   As we arrived in Pensacola, my wife, Betty, driving, Inertia suddenly stopped sparking and Betty, with her usual presence of mind, coasted on to the grass verge thus avoiding completely blocking the road.  We have been members of AAA for many years but never had a road emergency before.  So we called them on the cell phone that our late son Rupert had given us for just such an occasion.  The Pensacola Police arrived and were most courteous, competent and helpful.  The Chief of Police should be proud of his staff.  Soon a tow truck arrived and for the first time in her 20 year life, Inertia was lifted off and taken to be repaired.

   As Inertia is not amphibian, we avoided the flooded Midwestern states and arrived in New Mexico via Raton Pass (8000 ft) where we were surrounded by snow capped mountain peaks.

   In Shreveport we visited the Norton Art Gallery.  Its locality and contents are the best we have seen.

   In Lyttleton, Colorado we found and photographed a mural painted by our friend Christine.

   50 years ago, when living in Australia we used to listen to WWV, Fort Collins, Colorado, a station which continually broadcasts the correct time.  WWV is still there, still broadcasting Co-ordinated Universal Time to all the world.

   Though we saw many hundreds of motor cycles, we only saw one with a side car.

   Every night we stayed in motels.   Mostly they look alike, but in Boulder we were guests at the Foot of the Mountain motel, an attractive collection of wooden rustic cottages located at the base of the Rockies.

   Travelling into Wyoming, we came to Sheridan.  At King’s Saddlery, where Queen Elizabeth personally comes to buy her side saddles which she uses when reviewing her regiments,  Maurice enjoyed showing off the belt he engraved from a strip of leather he had bought from King’s three years previously.

   Spending a couple of days at Great Falls, Montana, we toured the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center where we were befriended by two Newfoundland therapy dogs.  We also admired the Falls and the Russell Museum of Western Art.

    The afternoon of Sunday, June 29^th we arrived at Fort Benton, our planned destination.  That evening we celebrated Maurice’s 78^th birthday at the Grand

   From Fort Benton we drove to the Lands of the Queen, crossing the border into Saskatchewan where the Canadian Customs officers, having queried us as to our possession of fire arms, commented when we told him we had none,  “that’s strange, I heard everybody in Florida has a gun”.

   We passed through Grasslands National Park which shows how the prairie used to be in ancient times.  Though we saw some of the buffalo which roam the area, none came to hem us in as they did a few years ago in the Bison National Refuge in Montana.

   In the capital, Regina, we spent the morning inspecting the Royal Saskatchewan museum, possibly the best of its kind.   A treat was in store for us in the afternoon which we spent at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Center, part museum and part headquarters.  The show portrays the history and achievement of the force.  Of special interest is that in our youth both Betty and I were familiar with the force, having heard that “The Mountie always gets his man”.  We doubt whether it is still so these days.  As seamen, it was interesting to read that the Mounties transited the Northwest Passage both ways in the early 1940’s in their small wooden ship St Roch.

   From Regina, we drove along the Trans-Canada Highway, probably the longest road in the world as it extends from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland.  We, however, only used a small section which took us from grain elevator to grain elevator.  These old wooden structures are

dying out, being replaced by giant concrete silos.

   We bypassed Winnipeg, arriving at Kenora on Lake of the Woods where we stayed at the Kenora Inn.  Our motel room was paneled with blond natural woods and guarded by a personable Labrador retrieve named Buster.  He much resembled our friend Merlyn’s dog, Simba and was just as friendly.  That evening we dined on the waterfront at Haps and found the local fresh walleye very tasty.  Kenora is also home of a fleet of Beaver floatplanes, but it was so windy that none were flying.

   From Kenora we drove to Fort Francis on the Canadian/US border.  Highway 71 was up hill, down dale and very windy.  We passed many lakes and were accosted by another hail storm, the second one this trip, but Inertia needed another wash.

   The following day we crossed the border back into the US.  Apart from answering questions about some fruit Betty had on board, there were no formalities.

   At Lake Kabetogama in Voyageur National park we met a sailing family (father and four children) taking off for a four day cruise in their Flying Scot, a 19ft day sailer.  We were most impressed as, though we saw many sailboats, they were all tied to the dock, their owners undoubtedly home and watching TV.

   In Duluth, Minnesota, the temperature dropped to about the 50’s but we did see a large “Laker”, James Barker, leaving the harbour.  Duluth is the farthest inland port. Ships from Europe, known as Saltys, regularly steam up the St Lawrence Seaway, right to the western end of Lake Superior.

   As we left Duluth and entered into Wisconsin, the temperature rose 20 degrees in a few minutes.  It must be that Lake Superior has a cooling effect on its shores.

   Oshkosh is the home of the Experimental Aircraft Association.  Their museum is well worth visiting even for those who have little interest in aviation.

   Driving south, we started encountering huge wind generator farms.  These extended right into Illinois.  There were several of the farms with 100 or more tall windmills.

   We crossed the Ohio River into Kentucky.  That evening we had drinks at sunset sitting on the levee of the City of Paducah whose floodwalls are adorned by a set of historical murals, reflecting the past history of the town.

   Then on to Tennessee and Mississippi and at Selma, Alabama we dined at Tallyho, a romantic restaurant we had visited some 20 years earlier while retracing the 1540 expedition of Hernando do Soto.

   From Selma, we were home in three days, spending a little time in Mount Dora, just north of Orlando.  Unlike the rest of Florida, Mount Dora is hilly.

   We dined at the Gables restaurant.  We met with the proprietor who was originally from Glasgow.  Maurice and he were able to reminisce about the old Locarno dance hall in Sauchiehall Street, which in its heyday had a rotating stage and two bands.  The music never stopped.

   When we drove into our own driveway, thankful to Inertia which had taken us so far, so well, we had visited 46 motels and about eighty museums.  The chances are we will see more motels and more museums but we doubt if ever again we will be surrounded by snow clad mountaintops or a herd of buffalo.

 Maurice and Betty

 

 

 

Ask Lori

“Ask Lori…Parrish on Appraisal”

Broward County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish Answers Your Questions…

“Adverse Possession Reform Passes Florida Legislature”

Dear Lori:

We are interested in knowing about the status of efforts to reform the adverse possession law in Florida.  We think it’s wrong to allow squatters to occupy property they do not own! What can we do to help?

D.W., Miramar, FL

Adverse possession is a method of acquiring title to real property by possession of such property for a statutorily defined period of time.  It may be accomplished by possession with color of title (some documents that show ownership), or without color of title (without a deed or recorded instrument). To acquire adverse possession without color of title, a claimant must openly possess the real property, must maintain and occupy the land, and must file a return with the county property appraiser.

As a result of all our foreclosures, a glut of vacant homes has increased the opportunity for “squatters”, who are fraudulently abusing this archaic Florida law. These squatters are breaking the law by illegally occupying foreclosed homes.  There have been instances where these foreclosed homes were rented to unsuspecting tenants. Compounding the problem is law enforcement viewing “squatters” as a civil issue – not a criminal trespass issue!

Our office asked the Broward County State Legislative Delegation for their help.  Just this week, the Florida Legislature passed SB 1166 (Bradley) & CS/HB 903 (Davis/Waldman) to reform the adverse possession law of Florida.  This bi-partisan effort reforms this sixteenth century doctrine and gives local government the means to stop this abuse.  The bill tightens the actual possession requirements;  it requires the “possessor” to have paid all outstanding taxes and liens against the property by the state, county, and municipality within 1 year after entering into the possession.  It also makes it clear abuse of adverse possession is criminal trespass and offering the property for lease to another commits criminal theft.

The bill awaits the Governor’s approval.  You can help by contacting the Governor and ask him to approve CS/HB 903.  The contact information is:  Office of the Governor, State of Florida – The Capital, 400 S Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001.  You may also call the office at (850) 488-7146 or email the Governor at http://www.flgov.com/gov-scott/ .  Thank you to Senator Jeremy Ring and State Representatives Jim Waldman, Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed, Joe Gibbons, and Rick Stark for co-sponsoring this important reform measure.

Sincerely,

Lori Parrish, CFA

If you have a question for Lori, please email her at lori@bcpa.net or write to her at the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office, 115 South Andrews Avenue, Room 111, and Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.  (5/13)

Robert L. Wolfe, Jr. CFE
Community Outreach Specialist II
954.357.6871 – office
954.357.8474 – fax
954.445.5732 – cell

rwolfe@bcpa.net

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