 BSO
Former Broward Sheriff Ken Jenne is now an admitted crook and felon who betrayed the public trust. His new status is well deserved. Yet even with all of Jenne’s criminal activities, few politicos ever called for his resignation, and many seemed to make excuses for his actions this week. Major media outlets were quiet for months, but had no problem calling for former Supervisor of Elections Miriam Oliphant’s head, even though she had not committed any crime. Furthermore, instead of resigning, Jenne selfishly used high-powered lawyers – likely at taxpayer’s expense – to negotiate his plea deal for months on end. During this same time, one BSO deputy was shot in the head, and another killed in the line of duty. Through it all, Jenne’s actions mirrored that of a bottom-dwelling politician. He even took to the airwaves and acted as if he had done nothing wrong while calling upon the public to help catch the hoodlums who committed those acts. If anything good has come out of this mess, it’s the fact that Jenne may have to cooperate in other investigations, and this means there are a lot of people in Broward County who have a lot of reasons to be worried.
DEERFIELD BEACH
We are still gathering the facts, but it appears that income the city generated from the popular Mango Festival may have been kept in a separate account, in violation of accepted accounting practices. City Manager Mike Mahaney acknowledged he had heard of some type of ‘enterprise’ fund in which income from several events was held. Mahany said that may not have been part of the regular budget process, but added that he is not exactly sure what has taken place. The Mango Festival has its own committee, which is separate from the city. However, the proceeds and donations that go to the city have not been accounted for, and there is no indication of exactly how the money has been spent or where it went. This is yet another example of the lack of oversight of city operations that was commonplace in the administration of former City Manager Larry Deetjen. Some sources are referring to this money as being in a “slush” fund that has been maintained in a secret account connected to the parks and recreation department’s budget, but that has not been confirmed, at least not yet.
COURTS
Broward County’s new chief judge, Circuit Court Judge Victor Tobin, has taken the helm to oversee a judiciary rampant with people who should have never been allowed to put on a robe. From one judge that was caught in a park getting high on dope to another that used insensitive terms to describe black litigants, it’s a mess and hopefully Tobin can get it under control, but I doubt it.
POMPANO BEACH
Over the years, the city of Pompano Beach has had to deal with several scandals involving pay in its Fire Department. Don’t look now, but another pay and compensation mess could be unfolding in the department. This time it involves firefighters who may be abusing a policy that allows them to swap work schedules, but some may be getting paid extra income for doing so, which is not allowed, according to sources. City hall is abuzz with rumors, and there is a lot of smoke in the air, but it’s not clear if anything is actually burning.
BROWARD COUNTY
Word about a possible shakeup in the Broward County Governmental Center has been spreading like wildfire over the past few weeks. Speculation that Deputy County Administrator Bertha Henry may be leaving or might be reassigned to the airport have now been squashed. County Administrator Pam Brangaccio had dinner with Henry last week, and said there is no validity to those rumors. Former Fort Lauderdale City Manager Floyd Johnson’s name has also been mentioned as someone who may be brought in as a department head, but Brangaccio said that is not true either, which is good.
FORT LAUDERDALE
Keep an eye on Fort Lauderdale’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), which could and should be dismantled due to budget concerns. Either way, don’t be surprised if this agency and its operations are the target of some type of a criminal investigation. It’s bad ya’ll, I mean really bad. Stay tuned.
NAACP
The Fort Lauderdale NAACP and its president, Marsha Ellison, were summoned by gay rights groups to join them in a protest this week. The organization obediently showed up to condemn Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle over his call to bring an end to sex in park bathrooms and other public places. The NAACP surely isn’t fighting for anything, and it’s clear they really need to find something to do, like disbanding.
LAUDERHILL
Members of the Lauderhill Police Department’s union have voted to approve a contract that will include a 3.8 percent annual pay increase, after more than a year of wrangling with city officials. Sticking points in the negations were pay and other benefits. City commissioners must now vote on the contract. The commission vote comes at a time when more residents are complaining about the conduct of some officers in the department.
CHURCH NEWS
History-making pilot Barrington Irving Jr. and gospel icon Dr. Bobby Jones will both be speakers at the appreciation banquet of the Rev. Dennis Grant, pastor of Restoration Ministries in Margate. The ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 30, at the Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill. Call 954-537-1777 for additional information.
HOLLYWOOD
The corruption trial of suspended Hollywood City Commissioner Keith Wasserstrom, 40, began this week. Wasserstrom was charged with four counts of official misconduct and one count of unlawful compensation over his alleged participation in helping the Schwing Bioset corporation secure an $18 million sludge processing contract with the city while his law firm was doing work for the company’s lobbying agents. Wasserstrom’s law partner is Stacey Giulianti, who is the son of Hollywood Mayor Mara Giulianti. There is a maze of other family ties related to this deal, and this one will get nasty, just wait and see.
POLITICS
Realtor and businessman Ken Thurston has entered the district 94 state house race, and it has really shaken things up. Thurston is the uncle of state Rep. Perry E. Thurston, Jr. who represents district 93 in the state Legislature. Before this week, Lauderdale Lakes Commissioner Hazelle Rogers and businessman Eric Hammond were the only serious candidates in that contest. Both are Caribbean and are expected to divvy up votes from that segment of the electorate. If Thurston capitalizes on it, he could end up the winner, joining his nephew in the state capitol.
PEMBROKE PINES
Pembroke Pines Police Officer Kevin King has been placed on paid administrative leave after the 17-year veteran struck and killed two pedestrians while responding to a call to back up another officer. The two men were in the crosswalk and their bodies were thrown more than 100 feet away from the point of impact. King reportedly had his emergency lights activated, but did not have any sirens on. The two men, Jesus Danilo Rosales, 38, of Miami Beach, and Juan Francisco Mayen, 48, of Orlando, were cousins. The investigation is continuing, but the speed at which the officer was traveling and the fact the men were in the crosswalk, giving them the right of way, does not bode well for the officer.
Photo: Elgin Jones
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