Monday, October 31, 2011

Promo for Downton Abbey, Season 2, premiering on PBS on January 8th, 2012


PBS video: Promo for Downton Abbey, Season 2, premiering on PBS on January 8th


Digital Spy video: 'Downton Abbey': The stars chat about Season Two http://youtu.be/XVnZRfrEfpM

ITV's promo for Season Two looked like this

ITV promo for Downton Abbey, Season Two

My last two blog posts filled with interesting videos and links about the wonderful Downton Abbey were both on September 19th, 2011, titled Quality writing & acting wins again!
Brilliant! Mary-Jess - Did I Make The Most of Loving You? ("Downton Abbey" theme); Mary-Jess Leaverland

Reminder: In the U.S., the first year of Downton Abbey re-airs on PBS beginning Sunday, December 18th at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific.

Season 2 of Downton Abbey premieres on PBS on Sunday January 8th, the second day of the NFL Wild Card Weekend, but the second game will be over by the time 9 p.m. rolls around.

PBS Masterpiece video: Downton Abbey: Surviving the Wait for Season Two. Masterpiece's Rebecca Eaton on how to survive until Downton Abbey season two premieres. http://video.pbs.org/video/2156589433

The new CD containing the soundtrack of Season 2 of Downton Abbey produced by John Lunn is at Amazon.co.uk., and this website has a selection of the 19 songs.

If you're in the U.S., I urge you to buy it via Amazoncom UK as an Import, even at $28.68 plus shipping, since according to Amazon's U.S. website, it won't officially be available in the U.S. until December 31st, which is pretty weird given how many people might wish to get it for the holidays. Not so smart marketing there!

And use the Amazon Currency Converter to prevent your bank from screwing you with additional fees.

Decca Music video: Theme to "Downton Abbey" (Mary-Jess). September 2011. http://youtu.be/uCa-Bxl1s1c

When I first mentioned this video on September 19th, it had received 1,727 views, and now it's up to 13,367.


Mary-Jess - Did I Make The Most of Loving You? ("Downton Abbey" theme) 2011.

Yes, English singer Mary-Jess Leaverland is one very talented 21-year old!




Sunday, October 30, 2011

"Anonymous" -Was Shakespeare A Fraud?; Roland Emmerich's new film dares to ponder that literary heresy



Anonymous (2011) Trailer -a Sony Pictures release
http://www.sonypictures.com/previews/movies/anonymous/clips/3720/



Sony Pictures video: 10 Reasons Why Roland Emmerich Believes Shakespeare Is a Fraud
http://www.sonypictures.com/previews/movies/anonymous/clips/4153/


ITN video: Anonymous cast defend controversial Shakespeare movie
http://youtu.be/HRKFPouYTbs

Los Angeles Times
Roland Emmerich's 'Anonymous' shakes up Shakespeare scholars,
Shakespearean scholars are scandalized by Roland Emmerich's 'Anonymous,' premiering Friday, which depicts a nobleman as the secret author of the Bard's plays.
By Rebecca Keegan, Los Angeles Times,
October 27, 2011

A statue of William Shakespeare in the playwright's hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon was covered by a sheet Tuesday in protest; a debate enlivened a New York cultural festival; American university campuses have played host to surprisingly prickly encounters between professors and filmmakers.

Read the rest of the post at

See also:
The Guardian
Roland Emmerich: Appetite for deconstruction
Why is Roland Emmerich, purveyor of disaster-movie schlock, wading into the debate over the authorship of Shakespeare's plays?
By Damon Wise, guardian.co.uk,
27 October 2011 17.00 EDT
Roland Emmerich knows there's a subtext to the compliment when people tell him they like his new film, Anonymous. "Were my other movies so bad?" asks the Stuttgart-born director in his clipped Teutonic accent. But it's not so much that those other movies were bad – it's that they bore almost no resemblance to reality. In the last 15 years Emmerich has presided over an alien invasion (Independence Day), the trashing of New York (Godzilla) and the end of the world not once but twice (The Day After Tomorrow and 2012). So it comes as quite a surprise that his latest project, though just as rich in CGI, is quite an intelligent, if somewhat broad historical drama that portrays William Shakespeare as a drunk and posits the Earl of Oxford as the true genius of English literature.
Read the rest of the article at:

I'll be seeing this film sometime this week at the AMC Aventura 24.

HBB Trivia: I have roughly about a dozen books about Shakespeare here with me in HB, but when I lived on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. I used to live three blocks away from the Folger Shakespeare Library, and always attended their annual birthday party for dear Wills.
Years later, one of my housemates actually worked there.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

YouTube fame straight from the heart of Uppsala: 'Cottage Cheese Girls' channel Robyn's "Tell Your Girlfriend" with a clever hook

finga161 video: from SVT's Gomorron Sverige (Long version of song)

YouTube fame straight from the heart of Uppsala: 'Cottage Cheese Girls' channel Robyn's "Tell Your Girlfriend" with a clever hook

SVT video: Kesotjejerna gör succé (Cottage Cheese Girls Succeed)
SVT Uppland reporter Bernt Hermerle describes the tale of how one ad hoc decision -to turn on a video-cam- during an otherwise boring Wednesday night led to YouTube fame and international media attention for AMANDA WIKSTRÖM, PETRA BROHÄLL and EBBA LOVISA ANDERSSON.

I originally saw them sing on Thursday when I found myself on SVT's website looking for something else entirely.
Not finding what I was looking for, I clicked on some of the recent news videos, in this case, Wednesday's edition of Sverige Idag (Sweden Today).
After watching it for a bit I started fast-forwarding and eventually got to the last segment.
And then at the 22:04 mark, I saw something that I was completely unprepared for.
For about 45 seconds I was dumb-struck

http://svtplay.se/v/2581075/sverige_idag/26_10?cb,a1366518,1,f,-1/pb,a1366516,1,f,-1/pl,v,,2582372/sb,p149528,1,f,-1


Three talented and clever women from an Uppsala band called Erato had turned their boredom one night into a YouTube phenomena... a phenomena that I had heard nothing about, which is strange.
I mean, how many Swedish YouTube sensations can there be at any one time, right? Especially, a capella?

On Friday morning, I saw that Damian over at his very popular blog, SwedishStereo, had also posted something about the girls which I completely agree with: http://swedishstereo.blogspot.com/2011/10/erato-call-your-girlfriend.html

I'd actually received his post Thursday, but literally as I pulled his post up, I got a surprise phone call from someone with a great political tip I need to follow-up on, so... this post is at least 24 hours late.

The original caught LIVE...

Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend - Live at Skellefteå 2011, July 1, 2011.


Robyn's official website: http://www.robyn.com/

Robyn performance above was recorded at a concert in northern Sweden by a Robyn fan whom I've referred to here on the blog simply as "Sofia from Umeå," and her very interesting YouTubeChannel is at http://www.youtube.com/user/Hia80

Check it out for yourself and subscribe!

Friday, October 28, 2011

I can't believe I'm stuck in Hallandale Beach and missing out on #Snowtober!

View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.


Pat Collins of Washington, D.C.'s NBC/WRC-TV News walks around Alexandria, VA and asks rhetorical questions of passersby about the approaching snow storm!

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Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang blog:

Breaking News: USA Field Hockey earns spot at 2012 London Olympics with 4-2 upset win over #1 Argentina in Finals at Pan Am Games in Guadalajara

Breaking News: USA Field Hockey earns spot at 2012 London Olympics with a 4-2 upset win over #1 Argentina in Finals at Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

I found out via the UVA Field Hockey Twitter account shortly after 8 p.m. tonight while watching Game Seven of the World Series:

Virginia Hockey
Congrats to @USAFieldHockey who just punched a ticket to London with a 4-2 win over world No. 1 Argentina! Well done Paige & Michelle!
(I tried to take a screen shot of it but it was too faint to post here.)


Paige Selenski (Virginia), Shannon Taylor (Syracuse), Katie O'Donnell (Maryland) and Michelle Vittese (Virginia) scored for the underdog American squad.


Rachel Dawson's blog from Pan Am Games:


More soon on the upcoming Field Hockey conference tourneys which start next week, inc. the always tough ACC tourney in College Park that members of my FH-loving family may be attending at some point.

2011 ACC Field Hockey Championship at College Park, Maryland.
Thursday Nov. 3rd & Sunday Nov. 6th



150 years later, thanks to Library of Congress, "Civil War Veterans Come Alive in Audio and Video Recordings"


Smithsonian Magazine video: Rare Footage of Civil War Veterans Doing the Rebel Yell


150 years later, thanks to Library of Congress, "Civil War Veterans Come Alive in Audio and Video Recordings"


Related article:
Smithsonian Magazine
HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGY
Civil War Veterans Come Alive in Audio and Video Recordings
Deep in the collections of the Library of Congress are ghostly images and voices of Union and Confederate soldiers recalling the bloody battles of their youth
By Fergus M. Bordewich
Smithsonian.com, October 05, 2011,

My last blog comments about the U.S. Civil war was May 29, 2011 in a post titled "Video: First Look -"Gettysburg" -The History Channel's premiere of "Gettysburg" airs Memorial Day at 9 p.m. Eastern"

-----

U.S. Civil War: Selected Resources at the Library of Congress:

U.S. Civil War: Glass Negatives and Related Prints at the Library of Congress:


Smithsonian Civil War 150: Videos about the Civil War and the collections at the National Portrait Gallery, to help commemorate the 150th anniversary.


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Regulating signage & advertising during a bad economy? Oh, so that's the ticket to economic recovery in Hallandale Beach

Above and below, where we set our tale today: Hallandale Beach, FL, looking south-bound on U.S.-1 & Hallandale Beach Blvd., home of one of the city's two red-light cameras that made it infamous in South Florida.
Go ahead and ignore all the gang graffiti you see on all these signs and posts on the main roads in town - HB City Hall already does.
September 23, 2011 photos by South Beach Hoosier.


Somewhat out-of-the-blue Tuesday night, I found myself discovering that one of the other things that will be going down at Wednesday afternoon's HB Planning & Zoning Board meeting at 1:30 p.m., besides the previously-mentioned attempt by Mayor Cooper & Co. to thwart the will of the majority of the homeowners in Golden Isles, is, of all things, regulating signage and advertising.

Yes, signage, one of my longstanding bête noires in the poorly-managed Broward city on the ocean that is as dysfunctional as any city in South Florida.

The same city that on its own electronic message board, across the street from Gulfstream Park Race Track & Casino, off U.S.-1 & SE 3rd Street, was running the wrong meeting time for its second City Commission get-together of the month for many months AFTER I'd already told the head of the city's IT Dept. about the problem, AFTER first mentioning it publicly minutes before during Public Comments of a City Commission meeting in which I focused on the city's inability to see extant problems right in front of their own face, but which everyone else can see.
The sign is less than a block from City Hall, but somehow, we're supposed to believe that over many months, nobody but me noticed?
Even I don't believe that.



It's hard not to get the impression right now that this effort on Wednesday is a solution in search of a problem, when there already are longstanding problems -including lack of appropriate and sufficient signage- the city is NOT handling competently, efficiently or with any degree of smarts.
Problems that have existed for many years...


The very city that, as mentioned here more than a few times in the past, DOESN'T have a single directional sign anywhere within its borders indicating exactly where City Hall is, or the Police Dept. HQ, or the Fire/Rescue HQ or... even a sign on busy U.S.-1 for the municipal swimming pool just three blocks away.
The city swimming pool that even many usually well-informed residents don't even know exists.
Yes, that city.

Across the street from the main U.S.-1 entrance to Gulfstream Park, one block north of HB City Hall and the HB Police Dept., gangs use Gulfstream Park signs as Post-Its to let everyone know who did it. There's no mystery folks. September 23, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.


.

Meanwhile, HTC shows who's really boss across the street from The Village at Gulfstream Park, one block south of HB City Hall and the HB Police Dept. HQ., and in front of the U.S. Post Office.
September 23, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

Per Analysis item #12 below, will that include Gulfstream Race Track & Casino, the Village at Gulfstream Park retail complex and the Mardi Gras Casino, all of whom are currently using LED signs that appear to my eyes to currently be illegal based on what the city is now proposing, per "animated, flashing or moving lights are prohibited."
That's exactly what they do all right.

You know, the large monument signs on U.S.-1/Federal Highway and on Hallandale Beach Blvd. that not only weren't up in time before the racing season actually started two years ago -despite plenty of time to put them up- but which weren't even constructed in time for them to be used for Thanksgiving/Christmas promotional purposes by the few retail shops that were then up.


Above and below, the eastern monument sign for the Mardi Gras Casino on U.S.-1 & Atlantic Shores Blvd., and the not-so-grand eastern entrance to it. That's why they call it blight!
If you weren't paying attention before, you can see that this area is AQ!
September 23, 2011 photos by South Beach Hoosier.


Above and below, the signs on U.S.-1 and HBB. September 23, photos by South Beach Hoosier.


Yes, the same Gulfstream Park/Forest City geniuses who used their Aventura sign on U.S.-1 recently for weeks in a way that caused even me to think they had reached a new nadir.
The only words that appeared there? "It's all here."
Really.

Above and below, heading north-bound on U.S.-1/Biscayne Blvd. at NE 213th Street thru the last two blocks of Aventura and Miami-Dade County before hitting Hallandale Beach. Gulfstream Park sign on your right. September 23, photos by South Beach Hoosier.

THAT message in black letters on a purple background that's hard to read for drivers passing by on the road. Real genius!

Seriously, given the City's of Hallandale Beach self-evident terrible job of public safety as well as properly maintaining its own signage and lighting, and keeping them either un-obstructed or working or both, or even contacting FDOT, FP&L, or Broward County Traffic & Engineering to alert them to street lighting that is out for months or YEARS at a time, even including in front, near and adjacent to HB City Hall, the Police Dept. HQ, the Fire/Rescue HQ, and other city properties, the idea of the city deciding during a bad economy to create new rules for signage and advertising is rich.
But that's how it goes here.

Can you tell what color that traffic signal on the right is? No, not the one on the left that is red. Yes, the one obstructed by the tree branches on west-bound Atlantic Shores Blvd. & Diplomat Parkway.
You can tell what color it is once you almost pass the tree and are almost IN the middle of the intersection. There are dozens and dozens of similar situations like this all throughout HB and Hollywood, but nobody from either city ever notices. Nope. September 23, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

--------

PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD AGENDA

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011 1:30 PM

1. CALL TO ORDER


2. ROLL CALL


3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

A. Approval of Draft Minutes from August 24, 2011 (Supporting Docs)


4. OLD BUSINESS

A. An Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, amending Chapter 32, Article III of the City of Hallandale Beach Code of Ordinances, the "Zoning and Land Development Code", by amending Section 32-151, RS-5 Single-Family District and by creating Section 32-181, entitled Golden Isles Neighborhood Overlay District, providing supplemental standards relative to permitted uses, site development standards, signage and notice requirements. Providing for conflicts; providing for severability; providing for an effective date. (City of Hallandale Beach Application # 02-11-TC) (Staff Report, Supporting Docs)


5. NEW BUSINESS

A. Application # 04-10-P by Alan Waserstein Requesting Approval of the "Waserstein Gulfstream Plat" in Accordance with Article II, Division 2 of the Zoning and Land Development Code at the Property Located at 900 South Federal Highway. (Staff Report, Supporting Docs)

B. An Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida Amending Chapter 32, the Zoning and Land Development Code, Article IV Division 17, Signs, Relative to Prohibited Signs, Permitted Signs, and Nonconforming Signs, Providing for Conflict, Providing an Effective Date. (City of Hallandale Beach Application # 67-10-TC) (Staff Report, Supporting Docs)


6. SCHEDULING NEXT MEETING

A. November 23, 2011


7. OTHER


8. DIRECTOR'S REPORT


9. ADJOURNMENT

Interested parties may appear at the aforesaid time and place and be heard with respect to the above. The agenda and related cases may be inspected as of Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at the Development Services Department, 400 South Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach, Florida during normal business hours, and Monday through Friday.





DATE: October 17, 2011

TO: The Planning and Zoning Board

FROM: Christy Dominguez, Director of Planning and Zoning

THRU: Thomas J. Vageline, Director of Development Services

SUBJECT: Application #67-10-TC – Sign Code Amendment

CAD #022/03


PURPOSE:

To amend Chapter 32, Article IV Division 17 of the Zoning and Land Development Code regarding the City’s sign requirements.


BACKGROUND:

The City Commission requested staff review studies related to digital sign technology (LED) to determine its safety and whether the City should consider amending the sign code to permit such signage. Staff has also received many inquiries from business owners regarding the use of LED signs. Based on the increased demand for LED signs and research conducted on the topic, staff concluded the City should consider amending its sign code to permit the use of LED signs and provide regulations for size, light intensity and display duration for those signs.


In addition, the City has recently experienced an influx of human signs, particularly along Hallandale Beach Blvd. The term “human sign” is typically used to describe any type of signage that is held or worn by a person advertising a business or activity and usually involves someone standing in the right-of-way holding a large sign. Not only can this type of attention-seeking signage be unsightly, it can also be extremely dangerous as the intent is to distract a driver’s attention.


On May 12, 2011, staff reviewed the current sign code with the Code and Permitting Advisory Board and discussed possible amendments to the Code related to digital signage and human signs. The Board was in agreement with staff’s proposal and supported moving forward with the draft Ordinance.

On June 7, 2011, staff attended a webinar with the City Attorney on drafting regulations for signage which discussed regulations for both digital signage and human signs. Staff was able to incorporate similar regulations from other municipalities into the attached draft Ordinance.


DISCUSSION:

Staff conducted research on the use of digital sign technology (LED), particularly regarding the safety of such signs. In 2009, a report was issued for the National Cooperative Highway research program which evaluated the safety impacts of digital technology in outdoor signs. The report summarized multiple studies which analyzed various factors that distract a driver’s attention. Although the report concluded that there may be a correlation between digital sign technology and the occurrence of automobile accidents, there was no conclusive evidence that a digital sign is any more distracting to a driver than any other type of sign. As such, staff proposes to incorporate several new regulations for LED signs into the attached ordinance with the goal of achieving a balance between the safety and aesthetics of the community while maintaining a business-friendly attitude.


In addition, the increased number of attention-seeking or human signs has become a major concern for Hallandale Beach residents. Further, regulating human signs has become a challenge for staff to enforce. Although the current Code prohibits off-premise signs and movable or portable signs, it does not specifically address human signs. Staff has reviewed other municipalities’ codes and while some cities do permit human signs subject to strict regulations, most cities such as Dania Beach, Aventura, Coral Gables, and Boca Raton outright prohibit them. Staff also proposes to prohibit the use of human signs for both safety and aesthetic reasons.


Other revisions to the sign code are also proposed such as allowing accessory restaurants with more than 100 seats in multifamily zoned districts to have a wall sign, which was a recommendation of the Citywide Master Plan for the Oceanfront Neighborhood (S. Ocean Drive).


ANALYSIS:

Based upon the research conducted by staff, the following is a summary of the proposed amendments in the attached draft Ordinance:

  1. Adds definitions for Changeable Message Signs, Human Signs and LED signs.
  2. Expands the wall sign definition to include LED signs.
  3. Adds human signs to the list of prohibited signs.
  4. Expands language permitting signs at churches or synagogues to also include other houses of worship.
  5. Adds the RM-HD-2 zoning district to the list of multi-family districts.
  6. Allows restaurant uses in multi-family residential districts with more than 100 seats to have 1 wall sign, not exceeding 20 square feet. In addition, properties with an existing freestanding sign identifying a permitted residential use may be permitted an additional 8 square to identify the restaurant.
  7. Clarifies that commercial properties are permitted 1 temporary real estate and 1 construction sign per street frontage, instead of per establishment
  8. Reduces the permitted height of freestanding signs at service stations from 18 feet to 8 feet, which is consistent with maximum permitted height for other commercial freestanding signs.
  9. Eliminates awning and window sign size restrictions for properties with nonconforming pole signs, as the majority of pole signs within the City have been removed.
  10. Single-use properties with at least 200 linear feet of frontage may utilize LED technology for two LED wall signs, provided only one LED wall sign shall be permitted per wall face and be no greater than 25 square feet. This restriction provides a limited use of LED signs with the intent of preserving the character of Hallandale Beach.
  11. Shopping centers on Hallandale Beach Blvd. or U.S. 1 having more than 3 acres and a main street frontage of 500 linear feet may utilize LED technology for one of the permitted monument signs on the property.
  12. Staff has included several regulations regarding the use of LED signs in the City. In addition to strict distance requirements from residentially zoned property, there are maximum brightness levels, minimum display length requirements, a default mechanism to freeze the screen in the event of a malfunction, and animated, flashing or moving lights are prohibited. These safety measures are consistent with provisions in other municipalities’ sign codes.
  13. Permits temporary banner signs no greater than 10 square feet for businesses adversely impacted by construction due to exterior renovations or improvements.


RECOMMENDATION:

The Planning and Zoning Board recommend approval of the attached ordinance. The Ordinance will subsequently be presented to the City Commission for First and Second Readings.

Prepared By: _________________

Sarah Suarez, AICP

Senior Planner

"And you thought building roads was all about transportation?" Scott Maxwell asks, "Why won't Rep. Chris Dorworth explain $713,000 in new assets?"

If I didn't know any better -and it wasn't actually mentioned in the spot-on column by Scott Maxwell- I'd have thought that FL State Rep. Chris Dorworth sounded exactly like someone straight out of South Florida's multi-hat wearing, nouveau riche nexus of government, lobbying and politics, someone who got into politics convinced that we just can't live without them, even though we already were. (Yes, the 'Geller Effect.')

But instead, Dorworth is from the Sanford area, home of Amtrak's Auto Train.
More's the pity.

And let's be serious, given their track record in Broward, you simply can't beat the Ash-Britt connection!

--------
Orlando Sentinel
Why won't Rep. Chris Dorworth explain $713,000 in new assets?
Scott Maxwell, TAKING NAMES
11:18 PM EDT, October 22, 2011

Two years ago, State Rep. Chris Dorworth was in a heap of financial trouble.

His Lake Mary mansion was facing foreclosure. And aside from the stuff in his house, his only other assets were $40,000 in cash and a Chrysler Pacifica.

His sole income — a legislative salary of $2,600 a month — wasn't nearly enough to cover his monthly mortgage payments of about $10,000. Nor had he been able to satisfy a $1.35 million legal judgment against him from a failed business venture.

In short: Things were very bleak for the Republican legislator.

Read the rest of the column at:


-----

See also:
Florida House candidate Chris Dorworth's divorce records reveal financial problems. State Rep. Chris Dorworth's divorce records estimate his net worth as $3 million in the red

Wednesday afternoon's crucial Hallandale Beach P&Z mtg. re property rights, wherein Mayor Joy Cooper's cronies will try to overturn homeowner's rights

Below is a copy of an important email that went out to the grapevine of concerned citizens and news media interested in what happens in Broward County and environs.

-----
Wednesday afternoon's crucial Hallandale Beach P&Z mtg. re property rights, wherein Mayor Joy Cooper's cronies will try to overturn homeowner's rights

Some of you have no doubt already received this email from Hallandale Beach Comm. Keith London, but on the chance you haven't, I'm forwarding it for you to peruse and become familiar with the facts.

For almost everyone in this city who's genuinely committed to meaningful reform, transparency in fact and not just on paper, and financial accountability at HB City Hall, the thing that's hard to wrap their heads around is why is this happening?
Followed by, why now?

Especially given that this is as about as naked an attempt to take other people's property rights away as you'll ever likely see in South Florida, despite the fact that the contracts involved all say the same thing -people who want to change the rules must get a vote of a majority of the property owners involved.

That's something that Mayor Cooper and her pals and cronies simply don't want to do because they already know they can't use facts or logic in such a campaign, because it's so ludicrous on its face, so instead, they want to change the rules so they can get what THEY want.
Whatever that is, which even now they can't explain with a straight face.

Prior to Joy Cooper eventually being sued about this matter in the future, I hope someone is able to make sure that, to the extent possible, the city's taxpayers can be left off the hook for what she has tried to do personally for years -using city assets and resources to foist this issue and prospective legal bills upon all city residents- so that she can be made to bear the weight of her personal attempts to illegally breach contracts, and suffer the logical consequences.

Cooper will no doubt try to make sure that she has cover and try to have all of us pay for her legal bills to defend her unconscionable actions, as she has done before.
You can stop that from happening by doing something proactive NOW before that version of our future becomes the actual reality we suffer under.

Successfully killing this bad idea Wednesday will serve as a wake-up call to everyone that positive changes are coming to Hallandale Beach City Hall over the next 53 weeks.

I've written some blog posts on the Golden Isles Overlay in the past, so if you're still looking for more info besides what Comm. London has thoughtfully provided below, you may want to peruse this post of mine from July, prior to attending Wednesday afternoon's meeting:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Keith London
Date: Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 12:08 PM
Subject: IMPORTANT REMINDER - Golden Isles Overlay Meeting - Planning and Zoning
To: "London, Keith" <KLondon@hallandalebeachfl.gov>


Everyone,

Please read to the bottom I have added new information!


The Planning and Zoning meeting regarding this topic is this Wednesday, October 26th at 1:30 PM. Attached is the agenda and all the information to review including a link to the agenda. I have also attached a copy of the letter, from our neighbor Dr. Bob Selz, explaining the intent of the overlay and how deficient and counter-productive this will be for our neighborhood.


The Planning and Zoning meeting is first of three battles for this issue. The Planning and Zoning committee will make a recommendation and it will then go to the City Commission after for a vote.


Your input at all levels is truly important. I know everyone has busy schedules but if you could make the Planning and Zoning Meeting to voice your opinion and needs it is very important. More important, your attendance at the City Commission meeting when this is voted on is imperative. I will provide you with advanced notice for when that meeting is scheduled.


You truly have a vested and important interest in this issue since you are a property owner in Golden Isles.

Remember, this is all being driven by Joy Cooper and a few of her cronies (Alex Berkovich, Jerry Nadelson, Suzanne Friedman and others). Please see the attached documentation with links below to the complete backup showing the people (named above) who can not or will not go and collect the signatures required totaling 50% of the owners of Golden Isles to change the deed restrictions. This is government looking for a solution for a problem that DOES NOT exits. None of us are quite sure of their hidden agenda; yet we do know we all have been living fine with the current deed restrictions for almost 60 years.


Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or require any additional information.


Thanks!

Keith


Keith S. London

City Commissioner

Hallandale Beach

954-457-1320 Office

954-494-3182 Cellular

www.KeithLondon.com

http://www.facebook.com/KeithSLondon

http://www.hallandalebeach.org/files/PLANNING%20AND%20ZONING%20BOARD%20AGENDAS/2011-10-26/Agenda%20Outline%20for%202011-10-26%2013-30.htm


PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD AGENDA

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011 1:30 PM

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. ROLL CALL

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

A. Approval of Draft Minutes from August 24, 2011 (Supporting Docs)

4. OLD BUSINESS

A. An Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, amending Chapter 32, Article III of the City of Hallandale Beach Code of Ordinances, the "Zoning and Land Development Code", by amending Section 32-151, RS-5 Single-Family District and by creating Section 32-181, entitled Golden Isles Neighborhood Overlay District, providing supplemental standards relative to permitted uses, site development standards, signage and notice requirements. Providing for conflicts; providing for severability; providing for an effective date. (City of Hallandale Beach Application # 02-11-TC) (Staff Report, Supporting Docs)

5. NEW BUSINESS

A. Application # 04-10-P by Alan Waserstein Requesting Approval of the "Waserstein Gulfstream Plat" in Accordance with Article II, Division 2 of the Zoning and Land Development Code at the Property Located at 900 South Federal Highway. (Staff Report, Supporting Docs)

B. An Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida Amending Chapter 32, the Zoning and Land Development Code, Article IV Division 17, Signs, Relative to Prohibited Signs, Permitted Signs, and Nonconforming Signs, Providing for Conflict, Providing an Effective Date. (City of Hallandale Beach Application # 67-10-TC) (Staff Report, Supporting Docs)

6. SCHEDULING NEXT MEETING

A. November 23, 2011

7. OTHER

8. DIRECTOR'S REPORT

9. ADJOURNMENT

Interested parties may appear at the aforesaid time and place and be heard with respect to the above. The agenda and related cases may be inspected as of Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at the Development Services Department, 400 South Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach, Florida during normal business hours, and Monday through Friday.

http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/files/PLANNING%20AND%20ZONING%20BOARD%20AGENDAS/2011-10-26/Item%204A/index.html

ATTACHMENT 4

1

1 PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD MEETING

2 WEDNESDAY JUNE 22, 2011

3 CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS,

4 HALLANDALE BEACH, FLORIDA

5

6

7 Members Present Attendance

8

9 Michael Butler Y

10 Terri Dillard (Alternate) Y

11 Seymour Fendell Y

12 Sheryl Natelson Y

13 Irwin Schneider N (excused absence)

14 Eudyce Steinberg (Vice-Chair) N (excused absence)

15 Arnold Cooper (Chair) Y

ATTACHMENT 4

3

93 LOCATED AT 1600 E HALLANDALE BEACH BOULEVARD SUBJECT TO

94 CONDITIONS OF STAFF.

95

96 MS. DILLARD SECONDED THE MOTION.

97

98 MOTION CARRIED BY ROLL CALL VOTE (5-0) FOR APPROVAL.

99

100 NEW BUSINESS

101

102 1. An Ordinance of The City of Hallandale Beach Florida, Amending Chapter 32, Article

103 III of The City of Hallandale Beach Code of Ordinances, The "Zoning and Land

104 Development Code", By Amending Section 32-151, RS-5 Residential Single-Family

105 District and Creating Section 32-181, Entitled Golden Isles Neighborhood Overlay

106 District, Providing Supplemental Standards Relative to Permitted Uses, Site

107 Development Standards, Signage and Notice Requirements Within the Golden Isles

108 Overlay District. Providing for Conflicts; Providing for Severability; Providing for an

109 Effective Date (This Ordinance is a result of Application #02-11-TC by the City of

110 Hallandale Beach).

111

112 Ms. Dominguez stated the proposal presented today is relative to the restrictive

113 covenants of the Golden Isles Neighborhood. In 1968, the City approved Ordinance 820

114 which sought to adopt covenants and allow the City to enforce them.

115

116 Ms. Dominguez: explained the City enforced this ordinance for many years. However, in

117 2008, our City Attorney provided a legal opinion which advised that Ordinance 820

118 could not be enforced by the City.

119

120 Ms. Dominguez: subsequently staff was contacted by Golden Isles Homeowner

121 Association to meet with the residents and consider options. October 20, 2010, the

122 Golden Isles Homeowner’s Association voted to request the City to only incorporate the

123 specific regulations in the covenant into an Overlay District.

Alex Berkovich (212 Holiday Drive) stated he is the President for the Golden Isles

248 Homeowner’s Association and he wanted to clarify misleading information that residents

249 have in regards to the present item.

250

251 Mr. Berkovich: stated in 2008, the Homeowner’s Association approached the City in

252 finding out what they could do to salvage or mitigate Ordinance 820.

253

254 Mr. Berkovich: further stated in the past 2or 3 years the residents received survey that

255 would show the City what the residence want and need. He added that basically two

256 things can be done to resolve this problem: either enforce Ordinance 820, or the City

257 overlay district should mimic the deed restrictions.

http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/files/PLANNING%20AND%20ZONING%20BOARD%20AGENDAS/2011-10-26/Item%204A/index.html

http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/files/PLANNING%20AND%20ZONING%20BOARD%20AGENDAS/2011-10-26/Item%204A/index.html

Staff and the GIHOA held several meetings with property owners in Golden Isles to discuss the idea of an overlay district.

Keith S. London

City Commissioner

Hallandale Beach

954-457-1320 Office

954-494-3182 Cellular

www.KeithLondon.com

http://www.facebook.com/KeithSLondon


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