LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Posted on 12 November 2015 by LeslieM

Don’t it always seem to go…”

Dear Editor:

This morning I sat on my 1950s [era] back porch looking over a small canal, feeling a slight ocean breeze, and watching the sun as it rose higher in the sky. I can’t see the ocean but I can feel it! PRICELESS! I live in a neighborhood of moderate homes owned not so much by the wealthy, but just everyday folk, working to support families, retirees and some with investment properties bought mostly because of proximity to the beach, a doable walk or bike ride. You’ll find people walking their dogs, grand-moms and mothers pushing baby carriages, some heading out to earn a living, kids off to or returning from school and retirees enjoying their homes and lifestyle they chose. You wave to people and they wave back. Some stop to talk a few moments and you realize how lucky you are to live here. This is the quality of life in The Cove residential development, adjacent to a small shopping center.

As I reflect on last night’s Commission Meeting, I am not shocked by the absence of quality of life issues presented by business owners and residents with regards [to] a hotel/garage project. TOURISM AND MONEY took center stage, expounded, applauded and embellished. For what it’s worth, I HOPE that in four years when this hotel project is completed and its doors have opened, the City of Deerfield Beach realizes all the dollars it has been promised, businesses flourish and the impact on my small quiet neighborhood is not negative. I don’t want to look back thinking of that song that reminds us: “They put up a parking lot …You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”

Marti McGeary

Deerfield Beach

Thank you, Deerfield BSO

Dear Editor:

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank three law enforcement officers that serve Deerfield Beach for going above AND beyond their duty to protect us by extending genuine compassion and concern for a disabled member of our community who recently became homeless after the loss of his mother. Sergeant Ian Doriot, along with Deputies Gary Toth and Jeff Vomero, offered their kindness by providing this man with basic clothing and hygiene necessities, in addition to orchestrating contact with the right agencies and organizations that can help him. My heart is filled [from] being able to watch these men in action and know[ing] that they truly care about our community. We are in good hands.

Cristina Sasso

Deerfield Beach

Blanket retail pet bans hurt local small businesses

Dear Editor:

During a Deerfield City Commission hearing last Tuesday [Nov. 3], Vice Mayor Ganz aligned himself with an animal rights radical from Hallandale Beach and pushed through an ordinance which will force my life’s work out of business.

My family and I chose to make Deerfield Beach our business’s home for many reasons, but, most importantly, the close ties to our community. My Petland pet store is my family’s livelihood and it’s been a part of this city for nearly eight years.

My store is highly regulated by the state, the federal government and I have earned an A+ Better Business [Bureau] Rating. I have done everything right. Yet, Vice Mayor Ganz ignored the truth. He recited incorrect USDA information, focusing on a single disgruntled customer issue. This should be a warning sign for all lawful businesses in Deerfield Beach.

Ganz’s ordinance intends to protect Deerfield residents. Yet, the state of Florida already has the strictest regulations and consumer protection of any state in the country. This ordinance has forced Deerfield Beach citizens to find new pets from unregulated sources that offer no state consumer protection and proliferates puppy mills – the exact opposite of the ban’s intention.

Responsible pet stores serve our community. The Deerfield Beach population is owed the right to choose where they get their pets from. I have a passion for animals and my community. I also live for the joy that my pets give my customers. I take great pride in matching the right pet to the right family, by helping facilitate the beautiful human-animal bond that is so precious to so many.

I came to America to create a life for me and my family – to live my own American dream. Instead, I have now seen the unfortunate reality of how easily radical activists can influence our local politicians. The fate of my business has been cast.

Mayid Yamin

Owner of Petland

Deerfield Beach

 

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