Teen violence

Dear Editor:

I have written the Sun-Sentinel, Channels 7 and 10 and nothing. [Can you] possibly help? There was a young man (age 15) beat in the head with a lead pipe on Monday [April 4] in Cresthaven [in Pompano]. He and friends were in the wrong place at the wrong time. A local gang spotted them and hit this boy in the back of the head so bad that it cracked his skull and penetrated his brain. He has since had two surgeries to save his life; now the threat of pneumonia and a brain clot is there. He was sitting in the back of the truck and didn’t even get out. He is in the Pediatric Trauma Unit at Broward General. Prognosis isn’t perfect yet.

There have been witnesses to who did it etc. yet police have made no arrests, they did not even look for the weapon.  Since there were a few of these kids in the truck, the Gang Unit of BSO considered them a gang. They are not. However, the children who did this are recognized as gang members by BSO.

My issue is that everyone rallied and supported for Ratley and Brewer … what about this child hanging on for his life? He is a member of our community. His family pays taxes. His family has no insurance and the mother will lose her job due to the fact that she has to be at the hospital with her son. Why aren’t people doing fundraisers? Donations? For God’s sake, it hasn’t even been on the news. Doesn’t anyone want to get the word out to the people who live nearby where this happened, so they may protect their children. Or is everyone afraid?

This child is very bad off, yet the community knows nothing! He, too, needs the support and at least the well wishes of neighbors and friends. Please help me get the word out.

Mrs. Dana Wade/Little Harbor

Deerfield Beach

Cove improvements

Dear Editor:

CRA Director Kevin Klopp responded to my March 31 letter in the Observer, where I complained about the lack of maintenance to a landscaping project that had cost hundreds of thousands of dollars when installed.  Commissioner Miller had also tried to get answers, but had no success.  It was not until Kevin Klopp was given a heads up in reference to my letter that an army of city workers corrected the problem.  Mr. Klopp’s answer was that the CRA had not had time to employ a private contractor.  With the state of the economy, and the number of local landscaping firms crying for work, that explanation is hard to believe.

Another subject is the eyesore that is now the abandoned sign tower.  Business owners in The Cove were told that the project would start in January of 2011 and be completed in three to four weeks.  It started in January, is now abandoned, and now is scheduled for completion in August of 2011, seven months later.  Why?  The entire commission agreed to a nine-month phased plan for The Cove that was presented to the owners.  Now we hear that Phase 2 and 3 are to be combined and started in May 2011. This will further impact the businesses and is not the plan originally approved by this commission. Phase  1-2-3-4-5  were to be done in order …

Steve/ Cove Bagel & Deli

Deerfield Beach

Editor’s note: Agenda item #2 at the April 12 CRA meeting was to “approve proposal to construct Cove Shopping Center Parking Lot Improvement Project Phase 3 sidewalks as part of Phase 2.” The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board, comprised of the city commission, unanimously approved the item.

Both Phase 2 and Phase 3 involve the southern end of The Cove Parking Lot.

According to CRA Coordinator Kris Mory, the action simply means that sidewalks in Phase 2 (about 275 linear feet) and Phase 3 (about 175 linear feet) would be done during the next phase of construction beginning May 1. The rest of parking lot improvements for Phase 3 will still be done during Phase 3, slated to begin June 15. “This was something generated from other business owners in The Cove. Basically, we’re just doing what they wanted us to do.”

She said the tower under construction will be done during Phase 2 improvements, in the next month or so.

“Phase 4b” [the fifth portion of the project] involves planting of Royal Palms and lush landscaping in The Cove entryway.

Entire project is due for completion by Oct. 31, 2011.

Pay cuts & layoffs

Dear Editor:

How can the city of Deerfield Beach offer the general employees union a promise of no layoffs for two years [recently three years has been offered] if they take a 5 percent pay cut and start paying 10 percent of their health insurance? Home prices continued to decline in January and February. They may need to lay off more or increase taxes again to balance the budget.

Before the union makes a move, they want to see complete financial information from the city so they will know how much they can squeeze out of the taxpayers. They know full well that the taxpayers have lost income and are lucky if their employer pays 50 percent of their insurance, for the ones who still have a job.

The non-union management employees aren’t any better. While demanding a 5 percent cut, there is no proposal for them to take a 5 percent cut from the city manager on down. Most of them have been paid over-the-top salaries for their job for years.

Even though the city raised our taxes on Oct.1, they continued these over-payments for six months before reducing them to the highest allowable rate. How about those who retired with inflated pensions based on their inflated salary? Is the city going to reduce the pensions down to what they should be? The managers know that private sector managers and small business owners have taken salary reductions in the past few years. Some have lost it all, the evidence of that can be seen in all the empty commercial space in Deerfield Beach. Reducing an overpaid manager down to the highest allowable salary is not sharing the sacrifice.

When the commission increased the millage rate 17 percent, they promised to do better this year. I don’t know if they can live up to that promise.

Robert Lloyd

Deerfield Beach

Beach lighting

Dear Editor:

There have been two letters in the past two weeks complaining about the lighting at the beach. One letter made it clear that the actual problem is not the lighting, but the fact that the bricks in the decorative sidewalk, after only a few years of use, are no longer level and the uneven edges provide a hazard to the elderly and awkward among us.

The matching sidewalks on Hillsboro Boulevard are already coming apart, and that project is not even completed yet.

The city officials in charge of these projects may wish to revisit the decision to use brick in these areas — someone has sold them an inappropriate surfacing material for the purpose, or it has not been installed properly.

I look forward every year to turtle nesting season, and the dim lights that reduce our excessive light pollution and afford us an opportunity to actually see the night sky again.

For those who find it to be a difficulty, I have recently been made aware of an amazing invention that can help them — the flashlight! This remarkable portable device can direct a strong beam of light exactly where one is walking, providing even better clarity than typical street lighting is capable of doing. This “flashlight” is not only inexpensive, it can be held in one hand, and some versions can be worn on the head, leaving both hands free to fend off rogue baby sea turtles.

All humor aside, one of the reasons we appreciate Deerfield Beach and want to live here is the natural beauty it provides. This beauty has suffered greatly during my lifetime here due to the influx of a large population and the diminishment of our open spaces and natural environment. Attempts to preserve our remaining open space and native wildlife in Deerfield Beach are extremely limited. This single small gesture toward our cohabitants on the barrier island is highly welcome.

Karen L. Newcombe

Deerfield Beach

Hillsboro/Deerfield dredging

Dear Editor:

So now it has come to light that Deerfield Beach has sacrificed our beautiful coral reef off our beach for the sake of beach renourishment for our neighbor, Hillsboro Beach.

This is not the first time this contractor has been in this kind of trouble. An easy search can find several instances where this contractor has either damaged coral reefs or exceeded allowable turbidity levels which severely damage reef and fish populations.

Where is our Chamber of Commerce on this issue? Just check with the local dive shops and you will get an understanding of how important this very accessible reef is to our city. This reef used to provide a great snorkel dive for divers with minimal experience who can’t afford a trip offshore to the other sites in the water off our beach.

This was one of the exact reasons I chose to run for office in this city because I do not believe our elected officials have any idea about how to protect the health of our city’s environment.

Last weekend, March 27, I took water samples inside Boca Inlet, which were significantly affected by the dredging and measured levels that far from the dredge at 20 percent above the allowable levels which are to be measured about 150 meters from the dredge site. If a violation still was present miles from the dredge site, the levels near our reef were off the chart!

It’s important that we follow through with Florida Department of Environmental Regulations to make sure the dredge contractor is held accountable for the high levels of turbidity, the permit violations, and the mitigation and restoration necessary after their negative impact to our reef.

Our elected officials and hired Managers of this City should meet with DEP and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make sure this contractor does not leave town without being held fully accountable for the damage that has been done.

This is just another example of the City of Deerfield Beach cutting another bad deal. This reef has been an important part of our economy for as long as I have known of Deerfield Beach. Too bad no one in City Hall understands this.

Next time, remember these kinds of things and let’s change the representation we have in City Hall until we get a group that “Gets it!”

Ron Coddington

Deerfield Beach

Editor’s note: Assistant Director of Environmental Services Chad Grecsek, regional manager of Coastal Systems International Penny Cutt and project manager with Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. Ben Leonard addressed the issue at the April 5 Deerfield Beach city commission meeting.

Cutt explained that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ordered a cease and desist on April 1 for impact to the hard bottom from the unauthorized discharge. Only two times during the project did they exceed turbitity and have to shut down. Two reasons turbitity levels were occasionally higher: 1) because the cutter head encountered lenses of coral fragments and 2) the shore parallel dikes were implemented. Provided the sand is removed from the hard bottom in a careful and efficient, timely manner, there should be no long-term impact to aquatic functions and values, she said.

They haven’t started on the Deerfield portion yet. It will take two, maybe three days to finish the project — a portion of which is in Hillsboro. Cutt said they hope to be up and running again on Friday or Saturday.

Sea turtle lighting

Dear Editor:

Regarding Margaret Feerick’s comments about lights on the beach near Embassy Suites [March 24 Observer], I was walking (I am 77) and my toe hit a crack or obstacle on the sidewalk. I fell flat forward on my chest and face and then flipped onto my back, head against the sidewalk. A man came over and helped lift me up. They have the lights shut off all the way back a block west of the beach. This is very dangerous for those who walk the area. Are turtles more important than people?

Dr. Charles Laser

Deerfield Beach

Schools questions

Dear Editor:

It is very interesting that the Broward School Board has been chastised for building too many classrooms and the [Observer’s March 24] School’s page article [“DBHS graduation day announced, location moved”] says that Deerfield Beach High School’s 2011 graduating class increased by more than 55 students over 2010? There is obviously something wrong in the numbers.

The next question is why do our schools have such a large student population? Doesn’t quality drop when enrollments are so high – DBHS has 2,800+ students. This means that the lower classes have more students than this year’s Senior Class.

My last question is why is there no facility in North Broward County that can handle a high school graduation? It doesn’t make sense.

Jack Burrie

Pompano Beach

Editor’s note: Recent grand jury report against school board noting “thousands of empty seats at under-enrolled schools” doesn’t identify actual schools. Deerfield Beach High School is above its projected enrollment by 53 students this year, according to http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/schoolboundaries/counts/1011/20th/AppendixE_
Grade1011.pdf. Michael Roland, school board business activities liaison, said one reason for showing too many classrooms is unused “portables are being called empty classrooms;” moving them is economically not feasible.

March 29, 2011

Dear Editor:

On this date, 65 years ago, I terminated a commitment to this country after serving for three years in the U.S. Navy, from 1943 until 1946

Standing in the cold rain in a courtyard at NAS Jacksonville, FL, at the same base I attended boot camp in 1943, here I received my honorable discharge. I was dressed in my navy blue dress uniform with the “ruptured duck” emblem newly sewn on the left breast of my uniform. One hour later, I was on a train heading south to Pompano, arriving here at 6 p.m. just at dark, and beginning a brand new chapter of my life.  As I look around today, I can only account for seven men from Pompano still living here and that is out of the hundreds who served from here. My only comment at this time is “WHAT A RIDE”

Bud Garner

Pompano Beach

Cove business owner wants answers
RE: landscaping maintenance

Dear Editor:

I called Commissioner Miller after his re-election to congratulate him. I also called him on March 22, early a.m. to ask why the new landscaping hasn’t been cut or maintained since its completion [December 2010]. No call backs.

Residents and shop owners in The Cove Shopping Center are also questioning the abandoned new sign tower. No one has been here for three weeks. It’s an eyesore.

You were quite proud of the accomplishments in The Cove Parking Lot during your recent campaign. Who is responsible for no maintenance to the landscaping or the halt to the entry. Where do we go from here?

Steve/Cove Bagel & Deli

Deerfield Beach

Editor’s Note: According to CRA Director Keven Klopp, landscaping maintenance for The Cove is in the process of transitioning from the city’s Public Works Department to the CRA hiring a private contractor. The Cove Parking Lot Construction is a phased project that isn’t done yet, and has not been technically turned over to the city. It is considered an active construction site.

• Maintenance work done as of March 25, was done by Public Works in assistance to the CRA to help the CRA write specifications for hiring out a private contractor. Klopp said it will be a much bigger job when the project is complete.

Street lights

Dear Editor:

My concerns are for the safety of my friends and others who enjoy a walk from Deerfield Beach Pier to Embassy Suites during the evening hours.  At present, the street lights on the sand side of the walkway (Ocean Way) are amber-colored and too dim for many walkers. The street lights on the road near the cars are not lighted, but  could be turned on using  the amber-colored lights.  Yet, the dredge  sitting offshore outside Deerfield reef is lighted brightly each night and no one seems to be walking there.  Please let there be more light for the evening walkers. — A Concerned taxpayer —

Margaret Feerick

Deerfield Beach

Pioneer Park

Dear Editor:

It has been over five years since the renovations to Pioneer Park were initiated.  The new playground is a disaster and has been shut down more than open for the children to play. No Community Center has been built yet and the ballfield is poorly maintained. The city has too many projects that are unfinished.  I have noticed the Tennis Center and field lights left on all night at Pioneer Park on three separate occasions over the past few months. The Middle School Athletic facilities are poorly maintained as well. What is going on? The residents deserve better than this.

Michael Weiss

Deerfield Beach

Handicapped parking could bring revenue

Dear Editor:

Let me start by saying that I know this is not going to be a popular opinion. However, I would like to address the revenue issue facing Deerfield Beach. On a recent trip to the beach, I counted 21 of 44 metered parking spaces occupied by handicap-stickered vehicles that do not pay the meters to park. If Deerfield Beach charged at all the meters, this could be a good way to generate revenue. This is a lot of money that Deerfield Beach is losing. I do not have anything against handicapped people; my own mother has a handicap sticker, but I thought the idea of a handicap sticker was to park closer to where you are going.You cannot get any closer to the beach than the metered parking. If you are handicapped, it does not necessarily mean you are unable to afford to pay to park. Also, it is up to each municipality to charge or not charge handicapped individuals at metered parking. Many of these people may be coming from other cities, where they would be charged for parking. In today’s economy, every possible avenue should be explored to increase revenue for the city.

Sandra Varoli

Deerfield Beach

RE: Dixie Flyover

Dear Editor:

Maybe six months ago or more, I attended a meeting at City Hall called a “Vision” meeting for the Dixie EYE SORE, oops, excuse me, The Dixie Flyover. The room was packed, standing room only. Most people there wanted green spaces installed, something to make it look better. At the end of the meeting, we were told that the city had no monies to do anything. (‘Why the meeting?’ we wondered.) Now, just the other day I see on SE 10th, lots of green space improvements. Beautiful curved sidewalks and lots AND lots of trees and plantings! Hmmm … so what happened to no money?

East of Federal on Hillsboro will be beautiful … west of Dixie on Hillsboro a median with trees and seasonal plantings. Between the two areas, you can land a plane on Hillsboro! Everyone seems to be getting something nice, we get an ugly bridge that will probably be a blight area … Time for Deerfield to do better for all your taxpayers not just the chosen few…..

Donna Lavoie

Deerfield Beach

RE: The Hillsboro Boulevard project

Dear Editor:

The Hillsboro Boulevard project is an embarrassment to this city. From Federal Highway east is a big mess starting with the 1st four street light poles in the median. One of them is not even in the median. This one and the rest are out of line and leaning one way or another. The median still has the little black hose things sticking up everywhere. It is a shame that our good money has been spent on such a mess and nobody represents us. “We, the people,” have noticed, acknowledged or been in close contact with the contractors to rectify issues as they arise. Deerfield Beach is a wonderful city with numerous unfinished projects.

Mary House

Deerfield Beach

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS — A Form of Disenfranchisement

Dear Editor:

My wife and I proudly cast our ballot this morning [Tuesday] for our choice for Deerfield Beach city commissioner. Upon arriving at the assigned voting place, we were surprised to see that no one was in line ahead of us to sign up.  No one was in line at the voting booth and no one was in line at the voting authentification area.  We virtually had the place to ourselves except for the six or so workers who were very friendly and courteous. We were also reminded that there was only one item on the ballot.

At this point, I’m wondering why the city is willing to expend funds for the March elections when it is apparent that very few of the electorate are motivated to take the time and effort to vote for only one item.  It almost seems like the city officials like the prospect of being voted in (or not) by a small minority of the city’s voters (as few as 10 percent by some reports).

Is this a form of disenfranchisement cloaked in the message that perhaps we as voters are not able to handle multiple items that normally appear on the November ballot?  Do those who advocate the March municipal elections really believe that we couldn’t have handled ONE MORE item on the ballot last November? Do separate municipal elections favor incumbents? I think they do and I believe that is the only reason the mayor and the commission continue to support them.

Should we as voters and taxpayers continue to support a budget that perpetuates excess spending and possibly disenfranchisement like the separate municipal elections while cutting programs that directly affect our citizenry or raise taxes to support such waste?

The budget allows for $74,384 for elections.  Could we save $25,000 or more by combining municipal elections held in March with general elections held in November?  Would that allow for a higher number of voters to cast ballots for city officials?  Boy, what a concept!

David Nace

Deerfield Beach

Security at City Hall

Dear Editor:

Why is the public being denied access to the entranceway that is closest to the second floor elevator [near city commission chambers at Deerfield Beach City Hall]? I had occasion recently to go to City Hall in an attempt to conduct business with the City Clerk’s office. I have a bone spur in my right heel which makes walking extremely painful. I was forced to walk to the only public access entrance and then walk down the entire corridor to get to the elevator. Who makes these ridiculous decisions? I am sure there are other more disabled citizens that will find this completely unacceptable. What is the reasoning behind such a stupid regulation? And how much did this insanity’s implementation cost the taxpayers?

Don’t tell me it is for security reasons. If the reason for this fiasco is because some intruder was caught in the staircase leading up to the second floor, then why wasn’t something done to secure the stairway instead of inconveniencing everyone who wished access to the first floor and the elevator? Who are you afraid of, and do you feel more secure when everyone is forced like cattle to use one doorway?

Who decides who is entitled to an entrance card? This city seems to be getting nuttier and nuttier every day.

Jean M. Robb

Deerfield Beach

Editor’s note: Since Monday, Dec. 6, 2010, the doors at the northeast entrance of City Hall have only been accessible to the public when there are meetings in City Commission Chambers. During normal business hours, the public has free and open access at the main lobby through both the east and west entrances. These measures were put in place as a complement to implementation of an upgraded city identification access card program, according to Rami Altherr Musto, marketing communications manager for the city.

Many municipalities across the nation have tightened security following the incident involving U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, which occurred Jan. 8, 2011.

Getting out the vote

Dear Editor:

There, obviously, were more votes AGAINST Joe Miller than FOR Joe Miller. It seems as though he thinks the complete district lies on “the island.” Maybe District 1 needs to be divided so that we, on the ‘wrong side’ of the water, also have representation.

Sneaky how Mr. Miller parked his company vehicles in the library’s parking lot on Election Day. Sneaky, but not surprising.

Lynne Newberry

Deerfield Beach

Impact on recreational fishing

Dear Editor:

The federal government has already shut down recreational fishing for Grouper, Red Snapper, and Sea Bass. They are getting ready to shut down recreational fishing for Dolphin (Mahi Mahi or El Dorado), Cobia, Wahoo and Amber Jack. These closures will effectively end offshore fishing in the southeast Atlantic, as there will be nothing left allowed to fish for — so why bother going fishing in the first place? Florida is the top fishing destination in the United States and Recreational Fishing has an estimated $7.5 Billion annual impact on Florida’s economy. I do not need to point out just how many jobs are tied to the fishing industry, and will be seriously impacted by the decision of the SAFMC commission. By pushing these closures forward, this commission will be ignoring the negative impact this decision will have economically and the large number of jobs that will be effectively eliminated by the closures. I was under the impression the federal government was trying to adopt policies that would help positive job growth. This government agency has obviously not gotten that memo!

Shirley Doll

Lighthouse Point

RE: Parks & Recreation

Dear Editor:

What is the unemployment rate in Florida? 12 percent. If you talk with 60 minutes television show, they have indicated that it is more like 30 percent. If you understood economics, you would agree.

So the commission, through the city manager, hires an out-of-the-state person to take the job that was once promised to George Edmunds, you let people make George a patsy – and are silent. You pay the [new] guy much more than you pay George. By the way, the parks look awful. And now you have this guy coming in from out of state.

George Edmunds is a resident, a father of three beautiful good kids, and unemployed, and it’s not that — HE DID A GOOD JOB. You all have put a real spin on it. By saying nothing shows no leadership or integrity, and I cannot live with that. The bologna that he has faced without any support burns me inside.

Here is a friend, a member of our community, and definitely a person with integrity second to none.

A leader would have spoken up. You did not.

John Grassi

Deerfield Beach

FL Legislature:  Clarke-Reed gets committee assignments

Dear Editor:

As I promised, I can now tell you my committee assignments. I have education as my focus. The committees are Education Committee, Pre K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, K-20 Competitiveness Subcommittee (Ranking Member), Health & Human Services Access Subcommittee. These committees have met and are now preparing PCB’s.

Education is where the biggest changes will come for me. Teacher quality and how to evaluate the classroom teacher is what will change. Needing to understand that the word “tenure” will disappear from contracts. There will be no automatic renewal of contracts. And if for any reason there needs to be changes in staff, the last hired-first out (LIFO) will not be in play.  How this will happen is what the committee is working on.  The evaluation piece is being researched and new assessment tools are being developed.

The budget for education has been reduced by $703 per student over last year’s budget. This cannot be allowed to happen. Pre-K funding was left at last year’s funding. I resubmitted my bill for some of the Powerball Lottery dollars to be used in pre-k classrooms (H.B.33).

There is a big push for Charter Schools to receive more funding and capital outlay dollars. I have a bill that will give more transparency to Charter Schools.

Healthcare is another big issue. The Medicaid transfer of services from the present four-tier system to managed care (HMO) is unacceptable and needs to be watched through the waiver process.

We need to hear from you about what is happening in Tallahassee. Please contact your representatives on these most important issues. My office number is 954-786-4848 or e-mail gwyn.clarke-reed@myfloridahouse.gov.

Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed

State Representative, District 92

Deerfield Beach

RE: These are the times that try men’s souls

Dear Editor:

Chaz Stevens served for one month [April 20, 2010 to May 28, 2010] on the Board of the Deerfield Beach Housing Authority. Jean Robb served as mayor of Deerfield Beach for 13 years [1980-1993.] Who are you going to believe?

Lillian Lorraine

Deerfield Beach

Editor’s note: Jean Robb and Chaz Stevens wrote a point/counterpoint that ran in the Feb. 3, Feb. 10 editions of the Observer newspaper, Letters to the Editor.

Hello from Cairo

RE: These are the times that try men’s souls

A Fire Department run by BSO?

Dear Editor:

Circa 1967, Ordinance 617, by referendum vote, was created to govern the hiring, promotions and disciplinary procedures of the Fire Department.This was the will of the people. Two years ago, the city commission through labor negotiations, eliminated Ordinance 617. Logically, it would seem that rules created through referendum could only be changed by referendum.

Not so in Deerfield, where special interest groups, the mayor and commissioners can join together and supercede the people’s will.

Currently, the city is talking with Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) to take control of our Fire Department.  Three years ago, by referendum vote, we, the people, overwhelmingly (70 percent) opposed this action and voted to keep our Fire Department.

There is no indication that our leaders will enforce the people’s will, but rather impose their own.  Couple this with back-to-back years of tax increases and one can see how history repeats itself. Taxation without representation … sounds familiar and much like the tyranny we revolted against in 1776. So welcome to Deerfield Beach, where Democracy is not alive and well, and your vote, the people’s will, means nothing.

Gary Lother

Deerfield Beach

These are the times that try men’s souls

Dear Editor:

In January, certain city employees were faced with giving back city money that placed them above the cap on their salaries. It seems as though the choices were made selectively since not all who benefitted were asked to pay back. Who was responsible for the choices that were made?

While the city was nickel-and-diming the non-uniform employees, a fire captain was allowed to accumulate $111,000 in overtime pay in the last three years. How did that happen? His final pension payout will be obscenely generous.

The commission itself has cost the taxpayers.

• Failure to schedule a vote on the increase in cost of beach parking stickers resulted in a loss of $83,500 when 1,670 were sold at the bargain rate of $50.

• Authorization of an $80,000 Kessler report that was full of smoke and mirrors thanks to the allegations of a vindictive blogger.

• The commission spent $1,200 for an outside attorney to tell them how to read the charter.

Explain to the taxpayers the overtime being collected by Fire Department personnel.

What needs to be done:

• An audit of city overtime expenditures and a cap on the amount that can be added to enhance pension payouts.

• Stop penalizing the worker bees and have those earning in excess of $100,000 a year, take a 10 percent pay cut.

• Make a change in one of the services that costs us the most. The trend is to regionalize police and fire and transportation and water. Deerfield should join the parade to save money, and start negotiating with BSO for fire and emergency services.

• Turn back the increase in the mayor and commissioners’ salaries that were mandated by Ordinance 2004/035. The commission cannot increase their salary, but they can sure decrease them. They are part-timers. Why do they have pensions? Eliminate them, as no other part-time employee in the city is eligible for such a bonus. Indeed these are the times that try men’s souls, but it is also the time of economic downturn. No matter how much rhetoric is being put out there, the commission cannot claim to have been fiscally responsible. The public spoke at the final hearing setting the millage rate, but nobody on the Board listened.

Jean Robb

Deerfield Beach

Thanks for supporting Festival of Arts

Dear Editor:

Thank you Deerfield Beach for your overwhelming support for the 31st Annual Festival of the Arts. We on the Cultural Committee are truly moved by all of the positive responses we have received from the public. We can
hardly wait until next year. Check our website www.DeerfieldBeachFestivals.com or our Facebook page (Deerfield Beach Cultural Committee).

Judi Stanich

Deerfield Beach