This Little Piggy … does not need your help Lil!

Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don’t see you later … well then … Good Night!

Strawberry (the big ole pig) gets to stay, and we are all happy. End of Story right? No, not so fast. As Lil Sayre’s scraggy voice continues to echo throughout this small Town (but not for long), Lil wants to pipe-up about rules and regulations regarding pigs in and around SWR. Some say Lil is concerned that her dog breeding business is at risk. She may be trying to link both activities.

She’s opposing laws that oppose pigs in general.

Holy Crap folks … please let us collectively tell her where the door is! We all know the rules about “a potbellied pig per property” and we are happy with that, but now Lil says that law is flawed. She’s Pro-Pig (why am I not surprised?) What’s up Lil, you got a rich friend who wants to start a pig farm across the street from his neighbor (who you despise) and are queuing up for the fight?

Lil, they got rid of you and your thugs from the SRHOA, they got rid of you from the town “minutes taker” role, they got rid of you from the town’s VFD … don’t you get it? The Town of SWR and the community of Sunshine Ranches has had enough of you and your despicable ways. Please don’t try to convince “renters” in SWR that you are an alright Gal, because I guarantee you, I will educate them lickety split of the person you really are.

Please proceed to obscurity. Take your motley merry crew of losers with you. The good folks of SWR’s are holding the door open for you.

To everyone else … Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and may you all have a Lil-less future.

That’s All Folks!!!

Wanch Waggler

The good, the bad, and the ugly - Happy Holidays!

Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:


Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don't see you later ... well then ... Good Night!


Your Wanch has been travelling quite a bit as it relates to other aspects of life and thus a number of items have occurred, under the radar, that most of our residents probably are unaware.

First, good things happen around town and should be noticed as prominently as some of the questionable items.

Thank you Alyn Kay for the following report:

Last month, about 24 town residents provided tree trimming and park & trail clean up. This occurred over two weekends and took place along SW 178 Ave., Volunteer Road, Hancock Road and the Equestrian Park. This was done by the tree huggers due to budget cuts town wide. Below is the cost estimate value, provided by the Town, of the work done by the volunteers. The value of the work is between $13,000.00 and $15,000.00. All of this was accomplished with the support of our Town Council and Town Administrator Charlie Lynn & December Haines. Way to go Town! Way to go Ranchers!

December Lauretano-Haines calculated some of the savings below:

Tree Trimming Savings $11,162

Mulch Savings $2,000

Mulch for the Town was generated by the 11/14/09 project. A resident mulched the tree trimmings, at no charge, providing equipment, manpower, and transport/fuel at his own expense. The yield was one full 22 yard truckload of mulched oak material, which is now stored at the Town’s nursery for curing and will be re-mulched at no charge to the town in the next 2 months after it has dried. The un-mulched amount was approximately 222 cubic yards of material, taken from locations on Volunteer Rd. in the Equestrian Park. Bulk mulch prices locally are between $16 and $35 per cubic yard (the Town pay $35 a cubic yard installed for Melaleuca mulch); therefore our savings on purchase of mulch material is between $352 and $770. Counting the machine time, manpower, transport of fuel costs for the service, the resident spent most of one day with 4 laborers (probably about $700), one dump truck ($280), himself, a professional grade chipper ($150) and a pickup truck. Possibly about $50 to $100 in fuel costs.

Thank you again to the volunteers who helped with this effort. Our volunteers are one of the Town’s greatest assets.



Next, I address this missive directly to the Sunshine Ranches Homeowners Association membership and its board.

Do you all remember what it was like in 2007 when the gang of eight ruled like Gestapo’s? Do you all remember what it was like in 2007 when the Sunshine Ranches Waggler was held hostage by the gang of eight thugs that only allowed their spoken / written words to grace the pages? Do you remember how the gang of eight went after a resident by complaining to his employer, and also went after another resident claiming she needed to be baker acted? And then the New York cowboy wanna be politician rode in on his painted steed and tried to finish the job for them when they were kicked out of office only to get kicked out of office himself due to his ignorance?

Take my advice Sunshine Ranches; keep your eye on the ball. You do whatever it takes to get Susan Kutz back on board as the editor of the Sunshine Ranches Waggler. She has been the best thing the Waggler has ever seen, bar none. Not to take anything away from Isolde when she was editor, but you must remember, Isolde was "restricted" by the gang of eight.

Don't allow one boisterous member to upset the apple cart. You have been heading in the forward most positive direction your HOA has seen since 1968.

Ms. Kutz, it may not matter a wit to you what I have to say, but in all sincerity (and trust me, I don't do this often) I Beg of you to reconsider your decision relinquishing the editorship position. The Sunshine Ranches Waggler is the envy of ALL Southwest Ranches communities as well as the envy of the Town itself because of YOU. Please continue your efforts. Don't let the rantings of one supersede the commendations and heartfelt appreciation from all of the others.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or in this case the complaints of the one.

I'm speaking to you Ms. Kutz, directly to you ... please?

Hope this is helpful.

Then, we have our SW Ranches Volunteer Fire Rescue Inc. Board of Directors who are still undecided about the fate of our volunteer fire department. They are meeting this week to decide whether they will turn over the fire department, assets, legal name, and non-profit corporation or not, forcing the Town to spend money to create a new volunteer fire department. Several sources have said that the Board, primarily former mayor Mecca Fink, Lil Sayre, and Susan Winn, are concerned with their personal liability. I don’t believe Mecca understand the bad will this is generating towards her; the other two may not care. Do they think that if they put the organization out of business, while turning over the assets to a newly founded volunteer fire department created by the town, they will escape any liability for actions taken under their governance?

The Board should familiarize themselves with Florida Statutes 607.0831 Liability of directors, 607.0834 Liability for unlawful distributions, and finally, 607.0850 Indemnification of officers, directors, employees, and agents.

The summary of these statutes is that even if they dissolve the corporation and in the past made a dumb decision and it was in good faith and didn’t break the law, they are OK, if they made an intentional bad decision, they can be held accountable. If they committed a violation of criminal law, intentionally or through neglect or ignorance, they can still be held liable. It’s doubtful the Town will do a forensic analysis of the SWVFRI Corporation to determine whether any frauds have been committed unless someone steps forward with knowledge or something is blatant. The corporate veil theory protects corporate directors from mistakes but not willful fraud, criminal activity, nor misconduct. Dissolving the corporation does not destroy evidence of criminal activity. You cannot shred witnesses nor can you destroy documents in files of others outside the conspiracy. People and paper trails always survive. Criminal investigators look for situations as we may have here: A non-profit corporation that has a dispute with a public organization, such as the Town over specious issues. This is an easy target for a public corruption investigation.

Therefore, even if laws were broken or the Board was negligent, the best, simplest and most graceful position the SWVFRI Board can take, in the interests of the volunteers and Town, is hand over the corporation aong with all of its assets to the Town for reorganization. Let’s see what the SWVFRI Board does in their meeting this week. There will be more information at the council meeting on Thursday night 12/17.



So, what’s happening on Griffin Road West? The road work is complete but the landscape is not! The job was “completed” over a month ago by the landscapers hired by Bergeron. The job was then inspected by Casey Lee representing the Town and independently by Landscape Architect Alyn Kay, a volunteer representing the Town. Both of these landscape professionals found hundreds of issues with the types and quality of landscape installed, locations (tall growing trees under power wires), installation (new sod over old, wrong dirt, plants planted too deep or shallow) etc. These issues were communicated to the county over a month ago with absolutely with no response. At the 12/3 council meeting councilmember Fisikelli said that he contacted Ron Bergeron about the landscape problem. Bergeron’s answer was that he has a one year insurance policy on the plants. Dead plants are only one issue among hundreds. Bergeron nor the County wants to acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of dollars of issues that need to be resolved. But you know that when Bergeron hosts a political fund raiser for Governor Crist this Thursday, out at his ranch, Money Acres, he will probably route the governor’s motorcade down Griffin Road so the Governor can see the signs for the rodeo grounds, orange trailers parked on the side of the road, and see his latest local project on Griffin Rd. The landscape looks great at 45 miles per hour. Will Ronnie get away without fixing the landscape? Given Ronnie's penchant for putting his name on everything he is remotely affiliated with, perhaps the Town shold put up a big sign orange sign saying "Landscaping mistakes brought to you by Bergeron Land Development" in four foot letters!

On a slightly separate topic, there might be a protest out at Money Acres on Thursday afternoon at 4 PM. The Governor has been connected to two high-profile Broward corruption scandals concerning Scott Rothstein and Alan Mendelson. Bergeron and his girlfriend Ali Waldman (lobbyist) are throwing a party, that for access to the Governor, could cost as much as $4800 per person. You know that Bergeron will likely be joined Thursday by lobbyists Bernie Friedman, George Platt and Ali Waldman, Ron Book and other Broward luminaries like Diana Wasserman-Rubin and our very own Richard Rubin. Of course Rick Case will always be on hand for a Bergeron party, as might Wayne Huizenga, and of-course Indian gambling shill Max Osceola will be there with his wallet open.

Politicians don’t call that influence peddling they call it fund raising. The line has become very blurry in Broaward over the past few years. I wonder how Bergeron got his seat on the Florida Wildlife Commission. Oh that’s right Governor Crist appointed him.



Finally, for all who missed the Sunshine Ranches Holiday Party on 12/13 at the Schroeer residence, rain and mud could not dampen the spirits of the attendees or Santa Claus! A big thank you to the members of the Sunshine Ranches HOA for sponsoring the annual event and a warm heart-felt thank you to Dee and Mike Schroeder for opening their home to host this wonderful party.



Happy Holidays!

That's All Folks!!!

Wanch Waggler

Continued: Its my game and you can't play or how a few destroyed the 55 yr old Volunteer Fire Department

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don’t see you later…well then…Good Night!

The attached note is the SW Ranches Volunteer Fire-Rescue, Inc. response to the Town Council's request for controlling interest of the Board of Directors. Former Mayor Mecca Fink will be attending to represent SRVFRI's interests.

Per Ms Sayre's note there is no response to the town's request for seats on the Board. She also mentions that they are seeking legal counsel. This Wanch hopes they do not reach out to Becker Polikoff. While they have used Gary Polikoff's talents in the past, since B-P provides our Town's legal counsel, there is clearly a conflict. Is amazing to think that the folks on the Board can personally justify spending volunteer money on legal advice. It seems they are maneuvering rather than trying to do the right thing. Their language in the attached is also very curious. They state they have a contract in place with the Town until 9/30/2010 and they state they "are ready, willing and able to fulfill our obligations under the contract". They said this because contractually, if they indicated they could not get the job done in any way, the SRVFRI Board would lose all control of the equipment and assets and be forced to relinquish to the Town. These words were chosen very carefully.

According to one source the SRVFRI Board may dissolve or turn it totally over, with none of the current BOD on it. If they dissolve they will liquidate the assets and perhaps turn over the the equity to another charity else the volunteer fire department may be turned over in tact by a simply voting in Town Council designates. Lets see where Sayre, Fink, Winn's loyalties lie. If they really care about the volunteers or our Town's public safety they will go quietly. If they fight it and create a legal battle, it will clearly be all about their egos and desire for power! They cannot win a fight with the town. A fight would only serve to besmirch their personal reputations and the fine reputation of the volunteer fire fighters.

A number of people have sent notes suggesting a protest outside town hall tonight objecting the SRVFRI Board's position on this issue. Others are prepared to speak at the meeting. If you care about this important issue please attend tonight's meeting and support the position of your choice. If you cannot make it, please epxress your position to the SRVFRI Board with a phone call or contact the council at any of the number published on the town website.

Let your voices be heard: http://wanchwaggler.blogspot.com

That’s all Folks!!!!

SOUTHWEST RANCHES VOLUNTEER FIRE-RESCUE, INC.
17220 Griffin Road Southwest Ranches, FL 33331

Mr. Charles H. Lynn, AICP,
Town Administrator
Town of Southwest Ranches
6589 SW 160 Avenue Southwest Ranches, FL 33331
Re: Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire-Rescue, Inc.

Dear Mr. Lynn:

Our Board of Directors, consisting of Mecca Fink, Alyn Kay, Lily Sayre and Susan Winn, held a meeting on November 17, 2009. We are looking into hiring an attorney to help facilitate a transition with the Town for the volunteer fire organization.

We recognize that we currently have a contract with the Town that expires September 30, 2010, and are ready, willing and able to fulfill our obligations under the contract.

Very truly yours,
(Mrs.) Lily A. Sayre for the Board

cc: Mayor Jeff Nelson
Vice-Mayor Steve Breitkreuz
Council Member Freddy Fisikelli
Council Member Aster Knight
Council Member Doug McKay
Gary Poliakoff
Keith Poliakoff

Additional perspective - Its my game and you can't play or how a few destroyed the 55 yr old Volunteer Fire Department

Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don't see you later…well then…Good Night!

In the interest of being fair, Mr. Kay provided feedback on my earlier missive. He presents some comments on the SRVFRI Board of Director's position. See Attached.

That’s all Folks!!!!

Wanch Waggler

On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 6:41 AM, Alyn Kay wrote:

Good Morning!

Thanks for the kind words... I think. It's nice to know that people appreciate the years of meetings and scores of hours I've put into trying to make the Volunteer Fire Department a viable, efficient and effective organization with some of the best Volunteer Fire Fighters in the Country.

I personally have raised thousands of dollars and donated a trailer to carry our emergency fuel tank

in our effort to provide a better type of service to this town, including our Large Animal Rescue Unit and our unique Attack Truck.

Usually your information is accurate, however you failed to mention three issues which made some of the SWRVFD BOD very defensive and might have contributed to escalating this issue.

Issue # 1. According to some of the SWRVFD BOD and the VFD Officers, the Fire Truck the town owns had repairs required to the tune of about $19,000.00. Allegedly, the Town told the SWRVFD Officers to repair the truck immediately and the Town would reimburse the SWRVFD operations checking account, upon completion of the repair. The Town did not reimburse SWVFD.

Issues #2, while trying to acquire a majority of the BOD of the SWVFD, the Town, despite a contract with the SWVFD withheld contractually obligated operating expenses until the BOD issues was resolved. Hello, the operating expenses does not go to the BOD! It goes to keep the firefighters in the field. The town eventually deliver those operating expenses.

Again, I was not directly a part of these conversations, but no one from the Town, or the BOD, or the officers has informed me of anything different.

Issue #3 Over eighteen months ago, after questioning some of the long standing policies and procedures, and at my request, the SWRVFD recognized some policies and procedures, which in my opinion we not in the best interest of the SWRVFD or the Town. By a unanimous majority vote, the BOD approached the Town to change the yearly, and automatically renewable contract, between the SWRVFD and the Town. The Town turned down our request.

About a month ago, I, with the help of our Town Administrator tried to reach a compromise with the SWRVFD and the Town Council. The purpose of the compromise was to have a smooth transition to the changes that the Town Council wanted. That compromise was not acceptable to the Town Council.

The bottom line with regard to this issues is that the SWVFD needs to run it like a business. If the SWRVFD has only one client (the Town), the SWRVFD needs to provide what their one and only client wants. The last thing that I do not want to see happen is to loose the interest of any of our fine Volunteer Fire Fighter over this struggle.

I'm sure that you will provide this information to our fellow Gnome Readers too.

Thank you, Alyn Kay

In a message dated 11/16/2009 11:47:36 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,swrgnomenews@gmail.com writes:

Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don't see you later…well then…Good Night!

Did you know that the Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire Dept has been around in various forms and names for over 55 years? The original organization was the Davie Volunteer Fire Department, which was chartered on October 6, 1952. The fire department has serviced at one point most of SW Broward and since 2000, exclusively the Town of Southwest Ranches. Over that long span, it has had seventeen chiefs and the rank and file of firefighters and emergency medical staff have always done a good job. Now, the Wanch is told, the volunteer fire department Board of Directors wants to disband and dissolve the organization.

In its current form the group we view as “our” fire department is legally named the Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire-Rescue, Inc (SRVFRI). In fact, “our” fire department is actually BSO’s Department of Fire Rescue. The fire fee paid with your real estate taxes pays for fire services and a big portion of SWR ad velorem taxes pays for BSO emergency medical and rescue services. SRVFRI relies on the town for the lion’s share of it funding.

SRVFRI is a non-profit corporation that maintains a relationship with the Town via a contract signed in 2001. The Town has no control, no say, and no influence. In the contract the SRVFRI agrees to provide fire rescue services, the Town consents to pay up to $30 thousand and the amount may increase based on service level needs. Lately the SRVFRI has asked for over $80 thousand. The town presently is paying for the SRVFRI’s pump truck and has supported SRVFRI’s grants and other funding sources including its fund raising efforts. The Town and resident have always view the volunteers as a worthwhile organization and have provided resources as requested. Thank you for bearing with your Wanch but this stuff is important.

Some more legal stuff but I promise, it will get better. Its Charter and by-laws govern SRVFRI, as a corporation. The by-laws set up the organization as a Social Welfare Corporation described in section 501(c) (3) of the IRS code, which defines it as a charitable organization providing for tax-deductible donations. It also means that if the organization dissolves it must transfer its remaining assets to another charitable organization; the Board, fire fighters and the town has no rights to its assets.

Now for the questionable stuff. The SRVFRI By-laws name a Board of Director to carry out the corporate business. The chief is appointed, the secretary /treasurer are elected by the Board and the three member Board serve for life unless they quite or move out of Broward county. Only the Board can elect board members. By law, as recorded with the State of Florida, Lil Sayre is the Secretary/Treasurer, Dick Christensen is a director, Susan Winn, Alyn Kay, Gregory Waltz, and former Mayor Mecca Fink are directors(FOR LIFE). Technically, they are in violation of their by-laws. Christiansen now lives in Naples (out of Broward County) and Waltz says he has not attended a meeting in ages. While the Board has the legal responsibility to follow the charter and by-laws, above is just one of many instances where they ignore their legal responsibility.

Now for the interesting issues that have arisen of late.

As the Town Administrator was forced to significantly cut the Town’s spending, this years SRVFRI request for a $90 thousand payment, got the SWR council’s attention. At a recent council meeting, when SRVFRI was asked where the funds were going to be spent the answer was to build membership. While everyone else was cutting, they are expanding. When asked whether the Town had any input, the SRVFRI representative said the Vice Mayor was actually also supposed to be the fire commissioner. No one told VM Breitkreuz he was a commissioner; nor is there a fire commissioner defined in the charter and by-laws. It was explained that it is more of a metaphorical or symbolic position that no one has held it since the late Johnny Dollar passed away in 2002.

There are some problems here. When the town said they want seats on the board, they were told no. Later when threatened with de-funding, the SRVFRI countered with two seats. The town let the Board know that two seat were unacceptable and gave the Board until Friday to repond. Now the Board is stalling. Recently the Board informed the town that they had no money to operate the organization while it is publically know that they had $30 thousand in the bank. The board does not want any oversight by the town or the fire fighters. The captain and lieutenants, who run the organization day-to-day, have said publically that the board does not provide any direction or policy to the fire fighters not do they solicited feedback from the fire fighters to make policy decisions. The fire fighters are caught in the middle. There are no problem with the fire fighters, they are conscientious and do a good job. The problem is with the board of directors.

Lil Sayre and Susan Winn were formerly heavily involved in town affairs. Both also were running the Sunshine Ranches HOA when the organization was disbanded and reorganized by the residents. The current Sunshine Ranches Board can elaborate on that situation.

Mecca Fink, a long time proponent of the volunteers, was the mayor who presided over the Town when the SRVFRI was formed and while SWR Town Administrator John Canada and his friends were written up in the local newspapers for running one of most corrupt municipalities in Broward, Southwest Ranches. Canada was charged with ethics violations.

Alyn Kay was recruited by Fink and has been on the Board since Dollar’s passing. While Kay has had his issues with Town Hall and some residents, he seems to be reasonable towards the Town’s interests with the volunteer fire department and has spoken on behalf of the fire fighters.

Here is the crux of the problem, Sayre, Winn, and Fink do not want to cede control of the last thing they have in their power, our 55 year old volunteer fire department. While the town has provided the SRVFRI funds since the organization was formed, the corporation owns the equipment.

Unless you, our residents, can persuade this SRVFRI Board of Director (Fink, Sayre, Winn and Kay) that it would be wrong to dissolve the volunteer fire department, it is likely they will sell off the equipment, including the gear used by the fire fighters, and donate the proceeds to the charity of their choice. If you personally know any of these folks, please call them and tell them we want to keep the volunteer fire department going and to turn the department over to Town.

Let your voices be heard: http://wanchwaggler.blogspot.com

That’s all Folks!!!!

Its my game and you can't play or how a few may destroy the 55 yr old Volunteer Fire Department

Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors: Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don’t see you later…well then…Good Night!

Did you know that the Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire Dept has been around in various forms and names for over 55 years? The original organization was the Davie Volunteer Fire Department, which was chartered on October 6, 1952. The fire department has serviced at one point most of SW Broward and since 2000, exclusively the Town of Southwest Ranches. Over that long span, it has had seventeen chiefs and the rank and file of firefighters and emergency medical staff have always done a good job. Now, the Wanch is told, the volunteer fire department Board of Directors wants to disband and dissolve the organization.

In its current form the group we view as “our” fire department is legally named the Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire-Rescue, Inc (SRVFRI). In fact, “our” fire department is actually BSO’s Department of Fire Rescue. The fire fee paid with your real estate taxes pays for fire services and a big portion of SWR ad velorem taxes pays for BSO emergency medical and rescue services. SRVFRI relies on the town for the lion’s share of it funding.

SRVFRI is a non-profit corporation that maintains a relationship with the Town via a contract signed in 2001. The Town has no control, no say, and no influence. In the contract the SRVFRI agrees to provide fire rescue services, the Town consents to pay up to $30 thousand and the amount may increase based on service level needs. Lately the SRVFRI has asked for over $80 thousand. The town presently is paying for the SRVFRI’s pump truck and has supported SRVFRI’s grants and other funding sources including its fund raising efforts. The Town and resident have always view the volunteers as a worthwhile organization and have provided resources as requested. Thank you for bearing with your Wanch but this stuff is important.

Some more legal stuff but I promise, it will get better. Its Charter and by-laws govern SRVFRI, as a corporation. The by-laws set up the organization as a Social Welfare Corporation described in section 501(c) (3) of the IRS code, which defines it as a charitable organization providing for tax-deductible donations. It also means that if the organization dissolves it must transfer its remaining assets to another charitable organization; the Board, fire fighters and the town has no rights to its assets.

Now for the questionable stuff. The SRVFRI By-laws name a Board of Director to carry out the corporate business. The chief is appointed, the secretary /treasurer are elected by the Board and the three member Board serve for life unless they quite or move out of Broward county. Only the Board can elect board members. By law, as recorded with the State of Florida, Lil Sayre is the Secretary/Treasurer, Dick Christensen is a director, Susan Winn, Alyn Kay, Gregory Waltz, and former Mayor Mecca Fink are directors(FOR LIFE). Technically, they are in violation of their by-laws. Christiansen now lives in Naples (out of Broward County) and Waltz says he has not attended a meeting in ages. While the Board has the legal responsibility to follow the charter and by-laws, above is just one of many instances where they ignore their legal responsibility.

Now for the interesting issues that have arisen of late.

As the Town Administrator was forced to significantly cut the Town’s spending, this years SRVFRI request for a $90 thousand payment, got the SWR council’s attention. At a recent council meeting, when SRVFRI was asked where the funds were going to be spent the answer was to build membership. While everyone else was cutting, they are expanding. When asked whether the Town had any input, the SRVFRI representative said the Vice Mayor was actually also supposed to be the fire commissioner. No one told VM Breitkreuz he was a commissioner; nor is there a fire commissioner defined in the charter and by-laws. It was explained that it is more of a metaphorical or symbolic position that no one has held it since the late Johnny Dollar passed away in 2002.

There are some problems here. When the town said they want seats on the board, they were told no. Later when threatened with de-funding, the SRVFRI countered with two seats. The town let the Board know that two seat were unacceptable and gave the Board until Friday to repond. Now the Board is stalling. Recently the Board informed the town that they had no money to operate the organization while it is publically know that they had $30 thousand in the bank. The board does not want any oversight by the town or the fire fighters. The captain and lieutenants, who run the organization day-to-day, have said publically that the board does not provide any direction or policy to the fire fighters not do they solicited feedback from the fire fighters to make policy decisions. The fire fighters are caught in the middle. There are no problem with the fire fighters, they are conscientious and do a good job. The problem is with the board of directors.

Lil Sayre and Susan Winn were formerly heavily involved in town affairs. Both also were running the Sunshine Ranches HOA when the organization was disbanded and reorganized by the residents. The current Sunshine Ranches Board can elaborate on that situation.

Mecca Fink, a long time proponent of the volunteers, was the mayor who presided over the Town when the SRVFRI was formed and while SWR Town Administrator John Canada and his friends were written up in the local newspapers for running one of most corrupt municipalities in Broward, Southwest Ranches. Canada was charged with ethics violations.

Alyn Kay was recruited by Fink and has been on the Board since Dollar’s passing. While Kay has had his issues with Town Hall and some residents, he seems to be reasonable towards the Town’s interests with the volunteer fire department and has spoken on behalf of the fire fighters.

Here is the crux of the problem, Sayre, Winn, and Fink do not want to cede control of the last thing they have in their power, our 55 year old volunteer fire department. While the town has provided the SRVFRI funds since the organization was formed, the corporation owns the equipment.

Unless you, our residents, can persuade this SRVFRI Board of Director (Fink, Sayre, Winn and Kay) that it would be wrong to dissolve the volunteer fire department, it is likely they will sell off the equipment, including the gear used by the fire fighters, and donate the proceeds to the charity of their choice. If you personally know any of these folks, please call them and tell them we want to keep the volunteer fire department going and to turn the department over to Town.

That’s all Folks!!!!

Griffin Rd Carwash

Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don’t see you later…well then…Good Night!

Come get your car washed every afternoon on Griffin Rd. Not by the high school cheerleaders, not by any of the local church groups, not by the volunteer fire department, but by the new irrigation system put in to water the thousands of new plants that cover the landscape along west Griffin Rd. For $400 dollars per year per family, if you time it right (4-7 PM) you can get your car washed daily with canal water. What a town!

Take a look at the note below submitted by a concerned citizen and let your town council know that they again are squandering your tax dollars. The annual costs for maintaining this new project are enough to cover debt service on the planned but un-financed public safety/ town hall building.

Members of your present council signed off on this project, let them know that this was a bad idea. Ask them what they are going to do to cut its costs.

That’s All Folks!!!

Wanch Waggler

http://wanchwaggler.blogspot.com/

Dear Waggler,

A few years ago our Town had the chance to shape the Griffin Road improvement landscaping. I sent a letter to Forrest Blanton with copies to all Commissioners. I told them what we needed was not xeroscape but zeroscape. My vision was landscaping that did not need watering or none at all. My reasoning is that the town could not afford electric and maintenance for pumps.

The last traffic cones were removed Thursday and the work is 99% complete. For those of you that care or noticed, we got a finished project completely opposite to my vision. There is a multitude of plants and trees that are wholly inappropriate for where they are planted. Some trees directly under powerlines! What were these morons thinking? I would really like to know why this was done. Beautiful Cypress trees planted on top of berms. These trees like lots of water and cannot survive without massive watering. Center medians should be planted with grass to facilitate easy care and no watering. We have a hodgepodge of plants and trees that require massive watering and care.

After enduring two years of construction filth on my cars we finally can wash them and have clean cars, right? The watering system uses a series of high horsepower 3 phase pumps. The system is set to water in zones that constantly change. The water pressure is high and the system really sprays well. So now when you wash your car you can be guaranteed to get it sprayed at least twice while driving Griffin Road. The duration it not properly calibrated and the system overwaters. The excess water can be seen running into drainage systems on the opposite side of the road. 3/4 less water could do the same thing with a drip system and keep the road dry. Who designed this system and why? It seems designed to cause max expense and perpetual high cost to the Residents.

Slopes of the swales are way beyond the normal 4 to 1 ratio. This will result in higher maintenance of the drainage system due to soil washing into drains and filling catch basins. The berms that were installed have disrupted normal drainage of the area and filled in retention areas. This combined with higher ground water has resulted in standing water, destruction of pavement and bugs! Has anyone seen the layout of the sidewalks? Looks like it was done by a first grader. Crosswalks are positioned in unsafe locations.

The traffic light at Bonnaventure and Griffin no longer flashes in the middle of the night as it used to. So now you can wait 2-3 minutes with not a car in sight. So much for technology and high tech smart traffic control devices.

Bergeron did a overall nice job with the curbing and paving. It was done ahead of schedule. Now the question is what to do with this landscaping nightmare? It will cost upwards of $300k per year to maintain. That is about $50 per person living in the ranches. That figure will grow significantly as trees mature and the high tech watering system starts to fail.

So what can we do?

1. Identify and remove all trees that are under powerlines now.

2. Set watering system to water only twice per week and turn it off in the wet season.

3. Identify all Planners and Contractors responsible for this boondogle and make sure the Town never does business with them again.

4. Have a mitigation comittee appointed by the Town that will identify all ways to correct faulty design.

We are not Weston. If you like landscaping in Weston then please move there. There are many homes in forclosure and they would like you to help pay their landscaping bills. This Griffin Road project was 100% for the benifet of Weston and the traffic load the have imposed upon the Ranches. I hope the East side of Town wakes up and puts a wrench in the landscaping gears over there before it is too late. Once that boondoggle is completed we will be paying a million dollars a year for combined projects perpetual care. Divide that by 2500 homes and that is a $400.00 per year tax increase just for Griffin Road landscaping!

How many of you will be able to retire and stay in your current homes with taxes increasing every year?

John Eastman

Country Eststes HOA

President

Thank you all for your condolences

It has been very touching passing along the kind and comforting words our community has provided Tony Vincent during his time of grief.

-WW

To the wonderful citizens of Southwest Ranches:

Wanch Waggler has been kind enough to forward me all of your condolences that you sent to him/her regarding Nikki's passing. Thank you so much for your thoughts. As I continue to "carry the torch" for Nikki's works, I ask that you sign her petition at the link below and forward it to as many people as you can.

Let us ensure that no other dogs will have to live a life at the end of a chain.

Sincerely,

Tony Vincent

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/6/remembering-nikki-and-break-the-chain

I enjoyed the company of Greatness

Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don’t see you later…well then…Good Night!

I received the attached yesterday at about 8:45 PM only after reading the same subject in the Sentinel at: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/southwest-ranches/sfl-nikki-obit-101909,0,3793287.story

That’s All Folks!!!

Wanch Waggler

I ask that Wanch Waggler publish this advisory to all of his/her email list.

I have been accused of being Wanch Waggler for many years, but in all honesty I am not him/her; however I am a person who has had the good fortune of being in the presence of greatness. I think Wanch Waggler is great. Wanch Waggler has been such a positive spokesperson for the “Break the Chain” campaign which led our town to pass a law called “Nikki’s Law” which was passed to help end the cruelty of a common form of animal abuse called tethering / chaining, that I feel compelled to make this advisory.

Today, October 18th, 2009 at 4:50PM EST, Nikki the sleek black and tan Doberman who became internationally famous due to her participation as the first ever Poster Dog for the Humane Society of Broward County’s educational campaign known as “Break the Chain” died.

In the embrace of her owner’s, Nikki bade farewell to this confusion we humans call life. Her Illness was brief, her death was peaceful, and her legacy will be long lasting.

I must say that like Ivory Soap, her message of hope for K-9’s condemned to life at the end of a chain was 99.9% positively effective. For one or two politicians (and their dark side followers) who used her notoriety as a weapon against her owner; may Karma decide their fate. Nikki, “a dog” achieved greatness that is now and will forever be fleeting to these few “wanna be” politicians.

My name is Tony Vincent. I have served my employer with Pride in Service with Integrity for over a decade. My dog “Nikki” served as well. We were both “discarded” like a snotty ball of Kleenex because a desperate (disgraced) former politician thought that he was something special. This dog had more pride in service with integrity than those who chose to end her educational function as a wonderful educational K-9.

Nikki was laid to rest this evening at sundown. May her message of hope for dogs condemned to live their lives at the end of a chain live on.

Eavesdropping can be fun

Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don’t see you later…well then…Good Night!

And for this edition I add:

Good Morning Mr. and Mrs. America from border to border, coast to coast and all the ships at sea.

It is fun being me! Nobody knows who I am and that works to such an advantage sometimes it even surprises me.

The following is a true story. I swear on my 825 year old gnome mothers grave that what you are about to read is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I am a Gnome who enjoys a good cup of Java every day. Some days I venture out to my favourite coffeehouse called Starbucks. On Friday morning I was sipping my java at the Starbucks located at 6981 West Broward Boulevard when what to my wandering eyes did appear but the Sheriff of Broward County hobnobbing with the common folk.

Now I’ve said I always tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so of course you would never guess that I was capable of eavesdropping right? Ummm no, you’d be wrong.

Our Sheriff, who of course has the contract with our town, was in his uniform chatting here and there throughout the Starbucks and then he stopped and talked to a resident of Southwest Ranches that I happened to recognize as I sat there infusing myself with caffeine. How impolite it would be of me to eavesdrop on their conversation … but I did just that.

This attractive middle aged lady who I recognized as a resident of Southwest Ranches was chatting with Sheriff Lamberti and said: “I think it’s just awful what your agency is doing to my friend [name withheld]" And to my surprise, but now with some delight, the Sheriff acknowleded that he knew of whom the lady spoke of and said to the lady “well there are two sides to every story and Don Maines said ……”

YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME RIGHT? Nope it’s true, Sheriff Lamberti is taking advice on how to treat an employee of BSO from Don Maines.

Now hold on here, let me take my nitro pill here and regroup. Don Maines has been arrested no less than 6 times for charges that vary from beating someone with a brick, to open-handedly hitting a woman, to being in possession of toxic drugs and drug paraphernalia, to defrauding an innkeeper, to uttering a forged instrument (all public records) and OUR Sheriff is taking advise from HIM?

HELLO…HELLO…HELLO…IS THIS THING ON?

Let your voices be heard: http://wanchwaggler.blogspot.com

That’s all Folks!!!!

Tough times in Southwest Ranches

Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don’t see you later…well then…Good Night!

Thursday, 9/17 at 7 PM is the final budget hearing for the Town ofSouthwest Ranches. It is this Wanch’s opinion that the Town Council should show leadership and cut taxes. Give the residents a break! Cut the waste, reduce service and allow people to spend their money on other things like food and clothing.

If you feel strongly one way or the other voice your opinion to the council tomorrow night. See below for an article published today in the Sun Sentinel.

That’s All Folks!!!

Wanch Waggler

http://wanchwaggler.blogspot.com/

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Tough times in Southwest Ranches

With final budget vote looming, town lacks money for basic needs

By Susannah Bryan

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

5:05 PM EDT, September 16, 2009

SOUTHWEST RANCHES

For nine years, this semi-rural town with the leave-us-alone attitude has boasted one of the lowest tax rates in the county.

No more.

Southwest Ranches faces spiraling costs and its highest tax rate yet, along with a $350 fire fee -- the highest in Broward County.

On Thursday at 7 p.m., council members will take a final vote on an $11.2 million budget for the next fiscal year starting Oct. 1.

Even with its mansions and $1.2 billion in assessed property value, the 13-square-mile town doesn't have the money to build its own public safety and Town Hall complex, for an estimated $7 million. Nor does it have the millions needed to repair its roads or cure its drainage woes, Councilman Freddy Fisikelli said.

"In the past, we weren't taking in enough money to pay our bills and we still aren't," said Fisikelli.

Like Fisikelli, longtime resident Bob Hartmann worries Southwest Ranches, founded in 2000, might be gobbled up one day by an adjoining city like Davie, Pembroke Pines or Weston -- a worst-case scenario, he concedes.

Marygay Chaples, the town's historian, insists it will never come to that.

"It won't happen while I'm alive," said Chaples, a 50-year resident of the area. "We will fight to the bloody end to keep what we've got."

Even if it means higher taxes for the town's 3,200 homeowners, she said.

"That's the price you pay for being in a rural community," said Vice Mayor Steve Breitkreuz, who blames the fiscal crisis on previous officials.

"I certainly don't think we're on the edge of being taken over by another town," Breitkreuz said. "But I do think it's time to right the ship and live within our means."

Town Administrator Charles Lynn, hired in May as the third man to run Town Hall, oversees 11 employees and a $5.9 million contract with the Broward Sheriff's Office for police and fire service.

The town contracts most of its services to private companies and nearby cities, but may need to bring some functions in-house to save money, Lynn said.

"We have been tightening our belts -- we're whacking and cutting and carrying on," said Lynn.

Southwest Ranches, which borrowed $5 million to incorporate and has $2.2 million in reserves, is no worse off than any other municipality in the region, according to Lynn.

Under his budget proposal, the town's 8,500 residents will see their tax rate increase from $3.50 to $3.94 per $1,000 of assessed property value. With the higher tax rate, the town expects to collect $4.5 million in property taxes next year -- the same as last year.

The plan to raise the fire fee from $296 to $350 would add $1.2 million to town coffers. Increasing the solid waste assessment from $562 to $687 would add $1.5 million.

Even with the tax increase, it's still not enough to run the town, said Fisikelli, who disagrees withLynn's claim Southwest Ranches is no worse off than elsewhere.

"Our financial condition is worse than other cities," Fisikelli said. "We don't have the revenue to support the town. That's our problem."

With no plans to grow in size or population, Southwest Ranches has to make do with its current tax base. With only one small commercial plaza, the tax base is nearly all residential.

Some residents say they expect their taxes and fees to keep creeping higher, but that doesn't mean they like it.

"We have sat here for nine years and have not been able to fix but one road and that was a small road," said Chaples. "And now they want to raise rates."

Hartmann would pay an additional $283 in taxes and fees next year under Lynn's plan.

"The bottom line is we aren't going to have enough money to run the town without raising taxes," he said. "I don't want to move because I get taxed out of the neighborhood."

Resident Vince Falletta wants to see budget cuts, not higher fees.

"Don't tell me I have to raise taxes in order to save the town," Falletta said. "We need to cut the budget to save the town."

The good news, optimists say: Bankruptcy is not an option.

"Towns don't go broke," Fisikelli said. "They just raise taxes."

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sebryan@SunSentinel.com or 954-572-2077.

Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Disgraced former council member Don Maines goes the extra mile for FPL!

Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don’t see you later…well then…Good Night!

More than a third of the customers, politicians and business leaders who praised Florida Power & Light at three South Florida forums on a proposed $1.3 billion rate hike have financial or family ties to the company and its employees, a Sun Sentinel analysis found.

Read the Sun Sentinel article below.

Disgraced SWR council member Don Maines' excuse for supporting FPL is not even plausible. He mentions that he got the idea to support the largest rate hike in FPL history in apparently casual conversation. Sure! Don Maines hangs out will FPL managers? When Don, while riding your horse down Griffin Rd? That is about a believable as me stating that “W” and Laura are stopping by this afternoon at the Wanch’s for drinks. He implies that he was not aware of the hike until then. Doesn’t he read the papers? Stories have been in the two local papers for more than a month. It is likely the conversation when more like this:

Ronnie said, “Donnie, we need your support”.

Donnie inquired “For what? Hay for the homeless? Horse feed for the poor?”

Ronnie stated, “FPL is looking for more money.”

Donnie bumbled, “But I paid my bill, I think?”

Ronnie remarked, “No, this is a chance for you to really help us out” while wondering why he called and thinking, “We’re not this desperate yet.

Donnie said, "I don't have any extra money for them!"

"No we just want you to show up and say a few kind words for FPL".

Donnie questioned, “Do you need me to show up somewhere on my horse?” with a big smile on his face.

Ronnie shouted, “No” into the phone and pounded his fist on his desk.

Then Donnie thinks to himself “I will show SWR that I am still important and I will help the machine, they really like me and know how important I am.”

“I’ll be there boss, just tell me where and when. Just tell me what you want me to say. Bandit will figure out what trails will get us there!”

Maines supports this mammoth increase for the residents of SWR because his lobbyist gave him $500 when he unsuccessfully ran for office last year. We are not sure whether Mr. Maines did this because it was a chance to stand up and announce himself as Southwest Ranches Council Member Don Maines or that next time he runs for office in our town he will be able to go to FPL for a contribution like he has gone to Ron Book and Ron Bergeron in the past.

For those who think Maines does not have continuing political aspiration, you are mistaken. Remember, this man has used his office for political vendettas, was recently convicted by the Florida Election Commission for a election violation, and now he has sold out our community and the rest of South Florida to FPL for his own glory and a chance to garner future contributions. He salivates for press. Right now, he has no power, but does have powerful puppeteers.

How low will he continue to sink? He knows no shame!

That’s All Folks!!!

Wanch Waggler

Meet some of the FPL cheerleaders

Sun Sentinel

September 13, 2009

Examples of people who praised FPL at three South Florida hearings who have financial ties to the utility:

Pam Calzadilla mentioned that she works for the American Heart Association at a customer hearing in West Palm Beach but not that the group gets about $5,000 a year from an FPL company and about another $20,000 from FPL vendors whom the utility encourages to donate.

She said Don Kiselewski, an external affairs manager for FPL who is on AHA's Heart Ball committee, asked her to attend. "I would have gone either way whether they gave money or not," she said. Joan Goodrich, executive vice president of the Broward Alliance, said at the hearing in Fort Lauderdale that she supports the utility's "plans to provide affordable, reliable, sustainable, quality, state of the art green energy." Goodrich didn't mention that FPL donates about $50,000 a year to the group. "Strong, responsive utilities are one of those top business factors companies look at when looking to make an investment in a community," she told the Sun Sentinel.

Howard Berger, a Lauderhill city commissioner, and Don Maines, a former Southwest Ranches city council member, praised the utility at the Plantation hearing. Neither mentioned that FPL lobbyist Ron Book contributed $500 to each of their campaigns last year, according to finance records, because they both said they did not know Book was an FPL lobbyist.

Maines said he's in touch with several FPL managers and one mentioned the hearings in conversation and "asked how I felt about FPL. I said I have a good feeling. They said would I be willing to say that? I said, 'Sure, be glad to.' "

Berger said he read about the hearing in a newspaper.

Gary Hines told PSC members that he supports the FPL rate hike at a West Palm Beach hearing, but didn't mention that he's a senior vice president at the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. Hines told the Sun Sentinel that FPL donates about $10,000 a year to the group "but that has nothing to do with my wanting to be there." An FPL employee active in his group personally invited him to the event but he said he planned to go anyway because "there are certain things I'm not willing to do without" like reliable electricity.

Nicole Christian, president of the Northern Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce, also testified in favor of FPL at the West Palm hearing but said she didn't mention her position because she attended "purely" as a customer. FPL paid about $7,000 a year to help sponsor chamber events and $2,000 for membership dues.” I shouldn't be denied the opportunity to speak" just because of the affiliation, she said. She said she read about the event in mailers and e-mails. "I had time in my schedule so I actually contacted someone I know at FPL to say I heard about this and I'd like to go speak."

Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel