Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire-Rescue
****REVISED TIME/LOCATION***
The Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire-Rescue Department will be holding a retirement party honoring Chief Richard Christensen’s thirty-four years of dedicated service to the Town of Southwest Ranches and its surrounding communities.
Please join us in celebrating our Chief’s service and offering our best wishes as he enters into the newest chapter of his life.
Due to the overwhelming response, the party will now be held:
Tuesday September 22, 2009
6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
American Legion Post 321
9081 Southwest 51st Street,
Cooper City, Florida
Refreshments and hors d’ oeuvres will be available
Please RSVP your attendance to Lieutenant Darren Bock at (954) 430-3532 (dbockswr@bellsouth.net) or Captain Allan Silverman at (954) 445-0979 (ff82@bellsouth.net).
Flyer is also attached
Darren M. Bock
Lieutenant
Public Information Officer
Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire Rescue Department
17220 Griffin Road
Southwest Ranches, Florida 33331
Direct Telephone: (954) 430-3532
Direct Facsimile: (954) 430-3133
Direct Email: dbockswr@bellsouth.net
"Neighbors Helping Neighbors"
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Our Town Our Vermin
Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:
Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don’t see you later…well then…Good Night!
The time has come to relay some current public information to all of you so you as residents of Southwest Ranches can see clearly that the decisions you all have made as the voting and vocal public have indeed been moving forward and your concerns are being heard.
First off, The Florida Elections Commission heard the case brought against Don Maines (case # FEC 08-395) on August 18th 2009. As you may recall Don Maines and his campaign treasurer Al Avello made charges against Doug McKay accusing him of being associated with “Wanch Waggler” and using this email advisory forum as a campaign advertisement forum to which the FEC said “no foundation” for such a complaint.
A few residents saw that Don Maines had run an ad in the Miami Herald and the Sun Sentinel without the political disclaimer attached as required by law and one resident filed a compliant with the Florida Elections Commission. The FEC found probable cause of the violation. The results from this probable cause hearing will be made public during the first week of September. If you are interested to see if Don Maines was able to wiggle his way out of the monetary fine levied against him go to: http://www.fec.state.fl.us/results/index.html after September 1st 2009.
Second up, I have just finished reviewing public documents concerning two of our long time resident’s (a father and son) who were sued by a newcomer (non-resident property owner) to Southwest Ranches who decided he was above the law and did not need permits to clear-cut foliage and demolish structures on his newly purchased property. When asked about permits by the father the millionaire former strip club owner/operator not only civilly sued the father and son for everything including the kitchen sink, but decided to take advice from Don Maines and make absolutely false accusations and complaints to the son’s employer.
With a parade of complainants from the former strip club owner/operators family and of course the head cheerleader Don Maines, approximately 13 people went to his place of work and make complaints against him that had absolutely nothing to do with his employment.
This is Don Maines’ third attempt to “have the last laugh” by involving someone’s employer for the sole reason to get him or her fired. But the really interesting part of this woven web is the “cast of characters” who participated in this unsuccessful attempt to get this person fired.
Fasten your seatbelts…this is public information!
Southwest Ranches Code Enforcement Officer Julio Davila (stated that he felt threatened because the employee used the phrase “ducks in a row”)
R.J Behar (the town engineering company stated they did not even know where the employee worked, but gave the statement anyway that actually helped the accused employee)
JoAnn Mitchell (stated that the employee spooks horses with lights and siren of a police car and turns his dogs loose on horse riders)
Don Maines (stated that the employee is a menace to society and has a CRAZED LOOK), yikes…talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Check out Palm Beach County Arrest Records 00367989-11/15/1986, 00429685-03/21/1988, 00438416-05/17/1988, 00447054-07/13/1988, and 00447435-07/16/1988.
The sue happy former strip club owner and his entire family (wife, daughter, son-in-law), (the patriarch of the sue happy family gave sworn testimony that Julio Davila said “you’ve moved across the street from the neighbors from hell, you’ve moved next to probably the worst neighbor you could possibly have in all of Southwest Ranches”),
ummm Julio, I hate to break this to you but that’s JUST WRONG. You are an official of the Town of Southwest Ranches and that kind of biased statement reflects poorly on our town, and a man who said “Don Maines didn’t even know my name but I said I would do this for him” (I swear the guy actually said that in sworn testimony. He a resident of Pembroke Pines) testified to a resident’s employer for non-work related fabricated complaints.
So sad. They fire Malini and keep Julio.
Make your voices heard Folks!
That’s All Folks!!!
Wanch Waggler
Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I don’t see you later…well then…Good Night!
The time has come to relay some current public information to all of you so you as residents of Southwest Ranches can see clearly that the decisions you all have made as the voting and vocal public have indeed been moving forward and your concerns are being heard.
First off, The Florida Elections Commission heard the case brought against Don Maines (case # FEC 08-395) on August 18th 2009. As you may recall Don Maines and his campaign treasurer Al Avello made charges against Doug McKay accusing him of being associated with “Wanch Waggler” and using this email advisory forum as a campaign advertisement forum to which the FEC said “no foundation” for such a complaint.
A few residents saw that Don Maines had run an ad in the Miami Herald and the Sun Sentinel without the political disclaimer attached as required by law and one resident filed a compliant with the Florida Elections Commission. The FEC found probable cause of the violation. The results from this probable cause hearing will be made public during the first week of September. If you are interested to see if Don Maines was able to wiggle his way out of the monetary fine levied against him go to: http://www.fec.state.fl.us/results/index.html after September 1st 2009.
Second up, I have just finished reviewing public documents concerning two of our long time resident’s (a father and son) who were sued by a newcomer (non-resident property owner) to Southwest Ranches who decided he was above the law and did not need permits to clear-cut foliage and demolish structures on his newly purchased property. When asked about permits by the father the millionaire former strip club owner/operator not only civilly sued the father and son for everything including the kitchen sink, but decided to take advice from Don Maines and make absolutely false accusations and complaints to the son’s employer.
With a parade of complainants from the former strip club owner/operators family and of course the head cheerleader Don Maines, approximately 13 people went to his place of work and make complaints against him that had absolutely nothing to do with his employment.
This is Don Maines’ third attempt to “have the last laugh” by involving someone’s employer for the sole reason to get him or her fired. But the really interesting part of this woven web is the “cast of characters” who participated in this unsuccessful attempt to get this person fired.
Fasten your seatbelts…this is public information!
Southwest Ranches Code Enforcement Officer Julio Davila (stated that he felt threatened because the employee used the phrase “ducks in a row”)
R.J Behar (the town engineering company stated they did not even know where the employee worked, but gave the statement anyway that actually helped the accused employee)
JoAnn Mitchell (stated that the employee spooks horses with lights and siren of a police car and turns his dogs loose on horse riders)
Don Maines (stated that the employee is a menace to society and has a CRAZED LOOK), yikes…talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Check out Palm Beach County Arrest Records 00367989-11/15/1986, 00429685-03/21/1988, 00438416-05/17/1988, 00447054-07/13/1988, and 00447435-07/16/1988.
The sue happy former strip club owner and his entire family (wife, daughter, son-in-law), (the patriarch of the sue happy family gave sworn testimony that Julio Davila said “you’ve moved across the street from the neighbors from hell, you’ve moved next to probably the worst neighbor you could possibly have in all of Southwest Ranches”),
ummm Julio, I hate to break this to you but that’s JUST WRONG. You are an official of the Town of Southwest Ranches and that kind of biased statement reflects poorly on our town, and a man who said “Don Maines didn’t even know my name but I said I would do this for him” (I swear the guy actually said that in sworn testimony. He a resident of Pembroke Pines) testified to a resident’s employer for non-work related fabricated complaints.
So sad. They fire Malini and keep Julio.
Make your voices heard Folks!
That’s All Folks!!!
Wanch Waggler
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
A Letter to the Council and Town Administrator
Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors:
Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I do not see you later…well then…Good Night!
Attached is a letter from a concerned citizen.
To the Council and Administrator:
I must say that I was extremely surprised, and quite frankly very disappointed, to hear of Malini’s “release” as of September 30th. The news came to me/us during our EAB (Education Advisory Board) meeting earlier this evening.
I am upset because it appears that she alone is losing her job, no one else. Not only that, but it does not appear that any effort was made by the council/administrator to vote on an across-the-board pay cut or furlough option, thus spreading the financial burden equally upon all parties involved. I feel that this portrays management as cold, unfeeling and inequitable.
As a Miami-Dade County education employee, I made the difficult, yet honorable choice, of giving two days of pay in order to save 4,000 jobs. It was the right thing to do.
Do you plan to scatter her many job duties among the employees left behind? And are we, the EAB appointees to flounder in wake of this disruption?
I was excited to accept appointment to this committee last year-it was my understanding that it was intended to become a viable and useful entity. I felt that we were making progress, developing an agenda appealing to the people, and providing useful information via our town newsletter. Malini is an integral part of our team. She is intelligent, amicable, and resourceful-if she said it was going to be done, then it was done. The committee feels like a black sheep.
Has the budget plan been put to the public, and would they understand what the “cuts” really mean? Isn’t it the public that helps decide such choices?
As you can see, I’ve copied the committee and plan to submit this to the Wanch Waggler. I hope to garner some input, comments and/or action. Feel free to e-mail me should you find my information erroneous.
Christina Brownlow,
EAB member, SWR resident
That's all Folks!!!
Wanch Waggler
Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I do not see you later…well then…Good Night!
Attached is a letter from a concerned citizen.
To the Council and Administrator:
I must say that I was extremely surprised, and quite frankly very disappointed, to hear of Malini’s “release” as of September 30th. The news came to me/us during our EAB (Education Advisory Board) meeting earlier this evening.
I am upset because it appears that she alone is losing her job, no one else. Not only that, but it does not appear that any effort was made by the council/administrator to vote on an across-the-board pay cut or furlough option, thus spreading the financial burden equally upon all parties involved. I feel that this portrays management as cold, unfeeling and inequitable.
As a Miami-Dade County education employee, I made the difficult, yet honorable choice, of giving two days of pay in order to save 4,000 jobs. It was the right thing to do.
Do you plan to scatter her many job duties among the employees left behind? And are we, the EAB appointees to flounder in wake of this disruption?
I was excited to accept appointment to this committee last year-it was my understanding that it was intended to become a viable and useful entity. I felt that we were making progress, developing an agenda appealing to the people, and providing useful information via our town newsletter. Malini is an integral part of our team. She is intelligent, amicable, and resourceful-if she said it was going to be done, then it was done. The committee feels like a black sheep.
Has the budget plan been put to the public, and would they understand what the “cuts” really mean? Isn’t it the public that helps decide such choices?
As you can see, I’ve copied the committee and plan to submit this to the Wanch Waggler. I hope to garner some input, comments and/or action. Feel free to e-mail me should you find my information erroneous.
Christina Brownlow,
EAB member, SWR resident
That's all Folks!!!
Wanch Waggler
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Seventeen murdered horses and counting with two recently in Miramar
Dear Southwest Ranches Friends and Neighbors: Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and if I do not see you later…well then…Good Night!
There is a crime wave that our Town has been LUCKY enough to avoid to date. The murdering of horses for their meat!
Since I wrote about this topic earlier this year, seventeen more horses have been killed in the dark of night. It started in Southwest Dade moved up through the county and now this heinous crime has been perpetrated in Miramar. Where will these criminals strike next? Weston, doubtful, too many gates and too few horses. Davie, maybe not if these monsters can read the newspapers. In today’s Sentinel (see below) there is a story talking about the things the Davie equine community, including the mayor, is doing to defend their four-legged family members.
When I travel the streets of our town, I cannot help notice that we have probably the highest concentration of horses in South Florida. You cannot go more than a few houses on any street without seeing twitching ears, hear galloping hooves or observe a horse trailer parked in some corner of a pasture.
So what is our Town's Council or administration doing to protect our beloved equine family members? What is BSO doing? How about the South Florida Trail Riders? What about you? What are you doing? Have you contacted BSO or the Town Council? You need to let our officials know we do not want to be next.
The next council meeting is a month away. A couple of horses can be taken in that time, please contact any of our town officials now via phone or email. Councilmember Fisikelli is a livestock owner. He has had horses. He probably has a sympathetic ear! All of the above mentioned should know how you feel about your horses. If you do not have email, call, if you can't call, ride your horse down to Town Hall and let them know how important this issue is to you and your family.
If we don’t do something now, it’s only a matter of time before these felons strike in the heart of the town known as Horse County.
That's all Folks!!!
Wanch Waggler
sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/sfl-horse-slaughter-fears-b080509,0,3539172.story
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Horse lovers take action to protect their own
Susannah Bryan and Jessica Carballo
South Florida Sun Sentinel
7:19 PM EDT, August 4, 2009
DAVIE
One horse owner is sleeping in her barn at night.
Others are patrolling paddocks and pastures, shotgun at the ready.
They know someone is out there preying on horses, killing the majestic animals for their meat. And they'll do anything to protect their own.
"Somebody is creeping in under the dark of night, and they're bold enough to actually butcher them on the owner's property," said Laura Bevan, a Tallahassee-based spokeswoman for the Humane Society of the United States.
Since January, 19 horses have been slaughtered -- 17 in Miami-Dade County and two in Miramar. In the most recent incident, a mare was butchered in front of her foal.
"That's cold-hearted," said Bevan, who urges horse owners to do whatever they can to secure their property. Lock gates. Install floodlights near barns. Bring horses closer to home rather than leaving them in pastures.
Davie Mayor Judy Paul, who owns two horses and a donkey, can't fathom walking into her barn to find her "children" chopped to pieces.
"I get sick to my stomach thinking what if it was me coming out and finding my horse like that," she said this week.
Paul wants to start a townwide "Barn Watch" program to help protect local horses from harm. The town plans to discuss solutions to the problem during a meeting at 6 p.m. on Aug. 26 at Town Hall, 6591 Orange Drive.
Jennifer Swanson, co-founder of the Pure Thoughts horse rescue group, fears the horse killers may have set their sights on horse farms in Palm Beach County.
Her rescue group, with more than 100 horses at farms in Loxahatchee and Wellington, offers the animals free to a good home. Lately, she's been getting inquiries from Miami callers who say they don't care if the horse can be ridden or not. One woman said she'd take a horse with three broken legs as long as it was between the ages of 2 and 10 -- considered prime years by horse-meat eaters.
"We've gotten a lot stricter on our adoptions," said Swanson.
In Pompano Beach, horse owners at Sand and Spurs Equestrian Park want more security following the string of horse killings. Horses at the city park are left unguarded at night, and some say the unlocked gate is not enough to keep out predators.
"Anyone can come in here late at night, put a horse on a trailer and take him out and butcher him," said Sharon Rhoades, of Lighthouse Point, who boards her horse there. "It just chills me to the bone."
Since the killings began, Jessica Willis started boarding her horse at a stable in Davie, thinking it safer because the ranch owner lives on the property.
"There's always somebody here," said Willis, a nursing student from Davie. "If you come down that road, chances are somebody is going to see you. If anything happened to my horse, I would flip out ... She's like my child."
Should anyone dare break into Parkland's Second Chance for Horses Rescue, they might find themselves staring down the wrong end of a gun.
"If anyone comes out to my farm, I'll just shoot them and ask questions later," said Second Chances owner Matthew Seacrist, whose farm is home to 14 horses at the moment.
His other weapons: Security cameras.
"No one can come on or off the property without being on camera," he said.
If captured, the poachers could face charges of animal cruelty, burglary, criminal mischief and grand theft.
Anyone with information about the case can make an anonymous call to Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477), Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS (8477).
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sebryan@SunSentinel.com or 954-572-2077.
Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
There is a crime wave that our Town has been LUCKY enough to avoid to date. The murdering of horses for their meat!
Since I wrote about this topic earlier this year, seventeen more horses have been killed in the dark of night. It started in Southwest Dade moved up through the county and now this heinous crime has been perpetrated in Miramar. Where will these criminals strike next? Weston, doubtful, too many gates and too few horses. Davie, maybe not if these monsters can read the newspapers. In today’s Sentinel (see below) there is a story talking about the things the Davie equine community, including the mayor, is doing to defend their four-legged family members.
When I travel the streets of our town, I cannot help notice that we have probably the highest concentration of horses in South Florida. You cannot go more than a few houses on any street without seeing twitching ears, hear galloping hooves or observe a horse trailer parked in some corner of a pasture.
So what is our Town's Council or administration doing to protect our beloved equine family members? What is BSO doing? How about the South Florida Trail Riders? What about you? What are you doing? Have you contacted BSO or the Town Council? You need to let our officials know we do not want to be next.
The next council meeting is a month away. A couple of horses can be taken in that time, please contact any of our town officials now via phone or email. Councilmember Fisikelli is a livestock owner. He has had horses. He probably has a sympathetic ear! All of the above mentioned should know how you feel about your horses. If you do not have email, call, if you can't call, ride your horse down to Town Hall and let them know how important this issue is to you and your family.
If we don’t do something now, it’s only a matter of time before these felons strike in the heart of the town known as Horse County.
That's all Folks!!!
Wanch Waggler
sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/sfl-horse-slaughter-fears-b080509,0,3539172.story
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Horse lovers take action to protect their own
Susannah Bryan and Jessica Carballo
South Florida Sun Sentinel
7:19 PM EDT, August 4, 2009
DAVIE
One horse owner is sleeping in her barn at night.
Others are patrolling paddocks and pastures, shotgun at the ready.
They know someone is out there preying on horses, killing the majestic animals for their meat. And they'll do anything to protect their own.
"Somebody is creeping in under the dark of night, and they're bold enough to actually butcher them on the owner's property," said Laura Bevan, a Tallahassee-based spokeswoman for the Humane Society of the United States.
Since January, 19 horses have been slaughtered -- 17 in Miami-Dade County and two in Miramar. In the most recent incident, a mare was butchered in front of her foal.
"That's cold-hearted," said Bevan, who urges horse owners to do whatever they can to secure their property. Lock gates. Install floodlights near barns. Bring horses closer to home rather than leaving them in pastures.
Davie Mayor Judy Paul, who owns two horses and a donkey, can't fathom walking into her barn to find her "children" chopped to pieces.
"I get sick to my stomach thinking what if it was me coming out and finding my horse like that," she said this week.
Paul wants to start a townwide "Barn Watch" program to help protect local horses from harm. The town plans to discuss solutions to the problem during a meeting at 6 p.m. on Aug. 26 at Town Hall, 6591 Orange Drive.
Jennifer Swanson, co-founder of the Pure Thoughts horse rescue group, fears the horse killers may have set their sights on horse farms in Palm Beach County.
Her rescue group, with more than 100 horses at farms in Loxahatchee and Wellington, offers the animals free to a good home. Lately, she's been getting inquiries from Miami callers who say they don't care if the horse can be ridden or not. One woman said she'd take a horse with three broken legs as long as it was between the ages of 2 and 10 -- considered prime years by horse-meat eaters.
"We've gotten a lot stricter on our adoptions," said Swanson.
In Pompano Beach, horse owners at Sand and Spurs Equestrian Park want more security following the string of horse killings. Horses at the city park are left unguarded at night, and some say the unlocked gate is not enough to keep out predators.
"Anyone can come in here late at night, put a horse on a trailer and take him out and butcher him," said Sharon Rhoades, of Lighthouse Point, who boards her horse there. "It just chills me to the bone."
Since the killings began, Jessica Willis started boarding her horse at a stable in Davie, thinking it safer because the ranch owner lives on the property.
"There's always somebody here," said Willis, a nursing student from Davie. "If you come down that road, chances are somebody is going to see you. If anything happened to my horse, I would flip out ... She's like my child."
Should anyone dare break into Parkland's Second Chance for Horses Rescue, they might find themselves staring down the wrong end of a gun.
"If anyone comes out to my farm, I'll just shoot them and ask questions later," said Second Chances owner Matthew Seacrist, whose farm is home to 14 horses at the moment.
His other weapons: Security cameras.
"No one can come on or off the property without being on camera," he said.
If captured, the poachers could face charges of animal cruelty, burglary, criminal mischief and grand theft.
Anyone with information about the case can make an anonymous call to Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477), Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS (8477).
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sebryan@SunSentinel.com or 954-572-2077.
Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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