your web site Jean M. Robb 6:33 am thursday october 19, 2000

You have done a great job educating voters with what is before them on November 7th. It is difficult to believe that the voters are once again faced with such a choice. I like to refer to "Florida Beaches' which quote says "Deefield is a humble but lovable beach town that is considerably less frantic than Pompano Beach and Ft. Lauderdale, its busy neighbors to the south". Perhaps I feel more than most as the property was purchased in 1986 while I was mayor. Keep up the good work. Hopefully a great number of us have computers. Perhaps this web site should be noted somewhere. I think the red x's on what you are asking to vote on should be placed as an ad in sme of the papers.

Vote Yes Brad Chalker 9:02 pm thursday october 19, 2000

The Kiwanis and Rotary have a proposal for you. Turn a piece of city property that is currently a asphalt parking lot into a city owned park with plenty of greenspace. And Deerfield Ocean Park will be a great addition to our fantastic beach.

Now you may hear a small handful of people shouting the sky is falling and spreading false information about the proposed park for our beach. Don’t be fooled by a group of mostly-negative disgruntled folks that seem to be against virtually every positive project brought to the residents of Deerfield Beach. They dislike the proposed Deerfield Ocean Park’s grass and trees so much they must really hate all that beach sand. Believe it or not that asphalt parking lot was not there when the first settlers first came to Deerfield Beach. How sad it must be for the Save Our Asphalt folks to see such a plan to replace their asphalt with trees and grass. What nerve to want to place a band shell there for our local orchestra or city sponsored events like dive-in theatre. Don’t be taken in by the scare tactics being used by the Save Our Asphalt group.

Here are some of the benefits of the proposed Deerfield Ocean Park.

·Over 20% increase in beach parking (both sticker and parking meter)

·Over 300 new trees planted at Deerfield Ocean Park

·A new state of the art Fire-Rescue station that meets current city code and improves response time to emergency calls

·A permanent Broward Sheriff substation to make the beach an even safer place for our residents

·Band shell where local entertainment can provide enjoyment for all

·Funded by leasing to a 30% commercial space will enhance a beachgoer’s experience and not destination stores like K-Mart that would create a loss of parking

·Double the parking for handicap parking and handicap accessible restrooms, which the beach currently does not have

·The city will own this land FOREVER

Vote yes for more grass and less asphalt. Vote yes for more trees and less asphalt. Vote yes for this positive change for Deerfield’s Beach. Vote yes and punch 191 for the Deerfield Ocean Park.

Beach Park Fred Robinson 3:14 pm friday october 20, 2000

I am all for the park. One yes vote here!

Beach Referendum Richard Harris 7:51 pm monday october 23, 2000

As a thirty plus year resident and voter of Deerfield Beach, I was puzzeled when I first read of the referendum's existence. I thought the citizens of this fine city had voted not to give away the valuable and beautiful beach property. But all of a sudden a majority of our elected officials decided to do an end run around the peoples stated wishes. There are a few questions that have to be asked. Why is the city commission so anxious to accomplish the sale or long term lease of this prime piece of the citizens beach property? For whose benefit will this so called positive beach beach development be? All voting residents of Deerfield Beach should ponder these questions. As a native Floridian and long time beach resident of Deerfield Beach there are many reasons why Deerfield's beaches were voted the best in Broward County, over Pompano and Hollywood, which we would come to look like if this referendum were to pass. The people and politicians of Boca Raton voted twenty years ago to save their beaches to development at any cost for the enjoyment of there citizens for years to come. Too many South Florida communities gave up their beautiful beaches for development's sake. Deerfield Beach is one of the few South Florida communities where you can still see the ocean as nature intended. Too many South Florida communities voted to build condos and more parking garages on the beach without thought of how a two lane road(A-1-A) would handle all the extra traffic. It was interesting to see who sponsered this referendun on the city commission, and who would be doing the development. I guess politics does make strange bedfellows.

defeat of commercialization Marti 10:09 pm wednesday november 8, 2000

The citizens of Deerfield Beach defeated commercialization and the leasing of valuable city owned property to private investors the second time in two years. The city commissioners don't need a referendum to beautify our beach parking lot or plant trees. Service organizations, residents,and businesses don't need a referendum to commemorate our 75th Anniversary. If they want to provide the funds for their projects they can do so by seeking the approval of the city commissioners and the planning board. Let's get the facts straight once and for all. The Riverbend Park being constructed at Pioneer Park is true to its name. It is a park, not a shopping plaza. It's a shame that all this money spent trying to pass a so-called "Beach Park" referendum couldn't have been used for this worthy project.

re: Beach Referendum Brad Chalker 9:00 pm monday october 23, 2000

Mr. Harris,

I see that numerous times you mention how you are a native Floridian. That’s impressive. You see I too am a native Floridian, as a matter of fact I was born and raised here in Deerfield Beach. My father was born and raised here in Deerfield Beach and my grandfather moved here in 1935 and served Deerfield Beach as Mayor for twenty years. So I welcome new residents like you.

Lets start with your lies:

1. The city is not giving away anything. You may not know the difference between giving and leasing but there is a big difference.

2. There has been no developer picked for this project.

3. This has no relationship to any condo project.

4. Hollywood and Pompano Beach don’t have any project this nice.

5. Putting this on the ballot is the opposite of an 'end run'.

Sorry to confuse with the facts. You see there is a group of positive people doing positive things like Deerfield Ocean Park for this city and a group of negative folks always against good things for our city. You've made your choice. Once again, welcome to our city!

Have a great day

ad for so called Beach Park Martha McGeary 8:16 pm saturday november 4, 2000

Read the back page ad in this week's "Observer." Do you see any mention of "TO LEASE UP TO 30% OF A 4.6(APPROXIMATE) ACRE CITY OWNED PARCEL...NOT TO EXCEED 50 YEARS, FOR COMMERCIAL USE.."? Seems like mums the word when it comes to why our city commissioners were required to put this plan on a referendum.

A "NO" vote for this referendum will give us 6o,ooo sq.ft. of beach front property to beautify as a park if that's what our city government really wants to give us. We all love trees, greenspace,and beautification. There is nothing pretty about a multi-story concrete parking garage and a congested shopping plaza. Your eyes can look over the asphalt and take on the view of beautiful beach. Have you ever tried looking through concrete?

The referendum says a "planned development". D E V E L O P M E N T doesn't spell PARK! The reference to a "Beach Park" is a clever way to advertise and confuse voters.

There's only 3 days left to SAVE OUR BEACH. PUNCH 198 NO!!!!!

quote Martha McGeary 10:17 pm saturday november 4, 2000

As I work to defeat this referendum, making signs, writing letters, addressing mailings, knocking on doors, standing on corners, giving out information, etc. I keep these words close at hand from a speech delivered by President Roosevelt at the Sorbonne in Paris on April 23, 1910.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worse, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

We seek no monatary or political gain. We wish only to keep a little piece of our public owned land uncluttered by commercialization. When you are pointed at and rediculed take heart and stand proud for ours is a worthy cause.

I salute the members of The "Original Save Our Beach"/S.O.B. Committee and all the independent citizens who have given so much of their time and finiancial support.

A lovely tree lined parking lot not asph Sara Brown 5:08 pm sunday november 5, 2000

I really get annoyed by those who for whatever they are to gain by the commericializtion of our parking lot, keep referring to it as asphalt. If they truly wanted the public to make an informed vote on November 7, they would have taken a picture of the parking lot from Ocean Drive depicting one of the nicest looking parking lots in the area. They say they want trees, but they take a picture of the ground and ignore the beautifull palm trees at the front of the parking lot. They fail to show the trees that line the entire lot between the rows of cars. They ignore the lovely park benches where residents who do not live in condos on the beach can sit out as if on their own verandas, and view the beautiful ocean and beach. We do not want to save the asphalt as they would have you believe, we want to save a way of life where people from near and far can enjoy safely parking in a lot instead of a dangerous covered garage, and where these same people can sit on these benches and view the most spectacular scene of our beautiful beach.

We in Deerfield are lucky to still have a natural view of the ocean. Please vote No, Punch 198 and save our beach for yourselves and for gen

Beach Development Bob Graziano 4:11 pm monday november 6, 2000

This Project is a lame attempt to develop a beautiful beach. I hope the good people of Deerfield Beach vote it down.

Response to Trinchitella's Guest Editori Vivian M. Jeffers 0:54 am tuesday november 7, 2000

Since the Original Save Our Beach committee has not been asked to write a guest editorial [in the Observer] concerning the preservation of our main beach parking lot, I would Like to respond to Commissioner Trinchitella’s editorial. It seems he thinks turning our beach parking lot into a commercial enterprise with an amphitheater a water feature and parking garage will save our City of Deerfield Beach.

This property was not purchased in 1981; it was 1986 and paved so that the public could have full and convenient use of this parking lot. This bond has been refinanced and we the taxpayers will be paying on it for the next six years.

We should not be tied up with the commercial development. The County, the State, nor the Federal Government gives grants to commercial property. This expense would be all ours. The taxpayers are obligated to repay all outstanding Bonds even after the present commissioners, mayor and city manager have moved on to greener pastures.

When the main beach parking lot was purchased, the population was about 38,000. If this figure grew to be 100,000 it would not change anything at the beach. These people are coming to our beach now. We are not moving their homes to the beach.

Your plans will exacerbate traffic and parking because they are inadequate to accommodate both public and commercial parking. By giving variances to developers you automatically increase congestion at the beach. We lost parking spaces at the north pavilion and in front of the Cove Beach Club due to beautification work, and we will lose more spaces when the pedestrian walk is finished.

This area is a narrow barrier island. Adding another bridge will not solve the traffic problem. One solution would be to stop boat traffic. Ha! Ha! Ha!

I think the Rotary and Kiwanis organizations should not get involved in political and commercial developments on public owned property.

Commissioner Trinchitella refers to the Original Save Our Beach as a few dissidents who disagree disagreeably. We have not had an opportunity to disagree at any public forum. The city manager and one of our elective officials are holding many meetings all over this city. No opposing viewpoint has been allowed by the Original Save Our Beach committee. Not one open forum has been held. Anyone present at any of these meetings knows I speak the truth. Don’t destroy the ambiance of our beach. VOTE NO, Punch #198.

Vivian Jeffers

VOTE NO. PUNCH #198 Wm. T. Jeffers, Sr. 0:58 am tuesday november 7, 2000

It seems to me the wrong word in most cases is used to describe developers. Destroyers for profit would be a better description. As an example let’s use the Florida Everglades. Sometime ago, someone (destroyer) had a great idea on how to obtain more land for development purposes. The idea was to change the flow of the Kissimmee river to flow in a straight north to south path to allow the east side of it to be land filled and built on.

Eventually 50% of the everglades was destroyed so that it could be built upon to the detriment of its wildlife. The Florida panthers, almost extinct, less than 75 of them have survived and most of those are being born deformed as is most other animal life there. The Florida Bay has become too salty for fish to live in due to the lack of fresh water flow from the everglades, also this fresh water supply is south Florida’s drinking water. All this work was done at the expense of the taxpayer and to the profits of those so call developers. Not to worry. The powers that be have a solution. Fifty Billion dollars has been appropriated (taxpayer money) and twenty years time to change the flow of (how did you guess) the Kissimmee river back to its original course. This, of course, will flood much of the land that was. Again the destroyers will profit.

And now to the present example of the above story, the Deerfield Beach main parking lot. For the second time in two years our city commissioners with help of some outsiders want to lease 30% of this most valuable property to commercial use such as restaurants and stores. True, your plan calls for a multi-story parking garage but with not enough parking spaces to accommodate both commercial and public use.

Furthermore, this commercial portion will get a 50 year lease. Think about that, half of this century, until 2050. The main beach parking lot is city property which means it is owned by the citizens of this city and not by the city commissioners or its city manager.

Please remember; if passed this proposal will mark the end of our beach as we know it. People from far and wide come to our beach. WHY??? Because it is the only one of its kind in all of south Florida. Let’s not lose it to the destroyers and profiteers. Leave our main beach parking lot as it is, for its true owners to enjoy.

Winners Marti 10:05 am wednesday november 8, 2000

Thanks to all the efforts of The "Original Save Our Beach"/S.O.B. Committee, its supporters, and the wisdom of the voters of Deerfield Beach our Main Beach Parking Lot will remain commercial free. The Democratic Process is alive and well in our town, and we will not be dictated to by our elected or appointed officials. They will have to carry out the will "of the people, by the people, and for the people." It's the American way!!!!!

Wahooo!!! Sam 6:05 pm wednesday november 8, 2000

You should be so proud. You defeated a park! Way to go! Your asphalt is safe!

defeat of commercialization Marti 10:09 pm wednesday november 8, 2000

The citizens of Deerfield Beach defeated commercialization and the leasing of valuable city owned property to private investors the second time in two years. The city commissioners don't need a referendum to beautify our beach parking lot or plant trees. Service organizations, residents,and businesses don't need a referendum to commemorate our 75th Anniversary. If they want to provide the funds for their projects they can do so by seeking the approval of the city commissioners and the planning board. Let's get the facts straight once and for all. The Riverbend Park being constructed at Pioneer Park is true to its name. It is a park, not a shopping plaza. It's a shame that all this money spent trying to pass a so-called "Beach Park" referendum couldn't have been used for this worthy project.

New Resident !!! RTS 0:47 am tuesday december 12, 2000

A few weeks ago I was home shopping in South Florida. I am moving from out of state and had not decided on a community. I checked out beach communities from Hollywood to Palm Beach.

I ended up buying a home (condo)in Deerfield Beach (on the beachside of the intercoastal). Why? Deerfield is one of the few beach communities without wall to wall highrises and/or commercial development. In other words, it has a beach, without a lot of development. It also appears to have a group willing to fight the developers.

I'll get in touch when I move (in March or April) and help where I can.

RTS marti 9:37 pm tuesday december 12, 2000

Wish you were coming to Deerfield sooner. Our commissioners are up for re-election in March. This is a very important election and voters need to be especially concerned about who is elected to these district positions, especially since all incumbents running for re-election supported the commercialization referrendum, including the Mayor. The City Manager, appointed by the Mayor, was backed all the way by the Kawanis, Rotary, majority of the members of the Chamber of Commerce, and some very prominent businessmen. These same Commissioners just gave three variences to a condo development, Ocean Plaza, one of which will exceed the four story limititation, allowing it to go six stories. There are also developers seeking building permits just north of the fishing pier. So you can see we, the residents of Deerfield Beach, need to keep focused on what our elected officials and the City Manager are proposing to do, not only with city owned beach property but also privately owned property. We need to keep informed, by attending meetings of the Commissioners and planning board and find people to run for office that will speak up and do what 60% of the voters want for Deerfield Beach. We believe that 60% would have been much greater had we had the manpower to speak directly with more of the voters. We need concerned residents like you to join in our effort.

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