A familiar face you should make a point of familiarizing yourself with belongs to the ubiquitous Krishan Manners, President and CEO of Wilton Manors Main Street (WMMS), who has spent the past six months taking the non-profit from its original mission (converting Wilton Drive into a more merchant- and pedestrian-friendly throughway) into a true community services organization, with a broad approach to improving a number of quality of life issues in the Island City. Since his installment in January, Manners has spearheaded a number of initiatives, including economic development and promoting and improving the image of downtown Wilton Manors. Manners can be found most work days at his office, located on the Drive side of Gables Wilton Park, using limited resources and a practically imaginary budget to turn dust into Egyptian cotton, all the while engendering goodwill and promoting partnerships between public and private sector stakeholders.
A Fistful of Burritos
Heidi Shafran, Community Develop-ment Services Director for the City of Wilton Manors informs Open for Business that a new Mexican restaurant is getting ready to open its doors on Wilton Drive (the glacial speed of the city’s inspection and other processes notwithstanding – Author’s quote, not Ms. Shafran’s). Pinche Taqueria is part of a New York City –based chain and will occupy the space once planned as a hot dog joint in the same retail spaces as Sidelines Sports Bar and Gelato Station.
Meeting in The Men’s Room
MoJo’s The Men’s Room, the new boutique barber shop scheduled to open its doors on June 17 on Wilton Drive (on the opposite side from The Manor Complex) has been forced to postpone its opening accounting for the reportedly glacial speed of the City of Wilton Manors’ inspection process (see previous entry). Co-owner Joe Sansone says there’s “no question” the city’s inspection force is understaffed.
Still, he and business partner Morgan Stamler are both looking forward to bringing their unique business model, which includes deejays spinning live music in a high energy environment that includes a cappuccino bar, a juice and energy drinks station, and a vibe that they hope will make the Home of the Hot Towel Shave the Drive’s next Scene spot.
Rick Scott:
Not Available for Your Next Gay Wedding Party
We’re not 100% certain about Governor Rick Scott’s feelings concerning gay divorcees, but he wasn’t making a subtle point in Broward County this week when queried (perhaps an unfortunate choice of words) about his views on same-sex unions.
The Gov was at an appearance on Monday at the North Broward Academy of Excellence in North Lauderdale touting his new legislative agenda to expand charter schools in the Sunshine State.
Changing the subject (how rude!), a reporter from WPLG Channel 10 asked Scott if he would consider signing legislation similar to the law that now legalizes gay marriage in New York state.
Flexing his constitutional scholar muscles, His Excellency reminded the assembled that the Constitution defines marriage as “between a man and a woman.”
The chief executive then moved on to the next question.
The Empire State, Marriage, and the Gay Male, Part 2
Former Broward County Mayor Ken Keechl and his domestic partner, Realtor Ted Adcock, have announced plans to tie the knot in New York state, following last week’s signing by Governor Andrew Cuomo of legislation legalizing same-sex marriage.
Via Facebook, Keechl posted: “Ted and I are going to New York to get married. I am a very blessed man!”
Following the New York senate’s passage of the law, Keechl, a partner at the law firm of Kopelowitz Ostrow in Fort Lauderdale, wrote: “I love New York!” Six states now allowed same-sex marriage; Florida is not among them (see previous entry).
By the Numbers
Before 1974, the numerical value of a billion in the U.S. was different from that of a billion in Great Britain. A U.S. (or short scale) billion was a thousand million (1,000,000,000), but a British (or long scale) billion was a million million (1,000,000,000,000). Other designations for large numbers also differed between the U.S. and U.K. In 1974, however, the short scale numbers started to be used exclusively in Great Britain.
If you’re “Open for Business”, you can contact Business Writer and Director of Sales, Cliff Dunn, with your story at Business@FloridaAgenda.com
