Florida Agenda

WILTON MANORS – What began as an interim arrangement that turned into a two-year partnership and “living arrangement” ended on Monday as Multimedia Platforms, LLC (MMP), publisher of the Agenda and its sister publication, Guy Magazine, bade a fond farewell to its former publishing offices at 2157 Wilton Drive, to take up residence just around the bend—literally and figuratively speaking—at 2435 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors.

From its inauguration in 2010, MMP took up residence in half of the bay space occupied by Copy This and Planet Press. “This was going to be a temporary arrangement, with Bruce [Bogan, owner of Copy This] giving up half of his operating space to accommodate us while we built up the newspaper and entertainment magazine into what both publications have become,” according to Bobby Blair, Managing Partner and CEO of MMP, and publisher of the Agenda and Guy.

“It has been such a rewarding partnership, and we were so sad to leave, but we are going to always be grateful to Bruce and Billy [Sands, Bogan’s partner] for their hospitality and for being such gracious ‘roommates’,” adds Blair. “I know it was sometimes crazy.” Bogan, who suffered a heart attack earlier this year, is expanding his successful Copy This and Planet Press operation, and needs the office space formerly occupied by the publishing offices of the Agenda and Guy Magazine, which received the 2011 “Bestie Award” for Best Publisher and the 2012 “Bestie” for Best Entertaining Magazine (the Besties are hosted annually on Academy Awards night at The Manor Restaurant and Nightclub Complex and are awarded based upon the results of online community voting via social media).

On Monday, May 14, 2012, the sister publications formally took possession of their new publishing offices, located within the Sterling Accounting and Tax Services suites, just south of Five Points on Dixie Highway’s antique row. “We are absolutely delighted to welcome the Agenda and Guy to our suites,” says Jeff Sterling, president and owner of Sterling Accounting. A three-day move supervised by project manager Silas Thebert, MMP’s online administrator, was undertaken over an event-filled Mother’s Day weekend, one that incurred no disruption to operations or publication schedule for either weekly print platform.

“Mission accomplished,” said Thebert with a wink. “We loved our experience on Wilton Drive and are equally excited and honored to be welcomed as we have been on the Dixie Highway side of town,” notes Blair. “This part of Wilton Manors and Greater Fort Lauderdale is undergoing a Renaissance, and with the offices of SFGN across the street, we are building our own version of London’s Fleet Street,” he joked, referring to the historic former location of Britain’s major newspapers.

WILTON MANORS, FL  – On Friday, Feb. 17, Bruce Bogan, the owner of Copy This and Planet Press printing and graphics, suffered a heart attack that left him hospitalized. Bogan, 50, complained of chest pains that afternoon, and placed a call to friend Brad Casey, an account executive for Multimedia Platforms, LLC, publisher of the Florida Agenda.

“Something is wrong,” Casey remembers Bogan telling him on the phone. He was experiencing chest pains and was sweating profusely when Casey arrived at his Wilton Drive store. “I could tell that he was in duress,” Casey recounted. “We rushed him to Imperial Point [Medical Center], and the doctors confirmed he was in the beginning stages of a heart attack.”

After doctors stabilized Bogan, he was taken to Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where a blockage was removed from his heart valve, a stent inserted by surgeons, and Bogan was placed on a heart pump to ensure adequate blood flow. He subsequently developed pneumonia.

Casey says that Bogan’s prognosis is a long recovery, “but there is progress.” In the meantime, Bogan’s partner, Billy Sand, has stepped in to fill the void left in Bogan’s business operations. Friends are also lending a hand to keep both Copy This and Planet Press open for business, fulfilling existing customer orders, and taking new ones.

“I want to thank [Bruce’s] family, friends, and the community for all your prayers, thoughts, and support during these difficult times,” offered Sand, the owner of Diner-by-the-Sea. “I look forward to the time when Bruce can personally thank all of you himself.”

Bruce Bogan is a native of Brooklyn, New York, where he ran a successful printing enterprise before relocating his business to Wilton Manors about five years ago. Bogan recently won the
grand prize in the “Dancing with the South Florida Stars” dancing competition, a fund-raising event for the Brian Neal Fitness and Health Foundation HIV charity.

Robert Cieslak, Realtor Saved!This movie deals with coming out and coming of age. In a way, it really hits home. I spent the entire movie laughing at the homophobic references and cried with the touching message at the end.

Vincent P. Cicenia,  Retired Writer
The Single Man – It reflects my life during my younger gay years. I also like Colin Firth.

Mike Rivers, Adult Film Actor
Latter Days – My favorite PG13 movie. It was very moving and emotional. Of course, I need to promote myself. For an adult film, I loved “Something’s Cum Up.” It was my first dud I’ve done with the talented and amazing Chi Chi LaRue.

Con Arvello, Dispatcher
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – All the music and colorful costumes, the scenes in the Australian outback and lastly, the Abba tunes..

Bruce Bogan, Owner, CopyThis
The Big Gay Musical – Very entertaining musical about life, love and relationships, A love story that can happen – funny, serious, touching and make-believe all in one.

Bruce Bogan has much to celebrate this Pride Sunday. It marks the four year anniversary of his very successful printing company, COPYthis, on Wilton Drive.

He says, “I grew up with this, my grandfather and father were printers. I took over my father’s bus iness

in New York. I’ve been printing for 40 years. I did design work before computers came and before fax machines. My first fax machine was $1200 and I had one of the first computers – an IBM system 30 – in the 1990’s.”

When asked why he decided to move to Fort Lauderdale, he jokes saying, “Wilton Manors needed me!” He then gets serious and explains, “9/11 killed New York. My father wanted me to move here and I wanted to move here. I wanted it all, the house, picket fence and someone to share it with.”

So he took the move and, in time for Pride, he found his store and signed the lease and got the keys on the same day. Initially, it was slow, so he continued to print for WPLS, the largest Afro-American radio station in NYC and a client list that has names that would blow you away (Harry Winston, McDonalds, Donna Karan even Martha Stewart). Day after day, he kept working for his clients in New York. Then, little by little, he got introduced to people. He says with a smile that on his opening “George [Georgie’s Alibi] sent me a plant over to welcome me to the neighborhood. He started giving me work and it snowballed.”

How has he been successful in such a difficult economic climate? Simple. he says. “I know what I do and how to do it. MY reputation precedes me, you could say. The best advertising is word of mouth and I love what I do. I love to work – I could live here in my store!”

So is he excited for Sunday? “Yes! It is all because of my father. I want him to come on Sunday. It’s my four year anniversary. I’m still here even in this economy!”

He says for the future in a perfect world, “I would like there to be another COPYthis – my dream would be to have them all over the country.”

BY TIM SLIVINKI

Photo: Make yourself at home at The Wine Cellar.

Current food trends suggest that diners are moving to fresher, farm quality ingredients. Organic is a new buzz word to entice people to healthier eating habits. Styles of cuisine are in one month and then quickly out again the next. Keeping up with it all can be enough to make you dizzy. Sometimes we just want those traditional, homey comfort foods that we grew up with that remind of us of traditional Sunday dinner with the grandparents.

Thank goodness for restaurants like the Wine Cellar. It will take you back to those days long ago when we just enjoyed the deliciousness of the traditional foods of our childhoods. And if you are of Eastern or Central European background, then the menu items at the Wine Cellar are sure to get you talking about those suppers that mom or grandma used to cook with love and affection. Speaking of which, the restaurant’s dining room is cozy and inviting, just like grandma’s table.

After being seated I was greeted with a complimentary potato pancake, or latke, with applesauce and sour cream accompaniment. I already knew from the start I would enjoy this place. The pancake was crisp on the outside, warm and moist on the inside. Perfection! I could have made a dinner of an entire plate of this traditional delicacy.

Next, our server suggested that I try the Wine Cellar’ s celebrated e

scargot. Full disclosure here: I am not generally an escargot fan, but I was persuaded. I was treated to a wonderful, aromatic, and generous, crock of snails and mushrooms in a sinful garlic butter sauce. Could this really be escargot? It was, and I loved it. It’s easy to understand why it is a featured item.

Being a chilly evening, I opted for soup over salad as it sounded just right after braving the breezy, brisk outdoors. The lobster bisque was a more than ample portion of creamy deliciousness, tasting rich and yet not overly thick or cloying as some bisques can be. I am ashamed to admit that I gladly consumed every spoonful.

Next was the real challenge—deciding upon an entrée. I always have a difficult time saying no to Wienerschnitzel when it’s on the menu; it’s a traditional favorite that I sometimes crave—but not tonight. Instead, I was encouraged to try the Rahmschnitzel once my gracious server discovered I love mushrooms. Once it was served, I knew that I had been steered in the right direction. Two fork-tender cutlets were topped in a white wine cream sauce with hearty chunks of portabella mushrooms, not the overly sliced and diced variety.

Each entrée comes with a choice of two accompaniments. I opted for traditional German spaetzle and sweet and sour red cabbage. The cabbage was just spicy enough to offer great contrast to the cutlet. The spaetzle, small traditional German dumplings, were perfect with the sauce that was served with the schnitzel. This was a plate that would make any Mom or grandmother smile. Traditional cuisine done as it should be: flavorful, filling, and homey.

As I was dining I also had the opportunity to taste one of the featured items that night: a roasted pork shank. This was truly an entrée to be admired as well as consumed. Beautifully browned, the meat was fall off the bone tender. It had all the aroma and flavors that filled the house on Sunday afternoons. If it’s on the menu, order it as it is a satisfying and beautiful preparation.

Quite honestly, I was stuffed, but I did have the opportunity to sample two of the Wine Cellar’s homemade desserts. The Apple Strudel took me back to my childhood. Flaky pastry, tender apples, notes of cinnamon—it was everything strudel should be. The German chocolate cake was another winner. Moist and flavorful with a frosting neither too heavy nor too light, it is easily enough to share.

A bonus feature with dinner on Friday nights at 7:00 p.m. is a performance by the wonderful Electra. She vamps around the dining room in her inimitable style that is guaranteed to make you laugh. But be careful as she just might pull you and your entire table into the act, which, of course, is part of the fun. Electra sets the tone for a fun night out, and isn’t that one of the main reasons we go out?

The Wine Cellar
199 East Oakland Park Blvd.
954-565-902