Florida Agenda

Your favorite virtue?
Authenticity.

Your favorite qualities in a person?
A great smile.

Your chief characteristic?
Determination.

Your favorite occupation?
Librarian.

Your idea of happiness?
Being with my partner and daughter at Disney.

Your idea of misery?
Cloudy days.

If not yourself, who would you be?
“Be yourself everyone else is
taken…”

Where would you like to live?
On the water…in the Keys… somewhere between mile marker 68 and 46. (Yes, even my daydreams are organized and direct.)

Your favorite color?
Purple.

Your favorite authors?
Fran Lebowitz, Betty Friedan, Julia Child.

Your favorite heroes (male or female) in fiction?
Nancy Drew, Mickey Mouse, Belle.

Your heroes in real life?
Hillary Clinton, Jane Jacobs, Margaret Sanger, Walt Disney.

What characters in history do you most dislike?
Those who follow instead of lead.

Your favorite food and drink?
Cheese and Pinot Noir

What do you hate the most?
Disorganization.

What reform do you admire the most?
The 19th Amendment.

The natural talent you would like to be gifted with?
Carry a tune.

How do you wish to die?
A grandmother

What is your present state of mind?
Lucid.

For what fault are you the most intolerant?
Apathy.

Your personal motto?
“Live the life you imagined.”

Heidi Shafran is the Community Development Director for the
City of Wilton Manors, a position she has held since March 2011.
Prior to that, she was the Community Planning Director for the
Seminole Tribe of Florida, from 2004 to 2011.

Your favorite virtue?

Honesty.

Your favorite qualities in a person.
Passion. Honesty. Sense of humor.  Giving. Compassion. Loyalty.

Your chief characteristic.

Strong and motivated.

What you appreciate most in your friends.

I love that they accept me for me and know that they are always there if I am in need.

Where would you like to live?

I own a place in Palm Springs already, so California.
Your main fault.

Sometimes too sensitive.
Your favorite occupation.

Public Relations counselor, but I love to produce fashion shows and other events.

Your idea of happiness.

Exploring new places with someone special and cooking for my family and friends (it’s all about food growing up in an Italian/ Jewish family).

Your idea of misery?

Being home sick with the flu.

If not yourself, who would you be?

A pop icon with the platform to make a huge difference.
Your favorite color?

Environmentally-friendly green.

Your heroes in real life?

As celebrities go, Oprah Winfrey and Madonna as they have taken the world by storm and have become role models on different levels. Other heroes for me are those who are on the front lines to protect our freedom and those who give of themselves day and night to help the poor, homeless and abused.

What are your favorite authors?

Lisa Gardner and Tess Gerritson.

Your favorite food and drink?

Italian food and Grey Goose Cosmo, or chilled Patron with salt.

What do you hate the most?

Dishonesty, oppression, and evil.

The reform you admire the most?

I admire those who rise above many challenges, break free from addictions or can own their mistakes and say “I am sorry.”

Your favorite virtue?

Honesty.

Your favorite qualities in a person.

Honesty, integrity, and a willingness to “give back.”

Your chief characteristic.

Enthusiasm and a positive outlook.

What you appreciate most in your friends.

Their unconditional love.

Where would you like to live?

In a villa in Tuscany.

Your main fault.

Wearing my heart on my sleeve.

Your favorite occupation.

Anything where I can help my community.

Your idea of happiness.

Sundays in Paris.

Your idea of misery?

Being bored.

If not yourself, who would you be?

Gandhi.

Your favorite color?

Blue.

Your heroes in real life?

My parents, Harvey Milk, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Susan B. Anthony, other crusaders for human rights of the disenfranchised.

What are your favorite authors?

James Joyce, William Faulkner, and Robert Lacey.

What characters in history do you most dislike?

Dictators: Hitler, Idi Amin, Gadaffi, Saddam Hussein, et al.

Your favorite food and drink?

Italian food and good red wine to go with it.

What do you hate the most?

Dishonesty, oppression, and evil.

The reform you admire the most?

The states that have voted for full equal rights for LGBT persons.

The natural talent you’d like to be gifted with?

Clairvoyance.

How do you wish to die?

In my sleep.

What is your present state of mind?

Extremely happy and optimistic.

Your favorite virtue?

Broadmindedness.

Your favorite qualities in a person.

Honesty and loyalty.

Your chief characteristic.

Ambition (although it is sometimes seen as “overzealousness” and being hard to work with).

What you appreciate most in your friends.

Truthfulness (although sometimes it hurts, and you wanna slap them upside the head!!).

Your main fault.

Overextending myself, which I do on a daily basis (but hey, I am now part of AARP, so you know you can’t teach me anything).

Your favorite occupation.

DUH, running a Disney Park (or playing one of the princesses).

Your idea of happiness.

My family at home, my extended family in Ohio and Arizona, and my true friends make up my happiness.

Your idea of misery?

Loved the character Kathy Bates played in the movie. Oh, that’s not what you are looking for: definitely losing my family.

If not yourself, who would you be?

Someone in a position of power who would have influence and the possibility to change worldviews and trends (maybe the Pope, just for the red Prada shoes, and that damn hat).

Your favorite color?

“Disney Bouncy, Bouncy, Tigger Orange” (you have to see the tattoo to understand).

Where would you like to live?

Europe. In some countries, they are so much more laid back then we are here. Bill and I have visited many places where they work to go on their vacations. We in the U.S. are programmed to work our asses off, and have to save everything. It is for this reason so many people here miss out on seeing the beauty and wonders the world has to offer.

Your heroes in real life?

Three great men: Larry Kramer, the Dali Lama, and my husband.

Your favorite food and drink?

Sushi & flavored vodkas. I probably would mix them together in a blender: Sushitini?

What do you hate the most?

Untruthfulness, gossipmongers, and the damn bloody horror movies that my husband makes me watch–I usually have my head buried under a pillow!

The reform you admire the most?

Being a former service member, the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

The natural talent you’d like to be gifted with?

A singing voice (unlike my current one that makes the dogs run away and the neighbors call the cops thinking someone is being bludgeoned).

How do you wish to die?

Happy, holding my hubby’s hand (oh, yeah, and quickly: I am not good at pain and blood–see the horror movie reference above).

What is your present state of mind?

I lost my mind years ago, so it doesn’t have a present state.

Terry DeCarlo is the Director of Development for Broward House,

South Florida’s oldest and largest not-for-profit HIV/AIDS service organization.

Your favorite virtue.

These days, I’d like to see more honesty in the world. Patience wouldn’t be bad either.

Your favorite qualities in a person.

That’s hard to say. I am accepting of folks pretty much how they are. I don’t expect them to bend to my likings.

Your chief characteristic.

I’d like to think I’m hard-working and diligent. Others probably see me as a pain in the arse. What you appreciate most in your friends. Their patience. I work too much and socialize too little. Thus, I’m glad they put up with me!

Your main fault.

I work too much.

Your favorite occupation.

Someday, I hope to quarterback the Miami Dolphins. But, based on my age, it looks like the window of opportunity is closing quickly.

Your idea of happiness.

Short term, seeing the Dolphins win the Super Bowl would cause me to be giddy for days. Long term, I’d just love to be able to sit in peace and quiet and enjoy my surroundings, petting my cats and surrounded by the family I love.

Your favorite authors.

These days, I read books of various topics. I just finished a bio on Evel Knievel and now am on a work of political fiction by Sen. Bob Graham. Of late, I haven’t stuck with any one author (sorry, “Twilight” fans). But as a kid, I read a ton of Mark Twain and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Your heroes in real life.

I used to teach American History, so obviously, I have an affinity for all our great leaders, from Washington to Lincoln to MLK. But my most unique hero is Vanessa Williams.

She had to withstand so much in being forced to give up her Miss America title in 1984. It’s somewhat forgotten today, but at the time, that was a huge scandal. Nude photos. Sponsors threatening to pull out of the pageant. National embarrassment. A lesser person would have folded camp. Instead, she became the force she is today. That took strength of character and will-power.

What characters in history do you most dislike?

Again, it’s easy to go with history’s big villains: Hitler, Pol Pot, Castro. But I’m very disappointed in some current U.S. politicians who preach an agenda of hate and intolerance, while holding up the Constitution and Bible as justification. This is 2012. Stop being angry. As Al Green once sang, “Put a little love in your heart.”

What do you hate the most?

I hate that federal law still prohibits me, and all other gay men, from donating blood. It’s an outdated, discriminatory law and I look forward to President Obama overturning it in his second term.

The reform you admire the most.

Obviously, the progress of the LGBT movement. The openness and freedoms I enjoy now were unheard of 25 years ago when I was in high school. In fact, some of them were impossible 4 years ago. We still have some way to go, but I feel so lucky to be alive and see us come this far.

How do you wish to die?

After the age of 100. I’ve told many friends it’s seriously a goal of mine to live to be at least 100.

For what fault are you the most intolerant?

Anger.

The natural talent you’d like to be gifted with.

I’ve always wished I could sing. But I can’t. Ask anyone

Your personal motto.

In my high school yearbook, I listed as my motto: “You’re only young once, but you can be immature indefinitely.” Today, I don’t act as goofy as I might wish, but I still make sure I don’t take myself too seriously.

Scott Galvin has served on the North Miami City Council since 1999.

He is also a member of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Board of Directors, and

a lifelong resident of North Miami.

  President/CEO of Wilton Manors Main Street

Your favorite virtue.

Altruism. Tenacity.

Your favorite qualities in a person.

Honesty, loyalty, and the ability to actually follow through on what they say.

Your chief characteristic.

Kindness.

Your favorite occupation.

Considering I’m currently a full-time volunteer, I’d have to say one in which I actually get paid!

I’ve recently acquired my real estate license, and am with Atlantic Properties International on Wilton Drive.

I look forward to spending more time in real estate, likely on the commercial side.

Your idea of happiness.

Sharing a deserted beach with someone I love. Being with friends and family.

Seeing my nephews and nieces laugh. It’s the simple things that bring me happiness.

Your idea of misery.

The day my partner passed away.

If not yourself, who would you be?

Twenty five years ago, I could have given you a list.

Now, I just like being me.

Where would you like to live?

I’m enjoying South Florida, but I do miss living in NYC. I think ultimately,

I’d like to split my time between all of the places where I have close friends and

family – all over the U.S., London, Paris, and India.

Your favorite color.

Blue.

Your favorite authors.

That’s a tough one – I actually admire anyone who writes well and there are many authors who meet that criterion.

Your favorite heroes (male or female) in fiction.

Again, there are many.

Your heroes in real life.

My cousin, Kelly. She’s the kindest, most honest and loyal person in my life.

She has the most accurate moral barometer of anyone I’ve ever met.

I’m grateful to whatever powers-that-be that put us here at the same time, and

am blessed to have such a remarkable woman to turn to my whole life.

What characters in history do you most dislike?

Hitler comes immediately to mind. I look at my friends and family and

realize how much would be missing in my life had he actually lived.

Your favorite food and drink.

I really like all foods. Diet Coke is definitely my favorite drink

(and thank you to my friends at Java Boys for never running out).

What do you hate the most?

People who try to manipulate me with flattery to get something from me for which

they could have simply asked. It’s insulting and ultimately they probably won’t get what they want.

The reform you admire the most?

Those which prevent injustice. DADT was ridiculous – I was delighted to see the end of that.

I look forward to the day the same happens with DOMA, an equally hateful piece of legislation.

The natural talent you’d like to be gifted with?

I’d love to be able to sing… without scaring people.

How you wish to die?

Quickly. Death doesn’t scare me, but the five minutes prior are a concern.

What is your present state of mind?

Restless.

For what fault are you the most intolerant?

Rudeness.

Your personal motto.

“Our only limitations as to what we can accomplish are those we place upon ourselves.”

 Krishan Manners is the President and CEO of Wilton Manors Main Street, Inc., a 501(c)(3)

non-profit organization. Born in New Delhi, India, he moved to the U.S. as a small child and

spent most of his adult life in New York City. He relocated to Wilton Manors in April, 2010.

During the 19th and early-20th Centuries, intellectuals and
community leaders shared their ideas and thoughts in the form of a
parlor game that spoke, truthfully, about the innermost them. This
week,we speak CANDIDLY with Justin Flippen. Justin is a native
South Floridian and the former Vice Mayor of Wilton Manors. He
currently works for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and
Visitors Bureau promoting tourism-based economic development
and marketing.

Your favorite virtue.
Charity and love.

Your favorite qualities in a person.
Honesty, Integrity, Confidence, and Moderation.

Your chief characteristic.
Patriotic.

What do you appreciate most in your
friends?
Loyalty and Candor.

Your main fault.
I’m told I can occasionally be stubborn, but, hey, I am a Taurus!

Your favorite occupation.
Public servant.

Your idea of happiness.
Building a life together with the man of my dreams and creating a family. Three-day weekends also make me happy!

Your idea of misery.
Going hungry. I just love food way too much!

Where would you like to live?
In a community that socially and legally recognizes equality. I also love the outdoors and nature, so I definitely always want to be close to a National Park or two.

Your favorite authors.
Homer, Shakespeare, John Milton, C.S. Lewis, J.R. R. Tolkien, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost.

Your favorite heroes (male or female) in fiction.
Superman, Captain America, He-Man, Optimus Prime, Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Capt. Picard.

Your heroes in real life.
Jesus Christ, my grandparents, Martin Luther King, Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton.

What characters in history do you most dislike?
Tyrants, villains, those who have opposed social justice or have committed crimes against humanity.

Your favorite food and drink.
I only get to pick one food? Filet Mignon, cooked medium. A nice cold ice tea on a warm summer day can’t be beat! As for cocktails, a Pisco Sour or Vodka and soda with a splash of cranberry juice.

Your favorite names.
Joshua, Jonathan, Jupiter, and, of course, Justin. I guess I’m a bit partial to the letter ‘J.’

What do you hate the most?
Wrongdoing and those who do evil.

The reform you admire the most.
Legal equality and economic environmentalism.

The natural talent you’d like to be gifted
with.
To be able to sing a little less off key. Road trips with me singing along to music can be
fun or torture for passengers!

How do you wish to die?
Peacefully, knowing that I’ve lived a full, complete, and happy life.

What is your present state of mind?
Relaxed and reflective.

For what fault are you the most intolerant?
Arrogance.

Your personal motto.
“Tikkun Olam.” [A Hebrew phrase that translates as “making the world a better
place.”]

During the 19th and early-20th Centuries, intellectuals and community leaders shared their ideas and thoughts in the form of a parlor game that spoke, truthfully, about the innermost them. This week, we speak CANDIDLY with Carl Marzola, who is a licensed Real Estate Broker, the President of the Fort Lauderdale & Wilton Manors-based Atlantic Properties International and member of the Wilton Manors Economic Development Task Force.

Your favorite virtue.
Patience, of which I possess ‘zero,’ but I’m working on it.

Your favorite quality in a person.
Honesty, loyalty, sincerity, and being able to make a hell of a Carbonara.

Your chief characteristic.
Organization. Also, the ability to find someone else’s strengths and talents and help them to make the most of the gifts with which they’ve been gifted.

Something you appreciate most in your friends.
Kindness and understanding (I need them both in large helpings). Being able to forgive, and, if not forget, at least to give me more latitude next time. (I’ll do the same for you: we’re only human, baby.)

Your main fault.
I have an excess of energy, and I like to be busy all the time with numerous projects, but it can drive the people around me crazy trying to keep up because of the ninety irons I have in the fire at any given time.

A fault you can’t tolerate in other people.  
When a person thinks he or she “knows it all.” When you stop learning, they put you into six feet of cold ground. Buh-bye. We should all continue to learn and grow and to help others.

Your favorite occupation.
Exactly what I’m doing now, but with an extra fifteen hours in the day to get it done!

Your idea of happiness.
Being at the peak of health and at the top of my professional game, surrounded by friends, family, and the people I love: not too much different from the reality I’m blessed to enjoy in this life.

Your idea of misery.  
The absence of love.

A person you would be, if not yourself.
Someone who wanted to be just like me! (Immodest?)

Your favorite food and drink.
With a last name like “Marzola,” do you even need to ask? (Hint: foods that end in a vowel– Italian!) And I do enjoy my Grey Goose martinis with stuffed bleu cheese olives.

Your ideal place to live.
I think that home is where your heart is, and your heart is full of the numerous blessings you enjoy at any given moment in time.

Your favorite color.
Is chartreuse a color or an ice cream flavor? I’ll stick safely with “royal blue.”

Your favorite author(s).  
Anthony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Joel Osteen, Donald Trump (sometimes), Carlos Castaneda. I also like Shakespeare, but gave up a while ago trying to get my “thees” and “thous” straight.

Your heroes in film.  
Indiana Jones, Rhett Butler, Tom Cruise in “Top Gun,” and the character Charles Bronson played in all his movies.

Your heroes in real life.  
My parents and grandparents—remember I’m Italian: it’s all about family. Also first responders (fire fighters, police officers, ambulance drivers, and paramedics). And everyone who gets up every day and works to support themselves or their family with a smile on their faces and a song in their hearts.

Something you hate.
Hate is a strong word. But I have no
tolerance for intolerance.

Your present state of mind.
“I like to think sane and happy, but not quite content: there’s still so much to accomplish.
The natural talent you’d like to be
gifted with.
The ability to time travel, so I could squeeze an extra seven or eight hours out of the day.

How you’d like to die.  
At the age of 155, in the arms of a 70-
year-old “younger guy” at the hands of his jealous boyfriend.

The reform you admire the most.  
I admire any person who makes the conscious decision to reinvent himself, whether getting a higher education at 50, or shedding some pounds to improve your health or the way you think of yourself, or deciding that a new career for a new year is just what the doctor ordered. (And if that’s the case: call me! I’m always looking to meet smart and enthusiastic men and women who are looking to make their career in a field that makes success stories every day—God isn’t making any more real estate!)

Your Personal Motto.
Daddy’s buying…this time only, boys!

During the 19th and early-20th Centuries, intellectuals and community leaders shared their ideas and thoughts in the form of a parlor game that spoke, truthfully, about the innermost them. This week, we speak CANDIDLY with former mayor of Broward County and current candidate for Broward County Commission, Ken Keechl:

Your favorite virtue.
Compassion.
Your favorite quality in a person.
Sincerity.
Your chief characteristic.
Loyalty.
Something you appreciate most in your friends.
Their support.
Your main fault.
I don’t have enough patience.
Your favorite occupation.
Being an elected official.
Your idea of happiness.
Spending time with my spouse, Ted,
and our two dogs, Tasha and Missy.

Your idea of misery.
Listening to right wing nuts argue
against marriage equality.
If not yourself, you would be:
My dogs: they have a great life.
Your favorite food and drink.
Cheese and wine, say no more!
Your ideal place to live.
I love Broward County. I wouldn’t
want to live anywhere else.
Your favorite color.
Blue.
Your favorite author(s).
David McCullough.
Your heroes in real life.
My mom and my dad.
Your favorite food and drink.
Chicken wings and white wine (but
not at the same time)
Your favorite names.
“Kenny.” That’s what my mom always
called me.
Something you hate.
Intolerance and bigotry.
The reform you admire the most.
The slow but steady progress being
made to reform America’s marriage
and adoption laws to be inclusive of
the gay and lesbian community.

During the 19th and early-20th centuries, intellectuals and community leaders shared their ideas and thoughts in the form of a parlor game that spoke, truthfully, about the innermost them. This week, we speak CANDIDLY with former Fort Lauderdale vice mayor, Dean Trantalis, Esq., who is a practicing attorney in Wilton Manors:

Your Favorite Virtue. Honesty.

Your Favorite Qualities In a Person. Loyalty.

Your Chief Characteristic. Willing to make a decision.

What You Appreciate Most In Your Friends. Their humor.

Your Main Fault. Laughing at dumb jokes.

Your Favorite Occupation. Political engagement.

Your Idea of Happiness. No Aggravation.

Your Idea of Misery. Dealing with aggravating people.

A Person You Would Be, If Not Yourself. Someone smarter.

A Place You’d Like to Live. I’m fine right where I am.

Your Favorite Color. Chinese Yellow.

Authors You Love. [Leo] Tolstoy; [Christopher]  Hitchens.

Your Heroes in Fiction. There are no heroes, just heroic efforts.

Your Heroes in Reality. Those who try to succeed on behalf of others despite all odds!

Historical Figures You Dislike. Destructive people.

Favorite Names You’ve Heard. “De Luxe” and “Carte Blanche.”

That Thing You Hate the Most. Hate.

A Reform You Admire. Equality for LGBT persons.

A Food and Beverage You Like. Watermelon. And I’m addicted to Diet Coke®.

A Talent You Should Have. Clairvoyance.

How You Wish To Die. Old and at peace.

Your Present State of Mind. Young and Restless.

The Fault You Can Least Tolerate. Violation of trust.

Your Motto. No matter how convincing it sounds, there’s always another side.