Florida Agenda

Dig out those lederhosen and dirndls—and be sure to bring an appetite for plenty of authentic German fare and beer—because the annual Oktoberfest celebration returns to Oakland Park’s Jaco Pastorius Park, Friday, Oct. 5 and Saturday, Oct. 6.

In just eight years, the two-day festival, sponsored by Oakland Park Main Street, has grown into the largest Oktoberfest in Broward County, attracting nearly 10,000 revelers.

The biggest difference between Oakland Park’s festival and others held around the region is “it’s the only one that’s authentic,” says Siegi Constantine, Executive Director of Oakland Park Main Street, a native of Stuttgart, Germany.

Constantine has kept a watchful eye over all the details: The food tent serves authentic German favorites, schnitzels, sausages, sauerkraut and salads, all painstaking prepared by Hans Huber of The Ambry Restaurant, a local favorite for more than three decades. The Tucher Oktoberfest beer is also imported from Germany—brewed from the same secret recipes passed down from generation to generation. And, for the first time, guests will have the opportunity to try a variety of schnapps, the tasty flavored liquor that originated in Germany.

Like the original Oktoberfest, held in 1810 outside Munich, Bavaria, the festival will kick off with the traditional keg-tapping ceremony. In the early years, the Oktoberfest celebration in Bavaria included agricultural displays and later carnival booths and rides. Today, it’s a huge celebration attracting hundreds of thousands of locals and tourists alike.

Like its German cousin, Oakland Park Main Street’s Oktoberfest has plenty to offer: Local craftsmen and women will sell their creations. Vintage Volkswagen automobiles owned by local collectors will be on display. There will also be carnival rides and plenty of surprises. Be sure to sign up for the stein and beer barrel races and say hello to Miss Hooters International, who will be making appearances.

By far, the most popular event is the dachshund race. Dozens of little “hot dogs” will race along a course to the cheers of the crowd. Only one dashing dachshund will take the top prize, but all the pups are winners.

What is Oktoberfest without music? Once again, the popular band, Alpine Express, will take the stage each evening to set a festive mood with authentic rhythms and melodies.

“One of the goals of Oakland Park Main Street is to work with the city to promote the business district and create a sense of community downtown,” said Jason Hagopian, President of Oakland Park Main Street. “Oktoberfest is a fun opportunity for our friends and neighbors to gather and celebrate our community.”

The festival would not have been possible, emphasized Hagopian, without the generous support from the many supporters, including this year’s presenting sponsors, Lipton Toyota and Broward Health Imperial Point.

If you go: Oakland Park Oktoberfest Friday, Oct. 5, 5 – 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, 1 – 11 p.m. Jaco Pastorius Park (4000 N Dixie Hwy) $5 donation at the gate, Onsite parking $10 Ample free parking nearby, Free shuttle.

OAKLAND PARK – Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti will host a special Town Hall Meeting tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the North Andrews Gardens Community Center, 251 NE 56 Court, Oakland Park, FL, with topics to include neighborhood crime, residence and vehicle burglary, “COP” program incentives, new agency initiatives for Broward Sheriff ’s Office (BSO), drowning prevention, prostitution in Oakland Park, gang activity, and other subjects. For more information, contact Sgt. Richard LaCerra at (954) 202-3131.

By RICHARD DAVID CHAMBERLAIN

There was a time, not too long ago, when the only way to get great Cuban food in Fort Lauderdale was to leave the city and drive down to Calle Ocho in Miami. That was BFL, of course. Before Fuego Latino, that is.

The Cuban restaurant opened in a strip mall that’s also home to the Zoo Gym and a martial arts school, and became such an immediate hit that the owners had to start posting a sentry seated on a lawn chair out in the lot to make certain their hungry customers had a place to park. While Fuego Latino serves some Mexican dishes, it’s the Cuban fare and reasonable prices that will keep you coming back for more.

To get an instant sense of the place, order a Bandeja Fuego ($16.99), and prepare for a feast. The platter-sized portion is enough to feed two or three, piled high with Mariquitas, Tamal con Lechón, Chiccharrones de Pollo, Jamon and Pollo Croquettas, Yuca Frittas, and two Empanadas. For the uninitiated, that’s plantains with garlic sauce, pork tamales, fried chunks of chicken breast, ham and chicken croquettes, yucca fries, and stuffed turnovers. In any language, spell that “yummy.”

Often, a Cuban restaurant is judged by its Palomilla Steak, and Fuego Latino has a superb version with thinsliced, spice-marinated and mouthwatering beef. At $9.99, it’s not only a bargain, it’s a sautéd-onion-topped masterpiece of flavor. It is served with white rice, black beans and sweet plantains. It’s a bounty that will not only fill you up, it’s delicious enough to have you licking your plate.

Juliana de Cerdo ($13.99) is a specialty of the kitchen—a julienned filet of pork tenderloin that’s been marinated in a blend of spices that’s so secret, the recipe is locked in a safe.

Grilled with bell peppers and onions, this dish alone will make Cuban cuisine your new favorite.

Traditional paella is a Spanish specialty that’s reinvented at Fuego Latino into a Cuban delicacy that takes some pre-planning. Since this dish-for-two takes a full sixty minutes to prepare, call ahead and order Paella Valenciana ($35.99) by phone before your arrival. The Cuban interpretation of this rice dish mixes chicken, shrimp, clams, mussels and grouper. While the flavor is anything but traditional, the dish is a lavish treat you can give yourself and your sweetie.

The most popular dishes at Fuego Latino are their assortment of Fajitas- -Vegetable ($8.99), Chicken ($10.99), Steak ($11.99), Chicken and Steak combo ($12.99), Shrimp ($13.99), and the Fuego Fajita (Chicken, Steak and Shrimp) ($16.99). The table presentation of these sizzling platters is a sense sensation—steam, aroma, and crackling hot. It’s garnished with tomato, sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole, plus a stack of warm tortillas. Fast, fresh, and fragrant.

A unique feature here is the Fuego Latino Cantina. For $30 per week, businesses and individuals can select one meal a day, Monday through Friday, from a rota ting set of seven entrées per day plus up to three side dishes from a ten-side dish selection. Among the choices are Pork Chops, Ground Beef Casserole, ½ Chicken, Palomilla Steak, Ropa Vieja, Beef Stew, Chicken Breast, Breaded Chicken Filet, Pork Chunks, or Grouper Fillet–all served with rice, beans, yucca, sweet plantains, chicken soup, chicharos, ajiaco, lentejas, and/ or mixed vegetables. For six dollars a day, can you afford not to eat at Fuego Latino?

It’s a relaxed, clean and fun atmosphere here, where you’ll feel like family even if you’ve never been to Habana or habla español. Come early and tell them Florida Agenda sent you.

OAKLAND PARK – Deputies from Broward Sheriff ’s Office (BSO) Oakland Park division are inviting the community to take part in fundraising events to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

On Monday, April 16, deputies will trade in their handcuffs and badges for serving aprons and drink trays at La Bamba Restaurant in Oakland Park (4245 N Federal Hwy.) for a Tip-a-Cop fundraiser to benefit the Relay for Life.

Deputies will collect tips from restaurant guests between 5 and 10 p.m.

OAKLAND PARK – A local health and fitness entrepreneur is throwing down the gauntlet, metaphorically speaking, to motivate residents to shed their excess weight, and to do it for a good cause. “One in three Americans is either overweight or obese, making us the fattest nation in the world,” says Peter Jackson of Push Fitness.

To get residents off their couches and onto their feet, Jackson has organized the “Body Beach Challenge.”

“This is a grassroots effort to get people in our community to lose weight safely and make changes to live a healthier lifestyle,” Jackson says.

The Body Beach Challenge is an eightweek- long community-wide weight loss program targeting men, women and children aged 15 to 80 years old, whom Jackson would like to see shed their excess weight. The Challenge will kick off on April 7 and run through June 2–just in time for the arrival of summer.

Part of the event’s proceeds will benefit the 2012 Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival. In addition, prizes will be awarded to the winners.

Jackson says his goal is to set up the participants to succeed, with an April 7 initial meeting at Push Fitness, at 1098 Floranada Road in Oakland Park. Participants will have their weight recorded and body fat measured. Those measurements will be taken again on Saturday, June 2. The individual with the most dramatic improvement— which will include average weight loss and body fat percentage decrease–will be declared the winner, with the grand prize including a $400 personal training package at Push Fitness.

“The $25 registration fee benefits the 2012 Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival,” notes Jackson. Those who take part will also receive a Body Transformation Guide with weight loss and healthy living guidelines, as well as a spiral bound Daily Exercise and Nutrition Guidebook. For more information and to register, visit pushfitnessftl.com.

OAKLAND PARK, FL – The City of Oakland Park issued a proclamation recognizing World AIDS Day at last week’s city commission meeting. After a unanimous vote approving the proclamation by the city commission, the proclamation was presented by Oakland Park Mayor Suzanne Boisvenue to Michael Albetta, Chair Ameritus of the Florida LGBT Democratic Caucus, and AIDS activist Michael Rajner of the Florida LGBT Democratic Caucus and Sheriff’s Council for Diversity and Equal Opportunity.

World AIDS Day is December 1.

To see a video of the presentation of the proclamation, visit our facebook page at www.facebook.com/FloridaAgenda.

OAKLAND PARK, FL – A Short Sale Seminar will be held on November 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Oakland Park Library, 1298 NE 37 Street in Oakland Park.

This seminar on short sales will show you ways to save your credit.

Lanham & Associates realtor and foreclosure expert, Leida Alicea, will moderate this seminar with expert guest speakers to answer all of your questions. Experts on this topic will include: Florida State Representative for District 91, George Moraitis, Jr.; paralegal Patricia Salois; short sale negotiator Brian Karney; Ivette Lipp from FEMBi Mortgage; and local landscape design professional Luis Llenza.

The seminar will cover: Why you want to avoid foreclosure; what a short sale is and how long it takes; documents required to initiate a short sale; and the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act of 2007, among other pertinent topics.

If you wish to attend this seminar, call (954) 530-8198 or email leida.alicea@lanhamassociates.com. Space is limited to 60 people so please respond as early as you can.

OAKLAND PARK, FL – The Pet Project has welcomed back Michael Mulheron as the new Associate Director/Resource Development Specialist. Mulheron, who had served previously as Director of Fundraising, will now direct all resource development funding streams such as corporate and individual donations/gifts, fundraising special events, sponsorships, partnerships and grants. In addition, Mulheron will steer the organizations marketing and advertising, special event planning, and act as a liaison to the community.

“I’m truly excited to be back with such a great organization as the Pet Project.

As an owner of two dogs myself, I know first-hand how expensive it is to own and maintain an animal, so I can whole heartily get behind and see the value of the Pet Project’s mission to keep pets and their owners together during a health related or financial crisis,” said Mulheron.

The Pet Project is a charitable organization that helps to serve the needs of Broward and Miami-Dade county pet owners infected/affected by HIV/AIDS and other terminal diseases or other disabilities, as well as senior citizens with qualifying low income by providing comprehensive services designed to enable them to care for their animal companions.

By Rick Gibson

When I first moved to Fort Lauderdale, I was told, “It’s a perfect grid system” and did not understand. I did not understand how a “perfect grid system” could be interrupted by canals, bridges, railroad tracks, a “thing” called the Intracoastal, and streets that went into winding loops and suddenly into straight lines again.

Then I learned that there are not one, but two cities completely surrounded by Fort Lauderdale (Oakland Park and Wilton Manors), and if you include Lazy Lake, it could be said there are three.  There is an intersection we know as “Five Points” where not four, but five streets meet in this “perfect grid.” NE 4th Avenue suddenly becomes Wilton Drive, and just when you think you “get it,” the same street becomes “Flying L Drive” (named after the Fort Lauderdale High School football team incidentally).  Sunrise Blvd. just decides to become Federal and then changes its mind and goes on its separate way again. If you want to mess with someone who just moved here, tell them it is a “perfect grid system.” If you want to make a friend, tell them it’s not. I’m telling you it’s not.

This is very important when buying and selling real estate here. The buyers must understand what they are buying and where they are buying, or in my experience, they will not buy. Sellers need to understand the particular changes in their neighborhoods relative to others because they all gentrify and change price points at different rates. It can be said this is all quite complex. Like most things that are complex, it can be easiest to understand as a sum of its “parts.”  In real estate, those “parts” are our neighborhoods, or in real estate jargon, they are “subdivisions.”

Each subdivision could be thought of as its own little city in a way, and each one having a particular style, income level, demography, distance from the Atlantic, and countless other qualities the most significant of which may be price. If you have a child, you may want the “A rated” schools in Coral Ridge or Victoria Park.   If you are an avid yachtsman, then you will want to be anywhere from Coral Ridge to the Isles of Venice to Sailboat Bend, but you will probably not want to have any fixed bridges. If you are an investor, you may choose the fastest changing neighborhoods with the highest cash flow like South Middle River and Lauderdale Manors between Wilton Manors and Downtown. The good news is our subdivisions make everything much simpler, so my advice is to get to know them, and try to focus on the positive aspects of each one.

For the LGBT community, the “sense” of community can be of the utmost importance, especially since we are in fact a minority, even though at times in Wilton Manors on Halloween or at Gay Pride that may not seem true. To be close to people who share your values and help you to feel comfortable, especially as we get older, is one of the most important considerations for any buyer, and that does not only hold true for the LGBT community.

For the LGBT community, the City of Wilton Manors is well known to have one of the highest per capita concentrations of LGBT people in the United States and so therefore could be considered the “heart” of our LGBT community in a way. But this is not the rule, and it would be a mistake to not consider spectacular neighborhoods surrounding cities too.

At one time, I was showing a property to some incredibly charismatic clients from London and the home happened to be in Poinsettia Heights, a nice subdivision of Fort Lauderdale. My client looked at the woman on the couch, who was in curlers, and asked “May I ask you a personal question?”

The whole room stopped, as she looked up and said, “Why of course.”

He then asked her “Do you consider this a very ‘gay friendly’ neighborhood?”

I will never forget how stunned she looked before she laughed and said, “I don’t really have a choice now do I, since I am outnumbered three to one!” Well, although her observation does not hold up statistically for Poinsettia Heights, it does show the importance to those savvy buyers, and how savvy the seller was to acknowledge that importance.

Neighborhoods and their differences is one of my favorite topics, and they are more important here than anywhere I have ever lived. We have an incredibly diverse community and region. Rather than be confused by all the differences between neighborhoods, like the differences in each other, we can instead embrace those differences and learn as much as we can about each one. I hope you will try to notice the subtle and not so subtle differences between all of our neighborhoods, not just the one where you live. People live in all of them, and they are all home to someone. Perhaps they are a lot like you.

Rick Gibson is a Realtor®, CDPE, CIAS, and Managing Partner of Gibson Group Property Management, LLC. Rick can be reached at rickginfla@aol.com.

OAKLAND PARK, FL – In a written statement, Oakland Park Mayor Suzanne Boisvenue stated that despite the challenging economic times the country is facing and the collapse of the real estate market, the city of Oakland Park and its elected officials believe that the city is adhering to a “vision which will continue to improve the community and spark a rebirth of the downtown district and surrounding areas.”

Boisvenue contends that the city’s officials and residents are enthusiastic about the Oakland Park Redevelopment Agency (CRA) which emphasizes five main aspirations: downtown redevelopment, connections to the

downtown district, strengthening neighborhoods, increasing green space and increasing attainable housing opportunities.

The statement also confirmed that city has secured more than $30 million in funding for capital improvement projects over the past ten years.
“I recall how Oakland Park was synonymous with flooding for many years and it seemed like staff had to provide sandbags every time it rained,” said Boisvenue. “During the past few rainy seasons, our streets and neighborhoods have been dry and free of flooding due to the many successful drainage projects. It is incredible to walk into our new downtown Jaco Pastorius Park and see thousands of people enjoying the Oktoberfest or the PrideFest celebrations where nearly 9,000 people attended.”

Gary Lanham is one of the new business owners and credited the city staff for allowing a rapid permitting process, approval and move-in to become operational quickly. Lanham’s business joins the ongoing revitalization taking place in Oakland Park, bringing jobs and retail traffic to the downtown district.

“I live in The Corals neighborhood,” notes Lanham who has also served as president of his neighborhood association. “I selected Main Street because of the continued ease of doing business in Oakland Park.”

The city has recently acquired an old shopping center on the corner of N.E. 12 Avenue and N.E. 38 Street with plans to turn the property into a landscaped parking lot and the plans for G Resort to build on the old Gibby’s Restaurant property continues to move forward.

“We continue to transform our downtown into a walkable, workable and enjoyable destination where we welcome everyone,” concluded Boisvenue. “We see our downtown district as a vibrant and compact urban area that will foster smart growth and stimulate continued economic development.”