Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wilton Manors as of Monday rose 30% to 110 since a week ago. Last week that number stood at 85. In Oakland Park confirmed cases rose to 87 from 77 last week.

Summer 2017 is over, schools are back in session, the Fall holidays are fast approaching, and life here in Wilton Manors has just kicked it up a notch. Yes folks, it’s time for my annual warning that Christmas is just around the corner. Think I am crazy? Well, the next few months are jammed packed with activity; and if you think 2017 has been racing by, hold on to your hat because the ride is about to get a lot faster.
As our city government, along with local non-profits, schools, and others swing back into action from a slower summer pace, calendars have been filling up fast. After September, we have the Jewish Holidays, then Halloween, Thanksgiving, and right into the Christmas holiday season and the end of the year. Before you know it, we will be singing Old Lang Syne and 2018 will be well on its way.

As my household gets ready to celebrate my birthday, another year older, passing the mid fifty range and getting ever so close to sixty, I let my mind wander back over the past year. My thoughts keep going back to the opening words of a speech that Queen Elizabeth II gave in 1992, dubbed the “Annus Horribilis” speech. Replacing 1992 with 2017, I will take the liberty of plagiarizing Her Majesty’s words:

Sitting down this week to write my article, many thoughts are swirling around inside my mind. There is definitely no shortage of topics to write about here in Wilton Manors, such as the upcoming local elections for our Mayor and two City Commissioner seats, the narrowing of Wilton Drive, the adoption of the new city budget for fiscal year 2016/2017 which begins on October 1, much local chatter about Police Department practices toward LGBT officers highlighted in the New Times article and also the department’s fine handling of the Jungwirth affair. On top of all that, now that September is almost over, it is time for my annual warning of the fast approaching holiday season. Time to get moving on all the items not yet checked off your ‘2016 To-Do list’ because 2017 is just around the corner my friends. 

This past week I found myself listening to music sung by Edith Pilaf and other Parisian chanteuses. At first I just thought it was accidental, just enjoying some music of the past. However, as the week went on and still I was listening, singing along, and humming tunes while working, I began to think that something else must be going on.

Recently I spent my Saturday afternoon at the Veterans Day event hosted by the City of Wilton Manors, a fitting tribute to the many men and women who have served in the military of our great nation and deserve our unequivocal gratitude and respect. No one should ever overlook, minimize, or forget their bravery, sacrifices, and service to protect our essential American values, freedom, and way of life.

With my housemates away for two weeks, my plan was to rest and relax then perhaps do some projects around the house. My anticipated quiet time came up against a Category 5 hurricane named Irma, and Irma definitely had center stage.

This past week in Wilton Manors was the usual summer break for our City Commission, with the first commission meeting of August cancelled by vote of our Mayor and City Commissioners. While this was undoubtedly good news to city staff who also enjoyed a break from the usual build-up to a regularly scheduled commission meeting, it might be bad news for Robert Boo, CEO of the Pride Center.

Those of us who work our schedules around the second and fourth Tuesday of each month being a Wilton Manors City Commission meeting had to find something else to do this past week.

In keeping with the Island City tradition, our City Commissioners voted to cancel the first scheduled City Commission meeting in August for summer break.

As I sit down to write this article, three thoughts are running through my head: trains, marijuana, and Marc Hansen.

Most of us growing up were taught that American democracy, our institutions, and our shared values had somewhat of a sacred character. Americans, no matter if you were Conservative, Liberal, Republican, Democrat, Catholic, Protestant, White, Black, Hispanic, Male, Female, no matter your background, we were all still part of a special place called the United States of America.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

As I sit down to write my article on the eve of our city’s Stonewall Pride Festival, we here in Wilton Manors have plenty to be proud of. This past week has reinforced my pride in our city, our community, and within myself. 

Even though Domenico Cimarosa and Giovanni Bertati wrote their comic opera “El Matrimonio Secreto” (“The Secret Marriage”) more than 225 years ago, the production opening Florida Grand Opera’s (FGO) season this weekend will seem very familiar to Miami audiences.

This week read about Éric Zemmour of France being sued for discrimination against LGBT people, and the murder of a trans woman sparking outrage in China.

In the pantheon of queer comic strips, especially those that ran in LGBT publications, certain names instantly come to mind including Alison Bechdel (“Dykes to Watch Out For”), Howard Cruse (“Wendel”), Diane DiMassa (“Hothead Paisan”), and, of course, Tim Barela (“Leonard & Larry”).

Several people are upset and have written to SFGN over the tag “WTF?!?” as part of a headline in an art review. Angry they are.  

Recent events involving two local businesses, Trump supporters, and harsh backlash spread across social media left me pondering, “How did we get to such a point of incivility?”

This article started out as a tribute to our long-serving City Commissioner Tom Green.

One of my favorite stories is of a rabbinical scholar whose students believe they have him trapped in an intellectual crossfire.

I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need to make my wish come true, and that is a return to democracy here in our great United States.

The phrase coined by the late House Speaker Tip O’Neil, “All politics are local,” seems not to be the case here in the great State of Florida.

On the night of Jan. 9 as I drove home from work, having finished the evening shift, I was somewhat surprised to see a well-known private club open with parking lots near full capacity. Many other businesses were equally thriving at this wee hour of the morning.

Holding back from tossing myself into the fray caused by the proclamation coming out of Fort Lauderdale City Hall last week, I will turn my attention to springtime and all its wonder.

Many Islanders have been keeping late hours over the past few days.

One would like to hear that COVID is in the decline, that life is returning to our normal crazy pace and that all can go out and enjoy the holiday season.

This week’s city commission meeting on Tuesday night had a few surprises for us Island City political junkies.

A somewhat outdated phrase from days gone by, used to express surprise and astonishment.

Beware all those who think that the court jester is but just a fool — for that fool is he who is in charge.