FLORIDA DIGEST December 05, 2008

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~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Julie Carson appointed Wilton Manors City Commissioner
Becomes first openly lesbian to sit on City Commission Wilton Manors has a long tradition of GLBT firsts in politics and now another barrier has been broken with the appointment of Julie Carson as the first openly lesbian woman to sit on the Wilton Manors City Commission. When Gary Resnick was elected mayor of the city on November 4th, it left his former commission seat vacant; Julie Carson was unanimously appointed by the other city commissioners to fill that seat until the next election was held on February 10, 2009.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/news/localnews/5335.cfm

-Massive AIDS quilt display in Lake Worth
Largest collection of panels in Florida
Lake Worth hosted the largest display of the AIDS Names Project Quilt in the state commemorating World AIDS Day. Organizers planned for the panels to be displayed outside on the church's lawn, but the threatening weather necessitated the move indoors-a good move it was, as many who passed through the sanctuary at Calgary First United Methodist Church commented that it looked as if the church was filled with the spirits of those represented on the panels.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/news/localnews/5355.cfm

-Preachers protest adoption ruling
Conservative preachers upheld many of the same stereotypes that were refuted in trial
A group of conservative preachers representing the Christian Coalition said they support removing adopted children of gay parents from stable homes, rather than let a ruling stand that overturns the Florida's anti-gay adoption law. The group, led by Rev. Paul Carbalho, held a press conference at the Wayside Baptist Church in Kendall Wednesday to protest Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman's ruling that favored Frank Martin Gill, a gay man from North Miami who petitioned to adopt two half brothers he fostered since 2004. In a 53-page decision, Lederman said that there is no rational basis for the 30-year-old law, known to be the most restrictive adoption law in the nation. The Florida Attorney General's office filed notice to appeal Lederman's ruling. Carbalho was joined by the leaders of three other churches including Nathaniel Wilcox, among the most vociferous anti-gay agitators in Miami-Dade County. "We would like the adoption law to stay in position," Carbalho said. "We don't want to experiment with children, and [Gill's family] is an experimental family."
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/news/localnews/5332.cfm


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Dolphin Democrats Annual Holiday Party
Wednesday, December 10 - 7:30-9:30 pm
Wilton Station Clubhouse
2605 NE 14th Ave
Wilton Manors FL
Donation $10 - Free with your paid renewal or 2009 membership
www.dophindems.org


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From Sunshine Cathedral
http://sunshinecathedral.org/

-Our Sunshine Cathedral Music Ministry will present "tonight, heaven touches earth" on Sunday, December 7th, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $20 and are available in Simply Divine Books and Things, from any choir member or online by clicking here. A special treat for the evening will be a live nativity starting at 6:00 pm in front of the Cathedral on 9th Ave.

-Lambda Chorale to deliver holiday 'Fruit and Nuts'
The South Florida Lambda Chorale's Wednesday, December 10th, concert at Fort Lauderdale's Sunshine Cathedral MCC promises to be a beautiful, nostalgic and fun-filled mixture of holiday music - hence its name, "Fruit and Nuts". The concert will begin at 8:00 pm, Wednesday, December 10th, at the Sunshine Cathedral MCC, 1480 SW 9th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets - at just $15 each - for "Fruit and Nuts" are available in advance through chorale members, by calling 1-888-WE-SING-4-U (1-888-937-4644), or online at www.lambdachorale.com. They will also be available at the door on the day of the performance.

-Kevin Brown, Rose Patterson, and Sonia Mitchell ask that you sign up to adopt a child for Christmas. Go to the Social Hall after worship and select a child's name, and then bring your unwrapped gift to the church to make a child's holiday joyous. Kevin, Rose, and Sonia will be working with Jack and Jill Day Care, Kids in Distress, and other local organizations to make sure children will have a smile on their faces at Christmas. For additional information, speak with someone after worship in the Social Hall or contact Kevin Brown, kevin@sunshinecathedral.org.


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From Anthony Niedwiecki Campaign for Oakland Park City Commission Campaign
Come to a Holiday Homes Tour After-Party!
Oakland Park Main Street is hosting a "Holiday Homes Tour" this Saturday, December 6. The tour will feature homes around the City of Oakland Park that are decorated for the Holiday Season. After the tour, Anthony will open his house for a campaign fundraiser to celebrate the holidays with friends, neighbors, and supporters.
Saturday December 6, 2008 - 6:00-8:00 pm
At the home of Anthony Niedwiecki and Waymon Hudson
5280 NE 1st Terrace
Oakland Park, FL 33334
(Suggested donation between $20 and $250)
Come enjoy food, drinks, and Holiday Cheer! We will be collecting non-perishable food items to be donated to a local food bank for the holiday season. Please bring what you can.
RSVP at (954) 319-5249 or email anthony@anthony09.com
Visit www.Anthony09.com for more details!


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Florida Steps in Early, and Troubled Teenagers Respond
Sarah Cooksey, 30, and her husband, Tom, are firefighters, and Sarah is an emergency medical technician as well. "I run into burning buildings and help people in the deepest crises," she said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/us/05teen.html?ref=us


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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Underage girl is second to sue Palm Beach billionaire
Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, serving time in jail for soliciting erotic massages and sexual acts from underage girls, had another lawsuit filed against him for the same allegations. The suit filed this week by Palm Beach Gardens attorney Spencer Kuvin is the seventh such suit against the investment banker and registered sex offender. It is the second one Kuvin filed against him.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpepstein1205pndec05,0,4263602.story


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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-TRAFFIC: Tolls on I-95 off to good start, FHP says
After months of preparation by state troopers and traffic engineers, a new toll system is up and running for special northbound lanes on Interstate 95.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/800594.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-CAMPAIGN 2010 | U.S. SENATE: Alex Sink may face Jeb Bush in Senate race
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said she might run for U.S. Senate seat, even if former Gov. Jeb Bush runs.
http://www.miamiherald.com/486/story/800127.html

-Will Broward Democrats Ditch Mitch?
Supporters of former Congressman Peter Deutsch's efforts to take over Broward's Democratic Party from Mitch Ceasar wore ''Ditch Mitch'' buttons at Deutsch's town hall meeting at an AFL-CIO office in Plantation tonight. About 100 showed up to hear Deutsch Thursday -- most of them appeared to support replacing Ceasar after 12 years at the helm.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2008/12/will-broward-de.html

-Man Friday: Run, Jeb, Run
The GOP needs that Bush in the Senate. In January 2007, when Jeb Bush stepped down after two terms as governor of Florida, he had cut taxes, enacted the most extensive public school reform in any state, restructured health care and, after dealing with some three dozen hurricanes and tropical storms, earned high marks for crisis management. In a state in which Democrats outnumber Republicans, Bush held an approval rating of an astonishing 63%.
http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/12/04/jeb-bush-senate-oped-cx_pr_1205robinson.htmleter

-Florida Elections Commission rules Dania's Evan Jenne violated donation limits
Each gave $500 more than is allowed by law
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/dania_beach/sfl-flfjenne1205sbdec05,0,5680094.story

-GOP boots a supremacist
No one person - especially an obnoxious person who ignores the rules - is bigger than a political party. That's the lesson Derek Black, son of former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Don Black of West Palm Beach, got Wednesday night when the Republican Party of Palm Beach County refused to seat Mr. Black and nine others on the executive committee. Though the 10 won seats in the Aug. 26 primary, each failed to sign a partisan loyalty oath on time.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/12/05/a16a_black_edit_1205.html

-Fla. rep. hung up Obama's call twice Republican thought the calls were radio show pranks
First she hung up on President-elect Barack Obama - twice. Now Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is fielding calls from angry constituents who think she did it on purpose. The Miami congresswoman says she and the Democrat had a good laugh Wednesday after she apologized profusely for assuming his calls were a prank. "I was just flabbergasted," Ros-Lehtinen said Thursday.
"I just hung up on the most powerful man on earth - twice."
http://www.bradenton.com/331/story/1076795.html

-Miami-Dade makes lenders maintain vacant foreclosures
Miami-Dade passed new local laws this week to rein in rot on abandoned homes and protect buyers.
http://www.miamiherald.com/103/story/800110.html

-Florida drops four spots to No. 45 in America's Health Rankings survey
Florida received its health report card from America's Health Rankings, and the news is not good. The Sunshine State came in at No. 45 in the annual survey released Wednesday.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20081205/NEWS/812051007/1002/NEWS01?Title=Florida_drops_four_spots_to_No__45__in_America_s_Health_Rankings_survey


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Local10.com
http://www.Local10.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Shred-A-Thon Keeps Dumpster Divers At Bay
Let's face it, paperwork piles up. Sometimes shredding seems like such a time consuming job. There's so much to fit through a tiny slot. If you don't do it, though, who knows what will happen. "It ends up in the trash. You get a dumpster diver and the next thing you know, you bought a car on the west coast of the county or something," said Scott Boynton with Unishred. Boynton said there is a free and easy alternative to shredding by hand. Unishred and the Broward County Sheriff's Department are pairing up on Saturday Dec. 6 at the Lauderdale Lakes City Hall, 4300 N.W. 36th St., to host a shred-a-thon. The event will run from 9 a.m. until noon. You can bring your boxes, stick them in a locked container and watch your stuff dissolve into bits and pieces through a monitor. "The objective is that the material -- once it gets into the locked container -- it's not touched. It remains in the locked container until it's shredded," said Boynton. It takes minutes to do and deputies said it can save you years of hassle if your identity is stolen. It's also good for the environment. "The next time this paper comes back around it's gonna be a paper towel, or a napkin, or a household product," said Boynton.
http://www.local10.com/print/18209864/detail.html


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