South Florida Sun Sentinel du lieu suivant : Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Page 27

Sun-Sentinel, Thursday. January 17, 1991 3B IVJUYRO EXTRA Cuts eliminate foster care jobs Social service officials, parents protest staff losses, transfer in the state. "We were the hardest hit, and we're least able to afford said John Barron, president of the Foster Parent Association of Broward County Inc. The association, which represents most of the nearly 400 foster homes in Broward, has taken state officials to task for making the cuts without input from local foster parents and officials. "These cuts are going to cause further abuse of these children, who have already been abused," said Kathy Ra-mage, treasurer of the association.

"I'm just worried about how many children we're going to lose with these cuts." The foster care network takes in orphans, victims of abuse and children who are removed from their parents and placed in state custody for other reasons. They are placed with surrogate parents who are paid by the state to care for the children. The case managers monitor Broward's 1,600 foster children by meeting with the children, their natural parents, foster parents, doctors and school officials to monitor the care foster children are given. "The case managers need to see those kids frequently to make sure everything is OK, and things are going along well," said Alan Pavloff, administrator of the foster care program in Broward, who was removed from his job as part of the changes. However, even before the cuts, Broward did not have enough case managers to properly monitor all of the foster children, parents and officials said.

Case managers should monitor the children at least once a month while handling an average load of perhaps 22 cases, officials and foster parents said. Broward's managers there are 57 left sometimes handle as many as 30 to 50 cases, officials said. The children are monitored once every two or three months, parents said. In a letter last week, the Foster Parent Association blasted Gov. Lawton Chiles for ordering what they consider a disproportionate number of cuts in Broward's foster care system.

The association is also upset about Pavloff's transfer. "Mr. Pavloff is probably the best thing to happen to foster care in Broward County in a long time," Barron said. Pavloff took over as foster care ad-, ministrator in Broward in October and has been credited with bringing vast improvement to a rotting system. Before he took over, the system routinely failed to detect and protect abused foster children, parents said.

His departure and the cuts signal a return to such problems, and perhaps worse, they said. "The worst thing that could happen," Barron said, "is someone could die." By AVIDO D. KHAHAIFA Staff Writer State budget cuts have ripped another hole in Broward County's foster care network, and abused children are likely to fall through it. Foster parents and workers in the system are lamenting the loss this month of six workers in Broward, who monitored and helped foster children, and the transfer of a key foster-care administrator. The six were among 22 case manager jobs eliminated statewide this month during a sweep of the state's Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services.

Without them, the network will have a more difficult time detecting when children are being abused while in foster care. The cuts were made even though social services officials say Broward handles the largest load of foster children DIGEST Staff reports Dade officer shot A Metro-Dade police officer was shot in a shoulder during an attempted robbery in a north Dade County neighborhood east of Joe Robbie Stadium late Wednesday night, police said. Shortly before 11 p.m., police officers responded to an attempted robbery near Northwest 199th Street and Ninth Avenue, about three-quarters of a mile south of the Broward County line. The police officer who was shot was not immediately identified, Cmdr. Lou Diecidue said.

A witness who lives at the intersection where the shooting occurred said the shooting began at an adult bookstore a few blocks north on State Road 7. The suspects fled south and encountered police. The injured officer was in satifactory condition early today at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Man killed in robbery DANIA A businessman was shot to death on Wednesday night while two employees looked on, police said. Dimos Nikitas, 42, of Hollywood, was working about 7 p.m.

in the office of his business, Olympic Insulators, in a warehouse complex at 1210 Stirling Road. An armed robber and another person entered through the unlocked front door, Broward Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Leljedal said. The armed man demanded money and then fired a single shot. Police have not determined whether the robbers were given any money, he said. The witnesses could give police little information because the crime happened so quickly, Leljedal said.

"They barged in, demanded money and fired a shot in rapid order," Leljedal said. Nikitas was treated by paramedics and died at Memorial Hospital in Hollywood. Body found in canal DAVIE A decomposed body was found floating in a drainage canal on Wednesday in the far western part of the city, police said. Police were not able to immediately determine the sex or age of the person because the body was so badly decomposed, police spokeswoman Christine Murray said. Passers-by noticed the body floating in a canal along Orange Drive near Southwest 140th Avenue about 6:30 p.m., Murray said.

The remains will be taken to the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office. Repairs to close street Sheridan Street underneath Interstate 95 will close at 10 p.m. today until 6 a.m. on Friday during bridge work. One lane of northbound 1-95 between Hollywood Boulevard and the canal south of Taft Street will close from midnight Friday It Police suspend sergeant Female deputy filed complaint VJ i r- I "V' i By KEVIN DAVIS Staff Writer A Broward Sheriff's Office sergeant on Wednesday was suspended for one day after an internal affairs investigation found he made inappropriate comments to a female deputy while trying to show her a pornographic magazine.

Sgt. Brett Sagenkahn was suspended for one day without pay, and two lieutenants were reprimanded for not handling the initial investigation appropri-ately, Maj. Ralph Page said on Wednesday. The woman deputy had complained about Sagenkahn after she transferred to District 1, which covers southeast Broward County, on Sept. 6.

Her name was withheld because of the nature of the charges. It is the same district where there is an investigation into allegations that deputies persuaded the clerk of a Circle store to have sex with them in exchange for protection. One deputy was fired in connection with that investigation, and a second has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the Inquiry. Reprimanded in the Sagenkahn case were lieutenants Diane Stanton and Robert Baton. Page said the internal affairs report found they did not handle the matter properly after it was brought to their attention.

until 10 a.m. on Saturday while the guardrail is repaired. The entrance ramp to northbound 1-95 at Staff photoCARL SEIBERT Bob Devaney of Parkland surveys his property, covered in several inches of water after recent rains. Inadequate drainage system leaves property under water All three can appeal the action, Page said. The female deputy complained about Sagenkahn after she transferred to his district.

She said that Sagenkahn made inappropriate comments to her, tried to show her pictures in a magazine, and warned "don't let me put the hammer said. The city's canal system was originally built for irrigation purposes for the farmers in the area. While there are still some farmers in Parkland who use the system for irrigation, most residents use it for drainage, City Manager Harry Mertz said. The Devaneys have had two city engineers visit their home. The engineers suggested layering the property with fill, which would cost about $25,000 to $30,000 to lessen the flooding.

"We are trying to get the North Springs Improvement District to clear the canals and interconnect them to the Hillsboro canal where everything spills into," Joanne Devaney said. Mertz said the city routinely cleans the canals so they are open to collect rainwater, but it is not enough. "There is no doubt that the entire drainage system needs to be addressed," Mertz said. grazing is difficult for the horses. When the water does not dissipate quickly, the horses are left sloshing around, she said.

"The water abuses their feet. It becomes painful for the horses and expensive for us," Joanne Devaney said. "It costs a lot to raise and take care of them. You really don't like to see them get stuck in the mud." They are also bothered by swarms of mosquitoes clustering around standing water. Marvin Berger of the Broward County Public Health Unit, said the mosquitoes are a potential health hazard.

The property is sprayed routinely for mosquitoes, especially since the encephalitis outbreak earlier this year. "If it is stagnant water, then they need to have it sprayed. If there is mosquito breeding, like they say, then that might be a problem," Berger By LAUREN D. GLASSBERG Staff Writer PARKLAND When it rains at Bob and Joanne Devaney's home, ponds and mosquitoes suddenly appear. On Wednesday, their four horses searched for grass hidden under several inches of water.

The horses will be searching under water for the next week, which is about how long the water stays before it drains away or is absorbed by the soil, the Devaneys said. The Devaneys are frustrated that an insufficient drainage system allows water to accumulate in the Ranches neighborhood, the oldest and most rural in the city. When the rain collects, it is impossible to enjoy their property on Northwest 87th Avenue. They worry about fertilizer and contaminants spreading from the disruption of the soil, and down on you. The female deputy's attorney, Tony Alfero, sent a letter to Col.

Ed Werder on Oct. 18 asking that the alleged har-rassment stop. Alfero sent another letter on Nov. 16 after no action was taken, and threatened to sue. Sagenkahn, who works the 11 p.m.

to 7 a.m! shift, could not be reached for comment late on Wednesday. Hollywood Boulevard will close from 10 p.m. Friday until 10 a.m. Saturday. Developers sue Davie DAVIE The developers of a proposed truck stop want a judge to order the town to allow construction to begin.

Amerifirst Real Estate Group Wil-lard Drew, and Fernando Dalmau filed a lawsuit in Broward Circuit Court on Tuesday challenging the town's decision to revoke an approval of the truck stop. Town Council members on Dec. 19 reversed a September decision that approved the truck stop, planned near Interstate 595 and Southwest 136th Avenue. The truck stop had raised protests from residents in the nearby Shenandoah neighborhood who feared it would increase traffic, noise and crime in the area. The lawsuit seeks more than $1 million in damages, and asks a judge to order the town to issue building and development permits for the property.

Grand jury to get case A Broward County grand jury will examine the case of a Broward Sheriff's Office deputy who apparently arrested a Boca Raton businessman on a battery charge and then freed him without any charges being filed, a prosecutor said on Wednesday. Investigators have been looking at allegations that a member of Sheriff Nick Navarro's exclusive advisory council helped squelch the arrest of John Garrett, part owner of the Vilda B. De Porro shop in Palm Beach. Sheriff's Office records reflect conflicting accounts of the Garrett case. One report states that Deputy Vincent Fortunato arrested Garrett while he was having a roadside spat with his wife in October.

Another, also written by Fortunato, states that Garrett was never arrested. Assistant State Attorney T. Don TenBrook said he would present the case to the grand jury on Jan. 31. Robber holds up bank MIRAMAR A man who said he had a gun robbed the Sun Eank branch at 8250 Mira-mar Parkway at noon on Wednesday.

Though witnesses did not sec a gun, the thief gave a note to a teller that road, "Give me the money or I'll shoot," police spokesman Lt. Chuck Febro said. The teller put an undisclosed amount of cash In a manila envelope and gave lt to the man, who fled on foot, Febro said. Police described the suspect as a black man In his late 20s, 5-feet-8-inches to 5-feet-10-Inches tall and 160 to 200 pounds. He was wearing a beige shirt, blue pants and baseball cap.

Ills face is pock-marked, Too Much Joy on trial in obscene-song case Band charged with singing 2 Live Crew lyrics f'V. -rZTQ v- vVi V' C'i V3 1 Vs v'- ii including Me So Horny, If You Believe In Having Sex and Dirty Nursery Rhymes. "The state intends to prove that these songs were patently offensive and appealed to the morbid or shameful interest in sex," Countryman said. Countryman recited the lyrics in a monotone voice for the jury of three men and three women. The three attorneys for Too Much Joy claim the group came to Club Futura to protest the arrest of the Crew and censorship.

They also told jurors that the people attending the concert were adults who had paid money to attend the show. "They were protecting the trampling of the First Amendment," said Ed Sa-lantrie, representing group member Jay Blumenfield, 24. "It was a political rally," said Ilil-liard Moldof, an attorney representing band member Timothy Quirk; 25. By BARBARA WALSH Staff Writer It was a case of deja vu in Broward Circuit Judge June L. Johnson's courtroom on Wednesday as a six-member Jury listened to attorneys argue about whether a performance of 2 Live Crew's sexually explicit lyrics was obscene.

Three months after a jury acquitted 2 Live Crew of performing an obscene show, three members of Too Much Joy, a New York group, are on trial on the same charge. On Aug. 10 the group sang six songs from the Crew's As Nasty As They Wanna Be album at Club Futura, the same Hollywood club where the Crew was arrested on June 10 on charges of singing the same tunes. Prosecutor John Countryman told jurors that Too Much Joy broke the law when it sang the sexually explicit songs, Staff photoSUSAN Q. STOCKER Left to right: Attorney Milliard Moldof listens in court with clients, Too Much Joy lead singer Timothy Quirk and bassist Alexander Smallcns.

Some of the eight Broward sheriff's If band members Blumenfield, Quirk deputies who attended the concert, and Alexander Smallcns, 24, are con-armed with minicassette recorders and victed of the misdemeanor crime, they a video camera, tcstifd for the state would face a minimum sentence of oti on Wednesday. year in jail and a $1,000 fine..