South Florida Sun Sentinel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • 3

2B SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2002 LOCAL SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL Investigation into worker to expand S. Florida a filming destination DCF drunken driving in 1993, but Auslander said department officials did not learn of it until Thursday's incident. In the 1993 case, Pronga's license was revoked for 180 days, according to Department of Motor Vehicles records. According to the DCF employee handbook, any worker who is arrested must notify his or her supervisor immediately. It's unclear, however, whether that requirement was in place in 1993.

WFOR-Ch. 4 contributed to this report scream to wake Pronga, whose eyes were bloodshot and watery and who had trouble standing, according to a police report. The baby was crying in the back seat, a bottle lying outside her reach. DCF District Administrator Charles Auslander said the baby's mother did not appear for her supervised visit with the child. DCF workers saw Pronga briefly inside one of the department's buildings Thursday and said nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

Where Pronga went after she left the building is unclear. The baby was checked out Friday and returned to her foster parents without physical injuries, Auslander said. Pronga was convicted of SPOTLIGHT: Crew member Walt Lloyd focuses on David Caruso before shooting a scene for CSI: Miami.The Everglades was chosen as the filming location for the show's first episode, which will feature crime scene investigators examining a plane crash. Staff photo Taimy Alvarez CONTINUED FROM PAGE IB At 1:30 p.m; Thursday, Pronga picked up the girl from a foster home for a short, supervised visit with her mother, police and DCF officials said. She never returned.

The foster parents began trying to reach Pronga at 4 p.m. and called Miami-Dade police at 8:25 p.m. About an hour later, Coral Gables police received a call that a woman was asleep at the wheel of a Toyota Corolla in the middle of Biltmore Drive with the engine running. Officers arrived and had to bang on the window and Shannon O'Boye can be reached at or 954-356-4597. Kit 7 A Parkway memorial SOUTH FLORIDA BACKDROP MOVIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE IB more incentives to production companies.

While more stardom could mean sporadic bouts of inconvenience for locals when roads and areas are blocked off, it translates to big bucks in terms of jobs about 80 percent of the CSI: Miami crew is local, an example of the estimated 39,000 jobs the industry has generated annually here and millions companies spend locally on food, hotels, car rentals, airfare and more. The state estimates the entertainment industry generated $3:9 billion in Florida in 1999. But the effect on the area's image and tourism is immeasurable, said Bruce Singer, president of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. "You can't put a price tag on what it means from a marketing and advertising standpoint," he said. Sparks will fly in coming days in Miami-Dade on the MacArthur Causeway when crews film explosions and car chases for the start of filming the sequel to Bad Boys.

It will mean traffic maneuvering when eastbound lanes will be closed from Aug. 5 to Aug. 8. Traffic will be rerouted, and the production company will pick up the tolls for the Venetian Causeway. Gabriela Gutentag, a film spokeswoman in California, said, "We understand completely that it can be an inconvenience for local people, but with the amount of revenue a film brings in, you have to balance one against the other." Just last year, the film indus-try occupied 1,500 hotel room nights in the Fort Lauderdale area.

And a state study shows that that area, combined with Miami, created a $2.5 billion economic impact in 1999, Wentworth said. In Palm Beach County, the film and television industry brought in about 1 5 million a decade ago. Now, it generates an estimated 128 million annually through the hiring of locals as well as other money production companies spend locally. That increase is due largely to such incentives as $208,000 the county gave to help build the $5 million Palm Beach Ocean Studios, the largest in the southeastern United States, said Chuck Elderd, film commissioner for the Palm Beach Film and Television Commission. Incentives are part of the entire environment that scouts 200 cars will be involved in this film, which will entail car chases and other scenes in Miami, Miami Beach and possibly other South Florida areas.

The CBS show, CSI: Miami, is filming its first two episodes in South Beach this week after a week of filming in the Everglades. It will make periodic stops here to film more of its fall season. Voices of Vision, a television series about everyday heroes, is in production in West Palm Beach. Sources: Office of arts, culture and entertainment for City of Miami Beach, The Broward Alliance Film and Television Commission for Broward County, and the Palm Beach Film and Television Commission. Upcoming films and shows tentatively scheduled to be shot in South Florida: The sequel to Bad Boys, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

Columbia Pictures aims to start shooting Aug. 5, and from then until Aug. 8, eastbound lanes of the MacArthur Causeway will be closed. It is also scouting Broward and Palm Beach counties for possible sites. Out of Time, an MGM Studios film, starring Denzel Washington, is in production and will continue through the end of August.

Crews already have shot scenes in Hollywood, South Beach and in studios in Miami. The sequel to The Fast And The Furious is setting up crews and choosing spots to shoot throughout South Florida. About OFFERINGS IN MEMORY: These firefighter's boots serve as a grim reminder and unofficial memorial for firefighters and others lost in the Sept. 1 1 terrorist attacks. They have been standing on the Miramar Parkway overpass at Interstate 75 for almost one year.

The boots are attached to a flagpole, and a nearby fire department takes care of the flag. People have spontaneously placed the sunflowers, the little flag and the Dalmatian stuffed puppy in the boots. Staff photo Ursula E. Seemann 1 ii. mm 1 J.

I 1 eXr 4 i mlTT. fmnar'T0''0' for making the transformation into a makeshift studio easy. "Florida is very film friendly," he said. "People need to understand we are going to descend on them like a massive circus it can be a little daunting. While there can be an inconvenience we hire massive amounts of local people, spend money on car rentals, in stores, hotels, taxicabs, overtime work for police officers.

We're a great economic ecosystem because we're bringing money here, and it immediately goes back into the community." ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT like David Anthony Pizzuto say they look for when selecting sites to shoot TV shows. Pizzuto, who has homes in Miami and Los Angeles, was the assistant location manager for CSI: Miami. He chose the isolated Everglades spot for filming the show's first episode, which will feature crime scene investigators examining a plane crash. On a recent shoot, a tent was set up for a mock medical examiner complete with a dummy in a body bag, and another air-conditioned tent was filled with fake fuselage. Beyond a clearing, twisted metal, floating suitcases and sneakers surrounded a tail of an airplane stuck in the muck.

Pizzuto praised area officials $5,000 Minimum Trade Allowance Guaranteed Plus 4.9APR Available For Up To 60 Months! Jodie Needle can be reached at or 954-385-7908. Lighthouse Point, Florida attracted new car buyers who were Tom Sheehan, President of Florida'i Number 1 Pontiac GMC Truck dealership. No humor in this injustice MAYO policy" that allowed this to happen, and members are incensed over the alleged behavior of the police. "I blame the driver more than anybody else," Stewart said. "It all started because of him." Sherman Miller appears to have been a cad from the start, because what kind of man doesn't help an old lady with her bag? And then he was adamant about Like a cup of strong Cafe Cubano in the afternoon, 0 percent financing has jump started new car sales at Sheehan Pontiac and GMC Truck.

This current sales run was ignited by the return of the 0 APR financing offers from General Motors. GM launched its original 0 percent "Keep America Rolling" program after the Sept. 1 1 terrorist attacks. In a recent announcement, GM brought the similar program back for a limited time. This increase in new car sales has also brought a glut of fresh trade-ins to the used car lots at GM's New Car Franchises.

Sheehan Pontiac GMC Truck, the Number One Volume PontiacGMC Truck dealer in Florida is being forced to continue with their innovative marketing approach of guaranteeing a minimum of $5,000 for any trade brought in. Tom Sheehan, president of Sheehan Pontiac GMC Truck responded, "We started offering a minimum of $5,000 for trades to balance GM's robust financing programs for new vehicles. We soon found out that GM's Keep America Rolling program was bringing us an incredible amount of trades to our dealership. We will continue with our promise to give customers $5,000 for any trade towards the purchase of one of our pre-owned vehicles due to the continuation of the 0 factory interest rate." Burt Naylor, director of Sheehan's Used Car Truck Supercenter added, "The Zero Percent Financing program has not necessarily ready to get into a new vehicles demanded by age and mileage of their current vehicles. This has brought us many late model, low mileage trades in pristine condition." Sheehan's Pre-Owned Supercenter is giving all of their customers a minimum Guaranteed $5000 allowance for any trade they can push, pull, tow or tug in towards the purchase of any used car, truck, van or sport utility vehicle.

Skeptics may add that this marketing maneuver is not possible in todayTs slow market, but Burt Naylor, Director assures us that it is the real thing. You can be sure you'll get professional treatment and the right deal at Sheehan. Just ask Rick Schuerger, VP of Turner "Sheehan has been filling my transportation needs for years. When my daughter needed a car I called Ed Feldman. He found reliable transportation that we could trust.

My daughter loves her 1999 Daewoo Leganza." said Schuerger. "We have included every vehicle in our inventory. You won't find ON-SELECT-MODELS in our advertising" said Owner Tom Sheehan. "Recently I've heard other Dealer's Guaranteed Trade Offers but they are limited to vehicles in the showroom or select vehicles, telling me the offer is on unpopular models and hard to sell vehicles. Every customer can be assured they will get a minimum denying Stewart the same seat she had used dozens of times on dozens of buses, including the first leg of hertrip vr A 1 never known her to be a liar.

"When I heard she was arrested, I laughed," Mariley said. After hearing the details, she got angry. "It's an atrocity for something like this to happen. It's so asinine, to think that she'd be able to hurt anybody. Just look at her." Maybe the police had no choice but to remove her from the bus, but did they have to arrest her? They say yes, because the driver and manager wanted to prosecute.

The police say they acted appropriately and didn't mistreat her. She was booked on three charges, but a charge of disorderly intoxication was dropped three weeks later. Perhaps that's because Stewart doesn't drink. Then came the court case. Did the state have to go forward? Gay says yes, because Stewart rejected every plea deal, with options ranging from anger management classes to a $152 fine.

But all those offers included admitting guilt, which lawyer Jill Friedman said would preclude Stewart from taking civil action against Greyhound. And what about the state simply dropping the charges? Gay says her supervisor wouldn't go for that. So now they've got this on their hands. Hope they're happy. If this is justice, it's not only blind, but tone-deaf and dumb.

$5,000 for their trade towards the purchase of any used vehicle," Sheehan said. "We wanted to compete with the 0APR new car rate, so we worked with our Lenders and came up with a special low interest of 4.9APR available to qualified buyers on select used vehicles. This particular rate is available for up to 60 months," said Naylor. "Our credit specialists are trained with the most up-to-date methods to help customers with credit issues make the right choice when purchasing a vehicle," said Sheehan. Every vehicle in Sheehan's huge inventory will be tagged with dramatic savings to make shopping hassle-free.

"Bring all decision makers along with your payment book or title, so you can drive home immediately in your new pre-owned vehicle" suggested Naylor. "No matter what the condition of your vehicle, push it in, pull it or have it towed onto our lot and we will guarantee a minimum $5,000 trade allowance towards the purchase of any used vehicle on our lots. We can't combine this offer with any other advertised offer, and please, only one trade per deal said Naylor. This event continues today, July 26, through August 1 at Shcchanls Used Car Truck Supercenter located on US. 1 between Copans Road and Sample Road.

For further information call Sheehan's Pre-Owncd Supercenter: 'On Hleot modal with approved eradrt. Stewart CONTINUED FROM PAGE IB week after her conviction, a week before her lawyers will ask the judge to overturn her conviction. A friend drove her from Palm Bay, five hours round trip, so she could tell her story to the local chapter of the NAACP. Also on hand: the woman who prosecuted her. "If you all had something to throw at me, I'm sure you would," said Assistant State Attorney Velma Gay.

"This is a tough position to be in It's turned into a big fiasco." On this night, Stewart's account seemed more vivid and inflammatory than her court testimony. "Treated worse than a dog," she said. Let's be clear: this isn't a case of racism or discrimination. Stewart is black; so is the Greyhound driver, supervisor and terminal manager who ordered her removal. So is Velma Gay.

it's mainly a staggering breakdown of common sense and decency. That it got to this point a $30 Miami-to-Melbourne bus trip turning into a national embarrassment is sad. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 23; Gay said there will be no jail time. Now there is growing outrage, talk of lawsuits, protests and boycotts.

Now attorney Ellis Rubin has volunteered himself to Stewart's cause, saying, "This woman will be avenged, I promise you." Now the local NAACP chapter president, Bill McCormick, is mobilizing his forces against Greyhound, decrying "a flawed, subjective rv f-i that day. Since an October fatality in which a driver had his throat slashed, Greyhound has given drivers the option of banning front-seat passengers. Miller, a 20-year driver who says he's an ordained minister, enforced the ban on all his trips. In this case, he could have used some compassion and made an exception. "He says he's a Christian," Stewart said in her Jamaican lilt.

"More like a grease can." OK, so she's got a sharp tongue. You try going through the endgame of life with a heart condition, high blood pressure, diabetes, bum knees, a bad foot, arthritic joints, cataracts and glaucoma. But Johnnie Mariley, who has known Stewart for 10 years, since Stewart moved to Palm Bay and joined Mount Mariah Baptist Church, has I SALE INFORMATION: Locations: Sheehan i Used Car A Truck Supercenter. Between Copans A Sample In Lighthouse Point Times: Mon-Thurs 9-9, Friday-Sat 9-6, Sun US 954-943-2200 Ext3 Michael Maya's column is published Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. He can be reached at or 954-356-4508.

Ed Feldman, Salesperson (3rd from left) with Satisfied Customers, Rick Schuerger and daughter Tiffany Swlncy and her friend Susan..