The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 268

4 2BH The Miami Herald Wednesday July IS 1984 esidents demand crackdown on beach activities ill! What the Lauderdale Commission Bid proposals at the little-used Birch-Las Olas Docks Accepted a neighborhood study that reveals population decreases in nearly a quarter of the city's 30 neighborhoods Approved the designation of 11 70-year-old buildings along Southwest First Avenue as historic landmarks Tentatively approved an ordinance setting a $100 fine for illegally parking in spaces designated for the handicapped Approved the Tarpon River Civic Association's request to make improvements to a small bridge located at Southwest SeveRth Street and Southwest Seventh Avenue Here's what the Fort Lauderdale City Commission did Tuesday: Approved restrictions and regulations for next year's spring break Agreed to schedule a special hearing on Fort Lauderdale beach problems after the Sept 5 evening budget hearing Tentatively approved a 5 percent property tax rate increase as part of the proposed 1984-85 1394-million budget Tentatively agreed to allocate $360000 among 15 social cultural or tourist groups and Fort Lauderdale's Housing Authority Authorized the Planning and Zoning Board to review at least two cruise boat recommendations" Mayor Robert Dressler said "I think the time is coming to start taking some action" The commission scheduled a hearing to discuss the beach proposals to ban parking and alleviate traffic until the next meeting on Sept 5 following the evening budget hearing "The major problems out there are that the businesses cater to kids on the beach" City Managpr Connie Hoffmann said "Somehow everyone has to agree that this problem is so severe that we've all got to work together" Commissioners unanimously endorsed the Spring Break Team's recommendations to ban beach concerts restrict fireworks to weeknights discourage the use of public funds such as Broward County Tourist Development Council money to advertise spring break review ordinances on vendors operating outside businesses ban cigarette giveaways and lease three parts of the beach to promoters As part of the spring break plan they tentatively endorsed a recommendation to close the two western lanes of A1A to traffic and to prohibit parking during spring break between East Las Olas Boulevard and Bayshore Drive "We are not trying in any way to drive any college students away" Dressler said The majority of spring break problems are caused by South Florida youths Cochran pointed out "Our arrest records support that" he said "Of more than 500 and some arrests this year only about 100 of them were college kids" By ELIZABETH WILLSON Herald Staff Writer With urgent refrains influential beach businesses and residents demanded Tuesday that the City Commission take immediate action to bring law and order to Fort Lauderdale's beach especially the Strip They pleaded for more police and a crackdown on under-aged drinkers They begged for a ban on beach-side parking And they lauded the city's Spring Break Team's recommendations to limit and regulate beach activities for visiting college students "Last Friday night I was up there and it was just one long bar with kids walking out in the streets" said Don Larson a beach motel owner who heads the Beach Advisory Board "And I want to know who's going to be held liable There's just not enough police officers out there" Attorney Bill Leonard representing the two hotels George Gill owns himself and a beach hotel association emphasized the year-round nature of the beach's problems He asked the city to immediately expand a proposal to ban parking along the Strip during spring break to the entire year "Our perception right or wrong is that the beach is the least patrolled least enforced area of the city of Fort Lauderdale" Leonard said "I was out on the beach last Friday night At 9:30 or 10 o'clock you couldn't get a car through "It's sheer numbers of people" Leonard added than anywhere else in the city" Cochran said He stressed that the beach shouldn't be turned "into an armed camp with a police officer every half block" City officials and commissioners also empathized but said it wouldn't be fair to make any decisions without a formal public hearing "There have been studies and looks and a lot of "We are the hosts of the entire teen-age population of Dade Broward and Palm Beach counties They cruise up and down and congregate on the beach" Police Chief Ron Cochran disagreed with Leonard's comments about police assigned to the beach but agreed with pleas for change "There are more police on that beach per capita tioN TV lays off half its staff to save service i wr4 'OW1 xso-- i' -f: 1 T0i'k4 J1' 1t' fiat7 0 '-4--'-Pr 1 0i titit 14'4: 457: 04 :1 4 it-11-V IP t- --1 t- sloes --1 -st: 1-- tA 1 'd: -1 il--'- up: -e '1 47-1--t --I- i ef NT I 0- 'r-it-L-t 0 4: tk elo'ekt D-r -'4-t tf e44 arA'! 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'1 -7-' 1 1- l'iI 'We weren't in a position to be profitable and this is a move to return us to profitability' Jim Septer general manager 41 ifdr AmtawnrusiLLI t4-44--'' 4 4 4 7 JOE RIMKUS JR I Miami Herald Staff Mark Slugocki stands ready with other members of the Emergency Reaction Team 1i 40 1 I it- 41 --kr By YOLANDA WOODLEE Herald Stall Writer National Subscription Television of Fort Lauderdale ON TV has laid off half its staff without warning in an effort to save the financially strapped pay television service The 41 employees laid off Monday were part of an across-the-board staff reduction to trim the local company's overhead general manager Jim Septer said Tuesday But he added it Isn't an Indication that the service will be discontinued soon In South Florida ON TV is based in Hollywood and broadcasts from 4 pm to 2 am on Channel 51 About 28500 homes from the Upper Keys to West Palm Beach subscribe to ON TV which broadcasts a scrambled signal that is decoded by devices attached to subscribers' sets Subscribers to ON TV which offers live concerts movies and adult entertainment pay a onetime $4995 installation fee and $1995 a month for service The service is owned by Oak Industries of San Diego ON TV also is reducing staff in Los Angeles and Chicago the only other areas that have the service Employees at WKID-Channel 51 an independent station in Hollywood that broadcasts during the day were not affected by ON TV's staff reduction "We're trying to make money" Septer said "We weren't in a position to be profitable and this etention officers prepared for the worst Is a move to return us to profitability" The employees laid off by ON TV included clerks service technicians and customer service representatives Septer said They will be called back to work if the station's financial situation improves When ON TV started four years ago the service had more than 200 employees he said Septer said single-channel pay television used to be popular and profitable But with cable television services offering 30 or more different channels plus premium channels like Home Box Office and Showtime for a few dollars more a month single-channel services are declining "One-channel serviced provide the same services as cable but it's tough to market one channel against 30" Septer said In addition to competition from cable ON TV has spent substantial amounts of money investigating and prosecuting people who illegally intercept ON TV's signal Septer said In the past road patrol deputies have been called in as frequently as once a month to break up fights inside the jail Collins said But the deputies "are unfamiliar with living conditions in the jail" said Collins He believes the new squad will be more effective at handling both small and larger disturbances Team commander Sgt Mike Brandon formerly worked with a state prison riot control squad Jim Clonch memorized the blueprint of the jail and all escape routes Three team members are certified dog handlers Two others including a former paratrooper and an ex-Marine think their military experience will come in handy All team members including two female guards have passed rigorous physical training During training much of it on their own time squad members have practiced running jumping hurdles climbing chainlink fences and rapelling They have been trained in hand-to-hand combat and the use of shotguns and batons Squad members also completed 40 hours of firefighting training at Broward Community College and 40 hours of academic training on the concept of confrontation The emphasis said Collins will be on non-deadly force and preventative measures If a disturbance breaks out team members who are on 24-hour call will don their special squad uniforms and go into action The squad which has been active for about a month has already taken care of two problems at the Pompano Beach annex they intercepted some drugs that were being smuggled into the jail from the outside and prevented a planned break-out said team member Kevin Bolling But saidSchinelli the squad will be most effective when Broward's new jail is opened in early 1985 That jail which will hold 840 prisoners will have a open recreational field If a fight breaks out when a hundred or more prisoners are on the field a riot could easily follow said Schinelli "I hope we never have to deal with that but at least we'll be prepared" he said By JENNIFER SCHENKER Herald Staff Writer For a year 17 county detention officers have been practicing with shotguns learning to lob teargas and training in hand-to-hand combat They are preparing for something they hope will never happen: a riot in the Broward County Jail If trouble breaks out guards on the sheriff's newly formed Emergency Reaction Team will move in "This is our answer to the SWAT team" said Maj John Schinelli a jail supervisor Special black uniforms with patches picturing a screaming eagle and a lightning bolt berets and riot helmets have been ordered for the team all of whom are detention officers at either the main jail or the Pompano Beach annex The county borrowed the idea of riot control teams from the state prison system said jail commander Col Ken Collins "We need something locally for hostage situations inside the jail insurrection and disturbances between groups" said Collins Homes no protection in fraudulent sales comptroller warns Walkout douses talks over fire protection 160000 residents Many cities say they could do it more efficiently if the county would pay them for their effort The Council of Fire Fighters representing all of the county's unionized firefighters has proposed a countywide system of fire and medical service run by an Independent taxing authority Since last year the county staff has supported such a countywide system but wants it run by county government City officials have long been suspicious of the county's motives and balk at any plan that smells of an attempt to take over their fire departments ask him to come back to discuss the league proposal "I don't think I would say that it's all abandoned" Heggen said Falck said he would talk to the county but only if it accepts the tenets of the league proposal and abandons the idea of a centralized fire and ambulance system Appointment of the five-member study group last month by the County Commission capped years of effort to negotiate a fire agreement between the county and cities County government with scattered and ill-equipped fire stations must protect 63 square miles of unincorporated area containing a sweeping countywide agreement on fire and medical services He said the League of Cities was willing to discuss only its own April 9 proposal on fire service not a broader plan that some cities fear could lead to a takeover of their fire and ambulance departments The league proposal calls only for the cities to sign a contract with the county to provide fire service in unincorporated areas The cities would retain control over their fire departments Joan Heggen Broward's director of health and public safety said that after Falck walked out Tuesday the committee agreed to By JUSTIN GILLIS Herald Staff Writer Efforts to negotiate an agreement for 13 cities to provide fire protection to unincorporated areas of Broward County hit a snag Tuesday when the director of the Broward League of Cities walked out of a meeting "I feel it is time for the league to take a walk so I bid you good day gentlemen" Walter Falck read from a prepared text before walking out of a meeting of the Fire Services Study Group Falck said later hc was upset that county officials and a firefighters' union appear to want sentations had been made "Nobody in Wynwood is telling anybody that the state comptroller's office has made any determination good or bad about us" said Wynwood president Richard Schulze "I cannot speak for the whole operation I've got quite a few people working for me but as far as I know there has been no such statement made" said Dan Weiss president of Wellington On June 12 Florida enacted a new Investor's Protection Act aimed at controlling South Florida's telephone-sales rackets In order to prosecute under the old law the state comptroller had to prove that the items sold by boiler rooms gas and oil leases precious metals gems and advertising specialties were securities The new law puts the telephone solicitation and sales of such items directly under the comptroller's jurisdiction In March Fuchs testified before a US Senate subcommittee investigating commodities fraud that his office had identified 80 companies selling precious metals gems and coins in Florida Federal investigators said they believed there were 200 telephone salesrooms in Florida selling those items and oil and gas leases Fuchs said that two "substantial" metals firms have recently left the state but he did not Identify them New York authorities have said that Nation-wide Gold Coin Inc of Fort Lauderdale moved to New Orleans in March and Atlantic Gold Coins Inc of Fort Lauderdale also has departed By PETER CARY Herald Staff Writer Florida Comptroller Gerald Lewis warned Tuesday that people selling precious metals or other investments from their homes may lose their homes if fraud is involved Lewis said that some so-called boiler rooms planning to move their main offices to escape the state's new tougher boiler-room law are arranging for salespeople to stay behind and continue soliciting from their homes "There are laws that clearly state that assets used for criminal activities may be confiscated" said Lewis Telephone solicitors convicted of fraud may not be protected by Florida's "homestead protection" laws that prevent a person's house from being confiscated by creditors he said The comptroller's chief investigator Larry Fuchs said he had reports that two companies were attempting to line up home salespersons as independent contractors He would not name the companies saying they were under investigation He said however that the comptroller's office is also concerned about reports that representatives from Wynwood Mercantile Co of 1 Financial Plaza Fort Lauderdale and Wellington Precious Metals of North Miami had told prospective sales workers that their programs ap- proved by the comptroler "We have not reviewed and approved any of these programs" Fuchs said Officials at Wynwood and Wellinton denied that any such repre Patient shortage new rules lead to hospital layoffs filled The hospital also tightened its budget after the implementation of new Medicare regulations that give hospitals a fixed payment for certain surgery and patient care no matter what the actual cost may be Barb said Before this year salaries were figured into the Medicare payments Ruth Unterbrink the hospital's evening nursing supervisor said some of the 700 employees are "nervous" about the announced cuts with most anxiously waiting to see if they will be affected "Of course there's a lot of mixed feelings about what's hap pening" Unterbrink said "I don't think there's bitterness or any anger I think there's apprehension" Since April University Community has instituted a hiring freeze and staff employees have been encouraged to take time off Barb said in a letter to employees announcing the cuts Barb said supervisors will submit lists today of employees who will be affected by the staff cuts and supervisors will meet with those employees Thursday Those who are laid off will receive two 'weeks' severance pay he said said administrator Thomas Barb The hospital also will reduce some employees' 40-hour workweek to 35 hours Barb said "We're in a capping situation in our expenses and we can't let our expenses get out of hand" Barb said "The individuals have not been notified We're working with department heads they're drawing up lists based on seniority Barb said the staff reduction was forced in part by a largerthan-normal summertime drop in the number of patients The hospital has about 120 of its 209 beds By STEPHEN HEDGES Herald Stall Writer University Community Hospital in Tamarac will lay off 15 employees and shorten the workday of about 15 others because of a shortage of patients and new Medicare policies officials said Tuesday Last month Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale laid off 35 of its 470 nurses citing similar reasons The layoffs at University Community Hospital which will be announced Thursday will affect nurses and employees in the hospital's administrative business laboratory and X-ray departments irdbc Brovnad Nowa Soction Fort Lauderdale office: 1520 Sunrise Blvd 33304 News: 527-8400 Sports: 527-8430 Circulation: 462-3000 Advertising: 527-8940 South Broward office: 5555 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood 33021' News: 987-3244 Sports: 987-3244 Circulation: 462-3000 Advertising: West Broward office: 9341 NW 57th St Tamarac 33321 News: 721-1400 Sports: 721-1400 Circulation: 462-3000 Advertising: 721-1400 Chris Cubbison Editor Bruce Giles Managing Editor Richard Todd Advertising Manager Russ Moore Circulation Manager Mailing address: PO Box 14638 Fort Lauderdale Fla 33302 i 4 1.