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Neighbors & Friends

Where the Boulevard

Meets the Neighbors

By Donna York- Gilbert

It Takes a Village
I am a member of The Las Olas Isles Homeowners
Association that includes the streets on the south side. I
recently met with Suzee Bailey and Tricia Halliday from the
Nurmi Isles association and we agreeE we want the same
things: making our streets safer and enhancing the
pedestrian and bike pathways. Hendricks Isle resident
Laurie Suskind says, “It is wonderful living in this part of
the world despite some of the environmental challenges.”
Suskind says she is grateful for the city’s attention to the
flooding issues but also believes it is a work in progress.

We all also have concerns with the traffic speeding down
Where the Buoys Are Las Olas to and from the beach. Why can’t we have
speed humps that look like brick walkways to slow the
ill Rogers was right when he said, “everything traffic? Suskind has some great recommendations for signs
is funny as long as it is happening to somebody that warn drivers to look both ways for pedestrians and
Welse.” For example, it is actually funny to see a cyclists. The ladies of Nurmi and I discussed the solar-
No Wake sign in the middle of a street…as long as it is
powered flashing lights like they have on A1A that
not your street. It is funny to see someone paddle-boarding indicates a pedestrian is crossing. Whatever the solutions
down the middle of a neighborhood…as long as it is not
your neighborhood. For those of us living off Las Olas, we may be, it will take our entire village of Las Olas
are not laughing. The King Tide rolls in with bluster this neighbors to come together as one, brainstorm ideas, and
time of year and we will be graced again by his majesty keep the positive pressure on the officials to get ‘er done!
on October 5th-12th, 24th-28th, November 4th-9th and We invite all the neighborhood associations along
the 23rd-25th. The only good thing about the King Tide is Las Olas to send us your ideas at editor@lasolasmag.com
that he does slow down traffic. attention: Donna Gilbert
I wonder, has it always been like this? Did Connie Francis
don rubber boots and bathing suit during the filming of
Where the Boys Are? Did Johnny Weissmuller do laps
down Isle of Palms? And did Lee Majors use his $6 million
dollar body to leap over his flooding street when he lived
here? Now that would be funny.
Gosh, maybe we do need buoys to help us navigate our
streets! The residents are pushing and hoping the city is
addressing the flooding, but like any big undertaking, it
won’t happen overnight. Go to www.fortlauderdale.gov for
more information on how to prepare for flooding during the
King Tide. If you have a question regarding flood, sewer or
drainage problems, contact the City of Fort Lauderdale
24-Hour Customer Service Center at 954-828-8000.

36 LAS OLAS BOULEVARD & ISLES