Rev. Grant Lynn Ford Passes Legendary Pastor Was a Pillar in Fort Lauderdale
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CHECK OUT THE LATEST local name global coverage WMG March 20, 2019 BEGINS IN CENTER vol. 10 // issue 12 PAGE 34 REV. GRANT LYNN FORD PASSES LEGENDARY PASTOR WAS A PILLAR IN FORT LAUDERDALE SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS @SFGN SFGN.COM NEWS HIGHLIGHT SouthFloridaGayNews.com @SFGN March 20, 2019 • Volume 10 • Issue 12 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 ‘PULSE NATIONAL MEMORIAL AND Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943 Publisher • Norm Kent [email protected] Chief Executive Officer • Pier Angelo Guidugli MUSEUM’ BILL CLEARS MAJOR HURDLE [email protected] Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley [email protected] Jason Parsley Editorial Art Director • Brendon Lies [email protected] Digital Content Director • Justin Musial bill to appropriate $2 million to help [email protected] fund the design and construction of Copyeditor • Kerri Covington Aa permanent memorial and museum Graphic Designer • Char Pratt dedicated to the Pulse massacre cleared its Arts/Entertainment Editor • JW Arnold [email protected] first hurdle in the Florida House last week Social Media Manager • Tucker Berardi after a favorable recommendation from the [email protected] Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin Subcommittee. Gazette News Editor • Sallie James HIV Editor • Sean McShee Holly Raschein, a Republican representing Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis Monroe County, filed the bill (HB 3583). Rep. [email protected] Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando), a gay Senior Features Correspondents man, is a co-sponsor. Jesse Monteagudo “This was an unfortunate piece of our state’s Correspondents history,” Rep. Raschein said. “I was happy and Dori Zinn • Donald Cavanaugh • Christiana Lilly • honored to be the sponsor of this.” Denise Royal • David-Elijah Nahmod The vote was 8-0. Six Republicans voted in Contributing Columnists favor. Dana Rudolph • Ric Reily • Terri Schlichenmeyer “This was a fantastic showing of Associate Photographers bipartisanship,” she said. “It was just the right Carina Mask • Steven Shires thing to do.” In Memorium According to the appropriations project Pompano Bill, 1924 - 2018 request form, the funds would be used to Sales & Marketing build “a permanent memorial and museum For ad placement in SFGN, honoring all affected by the June 12, 2016 Photo via the onePULSE contact 954-530-4970 tragedy at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.” Foundation, Facebook. Sales Manager • Justin Wyse [email protected] Senior Advertising Associate • Edwin Neimann The money would go to the onePULSE 2019 appropriations. [email protected] Foundation, who would oversee the project. In Stewart also filed a bill to create a speciality Senior Advertising Associate • Clark Rogers [email protected] “It wAS October the foundation was awarded up to $10 license plate paying tribute to Pulse. The Assistant to the Editor • Nick Adkins million in hotel-tax revenues by the Orange license plate would include the words “Orlando United.” The proceeds of the plate Distribution Services • Rocky Bowell, Lee Curtis County Board of County Commissioners to Sales Consultant • Charles A. Reid JUST THE fund the memorial and museum. would go to the onePULSE Foundation, the “The Tourism Development Tax funding Mental Health Association of Central Florida, National Advertising Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 RIGHT is a significant step in fulfilling onePULSE’s and the Two Spirit Health Services. [email protected] mission to create a sanctuary of hope which Last year former Gov. Rick Scott signed Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping honors all those affected by the tragedy into law the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Printing by Sun Coast Press THING TO at Pulse Nightclub,” reads a press release School Public Safety Act, which also included announcing the funding from theMEMBER County. $1 million to build a memorial to those who do.” Democratic State Sen. Linda Stewart, lost their lives in the Parkland school shooting. whose district includes the Pulse Nightclub, “There’s been a tremendous focus on - Holly Raschein told Florida Politics in November she’s had Parkland, as there should be,” Raschein said. SFGN WINNER of REPRESENTATIVE discussions with the Senate president on “But we should memorialize and remember & 5 FLORIDA PRESS CLUB Awards including $1 million for the memorial in its the lives lost at Pulse as well.” And runner-up for MEMBER NLGJA Journalist of the Year See our newS in video COVER 1: THE LATE REV. GRANT LYNN FORD. PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK. South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions Online now! expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not COVER 2: LAMBDA ALPHA LAMBDA AT FAU. CREDIT: AARODRIGUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY (INSTAGRAM @AARODRIGUEZPHOTOGRAPHY). represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including MEMBER articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at [email protected]. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the Associated Press suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright © 2019 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc. 2 • 3.20.2019 MEMBER WE’RE HERE Special Guest Speakers Kate Clinton & Interim CEO Richard Burns For tickets and more information, visit www.lambdalegal.org/fortlauderdale 3.20.2019 • 3 NEWS LOCAL NEWS LOCAL EX-DIRECTOR’s deaTH DEPRIVES PRIDE FORT LAUDERDALE OF FULL REPAYMENT NEW HOME FOR 7TH ANNUAL ‘A TROPICAL GARDEN FAIR’ Rick Karlin Richardson Park is new venue for the March 23-24 n June of 2011 Michael Cruz, the former Equality Garden Club Event director of the then-named Pride South IFlorida, was convicted of embezzling Pride initially planned to regain the remaining Photo: Facebook. $46,591 from the organization. Cruz was funds. In an interview in 2016 he stated that, Martin Gould sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to “There’s a responsibility to the organization for make monthly payments of $400 to Pride to the money owed. It’s the community’s money. very March, for the last six years, the reimburse the organization. Although he repaid At this point, we’re probably going to have to Wilton Manors/Equality Garden Club the majority of the funds, he still owed $13,000 hire a lawyer to get the rest of it.” E“Tropical Plant Fair” has drawn hundreds when he died in 2017. When Cruz was convicted, a lien was placed of horticulturists, amateur and professional to When questioned for this article about plans against him by the court to ensure he paid Pride the grounds of the Pride Center for browsing to recover the money, Pride Fort Lauderdale back. According to Broward property records, and buying exotic tropical plants. But this issued the following statement through its Cruz and a man named Emmanuel Stringos year, on March 23-24, plant aficionados and attorney, “We have been advised there are no purchased a home in Fort Lauderdale in 2000 brown-thumb gardeners will be heading further legal options or mechanisms to collect for $87,490. The home was sold in July of 2017 to Richardson Park for the biggest and best any additional monies from the estate of Mr. for $215,000, but Stringos was the only name on Tropical Plant Fair ever. Cruz. While we regret we could not recover the the title at the time of sale. “It’s a beautiful facility,” said Equality Garden full amount of monies we lost through his theft, Last year Martorell started expressing doubt. Club President Paul Durbin. “We expect up to we are grateful that through monthly restitution “I’ve kind of hit a road block [on finding out 3,000 visitors this year, compared to 2,000 last payments during his period of probation, Mr. about the remaining money owed to Pride],” year.” Cruz paid back our community a substantial he said. “Hopefully, after Pride, I can make this And you won’t have to worry about the portion of our loss. Going forward, we will happen. It hasn’t fallen off the charts. It just construction on the Drive. Free parking and continue to jealously safeguard our treasury hasn’t progressed.” shuttle service to Richardson Park will be with new fiscal safeguards we have put in place.” It now appears Pride Fort Lauderdale has run available at the Wilton Manors City Hall Miik Martorell, the head of Fort Lauderdale out of its legal options. parking lot. A $3 tax deductible donation at the gate will help the Garden Club defray fair costs. Fifty vendors will show off their plants throughout the park. Seven non-profit groups will also have booths. “Most of our vendors have their own nurseries,” according to Durbin. “They will make more money in one day at the fair than they do in a month back at the nursery.” to selling garden supplies. t’s an educational The vendors will be offering a rich variety program and a community garden where of plants, including aroids, air plants, people get lots of advice on how to grow their bromeliads, cycads, heliconias, hoyas, own plants and vegetables.” orchids, palms, tropical fruits, bonsai, and While the EGC’s plant fair is the more. Additionally, there will be vendors organization’s biggest event of the year, it’s far selling, art, and accessories, and essentials from their only activity. “We bring in speakers, for the gardener. Information related to such as the curators of Fairchild Gardens in landscaping, insect control, fertilizer, and Miami to speak on a regular basis,” Durbin said.