Kristin Jacobs: Good Government, Bad Elected Representatives at least for Deerfield Beach Black Community

I have received several responses about my previous post and people seem to think that I should contact the elected officials for the area, such as Kristin Jacobs, Alcee Hastings, Gwyn Clark etc...


Please Note: This section of Deerfield Beach is now represented by Chip LaMarca District 4 Broward County Commission.  Who I will email today.

Well, I did that back in December 2011 and still have not heard from them, so what does that tell you.  


The sad truth is Gwyn actually still resides in District 2 Deerfield Beach and is a regular member at my grandmothers church, St. Mary's Episcopal, and yet she does nothing for the very people that embraced her when she arrived from Palm Beach County.


Kristin Jacobs is off talking about "Good Government" and restoring the peoples trust, when all she really does is ignore us and only helps those who can help her campaign and her political aspirations, a typical politician.  I am sure it won't be long before she too is listed with Broward's Corrupt Elite.


These people destroy my trust with every fallacious word out their respective mouths.  They have no concern for the people, unless you can fund their campaigns. They are to busy "playing politics" to care about the very people they have been sworn to protect.


The people like Thetus Fleming Jr (22) who was killed on February 17, 2012 at the corner of Hillsboro Blvd and Martin Luther King Blvd in Deerfield Beach by a hit and run driver David Calderilla Alcocer (20). 


The BSO THI investigation is still pending.




I attached the copy of the email I sent to Ms. Jacobs and others back in December and got no response, which is the usual treatment I have received from Ms. Jacobs office over the last year.

David Cody	12/6/11
from: David Cody catofdb@gmail.comto:bcc: kjacobs@broward.org,  wimp@mail.house.gov, "Clarke-Reed, Gwyn" <Gwyn.Clarke-Reed@myfloridahouse.gov>date: Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 9:36 AMsubject: Fwd: Pedestrian Crosswalk Safety Concerns - Roadway Lighting Requestmailed-by: gmail.com

 Good Morning,

Ms. Jacobs,  as one of your constituents in Deerfield Beach, I would like your help in helping to ensuve the safety of my fellow residents at the intersection of Hillsboro Blvd and Martin Luther King.

This intersection does not have any street lights illuminating the crosswalks and at night is very dark.  If not for the lights from three neighboring businesses there would be zero visibility there.
Now, I have been in talks with FDOT and they have recently decided to upgrade the "detectable warning surfaces" in that area and I had requested that they look into street lights and a turning signals coming north and south off of MLK.  Below in the string of emails, you will see the response from FDOT advising me that they won't even consider looking into lights at that intersection until Nov 2012, which is a year a way.  I don't think it unreasonable to ask for some kind of precautionary measure to be taken at that intersection to protect the lives of the residents of Deerfield Beach District 2 the Minority district and your constituents.  

I have come to you for help before at the beginning of this year regarding our constitutional rights being violated by the City to no avail, but I am hoping against hope that you see the possible political gain in this and the possible fallout if there is a fatal nighttime crash at that intersection and will help us get the items we need at that intersection, so we can be safe.

Hillsboro Blvd and MLK is a highly traveled intersection by both motorist and pedestrians...and to not have these basic things there at all, is a little disconcerting.  Then to be told that we have to wait a whole year before this can even be addressed is a little to much to take.  Is our safety not important?  We didn't design the road, but we do use it and to ask for items clearly left off is not to unreasonable.  Hillsboro and Federal has lights, and I believe all down Hillsboro at major intersections have lights, unless the State and the County feel that Hillsboro and MLK, does not warrant these simple things.

Please note:  I have already gone to the City and the Commission with this and they basically told me that they can't do anything because it is not their jurisdiction.

Please help us!!! 

David Cody 

P.S. 

If for some reason this is "beyond your scope" or "not in your lane", please forward to someone who can help us.

As I read this email begging and pleading for them to intercede and help do something about this very dangerous intersection from back in December it almost seems prophetic.  Well, a young man is now dead at the very intersection that I warned them about back in December and they chose to do nothing, the City did nothing, the County did nothing, the State did nothing, and FDOT did nothing.  For thirty years this community has been fighting to get something done at that intersection and to no avail.


When will our voices be heard, when will one of these people give a damn about us and stop giving us lip service.  I know we can't afford to fund your campaigns, but we definitely can vote and I think a change is needed.  

FDOT Tells Deerfield Beach Black Community "No Change", Despite Obvious Risk

I received the below email from FDOT today, one day after receiving an email asking me to resubmit my request for left turn signals at the intersection of Hillsboro and MLK Blvd in Deerfield Beach, the scene of the hit and run accident that took the life of 22 year old Thetus Fleming Jr.


BTW, three weeks later and this BSO Traffic Homicide case is still under investigation and the suspect listed on the police report 20 year old David Calderilla Alcocer has still not been arrested, charged, or anything else consistent with the taking of a human life.  WTF???

date:		Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 10:11 AM
subject:		RE: Request for Turn Signal
mailed-by:		dot.state.fl.us

Dear Mr. Cody, 

We have finished our investigation of northbound and southbound left turn signal phasing change request at Hillsboro Boulevard and Martin Luther King, Jr./NW 3 Avenue and have determined not to make the requested change at this time. Traffic volumes of the left turning traffic and through traffic are relatively low and therefore does not meet the volume warrant criteria for the left arrow phase.  We also review the intersection crash history and found there is no crash pattern that suggests the need to install the left green arrow. If you have any questions, please contact me. 

Sincerely, 

Jonathan M. Overton, P.E.
District Traffic Management Systems Engineer
Florida Department of Transportation
Toll Free 866-336-8435 

Direct Line (954) 777-4376 

Office Fax (954) 777-4398

So after apparently "misplacing" (their words, not mine) the original case study from November for left turning signals at Hillsboro and MLK, FDOT after one day has concluded that the traffic volume at that intersection and the crash data does not warrant any changes at this time.


So District 2 is left defenseless and in harms way for another thirty years and we will probably face several more Thetus Fleming Jr. style deaths before anyone takes action in to make safer "our" community.


*Warning-below contains some heated racial remarks, if you are easily offended by others opinions on current race relations, please, please stop reading here.  If you think you can handle the truth, as I have come to realize it then proceed*


I am fed up with this, these Officials, and so-called process.  I bet if someone from Ganz's District 4 had made this request for Hillsboro Blvd and let's say N 45th Ave,River Glen area, (oops there is a turning signal there just for U-turns, U-turns I say, and FDOT and the City of Deerfield Beach wants us to believe that they have more traffic at Hillsboro and 45th Ave for U-turns to warrant a turn signal than Hillsboro and MLK, PALEASE!!!!)


Come-on I am finally starting to get it.  You would have us believe that it is not that way, but I am finding harder and harder to dose myself up not to see the truth that is blatantly slapping me in the face.  You all complain about the race card, but it would seem that Sylvia was right.  The actions of the City and those currently wielding the power demonstrate exactly what is going on here.


They shoved their Utility tax down our throat saying we didn't "pay our fair share", they took away the teen center, they took away our family homes on the Dixie corridor and have left it baron and a business wasteland, they've blacked out our news so we stay uninformed and un-engaged and all we are left with is a hand full of people who actually give a damn.  Then they complain that we don't get involved and we don't care and we are apathetic.


WTF do you expect.  The machine is not run to actually help the people or even take care of the people.


The machine is "nigga-rigged"!!! ( I can say it)


If anyone can help this District get the needed changes, please email me.  It is obvious that our elected official and his buddies up at City Hall could give two shites about us.  Hell, they didn't have one event during black history month, Redtails by Ben Preston in January and the Black Heritage Banquet at Westside Park was in March, which no City Official attended not even District 2 Commissioner Ben Preston found the time to attend an event honoring black heritage and he's supposedly black/African-American whatever...so it's obvious.


Is this what they wanted, they get Sylvia Poitier out of the way so we are left with no one to fight for the black community.  


For thirty years we have been fighting to get something done at that intersection.  I know many of you have even utilized it...I have seen your Jaguars, Maybachs, Mercedes, and Porsche's screeching down Eller Street towards MLK.  You know what I am talking about.  The black community of Deerfield Beach needs your help.


Any Pastor, Bishop, Reverend. Deacon, Prophet, or Prophetess in Deerfield Beach willing to step down from their pulpit and away from the collection plates long enough to help? Gwyn, Alcee, NAACP, Hell Chaz Stevens (You're an NAACP member) anybody HELP US!!!


I know many of you are now going to label me as the angry black boy..well you'd be wrong.  Cuz, now I am the Pissed off African-American Man.

Deerfield Beach Pedestrian Traffic Fatality and BSO Looking For Witnesses

Thetus Fleming Jr. (22) killed 2/17/12
in a hit and run accident.

No charges have been filed as the investigation continues. BSO THI detectives are looking for witnesses and ask that anyone with information about this fatality contact them at 954-321-4840.

BSO Case Number: DR12-02-2763

PIO Number: 12-2-18

Date: February 18, 2012

Time: 11:20 p.m. Jurisdiction: Deerfield Beach

Place of Occurrence: 200 block of West Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach

Victim(s): 

• Thetus Fleming, Jr. 22, 11/28/89, male, Deerfield Beach (DECEASED)

Laid to rest 2/25/12 in Deerfield Beach

Subject(s): 

• David Calderilla-Alcocer, 20, 6/6/91, male, Coconut Creek

The Broward Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating the death of a pedestrian, killed last week in Deerfield Beach.

The fatal incident occurred at 11:20 pm in front of the Advance Auto Parts store at 286 W. Hillsboro Boulevard. The victim, Thetus Fleming, 22, was on foot, crossing Hillsboro from north to south, when he was struck by an eastbound 1999 Dodge pickup truck driven by David Calderilla-Alcocer, 20, of Coconut Creek.

After hitting the pedestrian with his truck, Calderilla-Alcocer drove off, leaving Fleming in the road. About 30 minutes later, Calderilla-Alcocer returned to the scene.

Fleming was transported to North Broward Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.


The family and our community would like closure of this tragic event.

Deerfield Beach Black Community Still Waiting for Traffic Investigation Conclusion from BSO

It has been almost 2 weeks since 20 y/o David Calderilla Alcocer of Coconut Creek hit, killed, and ran away from the scene of the accident that tragically and needlessly claimed the life of 22 y/o Thetus Fleming Jr. on Friday, February 17, 2012 at about 11:20pm at Hillsboro and MLK Blvd in Deerfield Beach and still no charges have been filed against this young man and the case is still under investigation.


Deerfield Beach Chief Sudler has advised that the case is still under investigation and no charges have been filed yet, but it is being investigated by the best Traffic Homicide Unit in BSO and as of today, March 1, 2012,  it is still being investigated.


There has still been no real news coverage of the incident, almost like it has been "blacked-out"...


However, I have found out that David Calderilla-Alcocer is in jail, after he posted to his Facebook page that he was "home chillen" on Thursday a week after killing someone.


Unfortunately, it is in a Palm Beach County Jail on unrelated charges of "Failure to Appear", which he was arrested for on Saturday 2/25/12 at 2:40pm.


I posted to BSO Sheriff's Al Lamberti's Facebook page to inquire why David Calderilla was not even charged in Broward for this vehicular murder (at least in my mind and the minds of many in my community).  At the very least why he was not charged with the leaving the scene of an accident involving injury and /or death, which is a violation of Florida Statute 316.027, a first degree felony.

I get it, he came back thirty minutes later, but hypothetically say BSO put out an APB on his vehicle and he was found 20 minutes after the accident away from the scene would he still not be charged by BSO.

Why in the last week down in Miami a young Hispanic male committed a hit and run with a fatality against an elderly Hispanic woman and when he was caught he was immediately booked and charged.  Which can be read here.  (Surprisingly there was a media blitz of information on this hit and run???)


Yes Luis Castilla (the driver of the Miami hit and run) had outstanding warrants, but the fact remains that Miam-Dade County immediately charged him with the hit and run, vehicular homicide, and DUI from that crash...and that was within 4 days of the incident.


It has now been almost 2 weeks and still we have nothing on David Calderilla-Alcocer who killed Lil Thet in Deerfield Beach.  What is going on Al Lamberti???

  Who by the way, the moderator of his Facebook page (because I would hope it was Al) reprimanded me for posting this question on his Campaign's Facebook page and not his personal or business page because it's "not campaign business".  WOW!!!

Hell, if it wasn't for PBCSO arresting the guy we wouldn't even have a mugshot because it would seem that he was not even booked or arrested in Broward County after killing someone...


What is going on here???


Can somebody, please explain it to me????

City of Deerfield Beach Home of "BLACK" Hole News .and No Justice

What's up with the news coverage???


I finally located one bleep on the radar related to the fatal hit and run accident that claimed the life of 22 year old Thetus Fleming Jr (Lil Thet) on Friday 2/17/12 by another young man 20 year old David Calderilla of Coconut Creek, who initially fled the scene after killing Lil Thet to only return later in a different vehicle.


I don't know if he was hoping that he could just anonymously come back in a different vehicle as a passerby/onlooker and check to see the results of HIS actions, which was the death of young black man, and then go home and live his life like nothing happened.


Which from the lack of news coverage would have been easy for David Calderilla, who as recently as last Thursday (2/23/12) posted to his Facebook page "Home Chillen" and then continued on to have a conversation with a female as if he had not killed someone and then ran off less than a week before.

Yeah, I creeped his Facebook page...murderers have no privacy as far as I am concerned and hopefully 20 year old David Calderilla-Alcocer of Coconut Creek will have none when he is finally arrested, convicted, and goes to prison for the fatal hit and run accident that took the life of 22 year old black male, Thetus Fleming Jr.

Anyway, after speaking with Diane Emmeot of the Deerfield Beach Observer on Friday 2/24/12 and realizing that she didn't even know of this accident or at least she pretended to not know, I scoured the internet for news again and found nothing.  However, Saturday morning, the day of Lil Thet's funeral I did find the only post and news of this FATAL hit and run on CBS local news online website, which can be read here.  If you notice they clearly have thrown their lot in with the murderous driver, David Calderilla because unlike the coverage of the white woman, Sandra Gail Limburg, who was killed in December in Deerfield Beach in a hit and run accident..whose hundreds of headlines read "Fatal Hit and Run..." or something similar, the one singular post about the young black male, Thetus Fleming Jr., killed in a hit and run his only got "Man killed..."-no charges filed.

No Charges Filed and the murderer is home on Facebook "Chillen"...what is going on here???

The little respect I held for local news media and these so-called journalist and reporters has all but evaporated after this.  Now, I have been made to witness the bogus reporting and total *black hole reporting of these journalist.  

*Black hole reporting-when a journalist or news media outlet is made aware of an event in the black community that many would consider news worthy and yet nothing is reported.  The news goes in but NO news escaped (was reported), like a black hole.

I myself have been victim of being misquoted back when I first broke the story about the City of Deerfield Beach having to payback FEMA and then intentionally hid the information from the public.  The article was written in such a way that it did not represent the actual news and even had the facts wrong and when read in its entirety it had a totally different spin on the events than what actually transpired.  That reporter was quoting and reporting on an event from a video-taped City Commission meeting from October 4, 2011, so how the facts and the quotes were misrepresented and dead wrong is beyond me, especially when the facts could be easily found in government report on-line (which can be read here.) that even children have access to.  That reporter is still employed by the Pompano Pelican and the article can be read here.  Make sure to read the comment(s) section of that online article, unfortunately the comments did not appear alongside the printed article of that paper on October 8 or so.  By the way we are still waiting on the update to this reporting and we are still waiting on the findings of FEMA if they will be requesting funds back from the City of Deerfield Beach.

I know I have personally emailed FEMA, the OIG, the City of Deerfield Beach regarding the final result, outcome and actula amount of payback of FEMA Funds that the City of Deerfield BEach would actually be responsible for out of the $3.9 million stated in the FEMA OIG report.

Obviously, I wrote this reporter a scathing email to which the replies only further disgusted me and proved that South Florida is severely lacking journalist and seems to be only filled with these "*sensationlist".

*Sensationalist- a person, sometimes this person may have even took a journalism course at a local JC, who is hired by a media outlet to "spin" and "slant" stories in an attempt to increase readership, in hopes of attracting and retaining advertisers.

Over the course of the last year I myself have sent several "TIPS" to local news rags and media and nothing. So I am fully aware of their agendas and the lack of real reporting in South Florida.  Hell, most of the major news that came out this year was from bloggers and not reporters, so that is saying something about the level of news reporting that South Floridian's are willing to accept.  


Bloggers have the ability to pick and chose what we post, because we are not reporting to inform the mainstream public on public happenings.  Hell, we don't even pretend to represent any large group of people. We write to our audiences and what intrigues and excites the particular blogger, which explains the different styles and subject matter on any given blog.  However, journalist, reporters, and their respective news media outlets have an ethical duty to report actual and factual news...  When they are no longer able to do that, then it is time for them to either hire professional journalist who can actually do their jobs and make sure their facts are right and their quotes are correct.  If they ave not able to do so then the world needs to turn to bloggers and just read the free blogs instead of paying for papers and having to read through all of those advertisements.  Speaking of advertisements, this brings me to a question.  Do advertisers dictate what is printed in the papers they purchase ad space from?


Does news media have an obligation to report news and not allow stories to be squashed by the will of their advertisers?


I guess that is why blogging and bloggers are so important because although we can put our spin on stories, many provide links to information where the public can get the unfiltered and unadulterated versions of the stories or the information for themselves, which many news articles do not provide.  We only get the spin...and as we all know to much spin will make you vomit and make you dizzy.  


Hopefully, in this particular case of the fatal hit and run accident of Thetus Fleming Jr in Deerfield Beach on Hillsboro Blvd and MLK on Friday 2/17/12 by 20 year old David Calderilla of Coconut Creek will make more news headlines. Maybe the fact that the City of Deerfield Beach and FLDOT have been warned that this is a dangerous intersection and they have both been dragging their feet for over thirty years and most recently within the last 6 months to improve the safety conditions of the residents of that community would be story enough for somebody to pick it up so something can be done.  Maybe the next accident and fatal hit and run or crash at the intersection will make the news and then the residents will see some action toward improving the safety conditions of that intersection, that section of roadway, and the many others in Deerfield Beach District 2 that never receive a post, an article, or a headline when tragedy strikes.


PS.


BSO's AL Lamberti and Deerfield Beach Chief Pete Sudler, when will charges be filed against the young man who hit someone, dragged their mangled body (the young man was almost cut in half) through the street for at least 40 feet, then left the scene of the accident (that resulted in the death of a young man), to only return later to face, so far, NOTHING!!!


Where is the justice, where is the law, where are the charges???

City of Deerfield Beach basically tells residents to "cross Hillsboro at MLK at their own risk and peril"...at least until 2015...possibly

Today my heartaches again...

I started my night at the wake for Thetus Fleming Jr.,the 22 year old young black male, who was killed by a hit and run driver at Hillsboro and MLK Blvd on last Friday night (2/17/12).

I would normally link to a newspaper article or some other source for the details, but in this case I can't because there was none.

NONE!!!

A young man loses his life to a hit and run driver, David Calderilla-Alcocer (20) of Coconut Creek (who on Thursday, Feb 23, 2012,  posted to his Facebook page that he was home chillen), in Deerfield Beach and not one single story is posted on any of the news media.  Odd!!!  Hell, from what I understand the young Hispanic male who hit Lil Thet and then dragged his mangled body from the intersection to the near the auto parts store and then left the scene of his crime..to only come back to the scene in a different vehicle, some say his parents forced him to come back...WOW!!!  


Now that is a story right there, but no one got to hear it.  You can check the online police report here.  Notice that no charges have been filed.  Why???  I thought leaving the scene of an accident was a crime in itself...What's going on here BSO???

Sandra Gail Limburgh, a 59 yr old white woman, is killed due to injuries sustained from a hit and run accident on Dixie Hwy in Deerfield Beach and the suspect is a black male and moments later it's on the news.  Which you can read about here or check any of the local news sources from December 10-20 and you will find out about poor Lil Sandra.

Now, all of this makes me wonder and question what is really going on in Deerfield Beach.  Heck, the reason I started this blog was because of the disparity in information that was being presented by the mainstream media and so-called news sources about events here in "Good Ol" Deerfield Beach.  So when I think about it, I am not to surprised that incidents, events, and other from District 2 doesn't even make a splash in the local news media.  I am however, upset that no one seems to care about this, let alone even acknowledge it.

Hell, the closest thing to it was an unrelated incident in the Deerfield Beach Observer's Crime report section detailing that a man had stolen Pringles from the gas station at 300 Hillsboro Blvd.  I guess that's news for you!!!

So, tonight after I left Lil Thet's wake I went to Ben Preston's District 2 Community Meeting.  I heard Ben speak on how important communication is, I heard other department heads speak on how much they do and have done for District 2 and the City.  I even heard Ben and others talking about how important it was to upgrade 15th Street by the High School so that parents could more easily drop their kids off to school without backing up traffic.  Obviously, at this point, especially after leaving the Lil Thet's wake this is not what I wanted to hear.  I didn't want to see City employees giggling and joking around.  I didn't want to hear my City Commissioner telling me that "better traffic flow" on 15th street at the high School was an important and vital part of District 2's future, especially when there is a  dangerous corridor between Natura Blvd to Dixie Hwy on Hillsboro Blvd, which is in District 2 that has seen it's share of accidents, injuries, and fatalities to warrant some kind safety upgrades.  The same corridor that I have been pleading with the City of Deerfield Beach and FLDOT to do something to improve the pedestrian safety to have it all blow up in my face and then result in the death of one of my friends after I warned the City and FLDOT repeatedly about the dangerous conditions.  Then to find out that not only I but District 2 residents for over thirty years have been concerned about that intersection petitioned the City to do something to improve the safety and traffic flow because of the dangerous conditions that it promotes.  To no avail!!!

So when I (visibly shaken and emotional) asked Ben Preston about what are they going to do now...it seems as if he was prepared for my question...well he was prepared to try and demonstrate that he and the City had done everything in their power to have that looked into.  He hurriedly and confidently reached intohis little satchel and pulled out a letter from FLDOT, which he stated he received as a response from his letter to DOT back in December.

Please note that Ben Preston and the City have been on notice since October about these concerns.

The letter basically stated that FLDOT have been made aware and will perform a case study that will be concluded at the end of January 2012...I listen to this Fuckery and had to fight back the tears and emotions that came crashing over me, like the waves at Deerfield's beach because I knew the truth and have the emails detailing the concern that was shown when these concerns were brought forth to the City of Deerfield Beach and to FLDOT.  

SO, end of January 2012 you say, well it's almost March 2012 and he still hadn't heard from FLDOT and obviously he hadn't checked back with them to see what the outcome was of their supposed case study...

I know I have been constantly emailing for an update and have not heard anything from FLDOT, except that someone will get back to me and no one has, not even after I notified them of the death at the intersection because I knew they wouldn't see it on the news or read it in any of the news rags.

So to Ben I say...How important was it for you???  Have you checked on the outcome since the death of Lil Thet on February 17, 2012 at the very intersection that we have been fighting over the pedestrian safety concerns for the last 6 months and not to mention for the last thirty years!!!  

It's late and I will update this post later with the other Fuckery that went on at that meeting from Assistant City Manager Keven Klopp, who tried to demonstrate that the City did all it can and that they have been in constant contact with FLDOT about the safety concerns but he indicated that we would basically have to wait until 2015 before any decision would be reached  about FLDOT making any upgrades to address the safety concerns of Broward County and City of Deerfield Beach residents who fear for the safety of their children and families when they "Cross at their own risk" on Hillsboro in the black neighborhood of District 2.

Deerfield Beach District 2 Residents Worst Nightmare Realized When Pedestrian Killed at Corner of Hillsboro Blvd and MLK in Deerfield Beach

I had planned not to update this blog until after I returned from Canada, so I would be rested and well ready to continue fighting for the residents of my District 2 and Deerfield Beach against the fuckery perpetrated against us by the people up at the Deerfield Beach City Hall.


However, I write this with a heavy heart, but that pain gives me new purpose.


If you have been following my blog then you already know that I have been for months fighting for pedestrian safety in my District and City at the intersection of Hillsboro Blvd. and Martin Luther King Blvd and other intersections in the City.  If you are unfamiliar then you can read the post 

City of Deerfield Beach:What's Going On??? 

where residents petitioned the City for pedestrian safety in District 2, to only be patronized and then later ridiculed by City Management and the Commissioners.  I also talked about the safety concerns at Hillsboro and MLK, which apparently fell on deaf ears.


Which prompted the next post 

City of Deerfield Beach Commissioner on Pedestrian Safety: "At Some Time in the Future the City May Take On That Project."  When after a District 2 resident pedestrian or bicyclist is killed...

where I advised my readers of the response that I had gotten from District 2 Commissioner, Ben Preston, who basically told me that no action is warranted there and the City didn't have the money right now to take care of the safety concerns at the intersection.  The Commissioners even went so far as to blame the County, which prompted me to contact the County and inquire to see if something can be done.  I ended that post with the following statement.

"Let's be proactive and fix it now before we are fixing it after a life is taken.   City of Deerfield Beach Commissioners will it be worth the cost then????"

I continued to petition the FLDOT to install street lights at that intersection and take other safety measures to no avail.  Well, from the last email I received from them they are doing case studies to see if these upgrades are worth it...


Well, I now know that they are worth it because I can now put a face to the tragedy that many in our City and our District have been trying to avoid for years.

Thetus Fleming Jr.  (22)  killed by a hit and run driver at Hillsboro Blvd and MLK 2/17/12

Ben Preston, Mayor Peggy Noland, City Manager Burgess Hanson Look into this young man's eyes...Look Damnit!!!  

Thetus Fleming Jr. (fondly known to those who knew him as Lil Thet) was robbed of his life by a hit and run driver at the corner of Hillsboro Blvd and Martin Luther King in Deerfield Beach last night 2/17/12 (details still unknown).  

This is a personal tragedy for me because I have known this young man his entire life and although he has had his troubles he was recently turning his life around to only have it snubbed out by a careless S.O.B., who I hope has the decency to turn themselves in or is apprehended by BSO, which ever comes first.  I had been with him all day yesterday and have a few regrets that I won't mention and unspoken truths, but I will not allow this thing to be one of them. When I left him last night he was smiling, laughing, and joking around and mere moments later, nothing.  He was reduced to nothing and WHY????  Somebody tell me WHY???  

Knowing that he died at the very corner where I and many others have been fighting to improve the pedestrian safety makes this tragedy all the more hurtful and painful to me and I have been crying all morning.  I don't want my tears and the tears of all of his family and friends to be in vain.  I don't want another family to go through this anguish of having to say goodbye to their loved one because of bureaucracy and idiocy.  This tragedy senselessness will mean SOMETHING.  Lil Thet's death will not be in vain!!

I am reminded of the post

City of Deerfield Beach, Possibly Kills Pedestrian Safety in District 2.

 where I detailed my observations and conversations with City officials and FLDOT officials about the safety concerns at that intersection and the length's the City went to just to postpone and put off the upgrades to that intersection.


So this post is not only dedicated to Thetus Fleming Jr's memory, but also as a vehicle to plead with the bureaucrats in charge of upgrading the safety precautionary measures at that intersection, as well as installing street lights and a turning signal to expedite their long process before another life is taken.  Before another District 2 and Deerfield Beach residents is killed.  


I am humbly requesting that all residents of Deerfield Beach come together to protect ALL pedestrians and bicyclist of our City and petition your Commissioner to act now to upgrade all safety concerns at major and minor intersections.  I believe that this tragedy could have been avoided, so before you spend a day crying and in pain as I am right now...ACT NOW!!!


So while Ben, Peggy, Burgess, and many in the City will be celebrating Cracker Day, oops I mean Founder's Day, over in District 1...me, my family, and friends will be mourning the senseless and tragic death of Thetus Fleming Jr. over in District 2.