In this week's New Times, something's haunting Northwood, and it's definitely not Casper the Friendly Ghost. More like the ghost of crackheads past. Gail Shepherd chronicles urban development activist, Carl Flick's battle with Mayor Lois Frankel, as the two square off with conflicting views on how to clean up the community's crack den infested, crime-ridden downtown.
In other mayoral developments, Broward's Mayor Stacey Ritter opens up exclusively to New Times columnist Bob Norman about the night she was backed into a corner of her Parkland home by the barrel of her 84-year-old father's gun -- all because she supported his opponent in the Tamarac mayoral race. Talk about the ultimate betrayl (or ultimate overreaction).
In more dysfunctional news, The Juice's Thomas Francis reveals a crack (no pun intended) in our legal system,
as the courts award custody of a three-year-old to her ultra rich,
ex-crack-abusing dad, Wesley Hutchings -- son of James "Jack"
Hutchings, who made a fortune through the manufacture of
air-conditioning units for cars. Wes' ex wife, Lisa Kreiss, tells The New Times
she hasn't seen her daughter since the courts awarded her ex custody of
the child back in June. The ruling, based partially on the findings of
a Miami psychologist, hired by Wes' side, who deemed Lisa an unfit
mother due to "mental health problems," still stands.
In Night &
Day, Fright Night is back at the South Florida Fairgrounds, adding to
the already spooky display of carnies. If chainsaws aren't your thing,
and you're bringing the kids along, stick to the carnival rides and
Spookyville, a trick-or-treat trail designed just for kids under 12.
In film, J. Hoberman tells us to skip a screening of the -- yawn -- boring Where the Wild Things Are. The underwhelming film is liable to put even the biggest wild child to sleep.
