Sylvia Poitier

Poitier's Divine Tragedy

The Reeducation of Ms. Kristin Jacobs

Broward's leading reform candidate discovers that money really is the root of all influence

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John Rodstrom vs. Scott Cowan

Vice Mayor on Hit List for Deerfield Beach Hit Man

deerfield-beach.comSylvia PoitierSylvia Poitier should have known she was being watched. If not by criminal investigators, then at least by the guy in Deerfield Beach who tends to show them the way. "Mark this day -- mark this day well" is the characteristically immodest headline for yesterday's blo ... More >>

Deerfield Beach Commission Braces for "Crazy Train"

Flickr user: En AmiA preview of the public comment period?On the agenda for tonight's meeting of the Deerfield Beach City Commission, under the heading "Written Requests," there looms an ominous entry: Chaz Stevens will address the city's elected leaders on "myriad topics." Among the myriad topics ... More >>

In Deerfield Beach, a Ninja Strikes

Flickr User: brunkfordbraunLast night the Deerfield Beach City Commission conducted a seminar on how not to deal with a buzzing gadfly. Chaz Stevens was deprived his chance to address the commission (by video), he inspired his nemesis Vice Mayor Sylvia Poitier to climb down from the dais to address ... More >>

Deerfield Vice Mayor: "I Don't Want to Get Caught Up Into Cyberspace." Yet Here She Is.

The funny thing is, Sylvia Poitier knows that she gave her nemesis, Chaz Stevens, exactly what he wanted. But Deerfield Beach's vice mayor still couldn't resist. Because Stevens gets to tee off on her at his blog, Acts of Sedition, and her weapon is the commissioner remarks, the freestyle portion o ... More >>

Back From the Brink: How the Deerfield Beach Commission Pulled Out of an Ethical Tailspin

blogbybett.blogspot.comSome of the heroes from last night's Deerfield Beach Commission meeting.​It was supposed to be as easy as 1-2-3. At last Thursday evening's budget meeting, Deerfield Beach Mayor Peggy Noland made it known that she was sick of working within the confines of the city's ethics ... More >>

Censure for Sylvia Poitier?

deerfield-beach.comPoitier​Remember last week's ridiculous video of the Deerfield Beach Commission in action? It appears Vice Mayor Sylvia Poitier has exhausted the patience of a colleague or two, because we have confirmed that at least one commissioner is exploring the possibility of censuring Po ... More >>

Deerfield Beach Hires Independent Auditor to Analyze Public Housing Programs

A few minutes ago, the Deerfield Beach City Commission voted to hire Kessler International, a forensic auditing firm that will try to find out how the city spent its federal housing dollars.The request came from City Manager Burgess Hanson, who has been reviewing that spending since he took over the ... More >>

Deerfield Commissioners Delighted by Hard-Charging Interim City Manager

wikipedia commonsDeerfield Beach City Hall may become Hanson's domain on a permanent basis.​Technically, Burgess Hanson is merely the "interim" city manager of Deerfield Beach. But only five weeks after he was given that title, he has managed to perform a feat that has eluded every other city mana ... More >>

Deerfield May Sue Charity Group for Withholding Information

deerfield-beach.comGanz: "Whatever it takes."​For three months, the City of Deerfield Beach has tried to give Arlington Park Family the benefit of the doubt. The local charity was paid $30,000 for "outreach" in 2007. The city attorney, Andy Maurodis, wrote a letter in late December asking for info ... More >>

Better Late Than Never? Sylvia Poitier Declares Conflicts of Interest

Here's an outrageous piece of video, courtesy of Acts of Sedition.com. It's from last night's Deerfield Beach Commission meeting. You'll see City Attorney Andy Maurodis talking to the commissioners about his failure to get any response from his requests for financial records from Arlington Park Fami ... More >>

Deerfield Beach Commissioner Admits Taking Past Payments From Charity Being Investigated

Flickr: ANVRecifeWhere did Deerfield Beach's housing money go?​Deerfield Beach Commissioner Sylvia Poitier told Juice Thursday that she received stipend payments from a charity that later became a recipient of tax dollars for the improvement of the city's low-income housing. That same charity, the ... More >>

Deerfield Housing Charity Owes Nearly $150,000 in Delinquent Taxes

A nonprofit organization in Deerfield Beach under investigation for mishandling tax dollars has failed to pay taxes on any of six properties for at least five years, according to records released to Juice this afternoon. The Westside Deerfield Businessmen Association stands to lose all six propertie ... More >>

Charity President Says Agency Isn't Ducking Investigator

Flickr: itbe-GregDid Deerfield Beach's housing dollars go down the drain?​Felecia Poitier, president of a charity being investigated by Deerfield Beach for its management of housing funds, denied allegations that her agency has not cooperated fully with auditors, blaming delays on the time-consumi ... More >>

[UPDATED] Charity Linked to Deerfield Commissioner Took Out 10 Percent Loan With Relative

deerfield-beach.comSylvia Poitier​A charity under investigation by Deerfield Beach took out a high-interest loan from a brother of Commissioner Sylvia Poitier in hopes of paying taxes on property it owned in the city. The charity then listed that liability in a financial statement to the city, rai ... More >>

Prelude to a Scandal: Targets of Deerfield Investigation Lash Out

Courtesy Chaz Stevens, that's video from this week's meeting of the Deerfield Beach City Commission in which Sylvia Poitier says that ethics oversight is "fluff." Technically, it was fluff. It's just not anymore, which is why Poitier may be in trouble over her ties to nonprofits that received tax do ... More >>

Pompano Commissioner Woody Poitier at the Fringes of Corruption Scandal -- Again

Photo: mypompanobeach.comWoody Poitier​When a corruption case strikes in North Broward, Woody Poitier has a peculiar way of being near the scene of the crime. He's the Pompano Beach commissioner who appointed activist Vicente Thrower to an advisory committee of the city's development agency. On Mo ... More >>

Signs That Sylvia Poitier Is Turning District Residents Against Deerfield Commission

She's the single African American commissioner and she rules a district with a large African-American population, but Sylvia Poitier's recent ethical problems don't appear to have a racial component -- at least not until she announces that race is a factor.And there are subtle signs that Poitier may ... More >>

Suddenly, Sylvia Poitier Is Deerfield's Most Ethics-Conscious Commissioner

deerfield-beach.comSylvia Poitier​Deerfield Beach is in the midst of a forensic audit and the state prosecutor is reviewing a report that found suspicion of fraud in the way the city's Community Development Division doles out funds from state and federal housing programs. Could that be the reason ... More >>

More Details on Mango Mess

Flickr: unclefuzThis image of a crushed mango seems to suit the occasion.​Of the Mango Festival's two major financial backers, only one came through with funding, according to a well-placed source with knowledge of the event. The failure of the other financial backer to follow through on his spons ... More >>

Poitier Hurls Race Card at Mango Meeting

Photo fromMyActsofSedition.comPoitier giving Ganz the evil eye at last night's special meeting.​The special meeting to deal with Deerfield Beach's Mango mess got ugly, judging by the liveblog by Chaz Stevens and the pictures he posted later Monday night. Of course, this past weekend's Mango Festiv ... More >>

Sylvia Poitier, in Her Own Words (Subtitles Not Included)

That's video, courtesy Chaz Stevens, of the special meeting last night in Deerfield Beach where commissioners discussed the weekend's meltdown at the Mango Festival, which was canceled after promoters failed to pay for the sound crew.On the left is Commissioner Sylvia Poitier, ranting and raving in ... More >>

Sylvia Poitier Wants New Mango Festival in October

Photo: Deerfield-Beach.comPoitier​In a talk radio appearance Sunday afternoon night, Deerfield Beach Commissioner Sylvia Poitier said that she and other organizers for the city's Mango Festival were planning to stage a new event in October, after poor planning and financial failings doomed the Man ... More >>

Deerfield Beach's 2010 Mango Festival: How a Disaster Blew Up

Photo: Deerfield-Beach.comPoitier​In a talk radio appearance Sunday afternoon night, Deerfield Beach Commissioner Sylvia Poitier said that she and other organizers for the city's Mango Festival were planning to stage a new event in October, after poor planning and financial failings doomed the Man ... More >>

It's Going to Be Another One of Those Crazy Deerfield Beach Commission Meetings

Photo: Deerfield BeachPoitier wants to see the city manager squirm.​With the announcement Friday that 106 Deerfield Beach workers were being laid off, tonight's commission meeting was going to be a madhouse no matter what. But that's not quite enough of a guarantee for Commissioner Sylvia Poitier, ... More >>

[UPDATED WITH VIDEO] Deerfield Commissioner Bill Ganz Considering Censure of Sylvia Poiter

​Last night's meeting of the Deerfield Beach Commission was a mostly civil affair, at least until Commissioner Sylvia Poitier learned that her colleague, Bill Ganz, was considering a motion to have her censured if she erupts in the same way she did at the last special meeting, in late. June.Poitie ... More >>

The Dirty Dozen: 2010's Most Despicable People

​Last night's meeting of the Deerfield Beach Commission was a mostly civil affair, at least until Commissioner Sylvia Poitier learned that her colleague, Bill Ganz, was considering a motion to have her censured if she erupts in the same way she did at the last special meeting, in late. June.Poitie ... More >>

Chaz' Last Stand

​ ​Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter, left, wants to engage in a high heels contest with Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper, right. From Twitter yesterday:  "I think Hallandale Mayor Joy Cooper's heels are higher than mine which rarely happens. I see a contest of heels in o ... More >>

Sheriff: Son Didn't See The Super Bowl Game

Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti addressed the Super Bowl issue, telling the Sun-Sentinel (you know who) that his son accompanied him to the big game but that he was working and neither saw the game, except on TV, and they spent almost the entire game outside the stadium overseeing BSO security ... More >>

Sylvia Poitier Cruises To Victory, Other Election Results

Random election results: UPDATED: The votes are in and all of the races below are official. ​​The first is that Sylvia Poitier is sailing to reelection in Deerfield Beach, despite all the scandal and her painfully obvious corruption. With only one precinct uncounted, just 714 people vo ... More >>

The Wek Shall Inherit Fort Lauderdale Beach?

The Wek is buying up Fort Lauderdale Beach. Who is The Wek? Wekerle​It's Canadian trader Michael Wekerle, who owns a winter home in Fort Lauderdale. He's a veritable legend on Canadian trading floors, a true financial animal. You can read all about him here. Then you have Swedish he ... More >>

Newspaper Report: Sylvia Poiter Is Being Charged With Five Misdemeanors

UPDATED: Sylvia Poitier, the controversial former Broward County commissioner who is now an elected official in Deerfield Beach, has been charged with five misdemeanors related to her family's involvement in a city-sponsored housing organization, according to the South Florida Times. Poitier​ ... More >>

The Sylvia Poitier Case for Dummies

It began as a little Pulp blog post back in December 2008 and has now grown up into a federal case. Last week, I told you about the investigation involving Broward County Judge and former Sunrise Mayor Steven Feren. Well, the Justice Department on Tuesday issued a subpoena to Sunrise in re ... More >>

Two Former Deerfield Beach Commissioners, Former Mayor Scheduled For Court This Month

cousinsusa.com​Three former Deerfield Beach politicians -- Commissioners Steve Gonot and Sylvia Poitier, as well as Mayor Al Capellini -- will all be spending time in Broward courthouses this month.Gonot was convicted last month of submitting a false campaign report, a felony that carries a penal ... More >>

Deerfield Beach Commission Candidate Accused of Having Shady Past Using Public Funds

churchofbrotherlylove.orgAnthony Davis (left) and his wife Margaret Davis​The city of Deerfield Beach is holding a special election on July 19 to replace former District 2 Commissioner Sylvia Poitier -- who's facing five misdemeanor counts of falsifying public documents -- and out of the four qual ... More >>

Deerfield Beach Special Election Is Today. Try to Avoid Voting for an Alleged Criminal This Time

​If you live in District 2 of Deerfield Beach, today is Election Day.Thanks to the fact that the last commissioner, Sylvia Poitier, has been suspended for allegedly falsifying public records a few times, today's special election will find someone to replace her for the rest of her term -- which en ... More >>

Ben Preston Elected as New Deerfield Beach Commissioner

votebenpreston.comBen Preston​Ben Preston, the first African-American firefighter in Deerfield Beach's history, has been chosen by voters through a special election as the city's newest commissioner.According to unofficial results from the Broward County Supervisor of Elections, Preston has defeat ... More >>

Assistant State Attorney David Schulson Assigned to Sylvia Poitier's Criminal Case

Broward Sheriff's OfficeSylvia Poitier​Assistant State Attorney David Schulson, a prosecutor with a history of handling public corruption crimes, has been assigned to the criminal case of Deerfield Beach Commissioner Sylvia Poitier.As you may recall, Poitier faces misdemeanor charges for falsifyi ... More >>

Former Deerfield Commissioners Win a Trip to a Florida Ethics Commission Hearing

​After an audit of Deerfield Beach festivals declaring that three then-city commissioners secured scores of tickets to the city's mango festival "to garner political support" -- and the ensuing complaints filed by city activist Chaz Stevens -- those three former commissioners earned a trip to Tall ... More >>

Sylvia Poitier Found Guilty on Four Counts of Falsifying Public Records

Broward Sheriff's OfficeSylvia Poitier​A jury convicted suspended Deerfield Beach Commissioner Sylvia Poitier today on four misdemeanor counts of falsifying public records.Poitier, 76, was arrested in April on five charges of falsifying documents -- which were related to a loan to her brother, who ... More >>

Sylvia Poitier's Secret "Defense Fund" Set Up by Judy Stern and Friends, According to Email

Broward Sheriff's OfficeSylvia Poitier​If you're wondering how suspended Deerfield Beach Commissioner Sylvia Poitier -- who was convicted yesterday on four counts of falsifying public documents -- managed to pony up the cash for defense lawyer Johnny McCray Jr., a months-old email acquired by the ... More >>

Sylvia Poitier's Sentencing Slated for January After Judge Denies Reversing Guilty Verdict

Broward Sheriff's OfficeSylvia Poitier​Suspended Deerfield Beach Commissioner Sylvia Poitier is still guilty of four misdemeanor counts of falsifying public records after a judge denied her attorney's motion to reverse the jury's guilty verdict and acquit her of the charges.Her sentencing is now s ... More >>

South Florida's Dirty Dozen: Our Annual List of Our Worst

Broward Sheriff's OfficeSylvia Poitier​Suspended Deerfield Beach Commissioner Sylvia Poitier is still guilty of four misdemeanor counts of falsifying public records after a judge denied her attorney's motion to reverse the jury's guilty verdict and acquit her of the charges.Her sentencing is now s ... More >>

Sylvia Poitier's Name Staying on Deerfield Beach Building Despite Criminal Convictions

Broward Sheriff's OfficeSylvia Poitier, at jail, after being arrested for committing crimes.​Despite the building's namesake being found guilty of four counts of falsifying public records, the Sylvia Poitier Business Skills Center will remain the Sylvia Poitier Business Skills Center.The idea ... More >>

Sylvia Poitier, to the Surprise of No One, Won't Be Going to Jail

Broward Sheriff's OfficeSylvia Poitier, after being arrested for committing multiple crimes.​It looks like Sylvia Poitier's time at the Broward County Jail is limited to her quick photo-shoot back in April.Poitier was sentenced yesterday to a year of probation, a $1,000 fine, 200 hours of comm ... More >>

Rick Scott Removes Sylvia Poitier From Office

Broward Sheriff's OfficeSylvia Poitier, who was removed from office yesterday by Gov. Rick Scott.​Sylvia Poitier is now officially former Deerfield Beach Commissioner Sylvia Poitier after Gov. Rick Scott signed off on her removal from office yesterday.Poitier -- who was a "suspended" commissioner ... More >>