Pompano Beach to host Touch-A-Truck event
From David Volz
The City of Pompano Beach is hosting its second Touch-A-Truck event on Saturday, April 29th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This event is free. Several departments in the City including Fire Rescue, Broward Sheriff Office, Utilities, Parks and Recreation are collaborating to invite families and children of all ages to explore a variety of vehicles at the unique Touch-A-Truck event.
This event will give children a chance to expand their growing minds by exploring trucks and other special vehicles. Among the vehicles on display will be a fire engine, a sanitation truck, a dump truck, a police car and more.
With support from the Autism Society of Florida, the first hour of the event, will open with an emphasis for families that have special consideration for sound levels and flashing lights. This sensory friendly hour will be from 10:00 a.m.to 11:00 a.m. without any sirens, horns, music or lights. The event will continue on at 11:00 a.m. with a DJ, access to honking the horns, turning on sirens and the flashing lights.
Oakland Park gets new buildings.
From David Volz
The City of Oakland Park announces that the new waterfront promenade at BLYS on NE 6th Avenue is open. Ram Realty Advisors turned the former Kmart site into a 12-acre, mixed-use development with open space and a winding public promenade that stretches from the north fork of the Middle River to Oakland Park Boulevard. The City Commission recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the promenade. BLYS includes residential units and retail space, including the new Sprouts Farmers Market.
The promenade is one recent example of how the city uses creative solutions to increase green space in an urban setting by working with developers to incorporate public open space into new construction projects. Similarly, public green space is also being incorporated into Oak Tree, a development by Pulte Homes located off Prospect Road. Oak Tree features a nine-acre linear greenway that connects to existing walking and jogging trails along NW 44th Street.
The City of Oakland Park broke ground on Fire Station 9 in January, but the foundations are already installed, and the contractor is pouring the concrete for the walls! The new Station 9 represents an investment of more than $16.6 million into public safety, fire, and emergency medical services. The new facility is being built on NE 6th Avenue, three blocks east of the existing station on 3rd Avenue. Station 9 is the third bond project to go into construction as part of the City’s Comprehensive Facilities Plan aimed at Building Oakland Park’s Second Century.
Oakland Park has announced two new members of the City’s senior leadership team. Allyson Love will serve as the City’s new Assistant City Manager starting April 24th, and Ana Murillo-Quigley is the new District Chief for the Oakland Park Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Love has led a distinguished career in local government as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Assistant City Manager, and Acting City Manager for Fort Lauderdale, where she was employed for nearly 22 years. She went on to serve as the Assistant City Manager for the cities of Homestead and Delray Beach and Deputy City Manager for the City of Miramar.
Captain Murillo-Quigley has served several Broward County communities, working her way up to Road Patrol Supervisor, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Executive Lieutenant since joining BSO in 2007. Murillo-Quigley replaces Major McNeal, who was promoted to lead BSO’s Preparedness and Response Training Division.
