DEVELOPER'S BANNER: BIG, ILLEGAL, AND UGLY

    We went for a walk last Friday morning and were shocked to see a huge, 200-foot banner along Main Highway.

  It promotes a developer and the two houses he is building at the corner of Main and Plaza Street, just south of the historic Christian Science Church. 
    I'd like to write "What balls!", but I know it's not nice to express your anger and disbelief this way.
    It's certainly shows the developer's bad taste, gumption, and disregard for the law. Large signs are not allowed by the city's code.  I'd expect this sort of thing circling a Trump Tower but not along the Grove's scenic residential corridor. 
    We complained a week ago but nothing has happened. We called the Net office (they said they'd look into it) and our city commissioner (his assistant said he'd look into it too).
     Today, I called the developer, Douglas Cox (his phone number is all over the banner).  He thinks his sixty-yard billboard is a great way to sell houses adding, "My team of lawyers says its legal".  
   If he's right (I doubt it) we need to change the law.
 
    Does this sort of thing bother you?  If so, please call the folks below and complain.

1) Ken Russell, the Grove's commissioner,    305-250-5333. 
2)  The Grove's NET office,  305-960-4670
3)  The developer, Doug Cox,  305-905-9485
     
If enough of us call the banner may go to the landfill where it belongs.


   The Grove's commissioner drives by it everyday.  Wouldn't it be great if he could be the  leader we dream of, the one who just goes out and cuts the damn thing down?

      Chances are, Mr. Cox has enough money, lawyers, and influence to moon us with his  banner for some time.
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 Sometimes You Win!
 
  Ten days after we reported the banner to city officials, a  code inspector visited the site (Monday, Feb. 22).  He determined that 200-foot advertisement was in violation of the code.  The next day it was removed.
 
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 STATE CHAMPS

      Who would think of the Grove as an athletic powerhouse?  We actually became one last week ago when Ransom Everglades' boys soccer team won the state's Class 3A championship. They beat Tampa Catholic in a close game, 3-2. It's the Main Highway school's first state soccer title.  
    We are proud of the Ransom boys led by their coach, Dave Villano. 
Maybe we should put up a 200-foot banner congratulating them.

GRASSROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL (It Begins Manana!)

       We have a terrific music festival every year on Virginia Key. "Grassroots" will feature over 40 world music groups on its four-day run.  For more information check out their website, 
virginiakeygrassroots.org
                        
            Now come


GROVE ART FEST

      We hiked the Grove Art Festival last weekend.
After half a century it's become huge, a four-day pop-up city. Monty is the mayor.
   
     You can go there for dinner and a concert. The kid's can romp in the festival's four-day playground.
 
     Did I mention art?  If you had the time there were two thousand or so artists hawking their wares.

      The Grove's temp city was sponsored by the condo giant, "Terra". 

 Coincidentally, the festival's poster
featured the Grove condo's that Terra is now building.
      



Peacock Park got a new lawn last month. This week thousands of art festival fans tromped all over it.  After two days the grass looked beat up and dead.

    




Even pop-up cities should take care of their parks.
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