Now that Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Mayor Edmund Malkoon and Commissioners Richard DeNapoli and Theo Poulopoulos have succeeded in honoring Donald Trump (and his values and actions) by renaming Sea Grape Drive after him, it’s time to remind residents of our fair town that local elections matter.
The November elections are coming up. The most direct, effective way to hold officials accountable (or show support) is to vote. I am dissatisfied with town commissioners who violated our norm of nonpartisan governance. I object to their obtuse (at best) and mean-spirited (at worst) decision to rename a shared public space after Trump. I will be voting in November.
There are other forms of democratic participation. I will formally ask commissioners to reconsider. Perhaps they are open to rethinking their position, especially knowing how offensive and distasteful this decision is to many in the community.
I will formally request electronic copies of all records related to approval and installation of the street sign, including emails, memos and all forms of correspondence among town officials regarding the renaming.
My request will include agendas, minutes, supporting materials and any policies supporting the decision. I will seek documentation regarding how stakeholders were engaged, especially those living on Sea Grape.
Finally, I will ask for invoices related to costs of fabrication, installation and map updates. I will share this information as widely as possible, so that we have the information necessary to make good decisions in upcoming local elections.
Kelly-Kate Pease, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Listen to the people
Fort Lauderdale activist Ted Inserra urges commissioners to save the trees on Las Olas during a City Hall meeting on Feb. 3, 2026. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
When are the residents of the great city of Fort Lauderdale going to be heard by our city commission?
We are losing parts of our city’s DNA that made us great. The developers have carte blanche to build whatever they want, wherever they want, while “our” elected officials rubber-stamp their projects.
Our city commission acts like cats: A developer comes in, rolls a shiny new building across the table, and they can’t help themselves offering approval.
When will the residents be heard?
Ted Inserra, Fort Lauderdale
The writer is president of the River Oaks Civic Association.
Trump Ad Infinitum
In the past, I was an airline frequent flyer. Airports were named for geographical locations, not to satisfy political whims.
At this rate of airport name changes, my GPS and AI programs will be confused and overloaded with Trump Way, Trump Boulevard, Trump Court, Trump Lane, Trump Circle, Trump Avenue, Trump Street — indeed, it’s Trump Ad Infinitum.
Of course, if it is our long-range plans to impress DOGE, we can save all our GPS maps and signs for future use when sanity prevails and airports, buildings and streets revert to their original names — in 2028, maybe?
Karen Tomarchio, Cooper City
The sad state of Trump
Wait — what? Now they want to rename Palm Beach International Airport after Trump?
Is there no end to the Trump regime’s assault on every fiber of our being? Ugh! How about we change the moniker “Free State of Florida” to “Sad State of Trump”?
Lillian Pennino, Pompano Beach
Crazy winter weather
As a Florida snowbird from upstate New York, I have reflected on how this winter has proved to be a perfect metaphor for the Trump administration 2.0.
It has been disastrous, cold-hearted, cruel, uncaring, brutal, unrelenting, paralyzing, nasty, mind-numbing, head-spinning, with a lack of compassion for suffering, forcing its whiteness on the landscape.
When will this crazy weather ever end? When will normalcy ever return?
Eric T. Baker, Lima, N.Y.
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https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2026/02/13/reconsider-offensive-trump-naming-letters-to-the-editor/
