|HBRB_011002C:~|HBRB_011002C:~ Bro 1B

CYAN

|HBRB_011002MK~|HBRB_011002MK~ Bro 1B

MAGENTA

|HBRB_011002K3~|HBRB_011002K3~ Bro 1B

BLACK

|HBRB_011002Yt~|HBRB_011002Yt~ Bro 1B

YELLOW

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK( CYAN )( YELLOW )( MAGENTA )( BLACK )

BROWARD PLUS, 3B

NEWSPAPER VENDOR KILLEDA Miami Herald vendor was struck by ahit-and-run driver in Miramar.

DEATHS, 4B

DEREK JACOBS, 18Child prodigy had computer chip withmedical records implanted in his arm.

BROWARD PLUS, 6B

CONCRETE FALLS ON FANA piece of concrete dropped on aspectator’s head during a Marlins game.

FORT LA UDERDALE

Boaty ard,r esidentsin ugl y spatBY TRENTON DANIELtdaniel@MiamiHerald.com

A Fort Lauderdale boatyardwould like to add slips and storageunits, but a neighbor’s concern forthe environment is threatening tohold up the work.

The nasty fight has led to claimsthat the local civic group has been‘‘hijacked.’’ There has been uglyname-calling. Car tires have beenflattened.

‘‘I see it as they haven’t beengood neighbors,’’ Bianca Bryant, aresident of River Oaks, said aboutthe marina owners. ‘‘It’s like a wargame.’’

In September, LauderdaleMarine Center owner Mark Prattasked Fort Lauderdale’s planningand zoning board to let him expandhis 38-acre property at 1601 SW20th St. He wanted to add 29 boat

•TURN TO BOATYARD, 5B1488.000

HOLL YWOOD

‘Quiet zones’will silencetr ain hornsBY MICHAEL HIBBLENmhibblen@MiamiHerald.com

A CSX locomotive rumbles up thetrack, pulling a line of boxcars alongInterstate 95 in Hollywood, blasting itshorn as it approaches the Stirling Roadcrossing.

‘‘We’re now hearing what we want thewhistle ban for,’’ says Dr. Martin Shugar,who lives about 200 feet from the tracks,in the Lakes of Emerald Hills. ‘‘No wall inthe world is going to stop that.’’

Shugar and his neighbors are about toget their wish.

For several years, he has led efforts byhis homeowners’ association to silencethe increasing number of trains on thetracks, which are shared by Tri-Rail,Amtrak and CSX.

•TURN TO HORNS, 2B1459.500

ELECTION 2006

Poll: 5 amendments get nod! A Miami Herald poll of likely voters shows that five out of sixc onstitutional amendments on the ballot appear likely to pass.

BY GARY FINEOUTgfineout@MiamiHerald.com

With just five weeks to gobefore Election Day, Florida votersappear set to approve five of sixamendments to the state Constitu-tion that would, among other

things, force the state to spendmore on antismoking programs,give additional tax breaks forsenior citizens and veterans, andmake it harder to change the con-stitution in the future.

A Miami Herald poll shows all

but one of the amendments — abudget and planning amendmentchampioned by Senate PresidentTom Lee — would pass by a sub-stantial margin.

The survey, done by ZogbyInternational, comes before anycampaigns have been launched topromote, or defeat, any of the sixamendments. That will change

soon: A group promoting the anti-smoking amendment has alreadybought $1 million in ad time.

Meanwhile, groups have orga-nized to campaign for and against aproposal to require that all futureamendments be approved by a so-called supermajority of voters —

•TURN TO AMENDMENTS, 2B356.500

F ar t oo man ylose their headso ver religion

n 1989, photographer Andres Ser-rano exhibited a photo he calledI Piss Christ, depicting a crucifix

submerged in urine. It raised a furorand was condemned on the floor ofthe United States Senate.

Nobody was killed.In 1999, artist Chris Ofili exhibited

a painting he called The Holy VirginMary in which the mother of Jesushas an exposed breast made of ele-phant dung. It drew a rebuke from themayor of New York and crowds ofprotesters.

Nobody was injured.Last year, a Danish newspaper

printed political cartoons of theProphet Mohammed, one showinghim with a bomb in his turban. Therewere weeks of rioting across South-east Asia, the Middle East and Africa.At least one person died in Somalia,five in Afghanistan, a hundred inNigeria. An untold number of peoplewere injured. Property damage was inthe millions.

You may think the point of all thisis that Christians react more maturelyto provocation than Muslims. Youwould be mistaken. After all, Muslimsin America, surely as offended by thecartoons of the Prophet as Muslimsanywhere else, did not riot or kill.Their protests were confined to state-ments of anger and letters to editors.

CULTURAL DIVIDEThe point has less to do with reli-

gion than with culture. Some culturesvalue freedom of expression morethan others. Some realize the personwho is not free to speak his or hermind is not truly free at all.

And some know courage is theprice of that freedom.

Which brings us to Germany,where an opera house in Berlin lastweek ended a production of Mozart’sIdomeneo that featured the severedhead of the Prophet Mohammed. Theopera, which premiered in 2003, alsoincluded the severed heads of Jesus,Buddha and Poseidon, part of directorHans Neuenfels’ protest against orga-nized religion. But it was securityfears specifically related to the Mus-lim prophet that led Kirsten Harms,director of Deutsche Oper, to cancelthe production.

Many Germans condemned thedecision, led by Chancellor AngelaMerkel, who warned: ‘‘Self-censor-ship out of fear is not tolerable.’’

I agree, of course, but I also empa-thize with Kirsten Harms. Certainly itwas only a matter of time until theproduction came to the attention ofworld Islam; one marvels that itescaped three years without detec-tion.

And we all know what would havehappened then. It’s one thing to riskone’s own building, one’s own crew,even one’s own life, for the principleof free speech. But who would want tolive with the knowledge that theiropera caused riots and deaths all overthe world?

So I understand Harms’ thinking.But I disagree with it.

For too long, radical Muslims havebehaved like the spoiled children ofthe planet, throwing temper tantrums— violence and the threat thereof —to get their way. Any seasoned parentcan tell you that giving in to tantrumsonly ensures more tantrums.

TEACH RESTRAINTBetter to teach the child restraint.

Better to teach him to share. In radicalIslam’s case, to share the planet withthose who are not of their ideology.To behave with tolerance, if notacceptance.

I do not argue provocation for itsown sake, which is why I disagreedwith papers that reprinted the car-toons of the Prophet. It was the jour-nalistic equivalent of one school kidinsulting another’s mother.

This is different. Neuenfels usesprovocative imagery to make a politi-cal point. Most would disagree withthat point, but his right to make itshould never be in question.

This is what the rest of the worldmust teach radical Islam, but we can’tif we retreat from our own principles.Yes, the danger is real. Offend the cra-zies and they will destroy property ortake somebody hostage.

But the alternative is worse. Togive in is to destroy more than prop-erty.

And make hostages of us all.

HOLL YWOOD

HE GOES WITH THE GRAINSA WORLD CHAMPION SAND SCULPTOR TRANSFORMED A PORTION OF THE BEACH

INT O A CA S TLE W ORTHY OF ANY ROY AL F AMILY

BY JERRY BERRIOSjberrios@MiamiHerald.com

Artist Rich Varano lives a kid’sdream. He doesn’t just build sandcastles — he gets paid for doing it.

Over the weekend, the worldchampion sand sculptor trans-formed hundreds of pounds of

builder’s sand into a castle thatdrew stares and smiles from pass-ersby on Hollywood beach.

Forget those brightly coloredplastic buckets overturned onbeaches everywhere. Varano car-ries a faded green canvas bag withtools that include a straw, foam

brush and customized icingspreader.

Varano’s solo exhibition waspart of the Clambake on the Broad-walk festival.

‘‘Wow!’’ exclaimed JordanCampo, 8, as he got a glimpse of the10-foot-tall castle Sunday.

‘‘I think it is big and it looksnice,’’ said Jordan, who lives inDania Beach. ‘‘I think he is creative.

Little brother Rudolph Reid, 3,was also enthralled but a little lesstalkative.

•TURN TO CASTLE, 6B1241.500

BROWARD&STATE BMONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2006 EDITOR: PATRICIA ANDREWS pandrews@MiamiHerald.com 954-538-7105 BR

LILLY ECHEVERRIA / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

AN EYE FOR DETAIL: Artist Rich Varano spends days designing andbuilding his spectacular sand castles. This creation was com-

pleted Sunday on Hollywood beach as part of the city’s Clam-bake on the Broadwalk festival.

I N M Y O P I N I O N

LEONARD PITTS JR.lpitts@MiamiHerald.com

CROSSIN

RAIL R

9 inches

200 fe

et

QUIET TIME

ROQUE RUIZ / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

A whistle ban takes effect Tuesday on the CSX railroad tracks from Pembroke Road to Stirling Road in Hollywood. Crossings in the area have new safety features. Extra-high medians and additional gates are required to block motorists from entering the crossing when a train is coming.

Extra-high medians

Additionalgates

!MIAMIHERALD.COM: CLICK ON TODAY’SEXTRAS TO HEAR THE INTERVIEWS AND READA LETTER FROM THE UNION.

Story HBRB_011002 System MIAE by HBROERTJES Time 22:26:48 Date 10/01/06

Story # 0 Story name HBRB 011002 Basket INL PAGES Last text user HBROERTJES B , 1, BR , Keyword: Page 1 CyanMagentaYellowBlack

|HBRB_021002CA~|HBRB_021002CA~ Bro 2B

CYAN

|HBRB_021002MR~|HBRB_021002MR~ Bro 2B

MAGENTA

|HBRB_021002K:~|HBRB_021002K:~ Bro 2B

BLACK

|HBRB_021002Y¡~|HBRB_021002Y¡~ Bro 2B

YELLOW

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK( CYAN )( YELLOW )( MAGENTA )( BLACK )

TALK TO US

What do you think aboutthis issue? The Miami Her-ald wants your opinions onanything and everything.Call our Outburst line toleave a message:954-764-7026, ext. 5201.Or e-mail outburst@MiamiHerald.com.

A LOOK AT WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR COMMUNITYThe For Your Information column appears Mondays in TheMiami Herald’s Broward section. You’ll find classes, clubs,programs for senior citizens and children, and communityentertainment events. On Fridays, Broward’s Weekendsection features comprehensive listings of the comingweekend’s entertainment events and a look at what’s ahead.

Listings are subject to change without notice. It isrecommended that you call before attending an event.

TODAY

Coral Springs Museum of Art: 10a.m.-5 p.m.; $4 adults, $3 seniorsand students, free for members andkids 17 and younger, free admissionon Wednesdays; 2855 Coral SpringsDr., Coral Springs. 954-340-5000or visit www.csmart.org:• International Woodturners,featuring art by Jim Christiansen,Cindy Drozda, David Ellsworth,Doug Fisher, Alain Mailland, andDavid Sengel: through Nov. 18.•Gilded Memories, paintings byDeborah Fletcher: through Nov. 18.• Joie de Vivre, ceramics byKlawdia Proia: through Nov. 18.• In New Light, drawings andpaintings by John Whalley: throughNov. 18.The Game of War: Books, Toys, andPropaganda from The MWjr StudyCenter: An exhibition of wartimepropaganda, with nearly 50 itemsdating from the Boer War to WorldWar II; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdaysthrough Jan. 9; Broward CountyMain Library, Bienes Center, 100 S.Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale;free. 954-357-7444.Museum of Art: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; 1 E.Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; $6adults, $5 seniors, $3 students,educators and kids 13 and older,free to kids 12 and younger.954-525-5500 or visit www.moafl.org:• Platonic Solids, installation art byMatthew Schreiber: through Oct.30.•Highwaymen Newton & Hair: TheAmerican Dream in the SunshineState, paintings by two members ofthe artist group known as theHighwaymen: through Nov. 20.Museum of Discovery & Science: 10a.m.-5 p.m.; 401 SW Second St., FortLauderdale; $9 adults, $8 seniors,$7 children 12 and younger.954-467-6637:• Fishy Fossils, interactive exhibitincludes real and cast fossils ofprehistoric fish: through Jan. 1.•Aviation Station, aviationenthusiasts of all ages may explorethe many interactive displays:opening reception 7-9 p.m. Oct. 7,permanent exhibition.•Open Season, an animated filmbased on the humor of cartoonistsSteve Moore and John Carls, abouta domesticated grizzly bear whofinds himself stranded in the woodsthree days before open season; $12adults, $10 children 12 and youngerand seniors.

COMING UP

BUSINES SThe Art of Networking: Freebusiness networking event; 7:30Tuesday; River House, 301 SW ThirdAve., Fort Lauderdale.877-955-8800, ext. 706, orwww.theartofnetworking.com.Business Networking International,Eastside: Group meets for breakfastand opportunities to increasebusiness; 7 a.m. Wednesday;AutoNation Tower, 110 SE Sixth St.,Fort Lauderdale; $10.954-579-4572.Business Networking International:Gold Coast chapter helps to buildyour business; 7 a.m. Wednesday;Westin Hotel, 400 Corporate Dr.,Fort Lauderdale; free. Call John at954-468-2221.Finance Network Club of Broward:Breakfast meeting for financingprofessionals; 7:30-9 a.m.Wednesday; Tower Club, 100 SEThird Ave., 28th Floor, FortLauderdale; $25, free to members.Call Deanna Castellanos at954-315-5813 or e-mail deanna@tsfsportswear.com.

C LAS SESIsraeli Folk Dancing: Beginner’sclass; 7:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday; SorefJewish Community Center, 6501 W.Sunrise Blvd., Plantation.954-658-2648 or visit www.maorbenami.com.Male Figure Drawing: Learn to drawthe male form; 10 a.m.-1 p.m.Tuesday; Colors-Wilton ManorsStudio, 3048 NE Fourth Ave.,Wilton Manors; $105 for four weeks.954-564-3592.

CL UBSNorth Broward Senior CitizensClub: Group meeting includes bloodpressure screenings; 11:30a.m.-12:30 p.m. screenings, 1 p.m.meeting Thursday; Emma LouOlson Center, 1801 NE Sixth St.,Pompano Beach; free.954-420-0555.Sawgrass Herpetological Meeting:7:30-9 p.m. Wednesday; FernForest Nature Center, 201 Lyons Rd.South, Coconut Creek.954-970-0150.

CUL TURALAnnie: Musical about the orphan ofcartoon-strip fame; 8 p.m.Tuesday-Friday, 2 and 8 p.m.Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday,Oct. 3-15 , additional 2 p.m.performance Oct. 11, no 7:30 p.m.performance Oct. 15; BrowardCenter for the Performing Arts, 201SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale;$21-$65. 954-462-0222 orwww.browardcenter.org.ArtBravo!: Juried exhibitionsponsored by BankUnited incelebration of National Arts &Humanities Month; openingreception 6-8 p.m. Thursday;through Nov. 9; ArtServe, FortLauderdale Branch Library, 1350 E.

Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale.954-462-9191 or visit www.artserve.org.Michael Bolton: The contemporarysinger performs; 8 p.m. Wednesday;Sinatra Theatre presented byBankAtlantic, 2555 NW 137th Way,Sunrise; $78.25-$98.25. CallTicketmaster at 954-523-3309 orbox office at 954-835-7825.GiganTour: Featuring Megadeth,with Lamb of God, Opeth, ArchEnemy, Overkill, Into Eternity,Sanctity and The Smashup; 4:30p.m. Saturday; BankAtlantic Center,2555 NW 137th Way, Sunrise;$37.75. Call Ticketmaster at954-523-3309.Jim Gaffigan: The comedian hasperformed on The Late Show withDavid Letterman; 7 and 10 p.m.Saturday; Parker Playhouse, 707 NEEighth St., Fort Lauderdale; $34.954-462-0222 or visit www.parkerplayhouse.org.The O’Jays and the Commodores:The legendary ’70s R&B bandsperform; 8 p.m. Thursday; HardRock Live Arena at the SeminoleHard Rock Hotel and Casino, U.S.441 and Stirling Road, nearHollywood; $45, $60, $75. CallTicketmaster at 954-523-3309 orbox office at 800-937-010.Rachel and Julio: Play documentsthe courtship of a Jewish girl and aCuban boy; 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday,2 and 8 p.m. Saturday-Sundaythrough Oct. 15; Rose and AlfredMiniaci Performing Arts Center,3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd., Davie;$32.50. 954-462-0222 or www.browardcenter.org.Reflections: A series of sketchesand notes of personal work by artistChris Lopez; opening reception 7-9p.m. Saturday; 2:30-7:30 p.m.Monday-Friday and 10:30 a.m.-7p.m. Saturday through Oct. 28; ArtExpressions, 1212 NE Fourth Ave.,Fort Lauderdale; free.954-527-7700.Tierra Tango: Singer Katie Viqueiraperforms and is accompanied bydancers and musicians fromArgentina, Finland and Germany;7:30 p.m. Friday; Broward Centerfor the Performing Arts, 201 SWFifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; $29.50and $39.50. 954-462-0222 orwww.browardcenter.org.

ET CETERAChef to Chef Cooking Expo: ChefMichael Dubanewicz preparesbananas Foster; 6-7:30 p.m.Wednesday; Le Cordon BleuCollege of Culinary Arts Miami, 3221Enterprise Way, Miramar; free.954-628-4423.Creation of Broward County:Explore the county’s past 91 yearswith a representative from theBroward County HistoricalCommission; 2 p.m. Thursday;Covenant Village of Florida, 9231 W.Broward Blvd., Plantation; free.954-472-2860.Empire’s Workshop: Latin America,the United States, and the Rise ofthe New Imperialism: New YorkUniversity professor Greg Grandinhosts a lecture on his book, whichfollows the United States ‘‘imperial’’operations, from Thomas Jeffersonto Ronald Reagan; part of HispanicHeritage Month; Literary Tea at 2p.m. with a lecture at 7 p.m.Tuesday; Broward County MainLibrary, 100 S. Andrews Ave., FortLauderdale; free. 954-357-7444.

FOR KIDS/F AMILIESIGFA Fishing Tournament: Kids 16and younger can participate in thecatch-and-release tournament; onlypeacock and largemouth basscount; no live bait; 7-10:30 a.m.Saturday; Tradewinds Park, 3600W. Sample Rd., Coconut Creek; free;$1 weekend park entrance fee.954-968-3880.

FOR SINGLESA Singles Affair: Singles wine andcheese party for all ages includesmusic, dancing and door prizes;6:30 p.m. Friday; The ArtMarketplace, 2198 S. University Dr.,Davie; $12. Call Carol at954-370-7352.South Florida Singles: Partyincluding dinner buffet, DJ, dancingand drink specials; 8 p.m. Sunday;Christopher’s Nightclub, 2857 E.Oakland Park Blvd., FortLauderdale; $10. 305-932-4192.

REUNIONSMiami Beach High School ’56: Oct.20-22; Miami Beach Resort and Spa,4833 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. CallRuth Gratz Berger at 305-652-1101or e-mail RB5plus@bellsouth.net.USS Emmons: Event for all formercrew members; Oct. 19-22. ContactEd Hoffmann at 4033 Pinehurst Dr.,Northampton, PA 18067 or e-mailussemmons@yahoo.com.

Listings are published free on aspace-available basis. Notices mustbe received at The Miami Herald twoweeks before the event. No listingwill be published without atelephone number, fees oradmission prices. Please sendnotices of coming events to:Calendar Desk, The Miami Herald,Calendar, Fifth Floor Newsroom, 1Herald Plaza; Miami, FL 33132-1693;fax to 954-538-7021; or e-mailnewscalendar@MiamiHerald.com.Questions? Call 954-764-7026,ext. 3355 between 10 a.m. and 7p.m. weekdays.

For complete listings of SouthFlorida event, visit MiamiHerald.comand click on Calendar.

HOLLYWOOD

Quie t zones quell train horns•HORNS, FROM 1B

Routine train whistles willsound today for the final time.On Tuesday, five railroadcrossings between Stirlingand Pembroke roads will bedesignated a ‘‘quiet zone,’’meaning that train horns canonly be used in emergencies.

After a similar whistle banin the 1980s, the number oftrain-car collisions tripled,but officials say this time willbe different. That’s becauseintersections in the affectedarea have been upgraded withnew gates and other improve-ments aimed at keeping carsout of the crossing when atrain is coming.

But the union that repre-sents railroad employeeswarns the horn ban will havedevastating results.

‘‘When this goes intoeffect, you’re not only goingto have people die, which wasproven on the Florida EastCoast Railway a few yearsback, you’re also going tohave animals die,’’ said CarlCochran, past director for theFlorida chapter of the UnitedTransportation Union.

Cochran, who retired lastyear from CSX, spent decadesrunning trains up and downthe same stretch of trackaffected by this new ban. Hecalls train horns ‘‘one of thebiggest safety items we’vegot.’’

Cochran says most railroadworkers regard air horns,which are above the cab ofeach locomotive, as a neces-sary nuisance.

‘‘We would be the first tosay we don’t want to hear that

horn blow for the simple rea-son that we’re the ones that,when we retire, we’re usuallydeaf,’’ Cochran said. ‘‘But weknow it’s a safety factor, notonly for the public, but alsofor ourselves.’’

But residents say they’rebeing awakened much moreoften since a second track wasfinished last year on the line,which runs mostly along I-95.It now sees about 60 trains aday, almost double the num-ber before the second track,

between Miami and WestPalm Beach. Even more trainsare expected in the yearsahead.

‘‘It’s very traumatic forhomeowners bordering thetracks,’’ said Steven Reese,president of the Emerald HillsHomeowners Association,adding that the horn ban is‘‘long-awaited and muchneeded.’’

Boca Raton became thefirst community along the lineto become a quiet zone two

weeks ago. So far, officialsreport no problems. Other cit-ies also are pursuing the des-ignation, with West PalmBeach likely to be next inDecember. It is up to eachlocal community to file theextensive paperwork, whilemuch of the physical work hasalready been completed. Hol-lywood Mayor Mara Giu-lianti, who lives within half amile of the tracks, has beenaggressively pursuing the ban.

‘‘I’m going to be up at 1 a.m.listening,’’ she said.

She doesn’t believe therewill be an increase in thenumber of accidents, sayingthat anyone who would drivethrough downed gates andsafety features likely wouldn’tbe deterred by a horn.

‘‘Unfortunately there arealways going to be peoplethat, no matter what you do,are going to disobey the lawand sometimes that createscasualties,’’ Giulianti said.‘‘But I don’t think you’ll seeany large number.’’

ELECTION 2006

P oll: 5 o f 6 cons titutionalamendment s lik ely to pass

‘Voters have been telling us they want somestability. They are saying ‘‘Slow down here.’’ ’

— JOHN ZOGBY, pollster

•AMENDMENTS, FROM 1B

60 percent — as opposed to asimple majority, as it is today.

Florida lawmakers put themeasure on the ballot, and itis backed by a coalition ofgroups, including the FloridaChamber of Commerce, thathave clout with the Legisla-ture. They contend it is cur-rently too easy for organiza-tions to bankroll an effort tochange the constitution.

But a bipartisan group,including former U.S. Sen.Bob Graham, former Republi-can state Rep. Bill Subletteand conservative PanamaCity businessman Charlie Hil-ton, are leading a group ofopponents who say theamendment is a ‘‘naked powergrab’’ by special interests whowant to take away the public’srights and give it to politi-cians.

The poll shows opponentshave a lot of work to do. If theelection were held today, 67percent of respondents saythey would support theamendment, with 27 percentopposed and 6 percentunsure. The survey of 803likely voters was conductedlast week. The margin of erroris plus or minus 3.5 percent-age points.

Pollster John Zogby sug-gested that in a constantly

growing state like Florida,voters may make it difficult tochange the status quo.

‘‘Voters have been tellingus they want some stability,’’said Zogby. ‘‘They are saying‘Slow down here.’ ’’

There is one caveat aboutthe poll: Because of the lengthof some of the ballot ques-tions, the survey used a sim-plified summary of the consti-tutional amendments whentalking to voters.

The poll shows four otheramendments are receivingsignificant support amongvoters.• Nearly three-quarters of

those surveyed — 74 percent— say they favor an amend-ment to set aside 15 percent ofthe state’s annual tobacco set-tlement for antismoking edu-cation and prevention pro-grams. If passed, the statewould have to spend $57 mil-lion on anti-smoking efforts in2007. Just 22 percent said theyopposed the measure, whichwas placed on the ballot by acitizens group, while nearly 4percent are undecided.• An overwhelming

majority, 79 percent, said theywould vote in favor of an

amendment to give countiesthe option of raising thehomestead exemption forpoor senior citizens, to$75,000 from the current$50,000. Only 17 percent wereopposed and nearly 5 percentare undecided.• The largest margin of

those surveyed — 86 percent— said they back a constitu-tional amendment that wouldallow disabled veterans 65 orolder, and who joined the mil-itary when they were Floridaresidents, to get a discount ontheir property taxes. Theamendment was opposed by12 percent while only 2 per-cent were undecided.• A small majority is in

favor of an amendment tocurtail ‘‘eminent domain,’’ thelaw that allows governmentsto take private property undercertain circumstances. Theproposal was placed on theballot by the Florida Legisla-ture. The measure would pro-hibit state and local govern-ments from taking privateproperty and handing it toanother private person orbusiness unless 60 percent ofthe Legislature voted to allowit.

Of those surveyed, 55 per-cent are in favor of theamendment, which wasdrawn up to counter a contro-versial U.S. Supreme Courtdecision from 2005. The highcourt said governments areallowed to take private prop-erty and give it to developersfor economic developmentpurposes. Only 36 percent ofFlorida voters said theyopposed the amendment,while 9 percent said they areundecided.• One of the six amend-

ments could be in danger offailing. Lawmakers placed onthe ballot a complicated,lengthy budget and planningmeasure that contains severalprovisions. Voters were askedwhether they favor an amend-ment that would require theLegislature to cap the amountof money it can spend onexpenses that occur year afteryear — for example, teachersalaries or healthcare funding— from revenue that comesfrom an unexpected one-timewindfall.

Only 43 percent said theywould vote in favor of theamendment compared to 39percent who oppose i t —placing the issue within themargin of error. Nearly one-fifth of all those surveyed, 18percent, said they were unde-cided.

2B MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2006 BR MiamiHerald.com THE MIAMI HERALDBROWARD

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

BIG BLOWHARD: Starting Tuesday, commuter and freight trains in ‘quiet zones,’ like thisone at Hollywood Boulevard, can’t sound their horns except in emergencies.

PHOTOS BY CANDACE BARBOT / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

GO-TO GUYS: Lakes of Emerald Hills activists Jules Ast, left, Dr. Martin Shugar andSteven Reese, right, rallied residents to make no-horn train ‘quiet zone’ happen.

Story HBRB_021002 System MIAE by HBROERTJES Time 21:56:57 Date 10/01/06

Story # 0 Story name HBRB 021002 Basket INL PAGES Last text user HBROERTJES B , 2, BR , Keyword: Page 1 CyanMagentaYellowBlack