South Florida Sun Sentinel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • 25

BROWARD FloridajM Bulletin Board 2 obitu aries -7 Weather 8 Local Sun-Sentinelocom Get The Latest Breaking News South Florida Sun-Sentinel Tuesday November Section State ban. felon voting upheld "A The high court won't review a 1868 law. Advocates say thell fight prohibition. to society," said Courtenay Strickland of the Florida ACLU, who is chair of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. "We'll be asking the Legislature to put it on the ballot.

Ultimately it will be up to the people of Florida." Florida leads the nation in FELONS CONTINUES ON 4B 1868 was racially motivated to blunt the political power of freed slaves. "The court has not only missed an opportunity to right a great historic injustice, it has shut the courthouse door in the face of hundreds of thousands of disenfranchised voters," said Catherine Weiss, associate counsel for the Brennan Center barriers to black voters. But the high court denied the review without giving a reason. Florida is one of only three states that put a lifetime voting ban on former felons. The others are Kentucky and Virginia.

"Across the country there is a trend toward giving back a voice in the community to those who have paid their debt for Justice at the New York University School of Law, which was lead counsel in the case. "We are out of court. It has to be solved through the political process now," she added. The Florida case sought to challenge the voting restrictions under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which removed by Linda Kleindienst and Gregory Lewis STAFF WRITERS The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to review a 137-year old Florida law that bans felons from voting but advocates promised to carry on their fight with the Legislature and state voters.

Lawyers for Florida's 613,000 ex-felons had argued the prohibition in the state constitution approved by voters in Emergency Housing Man, 29, accused in fatal accident Records show an earlier drunken driving conviction. 1- I I r- BY Andrew Ryan STAFF WRITER dania beach Aconvicted drunk driver, who investigators say had been drinking early Monday morning, drove the wrong way on Interstate 595 and killed a 23-year-old waitress returning home from work, a law enforcement official said. The waitress, Azadeh Om-manian, was driving a Toyota sedan west toward her Cooper City home after her shift ended at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel Casino, said Florida Highway Patrol Lt. William Ferrell. At 3:10 a.m., a 2000 Lincoln came barreling the wrong way down 1-595 with Marvin Hernandez, 29, behind the wheel, Ferrell said.

Hernandez, an electrician from Miramar, had a valid license on Monday, but he had been arrested for drunken driving in November 2003 and lost his license for six months in 2004, records show. Ommanian tried to swerve to avoid Hernandez' oncoming car, but the Lincoln rammed CRASH CONTINUES ON 2B MOVING IN: Tatjana Beach and her year-old son, Cody, unpack at their new temporary home in a travel trailer at the FEMA village at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines for those made homeless by Hurricane Wilma. The roof blew off Beach's mobile home in Plantation. Seventeen families have moved into 1 9 trailers now on the site, where FEMA plans to put 58.

Another 1 76 sites will be leased at a mobile home park in Margate. Staff photoJudy Sloan Reich Shelter move falls through Hotels are last option for homeless I ruy if Solution proposed in dispute over roads close by the end of the week so the school can be readied for the start of classes after Thanksgiving. The 320 residents of the shelter had packed their clothes and belongings into trash bags, duffel bags and boxes and were expecting to board buses to a new shelter after dinner Monday. Some had stayed home from work to make the move, but officials gathered them into McNicol's cafeteria at midday and told them about the problem. "So it's back to the drawing board again.

Oh Lord," said Doreen HOUSING CONTINUES ON 4B By Scott Wyman, DouaneD. James and Paula Mcmahon STAFF WRITERS Broward County and the Red Cross have been unable to find a new emergency shelter for families left homeless by Hurricane Wilma and may be forced to move hundreds of people to hotels later this week. The Red Cross wanted to relocate its shelter from McNicol Middle School in Hollywood to another large building Monday night, but the plans unraveled at the last minute. No alternative is on the horizon, even though the shelter must 0 A. mA SAME Reyes, 10, settles back in with herfamils possessions at McNicol Middle School after negotiations for an alternative shelter failed.

Occupants must leave so classes can resume. Staff photoRobert Duyos WHERE TO GO FOR FEDERAL HELP WITH HOUSING. 4B Wilma damage unplugs Holiday Fantasy of Lights By Joe kolun STAFF WRITF.R PEMBROKE PINES Southwest Ranches and Pembroke Pines officials on Monday reached a tentative solution to the year-old border dispute over barricades on three residential roads. Under the proposal, the three streets would become one-way roads if the Pembroke Pines City Commission and Southwest Ranches Town Council approve. The compromise would address Southwest Ranches' fear of speeding traffic while eliminating the barricades that hinder emergency vehicles in Pembroke Pines.

"It looks like it's over and everyone can go about being good neighbors," Broward County Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin said after a three-hour meeting. Wasserman-Rubin, who represents both municipalities, has been working to end the dispute ROADS CONTINUES ON 2B main concern was reopening parks still closed after the Oct. 24 storm, including Trade-winds. He said an additional 75 workers are pitching in this week to clear debris in parks countywide. Prior to the storm, workers spent more than a month setting up about 65 light displays and 1.25 million tree-strung LIGHTS CONTINUES ON 4B aled through the park.

Sloan and his wife, Aurora, have attended the event the past four years with the South Broward Wheelers club. Bob Harbin, Broward County's parks and recreation director, said he's not sure about rescheduling. "I don't want to get people's hopes up and then have us not produce," he said. For now, Harbin said, his FIND OUT WHO'S THE GRAND MARSHAL OF THE WINTERFEST PARADE. 4B canceled "Bike through the Lights Night" event that was to be held last weekend at Tradewinds Park.

"You got to watch the kids experience the trees as soon as it got dark," said Sloan, 43, reminiscing on past holidays when he and other bikers ped by daniella Aird STAFF WRITER South Florida's holiday season will have a lot less twinkle for now. Residents hoping to behold the eye-popping displays at Tradewinds Park's Holiday Fantasy of Lights won't be getting a peek anytime soon. The Coconut Creek event that annually draws more than 40,000 residents from the tri- county area will not open to the public Friday as planned. Workers are still trying to make repairs after Hurricane Wilma's treacherous trip through the elaborate 2-mile scene, which left smashed Christmas lights and broken tree limbs. Cooper City resident Craig Sloan already missed one of his holiday traditions.

He had planned to attend the now- MICHAEL MAYO IS TAKING SOME TIME OFF. HIS NEXT COLUMN WILL APPEAR THANKSGIVING DAY. Sun-SentineUcom CABLE SERVICE AFTER WILMA How well did your cable TV company Comcast and Adclphia arc the major ones in South Florida do in restoring service after Hurricane Wilma? Go to CHOPPY WATERS Watch our special report on pool contractor nightmares, at 1 1 tonight on NBC 6..