Author: Jan Engoren

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Coral Springs man speaks, writes on family’s triple tragedy

Limelight – an intense white light created by heating a cylinder of quicklime, used for dramatic effect in 19th century theater.

As an actor and producer, Coral Springs resident Joseph Velez, 57, never expected that one day his own family would be the focus of such an unforgiving glare.

With film credits ranging from Robert De Niro’s 2019 “The Irishman” to the
2010 locally filmed A&E TV series “TheGlades” to the hit Netflix show “Stranger Things,” Velez was used to seeing himself on-screen playing fictional roles.

But in a kind of twisted triple indemnity motivated by insurance fraud, Velez found himself in the middle of three very real deaths — one his own mother — all allegedly plotted by his half-brother.

They were deaths with a gun, a plastic bag, and the killer’s own two hands. They were deaths with a common motive — insurance money. They were deaths of people all known by the suspect, the half-brother, who is now serving a life sentence, but only for one of the killings, that of his own 15-month-old son, Prince.

Velez, a former Marine who served three tours in Afghanistan during Operation Desert Storm, is writing a book and producing and hosting a podcast about the cases.

The story unfolds over the span of a decade, beginning on Mar. 19, 2003, when a young mother, Shawn Katrina Mason, was shot and killed in her Manassas, (Prince William County) VA., condominium.

Five years later, in Nov. 2008, an older woman, Alma Rosa Collins, also of Prince William County, was found dead with a plastic bag over her head. The death was ruled a suicide but Velez doesn’t believe it.

Alma Rosa Collins was his mother.

Police had one person in custody after the killing of Mason, the half-brother of Velez, Joaquin Rams, born as John Anthony Ramirez. He was released for lack of evidence.

Prince Elias McCleod Rams was found dead in Manassas in October 2012, at the home of his father Joaquin. Rams and the boy’s mother, Hera McCleod, were divorced and a court had granted Rams unsupervised visits.

Rams was Mason’s ex-boyfriend. He was the son of the second victim and the father of the third. It was later learned Rams had life insurance policies with his name as the beneficiary of all three of the victims.

Hera McCleod, now an activist for children’s rights in Seattle, wrote in a
blog, “Trusting the Virginia police ended up being one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Instead of helping to keep my family safe, they helped my abuser.”

It’s inconceivable to Velez that authorities ruled his mom’s death a suicide. Velez and his mother’s sister, Elva Carabello, strongly dispute the finding.

In the death of Collins, Rams collected insurance of more than $150,000. He had taken out three policies totaling half-a-million dollars on his then, new-born son, and was receiving Social Security benefits from the death of Mason, the mother of his first son, Joaquin, Jr.


Rams, now 48, was arrested in 2013 for the murder of his son, Prince. After a 12-day bench trial, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He is serving time in the Red Onion State Prison, a supermax facility in Virginia. Authorities are taking another look at the other two deaths.

For Velez, writing a book and producing the podcasts has been a journey tougher than his three tours in Afghanistan.

The book is titled, “Shadows Of My Soul – Objects in the Mirror are Closer Than They Appear.” The podcast for iHeart Radio, Spotify, and Apple iTunes is called “The C.O.D.E. (Cause of Death Explained) of Silence.”

Velez also founded The B.A.R.E. Project (Butterflies/Angels/ Rescue/Echo) to honor his mother, Alma Rosa Collins, Mason, and Prince McLeod.

“We must honor them and the countless other innocent lives that have been taken that never had a chance to speak out for help,” he says.

Visit Shadows of My Soul on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest news. The book will be available on Amazon.com. The podcast, “The C.O.D.E. (Cause of Death Explained) of Silence” will be available on iHeart Radio, Spotify, Apple iTunes, and other streaming services.

 

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MSD senior spreads sunshine and kindness

Freshman year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was difficult
for Daniel Tabares, then 17.

It was the year of the worst tragedy in the school’s history when 17 students and staff were murdered and Tabares lost friends.

He was sad and depressed and only when he became involved with the
Parkland March For Our Lives rally on Mar. 24, 2018 as a featured speaker, did he find his calling.

“I may seem serious,” says Tabares. “But once you get to know me, I’m
funny, outgoing, and always kind. Sometimes people have preconceived notions about people who look different, but don’t always trust your first impressions and give people a chance.”

Born with achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder, Tabares is not unfamiliar with the unkindness of strangers.

Achondroplasia is the most common type of dwarfism. It is a genetic
condition that affects about 1 in 15,000 to 1 in 40,000 people.

Emmy-award winner Peter Dinklage, who portrayed Tyrion Lannister on the wildly popular TV series, “Game of Thrones,” has the condition.

“I’ve been through so much,” he says, noting that he’s been called names, been excluded and stared at, not to mention undergone more than 10 surgeries.

“It’s no fun,” he says.

At the rally, Tabares spoke about how he was feeling and says he was quoted on CNN as saying, “Give yourself a hug like there’s no tomorrow.”

His inspirational words had an effect on those around him and boosted his morale and confidence.

From that day on, Tabares was a changed person and no longer depressed.

He had found his voice.

Daniel Tabares

“It’s a crazy world,” he says, “and maybe someone is going through a lot, and a kind word is all they need to get through their day.”

He has taken to sharing his kind words and inspirational messages on his social media and with the residents of Parkland as he rides from one end of Holmberg Rd. to the other on his bike showcasing his inspirational signs.

He counts his dad, Luis, as a role model (and for his good looks) and says he’s inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Theresa.

“You’re amazing,” proclaims one sign. “Be the change you want to see in the world,” says another, paraphrasing Gandhi. His LinkedIn page states, “Dreams and dedication are a powerful combination.”

Another sign declared not only black lives matter, but Latino, disabled, and LGBTQ lives as well.

He took Gandhi’s message to heart and challenges himself to be the change he wants to see.

Now, in his senior year at MSD and co-president of the Student Board of The Friendship Journey and Ambassador of Wings of Friendship, Tabares hopes to be a speech- language pathologist or a motivational speaker, and his dream since second grade is to attend the University of Florida.

This summer he was a lead counselor and student ambassador in an 8-week virtual camp for people with disabilities and was inspired by the students’ empathy for others.

The camp, sponsored by Dylan’s Wings of Change (DWC), is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the memory of Dylan Hockley, a student killed in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 along with 19 other first-graders and six teachers.

They partnered with the locally-based The Friendship Journey, with its mission to educate, empower, and include individuals across all cognitive and physical abilities.

Tabares said coming to the camp allows participants to be fully themselves and share their true colors with others.

“I’m thankful for that,” he says.

After the Parkland shootings, Tabares was invited to Pittsburgh to receive the first Loving Kindness Award from the Pittsburgh JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness, where 11 people lost their lives and six were wounded in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Oct. 2018.

Rabbi Ron Symons, the director of Pittsburgh JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness, says Tabares was selected for the award “because he exudes kindness in every way.”

“When we met him after the shootings in Parkland and Pittsburgh, we met a person with a depth of optimism and soul that few adults have,” Symons says. “No matter what he does throughout his life, I am confident that my friend and teacher, Danny Tabares, will inspire thousands.”

 

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Fresh Florida salmon headed for your dinner plate

Plants grown in greenhouses are protected from the elements, kept at the right temperature, and fed exactly what they need to flourish.

Coming now to South Florida, a “Bluehouse,” whose inhabitants are protected from the elements, kept at the right temperature, and fed exactly what they need to flourish. With apologies to our vegan readers and good tidings to our meat eaters and pescatarians, the inhabitants in this case are Atlantic salmon.

It’s called a Bluehouse because it’s underwater; water continuously purified by a state-of-the-art filtration system where salmon are free to swim against strong currents, mimicking their natural habitat.

It’s all happening at a 390,000 square-foot
facility in Homestead, where the first four million Florida-born salmon are already swimming in Bluehouse tanks. They are free of antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones. They have no PCBs, mercury, or microplastics; clean fish ready for your dinner table.

The Norwegian company Atlantic Sapphire, an aquaculture venture in salmon, is behind the fisheries on 160 acres of land 30 miles south of Miami. Founded in 2010 by Norwegians Johan Andreassen and Bjorn-Vegard Lovik, the duo pioneered the use of cleaner fish in the 1990s as a natural way of fighting sea lice in net-pen salmon farming.

With a need to feed an expanding global population, aquaculture is the fastest-growing sector of agriculture.

According to the FAU Center for Marine and Warm Water Aquaculture, “More than 50 percent of the seafood we eat comes from aquaculture, but less than one percent is produced in the U.S. There is a critical need and opportunity to expand U.S. aquaculture production to grow safe and healthy seafood that will reduce the trade deficit.”

“With declining fisheries and the need to feed close to 10 billion people by 2050, it is projected that global aquaculture production will need to more than double in the next 40 years,” they say. Right now, the United States imports 95 percent of its salmon from the North Sea fjords of Norway or the cold waters off Chile.

A prototype for the facility was constructed in Denmark in 2011. That facility produced 25 generations of salmon and demonstrated the ability to raise Atlantic salmon without the use of net pens in open water.

“You think of potatoes from Idaho, lobsters from Maine, and now you’ll think of fresh salmon from Florida,” Atlantic Sapphire’s CFO, Jose Prado told Politico reporter Michael Grunwald. “This will be the new thing because the world needs what we’re doing here.”

Why South Florida? Grunwald learned that the company, after researching 14 states, found the perfect locale here. “In a miraculous quirk of geology, Florida has a fortuitous mix of freshwater, saltwater, and waste underground – like a layer cake,” Grunwald wrote.

“The area’s stratified underground aquifers happen to provide pristine freshwater that can mimic the river stage for young salmon, abundant saltwater that can mimic the estuary stage for mature salmon, and a boulder zone where wastewater can be disposed of safely,” he wrote.

Noting that the wild salmon catch has been flat for the past 30 years, Grunwald said, “Aquaculture is an exciting option because these salmon leave less impact on our oceans and forests and less of a carbon footprint.”

This is a theme echoed by Atlantic Sapphire and touted by Dr. Paul Wills of FAU’s Harbor Branch aquaculture research programs. Wills says, “Of course it’s unusual to grow salmon in South Florida. But, this land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) gives complete control over the fishes’ environment. They can control what goes in and that influences what goes out.”

Like the salmon itself, which overcome all obstacles to swim upstream, Atlantic Sapphire will have to overcome its own obstacles, including COVID-19, to go from zero to producing half of the U.S. salmon diet over a four-phased plan.

According to Prado, since the pandemic began in March, limited operations and construction completion have continued and the company made an “extraordinary effort” to implement health and safety measures.

According to the Miami Herald, the company plans to produce 95,000 metric tons of fish by 2026 and 220,000 metric tons by 2031, and plans to price its fish at a price point 20 percent above market.

“Our Bluehouse salmon, raised in Miami, is a game-changer for U.S. seafood production,” Prado said. They also project to generate approximately 31,000 jobs by 2030, paying wages higher than those typical for the region.

“Atlantic Sapphire is an innovative company bringing new jobs and new technology to our region,” says Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “Did you ever imagine South Florida would serve as the world’s largest site for salmon production?”

“The facility is expected to bring in a capital investment of $340 million to South Dade,” says Gimenez. “In these uncertain economic times, innovation and job creation will be even more important to Miami-Dade County.”

 

By Jan Engoren

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Holocaust education bill signed into law

Learning about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism is the new norm for school-age kids in Florida public schools.

A new bill, H.B.1213, was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 27, which directs public schools to teach about anti-Semitism during Holocaust instruction and requires the Florida Department of Education to give schools curriculum standards for teaching the subject in grades K-12.

The department would be required to create a process for schools to annually certify and provide evidence of compliance with the Holocaust instructional requirements.

This bill, introduced by Rep. Randy Fine, (R-Brevard County) and Sen. Lauren Book (D-Plantation), is the result of an incident in April 2018, when then-principal of the Spanish River Community High School in Boca Raton, William Latson, wrote in an email to a parent, “Not everyone believes the Holocaust happened.”

In a community with many Jewish residents and an estimated 12,000 actual Holocaust survivors residing in Palm Beach County, this statement caused an uproar and a call to action. One-third of Americans do not believe that six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust and two-thirds of Millennials don’t know what Auschwitz is.

“I couldn’t be happier that this bill was signed,” said Book from home where she is quarantining due to COVID-19. “It’s about ensuring there is consistency in Holocaust education.”

The legislation took effect on July 1. According to multiple sources, including a spokesperson from Senator Book’s office and a spokesperson for the Palm Beach County School District, the curriculum is mandatory and not elective. No one will be permitted to “opt-out.”

In Broward County, Daniel Gohl, Chief Academic Officer, says: “Instruction is embedded in our core curriculum and, therefore, all students receive the instruction.”

Book brought Czechoslovakian-born Magdalen Bader, an Auschwitz survivor who was nine when the war broke out, to testify in front of the committee in Tallahassee for 45 minutes about her travails under Nazi rule and says, “Her testimony was so powerful. You could hear a pin drop; there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”

“One of the lessons is: Don’t be a bystander,” says Book. “Use your voice. Don’t sit quietly by; this is something we need to ingrain early in our students’ education.”

Fine, the only Jewish member of the Florida House of Representatives said the bill is critical to not only teach about the Holocaust but to teach the definition of anti-Semitism. “This will take the law to the next level,” he said.

 

The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), will be taught in a manner that leads to an investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity
in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting democratic values and institutions, including the policy, definition, and historical
and current examples of anti-Semitism and the prevention of anti-Semitism.

H.B.1213

 

Each school district must annually certify and provide evidence to the department, in a manner prescribed by the department, that the requirements of this paragraph are met.

Also included in the bill is an amendment introduced by Sen. Randolph Bracy (D-Ocoee) to include the teaching of the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots, which annihilated the black population near Orlando due to outrage over a black man – Julius “July” Perry, attempting to exercise his legal right to vote in a presidential election. Ku Klux Klan members rioted and burned black-owned businesses and residences to the ground. An estimated 30 to 50 black citizens died in the massacre.

“The signing of this legislation will spread the story of the Ocoee Massacre into museum exhibits and classrooms, and will inscribe victims’ names into school buildings and state parks,” Bracy said.

“Now more than ever it is paramount we educate our citizenry about the origins of racial conflict and its manifestations in policies that are anti-black, anti-democratic, and anti-human,” said Bracy. “I am proud to have sponsored this historic piece of legislation and am grateful for Senator Book’s partnership in getting this bill across the finish line.”

Sen. Lauren Book

“Many people, including myself, were unfamiliar with this historical event,” says Book.

 

Local residents herald new bill

Parkland residents of twenty years, Alan and Felice Rosenthal have three sons–Josh, Matt, and Daniel – who have attended Parkland schools, including Park Trails, West Glades, and MSD. They are pleased that the governor has signed this bill into law.

“As the survivors die off, we need to remember their stories,” says Felice Rosenthal, a mom, and former educator. “It’s important to keep their stories alive, even when they won’t be.”

Members of Congregation Kol-Tikvah, their three sons attended religious school and were bar-mitzvahed there. While not overly observant, the Rosenthals say they value being part of a Jewish community.

In 1990, Felice Rosenthal took part in the March of the Living, an annual educational program which brings students from around the world to Poland, where they explore the remnants of the Holocaust.

Her son, Josh, who just graduated from MSD was scheduled to participate last April, but the event was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Felice Rosenthal remembers meeting many actual survivors and hearing the late Elie Wiesel, himself a survivor of Auschwitz, speak at the concentration camp in Poland and said it has left a lasting impression in her memory.

“Every time I hear a survivor speak about their experiences and how horrendous it was, it gives me chills,” says Felice Rosenthal. “Our kids need to be taught this history and how it happened. It’s not something we can forget.”

“This bill makes it standard for all kids across the state,” says Alan Rosenthal, an estate planning attorney. “With anti-Semitism on the rise, having this mandated in the public schools will be beneficial. As the number of survivors decline, and we lose their first-hand accounts of the Holocaust, this ensures that educators take over and every student will understand what happened and how to prevent it.”

“Having the history of the Holocaust and the definition of anti-Semitism taught together makes this bill more impactful,” says Alan Rosenthal. “We hope the legacy of this bill is a kinder and gentler society.”

Evan Goldman, VP, Community Planning and Government Relations at the Jewish Federation of Broward County, said the Federation has advocated for increased education around anti-Semitism and the Holocaust.

“More than ever, there is a need for high standards in Holocaust education,” says Goldman. “Education is the touchstone to long-lasting community change.”

He’s appreciative of the efforts of The Holocaust Documentation & Education Center (HDEC), which spent time lobbying for the initiative in Tallahassee. The HDEC is devoted to documenting the memory of the Holocaust and educating today’s generation about the dangers of bigotry, hatred and intolerance.

“It was a masterstroke to wrap Holocaust education and anti-Semitism into one bill along with the teaching of the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots,” says Goldman. “Rep. Randy Fine, Sen. Lauren Book and Sen. Randolph Bracy should be commended for bringing it all together.”

“The bill is important so the next generation understands that anti- Semitism and racism are insidious and simply cannot be tolerated,” Goldman stated. “It’s important that we stand up against hate and intolerance.”

“It’s gratifying to see both the Jewish and black communities united in their response to hatred, in whatever form,” says Goldman. “We are stronger together.”

By Jan Engoren

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No ‘Plan B’ for Parkland country singer

With no Plan B on the horizon, Parkland resident and indie-pop country music singer Liddy Clark, 22, knows who she is and where she’s going.

Currently a senior at the Thornton School of Music at USC in Los Angeles, Clark is home with her parents and two younger brothers in Parkland for the summer, where she has a home recording studio.

Making the most of the COVID-19 quarantine, Clark is busy working on her music, taking her dogs for walks at the Parkland dog park, bicycling, and reading Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist.”

“It’s all about the music for me,” says Clark. “I thrive in creative environments, and I have a unique way of transmitting my message in a way that hasn’t been done before.”

Singing since the age of seven, when she realized she had perfect pitch, Clark appeared in a talent show performing ‘Colors of the Wind,’ from the Disney movie Pocahontas at the former Day School in Coral Springs.

After taking vocal lessons and learning to play the guitar at age 12, Clark says, “Things snowballed from there.”

She started writing her own songs at age 13 and at 15 studied at Boston’s Berklee College of Music summer program for three years in a row.

At 17, she earned a scholarship to Berklee’s five-week Summer Performance Program, one of the most distinguished summer musical performance programs in the country, and landed a coveted spot in the school’s Singer-Songwriter Showcase, with professor and singer/ songwriter Melissa Ferrick.

According to Ferrick, Clark “writes award-winning lyrics.”

With her warm, soulful voice and from-the-heart lyrics, Clark is an advocate for change through her music. In 2018, she released “Shot Down (Stand Up),” about the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a call to action for her generation of students plagued by gun violence.

That same year, Clark released her debut EP, Testing the Waters: a selection of original songs, showcasing her indie-pop take on country music.

The highlight of her career to date has been the gap year she took between high school and college, where she toured radio stations, including Spotify and iHeartRadio, meeting with program directors. She played the Country Music Hall of Fame appearing after Garth Brooks and likes to say he opened for her.

Locally, Clark has played in and around Parkland for the past five years and had her first paying gig at the Parkland Amphitheatre in Pinetrails Park. In 2015, she played at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Ballfields opening during the last phase of the building of that same park.

“Liddy is a wonderful representative for the City of Parkland,” says Mayor Christine Hunschofsky. “She has graciously volunteered her time and talents over the years for many local performances.”

“As a community, we’re so happy to have been able to observe and be a part of Liddy’s growth as a musician/songwriter, and as a young woman, and know she has an exciting future ahead of her,” Hunschofsky says.

A former competitive cheerleader, Clark spent a lot of time driving from school to school with her mom listening to a variety of music, including Shania Twain, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift. All of them, she considers influenced her musical style.

Other role models include her parents, “especially my dad who pushes me always to be a better version of myself,” says Clark.

She has a single coming out in October and hopes to also release an album and go on tour. After college, she plans to stay either in Los Angeles or relocate to Nashville.

About Parkland, she says, “I’m just so thankful to grow up here in Parkland. It’s such a nice city with such great people.”

Visit liddyclark.com for more information.

By Jan Engoren

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Alyssa’s Law comes home

In the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, and in an attempt to make schools safer, Florida is now the second state in the country, after New Jersey, to adopt Alyssa’s Law, named after one of the shooting victims.

The state committed to allocate $8 million to implement the statewide mobile alert system for schools, despite a pandemic and budget cuts.

Thanks to Senator Lauren Book (D-Plantation) and State Representatives Michael Gottlieb and Dan Daley, Alyssa’s Law unanimously passed the Florida House of Representatives and was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 30.

“We’re so excited to get this bill passed,” says Book, a mother of two-year-old twins and an advocate for students and educational issues.

The bill is named in honor of Alyssa Alhadeff, an honor student, then 14, who was murdered on Valentine’s Day 2018 while in her classroom at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, along with 13 of her schoolmates, and 3 staff members. The bill mandates that all public schools in the state of Florida install silent alarms that will be directly connected to local law enforcement in a state of emergency.

According to her parents, Ilan and Lori Alhadeff, Alyssa was “bright, energetic, happy, athletic – a pure ray of sunshine who lit up every room with her warm smile. She was an honor student, a good friend who was known to stay up later than she should have in order to support others, a winning debater, and a star soccer player, the captain of her traveling team.”

Alyssa’s parents founded the non-profit Make Our Schools Safe, with a mission of empowering students and staff to create and maintain a culture of safety and vigilance in a secure school environment. Part of those efforts was lobbying for the passage of the Alyssa’s Law bill.

“In the massacre at MSD, milliseconds mattered – and the lack of real-time coordination between first responders likely cost precious lives,” Book said in a statement after the bill was signed.

The Parkland Commission, set up after the tragedy to determine what went wrong, found that chaos and delayed response time contributed to unnecessary loss of life.

Beginning with the 2021 school year, Alyssa’s Law will require all public elementary and secondary schools to install either silent panic alarms, a cellphone app, or alternative emergency mechanisms approved by The Department of Education from which to silently alert the police.

In an interview with local Tallahassee TV station WTXL, Lori Alhadeff, now a member of the Broward School Board said “We didn’t have panic buttons. If we had an Alyssa’s Alert, teachers would have seen it on their phones and would have known how to respond properly. They could have locked and barricaded their rooms and got[ten] out of the line of fire.”

Alhadeff’s goal is to get all 50 states to pass Alyssa’s Law.

Visit: makeourschoolssafe.org

To help bring Alyssa’s Law to the national level, visit: change.org/p/u-s-house-of-representatives-pass-the- alyssa-law-at-the-national-level?recruiter=985442548&utm_ source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&recruited_by_ id=c6ac5260-a9a9-11e9-aa54-e9ab6b748c2a

 

By Jan Engoren

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Local author tackles timely social issues

Not one to shy away from tough social issues of the day, Boynton Beach author Robert Brink tackles racism, police brutality and issues of legal justice in his latest legal thriller, “Blood on their Hands,” set in South Florida.

Inspired by a true-life meeting with a black man who came to repair his computer and recounted a story of being roughed up by the police for sporting an Obama bumper-sticker, Brink uses the incident as the catalyst for his suspense-filled narrative that is at once compelling and surprisingly humorous.

“This is a tale replete with both pathos and humor, steeped in sex, suspense, intrigue, and violence all leavened by a tragic love affair,” says Brink. “Perhaps most important, it is a story of redemption.”

Brink took inspiration from two of his favorite films, the 2008 Clint Eastwood film, “Gran Torino” and the 1992 classic, “My Cousin Vinnie,” (“my favorite comedy of all time”) starring Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei. He borrowed themes from both films and used them as inspiration for this novel.

Brink’s previous books include the coming-of-age novel “Breaking Out,” “The Way It Was: Short Stories and Tall Tales,” and “A Tale of Two Continents,” a ghost-written memoir.

“I’m fascinated by true crime stories,” says Brink, whose last book was “Murder in Palm Beach: The Homicide That Never Died,” about a Standard

Oil career executive, Richard Kreusler, who was gunned down at the front door of his Palm Beach home in 1976.

In “Blood on Their Hands,” a racist attorney (Hiram Garbuncle) eventually finds redemption when he defends his client, an immigrant from Trinidad, brutally beaten by police. While it goes against the defense attorney’s grain to defend a black man from a charge of violently resisting arrest, he discovers incriminating evidence on the two cops, and rises to the challenge to keep himself and his client alive pending a new trial.

With police shootings of unarmed black men making headlines on a regular basis, “Blood on Their Hands” is a timely exploration of how bigoted feelings and perceptions play a role in racial profiling.

“It personalizes the issue of racial discrimination, helping the reader to comprehend the makeup of a bigot,” Brink says. “The book also provides a glimpse into how the legal system may be stacked against minority members of our society.”

Brink exploits a quirk in criminal law and his character makes use of this controversial tactic, one in which the defense attorney serves as a witness for the defendant.

“It’s very rare, but can be done,” says Brink, who spent hours researching the issue and speaking to criminal attorneys about the issue.

A mid-westerner by birth and temperament, Brink is a former journalist and worked for the Palm Beach Post where he covered police and criminal trials. He’s also written for Palm Beach Illustrated magazine and The Associated Press in Chicago.

Brink received two offers from traditional publishers and chose Touchstone Press he says, because several of their authors have won awards.

What advice does he have for other would-be authors?

“Get the basics right first, and move on to such salient elements as showing versus telling, point of view (which still baffles me), and command of dialogue.”

By Jan Engoren

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Message from Parkland Mayor : Christine Hunschofsky – July 2020

At the time of this writing, Broward County just allowed summer camps and sports activities to take place. Graduation parades and virtual ceremonies were taking place and most families were adjusting their summer

plans. The City has been working to adopt the Broward County orders safely, while also preparing for the summer budget season.

This month, the City Commission will meet on July 8 at 6pm for
a workshop and at 7pm for a meeting. At our meeting we will be voting on a millage (tax) rate that will appear on the TRIM (Truth In Millage Notices) that are sent to every homeowner in August. This millage rate is only a placeholder, but when the Commission votes on the final millage rate at the two budget hearings in September, we cannot vote for a millage rate higher than the one we approve in July. At the July commission meeting, our city manager will
give the Commission her proposed budget. During July, August, and September, the proposed budget is available online to the public. Additionally, there is a link online to ask questions about the budget, and city staff are available to answer any questions any resident has on the budget. The Commission reviews the budget in July and has workshops on the budget in August and September. The final votes on the millage rate and the budget take place during two meetings in September. To view the current proposed budget (which will be available online after July 8, 2020) and previous budgets, please visit cityofparkland.org/budget.

The only ad valorem part of your tax bill that the Parkland City Commission votes on is the City of Parkland millage rate. Your tax bill is made up of many other governmental entities, not just the City of Parkland ad valorem. By making a quick online search at the Broward County Property Appraiser’s website at bcpa.net you can find your property and then click on the “Click here to display your tax bill” link at the top. This will take you to your property’s tax history and give you the ability to review the full details of your tax bill. In 2019, the ad valorem charges on your tax bill included (percentages are rounded to the nearest .01%):

Broward County (29.89%), Broward Schools (37.26%), South Florida Water Management (1.4%), North Broward Hospital District (5.44%), Children’s Services Council (2.57%), City of Parkland (23.30%) and Fl. Inland Navigation (.17%).

In addition to the ad valorem charges, you will also find a City of Parkland Fire Assessment Fee, a direct charge from your drainage district and a direct charge from Waste Management. I highly recommend going online, reviewing your 2019 tax bill and then reviewing your proposed 2020 taxes that are in the TRIM notice you should receive by mail in August.

Wishing you and your family a safe and happy July 4th! Enjoy these summer weeks with your family and friends. I hope you will all have time to relax and recharge. As always, feel free to reach out to me at any time at chunschofsky@cityofparkland.org with your questions or comments. I look forward to hearing from you!

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‘Selfies’ without a cell phone at Boca art museum

After hitting pause on their exhibits and programming in mid-March due to COVID-19, the Boca Raton Museum of Art reopened to the public on Jun. 3, offering a newly renovated lobby courtesy of board chair, Jody Harrison Grass, a redesigned Wolgin Education Center and free admission through September.

There is still time to catch a number of their time-run exhibitions, including “Eye to I:  Self Portraits from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery,” kicking off their national tour. Originally running through Jun. 14, the show has been extended through Sept. 20.

At a time when millions of selfies are posted every day and identity is proving to be more fluid, this exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery shines a new light on self-portraiture.

“These artists looked inward in ways we can connect with in our modern time in ways they could not have foreseen,” says Irvin Lippman, executive director of the museum. “They made a lasting mirror effect of themselves, cutting across time and creating a very personal art that engages us – the viewer,” he says. “

The show was organized by the Chief Curator of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian, Dr. Brandon Brame Fortune and showcases 60 works from the years 1901–2015, in a variety of styles and media ranging from caricatures to photographs, from watercolors to dramatic paintings.

Fortune chose all new works for the national tour, some not part of the original exhibit.

“It was an exercise in balancing works from the 20th century, balancing mediums, looking at representations and including portraits from each decade, across generations and across time, to make sure the show that goes on tour is as strong as the original show,” Fortune said

“Because selfies are so ubiquitous, it seemed like an interesting moment to pause and look at what artists have been doing for years.,” Fortune said. “Their self-expression tells us something about their personal lives and the times in which they created the portrait.”

Self-portraits by prominent figures in the history of portraiture include Robert Arneson, Thomas Hart Benton, Deborah Kass, Elaine de Kooning, Alexander Calder and Jasper Johns, among others.

More recent works include those by artists Ana Mendieta, Chuck Close, Lois Dodd Alison Saar and Cuban-born multi-media artist Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, whose self-portrait, “When I am not Here, Estoy alla,” (or, When I am not Here, I am There), graces the cover of the exhibit’s catalog.

Standing serenely with her eyes closed, her face covered in white and brown makeup, one arm behind her back and one grasping a Bird of Paradise, Campos-Pons seems to evoke a discussion on the ephemeral nature of shifting identities and self-identity.

Fritz Scholder’s “Self Portrait with Grey Cat,” was the last self-portrait the artist created before he died in 2003, from complications of diabetes.

The dark, moody canvas features the artist boldly facing the viewer as he leans on his cane. His eyes are covered by tinted glasses, and the tubes from his oxygen tank run from his nose across the canvas to the floor, which has been described as a reference to the “shadow of death.”

Also extended through Jan. 3, 2021 and running concurrently with this exhibit is New  York based photographer Phyllis Galembo’s: Maske, a series of large scale photographs documenting African ceremonial masks and costumes and the Museum’s presentation of the “Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers,” a series of seven large art nouveau panels, inspired in part by Maurice Maeterlinck’s book, The Intelligence of Flowers, and depicts Isadora Duncan, Mercedes de Cordoba, Katharine Rhoades, Marion Beckett and others, along with their floral counterparts.

The seven large art nouveau panels, each ten feet tall, were painted by Steichen from 1911-1914 for the Park Avenue townhouse of Eugene Meyer and his wife, Agnes.

The murals were inspired in part by Maurice Maeterlinck’s book, “he Intelligence of Flowers,” and depict Isadora Duncan, Mercedes de Cordoba, Katharine Rhoades and Marion Beckett, along with their floral counterparts.

For more information, visit:  bocamuseum.org

 

By Jan Engoren

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Kol Tikvah The Synagogue Where Everyone Knows Your Name

“Shabbat Shalom! Good Shabbos!”  These are the greetings you hear echoing on any given Friday night, in the sanctuary and corridors of Kol Tikvah, a reform synagogue serving Parkland and the surrounding communities. From Rock Shabbats under the stars, to Paint & Sip Happy Hours,  to Mimouna celebrations and  social events, Congregation Kol Tikvah is the “synagogue that never sleeps.”

Boasting an early childhood center, teen nights, a caring committee, business networking events and social action (Tikkun Olam) opportunities with monthly PB&J sandwich collections for the homeless, the synagogue, sandwiched between City Hall and the Coastal Community Church on N. University Dr., is a hub of activity.

“As a reform congregation we can take more liberty in choosing what to participate in,” says Rabbi Melissa Stollman, Director of Lifelong Learning.  “We don’t have the same sense of responsibility toward Jewish law, but focus on our responsibility toward one another. The heart of our community is the relationships people have with one another that take place in a Jewish setting,” she explains.

“We hear from many of our congregants that this is their home, this is where their “family” is – friends who’ve become family,” Stollman says.  “This is where they feel comfortable bringing their kids, praying, with activities grounded in Jewish values.  Everyone is seen and known and important.” The synagogue was birthed in 1991 when six Parkland families, including a Jew by choice, an interfaith couple and several adopted children met for Shabbat dinner and decided to establish a synagogue in the Reform tradition. In fact, president Jennifer Levin-Tavares  likens it to the popular TV show, Cheers, comparing Kol Tikvah (which means Voice of Hope) to a synagogue where “everyone knows your name.”

With more than 350 families, this is not an easy task. One of those families is the Levine family Craig, a realtor, Jennifer, a physician and their three children, Benjamin, 12, Max, 11, and Rebecca, 5, who spent three years in Kol Tikvah’s Phyllis J. Green Early Childhood Center (ECC). The whole family is active and involved with Kol Tikvah.  Craig is a board member of Kol Tikvah’s Brotherhood while Jennifer is involved with the synagogue Chavarim, which works to create and deepen relationships between members. Their oldest son, Benjamin will be a Bar Mitzvah this September and is working hard with Rabbi Bradd Boxman, Cantor, Malcolm Arnold and Mr. “B,” Fred Berkowitz, the Hebrew teacher. “In our ten years as members of Kol Tikva, we have felt warmly welcomed by the staff and members. We are impressed with the sense of community and our children have made lifelong friends,” says Craig Levine.  “We are so happy to have found Kol Tikvah.”

President Levin-Tavares says what distinguishes Kol Tikvah from other Jewish institutions in the area is that Kol Tikvah functions as a community center, offering more than just religious school, Shabbat and holiday services. “We have an amazingly energetic, demographically diverse synagogue with a wide range of activities and programming for every age group,” Levin-Tavares says. Because the congregation is still young, “Our youthfulness allows us to change and evolve much more nimbly than more established institutions,” she says.

For Rabbi Stollman, who lived in 10 cities growing up, she says belonging to a reform synagogue was an oasis in the midst of her chaotic life and kept her connected to her Judaism and Jewish values. She says the same is true for Parkland’s Kol Tikvah. 

“If you identify as Jewish or are curious about being Jewish and seeking a faith-based tradition, being connected on a deeper level, Kol Tikvah will welcome you,” says Rabbi Stollman.  “You don’t have to look too hard to feel connected and feel a part of something.”

For more information visit: koltikvah.net or call:  (954) 346-7878The next Rock Shabbat is scheduled for Nov. 1.

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Anguish in the Aftermath

“Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength,” the current Dalai Lama has said. “ By examining tragedy, as painful as it is, we hope to make sense of it. A new exhibit by Coral Springs photojournalist Ian Witlen opening at the Coral Springs Museum of Art on Sept. 14 and running through Nov. 9, titled, “Anguish in the Aftermath: Examining a Mass Shooting,” proposes to do just that.

On Feb. 14, 2018, Witlen, received the assignment from the Miami New Times to cover the shootings and its aftermath at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students and teachers were shot and killed. Witlen rushed to the scene and was on-site snapping photos and documenting the tragedy as it unfolded of this now scarred-in-our-memory event. As it happens, Witlen, now 36, graduated from MSD, so the events had a special resonance for him. “After the shooting I was at the school every day.” says Witlen. “I had many students and teachers coming asking me how can we get our stories told?”

A world traveler and internationally published photojournalist, Witlen’s work has appeared in Time, der Spiegel, CNN and Vanity Fair, among others. A self-described apolitical person, Witlen was in shock and unnerved by what he saw and driven to express all the emotions and tumult he was witnessing the best way he knew how – through photography.

Over the past 12 months, in his spare time and during nights and weekends, Witlen interviewed more than 75 students and teachers who were in the freshman building at MSD  on that fateful day. To remain neutral in his role as a photojournalist, Witlen asked the participants only two questions: What was your experience that day? And what would you like to see come of it? Out of that project emerged the exhibit, a collection of black-and-white portraits and audio recordings from each of the participants.

Museum-goers can listen to the audio of the responses and hear what the students are saying at that exact moment Witlen captured them on film. Julie Andrews, executive director of the Coral Springs Museum of Art was introduced to Witlen through former Coral Springs City Commissioner Lou Cimaglia. “When I saw Ian’s masterful photography and heartfelt stories I knew I had to find resources to help him continue his work,” says Andrews. “His photographs are the perfect intersection between art and the humanities,” she says.

Artist Nicoelle Danielle Cohen, 41, understood Witlen’s motivation.  She created the Healing Hearts Project, and works with Parkland survivors to heal and honor the victims. “I think what Ian is doing is incredible,” says Cohen, who spent part of her summer working with the Shine MSD Camp to provide healing through the arts. While Witlen says his message is a humanitarian one, not a political one, Cohen is open about expressing her views.

“As an MSD alum and mother of a 7-yr. old, I want to use my art to raise awareness, create healing and to continue the conversation about common sense gun laws,” she says. “I look forward to seeing Ian’s show,” says Cohen. “He’s working hard and I know the emotional toll it takes.” “My dream is that we are all inspired to use whatever talents we have to help make changes in the laws,” Cohen says. “We owe it to our children.”

The Coral Springs Museum of Art offered Witlen an artist-in-residence opportunity and hope to have the exhibit to travel to other museums and educational institutions across the country. For Witlen, too, his life was changed forever on that fateful February day. Witnessing all the horror and speaking to so many people directly affected by the tragedy, Witlen says he experienced vicarious trauma along with much heartbreak.

The project helped him get through those dark days. “This was a cathartic and therapeutic experience for myself and many of the students,” says Witlen. He was surprised that many of the students and teachers voiced a sense of relief. “They expressed a desire to help others, and I was moved to tears knowing I had a positive effect and helped someone in their time of need,” he said.

Witlen hopes the community will feel the same way. “It’s an opportunity for these students, teachers and families to unburden themselves, give them a voice and help them heal in some small way,” he says. “These kids want to make a better world where others are treated with kindness.  Despite the hardship, these students and families have kept on.  They are an inspiration to me,” he says.  “The least I can do is to do my part.”

For more information about this exhibit, contact the Coral Springs Museum of Art at (954) 340-5000 or museuminfo@coralsprings.com and online at coralspringsmuseum.org. Meet the artist at a complimentary meet and greet reception on Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 6 pm.

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Michelle Kefford Comes Home

New principal ready to lead Douglas forward

Michelle Kefford is pumped. And while spasms of enthusiasm seem to come with the job when you’re a school principal, the new principal of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High has plenty of legitimate reasons to be excited.

“It’s coming back home,” Kefford, 44, said.

Those four words explain almost every reason she’s back at the Parkland school, coming full circle from where she began her career 20 years ago as a biology teacher.

Kefford, who begins work at Douglas on July 1, replaces former principal Ty Thompson, who stepped down in May, and co-principal Teresa Hall.

The principal at MSD when a former student opened fire at the school, leaving 17 dead and as many injured on Feb. 14, 2018, Thompson had been under investigation by Broward Schools and reassigned to different duties at Douglas. A popular and exuberant figure at the school, Thompson cited personal reasons for resigning after six years as principal. The investigation, which district officials expected to complete by May, remains ongoing.

Thompson’s departure widened the administrative hole needing to be filled at Douglas. In the wake of 2/14 and the local and state probes that followed, three assistant principals were transferred and a second principal was named. Kefford’s hire is not only a move to fill that void, but to begin building anew.

Kefford declined to speak specifically about past events at the high school but did say she will be re-evaluating policies and procedures going forward.

She has been working on her transition from Flanagan High, where she served as principal for eight years. Her efforts at the Pembroke Pines school blossomed these past two years as Kefford was named Broward’s 2018 Principal of the Year, then in March earned the Florida Board of Education Principal of the Year honor for 2019.

“I love what I do,” she said. “It’s rewarding to work with kids.

“I’m driven by their success. I want to prepare our kids for graduation and what comes next in life.”

A wife and a mother of two, Kefford and her family reside in Parkland. Her oldest son attends Douglas, while the younger boy is a student at West Glades Middle School.

Valerie Wanza, the district’s School Performance and Accountability director, was Kefford’s first supervisor.

“I watched her career grow in the school district and watched as her leadership grew at Flanagan,” Wanza said.  “Under her guidance, Flanagan became a consistently A-rated, high-performance school — not just academically, but as an overall school experience.” 

Describing her as a highly accomplished school leader, Wanza believes Kefford is the right person at the right time to take the reins at Douglas.

“Michelle will seize this opportunity to go home, help the community recover, heal, and move forward,” Wanza said.

Michelle Kefford (center) is flanked by Broward Schools officials, including superintendent Robert Runcie (right) at a May 13 press conference to announce her hire as principal at Douglas High. (WLRN photo

Robert Runcie, at a May 13 press conference announcing Kefford’s appointment, said, “We are grateful to Michelle for taking on this challenge. It speaks volumes to the type of leader she is.”

The Broward Schools superintendent cited the “culture of pride” Kefford built with the staff and students at Flanagan.

“Given her qualifications and her background, we couldn’t be more proud — and lucky — to recommend someone that’s so qualified to fill this important role,” Runcie said.

For Kefford, the most fulfilling aspect of the job is witnessing the success of her students.

“I get to see these kids from their awkward adolescence through to young adulthood,” she said. “Watching (them) attain their goals, receive scholarships, graduate, walk across the stage, go on to college, and to know I’ve made a difference in their life is very satisfying.”

The daughter of two retired educators, Kefford once thought she’d become a veterinarian. She said it was her mom who encouraged her to teach, because of her passion for biology. “I tried it out and never looked back,” she said.

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