Author: Li

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Rabbi Rappaport installed at Temple Beth Orr

Rabbi Laura M. Rappaport, rabbi of Temple Beth Orr in Coral Springs since July 1, 2020, was officially installed at Shabbat services on Friday, June 25.

Rabbi Rappaport received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She received her M.A.H.L. and rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Jerusalem and Cincinnati campuses).

Rappaport most recently served as associate rabbi and educator at Temple B’nai Shalom in Fairfax Station, Virginia. Originally from northwest New Jersey, Rappaport spent most of her adult life in Boise, Idaho, where she focused on serving small congregations around the Pacific Northwest, including Sun Valley, Idaho; Great Falls, Montana; Bainbridge Island, Washington; and Bend, Oregon, in addition to working as an adjunct rabbi at her home congregation in Boise. While in Idaho, she was founding director of the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, a statewide child abuse prevention foundation. She taught Introduction to Judaism classes at the College of Idaho. For 10 years she worked as a board-certified chaplain at both of Boise’s acute care hospitals and the physical rehabilitation facility. She loves working with children and youth and has spent many years teaching and leading programs and special Shabbat and holiday services for children of all ages.

Rabbi Rappaport believes in a values-based approach to Judaism and Jewish life. In her words, “The major lesson we draw from the Torah, our people’s earliest book, is that each of us is responsible for more than just ourselves. Each of us has a holy responsibility to go out of our way to help create an environment for all that is just and compassionate, one that is safe for and respectful of every member of society.”

Rappaport’s approach to Jewish life is one of both joy and meaning. “My ideal Jewish program, service, or event is one that is fun and creative and leaves you with a slightly different perspective. You should leave with excellent questions to mull over: questions that you didn’t have when you arrived. Judaism encourages us to wonder about and question everything. This is how we move forward individually and as a society.”

Rabbi Rappaport has loved getting to know the very special Temple Beth Orr community over these past months and looks forward to continuing to build on the decades of warmth, inclusiveness, and caring that have marked Temple Beth Orr as a Coral Springs Jewish institution since 1972. You may find out more about TBO at templebethorr.org or on the Temple Beth Orr Facebook page.

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What to do in case of drowning

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 drowning deaths occur per day in the U.S. In addition to fatalities, thousands of children are hospitalized each year, with many suffering brain or lung injuries. Most of those drownings occur in home swimming pools. This local story from Alicia C. is about what you can do to help in a drowning situation.

I was at Dania Beach with my husband, young daughter, and a group of families. One minute I am mingling with my child’s friends and their parents, enjoying an effortless day with my toes in the sand…

The next minute, we witness a father pulling his lifeless child out of the shallow water. The young boy’s face is red and his father is in disbelief, trying to shake the life back into him. The boy is 4, but petite, and is wearing a puddle-jumper swim vest, fully connected. He had been in very shallow water. The inlet is low tide. His father was almost within arm’s reach of him and interacting with him moments before.

Our friends, Kandice and Jen O., are first responders and jump in to give this frantic family assistance. A crowd envelops the boy and the two firefighters, which shields the graphic nature of this situation from our children. The boy is in serious trouble.

The family is agonizing over the reality of what is happening, helpless to do anything but worry and to scream in fear. It is crushing my soul to bear witness to. Their cries of devastation will haunt me. Then an ER nurse, Abigail B. from Massachusetts, jumps off a parked boat to assist.

The boy begins to turn blue, and the three of them start CPR. At this point, we have to redirect our children’s attention. We try for a minute to put on this act for our children, and we downplay what is occurring, but time keeps moving on, and eventually, I feel that we need divine intervention. So, my child, my husband, and I pray on our knees for this little one.

Suddenly, we see our firefighter friends carrying this child and sprinting (barefoot) all the way down the long, long path to the parking lot. They are trying to get this child to the ambulance because the ambulance can’t drive out to where we are.

I have never seen something so heroic in my whole life. This child lived. This child made a full recovery — through the miracle performed by these three strangers (on their day off, with no equipment, no warning, no gear, nothing, just their strength and willingness to do whatever it takes).

We are putting in a swimming pool this month, and I always had a fear of the hazardous risks they pose to children my child’s age. There may not always be a first responder around, so I am committed to getting recertified in CPR, and anyone else who lives in Florida should too

Kandice and Jen recommend the following precautions for everyone, not just parents of children:

  • Take swimming lessons (even for adults who may have to save themselves or a child). Flotation devices should never be substitutes for attentive adults.
  • Designating a “water watcher” is a necessity if more than one person is watching kids. Accidents often happen with large gatherings because it’s easy for each adult to assume someone else is watching for danger.
  • Learn CPR/first aid, so that you can save a life if the time comes.

“Anybody who knew CPR could’ve contributed to that happy ending,” says Kandice. “And the fact that the parents weren’t actually very complicit should be a lesson to us all.”

For more information on National Drowning Prevention Awareness Month (which was in May), visit the National Drowning Prevention Alliance at ndpa.org. Also, check out the Parklander’s® May 2021 article on pool safety fences.

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What’s Healthy Now?

There has been a lot of conversation lately about the word “healthy,” and I must admit it made me take a minute and ask myself, “So what do people think is healthy?”  In working with clients over the years, I’ve learned the interpretation of healthy can mean a myriad of things. These differences in opinion on “healthy” can be a challenge to staying on point in the well-being lifestyle, so I hope today’s post will help clear things up.

I found several definitions, but the one most suitable is the definition from the Collins Concise English Dictionary — ”Healthy is the state of being bodily and mentally vigorous and free from disease.”  The definition penned by the World Health Organization (WHO) is “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”   Next, when going to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for guidance, you may really be in a pickle. They currently allow the use of the term “healthy” on product packaging only when products meet specific nutritional guidelines, which now focus on limited levels of fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Even with today’s more conscientious culture of natural health and improved nutrition, several very important food items are left out of the current FDA guide.

Almonds, avocados, and salmon miss the mark, according to the FDA. Here is an overview of what these foods bring to the health table:

Almonds are a powerhouse of nutrients. Of all the tree nuts, ounce for ounce, almonds are the most nutrient-dense. They contain protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin E, riboflavin, and niacin.

A one-ounce serving has 13 grams of “good” unsaturated fats and only 1 gram of saturated fat. They are cholesterol- and gluten-free. Almonds are also rich in magnesium, which aids in heart health and lowering blood pressure. Additionally, several research studies have shown that these nuts can be effective in reducing bad cholesterol and preserving healthy cholesterol.

 

Avocados (which are fruits) contain almost 20 vitamins and minerals in each serving. Nutrient content of this produce item includes potassium, which can aid in controlling blood pressure, and folate, which is a key in cell repair and helpful during pregnancy.  Avocados are high in fat and calories, so it is important to adhere to the recommended serving size (1/5 or 1 ounce of a medium avocado). Two to three thin slices or 2 tablespoons of mashed avocado will give the correct amount. Avocados are also high in antioxidants, which contribute to cell health.

 

Salmon is a higher-fat fish, and it’s the fat that contains Omega-3 fatty acids, making this seafood a good choice. The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, or good fats, include a lower risk of arthritis, cancer, and heart disease. These fats have positive effects on memory, performance, and behavior.  Research has also shown promising results from omega-3 fatty acids in studies of depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  The American Heart Association recommends eating 3.5-ounce portions of fish, such as salmon, at least twice a week.

These foods may not have a seat at today’s FDA table of healthy foods. However, after taking a look at their nutrient makeup and the perspective on health and wellness in the 21st century, it looks like the regulatory agency may be persuaded to revisit the topic of what’s healthy. As for me, I’ll leave each of those delicious foods on my list of good and healthy things to eat.

 

Takeaway: To ensure you are making wise and varied meal choices, it is crucial to learn all the facts about the nutritional content of the food items you bring to your table.

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Community – Marcia Harrison

“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” 

— Bill Gates 

There are a few sterling qualities that most successful leaders have in common:

  1. They possess self-awareness and prioritize personal development.
  2. They focus on developing others.
  3. They encourage strategic thinking, innovation, and action.
  4. They are ethical and civic-minded.
  5. They practice effective cross-cultural communication.

It does not matter your age, gender, or the color of your skin – “leaders lead” and inspire others to be the best they can be.

Marcia Harrison is the type of leader for the next century contemplated by Bill Gates.

Marcia Harrison resides in Parkland with her husband, Tony, and two sons, Chad and Matthew.

For the past 25 years, Marcia has served in various roles within the banking industry, both in the United States and abroad. Marcia has worked extensively with diverse groups of financial professionals and clientele. In 2015, Marcia began her career at Bank of America as a Consumer Market Manager. She has held other leadership roles within the company such as Operations Market Manager and Consumer Banking Market Leader. She is currently a Senior Vice President, Operations Manager.

Throughout her banking career, Marcia has always taken great pride in mentoring and supporting her associates’ professional development. She believes that every employee has something of value to offer so it’s vital to invest in employee relationships, build trust by providing feedback, and seek your colleagues’ advice when you are the one who needs feedback. Marcia knows that good leaders play to employees’ strengths and work with the differences that make us unique and valuable.

Marcia’s ability to encourage, inspire, and foster a culture of inclusion in the workplace has placed her in a unique position to leverage her skills to support Bank of America’s values, particularly around diversity and inclusion. At a pivotal time in our country’s history when the work for advancing racial equality is so important, Bank of America had the ideal candidate – Marcia Harrison – as Chair of The Black Professional Group (BPG) Employee Network, South Florida Chapter. She has held this position for over a year.

The mission of the BPG is to enhance professional development, create visibility to the pipeline of black talent at Bank of America, be socially responsible, and support Bank of America’s values and business goals. Employee networks are formal, bank-supported groups comprised of employees who share a passion for diversity and inclusion. The group meets to network, mentor, encourage each other’s development, and participate in activities to uplift our communities. Network members are very involved in their communities, building strong ties through volunteerism, leadership, and financial education.

In addition to being Chair of the BPG, Marcia is also a Mentor for the Empowering Young Black Professional Program (EYBP), a program designed to foster the growth and development of young African Americans at Bank of America. The EYBP focuses on new associates with 1 -2 years of work experience, providing mentorship, information, and resources to prepare participants for professional skill growth and future opportunities.

Through her involvement with the Employee Network Groups at Bank of America, Marcia is able to organize events to support the community as well as to promote courageous conversations that highlight the importance of personal accountability and advocacy in advancing racial equality. Creating forums for Senior Leaders, associates, and community members to share their real-life experiences and learning from their insights, strengthen social connections, and helps improve health and mental wellness. These courageous conversations deepen our understanding of others and promote a culture of inclusion.

Marcia is not only impacting the lives of her co-workers at Bank of America; she is helping lay the groundwork for future leaders throughout the country who are currently under-represented and without a support group to lean on. Marcia’s work empowers others to strive for diversity and inclusion. Ideally, other large companies will take notice and create similar groups within their ranks. Strengthening social connections and leveraging different viewpoints and experiences to solve community problems benefits everyone.

Marcia is the type of leader you want on your team – one that empowers others in her community to succeed.

Thank you, Marcia, for choosing to raise your family in Parkland. You are an inspiration to us all.

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World Oceans Day: Tips for a healthy future

The United Nations’ World Oceans Day is June 8. The oceans cover over 70% of the planet. They are our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on Earth.

Below are some tips and resources so that every member of the family can take part in a healthy future for what many people call the “blue heart” of our planet:

Protect your local watershed. Regardless of how far away you are from the ocean, your local watershed is connected to it. By taking steps to understand and protect the rivers, creeks, streams, and other bodies of water that flow into our communities, we can help ourselves and the ocean. EarthEcho’s annual Water Challenge runs from March 22 through December 31 and is a great way to join millions of people worldwide who are doing just that! Visit www.monitorwater.com to learn more.

Use soaps and detergents that are phosphate-free. Think of it this way: Whatever goes down the drain can end up in local waterways and, ultimately, the ocean!

Reduce your overall water usage and conserve vital groundwater by switching to low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets.

Opt for landscaping that uses native plants and minimizes your impervious surface. Plant vegetable gardens and native pollinator patches instead of high-maintenance lawns to avoid chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This benefits both your health and the ocean’s health, as these avoid toxic runoff that is causing coastal “dead zones”around the world.

Practice food with thought. Whenever possible, look for sources of food that are local or regional in origin. Farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture can provide an abundance of affordable and healthy seasonal foods that contribute to the economic health of community farms and other businesses. When you buy local, you are also helping reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, a significant factor in ocean health.

Make sure your seafood purchases are sustainable. Marine Stewardship Council (www.msc.org/home) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (www.asc-aqua.org) labels, as well as local sustainable seafood guides, can help. For making good choices when eating seafood at or from restaurants, we like the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch app (www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/our-app).

Use mineral-based, reef-safe sunscreen. Or where possible, opt for barrier covers like lightweight clothing or long-sleeved rash-guard swimwear (www.ewg.org/sunscreen).

Make repairing and reusing priorities in your home. Invest in high-quality pieces and consider consignment options to give your clothing longer wear. Repair or refurbish furnishings and small appliances. While these may not seem like the most obvious actions to take for ocean health, manufacturing and transport create significant amounts of carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to climate change. The ocean traps a quarter of those emissions and 90% of the excess heat they cause.

Ditch the plastic habit. Plastic pollution is now found in every part of the ocean and poses one of the biggest threatsto ocean sustainability, marine life, and critical seafood resources.

  • Take the reusable water bottle habit to the next level by investing in metal or silicon straws, reusable grocery bags, reusable food storage like jars and silicon bags, and personal-care products like toothpaste tablets and shampoo bars to reduce plastic waste.
  • Get a filter for your drain or a microfiber-catching laundry bag to reduce the microplastic fibers in your wash water/greywater.

For more information and resources, please go to www.earthecho.org.

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Let’s Make Like A Banana and Split! – A School’s Out for Summer Collaboration

What a school year it’s been! Our kids have endured A LOT this year between e-learning, learning pods, social distancing, and wearing masks in class. They deserve a special start to summer, so I teamed up with some amazingly talented local businesses to create this fun Banana Split Party.

Given the theme, we decided everything should be yellow. From the décor to the games to the food! First up, I created a summer fun tub complete with all the essentials: water balloons, paints & crayons, bubbles, puzzles, sidewalk chalk, a Velcro catch game, sunglasses, a notebook, an innertube, and a summer reading bingo chart. It’s a reward for all their hard work throughout the school year, and also an activity idea bucket to keep them entertained all summer.

Next, we created the most delicious smelling banana pudding slime. The recipe is super simple with just three ingredients (instant banana pudding, cornstarch, and warm water), but it provides tons of messy, sticky fun!

Finally, we sent them outside to a sweets table fit for a king! Decorative cookies, nearly too-cute-to-eat banana-shaped cake pops, a mini cake, and a banana split bar that had all the fixings you could imagine.

With all the sugar-fueled excitement going on it’s important to have an adult station. We set up this tasty table indoors to escape the heat and energy outside, and so that we could grab a delicious individual charcuterie, an edible homage to the Art Basil exhibit (cookie), and a cold tropical seltzer thanks to our friends at Funky Buddha. So, whatever your plans for summer, remember it’s ok to let the kids go bananas. They’ve earned it.

Stay safe and enjoy your summer!

For information on any of these activities contact:

Rachel from Celebrate You Events (IG: @celebrate.you.events) – Concept creation, party styling, activities & banners

Amanda from Cookies by Amanda (IG: @cookiesbyamandafl) – Custom cookies

Chef Lauren from Chef Lauren Generoso (IG: @chef_lauren_generoso) – Charcuterie

Lindsay from Arch the Party (IG: @archtheparty) – Balloons

Ryan from Short and Sweet Treats FL (IG: @shortandsweettreatsfl) – Banana cake pops & mini cake

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Business Spotlight – Office Evolution Coral Springs

Working from home isn’t new, but the pandemic has brought seismic changes in where we work and who works from offices. Professionals and businesses everywhere are asking these questions: “Can my business really succeed from my kitchen table?” “Can I downsize my office?” “Should I renew my lease?” “Where can I meet my clients now that I am working from home?”

Local entrepreneur Mark Mendel and his company, Office Evolution Coral Springs, can help with those issues. Office Evolution is part of a growing national network of locally owned and operated workspaces that are close to home, affordable, safe, and inspired. This fast-growing trend in the workplace is sometimes referred to as flexible workspaces or coworking.

Flexible workspaces have numerous advantages:

• Cost and time efficiency. Membership at Office Evolution helps businesses preserve capital by eliminating the need for typical long leases and purchasing furniture and equipment, and it provides phone and internet services.

• Inspiration, collaboration, and networking opportunities. Working at home can be lonely and unmotivating. Working among diverse businesspeople can spark creativity and offer connection.

• Work-life balance. Working from home, you may be distracted or unable to disconnect from work. Coworking gets you out of the house into a productive work environment and mindset.

• Flexibility. You can effortlessly scale and access more or less space. Do you want private offices, or a dedicated desk for a year, a month, or even two days per week? That’s easily arranged.

• Project professionalism. Have your client meetings in a receptionist-staffed business venue, not in a coffee shop or hotel lobby.

Office Evolution Coral Springs is close to home, located on the first floor of the Charter Place office building at University Drive and Sample Road, and is expanding by 35 offices early this summer. It will have a beautiful café as well.

A guiding philosophy at Office Evolution is “Ohana” — a culture of family in a supportive, full-service work environment. “I want to be of service to the business community and provide them with the space, amenities, and service they need,” Mendel said. “As a small business, we understand the needs of other businesses and professionals and can help you get that right space.”

Offices are fully furnished with contemporary furniture, telephones, and business-class secure internet. They range from one-person offices to large executive spaces, team offices, and conference rooms. Office Evolution Coral Springs offers concierge-level service, professional reception, and a café with free refreshments.

Office Evolution Coral Springs
3301 North University Drive, Suite 100 Coral Springs, FL. 33065 Phone: 754.203.0004
WEBSITE: www.officeevolution.com/locations/coral-springs FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ Office-Evolution-Coral-Springs-103536181634831

HOURS: Business center is fully staffed Monday-Friday 8am-5pm and open to members 24/7/365

 

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Broward Center stages road to recovery

Since the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was reported on Jan. 20, 2020, the impact on arts and cultural institutions has been significant.

According to the nonprofit Americans for the Arts, based in Washington, D.C., “The coronavirus continues its devastating impact on America’s arts sector. Cancellations have taken place at virtually every arts organization in the country and artists/ creative workers are among the most severely affected segment of the nation’s workforce.”

Financial losses to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations are estimated at $15.2 billion. Approximately 99 percent of producing and presenting organizations, including The Broward Center for the Performing Arts, based on the New River in downtown Ft. Lauderdale’s Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District, has cancelled events: A loss of 488 million admissions and $15.5 billion in audience spending at local businesses.

The total economic impact of organizational and audience- spending losses is $5.2 billion in lost government revenue and 894,000 jobs no longer being supported.

Pre-pandemic, The Broward Center presented more than 700 performances each year to more than 700,000 patrons and has one of the largest arts-in education programs in the country serving more than 130,000 students annually.

To adapt and cope with these realities, the Broward Center has launched their “Road to Recovery,” a campaign to raise funds for the theatre to compensate for their lack of revenue during the pandemic.

“The Road to Recovery will be long and costly,” they note on their website. “The Broward Center was one of the first businesses to close, and we will be among the last to open.”

“No industry has been hit harder than the performing arts,” says Kelley Shanley, CEO of the Broward Center since 2009. “We’ve been hit harder (except possibly for bars and nightclubs) and it’s important to raise that awareness to the public and hopefully solicit funding for our performing arts venues.”

Shanley credits the Cleveland Clinic, one of their sponsors, for stepping in and providing their medical director as an advisor to the venue, helping to develop proper protocols to keep audiences and staff safe.

“They’ve been a huge resource to us,” Shanley says. “I can’t say enough about them. Their expertise gives everyone the confidence that we’re getting good guidance on how to move forward in this pandemic and gives our audiences confidence.”

One accommodation has been the creation of Backlot Live, an all-new outdoor stage on the Lillian S. Wells Backstage Plaza for entertaining under the stars.

The outdoor venue allows for six feet of physical distance, face coverings are required and tickets are available in pods of 2, 4 or 6 only. Ticket sales benefit the Center’s Road to Recovery initiative.

In January, they hosted comedian, Rob Schneider, In the Light of Led Zeppelin concert, and a musical tribute to The Eagles with Best of the Eagles tribute band (BOTE).

The following month, the Broward Center announced the planned return of their Broadway series by the fall of 2021 featuring “Come From Away,” Disney’s “Frozen,” and “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations.”

Just up the road at 707 N.E. 8th St. sits The Parker Playhouse, one of the Broward Center’s affiliated theatres, which has just undergone a $30 million renovation with the installation of its classic red seats in the Lillian S. Wells Hall.

The project was spearheaded by the Broward Performing Arts Foundation.

Built in 1967, the 1,167-seat theatre is one of Fort Lauderdale’s first venues.

With construction on-going during the pandemic, Shanley expects the project to be fully complete by May 2021, offering new features including private donor and premium lounges,

a signature bar area, and upgraded systems and technology delivering advanced acoustics.

“Not being able to go to live theater has helped all of us understand how important the shared experience of live entertainment is,” says Shanley, who received the George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts at the 44th annual Carbonell Awards last August.

“To be in a room with others, to enjoy a performance, to feel what the artist is conveying and feel it collectively with friends, this is what live theatre is all about,” he says.

“The collective and shared experience is important to our souls, our beings and our happiness,” says Shanley. “I can’t wait to get everyone back into the theatre, for the day when the doors reopen, the curtain rises and the lights return to the Broward Center Stages and we can all experience live entertainment together.”

Visit playhouse-fl.org. Events in April include singers Jonathan Antoine, Steve Hackett, and Doktor Kaboom Look Out! Science is Coming.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. For more information visit BrowardCenter.org

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Stretch Zone for 2021

Looking for a solution to help relieve the aches and pains of everyday activity? Stretch Zone of Coral Springs provides guests with Flex-ability for Life. Using proprietary stretching methods and a patented stabilization system, Stretch Zone seeks to improve guest health and wellness through practitioner-guided
stretching.

For more than 15 years, Stretch Zone has helped many individuals seeking a solution to help them feel better and live life to the fullest. Stretch Zone facilities offer a welcoming environment, knowledgeable staff, and comfortable equipment, all of which allow clients to relax and fully benefit from our methods.

Whether you are a professional athlete, week-end warrior, or senior, ages 14 to well over 100 are welcome. Come and see how we can help you with a complimentary first stretch class.

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Asians welcome the year of the Ox

Across eastern Asia on Feb 12, 2021, people will be celebrating Chinese New Year, ushering in the year of the Ox. For the growing Asian population of South Florida, this year’s celebration will be subdued compared to previous years.

Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year because it’s based on the lunar calendar and often called the Spring Festival. It’s the most important holiday in several Asian countries including China, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Philippines.

Spring Festival is when extended families come together and celebrate the beginning of the new year. Gifts are often exchanged and parents often give red envelopes filled with money to children. Lavish dinners with many dishes symbolizing unity and good luck are served. New Year’s rituals span two weeks, so you will often find businesses in east Asia taking a long vacation during this period.

In the US, you will find many of the traditional celebrations, such as dragon and lion dances and the hanging of red lanterns in many China towns across the country. But this year, this is expected to be more subdued, and many families will be celebrating at home.

The Ox from the Chinese Horoscope symbolizes someone who is honest and hardworking. As we all recover from a difficult 2020, I hope the spirit of the Ox imbues us with the strength to take on the recovery, and leads to a prosperous 2021.

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2021 Brain Bowl attendees will ‘BARK to End Alzheimer’s’ on Feb. 28

Due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Boca Raton Brain Bowl will introduce a new format this year.

In lieu of the usual Country Club Luncheon, event organizers are inviting participants and their pets to “BARK to End Alzheimer’s” by taking part in an outdoor shopping experience.

“Our theme this year is ‘Bark & Browse,’” announced Attorney, Pamela Higer-Polani, President and Founder of Brain Bowl Events, Inc, a 501 (c )3 non-profit created to raise local awareness regarding neurocognitive diseases and disorders.

“We are bringing attention to pets who provide much-needed emotional support to families coping with the stress of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, dementia and other related neurocognitive disorders.”

The 7 Annual Brain Bowl event – to take place Sunday, Feb. 28 – will be set up in a large county park, where attendees can mingle and browse the offerings of local vendors while remaining socially distant and adhering to all public health regulations.

“Vendors, all generously spaced apart from one another, will be providing information on their services, selling items and providing individually-wrapped items to eat or drink,” Higer-Polani noted, adding that tickets will be limited in availability and participants will be encouraged to wear masks and stagger their attendance times.

The event will also offer attendees an opportunity to have their pictures taken with their pets by a professional photographer, and the winner of a prior social media contest for voters’ favorite emotional-support pet will be announced. Proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s for Boca Raton.

The Brain Bowl Bark & Browse will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 28, at Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park in Boca Raton. Tickets are $20 per person. To register, visit www.BrainBowlEvents.org. For more information, please contact Pamela Higer-Polani, Esq., at (561) 496-4222 or Pamela@LawPHP.com.

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2021-The year of the vaccine

We’ve closed the book on an unexpected 2020, where so much of our lives were dominated by the pandemic. COVID-19 will still be with us this year, but we hope our lives will slowly recover in 2021 as vaccines are made available for everyone.

Creating a new vaccine is time-consuming. Unlike the flu vaccine for the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, there is no existing vaccine for coronaviruses to build upon. According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines must be developed and tested to ensure they work and are safe. Michal Linial, a professor of biological chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said “Classical vaccines were designed to take 10 years to develop.” So a new vaccine process is now being used for the early COVID-19 vaccines.

As of December 15th, three vaccines have been submitted for FDA approval. There are two mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines by Pfi zer and Moderna, and one DNA vaccine by Oxford-AstraZeneca. Both of these methods are relatively new, and until COVID-19, no DNA or mRNA vaccines had been approved in the US for human use.

The basic concept these vaccines use is to trick your body into producing proteins that appear to be similar to COVID-19 fragments, which will elicit an immune response from your body’s defense system. This response will protect you from infection from the live virus. This is a new process, compared to vaccines based on live or dead pathogen proteins. The new DNA and mRNA vaccines are non-infectious and can be produced faster and economically.

Both mRNA and DNA vaccines use your body to produce the proteins, using the instructions stored in either mRNA or DNA format. DNA instructions are processed inside your body’s cells to produce the proteins designed to emulate fragments from the virus; whereas mRNA is translated into the protein outside of the cell in your body’s intracellular fluid.

Since mRNA does not enter your cell, the chance of your genome being affected is averted. But mRNA is fragile, thus the cold storage requirements for these vaccines: -70 degrees Celsius for Pfi zer, and -20 degrees Celsius for Moderna. The advantage of the DNA vaccine like the Oxford-AstraZeneca version is to reach areas where cold storage is not common.

The minor and moderate side effects reported of these early vaccines are sore arm at the injection site, fever, fatigue, headache, joint pains, and muscle aches. These effects are due to your body ramping up for a virus infection, but because the vaccine is non-infectious, you will not get a case of COVID-19, just the symptoms from your body’s response.

According to Moderna, no one receiving the vaccine in their trials developed a severe case of COVID-19. The reported efficacy rate for these vaccines are in the 90-95% range, which is much higher than your typical flu vaccine.

While the creation and approval of these first sets of vaccines have been completed, the logistics of getting them delivered across the country has just begun. Operation Warp Speed (OWS), is a partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the Department of Defense (DoD).

OWS aims to accelerate the development, manufacture, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Their stated distribution objective “is for everyone to be able to easily get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as large quantities are available. Several thousand vaccination providers will be available, including doctors’ offices, retail pharmacies, hospitals, and federally qualified health centers.”

OWS has provided a playbook to state and local jurisdictions on the distribution of the vaccines. In Florida, the Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), an agency headed by Director Jared Moskowitz, a Parkland local, is responsible for the distribution of vaccines across the state. “We went out and bought dry ice machines,” said Director Moskowitz. “We got the ultra-cold freezers that we need. We feel that we’re in a good position.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state has been planning since early summer on how best to distribute the vaccines, with initial distribution planned at five Florida hospitals (including Memorial Healthcare System in Broward), and eventually expanding to look like state testing sites. “It may even be the same sites we have now,” Moskowitz said. “Giving out the vaccine in a mass distribution — call it spring, late spring, early summer.”

So we say good riddance to 2020. There is much hope life will start returning to normal as more folks are vaccinated in 2021. As of Dec 15th, 2020, a new hope is slowly arriving in the form of vaccines, and state officials work through the prioritization process. The logistics of successfully implementing a smooth mass vaccination is immense, and we all need to follow the recommendations so we can get back to the OLD normal as quickly as possible.

Welcome to 2021, the year of the vaccine.

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