Category: Community

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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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Trolling for kingfish with Capt. Lemieux

Capt. Chris Lemieux had been fishing for about a minute when a kingfish grabbed one of the two bonito strips that he was trolling behind his boat.

That was followed by another kingfish and, as soon as Lemieux put out the next bait, another one.

That’s how good trolling for kingfish can be off South Florida during the month of June.

“Generally, we get the spring run right now and catch a lot of kingfish,” Lemieux said. “June and July are good, then it’ll kind of slow down and pick back up in August or September.”

Fishing on a sunny afternoon in 90 to 110 feet of greenish water just south of Boynton Beach Inlet, Lemieux saw the first kingfish get off and then so did the second one, but the next king, about an 8-pounder, made it into the boat. That was followed by a kingfish double-header of a 10-pounder and a 13-pounder for Lemieux’s customers.

His anglers also caught four bonitos, which are members of the tuna family that don’t taste anywhere near as good as their relatives. The hard-fighting fish are a challenge to land, and as one angler labored to reel in his third bonito, Lemieux joked, “Are you trying to let that fish get bigger?”

Lemieux kept those bonitos to fashion future strips, which consist of a thin layer of meat on the fish’s shiny skin cut into the streamlined shape of a baitfish. Fished in combination with a flashy, feathery lure known as a Sea Witch, bonito strips are especially effective this time of year.

He fished the strips behind planers on heavy, two-speed conventional outfits spooled with an 80-pound braided line that were trolled from rod-holders on each side of the stern.

“You catch them this time of year on the planer, the smaller ones,” said Lemieux, a Boynton Beach firefighter who, on his days off, runs trips on his Conch 27 center console for everything from snapper, tuna, and dolphin to sailfish, sharks, and swordfish (www.lemieuxfishingcharters.com). “I’ve caught kingfish on planers everywhere.”

Lemieux rigs a bonito strip on an 8/0 long-shank J hook. He slides a Sea Witch down the leader so it rests atop the strip, giving it the appearance of a flying fish or other baitfish. This day, he used a blue-and-white Sea Witch and a pink one. Both colors were effective.

He trolls with planers to get the strips well below the surface. Essentially a weighted, rectangular piece of metal, a planer dives to a range of depths, depending on how much line is let out. Lemieux fished a No. 4 planer on the long line, which he let out for 40 seconds, and a larger No. 6 planer on the short line, which he let out for 20 seconds, so both strips were down 30 to 40 feet. Staggering the strips prevents tangles.

One end of a planer is attached to the mainline and the other is attached to the leader. Lemieux used 80 feet of a 60-pound fluorocarbon leader, which he pulled in by hand after the planers were reeled to the rod tip.

“Some guys use a lighter leader, some guys use heavier, it just depends on your preference,” he said. “When the fish are biting good, I try to get a little heavier on them. When it’s a real slow, picky bite, you can go down to even a 40-pound leader if you want to.”

Another proven kingfish tactic is to fish live baits from a fishing kite. The kite flies behind the boat and baited lines are attached to clips on the line attached to the kite. That gets the baits away from the boat and allows them to splash on the surface to attract attention from kingfish as well as sailfish and tunas.

Lemieux put up a fishing kite with three lines baited with live goggle-eyes on Fin-Nor Marquesa Pelagic 40 conventional reels with a 20-pound monofilament mainline, a 40-pound leader, and a three-foot piece of wire leader attached to a 6/0 hook. Lemieux also put out three flat-line live baits on spinning outfits.

Things got interesting when the kite bait closest to the boat got whacked by what turned out to be a 43-pound kingfish. Moments later, a huge bonito took off with a flat-line bait. Fortunately, the two fish did not tangle the lines.

The big king dumped a bunch of line, but Lemieux chased it down, gaffed it, and lifted it into the boat. After that kingfish, and the bonito, his exhausted anglers called it quits.

“There’s always a few smaller kingfish around like we caught trolling, and there’s always a few big spawners around,” Lemieux said. “If you have access to live bait, you’re going to catch bigger fish on the live bait.”

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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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Two talented young girls learn charity at an early age

For Eden Gross and Jorie Blake Rosen — two young South Florida residents — talent and charity go hand in hand. Both girls have a penchant for philanthropy, acting, and creating music.

Ten-year-old Parkland resident Eden Gross, a fourth-grade student at Donna Klein Jewish Academy (DKJA) in Boca Raton, along with her twin brother Jordan, sits on the philanthropy board of the DKJA Philanthropic Kids in Action.

“It’s a great initiative,” says Eden’s mom, Shirley Gross. “Every school should have it. They plant the seeds for kids to understand giving and become mensches and (wo)mensches.”

The board meets every week after school to focus on giving initiatives. During school hours, they visit other classrooms to present philanthropic topics as a way to engage their fellow students.

While both Eden and Jordan love music — Jordan plays the guitar and viola — Eden is more the extrovert who loves the spotlight and recently recorded her first song titled “Shadows on the Wall,” relaying a message of strength and of overcoming your fears.

Available on all music sites, the song costs $1.29, and as part of Eden’s philanthropic efforts, a portion of all sales will go to JAFCO (Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options) and Eagles Haven, a community wellness center created for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas−Parkland community.

Eden is dedicating this series of songs to kids who struggle with mental health issues, especially during the pandemic.

“I want kids to know that they can overcome fears by seeing the light,” she says, echoing the lyrics to her song. “And we shouldn’t listen to those voices that tell us we’re not good enough. Because we are.”

“Find the light inside you so you can shine and face your fears,” she says.

“Helping others means supporting them when they need it the most,” says Eden. “Nothing makes me feel better than knowing I was able to be there for them.”

Across town in Boca Raton, 9-year-old singer and actor Jorie Blake Rosen is also making her own music, with a song titled “Make Your Own Music.”

The fourth-grader at Morikami Park Elementary School in Delray Beach lost a number of acting roles she was up for once the quarantine started.

Not one to lay on the couch or feel sorry for herself, Jorie found a new love for writing music. To cope with her feelings during quarantine, she began writing down her feelings in a journal, which eventually turned into songs.

“You can start from the bottom but can go to the top — if you work hard, you will never stop,” Jorie sings on the single. “I can give you some lessons to sing, act, and dance; I can hold your hand; this is your chance to open a new door to something you haven’t done before.”

“Think about what you want to do because you … can make your own music,” goes the refrain, encouraging kids to follow their dreams.

The song, chosen as an artist pick on Spotify, was released in March on playitforward.com, and proceeds from the download will benefit the local South Florida chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In the first two weeks, Jorie’s song raised $2,000. “Writing music helped Jorie find her voice, and start to smile again,” says her mom, Randi Rosen.

“In addition, we believe in paying it forward,” says Randi. “Each month, Jorie picks a ‘mitzvah’ project as a way to encourage her to be grateful and to give back to her community.”

“Over the years, she has worked with charities such as the Tri-County Animal Shelter, Toys for Tots, No Kid Hungry, and Mini Mitzvahs,” says Randi.

Additionally, during 2020, Jorie performed in a number of benefit concerts to raise money for the Actors Fund.

With the release of “Make Your Own Music,” Jorie knew she wanted to affiliate with a charity.

“My mom and I discussed a number of charities,” she says. “I chose Make-A-Wish Foundation because I love everything they do and I felt it connected well to my song.”

“‘Make Your Own Music’ is about following your heart and making your dreams come true,” says Jorie. “And the Make-A-Wish Foundation helps dreams come true for children, which is something I love.”

She hopes to put out her first album by the end of the summer and will look to connect her debut album to a charity as well.

“I know I am a very lucky girl,” says Jorie. “I look up to artists like Taylor Swift who perform many benefit concerts. I’m hoping I can do a lot of that by using my own voice and talents.”

For Eden Gross’s music, go to Amazon, Apple Music, Boomplay, MediaNet, YouTube Music, iTunes, or Spotify. Visit eagleshaven.org and jafco.org.

 

For Jorie Blake Rosen’s music, visit www.playitforward.com/projects/334 or https://wish.org.

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Guide to pool safety

Parklanders love their pools. Having a backyard swimming pool is almost an expectation when people look at buying homes here. However, having a pool brings with it safety concerns for children.

The June 2018 Drowning Report from the Coral Springs Parkland Fire Department states that “while drowning incidents are down in the City of Coral Springs and Parkland from 2017 to June 2018 by 75%, nationwide drowning is still the leader as the cause of unintentional death among children ages 1-4; and the second leading cause of death in children ages 5-14 years old.”

For every child in the United States who drowns, five other children receive emergency room care for injuries per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency rooms require hospitalization or transfer for further care.

These nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic brain functioning (i.e. vegetative state). While the statistics for the drowning fatalities are alarming, the nonfatal drowning injuries can be equally disturbing and just as devastating to a child and family.

In an effort to decrease fatal and non-fatal incidences of young children drowning in our community the Pediatric Drowning Prevention Task Force was created as a collaborative effort of Broward Health, the City of Coral Springs and Water Smart Broward. The task force and the CDC have a list of pool safety tips to make your pool area and experience safer.

Swimming Lessons Make sure children have swimming lessons but continue to provide proper supervision even after they learn to swim.

Active Adult Supervision Since drowning can typically be a silent killer, supervision is often more about seeing rather than hearing it happening. Avoid staring at your phone or tablet.

First Aid Education and Safety Equipment Learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), rescue breathing and other safety techniques as well as keeping lifesaving equipment such as a lifebuoy or shepherds hook close by can also be critical to assisting someone.

Avoid pool toys that look like toys and remove pool toys from
pool area when not in use.

Installation of Pool Safety Fencing and Alarms In about 70% of drownings, the kids were not expected to be in or near the pool at the time. Fences and alarms can help when kids can wander off or become too curious or adventurous. Never underestimate the creative abilities of a child to go after something they are interested in, such as a pool.

Pool safety fencing or alarms are the law now in Florida and many states. The Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act requires Florida homeowners to take certain safety precautions with swimming pools, such as installing alarms on doors and windows, erecting pool safety fences of at least four feet in height, and other pool safety barriers.

Currently any new pools or pool renovations are required by law to be surrounded by one of four safety barriers. An exception to this are many older homes with pools that are grandfathered in and are not necessarily required to have such pool barrier fences or alarms unless they are lacking proper yard fences.

It’s just good practical sense and peace of mind to install a pool barrier fence to protect your little ones as well as elderly family members and pets. The primary material of a pool safety fence is a textilene mesh along with reinforced aluminum poles. When fully assembled and installed properly by a professional these fences can withstand several hundreds of pounds of force.

In the south Florida area, costs will typically range between $12-$16 per linear foot for materials and labor. Typically, consumers see average costs around $800-$2000 depending on the size of the pool, pool deck surface, elevation changes, type of mesh and gate style. When it comes to keeping our kids safe, that’s a reasonable price to pay.

Statistics, fencing material information and cost estimates provided by
Rick Gagnon

Baby Guard Pool Fence
www.babyguardfence.com
954-340-6489

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Pet Talk: Listen and learn

About a month ago I received an email from my veterinary school that my favorite professor was retiring, and they were looking for funny stories or video tributes about this fantastic veterinarian.

Dr. B was more than interesting. In 30-plus years of teaching, he had left an unbelievable impression on his students. Interestingly, in all the years that he taught, the only year he won lecturer of the year was the year that he taught my graduating class.

He was “must-see TV” before NBC had it. He was from South Africa, and he just had a different way of looking at the world. Dr. B taught embryology and toxicology to the veterinary students, and every disease or interesting case had a story that he had experienced. I truly didn’t have to study from the textbook because his stories are what I remembered, and it made the cases real for me.

He used to tell us repeatedly that if you practice as long as he did, you should experience every condition that he taught us. It was up to us to remember it and appreciate it.

One day years ago a black Labrador was brought in for seizing. It was different from other seizure cases that I have worked on. Typically, the owner videotapes or describes the seizure, and it is up to me to determine the cause.

Well, this Labrador came in actively seizing and it was getting worse. I knew that there was no evidence of Bufo toad toxicity, so I started to ask the owner about the dog. He was not the owner, but the owner’s father. The owner was deployed overseas. The father told me that the Labrador was fine two weeks ago when he got the dog from his son, other than some loose stool. “The dog started to act drunk [ataxic], have muscle spasms, and his eyes got weird yesterday,” said the father.

On physical exam, the Labrador had nystagmus, which is an involuntary eye movement, when we moved him. He also had extreme muscle spasms of the legs, and his head kept turning behind him. The father was worried, my technician was crying, and the front staff were standing in the doorway because they loved that dog and his owner. I was writing down all the clinical signs and listening to the father explain to me that nothing can happen to this dog while his son was away, when the literal lightbulb moment of clarity happened. I remembered when Dr. B talked about metronidazole toxicity in dogs, and how a dog’s head turned backward like in the “Exorcist” movie.

I asked the father whether he had given the dog metronidazole as instructed. It is used to treat diarrhea and other intestinal problems. He told me that he finished the medications that I prescribed for the dog before his son’s deployment, and he had more at home from his other dog’s drug stash and has been giving the medication for weeks. He thought that it was safe for everyday use. I told him that metronidazole can be toxic if taken for prolonged times or at high doses.

The Labrador ended up recovering beautifully with Valium and supportive care.

So when it came time to send a video for my professor, I sent him a picture of the Labrador. I titled it “one of the thousands of dogs saved due to the teaching stories of Dr. B.”

Dr. B reached out to me and I told him the story. His smile went from ear to ear. Good luck in retirement, Dr. B.

Glenn Kalick, DVM

Brookside Animal Hospital of Coral Springs

www.brooksidevet.com

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Returning the favor

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” — Haruki Murakami.

To say that Margi Bre weathered her storm would be the understatement of the decade.

Margi Bre is the founder of The Legacy Closet. The Legacy Closet is a 501(c)(3) outreach center that provides families in need with new and gently used items such as food, clothing, household items, toys, diapers, and basic essentials. At their store in Margate, families can select items they need or want at no charge. The Legacy Closet has an all-volunteer staff, and many of the center’s volunteers and donors live nearby in Coral Springs and Parkland. The Legacy Closet is the referring agency for the Coral Springs Special Crimes Unit and the Broward County School Board.

Margi Bre founded The Legacy Closet, in part, because of the financial struggles she overcame as a single mother.  Margi had a troubled life throughout her 30s: she was evicted from her home and was forced to rummage for food in garbage cans to survive.  Every single day, Margi prayed that she would wake from her nightmare and her children’s suffering would end. With the generous help of others, Margi slowly dug out of her dark pit and made an impassioned vow that, on some future day, she would help similar families in their time of need just as she had been helped.

Margi is not proud of her past but appreciates that it transformed her into the woman she is today. Although Margi is kind, dedicated, and selfless, these are not necessarily the qualities that make her unique. Margi is a beacon of hope.  Like a crusader, she attracts people sympathetic to her cause.  The freight train that is The Legacy Closet is moving full speed ahead, picking up more and more passengers at every stop.

Margi formed The Legacy Closet just 17 months ago.  During the first few months, Margi donated items out of her garage on Sunday afternoons. At first, one family would receive help, then two families, then four families: and today, Margi is assisting tens of thousands of families per year with the help of over a dozen volunteers throughout the tri-county area (Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach).

In the past three months alone, Margi has helped 40,000 families receive essential items such as clothing, soap, underwear, and socks. For Easter, Margi helped secure 100,000 pounds of chocolate from a corporate donor. This donation allowed 4,000 families the opportunity to celebrate Easter.

In 2020, the Darcy J Foundation, another charitable fundraising organization in Florida, awarded Margi the title of “Mother of the Year” for her selfless acts.

Margi loves that she can finally give back to others the way others gave to her when she was down on her luck. Margi takes great joy in knowing that she can tell any child who walks in the door, “You can have anything you want.”  For some children, this is the first time in their lives they have heard this phrase. Something simple (and inconsequential to most) like a bag of gummy bears or a colorful, almost-new pair of pajamas can be the spark of hope a family needs to get them back on track.

Without fail, Margi’s patrons leave The Legacy Closet with tears in their eyes, knowing that “today was better than yesterday.”

Margi wakes up every day knowing that she is making a difference and instilling hope — hope that anyone can overcome their struggles with just a little bit of help. In just 17 months, Margi and The Legacy Closet have instilled hope in thousands of families. Margi survived her storm.  It transformed her into the person she is today.  With continued help from our community, imagine how many more families Margi and her crew can help to weather their own storms!

Thank you, Margi, for being the “Mother of the Year” to so many families.

You can learn more about The Legacy Closet at www.TheLegacyCloset.org

 

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Honor with Action Coalition seeks community support on school safety

The Alyssa’s Legacy Youth in Schools Safety Alert Act, commonly called the “ALYSSA Act,” is legislation on school safety created in memory of 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, one of 17 victims who perished during a mass shooting at Parkland’s Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. The quiet city has now been added to a growing list of other memorable mass shooting sites that include Columbine, Sandy Hook, Blacksburg, Pittsburgh, Tucson, Aurora, Las Vegas, San Bernardino, Orlando, and El Paso.

Mass shootings, homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings accounted for 43,542 gun-related deaths in 2020, but gun sales remain at an all-time high. Every day, nearly 119 people die from gun violence in this country, according to Heather Chapman, a co-founder of the grassroots organization Honor with Action Coalition. The coalition was started when a group of Moms Demand Action volunteers branched off to start their own organization. “As Moms volunteers, we were limited to the legislation we could pursue, so we started Honor with Action and now have the dual focus of school safety and gun violence prevention,” said Chapman.

The group works with local organizations and also connects with leaders from larger ones to provide opportunities and resources. The coalition also connects volunteers with local and national groups and shares educational opportunities, updates, calls to action, training, and events.

The ALYSSA Act is a two-part legislative initiative that involves the installation of silent alarm systems in elementary and secondary schools and funding for school resource officers. The panic alert system can notify emergency services, staff, and students, and it provides two-way communications about specific information in a life-threatening emergency.

“Seconds save lives, and the ALYSSA Act does just that,” said Angela Weber, Honor with Action Coalition co-founder.

Alyssa’s Law was designated HB23/SB70 and passed in the 2020 legislative session. It was sponsored by Rep. Michael Gottlieb, Rep. Dan Daley, and Sen. Lauren Book. This bill is only for the state of Florida and requires mobile panic alert systems in public and charter schools. Beginning with the 2021-22 school year, school staff are required to activate the mobile panic alert system (Alyssa’s Alert) in the event of an emergency. Alyssa’s Law was signed into law in February 2019, and similar legislation is being debated in New York, Nebraska, and Arizona.

The Honor with Action Coalition was formed less than a year ago, yet it’s made excellent progress. State-level priorities for the coalition include a notification of a “threats in schools” bill, HB951/SB1284, proposed by Rep. Daley and Sen. Shevrin Jones, which provides requirements for reporting specified threats and incidents in schools. Another piece of legislature, HB7035 by Rep. Christine Hunschofsky and Rep. Chip LaMarca, is moving through the legislative session. Additional bills include SB836/HB455 by Sen. Jones and Rep. Omari Hardy to establish an urban core crime and violence task force, while HB167/SB428 sponsored by Rep. Hunschofsky and Sen. Tina Polsky focuses on safe gun storage. On the federal level, the coalition is working to help pass the ALYSSA Act for school safety alerts, Ethan’s Law for safe firearm storage, and HR8/HR1466 requiring background checks on all gun sales and a ban on assault weapons.

Chapman had a poignant message to lawmakers: “Our country has seen staggering numbers in death tolls due to a pandemic, yet I would like to remind Congress that we have an epidemic that is uniquely American — gun violence. After the attack on the Capitol in January, I would hope lawmakers now understand the fear our children face in schools across the country,” she said. “The problems of school safety and gun violence can be significantly reduced if they would pass federal legislation to turn the corner on the intolerable numbers of dead, injured, and traumatized citizens.”

U.S. Rep. Joshua Gottheimer of New Jersey will reintroduce the ALYSSA Act to a new Congress, with the co-sponsorship of Rep. Fred Upton, Rep. Elise Stefanik, and Rep. Carlos Jimenez. According to Chapman, New Jersey elected to install a hard-wired alert system but Florida decided that a mobile phone app alert system was more practical and cost-effective.

“The app is a good solution because if a student is in between classes, on a playground, or on a soccer field, he or she has access to both receiving and sending information,” said Chapman. “School districts have the option of choosing the system that works best for them and how it will be utilized.”

Formed less than a year ago, the Honor with Action Coalition has made excellent progress. Its steering committee meets regularly, and a campaign of public education and information on contacting representatives is ready to launch, but it remains on hold until the bill is formally reintroduced. “It takes a while for the process to unfold; we’re being patient but we are moving forward,” Weber emphasized. “We’ve made corrections to the text of the bill and know the committees it will be sent to. When it’s officially filed, we’ll be ready to go.”

The local coalition continues to seek the support of lawmakers in Washington, D.C., but communicating is difficult because many legislators work remotely. Where it was once possible to speak with a legislative aide or legislative director, messages are now forwarded to a voice mailbox. “This political limbo stalls the process, but it doesn’t stall our efforts,” Weber said. “Locally, the pandemic has limited the number of events we attend, but our Facebook page is updated frequently, making it easy for people to engage in our efforts and provide opportunities for calls to action.”

The Honor with Action Coalition has united with local and national groups to promote gun safety and school safety bills at both the state and federal levels. “The goal is a focus on legislative policies that promote safe firearm ownership, school safety, and support for victims of gun violence,” said Weber.

Follow the Honor with Action Coalition on Facebook and sign up for updates and calls to action at honorwithaction.com.

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Wine Watch: The glorious wines of Tuscany

I believe that in another life I must have been Italian and a resident of Tuscany. I say this because, although I try to be as impartial as possible, I love the wines of Tuscany. I was fortunate to spend some time there and was amazed that even in the small-town restaurants where they served their own home-made wines, the wines were excellent, very enjoyable and absolutely perfect to accompany the Tuscan cuisine.

There is another side of the coin. If the home-made wines were so good, the Tuscan commercial wines must be something special.  They are. While Tuscany is mainly known for its chianti, a name that may be used by any wine from the district that is mostly sangiovese, there are producers there whose wines rise above the ordinary and express the true Italian style of fine wine making. I recently sampled some of the imported Tuscan wines and was delighted to find that the wines had not changed and were the same gems that I enjoyed while there.

Lagone 2018 Aia Vecchia ($17). This wine has been made to please anyone who loves red wines. It is a blend of the most popular red wine grapes; 60% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc. The question arose, at least in my mind, will all of these grape varieties clash or will they meld into an interesting whole?

The answer is that they did not only meld but they also produced what has to be one of the most interesting and delightful wines on the market today. Each of the constituents adds its own special flavor and aroma to the blend. I believe that it is safe to reiterate that everything that one seeks in a red wine is right here, clearly presented and probably the most interesting wine I have tasted in a while and all at a very affordable price.

Selvapiana 2019 Chianti Rufina ($21.99). Being made in the Rufina area of Tuscany, the smallest in size and highest in altitude of the Tuscan grape growing regions and from 95% sangiovese, this wine clearly classifies as a chianti. To further classify this wine, it is a chianti on steroids. The aroma and flavor are, to say the least, powerful. Plum, ripe cherries, wild berries abound with a background hint of fresh spice are easily identifiable with new flavor sensations appearing as the wine sits in the glass. The finish is as powerful as is the wine and may I add here, as unforgettable.

Casanova di Neri 2018 IRRosso Toscana ($22). Let’s be very honest. Just the name Casanova associated with the wine perks the interest. Here the name means “new house.”. This wine too is almost all sangiovese with 5% cabernet sauvignon and 5% petit Verdot blended in to add a bit more interest and balance.

It is in the production of this wine where the vintners moved in a direction that is not often used. The wine is fermented and aged in barrels of different size and of different types of woods thus changing the wine from the expected style to a wine of incredible depth and character. The results of all that work led to a wine that has all of the expected flavors and aromas of plums, cherries, wild berries and a hint of spice and a regal elegance found in very few wines.

As one would expect, with all of that barrel use, the properties of this wine might be muted in a shower of wood flavors. Not so, the wood is there but it is in harmony with the other properties and serves more as an enhancer rather than an overpowering annoyance and if you have ever had an over oaked wine you know what I mean. This wine is very food friendly and will accompany meals that call for a red wine and some that do not.

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Actors 50 and over examine dementia and death

The Show Must Go On | Pigs Do Fly Productions

Actors 50 and over examine dementia and death

By Jan Engoren

With the emphatic moniker, Pigs Do Fly, Ellen Wacher, founder and producer of Pigs Do Fly Productions, wanted people to know, women (and men) of a certain age are still relevant.

“When pigs fly,” might be an ironic comment meant to convey the unlikeliness of something happening, but Pigs Do Fly stands for people over 50 living interesting, active lives, according to Wacher, a 60-something who founded the theatre company in 2014.

With a mission is to produce plays that highlight the actor over 50 as a viable, fully involved, full of life character, Wacher says she wants to engage the 100 million plus Americans who are over age 50 and are under-recognized by the marketers of other popular culture.

“We don’t do plays about dementia or death,” says Wacher from her home in Miami.  “I’m interested in vibrant, active people living their lives and pursuing their passions.”

All of the company’s plays focus on this demographic and feature actor over 50.  The company is a professional theatre company and all employees are paid.

Seven years ago, Wacher presented her first production, title, “Fifty Plus — A Celebration Of Life . . . As We Know It,” a collection of short plays featuring actors 50+, and focused on active folks of the same age group.

On March 6, 2020, Wacher’s latest production, “Helen on Wheels,” an original play by Oregon-based playwright Cricket Daniel premiered at the Empire Stage in Ft. Lauderdale, but was indefinitely postponed as theatres shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’d give my eye teeth to be back live,” says Wacher who is gauging things on a daily basis as to when the theatre might resume.

She’s also concerned, about whether her audience – also people of a certain age – will return.   Noting that many theatres and other arts venues have moved their programming on-line, Wacher defers, saying, “By definition, theatre is meant to be shared live and in person.”

A native of Miami, Wacher worked for the state of Florida as a teacher and lobbyist and retired with 30 years under her belt.

“I always wanted to be an actress,” Wachter remembers, “but didn’t have the courage to starve.  Eating and dressing nicely were always at the top of my list.”

So, once she retired, she decided to pursue her passion and appeared in local productions of Neil Simon’s “Rumors,” “The Sisters Rosensweig,” “Joseph Andrews” and “The False Witness.”

“Now I can do what I always wanted to do and not worry about the money,” she said.

However, it was a shock to learn that she had aged out of the commercial acting market.

“I didn’t fit the stereotype of what they wanted for older women,” she remembers.  “I got really mad and decided to start my own theatre company.  I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but I was committed to the idea.”

“I was headstrong and determined,” Wacher says.  “I lucked out, found the right people and in spite of not knowing what I was doing, managed to get it done.”

“We picked plays, held auditions and the audiences came,” she says.  “I got positive feedback from my audience.”

Currently, Wacher is vice president of the SAG-AFTRA Miami local and as chair of the women’s committee, works on the need to better recognize actors (and audiences) over 50 in theater, television and film.

During the quarantine and pandemic, Wacher, despite eating what she says is a bit too much ice-cream, attended SAG Zoom meetings, watched reruns of Seinfeld (her favorite), Friends and Everyone Loves Raymond and founded the Miami Radio Players, a group of professional actors based in Miami, who perform live radio shows.

Once she gets the all-clear to resume productions, Wacher is ready to go with re-launches of two of her most popular productions – Daniel’s “Helen on Wheels” and an original comedy by playwright Jerry Mayer titled, “2 Across,” about the New York Times crossword puzzle and a chance encounter aboard a San Francisco BART train.

She also has her eye on mounting “The Savannah Sipping Society,” a comedy by Nicholas Hope, Jessie  Jones and  Jamie Wooten.

As one audience member proclaimed to Wacher, after a previous show, “Thank god someone’s doing something for people like us.”

 

Visit pigsdoflyproductions.com

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Civil War spawned our Memorial Day

By Ellen Marsden

Memorial Day is the end-of-May holiday that unofficially kicks off summer. But what is the holiday really about?

First, let’s clear up the confusion between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday in May, commemorates those who died in military service to the country. Veterans Day, always observed on November 11, honors everyone who has or is serving the country, in wartime or peacetime.

Memorial Day started as a Civil War remembrance

While honoring those who have been killed in combat goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans who marked their passing with public remembrances and decorating graves with flowers, our national holiday begins with the Civil War

Toward the end of the war, thousands of Union soldiers were held as prisoners of war in Charleston, South Carolina, at what was formerly a racetrack. Hundreds died from maltreatment, and they were buried in a mass grave there.

In May 1865, newly freed slaves, along with regiments of the U.S. black troops, gathered to honor and properly bury those soldiers. They sang hymns and put flowers on the graves.

Nearly 620,000 soldiers were killed in the Civil War. In May 1868, John A. Logan, Union general and commander-in-chief of the Union veterans group, the Grand Army of the Republic, called for a nationwide day of remembrance to be held yearly on May 30.

General Logan named it Decoration Day, and he called on citizens to put flowers and decorations on the graves of those who had died in the war. (Logan’s name may not be among the most prominent of the Union generals, but Logan Circle in Washington, D.C., is named after him.)

Over time, Memorial Day came to honor all of those lost in military service, not only in the Civil War. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, and Memorial Day moved from the set observance on May 30, no matter what day of the week that fell on, to the last Monday in May. Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971.

 

Why poppies are a symbol of the holiday

World War I was raging in Europe in 1915 when Canadian soldier and surgeon John McCrae was serving in Belgium. Inspired by the bright red poppies growing in Flanders Fields (located in southern Belgium and northwest France), despite the bleak and brutal battles there, he wrote “In Flanders Fields,” a poem giving voice to the dead soldiers lying beneath the flower-covered ground.

A few years later, Moina Michael — a professor at the University of Georgia and a volunteer at the training headquarters for YWCA overseas workers — who had read McCrae’s poem, was moved to write her own poem commemorating those who had died at Flanders Fields. She, too, referenced poppies in her poem, “We Shall Keep the Faith.”

After the war, realizing there was a need to support disabled veterans, Michael championed the selling of silk poppies to help raise funds. As a result, a movement began to make wearing a red poppy a symbol of remembrance on Memorial Day. Through the years, the symbolism has extended to represent all veterans, so wearing a poppy on Veterans Day has become common as well.

 

Memorial Day today

For many of us, Memorial Day is a fun day of traditions celebrated with parades, long weekend vacations, barbeques and get-togethers with friends and family. But there are more formal traditions as well. Flags are supposed to be flown at half-staff until noon and then raised.

And by congressional legislation passed in 2000, at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, Americans are encouraged to think about the meaning of the holiday during the National Moment of Remembrance.

Wishing you a happy and meaningful Memorial Day.

 

 

In Flanders Fields

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

 

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch: be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

⎯John McCrae, May 1915

 

 

We Shall Keep the Faith

 

Oh! You who sleep in Flanders Fields,

Sleep sweet ⎯ to rise anew!

We caught the torch you threw

And holding high, we keep the Faith

With All who died.

 

We cherish, too, the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led;

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies,

But lends a luster to the red

Of the flower that blooms above the dead

In Flanders Fields.

 

And now the Torch and Poppy Red

We wear in honor of our dead.

Fear not that ye have died for naught;

We’ll teach the lesson that ye wrought

In Flanders Fields.

⎯Moina Michael, November 1918

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Spring and summer mark the beginning of moving season

Here are a few tips to make your moving process smoother:

 

  • Prior to moving or relocating, declutter clothing, toys, or personal items. Eliminating these items in advance of your move will reduce your packing time and moving costs.

 

  • Pack items from each room together so they are not mixed with items from other rooms. For example, kitchen items should be packed separately from master closet items. This will help to make unpacking quicker and easier.

 

  • On your moving day, ensure the movers label and scan all of your items before they are loaded into the truck. Items should be labeled on each side and not just on the top so they can be identified easily.

 

  • While the movers will create a list of all of your items, consider creating your own inventory list to not only confirm the mover’s list but also designate which room they should be placed in your new home.

 

  • Once your items start unloading at your destination, be sure to check each item off on both the mover’s list and your list to double check that all your items have arrived safely. Inspect each item for damage if possible.

 

  • Time permitting, open and examine your items to see if they are intact. If anything is missing or damaged, be sure to make a claim as quickly as possible. Take pictures to document any damage, and immediately notify your move coordinator.

Lisa Haubenstock is a Professional Organizer and the owner of LisaTheOrganizer, LLC. serving Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties.

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