Category: Community

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Broward County Vice Mayor Michael Udine

April has arrived, the weather is getting warm, and people are ready to travel again safely. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is ready to go as people take to the skies. From new amenities like lounges, local restaurants, and a library, the airport will be working to meet your needs every time you fly. At a recent workshop, Director of Aviation, Mark Gale, showed the new stats indicating that passenger traffic is growing and has landed FLL in the top 15 airports nationwide. Wherever you decide to go in the post pandemic world, choose FLL for flying the friendly skies.

I have been working towards sustainable economic development for Broward County. By working with our small businesses, and recruiting others, our economy will continue to grow. A wide range of industries means a diverse offering of jobs and business opportunities for residents. Whether you are a tradesperson, an administrative worker, or brand new to the work force, Broward County will have the right opportunities. Expansion of a wide array of industry means investment in our community, and growth for all.

Broward County is learning more about what happens beneath the waves. Along with Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, Broward County has approved a grant that will fund the Marine Research Hub for local oceanographic institutions. Funds will go toward determining oceanic sustainability, and the effects that climate change has on our ecosystems. This exciting project will help us understand the continuing effects and protect our shores for generations to come.

Tax season is upon us. The deadline to file or process an extension is now moved to May 17th. For simple tax returns, check out local approved providers via irs.gov. Additionally, if you have not received your stimulus benefits for the previous year, this is your opportunity to claim any funds you are entitled to that have not yet been distributed. Using a tax pro to file your return this year will help you navigate all your questions and ensure your return is submitted correctly.

To all who celebrate, I would like to wish you and yours a Happy Easter and Passover. As we head in a positive direction, many of us are looking forward to seeing family after many holidays apart. Let’s enjoy this time as we move towards safer gatherings.

The top priority for my staff and I is staying connected with the residents of District 3. We are available by phone, email, and social media. Reach me at MUdine@Broward.org or at my office at (954) 357-7003. Follow on social media @CommissionerMichaelUdine on Facebook and @MichaelUdine on Twitter or Instagram to receive important updates and see what is happening in our community. Let’s connect!

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Broward Center stages road to recovery

By Jan Engoren

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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State Representative D-96 Christine Haunschofsky

April starts off the second half of the 60-day 2021 Legislative Session. This session has been extremely active. Thousands of bills have been filed and while every bill is important, only a few hundred will become law. During these 30 days, a state budget must be voted on in addition to the many bills that will affect all Floridians. As we head to the conclusion of session, this is a time when legislators are scrambling to get bills moved through committees in hopes that they be voted on the floor. During the committee process, amendments are made sometimes to make a bad bill better or to strengthen a good bill. Debate on the floor is always vital in order to argue the merits of pieces of legislation that greatly impact our constituents.

I encourage you to please visit www.myfloridahouse.gov to see which bills have been filed and which are moving. You can also track them and see which committee is voting on them next. Please feel free to email my office at HDIST096@myfloridahouse.gov to voice your concerns on any of these bills.

Let us not forget that Earth Day is Thursday, April 22. The legacy of this day reminds us of the many laws that have been passed to protect our climate and environment.

In Florida we are especially impacted by environmental issues such as rising sea levels, flooding, water issues, and more frequent and intense storms. The Florida Legislature is working on tackling several of these issues through laws that would mitigate the impacts of sea level rise while investing in Everglades restoration and allowing cities to reduce the use of plastics within their city limits. In our own homes we can make a difference by reducing our water and electricity usage, making use of reusable containers and bottles, composting, and recycling effectively lowering contamination.

I personally want to wish a Happy Easter and Passover to all who celebrate. As we continue to cope with the effects of COVID-19 please visit http://floridahealthcovid19.gov/ for updated information or contact my office for help.

I want to thank all of you who have reached out to me with concerns, comments, questions, and support.
To learn more about our work please subscribe
to our weekly newsletter, by emailing HDIST096@ myfloridahouse.gov with “subscribe” in the subject line. Also follow me on Facebook at @RepHunschofsky and Twitter @RepHunschofsky for regular updates.

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Parkland Mayor Rich Walker

Happy April, Parkland. With April upon us, our City Commission enthusiastically steps into our Strategic Planning Session. This is an opportunity that enables our commission an ideal setting to discuss the multitude of ideas presented by our residents. We utilize these subject matters to set the stage for our Budget for the next year (which begins in October). We also set the stage for years moving forward. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to collaborate as a team and discuss important things together, ultimately setting out a course for our beautiful city. We always welcome ideas and look forward to these valuable discussions.

Unfortunately, last year with the onset of COVID-19, our strategic planning session was canceled. However, we continued our progress with capital projects that will be happening later this year such as the drainage repairs in Pine Trails Park for Fields 6, 7, 8, and 9.

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. We need to be mindful
of the multitude of stresses impacted upon our youth growing
up in today’s unprecedented environment. The combination of social media, the pandemic, and an overall decrease in personal interaction can be incredibly overwhelming. This is stressful for all of us, but even more so for our children.

As a community, we can encourage and motivate one other with positive relationships, kind hearts, support, and love.

Child Abuse Prevention Guidelines:

• Never discipline your child when your anger is out of control.
• Participate in your child’s activities and get to know your child’s friends.
• Teach your child to use their voice to allow them to prevent abuse in their own life. • Listen to them and believe what they say.
• Be aware of changes in your child’s behavior or attitude and inquire into it.

Report abuses or neglect:

1-800-962-2873, Florida Relay 711 or TTY: 1-800-955-8771

On a lighter note, Let’s Play Ball!

April 1st is the start of the Major League Baseball season. To me, this is the start of the BEST season (Go Phillies!). Some of my favorite childhood memories center upon watching a baseball game with my father and younger brother. These are the traditions that I enjoy sharing with my very own family.

Upcoming Events:

Saturday April 3rd, we have our Family Eggstravaganza. We will begin at 5:30pm with fun-filled activities and culminate with a movie at 7:45pm. We also have our fabulous Farmers Markets on Sunday, April 11th and 25th from 9-1.

Meetings:

Our Commission meetings this month are Wednesday, April 7 and Wednesday, April 21 at 7PM in City Hall. For information and agendas for our meetings, please visit our website. https://www.cityofparkland.org/1434/Agendas-Minutes

Your thoughts matter to me. Communication with our residents is vital to the overall success of our City.

I encourage you to reach out to me.

I can always be reached via email at rwalker@cityofparkland.org or via cell phone 973.390.1453.

Thank you.

 

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A taste of honey

When it comes to bees, possibly the only things people agree on are the importance of these tiny winged workers to our very existence on this planet and the magical alchemy of their delicious honey.

Beyond those basics lies chaos.

To sum up the players in what in recent years has become a sticky mess, let’s just say the U.S. honey industry is disorder on a grand scale.

Honey prices have more than doubled in the past decade, though the honey yield has increased. But commercial beekeepers have seen their profits drop dramatically. As a matter of course, industry farmers contend with a complexity of issues and sometimes unsolvable problems.

Whether harvesting their bees’ honey or farming out their stocks for pollinating commercial crops, these growers must withstand perils ranging from Varroa mites and dangerous pesticides to limited bee food sources and changing weather.

Undercutting their efforts are the roughly 275 million tons of mostly substandard, often dubious and sometimes tainted honey imported every year into the U.S., as regulatory agencies either pass the buck or do little to fix the problem.

Backyard beekeepers buzz with some of the same issues — adequate land space that offers plentiful water and nutrients, the dearth of quality queen bees, the threats posed by parasites and the means used to try to control them in a sustainable, eco-friendly way.

“Put seven or eight beekeepers in a room, and it’ll get heated up pretty fast,” says John Coldwell of the Urban Beekeepers, a Broward County-based nonprofit with micro apiaries throughout South Florida. “Probably it won’t take long before someone gets up and walks out.”

John Coldwell from the Urban Beekeepers shows a hive panel full of female honey bees busy at work at the Coral Springs Apiary at the Rotary Community Garden in Coral Springs on Mon., March 8, 2021.

Exacerbating the conflict have been misleading media reports about mass bee die-offs and colony collapses that began appearing more than a decade ago.

Widespread public misperception adds to the concerns about bees
and environmental sustainability, and questions the ethics, even the morality, of the use of bees in farming and even human honey consumption.

And where ethics and morality over non- human living beings comes into play, also entering the fray will be activists of various stripes and PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

To turn the cliché on its head, suddenly honey is everyone’s beeswax.

Female bees work away, constructing the waxy comb where the queen will lay eggs or honey will be stored in one of the five hives at Coral Springs Apiary near the SportPlex in Coral Springs.

Bee-less honey has fast become one of the trendy fixes for the “Beepocalypse,” much like paper straws became a global “solution” in 2015, after a gruesome video clip went viral showing a plastic straw being extracted from the snout of a giant sea turtle.

Never mind that according to USDA survey data, honey-producing bees and colony numbers have risen steadily since 2006, when reports of what became known as Colony Collapse Disorder first emerged.

Many Americans continue to believe we are one bad winter away from Beemageddon, where the mass extinction of honey bees leads to the breakdown of commercial crop production and the ultimate starvation of the human race.

Reality doesn’t have the same dramatic flair.

Turns out, honey bees die in masses as a matter of course — it’s not unusual. The Washington Post, among the only national media outlets to correct the record, found that while Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) did affect bee numbers from 2006 to 2008, seasonal die-offs account for
the loss of roughly 14 percent of colonies every year.

Agricultural economists Randal R. Tucker and Walter N. Thurman, cited by The
Post from a 2012 working paper, found that beekeepers themselves quickly adapted to the losses caused by CCD with basic bee husbandry methods, including splitting healthy colonies up and introducing quality queens to the new hives.

A single honey bee colony can consist of anywhere from 10,000 to well over 60,000 bees. The hive functions as a single organism with most of its family made up of female worker bees that are all often offspring of the same queen.

What comprises a season for honey production varies with location. Florida, for example, has more growing, thus pollinating seasons, than North Dakota.

The process of laying one egg takes only a few seconds, and a queen is capable

of laying up to 2,000 eggs within a single day — then, four days later, baby bees. Lifespans of honey bees vary. While the pampered queen can live up to two years on average, the lifespan of workers is roughly a third as long during the winter and a short 15–38 days in summer, when they’re busiest and most under stress simply from doing what they do best.

Asked recently about bee-less honey during a visit to the Coral Springs Apiary at the Rotary Community Gardens in Coral Springs, Coldwell looks out from his protective netting and, after a beat, says,

“What’s that?”

His wife and Urban Beekeeper partner, Teresa Coldwell, grimaces.

“It’s not honey. It’s sweetener maybe,” she said, “but it’s not honey — and shouldn’t be called honey.”

A stinging condemnation, perhaps, but not a fatal one.

Faux honey, bee-free honey, harmless hunny, vegan honey — whatever it’s called — is a thriving, if fraught, business these days.

Bee-less honey proponents — almost always from the ranks of its makers, vegans, and yes, PETA — argue that the product, often made from apples, beet sugar, and lemon juice, saves bees’ lives.

“PETA encourages everyone to go vegan, which means rejecting anything that’s taken from any animal or for which an animal suffered or was killed — and that includes honey,” PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman said in a statement.

Feral bees swarm their hive at a residence in Palm Beach County, where the Urban Beekeepers were recently called in to rescue the colony.

According to this world view, honey is “made by bees for bees,” but “is taken by corporations and small vendors alike.”

“Apiarists can do great work for bees without stealing their honey,” Reiman said.

Quite a statement for faux honey sellers, although it doesn’t appear to have worked well for the business partners who in 2016 became the face of the product.

Katie Sanchez and Melissa Elms introduced their Bee Free Honee on “Shark Tank” in 2016. Pitching the product as bee-friendly, environmentally sustainable, and best of all, deliciously honey-like, Bee Free Honee was made from apples, beet sugar, and lemon juice, and could be used in most of the ways we enjoy the real thing.

Born amid news reports of mass bee deaths and Colony Collapse Disorder, threatening the existence not only of bees and all of the produce they pollinate, but possibly human existence itself, Bee Free Honee took off.

Sales quadrupled within the first year after Sanchez and Elms won financial backing from “Shark Tank” judges, and began to develop new products.

But then, in 2019, seemingly out of nowhere, Bee Free Honee went bust.

Sanchez, who misguidedly believes honey bee populations are declining, told ExploreVeg.org that Bee Free Honee got swept up in the Beepocalyse.

“I didn’t realize the depth of the honey controversy,” Sanchez said. “I was not in any way prepared.”

While she did not provide details about the reasons the business failed, Sanchez acknowledged Bee Free Honee faced criticism from all corners, in ways that revealed how the business was out of its depth; in fact, it was failing to meet the expectations of its small but vociferous vegan and activist market, while also criticizing and alienating a powerful and vocal U.S. agricultural industry.

Honey production in the U.S. totaled 157 million pounds in 2019, according to the most recent figures available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s up nearly 3 percent from 2018, amounting to roughly 1.69 pounds of American- produced honey per person. (Americans consumed nearly 610 million pounds of honey in 2019, with 68 percent of that total from imports.)

There are nearly 5,000 registered beekeepers in the state of Florida (as
of September 2019), according to a University of Florida report. Nearly
85 percent of these are considered “backyard” beekeepers (0–40 colonies), while the remaining 15 percent are “sideline” (41–100 colonies), or “commercial” beekeepers (100+ colonies). In total there are over 650,000 managed colonies in the state that produced more than 10 million pounds of honey in 2018.

The U.S. market totaled an estimated $2.3 billion (of the global $8.6 billion) in 2020, according to Research & Markets annual honey report, released in July.

The demand for honey — but not necessarily sweetener — seems, as ever, insatiable.

Continue reading “A taste of honey”

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Almost time to appreciate the manatee

Wednesday, March 31, is National Manatee Appreciation Day, aimed at bringing the world’s attention to an herbivore with no known natural enemies – in the water, at least.

Also known as sea cows, manatees are a vulnerable species due to their contact with humans. Boating and pollution are their greatest threats.

Florida, contrarian that it is, designated November Manatee Awareness Month. But we’re going to put that aside because, hey, it’s National Manatee Appreciation Day and our publisher made us.

And, besides, Manatee Lagoon, north of Palm Beach, held its ManateeFest at the beginning of February, a five-day, free, and virtual manateeorama. So, technically they did it first.

“I don’t care who did it first. One more time and I’m turning this car around.”

As you all know, of course, manatees are of the scientific order, Sirenia, of which the well-known dugong is also a member. The two main differences between them are that dugongs are smaller than manatees and have a sillier name.

If you insist on going into more detail, any third grader can tell you that manatees have horizontal, paddle-shaped tails with only one lobe to move up and down when the animal swims. Dugongs, on the other hand, have a fluked tail, meaning it is made up of two separate lobes joined together in the middle.

Manatees also are distantly related to elephants, and I mean distantly. There may be some common DNA, chromosomes, genes, or whatever between the two species, but manatees are a distant enough cousin to the elephant that they’re not being invited to the annual pachyderm family picnic anymore.

The last time that happened one of the manatees embarrassed himself at the punch bowl. You can guess the rest.

I have my own theory about the whole elephant-manatee connection. Please pay attention. It will be on the test.

Millions of years ago, an elephant, or mammoth, or mastodon, or whatever, enjoyed being in the water, like modern-day elephants do. He or she gradually started walking out to deeper and deeper water and started using its trunk as a breathing tube.

As time evolved, it learned to hold its breath longer, its trunk got progressively shorter, and its legs shriveled up into flippers. Voila, the manatee!

But seriously, despite manatees having no natural enemies, except perhaps crocodiles preying on their young, the species is in danger.

According to a 2012 article on Web Ecology the main causes of death “are human-related issues, such as habitat destruction and human objects.”

“Their slow-moving, curious nature has led to violent collisions with propeller-driven boats and ships. Some manatees have been found with over 50 scars on them from propeller blades.”

“The best way to protect manatees is for the public to learn about their plight and how protecting them is in all our best interests if we care about healthy aquatic ecosystems,” says Patrick Rose, Executive Director of Save the Manatee Club.

“Whether passively observing the beauty of our waterways or actively engaged in water-related activities such as boating, fishing, or diving, we should understand our role as responsible stewards of manatees and their habitat and how we can help protect those things we hold dear.”

Manatee Lagoon (www.visitmanateelagoon.com) in Riviera Beach is a great place to see manatees. The lagoon is closed now because of the pandemic, but you can still access its live manatee cam at www.visitmanateelagoon.com/manatee-cam.

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Organize your work area at home

Creating an organized work area at home is essential to make your space productive and efficient. Here are a few tips to help you achieve your goals:

If possible, set up your workspace where you have ample natural light. Surround yourself with things that make you comfortable and happy such as pictures, candles, and plants. Simplicity is key – try to keep your workspace simple and uncluttered by placing your office essentials in desktop organizers. To keep power and network cables at bay, use power strips and cable wraps or ties to keep them out of sight. Move valuables and keepsakes to shelves so they are out of harm’s way.

Utilize a filing cabinet, rolling file cart, desktop sorter, or file box to store important documents. Organize your paperwork by type and category so they are easily accessible. Also consider the frequency of access when creating your filing system. To maximize the usefulness of your system, consider scanning and storing your documents electronically in a secure online service for universal access.

Set the mood for your workspace to inspire productivity and your creative juices will start to flow!

Lisa Haubenstock is a professional organizer and the owner of LisaTheOrganizer, LLC. Serving Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties.

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Roller coaster ride for local fraternal groups

“We’ve really become everybody’s new favorite place,” boasts Veroni Que, referring to an increase in membership at Ft. Lauderdale Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 3140.

In fact, membership has increased by at least 25 percent since the coronavirus pandemic hit, estimates Que, a bartender at the club. She attributed the growth, in part, to the club’s pleasing physical appearance, reasonable prices for meals, and camaraderie among club members.

A strong membership drive during 2020 might have also helped, club trustee Kelly Carver said.

But apparently, such efforts elsewhere in the world of fraternal organizations have not translated into increased membership.

Indeed, a 2019 congressional report found that membership has been steadily declining in a variety of social clubs and groups. Specifically, the joint economic committee report found that membership rates in some organizations decreased from 75 percent in 1974 to 62 percent in 2004. “At 52 percent, the drop was steepest among fraternal organizations such as the Freemasons or the Knights of Columbus,” NPR reported, citing the committee report.

Speaking of the Freemasons, its membership in Florida has considerably decreased over the last 10 to 15 years, says Stewart Davies. He’s the secretary and past master of the Hollywood-based Roe Fulkerson Masonic Lodge No. 299 of the Free and Accepted Masons.

Today, the lodge boasts 192 members, about 30 less than five years ago, Davies says. But within the last couple years, the lodge has “held its own” in terms of membership, he adds.

“We have a really good team of new blood in our lodge,” Davies says. Specifically, he notes, within the last five years or so, men in their mid-20s to mid-30s with vigor and ambition have joined. In contrast, older members didn’t return when the lodge re-opened after a closure due to the pandemic. The lodge lost almost a dozen members in 2020. Six died, and the others left for different reasons.

Davies says he feels one of the reasons that membership is down among Freemasons is that people have other interests.

“We’re just competing with natural diversions,” he says. But Davies also notes that a Mason must follow strong rules and regulations. And it might be harder for younger people to follow them.

There’s also a lot of work involved to become a master mason, Davies says. In particular, the process can take anywhere from four months to a year. There is no “instant gratification,” he adds.

Freemasonry, or masonry, comprises fraternal organizations which trace their origins to the local fraternities of stonemasons that, from the end of the 14th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients.

Modern Freemasonry consists of two main recognition groups. Regular Freemasonry “insists that a volume of scripture be open in a working lodge, that every member profess belief in a Supreme Being, that no women be admitted, and that the discussion of religion and politics be banned.”

Meanwhile, Continental Freemasonry is now the general term for the jurisdictions which have removed some, or all, of these restrictions.

Davies says that lodges are particular when deciding who
joins.

“We take good men and make them better. We don’t take bad men and make them good,” he says. “We’re not looking to fill our chairs with numbers but with quality men. We want people whose heart is in freemasonry.”

“We’re not some weird, secret society,” Freemason Daryn Hufton-Rees told CNBC for an article by Holly Ellyatt published in 2013. “There are no Illuminati roaming about or funny handshakes involved — although, by the way, it’s a grip, not a handshake — We’re an organization with moral codes and people join us for the sense of camaraderie, the opportunities to learn, and charitable giving.”

The Fort Lauderdale lodge, for example, held a school supplies drive at the beginning of the academic year. The lodge has also conducted food drives.

Opportunities also exist to perform good deeds with the Fort Lauderdale Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 3140. Que, the club’s bartender, says she thinks the “charity work” that the club performs is a draw for people considering membership.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles, an international nonprofit organization, “unites fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills, and by promoting peace, prosperity, gladness, and hope,”according to www.foe.com.

“We have a great group of people here,” Que says about her Fort Lauderdale chapter.

Once people notice the camaraderie within the group, “they come back, they want to be a member,” she adds.

Now, Eagles Aerie 3140 is striving to bring in younger members. Carver, one of the chapter’s trustees, says he feels that in general, younger people are not as interested as are their older counterparts in joining fraternal groups. They might just be too busy, Carver says.

“It’s a tough group to shoot for,” he adds.

 

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Can you catch a leprechaun?

St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year, so why not liven up hump day with these fun kid-tested activities? It’s easy to create a festive experience while still practicing COVID safety.

Start the morning with rainbow necklaces! Grab some yarn, tape, and your favorite colorful cereal and get those fine motor skills working. Tape one of the ends to make it easier to thread the O’s. The kids can wear, eat, and enjoy. If you’re lucky they’ll make one for you too!

Spread some joy. My kids love to leave surprise treats for their friends and neighbors. I found some inexpensive containers for them to fill with gold nuggets and printed off festive tags. It is a great excuse to hop on their bikes and get some exercise while delivering these small gifts.

The grand finale is a leprechaun scavenger hunt! The kit includes the clues, a hiding cheat sheet for the parents, and a pack of gold cookie “coins” as the treasure. The clues are simple and offer great reading and problem-solving practice. Hide the clues all around the house to get your kids running around. The sheer joy and sense of accomplishment as they find each clue will make your heart melt, and I think it makes the treasure taste even better.

Stay safe and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

For information on any of these activities contact:

Rachel Hunter of Celebrate You Events (@celebrate.you.events) – Party styling, scavenger hunt kit & banners

Amanda Fletcher of Cookies by Amanda (@cookiesbyamanda) – Scavenger hunt kit & Cookies

Daniela Herrera of Tulle & Tools (@tulleandtools) – Cake pops

Maribel Giraldo from Designs for You (@maribel_designsforyou) – Balloon garland

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How my child’s battle with cancer prepared our family for the pandemic

Thirteen years ago my life changed overnight. I was happily living a normal routine. Then, suddenly, I found myself in constant worry. I was fearful of financial ruin. I was having constant concern of a family member’s failing health, and anxiety of the possible effects to a compromised immune system.

I found myself feeling safer in isolation. I went down a rabbit hole of unpredictability checking numbers, incessantly wiping down surfaces, washing hands, and applying for social services like food stamps after losing my job.

Back then, the numbers I was checking were not the daily percent of positive tests for an invisible illness in my community or the number of local hospitalizations.

The numbers were of the different blood cells my son had. The illness that he had was not invisible. In fact, it could be seen under a microscope in a regular blood sample because it appeared black. It was cancer. He was only 6 years old, and I was 26.

The whole world was not experiencing it with us at that time. Although some 300,000 families experience it annually, we still felt like the only ones.

The journey started in May of 2007. Seven years later, my son
was done with chemo and cancer free.

During those seven years he endured more spinal taps, bone marrow aspirations, blood transfusions, and needle pokes than I could ever count (or want to).

He also went through a relapse, six fractures to his spine, a blood clot, and a stroke.

The journey was tiring, scary, and forever life-changing.

What I didn’t expect in the years following his recovery was how useful all that I learned would become.

All the heartaches and lessons I learned during that time would become a road map for navigating a future health crisis: The COVID-19 pandemic.

A year ago, in March 2020, we all were plummeted into a whole new world. To me, however, the landscape looked familiar.

I discovered that I was equipped to navigate it. Through my experiences I had garnered some tools in dealing with uncertainty and crisis. I want to share the top 10 with you.

Find Joy- I found during those hard times that joy seemed to elude me. I was submerged in worry and sadness. It took a while for me to recognize that in the toughest of times you must work at finding joy.

When you look for beauty, you will find it, and once you do, beauty and joy will naturally find you.

Show Gratitude & Appreciation-They say nothing is a better teacher than experience, and I would add nothing makes a person wiser than proper perspective.

Finding gratitude was hard at fi rst, but suddenly I became grateful for the little things that became big things to me; little things like a smile or laugh from my sick son, his immune system being strong enough to visit friends, or the gourmet coffee shop at the hospital. The minute I started learning to appreciate and have gratitude for the little things everything changed.

Be Flexible- Life will take you down paths you never predicted or saw coming. The lesson learned is that control is an illusion and hanging on to habits that once made sense, but do not anymore, will only make change that much harder to adapt to. Be willing to learn new things. Adapt your schedule, and go with the flow.

Create Fun- This is so important. Get creative. When my son was unable to go to movie theaters, attend parties or restaurants, we, as a family, brought the fun to us.

My parents started creating movie nights for him and his brother, and expanded them into themed movie nights.

There are no rules that say you need a bunch of people to throw a party! You
can throw a party on an easy budget with just your immediate family.

Since the pandemic, we started this again. We have thrown over 20 theme nights at home with just us that include costumes, dinner, and a movie, all  around a central theme.

Nothing is Forever- The best of times will not last, which could be a depressing thought, until you realize that also means the worst of times will not last forever either.

Everything on earth is temporary. EVERYTHING. So, breathe in the good and be present for it, and breathe out the tough times.

Find Stillness and Nature- Find time to meditate, pray, or just count your breaths in and out every day.

Experts say that 20 minutes of meditation a day is optimal. But days can get away from you in a crisis, so if you can only close your eyes and count 10 breaths in and out, say a mantra 10 times, or say a quick prayer to your God, it is more than nothing at all.

Also, even five minutes of observing nature can do wonders. Going outside is preferable, but some days I would only be able to watch the swaying of the trees or clouds through a hospital window. But even that would lighten my spirit enough to bring me some peace.

Ask for and Accept Help if You Need it- Having too much pride can have a devastating consequence on your family and soul. If you need help, ask for it, and if it is off ered, take it. There is no shame in it.

Give Love and Help Others- Nothing will make you happier than helping someone else. There is no medicine as powerful as putting your woes aside and focusing on helping another person. Look around you and see how even in turmoil you still possess the ability to better the lives of those around you,  and then do it.

Find Balance- This is something everyone struggles with in their lives, even without a crisis. It is important. However, it is even more important amid a crisis.

You will not achieve that every day. The important part is not pressuring yourself into perfection of balance, only striving for it over the course of your journey.

If you try to focus on balance without judging yourself for not perfecting it, in the arch of time, you will find you achieved it.

Make Humor a Coping Tool- Of all the tools and lessons learned throughout my life’s journey nothing is more potent a healer than humor.

Don’t take life so seriously because life itself is constantly contradictory, indecisive, and unpredictable. It is a beautiful mess, and so are you. Learn to
laugh about it!

In the end you should accept right now that your life will not look exactly like you envisioned it.

Your life may never be the same after this pandemic. It’s ok and natural to struggle with it. Just know that struggle is how you will grow.

Remember this time of pandemic does not make up the sum of your life. But if you use it as a teacher and look at it with a wise perspective, you may see the time as one of the most valuable of your life. The beauty of it lies in the fact that you get to choose.

Destiny Haggett is an advocate for pediatric cancer research, former model, and public speaker. She currently runs a 962-seat live entertainment venue in Coconut Creek, Florida.

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SoFlo Gardening: March 2021

What to Plant

Annuals/Bedding Plants: Dianthus and other cool-season annuals continue to flourish. Consider planting warm-season annuals such as angelonia, was begonia, and zinnia at the end of the month.

Bulbs: Plant dahlia, canna, and glorious bulbs for spring and summer flowering. Provide stakes as needed to support growth.

Herbs: Consider growing edible ginger. Plant rhizomes in well-drained soil in full to part sun.

Vegetables: Begin planting warm-season crops, such as beans, tomatoes, squash, and corn, early in the month for late spring harvest. Protect from frost.

What to Do

Azaleas: Prune azaleas when they have finished blooming to reduce their size and improve the form.

Shrubs and trees: Prune when the dormant season ends and new growth begins.

Palms and shrubs: Fertilize palms, azaleas, camellias, and other ornamental shrubs if needed. Choose a fertilizer in which at least 30% of its nitrogen is slow release.

Irrigation: Check your sprinkler system for problems such as broken or misaligned spray heads.

Source: University of Florida IFAS Extension

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‘Closer Than Ever’ in a time of social distance

With the on-going blackout of Broadway, live theatre in New York and around the country has taken a hit since March when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

While many actors, singers, and dancers (not to mention directors, producers, technical staff , etc.) were on hiatus, theaters were searching for a way to remain relevant and keep their actors and staff employed.

Boca Raton-based MNM Theatre Company, a non-profit theatre company which has been producing professional musical theatre in Palm Beach County since 2014, was in residence at the Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach prior to the pandemic.

In 2019 the company produced “Man of La Mancha,” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” both large-scale productions.

When the quarantine hit, MNM was in rehearsal for a production of the musical, “Cabaret” and one week prior to opening night last March, had to lay off 65 staff.

“No one really knows what the future of live theatre looks like,” says Marcie Gorman, CEO of MNM Theatre Company. “Will live theatre return to a full-house? Will it be half or quarter capacity? Will the audience return? Will it be safe?”

It was questions like this that kept Gorman up at night and prompted her and her staff to reinvent their stage productions.

She and her director, Jonathan Van Dyke, came up with what they call a “hybrid” – streaming their live production, which was produced following safety and CDC protocols and utilizing “projections” (or, graphics) to enhance the experience.

For example, if a couple was supposed to touch or hug following the script, they did not touch in real-life, but the f lm production was edited to seem as if they were hugging or touching.

“We followed strict protocols throughout the process and were constantly mindful of the health and well-being of our cast and our crew,” says Gorman, a South Florida native. “COVID testing, masks, cleaning, and sanitizing – we did it all constantly.”

“But,” she says, “what’s so wonderful is that we created and performed live theatre that we will be able to share with a worldwide audience.”

“It’s not just a film, not just a live show, and not just a series of projections,” says Gorman, noting that the filming was shot using multiple cameras and angles over a span of five days in their Boca Raton warehouse/studio. “It’s a combination of all three and as far as we know, no one has ever done anything like it before.”

Most recently, they used these techniques in their production of composer David Shire and lyricist Richard Maltby Jr.’s musical song cycle, “Closer Than Ever,” a lively and fast-paced musical revue starring Aaron Bower, Johnbarry Green, and Carbonell Award-winners Shelley Keelor and Elijah Word, exploring the everyday struggles such as second marriages, aging, mid-life crises, working couples, and unrequited love in the modern world.

“Our director, Jonathan Van Dyke, has developed an innovative theatrical hybrid that marries live performances with video, audio, and projections,” says Gorman. “The result is an exciting and creative way to create live theatre during the pandemic.”

“The integrated projections allow for intimate onstage moments,” says Van Dyke on the company’s website. “The actors were each green-screened separately and the results were edited for projection, so they appear to interact with one another, even as they social distance.”

After watching the production on-line, composer Shire wrote in an email to Gorman, “The performances were honest and great, the musical direction, staging, production design, choreography all first rate, and your direction and overall conception of how to present “Closer Than Ever” and keep it COVID-safe were truly impressive.”

Additionally, on their website mnmtheatre.org, the theatre company has a project called #MNMSings, where former cast members and alumni share their favorite numbers from the production in which they starred.

Currently, Shelley Keelor sings her favorite, “Back on Base,” from “Closer Than Ever,” (“My scattered life had no foundation. Couldn’t seem to fi nd my space. Then all at once came inspiration. Now I’m back on base.”)

Gorman says it’s a way for the actors to stay involved, connect with the audience, and remain in people’s consciousness during these trying times.

As a producer, former actor and singer — Gorman describes herself as “very involved and a hands-on producer.”

“I’m at every show,” she says. “I’ve never missed one. Even when the director leaves after a production, I’m still there.”

“It’s an adrenaline rush and a chance for me to bond with the actors,” she says. “I love mentoring them, being a part of the production, watching them perform and revel when they go on to do something bigger and better.”

“It’s all about the connections with people that has made it all worthwhile,” she says. “That’s my thing. I love theatre!”

Visit https://www.mnmtheatre.org/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mnmtheatrecompany

Clips from “Closer Than Ever” can be viewed on their website https://www.mnmtheatre.org 

 

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