Category: Community

Posted on

Parkland Life: October 2020

Coincidence or Godwink?

A couple of years ago, I read a book titled, “When God Winks at You” by Squire Rushnell, and the concept has remained with me.

Godwinks (Rushnell’s term) are coincidences that, when we think about them, make us pause, smile, or just say aha. An example we probably have all experienced is when you are thinking about someone and the phone rings, and it is that person.

Another example is when you lose something important and just as you are giving up on ever finding it – it turns up in a place you think you searched thoroughly before.

To me, Godwinks are messages the universe is sending me when I am open to receiving that information. Well, this morning I received a Godwink.

For the past few months, my columns have focused on my feelings and behaviors during the pandemic. I am still staying at home and still only dreaming of getting on a plane to see my family in New York.

I have tried to find positive things to do, but life feels a bit bland and sad. And then this morning I received a strong message, or as I would term it, a Godwink. The first message (Godwink) came as I watched the “CBS This Morning” show. One of the daily segments is when the anchors discover/find a story, news segment, or video and want to share it with all of us.

This morning, co-anchor Tony Dokoupil read about a recent poll centered on the Coronavirus’ effect on peoples’ feelings. He stated that according to the poll, two-thirds of Americans believe they are better people due to the pandemic and 70 percent said they learned a lot about themselves as a result of the pandemic. Hmmm.

The second message (Godwink) came to me in email form. I received a group text from a friend that I read just after the morning show ended. The gist of it is in this one stanza of the much longer message: “Let’s put some color in our grey…And despite everything, we must continue to enjoy with serenity this time we have left.

“Let’s try to eliminate the afters…I’m doing it after…I’ll say it after…I’ll think about it after…So let’s leave nothing for later because still waiting we can lose the best moments.” Two positive and strong statements on making the most of our life during this time filled with frustration and waiting. A Godwink certainly meant for me.

I am in need of an attitude adjustment. I must again learn to appreciate and love the time as it is now. I have worked to make my days better, fuller and more fun. I have received the love of a wonderful puppy and been reawakened to the beauty of the world through his eyes but I have not gone the extra mile to welcome this time into my emotions. Instead, I have resented it,  gotten angry, and felt cheated. So I projected this dissatisfaction and have not been the optimistic and hopeful person I certainly can and have tried to be.

So I am now beginning to think about how to give myself an attitude adjustment. What are the positives that have come out of all these months? How can I take those positives and gain a new perspective on my life under COVID-19? I need to lose “The Afters.” My goal this coming month is to understand how this time has made me better and learn more about myself. My goal this month is to be happier, more giving and more positive. I’ll let you know if the Godwink worked its miracle.

By Jill Vogel

Posted on

Always that perfect something

Pizazz is a women’s jewelry and gift boutique in Coral Springs, offering unique gifts for every occasion.

Traditional gift shops are mostly a thing of the past, but Pizazz, at 10724 Wiles Road, has been in business for 12 years. A testimony to the success of its goal of making shoppers feel welcome from “the moment a customer is greeted coming in our door until they leave,” asserts owner Brent Brewster.

“It is our pleasure to offer our beautiful and complimentary gift wrap for every purchase,” Brewster adds. “Our goal is to make the customer service at Pizazz stand out tremendously. We hope that everyone who shops with us feels welcome and cared for because they are,” she adds.

Pizazz offers gifts for every occasion: Babies, graduations, weddings, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, bar and bat mitzvahs, and more. And you’re likely to find something for yourself as you browse.

Go ahead. Treat yourself.

The store also includes a large selection of Fair Trade items, products that give back to communities in need all over the world. You can find out what they do at fairtradecertified.org.

“I had always wanted to open a gift shop,” Brewster explains. “When my second daughter went off to college, I really wanted to try something new. My very supportive husband said, ‘Give it a try.’ And we did!

“We opened in the Promenade in 2008, just as the economy was crashing. Pizazz was able to weather that storm though, and in a few short years we had quite a few loyal customers.”

Brewster says there are two things she enjoys most about her business. The first is “the joy that comes from providing my customers with products and service that I, myself, enjoy.” The second, but just as important, she emphasizes, is that “Pizazz is a local, family business. I love that.

“I love being part of what this country is supposed to be about. I love knowing that I can do something that I enjoy and make a positive impact on my community at the same time.”

The last few years in retail have been incredibly difficult,
especially for small businesses, Brewster notes, and “the past
few months have seen a tremendous strain on the entire retail community.

“We feel the best future for Pizazz is to go small and offer online services which we have not been able to do in the past. Our goal is to press forward and hopefully see the resurgence of mom and pop businesses,” Brewster says.

“What is most satisfying about Pizazz,” Brewster believes, “is that I get to be a part of the lives of women.” The store’s line of Fair Trade items helps “provide safety and jobs to women around the world. This is the heartbeat of Pizazz.

“I also get to be part of women’s lives in South Florida. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student looking for a gift for your teacher, a young mom who is looking for a special pick-me-up for herself or a grandmother who is excited to welcome her new grand baby, Pizazz has that perfect something.”

Pizazz, 10724 Wiles Road, Coral Springs, 954-688-9895, www.pizazzflorida.com. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Private shopping hours available by appointment.

Posted on

SoFlo BUZZ: October 2020 I

PARKLAND DASH is back — virtually

In keeping with social distancing requirements, this year’s Parkland Dash will allow participants to choose their own routes. Runners will be able to view live results online throughout the race day as participants submit their times.

On Saturday, October 18th, just run and track your 5K (3.1 miles) or 5 miles while using the RaceJoy app on your cell phone. The deadline to submit your time is 3:00 p.m. race day. Once the countdown clock reaches zero, no more times will be accepted and the race will be finalized.

To register for the run, visit runsignup.com/parklanddash.

Each $30 registration helps support Canine Assisted Therapy, the mission of which is to improve the health and well-being of children and adults by achieving specific physical, cognitive, social, or emotional goals through the use of certified pet therapy teams.

Canine Assisted Therapy has provided ongoing services to MSD, The Parkland Library, Riverglades Elementary, and Aston Gardens. They work with isolated seniors, pediatric patients, individuals with special needs, veterans, those suffering from grief or loss, and many others. Founded in 2009, this non-profit organization has the goal of improving the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of pet therapy services in South Florida.

 

Foundation distributes 41,000 school supply kits

Broward Education Foundation, dedicated to serving students and teachers in Broward County Public Schools, recently distributed more than 41,000 safely sealed 18-piece basic school supply kits to 41,000 students from 69 Title I elementary schools in Broward County.

 

More than 90 percent of students in Broward’s top 40 Title I elementary schools are enrolled in free and reduced lunch programs.

The foundation pivoted from a physical school supply drive to a virtual one. Thanks to the generosity of the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, Jim Moran Foundation, Wells Fargo, Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, Ultimate Software, Hamilton Group Funding, Inc., People’s Trust Insurance, Harmony Development Center, Inc., State Farm Insurance, Pride Center at Equality Park, Centennial Bank, Broward County Public Schools, BrightStar Credit Union, Pirtle Construction, and many more generous corporations and individuals, the campaign was a success.

“Ordinarily, Broward Education Foundation’s School Supply Drive would help to stock the shelves at our school supply center where teachers from Title I schools shop free for their students in need,” said Shea Ciriago, executive director of the foundation. “We knew we had to be proactive in light of COVID, so we orchestrated the online fundraising campaign.”

Posted on

Musical education not left behind by COVID-19

During the past several months, COVID-19 has been a roadblock for the educational system. This spring, school classes went virtual, and a lot of extracurricular activities were halted in their tracks.

For parents with kids who are learning to play an instrument, the uncertainty with school bands and lack of in-person classes has been an ongoing challenge. One local music teacher is Glen Friedman from the G-Clef Music Academy in Parkland.

Glen has been teaching his students virtually throughout the summer. As schools open, he is planning to continue to teach virtually as this is key to ensuring his students keep up with their curriculums and not fall behind due to this year’s pandemic limitations.

Music strengthens the mind
Why is music education important for developing minds? A study by Professor Hudziak from the University of Vermont College of Medicine found that the “more a child trained on an instrument, it accelerated cortical organization in attention skill, anxiety management, and emotion control.”

According to Professor Hudziak, in an interview with the Washington Post, music is like an exercise for the brain. “What I was surprised by was the emotional regulatory regions. Everyone in our culture knows if I lift 5-pound, 10-pound, 15-pound weights, my biceps will get bigger. The same is true for the brain. We shouldn’t be surprised we can train the brain.”

Music helps with math
Much of Science, Engineering, and Math is built on the principles of harmonics. One key principle, the Fourier Transform, expresses the world in terms of musical chords. Joseph Fourier, in 1822, first showed the usage of infinite sums of harmonics to describe a signal, which the mathematical transform is now named after. Recently, our modern mobile communications mostly rely on the concept of harmonics to transmit information over the air.

Learning music has been shown to benefit students’mathematical abilities. Researchers from the University of Texas, in a peer-reviewed article for the Journal of Learning through Arts, found “the students who learned through the various music-integrated instructional settings demonstrated increased mathematical ability levels over the intervention period in the present study.”

According to Glen, the best way to learn music is through one-on-one sessions. The individual feedback is important to help develop and improve a student’s skills.

During the pandemic, it hasn’t all been virtual lessons. Glen is part of some virtual big band recordings, too. You can find some of those sessions on YouTube’s “Glen Friedman Music”channel.

If you are deciding how best to keep your child busy after school, improve their focus and emotional control, or just want better grades in math, enroll them in music classes. This is where the arts and sciences intersect.

By Li Pan

Posted on

A unicorn lives among us

Takers try to gain as much as possible from their interactions while contributing as little as they can in return.

Givers are others-focused and tend to provide support with no strings attached. They ask themselves, “How can I add value to society? What can I contribute?”

And then there are anonymous givers. These people give with no strings attached; they seek no acknowledgment or recognition.

In this time of social media and self-promotion, anonymous givers are unicorns. Ryan Paton is a unicorn.

Ryan grew up in Coral Springs. His family still lives in Coral Springs
and Parkland. Ryan is a successful mortgage broker in town, but that is not what makes Ryan unique, however.

Over the past 15 years, Ryan has donated over 20 gallons of blood
and platelets. These donations place Ryan in the top 1% of all blood donors in the country. Amazingly, however, Ryan cringes when he sees a needle. Donating platelets is painful and is a two-hour commitment.

When I asked Ryan why he continues to give blood if he is afraid of needles, Ryan said, “I sometimes shed tears when I think about the recipients that are going to receive my blood. The sick children, and sick moms and dads that are fighting for their lives. It’s not fair that when I’m finished with my platelet donation, I get to go about my day while the recipients getting my blood have to also deal with the same needle that I’m scared of, but they are in the midst of a battle for their life. They are praying for a miracle when they get that blood I just gave. So, when I consider that, it makes me want to brave that needle and donate so much more. If my blood/platelets have even a slight chance to cure or extend the life of even one person, all those hours of needles will be worth it.”

I’ve known Ryan for 20 years. I eat lunch with him almost every Wednesday. Until last year, I never knew he was a blood donor. Ryan never speaks about it. It’s a 100% selfless act. In fact, there is only one thing Ryan ever seems to talk about – Honor Flight.

In 2012, Ryan asked a few friends, including myself, to donate a few dollars to support an organization called Honor Flight. No one ever heard of Honor Flight, but we were happy to help Ryan. The mission of Honor Flight is to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring those who have served and saved our country. In 2012, very few people in South Florida had heard of Honor Flight.

Since 2012, Ryan took the initiative to co-found the South Florida branch of Honor Flight. As the current Director of Operations, he has helped coordinate the transport of over 1000 veterans to their Memorials in Washington, D.C. Many veterans have told Ryan that this trip was the highlight of their lives. They cannot believe that an organization made the effort to recognize them for doing their civic duty in America’s time of need.

Veterans are the ultimate givers. They gave so others didn’t have to. They fought so we could be free. Sadly, many veterans never received any type of honor for their service and sacrifice. Ryan donates his time and raises money so they are recognized.

As you may expect, Ryan never asks for any recognition at Honor Flight events and fundraisers. The focus is ALWAYS on the veterans, never on himself. Also, Ryan has no real ties to the military. His involvement is solely altruistic because it’s the right thing to do.

Getting Ryan to send me a bio about why he gives blood or his
involvement in Honor Flight was like pulling teeth. Oftentimes,
givers don’t like to be recognized because they believe it diverts the
attention away from the mission. I disagree. Our community can (and
should) rally around givers like Ryan. Giving blood is thankless, but
crucial. It is the ultimate act of a giver. You are anonymously giving
your health (at great expense) to someone in need who you will never
meet. You give because you know others will not.

Supporting our veterans is honorable. You are recognizing someone who has already given the ultimate sacrifice who was not afforded the recognition they deserved.

Next time you walk past the Big Red Blood Bus, think of Ryan’s sacrifice and the good you could be doing for others.

And consider sponsoring a veteran and/or chaperoning a trip to Washington D.C. through HonorFlightSouthFlorida.org so they can be recognized for their service.

Selfless acts such as giving are what makes our community special. Thank you, Ryan, for all you (anonymously) do.

Philip Snyder is a partner with the law firm of Lyons, Snyder & Collin in Plantation. He was writing our Legal Matters column for us but said he wanted to try something different, highlighting special people in the community. We decided to let him give it a try. Let us know what you think, email: editor@theparklander.com.

Posted on

SoFlo BUZZ: October 2020 II

Save Our Seas

The Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS) in Fort Lauderdale will host a “Virtual Save Our Seas Distinguished Speaker Series” via Zoom on the first Thursday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m.

The series invites scientists and conservationists of all ages to learn from internationally acclaimed biologists, scientists, conservationists, researchers, and educators about new ways of thinking and marine-related preservation topics.

It is sponsored by Save Our Seas Foundation, which funds and supports research, conservation, and education projects worldwide, focusing primarily on threatened wildlife and their habitats.

The live events are free but space is limited. Register at mods.org/saveourseas. Unique Zoom links will be sent in the morning on the days of the presentations.

The following first Thursday topics and speakers are scheduled through the rest of the year:

October 1 — Sea Turtle Conservation in South Florida: Challenges and Triumphs Panel Discussion

Mariana Fuentes, Ph.D., Marine Conservation Biologist

Kelly Martin, Program Coordinator for the Marine Environmental Education Center and President of Florida Leatherbacks Inc

Kelly Stewart, Ph.D., Biologist with The Ocean Foundation

Katie Mansfield, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of the Marine Turtle Research Group at the University of Central Florida

November 5 — Manta Rays: Exciting Discoveries

Guy Stevens, Ph.D., Chief Executive and Founder of the Manta Trust

Jessica Pate, Marine Biologist and Project Manager, Florida Manta Project

December 3 — 2020 Save Our Seas MODS Shark Expert Panel Discussion

Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University

Mike Heithaus, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education (CASE) and Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University

Gregory Skomal, Ph.D., Marine Biologist, Researcher, Underwater Explorer, Photographer, and Author

Dean Grubbs, Ph.D., Associate Director of Research/Research Faculty III at Florida State University Coastal & Marine Laboratory

Marianne Porter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University

Aging in South Florida

The South Florida Institute on Aging (SoFIA) will host the Aging in South Florida Virtual Symposium presented by AARP on Wednesday, October 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The virtual event will explore “the new normal” in a post- COVID world, presenting innovative ideas and solutions to employment, healthcare, and diversity challenges faced by older adults. The event will be a forum to encourage conversation and collaborative problem solving to better help older adults thrive as they age while providing information on community efforts and resources.

SoFIA’s virtual experience also includes opportunities to attend seminars of personal interest, while sponsors and vendors will benefit from a virtual booth and AI technology.

Visit https://thesofia.org/aisf for more information on sponsorship or to purchase tickets. The event is open to any business, government entity, or member of the community interested in creating a more age-friendly community, general admission tickets are $10.

 

Posted on

Halloween 2020: Trick or treat or …?

It’s hard to imagine what Halloween celebrations will be like this year. Will there be clusters of costumed kids at the doorstep calling out “trick or treat” from under their masks? Instead of the usual masks of princesses, animals, and superheroes, will this year’s masks be nose and mouth coverings to contain germs from possible coronavirus superspreaders? Will parents regard every package of candy as being a possible COVID carrier, the wrapper on each piece needing to be washed or wiped down?

If you are looking for a socially- distanced haunted Halloween activity, you might want to check out The Horrorland, a nighttime drive-thru haunted Halloween experience being held October 1 – 31 in Miramar. We haven’t tested the fear factor, but according to their website, it is not recommended for children under 13. For more information, go to https://thehorrorland.com.

While we can’t quite predict what Halloween will be like in the present or the future, we can tell you something about its past…

Halloween history highlights

The origin of Halloween is often credited to the Celts, who lived in what is now the general area of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France about 2,000 years ago. On October 31st, they celebrated the festival of Samhain, (pronounced sow-win) which marked the end of the harvest and the start of winter and a new year. Celts believed that the worlds of the living and the dead came close together at this time and that they could connect with spirits and ghosts of their ancestors.

While some spirits were thought to cause mayhem, others were thought to help see into the future. On Samhain, Celts feasted, made lanterns from hollowed-out gourds, told fortunes, built bonfires, and chose which animals would need to be slaughtered for the winter.

When Christianity reached the Celtic areas, the pagan rituals were strongly discouraged. The church recognized November 2nd as All Souls’ Day — a day to honor the dead — and November 1st as All Saints’ Day, also called All-Hallows (hallows meaning saints or holy people). Thus, October 31st was All-Hallows Eve (now known as Halloween), but the light-hearted celebrations with trick or treating, decorations, and parties we know today only evolved in the United States and Canada over time.

Colonists in New England, with their strict religious practices, did not embrace Halloween celebrations; southern colonies were more likely to celebrate by telling fortunes, sharing tales of the dead, dancing, and singing.

When Irish and Scottish immigrants came to the United States in great numbers during the second half of the 1800s, they brought their Halloween traditions with them, including community parties with games and costumes. One of the traditions that was popular around the turn of the 19th century and now long gone, was Halloween being a time for a young, unmarried woman, to foretell her future spouse. She would throw an apple peel over her shoulder, believing it would land in the shape of the first initial of her future husband, or that by looking in the mirror Halloween night, she would see an image of the man she would wed.

Halloween is big business today

  • Guess who?

According to estimates from the National Retail Federation last fall, the greatest share of the nearly $9 billion that was expected to be spent
on Halloween in 2019, was for costumes, at $3.2 billion. The newest trend? Pet costumes. Pet costumes have surged in popularity; nearly twenty percent of pet owners planned to put their pets

in costumes last year—pumpkins, hot dogs, and superheroes being among the most popular—at a cost of nearly $500 million.

  • It’s beginning to look a lot like…Halloween.

Decorating for Halloween inside and especially outside has become more elaborate with high-tech holograms, decorative lights, and giant blow-ups gaining popularity in recent years, resulting in consumers spending $2.7 billion on Halloween decorations. (2019 estimate)

  • Trick or treat, give me something good to eat.

While there was trick or treating in the 1930s and 40s, with kids going house to house to get cookies, cakes, fruit, nuts, and coins, it wasn’t until the 1950s that candy became the common hand-out. Last year’s estimate was there would be $2.6 billion spent on Halloween candy.

In 2019, candystore.com reported that between 2007-2018, the top candies sold for Halloween were: Skittles, Reese’s Cups, M&M’s, Snickers, and Starburst, followed by the candy most associated with Halloween: candy corn.

Those sweet yellow, orange, and white kernels were invented in the 1880s in Philadelphia and gained widespread popularity at the turn of the 20th century. Candy corn is made from sugar, fondant, corn syrup, vanilla flavor, and marshmallow crème melted into a liquid, colored, and molded to create the kernel shape. The vast majority of candy corn is made for Halloween, with approximately 35 million pounds of candy corn produced each year, a whopping 9 billion pieces.

And if the spirit moves you, and you want to celebrate Halloween a little early, October 30th is National Candy Corn Day.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

By Ellen Marsden

Posted on

Coconut Creek woman wins breast cancer battle

At the ripe old age of 32, while living your life, climbing the corporate ladder, and making plans for the future, the last thing you expect to hear is a cancer diagnosis – especially for the very rare and aggressive triple-negative breast cancer – which accounts for 10 percent of all breast cancers.

Triple-negative breast cancer is cancer that tests negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and excess HER2 protein, making it harder to treat.

But that is exactly the diagnosis Coconut Creek resident and advertising and marketing professional Jessica Duemig, now 35, heard after discovering a lump in her breast.

To make sense of her experience, she put pen to paper (or keys to keyboard) and wrote a book about her experiences, titled, “WARRIOR,” which she self-published and is available on Amazon.

“It was total happenstance,” remembers Duemig about the night that changed her life. “I am a side sleeper and felt something in my breast that woke me up.”

Thinking nothing of it, Duemig ignored it for a couple of weeks until a month later the lump woke her up again and she decided to visit her doctor.

Her diagnosis was confirmed on Feb. 1, 2017. Three weeks later she underwent a bi-lateral mastectomy as a precaution, followed by immediate partial reconstruction, then endured chemotherapy for almost five months. Luckily, the cancer had not progressed to her lymph nodes. Six weeks after she finished chemo, she had the full reconstruction.

Duemig had her treatment at the Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health and the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Alliance.

With no family history of breast cancer, no BRACA 1 or 2 gene, Duemig says there was “no logical reason” to suspect she would have breast cancer at such a young age. She notes that typically mammograms are not even recommended for women under the age of 40.

“I could have been sitting there for eight years before I found this,” she says ruefully.

During those trying months, Duemig founded a community of family and friends on Facebook where she created Livestream videos of her daily struggles as a way to stay connected and keep her friends and family in the loop.

She used these videos as fodder for her book.

On her LinkedIn profile, she says: “This book is a testament to the process, from detection, through diagnosis into treatment and ultimately recovery. It’s emotional and funny and real – and it’s my story.”

“My hope is that this book can be the support warriors need and that reading it will unlock the “F*ck this” attitude it will take to come out on top,” she says.

Lindsay Oerter, a teacher from Royal Palm Beach, and her mom, Karen Boland, of Loxahatchee and herself a breast cancer survivor, were two of the viewers who tuned in regularly to support Duemig.

“I always knew she was a tough girl and someone who gets things done,” says Oerter, who is a friend from Wellington High School. “I had no doubt in my mind that Jess would get through this. That’s her.”

With no family history on her mother’s side, Boland, who retired after 23 years at Publix, and fought breast cancer along with two of her sisters, was told she inherited the predisposition from her father’s side of the family, something she did not realize was possible.

On a trip to Connecticut to visit her mom, Boland read a preliminary version of Duemig’s book.

“Jess’s writing style keeps you interested and engaged,” Boland says. “I would recommend it for a family member or anyone going through something similar.”

Writing the book was therapeutic for Duemig, during her nine-month journey.

“I wrote the guidebook I wished I had,” she says. “What to expect and what’s normal, both from the physical and emotional standpoints.”

What advice does she have for other women going through a similar experience?

“If you feel something is wrong, get it checked out,” she says. “It’s better to be proven wrong than to let something linger.”

“And,” she says, “whatever your feelings are, just know they are normal.”

Now, three years later, Duemig received her diagnosis of ‘cured’ last Feb. 29. (According to Duemig, with Triple Negative Breast Cancer a cured designation is given after three years, and not five as in other types of cancer.)

“As bad as it was, this could have been so much worse,” says Duemig. “I went into it with a “f*ck this” attitude – mind over matter. The minute you lay down and give in – it will win.”

Duemig didn’t hold back in her writing, putting a realistic/optimistic spin on the book.

“I had to look at all the good things that can come from this experience,” says Duemig. “I know myself better. I have the ability to make hard decisions.”

“Harness that power,” she says. “If you can beat cancer, what can’t you do?”

“WARRIOR” is available on Amazon and other online booksellers.

By Jan Engoren

Posted on

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alma Rosa Collins was his mother.

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Posted on

MSD senior spreads sunshine and kindness

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It’s no fun,” he says.

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

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

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

He had found his voice.

Daniel Tabares

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’m thankful for that,” he says.

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

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

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

 

Posted on

4 Rivers Smokehouse

Something special happens when you greet your favorite cut of meat with heat and smoke from a well-prepared BBQ. The essence of the smoke and the slow cooking process creates some of the most flavorful foods you will find throughout the world.

R Smokehouse

Our community is incredibly lucky to have a great BBQ smokehouse right in the middle of Coral Springs.  4 Rivers Smokehouse is well known all over Florida for its hickory-smoked BBQ. Named after the Rivers family, our local Coral Springs location is a great place to get your fi ll of juicy brisket.

Lean and Juicy Brisket with Smoked Sausages

Smoked brisket is the quintessential smoked meat cut. The process of building the fire, managing the temperature, and seasoning the meat is a ritual found in many backyards.The delicate smokey flavor can not be easily created by a propane grill and often takes at least half a day to BBQ correctly. At 4 Rivers Smokehouse, they have done all the work, and all you need to bring is your appetite.

4 Rivers Smokehouse prepares everything from scratch to achieve those authentic BBQ flavors. They spend 18 hours smoking their brisket so you can pick it up in a jiffy. You have a choice of lean or juicy cuts and can enjoy it in various ways – sandwich, tacos, or bunless. My preference is a bunless, juicy cut; biting into it, you can taste the sweet hickory-smoke infused
into the beef. Heaven, if you love beef.

Burnt Ends, sweet and tangy, is another favorite choice. At 4 Rivers Smokehouse, they come in beef, chicken, and pork. For vegetarians who want to enjoy the smoked flavor, BeyondMeatTM Burnt Ends are also available, so you don’t miss out on the great smokey experience.

The real challenge is saving room for dessert, and they have some great ones on the menu right now. Their Tipsy Cowboy Cake, made with real bourbon, is delicious. The best is their Krispy Kreme donut bread pudding, made with real Krispy Kreme donuts; it’s an indulgence worth saving room for.

One of my favorites is currently only available on their catering menu – BBQ wings. These wings are smoked in the same hickory-smoke as the brisket. The result is meat that is tender, juicy, and full of flavor. You must try it if you decide to have 4 Rivers Smokehouse cater your events.

During the past few months, catering, curbside, and delivery has been very popular. As Broward slowly reopens, the spacious dining room has reopened as well with social distancing protocols in place. With the fall season, some favorites like sweet potato casserole and smoked jalapeños are back on the menu.

Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (Closed Sundays)
2660 NORTH UNIVERSITY DRIVE CORAL SPRINGS, FL 33065
Phone: (844) 474-8377

By Curiously Hungry

Posted on

Broward County Sheriff Candidates Q&A 2020

To further assist our readers in making educated decisions when voting in November, we have sent a list of questions to each candidate running for the Sheriff of Broward County.

Gregory Tony

  1. What is your full name and what position are you running for?

Gregory Tony running for Sheriff of Broward County

 

2. Where are you originally from? Why did you choose to move to this city/county/school district/state district? How long have you been here?

 I was born in raised in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.. I received my Bachelors degree from Florida State University and moved to Broward County to join the Coral Springs Police Department where I served for 15 years before starting a business and, eventually, accepting command of the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

 

3. Why are you running for this position? 

I am running for Sheriff to put the training and policies in place that will guarantee the highest level of public safety for the residents of Broward County while promoting community trust with greater accountability, transparency, and diversity.

-Have you run in the past? 

No.

 

4. If elected, what is your first point of action? 

I will continue improving training, technology, and policy to provide the best public safety services while building better community trust.

-Why? 

When I accepted command of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, it was clear that better training and greater accountability was necessary to bring the agency up to the standards that Broward County residents expect and deserve.  The agency’s response during the mass shootings at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School and the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport uncovered massive deficiencies in training and policy. Upon accepting command, I immediately revamped and improved active shooter training, expanded the Real Time Crime Center to allow BSO to monitor school campuses in real-time, installed bleed kits in every school, and reformed BSO’s incident command policies and structure.  I will continue to do what is necessary to improve school and public safety and to repair the public trust by holding our officers accountable, expanding community policing, and building diversity throughout the agency.

5. What mission do you feel most passionate about? 

The mission I am most passionate about is improving the relationship between law enforcement and the communities we serve.

-Why?

As a Black child growing up in a community filled with violence and destructive police-community tension, I experienced firsthand the difference good policing can make in a neighborhood and in an individual’s life.  The early experiences I had in Philadelphia inform me daily about the importance of trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve.

 

6. Where do you feel our city needs improvement?

Improving public safety and rebuilding public trust are top priorities in Parkland and all municipalities in Broward County.

-Why? 

Rebuilding trust between Parkland residents and BSO continues to be a challenge after MSD.  It is a challenge the entire agency and the Parkland District hopes will be met with better service and improved community outreach.

7. How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town? 

District’s Neighborhood Support Team is working with the Parkland District and residents to identify challenges unique to Parkland.  While these efforts have been somewhat curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic, The District Command continues to engage residents as venues and technology allow.

H. Wayne Clark will be running against Gregory Tony. Our attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

Proudly powered by WordPress