Category: Community

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Alyssa’s Law comes home

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visit: makeourschoolssafe.org

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

 

By Jan Engoren

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August 2020 Magazine

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Local author tackles timely social issues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Jan Engoren

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Engaged Couples: August 2020

Karina DiGregorio, of Boca Raton, and Ryan Zelaya, of Zephyrhills, plan a January 3, 2021 wedding at The Addison in Boca Raton.

Karina went to college with Ryan’s cousin, Suzie, who thought the two would be great together. Apparently, she was right. When Suzie learned Karina was going home to Boca in the summer of 2015 and that Ryan would be staying in school at FAU for the summer, she set the two up for coffee.

Their first date was a walk on the beach where they watched a mother turtle bury her eggs.

Four and a half years later, Ryan proposed to Karina. We don’t know what happened with the turtle eggs.

The proposal came at a New Year’s Eve Party. The ring Ryan ordered hadn’t arrived, but when the ball dropped in New York City, Ryan dropped to one knee, offered her a “promise ring” he bought that day and popped the question. Ryan had a friend standing by camera-ready to capture the event.

The actual ring was to arrive a week later and Ryan insisted Karina stay home all day to meet the UPS delivery man with the precious package. Turns out, when the doorbell finally rang, Ryan WAS the UPS guy, carrying flowers, the ring, and another proposal. So how sweet is that?

They SCUBA dive together, cook, and go on long walks, purposely leaving all technology behind. They plan to honeymoon in Hawaii, where they will dive, snorkel, and explore the underwater world.

Ryan is a test engineer for Sensormatic. Karina is a proofreader and operations assistant at the Parklander magazine.
Maybe you’ve heard of it.

Kristina Nunez, of Coconut Creek, and Javier Garcia, of Fort Lauderdale, will be wed this Nov. 21 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Fort Lauderdale, followed by a reception at Deer Creek Country Club.

The couple met in September 2016 through a dating app and Javier proposed in New York’s Central Park 2 1⁄2 years later. He hired a photographer to capture the moment.

The couple enjoys dancing, going to the movies, exploring new restaurants, and traveling. They both enjoy just spending time together, regardless of the activity.

The couple hopes to honeymoon to Europe after the pandemic is over, exploring new places and cultures.

Both are teachers with Broward County Public Schools. Javier teaches high school and Kristina, elementary school.

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Ask Dr. Renae: True friends will try their best.

Dear Dr. Renae,

My father has been arrested and charged for a financial crime. The whole legal process will take a long time and he might wind up serving
time in jail. There have been ongoing news reports and social media discussions about the circumstances. My parents share with me what is important for me to know and have encouraged me to focus on my own day to day life. I have always been a private person and do not want to discuss this with anyone, including my close friends. I feel like there is an awkward distance between me and my friends. I know they care about me and are worried for my family. Even if I avoid saying anything, it feels like it is a cloud just hanging there. How can I let them know I appreciate their concern and that I just want to hang out?

Anonymous from Any City

Dear Anonymous from Any City,

I understand the fear of not wanting to share personal information with your friends, but if you want to close the awkwardness between your friends, you have to share some information about your life. You do not have to be specific about the situation – just enough that you are willing to share. After you explain the circumstances you can reassure them that they shouldn’t worry and that you just want to hang out without the seriousness of the issue pressing on you. If they are your true friends, they will understand your decision and respect your choices. Having friends to lean on in tough times always helps the situation become easier. All the best to you.

Your Fellow Teen

Dear Anonymous from Any City,

Your friends first instincts are always going to be to help you. It’s amazing most of the time, but you’d rather not talk about what you’re going through which is completely fine. I’d suggest that you talk to your friends openly. Tell them that you appreciate them since they want to help, but you’d rather hang out and have fun because that’s what will help you right now. Your friends care a lot about you so you need to be open with them so they know you’re okay. Keep in contact with them and if you ever want to talk about it with them, you should.

High School Junior

Dear Anonymous from Any City,

You do not need to inform your friends about your personal life. If you do not feel comfortable opening up about your personal life, that is beyond okay. If they are your friends, they should understand that. But in order for them to understand that you don’t want them to be concerned about you, you have to communicate it to them. Let them know that you just want to hang out with them and not worry about your private life when you are with them. They may also be a little confused on how to address your family life which may lead to all of you feeling confused on the matter. Just let them know that you want to keep family matters out of the conversation when you are with them, and maybe in the future, when you do want to talk about it with them, they will be there for you.

Your Friend

Dear Anonymous from Any City,

Your preference for privacy is understandable, but your friends may not be aware of it. Your friends care about you and your wellbeing during this difficult time, and combined with natural curiosity, they may want to talk about it and see how you’re doing but not know that you don’t. Hopefully, the cloud hanging there will disperse once you directly, or indirectly, explain to them that you don’t like to discuss your personal life with them, or anyone, since you’re a private person.

Just Your Frank Teenager

Dear Anonymous from Any City,

True friends will try their best to honor your request; however, it is your responsibility as a true friend to clearly convey your wishes.
If you do not want to experience this awkward distance and
dark cloud, it would benefit you to let your friends know how you would like them to support you and your family. Be specific in
your requests and update your friends regularly as to how you are doing. For example, you might say: “I know there have been further news reports about my father, and it would help me if we could just watch a movie together or go swimming today.” In addition, bring up alternative topics to discuss when you are together, such as happenings in their lives, your community, and the world. If you feel the need to be silent while spending time with your friends, let them know that it helps to be with them without feeling pressured to talk. Having the support from friends will help you to feel strong and brave, so remember to nurture true friendships in your life.

Dr. Renae

 

ASK DR. RENAE recruiting high school students ALL interested in volunteering to be a Peer Counseling Writer for the Parklander’s ASK DR. RENAE teen to teen advice column. Please email Dr. Renae at askdrrenae@att.net to request an application for this exciting opportunity!

TEENS: Curious as to what other teens would say? If you have a question or problem you would like to present to other teens, please email: askdrrenae@att.net and include your age, grade and gender you identify with. All questions are published anonymously and your identity and contact information will be kept confidential.

PARENTS OF TEENS: Would you like to anonymously and confidentially ask the panel of teen Peer Counseling Writers to comment on a parenting issue you are struggling with? If you are ready for a variety of honest opinions from real teens, please address your questions to askdrrenae@att.net.

Dr. Renae Lapin, a licensed marriage and family therapist with 40
years experience, currently maintains a private practice in Boca Raton, Florida. For more information about Dr. Renae and her practice, visit her website: www.askdrrenae.com

 

 

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Are we witnessing the end of LIVE Jury Trials?

As a result of COVID, circuits around the country are experimenting with remote jury trials. Broward County Chief Circuit Judge Jack Tuter, along with the American Board of Trial Advocates, are leading the charge. The State, if not the country, is watching. How do you create a system that moves cases without jeopardizing the rights of the parties?

Besides the basic challenges of how to call witnesses and enter exhibits, what happens if there is a technology glitch (i.e. wifi goes out)? Worse yet, how can we ensure the jurors are not playing Mario Kart during closing arguments if there is no one to monitor their actions?

As a litigator, I can attest that remote meetings via Zoom can be quite advantageous for routine hearings such
as status conferences, discovery disputes, and even dispositive motions. Remote hearings save attorneys a tremendous amount of time. I have personally waited hours in a filled courtroom for a judge to say, “Hello, Mr. Snyder. Your motion for continuance was granted. I’ll see you in eight weeks.” These “time-drains” would be eliminated with remote hearings.

Jury trials, however, are a whole different animal.

Some parts of trials are already remote. In many civil trials, doctor’s testimony is presented via video. Although these videos must be edited to account for objections (and cost an arm and a leg), they are very efficient. Push play and sit down.

Juries many times do not appreciate the “controlled chaos” within the courtroom. Attorneys may spend hundreds, if not thousands of hours preparing for a trial. Even if the attorney knows the case “like the back of his hand” and has thought of every possible contingency, there are always unavoidable curveballs. To quote Ross Geller, attorneys must “PIVOT” and plow ahead. These “on-the-fly” adjustments are much more challenging on a ZOOM platform.

Jury trials are equal style and substance. Trial attorneys lend an air of gravitas to the proceedings. The best trial attorneys are orchestra conductors who seamlessly make dozens of strategic decisions on the fly like: (1) how close the stand to a jury; (2) when to make eye contact with a particular juror; (3) when to pregnant pause; (4) when to put a hand on their client’s shoulder; (5) when to smile/scowl; (6) when to object / how forcefully to object, and (7) when to just remain silent and let the witness sink their own case.

Non-verbal communications are sometimes more important than what is said. During my last criminal trial, I made eye contact with a juror during my cross examination of the lead detective. I knew right then and there my argument was gaining traction. The juror observed what I observed-the lead detective squirming in his chair and become visibly irate. I dug-in deeper and really pushed the issue. My client was acquitted. The juror was the foreperson. This connection would have been lost in a remote trial.

We may have the technology to conduct remote trials, but technology does not transfer the human emotion and connection – these are vital elements of a fair jury trial.

I do not envy the people who need to decide on when we get back to live trials and in what capacity. It is a delicate balance. With the support of our hard-working Judges and trial bar, Broward County is on the right-side of the curve. I am confident they will be able to come to a happy medium balancing technology with human elements.

By Philip Snyder, Esp.

Philip Snyder is a personal injury attorney at Lyons, Snyder & Collin.

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At some point, your teenager will ask for the keys to your car

Young beautiful black teenage driver holding car keys driving her new car

Many people move to Parkland and other area communities for their “A” rated schools, sprawling parks, and small-town community feel. Our towns are bustling with children. Over time, however, those children grow up and become teenagers. At some point, your teenager will ask for the keys to your car. At that time, you are faced with a decision: Do you trust that your baby girl is responsible enough to drive?

As anyone with a teenage driver knows, auto insurance for teenage drivers is extremely high. Like eye-popping, pull your hair out, scream to the mountain tops high! Ever wonder why there is such a HUGE increase in your premiums when your son or daughter turns 16?

Auto insurance carriers are in the business of accounting for risk. Their premiums are not arbitrarily pulled out of thin air. Teenage drivers are inexperienced and are more prone to make bad decisions. According to the CDC, the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher amongst teens than any other age group.

According to AAA, about 72 percent of teen drivers admitted to engaging in one of the following risky behaviors in the past 30 days:

• Driving 10 mph over the speed limit on a residential street (47%)

• Driving 15 mph over the speed limit on a freeway (40%)

• Texting (35%)
• Red light running (32%) • Aggressive driving (31%) • Drowsy driving (25%)

These are the risky behaviors teenage drivers ADMITTED to. Expect that these percentages are significantly higher.

As a personal injury attorney, I can attest to the fact that teenage drivers are more likely than their parents to be involved in, not only a car accident, but a significant car accident. In many crash reports, teenage drivers admit to the police that they were texting or “distracted”. As a result, insurance companies simply do not want to insure your teenage driver – unless you pay through the nose.

To make matters worse, we are now in the heart of the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers. According to AAA, more than 30 percent of deaths involving teen drivers occur during a period that runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

What can you do to protect your teen driver?

AAA advises that parents talk with teens early and often about abstaining from dangerous behavior behind the wheel. This advice seems obvious and trite; however, we are in 2020 – there is an app for everything! Here are a few apps that can monitor your teenage driver’s activity:

• Life360: Through this tracking app you can share your real- time location with one another no matter where you are.

• True Motion Family: Tells you when your teenage driver is using their phone behind the wheel and allows you to monitor their driving habits.

• Driver Mode (i.e. AT&T Drive Mode): Driver mode turns on when the car is moving. This feature silences and automatically replies to text message notifications.

• Bouncie: Notifies parents when their teenager is speeding or braking abruptly.

• Lifesaver: Uses a carrot instead of a stick, awarding points to teen drivers when they drive without their phone.

• Autobrain: Plugs into a diagnostic port of your car and can report if your teenager speeds, goes to the wrong place, or has an accident.

• Safe Driver: Monitors the location and driving speed of your teenage driver. You can also set speed limits which alerts your phone.

Teenage driving is inevitable, but there are things we can do as parents to keep them safe. Please impress upon your teenager the dangers of driving – especially through Labor Day. These apps will not only allow your teenage driver to be accountable for their actions but will afford you some control over their actions. As an added bonus, a safer driver will (over time) lower your car insurance premiums.

Philip Snyder is a partner in the Delray Beach law firm Lyons Snyder Collins

 

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SoFlo BUZZ: It’s turtle time!

“Moonlight Turtle Walks” sponsored by the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science, will take place July 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, and 16 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The Turtle Walk adventure begins at the Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, with a presentation by museum staff about sea turtles. Guests will then travel to Fort Lauderdale Beach where a museum guide will scout sea turtles’ nests.

From spring to early fall, female sea turtles embark on an annual pilgrimage to the same beach where they were born to build nests and lay eggs at night before returning to the ocean.

Guests should be prepared to walk approximately one to two miles in the sand and provide their own transportation and snacks. Participants must be 9 years of age or older.

Space for these events is limited. The price for museum members is $19 and $21 for non-museum members. To secure your spot, visit mods.org/turtlewalks2020 or call 954.713.0930.

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SoFlo GARDENING

What to Plant

Annuals/Bedding Plants: Summer annuals to plant now include celosia, coleus, torenia, and ornamental peppers.

 

Bulbs: Butterfly lily and gladiolus are bulbs that can be planted during the middle of summer.

Herbs: While summer is too hot to start herbs from seeds, many, such as oregano and mint, do well if started from small plants.

Vegetables: Plant tropical vegetables, such as boniato, calabaza, and chayote this month.

Palms: Continue planting palms while the rainy season is in full swing. Support large palms with braces for 6–8 months after planting. Do not drive nails directly into a palm trunk.

What to Do

Pests on Lawns: Determine the cause of any lawn problems before taking action. If an insect is the culprit, treat only the affected area. Rule out disease or sprinkler malfunction.

Fertilizer Bans: Numerous municipalities in south Florida prohibit the application of fertilizer to lawns and/or landscape plants during the summer rainy season (June– September). See if such an ordinance exists in your area.

Vegetable garden: Use summer heat to solarize
the vegetable garden for fall planting. It takes 4–6 weeks to kill weeds, disease, and nematodes, so start now. See Soil Solarization: edis. ifas.ufl.edu/topic_soil_ solarization.

 

Pests on ornamental plants: Inspect the leaves of ornamental plants for small white dots that may indicate lace bugs at work. Spray forcefully with water to help control this pest.

Tropical fruit trees: Check for damage to fruit or leaves and take action to minimize the effect of insects and/or disease on developing fruit or the overall health of the tree.

Source: University of Florida IFAS Extension

 

 

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Florida’s two-day lobster season starts July 29

After nearly a four-month closure, local divers are eagerly anticipating Florida’s annual lobster mini season on July 29-30.

The two-day sport season, which is the
last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday
in July, is the first opportunity for recreational divers to catch lobsters since the regular season closed on April 1.

Being able to once again gather the main ingredients of a delicious seafood dinner is a big deal, but the mini season is extra special for two additional reasons.

With both the recreational and commercial seasons having been closed for so long, lobsters are generally more abundant during the mini season. They’re also typically less wary than when divers are poking and prodding them with snares, tickle sticks, and nets every day.

Another reason to love mini season in Broward and Palm Beach counties: The daily bag limit is 12 lobsters, or bugs, per person, which is double the regular season limit. (The mini season limit in the Florida Keys and Biscayne National Park is six bugs per person per day. Visit myfwc.com/fishing/ saltwater/recreational/lobster.)

Preparing for the mini season is essential, so now is the time to make sure you and your dive gear are in good condition. Especially if you’re one of those divers who only dives during the mini season.

Divers should bring their equipment to a dive shop to have everything checked out. That includes regulators and BCs (buoyancy compensators), which should be serviced annually. Hoses should be inspected for cracks and tears that could cause leaks.

Even the straps on fins and masks should be examined. It’s always distressing for a diver to get in the water during mini season and have a broken fin or mask strap end the dive before the first bug is bagged. So it’s also a good idea to carry spare straps in your dive gear bag.

Some equipment failures can be deadly, such as a BC that won’t inflate, which could send a diver plummeting to the bottom and not allow the diver to get back to the water’s surface. Likewise, a leaky air hose could cut short a diver’s bottom time or lead to panic, and worse, when the diver realizes he or she is out of air.

The earlier you get to a dive shop this month, the better. Some stores have cutoff dates to service equipment. Those divers who wait until the last minute to bring in their gear, even if just to fill their air tanks, will likely have to sit out the mini season and wait until the regular lobster season opens on Aug. 6 to hunt for lobsters.

Another way to make sure you and your gear are ready for the mini season, especially if you haven’t been in the water in a while, is
to go diving. That way you can re-acquaint yourself with your equipment and proper dive procedures. If any gear issues arise, you can get them addressed.

Diving before the mini season is also a good way to locate lobsters, which hide in coral reefs and rockpiles and under ledges. Jim “Chiefy” Mathie of Deerfield Beach, who has been spearfishing on a regular basis since the lobster season closed, said he and his dive buddies have seen plenty of lobsters, which should make for a successful mini season.

Things can always change based on weather and water conditions, sometimes for the better.

“I remember one year, we went to one of our regular spots the Monday before mini season and if we counted 12 lobsters, that was a lot,” Mathie said. “Come Wednesday morning, it was loaded. We got our seven-man limit of 84.”

A retired Deerfield Beach fire chief, Mathie is the author of “Catching the BUG: The Comprehensive Guide to Catching the Spiny Lobster,” which covers everything from finding to cooking lobsters. The softcover book is available for $24.95 at local dive shops and at chiefy.net and online retailers.

One of Mathie’s tips in the book is to send two divers down to check out a potential lobster hotspot. If the spot is loaded with bugs, the diver towing the dive flag will yank on the line attached to the flag so the divers still in the boat know that there are plenty of lobsters for them.

Another good lobster-hunting tip: If you’re not seeing bugs, but you see lionfish, take a closer look. Lionfish often hang out around lobsters, which might not be readily apparent if they’re hiding deep in a hole in a reef.

In addition to diving before the mini season arrives, those who are new to diving might want to book a mini season trip with an experienced dive operator. Those trips tend to fill up early, so the sooner you call, the better your chances of reserving a spot on a charter dive boat.

By Steve Waters

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Facebook offers practical, fun, nostalgic groups

Me: I’ll take Frivolous Facebook groups for $1,600, Alex.

Alex: The name of this group includes this word that means throwing someone out a window.

Me: What is defenestration?

Alex: You have just doubled your score, Richard, to an even eight million dollars, a new Jeopardy record.

Sit on that Ken Jennings.

Actually, there are two Facebook groups with defenestration in their name: “The Defenestration Zone,” with 8 members, and “Defenestration Magazine,”

with a whopping 114 members (All membership counts are as of June 4). Neither group has anything to do with throwing people out windows.

But this column isn’t about frivolous Facebook groups or pages like “Accomplishing Something Before the Microwave Reaches :00.” Or “Badly Stuffed Animals,” or “Boobquake,” (2,700 members, but it’s not what you think.), or “Physics doesn’t exist, it’s all gnomes,” of which there are at least five separate groups ranging from three to 2,600 members.

However compelling those groups and pages might be, we’re going to turn away from this tomfoolery and examine Facebook groups that our readers can actually use.

Many are useful: “Parkland Residents Community Forum,” “Moms of Coral Springs,” “Jewish Community of Boca Raton.”

Some are fun or hobby related: “Foodies of South Florida,” “South Florida

Fishing,” “South Florida Butterfly & Hummingbird Gardening.”

Others are nostalgic or history oriented: “Historic Florida,” “Florida Pioneering

A postcard of downtown San Jose, “back in the day.”

Families,” “Exploring Florida’s Historic Places and Abandoned Sites.”

I grew up in Santa Clara and San Jose, California. I’ve been away since 1980, more than 40 years. I’ve joined groups dedicated to people’s memories of both towns. I enjoy seeing photos of places I frequented long ago and lament reading about favorite haunts that are gone.

I love seeing photos of First Street in San Jose from the 1950s when I was very young, zooming in to try to recognize stores where we shopped, restaurants where we ate, the Fox Movie Theater

where my sister and I saw “Journey to the Center of the Earth” in 1959.

These virtual visits to my past put me
in a kind of ethereal time machine; one poignant recollection rolling into another; mind mementos of toy stores, Polly Parrot shoes, Superman comics, and 30-cent hot dogs from a tiny place on San Antonio Street.

I do, however, have caveats. It’s not all
a pleasant walk down memory lane. Repetition is a problem. Group members who don’t visit often post photos that already have been posted a dozen times, and caption them like they’re brand new. “Who remembers Frontier Village?” comes up at least once a week in the San Jose Memories group. “Who remembers the El Rancho Drive-in, the Spartan Drive-In, the San Jose Drive-In?”

Even more annoying for those
getting along in years are “memories” that haven‘t aged properly. As a septuagenarian, reading “Hey! Who remembers the 1980s?” just pisses me off. Or the ubiquitous “back in the day,” and they’re talking about something that happened in 1995. “Hey! Remember Wednesday? Those were the hours, weren’t they?”

Whatever you’re looking for on Facebook, it’s easy to find. There’s a magnifying glass at the top left of the page. Type in “Coral Springs garage sales,” or “Parkland politics,” “Winooski Vermont” or “Rawlins Wyoming,” “Roller Derby,” or “Nash Metropolitans.” You’re on your way. Second star to the right and straight on till morning.

 

By Richard Battin

editor@theparklander.com

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Twin protests in Parkland

On a cloudy Saturday afternoon, two peaceful protests were held at the corners of Holmberg and Pine Island road.  

On the MSD side of the street, Black Lives Matter/Change the Ref protesters were calling for justice, with chants including “Breonna Taylor, say her name”, “George Floyd say his name”, along with “Black Lives Matter”. 

On the other side of the street, a “Back the Blue” Rally was being held.  With many waving US flags, along with many “thin blue line” flags, and chants of “All lives matter”.  A golf cart drove up, blasting the COPS theme song.

The two sides faced each other for a while, until the planned march for the Black Lives Matter event started up Pine Island Road.

Both sides were very enthusiastic, with many residents driving by honking to show support, though it was tough to tell if they were supporting one or the other rally.  

One mom and her toddler were holding a sign saying – “I can back the blue and want equal justice for ALL.”

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