The Parklander Magazine – Connecting you to our community
The family friendly magazine since 1991
Bill Reicherter, is a candidate for Parkland city commissioner, from District 1. He is a local businessman, who is always looking to hear from the local residents. Reach out to him via email: bill4parkland@gmail.com
Check out previous episodes in: https://theparklander.com/podcasts.
There are two Parklands. There is the cardboard cutout of the classic suburban dream. There is the latest installment in America’s long-running series of school shootings. There is that familiar, mind-numbing boredom. There is that wild, vicious intensity. There is the Parkland where I spent my childhood — and there is the Parkland where I lost it.
I assumed that the shooting destroyed the Parkland from before, swallowed it whole. I threw myself into college before it could swallow me too. But of course, the pandemic forced me to return. I cannot escape the gravitational pull of the past. As expected, my Parkland, the wasn’t-that-where-that-shooting- happened Parkland, was waiting for me. We walk circles together around my neighborhood, only to see the Parkland that I used to know, preschoolers and their parents playing games. That Parkland is yours now, and all I can do is wave politely as I pass by.
I imagine you sizing me up, guessing my age, what school I went to. Wondering. I know your questions before you ask them. Every survivor does. That “were you there?” hangs in the air between us. That “did you know anyone?” haunts our awkward back-and-forth. We students, we were all so watched. That ever-present elephant in the room has trampled over every interaction between Douglas students and Parkland residents for the past two and a half years. I grew so used to it, I didn’t realize how quickly people began to forget.
I never thought I would miss the days where well-meaning
— but ultimately condescending — adults would look at me whenever there was a loud sound, waiting for me to break down. But on this year’s Fourth of July, I wish Parklanders had maintained that hyper-awareness.
PTSD doesn’t just affect us when it’s convenient for you. It affects us when we hear fireworks sounding like gunshots. The #MSDstrong stickers seem more like mockery when paired with the distinctive stink of gunpowder. This year’s nearly nonstop display of fireworks demonstrates that Parkland has forgotten the victims it vowed to remember.
I ran outside on the Fourth of July, enraged at my neighbors, spitting out every curse I could. I yelled at the top of my lungs, yelled as though I was dying. You’d think I’d gone insane. I think I did. All I know is, this town is eating me alive, and I must scream. When I told off my neighbors for lighting fireworks, they said, “I didn’t know.” Part of me wants to scoff at this excuse. How dare you not know! But thank God you don’t. The other part of me remembers that I used to be like you.
The Me from Before reminds me that I love fireworks. Not loved, love, present- tense. I miss them even now. I used to beg my parents to take us to the beach to watch them. The big boom reverberating in my throat, the bright colors lighting up the smoke of their predecessors, the collective oohs and ahhs, filled me with such awe. I am both starving and nauseous. I long for that which makes me sick.
To my surprise, my neighbors sent me a card and flowers the next day, apologizing. They meant no harm. I still don’t know how to feel about it. Yay, they care! Of course, they couldn’t know how the saccharine sympathy we received after the shooting only intensifies survivors’ guilt. Again, they mean no harm, and yet, harm is caused. To be honest, I don’t know that there is a right way to handle this. How can you do right in a situation so fundamentally wrong? I wrote them a letter in response, saying this:
“We need to cultivate conscious empathy. If you live in Parkland (or Coral Springs), you live in the aftermath of a school shooting, even if you personally did not go through it. Over 3,000 students were there. We live among you, and you live among us. No one gets the luxury of opting out of our past. It wasn’t just the 17 deaths the day of the shooting. Two survivors died by suicide after that. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves on how to support each other, or at least how not to cause harm. The stakes are higher than you can imagine.”
I can’t return to Your Parkland. Slowly, the victims and their families are moving away, and new families take their place. Like a hurricane, old branches fly off. New growth takes over. If you look close enough, you might notice a slight gap where a tree crushed the branches, but this is Parkland. Soon enough, landscapers will shave down the irregularities and plant something suitable to keep the real estate values high.
So what can we do to bridge this aching gap between us? Octavia Butler once said there was no single answer to the difficult questions she raises in her writing. “Instead,” she said, “there are thousands of answers — at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be.”
By LMF
July 4th is a celebration, and fireworks have always been a major part of it. As a community, we can find possible solutions for residents with PTSD, so they too can celebrate our nation’s birthday without stress. Send in your ideas to publisher@theparklander.com, so we can make 7/4/2021 a better experience for those of us still healing.
The state committed to allocate $8 million to implement the statewide mobile alert system for schools, despite a pandemic and budget cuts.
“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.
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
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.
“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
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.
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?
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
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.
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 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.
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.
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
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.
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
“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.
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.
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
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