July Issue 2016
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April Issue 2016
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Paging Dr. Bob: Prescription for Music, Coffee, and Cookies
A different type of ‘doctor’ strolled down the hall of a nursing home, ready to make the residents feel better. Robert Blake is not the type of doctor who’ll prescribe medication for a sore throat or headache. Still, people have known Blake as “Dr. Bob” and “the music doctor” ever since the Margate resident entered a nursing home in his native Massachusetts about 25 years ago. That’s because one of the residents told Blake his musical entertainment had a healing effect on him that was profound.
“He said I make him feel better than the doctors do,” said Blake, who is in his early 70s. The title of “Dr.” has followed Blake south into a room within the Margate Public Library, 5810 Park Drive.
That’s where “Dr. Bob’s Musicians’ Coffeehouse” takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. usually on the last Saturday of the month.
Anyone who can sing or play an instrument is welcome to showcase their talent in an open mic, casual setting. Each session features a different style of music, from variety to folk, to country music, and Blues. Anyone is welcome to attend the program. If you’re not comfortable performing, nobody will force you. Blake said people representing a variety of ages perform and attendance varies.
“Everybody seems to like it,” said Blake, who is also a guitar teacher and song writer, with many originals to his credit. You can hear his songs on CDBaby.com.
Blake has been playing guitar since 1956 and began public performances in 1959, playing in two local bands in Massachusetts. Throughout his career, he’s taught songwriting, vocal phrasing, bass guitar, and omnichord. He’s also written multiple books, played the banjo, ukulele, and by his estimate has composed more than 600 songs.
Music runs in the Blake family. Blake’s father played the piano and organ, while his brother plays the harmonica and concertina, a free-reed musical instrument similar to the accordion and harmonica.
Bob Naylor, of Oakland Park, has been playing music for about 60 years and been coming to “Dr. Bob’s Musicians’ Coffeehouse” for two years. Naylor plays the guitar, piano, and has composed about 100 songs, he said.
“I have to be inspired,” he said. One of Naylor’s inspirations was a stewardess on a train from Ft.
Lauderdale to Jacksonville. Naylor said he has a “vivid imagination” and the “congenial, friendly” woman inspired him to write a song about her.
Blake’s inspirations sometimes stem from his curiosity. He once saw a landscape truck bearing the words “property sculptor” and wondered what such a person does. He looked it up and wrote a song about the vocation. You can hear the song at https://play.spotify.com/track/5TA6nWVg8rUcElKqGJ4tKY?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open.
At Blake’s monthly coffeehouse/open mic, you’ll find musical veterans as well as novices such as Karen Byron, who lives in Parkland. Byron plays the ukulele. She said she enjoys attending the showcases. “I think it’s awesome because it’s fun,” she said.
When attendees aren’t up on stage performing, they are tapping their toes or singing along.
2017 schedule
Shows are from 2 to 4pm, except Oct. 28
Jan. 21 Variety music show
Feb. 18 Country music show
March 11 Variety music show
April 22 50’s and 60’s music show
May 20 Variety music show
June 17 Blues music show
July 22 Variety music show.
Aug. 19 70’s-90’s music show
Sept. 23 Variety music show
Oct. 14 20’s to 40’s music show
Oct. 28 Special original music show, noon to 5 p.m.
Nov. 13 Variety music show.
Dec. 16 Holiday/winter music show
November Issue 2016
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If Wishes Were Horses…One Woman’s Dream of Riding
Twenty-seven years old is late for someone to become a jockey. But Patra Jean didn’t think it was too old to live her dream, which she did. Despite the late start, she finished her apprenticeship quickly and was in full gear. “You could say I was self-accomplished,” she said.
For a couple of years beginning in 2000, the 5’1” 100 pound jockey donned her silks to compete in more than 500 races, and bring home 54 winners.
Most of Patra’s racing was at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, but she also rode at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Hialeah Park in Hialeah, and in a track event in Jamaica. She rode for different owners and trainers, sometimes getting as many as five mounts a day.
Big-time horse racing has its dangers, and Patra knew them well. She was trampled in a race when her horse’s hoof clipped the heels of the horse in front of her. She went down, and was run over by the horse that was racing behind her. Patra was rushed to the hospital where she learned, fortunately, that she had no serious injuries beyond a collection of bruises. Patra learned something from her experience that day: “If I got hurt, it wouldn’t keep from racing,” she said.
As a child in Hialeah, Patra’s first experience with horses was in preschool when a babysitter’s husband took her for pony rides at Hialeah Park. She was hooked immediately and knew horses would be part of her life, not just riding them but caring for them.
Today, Patra and her husband, Rich Fitzgerald, own and operate Millpond Stables on Vinkemulder Road in Coconut Creek. They have five horses of their own, and board a number of others. She also provides riding lessons on a regular basis.
There are several long days in a business that requires never-ending work. Some days find her mucking out stalls, filling them with hay, tending to the horses’ water, feed, and making sure they get medical care when needed. Her horses need attention all day, every day, early mornings, and late nights.
“It’s not a job,” Petra said, “You have to love it. The horses don’t have a voice. They can’t speak for themselves. You have to have an eye to know when they’re hurting, or need care. That’s why I’m here. That’s what it means to have horses in your blood.”
October Issue 2016
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Schools Excel in Cross-Country Sport
Cross Country is a popular sport in Parkland and Coral Springs. High school teams are performing well in local and regional competitions. The coaches and student-athletes agree that dedication, discipline, and the right attitude is what propels these teams to winning meets.
The Stoneman Douglas Cross Country program has been very successful over the years. Team members are expected to put in long hours of training and be dedicated to the sport. This year the girl’s team has performed well in all its regular meets and invitational meets.
Emilia Thom, a senior and team captain, recently finished first in a large meet featuring Coral Springs schools. “It takes a lot of dedication and discipline to be a good cross-country runner. I train six days a week. It is something I like to do. It is therapy for the brain,” she said. “The feeling of winning is awesome,” Emilia said. Her goal is to make it to the state championship. Emilia is also in the top 10 percent of her class academically.
Angela Chambers, a coach for the team, believes that dedication is important to winning. “A runner needs to be motivated. We do speed workouts and we train on hills. We also do long distance runs of as much as ten miles. You need to have a good attitude to be a good cross country runner,” she said.
Amanda Taylor, one of the top runners on the Stoneman Douglas team, believes the right mindset is what helps her achieve her goals. “It takes discipline and hard work. We do a lot of speed workouts,” she said.
Karel Klos, a senior and team captain for the Stoneman Douglas boy’s team agrees. “It takes a lot of mental strength and discipline to do well in cross country,” he said.
Each day, the athletes participate in demanding running workouts to improve their time over a 3.1-mile course. They may run ten miles in a single workout, or complete shorter runs at a higher speed.
“It takes mental toughness and a lot of commitment. We do cross fit training and long distance runs,” said Kate Hearn, the coach of the Coral Springs Charter Cross Country team.
Austin Shook, a top runner on the Coral Springs Charter boy’s team said, “We run a lot of miles every day. I do a lot of training on my own. It relaxes me and relieves stress.”
Jodi Medina, the captain of the Coral Springs Charter Girls team, sees a dual side to training. “This is a good way to stay in shape. I have been running all four years of high school. I like being a part of the team,” she said. Medina also plays on the school’s soccer team.
Irwin Goldberg has been a cross-country coach at J.P. Taravella for many years. He is nearly 90 years old and has been coaching cross country for about 65 years. He enjoys being with young people who have an interest in distance running. Goldberg has found that distance runners tend to be high-quality students and are well behaved.
“I love the kids who come out and run cross-country. They are very nice and they are committed to doing better every day. Distance runners don’t fail in school. They are very dedicated to doing well in every area of life. They will go all out to achieve a goal,” Goldberg said.
Michel Normal, the top runner on the J.P. Taravella Boy’s Cross Country team knows the value of hard work., “It takes discipline and hard work to be successful in the cross country. You have to work hard to be successful,” he said.
“It takes commitment and dedication to do well in cross country. These are athletes who want to have better times and accomplish all they can,” Goldberg said.
Brantley Barr has been coaching cross-country for 37 years at Coral Springs High School. He believes it is important to encourage the sport. “I try to develop a lot of young athletes. After a few years of dedicated work, some of the runners will become very successful,” he said.
Tyler Brunton, the captain of the Coral Springs High School Cross Country team, was among teammates who participated in the Coral Springs Championship meet. “Running and being on the team is fun. I have been on the team since my freshman year,” he said.
Amphitheater Named for Michael Udine
The Amphi
theater at Pine Trails Park was renamed the Michael Udine Amphitheater at Pine Trails Park in Parkland. Udine was elected the 11th mayor of Parkland in 2006 and his last day of mayor was November 2. The announcement to rename the amphitheater was made at that meeting. Udine was elected to the District Three Seat on the Broward County Commission. He was the second longest serving mayor in Parkland history. Sal Pagliara was served the most years from 1988 to 2003 and the Parkland City Hall is named after him.
According to Todd DeAngelis, Parkland spokesman. Udine said he was surprised by the announcement and gave a heartfelt thanks to the city commission, city staff, his family and Parkland residents. He thanked all the people who he worked with and learned from over the years,.
Caryn Gardner-Young, the former city manager of Parkland reached a separation agreement with the City of Parkland. Her last day was November 30. She will stay on with the City an outside consultant.
In part of a statement she read during a recent Commission meeting, Gardner-Young said: “During my tenure, the City has accomplished so much. We built a new and rebuilt an existing fire station, stations 109 and 42, we completed the last 30 acres at Pine Trails Park, we built a new dog park, Barkland, we created the largest farmer’s market in Broward County, we moved the county line from Palm Beach County to Broward County bringing 1,900 acres into Broward and potentially all into the City, and we opened and took over operations of the City’s Community Center just to name a few. The residents feel the City is going in the right direction by the high scores we have received in our citizen surveys, the City is in great financial condition having survived the 2008-2009 recession without a loss in level of service and we are preparing financially for the future.”
Parkland earned a national reputation for being a leader in many areas. The City was designated as a Playful City since 2007, issued the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the GFOA since 2007, Top Rated Small Towns and City in 2010, Best Intergenerational Community in 2014, Top Ten Places to Live in Florida in 2015, 14th Best City for Young Families in 2015, Best Small City in the Nation for Families in 2015, fourth most Successful City in Florida in 2016, and lowest or second lowest crime rate in Broward County since 2009.
Driving the Open Road
Life is a highway for female trucker Desiree Wood. This wasn’t always the case, and her dream job wasn’t to be driving a big rig. “I was in a bad situation, and my friend encouraged me to try it,” she said.
Wood reasoned that since her children were grown, and she was single, couple that with her love to travel, this would be a good fit. Her next step was to get her commercial driver’s license, which proved to be quite problematic. The obstacles she encounter took quite a bit to overcome.
Wood discovered that most CDL schools were a scam. At one point she wrote a story that Dan Rather investigated. Rather interviewed her, and the piece, titled “Queen of the Road,” aired. (youtube.com/watch?v=bdi37oFBW5k).
Because of how difficult it was for her while she was training, Wood’s co-founded Real Women in Trucking. The website, realwomenintrucking.com, has information and support for women who are interested in becoming truck drivers. The site also lists CDL schools, both good and bad. It also includes events, news, and a blog.
Woods has been driving for nine years. “I drive a truck both locally and long-haul. This past year I was working with a truck driver staffing agency in Fort Lauderdale that had me working in a number of different driving positions that included Pompano, and Deerfield – where I was living when I became a truck driver-, Boca, and throughout the state. Through them I found a position in Palm Beach County where I could drive both locally and long haul delivering specialty plants that are sold at Home Depot and Lowe’s.”
Woods has three pieces of advice for women who want to become truckers. “First, make sure you are not used to life’s pleasures. You need to learn to rough it. Second, Do thorough research on a school, and be willing to live on small pay. Third, make sure your health is good. Driving is hard on a body,” she said.
A final word to the public, Wood said “When you see us on the road, remember we are your moms and grandmas. We see you driving. Don’t cut us off!”
Reaching for the Sky
As a young girl, Rachel Martinez considered different career options. She thought about being a doctor or an architect. Then she had the opportunity to take an airplane ride with a program known as Young Eagles through the Experimental Aircraft Association in Homestead.
“I went up in a Cessna. It was my first flight, and I loved it. Then I saw an older Navy plane with an open cockpit. My mom talked to the pilot and he gave me a ride. When we were airborne, he allowed me to fly the plane. It was the best feeling and I fell in love with flying,” she said.
Martinez went to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach where she majored in aeronautical science, and minored in aviation safety. Martinez earned a bachelor of science degree in three and a half years. She earned her pilots license there, and become certified to fly multi-engine aircraft. She completed a training program at American Flyers in Pompano Beach so she could teach people to fly planes.
While Martinez loves flying, she does not consider herself an airplane fanatic. Her family was not involved in aviation. Her mother encouraged her to follow the dream to be a pilot. “I love flying. The views are beautiful and I am at peace when I am flying,” she said. “It is such an adventure to fly.”
Eventually, Martinez would like to get hired by a major airline. If she realizes this dream, Martinez hopes to continue giving flying lessons on a part-time basis. “I enjoy teaching others to fly,” she said. “I want to volunteer with Young Eagles. That would my way of giving back to the aviation community. I would volunteer with the program that I went through.”
For now, Martinez is working on building her flight time hours. She needs 1,000 hours to be considered for an airline position. She also will have to earn her airline transport certificate to work for an airline. Once she has these qualifications, she hopes to get hired by a regional airline, often a first step to getting hired by a larger airline. If an airline offers her a position, the organization will provide her training on flying jet aircraft. Much of this training will take place in a flight simulator.
Martinez is a confident and articulate young woman. She likes to help others, and being a pilot allows her to do so. “I enjoy seeing families and individuals reach their destination. Everyone has a reason to travel whether to see family or to visit a new place,” she said.
Amphitheater named for Michael Udine
The Amphitheater at Pine Trails Park was renamed the Michael Udine Amphitheater at Pine Trails Park in Parkland. Udine was elected the 11th mayor of Parkland in 2006 and his last day of mayor was November 2. The announcement to rename the amphitheater was made at that meeting. Udine was elected to the District Three Seat on the Broward County Commission. He was the second longest serving mayor in Parkland history. Sal Pagliara was served the most years from 1988 to 2003 and the Parkland City Hall is named after him.
According to Todd DeAngelis, Parkland spokesman. Udine said he was surprised by the announcement and gave a heartfelt thanks to the city commission, city staff, his family and Parkland residents. He thanked all the people who he worked with and learned from over the years,.
Caryn Gardner-Young, the former city manager of Parkland reached a separation agreement with the City of Parkland. Her last day was November 30. She will stay on with the City an outside consultant.
In part of a statement she read during a recent Commission meeting, Gardner-Young said: “During my tenure, the City has accomplished so much. We built a new and rebuilt an existing fire station, stations 109 and 42, we completed the last 30 acres at Pine Trails Park, we built a new dog park, Barkland, we created the largest farmer’s market in Broward County, we moved the county line from Palm Beach County to Broward County bringing 1,900 acres into Broward and potentially all into the City, and we opened and took over operations of the City’s Community Center just to name a few. The residents feel the City is going in the right direction by the high scores we have received in our citizen surveys, the City is in great financial condition having survived the 2008-2009 recession without a loss in level of service and we are preparing financially for the future.”
Parkland earned a national reputation for being a leader in many areas. The City was designated as a Playful City since 2007, issued the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the GFOA since 2007, Top Rated Small Towns and City in 2010, Best Intergenerational Community in 2014, Top Ten Places to Live in Florida in 2015, 14th Best City for Young Families in 2015, Best Small City in the Nation for Families in 2015, fourth most Successful City in Florida in 2016, and lowest or second lowest crime rate in Broward County since 2009.
December Issue 2016
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