The Broward Center for the Performing Arts recently honored the 10th graduating class of the Broward Center Teen Ambassador program from area high schools and home schooling programs.
With theaters dark, the students concluded the program by reviewing streaming performances of Broadway, classical, dance, opera, and jazz remotely. The final meeting of the season was held via ZOOM where students gathered to look back on the year, share memories, and hear the graduating seniors share their future plans.
The Teen Ambassador program fosters the next generation of performing arts fans and nurtures a fresh perspective on traditional and contemporary arts. Acting as in-house theater critics, they demonstrate a dedication to both the performing arts and writing. The students also earn community service hours through the program.
Public, private, and home-schooled high school students residing in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties are eligible to participate in the Teen Ambassador program. The deadline to apply for the 2020-2021 class is August 28. Applications are available now at BrowardCenter.org/ education/studentprograms/teen- ambassadors. Call 954.468.2689 or e-mail teenambassador@ browardcenter.org for more information.
The 2019-2020 graduating class includes Adelina Marinello, American Heritage; Megan Price, Cardinal Gibbons; Alan Halaly, Deerfield Beach; Maya Washburn, Florida Virtual; Carmela Cinnante, Home-school; Mariah McSweeney, McFatter; Allison Garland, Nova; Alexa Domash, Olympic Heights; Abbie Kopelwitz and Emma Wasserman, Western.
The City of Coral Springs MLK Committee, in partnership with the Coral Springs Community Chest, has announced the 18 high school seniors who were awarded scholarship funds for the 2020-2021 academic year.
“The 18 individuals exemplify and embody the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings on peace, racial harmony, community service, and bettering the lives of others,” the committee explained.
2020 MLK scholarship recipients
J.P. Taravella High School: Fabian Landino – in honor of Walter “Skip” Campbell; Boaz Levy – in honor of Walter “Skip” Campbell.
Coral Springs High School: Johann Cifuentes – in honor of Walter “Skip” Campbell; Maham Khan; Zenique Reynolds; Isabella Alfano; Nicole Sanhueza; Dorien King; Tiffany Persaud; Kanksha Parikh.
Coral Glades High School: Cheyenne Levine Coral Springs Charter School: Gardy Belot; Gianna Rodriguez; Isabella Zolla. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School: Katherine Sharrouf; Mariana Lopez; Daniela Guere; Zareyah Simpson
“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.
It’s the season of patriotic songs. You know the melodies, and maybe the lyrics, and now we present you with a little of the history of some of the most well-known and well-loved.
God Bless America
God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above
From the mountains to the prairies/To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home
God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above
From the mountains to the prairies/To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home/
God bless America, my home sweet home
Irving Berlin might be best known for songs such as “White Christmas,” “Easter Parade,” and scores for 19 Broadway shows and 18 movies, but he also wrote “God Bless America.” In 1918, Berlin, a Russian immigrant, was serving in the U.S. Army in Yaphank, New York. “God Bless America” was intended for the finale of his comedic all-soldier music revue, Yip Yap Yaphank, but Berlin decided to cut it, and did nothing with the song for 20 years. Then, in response to the growing conflict in Europe, he made revisions to the unpublished song, and Kate Smith first sang it on her radio program on Armistice Day, (now called Veterans Day), broadcast in 1938. “God Bless America” became her signature song.
America the Beautiful (1st stanza)
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties/Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood/From sea to shining sea!
The author of “America the Beautiful,” Katharine Lee Bates, was a Massachusetts native who became an English literature professor at Wellesley College. It was on an 1893 trip to Colorado, on Pike’s Peak, that she began to formulate the words to “America the Beautiful.” Her poem first appeared in The Congregationalist, a weekly newspaper, on July 4,1895. Over time, Bates made a few revisions to the words and for years, the poem was sung to many popular tunes, including “Auld Lang Syne.” Today it is sung to a melody written in 1882 by Samuel Augustus Ward, a Newark, New Jersey, church organist and choir director who originally wrote the tune to accompany the words of a 16th century hymn. Although they did not know each other, Bates’ poem and Ward’s music were published together in 1910.
The Stars and Stripes Forever
When you think of military marches, you think of John Philip Sousa. Sousa first became famous as the leader of the U.S. Marine Band and then with the Sousa Band, which toured for nearly 40 years. Known as “The March King,” he composed over 100 marches including “Semper Fidelis” (1888), which became the official march of the U.S. Marine Corps, and the rousing, July 4th favorite, “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” (1896), the national march of the United States. And yes, the “The Stars and Stripes Forever” has lyrics, but they are much lesser known than the tune itself.
The Star Spangled Banner (1st stanza)
O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,/Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,/O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?/And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
The lyrics to the “The Star Spangled Banner” are a poem titled “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” written by lawyer, Francis Scott Key, during the War of 1812. Upon seeing a large American victory flag waving after a night of intense British bombardment at the Battle of Baltimore, Key was moved to write the poem. It was paired with a British tune written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society and became known as “The Star Spangled Banner.” (For those not in know, Anacreon was an ancient Greek poet known for his celebrations of love and wine.) Declared the national anthem in 1931, and often played at professional sporting events, “The Star Spangled Banner” is notoriously challenging to sing given its difficult lyrics and high pitched and held notes.
God Bless the USA
If tomorrow all the things were gone I worked for all my life
And I had to start again
With just my children and my wife
I thank my lucky stars
To be living here today
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom/And they can’t take that away
And I’m proud to be an American/Where at least I know I’m free
And I won’t forget the men who died/Who gave that right to me
And I’d gladly stand up next to you/And defend Her still today
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
From the lakes of Minnesota
To the hills of Tennessee
Across the plains of Texas
From sea to shining sea
From Detroit down to Houston
And New York to L.A.
Well, there’s pride in every American heart/And it’s time we stand and say
That I’m proud to be an American
Where at least I know I’m free
And I won’t forget the men who died/Who gave that right to me
And I’d gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
And I’m proud to be an American
Where at least I know I’m free
And I won’t forget the men who died/Who gave that right to me
And I’d gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
Singer songwriter Lee Greenwood released “God Bless the USA” in 1984. Greenwood, and the song, which peaked at Number 7 on the country chart, were nominated for two Grammys that year: Best Country Male Vocal and Best Country Song. However, it became an even bigger hit during the Gulf War in 1991, and then again in 2001, after 9/11. Greenwood had wanted to write a patriotic song for years, and found inspiration for the song when Russia shot down Korean Airlines flight 007 in 1983, killing 63 Americans.
Isabella Renert, a seventh-grade student at Coral Springs Middle School, has won second place in the Florida League of Cities “If I Were Mayor” essay contest.
Her essay was among 291 submitted state wide. The first place winner was Rithika Shankar from River City Science Academy Mandarin in Jacksonville.
“I am extremely proud of Isabella,” said Bettania Opthof, Isabella’s 7th Grade Teacher. “This young lady is every teacher’s dream student.
“To say that she is highly gifted is undeniable, but what makes her truly special is her kind heart and love of family, friends, and community. With future leaders like Isabella, I feel confident that our great country will be in good hands.”
Isabella’s essay began, “If I were mayor for a day, I would help the homeless, make sure the city is clean, and make sure the schools are safe.”
One night my wife and I were socially distancing with neighbors on my driveway. People that I have never met, neighbors that have been living on the street for years were coming out of their home quarantines and bringing chairs and coolers to my driveway. The six chairs grew to 20 and we all stayed six feet apart. I learned that more than half of us were in the healthcare profession. The other interesting thing I learned was that everyone owned a dog and most of us recognized each other by their dogs. I went from the golden retriever guy to the veterinarian who lives in the two-story house on the corner. That was fun.
As the evening went on it was like a classic joke: A veterinarian, a physician and a dentist walk into a room. Literally, a dentist and a physician and I spent more than an hour trying to outdo each other with the crazy things we have seen, removed or took off a patient. At least my patients have an excuse why they do some weird stuff but what the physicians or dentist had to do for their patients was mind- blowing.
Then the conversation went to clients and patients that
did not follow the golden rules. The physician was a dermatologist and discussed skin cancer from not using suntan lotion. The dentist talked about severe dental disease from not brushing and flossing and I talked about the emergencies that I saw from not spaying and neutering.
I met a guy years ago who wanted to adopt a dalmatian. At that time, I was the veterinarian in charge of the Dalmatian Rescue League of South Florida. The only requirement to adopt was a home inspection and review of their current pet’s health care. The potential adopter owned two Pekinese dogs, and neither were spayed.
The owner did not have an issue that the female dalmatian that he wanted to adopt was spayed but had no intentions
of spaying his Pekinese. He wasn’t going to breed them but has never spayed or neutered a pet before and didn’t believe in it. I was a younger veterinarian and respected the owner’s opinion but was steadfast that he was not going to adopt this dalmatian. It caused a big problem for the rescue group and
for me. What I didn’t know was that he was a politician. He wasn’t used to not getting his way.
About a week after I told the owner and his kids that they were not going to adopt one of the dalmatians I got a call
on my after hours emergency line. It was from the politician. He was at an emergency hospital in Fort Lauderdale and his dog was being prepped for emergency pyometra surgery. Pyometra is when the uterus fills like a balloon with pus. It is the nightmare scenario that can happen when you don’t spay your female dogs.
He wanted to know if I could do the surgery, not because of my reputation, or that he respected me professionally, but he wanted to know if I could do it cheaper than the estimate he received at the emergency center. I hung up.
Back to quarantine. At the end of the night a female neighbor approached me. She told me my story gave her the courage finally to spay her Labrador. Her last dog died due to sepsis from a ruptured pyometra.
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high, If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
“In the spring of 1915 bright red flowers began poking through the battle ravaged land across northern France and Flanders (northern Belgium),” Barbara Maranzani wrote for history.com.
“Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, who served on an Allied artillery unit, spotted a cluster of the poppies shortly after serving as a brigade surgeon during the bloody Second Battle of Ypres.
“The sight of the bright red flowers against the dreary backdrop of the war,” she continued, “inspired McCrae to pen the poem, “In Flanders Fields,” in which he gives voice to the soldiers who had been killed in battle and lay buried beneath the poppy-covered grounds.”
The United States was not to enter the war for another two years, in April 1917. It was the month and year my father was born in Buffalo, N.Y. It was exactly one year before my wife’s father was born in St. Louis, MO. Archie and Bob.
Both served bravely in World War II: My wife’s father building hospitals for injured soldiers across Europe; my father at the controls of an M4 Sherman tank prowling Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. My wife’s mother, Pearl, born in Chicago in 1923, also served overseas in the U.S. Army during the war. That’s where Pearl met Bob.
Archie, Bob and Pearl were part of what Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation.” They were among those who returned to their families.
This month we honor all the men and women who didn’t make it home, who gave up their lives in too many wars.
Earlier this year, before Covid-19 struck, Memorial Day events had been planned in communities throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties.
The “better part of valor,” however, as Shakespeare’s Falstaff reasoned in Henry IV, Part I, might still have us in stay-at-home mode at the end of the month.
One hundred years ago the country was still trembling from the devastation of the Spanish Flu. It killed an estimated 675,000 Americans between 1918 and 1920, more than were killed during the Civil War.
It was that same Civil War that sparked Union General John Logan to establish “Decoration Day” on May 30, 1868 to honor the estimated 620,000 who died in the four-year struggle. The name was later changed to Memorial Day and set for the last Monday in May.
One hundred years ago there were Memorial Day celebrations throughout Florida — in Tampa, Miami, Orlando — but at least one nearby city chose a different path.
“No Plans For Observance of Memorial Day,” read a headline on the front page of the Palm Beach Post, May 18, 1920.
“No preparations are under way for observance of Memorial Day,” the story read. “There is no post of the G.A.R and no organization of the Confederate Veterans or Spanish War Veterans” planning events for the day.
The G.A.R. was the The Grand Army of the Republic, the fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, Navy, Marines and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War.
After World War I Memorial Day was expanded to honor Americans killed in all wars. It became an official federal holiday in 1971.
This year, this month, again for “the better part of valor,” the Indianapolis 500, traditionally held on Memorial Day, has been postponed to August 23.
Still in its infancy a century ago, the race was held as scheduled on Monday, May 31. It was the race’s eighth running at The Brickyard.
Gaston Chevrolet, brother of the man who started the Chevrolet car company, won the race, posting an average speed of 88.6 miles per hour. The average speed at the 2019 race was 175.8 miles per hour.
Whatever Memorial Day events are allowed this difficult year and whomever you’re with, the Parklander joins all of you in honoring those brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Casey McGovern
is the Florida health department’s Drowning Prevention Program Manager for
Broward County —raising awareness about water safety is her job.
But preventing
deaths by educating people about the possible consequences of not being aware of
water-related dangers is her passion.
Nine
years after McGovern’s daughter drowned in a backyard pool, the mother of three
is still haunted by what she didn’t know then and driven by what she wants
parents to know today.
On Aug. 3,
2009, McGovern found her 19-month-old, Edna Mae, floating face-up in the pool where
“Em” had been playing in just hours earlier. The toddler died eight days later.
“You
think you are going to hear it — people think they are going to hear flailing
and splashing and yelling,” McGovern said.
But the
unthinkable can happen quicker than you think, she said. “A drowning can occur
in as little as 60 seconds.”
Mom to
three girls, who were then ages 10, 3, and 19 months, McGovern placed Em in a
chair in the family room, across the counter from where she was putting away
groceries.
McGovern
stepped away to chat with her husband. She was only gone a minute.
Today,
McGovern, of Coral Springs, talks openly about the experience, acknowledging some
of the ways Em’s death might have been prevented. She needs other parents to
know how such a tragedy happens.
At the
time of her daughter’s death, the family pool was encircled by a child safety
fence, but McGovern said the fence gate was not latched that day.
McGovern
also said there was nothing in place at the time to raise an alert to potential
trouble, such as chimes on the sliding door leading to the pool deck. “Drowning
is silent,” she said, encouraging parents to find ways to put sound to danger.
McGovern
said she also wasted precious minutes searching for her daughter inside the
house.
Whether you
have a pool or you’re at the pool or the beach, she tells parents today, check
the water first.
“We
thought we were doing everything right,” McGovern said. “There are so many
things I didn’t think about, wasn’t educated on.”
According
to the Florida Department of Children and Families, In the past two years, 12
children ages four and younger drowned in Broward County. The deaths occurred
in family pools, community pools, lakes, the ocean, and in canals. With its
125,000 backyard pools and miles of waterways, Broward offers ample risk of
drowning.
“Because
our county is covered in water and it’s swim season all year long, year after
year our statistics show we are one of the highest counties in state of Florida
for drowning fatalities,” McGovern said.
Among
her high-priority recommendations, McGovern said children should start swim
lessons as soon as they start to crawl.
The
county Children’s Services Council backs that advice by providing a $40 swim
voucher to Broward kids ages six months to four years. The voucher is available
annually, up until the fifth birthday.
“I think
knowledge is power and I think the more people who relate and connect to my
story may cause changes,” McGovern said.Sallie James writes for the Florida Department
of Health in Broward County.
Michelle
Kefford is pumped. And while spasms of enthusiasm seem to come with the job
when you’re a school principal, the new principal of Marjory Stoneman Douglas
High has plenty of legitimate reasons to be excited.
“It’s
coming back home,” Kefford, 44, said.
Those
four words explain almost every reason she’s back at the Parkland school,
coming full circle from where she began her career 20 years ago as a biology
teacher.
Kefford,
who begins work at Douglas on July 1, replaces former principal Ty Thompson, who stepped down in May,
and co-principal Teresa Hall.
The principal at MSD when a former
student opened fire at the school, leaving 17 dead and as many injured on Feb.
14, 2018, Thompson had been under investigation by Broward Schools and reassigned
to different duties at Douglas. A popular and exuberant figure at the school,
Thompson cited personal reasons for resigning after six years as principal. The
investigation, which district officials expected to complete by May, remains
ongoing.
Thompson’s departure widened the administrative
hole needing to be filled at Douglas. In the wake of 2/14 and the local and
state probes that followed, three assistant principals were transferred and a
second principal was named. Kefford’s hire is not only a move to fill that
void, but to begin building anew.
Kefford declined to speak specifically about past events at
the high school but did say she will be re-evaluating policies and procedures
going forward.
She has been working on her transition from Flanagan High, where she served as
principal for eight years. Her efforts at the Pembroke Pines school blossomed
these past two years as Kefford was named Broward’s 2018 Principal
of the Year, then in March earned the Florida Board of Education Principal of
the Year honor for 2019.
“I
love what I do,” she said. “It’s rewarding to work with kids.
“I’m
driven by their success. I want to prepare our kids for graduation and what
comes next in life.”
A
wife and a mother of two, Kefford and her family reside in Parkland. Her oldest
son attends Douglas, while the younger boy is a student at West Glades Middle
School.
Valerie Wanza, the district’s School Performance and
Accountability director, was Kefford’s first supervisor.
“I watched her career grow in the school district and watched
as her leadership grew at Flanagan,” Wanza said. “Under her guidance, Flanagan became a
consistently A-rated, high-performance school — not just academically, but as an
overall school experience.”
Describing her as a highly accomplished school leader, Wanza
believes Kefford is the right person at the right time to take the reins at
Douglas.
“Michelle will seize this opportunity to go home, help the
community recover, heal, and move forward,” Wanza said.
Michelle Kefford (center) is flanked by Broward Schools officials, including superintendent Robert Runcie (right) at a May 13 press conference to announce her hire as principal at Douglas High. (WLRN photo
Robert Runcie, at a May 13 press conference announcing
Kefford’s appointment, said, “We are grateful to Michelle for taking on this
challenge. It speaks volumes to the type of leader she is.”
The Broward Schools superintendent cited the “culture of
pride” Kefford built with the staff and students at Flanagan.
“Given her qualifications and her background, we couldn’t be
more proud — and lucky — to recommend someone that’s so qualified to fill this
important role,” Runcie said.
For Kefford, the most fulfilling aspect of the job is witnessing
the success of her students.
“I get to see these kids from their awkward adolescence
through to young adulthood,” she said. “Watching (them) attain their
goals, receive scholarships, graduate, walk across the stage, go on to college,
and to know I’ve made a difference in their life is very satisfying.”
The daughter of two retired educators, Kefford once thought
she’d become a veterinarian. She said it was her mom who encouraged her to teach,
because of her passion for biology.
“I tried it out
and never looked back,” she said.
Just 19, barely past his freshman year at Lynn University,
James Okina is already well-traveled, very savvy, and passionate about his
work. In fact, he’s a man on a mission.
At 15, in his hometown of Calabar, Nigeria, a city not
unlike Boca Raton with its greenery and coastal proximity, he founded a nonprofit
called Street Priests designed to help the children living in the streets.
By the time he reached 17, Okina says he became obsessed
with solving this problem on a global scale and began to study why, despite
increasing efforts to address the issue, this problem is growing and persists
worldwide.
An estimated 100-150 million children live on the streets
around the world, while 250,000 die every week from disease and malnutrition,
and 10 million are child slaves, according to Womenaid International.
In the U.S., almost 2.5 million kids under age 18 — that’s 1
in 30 — experience homelessness each year. In Palm Beach County alone, more
than 4,400 children are counted as homeless, according to the county’s Homeless
Coalition.
Kids living on the street are often victims of violence and
crime, and later often fall prey to abuse and drug addiction. They are
especially vulnerable to the human rights violations inherent in gangs, sexual
exploitation, and abuse and neglect.
As an adolescent, Okina had been tempted into gang life. He is
thankful he escaped — and it inspired him. “I rose above my own difficulties
when my parents divorced when I was 8, and many people helped me along the way.”
He remembers a cousin who came to stay where he lived with his father. Okina
told NPR in 2017, “I saw that he led a more quiet, dignified life.”
Okina had already made international news by his late teens,
as Street Priests drew attention, help, and funding. Trying to find a framework
that would help the nonprofit reach children across different cultures and
societies, he moved to South Florida to study at the Watson Institute at Lynn. Okina
is part of an inaugural cohort of scholars from around the world studying to
earn a degree in social entrepreneurship while working on issues they are
passionate about.
“The first word that comes to mind when I think of
James is unstoppable,” Tyler Tornaben, director of programs for the Watson
Institute, said. “He is majoring in his mission every day.”
In his first year at Lynn, Okina met Isaac King, 23, who
also feels driven to solve the worldwide crisis of homeless children.
King spent six months in the Dominican Republic after high
school. The Ocala native learned Spanish and was drawn to the island’s street children,
known as palomos — literally translated as “doves,” but in street slang,
meaning “rascals.” King later spent a year in Brazil, working with the homeless
“beach kids” of Rio de Janeiro.
At Lynn, joined in common cause, Okina and King set out on a
self-proclaimed “audacious” trip back to the Dominican Republic to dive deeper
into the street culture there.
Okina (right) and Isaac King flank Ana María Domínguez, Governor of Santiago Province, paying their respects during a recent visit to the Dominican Republic.
Over a period of eight days last March, the two traveled the
island, interviewing more than 60 kids, community members, police officers, and
government officials for a documentary.
“The stories and plights of both the Haitian and
Dominican children we met left a deep and burning desire in us to commit to
this problem and create a long-lasting change in our world,” Okina said.
A few of the children living in the streets in Santo Domingo. (Photo courtesy of James Okina)
The two will travel to London this summer to present their
findings at the Map the System Global Challenge, part of the Skoll Centre for
Social Entrepreneurship at Saïd Business School at Oxford University.
King calls his mission partner an inspiration.
“James is a leader in every sense of the word,” King
said. “He embodies everything he talks about. When you hear his conviction,
you know it comes from a place of compassion and empathy.”
In the fall, Okina is set to help tackle gun violence in
Palm Beach County. Partnering with Angela Williams, founder of Mother’s Against
Murderers Association in Rivera Beach, they hope to design a plan of action to
work with kids in the community to interrupt the cycle of gun violence.
Even if he can’t solve all the world’s problems, it seems
likely Okina will at least provide sparks of inspiration and fellowship in
lending a hand. Engaging with kids is the first step.
“The future won’t create
itself. Young people must take an active role,” Okina said. “We are only 25
percent of the population, but we are 100 percent of the future.”
The mental image the phrase “public library” frequently
evokes involves metal shelving filled with worn bindings, with a severe-looking
librarian perched behind the counter, index finger primed for shushing.
Certainly, those shelving units and librarians are real, but the Broward County
Public Library delivers so much more, and right to where you need it.
Take the Northwest Regional Library’s collection of eBooks (electronic
books) and audiobooks (recordings of books read aloud.) For the full-time
busybody, both options provide opportunities to enjoy stories without the
hassle of trying to get to the library twice. The offerings simply disappear
from your device after the loan period concludes, thus erasing the need to keep
track of a book for longer than the day or two you need to read it. eBooks and
audiobooks checked out through the Broward system don’t have late fees! Audiobooks
are a nifty companion for the daily commute and road trips, often playable
through your car’s sound system.
What’s that? You don’t have a device to download eBooks or play
audiobooks? Worry you’re your local library shall provide. Digital tablets can
be checked out for three months and renewed for another three months — that’s
half a year. That might get a person a sixth of the way through their reading backlog!
For kids on summer break, Northwest Regional has
child-friendly tablets that come with educational games, no internet required.
These Launchpad Learning Tablets can be checked out for 21 days with two 7-day
renewals.
It helps, too, that these kinds of technological upgrades
make reading more accessible for the dyslexic, the visually impaired, and the
otherwise disabled. While Broward Library has made plenty of impressive high-tech
upgrades to its community services (virtual reality devices, portable wi-fi
hotspots, amateur robotics labs, and more) throughout the region, what stands
out is its dedication to making its services available to every resident,
regardless of mobility or income level.
Impressive examples include accessible computer software
that turns websites into braille for the blind, which is offered at several
library locations; as are assistive listening devices that amplify sound but
minimize background noise, aiding those with hearing loss. West Regional
Library has a sign-language story time for children who have speaking and
hearing difficulties. The county library even distributes specialized phones
for people with any hearing, seeing, or speaking disability — at no charge.
According to the 2017
census, 22.5 percent of Broward’s population is composed of seniors and just
under 7 percent of non-seniors have a disability, so these additions to the
library’s offerings have come at a time of need. They will join the dearly
loved but more analogue Books-By-Mail program in offering as many options to as
many residents as possible.
If
you’re not up for braving the South Florida heat this summer, these local
venues offer family-friendly activities available during the quiet — and less
hot — afternoon and evening hours.
Gumbo
Limbo’s environmental complex in Boca Raton is an indoor / outdoor nature
center with several aquariums and exhibits. A variety of group programs,
including guided nature trail walks, sea turtle talks, and animal feedings, are
offered throughout the week. A popular activity that only takes place on summer
nights is the Turtle Walk and Hatchling Release, where participants have the
opportunity to learn about Florida’s native sea turtles, walk to the nearby
beach, and watch a nesting Loggerhead or see baby turtles race for the sea.
View
Gumbo Limbo’s calendar of events for information on how to register.
Where: 1801 N. Ocean Blvd, Boca Raton
When: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4
p.m.
Cost: Free ($5 suggested donation); free parking
Details: GumboLimbo.org
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park features a canoe-kayak launch in its long list of amenities. (Courtesy photo)
Favorite
activities at Birch State Park range from live animal presentations to guided
mangrove and trail walks, and all are excellent opportunities for families to
explore Florida’s natural ecosystems and wildlife, and learn about the history
behind this local state park. The two-mile loop surrounding the natural habitat
is bike- and rollerblade friendly, while the Intracoastal Waterway allows for
easy access to fishing and makes for a perfect sunset-viewing picnic spot.
Birch State Park offers paddleboard rentals for those looking to visit Fort
Lauderdale’s stretch of beaches along A1A. In addition, the park is home to
Camp Live Oak, an immersive nature program for children ages 5-13, as well as a
variety of scheduled tours, educational classes, and events.
Where: 3109 E. Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale
When: Every day, 8 a.m. to sunset
Cost: $6 per family/group vehicle
Details: FloridaStateParks.org/HughTaylorBirch
Bark Beach at Spanish River
Park
Release
the leash and let Fido roam free on the sands of Spanish River Park’s beach!
Bark Beach is sectioned off from the rest of the park to ensure dogs don’t run
too far and other park visitors remain unscathed by licks or wet paws. Summer
hours are conveniently scheduled in the early morning and late afternoon. Bark
Beach is open to all families of Boca Raton who have purchased a dog permit at
their nearest community center. A single weekend pass is also an option,
allowing unlimited access to Boca’s best dog-friendly beach from Friday through
Sunday.
Where: 3001 N. State Rd A1A, Boca Raton
When: Friday through Sunday, 7-9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to sunset
Cost: Bark Beach dog permit required; $11 weekend pass; parking
$17 weekdays, $19 weekends OR free with annual beach pass
Details: MyBoca.us
INDOOR DESTINATIONS
Children’s Science Explorium
Located
inside Boca’s Sugar Sand Park, the Children’s Science Explorium is a must-visit
attraction. Activities during the summer include a variety of interactive,
science-geared exhibits and exciting educational programs. The Grab ‘n’ Go Eco
Pack gives young children and their families the opportunity to embark on a
scavenger hunt throughout Sugar Sand’s nature trails and explore the park’s
plants, birds, and insects. Kids-only activities include the one-week Summer
Science Camp — open to youngsters in grades kindergarten through 5th — and the
after-hour Friday Nights @ the Museum, featuring a cool experiment and movie
night! Check the events calendar in early June for a list of summer exhibits
and more info on registering.
Where: 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton
When: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free ($5 suggested donation); free parking
Details: ScienceExplorium.org
Young At Art Museum
Young At Art Museum’s ArtScapes features works that explore a child’s perspective on the world. (Photo courtesy Young At Art Museum)
What’s
one thing that makes the Young At Art Museum unique? Through its program YAA
for ALL: Access to Lifelong Learning, the museum has developed special programs
and events for children and adults with autism and other disabilities. In
addition to its pre-scheduled classes and exhibits, the YAA opens one hour
earlier every second Sunday of the month, giving exclusive access for families
with disabled children. Specialized activities include the Sensory Studio Art
Class, which creates a warm and friendly environment of hands-on art-making
alongside specially trained staff members.
Where: 751 SW 121st Ave, Davie
When: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: $14 for adults/children; $12 for seniors and Broward County
residents; $11 for military families. Membership and group rates available.
Details: YoungAtArtMuseum.org
Museum of Discovery and
Science
The Museum of Discovery and Science’s AutoNation IMAX and 3D Theater. (Courtesy photo)
In
addition to its array of science exhibits and children’s Discovery Camp, a
distinctive feature of the Museum of Discovery and Science is its in-house IMAX
3D theater, which presents a number of documentaries and Hollywood films. With
numerous showtimes throughout the day, as well as wheelchair-accessible and
sensory-friendly screenings, this theater is a great pick for families. This
summer, the Museum’s featured exhibit, Hall
of Heroes, immerses visitors in the superhero world of crime-catchers,
Batmobiles, spy gadgets, and more.
Where: 401 SW Second St, Fort Lauderdale
When: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to
5 p.m.
Cost: $17 for adults; $16 for seniors; $14 for military families
and children ages 2-12; free for children ages 1 and under; parking $6-$10.
Museum membership rates available.
Details: MODS.org
(Note: The IMAX 3D Theater has its own hours and
admission fees. Please visit the MODS website for details.)
