Education Archives - Page 7 of 7 -

September 4, 2016July 3, 2019

Ft. Lauderdale’s Role in World War II Found in Naval Museum

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by Aaron Krause

The site where former President George H.W. Bush trained as a torpedo bomber pilot is a short drive away.

For free, folks are welcome to visit the sight — the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum.

The attraction, located near the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, features World War II artifacts such as helmets, model aircraft, model ships and a radio calibrator.

You’ll also find the signatures of Bush and Sen. John McCain, who is also a veteran, on a mural depicting military aircraft on their final approach into Naval Air Station Ft. Lauderdale.

Museum director John Bloom said the mural is the museum’s most priceless item.

“It’s irreplaceable,” he said.

“In addition to the mural, visitors can browse nearly 500 models of airplanes and ships and thousands of artifacts and “tens of thousands” of pictures,” Bloom said. Medals are also on display.

In 1942, Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale was constructed on the site of Merle Fogg Field as part of the national defense program. It served as one of 257 air stations during World War II. The naval base is now what might be a familiar destination for you – Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.

Bloom said Miami International Airport was also a training base for torpedo bombers.

“Florida had tons of training bases,” he said.

The only remaining structure on the former Ft. Lauderdale base is the Link Trainer Building, which housed 6 to 8 Link Trainer flight simulators.

Bloom said visitors to the museum mostly hear about the place by searching Flight 19 on the Internet. That aircraft departed NAS Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 5, 1945. It disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle and was never accounted for.

Every year, on that date, the museum has a ceremony in memory of the 14 airmen who perished. Bloom said a couple hundred people attend each year. The ceremony includes the clinging of a bell located within the museum’s 6,000 square feet.

Bloom said in addition to the mural signed by Bush and McCain, another valuable object is a radio calibrator from World War II. On a recent day, a man entered the museum and gifted it to the facility.

“He just walked in and wanted to give it to us,” Bloom said. “It’s nice because now other people will see it. He didn’t want anything for it, he didn’t want any acknowledgement.”

Visitors will also find a British Enfield rifle, which someone discovered under the sand of a Normandy beach during the 1980s.

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A serviceman used the weapon during D-Day. That day occurred on June 6, 1944, when more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of French coastline to fight Nazi Germany.

While many are familiar with D-Day, many visitors previously hadn’t heard about the museum, Bloom said.

“Wow, we never knew this was here,” Bloom said, echoing what people often say when they visit.

The museum, run solely by volunteers, has attracted people from as far away as Hong Kong, Brazil, Puerto Rico and England.

One of its more prominent visitors has been the former first President Bush. In 1992, the former commander-in-chief stopped by, signed the mural, and identified the room in which he lived for about three months during his training, in the summer of 1943.

Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum

Hours: 11:30am to 3:30pm. Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The last tour is at 2:30pm

Where: 4000 W. Perimeter Road, Ft. Lauderdale

Cost: Free

For more information or to request a tour on days when volunteers aren’t present, call 954-359-4400. The museum’s website is nasflmuseum.com.

September 3, 2016July 3, 2019

Remembering 9/11

by David Volz

It has been 15 years since the terrorist attacks took place on September 11, 2001 in New York City, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania; the vivid memories of that day still live on. The 9/11 attacks were the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history. Nineteen men hijacked four U.S. commercial airplanes heading for west coast destinations. Two of the airplanes were crashed into the World Trade Center, in New York; one was crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; and one was taken over by passengers and crew and crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks and about 6,000 were injured.

September 11^th is on a Sunday this year, and Parkland will have a ceremony open to the public, beginning at 8:30am, for about 30 minutes at Parkland City Hall. The ceremony will include lowering the flags to half-staff, a moment of silent reflection, the playing of bagpipes, the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department Honor Guard, and some remarks from the Mayor. Then at 8:46am a siren will sound marking the moment the first airplane crashed into the World Trade Center.

Coral Springs will honor the victims and heroes of 9/11 with a Remembrance 5K Run/Walk that will begin on Saturday, September 10th at 7:00am, at the Northwest Regional Library. Registration is $25 for adults, $15 for students 19 and younger, and $20 for emergency service personnel. Participant will receive a finisher medal and T-shirt.

Coral Springs will have a ceremony outside the Northwest Regional Library on September 11^th at 2:00pm, followed by a program inside the Charter School Auditorium.

If you happen to be in New York City, you can participate in a ceremony at Ground Zero. It will be marked with four minutes of silence to observe the times when each plane hit and each tower fell, beginning at 8:46am. At the nearby St. Paul’s Chapel, there will be morning bell services followed by Prayers for Peace and the ringing of the Bell of Hope in memory of 9/11.

The National 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on September 11^th, 2011 on the 10th anniversary of the attacks in a ceremony for the victim’s families. This memorial includes the nation’s largest man-made waterfalls cascading into two sunken pools. These pools mark the footprints of the Twin Towers. The names of 2,980 victims have been carved in granite around the edges of the memorial. The 9/11 Memorial Museum includes artifacts from 9/11 events including personal items from survivors and the deceased donated by their families.

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August 21, 2016July 3, 2019

I Know What Probiotics Are, So What Are Prebiotics?

By Nancy M. Ouhib, MBA, RD/N, LD/N

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Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, our bodies are largely made up of bacteria. Paying attention to our microbial makeup is pretty important. This is not a new concept. In the words of Hippocrates, all disease begins in the gut. Scientists, researchers, and physicians are now paying much more attention to this. The human microbiome is the new buzzword and hopefully we are waking up to the importance of the microbial aspect of our health.

The human microbiome encompasses the bacterial population on the skin, in the mouth, and in the gut. When the gut microbiome or microbial population is out of balance, there is a condition called gut dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is when the beneficial bacteria of the gut have been killed off and more harmful bacteria have been allowed to proliferate in their absence. There is a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut and we always want to help tip the balance in favor of the beneficial microbes because they function in our best interest. There are two substances that can assist us in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome and those are probiotics and prebiotics.

Last month I discussed probiotics, what they are, and how they help to maintain digestive health in our gut. This month I will discuss prebiotics. Simply put, prebiotics are the food that the probiotics (good bacteria) in your intestinal tract need to stay alive and flourish. Prebiotics are non-digestible fiber and sugars. The most commonly known prebiotics are fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS.) While their technical names seem long and complicated, these fibers, sugars, and starches have a simple job to do and that is to feed the good guys to maintain that healthy gut flora that we need. Probiotics have the ability to ferment and feed off of these prebiotics.

Good sources of p Grains rebiotics are fresh produce and whole grains. Food sources of these carbohydrates is better than any over the counter supplement and you get all sorts of additional quality nutrition from these foods that you consume. So, steer clear of the supplement aisle and head to the grocery store to pick up the following fresh food choices to feed your healthy gut.

Whole grains such as oats and corn contain non-digestible fiber. Brown rice, whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, barley, oatmeal, flax, wheat bran, and chia are also good sources of fiber. These should be included in your diet regularly. Nuts are a good source of prebiotic fiber.

Vegetables and fruits also contain that prebiotic benefit that we all need. Asparagus, leeks, artichokes, garlic, carrots, peas, beans, onions, chicory, jicama, broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower, spinach, kale, and chard are vegetables that have prebiotic fiber. Bananas, blueberries, cherries, apples, pears, oranges, strawberries, cranberries, kiwi, and berries are also good sources.

There is one important point to note in regards to prebiotics. If your gut is not well populated with beneficial bacteria and probiotics, too much of the prebiotics may cause intestinal distress in the form of bloating and gas. Keep in mind that it is probiotics that feed off of, and have the

ability to break down, these fibers and sugars so they must be present. If you have intestinal distress, it may be a sign that you need more probiotic foods in your diet.

So, it should be clear that probiotics and prebiotics exist in your gut in a state of symbiosis. They are present in your intestinal tract to improve the health of your gut microbiome. Purchasing and preparing fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can easily and inexpensively obtain all of this benefit. Happy and healthy shopping.

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August 20, 2016July 3, 2019

Starting off Right: Your Child’s First-Ever Day of School

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Few children today enter first grade or kindergarten with no prior school experience. The majority have either been enrolled in pre-school or they have attended VPK, the free program that prepares children for kindergarten. These programs help make a child’s first day of real school easier. In times past, kindergarten was often a child’s first experience with school.

There is an old joke about the Jewish mother who prepares her son for his first day of school, saying, “Now, bubeleh, go to school and make me proud. You’re a big boy, bubeleh, and you’re going to learn a lot in school. Oooh—here comes the bus. Give me a kiss, bubeleh, and have a wonderful time.” As the school bus pulled up to the bus stop that afternoon, the mother waited eagerly to hear about her son’s first day in the hallowed halls of education. Giving him a big kiss as he stepped off the bus, the mother said, “So what did you learn on your first day of school, bubeleh?” He replied, “I learned that my name isn’t bubeleh. It’s Irving.”

Funny as that joke is, it does contain a lesson: Make sure your child knows what their real first name is. Although many schools today are lenient about the use of nicknames, there are still some that demand that “Pat” answer to “Patrick” or “Patricia,” as the case may be. At the very least, he or she should be aware of what their true first name is. This is even truer if the nickname doesn’t derive from the first name, as in the case of kids who are used to answering to “Red” or “Shorty.”

Although you may be feeling nervous, wondering if your child will make friends easily, if he or she will be accepted by their peers, and other worries, former elementary school teacher Lenna Buissink urges that you try not to communicate those feelings to your child. Children can sense when their parents are nervous. A child who is facing the first day of school with equanimity can develop stage fright if he or she picks up on the fact that you are nervous about this impending event.

Be sure your child has all the recommended supplies. Don’t let them be the only one without a set of crayons, pencils, or whatever else the school requires.

Remind him or her that entering kindergarten is an important step in growing up—that he or she is a big kid now. Since kids take the growing-up process very seriously, capitalize on that and help them to feel proud of being big enough to go to school.

Buissink advises that if the child is nervous, you should honor that feeling. Don’t belittle or disrespect the child’s feelings by saying, “Don’t be nervous,” or “Don’t be silly. There’s nothing to be nervous about.” Instead, say, “Okay, what are you nervous about? Let’s talk about it.” Encourage your child to open up about his or her concerns, and then calmly and positively respond to them.

Even if your child has gone to pre-school or VPK, he or she may be nervous about attending real school. Don’t assume a child will be at ease because of prior school experience. Maybe he will…but maybe she won’t.

While you don’t want to send your child off to school with a teddy bear or security blanket, if there is a small trinket that is meaningful and comforting and will fit in the backpack, let the child bring it to school.

Buissink also advises that you stress how wonderful the teacher is likely to be, and also suggests trying to find something out about the teacher beforehand, then sharing that information with your child. A tidbit like, “Did you know Ms. Jones has a boy your age?” can strike a spark of kindred feeling in the child that can make all the difference between starting school with butterflies in the stomach or with a feeling of confidence and excited anticipation.

by Cynthia MacGregor