Tag: city of coral springs

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CORAL SPRINGS COMMISSION

Exactly one year ago our lives were dramatically changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was in March 2020 that we saw our first COVID-19 case confirmed in Florida and declared a State of Emergency for the City of Coral Springs. We quickly shifted our focus to the health, safety, and welfare of the community – especially our most vulnerable citizens. One year later our attention remains on the virus, but our efforts have shifted to the mass distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

We are proud to have opened a vaccine distribution site at the Coral Square Mall and implemented a mobile distribution plan to include senior living communities, homebound seniors, and underserved communities. To date we have administered about 31,000 doses. Appointments for COVID- 19 vaccination sites for seniors ages 65 and older, and frontline healthcare workers, are scheduled through the State of Florida website myvaccine.fl.gov or by calling (866) 201-6313, for TTY use (844) 252-2003.

March is Women’s History Month, and in the City of Coral Springs we are excited to celebrate women for their outstanding contributions to our city through the newly launched ‘Her Story’ campaign. We encourage residents and local businesses to nominate inspirational women who are making an impact and influencing others in our city by visiting www.coralsprings.org/herstory.

Looking for a way to serve your community and keep Coral Springs clean? Join us on March 6 for the 44th Annual Broward County Waterway Clean Up. Register online to participate, www.waterwaycleanup.org.

On March 10, the City of Coral Springs will host its third Open Play Chess Session at the Coral Springs Gymnasium from 6 to 8 p.m. Pre-registration is required for participants and spectators. For more information, please visit www.coralsprings.org/events.

We are excited to announce the launch of our city’s newly designed website. The city recognizes coralsprings.org as the digital front door to the services we provide our citizens and businesses. This digital transformation makes it convenient to access City Hall virtually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In addition to the newly designed website, we are proud to announce the launch of our official social media accounts! To better serve our community, we are using social media accounts as an added outlet for city business conversations and engagement with residents.

You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Mayor Scott Brook @CSCommissioner1, Vice Mayor Joshua Simmons @CSCommissioner4, Commissioner Shawn Cerra @CSCommissioner2, Commissioner Nancy Metayer @CSCommissioner3, and Commissioner Joy Carter @CSCommissioner5.

There is a change to our Commission Meeting schedule in March. The meetings will take place on Wednesday, March 3 and Monday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. You can view our public meetings and provide public comment, visit coralsprings.org/agendas for details.

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SoFlo BUZZ: October 2020 I

PARKLAND DASH is back — virtually

In keeping with social distancing requirements, this year’s Parkland Dash will allow participants to choose their own routes. Runners will be able to view live results online throughout the race day as participants submit their times.

On Saturday, October 18th, just run and track your 5K (3.1 miles) or 5 miles while using the RaceJoy app on your cell phone. The deadline to submit your time is 3:00 p.m. race day. Once the countdown clock reaches zero, no more times will be accepted and the race will be finalized.

To register for the run, visit runsignup.com/parklanddash.

Each $30 registration helps support Canine Assisted Therapy, the mission of which is to improve the health and well-being of children and adults by achieving specific physical, cognitive, social, or emotional goals through the use of certified pet therapy teams.

Canine Assisted Therapy has provided ongoing services to MSD, The Parkland Library, Riverglades Elementary, and Aston Gardens. They work with isolated seniors, pediatric patients, individuals with special needs, veterans, those suffering from grief or loss, and many others. Founded in 2009, this non-profit organization has the goal of improving the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of pet therapy services in South Florida.

 

Foundation distributes 41,000 school supply kits

Broward Education Foundation, dedicated to serving students and teachers in Broward County Public Schools, recently distributed more than 41,000 safely sealed 18-piece basic school supply kits to 41,000 students from 69 Title I elementary schools in Broward County.

 

More than 90 percent of students in Broward’s top 40 Title I elementary schools are enrolled in free and reduced lunch programs.

The foundation pivoted from a physical school supply drive to a virtual one. Thanks to the generosity of the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, Jim Moran Foundation, Wells Fargo, Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, Ultimate Software, Hamilton Group Funding, Inc., People’s Trust Insurance, Harmony Development Center, Inc., State Farm Insurance, Pride Center at Equality Park, Centennial Bank, Broward County Public Schools, BrightStar Credit Union, Pirtle Construction, and many more generous corporations and individuals, the campaign was a success.

“Ordinarily, Broward Education Foundation’s School Supply Drive would help to stock the shelves at our school supply center where teachers from Title I schools shop free for their students in need,” said Shea Ciriago, executive director of the foundation. “We knew we had to be proactive in light of COVID, so we orchestrated the online fundraising campaign.”

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CORAL SPRINGS COMMISSION

As we head into the month of October, we are so proud of how Coral Springs and its residents have proven to be resilient and have unified in strength. We are fortunate to see a downward trend in COVID-19 cases within the state and county allowing certain restrictions to be lifted. However, it is important to remember there are still patients battling this virus and we must remain vigilant to prevent further spread in our community.

Certainly, how we meet, gather, and celebrate has changed due to the pandemic; however, city staff believes it’s important to continue traditions and celebrations, leading us to reimagine events. This season, we are planning for events such as, ‘Monster Splash,’ ‘Far out Flicks’ Drive-in Movie, and, sponsored by the Coral Springs Police Department Foundation, “Cops and Kids Drive-Through Trick or Treat.” Residents can learn more about all the city events by visiting https://coralsprings.org/events.

The General Election is on November 3 and early voting in Florida kicks-off on October 19th through November 1st. Your nearest early voting location is the Northwest Regional Library, hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. We encourage all residents to exercise their right to vote. If you are not a registered voter, you have until October 5 to register. If you prefer to Vote-By-Mail please request your ballot before the deadline of October 24, 2020. All information regarding the upcoming election can be found at https://browardsoe.org.

This month, we also highlight Fire Prevention Week from October 4th through October 10th. This year’s emphasis is kitchen safety. The Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department shares important safety tips to help prevent fires and protect your family:

  • Never leave cooking food unattended. Remain in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling. If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
  • If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly and use a timer.
  • Alertness is important when cooking. If you are sleepy, taking medication that makes you drowsy, or consuming alcohol, refrain from cooking.
  • Keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire ignites, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame, turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool. Never use water on a grease fire. Consider installing a small fire extinguisher in an easily accessible place in the kitchen.
  • Have a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drinks are prepared or carried.

The Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department offers additional information on their Facebook page, follow them at @coralspringsfd for more safety tips.

We are excited about our 2nd Annual Restaurant Week – Savor the Springs, which takes place on October 9-18, 2020. Sponsored by the Economic Development Office, the event features local restaurants offering great deals with prefixed menus featuring delicious dining options. For a full list of participating restaurants and culinary offerings, please visit https://SavorTheSprings.com. When you participate with friends and family, share on social using the hashtag #SavorCS, or tag us @CoralSpringsEDO.

You can stay informed and up to date by visiting https://coralsprings.org, following our city social media accounts, and through text message: text the keyword CORALSPRINGS to 888-777.

Our October Commission Meetings will take place virtually on Wednesday, the 7th at 9:00 a.m., and Wednesday, the 21st at 6:30 p.m.; residents are invited to watch and offer public comment by calling (954) 344-5900. Meetings are aired on CityTV, Blue Stream Channels 25, 25.2, 725, and on AT&T U-Verse channel 99. Meetings are also live-streamed at https://coralsprings.org/citytv.

As always, if you would like to schedule an appointment with any of your City Officials, please call (954) 344-5911.

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PETTALK: OK, who’s the stupid one now?

To my wife, I am probably getting a little judgy, but I literally had a Clint Eastwood moment from Gran Torino when he tells everyone to “get off my lawn.” To better explain, I was walking on Juno Beach and maintaining a 6-foot social distance as my wife and I walked on the sidewalk along the road. It was one of those days that said it was 88 degrees but the RealFeel index said 107. We brought water and, probably every 1⁄4 mile, there was a shower under which we kept wetting our baseball caps.

It was nice to be outside and see something other than the same houses on the block, then we heard someone behind us, but could not see him. He had one of those booming voices. I knew he was from New York from the accent and it took nearly 30 minutes for him to catch up to us. There he was, wearing a t-shirt without sleeves, a Yankees hat, mirrored sunglasses, and walking a 6-month old Boxer pup. Over the thirty minutes it took him to catch up to us, I heard about his life, his girlfriend, his frustration with the pandemic, and the stupid dog he bought. It wasn’t until he was close enough that I realized it was a puppy.

When Mr. Yankee was right behind us, I could see that the puppy was thirsty. He was hyper salivating, and when he walked by the showers you could see him try to lick the puddles on the sidewalk, but Mr. Yankee pulled on the leash because he was walking and having an intense conversation on his phone. For the next quarter mile, the puppy kept walking on the grass and Mr. Yankee pulled him back on the pavement making comments on his phone to whomever he was talking to about the puppy being stupid. I made sure that we stayed close. Mr. Yankee was about to walk by the next shower when I stopped and decided to tell him that the puppy was thirsty. Mr. Yankee told me that he didn’t bring a bowl and I told him to cup his hands and fill them with water which he did, and the puppy drank three handfuls of water.

He looked at me and asked me if I was a vet or something.
I told him that I was. He asked me if I could look at his dog’s weird walk. His last dog was a German Shepard and he had to put him to sleep because of hip dysplasia and this puppy never walks straight. I said that I would but I told him that hip dysplasia is a radiographic diagnosis. I asked him what the puppy’s name was and he said it was Aaron, after Aaron Judge, the Yankee superstar. Figures. I watched Aaron walk and he kept getting off the pavement and walking onto the grass. Mr. Yankee kept pulling him onto the sidewalk. This happened multiple times and finally Mr. Yankee stopped and said to my wife and I that this dog either has hip dysplasia, needs extensive training which his German Shepard never needed, or is stupid.

I looked at Mr. Yankee and saw that he was wearing sneakers. I asked him to take off his shoes. He asked me why. I told him it was a training trick. I was so surprised that he listened to me and when he stepped on the pavement, he jumped off the pavement and onto the grass. He told me that it was “f****n hot”. I agreed. Aaron is not stupid he has probably burned his pads and wanted to walk on the grass because it is cooler. He picked up his puppy and saw that the puppy’s pads were raw. It was great watching Mr. Yankee carry Aaron back home.

 

By Dr. Glen Kalick

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SoFlo BUZZ: New rabbi at Temple Beth Orr

Temple Beth Orr in Coral Springs welcomed its new rabbi July 1.

Rabbi Laura Rappaport’s first service at Temple Beth Orr was held via Zoom on Friday, July 3.

Michael Koss, President of Temple Beth Orr, said that Rabbi Rappaport has been described as “very caring, welcoming, and gets involved with each member of the congregation”.

Rabbi Rappaport served as the Associate Rabbi and Educator at Temple B’nai Shalom in Fairfax, Virginia. She has a background as a pulpit rabbi, a director of congregational learning, a board-certified hospital chaplain, a director of non-profits, an adjunct college faculty member, and the mother of two.

Rabbi Rappaport grew up in rural Northwest New Jersey and received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She received her M.A.H.L. and rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Jerusalem and Cincinnati campuses). She has also completed masters’ level courses in bioethics from Rush University and University of Washington and doctoral level courses in Jewish studies from Spertus College in Chicago.

Rabbi Rappaport is immensely proud of her two daughters, Tanya and Rosa. Tanya is a registered dietician, working for a non-profit in Seattle. Rosa is an environmental resource engineer, currently living in Tel Aviv. Rabbi Rappaport enjoys running/working out, indie/alternative music, listening to The Moth and This American Life, hiking, and occasionally playing the hammered dulcimer.

Temple Beth Orr is a multi-generational and multi-ethnic community, made up of singles, couples, interfaith, and gay and lesbian families. It is located at 2151 Riverside Drive, Coral Springs.

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SoFlo BUZZ: Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department recognized again

The Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department is among 348 departments nationwide rated Public Protection Classification (PPC) ISO Class 1.

The PPC program is known to help communities prepare to fight fires effectively through the community’s investment in fire mitigation.

The ISO expert staff analyzes the data collected regarding municipal fire protection efforts in communities and assigns a Public Protection Classification on a scale of 1-10. Superior property fire protection
is classified as Class 1. The classification generally determines the price of fire insurance in a community – the better the rating the lower the price, assuming all other factors are equal.

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