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Helping to break the stigma during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Unfortunately, for too many people, there is still a stigma associated with mental illness. It’s a shame and it must change. No one chooses to have anxiety or depression or to have a child diagnosed as bipolar. Of course, no one chooses to have cancer either.

Instead of exploring why there is a stigma, I have started an organization, the Mental Wellness Networking Alliance (MWNA), that is committed to “Break the Stigma” for as far as we can reach.

I began the organization with other community leaders shortly after we lost our second teenager in a week, only one year and one month after the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Both of our local teenagers experienced unspeakable trauma that day. When I heard about Calvin Desir losing his life, I committed to do something different in my capacity as a concerned dad, as a local leader, and as the son of Marcia Brook, in order to save lives.

You see, I tragically lost my mom, Marcia, to suicide when I was only 23 and she was 58. My family was devastated. We had no idea my mother was ill. She visited me in May 1987 in New Orleans when I graduated from Tulane with an MBA. She seemed a little sad at times, but I thought her emotions were more involved with her pride and love than with any mental illness. However, this article is not about me or my loss. Rather, this is about us. Too many groups of people suffer with mental health challenges in silence. Suicide disproportionally affects numerous populations, including veterans, teenagers, young Black males, and others.

What can you do to help prevent suicide during the month of September, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month? You can reach out to a loved one whom you sense has been going through some difficult times and be present for that person. You can share 2-1-1 as a great resource to help those in crisis, as well as the Suicide Prevention Hotline at (800) 227-TALK.

You also can join me and others, including several mental health professionals, at our next MWNA meeting on Sept. 14 at Keller Williams, 3301 N. University Drive, for dialogue, connection, and education. On Sept. 23, MWNA is joining forces with the Veterans Networking Alliance to raise money to help with education, advocacy, and treatment. The event will be at the Coral Springs Museum of Art, and you can email me for tickets at scott@scottjbrookpa.com or find us on Facebook.

If you or someone you know needs help, please seek it. At MWNA, our vision is that we live in a world where mental wellness is equally as vital as physical wellness. An injury above the shoulders should not be treated as any less of an injury worthy of care than an injury below the shoulders. We all want mental wellness. Discussing mental illness and seeking care should not be taboo.

#BREAKTHESTIGMA

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Prepare your finances for a “rainy day” — top banking tips for hurricane season

by David Druey, Florida Regional President, Centennial Bank

Floridians have seen their fair share of hurricanes and know storms can turn on a dime. With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s prediction of 13 to 20 named storms this hurricane season, it is crucial for locals to prepare their finances in the event of a power outage, water damage, or evacuations.

According to FEMA’s most recent annual hurricane preparedness survey, only 48 percent of Americans have emergency plans for disasters. In fact, most Americans do not factor finances into their evacuation and safety preparations.

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Elsa’s recent landfall in Florida serves as a reminder that there is no better time than now to get your “financial house” in order. We recommend the following hurricane banking tips:

  • Cash is king. Withdraw a week’s worth of living expenses in the event of fallen power lines and/or trees; it is important to have extra cash on hand to help with cleanup. Most banks offer drive-through ATMs and interactive teller machines that can be accessed when bank lobbies are closed.
  • Have your bank on speed dial. Familiarize yourself with your local branch’s special services and hurricane evacuation plan in the event of a storm.
  • 24/7 access. Download your bank’s mobile app and ensure that all accounts are set up digitally so you can access funds from anywhere in the country. Do not forget to save your mobile banking username and password in a safe place. 
  • Get your camera ready. Scan and/or photograph your most important personal and banking documents (i.e., IDs, titles, deeds, birth certificates, Social Security cards). It is always a good idea to keep important documents in a water-safe area or sealed bag in the event of a flood.
  • Keep an “eye” out for scams. After storms, banking scams are unfortunately a common occurrence. Be on the alert for suspicious phone calls, mail, texts, emails, and more from companies or individuals pretending to be your bank.

When in doubt, get in touch with your local banker to ensure your account information is up to date and to learn more about the services they offer in the event of an emergency.

Making accommodations to have extra cash on hand, reaching out to your local branch, taking photos of important documents, and double-checking your access to your bank’s mobile app does not take more than a few hours. These simple tips can save you time and money in the long run.

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September means snook season on the Atlantic

Snook fight hard and are delicious to eat, and there’s no better time to catch the fish than in September.

Snook season opens on Sept. 1 after a three-month closure on the Atlantic coast. One of Florida’s most popular saltwater gamefish, snook are protected during the summer because that’s when they gather at inlets as they prepare to spawn and are easy to target.

After spawning in South Florida, many snook head back into the Intracoastal Waterway and local canals. But a bunch remain in inlets, as well as off beaches and around fishing piers, where they can be caught on live bait and a variety of lures such as jigs, plugs, and soft-plastic baitfish imitations. That means land-based anglers have just as good a shot at catching a snook as those fishing from boats.

Because snook are so fun to catch and so good to eat, they are intensely managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Anglers are allowed to keep only one snook per day with a total length of 28 to 32 inches along the Atlantic coast.

The season is closed from June 1 to Aug. 31. Open season is Sept. 1 to Dec. 14, and then it closes Dec. 15 to Jan. 31, when the potential for cold weather can make snook so lethargic that unethical anglers could simply scoop up the fish with a landing net. The season reopens from Feb. 1 to May 31.

For anglers without boats, the fishing piers in Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach are good places to try to catch a snook, but it can be a challenge. One of the great mysteries of the undersea world is why snook that are caught and released at fishing piers all summer suddenly stop biting when the season opens.

It’s not that the fish have left the piers — you can usually see snook swimming in front of the underwater camera at Deerfield Pier (https://deerfield-beach.com/1474/Live-Cameras) — it’s that they’re not too interested in eating. Nevertheless, a few people always manage to catch a keeper snook.

Some anglers use sabiki rigs to catch baitfish such as pilchards, then put the baits back out on heavy outfits with egg sinkers to keep them near the bottom where the snook hang out. You can also use a small gold hook baited with a piece of shrimp to catch small jacks, pinfish, and croakers for bait. Or you can buy some live shrimp, the bigger the better, to tempt a snook to bite.

When fishing from piers at night, the best place to fish your bait is along the shadow line in the water, because snook typically lurk on the dark side of the line and ambush baitfish that swim along the edge.

Boat docks and bridges also harbor snook this time of year. Snook hang around pilings and wait for the tide to bring baitfish or shrimp. Anglers who fish at night prefer bridges and docks with lights and, like pier anglers, fish their baits and lures so they drift from the light side of the shadow line to the dark side. If you’re fishing a dock without lights, cast your lure or bait under the dock and let it sink to where the snook are waiting.

Tom Greene of Lighthouse Point, who has fished for snook for more than 60 years, said bridges across the Intracoastal Waterway in Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, and Boca Raton can be snook hot spots at the start of the outgoing and incoming tides. The fish will almost always be on the down-current side of the bridges.

Greene said he’d cast a Flair Hawk jig and bounce it on the bottom parallel to the bridge and along the shadow line. He also recommended working a Spooltek lure along the bottom.

“The secret of snook fishing is that snook are feeding on the bottom, not on top,” said Greene, although he acknowledged that the fish will occasionally hit a top-water lure.

Those who prefer to fish in canals can try the Hillsboro and Cypress Creek canals anywhere west of U.S. Highway 1. Greene suggested slowly trolling diving plugs from a small boat early in the morning and in the evening. He said kayak anglers should fish early and cast plugs or DOA plastic shrimp around seawalls and docks.

Rain also plays a role in snook fishing this time of year. After heavy rains, spillways in South Florida are opened to release the excess water into the Intracoastal Waterway. Snook wait at the spillways to feed on small freshwater fish such as bluegills, shad, and shiners that are swept through the water control structures.

Greene said the top spillways include the Cypress Creek in Pompano Beach and the Hillsboro in Boca Raton. His favorite way to fish the spillways is to hook a live or dead bluegill, shad, or shiner through the bottom of the mouth and out through the top on a 1/2- or 3/8-ounce jig. He casts the bait into the fast-moving water at the mouth of the spillway and bounces the jig on the bottom.

“I would find myself at a spillway at daylight and fish that,” Greene said. “If you can’t make the daylight bite, fish a spillway late in the afternoon. If you have to work all night, you can still fish them in the middle of the day because fish at spillways will eat all day.”

And if you’re successful, you’ll be eating fried or grilled snook for dinner.

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Wine lover’s manifesto: The best wine is the wine you like best

I guess you can call this a manifesto, and I start with two statements: (1) There are no longer any bad wines made today, and (2) my motto.

The first statement reflects modern sanitary knowledge and the fact that a bad or even poor wine could ruin a winery’s reputation. In the past, a wine could be ruined by a bad cork rotting, resulting in what is called a corked wine, or at worse, allowing bacteria to enter the bottle and turning the wine into vinegar (which comes from the French word for sour wine, vin aigre). Corked wines do still occur occasionally today, but they are very rare. It is a fact that wine collectors must have their older wines recorked every 30 years to keep the wine from spoiling due to a rotting cork.

Continue reading “Wine lover’s manifesto: The best wine is the wine you like best”

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Tips to follow during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Prostate cancer is common and grows slowly. At onset, symptoms may be absent, but as it progresses, early warning signs include an increased urgency to urinate, frequency, and leaking. In more advanced stages, the cancer can metastasize to other organs such as the lungs, liver, and brain. In a majority of cases, bone pain will occur.

According to the American Cancer Society, cancer of the prostate is the second most common cancer, and men are 44 percent more likely to develop it than women.

Mehmet F. Hepgur, M.D., an oncologist/radiologist at Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale, says that depending on the size of the tumor, a person may feel pain in the prostate and see blood while urinating. “The only way to detect the specific stage is through an examination and taking a test to determine a person’s PSA (prostate-specific antigen) level,” said Dr. Hepgur. “The best chance for a successful treatment is through early detection when the tumor is still confined within the prostate gland.”

The PSA test is not for cancer detection but a means of measuring the levels of a specific antigen in the prostate gland. The PSA numbers can indicate other issues ranging from inflammation and infection to gland enlargement and subsequent cancer. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, a high PSA level does not always indicate prostate cancer. There are numerous types of prostate cancer, and there’s a treatment for each type. In summary, one approach doesn’t fit everyone, and treatment is on a case-by-case basis.

“A person in their 40s or 50s with a PSA greater than 3 milligrams per milliliter is abnormal and may need a further workup,” said Dr. Hepgur. “The PSA range is usually less than 1. For a person in their 70s, a PSA above 4 is abnormal, and if it rises above 0.3 milligrams per milliliter a year, additional testing is required.”

It’s important to identify prostate cancer in its early stage and to be aware of any history of cancer in the family, genetics, or abnormal lifestyle habits. “Reports show that African-American men have a higher incidence rate and may have to be screened at a younger age,” said Dr. Hepgur. “There’s no hard data to show why certain ethnicities have higher rates of incidence, but we encourage earlier screenings as the best method of prevention.”

There is debate in some circles about the age at which screenings should begin. The primary recommendation is between 55 and 69 years of age. “Exercise is important, as is cutting down alcohol consumption,” said Dr. Hepgur. “It’s critical to be screened at the proper time and talk to your doctor about treatment options.”

Older men and women with prostate cancer are under “active surveillance.” Specialists find that surgical versus radiation outcomes are very similar. In advanced stages, however, it’s recommended to see an oncologist for treatment protocols.

Dr. Hepgur’s advice is to be aware of any history of cancer in the family and of any genetic predisposition, and to live a healthy lifestyle through exercise and nutrition.

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Parkland gives back, providing 1,119 backpacks for students in need

This year, Parkland’s annual Backpack Project provided 1,119 backpacks complete with back-to-school supplies for students in need, aiding a number of nonprofit organizations, including Kids in Distress, Hope South Florida, God’s Little Lambs Preschool, and SOS Children’s Villages Florida.

 

What started as a small family and friends operation eight years ago has become a community favorite. “I think the first year we ended up with 300 backpacks,” recalls Heather Khalil, founder and driving force behind the annual drive. “We helped one agency with a backpack project.”

 

Over the years, as the Backpack Project grew in popularity, Khalil ran out of room in her house to store the donated backpacks and asked volunteers to become team leaders in their neighborhoods. “More friends and neighbors asked to participate as I added projects, so I reached out to other agencies.” She now has team leaders not only in Parkland, but also in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Coral Springs, Weston, Plantation, and a growing number of other communities. “Everything grew beyond what I thought was possible.”

 

One of the unique aspects of the Backpack Project, and perhaps the reason it resonates with so many, is its personal touch, an idea that originated with Khalil and one that she brought to fruition. “I think I was the first to bring the idea to do it for specific kids so people could actually shop for an assigned child and write a note to them.”

Each year, the participating agencies provide Khalil with a list of children in need. Volunteers are then given their particular student’s name, age, size, and gender so that they can purchase appropriate backpacks, first day of school outfits, socks, underwear, toiletries, school supplies, and a book, and they can also include a note of encouragement addressed to their child.

“Many people in the community tell me the whole family shops together for ‘their’ child,” enthuses Khalil. “Volunteers often provide more than what is asked for because they really want to make a difference. I get to witness a lot of kindness and love firsthand, which is truly amazing and a blessing!”

Next up for Khalil is the Halloween Project, which provides Halloween costumes for children in the foster-care and homeless system. “Children in the foster system and homeless system do not get new costumes for Halloween. If they get anything at all, it’s usually someone’s old costume. This project offers those children the chance to choose their own brand-new costume,” explains Khalil.

Again making the experience personal for both child and volunteer, Khalil asks participating agencies to provide a list that includes each child’s name, age, gender, size, and top two costume choices. Volunteers are then assigned a specific child and are responsible for providing one of the costumes requested, a durable trick-or-treat bag, and a full-size bag of candy.

For more information or to get involved, head to Facebook. Khalil has a local group called

“Heather’s volunteer opportunities” that regularly posts new events and calls for volunteers.

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Get your Wagyu in Coral Springs

It’s 7,500 miles from Coral Springs to Japan, the home of the Wagyu. Wagyu is the Japanese name for beef, but here in the United States, it’s often associated with the well-marbled beef that is commonly found on restaurant menus.

In grocery stores, you will find USDA prime, choice, and select steaks. They are graded based on the fat streaking in the steak. And for those who love barbecue, more marbling often means great flavors and tender meat.

Wagyu is graded based on the meat yield, from A (highest) to C (lowest); and marbling, from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). This is where you may find the highest-grade Wagyu as A5. The Beef Marble Score is often referred to; scored 1–12, the higher the number, the more marbled the meat.

If you have had A5 Wagyu, you know it’s unique. The melting temperature of Wagyu beef is lower than other beef, at 77 degrees F. Extra care is required in the preparation, to provide that buttery, melt-in-your-mouth experience that you will remember long after you wolf down your steak.

Japan has long controlled the export of cattle, as it’s considered a national treasure. The Japanese government put a ban in place in 1997. Before the ban, a few were exported to the United States, and there were 200 full-blood Wagyu in the United States. U.S. ranchers were able to cross Wagyu with other popular breeds, like Angus, and they were referred to as Wagyu-influenced breeds. This is where American Wagyu came from; and to be considered Wagyu, the beef needs to be at least 50 percent Wagyu.

If you want to experience the rich flavor and unique, melt-in-your-mouth experience, you can find Wagyu in many fine restaurants, or you can buy it directly from a local butcher shop in Coral Springs, Meat n Bones. They have a storefront on Sample Road, near city hall.

The proprietors of Meat n Bones provided a sampling of their favorite American Wagyu cuts to try. The Coral Springs store manager, Thomas LoBracco, is a food enthusiast. He comes from a family of butchers, and he loves to explain all the great cuts of beef available at his store.

LoBracco shared a few cuts he wanted us to try. The flap steak, well-marbled and thin, can be prepared quickly over high heat. Denver steak is a tender and economical cut, and it can be braised and cooked like a short rib.

Another good cut that LoBracco has is Picanha. First made popular in Brazil, it is a great steak. It has a fat cap that imparts the steak with an extra oomph of flavor.

Meat n Bones also carries a wide range of non-Wagyu beef. So whatever you are fancying for the weekend barbecue, you will not be disappointed.

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One Year Later After Fatal Heart Attack Patient Returns to Hospital to Thank Caregivers

Coral Springs, Florida – With much appreciation, Parkland resident Lisette Caro, 50, and her family paid a visit to Broward Health Coral Springs to reunite with doctors and nurses, but this time with happy tears of gratitude for saving her life.  

Caro was brought in to Broward Health Coral Springs’ Emergency Department last year in full cardiac arrest. Her 14-year-old daughter performed CPR that bought Caro time to get the medical care she needed. A full medical team worked on her with aggressive treatment trying to save her life.  

Gary Lai, D.O., Chief of Emergency Medicine at Broward Health Coral Springs, recalls this as a moment in his medical career that he will never forget. “What stands out to me most is the miraculous turn around that she made,” he said. “Once we were able to get her family at her bedside, it really was a miracle how she turned around. She has amazing kids who were able to jump into action and save mom.”  

Caro said that she never thought she’d suffer a cardiac incident, because “my blood pressure was usually low, I don’t have history of cardiac disease in my family, and I never had a problem with my heart. It was very unexpected.”

Today, Caro says she appreciates and loves her family a little more after beating the odds. 

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Rebounding After the Pandemic: The Return to the Cinema

The cinema is truly a cornerstone of American culture. More important than providing a source of fun entertainment or a classy taste of art, going out to the movies is a great way to spend time with others.

From the nail-biting suspense of watching a thriller with a tightknit group of friends, to “ahhing” at a bombastic action movie with our families, to gushing over a corny rom-com with a significant other, going to the movie theater affords us a surefire way of spending quality time with those we care about most. That is why it hurt so much to lose the theater during the pandemic.

Fortunately, as the COVID-19 pandemic winds down and the American public becomes vaccinated, we are having our beloved cinemas, and all that comes with them, returned to us.

Although many Americans continue to remain hesitant, the future of the cinema still looks bright. On March 31, the mega-budget CGI monster slugfest, “Godzilla vs. Kong,” released in theaters and earned over $420 million at the box office. More than just an outstanding economic success, the film proved to studios that if they release films, audiences will go to see them. After all, there is no point in producing a movie if it will not earn any profits. 

Also taking a stand for the return to the cinema is one of the most successful and beloved movie studios, Marvel. In a recent trailer for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the studio not only showcased its upcoming films, but also implored audiences to return to theaters. Marvel carried this out by having the late Stan Lee speak about the importance of being with those we care about, showing video clips of remarkable in-theater reactions to Marvel movies, and ending the trailer with the large white text “See you at the movies.” With such an influential and cherished studio confidently leading the way, more are bound to follow and resurrect the cinema.

Besides studios being encouraged to solely create new movies, they also will be incentivized to release big-name blockbusters that they have been strategically holding on to. Examples of completed, yet unreleased films include the highly anticipated new installment in the James Bond franchise, “No Time to Die”; Wes Anderson’s artsy yet broadly appealing “The French Dispatch”; and the novella-adapted, sci-fi thriller “Dune.” However unfortunate being forced to see these movies later than sooner is, these films will be made all the better by having the full cinema experience.

Although using a streaming app and enjoying a movie on a personal device is still great and enjoyable, nothing quite compares to the silver screen. In addition to the aforementioned social aspects, there are more factors that make this statement true.

As showcased in the Marvel Phase 4 trailer, collectively watching and reacting to movies as an audience improves the viewing experience tenfold. There is a certain magic to laughing, gasping, crying, and cheering with complete strangers that only the cinema can provide.

Going to the theater also provides a more cinematic experience in general. When it comes to movies, bigger is better, and viewing from a large, high-quality silver screen is much better than the lesser quality and smaller size of a personal device. In addition to the visual aspect, a greatly underappreciated factor of the cinematic experience is audio quality. There is a world of difference between personal earbuds and professional-grade speakers at movie theaters. Punches feel weightier, dialogue is clearer, explosions are more visceral, and the music is more expressive. 

Bringing everything back to a more local level, I recently went out to a local theater to see the action-comedy film “Nobody.” To put it bluntly, the movie theater was in a desolate state. Aside from the theater lacking customers, it also was short-staffed. There were no ticket clerks, janitors, or ushers. The one concessions worker who was there also took the role of ticket clerk, selling both tickets and treats. Her manager took the role of janitor and was maintaining the theater. As for the lack of ushers, one could walk into a theater without having purchased a ticket.

At this cinema I saw only three other movie-goers, all of whom were in my theater. However bare-bones the cinema was, seeing the film in an actual theater was no less of a welcome experience, which I hope to enjoy again as we move forward into the future.

List of notable movies being released in theaters:

June 25 — “Fast and Furious 9”

July 2 — “The Forever Purge”

July 9 — “Black Widow”

July 16 — “Space Jam: A New Legacy”

July 23 — “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania”

July 30 — “The Green Knight”

July 30 — “Jungle Cruise”

August 6 — “The Suicide Squad”

August 20 — “Paw Patrol: The Movie”

August 20 — “The Protégé”

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‘Witness the magic’ – empowering people through equine connection

Tucked away on the north side of Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek is a place that has been empowering all who pass through its gates — both two-legged and four-legged — for almost 40 years. That place is Equine-Assisted Therapies of South Florida (EATSF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing therapeutic riding and equine activities to children and adults with special needs. 

“We’re here to build people up, no matter what their ability is,” emphasizes Molly Murphy, executive director of EATSF.

And that’s exactly what the organization does through its hippotherapy, therapeutic riding, equine-facilitated psychotherapy, and equine-facilitated learning programs.

“None of my peers rode horses,” recalls Murphy, who participated in both EATSF’s therapeutic riding and hippotherapy programs as a child. “This was something I did and was really good at, and I felt really powerful. For kids with disabilities, that is not the case a lot of the time. You don’t feel powerful in a lot of ways because you don’t have power over the way your body moves or your mind works.” 

Throughout the years, EATSF’s program has demonstrated that fostering a connection between horse and human consistently produces inspiring results for participants on both a physical and an emotional level. 

A 4-year-old, nonverbal participant rode with the program for a full year and out of nowhere in January exclaimed to everyone, “Happy new year!”

Another participant qualified for nationals for the Special Olympics. Others have started out only able to lie across the back of the horse and, over time, developed the muscle strength to sit up with support. 

“It’s moments like that that have shaped and defined me,” says Missy Tussing, certified therapeutic riding instructor and barn manager, who has been involved with EATSF for 25 years. “One of the most important things I’ve seen is the growth of the participants.” 

The sense of empowerment derived from working with horses is not limited to the riders. 

“I’ve seen volunteers come across our threshold with no horse experience develop confidence and leadership skills that have transcended other areas of their lives,” says Murphy.

What is it about horses that makes them such effective therapy animals? 

“They understand emotions. They’re a lot more knowledgeable than we give them credit for,” explains Tussing. “I’ve seen a horse you wouldn’t expect to reach out and catch his rider reach out and catch his rider.” That horse is Goose, an off-the-track thoroughbred that EATSF acquired through its partnership with Florida Thoroughbred Rescue and Adoptive Care.

Goose serves as an example of the positive impact that therapeutic riding can have on the horse as well. “For him, that was the day everything clicked,” says Tussing. “Off-the-track thoroughbreds come with their own set of challenges, and for him as a horse to overcome that and become such a wonderful horse for the program is a testament to him as well.” 

EATSF is open to new participants, volunteers, and horses. To get involved, visit its website at http://equineatsf.org or call the office at (954) 974-2007. 

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Florida becoming ‘hotbed’ for lacrosse

Parkland’s Casey Roberts and Ava Yovino have seen firsthand what lacrosse has become in Florida.

Both high school juniors helped their teams win state championships in the spring and both are members of the highly successful Florida Select travel program. Gone are the days where college coaches would scour the Northeast for players. Florida is becoming a hotbed as well.

Casey, 16, a junior at American Heritage-Delray, helped the Stallions win their second state title with an 11-9 win against Lake Highland Prep.

“Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports,” said Casey, an Ohio State University commit. “It wasn’t very big in Florida, and I think our travel team for one is helping grow the sport. Our 2022 team, which me and Ava are on, is ranked No. 1 in the country last year.

“I think more kids are starting to play rec ball at a young age with the RedHawks, the Boca Jets, and the local leagues,” she said. “Our travel team goes to the Northeast to play in tournaments because that is where some of the top teams play. We normally go to Maryland and New Jersey and play the top teams in the country.”

Ava, 16, a two-time high school All-American and Academic All-American, recently helped St. Thomas Aquinas win their first girls FHSAA Class 2A state title with a 17-9 win over Vero Beach.

The high school junior comes from a lacrosse family as her father, Lou, plays lacrosse on a men’s league team (Buzzards) from Parkland. He coached with the RedHawks and travel teams.

Her brother Louis, a three-time U.S. Lacrosse All-American and state champion with the Raiders, played lacrosse at Furman, and Nick was a two-time US Lacrosse All-American and two-time state champion. Both brothers are at UCF.

“Having a family that plays has probably made the biggest impact in my life,” said Ava, who is committed to playing D1 at the U.S. Naval Academy. “They have been the best role models, and to have people like that to mimic has been a really great gift for me.

“We live in Maryland and New Jersey for like half the year,” Ava said. “We like to show the girls from up north who’s boss. To be a part of Florida becoming a hotbed is pretty cool, especially starting off with the RedHawks and trying different travel programs, and eventually Florida Select.”

Lacrosse was a club sport back in the early 1990s where it was not sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association, so high schools combined and played as club teams. The sport was sanctioned in 2008.

Terry Crowley, who was a representative for U.S. Lacrosse at the time, got together with Jerry Kraus, who put together a team from area high schools, and they played in a tri-county club league. That morphed into the South Florida Youth Lacrosse League. Crowley, his wife Barbara, and Mike Shutowick then started the RedHawks with 300 players in 2000. They also drew from the Coral Springs Chiefs; then-Parkland Mayor Michael Udine arranged for field space.

“I think the growth of the youth really forced high schools to take a look at it because as the kids got older, they wanted to play for their school,” said Crowley, who won state championships in 2016 and 2017 with St. Thomas Aquinas’ boys’ team. “I think the push from the parents really did it. A lot of parents were transplants and played up north. The growth hasn’t really surprised me because people look for an alternative for football or something to compliment football and this is a perfect sport, and hockey players don’t have to pay for ice time because the sunshine is free.”

Andrew Edenbaum said both of his sons played when they were younger. Gabriel, 18, who recently graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSD), played until eighth grade. Edenbaum said he told Gabriel in second grade that he had to make a choice, continue to play baseball or try lacrosse, and Darren, who was in preschool at the time, followed suit.

Darren just finished his freshman lacrosse season at MSD, where he scored a team-leading 39 goals and 15 assists to lead them to a district championship. He started with the RedHawks in Parkland at age 5 and now plays for the Stealth travel program.

“It was a new experience for me because I was a freshman and didn’t know what to expect,” said Darren, who will play on a summer travel team in the Northeast. “I really like high school lacrosse better because it was more competition. I always wanted to be a starter in my first year. In my first game, I scored seven goals, so I proved myself. My goal is to play Division 1 lacrosse.”

Two freshman brothers, who relocated from Long Island to Parkland, helped the Saint John Paul II Academy boys lacrosse team to a 9-5 record this year. Matt Evans made his mark with 17 goals, 7 assists, while Michael scored 16 goals and 6 assists for 22 points this season.

Michael Evans Sr. said the family moved here 5 years ago and got involved in the RedHawks initially. Now they play for Lax Mafia, where Evans is one of the coaches of the 2024s. He played at Long Island University and brought Team 91 to Florida.

Currently, the NCAA has 75 schools playing Division 1 men’s lacrosse and 75 teams playing Division 2. There are 238 schools playing Division 3. On the women’s side, there are even more schools offering scholarships with 550 schools playing lacrosse across all three divisions.

“The growth down here has been so fast,” Evans said. “[It] starts with the rec programs and Parkland has a very good rec program. The RedHawks are super strong.”

Michael, 16, gives the sport a “10.” He and 15-year-old brother Matt will represent Ireland internationally for the 19-Under Team Éire in the World Games in 2022.

“It is my favorite sport in the world,” Michael said. “My dad played in college and when I was in the first grade, I tried it and fell in love with the sport. I am set on playing in college and Division 1 is the goal.”

Matt is looking forward to representing Ireland next year. He has played for the past 3 years with Ireland Youth.

“I really like the sport because it is like a family. I also like scoring a lot of goals, playing with my friends, and making memories. I would like to play through college.”

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Primal Forces Debuts as Boca Stage

Boca Raton’s Primal Forces theater company, founded in 2014 by artistic director Keith Garsson, emerges from the pandemic with new productions, a new attitude, and a new name – Boca Stage.

The company, located in The Sol Theater, at 3333 North Federal Highway is a professional theater company that produces new and topical works geared to a sophisticated theatergoer looking for alternatives to revivals and musicals.

Past productions have included the 2019 production of Emily Mann’s “Having Our Say” with Karen Stephens and Avery Somers, “Breadcrumbs” by Jennifer Haley, and  Laura Eason’s “Sex with Strangers,” which won the New Times Best Play of 2016.

“We want to be more aligned with our home and the City of Boca Raton,” says Garsson, about the name change, and says he is “excited to be coming back.”

He works in tandem with Genie Croft, artistic director and founding member of the multi-Carbonnell nominated Women’s Theater Project.

“All the world’s a stage,” says Croft, “and I can’t wait to be live in this world again.”

“The energy and dynamics of live theater are beyond description,” she says. “They are the essence of living, of being in the moment and transcribing those feelings to an audience.  That’s the creative process.”

Last March 13, the company shut down on what was to be Opening Night of their production of award-winning playwright Kenneth Lin’s “Warrior Class,” a modern-day variation on the Faust legend which explores the underbelly of a political campaign.  Lin has also written for the Netflix series, “House of Cards.”

The play is currently rescheduled for November 2021.

Garsson credits his landlords, Keith and Sara Grant, for their flexibility and financial help during the pandemic and says, “Without them, it could have been the end of the game.”

He also appreciates his loyal subscriber base which he says, “has been great.”  Boca Stage will honor all tickets purchased for the canceled season for a future date.  Garsson says he will personally call each and every subscriber to assure them the theater is returning in November and their tickets are good for a future performance.

“My heart goes out to our actors and designers who bore the brunt of losing their livelihoods during this past year of the pandemic,” says Garsson, who also runs a full-time software business.

“Of all the people who are allowed to complain, I’m not one of them,” he jokes.

While some theater companies found ways to produce virtual productions or other streaming shows Garsson says, “We are purists.  We believe live theater and all its drama is best seen live.”

“It’s hard to compete with Netflix or Amazon,” he says.  “Why would people stream my production when they can watch “Bridgerton” or “The Crown” or “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel?”

“The way I see it is I’d rather have nothing, than settle for less,” says Garsson, referring to what he says is a phrase “loosely translated from the Yiddish.”

Luckily, this fall people will have the choice to see live theater at Boca Stage, with one caveat – everybody must be vaccinated.

Garsson plans to ensure both patrons and employees are vaccinated by Oct. 1.  “Safety is our priority; we can’t risk anyone’s safety,” he says.

Croft concurs, “We cannot wait to bring our creative vision once again to an audience sharing in the evolving moments of a story coming to life,” she says.  “I look forward to sharing this experience with our audience.”

Besides “Warrior Class,” on deck for the 2021-22 season (the company’s 7th season) are four South Florida premieres featuring characters struggling against the system and tackling topics such as Hollywood legends and myths, (Elton Townend Jones’s “The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe”), big pharma (Kate Fodor’s “Rx”), children’s rights (“Luna Gale,” a new play by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rebecca Gilman), and the lunacy of the military bureaucracy in playwright Richard Strand’s “Ben Butler,” a Civil War comedy about real-life army general.

“Our audiences have made it quite clear that they enjoy the little-known plays with interesting topics,” says Garsson, who reads approximately 50-60 plays each month while exercising on the treadmill.

“We’re very lucky that today’s playwrights are providing works that are both relevant and different from the standard fare,” he says.  “Barring unforeseen events, this will be a good season.”

 

Tickets are on sale now for $45 ($50 Sunday matinees.)  Subscriptions may be purchased at www.bocastage.org or by calling 1-866-811-4111. Individual ticket sales will be available in mid-September. Thursday previews, Friday, and Saturday nights 8 p.m. curtain, and Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. curtain.

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