Tag: Parkland

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Parkland Mayor: Christine Hunschofsky

By the end of August, every homeowner should have received their TRIM (Truth in
Millage) notice which comes from the Broward County Property Appraiser. This notice can also be found online at bcpa.net. The TRIM notice details home market value and assessed value in addition to exemptions. It also shows the various taxing authorities (Broward County, Broward County Public Schools, South Florida Water Management District, North Broward Hospital District, Children’s Services Council, City of Parkland, etc) that make up your entire tax bill, what their current millage (property tax) rate is and what their highest proposed millage rate may be. Additionally, you will find all the times, dates, and locations of all the public budget hearings for every taxing authority. PLEASE take a close look at your TRIM notice this year so that you know how much each taxing authority is proposing to tax you and where you can go to give your input on their budgets.

Assessments are also listed on your TRIM notice separate from the property taxes. These include the Waste Management assessment for services, which is a direct pass-through amount from Waste Management for solid waste and recycling services, and the Parkland fire services fee. Additionally, some residents will have various water control assessments from North Springs
Improvement District, Parkland Water Control, Coconut Creek Utilities or Pinetree Water Control depending where their home is located in the city.

On a separate note, life has not been the way we expected it to be over these past few months. With the health and economic effects of COVID-19 as well
as schools starting the year off virtually, many are understandably stressed and anxious. Eagles’ Haven Wellness Center offers free virtual wellness classes and also has trained clinicians on staff to help. For more
information, visit their website at eagleshaven.org. Additionally dialing 211 in Broward County can connect you with a whole range of services from mental health and behavioral health to senior check-ins. Visit their website at 211-Broward.org to see the whole range of services they can connect you to.

The best way to keep up to date on what’s going on in our city is to visit the city website, follow the city on Facebook at facebook.com/copfl or on Twitter at @CityParklandFL, subscribe to the city’s e-blast “Parkland on Tap” at cityofparkland.org/notifyme and download the MyParkland app. As always, I enjoy hearing from our residents, so please reach out to me at chunschofsky@cityofparkland.org.

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Commissioner Michael Udine (3rd District, Broward County)

Summer is officially over, and we are heading into a fall season unlike any before. Broward County has many services available for residents during these uncertain times. Utilize the virtual library or classes through Broward County Libraries, enjoy the outdoors at our Broward County Parks or check out the online events hosted by Broward County’s Cultural Division. Resources are available today for you! In September there are several important deadlines to keep in mind.

The deadlines to complete the 2020 Census and register to vote in the general election are as follows:
Census: September 30th
Register to Vote: October 5th

Being counted in the Census is important to District 3, and your local community. Federal funding for hospitals, schools, infrastructure, and many other services are all determined by the Census. It is quick, safe, easy to fill out, and can be done by visiting Census.gov or calling 844-330-2020. Likewise, registering to vote is the only way you can participate fully in our democracy, and in the upcoming General Election in November. Check out BrowardSOE.org for more information. No matter who or what you support, everyone should have their voices heard on the issues important to you!

Do you have a small business in need of a CARES Act loan? The South Florida Regional Planning Council is administering over $5,000,000 in Economic Development Administration CARES Act Recovery Assistance. Applicants can apply at CARESActRLF. org, and check out information as it comes available. Small businesses, Sole-Proprietors, and 501(c)(3) organizations located within Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, or Monroe County are eligible.

During September we recognize National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Mental health conditions can affect anyone and too often those who are struggling do not receive the support they need. If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to Broward County’s suicide prevention helpline by dialing 211. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, and getting assistance is always confidential. During these trying times, #Let’sTalk and continue to break down the stigma surrounding mental health. It’s important to know you are supported by our community, and we are here for you no matter what.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day. Additionally, for all who celebrate, I would like to wish you and your family a happy Rosh Hashanah and blessed Yom Kippur. While we may not be able to gather with family, friends, and our community like in previous years, I hope that you have a special holiday.

• Email: mudine@broward.org
• Phone: (954)357-7003
• Facebook: @CommissionerMichaelUdine
• Twitter and Instagram: @MichaelUdine

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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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Horse camp lives on

My first time on a horse was in Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek when I was three. The first time I climbed up onto the giant animal was exhilarating, although it was hard, at first, to entrust my wellbeing to this animal.

Fast forward to 2018. I started to go to horse camp at Malachi Acres in Parkland, thanks to a recommendation from the Parklander. It’s something I have looked forward to each summer since.

When COVID-19 shut down my school, I began to worry there would be no horse camp this summer. I missed seeing all my friends, but somehow, I knew I would see my friends from Malachi.

When they reopened the camp, I was delighted. New protocols are in place, mask-wearing when necessary, constant cleaning, not standing too close to each other, and not sharing food have become our “new normal.”

All the horses at the barn are great for different reasons, but Cosmo is my absolute favorite because she listened to me immediately. My favorite parts of camp are seeing my friends, feeding after camp, being in control of a thousand-pound animal, and just having fun.

Coronavirus may have shut down other camps but at Malachi — as long as we are on our p’s and q’s — camp lives on, and I hope to be able to attend horse camp next summer!

By Madeline Bernstein

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I’m a proud #girldad

On February 23, 2013, my life changed. I gained not only a beautiful baby girl but also a best friend. I am a #girldad.

After the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, ESPN anchor Elle Duncan shared on SportsCenter a story about meeting Bryant for the first (and only) time. Bryant pridefully spoke about his three girls and his excitement over the possibility of having a fourth.

Duncan asked Bryant if he wanted more children. Without hesitation Bryant said, “I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a GIRL DAD.„ The hashtag “girldad” was born and quickly went viral. I was one of the millions of dads who reposted a picture of my daughter, Harper, and I playing basketball. In honor of Kobe, I used #girldad.

I am lucky enough to have two children, a girl (Harper, age 7) and a boy (Hudson, age 3).

I always knew I would have a great relationship with my son, as most dads do. Like many dads, however, my relationship with my daughter is just “special.”

I brag about my daughter, ad nauseam. Pictures of her are peppered throughout my office. My friends sometimes roll their eyes at me when I tell yet another story about the time Harper did “fill in the blank.”

The truth is, I am just so darn proud of her. In my eyes, she is perfect in every way.

Looking back, however, I have been the proudest of her when she and I do something together that defies stereotypes. In those moments, I know I am raising her the way Bryant raised his daughters.

Bryant, one of the most competitive and ruthless athletes of all-time, did not see gender as a barrier to his daughters having the same opportunities and privileges as boys.

In decades past, dads of girls interacted differently with them than dads of boys. Dads were expected to do traditional “boy activities” with their sons and “girl activities” with their daughters. Society placed limits on what fathers and daughters should do.

Boys played sports. Girls danced and cheered.

Boys went camping. Girls had tea parties.

Boys lead. Girls followed.

Parkland, Broward County, the world, in fact, is full of dads who have amazing relationships with their daughters. These are dads who post a myriad of pictures on social media of them with their daughters at concerts, sporting events, or catching fish. These are dads that are not embarrassed to perform in “Dancing Dads” at Dance Theater, or that take time off from work to watch their daughter perform in the school play.

Many of these dads feel the same way about their daughters’ limitless potential and want their daughters to know that they are supporting them every step of the way.

#Girldads want their daughters to be fearless, brave, assertive, take chances, make mistakes, and strive for greatness in everything they do–athletics or otherwise.

#Girldads are proud of their daughters for being true to themselves regardless of what others think they should be.

#Girldads embrace the fact that they get to experience the best of both worlds.

#Girldads always let their daughters know that they can accomplish anything–the world is their oyster!

A typical day with Harper includes dancing in the family room as well as practicing free throws.

One night we may watch Goonies or The Sandlot; the next night, The Princess Diaries or Troop Beverly Hills.

It is just as likely Harper and I will film a TikTok video or throw a football in the backyard.

The best part about living in Parkland as a #girldad may be Parkland Rec Sports. Don’t believe me? Attend a Friday Night Lights football game. #GirlDads are just as intensely cheering for their daughters as they are for their sons. The girls have a blast. The parents have a blast. It may be the best draw of Parkland – #girldads galore!

Many of the dads coach their son’s teams and their daughter’s teams. These #girldads get to the field at 5:00 p.m. and don’t leave until 9:00 p.m. They treat all their children equally.

Parkland Rec Sports is shattering stereotypes of who is an athlete.

By encouraging Harper to engage in traditional boy activities, she is gaining traits that will propel her ahead as she moves forward in life: Self-confidence, willingness to take criticism, strong sense of focus, humility, resiliency and the ability to learn from setbacks, and a sense of belonging, just to name a few. These traits are equally important to boys and girls.

A bunch of Parkland dads take their girls camping multiple times per year. Camping builds character and takes them out of their comfort zone. Some of the best conversations Harper and I have ever had are from lying in our tents discussing life or laughing about the time there was no dedicated shower area on site so I washed her off with a hose (Shh, don’t tell mom). These dads will tell you camping with their daughters is just magical.

Parkland #girldads are some of the best around. You’ll notice them now – they are the ones holding their daughter’s hand
as they walk through the mall, belting out songs in the car with the windows down, or volunteering for a role in the Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction at Disney World.

Dads – don’t be afraid to play dress up and catch with your daughter. Embrace the societal shift. Gender doesn’t dictate what she can and cannot do. Just be proud of her, empower her to lead the way, and support her choices. Hold her hand tight and tell her you love her, as there is nothing better than being a #girldad.

By Philip Snyder

Philip Snyder writes the Legal Matters column for the Parklander. 

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No ‘Plan B’ for Parkland country singer

With no Plan B on the horizon, Parkland resident and indie-pop country music singer Liddy Clark, 22, knows who she is and where she’s going.

Currently a senior at the Thornton School of Music at USC in Los Angeles, Clark is home with her parents and two younger brothers in Parkland for the summer, where she has a home recording studio.

Making the most of the COVID-19 quarantine, Clark is busy working on her music, taking her dogs for walks at the Parkland dog park, bicycling, and reading Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist.”

“It’s all about the music for me,” says Clark. “I thrive in creative environments, and I have a unique way of transmitting my message in a way that hasn’t been done before.”

Singing since the age of seven, when she realized she had perfect pitch, Clark appeared in a talent show performing ‘Colors of the Wind,’ from the Disney movie Pocahontas at the former Day School in Coral Springs.

After taking vocal lessons and learning to play the guitar at age 12, Clark says, “Things snowballed from there.”

She started writing her own songs at age 13 and at 15 studied at Boston’s Berklee College of Music summer program for three years in a row.

At 17, she earned a scholarship to Berklee’s five-week Summer Performance Program, one of the most distinguished summer musical performance programs in the country, and landed a coveted spot in the school’s Singer-Songwriter Showcase, with professor and singer/ songwriter Melissa Ferrick.

According to Ferrick, Clark “writes award-winning lyrics.”

With her warm, soulful voice and from-the-heart lyrics, Clark is an advocate for change through her music. In 2018, she released “Shot Down (Stand Up),” about the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a call to action for her generation of students plagued by gun violence.

That same year, Clark released her debut EP, Testing the Waters: a selection of original songs, showcasing her indie-pop take on country music.

The highlight of her career to date has been the gap year she took between high school and college, where she toured radio stations, including Spotify and iHeartRadio, meeting with program directors. She played the Country Music Hall of Fame appearing after Garth Brooks and likes to say he opened for her.

Locally, Clark has played in and around Parkland for the past five years and had her first paying gig at the Parkland Amphitheatre in Pinetrails Park. In 2015, she played at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Ballfields opening during the last phase of the building of that same park.

“Liddy is a wonderful representative for the City of Parkland,” says Mayor Christine Hunschofsky. “She has graciously volunteered her time and talents over the years for many local performances.”

“As a community, we’re so happy to have been able to observe and be a part of Liddy’s growth as a musician/songwriter, and as a young woman, and know she has an exciting future ahead of her,” Hunschofsky says.

A former competitive cheerleader, Clark spent a lot of time driving from school to school with her mom listening to a variety of music, including Shania Twain, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift. All of them, she considers influenced her musical style.

Other role models include her parents, “especially my dad who pushes me always to be a better version of myself,” says Clark.

She has a single coming out in October and hopes to also release an album and go on tour. After college, she plans to stay either in Los Angeles or relocate to Nashville.

About Parkland, she says, “I’m just so thankful to grow up here in Parkland. It’s such a nice city with such great people.”

Visit liddyclark.com for more information.

By Jan Engoren

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Parkland Mayor: Christine Hunschofsky

This month in Broward we have elections. Many people have reached out to me trying to understand which elections they are able to vote in and what seats are up and when, so here is some information that I hope will help.

The August 18 election is considered a primary election, but several seats will be decided on this date.

For non-partisan races such as judges and school board, whichever candidate receives more than 50% of total votes cast will be the winner of the race. If no one receives more than 50% of the total votes cast, the two candidates with the most votes will have a runoff in November.

In partisan races, the primary is in August, and the general is in November. If no opposing party candidate or write-in candidate enters the race, the primary is an open primary, and all voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote in the race. If there is an opposing party candidate or a write-in candidate in the race, the primary is closed, and only voters with the same party affiliation as the primary candidates can vote in that race. All voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote in all races in November.

What does all this mean? It means you should register to vote, verify your voting information is accurate, and do your homework on candidates and races. Since some races are determined in August and others are determined in November, it is important to vote in every election. Additionally, some municipalities (not Parkland) also have March elections that determine mayor and commission races. Also, you can view a sample ballot online or request a vote by mail ballot by visiting the Supervisor of Elections website at browardsoe.org. The website also has a list of all early voting sites and general election sites. Early voting takes place from August 8-16. Early voting hours are from 11am-7pm Monday through Friday and from 9am-5pm Saturdays and Sunday. Primary Election Day is August 18, and the polls are open from 7am-7pm.

On a separate note, the city manager’s proposed city budget for the 2020/2021 fiscal year is now online at cityofparkland.org/budget. Please take the time to review the budget and submit your comments online. Currently, a resident budget workshop is planned for August 12 at 6:00pm and a commission (open to the public) budget workshop is planned for August 19 at 5:00pm. The budget is not final until our two budget hearings in September are completed. The budget hearings are all open to the public. Please always feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have. I look forward to hearing from you.

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Saima Farooqui seeks Florida State House seat

Last month, we profiled our local Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschofsky, who is now running for State House Representative for District 96. In the upcoming primary election to select the Democratic nominee. We got feedback post-print from Saima Farooqui, from Coconut Creek, who is also running for the nomination.

Saima first ran for the Democratic nomination in 2018, and lost to late State Representative Kristin Jacobs. I had a chance to talk to her about her motivations for running, and what she is passionate about.

It was a Homeowners’ Association (HOA) dispute that first got Saima started in community service. After winning a court dispute with her HOA on the implementation of rule enforcement, she served on the HOA’s grievance committee to ensure disputes between her HOA and the residents were properly managed.

After her initial experience engaging with the HOA, Saima started to get involved with the local ACLU. She is currently the president of the ACLU Broward chapter, and state board member. She also joined the Democratic Club, where she is currently serving as the VP of the Coconut Creek chapter.

She is passionate about helping those who are less fortunate, and lists healthcare, the environment and unemployment as the top priorities for the state. On school safety, she believes additional mental health services in the budget are key, and feels current gun laws need to be implemented not changed. She also believes more needs to be done by the state on environmental concerns.

You can find out more about on her website: saimafarooqui.com.

By Li Pan

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SoFlo BUZZ: Coral Springs names MLK scholarship recipients

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

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A Tale of Two Parklands

There are two Parklands. There is the cardboard cutout of the classic suburban dream. There is the latest installment in America’s long-running series of school shootings. There is that familiar, mind-numbing boredom. There is that wild, vicious intensity. There is the Parkland where I spent my childhood — and there is the Parkland where I lost it.

I assumed that the shooting destroyed the Parkland from before, swallowed it whole. I threw myself into college before it could swallow me too. But of course, the pandemic forced me to return. I cannot escape the gravitational pull of the past. As expected, my Parkland, the wasn’t-that-where-that-shooting- happened Parkland, was waiting for me. We walk circles together around my neighborhood, only to see the Parkland that I used to know, preschoolers and their parents playing games. That Parkland is yours now, and all I can do is wave politely as I pass by.

I imagine you sizing me up, guessing my age, what school I went to. Wondering. I know your questions before you ask them. Every survivor does. That “were you there?” hangs in the air between us. That “did you know anyone?” haunts our awkward back-and-forth. We students, we were all so watched. That ever-present elephant in the room has trampled over every interaction between Douglas students and Parkland residents for the past two and a half years. I grew so used to it, I didn’t realize how quickly people began to forget.

I never thought I would miss the days where well-meaning
— but ultimately condescending — adults would look at me whenever there was a loud sound, waiting for me to break down. But on this year’s Fourth of July, I wish Parklanders had maintained that hyper-awareness.

PTSD doesn’t just affect us when it’s convenient for you. It affects us when we hear fireworks sounding like gunshots. The #MSDstrong stickers seem more like mockery when paired with the distinctive stink of gunpowder. This year’s nearly nonstop display of fireworks demonstrates that Parkland has forgotten the victims it vowed to remember.

I ran outside on the Fourth of July, enraged at my neighbors, spitting out every curse I could. I yelled at the top of my lungs, yelled as though I was dying. You’d think I’d gone insane. I think I did. All I know is, this town is eating me alive, and I must scream. When I told off my neighbors for lighting fireworks, they said, “I didn’t know.” Part of me wants to scoff at this excuse. How dare you not know! But thank God you don’t. The other part of me remembers that I used to be like you.

The Me from Before reminds me that I love fireworks. Not loved, love, present- tense. I miss them even now. I used to beg my parents to take us to the beach to watch them. The big boom reverberating in my throat, the bright colors lighting up the smoke of their predecessors, the collective oohs and ahhs, filled me with such awe. I am both starving and nauseous. I long for that which makes me sick.

To my surprise, my neighbors sent me a card and flowers the next day, apologizing. They meant no harm. I still don’t know how to feel about it. Yay, they care! Of course, they couldn’t know how the saccharine sympathy we received after the shooting only intensifies survivors’ guilt. Again, they mean no harm, and yet, harm is caused. To be honest, I don’t know that there is a right way to handle this. How can you do right in a situation so fundamentally wrong? I wrote them a letter in response, saying this:

“We need to cultivate conscious empathy. If you live in Parkland (or Coral Springs), you live in the aftermath of a school shooting, even if you personally did not go through it. Over 3,000 students were there. We live among you, and you live among us. No one gets the luxury of opting out of our past. It wasn’t just the 17 deaths the day of the shooting. Two survivors died by suicide after that. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves on how to support each other, or at least how not to cause harm. The stakes are higher than you can imagine.”

I can’t return to Your Parkland. Slowly, the victims and their families are moving away, and new families take their place. Like a hurricane, old branches fly off. New growth takes over. If you look close enough, you might notice a slight gap where a tree crushed the branches, but this is Parkland. Soon enough, landscapers will shave down the irregularities and plant something suitable to keep the real estate values high.

So what can we do to bridge this aching gap between us? Octavia Butler once said there was no single answer to the difficult questions she raises in her writing. “Instead,” she said, “there are thousands of answers — at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be.”

By LMF

Publisher’s Note: Celebrate as one.

July 4th is a celebration, and fireworks have always been a major part of it. As a community, we can find possible solutions for residents with PTSD, so they too can celebrate our nation’s birthday without stress. Send in your ideas to publisher@theparklander.com, so we can make 7/4/2021 a better experience for those of us still healing.

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A big fisherman in any pond

George Poveromo of Parkland, whose television show “George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing” airs on Discovery Channel, shows off a nice kingfish.

George Poveromo has caught big fish in oceans, bays, inlets, rivers, and estuaries throughout the coastal United States, as well as from Canada to Brazil to Cuba. But when he’s not on assignment as Editor-at-Large for Salt Water Sportsman magazine or taping episodes of his “George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing” television show on Discovery Channel, he likes nothing better than relaxing while enjoying the tranquility of his home in Parkland.

A native of North Miami, where he grew up fishing with his father, Poveromo and his wife, Edie, moved to Parkland in 1994, where they raised their daughters Lindsay and Megan.

That the country’s foremost saltwater fishing expert, whose
TV show has aired for 20 years and whose Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series has been held for 33 years (visit www.georgepoveromo.com), lives in a quiet residential neighborhood closer to the Everglades than the Atlantic Ocean has many of his readers, viewers and social media followers wondering why.

“I was asked that question a lot, and I’m still occasionally asked that question: ‘What are you doing in Parkland? You’re a saltwater guy. You’re an ocean guy,’” said Poveromo, who keeps his 33-foot Mako fishing boat Marc VI at Garnett Storage in Coral Springs. “When we came up to Parkland, it was like a little bit more of a country kind of atmosphere here. I said, ‘This is a nice place, and I think it’s perfect.’

“I trailer a boat, so one day I could go out of Hillsboro (Inlet in Pompano Beach), the next day I might want to go out of Haulover (Inlet in North Miami Beach) or I might go down to the Keys or go to Palm Beach, so I’m still as flexible as I always was. I think moving to Parkland was a very good choice. And when you do it as much as I do it, it’s sometimes good just to catch a break away from the saltwater environment.”

Poveromo, 62, got hooked on saltwater fishing more than
five and a half decades ago. His father, Mel, a dentist in Bay Harbor Islands, used to take him after work to the nearby Broad Causeway to fish in Biscayne Bay from the seawall. Using a kid-sized rod and reel and a small hook baited with pieces of shrimp, Poveromo caught tiny snappers and grunts.

“I used to love to do that. I think I have Biscayne Bay water going through my veins,” Poveromo said. “My dad was the only one in the family that had the crazy fishing passion, and no one else inherited that except for me.”

When Poveromo was old enough to fish with his father in his boat, they’d fish off Miami or trailer the 23-foot vessel to Key West and run about 30 miles west to the Marquesas. They’d catch snappers and groupers around shallow rock piles, anchor, cook fish for dinner, sleep on the boat and fish the next day before heading back.

“To this day I still try to get down there at least once a year to fish the Marquesas because of all the fond memories,” Poveromo said.

He pursued his passion for fishing while a student at The University of Miami, where he majored in broadcast journalism. Not because he wanted to host a TV fishing show, but because his classes were fairly easy and he could schedule all of them on Tuesday and Thursday, which gave him the opportunity to fish Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Little did Poveromo know how that education at sea would pay off.

Through his success fishing in Mako owner tournaments, he caught the attention of Mako Marine’s marketing director Bill Munro. While a senior at UM, Poveromo was invited by Munro to fish in the Mako Outdoor Writers tournament, an informal gathering that featured editors of the country’s most prestigious fishing magazines. That led to Poveromo writing articles for Outdoor Life and Salt Water Sportsman magazines, and he was hired as a full-time staff writer for the latter publication in 1983.

“So if it wasn’t for Bill Munro and Mako,” Poveromo said with a smile, “I might’ve been forced to become a dentist like my dad wanted me to be.”

Poveromo stayed busy fishing, writing and organizing the seminar series out of North Miami for 10 years, where Edie gave birth to Lindsay. When close friends moved to Broward County, Edie entertained the idea of following their friends north and having Lindsay attend some of Broward’s excellent public schools.

One day, a gentleman from Parkland called Edie to order a seminar ticket, and as Poveromo related, she said, “Parkland, where is that? He said, ‘Oh, I don’t want to tell you, it’s one of the best-kept secrets around.’ She goes, ‘I’m a native Floridian, I’ve never heard of Parkland.’ And he told her, ‘It’s the most magnificent area. It’s just starting to grow. There’s space; you can breathe out here, the school system’s superb. You need to go up and just look at the area.’

“So we took a drive up and looked at the area and then Edie did her research of the school systems. We were fairly close to our friends, and Edie said, ‘That’s the place we’re going to. We’re going to Parkland.’ And that’s what led us here from North Miami.

“I can never see myself moving anywhere else.”

HIGHLIGHTS

During his storied career, George Poveromo has had some amazing fishing experiences. Among the highlights:

  • Produced a TV show fishing on his boat with members of the military at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
  • Caught a 143-pound wahoo fishing in San Salvador, Bahamas, and caught a 113-pounder there three years later.
  • Caught a 701-pound giant bluefin tuna out of Prince Edward Island, Canada.
  • Released a blue marlin estimated to weigh between 700- 800 pounds in Costa Rica.
  • Had a swordfish yank him overboard while fishing in Islamorada when a passing boat’s wake caused him to lose his balance. With help from his cameraman Kevin Tierney, who jumped in the water, Poveromo got back in the boat and, 30 minutes later, landed the 256-pound swordfish.

 

FISHING TIPS

TV show host, seminar organizer, and writer, George Poveromo shared these secrets for saltwater fishing success in South Florida:

Use fresh line: “One of the simplest tips, and I even hate to say it because it just sounds so simple but you’d be shocked at how many people don’t adhere to it except the really good anglers, always make sure your fishing line is new and fresh. When you fight a good fish like a sailfish on a 20-pound test (line), even though that line looks good, the line’s been compromised. It might start off at 20 pounds, but then the breaking strength might fall to 15, 14 pounds, depending on how much it was compromised,” Poveromo said. “What’s going to happen, eventually, is you’re going to hook that trophy fish and if you’re using worn line, chances are that fish could probably go right through it. Line is one of the cheapest things to put on your fishing reel. So change out line religiously, especially after any quality fish you catch.”

Finding fish: “The Gulf Stream is the lifeblood, and it’s essential to know where the true western edge of the Stream is because it meanders. It moves close, it moves farther off,” said Poveromo, who recommended subscribing to SiriusXM Marine fish mapping or ROFFS fishing forecasts. “That warm water current flowing north, you want to find the edge where it meets that nearshore cooler water.
It creates upwellings, and all the upwellings bring these tiny microorganisms in; then the fish that feed on them come in. When you have baitfish along these zones, the bigger gamefish shouldn’t be far behind. If the true western edge is in 600 feet, that’s a good time to troll for dolphin. If it’s in 90 feet, that’s going to be a good edge to fish for sailfish.”

Fish around baitfish: “Always look for bait and signs like working birds,” said Poveromo, who also studies his electronic fish finder for pockets of bait. “If you see flying fish pushing, shut down the boat and fish. There has to be some dolphin around.”

Fish deep: Especially during the heat of a summer day. Poveromo said that if you find a weedline, fish some live baits on the surface and put at least one live goggle-eye down 250-300 feet. Bigger dolphins often hang out below schools of smaller dolphins. “We caught a 34-pound bull dolphin doing that in Islamorada,” he said. “A lot of those big dolphins are down in that cooler water. It makes a big difference.”

By Steve Waters

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