AdTimes/CBS4 Newspaper - September 2009 Edition by CBS4 News Magazine & Newspaper

THE

A DTIMES NEWSPAPER N E W S

FREE - SEPTEMBER 2009

P O W E R E D

B Y

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIAMI! Commentary by WFOR News Director Adrienne Roark

113 YEARS YOUNG!

www.theadtimes.com

Local • LEMIEUX;S FIRM AIDED FOREIGN WORKERS Section Page 2

Money • BARGAINS GALORE, BUT ARE THEY REALLY DEALS? Section Page 14

Entertainment • MADONNA PASSING TORCH TO HER DAUGHTER Section Page 24

CBS4 Hurricane Guide • AL SUNSHINE RECALLS HURRICANE ANDREW: 17 YEARS LATER Section Page 36

Health • TEENAGER CURED OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE Section Page 50

Reporting Adrienne Roark aroark@wfor. cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) — Miami recently celebrated its 113th birthday, which is pretty young for a major city in America. Think about it. Boston was founded in 1630, making it 379 years old. New York City is 345 years old; founded in 1664. Chicago

became a city in 1836, making it 173 years old. Heck, even Los Angeles is older than Miami at 159 years. To celebrate its birthday, Miami city leaders threw a party, complete with cake and ice cream. This got me thinking about the past, about this city, and about how we got to where we are now. You know the saying, “in order to know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been.” So with that in

mind, here is a small history lesson on the Magic City. The Tequesta Indians were the first inhabitants. Then came the Spanish, Bahamian wreckers, then Europeans. In 1842, a man named William English bought the land that is Miami. He might have been the first person to really have a vision of continued on page 12

Real Estate • $1.6M NEW YORK HOME RAFFLED OFF FOR $50 Section Page 58

Sports • FORBES NAMES PARCELLS “$300 MILLION MAN” Section Page 68

Automotive • DEALERS TIRED OF WAITING FOR CLUNKER CASH Section Page 74

LOCAL NEWS

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

L Local News Reporting Jim Defede jdefede@wfor. cbs.com MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) — The law firm led by newly appointed U.S. Senator George LeMieux was responsible for securing dozens of visas for foreign workers to enter the country and help construct the St. Regis hotel and condominiums in Bal Harbour – a move that left American sheet metal workers out of a job. LeMieux is chairman of Gunster Yoakley, a Florida-based law firm which specializes in helping companies hire foreigners to replace American workers inside the United States. In the case of the St. Regis project, Gunster Yoakley represented CYVSA International, a Mexican sheet metal firm which wanted to bring its own workforce into the country. As the CBS4 I-Team showed in a series of stories earlier this year, the foreign workers were paid substantially less than what American sheet metal workers would be paid. The foreign workers also claimed they were required to work overtime without compensation. In order to secure the visas, Gunster Yoakley attorneys argued in its applications to officials in Tallahassee and Washington that American workers weren’t available for the project, even though unemployment in the construction industry is at an all time high, and there are as many as 2,000 unemployed sheet metal workers in South Florida, according to officials with the Sheet Metal Workers

SEPTEMBER 2009

I-Team: LeMieux’s Firm Aided Foreign Workers International Association. “If Mr. LeMieux facilitated visas for foreign workers while we’re in the crisis we are in, it seems to me he really shouldn’t be in the position of senator,” said Carlos Rivas, a member of Union Local 32. “I would love to have him over to the union hall and meet some of the guys and explain himself as to why he let those guys into the country while 200 of my guys are in line waiting for a job.” Added Mike Demirgian, a local unemployed sheet metal worker: “He has really done some damage to the average American worker.” In addition to requesting basic guest worker visas (known as H2B visas), a special plea was also made to the State Department, arguing that the foreign sheet metal workers should be allowed to enter the country because they possessed unique skills that no American worker would have. The workers were ultimately given these so-called “E” visas which, according to the State Department’s website, are reserved for “persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics.” Certain executives of multi-national corporations could also qualify, as could others who, in the words of the State Department, possess “highly specialized skills essential to the efficient operation of the firm.” CBS4 News, however interviewed workers from the job site who maintained the foreign workers had no special skills and that their tools and techniques were outdated. Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen – whose district includes the St. Regis construction site – blasted the use of foreign workers on the project. “How can you bring folks from another country – no dis on Mexico – to do this construction project when you have so many folks here

who could use the work,” she said back in March. “It leads me to think that something is happening below the surface and were not being told the truth. Something happened along the way that this company has a cozy relationship with certain bureaucrats who give out these visas.” Told this week that it was LeMieux’s law firm that was lurking below the surface, engineering the visas for the foreign workers, the Republican Congresswoman grew defensive. “I don’t know George LeMieux,” she said. “I’m not defending George LeMieux. I’m not attacking him. Law firms have lots of clients. I don’t criticize law firms for the clients they have.” But she added: “Shame on anyone who was involved in scamming the system.” Neither LeMieux nor officials for Gunster Yoakley responded to questions about the extent of LeMieux’s involvement in securing the visas for the foreign workers. A spokeswoman for Gov. Charlie Crist also refused to comment. Gunster Yoakley officials also did not respond to questions about other clients it may have represented on visa issues. Nor would the firm say how many visas it has helped obtain for foreign workers to come into the United States. It’s website, however, makes clear it specializes in immigration law. The website features an entire section dedicated to immigration laws relating to hiring and recruiting foreign workers. “Gunster’s Immigration practice develops comprehensive and pragmatic strategies to further the business objectives of clients who require the services of foreign nationals,” the website boasts. Gunster Yoakley’s motto: “Florida’s Lawyers For Business.” During a trip to Miami earlier this

year, U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced that she would be asking the Department of Homeland Security to review how the visas were granted and whether there was any fraud. “We will take a very, very close look and a very keen eye and go through and see if there is any discrepancies,” she said. “But rest assured we will take a strong view on that.” She also added that she wanted to make sure that cases like this one “don’t happen and that we avoid them” in the future. A spokeswoman for DHS and Immigration and Custom Enforcement refused to comment Thursday. After CBS4 News first reported on the foreign workers arrival in the country, the workers were sent home to Mexico and work on the St. Regis project slowly ground to a halt as its developer, Jorge Perez, has undergone some well publicized financial troubles. Although the foreign workers may be gone, the issue is still very much alive. As a senator, LeMieux will almost certainly face a push toward immigration reform, including a review of guest worker laws. His views on immigration reform are unknown, leaving many to draw their own conclusions based on the practices of his law firm. “We’re very concerned,” said Rivas, the union representative. “Especially if he’s against labor and pro-foreign workers. It’s going to have an impact on us. He can do a lot of damage in the next year and a half.” (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

LOCAL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

LOCAL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2009

MDPD Lab Oversight Allowed Rapist To Remain Free The AdTimes

rapes Keels committed, Keels wore a ski mask and armed himself with a gun. As investigators searched for him, they dubbed the attacker the “Ski Mask Rapist.”

N E W S P A P E R

PUBLISHER Tony Gambirazio

Keels was well known to law enforcement. Records show at the time of the DNA match in January 2004, Keels was in state prison on a robbery conviction.

ART DIRECTOR Tammy Kukic DIRECTOR OF SALES Hector Collado ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES Mike Campos Ines Collado Martinez Cesar Rodriguez Cleo Saenz Nancy Schoen INSIDE SALES John Alexander Ileana Patuto OFFICE MANAGER Montserrat Surroca FRANCHISING Tony Gambirazio • DISTRIBUTION The AdTimes Publication powered by CBS4.COM is distributed in high foot traffic locations such as supermarkets, pharmacies, movie theaters and shopping malls in the Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach county area.

Reporting Carey Codd cdcodd@wfor. cbs.com A Miami-Dade Police Department Crime Lab Administrator made a serious oversight in 2004 that allowed a suspected rapist to remain free and led to the rapes of two women despite a DNA match that should have put the suspect in jail, a CBS 4 News I-Team investigation uncovered. The suspect, Alton L. Keels, admitted raping two South Florida women while he was free. The rapes occurred 4 months after the Miami-Dade Police Department Crime Lab received notification that Keels’ DNA matched evidence in the rape of a MiamiDade woman in 1996.

According to a former law enforcement officer with knowledge of the Keels case, who spoke to the I-Team if we concealed his identity, investigators spent months in the summer of 2004 trying to locate the “Ski Mask Rapist” in Southwest MiamiDade, where he raped the two women. All the while, however, the rapist’s identity was on a notification document inside the Miami-Dade Police Department Crime Lab. “(Investigators) were stunned, to say the least, and later outraged,” said the former law enforcement officer. “Everything was done right with the exception of one thing. There’s no way to undo what was done. What happened to the two other victims is unforgivable.” Police department records reviewed by the CBS 4 I-Team show that Crime Lab Administrator Monroe Chin-See also failed to report 6 other DNA matches on other convicted offenders from January 2004.

Since the information of the DNA match was not communicated to the Miami-Dade Police Department Sex Crimes Bureau, Keels was not arrested at the time the Crime Lab was notified of the match in January 2004. The later rapes occurred in May and June of 2004.

The CBS 4 I-Team requested an interview with Miami-Dade Police Department Director Robert Parker to find out why the victims were never told and what changes were instituted after the oversight surfaced. Director Parker declined to speak with the I-Team.

The Crime Lab Administrator at the time, Monroe Chin-See, was given a 5 day suspension for the oversight, but records show he did not miss any time at work because he relinquished 5 days of vacation.

According to the disciplinary documents from Monroe Chin-See’s personnel file, the Crime Lab Administrator was cited for being “incompetent or inefficient.” The failure to report the DNA matches “reveal poor judgment and disregard for professional responsibilities on your part,” wrote Chin-See’s supervisor on August 24, 2004.

ADVERTISING Advertising information can be obtained by calling our general sales office at 305-477-1699.

The CBS 4 News I-Team uncovered the information following a months-long investigation. The I-Team also learned that the two women raped by Keels after the DNA match were never told of the oversight.

visit us online at www.theadtimes.com

A Southwest Miami-Dade woman raped by Alton Keels on May 7, 2004 said the Miami-Dade Police Department failed her.

Chin-See was also warned that “any subsequent similar behavior will not be tolerated and will subject him to disciplinary action, which could include termination.” Monroe Chin-See’s personnel file shows he has not had any other issues.

GENERAL INFORMATION 7210 SW 57th Avenue Suite 206 Miami, FL 33143 305-477-1699

“(The rape) did not need to happen,” the victim, who we’re calling “Mary”, told CBS 4’s Carey Codd. “It did not because if (MDPD) would have paid attention and realized that this is the guy that did that, it never would have happened to me or that other girl.”

Police reports and interviews conducted by the CBS 4 I-TEAM indicate that Chin-See’s failure to alert detectives of the DNA matches allowed Keels, a violent, career criminal to leave prison in early 2004 despite DNA evidence that would have kept him locked up.

The “other girl” referenced was raped by Keels on June 4, 2004. In all three of the

1996 RAPE; ROOTS OF A SERIAL RAPIST - According to Miami-Dade Police

Department criminal records, on April 23, 1996, a woman walking to her Southwest Miami-Dade apartment was startled by a man wearing a white ski mask. The woman told detectives the man pointed a revolver at her and demanded her jewelry. The victim told police the man yanked a necklace off her body then led the woman through a hole in a chain link fence and onto an open field. The victim said the man ripped off her clothing, wrapped his shirt around her face to prevent her from seeing him and raped her at gunpoint. The victim told police her attacker threatened to kill one of her children. After the rape, the victim contacted MiamiDade Police, told her story and investigators collected DNA evidence that would be at the center of two other rape cases 8 years later. Investigators searched for the attacker with no luck in 1996. It would be years before they learned his identity: Alton Keels. He was just 17-years-old at the time of the 1996 sexual assault. IN & OUT OF PRISON - Beginning in 1996, Alton Keels began a revolving trek through the Florida prison system. Prison records show in 1996, Alton Keels was sentenced to 18 months in prison for gun charges. He would be released in May 1998. He would not be free for long. Court records show Keels was charged in August 1998 with armed robbery. In 1999, he was sentenced to 5 and a half years in prison. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Keels’ DNA was taken by the state following his conviction for robbery and was put on file. Keels would be released from prison on February 3, 2004--18 days after a DNA match sent to the Miami-Dade Crime Lab connected Keels to the 1996 rape in Southwest Miami-Dade. ATTACK IN THE WOODS - On May 7, 2004, Mary, returned home from work in the early hours of the morning. That night, Mary walked to the front door of her home but she would never make it inside. Mary told police a black man with a black handgun and a black mask over his eyes walked up behind her, told her to take off her jewelry and hand over her purse. She handed over her possessions and thought the man was a thief and would leave. But he didn’t. continued on page 8

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

LOCAL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

LOCAL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2009

I-Team: Hidden Pool Drain Danger “I was thinking in my head what is this lady doing get him out of the pool,” Parsons remembers of the incident this past July 4th at a family spa.

Reporting Stephen Stock sstock@cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) — A silent and powerful force lurks in tens of thousands of public and backyard pools. And the CBS4 I-Team has learned that, despite a new federal law designed to prevent it, the danger remains. CBS4 I-Team investigator Stephen Stock shows why Florida Health Officials remain powerless, unable or unwilling to enforce federal law and stop the danger from lurking under the water. “Jordan even though you were with us just a little while, “ reads the poem Donna Bucy recites about her son nearly every day. “I miss him. I miss him a lot,” Bucy said. The Ocala mother lives with the memory of what happened to 10 yearold Jordan ten years ago this month. “I feel like he should still be here,” said Bucy. “He would be 19.” On August 22, 1999, Jordan died after the drain in his family’s spa sucked him under a few feet of water and held him there despite all efforts to pull him out. Donna Bucy remembers it as if it were yesterday. “I jumped him and I tried to free him the suction was so great that I couldn’t pull his hand out,” said Bucy.

Officer Parsons regularly lifts weights and by all accounts is as strong as an ox. But even he could not free a five year-old stuck in the spa drain, the same problem that Donna Bucy had ten years ago. This time Parsons and his colleague, Dennis Cuba found the five year old stuck underwater sucked into a family spa. Officer Parsons found the child’s mother, aunt and grandmother bailing out the spa’s water because they couldn’t free the child. Despite his strength and training Officer Parsons couldn’t get him out either. “I pushed her (the mother) out of the way the whole time thinking to myself “How could she not get him out of the water?”” officer Parsons said. “I tried to pull him out of the water without a lot of effort and realized immediately that he was seriously stuck.” “I took a good deep breath and went underwater and got a hold of him the best that I could possibly get a hold of him as long as I could hold my breath pulling and pulling and pulling,” the veteran officer said, describing those frantic moments. “I even pulled at an angle to try to get his arm out because I could see underwater and couldn’t get him out,” Parsons said. But unlike Jordan Bucy’s tragedy this one had a happy ending. That child, 5 year-old Miguel Marin, emerged alive, well and showing no effects of nearly 5 minutes under water, trapped in his spa’s suction. All because Parson’s colleague, police officer Dennis Cuba was finally able to free Miguel’s arm at the last second, after all the power and all the spa’s suction devices had been turned off.

Think that’s impossible? Then talk to Pembroke Pines police officer Dave Parsons, a veteran officer who’s responded to dozens of pool and spa accidents over his career.

“I don’t know how he survived because it was a miracle,” said Miguel’s mother Adriana Rozo Marin. As he arrived at the spa scene there in

Pembroke Pines, officer Cuba had the same thoughts as his fellow officer Dave Parsons. “I thought ‘It’s got to be easy,’” officer Cuba said. “How can you not get him out? I jumped in there yanked. He didn’t come out. I yanked again. He didn’t come out.” Finally times got desperate. “And the third time I actually made a decision,” officer Cuba said. “(I said to myself) ‘I’m pulling him out. I don’t care what happens.’ I fully expected him (Miguel) to be hurt. I expected his arm to, maybe, come off. But it was better than the alternative (drowning.)” According the US Consumer Product Safety Commission there have been at least 83 pool and spa suction entrapment cases nationwide from 1999-2008. Those accidents killed 11 people, mostly children between 5 and 10 years of age, although one 45 yearold also died. 69 other people were seriously injured according to the US CPSC. “This is what used to be used?” ITeam investigator Stephen Stock asked referring to an old-style pool drain grate. The problem and danger seems so simple. It’s usually just a flat drain cover hiding a powerful and deadly invisible suction found at the bottom of thousands of pool and spas drains. They are suction systems that exert between 500 and 800 pounds of force on anything stuck in it. They are drains that can become deadly if the flat covers aren’t replaced or if safety devices such as commercially available shutoff valves manufactured by companies such as VacAlert or DrainSafe are not installed. “Pool safety to me consisted of teaching your children how to swim,” Donna Bucy said. “I never imagined that my child would have been

entrapped in a drain.” Miguel Marin’s mother thought the same thing. “We didn’t think it (the suction) was going to be so powerful...we underestimated it really,” said Adrian Rozo Marin. “There’s nothing to prevent suction (using flat drain covers.) You can get sucked, entrapped yes,” said MiamiDade Health Department Engineer Supervisor Nicholas “Nick” Heybeck. “There’s no excuse no excuse for this to happen,” said Donna Bucy referring to Miguel Marin’s accident ten years after Jordan’s death. The CBS4 I-team has learned that despite the federal law called the Virginia Graeme Baker Act which prohibits these flat drains or requires back-up shut off valves for direct suction drains, there are hundreds of public pools and tens of thousands of private pools throughout South Florida that potentially carry this hidden suction hazard. The Virginia Graeme Baker Act was named after the granddaughter of former US Secretary of State Jim Baker. Baker’s granddaughter, Virginia Graeme Baker, died in 2002 when she became entrapped in a spa drain at her home in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. One of the most vocal supporters and proponents of the federal law was US Representative Debbie WassermanSchultz who represents parts of Broward County. Ironically, Pembroke Pines’ 5 year-old Miguel Marin, who almost drowned, lives in Wasserman-Schultz’s district. You can find the entire federal law here. You can read a summary of the law by clicking here. “According to federal law they had to comply by last year,” said the Health continued on page 10

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

LOCAL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

LOCAL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2009

MDPD Lab Oversight Allowed Rapist To Remain Free continued from page 4 According to police documents, the attacker told Mary to get in her car, warning her, “if you scream I will shoot you in the head.” She complied.

Southwest Miami-Dade apartment. As she headed towards her apartment, a man with a mask covering his face and a gun in his hand approached her saying, “Don’t scream.”

While in the car, Mary asked the man his name. He replied, “Killer, because I like to kill people.” At the question, the man became angry, telling her to “shut up, and if I have to keep telling you to shut up I am going to have to shoot you.”

The man grabbed her by the hair and followed her to her apartment, according to a police report.

After a short drive to a nearby park, the man ordered his victim out of her car and into a wooded area. Mary said the man held her purse and sweater, like they were “on a romantic date.” She said the humiliation continued. “He had me going in circles like I’m a model, staring me up and down, turning me around telling me he likes the way I look,” she said. Mary thought about getting away but feared the man would kill her. “At one point I wanted to run,” she said. “I wanted to run so badly but it’s the gun that had me. If he didn’t have that gun I would have ran. But that gun, I fear with that gun. I try to be calm and do the stuff he asked me too. You see this stuff on TV everyday and you never expect that that’s going to happen to you.” Then, the man proceeded to rape her. Mary’s terror would not end with the sexual assault, however. The man told his victim to wait in the woods, while he watched her. For 20 minutes she waited in fear, believing the man might come back to kill her. At one point, he returned and told her to start running. “I think I’m gonna start running like in the movies and here it comes, pow, he shoots me,” she said. “That’s the first thing that went through my head. I thought I was going to die. He’s going to have me start running and he’s gonna shoot me and I’m gonna die right there.” Mary made it to a friend’s house and called 911. Five years after the attack, Mary said the events of that night remain fresh and heavy upon her mind. “Inside he murdered everything as a woman,” she said. “He put a stamp on me. He stamped that he did that to me. And that’s not fair to anybody. No human being. None whatsoever.” ATTACK IN AN APARTMENT - Less than a month later, Keels searched for another victim. In the early morning hours of June 4, 2004, a woman returned home to her

The victim told police that once inside her apartment, the man ordered her to take off her clothes. He then raped her. When he finished, the rapist told his victim to “get up and take a shower.” The attacker attempted to cover his tracks by using bleach to clean the woman’s towels and other items that might contain evidence of the attack. The victim told police the rapist demanded she remain in the bathroom while he searched her apartment. After waiting several minutes, the victim left the bathroom, saw that her attacker left and called police. The CBS 4 News I-Team tried to locate this victim, but a family member told us she relocated out of Florida after the attack and did not wish to speak about what happened. AUGUST 2004 - According to police reports, the DNA match on Keels that had been sent to the Miami-Dade Police Department Crime Lab on January 16, 2004 finally surfaced on August 11, 2004. “The major of the bureau received a phone call from the (Crime) lab stating that there was a serious error and that this was not the only match that had not been passed on,” said the former law enforcement officer who spoke to the ITeam. “There had been others. However, this was the one that had the unfortunate consequence of two other people victimized because of the failure to relay the information.” After the information was sent to detectives, police officers set up surveillance teams and watched Keels’ residence. The following day at 10:45 a.m. detectives saw Keels emerge from the home. Detectives stopped Keels and arrested him. Keels was charged with raping three women since 1996. In a disciplinary action report dated August 24, 2004, Crime Lab Administrator Monroe Chin-See was written up for failing to notify detectives of the DNA match on Keels and the 6 other offenders. “(T)he perpetrator on one of these cases was not arrested and

subsequently went on to commit two additional sexual assaults in May and June of 2004,” the report said. Chin-See, who has worked at MiamiDade Police Department for more than 20 years, received a 5-day suspension. A Miami-Dade Police Department memo shows that Chin-See forfeited 5 days of vacation. CHIN-SEE RESPONSE - In response to the discipline, Chin-See wrote that several problems contributed to his failure to notify the Sex Crimes Bureau. Specifically, he encountered difficulty in finding the case files related to the DNA matches. Chin-See explained that the Keels DNA match and the other 6 DNA matches were part of an “outsource program” where outside labs tested DNA from cold cases. “It was certainly not my intent to cause anyone to come to harm as a result of my actions, whether through direct or indirect means,” Chin-See wrote. “However, after thinking about what I could have done to perhaps prevent the unfortunate rape of 2 victims, I wished I would have realized sooner that small detail -- that these cases were from the outsourced program. This small realization would have resulted in the location of the case files sooner, and perhaps, could have prevented the unfortunate incidents.” Chin-See also explained that in 2004, the filing system for case files was “a severe bottleneck in the resolution of a DNA hit.” He also wrote that because DNA matches come into the lab without any identifying information, such as the type of crime a suspect is being investigated for, he did not know these were violent sexual battery cases, which receive a higher priority. Chin-See’s yearly evaluations reveal an employee deeply dedicated to his job and to creating and improving the MiamiDade Crime Lab. Year after year, ChinSee’s supervisors praised his work ethic, multi-tasking ability and skills with computers. He was also lauded for the extra time he consistently put in on the job and the lack of days off he took. Chin-See was named Miami-Dade’s Employee of the Quarter for April-June 2007. CHANGES TO THE LAB - In the fall of 2004 after the Keels mistake came to light, several changes were made to the Miami-Dade Police Department Crime Lab. According to a memo from Laboratory Manager Michael Hass, a CoAdministrator was assigned to assist with the “timely delivery of match reports.”

In addition, lab employees were allowed to find case folders that related to DNA matches, outsourced cold sexual battery cases were prioritized and “clearly marked as sexual battery cases.” Cold case folders are also now scanned into a document management system, enabling them to be found more quickly. The lab also instituted steps to allow investigators to also receive notification of DNA matches via email. A LIFE CHANGED - None of these details -- the delay in relaying the Keels DNA match, the discipline of Chin-See or the changes to the Crime Lab -- have ever been public until now. They are of little consolation to Mary, Keels’ May 2004 rape victim. When we explained to her everything that had happened, she was stunned to learn that the attack on her could have been prevented. She said she suffers everyday because of the rape . “It’ll never go away. I try but it’ll never go away,” Mary said. “It’s a fear that’s with me for the rest of my life.” Mary said even though the attack happened 5 years ago, her behavior and lifestyle changed forever that fateful night. “I don’t go out at night,” she said. “If I do go out it’s with someone close to me. I go back and forth to work. I come and home and sleep all day and go back to work. On the weekends I don’t go anywhere because I’m very scared who is around me. What are they gonna do?” The error also disturbs the former law enforcement officer. He believes the Miami-Dade Police Department needs to own up to its’ mistakes. “(The victim’s) suffering doesn’t end,” the source said. “(MDPD) needs to reassure the public that mistakes were made and there were certain steps done so they cannot reoccur.” It’s too late, though, to take back what happened to Mary. “You always ask yourself the question ‘Why? Why me? Why did that have to happen for me?” she said. “And there’s nobody that can have an answer for that. That question haunts you day by day. Why?” (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

LOCAL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

LOCAL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2009

I-Team: Hidden Pool Drain Danger continued from page 6 Department’s Nick Heybeck.

rules)?” I-Team investigator Stephen Stock asked.

“So the (US) Consumer Product Safety Commission could come down and shut down these pools.”

“I’m not sure,” Health Department Engineer Supervisor Nicholas “Nick” Heybeck replied. “You could also ask where is the Consumer Product Safety Commission and why aren’t they down here inspecting these pools also?”

I-Team investigator Stephen Stock asked, “But you can’t?”

“I couldn’t get it (Miguel’s arm) out (of the spa suction) and still to this day I can’t understand that,” said Pembroke Pines police officer Dave Parsons. “It’s so hard. It’s so hard,” said Miguel’s mother Adriana Rozo Marin of the suction pressure that nearly drowned her son.

“We can’t,” Heybeck replied. Why? Because Florida’s Health Department simply won’t enforce federal law. “How many pools do you do a day?” Stock asked one inspector “At least ten a day,” she replied. The I-Team went along with a state health inspection team one day this summer. The team was tough. They were thorough... “You have a good chlorine reading,” said one inspector. They were vigilant. But until state law catches up to the federal law these state health officials say they can’t or won’t cite or close down pools with dangerous drains or suction systems. “As the state of Florida I only have the jurisdiction that’s given to me by our state of Florida laws,” said Miami-Dade Health Department’s Nick Heybeck. Investigator Stephen Stock asked “And right now you can’t close a pool if it doesn’t have a proper drain cover even though it does not comply with federal law?”

“I think they (state officials) are wrong,” said Donna Bucy. “To me it’s as simple as closing the pool until a drain is fixed. It’s that’s easy.” The I-Team has learned that out of 4,000 pools in Miami-Dade health officials say about 800 pools and spas potentially have these hidden and deadly suction problems. In Broward County, health officials tell the ITeam that there 1479 out of 4830 pools which were built long enough ago that they potentially have these suction hazards. Though some public pools have already fixed the problems the CBS4 I-Team discovered dozens of other pools and spas in South Florida, including some at apartment complexes and condominiums, that haven’t had safety systems installed. I-Team investigator Stephen Stock asked the state inspector “Roughly how many of these don’t have this drain cover like this pool does this one is in good shape, but the one prior to this does not?” “We’re getting a lot of forms from contractors who are changing out these drain covers,” said Miami-Dade Department of Health Engineer Nick Heybeck. “I’m not sure of the exact numbers right now.”

“Right,” replied Heybeck. “Because you’re a state inspector?” asked Stock. “Right,” said Heybeck. And Florida law won’t catch up with federal law until later this winter even though the federal law took effect a year ago. “What took the state so long (to catch up with the federal government

Data from Florida’s County Property Appraisers’ offices from October, 2006, (the latest data available) shows that there are 1,093,655 private pools in Florida, 194,302 in South Florida alone. But perhaps most troubling, state officials tell the CBS4 I-Team that no one knows exactly how many of those spas and pools, like the pools in Donna Bucy and Adriana Marin’s backyards, hide these dangerous drains.

“Even after the pump was off I couldn’t pull him out,” Rozo Marin. “Only a miracle in those officers saved him. Maybe God has some plan for him and his life. And that’s why he was saved.” Marin said the family considers itself lucky and blessed that Miguel survived his encounter with the spa’s underwater suction. “So JB you’re in our hearts...” “Goodbye for now, dear friend,” goes the poem read at Jordan Bucy’s funeral. 10 years after reading this poem at his funeral, Jordan’s classmates read the same poem once again at their high school graduation. “Our friendship will never end,” continues the poem. It also would have been Jordan’s graduation except for that simple suction danger hidden in drain under a just few feet of water. “My thoughts still haunt me of Jordan being trapped only under four feet in depth of water not being able to free himself and finally when help comes still unable to get out of the Jacuzzi,” said Donna Bucy. The new chairman of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, Inez Tenenbaum, wants ALL pools and spas in violation of federal law to be closed immediately.

officials say they won’t cite or close down pools until state law catches up with the federal law. That won’t happen until November 20, 2009, thirteen weeks from now. You can read the Health Department’s full statement about why it won’t enforce federal law here. You can read more about this issue and see websites dedicated to preventing these deaths here: Drainsafe.com Pool Safety.gov Safe Kids.org Vac Alert.com Federal Pool Drain Safety Law Article (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

LOOKING TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS? Call today and join South Florida’s fastest growing newspaper. Operators are standing by to take your call so don’t delay.

THE ADTIMES N E W S P A P E R

But CPSC spokeswoman Kathleen Reilly admits that states are NOT required to enforce this federal law. You can read spokeswoman Reilly’s full statement here. Here in Florida Health Department

Call Today

305-477-1699

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

LOCAL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2009

LOCAL NEWS

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SEPTEMBER 2009

Happy Birthday Miami! 113 Years Young continued from page 1 “Miami.” He actually laid out plans for the “Village of Miami,” and began to sell lots. But eventually English fell victim to bad luck. He died after he accidentally shot himself while dismounting from his horse. There went his dream of Miami. For a time, Miami was an Army fort named Fort Dallas. The Army left in 1858. For years, the land that would be Miami was refuge to various unsavory, dubious characters. It was basically the Wild, Wild West, or in this case, the Wild, Wild South. In 1870, the Brickell family, Mary, William, and eventually their seven children, set up a trading post on the mouth of the Miami River. You know, the Brickells: Brickell Avenue, Mary Brickell Village, Brickell Key. All of that is named after them. In 1889, there was the battle over the county seat between Juno, which is now Juno Beach, and Miami, then an unincorporated village. An election was held and Juno won. The county seat would move to Juno. But people in Miami said they weren’t giving up the seat and they weren’t handing over the county records. So the men of Juno came down to Miami and in the middle of the night, stole the county records which were technically theirs anyway. Then came a key figure in Miami’s history, Julia Tuttle. You know, the Julia Tuttle Causeway?

she quotes a letter Julia Tuttle wrote to a friend: “It may seem strange to you, but it is the dream of my life to see this wilderness turned into a prosperous country.” Well, she laid the foundation to do just that. Julia Tuttle convinced Henry Flagler to bring the railroad to Miami. At that time the railroad stopped north of Miami. Tuttle had been trying, unsuccessfully, to convince Flagler to bring the railroad all the way south. Then came the Big Freeze of 1894-95. It devastated orange groves all over Florida; but not in South Florida. Tuttle, seeing an opportunity, boxed up a fresh orange blossom and sent it to Flagler. And that did it. The tracks were laid, and the first railroad train pulled into Miami in April 1896. A little over two months later, about 300 people voted for a new city and they called it Miami. And so it began, the endless parade of unique characters, major events, and often unbelievable tales that really make up the fabric of Miami. There was the birth of Miami Beach, of Coral Gables. There was the time Miami annexed Coconut Grove while the majority of Grove residents were up North for the summer. Miami apparently needed the taxes. There was a fisherman named Cap’n Charlie who planned to open a company called Ocean Dairy Products. Word was he wanted to sell Sea Cow Milk. Oh, here’s a good one.

A widow from Cleveland, Ohio, Julia moved her kids and all her belongings to the Bay in 1891. She had a vision, the same vision as it turns out, as William English. Helen Muir, a local author wrote a book titled, “Miami, U.S.A.” In it

In the early 1900s, the U. S. Postal Service actually threatened to stop delivering the mail to the City of Miami. The reason: Miami’s streetnaming system or lack there of. At the time, anyone could name a street whatever they wanted and

they could change it whenever they wanted. So a person would walk down a street and every three blocks the name of the street would change. As you can imagine, the poor postal carriers were having a really hard time delivering the mail. Well the city ignored the threat. Finally a citizen took matters into his own hands and came up with a system that everyone agreed upon. And folks, that’s one big reason why today, some streets have four or five different names. There were booms, busts, more booms, more busts, rebuilds, tear downs, political scandals, gangsters, drug wars, hurricanes, riots, celebrities and celebrations, art deco and TV shows, you name it, it’s happened here. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this city, in my opinion, is the most unique city in the country. There’s no place like it. And I’ve lived in several other cities, so I do have perspective. Miami has been called The New Casablanca, The Magic City, even Paradise Lost. No matter the nickname, when you hear the word “Miami,” it conjures up different emotions for all of us. I recently asked our CBS4 Facebook Fan Group what they thought when they heard the name, “Miami.” Jorge Cabrera wrote: “I remember Old Peacock Park in the Grove, the wood pier at South Beach I used to jump off of at night as a youngster; old Bayfront Park with the Freedom Torch and all those busts long before Bayside.” Mark Banow wrote: “When I think of Miami, I am reminded of the way it was back in the 70’s when I would come down from NY to visit my grandparents. Wolfie Cohen’s, Lums, seeing Jackie Gleason perform on the beach, and going to all those Kosher butchers along Washington

Avenue in what is now South Beach. That to me is the real Miami.” Eddie Martinez wrote: “Miami is unique because of the different cultures that live, work, and vacation together. What I cherished the most as a kid was the month long vacations at hotels like the Aluho, now a high-rise condo, the Sahara, sold as condos, the Colonial Inn, now Trump Towers, the Thunderbird, alive and kicking. Used to fish under the bridge at Haulover Park and watch the Kelly’s fleet come in and out of the inlet.” Kelly Izquierdo said: “Salsa and Meringue.” And finally, Gussie Flynn simply said: “The weather, the people, and the culture.” Gussie summed it up. Miami is unique because of the people who live here. There are people here from all walks of life, all cultures, all living together under the sun. And we all have a pioneering and passionate spirit that really is the soul of Miami. So I said it before and yes, I’ll say it again; there’s no city in the country like Miami. Happy Birthday, Miami. Here’s to another 113 years! (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

LOCAL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

M Money / Consumer TALLAHASSEE (CBS) — What public service announcements and anti-smoking campaigns have had a tough time accomplishing a new tax on cigarettes apparently has been able to do in a matter of months. Florida cigarette sales are down, dramatically, when compared to 2008, and state officials say a $1 a pack tax hike may get the credit. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation said cigarette sales in Florida were down 28 percent in July when compared to July 2008. In terms of packs sold, in July 2008 just over 106 million packs of smokes were sold. This

MONEY / CONSUMER

SEPTEMBER 2009

Cigarette Tax Cuts Sales By 28 Percent July, that figure had dropped to almost 77 million, or about 30 million fewer than 2008.

line in Georgia, where taxes on cigarettes are now much lower than Florida’s.

Sales in July were down 17 percent from June, the month before the tax hike took effect.

In come cases, a carton of cigarettes can cost $12 less in Georgia, promoting some Floridians to make runs across the border for cheaper smokes. Some border stores are claiming to see sales up by hundreds of percent.

What has anti-smoking advocates thrilled as convenience store operators crying foul. Cigarettes are big business at gas stations and convenience stores. where they represent about a third of all sales, and the organization that represents those businesses says they are hurting. The Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association said some businesses have seen sales deep by 30 percent, and it predicts some businesses may be forced to fire people to make ends meet. Some businesses are praising the tax increase, but they are over the state

Technically, it’s against the law for Floridians to bring cigarettes across state lines, but the state is unlikely to crèche down on people who bring back a few packs or carton of cigarettes. However, the state is looking at people who bring back quantities for resale, or people who use the internet to sell lower-cost cigarettes across state lines. The state is predicting the new tax will bring in $900 million a year toward filling the state’s budget gap.

Those numbers could drop of people cut down on cigarettes or look for cheaper, out-of-state sources. (© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) News Powered By

Resume Cheating Soars In Tough Economy

ST. PETERSBURGH, Fla. (CBS News) — Ten years ago, Andrea Stanfield -- who now runs an animal rescue company -- was dogged by mounting legal bills as she fought for custody of her daughter. She needed a well-paying job. “I would do anything, anything. What’s the fastest way to get there before I lose my daughter, lose everything I have?” she said. But most well-paying jobs required a bachelor’s degree. Andrea only had a high school diploma.

So the Ohio native lied on her resume. She claimed to be a graduate of Akron University -which is actually called the University of Akron.

In a tight economy, with unemployment close to ten percent, more job seekers may be feeling desperate enough to stretch the truth.

Stanfield said she didn’t think about the consequences.

“We have seen a substantial increase in resume fraud over the last 12 to 24 months,” said Greg Slamowitz.

“I worked really hard to put the consequences out of my head.” The lie led to two high-level financial jobs and a six-figure salary. But it also caused severe guilt, anxiety attacks and a second divorce. “I did lose part of myself, part of my life, you can’t get that back,” said Stanfield. “I lived ten years of my life deceiving everyone I knew.” Three out of ten people lie on their resumes, according to experts.

His firm counsels businesses on the importance of screening resumes. But even his company was almost fooled last year. A background check raised suspicions about a candidate’s degree and her diploma. “At first glance it looked good,” he said. On closer examination, the word “ninety” was misspelled. Ben Allen says clients at his security firm Kroll, are requesting more indepth background checks than ever before. Ninety-six percent of companies nationwide do

background checks -- up from 66 percent more than ten years ago. “People are asking us to check more than they have historically. So it would suggest they’re more concerned about it,” said Allen. As for Andrea, after spending a decade looking over her shoulder, she quit her job before being caught and turned her past into a book: “Phony! How I Faked My Way Through Life.” “You might pull it off for years, but it’s going to get worse and worse and worse,” she said. “It’s not worth it.” Andrea says her actions cost her her integrity, and ten years later she’s still trying to earn it back. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

MONEY / CONSUMER

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

MONEY / CONSUMER

EBay Sells Bulk Of Skype Stake For $1.9B 2007, eBay said it would “take a $900 million so-called impairment write-down against the value of Skype, meaning that eBay had been forced to reassess the value of the Internet telephony company relative to its overall business,” writes Musil.

Private Investor Group Takes Control Of Online Telecom, But Internet Auction House Will Retain 35 Percent SAN JOSE, Calif. (CBS News) — EBay Inc. is trading control of the online telecommunications service Skype for about $2 billion, reversing a 2005 acquisition that many analysts considered a head scratcher from the beginning. The company famous for its online marketplace said Tuesday it is selling a 65 percent stake in the business to a group of private investment funds for $1.9 billion in cash and a $125 million note, while retaining a 35 percent stake. EBay said the deal values the company at $2.75 billion. EBay said earlier this year that it would spin off Skype, which lets people make free or cheap voice and video calls on computers and cell phones, after struggling to justify its 2005 acquisition of the company for $2.6 billion. EBay hoped to offer customers the chance to connect more easily and discuss transactions in real time. But those goals apparently went unfulfilled in the ensuing four years, writes Steven Musil of CNET News, a sister site of CBSNews.com. Signs became clear over the past two years that the acquisition wasn’t working out as planned. In

The move was a tacit acknowledgment by eBay that it was taking a loss on its original investment. In 2008, newly announced CEO John Donahoe said it would take a year to evaluate the future of its online phone and video conferencing service. Still, Skype itself remains popular, particularly among people who regularly make international calls. According to the research group TeleGeography, Skype accounted for 8 percent of international calling traffic last year. The service can typically offer cheaper rates than regular phones by sending voice data over the Internet just like e-mail and Web pages, reducing the need to tie up dedicated phone lines. It is also starting to look like a more profitable business, with revenue up 25 percent to $170 million in the most recent quarter. “We think Skype definitely is a viable stand-alone business,” Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian said. “It has clear market-share leadership and the margins have turned positive.” For eBay, though, “Skype has been a distraction,” Sebastian said. “This allows them to focus on turning around the core marketplace.” Skype was founded by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, creators of the music downloading service Kazaa, which had riled the recording

industry. EBay announced in April that it would spin off Skype through an initial public offering next year, though the company said it was open to alternative bids that offered attractive valuation. In a statement Tuesday, eBay CEO John Donahoe said the deal with the investor group achieves that. “This is a great deal, unlocking both immediate and long-term value for eBay and tremendous potential for Skype,” Donahoe said. “We’ve acted decisively on a deal that delivers a high valuation, gives us significant cash upfront and lets us retain a meaningful minority stake with talented partners.” He added that Skype, as a standalone company, would have the focus needed to compete and “accelerate its growth momentum” The group of investors buying the stake includes Andreessen Horowitz, the new $300 million fund set up by Web browser pioneer Marc Andreessen. Led by the private equity firm Silver Lake, the group also includes Index Ventures and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. EBay expects the deal to close in the fourth quarter of this year. Shares in the San Jose-based company climbed 13 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $22.27 in morning trading Tuesday. (© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) News Powered By

SEPTEMBER 2009

Report: ‘Phantom Loads’ Increase Electricity Bills

BALTIMORE (CBS) — In a study by the EPA, researchers found phantom loads can add as much as 10% a month to your utility bill, CBS station WJZTV reports. Phantom loads, or standby power, is a term for the electricity consumed by an electronic device while it’s turned off or in standby mode. That includes power that maintains your cell phone charger when not in use, coffeemakers and even clocks on your VCR. Pick and choose which devices are worth unplugging entirely. For example, maybe you can live without the clock telling you the right time on your VCR. Another idea is to plug all your computer components into a power strip and then just flip that switch off when you head out for the day. A product called the “smart strip” power strip does that automatically for you. If your computer isn’t in use for an hour, it turns off-saving you money. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

MONEY / CONSUMER

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

MONEY / CONSUMER

SEPTEMBER 2009

‘Don’t Post That!’ Networking Etiquette Emerges SAN FRANCISCO (CBS) — Stephanie Kahn wanted to bask in her engagement for a few hours before diving into the task of calling aunts, uncles and good friends with the big news. And even before she could call them, she had a surprise party to attend, one that her fiance had set up for their parents and her “closest group of girlfriends.” That party was when Kahn lost control of her news, CBS station KPIX-TV reported. Some of the guests took photos and were “uploading them on Facebook before I could even post anything,” Kahn said from Smyrna, Ga., where she lives. “Of course the next morning I get a couple of calls, text messages from people I didn’t call. They found out on Facebook. I think some people were a little upset.” In an age in which instant news and constant life streams from Facebook and Twitter change the way we communicate, the rules of etiquette surrounding these interactions are still evolving. What happens when I expected a phone call about something and read about it in a status update instead? What’s the polite response to a distant friend posting bad news on Facebook? What to do with sensitive information? Making matters trickier, good etiquette on Facebook might not apply on Twitter or in an e-mail. These days, milestones like marriage, pregnancy, breakups and divorce are being described over more forms of communications than ever. “Because it’s so new, there is sort of a gray area of what the manners are,” said Brian McGee, a 33-year-old father-to-be in Charlotte, N.C. He’d just gotten his first BlackBerry when he and his wife were driving to a doctor’s appointment to learn the baby’s sex. He had the BlackBerry out and was thumbing something.

“I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ recalled his wife, Megan GelaburtMcGee. “He was posting that we were on the way to the doctor’s office to find out the baby’s sex. I said, ‘Don’t post that!’” She said she wanted to tell her close friends the baby’s gender personally, though she didn’t mean an in-person visit. She didn’t even mean a phone call. Instead, she drew the universal female symbol on her belly, had a friend take a photo and sent it in an e-mail to as many as 20 people: cousins, aunts and uncles, bridesmaids, friends she’d known for a very long time. “We (weren’t) going to keep the sex of the baby a secret,” she said. “But I don’t want to have my cousin find out through Facebook.” Online social networks haven’t been around long enough to develop hard and fast etiquette rules, but general guidance is emerging. Just as most people learned that it’s annoying to yell on a cell phone in public or to hit “reply all” when responding to just one person in a mass e-mail, social media-savvy folks are finding it’s unwise to, say, post unflattering images of friends without their consent. Etiquette adviser Anna Post, the great-great-granddaughter of manners icon Emily Post, recommends taking a step back before rushing to type, whether it’s good news about you or a response to someone else’s bad news. Indeed, tweets and status updates posted in the heat of a moment can quickly backfire. In July, a New York City government aide resigned after posting inflammatory Facebook comments about the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. The aide, Lee Landor, had called Gates a racist and referred to President Barack Obama as “O-dumb-a.” The lesson? Know your audience,

especially if they will complain to your boss. A decade or two ago, communicating important news electronically rather than in a letter was frowned upon. Now an e-mail is considered acceptable for many situations, but even people comfortable with that might draw the line at social networks, which feel more like public or semipublic venues. After all, the average person has 120 “friends” on Facebook, according to the company. In real life, the average North American has about three very close friends and 20 people they are pretty close to, said Barry Wellman, a sociologist at the University of Toronto. This means people may sometimes forget just who is reading their status updates, and can let their guard down. “The word Facebook uses, ‘friend,’ of course isn’t true,” Wellman said. “Many people Facebook calls friends are not friends but maybe acquaintances or former friends.” Facebook has done some studies on how people decide what information they share and how to share it. In one, Cameron Marlow, a research scientist at Facebook, explored with his team what tends to dictate the number of photos that people upload

on the site. It turns out the number wasn’t based on how many of their friends showed approval for the photos by clicking that they liked them, or how many comments were left on each. “Rather, it was based on how many photos your friends uploaded,” he said. “Social norms are constantly being developed based on what friends do.” (© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) News Powered By

LOOKING TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS? Call today and join South Florida’s fastest growing newspaper. Operators are standing by to take your call so don’t delay.

THE ADTIMES N E W S P A P E R

Call Today

305-477-1699

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

MONEY / CONSUMER

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

MONEY / CONSUMER

SEPTEMBER 2009

Bargains Galore, But Are They Really Deals?

Reporting Al Sunshine sunshia@wfor. cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) — In an effort to get keep their customers spending in these tough economic times, more and more grocery stores, restaurants and retailers are using coupons, price cuts and two-fers as an incentive. Take a look around then next time you go shopping and you’ll notice,

if you haven’t already, more “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” offers than in years past. Some stores have even upped the ante by offering ‘three for one’ deals and more.

in grocery prices.

Nan Imbesi of South Miami said she’s always on the lookout for the best “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” deals she can find.

Karen Gibson thinks prices are actually getting worse because some food makers are shrinking their packages. In effect they’re offering less of their product for about the same unit-cost.

“Why would anyone buy just one when they can find a deal and get another one for free. I do buy more of what I need and shop for more when I can save,” said Imbesi. According to the U.S. Labor Department food prices have stabilized since last year and were down slightly in July. Overall, grocery prices are down half a percent from June and nearly one percent from last year. In fact, July saw the seventh consecutive drip

But despite the deals, some shoppers say they are not really seeing the savings they expected.

“I’m seeing lots of ‘two for one’ deals, but it looks like the packages are getting smaller,” one shopper told CBS4 Chief Consumer Investigator Al Sunshine. “So you’re not really getting the deals you think you are,” asked Sunshine. “No, in reality, I think Prices are going up,” replied the woman.

As the fall and holiday shopping seasons approach, many consumer experts say we can expect stores to ramp up their price cuts and other deals to encourage spending. But before you buy anything, they say to check the package size to make sure the deal is really as good as it appears in the store’s ad. Also, a bargain isn’t necessarily a bargain if you don’t have the room to store it or make us of it before it goes bad. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

MONEY / CONSUMER

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

MONEY / CONSUMER

SEPTEMBER 2009

Man’s Bill For ‘The Snuggie’ Keeps Climbing

PITTSBURGH (CBS) — Anthony Liskowski has no problem with his new Snuggie. “It’s comfortable. It’s warm. You can just lounge in it,” he says. But he’s got a big problem with the bill. What started off as an order for two Snuggies for the price of one, $19.99, is now up to $272 on Liskowski’s credit card bill, CBS station KDKA-TV reports.

Watch ‘The Snuggie’ Commercial On You Tube

company is,” he said. “I never received any correspondence.”

From the beginning, there was an obvious problem. Liskowski’s first charge was for more than $90. He immediately called his credit card company to put the charge in dispute.

“Today’s Escapes” and “At Home Rewards” are both so-called money saving membership clubs with at least some members like Liskowski who swear they have never heard of these companies.

When he contacted the internet Web site to question his charges, Liskowski said he was told they were for shipping and handling

“They told me to pay them from January to May and then they will quit billing me,” he said.

I said, “It cannot be $70 for shipping and handling.That’s just ridiculous.” To add insult to injury, Liskowski received notice that he had been signed up for two membership clubs, and each club was billing $14.95 a month in fees. “I have no idea which either

For now, Liskowski continues to fight a series of unauthorized charges and late fees that he says are unwarranted and a bill that no matter how he tries to figure it out, it just doesn’t add up. But that’s not to say Liskowski didn’t get anything more from Snuggies. He said he did receive a check for

$8.25. At first, Liskowski thought it could be at least part of his refund, but in the small print it says if he cashes the check he will automatically be enrolled in a 30-day free trial for yet another membership club. This one is called “Great Fun” with an annual fee of $149.99. And those fees keep piling on. Consumers who end up with one of these bills may immediately put the charges in dispute with credit card companies and report it to the Attorney General’s Office, KDKATV reported. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

MONEY / CONSUMER

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

E Entertainment / Dining Reporting Jorge Estevez jestevez@cbs. com HOLLYWOOD (CBS4) — As a part of CBS4’s on-going commitment to bring South Florida stories that are Good 4 You, Jorge Estevez met a man who has been helping families eat healthy for nearly twenty years and as his business grew, so did his giving. For many people, the mission on a Sunday is to relax but not for Josh Steinhauser, who owns Josh’s Organic Garden in Hollywood. He

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

SEPTEMBER 2009

Good 4 You: Fruits Of One Man’s Labor Pays Off sells fruits and vegetables all day, but at the end of the day, he gives it all away. “I would never want to do something else. I am 40 years old and I have found my mission,” Steinhauser told CBS4’s Jorge Estevez. Steinhauser has been at the market in Hollywood on the Broadwalk for seven years and throughout his career he has done well. Thankful for his success, Steinhauser now uses the fruits of his labor to help others. He grows and buys extra fruits and vegetables so that there are always leftovers. Then he donates those leftovers to groups like Chai Life Line, an international Jewish group which helps families with pediatric illnesses.

“It’s an operation I have never seen before I cannot believe how many people volunteer their time,” said Polly Zieper who benefits from Steinhauser’s generosity. The Zieper family of five has two teenage girls with Cerebral Palsy and the extra fresh food helps. Josh simply loves giving the food away and helping others. “Every time he says how many families are we doing this week and every time he says that we add more families and he gets more excited that we are doing more and more boxes,” explained Zisa Levin from Chai Life Line. Steinhauser doesn’t do it alone. He has dozens of volunteers who help fill the boxes and get them to deserving families. According to Josh, he brings almost

30,000 pounds of produce during the busy season to his market every Sunday and ends up giving away about a third of it. Josh’s Organic Garden is open every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. rain or shine in Hollywood where Harrison Street meets the beach. If you have a story that is Good 4 You, email Jorge Estevez at jestevez@cbs.com and we may put it on the air. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

YOUR SOURCE FOR SEEDS, GARDENING SUPPLIES&SAFE ORGANIC PRODUCTSFOR HOME OpenPollinated &HeirloomSeedsFor:

Vegetables~Healingand CulinaryHerbs Tobacco ~Vines~Trees Organic SproutingSeeds Special Dwarf VarietiesFor Container Gardening PottingSoil ~ Organic Fertilizers~Essential OilsOf Pure Plant Extracts

CHEAP InS tate Shipping

When Youre Finished BorrowingMother Earth, Return Her In Better Shape Than When YouStarted.

2021 SW 70TH Avenue B9 ~ Davie, FL 33317 (954) 382-8281 w w w . e o n s e e d . c o m

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

SEPTEMBER 2009

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SEPTEMBER 2009

Brown: Rihanna Beating “Took Toll” on Me

(CBS) Singer Chris Brown says beating his former girlfriend, Rihanna, took a toll on him. Referring to the February incident, Brown said on “Larry King Live” Wednesday night, “When I look at it now, it’s just like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that actually happened.’ It just really, like, took a toll on me.” Brown faced the music in his first televised interview since being sentenced to five years probation for the assault.

Brown told King, “I guess that night is one of the nights I wish could I take back, and (that) I really regret, and I feel totally ashamed (of) what I did.”

interview he had difficulty believing he did what he did.

Brown expressed remorse and took responsibility -- all under the sometimes tearful eyes of his mother, Joyce Hawkins, herself a victim of domestic violence.

In reply, National Organization for Women’s president Terry O’Neill issued a statement saying, “It’s all too common for offenders to claim they are ‘not the kind of person who would do such a thing.’ But when we allow them to evade responsibility by redefining themselves in this way, we trivialize their crimes and jeopardize their ability to heal and stay safe.”

Hawkins told King the experience has been “the most painful time.” She said, “It’s been hard, really hard, seeing him going through the pain and everything that he’s gone through.” And though Brown has been ordered to avoid contact with Rihanna, he professed his love on the show, saying he is “definitely” still in love with her. Brown

repeatedly

said

Chris Brown: I Can’t Remember Attack.

LOOKING TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS? Call today and join South Florida’s fastest growing newspaper. Operators are standing by to take your call so don’t delay.

THE ADTIMES N E W S P A P E R

Call Today

305-477-1699

the

Madonna Passing Torch to Daughter? (CBS) Madonna’s 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, joined the Material Girl onstage in the closing concerts, in Israel, of the pop star’s “Sweet and Sticky” tour.

In pictures circulating on the Internet, Lourdes recreates Madonna’s wedding look, right down to the painted-on beauty mark, made famous a full 25 years ago.

And that has tongues wagging.

“It could have been one of two things,” Katie Nichols, entertainment columnist for the Mail on Sunday newspaper, told CBS News. “It was either Madonna bringing Lourdes in to say, “Right, well, this is a slice of it, enjoy it, but get back to work afterward,’ or perhaps it was Madonna showing us, actually, ‘This is the person you’re going to be seeing more of ... and maybe you might be seeing less of me.’ “

The tour was a commercial success, reports CBS News Correspondent Elizabeth Palmer. Promoters say it pulled in $408 million, which would make it the highest grossing tour ever for a solo artist. And, says Palmer, putting aside talk that Madonna relied on extra dates in large venues to pull in those returns, there’s no question the Queen of Pop is now well into middle age -- as British tabloids like to underline. Madonna’s next video might showcase her new 22-year old boyfriend, but it also features her soon-to-be-teenaged daughter.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

SEPTEMBER 2009

Miami Man Is Music Video Mastermind many of Green’s videos have a movie element to them but they’re not shot in Hollywood or New York, but in Miami.

Reporting Jawan Strader jstrader@wfor. cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) — He’s the mastermind behind musical masterpieces and is one of the most sought-after video directors in the industry. Miami’s own Gil Green has made a mark in the music industry by directing videos for some of the biggest names in HipHop and R & B. Artists like Akon, Rick Ross, Grammy award winner John Legend and multi-platinum recording artist Lil Wayne. And

CBS4’s Jawan Strader caught up with Green on the set of his latest Rick Ross video featuring Grammy award winning artist Robin Thicke. Green shot the video in downtown Miami at the Viceroy hotel. “To bring as many videos as we have is a blessing and that’s why I think we have a strong team, because sometime budgets aren’t always what they need to be, but the guys will look out for me. And a lot of times I’m able to bring that home love to the video,” Green said. Green credits his success to timing by working over the years with artists DJ Khaled and Rick Ross.

“Just as DJ Khaled was emerging, he tapped me to do one of his music videos, we taken over and every artists was on it.”, said Green. Hip Hop artist DJ Khaled is impressed with Green’s growth. And even though he could always go with another video director, he stays true to Green. “I believe in the team, I believe in loyalty and at the same time, don’t break something that’s not broken. We make magic together, he’s the best in the game,” Khaled said. Hip Hop recording artist Rick Ross remembers when he and Green were both unknowns trying to make it. “We both was just talking about the future, when I come up I’m going to work with you and viceversa. Any time I need to think of some visuals and video involved,

the first person that comes to mind is Gil, aka the Gillionaire,” said Ross. Grammy award winning artist Robin Thicke said it best when talking about Green’s success, “Obviously he’s starting to make his mark you know, and soon he’s going to be leaving people in his path. That’s how the greats do and we’re really lucky to have Gil in this video, really lucky,” Thicke said. And no matter what you aspire to be good at; Green believes dreams can come true. Green says, “It’s all about work ethic, it’s all about studying and I think if you put the time and effort in anything, I think you can achieve anything you really want to.” (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

SEPTEMBER 2009

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SEPTEMBER 2009

The Little Black Dress Goes Big

Reporting Jawan Strader jstrader@wfor. cbs.com

in their closet.”

not the same.

Elizabeth wore the same dress every day in August, a total of 31 days. She actually used two identical dresses, wearing one while the other was being cleaned. She believes that even in the toughest economic times, women can still be fashionable.

“When I go and look at people’s closets, they have hundreds if not thousands of pieces of clothing,” said Elizabeth.

MIAMI (CBS4) — Valerie Elizabeth is proving that little black dress can go a long way and last through many more looks than you think.

“I want to have a new look, but I can’t afford to buy something new. Let’s start with what you have. Let’s take a look at those things that still have tags on them. Or let’s look at things you haven’t worn for a year, two years, even five years.”

“What could I use as my basic piece to build this experiment around?” said the Dallas stylist. “The little black dress just made sense because everyone has one

The L.A. transplant says it’s all about how you mix and match. Add a belt here, a jacket there, the right shoes, and all of a sudden that same black dress is

ONE OF THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES IN FRANCHISING TODAY! A True TURN KEY Operation.

She just wrapped up her fashion experiment Monday and kept a diary with pictures to document her different looks and styles. And she’s also giving men a reason to cheer. You see, the next time your wife says she needs new clothes, pass along the advice of someone who has proof to the contrary.

• Extr emely Low O ver head • Exclus ive Ter r itor ies • Low I nitial I nves tment For franchising information please contact Tony 305-477-1699 info@theadtimes.com www.theadtimes.com

The AdTimes NEWS PUBLICATION

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

SEPTEMBER 2009

Levi Johnston: Not Much Parenting In Palin’s House named Palin as his running mate, the campaign issued a statement that her unwed daughter was pregnant. It also said Bristol, now 18, and the young man would marry.

Father Of Bristol Palin’s Child Also Claims Former Alaska Governor Wanted To Hide Daughter’s Pregnancy ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CBS) — Levi Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin’s grandchild, said the former Republican vice presidential candidate wanted to adopt his child so that people wouldn’t know her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Johnston said Palin had a plan to deal with Bristol’s pregnancy. “Sarah kept mentioning this plan. She was nagging - she wouldn’t give it up. She would say, ‘So, are you gonna let me adopt him?’ We both kept telling her we were definitely not going to let her adopt the baby. I think Sarah wanted to make Bristol look good, and she didn’t want people to know that her 17-year-old daughter was going to have a kid,” Johnston told the magazine for its October edition, which goes on sale Saturday. Excerpts were posted on the magazine’s Web site, along with video showing Johnston’s preparation for a photo shoot and the interview. Meghan Stapleton, Palin’s spokeswoman, did not immediately respond to request for comment, but has previously discounted Johnston’s allegations. Palin has been keeping a low profile since she resigned on July 26 with more than a year left in her first term. A week after Republican presidential candidate John McCain

Johnston, 19, lived in the house for two months awaiting the birth of the baby, Tripp, who was born in December. The couple called off the wedding shortly after their son’s birth. Since then, Johnston has complained in national interviews that the Palin’s limited his access to the boy. He’s also said he’s pursuing a career as an actor or model. Johnston said the Palin home in Wasilla was not what most people would think. “The Palin house was much different from what many people expect of a normal family, even before she was nominated for vice president. There wasn’t much parenting in that house. Sarah doesn’t cook, Todd doesn’t cook -the kids would do it all themselves,” Johnson told Vanity Fair. Palin has four other children. The youngest, Trig, is 1 year old. Johnston also repeated claims that Palin said she wanted to quit and write a book or host a TV show. When Palin returned to Alaska following McCain’s unsuccessful run for president, she was different, Johnston said. “Sarah was sad for a while. She walked around the house pouting. I had assumed she was going to go back to her job as governor, but a week or two after she got back she started talking about how nice it would be to quit and write a book or do a show and make ‘triple the money.’

“She would blatantly say, “I want to just take this money and quit being governor,” Johnston said. He also claims Palin is not the hockey mom or outdoorswoman she claims to be. He said she rarely attended her oldest son’s hockey games, and asked Levi how to shoot a gun. “She says she goes hunting and lives off animal meat -- I’ve never seen it,” Johnston said. Chuck Heath, Palin’s father, said his daughter has been out of Alaska for the past month writing her memoirs. Later this month, the former governor is expected to appear at her first commercial speaking engagement during a visit to Hong Kong to address the CLSA Investors Forum, a well-known annual conference of global

investment managers. Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Alan Greenspan have spoken at the event, hosted by brokerage and investment group CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets. (© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

HG Hurricane Guide Reporting Al Sunshine sunshia@wfor. cbs.com MIAMI (CBS4) — This is not a “Time Flies” when you’re having fun memory for me. August 24th, 1992. My family and I were digging out of our home after it was devastated by Hurricane Andrew. We weren’t alone because thousands of friends and neighbors were facing the same problems; one of the worst storms ever to the hit South Florida left a swath of destruction this community had never seen. Whole neighborhoods were flattened. Lumber was driven through palm trees from some of the most powerful winds even recorded from a local hurricane. It wasn’t even supposed to hit Miami since it was originally forecast to “turn north” into Broward County. That’s why so many of us really were not prepared for what we faced. By hurricane standards, it was small, tightly packed storm that didn’t look as bad as other storms on the maps and satellite pictures. What we had no way of knowing; it was rapidly growing into a monster in the warm waters of the Caribbean. It turned into one of the worst, most powerful storms to ever hit Miami. The winds started picking up after 11 p.m. and just grew worse by the hour. We believed it wasn’t even going to hit us, since all of the forecasters predicted a turn to the north over night.

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

Al Sunshine Recalls Hurr. Andrew: 17 Years Later But it was such a powerful little storm, it never turned. By the time it was too late to do anything about it, we realized it was heading straight for south Miami-Dade and growing worse every minute. We hoped the forecasters would be right and we’d be spared the full force of Andrew, but that never happened. About 1:00 a.m., the winds really started howling and doors started shaking. By 1:30 a.m., the house was really being hit by seriously strong winds. We barricaded ourselves in the closet and soon started hearing the doors and windows exploding all around us. We used a small mattress over our heads in case anything heavy fell from the ceiling. But most of the roof held tight, and we were safe and dry for the early part of the storm. But shortly after 3:00 a.m. we sarted hearing what sounded like “a freight train” overhead. It sounded like we were suddenly on the approach of Miami International Airport and huge jetliners were landing right on top of us.

us at any moment. Here it was August 24th, 1992 and we were still hiding in the dark during a bad storm as if history stood still and we were living in the Dark Ages. Fortunately, the eye of the storm passed over us shortly after the worst conditions and the backside was not as bad. My home faced the worst of the storm and kept standing. We stayed in the closet as the rest of the storm finally passed through the neighborhood. It must have been about 6:15 or 6:30 the next morning when we finally felt safe enough to start thinking about leaving the comfort of the closet to see what happened around us. The first sign we’d just been through a major disaster was when I tried opening the closet door. Throughout the night, I braced myself against it so the wind wouldn’t blow it open. But now, it wouldn’t open at all. I finally had to force it open to find out why.

For months after August 24th, we had no electricity and relied on the Red Cross for private relief supplies. Florida residents from all over the state came down to distribute food and water to storm victims who lost everything. There was an outpouring of charity and goodwill that was completely unexpected. FEMA was non-existent for weeks. It seemed to take forever for any organized federal relief efforts to filter down food, water and clothing to us. We made it through the storm, the sun came up the next day and life went on. But for me and the thousands of others in South Miami-Dade who were left homeless by Hurricane Andrew, our lives were changed forever. And it still hurts me deeply how the “Lessons of Andrew” were forgotten when “Katrina” hit New Orleans. It’s almost as if every generation needs its’ own wake-up call: “It’s not if the next storm hits....but when”.

What did I find?

Drive down to the Florida Keys, just past Key Largo.

The roof collapsed in our bedroom and the storm debris fell over the doorway, blocking our exit.

On the north side of the road there’s a small monument that gets very little attention. It honors the more than 400 residents and workers of the Florida Keys who died in the Labor Day storm of 1935.

In the worst of it, we started feeling rain coming into the closet from the roof, we were getting wet.

When we finally got out, we saw part of the roof missing and there was storm debris all over the east side of the house. It’s not easy seeing everything blown apart with debris all over your bedroom.

That’s when the roof started coming apart.

But we survived the worst night of our lives.

I told my family we’d be fine and we’d come out of it OK.

We walked around the neighborhood seeing how our neighbors fared.

But I was lying to them, in an effort to reassure them as the the howling winds and worsening conditions terrified us even worse.

We all looked like “zombies” walking around expressionless, not being able to believe what we’d been through.

It turned out to be the series of trnadoes the storm spawned which ripped apart our neighborhood. We know now some of those winds may have approached 160 miles an hour.

I had no way of knowing whether the whole house might collapse on top of

We survived the worst hurricane disaster in Miami’s modern history.

The exact death toll was never known because of all the victims washed out to sea who were never found. Stop and visit it the next time you’re down there. Be thankful as bad as Hurricane Andrew was 17 years ago, we still didn’t come close to that loss of lives. And never forget, it will happen again. Hopefully prepared.

we’ll

much

better

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SEPTEMBER 2009

Foreclosed Homes A Problem During Hurricane Season his neighborhood. “No one lives there, and there’s stuff in the back yard,” he tells CBS4’s Chief Consumer Investigator Al Sunshine. “What if a hurricane hits, with high winds?”

Reporting Al Sunshine sunshia@wfor. cbs.com MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) — While South Florida is in the midst of hurricane season, many residents want to know who is responsible for abandoned and foreclosed homes before a storm strikes. Luis Callard is a West Miami-Dade resident who’s worried about all the abandoned and foreclosed houses in

He’s not the only South Floridian who worries about that. With Florida among the national leaders in numbers of foreclosures, vacant homes and condos can be found in most neighborhoods. They’re no match for a hurricane. Ron Szep of the Miami-Dade Building Department knows the problem. “When the building is unsecured, when the wind can get inside that building, it will basically blow it apart. All the debris will be flying into your and your neighbors’ homes and cause severe damage.”

Szep says that’s the reason MiamiDade County has a $200,000 program to board up abandoned homes. So far, 120 of them have been secured, at an average cost of $3,000 each. The county eventually gets the money back by placing a lien on the property, which usually means the bank that foreclosed on the home pays the bill. Chris Albury of the Miami-Dade Office of Neighborhood Compliance says it’s a good program, but it doesn’t happen overnight. “On average, it takes about three months to get a house completely boarded up, from beginning to end,” explained Albury. But in Broward County, there’s no coordinated countywide program to secure abandoned homes. Each municipality has its own building department, and concerned residents

have to contact the right one. So what if a hurricane is approaching, can you take matters into your own hands and secure that neighborhood eyesore? Attorney Roy Oppenheim warns, “Legally, you can’t go onto private property.” But he adds, in an emergency, you may need to do things you wouldn’t otherwise do to keep safe. “You have to figure out what’s best for you and your family.” The bottom line: It’s up to you to report abandoned and foreclosed homes to your homeowner’s association or your building department and have them clean up and secure those homes. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

NOAA Lowers Atlantic Hurricane Forecast Numbers coasts. Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said there’s now a 90 percent chance of a normal or below normal season.

Reporting Tim Kephart tkephart@.cbs .com

WASHINGTON (CBS4) — The Atlantic Hurricane season is in its third month, and so far, it’s been a very slow season for the National Hurricane Center. Only one tropical depression has formed through August 6, but the peak season is now upon everyone on the Atlantic and Gulf

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is now forecasting 7 to 11 named storms, 3 to 6 of which will become hurricanes, and 1 -2 of those will become major hurricanes. The Climate Prediction Center said there is less activity due to El Niño, which is predicted to strengthen during the coming months. El Niño is a Pacific Ocean phenomenon which, according to the Climate Prediction Center, is producing stronger westerly winds over the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic Ocean. The stronger winds are creating enough wind shear, or changing

of the wind speed and direction as you go up through the atmosphere, which tears apart storms trying to form. The update comes just days after researchers at Colorado State University downgraded their forecast for the season to 10 named storms, four of which will be hurricanes, and 2 will be major storms. In May, NOAA forecasters predicted a normal hurricane season with nine to 14 named storms, including four to seven hurricanes and one to three of those would likely be major storms. By August 6 of 2008, there had been five named storms, including two hurricanes. Through the entire 2008 hurricane season, there were 16 named storms, including eight

hurricanes. The Climate Prediction Center urged that coastal residents not let their guard down and reminded people that powerful storms like Betsy, Bob, and Danny struck during El Niño years. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

H Health Reporting Jim Berry jberry@wfor. cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) — In just 18 years of life, Travis Washington has endured a lifetime of suffering. When he was just two weeks old, Travis was diagnosed with sickle cell disease. “The disease is a horrible disease,” Doctor Daniel Armstrong explained. “It deforms the blood cells and causes all kinds of disruption in the body.” For Travis, it has meant suffering two strokes and going through brain surgery. The Palm Beach County teen remains partially paralyzed, but is now free of sickle cell. Doctors say thanks to a bone marrow transplantation, he has been cured of that illness. But it has been a long road toward recovery for the 18-year-old. A lot of credit goes to his younger brother Trevis, 17, who gave him a bone marrow transplant. CBS4’s Jim Berry asked Travis how he felt about his brother’s unselfish act. “Are you proud of him?” Berry asked. “Yes,” he answered quietly. “I feel good.” His mother is also grateful. “I’m so numb,” his mother Shirley

HEALTH / FITNESS

SEPTEMBER 2009

Teen Cured Of Sickle Cell Disease Armbrister said.”This really was our last hope.” For months, he received a variety of therapies including physical, occupational and speech. He was fortunate to recover fully and he received blood transfusions monthly to prevent another stroke. But his problems were far from over. In 2006, he suffered a massive stoke causing permanent damage to the right side of his brain leaving him partially paralyzed. The following year, he developed a rare disease known as Moyamoya syndrome that constricts blood flow in the brain leading to strokes and seizures. Travis, of Palm Beach, was referred to doctors at Holtz Children’s Hospital at the UM/Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

They also hope the treatment can be expanded to those not lucky enough to have a donor who is a perfect match.

plans. Trevis hopes to get back to playing high school football. And Travis, hopes to get well enough to ride a dirt bike.

“I’m so grateful to everyone here at Jackson Memorial Hospital for making this possible,” said Travis’ mom.

Thanks to his doctors and his brother, he could someday get that chance.

These brothers have some future That’s where in January of 2008, he underwent a six-hour brain surgery to prevent additional strokes. His doctor – Martin Andreansky, M.D., Ph.D. – the director of the pediatric bone marrow transplant at Holtz evaluated him to see if he was a candidate for a bone marrow transplant. One of his brothers turned out to be a perfect match. On August 5th, Dr. Andreansky performed a successful procedure, which replaced Travis unhealthy cells with healthy stem cells from his brother’s bone marrow. Since this transplant is somewhat risky, only the sickest sickle cell patients are even considered for it. Doctors hope bone marrow transplants soon become more common to cure sickle cell patients. “He’s not really had a normal life,” said Trevis, who took time away from his football team to help his brother.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

HEALTH / FITNESS

SEPTEMBER 2009

HEALTH / FITNESS

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SEPTEMBER 2009

Essentials for Your Medicine Cabinet It’s always good to keep a few different types. Some people don’t tolerate certain types of pain reliever well. So, have a supply of acetaminophen, ibuprophen and aspirin. If you have children or kids visit your home regularly, you would also benefit from stocking children’s ibuprophen and acetaminophen. (CBS) To keep your home as safe and the people in it as healthy as possible, there are certain musthaves for your medicine chest -items you should stock at all times. And on “The Early Show” Monday, Dr. Holly Phillips of the CBS station WCBS-TV in New York pointed to a bunch of them, in Part One of the weeklong series, “Early Essentials.” Phillips says having them at hand is really important for a few reasons. It not only enables you to take better care of you and your family, it makes you a better host for guests you may have over.

Over-the-counter Meds Stomachaches and Indigestion

for

Stomach care can be a bit more complex, because it covers a broader range of issues. But a must-have is a bottle of Pepto Bismol. It covers a large variety of ailments and comes in both an adult and children’s formula. Next, keep some form of antacid chewable on-hand. I usually keep an anti-diarrhea, and something to control vomiting, such as Emetrol, just in case. Pepto isn’t enough. And again, make sure you have some children’s medicine. Cold, Flu, Allergy Relief

Make sure you include a wide range of items -- everything from aspirin to personal hygiene products to a first aid kit. Also, make sure you have the right medicines and items for your kids and their friends. The last thing you want to be doing is running off to the pharmacy, especially if something happens in the middle of the night. Bear in mind that over-the-counter store-brand medicines are frequently equal in quality and effectiveness to brand names. As long as both products contain the same active ingredients, you can usually save yourself a few bucks by buying the store brand. Phillips suggests keeping prescription medicines separately and under lock-and-key if you have young kids or teens. Pain Relievers

Again, we’re covering a wide range of ailments here, anything from a sore throat to fever to a runny nose. So the first item to grab off the pharmacy shelf is a multi-symptom medicine. Get one for colds and a separate one for flu. Keep a standard decongestant and a cough syrup around, as well. Having cough drops or throat lozenges is always handy, too. Again, these items are sold in separate formulas for children, which is something you should consider when stocking up. Also, allergy medicine is essential, especially if you have pets. You want to be considerate of guests: You never know if they’re allergic to animals. Plus, many people have allergies, and a variety of different things can set some off. Keep a non-drowsiness-producing formula around, such as Clariton, so you don’t have to worry about people

driving home in a drowsy state. Clariton comes in an adult and children’s formula, so that brand pretty much covers you. In addition, always keep Cortaid cream on hand for skin flare-ups, along with some Calamine Lotion for extreme itchiness. These things are especially handy if you have kids, because who can predict when they might stumble upon some poison ivy in their outdoor adventures. Firat Aid Having these items will ensure you’re always prepared should an emergency arise, and keeping ordinary hygiene items available will guarantee that you almost always have what your guests and family need. First things first: Every home should have Band Aids. Having some form of antiseptic is essential, as well. Peroxide and no-sting kids’ antiseptic are good to have. And a triple antibiotic, such as Neosporin, is also an essential item. And it’s also a good idea to have a pair of tweezers for the occasional splinter. Having these items will make a potentially chaotic and stressful situation much more manageable. Personal Hygiene Make room for items such as toothpaste, floss, mouthwash and Q-tips. It’s always a good idea to keep an extra toothbrush, just in case a guest forgets one. And that should cover you for the most common situations. Also, try to put the personal products within eyeshot, so people don’t have to be embarrassed by having to ask for them, which is particularly important when you have teenagers that visiting often. © MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. News Powered By

LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB IN SALES? The AdTimes News Publication, POWERED BY CBS4.COM, is the fastest-growing newspaper distributed in South Florida’s Tri-County area. We have an immediate opening for sales executive professionals to build a client base in these areas. We would like to hear from ambitious candidates who are well-organized, tenacious and have solid phone and inperson skills. You must also be a strong closer and live within or near the tri-county area (Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach), as this is where you will be selling. The ideal candidate will also have a high customer focus, prior print media sales experience and an entrepreneurial outlook. Must be able to prospect, cold-call, present and close new business. Must be able to develop and maintain strong business relationships. Compensation includes generous commissions. Please respond by letting us know your experience in print media advertising sales. Call 305-477-1699 and speak with Tony.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

HEALTH / FITNESS

SEPTEMBER 2009

HEALTH / FITNESS

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SEPTEMBER 2009

I-Team: Long-Term Care Facility Answers Questions “Without telling anyone, horrible tragedy,” says Sean Ellsworth, attorney for the facility’s owner.

directly to Munoz. “I didn’t come for several months, there were issues and I just could not come.”

But that was the past, and Munoz, who has been on staff there for more than a year, but just appointed administrator, says change is underway.

Gillen asked Munoz if she knew the consultant had missed several months.

“For one thing there is plenty more staff,” Munoz explains. Reporting Michele Gillen mgillen@wfor. cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) — It was painful to watch: A man in his wheelchair, offering to show CBS4 News cameras again and again, how he has to struggle to exit a set of double doors at the Munne assisted living facility in West Kendall, where he lives. There’s no handicap button or working latch to keep the doors open. “Did you see what he has to go through to get in and out of there?” Chief Investigator Michele Gillen asked the center’s just appointed administrator. “I understand, but they broke it themselves, we ordered the part, they broke it themselves pushing the door open, slamming it. It’s not their fault, but it was broken from the residents,” Olga Munoz tells Gillen. The Munne Center is a facility many advocates for the elderly considered broken. It came under state scrutiny after a 71-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s was allegedly raped there by another resident, 33-year-old Darryl McGee. The I-Team uncovered McGee’s history of arrests prior to moving into the Alzheimer’s wing, among the most vulnerable. The rape happened on a night when a nurse’s aide allegedly walked out.

Following the rape, the state determined that the facility had not provided proper protection for the residents and entered into a settlement with the Munne Center that requires specific oversight for it to remain open. That’s not good enough, according to the Florida Ombudsmen— volunteers who work to protect the rights of the elderly. “In our state the Munne Center has had more ombudsmen investigations than any other facility in the state of Florida,” said Clare Caldwell, Regional Director for the Ombudsmen. Gillen asked Munoz for her response to those investigation and criticisms by the Ombudsmen. “I think they take it out of proportion. If you come in here to interview an Alzheimer’s patients, they don’t have credibility,” says Munoz. A condition in the settlement is a mandate that health consultant Angeline Downing be employed at Munne to essentially provide an extra level of eyes and ears. She must file bi-monthly reports on what she’s found, including staff training, resident grievances and solutions. While she is mandated to be the consultant, she told Gillen that there was a period of time, “That I was not here. I would estimate maybe 5 or 6 months.” Downing

reiterated

the

news

“No, back then I wasn’t the administrator,” said Munoz. Gillen asked the same of attorney, Sean Ellsworth. “Did you know that she was not here for several months?” Gillen asked. “I didn’t, no,” Ellsworth answered. Gillen asked if someone should have advised him if she wasn’t here for several months?” “Yep.” says Ellsworth. Meanwhile officials at the Agency

for Healthcare Administration tell CBS4 News that they did not know nor were informed that Angeline Downing did not serve as consultant at the center those months as stipulated in the agreement and say they plan to look into the matter. They also tell us that just this June they received they those bimonthly reports --that were supposed to be filed with them starting last November. After checking, Attorney Ellsworth told CBS4 that another health consultant had stepped in to fill in that gap during the time Downing was not present. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

HEALTH / FITNESS

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

HEALTH / FITNESS

SEPTEMBER 2009

New Procedure Helping People Stop Back Pain Numerous car accidents have left Thomas Fiore of Davie in constant pain. “I have constant lower, mid back pain, neck pain and knee pain,” he said. He wanted to fix the pain rather than mask the symptoms, so he began looking for alternative treatments. Reporting Cynthia Demos cdemos@cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) — As millions of people across the country suffer from back and neck problems, the search for a cure has been stumping doctors for years. But there’s now a spinal correction procedure that some say heals just about anything that ails you. It’s performed by certain chiropractors, but it has nothing to do with cracking your back or neck.

“I heard about upper cervical chiropractic and knew right away it would be something I would be interested in trying out,” admitted Fiore. After an exam and X-rays, upper cervical chiropractor Vanessa Shields determined Fiore’s Atlas, where the head and neck join, was out of alignment. “I use a sound wave instrument and aim a sound wave at the very first bone and it gently moves it back into place,” explained Shields. Emily Cross of Weston said this spinal correction procedure has

helped reduce her pain. “I don’t have numbness in my feet anymore. I can feel things whenever I touch them. I don’t have spasms in my back anymore,” she said. Shields admitted she does not cure anything but can improve dozens of conditions including migraines, allergies, high blood pressure, depression, ear infections and fibromyalgia. “The only thing I do is I realign the spine. I take pressure off the nervous system and the body heals itself” Shields said. Fiore told CBS4 he saw a difference after his first treatment. “I feel like I can breathe better. I feel like I don’t know a restraint’s been lifted off me,” he explained.

To keep your Atlas from moving out of alignment, Shields said don’t hold your cell phone with your head on your shoulder. Men don’t keep your wallet in the same back pocket, and ladies, carry your purse in your hand or across your body not on your shoulder. To reach Dr. Vanessa Shields with the New Life Chiropractic Center in Weston call 954-389-8297. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

HEALTH / FITNESS

SEPTEMBER 2009

REAL ESTATE

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

R Real Estate Recession Did A Number On Owner, But Now He’s Ready To Part Ways With 4,100-Square Foot Waterfront House Lucky Winner To Take Home 2007 Mercedes Benz As Well

SEPTEMBER 2009

$1.6M New York Home Raffled Off For $50 deal. So you say you’re looking for a big house on the water really cheap? How does this sound? “Only $50,” owner John Luongo said. Come again?

Luongo said he’s been trying to sell the $1.6 million home for more than a year and with the housing market so crazy right now he figured he’d never get his price. So he decided, why not just raffle it off? Fifty bucks a pop. If he sells 30,000 raffles, that’s $1.5 million, which is what he wanted in the first place.

“Fifty dollars.”

MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. (CBS) — A big home in Nassau County could be yours, for the price of a raffle ticket.

That’s right. For 50 bucks and some good fortune a five-bedroom, four-bathroom, 4,100-square foot house with open kitchen, steam shower and Jacuzzi on the water in Massapequa could be yours.

And for a lot less than what it’s worth -- $1.6 million.

“What’s the catch?” asked Chelsea Olsen of Levittown.

CBS station WCBS-TV in New York City spoke with the homeowner, who’s ready to make a

“We’re gonna be raffling it off,” Luongo said.

“My original plan was to live here with my wife and kid and raise a family, but after the economic downturn I lost my job a few years ago,” Luongo said. Luongo said he got the raffle idea after hearing some other people had done it. So he set up his own Web site and a Paypal account. So far he’s said he’s sold 10,000 tickets -- for half a million bucks, and he hopes to sell the rest by

Dec. 15, the date of the drawing. “I figured this would be a great way to not only help myself get some financial freedom but it’s another way give back to the community, to someone who normally couldn’t afford the home,” Luongo said. He said the lucky winner will not only get the house, but also a 2007 Mercedes Benz. And all you need is $50 and a dream. The owner said if he doesn’t sell at least 25,000 raffles he will refund 98 percent of the price of each ticket sold. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

REAL ESTATE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

REAL ESTATE

SEPTEMBER 2009

Trump Hollywood’s Luxury Aims To Beat The Odds and elegant game room, a cozy theater and elegant library with private dining. Each resident gets their own private locker in the wine cellar and each resident gets to store up to 2,000 bottles in ultra cool glass units. Reporting Lisa Petrillo lpetrillo@wfor. cbs.com

HOLLYWOOD (CBS4) — Welcome to the grand unveiling of the newest jewel to hit Hollywood beach: Trump Hollywood. At first entry, with the impressive two story lobby featuring an 18-foot polished sculpture, the Trump Hollywood is all about luxury. It has a private cigar room with personal humidors, a comfortable

Jorge Perez told CBS4’s Lisa Petrillo, “The great thing is there are no hallways. The elevators come straight to your apartment.” It’s high living at Trump Hollywood, as Donald Trump Jr. and real estate mogul Jorge Perez showed Lisa Petrillo around a two bedroom $2.4 million dollar unit— there was no ignoring the fact that the condo market is way down. So how will a building with residences starting at $1.3 million, and reaching up to $8 million sell? “We figured when we’re doing ultra

luxury and that’s what we do,” says Trump, “we say there’s going to be a market for those people with a different level of income.” “Jobs like this one that the average $2 million plus per unit,” says Perez, “that the buyer isn’t speculating...they’re looking at this for long-term hold.” For Trump, showing off his dad’s latest project is part of his overseeing all developments and deals for Trump International. He’s no Paris Hilton. “We found out at an early age that things from our dad weren’t going to be ours if we didn’t work for it,” says Trump.

deal. “The building is over 70 percent sold. We are going to concentrate on the people who have already bought. Most of them have expressed a desire to close, so before we go back public, we want to deal with existing buyers.” “So yes, there’s that difference between buying and then closing-making it a done deal,” said CBS4’s Lisa Petrillo. “Oh yes, if there wasn’t, I’d be a happy man,” said Perez. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

And both men say they are hopeful and even confident the buyers who have already shown interest in Trump Hollywood will seal the

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

REAL ESTATE

SEPTEMBER 2009

REAL ESTATE

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SEPTEMBER 2009

Homeowners Associations Win Foreclosure Case At the Village at Dadeland the pools are closed, the grass overgrown, and the association is teetering on the edge. Maggie Lujardo, president of the association, told CBS4, “At this point we are just barely able to pay the necessities.” The village is on the same boat hundreds of associations across South Florida are in.

Reporting David Sutta dsutta@cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) — Struggling condo associations are claiming a victory tonight. In May CBS4 first told you about the use of a legal maneuver being used to collect rents from landlords who were not paying their association dues. One owner challenged the court decision, and the Third District Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of the condo association.

Revenues have fallen off a cliff as homeowners, many in foreclosure, are choosing not to pay their bills. In May The Oaks in Miami Gardens began using a new legal strategy presented by the Associated Law Group. The attorneys proposed to go after landlords who were collecting rents but not paying their association dues.

though is the judge isn’t doing this on a case by case basis. The receiver is appointed to collect for any rental unit in foreclosure in the entire building. It Is Working: David Arnold, an attorney with ALG, believes the method will bring associations out of this mess.

She hopes the money will put the community back in order just as this program did for The Oaks, which is now bringing in more money than bills.

“I read all the time in the paper attorneys saying there is nothing you can do,” said Arnold. “That’s not true. There is a lot you can do. You just have to change your method.”

“It says to me that justice has been done, and I think it gives all of the associations a light at the end of the tunnel.” said Lujardo.

Instead of rent payments going to the landlord, the court appoints a receiver to collect that rent. The receiver then pays the association what’s owed.

Arnold has 21 associations doing this now, with more coming online every week. Recently the developer of the Village challenged this tactic. He owns 15 rental units and believed each case should be handled individually. The Third District Court of Appeals just ruled unanimously against him. The developer has to pay up.

What’s new about this maneuver

“It’s not a win that’s going to get us a

How It Works:

$1,000 or $1,200 a month,” said Lujardo. “It’s essentially going to get us 15 to 16 thousand dollars, maybe even more depending on what he’s renting those units out for.”

One of the biggest concerns of tenants in all of this though is if they pay their rent to the association, can their landlords evict them? The answer is no. The landlord still has to honor your lease, even though they are no longer receiving money directly. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

REAL ESTATE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

REAL ESTATE

SEPTEMBER 2009

Homeownership Decline In The U.S. Expected To Last buying a home or condo just too expensive. USA Today reports the latest research shows home ownership is dropping from a recent household high of 70% just 5 years ago to a projected 63.5% over the next decade.

Reporting Al Sunshine sunshia@wfor. cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) — If recent studies are accurate, American lifestyles will be changing enough that more families may be renting their homes in the future rather than owning them. Rent or Buy? It used to be a harder decision. But our current economic problems are making the dream of

Ester Achee is a Miami renter who says she can’t afford a home’s extra monthly payments because, “I really can’t afford all the costs, so for me it’s cheaper.” Why’s renting getting to be a better option? Because families are getting smaller; they’re not tied down trying to resell their home, and rentals are becoming easier to find. But Sandra Gonzalez is still happy with her home because, “I bought it four years ago and it’s a good buy. Everyone wants to live in Miami.”

So what’s best for you? Financial Planner Matt McGrath says it depends on how long you want to stay where you’re living. He advises “Think 5 years. If it’s under, you should consider renting, but if it’s over 5 years, seriously consider buying.” And before you make any decision, it’s also a good idea to check with you own Financial Planner or tax accountant to see what tax impact a purchase or rental could have on your next tax return. And these studies are already having an impact across the U.S. Residential construction is beginning again in many parts of the Country. Multi-Family Apartments are leading the way, with new homes constructed expected to lag behind.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

REAL ESTATE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

REAL ESTATE

SEPTEMBER 2009

Construction Mess Has Wrong Neighbors Moving In “We’re infested with these animals, now I can’t get out of the house,” explained Robert Deslauriers. “I don’t know where to step anymore. It’s not very healthy, and it’s an inconvenience.”

Reporting Sharrie Williams swilliams@cbs .com

NORTH MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) — Lucie Tondreau is a relatively new resident at Villas on the Green, but she has quickly learned she’s sharing her nice gated community with hundreds of unwanted neighbors. “We’re being invaded by iguanas and snakes all over the community and its not right,” said Tondreau. The neighborhood is near 5th Avenue and NE 195th Street in North Miami-Dade. On nearly every home iguanas could be seen sun bathing on the roofs. Longtime residents say a huge selling point to move in the area was the beautifully designed Williams Island Country Club, a privately owned golf course, adjacent to the rear of the neighborhood. The golf course has been sold several times in recent years and ultimately fell victim the real estate crash. The owner, a company known as WI 825 Partners, hasn’t maintained the land and it is now overrun with tall weeds, tangled brush and sprouting trees. The abandoned property has become a perfect breeding ground for iguanas, snakes, frogs and rodents. Homeowners are fed up.

Neighbor Lorna Williams says the iguanas are constantly making a mess. “Around the house there’s too many iguanas and a lot of poop all over the place. As you come out, you step in the poop.” There’s also a major safety concern. Parents are afraid to allow their children to play outside because of the snakes. Tondreau says her family feels like a prisoner in their own home. “You can not enjoy your home fully because you are so limited where you can go,” says Tondreau. “You go home, you come back, you close the door and lock yourself in until it’s time to for you to go out again. There are no outdoor activities you can have.” Resident Randy Perini says his dream home on a golf course has turned into a lie. “What we were promised, what we were led to believe has just been nothing but falsehood,” said Perini. The residents sent a letter to county leaders asking for help, but so far there’s been no direct response or visible action. CBS4 called Miami-Dade county leaders looking for answers and found out that the Office of Neighborhood Compliance has cited the property owner numerous times, dating back to

2006 for failing to keep up the property. After WI 825 Partners failed to maintain the land, the county hired a contractor to clear some of the hazardous brush. The work began August 6 and ended August 10, around selected areas of the former golf course. Because of CBS4’s report, a manager with the compliance office says he will personally visit the Villas on the Green to determine what can be done. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB IN SALES? The AdTimes News Publication, POWERED BY CBS4.COM, is the fastest-growing newspaper distributed in South Florida’s Tri-County area. We have an immediate opening for sales executive professionals to build a client base in these areas. We would like to hear from ambitious candidates who are well-organized, tenacious and have solid phone and in-person skills. You must also be a strong closer and live within or near the tri-county area (Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach), as this is where you will be selling. The ideal candidate will also have a high customer focus, prior print media sales experience and an entrepreneurial outlook. Must be able to prospect, cold-call, present and close new business. Must be able to develop and maintain strong business relationships. Compensation includes generous commissions. Please respond by letting us know your experience in print media advertising sales. Call 305-477-1699 and speak with Tony.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

REAL ESTATE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

S Sports Reporting Tim Kephart tkephart@cbs .com

NEW YORK (CBS4) — Forbes Magazine has revealed its annual list of the most valuable franchises in the National Football League. Not surprisingly, the Dallas Cowboys, also known as America’s Team, is the most valuable franchise. Also in the top 9 most valuable teams were the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins. The Cowboys, Patriots, and Dolphins all share a rich history, but also share the man Forbes named the “$300 Million Man,” Dolphins head man, Bill Parcells. The main thing that Parcells has been able to pull off at any team he’s been a part of is that he’s shown a mastery of rebuilding the team both on and off the field. Parcells turned around both the New York Giants and New York Jets, winning two Super Bowls with the Giants and took over a down-trodden New England Patriots team and help set them on their course of winning multiple Super Bowls in the early part of this decade. But through all of those stops, Parcells never got the power to “buy the groceries,” as he famously said while with the Patriots. Parcells wanted the ability to have full control of the franchise, but didn’t have that power until he landed his current gig with the Dolphins. Since taking over, Parcells and his crew

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 2009

Forbes Names Parcells “$300 Million Man” have turned the laughing stock of the league in 2007 into the defending AFC East Champions. The one thing Parcells has done throughout it all is add value to the teams he’s been a part of. Forbes reported his teams have had $300 million added to their value as he made his way through town. Even the Dolphins have seen a bump in their value which now stands at $1.02 billion, according to Forbes. What does that mean to the average fan? It means that your franchise is on firm financial footing in a league where smallmarket teams often rely on the power of the most valuable teams to survive through revenuesharing. Even though the Dolphins are not worth as much as they were last year according to Forbes, the team is still in the top 10 in the league in terms of value. This means that even if some of the teams in the league continue running into fiscal problems due to the current recession, the Dolphins are on solid footing when it comes to the ability to make stadium improvements, pay staffers, and make the fan experience better at each game. Still, as most NFL fans can tell you, under the current structure, everything on the field comes down to two things: talent evaluation and managing the salary cap. Parcells has shown a phenomenal ability to evaluate talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. In addition, his players stay with him and want to play for him, which is unusual in the current era of free agency. Parcells and his team have also shown a knack for managing the salary cap and keeping the best players from hitting free agency,

while also getting the best free agents for their system. New Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has also been able to parlay quite a few celebrities into buying in as minority owners of the team, which were likely aided by the rapid rebuilding Parcells helped pull off in Miami in 2008. Stars like the Estefan’s, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams all are now part of the franchise, along with Jimmy Buffett. All of which add celebrity and star value to the Fins, which will only add to the overall value of a team headed by the “$300 Million Man,” Bill Parcells. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

LOOKING TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS? Call today and join South Florida’s fastest growing newspaper. Operators are standing by to take your call so don’t delay.

THE ADTIMES N E W S P A P E R

Call Today

305-477-1699

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 2009

SPORTS

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SEPTEMBER 2009

Murdered NFL Star Has H.S. Field Named After Him Taylor was shot to death during a botched burglary of his Palmetto Bay home nearly two years ago. Current Gulliver quarterback Michael Strauss told CBS4 News Reporter Natalia Zea, “I watched him all my life and being able to play on the same field in the same school is incredible.” Reporting Natalia Zea nzea@cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) — While the Gulliver Prep School football players warmed up Friday afternoon, preparing for the first regular season game, many of them thought of a man who used to hit that field; a man who then went on to play for the University of Miami and for the Washington Redskins: Sean Taylor.

Taylor’s father Pete Taylor now coaches at Gulliver. He was on hand Friday when the school honored Taylor by unveiling the scoreboard that now bears Sean Taylor’s name. He said, “We are so deeply humbled, thankful and grateful that this occurred.” Taylor’s girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, and their toddler daughter were at the home when Taylor was murdered. They also came for the naming ceremony. Tears flowed freely. Garcia told Zea, “He was

Ricky Williams Planning Retirement...In 2011 MIAMI (CBS4) — Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams is planning to retire…after the 2010 season. The team wanted Williams through 2010 because of both his performance on the field and because of his professionalism off of it. It’s quite a change from the Ricky Williams who unexpectedly retired from football several years ago. During the 2008 season, Williams helped lead the Dolphins’ twoheaded rushing attack along with teammate Ronnie Brown. Williams also became a key component of the “Wildcat” formation, also known as the single-wing, which took the NFL by storm. Williams’ new deal included a pay raise of almost a million dollars,

raising his from $3.4 million in 2009 to $4.35 million in 2010, according to CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald. The Herald reported that a person close to Williams said the back’s stance on retirement after the 2010 season could change. But, Williams himself told the Herald that after 2010, “I just want to finish my career and move on.” (© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)

just a really special person and everybody loved him so much so, it’s a great day. Very sad but it’s a great honor.” Taylor’s mother Donna Junior is grateful that though her son’s life has ended, his name will live on at the school he loved so much. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

ONE OF THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES IN FRANCHISING TODAY! A True TURN KEY Operation. • Extremely Low Overhead • E x c l u s i v e Te r r i t o r i e s • Low Initial Investment For franchising information please contact Tony 305-477-1699 info@theadtimes.com www.theadtimes.com

The AdTimes NEWS PUBLICATION

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 2009

SPORTS

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SEPTEMBER 2009

NFL Not Changing Local Blackout Policy teams, Oakland, Detroit, and St. Louis, played some of the worst football in the league. But this year, the Jacksonville Jaguars will likely have all of their home games blacked out in Jacksonville.

Reporting Tim Kephart tkephart@cbs .com

NEW YORK (CBS4) — The NFL said it is not considering making any alterations to its blackout policy that prevents a home team from showing a game in the home market if the game is not a sellout. In 2008, three teams had a collective nine games blacked out, according to the Sports Business Journal. All three of the

Much of the problems with games not selling out are high ticket prices and the ongoing recession, which has completely taken away most fans disposable incomes to purchase tickets. According to the article in the Sports Business Journal, 10 to 12 teams in the NFL are at risk to not sell out every game. To avoid a blackout, games must be sold out within 72 hours of kickoff, though the NFL has granted extensions in the past to teams that are close to selling out. “The

policy

(blackout)

important in supporting the ability of the clubs to sell tickets and keeping our games attractive as television programming with large crowds so we can keep all our games on free TV,” NFL spokesman said in a statement to Sports Business Journal. While the full list of teams at risk of blackout is not known, among the teams that could be on the list include the Jaguars, Lions, Raiders, Rams and even teams like the San Diego Chargers. Three of teams were some of the worst in the NFL last season, but San Diego and Jacksonville could be on the verge of challenging for the NFL playoffs in the 2009 season. The Miami Dolphins, whose official station is CBS4, could be on the list as well. In an e-mail to

USA Today, Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said he doesn’t expect any games to be blacked out, but couldn’t rule them out completely. One trick many teams have used to avoid blackouts is having local companies purchase the remaining inventory days before the game, but just like the general public, companies may not have the cash on hand to make large purchases of tickets. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

A Automotive Reporting Tim Kephart tkephart@cbs .com

MIAMI (CBS) — Thousands of car dealers across the country say they’re running out of patience to get millions of dollars back from Uncle Sam’s Cash for Clunkers program. Car dealerships are still waiting on reimbursements from the government for the money they paid out during the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program, more widely known as Cash for Clunkers. The clunkers program provided up to $4,500 in rebates to consumers who traded in old gas-guzzlers for newer models. It turns out, in some cases, those deals are being declined by the federal government and consumers are finding themselves owing the money back. Cash for clunkers may have been popular but it was also confusing for customers and dealers alike. There was a lot of fine print and lots of red tape. Now some consumer groups are worried that customers who traded in their clunkers could possibly be notified they owe their dealers another $4,500 on their deals because their original paperwork was turned down by the federal government. USA Today reports there could still be as many as 25 to 50-

AUTOMOTIVE

SEPTEMBER 2009

Dealers Tired Of Waiting For Clunker Cash thousand Cash for Clunkers deals that could run into a snag during processing with the U.S. Department of Transportation. The feds insist they’ll get their paperwork done by the end of the month. The government has approved $500 million in reimbursements from the federal government’s Cash for Clunkers program. A Transportation official says dealers should be paid by late September. The official says the department expects to approve an additional $100 million in reimbursements each day by the end of this week. The government has processed less than 20-percent of outstanding rebate applications, but plans to approve or reject all by Sept. 30th, according to USA Today. Auto website Edmunds.com is looking for people who took part in the Cash for Clunkers program and were later told by the dealer to pay another $4,500 when the dealer’s rebate application was rejected by the government. Edmunds and other consumers groups are collecting the information on these deals in order bring the data to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make sure buyers are treated fairly. Consumer groups nationally, including “Public Citizen” say even if dealers notify consumers that they may owe more money, the liability rests with the dealerships making up the difference and not their customers. The consumer groups insist the law puts all the liability for bad paperwork on the dealership and not the consumer.

* About The Program: What You Need To Know * List Of Vehicles Eligible For Rebate * Auto Sites: Edmumds | Kelly Blue Book | Auto Trader * The Big 3’s Take On Deal: Chrysler | GM | Ford If you get stuck in a Cash for Clunkers problem, contact your local consumer protection agency or you may even need to get formal legal advice from an attorney. * Official CARS Web Site * Cash For Clunkers Drives Up Used Car Prices * EBay, GM To Start Selling Cars Online * The Estimated New EPA Miles Per Gallon Ratings

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

AUTOMOTIVE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

AUTOMOTIVE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

AUTOMOTIVE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

AUTOMOTIVE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

AUTOMOTIVE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

AUTOMOTIVE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

AUTOMOTIVE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SOUTH FLORIDA’S NEWSPAPER

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

GAMES / HOROSCOPE

SEPTEMBER 2009

TO ADVERTISE CALL 305-477-1699

SOUTH FLORIDA’S NEWSPAPER

SEPTEMBER 2009