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February 18, 2011

5

I-Team: Recycled Bodies Cause For Horror Delre was devoted to her dad. She would have done anything to honor him in life and death. Never would she have imagined this cruelest twist of fate.

“He was just cruelly, w ith a s aw and blades, he was just skinned and everything was ripped from him. Which means everything was ripped from me,” Delre explained.

A decorated Korean War veteran, as James Thornton neared death he reminded his daughter of his one fear – knives- and he asked her to be sure …that under no circumstance should he be autopsied.

MIAMI (CBS4) – “I go to be d at night praying I don’t wake up and think about it.

And it’s the first thing I think about,” said a tearful Karen Delre, describing the horror she cannot erase from her mind.

“My nightmares consist of my father calling me, begging for my help,” this heartbroken daughter shared with Chief I-Team Investigator Michele Gillen.

“Throughout his life would not even have a pocket knife. I mean he just didn’t like knives. He didn’t want an autopsy because he didn’t want any one cutting him.”

When he died, she followed all his wishes, so she thought. including carrying his ashes to a Florida cemetery. She had peace of mind until she got a visit from New York police a year later.

She remembers their exact words.

“Someone stole your Dad’s body pa rts and sold them and they made up a medical record,” she was told.

They showed her paperwork indicating that a relative named Victor Thornton confirmed

over the phone that her dad was an or gan donor. Which he was not.

Who is Victor Thornton?

“Its a made up name,” Delre said. In fact, the I-team investigation finds it was one of thousands of lies that served as the glue to a multi-million dollar scheme.

Stolen bones, cartilage and tissue. At the heart of this story is greed and how it robbed the digni ty of t he dead and put at risk the health of the living.

“You had over 8,000 individuals in the United States that received stolen body parts in their bodies. Because none of it was consented to by the family members,” said attorney Kevin Dean, who represents dozens of families that are suing the Florida based company RTI, located in Alachua.

and then they would take PVC pi pe that they brought with them and simply put the PVC pipe back in wi th some pins,” said Dean.

The man behind the scheme? Authorities say his name is Michael Mastromarino. a former New York oral surgeon who surrendered his dental license after becoming addicted to prescription drugs, he opened up a tissue recovery service in the northeast.

Along with a cadre of funeral home directors and embalmers, they ruthlessly harvested tissue and bones, much of it sent to RTI. They ultimately were sent to prison, along with Mastromarino, who was sentenced to up to 54 years behind bars.

According to court documents, phony death certificates were submitted to RTI including for Karen’s father.

It is a major processor of human tissue distributed around the world. It’s one of several companies that claim they unknowingly purchased and processed stolen tissue, bones and other cadaver parts harvested from hundreds of people between 2002 and 2005.

A spokeswoman for R TI said company officials have turned down our re quests for on camera interviews, citing pending litigation.

To unravel the scheme New York authorities had bodies exhumed and Xrayed like these revealed a dark secret of what took place in funeral homes in the middle of the night.

“He was betrayed by the system and by greed,” she said. “And I am going to make sure that I am going to try my best to make sure that no other fam ily feels like my family does and so many other families.”

“They would go to carving up the bodies .

And they would cut off or saw off the arms

Meanwhile, a daughter said she wants to sound an alert in memory of her dad.

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February 18, 2011

7

Living High On A Hill: FEMA’s Elevation Problem MIAMI (CBS4) – The CBS4 I-Team has discovered that thousands of residents are paying for mandatory flood insurance even though they’re living in the highest elevations in South Florida.

CBS4 I-Team investigator Stephen Stock dug through FEMA ’s mandatory flood insurance system and found a program underwater.

send it in and you say ‘Why do w e pay flood insurance here?’” said Myers.

neighborhood over.

Just up the street, in the same subdivision, Davie’s Forest Ridge, Carmen Saavedra has been asking the same question as Jack Myers.

Yet each resident we contacted tells the ITeam they have had pay mandatory FEMA flood insurance every year they’ve lived in Forest Ridge single family community subdivision.

“We’ve paid flood insurance since day

“It was crazy,” said Saavedra.

Retired civil engineer J ack Myers remembers every hurricane that’s ripped through South Florida in the two decades he and his wife Irene have lived in Davie.

And that appears to be one problems.

The Myers and their home have weathered South Florida’s worst storms with little to no damage ever since they built back in 1990.

Even with all that rain Myers said he has never seen any flooding or major damage to his home in any of those storms.

“We’re right in the middle the perfect spot and every time we hear about (living in) a flood zone it’s like ‘How can we be in a flood zone?’” said Myers. “I can’t imagine how the water could ever get to this level.”

That’s right. Even though the Myers live in the highest area of Broward County, they have had to pay for mandatory flood insurance through FEMA’s flood program. And he has the paperwork to prove it.

“It’s not a lot of money but it’s just it always comes due on December the 14th and every year you write a check and you

of the

A CBS4 I- Team investigation examined official FEMA flood maps and discovered the one covering Forest Ridge subdivision has a one hundred year flood level at 5 feet which, as mentioned before, is up to three feet below the elevations of people like Carmen Saavedra and Jack Myers.

“(Hurricane) Irene (left) 17 inches of rain or something,” said Myers.

But ever since the Mye rs built this little slice of heaven of f Pine Island Road in Davie, one thing has really bugged them.

In fact, as many as 1700 homes in this Forest Ridge Community sitting on both sides of the highest natural peak in Broward County or as many as 3500 people according to the US Census who are mapped into FEM A’s flood zone and thus pay mandatory flood insurance.

“They should be held more accountable as to who is paying what,” said Saavedra.

“They (FEMA) should update everything.

It’s like it seems like it’s been probably 40 or 50 years since they (FEMA) updated the maps.”

“One of these trees believe it or not broke at 90 degrees with (Hurricane) Andrew,” said Myers. “I got it to grow back believe it or not.”

“I think the water got up into here one time,” said Myers as he pointed to a spot in his yard about eight inches from the edge of a vast drainage retention pond in his planned community.

And then there is t he home on Beechberry Circle which is nearly 3 feet (7.69) above the five feet listed by FEMA on its official flood zone map.

And the map is old.

one,” said Saavedra.

She said it works out to be about $600 a year in flood insurance. And, like Myers, Saavedra said it’s mandatory. She doesn’t have a choice.

“It was outrageous when I learned initially that w e had to pay flood insurance,” said Saavedra.

Both Saavedra and Myers live here at the foot of the highest natural landmark in all of Broward County, 29 feet high. Only the landfills, the garbage dumps are higher.

And both their property’s elevation maps show the lowest point of their homes, their garages, nearly three feet above the FEMA flood zone shown on the FEMA flood maps which is listed at five feet in one zone, six feet in another one

I-Team investigator Stephen Stock asked Saavedra: “And you’re in the highest place in Broward County?”

“The highest place in Broward County.

We’re on the ridge,” said Saavedra.

The I-Team examined a half dozen other official surveyor reports w hich list the lowest elevations of the homes.

And the I-Team discovered that it’s not just Carmen Saavedra living at 3275 Maple Lane whose home survey shows the lowest elevation at 6.98 feet and J ack Myers living at 3140 Peachtree Circle, lowest garage elevation of 7.78, but also the home of a Carmen’s Saavedra’s next door neighbor on Maple Lane, elevation listed as nearly 2 feet above the fl ood zone at 6.8.

In fact, the most up to date FEMA map doesn’t show any of Forest Ridge subdivision. The subdivision and the roads in it simply aren’t listed because the map is so old.

Because the entire surrounding area is paying for flood insurance so, apparently, does everyone else living in Forest Ridge.

“We have a flood protection s ystem that is simply just not working,” said US Senator Bill Nelson of Florida.

Senator Nelson has been an outspoken critic of FEMA for years.

The senior Senator from Florida says Forest Ridge is just one small example of a FEMA flood program out of control, out of date and often unfair. continued

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February 18, 2011

9

Living High On A Hill: FEMA’s Elevation Problem doesn’t communicate directly with residents such as Jack Myers and Carmen Saavedra, even though both showed us official notices and letters sent to them with on FEMA letterhead.

“There are a variety of fa ctors that will go into what the new map will look like as compared to the old map,” said Broward County Environmental Engineer Leonard Vialpando.

Since FEMA wouldn’t explain the flood system the I-Team went to an expert in South Florida, Leonard Vialpando, an engineer for the Broward County’s Development Environmental Regulation office.

continued “We have to get the maps up to date. And then you have to phase it in over time,” said Senator Nelson.

But Senator Nelson also points out that other residents living in Florida and around the country often don’t pay enough for flood insurance.

That, he said, is why FEMA’s program is now broke. FEMA’s Director , Craig Fugate told Congress in April, 2010, that the agency is $18.7 Billion in debt. “It is unlikely we will ever retire t his debt,” Fugate told Congress.

“Right now the Federal Government is basically subsidizing the whole thing,” said Senator Nelson. “That means that every other taxpayer is basically paying for those that are susceptible to a flood.

So what you’re got to do is create a fair system where people pay their fair share for the risk that they have.”

Problems with FEMA flood zones af fect more than just Broward County.

Tens of thousands of residents around the country have recently found themselves

mapped into high risk flood areas without moving, without any change in geography.

As two FEMA Flood maps from MiamiDade County show, the flood zones can change with little change in geography and from the perspective of some residents with little rhyme or reason.

Though FEMA officials say some residents were mapped out of a flood zone those same officials admit many other residents now find themselves, for the first time, suddenly mapped into a flood zone.

Without moving or a change in geography these residents now find themselves living in a flood zone with little to no wa rning having to pay for mandatory flood insurance.

Several FEMA spokespersons wouldn’t talk to us on camera about how they design and lay out their maps and why some people are mapped into a flood zone and some aren’t.

And rather than answer questions about how the FEMA flood program worked, FEMA spokespersons claimed FEMA

Vialpando clarified one myth that flood insurance is only required of people living along the coast in danger of being flooded by a hurricane’s storm surge. The Broward County engineer explained that FEMA flood designations also consider a home’s location in topography and whether heavy rains from a hurricane or other storm would run down hill, collect and flood a home or property.

“They (FEMA) take the rain generated by (a one hundred year or 1% a year chance) storm and come up with an elevation,” said Vialpando. “And then they compare that number to the existing elevations and every site below that number is in a flood zone. Every site for that zone that is above that number isn’t in a flood zone.”

In other words if a home is located at the bottom of a geographic bowl where heavy rainwater might collect it also would be classified as a flood zone.

But that still doesn’t explain why Forest Ridge homes whose elevations are located on the ridge above any geographic low point and whose surveys show them way above the listed official FEMA flood zone still must pay mandatory insurance.

“They (FEMA) paint an area with broad brush. They (FEMA) don’t have a survey of every single home.

They have a general topographic survey of an area. So it’s possible that that general topographic survey misses some high points in the

middle,” said Vialpando.

Asked I-Team investigator Stephen Stock, “So there could be people who aren’t really in that one percent (one hundred year) flood zone because it’s painted with such a broad brush?”

“Right,” said Vialpando.

When CBS4? s I-Team asked Senator Nelson the s ame questions, Florida’s senior Senator vowed to hold FEMA accountable.

“If somebody is being put into a flood zone that’s not a flood zone according to the FEMA maps then they shouldn’t be paying the flood zone insurance rates,” said Nelson. “And if that is a bureaucratic snafu then we’ll just have to s traighten it out.”

But so far, Jack Myers, Carmen Saavedra and all the thousands of re sidents living along the highest ridge in Broward County continue to pay FEMA for flood insurance.

Myers said he’s even contacted FEMA but was told he’d have to hire a private surveyor before he could file an appeal.

In fact, for anyone who questions their home’s status in a FEMA flood zone, there is an appeals process. But, like Jack Myers found out, it involves a resident spending $500 to a thousand dollars or more to hire a private company to conduct a survey then going back to fight FEMA which can still deny the appeal.

Again, FEMA spokespersons would not answer questions on camera about any of these issues or explain how the process works. But late Friday FEMA did release an official statement regarding its flood program saying, in part “FEMA’s top priority is the safety of the communities we serve. The flood risk of a community is determined by a number of factors, including rainfall, elevation, topogr aphy, flood control measures and changes in building or development. We are required to update flood maps by the laws passed

by Congress.”

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February 18, 2011

11

Study: Future Municipal Pensions In Deep Trouble TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) – As the Great Recession continues to leave it’s indelible mark on the Sunshine State, a new report from Florida State University says a new ticking time bomb may exist when it comes to municipal pensions across the state.

The report, titled “Touch Choices Facing Florida’s Governments,” paints an increasingly dire picture of communities that have promised retirement benefits the state and local governments can’t possibly meet.

Miami, Pembroke Pines, and Hollywood were among the cities citied as having retirement benefits exceed 50 percent of their payrolls, according to the report.

The report said one problem that is making the situation worse is the collapse of the investment markets over the past few years. Since “retirement investment values are no longer providing significant returns, the promises localities have made to their retirees must be funded by local revenues.”

According to the report, while Florida is not at the same level of disarray as California’s disastrous budgeting, “our state’s local retirement systems are headed in the same direction as California’s failed retirement policies.”

A typical Florida county, the study found had an average liability for non-pension retirement benefit of roughly $30 million.

In addition, the study found that Miami’s unfunded obligation as a percentage of total government expenditures was roughly 60 percent, while Hialeah’s was 174 percent, and Hollywood’s was 174 percent.

On the other end of the spectrum, Lauderhill and Cutler Bay have their unfunded obligation as a percentage of total government expenditures at 0.6 and 0.1 percent respectively.

The report, from the Leroy Colli ns Institute said that there were several answers to dealing with the growing pension problems across the state.

One solution pitched was raise the

retirement age to 60 in order to make it more difficult for government employees to retire at an e arly age and draw benefits.

The study also m e n t i o n e d prohibiting doubledipping of retirees who have already qualified for benefits from qualifying for additional retirement benefits.

The report also said that cities invest more money during times of financial gain to reduce the financial stress communities incur during times of recession.

The report concluded by sa ying that groups like police, fire, union bosses, local and state officials all have together, “put together a route that’s expensive, and

getting more expensive by t he minute, leaving the bills for citizens notyet-born.”

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13

Gov. Scott Wants To Kill ‘Pill Mill’ Database TA L L A H A S S E E (CBS4) – South Florida is known as the “pill mill” capital; yet Gov. Rick Scott wants to repeal t h e state’s yet-tobe-implemented prescription d r u g tracking

l a w that’s designed to crack down on “pill mills.”

Scott, however, has defended his proposal to eliminate the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and the Office of Drug Control. Scott spokesman Brian Hughes said that the electronic monitoring delayed by contract challenges, may not be as effective as advocates claim. The governor also was worried it might infringe on patients’ privacy, he said.

The proposed repeal, though, drew sharp opposition from the Florida Academy of Pain Medicine. The doctors’ group issued a statement saying such a system would be “the single most effective weapon in the battle to shut down Florida’s so-called “pill mills.’”

The repeal also drew the ire of Broward County Sherif f Al Lamberti, who has to fight the pill mills that pop up almost every day.

“When I was appointed in 2007, there were four pain clinics; now there are 130,” Lamberti said. “There are more pain clinics than McDonald’s.”

The issue is so important to Lamberti that he helped raise money to get the prescripti on drug monitoring program implemented.

“Thirty-eight states have it (drug monitoring system) in place,” Lamberti said. “Florida is one of 12 that doesn’t; and that’s the reason why we’re ground zero.”

Gov. Scott wants to eliminate a computer system aimed at curbing the illegal sale of prescription drugs at storefront pain clinics, a move that alarmed narcotics investigators, drug-treatment advocates and some lawmakers.

Lamberti added that if the system was up and running it would help eliminate doctor shopping and going from clinic to clinic to get their fix of pain killers.

Businesses in Oakland Park say the pill mills and pain clinics have done more than just wreck the reputation of their city. Business owner Norma Dauer said the mills attract crime and destroy neighborhoods.

Diane Moore, another business owner in Broward county, said the pill mills force her to play traf fic enforcer outside her business. Her shop is next door to what investigators call one of the busiest pain

“I’m mad at the governor ,” Dauer said. “Seven to eight people are dying every day from these pills.”

clinics in the county.

“They (the users) throw up in my parking lot, one guy they took away in an ambulance,” Moore said. “They do drug deals right here.”

Scott’s spokesperson said that the governor supports tougher criminal and civil penalties as “a more ef fective way to fight this.”

Lawmakers never provided money for the system, instead directing the governor’s drug control of fice to raise private contributions. One of the firs t things Scott did after becoming governor last month was to disband the drug office.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to criticize the repeal proposal by Scott, a fellow Republican.

In a statement she noted her focus is on stronger pe nalties but added that a properly implemented monitoring s ystem “could be an important additional tool to address prescription drug abuse.” (©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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February 18, 2011

Interest-Free Offers May Cost You More MIAMI (CBS4) — Are you planning on making any big purchases soon?

Those interest-free offers we see advertised from time to time can certainly save you a lot of money, but you better take along a magnifying g l a s s when y o u shop.

Not

offering 12 months interest free on t heir $5,600 purchase.

Brown suggests paying the balance over 11 months.

“No interest for a year, is a gr eat deal. I t sounded good,” said Miller.

“Just to be on the safe side, and make those payments over those 1 1 months so that you’ll be sure to pay that of f in the 12 month promotional period,” said Brown.

But after he made what he thought was his 12th and final payment, along came a bill from Citibank for $1,300 including a year’s worth of 25-percent interest.

“I thought this is crazy. Either this is some kind of joke, or some kind of scam,” said Miller.

It turns out Miller’s one year interestfree deal expired on December 2nd, 2010. It says so in tiny type on his monthly statement.

But what Miller considered to be his final payment was due on December 6th, four days later.

“So, the statement due date was different from what they call the plan due date,” said Miller.

paying attention to the fine print can cost you big.

Justin Miller learned that the hard way when he bought a big new comfortable bed and financed his high-priced purchase with a deal being offered by Citibank.

The deal was a Citibank credit plan

Miller believes that’s intentional, a trap to fool customers into making their last payment after the interest free deal expires.

“You should always read the fine print, know the terms and conditions,” said Anita Brown with Consumer Credit Counseling Service.

Citibank said, “The terms of the deal are clearly explained in the seven-page contract.”

Justin Miller doesn’t think so. He’s telling his story on Facebook and hoping to get the last word.

“I’m never going to do bus Citibank again,” said Miller.

iness with

Banks rarely go out of their way to notify you that your interest free deal is about to expire.

Miller managed to convince Citibank to “reduce” that penalty interest charge from $1,300 to $650.

When asked what happened here, Citibank refused to discuss the specifics, but low and behold they agreed waive the entire interest charge.

15

Florida House Cracking Down On Unemployment TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) – A Florida House committee has approved a new unemployment compensation bill that is more business-friendly including a lower unemployment tax rate for Florida companies.

The plan will also make it easier for businesses to fire workers for actions that take place outside of the workplace, according to the Ne ws Service of Florida.

The bill is similar to one proposed

by Governor Rick Scott and would reduce the duration of state benefits from 26 to 20 weeks. It would maintain the current maximum payout of $275 a week.

The House bill would also tie the duration of future benefits to the state’s unemployment rate and shorten the overall length of time benefits would be paid, according to the News Service of Florida.

If the unemployment rate hit 5 percent or less, the maximum number of weeks of state unemployment a person could receive would be 12.

The overall aim of t he bill is to make businesses more likely to pick Florida as a new home to their business. It’s the latest in a line of pro-business bills including massive tax cuts for the multi-million dollar companies thinking of moving to Florida. (© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.)

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February 18, 2011

17

Now’s The Time To Improve Your Credit Score check, and if need be improve, your personal credit rating.

Al Bingham, a financial author who recently published “The Road to 850? , said 680 is the magic number. Stay above that and he said lenders will consider you safe.

MIAMI (CBS4) – As the U.S. e conomy continues its painfully slow recovery, many financial experts say now is the time to

Below that ‘magic number’ however, Bingham said lenders will consider you risky.

“Your credit score can drop 60, 80, 100 points in no time,” said Bingham.

So what can you do about it?

The Federal Trade Commission advises everyone to double-check their credit reports annually and dispute, in writing, any errors.

Look for missing char ge accounts you’ve paid off, but might not be listed anymore.

They can help improve your credit history especially if you currently don’t have many credit card accounts or revolving credit loans.

Try accelerating payments on any open loans or credit cards and, where possible, seek lower interest rates on them. Avoid debt repair offers and advance-fee loans, which can often be little more than just another financial scam.

Remember, many so-called free credit reports carry extra char ges. Only annualcreditreport.com is federally approved and offers actual no-charge annual reports.

“If you don’t pay attention to it, it w ill cost you. I guarantee it will really cost you,” said Bingham.

As the economy improves, many people will be face the challenge of finding a new job or applying for a loan. Working to improve their credit rating right now will guarantee their financial future will be better than it was during the height of the recession.

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February 18, 2011

19

Is A Pregnancy Hormone Diet Safe?

MIAMI (CBS4) — It

seems t o

feel hungry but some experts are concerned about long-term health issues.

Dieter Sonia Roselli said people have always told her, “you have a pretty face, you should just be happy with your life.”

But, as a makeup artist, she wasn’t happy because of her weight.

Six years ago Roselli was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and also had a hysterectomy, “I think those two combined really added 60 pounds I didn’t want.”

Roselli struggled to get the weight of f, trying and failing with many different diet programs until she found the HCG diet.

HCG is a fat-burning hormone naturally produced during pregnancy that some say also suppresses your appetite. You take it in cycles of around 20 or 40 days while eating just 500 calories a day.

This is what you could expect to eat while on the Diet.

Breakfast – Black coffee with an apple.

Lunch – Dry lettuce with about 3.5 ounces of meat.

always be the number one New Year’s resolution, to lose weight. And this year many men and women are turning to a pregnancy hormone diet that severely restricts calories.

The dieters who’ve tried it swear they don’t

Dinner – Something similar to your lunch and a snack of about 24 grapes for the entire day.

That doesn’t sound like enough food to get through the day but Roselli said, “Y ou have a ton of ener gy, you don’t feel like you’re

going to eat your shoe.”

Roselli takes the hormone through a nasal spray, but it’s also available by injections or homeopathic drops.

Her doctor has also been on the diet, but said it’s not for everyone.

The doctor won’t prescribe it for people with diabetes, heart disease or horm onerelated cancers and is also concerned about so-called HCG products offered online.

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Mir Joffrey warned “you may not be getting any HCG at all and you might not be getting something that’s safe for you at all.”

There may be other risks as well, even for healthy people.

“It can cause what’s call ed ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome with enlar gement of the ovaries and abdominal cramps. If a woman has a cyst, the cyst can rupture,” according to Endocrinologist Dr . Rasa Kazlauskaite.

Kazlauskaite also worries about dieters regaining the weight.

Roselli said that the important thing is that she has changed her bad eating habits and lost 32 pounds and 30 inches.

She’s now more aware of portions and what triggers her to overeat, “It really does give you a whole different way of thinking about food.”

Dr. Joffrey lost 30 pounds on the diet a year ago and has regained five pounds.

HGC is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in weight loss. Side effects include headaches, depression and dizziness. In men, side ef fects can include increased testosterone levels and prostate problems.

As for cost, the drops or spray range from $80 to $100. The cost under a doctor’s care can be around $800 including the HCG.

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February 18, 2011

21

Heart Healthy Lifestyle Changes MIAMI (CBS4) — We all know e ating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and fiber , and limiting sugar, salt and red meat intake is good for our health but you may not know pets, dental visits and belly fat also have a lot to do with improving heart health.

Simply lifestyle habits can help or hinder good heart health.

For instance, according to cardiologist Dr. Joshua Lerned w ith Holy Cross Hospital, we know smoking can hurt your heart. But you may not know exposure to second hand smoke can significantly increase your risk of heart disease.

“Just being exposed to second hand smoke in the household with somebody else who smokes can increase your c hances dramatically of having cardiovascular disease up to about 25% according to Centers for Disease Control statistics,” said Dr. Lerned.

Experts suggest Americans know their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But another important number is your pants size.

“Waist circumference is dramatically tied into ones development of high blood pressure, diabetes, high triglycerides, abnormal metabolic profile in general.

When the weight is of f around the middle we know that all of those risk factors can go away,” according to Dr. Lerned.

Dropping stress levels is critical to a healthy heart and pets can help.

“Pets offer a soothing af fect to many people,” said Dr . Lerned. “And people with chronic diseases they often tend to cope better with their illnesses.”

Exercise can also help with stress levels and they don’t all have to be extremely intense workouts.

“In fact we know 130 minutes of dedicated moderate exercise per week tends to be the magic number that promotes the best cardiovascular help. That translates into about 30 minutes of walking a day.”

Author and nutritionist Dr . Felicia Stoler said taking vitamins and supplements is great but choose ones that provide the most benefit.

“What’s really cool about Lycomato is that it’s an antioxidant and it helps to provide SPF of up to 4 from the inside

out,” said D r .

Stoler.

“Synthiomine and it’s made from L-Thianine, what that does it helps you to stay alert and clear, calm and focused.”

Regular dentals visits twice a year are another way to show your heart some love because studies have shown gum disease is linked to cardiac disease.

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February 18, 2011

22

Coral Springs Doc: Never Get Sick Again life,” explained Dr . Raymond Francis.

That happened years ago but ever since then the M.I.T . trained scientist has been trying to teach others how to heal themselves.

“The health of our people is deteriorating rapidly. More than 3 out of 4 Americans now have a diagnosable disease,” said Dr .

Francis. “Healthcare costs are threatening to bankrupt our country.”

Can you imagine never getting sick again? A Coral Springs scientist believes it’s possible and has developed a national campaign in an effort to dec rease the nation’s rising healthcare costs.

“I got sick. I a lmost died. I had to use my own knowledge of biochemis try to save my

Francis said it’s those staggering costs that motivated him to help America get healthy, so he wrote a book “Never Be Sick Again”.

“All of us are made up of these little units called cells. And if every cell in your body is functioning as nature intended it to function then you can’t be sick,” said Dr. Francis.

He suggests there are two causes of disease: deficiency which is when you don’t give the cell what it needs and toxicity which is when something interferes with the cell.

And here’s where a number of things can af fect your system; poor diets, exposure to toxins in the environment and a stressful lifestyle.

“I can tell you irrefutably that ‘Never Be Sick Again’ saved my life,” said Norman Ratner.

Just five years ago Ratner , who live in F ort Lauderdale, was suf fering from kidney stones and chronic asthma.

“I used to have to take two t ypes of different medications a day to abate my asthma and I kept getting sicker and sicker to the point where I came within moments of death from one asthma attack,” he said.

Since he learned Dr . Francis’ solutions to a healthier lifestyle Ratner said he’s been of f medication and hasn’t gotten sick in the last couple of years, not even a cold.

“It’s not dif ficult to understand once you

understand it. It’s taking the actions, the simple actions, that literally will help cure your body naturally of all disease,” said Ratner.

First and foremost Dr . Francis said eat organic foods, eliminate processed foods and sugar from your diet . Switch to organic toothpaste and s hampoo. Invest in a w ater filter for your shower or better yet a filter for your entire home to reduce toxic overload.

Simple changes, which according to Dr .

Francis, can have a major impact on your overall health.

“The cancer, the heart disease, the diabetes, the osteoporosis, the Alzheimer’s, all of these diseases can be ended tomorrow with what we already know today. All we have to do is take what we know and put it to us e,” said Dr. Francis.

The Project to End D isease is Dr. Francis’ national campaign to educate Americans on how to get healthy and stay healthy.

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February 18, 2011

23

Shopping Smarter For A Healthier Heart MIAMI (CBS4) — Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America for both men and women.

With

February being designated as American Heart Month, there are things you can do at the supermarket to make sure you’re shopping smarter for a healthy heart.

Steven Glueck of North Miami Beach is shopping with registered dietitia n Lillian

Craggs-Dino from Cleveland Clinic of Weston. It wa sn’t long ago Glueck’s diet was creating a number of medical problems for him. “ M e t a b o l i c syndrome, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol and that certainly drove me to want to improve my life,” Glueck said.

He made improvements and so can you starting with a better choice of bread, one with more fiber.

“Try to shoot for about 25 grams of fiber a day and a good w ay to do that is to look at whole grains. You always want to look for the word ‘whol e’ because that indicates that the product is made from

the entire grain,” said Craggs-Dino.

Cereal is another w ay to get w hole grain into your diet and so is pasta.

“That means it’s a less refined product.

It’s going to have more B-vitamins. It’s going to be higher in fiber.”

Cheese and lunch meat aren’t of f limits.

Craggs-Dino said you just have to pick the right ones, for instance those that are fat-free or reduced fat.

“Anything that’s reduced will give you about 25% less of what that ingredient would be.”

About 2-3 servings of dairy is heart healthy. Skim milk or reduced fat milk are good choices. So is Greek yogurt. Plain is best and add fresh fruit.

Most importantly, read nutrition labels on everything you buy including thos e buttery spreads. Some spreads claim to reduce cholesterol “because it has something in it called plant sterol,” explained Craggs-Dino.

Extra olive oil is good for sa lad dressings but be careful because they can have a lot of calories.

Eggs are high in cholesterol so egg substitutes are a great alternative and full of protein.

Limit red meat to twice a week and choose fish and turkey as heart healthy alternatives.

“Eating is a pleasure but it is all about portion control not overindulging and having a variety of foods,” added CraggsDino.

Glueck made healthy changes in his diet and has gained a healthier heart.

“It really isn’t hard to eat healthier . There are so many choices and they’re good choices,” Glueck admitted.

You’ll be happy t o know you don’t have to give up chocolate. Just choose the dark kind with at least 70% cocoa.

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February 18, 2011

25

Up Close & Personal With Enrique Iglesias MIAMI (CBS4) — O ne of the hottest selling heartthrobs currently in music recently kicked off h i s

latest tour in South Florida.

It’s Enrique Iglesias who opened up about things he doesn’t normally talk about with CBS4’s Lisa Petrillo.

Performing to sold-out crowds around the world, 35-year-old Latin heartthrob Enrique Iglesias had the ladies swooning on Thursday, Feb. 10th when he took to the

stage at Hard Rock Live for his “Euphoria World Tour.” This tour celebrates his 9th studio album which is now double platinum in the US and Mexico.

“Euphoria” is Enrique’s first bilingual album with 7 original English songs and six in Spanish.

“I Like It” is the first English single and is now triple platinum which makes Iglesias the male artist with the most number one’s on the Billboard dance charts, surpassing Michael Jackson and Prince.

“There’s no better feeling than writing a song and feeling that there’s something special about it and then performing it on stage and seeing fans react to it,” explained Igles ias.

“Obviously, when you get a few hit singles it gathers a whole new audience which is so cool.”

The relationship between Enrique and Lisa Petrillo goes way back.

“You’re like my aunt,” s aid Enrique. “A lot of people don’t know that your sister was my dad’s girlfriend and she was my favorite.”

Enrique, the third child of Latin superstar Julio Iglesias, has seen it all including the crazy life of his father but he’s trying to keep his life in balance.

“I try to keep my personal life as private as possible. Believe it or not and I love it. Lisa, -I love what I do when I’m up on stage and see my fans, I’m the happiest person in the

world.”

Enrique also talked about his girlfriend of 8years, tennis star Anna Kournikova and said they are still happy.

He also spoke about growing up in South Florida.

“I lived in L.A . and in other places but I always come back to Miami, the place where I grew up. There’s something about the people and I like living next to water.”

Enrique’s concert at the Hard Rock sold out so fast, they are now working on bringing him back for another show sometime in June.

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February 18, 2011

27

Parents Get Tough With “Tiger Mom” violin, and expect s only “A”s in school. The Yale law professor even admits to calling one daughter “garbage” in an attempt to motivate her, it was something her father once did to her.

“My blunt reaction was ‘Oh my God, this is just like my upbringing’,” said Chua.

MIAMI (CBS4) – It ’s a question that has puzzled parents and experts alike for decades – “what’s the best way to raise a child?”

A relatively new book which presents one point of view , “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” has been getting a lot of attention.

In it author Amy Chua redefines what it means to be a strict parent.

As a second generation Chinese American Chua doesn’t let her daughters have sleepovers, forces them to play the piano and

Strict rules and high expectations were also a part of Lisa Hu Barquist’s upbringing. As a Chinese American who went to school in South Florida, Barquist was the Salutatorian of her high school class; her twin sister was the Valedictorian.

Barquist recalls one time when she got a 96percent score on a test and the only comment she got from her mother was to why t he score wasn’t higher . She’s raising her daughter Clarissa, a 5th grader a t Carrollton, with some of that same Tiger Mom mentality.

“I believe in a dictatorship. I want her to

push herself and compete against herself and by competing against herself she’s going to have high expectations of herself,” said Barquist.

In addition to Chinese language classes and tennis, Clarissa is also taking piano lessons so she can be like her mother who is a classical pianist.

“I view a child like a rubber band. The idea is as a parent, as a mother , you want to stretch that rubber band as far as you can, to challenge that child but don’t have that rubber band break,” said Barquist.

Clarissa said her parents are a lot stricter than her friends’ parents. She said while she has lots of homework and no TV during the week, she doesn’t mind.

“I think I’m a little bit smarter and I think I’ll know more when I grow up,” said Clarissa.

Parenting expert Maggie Macaulay often works with the teachers at Summit Questa Montessori School in Davie. She and the teachers don’t agree with Chua and Barquist’s way of raising children.

“She does all the things I strive not to do as a parent which is yell, threaten, punish, call names, belittle,” said Macaulay.

At the school, teachers believe in involving children in decisions “The children really respond well when they feel like they have a say in what happens to them rather than just being told what to do all the time without any input from them,” said teacher and mom Dina Solano.

Macaulay said there are three general parenting models. Authoritarian which is the ‘tiger mom’; Passive where parents aren’t very involved and kids have a lot more power and Democratic where the parents are in charge but the children have a voi ce. She said parents need to remember it’s all about the relationship with their child.

“The more connected they are w ith their children, the more ef fective they are ,” said Macaulay.

To learn more about Maggie’s parenting classes visit WholeHeartedParenting.com.

CBS4 Newspaper

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February 18, 2011

29

Miami Not Ready For Electric Car Technology MIAMI (CBS4) – They are the hi-tech cars of the future and they are s lowly but surely starting to hit the market across the country.

There is Nissan’s allelectric “Leaf,” General Motor’s hybrid “Volt” and Ford’s new “Focus Electric”.

But the cost of “Going Green” may come with a stiff price that w ill change the w ay we drive.

GM’s Volt carries a base price of about $41 thousand, but there also is a $75 hundred

tax credit.

It has a battery range of about 50 miles, and then uses its gas engine to generate electricity for several hundred miles more.

A full rechar ge takes about eight to ten hours using a regular 110 outlet, and it still needs premium gas to run its power generating system when the batteries run down.

Nissans’ Leaf on the other hand is a true allelectric.

It sells for about $33,000 and also is eligible for the $75 hundred tax credit.

It has a range of about 100 miles before it has to be recharged.

Plug it into a regular wall outlet and a full charge will take about 18-20 hours.

But an extra-cost charger, using a special

high voltage line cuts recharge down to about eight hours.

Steve Cercierri of Tamarac recently test two of the new cars and said he liked them.

He found “They handled nicely, and I’m use to driving Corvettes and Camaros.

When it came to road feel, there wasn’t much difference from any other car I’ve driven.”

But Steve found out no matter how badly he wants to “Go Green,” he cannot just yet.

That is because the latest hi-tech energy efficient cars are not yet available in South Florida.

In fact, it turns out Florida will be one of the last states in the country to get them — possibly later this year at the earliest.

What is the delay?

There is no electrical infrastructure, there is no place publically to recharge them.

That is because Florida, unlike several other states taking part in the “Green Revolution,”

just hasn’t gotten ready for them yet.

And there is another problem: Anyone without a garage, including millions of Florida condo and apartment residents, currently have no way of recharging them.

And with the economy as tough as it is, private businesses and condo associ ations may be reluctant to spend big bucks to install public chargers.

It is all part of t he latest list of t ough questions being asked nationwide: What comes first, electric cars or their charger stations?

Carmakers say they hope to start marketing their new “Green” electric vehicles in South Florida by the end of the year, and Florida Power & Light said it is starting to market electric car charging systems to be used in South Florida. (©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. )

CBS4 Newspaper February 18, 2011 Edition

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31

February 18, 2011

Horoscopes provided by www.starlightastrology.com

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

Taurus (Apr. 21-May 21)

Gemini (May 22-June 21)

9 7 4 3 2 5 6 8 1

3 6 8 7 9 1 5 4 2

N

2 5 1 8 6 4 7 9 3

7 8 2 1 4 9 3 5 6

L O C A L .

1 4 5 6 3 2 9 7 8

Leo (July 23-Aug. 23)

Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 18) Listen to the advice given by those with experience. Catch up on overdue phone calls and correspondence.

Abstain from getting involved with married individuals. New relationships will surface through work relate events. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

4 9 3 2 5 8 1 6 7

8 2 7 9 1 6 4 3 5

5 1 6 4 7 3 8 2 9

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Sagitarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Do a little extra work Do not get into uncertain at home. Female financial deals. Joint colleagues may be ventures might prove able to help you get to be unfavorable. You the job done. You may will have excellent find travel to be most ideas and you should be rewarding. Try to bend able to help your partner but by no means get ahead. Be prepared to should you give in make compensations and adjustments. Your completely. Your luckiest luckiest events this month will occur on a events this month will occur on a Monday.

Saturday.

SUDOKU

INSTRUCTIONS: Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square.

6

8 9 1 2 7

7 3

9

7

1

4

9 1 5 3 8

6

1

6 2 6 8

5 2 1

PRINTED IN THE USA, C OPYRIGHT ©2011 B Y MARCO G, INC. All r ights reserved. The CBS4 Newspaper, a free publication, is published monthly by MARC O G, Inc. Material in this publication must not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission from CBS4. Requests for permission should be directed to 305-477-1699. CBS4 and its logo (s) are protected through trademark registration. The use of logos, content and/or artwork in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. For more information please contact 305-477-1699.

E W S P A P E R

R E A L .

6 3 9 5 8 7 2 1 4

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

You can make money if You may find that Disharmony in your you are careful not to depression is causing relationship may let it trickle through you to feel lonely and cause minor your fingers. Keep an insecure. You will do ailments. Talk to your eye on your weight. extremely well if you get mate about a Don’t let your mate stop involved in competitive vacation and discuss you from attending an activities this month. the expectations of event that could be most Expect to pay more than your relationship. important. You can pick anticipated for entertainment or Misunderstandings could cause confusion and up valuable information if you listen to those other purchases. Put your efforts into being upset. You will be misinterpreted if you get creative. Your luckiest events this month will involved in other people’s problems. Your luckiest with more experience. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday. occur on a Tuesday. events this month will occur on a Thursday.

Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 22) You can dazzle members of the opposite sex with your quick wit and aggressive charm.

Empty promises and a lack of cash may put a damper on your plans.

Look out for yourself this month. It may be a disappointing day emotionally. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 20)

Sudoku provided by www.puzzles.about.com

You have been going through a period of change that has caused problems for you with your loved ones. Camping, swimming, and biking expeditions should all be considered. Abrupt changes concerning your professional position are evident. Recognition will be yours if you meet your deadline. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.

Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)

Use discrimination and Don’t let your health suffer Don’t give up what you play hard to get. You may because of abuse. If you have until you can be want to take a look at can’t get away, make certain just what it is courses offered at a plans to do something you’re getting. Be honest local institute. Listen and special with friends or with yourself before formulate your course of relatives. You must try getting involved with action. You will be to include your mate in someone who is likely to indecisive. Your emotions your activities this lead you on. Set aside any may be hard to control if your month. Don’t turn down an decisions regarding your mate is forcing you to undergo drastic alterations invitation or a challenge that could enhance your personal life this month. Make sure that you get in your relationship. Your luckiest events this chances of meeting someone special. Your luckiest legal matters checked out thoroughly. Your month will occur on a Wednesday. events this month will occur on a Thursday. luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

February 4th Solution

Attempt to face key issues with lovers or problems could escalate. Be careful that you don’t spend too much time with a person belonging to someone else.

Help elders get their personal papers in order.

You will profit from home improvement projects and real estate deals. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

N E W S .