CBS4 Newspaper

N E W S P A P E R

O

FREE COPY

ALSO INSIDE:

R E A L .

I-Team: Massive Tax Refund Fraud Exposed

I-Team: A Hero’s Tale - Inside A Deadly Police Shootout

L O C A L .

June 3, 2011

N E W S .

NHC Taking To Facebook During 2011 Hurricane Season

S. Florida Real Estate Market Ripe With Deals

I-Team: Women, Hormones And Alzheimer’s: The Missing Link?

For information call: 305-477-1699

CBS4 Newspaper

June 3, 2011

5

I Team: County Receives Nothing From Heat, Arena Revenue for the county are still with county government and none of the governmental officials there now can say who came up with that $14 million figure. Also, as is now evident, the Heat managed to place enough conditions on the “revenue sharing” clause of the contract to make it effectively worthless.

Because in the last eleven years, Miami Dade County has not received a single penny from the Miami Heat under the revenue sharing provision of their arena contract.

MIAMI (CBS4) – During the Miami Heat’s most recent playoff game, no one was more excited to see the Heat play than six year old Cole Wilburn.

“I want to see the Heat rock,” said Cole, as he waited to get into the AmericanAirlinesArena.

Cole’s mom took him to the game because Cole is a good boy, a considerate child, who knows what it means to share with others.

Asked by CBS4’s Jim DeFede why sharing is good, the young boy responded, “Because it’s being kindful.”

Unfortunately, in the eleven years since the Miami Heat moved into their new arena, they haven’t been very kindful.

Watching fans stream into the Triple-A with Cole, it is hard to imagine a more profitable venue in South Florida. Forbes magazine recently listed the Miami Heat as one of the most profitable franchises in the NBA, and part of that value is based on the arena itself.

Built on a prime piece of county waterfront and subsidized with millions of dollars in county tax money, the arena was supposed to be more than just a playground for millionaire athletes and their billionaire owner. It was also supposed to be an investment for the community.

In the late Nineties as the Heat’s owner Micky Arison lobbied for a new arena, he sweetened the deal for county officials by promising that if the arena generated more than $14 million a year in profit they would share 40 percent of that money with the county No who was involved in the negotiations

According to the financial statements the Miami Heat provides to the county every year, the arena just isn’t profitable enough – at least not on paper.

Last year, the arena generated more than $53 million in revenue – that includes everything from those over priced hot dogs to the luxury suites that circle the court to the $6.4 million in subsidies county taxpayers provide. This includes revenue that comes in not only for Heat games, but also concerts, the circus and corporate events.

On the other side of the ledger, the arena showed $32 million in expenses.

Now you might think that means they had $21 million in profit last year and the county was therefore entitled to some of that money. But unfortunately for Dade County the Heat took a $14 million in amortized arena costs.

What is that? Well, when CBS4’s Jim DeFede asked the county that question, a county spokeswoman sent us the following response: “County staff cannot answer why Basketball Property Limited (BPL) amortizes items as they appear in the financial statements. You can contact Eric Woolworth, President of Business Operations, Basketball Properties Ltd., for clarification. “ Basketball Properties Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Miami Heat.

The most fascinating aspect of that answer is the willingness of the county to simply abdicate any responsibility they might have in making sure they are not losing a possible source of money.

Last week CBS4 News went over to the arena to try and speak to Eric Woolworth.

We were told he was in a meeting and couldn’t be disturbed. Later we were told he was out of town.

After a few days, CBS4 News received word from the Heat that they would not be answering any of our questions.

“The Heat, as usual in these deals with the county, got way more than they should have and the county got not nearly enough,” sighed Katy Sorenson, who voted against the arena deal when she was a Dade County Commissioner.

Sorenson recalls how lots of promises were made at the time never came true. There was supposed to be a park and a soccer field, she said, but that never happened either.

“It’s not with any sense of pride or joy that I feel vindicated,” says Sorenson, who is now the president and CEO of the Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami. “It’s just why do we keep making these bad deals over and over again.”

She felt the same way about the recent deal to build a new stadium for the Florida Marlins. Sorenson said politicians become so enamored of professional athletes that they “give away the store” rather than protect the interests of taxpayers.

“Sports are sexy and sports are big time and elected officials often want to be associated with that,” Sorenson said.

And even after a deal is made, no one at County Hall seems interested in questioning anything the Heat does. For instance, every year, the Heat submits a budget for the county to review.

But it is not clear anyone at County Hall even looks at it. CBS4 News found a copy of this year’s budget in a file with other documents associated with the arena.

Among the things CBS4 News found that seemed odd, was the fact that in the last few years the salaries for arena employees – not basketball players like Dwyane Wade or LeBron James – but arena staff, rose from $8 million to more than $12 million.

Why? Why was there such a large increase in salaries? No one at the county could answer that question and it was clear no

one at the county had even noticed the increase until CBS4 News pointed it out.

Also, every year there is a line in the arena budget for “public relations firm fees” for $125,000. In the last ten years that would mean thaat firm has received $1.25 million.

What is the name of the firm? Who owns it? What do they do for that money? Is that firm politically connected to any of the county officials who helped negotiate the arena deal more than a decade ago?

The county claims they have no idea where that money is going. And the Heat refuses to answer any questions.

The Heat apparently takes the view that since they are responsible for the majority of the arena’s expenses they are not obligated to provide details to the county or the public. But if the county did a better job of trying to hold down expenses, then maybe the arena would start generating enough profit so that the county could finally see some dollars flowing their way under the revenue sharing agreement.

Six-year-old Cole Wilburn may not understand the intricacies of arena finance.

He shrugged when asked about arena cost amortization schedules. But he does know the difference between right and wrong.

Asked if it is good to share, Cole nodded and said, “Yes it is.”

And should the Heat share some of the money that is pouring into the arena?

“Yes,” Cole said, “they should.”

Now if only the Miami Heat and our elected officials could reach the same conclusion as a six year old.

CBS4 Newspaper June 3, 2011 Edition

CBS4 Newspaper

For information call: 305-477-1699

June 3, 2011

7

I-Team: Massive Tax Refund Fraud Exposed That’s right, the IRS sent Pete a refund of more than a quarter million dollars.

“Part of it is that there are agencies that are at odds with each other.”

By mistake.

Marrero served as a special criminal investigator with the IRS for 28-years before retiring in May, 2004.

“I was expecting $20,000 or $30,000 (refund) not a quarter million dollars,” said Pete, who then contacted the IRS to return the check.

What happened next might shock you.

MIAMI (CBS4) – “I had all my stuff in order. It’s nice and neat,” taxpayer Marija Weinman told CBS4 I-Team Investigator, Stephen Stock.

Though her tax return was nearly perfect, the 60-year-old Weinman got the surprise of her life this spring when the IRS held up her tax return.

“I was very upset when they called me,” said Weinman. “I said to myself, ‘What!?!’”

This spring, according to Weinman’s commercial tax preparer, the IRS held up her tax return and refund because someone else had stolen her disabled adult son’s identity and claimed him as a dependent.

The IRS refused to take back the false refund. An official insisted that Pete cash the check he wasn’t due.

“And they (IRS officials) then said ‘No sir, that is indeed your correct amount of your refund.’ And they said, ‘You’re entitled to cash that check. That’s your money.’”

Only it wasn’t Pete’s money and he knew it, despite what IRS officials had insisted to him.

The Miami businessman did his own investigation and quickly found out that someone had stolen his identity and then filed a fraudulent return of about $60,000.

Then, Pete and other specialists he hired to track down this theft uncovered a fortunate glitch.

Pete and the folks he hired to track this all down discovered that the IRS sent a refund check of $260,000 dollars not to the fraudulent identity thief but to Pete, who was honest and refused to cash the check.

The total amount the IRS is haggling with Weinman over is about $600. That is the amount her tax preparer says she can reduce her tax liability by legitimately claiming her adult son as a dependent.

“It’s no way to do business,” said Pete.

“But if there are no checks and balances and there’s no one to be accountable to or for, then there’s no stopping this runaway train (of fraud).”

Then there is a Miami business owner, we’ll call “Pete,” who asked not to be identified after the same thing happened to him. Only Pete’s story might make you fall out of your chair because his case involves, not $600, but more than a quarter of a million dollars.

What’s worse, the IRS did this on three different occasions three different years in a row despite the fact that Pete had officially notified them to flag his return. He’d even filled out all the official paperwork to notify the IRS that his identity had been stolen.

It involved an error not against Pete, as in Marija’s case, but in Pete’s favor.

“I will tell you that if everybody paid their fair share and there wasn’t any fraud I would almost guarantee you that we wouldn’t have a deficit,” said Marrero.

“That’s how big the problem is.”

The IRS did not respond to requests from CBS4’s I-Team for a full accounting of how much tax refund fraud exists.

The agency that audits and monitors the IRS, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has not added up a total for the amount of tax refund fraud that the IRS suffers each year.

Fortunate for taxpayers that is.

“It’s not fair because we all go to work every day,” said Weinman. “We work very hard for our money. And then someone steals it. There’s no punishment that is too harsh for someone who did this. I hope to God that they catch him or them.”

“All I got from anybody was their condolences,” he said

Marrero told the CBS4 I-Team that he estimates the lost taxpayer dollars could add up to $2 billion a year or more.

Marrero makes that estimate based on internal IRS documents, audits and criminal investigations he’s seen firsthand as a special investigative agent and because he helped prepare and write some of those reports. And he says that $2 Billion is a conservative estimate.

Experts who used to work for the IRS said the stories of Pete and Marija do not surprise them.

“Part of it is a resource issue. Part of it is a funding issue,” said former IRS special criminal investigative agent Jose Marrero.

Jose Marrero now co-owns MRW consulting, a forensic accounting firm in Fort Lauderdale, with his partners Luis Rivera and Ron Wise. All three men are retired IRS special criminal investigative agents with a combined 90-years experience.

Wise, who retired in March 2006 after 33 years with the IRS, led the Atlanta field office for a time. He was Chief of Criminal Investigations and manager of the fraud unit in Atlanta’s IRS office before his career took him to Washington, D.C. “I’m not at all surprised,” said Wise. “There are many, many thousands of people involved with processing tax returns.

Anytime you deal with that number of individuals the likelihood of human error increases greatly.”

The CBS4 I-Team spent the last six months digging through tax records, audit reports and discovered one report to Congress that stated that $142,599,342 in fraudulent activities had been recovered in only one

six month period of time (April 1, 2010 through September 30, 2010). But one estimate shows that amount is likely only one tenth of the actual fraud for one six month period.

The MRW Consulting partners say that many IRS officials whom they worked with in Washington, D.C. simply treat refund fraud as the cost of doing business at the IRS. “This is not the cost of doing business,” said Florida’s senior US Senator Bill Nelson. “This is fraud and it ought to be dealt with immediately and severely.”

To that end, Senator Nelson, along with New York Senator Chuck Schumer, are trying to reform IRS rules in an effort to slow down, if not stop this fraud.

Senator Nelson said the story of the Miami businessman named “Pete” who the I-Team uncovered serves as a perfect example of how broken the IRS system is when it comes to catching tax refund fraud.

“If our constituent in South Florida gets a $250,000 refund check that’s not real then you can see the potential not only hundreds of millions but billions of dollars that could be involved across the country,” said Nelson.

Marija Weinman believes her government wronged her twice: first, by holding up her legitimate refund; secondly, by seeming to allow this massive fraud to continue.

“It’s not fair at all,” said Weinman. “I don’t know how, but someone needs to go into IRS and revamp.”

I-Team investigator Stephen Stock asked Weinman, “Fix it?”

“Fix it,” said Weinman.

We discovered during the course of this investigation that while the IRS acknowledged the fraud, and that it is bad, no one actually knows exactly how bad it is.

Despite its technology, despite its know how, the IRS simply does not even attempt to accurately track how much money refund fraud thieves steal from taxpayers.

For information call: 305-477-1699

CBS4 Newspaper

June 3, 2011

9

I-Team: A Hero’s Tale – Inside A Deadly Police Shootout

MIAMI (CBS4) – Running toward the gunfire, Miami Dade Police Detective Oscar Plasencia turned the corner of a Liberty City duplex and found himself only a few yards from Johnny Simms – a wanted fugitive who had just shot and killed Plasencia’s two partners, Amanda Haworth and Roger Castillo.

“He saw me, I saw him, he fired at me, I fired back,” Plasencia explained in his first and only interview since that fateful day four months ago.

In a scene out of a movie, Plasencia and Simms ran toward each other, down a narrow alleyway, firing non stop.

Plasencia said he could tell Simms was aiming high – hoping to shoot the detective in the head. Instead, Plasencia said he bobbed and ducked to the left as he ran and returned fire.

“You don’t want to stand still, if you stand still you become an easy target,” Plasencia told CBS4 News I Team Investigator Jim DeFede.

One of Plasencia’s bullets struck Simms.

In his 31 years as a cop, it was the first time Plasencia had ever fired his weapon at someone. Standing over Simms’ body, Plasencia said he could see Castillo a few yards away.

“He was lying on his back, a pool of blood behind his head, and his face had turned gray,” Plasencia recalled. “He had lost all color. I knew he was gone.”

Just out of sight was Haworth. Mortally wounded herself, she would die a few hours later while being operated on at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

“Never in a million years did it enter my

mind that things were going to happen the way they turned out,” said Plasencia, a 31-year police veteran. “We do this day in and day out, in the same fashion. We do this by the numbers. And it just goes to show you how quickly things can go bad.”

close knit group, they all liked each other.

How quickly? The entire affair – from the first shot to the last – took less than seventeen seconds.

Roger Castillo, Amanda Haworth, Deidre Beecher, and Oscar Plasencia left that morning from the North Side district station not realizing two of them wouldn’t be coming home.

That day, January 20, 2011, began as any other – with the four detectives of the department’s career criminal squad meeting to discuss how they would find their latest target.

Simms was wanted for the shooting death of a man last year who had shown disrespect to his sister. Although he was only 22 years old, Simms had been arrested more than a dozen times for charges ranging from armed robbery to auto theft.

Miami detectives tried without success to apprehend Simms. As the New Year came around, Miami Dade cops picked up the assignment. On that particular morning, the squad met in the parking lot of the North Side District Station on 83rd Street.

Haworth went through a list of possible locations where Simms might be hiding.

“We had several homes to check to look for that particular person,” said Plasencia, who made a point during the hour-long interview never to refer to Simms by his name. “The way that we did it was down to a science. Everybody knew their place.

Everyone was vested up with body armor.

Short of driving a tank up to the front door, there was nothing else we could do.”

Plasencia has heard the criticism that perhaps they should have called SWAT out to raid the various houses. Plasencia laughed and shook his head at the suggestion.

“That’s great but it’s not reality,” he said.

“When you don’t know that the subject is inside the house you can’t call tactical out. You can’t call swat out on a maybe.”

All of the detectives on the career criminal squad were senior officers with at least twenty years of experience. A

“If there was a jokester it was Roger, Amanda was very serious when it came to her job, Didi was the nice one, and I guess I’m the old grumpy guy,” Plasencia said with a smile.

“You never know, any day could be the day,” Plasencia said. “Any day could be the day you go to work and you don’t come back. We all know this. Everyone on the job knows this. You don’t dwell on it because if you do dwell on it you can’t function.”

After striking out at the first few addresses, the team arrived mid morning at a Liberty City duplex on NW 69th Street and NW Sixth Court – just west of I 95.

A narrow pathway ran up the south side of the building. The duplex itself was built like a concrete bunker. Castillo took up a position on the west side of the duplex.

Plasencia stood ready at the northeast corner in case Simms tried to flee out a back door or window.

Once Castillo and Plasencia were in place, Haworth and Beecher walked down the narrow pathway to the front door.

They spoke to Simms’ mother through a window. She told them Simms was inside.

As the two detectives entered the duplex, Haworth radioed Castillo and Plasencia.

“Amanda actually got on the radio and said the subject is inside come around,” he recalled.

Castillo and Plasencia began moving around the building toward the front door.

But as they did, gunfire erupted. Inside the duplex, Simms had burst out of a back bedroom firing a .40 caliber Glock pistol.

His first shot hit Haworth in the head. He then fired a second round into Haworth.

Next he turned toward Beecher firing several rounds at her. Backing out of the duplex to find cover, she fell into the alley, twisting her knee.

Plasencia could hear the gunshots – a lot of gunshots he said – and knew what it meant.

“In my mind I say, `Oh crap,’ and then I go into overdrive because I knew something bad was going on, they were in trouble and I just ran as fast as I could to get to that front door,” he said.

By now Castillo had made it from the west side of the building toward the front door himself, but he ran right into Simms, who killed Castillo instantly with a shot to the head.

Investigators believe Simms deliberately targeted the officers’ heads because he knew they wore body armor.

After shooting Castillo, Simms raced down the alley. Just then, Plasencia turned the corner. He was the only thing standing between Simms and the street. If he could get passed Plasencia, Simms would be able to escape into the neighborhood.

In a scene out of a movie, the 22 year old killer and 52-year-old cop ran toward each other firing non stop.

“Very surreal, for me things tended to go into a slow motion,” Plasencia recalled.

“Certain things were very clear. His gun, the slide working on his gun. I never heard the gunfire. On my gun, I could feel the slide working. I couldn’t hear my gunshots either.”

In a matter of seconds, it was over.

“He was the right guy, in the right place, at a horribly wrong time,” said Miami Dade Police Director James Loftus. “It was either he won or he died. There was no surviving it. There was no surrendering. He was faced with being fired at by someone who had killed two of our people.”

Neither Roger Castillo nor Amanda Haworth fired a single shot before they gunned down.

Plasencia put out the call of “shots fired” and “officer down.” Within a minute the scene was flooded with police cars.

continued

For information call: 305-477-1699

continued -

CBS4 Newspaper

June 3, 2011

11

I-Team: A Hero’s Tale – Inside A Deadly Police Shootout

continued Plasencia said the other officers walked him out to the street, away from where Castillo and Haworth were shot. One of the first calls came from his wife, who had heard about a shooting in which two officers were shot and the suspect was killed.

“I told her it was me, I put him down,” Plasencia said.

After holding it together for hours back at the police station, Plasencia said he finally broke down when he got home and saw his wife.

“She knows I’m a street cop and that is all I ever wanted to be,” he said. “I can’t be behind a desk, she worries, every day she worries.”

“That night Plasencia’s wife drove him to both Castillo and Haworth’s homes so he could pay respect to Castillo’s wife Debbie and Haworth’s partner Rosie Diaz. He said on the drive to both houses all he could think about were Castillo’s three sons and Haworth’s boy.

thank Oscar Plasencia,” Diaz said.

“Oscar, you are as much our hero as Roger and Amanda.”

When he reached Castillo’s home, he found Debbie on the back patio surrounded by family and other cops.

“I’m no hero,” Plasencia said.

“Words can’t describe,” he said choking back tears. “All you can do is offer your support and your love.”

“I was just doing my job, that’s all, I’ve served with heroes,” he said.

He said he doesn’t remember what he said to them.

“I think mostly you hug and you cry,” he said. “Sometimes you don’t need to say any words.”

Plasencia said he didn’t sleep for days.

He said the memorial service at the American Airlines Arena is largely a blur to him.

Asked about that moment recently, Plasencia became very emotional and had difficulty speaking.

How could he think that?

In the months since Castillo and Haworth’s deaths, Plasencia said he finds constant reminders of his two friends.

“I know that they are gone, but their numbers are still in my phone, their text messages are still on my phone,” he said.

“I wake up every morning and I put this [wrist band] on. It’s got both their names on it and I will do that for the rest of my life.”

Some days are easier than others.

“I was there, but I wasn’t really there,” he said.

During the ceremony, Rosie Diaz singled Plasencia out, prompting a standing ovation.

“And I especially, especially want to

“I was driving through an area in the North Side district with a couple of my partners recently and the conversation came up about Roger,” Plasencia said, the emotion welling up inside of him. “And I glanced over to the left and the house number on the house that I drove by was

his badge number.”

Within a week of the shooting, Plasencia was back at work. Every day, he says, it gets easier to walk in the squad room and not see his friends even though reminders of them are everywhere.

Four months after the shooting and Castillo and Haworth’s desks remain exactly as they were on the morning they died. Pictures of family and friends adorn their cubicles. Haworth’s jacket still rests on her chair. Castillo’s model cars remain just where he left them.

Plasencia recalls how he made his peace with the pair at the funeral home the night before they were buried.

“Well Mandy’s casket was closed but, I don’t know but maybe somebody would find this bizarre, but I kissed Roger goodbye, I would have kissed Mandy goodbye,” he said.

And what did he say to Castillo after kissing him on the forehead?

Plasencia paused while gathering the strength to repeat the words he spoke that day. Finally, Plasencia spoke: “One day I’ll see you on the other side.”

He said he walked by Haworth’s casket and told her the same thing as well.

CBS4 Newspaper

For information call: 305-477-1699

June 3, 2011

13

Gift Receipt Rip-Offs Could Cheat Consumers Out Of Millions but he says they were only going to refund half of what he paid, because the item had since gone on sale.

blanket priced at $31.03. When it was returned using the gift receipt, they only got back $20.33.

“I bought the item. I know what I paid for it. I paid $15. I didn’t pay $7.50,” said Schmitz.

“I thought it was more than that,” said the undercover producer.

In fact his original receipt proves it!

“I knew I spent $15 and I wasn’t going to take less,” added Schmitz.

“It probably was. But when you don’t have a receipt with the actual price I have to give you whatever comes up,” replied the store cashier.

So Walmart pocketed $10.70!

MIAMI (CBS4) — It’s happened to us all at one time or another. You buy a gift for someone and they don’t like it.

Fortunately if they have a gift receipt, they can exchange it, and no one’s feelings get hurt.

But CBS4’s Chief Consumer Investigator Al Sunshine has a consumer alert about a problem at one major retailer.

When David Schmitz changed his mind about giving a make-up kit for a gift he returned it to Walmart using the gift receipt,

After Schmitz argued that a gift receipt and regular receipt should work the same the store manager refunded the full amount.

“It is our expectation to refund the original purchase price when returning an item with a gift receipt,” stated a company spokesperson.

Consumer attorney Stuart Tally believes Walmart has pocketed millions.

“What Walmart knows is the person who gave the gift will never tell the person who received the gift how much they paid. And they know the person who returned the gift will never report to the gift giver that they returned the gift.”

When our CBS4’s sister station in Sacramento took similar shopping trips, they only got back 50% what they paid for some items.

David Schmitz said he is not buying Walmart’s explanation or any more items with a gift receipt from their stores.

Consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky is dumbfounded.

“I would never get a gift receipt from Walmart because it’s basically useless.”

When our sister station in Philadelphia went shopping at several Walmart stores they’re hidden cameras reveal the same practice.

“The whole point of a gift receipt is to get back exactly what the gift giver paid,” said Dworsky. “You should be getting every penny’s worth what was paid for, not the lowest price, absolutely not.”

Walmart has issued a memo to its more than 3,800 stores nationwide to make sure all workers know its company policy – to refund customers with gift receipts the full amount originally paid.

Purchasing seasonal and holiday items that would likely go on sale, like an electric

Walmart had this to say about the gift receipt problem.

“But the average person isn’t going to know.”

CBS has learned this is a practice happening across the country.

CBS4 Newspaper

For information call: 305-477-1699

Don’t Be Fooled By “FBI” Email The messages direct recipients to respond to various phone numbers or email addresses in order to claim their money.

They promise would-be victims millions of dollars, but first require that processing or handling fees of $150 or $250 be paid in advance.

MIAMI (CBS4) – The late J. Edgar Hoover must be steaming.

An email scam that invokes the good name of the FBI is making the rounds.

The emails, that come with subject lines like “From: Federal Bureau of Investigation,” and “From: FBI Office,” tell recipients that they have money waiting for them at the “Compensation Award House,” or have been identified as victims of fraud and are owed “compensation.”

“You are getting scammed if you respond to it,” said real FBI Agent Michael Leverock, a spokesperson for the agency’s Miami office. Leverock said the FBI would “absolutely never” send anyone an email soliciting money or claiming to have money for them.

Some of the emails try to get potential victims on the hook by threatening them with “arrest” or “detention” if they do not immediately respond.

The FBI’s Leverock, suppressing a chuckle, said if the agency wants to speak with someone, “We will come visit you.”

Leverock told CBS4? s Gary Nelson that the FBI would never email someone saying “send us money or we will come pick you

up – that is not going to happen.”

As ludicrous as the “FBI” email scam seems, Leverock said people fall for it and similar cons that often originate overseas.

Nigeria is notorious for its email scammers.

Typically, the con artists exchange emails or phone calls with their “marks” that end with the victim wiring cash or sending a money order to a blind address.

Leverock says the FBI’s internet crimes unit receives about a thousand complaints of suspected email fraud every day.

Leverock said if you receive an email from anyone offering you “something that sounds too good to be true, it is.” He warned internet users not to open attachments on emails that appear suspicious, because they can contain computer viruses.

Suspected internet fraud can be reported to the FBI’s internet crimes unit at www.IC3.gov.

June 3, 2011

15

For information call: 305-477-1699

CBS4 Newspaper

Florida Kid Care Offers Affordable Insurance program’s four components: MediKids, Children’s Medical Services Network, Healthy Kids and Medicaid.

Here’s the best part: the price for a child’s healthcare can be as little as a trip to the movies. The majority of families who enroll in Florida KidCare pay a monthly premium of $15 – $20, but most pay nothing at all.

There is a full-pay option for families with children ages 1 through 18 who do not qualify for subsidized coverage. Eligibility is based on household income and family size; many non-citizens are eligible.

MIAMI (CBSMiami) Your children may be eligible for health insurance though Florida KidCare – a program that offers affordable, high quality health insurance for uninsured children.

With Florida KidCare coverage, students will have access to both preventive and emergency care. Benefits include doctor’s visits, hearing and vision screenings, dental checkups, immunizations, surgeries, and trips to the emergency room.

Families receive these benefits under one of the

The easiest way to apply is to fill out an online application (www.floridakidcare.org) or you can complete a paper application and mail to Florida KidCare.

Once you have submitted your information, you will be notified of your child’s acceptance into the program.

For more questions, please call Florida KidCare at 1( 888) 540-5437.

June 3, 2011

17

CBS4 Newspaper

For information call: 305-477-1699

NHC Taking To Facebook During 2011 Hurricane Season media in the impacted region used social media to help the public.

Residents took to Facebook and Twitter to find loved ones and belongings and the media used social networking to tell people where gas, cell phone charging stations, and other vital goods could be located following the disaster.

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – While some continue to fight the social media revolution, the National Hurricane Center is officially on board in hopes of better communicating advisories to more people.

The NHC opened a Facebook page in January, but as hurricane season is just days away, the agency hopes Americans will make social media part of their disaster preparedness plans.

Starting June 1, the official start of the sixmonth Atlantic hurricane season, daily updates about conditions in the tropics will be posted on the Facebook page.

It also comes at a time when the U.S. seems to be living on borrowed time for a major hurricane to make landfall in the states.

FEMA has also joined in saying social media can reduce the volume of calls I a disaster-stricken area and keep vital communication lines open.

“Rather than trying to convince the public to adjust to the way we at FEMA communicate, we must adapt to the way the public communicates by leveraging the tools that people use on a daily basis,” Fugate said.

And 2011 has unfortunately been a banner year for the public to use social media following a disaster. After storms tore through Alabama and later Missouri and Oklahoma, both federal agencies and the

Hurricane center officials say that by engaging the public informally through Facebook, they hope to combat complacency in coastal residents skeptical of storm warnings and evacuation advisories after five years without a major hurricane making a U.S. landfall.

The bottom line of most postings is “be prepared,” urging readers not to join the millions who don’t stock up on nonperishable food or water until a storm is imminent, stressing the system and risking the possibility of having to recover from a hurricane with few or no resources.

So while some fight the impact of social media and struggle with how to use it; the NHC, NOAA, and FEMA are all trying to use the resources at their disposal to keep the public informed before, during, and after a hurricane. (© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

June 3, 2011

19

For information call: 305-477-1699

CBS4 Newspaper

June 3, 2011

21

S. Florida Real Estate Market Ripe With Deals to put that in the story because his wife will “kill him.”

His neighbors certainly envy him. The house he just purchased came out $300,000 under the appraisal. It’s fair to say he’s sitting pretty.

“I definitely think there are bargains out there.

It’s all about timing.” said Brodie.

The time certainly appears to be right. Hot properties are flying off the market right now.

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami.com) – If you’ve got the cash, then the South Florida real estate market is ready to reward you with some large bargains. From Homestead to Coral Springs, real estate agents are starting to see a slow turnaround in the depressed Florida home market.

“I think that the buying opportunities are definitely there but the inventory and sort of the pot that you have to choose from has definitely shrunk a little bit,” realtor Evan Goldman said.

Goldman found the hot property for Brodie.

He’s hoping to do it again for another buyer soon on a four bedroom house in Palmetto Bay.

Michael Brodie can’t stop smiling. He just purchased a five-bedroom house on an acre of land in central Pinecrest. Standing outside his home CBS4’s David Sutta asked him, “What’s your favorite thing about the house?”

Samantha Sharpe is another happy homeowner. She just bought another house and wants to unload her updated house with a pool for under $400,000.

Brodie smiled wide and shouted, “The deal!”

He started to laugh, and then asked CBS4 not

“I don’t want to carry two mortgages! I’m motivated. I’m motivated,” Sharpe told CBS4.

So what can you get for the money?

Realtor Peter Zalewski, the brains behind condovultures.com showed CBS4 what’s out there in a tour of South Florida.

First, in Brickell there’s a brand new one bedroom apartment with the incredible view that once sold for $290,000. Today, the bank is asking just $75,000.

“It’s something that you would have never imagined during the boom. Never, never, never,” Zalewski said.

Up the road on Miami Beach there’s a fivebedroom 3,000 square foot house with a pool on Alton Road. The asking price in 2005 was $1.6 million. Today, they hope to get $485,000.

But if you think the deals in Miami-Dade County were good, take a trip up the road to Broward County and you’ll find some even deeper discounts.

“There is no question Broward County offers you 20-30 percent more stuff for your money,” Zalewski told CBS as he toured around Pembroke Pines.

CBS4 peeked into a one thousand square foot, two-bedroom, two-bath condo in a gated community. At the peak of the market it sold for $170,000. Today it’s half off at $85,000.

“This is definitely a situation where people will act quick they are going to be able to take it down. The key is if you are coming in with financing, to have it all locked and loaded.”

Zalewski said.

The last stop for CBS4 was a gated community in Miramar where a fivebedroom, waterfront house with a pool once sold for $750,000. Today, you can get it for under $360,000.

“The most bang for your buck right now in South Florida is going to be Broward County, simply because of the value,” Zalewski said.

Value certainly appears to back in South Florida. And it appears sellers are eager to unload it.

Back in Palmetto Bay Samantha Sharpe told CBS4, “Everything is done. The inspection is done. It’s been FHA approved. All the work has been done. Just someone come and make us an offer and we’ll sit down and talk.”

CBS4 Newspaper

For information call: 305-477-1699

June 3, 2011

23

I-Team: Women, Hormones and Alzheimer’s: The Missing Link?

Center, Mt. Sinai Medical Center. As she watched him study a scan of her brain, she knew something was wrong.

“He was very kind. He hugged me,” she said recalling that moment when he discovered parts of her brain were missing.

“My right frontal lobe and temporal lobe are not there! They seemingly disappeared,” she shared.

MIAMI (CBS4) — At 7 a.m. every morning, master Pilates instructor Nicole Perkovich leads 18 women who look like they are exercising their bodies as they kick their legs while spinning their arms and arching their backs. But this is a workout designed to protect their minds and their brains.

“Obviously the brain controls the body,” Perkovich explained.

Each day, Perkovich, a 50-year old Pilates master, teaches hundreds of South Florida women how to stave off a disease that used to be associated with “little ole ladies.”

That disease is Alzheimer’s.

Her diagnosis was mild cognitive impairment. Fifty percent of the time it can leads to Alzheimer’s. The news left her stunned. “I went home and really was devastated. Me? How could I have this at my age?” Peeler asked.

“I see women in their 30? s and 40? s being fearful. People as young as 30, 35 that I could identify as “early onset” dementia,” said Schwartz, who flew to Miami to be interviewed by Chief I-Team Reporter Michele Gillen. For months, Gillen had been investigating pioneering science that showed the face and future of Alzheimer’s, and how radically it is changing.

“Any form of stress seems to increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s,” said Dr. Duara, who added that depression is also linked to Alzheimer’s. He said studies need to look further into whether depression is a risk factor, as well as a sign of Alzheimer’s.

“I changed my life and dramatically reduced my stress,” said a smiling Peeler.

“I have created a whole new life.”

Peeler no longer works 16-hour days. She is now a holistic healer and she ends each day with meditation and does not cheat on sleep.

It’s a question Dr. Duara hears often.

“There is this puzzling finding that women seem to be at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s. It used to be thought it was because women lived longer than men, eight to 10-years longer. But if you look at each age group, the number of women affected keeps increasing compared to men,” he told Gillen, as they met at the Wein Center on Miami Beach.

The burning question is why?

“There are more women being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s than men,” said Dr. Ericka Schwartz, who is one of the country’s leading experts in women’s health, hormones and fighting Alzheimer’s.

warning signs should trigger a change in lifestyle. First, start reducing stress.

Cutting edge research is looking at a link between Alzheimer’s and women’s hormones. In particular, the focus is on a lack of estrogen. Some studies suggest that post menopausal women who took hormone replacement therapy, “May benefit not only immediately, but also later on. They may be protected from the disease,” Duara told Gillen.

Dr Schwartz, a leading proponent of bio identical hormones said more research into estrogen and Alzheimer’s urgently needs to be done.

Former nurse and teacher Lynda Peeler was just 42-years old, when she was driving home one day, and she couldn’t remember where she was. “It was very frightening,” she told Gillen. “I thought it was a glitch.”

“How many 25-year old women do you know with Alzheimer’s? What is the difference between a 25-year old and a 50year old? Estrogen. When you lose your estrogen you start getting sick. Why aren’t we talking about that?” asked Dr. Schwartz.

But more momentary “glitches” of forgetfulness, along with realizing she was short circuiting words when she typed, led her to Dr. Ranjan Duara of the Wein

Chillingly, early indicators of dementia, such as brain fog and memory glitches, are similar to those women going through menopause. According to doctors, potential

“If you can’t sleep or don’t sleep seven to eight hours as you get older, you actually increase the incidence of dementia,” Dr. Schwartz stressed.

Schwartz added, “What is shocking is that in 2011 we are still not doing the research we need to do. What is important is how to

understand how to protect ourselves and how to potentially prevent disease from robbing us of our lives.”

All of this is tied into our hormones and leads Lynda back to moving the body.

Physical exercise is considered the best defense against Alzheimer’s and to keep the mind young and healthy.

“I am fighting back. I am not going to let this get me,” a radiant Peeler said as she looks forward to tomorrow and refuses to fear it.

For information call: 305-477-1699

CBS4 Newspaper

June 3, 2011

25

Know What You’re Ordering With ‘Healthy’ Fast Food But give them credit, fast food restaurants are evolving.

dressing that’s going to be high in sodium, it’s all going to add up,” said Salge Blake.

The salad with vinaigrette dressing bumped it up to 590 calories.

Many of them are adding healthier options to their menus, which is great because more choices mean a better chance to watch your diet.

Then there’s the fruit and maple oatmeal at McDonalds. It’s low in fat, but it can be tricky if you’re counting calories. Due to added sugar, it has only 10 fewer calories than an Egg McMuffin and 10 more calories than a Snickers bar.

The salad with breaded chicken and ranch dressing leaps to 860 calories and a lot of fat.

But you have to do your homework.

“Unfortunately a lot of health conscious diners look for buzz words; chicken, salad, and then they stop at that,” said registered dietitian Joan Salge Blake.

MIAMI (CBS4) — When you think fast food, a few things may come to mind like “inexpensive” and “convenient,” but “healthy” may not make the list. These days, however, you can find salads, oatmeal and veggie burgers at fast food places but even though they sound healthy, you have to look beyond the names.

A veggie burger from Burger King seems like the healthy choice but it has more calories, fat and sodium than their cheeseburger. In fact, it has as much salt as a full container of Pringles.

If that’s what you do, you’ll ignore important items like mayo, cheese, bacon bits and processed meats.

A turkey sandwich from Au Bon Pain sounds lean, but really has a lot of calories, fat and a ton of salt, all because of what they put on it.

“If it’s a turkey breast and it’s been seasoned with a lot of sodium, if there’s cheese added on it, if there’s a special

The Wendy’s apple pecan chicken salad sounds good but it has more calories and salt than their triple stack burger.

“So what you want to do is find out what they’re adding to it, because what they’re adding may be the thing that’s causing the calorie problem,” according to Salge Blake.

However, you can choose wisely.

Here’s an example using those apple pecan salads at Wendy’s.

The salad with grilled chicken and fat free dressing and has only 430 calories.

So you can see that by choosing wisely you can reduce the bad and increase the good.

“You just have to have a little information ahead of time, know what you’re ordering and ask questions,” said Salge Blake.

You can find all the nutrition information on each of the restaurants’ web sites.

There are also new federal regulations in the pipeline that could force many restaurants to prominently display nutrition information in the restaurant.

In fact, some of them are doing that already.

CBS4 Newspaper

For information call: 305-477-1699

Divorced…It’s Time To Party “Having that moment to celebrate with the people you really care about is very sentimental very fun and very exciting,” Judy Kaplan told CBS4’s Jorge Estevez.

Kaplan, a successful real estate agent, is starting over with help from her friends.

“What I like to call my A.D. Life – my after divorce life,” said Kaplan. “Slowly with time, you heel and you really find yourself.”

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – With half of the marriages ending in divorce, more people are finding themselves starting over.

Now there is a new twist on how to start your life after ending your marriage, with a party.

When your walk down the aisle is a fleeting memory and your marriage has ended in a split, you need a fresh start by having your very own divorce party.

“We had a wonderful time and everybody was celebrating. It was a celebration of who she was now being not who she was leaving behind,” said Victor Diaz, a friend of Kaplan’s who is on board with the new trend.

Divorce parties are popular. Heather Davis organizes lavish parties as a senior event consultant at “E Squared concepts,” a company that produces and designs top notch events. Kaplan’s party is among Heather Kaplan’s achievements.

“You don’t want to be too over the top and say I am free I am free, but it is an exhilarating feeling,” said Davis.

Other companies are helping people throw their own divorce party with supplies like a divorce license plate, a diva divorce button, a lip balm to kiss your marriage good bye, and a pin the tail on the ex game.

So, while it became a light hearted affair; for Judy, the divorce party gave her a moment in time to mark her new beginning.

“It is not like Hooray, this is the best day of my life,” Kaplan said. “It is really more like lets come together and lets enjoy and let’s talk about the future.”

June 3, 2011

27

For information call: 305-477-1699

CBS4 Newspaper

June 3, 2011

29

Islamorada’s Holiday Isle Resort Getting A New Look

ISLAMORADA (CBS4)-A well-known Florida Keys landmark is getting a modern, yet laid-back, multimillion dollar look.

The restaurant, which now stores new mattresses for the room renovations, is expected to open in September.

“Basically, the previous owners handed the keys back to us,” said Roy Shanholtz, asset manager for Starwood Capital,

The goal of Holiday Isle’s new ownership, Starwood Capital, and new management company, Hersha Hospitality, is to cater to the same crowds that have been coming since the iconic Islamorada resort opened in 1951: serious fishermen, budget-conscious families and wild, fun-loving partygoers.

After discussing demolition and rebuilding, Shanholtz said Starwood Capital decided the best option was a major renovation. “We want to turn Holiday Isle back into what it once was many, many years ago,” he said, but with modern necessities for today’s vacationers.

“They all coexist somehow and have a great time,” said Kemper Hyers, head designer for Connecticut-based Starwood Capital.

All rooms will get flat screen TVs and WiFi. The World Famous Tiki Bar gets new TVs, too, but the wood floor, where customers paid $20 each in 1986 to have their names carved into it, will remain intact.

The sleek design, called “beach resort chic,” is not trying to change the charming vibe of the place.

Holiday Isle Resorts and Marina, once the Upper Keys’ most popular hot spot for fun and sun, was so desperate for business last summer that it offered room specials for $69 a night plus two free welcome drinks.

“It’s like Holiday Isle has been walking around with a terrible haircut,” Hyers said.

“We’re going to give it a trim and blow it out.”

“It did not drive business, but it did tick off other hotel operators,” said Bob Van Bergen, who took over as the resort’s managing director last July. “Our occupancy was down more than most because our rooms were so poor.”

And to bring back some of the old charm, Van Bergen tracked down Holiday Isle’s fiberglass statue of a giant red rum runner that wound up at a local liquor store. It’s back where it belongs at Holiday Isle, which claims to have invented the frozen concoction.

That’s about to change. On Tuesday, contractors will begin work on a $10.5 million renovation to transform the rundown hodgepodge of buildings and bars – located along 12.5 acres of spectacular oceanfront land – into a modern, but still laid-back tropical resort, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald.

Of the 143 rooms, 129 will get serious makeovers. A couple of aging buildings that housed beach chair rentals and a rarely-used food operation will be torn down to create better views of the water. Lush landscaping will be added to replace the “tumbleweeds.”

The former Sport Fish Grill, the resort’s main restaurant facility that has been vacant for years, will become the first Shula Burger. It’s named for legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula and will have a menu similar to the new Shula’s Bar & Grill that recently opened at Miami International Airport.

“But ours also will serve breakfast,” Van Bergen said.

It’s a big change in plans from the mid2000s, when all of Holiday Isle – including its World Famous Tiki Bar – were planned for demolition.

In 2006, during the real estate boom that saw luxury developers gobble up the Keys’ campgrounds, trailer parks and aging motels, Holiday Isle was bought for a whopping $98.2 million by Boca Ratonbased Ceebraid-Signal.

The plan was for a five-star, Ancient Greece-themed condo/hotel called Ocanos with units going for $1 million plus. With fledgling presales, the project was downgraded to a five-star hotel in 2007.

Then came the real estate crash. Holiday Isle went into foreclosure when VII Holiday Isle Funding, a subsidiary of the global investment firm Starwood Capital, filed to recover $77 million of its loan to CeebraidSignal.

In March 2009, Starwood Capital acquired Holiday Isle in a deed in lieu of foreclosure.

The company already has spent $2.5 million replacing roofs and dilapidated parts of the marina.

Uncertainty of what was going to happen to the property has hurt business for everybody at Holiday Isle, including the many charter boat captains who operate out of the marina.

“I’m staying positive because it would be great for all of our business here; great for all the businesses in Islamorada,” said Capt.

Steve Leopold, who has docked his charter fishing boat Yabba Dabba Do at Holiday Isle for nearly 20 years, through the good times and recent bad ones. “I think it’s one of the best pieces of real estate in the Keys.”

The renovation will be in two phases, according to the Herald. About half of the rooms are planned to be finished in September. The others are to be done by Thanksgiving.

Another new addition, Van Bergen said, is Christy Cockrell, whose title is “Manager of Events & Fun.” Citing inadequate activities for kids, she is adding arts & crafts, smores on the beach, scavenger hunts, ice cream socials and pool games. For the adults there will be beach volleyball, trivia and dance lessons at the Tiki Bar, Texas Hold ’em poker and beer/ wine tastings.

She convinced Van Bergen that $250 was a good investment for a beer pong table.

On Thursday, three friends from Boca Raton asked Van Bergen to take their

picture in front of the giant rum runner statue. They had been to Holiday Isle’s wild Bartenders Bash a few weekends before and returned because they had such a good time.

“That’s what we want,” Van Bergen said, “to put the fun back in Holiday Isle.” (©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)

CBS4 Newspaper June 3, 2011 Edition

CBS4 Newspaper

For information call: 305-477-1699

31

June 3, 2011

Horoscopes provided by www.starlightastrology.com

Gemini (May 22-June 21)

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

Leo (July 23-Aug. 23)

You can get a promotion if you put in a little extra detail. Get promises in writing or you will be disappointed. Make career changes that may increase your income. Sort situations out as best you can. Watch your spending habits. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

You can sort out any differences you have in an amiable manner. Don’t let others bully you into agreeing with them. Travel will turn out to be far more exciting than you imagined.

Listen to the problems of others and offer suggestions where possible. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.

Set aside any decisions regarding your personal life this month. Entertainment could be pleasing if it is of an energetic nature. If you can, make phone calls instead of going out. You mustn’t take on other people’s responsibilities or you may find yourself irritable and exhausted. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

Travel will be favorable. You can gain knowledge from dealing with foreigners. Be cautious and use your head wisely in situations that deal with the use of machinery or vehicles. If you go shopping, only take what you can afford to part with. Be careful while traveling. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Sagitarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

Now is a good time to ask for favors. Be willing to listen, but don’t be fooled. Do not get into uncertain financial deals. You should be on the road. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

For best results get out of the office and do your job en route. Travel if it’s needed to start the ball rolling. Sudden changes could result in estrangement’s. This is not the day to be extravagant. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

You will get out of shape easily if you don’t keep on top of things. Deceit with coworkers is apparent. There’s lots to be done and if you meet your deadline you’ll be in your boss’s good books. Arguments may flare up in your home. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.

Don’t be too shy to promote your own interests. You may have difficulties with foreigners. Do not get involved in joint financial ventures. Think about your priorities. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 18)

Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 20)

Taurus (Apr. 21-May 21)

Take advantage of moneymaking ventures. Don’t argue with family. Your position may be in question if you haven’t been pulling your weight. Avoid conflicts with in-laws or other family members. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

You are best to do your research before taking on such a venture. Some of that extra energy you have stored up might just be put to good use. You always seem to spend more than you make. If you take on too much, you will find your self in martyrdom. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

It is best not to upset the apple cart if you learn information that may damage a colleague’s reputation. You will have good ideas for home improvement projects. Take care of any pressing health problems. You may not be happy if members of your family are not pulling their weight. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

Confusion at an emotional level will cause you to make wrong decisions concerning your personal life. You will find yourself tied to the phone. Pleasure trips will be favorable and bring about romance. Insincere gestures of friendliness are likely to occur. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

N

9 7 3 5 2 1 4 8 6

3 9 4 2 1 5 6 7 8

L O C A L .

1 6 8 7 9 4 2 3 5

5 8 9 1 6 2 3 4 7

7 4 2 3 5 9 8 6 1

6 3 1 8 4 7 9 5 2

4

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.

2

9 7 7 1

8

3

9

6 1 2 6

8 7

1 4

3

5 9 8 3

2 6

PRINTED IN THE USA, COPYRIGHT ©2011 BY MARCO G, INC. All rights reserved. The CBS4 Newspaper, a free publication, is published monthly by MARCO 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 .

2 5 7 6 8 3 1 9 4

N E W S .

Sudoku provided by www.puzzles.about.com

4 1 6 9 7 8 5 2 3

May 20th Solution

8 2 5 4 3 6 7 1 9

Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 22)