CBS4 News Magazine

Doctors and hospitals Nationwide are

Adding Fees to Medical Bills

Lying Can Be Hazardous

Texting and Driving

People who make an effort to lie less report fewer health complaints

Should it be outlawed in Florida?

M O N T H LY

Confessions

OF A

SERIAL

KILLER

A One-Time Cop Turned Serial Killer

Home Improvement pg. 56 Marketplace pg. 64

CONTENTS January 2013

04 06 12 20

Confessions Of A Serial Killer: A One-Time Cop Turned Serial Killer Reporter Gary Nelson Interviews Manny Pardo, a former cop convicted of killing 9 people during Miami’s “Cocaine Cowboys” era.

Lying Can Be Hazardous To Your Health People who make an effort to lie less say they have better relationships and report fewer health complaints, according to new research.

New Watchdog Group To Help Stop Harassing Debt Collectors Aggressive, harassing and abusive bill collectors are a top consumer complaint in the United States. If you’re one of the 30 million Americans being pursued by a collection agency, sometimes fighting back can be frustrating but help is on the way.

Thieves Target Bodies Resting In Local Cemetery Criminal acts have been disturbing the bodies resting at one of the oldest African American cemeteries in South Florida, where community pioneers have been laid to rest.

IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE 15 THE BETWEEN SMOKE DETECTORS BARGAIN HUNTING MAY

31 BACKFIRE WHEN BUYING NEW CLOTHES

38 CALENDAR OF EVENTS SOMMELIERS IN 48 BEST SOUTH FLORIDA

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[ 4 ] January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

Reporting Gary Nelson

I met Manny Pardo

22 years ago on death row at the Florida State Prison in Starke.

“How many people did you kill?” I asked Pardo, a one-time cop-turned serial killer.

“I was convicted of killing nine people,” he said. The qualifier was obvious. It has long been thought that Pardo, who did his murderous deeds in the height of Miami’s “Cocaine Cowboys” era, committed murders for which he was not charged.

We had our cold-blooded chat, the serial killer and I, in a small room, surrounded by guards.

“How many times, give or take, did you shoot each of your victims?” I asked.

“Well, as many as I felt that was necessary,” Pardo said.

“I felt good doing it so, if I ran out of bullets, I put another clip in my gun.”

Pardo had been an Eagle Scout. He’d earned a master’s degree. He became a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and later a Sweetwater police officer. He would lose his license to be a cop after testifying falsely for a pal charged in a drug-running case.

His work found him surrounded by the cash, bling, fast cars and fast women that came with the host of coke and pot dealers that crowded South Florida. He wanted some of it. He went after it homicidally, killing nine people that we know of, six men and three women in a three month spree.

“It was my New Year’s resolution for 1986,” Pardo told me.

“What did you resolve to yourself, what went through your mind?” I asked.

“That I would systematically eliminate as many as I could before they finally caught me or killed me,” he said, a conviction in his voice.

Pardo said he believed he was relieving the community of the “scum of the earth.” He was a vigilante, on a crusade to clean up the town.

“Did you enjoy it?” I asked.

“Yeah, hell yeah, I enjoyed it,” Pardo said, his feet bouncing up and down on the prison floor, shackles jangling. “Are you kidding me? Of course, I felt good. I felt great. I felt I was doing a service to mankind. They had no right to be alive.”

At trial, Pardo’s attorney played an insanity defense amid the killer’s claim that he had the “right” to do what he was doing.

Defense attorney Ron Guralnick told me, “He doesn’t have the right. That’s the whole point. He thinks he has the right, and therein lies his insanity.”

There was a certain, well, crazy air to Pardo the day we spoke. His assertions were passionate, his appearance odd.

At trial, Pardo had a full head of thick dark hair. On death row, he sported a pate shaved clean. He had a nervous disorder that caused him to pluck his eyebrows and eyelashes with his fingers. There was not a hair anywhere on his head.

Our conversation returned to the killings.

“How would you feel after?”

“Fantastic,” he said. “I would go home and go to sleep.

Inside I felt great. I was proud of myself.”

“How would you sleep?” I inquired.

“Like a baby,” Pardo said.

Among the claims at trial was that Pardo killed some who were innocent, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sara Musa, a beautiful young woman, happened to be with one of Pardo’s darker victims when the ex-cop struck. She was killed execution style. There was nothing to tie her to any illicit activity. The suggestion was she died so no witnesses would be left behind.

“She wasn’t a drug dealer, she was not,” Musa’s brother Gino said. “She had no criminal record.”

Pardo maintained denial when we spoke.

“I could never kill an innocent person, that I couldn’t live with. But one of these people,” Pardo said, referring to the so-called “scum” he was eradicating, “I cold put twenty bullets in them and go to sleep like a baby.”

Prosecutor David Waxman, who convinced a jury to find Pardo guilty on all counts, told me the killer’s denials in our death row interview added to his list of transgressions.

“I told the jury he’s a thief, he’s a robber, he’s a murderer,” Waxman told me. “And now he’s a liar.”

The state wanted the death penalty and Pardo, at the sentencing portion of the jury’s deliberations, seconded the motion.

“I’m a soldier, I accomplished my mission,” Pardo told the jury. “Give me the glory to at least end my days in a proper fashion, not be condemned to a state institution. That’s why I am ready for the death sentence.”

The jury granted Pardo’s plea.

Barring an eleventh hour intervention by the courts, an executioner will slip a hypodermic needle into Pardo’s arm Tuesday evening at six o’clock, and the serial killer cop will go to sleep like a baby…forever.

“How would you feel after?”

“Fantastic, I would go home and go to sleep. Inside I felt great. I was proud of myself.”

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 7 ]

“The process of being authentic, or being honest and open in meaningful relationships, is significantly related to feeling less depressed and having higher self-esteem,�

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

Lying Can Be

Hazardous To Your Health

People who make an effort to lie less say they have better relationships and report fewer health complaints, according to new research.

“Our findings support

questions about their close relationships and about their the notion that lying mental and physical health each week. less can cause better health through improving relationships,” For instance, they reported if they had trouble falling says researcher Anita Kelly, PhD, a professor of psychology asleep or had headaches. at the University of Notre Dame. “Improvements in the relaOver the 10-week study, both groups lied less. However, tionships accounted for a significant improvement in health.” the group told they couldn’t lie told fewer lies than the Although other research has focused on how to detect a comparison group. lie or how often people lie, Kelly wanted to look at whether By week 10, the no-lie group was telling, on average, less she could convince people to lie less, then look at the effects than one white lie, down from more than three in week two. of less lying.

The comparison group was still telling more than three, down She presented her research at the annual meeting of the from nearly six in week two.

American Psychological Association in Orlando.

Both groups reduced their major lies, but the no-lie group On average, Americans lie about 11 times a week, says reduced those lies much more.

Kelly, citing surveys by others.

The link between less lying and improved health was seen Some of those are whoppers. Other are white lies, often in both groups, Kelly found. meant to spare feelings or save face.

“In a given week, if they told fewer lies, they also reported Kelly and her co-researcher, Lijuan Wang, PhD, assistant their health was better,” Kelly says. professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame, “The connection between lying less and improved health, assigned 110 people, aged 18 to 71, to one of two groups. following the people over 10 weeks, was amplified by being Both groups came to the lab each week to take a polyin the no-lie group,” she says. ”The connection was even graph test. stronger.”

One group was encouraged to stop telling major and minor For instance, in a given week, if a member of the no-lie lies for the 10-week study. The researchers suggested strategroup reduced white lies by three, they had more than four gies for lying less, such as declining to answer questions. fewer mental health complaints.

The comparison group got no special instructions about In the comparison group, if someone reduced their white lying. They were simply told that they would have to tell the lies by three, they had just two fewer mental health researchers how many lies they had told that week when they were “There are different motives for lying — to protect a child’s sense of magic is one given the lie detector thing, but it’s another thing to tell your boss that you’ve completed a project when test. you haven’t.”

Each group answered

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 9 ]

complaints, she says.

“When a given person was lying less, they also reported their relationships were better,” she says.

That, she says, explains the link between lying less and better health.

Why? “What we are suggesting is, not violating others’ expectation of honesty is likely to build trust, which may be key to good health through improving our relationships.”

The study was funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

The findings echo some other research findings by Sally Theran, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass.

“My research on girls and boys … indicates that the process of being authentic, or being honest and open in meaningful relationships, is significantly related to feeling less depressed and having higher self-esteem,” she says.

Honesty is also related to feelings of intimacy in friendships, she has found. “There may be increased conflict, as a result of being open and honest, but it leads to better quality of friendships,” Theran says.

Telling the truth can feel risky, she says, but when you do so, you can feel less inner conflict. “When we lie,” she says, “it

adversely affects our self-esteem and increases our sense of shame. So, it’s not surprising at all that the authors found that telling the truth was related to all these positive outcomes.”

Total honesty is not realistic,Kelly and Theran say.

“The goal is a reduction in lies,” Kelly says Theran distinguishes between major lies and white lies.

This hit home recently when her 6-year-old daughter asked: “Is the tooth fairy really real?”

“In that case, in my opinion,” Theran says, “a lie is OK.” “There are different motives for lying — to protect a child’s sense of magic is one thing, but it’s another thing to tell your boss that you’ve completed a project when you haven’t.”

These findings were presented at a medical conference.

They should be considered preliminary, as they have not yet undergone the “peer review” process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.

SOURCES:American Psychological Association annual meeting, Aug. 2-5, 2012, Orlando.Anita Kelly, PhD, professor of psychology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, In.Sally Theran, PhD, assistant professor of psychology, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 11 ]

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

d i a p e PCerllphone Plans ls

a u id iv d In

r o F f f Can Pay O

Reporting Al Sunshine

Paying-as-you go can pay off handsomely for some smartphone users. According to one estimate, some consumers could save as much as $1,000 over two years by opting for a prepaid or month-to-month plan, instead of a contract plan.

Aubrey Gates switched to a prepaid plan more than a year ago, and has already saved hundreds of dollars. “It’s been a great choice,” said Gates, who pays $56 a month for her unlimited plan with Metro PCS. According to the website MyRatePlan.com, the cost is about half what Gates would pay under a contract plan with AT&T or Sprint.

“No-contract plans are sometimes an overlooked option,” according to Jessica Dolcourt of CNET. Dolcourt said the big cell phone companies don’t go out of their way to tell customers about prepaid plans because they’re less profitable. “The national carriers, they’re interested in signing up people for a contract,” she said.

According to Dolcourt, the smaller companies that offer prepaid plans don’t do a lot of advertising. “They don’t have the marketing budget,” she said.

Dolcourt said no-contract plans are best suited to individual users who don’t use tons of data. “But there’s a lot of math involved,” she warned.

Smartphone users must consider coverage and speed.

“Some prepaid carriers are going to be faster than others, so you might find yourself on a carrier that has a much slower

data network than you want for a smartphone,” Dolcourt said.

Another drawback to prepaid, you will have to buy your own phone, and the price could be two to three times more than contract customers pay.

“Sometimes the price will shock people in the U.S. who are used to seeing subsidized prices,” Dolcourt said.

On the positive side: prepaid customers now have more phone choices than ever. Over the summer, several carriers began offering prepaid plans for Apple’s iPhone, and some big Android phones are now available through prepaid phone companies.

Should you switch? Dolcourt advises doing some homework first by comparing plans, something that can be done on websites like MyRatePlan and BillShrink. “There is no one size fits all. You really have to educate yourself,” she said.

“Big cell phone companies don’t go out of their way to tell customers about prepaid plans because they’re less profitable.”

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 13 ]

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

New Watchdog Group To Help Stop

Harassing

Debt ColleCtors Reporting Brian Andrews

Aggressive, harassing and abusive bill collectors are a top consumer complaint in the United States. If you’re one of the 30 million Americans being pursued by a collection agency, sometimes fighting back can be frustrating but help is on the way.

Bill collectors sometimes

call Kevin Lynn’s house up to 20 times a day and the debt they are calling about isn’t even his.

“I always told them I don’t owe the debt, they had the

wrong person, that I don’t know who the person is,” explained Kevin.

He said the debt belongs to the person who apparently lived in his house previous.

Kevin filed three lawsuits to get the ringing to stop and he’s not alone.

The Federal Trade Commission says it received more than 15,000 complaints about debt collectors last year, that’s more than any other industry.

“Some of our number one sources of complaints for consumers are for harassment and abuse calling too often, using profanity, making violent or abusive threats,” explained Attorney Chris Koegel from the FTC. To crack down, a new federal agency, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, is going to start policing some of the largest collection agencies in the country.

How bad can some company’s tactics get?

Attorneys representing consumers say bill collectors have left people threatening messages such as, “I’m going ahead with a warrant for your arrest”, and “You will be behind bars for six months and once you go behind the bars you may lose your job.”

In an FTC lawsuit filed against one bill collector, a grieving mother said she was asked how she would feel if the funeral home dug up her son’s body and “dropped it outside my house because I hadn’t paid my debt.”

“Every industry is going to have bad apples,” said Pat Morris

In an FTC lawsuit filed against one bill collector, a grieving mother said she was asked how she would feel if the funeral home dug up her son’s body and “dropped it outside my house because I hadn’t paid my debt.”

from the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals.

The debt collection trade association says it wants those using abusive tactics weeded out so others can do the job right.

“Don’t shoot the messenger,” said Morris. “We’re here doing our job. We’re here respecting laws and regulations and we treat consumers with respect.”

The CFPB will have new authority to make sure large collection firms are not harassing or deceiving consumers into paying debt and are using accurate data to pursue debts.

Kevin said that’s good news because he’s still getting collection calls and feels helpless to do anything about the harassment.

“Americans definitely need a new watch dog to help them,” said Kevin.

The CFBP’S new authority starts January 2, 2013.

The FTC and CFPB will work together and share information and complaints it gets from consumers.

“Don’t shoot the messenger, we’re here doing our job. We’re here respecting laws and regulations and we treat consumers with respect.”

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 15 ]

94% Of Individuals Qualify For a Mortgage or Refinance Specifically those who have recently been turned down by one of the following financial institutions:

New government backed mortgage programs such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA now allow consumers to bypass their financial institutions and go directly to the source for a new mortgage or refinance.

These programs were specifically designed to help consumers with an imperfect credit history secure a fixed rate as low as 2.375% by bypassing their financial institutions and calling Government Loan Assistance at 1-877-719-HARP (4277).

Call Government Loan Assistance today and take advantage of the following: • • • • •

Fixed rates as low as 2.375% 15 and 30 year fixed rate programs All credit applications accepted Same day credit approval process All loans are government backed

Avoid the credit restrictions and overlays from your financial institution and call the Government Loan Assistance Program at 1-877-719-HARP (4277), today.

TESTIMONIAL “My wife and I were solicited by our current lender, Wells Fargo, to refinance our current home loan with them. We submitted all the paper work and shortly there after we were turned down. We talked with Suntrust, who we do our personal banking with, and again we were turned down. We called the Government Loan Assistance Program and they were able to get us approved the same day. We are now saving over $750.00 per month.”

-- James B. Coral Gables, FL.

Government Loan Assistance Program 1-877-719-HARP (4277) * Terms and Conditions Apply -The payment on a $160,000 15-year Fixed Rate refinance loan in Florida at a 2.375% rate and 70% loan-to-value (LTV) primary residence single family home is $1,057.47 with .875 in points due at closing and $3,290 in fees, minimum credit score of 740, and verifiable income for the borrower(s). The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is 2.785%. This loan may not be available in all states, and not all consumers will qualify for these monthly payment terms. Rates mentioned in any advertising are based on a sampling of available rates from our lender network. Specific rates and terms offered to our applicants may vary. Rates are subject to change daily without notice.

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

The Important Difference Between

Smoke

DetectorS Reporting Rhiannon Ally

Many people have smoke detectors in their homes but not all smoke alarms are the same.

There are two types of fires and both can be killers.

There are fast moving flames rushing through your home and slow, smoldering fires that can burn silently spreading toxic smoke.

The most common detector in homes today may not give you enough warning.

There are three types of smoke alarms.

The most common type of smoke detector that is used in 90-percent of homes in this country is the ionization smoke alarm which detects flames.

The photoelectric smoke detector senses smoke and dual detectors are a combination of both.

All three were put to the test in both types of fires to see how they performed.

The first was a slow moving fire. They are often caused by electrical shorts, or cigarettes or candles. Over time, thick toxic smoke traveled across the ceiling and came down on what could have been a person sleeping on a bed.

In test after test, the dual detector went off first, the photoelectric shortly thereafter and the ionization detectors took twice as long to sense the smoke.

In one test, the ionization detector, the type most people have in their homes, never even sounded at all.

In the next test, firefighters set a fast burning fire, like a cooking or grease fire.

In this test, the ionization alarm detected the flames and was the first to go off, quickly followed by the other two.

Ionization detectors are the most common because they are the least expensive and easy to find.

The primary message is to know what kind of smoke detector you have, know that you have options and be an informed consumer.

“Know what kind of smoke detector you have, know that you have options and be an informed consumer.”

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 17 ]

More Dangerous Than Driving New Killer

Drunk

There’s a new killer in Florida, more dangerous than drunk driving.

It’s already outlawed in 44 states but it’s still legal in Florida.

It’s the “new” drinking and driving, known as texting and driving,

but should it be outlawed in Florida?

If you ask Yessica Torres,

the answer is definitely yes.

On September 11, 2008 Yessica Torres’ parents, Myriam and Wilson, were driving home. They turned left onto SW 127th Avenue from Bird Road.

At the same time, 17-year-old Luis Cruz-Govin was speeding down Bird Road. Records showed he sent a text at 8:19 p.m.

At 8:20 p.m. his car slammed into the passenger side of the Torres’ car, right where Myriam sat.

“I could feel it inside me, that something bad was about to happen,” Yessica recalled. “I called and got a ride to the hospital. They had told me that both my parents were airlifted. When I got there only my dad was there,” recalled Yessica.

Myriam died on impact. It took Yessica and her attorney Alan Goldfarb three years to prove that Luis Cruz-Govin killed

her mother because he was texting. Yessica and her family filed a civil lawsuit against Cruz-Govin who declined to speak with CBS4 about the accident. Late last year, a jury awarded them $8.8 million dollars after proving Cruz-Govin was in fact texting and driving.

“No text is important. It can wait while you’re driving,” Yessica said.

Yet 30-percent of drivers ages 16-21 admit they text and drive in a Consumer Reports survey.

Texting and driving is the new driving drunk.

David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, has been studying texting and driving for over a decade.

“If you are texting and driving you are twice as likely to be involved in a crash than if you were driving drunk,” Strayer said.

Florida is one of just 6 states in the U.S. without a ban on texting and driving. Why is that?

State representative Irv Slosberg is an advocate for traffic safety regulations who has tried for six years to pass the ban.

He blamed former Speaker of the House Dean Cannon for the stall in legislation.

“Unfortunately the Speaker of the House, Dean Cannon, would not pull this out of the drawer, he was the worst thing for road safety,” said Slosberg.

In fact, last year the Senate passed an anti-texting bill in Florida, but it stalled in the House.

Cannon sent CBS4 an email in response, in part it read: “We must be careful to weigh a proposed regulation with the potential infringement on personal liberty. Personal responsibility remains the primary means to increase safety on our roadways.”

Former speaker Cannon’s term ended November 6th, and Speaker Will Weatherford now has the reigns.

“All that I can hope for is that Speaker Weatherford will realize that public safety is our number one priority in the state of Florida,” Slosberg said.

Yessica hopes legislation will stop others from losing the people they love too.

“If they would have banned this a long time ago maybe this accident would have never happened, maybe my mom would still be here,” said Yessica.

In Florida’s next legislative session, Representative Slosberg said he will introduce a ban on minors who text and talk on cell phones while driving.

Congress has recently approved $50 million in financial incentives for any state that passes “anti-texting” legislation.

Without a texting while driving ban, Florida stands to lost millions in federal dollars.

“No text is important. It can wait while you’re driving”

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 19 ]

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

Facebook’s New

Gift Store Reporting Marybel Rodriguez

There are many ways to shop nowadays. You can go online or you can go to the mall. But have you ever thought of going to Facebook for gifts?

The social network

is rolling out a new service called ‘Gifts’.

Facebook users click on the gift icon on a friend’s timeline and a selection of items pops up.

People can make a purchase, notify their friend that the gift is on its way or keep it private so it’s a surprise when the gift arrives. The service is free for users. Facebook earns a percentage from the businesses.

The gift selection is wide. Choose from iTunes gift cards, cupcakes, cozy pajamas and gourmet coffee just to mention a few of the items.

Not all Facebook users will find the gift store.

A Facebook spokesperson said they are continuing to roll out the feature to more people throughout the coming weeks.

But not everybody will be waiting for it.

“When consumers go to regular websites they’re in the mood for shopping,” said marketing professor Burt Rosenbloom.

“When they go on social networks like Facebook, it does other things, to keep friends informed, share photos, so this creates something of a barrier I would think compared to regular online shopping,” said Professor Rosenbloom.

What happens to the information on what you buy?

Facebook said it is not currently using gift data to target you for certain advertising.

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

Bodies in

Local Cemetery Targeted by

Thieves Reporting Michele Gillen

Jessica Williams is the caretaker to one of the oldest African American cemeteries in South Florida, where community pioneers have been laid to rest. But recently, criminal acts have been disturbing the bodies resting at this cemetery which houses 538 burial plots at in Miami. CBS4’s Chief Investigator Michele Gillen spoke with Jessica Williams about recent body thefts.

“And when you came upon finding one of these coffins broken into what did you think?” Gillen asked Williams.

“I cried. I cried. I cried. Then I cried,” Williams said.

Her tears are mixed with outrage and despair.

“I just want them to stop because it’s not right, it’s just not right. These people are here and they’re resting. They are resting. They don’t need to be bothered with, you know, they really don’t,” Williams said.

Williams is the niece to the ailing matriarch Elyn Johnson who’s family founded this landmark. And now, Williams is speaking out in desperation.

“And so when I came over here I seen this casket open,” Williams said.

“Are you scared?” Gillen asked “Very much so. Very much scared,” Williams replied.

Life at the cemetery has become the stuff of the nightmares.

“The most recent break -in was right here. They took all the bones,” Williams said. “All of them.”

Break in’s to tombs, the thefts are horrible to describe.

Coffins holding the remains of children are being broken into and robbed.

“The whole top was off and you could see the casket. And I freaked. I freaked out, I screamed,” Williams said. “I have pictures on my phone from the casket when it was first open.

I don’t think this baby lived more than a month, a month, and they went in the plastic and took the baby’s head… Just the head. That’s what they do with these kids, with these babies, that’s mostly what they do. They just take the skull.”

Williams said she filed a police report.

In the past year– at least 6 tombs have been broken into and some body part or bone stolen, and in one case an entire body.

“Are they taking the remains to sell?

Is it a satanic ritual? If they break in here and steal bones and remains, why? What’s the reason? A cult? A satanic ritual?”

“Yes, the whole body was gone. Yeah. The whole body,” Williams said.

Williams has called the police to report the thefts and they have documented the problem. But they have not been able to stop or solve the break ins. So, Williams has turned to the community and the media for help.

Gillen brought in security specialist Wayne Black to size up clues — and questions.

“You’ve investigated so many different types of crimes.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 23 ]

Breaking into a coffin and stealing bones is a crime?” Gillen asked.

“It certainly is. And possession of human remains in South Florida depending on the situation may be a crime too,” Black said. “Were they taking them for the jewelry? Are they taking the remains to sell? Is it a satanic ritual? If they break in here and steal bones and remains, why? What’s the reason?

A cult? A satanic ritual?”

An expert in Afro Cuban religions, author and anthropologist, Mercedes Cos Sandoval says the skull is considered the part of the body with the most power – that those who practice in black magic believe they can use for good or evil.

“It could be voodoo,” Sandoval said. “They control the head of a person they feel they can control the soul.”

Williams said she was shocked when she found one of the coffins had all the bones missing.

“I screamed all the bones were gone. When I saw this picture, I screamed,” Williams said.

“This is a reason to have a meeting with police,” added Wayne Black. Williams said she spends her days chasing off strangers.

“When you see someone you can tell they don’t have family here,” Williams said.

And she takes photographs of possible suspects.

In this one- two women who Williams says have no relatives buried here. One is seen carrying a plastic bag, while the other is holding “a machete,” Williams said. “And the other lady had a bag. I asked where are you going? You got a machete in your hand?”

Pressing the woman on why she was at the cemetery, the

woman answered Williams.

“She says to me her baby is sick,” Williams said. “I thought normal people go to the hospital. I ran her off.”

At first glance Black sees why the historic cemetery-which has seen better days…is a magnet for trouble- whether driven by money or the occult.

“Well, part of it is the fence is broken down,” Black said.

“They’ve stolen your weed eater so you can’t even weed properly. The foliage is growing down over causing natural hiding places.” Tombs mixed within the remains of some very important black families, some buried here in the 1950’s.

Sadly, not all the coffins can be traced and so the now missing can’t even be reported to their heirs.

“And their families, we don’t know where they’re families is at,” Williams said.

“So this family doesn’t know that their loved one’s body is somewhere in the world we don’t know where?” Gillen asked.

“Exactly. Exactly. I don’t even know how to get in contact with half these people’s families. I wish I did. I really wish I did,” Williams said. Black said that when crimes like these occur, they hurt a community.

“There are multiple victims. The living victims are the family members of those who are buried here,” Black said. In the meantime, Williams waits.

“They’re not stopping and I can’t take it,” she said. “I have to stay on patrol. Not guard, patrol How can they sleep? I say how can they sleep?”

CBS4 News has requested an update on the body theft investigation from Miami-Dade police and is awaiting a response.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 25 ]

Best

tailors in Miami

It can be surprisingly difficult to find a good tailor in Miami. For one reason or another, excellent tailoring services are few and far between in spite of the vast amount of excellent shopping in the city. What is there to do for that slightly oversized suit or ill-fitting bridesmaid dress? All is not lost, there are five tailors in Miami that are sure to satisfy.

Best Of MiaMi

Mr. B Custom Tailor (305) 200-3018

It’s easy to miss Mr. B’s shop on Biscayne Boulevard, but that would be a big mistake. Next door to darling designer, Julian Chang’s boutique is a small oasis of tailoring heaven. Mr. B has devoted clientele with good reason – his excellent skills can turn the most ill-fitting garments into fits-like-a-glove material. The services are always done on time and he always gives the most realistic assessments of what should be done to make a garment work.

Basil’s Tailor Shop (305) 666-9570 www.basilstailorshops.com

Basil’s Tailor Shop offers superior and elegant custom tailoring services and dry cleaning. Suits are sold at Basil’s for custom tailoring to fit your frame from top designers such as Ermenegildo Zegna.

The shop even specializes in creating custom-made shirts. If the South Miami location is still a bit out of reach, there is a second Basil’s Tailor Shop located in Kendall.

Khai Le’s Alterations & Dry Cleaning (305) 604-3312

Khai Le’s Alterations & Dry Cleaning is located conveniently right off of Lincoln Road at Drexel Avenue. Not restricted to alterations, Le also performs dry cleaning and shoe repair.

Khai Le’s popularity comes from his great attention to detail and meticulous work. The prices are competitive and services typically take just a few days.

Sew on Set (305) 409-4206 www.sewonset.com

Lady Blue Tailors & Cleaners (305) 931-3902

Lady Blue Tailors & Cleaners is the place to go in North Miami Beach for tailoring on anything from casual everyday wear to formal or designer pieces. The friendly and highly-skilled staff perform quality work in prompt time frames. The services are priced well and their expert precision is carried out even on the most complex garments. Loyal customers rave about their work and show their devotion by years of dedication.

Sew on Set is a mobile tailoring company by Carolyn Finlayson.

The always friendly and highly-skilled tailor is so great that she’s worked with many celebrities including Lauryn Hill, Iggy Pop, and Lebron James and many huge firms (for their shoots) including Juicy Couture, H&M, and Beach Bunny Swimwear. The always prompt Finlayson comes to you and specializes in custom fittings, alterations, and tailoring. Her attention to detail has given her plenty of work with TV shows, movies, and the Florida Grand Opera as well.

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

Controversial ‘Advergames’ Ignite Childhood Obesity Debate Reporting Al Sunshine

It used to be Saturday morning cartoons touting sugary cereals and candy that parents had to worry about. Now, in our mobile world there’s a new concern. Advergames are games on mobile phones and tablets usually featuring unhealthy foods.

With nearly one in five children

obese in our country, there’s concern and growing controversy over how food is being marketed to our kids.

Aimee Yoon’s children like to play with their food, but not in the way you might think.

Using their touch screen toys, they swirl slushy drinks, jiggle gelatin snacks, and flick lollipops.

“I think as long as the game is engaging to them then they’re kind of hooked and want to keep playing it,” said Yoon.

Yoon’s kids are part of the estimated 1.2 million children playing these new advergames which are branded, interactive games aimed at marketing products like cereals, candy, and fast food.

“These games are accessible anytime and anywhere,” said Dr. Jennifer Harris with Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. She said her new research proves advergames are an effective sales pitch.

“They ate about 50% more snack food immediately afterwards than kids who didn’t play those games.” said Harris.

Combine that statistic with a growing number of obese children and you get a medical community that’s demanding change.

But right now, the Federal Trade Commission does not have any authority over how companies market food to children. It does recommend companies only advertise foods that meet quote “meaningful nutrition standards.”

“The government doesn’t define meaningful nutrition standards. Right now, it’s up to each individual company to decide what that is,” said Elaine Kolish. Kolish heads up the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising initiative which is made up of 16 major food companies who recently pledged to market healthier foods to kids.

Still, some companies claim their Advergames aren’t targeting children, but older teens and adults, setting them free from those guidelines.

“My kids are still at an age where I have enough control over what I’m putting on their plate,” said Yoon.

The Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, which includes companies like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Nestle, has issued a set of new, uniform nutrition policy that places limits on calories, sugar and saturated fat.

Members must adopt these standards by December 31, 2013.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 29 ]

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

Brown Bag Lunches Effective In

Stretching

Paycheck Reporting Al Sunshine

Whether you carry it in a brown bag or in an eco-friendly lunchbox, bringing a sandwich from home can save you a lot of money, according to the Sandwich Survey.

The survey, which

aimed to calculate the true cost of making a sandwich versus buying one, found sandwiches made at home are on average about 1/5th of the cost of those made at a supermarket or deli.

The cheapest sandwich, by far, is peanut butter and jelly.

Made at home, with name brand ingredients, a single PB&J sandwich cost just 62 cents. A tuna-salad sandwich came to $1.21, and a B.L.T. costs $1.29 to make. A cheese sandwich was $1.36, and an egg salad sandwich set us back just 90 cents.

Name brand ingredients like Skippy peanut butter, Smuckers Jelly, and Oscar Mayer Bacon were bought at a supermarket along with bread and eggs, which happened to be on sale. The sandwiches were assembled and the cost of each sandwich was calculated.

The Sandwich Survey is similar to one conducted by financial blogger Len Penzo. Penzo said PB&J is almost always the cheapest sandwich to make at home, while the cost of other homemade sandwiches tended to vary from year to year, depending on the cost of ingredients.

Sandwiches purchased ready-made or made-to-order at supermarkets and delis can vary in price from $3.90 for a PB&J to $9.00 for tuna.

Here are the calculations for sandwiches in the survey.

Tuna ($1.21): • 1/2 can Bumblebee Tuna 63 cents • 2 T. Hellman’s Mayonnaise 5 cents • Tomato (2 slices) 18 cents • 2 slices Whole Wheat Bread 35 cents BLT ($1.28): • 4 slices Bacon 60 cents • Lettuce 10 cents • Tomato (2 slices) 18 cents • Mayo 5 cents • 2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread 35 cents Egg Salad ($0.90): • 2 Eggs 50 cents • 2 T. Mayo 5 cents • 2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread 35 cents Cheese Sandwich ($1.36): • 2 slices Kraft cheese 83 cents • Tomato (2 slices) 18 cents • 2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread 35 cents Peanut Butter & Jelly ($0.62): • 2 T. Skippy Peanut Butter .10 • 2 T. Smucker’s Jelly .16 • 2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread .34 January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 31 ]

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

Bargain Hunting May Backfire When Buying New Clothes

Reporting Vanessa Borge

Buying new clothes can make us feel good; add a bargain price tag and it can become an obsession.

“The average American consumer buys 68 garments and seven pairs of shoes a year,” explained Elizabeth Cline, author of “The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.”

Cline spent years researching the clothing industry and discovered to get the most for their money, Americans need to change the way they think about clothing and that may mean passing on that really cute $30 dress. “You are essentially buying garbage and you’re throwing your money away,” she said.

According to Cline, you’ll save money in the long run if you spend more on fewer pieces that last. It’s a philosophy designer Sara Campbell built her business on.

“There’s just more construction,” Campbell said about her clothes in comparison to cheaper brands. “More construction makes it more durable.”

Learning to spot good construction is at the heart of Cline’s book.

“It’s always good to flip it [garment] inside out to see what it is made out of,” she explained. She explained that linings, hems and other details can tell you a lot about the quality of a piece of clothing.

“This is a dress to aspire to own,” she said describing a dress that was fully lined with a blind hem, beautiful pleats and details. To compare the difference in quality, she also showed a ten dollar dress that had no details and no lining.

“The waist on this dress is an elastic waistband and that’s just a way to cut costs, whereas this dress, they actually made an effort to cut into the pattern so it fits your waist,” Cline explained.

According to Cline, when you pay for quality you are more likely to take care of a garment and the longer you wear something, the better it is for your bottom line.

Campbell agreed. She said you are better off buying a great dress that will last and change up your shoes and accessories to give it a new look.

In the end, you’ll save money and look great.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 33 ]

Transformers The Ride In 3D

ORLANDO (CBSMiami.com)

Coming To Universal Orlando Get ready – it’s time to prepare for battle.

Universal Studios in Orlando has announced its next blockbuster attraction will be the hugely popular Transformers: The Ride – 3D.

The ride, which

is already a hit at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Singapore, will bring the intergalactic battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons to Florida.

The ride places visitors in the heart of the action as they, along with the help of Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, must protect the AllSpark from falling into Decepticon hands.

Riders will hop inside an EVAC vehicle and are pulled into some seriously stunning visual effects that includes coming face to face with Megatron. Riders will dodge explosions and attacks by the Decepticons and fight to save mankind with the Autobots.

Universal worked closely with Michael Bay, the awardwining director of the “Transformers” film series and the ride’s creative consultant, to create an authentic experience that brings the non-stop action of the films to life. The attraction combines the larger-than-life Transformers characters and an exciting storyline with life-like HD CGI media, state-of-theart 3D technology and amazing special effects to place riders right in the middle of an epic battle between good and evil.

“We broke the mold and have taken this ride to a new technological level in terms of blending seamless 3-D,” said Michael Bay, director of the “Transformers” films.

“We broke the mold and have taken this ride to a new technological level in terms of blending seamless 3-D”

Best Of MiaMi

Best Books About Miami Like the sand and swamp the city of Miami arose from under the nurturing eye of founder Julia Tuttle in the late 1800s, the city remains a study in contradictions. Visible

“Miami”

by Joan Didion Publisher: Vintage Noted author and historian Joan Didion chronicles more Miami history than a blowfish has stingers. From Fidel Castro raising money in Miami with which to overthrow Batista to the murder rate, cocaine trafficking, political passions and pitfalls and the ceaseless chronicle of immigration and exile community politics, Didion shines a light on aspects both hidden and obvious for residents and curious readers.

resplendent beach-side skyscrapers bejewel the skyline, building a wall of affluence that cordons off drugs, gangs and violence. Recognized as the ‘Mistress of the Caribbean,’ a variety of books about Miami explore the contractions and contradictions of the Magic City.

“Historic Photos of Cuban Miami”

by Jennifer Ortiz Publisher: Turner By virtue of geography and political history, Miami and Cuba go hand in hand. Since 1959 when the first Cubans rafted to Miami to escape the brutal regime of Communist dictator Fidel Castro, Miami has been the beacon of a fresh start, freedom and the promise of the American Dream. Using over 200 black-and-white photographs with informative introductions, the author tells the story of the Miami Cuban community from the wet-foot-dry-foot immigration policy to the assimilation of new arrivals and their unique impact on a community that has gone from Anglo to largely Hispanic in culture, arts, décor, cuisine and language.

“Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth and Power—A Dispatch from the Beach”

by Gerald Posner, Alan Sklar Publisher: Tantor Media

“Miami: The Magic City”

by Arva Moore Parks Steven Brooke, Photographer Publisher: Thunder Bay Press Historian Arva Moore Parks has been recognized as “the person who knows Miami best.” Part coffee table book and part authentic travel tour, Parks and photographer Steven Brooke present the reader with nothing short of the ‘official’ history of a city risen from marshland.

Whether you know the buildings and institutions featured or not, this book will educate and exhilarate.

“Miami: Then and Now”

by Carolyn Klepser and Arva Moore Parks Publisher: Thunder Bay Press This collaboration between noted Miami authority Arva Moore Parks and independent researcher Carolyn Klepser is part of the successful “Then and Now” series.

The volume chronicles the development of Miami from Coconut Grove to Biscayne Bay, using historic and contemporary photography coupled with informative captions describing the development of this jewel city by the bay.

The city of Miami Beach has spawned tantalizing temptation born of the drug trade, money laundering, corrupt politics and the intoxication of the newly inexperienced rich. Historian and best-selling author Gerald Posner chronicles the never-before-told story of the rise of Miami Beach in a tale that glows neon and bleeds oceans of blood spilled in the name of the cocaine trade. For the reader—and in the words of one of the book’s characters—this story “makes ‘Scarface’ look like a documentary.”

“Black Miami In The Twentieth Century”

by Marvin Dunn Publisher: University Press of Florida Containing never-before published, first-hand historical accounts augmented with over 130 photographs, Garth Reeves, publisher emeritus of the black Miami Times newspaper calls this book “…a necessity for any African American who has ever lived in Dade County, or South Florida for that matter.” Author Dunn traces the history of Miami’s black community beginning with the very first black pirates of Biscayne Bay over 100 years ago, chronicling the arrival and migration of blacks throughout Miami-Dade county, as well as their triumphs and travails in a multi-ethnic community struggling to cope with sudden growth and engrained southern racism.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 37 ]

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

More Parents Trying Melatonin To

Help Kids Sleep Reporting Marybel Rodriguez

As many parents know, getting your child to sleep can sometimes be a monumental task. Now, more and more parents are turning to a supplement called melatonin to get their children to fall asleep at night.

Melatonin is an

over the counter, natural hormone that comes in a pill. It’s produced by the brain and stimulates sleep.

Blake Huddleston, an active 5-year-old, who loves to play with his older sister, has struggled with sleep issues.

“He’d just be up all night, all wound up, not able to sleep,” said Heather Huddleston, his mother.

So his mom recently tried melatonin. On most nights Huddleston crushes it into a powder, mixes it with juice and sends Blake to bed.

“He seems to be just growing a lot more efficiently. He’s sleeping better, he’s eating better, it’s helped regulate his sleep cycles,” she said.

More parents are discovering their children are better behaved at home and better performers at school after they take melatonin.

Yet there are some concerns. Doctors said there isn’t enough research on the long-term effects. What’s more, melatonin does not have FDA approval for medical use.

Dr Adiaha Franklin, a pediatrician, often recommends it for kids with developmental disabilities such as autism or ADHD.

She suggests trying other approaches first, such as turning off bright screens before bedtime, in order to increase melatonin the natural way.

“For children it can actually take up to an hour for their brains to calm down in order for them to make their natural melatonin and go to sleep,” Dr. Franklin said.

Melatonin doesn’t work for everyone. One mother said her teen daughter tried it last year after a neurologist prescribed it for dysautonomia, a nervous system disorder. Instead of sleeping, the 15-year-old complained of blurred vision and increased anxiety.

“She said like the chalkboard would wave and stuff like that,” she said. “And then we started noticing she started having panic attacks.”

It all stopped once she cut out melatonin.

“Just went away slowly, after 24 to 48 hours,” she said.

Doctors said other side effects could include drowsiness, headaches and even weird dreams.

Huddleston said her son hasn’t experienced any of that, but she urges other moms and dads to talk to their doctor first before trying the supplement.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 39 ]

CORAL

CALENDAR OF EVENTS / JANUARY 2013

GABLES

Ringling Brothers Dragon JANUARY 10 - 21, 2013 800/745-3000 w w w. t i c k e t m a s t e r. c o m For the first time in circus history, myth and majesty will share the arena during this must-see family event that can only be witnessed at The Greatest Show On Earth速! Experience circus spectacles so incredible that once again you will believe in the unbelievable! Dragon tribes from the far reaches of the earth are brought together in a single performance, displaying their breathtaking skills in a circus tournament of champions.

Gablestage At The Biltmore: Hamlet Pinecrest Gardens Fine Arts Festival

JANUARY 12 - FEBRUARY 10, 2013 305/445-1119 w w w. g a b l e s t a g e. o r g

JANUARY 19 - 20, 2013 305/669-6990 w w w. p i n e c r e s t g a r d e n s. o r g

The American Premiere of a 90-minute, high energy version of the most powerful and important tragedy in the English language, adapted for London's Royal Shakespeare Company by Miami's own Award-Winning playwright, Tarell Alvin McCraney, who will also direct.

The festival features a generous representation of the best artists and artisans in this area and beyond. Find the perfect piece of art, original jewelry, a great selection of delicious food, live music, and other activities for the entire family. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Justin Bieber JANUARY 26 - 27, 2013 800/745-3000 w w w. l i v e n a t i o n . c o m Justin Bieber performs live at the American Airlines Arena.

International Chocolate Festival JANUARY 25 - 27, 2013 305/667-1651 w w w. f a i r c h i l d g a r d e n . o r g There will be three days of wonderful chocolate treats, tastings, cacao tree sales, the ChocoKids area, cooking demonstrations, our ChocoWalk, lectures and much more. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

InG Miami Marathon And Half Marathon JANUARY 27, 2013 305/278-8668 w w w. i n g m i a m i m a r a t h o n . c o m Join the massive crowds as the internationally acclaimed marathon and half marathon takes to the beautiful streets of Miami, South Beach, Downtown Miami, Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne, and ends with a great finish festival at Bayfront Park.

6:15 a.m.

Tamiami International

The 62nd Annual Beaux Arts Festival at the University of Miami

JANUARY 27 - 28, 2013 305/223-7060 w w w. m i a m i o r c h i d f e s t i v a l . c o m

JANUARY 19 - 20, 2013 L o c a t i o n : U M g r o u n d s. C o s t : F r e e.

Over 200 juried exhibitors from around the US and abroad will be featured at the Festival. A signature event on the South Florida cultural circuit, the Beaux Arts Festival of Art offers visitors the opportunity to meet exhibiting artists, sample fine cuisine and enjoy live entertainment. Kids too can enjoy the family zone, with special entertainment and a "Children's Art Activity Area" where kids can make arts and crafts for free.

Orchid Festival South Florida's winter orchid extravaganza, featuring more than 40 commercial orchid growers from around the nation and the world. Beautiful displays, plant sales, art and supplies. Sat 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 41 ]

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

Woman Claims

Removing Plastic From Diet

Increased Weight Loss Led To

Reporting Marybel Rodriguez

One secret to weight loss could be as simple as saying “no” the next time you’re at a cash register. Scientists say the plastics in receipts, bottles and even cars could be making all of us fat.

At 240 pounds,

Laura Newman was a far cry from the bride who walked down the aisle. Once a size 10, she’d grown to a size 20.

“The more you hate yourself, the more you eat, the more you feel trapped, and helpless, and hopeless,” said Newman.

Then last year, Newman said she stopped feeling sorry for herself. She got on a weight loss program and started coming out to Gibson Ranch, where she went on walks and then eventually started running.

“The weight just started to fall off for me,” said Newman.

Newman quickly shed 80 pounds. Then a few months into her diet and exercise routine, she noticed that no matter how much she pushed, her body stopped responding.

“I had plateaued,” said Newman.

As part of her weight loss program, Newman kept a journal of everything she ate, and how the food made her feel. That’s where Newman said she thought she found exactly what was slowing down her weight loss, and it wasn’t food.

“I realized, ‘wait a minute, you’re ingesting quantities of this stuff all the time’,” said Newman.

The vegetables steamed in a bag, the canned tuna, the sports drinks, even the water from the office water cooler exposed her to one common ingredient, plastic. When she decided to cut plastics out of her diet, she said the changes were dramatic.

“I lost about 40 pounds in about a blink of an eye,” she said.

“That’s something scientists are really interested in looking at right now,” said Kim Harley, a Berkeley adjunct professor of Public Health.

Harley is familiar with the theory that plastics may play a role in our country’s obesity crisis.

“We really need to look into what we’re seeing in rats is also happening in humans,” said Harley.

Research already shows pregnant mice exposed to plastics made with BPA, short for Bisphenol A, give birth to mice that become overweight later in life.

“BPA is one of the largest production volume chemicals in the world. This is a chemical used in a lot of things,” said Harley. “BPA comes from the linings of cans, plastic food containers and water bottles, and it comes from receipts that you get at the store.”

In fact, BPA is known as an obesogen, a term coined by a UC Irvine professor looking into whether industrial pollutants like BPA leech into foods, slow metabolism and cause fat cells to multiply.

“There’s a pretty compelling theory that exposure to some of these chemicals in-utero may actually have long term health effects that we may not see until adulthood,” said Harley.

While scientists are researching that theory, they do agree that people should avoid certain plastics more than others.

Which ones should be avoided?

Well, the answer is in the number inside that triangle you’ll

“There’s a pretty compelling theory that exposure to some of these chemicals in-utero may actually have long term health effects that we may not see until adulthood”

find on plastics. They range from one to seven, seven being the worst, with those plastics made with BPA. “Studies have shown that BPA leeches out of plastic water bottles, even using cold liquids,” said Harley.

“I pretty much eliminated most of that stuff out of my life,” said Newman.

But Newman said she doesn’t need a scientist to convince her, cutting plastics helped bring her down to a size four.

“My guess is that it is like carcinogens, not every person who smokes two packs a day ends up with cancer, some of that is genetics,” she said.

Nearly two years after that first walk at Gibson Ranch, Newman took on a 10K race and crossed the finished line.

“I feel better now than I did as a teenager,” Newman said.

While the studies are not yet conclusive, scientists say the evidence is very strong that those chemicals are affecting our long-term weight gain.

So why not ban those chemicals?

In July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did ban BPA in baby bottles and children’s drinking cups, but there are no laws that limit the chemicals used to make plastics.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 43 ]

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

Shopping Around Could

Save You Money On

Pet Medications

Do you go into sticker shock every time you need medicine for your pet? Well, consider shopping around the next time your pet gets sick. Your veterinarian is not the only place selling the drugs you might need for Spot or Fluffy.

Bubba Snider loves

his Bernese Mountain Dog, but he’s not thrilled at how much it costs when Bam-Bam gets sick.

“When we first got him, he had a weird parasite,” said Snider. “And he was on different medications for eight months, and it cost us a fortune.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans spend $50 billion on their pets each year; $7 billion of that is for prescription and over-the-counter pet medications.

A majority of consumers get those meds from their veterinarians.

“The only place I know to get them is at the vet, and they say, ‘Here’s what you need, and here’s the bill,’” explained Snider.

But medicine for your pet can be found at plenty of retailers like Costco, 1-800-PetMeds, and even Target, which means consumers can shop around.

At Target, you can get everything from Rimadyl, a pain reliever for dogs, to Heartgard. On its website, you can see all of the pet meds they offer, some for as low as $4.

“You do need to get a prescription from your veterinarian, just like you would a normal medication from your doctor,” said Megan Waltenbaugh, a Target pharmacist.

So how do prices compare?

Here’s an example, a common antibiotic for a dog cost $15.80 at the vet’s office.

That same prescription at 1-800-PetMeds was $14.89 cents, including shipping and handling. At Target, it was $11 dollars.

“My bottom line advice to people is talk to your vet about what things cost,” said Dr. Lawrence Gerson, a veterinarian.

“Ask them; is there a cheaper way to buy the product?”

Dr. Gerson said he sends customers to human pharmacies for pet meds all the time, but it is a hot button issue.

Remember what the pharmacist at Target said?

“You do need to get a prescription from your veterinarian,” Waltenbaugh said.

In some states, vets aren’t legally required to give you one.

“There are some vets that will not write a prescription to get the product elsewhere,” said Dr. Gerson.

Veterinarians and the American Veterinary Medical Association have concerns about retailers offering pet medications, including inappropriate counseling, dosing and substitutions by pharmacists and the failure of pet owners to fill the prescriptions.

“I’ve had one animal, he didn’t die but he got sick when they didn’t fill the prescription properly,” said Dr. Gerson.

There is no doubt that competition in the market can affect prices and benefit consumers.

Here’s another example to consider, Metoclopramide is a common drug used for nausea and vomiting in pets.

At Target, it’s $15.99 cents for 30 five milligram tablets. At 1-800-PetMeds, the price is $12.79 including shipping. And Costco has it for $7.79 cents.

Snider wants the best for Bam-Bam, but he likes what shopping around will mean for his wallet, too.

“I would love to shop around,” Snider said. “I know that when we take him to the vet we are going to need some skin medicine and they are going to hand me something, and now I can say wait a minute let me shop the price.”

When buying any pet medications online, experts say make sure the pharmacy has the Vet-VIPPS logo, which means it’s a vet-verified pharmacy and it follows federal and state requirements.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 47 ]

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

Survey Puts

Doral At Top

In “Average” Florida Home Price A new survey of home prices based on comparing thousands of 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom homes in more that 2500 communities nationwide found that in Florida, the priciest homes surveyed were not in Coral Gables or Miami Beach, but in the city of Doral.

The survey is the annual Coldwell Banker Real Estate Home Listing report, and looked at 72 thousand homes in 2500 communities.

The average home used in the apples-to-apples survey cost almost half a million dollars in Doral, more than twice the state average and almost $200 thousand more than the national average.

If your budget is less pricey, you can save a lot of money and still live in Florida by choosing another city. In the city of Poinciana you could buy 6 homes for the price of one in

Doral. The average survey home price there is $76 thousand.

In South Florida, Homestead ranks as the least expensive city.

Nationwide, 6 out of the 10 most expensive cities are in California, with Los Altos topping the nation. There, the average home surveyed is $1.7 million. Compare that to Redford, Michigan in the Detroit area. With an average price of $60 thousand, you could buy an entire neighborhood…28 homes…for the price of a single home in Los Altos.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 49 ]

Best Of MiaMi

Best Sommeliers In South Florida

South Florida has its share of wine lovers that range from the experimental to the enthusiast. Often times, these people incur the help of sommeliers, professionals trained in the art of wine, when dining out. Sommeliers build the wine list and can suggest unique wine pairings with their restaurant’s signature dishes to really bring out the flavor in the meal. Check out the list below and see if your favorite sommelier made the cut.

Aaron & Kirsta Grauberger Market 17 www.market17.net This brother/sister team is not only made up of two sommeliers but also the coowners of Market 17, a farm-to-table restaurant and bar. Their 10-page international wine list complements the freshness of each dish. Many wine lovers enjoy the popular option of Dining in the Dark where Chef Lauren DeShields prepares a customer-tailored prix-fixe menu and the Graubergers select the accompanying wine pairing as their patrons dine in a pitch-black room, often times guessing each dish and pairing. “With the dining in the dark, we do get a lot more food-minded and more wine-minded enthusiasts—matter of fact, the people that seem to have the most problems determining what the wine is in the dark room are often times the people that should be the most educated about it,” notes sommelier Aaron Grauberger. This is proof that these sommeliers make dining out an experience to remember.

Thomas Smith Tasters Grille & Market www.tastersgrille.com Thomas Smith is the owner and sommelier at Tasters Grille & Market and the co-owner of Meat Eatery & Taproom which features specialty microbrew and craft beers. He trained under Master Sommelier Sally Mohr in Boulder, Colorado and completed the Court of the Master Sommeliers Certificate program. He went on to become the wine director at Trios Wine Bar & Grille and at Marker 88 before opening the Asian-Caribbean fusion gastropub, Tasters Grille & Market, serving boutique-style wines. When asked about his job as a sommelier, Smith says he’s most passionate about “taking the fear factor out of wine and the intimidation that a lot of people feel to make them comfortable with pairing food and wine.”

George Johnson The Grateful Palate www.thegratefulpalate.net George Johnson is a certified sommelier at The Grateful Palate with a taste for the extraordinary. When compiling his wine list, he specializes in choosing wineries that produce less than 2,500 cases per year. “As a small restaurant, you try to stand out from the crowd and the best way to do that is to offer your guests something that they can’t get anywhere else,” says Johnson. He’s the best because he finds beauty in the obscure and yet is still devoid of the pretentiousness that is rampant among most sommeliers in fine-dining establishments.

Claudio Giordano Azul www.mandarinoriental.com Claudio Giordano is the sommelier at Azul, the ultra-modern European restaurant located inside the Mandarin Oriental hotel. He oversees a 39-page wine list that would intimidate even the most accomplished wine aficionado. He has a Bachelors of Science from Florida International University in Hospitality Management and an Associates Degree in Business Management from Miami Dade Community College. He is the sommelier for those who like an upscale atmosphere with a great international wine selection.

David Meneses Hakkasan www.fontainebleaumiami.com David Meneses is one part of a three-part wine team. Under the supervision of the highly decorated sommelier-turned-director of beverage David Mokha and with the assistance of sommelier Henrique Viotti, the group has a private weekly wine tasting to decide which wines will be added to the preselected wine list. The wine must complement all meals served at the Asian fine-dining restaurant, Hakkasan, or it will not be put on the menu. Also, all other wines, except for select vintages, are regularly tasted to ensure the list stays on par with Hakksan’s current menu. Meneses is great because he’s a team player that has helped to continue the legacy of quality food and beverage that Hakkasan is known for.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 51 ]

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

So-Called

“Viagra Brain” For The

Used To Provide

Reporting Brian Andrews

Extra Energy Boost A narcolepsy drug, dubbed the “Viagra for the brain”, is being used by some people to increase their brain function. Although the primary function of FDA-approved Provigil and its newer version Nuvigil, is to treat sleeping disorders and improve wakefulness, some people take the pill because they’re simply tired and want more energy.

Dave Asprey,

the VP of a billion dollar internet security firm and the CEO of The Bulletproof Executive, said he was given a prescription for the pill nine years ago and it’s changed his life.

“This is the sort of thing that lets you perform at levels you didn’t know you were capable of,” he said. “You have a laser-like focus you didn’t have before.”

“Their primary function is to wake you up, Make you more awake and functional throughout the daytime,” according to sleep specialist Dr. Ron Popper. Dr. Popper said users of the medication need to be careful because it hasn’t been approved by the FDA for brain boosting or fatigue alone.

“Until the studies are done to show the long-term effectiveness and long-term potential side effects, it should be used according to the FDA guidelines,” he said.

Dr. Popper said the drug should only be prescribed for adults with conditions such as narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, and shift worker sleep disorder.

Asprey said he was prescribed the drug for shift worker

sleep disorder and it even helped him lose weight.

“When I started this I weighed 300 pounds, more than 10-years ago. This was huge boost in my mental performance. It was like wow I’m awake!”

He thinks people will benefit from “smart drugs” because he has.

“I’m really convinced that when people take it for a while, they get used to operating at a higher level performance.

Even without the drug, they maintain the ability to focus,” Asprey said. “This is the sort of thing that lets you perform at levels that maybe you didn’t know you were capable of.”

Off label use of these drugs, to make you smarter, more focused, and possibly lose weight, has sent sales skyrocketing and nicknames proliferating.

“I’ve heard Viagra for the Brain. Is it? Yeah and Viagra was terribly abused as well,” said Dr. Popper.

Even though the drug doesn’t stimulate the entire central nervous system like “speed” or Ritalin, there are no studies into how the use of this drug affects the brain over time.

Known side effects include headaches, back pain, mouth

sores, anxiety, serious rashes, dizziness, vomiting, irregular heartbeat and thoughts of suicide.

“If we could find a magic pill with no side effects that did only what it was intended to do, I would say great, sign me up and give it to me too. But this is not a magic pill. It has potential side effects, it has potential abuse and addictive potential and we’re seeing that. Too much of anything isn’t good,” said Dr. Popper.

Even Asprey, who downs dozens of vitamins with every meal, insists a good nights sleep, exercise and a good cup of coffee can yield the same productive results.

“This stuff is pretty amazing. That said if I had to give up high quality coffee versus Provigil, I think I’d stick with my high quality coffee. But the combination is one that gives me the perfect edge in order to get things done,” said Asprey.

A lot of people use this drug in secret, including many college and high school students. But the drug is absolutely not for use for any condition in children under 18. It is also

extremely dangerous to take along with sleep aides.

Provigil is now available as a generic.

Nuvigil costs around $350 a month and you will need a doctor’s prescription.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 53 ]

Best Of MiaMi

Best

s r e Din a d i r o l F h In Sout

h to any venues reac m o S s? ay d e es ly s a great diner th in a pre-1987-on g n ri b r o , re What constitute u it furn er d will import old p prices? Whatev ea h C ? le te be authentic, an n ie cl e that just the age? Th selective charm a e av h s p o jukebox. But is it sh ffee ese diners and co the formula is, th d and loved. many have foun

Lester’s Diner (954) 525-5641

Lester’s is one of the only real diners in Fort Lauderdale, from head to toe. It looks like a diner from the inside and outside and has a massive menu with everything you can think of. This campy Fort Lauderdale institution has been open 24-7 since 1968 and it’s a favorite with good food, good service and good prices.

S & S Diner (305) 373-4291

The S&S Diner was established in 1938 and visitors often described it as a step back in time, at least into the 1950s. In true diner form, there’s only a horseshoe-shaped counter that holds 18 people at a time. There are no tables or booths inside. It’s a cash only breakfast and lunch spot hidden in an almost deserted neighborhood in downtown Miami. There’s free parking and a very unique 50′s diner feeling to it. S&S offers traditional diner fare at incredibly low prices. Remember, they only take cash.

Jimmy’s Eastside Diner (305) 754-3692

Jimmy’s Eastside Dinner is described as one of the best old school diner’s in the city. It’s got the casual, been-there-forever feel of a neighborhood hangout.

From the laminated menus to the stick to the back of your thighs vinyl booths, this is the real deal.

11th Street Diner

(305) 534-6373 / www.eleventhstreetdiner.com The original 1948 structure of this diner was dismantled and shipped down from Wilkes Barre, Pa., and set up on the corner of bustling Washington Avenue. This popular ’round-the-clock spot attracts a friendly-yet-motley crew of celebrities, club kids, and curious tourists and is well known for its greasy, above-average diner fare.

Moonlite Diner www.moonlitediner.com

The Moonlite Diner can be described as one of the nostalgic diners with plenty of chrome, period music, faux leather booths and great food and service.

Moonlite Diner was created on the notion that everyone craves a hearty home cooked meal without the stress and mess of cooking. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner fare plus milk shakes that fans rave about.

“The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association encourages used vehicle dealers to repair the open-recall before selling the vehicle to a customer and at a minimum disclose it.�

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com)

What’s

Hidden Under The

Reporting Al Sunshine

Hood?

You like the way it looks and even haggle on the price, but that used car that you’re thinking of buying may have a hidden hazard that can’t find under the hood and no one is required to tell you.

A charred, burnt out shell

is all that remains of the used van Bob Knotts bought. The van burst into flames while parked right in his driveway. So what caused the fire? It turns out that Bob’s van was one of 98,000 recalled because of a wiring defect that could cause a fire.

Bob said the used car dealer he bought the van from never told him it had an unfixed recall. According to Knotts, “The whole thing was a complete loss for me.”

In fact a study by Carfax found more than 2.7 million used vehicles listed for sale online last year had at least one unfixed safety recall issued by the federal government.

The federal government doesn’t recall cars unless a defect could cause a serious risk to passengers in a car or others on the road.

Clarence Ditlow of the Center for Auto Safety said, “They’re all serious. They could cost you your life. They could cause a crash.”

Undercover video from used car lots shows vehicles for sale, that according to car manufacturer websites, have unfixed recalls.

One used SUV had an unrepaired defect which could make the engine stall and cause a crash, according to the formal recall notice.

Another used car had an engine that could shut off while the vehicle is being driven.

“They don’t want to take them off their lot to get them fixed before they sell them because that customer is ready

to buy it today and may in fact go to another used car dealer and buy a different vehicle,” said Ditlow.

There’s no federal law requiring that used car dealers, or private sellers to tell buyers about unfixed recalls.

The two main used car dealer trade associations had no comment but the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association said it, “encourages used vehicle dealers to repair the open-recall before selling the vehicle to a customer and at a minimum disclose it.”

Experts like Jeannie Fallon of Edmunds.com said some dealers do go the extra mile. “Many dealers will bring a used car up to speed on its recalls before they sell it and actually if they do it’s a sign they take really good care of their cars and really good care of their customers.”

The other used car dealer association said the onus is on vehicle owners and used car buyers to get recalls fixed.

Bob Knotts said now he wants to warn others since no one is required to warn you, be sure to check for open recalls yourself.

“What happened to me, it could have happened to someone else,” warned Knotts.

If you have your car’s vehicle identification number, or VIN, you can simply pick up the phone and call your local dealer to see if you have any unfixed recalls.

There are also several online websites available to enter your VIN and check for open recalls online.

And remember, dealers repair official safety recalls for free.

January 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 57 ]

Home

Improvement M O N T H LY

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Ten Ways to Make a Small Room Look Larger Before traveling for the holidays, safeguard your home and valuables. Taking a few precautions before you leave town will ensure a happy return home.

Enhance Your Small Space

6. Increase the appearance of the size of the room by

Most of the following designer tricks can be applied to

adding wall mirrors. They not only reflect images, they

any room:

reflect light and color. Be a little daring! Use mirror tiles to mirror an entire wall. Your room will appear to double

1. For the illusion of a larger room, use a color scheme

in size.

that is light rather than bright or dark. Pastels, neutrals

7. Don’t place too many pieces of furniture in a small

and white are all color possibilities.

space. A love seat may work better than a full-size sofa

2. Use a monochromatic color scheme on the furniture,

depending on the size and shape of the room. Add two

rugs and walls. Select different shades and textures of

medium-sized chairs or two small wood chairs. Place the

your single color.

chairs closer to the wall and then pull them into the area

3. Lighting is a key element in opening up a space.

when additional seating is needed.

Recessed spot lighting is visually appealing and is

8. Add paintings or prints to the walls. One large painting

perfect for a small space. A torchiere light is great for

works better than a group of small paintings.

bouncing light off of the ceiling and back down on the

9. The visual balance of a room is also important. A large,

room. Skylights and solar tubes are natural alternatives for

brightly colored element can overwhelm a room and

adding light to a room.

decrease the appearance of space.

4. Limit the number of accessories to avoid the cluttered

10. A glass table, whether it is a dining, coffee or end

feeling.

table, will keep the appearance of a open and free space.

5. The floor and the ceiling are the fifth and sixth walls of every room. A light-colored flooring such as light oak or a light-colored carpet will make the room appear brighter and more open. The same applies to the ceiling—use a

A rt i c l e b y w w w. l o w e s . c o m

light color or white to “open up” the space above.

59 57

HOME IMPROVEMENT

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