MARCH 2013
DBC Chairman’s Corner
Welcome to Our First Corner Chat! BY NELSON PEÑALVER 2013 Chairman Doral Business Council
’m truly honored to serve the business community in Doral as the Chairman of the DBC Board for 2013. I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead the Board and to make the DBC the best business development organization in Doral. We aim to make an impact on the Doral Business community through professional and personal development programs, resources and events that will enhance the possibilities for growth and achieving your business goals. These activities are the mechanism that will enable businesses to connect and work together while taking advantage of what Doral has to offer. With this in mind, we have developed a theme that encompasses the vision of the DBC and serves, both as a motto and Mission Statement:
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of any business. Another critical business success factor is “Growing Together,” or supporting each other. The “Buy DBC First” program will enable DBC members to work with other members, to showcase their products/services, and, hopefully, engage in actual business transactions. The renewed DBC’s website will facilitate the flow of information and promotion for the “Buy DBC First” program. The plan
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Burn Awareness Week Draws Students to Doral
BY GLORIA BURNS
“Growing Together… One Connection at a time.” DBC strongly believes that creating “Connections” plays a fundamental role in the process of establishing, developing and growing a business. In fact, “networking” provides the environment and the venue to meet, interact and develop relationships critical to the success
is to create visibility and, on a monthly basis, highlight different local business entities, as well as providing a directory for active members with opportunities to promote their companies. To brand this effort, we have a new logo, which we plan to use, widely, across all advertising, communications and other available media, to emphasize the need to support
Several hundred elementary school students from around Miami Dade County gathered in Doral at the Firefighters Memorial Building during Burn Awareness Week in February where they learned about fire safety techniques. Sparky the Dog was especially popular when he greeted the children as they arrived for a thoroughly entertaining and educational field trip. Burn Awareness Week is celebrat-
ed from February 3-9, 2013 and one of the focus areas is preventing scald burn injuries and, in an effort to address that, there was also a demo kitchen. From the kitchen to a puppet show and smoked filled trailer used to let the children experience exiting a smoked filled home, this interactive program is one that the children will long remember and one that may even save lives. For more information on burn prevention, visit safekids.org.
HEALTH CARE CORNER Myths About Aging: ‘...When I’m 64’ BY JENNY MONTES DeOCA, M.D.
egative perceptions about aging are widespread, but often wrong, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center. While many people equate aging with forgetfulness, sexual dysfunction and chronic illness, most older Americans report their quality of life is quite good. Poor health is not an inevitable consequence of aging. You can live a very healthy and happy life long into your senior years by taking better care of yourself now. Of course, many people will experience challenges related to aging, but overall the Pew report says older people tend to express greater satisfaction with life than their younger counterparts. One reason: many common expectations about aging never come true. Let’s look at a few of these misconceptions, such as: “What’s your name again?” While you may have trouble recalling names quickly as you age, you’ll generally still have brain power to spare. The trick to keeping cognitive skills sharp and avoiding dementia is to do regular physical activity and jog your brain by learning and practicing new skills. Remember, many factors can influence brain function, including medications, diet and treatable health issues like depression and heart disease. So, see a doctor if you’re bothered by memory lapses. Another myth: “Old dogs can’t learn new tricks.” Older people can and do learn many new things, including how to use technology. According to the Pew Research Center, more than half of adults over 65 use the Internet, and 70 percent of them
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––––– See HEALTH CARE CORNER, page 5