West Park News September 2012 by Community Newspapers

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WEST PARK NEWS Summer’s over - It’s back to school and back to work!

SEPTEMBER 2012

BY MAYOR ERIC H. JONES hope everyone had a great summer and I’d like to extend best wishes for an enjoyable Labor Day Weekend. The summer seems to have gone by so fast. If you have children in your home, then you know that summer vacation has come to an end as school begins. Perhaps not everyone is excited about returning to school, but I know our teachers are ready to create adventures, challenges and opportunities to learn something new. With school starting, we need to remember that kids will be waiting for buses, riding their bikes or walking to school. Please keep your eyes out for children on your commute and remember to slow down for school zones. We wish all the students, from the new kindergartners experiencing school for the first time, to the senior class preparing to head out into the world, good luck in the upcoming school year. While we will miss the summer days the City is looking forward to the approaching fall season and the new energy that changes in seasons bring to our community. As we see the children returning to a new school year - with all the wonderful activity this brings back to our community – your City government will also return from the ‘summer’ work schedule. FISCAL YEAR 2012-12 BUDGET: Beginning in September, the City’s yearly Public Budget Hearings will return. They

will be held on Wednesday, September 5, 12, and 26. We look forward to reporting to you over the coming weeks updates on the budget, projects in progress, and new initiatives to be as we consider input from residents, the Commission, and our City Manager, regarding issues of interest and/or concerns in the City. For your information, thanks to our City Manager, I have listed some data concerning the upcoming budget meetings and some plans the City is considering. The procedures and timetables for taxation and the establishment of the budget are governed by a series of rules of the State of Florida. These rules are generally referred to as TRIM (Truth in Millage). The attached resolution deals with the establishment of the maximum millage rate, rollback millage rate, and scheduling formal budget public hearings in accordance with TRIM. A primary source of revenue for municipal government is the property or ad valorem tax. Property taxes applied to commercial and residential real property and also for commercial personal property. The rate at which property is taxed is referred to as the millage rate. The amount of taxes paid by a property owner is determined by multiplying the millage rate times each $1,000.00 of assessed property value. MAll local governments are required, at the

In City Government

WHO’S WHO

WEST

Mayor Eric H. Jones, Jr.

PARK

Vice Mayor Felicia M. Brunson

beginning of the budget process, to establish a maximum millage rate. This rate will be advertised by the City and also delivered to the Broward County P r o p e r t y Appraiser. The rate can be decreased by the commission during the budget process, but it cannot be increased except under extraordinary circumstances. The proposed millage rate being put forth at this time is 9.42 mills. This mileage rate allows average property owners to pay less ad valorem tax value than they paid last year, thus allowing the City to receive less ad valorem revenue than last year. To generate the same ad valorem revenue as last year, the millage rate would have to be 9.8686 mills. The Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office has certified the total taxable value within the City at $337,429,721. This valuation represents an 8.44% decrease over the Fiscal Year 201112 level of $368,537,255. What is more profound is the trend of total taxable value from fiscal year 2005-06 to 2012-13. See the Taxable Value Trend table below with its associated bar chart. It should be noted that the change in total taxable value from year of incorporation (2005-06) to 2012/13 is -23.9%.

CITY

Commissioner Thomas Dorsett

This decrease in taxable value is attributable to the economic downturn that we have been experiencing nationwide. Property values have decreased dramatically; which is evident in the City’s taxable value. We therefore tentatively set a proposed millage rate of 9.42 mills. The commission will still have the ability to re-consider the rate during the budget hearings. Although the property values have dropped, our goal is to continue to provide a high level of service without drastically increasing our taxation. The City is required to hold two formal Budget Public

––––––––––See

SUMMER’S OVER, page 3

OFFICIALS

Commissioner Sharon Fyffe

Commissioner Rita “Peaches” Mack

City Manager W. Ajibola Balogun

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September 2012

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September 2012

SUMMER’S OVER, from page 1 –––––––– Hearings. As indicated by our City Manager in the June 20, 2012 memorandum to the City Commission, the following dates were recommended, considering constraints of the guidelines on when municipalities can hold budget hearings: FIRST BUDGET HEARING: Date: Wednesday, September 5, 2012 Time: 6:00 P.M. Place: City Commission Chamber 1965 South State Road 7 West Park, Florida 33023 SECOND BUDGET HEARING: Date: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Time: 6:00 P.M. Place: City Commission Chamber 1965 South State Road 7 West Park, Florida 33023 For further information, which can be found on the City’s website I’ve listed some projects that’s being planned. IMPROVEMENT PLANS A. Capital Improvement Plan (CIP): The CIP is an official statement of public policy regarding long range physical development in the City. CIP is a multi-year scheduling of major purchases, infrastructure improvements and construction of public facilities. The most common definition includes: “new or expanded physical facilities that are relatively large in size and cost and permanent in nature.” The CIP will be updated annually to add new projects, reevaluate programmed and projected priorities and to incorporate recommendations, taking into account new requirements and available funding. The annual capital programming process provides the following benefits: • The CIP serve as a source of information about the city’s physical development and capital expenditures. • The CIP allows management staff to plan for future operating requirements to coincide with completed capital projects. • The CIP provides mechanism for coordinating among projects with respect to funding location and timing, and ensures that the most crucial projects are developed first. • The CIP is a tool for implementing the City’s Comprehensive Plan. • The CIP also focus on preserving the investment of the City’s infrastructure, while ensuring the efficient use of public funds. The features of the CIP include the

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following information: • The description of the project or equipment to be purchased. • The justification for the project or equipment to be purchased. • Identified funding categories, such as, Unfunded or partially funded or funded. • The projects are ranked in order of priority. • A timetable for the completion of the project is provided. B. McTyre Park Master Plan: The City of West Park, a relatively young, but thriving, municipality, founded in 2005, has made one of its missions to develop a City with high community involvement with a keen interest in creating playground and recreational facilities for its residents and surrounding communities to enjoy, thus contributing to their maxim as a City of Positive Progression. They have recently been awarded a ‘Playful City USA’ designation recognizing their efforts in increasing play opportunities for children. In keeping with this commitment, the City has identified the 18.5 acre McTyre Park to be evaluated for improvements documented in the attached Master Plan report. The park property is located at 3501 SW 56th Avenue, immediately north of Watkins Elementary School; its bounding communities are: City of West Park to the West, Town of Pembroke Park to the east and north. The site now hosts a variety of scheduled sport activities for the City’s youth and adult population as well as senior, youth and community programs in its highly used, but gravely undersized community center, located in the NW corner. The majority of the existing Park is dedicated to open field sports activities and includes 4 outdoor basketball courts, 1 football field, 1 outdoor sand volleyball court; 3 rental pavilions, a covered tot lot and a walking path. It also has a small community center which is highly used by the community, as well as a concessions stand with restrooms and a press box, which are all non-ADA compliant. The master plan is intended to address the feasibility of introducing an intensive athletic and community environment with various support facilities including expanded surface parking. With these interests in mind, the City has engaged the services of McHarry Associates to develop a coherent and consolidated master plan for their 18.5 acre McTyre Park that could be implemented in phases as funding becomes available. Initially, the planning study focused on broad-brush scope issues which assisted in defining primary site constraints; key Continued on page 6

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September 2012

Help the Vision: Education 2012-13 BY VICE MAYOR FELICIA M. BRUNSON West Park residents, I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer!

WELCOME BACK to a new school year! This is always a very exciting time for students, parents and educators. This time of year carries a great deal of expectations for me also. The opening of a new school year reenforces my belief that we have wonderful opportunities to make a difference in the lives of our children and that we are extremely fortunate to live in a community, like West Park, that values education. It is a chance to begin again, to renew our efforts and to once again pick up the journey to a better future. As we embark on another school year, please know that it takes exceptional staff, informed parents and involved community members to create the best possible arena for learning. The start of the new school year is also always an exciting time, filled with much anticipation and energy. Children are excited to reconnect with friends they haven’t seen since the start of the summer, and fam-

ilies are eager to see their children continue making progress in their educational pursuits. Education can be likened to a great big canvas and this year we would like our children to throw as much paint as they can on the canvas of their education. I appeal to all students, the parents, the community and the teachers to value and uphold the importance of intrinsic motivation.

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” This year I have no doubt that our children will throw themselves into their education. Many will make the most of the canvas of opportunity they are offered and paint the goals they aspire to achieve. I have no doubt that if they remain motivated in the class-

room, they will achieve these goals. Their education is sound, creative and innovative and, together with their parents, the West Park community and the students themselves, all will help to make this a reality. HELP! Four letters that can mean so much. Four letters that can be seen as a dynamic, action - or as a plea! The teachers will take action and help students to achieve academic, sporting, cultural and life-long learning. May I take this opportunity to thank the teachers of West Park children for their continued professionalism, excellence and dedication. It is your teacher motivation and enthusiasm in the classroom that help to create a year that is bright with exciting opportunities. ΩParents, you play a vital role in the success of your children. Please pay close attention to the information your child brings home for review. Complete and sign all forms that ask for a parent’s signature and promptly return them to the school. Schools will reach out to you throughout the year for your valuable input and involvement. Get involved with your child’s education by attending parent meetings; that’s where schools share critical important information about the progress of the school and listen to you about what you want for your children. My request to the community is to first, ensure every student’s regular attendance and second, be supportive of our schools. Become involved in the education of our students throughout the school year. However, even more importantly, the students themselves will have to take action to further their education. Our young ladies and gentlemen too are beginning to realize that they cannot merely sit back and expect their parents, school and community to do everything for them - they are realizing the importance of self-motivation and are prepared to help themselves. My appeal to West Park students today is: HELP YOURSELVES! We expect that you will attend school on a daily basis. It is vital that you are in school and on time so that we can deliver the highest quality educational experiences. We expect that you will respect the rules of your school, teachers, and the rights of other students. Realize that you cannot learn in an atmosphere that accepts bullying, harassment and intimidation. Students, I urge you to take advantage of the wisdom and experience that your teachers have to offer you. They have committed themselves to your academic success, and they want nothing more than to see you accomplish your goals – whatever they may be. Make the most of the fantastic educational opportunities that you have. Throw as much paint as you can on to the canvas of your education this year. If you can do that,

then one day, you will be in a position to respond to the pleas of others who may need your help! HELP! Four letters that mean so much. You must help yourselves so that ultimately you can help others. Each West Park student, in their own way, will need to help. You will need to help your family. You will need to help the community. You will need to make sense of the world when sense and reason go missing. You will need to help solve problems through innovation and invention. And, you will need to help turn indifference into motivated, helpful action. This is our goal as the year commences!

Let’s continue to work together to help each other to be our best for the world! Education is the single constant theme that runs through what our city does. Together we can make a huge change in education and the focus on it. If we all work together, we can make this a successful year of learning, further helping us to ensure that every child in every school is successful. Together, let’s create a VISION for our schools, our community, and even for every individual student. This VISION does not need to be a grandiose achievement. Small steps can dramatically enhance a student’s learning experience. And when we do this, we will be doing all that we can to make a positive difference. I urge all of you to take action. HELP THE VISION. Let’s take the steps needed to make our school and our community an even better place to learn, to work, and to thrive. I wish every student, school and parent representing West Park all a most enjoyable and successful school year. I look forward to another exciting year of watching our fine students learn, achieve and grow! Remember to contact me at City Hall with your ideas, suggestions or concerns. I represent you and appreciate your input into the continued success of our beloved city. I can be reached at (954) 889-4164 or via email at fbrunson@cityofwestpark.org.

September 2012

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Hello Again Neighbors! BY COMMISSIONER SHARON FYFFE

MRecently, our Green City Advisory Committee met and began its task of organizing itself for the upcoming year. Our Green City Advisory Committee members are William Moritz, Chair; Samantha Schubert, Vice Chair, Marie Davis, Karen Goldstein and Cristina Eveillard. The first project the Board will undertake is Tree Protection, with the goal of preserving trees in the City and increasing the tree canopy in West Park. The Board will review and compare the current tree protection policy with other cities and with the national standards and the standards of the Arbor Day Foundation. The Board will then provide written recommendations to the Commission. There are a variety of green, climate and sustainability initiatives undertaken by the 31 local governments in Broward County. As a result of a survey done in 2011 by the County, the four most commonly covered green initiatives or programs in Broward County cities are Native Landscaping, Recycling, Water Conservation and Energy Efficiency. More than half of the 31 cities in Broward County have added bike/walking trails and made improvements to their bus shelters. More than 80 percent of the cities now have recycling at government facilities and have implemented community-wide singlestream recycling. You will see more and more cities coming onboard with new and innovative projects to conserve in the next year. For more information about this Municipal Green Initiatives Survey, contact the Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department at 954-519-1270 or visit their website at: www.broward.org/gogreen. HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR AUGUST 1, 2012 COMMISSION MEETING • Scholarships were awarded and presented to two West Park college-bound students

from applications submitted and recommendations made by the Education Advisory Committee. Congratulations and best wishes to Jamon Simmons-Davenport and Ashley Henderson, recipients of the two scholarships! • A resolution was passed accepting the proposed millage rate of 9.42 for the 2012/2013 fiscal year and setting a date, time and place for the public budget hearings. The first budget hearing will be on September 5, 2012, the second hearing will be September 26, 2012, both at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. Also there will be a Special Assessment Hearing on September 12, 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. These are public hearings and we hope you will attend. • Two resolutions were passed, one to accept funding from the Children’s Services Council for the City’s Juvenile Crime Prevention Program and the other to authorize the spending of funds from the LETF account to establish Youth Tackle Football and Cheerleading Programs in the City. • The City’s new Juvenile Crime Prevention Program will also provide academic services to students, nutrition and fitness activities, cultural arts activities and additional youth development activities such as field trips, guest speakers, instructional lessons, weekly visits with BSO Police and Fire and student productions. This will be a yearlong program and daily hours of operation will be from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information about the Juvenile Crime Prevention Program, please call City Hall at 954-989-2688. Well, there is a lot going on in West Park and we look forward to a busy fall and upcoming holiday season. We hope to see you all soon, please come and participate in the advisory boards and all the programs our city has to offer. And come speak to us at the Commission meetings on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. We want to hear from you. Remember budget time in the city is the time to see and understand where your tax dollars will go. Let us hear from you about your concerns, criticisms and compliments. Call me if you need help of any kind. 954-963-7745.

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SUMMER’S OVER, from page 3 –––––––– among them is adequate parking facilities to match the scale of proposed development as well as designing around the existing WLRN/MDCPS communications towers and related support structures located in the northeast section of the property. C. Neighborhood Traffic Calming Study Area “A”: The City of West Park retained Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to assess traffic conditions within the neighborhood bounded by SW 56th Avenue to the east, SR 7 (US 441) to the west, Hallandale Beach Boulevard (SR 858) to the north, and NE 215th Street (County Line Road) to the south. The objective of this study is to determine if improvements are necessary to enhance the quality of life for the residents by managing traffic concerns in a manner to minimize throughtraffic intrusion into the residential neighborhood and to maintain vehicle speeds at suitable levels. This report presents input from the residents and the City of West Park staff, field observations, traffic counts, vehicle speed measurements, an analysis of existing traffic conditions, and a conceptual improvement plan. D. Neighborhood Traffic Calming Study Area “B”: The City of West Park retained

Kimley-Horn and Associates,, Inc. to assess traffic conditions within the Carve r Ranches neighborhood generally bounded by SW 38th Avenue to the east, SW 58tth Avenue to the west, Pembroke Road (SR824) to the north, and Hallandale Beach Boulevard (SR-858) to the south. The objective of this study is to determine if improvements are necessary to enhance the quality of life for the residents by managing traffic concerns in a manner to minimize through-traffic intrusion into the residential neighborhood and to maintain vehicle speeds at suitable levels. This report presents input from the residents and the City of West Park staff, field observations, traffic counts, vehicle speed measurements, an analysis of existing traffic conditions, and a conceptual improvement plan. Every day it seems I get positive news about the direction of our City. As I am out and about seeing and talking with residents, businessmen and women and other elected officials, I am hearing many good things. Although we are making great strides little by little we still hope to see things get better. I see evidence of the positive in this City over and over again. I always go back to our beginning and the goals we had. I truly believe that every day we get closer to being premier community. I am always amazed at how our City Staff works at achieving the high standards that our residents deserve. It is great being the Mayor of West Park— “THE CITY OF POSITIVE PROGRES SION”. GOD BLESS YOU ALL, GOD BLESS OUR CITY, AND GOD BLESS AMERICA.

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September 2012

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September 2012

SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTS! City of West Park Saints Kick Off Inaugural Season! Opening Home Games A Huge Success! On Friday, August 17 and Saturday, August 18, 2012, The City of West Park Saints held their home opener games against the Kendall Boys & Girls Club Colts in the inaugural season of the program. The program boasts almost 200 participants between the Football and Cheerleading Programs. Proudly displaying brand new jerseys and equipment, the children played their hearts out despite the

threat of bad weather. At the end of a hard-fought weekend, the program went 3 for 6 with wins by the PeeWeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (28 to 0), 11 and under (18 to 6), and 14 and under (12 to 6) teams. The teams will be road warriors for the next two weekends as they travel to South Miami and Key Biscayne before returning home to host the Kendall Hammocks Warriors on September 7 and 8, 2012.

September 2012

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September 2012

***ATTENTION: PROPERTY OWNERS*** City of West Park Offers Code Enforcement Liens And Accrued Fines Amnesty Program The City of West Park has established a period of Code Enforcement Liens and Accrued Fines Amnesty that would address the back-log of liens on record/daily fines accruing and sought to provide relief to the property owners. Also, this Code Enforcement Liens and Accrued Fines Amnesty Program will be beneficial in achieving the goal of compliance and it will further serve a public benefit by increasing property value throughout the city. The following are the City’s criteria for the Code Enforcement Liens and Accrued Fines Amnesty Program: 1. Applications will be accepted for a program for 6 months, until February 28, 2013 and payment of all liens must occur prior to April 30, 2013. 2. All property violations on the property must be in compliance and there cannot be any other active code enforcement cases with ongoing violations on the subject property owner in the City. 3. All Unsafe Structures Board liens on any property owned by the property owner in the City must be paid in full prior to being approved for participation in the program. 4. Eligible liens or fines must exceed $1,000 and the liens or fines must not have been under an order of the City’s Special Magistrate to reduce the subject liens or fines. 5. The property owner must submit a Code Enforcement Liens and Accrued Fines Amnesty Program Application and Participation Agreement for each lien or fine on the property by February 28, 2013.

The property owner shall pay a $50 nonrefundable application fee per property. 6. After verifying that the property owner is eligible for participation in the program, the City will approve the application and administratively reduce the amount required to satisfy the eligible liens or fines to fifteen percent (15%) of the face value of the liens or fines, plus the cost of lien preparation and recording. 7. The property owner must pay the City by cashier’s check or money order only and the total of the following must be paid by April 30, 2012: a. The reduced value of the eligible lien(s) or fine(s) on the property; and/or b. The unreduced face value of any lien under $1,000; and/or c. The fuyll amount due for any lien or fine that was reduced by order of the Special Magistrate; and/or d. The cost per lien or lien preparation and recording 8. After the property owner has paid the total sum due prior to April 30, 2012, the city will execute and record a release of lien(s). 9. Failure of the property owner to pay the total sum due to April 30, 2013 shall result in the approved lien reductions being null and void, and the property will be liable for the entire face value of the liens or fines as if no reductions had ever been imposed. For more information about the Code Enforcement Liens and Accrued Fines Amnesty Program, please call City Hall at 954-989-2688.

September 2012

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Youth Advisory Council Update

PICTURED FROM L TO R: Bryshawn Williams, Recreation Coordinator; Youth Advisory Council Members: Tianna Campbell; Anissa Gaskin; Jamon Simmons-Davenport; Lathania Richards; Ashley Burke; and Patricia Hamilton, Recreation Coordinator at the 2012 Florida League of Cities Conference. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– From the Parks and Recreation Department On Saturday, August 25, 2012, youth from all over the State met at the Florida League of Cities Conference at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida, in a daylong effort to make plans and take action to address important issues in their respective municipalities. Members of West Park’s Youth Advisory Council were sent on a mission to identify an area of concern to which they would be willing to commit serious focus, and then develop and implement measures to address this issue. At the conference our Youth Council members practiced this task in front of the Florida League of Cities’ leadership and elected

officials from around the State. The West Park Youth Advisory Council is a youth organization composed of 9th to 12th grade students from local high schools in Broward County who desire to be future leaders in their community and advocates of positive change. Led by incoming president, Tianna Campbell, the West Park Youth Advisory Council faces great challenges and greater opportunities. For more information about the West Park Youth Advisory Council or any other please programs or activities, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 954-985-1990 or visit us at www.cityofwestpark.org.

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Make Poison Control part of your Storm Safety Plan F rom the Programs and Ser vices Department As you prepare for this year’s hurricane season, there may be something important you’ve missed. Do you have the Poison Control Hotline programmed into your cell phone? Storms and other natural disasters frequently lead to injuries, including poisonings. Storm-related poisonings can include carbon monoxide exposure (from generators used improperly), medication mistakes, child poisonings, snake or insect bites, or poisoning from spoiled food. People with vision difficulties, chronic conditions or complex medication regimens can be at particular risk of poisoning. People over 65 are

also the demographic group in the U.S. who are least likely to know about the free services of poison control centers. By taking a moment to program 1-800222-1222 into your cell phone, you’ll ensure you have immediate access to the doctors, nurses and pharmacists at South Florida’s poison control center at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami Medical Center. Even after a serious storm, if you have a working phone, you can reach a poison expert for free and confidential help, 24 hours, seven days a week. Take a moment to program your phone, and visit the Florida Poison Information Center-Miami website at www.miamipoison.org for more information.

Studies Don’t Lie:

Patients Benefit from a Strong PCP Relationship

senior from Broward County is rushed to the emergency room because she mixed medications that are contra-indicated. Another bounced around from specialist to specialist, undergoing duplicate tests and procedures. All of this could be avoided. More than 100 studies document the critical role primary care physicians (PCPs) play in patient care. PCPs can be many things for a patient — their cheerleader, advocate and even their medical interpreter — but most importantly, the studies prove that having a strong relationship with a PCP leads to better quality of life, more productive longevity, and lower costs as a result of reduced hospitalization, improved prevention and better coordination of chronic disease care. AvMed Health Plans, one of the oldest Medicare providers in South Florida, has embraced a more PCPcoordinated approach to healthcare. The company recently introduced CenteredCare®, which puts the PCP at the center of every member’s care. According to Dr. Edwin Rodriguez, Medical Director at AvMed, this coordinated approach will lead to better health outcomes for patients. “Some 15-20% of Medicare hospital admissions are due to medication complications,” said Rodriguez. “By

by Christine Bucan

developing a strong relationship with your PCP, you can avoid this.” Louise Schendel, a senior from Margate who visits her PCP every three months, admits she would be lost without the lasting relationship she has built with her PCP over the years. “When I have a problem, I call him and he tells me exactly where to go and what to do. I feel like I have someone out there rooting for me,” said Schendel, an AvMed Medicare Advantage plan member for two years. “Without my PCP I wouldn’t have the confidence on where to go and what specialists to visit.” William Pena, M.D., a primary care physician who practices in Hollywood, often acts as an interpreter for patients who don’t always understand what a specialist recommends: "They want us to explain procedures. The best way to get better results is when a patient clearly understands what they have and how to interpret tests. They need to understand their options for treatment and they rely on their PCP to help." To learn more about the importance of building a strong relationship with your PCP, visit AvMedMedicare.org.

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BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY! From the Parks and Recreation Department On Saturday, August 18, 2012, the City of West Park held its annual Back-toSchool Giveaway Event at Mary Saunders Park. Over 600 backpacks filled with school supplies were given out to children in the community. Also as a part of the event, City employee and Sheridan Vocational School Student, Bryshawn Williams, arranged for his classmates to help offer free haircuts to all participants. In all they gave over 75 haircuts to help children look their best and create a positive first impression for their first day of school. Also participating was Florida Memorial College Men’s Basketball Team who greeted children and their parents, help hand out

school supplies, and offer a free basketball clinic to all youngsters in attendance. This event could not have been possible without the support of the following partners: Children Services Council, Florida Memorial College Men’s

Basketball Team, Sheridan Vocational School, STAN Inc., and The City of West Park. As a result of everyone’s efforts every participant walked away with a bag of school supplies and an opportunity to start the new school year on the right foot. For more information on this event or any other activities and programs, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 954-985-1990 or visit us at www.cityofwestpark.org.

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September 2012

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September 2012

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SCENES FROM CAMP BRAVERY 2012

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September 2012

Three-legged dog finds a home with Grove resident BY ALICE FISHER

Coconut Grove resident Kimberly MacPherson is no stranger to animals with special needs. She has five cats — one has one eye and one has only three legs. They are all rescued from either the streets or from a local animal welfare organization, including the Humane Society of Greater Miami. So when MacPherson saw Tia, a three-legged dog at the Humane Society of Greater Miami, it was love at first sight. “At first, I felt sorry for her,” MacPherson said. “But once I got to know her, I saw what a happy dog she was and decided to adopt her.” MacPherson fostered Tia for a month to see how she would get along with her cats before making the final decision. “They get along beautifully, “MacPherson said. “I bring her to work every day, so that I am always with her.” MacPherson writes grants for the Humane Society of Greater Miami. “You just know that an animal is right for you. A certain chemistry exists.” Based on Tia’s injuries, Dr. Maureen Swan, chief medical officer at the Humane Society of Greater Miami, thinks that Tia got into a fight with another dog and while running away got hit by a car. She was brought to Miami-Dade Animal Services where her leg was amputated. During the Humane Society’s weekly trip to Animal Services to rescue animals, Tia was one of the lucky ones and came to the Humane Society of Greater Miami to be put up for adoption. “Tia adapted to having three legs very well,” MacPherson said. The only thing she had to teach Tia was how to climb stairs, and she caught on immediately. Growing up, MacPherson always was around animals. Her step-mom is past president of the Sevier County Humane

Kimberly MacPherson and Tia ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Society in Tennessee — and runs an organization called One by One that spays and neuters animals. Plus, her step-mom has a Golden Retriever who is deaf. The need to adopt special needs animals must run in the family. The Humane Society of Greater Miami Adopt-A-Pet is a limited admit, adoption guarantee facility dedicated to placing every dog and cat in its care into a loving home, and to promoting responsible pet ownership and spay/neuter programs. Adoption guarantee simply means that every animal under their care is safe from the threat of euthanasia for as long as it takes to find them a forever family. If you want to learn about other special needs pets or about other animals available for adoption, visit the Humane Society of Greater Miami’s website <www.humanesocietymiami.org>.

August 2012

COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM

Back to School Safety Tips! From The Fire Department • While waiting for the bus, take five giant steps back from the curb until the bus has stopped completely. • Inside the bus, stay seated at all times. • Keep head, arms and hands inside the bus. Never throw anything out of the bus window. • Always hold on to the bus handrails when you are getting on or off the bus so you don’t fall. • Be careful that clothing, book bags, and key rings don't get caught in the handrails or doors • When getting off the bus, go to the closest sidewalk or side of the road and take five giant steps away from the bus. • If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. If you bend over to pick it up, the bus driver may not be able to see you. • Children under age 10 should never cross a street without a grown-up. • Choose a safe route to school. Look for the most direct route with the fewest street crossings. • When crossing the street, stop at the curb or edge of the

road. • Look left, then right, then left again for moving cars before crossing. • Keep looking left and right until you are safely across the street – and remember to walk, not run. • Follow all traffic signals and markings. • Don’t enter the street from between parked cars or from behind bushes or shrubs. Drivers might not be able to see you. If you are old enough to ride alone, plan a safe route to school and have a grown-up ride with you the first few times. • Children under 10 should not ride on the road without a grown-up. • Be sure that your helmet fits. It should sit even on top of the head –not rocking in any direction–and always fasten the safety strap. • Learn the proper hand signals and use them when you turn or stop. • Walk, do not ride your bike across the street. • Come to a complete stop before entering driveways, paths or sidewalks, then look left, right and left again for bikes, cars or pedestrians. • Do not ride at night. • And last, but not least, if you are riding in a car to school the safest place to be if you are 12 years old or younger is in the back seat buckled up safely. Remember, you should be in a booster seat until you are eight years old and weigh 80 pounds.

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September 2012

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WEST PARK CALENDAR EVENTS

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September 2012

Jackson Health’s Cuming chosen for prestigious nurse fellowship BY GRETCHEN WRIGHT

Richard Cuming, RN, MSN, EdD, NEA-BC, senior vice president and chief nursing executive at Jackson Health System, has been named one of only 20 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Executive Nurse Fellows from across the country for 2012. Cuming joins a select group of nurse leaders chosen to participate in this threeyear, world-class leadership development program that is enhancing nurse leaders’ effectiveness in improving the nation’s healthcare system. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Cuming began his career as a critical care nurse. He joined Jackson Memorial Hospital in 1991 as a staff nurse in the operating room, and held a variety of positions in the hospital and hospital system before being appointed senior vice president and chief nursing executive in 2011. Cuming currently serves as presidentelect of the board of directors for the Nursing Consortium of South Florida, and is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Nurses Association, Florida Nurses Association, American Organization of Nurse Executives and Sigma Theta Tau International. He holds adjunct faculty appointments as a professor in the school of nursing at both Florida International University and at the University of Miami. Begun by RWJF in 1998, the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows (ENF) program strengthens the leadership capacity of nurses who aspire to shape healthcare locally and nationally. The program will provide Cuming and his colleagues with coaching, education and other support to strengthen their abilities to lead teams and organizations in improving health and health care. The ENF program is located at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), and co-directed by Linda Cronenwett, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Beerstecher Blackwell Term Professor and former dean of the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and

David Altman, PhD, executive vice president of Research, Innovation and Product Development at CCL. “Now more than ever, with our healthcare system preparing to care for millions more patients, many of whom are living longer but with more chronic conditions, we need nurse leaders who are well prepared to participate as full partners in this historic transformation,” Cronenwett said. “The RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows program has a proud history of building and enhancing the leadership skills of extraordinary nurses all across the country. We are delighted to be able to work with this new cohort. Each of our new Executive Nurse Fellows has made a powerful commitment to improving health and health care and is poised to become an even more effective leader,” she added. “I’m so excited to have the opportunity to participate in this world-class leadership development program,” Cuming said. “To have the resources of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Center for Creative Leadership is tremendous. As a professional nursing leader at one of the country’s largest public hospital systems, I know there’s a lot I can share from Jackson’s experience and a lot that this exceptional group of nurses will be able to teach me for the benefit of the South Florida community.” Executive Nurse Fellows hold senior leadership positions in health services, scientific and academic organizations, public health and community-based organizations or systems, and national professional, governmental and policy organizations. They continue in their current positions during their fellowships, and during the fellowship each develops, plans and implements a new initiative to improve healthcare delivery in her or his community. For more information about the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows program visit onine at <www.ExecutiveNurseFellows.org>. For more information about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, visit online at <www.rwjf.org>.

Community Newspapers

September 2012

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LOOKING FOR PART-TIME WORK? The Aventura News is looking for an energetic, happy person who would like to make some extra spending money every week. So, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for something to do, in between taking the kids to school or right before you tee-off on the golf course, then the part-time position in our advertising sales department just might be right for you. The opportunity entails you calling neighborhood retail stores, real estate agencies, car dealers and restaurants and helps them promote their businesses through advertising in the Aventura News and Sunny Isles Beach Sun. If you have 15-20 hours a week available and you want to earn $300 - $500 per week on a part-time basis, then e-mail Michael Miller at Michael@communitynewspapers.com or call 305-669-7355 ext. 249.

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September 2012

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MARDI GRAS

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