BLUE HOPE COLON CANCER AWARENESS 5K WALK/RUN WILL HIT THE STREETS ON MARCH 11

The 3rd Annual Blue Hope Colon Cancer Awareness 5K is being held on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at Miramar Regional Park, located at 16801 Miramar Pkwy, Miramar, FL 33027. We are inviting participants to join us from all over South Florida for a family-friendly, fun day of wellness, fitness, and education as we promote awareness of colon cancer and early screening.

According to the American Cancer Society, “In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and in women, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths when men and women are combined. Many lifestyle-related factors have been linked to colorectal cancer. In fact, the links between diet, weight, and exercise and colorectal cancer risk are some of the strongest for any type of cancer.”

At We Stand Together Inc, we believe that true wealth is an educated and healthy community. Though a 5K is a one-day event, our hope is that it will encourage healthier lifestyles and motivate many to schedule screenings and take control of their health. We also want to inspire hope and empower those battling cancer in our communities to know “No One Fights Alone!”

The event will begin at 7:00 a.m. with an opening ceremony hosted by NBC 6 Morning News Anchor, Constance Jones. It will also include a warm-up session with a fitness instructor and DJ. The 5K will kick off at 7:30 a.m. We will also host our Blue Hope Table Talk series with a panel of experts who will share valuable information about colon cancer, risks, signs, symptoms, treatment options and more. We will end with a closing/awards ceremony and a special presentation to announce the Natalie Marc Surpris Scholarship Fund recipients. Additional activities will include health screenings, children’s activities, a bounce house, face painting, healthy food vendors, and more. s a mother of two and an expert in preschool education, I am bombarded daily with tons of questions about whether to breastfeed or not, vaccine choices, potty training, is biting or hitting normal, the cause of tantrums, etc. One of the most common questions I am asked is, “how do you feel about children sleeping with their parents?” Here is my humble opinion, I UPGRADED TO A KING-SIZE BED!

The funds raised will benefit two of our programs, the “We Stand Together Financial Assistance Program”, which provides emergency funds to those impacted with cancer, to help assist with living expenses, and the Natalie Marc Surpris Scholarship Fund, named after the late Founder, which is awarded to high school seniors or college undergraduates, attending a Florida college/ university, who have a parent that is currently battling cancer or has passed away due to cancer diagnosis.

If you do your research for expert advice in books or online, you will find very different opinions about the impact of co-bed or family bed, commonly known as children sleeping with their parents. Some experts say sleeping with your children is emotionally unhealthy because it makes them co-dependent, others will defend cultural acceptance for sleeping with their children since this will give the child a sense of security. I say, forget what these experts say, they don’t live with you, and they don’t

By Ivis Mateos

Aknow the needs of your child like you do. I believe that as a parent you should go with your gut feeling first and foremost. There is no better sensor of truth than that instinct that lives inside your maternal or paternal gut (some may argue my theory – but I side with my gut).

Perhaps you are more like me, some days you want to hold your child tight in your arms and don’t mind the leg over your neck and arms spread so wide you only have a small, 10-inch corner of the bed for you to spend the next 8 hours of sleep in. Other nights, you want to be the one spreading the arms and legs and taking up all the sleeping space, while the child sleeps in their room. There are some days your child will demonstrate a need for additional nurturing – maybe they are not feeling well, or they simply have a need for an extra dose of TLC. Take advantage of these moments.

I had both my boys sleep with me on and off and when it was time for them to ween off, they did it on their own. Nothing wrong with that! Yet, my boys have grown up to be very independent, dependable, intelligent, young men (most of the time). Still, on occasion, my teenage boy sneaks in, in the middle of the night and I welcome him. They are kids for a very short time; soon enough, they will be sleeping in their own place, perhaps in a faraway land. You never know where the future may take them. Deciding what is best for you and your family is a very personal decision, and it is our responsibility to make the decision with the child’s best interest in mind. When the intention is healthy and fueled with love the results will yield just that.

▸ Ivis Mateos is a mother of two boys and has more than 22 years combined experience in educational consulting and management. In addition to earning her National Administrator Credential, Mateos has lead workshops on curriculum development, teacher development and parenting. She has been the General Manager at Tiny Planet Preschool and an Educational Consultant for Graven International Group for the past three years. For more information, call 954-384-4884.

Dr. Earlean Smiley agreed to terms with Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) to serve as the school district’s interim superintendent. The retired school administrator was selected by the school board in a 7-2 vote. She was Superintendent of McCormick County Public School District in South Carolina from 2010 to 2013 and was the Principal of Blanche Ely High School. School Board negotiations were led by Chair Lori Alhadeff. Smiley’s compensation package is said to be valued at approximately $300,000.

The move comes after the departure of controversial Superintendent Dr. Vickie Cartwright. After agreeing to a separation agreement, Cartwright said, “I am confident that the district will continue to thrive under new leadership, and I do wish the district continued success in the future. Thank you for your support and your understanding.”

Smiley’s initial focus will be on improving the culture within the district’s administration.

“I’ve heard many board members talk about toxic culture,” Smiley said, “I want to move out of the culture that we’re in, to a culture where we can thrive at every level.”

Smiley, who is 71 years old, will fill the role as the School District looks for its fourth leader in just three years.

“She has a no-nonsense personality, and I believe that is what Broward County Public Schools needs right now,” said Broward School Board Chair Lori Alhadeff, “This is how I know that she’s going to be tough but fair and a very strong leader.”

Leadership at BCPS has been a political hotbed since the Tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. The fact that the school board and Dr. Cartwright were frequently at odds with Governor Ron Desantis during the COVID pandemic made matters only more difficult. Desantis frequently quarreled with Broward County over back-to-school rules and mask requirements.

The rift between Tallahassee and BCPS culminated when Desantis removed four board members last August. He had convened a Grand Jury to investigate the root causes of the Parkland tragedy and used his powers as governor to remove the board members after the grand jury’s findings suggested the school board was partially at fault.

Desantis' hand-picked replacement board members were at odds with Cartwright from the moment they took their seats, eventually voting to terminate her during a late-night meeting just days before three of them were to be replaced following the November election. In a twist of fate worthy of a TV melodrama, Cartwright was reinstated by the new board two weeks later, only to be pushed out for good a month later.

Dr. Smiley will remain interim superintendent until the board recruits a new, permanent leader. Finding the best candidate to lead the nation’s sixth-largest school district will likely be a challenge, given the chaotic history of the last three years. Dr. Cartwright was hired after former Superintendent Dr. Robert Runcie was indicted for allegedly lying to a grand jury in 2021.

“We’re not looking to rush it, but we want to make sure that we have Dr. Smiley in place for enough time for us to be able to do the national search for a permanent superintendent,” said Alhadeff.