Water
Enthusiasts Find Fun at Parks
Summer’s almost here, so it’s time to get out and
enjoy the water! Three Broward County parks – C.B.
Smith, Central Broward Regional and T.Y. – are
offering Learn to Swim programs for ages 2 and up.
Each session meets for a series of eight, 30-minute
lessons, Monday through Thursday. Rained-out classes
will be made up on Fridays, and each session is
limited to two make-up lessons only. The cost is $50
per session and preregistration is encouraged.
Also from Parks, new for the summer is the “Find it
All” card, a seasonal pass good for unlimited
admissions to Broward County’s water parks: Paradise
Cove at C.B. Smith Park, Tropical Splash at Central
Broward Regional Park, Castaway Island at T.Y. Park,
and Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters Park. Find It
All cards do not replace Individual or Family Parks
Passports; regional park weekend and holiday gate
entrance fees still apply. Some limitations and
exclusions may apply.
For more information, call the park of your choice:
C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines at
954-357-5179; Central Broward Regional Park
in Lauderhill at 954-357-7088;
Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach at
954-357-5100, or T.Y. Park in Hollywood at
954-357-8811.
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Rabies Clinic is May 14 in Hollywood
Broward County Animal Care
will hold a Rabies Clinic on Saturday, May 14, from
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at David Park Community Center, 108
N. 33rd Court, Hollywood. At the clinic, pet owners
will be able to get their pets vaccinated against
rabies, and receive a Broward County pet license.
Cost for the vaccination and license is $15 per pet
with cash only payment accepted. Pet owners who
attend must prove Broward County residency by
producing a
valid Florida driver’s license or current utility
bill. No appointment is necessary and customers are
taken on a first-come, first-served basis. All dogs
must be on leashes and all cats must be in carriers.
For more information on animal licensing and
adoptions, visit
www.broward.org/animal or follow us on
Twitter@BrowardPetPals. |
Youth Are
Eating Healthier, Thanks to Broward Extension
The success of Broward’s
Family Nutrition Program is backed up by the
numbers. The program, designed to help people
improve their diets, is a three-year partnership
between Parks and Recreation’s Extension Education,
Libraries’ After School at Your Library, and
University of Florida’s Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences. In 2010, there were 340
program participants. Ninety-seven percent reported
that they had increased their fruit and vegetable
consumption, and 97 percent went from eating one or
two meals per day to the recommended three meals a
day. Ninety-six percent reported that they increased
their levels of physical activity to 30 minutes at
least three times weekly; and 98 percent reported
that they washed their hands more often, a simple
lifestyle change that promotes general health and
cuts down on the spread of illness. For more
information, visit
www.broward.org/extension or call
954-357-5270. |
Sea Turtle
Nesting Season is Here
The sea turtle nesting season –
March 1 through July – has begun. Beachgoers and
beachfront homeowners can help protect sea turtles
who come ashore at night with regularity during
nesting season to deposit and care for their eggs.
Resist the urge to approach, and turn off or shield
lights facing the beach that can disorient the sea
turtle hatchlings and cause them to head toward the
shore instead of safely away from it into the ocean.
If you wish to participate in organized tours to
witness the nesting ritual, call the Broward County
Sea Turtle Conservation Program at
954-519-1255. If you see hatchling turtles
heading in the wrong direction, call the sea turtle
emergency response line at 954-328-0580. |
First
Inspector General Hired in Broward County
John W.
Scott was selected to serve as Inspector General by the
Inspector General Selection/Oversight Committee on April 16.
In November 2010, Broward voters passed an ethics code that
created an Office of Inspector General to detect misconduct
involving waste, fraud, abuse, mismanagement, corruption and
violation of laws. The five person, independent
Oversight/Selection Committee started with a list of 98
potential candidates for the position and narrowed the list
down to eight finalists. Scott emerged as their unanimous
choice.
The Inspector General’s Office has authority over all
elected and appointed County and city officials, employees
and those who do business with Broward County and its 31
cities. Initial funding of $250,000 includes the Inspector
General’s salary and provides money for the hiring of two
additional staff members. An official budget must be
submitted within the next 60 days. Scott begins work on May
2.
Scott previously served as assistant legal counsel for the
Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General. Prior to
that, he worked for nearly two decades as a U.S. Department
of Justice prosecutor, investigating and prosecuting fraud
and public corruption cases. He received a bachelor of arts
degree from Georgetown University and his law degree from
Georgetown University Law Center.
Waterway Cleanup Bags Tons of Trash
The 34th Annual Waterway
cleanup on March 5 was a huge success with more than 1,180
volunteers collecting 18.6 tons of trash from Broward’s
waterways, rivers and canals. The most unusual items found
at this year’s event were a submerged parking meter near
Anne Kolb Nature Center and a shopping cart from the defunct
department store chain Jefferson Ward found in the City of
Oakland Park. Sponsors included Broward County Environmental
Protection and Growth Management Department and Waste and
Recycling Services.
Historical Commission Salutes Cities,
Towns and Villages
The Broward County Historical Commission
will host the Broward County Heritage Celebration, “A Salute
to Our Cities, Towns and Villages,” in honor of Historic
Preservation Month on Thursday, May 26, at 5:30 p.m. at the
historic West Side Grade School, 301 Harmon Ave. (S.W. 13th
Avenue), Fort Lauderdale. The program will include the
presentation of preservation awards: the Judge Clayton Nance
Award, the Dr. Cooper Kirk Award, the Stuart McIver
Historian’s Award and the Historical Commissioners’ Award;
and refreshments. The gallery will feature the exhibit
titled “The National Register of Historic Places in Broward
County.” For more information, call 954-357- 5513,
or visit
www.broward.org/history.
More...
Residents Urged to Conserve Water
All residents are encouraged to conserve
water in response to severe drought conditions and a Water
Shortage Warning issued by the South Florida Water
Management District. During February, Broward County
received just 0.17
inches of rain, and from October through February Florida’s
Lower East Coast received less than half the average
rainfall for this five-month period.
Permanent water conservation measures now in place limit
landscape irrigation to two days a week. Residences and
businesses with an odd-numbered street address may water on
Wednesdays and/or Saturdays, only before 10 a.m. or
after 4 p.m. Residences and businesses with an even-numbered
street address may water on Thursdays and/or Sundays, again
only before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Additional information
on water conservation and enforcement of water restrictions
can be found at
www.broward.org/NaturalResources and click
COUNTYWIDE WATER CONSERVATION.
Find Help for HIV/AIDS
The Broward County HIV Health Services
Planning Council and the South Florida AIDS Network’s Joint
Client/Community Relations Committee will host a free public
informational meeting for individuals living with HIV/AIDS
on Tuesday, May 10, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Mizell Center,
1409 N.W. Sixth St. (Sistrunk Blvd.), Fort Lauderdale. The
goal is to link residents living with HIV/AIDS to treatment
and support services available through several Broward
County Ryan White funded programs. For more information,
call Broward Regional Health Planning Council,
954-561-9681, ext. 250, or the Health Care Services
Ryan White Part A Program Office at 954- 357-5390.
Adopt Two Cats for
One Fee
Adopting a furry feline
friend from Broward County Animal Care just got twice as
nice! A special discount on adoption fees for cats and
kittens allows residents to adopt two cats at the single
adoption fee of $74.95, now through September 30, 2011. The
fee includes a health exam, vaccinations, feline
leukemia/AIDS test, spaying or neutering and a Broward
County pet license for both cats. To take advantage of the
special rate, visit the Broward County Animal Care and
Adoption Center, 1870 S.W. 39th St., Fort Lauderdale.
Adoption hours are Tuesday through Friday, 1 to 6 p.m., and
Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information,
visit
www.broward.org/animal or follow us on
Twitter@BrowardPetPals.
Six Months of
Savings at County Campgrounds
Extend your stay at one
of Broward County Parks and Recreation Division’s four
RV/tent campgrounds, and you’ll get a special monthly rate
of $650 per campsite, now through October 31. The Six Months
of Savings special is offered at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke
Pines, 954-357-5170; Easterlin Park in
Oakland Park, 954-357-5190; Markham Park in
Sunrise, 954-357-8868; and T.Y. Park in
Hollywood, 954-357-8811. For the purposes
of this promotion, a month is defined as 31 days. Certain
other restrictions apply; contact the park of your choice
for additional information or visit
www.broward.org/parks and click CAMPING.
Vacation in
Your Own Backyard
Twenty-five percent of
Broward County’s visitors are Floridians! Summer is a great
time to experience Broward’s sunny pleasures and hidden
treasures, from the seagrass to the sawgrass. The Greater
Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau makes it even
easier for you to enjoy local hotels, attractions, sports,
spas and restaurant values. Visit
www.sunny.org/SuperSummer for 2-for-1 summer deals.
Invite your family and friends to visit and share the
sunshine!
Community Update, a monthly newsletter from the
Board of County Commissioners, is produced by the
Office of Public Communications. Address questions
concerning articles to 954-357-6990. To receive
Community Update electronically, send an email
to
publicinfo@broward.org. Please include your
first and last name and email address. Hearing
impaired residents can call the TTY line at
954-831-3940 for additional information. |
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