7th Annual Adaptive Bowl-A-Thon: Adaptive Athletes To Showcase Resilience One Strike At A Time September 28, 2023 Share In a celebration of strength, resilience, and triumph over adversity, adaptive athletes will come together for the 7th Annual Adaptive Bowl-A-Thon Fundraiser hosted by the Memorial Foundation. This inspiring Event will take place on Sunday, October 1st, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at SpareZ Bowling, located at 5325 South University Drive, Davie, Florida 33328. The Adaptive Bowl-A-Thon isn't just another bowling tournament; it's a testament to the indomitable human spirit. Adaptive athletes, who have faced and conquered physical disabilities and hardships, will join hands with their therapists, Memorial Healthcare System representatives, friends, and family members for a day of camaraderie and competition. The event promises not only a thrilling contest but also the chance to win trophies and gain well-deserved recognition. Adaptive athletes have not only overcome physical disabilities but have excelled in various sports, from water aerobics to wheelchair basketball. This event is their moment to shine, and their stories of triumph will inspire all of us, says Sarah Thompson, a Spokesperson for the Memorial Foundation. The Adaptive Bowl-A-Thon serves as a platform for these athletes to share their personal journeys of resilience and how the Memorial Sports and Recreation Program has played a pivotal role in transforming their lives. Program leaders and organizers will also provide insights into this unique Fundraising Event and its far-reaching impact on patients and families in South Florida. In the past year, the proceeds from the previous bowl-a-thon have been instrumental in providing access, transportation, covering entry fees, and securing sponsorships for adaptive athletes participating in an array of activities, including water aerobics, chair yoga, scuba diving, wheelchair basketball, and tennis. This support has not only made these activities accessible but has also facilitated the integration of adaptive sports into the lives of these extraordinary individuals. The venue for this remarkable event is SpareZ Bowling, a place where strikes and spares will take a backseat to the unwavering spirit of the athletes who will grace the lanes. Located at 5325 South University Drive, Davie, Florida 33328 SpareZ Bowling offers the perfect setting for a day of friendly competition and heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity. The Memorial Rehab Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program stands at the heart of this event, providing recreational and athletic opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities. Through dedication and determination, program participants have shattered preconceived limitations, showcasing that it's not only possible to partake in physical activities but also to exceed expectations and achieve dreams. The Memorial Foundation, the driving force behind this endeavor, raises funds philanthropically to support patients, their families, and various programs, facilities, and equipment within the Memorial Healthcare System. Their commitment to enhancing the lives of individuals facing physical disabilities is evident in every aspect of the Adaptive Bowl-A-Thon. The impact of the Memorial Rehab Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program extends far beyond the lanes of SpareZ Bowling. It empowers individuals to embrace life fully, reinforcing that with the right support and resources, they can achieve their goals, no matter the obstacles in their path. For those who want to be a part of this incredible journey of resilience and determination, the Memorial Foundation provides opportunities to get involved. Whether through volunteering, sponsorship, or donations, every contribution plays a significant role in enabling adaptive athletes to continue pursuing their passions and defying limitations. To learn more about this Event or how you can contribute, please call: (954) 265-3454. Or visit: www.mhsfoundation.org - Your support can help create more success stories, further proving that physical disabilities are no match for the unbeatable human spirit. Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 1st, 2023 and join the team at SpareZ Bowling in Davie to witness the power of determination and the triumph of adaptive athletes as they overcome obstacles, one strike at a time. < Previous News Next News >

Health Care Premiums Rising: Some Just Cannot Afford To Have Insurance - And That Is Alarming September 22, 2022 Share This year when the talk about health insurance came up, everyone was warned that premiums could go up as much as 50%. Guess what? The reality has hit home - and as many are renewing for next year - they are being hit in the face - in ways financially that all of us have never seen before. Alice and Greg Wilson are being affected in a way where both Hallandale Beach residents are in fear of losing their home. That is how bad things have gotten. Alice, 62, is a part time employee - and her husband, 63, works full-time, making just over the amount that is allowed - where neither are eligible for a subsidy. The panic has already set in for Greg, who now pays $1,245.00 a month and his wife, who found a less expensive $950.00 a month policy that is a bare minimum - with higher co-pays and a deductible that is laughable. “I am ready to scream,” Alice said. “I have cried myself to sleep many a night, thinking how are we going to make it - when we are not making any money and living paycheck to paycheck. We are being penalized for working our tails off for over 40 years and now having to wait three years to get any assistance. We will be out on the street.” Alice has contacted the Government and marketplace a number of times - and while they are sympathetic about what is going on - they are not helping at all. “We live in South Florida - which is one of the most expensive areas to be,” Alice pointed out. “When awarding subsidies that could make life easier for people in their 60’s, they are doing the opposite. There are so many people I talked to - in our age group - that are not taking insurance, opting to pay the much cheaper penalty.” The Wilson’s are certainly not alone. This is a problem that will end up affecting everyone - over time. The reality of all this, is premiums are up, deductibles and out-of-pocket caps are higher and provider networks are smaller for the most affordable plans. Consumers who have been affected the most include working-age individuals who expect to make more this year and don’t qualify for employer based insurance. In that group are small business owners, early retirees with lucrative investment incomes, real estate sales reps, accountants, insurance brokers, some doctors and nurses, accountants and bookkeepers and other independent contractors. Employers Hold The Key The days of your employers paying for the entire insurance premium are over. The rising cost has forced these companies to make adjustments and over time, everyone is not thrilled. The employer portion of health insurance that you pay varies depending on your business’s size and the type of coverage. Though there is no single answer to how much employers do pay for health insurance, there are average amounts. Most insurance companies require employers to cover at least half of the employee’s premium. This makes insurance more affordable for employees. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) sets the rules for employer-sponsored health insurance. Whether you have to provide coverage depends on your business size. An employer’s size is determined by the number of its full-time employees, including full-time equivalents. Some of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, or health care law, apply only to small employers, generally those with fewer than 50 full-time employees, including full-time equivalent employees. If your employer has fewer than 50 employees, but is a member of a group with a certain level of common or related ownership with 50 or more full-time employees, including full-time equivalent employees, the business is subject to the rules for large employers. The ACA represents a tremendous step forward on the path toward meaningful health system reform. Under the Affordable Care Act, patients who may have been uninsured due to preexisting conditions or limited finances can secure affordable health plans through the health insurance marketplace in their state. In a recent effort to improve access to health care for millions of Americans, the Biden-Harris Administration proposed a new rule to overhaul the enrollment processes for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Basic Health Programs (BHPs), and eliminate arbitrary coverage caps for children in CHIP. In a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is working to reduce red tape and simplify application and verification processes to make it easier for children, older adults and people with lower incomes with Medicaid and CHIP coverage to enroll in and retain vital health insurance. This proposed rule follows President Biden’s executive orders in April 2022 and January 2021 directing federal agencies to take action to expand affordable, quality health coverage, including by strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. A recent study estimated that only about half of eligible low-income individuals enrolled in Medicare were also enrolled in Medicare Savings Programs. This proposed rule would automatically consider older adults for Medicare Savings Programs enrollment when they apply for low-income subsidies to help pay for Part D Medicare coverage, reducing the burdens of both time and expense by eliminating the need to complete multiple applications. < Previous News Next News >

Don’t Be Distracted: Circus Politics Are Intended To Distract Us By John & Nisha Whitehead April 6, 2023 Share It is easy to be distracted right now by the bread and circus politics that have dominated the news headlines lately, but don’t be distracted. Don’t be fooled, not even a little. We’re being subjected to the oldest con game in the books, the magician’s sleight of hand that keeps you focused on the shell game in front of you while your wallet is being picked clean by ruffians in your midst. This is how tyranny rises and freedom falls. What characterizes American Government today is not so much dysfunctional politics as it is ruthlessly contrived governance carried out behind the entertaining, distracting and disingenuous curtain of political theater. And what political theater it is, diabolically Shakespearean at times, full of sound and fury, yet in the end, signifying nothing. We are being ruled by a government of scoundrels, spies, thugs, thieves, gangsters, ruffians, extortionists, bounty hunters, battle-ready warriors and cold-blooded killers who communicate using a language of force and oppression. The U.S. Government now poses the greatest threat to our freedoms. More than Terrorism, more than domestic extremism, more than gun violence and organized crime, even more than the perceived threat posed by any single politician, the U.S. Government remains a greater menace to the life, liberty and property of its citizens than any of the so-called dangers from which the government claims to protect us. No matter who has occupied the White House in recent years, the Deep State has succeeded in keeping the citizenry divided and at each other’s throats. After all, as long as we’re busy fighting each other, we’ll never manage to present a unified front against tyranny in any form. Unfortunately, what we are facing is tyranny in every form. The facts speak for themselves. We’re being robbed blind by a government of thieves. Americans no longer have any real protection against government agents empowered to seize private property at will. For instance, police agencies under the guise of asset forfeiture laws are taking Americans’ personal property based on little more than a suspicion of criminal activity and keeping it for their own profit and gain. In one case, police seized more than $17,000 in cash from two sisters who were trying to start a dog breeding business. Despite finding no evidence of wrongdoing, police held onto the money for months. We’re being taken advantage of by a government of scoundrels, idiots and cowards. When you’ve got government representatives who spend a large chunk of their work hours fundraising, being feted by lobbyists, shuffling through a lucrative revolving door between public service and lobbying and making themselves available to anyone with enough money to secure access to a congressional office, you’re in the clutches of a corrupt oligarchy. We’re being locked up by a government of greedy jailers. We have become a carceral state, spending three times more on our prisons than on our schools and imprisoning close to a quarter of the world’s prisoners, despite the fact that crime remains relatively low and the U.S. makes up only 5% of the world’s population. The rise of overcriminalization and profit-driven private prisons provides even greater incentives for locking up American citizens for such non-violent “crimes” as having an overgrown lawn. We’re being spied on by a government of Peeping Toms. The government, along with its corporate partners, is watching everything you do, reading everything you write, listening to everything you say and monitoring everything you spend. Omnipresent surveillance is paving the way for government programs that profile citizens, document their behavior and attempt to predict what they might do in the future, whether it’s what they might buy, what politician they might support, or what kinds of crimes they might commit. We’re being ravaged by a government of ruffians, rapists and killers. It’s not just the police shootings of unarmed citizens that are worrisome. It’s the SWAT team raids gone wrong—more than 80,000 annually—that are leaving innocent citizens wounded, children terrorized and family pets killed. It’s the roadside strip searches—in some cases, cavity searches of men and women alike carried out in full view of the public—in pursuit of drugs that are never found. We’re being forced to surrender our freedoms—and those of our children—to a government of extortionists, money launderers and professional pirates. The American people have repeatedly been sold a bill of goods about how the government needs more money, more expansive powers and more secrecy (secret courts, secret budgets, secret military campaigns, secret surveillance) in order to keep us safe. Not surprisingly, the primary ones to benefit from these government exercises in legal money laundering have been the corporations, lobbyists and politicians who inflict them on a trusting public. We’re being held at gunpoint by a government of soldiers: a standing army. The U.S. Government is creating its own standing army of militarized police and teams of weaponized, federal bureaucrats. These civilian employees are being armed to the hilt with guns, ammunition and military-style equipment; authorized to make arrests and trained in military tactics. There are now reportedly more bureaucratic (non-military) government civilians armed with high-tech, deadly weapons than U.S. Marines. Whatever else it may be—a danger, a menace, a threat—the U.S. Government is certainly no friend to freedom. You cannot have a republican form of government—nor a democratic one, for that matter—when the government views itself as superior to the citizenry, when it no longer operates for the benefit of the people, when the people are no longer able to peacefully reform their government, when government officials cease to act like public servants, when elected officials no longer represent the will of the people, when the government routinely violates the rights of the people and perpetuates more violence against the citizenry than the criminal class, when government spending is unaccountable and unaccounted for, when the judiciary act as courts of order rather than justice, and when the government is no longer bound by the laws of the Constitution. As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, we no longer have a government “of the people, by the people and for the people.” Rather, what we have is a government of wolves. Editor’s Note: John Whitehead is an Attorney and Author who has written, debated and practiced widely in the area of Constitutional Law, Human Rights and Popular Culture. John Whitehead's Commentary are his views and he is open for discussion, he can be contacted at: johnw@rutherford.org . Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at: www.rutherford.org < Previous News Next News >

Summer Travel: Shake Off The Stress & Travel For Less June 2, 2022 Share Many of the nation's leading travel experts are predicting a surge in travel this summer. It's no surprise that after years of restrictions, Americans are ready to set out on their next adventures. While popular destinations are likely to be open and welcoming visitors, the uptick in traffic combined with higher prices on everything may translate into more expensive travel. If you're planning a trip this summer, learn how to incorporate some smart spending strategies with these tips from some financial experts. Timing is everything, be flexible on travel dates and destinations. Unless your travel is tied to a specific event or occasion, try searching with flexible dates to find the best available rates. Similarly, if you know you want to get away but you're not particular about where, try looking for destinations offering special promotions or deals for travel during certain timeframes. A good tip is to fly when no one else wants to. This may not be the exact time you would like, but it will save you money on the destination you want to spend your vacation at. In general, plan to fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday or in the afternoon on Saturday to score a cheaper domestic flight. Early mornings and late nights are also less popular and more affordable times to fly, as are Thanksgiving, the Eves and Days of Christmas and New Year’s. If you want to find the best month to take your trip, plug your home airport and getaway location into Google Flights or Kayak Explore to see the cheapest times to fly. Besides saving money, avoiding peak travel days will often mean you’ll travel on slightly less-crowded flights and go through shorter airport security lines, so that's a win. There is much debate about when to book your flight to get the best deal. For a domestic trip, you should get your ticket 21 to 115 days before your trip. Ticket prices during that window will be within 5% of its lowest point, according to a CheapAir.com survey. For an international flight, book the trip at least six months in advance, according to the travel Web-Site, The Points Guy. Consider trip interruption and cancellation policies. Planning for the unexpected can help protect you if a trip needs to end early or be canceled altogether. Unless you have travel insurance, you're likely to lose money on non-refundable expenses such as flights, event tickets or tours. However, some travel companies or your credit card provider may cover reimbursement for certain prepaid expenses. Look into what options are available before you travel to avoid extra headaches when the unexpected occurs during a trip. Get Rewarded No Matter How You Travel Using your credit card rewards to offset travel costs is a smart strategy, but not everyone wants or needs perks like miles or points that are exclusive to use with a single travel partner. With point-based travel reward cards, like the Credit One Bank Wander Card, the more places you visit, the more rewards you reap along the way that can be redeemed for future experiences, statement credits, gift cards and more. That means no matter what hotel chain you stay at, car rental agency you select or airline you fly with - or as you mix and match to get the best deals - everyday adventurers have opportunities to earn up to five times the rewards points for doing things they love. Come Up With A Realistic Budget When you're planning a trip, it's easy to focus on the big-ticket expenses like airfare and hotel rooms. The reality is, when you add up all of the smaller expenses, you may spend significantly more than you realize. To plan a more accurate budget, be sure you account for expenses like dining out at restaurants, paying for fuel at the pump and tickets to attractions and events. Don't forget fees that add up, too, like tips for housekeeping, checked bags, Wi-Fi Access, parking and souvenirs. Research and Book Free/Discounted Attractions Some attractions offer discounts for purchasing tickets in advance On-Line, age-based discounts or free admission at certain times or dates, so be sure to look into any attractions you hope to visit ahead of time. If you're a travel rewards credit card holder, start your search by looking into your redemption options. If your card offers flexible options by booking through a specific partner site or dedicated travel platform, you might be able to redeem points or make your spending dollars go further toward earning more rewards for the cost of experiences, entertainment and other expenses while you travel. Vacations Under $1,000 How can you find vacations under $1,000, you ask? Expedia.com has an option on their Web-Site to search for vacations under $1,000. Simply go to: www.expedia.com/lp/b/vacations/under-1000-dollars and enter your destination and travel dates, then hit search to see flight and hotel packages created for under $1,000. This is a great way to travel for less and find a new destination you may never have thought of. Alternatively, you can build your own vacation under $1,000 Dollars by clicking on hotels, car rentals, things to do, or flights that work best for you. With all of the problems going on throughout the world it may not seem like a good time to get away, but that might just be what you need to shake off the stresses of life. Vacations do not have to be expensive or even far from home. Like Jimmy Buffett says "Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude." Who knows, with a little bit of research you just might find the best trip you'll ever take. < Previous News Next News >

Beware of Scams as Tax-Filing Deadline Approaches March 31, 2022 Share Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning Floridians about scams ahead of the 2022 Tax-Filing Deadline. The Deadline to file 2021 Taxes is Monday, April 18th, 2022. According to the Internal Revenue Service, millions of Americans wait until the last two weeks before the Deadline to prepare their Tax Returns. Last-minute filers are at a heightened risk of scammers fraudulently filing for a return in their name. Other less-common tax schemes also seek to exploit Federal Filing Requirements. To avoid unnecessary hardships, Attorney General Moody is providing tips to help taxpayers spot and avoid tax scams. Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “The Federal Tax-Filing Deadline is just a month away and millions of Americans have not prepared their taxes. While there is still time, filing early reduces the likelihood that a scammer will steal your Tax Return. For more information about how to avoid common Tax-Filing Scams, check out the tips in our latest Consumer Alert.” Here are some of the most common types of Tax Scams: • Tax-Related Identity Theft is when a target’s personal information is stolen so that a scammer can file a Tax Return claiming a Fraudulent Refund. • The Tax Gift Card scam occurs when scammers forge Fraudulent Tax Bills to give to targets, convincing the target to pay the fee with gift cards. • Examples of Refund-Recalculation Scams are when scammers send phishing emails to targets, making the email look like a Tax-Refund Payment or a Recalculation of a Tax Refund—attaching a link to input personal information to claim the Refund. • During June and July of 2021, the IRS received a record number of reports about Stimulus-Payment Scams. Scammers impersonate the IRS and tell targets that the target is eligible for a Stimulus Payment—claiming personal information is needed for the payment to be sent. • Scammers may pretend to be an independent organization within the IRS called Taxpayer Advocate Services and spoof caller ID’s to make targets believe a legitimate call from TAS is being received. Once the call is received or returned, scammers will phish for personal information. Tax Scams can be complex as scammers regularly adapt and update schemes. Below are tips about how to avoid Tax Schemes: • When seeking a new Tax Preparer, look for one who is available year-round; • Ask a potential Tax Preparer to show an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number—all Legitimate Preparers will be able to provide one; • Make sure that Refunds will be sent to the Taxpayer and not a Tax Preparer; • Know that a letter from the IRS about an Unfiled Tax Return is a Scam; • Recognize that any notices from the IRS about On-line accounts being created, accessed or disabled when no action was taken are often Scams; and • Pay attention to any Received Wages or other Income from an unknown employer as it could be a sign of Identity Theft. If anyone receives a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, report the call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration by filing a complaint On-line at: TIGTA.gov Or By Calling: 1 (800) 366-4484. To view other recent Consumer Alerts, Visit our Web-Page At: http://myfloridalegal.com/ConsumerAlert < Previous News Next News >

The Aventura Jazz Festival: Take A Trip Without Leaving the Room August 12, 2022 Share It's a perfect mix of the soulful Brazilian Music and style as the Aventura Jazz Festival presented by Lion Tribe Group presents Rose Max and Ramatis Moraes who take their audience on a trip to the beaches, mountains, streets and bars of Rio de Janeiro without leaving the room with their music. Rose Max & Ramatis Moraes They were born and raised in Rio de Janeiro City, the capital of Bossa Nova and Samba, who moved to the United States in 1993 where they continue to have a very busy performing schedule. They have become highly recognized in the Brazilian, Spanish and American communities and have won many awards, Rose as the best Brazilian Singer and Ramatis as the best Brazilian Producer and Musician. Ramatis is a guitar and bass player, songwriter, musical producer, arranger and sound engineer. Rose is a singer, songwriter that also plays percussion and likes to play acoustic guitar at home. Rose Max won 7 times the International Brazilian Press Award for the “Best Female Brazilian Singer Residing and Performing in the USA.” Miami’s New Times Newspaper elected Rose Max the “Best Female Vocalist” of the year (2003) and “The Best Lounge Act” (2005). Join them both on this magical and musical experience with the beautiful voice of Rose and the genuine Brazilian acoustic guitar of Ramatis, Friday October 21st, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. at The Aventura Jazz Festival. Negroni's Trio Saturday, October 22nd, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. The Aventura Jazz Festival presents three-time Latin GRAMMY-Nominated Group Negroni's Trio. The Negroni Team have worked together since 2002 as Co-Founders and Co-Producers to form an ensemble of master musicians who create their own unique voice in traditionally known Jazz Classics, Latin Jazz and Jazz Fusion. Taking musical risks with performance and repertoire, the result is an array of classic lyricism mixed with innovative and sincere improvisations. Negroni's Trio is comprised of the father and son team of José Negroni (piano and keyboards) and Nomar Negroni (drums and percussions) who are joined by bassist Josh Allen. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. Ticket prices range $55-$65, you can buy tickets online at: https://www.aventuracenter.org/ By phone at: (877) 311-7469. Or: (954) 462-0222 or in person at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center box office Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00 p.m. noon to 5:00 p.m. and 90 minutes prior to each performance. For Group Sales, please call: (954) 660-6307. The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center is located at 3385 Northeast 188th Street, Aventura, Florida 33180. < Previous News Next News >

Sunny Isles Beach Police - Dedicated To Providing The Highest Level Of Professional Service To Its Citizens Thu Nov 21 2024 19:45:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet: Secure Receptacle At Government Center Provides Safe Disposal Of Expired Medications Tue May 16 2023 16:01:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Dolly’s Florist: The Blooming of a Company Thu Jan 20 2022 05:10:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Athletics, Coding, and The Arts: Summertime Camps & Activities Enriching The Lives of Kids in The Community Mon Jun 13 2022 04:04:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The City of Aventura Is Hiring: To Work In The Community Thu Jul 25 2024 16:12:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Hallandale Beach: City Officials Are Confronting Local & Worldwide Issues Thu Mar 10 2022 05:04:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)