A Year of Tough Decisions By Hallandale Beach Mayor, Joy Cooper December 23, 2021 Share Santa will be coming to town on Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 24th. He will be on his sleigh with his reindeer driving throughout Hallandale Beach all evening. Here is his route for you to enjoy. The Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Parade have always been a joint effort of the city and the Community Civic Association. The city funded this celebration with 11,000 dollars to cover costs. The Association raises funds thru participants to make sure the event can take place. The past two years due to Covid there was no planned event. I have spoken to some of the board members to find out what is going to be planned. To date I cannot tell our readers if there will be a parade or a gathering. Please follow our social media pages for updates. The other main event is actually paid for thru the CRA. As part of the South Florida Wine and Food Festival we host FOOD and GROOVE. The weekend event starts off at Pegasus Park with entertainment and food samplings from a wide array of local restaurants. Then Saturday and Sunday we open Peter Bluesten Park for Family Fun Days. The CRA budgets 300,000 plus for this week. We do sell tickets and proceeds benefit PAL. PAL also was cut from the budget and depends on donations to operate for our children. During the last commission meeting I brought up the subject about the lack of Christmas Decorations. The city did decorate the Curci House and invited residents to walk thru and meet Santa. This certainly is not a substitute for decorating our corridors. During the meeting I was pretty frank, “Why are we becoming so cheap? There is a thing called good will when you run a business. We need to do better.” I made a motion to have staff bring back an item with the costs to do various levels of decorations. Many readers may not know we lit up the center median in the past. Not only did we do lights we did a festival and closed the boulevard for a half hour to allow residents to walk up close and see all the figures. What some of the current commissioners may not know is our staff did the lights. We did rent some of the larger displays, but it was done in house. After the years of wear and tear on the displays, we did begin to contract with a company. Holiday lights and events take money. My goal is to find out how much it may cost to at a minimum have our streetlights decorated along Federal Highway and Hallandale Beach Boulevard. One year we actual put a display up around city hall, while they were resurfacing Hallandale Beach Boulevard. Residents could drive thru or walk around. Like the saying goes where there is a will there is a way and we should have events even on a smaller scale. We have had to make some very tough decision to get us out of a financial crisis. I am still very concerned that we are spending over 1.2 million dollars to have BSO run our Fire Department. To date we still do not have numbers from BSO and have been meeting with other cities to get to the bottom of the costs as they too believe that we are all paying to much and have no control. This is what happens when you privatize. This issue is not about the boots on the ground it is about management. Another tough decision was the expanded parking program. This program will be fully enforced after January 1. Please sign up and if you are in a zone eligible for a monthly pass you can sign up for 30 dollars a month. As we all get ready to celebrate Christmas and New Year, please remember to be safe. Omicron is here and it is like a wildfire. The infection rates have climbed back up over 10% and the hospitals are starting to see more cases. Please, if you have not done so get a vaccine and go get a booster. It is so easy you can go to the local drug store. Wishing you a Safe and Blessed Holiday! As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns and ideas to make our City a better place, on my Phone/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or you can E-mail me at: jcooper@cohb.org . Please visit my Facebook Page: MayorJoyCooper. Like It! Friend It! Share It! < Previous News Next News >

Medicaid Enrollment Is Set To Plummet: Here's What Beneficiaries Need To Know By Janet Trautwein June 15, 2023 Share Millions of Americans will soon lose Medicaid Coverage, as some Pandemic-Era Provisions that kept people continuously enrolled in the program expire. But those who find themselves newly ineligible for Medicaid have plenty of other options for Affordable Coverage. Licensed, Professional Agents and Brokers can ensure they secure Health Plans that meet their needs and budget. The looming exodus from Medicaid is a product of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which Congress passed in March 2020. It offered additional Federal Funding for Medicaid as long as states did not disenroll anyone from the program for the duration of the Public health emergency. This continuous Coverage Provisions, and the enhanced Federal Funding, swelled Medicaid's arolls. Total enrollment in December 2022 was 85 million -- up from approximately 64 million in February 2020. This past December, Congress gave states the green light to review the Eligibility Status of people enrolled in their Medicaid Programs beginning in April. States have 12 months to return to "normal," Pre-Pandemic Eligibility and enrollment rules. The Federal Government will gradually scale back the extra Medicaid Dollars it has been sending to the states -- until that enhanced match disappears entirely at the end of this year. As a result, millions of people may have to find new health plans. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that up to 15 million people may lose Medicaid and CHIP Coverage. About 45% of this group -- 6.8 million people -- will likely remain eligible for Medicaid. They'll just need to reconfirm their eligibility for the program with their state Medicaid Agency. Many beneficiaries are unaware of this requirement. They may ignore phone calls or letters from the state seeking to verify their eligibility. Or they may have moved and neglected to update their address with the state. In the end, they can be purged from Medicaid without knowing. About 8.2 million Medicaid enrollees will need to find Replacement Coverage. Many will be able to do so through work. HHS Projects that about 5 million will migrate from Medicaid to Employer-Sponsored Insurance. Another 2.7 million will likely be able to get Subsidized Coverage through the Affordable Care Act's Exchanges. More than 60% of that group, HHS estimates, could qualify for Zero-Premium Plans. Of course, it can be difficult to wade through all the Insurance options on the exchanges -- or to figure out how to Confirm Eligibility for Medicaid. Licensed, Professional Agents and Brokers can help these millions of folks weigh their Health Insurance options. They have the knowledge and expertise to assist people with Re-Enrolling in Medicaid, if eligible -- or to claim all the subsidies to which they may be entitled through the exchanges. Better yet, their services are generally free for consumers. According to the most recent data from the Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services, Agents and Brokers account for 71% of Exchange Enrollees. Consumers find their advice extremely valuable. A study from the Urban Institute found that 80% of adults who received external information about the exchanges said Insurance Agents and Brokers were more helpful than other resources. As states begin to cull their Medicaid Rolls, it's critical that those who have relied on the program over the last few years understand all the Affordable Health Insurance options that remain available to them. Agents and Brokers can ensure that they do. Janet Trautwein is CEO of The National Association Of Benefits And Insurance Professionals and for more information, please visit: www.nabip.org < Previous News Next News >

Reel Fun In South Florida - 10 Tasty Reasons To Dive Into The South Beach Seafood Fest This Fall Wed Oct 16 2024 19:15:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Open Swim: At BF James Pool in Hallandale Beach Thu Jul 20 2023 16:03:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Sunny Isles Beach Summer Camp Registration South Florida Sun Times Mar 13, 2025 Summer is right around the corner and we're getting ready for fun in the sun at Sunny Isles Beach Florida summer camps! General, sports, and specialty camps for children ages 5-15 are in session beginning Monday, June 9th through Friday, August 8th. Registration opens on Saturday, March 15th For Sunny Isles Beach Florida Resident ID Card Holders, and Saturday, March 29th for Non-Residents. Make sure you have your valid City-issued Sunny Isles Beach Florida Resident ID Card to take advantage of priority registration and discounted pricing. Check out our Summer Camp Brochure for camp details and policy and registration information: https://www.sibfl.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/parks-amp-rec/documents/summer-camp-brochure-2025.pdf Registration will be available online at: www.sibfl.gov/activities - Or in-person at Pelican Community Park. Pelican Community Park Registration Hours Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. (no registration between 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday) Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Sunday, Closed Introducing Civic Rec! The City of Sunny Isles Beach is excited to introduce CivicRec, the upgraded program and event registration system, designed to make it easier for you to sign up for your favorite activities and register for events. With this new platform, all registrations will be handled in one convenient location, streamlining the process and saving you time. Sunny Isles Beach Summer Camp Online Registration is now being hosted on the new CivicRec portal. Log in to your account today to familiarize yourself with the platform to ensure that your family is ready when registration opens. Visit this link for details on how to set up your account on the CivicRec portal: https://www.sibfl.gov/City-Hall/Sunny-News/2025-Announcements/Civic-Rec-New-Recreation-Registration-Platform Here's How To Get Started If you have a Resident ID Card: As a Resident ID Card Holder, you have been automatically set up in our new Civic Rec software system. You should have already received an email to validate your account. Once you validate your account, you are ready to sign up for spring programs and events when registration opens for Resident ID Card Holders on Tuesday, January 28th. If you did not receive the email mentioned above, follow the steps below to validate your account: 1. Go to: www.sibfl.gov/activities 2. On Desktop: Click "Login with Email" 3. On Mobile: Click "Account" then "Login with Email" 4. Enter the email address associated with your original SIB account. 5. Click "Forgot Password?" 6. Reset your password using the email sent by CivicPlus. 7. Log in with your new credentials. If you do not have an active Resident ID Card: If you are a resident of Sunny Isles Beach, you must have a valid Resident ID Card to receive priority registration and the discounted resident rate. If your card has expired or you are applying for the first time, go to: www.sibfl.gov/residentid . Please allow 5-7 business days to receive your new card. Non-Resident registration opens on February 11th. Non-residents should go to: www.sibfl.gov/activities to create an account. If you have any issues validating your account or resetting your password, please call the customer service team at: (305) 792-1706. Visit: www.sibfl.gov/activities - to view upcoming programs. Previous Next

Ahoy, Mateys! It’s Time for the City of Hollywood Cardboard Boat Race! October 7, 2021 Share Join us this Saturday for the City of Hollywood’s Annual Cardboard Boat Race and watch more than 50 cardboard boat crews compete in their boats made entirely of cardboard! The race sets sail on Hollywood’s North Lake on Saturday, October 9 at 10 a.m. at the Hollywood Marina at 700 Polk Street. Landlubbers will gather to cheer as the crews paddle in head-to-head competition for the coveted trophies in categories such as: “People’s Choice,” “Last Boat Sailing,” “Fastest Vessel,” “Most Creative Design” and “Most Spectacular Sinking.” Food and beverages will be available for purchase. For additional information, please call the City of Hollywood Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts at 954.921.3404 or visit www.hollywoodfl.org/specialevents Hollywood Marina Master Plan Underway Don’t Miss Your Opportunity to Provide Input Plan to participate in the first public meetings scheduled for Wednesday, October 13th at 6:00 p.m. and Thursday, October 14th at 4:30 p.m. Additional information and meeting links can be found at www.PlanHollywoodFLMarina.com < Previous News Next News >

A Day Of Remembrance For The October 7th Attacks On Israel Wed Oct 16 2024 16:30:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Embrace The Spirit Of Community: Join Aventura’s Winter Adult Softball Season Thu Jan 11 2024 17:10:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Broward County Transit 2025 Bus Safety Roadeo: A Celebration Of Community And Skill At This Family-Friendly Event February 6, 2025 Share This past Sunday, Broward County Transit (BCT) held the 2025 Bus Safety Roadeo, the exciting event celebrated the dedication and skill of BCT's bus operators and maintenance technicians. This year's Roadeo took place at the Amerant Bank Arena Park and Ride, marking the first time this event was open to the public. A highlight of the day was the live bus operator competition showcasing driving precision and safety skills. BCT's highly skilled bus operators navigated many challenging obstacle courses. The Roadeo course was designed to test every aspect of operation that a Bus Operator may encounter in daily driving situations. The course contained 11 obstacles that test a driver’s ability to negotiate: • Left Turn • Right Turn • Passenger Stops • Overall Judgement situations Each obstacle was assigned a specific point total, and a missed or imperfect operation of a maneuver resulted in points being deducted from this total. During the contestants’ time on the course, a judge also evaluated their safety habits (25 points). This included use of: • Turn Signals • Horn • Flashers • Mirrors • Hands • Feet • Overall posture The contestant was also judged on other factors: • Their ability to deliver a smooth ride. This includes when they are stopping, turning and starting. (25 points) • Professional appearance, including their uniform (50 points) • A penalty of 1 point per second for every second over a 7 minute running time. OBSTACLES: OBSTACLE 1: SERPENTINE PROBLEM - This maneuver tests a driver’s ability to negotiate tight turns. The driver is required to enter a gate, weave in and out through three cones, and exit through another gate. OBSTACLE 2: OFFSET STREET - In this maneuver the driver is required to drive through the separate narrow lanes that are offset one full lane’s width from each other. OBSTACLE 3: 1ST PASSENGER STOP - The driver makes a maneuver at a bus stop made of simulated curbing. To make the bus stop properly, the front tires of the bus must be six inches or less from the curb while the rear tires are 15 inches or less. The stop must be made without touching the curb with the tires. The operator must also announce the stop to his onboard passengers as he/she pulls in. OBSTACLE 4: RIGHT HAND REVERSE - This maneuver is designed to simulate a bus turn around, requiring a bus to back up to the right and is scored identically to the left hand reverse. OBSTACLE 5: LEFT TURN PROBLEM - This maneuver tests a driver’s ability to make a tight left turn in a close situation. The driver is required to swing the bus into a 90 degree turn and not touch any of the cones outlining the problem even though he/she will lose sight of some of the cones. OBSTACLE 6: REAR DUALS CLEARANCE - This is an obstacle where the driver must drive through a lane with his or her right dual tires. The lane is only slightly wider than the total outside width of the pair of rear duals and is marked by rows of tennis balls. OBSTACLE 7: 2ND PASSENGER STOP - The driver makes a maneuver at a bus stop made of simulated curbing. To make the bus stop properly, the front tires of the bus must be six inches or less from the curb while the rear tires are 15 inches or less. The stop must be made without touching the curb with the tires. The operator must also announce the stop to their onboard passengers as he/she pulls in. This stop is scored identically to the first passenger stop. OBSTACLE 8: RIGHT TURN PROBLEM - This maneuver tests a driver’s ability to negotiate a tight 90 degree turn. The corner is marked with cones and the rear tire of the bus must pass within six inches of the corner. OBSTACLE 9: LEFT HAND REVERSE - This maneuver is designed to simulate a bus turn around, requiring a bus to back up to the left. It measures a driver’s skill, accuracy, and safety consciousness when backing up a bus. The bus must stop within 36 inches of a rear cone without touching the cone. OBSTACLE 10: DIMINISHING CLEARANCE - This is an obstacle that tests the driver’s ability to judge position and speed of the bus. The driver is required to drive through a narrowing V-shape channel outlined with barrels, while maintaining a minimum speed of 20 miles per hour. OBSTACLE 11: JUDGMENT STOP - This obstacle tests the driver’s ability to judge closing distances between the bus and a small object directly ahead. A cone is placed on the finish line and the bus must stop with the front bumper within six inches of the cone without hitting it. After the competition, an awards ceremony recognizing the top-performing operators was held. These top performers will advance to the Florida Triple Crown Roadeo in Gainesville. In addition to the competition there were family-friendly activities, including games, crafts, giveaways, and food trucks offering a variety of delicious options, plus live entertainment featuring a live DJ and Mariachi Band! For more information, visit: www.Broward.org/BCT/ROADEO Or follow BCT on social media at BrowardCountyTransit. Find all event photos at: https://issuu.com/suntimesnewspaper/docs/sun_times_issue_02_06_25/12?fr=sODU4ZjgyMTEzMDQ < Previous News Next News >

Natural Skin & Wound Care Solutions: Save Time & Money With "Clean" Alternatives Thu Jun 15 2023 16:01:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Pop-Opera Singer will Lend His Voice to High Holy Days: Temple Bat Yam of East Fort Lauderdale Welcomes New Cantorial Soloist Michael Peer September 26, 2024 Share Temple Bat Yam of East Fort Lauderdale is excited to welcome accomplished Israeli/American pop-opera singer Michael Peer, cantorial soloist. Peer’s five-octave vocal range from bass-baritone to countertenor will add vibrance and soul to holiday, life cycle and Shabbat worship. Peer’s singing career has taken him to opera houses and stages nationwide and throughout Europe, such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, as well as the Israeli Opera. He has also played Viscount Raoul de Chagny in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “The Phantom of the Opera.” Peer received a Master’s Degree in voice at the famed Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in Flushing, New York, where he also served as an adjunct professor. From 2011 to 2015, Peer was the Music Director for the Arkadi Foundation, a non-profit organization named after his grandfather, renowned opera singer Arkadi Namatiev. Be elevated by Peer’s beautiful voice during Temple Bat Yam’s High Holy Days 2024/5785 services. To accommodate more people, most services will be held in the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts located at 201 Southwest 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312. Rosh Hashanah services will take place on Wednesday, October 2nd at 8 p.m., and Thursday, October 3rd at 10 a.m. Friday, October 4th services will be at 10 a.m. at Temple Bat Yam. Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur services will be held on Friday, October 11th at 8 p.m. and Saturday, October 12th at 10 a.m. at the Amaturo Theater. If you wish to join Temple Bat members for these services, non-member tickets are $200 per person for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and $135 per person for individual holidays. Tickets include the ability to stream services online if you cannot attend in person. Active military, full-time students and children 18 and under receive tickets for free. For more information and to obtain seats, go to: www.templebatyam.org or call the Temple Office at: (954) 928-0410. Temple Bat Yam hosts weekly Shabbat services Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the synagogue located at 5151 Northeast 14th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33334. Temple Bat Yam of East Fort Lauderdale Temple Bat Yam (TBY) of East Fort Lauderdale is a Reform synagogue dedicated to exploring and embracing Jewish heritage from a liberal perspective. The Temple encourages lifelong Jewish study through its educational programming for children, families and adults. During communal Shabbat services and observance of the High Holy Days and Jewish festivals throughout the year, TBY encourages a meaningful ritual life which fosters solidarity with the Jewish people while embracing individual diversity. A member of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), TBY is committed to the principles of Reform Judaism by striving to motivate Jews of all ages to embrace Jewish living, advocating for a more progressive society and fostering meaningful connections among people and Jewish traditions of the children of Israel. Led by Rabbi David Spey, TBY is located at: 5151 Northeast 14th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33334. For more information, go to: www.templebatyam.org < Previous News Next News >

An Evening Of Remembrance - The City of Hallandale Beach Invited community members to an art exhibit to commemorate October 7th Fri Nov 15 2024 19:15:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)