Received My Proposed Tax Bill; Now What? By Hallandale Beach Mayor, Joy Cooper September 5, 2024 Share This past week the property appraiser sent out what is called a proposed tax bill. This is not a bill, just a statement and notice of the public hearings. When we set the tentative rate in June it was a reduction. This bill reflects the fact that we reduced Taxes but that was with a Tax Rate of 7.9. Last month we reduced the Tax Rate even further to 7.5 so your bill will be lower than the proposed. When you read your bill, it begins with the last year’s rate then the proposed. While the rate is reduced due to property values and save our homes cap of 3% each bill is a bit different. Some will show decreases, some even with homestead may show a slight dollar increase. The very last column is a closer projection to what your actual Municipal Taxes will be. It shows if no budget changes were made. This is called a roll back rate of 7.5884 and the value in the very last column will show the closest estimate of your Taxes for 2024-2025. The system is a bit different if you are new to the area. There are multiple taxing agencies that set various millage rates. The County Rate increased slightly, and the School Board reduced slightly. Under all three agencies, County Schools and City, there is a Debt Service. This is a charge to pay back bonds. Ours is for the Government Obligation Bond GO Bond for our parks. This rate as well was reduced. For residents that are living in one of our two Safe Neighborhood Districts there was no change in the Tax Rate but due to property value increases there is a change in taxes collected. Safe Neighborhood Taxing Districts are areas designated to provide an additional overlay of security measures paid for solely by the property owners in the district. The proposed Tax Bill also provides the date and time of all Public Hearings that are mandated to be held by each taxing agency. Our meeting will be held on September 12th at 5:05 p.m. All of our Budget information can be found online at: https://www.cohb.org/1195/Budget-and-Program-Monitoring. We are proud that we have an interactive portal that provides not just access but transparency so our residents can work within the Budget Documents. One of the districts is Three Islands which is comprised of Condominiums and Townhomes on Three Islands Boulevard north of the Intracoastal Fixed Bridge, Parkview Drive, Leslie Drive and just east of the fixed bridge on Atlantic Shores. The district borders Hollywood. The district has unmanned guardhouses and gates. They also have additional roving security. The district has adopted a master plan to add traffic calming, upgrades to the guardhouse guard arms and other improvements to the entrances; this plan has been on hold until the underground utilities are completed. The two major projects for utility upgrades are in design. One is the Sanitary Sewer Lift Station and the other is a New Water Line Service. The goal is to have them bid by January with construction in July into 2026. Once they are complete, the plan is to start the SND Project. Golden Isles is another district which is located on Layne Boulevard. This is much different than TISND as there is only one way in and one way out. It encompasses Single Family Homes and five, Two to Three Story Condominium Buildings South of Golden Isles Park. There is a staffed guardhouse and a roving Hallandale Beach off Duty police officer from 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. GISND is in the process of implementing a Master Plan as well. It includes what it termed complete streets. This area was developed house by house, so there were never unified lights and sidewalks. Since 2007 there has been a desire to implement the plan, but I do not have the political will. It was not until recently with the regentrification of the neighborhood that has brought with it the strong majority with desire to make much needed improvements. The vision for the district took place over the past year and the next step is the planning of probable costs. Layne Boulevard is currently under construction for a 16-Inch Water Main and the Egret Drive Lift Station is also being replaced. Next summer the city will be replacing lines on Holiday Drive. Like TISND work will not be done above ground until the Infrastructure is completed. Please do not forget the Budget Public Hearing on September 12th at 5:05 p.m. Please feel free to contact me anytime with your questions, concerns and ideas to make our City a better place! I’m reachable at the Office: (954) 457-1318. On my Mobile/Text: (954) 632-5700. Or visit my website at: www.MayorJoyCooper.com - Working for you! Always have! Always will! < Previous News Next News >

Burning The Flag Or Torching The Constitution - Only One Destroys Freedom John & Nisha Whitehead Sep 3, 2025 Cancel Culture - Political Correctness Amped Up On Steroids, The Self Righteousness Of A Narcissistic Age, And A Mass-Marketed Pseudo-Morality That Is Little More Than Fascism Disguised As Tolerance-Has Shifted Us Into An Age Of Intolerance. Nothing illustrates this more clearly than President Trump’s latest executive order calling for criminal charges for anyone who burns the American flag—a symbolic act long upheld by the Supreme Court as protected political expression. This push is not about patriotism—it is political theater. For an administration under fire—from the Epstein cover-up to tanking approval ratings and mounting constitutional crises—flag burning serves as symbolic outrage staged as political cover, a culture-war diversion to distract from more serious abuses of power. Consider the timing: on the very same day Trump announced penalties for flag burning, he also signed an executive order establishing “specialized” National Guard units to patrol American cities under the guise of addressing crime. This is the real bait-and-switch: cloak military policing in patriotic theater and hope no one notices the deeper constitutional violations taking root. In other words, Trump’s flag fight is a decoy. Yet in today’s climate, where mobs on the left and censors on the right compete to silence speech they dislike, even this form of protest is under fire. In 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Texas v. Johnson that burning the flag of the United States in protest is an act of protected free speech under the First Amendment. Today, that ruling matters more than ever, yet there is an important distinction: the First Amendment protects the right to burn your own flag as political expression but not to vandalize public property in the process. That distinction matters: the Constitution protects dissent, not destruction. And it’s exactly that distinction—between lawful protest and punished expression—that makes the flag-burning debate so important. Although the courts have held that symbolic acts of protest deserve the highest protection, the culture wars have turned those protections into battlegrounds. For decades, mobs, politicians, and bureaucrats alike have worked to silence unpopular or politically incorrect opinions. Whether it’s a student disciplined for refusing to recite the Pledge, an athlete demonized for kneeling during the National Anthem, or a dissenter deplatformed for expressing views outside the mainstream, the message is the same: toe the line or be punished. This new Age of Intolerance is not limited to the cultural left. President Trump has been waging his own right-wing brand of cancel culture: sanitizing museums, scrubbing exhibits of “unpatriotic” narratives, renaming anything that doesn’t fit his preferred version of history, and punishing dissenters with executive orders and loyalty oaths. What the left enforces with trigger warnings and deplatforming, Trump enforces with prosecutions, cultural re-branding and militarization. They are snowflakes of a different political persuasion, but the result is the same: dissent is silenced, history is rewritten, and only the approved narrative remains. And here’s the danger: when symbolic outrage is used as a political smokescreen for militarization and constitutional erosion, it distracts Americans from the machinery of control being built in real time. The fight over flags and museums is not just about culture—it is the smokescreen for expanding surveillance, militarization, and police-state powers. That is why the sudden outrage over disrespect for the country’s patriotic symbols rings so hollow. In a culture where the flag is already plastered on bikinis, beer koozies, and billboards—with little outcry—it’s not reverence that’s driving this crackdown. It’s control. Worse, it divides the nation and distracts us from the steady rise of the police state. Let’s not confuse patriotism (love for or devotion to one’s country) with blind obedience to the government’s dictates. That is the first step towards creating an authoritarian regime. There is nothing patriotic about the lengths to which Americans have allowed the government to go in its efforts to dismantle our constitutional republic and shift the country into a police state. The irony is this: it’s not anti-American to be anti-war or anti-police misconduct or anti-racial discrimination—but it is anti-American to be anti-freedom. What we are witnessing, in the flag-burning debate and far beyond, is a culture war in which political tribes police thought, speech, and even symbolic protest. Those who refuse to conform—whether they burn a flag, take a knee, question authority, or simply refuse to parrot the official line—are demonized, deplatformed, and sometimes even criminalized. The upshot of all this editing, parsing, banning and silencing is the emergence of a new language, what George Orwell referred to as Newspeak, which places the power to control language in the hands of the totalitarian state. Under such a system, language becomes a weapon to change the way people think by changing the words they use. And while Orwell imagined it as dystopian fiction, we are living its early chapters now. The First Amendment is being whittled down not just by government decree but by a culture that rewards conformity and punishes divergence. In such an environment, burning a flag is not the real danger. The real danger is a society that no longer tolerates free thought at all. The Framers of the Constitution knew very well that whenever and wherever democratic governments had failed, it was because the people had abdicated their responsibility as guardians of freedom. They also knew that whenever in history the people denied this responsibility, an authoritarian regime arose which eventually denied the people the right to govern themselves. Citizens must be willing to stand and fight to protect their freedoms. And if need be, it will entail criticizing the government. This is true patriotism in action. Love of country will sometimes entail carrying a picket sign or going to jail or taking a knee or burning a flag, if necessary, to challenge injustice. As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, the real danger isn’t someone burning the flag. The greatest danger we face is the U.S. government torching the Constitution. 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 Next

The City of Aventura Accepts Applications for its Youth Council May 24, 2023 Share The City of Aventura is accepting applications for member positions available on the Youth Council through June 2, 2023. Potential council members must be Aventura residents of high school age and be actively enrolled in a public or private high school for the 2023/2024 school year. Applicants must be willing to make a commitment during the school year, attend meetings as scheduled, and participate in other volunteer opportunities as offered. The Council consists of seven members selected by the City Manager. The focus of the Youth Council is to be the central planning body that will allow youth to engage different groups within their community and to provide an opportunity for youth to share in local government matters and to learn to become responsible citizens. Students who serve on youth councils are the leaders of tomorrow. It is important to expose them to municipal government at an early age. By involving and engaging residents from an early age it has been shown to produce residents who have better voting habits and show increased levels of civic participation as they get older. Youth councils are one way to forge that trust from an early age and invest in the long-term success of the community. Building an engaged community from the ground up leads to better governance with strong and cohesive communities. The mission for the board is to assist the City of Aventura in educational, civic, and community events and activities. Potential council members must be City of Aventura residents of high school age and be actively enrolled in a public or private high school for the 2023/2024 school year. Applications can be completed exclusively at: https://www.cityofaventura.com/FormCenter/City-Commission-Advisory-Boards-8/Youth-Council-Application-Form-20232024-77 The City of Aventura Accepts Applications for its Youth Council. For more information, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at: 305-466-8901 or via email at: cityclerk@cityofaventura.com . < Previous News Next News >

An Edge On The Market By David Citron February 6, 2023 Share Anyone who might be interested in sharpening their collection of edge weaponry and antique tools from the 17th century till today and the times of the World Wars should be in touch with Vlad Krechmar at Zev Antiques. The name Zev meaning “given by god is derived” from the Hebrew origin word and meaning “my wolves” which is something Vlad knows about. Vlad was interested in the warm sunshine of South Florida and came to the states as a Ukranian. He developed a knack for collecting things which soon turned into a hobby and in 2003 started to develop a collectors business for rare items including swords and knives and other significant nostalgic items from battles long ago. It is all about the “eye of the beholder” and with katanas from martial arts and army knives and protective masks it is no wonder Vlad is a man about town on trade shows as can be seen from his varied and very diverse collection. Zev Antiques founded in 2012 features items that can currently be found on Ebay and in the plans and ideas in the works for the shop is ”a live auction“ to be held once a month in South Florida. It also happens to help that Vlad shares office space with the publisher of this article South Florida Sun Times. Trade show by trade show Vlad and Zev Antiques are accumulating quite the collection of unusual pieces and artifacts from times long ago as they carry in tradition by the actual pieces he sells ranging in price from $500-$3000. It is a very competitive market to be in and each piece of history is examined carefully, appraised at its going value. Currently the inventory features over 1000 items of the finest military antiques from all over the world. About 80 percent of sales are done online and 20 percent in person. As far as defining the trade shows it is quite expansive and can leave one out of breathe chasing the deals taking place city to city, table to table, sword to sword etc. Vegas for one holds the Vegas Antiques Arms and Armor conference and falls in the middle of January just as everyone has returned from “holiday shopping.” In Vegas you will find that while the cost of attending an average trade show is $8 to $15 of course the opportunity cost awaits at getting there. And when Vlad arrives he arrives in style with four tables valued at $400 each which is not too steep though can get pricey. February follows with a Civil War show. And Vlad rounds out the 5 or 6 most important shows to attend. Baltimore which quickly follows on in mid-March is also quite the scene and is valued for its participants who are vetted and seasoned and know a thing or two with an upper edge on the competition with exclusive crowds. The Allentown Pennsylvania Arms Show is scheduled and slated for February 25th and February 26th 2023 and with more shows on March 25th and 26th 2023 and finishing on April 22nd and 23rd all in the hopes of generating buzz and some real trades to go on. As far as international shows Zev Antiques likes to keep it on a national local basis as the majority of foreign shows bring their own representatives and representations to the states. Modern combatatives is for a different crowd. Vlad goes as a dealer to the shows but is in it for the “history more than the art” he is in it to buy culture artifacts, remnants, memories and the items that reflect this history. The shows culminate again city by city but the one not to miss is in Tulsa Oklahoma – a Military Show – 4000 tables – 50000 people attend daily. 4 days. The Tulsa Arms Show is scheduled twice a year starting with April 23, 2023. A celebration in its own right. There are also much larger shows like the Original Miami Beach Antique Show which go beyond the scope of weapons and of course the Antique District of Dania Beach which features all forms of antiques and celebrations of the past. The opportunity is to network. At his peak Vlad was attending 30 shows ranging from California, Chicago, Texas, all over the map. Vlad has recently slowed down a little in terms of navigating the wide world of antique edge weaponry trade shows as he is a new father with his wife Julia and his Christmas born baby of 2022 Olivia who is now a month old as of this writing. Zev Antiques currently operates on a limited but lean staff and its current goal is and in the next 5 years Vlad expects to have 12-15 employees running the operations behind the auctions and hopefully triple the size of the business. He plans to send delegates to the conferences in his stead to lighten some of the heavy lifting in the armored trade shows which all seem to be must see and must be at events. His items appeal to the first time adventurer (shows are generally open to the public) and the experienced professional. The team at Zev Antiques will appraise, buy, and take on consignment individual military objects & collections. You can reach them directly at: 904-672-6790 or via email at: zevantiques@gmail.com . To view their current auction items visit: https://www.ebay.com/usr/zevantique &: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/auctioneer/8198/zevantiques/ < Previous News Next News >

Stop Taxpayer Funding Of Traffickers: Human And Drug Traffickers Can Currently Receive Government Benefits February 23, 2023 Share Congresswoman Kat Cammack of Florida and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee introduced legislation recently to ensure human and drug traffickers cannot continue to defraud the American taxpayer while they await prosecution and conviction. The bill, "Stop Taxpayer Funding Of Traffickers Act," comes after several visits to the border over the last two years by Congresswoman Cammack, Senator Blackburn and their colleagues. While Congresswoman Cammack led the House version of the Bill, Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and Katie Britt (R-AL) co-sponsored the Senate legislation. "Over the last two years, we've seen the horrific consequences of the Biden Border Crisis, including the devastating toll on our communities nationwide from drug and human trafficking. In Marion County, Florida, our sheriff's department has recovered bricks of Fentanyl with stamps from border cartels, alongside pill presses and sophisticated distribution plans. Our first responders gear up each day to save lives from Fentanyl overdoses occurring almost daily, putting their own lives at risk," said Representative Cammack. "Those responsible for trafficking drugs and people into our country at our borders and in our waters should not receive federal assistance after violating our laws—not only is it wrong, but it rewards those who have perpetuated this deadly crisis. I'm pleased to join Senator Blackburn on this effort and look forward to growing this legislation's support with my colleagues." "For two years, President Biden’s open border policies have emboldened the cartels and caused human trafficking to grow to a $13 billion industry, with criminal cartels earning up to $14 million each day. Last year alone, law enforcement seized over 14,000 pounds of Fentanyl at the border, enough to kill over 3.3 billion people. We cannot continue to incentivize this blatant criminal activity. This legislation ensures that hardworking American taxpayers – already crushed by inflation – are not forced to fund the lifestyles of offenders who are making our country more dangerous," said Senator Blackburn. "As a border Sheriff, I have witnessed the senseless tragedies on our southern border at the evil control of ruthless and violent criminal transnational organizations, i.e. cartels. These cartels exploit their criminal enterprise based on fear, violence and greed. I support and commend [the] efforts to pass legislation for those directly responsible in these types of criminal acts that violate Public Safety - National Security and Humanitarian offenses," said Sheriff Mark Dannels, Cochise County, Arizona and NSA Border Security Chair. Even after offenders are charged with federal drug and human trafficking offenses, many of them continue to live in government housing and receive other government benefits while they persist in exploiting and trafficking women and children or smuggling drugs across the border. The Stop Taxpayer Funding Of Traffickers Act: • Prohibits anyone charged with drug or human trafficking at our international borders or in our territorial waters from receiving federal government benefits. • Defines "drug trafficking offense" as any federal offense that includes as an element the distribution of a controlled substance. • Defines "human trafficking offense" as a range of offenses, including smuggling, transporting and harboring individuals. • Defines "federal benefit" to include the issuance of any grant, contract, loan, professional license or commercial license provided by an agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States, as well as any Retirement, Welfare, Social Security, Health, Disability, Veterans, or Public Housing Benefit. • If the charges are dismissed or the individual is acquitted, provides for back payment of benefits to any individual deprived of benefits under this section. View the Senate version of the legislation at: https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/services/files/DB997415-471D-4D5F-BD2B-7C3C8EC73778 If you wish to discuss this legislation with Congresswoman Kat Cammack you can reach her office at: (202) 225-5744. < Previous News Next News >

A Busy July at MOCA: The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami Has Something For Everyone Thu Jun 29 2023 16:11:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Remembering Emily: Tragic Loss Drives Family To Advocate For The Flu Vaccination Thu Jan 11 2024 17:10:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Technofascism: The Government Pressured Tech Companies To Censor Users By John & Nisha Whitehead September 5, 2024 Share Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has finally admitted what we knew all along: Facebook conspired with the government to censor individuals expressing “disapproved” views about the COVID-19 Pandemic. Zuckerberg’s confession comes in the wake of a series of court rulings that turn a blind eye to the government’s technofascism. In a 2-1 decision in Children’s Health Defense v. Meta, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit brought by Children’s Health Defense against Meta Platforms for restricting CHD’s posts, fundraising, and advertising on Facebook following communications between Meta and Federal Government officials. In a unanimous decision in the combined cases of NetChoice v. Paxton and Moody v. NetChoice, the U.S. Supreme Court avoided ruling on whether the states could pass laws to prohibit censorship by Big Tech companies on social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. And in a 6-3 ruling in Murthy v. Missouri , the Supreme Court sidestepped a challenge to the Federal Government’s efforts to coerce Social Media Companies into censoring users’ First Amendment expression. Welcome to the age of technocensorship. On paper—under the First Amendment, at least—we are technically free to speak. In reality, however, we are now only as free to speak as a government official—or corporate entities such as Facebook, Google or YouTube—may allow. Case in point: internal documents released by the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government confirmed what we have long suspected: that the government has been working in tandem with Social Media Companies to censor speech. By “censor,” we’re referring to concerted efforts by the government to muzzle, silence and altogether eradicate any speech that runs afoul of the government’s own approved narrative. This is political correctness taken to its most chilling and oppressive extreme. The revelations that Facebook worked in concert with the Biden Administration to censor content related to the COVID-19 Pandemic, including humorous jokes, credible information and so-called disinformation, followed on the heels of a ruling by a federal court in Louisiana that prohibits Executive Branch Officials from communicating with Social Media Companies about controversial content in their online forums. Likening the government’s heavy-handed attempts to pressure Social Media Companies to suppress content critical of the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Vaccines or the election to “an almost dystopian scenario,” Judge Terry Doughty warned that “the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth.’” This is the very definition of technofascism. Clothed in tyrannical self-righteousness, technofascism is powered by technological behemoths (both corporate and governmental) working in tandem to achieve a common goal. The government is not protecting us from “dangerous” disinformation campaigns. It is laying the groundwork to insulate us from “dangerous” ideas that might cause us to think for ourselves and, in so doing, challenge the power elite’s stranglehold over our lives. Thus far, the tech giants have been able to sidestep the First Amendment by virtue of their non-governmental status, but it’s a dubious distinction at best when they are marching in lockstep with the government’s dictates. As Philip Hamburger and Jenin Younes write for The Wall Street Journal: “The First Amendment prohibits the government from ‘abridging the Freedom of Speech.’ The Supreme Court Doctrine makes it clear that the government can’t constitutionally evade the amendment by working through private companies.” Nothing good can come from allowing the government to sidestep the Constitution. The steady, pervasive censorship creep that is being inflicted on us by corporate tech giants with the blessing of the powers-that-be threatens to bring about a restructuring of reality straight out of Orwell’s 1984, where the Ministry of Truth polices speech and ensures that facts conform to whatever version of reality the government propagandists embrace. Orwell intended 1984 as a warning. Instead, it is being used as a dystopian instruction manual for socially engineering a populace that is compliant, conformist and obedient to Big Brother. In a world increasingly automated and filtered through the lens of Artificial Intelligence, we are finding ourselves at the mercy of inflexible algorithms that dictate the boundaries of our liberties. Once Artificial Intelligence becomes a fully integrated part of the government bureaucracy, there will be little recourse: we will all be subject to the intransigent judgments of techno-rulers. This is how it starts. First, the censors went after so-called extremists spouting so-called “Hate Speech.” Then they went after so-called extremists spouting so-called “disinformation” about stolen elections, the Holocaust, and Hunter Biden. By the time so-called extremists found themselves in the crosshairs for spouting so-called “misinformation” about the COVID-19 Pandemic and the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Vaccines, the censors had developed a system and strategy for silencing the nonconformists. Eventually, depending on how the government and its corporate allies define what constitutes “Extremism, “we the people” might all be considered guilty of some thought crime or other. Whatever we tolerate now—whatever we turn a blind eye to—whatever we rationalize when it is inflicted on others, whether in the name of securing Racial Justice or defending democracy or combatting fascism, will eventually come back to imprison us, one and all. Watch and learn. We should all be alarmed when any individual or group—prominent or not—is censored, silenced and made to disappear from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram for voicing ideas that are deemed politically incorrect, hateful, dangerous or conspiratorial. Given what we know about the government’s tendency to define its own reality and attach its own labels to behavior and speech that challenges its authority, this should be cause for alarm across the entire political spectrum. Here’s the point: you don’t have to like or agree with anyone who has been muzzled or made to disappear online because of their views, but to ignore the long-term ramifications of such censorship is dangerously naïve, because whatever powers you allow the government and its corporate operatives to claim now will eventually be used against you by tyrants of your own making. Eventually, as Orwell predicted, telling the truth will become a revolutionary act. If the government can control speech, it can control thought and, in turn, it can control the minds of the citizenry. As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, it’s happening already. 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 >

The Road to Unconditional Love Starts Here August 4, 2022 Share In her thirties, Stacia Sims embarked on an intense journey toward self-discovery when her therapist posed a simple question: “What does love mean?” Unable to articulate an answer, Sims suddenly realized what had been blocking her path toward healing. “That was my first realization that I had never been taught or shown unconditional love. Not by my parents and not by the world,” she wrote in the prologue to her new book, It Is All About Me!: Breaking Cycles and Loving Who I Am. In this collection of true stories about her life, Sims unpacks the impact of an upbringing in a narcissistic family where love had to be earned, her true self had to be hidden and generational cycles needed to be broken. Her journey led her to the realization that what happened in her past doesn’t define her present or her future and it is her aim with this book to show readers that with the right mindset and guidance, this can be their truth, too. “Being true to yourself can sometimes make others uncomfortable,” Stacia said. “But another person’s discomfort should not become your burden to resolve. Stop carrying other people’s baggage.” It Is All About Me! is loaded with insights on what real, authentic love means and how to embrace one’s true self. “If you find your life revolving around others’ expectations or desires, it’s time to allow your journey to be about you for a change,” Sims added. About the Author Stacia Sims has a formal education with a BS in Computer Science, but she is using the practical education that was picked up along life’s path to start her second act. Through therapy and surrounding herself with authentic friends and mentors, she was able to shape her education beyond the narrow and limiting life skills that her parents had to offer. Sims lives in Florida with her wife and sweet dog, Lilly. It is the view of the water and the incredible sunrises that inspire her to write and tap into her creativity. Her love of books and passion for helping others has inspired her to write her second book — an instructional book with details about managing personal finances. You can connect with Sims on Facebook at: Stacia M Sims. Or check out her blog at: https://staciamsims.com/ for more inspiring stories. < Previous News Next News >

World-Renowned Dancers Prepare Students For Dance Futures April 18, 2024 Share Many professional dancers plan to teach when their performing days are over, but Adiarys Almeida and her husband Taras Domitro didn't want to wait. So, in between performing as international guest principal ballet artists with some of the most prestigious companies in the world, and taking care of their toddler son, they formed the Hollywood Ballet Academy at 1937 Harrison Street. The Cuban-born couple, both past principal dancers and current guest artists in several major ballet companies throughout the world, have also always been educators, teaching master classes, and judging competitions, dance festivals, and more. "Both of us have always had a huge passion for teaching, we just decided to do it a little sooner, not wait until we retired," said Almeida, the Hollywood Ballet Academy's Assistant Director. "So we're running the school, running the business, teaching all day, still traveling and performing, being a family, and we're very happy and really grateful." The Hollywood Ballet Academy, Almeida pointed out, is more than a typical ballet school. It is a training ground and springboard for future professional dancers. "Our program is mostly focused on teaching classical ballet to pre-professionals, and every single class is designed to enrich that; it's a very complete, progressive technique," she explained. "We are a school for the pre-professionals during the day, the kids who are home-schooled and really focused on dance. They come in and train and dance all day, then go home and do their regular schoolwork." The Hollywood Ballet Academy is open to students of all ages, starting with a Mommy & Me class for ages 1 to 3 ($50/month); and creative movement and Pre-Ballet for ages 3 to 5 ($100/month). Other afterschool ($300-500/month) and evening classes are also available. During the day, the focus is on the pre-professional program ($1000/month). At the end of each term, the students perform at a local theater. Throughout their dance training, students are also coached in auditioning and interviewing for dance companies and universities with good dance programs. "Right now, we have our first students accepted into three American ballet companies," Almeida smiled proudly. After choosing Downtown Hollywood for the Hollywood Ballet Academy because of its central location and lack of competing professional studios, they soon realized that they really like it here, and so they became Hollywood residents too! "One of the things we love about Hollywood is that it does so many things to support the arts," Almeida declared. "At the third Saturday Downtown Hollywood ArtWalk, for example, you see the people and they’re so happy to be there, they appreciate it, they participate. We're excited to be participating in the event." As educators, the owners of the Hollywood Ballet Academy are pleased to have enjoyed much success, with multiple awards and especially with student placements, in the short time they have been open. "Ballet is a profession that is difficult. It requires such a level of concentration, dedication, and commitment," Almeida believes, "that even if they don't make it as dancers, or decide not to pursue it, this training really prepares them for life, whatever they decide to do." For additional information about the Hollywood Ballet Academy, please call: (954) 842-3499. Or visit: www.hollywoodballetacademy.com - Or Instagram: @hollywoodballetacademy. Downtown Hollywood offers on-street metered parking for $1.50 per hour, as well as municipal garage parking for $1 per hour at 251 South 20th Avenue (between Harrison Street and Van Buren Street). In addition, a $10 flat rate public valet station, located at 1925 Hollywood Boulevard, is open Thursday to Sunday, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. For more information about redevelopment projects, businesses, new investment, and streetscape improvements in Hollywood's Downtown and Beach Districts, call the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) at: (954) 924-2980. Or visit: www.HollywoodCRA.org < Previous News Next News >

Halloween Events In Hollywood Offer Spooky Fun For The Whole Family October 26, 2023 Share Halloween is just around the corner, and if you're in the City of Hollywood, you're in for a spooky treat! This year, Hollywood is gearing up to host a series of fantastic Halloween events that promise to deliver chills, thrills, and plenty of family fun. From Boo Bash and ArtsPark Movie Night to Hollyweird Halloween Downtown Block Party, there's something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Let's delve into the details of these thrilling Halloween festivities. Boo Bash & ArtsPark Movie Night Date: Friday, October 27th, 2023 Time: 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Location: ArtsPark at Young Circle – 1 Young Circle in Downtown Hollywood Kick-start your Halloween celebrations with the Boo Bash at the ArtsPark at Young Circle. This family-friendly event is perfect for kids and adults alike. The fun begins at 5:00 p.m. with music and an array of entertaining kids' activities. If your little ones love to flaunt their costumes, don't miss the costume fashion show at 7:00 p.m., where they can showcase their creative ensembles. Then, as the night falls, get ready for ArtsPark Movie Night, featuring the hilarious animated movie "Hotel Transylvania: TRANSFORMANIA," starting at 8:00 p.m. The best part? Attendance is completely FREE and there will be delicious food available for purchase, so you can satisfy those Halloween cravings. Parking is a breeze with City-operated parking garages, including the Radius Parking Garage, located at 250 North 19th Avenue and the Van Buren Parking Garage, located at 251 South 20th Avenue, both conveniently located nearby. Standard parking rates apply. ArtsPark Movie Night But the fun doesn't stop there! If you can't make it to Boo Bash, you can still enjoy a FREE family-friendly flick every Friday at the ArtsPark at Young Circle in Downtown Hollywood. Just bring your blanket or beach chair, and you're all set to enjoy an outdoor movie under the stars. Hollyweird Halloween Downtown Hollywood Block Party Date: Saturday, October 28th, 2023 Time: 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Hollyweird Halloween Downtown Hollywood Block Party is not your typical Halloween event. It's South Florida's premiere Halloween festival that promises a night of unforgettable entertainment. Taking place on Saturday, October 28th, 2023 from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., this is your chance to shake those bones to live music, enjoy spooktacular drink specials, and most importantly, show off your creative side by dressing to impress! One of the highlights of the evening is the adult costume contest, where participants compete for a chance to win over $10,000 in prizes! The atmosphere is electric, and the event is absolutely free to attend. Just remember, Hollyweird is an event for adults, so you might want to secure a babysitter for the little ones. Trunk Or Treat Date: Tuesday, October 31st, 2023 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Location: Driftwood Community Pool Complex - 3000 North 69th Avenue If you're looking for a family-oriented Halloween event on the actual night of Halloween, The Department Of Parks, Recreation And Cultural Arts has got you covered with Trunk Or Treat at the Driftwood Community Pool Complex. From 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., they will be offering candy and non-swimming activities for the kids, ensuring a safe and entertaining Halloween experience. Youth Light The Night Halloween Spectacular Date: Tuesday, October 31st, 2023 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Location: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center - 2400 Charleston Street For another exciting Halloween option on the night of October 31st, check out the Youth Light The Night Halloween Spectacular at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center. This event promises free family fun, including Trunk "O" Treating, bounce houses, a haunted house, delicious food, games and live music. It's an excellent opportunity to create lasting memories with your loved ones. City Of Hollywood's Green Initiatives Before you head out to enjoy these spooktacular events, remember that the City of Hollywood is committed to sustainability. They are plastic and foam-free, so single-use items like plastic water bottles and utensils are prohibited at City parks and facilities. Please do your part by bringing a reusable water bottle and being mindful of the environment. Hollywood has a host of exciting Halloween events lined up, ensuring that there's something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Whether you're in the mood for a family-friendly movie night, a wild costume party, or a safe and fun trick-or-treating experience, Hollywood has you covered. Get Ready For A Spooktacular Hollywood Season, for information on these and all events happening in Hollywood, visit: www.hollywoodfl.com < Previous News Next News >

Lack Of Affordability Tops Older Americans List Of Health Care Worries Judith Graham October 10, 2024 Share What weighs most heavily on older adults’ minds when it comes to health care? The cost of services and therapies, and their ability to pay. “It’s on our minds a whole lot because of our age and because everything keeps getting more expensive,” said Connie Colyer, 68, of Pleasureville, Kentucky. She’s a retired forklift operator who has Lung Disease and High Blood Pressure. Her husband, James, 70, drives a dump truck and has a potentially dangerous Irregular Heart Rhythm. Tens of millions of seniors are similarly anxious about being able to afford health care because of its expense and rising costs for housing, food, and other essentials. A new wave of research highlights the reach of these anxieties. When the University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging asked people 50 and older about 26 health-related issues, their top three areas of concern had to do with costs: of medical care in general, of long-term care, and of prescription drugs. More than half of 3,300 people surveyed in February and March reported being “very concerned” about these issues. In fact, five of the top 10 issues identified as very concerning were cost-related. Beyond the top three, people cited the cost of Health Insurance and Medicare (52%), and the cost of Dental Care (45%). Financial scams and fraud came in fourth place (53% very concerned). Of much less concern were issues that received considerable attention, including social isolation, obesity, and age discrimination. In an election year, “our poll sends a very clear message that older adults are worried about the cost of Healthcare and will be looking to candidates to discuss what they have done or plan to do to contain those costs,” said John Ayanian, Director of the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Older adults have good reason to worry. One in 10 seniors (about 6 million people) have incomes below the federal poverty level. About 1 in 4 rely exclusively on Social Security payments, which average $1,913 a month per person. Even though inflation has moderated since its 2022 peak, prices haven’t come down, putting a strain on seniors living on fixed incomes. Meanwhile, traditional Medicare doesn’t cover several services that millions of older adults need, such as Dental Care, Vision Care, or help at home from aides. While private Medicare Advantage plans offer some coverage for these services, benefits are frequently limited. All of this contributes to a Healthcare affordability squeeze for older adults. Recently published research from the Commonwealth Fund’s 2023 Health Care Affordability Survey found that nearly a third of people 65 or older reported difficulty paying for Healthcare expenses, including premiums for Medicare, Medications, and expenses associated with receiving Medical Services. One in 7 older adults reported spending a quarter or more of their average monthly budget on health care; 44% spent between 10% and 24%. Seventeen percent said they or a family member had forgone needed care in the past year for financial reasons. The Colyers in Pleasureville are among them. Both need new dentures and eyeglasses, but they can’t afford to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket, Connie said. “As the cost of living rises for basic necessities, it’s more difficult for lower-income and middle-income Medicare beneficiaries to afford the health care they need,” said Gretchen Jacobson, Vice President of the Medicare program at the Commonwealth Fund. Similarly, “when health care costs rise, it’s more difficult to afford basic necessities.” This is especially worrisome because older adults are more prone to illness and disability than younger adults, resulting in a greater need for care and higher expenses. In 2022, seniors on Medicare spent $7,000 on medical services, compared with $4,900 for people without Medicare. Not included in this figure is the cost of Assisted Living or Long-Term stays in nursing homes, which Medicare also doesn’t cover. According to Genworth’s latest survey, the median annual cost of a semi private room in a Nursing Home was $104,000 in 2023, while Assisted Living came to $64,200, and a year’s worth of services from Home-Health Aides cost $75,500. Many older adults simply can’t afford to pay for these long-term care options or other major medical expenses out-of-pocket. “Seventeen million older adults have incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level,” said Tricia Neuman, Executive Director of the Program on Medicare Policy for KFF. (That’s $30,120 for a single-person household in 2024; $40,880 for a two-person household.) “For people living on that income, the risk of a major expense is very scary.” How to deal with unanticipated expenses in the future is a question that haunts Connie Colyer. Her monthly premiums for Medicare Parts B and D, and a Medigap Supplemental Policy come to nearly $468, or 42% of her $1,121 monthly income from Social Security. With a home mortgage of $523 a month, and more than $150 in monthly copayments for her inhalers and her husband’s heart medications, “we wouldn’t make it if my husband wasn’t still working,” she told me. (James’ monthly Social Security payment is $1,378. His premiums are similar to Connie’s and his income fluctuates based on the weather. In the first five months of this year, it approached $10,000, Connie told me.) The couple makes too much to qualify for programs that help older adults afford Medicare out-of-pocket costs. As many as 6 million people are eligible but not enrolled in these Medicare Savings Programs. Those with very low incomes may also qualify for dual coverage by Medicaid and Medicare or other types of assistance with household costs, such as Food Stamps. Older adults can check their eligibility for these and other programs by contacting their local Area Agency on Agency, State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or benefits enrollment center. Enter your ZIP code at the Eldercare Locator and these and other organizations helping seniors locally will come up. Persuading older adults to step forward and ask for help often isn’t easy. Angela Zeek, Health and Government Benefits Manager at Legal Aid of the Bluegrass in Kentucky, said many seniors in her area don’t want to be considered poor or unable to pay their bills, a blow to their pride. “What we try to say is, ‘You’ve worked hard all your life, you’ve paid your taxes. You’ve given back to this government so there’s nothing wrong with the government helping you out a bit.’” And the unfortunate truth is there’s very little, if any, help available for seniors who aren’t poor but have modest financial resources. While the need for new Dental, Vision, and Long-Term Care benefits for older adults is widely acknowledged, “the question is always how to pay for it,” said Neuman of KFF. This will become an even bigger issue in the coming years because of the burgeoning aging population. There is some relief on the horizon, however: Assistance with Medicare drug costs is available through the Inflation Reduction Act, although many older adults don’t realize it yet. The act allows Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs for the first time. This year, out-of-pocket costs for medications will be limited to a maximum $3,800 for most beneficiaries. Next year, a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket drug costs will take effect. “We’re already seeing people who’ve had very high drug costs in the past save thousands of dollars this year,” said Frederic Riccardi, President of the Medicare Rights Center. “And next year, it’s going to get even better.” < Previous News Next News >