City of Hollywood Memorial Day Event – Salute to the Fallen May 24, 2024 Share Memorial Day honors America's military men and women who lost their lives in service to their country. Many Americans observe the holiday by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades or other memorial events. But how did it all begin? Reflecting on the origins of Memorial Day takes us back to the aftermath of the American Civil War, a pivotal point in our history. During this time, communities independently began hosting tributes to the fallen soldiers. They decorated their graves with flowers and flags. These humble acts would blossom into a national tradition. This annual observance, formally known as Decoration Day and later Memorial Day, offers a sacred time for us all. Veterans, families of Veterans, and the general public pay homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. It is a day to show our gratitude and remember their selflessness and unwavering courage. The City of Hollywood continues this tradition and honors the sacrifice of these brave men and woman, as well as all military service personnel with an event called "Salute to the Fallen." The uplifting event features a DJ and musical performance on the outdoor amphitheater stage at the Boulevard Heights Community Center. Join the City of Hollywood on Saturday, May 27th for an uplifting celebration to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Salute to the Fallen will be held on Saturday, May 25th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Boulevard Heights Community Center Amphitheater. The event will feature a musical performance by the Viva on the outdoor amphitheater stage. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase from food trucks on site. The Boulevard Heights Community Center is located at: 6770 Garfield Street and ample free parking is available. Please bring a chair or blanket for lawn seating. Single-use plastics are prohibited at this Boulevard Heights, so please consider bringing a reusable bottle of water instead. For additional information on the event, call the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Special Events team at: 954.921.3404. Traffic Update A full closure is planned beginning Tuesday, May 28 - Hollywood Blvd Eastbound Between Dixie Hwy/21st Ave. intersection and 20th Avenue. Eastbound Hollywood Boulevard will be closed in the area while the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency’s contractor (Burkhardt Construction) prepares to begin the final phase of construction in the Downtown Streetscape Project. Learn more about these closures and how they will affect your commute at: https://www.hollywoodfl.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1480 < Previous News Next News >

Miles For Meals: 14th Annual Outrun Hunger 5K Broward County At Vista View Park February 13, 2025 Share Feeding South Florida – the Leading Hunger-Relief Organization in South Florida – will host its 14th Annual Outrun Hunger 5K on Saturday, April 5th. At an all-new location this year, runners, walkers, families and community leaders of all ages will come together to take steps to raise funds and awareness to end hunger in South Florida at Vista View Park in Davie. Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. and the Outrun Hunger 5K will start at 7:30 a.m. An award ceremony will take place after the race. The funds raised will support Feeding South Florida’s mission to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts and transforming lives through innovative programming and education. Currently, in South Florida, there are over 1.2 million food insecure individuals, and one in nine individuals in South Florida remain uncertain about where they will get their next meal due to inflation, the strained supply chain, rising fuel prices and increased housing costs, among other factors. Participants can join the event as an individual or a team. Those not participating in the race may also support Feeding South Florida’s mission to fight food insecurity by creating a personalized fundraising page. To create a customized fundraising page, visit: https://feedingsouthflorida.org/5kbroward. Registration is currently open to all four counties that Feeding South Florida serves including: Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe at: https://feedingsouthflorida.org/5kbroward. When: Saturday, April 5th, 2025, from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Registration Begins: 6:30 a.m. Outrun Hunger 5K Start: 7:30 a.m. Award Ceremony: 8:30 a.m. Where: Vista View Park 4001 Southwest 142nd Avenue Davie, Florida 33330 Cost: Registration: $25 Registration + T-Shirt: $40 Hunger Hero: $250 For more information and to register, participants can visit: https://feedingsouthflorida.org/events/ Event sponsorships and in-kind donations are available. For more information, contact Allyson Vaulx at: (954) 518-1818. Extension#: 1852. Or: avaulx@feedingsouthflorida.org . About Feeding South Florida®: Feeding South Florida is a member of the Feeding America network and is the Leading Hunger-Relief Organization serving Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. Providing support for 25 percent of the state’s food insecure population, its mission is to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, Leading Hunger, and Poverty Advocacy Efforts, and transforming lives through innovative programming and education. Feeding South Florida served more than *1.17 million individuals through direct-service programs and a local network of more than 350 NonProfit and community partners. Visit: www.feedingsouthflorida.org - Or call: (954) 518-1818. < Previous News Next News >

P.Pole Pizza: Create Your Own Mouthwatering Pie PROFILES By David Snelling February 4, 2022 Share Put your pizza passion to the test when you create your own pie at P.Pole Pizza in Hallandale Beach. With three choices of dough, plus five sauces and over 50 toppings to choose from, you can enjoy mouthwatering pizza in mere minutes – two minutes and five seconds, to be exact! Craving pepperoni, peppers or extra parmesan perhaps? With P.Pole Pizza’s unlimited pizza options, you can pick as many veggie, meat or seafood options as your delicious pizza dreams can handle. At P.Pole Pizza, if you can imagine it, you can make it! Opened in 2021 by restaurateur Anthony DiCarlo, the Hallandale Beach spot is the franchise’s second location in South Florida. There is currently a P.Pole Pizza in Coral Gables with plans to expand to South Beach and the Miami River. This newly reimagined pizza chain is the millennial answer to finding pies which cater to gluten free and organic tastes. According to DiCarlo, P.Pole Pizza was created in order to give customers the chance to be creative and build their own pizza - the way they want it to look and taste. "It's all about the customers,” explains DiCarlo. "Whatever they want on their pizzas, we got it for them." With so many types of toppings, dough and sauces, pizza fans don’t have to be limited any longer. Different dough offerings include standard, chia seed infused, and even cauliflower, their gluten free option for people with allergies or those watching their weight. Chia seeds in particular are known to add fiber and micronutrients. This is one joint which is always thinking outside of the (pizza) box! From tomato to spicy tomato, as well as alfredo, pesto and barbeque, plus seven types of cheese, including a vegan option, you can keep coming back to make all the combos you are craving. Choose from over 50 tasty toppings including pepperoni, cheese, fresh spinach, artichokes, broccoli, grilled onions, jalapeño, mushrooms, sweet peppers and anchovies, just to name a few. DiCarlo says that his pizzas are shaped in the form of a skateboard because it bakes faster in their new, cutting-edge oven where temperatures can reach as high as 800 degrees. "Most pizzas that are round take longer to cook," he said. "The skateboard shape cooks faster and it's fresh and hot and ready to enjoy. "It takes 15 to 20 minutes for most places to cook and serve a pizza, or they just give you a re-heated slice of stale pizza. Our pizzas are made fresh to order from scratch and are ready to eat in less than just three minutes. They’re served piping hot and delicious.” This proud pizza owner also adds that while their pizzas are individual size, they are large enough to share for lite eaters. Don’t feel like choosing your own toppings? No problem! P.Pole gives customers the option of selecting one of their signature pizzas which are also baked in just over two minutes. Scrump-tious signature pizza options include the American, Italian, Cuban, Veggie, Meat & Barbeque. "The concept is to build your own pizza, but we also have these signature pizzas where we have chosen the toppings for you,” DiCarlo said. Prices vary, with $8 for a cheese pizza, $9 for a two-topping pizza and $10 for unlimited toppings where you can let your cravings go crazy! For faster service, customers can order on the restaurants' app and sign up for their rewards program. For every dollar spent, customers will earn a coin which accumulates over time so that pizza lovers can eventually use these coins towards purchases in the future. P.Pole Pizza has also announced that they will be offering their own delivery services in the near future, but for now, customers can get their creative creations delivered via Uber Eats, Door Dash and Grubhub. Despite opening just a few months ago, P.Pole has already found loyal customers, especially amongst those looking for a healthier pizza alternative. "The weekends have been good and most nights are busy. The experience has been very positive. We have lot of repeat customers, some who come as many as three or four times a week. We expect to get a lot busier when people know we are here." As far as why he chose to open a location in Hallandale Beach, DiCarlo explains that he knows of many other successful businesses and hungry pa-trons in the area! "I know a lot of people in the city who would enjoy a place where they could grab a quick lunch or dinner to eat without sacrificing quality and taste," he said. "The pizzas are not greasy they are healthy and delicious." DiCarlo, who was born in Rhodes Island, has been in the restaurant business since 2004, originally moved to South Florida three decades ago. This entrepreneur has now made P.Pole the most delicious pizza destination in town. His concept of serving guilt free pies goes back to his experience of previously owning other health-conscious restaurants. He currently owns a gym in Hallandale Beach as well. With so many good for you and mouthwatering menu options, lucky residents of Broward County will soon be getting their own P.Pole Pizza. The most important aspect for this pizza pioneer? The people! P.Pole Pizza 1113 East Hallandale Beach Boulevard Hallandale Beach, Florida 33009 954-510-9833. < Previous News Next News >

The Mediterranean Lifestyle: Bring Joy To Mealtimes By Dining Together By Family Features July 4, 2024 Share The renowned Mediterranean Diet, celebrated for its myriad benefits, has been rated as a top diet in the world for years. Recognizing the benefits of the foods included in the Mediterranean Diet, it's important to broaden the understanding beyond its ingredients to embrace the elements of the Mediterranean lifestyle, which also contribute to these benefits. Essentially, it's not just about what you eat; it's also about how you enjoy it and with whom you share the experience. Nutrition, physical activity, sleep and togetherness comprise this balanced way of living, with preparing, eating and enjoying food together being key elements of the Mediterranean lifestyle. You can immerse yourself in the vibrant spirit of the Mediterranean lifestyle simply by inviting friends or family to gather around the table for a meal - like a family favorite Pasta dish. The benefits of gathering around the table are abundant, ranging from fostering stronger connections and communication among family members to enhancing Overall Well-Being. In fact, first-of-its-kind research conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota and supported by Barilla, the world's leading Pasta Maker, demonstrates that people experience greater happiness when they share meals with others, highlighting the importance of togetherness. Published in "Families, Systems, & Health," the research shows a strong positive correlation between how often people gather around the table during mealtimes and enhanced connectedness, reduced depressive symptoms and an improvement in overall mood. Semolina Pasta is a staple for many people in the Mediterranean region, playing a significant role in culinary history and making it a favorite ingredient in dishes aligned with the Mediterranean lifestyle and gathering around the table. For example, these recipes for Cellentani Caprese Pasta Salad and Linguine with Zucchini Carbonara are perfect for sharing, whether you're hosting friends and neighbors or enjoying a meal with someone special. A high-quality, minimally processed Carbohydrate, Semolina Pasta is naturally low in Sodium, a good source of Fiber and contains a variety of Micronutrients. "Eating together is a joyful and important practice of the Mediterranean lifestyle that truly contributes to Overall Well-Being," said Michele Lefebvre, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Manager of Nutrition and Well-Being at Barilla America. "As a traditional yet versatile food, Pasta brings a sense of nostalgia to meals as people gather together around the table and connect in an impactful way. Cellentani Caprese Pasta Salad Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Servings: 7 • 1 Box of Barilla Protein+ Cellentani Pasta • 4 Tablespoons of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, divided • 2 Pints of Grape Tomatoes, mixed color, halved • 4 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice • 8 Basil Leaves, julienned • 2 Cups of Small Mozzarella Cheese Balls, halved • Salt, to taste • Black Pepper, to taste Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the Pasta according to the package’s directions and drain it. Drizzle the Pasta with 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and place it on a sheet tray to cool and set it aside. In a large bowl, combine the Tomatoes, the Lemon Juice, the Basil, the remaining Olive Oil and the Cheese. Season it with the Salt and the Pepper, to taste. Add the Pasta and stir it. Linguine With Zucchini Carbonara Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Servings: 8 5 Egg Yolks 1 Cup of Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated, divided 1/2 Cup of Milk Salt, to taste • 1 Tablespoon of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil • 1 Medium Zucchini, julienned • 1 Box of Barilla Linguine • 1 Tablespoon of Fresh Mint, chopped • Black Pepper, to taste Bring a large pot of water to boil. In a bowl, mix the Egg Yolks, 1/3 Cup of the Pecorino Romano Cheese and the Milk. Season it with the Salt, to taste and set it aside. In a large skillet, heat the Olive Oil and cook the Zucchini. Cook the Pasta according to the package’s directions. Reserve a 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Mix the Pasta in a pan with the Zucchini. Add the Egg Yolk Mixture and 2 Tablespoons of the cooking water and combine it well. Add remaining the Cheese and the Mint; mix. Season with the Salt and the Pepper, to taste. Visit: https://www.barilla.com/en-us/recipes to discover more dishes that can help you follow the Mediterranean lifestyle. < Previous News Next News >

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 >