Art & Culture Center/Hollywood: 15th Annual Exposed & Sophia Lacroix Exhibitions August 3, 2023 Share The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood’s Exposed Exhibition gives the opportunity for art patrons to become art buyers during an exciting and lively fundraising affair in which every ticket holder takes home an original work of art for their collection. The Fundraiser returns with an opening reception on Saturday, September 2nd, 2023 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The Exhibition will run through Saturday, September 30th, 2023 with the draw set for that night from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Exposed will feature more than 70 contemporary artists in an exhibition that culminates with an exciting closing-night draw for participants and their guests. Names are drawn one-by-one for the chance to select any work of art that has not yet been claimed. For the 15th edition of this popular exhibition and fundraiser, the Center will give ticket buyers on the closing-night draw two options for selecting their artwork – in person in the Center’s Main Gallery or they can have a designated Center staff member pick their artwork by proxy while watching the event live streamed on the Center's Facebook Live. For details on how proxies work, please call: (954) 921-3274. Everyone is a winner at this one-of-a-kind art event. Funds raised at Exposed will support the Center’s year-round calendar of Gallery Exhibitions and Events. This is a great way to support the Center and get new artwork for your collection. Ticket buyers who choose to participate in the closing-night draw in person may bring a plus one to the gallery. All tickets holders will receive complimentary admission during the exhibition dates and may schedule a private tour with the Center’s Curator. Tickets to participate in the closing-night draw: $375 for one artwork, $725 for two artworks, or $1,000 for three artworks. The event will take place Friday, September 29th, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., with the Draw taking place at 8:00 p.m. If you have any questions about the 15th Annual Exposed Exhibition please contact: (954) 921-3274. Or for tickets visit: www.artandculturecenter.org Sophia Lacroix: Vivid Caribbean Nostalgia The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood is thrilled to present the first Solo Exhibition for Sophia Lacroix. Born and raised in Haiti, Self-Taught Artist Sophia Lacroix migrated to the U.S. at the age of 15. Lacroix creates hyper-realistic oil paintings and charcoal drawing scenes of everyday life and her nostalgic memories of Haiti. The opening reception will be held Saturday, August 19th, 2023 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The Exhibition will be on display from Saturday, August 19th, 2023 – Friday, September 29th, 2023. Lacroix was selected for a solo exhibition from the 2022 Florida Biennial. The 11th edition, entitled 2022 Florida Biennial: Installations, Portraiture, Materiality, and Magic Realism was juried by Ylva Rouse, Senior Curator at MOCA Jacksonville. Rouse reviewed over 1,000 submitted works from 349 artists from throughout Florida. From the large number of submissions, 24 artists representing eight Florida counties were selected by Rouse. Lacroix was chosen from the 24 artists to present a new body of work at the Center. This exhibition reveals highly detailed portraits of people in everyday routines and activities inspired by Lacroix’s memories of Haiti. Figures are often surrounded by abundant fruits, handwoven baskets, and tropical plants. The laborious detail is mirrored in the images themselves, indicating both the beauty and conviction in the figures conveyed. Sophia Lacroix was included in the Exhibition Introspective: A Reckoning of the Soul curated by Marie Vickles at the Center (2021). Outdoor public projects include a large-scale mural commissioned by the City of Miami at the Little Haiti Cultural Center (2008) and a wrapped utility box organized by the U-Wrap NoMi Art in Public Places Initiative by the City of North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency (2021). Her work has been published in several magazines, books, and newspapers, including the book Here, There...and Beyond: The Work of 16 Haitian Artists of Florida (2009). About The Center The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported in part by its members, admissions, private entities, the City of Hollywood; the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; the David and Francie Horvitz Family Foundation; and the Josephine S. Leiser Foundation. We welcome donations from all members of the community who wish to support our work. The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood is located at 1650 Harrison Street, Hollywood, Florida 33020. For more information, call: (954) 921-3274 Or via email: info@artandculturecenter.org . < Previous News Next News >

Finding Quality Surgical Care Is Easier Than Ever With The ACS Find A Hospital Search Tool By Patricia L. Turner, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.S., Executive Director & CEO, American College of Surgeons Oct 16, 2025 (BPT) Your Doctor Has Informed You That You Need Surgery - Like 15 Million Other Patients In The United States Every Year. Naturally, You And Your Family May Want To Research Your Hospital Options To Have Confidence That You Are Getting The Best Care. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has created a new Find a Hospital search tool to help you find hospitals that meet the rigorous quality standards we set for surgical care. The ACS has been defining quality care in surgery since our founding more than 112 years ago, and now we make it easier than ever for patients and their families to find ACS Surgical Quality Partner hospitals in their local communities and to access information to prepare for surgery. What is Find a Hospital? Find a Hospital is a convenient, user-friendly search tool that helps you locate hospitals that have undergone rigorous accreditation and verification from the ACS to demonstrate their capability to deliver the highest quality surgical care. Based on your individual needs, you can find care that excels in areas across surgical specialties including Cancer, geriatric surgery, emergency general surgery, children's surgery, vascular surgery, trauma care and more. Receiving accreditation or verification from the ACS involves a rigorous process, including a detailed site visit. These steps ensure that facilities meet and uphold the highest standards of surgical care and ethics. Importantly, ACS accreditation and verification is not something that can just be purchased by a hospital, it must be earned. Find a Hospital features map-based results for a quick and easy visual location of hospitals and a map function to easily navigate to the hospital. You also can learn more about the list of ACS Quality Programs in which a hospital participates. ACS Quality Programs are grounded in rigorous standards and evidence that define what optimal surgical care should include. These standards provide the roadmap for hospitals to develop their processes and capabilities to deliver high-quality care. How can I prepare for surgery? Whether you need a routinely encountered procedure or have a complex, high-risk case, the Find a Hospital tool can help you find the right hospital. Additionally, the ACS Find a Surgeon search tool can help you find surgeons who are Fellows of the ACS (FACS). Fellows are board-certified surgeons whose education, training, professional qualifications, surgical competence and ethical conduct are reviewed and consistent with the high standards of the ACS. The ACS also offers a range of resources to help you prepare for surgery, including questions to ask your surgeon, nutrition guides and a specialized checklist for older adult surgical patients. For more common procedures, our guides walk patients through the day of surgery and optimize recovery. The ACS is your trusted source when you have questions about surgery. Our patient education resources and our Find a Hospital search tool are designed to help you prepare for an operation and to find the best care possible. The next time you or a loved one need surgical care, make sure to visit: www.facs.org . Patricia L. Turner is the Executive Director & CEO of the American College of Surgeons, the largest professional association of surgeons in the world, founded in 1913. Previous Next

Kindness: Break The Cycle of Indifference Thu Jun 30 2022 04:02:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Cabinet Liquidators: Bringing you the Finest Cabinetry in South Florida By Austin Torres October 6, 2021 Share When it comes to cabinetry there are few others in South Florida who do it as well as the remarkable team at Cabinets Liquidator. Do you need to remodel your kitchen? Thinking about sprucing up your bathroom? Or are you just in search of some beautiful new countertops to add some flare to your home? Whatever the job may be, Cabinets Liquidator is certain to exceed all of your expectations. This stellar team of professionals strive to provide customers with only the highest quality kitchen and bathroom cabinetry at unbeatable prices. But what truly sets apart Cabinets Liquidator from other businesses is that they do not stop at cabinets, they handle all phases of remodeling. Boasting a demolition crew who are as knowledgeable about their craft as they are skilled and a design team of visionaries dedicated to making your dream kitchen a reality, Cabinets Liquidator guarantee 100% customer satisfaction. As everyone knows, the kitchen represents the heart of the home. It is the location where food is prepared and served, where family and friends alike gather to enjoy their meal and connect with one another. Naturally, every homeowner wants their kitchen to be unique, comfortable, easy to access but inviting and striking. Cabinets Liquidator understands this better than anyone else. With a wide selection of quartz, granite, marble and a variety of door styles including the incredibly popular Shaker which comes in colors such as white, grey and espresso. the classical Charleston which comes in white or saddle, the team will walk you through every step of the process and help bring your vision to life. Among the designs at Cabinets Liquidator is the extremely popular European style, highly sought out for its aesthetic appeal. Notable for their sleek and contemporary style, these cabinets are top sellers at Cabinets Liquidator. They also are frameless, modular and designed with hidden hinges that afford maximum storage space in your kitchen and bathroom. This modern style of cabinetry is both stylish and pragmatic, allowing for a style that will impress guests and family, while also maximizing comfort. For those of you in search of a team that will deliver top results at an affordable price, Cabinets Liquidator are easily your best bet. They offer customers great prices by promising to beat any estimate you receive from other competing legitimate businesses. Anthony, who has worked in construction for over 30 years, promises customers a job not only well done, but affordable. “We will beat any estimate as long as it’s written up and comes from a legitimate company. I had a customer and she received and estimate from Home-Depot for $22,000 for the cabinets alone, along with installation and the tops. No extra work. I was able to get her a price for $18,000 and we’re doing more work for her than they quoted her on,” said Anthony. Customers who are interested can give Cabinets Liquidator a call and they will come out and provide a free estimate, measurements and even a 3-D rendering of what their dream kitchen or bathroom will look like. The 3-D image created by the design team does a spectacular job of truly painting a picture of what the work will look like. “We do measurements, a 3-D rendering and send it out by email. It’s all free of course. Once customers like the drawing and the design layout then they come to the showroom to look at the quality of cabinets and pick their color quartz or granite,” said Anthony. Customers who visit the showroom will be welcomed by a team of highly attentive professionals. You will have the opportunity to tour the showroom and check out a variety of kitchen styles as well as faucets, examine the products and pick out exactly what you want. Of course, Cabinets Liqui-dator only uses the best quality products while also providing the most affor-dable prices. Additionally, custo-mers who hire Cabinets Liquidator for a job also have the opportunity to take advantage of their other services. “We don’t just do cabinets. We’re licensed general contractors, we pull permits, we do electric, plumbing, roofing and flooring,” said Anthony. Cabinets Liquidator is renowned for their customer service and their unwavering commitment to their craft. This remarkable sense of commitment has brought them several referrals and repeat clients. One customer liked the work they did so much that they even decided to join the team. “We actually ended up hiring one of our customers. He was doing cabinet business in New York and he semi-retired and came to live in Florida. He liked our products so much he asked if we needed help and we decided to hire him as our project manager,” said Anthony. For more information you can visit Cabinets Liquidator at their website: www.cabinetsliquidator.net or reach them by phone at: 754.465.2061. Cabinets Liquidator’s hours are Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturday 10am- 2pm, or by appointment. Give them a call or drop by their location at 305 West Ansin Boulevard, Hallandale, FL 33009. Quality doesn’t cost, it pays,” says Anthony. < Previous News Next News >

High Season Brings Top Events To Gulfstream Park: Start 2023 With Events You Won't Want To Miss At South Florida's Greatest Entertainment Venue January 19, 2023 Share Gulfstream Park is heating up in 2023! Peak season has arrived at South Florida’s favorite entertainment destination where a number of exciting events and happenings will take place under the Florida sunshine. Home to a world-renowned racetrack, casino, live performance venue, countless dining options and plenty of shopping and entertainment, Gulfstream Park is excited to usher in another year of signature events that attract visitors both near and far. Known as one of the richest races in the world, the Pegasus World Cup Presented by Baccarat has quickly established itself over the past six years as South Florida’s preeminent luxury sports and lifestyle event. Taking place Saturday, January 28th, the Pegasus World Cup attracts A-list celebrity attendees, fashion icons, influencers and avid fans to catch a glimpse of horse racing’s most iconic event of the year. The Pegasus World Cup brings a new energy and modernity to the sport of thoroughbred horse racing for a new generation of fans. The 2022 Pegasus World Cup hit a record-setting handle with over $43.8 Million wagered on the 12-race program, a testament to the race’s popularity among fans. This year’s event promises even more excitement with an exclusive ticketed event at the Carousel Club featuring special performances by KYGO and One Republic. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.pegasusworldcup.com/tickets/ South Florida’s favorite food and wine festival is back! The Hallandale Beach Food & Groove: A Wine, Food and Art Experience returns to Gulfstream Park as part of the 22nd annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One. Taking place Saturday, February 25th from 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m., the event invites food lovers for an immersive experience. Hosted by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Florida International University, the Festival benefits FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center. The event features a variety of international cuisines that will get guests movin’ and groovin’ including Gulfstream Park Village’s Belly Fish and Ten Palms restaurants. Other participating restaurants include: El Tamarindo Coal Fired Pizza, Marash Turkish Cuisine, Moises Bakery, Dr. Limon Hallandale, CAO Bakery & Café, The Krazy Vegan, Il Mercato Café & Wine Shop, Matteo’s Trattoria, Dunn’s River Island Café, Holy Avocado, Ceviche Avenue, Chef Irie, See Thai & Japanese Cuisine, Nana’s Sapibon Haitian Restaurant, D’s Delights and Mable’s Island Kitchen. Additional restaurants will be announced. General admission tickets are $75 and can be purchased by visiting: www.sobewff.org/groove/ Music in the Park, Gulfstream Park Village’s favorite live entertainment series, continues its weekly performances with the area’s favorite musical talent. Taking place Wednesday through Sunday nights from 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., Music in the Park is sure to get audiences dancing. These open-air performances take place in the center stage and feature rotating bands on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sun-day nights. Saturdays are DJ/Family Nights. Free to attend, Music in the Park has proven to be one of Gulfstream’s most popular ongoing events. For additional live music, the Casino Stage features a DJ on Friday nights from 7:00 p.m. -11 p.m. and live band on Saturday nights from 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. The Breezeway Stage features rotating DJs on Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. and the Carousel Club features live music Friday-Sunday during all open hours. “Gulfstream Park is the place to be – with live music, food and racing events, there is something for everyone to enjoy this season,” said Alex Schreer, Director of Experiential Marketing for Gulfstream Park Village. “Our events capture the essence of the South Florida lifestyle and provide opportunities to try something new or revisit a favorite pastime.” About Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park is South Florida’s premier entertainment, dining and restaurant destination, located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, anchored by the legendary Gulfstream Park Racetrack. Gulfstream Park not only offers world-class Thoroughbred horse racing but is also home to a casino and family-friendly venues including over 15 restaurants, outdoor cafes, art galleries, fashion retailers, state-of-the-art bowling alley, and a renowned selection of signature home stores. Gulfstream Park, voted a 2020 Top Travelers' Choice Winner by TripAdvisor, is located at 901 South Federal Highway in Hallandale Beach, Florida, just two miles east of I-95. Valet service and complimentary self-parking are available. Gulfstream Park is open seven days a week. For hours, schedules, upcoming events and additional information please, visit: www.gulfstreampark.com or call: 954-454-7000. < Previous News Next News >

FIU Researchers Developed an Algorithm: That Can Diagnose a Stroke with 83 Percent Accuracy April 7, 2023 Share Research from Florida International University’s College of Business (FIU Business) found that a machine learning (ML) Algorithm that uses hospital data and social determinants of health data can help diagnose a Stroke quickly – before the results of laboratory tests or diagnostic images are available – with 83 percent accuracy. The findings suggest that there may be a way to reduce Stroke misdiagnosis in patients and enhance patient monitoring. The discovery will allow medical personnel to identify a Stroke patient or patients at risk of a Stroke sooner, improving the patients’ medical outcome. Stroke is among the most common and dangerous misdiagnosed medical conditions, and timely detection is key to effective management and improved outcomes. Patients who are treated within an hour of the onset of symptoms have a much greater chance of surviving and avoiding long-term brain damage. This is known as the “golden hour.” Data indicates that Blacks, Hispanics, women, older adults on Medicare and residents of rural areas are less likely to be diagnosed during this crucial window. Currently used pre-hospital Stroke scales miss approximately 30 percent of cases. The ML Algorithm that helps better diagnose Strokes was developed using data of suspected Stroke patients such as age, race and number of underlying conditions. The Algorithm “learns” and improves the more data it analyzes. Social determinants of health (SDoH) are non-medical factors, such as income and housing stability, access to transportation, race and social isolation, that affect a wide range of health outcomes. Using all of this information, the ML Algorithm helps to quickly diagnose a potential Stroke patient. “As we add more data it’s learning data,” said Min Chen, Associate Professor Of Information Systems and Business Analytics at FIU Business and one of the researchers. “Our Algorithm can incorporate a lot of variables to analyze and interpret complex patterns, which will allow Emergency Department care teams to make better and faster decisions. This data-driven approach will help make it easier to identify Stroke patients and ensure that they get the care they need in a timely manner.” Published in the January 2023 issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the study outlines how researchers developed the ML Stroke Prediction Algorithm using the Emergency Department and hospitalization records from hospitals in the State of Florida from 2012 to 2014, merged with the SDoH data from the American Community Survey. Their analysis included 143,203 hospital visits of unique patients. Patients who ended up being diagnosed with Stroke tended to be older, have more chronic conditions and have Medicare as the primary payer. If a hospital is using the researchers’ ML Algorithm, when a patient arrives with Stroke or Stroke-like symptoms, an automated, computer-assisted screening tool will quickly analyze all the patient’s information. If it predicts that the patient is at a high risk for Stroke, a pop-up will be triggered to alert the Emergency Department Team. This study fills a critical gap in the current efforts to support Stroke triage. Current ML methods developed to assist in detecting a Stroke have focused on interpreting clinical notes and diagnostic imaging results, which may not be available when a patient arrives at a hospital, particularly in rural and underserved communities. This type of technology is undergoing pilot testing in the ERs of several prominent healthcare systems. To facilitate the widespread implementation of this kind of ML-Enabled decision support systems, it is important to have widespread health information exchange that enables patients' data to flow seamlessly across providers and also a standardized way to collect the granular SDoH data. Chen conducted the study with Professors Xuan Tan of Clara University and Rema Padman of Carnegie Mellon University. < Previous News Next News >

You’d Better Watch Out - The Surveillance State Is Making a List, And You’re On It By John & Nisha Whitehead December 12, 2024 Share You’d better watch out—you’d better not pout—you’d better not cry—‘cos I’m telling you why: this Christmas, it’s the Surveillance State that’s making a list and checking it twice, and it won’t matter whether you’ve been bad or good. You’ll be on this list whether you like it or not. Mass surveillance is the Deep State’s version of a “gift” that keeps on giving…back to the Deep State. Geofencing dragnets. Fusion centers. Smart devices. Behavioral threat assessments. Terror watch lists. Facial recognition. Snitch tip lines. Biometric scanners. Pre-crime. DNA databases. Data mining. Precognitive technology. Drones. Contact tracing apps. License plate readers. Social media vetting. Surveillance towers. What these add up to is a world in which, on any given day, the average person is now monitored, surveilled, spied on and tracked in more than 20 different ways by both government and corporate eyes and ears. Big Tech wedded to Big Government has become Big Brother. Every second of every day, the American people are being spied on by a vast network of digital Peeping Toms, electronic eavesdroppers and robotic snoops. This creepy new era of government/corporate spying—in which we’re being listened to, watched, tracked, followed, mapped, bought, sold and targeted—has been made possible by a global army of techno-tyrants, fusion centers and Peeping Toms. Consider just a small sampling of the tools being used to track our movements, monitor our spending, and sniff out all the ways in which our thoughts, actions and social circles might land us on the government’s naughty list, whether or not you’ve done anything wrong. Tracking you based on your phone and movements: Cell phones have become de facto snitches, offering up a steady stream of digital location data on users’ movements and travels. For instance, the FBI was able to use geofence data to identify more than 5,000 mobile devices (and their owners) in a 4-acre area around the Capitol on January 6th. Tracking you based on your DNA. DNA technology in the hands of government officials completes our transition to a Surveillance State. By accessing your DNA, the government will soon know everything else about you that they don’t already know: your family chart, your ancestry, what you look like, your health history, your inclination to follow orders or chart your own course, etc. It’s only a matter of time before the police state’s pursuit of criminals expands into genetic profiling and a preemptive hunt for criminals of the future. Tracking you based on your face: Facial recognition software aims to create a society in which every individual who steps out into public is tracked and recorded in real-time as they go about their daily business. Similarly, biometric software, which relies on one’s unique identifiers (fingerprints, irises, voice prints), is becoming the standard for navigating security lines, as well as bypassing digital locks and gaining access to phones, computers, office buildings. Scientists are also developing lasers that can identify and surveil individuals based on their heartbeats, scent and microbiome. Tracking you based on your behavior: Rapid advances in behavioral surveillance are not only making it possible for individuals to be monitored and tracked based on their patterns of movement or behavior, including gait recognition (the way one walks), but have given rise to whole industries that revolve around predicting one’s behavior based on data and surveillance patterns and are also shaping the behaviors of whole populations. Tracking you based on your spending and consumer activities: Consumer surveillance, by which your activities and data in the physical and online realms are tracked and shared with advertisers, has become big business, a $300 Billion industry that routinely harvests your data for profit. Tracking you based on your public activities: Private corporations in conjunction with police agencies throughout the country have created a web of surveillance that encompasses all major cities in order to monitor large groups of people seamlessly, as in the case of protests and rallies. They are also engaging in extensive online surveillance, looking for any hints of “large public events, social unrest, gang communications, and criminally predicated individuals.” Tracking you based on your social media activities: As The Intercept reported, the FBI, CIA, NSA and other government agencies are increasingly investing in and relying on corporate surveillance technologies that can mine constitutionally protected speech on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in order to identify potential extremists and predict who might engage in future acts of anti-government behavior. Tracking you based on your social network: Not content to merely spy on individuals through their online activity, government agencies are now using surveillance technology to track one’s social network, the people you might connect with by phone, text message, email or through social message, in order to ferret out possible criminals. What this creates is a “guilt by association” society in which we are all as guilty as the most culpable person in our address book. Now the government wants us to believe that we have nothing to fear from these mass spying programs as long as we’ve done nothing wrong. Don’t believe it. The government’s definition of a “bad” guy is extraordinarily broad, and it results in the warrantless surveillance of innocent, law-abiding Americans on a staggering scale. As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, surveillance, digital stalking and the data mining of the American people—weapons of compliance and control in the government’s hands—haven’t made America any safer. And they certainly aren’t helping to preserve our freedoms. Indeed, America will never be safe as long as the U.S. government is allowed to shred 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 News Next News >

Reach Your Fitness Goals: The Aventura Zumba Community Can Help August 22, 2024 Share The City of Aventura started offering Complimentary Zumba® Classes to Aventura residents of all ages. Participants must register prior to attending the class, and be ready to provide valid proof of Aventura residency to access the park on the day of class. Participants will spend their morning being in a positive mood, having fun, and enjoying aerobic movement and Latin dance with the help of a certified instructor. During a Zumba® Class, you'll follow choreography with footwork that works your leg muscles, arm movements that tone your arm muscles and squats that can tighten your glute and core muscles. Whether you're new to the dance fitness world or have been taking different types of dance exercise classes for a while, you'll experience the post-workout feel from a Zumba® Class the next day, throughout your entire body. No matter your fitness goals, whether they're losing weight, toning muscles or maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a full-body workout can contribute to all of these goals and more. These workouts are versatile, and you can easily adapt them to your preferences and workout style. Zumba® Classes are a popular full-body workout because of the atmosphere of the class, and participants don't need any equipment to enjoy it — all you need is yourself and enough space to dance. According to: http://Zumba.com these are the ten main benefits of Zumba®: 1. Complete a Full-Body Workout Many exercise classes or types of workouts focus on certain parts of your body. Some workouts target your legs, back, arms, core and other areas of your body, but others provide a full-body workout that can help engage multiple muscles in your body. Zumba® is one of the exercise programs that can provide a full-body workout and a dance class. 2. Improve Your Coordination Dancing requires some level of coordination to follow choreography and piece together the moves. Zumba® will help those looking to improve their coordination and give them a safe space to practice their dancing abilities. Similar to how you can train your Lungs to work harder and your muscles to become stronger, you can train your body to become more coordinated through repetition. Zumba® is one of the best classes to work on improving your coordination. Including regular exercise into your routine, like Zumba® Classes, can help you maintain your physical abilities and coordination as you get older and prevent injuries from falls. 3. Enjoy Aerobic Exercise Benefits Zumba® is an upbeat and lively dance fitness class that will make you sweat with a smile on your face — you'll be having so much fun that you'll almost forget you're accomplishing an intense cardio-style workout. Implementing aerobic exercise in your workout schedule is an essential part of improving your overall health. This type of exercise describes any high or low-intensity cardio workout. It'll increase your heart rate and the amount of oxygen your body is using during your workout, helping you exercise your heart and lungs, which positively impacts your cardiovascular system. Specifically, aerobic exercise can improve your heart health by lowering your Blood Pressure, lowering your resting heart rate and reducing your chances of Heart Disease. Completing an aerobic workout is also beneficial for your Lungs. It trains your lungs to work more efficiently as you breathe hard and absorb more oxygen. Even parts of the body like the skin can benefit from Zumba® and other forms of aerobic exercise. When you raise your Heart Rate and enhance Blood Circulation, your body can deliver Oxygen and other nutrients to your skin, which helps make it healthier. 4. Assist Your Metabolism Zumba® Classes, and any other type of cardio workout, may help give your metabolism a boost. If you're someone looking to lose weight or improve your overall health, you may be curious about finding ways to improve your body's metabolic rate. A person's metabolism will vary depending on various factors and may change as they age. Keep in mind that you can't really "increase" your metabolism — and trying to do so won't help you lose weight. However, you can assist your metabolism by burning more calories than you take in, and Zumba® is a wonderful way to do just that. All levels of Zumba® can impact your metabolism. 5. Torch Calories A top benefit that encourages many people to work out is the number of calories they burn. Zumba® Classes are a great workout if you have a weight loss goal and want to burn a lot of calories. Zumba®, like other aerobic workouts, requires plenty of energy to keep up with all the choreography and upbeat rhythms. Zumba® is all about movement. During a class, you'll shake your hips, move your feet, sway your arms and complete other types of dance moves that will keep your body moving. The tempo changes and intensity variation throughout the class make Zumba® one of the best workout choices to maximize fat burning and torch calories. 6. Boost Your Mood Whether it's been a rough day, you're stressed or you just need a morning pick-me-up, Zumba® is the perfect mood booster. Zumba® can benefit many aspects of Mental Health. The combination of exercise and dance causes your brain to release Endorphins like Serotonin, making you happier. In general, exercise can also help alleviate any built-up Stress, anger or Anxiety that needs an outlet to escape. 7. Meet Other Zumba® Lovers Zumba® offers plenty of social benefits that can enhance your overall health. Having friends who like the same things you do is a big part of friendship. A fun aspect of participating in local Zumba® Classes is socializing with other people and creating new friendships. Zumba® is a social group fitness class, especially if you take classes regularly at your local fitness center, dance studio or other location. Zumba® Classes are a great way to make new friends if you spend a lot of time at work, are busy with kids or have other obligations in your life that hinder your time to socialize with others. 8. Exercise at Home While some people love to work out at the gym, others like to exercise from the comfort of their homes. A major perk of Zumba® Classes is you can participate almost anywhere — virtual Zumba® Classes are a wonderful option for people who want to stay home and work out or don't have time to make it to the gym. Zumba® Workouts are possible at home or at any location as long as you have enough space to move around and an internet connection. 10. Feel Like You're Part of a Community One of the best parts about Zumba® is its inclusivity to all levels of fitness. Zumba® Classes are open and available to those of nearly all abilities. No matter your age or skill level, you can find a class that works perfectly for your health goals. Zumba® Classes are a safe space for all fitness levels, and the instructors are ready to welcome you into their motivating and supportive community. Classes are held on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Veterans Park: 18375 Northeast 31st Avenue, Aventura, Florida 33180. Please plan to be in class for approximately one hour. Students must bring their own refillable water bottle to stay hydrated. So join your friends and neighbors in your community and register for the next class at: https://secure.rec1.com/FL/aventura-fl/catalog For more information, call: (305) 466-0183. < Previous News Next News >

Harnessing The Power Of Art To Prevent Gun Violence: Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords Joins Forces With The Artist Bonnie Lautenberg Thu Apr 06 2023 16:13:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Gay Men’s Chorus: Fall Tribute Concert Marks Triumphant Return September 9, 2021 Share “Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, welcomes the community, to join us through song, to celebrate life,” said Dr. Gary Keating. In a triumphant return to lift South Florida voices and spirits in harmony this fall, the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus (FTLGMC), will present “We Are Family (Dedicated to the memory of Jim Fahy),” on Saturday, September 18th, 2021 at 8:00 p.m., at The United Church Of Christ (2501 NE 30th Street in Fort Lauderdale). The inspirational and entertaining live evening, will include selections from: Bette Midler, Leonard Cohen and the smash Broadway show, Kinky Boots. “Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, welcomes the community to join us through song, to celebrate life,” said Dr. Gary Keating, Founding And Current Director, Of The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus. “We’re thrilled to perform, once again, to present an uplifting and motivational collection of timeless music from iconic artists.” General admission tickets for the “We Are Family” tribute concert, are $25; VIP tickets in the first five rows with priority seating, are priced at $40, plus a small service fee and are available, on-line at: https://fortlauderdalegaymenschorus.org . Or by calling: (954) 832-0060. Funding for the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council. Sponsors include: The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale and GPR, Goodman Public Relations. About Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus (FTLGMC) Celebrating more than 35 years of performing, the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus (FTLGMC) has strived to build community, through quality musical performances. Its civic engagement promotes a world which accepts and values diversity. Led by Founding Director, Dr. Gary Keating, the FTLGMC, was the first established, Gay Arts Organization, in the State of Florida and has gained respect and admiration, from both gay and straight audiences. For more information about the FTLGMC, please call: (954) 832-0060. Or visit us on-line at: Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, on Facebook at: facebook.com/theftlgmc and on YouTube. < Previous News Next News >

Cash, Cars & Climate Change: The Average Driver In Florida Would Expect $6,071 If They Were Forced To Go Electric October 13, 2022 Share According to a UN Report, we have just over 10 years to get Climate Change under control and save the planet. Both institutions and individuals bear responsibility for making significant changes, say experts, which is why the State of California took a monumental step towards reducing Carbon Emissions by recently approving a Ban on New Gas-Powered Cars by the year 2035. In other recent news, France has announced an incentive to pay drivers the equivalent of nearly $4,000 to swap out their old gas-fueled car for a more sustainable, City-appropriate electric bicycle. So as Governments introduce Policies to tackle Climate Change, can it be said that individuals are taking similar steps? Not so much, according to a survey by Gunther Volkswagen Delray Beach, who asked 3,021 drivers to determine how much they would expect to be subsidized in cash to swap out their gas-powered car for a Zero-Emission Vehicle. While Tax Incentives for switching over to electric vehicles do exist, it appears that a sizable proportion of our nation’s drivers feel Tax Breaks aren’t enough - instead, they prefer hard cash as compensation. It was found that the average driver in Florida would accept no less than $6,071 in cash if an all-electric car policy was enforced and they had to switch up their vehicle. This compares to a national average of $5,988. However, the level of compensation differs depending on location. Drivers in New Hampshire, the Live Free or Die State, feel they should be paid a whopping $12,698 in cash if they were forced to trade in their gasoline vehicles for cleaner electric ones. Comparatively, Wyoming drivers would be more willing to make this switch, saying they’d want a $3,131 in a cash subsidy to do so. The survey also uncovered other interesting findings. Nearly half (49%) of drivers think it’s a good idea for the Government to offer cash incentives to encourage people to switch from gas-powered vehicles to cleaner alternatives. However, more than half of drivers (65%) said despite steps towards more sustainable alternatives, they don’t think the evolution of electric cars is happening fast enough to help effectively combat Climate Change. Additionally, an overwhelming majority (88%) of drivers said they don’t think it’s a realistic plan to electrify every car on the road within just 30 years, as California is aiming to do. However, 1 in 10 (13%) said they support the idea of banning gasoline vehicles from driving through all cities and major urban areas. Encouragingly, 43% of drivers said the main reason they would switch from a gasoline to electric-powered car would be to help contribute towards a cleaner planet. More than 1 in 4 (27%) said the main reason would be to receive money back in Tax Credits, while 18% would do it to save on fuel and maintenance costs. However, 7% would do it for the benefit of being able to drive solo in the carpool lane and 5% said they’d make the swap to enjoy having fun with higher auto performance. The Inflation Reduction Act Interest in electric vehicles is predicted to surge next year due to expanded Tax Credits through the Federal Inflation Reduction Act. EV popularity also should see a boost as California, the largest domestic car market, is expected to Ban sales of New Gas-Powered Passenger Vehicles by 2035, essentially requiring them to be electric. As part of the new Inflation Reduction Act — designed to address climate change, healthcare and Taxes — there is a new Tax Credit of up to $4,000 on used electric cars and revised Tax Credits of up to $7,500 on certain new EVs. Among other provisions, The New Bill: • Offers a new Tax Credit of up to $4,000 on used EVs put into service after December 31st, 2023. • Takes away the 200,000 vehicle cap on Tax Credits that made EVs and plug-in hybrids from Tesla, GM and Toyota ineligible. • Does away with existing Tax Credits for pricey EVs—such as the Hummer EV, Lucid Air and Tesla Model S and Model X. • Eliminates Tax Credits for vehicles not assembled in North America, including the BMW i4, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Toyota bZ4X. Only vehicles assembled in North America will be eligible for a Tax Credit and the exclusion of vehicles with components from “foreign entities of concern,” including Russia and China, will go into effect December 31st, 2023. Starting in 2024, dealerships will be able to offer the value of a Tax Credit up front to consumers. This may simplify the process for car buyers. What can also be helpful for Florida residents is the new provision for Bidirectional EV chargers - ones that can also power your house using the energy stored in your car’s battery. These are now eligible for Tax Incentives and these types of vehicles could be useful after a Hurricane. < Previous News Next News >

Zumba & Yoga in the Park Are A Hit June 13, 2022 Share The City of Aventura started offering complimentary Zumba classes to Aventura residents of all ages beginning in March and has been a huge success. The new Zumba program includes a certified Zumba instructor teaching this fun fitness class involving aerobic movement and Latin dance. Participants should be ready to bring a positive mood, have fun and bring a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated. When: Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Where: Founders Park 3105 NE 190 St. If Yoga is more your thing, the popular series of complimentary yoga classes at Founders Park is still happening for yogis of all skill levels to enjoy. Held outdoors in the City’s beautiful Founders Park, these classes offer the perfect atmosphere to relax, breath and stretch together with the help of a certified instructor. The duration of the class is approximately one hour, classes start at 9:00 a.m. every Friday. Students must bring their own Yoga mats, a small towel and water for convenience. Please plan to be in class for approximately one hour. Registration is open and spots are limited. All participants must be registered prior to attending. Registration can be completed exclusively online only with a valid and existing account at cityofaventura.com/ors. For more information about the event email: parksrec@cityofaventura.com or call: 305-466-0183. Health & Safety Please be advised that in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic and the return to the new normal phases of operations, the City of Aventura’s Community Services Department has carefully planned and prepared this program with the safety of its community in mind. Safety guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), and Miami-Dade County are being followed. The safety and health of the Aventura community is important, and the City takes all the necessary steps to ensure its safety. To safely protect the health and welfare of the staff and participants, class space is limited and is available for adult Aventura residents (ages 18 and older) only. All participants will be required to space out a minimum of 10 feet during class. < Previous News Next News >