Fall 2006 - City of Coral Springs

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community A Home for Nature Sawgrass Nature Center to open in October For more than a decade, Joan Kohl jumped over many hurdles to get the Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital (SNC) up and running. The site was continuously moved to different locations, hurricanes tried to knock it down, and construction costs became so expensive, she almost called it quits. But Kohl always got back up, dusted herself off and got back to work. Her efforts have paid off and she now has the wildlife rehabilitation center of her dreams. “I always felt that this location was home,” said Kohl, “no matter how many times things didn’t seem to work out.” Kohl, founder and president of the SNC, is a former social worker who changed career paths to become a full-time wildlife rehabilitator. At one point, Kohl was running the SNC out her own home with more than 150 critters. The two completed buildings are only the beginning of a $3 million development plan on five acres of land in the Sportsplex donated by the City of Coral Springs. The City also secured $650,000 in state and county grants toward the project and oversaw the construction of the current improvements. The Center will not only be a great addition to Coral Springs, but it serves as an asset to the surrounding cities, as the only other wildlife center nearby is located in Fort Lauderdale. By its official opening in mid-October, residents and visitors to the SNC will be able to learn more about our unique South Florida environment and its many wildlife inhabitants. Adjacent to the nature center is the Wildlife Hospital, which serves as a home to injured, sick and orphaned baby wild birds, mammals and reptiles. These animals are given quality care, rehabilitation and then released back into the wild. The SNC has partnered with Sawgrass Springs Middle School, an environmental magnet school. Students assist with volunteer work and fundraisers, and the SNC has assisted them with the creation of the Critter Club and their tortoise preserve. Monthly lectures also take place at the school the second Tuesday of each month. Kohl and Robin Reccasina, the SNC’s educator, are also working on writing a curriculum to meet the FCAT standards. By making classes FCAT compatible, students will be able to learn hands-on at the SNC and satisfy the school’s requirements. Kohl is also planning to have programs available for toddlers, home-schooled children, and scouts. Additional plans include an outdoor classroom, amphitheater, a “Wild World” interactive children’s area, aviaries, interpretive nature trails and additional flight cages and animal habitats. Long-range plans for the center include an environmental learning center for students and an observation deck for viewing the Everglades, just across the Sawgrass Expressway. Also in the works is the construction of an additional wetland behind the SNC. Wetlands are recognized as an important feature that provides numerous benefits for people, fish and wildlife. Some of these functions include protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats, storing floodwaters, and maintaining surface water flow during dry periods. “The new wetland project will replace areas disturbed with the construction of the Sportsplex Athletic Complex and is expected to be completed by spring of 2007,” said Tom Messenheimer, Executive Director of the Sportsplex. Kohl expressed pride in the efforts of so many making the new facility a reality. “We are so excited to finally be here and we want to make this a stepping-stone to increasing exhibits and opportunities for the public to enjoy nature,” said Kohl. The SNC is a non-profit organization, which doesn’t receive any City, state or federal funding. The center is totally dependent on donations from individuals, clubs, and local civic groups, grants, corporate sponsorships and on other fundraising efforts of their volunteers and board members. Residents can also support the cause by attending the Wild Grand Opening Gala on Saturday, October 14 at 5PM at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts. Tickets are on sale for $60 at the SNC. The Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital will celebrate their grand opening at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, October 18 at 5PM at the Center. To learn more about the Center, make a donation, or to inquire about its membership, sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, call the Center at 954-752-WILD or visit sawgrassnaturecenter.org. 8 • Coral Springs • Fall 2006 Visit coralsprings.org
Family Success Center offers many services for those in need Are you having a financial problem or need help locating services to help your family in a time of need? The Northwest Coral Springs Family Success Center is the place to go. The facility opened in June 2005 and, yet, is still one of Coral Springs’ hidden treasures. What was once the local library is now the only Family Success Center west of the Turnpike. The Family Success Center is a one-stop source of social services information, referrals and services to assist individuals and families in setting goals, learning skills, and accessing the services they need to build a stronger, healthier and self-sufficient family. For example, a single mother was recently evicted from her home and was living in her car. She didn’t know where else to go, so she paid a visit to the Family Success Center. The center was able to place her in a hotel for two weeks, while helping her find alternative housing. The Family Success Center also secured her moving costs and provided gas assistance to help her get back on her feet. “We made sure there was adequate income, so that she wouldn’t find herself in this situation again,” said Regional Manager Angie Washington. Thanks to collaborative partnerships with other Broward County Human Services Department divisions, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, this center provides a variety of services. The Center also offers integrated intake, assessment and case management, employee assistance, bus passes and food vouchers. Services are available in Spanish and Creole. “We want people to come here and use our services, but our goal is to empower them so that they become self-sufficient,” said Washington. Hispanic Unity, also located at this site, provides a variety of services for Spanish-speakers, including English instruction, job placement, emergency assistance, information and referral, health education, HIV/AIDS prevention, children’s literacy, and senior programs. Families in need of assistance in obtaining cash aid, food stamp assistance and Medicaid can meet with Florida Department of Children and Family Services (DCF) caseworkers by appointment, referrals or simply as a walk in. The City of Coral Springs also offers its Youth Services Program from the Center to assist teens in learning how to write resumes, find a job and improve interview skills. Other service partners include Elderly and Veteran’s Affairs, Substance Abuse and Health Care Services, and Child Care Licensing and Enforcement. The Family Success Center is located at 10077 N.W. 29 th Street, near Mullins Park. The facility is open Monday through Friday, from 8AM to 5PM. For more information, call 954-761-2121. “This picture of our daughter Milan signifies to us the beauty that Hurricane Wilma did not destroy. It also reminds us of the camaraderie of our neighbors and all the Coral Springs residents of how much we love our ‘beautiful’ city.....the beauty that remains.” – Laurette and Josh Homan “Even the lizards and exotic creatures seen in Florida love being able to rest and unwind in front of a luminous lake on a calm Sunday afternoon like the rest of us can do.” – Tavyia Tarsetti “Lloyd Wicks has been a faithful security guard at Carriage Pointe Estates for 16 years, and at the age of 86 he stills waves and stands up to great us as we come into the community.” – Shelia Schemtob My Coral Springs Photos submitted by our readers Coral Springs is inviting residents to submit their best photos of Coral Springs. Submitted photos may be featured in an upcoming issue of Coral Springs Magazine, on CityTV 25 or on the City’s website. Please e-mail your full-resolution photographs to editor@coralsprings.org. Don’t forget to include your name, description of the people or places pictured, as well as why your photo signifies what Coral Springs means to you. View CityTV via podcasting Coral Springs is keeping up with the times and is making CityTV segments available via podcast and video-ondemand. Residents who don’t have Advanced Cable can now watch City videos, as well as listen to commission meetings. To watch videos from the City of Coral Springs, go to iTunes, click on podcast and run a search for Coral Springs. If you don’t have iTunes, visit coralsprings.org and click on the podcast link. You will be able to download iTunes for free and then view podcasts of CityTV shows within minutes. “The great thing about podcasts is that residents can now get city information at their leisure, whether it’s a City Commission meeting or a segment on how to get a building permit,” said CityTV Editor and Videographer Alex Rodriguez. Also available to residents is video-on-demand, which is an interactive multimedia system that works like cable television, but customers can select what show they’d like to watch from a video database. Video-on-demand will be available at coralsprings.org and through mobile devices in the future. community Watch CityTV Channel 25 Fall 2006 • Coral Springs • 9
Page 2 and 3: A message from the City of Coral Sp
Page 4 and 5: features The Future ofTransportatio
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Page 8 and 9: city Get to know your neighbor at a
Page 12 and 13: usiness Local businesses get in the
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Page 16 and 17: ecreation A Golden summer Leila Vaz
Page 18 and 19: ecreation Look out for Verb Yellowb
Page 20: Comedy Idols from NBC’s Last Comi

Fall 2006 - City of Coral Springs

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